Warner Pacific, a Westlake Village-based employee benefits distributor, announced on Thursday its acquisition of Beere and Purves, a Walnut Creek-based agency geared towards benefits brokers in California.
It is Warner Pacific’s first acquisition of another agency based in California.
The move will allow Beere and Purves, a legacy firm that has carved out a niche in local markets, to provide a larger suite and products and carriers to their customers, as well as operate on Warner Pacific’s updated technology capabilities.
“Warner Pacific has built its business around broker success, with the resources and expertise to navigate an ever-shifting benefits landscape,” Pete Cella, the president of Beere and Purves, said in a statement. “By joining the Warner Pacific team, we can preserve what has made Beere and Purves special while giving our broker partners access to a wider range of products, capabilities and support to compete and grow.”
“Beere and Purves has built an exceptional team and a business that shares our fundamental belief that the broker comes first,” Edward Lehman, the chief executive of Warner Pacific, said in a statement. “Their hard-earned market expertise, strong broker relationships and commitment to service make them a natural fit with Warner Pacific.”
Warner Pacific has been scooping up brokers and expanding its footprint over these last couple of years. Earlier in January, the group acquired Brokers Holding Group, an agency based in South Carolina that specializes in health plans and employer group funding strategies. The acquisition allowed it to tap into a network of users across the Southeast, from South Carolina to North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.
