KMG America Corporation, a newly formed public holding company (NYSE: KMA), combines the time-tested strengths of employee benefits insurer Kanawha Insurance Company and third party administrator Kanawha HealthCare Solutions, Inc. (KHS) with an experienced and proven management and sales team. The combined organization commenced operations in December 2004 upon the successful completion of an initial public offering and acquisition of Kanawha Insurance Company and its subsidiary KHS.
Kanawha’s origins date to 1958 when Springs Industries Inc. Chairman Colonel Elliott Springs created the privately held insurer to provide life insurance for employees of his South Carolina-based textile company. The company grew to include many external clients and in the 1980s its insurance product portfolio began a dramatic expansion. Today, the three primary business segments include employer sponsored group benefits, worksite voluntary benefits and health benefit administrative services. Building from a strong client base in the Southeast, KMG America now serves thousands of clients in 46 states with offices in more than 15 major markets nationwide.
KMG America’s objective to offer a wide range of both voluntary and group life and health insurance products through an integrated distribution platform is a distinguishing feature and a departure from the industry’s typical silo operating structure. The company’s broad mix of insurance products are distributed through a highly trained, knowledgeable sales force that can tailor a portfolio of insurance products from a variety of employee benefits choices to suit each client’s unique needs.
KMG America’s mission statement mirrors the principles that have guided Kanawha Insurance Company’s growth for nearly 50 years: to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals, families and businesses by providing security against life’s unexpected challenges through consultative solutions and an integrated portfolio of insurance products and administrative services.