Insurance firm targets Florida

SARASOTA — A Connecticut insurance firm with a focus on small business customers will expand into Florida though two Gulf Coast acquisitions.

The firm, Farmington, Conn.,-based BOLT Insurance Agency, bought PFG Insurance and Florida Direct Insurance, according to a release. Those firms have a presence in Charlotte, Manatee and Sarasota counties, and Florida Direct focuses on workers' compensation insurance. Terms of the deal, announced today, weren't released.

BOLT stands for Business Owners Liability Team. The firm appointed insurance industry veteran Robert Rizzo to run the Florida expansion. Rizzo has also worked in business banking and commercial real estate.

“We are excited to establish a physical agency presence in Florida to focus on the unique needs of Florida's insurance consumer and to build the vital relationships needed with the regional insurance carriers that operate there,” BOLT Florida Regional Director Robert Rizzo says in the release. “With the acquisitions of PFG Insurance Agency and Florida Direct Insurance Agency we have the opportunity to advance the strong carrier relationships established by the two firms, and retain key industry veterans that have served customers in this region for many years.”