Assiniboia Times, Assiniboia Saskatchewan -- December 10, 2021 3
Stark and Marsh celebrate centennial as a local business By Pamela Mytroen What does it take to see a business grow and thrive over a 100-year span? Stark and Marsh, Chartered Professional Accountants based in Swift Current, Shaunavon, and Assiniboia, celebrated their Centenarian status in 2021. Their current Chief Executive Officer, Elden Moberg, reflects on what qualities a business needs to endure over a century. “Maurice Hesford, the original founder, began his accounting business in 1921 in Swift Current, which had just become a city seven years previous. Whether he envisioned that 100 years later the traces of his operation would still be in place, I’m not certain, but he had enough foresight that he brought in some people and that’s when it started expanding. I’m sure it was difficult to set up a practice in 1921, just like it is now. There is always risk.” Fast forward to 2021. Though the province has aged well in her golden
years, and has proven herself a sound investment over the years, “risk” not only lingers, it bracketed the century. The risk that Hesford had to consider and weigh was substantial, as he invested in a new province and a fledgling city. Stark and Marsh closed the 100 years with the bookend bracket of risk, albeit another type of risk while continuing to operate and grow throughout profound weather cycles and an unpredictable pandemic. Risk is still an ever-present factor as Stark and Marsh peer into the sunrise of another century. “We always assess risk. That’s part of the CPA profile. But you have to weigh the threat against the opportunity, and take advantage of those opportunities when it’s wise.” Some of those wise decisions that kept Stark and Marsh in their 100 year trajectory were made in the early 90’s. “In 1993, Stark and Marsh was
formed as two independent firms, Stark & Co. and Marsh, Siemens, Budd, and Hagen, merged. They came together providing more opportunity to meet the specialized needs of their clientele. In 1993 they grew to 35 people when they merged. Then in the early 2000’s Stark and Marsh hired a Director of Operations to look after operational items. In this way, the partners could focus more efficiently on their clientele. This took them through to 2008 when the current day Stark and Marsh emerged. “We have a Strategic and Governance model and now we’re about 85 people. We have an even larger management team now that takes care of operations, so our partners are able to focus on the very specialized needs of our clients.” With agriculture being a major industry in the Assiniboia area, Stark and Marsh has been able to provide accounting and consulting advice for
many clientele. “We’ve been in Assiniboia since 2016. The majority of our clients are corporate. We also offer spin off services – we’re providing quite a bit of consulting now, as well as advanced tax projects, transition planning, business valuations, cash flow projections and management accounting. Also, we still do audits for governmental bodies and not for profits.” “In Assiniboia we have 4 full time staff plus one on maternity leave and one seasonal team member. In Shaunavon, we have between 10 and 12 people, and in Swift Current we are at about 60 staff with all 9 partners here. Our staff are anywhere in age from young people just starting or others with up to 40 years of experience. It’s a dynamic work environment” Trained professionals are a commodity every workplace seeks out. “We’ve been fortunate,” says Elden, “in recruiting and retaining profession-
al, well-trained staff.” There are other obstacles to overcome, though, and Elden speaks about the biggest one. “Technology is a constant challenge. In the 50’s to 70’s, the global market made a major shift from everything handled manually to using a computer. The ever-expanding world of technology still demands attention today. Businesses must continually stay on top of it. It’s helped us become more efficient, and it also helps our clients do their jobs more quickly.” Another area where Stark and Marsh have risen to the challenge is the expectation on behalf of clients to provide more online services. “Since Covid we’ve offered virtual services, but now there’s an expectation that we can provide resources at the click of a button. It’s been a journey towards transformation as we serve a more extensive and knowledgeable clientele than ever before.” What about the next century? Will Stark and Marsh add another 100
years to their legacy? “We’ve considered that. What would it take?” asks Elden. “It seems far off, but we’ve committed to continue providing a full suite of services that clients want and need. It’s also a priority for us to take care of our employees. They’re looking for an opportunity in their career, so as we work together on our future vision, we will continue to attract good people to the firm and try to retain them for a long period of time.” Their third goal is to remain active members of their communities. “Just like our founder Maurice Hesford, who invested and lived in the community in which he worked, we too are all members of our communities. We try to make contributions back. Our employees have chosen to live in Swift Current, Shaunavon, and Assiniboia, and we value them, so we choose to support their hometown projects and initiatives. We work here but we also live here.” Happy 100th Birthday, Stark and Marsh.
NOTICE
Pursuant to The Water Security Agency Act Notice is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of The Water Security Agency Act and regulations, application and plans required by Section 61 of the said Act, were filed with the Water Security Agency at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, by the undersigned, for approval to construct and operate works described as: Rockglen Farming Company has proposed to utilize three (3) water wells on NE 18 & NW 29 all in 02-30 W2 as a water supply for a new Hutterian Brethren colony site called Milford Colony. Milford Colony has requested an allocation of 95,000 cubic metres of water annually from these wells for all of their uses.
Employees from Stark and Marsh CPA LLP recently celebrated 100 years as a company. From left are: Kelly Bruneau, record keeping and payroll; Chelsea Kennedy, accountant; Morgan Ferraton, client services; and Claudette Palmier, CPA, CGA, senior manager. Missing was Michelle Davidson, CPA CA and Caitlin Batty, record keeper.
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Liquor Permit Advertising Form Under the provisions of The Alcohol and Gaming Regulations Act, 1997, Notice is hereby given that 102105465 Saskatchewan Ltd. has applied to the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) for a Restaurant permit to sell alcohol in the premises known as Trifon’s Pizza at 200 1st Ave. E., Assiniboia, SK S0H 0B0. Written objections to the granting of the permit may be filed with SLGA not more than two weeks from the date of publication of this notice. Every person filing a written objection with SLGA shall state their name, address, and telephone number in printed form, as well as the grounds for the objection(s). Petitions must name a contact person, state grounds, and be legible. Each signatory to the petition and the contact person must provide an address and telephone number. Frivolous, vexatious or competition-based objections within the beverage alcohol industry may not be considered and may be rejected by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Licensing Commission, who may refuse to hold a hearing. Write to: Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority Box 5054 REGINA SK S4P 3M3
Any person who objects to the granting of this approval may file a written statement, within 30 days from first publication of this notice, outlining the reasons for objection, to the Water Security Agency, Victoria Place, 111 Fairford Street East, Moose Jaw SK S6H 7X9 or comm@wsask.ca.
10 Assiniboia Times, Assiniboia Saskatchewan -- December 10, 2021
Santa Light Parade kicks off holiday season Continued from Front Page It would be safe to say: “a good time was had by all” at the parade. This year’s parade got under way at 6:30 p.m., ending more than an hour later. The local detachment of RCMP led the parade, followed by more than 30 floats and entries. The parade concluded with Santa himself, the mayor, and a few special guests riding on the Town of Assiniboia float. They were followed by the Assiniboia Fire Department and Firefighters, with Hutch Ambulance Services bringing up the rear. One of the parade’s or-
ganizers and workers, who wished to remain anonymous, is quoted as saying: “Some of the merchants put in so much time and effort decorating their beautiful floats. It was just unbelievable the hours they put in! And it was so wonderful to see such a large crowd out to enjoy it all”. She explained, “When folks enjoy and appreciate what you’ve done, it makes it all worthwhile”. Whether next year’s parade will procced or not, is still up for discussion. Like everything else, sadly its future is in the hands of the current COVID pandemic. Photos by Wes Bloom
The big man in red was the highlight of the annual Santa Light Parade, as he had the honour of riding the Town of Assiniboia float. He posed for a picture with Sophie (9) and Juliette (11). Supplied by Kerri Martin, Town of Assiniboia