Some of the partners of Gibson, Tatum and Company have recommended that they merge with one of the national CPA firms, but the founder, Elias Gibson and his two sons have been adamant in their opposition to any sale or merger. They have continued to emphasize that their past policies of personal attention, prompt response and reduced billings would maintain the firm, particularly in the smaller cities of Michigan and Wisconsin. Mr. Elias Gibson was 74, but still spoke with great feeling at the partners' dinner. You are to keep the local banks, retail stores, and manufacturers as your clients.
Personalized service is our hallmark, and the key to our survival.
If you lose your clients to those people in Detroit and Milwaukee, it will mean you have failed to keep our clients satisfied, and the result will be that we will shut down your office. Arnold Abramson was a 32 year old graduate of the MBA program at Andrews University. He had already passed the CPA examination, but found it difficult to obtain employment in the large national CPA firms. He had interviewed at four of the largest companies and had been rejected by all four. He also felt that his personality was more at fault than his age, since he found it difficult to converse easily in the interviews, and was afraid that he projected himself as a hesitant, uncertain individual.