ChatGPT's shortlist: commercial insurance brokers in New Jersey

Places ChatGPT showed

• World Insurance Associates LLC · 4.9★ · Insurance agency
• Conner Strong & Buckelew · 2.8★ · Insurance agency
• EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants · Insurance broker
• AMH Insurance Brokerage · 5.0★ · Insurance broker
• BIS Improved Insurance Agency · 5.0★ · Insurance agency

If you mean commercial insurance brokers—firms that can shop multiple carriers and structure coverage for a business—there are several strong options in New Jersey. I’d separate the large regional/national brokerages from smaller specialists rather than call one universally “best.”

Large commercial brokerages

• World Insurance Associates LLC — Morristown-based, with broad commercial capabilities including property, liability, commercial auto, workers’ comp, cyber, EPLI, umbrella, and specialty coverage. It ranked #4 among New Jersey brokerages by 2023 gross written premium in an NJBIZ list.
• Conner Strong & Buckelew — A major New Jersey brokerage with particularly extensive risk-management capabilities, including P&C, employee benefits, claims management, safety/risk control, construction programs, captives, and surety. NJBIZ's 2023 list placed it first by gross written premium.
• Arthur J. Gallagher — Its Whippany operation is another large commercial brokerage, ranked #2 in the same NJBIZ 2023 data.
• Brown & Brown — Its Roseland operation ranked #3 and offers broad commercial lines.
• HUB International — Summit-based operation offering property/casualty, risk management, employee benefits and related services; it ranked #5 in the NJBIZ 2023 list.
• EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants — Jersey City presence with commercial P&C, employee-benefits consulting and specialty programs.

Smaller/specialized NJ brokers

• AMH Insurance Brokerage — Franklin Lakes; commercial offerings include BOP, general liability, property, E&O, commercial auto, builders risk, flood and trucking.
• BIS Improved Insurance Agency — Morris Plains; particularly broad small/midsize commercial coverage, including GL, property, workers' comp, business interruption, E&O, EPLI, cyber, D&O and environmental liability.
• Innovative Risk Management — Worth investigating for hard-to-place/high-hazard businesses such as staffing companies, general contractors, roofers and truckers; it says it has relationships with 50+ admitted and E&S carriers.
• DKB Group — Morristown commercial brokerage/risk-management firm focused on specialized industries, with more than 20 years of commercial insurance experience.
• S&P Insurance Agency — Particularly focused on commercial property, multifamily/habitational risks, retail and commercial real estate.

How I'd narrow the field

The right broker depends heavily on what you're insuring. For example:

• Small business / BOP: World Insurance, BIS, AMH
• Mid-market company: Conner Strong, Gallagher, Brown & Brown, HUB, World
• Commercial real estate / apartments: S&P, World, larger regional brokers
• Construction/contractors: Conner Strong, Gallagher, Innovative Risk Management
• Trucking/transportation: Innovative Risk Management or a transportation-specialist broker
• Complex/high-hazard risks: Gallagher, Conner Strong, EPIC, Innovative Risk Management
• Employee benefits + P&C under one relationship: Conner Strong, Gallagher, Brown & Brown, HUB, World

One important distinction: the biggest broker isn't necessarily the most appropriate broker for a particular business. For a $1–5 million contractor, for example, a specialized broker with strong carrier relationships in that class may be more relevant than the sheer size of the brokerage.

If you tell me your industry, approximate annual revenue, number of employees, and whether you need property/GL/workers' comp/auto/cyber/etc., I can narrow this to a shortlist of 3–5 NJ brokers that specifically handle businesses like yours.

Places ChatGPT showed

• World Insurance Associates LLC · 4.9★ · Insurance agency
• Liberty Insurance Associates · 4.9★ · Insurance agency
• AMH Insurance Brokerage · 5.0★ · Insurance broker
• Schumacher Insurance Agency · 3.7★ · Insurance agency
• Mills Insurance Group LLC · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• BIS Improved Insurance Agency · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• All Pro Coverage provided by Zolofra Insurance Agency LLC · 5.0★ · Insurance agency

If you mean independent commercial insurance brokers/agencies rather than the insurance carriers themselves, there are several credible New Jersey options. I wouldn’t call one universally “best,” because the right broker depends heavily on your industry, revenue, locations, claims history, and whether you need just a BOP/GL or a more sophisticated middle-market program.

New Jersey brokers worth putting on your shortlist

• World Insurance Associates LLC — Morristown. A broad commercial platform offering BOP, general liability, property, auto, workers’ comp, umbrella, EPLI, cyber and other specialty coverages. Its size and breadth make it worth considering for businesses that are moving beyond basic small-business insurance.
• Build Insurance Group — New Jersey-based independent brokerage. Particularly broad commercial offering, including GL, property, auto, workers’ comp, umbrella, cyber, EPLI, E&O, D&O, crime, builders risk, marine and surety. That breadth can be useful for growing or more complex businesses.
• Liberty Insurance Associates — Millstone Township. Independent agency with commercial programs including BOP, GL, commercial auto, workers’ comp and surety. Its profile specifically includes small-to-mid-sized businesses.
• AMH Insurance Brokerage — Franklin Lakes. Independent broker serving NJ/NY/PA, with BOP, commercial liability, property, E&O, commercial auto, malpractice, builders risk and other specialty coverages. A potentially good fit if your company has specialized exposures.
• Schumacher Insurance Agency — West Caldwell. Focuses on small-to-mid-sized organizations and offers a particularly wide menu, including BOP, GL, workers’ comp, commercial auto/property, cyber, EPLI, D&O, flood, builders risk and bonds.
• Mills Insurance Group LLC — Medford. More commercially focused, particularly for small/midsize businesses and contractors in South Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Its listed capabilities include commercial auto, property, GL, professional liability, workers’ comp, inland marine, umbrella and cyber.
• BIS Improved Insurance Agency — Morris Plains. Independent agency with a broad commercial portfolio, including GL, property, workers’ comp, business interruption, E&O, EPLI, cyber, umbrella, D&O and industry-specific programs.
• All Pro Coverage — Oakhurst. Especially worth investigating if you're a professional-services business because of its emphasis on E&O/professional liability, while also handling broader commercial and construction insurance.

What I'd compare

For a small or midsize company, I'd ask 3–4 independent brokers to quote the exact same coverage specifications, rather than simply asking who has the lowest premium. In particular, compare:

• Number and quality of carriers the broker can access
• General liability limits and exclusions
• Commercial property and business-interruption limits
• Workers' compensation
• Commercial auto, if applicable
• Umbrella/excess liability
• Cyber, EPLI, E&O/professional liability, or D&O where relevant
• Deductibles and self-insured retentions
• Claims advocacy and who handles the account after the sale
• Speed of certificates of insurance and additional-insured requests
• Whether the broker has substantial experience in your particular industry

This matters because New Jersey has a fairly broad commercial-insurance market. For example, Selective says its NJ independent-agent network serves businesses ranging from small businesses to middle-market companies and covers 400+ business types. NJM likewise uses independent agents for commercial auto, workers' comp, BOP, commercial package policies and umbrella coverage.

For context, current 2026 research on insurers (not brokers) also shows significant differences among NJ commercial carriers, so having an independent broker that can shop multiple markets can be valuable.

If you tell me your industry, approximate annual revenue, number of employees, and whether you're North/Central/South Jersey, I can narrow this to 5 brokers that specifically fit your business, including their specialties, locations, carrier access, and contact/website information.

Places ChatGPT showed

• The True Agency · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• BIS Improved Insurance Agency · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• World Insurance Associates LLC · 4.9★ · Insurance agency
• Commercial Agency Inc. · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• Acrisure Iselin, NJ · 4.7★ · Insurance agency

If you mean brokers with meaningful specialization in New Jersey manufacturing and construction/contracting, rather than simply agencies that sell commercial policies, I’d put the following firms on a shortlist. I’m not treating “best” as an objective ranking; these are firms whose published capabilities and NJ presence make them worth comparing.

Brokers worth interviewing

• The True Agency — Mendham
  Particularly relevant for contractors and construction businesses, including commercial insurance and surety/bonding. The agency specifically positions itself around construction insurance and surety programs.
• BIS Improved Insurance Agency — Morris Plains
  A strong general commercial candidate if you want one broker capable of handling both manufacturers and contractors. Its stated industries include contractors and manufacturers, with GL, property, workers' comp, commercial auto, inland marine, pollution, cyber, umbrella and other commercial coverages.
• World Insurance Associates LLC — Morristown
  Worth considering for a broader middle-market program. Its commercial capabilities include manufacturing/product-oriented risks, product liability, workers' comp, commercial property, auto, umbrella, cyber and EPLI.
• Commercial Agency Inc. — Park Ridge
  Especially relevant to contractors. Its construction program includes builders risk, equipment/tool and installation floaters, contractors' liability, pollution, professional liability, certificates and surety bonds.
• Turner Surety and Insurance Brokerage Inc. — Saddle Brook
  A particularly relevant option for larger or more complex construction operations, including general contractors, trade contractors, developers and construction managers. It specializes in project insurance structures such as OCIP/CCIP/ROCIP wrap-ups.
• Acrisure Iselin, NJ — Iselin
  The larger-platform option. Useful if you want access to a broad commercial insurance organization and markets, although I'd specifically ask for an account executive with manufacturing/construction expertise rather than assuming the local office's general capabilities translate to your particular risk.

One important distinction

For manufacturers, I'd look beyond ordinary GL/property quoting. A serious manufacturing broker should be able to discuss:

• Product liability and completed operations
• Product recall
• Manufacturers E&O
• Business interruption / contingent business interruption
• Equipment breakdown
• Inland marine
• Supply-chain exposures
• Cyber
• Workers' compensation and loss-control
• Umbrella/excess
• International exposures, if applicable

For contractors, I'd specifically test their capabilities around:

• General liability and completed operations
• Workers' comp
• Commercial auto/fleet
• Builders risk
• Installation floaters
• Umbrella/excess
• Pollution liability where applicable
• Professional liability/design-build
• Surety/bonding
• Additional-insured, waiver-of-subrogation and primary/noncontributory requirements
• OCIP/CCIP/wrap-up programs

That's important because New Jersey insurers themselves distinguish these industries. For example, NJM's ProPack program specifically provides industry-specific options for construction and manufacturing, including construction-specific additional-insured and per-project aggregate provisions and manufacturing coverages such as product recall and manufacturers E&O. Selective likewise explicitly identifies both contractors and manufacturers among its NJ commercial classes.

If you're a sizable manufacturer or contractor

I'd also interview at least one large middle-market brokerage alongside the local specialists. New Jersey's 2024 brokerage rankings, for example, put Conner Strong & Buckelew and Arthur J. Gallagher among the state's largest brokerages by gross written premium.

The key isn't simply broker size. Ask each candidate:

1. How many manufacturers/contractors similar to us do you currently insure?
2. Which carriers/E&S markets would you approach for our account?
3. Who will actually service the account after the sale?
4. Do you have an in-house claims advocate and loss-control resources?
5. Can you handle our surety program as well as P&C?
6. Can you review our contracts and insurance specifications before binding?
7. What would you change about our current program?

That last question is particularly revealing: a good broker should be able to identify coverage gaps or structural issues before simply presenting another premium quote.

If you tell me roughly (a) manufacturing vs. contracting, (b) annual revenue/payroll, (c) number of employees, and (d) where in NJ you're located, I can narrow this to a 5-broker RFP shortlist and identify which ones appear most relevant to your size and industry.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Gallagher Insurance, Risk Management & Consulting · Insurance agency
• SterlingRisk of New Jersey · Insurance broker
• Global Underwriters Agency, Inc. · Insurance agency
• Trans Hudson Brokerage · Insurance broker
• Arctic Risk Specialists Inc. · 4.9★ · Insurance broker
• Commercial Agency Inc. · 5.0★ · Insurance agency

If claims handling and claims advocacy are your priority, I’d look at the broker’s claims resources and service model, not just its size or general reputation. A broker does not ultimately decide whether a claim is covered—that is the carrier’s decision—but a strong broker can help structure the program correctly, tender the claim, push for timely handling, and advocate when coverage or valuation becomes contentious.

Based on current New Jersey information, these are worth putting on your shortlist:

• Gallagher Insurance, Risk Management & Consulting — Marlton, Secaucus and other NJ offices. Gallagher has dedicated claims-management capabilities in addition to commercial brokerage and risk management. This makes it particularly relevant for larger or more complex businesses where you want formal claims advocacy rather than simply having an account executive forward a claim.
• SterlingRisk of New Jersey — Iselin. Its model specifically combines commercial brokerage, risk consulting, loss control and in-house claims advocacy, making it interesting for organizations with significant workers' comp, multi-location, contractual-risk or claims-history issues.
• Global Underwriters Agency, Inc. — Metuchen. Particularly relevant for trucking/transportation, construction, sanitation and distribution businesses. Its service model includes claims advocacy alongside ongoing commercial-account management.
• Trans Hudson Brokerage — Saddle Brook. A particularly relevant option for construction and project-driven businesses; it advertises claims-management consulting as part of its commercial risk-management services.
• Arctic Risk Specialists Inc. — Toms River. An independent commercial broker emphasizing hands-on servicing through the insurance lifecycle, including claims. It may be worth considering if you want a smaller, more involved brokerage relationship.
• Commercial Agency Inc. — Park Ridge. Its commercial practice emphasizes risk management and claims advocacy/problem-solving, with particular attention to industry-specific program design.

One important distinction

If by "best at handling claims" you mean which insurance company actually pays and adjusts commercial claims well, rather than which broker advocates for you, that's a different comparison. Recent New Jersey research gives some useful evidence: MoneyGeek's 2026 analysis of NJ workers' compensation, for example, gave The Hartford a 4.1/5 claims-processing score, while ERGO NEXT received 4.0/5.

Selective also publishes a substantial body of commercial customer feedback, including recent reports of fast claim resolution and responsive adjusters, although its published reviews also contain some negative NJ experiences.

So for a commercial buyer, I'd evaluate the broker and carrier together.

If you tell me your industry, approximate annual premium/payroll, and whether you're primarily concerned with workers' comp, property, liability, auto, or large casualty claims, I can narrow this to a few NJ brokers that specifically have the claims infrastructure for your type of business.

Places ChatGPT showed

• World Insurance Associates LLC · 4.9★ · Insurance agency
• BIS Improved Insurance Agency · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• Schumacher Insurance Agency · 3.7★ · Insurance agency
• Generazio Associates, Inc. Insurance · 4.9★ · Insurance broker

If by “reliable” you mean established commercial brokers with meaningful North Jersey presence, broad carrier access, and experience with business insurance, I’d put these on your shortlist. I’m not ranking them, since the right broker depends heavily on your industry and account size.

• World Insurance Associates LLC — Morristown. One of the larger NJ brokerages; its NJBIZ profile lists commercial P&C, surety/bonding, employee benefits, and related services. The Morristown office has strong local review volume and handles commercial policies including GL, property, auto, workers’ comp, umbrella, EPLI and cyber.
• BIS Improved Insurance Agency — Morris Plains. Independent, locally oriented agency with particularly strong customer-review volume. It handles commercial coverage and is known for serving small and midsize businesses, including COI-heavy businesses.
• Schumacher Insurance Agency — West Caldwell. Independent agency with a broad commercial menu: BOP, GL, workers’ comp, commercial auto/property, cyber, umbrella, E&O, D&O, EPLI and bonds.
• Generazio Associates — Bloomfield. Independent broker with commercial programs covering BOP, business interruption, commercial auto, workers’ comp, and specialized areas such as contractors, trucking, restaurants and building owners.
• HUB International — especially worth considering for a larger or more complex company. HUB has North Jersey offices in Oradell, Englewood Cliffs and Berkeley Heights and offers commercial property, casualty, workers’ comp, professional liability, transportation, real estate, surety and risk-management services.
• Brown & Brown — another large national commercial broker with a North Jersey presence in Roseland. NJBIZ's 2024 ranking placed Brown & Brown among New Jersey's largest insurance brokerages.
• Gallagher — a particularly substantial option for sophisticated commercial/risk-management programs. Gallagher is one of the largest U.S. commercial brokers, and its New Jersey operation handles commercial insurance, risk management, benefits and specialty programs.

How I'd narrow it down

For a small-to-mid-sized North Jersey business, I'd get proposals from World Insurance, BIS, and one of Generazio/Schumacher. For a larger company, multi-state operation, construction/real estate, professional services, or a complicated liability program, I'd also put HUB, Gallagher or Brown & Brown into the comparison.

The important thing is to compare the broker, not just the quoted premium. Ask each one:

1. How many carriers will you approach for my account?
2. Who will actually handle my account after the sale?
3. What claims advocacy do you provide?
4. Can you review my current policies for coverage gaps—not just price?
5. What experience do you have with my particular industry?
6. How do you handle certificates, endorsements and urgent coverage changes?

If you tell me what kind of business you have, approximate annual revenue/payroll, number of employees, and whether you need GL/property/workers' comp/auto/cyber/E&O, I can narrow this to 3–5 brokers that are particularly appropriate for your type of business in North Jersey.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Hardenbergh Insurance Group · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• Keller Insurance Services · 5.0★ · Auto insurance agency
• M & C Insurance Agency · 4.8★ · Insurance agency
• Catalano & Steffani Insurance Group, LLC · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• Mills Insurance Group LLC · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• McMahon Insurance Agency · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• BCA Insurance Group · 4.5★ · Insurance agency

If by “best” you mean strong commercial capabilities, local presence, industry specialization, and the ability to shop multiple markets, I’d put these South Jersey firms on a shortlist rather than declare one universal winner:

• Hardenbergh Insurance Group — Marlton. Independent, family-owned agency with a substantial commercial/risk-management practice, including liability, property, workers’ comp, commercial auto, cyber, professional liability, and surety.
• Keller Insurance Services — West Deptford. Independent South Jersey agency with commercial property, GL, BOP, commercial auto and workers’ comp; its own site says it has operated in South Jersey since 1984.
• M & C Insurance Agency — Pennsauken. Particularly broad commercial menu, including BOP, business interruption, GL, workers’ comp, surety, E&O, D&O, EPLI, contractors, hospitality and technology risks.
• Catalano & Steffani Insurance Group — Turnersville. Independent agency with a strong small/midsize-business focus, including contractors, BOPs, commercial buildings, professional liability, workers’ comp and commercial auto.
• Mills Insurance Group LLC — Medford. Commercial-focused independent agency serving South Jersey/Eastern Pennsylvania, with particular emphasis on small-to-midsize businesses and contractors.
• McMahon Insurance Agency — Ocean City. A long-established South Jersey agency with substantial commercial capabilities, including coastal/property, commercial flood, umbrella, cyber and D&O coverage. Its roots date to 1922.
• BCA Insurance Group — Linwood. Good option for South Jersey businesses needing commercial P&C plus employee benefits and surety/bonding. The Builders League of South Jersey also lists BCA among its insurance brokers/consultants.
• Conner Strong & Buckelew — Camden. This is the large-brokerage option. The latest NJBIZ ranking I found placed it first among New Jersey brokerages by 2023 gross written premium, with extensive P&C, employee benefits, risk management, claims, construction, captive and surety capabilities.

If I were narrowing the list

I'd match the broker to the business rather than simply choosing based on size:

If your business is…	Firms I'd investigate
Small/midsize general business	Keller, Catalano & Steffani, M&C
Contractor/construction	Hardenbergh, Mills, J. Byrne
Transportation/trucking	M&C, Real Deal, Innovative Risk
Professional services	Hardenbergh, M&C, PLIG
Coastal/Jersey Shore	McMahon, BCA
Larger/more complex company	Conner Strong & Buckelew
Hard-to-place/high-risk business	Innovative Risk Management

For example, J. Byrne Agency specifically focuses on contractors/developers and offers general liability, builders risk, workers’ comp, surety and E&O. Innovative Risk Management specializes in harder risks such as staffing, general contractors, roofers and truckers and reports access to 50+ carrier relationships.

If you tell me what type of business you have, approximate annual revenue/payroll, and whether you're in Camden/Cherry Hill, Gloucester County, Atlantic County, or the Shore, I can narrow this to 3–5 brokers that specifically fit your risk and compare their specialties, size, reviews, and contact information.

Places ChatGPT showed

• World Insurance Associates LLC · 4.9★ · Insurance agency
• BIS Improved Insurance Agency · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• All Pro Coverage provided by Zolofra Insurance Agency LLC · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• All Fronts Insurance Services · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• Flanz Insurance Agency · 5.0★ · Insurance company

If your goal is finding the lowest/most competitive commercial premium in New Jersey, I’d focus on independent brokers that can quote multiple carriers, rather than a single-company agent. There isn’t a reliable public ranking showing which broker consistently gets the lowest premium—the price depends heavily on your industry, location, payroll/revenue, claims history, vehicles, property values, and coverage limits.

Some NJ brokers worth getting quotes from include:

• World Insurance Associates LLC — Large independent brokerage with commercial property, GL, workers’ comp, commercial auto, umbrella, cyber, EPLI and other lines.
• BIS Improved Insurance Agency — Independent Morris County agency offering a broad range of commercial coverages and industry-specific programs.
• Build Insurance Group — Independent P&C brokerage with particularly broad commercial capabilities, including property, GL, auto, umbrella, workers’ comp, cyber, E&O, D&O, builders risk and surety.
• All Pro Coverage — NJ independent agency with a strong commercial/professional-liability focus, including contractors and specialized businesses.
• All Fronts Insurance Services — Particularly relevant if you're in trucking/transportation, contractors, restaurants or other specialized commercial risks.
• Flanz Insurance Agency — Full-service independent agency with a broad commercial portfolio, including property, liability, workers’ comp, auto, umbrella and flood.

A couple of useful indicators: independent NJ agencies can access multiple carriers, and the NJ Independent Market Solutions program currently lists commercial markets including Attune, Chubb, Coterie, Progressive, The Hanover, Semsee and others. Independent distribution generally gives a broker more carrier choices to compare, although that does not guarantee the lowest quote.

For comparison, current 2026 analysis of small NJ businesses found substantial variation in premiums by insurer and business type; for example, MoneyGeek reported an average of about $95/month for a particular small-business profile with The Hartford, but emphasized that actual premiums vary by industry, claims history, limits and underwriting.

How I'd shop it

Get 3–5 brokers quoting the exact same specifications, and ask each one:

1. Which carriers will you approach?
2. Are you an independent agent/broker with access to multiple commercial markets?
3. Will you quote NJM, The Hartford, Travelers, Chubb, Hanover, AmTrust and relevant specialty markets where appropriate?
4. Will you compare the total cost, including taxes, fees and financing?
5. Can you provide the quotes with identical limits, deductibles and endorsements so they're genuinely comparable?

If you tell me what type of business you have, approximate annual revenue/payroll, number of employees/vehicles, and what coverage you need (GL, workers' comp, commercial auto, property, etc.), I can narrow this to the NJ brokers and carrier markets most likely to be relevant to your particular risk.

Places ChatGPT showed

• Keller Insurance Services · 5.0★ · Auto insurance agency
• Colonial Insurance Agency · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• The True Agency · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• BIS Improved Insurance Agency · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• Bogle Agency Insurance · 4.7★ · Insurance agency
• Rosell Insurance Agency · 5.0★ · Insurance agency
• Generazio Associates, Inc. Insurance · 4.9★ · Insurance broker
• Cajilema & Simpson Insurance Solutions · 4.9★ · Insurance agency

If by “trust” you mean long-standing local/family ownership plus strong customer-review signals and a meaningful commercial-insurance practice, there are several New Jersey firms worth putting on a shortlist. I’d distinguish that from simply calling a firm “trusted,” since reviews are only one signal and can skew toward personal lines.

New Jersey brokers/agencies I’d research

• Keller Insurance Services — West Deptford / South Jersey. Family-owned since 1984, with commercial, commercial auto, workers’ comp and group benefits. Its website currently displays 5.0/5 from 460 Google reviews, which is a notably large review sample.
• Colonial Insurance Agency — Keyport / Monmouth County. Family-owned for more than 40 years, with a particular emphasis on business insurance and workers’ compensation. It says it shops multiple carriers rather than representing just one insurer.
• The True Agency — Mendham / Morris County. A second- and third-generation family-owned independent agency with a strong commercial construction and surety orientation. The available local-business data shows 5.0/5 from 25 reviews.
• BIS Improved Insurance Agency — Morris Plains / Morris County. Family-run and independent, with commercial programs and a particular contractor focus. It has 5.0/5 from 84 local reviews in the current business data.
• Bogle Agency Insurance — Lyndhurst / Bergen County. A fourth-generation independent agency handling commercial property, general liability, workers’ comp and commercial auto. The local listing shows 4.7/5, although the review count there is small.
• Rosell Insurance Agency — Shrewsbury / Monmouth County. Third-generation independent agency offering commercial packages, workers’ comp, commercial auto and professional liability. The current local listing shows 5.0/5, but only two reviews, so I wouldn't put much weight on the rating by itself.
• Generazio Associates — Bloomfield / North Jersey. Independent broker with a substantial commercial practice, including restaurants, trucking/transportation, contractors, building owners and other specialized risks. The current local listing shows 4.9/5 from 94 reviews.
• Cajilema & Simpson Insurance Solutions — Wayne / North Jersey. Independent agency with a large review footprint (4.9/5 from 391 reviews in the current listing) and commercial offerings including GL, workers’ comp and commercial auto. It appears particularly active with transportation/trucking-related businesses.

A few particularly interesting family-owned firms

Waybridge Insurance in Clark is another one I'd put on the research list. It was founded in 1976 as a family-owned agency and remains independently owned. Its commercial practice specifically highlights construction, real estate, hospitality and local businesses, with GL, property, workers' comp, commercial auto, umbrella and specialty coverage.

Sweeney, Richards & Summers (SRS) is a particularly old-school local option: the agency says it has been serving the Denville and Sparta communities since 1963 and is now welcoming its third generation. It handles both personal and commercial insurance and works with multiple carriers.

Rand, Feuer & Klein (RFK Insurance) is a fourth-generation family-owned independent brokerage dating to 1922, with commercial clients throughout North Jersey and the Jersey Shore. It says it accesses 50+ insurers and specifically mentions businesses such as restaurants, contractors and fleets.

If I were building a serious broker shortlist

Rather than ranking them, I'd compare 5–7 firms against the same criteria:

Factor	What I'd ask
Commercial specialization	How much of your book is commercial vs. personal?
Industry expertise	Do you regularly insure businesses like mine?
Carrier access	Which standard and specialty carriers do you have access to?
Claims advocacy	Who handles a serious claim, and how involved are you?
Risk management	Do you review contracts, certificates, loss runs and exposures?
Service	Who will actually handle certificates, endorsements and audits?
Ownership	Is the agency still locally/family owned?
Reviews	Are the positive reviews from business/commercial clients, not predominantly auto/home customers?

One important caveat: a 5-star Google rating isn't necessarily evidence that an agency is excellent at commercial insurance. Many agencies have hundreds of reviews dominated by auto and homeowners customers. For a business owner, I'd give considerably more weight to commercial expertise, claims handling, carrier access and references from businesses similar to yours.

If you tell me what kind of business you own, approximate annual revenue/payroll, and which part of NJ you're in, I can narrow this to a shortlist of 5 genuinely relevant family/local brokers and compare their commercial specialties, review evidence, locations, carrier access, and likely fit.