Regional accountancy firm PKF Francis Clark is celebrating its Bristol office’s fifth anniversary with a pledge to continue to expand in the city.
The office on Victoria Street, which opened with just three staff, is now home to a team of 75 accountants and tax advisors. 
Its steady growth through a mix of experienced hires and trainee recruits means it now offers not only PKF Francis Clark’s core services of accounts, audit and tax but a range of specialisms ranging from deals and restructuring to professional practices.
PKF Francis Clark partner and Bristol office head Paul Bray, who was one of the original three staff members, said: “We have all the expertise here in Bristol to deliver a full-service offering to our clients.
“We knew there was an opportunity for a firm of PKF Francis Clark’s size and expertise within this market, serving both owner-managed businesses and larger corporate clients.
“As our reputation has grown, it’s amazing how many clients are coming to us or being referred by fellow professionals. It’s also great to see graduate trainees who have joined us progressing through the ranks to become assistant managers and managers.
“Having firmly established ourselves over the past five years and laid solid foundations for continued growth, I think there’s no limit to what we can achieve here.”
Paul, pictured, left, with fellow Bristol partners Stuart Rogers, Jonathan Riley, Nicola Manclark and Andrew Allen, started his career with HM Revenue & Customs in Bristol before spending 22 years with Smith & Williamson (now Evelyn Partners), where he qualified as a chartered tax advisor and worked with businesses ranging from start-ups to large corporates.
He went on to work for Haines Watts before joining PKF Francis Clark when the firm opened the Bristol office.
“I started my career in Bristol in 1980 and have worked most of my 40-plus years in tax and accounts within this square half-mile,” he said.
“It’s a thriving city with a vibrant business community. Many of my clients have grown over the years and I’m now advising the second, third or fourth generation business owners.”
He said he was attracted to PKF Francis Clark, which has eight other offices across the South West, as he could see the firm was a true partnership.
“We work closely as a partner group across all our offices and everyone has their say in running our business – it’s like a big family,” he added.
“Five years ago when we opened our Bristol office, there were three of us here on the first day.
“Despite the disruption of the pandemic, we’ve gone from a standing start to a team of 75 people, and we look forward to continuing to recruit experienced hires and new trainees to meet the demand we are seeing.”
Leading the Bristol team alongside Paul are partners Stuart Rogers, Nicola Manclark, Paul Putnam, Rob Whitehead, Andrew Allen and Jonathan Riley, who recently joined the firm.
In total PKF Francis Clark has more than 800 members of staff, making it the largest firm of independent chartered accountants in the region.
PKF Francis Clark Bristol partners photo by Dave Pratt
