Crawford Dougall

Crawford Dougall Insurance was founded in 1989 by industry stalwart Andy Dougall.  Hailing from Alexander Forbes, Andy’s keen eye for opportunity initially saw him offering bespoke insurance to the farming community of South Africa’s Kwazulu-Natal province.

Simon Dougall, now the managing director of the business, has continued his father’s legacy, helping grow Crawford Dougall to become a formidable, specialist brokerage in the hospitality, commercial and corporate markets.

Crawford Dougall Insurance was founded in 1989 by industry stalwart Andy Dougall.  Hailing from Alexander Forbes, Andy’s keen eye for opportunity initially saw him offering bespoke insurance to the farming community of South Africa’s Kwazulu-Natal province.

Simon Dougall, now the managing director of the business, has continued his father’s legacy, helping grow Crawford Dougall to become a formidable, specialist brokerage in the hospitality, commercial and corporate markets.

The business is known within its industry to be extremely professional, knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with.

The immense strain that the hospitality industry has been under owing to the Covid 19 outbreak, which has resulted in a hardening of the insurance industry, has reaffirmed the critical importance of unshakable corporate values in the fight to serve clients.

“Where price used to be a major factor in determining if you won a client or not, these days, margins are too tight to be competitive on price,” says Simon.

“Instead, it comes down to experience, expertise, and proper insurance advice, which is the philosophy and cornerstone of our business. By reaffirming our commitment to these principles, these extraordinary circumstances have strengthened our businesses”.

“The thing that really stands us apart, and which has put us in good stead, is service excellence”.

Crawford Dougall’s specialised, tailored insurance advice is predicated on an intimate and thorough understanding of the specific needs and risks of clients. From this foundation it builds holistic and sustainable insurance and advisory solutions.

Ultimately, excellent service is built on a firm commitment to fostering excellent relationships with clients and business partners.

“As a broker, the most important relationships are obviously with your clients,” explains Simon. “It’s something that we nurture and look after, and we’ve built an extremely good team to ensure that.

“Then there are the insurance relationships, company relationships, and the relationships with – partners such as Fulcrum”.

Crawford Dougall’s trusted relationship with Fulcrum is long-standing and extends to the he group’s wider, market leading, collections business.

“We have nurtured our relationship with Fulcrum over the years such that we are in very good standing these days,” says Simon, “their Premium Finance facility has proven to be incredibly valuable to us and especially for our clients.”

With increased pressure on the cash flows of businesses and the hardening of the insurance market owing to adjustments in the risk modelling at insurance providers, Premium Financing has become an ever more valuable tool for businesses.

“When you’re paying a couple of million Rands for an insurance premium every year, to suck that out of your business, at the start of your insured period, can be a massive knock on your cash flows,” says Simon.

“To be able to smooth that with premium finances can be critical for businesses. Furthermore, the rating, and the actual cost of borrowing at Fulcrum is extremely cheap compared to when you are quoted into real terms and in banking terms,” he continues.

“Fulcrum has a proven track record with us, and many others in the industry. They have positioned themselves very well in the market and have built key, long-term relationships that span decades. There’s an element of comfort and trust with the brand that would not have been possible if their service and ease of business had not been outstanding.”

– Crawford Dougall Director, Simon Dougall

“So, I think what differentiates Fulcrum is its reputation. It is the sustainability of the business and its offering,” concludes Simon.