Stonebridge has relocated its head office after over a decade, driven by growth of the network, resulting in a planned increase in support staff and new, larger premises.

From today, employees of the national mortgage and insurance network will be moving to a new and much larger base in Basildon, situated in Regency House on Miles Gray Road.

The fully refurbished unit sits on the top floor of the three-story building and is a new modern and open environment for all.

Stonebridge said the investment in the move to the new premises had been driven by a careful and ongoing increase in the number of AR firms within the network, which in turn resulted in more support staff dedicated to the needs of members and their advisers.

The aim of the new premises is to create a truly modern and collaborative workplace for Stonebridge staff, plus space for further growth, given the ambition to keep on growing the network and therefore the number of people required to service the needs of their members.

Last month, the Network Consulting league table of networks revealed Stonebridge had again achieved the largest net growth in AR firms during quarter three this year, up by 28 during the three-month period. This was a 4.5% net increase on the previous quarter with the number of advisers now above 1,100.

Following the office move, which is less than five miles from the previous and smaller HQ, Stonebridge said it would continue to follow its strategy of AR firm and RI recruitment and wished to maintain its connection with the local community in terms of its appointing more support staff from the region.

Rob Clifford, chief executive at Stonebridge, said: “Being well-capitalised and independently-owned has many benefits including our shareholders’ commitment to investing in the business they proudly own. After several months’ work, we are very pleased to be finally moving into our new head office, which provides us with not only a new space that our operational and support teams can further grow into, but is also a truly modern space, which will provide a better, innovative and collaborative working environment for our employees.

“What has, of course, driven much of this move is the significant and carefully planned growth we have delivered in mortgage advisers in the Stonebridge network over the last three years, which has naturally resulted in our own internal staff growth to support our network members. I’m sure many investors and shareholders would resist a substantial office move, especially during these tricky market conditions – but myself and the entire shareholder base see the real merits in having a great place to work, for our people.

“The business was founded in this area over 30 years ago and our previous offices in Lords Court were home to Stonebridge for the last 10 years. The move, a short distance to Regency House, will act as a springboard to further expansion and to many more years of success for Stonebridge. Stonebridge is here to stay and investing in this wonderful new site is testament to our commitment to both colleagues and member firms.”