Scholes CA announces major expansion to become Scotland’s leading accountancy practice in Shetland
Today Scholes Chartered Accountants (CA) announces the acquisition of RSM UK’s Lerwick team to become Scotland’s largest accounting firm in Shetland.
The transaction marks a major statement of intent for Scholes CA as it looks to underscore its continued commitment to serving its owner-managed, entrepreneurial client base.
The Lerwick office, with its 20 staff, including director Irene Hambleton, strengthens and expands the firm by a third, increasing its total staff numbers spread across its office network in locations including Kirkwall, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Laurencekirk and now Shetland.
Karen Scholes, director of Scholes Ltd, comments: “We’re thrilled to welcome the Lerwick team to our growing business and can’t wait to see the opportunities this investment will create for our people, our clients and the firm as a whole. As the president of ICAS, I have been pushing growth from within firms and it’s great to see RSM Lerwick has been championing this cause as well. They have multiple trainees within the firm who are the future of our profession.
“The expertise we’ve acquired in Shetland forms a vital part of our long-term thinking. We’re now going to have a team with specialist on-the-ground knowledge that will have a major impact on our clients and our way of working. With this acquisition we’re all excited to see how Scholes CA can benefit the wider economy of Shetland, Orkney and, more broadly, Scotland as a whole.”
Irene Hambleton, previously a partner at RSM UK, now director of Scholes CA in Lerwick, comments: “This transfer of ownership will give the Lerwick office and team the opportunity to grow as part of an organisation that offers diverse services to a complementary client base as a significant part of Scholes CA. We believe this will give the team more flexibility in the projects we pursue and will provide continued growth opportunities for both the Lerwick team and Scholes CA and, importantly, more career opportunities for the team.
“Reassuringly, for our clients, it remains business as usual. Both the Lerwick office and the wider Scholes business have closely aligned client bases and, most importantly, shared values in relation to client and staff care. The team will also remain close friends of RSM, and we fully expect mutually beneficial client relationships to continue.”