Grand Rapids accounting firm acquires tax consulting services for future growth

An official at the accounting firm of Beene Garter says two multi-state tax experts who joined his practice last week after a merger indicates future growth at the firm.

Tom Rosenbach, managing partner of the Grand Rapids-based accounting firm, says the recently completed merger with Barrons State Tax Consulting is designed to serve clients who are pursuing operations outside Michigan.

"With the tax environment being the way it is, with the new MBT (Michigan Business Tax) and the ongoing struggle to implement that by the state of Michigan, a lot of companies in the state of Michigan are branching out, doing work in other states," Rosenbach says. "So we felt, with the economy the way it is and the tax environment being the way it is, this specialty would really benefit a lot of our clients."

Joining Beene Garter to form its new Multi-State Tax Group are David Barrons, who becomes partner-in-charge of the new group, and Michael Lewakowski, who will serve as the department’s senior tax manager.

Barrons says they will be able to provide more support to clients under the structure of Beene Garter.

"I would go to do a specific project for (a client), and they’d be looking for accounting and auditing services or tax-preparation services, and this (merger) just expands that," Barrons says.

Barrons estimated that he and Lewakowski bring some 100 clients to Beene Garter, although he emphasized that many do not have them doing work continually. Nevertheless, Rosenbach sees it as a base upon which to grow.

"We are likely to see growth because of that," Rosenbach says. "We started with these two gentlemen and you’d think that, as the practice group builds, there could be more individuals added to the multistate group."

Source: Tom Rosenbach and David Barrons, Beene Garter

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth. She can be contacted at [email protected].