Hurst unveils plans to double in size

Hurst, an independent firm based in the North-West, has revealed plans to double in size, including aims to reach £20m in turnover by 2028.

The firm plans to achieve this by growing its national client base, extensive recruitment and new service lines to support its ambitions, alongside a multimillion-pound investment in technology.

In the 12 months to March 31 2024, Hurst increased fee income by 13.5% from £7.9m to £9m, and is on track to exceed £11m in its latest financial year.

The firm moved its headquarters last spring to a flagship development in Stockport to accommodate its growing team. Its relocation to 3 Stockport Exchange, where it occupies 11,000sq ft, has paved the way for the firm to expand from 120 staff to around 170 over the next few years.

During the current financial year Hurst launched a private client tax service headed by partner Karen Chadwick. It has also recently launched a dedicated corporate tax compliance service headed by Ellen Feetum.

Tim Potter, managing partner, said: “We have good, solid foundations from which to propel our growth in a measured way. This involves continuing to focus on providing a genuinely caring and friendly service and excellent value to our growing client base, ensuring they have a pleasant experience with us by obtaining sound commercial advice to help them achieve their goals, together with the technical abilities of our team.

“At the same time, the essence of our firm is a great culture. Looking after our people really well so they are inspired and motivated to achieve success for our clients is key to our ethos. This combination is helping us to win more business nationally, although our focus remains on the north west. In the north west alone, we act for businesses with a combined turnover of £10bn as we continue to expand our client base. The region has a thriving business community and is a vibrant area of entrepreneurship and innovation.”

He added: “There is plenty of scope for further expansion for Hurst both in the north west and beyond. Over the past 12 months we have invested in the business on a significant scale, with our new offices, key appointments, new service lines and by embedding new technologies within the firm, including AI-driven digital platforms.

“This programme will continue to enable us to further enhance our service offering. We have also stepped up our leadership training provision with a global provider to nurture the next generation of senior leaders, and will be launching a bespoke proposition to help clients integrate and develop their AI offering within their businesses, and adding further service lines.”