A Healthy History
When John and Ben McNeill first opened McNeill Pharmacy in Shallotte, North Carolina, in 1875, it’s doubtful they imagined their small business would mature into a nationally recognized health care provider. But four generations later, that family-owned and operated business still stands. Now North Carolina’s largest home care provider with a growing network of offices in South Carolina and Virginia, Liberty HomeCare & Hospice Services owes its success to founders dedicated to their community and profession.
In 1872 after graduating from medical school, John and Ben McNeill moved to Hope Mills, NC and served the community as doctors and pharmacists. Three years later, the pair moved to Shallotte to open a drugstore which would blossom into North Carolina’s oldest family-owned pharmacy. After being elected to the NC State Legislature at the turn of the century, Ben died after a heart attack, leaving John to man the family business. John decided to move the drugstore to Whiteville, NC, changing the name to J.A. McNeill & Sons Pharmacy. John’s son George, also a licensed pharmacist, had joined the business and in 1915 when John died, George assumed the reins.
By the 1940s, George’s son, John. A. McNeill Sr. followed in his footsteps, and the introduction of a local hospital and antibiotics kept McNeill Pharmacy thriving. As other pharmacies entered the area, the small drugstore that served the county for decades needed to expand to compete. By 1972, McNeill’s son Sandy, also a pharmacist, joined the company, and purchased 10 hospital beds and some medical equipment to augment their offerings. Years later, that endeavor sparked 15 stores and a new moniker, Liberty Healthcare with the name hearkening to John’s World War II Navy service. Since then, Sandy’s siblings George, Ronnie, Jim, Jane and Mary, have helped grow the business keeping the McNeill name entrenched in quality healthcare.
Today, Liberty Healthcare Companies remains a family-owned business, led by principals Sandy and Ronnie McNeill. Liberty Healthcare Companies encompasses a network of assisted living, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, home care and medical supply facilities. Staunch dedication to healthcare and their community distinguishes the McNeill family and the Liberty name, and Liberty HomeCare & Hospice Services is proud to be part of that tradition.
