At MRPR, we live by our motto of Opportunity in Numbers. As we celebrate our biggest number yet, our 50th Anniversary, we’re taking the opportunity to reflect on the values that got us here, the clients and team members that have grown with us, and why MRPR has stood the test of time.
In the autumn of 1974, in Southeast Michigan, Jim Mathews and Ron Nightingale stood at the threshold of a new venture. They had just left management positions at a well-known Big 8 accounting firm, Ernst and Ernst, with an ambitious dream — to create a tax and consulting firm focused on helping people, clients, and employees achieve their business and personal goals. At that time, Mathews & Nightingale, P.C. was born. Today, 50 years in the making, we are now MRPR Group, P.C.
Over the years, the founding partners and their guiding principles have shaped MRPR. “The people are the difference,” says Bob Sickler, current Principal.
Mathews & Nightingale, P.C. would begin its legacy of finding difference makers by acquiring an accounting firm known as Frank Haggerty and renaming the Firm to Mathews, Nightingale, Haggerty. In 1979, George Reich hailing from another Big 8 accounting firm, Deloitte Haskins & Sells, joined as an audit partner, followed by the purchases of the practices of William Scott (1980) and Tom Morton (1987). The Firm became known as Mathews, Nightingale, Reich, and Scott, P.C. in 1980.
“At that time in our history, a Big 8 audit practice for a firm our size was unique,” explains Greg Zink, current Principal, “and was the platform that launched the Firm and made it what it is today.”
As disco and the ’70s ended and the 1980s began, the Firm continued to find new dance partners. Tony Perna (1985) and Mark Rottermond (1986) became Principals, while Ron Nightingale took a position with a client. “I remember hearing about Tony, joining right out of college, he was the whiz kid who could handle all kinds of tax compliance and complex accounting issues for clients,” Greg explained.
With the additions of Rottermond and Perna, the Firm later became Mathews, Reich, Perna & Rottermond, P.C. in 1991, and thereafter, shortened further to simply MRPR Group, P.C. in 2003. Jim Mathews was the Managing Principal until his retirement in 2005, passing the torch to Mark Rottermond.
As MRPR continued to grow, the Firm merged with Rhoades, Doehrer & Associates PLLC (RDA) in 2017, a Saline, Michigan-based accounting firm. That firm was started in 1990 as a solo practice by Kim Rhoades, while adding fellow partners Rob Doehrer (1998) and Bill Rittinger (2000).
This merger would not only bolster client accounting and business advisory services but also add a Saline/Ann Arbor, Michigan location, expanding the MRPR market footprint. The enhanced reach and services were one of the defining moments of MRPR’s journey.
Bill Rittinger, current Principal, credits the RDA merger as a catalyst for MRPR’s adoption of enhanced client accounting services. “The Saline office embraced Quickbooks and similar accounting software early in their evolution. Our role as trainers and support staff allowed our clients to create and maintain their own complete, accurate, and timely (CAT) financial reports for better business decisions. The ongoing exceptional support helped them focus on serving their own customer base.”
“MRPR always provided traditional CPA services — tax and audit & assurance services,” explains Erica Braun, current Principal. “After the merger with RDA, those services remained but MRPR offered more business advisory and client accounting services.”
“Beyond organic growth, the merger of the practices of William J. Scott, Jr., Thomas C. Morton, and RDA proved to be the right moves at the right times,” recalls Mark Rottermond. “The mergers added technical resources, capacity, and new skillsets to serve clients while providing career growth opportunities for all staff.”
While the mergers shaped the Firm into what it is today, MRPR’s core values of continuous commitment to quality and a relationship-first approach have also been instrumental to MRPR’s 50 years of success.
“MRPR's success came from an emphasis on high-quality services, quick response times, an investment in the people who perform the services, and a strong marketing program that keeps the pipeline filled with new clients and prospects,” says Tony Perna.
“MRPR has built strong relationships with our clients and our team members,” notes Denise Thomas, current Principal. “My team members and clients feel like family. I recently heard a quote – It’s not how much you know, but how much you care. I believe that many at MRPR believe in this, including myself.”
After 50 years, MRPR remains a firm dedicated to helping clients achieve success in business and life. This dedication stems from and extends to caring for its clients, nurturing relationships, and fostering the growth of its team members and clients. As the Firm looks forward to the next 50 years, MRPR will continue to strategically evolve to meet clients' needs while pivoting and navigating industry trends. This includes the recent addition of wealth management services in partnership with Avantax Planning Partners – a tax-intelligent approach to financial planning.
“Many firms our size do not make it to 50 years as they are acquired, merged into another firm, or just wind down operations,” Greg remarks. “In this age of consolidations and change we have been able to stay true to our strategy and principles. The plan is to continue to adapt for another 50 years.”
MRPR will always remain a firm that puts people first — like Jim Mathews and Ron Nightingale envisioned over five decades ago.
“This is the golden anniversary milestone – this is a BIG moment, and it has been quite the ride thus far,” emphasizes Angie Mastroionni, current Managing Principal. “I am honored to have shared it with those who came before me and those who have been part of the Firm during my long tenure – 29 years! I appreciate everyone, I have learned a lot and I have developed into the professional I am today because of others. I am proud of us, MRPR!”
From vinyl records to streaming services, from pencil and 12-column paper to digitization, and most recently from an “in-office” to hybrid flexible “WFH” environment, MRPR has witnessed evolutions outside and inside its doors. To celebrate, we’ll be taking our group on the road for our “50 for 50” tour, visiting clients, sharing memories, and saying thanks to all the wonderful people who have helped us flourish for a half-century.