USG Insurance Services

USG Insurance Services (USG) is a national wholesale insurance broker and managing general agent (MGA) based in Tampa, Florida. The firm specializes in hard-to-place commercial and excess and surplus (E&S) risks, and it writes business in all 50 states. USG is privately held and led by its founding family.

Website: usgins.com

Head office address: 3810 Northdale Boulevard, Suite 190, Tampa, Florida 33624

Flagship office: Canonsburg, Pennsylvania

Founded: 2001 (roots trace to 1998)

Founder: Gerald Horton

Company type: privately held, independent wholesale broker and MGA

Business focus: wholesale and MGA distribution for hard-to-place commercial and E&S lines

Regions served: all 50 US states

History of USG Insurance Services

USG traces its roots to Universal Specialty Underwriters, Inc., a Florida specialty underwriter incorporated in 1998. The company began operating as USG Insurance Services on January 1, 2001, under founder Gerald Horton, its chairman and CEO. His son, Timothy Horton, became president in 2012 and is the majority shareholder. Key milestones include:

  • 1998: predecessor Universal Specialty Underwriters, Inc. is incorporated in Florida
  • 1999: the underwriter acquires Clark & Associates and the Market Finders Pittsburgh operation
  • 2001: USG Insurance Services begins operating on January 1
  • 2003: the company builds an in-house IT team and develops its proprietary I3X platform
  • 2005: USG launches premium-finance affiliate Brokers Financial Services
  • 2010: the firm opens its Transportation Division in Arlington, Texas
  • 2012: USG establishes its main entity in Pennsylvania and opens a Houston office
  • 2013: the wholesaler adds its Environmental and Garage divisions
  • 2015: the company becomes licensed in all 50 states and acquires renewal rights to US Assure’s program business
  • 2018: USG launches its Personal Lines and Bonds divisions
  • 2022: the firm adds a Brokerage Division
  • 2026: the company marks 25 years and folds its AAU brand into USG Specialty

Steady division launches and licensing gains turned a regional underwriter into a national wholesaler. The 2026 rebrand brought its programs business under a single USG name.

What does USG insure?

USG places coverage for commercial risks that standard markets often decline. It works through specialty divisions, national programs, and a wholesale brokerage arm. Core areas include:

  • property, casualty, and excess and umbrella coverage
  • transportation, garage, and workers’ compensation
  • environmental, oil and gas, and product liability
  • professional liability, habitational, and hospitality
  • marine, aviation, and personal lines
  • surety bonds

The MGA also runs national programs for niche classes, such as auto haulers, storage tanks, and religious and educational institutions. Its affiliate, Brokers Financial Services, provides commercial premium financing for both USG agents and outside agents.

USG in the market

The company competes in the excess and surplus and wholesale specialty segment. It represents more than 300 admitted and non-admitted carriers and acts as an MGA for multiple insurers. USG says its proprietary I3X platform, which handles quoting and policy service, sets it apart from other wholesalers. The company describes acquisitions, partnerships, and new divisions as its main routes to growth, and it aims to lead in solutions for hard-to-place risks.

Awards and recognition

Insurance Business America has recognized USG repeatedly in its wholesale and workplace programs. The wholesaler has earned 5-Star Wholesale Brokers and MGAs status for several consecutive years, including All-Star recognition for scoring highly across every category. It has also appeared among the publication’s Top Insurance Employers.

These honors reflect ratings from retail brokers, the audience USG serves. Consistent recognition points to steady service quality across a broad specialty book.

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