Belfast-based IFA firm Johnston Campbell (JCL) has rebranded to Amber River Northern Ireland.
This comes after Amber River, formerly known as Socium Group, acquired JCL for an undisclosed sum in 2019.
Now, JCL has adopted the name and brand identity as part of a phased nationwide rollout, but the business will remain autonomous.
Founded by Jim Johnston in 1974, JCL has more than 60 employees with 24 advisers looking after more than £1bn ($1.13bn, €1.16bn) of assets for clients.
With support and funding from Amber River Group, it has also acquired a number of firms over the last 18 months: Barr & Law, White McMullan Barnes and Moore Stephens Financial Services, with further acquisitions planned.
Expand footprint
Ewan Boyle, director of Amber River NI, said: “The last few years working with Mary-Anne and the team at Amber River have resulted in our business more than doubling in size during that time, including through acquisitions to expand our footprint in Northern Ireland.
“They understand our strength is being very much rooted in and committed to the people of Northern Ireland. The firm was established in 1974 in the middle of an energy crisis. Here we are almost 50 years later and we’re seeing our clients through the same challenges.
“I’m proud of the experienced and loyal team we’ve built, some of whom have been with us for decades. And we’ve supported many generations of clients over the years. Amber River’s backing has helped secure our future and allows us to continue building our reputation, under our new name, as an employer of choice and IFA of choice for future generations.”
Mary-Anne McIntyre, chief executive of Amber River Group, added: “Ewan and the team are a pleasure to work with and I’m delighted they are representing Amber River within the communities of Northern Ireland. We look forward to continuing our partnership over the coming years to support the great work they are doing.”
Amber River has grown rapidly and now consists of 11 IFA businesses across 31 locations nationwide, with 142 independent financial planners advising in excess of 23,000 financial planning clients, and £8.7bn assets under influence.
