USI acquires Texas benefits advisory firm

USI Insurance Services, the Valhalla, N.Y.-based  local and national insurance brokerage and consulting firm , has acquired Ball Peoples, an employee benefits advisory firm headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Since 1975, Ball Peoples has been providing employee benefits for clients throughout Central Texas and across the Southwest. The employees will remain at their Austin location.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

John D. Collado, USI Southwest regional chief executive officer, said: “This acquisition further strengthens our footprint as one of the top three retail employee benefits insurance brokerage firms in Texas, and increases our ability to deliver our clients a powerful arsenal of employee benefits services and solutions. The talented staff at Ball Peoples has a laser focus on helping organizations build a culture committed to employee benefits.”

He added: “Tom, Danny and their team will play an important role to further our employee benefits practice throughout the Southwest region, and we are excited to have them join the USI family.”

Thomas H. Ball III, co-owner, Ball Peoples, said: “For 42 years, our strategy has been based on a high-touch, service driven model where relationships matter and best in class solutions are delivered. Our clients will continue to benefit from this methodology, but now they can tap into USI’s robust products that, in addition to employee benefits, include property-casualty, retirement consulting and personal risk.”

Daniel L. Peoples, co-owner, Ball Peoples, said: “Being able to provide our clients with quality advice, technology, education and training, along with our ability to quickly adapt to an ever changing healthcare landscape, is what differentiates us from our competitors. By joining forces with a unique industry leader like USI, our existing clients can leverage the USI ONE Advantage platform to enjoy an expanded suite of insurance solutions and services, and new business opportunities can be cultivated.”