Penn Care

What Penn Care does

Penn Care, Inc. is a privately held, Niles, Ohio-based emergency medical services distributor and authorized ambulance dealer founded in 1989 by former EMTs Don Bloom (current President) and the late Shawn Bryant. The company serves fire departments, EMS agencies, hospitals, and government emergency management organizations across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast United States, operating with fewer than 50 employees and a regional account manager structure spanning 15+ states.

The company's product portfolio spans four primary lines: thousands of EMS consumables (first aid, respiratory, ALS/IV supplies, AEDs, immobilization, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, training); new, demo, pre-owned, and remount ambulances sold as authorized dealer for five premium manufacturers (Braun, Crestline, Demers, FastLane, Medix); disaster response solutions including MCI trailers, mass fatality management systems, and mass oxygen distribution devices; and controlled-access inventory management hardware via the VendNovation partnership. Distribution occurs through the e-commerce platform at penncare.net, dedicated regional account managers, trade show participation (FDIC International), and a mobile service technician program for on-site ambulance repair.

Penn Care makes money primarily through one-time equipment sales (high-ASP ambulance units plus lower-margin EMS consumables), supplemented by recurring mobile service and maintenance contracts. Pricing is unit-based for supplies (e.g., Philips HeartStart OnSite AED from $1,687) with free ground shipping on orders over $200, while ambulance pricing is quote-based. The company holds a BBB A+ rating and competes on the strength of its multi-manufacturer dealer authorization, founder credibility as former EMTs, and 35+ years of industry relationships rather than technology differentiation.

Name

Penn Care

Legal name

Penn Care, Inc.

Website

https://penncare.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Penn Care is a privately held Ohio-based EMS supplies distributor and authorized dealer for five premium ambulance manufacturers, serving U.S. fire departments, EMS agencies, hospitals, and emergency management organizations across 15+ states with fewer than 50 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Medical Services Distribution

NAICS

Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42345)

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)

akta.pro primary industry

Ambulance Fleet, Equipment & Logistics Services (HLAFANAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Medical Supplies & Consumables Wholesale (Non-Device) (CRAOAHAE)

Keywords

• Emergency medical supplies
• Ambulance sales
• Disaster response equipment
• AED distribution
• EMS equipment dealer

Headquarters

HQ city

Niles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. EMS Supplies Sales: Sale of EMS supplies including first aid, respiratory, ALS & IV, AEDs, immobilization, diagnostics, disaster response, pharmaceuticals, and training equipment. Products sold include gloves, masks, defibrillators, stretchers, pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies across thousands of SKUs.
2. Ambulance Sales: Sale of new ambulances (Type I, II, III), demo units, pre-owned ambulances, and remounts. Authorized dealer for Braun, Crestline, Demers, FastLane, and Medix brands. Also offers ambulance customization.
3. Mobile Service & Maintenance: Mobile repair and maintenance services for EMS vehicles including Type I, II, III ambulances, first responder vehicles. Services include floor plate installation, V-Mux diagnostics, lighting, sirens, electrical diagnosis, and HVAC systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Penn Care distributes thousands of EMS supplies (first aid, respiratory, ALS & IV, AED/cardiac care, immobilization, diagnostics, disaster response, pharmaceuticals, training, inventory management) and sells new, demo, and pre-owned ambulances as an authorized dealer for Braun, Crestline, Demers, FastLane, and Medix manufacturers. The company also offers ambulance remount packages, disaster response solutions (mass casualty trailers, mass fatality systems, mass oxygen distribution), AEDs, and on-site mobile service technician repair for emergency vehicles.

Product overview

Penn Care is an emergency medical supplies distributor and ambulance dealer offering a broad portfolio of EMS products and services. The core offering includes thousands of EMS supplies organized into categories (First Aid & Infection Control, Respiratory, ALS & IV Supplies, AED & Cardiac Care, Immobilization & Patient Handling, Diagnostics & Monitoring, Bags/Cases/Holders, Manikins & Training, Disaster Response, Pharmaceuticals, and Inventory Management). In ambulances, Penn Care serves as an authorized dealer for multiple manufacturers including Braun Ambulances, Crestline Ambulances, Demers Ambulances, FastLane Emergency Vehicles, and Medix Ambulances, offering new unit sales, demo stock, pre-owned units, remount packages, and customization. Disaster response solutions include mass casualty trailers, preparedness kits, mass fatality management systems (DPMU, MMET, AirCool), mass oxygen distribution systems (TOAD, VORTRAN E-Surge Kit, Monarch), incident response equipment, and medical surge supplies. The company also provides mobile service technicians for ambulance maintenance and repair. The VendNovation partnership enables controlled-access inventory management solutions (LockBox, Smart Locker, Vending Machine) for narcotics and medical supply tracking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EMS Supplies Thousands of SKUs across EMS consumables and equipment categories for fire departments, EMS agencies, hospitals, and healthcare providers.
• Braun Ambulances Premium ambulance line featuring VitalMax lighting, SolidBody construction, and IMPACT Airbag System with RollTek technology, sold as authorized dealer for Braun.
• Crestline Ambulances Type I and Type III ambulances built on Ford or GM chassis with 50+ years of emergency vehicle experience, featuring the ACETECH Integrated Vehicle Intelligence system.
• Demers Ambulances Type I, II, and III ambulances from the oldest continuous ambulance manufacturer in North America, including Ford Transit configurations.
• FastLane Emergency Vehicles Custom and specialty first responder vehicles featuring FastPLEX electrical control and Templox climate control, manufactured by a subsidiary of Autolycus Industries.
• Medix Ambulances Type I, II, and III ambulances built in Elkhart, Indiana since 2001, with an 800-point inspection process and KKK-1822-F certification.
• Ambulance Remounts Comprehensive remount packages for existing ambulances: Reactivate (fast chassis replacement), Revive (core updates and refinishing), and Refresh (upgrade to modern frontline unit).
• Philips AEDs Automated External Defibrillators (HeartStart Home, OnSite, FRx) designed for lay rescuers in cardiac arrest situations, with accessories and replacement pads.
• VendNovation Inventory Management Systems Controlled-access inventory management solutions including LockBox Versa, Smart Locker Versa, and SightGuard II vending machines, providing controlled access to narcotics and medical supplies with records and audit logs.
• Mobile Service Technician On-site repair and maintenance service for Type I, II, III ambulances and first responder vehicles, brought directly to customer locations.
• Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) Trailers 20-foot emergency response trailers that serve as mobile command centers for mass casualty incidents, stocked with BLS treatment kits, trauma supplies, diagnostic equipment, and infection control solutions.
• Disaster Portable Morgue Unit (DPMU) Fully equipped mobile morgue that enables mortuary operational response team support for mass fatality events with high discretion for public health preparedness.
• Mobile Morgue Expansion Trailers (MMET) Mobile, self-contained refrigerated trailers and shipping containers to expand morgue and healthcare facility mortuary capabilities.
• Rapid Deployment Mortuary System - AirCool Portable cooling system for human remains that transforms any room such as a gymnasium, conference center, or tent into a morgue facility for mass fatality incidents.
• Total Oxygen Administration Device (TOAD) Mass oxygen distribution device that administers oxygen from high-pressure gas cylinders or liquid oxygen sources, accommodating up to 24 patients with up to 27 hours of oxygenation at 150 LPM.
• VORTRAN E-Surge Kit Emergency backup ventilator surge kit that uses a single gas source for multiple GO2VENT Automatic Resuscitator products, with up to five years of shelf life.
• Monarch Oxygen Distribution Manifold Quick deployment system for delivering oxygen and medical gases in pre-hospital, alternate care center, and mass casualty field applications.
• Incident Response Equipment ICS Kits, command vests, triage tags, patient care kits, flags & command kits, and personal protection kits for emergency incident management.
• ButterflyBVM Bag Valve Mask with tidal volume control, peak inspiratory pressure control, and rate control for adult, pediatric, and infant use, available in Standard, Plus, and Ready configurations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000th Braun ambulance delivered through Penn Care partnership
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Medix Specialty VehiclescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPenn Care is one of only 13 dealers across the nation authorized to sell Medix emergency rescue vehicles. Penn Care displays Medix ambulances at trade shows and has delivered units to fire departments including Evansville Fire Department. Medix celebrates 25 years of operation in 2026.
• VendNovationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn Care's partnership with VendNovation brings controlling access to narcotics and medical supplies while maintaining records and audit logs for total accountability. Products include LockBox Versa, Smart Locker Versa, and SightGuard II vending machines for EMS inventory management.
• Braun AmbulancescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPenn Care is an official dealer of Braun ambulances, a manufacturer described as the 'Rolls Royce' of ambulance manufacturers. Braun announced delivery of its 10,000th ambulance with Penn Care as partner, placed at Greenville Fire Department in Ohio.
• Crestline Ambulances (Demers Braun Crestline)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPenn Care is an official dealer of Crestline ambulances, part of Demers Braun Crestline. Crestline Ambulances are built with 50+ years of emergency vehicle experience, featuring safety, innovation and durability with Type I and Type III configurations.
• Demers AmbulancescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPenn Care is an official dealer of Demers ambulances, described as one of the largest, most trusted ambulance design and manufacturers in the world. Demers is the oldest continuous ambulance manufacturer in North America.
• FastLane Emergency VehiclescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPenn Care is an official dealer of FastLane Emergency Vehicles, a premier manufacturer of custom and specialty 1st responder vehicles. FastLane is a wholly owned subsidiary of Autolycus Industries Inc. and manufactures EMS Response, Fire Incident Command, Special Operations, Swift Water, Wildland Fire vehicles and rehab trailers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Life-Assist: Life-Assist is an independent EMS medical supplies distributor serving fire departments, EMS agencies, and first responders across the U.S. It is a direct competitor to Penn Care's EMS supplies e-commerce and sales-led distribution business.
• Bound Tree Medical: Bound Tree Medical is one of the largest U.S. distributors of EMS supplies, equipment, and pharmaceuticals to fire, EMS, and hospital customers; it is a Cardinal Health subsidiary. It directly competes with Penn Care's core EMS supplies distribution catalog and e-commerce channel.
• Emergency Medical Products (EMP): EMP is an EMS-focused medical supplies distributor offering thousands of SKUs of pre-hospital and emergency response products. Its product breadth and customer base directly overlap with Penn Care's EMS supplies segment.

Broad incumbents

• Medline Industries: Medline is one of the largest U.S. medical-surgical and EMS supply manufacturers and distributors, with a broad catalog across clinical categories. While much larger than Penn Care, it competes for the same fire/EMS/hospital procurement dollars.
• McKesson Medical-Surgical: McKesson Medical-Surgical distributes medical supplies, equipment, and pharmaceuticals to physician offices, EMS, and alternate-care sites nationally. Its scale and GPO contracts overlap directly with Penn Care's hospital and EMS supply offerings.
• Henry Schein: Henry Schein is a major healthcare distributor covering medical, dental, and EMS-adjacent supplies. While broader than EMS alone, its emergency-response and first-responder catalog competes for the same municipal and institutional procurement budgets.
• Stryker: Stryker manufactures patient handling, immobilization, and emergency response equipment (including stretchers and CPR devices). Some of its products are distributed through and adjacent to Penn Care's catalog, making it an upstream supplier-competitor in EMS equipment.
• ZOLL Medical: ZOLL Medical is a manufacturer of AEDs, defibrillators, and CPR equipment widely used in EMS. As an OEM in the same cardiac/EMS category where Penn Care resells competing brands (e.g., Philips), ZOLL is an incumbent supplier-cum-competitor relevant to Penn Care's product mix.

Emerging players

• AED Superstore: AED Superstore is a focused online distributor of AEDs, accessories, and training solutions for workplaces and first responders. It overlaps with Penn Care's Philips AED and AED accessory offering in a narrower, e-commerce-led niche.
• AED Brands: AED Brands is a specialized AED and emergency-response equipment distributor serving schools, businesses, and EMS agencies. It competes with Penn Care's AED and cardiac-care product segment in a focused, education-and-programming-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Penn_Care
• Facebookfacebook.com/penncare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/penn-care

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Penn Care