Historic Cheshire accountancy firm moves into Manchester

An accountancy firm founded in Cheshire in the 1920’s has opened an office in the centre of Manchester as a bid to grow its client base.

Afford Bond, which provides accounts, audit, taxation, payroll and corporate finance services to many sectors including agriculture, automotive and manufacturing is also actively recruiting for key roles within the new branch at Chancery Place on King Street.

The firm, established in Nantwich in 1929, acquired Phibbs Edge in Wilmslow in 2009 and in total employs more than 60 people across its offices, including two new members of staff in Manchester.

Tom Hornbuckle, one of 10 Afford Bond directors, will head up the Manchester office.

He said: “Afford Bond has seen significant growth in recent years off the back of high quality service and this prestigious new address in the heart of the city presents an opportunity to extend our reach across the North West.

“We are looking to expand on existing networks and work collaboratively with strategic partners in and around Manchester while attracting and retaining high-calibre team members.

“There’s already a huge appetite for our services in the North West and we will continue providing proactive services to ambitious businesses across the region from our Nantwich, Wilmslow and Manchester offices.”

Hornbuckle began his career in Manchester working for CLB Coopers. He joined Afford Bond in 2017, after leading a strategic analysis team at white goods giant AO.com as it expanded into tech products and developed new markets overseas.

His portfolio, which has grown nearly 50% over the past year, includes ambitious young entrepreneurs across various sectors from tech, media and AI to recruitment and manufacturing.

He adds: “Afford Bond has prospered significantly in the last decade on the same framework established in 1929, a framework based on strong technical abilities delivered with sound commercial understanding.

“The culture remains very much about people and combining traditional values with forward-thinking.”

Joining him in Manchester is Bradley Lusty who has relocated from Hertfordshire and Italian-born Salvatore Le Piane who previously worked with KPMG after gaining his Masters in Corporate Finance at Lancaster.

Le Piane who hails from Parma in northern Italy said: “I was keen to work more closely with owner-managed businesses and hands-on SMEs while staying in the region.

“Manchester is an exciting city with a huge amount of entrepreneurial talent and potential for growth. To be based here, working for a well-established firm which cares both for clients and employees, is my perfect fit or as we could say in Italy – fantastico.”  

Bradley Lusty previously worked at George Hay Chartered Accountants in Hertfordshire, where he managed audits and accounts, added: “I’m really enjoying my time in Manchester so far and can’t wait to get involved with the exciting and progressive client base at Afford Bond.”