TINTON FALLS, N.J.– World Insurance Associates LLC (WIA), a Top 100 Insurance Agency, announced today that it acquired Peoples/Commercial Insurance Services, LLC (d/b/a Peoples Insurance Group) of Topeka, KS on August 1, 2020. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Peoples Insurance Group, originally founded in 1917, is the largest locally owned independent agency in Topeka, KS and is built on the principles of providing superior customer service and quality insurance solutions for its customers. Peoples Insurance Group offers several lines of insurance, including personal, business, commercial, life, disability, and bonds.
“We warmly welcome Peoples Insurance Group,” states Rich Eknoian, CEO and Co-Founder of WIA. “We look forward to working closely together and expanding our presence in Kansas.”
“We are excited by the opportunity to grow alongside World and are confident that this new partnership will allow us to best cater to the needs of our customers and employees,” says Michael Lesser, President of Peoples Insurance Group.
Erin Lesser, Vice President of Peoples Insurance Group, adds, “After having worked this summer with the WIA team to form a partnership, we are very excited that WIA recognizes the hard work and dedication from the entire Peoples Insurance Group team. We would not be where we are today had we not had support from our amazing customers and our team. I am thrilled to say that nothing is changing, Mike and I plan to continue working at the agency and our team is staying with us.”
Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla provided legal counsel to WIA, and Smith Law Firm provided legal counsel for Peoples Insurance Group. Scali Group, LLC advised WIA on the transaction. No other advisors or diligence firms were disclosed.