NU Online News Service, Oct. 13, 11:55 a.m. EDT

Hub International announced the completion of three acquisitions so far this month, leading other insurance brokers in a busy few weeks of merger-and-acquisition activity.

Chicago-based Hub says it completed its acquisition of Horizon Insurance LP, a full-service insurance brokerage firm headquartered in Manitoba, Canada.

The firm offers a broad suite of insurance solutions to individuals and businesses through 18 sales and services centers in Winnipeg, Brandon, Portage la Prairie, Whitemouth, Lac du Bonnet and Pinawa, Canada.

The firm says the acquisition expands its footprint there and will establish a regional operation in Manitoba.

In Hamilton, Montana, Hub acquired House of Insurance Inc. Founded in the 1960s, the firm works with a wide range of businesses on their property and casualty insurance, with a niche serving the coverage needs of medical facilities.

The employees of the firm will become part of Hub International Mountain States. The principals, Bill and Judy Rummel, will join Hub Mountain.

Hub's Hub International TOS, British Columbia, Canada, unit acquired Coastal Insurance Services Ltd. of Port Moody, British Columbia.

Coastal Insurance specializes in realty programs in British Columbia, and has done so for 25 years.

The firm will continue to operate as a separate region through Hub TOS.

Itasca, Ill.-based insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher has acquired S.A. Freerks & Associates Inc., headquartered in St. Louis.

Founded in 1979, Freerks is a managing general agent and wholesale insurance broker providing services to independent agents throughout the Midwest.

Stanley Freerks, the principal, and associates, approximately 17 employees, will continue to operate from their current locations in St. Louis and Peoria, Ill.

Daytona Beach, Fla.-based insurance broker Brown & Brown Inc. says it has entered into an agreement to acquire Industry Consulting Group Inc. (ICG), located in Dallas and Wichita Falls, Texas.

With more than $7 million of annualized revenues, ICG provides property-tax services to financial institutions and other clients in Texas and throughout the United States.

ICG's principal and president, Matthew A. “Matt” Warmuth, and his team will continue to serve their clients from their current locations, under the Industry Consulting Group name.

London-based insurance broker JLT Group plc. completed the acquisition of a 50.1 percent interest in Alta SA with an option to buy 25 percent more in 2020 for £10 million ($15.7 million).

Alta is the holding company of Orbital Corredores de Seguros, the 4^th-largest insurance broker in Chile, and Alta Re, a reinsurance broker that began operations in 2010.

It has been a member of the JLT International Network since 2010.

Alta is led by Jose Ignacio Lathrop, CEO, and Federico Tagle, chairman. Both will continue in their current roles.

Confie Seguros announced it has acquired the Florida operations of Trustway Insurance Agencies, a generalist broker with 28 retail locations throughout the United States.