Higginbotham Expands Southeast Footprint, Joining Forces with Thompson & Smith Insurance of Jackson, TN
West Tennessee Firm Cites Shared Culture, Year-Round Client Risk Management Services as Inspiration for the Collaboration
(Fort Worth, Texas) – Higginbotham, the largest independent insurance, financial and HR services firm headquartered in Texas and one of the top firms in the country, has teamed up with independent agency Thompson & Smith Insurance of Jackson, Tennessee.
After celebrating Higginbotham’s 75th anniversary in 2023, Chairman and CEO Rusty Reid is focused on the future with a platform of strategic growth, joining forces with agencies across the country that share Higginbotham’s commitment to client service, team support and community investment.
“With Thompson & Smith, we’re getting a partner with great geographic representation, decades of experience, and specialized knowledge — particularly in the construction space that’s so strong in the Southeast,” Reid said. “But more than that, we’re getting a partner that shares our mission and our approach to doing business.”
Thompson & Smith CEO Chuck Thompson explained the Tennessee firm’s client-service mission and the consultative approach they follow to make sure clients are matched with the insurance products that best fit their individual needs.
“Our number one goal is to take care of each client, making sure they’re insured appropriately,” Thompson said. “Insurance is a complicated industry, and our clients need someone on their side to navigate the complexities. We are proud to go above and beyond what a standard agency might do. As a result, our customers trust us, and we’ll do whatever we can to maintain that trust.”
Thompson & Smith President Roger Smith agreed and pointed out that the Higginbotham partnership would allow their firm to strengthen those client relationships even further in the future.
“Our industry is evolving and so are our clients’ needs,” Smith said. “With Higginbotham’s resources, we can take those clients as far as they want to go. I’m particularly excited to offer Higginbotham’s Day Two Services, which are value-added services that go beyond placing insurance coverage — that’s day one — and instead support that coverage with risk management services that continue right on through the life of each policy. Additionally, Thompson & Smith gains a full-scale employee benefits division through Higginbotham.”
Thompson concluded, again pointing out the importance of shared culture as well as enhanced client services and team benefits in the decision to join forces with Higginbotham:
“I went to work for my father right out of college in 1994, and he’d been in the industry for decades before that,” Thompson said. “Through his mentoring I learned that selling insurance was secondary to solving customers’ problems. With Higginbotham, we found a partner that shares our client-focused culture. When you put that together with the value-added services they offer and the support for our team from an employee-owned firm with fantastic benefits, it’s easy to see that we’re a great fit for them and they’re a great fit for us.”
(PHOTO: Rusty Reid)
