One of the Humber region’s largest independent accountancy firms has bought out a Hull practice, giving it a presence in the city.
Forrester Boyd, headquartered in Grimsby, with offices in Scunthorpe, Beverley, Louth and Skegness, has acquired Graybrowne.
It is part of the firm’s strategy as it evolves from traditional practice to provider of a holistic range of services.
The deal gives Forrester Boyd a “solid geographic footprint from which to expand its reach further,” according to chairman David Everatt.
“The acquisition of Graybrowne positions us firmly in the centre of Hull,” he said. “Graybrowne is a firm aligned not only to our growth strategy, but also with our values and beliefs and a perfect fit for our business.
“Our aim is to help all our clients to achieve their objectives, to meet them, to build relationships with them and to stay with them along their journey.
“As we move more into the realms of a true business and financial partner with our clients through the delivery of not only accountancy and tax services but corporate finance and wealth management, we are excited to be able to offer these value added services to our new clients.”
Graybrowne, based at ‘The Counting House’ in Nelson Street, was established in 1979, as Aitken Browne. Nick Browne and Anne Gray, both chartered tax advisers, joined the practice during the following decade, renaming it in a restructure in 1999.
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Mr Browne said: “We are delighted to be joining Forrester Boyd. The firm has an outstanding reputation for delivering high quality advice and service levels. With the additional services the firm offers within the group and the support from the wider support teams within Forrester Boyd, I have no doubt that our clients will benefit from these value-added services we can offer.”
This year sees Forrester Boyd mark its 85h anniversary, and with the incorporation of Forrester Boyd Corporate Finance Ltd this year, the firm has now aligned its accountancy, corporate finance and wealth management service areas all under the Forrester Boyd brand.
With the 15-strong team from Graybrowne, which will adopt the Forrester Boyd name, the firm will now have more than 170 staff.
Mike Beckett, partner at the Beverley office, will manage the Hull office along with Nick and Anne, who will remain part of the business over the next few years.
Mr Beckett said: “This acquisition is a very exciting opportunity for the firm which comes at an extremely challenging time for many businesses. I look forward to working closely with Nick and Anne in continuing to deliver a first class service to their clients.”