“We have employees who are focused on specializing in one or two industry groups. They immerse themselves in those industries, and that adds value in working with their clients.”—Chris Paris
Chris Paris believes there are several reasons why Moss Adams has again won the Best Accounting Firm award—its 15th time in the past 16 years. “First, it’s because of our employees. We devote a lot of time and effort into recruiting the best people we can find. We place a huge emphasis on recruiting great talent right out of college, and here in the North Bay the firm typically hires as many as 15 new employees that way in a year’s time.”
Moss Adams trains its people thoroughly, he adds, and that translates into great service.
Another likely reason for winning the award once again is industry specialization, says Paris, partner-in-charge for the firm’s Santa Rosa and Napa offices. “We have employees who are focused on specializing in one or two industry groups. They immerse themselves in those industries, and that adds value in working with their clients. That’s part of what differentiates us from other firms.”
Moss Adams’s two North Bay offices employ a total of 93 people, with most located in the Santa Rosa office. “Our Napa office has 13 people, and we are always seeking to add more talent. Part of our ability to grow that office is largely dependent on finding the right people there. We have a strong presence in Napa and continue to diversify the industries we serve.”
Overall, the firm is growing and moving into new territories, explains Paris. A Moss Adams office opened in Fresno in 2016, and the firm also recently launched an office in Dallas, Texas. “California and Texas are the firm’s big growth markets, and there are several markets we’re exploring in the western United States,” he says. Moss Adams is based in Seattle, Wash., with 29 offices in seven states.
In 2004, Moss Adams created the Moss Adams Foundation, which is funded by the firm, its partners and its employees. The nonprofit supports a broad range of charitable activities that address emerging and changing needs in not-for-profit environments throughout the nation and beyond. Its programs promote accounting excellence in teaching, research, and curriculum. The foundation has donated $7.4 million since it began. The firm launched Forum W in 2008, with the goal of helping to attract, retain, and advance talented women at Moss Adams. Women have been historically underrepresented at top levels of the accounting profession, and Forum W is one way Moss Adams is changing that. It was recently recognized as a model program for the Bay Area Council and Department on the Status of Women for the Gender Equality Challenge, an event held earlier this year in San Francisco.
In the North Bay, Moss Adams is always seeking new clients who are the right fit, according to Paris. “We specialize in middle-market clients and companies, and we have strong personal relationships with them. Yet the majority of our people were born and raised here, including myself, and that means we have many personal connections, too.”
Moss Adams continually strives to become even better, says Paris. “We appreciate this recognition and would like to thank all those who voted for us.”
