The MJ Story

The MJ Companies were founded by Michael M. Bill and James Ritter 60 years ago.

Our story is one of humble beginnings and a pursuit of ingenuity. Founded in 1964, we started our journey with just two individuals and a vision to bring more to the industry. Since then, we have become one of the largest privately held insurance agencies in America, with over 200 dedicated associates serving clients in every state across the nation and over 50 countries worldwide. Our diverse range of personalized services, including commercial and personal insurance, risk management, employee benefits, retirement, compensation, and total rewards consulting, have helped us earn the trust of our clients and establish ourselves as industry leaders.

It’s been a busy 60 years at The MJ Companies. The timeline below tells the story of our growth and success. We’d love to tell you more about the ways we help you grow and succeed, too.

1964

Doors opened in Anderson, IN

Founders Michael M. Bill and James Ritter opened MJ United Insurance Agencies in Anderson, Indiana, with just four employees.

1964

Michael M. Bill

Entrepreneur and one of our founders.

1964
Historical image of MJ's first four associates.

4 Total Employees

First employees: Jim Ritter, Larry Johnson, Diane Cunningham, Michael M. Bill.

1964
Construction workers in the middle of a project.

Established Construction & Manufacturing

Established construction and manufacturing practices.

1966
House with floral landscape.

Established Personal Insurance

Established personal insurance practice.

1968
MJ United Insurance Agencies, historical logo.

MJ’s first logo/branding established

Our first logo was a black-on-gray mark inspired by Scandinavian designs popular at the time.

1972

Relocated to Indianapolis

Now a growing company with a statewide profile, we moved our offices down I-69 to 9000 Hague Road, Indianapolis.

1974

20 total employees

1976
Two MJ associates looking at paperwork.

Established Employee Benefits Practice

1980
Trucks moving along a freeway.

Established Transportation Practice

1982
Construction machines removing ground material from a hillside.

Established energy and mining practice

1984

35 total employees

1986
Historical image of MJ Insurance office building.

Relocation to 8180 Clearvista Drive, Indianapolis

1989
25th anniversary image for MJ Insurance.

Our 25th Anniversary

We marked our 25th year in a new and larger Indianapolis location—proud of all we’d accomplished but, as ever, looking to the future.

1991
MJ Insurance, Inc historical logo.

New Brand Identity

1991

Relocation to 3750 Priority Way S. Drive, Indianapolis

1992
Michael H. Bill, Chief Executive Officer

Michael H. Bill hired as a consultant

1998

Became a member of Assurex Global

1998
Students walking in a group.

Established sorority practice

1998

100 total employees

2001
City scene at night.

Established Japanese business practice

2004
Graduation cap and diploma graphic.

Michael M. Bill scholarship established

2005
Ribbon cutting ceremony at MJ Insurance.

Arizona office opened

We opened an Arizona office in 2005 to better serve our clients in the region. Now located on Camelback Road in Phoenix, it’s home to more than 30 members of the MJ team.

2005
Michael H. Bill, Chief Executive Officer

Michael H. Bill becomes CEO

2005
MJ Insurance blue and gold swoosh logo.

Launched new brand identity

2006

Named a Top 100 Privately Held Independent Agencies in the U.S. by Insurance Journal

2006
Exterior of former MJ Insurance office.

Relocation to 9225 Priority Way West Drive, Indianapolis

2009
2009 Marketing Agency of the Year award.

Named Marketing Agency of the Year by Rough Notes

2011-2012

Became a Best Place to Work in Arizona

2014

Inducted into Indiana Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame

2014
MJ YOUNIVERSITY logo.

Started MJ YOUniversity

Because we believe that personal goals are every bit as important as professional ones, we started MJ YOUniversity to help our associates achieve their life’s dreams and ambitions.

2015

Relocation of Arizona office to 3900 East Camelback Road, Phoenix

2014
Chairman Michael M. Bill and his wife.

Our 50th Anniversary

Our golden anniversary gave us a lot to celebrate: more than 125 employees, clients in every state, and 50 profitable years in a row!

2015

Awarded Indiana’s Half Century Award by Indiana Economic Development Corporation

2016
Farmer looking at crops.

Established farm-to-fork practice

2018
Exterior view of MJ Insurance office in Carmel, IN.

Relocation to 571 Monon Boulevard, Carmel, IN

2018
MJ Insurance standard logo.

Launch of our new logo and branding

2018

Became one of The Valley’s Healthiest Employers

2018

150 total employees

2019
Aperture logo.

Launch of APERTURE—MJ’s analytics platform

We worked hard to bring APERTURE to life. It’s our proprietary analytics tool that helps us take a deep dive into the heart of your business—and see future risks and opportunities clearly.

2020

Established The MJ Foundation

MJ Foundation
2020

Named one of the Healthiest workplaces in America

2021

Established Retirement and Compensation + total rewards consulting practices

2022

Opened office in Denver, Colorado

We opened a Colorado office in 2022, bringing a different and better approach to the marketplace.

2022

Established the MJ Risk Management & Insurance Scholarship

The MJ Foundation established a new scholarship supporting multicultural students with financial need in the Andre B. Lacy School of Business at Butler University.

2024

Launched MJ Benefits+

MJ Benefits+ is an integrative approach to employee benefits consulting, compensation, retirement, and organizational culture focused on inspiring the happiness and wellbeing of people.

2024

Transitioned to The MJ Companies

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