Insurance Hunter, Southland among brokers now owned by Hub

A Windsor, Ont.-based online brokerage that promises consumers seven quotes in three minutes is one operation now owned by Hub International Ltd.

Chicago-based Hub announced Thursday it has acquired the property and casualty business of Cypher Systems Group, the corporate parent of Southland Insurance Brokers Inc., SmartCoverage Insurance Services Inc. and Insurance Hunter Services Inc.

Insurance Hunter says its “hunters” will “find you 7+ quotes in 3 minutes of less.” Insurance Hunter places auto, home, condo, renters and travel insurance.

Southland, meanwhile, is a brokerage with offices in Windsor and the southwestern Ontario communities of Tecumseh, Leamington and Harrow.

The deal comes three years after Hub acquired Gamble and Associates Insurance Limited, founded in Sarnia in 1948. With the Gamble acquisition, Hub acquired brokerages in Petrolia, Ridgetown, Wallaceburg, Forest, London, Chatham, Thamesville and St. Thomas.

With the Cypher Systems deal announced Thursday, Hub will establish Hub Customer Central in Windsor.

The non-insurance operations of Cypher Systems include the Windsor Spitfires junior hockey team.

Hub Customer Central will be led by Stephen Savage, John Savage, Brian Schwab and Dave Dyer, the executive team of Cypher Systems.

Cypher Systems “brings expertise in scaling and running operations for large insurance programs, and the capability for new opportunities to accelerate our growth,” Hub Canada president Tina Osen stated in a release.

Hub International was formed in 1998 through the merger of 11 Canadian brokerages.

Hub also owns managing general agency Totten Insurance Group (founded in 2002 by H. Ross Totten) and HKMB Hub, formerly known as Hunter Keilty Muntz and Beatty.