Utica First Insurance Company

What Utica First Insurance Company does

Utica First Insurance Company is a private, regionally focused property and casualty insurance carrier organized as an Advance Premium Cooperative, originally chartered in 1903 in Utica, New York as Utica First Insurance Company of Oneida County NY and renamed in 1993. The company is headquartered in Oriskany, New York and is rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best. It underwrites commercial and personal lines insurance for homeowners and small and medium sized businesses, with its primary commercial focus on vertical-specific Business Owner's Policy (BOP) programs targeting artisan contractors (in market for over 25 years), restaurants and food service (described as the fastest-growing product in company history), food trucks, auto service and repair garages, nail and beauty salons, apartments, and small professional offices, supplemented by excess and umbrella coverage.

The company distributes exclusively through a network of independent insurance agents and brokers, supported by a dedicated field organization of territory-based marketing representatives covering six regions (Upstate New York, Massachusetts/Connecticut, New Jersey/Downstate New York, Maryland/Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio) plus an inside marketing representative and marketing coordinator. There is no direct-to-consumer online sales channel; applications are submitted by agents and subject to underwriting approval. The company operates in Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Revenue is generated through insurance policy premiums on a subscription/recurring basis, with policyholders offered 1-Pay, 2-Pay, 4-Pay, and Auto-Pay installment plans, a $5 installment fee on subsequent payments, and a $20 returned-check fee.

Technology disclosed is limited to operational back-office tools: an Agent Portal for licensed agents to manage Utica First business and a Policy Holder Service Center for policyholders to access policy documents, pay bills, view billing statements, view policy details, access claims information, and enroll in paperless billing. The company is led by President and CEO Ryan Fleming, and there are no disclosed subsidiaries, parent companies, M&A activity, funding rounds, or partnerships.

Name

Utica First Insurance Company

Legal name

Utica First Insurance Company

Website

https://uticafirst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Utica First Insurance Company is a 1903-founded, A (Excellent) AM Best-rated regional P&C insurance cooperative headquartered in Oriskany, NY, underwriting vertical-specific BOPs for small businesses plus personal lines across eight northeastern/mid-Atlantic states plus Florida exclusively through independent agents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Commercial Property and Casualty Insurance

NAICS

Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Carriers (524126), Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412)

SIC

Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Business BOP (Main Street) (FSAJAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Contractors BOP / Artisan Package (FSAJAFAD), Restaurants, Bars & Food Service BOP (FSAJAFAG), Real Estate / Lessors Risk BOP (FSAJAFAI), Commercial Package / Business Owners Policies (BOP) (FSAJAMAG)

Keywords

• Commercial property insurance
• Business owner policies
• Artisan contractor insurance
• Homeowners insurance
• Excess umbrella coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Oriskany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Property and Casualty Insurance Premiums: Utica First Insurance Company operates as a regional insurance company that generates revenue through insurance policy premiums. They offer commercial insurance products for small and medium sized businesses, as well as personal lines (homeowners) insurance. The company collects premiums from policyholders and pays claims from those premiums, with profitability derived from the difference between premiums collected and claims paid plus operating expenses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Utica First Insurance Company is a regional property and casualty insurer that underwrites and sells commercial Business Owner's Policies (BOPs) tailored to specific small-business niches — including artisan contractors, restaurants and food service, food trucks, auto service and repair garages, offices, apartments, and nail and beauty salons — as well as personal lines (homeowners) and excess and umbrella liability coverage. Products are underwritten by the company and distributed exclusively through a network of independent insurance agents and brokers.

Product overview

Utica First Insurance Company offers a portfolio of commercial and personal insurance products through independent agents and brokers. The core product line centers on Business Owner's Policies (BOP) designed for specific industries, including the Artisan Contractors BOP, Restaurants & Food Service BOP, Food Truck BOP, Auto Services BOP, Nail & Beauty BOP, and Office PAK. The company also provides Excess & Umbrella coverage, Apartment coverage, and Personal Lines. The company serves Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, maintaining an A.M. Best rating of A (Excellent). Policy holders access services through the Policy Holder Service Center and agents use the Agent Portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artisan Contractors BOP Program Business Owner's Policy designed for artisan contractors, covering trade-specific general liability, property, and related risks for small trade contractors across multiple specialties.
• Restaurants & Food Service BOP Program Business Owner's Policy for full-service restaurants, cafes, bagel shops, taverns, and food service establishments, covering restaurant liability, property, equipment breakdown, food spoilage, and business interruption.
• Food Truck BOP Business Owner's Policy for food truck and mobile food service operators providing vehicle-related and general liability coverage tailored to mobile food operations.
• Auto Services BOP Business Owner's Policy designed for auto service and repair shops, providing garage liability, property coverage, and protections specific to vehicle service operations.
• Office PAK Specialized insurance package for small professional offices combining liability, property, and three unique coverages targeted at small office risks.
• Nail & Beauty BOP Business Owner's Policy for nail salons, barbershops, and beauty and personal care service providers covering liability, equipment, and business interruption.
• Apartments Property and liability insurance coverage for apartment building owners and operators of multi-family residential rental properties.
• Business Owner's Program (BOP) General Business Owner's Policy providing combined property, liability, and business interruption protection for small and medium sized businesses.
• Excess & Umbrella Program Excess liability and umbrella insurance providing additional coverage limits above a policyholder's primary general liability, auto, or other underlying policy limits.
• Personal Lines (Homeowners) Homeowners insurance providing personal property and liability coverage for individual homeowners.

Quantifiable outcome

• AM Best A (Excellent) rating demonstrates financial stability and ability to meet obligations
• +2 more outcomes

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Selective Insurance Group: Regional commercial-lines carrier with a strong small-business BOP franchise distributed through independent agents in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic — directly comparable to Utica First's product and channel mix.
• Donegal Group: Regional P&C carrier rooted in the Mid-Atlantic selling through independent agents into small commercial accounts; closely comparable geography, distribution model, and BOP focus.
• United Fire & Casualty: Regional P&C carrier with a small/medium commercial franchise; comparable size, agent-distribution model, and BOP exposure.

Broad incumbents

• Erie Insurance: A larger regional P&C carrier selling through independent agents across the Northeast and Midwest, with comparable SMB BOP exposure and an A.M. Best rating in the same general range as Utica First.
• Cincinnati Financial: Regional P&C carrier using independent agents with deep commercial-lines franchise; similar BOP and SMB contractor/restaurant exposure with broader geographic reach than Utica First.
• Hanover Insurance Group: Regional P&C carrier with a specialty small-commercial book distributed through independent agents; product mix and geographic concentration overlap with Utica First.
• Markel Corporation: Specialty commercial insurer with niche small-business programs across trades and food service; comparable appetite for niche BOP-style commercial accounts.

Regional players

• NJM Insurance: Mutual/regional insurer serving NJ, PA, and other Mid-Atlantic states with strong personal and small commercial lines; comparable mutual/cooperative spirit and similar SMB/contractor customer profile.
• Employers Holdings: Workers' comp specialist serving small businesses via independent agents; narrower line but comparable SMB customer segment and distribution model.

Emerging players

• Hiscox: Specialty insurer focused on small business and professional lines; targets many of the same niches (contractors, salons, food service) and competes for similar agent relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UticaFirstInsCo
• Facebookfacebook.com/UticaFirstInsCo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Utica First Insurance Company