Howden, part of the Hyperion Insurance Group, has completed the acquisition of Perkins Slade Forrest Holdings.

Howden is the retail broking arm of Hyperion, the world's largest employee-owned insurance group, with over 3,000 employees worldwide.

The acquisition of Perkins Slade will establish a strong Birmingham presence for Howden which described the city as "an extremely important market".

Perkins Slade has been based in Birmingham since 1970, when David Perkins and David Slade first put their brass plate on the wall of 32 Waterloo Street.

With strong local connections, particularly in the regional sport and manufacturing sectors, the business has remained in the city centre as it has grown.

It moved to Elizabeth House in Suffolk Street Queensway in the 1980s, and then on to Broad Street, before moving last year to its current location at Tricorn House.

Perkins Slade has 90 employees in Birmingham and the acquisition creates a 100-strong local team, complementing Howden's existing UK operations, which include London, Bedford, Liverpool, Brighton and Wakefield.

The company will form part of Howden's UK retail business which now has annual broking revenues in excess of £60 million.

The combined business forms the largest independent broker in Birmingham.

Stuart Rootham, joint managing director of Howden UK Retail, said: "The acquisition of Perkins Slade gives us a really strong presence in Birmingham which is integral to our ambitions in the UK.

"The city is an important location as we continue to expand our national footprint and make Howden the natural home for talent in every part of the UK in which it operates."