Kinghorn Insurance Agency

What Kinghorn Insurance Agency does

Kinghorn Insurance Agency LLC is an independent insurance brokerage representing multiple regional and national insurance carriers, with operations concentrated in coastal South Carolina. The company traces its origins to 1898 in Beaufort, SC, and was re-established in July 2013 by James (Jimmy) Rowe and William Charles Fuge II following the 2011 divestiture of prior locations through a bank holding company and subsequent sale to an international insurance firm. It is privately held and managed by its founding partners — Rowe, Fuge, Evan Jeffords, and Melissa Layman — with no external investors. The firm currently operates four South Carolina offices (Bluffton headquarters, Hilton Head Island, Florence, Charleston), employs 40+ people, and is licensed in South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina.

The agency distributes a broad portfolio organized into four pillars: Personal Insurance (home, auto, motorcycle, condo, life, flood, high net worth, yacht, classic car), Business Insurance (commercial auto, umbrella, cyber liability, business owners, general liability, workers' compensation), Insurance by Industry (60+ specialized verticals including contractor, carpenter, church, farm, and non-profit), and Employee Benefits (group health, dental, vision, 401(k), disability, voluntary benefits). The service model is relationship-led, supported by an online Service Center for claim reporting, ID card requests, certificate requests, policy reviews, and policy changes, plus an interactive "Clickable Coverage" educational layer on the website. There is no proprietary technology platform; the agency functions as a distribution and advisory intermediary between carriers and end customers.

Revenue is generated exclusively through insurance brokerage commissions and fees from carriers, with all products individually quoted based on customer risk profiles and billing on an annual cadence. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, anchored by direct licensed-advisor consultations across the four offices, supplemented by website quote requests, phone/email outreach, and a referral program for existing clients. Customer segments span individual consumers, small-to-mid-size businesses, and employers seeking benefits packages — a horizontally diversified book with no disclosed enterprise concentration.

Name

Kinghorn Insurance Agency

Legal name

Kinghorn Insurance Agency LLC

Website

https://kinghornagency.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kinghorn Insurance Agency is an independent insurance brokerage representing multiple regional and national carriers across South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina, with 40+ employees in four offices serving personal, commercial, employee benefits, and industry-specific customers since 1898.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Agency Services

NAICS

Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Insurance Brokerage (Marine, Aviation, Cyber, Professional Lines) (FSAEADAJ)

Keywords

• Independent insurance agency
• Personal insurance brokerage
• Commercial insurance brokerage
• Employee benefits brokerage
• Industry-specific insurance coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Bluffton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance brokerage commissions and fees: As an independent insurance agency, Kinghorn Insurance Agency earns revenue through commissions and fees from insurance products sold on behalf of multiple regional and national insurance carriers. Revenue is generated from personal insurance (home, auto, motorcycle, condo, life), business insurance (business auto, commercial umbrella, cyber liability, business owners, general liability), employee benefits (group health, dental, vision, 401(k), disability), and industry-specific coverages. The agency also offers policy review and change services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kinghorn Insurance Agency is an independent insurance brokerage that sells personal insurance (home, auto, motorcycle, condo, life, flood, specialty), business insurance (general liability, business auto, cyber liability, commercial umbrella, business owners, workers' compensation), employee benefits (group health, dental, vision, 401(k), disability), and industry-specific coverage across 80+ verticals. The agency earns commissions and fees from multiple regional and national insurance carriers it represents, serving clients through four South Carolina offices and an online quote and service center.

Product overview

Kinghorn Insurance Agency is an independent insurance agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of insurance products and services. The agency operates three integrated service categories: Personal Insurance (covering homes, vehicles, and personal property), Business Insurance (protecting commercial operations with liability, property, and specialty coverages), and Employee Benefits (group health, dental, vision, and retirement plans). Additionally, they provide Insurance by Industry solutions with specialized coverage for over 80 specific industries including construction, healthcare, hospitality, and non-profit sectors. The agency also offers a Service Center with online self-service capabilities for claims reporting, policy management, and document requests. Their Clickable Coverage interactive graphics provide educational tools for exploring coverage options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Insurance Individual insurance policies covering personal assets and risks including home, auto, motorcycle, condo, individual life, flood, and specialty personal lines (high net worth, yacht, classic car) for individuals and families.
• Business Insurance Commercial insurance policies protecting small and mid-size businesses including general liability, business auto, commercial umbrella, cyber liability, business owners (BOP), and workers' compensation coverage.
• Employee Benefits Group benefit programs for employers including group health, group dental, group vision, 401(k) retirement plans, short- and long-term disability, and voluntary benefits (critical illness, FSAs, HSAs, HRAs, telemedicine).
• Insurance by Industry Specialized insurance solutions tailored to specific industries and professions, including contractor, carpenter, church, farm, non-profit, and 60+ other industry-specific coverages designed for niche operational and liability exposures.

Quantifiable outcome

• 120+ years in business since 1898
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Regional and National Insurance Companies and Brokerage Firms (unspecified)coreOthersKinghorn Insurance Agency represents multiple regional and national insurance companies and brokerage firms. As an independent agency, these carrier partnerships are the core of the business model, enabling the agency to offer customers a variety of insurance products from competing carriers. Specific carrier names are not disclosed on the website.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lockton Companies: Largest independent insurance brokerage in the world, representing multiple carriers across personal, commercial, and benefits lines — comparable independent brokerage model at substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Global insurance brokerage and risk management firm offering personal, commercial, and benefits products via independent agency and brokerage models — significantly larger but operates in overlapping product categories with Kinghorn.
• USI Insurance Services: Mid-size national insurance brokerage and consulting firm with personal, commercial, and employee benefits practices — comparable product mix to Kinghorn but operating at national scale with proprietary risk analytics.
• Acrisure: Large independent insurance brokerage representing multiple carriers across personal, commercial, and benefits lines — overlapping independent agency model with Kinghorn at substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• McGriff Insurance Services: Large Southeast U.S. insurance brokerage offering personal, commercial, and benefits products across multiple states — comparable independent agency model but with significantly broader carrier appointments, employee count, and geographic reach.

Regional players

• AssureSouth Insurance: Regional Southeast-focused independent insurance agency offering personal, commercial, and benefits products — closely comparable in size, geography, and product mix to Kinghorn.

Direct peers

• Higginbotham Insurance: Texas-based independent insurance agency representing multiple regional and national carriers, offering personal, commercial, and employee benefits products across multiple offices — same multi-line independent agency model as Kinghorn but at larger scale.
• Insurance Office of America (IOA): Florida-headquartered independent insurance agency representing multiple carriers with personal, commercial, and benefits lines across the Southeast U.S. — directly comparable independent agency model with regional Southeast concentration similar to Kinghorn's.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kinghornagency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Agency