Entrepreneurial Edge

The CPAs at Cohen & Co. look out for the entrepreneur. The firm — with 230 employees in offices in Cleveland, Youngstown, Akron, Mentor, Westlake, Canton, Columbus and an affiliate in Tampa — specializes in working with closely held businesses.

Founded in 1977 by Ron Cohen and three partners, the group decided from the outset that they wanted to work with people much like themselves. “Ron felt strongly that he wanted to represent entrepreneurs because he understood their challenges. He felt private businesses were innovative, creative and in need of strong advocates to provide assistance along the way,” says Randy Myeroff, president and CEO. “We continue to be very committed to those companies today. Private enterprise is driving the economy — especially in Northeast Ohio.”

The strategy has proven to be successful. Cohen & Co. is consistently listed among the top 100 firms in the country for growth, profitability and management practices. The firm has several industry specialties, including manufacturing, real estate and nonprofits.

Myeroff credits the firm’s success to its commitment to clients. All employees abide by the company motto: SQIF (Service, Quality, Innovation and Fun) and work hard to provide value beyond their clients’ expectations.

“We lead with traditional accounting and tax, which is universally needed by the client, and the way we truly learn about the business,” Myeroff explains. “We complement that with other services that will provide value to the client.”

While the firm has grown over the years, quality remains its first priority. “We focus on quality before quantity,” Myeroff says. “We recognize we can’t be everything to everyone. We’re always focused on providing real, sustainable value to our clients.”