Our Company History

Our Company History


1962


Lee Ryan and his wife, Donna, start The Ryan Agency after being recruited right off the family farm in Almond. Lee becomes a part-time agent working out of their Karr Valley home.


1963


The Ryan Agency opens an office attached to their new home on Main St. in Almond.

1975


A Main St. location in the city of Hornell is purchased to accommodate further expansion and increase visibility.


1986


A Canisteo Agency is bought and located at 38 Main St. Lee’s son, Jeff, owns and operates this location.


1990


Lee purchases a condemned building on the corner of Church St. and Genesee St. in Hornell. A modern single-story office is built on the site to better serve our clients.


1994


After 32 years of service Lee and Donna retire and the Hornell location is purchased by Jeff Ryan.


1998


The Ryan Agency merges the Canisteo and Hornell offices upon transitioning into an Independent Agency.


2006


To accommodate a growing client base the agency is moved to a larger, more centrally-located office building at 57 Broadway Mall in Hornell.


2013

The Ryan Agency merges with The Manley Agency on State Route 417 in Jasper, New York. We sincerely appreciate our clients down in the southern portion of Steuben County.

2017

The Ryan Agency merges with the CHG Insurance Agency on 186 S. Main Street in Wellsville, New York. The agency adds to the already large number of Allegany County clients we are proud to serve.



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By Jeff Ryan April 7, 2026
Factors You Can’t Easily Control These factors are built into your profile, but still play a major role: Your location: Claim trends, traffic, and weather patterns where you principally drive. Your age and driving experience: Especially for younger drivers. Other drivers in your household: Their age and driving history. The vehicle you own: Unique to the Year, Make, Model, and Sub-model’s damageability and cost of parts/labor. These factors significantly influence price differences, but they don’t tell the whole story. Factors You Can Control This is where habits and wise decisions can make a real difference: Your driving habits: Minimizing tickets and accidents can have a direct impact. Your coverage choices: Liability limits, deductibles, and optional coverages can vary widely. Your insurance consistency: Avoiding lapses in coverage. Your annual mileage: How much and how often you drive. Discount opportunities: Bundling, pay-in-full, NYS defensive driving course. Your Insurance Score (Yes—You Can Influence It) Insurance companies use a credit-based insurance score as part of their rating process. While it’s based on financial behaviors, it is not permanent—and it can be improved over time. Simple habits like: Paying bills on time Reducing outstanding debt Avoiding excessive credit inquiries… can positively impact your score—and in turn, your insurance rates. Your insurance score is under your control and a worthy mid to long-term project in and of itself. For more information on what you can do to positively influence your score, see: Great 8 Tip #8 - What's Credit Got to Do with Insurance? How Can I Improve My Auto Insurance Score Why Comparing Rates Doesn’t Work When someone says, “I only pay…” , the uniqueness of their fingerprint is missing. What are their: Deductibles Driving history Insurance score Household profile Coverage limits: what they may be giving up in terms of protection. Price without context can be misleading and discouraging.
By Jeff Ryan - CLU, ChFC, AIA, CIC, CPCU December 7, 2025
Part 7 – Designing a Value-Driven Insurance Plan
By Jeff Ryan - CLU, ChFC, AIA, CIC, CPCU November 24, 2025
Part 6 – Advice, Advocacy, and Answers