Inszone Insurance Services has acquired Arnold & Smith Insurance Agency, Inc., extending the national broker's reach into the Pacific Northwest through two offices in Belfair and Shelton, Washington.
The deal marks Inszone's entry into Mason County, where Arnold & Smith has operated for more than half a century. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Arnold & Smith was founded in 1970 by Mel Arnold and Don Smith. Ownership transferred in 2004 to Chris Ladner and Jeff McHargue, who have run the agency for the past two decades.
The agency's book spans personal lines for manufactured homes and waterfront properties as well as a sizable commercial portfolio concentrated in the construction sector, reflecting the rural coastal nature of its client base.
That mix tracks closely with Mason County's profile. Data USA lists construction among the top-three employment sectors for county residents, alongside health care and public administration.
The county recorded a population of 65,726 in the 2020 census, with nearly 24% of residents aged 65 or older, US Census figures show, an older-skewing demographic that aligns with manufactured home and waterfront retirement clientele.
Ladner said the firm had reached a point where additional scale was needed to maintain service standards. "We knew we needed additional resources and a larger team to continue providing the level of service our clients deserve in today's market," he said.
He added that Inszone offered what he described as "the perfect balance of professional strength and personal touch," noting that the buyer presented a defined plan to retain existing staff and approached the sellers as partners from the outset.
Inszone CEO Chris Walters said Arnold & Smith had built a 50-year track record in reliability and specialized expertise, particularly across construction and rural residential lines.
He said the broker intends to support the agency's continued growth in the Belfair and Shelton communities by extending its national resource base to the team.
The Arnold & Smith deal aligns with a broader push by Inszone into the manufactured home segment. The broker acquired Tucson, Arizona-based Benchmark Insurance Group LLC, which operates as Randall Realty & Insurance, earlier in April (previously reported).
That niche is tightening. Insuranceopedia's 2026 outlook notes fewer national carriers are writing manufactured home policies, with stricter age limits, higher wind and hail deductibles, and tie-down verification now common pre-bind hurdles.
Arrowhead has separately observed that several competitors have exited the space or begun limiting their offerings, leaving specialty agencies to fill the gap. Pricing varies sharply by geography. Insuranceopedia data puts annual premiums at roughly $553 in Oregon, a useful Pacific Northwest proxy, against more than $1,200 across Tornado Alley and Gulf Coast states.
