Higginbotham Makes Major Move into South Carolina with Turbeville Insurance Agency

Founder-Led Agency Brings Statewide Reach While Gaining Expanded Resources for Clients and Team

Higginbotham, a broad-based, employee-owned insurance and financial services company headquartered in Texas, announced that it has joined forces with Turbeville Insurance Agency, a Columbia, South Carolina-based independent brokerage with four offices across the state. The move is a decisive one, marking Higginbotham's first presence in one of the fastest-growing states by aligning with one of the state's largest independent firms.

"A South Carolina presence has been our goal for a long time, and we didn't want to tiptoe into it," said Rusty Reid, chairman and CEO of Higginbotham. "Bill Turbeville and his team have built one of the state's most respected independent firms, and they did it by staying close to their clients, investing in their people and showing up for the communities they serve."

Turbeville Insurance Agency was established in 1991 by William L. "Bill" Turbeville Jr. By the time the firm joined forces with Higginbotham, it had grown to more than 60 employees with offices in Columbia, Lexington, Beaufort and Charleston, serving personal, commercial, life, health and employee benefits clients — with specialized experience in coastal property, construction, contractors, developers, restaurants and other industries.

Turbeville's decision to join forces with a larger firm came after years of expansion through both organic growth and new partners. As the agency grew, Turbeville said, it found itself competing with national and regional firms. "We'd grown to the point where the next level was going to require a different kind of scale," Bill Turbeville said. "We had to decide whether to make that major push on our own or join forces with a larger firm that could help us keep growing."

Turbeville said the decision ultimately came down to fit. "We have something special here, and with Higginbotham, we found a group that felt like our kind of people — people who care about relationships, culture and doing right by employees and clients," Turbeville said.

For Turbeville, Higginbotham's model of employee ownership was also a deciding factor. That structure gives Turbeville employees a path to participate in the value they help create, within a company designed to remain independent for the long term. "The final decision was about that long-term structure," said Turbeville. "I'm not planning on leaving — but one day, I'll want to know that everyone on this team is being treated the way I would treat them. Employee ownership tells me this is a company built around the people doing the work."

Turbeville clients will continue working with their local teams while gaining access to Higginbotham's expanded resources, including Day Two Services®, claims advocacy, contract review, loss control support and specialty market capabilities in areas such as trucking and aviation. "Our clients aren't losing the agency they know," Turbeville said. "They're getting the same team, with a lot more behind them. And for the team, this means more opportunity, more ownership and a future with a company that thinks about people the way we do. It just feels right."

ABOUT TURBEVILLE INSURANCE AGENCY Prior to joining forces with Higginbotham, Turbeville Insurance Agency was an independently owned and locally operated insurance agency with four locations throughout South Carolina. The agency has been recognized for three consecutive years as one of the Top 100 Privately Owned Businesses in South Carolina by The Grant Thornton South Carolina 100™. Learn more at tiasc.biz.

ABOUT HIGGINBOTHAM Higginbotham is an employee-owned leader in insurance, financial services and employee benefits. Since 1948, the company has combined national reach with local expertise, ranking as the 16th largest independent insurance brokerage in the U.S. in 2026 according to The Hales Report. Higginbotham delivers customized programs supported by its Day Two Services®, designed to ensure that clients receive proactive guidance and support throughout the life of every policy. Guided by a values-driven culture, the company is committed to its employees, clients, carrier partners and the communities it serves. Learn more at higginbotham.com.