Fortus acquires Charles Stewart & Co, strengthening compliance base in central Leeds

We are proud to announce the acquisition of Charles Stewart & Co, a respected firm located in the heart of central Leeds. This strategic move enhances our compliance capabilities, providing a robust foundation for further growth in the city.

Craig Herbert, Group CEO, said “We’re thrilled to welcome and integrate the talented Charles Stewart & Co team to Fortus! Ensuring that client service remains consistent and unchanged is an absolute priority for us and given our team now consists of 120 outstanding people, we’re confident of successfully navigating that challenge. We will now be able to leverage the combined expertise of both teams, ultimately delivering enhanced value to clients of Charles Stewart & Co.

This acquisition also solidifies our presence in the city of Leeds and positions us for scalable growth in the future which, aligning with our 5-year growth strategy, focuses on us coming together with businesses driven by culture, in-house expertise and quality clients.”

The acquisition of Charles Stewart & Co caps off another tremendous year for us at Fortus. 2025 has seen the firm hit record revenues, with forecasts set to exceed £10m in 2026. 2024 has also seen the launch of our very own Fortus Foundation – a charity focussed on providing grants and donations to small local charities – the successful launch of a new Business Finance service, headed up by experienced finance broker, Richard Swan, as well as the completion of the acquisition of JWP Creers in York earlier in the year.

Former owner of Charles Stewart & Co, Andrew Charles – now a Director at Fortus – said: “This acquisition is crucial for my business and for my team. Not only does it provide our clients with an array of additional services that a firm of our size has not previously been able to offer in-house, but it also gives my team the security of being part of a bigger business which will unlock many opportunities for their own personal professional growth. It will very much be business as usual for all concerned and I’m looking forward to working with Craig and his exceptional team in the coming years!”.