Currently specializing in all lines of insurance from homeowners to business policies, Lumbermens recently merged with Brown & Brown Northwest.
After assessing the proposition over the last several years, Joe Bankofier, president of Lumbermens, determined a merger with Brown & Brown Northwest would be a good fit for their team and clients.
Founded in 1914, Lumbermens’ roots date back to the founding of Bend. The agency is one of the oldest companies with continuous operations in Central Oregon and remains strongly tied to the community today.
Lumbermens occupied the corner building on Franklin and Bond from the 1970s until 2004, when Bankofier demolished the old building and replaced it with the gleaming new Franklin Crossing building that now stands in its place. Lumbermens moved into the second floor suites of the Franklin Crossing building in 2014.
“Joining forces with a larger team enables us to provide a broader range of services to our most valuable asset, our customers. Having spent a considerable amount of time with Jessica Getman, president of Brown & Brown Northwest, we are confident that there are great synergies between our teams. We want the community to know this move intensifies our focus on providing quality, innovative insurance solutions and exceptional customer service,” says Bankofier.
Bankofier assures clients their team of 20 insurance professionals will remain in intact despite the merger, saying, “Our phone number and office location remain the same.” Vice President of Operations Mollie Boyd notes they aim to hire two to four more staff within the year.
Boyd, with Lumbermens since 2001, reflects, “By joining with Brown & Brown Northwest we have large scale resources not available in the past. For example, we now have a six-person risk management team out of Portland that will help better serve our Central Oregon clients. We also have greater strength and leverage in the national marketplace allowing us to obtain more competitive pricing and coverage for our clients while still serving and supporting our local community.”
The merger was official in February and the company will continue to use the Lumbermens name with the Brown & Brown Northwest for the foreseeable future. The local combined office will be led by Bill McCabe, executive vice president of Brown & Brown Northwest.
Brown & Brown Northwest
541-382-2421
550 NW Franklin Ave., Ste 268
Bend OR 97703
www.lumbins.com, www.bbnw.com
No of employees: 20
Outlook for growth: Great with large scale resources now available.
(Photo above: The combined team of Brown & Brown Northwest and Lumbermens Insurance in our Franklin Crossing location. (Back L-R) Laurie Jermaczonak, Holly Hills, Jason Snider, Joe Bankofier, Bill McCabe, Gary Githens, Julie Hammond. (Front L-R) Jacquie Picken, Lorena VanBuren, Kathy Wuest, Darla Naugher, Heather Hodges, Kathy Kaufmann, Mollie Boyd, Dee Brock, Dawn Jackson, Donna Jolly, Karen Ebert, Michelle Wolfe | Photo Courtesy of Cascade Center of Photography)
