Member News

Businesses in the Great Yarmouth borough attended a special celebration of the local economy, which was hosted by the council leader, Cllr Graham Plant, at the Town Hall on Wednesday, December 19.

The Leader’s Reception, organised by Great Yarmouth Borough Council, saw 100 guests from local businesses and other partner organisations review the borough’s key economic achievements over the last 12 months, and look forward to further growth, investment and development.

Great Yarmouth is England’s offshore energy sector capital, at the forefront of £39bn of energy investment over the next 20 years, and is also Norfolk’s top coastal resort, with visitors now worth more than £625m each year to the local economy and supporting an estimated 12,000 jobs.

As part of the reception, Cllr Plant gave a speech and presentation on the highlights of 2018, followed by guest speaker Danielle Lane, Head of Country at Vattenfall, who expanded on the wind farm developer’s ambitions to invest in the borough and utilise the local energy sector supply chain.

This year, Vattenfall has reserved space at the River Port for an operations and maintenance base to service two of the world’s largest offshore wind farms, Norfolk Vanguard and Norfolk Boreas, creating up to 150 skilled jobs for at least 25 years.

The reception also heard today’s exciting announcement that local business Brineflow is undertaking a £4m expansion at Great Yarmouth Energy Park while freeing up a prime site for offshore energy investment beside the Outer Harbour – thanks to a commercial agreement with the borough council.

Cllr Plant said: “This year has been another busy and exciting one for the local economy, bringing some important investments and developments, with much more on the horizon.  

“One of our top priorities is working proactively with partners to support inclusive economic growth, enterprise and investment for the benefit of our businesses and communities, and this is reflected in the range of positive work that is moving forward.”    

In his speech, Cllr Plant remarked on the borough’s reputation as an offshore wind hub. In addition to the announcement by Vattenfall, this year saw completion of the £1.5bn Galloper Offshore Wind Farm, developed by Innogy SE, which was assembled and installed from the Outer Harbour.

Cllr Plant highlighted the council’s work to further support opportunities across the sector by progressing development of Great Yarmouth Energy Park, at South Denes, and the top-performing Enterprise Zone at Beacon Park, which this year saw the opening of Proserv’s landmark £7.7m HQ, developed by the council in partnership with the LEP.

He welcomed the infrastructure investment which reflects confidence in the local and regional economies, including the £120m committed by the Government and Norfolk County Council to the Third River Crossing, and the £13.6m partnership investment secured towards the second phase of a crucial tidal defences project.

Cllr Plant also celebrated the recent highways investment to enhance the Fullers Hill roundabout, railway station forecourt, bus station and pedestrian signage, which has improved the visitor experience to the town and the connections in and around the town centre, in support of the Town Centre Masterplan.

In the exciting world of tourism, Cllr Plant highlighted the council’s £2.7m restoration of the historic Venetian Waterways and Boating Lake, the exciting investment planned in a new destination water and leisure complex on the Golden Mile, Gorleston’s new splashpad and beach huts, and the visits by luxury cruise liners.

He also welcomed the private sector investment in tourism that is showing huge confidence in the resort, including the first phase of The Edge leisure complex, incorporating a Premier Inn and Beefeater Restaurant, and the start of work to redevelop the fire site in Regent Road. 

A business is undertaking a £4m expansion at Great Yarmouth Energy Park while freeing up a prime site for offshore energy investment beside the Outer Harbour – thanks to a commercial agreement with Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

The park is targeted at businesses related to the port, logistics or energy sectors, which need to be close to the port. Brineflow Properties and Handling Ltd are making a substantial infrastructure investment in large shoreside tanks for liquid fertilisers at South Denes that will benefit farmers and growers throughout the region.

Brineflow rely on proximity to the port to receive ship-borne fertiliser cargoes via an existing dedicated pipeline. Provided alternative pipelines can be provided, they do not need to be located right beside the Outer Harbour at their existing location. The business has therefore agreed with the borough council to vacate its base on the Enterprise Zone, in South Denes Road, to a nearby site with a new pipeline access to the quayside.

This releases this prime 2-hectare (5-acre) site, which will be promoted by the council to businesses in offshore wind farms and gas platform decommissioning, ensuring the borough is best placed to capture the significant jobs, investment and regeneration opportunities in these growing areas.

Working with the borough council and supported with a £300,000 grant from New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, Brineflow is relocating slightly further north to land it already controls on previously vacant sites on the energy park, off South Denes Road.

As part of the move, Brineflow is making a £4m investment to support its growth as a business, constructing modern liquid fertiliser tanks, storage vessels and manufacturing and processing equipment, supported by new underground pipework to carry the imported fertiliser from ship tankers in the river port.

Since work started on phase one in September, the pipework and construction of two of the largest storage tanks is already completed, with a five further large finished product tanks, plus processing and distribution equipment, scheduled to be added in the New Year. The new buildings will follow in a later development phase.    

Cllr Graham Plant, council leader, said: “As England’s offshore energy capital, Great Yarmouth is at the forefront of £39bn of energy investment over the next 20 years and is a growing hub for both offshore wind farms and gas platform decommissioning.

“This amicable commercial agreement between the council and Brineflow is a win-win for our economy, unlocking a prime development site, adjacent to the Outer Harbour, to attract further investment in these growing areas, in addition to facilitating a £4m private sector investment in the energy park from local families in a growing business.

“This is part of our work with partners to progress the energy park and unlock further space for businesses related to the port, logistics or energy sectors, which need to be close to the river port or Outer Harbour, so they can continue to relocate to and expand within the area, capturing significant jobs, growth and regeneration opportunities for the borough and region.”

Ian Ferris, Brineflow Commercial Director, said: “Our investment cements Great Yarmouth’s reputation as a premier league Agri-bulk port close to key European markets.  The use of conveniently pumpable Liquid fertilisers is the most environmentally-benign and efficient way for farmers to drive crop productivity in the field. It helps growers become more competitive and better able to address global markets. Backed by our network of global supply partners, this new factory addresses a fast-growing market and puts Yarmouth firmly on the map.

“We are delighted to have worked proactively and creatively with the Port, the Council and New Anglia LEP to unlock this substantial private sector investment and to simultaneously release an important block of land adjacent to the Outer Harbour for other productive uses. Use of the special LDO planning powers knocked at least a year off the normal construction time scale.

“We are proud to have worked exclusively with a network of local contractors like Munnings, A&P and SPS and other local technical experts like Canham Consulting and REAL to build a modern and lasting facility that will triple our production capacity whilst being constructed to the most stringent construction and environmental standards.”

Doug Field, chairman of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Our Oil and Gas Taskforce was set up to help businesses diversify and move into new industry sectors and markets. Brineflow have done that, with the added advantages of generating new investment, creating new jobs and freeing up a prime site along our all-energy coast.”

Cllr Barry Stone, chairman of Norfolk County Council’s Business and Property Committee, said: “This is very welcome news. We have worked closely with the Borough Council to help develop the Energy Park strategy, and this announcement will not only lead to a major investment on the park itself, but enable us to promote a larger site to attract energy-related investment.”

Tourism businesses and council representatives gathered to launch the 2019 tourism season and brochure at a special celebration held at St George’s Theatre on Tuesday, December 18.

Jointly hosted by Great Yarmouth Borough Council and the Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area Ltd, the event looked back over the successes of 2018 and forward to the exciting activities and opportunities in 2019 and beyond.

As Norfolk’s top coastal resort, with a flagship visitor economy now worth £625m annually and supporting an estimated 12,000 jobs, the council and the Tourism BID are continuing to work in close partnership to grow visitor numbers, spend and investment.

Over the coming months, the new vibrant tourism brochure will be going out to Tourist Information Centres across the UK, promoting everything the borough has to offer, including varied tourist attractions, family fun and entertainment, rich heritage, the beautiful beaches and Broads, eating out and shopping, and accommodation.

The brochure also confirms the dates in 2019 of the borough’s exciting calendar of festivals and cultural events, including:

• The GY Wheels Festival – getting Great Yarmouth seafront in a spin with scores of special vehicles on July 6 and 7, including 15,000 motorcyclists visiting on Saturday as part of On the Throttle’s Great Yarmouth Take Over 2019, plus Centre 81 Classic Car Rally on Sunday.
• The Maritime Festival – celebrating the borough’s maritime heritage at Historic South Quay, on September 7 and 8, with visiting ships, live shanty folk music, fun street theatre exhibitions and demonstrations.
• The Out There Festival – bringing a world-class line-up of circus and street arts to St George’s Park and various other locations, on September 21 and 22.
• Weekly fireworks – free displays wowing the crowds at both Great Yarmouth and Hemsby seafronts during the school summer holidays.
• Guided Heritage Walks – helping people to explore the borough’s rich cultural heritage at historic buildings and other places of interest, from April to October.

Cllr Graham Plant, the council leader, said: “The 2018 season has been another successful, eventful and special year, including some really special festivals, the Waterways restoration getting underway, Gorleston’s new splashpad opening, visits from two luxury cruise liners and filming for a new Danny Boyle movie. The council is committed to working with the Tourism BID to support the visitor economy, and there is a lot more to look forward to in 2019 and beyond.”

David Marsh, company secretary of the Tourism BID, said: “The season launch is always a fantastic showcase and reminder of what great things have been achieved through the public and private sectors working together. Combined with the brochure launch, this celebration also kick-starts the all-important promotion for the 2019 season, which promises to be another big year for our resort.”

As the UK’s leading solar energy supplier, Project Solar UK work hard to communicate the benefits of having solar panels installed.  

So when JMS were commissioned to work alongside them on their latest TV campaign it was great news for our creative team, as after seeing our concepts, Project Solar UK were keen to proceed with the production of not just one, but two of them – an animated and live action approach. They will be running the two markedly different styles of ad via an A/B test, in order to see which performs better in their fiercely competitive market. As the government solar incentive ends March 2019, the messaging is extremely time sensitive – customers who have solar panels installed after this date won’t be able to sell their energy back to the grid and will have to give it to the energy providers for free.

Our animated approach focussed on the additional income that can be generated from solar panels – as the sun shone down over a street of houses, we isolated the property with solar panels installed and displayed the various revenue streams and exact figures on a large gas meter.

The live action shoot took an entirely different angle; instead featuring a female presenter surrounded by orbiting household electrical appliances. Filmed on green screen in our studio, it was a shoot that really came to life during post-production. The final moment in which the presenter catches a slice of toast after it pops out from the toaster was in fact composited of two separate shots (involving invisible fishing wire and crew members throwing toast up in the air!) It was then down to the addition of visual effects and some careful editing from our Head of Motion Graphics, Hugh South to combine the two, creating one seamless movement.

As the sun sets for winter, you can catch both commercials on air from December 27th.

As Cooper Lomaz Recruitment looks back over the course of 2018 we are proud of the work we have been able to deliver for a range of organisations and candidates across East Anglia during 2018.  Thank you to everyone who has worked in partnership with us over the past 12 months, it’s been a fantastic year.  Our staff have done us proud again this year and as we look back the success of our newest office in Colchester which is now 9 months old and sits firmly alongside the offices in Bury St Edmunds and Norwich as part of our business has been a key aspect to this success.

As one year ends though, another is only around the corner and we have already been working hard to develop our plans for making 2019 an even better year.  With this in mind Cooper Lomaz are excited, proud and pleased to confirm 3 new exciting partnerships and additions to our business for 2019. 

One of our key strategic goals for the next 12 months is to complete a rebrand of Cooper Lomaz Recruitment.  Whilst we do not believe a complete root and branch overhaul is needed, we would like to take the opportunity to freshen things up.  Alongside this we would also like to grow all 3 of our offices and our overall staffing levels.  Both of these projects will ensure we are keeping ahead of the market and able to support, develop and ultimately deliver for our clients and candidates. 

To support the rebrand project we are pleased to be working exclusively with Mark Harvey of Mark Harvey Consulting.  Mark’s background and experience as a Marketing professional and senior business leader across East Anglia has already proven invaluable as we have started to formulate this project.

Whilst a rebrand is an exciting project for any business to work on our people are the backbone of the organisation and central to everything we do.  The team at Cooper Lomaz Recruitment are a hardworking and dedicated team and we as a business want to ensure we put them first in the decisions we make day in day out.  With that in mind we are again very pleased to confirm our partnership with Chris Wimshurst of Chiron Business Consultancy.  Chiron will work with Cooper Lomaz to deliver a 6 month project starting from January which will give Cooper Lomaz a Director of People with over 10 years recruitment experience in Chris. 

Lastly a new hire to the Senior Team at Cooper Lomaz Recruitment.  We are pleased to announce and confirm Will Palgrave-Moore will join the business on the 2nd of January as an Associate Director. Will joins to take on the management, growth and development of our Norwich office, our I.T and Technology business, and our Finance team which we have over-hauled in the past 3 months and relocated to the Bury St Edmunds office.  Will is an experienced recruitment professional again with over 10 years’ experience working across East Anglia and is going to be a fantastic addition to our team.

We are proud to be in a position to announce all 3 of these partnerships and believe they will have a fantastic and positive impact on Cooper Lomaz, our clients and the candidates we look to work with across 2019 and beyond.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and look forward to showing you even more success in 2019.

Karl Sandall, Group Chief Executive Director of TaxAssist Accountants offers his take on a highly successful 2018 for the leading tax and accountancy franchise.

Karl oversees the UK franchise network of over 200 franchises, who look after 70,000 clients with a collective fee bank of £46 million, as well as a growing network in the Republic of Ireland and Australia.

This year, cloud-based technology, Making Tax Digital and advisory services have dominated the thoughts and actions of the accountancy world. As a leading and dedicated franchisor, we have invested a huge amount of time and resource to research, evaluate, recommended and train the network on new software and innovations that we believe will be of benefit to franchisees and their clients.

Software

We have rolled out a new, comprehensive software estate, which includes TaxCalc, Practice Ignition and Receipt Bank. The purpose of this was to ensure we had an up to date, scalable and suitable software estate which was fit for the future, enabling us to reduce the duplication of data entry and streamline data entry processes. Going forward, the software ensures we can offer a market-leading service to our franchisees and their clients.

Insourced services

We also launched two new insourced services for our network – payroll and tax. With pricing proving to be a significant barrier to delivering tax advice, providing this service will mean we can reduce delivery costs and provide better value for our clients and franchisees. There aren’t just benefits for existing clients – tax and payroll services are highly marketable for our network.

National TV Advertising 2018 saw us launch the first national television advertising campaign for TaxAssist Accountants, showcasing our brand and the locations available to small business across the entire UK. We also believe this is the first time an accounting firm has advertised on TV across national channels in the UK, so a first for the industry. This level of coverage for our brand has meant lead generation for our franchisees remains strong, with us due to hit more than 9000 qualified leads in December which is another record broken.

International Growth

2018 saw the awarding of the remaining Master Franchise license for Australia, with Steve Herlihy and Tricia Kingston opening their flagship shop in central Perth while also starting to promote the franchise opportunity. Terry Murphy & Celeste Godwin continued their success on the East Coast of Australia, with five new franchisees recruited so far this year. The Republic of Ireland continues to perform exceptionally well. In the last 12 months we have seen double-digit sales, client and fee bank growth.

This year, we met with parties interested in developing TaxAssist in Canada and the USA. A lot of careful planning and market research has gone in the US and Canadian markets, and we believe the opportunity for the TaxAssist Accountants brand is significant.

Support Centre Expansion

To cater for the expansion of services and our international growth, the Norwich-based Support Centre has doubled in size to 10,000 square foot. We chose to move our Support Centre to Broadland Business Park with an eye on expanding when the need arose, and with the many exciting UK and global developments ahead for the TaxAssist network, the time was right as we continue to grow our existing team of 45 highly-experienced staff.

Awards

We were proud to be named, once again this year, as finalists for the British Franchise Association (bfa) Franchisor of the Year. I would also like to congratulate my colleague David Paulson, Global Recruitment Manager, who has successfully been elected onto the bfa Board of Directors. A position of much standing and influence. We also received 5-Star Franchisee Satisfaction, following an independent franchisee survey, for the 6th year in a row, one of only four franchises that can say this. Our network performance remains strong and we are currently 22nd in the highly regarded Accountancy Age Top 50+50 industry league table.

Franchisees

We’ve seen some real franchisee success stories in 2018, with the second million-pound TaxAssist practice sale in Central London being a highlight. We’ve had many shop launches this year, all over the UK, and seen Keith Loader in Northampton celebrate 20 years with us. Eight franchises also celebrated 15 years with us. We saw excellent numbers of people visiting our Support Centre for Discovery Days, and 19 new franchisees joined us in 2018 – 14 new, 3 resale and 2 new partners.

TaxAssist Accountants continues to be a real success story and I’m so pleased to have supported hundreds of franchisees to grow substantial practices and gain financial independence, creating hundreds of jobs as a result. The small business and self-employed market continue to grow each year, as do the complexities and requirements on them with regards to their financial reporting.

Our growing, visible network of specialist small business accountants is ideally placed to benefit from the opportunities that change is bringing. There is scope for a further 200 franchises around the UK – do contact us to see if your preferred area is available. These are exciting times to be a TaxAssist Accountant.  

Norfolk Chamber members Finn Geotherm and Flagship are working together to improve heating for residents living in 21 bungalows in Quayside Court, Suffolk.

A new communal ground source heat pump system in Suffolk is set to cut the heating bills of housing association Flagship’s customers by hundreds of pounds a year. This ground source project follows on from a similar award-winning installation completed at Flagship’s Orchard Close estate of 30 flats in Watton, Norfolk, last year.

The new system being installed at Quayside Court in Lakenheath will improve quality of life and affordability for customers, as well as reduce CO2 emissions.

The district heating system, which draws energy from the earth using a central heat pump and distributes it from a standalone plant room to each home, will replace the current individual electric storage heaters and oil boilers, providing a more effective and efficient system for the 21 bungalows.

Each home will be individually metered and customers only charged for the energy they use.

The installation will qualify for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), a Government scheme which assists with the project’s capital cost by providing quarterly payments for 20 years, allowing Flagship to roll out the much-improved heating system into other homes in the future.

Director for Asset Management at Flagship, Lorna Blackmore, said: “Ground source heat pumps are a low maintenance, sustainable way of heating our homes.

“We are committed to continually improving our renewable energy sources to help tackle fuel poverty and reduce our carbon footprint, and this system does that.

“Capital investment by Flagship as well as the RHI provides a positive and sustainable return for us and our customers.”

It is anticipated customers will start to use the new system shortly after Christmas. Bryan and Maria Kelly have lived in their Quayside Court home for 11 years and said: “Getting the new heating system is fantastic. Once it’s up and running, we’re likely to save around £500 a year. Having this additional money in the bank will allow us to use it on other things such as a holiday, it gives us extra financial freedom.”

Attleborough-based renewable heating expert, Finn Geotherm, is working in partnership with Gasway Services Ltd to install the system. Finn Geotherm was responsible for the district heating system at Orchard Close, the first installed in East Anglia for a housing association. The Orchard Close project has subsequently won numerous awards for its innovative, energy and cost saving heating.

Finn Geotherm’s Commercial Director Guy Ransom said: “We are delighted that Flagship has chosen to install a second district heating system for its tenants. We have seen first-hand the difference a heat pump such as this has made to Flagship customers by eradicating fuel poverty and creating homes that customers can enjoy living in. It is a pleasure to be working with an organisation which not only puts its customers at the heart of its operations but also its responsibility to reducing carbon emissions and energy use.”

The system is also connected to the Finn Geotherm offices which allows it to be monitored wirelessly to ensure optimum performance and to highlight any potential maintenance.

Key benefits of the project include:

• Reduced energy bills – immediate and long term
• Zero CO2
• Encourages customers to heat their homes, positively impacting on their health – reduction in damp and improved air quality
• Low maintenance requirements – cost and frequency
• Less intrusion for customers as equipment is stored in an external plant room
• System lasts three times longer than a conventional boiler

We are delighted to welcome James Shipley to the KLM UK Engineering team as Finance Director.

James joins us from RFT Services, part of Flagship Housing Group, in Norwich and has many years’ experience in multiple industries specialising in services, across both small and large organisations.

KLM UK Engineering has been getting into the Christmas spirit by supporting Christmas Jumper Day & Save The Children! #charity #teamwork

Local agency Full Mix Marketing have delivered a rebrand for a fellow Norwich-based exclusive travel company, creating an exciting new name to guide their growth towards fresh horizons.

The Bespoke Travel Group, which specialises in luxury tailored holidays to Latin America, has unveiled their new name ‘Humboldt’ as they aim to propel their customers and company to new destinations.

“Simon, Kirsty and their team deliver very exclusive travel experiences for highly discerning travellers” says Sarah West, Full Mix Marketing’s Managing Director. “We were delighted to be chosen to help create a brand which would represent the same and allow them to expand.”

Since 2011, The Bespoke Travel Group (which includes Bespoke Brazil and Bespoke Latin America) has gained a strong reputation for their five-star packages to South and Central America. With first hand-experience of the continent, they hand-pick destinations, accommodation and cultural experiences to create ‘no-expense-spared’ holidays their customers remember forever.

Keen to expand beyond Latin America, they approached Full Mix Marketing to create a new brand which would both stand out and feel familiar amongst the luxury brands their customers love.

“Full Mix Marketing took the time to understood what we do, our customers and why they choose to travel with us” says Simon, Co-Founder of Humboldt. “They developed a range of great concepts but the one we chose was unanimous. The connection with Alexander von Humboldt was exactly what we were looking for!”

Full Mix Marketing took inspiration for the new brand from the explorer Alexander von Humboldt who extensively travelled South America in the nineteenth century. One of the most influential naturalists and geographers of his time, his passion for discovering new lands and cultures fitted perfectly with the exclusive travel company’s ethos.

The new brand features a copper sextant to represent discovery, whilst the overall design echoes many premium brands. The strapline ‘Discover Luxury Travel’ serves up the company’s passion for quality and adventure. The rebrand will be officially launched in December, ready for what is anticipated to be the busiest year yet for the travel experts.

Full Mix Marketing is led by Sarah West, a CIM chartered Marketer and recent winner of an Institute of Directors’ Director of the Year award. “Branding is critical, particularly in a busy market like travel” adds Sarah. “The new Humboldt brand is the perfect way to ensure Bespoke Travel stand out and help even more travellers discover their own personal paradise!”

Established in 2016, Full Mix Marketing have rapidly gained a reputation for delivering highly effective strategic, digital and creative marketing. Based in Norwich, they’ve provided effective marketing to successful businesses in sectors including services, travel, logistics, IT and manufacturing.

For more information on Full Mix Marketing, please visit www.fullmixmarketing.co.uk

For more information on Humboldt visit www.humboldttravel.co.uk.

Abate Pest Management was recently asked by a commercial property company to help protect one of their external roofs and plant rooms from pest birds.

Pigeons were nesting within the external plant room and it had become such a problem the air conditioning technicians refused to carry out service works.

The proofing project involved clearing the area of pigeon guano, which included pressure washing using an anti-bacterial spray. A new bespoke canopy system using frames was installed to provide the structure for the bird netting to be attached to.

The site was left in a clean and tidy condition and allowed the plant room to be fully operational again.

If you would like to know more about this bird proofing project or would like to see how we can help you, please call our head office on 0800 980 9767.

https://www.abateltd.co.uk/

David Paulson, Senior Manager, Global Franchise Recruitment at TaxAssist Accountants, has been announced as a new British Franchise Association (bfa) Board member at its Annual General Meeting.

Representing all members – franchisors, franchisees and the professional advisors, the bfa is the ethical voice of franchising in the UK, representing members and helping to promote them within the industry and beyond. They also provide information and advice to businesses planning to franchise, or people considering joining a franchise.

David said: “The bfa does great work in promoting franchising as a means for self-employment, accrediting members and setting standards along with promoting education. “To be elected to the Board is a huge honour and I look forward to working with the Board and the great team at the bfa to help drive forward their strategic vision.”

David, an experienced Qualified Franchise Professional, has been at TaxAssist Accountants since 2009, and is now in his 13th year working in the Franchise Industry, having previously worked at Franchise Development Services as a consultant.

David’s current role encompasses UK & International Development, with responsibilities for franchisee and master franchise recruitment, training, project managing and providing ongoing franchise mentor support.

David has recruited more than 90 franchisees in the UK (new, partnerships and franchise resales) including TaxAssist’s first £1million franchise resale. He has also recruited Master Franchisees for TaxAssist Accountants in Australia and Canada as well as supporting franchisee recruitment in Ireland and Australia.

“Working for TaxAssist Accountants has given me the experience, confidence and, crucially, the support to be able to take on this important role within the UK Franchise Industry – a real career highlight for me,” added David.

Karl Sandall, Chief Executive Director of the TaxAssist Group, said: “We are absolutely delighted and very proud that David has been elected to the Board of the bfa. It not only shows the high regard the industry has for his dedication to franchising, but also how important it is for TaxAssist Accountants to have professionals of such high calibre to support our franchisees.”