It’s another day, another acquisition for Aston Lark – a Howden company – which today revealed it has added the Plymouth-based marine insurance broker, Curtis Marine to its roster.
A family-run business, Curtis Marine has provided marine insurance solutions to the South West region for the last four decades, organising cover for a broad range of vessel types, from sole traders to marinas. In a Press release, Aston Lark highlighted that the Curtis Marine team's emphasis on customer service and providing advice and guidance for clients through their whole insurance journey fits closely with the ethos of Howden Group, making it ‘the perfect addition’.
Under the terms of the deal, Curtis Marine will become part of Howden’s marine practice trading under the Haven Knox-Johnston name and joining Euromarine, A-Plan Marine and Howden Fastnet to collectively form part of Haven Knox-Johnston. The acquisition will look to bolster Haven Knox-Johnston’s national presence, with an established local team based in Plymouth.
Commenting on the deal, Steve Hook, head of marine practice, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Sally, Aidan and the entire Curtis Marine team to the Howden Marine Practice and look forward to working closely together to provide the best marine insurance solutions to the marine industry and boatowners in Plymouth and the local area.”
Hook noted that the business aims to create the UK’s “most client-focused marine insurance proposition” and to deliver a wide choice of products aligned with expert advice and excellent value for money to its clients. He added that acquisitions like Curtis Marine are key to helping the firm achieve this objective.
Aidan Mepsted, director at Curtis Marine, also commented on the deal and said: “This is a new and exciting chapter and a great fit for Curtis Marine. Our business success has been made possible due to the hard work of our excellent staff, and support from our loyal customers and insurance partners. We look forward to joining the Howden Marine Practice and developing the business as it continues to expand in the marine insurance sector.”
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