News 2008/09

The American composer Aaron Copland once said that ‘To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible and inconceivable.’ Unfortunately music is sometimes silenced. Valuable, unique and often of great sentimental value, musical instruments, like all belongings, can be vulnerable to physical damage as well as to loss and theft.

 

In response to this, AXA Art has launched a specialist insurance cover providing musicians with a product and service that will help keep the music playing.

 

Nick Grazier, Head of Marketing and Distribution at AXA Art says “We have been insuring items of both financial and sentimental value for over 40 years. Our approach to ensuring musical instruments is based on understanding what is actually important to musicians and collectors. Insurance doesn’t have to be about adding value only when there is a claim.”

 

To make the product readily available, whilst providing the levels of service required by musicians, AXA Art have teamed up with Lark Insurance Broking Group. Together we offer musicians years of experience within the musical insurance market and an understanding of the personal and emotional nature of music.

 

The combined expertise of AXA Art and Lark, supported by an extensive international network of dealers, repairers and valuers, means musicians will benefit from a wealth of specialist knowledge.

 

It was Rachmaninov who said ‘Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.’ By providing for continuity of practice and play, AXA Art can help musicians make the most of their musical lifetimes.

02 April 2008
Lark Group announces the purchase of  Grosvenor Court Insurance Services Limited

Lark Group is pleased to announce the purchase of Grosvenor Court Insurance Services Limited for an undisclosed sum. Grosvenor Court is based in central London and specialises in property insurance. The acquisition will add around £1.5 million gross premium and £450,000 revenue to the group.

 

Following the acquisition Lark, which provides insurance broking services to a broad cross-section of corporate and personal clients, will have annual revenues in excess of £20 million generated by 255 staff in 6 offices across London and the South East.

 

Graham Lark, Chief Executive of Lark said

 

“We are delighted to add Grosvenor Court Insurance Services to the Group. It is an attractive and profitable niche property broking business, and the deal further enhances our capabilities in that area. It also represents a further step towards our strategic objective to grow our business in the South East through compatible bolt-on acquisitions”.

01 February 2008
Lark Group announces the purchase of Griffiths Good & Company Limited

Lark Group today announces the purchase of Griffiths Good & Company Limited, an insurance broker based in Fleet, Hampshire for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition will add around £7 million gross premium, £1 million revenue and 14 staff to the group.

 

Following the acquisition Lark, which provides insurance broking services to a broad cross-section of corporate and personal clients, will have annual revenues of around £20 million and employ 255 staff in 6 offices across London and the South East. Roy Griffiths will continue to have management responsibility for the Griffiths Good business following the acquisition.

 

Graham Lark, Chairman of Lark said

 

“We are delighted to add Griffiths Good & Company to the group. It is a top quality corporate broking business and the deal represents a further step towards our strategic objective to become one of the leading brokers in the South East.

 

It is also our first acquisition since Groupama purchased a controlling stake in Lark last year and reinforces the message that our development continues as before.

 

There is a strong cultural fit between the firms as Griffiths Good shares our belief that insurance brokers who provide clients with sound advice and excellent service will continue to thrive.”

 

Roy Griffiths commented

 

“It is never easy selecting a future business partner but Lark exceeded our expectations at every step so we are very pleased to be part of this dynamic and forward thinking Broking Group. Our cultural similarities were evident from the start and with the additional resources Lark can provide we look forward with confidence to developing our business as well as giving added value insurance and risk management services to our clients”.