Best Accounting Firm: Pisenti & Brinker, LLP

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“We take pride in our commitment to clients and the long-term relationships we forge with them.”—John Meislahn, director of business development

Pisenti & Brinker first opened its doors in 1965 and was founded by two partners, Ed Pisenti and Lynn Brinker, who have since retired. Between the Santa Rosa and Petaluma offices, the firm employs about 90 employees, with seven partners and six principals (principals are defined as previous partners of a firm). According to John Meislahn, director of business development, the firm is committed to providing the highest quality customer service to clients, and to help them grow and prosper while forging genuine partnerships and providing the best solutions.

The firm provides a variety of services to clients, including: audit and assurance; income tax planning and compliance; outsourced accounting; international taxation; operational and financial consulting and more. It also provides assistance to a range of industries, including construction, government, manufacturing, nonprofit, real estate, and wineries and vineyards. In 2016, Pisenti & Brinker merged with a bookkeeping team called CentralBooks, which provides outsourced accounting services. CentralBooks has 20 employees, and it continues to expand as the staff looks for more talented people to fill positions.

John Meislahn

As a result of the emphasis the firm places on providing clients with the best possible solutions, it’s not surprising that Pisenti & Brinker has won the coveted title of Best Accounting Firm by NorthBay biz magazine’s readers’ poll several times over the years. According to Meislahn, the firm is honored to have won for Best Accounting Firm. “We take pride in our commitment to our clients and the long term relationships we forge with them. The firm works hard to have the highest standards in customer service, leadership and current knowledge to watch our customers thrive into the future,” he says. “We have an extensive and successful track record providing quality audit, review, consulting and tax services to local business for more than 55 years. Our clients vary in size and pursuit, but what they have in common is a trust in our ability to be a solid partner capable of delivering the highest level of client service in a careful, confident and professional manner.”

The longevity of employees, including the recruitment of younger employees, has played a key element at Pisenti & Brinker as well. Meislahn says 80% of their staff are under 45 years of age, whereas three of the principals have been with the firm 40-plus years, so there’s also a legacy there. “The younger partners are engaged, so it’s refreshing to have a young staff. Clients enjoy working with knowledgeable, young people at the partner level, knowing that they’re going to be here for a long time,” says Meislahn. Communication is also key when helping clients, he adds. Due to the pandemic, the firm was able to expand their client base to others outside the state, as well as to San Francisco and the South Bay. However, meeting clients face-to-face to determine how the firm can help them grow is a large part of it, too.

As for the future, Meislahn says that the firm would like to hire more people, especially younger people, who choose to remain in the area to pursue their professional careers. However, he adds, in the CPA world, it’s difficult to find young people to get into the industry, especially since Sonoma County is an expensive place to live. As for short-term goals, Meislahn says he’s trying to figure out what more the firm can do based around the calendar year of audit deadlines and tax seasons—such as determining how employees can be more productive and put more time in with nonprofits and their clients in the limited, free time they have throughout the year. As for long-term goals, the firm is focused more on the company itself, including promoting its staff within, growing each of its divisions and getting the best companies of Sonoma County working with the best CPA firm in Sonoma County. “That would be my dream,” says Meislahn.

pbllp.com

 

[Lead photo: Duncan Garrett Photography]

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