Meet Sarah

EDM is the world’s leading supplier of training simulators to the civil aviation and defence markets. For the past 50 years, this beacon of British engineering and innovation has been delivering products that enhance safety and operational efficiency in organisations all over the world. 

Few international competitors can compare with EDM’s breadth and depth of expertise in the simulator market. Not quite one-of-a-kind. But not far off. We chatted to Sarah about her role as EDM’s finance director, and the personal relationship that’s been forged with HURST since the start of the partnership in 2019.

We started working with HURST in 2019, so it’s approaching four years now. Our previous accountancy partner had merged with a much larger organisation, and unfortunately, we just lost that personal connection. You can feel quite lost when you’re one of many clients in a big firm.

It couldn’t be more different with HURST though. The initial introduction came through Nigel Barratt in their corporate finance team, and I can still remember being really struck by their people. They really stood out to us. Not just their understanding of our business, but their relatable client base, and the general culture and ethos of the company too.

Reflecting on that first impression several years later, it’s still the people that are most important. The relationship with Mike Jackson and his team feels very personal and caring. They’re genuinely interested in us as a business.

And that’s definitely reflected in the way they work. Every quarter Mike, Nigel and Adrian hold proactive reviews to make sure they’ve got the finger on the pulse of our business. This means we benefit from much more than advice and expertise… it means the relationship stays fresh, and their knowledge of our business is always expanding and growing.

As far as the support provided to EDM, we’ve been able to draw on a really rounded package of expertise and knowledge. From audit to tax and corporate finance. 

We’ve completed one acquisition supported by HURST, but also benefited from their advice and insight when assessing other opportunities as well. They’ve connected us to international specialists too through their Prime Global connections… it’s just really reassuring to know there’s a wealth of expertise ready whenever we need it.

Above all though, it all boils down to that personal service. We know we can talk to them whenever we need to. We know we won’t get passed around different advisors, and we know when they answer the phone, they’ll be genuinely listening, advising and acting in our best interests. We never have to feel like we’re ‘on the clock’. That ethos just doesn’t exist.

HURST in three words: Supportive. Approachable. Knowledgable.

To find out more about EDM Group, and their world-leading solutions for the civil aviation and defence markets, just visit www.edmgroupltd.com