The Spokane office of BDO USA LLP plans to hire about 10 more people in the next 12 months, says Paul Bridge, the office’s managing partner.

The office here, one of 60 operated by the Chicago-based international public accounting firm, has had some big wins during the last year in terms of securing new business, Bridge says, and is looking to add staff to handle that new business.

“We’re in growth mode,” he says. “It’s hiring season in the industry, and we’re on the college campuses. We’re also looking for a few people who can come in at the senior accountant or manager level.”

The Spokane office, which takes up about three-quarters of the ninth floor of the Bank of America Financial Center, at 601 W. Riverside, currently employs 50 people, 45 of whom are certified public accountants. At that staffing level, the Spokane office is comparable in size to BDO offices in larger western U.S. markets, including Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City. 

Bridge declines to disclose revenue figures for the Spokane office, but he says its billings have increased by 10 percent to 15 percent annually for the past 10 years, and he anticipates it will continue to grow at that clip. That growth, he says, has been through new client generation and increasing its work with existing clients. The company hasn’t made any acquisitions in the Spokane market, he says. 

Companywide, BDO USA reported $1.29 billion in revenue for its fiscal year 2016, ended June 30, up 23 percent from $1.05 billion in fiscal 2015. The firm said in a press release that its revenue has increased by more than 20 percent for three straight years and has more than doubled since 2012. 

At the Spokane office, Bridge says, about 60 percent of revenue come from its audit services and 35 percent is tax planning and preparation, with 5 percent in specialized-tax and other services. 

“That’s in a typical year,” he says. “We had a huge ‘other’ project last year, and that’s great, but we’re always looking for the longer-term relationship.”

In addition to serving as managing partner for the Spokane office, Bridge is in charge of the firm’s western banking practice, overseeing its work in the banking industry for eight western U.S. states. 

One of the firm’s larger clients in that industry in the West, he says, is Salt Lake City-based BMW Bank, which handles financing for BMW sales in North America. 

Bridge says the audit for BMW Bank is the first one that the firm completes each year, with a BDO team going to Utah for two weeks each January and staying until the annual audit is completed. 

“Their previous auditor could never hit the deadline, and we’ve never missed it,” Bridge asserts. 

He says the company also serves as the accountant for Bend, Ore.-based Bank of the Cascades, which operates 51 branches in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon and has been in an acquisition mode in recent years. 

Bridge declines to disclose other bank clients that are privately held, but in general, he says, BDO USA focuses on serving banks with total assets of $300 million to $10 billion. He says the firm isn’t well suited to serve small banks, but it also isn’t going after the largest banks, such as Bank of America or Wells Fargo Bank.

In addition to banking, the Spokane BDO office handles the firm’s mining clients. 

“In the mining space, if there’s an opportunity anywhere in the United States that BDO is aware of, Spokane is the one who responds,” Bridge says. “We’ve got a number of people who don’t dedicate all of their time to mining, but spend a big chunk in mining.”

He says the firm has served as the accountant for Coeur d’Alene-based Hecla Mining Co. for years and recently added another large client in that industry whom he couldn’t reveal.

Beyond those sectors, the Spokane office works with a number of manufacturers, Bridge says, and other companies that fall into what he describes as the middle market. 

“The middle market is huge,” he says. “It can be a $2 million hardware store or a manufacturer that makes a billion dollars a year.”

On the tax side of the business, he says the company is working with both individuals and corporations. 

He says individuals with whom BDO works don’t necessarily fall into a particular income bracket. Rather, he says, they typically have complex tax situations that required specialized services. Oftentimes, he adds, they are small business owners. 

The Spokane office has a core group of clients in the Inland Northwest, but with its industry focuses, it also has a number in other markets. With the out-of-town clients, Bridge says the firm endeavors to provide what he calls “across-the-street service.” 

“We want our clients in Montana to feel as connected as our clients across the street in the Washington Trust building,” he says. 

That requires a lot of travel, Bridge says, and weekly conversations. 

Recently, BDO participated in the Journal’s 2016 Best Places To Work Inland Northwest program and placed third among enterprise-level companies—those with 1,000 or more employees overall—and fourth overall out of all employers that participated. Bridge says the firm has been named to similar lists in the past, including 2015 Working Mother 100 Best Companies.  

“BDO, and public accounting in general, is a great place to work. It’s generally a young group with a lot of energy, “Bridge says. “Where else can you, in five different days, be in five different places learning about five different industries? It’s a great opportunity.”