Synergy Homecare in Columbia Enters New Chapter Under Award-Winning Ownership Team

September 28, 2026 // Franchising.com // Columbia, S.C. – SYNERGY® HomeCare has announced new ownership of SYNERGY HomeCare in Columbia.

The Columbia-based location is now owned by Mark Piegza and Bob Risk, who have spent the past seven years owning and operating five other SYNERGY HomeCare locations in the Southeast. With successful offices in Hilton Head, SC, Charleston, SC, Birmingham, AL, Chattanooga, TN, and Orlando, FL, the duo will bring their extensive industry expertise, community relationships, and broad referral network to the Columbia location, along with the business practices that have earned them seven consecutive Provider of Choice awards from Activated Insights, a distinction presented only to the top 10% of home care providers in the country.

The agency’s local operations will continue to be supported by Office Manager Melissa Bolton and Community Care Liaison Steven McNair, both of whom have been with the Columbia operation since shortly after its opening. Bolton, who comes from a background in human resources, and McNair, who previously worked with the State where he coordinated care programming, will continue to leverage their established community relationships and local market knowledge to ensure that the ownership transition is as seamless as possible. The duo will also be joined in leadership by General Manager Michael Risk, who also runs the SYNERGY HomeCare office in Charleston, SC.

The new ownership team will ensure that the company will continue to provide residents throughout Richland and Lexington counties with their core services of non-medical, in-home care, including companion care, personal care, and respite care. Risk and Piegza also plan to introduce SYNERGY HomeCare’s additional specialized services to Columbia residents, including personalized cancer care, memory care, disability care, veteran care, and hospital-to-home care, which supports families dealing with chronic conditions or recovery following hospital discharges.

A key factor behind the sustained success of Piegza and Risk’s operations is their flexibility and responsiveness. Their locations don’t require a minimum number of service hours, allowing clients to tailor their care plans to their individual needs. Their agencies also always have a staff member on call to answer questions or coordinate care between hospital discharge planners or Veterans Affairs representatives.

“Bob and I, along with our spouses, know first-hand what it’s like to care for aging loved ones. It’s the hardest job you’ll ever love,” said Piegza. “We also know that this is not a job you have to do alone when you have the support of professional caregivers who treat your family as an extension of theirs. We have been incredibly fortunate to be able to leverage SYNERGY HomeCare’s proven infrastructure and extensive systems to support the delivery of individualized service to one person at a time.”

“The Pew Research Center recently reported that 93% of U.S. adults aged 65 and older currently live in their own home and most of them want to stay there. Home care is the solution that makes that happen,” said Risk. “We are thrilled to bring the delivery of highly personalized home care to the next level here in Columbia and help people enjoy the best quality of life they can, in the comfort and security of their own homes.”

For Bolton and McNair, this ownership transition represents an opportunity to continue the work they have started in Columbia, while also introducing their clients to expanded resources that can further allow them to comfortably age-in-place.

“We’ve been here from the beginning, and we’re proud of the relationships we’ve already gotten to build,” said Bolton. “For us, it’s incredible to welcome new ownership that understands the values of the brand and can also provide us with additional knowledge and resources that we can use to further enhance the care we provide.”

SOURCE SYNERGY HomeCare

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