Member Article

PKF Cooper Parry launches West Midlands IT team

Leading Midlands accountants and business advisers PKF Cooper Parry have expanded their service offering in the West Midlands with the launch of an exciting new IT Solutions division.

The new team, which will be headed-up by award-winning entrepreneur Brett Critchley, will be based at the firm’s Edgbaston offices. This will enable it to expand its Microsoft cloud offering, infrastructure and IT outsourcing services across the Midlands.

A recent recruitment programme has resulted in appointments across all levels of the business - from business analysts and engineers to help desk operators and support staff, taking the total number of team members to 46 across both the East and West Midlands.

This includes the appointment of director of IT services, Paul Hayes, who was previously managing director of IT support company GCI. The helpdesk team has tripled in size and the IT team as a whole is on target to double in size again within 24 months.

The existing East Midlands IT team, which is based at the firm’s East Midlands Airport headquarters, has enjoyed exceptional growth over the past 12 months, with staffing numbers doubling and turnover increasing by more than 300% to £3.6m.

The addition of the West Midllands operation is set to take turnover through the £6m barrier by 2017, reinforcing the company’s position as one of the fastest growing IT businesses in the Midlands.

Already this year, the IT team has secured new contracts valued at more than £2.5m. New client wins include Donington Park, Marks & Spencer, Sandicliffe Motors and Hoar Cross Hall.

Another major achievement for the IT solutions team is its recent approval as a Microsoft Tier 1 Cloud Service Provider (CSP), a status normally restricted to the largest vendors.

The IT Solutions team has been awarded Tier 1 CSP status as a result of its continued success with NAV and Office 365. It currently has more than 6,000 seats operating Office 365 and is the second fastest growing NAV partner in the country.

Customers are now able to buy directly from PKF Cooper Parry rather than having to deal through Microsoft, which will result in faster response times.

The PKF Cooper Parry IT Solutions team now supplies a range of accounting software, IT products and support, data cabling and services to more than 180 companies - from small start-up business to large corporates.

Much of its continued growth can be attributed to its client-focused approach and unique position as professional business advisors, which enable it to implement IT business systems that are aligned to a company’s long term strategy and business plan.

It is the only firm of business advisors with Microsoft ERP Gold partner status, which gives clients access to the best business software solution, along with the best advice, delivery and support teams. This also ensures that clients benefit from reliable, future-proof systems that will drive their business forward.

It is also the only firm in its league to be a Gold Dynamics NAV Advisor and is a Microsoft Cloud Accelerate partner and Datto Elite Partner.

Commenting on the launch of the IT Solutions team in the West Midlands, Brett Critchley said:

“Our business continues to grow and the West Midlands is an important new market for us, building on the success we have had in the East Midlands and further afield.

“We are delighted with our rapid growth and have exciting plans for the future, particularly in Birmingham, where there is a clear gap in the market for a firm which can offer a high level of IT and business advisory support.

“We have a very different skill set to traditional IT support companies - our accounting background sets us apart from our competitors and gives us real business knowledge when developing complex IT systems for our clients.

“This is supported by our highly skilled team of business analysts, who get to know the way a business runs, re-engineer it and make it more efficient,” added Brett.

Since the merger with Clement Keys, PKF Cooper Parry has really made its mark in the West Midlands, with the appointment of four new partners and the launch of several new service offerings, including a new wealth, corporate finance and restructuring teams.

This will enable the firm to broaden its reach across the West Midlands and forms part of its strategy to increase revenues in Birmingham to £15m over the next two years.

PKF Cooper Parry is one of the largest independent firms of business advisers in the Midlands with an established track record of helping local businesses and private clients in the UK and internationally.

The firm acts for more locally owned private businesses in the Midlands with a turnover in excess of £5 million than any other accounting, tax and advisory firm.

The merger with Clement Keys at the beginning of 2016 has created a £30m turnover group with a 410 strong workforce spanning the East and West Midlands.

It is the fastest growing top 100 accountancy and business advisory firm in the UK. Its aim is to double turnover in the next two years, with the creation of up to 100 new jobs.

For further information, contact Brad Martin on 0121 456 4456.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Donna Hill .