Grand Rapids, Mich. (October 19, 2017) – H.W. Kaufman Group, Michigan’s largest insurance company, announced today the opening of its new office in Grand Rapids, Michigan for Burns & Wilcox – North America’s leading wholesale insurance broker and underwriting manager. This comes on the heels of the acquisition of Grand Rapids-based Chlystek & White Insurance Services in June 2017. The new location expands the company’s presence to better serve an expanding client base of insurance retail brokers and agents – marking the second major location in Michigan.
“My late father, Herbert W. Kaufman, first opened the Burns & Wilcox flagship office in Michigan in 1969,” said Alan Jay Kaufman, Chairman, President, and CEO, H.W. Kaufman Group and its largest subsidiary, Burns & Wilcox. “Continued expansion in the company’s home state, almost 50 years later, strengthens our legacy and further solidifies the power of the long-term strategic growth plan for Burns & Wilcox.”
Jeff Diefenbach, CPCU, Corporate Senior Vice President and current Managing Director of Detroit/Farmington Hills, also oversees Cleveland and Indianapolis with Burns & Wilcox, and will serve as Managing Director of the new office located in downtown Grand Rapids inside the historical Ledyard Building. The office will be located at 125 Ottawa Street, Suite 425, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. A growing team of industry experts will operate in the Grand Rapids office, with employees originating from the local area and across major Midwest cities, including Chicago, Detroit, and Indianapolis.
“Grand Rapids is a growing business hub in Michigan, and the new location is a direct result of an increased focus in our home state” said Diefenbach. “Burns & Wilcox has already been able to attract high-caliber talent from major Midwest strongholds, and we look forward to continuing to grow the team as we expand.”
Additionally, H.W. Kaufman Group has recently extended its visibility in Michigan by becoming an official partner of the Detroit Red Wings. Leaders at Kaufman from around the globe will converge in Detroit for the annual Kaufman Leadership Meeting on October 23-28, 2017 to discuss 2018 goals, initiatives, and development plans.
For more information on H.W. Kaufman Group, visit: www.kaufmanfinancialgroup.com
About H.W. Kaufman Group and Burns & Wilcox
Burns & Wilcox is the industry’s leading wholesale insurance broker and underwriting manager internationally recognized for its expertise in commercial and professional liability, property, marine and personal insurance.
Burns & Wilcox is a member of H.W. Kaufman Group, which has over 60 offices across the United States and Canada and employs more than 2,000 professionals. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Metro Detroit, H.W. Kaufman Group also includes: Burns & Wilcox Brokerage, Burns & Wilcox Canada, Burns & Wilcox Re, Atain Insurance Companies, Afirm, Global Excess Partners, R.B. Jones, Royal Premium, Minuteman Adjusters, and London-based, Chesterfield Insurance Brokers, Lochain Patrick, and Cranbrook Underwriting. More information can be found at www.burnsandwilcox.com or www.kaufmanfinancialgroup.com.
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