Welcome CAC Specialty & Cobbs Allen visitors – read more
Our History
A history of success and innovation.
A foundation of talent and focus.
Permanence and consistency are hallmarks of great businesses. Today, not many firms can connect their current success to over 100 years of operations.
CAC Group’s philosophy and strategy are founded on common themes that have existed since the start of the firm; employee ownership, client focus, community involvement, and constant innovation. These are the foundational pillars of which we have built CAC Group.
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1887-1945
A historical foundation
With Grover Cleveland as President of the US and the opening of the new Pearl Harbor naval base, a new insurance broker was founded in 1887 under the name John G. Smith Co. to provide various insurance and services for clients across Alabama. The business remained a faithful member of the Birmingham community for over four decades, until the firm changed to its name to Cobbs, Allen & Hall to reflect the involvement of three new owners: Birmingham businessmen John H. Cobbs, Wilbur K. Allen and John C. Hall.
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1945-1970
Growing and Diversifying Business
The business continued its growth in insurance and financial services while pioneering into mortgages as a new product line. The firm operated across the Southeast for three decades until 1970, when Cobbs, Allen & Hall sold its mortgage business to the predecessor of SouthTrust Bank, now Wells Fargo, to focus on its commercial and private insurance business.
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1970-1992
A new leadership team
The business continued with its insurance and financial services work until 1992, when Birmingham native Grantland Rice III led a group of investors and acquired Cobbs, Allen & Hall, recruiting Chairman and Chief Executive, Bruce Denson to help run the company.
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1993-2019
Growth and focus in the Southeast
With new leadership and energy, the business expanded its operations across the Southeast with additional offices and new product lines across commercial insurance, benefits, and personal lines. The leadership team established a strong reputation across their communities and were known for their local charity and support.
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2019-2022
Opportunity and investment
Against a backdrop of industry turmoil and change, Cobbs Allen saw an opportunity and launched the CAC Specialty platform with a collective of distinguished leadership from other brokerages. The new business, CAC Specialty, grew quickly hitting $145M of revenue in two years.
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2023-Today
Rapid growth and client success
CAC Group today is the fastest organic growth US broker. The company comprises three distinct go-to-market segments: CAC Specialty, an industry-leading specialty broker; CAC Agency, a P&C, personal lines, and employee benefits broker; and CAC Capital, a structured solutions group that specializes in solutions at the convergence of insurance and capital markets. CAC Group serves large corporations, small-to-medium enterprises as well as individuals.
