Our History
Wilson Terry was awarded the right to sell insurance in the area of Sayville, NY and its surrounding towns. Terry was partner in the long‐standing general store, Terry & Wood, later W.J. Terry & Sons on Main Street in Sayville and ran the business out of the store.
Reuben Edwards took over the firm after working for Terry for many years and shifted the office to 63 Main Street in Sayville, and later to South Main Street where the Sayville Library was housed until 2013.
Long‐time employees Robert Danes and Claire Sewttman took over the business and in honor of A.C.’s long tenure, retained the name of the business as A.C. Edwards, Inc.
Robert Danes passes unexpectedly from rheumatic fever. His brother, John “Jack” Danes steps in to run the business as President. Jack ran the business until 1990.
A.C. Edwards, Inc acquires Hughes and Still in Patchogue, NY. This was a strategic acquisition that expanded Edwards footprint in the Long Island Municipal Segment.
Kevin C. Rogers, an employee since 2001 and the nephew of Peter Rogers is elected by the Board of Directors to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer for the firm. “It’s an exciting opportunity and I cannot be more humbled by the Board’s decision. I am fortunate to have the support and guidance of Peter moving forward and look forward to continuing his legacy as an industry leader and philanthropic member of the community”.
Our Executive Team
Peter M. Rogers
Chairman of the Board
My Bio
Peter Rogers, a lifelong insurance professional, began his career at Edwards and Company in 1976 when he accepted the role as a sales assistant in the company’s personal lines department.During his time in personal lines, Edwards recognized the need to broaden their marketing strategy to include commercial insurance. Peter was given the responsibility of leading the newly formed commercial lines division.
Under Peter’s leadership, the commercial lines division quickly became the flagship of Edwards and Company and its largest revenue source. Because of the commercial division’s success, the Board of Directors named Peter as President and CEO in 1991.
To accelerate growth, Peter shifted his focus to an acquisition strategy, and tried to identify prospects that complemented Edward’s business model and corporate culture. During the 1990’s Edward’s successfully completed five acquisitions, including the prestigious firms of National Coverage Corp. and Hughes and Still Inc.
Edwards had become one of Long Island's leading insurance firms and was consistently named as one of the top insurance brokers by the Long Island Business Review. Edwards also received the distinction as one of Long Island’s top privately held companies by KPMG.
Peter was also active outside of Edwards and Company, serving on the Board of Trustees of Saint Joseph’s University, the advisory Board of Southside Hospital and the Board of Directors of Clare Rose Incorporated. Because of his extensive work with charities and community-based organizations, Peter was given the distinction of being named honoree by the leukemia Lymphoma Society, Saint Joseph’s University, Brookhaven Memorial Hospital, the YMCA, and Spotlight on Children.
Kevin C. Rogers
President & Chief Executive Officer
My Bio
Kevin joined Edwards and Company in 2001 with a primary focus on the placement and procurement of commercial insurance portfolios. These portfolios ran from guaranteed cost programs to million-dollar self-insured retentions. Today, as President & CEO, Kevin is responsible for the continued growth of the company and to provide strategic oversite over all business units, which place in excess of $150,000,000 in annual premiums. Kevin plays a critical role in structuring insurance program, marketing strategies as well as carrier and intermediary relations. Kevin’s portfolio of clients include contractors, municipalities, real estate owners, distributors, manufacturers and colleges.Kevin graduated from Siena College in Loudonville NY with a BA in Finance. Kevin has sat on various insurance carrier advisory councils for Liberty Mutual, Chubb and Hartford to name a few in recent years to assist the carriers in product development and distribution as well as industry trends and needs for clients.
Kevin resides in Bayport, NY with his family. Kevin is active in the community sitting on various boards and committees over the years for healthcare and non-for-profit organizations.
Chris Curran
Chief Operating Officer
My Bio
Chris graduated from Fordham University with a B.S. in Business Administration and cut his teeth in the financial sector prior to joining the insurance industry. He brought his finance, accounting & organizational skills to the Edwards family in 2013 and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2021. During his tenure with the agency he has helped banks, contractors, small business owners and families of all shapes and sizes understand their insurance exposures and maximize financial responsibility. His careful, measured approach to the insurance procurement process has enabled Edwards and Company to achieve top accolades with many of Edwards directly appointed carriers – Chubb, Liberty Mutual, Hartford, Merchants, Travelers and Utica National -- while maintaining consistently superior retention. In addition to his expertise in the property & casualty space, Chris maintains Edwards and Company’s strategic partnerships across the wider insurance industry to ensure that our clients never have to compromise on coverage, service or satisfaction.Chris grew up in East Meadow, NY and now resides in Bayport with his wife Beth and 3 children. He stays involved in his community by volunteering time and effort with the Patchogue YMCA and coaching youth sports.
Our leadership team understands the importance of embracing change. We know that while change brings challenges more often than not it brings new and innovative solutions – Edwards and Company remains focused on continually ensuring our clients, and the industry segments we service are getting the best our industry has to offer. While doing things the same way does not necessarily mean poor results – if we are not open to change how can we ensure we are getting the best results. This goes not only on how we operate our business, but how we support our clients.