Wollongong accounting firm AJBartlettCachia Chartered Accountants officially changed its name to Kelly+Partners, Wollongong, this week with a cocktail function at the rebranded office in Keira Street.
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Wollongong is the seventh office in the Kelly+Partners group that began with four employees in a serviced office in North Sydney in 2006.
Kelly+Partners founder and chief executive officer Brett Kelly said the group now employed more than 120 people, with offices in the key business hubs of North Sydney, Campbelltown, Penrith, Baulkham Hills, Erina, Bathurst and now Wollongong.
He said the firm had been looking for an opportunity to come to the Illawarra for a while and came in contact with AJBartlettCachia Chartered Accountants through a mutual contact.
"Choosing to have our offices in these regions was a deliberate strategic decision to locate a CBD quality offering close to clients," he said.
"The guys in the Illawarra have been giving advice to private business owners, which is where we specialise. If you look at where our offices are located, they wrap Sydney. Our strategy has been to be in the growth areas of Sydney and we consider this a growth area. We know there are a great number of private businesses in these communities who welcome the opportunity to have such readily available access to expert accounting, taxation and advisory services."
Mr Kelly said while there had been a name change at the Wollongong office of AJBartlettCachia in Keira Street, it was business as usual with Anthony Pickham, Troy Apps, Bill Bartlett and Albert Cachia. They would be joined by Ben Twyford and Ryan McCabe, who had been made client directors in the new business.
"What we have done ... is to bring two of the younger guys through to be partners," he said.
"A huge issue in the industry is succession ... so what we try to do is get the good young men and women in the business and bring them through. Staging succession over time just gives certainty to the clients and gives certainty to the team that there is a 20 year plan."
The change in name from AJBartlettCachia Chartered Accountants to Kelly+Partners also brings with it a larger base of experts and services for clients.