All the smart moves

The Davis Group was voted 47th in The Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work For. It is the second year running that the Newmarket-based brokerage appeared in the list. More than 13,000 SME staff across the UK took part in the survey, with the final selection being measured against criteria such as leadership, wellbeing, and personal growth, giving something back to the community and training and development.

Leigh Smart, chief executive officer of The Davis Group, believes the brokerage secured its place on the list for a second time, in part because of its flexible working environment and focus on training.

He says: "This is an excellent achievement. There is no doubt that everybody in the company works hard, but we believe that no one is going to work effectively unless they enjoy what they do. We accommodate individual needs as much as possible. This includes adjusted working hours, the ability to move around within the organisation and the opportunity for employees to demonstrate their strengths."

According to Smart, the group places significant importance on training and uses a range of media - from its own in-house trainers to online courses accessed via its intranet. Smart says: "Proof that our approach works lies in the fact that we rarely lose staff and absence due to sickness is extremely low - just 24% of the national average."

The group, which offers a range of commercial products and has delegated authority to underwrite in a number of areas, has also invested heavily in technology to gain efficiencies within the business. It produces a large proportion of its policy documentation and is expanding these facilities.

It has also developed its website to work for its retail and wholesale divisions, with policy wordings and proposal forms available along with other useful information.

The group has grown rapidly and Smart is confident of reaching its target of £50m premium income by the end of 2005.

He says: "We are set apart from our competitors because we have developed retail and wholesale divisions that complement each other. We have quality products, high levels of service and motivated and skilled staff."

Davis Underwriting offers a number of specialist schemes, including: liability schemes for hauliers, coach and taxi operators and skip and waste carriers; motor and property schemes for haulage contractors; marine cargo and goods-in-transit facilities.

It is also trying to increase awareness of its RiSK product portfolio such as MotorRiSK and PropertyRiSK.

Smart says: "Discussions continue with partner insurers to explore ways in which we can reach chosen segments of their broker bases more effectively and assist the broker with distribution."

It has not all been plain sailing for the group. Smart says that becoming compliant with the Financial Services Authority regulatory regime has been tough and there are still issues that need to be addressed.

He says: "We have worked hard over the last 12 months in preparation for FSA regulation. However, there are still some concerns, which is inevitable with any new regulatory regime. Even if you are doing everything right, there will be issues that need clarification. The process will mainly serve to help us identify that we are generally doing things right, and that has been felt positively across the group."

The softening market across most commercial classes will also increase the pressure on brokers, according to Smart. He says the group intends to maximise profitability by carrying out analysis on its business mix, and targeting opportunities that offer the best return. It is also in discussions with regard to possible acquisitions.

Smart warns: "It is harder to sustain growth when there is downward pressure on rates. We will grow again this year, but will need to do more new business to achieve our targets."

THE DAVIS GROUP

Chief executive officer Leigh Smart

Established 1975

Number of offices three

Locations Newmarket, Dartford and Gloucester

Number of staff 75

Lines of business All commercial with specialisms in the transport and motor sectors

Gross premium income £40m.