JMG Group buys broker to strengthen north west presence

Insurance broker JMG Group has acquired Cheshire-based Blackfriars Group – its second purchase in less than a week.

Blackfriars specialises in liability and business insurance for small to medium sized (SME) businesses across the UK.

In a statement released yesterday (28 June 2023), JMG Group chief executive Nick Houghton said the deal would “further strengthen” its presence in the north west.

It came after the group announced it had acquired privately-owned commercial insurance broker GR Marshall on 22 June 2023 as it looked to strenghen its foothold in the south.

Speaking about JMG Group’s purchase of Blackfriars – its 10th of the year so far – Houghton said: ”The team’s track record of generating online leads will add another dimension to business development within the group.”

‘Best hands’

Blackfriars employs 20 people at its offices in Sandbach, Cheshire and Gibraltar.

Director Steven Lewis said the broker’s business will continue as usual following the deal.

He said that the company would continue to trade as Blackfriars and clients will deal with the same people in the team.

And he felt that joining the JMG Group will “free up more of my time to focus on clients and supporting the team here to develop their roles and careers with us”.

“We wanted to ensure the business would be in the best hands moving forward and I can safely say that my experience of the JMG Group has left me in no doubt that we are doing exactly that,” Lewis added.

“I’m looking forward to working more closely with the JMG team to continue growing our business.”

Houghton said he was “delighted to welcome Steven and his team to the group”.

“We look forward to supporting them as they continue to build on the company’s success,” he added.