Ohio Insurance Agents Association joins Independent Market Solutions (IMS) as a joint owner to provide members with a solution for market access.
COLUMBUS, OH (January 2026) – The Ohio Insurance Agents Association (OIA), in collaboration with Independent Market Solutions (IMS), is proud to announce a partnership to provide market access to member agents who are unable to secure direct appointments with carriers due to any number of market and industry struggles.
Whether your agency is big or small, the more markets you have access to, the better chance you have to write and retain more business. Through this exclusive OIA benefit, members have access to gain more carrier appointments as an IMS sub-producer. Agents can participate in earned contingencies, receive competitive commissions, and own 100% of their expirations.
The IMS program is more than just a market access solution. For member agencies, it also works like an incubation program where you can gain appointments with various insurance carriers and quickly begin writing business. Many IMS markets require low to no volume commitments, offer competitive commissions, and a pathway to direct appointments.
Both OIA and IMS seek to perpetuate independent agents rather than consolidate them. Every IMS agent owns their book of business and can qualify to roll that business toward a direct appointment. Access to IMS is an exclusive OIA member benefit. There are no other fees or obligations.
The partnership launches on January 14th, 2026. Find out what carriers you may be able to access on OIA’s Market Access Solutions page: ohioinsuranceagents.com/product-services/market-access-solutions/
OIA has plans to expand this program and bring in additional Ohio-domiciled carriers to provide more access to markets and help members grow. For more information about IMS, market access solutions, or specific carrier inquiries, please contact Cristie Tillery, Market Access Manager, by calling (614) 552-3041 or emailing cristie@ohioinsuranceagents.com.
About OIA
Ohio Insurance Agents Association (OIA) is the collective voice of nearly 1,000 independent agencies that employ nearly 10,000 Ohioans and protect hundreds of thousands of Ohio consumers through personalized insurance plans. OIA members write 82 percent of the commercial insurance policies and 44 percent of personal insurance policies in Ohio. OIA promotes, progresses, and protects the professional advice and guidance only independent insurance agents provide. The company helps agents by providing professional consulting services, agency valuation and succession planning, operational benchmarking reports, and other business solutions and industry thought leadership.
About IMS
Independent Market Solutions (IMS) is jointly owned by 11 independent agent associations throughout the country to provide a membership-driven solution to market access. IMS was launched in 2007 to help create a more robust private property market for member agents, and since that time, IMS now operates in 17 states and has more than 4,000 sub-producers. IMS sub-producers are expected to generate more than $120 million in direct written premiums through more than 25 different insurance companies. IMS seeks to:
- Provide member agents access to markets and alternatives that may be otherwise unavailable.
- Offer more choices for independent agents, which equates to greater competition for their services.
- Create added marketplace leverage, particularly for smaller agents, through IMS negotiated contract terms.
About the Author:
Colleen Elliott is the Marketing & Communications Manager for OIA and IA Valuations. Colleen graduated from The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and has a background in sales and marketing. Colleen manages marketing campaigns for OIA and IA Valuations, communications with agents and state partners, and helps the IA Valuations team from an operational perspective. Colleen joined OIA in January 2023.
