About – Bright Corp.

About Us

We are a family owned and operated company serving thousands of satisfied funeral directors for over 75 years. We are proud to welcome you to our website showcasing our hundreds of quality products.

We are known for our low prices and personalized service, so call us today to talk to any of our knowledgeable staff. Scroll through our pages and contact us if we can answer any questions. Satisfaction is guaranteed!

Our History

William H. Bowser purchased the C.E. Bright Company in 1945 after World War II. But how did it all come about? William’s youngest son, Edward, worked for C.E. Bright at the Bright Company. Due to this, William was familiar with the business. At the time, William was a Vice President at the Gospel Trumpet Company. This was another reason he was familiar with the Bright Company: The Gospel Trumpet Company was a printing company and one of their clients was none other than C.E. Bright.

During World War II, Mr. Bright’s son was a great pilot, becoming one of the United States Navy Aces. Unfortunately, his son lost his life in the war and died a hero. Losing the desire to run the business, C.E. approached William to see if he would like to buy the business. William and his wife Wilma began discussing the opportunity that was before them. After much prayer and thought, they decided to purchase the Bright Company in 1945. William, his oldest son Bill, who had recently returned from the war, and his youngest son Edward began running the business out of the family home in Anderson, Indiana.

Bill Bowser was always full of energy and life. Even at age 95, he would come into the office on most days. His bright smile and positive energy were infectious. He served as the President and a Co-Owner of the company until his death in the Spring of 2018.

Bill was a co-pilot of a B-25 Bomber during World War II. After the war, he came home to run the Bright Corporation with his Dad and brother Ed. The three of them built up this tiny business, which was run out of the family home, into the nationwide company it is today. And, as it is said, the rest is history.

Meet the Team

Steve Bowser

President

Steve Bowser has been the voice of Bright Corporation for many years. Throughout the years, Steve has built deep relationships with many customers. Chances are good that when you call you will get to talk with Steve. His passion is helping customers like you find the right products to serve the needs of the families who choose to use your funeral home.

Steve is the son of the late William D. Bowser who was our president for many years. He has been an instrumental part of the executive team for 47 years. He graduated from Anderson University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1975.

Steve and his wife Carla attend Madison Park Church of God and he also serves on the Madison County Youth Serving Christ Board. Their son Colin is a student at Regent University.

What does Steve love to do in his spare time? Well, one word – sports. He is an avid sports fan and he and his wife enjoy cheering for the Indianapolis Colts where they are season ticket holders. Steve is also a fixture every year at the Indianapolis 500.

Johnathon Curless

Chief Operating Officer/Secretary Treasurer

Johnathon is the great grandson of William H. Bowser and the grandson of President and co-owner William D. Bowser. Johnathon graduated from Anderson University in 1998 with a BA in Business Management and Marketing.

Over the years, Johnathon has worn many hats at the Bright Corporation. Early on, he was part of the production staff. Then, he moved on to become Warehouse Manager and Payroll Director. Today, he holds the position of Chief Operating Officer/Secretary Treasurer.

Johnathon lives in the Indianapolis area with his wife Amy and their two children: Lily and Andrew. He loves spending time with his family and being outside. He is an avid sports fan, particularly Indiana University Basketball.

Johnathon and his family are active in the Crossing Church in Indianapolis. Over the years, he has enjoyed working with the youth at the church and coaching junior high boys’ basketball for the local school system.

Testimonials

Our staff is confident in Bright Corporation’s ability to visually interpret the most creative, professional and meaningful life story in their beautiful Montage of Memories portraits, trifold bulletins, prayer cards, and memorial folders. We consistently receive the most heartfelt responses to these custom products from our families.

Dear Friends, we wanted to take a moment to let you know that we continue to be quite pleased with the service and products you provide for us. Bright Corp. has served three generations of our family over the more than 50 years we have been your customer. We have always been very happy to work with your company and your family. We appreciate that your products continue to be of high quality and appropriate expense in this age of ever escalating costs. Your family and your staff have always treated us with the highest level of courtesy and provided us with an outstanding quality of service. We look forward to many more years of collaboration. Thank you.

When we need a professional result to a unique design challenge that arises with a family’s request, I call Bright Corporation. Their team of professional designers are on call for whatever surprise may come our way. It’s like having our own in-house graphic designer. In fact, we use their one of a kind 16×20 montage of memories for the majority of our services.

We have been doing business with Bright Corp. for over 35 years. They provide quality products at a great value. They have also gone above and beyond to accommodate some of our special requests through the years. We have been in the funeral business since 1946, practically as long as Bright! We too are a family owned and operated business. I am a second-generation funeral director and my son plans to join me after his graduation from the University of Minnesota. We hope we’re both around another 70 years.

We love dealing with the Bright Corp folks. They are dependable and very friendly. Haven’t ever met them but from my first phone call to them to them a few years ago,I feel like I have known them for years. Great products that we use in our funeral home. More companies could use and benefit from their caring, efficient, customer service services. Thanks.

Bright Corp has supplied our funeral chapel with fine quality stationery since our humble beginnings in 1998. Their affordable prices attracted us to their company in the start; their continued quality, innovation, and customer service have kept us with them since. We look forward to our continued partnership with this great firm.