E.K. McConkey & Co., Inc. has a significant history that dates back to its inception in 1890.  That's the year Edwin McConkey, an employee of the Farmers Fire Insurance Company, started the agency to have a local outlet to sell policies for his insurance company.  In addition to being employed by the insurance company and running his agency, he also served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a state senator.  It's also interesting to note that he was the first Yorker to drive an automobile.  McConkey died in 1910.  (Click to learn more about McConkey's roots)

Upon Mr. McConkey's death, his wife sold the agency (allegedly for $1.00) to a family member.  The agency remained a small family agency for many years until Jack Barnhart became employed by the agency in the 1950's.  When he took over, the agency had just four employees.  Barnhart began to grow the agency with a concentration on commercial insurance.  He targeted York's largest and best run businesses as customers.  As the agency grew he added Thomas Hamm as a partner in the late 1960's and Maurice Bobst in the early 1970's.  They contributed greatly to making the agency one of the finest in Central Pennsylvania.

Over the years described above, the agency was located at 53 East Market Street in downtown York on the second floor of the Farmers Fire Insurance Company.  In 1987, success dictated that the agency move to operate more efficiently and to accommodate further growth.  The agency doubled its square foot area by moving to a location at 497 Hill Street in Spring Garden Township.

The agency continued to grow at a rapid pace by an aggressive marketing plan and by an acquisition.  In the late 1990's the agency merged with the Yorkwright Insurance, Inc.  This merger gave the agency additional personal automobile and homeowner's premium to allow the agency to compete favorably for these lines of coverage.

In 2001, the agency made another merger with NL Associates, one of the leading life and benefits agencies in York.  This merger nearly tripled the revenues for our benefits department.  This merger, coupled with our property/casualty growth, made us again look for more space to operate the agency.  As a result, we moved the agency in October 2001 to its current location.

Today the agency is nearly 50 employees strong.  The plan is to continue the aggressive approach to marketing and to continue growing the business and serving the community.