The Louisiana Purchase

REVIEW SUMMARY
Business. Centauri Specialty Insurance, Lakewood Ranch
Industry. Insurance
Key. Startup plans to grow quickly, mostly by doing business in Gulf states outside Florida

Longtime insurance executives Lora Rees and Ricardo Espino faced a difficult decision last summer.

They could continue on with Sarasota-based Universal North America, an insurance firm they helped launch in 2003. Universal grew from nothing to $300 million in homeowners' insurance premiums spread across 17 states under their leadership.