company logo
Log In
  • Agency News
  • Corporate News

Brightway Insurance to open its first agency near Columbia, S.C.

May 17, 2018

Article image

ELGIN, S.C. — Residents in Columbia, S.C., Elgin and nearby communities will soon experience a better way to shop for insurance for their homes, cars and more. Brightway, The Sunnyside Agency will open in Elgin, S.C., Monday, May 21. Brightway Insurance opened its first agency in the Palmetto State last year. With Monday’s opening, there will be five Brightway Insurance agencies in South Carolina.

“As the first Brightway Agency in Elgin and near Columbia, we’re able to offer consumers more choice than they’ll find anywhere else,” said Kim Shumaker, the Principal Agent at Brightway, The Sunnyside Agency. “I look forward to having access to many different companies to ensure we match the best products with our customers to protect their property.”

Shumaker comes to Brightway with 10 years’ insurance and sales experience. She most recently worked at State Farm. A South Carolina native, she graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Psychology. Shumaker has a son, with whom she loves to travel. She is a member of Downtown Church in Columbia. She enjoys helping people not only find financial fitness through proper insurance coverage, but also through physical fitness as a certified personal trainer. Shumaker looks forward to offering expert counsel and more choice in insurance brands as a Brightway Agent.

“We’re thrilled to introduce Brightway Insurance to this new market in South Carolina,” said Brightway President, Talman Howard. “Consumers who haven’t had the opportunity to work with a Brightway Agent will be delighted to find an agent focused on their needs who can offer the most choice of insurance brands.”

Brightway Agency Owners enjoy comprehensive business support including customer service, carrier relationships, marketing, accounting and technology. As a result, Brightway agencies consistently outsell other insurance agencies three-to-one.*

Brightway, The Sunnyside Agency is located at 1712 Woodcreek Farms Road in Elgin (at the Jacobs Mill Pond Road intersection). The agency offers customized Home, Condo, Renters, Auto, Flood, RV, Motorcycle, Boat, ATV, Life and Umbrella insurance policies from numerous insurance brands including Appalachian Underwriters, Bankers, Burns and Wilcox, Dixon Wells, Foremost, Progressive and Safeco.

About Brightway Insurance Brightway Insurance is a national property/casualty insurance retailer selling through a network of franchised independent stores throughout the country. With more than $521 million in annualized written premium, the company is one of the largest personal lines agencies in the United States. Brightway provides its franchise owners with access to more insurance companies than any other agency, along with a comprehensive system of support that frees them up to focus on customizing policies that meet their customers’ needs.

Brightway began franchising operations in 2008 and has since grown to more than 800 people in 19 states serving customers in all 50 states. Forbes has recognized the company as America’s No. 1 Franchise to Buy. Additionally, the company was named a top franchise three years in a row by Entrepreneur magazine and one of the fastest-growing private companies in America nine consecutive years by Inc. 5000.

For more information about Brightway, The Sunnyside Agency, visit BrightwaySunnyside.com or call 803-849-8819. Learn more about franchise opportunities with Brightway at our franchise page.