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Ohio Insurance & Financial Services (OIFS) was founded in 1976 when Gary Nelson began his career as a captive agent with Nationwide Insurance in Kenton, Ohio. Starting with a modest home-based office and a small book of business, Gary built his agency on hard work, personalized service, and a commitment to meeting each client’s unique insurance needs.

By the mid-1980s, the agency expanded to offer individual and group health insurance plans. Throughout the 1990s, continued growth led to multiple office expansions and the addition of new team members.

In 2001, Gary made the strategic decision to transition the agency from a captive to an independent model, allowing access to multiple top-rated insurance carriers. This move laid the foundation for what would become Ohio Insurance & Financial Services LLC (OIFS), with Nelson Insurance Agency as its first division.

Since then, OIFS has grown steadily through a series of local agency acquisitions and merger partnerships across Ohio. These include well-known names such as Vogel, Cook, Hughes, Goodwin’s, NU-Insurance Center, Harrison, Moser, Ark, Cole-Humphrey, Denker, Merkle, Sloan, Eilerman, Brown, and Erwin agencies. In 2023, OIFS added Hollanshead-Kinsey Insurance in Russells Point and merged Runyon Insurance into its existing Sidney operations.

Today, OIFS owns and operates 8 retail office locations, maintains 6 equity partnerships, and serves over 15,000 clients. With more than $30 million in total written premium and approximately $5 million in annual revenue, we remain committed to delivering trusted insurance solutions through top-rated carriers and exceptional local service.