UK accountancy and business advisory firm Johnston Carmichael has outlined exciting plans for its future in Newcastle, supporting job creation and opportunities for the region’s businesses.

Since selecting the city as the top location for its first North East office last year, the firm which has a near 90-year heritage, has had an incredible response, seeing its regional team and client base grow at an impressive rate.

The office in the centre of Newcastle launched with Alex Nicholson, Partner and Head of VAT, quickly growing to a team of eight people. With continued growth and investment a priority, the ambition is to exceed a headcount of 15 by the end the year.

There are currently five live job opportunities within the team, across departments including Audit, Business Advisory and VAT. More roles will be released in the near future across the firm’s key service lines, as well as recruitment for the firm’s next graduate programme later in the year. Looking further into the future, it’s hoped that the team also continues its rapid rate of growth in 2025, with strong aspirations to maintain its expansion in the North East.  

The Newcastle office is focused on advising and supporting the region’s most prominent sectors, including engineering and manufacturing, food and drink, property and tech, with many new client partnerships already having been formed in these areas.

Johnston Carmichael officially marked its successful arrival in Newcastle with a launch party last week, bringing together some of the region’s business community within Full Circle Brew Co at Hoults Yard.  

Paul Shields, Audit Partner and Newcastle office lead, said: “Since launching in Newcastle we’ve been really encouraged by the positive response we’ve had. It’s been brilliant to align with many new businesses to support their goals, and consistent feedback has been how refreshing it is that we have the scale and expertise of a large firm, but the personal and responsive service of an independent adviser. We pride ourselves on that and have embedded these values into our Newcastle team from the very beginning. Our strong multi-sector experience and network partnerships are in our DNA, paired with our focus on building meaningful and lasting relationships. It’s what makes us different, and having worked in the region for a long time seeing how the landscape has changed, I know there’s a lot of demand for this.

“It was great to get together with our wider team and network to celebrate the early success of our time in the city, and to share our future vision. Helping businesses in the region to succeed and creating job opportunities are our priority. Alex has done a brilliant job in establishing the team, and to support our next phase of growth we’re keen to hear from people who are interested in joining us at this exciting time, to play an active role in shaping our impact in the North East and beyond.”  

Andrew Walker, CEO, added: “Our decision to choose Newcastle as the location of our first office in the North East was heavily influenced by considering the sectors operating in the area and our confidence in our ability to bring something different to the region in terms of our approach. We have an extremely skilled team when it comes to delivery for our clients, but for us that’s a given, as what they benefit most from is our commitment to them and where their business is headed. Whether it’s scaling up, moving into new markets, navigating challenges or finding a successor, the relationships we form allow us to become fully invested and a trusted adviser partner, who's in it for the long term.”