| Brooke Franchise Corp. to Acquire Chicago Area Agency Network
Brooke Franchise Corp., a subsidiary of Brooke Corp. recently announced an agreement to acquire 60 insurance agency locations from entities associated with Chicago-based J and P Holdings Inc. The acquisition is expected to close on Sept. 28, 2007 and is subject to typical closing conditions. The agencies currently sell auto insurance under the trade names of Lone Star Auto, Insurance Xpress, Car Insurance Store, Hallberg Insurance Agency and Hallberg Xpress in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Texas. The acquired agencies will be converted into Brooke franchises or merged into existing Brooke franchise locations. "This acquisition is a good geographical fit with our existing franchise locations that specialize in auto insurance sales and provides opportunity for current Brooke franchisees to grow through acquisition," said Kyle Garst, Brooke Franchise Corp.'s chairman and chief executive officer.
Brooke unit buys 60 insurance agency locations from Chicago firm
Brooke Franchise Corp. today said it its buying 60 insurance agency locations associated with J and P Holdings Inc. of Chicago. Brooke Franchise, a subsidiary of Overland Park-based Brooke Corp., said the acquisition is expected to close Friday. No financial terms were disclosed. In a news release, Brooke Franchise said the agencies sell auto insurance under the trade names of Lone Star Auto, Insurance Xpress, Car Insurance Store, Hallberg Insurance Agency and Hallberg Xpress in Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Illinois and Texas. The acquired agencies will be converted into Brooke franchises or merged into existing Brooke franchise locations. The company said the deal boosts its franchise locations to about 900. "This acquisition is a good geographical fit with our existing franchise locations that specialize in auto insurance sales and provides opportunity for current Brooke franchisees to grow through acquisition," said Kyle Garst, Brooke Franchise's chairman and chief executive officer.
2007-08 Nashville Predators Preview
For the Nashville Predators, being a small market team in the post lockout era was supposed to be a good thing. After advancing to the playoffs last season for the fourth straight year, the Preds were a victim of free agency this offseason as team captain and stalwart defenseman Kimmo Timonen, gritty forward Scott Hartnell and sniper Paul Kariya all left for greener pastures as ownership continued to say they were bleeding money.
Nashville was so convinced that they financially couldn't afford to sign its own free agents, Timonen and Hartnell's rights were traded to Philadelphia a week prior to the start of the free agency period in a desperation move.
The franchise also cut ties with longtime veteran Tomas Vokoun, shipping the Czech goaltender and his $5 million-plus contract to the Florida Panthers.
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