The former location of Dahlen and Associates CPAs, LLP, at 735 SW 9th Street, is now the location of Capstone CPAs after Dahlen and Associates merged with the firm at the beginning of the year. Joseph Centanni, CPA PC followed suit and merged at the beinging of the month. For more information, visit www.capstonecpas.com.(Capstone CPA/Submitted photo)

Redmond-based certified public accounting firms Dahlen and Associates and Joseph Centanni have merged with Capstone CPAs LLC, a county-wide firm. The merger makes Capstone the only certified public accounting firm to have locations in Redmond, Bend and Sisters.

Dahlen and Associates merged with Capstone at the beginning of the year and Centanni followed suit at the beginning of the month. Dahlen and Associates old location, at 735 SW 9th Street, is the new Redmond location of Capstone. The firm hopes to expand at that site as growth continues in the future.

“With the merger of Joe Centanni and Dahlen firm, (we) have four CPAs in Redmond, which is the largest group CPA firm now in Redmond,” said Lance Brant, principal at Capstone. “Having four CPAs will allow clients to have backup coverage and more diverse views on tax situations.”

The plan for Capstone to expand into Redmond has been in the works for more than three years, according to Lance Brant, principal. Dahlen and Associates were also interested in expanding services and a merger fit the bill. The merger adds a Redmond location to Capstone’s Bend and Sisters locations. Christopher Dahlen, of Dahlen and Associates, will not remain as an active CPA, but will be in an advisory position as he looks toward a different career path. Layoffs aren’t expected and Capstone hopes to increase the number of employees at the Redmond location.

Centanni will remain with Capstone as one of the lead tax CPAs for the Redmond office along with Jonsi Wangler, who has been heading the merger. Centanni attributed being able to provide a more thorough service to his clients as reasoning for the merger.

“Customers should want a stable and prosperous firm,” Brant said. “A firm that, if a CPA retires, they have continuity. A firm that has depth of knowledge and more services to provide.”

After the merger, Capstone has a total of four CPAs at the Redmond location, which allows them to offer expanded and additional services. There are six other employees at the Redmond office. According to Brant, rates for services are planned to remain the same. He hopes the expansion into Redmond as well as the location’s recent growth will enable the firm to provide services for larger companies in the area. Capstone hopes to continue growth at each location in 2017.

The firm was founded in 2004 and focused on business and commercial clients, which lead to healthy growth into the Great Recession.

“We started in 2004, with two employees, a nickel and a dime, and no clients,” Brant said. “We focused on business and commercial clients in construction, health care, lawyers, engineers and financial services and grew fast with the great economy.”

Capstone kept at it through the recession and now has more than 2,400 individual clients, 500 business clients and more than 15 employees.

“We expect larger companies can look at our firm for more complete services,” Brant said. “The big issue for Redmond is there are a lot of future retiring CPAs in the community. Businesses need to be with a firm that will be here 25 years down the road. We are setting the firm to be the premier firm in Central Oregon.”

Brant hopes to provide a stable business to Central Oregon through Capstone, with a goal of being the area’s go-to accounting firm.

— Reporter, 541-548-2185, cbrown@redmondspokesman.com