Editorial
Front Page - Friday, January 8, 2010
Local accounting firm giving the profession a new look
David Laprad
James Hutcherson would like to dispel a myth or two about accountants. For starters, he says they’re not boring.
“From one week to the next, our staff could be working on a variety of engagements,” says the founding partner at Henderson, Hutcherson & McCullough. “It’s rarely a boring profession. On the contrary, it’s quite rewarding.”
Hutcherson describes his firm, founded in Chattanooga in the ‘80s, as being a straightforward CPA operation with strong niches in the automotive, real estate, construction and medical fields. HHM also does a lot of litigation support, evaluation services and consulting, primarily for closely held companies. And while the firm has clients as far away as California, the bulk of its business is based in the Southeast.
Located in downtown Chattanooga’s south side, HHM occupies the attractively restored Freight Depot, once an anchor in the Scenic City’s railroad industry. While the building is now home to a high tech accounting operation, the beautiful brickwork that went up in the 1800s remains intact, as does the 18-inch slope that runs from the rear of the building to the front.
“They’d unload the trains in the back, put the freight on baggage cars and roll everything to the front of the building,
where trucks were waiting,” Hutcherson says . “So there are some peculiarities to the building that we had to get used to, but it’s worked out well.”
The depot does provide HHM with an aesthetically pleasing facility in which to work. None of the offices have ceilings, and when the partners moved in four years ago, they had the walls around the stairwell removed, giving the place an open, airy feel. What’s more, tables made out of the timber pulled from the stairwell occupy several conference rooms, further preserving the sense of history that pervades the space. HHM’s restoration was so affectionately applied, CornerStones gave the firm its Historic Preservation Award in 2007.
Hutcherson says the design of the building is about more than aesthetics, though; it’s about cultivating a work environment that encourages communication and movement. The main staff area, for example, is comprised of a single large space on the second story. Desks are secured along two opposing walls, while the other ends of the area are open, allowing the firm’s accountants to take their eyes off their spreadsheets for a moment and focus on something outside their personal space.
HHM moved into the depot in the middle of tax season, giving weight to Hutcherson’s comment that accounting is anything but dull. “We had all of our misery at the same time,” he says, laughing.
While there’s no getting around the fact that January through mid-April are busy months for accountants, Hutcherson says at HHM, quality of life is as important as client services.
“If it’s not tax season, we don’t want to see anyone in here on weekends,” he says. “And during tax season, we try to make working here as fun as possible. Our hours increase, and we do whatever it takes to get the job done, but we might have an ice cream sundae bar one week and a chili cook-off the next. We do things to make the long hours until April 15 as palatable as possible.”
While grim-lipped traditionalists might frown at how HHM operates, there’s no denying the fruits of the firm’s labor. In 2001, the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce named HHM its small business of the year. Five years later, the Society of Financial Service Providers presented the firm with its American Business Ethics Award. Other distinctions include a Corporate Philan-thropist Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2008 and an inclusion in Accounting Today’s 2009 list of the best accounting firms to work.
Just as important to Hutcherson and his partners is HHM’s reputation for superior client service. “We’re known for that. We have free front door parking for our clients, a
receptionist answering our phones and a talented staff,” Hutcherson says.
HHM is certainly picky when it comes to hiring accountants. When the partners are evaluating a candidate, they give his academic credentials a long, hard look, then consider whether or not he’d fit into the company’s culture and be able to provide quality client service.
Hutcherson also likes his accountants to have a healthy skepticism. “When a CPA is skeptical, he’ll dig in and look beyond the obvious,” he says. “Someone who does that would make a good auditor for us. Then again, if someone doesn’t make a good auditor, he might make a good tax person or
management consultant.”
HHM is also unique in the way it attracts new business. In addition to generating positive word of mouth, which leads to referrals, the firm sponsors a number of Chattanooga nonprofit organizations and events. “We don’t do billboards or newspaper ads,” he says. “We spend our marketing dollars on our community. To get our name out there, we’ll invest in Habitat for Humanity or Siskin Hospital.”
Although Hutcherson says HHM would welcome new
business, his accountants aren’t sitting around, twiddling their thumbs. Many of the companies with which the firm works have “experienced traumatic times” over the last two years, and are relying on HHM to help them obtain new credit. In addition, the transactional work the firm does is starting to pick up again, which Henderson says points to an economic rebound.
“We’re seeing green shoots,” he says. “I’d even go beyond that and say we’re seeing signs of a recovery. The primary issue is still new credit. It’s still far more restricted than it has been historically, so growth opportunities are limited.”
Then again, Henderson says a lot of small businesses are seeing a return to profitability. For HHM, that means more work, as well as more chances to prove that accountants are not dull, do not work insane hours and can whip up a mean pot of chili any time of year.
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