PayneWest Insurance named one of America’s 40 largest brokers

Business Insurance Magazine survey reflects a year of transformation,
growth for Northwest’s premier insurance advisory firm.

Less than seven months after it was formed out of the union of Payne Financial Group and Western States Insurance, Missoula-based PayneWest Insurance http://www.paynewest.com/ was named the 35th largest insurance broker in the United States by Business Insurance Magazine.

"We believed that we would be stronger as one company, and this ranking is a great testament to the success we have achieved by bringing our people and resources together," said Kyle Lingscheit, co-CEO of PayneWest Insurance. "It is a great honor to see our company’s name listed alongside some of the most established and well-managed brokerages in America."

The ranking, which was published in the magazine’s July 15, 2013, edition, is just the latest recognition of PayneWest Insurance’s strength as an employee-owned, client-focused insurance brokerage. In February 2013, the company was named among the "100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon" by Oregon Businessmagazine. PayneWest was listed in eighth place in the medium-sized company category.

One year ago, Western States Insurance was ranked the 52nd largest insurance brokerage in the country by Business Insurance Magazine; Payne Financial Group ranked 74th on the same list. Today, PayneWest Insurance is a full-service independent insurance agency with combined 2012 revenues of nearly $90 million and offices in 30 communities across Montana, Oregon, Idaho and Washington.

"Beyond the efficiencies that we gained through the combination of our two former companies, we are seeing excellent results as we are able to provide more services and invest capital to grow in the Northwest," noted Lingscheit. "In our first six months, we exceeded our own expectations. We look forward to increasing that momentum going forward."

About PayneWest Insurance

Headquartered in Missoula, Mont., PayneWest serves 30 communities through offices in Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho, and provides insurance solutions, surety and employee benefits for private individuals and businesses.