Cothran Schoonover Insurance

About Us

About Us

Who We Are

We are an independent insurance agency located in Lynchburg, Va since 1981.  We represent many different companies to secure our customers the broadest coverage at the lowest cost. We make buying insurance simple and efficient. Whether you are buying car insurance, homeowners insurance or commercial insurance, with our insurance agent’s years of experience and with the help of Cothran Insurance’s proprietary in-house tools we streamline the quoting process.

At Cothran Insurance, we embrace technology. Our Cothran Connection mobile app allows you to view your Auto ID card, submit a claim and policy changes to us and you can even upload pictures online to us to be stored on our systems safe and securely of all of your personal property in your house for safe record keeping in the event of a claim.

History of the Agency

William L. Cothran Jr., started the agency in 1981 from scratch. His initial office was located on the first floor of the Regional Office for Nationwide located at 800 Graves Mill Rd Lynchburg, Va. The first policy he wrote, and thus the first policy on the books, was his own. He worked diligently day and night to be able to provide for his family, sometimes having to go and pick up premiums from customers after dinner or over the weekend just to retain customers. He eventually grew the agency to the point that he could afford an associate agent. In 1983, he recruited his wife, Sharon Cothran. He eventually moved out of the regional office and shared space with another Nationwide agent located in a strip mall on Timberlake Road in Lynchburg, Va. His agency expanded rapidly, eventually requiring that he move out to a larger more permanent space on his own located at 423 Laxton Rd Lynchburg, Va 24502 where his principal office has remained since 1991. Throughout their 32 year tenure, William and Sharon Cothran have been seen as pillars of the community in addition to being well respected centers of influence. As such, they were able to achieve many awards and accolades such as Presidents Award, Champions Award, District Agent of the Year and On Your Side Certified as well as attaining Commercial Field Underwriting Specialist status.

Current Agency Owner

The current owner, Wes Cothran, started his career in the insurance industry by working for his parents in 1999. He obtained his Property and Casualty license in October 1999 while attending The College of William and Mary. After he graduated, he began to work full time for his parents. In 2003, he passed his Life and Health exam and then obtained his series 6 and series 63 in 2005 so that he could meet the investment needs of his customers. He has earned several designations throughout the years to expand his knowledge that he attained by the tutelage and benefit of his father’s 32 year experience. Since then, he has been recognized as one of the top commercial insurance producers from various insurance companies. In 2007, his daughter Bianca was born and he has high hopes that she will grow up to continue the family business. With the help of his knowledgeable staff, he aspires to continue to provide the highest level of customer service.