Agribusiness Risk Services Rebrands as SureStead Claims; Joshua Belanger Appointed President to Lead Next Growth Phase

Agribusiness Risk Services rebrands as SureStead Claims and names Joshua Belanger president to drive expansion beyond agribusiness into specialty claims.

WINSTON-SALEM, NC, UNITED STATES, January 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Agribusiness Risk Services, a leading provider of risk and claims administration services for farm, agribusiness, and commercial sectors, today announced that it will rebrand as SureStead Claims, effective immediately. The new brand reflects the company’s evolution from its start as an agribusiness-only organization into its current form as a broader claims management company with expertise in a growing number of specialty niches.

As part of this next chapter, the company also announced the appointment of Joshua Belanger as President, a newly created role positioning Belanger to accelerate SureStead Claims’ strategic growth and operational excellence. Prior to being named President, Belanger served as Vice President of Claims, and the company cited his leadership in this role as being instrumental in the company’s expansion and modernization initiatives.

“Josh’s positive impact here has been tremendous, in a relatively short period of time, " commented William G. “Will” Johnson III on behalf of the company Board. “He quickly assessed the lay of the land, established a feasible roadmap for progress and improvement, and began leading systematic execution to address our key challenges and opportunities. We’ve experienced meaningful progress in organizational effectiveness and team engagement as a result of his hands-on leadership, and this has directly contributed to new carrier and MGA clients. The promotion to President of SureStead is a natural progression, and I look forward to Josh’s continued growth as a leader and as a claims professional.”

Belanger said he is honored to step into the role. “I’m excited for the opportunity to lead this exceptional team as we strengthen our core claims expertise and broaden our reach into complementary specialty markets.

“What began as Agribusiness Risk Services has grown well beyond its original boundaries, driven by our people, our partners, and our commitment to innovation in the risk and claims services industry. Our new name, SureStead Claims, captures both who we are and who we intend to be: reliable, forward-thinking, and committed to serving clients in moments that matter the most,” continued Belanger.

About the Rebrand: From Agribusiness Risk Services to SureStead

Founded to provide highly specialized risk and claim solutions for farms, ranches, and rural estates, Agribusiness Risk Services grew rapidly in conjunction with its parent company ARU (formerly known as Agribusiness Risk Underwriters).

As the segments it served continued to increase, the company recognized the need for a brand that reflected both its heritage and its broader forward-looking purpose. The name SureStead honors the company’s dedication to delivering dependable claims in the agricultural community while conveying its principles of certainty, steadiness, and trust.

The rebrand includes a new visual identity, updated digital presence, and refined messaging aligned with the company’s strategic direction. All existing policies, broker relationships, and carrier partnerships remain unchanged.

About Joshua Belanger

Josh Belanger brings over 16 years of experience in claims leadership, operations, and complex Commercial Property claims management. Before joining the company, he served as AVP of Commercial Claims at RYZE, a TPA where he led commercial property and casualty lines and was credited with doubling department revenue and expanding the independent adjuster network by more than 700%.

A committed life-long learner, Belanger holds multiple professional designations: Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Insurance Data Analytics (AIDA), Senior Professional Public Adjuster (SPPA), Associate in Claims (AIC), Associate in Insurance (AINS), Associate in Insurance Services (AIS), Water Restoration Technician (WRT), and Applied Structural Drying (ASD).

Since joining the team, Belanger has played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s national claims infrastructure and driving operational modernization. In his expanded role as President of SureStead, he will oversee enterprise-wide operations, strategic planning, claims and underwriting integration, partner engagement, and product evolution.

About SureStead Claims

SureStead Claims (https://surestead.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of ARU. (https://aru.solutions) ARU was founded in 2016 and has quickly established itself as the U.S. leader in poultry confinement product development, underwriting, loss control, and technology. From there, the company has steadily added occupancies and expanded into serving larger and more sophisticated risks, both on a shared / layered and ground-up basis. ARU’s underwriting and loss control harnesses fundamental scientific principles, granular weather metrics, proprietary technology, and niche expertise to maintain a sustainable and profitable portfolio of historically challenging risks, all while providing a superior experience to policyholders. ARU’s products and services serve a diverse network of retail producers, wholesalers, and carriers, providing not only traditional underwriting and loss control services but also technology, product development, operational support, and reinsurance capacity.

For media inquiries or more information about SureStead Claims, ARU, and its leadership teams, visit https://aru.solutions.

Brooke Knepper
ARU
+1 336-793-4477
email us here

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