From the Evans Agency,
Evans Bancorp, Inc. a community financial services company serving Western New York since 1920, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell The Evans Agency to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. In 2018, The Evans Agency acquired the former Richardson & Stout Agency, based in Wellsville.
Aaron Whitehouse, President of The Evans Agency, said “I’m very excited about what this transition will mean for our customers and employees. For our customers, they will gain access to a broader number of options for their insurance needs. And for our staff, they will have access to more tools and resources, to make them better insurance professionals, which will also benefit our customers. Our customers will continue working with the same staff they always have.”
Whitehouse noted there will be no job eliminations as part of the sale. “We were insistent that we wanted all our employees to come over to Gallagher as part of this deal. They were 100% behind this concept from the start, and they noted that there is a shortage of talent in the insurance industry, and they were very enthused about bringing over all our employees.”
Whitehouse further noted that Gallagher is a company known for their strong culture, ethics and commitment to the communities in which they serve. “Gallagher has won numerous awards on a national basis, for their emphasis on culture and ethics – they’ve been named one of the world’s most ethical companies for 12 years in a row. And they strongly encourage employees to volunteer in the communities they live and work in.”
Rich Ewell, Vice President at The Evans Agency, understands there may be some apprehension from employees, clients and the community regarding the sale to Gallagher. “When Richardson & Stout became part of Evans, some feared that it would diminish our support and involvement in Wellsville, and I can emphatically say that has not been the case. Our team has been just as involved and engaged in this community as we were before—with major sponsorships such as the Balloon Rally and other Chamber of Commerce events. And our clients were able to deal with the same trusted professionals they always worked with and have had additional products and services available to them. Our move to Evans was positive for our employees, clients and Wellsville area communities and we are confident this move will be just as beneficial. We are fully committed to this area.”
Finally, Whitehouse noted he expects to grow the agency’s presence in the southern tier. “The leaders of Gallagher are very enthused about the growth opportunities in the southern tier, including Wellsville and the surrounding communities. Gallagher is a growing company, and we’ll be looking to invest in this area to grow our business and be a more valuable resource for our current customers and prospects”.
