In its rich history, which can be traced to 1893, Beatty Insurance had never done what it did today: Acquire another insurance agency.

Effective today, the agency, 111 N. Poplar St., has purchased the Seymour branch of Friendship Insurance.

Beatty Insurance purchased the home, auto, commercial and farm portions of the company. Friendship Insurance will continue to operate its crop insurance offerings here.

Details of the purchase were not disclosed.

Friendship Insurance had operated at 404 N. Chestnut St. since 2016. Real estate was not included in the transaction.

“It’s nice to operate locally and independently in our community and grow when the opportunity presents itself,” said Lance Gentry, vice president.

Each agency carried Indiana Farmers Insurance, which made the transition nearly seamless, Gentry said.

“I’ve talked to some of the customers and have been able to tell them that the only thing that’s changing is where your policy is serviced,” he said.

The deal led to the hiring of another agent to focus on farm and personal lines of insurance.

Adam Brooks began work at the agency a week before the purchase became official.

The office now has Gentry, Nate Tormoelen, John Beatty, Kevin Ude and Brooks.

Gentry said each agent benefits from having Beatty in the office every day. With a career spanning more than four decades, Beatty has seen almost every insurance scenario possible.

He’s always on hand to share that knowledge, Gentry said.

“John is always a great resource,” he said.

But it’s not just what he knows about policies and companies that makes him so valuable, Gentry said. It’s his approach that benefits everyone.

“His reputation and example of how you do business correctly knowing you will do it the right way,” he said. “We’re not here to just sell you a policy, but we’re here to have a longstanding relationship with you as an adviser and friend.”

Tormoehlen, who serves as president of Beatty Insurance, said he looks forward to continuing the customer service mentality after acquiring Friendship Insurance.

“We’re here to stay long term and look forward to growing and serving our clients,” he said. “We still believe the agent is here to serve you, and if you have a claim, then we’re here to help you with that. There’s no 800 number, but we can sit at our desk and answer any question you have.”