Moray accountancy firm sale will keep services local

The sale of an Elgin accountancy practice to a growing north firm will ensure clients will continue to receive a first class local service, its former owner has said.

James Wallace has sold the firm he founded in 2012, James Wallace Business Services, to expanding firm Goldwells, which has already has eight offices across the north Scotland including ones in Buckie, Kingussie, Grantown on Spey, Nairn and Inverness.

The Goldwells team in Elgin, which provides accountancy, business advice, bookkeeping, payroll, and tax investigation services, will be joined by James Wallace Business Services' bookkeeping specialist at Goldwells' Hay Street office.

Mr Wallace, who is leaving the firm to pursue a different direction, commented: “I am delighted to have sold the business to Goldwells, as I am confident that the team there will be able to provide excellent support to the businesses I have worked with over the last nine years, and offer continual employment to my team.

"James Wallace Business Services has been an established business in Elgin since 2012, and it is good to see that the clients will be able to continue to receive high quality financial support here in Elgin. I have decided to move into a completely different area, and it is good that the personnel who worked with me are able to continue to support the clients, in a professional and impressive environment.

“I have known Goldwells’ managing director, Gary Addison, for a number of years, and I know that Goldwells conducts its business in the same professional manner as I have always worked. Furthermore, the size of the Goldwells operation, with eight offices across Scotland and specialists in areas such as tax investigations, means the range of services available to business owners in Elgin is extensive.”

Mr Addison responded: “Our offices across Scotland have been busy, and there has been growth in Elgin with Ranald McDonald having recently joined as accountant and Ewen Edwards on board as an established expert in tax investigations.

“Goldwells has acquired several businesses over the last few years, as we aim to provide a wider range of services to our clients across Scotland, and we always make sure that we grow with like-minded professional people. James has done an impressive job and we look forward to welcoming the new team member to our Elgin office, and to providing expert business finance advice to business owners in the area.”

“This has been a busy time for Goldwells, and as such we are recruiting now in Elgin, Nairn and Inverness for accounts assistants, and for a newly qualified accountant in Peterhead.

"As we look forward to opening up post lockdown, we look forward to continuing to support clients across the north of Scotland.”