45. Bland Bankart

Fee and commission income (2000): £10.5m
Pre-tax profit (2000): £257,378

Address:
5 Western Boulevard
Leicester
LE2 7EX
Tel: 0116 254 6221
Fax: 0116 247 0140
Email: philip.bland@blandbankart.co.uk
Website: blandbankart.com

History: The group was formed in 1960. Starting from one office in Leicester, the group has grown steadily and now has additional offices in Birmingham, Cardiff, London, Luton and Amsterdam and encompasses eight companies.

Chief officer: Philip Bland
Biography: Trained in Birmingham and London, Bland returned to Leicester to start up his own company. He is also chairman of Unitas, the fourth-largest insurance buying group in the country.

Major shareholders: Philip Bland and Gilbert Bland
Main lines of business: Corporate insurance, financial services, risk management and third-party administration

Special schemes: Latent defects insurance, solicitors' PI and third-party administration
Number of UK branches: 7

Number of employees (average for 2000): 230
Greatest technological advance: The involvement of the company with Acturis to revolutionise the procedures in the UK insurance industry.