Insurance firm moves HQ from Manhattan to Melville

A provider of insurance services moved its headquarters from Manhattan to Melville this week, executives announced. 

Hotaling Insurance Services opened a 6,500-square-foot office at 8 Fletcher Place. Between 40 and 60 of the company’s more than 150 employees will be based there, said CEO and co-founder Bobby Hotaling.

Hotaling said he moved the headquarters to Long Island “for the employees. We had many of them not wanting to commute to New York City anymore after the pandemic and we are able to offer a hybrid work environment here in Melville,” he said on Tuesday.

Hotaling Insurance isn’t alone. More city-based firms have expressed interest in opening offices in Nassau and Suffolk counties since the coronavirus struck more than two years ago, according to economic developers.

Richard Kessel, chairman of the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency, said last year that it has heard from “companies that are operating in New York City and want to move to Long Island or set up satellite operations" as a result of the pandemic.

Hotaling said this week that his company purchased the Fletcher Place office without IDA aid. He said the company will continue to have an office in Manhattan, along with locations in Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Miami and Poughkeepsie.

Hotaling Insurance offers insurance services to wealthy individuals, professional athletes and entertainers, and businesses. The services include life, health, property and casualty insurance.

Bobby Hotaling graduated from Longwood High School in Middle Island and together with his wife, Gina, started the company in 2002. Its first office was in midtown Manhattan. 

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.