March 9, 2007
EFP Group Names New Partner
Right-click to download larger photo of Thomas Walter.
EFP Group has admitted Thomas A. Walter, CPA, as a Partner in the firm.
Walter, who is based in the Canandaigua office of Eldredge, Fox & Porretti, LLP, is the firm’s expert in New York State sales taxes. He is an authority on individual and corporate taxes and provides representation before taxing authorities, business consultation to closely held businesses, and strategic business planning.
“Tom has been a valuable resource to the firm and to business and community leaders,” says Robert N. Porretti, Founding Partner and Chairman of EFP Group. “Using his own expertise and the resources of the firm, Tom has helped many business owners reach their goals and sustain and increase their success.”
Walter is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), and CPAmerica International. He joined EFP Group in 1999 when the Canandaigua-based firm of Morga, Jones & Huffsmith merged with Eldredge, Fox & Porretti, LLP, part of the EFP Group. He received his bachelor’s in accounting in 1969 from the University of Louisville.
Within the community, Walter is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ontario County Historical Society, Finance Officer on the Board of Governors of the Canandaigua Yacht Club and a member of the Kiwanis Club of Canandaigua. He lives in the town of Canandaigua with his wife, Mary, who serves on the Ontario County Planning Board.
Founded in 1979, the firm, with offices in Rochester and Canandaigua, is a leading regional accounting and business consulting firm that employs more than 70 people. EFP Group includes Eldredge, Fox & Porretti, LLP; EFP Wealth Advisors, LLC; and StoneBridge Business Partners.
The Canandaigua office—supporting successful growth in the Finger Lakes
The firm’s Canandaigua office at 25 North Street has a dynamic relationship with the Rochester office. Walter, like other professionals within the firm, routinely works out of both offices. The firm’s technology allows execution of firm business from either site.
“Our integration with the Rochester office is particularly important for a growth area like Canandaigua,” Walter says. “Business needs are complex here. Whether it’s valuation, strategic planning, forensic or tax services—whatever expertise is needed—it’s immediately available. And whether the client is a medical professional in a small practice or a real estate developer planning a multi-million dollar project, EFP Group has people with specialized expertise. Our clients may be venturing into new territory; we’re not.”
Accountants, as business consultants, are often invisible but critical components of a successful enterprise, Porretti says. “The public doesn’t always see us do our jobs. But we are a vital part of the infrastructure that supports dynamic new businesses, job growth and healthy, vibrant communities like Canandaigua.
“We’ve helped clients develop major resort and tourism facilities in the Finger Lakes—build much-needed hotels and attractive restaurants. We’ve helped high-tech firms and professionals develop new businesses here, creating successful enterprises and new jobs.
“And, because supporting strong communities is an essential part of our firm’s philosophy, we serve a growing number of not-for-profit organizations that bolster quality of life within the Finger Lakes.”
Big and small
Many closely held and developing businesses in the region take advantage of the firm’s training on Intuit’s QuickBooks® software. Business operators save time by reporting financial information via the Internet. “That links them to all the efficiencies and cost savings derived from our ‘paperless’ office,” Walter says.
“When you truly support growth in a region, you don’t work with just the largest companies,” Porretti says. “National statistics that track job growth in America show sustained job growth emanates from the development of smaller businesses. We provide small and medium-sized businesses in this region with the same valuable expertise used by large companies. We help them plan wisely, operate efficiently and use reliable, easily accessible information—so they can make good management decisions.”
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EFP Group provides accounting, auditing and tax preparation, forensic services, litigation support and contract auditing as well as wealth management services for individuals and business consulting for companies and professionals. The firm includes:
Eldredge, Fox & Porretti, LLP—This firm of Certified Public Accountants and Business Consultants was the first EFP Group company.
StoneBridge Business Partners—Formed in 1994, and based in Rochester, it offers specialized internal and contract auditing services throughout the United States.
EFP Wealth Advisors, LLC—Founded in 2002, it offers investment, insurance, financial planning and employee benefit advisory services.
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