FIRM PROFILE

Barfield, Murphy, Shank & Smith is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary of providing accounting services.  Two decades that have been highlighted by steady growth and professional recognition.

In 1991, Don Murphy, Keith Barfield and John Shank decided to create a public accounting firm where employees can have a successful career that also supports his/her greater role in life – family. The founders began the firm as the only employees, with zero clients, in the basement of one of their homes. Steve Smith joined in 1994.

Now, twenty years later, BMSS has a staff of over 100 employees and provides services to over 2,000 clients. BMSS ranks in the Top 10 in size of public accounting firms and is one of the largest locally-owned firms in Alabama.

This expansion has not been through mergers or acquisitions but the organic growth is contributed to the family-friendly policies and core values of the firm: Character, Family, Work/Life Balance, and Treating Everyone Professionally.

BMSS has a high level of employee satisfaction, low turnover and the ability to recruit topnotch professionals. We utilize our low turnover to minimize staff changes. Staff consistency allows us to reduce costs to clients and ensure long-term relationships. In the 20 years we have been in operation, only four accountants have left to work for another CPA firm.  The average tenure of our current employees is 8 years.

The employee growth and low turnover has allowed BMSS to receive several recognitions including “Top Small Workplace” by The Wall Street Journal, “Best Accounting Firm to Work For” by Accounting Today, “Best Place to Work” by the Birmingham Business Journal and the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility.

BMSS was named a “Southern Hero” by SouthernLINC Wireless and to have received the AICPA Public Service award for our commitment to our community as demonstrated through service projects and employee volunteer days.

Since 1998, we have been an independent member of the BDO Seidman Alliance,  a nationwide alliance of accounting firms which brings us tools to better serve our clients with greater flexibility, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

BMSS goes far beyond the accounting services a typical CPA firm might offer. As your business partner, BMSS can provide you with a one-stop shop of services including payroll, IT and VoIP services, and employee benefit plan administration. Throughout the past 20 years, BMSS has identified client needs that led to the addition of new services such as estate planning and business valuations, plus the establishment of sister companies: Abacus IT Solutions, Payroll & Benefit Solutions, and Benefits Administration Services.

Clients recognize the value of working with BMSS. Of the 2,000 clients currently served by BMSS, over 500 of those clients have been with BMSS for over 10 years.

With BMSS, you will discover not all accounting firms are alike.

We are always searching for the Better Way.  

 BMSS Fact Sheet