Brown & Brown company Global Risk Partners (GRP) has acquired commercial broker Henshalls Insurance Brokers (Henshalls).
Founded in 1967, Henshalls is a commercial insurance broker headquartered in Newport, Shropshire, with offices in Shrewsbury and Stafford and two successful brands – Bayliss and Cooke and Coachline. It specialises in food and drink, manufacturing, construction, charities, sports, and hospitality.
As part of the agreement, Henshalls directors Mark Freeman, Martin Pitchford, Dave Williams, Anthony Hughes, and Neil Atkinson and their 42-strong team will remain with the business.
Henshalls managing director Mark Freeman said the deal will enable the broker to continue its historical growth and expand its footprint in the UK.
“In our discussions with Stephen Ross (GRP head of M&A) and Mike Bruce (GRP CEO), it became clear that joining GRP was the best future option for our business, our excellent team, and our customers. It provides us with a strong platform on which to build the next exciting chapter for the business,” Freeman said. “The added strength provided by Brown & Brown’s ownership of GRP, particularly its ‘forever company’ ethos, was a major factor behind our decision to join the business.”
GRP M&A head Stephen Ross said acquiring Henshalls would provide GRP with a valuable presence in Shropshire and Staffordshire.
“That part of the world is not widely served by brokerages, so we are pleased that Henshalls, which has been trading successfully for many years, has chosen to join our retail division,” Ross said.
The Henshalls acquisition follows the agreement between GRP’s digital broker Hamilton Fraser and London-based commercial lines insurance broker Edmondsons Limited (Edmondsons).
Edmondsons specialises in property and legal indemnity insurance. It has been trading since 1995 and is owned by Peter Hyne and his wife Susan, who bought the business from founder Gloria Edmondson in 1999.
As part of the agreement, Edmondsons will join Hamilton Fraser and form part of the broker’s growing commercial portfolio. All Edmondsons employees will also move across and continue working with the business as part of Hamilton Fraser.
