Smith & Howard Celebrates 45 Years

Transcription

1 Smith & Howard Celebrates 45 Years

2

3

4 Welcome to the 70 s That s so 70 s if it s: - Women s Lib - Lava Lamps - Microwave Ovens - Disco

5 1971 was the year Jim and Joe joined forces and started what would become one of the top CPA firms in the nation.

6 Meet Jim Howard and Joe Smith! When they joined forces in 1971, they needed to decide whose name would come first...it all came down to a coin toss, and Joe won! The firm was called Smith & Howard.

7 Meet the first ladies of Smith & Howard: the late Jude Smith (left) and Mary Long Howard. While Joe and Jim were building a business, these ladies were learning 45 ways to cook hot dogs until the firm turned a profit.

8 And so our journey begins...the first office of Smith & Howard was in the Rhodes Haverty Building located at 134 Peachtree Street.

9 Fun Fact: Co-founding partner, Joe Smith shares a birthday with the firm s first - and still - client, Jerry Bowden.

10 And then there were three. Wade St. John joined Jim and Joe as our first audit partner.

11 The Great 80 s When we think of the 80 s we think: - Perms - Shoulder Pads - Fanny Packs - Neon - Cabbage Patch Kids

12 As we continued to grow, we worked hard, but we played hard, too! This was our firm-wide whitewater rafting trip on the Nantahala River. Splish splash!

13

14 An early holiday party at Jim s house (when we could all fit in one room!).

15 The mighty 90 s The 90 s were known for things like: - Dot-com bubble - Birkenstocks - PlayStation - Pokémon

16 The 1994 Atlanta Corporate Challenge was, well, a challenge - but it sure was fun!

17 Accountants tick and tie numbers, but at Smith & Howard, sometimes the tying is tying the knot. We ve seen two weddings among employees! Pictured here are Clay and Robin Eggleston.

18 Sean and Christine Taylor also tied the knot in 1997 after meeting as coworkers at Smith & Howard. Pictured here are many current and past Smith & Howard employees with the happy couple.

19 Every April 15, Jim Howard (pictured here in our office at 1795 Peachtree Street) wrote and read a poem detailing the fun and crazy things that happened during busy season.

20 Marc Azar, tax partner, runs to home at a S&H softball game in Piedmont Park.

21 The New Millennium It s considered trendy if it includes: - Blogging - Social Media - Hybrid Cars - Skinny Jeans

22 A holiday party at the Cherokee Town & Country Club: Jim and Joe serenaded us with Moon River.

23 Joe Smith is known for his love of bow ties, so at his retirement party, we all wore bow ties in his honor!

24 A career highlight and all-around great day for Smith & Howard was when Joe and Jim were recognized by Georgia State University as Outstanding Alumni.

25 In 2010, the Atlanta Business Chronicle published an article on our transition to John Lucht as Managing Partner and to the firm s transition to younger staff. Part of our growth is attributed to our company culture, or what we like to call the Smith & Howard way. It is important for us to spend time together out of the office too!

26 And so, when we re not cranking out tax returns or audits we go on adventures! Here, you see one of our many team-building activities, this one at Chateau Elan.

27 Did someone say heights?? Leaderpalooza 2012 included a zip line, tight rope and many other adventurous activities. Don t worry, everyone was safe...

28 For the most part, that is :)

29 Bonding with your colleagues is always fun, but letting off some steam can be important, too! #Paintball #Winning

30 In addition to our firm adventures, we also come together to serve our community that has been so gracious to us. That said, community service has always been important at S&H. Here are a few of our sod specialists at our 2010 Habitat for Humanity build.

31 In honor of our 40th anniversary, we completed 40 community service projects in one year and called it 40 for 40.

32 We delivered meals to the local fire station on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Pictured here are Paul Atkinson, his two children and the firefighters of Station 11.

33 Every year for the past six years, we have hosted a cookout for the patients, caregivers and staff of Shepherd Center.

34 Our 40 for 40 community service project was recognized by the Corporate Volunteer Council of Atlanta as the top community service project by a small business!

35 To keep up with our growth, we moved to larger offices in Atlantic Station at th Street! #MovingOnUp

36 We decided to take over the 16th floor of the BB&T building to give us more room for growth.

37 And it required one massive (but fun) build-out!

38 The Sweet (20)16 - Hoverboards - Ombre Hair - Pokémon Go - Drones

39 Smith & Howard Wealth Management (SHWM) celebrated 17 years of existence this August! Oh, and before you keep flipping, SHWM is thriving. They recently announced the additions of Valerie Nichols and Brad Swinsburg! Claps all around for the SHWM team!

40 Congratulations to both Lori Wagnon (left) and Christine Ratliff (middle) who were named principals of the firm on July 1, 2016.

41 We love what we do so much that we found a way to tell Atlanta high school students about it! Here s our SHARP team with Dr. Beverly Holyfield getting ready to introduce students to careers in accounting and finance.

42 In 2014 and 2015 we received the Pyramid of Excellence Award from INSIDE Public Accounting and this year, we ranked as the #1 Firm in Atlanta! #BestOfTheBest

43 2016 has been a year to remember. We continue to grow and accomplish new goals.

44 We are grateful to our founding partners, Jim Howard (left) and Joe Smith (right).

45 And there you have it, folks! While there are hundreds of CPA firms, there is only one like Smith & Howard. Whether you are a client, friend or employee of the firm, we are so honored to include you in our celebration. Thank you and here's to 45 more!

46