Elliott, Robinson & Co. co-founder breaks off

Since 1974, E. Dee Robinson was a partner at Springfield accounting firm Elliott, Robinson & Co. LLP. But he's starting off 2010 differently.

Robinson left the firm he helped found more than three decades ago to start a new venture with his sons, Jeff and Andy.

The family plans to open Robinson & Co. LLP on Jan. 4 at 1304 E. Woodhurst Dr., Ste. B.

Dee Robinson said the firm is a way to give his sons the same type of start he had at Elliott Robinson, while also playing into his preference of working with smaller companies.

"The firm was very successful, and it grew and it grew, but it kind of got too big for me," Robinson said. "I mean, that firm is very technically competent, but I don't work very well with large organizations. We built our practice on personal relationships with smaller businesses and individuals, and that seems to be what I can relate to the best."

Robinson & Co. will provide individual and corporate tax, bookkeeping, payroll, financial consulting and business appraisal services. It's starting with four employees: certified public accountants Dee and Jeff Robinson, who's also a partner; staff accountant Andy Robinson; and administrative assistant Becky Perryman.

All four have a background with Elliott Robinson: Jeff Robinson was a CPA at the company; Andy Robinson, who earned a Master of Accountancy in December, was an intern there; and Perryman worked as a receptionist and tax processor at the firm since 2001.

Bob Helm, managing partner at Elliott Robinson, said he expects roughly 10 percent of the firm's clients to transition to Robinson & Co.

"It's not a significant number, I don't believe," Helm said, adding that the split was amicable. "We hope to replace all that business in 2010."

Elliott Robinson is Springfield's third-largest accounting firm with roughly 30 employees, according to Springfield Business Journal research.

The company has hired three staff accountants and will continue to work with closely held small companies as well as larger accounts, Helm said.

Elliott Robinson plans to grow its specialty areas, such as government and retirement plan audits, fraud and internal control.

Staying the same

Co-founder Gordon Elliott, who no longer has a day-to-day role but consults for the firm, said there are no immediate plans to change the company name.

"I think everyone's going to see continuation of what we've built over the years," said Elliott, who stepped out of management in January 2008 to concentrate on his Elliott Lodging Ltd., which manages several hotels and rental properties in Springfield.

Robinson, who had been working on his venture since August, said corporate clients will primarily consist of small to midsize businesses with fewer than 200 employees. Most clients, he said, will have fewer than 25 employees, noting that about 70 percent of the tax work will be corporate and 30 percent will be for individuals.

Robinson said he intends to duplicate the formula he and Gordon Elliott used when they founded Elliott Robinson. They emphasized personal relationships among business clientele and were proactive in their tax work, he said.

Son Jeff Robinson has bought in.

"I don't want to see you at tax time and say, 'We should have done this.' I want to work with a client throughout the year, so we're always making decisions now, versus doing a coulda-woulda-shoulda at the end of the year," Robinson said.

Mark Morton, president of Mor Sound Inc., parent company of Sounds Great and SG Integration, said he has been a client of Dee Robinson since the early 1980s.

In addition to providing financial statements and filing the businesses' tax returns, Morton said Robinson also has helped him with basic business and investment planning over the years.

"We have been approached in the past by a couple of suitors, and Dee helped me work through that," said Morton, whose company sells and installs multimedia equipment nationally. "Both times it ended where it wasn't going to be in my best interest to proceed, or in the case of the last one, the economy was about to go away and it wouldn't have worked for either party. ... When it comes to complex deals like this, I rely totally on Dee's advice."

Additional offerings

The services Robinson & Co. provides extend beyond traditional accounting. Robinson expects to spend about 40 percent of his time, and about 15 percent of the firm's time, providing litigation support and business valuations.

Jeff Robinson, a certified financial planner, spent six years in the financial services industry before he decided to get into accounting.

"That's something extra I'll bring to the table. I can give my clients an unbiased opinion on their current investments and help them create a financial plan," he said, adding that since the practice is not in the business of selling securities, he'll be able to provide an independent view of a client's personal finances.

Dee Robinson said he has about 10 years of hands-on work left and would help his sons evaluate the business after five years.