Dickson & Co buys Jim Burton Insurance Services in Armagh

Established in 1978 Jim Burton Insurance Services works across personal and commercial lines.

All nine employees are remaining with the business with former owner Jim Burton continuing to work with Dickson & Co managing director Ashley Dickson. The buy takes Dickson & Co to over £30m of gross written premium.

As previously reported by Insurance Age, Dickson & Co bought Limavady-based Morrison Associates at the turn of the year bringing it close to the £30m GWP threshold.

After that deal, Dickson director Gavin Mitchell told Insurance Age that the broker would snap up more businesses in 2022 as well as recruit more staff as it targeted £50m GWP in a five-year plan.

Growth

Post the Jim Burton takeover, Dickson & Co reiterated that it was focused on organic and acquisition growth, primarily in Northern Ireland but also in the Republic of Ireland and in Great Britain. The firm expanded into the Midlands in 2021.

The company trades in the Republic of Ireland under its Dickson & Wilson Insurance Brokers brand, following the acquisition and subsequent rebranding of the former Gunn Robinson Brokers, in 2019.

Dickson & Wilson, based in Dunboyne, Co Meath, with a further office due to open in Monaghan within the next few weeks, is jointly owned with Shane Wilson as is Wilson Insurance Brokers, which is based in Co Fermanagh.

Values

Ashley Dickson said: “We are delighted to welcome Jim Burton Insurance Services into our business. Like Dickson & Co, it’s a family-owned business sharing the same values and the range of services provided aligns well with Dickson & Co.”

Continuing: “Dickson & Co Insurance Brokers has grown exponentially over the past few years and as the business evolves, we are able to grow our team and reaffirm our commitment to be able to provide insurance products offering wide cover options and competitive premiums to our customers.

”In this age of online servicing, we have developed a training academy for all our current and newly acquired staff to avail of, to ensure we provide the best offers out there. We are finalising a new digital trading platform which will be available for customers to use from the end of Q1 2023.”

Local

And concluded: “However, we are acutely aware that many people still prefer the familiarity of coming into our premises and so with our continued growth and acquisitions, we are able to provide independent advice in local, easily accessible offices in provincial towns across Northern Ireland.”

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