Linda Koerselman, Retired Partner - “I think the significance of being a 100-year-old firm, it shows the success of a firm that has taken care of its people and its clients.”
Narrator - In 1917, John Cull moved to Fargo, North Dakota, to open an accounting firm in the growing city. This firm established the roots of what would later become Eide Bailly.
Accountants Oliver Eide and Maynard Helmeke became partners with Cull between the 40’s and 60’s. After several name changes, the firm became Eide Helmeke.
Dale Boelz, Retired Partner - “Well, when I started it was a pretty small firm. There were only two partners, Eide and Helmeke at that time. Basically all the accounting people, worked did both audit and tax. There was no specific division of consulting services.”
Narrator - The “Bailly” in Eide Bailly has roots back to 1950 when Charles Bailly came to Fargo with Broker Hendrickson & Company.
Dale Beling, Retired Partner – “I actually started with Broker Hendrickson in 1957. Chuck Bailly formed the office in Fargo in 1950. So when I joined the firm in 1957 there were six of us there, the firm has grown since obviously, so first Broker Hendrickson later Charles Bailly and then Eide Bailly.”
Narrator - Two decades later, in 1978, nine partners left Broker Hendrickson to form Charles Bailly & Company. In the early day, the account profession was a labor-intensive business.
Dale Boelz, Retired Partner – “Oh Yes, Everything was hand written, thirteen columns, trial balance, adjustments were a long, tedious process basically.”
Narrator - But at its core, it was always about people and building relationships. It was this foundation that helped these two firms grow and expand their practice outside the region.
Frank Kadlec, Retired Partner – “The social activities were great. The challenges for the new industries were great. The opportunities to grow in the firm, there were a lot of opportunities and it was exciting to be with a firm like that.”
Narrator - By the 1990s, the accounting world was changing rapidly. Mergers were taking places between major players. The big eight changed to the big four and other firms shifted in the top 100 rankings.
As competition for market share became even greater, Charles Bailly and Eide Helmeke began to talk. Would combining firms make sense? What would the firm look like? Months later, [T]he partners of both firms unanimously agreed to merge and become Eide Bailly.
Jerry Topp, Retired Partner – “There wasn’t as much overlap, as we thought there was. The two really complemented each other and what that did, when you add the same practices, it just got together and got stronger; which allowed for more services to be offered to the clients, which was great for the clients.”
Narrator - The new firm was led by a visionary partner, Darold Rath, whose goal was to double the firm in five years and add new locations west of the Mississippi.
Jeff Strand, Partner – “Darold cared so much about people and I think that helped a great deal. The whole cultural idea, the whole concern over Eide Bailly coming together, really was one of culture and Darold was consensus builder.”
Narrator – “The growth and success of the firm has continued under the next two leaders; Jerry Topp and Dave Stende.
On May 1st, 2017, 100 Years later – Eide Bailly has 28 offices in 13 states. And their expertise has grown to include services beyond tax and audit, to help clients navigate the ever-changing business landscape.
Although the profession world relies on technology to keep up with the pace of business, the foundation of people and lasting relationships has remained key to the firm’s success.
Now a top 25 CPA firm in the nation, Eide Bailly serves 59,000 clients and consistently receives accolades for its culture, which promotes client service, innovation and having fun.”
Mike Herold, Senior Manager – “Working for a firm with a hundred-year birthday means stability, it also means that the firm has been doing the right things for our clients for 100 years and it really makes you feel good. It makes you wake up in the morning, you understand you are working for a firm that’s ethical and assisting our clients and that’s what everything is about.”
Dave Stende, CEO & Partner – “Hi, I’m Dave Stende, the CEO of Eide Bailly, and we are proud to be celebrating our 100th anniversary as a firm. 100 years, that’s quite a milestone, and we’ve grown to be extremely successful and a top 25 firm in the country. You know, there’s a many reasons for the successes that we’ve had. We’ve got a great culture and spirt in this firm. That is the foundation of what we are. And we have remarkable people in the firm who enjoy what they do and provide excellent service to our clients on a day to day basis.
And our clients, they are amazing! And they appreciate the value we bring, and the service we deliver and the expertise we have, for them and their businesses.
We’re fortunate to live and work in such thriving communities, where we help each other.
I want to thank everyone for their contributions to the success of our firm in the first 100 years. And we are excited as we embark on our second century.”
If I was to describe Eide Bailly in one word, that word would be….
“Fantastic”, “Flexible”, “Culture”, “Excellence”, “Improving”, “Innovative”, “Caring”, “Family”, “Outstanding”, “Happiness”, “Trusted”, “Culture”, “Culture”, “FUN!”
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