Haylor, Freyer & Coon was founded in 1928 by Burnett (Barney) E. Haylor and James McLusky as a local four-person insurance agency. From these humble beginnings, Haylor has grown steadily into a national agency. Today, we are a top 100 independently owned insurance agency in the United States with a reputation as a proven leader. A lot has changed in the more than eight decades we’ve been in business, but our core principles remain the same. We are dedicated to the well-being of our employees, and to providing insurance and risk management solutions with distinctive and exceptional service.
Timeline
| 1920s | Burnett (Barney) E. Haylor was a young insurance salesman when his father, a district chief with the Syracuse Fire Department, died of smoke inhalation. Afterwards, other fire chiefs allowed Barney to visit various firehouses to write personal insurance for firefighters. |
| 1928 | The agency was founded by Haylor and James McLusky as a small four-person agency in the Herald Building at 332 S. Warren Street. |
| 1930s | A single interest collision and “skip” auto insurance was developed for the Merchants National Bank and Trust Co. which allowed the bank to provide direct loans to auto buyers. |
| 1946 | After Jim McLusky passed away, Barney Haylor partnered with Raymond G. Haun to form McLusky, Haylor & Haun. The two were then joined by Clayton F. Freyer and Burnett (Bud) D. Haylor |
| 1950s | Douglas Coon joined the agency. The agency began specializing in life, medical and income protection insurance, both individual and group policies. |
| 1954 | Under the leadership of Ray Haun and Clayton Freyer, the agency launched a program to insure mobile homes, providing commercial and personal insurance coverage to mobile homeowners and dealers. |
| 1970s | The agency, by then known as Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc expanded and established departments to cover engineering services and transportation insurance. The success of the focused niches led to expertise in other areas: construction and bonding, collegiate student insurance, Student Health and Personal Property, and Municipalities and School Districts. |
| 1981 | The James Howard Wayne Association membership organization was established to help small businesses. |
| 1982 | HF&C acquired Goode & Webster and learned the value of partnering with “local” agencies to establish a presence throughout New York State. |
| 1984 | Acquisitions continued and the Northern Divisions were added, making Haylor, Freyer & Coon the largest independently owned insurance agency in the state. |
| 2002 | HF&C partnered with Dairy Farmers of America. The partnership led to the development of a program to provide insurance coverage to large commercial dairies, milk-processing plants and milk-hauling fleets across the U.S., in addition to providing healthcare and benefit programs to member dairy farms. |
| 2006 | Joined Assurex Global. With 600 Offices in 70 Countries, the partnership provides international clients with programs tailored to meet any regional or global requirements. Wherever the risk, there is an Assurex Global Shareholder ready to assist. |
| 2012 | Formation of a statewide Auto Recycling Captive |
| Today | HF&C is a proven leader in the insurance industry, with approximately 180 employees and 6 corporate offices. ISO 9001 certified by the International Standards Organization and an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) |
