In these days of call centres, remote access and electronic commerce, it’s refreshing to find that one long-established local company retains the personal touch and observes the old fashioned courtesies.

Building relationships with clients remains central to the success of Sydney Packett & Sons, independent insurance brokers, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary.

Directors Andrew and Charles Packett, have maintained the tradition of understanding their client’s needs by spending time with them.

It’s a formula that has clearly worked, as many businesses have remained clients for 30 years, and some as long as 60 years.

Packett focuses on commercial insurance for small and medium companies, charities and training organisations, with each sector accounting for about one third of the business.

The Shipley-based firm, which employs around 30 staff, operates with the usual bells and whistles of a modern operation, including a fully-fledged website.

But Andrew and Charles believe the personal touch and high service levels remain as vital to winning and keeping clients as it did in the days when their grandfather and the firm’s founder, the late Sydney Packett, was building up the business.

Charles said: “I still believe that a face-to-face chat over a cup of tea is time well spent. It enables us to build relationships and get to better-understand a client’s needs and helps us to help them “It’s not about providing quick quotes and fast sales, but an approach that takes a considered view of what someone needs. If we believe what they are looking for is not the best option, we’ll say so, even if it means us not winning the business.”

Sydney Packett & Sons Ltd started in 1920 when the 25-year-old Sydney rented two rooms in Ivegate and went into business after working in insurance since the age of 16.

For many years the firm was based in Lloyds Bank Chambers in Hustlergate. Mr Packett, who died in 1980, aged 94, remained active in the business into old age, marking his 90th birthday with a day off.

As well as building up a successful enterprise, Keighley-born Sydney Packett devoted time to public service. He represented the Allerton ward as a Liberal councillor for 18 years from 1929, and served as Deputy Lord Mayor of Bradford in 1940-41.

After his death, the family paid for the refurbishment of some of Bradford’s civic regalia.

His sons, Duncan and Neville, who is now 89 and living in Ilkley, maintained the family tradition.

Originally built on the back of the wool textile trade, Packett continues to insure many local clients. It was thanks partly to Neville Packett’s globetrotting in the 1970s and 1980s that the firm developed international contacts in Australia, Fiji and Tonga. Neville became a personal friend of the King of Tonga.

Sydney’s grandsons, Andrew and Charles, took over the reins in 1980, and the firm moved to its current base at Salts Wharf, Shipley, in 2000.

When they took control, Packett’s annual premium income was £1m. The brothers reorganised the business and developed new markets, boosting annual premium income to around £12m.

The next generation is already in the business, with Andrew’s son Oliver heading the claims department in Trainsure, the division which specialises in cover for training organisations.

Charles said: “When clients see that we’ve been in business since 1920, it does give them a certain comfort factor. We’re proud to be a Bradford business employing local people with the knowledge and expertise to win clients on a national basis.”

Today’s operation is a far cry from the original ledgers used in the early days when Sydney Packett had to visit clients because he didn’t have a telephone.

Staff are working in a highly-regulated financial services industry. The Packetts decided that focusing on commercial work, rather than areas such as life and pensions, was the best way forward.

Charles said: “We took a common sense approach and decided to stick to what we knew best rather than try to cover every base. As a result, our work is now almost all commercial with only a little private business for a few individuals.

“The decision to specialise has paid dividends for us as we’ve continued to progress in spite of the ups and downs of the economy. With three distinct areas of operation, we have been able to balance out business if one sector was quieter than others.

“Providing personal service is time-consuming and not always easy to do, but we think it’s worth it. It underlines our continued commitment to high levels of service, which remains central to our business ethos. At the end of the day, this business is about trust between us and our clients, and that remains at the heart of what we do.”

If the customer testimonials on the Packett’s website are anything to go by, it is a winning formula which is recognised and appreciated.