LOWCOUNTRY INSURANCE SERVICES

Family Helping Family

story by JENNIFER BROWN-CARPENTER              photos by PAUL NURNBERG

Lowcountry Insurance Services is a property/casualty and family insurance as well as business insurance while specializing in hurricane and flood exposure insurance, which is a necessity here on the coast. They also provide auto insurance as well as insurance for “all the toys,” like boats, golf carts, motorcycles, jet skis, and more. There are 15 people working in the agency. They are local families helping local families.

During Hurricane Matthew, they had nearly 2,000 claims that came into their office. They were able to help their customers in a more personal way during all of the damage, as opposed to the help they would have received from an 800 number. It is someone local to you providing you with what you need. Lowcountry Insurance Services has fourteen active insurance agents.

Lowcountry Insurance Services was founded in 1979. As time passed, Lowcountry Insurance Services expanded in Beaufort and the surrounding areas, opening five offices throughout the county. Over the course of a decade, as computers evolved and the Internet exploded, Lowcountry Insurance Services didn’t need five offices to run efficiently anymore. They closed the Ridgeland office, moved the Hilton Head and Barnwell offices, and eventually narrowed it down to one office housed at 80 Ladys Island Drive.

Jeff Althoff came to Beaufort from Richmond, Virginia, following his in-laws to the Lowcountry. He has been in the insurance business for 35 years. He joined Lowcountry Insurance Services and became the president of the agency with Jane Greene stepping in as his co-manager.

Lowcountry Insurance Services has just made the move into their new location at the heart of Beaufort and Port Royal. They are located at the junction of Paris Avenue and Ribaut Road, right across from Parker’s gas station, in the balcony space above First Federal Bank. They are very excited about the future activity of the business, and reaching even more people in the Lowcountry and specifically in Port Royal.

Jeff loves working with people, both his employees and helping local families and businesses solve their insurance needs. It’s all about the people for him. The staff at Lowcountry Insurance Services is like a family. They create as much fun as possible, having holiday dinners that everyone chips in for, and also volunteering at local events like the Beaufort Water Festival and for local nonprofits. It is important to Jeff that the people he works with be involved in the community. “We love our small town and try to give back as much as we possibly can.”

Lowcountry Insurance Services future goals are to continue providing insurance to families and businesses that may be relocating to Beaufort and the surrounding Lowcountry from Fripp Island to Hilton Head Island. They want to keep providing a professional, but personal service to the people who come to work with them. One of the things that sets Lowcountry Insurance Services apart from other insurances services is their ability to advocate for those that work with them. They are able to make the claim experience simpler and better, and help the customers reach a place where they are satisfied. They work on behalf of their customers really well because of the personalized service they provide.
Many people who move to the area don’t know much about hurricanes or how the flooding may affect their experience here in the Lowcountry, and Lowcountry Insurance Services is able to provide them with all the information they need to understand these very specific issues.

One of the benefits of being a local, independent agency that is joined with Correll Insurance Group is that they are a part of about 30 agencies in both North and South Carolina, all coming together to remain small and local, but with better buying power. This gives them better deals and lowers costs while also providing wonderful expertise from the 200+ employees that work with Correll Insurance Group. There is lots of continuing education for the people that work with this group.

Lowcountry Insurance Services is not just a great place to go for your insurance needs, but it is a great atmosphere to work in. There are agents who have recently retired after working for 35 years for the agency. They spend time celebrating in the office, eating together, and having fun together. It’s important to Jeff that his people always have what they need, including the best when it comes to their computers and Internet services, and great continuing education.

Jeff hopes that the community knows that Lowcountry Insurance Services is an independent insurance agency, offering competitive products to their customers. Because they are an independent agency, they are able to provide many options as well. They will take a consultive approach to solving all of your insurance challenges. “To me, being an advocate means being on the side of the customer. Part of what makes us so competitive is that we have so many companies to shop from in order to provide the best program for our customers’ needs. We offer personalized service, and we are constantly improving our staff through professional development and industry education,” explains Jeff.

If you are interested in learning more, you can visit lowcountryinsurance.com or give them a call at (800) 883-7209.