Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania has expanded its insurance subsidiary Univest Insurance through the acquisition of Javers Group, a full-service employee benefits agency specializing in comprehensive human resource management, payroll and administrative services.

The expansion of the insurance subsidiary is part of Univest’s long-term strategy to diversify their business, giving consumers and businesses in the region convenient access to a complete range of financial solutions from one company, according to William S. Aichele, chairman, president and CEO at Univest Corporation.

"Javers' experienced team of professionals strengthens Univest's ability to serve the insurance, benefits, workers' compensation and human resources needs of businesses and individuals," Aichele added.

Founded in 1999 by president Chris Wichser, Javers Group has proven excellence in human resource management and demonstrated significant growth throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Javers is headquartered in Berwyn, Pa., and operates offices in New York, New Jersey and Maryland.

In 2011, Javers was ranked number one in the country for the second consecutive year in ADP's Group Health Alliance program based on business growth. It also was one of four companies honored in Pennsylvania as a Gold Member by United Healthcare for being a top performing benefits provider.

In 2005, the company joined as an Alliance Partner of ADP, one of the world's largest providers of human resource, payroll, tax and business administration outsourcing solutions.

"Javers Group's outsourcing services and technologies allow companies to reduce or eliminate time spent on human resource responsibilities and cut administrative costs," said Ronald R. Flaherty, president of Univest Insurance.

"While the company primarily serves businesses with more than 50 employees, they have a strong reputation for delivering a unique blend of high quality human resource programs and using innovative systems to design an affordable solution for any size business," Flaherty added.

Following the acquisition, Univest will retain all company employees, relocating staff from the Berwyn office to its current insurance office in West Chester, Pa. Meanwhile, employees working from offices out of state will continue to operate in their current locations.

The acquisition of Javers Group is the second such acquisition for Univest in the last five years. In December 2008, Univest acquired Liberty Benefits, a full service employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm specializing in comprehensive employee benefits packages for businesses with two to 500 employees.

Javers Group will immediately begin operating under the name Univest Insurance, according to an official statement by the company.