January 29, 2015
Insurance Office of America (IOA) is excited to announce the acquisition of a family insurance business with more than eighty-five years of industry expertise, Robert J. Hanafin, Inc. “There were many synergies between our organizations beginnings and it did not take long for both parties to see this opportunity as a great fit“, said Tony Tatum IOA Director of Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions. As a full service agency that offers personal lines, bonds, group benefits and commercial coverage the organization was a natural fit for joining IOA. Robert J. Hanafin, Inc. is one of the largest agency writers of contract surety in the Northeastern United States, writing more surety premium and construction insurance accounts per office basis than many of the national brokerage competitors. The organization brings with it a team of specialists that excel in the construction industry and will add value to IOA’s national construction team.
However it was not always construction insurance. Robert J. Hanafin, Inc. was started by Robert J. Hanafin in September of 1929 and was in its original form a sole proprietorship marketing life insurance. At the time, “Bob Hanafin” was twenty-one years old and as was the case with many of the self-starters in those days, he had little formal education and even less capital, but for the lack of those ingredients, he possessed unequaled tenacity. In the middle 1930’s, the agency entered the personal lines property and casualty insurance business and after World War II, began to develop a book of medium size commercial accounts. The commercial lines insurance business consisting of small manufacturers and retail trade accounts such as auto dealers and department stores grew successfully during the 1950’s. R. Martin Hanafin, son of Robert J. Hanafin returned to the business full time following his university graduation, service in the US Army and employment with the Hartford Accident & Indemnity Company. He became president of the company in 1972.
During the ensuing thirty-five years, Robert J. Hanafin, Inc. became a major factor in upstate New York in the construction insurance and surety bond arena. Today, the agency is considered one of the “best of the best” in their field: Construction Insurance. For this, Robert J. Hanafin, Inc. has to thank its wonderful employees, many of whom have been with the company in excess of twenty and thirty years and its book of extraordinary customers who are unquestionably in Robert’s words, “the crème de la crème in their respective fields”.
Click Here to learn more about IOA and joining our team. We encourage you to contact Marty Hanafin President & CEO, with any questions at 800-448-4826.
Office Locations:
Endicott Office:
204 Washington Ave.
PO Box 509
Endicott, NY 13760
P: (607) 754-3500
F: (607) 754-9797
Syracuse Office:
100 Clinton Sq., Ste 300
126 N Salina St.
Syracuse, NY 13202
P: (315) 428-1135
F: (315) 475-8040
