Bollington has today revealed the completion of its purchase of the Bolton-headquartered corporate insurance broker, Watson Laurie Ltd. The acquisition, which has already gained FCA approval, is the fourth made by Bollington this year.
Watson Laurie, which was founded in 1988 and currently manages over £25,000,000 in annual premiums, is a Chartered insurance broker which specialises in corporate risks, property and construction, and European commercial real estate financing, among other niche areas.
Discussing the acquisition, Paul Moors (pictured), group CEO of Bollington, said he is delighted to welcome Watson Laurie into Bollington Group as it is a business he has admired for years. He noted that Watson Laurie has established in the North West a mightily professional and innovative corporate insurance broker and has delivered a track record in developing niche areas and professional connections.
“With its suite of specialisms and first-class reputation among clients in the UK marketplace,” he said, “it makes an excellent addition to our expanding group.”
Meanwhile, Andrew Crompton, MD of Watson Laurie, who will also join the main board of The
Bollington Group (Holdings) Ltd, said that completing the deal is great news for both parties as Watson Laurie is now part of a fast-growing and diverse group that is nationally recognised.
“Our clients and staff can rest assured that this development adds strength to Watson Laurie’s relationships with insurers and trading partners,” he said, “giving access to more products and services in the months ahead. In addition, the wider Bollington Group will benefit from our expertise and experience in a number of niche areas.”
The group MD of Bollington, Chris Patterson, highlighted that the opportunity to bring together the two businesses, stating that Watson Laurie has long been admired by Bollington as an entrepreneurial, insurance broker with an impressive portfolio of specialisms which are complementary to its own.
Andrew Delves, director of Watson Laurie commented “From early discussions with Paul and Chris, it was clear their business, like ours, has been built on strong foundations of client service, long standing client relationships and personalised service. We look forward to creating an extraordinary business together.”
