The staff of Bowery Insurance is timely in their responses and friendly each time I speak with them. I enjoy speaking to any member of their staff.
Over 188 years of combined insurance experience
In 1948, our founder, Sam Bray, opened the doors to this family-owned and operated agency, Sam Bray Insurance Agency, in downtown Kingsport, Tennessee.
Sam Bray’s granddaughter, Wendy Bowery, started at the agency when she was only 13 helping after school and on the weekends. In 1980, Wendy got licensed, started working full-time at the agency, and is still here today.
In March of 1992, Mark and Wendy Bowery, both natives of Kingsport, Tennessee, purchased the VFIS Book of Business and built an insurance agency, J. Mark Bowery Insurance, which focuses on serving the insurance needs of volunteer fire and rescue organizations and EMS providers in Tennessee and Virginia.
Mark still represents VFIS and Correll as the VFIS Regional Director for East Tennessee and Southwest and Central Virginia – the same territory that he has been so involved in over the past 36+ years.
After more than three decades of growth, J. Mark Bowery Insurance became a division of Correll Insurance Group in January 2020. In 2022, Michelle Wheeler joined us and opened Bowery Insurance Services to serve our community with personal and commercial lines insurance products. J. Mark Bowery Insurance still focuses on insurance solutions for firefighters and emergency service organizations.
While most family-owned businesses cannot successfully transition to the second or third generation, we have defied the odds, currently operating with team members from the third and fourth generations.
A Strong Partnership to Better Serve Clients
Unlike those big-name agencies, we don’t work for one insurance carrier with a one-size-fits-all solution. We instead get to know you personally to help you compare insurance rates and coverage choices. We are a Trusted Choice® independent agency and represent most of the nation’s leading business, personal, and auto insurance companies. It’s easy to see why Bowery Insurance Services and J. Mark Bowery Insurance have earned the trust and respect of Kingsport policyholders.
