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John O’Niell opens a Brightway Insurance Agency in Lafayette, introducing a better insurance-buying experience

Aug 3, 2020

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Lafayette, LA. — While the country’s response to the Coronavirus has caused many business operations to pause, Brightway Insurance remains committed to customers and to people who want to build their own business with the holistic support Brightway offers. More residents in South Louisiana can experience a better way to buy insurance for their homes, vehicles and much more as veteran businessman and now Brightway Agency Owner, John O’Niell, has opened Brightway, The O'Niell Agency in Lafayette. While O’Niell and his team are currently working from their homes, he will open a retail location in the coming months, and the location will be announced once operational.

“I’m thrilled to bring Brightway Insurance to my friends and neighbors in Lafayette,” said O’Niell. “As a Brightway Agency, we’re able to offer you more choice of insurance brands than other agencies can. Instead of having to worry about calling different agents to handle your Homeowners, Auto and other insurance policies, we offer a one-stop-shop for all your insurance needs. You never have to shop for insurance again. Once you place your insurance with Brightway, we do the legwork for you to find the coverage you need at the price you want.”

Born and raised in nearby Franklin, O’Niell graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge with a Bachelor of Science in Finance with a concentration in Internal Auditing and Real Estate Investing. He started R&O Energy in Lafayette with his business partner, Patrick Reesby, 15 years ago and remains a partner in the company today. John has been married for 12 years to wife, Aimee, who together have three daughters: Lyla, Ella and Ally. For fun, he loves spending time with his family, hunting and saltwater fishing. The O’Niells moved back to South Louisiana from Shreveport six years ago and enjoy being closer to family and raising their girls where they have roots. O’Niell is excited to sync up with longtime friend and high school classmate, Seppe Pusateri, also from Franklin, to bring more choices of insurance brands to their community.

Pusateri joins O’Niell at Brightway as Principal Agent. An insurance veteran, he comes to Brightway from State Farm where he worked as an Agent for the past eight years. He studied Business Administration and Management at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

“We’re ecstatic to welcome John and Seppe to the Brightway family and are committed to their success,” said Brightway President and CEO Michael Miller. “Brightway offers holistic business support to our Agencies so they can thrive. That support frees them up to focus on their customers’ needs so they can provide you with expert counsel and find the right coverage to give you peace of mind.”

Brightway, The O'Niell Agency offers customized Home, Condo, Renters, Personal Articles, Flood, Auto, RV, Motorcycle, Boat, Umbrella and Life insurance policies from numerous insurance brands including Amelia Underwriters, Bankers, Foremost, Hagerty, Maison, National Risk Solutions, Progressive, Safeco, SageSure, Tapco and many more. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CDT) and Saturday and Sunday by appointment.

Brightway’s corporate office staff provides expertise and support in areas including Customer Service, Accounting, Marketing, Distribution, Business Analytics, Carrier Appointments, Licensing, Onboarding, Training, Hiring and Retaining personnel. The company’s signature after-the-sale service empowers Agency Owners to focus on new business sales and provides their customers the personalized service they deserve.

About Brightway Insurance Brightway Insurance is a national property/casualty insurance distribution company with more than $695 million in annualized written premium, making it one of the largest Personal Lines agencies in the U.S.

Brightway’s focus is on producing Win, Win, Win outcomes for consumers by offering customized insurance solutions and for people wishing to sell insurance by providing business opportunities that span from single Agent to multi-unit enterprises. Regardless of the path taken, Brightway provides the support necessary to consistently outsell other insurance agents.

Brightway got its start in 2008 and has since grown to nearly 900 people in 208 offices across 22 states serving customers in all 50 states.

For more information about Brightway, The O'Niell Agency, visit BrightwayOniell.com or call 337-339-9603. Learn more about franchise opportunities with Brightway at our franchise page.