“New businesses traditionally can struggle and many fail in their first 12 to 18 months, so we’re pleased not to have followed that course.”

Quote Detective chief executive David Harlow is happy to announce that the budding specialist insurance broker – with its £1.8 million turnover on £12 million gross written premium (GWP) – has had a good first year. Workforce currently stands at 45 employees, and an ongoing recruitment drive aims to ramp up the number to about 65 before 2019.

“It’s well worth noting that by our year-end in September the business should be at £20 million gross written premium with a turnover of £3.2 million,” said Harlow. “These figures are very encouraging and provide a good foundation on which to base growth for the business over the next year.”

He noted that the phone-based insurance business is currently recruiting at all levels, citing solid growth and job creation prospects at its Mamhilad Park Estate office.

The Gwent brokerage, which has negotiated terms with new insurers and improved those with existing ones, is in need not only of additional people but more onsite space as well. Owned by Next Risk Solutions Ltd, the contact centre recently moved from its premises at Springboard Innovation Centre in Cwmbran to its new Pontypool location.