About Turner, Wood & Smith

A Valued Tradition with a Commitment for the Future

Turner, Wood & Smith Insurance Center was founded in 1905 as the I.J. Whitworth Agency.  Originally based in Lula, Georgia, the agency was owned by the local banker.

The agency was purchased by Paul Turner in 1946 and renamed the Turner Insurance Agency.  Paul moved the agency to Gainesville, GA.  Paul handled primarily life and health insurance.  The agency expanded in name and mission in 1952 when Joe T. Wood joined the agency.  Joe concentrated on property and casualty business.  The business relocated to the ground floor of the Jackson Building.  Roy Turner joined the agency in 1954 when he returned from the Korean Conflict.

The business continued to grow and in 1964, Paul, Roy and Joe moved the agency to a bigger building on Green Street.  In 1970, the name grew again with the addition of Harold Smith as a partner.  Four years later, the agency moved into a larger building on the corner of Academy and Bradford Streets.  Joe T. Wood, Jr. joined the agency in 1977 following his graduation from the University of Georgia.  In 1986, the agency moved to its current location on the corner of Brenau, Bradford and Academy Streets.

In 1989, the agency merged with Hilb, Rogal & Hobbs Company.  HRH is the 7th largest public broker in the country and 10th largest in the world. Turner, Wood & Smith Insurance Center maintained its operating autonomy and gained significant market strength as a result of the merger.  In the fourteen years Turner, Wood & Smith was associated with HRH, they were continuously ranked in the top 10 agencies within the company.

Today, Turner, Wood & Smith employs 30 people in the agency.  The agency operates from one office, located just off the square in downtown Gainesville, Georgia, the county seat of Hall County.  The sales force actively pursues quality commercial, personal and employee benefit business throughout Northeast Georgia.  The agency personnel possess 20 professional designations and as a company have accumulated over 565 years of experience in the insurance industry. 

In 2004, the agency returned to local ownership when Joe Wood, Jr., Rob Fowler, Tony Nix and Steve Heinen repurchased the agency from HRH.  Turner, Wood & Smith and its employees are committed to professional growth and the growth of the community.  That commitment has paid off for the agency as it celebrates its 102nd year with over 45 million dollar premium volume.