Gallagher Acquires B&W Insurance, Expands Western Pennsylvania Small-Business Footprint

Gallagher expands western Pennsylvania footprint with B&W acquisition

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announces the acquisition of B&W Insurance Agency, Inc., a Washington, Pennsylvania-based personal lines and commercial brokerage, in a move aimed at strengthening its small-business and personal insurance presence in southwestern Pennsylvania. The deal, disclosed on Feb. 17, 2026 from Rolling Meadows, Illinois, does not include financial terms. Gallagher says the transaction preserves B&W’s local operations and client relationships while folding the agency into its Gallagher Select unit.

Bolstering small-business and personal lines through local continuity

Gallagher frames the purchase as a strategic regional addition that expands its ability to serve small-business clients and personal lines customers in a key local market. The company emphasizes that principals Paul Barzd III and Jim Cote and their team remain in place and continue serving clients from the same Washington office, a measure intended to maintain long-standing customer relationships and local market knowledge.

Operationally, B&W will operate under the direction of Jen Tadin, head of Gallagher Select, the firm’s U.S. property/casualty unit focused on small businesses and personal insurance. Gallagher positions this integration as preserving continuity while enabling access to the broader resources and product capabilities of a global broker network. The firm says the combination deepens its brokerage capabilities in western Pennsylvania without immediate disruption to B&W’s day-to-day service model.

Integration and leadership continuity

Gallagher highlights leadership continuity as central to the transaction, welcoming Barzd, Cote and their associates into its platform as part of a targeted, regional growth strategy. J. Patrick Gallagher Jr., chairman and CEO, says B&W’s strong local reputation complements Gallagher’s efforts to broaden market coverage at a regional level. The release stresses there are no announced changes to B&W’s local office locations.

Strategic rationale within a global network

The acquisition aligns with Gallagher’s broader approach of adding regional brokerages to enhance client offerings, deepen small-business expertise and extend market reach across its global operations, which serve roughly 130 countries through owned operations and correspondent partners. The company lists media and investor contacts in the announcement but does not disclose financial terms, underscoring that the deal is focused on capability and footprint expansion rather than immediate operational consolidation.