Aston Lark buys AJ Insurance Service

The Essex-based company was established in 1979 by father and son, Albert Wyatt and John Wyatt.

According to Aston Lark, AJ Insurance Services will retain its original clients and its long-serving team members following the deal.

The company initially started out as a personal lines specialist but is now heavily focused on commercial lines, with specialisms in construction, motor fleet and motor trade, and has a property account. The team also continues to provide household insurance and motor insurance, specialising in drivers over 80 years of age or those requiring extended overseas use.

Peter Blanc, Aston Lark Group CEO, commented: “As soon as I met John, it was clear that AJ Insurance and Aston Lark have an identical customer service ethos. In fact, we were introduced to each other by a mutual friend who thought that a deal would be a great fit, how right he was!

“I’m delighted that John and the team have decided to join the Aston Lark and Howden family and I’m certain that the business will grow and thrive over the coming years.”

Resources 

John Kemp, managing director of AJ Insurance Services, stated that when considering a partner, the company’s focus was whether the potential partner had the resources to help the company grow and shared its values.

He added: “When considering who to partner with, it was very important to us that we found a like-minded broking firm with a first-rate reputation for commitment to clients, and one that was well respected within the insurance industry. Aston Lark felt like a perfect fit for us, our team, and our clients.

“As AJ Insurance moves forward with the additional strength of Aston Lark, we feel we can guarantee our clients the best solutions to their insurance needs, with the same commitment to high level customer service as previously.”

Recent purchases

In May this year, Aston Lark marked its 50^th buy since its rebrand in 2018, with the purchase of UKGlobal Broking Group. The consolidator’s first purchase was Ingram and Nock in March 2018.

Aston Lark was also ranked in the £50m-£75m gross written premium branding in Insurance Age’s Top 100 last year.

Aston Lark has continued with its M&A strategy since becoming part of Howden Group in 2021. Aston Lark joined personal lines specialist A-Plan as the retail broking arm for Howden Group and the deal created a £6bn GWP broker. Following the deal announcement, Blanc told Insurance Age that he planned to double the size of the Aston Lark business under Howden ownership and would continue on the acquisition trail. 

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