Expansion plans for the brokers with longevity

While fly-by-night insurance brokers have come and gone, the Packett family has seen off two World Wars, umpteen recessions and made friends with the King of Tonga along the way.

One of the family even landed a role in a popular TV series of the 1970s.

The Packetts offer a friendly rebuff to those who believe that insurance is a world stuffed with dusty ledger books.

As Sydney Packett & Sons marks its 90th birthday, the firm's directors, 53-year-old Andrew Packett and his brother, Charles, 54, are planning prudent expansion in a manner their ancestors would probably have applauded.

The brothers are proud of the fact that their family firm has become one of the largest brokers to the charity sector in Britain. The company, based in Shipley, West Yorkshire, has a roster of household names on its client list, including Guide Dogs for the Blind and the Royal College of Surgeons. It also looks after the insurance needs of hundreds of blue chip clients.

Charles recalled: "The business was formed in 1920 by our grandfather, Sydney Packett, who built up the business predominantly on the back of the textile trade. He was deputy lord mayor (of Bradford) and a very highly respected gentleman within the business community.

"Our uncle, Neville, and, shortly afterwards, my father, Sydney, joined the business after the Second World War. Neville was a remarkable businessman who picked up large contracts in Australia, Tonga and Fiji."

Neville Packett had a powerful affinity with Tonga. He was presented with a Silver Royal Medal of Merit by the King of Tonga, and even wrote a holiday guide to the kingdom's Tongatapu Island.

Andrew Packett said: "He gained a significant amount of business and became friends with the king. He was guardian to the king's sons when they were at school in the UK."

The Packett brothers are keen to pay tribute their 35 staff, who have helped the firm achieve premium income of around 12m a year.

So what's the secret of longevity in a sector where life can be brutish and short?

Andrew clearly believes that complacency can be corrosive.

"The competition is incredibly intense now. A lot of our charity work is London-based,'' he said.

"The specialist areas that we concentrate on in London have been very successful and a lot of work has been gained through word of mouth.

"When clients see the foundation date 1920, it does give a huge comfort factor. We're not one of these here today, gone tomorrow firms.

"I know most of my clients, I know their families and I know their children."

Charles, who joined the firm in 1973, believes Packetts must keep its reputation for excellence: "We don't employ any hard sales people. The vast majority of our work is picked up by recommendation."

As a teenager, Andrew enjoyed unexpected fame on television.

He recalled: "In 1972, my mother saw an advert in the Yorkshire Post. It said that Yorkshire Television wanted a lad who was 16 but looked about 13.

"I got the part of Matthew Flaxton in the Flaxton Boys. So I spent three or four months away from school filming, what was then, the number one kids' series.

"It was set in 1945 – there were four series of the Flaxton Boys. The only one of the Flaxton Boys who became famous was Peter Firth. He's in Spooks (the BBC drama series about the intelligence services) now.

"I had a great time. One scene involved a Spitfire flying low over Ripley Castle (near Ripon). I did a bit of work on Coronation Street, but, unfortunately, I did more resting than working as an actor.

"My father suggested that I might care to do some work and stop mucking about!"

Packetts believes in the time-honoured code of earning money before spending it.

As Charles Packett observed: "In an ever-changing world, we will stick at doing what we do best. If it isn't broke, don't fix it.

"There's a huge amount of trust and integrity in our business. Long may it continue."

The old-fashioned way proves the best

Founded in 1920, Shipley-based insurance broker Sydney Packett & Sons is proud of punching above its weight.

Said Andrew Packett: "I go and see new clients in London, and the first thing they tell me is that 'Granny came from Doncaster'. They love to have a connection with Yorkshire. The clients love to come and see us. It's a plus, being 200 miles away from London, not a minus."

His brother, and fellow director, Charles Packett, said: "Regulation is a good thing, but it has to be kept within bounds so that it doesn't choke business to death.

"That doesn't just apply to our sector. We have a very old-fashioned view of running a business. We have never borrowed money, so we have no bank debt."

The new generation of Packetts is already involved in the firm. Andrew's son, Oliver, runs the claims department for a division that specialises in insurance for the training industry.