Awards 2006: Sagars – Medium firm of the year
Accountancy Age Awards 2006 winner: Sagars – Medium firm of the year
Sponsored by Peninsula Tax Wise
Standing out as an independent brand is this year’s winner of the Medium Firm
of the Year Award, Leeds-based Sagars. The five-partner firm is one of the
largest independent practices in Yorkshire. And while local merger activity
rages strongly, Sagars is committed to growing organically and investing in its
70-strong team.
Sagars’ fee income has grown 21% over the past two years to £3.1m: 11.8% in
2004/05 and 8.1% in 2005/06.
The firm’s specialist services have made strong contributions to these
financial results: Sagars has a large trust team looking after nearly 400
clients with a total trust value of more than £130m.
The firm’s corporate finance offering has been strengthened with the
appointment of a new specialist partner. Sagars also offers wealth management
and consulting advice, and its LawPoint division offers local legal
professionals tax, accounting and business advisory services.
The management team’s strategy for strengthening Sagars’ financial position
is to streamline systems and processes, and to invest in the team. It has
recently invested in document scanning and management to streamline access to
client information and remote network access for out-of-office working.
On the people management side, Sagars has increased its graduate intake,
renewed its commitment to training and continual professional development and
reaped the benefits of developing its own talent. Two Sagars partners and
several managers joined the firm as graduates themselves.
The firm has been an Investor in People since 1999 and introduced flexible
working and a team bonus scheme. The firm’s latest Investors in People report
stated: ‘People feel very proud of being a part of Sagars. From the
exceptionally positive feedback, it is clear that people continue to believe it
is a great place to work.’
The awards judges noted that the attention Sagars pays to its team is carried
through to its client relationships. ‘They have built something that will last
and their focus on their people and their clients means they really care. This
firm really knows about wealth creation.’
WHAT CLIENTS SAY
‘Sagars’ performance in auditing and advice is excellent. The size of the
firm is just right to allow for a good range of services but small enough to
make each client feel important.’
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‘It is reassuring to know that I can implicitly trust Sagars to represent our
best interests at all times.’
‘Approachable, energetic, timely.’