Richard Longmore FCPA, FCIS, AFAIM, ACIM, MACS
Partner
After a number of years working in manufacturing, Richard Longmore moved into public practice in the 1970's and extended his interests into developing a computer consulting company which expanded into the Derham Computer Corporation Group, a diversified company which dealt in computer software development, hardware sales and finance packages.
At the same time the accounting business was building, so in 1985, he sold his share in the computer company to his partners to concentrate on public accounting.
Richard understands business. His accounting career began working for a railway signals engineer. He progressed through the building industry gaining experience with retail hardware and timber mills, into the electrical contracting industry and then to Dunlop Australia and the management team at Bayswater and the acquisitions amalgamations and rationalisation of the Dunlop company at that time.
In 1985, Longmores moved to Ringwood and in 1989 built the present modern offices, in partnership with insurance broker Alan Quantrell. Richard and Alan have a close business relationship and occupy a purpose built office at 337 Maroondah Highway, Croydon.
With Richard, business is a personal thing. He believes service is the most important thing a business has to offer, and he is backed by an on-call network of professionals to provide expertise in most areas of commerce. If a client has a problem, there will always be someone to talk to at Croydon.
Longmores tries to get alongside its clients. Whether it is a simple tax return or a major account, the job turnaround is usually quick. Clients can receive a management report within 48 hours from the time the information is supplied. It's an unusually good performance in today's accounting industry but information is only useful if it is given to the client in time to get some benefit from it.
The firm has the expertise and the backup facilities to find the right business direction. This is based not only on it’s wide experience but a heavy investment in computer software, which enables them to identify problems and strengths quickly. The expertise comes in being able to interpret the information for clients so that they understand exactly what they should be doing.
Richard’s professional qualifications underlines the depth of a company, which has been running since the 1970's. He is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries, Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, a Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia, a Member of the Australian Computer Society and a Registered Company Auditor.
In 1994 following the State reform of local government, he was appointed Chairman of Commissioners of the Shire of Yarra Ranges, in many ways, Victoria's largest and most challenging new municipal body. He managed the process of amalgamating four former municipalities, Lilydale, Healesville, Upper Yarra and Sherbrook. A very successful, financially stable, and well organised municipality was handed over to elected councillors on 15 March 1997.
In 2003 he was awarded a Centenary Medal for “exemplary voluntary service to the community through auditing and accounting”. This in itself underlies the Longmores philosophy.