On the 10th October 2024, HW Fisher announced its merger with Sumer, a collaboration of renowned regional accountancy practices with a shared vision to champion local small to medium-sized enterprises. In our latest Q&A, we got together with Andy Rich, Managing Partner at HW Fisher to discuss the rationale for the deal and what the business has in store for 2025.
Who is Sumer?
Sumer is a UK top 20 accountancy practice and the fastest growing practice in the UK, delivering professional support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK and Ireland. Sumer’s strategy revolves around acquiring leading regional practices that share the same ethos, values and approach. This in turn forms regional hubs throughout the UK, focused exclusively on the SME market.
Following this strategy, the business has experienced exceptional growth, employing 2,000 professionals across 43 offices, generating revenues exceeding £200 million per year.
As such, the merger represented a landmark opportunity for Sumer and HW Fisher.
What were the key motivations behind the merger?
Sumer Group is a powerful collaboration of the best in business services, comprising of regional hubs committed to supporting SMEs throughout the UK. By being part of Sumer, we can harness the collective expertise of its regional hubs, enabling us to support our clients across a broader range of needs with the specialised expertise they require. As part of a larger group, we are also able to invest more in technology, share best practices, and access increased resources, enabling us to better service our clients.
The accounting industry is evolving rapidly. Mergers across the industry are creating new opportunities for firms like ours to grow and invest in our people. Through this merger, we can now offer enhanced investment into training our employees at all levels whilst providing more opportunities for succession and exposure to new clients and experiences.
What does this mean for HW Fisher’s clients?
As part of Sumer, we believe we will be in an even better position to make a real and positive impact for our clients.
There are no plans to change our business name, office location, the services we offer or the people they deal with. Clients will continue to receive the same personalised service and trusted expertise they’ve always enjoyed from the same teams they know and value.
The only difference is that we’re now part of the Sumer Group, and clients will soon see the benefits that this brings. As part of the Sumer, we will have access to additional specialisms, allowing us to support our clients’ holistic business needs. Meanwhile, the additional investments that we make in technology and training will continue to elevate the level of service that we can offer our clients.
This investment will be instrumental in driving our growth, supporting us in making local acquisitions that expand our footprint and enhance our capacity to serve more clients, while continuing to deliver the service they rely on.
What attracted you to Sumer?
Sumer and HW Fisher have a shared vision to champion local small to medium-sized enterprises. Sumer’s dedication to championing SMEs perfectly aligns with our own values and client focus. We did not want to introduce radical change and unlike traditional consolidators, Sumer understands the importance of maintaining our brand identity and local presence – something we’ve built over nearly a century.
We were particularly impressed by the like-minded firms in the group and their commitment to allowing each practice to maintain its unique culture while benefiting from shared resources and expertise. Their values of trust, pride, together, and forward-thinking mirror our own approach to business.
By bringing together the best in business services, Sumer retains the value that community-based practices offer and combines this with the scale, breadth of expertise and technologies that only a national organisation can muster.
Through our unique approach, we believe we can make a positive impact and achieve growth for our company, our staff and our clients. Together, we are about doing the right things, putting people first and delivering the best possible services to those who sit at the heart of our economy and communities.
What’s next for HW Fisher?
This marks an exciting new chapter in our growth journey. We’re looking forward to expanding our service offerings and exploring opportunities for growth through both organic expansion and potential acquisitions, while also benefiting from referrals across the Sumer business. Most importantly, we’ll continue investing in our people and technology to enhance our client service capabilities.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like to find out more.
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