HJ&S Joins Opsahl Dawson, Establishing New Super-regional firm in the Pacific Northwest
NOVEMBER 18, 2024 (Bellevue, WA) –Hauser Jones & Sas (HJS), a leading CPA firm serving the credit union and banking industries, announced today that it has formed a strategic partnership with Opsahl Dawson & Company Advisors, LLC (“Opsahl Dawson”), a top independent accounting and business advisory firm in the Pacific Northwest, effective November 1, 2024.
With this transaction, HJ&S becomes part of a super-regional Washington firm with four offices and a team of 180 partners and professionals in Bellevue, Vancouver, Lacey, and Longview/Kelso. The combination vaults HJ&S into the Top 100 U.S. accounting firms in size and strength.
Founded in 2016, HJ&S specializes in Audit, Internal Audit, and Regulatory Compliance for credit unions. Opsahl Dawson, founded in 1979, provides tax and accounting services to small businesses.
“Just as in the credit union industry, which has been consolidating at a record pace, accounting firms are combining to leverage talent, technology, and best practices. The opportunity to partner with Opsahl Dawson elevates our capabilities to serve more sophisticated credit unions as well as to expand the services we offer our current clients,” said Ellen Sas, managing partner of HJ&S.
“We are both home-grown Washington firms built on hard work, strong values, and dedication to our people, our clients, our profession, and our communities. We have both perfected the client service model and have the most engaged employees in the industry,” said Aaron Dawson, CEO of Opsahl Dawson and a member of Accounting Today’s 2024 Managing Partner Elite. The MP Elite is an exclusive annual class of eight accounting firm managing partners from across the country.
“Both firms are on an endless pursuit of excellence and we never stop evolving. Our combination elevates that mission in so many ways that will benefit our people and our clients,” Dawson said.
“Among the first criteria we evaluated was the cultural fit between our organizations, and we found that Opsahl Dawson’s values meshed very well with our own. Their people-first culture is a natural extension of our teamwork, commitment, and integrity values,” Sas said.
“Combining two great firms has a way of accentuating our great attributes. We get to build on each other’s strengths,” Dawson said.
Opsahl Dawson and HJ&S both are consistently recognized for their business leadership. Most recently, in 2024 Opsahl Dawson was honored as one of the fastest growing firms in its market by the Vancouver Business Journal and Accounting Today, and was also named a Top Regional Firm on Accounting Today’s annual list. HJ&S earned distinction on Accounting Today’s 2023 Best Accounting Firms to Work For list, among other honors.
For more information, visit www.opsahlco.com or email info@opsahlco.com.
About Hauser Jones & Sas
The Hauser Jones & Sas founders and leadership team have been serving credit unions for over 35 years. HJ&S is recognized by Callahan and Associates as one of the top 5 CPA firms serving credit unions, banks and non-depository lenders, alternative finance entities, payment processors and data processing providers in the West. The firm provides audit, tax, internal audit and regulatory compliance services to over 75 credit unions and CUSO’s throughout Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. Credit unions and banks can submit an RFP for CPA and compliance services here.
About Opsahl Dawson
“Opsahl Dawson” is the brand name under which Opsahl Dawson & Co., LLP and Opsahl Dawson & Company Advisors, LLC provide professional services. Opsahl Dawson & Co., LLP and Opsahl Dawson & Company Advisors, LLC practice as an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and applicable law, regulations and professional standards. Opsahl Dawson & Co., LLP is a licensed independent CPA firm that provides attest services to its clients. Opsahl Dawson & Company Advisors, LLC and its subsidiary entities, which are not licensed CPA firms, provide tax, advisory, and other non-attest services to its clients.
Information Contact:
Roger A. Jones, CPA
425-890-4932
