Opsahl Dawson has roots that date back to 1979. Founded by George Opsahl and then acquired by Aaron Dawson and Jen Dawson in 2011, the firm has continually been on track for lightning-fast growth. Today, they are the fastest-growing Certified Public Accounting firm in Southwest Washington.
“Opsahl Dawson has grown tremendously over the last 10 years,” said Matt Lee, shareholder at the company. “We grew from a 12-person office in Longview to 80-plus employees and moving our main office to Vancouver, revenue has followed. Our growth has come from being involved in our community and building a reputation of exceptional service. We’ve also had the opportunity to acquire several sole-practitioner CPA firms, as their owners were looking to retire.”
The company’s tagline, “Accounting for a New Age,” encompasses its commitment to using the latest tools and technology, in addition to employing the most talented CPAs that are dedicated to building relationships with clients. Their primary services include helping clients with individual and business tax compliance, accounting assistance, estate and gift tax returns, and financial statement preparation.
Because the company is paperless and already utilizes the newest technology, they were able to adjust well and handle changes that the pandemic threw at them.
“Being a paperless company, we were very well situated to handle the tough situations that COVID presented,” Lee said. “Many of our employees were already set up to work remotely and we were able to pivot quickly and serve our clients in a timely fashion.”
Lee shares that the pandemic also highlighted a need for trusted financial services.
“If anything, the pandemic has increased the need for our services as a trusted advisor for our clients,” he said. “The pandemic brought a lot of new legislation that created several new programs and credits. During such difficult times, many of our clients needed our assistance understanding all the changes.”
Looking at the immediate future, Opsahl Dawson plans to grow its newest department called CPA Forward. The goal of the program is to address clients’ questions about their future with a holistic approach.
“The (department) is made up of people who are trained to answer the forward-looking questions,” Lee said. “The team will work with the client’s investment advisor, attorney and other trusted professionals to make sure they are receiving clear and consistent guidance. We are excited to offer this valuable service and look forward to helping more people achieve their goals.”
