Brightway, The Pihl Agency Completes Acquisition of Foundation Insurance

Brightway Insurance, one of the largest personal lines insurance franchise systems in the U.S., today announced that it has partnered with independent Brightway agency owner Jim Pihl to complete the acquisition of the Foundation Insurance book of business, which will now be managed by The Pihl Agency.

The Pihl Agency, led by owner Jim Pihl, identified the acquisition opportunity through local market relationships and industry connections. Brightway provided the infrastructure required to help execute and integrate the transaction, including a preferred acquisition financing program, deal structuring, legal and financial due diligence, valuation support, transaction documentation, carrier transition coordination, operational integration planning, and agency management system migration support.

According to Jim, "Brightway had recently announced that they were interested in supporting agency owners with mergers and acquisitions to help them grow faster. So, I decided to do some local marketing and networking. And I actually got a call from the (Foundation) agency which I had my eye on for many years."

The acquisition reflects Brightway’s broader approach to supporting entrepreneurial agency owners pursuing growth through acquisition by simplifying complex M&A processes that otherwise require significant time, capital, coordination, and operational expertise to manage independently.

"This is exactly the type of transaction our model is designed to support," said Dan Lewis, Head of Network at Brightway Insurance. "Whether an owner sources a deal themselves — like Jim did here — or we help identify the right opportunity, our role is to handle the heavy lifting so they can stay focused on running their business. We step in with financing options and lender introductions, diligence, carrier transitions, and systems migration. That’s the value of the platform: the complexity stays behind the scenes."

Foundation Insurance clients will continue to be served locally by The Pihl Agency, with no disruption to coverage or service. The integration includes onboarding into Brightway's Fusion technology platform, carrier network, and operational support infrastructure.

About Brightway Insurance

Founded in 2003, Brightway Insurance is one of the largest independent personal lines insurance agency franchise systems in the U.S. Through organic growth and Brightway’s acquisition of GlobalGreen Insurance Agency in 2025, franchise agencies now operate in 45 states and represent more than $1.7 billion in annual premium.

Brightway’s platform is designed to help agency owners scale through building a local reputable brand, access to carrier relationships, proprietary Fusion technology, centralized client service and retention support, and a collaborative community of agency owners across the country.

Interested to learn more, book a call with Jeff Coluccio, Head of Mergers & Acquisitions!