Georgia Firm Consults Industry Peers, Chooses Texas Partner to Ensure Continuity and Client Support
(Fort Worth, Texas) – Higginbotham, identified through Business Insurance reporting as the largest independent insurance, financial, and HR services firm headquartered in Texas, has teamed up with Tidwell & Hilburn Insurance of Macon, Georgia to gain a valuable partner in the key Southeastern region.
Higginbotham Chairman and CEO Rusty Reid looks to the future with a platform of strategic growth in such regions. At the heart of that vision is Georgia, a long-standing anchor in Higginbotham’s growth plan. With this relationship, Tidwell & Hilburn of Macon, GA, becomes the 11th Higginbotham office in the state.
Beyond geography, Tidwell & Hilburn’s commitment to service, team support, and community engagement makes this relationship a clear and natural fit for both firms.
“In Central Georgia, Tidwell & Hilburn isn’t just a name — it’s a trusted part of the community, built on 90 years of strong relationships,” said Reid. “They take care of their people, clients, and neighbors, and that’s exactly the kind of partner we look for. We’re proud to welcome them to the Higginbotham family.”
For Tidwell & Hilburn President Coleman “Cole” Tidwell, Jr. and Vice President Rusty Hilburn, the relationship with Higginbotham offers a strong succession plan for their valued employees and essential resources for their clients.
“We started exploring ways to perpetuate the agency,” said Tidwell. “We have two younger producers, Will Argo and Adam English, who have been with us for over a dozen years taking good care of our customers. We wanted to bring them in as minority owners, but that process was going to be challenging. As we studied various options it became clear that partnering with an established firm that already had an employee equity process in place would provide the structure that we needed.”
“We didn’t want to partner with just any agency, though,” Hilburn added. “So, at the same time, we’re talking to colleagues in Georgia, some of whom have already joined Higginbotham — like our good friend Bo Hart, who’s Managing Director at Higginbotham Macon [formerly known as Doherty, Duggan, Hart & Tiernan]. We learned from them that the way Higginbotham operates and how they think about and treat their customers and employees fits our mold better than anyone else.”
Along with equity benefits for employees, the partnership will enhance support for the Georgia firm’s clients. Tidwell and Hilburn highlighted Higginbotham’s Day Two Services®, a program that offers risk management services such as improved loss control and contract review. They also emphasized the value of Higginbotham’s dedicated claims department, staffed with professional adjusters to better serve clients. Finally, the partners look forward to working synergistically with the Higginbotham Macon office, which only provides commercial line service. Tidwell & Hilburn Insurance supports both commercial and personal insurance clients.
Tidwell concluded by addressing his current clients directly: “My main message is that we’re not going anywhere. The Tidwell name has been part of this agency since 1947, so joining forces with a new firm was not something we took lightly. I went through a similar process in 2006 when we added Rusty Hilburn’s name to the door. That was the best business decision I’ve ever made — and now we’re both excited to welcome Higginbotham into an even greater partnership.”
Based in New York, Stephen Freeman is a Senior Editor at Trending Insurance News. Previously he has worked for Forbes and The Huffington Post. Steven is a graduate of Risk Management at the University of New York.