Group & Benefits Consultants is joining ACHS Insurance, a wholly owned subsidiary of Acrisure LLC, to expand its services and offer property and casualty insurance to current and future clients.

The alliance with ACHS Insurance allows Groups & Benefits Consultants to come under the umbrella of Acrisure, which was founded in 2005 and is among the top 20 largest US insurance brokers as well as top 10 privately held.  

With the merger, Russell T. Head, will serve as President of ACHS Insurance and Michael W. Carraway will remain CEO of ACHS Insurance. 

“This allows both companies [Group & Benefits Consultants and ACHS Insurance] to be an integral part of the Acrisure family,” said Head. “It will also allow for more support and services both at a local level as well as nationally as future investments are currently in the process.” 

Established in 1997, Group & Benefits Consultants is Augusta’s largest privately held employee benefits firm while consulting on a variety of benefit plans including medical and dental insurance, short-term and long-term disability products, group life insurance, group long-term care, and company retirement plans. Through the utilization of new technologies, software and exclusive arrangements Group and Benefits has introduced new platforms on wellness, HR compliance, private exchanges, data analytics and education in health care reform. 

ACHS Insurance, also based in Augusta, began in 1990 and is licensed in 15 states including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, and Alabama. ACHS Insurance provides unique specialized insurance contracts for both their commercial employer business as well as individual personal insurance such as auto and home.  

“This is a colossal deal within the CSRA insurance brokerage community,” said Head. “To combine the largest local commercial and employee benefits firms as a united entity alongside national corporate support—it is a game changer.” 

Head said that Group & Benefits clients have been requesting the opportunity to purchase property and casualty insurance along with their employee benefits. 

“I now have very strategic relationships, specialty markets, and programs, as well as additional services that we could never access before now,” said Head. “On the employee benefits side it will be business as usual but with an increase in access to some unique technologies and software that will be proprietary to us. We now have even more exclusive arrangements to help serve our clients beyond what we were already providing.” 

Head added that with the merger, the two companies have the advantage of leveraging its combined sizes in joining a top 20 national insurance firm; while still providing a local presence to deliver unique products and services with expert advice and consultation. 

Future expansion plans include a new 20,000-square-foot office building in Columbia County to accommodate more than 45 employees.  

Head said that he and Carraway are also discussing the purchase of one or two additional insurance agencies in the area. 

“We will be very strategic as to who those partners will be,” Head said. “Regarding new offerings, I have spent a great deal of time and energy in the creative planning mode; thus we will be introducing some new products and programs to the marketplace in the near future.”

For more information, visit ACHS Insurance website at www.achsinsurance.com