Kinghorn Insurance of Beaufort

What Kinghorn Insurance of Beaufort does

Kinghorn Insurance of Beaufort is an independent insurance agency founded in 1898, headquartered at 910 Carteret Street in Beaufort, South Carolina. It is privately held as Kinghorn Insurance Agency of Beaufort, LLC, with ownership held by senior managing partner Jay Taylor (joined 1995, partner since 2004), partner Garrett Wreden (joined 2005), and partners Charlotte Law (joined 2013, partner since 2021) and Thomas Tayloe (joined 2013). The agency operates three offices across the Kinghorn/TWIA enterprise in Beaufort, Summerville, and Greenville, SC, and is one of the oldest and largest insurance agencies in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

The firm is licensed to sell personal lines (auto, homeowners, boat, flood, umbrella), commercial lines (commercial auto, general liability, property, workers compensation, cyber liability, and niche programs for churches, schools, non-profits, contractors, and financial institutions), life and health insurance (individual and group health, Medicare, dental/vision, disability, and life), and special events insurance through a CoverSmart partnership. Distribution runs through licensed agents via phone, in-person consultation at the downtown Beaufort office, and website quote forms; the firm also routes ACA Marketplace health shoppers to a HealthSherpa referral page. Underlying technology is standard for the segment — carrier partner platforms for rating, policy administration, and claims, supplemented by a website lead-capture flow.

Kinghorn earns revenue primarily through insurance commissions paid by the carriers it represents, plus contingent and override income typical of independent agencies. The firm has no disclosed funding, no external investment, no parent company, and no subsidiaries; it functions as a partnership-led, locally owned agency. Its competitive position rests on 127 years of continuous operation, advanced industry designations among staff (CPCU, CIC, CRM, CISR, CBIA), long employee tenures (multiple staff 25+ years), and long-standing client relationships (some 50+ years). The agency shows no proprietary technology, no AI/ML capabilities, and no significant M&A or geographic-expansion activity beyond its existing three-office footprint.

Name

Kinghorn Insurance of Beaufort

Legal name

Kinghorn Insurance Agency of Beaufort, LLC

Website

https://insurancebeaufort.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kinghorn Insurance of Beaufort is an independent, partnership-owned insurance agency founded in 1898 in Beaufort, SC, representing multiple carriers to deliver personal, commercial, life and health, and special events coverage for individuals and SMBs across the South Carolina Lowcountry via three offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaufort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commissions: As an independent insurance agency, Kinghorn earns commissions from insurance carriers for policies placed. They represent financially strong national and regional insurers and have access to brokers for specialty insurance placements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kinghorn Insurance of Beaufort is an independent insurance agency that places personal, commercial, life, and health insurance policies on behalf of clients by representing multiple national and regional insurance carriers. Services include risk analysis, policy placement, ongoing account management, and claims assistance across auto, homeowners, boat, flood, umbrella, business auto, general liability, cyber, property, workers compensation, life, health, Medicare, and special events coverage.

Product overview

Kinghorn Insurance of Beaufort is an independent insurance agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of personal, commercial, and life & health insurance products. Personal lines include Auto, Homeowners, Boat, Flood, and Umbrella insurance. Commercial offerings encompass Business Auto, General Liability, Cyber Liability, Niche Business, Property, Workers Compensation, and Flood insurance. The agency also provides Life & Health insurance including individual and group health plans, Medicare coverage, dental and vision, disability, and life insurance (Whole Life, Term Life, Universal Life). Additionally, they offer Special Events insurance through a CoverSmart partnership. The agency serves as an independent broker representing multiple insurance carriers to provide customized coverage solutions for individuals and businesses in the South Carolina Lowcountry region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Auto Insurance Auto insurance coverage for individuals and families, protecting against property damage, collision, personal injury, medical payments, and loan/lease payoff in case of accidents.
• Homeowners Insurance Homeowners and renters insurance covering the structure of the home, personal possessions, and liability protection for injuries on the property.
• Boat Insurance Watercraft insurance providing medical payments coverage, physical damage coverage for the boat, motor, and trailer, and liability coverage for water accidents.
• Flood Insurance (Personal) Flood insurance coverage available through NFIP (Write Your Own carriers) and private market options, covering homes, condos, renters, vacation properties, and commercial buildings.
• Umbrella Insurance Personal umbrella liability insurance providing additional coverage beyond standard policy limits for bodily injury, property damage, and other covered liabilities.
• Business Insurance Commercial insurance program for organizations including risk analysis, insurance solutions, implementation support, and ongoing monitoring across multiple lines.
• Business Auto Insurance Commercial vehicle insurance coverage for businesses of any fleet size, providing protection against severe injuries or fatalities involving automobiles.
• General Liability Insurance General liability coverage for offices, contractors, churches, schools, restaurants, and various organizations to protect against liability exposures.
• Cyber Liability Insurance Cyber liability and data breach insurance protecting organizations from unauthorized access to personal information, credit cards, and medical records.
• Niche Business Insurance Specialized coverage for church programs, private/charter schools, layered property programs, non-profits, contractors, residential condos, apartments, and financial institutions.
• Business Property Insurance Commercial property insurance covering wind and hail deductibles, business income coverage, co-insurance, and out-of-the-box solutions for organizations.
• Workers Compensation Insurance State-regulated workers compensation coverage with loss control, risk prevention services, and competitive premiums through multiple carriers.
• Business Flood Insurance Flood insurance for commercial properties including NFIP options through Selective, American Bankers, Wright Flood, and private flood options through Beyond Floods and Neptune.
• Special Events Insurance Special events coverage including weddings and event liability, provided through a CoverSmart partnership for online instant quotes.
• Health Insurance (Individual) Individual health coverage under 65 plans, dental, vision, and long-term care insurance, offered on-exchange and off-exchange.
• Disability Insurance Individual disability insurance providing income protection coverage customizable to fit personal and family needs.
• Life Insurance Life insurance products including Whole Life, Term Life, and Universal Life policies, with coverage planning for various life stages from youth through retirement.
• Medicare Insurance Medicare coverage including Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage (Part C), and Prescription coverage (Part D) for individuals turning 65.
• Group Health Insurance Group health coverage for businesses with two or more employees, including fully insured plans, level funded options, ancillary benefits, and voluntary benefits.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TWIA Insurance AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister agency network with locations in Summerville (203 Limehouse Dr.) and Greenville (330 East Coffee Street). Operates as part of the Kinghorn/TWIA enterprise with shared culture, values, and professional staff working across all three agencies.
• HealthSherpaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThird-party health insurance quote referral partner. Website links to HealthSherpa for health insurance plan shopping under ACA/Marketplace, allowing clients to find plans through the partner platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Marsh McLennan Agency: Mid-market-focused insurance brokerage arm of Marsh McLennan with comparable multi-line offerings and Southeast presence. Represents the consolidator threat to small regional independents.
• Hilb Group: Large US insurance brokerage platform with a heavy Southeastern regional footprint and broad multi-line offerings. Comparable as a multi-carrier independent agency model, but operates at much greater scale and geographic breadth than Kinghorn.
• Brown & Brown, Inc. National insurance brokerage and agency operating across personal, commercial, and specialty lines through a decentralized office model. Represents the scaled, public-market version of the regional independent agency strategy Kinghorn pursues.
• USI Insurance Services: Large US insurance brokerage with a Southeast regional presence and broad multi-line product offerings. Comparable in product breadth (personal, commercial, employee benefits) but materially larger and nationally scaled.
• Hub International: Major North American insurance brokerage with deep Southeastern operations. Comparable multi-line independent agency model but at significantly larger scale with proprietary technology platforms Kinghorn lacks.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm with extensive personal, commercial, and benefits lines. Relevant peer for understanding scaled brokerage economics and competitive dynamics versus a regional independent agency.
• Lockton Companies: Large privately held insurance brokerage with personal, commercial, and benefits capabilities. Comparable independent (non-public) ownership structure and multi-line agency model, but operating at national scale.

Direct peers

• TWIA Insurance Agency: Sister agency operating under the Kinghorn enterprise with locations in Summerville and Greenville, SC. Identical multi-line product set (personal, commercial, life & health), shared ownership and culture, and cross-staffing across all three offices.

Regional players

• Bankers Insurance Group: Regional insurance agency serving the Southeastern US with personal and commercial lines. Comparable multi-line independent agency model in a similar regional geography, though with different carrier mix and market focus.
• The Buckwalter Group: Independent insurance and risk management agency in the Southeast US focused on personal and commercial lines. Comparable in size, multi-line product mix, and relationship-driven agency model, though operating in different specific territories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kinghornbeaufort
• Xx.com/kinghornins

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kinghorn Insurance of Beaufort