Staffordshire accountancy group DJH grows its Liverpool city region footprint with a further acquisition eight months after buying Haines Watts and entering the local market for the first time. Tony McDonough reports

Just eight months after entering the Liverpool city region market with the acquisition of Haines Watts, accountancy group DJH has snapped up another firm in Bootle.

Staffordshire-based DJH, a top 30 firm with a turnover of more than £60m, has acquired SB&P, a well established local practice that was founded in 2003. Directors Wendy McNulty, Rob Young and Suzanne Draper will remain with the business.

This deal, for an undisclosed sum, follows DJH’s entry into the city region in September 2025 with the acquisition of another well known local accountancy name, Haines Watts. That deal included offices in Liverpool, Wirral and Chester. DJH also has an office in Ellesmere Port.

SB&P will now introduce a host of new specialist services, including estate planning, capital allowances, R&D tax credits, corporate finance and technology support.

Wendy McNulty said: “We’ve always believed that real relationships are at the heart of everything we do.

“Joining DJH gives our team and our clients access to a much wider platform, while preserving the personal, advice-led culture we’ve worked so hard to build. We’re excited about what this means for Liverpool.”

This is the 19th acquisition made by DJH, which is backed by private equity outfit Tenzing, and it takes its total workforce in the UK and Ireland to nearly 775 people. Its footprint covers Liverpool, Manchester and the North of England with an increasing presence in the Midlands.

“We’ve had a clear ambition to deepen our Liverpool presence for some time,” explained Scott Heath, chief executive of DJH.

“Last year’s acquisition of three Haines Watts offices in the North West put a marker in the sand and we’re building on the potential in this region by going even further and bringing SB&P into the family.

“The more we learned about its clients, its team, and the values it has built the business around, the more excited we became about bringing this partnership to life.

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“This is a practice that has earned genuine trust and loyalty in Liverpool, and that’s something you can’t manufacture. It perfectly complements everything we’ve already built across the region.

“We’ve found that a city centre office works best when paired with an out-of-town presence – our offices in Chester City with Ellesmere Port, and Manchester with Altrincham are great examples of that in action.

“SB&P’s Bootle location, paired with our Liverpool city office, reflects that same approach, and gives us a dominant local presence that we’re incredibly proud to be part of.”