For Florida-based AssuredPartners, there’s no place like home – but that doesn’t mean you can’t move up to bigger digs.
“We have a long history in the Central Florida region, from our small beginnings to status as one of the fast-growing insurance brokers in the US,” said Jim Henderson, CEO of AssuredPartners. “Our company is in the business of building relationships, and our relationship with this community has supported our growth over the years.
On the heels of its tenth anniversary, the 11th-largest insurance broker in the US is opening a new headquarters location in downtown Orlando, creating a projected 100 new jobs. The company will move into the CNL Center I building, owned and operated by Piedmont Office Realty Trust, which is located at 450 South Orange Ave.
The company started as a five-employee operation in its current Lake Mary, FL, office, growing to 100 employees at its headquarters with 200 offices across the country that employ thousands of agents. AssuredPartners will continue to operate in Lake Mary while its headquarters opens in downtown Orlando. The company plans to start build-out on its headquarters in the fall and estimates opening in 2022.
The company says it chose the downtown location for its new headquarters because of its connectivity, proximity to SunRail and cultural amenities, and other attractive features to young working professionals.
AssuredPartners considered other locations, including Texas and Missouri, for its headquarters expansion. However, it applied for and was successfully awarded the STRIVE Orlando program and the Community Redevelopment Agency’s (CRA) High Wage High Value program by the City of Orlando to maintain a competitive edge against these other locations.
Another major factor in the company’s decision to locate in Orlando was a compelling regional value proposition developed by the Orlando Economic Partnership developed to inform the company’s decision. This included a comparative labor analysis and market data against out-of-state competition, and information regarding the live/work experience in the downtown core.
The partnership also guided the company through the application and approval process for both incentive programs, secured estimated values for new hire training as well as skills upgrade training for existing employees from CareerSource Florida, and connected the company to CareerSource Central Florida for access to local workforce programs and services.
“The expansion of a headquarters like AssuredPartners is a major win and will bring high-paying jobs to our community,” said Tim Giuliani, president and CEO of the Orlando Economic Partnership.
