Ascendis Group, a Wilmslow-based accountancy and business advisory firm of about 40 staff, has acquired Altrincham-based E M Accountancy, a four-person practice specialising in opticians, a deal that matters broadly because it shows a regional independent growing by buying specialist capability, and matters specifically to accountancy professionals because niche healthcare expertise is now attracting acquirers among smaller firms as well as large platforms.

Ascendis Group is a firm founded in 2004 by managing director Richard Fleming, providing audit and accounts, tax, business advisory, outsourced finance and private client services, and it has recently moved to larger town centre offices to accommodate growth.

E M Accountancy was founded in 2017 by Paul Emmerson and Jayne Mullock, serving small and medium-sized clients across the country with a particular specialism in opticians' practices alongside owner-managed businesses, and no separate public website was found.

Bermans advised Ascendis, with corporate partner Robin Hastings leading the team, while Arch.Law advised E M Accountancy through Stephen Jarman.

Richard Fleming, founder and managing director of Ascendis, said E M Accountancy's culture and approach to client service align with the firm's own, that existing client arrangements will remain unchanged, and that further acquisitions are under discussion alongside organic growth towards fee income of 6 million pounds (about 7 million euros) within three years.

The specialism is well chosen. Seven corporate groups control the majority of the UK optical market, while thousands of independent practices face growing regulatory and commercial complexity without dedicated support, which creates demand for advisers who understand the sector.

That demand is shaped by diverging business models. Some independent practices have gone fully private while others have become more reliant on NHS revenue through shared care schemes, each with different margin, cash flow and reporting consequences.

The profession's own body expects further change. A summary of the Association of Optometrists' 2026 to 2030 strategy notes consolidation reshaping the market while community practice takes on glaucoma monitoring and urgent care, widening the services whose income accountants must understand.

For the sector, the deal shows that small independent firms can compete for niche practices by offering specialist depth within a broader service range, rather than by relying on outside capital.

Source: Consultancy.uk / The Optical Independent / Myers Laroche / Talentshed