A chartered accountant who set up his North Wales practice 50 years ago has vowed to keep on working.
Michael Coxey, 78, originally from Lancashire, arrived in Wrexham in 1974 and set up his own accountancy firm, MD Coxey & Co.
He said:
“I knew from the moment I arrived that it was the place I was destined to be. In those days most of my clients were local farmers who were immediately warm and welcoming. Wrexham became my adopted home.”
Over subsequent decades the business grew from just a handful of employees to more than 30, also adding branches in Saltney and Chester.
Michael said:
“Accountancy is about people more than it is about figures.
“Good accountants develop lasting relationships with clients, discover their needs, and work hard to understand the various directions in which they want to take their businesses. By doing that we can help them achieve their goals.
“We listen and enable, encourage business owners to develop solid foundations which provide the financial framework to invest in the future.”
He said it has been a joy to witness the growth of many of the small-scale businesses which were among Coxey’s first clients 50 years ago. In some instances they are now providing a service for succeeding generations, the sons and daughters of those original clients.
There are no plans to retire despite suffering hairline fractures to his back which have hampered his mobility.
“I love my job now as much as I did the day I started. I’ve known many of our clients since I first started the business and I’ve become good friends with a number of them,” he said.
“I will continue to stand by them as long as I am physically and mentally able. Unfortunately, since I broke my back I’ve been unable to walk and I can no longer get into the office but I will work from home for as long as they keep on giving me work to do.”
Six years ago Michael sold the business to current Managing Director Anthony Lewis, who first joined the firm in 1998.
Anthony Lewis said:
“Nothing compares to the years of experience which Michael has with this business, having built it up virtually from scratch.
“He still has a great rapport with so many of our clients and the wisdom to steer businesses through today’s unpredictable economic landscape.
“He is a great friend and an irreplaceable fount of knowledge. We are so glad that he remains on board as a vital part of our Coxey’s team.”
