ADVERTISING FEATURE
DEFINING A DECADE
New era for Mark Richard Insurance as it gets set to celebrate 60th anniversary
Mark Richard Insurance has had a firm hold in the South West market for 60 years . Founded in Bristol by Dave Wyatt in 1963 it has since remained an independent family-owned business which has continued to grow and develop through word-of-mouth recommendations .
As a broker Mark Richard Insurance offers both commercial and personal insurance and has excelled in the specialist market providing insurance for cars imported from Japan . Over the last four years the business has been on a growth trajectory with the commercial sector being the driving force with growth of £ 2m turnover since 2019 .
Ian Sandham was a key hire for the business , joining the firm initially as Operations Manager in November 2019 , joining the board of directors in June 2023 . Wellknown in the South West and particularly in the Bath area , Ian has grown a strong portfolio in the city and its surrounds .
Ian said , “ It ’ s been fantastic to be part of the Mark Richard Insurance growth journey over the last four years . We now have 29 employees in and around the Bristol area and are currently recruiting . Having worked in the insurance industry for nearly 40 years , I know what ’ s special about this business . We ’ re consistent and successful because we don ’ t just talk about service , we deliver . We pick up the phone straight away , you don ’ t get stuck on a call being moved
around departments in a call centre and we offer a personalised service . If someone sends an email it ’ s dealt with the same day . This ethos takes the stress away from our customers , knowing they can pick up the phone to us and their query is sorted .”
To mark the 60th anniversary of Mark Richard Insurance the brand has recently had a refresh . Ian added , “ Our new logo contains three wiggly lines which create the profile of faces to reflect our focus on personal service , but the design has been updated and a new font has been used to freshen things up . It ’ s a nod to the past as we look to the future .”
As Mark Richard Insurance gets set for the next chapter the team are excited to announce that the business has been acquired by The Broker Investment Group ( TBIG ). The firm previously had a
minority stake in the business , but this new investment allows Mark to retire knowing his legacy is in safe hands .
Ian said , “ TBIG ’ s investment is great news for Mark Richard Insurance . Nothing will change in terms of the team , the service or the name over the door . One of the key benefits is TBIG ’ s buying power . We can get better deals buying collectively as a group which can subsequently be passed on to our clients . I can ’ t wait for the next chapter .”
To get in touch with Ian and to request a quotation email : ians @ markrichard . co . uk
“ Over the last four years the business has been on a growth trajectory with the commercial sector being the driving force with growth of £ 2m turnover since 2019 .”
INSURANCE TAILORED TO YOU
Mark Richard Brokers are local insurance brokers offering a range of insurances for contractors , restaurants , shopkeepers and more .
Get in touch with us now for more information .
www . markrichard . co . uk COMMERCIAL 0117 947 9510 CAR AND HOME 0117 923 1330
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2023 23