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Barnston House, Beacon Lane, Heswall, Wirral, Merseyside CH60 0EE

Longmeadow Estates

Karl Bergh

Karl Bergh is one of three shareholder directors at Longmeadow Estates, a firm of property developers based in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Longmeadow Estates was established in 1992, alongside a construction company Karl and his colleagues had established in 1989. By 1999, as Longmeadow Estates was flourishing, they decided to sell the construction company to concentrate more on the field of property development.

Dufton Kellner acted as their accountants from a very early stage in Longmeadow Estates' business career, and provided a service that Karl and the other two directors were extremely happy with. As the firm grew however, they began to receive advice instructing them to change accountancy firms to one of the Big Six global accountancy corporations. The general consensus was that a growing firm such as Longmeadow Estates should by synonymous with a large accounting conglomerate.

Following this advice, Karl and the other directors engaged the services of Deloitte Touche Tomatsu for a short while, before moving swiftly back to Dufton Kellner. "It wasn’t that we didn’t get a good service at Deloitte. However, Dufton Kellner provided an equally good service. I think that the smaller independent firms try harder for their clients, and can give a more personal service. It’s a bonus that we found them a little more cost-effective too."

Dufton Kellner looks after the annual audit, accounts and tax computations for Longmeadow Estates, and also prepares personal tax returns for the three shareholders. Fortunately for the firm, one of their employees happens to be a partly-qualified accountant, so they have the facility to source all of their accountancy and payroll needs in-house. According to Karl, Dufton Kellner provides a fantastic support network to bolster this capability.

During Longmeadow Estates’ lifespan, Karl and his co-directors have been through a series of acquisitions and disposals, seeking Dufton Kellner’s advice each time. On one occasion Longmeadow Estates purchased a freehold of around 90 flats with a view to refurbishing them and selling them on, which Dufton Kellner assisted with throughout the entire process.

"They seem to have a comprehensive understanding of the industry," says Karl. "We can ask them any question and they come back to us armed with knowledgeable answers, and always as quickly as possible. "The whole team are friendly, with Sara Taylor and Andrew Biddle being particularly approachable and efficient with matters such as tax planning. It’s great to know that they are proactively looking after our needs, without us having to ever chase them."