Norton Agency Insurance, a division of Gainesville-based The Norton Agency, has merged with Blanchard & Calhoun Insurance in Augusta.

The newly formed company will be headquartered in Gainesville and “will maintain individual brands in each of the communities they serve,” CEO Bob Norton said.

“By combining the expertise and success of our organizations, we continue the legacy we have built while providing for a succession strategy that protects our names, our reputations and our staff,” Norton said in a press release.

Preston Moss of Blanchard & Calhoun will be president.

“Blanchard & Calhoun and Norton have been partners for years in Georgia Agency Partners, a statewide agency think tank,” Moss said. “Our agencies have been in lock step together in direction and growth. We have loosely shared ideas and strategies, and now can formally work towards better serving our customers.”

The merger took effect May 1.

Also, in a restructuring move, the Norton division, with 17 offices throughout Georgia and South Carolina, has consolidated its partnership agencies into a single entity based in Gainesville, Norton said.

Jeff Gill