History and Future

Since our founding in 1946, Pierson & Smith has been located 35 miles outside of New York City in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Samuel Pierson and Richard Smith were quick to realize the potential of their location and although our firm has always maintained close ties to the people, small businesses, and non-profit organizations in the area, corporate growth and its demand for professional insurance services increasingly dominated our clientele.

Another generation of ownership took over in 1979 and expanded the firm's capabilities into a full range of employee benefits, emphasizing creative self-insurance arrangements, customized consulting services, and third party administration outsourcing. Also during this period, P&S grew internally as well as externally, acquiring other independent insurance agencies in Stamford, New Canaan, and Norwalk.

In 2004, as the result of a merger with Darien based TLA Insurance, Inc., Pierson & Smith became one of the largest independently owned Agency and Brokerage firms in the region.

In 2011, Pierson & Smith entered into an acquisition agreement with First Niagara Financial Group, Inc.’s insurance subsidiary, First Niagara Risk Management (FNRM), one of the nation’s largest insurance agencies. As part of FNRM, Pierson & Smith clients will enjoy the resources of a top-40 U.S. insurance broker. FNRM is also a member of an elite group of independent insurance agencies around the United States participating in the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) “Best Practices” Study Group. Only 224 independent agencies out of 27,000 throughout the U.S qualified for this honor.

Pierson & Smith management and staff remain committed to servicing clients’ insurance needs from its office at 40 Richards Avenue in Norwalk.