Westland Insurance Now Coast-to-Coast with Storm Insurance Acquisition

SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA – December 17, 2020 – Westland Insurance Group Ltd. (“Westland”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to acquire  Nova Scotia-based Storm Insurance Group (“Storm”), with a scheduled close date of January 6, 2021. This acquisition supports Westland’s expansion strategy to serve more communities nationally, and it is the company’s first acquisition with offices in the provinces of Nova Scotia and Quebec.

With this acquisition, Westland Insurance will be adding new branches across the Western, Central, Quebec, and Atlantic regions, over 120 employees in six provinces, and over 100,000 clients across Canada.

Storm Insurance Group is an award-winning brokerage group operating under several brands, including retail brokerages A.P. Reid, Sheppard, and Axxium; group brokerage MyGroup; MGA Agile Underwriting Solutions; and digital insurance platform ZipSure.ca. Storm specializes in partnering with carriers, brokerages, associations, and other organizations to provide custom insurance solutions and programs.

“We’re thrilled to be expanding our presence across Canada with such an entrepreneurial, innovative and well-established leader in the insurance industry,” said Jamie Lyons, President & Chief Operating Officer of Westland Insurance. “Similar to Westland, the Storm Insurance Group was started in 1980 as a small, family-owned business. It is now a national multi-channel insurance distributor, servicing Canadians in all provinces and territories. Under its founder Aileen Reid, and more recently under the visionary leadership of CEO Jamie Reid and his executive team, Storm has set itself apart in the industry by investing in cutting-edge, customer-centric solutions. We’d like to welcome the whole Storm team to the Westland family.”

“Joining Westland is an exciting next step in Storm’s journey to become a leader in the Canadian Insurance Industry,” said Jamie Reid, President and CEO of Storm Insurance Group. “This move will advance our strategic position and build on the growth and success of our employees and businesses. As part of Westland, we will benefit by expanding our capacity, resources, and market position. Joining Westland will also allow us to continue investing in innovative platforms and attracting top industry talent.”

Post-acquisition, Westland will have over 150 locations and 1,700 employees in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.