South West accountancy firm Bishop Fleming is hoping to gain another two national awards next month to take its tally for the year to a record of six.
The firm, which has an office in Bath, is shortlisted in two categories in the National Accountancy Awards – Best Mid-Tier Firm and Best Employer.
The awards will be presented before 500-plus guests at a gala event in London on November 20 arranged by Accountancy Age, the profession’s ‘bible’.
The nominations follow hot on the heels of Bishop Fleming being named as the country’s fastest-growing Top 40 accountants for the second year running, gaining the national title of ‘best tax practice in a regional firm, securing ‘outstanding’ accreditation from Investors in Clients, and being listed as one of the UK’s 12 best accountancy employers.
Bishop Fleming managing partner Matthew Lee, pictured, said: “It has to be a record for any South West accountancy firm to be singled out for five national awards in one year.
“While it’s great that, once again, we have been named as the country’s fastest growing Top 40 accountancy firm, we are more proud of becoming the region’s first winners of Investors in Clients, having been Britain’s first accountants to win Investors in People – and being voted the best tax practice in a regional firm.
“We now have to wait for the national accountancy awards event to learn whether we have won the Best Mid-Tier Firm and Best Employer awards.”
The awards cap a year of strong growth for Bishop Fleming, which also include Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Torquay, Truro, and Worcester.
The firm’s latest annual financial results reveal turnover grew by 23%, driven by winning 700 new clients – an 8% increase – and recruitment of 41 new staff, including 17 trainees. Despite this the firm continued to reduce its environmental impact.
It exceeded its target of reducing three measures of its carbon footprint by 5%.
Energy use (gas and electricity) was cut by 8.4% per employee, paper & toner use by 16.7%, and car-mileage by 6.2% per employee.
Mr Lee added: “The past year has also seen us extend our reach beyond the UK, with an award from Kreston International – the global network of independent accountancy firms – for the best International Service Line Development, recognising our work to make Kreston the number one network in the UK for academies, with BF as number two in the country.
“These achievements are testimony to our decision, taken when the UK economy took a dive, to do it differently to how we responded to previous recessions. We decided to invest, rather than cut.”
These national and international achievements have been secured alongside further investments in Bishop Fleming’s operations, including expansion of its Bristol office and the adoption of an advanced telecoms service to maximise inter-office tele-conference to minimise travel. The firm moved into Bath having bought parts of rival firm Target out of administration in December 2011.
