Griffin expands with acquisition of Sloane Walker
Griffin Chartered Accountants, which has offices in Honiton and Exeter, has acquired East Devon accountancy firm Sloane Walker in a move that means an increase of 25 per cent in the company’s personnel and client base.
Griffin owners, Graham Higgins and Misty Nickells say they have been looking for just such an opportunity as part of expansion plans for the business they founded in 2015.
Graham explained: “It’s pretty much a perfect fit as Sloane Walker’s base in Ottery St Mary sits between our own two locations.
“As a forward-thinking business Sloane Walker, like Griffin, is already working with Xero, the Cloud and digital accounting rather than older, traditional accounting methods - meaning the move for its clients will be seamless. And for Griffin, the transaction means we are now of a size to offer a well-defined structure to clients, as well as providing a clear promotional progression for employees."
The initial approach was made to Sloane Walker owner Dave Walker in September 2018. After a meeting with the Griffin team, the exchange took place at the beginning of February with the sale completed on March 1.
Dave says the transaction means he can take the next steps in his own career in the knowledge that his clients will receive a first class service from a business with the same ethos, honest business practices and high standards of customer service that Sloane Walker has provided over the past 10 years.
“I’ve worked hard with my clients to encourage them to keep good quality records, making the accounting process a lot more straightforward. I’m sure that over the next accounting year, the Griffin team will appreciate the effort that has gone into this,” he said.
For existing Sloane Walker clients there is a distinct commitment to continuity; Dave will be staying on for the next two months on a full-time basis as clients are moved across before shifting to a consultancy role with Griffin whilst pursuing other business activities.
In addition, the majority of Sloane Walker employees have joined Griffin so for many clients the changeover will be a seamless and almost imperceptible. For some the process is already well underway as Griffin has been running the payroll for four months, with a positive response from Sloane Walker clients.
“I’m extremely comfortable with the change for my clients, who will benefit from the additional experience in the Griffin team,” added Dave.
Over the past year Griffin has been developing its structure and each branch now has a permanent manager to handle the day to day management of client work, allowing Graham and Misty to invest more time into building client relationships.
Misty said: “Griffin aims to promote a highly professional, efficient but friendly working environment that ensures employees want to stay as part of our expanding team for the long-term.”
“We’re confident in the knowledge that our business model is attracting high level, qualified accountants keen to join us from larger firms.”
