Merger Announced to Form Unitas Financial Services

DUBLIN, Ohio, July 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Eagle Insurance and Innovative Risk Solutions are excited to announce their merger and new company name of Unitas Financial Services, which will be completed by January 1st, 2021. Unitas, pronounced [yoo-NI-tahs], is a Latin word that means "Oneness or Unity". The name "Unitas'' was chosen because our core beliefs and goals are to provide a cohesive work environment within the company and to build close and long-lasting relationships with their clients. The mission of our new company is to lead the industry in products, innovation, and client experiences through superior service, unmatched responsiveness, and attention to detail.

Both companies are focused on the specialty insurance space for financial institutions and real estate investors. The ownership team of Bill Jones, President of Golden Eagle Insurance, Lisa Cooper, President of Innovative Risk Solutions, and Greg Shimkus, EVP of Innovative Risk Solutions have partnered on several projects the past 20 years and felt like the timing was right to take the next step and merge the two companies. Together they bring nearly 100 years of experience to the industry.

Unitas will be headquartered in Johnstown, OH which has been the home of Golden Eagle Insurance since its inception. The company also has offices in DeBary, Florida (Innovative Risk Solutions headquarters), Dublin, Ohio, Ashland, Kentucky, Greensboro, North Carolina, Allen, Texas, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Encampment Wyoming, and a new office opening in Denver, Colorado this summer. Unitas has plans for more regional offices around the country in 2021 and beyond.

When asked about the merger Unitas Co-Owner and President Bill Jones responded "These two companies were a perfect fit. The owners were already doing business together and our mutual goal was simple: Be even better for our lending and investor customers in every area – products, systems, claims, and most important of all, highly responsive service. Community lenders have a lot of advantages to offer over the large big box banks and we have those same advantages to offer community lenders over the big box national brokers and insurance companies."

Golden Eagle Insurance was founded 25 years ago on July 17th, 1995. Golden Eagle is a leading provider of loan portfolio protection and other insurance solutions to financial institutions. They are leaders and innovators in Blanket Insurance concepts and bring this expertise to Unitas. Their flagship product, Blanket 360, fully protects lender portfolios while creating operational efficiencies. One of their core strengths for success has been the ability to market their insurance innovations leading to a change in the way financial institutions view risk in concert with providing an exceptional service experience.

Innovative Risk Solutions was founded almost 15 years ago on March 8th, 2006. Innovative Risk specializes in providing insurance solutions to both financial institutions and private real estate property portfolios. Innovative Risk's most popular products are Lender Placed Hazard, Flood Protection, and their Master Real Estate Investor Insurance Program which has helped many real estate investors streamline their hazard insurance processes. One of their core strengths has been their ability to increase efficiency in risk transfer programs by clearly defining the exposure and delivering a targeted solution. Additionally, they possess the expertise in the systems to streamline and administer both the lender-placed and investor insurance programs and the accompanying letters and billings associated with them.

Unitas will be well-positioned in the market to provide insurance solutions and systems to financial institutions and real estate investors. They will also be able to partner with independent insurance agencies and brokers to increase their competitive advantage in the market by providing improved products to their clients. Lisa Cooper, Co-Owner, and President of Unitas Mortgage Division stated "We see a void in the market where community-minded lenders who strive to give their clients quality products and service do not get quality products and service from their vendors. Unitas will fill that void for lenders that value service and a partner that wants to develop a quality long-lasting relationship with them."

A focus for both companies has always been to provide premier levels of customer service and satisfaction with a personal touch. Unitas will keep customer service as a priority and will continue to create long-lasting relationships with their customers. According to Co-Owner Greg Shimkus, President of Unitas Specialty Division, "The client-centric culture at Unitas will enable our team to deliver program solutions that differentiate our organization from the competition. Every individual on our team has the authority to make decisions and do whatever is required to ensure we exceed client expectations."

Both companies would like to recognize and thank their existing clients for their loyalty in the past and are excited to serve them in the future.

Media contact:
Christine Hannigan
anne.blaha@goldeneagle-insurance.com 
800-461-9224 ext.3418

SOURCE Golden Eagle Insurance