The History of Painter & Pherson.

Larry Painter began this practice downtown in 1970, with only two part-time employees. Even then, Larry had a remarkably diverse practice for such a small firm. Experience with a local CPA firm and with a large regional CPA firm had prepared him to offer services in many areas. Those included auditing, personal and corporate income taxes, accounting and financial consulting.

In 1974 he moved to our current location when it was just a small house with three offices. Over the years he kept expanding his practice, adding the north addition to the building in 1976, and adding several full-time people to his staff.

After completing her Master's in Management and becoming a CPA in 1981, Anne Gulbransen Painter joined Larry’s staff as an accountant, and became a partner in 1986.

The business continued to grow and additional space was always needed. New offices were added to the basement throughout the 1980’s, to accommodate the needed additional staff. When Anne became a partner in 1986, the company employed over ten people.

Travis Pherson joined the firm in 1995, and became a partner in 2000. In addition to doing much of the tax work, Travis is in charge of most of our computer consulting engagements. As Painter & Pherson, we now employ as many as fourteen people during tax season, and our client base is still quite diverse. Our audit clients range from large manufacturers and retailers to charities and social clubs.

Our staff has tax expertise extending from corporations, partnerships, and individuals to trusts, pension funds, and not-for-profit organizations.
Our accounting clients encompass many industries including: not-for-profit, construction, retailers, wholesalers, restaurants, fraternal organizations and service industries.

Our consulting services include accounting and computer systems design and implementation. Our greatest resource is our staff. We are constantly in search of new ideas to improve ourselves and our services.