Young entrepreneurs are helping to drive a Great Yarmouth economy that is going through a period of sustained rejuvenation, says James Shipp who, at the age of 36, has just been made a partner of BDO accountants and business advisers.
“There is a clear trend which is seeing younger business people starting and building successful businesses in the Great Yarmouth area, and playing a big part in boosting the regional economy,” said Mr Shipp, who has taken the helm at BDO’s office at Beacon Park, Gorleston.
“I’ve taken on this role at a very exciting time, with distinct signs of growth in the energy and engineering sectors and a positive mood among clients in the hospitality business. This is particularly apparent among those who have invested in their businesses during the economic downturn. They are the ones who seem to be reaping the benefits now that the national and regional economy has turned the corner.”
Mr Shipp is a co-founder of the Great Yarmouth Lunch Club networking event, which meets every two months and is consistently a sell-out. “It’s very informal and a large proportion of those who attend are business people in their 30s,” he said.
“It’s a great reflection of the borough’s economy – a mixture of dynamic younger people working their way up the corporate ladder with established companies and those who have set up their own businesses.
“It is extremely encouraging to see such confidence in the town’s economic future, and to witness ambitious younger people playing such a crucial part.”
He said the general economic indicators for Great Yarmouth were fuelling this confidence. These included the establishment of the enterprise zones, the injection of an additional £3m of government money into Beacon Park and the recent news that the port will serve as the base for the new Dudgeon offshore wind farm.
Mr Shipp, who was born in Great Yarmouth and studied at East Norfolk Sixth Form College, joined a local firm of accountants in Norwich at the age of 18, moving to PKF in Great Yarmouth in 2010 as a manager. PKF merged with BDO last year.
He progressed to senior manager and then director before his recent appointment as partner in charge of BDO’s Great Yarmouth office. Married with two children, Mr Shipp is a former English schools 200m sprint champion, who went on to represent his country against Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
He intends to be fast out of the blocks in his new role. As well as encouraging and supporting local businesses through traditional accountancy and tax services, he is keen to see companies tap into the full range of services that BDO offers, including human resource and IT consultancy, payroll and financial outsourcing, company secretarial advisory and supporting local businesses trading internationally.
“BDO is a major international player with a whole raft of cutting-edge services and expertise that local companies can access to fuel their growth. This is a great time to be in business in Great Yarmouth,” said Mr Shipp.
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Issued for BDO by TMS Media. For further information please contact: James Shipp at BDO on 01493 382531 or [email protected] Steve Scott at TMS on 01493 662929 or [email protected]
Caption James Shipp, who has become a partner at BDO, at the age of 36.
Editors’ Note Accountancy and business advisory firm, BDO LLP, is the UK member firm of the BDO International network. BDO LLP operates across the UK, employing 3,500 people offering tax, audit and a range of advisory services. BDO LLP has a clear ambition to be the firm known in the market for exceptional service delivered by empowered people. The 2013 Mid Market Monitor analysis shows that BDO is the market leader for client satisfaction for the second year running – outperforming all its major competitors and the only organisation to see an improvement over the past four years. BDO LLP, a UK limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales under number OC305127, is a member of BDO International Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, and forms part of the international BDO network of independent member firms. A list of members’ names is open to inspection at our registered office, 55 Baker Street, London W1U 7EU. BDO LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to conduct investment business. BDO is the brand name for the BDO International network and for each of the BDO Member Firms. BDO Northern Ireland, a partnership formed in and under the laws of Northern Ireland, is an associate firm and licensed to operate within the international BDO network of independent member firms. The combined fee income of all the BDO Member Firms, including the members of their exclusive alliances, was $6.45 billion in 2013. The global network provides business advisory services in 147 countries, with more than 56,000 people working out of 1,264 offices worldwide.
