INSURICA Insurance Services, a privately held US insurance brokerage and risk management firm headquartered in Oklahoma City, has completed the acquisition of First Light Program Managers, marking the largest transaction in INSURICA’s history and adding a Florida-based wholesale specialist and delegated underwriting platform to its portfolio.
First Light operates as a wholesale brokerage and program manager with delegated underwriting authority, focused heavily on transportation risks, including trucking and marine insurance.
The firm was founded in 2007 by the late Anthony L. Johnson and has built a niche presence in hard-to-place segments.
INSURICA executives John Hester and Mark Bridges, who led the transaction, described the deal as a strategic step to deepen the company’s footprint in the U.S. transportation insurance market, where underwriting complexity and distribution demands continue to rise.
Roughly 100 First Light employees, primarily based in Florida and North Carolina, will join INSURICA as part of the acquisition, expanding the firm’s specialty talent base in wholesale and program business.
The timing tracks broader pressure across commercial auto. Trucking operators face weaker spot and contract rates, while orders for new extra-heavy tractors are down about 15% year over year.
Those dynamics have tightened underwriting appetites and pushed more risk into the excess and surplus market.
The deal also reflects a wider industry shift toward delegated underwriting models. Net written premiums written by managing general underwriters rose about 40% over the past year, and INSURICA leadership expects continued growth in program structures for complex and capacity-constrained lines.
INSURICA president Dillon Rosenhamer said alignment between the two organisations drove the transaction. He pointed to First Light’s underwriting discipline and sector focus as a strong match with INSURICA’s emphasis on industry specialisation.
Janet Fender, president, CEO, and chief underwriting officer at First Light, said the partnership positions the company for its next phase of growth.
INSURICA’s strong culture, shared values, and commitment to specialty insurance closely align with our approach to serving its partners and clients.
Janet Fender, president, CEO
She said INSURICA’s culture and focus on specialty insurance mirror First Light’s approach to serving brokers and carrier partners, while providing resources to advance data and technology capabilities.
INSURICA CEO and chairman Mike Ross said the acquisition extends a growth strategy the firm has followed for more than a decade. He said colleagues, clients, and partners should see tangible benefits as First Light’s platform integrates into INSURICA’s broader specialty operations.
