Lay Associates Ltd was established in Leeston in 2004 when Michael Lay set up offices under his own name. Previous to this Michael had been working in Christchurch and Leeston as a partner in Allott Reeves & Co Chartered Accountants whom we still maintain a very strong professional relationship with. The full time move to Leeston was made recognising that there was a need for a full time accountant servicing the rural area in Ellesmere.
Initially Michael was assisted by Dianne Duffield. As the business developed and became busier Andrew Lambie and Justine Caunce were employed in 2005 to make life a little easier. In 2006 the offices relocated to beautifully refurbished premises in the old Post Office building at 66 High Street. The move allowed for another staff member to come on board. Steven Free joined the team part time whilst completing his accounting degree at Canterbury University.
The firm has continued to expand and in 2007 Scott Barclay was employed to assist with increased demand. During the year the decision was made to open an office in Rolleston as part of our commitment to the Selwyn area. This decision was made to improve service to those farms and businesses in the Rolleston and Malvern areas. we see this as an essential move in building our long term relationship with the local community. This office formally opened in November of 2007 and is now managed by Andrew Lambie.
The business has continued to expand through to the current day where we now employ 9 staff and have positioned ourselves as a leading supplier of accounting services in rural Canterbury.