“Every nonprofit needs an accountant, and we’re happy to help.” —Greg Bennett
When Gordon Seiberlich first opened the doors to his Napa office in 1950, his goal was to bring his rural clients the same level of expertise and service available at national firms. His was the first full-service CPA firm in the North Bay and the first to specialize in our area’s main industries of wine, viticulture, agriculture, construction, personal services (law, medicine, engineering) and more. Now, 65 years later, G & J Seiberlich & Co. LLP has 30 employees in offices spanning Napa, Calistoga and Vacaville, serving more than 2,500 individuals and businesses, offering tax preparation, estate and trust planning, accounting, consulting, auditing and other specialties.The firm is focused on meeting the needs of its clients by earning their trust through understanding each individual’s needs and helping him or her reach personal and financial goals. Its partners and employees are dedicated to a high standard of integrity as well as the ability to constantly improve their skills and knowledge. Thus its mission statement: “We strive to be the most trusted, respected and successful accounting firm in the geographic areas we serve.”
“I’m honored and proud to work with such an incredible group of partners and employees and to work for the amazing clients we serve,” says Greg Bennett, who joined the firm in 1983 and now serves as its managing partner.
Having been around for such a long time (Seiberlich himself is now retired), the company has not only watched (and helped) the communities and industries grow around it, but has also seen the world itself change in many ways. It goes without saying that technology has played a big role.
“One of our biggest challenges has been adopting technology as it applies to our industry,” says Bennett. “We were early adopters of paperless technology but had to reengineer procedures and practices to do that. But an even larger challenge has been finding qualified staff.
“College graduates have leaned toward investment banking and other areas of finance, rather than the CPA field. It’s hard to find CPAs in the Generation X and millennial age brackets due to more lucrative salaries elsewhere. Public accounting is tough work with long hours. We’re focused on maintaining the highest salary, benefit and flexibility levels possible so we can appeal to emerging leaders.”
One of the things Bennett says sets the firm apart from others of similar size, and that employees and partners are most proud of, is its level of community service. “All of us serve on boards, volunteer and are involved in the community,” he says. “We set aside time especially for that. Every nonprofit needs an accountant, and we’re happy to help. We encourage employees to work with organizations they’re passionate about.”
As far as growth is concerned, the firm has done so organically through referrals and by adding offices. “We don’t plan on acquiring new offices or practices, but would consider it if it was the right thing,” says Bennett.
“The fact that we were selected [by NorthBay biz readers] is an honor. It reflects our hard work. Thank you to our clients who bestowed this upon us. What we do is a team effort and we work hard to support each other and to provide clients with informative and timely communication.”
