ACCOUNTANCY practice Johnston Carmichael is gearing up for its next period of growth after adding over £10 million in revenues over the five years to 2016.
In particular the firm is targeting growth in Glasgow, where it first launched in 2004, and has increased its office space in the city by 50 per cent.
After a year in which it has added eight graduate trainee chartered accountants and two school leavers who will train on its six-year JC Futures programme, the firm has taken on an additional 3,000 square feet of space in its West George Street office.
Glasgow managing partner Mark Houston said the firm has “ambitious plans” for further growth despite the uncertainty currently facing the Scottish business community.
“Despite the challenges thrown at businesses in Scotland, we still see so many opportunities for them, whether they are starting up, growing internationally, or sustaining their position in the market against headwinds,” he said.
“Our Glasgow team has experienced strong growth over the past year as we continue to expand and develop the range of services we provide.
“From financial planning, audit and tax to corporate finance and restructuring, we now have 67 staff based in our Glasgow office and we have ambitious plans to grow further now that we have extra office space.
“I am confident our investment in our Glasgow premises will deliver a boost for our clients in the Central Belt and across Scotland.”
In addition to adding to its junior ranks, the firm has bolstered its Glasgow office at the senior end by promoting Gavin Young to audit partner as part of its June promotions round.
That brought the number of partners working in the firm’s Glasgow office to six.
While the firm has not yet revealed its accounts for the year to the end of May 2017, in the 2015/16 year it saw pre-tax profits rise by four per cent to £11.9 million on the back of a three per cent rise in turnover to £40.8m.
That represented respective rises over five years of 16 per cent and 38 per cent and, according to chief executive Sandy Manson, was a result of the Aberdeen-headquartered firm being sheltered from the worst of the oil and gas downturn thanks to an earlier decision to expand into the Central Belt.
Two years prior to opening in Glasgow the firm, which is 80 years old, had launched an Edinburgh office and currently employees around 700 partners and staff across 11 offices.
That said, the firm remains committed to its roots in the north east and while the current focus is on expansion in Glasgow, last year it added to its Aberdeen headquarters with the hire of restructuring director Richard Bathgate from PwC.
In its June partner promotions it also added Rosalind Catto and Scott Jeffrey in its Inverness office, Irvine Spowart in Edinburgh and Ryan Diplexcito in Perth.
The promotions brought the firm's partner headcount to 57.
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