End of an era as Brewin’s Bradford office shuts

The five staff based at the office in Auburn House, Upper Piccadilly, in Bradford will move to Brewin Dolphin’s office in Lisbon Street, Leeds.

Brewin Dolphin’s Bradford office can trace its roots back to the days when the city was still booming on the back of the textile trade.

The Bradford office used to belong to the stockbroking and investment manager Hill Osborne, until Brewin Dolphin acquired the office in June 2000. The Bradford business was established by Hill Osborne in the 1960s.

Brewin Dolphin, which is one of the UK’s biggest independently-owned private client investment managers, said the move to consolidate its Bradford and Leeds offices would strengthen its service to clients. The move is due to be completed on January 2.

As part of the consolidated operation, divisional directors Rupert Fenton and Richard Sutherland and assistant director Anne Swallow, who are currently based in Bradford, will be joining Brewin Dolphin’s team in Leeds, which is led by Michael Craven.

Mr Craven said: “We’re all looking forward to welcoming Rupert, Richard and the team to the Leeds office and I’m confident they’ll be an excellent addition to our teams.

“Uniting the Bradford and Leeds resources is a great move for both Brewin Dolphin and our clients across Yorkshire and the surrounding areas, who will directly benefit from the enhanced expertise within the expanded office. We are looking forward to the opportunities this development will bring for the business in 2013.”

As a result of the merger, Brewin Dolphin’s Leeds office will have 50 employees.

The office provides investment management and financial planning services for private investors, charities and pension funds.

The Brewin Dolphin Group manages £26bn of funds for more than 130,000 private clients.

Brewin Dolphin has 40 offices across the UK and the Channel Islands.