A Different Kind of Insurance Partner

The start of a new year is more than a date on the calendar. It’s a natural moment to pause, reflect, and reset. For organizations operating in complex, high-risk industries, the New Year is also an opportunity to rethink how risk is managed—and who they trust to help them do it.

At McNeil & Co., we believe resilience doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built deliberately, through long-term relationships, deep industry understanding, and proactive risk management. In an insurance marketplace increasingly driven by price, speed, and commoditization, we’ve chosen a different path—one focused on partnership, specialization, and value.

A Legacy Built on Specialized Risk

Founded in 1989 in Cortland, New York, McNeil & Company began with a singular focus: serving emergency service organizations. More than three decades later, that commitment remains at the core of who we are. From a small townhouse office to a nationwide operation with more than 200 associates and clients in all 50 states, our growth has been driven by staying true to one principle—understand the industries we serve better than anyone else.

Today, McNeil offers 11 specialized programs, each designed around the real-world risks, regulatory pressures, and operational realities of distinct industries. Our integrated teams of underwriters, risk managers, claims professionals, and marketers work together to ensure no detail is lost and no client is treated as “just another policy.”

Resetting Risk in a Changing World

Across every sector we serve, risk is evolving. Workforce shortages, regulatory change, climate-driven events, mental health concerns, and emerging liabilities demand more than off-the-shelf insurance products. They demand a reset—one that prioritizes prevention, preparedness, and resilience.

For fire and emergency service organizations, that reset starts with ESIP, our flagship Emergency Services Insurance Program. For more than 30 years, ESIP has supported volunteer, career, and combination fire departments, rescue squads, ambulance services, and fire districts with tailored coverages, in-house claims expertise, and robust risk management resources. From safety training to mental health support and benefits programs, ESIP is built by people who truly live the emergency services mission.

That same philosophy extends across our portfolio.

• AdvenSure supports the outdoor recreation and hospitality industry with coverage designed for adventure, tourism, and experiential risk.
• AnimalKeepers provides shelters, rescues, and humane societies with insurance created by professionals who understand animal welfare operations.
• ASIP delivers industry-leading protection and education for private ambulance services nationwide.
• FireWatch and WildPRO serve the broader fire protection and wildland firefighting ecosystem, from equipment dealers to suppression contractors.
• BISA supports environmental, remediation, and restoration professionals working in some of the most hazardous conditions.
• HOMed brings specialized coverage and training to the home and durable medical equipment industry.
• WGA protects newspaper organizations and their independent contractors with practical accident coverage.
• Cannabis Safety Group 591, in partnership with NYSIF, provides stable workers’ compensation solutions for New York’s growing cannabis industry.
• Penflex LOSAP services help municipalities and organizations invest in the long-term resilience of their volunteer workforce.
• Surety bonds extend our expertise into contract and commercial financial protection.

Resilience Is a Partnership

Insurance alone doesn’t create resilience—people do. That’s why McNeil operates with a closed distribution model, focuses exclusively on specialty programs, and invests heavily in risk management, loss control, and education. We don’t just respond to claims; we work to prevent them. We don’t chase transactions; we build relationships measured in decades.

As we enter a new year, the question isn’t whether risk will change—it will. The real question is whether your insurance partner is prepared to change with it.

At McNeil & Co., the New Year isn’t just a reset. It’s a renewed commitment to helping our clients face risk with confidence, clarity, and resilience—today and for the years ahead.