Porte Brown of Elgin

History of Porte Brown Elgin

In 1989 Borhart Spellmeyer & Company LLC (BSC) opened its doors to the Fox Valley and Chicagoland region. Len Borhart and Robert Spellmeyer, the founding partners, set up the accounting firm to provide businesses with proactive insights into market changes and a focus on continual financial improvement. Both Len and Bob came from large, national accounting firms, which was exceptionally valuable to their professional and personal development. Eventually, both of them decided they wanted to break out on their own and form Borhart Spellmeyer and Company LLC. Len and Bob were committed to starting a firm with a client-first focus. The two men felt they could provide a better and more complete product to fit their clients’ needs, while also offering more personalized service that the big accounting firms don’t typically offer.

For the next 27 years, BSC grew and developed according to three basic principles: quality, integrity and personal service. These core values served BSC extremely well and helped lead to the merger with Porte Brown LLC in 2016. Prior to the merger, Porte Brown and BSC were no strangers to each other. Many of the partners, from both firms, were involved with the CORE Alliance, an informal association of Chicagoland CPA  firms dedicated to supporting each other with best practices in the accounting industry.

Shared Philosophies

“We have known the professionals of Borhart Spellmeyer for a very long time,” said Bruce Jones, Managing Partner of Porte Brown. “In fact, we were both part of the same best practices group and realized early on we had a lot of similar philosophies in our approach to client service and a shared emphasis on professional development. This is a great opportunity to bring together some of the best multi-disciplinary professionals in our field and leverage their talents to the advantage of our clients.”

The real linchpin of the merger for the two firms was their client-first philosophies. Both Porte Brown and BSC shared a strong devotion to ensure their clients received the best possible  accounting services and consulting advice, which made it much easier for the two firms to merge into one cohesive organization.

The shared views of the two firms doesn't end with just business. Both firms are proud to support the communities in which they reside by devoting time to both fun charitable events like the Elgin 5K Zombie Run to support the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin or more professional assistance as board treasurers and members of organizations like the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) and the Salvation Army.