Matthew Melksham - Associate Partner at Haines Watts North Devon

Matthew has been an accountant for over 12 years and during this period has been involved with a diverse portfolio of clients ranging from the local plumber to truly international businesses. He joined Haines Watts Bideford office as a senior manager in December 2012 to look after the corporate clients in the firm and on 1st May 2013 was promoted to partner.

With a background in the catering and hospitality trade, including working in a Michelin-star restaurant and running a public house in his home City of Bath, Matthew has hands-on experience in running commercial operations. As a result he offers a personal service and customer focused approach providing accounting, tax and business advice to incorporated and non-incorporated business entities, owner managers and sole traders.

Matthew develops trust and confidence with his clients giving structured, pragmatic and timely advice to help them grow their company and excels in covering the areas of the business which are normally the responsibility of a Financial Director. This allows owners or managers the time to concentrate on the other aspects of the business with the knowledge that they do not need to pay a Financial Directors annual salary.

Using the specialist resources available from experts within the Haines Watts Group, he looks to grow the net worth of the owner managers he works with to ensure that all is done to the highest standard with a hands-on personal approach and at affordable local prices.

Award-winning Chartered Accountants pocket a victory

Bideford-based Haines Watts North Devon LLP sponsors the Bideford and District Snooker League.  Haines Watts recently celebrated national success being named as ‘Accountancy Firm of the Year – Small, Medium Size Entities (SMEs’) at the annual Financial Directors (FDs) Excellence Awards.  It is a double celebration as the Haines Watts ‘Hustlers’ team from the 2013/14 season won the first division title. 

Jason Walker / Andy Hicks / Jonathan Gifford – Partner, Haines Watts North Devon / Jamie Thompson – Haines Watts North Devon 

Haines Watts Partner Jonathan Gifford together with work colleague Jamie Thompson and fellow ‘Hustlers’ team members have been playing together for 5 years.  In two out of the last three years they have won the 1^st division.

Trophy presenter and former professional Andy Hicks, made a tournament 147 maximum break in 2012 and is a former world championship semi-finalist.  On the night he played some exhibition frames against both winners and sponsors.

Jonathan Gifford of Haines Watts made a sponsors speech at the end of the presentation which included a mention of the late Kenny Walters a long-standing league and committee member who sadly passed away shortly before the presentation evening.

Jonathan Gifford, Partner Haines Watts North Devon LLP says: “The team spirit and enthusiasm of the ‘Hustlers’ helped us to victory and it’s great news for Haines Watts to win two very different types of awards in quick succession.  It was a very enjoyable evening for all and a fitting tribute to Kenny Walters who is sorely missed.”

www.hwca.com/accountants-north-devon/

North Devon Accountants Celebrate National Award Success

Champagne corks popped at Haines Watts North Devon LLP when the Bideford team celebrated winning ‘Auditor of the Year 2012’ in the SME’s category at the national FD’s Excellence Awards.  

The prestigious awards ceremony held in Grosvenor Square, London and hosted by Real Business in association with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), recognises excelling service within financial management.  The awards commemorate the work of FD’s and those supporting business including banks, auditors, recruiters and financial software providers, who are perhaps less widely recognised but essential to business operations.  

Haines Watts is a Top 20 firm of Chartered Accountants that specialise in the owner managed business sector with a broad range of services and over 80 years experience in working with privately owned businesses. From audit, accountancy, tax, VAT, financial services, expense control, corporate finance and business advice. 

The group has a national network with over 50 offices and each office operates independently offering a wide range of services tailored to the local market.  Each office provides accountancy and taxation services to SME’s across the UK with the primary area of focus in the South West dealing with owner managed businesses and individual’s tax affairs.  Haines Watts North Devon LLP, formerly known as Sully & Co (Bideford) joined the Haines Watts Group last year.  The Bideford team looks after over 500 owner managed businesses including corporate and professionals, small businesses, sole traders and the farming community.  

John Edwards Managing Partner Haines Watts North Devon says:  “The award exemplifies what Haines Watts is all about; affordable excellence and personalised service. This accolade is particularly important as it was voted for by more than 1,000 Finance Directors and decision makers in our target SME market.  It’s an honour to be publicly recognised and I think it’s important to share the group’s success with the staff who work so hard at a local level.  I want to take this opportunity to thank all our clients that voted for Haines Watts and for their confidence in us and we look to continue to support their businesses in the coming year. It is an exciting time to be part of an award winning firm and since we joined the Haines Watts group in August 2011 we are able to offer our clients a wider range of services and continue to go from strength to strength.”

Devon Accountants Toast National Award Success!

Champagne corks popped across the County when the individual teams at Haines Watts Exeter and Bideford offices celebrated winning ‘Auditor of the Year 2012’ in the SME’s category at the national FD’s Excellence Awards.

Haines Watts Exeter  - Senior Partner Ben de Cruz toasts his team
Photographed courtesy of Mark Campbell of On The Mark Photography 

The prestigious awards ceremony held in Grosvenor Square, London and hosted by Real Business in association with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), recognises excellent service within financial management. The awards commemorate the work of FD’s and those supporting business including banks, auditors, recruiters and financial software providers, who are perhaps less widely recognised but essential to business success.

Haines Watts is a Top 20 firm of Chartered Accountants that specialise in the owner managed business sector with a broad range of services and over 80 years experience in working with privately owned businesses. From audit, accountancy, tax, VAT, financial services, expense control, corporate finance and business advice.

Haines Watts North Devon LLP - Managing Partner John Edwards (centre) 
Photographed by Glen King

The group has a national network with over 50 offices and each office operates independently offering a wide range of services tailored to the local market and the Devon offices are made up of Exeter and Bideford based Haines Watts North Devon LLP. Each office provides accountancy and taxation services to SME’s across the UK with the primary area of focus in the South West dealing with owner managed businesses and individual’s tax affairs. Exeter Office also has a Forensic accountancy team which undertakes work throughout England and Wales.

Ben de Cruz, Senior Partner Haines Watts Exeter says: “This accolade is particularly important as it was voted for by more than 1,000 Finance Directors and decision makers in our target SME market. It’s an honour to be publicly recognised and I think it’s important to share the group’s success with the staff who work so hard at a local level. I want to take this opportunity to thank all our clients that voted for Haines Watts, for their confidence in us and we look to continue to support their businesses in the coming year.”

Haines Watts North Devon LLP, formerly known as Sully & Co (Bideford) was acquired by Haines Watts Exeter last year. The Bideford team looks after over 500 owner managed businesses including corporate and professionals, small businesses, sole traders and the farming community.

John Edwards Managing Partner Haines Watts North Devon LLP says: “Both Ben de Cruz of Exeter Office and I felt it was important to share this success with each of our teams in recognition of their individual contribution which has resulted in the group receiving this coveted award. The award exemplifies what Haines Watts is all about; affordable excellence and personalised service. It is an exciting time for Haines Watts and since we joined in August 2011 we are able to offer our clients a wider range of services and continue to go from strength to strength.”


www.hwca.com/accountants-exeter/
www.hwca.com/accountants-north-devon/

Chartered accountancy firm Haines Watts celebates launch of its new website

Top 20 Chartered Accountancy firm Haines Watts, with more than 30,000 UK clients across the network and over 60 offices nationwide including Southernhay, Exeter and North Devon LLP based in Bideford, announces the re-launch of its website.

The newly designed site concentrates on Haines Watts’ core marketplace of owner managed businesses – making important and useful business information more accessible to business owners. Digital agency Realityhouse designed the site and HW Technology, who are part of the Haines Watts Group, were responsible for the build.

The introduction of the new website underscores Haines Watts’ commitment to UK owner managers.  It is aimed at giving them access to information 24/7, including advice on the many day to day business challenges they face, a library of business factsheets, online calculators and guides.

Andy Minifie, Haines Watts National Managing Partner commented, “We are proud of our new website, ensuring we are making the most of technology to help business owners and directors.  We have added a new Haines Watts blog on the site.  This is written by a variety of experts in Haines Watts giving insight into our involvement with clients, topical comment on business stories and useful tips. It also gives people the ability to comment and give us valuable feedback and opinion.”

Samantha Davies, Haines Watts Marketing Manager adds, “This is merely a starting point, the website will continue to develop and we will be linking our social media, e-marketing, phone apps and website closely together to ensure that businesses can access up to date information whenever and however they want it.”

www.hwca.com/exeter

EXETER ACCOUNTANTS EXPAND WITH ACQUISITION OF NORTH DEVON ACCOUNTANCY PRACTICE

John Edwards of Sully & Co Bideford shakes on the deal with Ben de Cruz, Senior Partner of Haines Watts Exeter

Specialising in the owner managed business sector, Chartered Accountants Haines Watts based in Southernhay, Exeter announces the acquisition of long established North Devon practice, Sully & Co of Bideford.  This latest expansion development is part of a mid-long term strategy to grow the services and expertise they can offer to a larger client base throughout the South West region which included taking on new partner Patrick Tigwell in March.

A national network with over 60 offices, each Haines Watts office operates independently offering a wide range of services tailored to the local market.  The 5 partner strong Exeter office primarily focuses on accountancy and taxation services to owner managed businesses and dealing with individual’s tax affairs, with the specialist Forensic accountancy team undertaking work throughout England and Wales. 

Ben de Cruz Senior Partner Haines Watts says:  “We are delighted to be joining forces with Sully & Co and it’s an indication of how the local Haines Watts team is going from strength to strength.  It will open a host of opportunities for our loyal client base, prospects and professional associates. Sully & Co Bideford was a natural choice as the ethos and values of the two practices go hand in hand.  They have a well earned reputation for giving excellent personal customer service.  They also specialise in the agricultural market which will help to expand the business as a whole into a wider arena.”

John Edwards the Managing Partner of Sully & Co Bideford will continue to manage the North Devon office for a further 5 years.  Established in 1983, John took over the helm in 1985 initially operating the business with just himself and his PA.  Since that time he has grown the company to 25 staff and a turnover of over £1m looking after more than 500 owner managed businesses from Minehead to Penzance.  These include corporate and professionals, small businesses, sole traders and an extensive portfolio of farmers.

The accountancy practice will trade as Haines Watts North Devon LLP.  Vince Edwards will become a newly appointed partner in that firm.  The consultancy practice will trade as Haines Watts Rural Business LLP and include Mike Feneley as a Partner.

John Edwards Managing Partner of Sully & Co Bideford says:  “I am looking forward to working under the well respected brand of Haines Watts.   In an ever growing and changing marketplace I recognise the need to offer my clients a broader range of services, expertise and knowledge whilst keeping a hands-on approach and a close and personal relationship. Haines Watts has the advantage of local knowledge coupled with the backup resources of a nationwide network which means that we can now cost effectively offer more sophisticated solutions to client’s issues and problems backed up with a brand they can trust.  ”