A Holywell accountancy practice with 70-year-old roots in the town has been acquired by one of the UK’s fastest-growing business advisory groups.

Gardners Chartered Accountants, based on Brynford Street, Holywell, has joined the Baldwins Group which now has over 95 offices across England, Scotland and Wales.

Gardners’ 28-strong workforce serves more than 2000 businesses across North Wales and West Cheshire, with an annual fee income of £1.6 million.

The firm will trade as Gardners Accountants, part of the Baldwins Group, while the company’s existing workforce will continue to serve the region’s business community as usual, led by Partners John Gardner and Melanie Langton Davies.

Melanie Langton Davies, who has been with Gardners since 1997, said:

“This is a game-changing move for Gardners that will not only help the firm to build upon the solid foundations that have been laid in the past, but will also unlock a range of services for our client base to help them develop and grow.

“It’s also an exciting time for our existing workforce as joining a UK-wide network of business experts will open a world of new opportunities for them, and will help us to attract the next generation of accountants and business advisors.

“It is business as usual from both a colleague and client perspective as we begin a new and exciting era, while striving to help the region’s business community to exploit growth opportunities and guard against regulatory obstacles.”

The Baldwins Group employs more than 3000 staff across the UK and is part of CogitalGroup, an international business services group with annual revenues in excess of £450 million, employing around 6,000 people across 177 offices.

David Travis, North West Regional Managing Partner at Baldwins, added:

“We’re proud to welcome an accountancy practice of such high calibre to Baldwins – it comes at a time when the business community is having to navigate itself through significant change.

“Gardners Accountants has built up an enviable reputation throughout the North West, serving a range of different sized businesses across a variety of sectors.

“Joining forces with them provides a great opportunity for more businesses to reap the benefits of Baldwins’ full offering of business advisory services, including corporate finance, probate and banking and finance, as well as taking advantage of the digital and technological innovations we have implemented to meet the future demands of the accounting profession.”