Hufham finds success in balancing dual roles at KPM

Steven D. Hufham must change hats many times each day at work, but that hasn't kept him from achieving his goals for Kirkpatrick, Phillips and Miller, CPAs, PC.

Hufham began his career in accounting in 1980 as a KPM staff accountant and worked his way up through the ranks by 1996 to managing shareholder of the firm.

The job of managing shareholder is a comprehensive management position, Hufham said. "That puts me in charge of running the firm as a business, plus I have my own client base to take care of."

A considerable portion of Hufham's time with clients is devoted to small and family business consulting. "I enjoy helping people analyze their businesses, looking for opportunities, seeing what can be done better, and preparing for pitfalls," he said. "I get a lot of satisfaction out of helping clients with their biggest problems."

Broad business base

Hufham said that the fact that KPM has access to such a broad base of business experience helps the firm sometimes see solutions and improvements that a small business owner might not recognize without the benefit of consulting.

"We try to meet with our clients during the year, and ask them what concerns they have and how we can help them," he said. "That's one of the strengths of the firm. We don't just do their taxes; we want to help them improve their business. The consulting end doesn't have that much to do with numbers and taxes."

But taxes have everything to do with Hufham's and KPM's other main client focus, which includes accounting, auditing and tax services. As the largest locally owned Springfield certified public accountant firm, KPM now has 53 employees and a second location in Branson, a far cry from the handful of accountants that started the organization in 1966.

Hufham isn't worried about the national economy. "I think the national economy is in a period of adjustment," he said. "It grew at such a rate over the past 5 to 10 years that an adjustment is a natural part of a cyclical economy." Hufham estimates that this period of adjustment could last a few more years.

That adjustment eventually makes its way to the Ozarks, but is only felt to a minor degree, according to Hufham. "It has had less of an impact locally because southwest Missouri is such a growing area, but we do feel it." The area's growth rate, along with diversity in industry, have both helped to minimize the negative economic effects of the national economy, he said.

Economic adjustment periods only affect KPM slightly in terms of client services, Hufham said. "Our time spent consulting on new business acquisitions and strategies are a little less because people will pause their business expansion briefly. Also, some clients might be bought or decide to sell, which can increase the amount of services they need."

No matter what the economic state of southwest Missouri is, Hufham said, he must strive to maintain balance between his KPM roles, a dance that is made easier by having competent partners in business.

"We have a good committee structure in the firm," he said. "It's still a difficult balance, but I have a lot of good people around me and I don't try to do it all myself."

Hufham's family life keeps him busy, as well he and wife Cindy have three children, Jennifer, 15; Sean, 12; and Trey, 6.

Even with his diverse KPM duties, Hufham finds time to work with the local Court Appointed Special Advocate program. CASA links volunteers to children who are neglected or abused. CASA volunteers represent children's interests by researching individual cases, making sure that the children receive needed services, and checking to ensure that the home environment is safe. A CASA volunteer provides a voice for the child and a constant, reassuring presence in a dire situation.

"An attorney asked me to join the board to help CASA with financial matters," Hufham said. "It sounded like a great cause and I accepted." Hufham, who calls his volunteer experience with CASA "very gratifying," has been on the board of directors for five years, and is the chairman of the finance committee.

Hufham said KPM has much to feel good about. "We pride ourselves first on the quality of the services we offer, and on our service to the community," he said. Hufham's formula for KPM future success is straightforward. "We try to hire the very best people, pay them well, work hard and play hard."