DALLAS – July 27, 2021 – Integrity Marketing Group, LLC (“Integrity”), the nation’s largest independent distributor of life and health insurance products, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Universe Financial Insurance Services (“Universe Financial”), an independent marketing organization (IMO) based in Chicago, Illinois. As part of the acquisition, Ivan Vedrov, President of Universe Financial, will become a Managing Partner in Integrity. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“Being able to serve more Americans is at the core of our partnership with Universe Financial,” said Bryan W. Adams, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity. “Ivan is an incredibly hard worker who has built an impressive business in a short period of time thanks to his exceptional ability to recruit and train agents, while always taking care of the client. By joining Integrity, he can continue to focus on his considerable strengths while tapping into the wide range of Integrity resources that will help him grow his agency even faster than he could on his own.”
Since 2018, Universe Financial has been helping Americans protect their families through life insurance products and annuities in the greater Chicago area. In 2021, Universe Financial expects to produce more than $25 million of annualized paid premium in the mortgage protection, final expense and annuity markets while serving more than 25,000 Americans annually.
“When I was 21, I moved to the U.S. from Russia, with nothing but $1,000 in my pocket, a hard-working attitude and the dream of a better future,” shared Ivan Vedrov, President of Universe Financial. “When I discovered the insurance industry, I knew I’d found a way to secure my future.”
“From these humble beginnings, I have built an agency I am proud of — but to achieve the next level of growth, I knew I needed to join forces with a strong partner like Integrity,” continued Vedrov. “Integrity has done an incredible job innovating the insurance space. Our partnership with Integrity will allow us to grow our business exponentially while offering our agents Integrity’s best-in-class technology, top lead generation tools and access to many of the most transformative products and resources in the industry.”
“Ivan is a true American success story that proves with hard work and dedication you can accomplish anything you set your mind to,” added Adams. “Ivan’s passion for helping new agents entering into this business is inspiring and I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together.”