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Q: Why did you decide to become a CPA?  I started out at Ohio State in the College of Agriculture majoring in Agricultural Economics (an area that was recommended to get into Veterinary School at the time).  I liked the agriculture and accounting classes I took, but hated the chemistry classes required for vet school.   I was advised that majoring in accounting would be a good background for any career in business, so that is the path I took.

Q: What do you think is most gratifying about your work?  Being a trusted advisor to my clients relating to business and tax issues.  The strong personal relationships I’ve developed with clients and their entire family is also very gratifying.

 Q: How long have you been with the Firm?  16+ Years

Q: What do you like best about working at GJM?  I know it sounds cliché, but it is the people.  We have a great management group that brings very complementary strengths to the organization.  We try to make it a fun atmosphere for people to work, but also know how to get work done in a very deadline driven business.  We are also hiring the best and brightest out of the local colleges – and it is exciting to see their technology skills (which are far superior to mine) and the renewed energy they bring to Gilmore Jasion Mahler, LTD.  It helps keep me young (at heart).  

Q: What community organizations or events are you involved in? I have been the past president of both The Ohio State Alumni Club of Lucas County and The Rotary Club of Waterville.  I have been the Treasurer for The City of Waterville (appointed by City Council) since 2004 and am a board member for The Waterville Community Foundation.  I am involved with the Waterville organizations as my wife and I have lived in Waterville for the past 22 years and it is a fantastic community. I am currently on the board at The Victory Center, an organization that supports the emotional needs of both people fighting cancer and their families.  I am involved with this board because my wife is a breast cancer survivor, and many people in the GJM office are also cancer survivors.

Q: How do you like to spend your spare time? My wife and I are big Detroit Tigers fans and go to about 25 games a year at Comerica Park in Detroit.  I am also a member at Rockwell Springs Trout Club near Castalia, Ohio and enjoy fly fishing there (and taking clients for a unique experience - as most have never gone fly fishing).  I also enjoy downhill and cross country skiing.

Q: Any stories or anecdotes that you think help to convey “who you are?”  “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff!”  “Attitude is Everything!”  “Optimism is Moral Courage!”

Q: What is something people may be surprised to find out about you?  I went to school for a summer in Oxford, England,  I rode my bike from Toledo to the Montreal Olympics and back in 1976, and I have climbed Mount Rainier in Washington with a guided climbing team.

Steve works with a variety of clients including those in manufacturing and healthcare. Learn more about Steve’s expertise.

What better month than April to feature those in the accounting business? As tax day approaches, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted has just announced that the office is featuring the profession throughout the month as a part of it's Ohio Business Profile, including a feature on Gilmore Jasion Mahler. The Secretary of State's office says the Ohio Business Profile was established in 2011 and helps to showcase companies doing business in the state and offering outstanding service. We're proud to be among those businesses featured. Learn more about our capabilities.

By the very nature of the construction industry, contracting businesses constantly move to new job sites, often criss-crossing the state of Ohio. That can get complicated when it comes to tax filing. But, not so much anymore. This video explains in simple terms what's different.

Gilmore Jasion Mahler CPA Mary Jo Pitzen is a member of the firm's Construction Specialist Team. She provides general business consulting and strategic tax planning to many of the firm's contracting clients.

Established in 1996, Gilmore Jasion Mahler, LTD (GJM) is the largest public accounting firm in Northwest Ohio, with offices in Maumee and Findlay. Locally owned, GJM offers cloud-based accounting and provides comprehensive services including assurance, business advisory, tax, risk advisory, healthcare management and outsourced accounting. The Firm's professionals specialize in industries including construction & real estate, healthcare, manufacturing & distribution and utilities.

As chief financial decision maker within a business, the role for many CFOs looks different today than it has in the past. It can often be a journey into uncharted waters. In 2018 this critical c-suite role involves not only company financials, but a broader vison, strategic thinking, trend watching and keeping up on developments with potential impact on the business, including:

• Sweeping tax reform
• The skilled labor shortage
• Safety regulations
• Changes in revenue recognition
• Blockchain & other technology
• Fraud and cyber threats

When you subscribe to accounting firm Gilmore Jasion Maher’s (GJM) industry-specific newsletters you’ll gain access to articles offering solutions and solving problems. You’ll receive insight from GJM experts and additional articles on accounting issues and topics that impact your bottom line.

• Personal and business tax strategy
• Best practices and trends
• Clarification and insight on federal tax changes
• Technology/cybersecurity content
• Information on cost control and tax credits

Here’s a look at some recent articles you missed if you weren’t subscribed:

• “Gilmore Jasion Mahler Experts Explain New Tax Law”
• “Tax Reform and Pass-through Entities”
• “Construction Accounting Update: New Revenue Recognition Rules to “Go Live” Soon”
• “The Contractor’s Corner-How Helpful are Digital Documents and E-signatures?”
• “Quality vs. Volume-How Should Physician Compensation be Determined?
• “Surviving and Thriving in a Changing Practice Landscape”
• “Beware of Procurement Fraud”
• “Economic Damages 101: Learn the ABCs of Calculating Lost Profits and Diminished Value”
• “Are Your Prices Too High, Too Low or Just Right?” 
• “Smart Factories and Blockchain: How to Stay on the Cutting Edge of Technology”
• “Understanding “Nexus” – Know the Risks and Rewards of Operating Across State Lines”

GJM’s five quarterly newsletters include:

1. Focus: A quarterly publication dedicated to covering such topics as strategic business planning, estate planning, employee issues, customer relations issues, personal tax planning, and other aspects of business management and personal finance.
2. The Expert: The quarterly newsletter offers timely notifications on valuation and litigation support developments that may have an immediate impact on you and your business.
3. Practice Management Advisor: A quarterly newsletter providing accounting, tax and practice management insights for the health care industry.
4. On-Site: A quarterly newsletter providing accounting, tax and business insights for construction and real estate focused organizations.
5. Manufacturer: Offers tax tips, news and information pertinent to the manufacturing and distribution industries. A quarterly publication, Manufacturer addresses the daily challenges facing manufacturers and distributors as well as strategic and long-term planning initiatives.

Signing up is simple. Just click here and start having timely accounting information delivered right into your inbox. You can also sign up by clicking the big blue "subscribe now" button at the top of the sidebar to the right of this blog article. To be sure you continue to receive GJM newsletter content, we recommend the following:

1. Have your IT department add GJM’s domain name to your network’s whitelist. We recommend you also add the name of the platform we use to distribute our email newsletters, which is a company called BlueHornet (recently rebranded as Mapp Digital).

Domain names to add to your whitelist:

gjmltd.com

bluehornet.com

2. Double check spam and junk folders/filters and if you find a GJM communication, be sure to mark the message as not spam, not junk or add sender to safe sender list.

Established in 1996, Gilmore Jasion Mahler, LTD (GJM) is the largest public accounting firm in Northwest Ohio, with offices in Maumee and Findlay. Locally owned, GJM offers cloud-based accounting services and provides comprehensive services including assurance, business advisory, tax, risk advisory and healthcare management. The Firm’s professionals specialize in industries including construction & real estate, healthcare, manufacturing & distribution and utilities.  

Some Key Takeaways from the National Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) 2016 Conference “Building it Forward”

Gilmore Jasion Mahler CPA and Partner Bob Bobek knows the construction industry. Not only has he advised countless construction clients over the years, but he’s very active on a national and local level with the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA).  A recent speaker at CFMA’s 2016 national conference “Building it Forward” in San Antonio, Texas, Bob shares key takeaways from his presentation on treasury management. Our focus here is on valuing your construction business. It’s about more than just your earnings or your equipment. Are you attractive to a potential buyer? They’ll be looking for a healthy company and specifically these key components:

A good balance sheet: Focus on assets: working capital to equipment.

Synergies: Efficiencies gained through combining companies. For example, a general contractor that works regularly with an electrical subcontractor could consider buying that subcontractor and absorbing it into their business. By self-performing the electrical component, it can make you more attractive to potential buyers.  

Look at market perceptions of risk:  Do a self-assessment:

• How’s your safety record?  
• How big is your business? The bigger contracts you have the more appealing you are to a potential buyer.
• Types of contracts: Do you have reoccurring contracts? Are you in “hot” sectors like power, water and energy?
• Is your management team strong and secured?
• What’s your growth potential?
• What’s your succession plan? If you’re bringing in younger talent and have a plan in place, the market will perceive your company as lower risk.
• Are you union or non-union? General contractors who use union labor have a perceived higher risk in light of challenges with union pension liabilities.
• Are you a larger company with greater diversity when it comes to geography, capabilities and customers?

Looking at these key issues can help better position your company so that when the right buyer does come along, you’re ready.

Bob Bobek, CPA is a partner in the audit and accounting department of Gilmore Jasion Mahler with over thirty years of public accounting experience and leads our Construction Specialist Team. He is a member of the Ohio Contractors Association, The Associated General Contractors of America and the Construction Financial Management Association, where he has held several offices.