Brown & Brown Works to Insure Those in Polk County and Beyond

Founded in 1939, Brown & Brown Inc. “is one of the largest independent insurance agencies in the world.” But, that doesn’t mean it operates only in large cities like New York, Boston and Los Angeles. In fact, it has offices in Lakeland, Dundee and Sebring.  

The company offers a range of risk management and insurance solutions to organizations and individuals, including property and casualty, employee benefits, personal insurance, and specialized programs through its retail, national programs, wholesale brokerage and services sectors, according to its website. It operates in all 50 states as well as globally, with offices in Europe and the Caribbean. 

“As an organization, we place, manage and service in excess of $50 billion in insurance premiums on an annual basis,” said Brandon Silk, Commercial Insurance Adviser in the Lakeland office. “The primary areas in which we focus are property and casualty, group health benefits, and personal lines.” 

The most important part, Silk said, is working for their clients. “We have to be excellent listeners and pay attention to all the fine details so we can provide our clients with the most comprehensive coverage and competitive pricing each and every year.”

Brown & Brown Locally

Brown & Brown has a bit of history in Lakeland, Silk said. “Our offices were part of an acquisition of a long-standing family agency with deep roots in the Central Florida community. Now, as part of Brown & Brown, the client experience remains that of a family agency, but with the resources and capabilities of a publicly traded, multi-national corporation.” 

It employs 20 people each in Lakeland and Sebring, and 10 in an industry-specific office in Dundee, he said.

Last year was a “great” year for the local Brown & Brown offices, Silk said. “We expanded our team and continued to serve the Heartland area. 2025 is on pace to be a record-setting year for our offices and we are working with our community partners to schedule quarterly service activities and social activities to continue to engage with our team and community.”

The Future

The future in Polk County looks promising. 

“Our goals for Polk County are to continue our unwavering support of our community while simultaneously expanding our client base within industries like manufacturing, construction and real estate development, along with bolstering our agricultural operation in Dundee,” Silk said.  

Growth is a given considering the company motto. “We are a forever company and believe that growth has no finish line,” Silk said.

Community Involvement

Brown & Brown is actively involved in the Central Florida Development Council, the Lakeland Economic Development Council and the Lakeland and Sebring chambers of commerce along with Talbot House Ministries of Lakeland and United Way of Central Florida.

Its community involvement goes further than the organizations it helps. 

“We want to be seen as a resource to our community and fellow businesses, outside of just the placement of insurance,” Silk said. “To partner with kind and quality organizations to offer more than just an insurance policy. We want to help them grow to better support the people of Polk County and beyond.”