Member Article

Harlands new office is a shining light

AN EXPANDING accountancy firm has opened a new office to help meet the needs of its growing Tyneside client base.

Harlands Accountants has taken a unit at The Beacon – a brand new business and enterprise centre on Newcastle’s Westgate Road.

The office will be staffed by two Harland’s employees with a key aim to grow the firm’s influence within the social enterprise sector.

Philip Murray, Customer Services Director at Harlands, said: “Around a third of our clients are based in NE postcodes so it made sense to have a presence in Newcastle away from our head office in Consett.

“The Beacon is a very accessible business space and very much geared up for new and growing businesses, particularly with a strong social element which is something we are keen to support. The whole ethos behind The Beacon is linking social enterprises and the wider community with the private sector, so we’re delighted to be one of the first established businesses to open up there.”

Harlands restructured last year following a management buyout which has allowed the 30-year-old firm to focus on new service areas and expand its client base.

The firm aims to double its turnover from £2million within five years by investing in new technology and working practices. It recently partnered with the Financial Management Centre to provide simplified online accounting and book-keeping packages at the touch of the button.

One of the businesses Harlands will be working closely with at its Newcastle office is Northern Construction Training, a Community Interest Company (CIC) that provides vocational training opportunities for newly qualified or apprentice tradesmen.

Jamie Paterson, director of Northern Construction Training, said: “Although we are based in Newcastle, Harlands were recommended to us as a proactive, forward thinking accountancy practice and they have never disappointed.

“The only down side for us was the location of their office in Consett but it’s great that their new premises are now on our doorstep.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Phil Murray .