Ascent Insurance Group Acquires Baker Harris Hopkins Agency in Oklahoma

Baker Harris Hopkins Insurance Agency, based in Enid, Oklahoma, has been acquired by Ascent Insurance Group, a Keystone Platform Partner located in Oklahoma City. The sale, finalized on July 1, 2026, involved Ghentco Inc., the parent company of the agency, transferring ownership to Ascent.

Baker Harris Hopkins provides a range of insurance products, including personal, commercial, life and health, farm, and specialty insurance to clients throughout Oklahoma. The agency, originally known as Baker-Harris Insurance, was joined by Ghent Hopkins in 1995, purchased by him in 2008, and subsequently renamed. Ascent Insurance Group offers personal and commercial insurance, encompassing home, auto, business, life, and specialty lines, through various carrier partnerships.

Ascent operates under Keystone, a Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania-based insurance brokerage network established in 1983. Keystone supports independent agencies with services such as carrier management, claims advocacy, sales enablement, marketing, and operational consulting. Ascent joined the Keystone network in 2023, having been founded in 2006 by Craig Linsenmeyer, with Aaron Bogie and Shay Varnell joining as partners in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Aaron Bogie currently holds the position of CEO at Ascent.

Keystone is recognized as one of the largest participant-owned insurance agency networks nationwide. The acquisition of Baker Harris Hopkins enhances Keystone’s presence in Oklahoma, following Ascent's addition of Cole, Paine & Carlin Insurance Agency in 2025.

Cory Strickland, a senior managing director at Generational Group, the advisory firm that facilitated the transaction, highlighted Ghent Hopkins’ role in establishing the agency’s strong reputation in the region. He stated, "Insurance veteran Ghent Hopkins built one of the most respected insurance agencies in north Oklahoma," and expressed confidence in the strategic alignment of Keystone and Ascent Insurance supporting the agency's continued success.

This acquisition is part of an ongoing trend of independent agency consolidations by Keystone-affiliated platforms, occurring even as the broader US agency M&A market experiences a slowdown. Data from OPTIS Partners indicates a decrease in transaction volume to 292 acquisitions in the first half of 2026, a 15% decline from the 342 transactions in the same period the previous year, marking the lowest first-half total in seven years. The 12-month trailing total of 646 deals was also the weakest since early 2019. Despite this, private equity-backed and hybrid buyers, including participant-owned networks like Keystone, remain significant players, accounting for approximately 75% of deals tracked during this time.

For agencies in smaller markets such as Enid, the ongoing trend of consolidation offers expanded access to a broader range of carrier options and enhanced back-office capabilities, while retaining local ownership and client connections. This model, which emphasizes strategic partnerships over full mergers, continues to drive growth despite a cooling national M&A landscape.