EMC Insurance business insurance

Overview

EMC Insurance is a Des Moines mutual that has spent more than a century writing commercial coverage through independent agents, and it is now one of the larger regional-style carriers with a national footprint. Its NAIC group was ranked No. 44 among U.S. business insurers by 2025 commercial lines direct premiums written, with $2.17 billion, based on NAIC market share data. Commercial auto is its largest line at $667.3 million, followed by other liability (general and umbrella liability), allied lines property and workers' compensation. EMC does not rank in the national top 10 in any single line; it is a broad middle-market writer rather than a specialist.

The legal parent is Employers Mutual Casualty Company (EMCC), a policyholder-owned mutual based in Iowa. The NAIC group also includes five property-casualty subsidiaries: EMCASCO Insurance Company, EMC Property & Casualty Company, Illinois EMCASCO Insurance Company, Dakota Fire Insurance Company and Union Insurance Company of Providence. Under the EMC Insurance name the group writes commercial property and casualty lines and surety bonds, and it runs a third-party claims administrator, EMC Claims Solutions. Scott Jean has been president and CEO since March 2020.

EMC sells only through independent agents; it reported more than 1,780 appointed agencies in 2025. It is licensed in all 50 states and D.C. and said it was actively writing new business in 43 states in 2025, served through 10 regions and 17 local offices.

History

Employers Mutual Casualty Company was organized in 1911 to write workers' compensation in Iowa. Over the following century it grew into a multiline commercial carrier, added a bond department (EMC says it has written surety for more than 70 years), and for years shared ownership of part of the business with public shareholders through EMC Insurance Group Inc., a subsidiary listed on Nasdaq under EMCI.

Recent milestones:

• September 19, 2019: EMCC completed its purchase of all EMC Insurance Group shares it did not already own, at $36 per share in cash, ending EMCI's run as a public company and folding the business back into a single mutual organization.
• March 11, 2020: Scott Jean succeeded Bruce Kelley as CEO, after taking over as president in January 2020.
• September 27, 2022: EMC announced it was exiting the assumed reinsurance business written through EMC Reinsurance Company (EMC Re), taking no new business or renewals from that date and honoring existing treaties. AM Best later withdrew EMC Re's ratings.
• February 2025: EMC created three business units, Small Business, Specialty and Large Accounts, alongside its existing Middle Market unit, and began rolling out a new small business BOP product, BOP Edge, state by state late in the year.
• December 3, 2025: EMC agreed to sell its ownership interest in EMC National Life Company (EMC Life) to Avocet Partners. The deal requires regulatory approval and the demutualization of EMC Life's mutual holding company; EMC said in its 2025 annual report that it expected the sale to close in 2026, and its newsroom had not announced a closing as of early October 2026. Once it closes, EMC is a commercial P&C and bond company only.

Business insurance products

Middle market. This is about three-quarters of EMC's premium, by the company's own 2025 estimate. The core offering is a commercial package of property, general liability, commercial auto, workers' compensation and umbrella, with errors and omissions and a cyber product, Cyber Suite, that combines cyber liability and data compromise coverage and can be added to an existing policy. Industry programs target Manufacturer insurance, contractors, wholesalers, and breweries and wineries, with additional appetite for boat dealers, equipment dealers, financial institutions, printers, telecommunications firms, retailers and service providers.

Small business. A business owner's policy for hundreds of small business classes, including retail, personal care services, health care offices, auto repair shops and restaurants. The new BOP Edge product sits on a platform that supports all lines for more than 300 classes, with dedicated small business underwriters. See What is a business owner's policy (BOP)?.

Specialty and large accounts. The Specialty unit, rolling out region by region in 2026, handles higher-hazard classes underwritten by dedicated specialists. The Large Accounts unit writes loss-sensitive and guaranteed-cost accounts with premiums above $500,000; EMC said it would launch in select states in 2026, aiming for countrywide availability by year-end.

Group programs. Package programs for schools, municipalities, manufactured homes and petroleum marketers, with loss control services and potential dividends when the group's loss experience is good.

EMC Bond. Contract bonds (bid, performance, payment, maintenance and supply), court and fiduciary bonds, license and permit bonds, public official bonds and fidelity bonds, written in all 50 states through 11 bond branch offices. Its Rapid Response Program handles single bonds or aggregate programs up to $750,000 for contractors that bond only occasionally. EMC Bond wrote a record $64.6 million of direct premium in 2025. See surety bonds explained: how they differ from insurance.

Who it insures

EMC's sweet spot is the middle-market account with property, a fleet and employees: a contractor with trucks and a bond program, a manufacturer or distributor with products exposure, a retailer or service business that needs a package and umbrella. Commercial auto being its largest line tells you EMC is comfortable with vehicle-heavy risks. Small accounts go through the new small business unit, and larger loss-sensitive accounts are a growing focus.

The limits are geographic and product-based. Workers' compensation is available only in select states, so a multistate employer should confirm comp is available everywhere it has payroll before moving the package. EMC publishes no list of excluded classes; your agent can check its countrywide appetite guide.

How to buy

You buy EMC through an independent agent, and the site's "Find an agent" tool searches by ZIP code. EMC does not sell direct or quote online to the public. Agents use EMC's Agent Access portal, including a small business portal launched in 2025 to quote, bind and issue small accounts. Policyholders can register for Policyholder Access to view policies, billing and claims, manage payment and paperless preferences, report claims and reach loss control resources. Payments can also be made through a guest payment page or by phone at 877-535-1266.

Claims

Report a claim around the clock at 888-362-2255, online through Policyholder Access (login required; not available to every policyholder), or through your agent. EMC's stated claims approach is to investigate every claim, explain what is and is not covered, and pay what it owes quickly, and it reported a 4.6 out of 5 claims satisfaction score from policyholders based on 2024 data. Claims Business Liaisons in each region act as a direct contact for agents and policyholders.

For workers' comp, EMC offers OnCall Nurse, a 24/7 hotline connecting injured workers and supervisors with a registered nurse, plus return-to-work, select provider and wellness programs and medical management with nurse case managers and bill review (see return-to-work programs: how to build one). An estimatics unit handles auto, truck, heavy equipment and specialty equipment appraisals, and a subrogation team works to recover deductibles. Its risk control staff made 7,469 visits to policyholders in 2025. Larger insureds can use EMC Claims Solutions, a third-party administrator with 45 years in business.

Financial strength and ratings

AM Best affirmed the A (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating and "a" Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of Employers Mutual Casualty Company and its five P&C subsidiaries on October 27, 2025, with a stable outlook, calling the balance sheet very strong and operating performance adequate. EMC does not publish S&P, Moody's or Fitch ratings for the P&C companies.

In its 2025 annual report, EMC reported net written premium of $2.05 billion, up 0.2%, with lower renewal premium reflecting underwriting and portfolio actions; a trade combined ratio of 96.7%, which it called its best in years; and policyholder surplus of $2.08 billion, up 12.1%. It also reported a 15% decline in new claims and a 16.8% drop in claims over $1 million. EMC Bond reported a 5.1% loss ratio and its 13th straight year of underwriting profit.

Strengths and weaknesses

EMC is a long-established, agent-loyal mutual with real middle-market depth, a sizable bond operation and improving results. It is also in the middle of a reorganization, and several of its newer offerings are still rolling out state by state.

• Strengths: More than 110 years writing commercial business through independent agents, with no direct or captive channel competing with them. A one-carrier package of property, fleet auto, liability, comp and bonds suits contractors and manufacturers. EMC Bond has 70-plus years in surety, with 2025 results it described as consistently profitable. Policyholder surplus grew 12.1% in 2025.
• Weaknesses: AM Best rates it A (Excellent), below the A+ held by some regional competitors. Workers' comp is limited to select states. Premium was flat in 2025 as EMC pruned business, and the Specialty and Large Accounts units were still launching in 2026. Its 2022 exit from assumed reinsurance and the pending sale of EMC Life show a company still narrowing its focus.

How to contact EMC Insurance