The history of Dealer Risk Services traces back to a family with deep roots in the insurance industry.
Shortly after the turn of the century, the Gibson brothers moved from Alabama to central Florida…settling in the county seat of Bartow and opening an insurance agency. When Polk county grew in population and industry the agency flourished. By the early 1950’s it had become a well-known
family business handling all lines of insurance.
In 1968, W.O. “Hoot” Gibson left the family agency and opened a small insurance firm of his own. Amalex, was originally formed to handle industrial and transportation risks related to the growing Phosphate and Citrus Industries in central Florida.
From the early beginnings, Gibson’s firm exhibited the unique ability to place difficult and unusual exposures and quickly set itself apart from other agencies with an extraordinary commitment to service.
In 1985, Steven Gibson had joined his father’s firm to serve as Vice President and Director of Marketing. He provided the company with a new sense of direction and growth…and, the firm became Gibson Insurance Group.
By the early 1990’s the agency had expanded to a new corporate office in Lakeland, complementing the original office in Bartow. With increased staff and resources, the younger Gibson moved the firm to a more specialized focus with a strong emphasis on complex accounts. Gibson Insurance Group gained a reputation as a major writer of Trucking risks and began to target professional coverage for Architects and Engineers and Garage Liability for the Automotive Industry.
Steven Gibson left the firm in 1994 to begin a career with Universal Underwriters…continuing his desire to write specialized coverage for the Automotive Industry. In 2001, after a successful tenure with leading Direct Writers in the Automotive Industry, Gibson returned to the family firm.
With his return, Gibson’s firm adopted the name Dealer Risk Services and moved its operation to Florida’s east coast. DRS provided Risk Management Services and placements for the Automotive, Truck and Equipment industries.
During that same period, 1990 to 2004…Lori Sousa was building an agency based on her experience as a Marine Underwriter. Lori had molded her extensive south Florida contact base into a solid agency…LJS Insurance Group. Based in Palm Beach county, LJS emerged as a premier provider for Marine Insurance and a firm with unsurpassed expertise in USL&H and coastal property exposures.
In 2004, Dealer Risk Services merged with LJS Insurance Group forming the base for the current firm. With the corporate headquarters in Boynton Beach, Florida, expansion quickly followed and Gibson and Sousa emerged as leaders in their respective fields.
Today, DRS continues a long-standing commitment to the Automotive and Marine Industries handling accounts throughout Florida and the southeast. The principals and staff have years of experience in issues that are unique to those industries and created a legacy of creative talents making DRS a sought after firm for difficult and unique placements.
Our commitment has not changed…We build our future with the principles on which we were founded:
Integrity Professionalism Commitment to Service