Eastern Bank subsidiary Eastern Insurance Group LLC, based in Natick, has acquired Brockton-based Smith Buckley & Hunt.

"We are excited to welcome Smith Buckley & Hunt and its customers to the Eastern Insurance family," Hope A. Aldrich, president and CEO of Eastern Insurance, said in a statement.  "Smith Buckley & Hunt has an excellent reputation for superior customer service and products, making it a perfect cultural fit to our organization."

Following the merger, Smith Buckley & Hunt principles James S. Smith and Christopher Sheppard will remain with Eastern Insurance. Smith will be senior vice president of commercial insurance and Sheppard will continue as a senior vice president of sales. Smith Buckley & Hunt principle MacKenzie Smith is expected to retire.

Smith Buckley & Hunt’s office at 500 Forest St. in Brockton will remain open and rebrand as an Eastern Insurance location later this year. Smith Buckley & Hunt was founded in 1875 and has been owned by the Smith family since 1922.

"We are proud of what we have built in providing the best insurance protection for the people and businesses of Brockton and its surrounding cities and towns," James S. Smith said in a statement. "We believe that the choice of Eastern Insurance will serve our clients and employees extremely well."  

Eastern Insurance hopes the acquisition will increase its customer base south of Boston-where it already has 10 locations-and strengthen Eastern Bank’s overall position in southeastern Massachusetts.

In 2012, Eastern Bank acquired The Community Bank, which was headquartered in Brockton.  

"Brockton is a natural extension of the markets that we now serve, so this was an attractive opportunity to partner with a successful agency with an excellent reputation in the Metro South Region," Aldrich said in a statement.

Eastern Insurance is the largest insurance agency headquartered in Massachusetts and the 48th largest agency in the United States.