Leading accountancy practice Shaw Gibbs has completed the rebrand of Northampton-based DNG Dove Naish after the two firms joined forces last year. Now partners and staff are looking forward to a brand new era for them and the firm’s clients.
Pictured: Shaw Gibbs partners (from left) Andrew Clifford, Ian Robson, Robyn Liddell, Phil Beverly and Ian Lowry.
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“THIS REBRANDING is more than a name change. It represents the transformation of our organisation.”
The words of Shaw Gibbs partner Robyn Liddell at a celebration of the rebrand completion for Northampton accountancy firm DNG Dove Naish and its merger into one of the UK’s top 50 accountancy and business advisory practices.
The firm, which has been based in the town since the 1960s, is now part of the fast-expanding Shaw Gibbs Group. The deal was signed and sealed in October last year and the two businesses have spent the intervening months integrating their systems, staff and client base as they prepare for a bright future together.
“The big thing about it is the growth – we are all very excited about it,” said Robyn. “Every single person wants to be part of a successful accountancy firm. We have gone from DNG, a small accounting firm with 30 or so people, to now being part of a top 50 firm with 370 people and by the end of the year that is likely to be 500 people or more
“Being part of that is really exciting and building those relationships across different businesses is a real positive for everybody. Now we have the support of like-minded people to work with and bounce ideas off, we can spend more time with our clients.”
The merger is the result of a decision by then DNG partner Robyn and fellow partners Andrew Clifford and Ian Robson at a pivotal point in the Northampton firm’s history. It had been working with predominantly owner-managed businesses in Northampton and the surrounding area for almost six decades.
“We were growing year on year, our clients were happy and the word of mouth from those happy clients was excellent so we did not need to market ourselves,” Robyn said. “But we were growing to the point where we needed back-office help, a higher level of HR and marketing support as well as clear career progression for our people.
“With the industry moving as it was, we were either going to need to acquire businesses ourselves or look to join forces with an organisation that we felt had the same ethos as us and would support us in growing the business in Northampton.”
The partners put out feelers to test the market. A practice in Birmingham was quick to make an offer which the DNG partners rejected. “We felt their approach was too corporate. It was not the right fit with our culture and values.”
Then, out of the blue, Shaw Gibbs contacted them, an expanding practice headquartered in Oxford and with offices across southern England.
After researching the company, Robyn, Andrew and Ian arranged a preliminary meeting with chief executive Peter O’Connell. “We were blown away by his presentation and his vision.”
Based in Oxford and with the backing of Apiary Capital LLP, Shaw Gibbs had decided to go on the acquisition path. Their strategy was to join forces with firms within a couple of hours of the Oxford head office
“We thought that made sense – our people can travel and work with other offices,” said Robyn. “Shaw Gibbs wanted the same people-focused culture as we did. We liked their values – they fitted exactly with our own.
“We were both going in the same direction: to grow, acquire more expertise, be more collaborative and to put the emphasis on learning, development and our staff while becoming something bigger.”
Then followed a meeting with the Shaw Gibbs senior management team before the DNG partners accepted an offer of a merger between the two practices.
“It has been a rollercoaster. But the staff have been amazing and the clients even more so. Nothing has really changed from their point of view. We are still providing the same service with the same people but now we can offer a wider range of services with more specialist advice.
“Being a small firm, if we had a complex VAT query, for example, we may have to ship it out to another firm whereas now we have all the expertise we need in-house. And we already had a fantastic tax advisory team but now we have the backing to grow that advisory expertise in the county.”
Integration of staff and systems has been a challenge overcome with the help of Shaw Gibbs’ integration team. Now the rebrand is complete, with DNG Dove Naish absorbed into the Shaw Gibbs organisation – a milestone celebrated at Northampton Museum & Art Gallery last month at a drinks reception attended by business contacts, clients, suppliers and dignitaries including Northampton’s Mayor Cllr Paul Joyce.
The rebrand was always about much more than new colours and a corporate identity. “It is the opportunity to show that we are here for business and for the future,” said Robyn.
“We are looking to take on four trainees this year – in the past it would only be one and we are attracting better candidates because we are in the top 50 firms now. The industry is changing fast and we can now offer so much more to our existing and future staff – it has been the most exciting part of the merger.”
Shaw Gibbs has invested significantly in its learning and development offering with flagship development programmes The Management Development Programme and the Aspiring Manager Programme, to encourage its staff to develop their careers with Shaw Gibbs as a top 50 accountancy firm – with opportunities across its offices.
“That has been a huge positive,” said Robyn.
Shaw Gibbs remains in Northampton at the DNG office on Billing Road. The immediate plans are to showcase and develop the office’s expertise in tax advisory and outsourced finance department specialisms as well growing its compliance services such as payroll, audit and accounts for both businesses and charities.
“DNG was always known for quality service but we know that, with the growth that Shaw Gibbs can give us, we can provide an even better service to our clients and still with the right feel,” said Robyn.
“We look forward to continuing and growing our brand in Northamptonshire, working with the local business community and helping businesses within the town and county through the ever-changing financial landscape.”
