Accountant receives top business accolade.

RUGBY accountant and business adviser David Nicoll has been named Midlands Business Person of the Year for 2009.

He received the award in the presence of Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham, at a gala ceremony on Friday night at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole hotel.

Lord Jones, a former director-general of the CBI and trade minister, was himself honoured at the ceremony for his lifetime contribution to business in the Midlands.

Mr Nicoll is managing director of Rugby-based JTD CerTax Accountants, which he created in 2006 after moving to the Midlands from London.

It has nine members of staff and is part of the CerTax Accounting franchise, which has around 100 franchisees across the UK.

Mr Nicoll has expanded his business and last year turnover rose by 178 per cent, following impressive growth in the previous two years. The firm is on course to achieve growth of 60 per cent this year. It offers fixed pricing and unlimited telephone support to its clients and alongside its regular work has developed a strong niche offering in property taxation.

Mr Nicoll, who was born and grew up in Hong Kong where his father served in the Royal Hong Kong Police, began his career in accountancy, then switched into commerce and marketing for a number of years.

He said: "Naturally, I am delighted to have won this award. It is a great achievement and a tribute to the team behind me at JTD CerTax and shows just what can be done by taking an innovative approach to this business."

And in a double success for the county, Duncan Williams, managing director of Coleshill-based ejoinery, an online retailer of high quality doors and windows, was named Midlands Entrepreneur of the Year.