Local company with 40+ years in Tri-Cities bought by national corporation

A regional insurance company with a Tri-Cities office for more than 40 years has been purchased by a Chicago-based company — and is getting a new $3 million home.

Hub International Limited has bought Conover Insurance, which has local roots dating back 75 years.

Headquartered in Bellevue, Conover has 100 employees in six offices in the West, including in Prosser and Yakima.

Hub insurance brokerage company has 13,000 employees in 470 offices throughout the U.S. and Canada.

“From our first meeting with Hub, we knew they would be the ideal partners to build on our service offerings in the region,” said CEO Brad Green in a news release. “Hub’s dedication to service excellence, entrepreneurial spirit and collaboration are in perfect alignment with our core values.”

The Herald was not able to reach a spokesperson with Conover or Hub for more information about the transition.

Conover Insurance established itself in Tri-Cities when it bought a majority of Dunning-Ray Insurance in 1983 from Ed and Shirley Ray. Ed Ray retained some clients and operated as Ray Inc..

The pair owned the business since 1948, after buying it from Bertha Dunning, according to past Tri-City Herald stories.

Ray, who was grand marshal for Pasco Grand Old Fourth Parade in 2018 and was named the Godfather of Pasco in 2012, merged Ray Inc. with Conover in 2002 and continued working with Conover.

The company has been a sponsor of numerous major events including hydroplane teams and sports tournaments.

Conover’s current building at 1804 W. Lewis St. in Pasco sold last June, according to public sales records. The company will be moving to a new $3 million building to be built near Columbia Basin College.

The 22,300-square-foot building labeled as Conover Center in city documents will be on 1.5 acres at 20th Avenue which the company has owned since 2004, according to city and county documents.