Tasker acquires Lincolnshire specialist broker

Tasker Insurance Group has completed the acquisition of specialist broker Castle Insurance Consultants Limited.

Lincolnshire-based Castle will form part of the group’s retail broker, Tasker Insurance Brokers (TIB).

Castle has an established tour operators’ proposition and a commercial team with a food and leisure niche.

TIB had links with Castle prior to the acquisition, as TIB’s specialist tour operator and travel business, Tasker Travel Risk Professionals, acted as Castle’s wholesale broker for their tour operator risks. Castle trades as Tour Indemnity, in both the UK and Ireland. 

Speaking of the acquisition, Tasker Group chief executive Robert Organ said: “We are delighted to welcome the Castle team on board.

“Alan Pattison, the managing director of Tasker Travel Risk Professionals, and his team know them well through our existing trading relationship and we are all excited about our future together.” 

Growth

Organ went on to comment: “Completing this transaction is the first in the delivery of our accelerated growth plan, where we are looking to grow our regional footprint through the creation of additional regional hubs across the UK, as well as further expanding our specialist broking capabilities.”  

TIG acquired Castle through share purchase and plans to work with the team to grow the existing client base.

Patrick Parnell, managing director of Castle said: “The team at Tasker have been a pleasure to work with throughout the transaction and I am so pleased for my team and clients that they are joining a business that I know will continue to look after them as we have done in the past.” 

Parnell will be continuing to support the business on a consultancy basis following the sale.

Team

TIB’s last acquisition was in 2016 with Enni-Scheme Commercial Insurance Service and its hospitality practice The Guesthouse Insurer. The Group has seen many changes since with chief executive Robert Organ joining in September 2017, chief operating officer Graeme Lalley in September 2018 and chief financial officer Jonathan Webber in January 2019. They joined the established team of managing director Ann Bowyer, managing director Barry Reynolds and chief underwriting officer Robert Munden, who are still in place.

Bowyer added: “As a specialist broker, being able to expand our network into the new area of Lincolnshire is a fantastic way to start the year. We are looking forward to working with the team especially as they already have specialists and connections in areas in which we operate.”

The acquisition adds to TIB’s existing hubs in the north west and south east and has already received FCA approval.

Organ said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome new talented people on board into Tasker, a business that is focused on its people and clients.

“We are growing organically and through acquisition and are keen to hear from people, and businesses, who are interested in the opportunity of growing and developing with us.”