Marine insurance company GJW Direct marks 200 years in business
by GJW Direct 5 Aug 13:30 UTC
200 Years of Marine Insurance © GJW Direct
GJW Direct, the marine insurance provider born in the docks of Liverpool in 1826, is celebrating a its 200-year anniversary this week - a historic milestone for one of the city's oldest businesses.
Since its beginnings serving the busy maritime port, it has grown into a nationwide insurance specialist protecting tens of thousands of boat owners across the UK.
The company was founded by Charles Groves, a Liverpool merchant working from offices in the heart of Liverpool's commercial district. John joined the business around 1873, and by 1885 the firm was formally trading as Groves, John & Co, based at 4 Water Street, in the same few hundred yards where the city's great shipping and insurance houses did business throughout the Victorian era. Westrup joined the partnership in the mid-1920s, giving the firm the name that would carry through the 20th century - before eventually becoming the GJW Direct that boat owners across the UK know today.
That heritage remains central to the brand's identity today, as it has grown from its 19th-century roots into a digitally driven consumer business. GJW Direct is now part of Ripe, which acquired it in 2024 to bring modern technology and customer experience to a business built on two centuries of specialist marine expertise.
Today, GJW Direct covers a broad range of leisure craft, from yachts and narrowboats to RIBs and paddleboards, with a Marina Scheme spanning more than 1,000 UK marinas.
GJW Direct has also maintained a long-standing partnership with the RNLI since 2018. One in eight of its customers has needed the charity's help in the past, underlining the importance of the partnership to the business's own customer base. In total, Ripe and GJW Direct have contributed over £375,000 to support the RNLI's water safety education and lifesaving work.
Alan Thomas, CEO of GJW Direct, said: "Two hundred years in business is a rare achievement, and it's not something any business gets to simply by surviving - it comes from the trust customers place in you, year after year, generation after generation. It's a privilege to be writing the next chapter of that history, and this anniversary is for every customer and colleague who has been part of the story so far."
GJW Direct will mark its 200th anniversary throughout the rest of 2026, with continued investment in its products and customer experience, and ongoing support for the RNLI's water safety work.
Find out more at www.gjwdirect.com/gjw-200-years