Wausau, Wis. (June 2005) - This month, Wipfli LLP kicks off a year-long celebration to commemorate 75 years of helping businesses and organizations succeed.

Clarence Wipfli opened his solo accounting practice in Wausau in 1930. He hired John Ullrich in 1942 and soon made him the first partner in the firm, which in 1945 was renamed Wipfli Ullrich & Co. Mr. Ullrich helped lead the firm for nearly 50 years, transforming it from a small-town accounting practice into a “trusted advisor” for a wide variety of businesses, organizations, and individuals throughout the Midwest and across the country. His strategy, still in use today, was to continually expand the firm’s client problem-solving capabilities through ongoing education and talent recruitment.

Community involvement, then and now

Wipfli’s managing partner, Greg Barber, remembers John Ullrich as a friendly, upbeat leader and the originator of Wipfli’s tradition of community involvement. In addition to generating goodwill for the firm, Mr. Ullrich felt strongly that volunteer work in local organizations would help the firm’s associates become better people.

“Would either of our firm's founding partners, Clarence Wipfli or John Ullrich, recognize the Wipfli of today?” Barber asks. “Maybe not on the outside, but I'm sure they would recognize the respect and dedication we feel for each of our clients, as well as our charitable involvement in the communities we serve. After all, these are the two things that will always stay the same at Wipfli.”

To highlight the firm’s decades-old tradition of community service, Wipfli is planning a firm-wide community service day this fall. Every associate in each Wipfli office will donate one full weekday to a local charity. “While each of us already serves in our own way, we want to take this opportunity to serve united as one firm and celebrate our collective involvement,” Barber explains.

About Wipfli

With more than 650 associates and 18 offices in Wisconsin and Minnesota, Wipfli ranks among the 20 largest CPA and consulting firms in the nation. Wipfli can advise in all areas of business, from finance and operations to human resources, information technology, and customer relationships. Wipfli’s clients include manufacturers, health care organizations, financial institutions, nonprofit entities, dealerships, contractors and developers, small businesses, and individuals. Wipfli’s 75-year legacy of helping its clients succeed is a point of pride for each of the firm’s partners and employees.