A new Brightway Insurance Agency has launched in Massachusetts. On March 31, 2023, Brightway announced that The Joe Lyman Insurance Agency will open its doors this month in Pittsfield. In honor of the launch, the company issued a press release featuring the new agency owner entitled, “Prescription for Success: Insurance – Lyman Opens Brightway in the Bay State.” The following is a reprint of the profile.
Son of Middlesex’s The Village Apothecary opens his own insurance agency
At nine years old, Joe Lyman recalls working the cash register at his family’s pharmacies in the Merrimack Valley. The Billerica and Wilmington locations of The Village Apothecary were Middlesex County staples for more than 30 years.
This Monday, the youngest son of the franchising family from Greater Boston launches his own franchise as he opens Brightway, The Joe Lyman Agency insurance office in Pittsfield.
“I’d help sell everything from candy to lottery tickets,” Lyman recalls. “With my dad working as the pharmacist and my mom serving as the bookkeeper, the rest of the family pitched in all of the time.”
Although Lyman was never a fan of chemistry during his high school days at Matignon School (’94) in Cambridge, becoming a pharmacist was not in his future. Ironically, it would be the pharmacy business that led him into insurance.
“I would hear my dad talking regularly to our customers in the neighborhood about insurance in dealing with their prescriptions,” Lyman recalls. “Whether it be auto, life, home or any insurance coverage business, working with a true heart and mind of a customer is the best prescription for a successful business.”
Passing away four years ago, Lyman’s father left behind a true legacy of customer service which Lyman plans to share with the customers of his franchise. After spending a decade working in health insurance, Lyman is now launching Brightway, The Joe Lyman Agency working with property and casualty coverage.
The 47-year-old Wilmington native holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and advertising from Emerson College (1999) and a master’s degree in journalism from Boston University (2015). Now living in Medford, Lyman is a member of the Boston Ironsides, a team within the Mark Kendall Bingham International Rugby League.
How Brightway works
Brightway is a national insurance franchisor based out of Jacksonville. Florida. Established in 2008, the company has expanded across the country to become one of the largest privately-owned Property & Casualty distribution companies, boasting over 300 franchises in 30 states. On March 30, 2023 the company announced that it had surpassed $1 billion in annual written premiums.
In commenting on the milestone, Brightway’s President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Cantin said, “Achieving $1 billion in premium and the continued recognition from our peers demonstrates our position as the leading insurance agency franchisor for the past 15 years. Leading the way in this competitive industry is a role we take seriously, and we are proud to be the company our franchisees turn to for life-changing opportunities and our customers rely on to protect what matters most to them.”
For a franchise agency owner, the insurance franchisor handles all carrier and appointments for its franchise agents, in addition to offering support with “licensing, onboarding, training, and retention.” The company also helps its agents with customer service, account, marketing, technology, and business analytics.
