vol. 2026 ed. 06
View 2026 IIABSC Palmetto Partners Guide
Our newly updated directory includes markets and appointment contacts
Just as they support the association, our Palmetto Partners are eager to support your agency. This directory includes contact info for each company rep as well as a brief list of markets and whether they are currently seeking new agencies.
View digital version on our Palmetto Partners webpage. Updates can be made throughout the year to the digital version by contacting
Communications Director Anita Trevino. (+ More...)
IN MEMORIAM: Sallie Scott Small Johnson
Sallie Scott Small Johnson, 86, passed away on March 24, 2026. She was the wife of Robert C. Johnson and the mother of Francis G. Johnson and Harry L. Johnson II of IIABSC Palmetto Partner Johnson & Johnson. Scottie was a member of St Philip's Church and The Church of the Good Shepherd, Cashiers NC. She was a member of The National Society of the Colonial Dames in the state of South Carolina - Honorary President, National Vice President, Roll of Honor and Lady of Dumbarton. She was in The Junior League of Charleston, The Ladies Fuel Society, The Ladies Benevolent Society and The Ivy Garden Club. She is preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Robert Cambell Johnson and her son Robert Campbell Johnson, Jr. She is survived by her sons, Francis G. Johnson, Harry L. Johnson II (Caroline), her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Robert C Johnson, Jr. (Blair); and grandchildren: Francis G. Johnson, Jr. (Jamie), Sallie Scott J. Barrera (Sam), Harriet J. Hughes (Harrison), Elizabeth H. Johnson, Robert Campbell Johnson, III (Anne Darby), James Blair Johnson (Cecilia), Harry L. Johnson, III, Peter Cordes Porcher Johnson and grandmother of eight great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Charleston Day School, 15 Archdale St., Charleston, SC 29401, Church of the Good Shepherd, 1448 NC-107, Cashiers, NC 28717 or St. Philip's Church, 142 Church St. Charleston, SC 29401. Send condolences to the family by visiting www.jhenrystuhr.com. (+ More...)
MEMBER NEWS: Connie Barrineau named among Insurance Business America's Elite Women
National Award presented in recognition of International Women's Day; 72 women selected out of 2,500 applicants
Please join us in congratulating Connie Barrineau of IIABSC member agency Barrineau Epps in Sumter, SC, on being named among the 11th Annual Elite Women by Insurance Business America. This national award highlights leaders whose work has shaped operations, client service and talent development across the industry. Connie is among the 72 women selected out of 2,500 applicants. She was selected alongside other industry leaders from the likes of Berkley, Axa, Arch, RT, Amwins and other major national carriers and agencies, demonstrating that one does not need to be at a large industry giant to make an impact. The award is presented in March of each year in recognition of International Women's Day. (+ More...)
MEMBER NEWS: Correll Insurance Group named Rough Notes Agency of the Month
"South Carolina Agency is Built on Trust" April 2026 Agency of the Month feature starts out discussing their mergers & acquisitions strategy
IIABSC member agency
Correll Insurance Group of Spartanburg, SC, is the featured Agency of the Month in the April 2026 edition of Rough Notes magazine. The cover features CEO John Dawson and Executive Chair Jon Jensen standing in front of a Hub City mural on the side of Sophia's italian restaurant on Main Street Spartanburg downtown. The article discusses some agency history as well as their mergers & acquisitions strategy, recent perpetuation transitions, emphasis on technology and education, and their use of captive and global markets in providing clients the best coverages available.
Find archive article webpage here and click "More" to view flipbook edition. (+ More...)
Welcome New Members
Agency Members
3S Insurance LLC
Bowman, SC
Blue Nest Insurance Agency LLC
Columbia, SC
Brown & Brown Insurance Services, Inc.
North Charleston, SC
Browne & Counts Agents
Prosperity, SC
Collaborative Consulting Group, LLC
Rock Hill, SC
Gasque Insurance Agency
Surfside Beach, SC
High Tide Insurance Group
Myrtle Beach, SC
Perry Insurance Group
Myrtle Beach, SC
Sansbury Insurance
Hartsville, SC
Truliant Insurance
Greenville, SC
CHARLESTON AGENTS: FREE Local Agent Networking Event April 9
Happy Hour next week at Holy City Brewery in Charleston
Lowcountry Agents: Join us for a networking happy hour brought to you by our award-winning Young Agents Committee on
April 9 at Holy City Brewery (1021 Aragon Ave) in North Charleston, SC. Thanks to our generous sponsors, this event is FREE to all agents! Plan to join us after work starting at 5:00 pm for some food, drinks and good times with fellow Big "I" agents, industry leaders and event sponsors.
This event is open to agents of all ages! Please also encourage your agency's Young Agents to attend, meet our Young Agents Committee leaders and get plugged in with our SC YA Program. We'll be giving away a free registration to this summer's Young Agents Conference among other drawings. BRING BUSINESS CARDS FOR DRAWINGS! (+ More...)
EmpowerHer Women's Conference registration opens next week
Event to be held May 20 at the 1011 Galleria in Camden with a reception the evening before
EmpowerHer Women's Conference to be held
May 20 at the 1011 Galleria (1011 Broad St. 2nd & 3rd Floor)
in Camden, SC. This conference celebrates growth and leadership for women in insurance to make connections, discover new ideas, explore hot topics and discuss challenges faced.
NEW THIS YEAR: Evening reception May 19 at Broad & Vine in Camden, open to all agents not just conference attendees. Conference Keynote to be announced soon.
Conference details to be posted to our website April 6, when registration opens. (+ More...)
UPCOMING WEBINAR: How to Perform Agency Acquisition Due Diligence
FREE Big I member webinar by IA Valuations to be held April 29 at Noon EST
Our friends at
IA Valuations are presenting a FREE webinar for member agents who are looking for advice on acquiring another agency. Webinar to be held April 29 at Noon, Eastern Time. (+ More...)
CATALYIT: Let's Talk
Want Feedback on Your Agency’s Tech Stack? Spring promotion offering free 30-minute convo with Catalyit consultant
What technology decisions should you be making in your agency right now? These are the kinds of questions that Catalyit Conversations are designed to help with.
Through a Spring promotion, you can schedule a free 30-minute convo with a Catalyit guide to talk through your agency’s technology, workflows, and operational challenges. These conversations can help you clarify technology priorities, identify workflow improvements, evaluate tools and integrations, and plan smarter tech decisions.
April availability is filling quickly. Schedule your Conversation now. (+ More...)
See also: Full access to Catalyit technology resources is now only $9.99/month for IIABSC agency members
FROM IA MAGAZINE: Iran Conflict Drives Cyberattacks, Highlighting Security Preparedness
By Olivia Overman, IA Magazine Content Editor, posted 3/25/26
FROM IA MAGAZINE: As the Iranian conflict continues to unfold, cyberattacks on businesses and infrastructure continue to escalate. On March 12, a cyberattack targeted medical technology company Stryker Corporation, reportedly wiping more than 200,000 devices worldwide and deleting 50 terabytes of corporate data. The coordinated “wiper” attack rendered laptops, desktops and servers across the company’s global network inoperable, according to a Coalition report. The Iran-linked threat group Handala, linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), claimed responsibility for the global network disruption, framing the destruction as a retaliatory strike against U.S. military action. The attack on Stryker is believed to be part of a broader strategy by Iranian-linked groups to target not just U.S. businesses, but also other critical infrastructure and institutions in the Middle East. Since the Iran war began, cyberattacks have spiked 245%, according to Akamai. Coalition, a leading provider of cyber insurance and security, observed a one-day surge of 392,000 cyberattack events on February 18, signaling a heightened risk environment... (+ More...)
See also from IA Magazine:
Verisk: AI Tools Fuel New Era of Insurance Fraud
SOCIAL MEDIA: April is Distracted Driving month
Find related content to share in Trusted Choice Agents Resource Center
Did you know that cell phone use was involved in 12 percent of car accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration? April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and now is a perfect time to share with their customers the importance of safe driving in customer correspondence and social media. Trusted Choice® has free up-to-date, customizable content to help bring awareness to the risks of distracted driving.
Contents include various digital ads, print ads and videos. All content can be customized to include member agency logo and contact information. (+ More...)
UPCOMING WEBINAR: State of the Insurance Industry by InsurPac & Regan Consulting
AI and market impact on agency valuations, mergers & acquisitions | April 15 at 2:00 pm Eastern
Insurbanc presents: Join Harrison Brooks from Reagan Consulting for a discussion on the State of the Insurance Industry. In this session, he will discuss AI and the soft P&C market’s impact on agency valuations and the M&A marketplace. He will unpack action items your independent agency can do to proactively benefit from, as opposed to be impacted by, these market headwinds. Top performing brokers are going on the offense and see much opportunity amongst current market uncertainty. Webinar FREE for MEMBERS, to be held April 15 at 2:00 pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time. (+ More...)
NEW MEMBER BENEFIT: Access weekly State House reports by McGuireWoods
Find them on our website in Advocacy section, SC Legislature page, member login required
Each Friday,
McGuireWoods Consulting, on our state government affairs team, provides weekly State House updates on the activities of both the House and Senate. They have allowed us to share these weekly reports with our membership. The Newsletter gives a narrative overview of the week with images and highlights, and the
House Actions and
Senate Actions documents chart the progress of specific bills to becoming law along with links to the full bill text. These bills won't necessarily be referenced in the newsletter.
As always if you have questions about any of the bills that pertain to the insurance industry, feel free to
contact IIABSC President/CEO Becky McCormack.
Member login required for access. (+ More...)
LAST CHANCE: Achieve your 2026 Goals with the IA MBA program
Program starts NEXT WEEK on April 8 | live sessions to be held on Wednesdays
Want to elevate your team’s success in 2026? The IA-MBA is a streamlined 10-week learning and networking program designed for independent insurance agents. Learn critical skills in people and financial management that will drive real results. You'll learn organizational leadership to align your team to achieve shared vision and goals, people management strategy to empower your entire team and financial mastery to build a more profitable business. This program kicks off April 8 and pairs self-paced learning with bi-weekly live sessions with your peers and industry experts for real-time coaching and discussion. Participants have lifetime access to course materials. (+ More...)
Surplus Lines License Renewal Deadline is May 31
Anyone who holds a SC Surplus Lines license must renew by May 31, 2026. To complete the renewal process, all Surplus Lines Brokers must
renew online through NIPR and pay a licensing renewal fee of $200.
Brokers that also hold a producer license must remember that the broker license is contingent on having an active producer license. If the producer license is not renewed, the broker license will cancel. If the surplus lines broker license is canceled, a renewal application would be required, and payment of a penalty fee double the regular fee must be paid before the license can be reinstated.
There are no additional CE requirements to renew your surplus lines license.
Do you need a reminder of who needs a surplus lines license?
Anyone who does not intend to renew this license and wants to cancel it, please
find the cancellation form online and submit it to the SC DOI.
If you have any questions regarding your surplus lines renewal, please email the DOI at agentmail@doi.sc.gov.
Trusted Choice GIVE Movement seeking TOP AGENCY GIVERS
Week of giving in early June to benefit Make-a-Wish South Carolina
We are participating once again in the Trusted Choice GIVE Movement this June 1-8. This annual project led by our young agents encourages agencies, affiliates and partners to come together for a week of giving to benefit an incredibly inspirational and worthy cause. Together our donations have the potential for life-changing impact for children and families in South Carolina through Make-A-Wish South Carolina. Our goal in 2026 is to raise $30,000 - enough to grant the wishes of FOUR local children.
Donations will be accepted all year long, and agencies and companies who participate as a TOP AGENCY GIVER will be spotlighted throughout the campaign and especially during our week of giving.
TOP GIVERS are those individuals and organizations who go above and beyond and donate $1,000 or more to the campaign. (+ More...)
Catalyit Agency Compensation Survey still open for those who haven't completed it yet
Results dashboard available for those who have completed the survey
Agency Compensation 360, the multi-state compensation survey built specifically for independent insurance agencies and powered by Big “I” associations, is back open for those agencies who did not get to complete it the first time around. Agencies that have fully completed the survey can explore detailed compensation and benefits benchmarks for South Carolina and across the nation on their results dashboard.
Gain insights into:
- Pay and benefits trends by role and region
- Staffing and retention challenges
- How your agency compares to others
A Note About Data Security: Catalyit has emphasized their commitment to data security and anonymity regarding the Comp360 survey. NOBODY OUTSIDE OF THE INDIVIDUAL MANAGING THE SURVEY WILL HAVE ACCESS TO ANY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION. All data will be anonymized and aggregated before being shown within the Analytics portal.
In addition, survey participants should substitute alternative identifiers in place of an employee's full name to reinforce data security and anonymity.
Agencies must complete the survey to access results! Your input will help create a more robust, insightful results dashboard that benefits you and the entire independent agency community. (+ More...)
Use ABEN discount code for 25% off
Use code SPRING at checkout
Use discount code "SPRING" at checkout for 25 percent off our entire ABEN catalog at iiabsc.aben.tv. Discount cannot be applied to bundled courses. Courses are available live or on-demand and can be browsed by category or by broadcast date. (+ More...)