CGM Gallagher officially opened its Montego Bay Branch last Friday.

The opening of the branch, located at Fairview II, was buoyed by the company’s buyout of the Zenith commercial insurance portfolio in March.

The branch, dedicated to Western Jamaican risk management, will see a concerted effort by the group to strategically service the North Coast insurance broking market. The new office is also in keeping with the Group’s continued focus on growth.

“In January, the opportunity to acquire the Zenith commercial portfolio arose, presenting itself as the way to expand our breadth across the country in which we opened our very first office,” said CGM Gallagher CEO Matthew Pragnell.

“The opening of this Montego Bay branch represents our third new office since the acquisition of the Zenith commercial book; it brings up the number of offices in Jamaica to five, for a tally of 13 offices group-wide. The Zenith move has also allowed us to increase the group’s staff numbers to over 180,” he added.

The company has, since its opening in 1971, serviced its Western Jamaica clients from its Harbour Street head office.

Sheraley Bridgeman has been appointed to the post of manager, Western Jamaica and has oversight for both the Montego Bay branch and the Ocho Rios sub branch, while Stanley Black is the assistant manager for the Montego Bay branch.

The CGM Gallagher Group is the largest and one of the oldest insurance brokers in the English-speaking Caribbean with premiums managed in excess of US$150 million. The Group has offices in Jamaica, Barbados, St Vincent, St Lucia and Grenada, along with licenses to operate in Antigua, Anguilla and Dominica and correspondents in Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the ABC Islands and Puerto Rico.