Lawsons Underwriting is expanding its operation to Melbourne, saying it’s an exciting opportunity to set up in the “country’s heartland”.

Director Glenn Simpson says Lawsons has been seeking to expand in the region for some time but needed to find the right person for the job.

Crystal Chown will run the Melbourne office and has signed on as a company director looking after national business development.

Mr Simpson says Ms Chown is “the perfect candidate” for its latest expansion.

Lawsons now has offices in NSW, WA and Tasmania, but Melbourne is expected to be a key to the agency’s continued development.

“We see this as a real move forward for the company and it puts us in the real heartland of the country,” Mr Simpson told insuranceNEWS.com.au.

“It’s really exciting and we think that one day down the track Melbourne will be our head office.”