Plymouth advisers celebrate 50 years in the city

Top 30 advisory firm, Bishop Fleming, is celebrating its 50th year of business in Britain’s Ocean City.

The firm, which delivers accounting, tax, corporate restructuring and advisory services to businesses and private wealth advice to individuals, opened its first Plymouth office in 1969.

Having started in 1919, Bishop Fleming, which employs 350 people across the South West and West Midlands, is also celebrating its centenary this year.

The firm’s Plymouth team has increased substantially since it began, reflecting the growth in demand for its services. To accommodate this expansion, the firm now has its offices in Salt Quay House on Sutton Harbour.

Bishop Fleming Partner, Robert Davey, who last year celebrated his 25 years as a partner, said: “This milestone in the firm’s history offers an opportunity to reflect on the way the business has changed over the past 50 years. It has been quite a journey.

“The way we work in particular has been revolutionised through technology, the internet and cloud-based accounting, leaving us far more time to focus on the more rewarding advisory work that clients really value, which is an exciting development.

“We are building on these advancements with new services that cater for the needs of businesses and individuals.

“The firm has ambitious plans for the future, including further expansion in the city’s marketplace.”

Ex-partner, Graham Foale, who opened the firm’s Plymouth office 50 years ago in Headland Park, North Hill, returned to celebrate with his former colleagues.

Bishop Fleming continues to innovate with initiatives that benefit both its clients and people and it recently boosted its advisory team in Plymouth through the recruitment of tax expert, Pippa Clarke, experienced in tech and fast growth companies and their owners.

Mr Davey praised the talent and hard work of the many who have helped the firm to grow to be the size it is now and to be listed as a top 30 firm in UK’s national league of accountancy firms.

He commented: “As well as having a great team, the firm has developed deep and long-lasting relationships with its clients, something you can only do over time, and this helps them to regard Bishop Fleming as a trusted adviser.”

In 2018, Bishop Fleming was awarded Gold status by the independent customer services agency, Investor in Customers, for its “exceptional” service to clients.

Bishop Fleming has twice been lauded as Britain’s fastest growing accountancy firm and is, for the fourth year running, listed in The Sunday Times Best 100 Companies to Work For.