Getting money on your birthday isn’t that unusual, but giving $10,000 is.
Longtime Barrie accounting firm Powell Jones LLP is celebrating its 70th birthday with that generous donation to The Busby Centre.
Managing partner Tonya Pearce tells BarrieToday contributing to the community is important to the firm.
“We encourage all staff and partners to be involved in community organizations and events, and we have a very philanthropic perspective — in terms of both time and monetarily — when it come to supporting causes such as Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre and the YMCA," Pearce says.
Staff fundraisers also support organizations such as the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Barrie and District, Movember and Canoe for Cancer in addition to manning Salvation Army kettles.
Pearce says there are amazing organizations doing great work in their local communities who need people of varying skill sets — whatever they might be — in order to succeed.
“To better improve our communities overall, we all need to pitch in and help these organizations,” she says. “For those who can’t commit to the time involved, many of those organizations can also use funds so financial donations are also important.”
Powell Jones sprang from fairly humble beginnings in 1952 in a 250-square-foot office up the stairs at 24 Dunlop St. E.
That’s when Art Powell opened his office and was pretty much a one-man show in the beginning. In 1967, Larry Jones came on board and in 1970 they became partners.
With an expanding business (and name changes) and growing staff, eventually that Dunlop Street East office grew to 3,000 sq. ft. so a new, standalone building on Anne Street South was constructed with occupancy taking place in 1990.
“Our success is a result of our long-term employees, and also because of the confidence and trust our community has bestowed on us," Pearce says.
It's a trust that has lasted for decades, she adds.
“We still have a handful of clients who have been here since the Art Powell days, since the 1950s, who have gone through multi-generational business changes,” Pearce says. “A number of clients become clients because they have seen the long-term service level we have provided their parents and feel confident in what we can provide.
“There is a perception out there that all we do is crunch numbers, but that's a big misconception. We are deeply involved in the ongoing businesses of our clients with planning, financing, government compliance and filings," she adds.
Helping clients with their financial needs is the business side of the firm and helping Barrie be a better place is another side, says the current Rotary Club of Barrie-Kempenfelt president.
“Rotary’s motto ‘service above self’ is even more important these days than ever,” Pearce says. “There is such a shortage of resources today — everything from time to money to supplies — that we all need to pitch in to help each other so communities can stay strong and thrive.
“Helping each other through these difficult times, even if it’s just making each other laugh or helping one another move a piece of furniture, is wonderful.”
HISTORY LESSON
A. E. Powell, Chartered Accountant, A.E. Powell & Co Chartered Accountants, Powell Jones & Co and now Powell Jones LLP.
Over the firm’s many years, number-crunching technologies required for their clients’ needs evolved with the times.
At first, there was lots of paper.
“Early on, there was a lot of bookkeeping and accounting services, all manual, on multi-column ledger sheets,” says Pearce.
“Powell Jones was one of the area’s first accounting firms with a mini-computer, which was not really mini – it was massive,” she says of the unit, which measured three metres across and about two metres tall.
“Most firms sent out to get their punch cards done to complete T1s (personal tax returns). We were able to electronically do bookkeeping for clients and actually able to run T1s in-house. Now, of course, we have fully electronic filing, paperless systems, etc.”
