The History of Our Business

Jerry LaViolette began in 1978 with a modest number of clients and we still have many of those clients to this day. Jerry's wife, Joyce, became active in the practice in 1979 and had been the office manager from that time up until she retired in December 2007.

The company's first office was located at 141 North Main Street in Shawano. We were in attorney John Black's building for 2 years. In 1980, we expanded our practice, then purchased and renovated the building at 112 West Division Street. In 1999, we doubled the size of the building, expanded the practice again, and even got through the infamous Y2K fiasco!

We've Seen Many Changes Since 1978
These continuing changes include federal and state tax laws, clients with businesses and families, and the never-ending changes to technology. When we first started, everything, such as books and records, was handwritten. In the early 1980s, the computer started a revolution that has now become paperless record keeping systems and the transmitting of information electronically.

The most exciting change to Jerry's firm was the addition of Paul F. Kersten, CPA. He purchased the office in September 2005 and brought with him not only experience, but credentials and enthusiasm. Paul is a people person who is easy to work with. Jerry and Joyce worked for Paul during the transition period of 2005 through the 2007 tax season. After that, they retired to do some traveling and spend more time with their family and friends.

Today
You can find a new face at the front desk of the company. Kelly Sigl started with the company preparing tax returns in February 2007 and became the office manager upon Joyce's retirement. She is most likely the first voice you'll hear or the first face you'll see when you contact us. Other employees you might encounter include Peggy Buss, who processes most of our payrolls, Kathy Ashenbrenner, who processes much of our "after the fact" input, and Dale Van De Loo, CPA, who prepares financial statements and tax returns and assists Paul and the rest of the staff with pretty much anything they need.

The company is still located at 112 W Division Street in Shawano and pretty much looks the same on the outside as it did when Paul took over. On the inside, however, many changes have taken place. In addition to going paperless, the company's computers became networked and workstations were added to accommodate the growing number of employees.

Contact Kersten Accounting & Tax in Shawano, Wisconsin, at (866) 213-8154 for
more information about our client-oriented tax preparers and financial advisors.