JPMS Cox LLC

JPMS Cox was launched 25 years ago by four CPAs who had experience with national firms but wanted to establish a local practice offering more personalized service.

The founders succeeded in their mission: JPMS Cox is now a full-service public accounting firm employing 60 people and reporting gross revenue of $8.3 million in 2011. That was a 7 percent increase over 2010, quite a feat during an economic downturn.

JPMS Cox is a “middle-market” firm, primarily serving closely held businesses and organizations with annual revenue ranging from $5 million to $200 million. The firm with its four departments — accounting and auditing, tax, employee benefits and small-business services — has expertise in the nonprofit, banking and construction and real estate sectors.

Now, said Jim Phillips, managing partner, the firm is looking toward the future, its founders having “raised up a core group of leaders” who can take JPMS Cox into its next 25 years. Also part of the firm’s future-facing stand is its emphasis on expanding into non-traditional service areas to help the firm continue to grow.

Those non-traditional areas include what Phillips called JPMS Cox’s “rent a CFO” initiative, allowing companies that can’t afford a full-time accountant to tap into the expertise of JPMS Cox. Another, Phillips said, is the area of litigation support, forensic accounting and business valuations.

Phillips is proud of his firm’s reputation in the community but is proudest of JPMS Cox’s employees.

“We have a very high-quality group of folks that really mean a lot to us and mean a lot to one another. That’s a pretty special deal. … I’m just very proud of our people and our team.”

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