Welcome to Ford Black & Co., P.C.
Helping you, down your path, for your tax and financial accounting needs.
About Us
Firm History and Objective
Ford Black & Co., P. C. is a well-known, reputable local CPA firm in Portland, Oregon. The firm operates as a professional corporation. Each shareholder doubles as an officer of the corporation. Under the leadership of our stockholders, the firm has attained recognition in the business, industrial, professional and financial community of our area. Because of our professional and service activities, the firm is well respected by its peers. The overall quality and professionalism of the firm's personnel is high and has been demonstrated and recognized both within and outside the profession.
Ford Black & Co., P. C. has been in existence since the early 1960s. The founder of the firm, Mr. Ford Black, operated as a sole proprietorship until 1966, as a partnership from 1966 to 1977, and as a professional corporation from 1978 to date. Mr. Ford Black retired in 1979, however the firm continues under the same name.
The current partners are Jim Harnish and Jeff Scherzinger. Jim Harnish joined the firm in 1987 as a graduate from Oregon State University and became a partner in 2000. Jeff Scherzinger joined the firm in 2007 as a graduate of the University of Oregon and became a partner in 2017.
The firm has grown with the addition of three principals. Linda Smyth and Leslie Clark joined the firm in September 2019 and Mary Sutter joined the firm in July 2020.
The firm's objective is to provide quality accounting, auditing, tax and management advisory services to our clients. All CPA firms provide essentially the same kinds of services; each enjoying a large and diverse clientele. Most of us can point to an impressive record of growth. On a closer examination, however, there are some significant differences. The quality of services rendered to each of its clients depends most importantly on local resources, i.e., the quality of the people, their approach to client service, and the technical and other support capabilities available to them locally, all of which will be brought to bear in serving that particular client.
At Ford Black & Co., P. C. we pride ourselves on our local resources that are available in serving a client. We strive to develop business-minded professionals that generate a healthy attitude towards, and an interest in, our clients' businesses. We do not strive to departmentalize nor specialize in a specific area, rather we feel a general tax, consulting and accounting background generates a healthy, questioning and creative attitude. In essence, a well-rounded professional is more efficient, and generally more effective, than three specialists due to the limitation of effort duplication.
The firm has eight professional employees, a paraprofessional and two administrative staff members. All of the firm's professional staff members are CPA's or CPA candidates.
FIRM PROFILE
Ford Black & Co., P. C. serves a diverse clientele - large and small, whose business interests include manufacturing, retail, wholesale, construction, health care, non-profit, and professional and service organizations. Services provided include opinion audits, compiled and reviewed financial statements, financial and tax planning for both individual and corporate clients, tax return preparation, financial forecasting, management advisory services, and other accounting-related services.
We have a heavy concentration of clients in and around the Portland metropolitan area. Many of our larger clients began their association with our firm as small businesses. Our concept of total client service provides needed, helpful and timely consultation which frequently contributes significantly to the success of the client. Personalized, unique service is the standard of our firm.
For a further look at our client diversification, we will gladly provide references upon request.
ENGAGEMENT ADMINISTRATION AND APPROACH
At Ford Black & Co., P. C. we try to match each business client with at least two professionals to provide continuity, consistency and creativity. A two-person engagement team offers the skill and expertise that is generally provided by a larger accounting firm. We pride ourselves on the continuity of personnel assigned to a task, and are confident you will find Ford Black & Co., P. C. not annually retraining new staff members assigned to your account.
Each engagement is administered by a stockholder or principal of the firm and is supported by a staff member depending upon the level of responsibility and difficulty of engagement. Our staff experience levels vary from professionals up to 40 years of experience down to a recent college graduate. It is important to our firm to provide quality training and experience to our staff members yet still maintain the highest level of contact with each client through stockholder involvement.
CONCLUSION
We think our firm has much to offer the business community. Therefore, we would welcome an opportunity to meet you, discuss your accounting, tax and business consulting needs and determine how best Ford Black & Co., P. C. can serve you.