Merit Insurance

Sean Carroll, the firm's founder and President, leads investment strategy alongside Executive VP James Benson. Carroll's involvement with the Urban Land Institute's advisory services panel and the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of New Haven County suggests he personally directs the firm's real estate investment activities. Post-acquisition by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., the firm operates with the regulatory and capital backing of a publicly traded parent.

The firm was acquired by Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in March 2019 and now operates as a Gallagher division while retaining its Merit Insurance brand and Shelton headquarters. This structure provides access to Gallagher's capital base and national platform while preserving local decision-making authority for regional insurance and real estate investments. Founder Sean Carroll remained with the firm post-acquisition.

No. The firm maintains a dedicated Merit Insurance Real Estate Group that pursues direct property investments and development projects in Connecticut. This real estate arm operates alongside the core insurance brokerage business, leveraging the firm's local relationships and balance sheet capacity to participate in residential and commercial development deals.

The firm concentrates on Fairfield County and New Haven County, Connecticut, with headquarters in Shelton. Carroll's board service with the Greater Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce and the University of Bridgeport reinforces the firm's anchoring in this specific region. The real estate group's deal flow draws from relationships with local builders through the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of New Haven County.

Carroll's role as an Urban Land Institute advisory services panelist and the firm's membership in local trade associations suggests a network-based approach to real estate investment that likely includes co-investment with regional developers. However, the firm does not publicly disclose specific co-investment structures or limited partner relationships.