Browning Insurance

Every city has nostalgia and roots planted deep along streets named Liberty, Broad, or Main. It is often the charm that defines its character, exemplified from a historical presence that colors a community. And Brooksville is no exception.

On the corner of Main and Broad Streets, in the heart of Hernando County's historic county seat, sits an icon, resting in a building that will celebrate its 106th birthday this year.

Interestingly, Browning Insurance, which calls that space home, is nearly as long running as the building itself. The business, now owned equally between the three Browning brothers; Mark, Tom and Scott, actually began its impressive history in Brooksville in 1907.

Ed Browning, a World War II Veteran, moved his family from North Carolina to Florida where he began building a legacy in insurance, bound on a contract cemented with a handshake.

Mark Browning was four months old when his family moved. His brothers, Scott and Tom, were born in Brooksville. "It's our hometown," he said proudly.

Today, the brothers share equal ownership. Mark runs the Brooksville office, Scott runs the office in Spring Hill, and Tom handles the commercial accounts.

The Brooksville office on Main Street displays much of that nostalgia as décor in the office. Like old insurance policies, written by the Hathaway & McKethan Insurance Agency, the company's founders, by the Aetna Company. The policies were recovered from the trash, framed and now proudly displayed.

"This is not the Aetna that you know," Mark Browning explained. "This is the old Aetna and it's an insurance policy on the brick building across the street." He chuckled. The "brick building across the street" is the Hernando County Courthouse. The policies were dated 1914.

The building was the original Brooksville Banking Company and is one of the oldest continuous buildings in the community. In fact, the old ancillary vault in the west corner of Browning Insurance is where insurance records are now stored.

The company's original roots were grounded in 1907 by L.D. Hathaway, Mark Browning explained. Hathaway then partnered with John McKethan in 1914, changing the name to Hathaway & McKethan. It later operated as McKethan Insurance until Ed Browning became a partner in 1954.

"Dad traveled from North Carolina to meet Mr. McKethan to see what opportunities were available here," Mark Browning reminisced. The McKethan family had several lucrative businesses at the time, including interests in banking, mining, and citrus.

"They shook hands," Mark Browning said. "That was their contract."

McKethan Browning Insurance Agency was incorporated in 1955 and became Browning Insurance in 1969 "because that was the end of the contract," Mark Browning explained. "At the end of the 15 year term, the company was ours."

Yet the elder Browning continued to share profits with McKethan for years, as a good will gesture. In fact, he had made his annual payment only days before suffering a fatal heart attack in 1972.

Mark Browning remembered his family being called into their living room after his father's funeral to meet with Mr. McKethan. "He showed us the check," Mark Browning said, his voice choking with emotion. McKethan tore the check up because "the their contract had ended."

Through the years, Browning Insurance grew. It acquired Bob Nunn Insurance in 1988. Nunn, Mark Browning explained, was the Auto Owners agent. "We had to be approved by Auto Owners in order to finish the transaction," he remembered. Then, in 1990, they purchased Murray Grubbs.

Nunn and Grubbs used to operate as partners, Mark Browning continued. "When they separated, one took the Auto Owners and the other took Aetna. In theory, we brought the two back together."

Mark Browning narrated another inspiring story about how the company had acquired Cropenbaker Insurance. "Don (Cropenbaker) called me up and asked if we would take care of his customers," Mark Browning remembered. Cropenbaker had been battling cancer.

"We had come to a verbal agreement on a Thursday but had nothing in writing." Cropenbaker died that weekend.

The company opened its Spring Hill location in 1980 on U.S. 19. They moved to their new home, at 8344 Forest Oaks Blvd., in 2007. The Brownings were responsible for building the five unit professional complex. Browning Insurance is in the front unit.

Although physically separate, Scott Browning said the two offices operate as a single unit, servicing all customers from either location.

Scott Browning has seen his share of growth in the county. "That is why we opened this office," he said, "to focus on the growth. It has served us well and we have served (the community) well."

The company has remained strong, even during rougher times, due to that cemented foundation. "We've stayed steady," Scott Browning continued. "It's largely because of referrals from the people who know us. They are serviced well and they in turn tell their neighbors."

Back on Main Street, Mark Browning pulled out an old Sandborn Map book which was used as a rating tool to determine insurance quotes. Dated 1909, the maps displayed Brooksville in sketch, with "structures" color coded by construction material. For instance, yellow was frame, red was brick, blue was stone, grey was steel, brown was adobe and green was special.

Various maps showed the progression of the city as the colors shifted from primarily frame to brick.

Today, of course, everything is computerized. Browning Insurance has Customer Service Agents who service the customers, compare quotes, and write policies and claims.

Judy Pearson, ACSR Life and Annuity Agent, has been with Browning for 12 years. Pearson admitted her passion isn't so much in writing and servicing insurance policies as it is in fulfilling the needs of her customers, many she has had for years.

"I like working here," she said. "I like the agents. We're like a family."

Old fashioned honesty and respect for their historical past play significant roles in the healthy presence of Browning Insurance, on both sides of Hernando County.

"We're here for the long haul," Scott Browning said.

Biz at a Glance

Name: Browning Insurance Agency, Inc.

Address: 1 Main Street, Brooksville, FL 34601

Telephone: (352) 796-3532 and (352) 683-5481

Website: www.browninginsagency.com