Group CEO of Aston Lark, Peter Blanc was not exaggerating when he told Insurance Business that the broking group has a lot of deals in diligence for 2021. Today, the business has announced its acquisition of Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers.
Bruce Stevenson, which has offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Scottish Borders and Turriff, was established almost four decades ago and provides specialist products and services to both commercial and private clients across the UK.
The business is one of only a small number of Scottish brokers with CII Chartered status and is a founding member, and the only Scottish member, of UNA Alliance, a national alliance of independent brokers. In a Press release, Aston Lark noted that the Bruce Stevenson brand will be maintained for “the foreseeable future”.
CEO Edward Bruce (pictured) will head up Aston Lark’s Scottish operations, which includes its existing team in Glasgow, while Aston Lark will look to build its presence in Scotland through future acquisitions and a natural expansion.
Commenting on the deal, Blanc noted that when he and Stuart Rootham (Aston Lark’s group MD) first commenced their Aston Lark journey, they agreed that Bruce Stevenson would be their ideal Scottish partner. He cited the strong reputation of Bruce and his team as being a key factor behind why the group was so pleased that the brokerage had chosen Aston Lark as its new home.
“I’m particularly delighted that Edward and his senior management team have chosen to invest part of their sales proceeds into Aston Lark,” he said, “as a sign of their long-term commitment to the group.”
Meanwhile, Bruce highlighted that he has known Stuart and Peter for several years, during which they have developed a close personal relationship as well as an understanding of shared business values and aspirations. After 40 years of success, he said, joining the Aston Lark team will allow Bruce Stevenson to expand at an even faster rate.
“There’s lots of synergy in the cultures of Bruce Stevenson and Aston Lark, and specifically in the areas of client focus, staff welfare, and training & development - evidenced by the Chartered status and long-term insurer relationships of both,” Bruce said. “I look forward to the Bruce Stevenson team continuing to deliver the same high quality service proposition to our clients.”
