Gallagher buys benefits consultant, insurance broker Besselman & Little

BATON ROUGE, La.—Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired Baton Rouge, La.-based employee benefits consultant and insurance broker Besselman & Little Agency.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1986, Besselman & Little specializes in group medical, dental, life, retirement and pension plans, as well as disability and long-term care insurance programs.

Besselman & Little's existing staff of 22 employees, including former owner Tom Besselman, will continue to work in their current offices in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Itasca, Ill.-based Gallagher said Tuesday in a statement.

"With their team-focused approach to outstanding service, client satisfaction and solid relationships, Besselman & Little is a great example of what we look for in a merger partner,” Gallagher President and CEO J. Patrick Gallagher Jr. said in the statement. “Our newest colleagues will help us continue our expansion into the Louisiana market and will be a great complement to our employee benefits operation.”