This article is sponsored by West Rock Insurance Brokers
West Rock Insurance Brokers has done the double again in 2026, being named one of Insurance Business Australia’s Top Brokerages and Fast Brokerages for the second consecutive year.
That run of success has held firm through the biggest structural change in the brokerage’s history. West Rock has moved from operating as an authorised representative (AR) – a business that works under another firm’s Australian financial services – to becoming a joint venture (JV) partner of McLardy McShane Insurance Advisors.
For an independent brokerage, a change of structure is a test, and West Rock’s results show it has passed. The business has kept growing on its own merits and the network behind it has supported that growth, rather than slowed it.
Wes Strong, director of West Rock Insurance Brokers, founded the business in 2019 and has built it into a $14 million portfolio. He has led the brokerage through its growth, its awards and its move into the McLardy McShane network. West Rock began with a strong agricultural focus and has since diversified, while keeping close ties to regional and rural communities.
The team now numbers 11, including offshore support staff, and the business recently opened a new office in Mooloolaba. The foundations were laid by Strong and his team, and the recognition has been consistent rather than one-off.
Two operational changes stand out in the brokerage’s development. The first was a shift from referral-based marketing to paid advertising. The second was the introduction of an online claims form designed to improve service and efficiency for clients.
Both changes support the client-first approach that Strong said the business was built on – and which he found reflected in his network partner.
Speaking when the partnership was announced, Strong said the move to McLardy McShane was about more than commercial terms.
“It’s been more than a business deal, the cultural fit with McLardy McShane could not have been a better fit. West Rock was built on client first service, and we’ve found that same approach at McLardy McShane,” he says.
He feels being part of a larger network has given the team “more training, more resources and a wider support base than we had as a standalone brokerage.”
“It’s made a real difference to how they grow and develop in their roles,” Strong adds.
That is the distinction at the heart of West Rock’s story. The network has added training, resources and support around the team but the client-first brokerage underneath is still the one Strong built.
Nick McLardy, CEO of McLardy McShane Insurance Advisors, said West Rock had brought “a strong local presence, excellent reputation and a people-led approach that closely aligns with our own.”
“They’re a great group of people who care about their clients and their community, and that lined up naturally with our people,” he says.
The network West Rock has joined operates at scale. McLardy McShane Insurance Group has 29 JVs nationwide, more than $950 million in gross written premium (GWP), 201 corporate authorised representatives and has raised over $4 million for community initiatives.
West Rock has also been recognised locally for its community work, including support for veterans.
West Rock’s growth has been consistent over a number of years, and joining McLardy McShane as a JV partner has supported that trajectory rather than changed it. For independent brokerages weighing their options, it shows that the right network partnership can help a business keep its identity while continuing to win at a national level – illustrated by West Rock’s commitment to continue competing for industry awards.
McLardy emphasizes how the early months of the partnership have been positive and have set the tone for the future. “We are really excited for what lies ahead,” he says.
