PKF Smith Cooper acquires Midlands insolvency company BLB Advisory Limited

Midlands-based accounting and advisory firm PKF Smith Cooper has acquired Coventry-based insolvency boutique BLB Advisory Limited as the company progresses its expansion plans.

BLB’s Director and Owner Brett Barton and seven team members have joints the firm.

The acquisition of BLB Advisory Limited sees PKF Smith Cooper’s business recovery and restructuring team gain a further 80 years of experience and expertise in insolvency and recovery solutions, as well as an additional three office locations in the West Midlands.

Brett Barton is an Insolvency Practitioner with nearly 30 years’ experience in helping businesses, specifically SMEs and owner managed firms, find solutions to their financial difficulties. During his career, Brett has developed substantial knowledge of the West Midlands, working with business owners across the region in a wide range of sectors, with specialist experience in manufacturing, third sector, transport and haulage, retail and wholesale, and hospitality.

Brett’s new role at PKF Smith Cooper will see him continue to deliver his current services in Coventry, Hereford and Worcester, in addition to supporting the firm’s BRR partners – Dean Nelson (Head of BRR), Michael Roome and Nick Lee – in shaping and driving the firm’s ambitious expansion plans across the Midlands and UK.

Notable team members joining PKF Smith Cooper from BLB Advisory Limited include Louise Hookham, who has specialist experience in the engineering, leisure, building, property and hospitality sectors, and Senior Manager Lucy Garner.

Brett said: “I am excited to be joining the team at PKFSC and to expand their offering in the West Midlands. There are many synergies between our businesses, and I believe that, within the PKFSC brand, I will be able to provide advice and guidance to businesses across the region that is unparalleled. PKFSC are an experienced team with a track record and passion for delivering solutions. I am looking forward to meeting up with my network of contacts to discuss the benefits of working alongside Dean and his experienced team at PKFSC.”

Dean Nelson, Head of Business Recovery and Restructuring and Partner at PKF Smith Cooper, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Brett and his team to PKF Smith Cooper as we embark on this new era for our business recovery services. From initial conversations with Brett, it was clear he was aligned with our recovery first approach, and that his team shared our passion for helping business owners in distress to secure the best possible outcome for the future.

“Acquiring BLB Advisory Limited has strengthened our renowned team, increasing the breadth of our expertise, as well as our capacity to respond to the high demand for specialist support required from businesses struggling in the current climate. We are looking forward to continuing to grow our reputation as the Midlands’ leading provider of Business Recovery and Restructuring services.”