Hessle-based accountancy practice Harris Lacey and Swain has marked its 150th year of business with a merger.
Hull’s Holdstock, Nicholls Train and Co will be absorbed into the firm, swelling the team from 13 to 25.
The move is described as significantly expanding the client base, expertise and experience.
Richard Lacey, owner and partner, said: “We are delighted to announce the merger of Harris Lacey and Swain with Holdstock Nicholls Train and Co.
“The partners are all really excited to be working together, we think this is going to bring great things for the firm and great things for our clients.”
Mr Lacey, who joined the practice in 1993, together with fellow partner Richard Tucker will be joined by Holdstock Nicholls Train & Co founding partners Mike Holdstock and Paul Train at the helm.
The pair launched the business in 1987, and it was operating in Anlaby Road ahead of switching to The Riverside Building in Livingstone Road.
Mr Holdstock specialises in corporate, strategic, business and estate planning and compliance matters, while Mr Train focuses on business and financial planning for private individuals and corporate entities.
Mr Lacey said that while there had been a few name changes over the years, there had only been two families through the period, the Lockings and then the Laceys.
He said it marked a new era for the firm, and the merger was “based on the cultural values both firms share, in which client service is placed at the forefront”.
“Moving forward as one, the newly expanded firm will seek to both expand on existing specialities and seek new opportunities,” he said. “The merger will mean that the firm has the opportunity to retain valuable and talented members of staff, offering more services as part of a coordinated growth strategy.”
The team will look to offer the latest technology, including cloud accounting, “combining the best of old a new” with a tailored service and client focus.
Mr Lacey, who joined from Coopers and Lybrand - now part of PwC, and has significant experience with charities and owner-managed businesses, said: “The merger with Holdstock Nicholls Train & Co means that valuable additional services and even greater resources can be brought to bear, with the net result being an improved client service that fulfils both firms’ founding principles.”
