Davies Group eyes US expansion with acquisition

Davies Group has completed its first major US claims deal as it steps up its North American investment plans.

Frontier Adjusters is a multi-line independent claims adjusting provider headquartered in Independence, Ohio.

The newly acquired company specialises in all major property, casualty and auto insurance claim types, and works in close partnership with national and regional insurance companies, third-party administrators, self-insured entities, and governmental agencies.

Frontier is Davies Group’s first US claims deal, and will form the independent adjusting arm of its new US claims solutions business.

The independent adjusting arm will sit alongside Davies Group’s existing businesses in the US, which includes its captive management business, Quest, and its insurance audit and inspection organisations.

Frontier senior vice president Milo Bolender will continue to lead the business with close support from vice president Tyson Ware, and the broader leadership team. All Frontier employees will continue in their roles as Davies Group employees.

The deal marks Davies Group’s fourth acquisition of 2019. Earlier this year, Canadian investor AIMCo took a minority stake in the company alongside majority shareholder HGGC to support the next phase of international expansion and continued digital transformation.

Davies Group is made up of more than 2,000 professionals working across claims, insurance services, consulting and technology from its operations in the UK, Ireland, Bermuda, the US and Canada.

Dan Saulter, chief executive of Davies Group, commented: “I am excited to welcome the whole Frontier team to Davies. Frontier’s breadth of capability, their geographic footprint, their focus on client service, and investment in technology strongly aligns with our ethos. The addition of Frontier to our growing platform means we can provide our insurance clients with multi-line claims solutions in the US and Canada, in addition to our established operations in the UK and Ireland.”

He added: “Extending our claims operations to North America is an important part of our growth strategy. We plan to continue developing our solutions in North America through adding complementary third-party administrator and supply chain capabilities both organically and through additional acquisitions in the future.”

Bolender commented: “We’re delighted to join Davies and are excited about our key role in the group’s expansion plans in North America. We have a strong network of franchisee owner-operators with deep experience who are committed to delivering quality independent adjusting services.”

“I look forward to working with those customers we have in common and to being able to offer these services to Davies’ wider client base to drive future growth and opportunities for Frontier and our franchisees.”

Bolender added: “Being part of a global business means more opportunities for our staff and their career development. Our Frontier team will benefit from access to unique Davies’ initiatives such as the Disruptive Thinking Innovation Lab and the Davies Foundation.”

Mark Dugdale