Accountants' bottom line is to aid community

The MCI and Associates team is celebrating its formation a decade ago.

Ten years after Dannevirke accounting company MCI and Associates was formed, it's going from strength to strength and is here for the long term.

Formed in June 2007 from two merged firms - Beard Dodson Ivamy and Holloway and Irwin - MCI and Associates now has a staff of 50 across its Dannevirke and Pahiatua branches.

And living up to its philosophy of employing locals and offering them a career path in accounting, the locally owned company's staff are all local.

Seven years ago MCI merged with Dannevirke accountant John Bennett and three years later with Tararua Chartered Accountants in Pahiatua.

These mergers kept the accountancy services in the region locally owned, practice manager Rachel Dalgleish said.

An important aspect in retaining staff was providing a career path for local people, principal Neil Ivamy said.

"A good example of this is newly promoted associate Aaron Karena," he said.

For Mr Karena, living and working in his home town has been a huge bonus.

He joined MCI and Associates as a Massey University graduate in February 2013 with a bachelor of business studies with accountancy and management, and has since gained his chartered accountant (CA) qualification.

"Aaron attended Dannevirke High School and worked with us during his university semester breaks," principal Esther McHardy said.

"Staff are trained on the job and we support them financially if they want to study for an accounting qualification," principal Moira Paewai said.

"It may take them longer to complete their study, but they don't end up with a big student loan at the end of it.

"It's a system which works for us and is another way in which we support our community.

"Fallon La Dette, who started with Beard Dodson Ivamy as an accounting clerk in 2005, followed this path and has progressed through the firm to become a recently promoted associate."

MCI recruits school leavers and also supports Dannevirke High School and Tararua College by providing prizes to top students in accountancy.

Providing job opportunities and a career path within the firm for young people is another way the organisation supports the community.

Mrs Dalgleish said MCI actively supported and promoted a life/work balance for everyone in the firm.

This worked at both ends of the spectrum, for younger staff who were starting a family and older staff who wanted to cut back their hours as they headed towards retirement.

"It provides flexibility in meeting our clients' needs too and provides a continuity of local service," Mr Ivamy said.

"We have an in-depth knowledge of our district and everyone benefits."

Also of great importance to the company was its continued commitment to supporting organisations in the district.

"We're one of the few firms in the region doing this," Mrs Paewai said.

MCI and Associates gave back more than $40,000 to the community by way of discounted fees for clubs, societies and charities last year and put its hand up to sponsor many organisations and events.

"It's a big part of what we do and we do it because this is our community - we live and work here and we want to support it," Mrs Paewai said.

If you would like to talk to MCI about how it can help you achieve your goals, give the firm a call.