Business acquisition

The Perth based GS Group has acquired a longestablished Big County insurance firm.

The Shore Road company officially takes over Iain and Dawn Butchart’s I and D Insurance on September 1.

“Iain and Dawn wanted to find a local home for a local business because loyalty and the personal touch was important to them,”explained managing director George Stubbs.

“There will be a dedicated team here to look after their clients in Alyth and beyond.

“As the second largest independent operator in Scotland, over the years we have tended to grow organically.

“But we see this as a good fit as a local business with a strong emphasis on personal service.”

The Butcharts had a background in insurance but took a leap in the dark when they set up I and D Insurance 25 years ago.

“I suppose it was a huge risk at the time. We had no clients, nothing at all apart from two young kids and a dog,”said Iain.

“But it worked out well and the business developed very quickly, with the emphasis on private car, household and general insurance.

“As we looked towards retirement we wanted to make sure someone of a similar mindset to us took over.

“Everything fell into place very quickly.”

Iain and Dawn play an integral role in the highly acclaimed Strathmore Golf Centre junior development programme.

“We are heavily involved in junior golf so we will probably do a bit more of that, and maybe make up for lost time on the holiday front over the winter,”said Iain.