Gary S. Shamis and Mark A. Goldfarb founded SS&G Financial Services Inc. in 1987,
and upon doing so, they knew that if they wanted to succeed and thrive, they would
have to establish initiatives to strengthen their business.
As managing directors of the full-service accounting and consulting firm, they developed
and have consistently used a six-prong approach to grow over the last two decades. These
prongs include developing new people and products, attracting and retaining high-quality
people, providing high-quality service, promoting and selling the brand within the region,
promoting multiple services among clients, and growing strategically through mergers
and alliances with firms holding similar values.
As part of these initiatives, the two look to develop and empower their people to achieve
the other goals by sharing ownership of the firm with their employees. Shamis and
Goldfarb each own approximately 31 percent of the business, and the rest is shared
among 23 other equity partners and an employee stock ownership program. The program
was even featured in The Wall Street Journal for its innovative nature.
Beyond sharing ownership with their employees, Goldfarb and Shamis have also implemented other programs to empower employees, including a wellness program, which focuses on finances, health, exercise and nutrition. Last year, they implemented a program to
encourage employees to bring forward creative ideas, and on top of these programs, they
offer a highly flexible schedule to employees, which has allowed them to attract and retain
a higher number of female employees than comparable firms.
Their efforts throughout the years have paid off for SS&G by continuously leading to
new opportunities and consistently yielding double-digit growth. On top of that, Shamis
and Goldfarb’s firm now ranks in the top 50 accounting firms in the United States and is
widely recognized for its outstanding service.
HOW TO REACH: SS&G Financial Services Inc., (440) 248-8787, (330) 668-9696 or www.ssandg.com
