Wolstanton-based AMB Insurance Services Ltd is the largest independent chartered broker in Staffordshire. It supports SMEs and mid‑corporate clients across the Midlands.

The name ‘AMB’ comes from the initials of the Managing Director, Andrew Mark Barrow, who set up the company in 1998.

Over the past five years the business has grown significantly through a combination of organic growth, strategic acquisitions and client retention driven by quality advice.

It has set out to challenge a long-standing norm in its sector that insurance is transactional. Instead it has developed an advice-led model that integrates insurance into wider business decision-making. This includes detailed risk diagnostics for every client, identification of uninsured or poorly understood exposures, alignment of insurance with contracts, operations and growth plans plus proactive support before claims occur.

The company prides itself on giving back to the communities within which is based, with a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility running through everything it does. ‘Strong communities create strong businesses’ is one of the company’s mantras.

Every member of staff is encouraged to get actively involved with good causes whether that is through fundraising, volunteering or becoming a trustee. The Managing Director puts his money where his mouth is by serving as a trustee of The Peter Pan Centre.

Last Christmas all staff donated the value of the Christmas meal they were gifted by the company so that it could be given to charity.

Recent community work has included raising £25,000 for the Peter Pan Centre, supporting children with developmental needs across North Staffordshire,  generating £10,000 through the Aviva Community Fund for Alice Charities Big Cup to enable expanded support for families and carers and donating £3,000 to Alice Charity, Gingerbread and the Peter Pan Centre through its Christmas giving initiative, where the company redirected client gifting budgets to those in need.

Andrew Barrow said: “The culture is very much the driver of the business at AMB. Relationships are everything, whether that’s staff, customers or clients.”

AMB Insurance Services has entered the Small Business of the Year and Business in the Community categories of University of Staffordshire Business Awards.