Accountancy firm Wood and Disney, based at the Lodge Business Park at Langham, near Colchester, is moving into larger stand-alone offices on the site following a merger with BAH Accountancy.

Additional staff are being recruited as a result of growth achieved by Wood and Disney over the past year and Brendon Howlett (pictured) of Sible Hedingham-based BAH Accountancy is joining the firm in the role of operations director.

Peter Disney, who launched Wood and Disney in 1987, said: “We have enjoyed a phenomenal past year and I believe that is actually because of, not despite of, the challenging economic climate for businesses.

“In more difficult times, I believe a good accountancy firm really comes into its own. We have a reputation for being approachable, offering practical advice and, above all, offering value for money.

“We have attracted a lot of business from start-ups, many of which have been established by people made redundant and looking for a fresh challenge. However, we’ve also seen a lot of new business from people switching looking for better value and a more dynamic practice. Existing clients have also expanded and required more service from us.

“With our own expansion, we now have a 10-strong team able to offer a wide range of accountancy and business support services. We’re not just interested in crunching numbers – we’re interested in the whole business.

“Some of our clients ask us to attend their monthly board meetings so we can input into their business planning. We can signpost our clients to specialists able to help them in any given area of their business.”