Cook, Hall & Hyde, Inc.

Cook, Hall & Hyde Forms Classic Business Unit

April 21, 2006

Bethpage, NY

Cook, Hall & Hyde, Inc. (Cook, Hall & Hyde, Inc., Bethpage, NY; Plainview, NY; East Hampton, NY and Fair Lawn, NJ), a leading provider of commercial and personal insurance, employee benefits, and risk advisory services, announced the formation of a new operating division, the Classic Business Unit, specifically to address the needs of businesses with less infrastructure, fewer employees and a owner-operator at the helm.

According to Cook, Hall & Hyde, Inc.'s Managing Director, Commercial Insurance John E. Hardy, who will be overseeing the new business unit, "We identified a market which we felt would be better served with a dedicated team of specialists. It is a formula we have used before in establishing other divisions including, most recently, our Surety Bonds operation. And, it is a formula which has served both the marketplace and our organization well."

Hardy noted that, "These companies, including Main Street-type entities, have owners who are extremely hands-on and who rely heavily on trusted advisors in all facets of their businesses. Members of our Classic Business Unit appreciate this nuance and are able to provide the level of expertise and service required by these clients."

Cook, Hall & Hyde, Inc.'s Classic Business Unit team members, including a Manager and several brokers, will be based in two of the company's four existing offices; Bethpage and East Hampton. They will serve Cook, Hall & Hyde, Inc.'s entire geographic territory from Montauk to Eastern New Jersey. In addition to the direct services of Cook, Hall & Hyde, Inc.'s Classic team, clients of the division will be able to access all of the services and value-added offerings of the entire Cook, Hall & Hyde, Inc. organization. This includes its comprehensive commercial and personal insurance lines, employee benefits, risk advisory services, educational seminars and leading-edge, online technologies.

Cook, Hall & Hyde, Inc.'s decision to establish its Classic Business Unit is a departure from most independent agencies. However, it is market-driven moves such as this one which have fueled the firm's steady growth over the past several years, earning it a place among the nation's top 100 privately-held insurance brokerage firms.