Baldwins in takeover of Cannock accountants Rice & Co

It has taken over Rice & Co Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers, based at offices on Rumer Hill Business Estate, which will now trade as Baldwins Accountants.

All 15 staff members at Rice & Co will continue to work at the office.

Baldwins Accountancy Group, which was originally founded in Walsall, now has an annual turnover of around £70 million and employs more than 1,250 people at more than 40 offices from Wales to the North East.

Cannock-based Rice & Co was founded in the late 1950s and service roughly 1,000 clients a year from a variety of backgrounds such as big manufacturing companies and sole traders.

Kevin Preece, Steve Dale and Chris Stonier are all directors at Rice & Co in Cannock, and will be joined by Chris Blue from Baldwins who has been promoted from the business’ Walsall office. Ed Hill will also be joining the team in Cannock working directly with some of the office’s larger clients.

Kevin, who has worked at the firm for more than 32 years, believes this latest move is a positive one for local businesses.

He said: “Joining forces with Baldwins is a game-changer for us and our clients as we can now offer a one-stop-shop of advisory services beyond the likes of audit, payroll and tax returns.

“If a business is looking to access finance to grow, we can now assist with that via Baldwins’ extensive range of corporate finance specialists and, equally, if they’re nervous about the future and want to plan ahead, then we can direct them to their insolvency and restructuring experts.

“Making tax digital is a priority for a lot of businesses just now and with the help of Baldwins’ specialist tax and IT teams, we can now help our clients to make the transition before the deadline.

“An increasing number of our clients are wanting additional services that will help them to cut through the red tape, so this partnership with Baldwins has come at the right time and will help us to stand out in a crowded and competitive market.”

Baldwins’ acquisition of Rice & Co in Cannock is part of a strategic expansion plan, Baldwins also has offices in nearby Tamworth, Wolverhampton and Walsall.

Shaun Knight, director at Baldwins Accountants, added: “Rice & Co has built up an impressive and loyal client base over the years and through some of our nationwide services, we have identified opportunities where we can help both themselves and their clients to grow.”