IN 1954, just 6 miles from Winchester in the small town of Cowan, Tennessee, a husband-and-wife team took a giant leap of faith, one they could never have imagined would make a lasting impact over 70 years later. With determination and a desire to serve their community, Nelson Hatchett’s parents opened the doors of Hatchett Insurance Agency — never knowing their dream would one day span three generations.
“My dad and mom started the business back in Cowan,” Nelson shared. “Then, in the 1970s, my father got sick, and my mom had to take over the business. She ran it alone for a while until I came along in 1980.”
Nelson hadn’t planned on returning home to Cowan. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University, he envisioned a different future until life, and perhaps something greater, had other plans. “It must have been a God thing,” he reflected softly. “It wasn’t anywhere in my plan, but she needed help, so I came home for the summer. One thing led to another, and after six months, I realized this was something I could do.”
That decision sparked a lifetime of dedication. Nelson worked side-by-side with his mother until she was 80 years old. Eventually, she sold him her half of the business, and in 1992, the agency moved from Cowan to a brand-new office in Winchester.
During that time, Nelson built his own family, married in 1985, and raised two children, Kyle and Melissa. Little did he know, the seeds of a third-generation legacy were already growing.
Kyle eventually attended the University of the South, married, and spent time in Lexington, Kentucky, where his wife pursued graduate degrees. “He worked at a couple of different insurance offices in Lexington, one of which was even a wholesaler we did business with,” Nelson said. However, when his wife landed a teaching job in Sewanee, the couple returned home to Tennessee, and Kyle joined the family business in 2017.
That’s when a new chapter began.
“Now he’s the third generation,” Nelson said proudly. “He’s 36, and I think he’ll be around for another 30 years or so.” While Nelson is still involved, he admits he’s beginning to slow down. “We’re growing, the community is growing, and we’ve got more employees than we’ve ever had.”
In 2020, the once small-town agency became part of a global network, merging with Hub International, one of the largest insurance brokers in the world. “Now we can do business in any state and even a couple of other countries,” Nelson said. “Our resources greatly improved.”
Even with this growth, one thing remains unchanged: their commitment to serving our local community. “Most of our clients are also friends. We’ve been here all along. When our customers need something, we’re here.”
For Nelson, the heart of the business has always been about connection, within the generations of clients, generations of family, and a legacy built on trust.
“If you research it, most small businesses fail in the first two or three years,” Nelson said. “But my parents were tough. They pulled through. To have survived since the early ‘50s and still be here — that’s something we’ve accomplished that a lot of small businesses haven’t.”
Now, with a 2-year-old granddaughter, Nelson hopes the legacy might one day continue into a fourth generation. His daughter, Melissa, is an architect in Knoxville, and while she may not enter the family business, the family’s story continues to expand in its own unique way.
Nelson offers heartfelt advice to anyone dreaming of building a business, which they can pass down: “Don’t give up on that dream. It’s possible, but you’ve got to be ready to roll up your sleeves and go to work. Small business owners wear a lot of hats. But if you do what it takes, it can happen.” GN
