Wells Insurance
Wells Insurance is a privately held independent insurance agency founded in 1920 in Wilmington, NC, distributing personal, commercial, marine, employee benefits, and special event insurance through twelve-plus carriers across the Carolinas and nationwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1920
- HeadquartersWilmington, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Wells Insurance does
Wells Insurance, operating under the legal name Harold W. Wells & Son, Inc., is a privately held independent insurance agency founded in 1920 and headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. The firm distributes personal, commercial, marine, employee benefits, and special event insurance products on behalf of twelve-plus national and regional carriers — including Travelers, United Healthcare, Chubb, Liberty Mutual, Cincinnati Insurance, AIG, BlueCross BlueShield, Aetna, Cigna, Pure, Auto-Owners, and Penn National — and is an equity partner in Assurex Global, which extends its reach to 110+ partner firms globally. Wells serves individuals, families, small and mid-sized businesses, employer groups, marine and coastal clients, and one-time event hosts across thirteen commercial industry verticals, with particular depth in coastal Carolinas risks such as wind, hail, flood, and marine coverage.
The agency operates a hybrid technology stack comprising a proprietary mobile application branded as The Wells App (built on the Glovebox platform and available on iOS and Android), a Zywave Client Portal for HR, compliance, and workforce resources, and an online quick-quote tool that enables personal and commercial quoting in approximately three minutes. Underlying infrastructure is cloud-based for policy access, document management, claims filing, and ID card retrieval, and the firm supports five physical offices in Wilmington (HQ and Oleander), Southport, Leland, and Myrtle Beach.
Wells Insurance generates revenue primarily through carrier commissions on insurance placements and brokerage fees across its personal, commercial, marine, and employee benefits lines, with one-time premiums from its special event product line. Its go-to-market combines named-advisor direct sales (no call-center model), digital self-service for top-of-funnel quote initiation, and carrier/partner channel distribution. Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly disclosed, with monthly billing cadence for personal lines and annual billing for commercial and benefits policies. The firm reports a 97% client retention rate, a 4.9-star Google rating, and over a century of continuous operation as evidence of customer loyalty and brand durability.
Wells Insurance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wells Insurance
- Legal name
- Harold W. Wells & Son, Inc.
- Website
- https://wellsins.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1920
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Wells Insurance is a privately held independent insurance agency founded in 1920 in Wilmington, NC, distributing personal, commercial, marine, employee benefits, and special event insurance through twelve-plus carriers across the Carolinas and nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Wells Insurance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wilmington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Wells Insurance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Insurance Agency Commissions: Wells Insurance operates as an independent insurance agency earning commissions from multiple insurance carrier partners on personal, commercial, marine, and employee benefits policies placed and serviced for clients.
- Commercial Insurance Brokerage: Revenue generated from commercial insurance placements across industries including construction, manufacturing, marine, real estate, nonprofits, public entities, technology & life sciences, and small business.
- Employee Benefits Advisory: Revenue from employee benefits consulting including plan design, compliance support, enrollment, and ongoing benefits administration for employer clients.
- Personal Insurance Products: Commissions from personal lines insurance including home, auto, boat, flood, wind, aviation, pet, and life insurance products distributed through multiple carrier partnerships.
- Special Event Insurance: Short-term, one-time event insurance coverage for weddings, parties, festivals, performances, and other occasions, providing event liability coverage for specific dates and venues.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Personal Insurance - variable based on coverage type and carrier |
| Subscription | Annual | Commercial Insurance - tailored program pricing |
| Subscription | Annual | Employee Benefits - plan design and carrier-based pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Special Event Insurance - one-time coverage |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Wells Insurance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wells Insurance is an independent insurance agency that brokers and services personal, commercial, marine, employee benefits, and special event insurance policies on behalf of clients, accessing 12+ national and regional carriers through direct advisor relationships and digital self-service tools. The agency places coverage, manages renewals, supports claims (including hurricane/named-storm claims), and provides HR and compliance resources for employer benefit plans, generating revenue primarily through carrier commissions and advisory fees.
Product overview
Wells Insurance is an independent insurance agency offering a portfolio of insurance products and services. The core offering consists of Personal Insurance (home, auto, marine, flood, wind, aviation, pet, and private client coverage), Commercial Insurance (covering 13 industry verticals including construction, manufacturing, marine, healthcare, real estate, and technology), Employee Benefits (plan design, compliance, and benefits administration), and Special Event Insurance (wedding and event coverage). The agency supplements its product portfolio with two digital platforms: The Wells App (built on Gloveboxapp) for mobile policy management and claims filing, and the Zywave Client Portal for HR, compliance, and workforce resources. Wells Insurance operates as an Assurex Global partner, providing access to global insurance networks while maintaining regional service across North Carolina and South Carolina.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Personal Insurance Coverage for home, auto, boat, marine, wind, hail, flood, aviation, pet insurance, and private client protection for individuals and families.
- Commercial Insurance Business coverage across 13 industry verticals including general commercial, cleaning and restoration, commercial marine, construction, golf and country club, home health care, moving and storage, manufacturing, non-profit, public entities, real estate, small business, and technology and life sciences.
- Employee Benefits Plan design, compliance, and employee education services including life insurance and benefits administration for organizations seeking talent attraction and retention.
- Special Event Insurance One-time event coverage including wedding insurance, event liability for parties, performances, and community festivals, and NC Azalea Festival vendor insurance.
- The Wells App Mobile application for policy management, document access, ID cards, claim filing, and direct communication with advisors, available on iOS and Android.
- Zywave Client Portal HR, compliance, and workforce resource portal providing access to templates, compliance guidance, safety materials, benefits resources, and on-demand training (LMS) for business clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% client retention rate year over year
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Wells Insurance
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Wells Insurance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Wells Insurance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- Assurex GlobalcoreWells Insurance is an equity partner in Assurex Global, the world's largest privately owned insurance broker. This partnership provides Wells with access to 110+ partner firms globally, enabling multi-state and multinational coverage solutions for clients. Assurex Global also provides expanded employee benefits solutions, insights, and resources beyond Wells' local market.
- TravelerscoreTravelers is one of the nation's leading insurance carriers providing personal and commercial insurance products distributed through Wells Insurance. Wells represents Travelers as one of its primary carrier partners.
- United HealthcarecoreUnited Healthcare is a major health insurance carrier providing employer-sponsored health coverage distributed through Wells Insurance for employee benefits clients. Wells Insurance Benefit Plan is administered through United Healthcare.
- Cincinnati Insurance CompaniescoreCincinnati Insurance Companies is a regional carrier providing commercial and personal insurance products distributed through Wells Insurance.
- ChubbcoreChubb is a leading global insurance carrier providing personal, commercial, and specialty insurance products distributed through Wells Insurance, including high-value home and marine coverage.
- Liberty MutualcoreLiberty Mutual is a national insurance carrier providing personal and commercial insurance products distributed through Wells Insurance.
- AIGsecondaryAIG is a global insurance organization providing commercial and specialty insurance products distributed through Wells Insurance.
- BlueCross BlueShieldcoreBlueCross BlueShield provides health insurance coverage distributed through Wells Insurance for employee benefits clients, particularly in North Carolina through BlueCross BlueShield NC.
- AetnasecondaryAetna provides health insurance and related employee benefits products distributed through Wells Insurance for employer group benefits.
- Cigna HealthcaresecondaryCigna Healthcare provides health insurance and employee benefits products distributed through Wells Insurance for employer group benefits.
- Auto-Owners InsurancesecondaryAuto-Owners Insurance is a regional carrier providing personal and commercial insurance products distributed through Wells Insurance.
- Penn National InsurancesecondaryPenn National Insurance is a regional carrier providing personal and commercial insurance products distributed through Wells Insurance.
- Pure InsurancesecondaryPURE Insurance provides specialty insurance products including high-value home and personal risk coverage distributed through Wells Insurance for private client and high-net-worth customers.
- ZywavecoreZywave provides the client portal platform used by Wells Insurance for HR, compliance, and workforce resources. The Zywave Client Portal offers HR templates, compliance guidance, safety materials, benefits resources, and on-demand training (LMS) for Wells' commercial and benefits clients. Additionally, Wells Insurance uses the Zywave Client Cloud Portal as a client-facing resource hub.
- Prudent PetsecondaryPrudent Pet provides pet insurance products offered through Wells Insurance. Through this partnership, Wells offers pet coverage to help clients manage unexpected veterinary bills.
- Glovebox (Mobile App Platform)coreGlovebox is the mobile app platform powering The Wells App, providing policy access, document management, claims filing, and advisor communication. Wells Insurance uses the Glovebox platform (my.gloveboxapp.com) for its proprietary mobile app branded as The Wells App.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wells Insurance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Brown & Brown: One of the largest independent insurance agencies in the US, offering similar personal, commercial, employee benefits, and specialty brokerage through regional offices. Direct comparable as a multi-line, multi-office independent agency with comparable carrier diversification and a 100+ year history.
- Acrisure: World's largest privately held insurance broker, built through equity-partnership and acquisition of regional independent agencies. Highly comparable to Wells' Assurex Global equity model, combining local independence with global scale across personal, commercial, and benefits lines.
- Heffernan Insurance Brokers: Mid-sized independent insurance brokerage offering personal, commercial, and employee benefits products. Comparable as a similarly scaled multi-line independent agency with named-advisor service model and broad carrier representation.
- Hilb Group: Mid-Atlantic regional insurance brokerage built through acquisition of independent agencies, serving commercial and personal clients. Comparable as a regional independent with growth-via-rollup model in geographies adjacent to Wells' Carolinas footprint.
- Foundation Risk Partners: Northeast/Mid-Atlantic focused commercial insurance broker with both organic growth and acquisition strategy. Comparable as a regional independent serving commercial SMB and mid-market clients with multi-line offerings and a similar regional agency acquisition playbook.
- Insurance Office of America: Large independent insurance brokerage offering commercial, personal, and employee benefits across multiple regions. Comparable as a similarly structured mid-market independent agency with carrier diversification and multi-office footprint.
- Cross Insurance: Northeast US regional independent insurance agency providing personal, commercial, and benefits lines. Comparable as a similarly-sized regional independent with multi-office footprint, broad carrier representation, and family-firm heritage.
Broad incumbents
- USI Insurance Services: Large middle-market insurance brokerage with national presence and broad product offerings across personal, commercial, and benefits lines. Comparable as a more scaled, broader incumbent serving overlapping commercial SMB and mid-market customers with similar carrier partnerships.
- Arthur J. Gallagher: Major global insurance brokerage and risk management firm offering similar property, casualty, benefits, and specialty brokerage services at significantly larger scale. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating with overlapping capabilities across Wells' full product set.
Emerging players
- Keystone Agency Partners: Acquirer of regional independent insurance agencies building a national network through rollup strategy. Comparable to the broader wave of independent agency roll-ups and represents a potential acquirer, capital partner, or competitive threat for Wells.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Wells Insurance social profiles
Digital presenceWells Insurance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wells Insurance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Wells Insurance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wells Insurance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wells Insurance
What does Wells Insurance do?
Wells Insurance is an independent insurance agency that brokers and services personal, commercial, marine, employee benefits, and special event insurance policies on behalf of clients, accessing 12+ national and regional carriers through direct advisor relationships and digital self-service tools. The agency places coverage, manages renewals, supports claims (including hurricane/named-storm claims), and provides HR and compliance resources for employer benefit plans, generating revenue primarily through carrier commissions and advisory fees.
Is Wells Insurance a public or private company?
Wells Insurance is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Wells Insurance founded?
Wells Insurance was founded in 1920. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Wells Insurance based?
Wells Insurance is headquartered in Wilmington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Wells Insurance make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Insurance Agency Commissions are the primary driver. The others are commercial Insurance Brokerage, employee Benefits Advisory, personal Insurance Products and special Event Insurance.
Who are Wells Insurance's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Brown & Brown, Acrisure, Heffernan Insurance Brokers, Hilb Group, Foundation Risk Partners, Insurance Office of America and Cross Insurance. Broad incumbents are USI Insurance Services and Arthur J. Gallagher. Keystone Agency Partners is listed as an emerging player.
Does Wells Insurance have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wells Insurance.