Merger adds up for growth plans

Leeds-based Mitchells Group, which includes Mitchells Accountants, has merged with chartered accountants and tax specialists Leslie Couldwell & Co, and acquired its offices in Knaresborough, with backing from Yorkshire Bank's Harrogate Financial Solutions Centre.

Leslie Couldwell & Co's managing partner, Leslie Couldwell, becomes a director of Mitchells Group.

Mitchells Group, which has 35 staff, also has offices in Headingley, London, and Harrogate. It has also invested in key appointments with support from Yorkshire Bank. These include Peter Hall, formerly of RBS NatWest, who has become a director of Mitchells Search and Selection; and Ted Goold, the former group vice-president of Detroit-based Masco, who has become managing partner of Mitchells Corporate Finance.

David Mitchell, Mitchells Group managing director, said: "Joining forces with Leslie Couldwell & Co fits well within our group and gives us access to an accountancy practice with a strong SME (small and medium-sized business) client base, which strengthens our presence on the Harrogate side of the A1.

"Our structure provides a better service to our clients. This is part of a cautious approach to growth by fostering inter-trading between companies and their clients."