Cottingham & Butler was founded in 1887 by my great grandfather, Dixon Cottingham, who immigrated from Yorkshire, England in the 1840's. In the beginning, the firm was known as D. Cottingham and the agency's main focus was to offer personal insurance to local community members. Then in the early 1900's, Dixon's son, John Cottingham, my grandfather and namesake, joined the company and the firm became known as D. Cottingham & Son. The two men continued to focus mainly on personal insurance.

During the early stages of the depression, John Cottingham's youngest daughter, Barbara, my mother, married Ellis Butler, my father. Ellis entered the business with his father-in-law, and the firm became known as Cottingham & Butler. It was during this time that the business' primary lines of insurance included fire, wind, and auto. A few years later, Ellis Butler took over the family business and moved the company in the direction of focusing on larger commercial insurance accounts.

I joined my father in 1957 as one of three employees. My brother Peter joined slightly after me. At that time, we created an insurance niche specializing in poultry insurance in addition to the commercial insurance and life insurance business. Our father passed away in 1964 and a few years later, Peter took over the management of the poultry business and I took over the commercial business and we went on our own.

Since the 1970's, I've led the firm through many changes and innovations all with the intention of serving our clients in the best way that we can. We have a rich history of being at the forefront of emerging insurance industry trends. I've always believed that innovation and superior client service are the cornerstones of Cottingham & Butler's foundation. Through the years, we have developed employee benefits and property & casualty third party claims administration services, safety and loss prevention services, health care coordination services, and have even formed captive insurance companies.

Today, Cottingham & Butler is recognized as a leading provider of transportation risk solutions, risk management consulting, employee benefit consulting, and health care services. As we continue our expansion, we remain committed to cultivating an innovative organization that brings the best solutions to our clients.