Hi-Alta expands with four acquisitions (March 12, 2002)

Broker consolidator Hi-Alta has added four new offices to its Western Insurance Network (WIN), including two in Alberta, and one each in BC and Saskatchewan. J.A. Buchan Agencies of Champion, AB, will be merged with Wes Fulton Agencies in nearby Vulcan, while Cochrance Insurance will eventually join Whittle Agencies in Cochrane, AB. The Prince George, BC, operations on Aon Reed Stenhouse will merge with Fournier Insurance Brokers, with six Aon staffers making the move. Hi-Alta also plans to open a second location in northern BC later in the spring. Finally, ISI Insurance Services Inc., which operates in Regina and Kronau, SK, has been added to the network.Hi-Alta president Scott Tannas hopes to grow the network to 50 locations by mid-2002.