Left to Right: Pat Kenney, Karndeep Sanhdu and Sarb Cheema out celebrating the firm’s growth.SUPPLIED
Innovative and discerning describe Clearhouse LLP’s leadership and its growing team of accounting professionals who support domestic and international businesses. Staff boast complimentary skillsets providing clients with high quality, end-to-end service.
The Mississauga, Ont.-based chartered professional accounting (CPA firm) punches well above its weight when it comes to taking companies public and has worked on about two dozen initial public offering (IPO) transactions over the last couple of years. It also has a reputation for taking on some of the industry’s most complex tax problems.
“A sizable amount of our business is other CPA firms and financial advisors that come to us for the expertise that our tax group possesses,” says Pat Kenney, one of Clearhouse’s three partners.
Clearhouse was founded in 2017 after Mr. Kenney met fellow CPAs and entrepreneurs Karndeep Sandhu and Sarb Cheema, and the trio decided to start their own firm. It began modestly in a 1,500-square-foot office in Mississauga and, within two years, moved to a 6,500-square-foot space to accommodate its growing number of staff and clients.
“We’ve outgrown this office now too and are looking to move again,” Mr. Kenney says. “We’ve developed a reputation as a firm that will roll up its sleeves, take on challenging assignments, and finish on a reasonable timeline while being professional and competent. We deliver on the client and employee brand promise of what national firms offer.”
The key to Clearhouse’s growth is having invested heavily in its business infrastructure to deliver exceptional client service and provide a positive employee experience to its diverse and growing team of 50 staff, Mr. Kenney says.
The company has a dedicated operations team and full-time in-house quality assurance, office management, IT and HR professionals, which Mr. Kenney says he and his partners are proud of and are intentional about as they build their business.
Clearhouse’s focus on the employee experience includes regular employee check-ins through HR one-on-ones, talent development initiatives, 10 paid staff appreciation days (on top of vacation time), a wellness stipend, remote and flexible work arrangements, and social events on a near-monthly basis.
“We figured out early that if we put the staff first, everything else sort of falls into place,” Mr. Kenney says. “They can serve the client better because they feel supported and looked after.”
The company has also benefited from its commitment to ensuring diversity and inclusivity. For example, its senior leadership team is split evenly between men and women.
Mr. Kenney says team members represent the clients and communities that the company serves.
“We believe in diversity of thought, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s good for business,” he says.
Clearhouse’s revenues have grown by more than 575 per cent between its first year and projected 2022 results, all of which has been organic, through word of mouth, Mr. Kenney says.
The firm is working on continuing its expansion at a sustainable pace.
“We don’t want to just grow for the sake of growing,” Mr. Kenney says. “We want to grow because it provides opportunities for the staff to continue developing their expertise.”
Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with Clearhouse LLP. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.