A NEWLY acquired insurance brokerage which specialises in covering firms has chosen York to establish its first regional office.

The office of Knowlden Titlow Insurance Brokers (KTIB) at The York Hub in Pope’s Head Court, Peter Lane, is the first of a national network planned for 2011.

Robin Plaster, who last May bought out Norwich-based KTIB, is launching a re-brand. The creation of the York office is part of the network, which it is hoped will double the firm’s premium income from £15 million to £30 million over the next five years.

The York office is being manned by account executive Jim Love, but four more people could be recruited there this year.

The next office is likely to be in Liverpool, near to where Mr Plaster previously founded and ran a firm, and premises in London will also be targeted.

Since the acquisition, Mr Plaster has revamped the front office side of the business, recruited new staff and created a new website, weinsureanyfirm.com Michael Buse, formerly a divisional director with £2 billion premium national firm Towergate, who has now joined Mr Plaster on the board, said: “We are getting small teams of people who are on the road to attend to their businesses. The York office will have a catchment area of about a 100-mile radius.”

KTIB was formed to provide insurance and risk management 20 years ago, and founders John Knowlden and Jon Titlow remain as directors.