Leaders of insurance firms Gray & Troy Insurance and Morris & Garritano Insurance announced Aug. 12 that they are joining forces. The two firms, both based in San Luis Obispo, will combine under the name Morris & Garritano and will operate from their current offices initially, but will consolidate into Morris & Garritano’s offices on Laurel Lane at the end of 2015.

According to Brendan Morris, Morris & Garritano’s CEO, both companies will retain all staff, and clients’ day-to-day contacts will not change.

Gray & Troy, which has specialized in employee benefit insurance, will add 10 staff members to the Morris & Garritano team and bring greater depth to its comprehensive service offerings. Morris said that the firms’ collective experience will propel Morris & Garritano to be the region’s preeminent employee benefit insurance practice.

With the addition, Morris & Garritano will now have over 100 employees. Gene Gray, Steve Gray and Dan Troy of Gray & Troy will continue to serve as risk advisors within Morris & Garritano’s employee benefits department along with Troy becoming a shareholder in the firm.

Troy expressed enthusiasm for what the union brings to his clients and team. “Our clients will be able to take advantage of increased depth in employee benefits services and a wider spectrum of insurance offerings.”

Troy added, “It’s perfect timing: we’ll not only have stronger relationships with insurance carriers, we’ll also be ready to cater to the needs of our clients as regulations continue to evolve within the health care industry. We feel this proactive preparation will do the most good for our clients and the services our staff can provide.”