One of the region’s major accounting firms is growing, with the acquisition of a Portage accounting office, effective in June. Kruggel Lawton has an office in St. Joseph and headquarters in South Bend. Now it will also have a full service branch in Portage, plus Indiana offices in Elkhart and Goshen, and an office in Knoxville, Tennesee.
Kruggel Lawton announced that the partners and staff of Cole Gavlas, PC of Portage will join the firm effective June 1, 2024. The addition will bring 11 new professionals and three partners to Kruggel Lawton, further expanding the firm’s reach in southwest Michigan. The location at 2401 West Centre Avenue in Portage will be the sixth Kruggel Lawton office, the firm’s second in Michigan.
“We are delighted to have the Cole Gavlas team join Kruggel Lawton,” said Barry Hall, CPA, CGMA , Managing Partner. “Combining our two very talented teams will create new opportunities to serve the Portage/Kalamazoo area. Cole Gavlas has an outstanding reputation for excellent client service and quality of work which will increase our depth and expertise across several service lines.”
After more than 10 years at a national firm, Jeffrey Cole, CPA , decided to open his own practice. Founded in 1991, Cole and Company PC, began serving clients throughout southwest Michigan in Kalamazoo and Portage. Dan Gavlas, CPA , joined the team in 1999, and was promoted to partner two years later.
In 2009, they officially changed the name to Cole Gavlas, PC when they moved into their current office on West Centre Avenue. As the firm continued to grow, they brought on Jason Martin, CPA, who joined the leadership team in 2017. The firm provides a wide range of accounting services including tax, business advisory, financial management, and other advisory services. Cole Gavlas has been a member of the BDO Alliance for more than 22 years.
“We are excited to be joining Kruggel Lawton,” said Dan Gavlas, CPA, a Cole Galvas Partner. “The partnership between our two firms feels very natural because our values, culture, and approach to client service are so closely aligned. This is a great opportunity not only for our team but for our clients, and I look forward to serving our community together.”
The firm’s St. Joseph office is located at 526 Upton Drive in the Edgewater neighborhood.
