2019 sees a milestone in the history of Dyke Yaxley as we reach 100 years old. Managing Director, Marie Bramwell said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating 100 years in business. We’ve seen the Company evolve over the years into the success it is today and the transformation is incredible.
“We now employ over 100 staff, with offices in Shrewsbury, Telford and Cleveland Ohio, and we have a client base of over 3,000 clients.
“Many clients have been with us from the very start, and we’ve been in business for so long, that the next generation of families are taking over the running of those companies – just like generation after generation of Directors have taken over at Dyke Yaxley.
“With so many changes over the years, from the first computers in the 1970s, the first mobile phones in the 1980s, and the launch of the World Wide Web in the early 1990s, who knows where we will be in 2119 – we’re very excited to see what the future holds for us all.”
Dyke Yaxley began life in 1919 when David Owen Dyke opened up for business in Claremont Street in Shrewsbury. He took on his first articled pupil, Bertie Ruscoe, who became a partner when he qualified, and Dyke and Ruscoe was born.
The connection between Dyke and Ruscoe and another local firm, Yaxley Davies & Co started in 1926, when the late Reginald Yaxley served articles with Dyke and Ruscoe and qualified as an incorporated accountant.
Dyke and Ruscoe couldn’t keep him on after he qualified, so in 1932 he set-up his own business, and took on his first articled pupil, Frank Davies, who eventually became a partner, and the firm took its name Yaxley Davies & Co.
In 1930, David Dyke’s son, John, joined Dyke and Ruscoe and became a partner, followed shortly after by Howard Davies, and then Leslie Smith, Cecil Hancocks and John Dodds who all became partners in the firm.
Over at Yaxley Davies & Co, Ian Davies and Christopher Yaxley joined the team as articled clerks, and after qualifying, they both became partners.
The link between Dyke and Ruscoe and Yaxley Davies & Co grew even stronger in the late 1970s when both firms were looking to expand, but had both recognised they needed to provide a wider range of professional services.
They were both restricted by a lack of space, and so decided to search for a suitable property together as they felt their cultures were very similar. This led to them finding Abbey House in Abbey Foregate, and the firms officially merged in 1987 to create Dyke Yaxley.
Nice to meet you! The partners of Dyke and Ruscoe and Yaxley Davies & Co line up for a joint photo call. Front row: Cecil Hancocks, Mike Hancocks, Leslie Smith, Ian Davies, Chris Yaxley and Laurie Riley. Back row: Howard Davies, Roy Reeves, Alan Davies and John Dodds
After more acquisitions and increasing staff numbers, including the acquisition of Keith Winter’s practice and staff, Dyke Yaxley needed even more space and moved to our current location in Old Potts Way in Shrewsbury just over 17 years ago.
Since that move, there have been further mergers and acquisitions, including Moore Stephens Shrewsbury, Adrian Richards, Ian Walsh (Tenon Telford) and most recently Gorman Evans.
“We have seen such sweeping changes in the decades we’ve been in business, and we believe our commitment to delivering the very best customer service to all our clients is the key to our ongoing success” said Marie.
Dyke Yaxley Directors Left to right: Ian Walsh, Sean Gorman, Mark Bramall, Francesca Hutcheson, Marie Bramwell, Adrian Key, Helen Bruce, Laurie Riley, Andrew Young, Mark Griffiths, Rob Whittall and Stacey Lea