Brightway Insurance opening Elgin office

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Brightway Insurance is opening its first Columbia-area agency in Elgin on Monday.

Brightway, a national property/casualty insurance retailer selling through a network of franchised, independent stores, now has five offices in South Carolina. The agency, which began franchising operations in 2008 and now has more than 800 employees in 19 states, has more than $521 million in annualized written premium, according to a news release.

The Elgin agency, located at 1712 Woodcreek Farms Road, will offer home, condo, renters, auto, flood, RV, motorcycle, boat, ATV, life and umbrella policies from brands including Appalachian Underwriters, Bankers, Burns and Wilcox, Dixon Wells, Foremost, Progressive and Safeco.

“We’re thrilled to introduce Brightway Insurance to this new market in South Carolina,” Brightway president Talman Howard said in a statement. “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.”

Kim Shumaker, a University of South Carolina graduate and S.C. native with 10 years’ experience in the insurance industry, is the Elgin agency’s principal agent.

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