For more information about Galax Insurance, visit www.galaxinsurance.com, call 276-236-2297, or email info@galaxinsurance.com. Public business address: 949 E Stuart Dr, Suite C, Galax, VA 24333. Service area: Galax
Business & Innovation · Business feature
Two names at a Galax storefront trace an insurance agency back to 1955
Rickey and Melanie Stone gave the agency a new name in 2019; its original name belonged to founder Peyton Hanks.
A photograph of the insurance office on East Stuart Drive shows two names. The sign above the windows says Galax Insurance. A banner below carries the name Hanks Insurance. Both belong to the history of the same Galax business.
Peyton Hanks started Hanks Insurance Agency in 1955. Elwood and Shirley Alderman later owned the agency. In 2019, Woodlawn residents Rickey and Melanie Stone bought the business and gave it the name that now appears above the door.
The Stones kept the independent agency model. A customer can ask one office to compare options from several insurers. Cars and homes are part of the business, alongside coverage for renters, motorcycles, boats and commercial operations. Those distinctions show up at the very beginning of an inquiry: someone requesting a quote for a classic car has a different starting point from someone looking to cover a business.
The agency has also changed how customers reach it after a policy is in place. Alongside a visit to Suite C, there are phone, text and online options. A driver can start a request to add someone to a policy or obtain an insurance ID card through the agency’s customer service page. Someone preparing a claim can find a route to the carrier there, too.
Galax Insurance works from 949 East Stuart Drive. The office number is 276-236-2297.
