GRP’s Marshall Wooldridge snaps up Rotherham-based broker

Marshall Wooldridge, the Yorkshire hub for Global Risk Partners (GRP), has bought Rotherham-based Goldthorpe Insurance Brokers.

Marshall Wooldridge managing director Geoff Kirk said Goldthorpe is a “good fit” for the hub as “it is a family-owned and managed business with a strong local presence, writing [both] commercial and personal lines business.”

Kirk also said Goldthorpe can grow its footprint in the South Yorkshire region now it can use the enhanced scale GRP offers. Goldthorpe’s brand and office will be retained. 

Choosing a custodian

Goldthorpe founder Steven Garlick said that although Marshall Wooldridge is a “big Yorkshire broker”, the team understands the value of community presence as well as it being a family business.

He said: “It was clear during our discussions that Marshall Wooldridge are the best possible custodians of Goldthorpe, enabling us to continue to play to our local strengths, but providing the additional product, service and regulatory support we need to offer our existing and future clients high quality insurance.”

Garlick’s wife, Julia, together with son and daughter, David and Helen, will all remain working in the business under the new ownership.

Garlick added: “We have a variety of options available to suit vendors as they look to crystallise value, and I’m confident that we’ll be able to announce further deals during this year.”