Stockport-based accountants HURST has been acquired by PE-backed Dains Group, a fast-growing Top 30 UK accountancy and advisory firm.

Dains is a respected national group and backed by IK Partners, a leading European mid-market private equity firm.

Headquartered in the Midlands, Dains is expanding rapidly across the UK and Ireland to target the SME market.

Simon Brownbill, partner and head of practice development at HURST, said: “By joining Dains, we now have access to a broader range of expertise, deeper resources, and a growing team of over 1,000 professionals.

“This enables us to enhance our digital capabilities, broaden our service offering and accelerate our growth – while maintaining the highly personal service that defines HURST.”