Our founding motto
Look after the people first
Richard Preston’s simple idea still guides everything we do, fifty years on.
Richard Preston Founder · Established the firm in 1977
In memory of our founder
The two words he chose
More than fifty years ago, Richard Preston started an accounting firm on a simple idea: look after the people first, and everything else follows. That belief still sits on our letterhead today, in the two words Richard chose as the firm’s motto. We care.
For Richard, it was never only about the numbers. Farms are intergenerational. They shape families and carry the weight of what came before and what comes next. Farmers plan constantly for a future they have little control over, at the mercy of the weather, the markets and prices set well beyond the farm gate. In the good seasons and the hard ones, Richard believed an accountant should understand not just the business, but the person behind it.
That is the standard he built the firm on. Caring about the client. Looking after their needs first. Understanding their situation, whatever it happens to be.
Fifty years on, the technology has changed and the tools have moved with it, but the principle Richard started with has not. People come first. It is still the most important thing in every business we look after.
Look after the people first, and everything else follows.
What it means in practice
Quality of service, not quantity of clients
At R J Preston Ltd, We Care is more than a motto. It is the way we work.
Every client matters
Every client is important to us, regardless of the size of their operation — a farming family, a commercial business, a trust, a company or an individual.
Time to understand
We take the time to understand each client’s circumstances and provide the care, attention and support they actually need.
Personal and timely
We are dedicated to providing exceptional, timely and personal support to everyone who entrusts us with their business, tax and financial affairs.
Our focus has always been on the quality of our service, not the quantity of our clients.