Frank Berlin & Associates, a West Des Moines-based independent benefits advisory firm, announced that it has entered into a partnership with TrueNorth Cos. LLC, a full-service insurance brokerage based in Cedar Rapids. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. “One of the places we really wanted to grow was in Iowa,” said Kirsten Eddins, TrueNorth’s marketing director. “We had been talking with different firms we wanted to align with, and Frank Berlin & Associates really made sense.” Founded in 1968, Frank Berlin & Associates currently has nine employees and will operate as Frank Berlin & Associates, a TrueNorth Company. The firm will retain its local decision-making capabilities, said Kyle Mertz, sales director of Frank Berlin & Associates. TrueNorth has about 150 employees, with regional offices throughout the Midwest and South.