I will be paying the same as last year, so good. But I don't get a warm fuzzy from independent agent as they have been purchased by a bigger outfit and he doesn't
even like the company they have paired me with again. Just looking for alternatives

I guess you could call a different independent agency.

We went through that. We developed a (decades long) personal relationship with the agent, who inherited the company from his father, even installed a system in his home, a follow-up home, and for some associations that he works with. Ultimately it was time for him to retire and he sold the company to a holding company that was mostly bank. Now we are just an account and too small to get any real attention.

Some of your small business customers may have a suggestion.