Jordan Iverson), a newly named partner in the Minneapolis office of Baker Tilly US, welcomes his expanded role in bringing in new business and contributing to the Chicago-based advisory and accounting firm's growth.
Iverson previously was a senior manager with Baker Tilly, where he has provided accounting, tax and consulting services since 2010. Iverson was among 24 new partners Baker Tilly named in June and the only one in Minneapolis.
"I look at it as more of an opportunity to build a brand for myself, to lead a team, which is ultimately going to drive the success in the future of the firm," Iverson said of his role as a partner. "Part of it is bringing in new work and maybe more of an emphasis on sales and business development, which is a part of the job I enjoy."
A certified public accountant and member of the firm's manufacturing and distribution team, Iverson specializes in working with public companies and those with private equity and venture backing.
With private companies considering going public, the initial public offering market is "very hot right now," he noted. Iverson works with them on readiness assessments concerning their internal controls and the quality of their financial statements.
The private equity market has been busy for buyers and sellers, Iverson said, catching up in part for a sharp drop in mergers-and-acquisitions transactions stemming from the pandemic.
Potential tax rate and tax law changes are "creating some urgency among both buyers and sellers to get deals done before the end of the year," Iverson said. Available investment capital is driving M&A activity.
Iverson, who has a finance and accounting degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, was the only U.S. finalist for the Baker Tilly International Young Accountant of the Year Award in 2017. He also served a four-month rotation in London with a Baker Tilly affiliate firm that is part of the Baker Tilly International network.
Q: What kinds of manufacturers do you work with?
A: I work with traditional manufacturers and some technology-type companies, a mix of publicly traded companies and private companies that are predominantly owned by private equity. They're typically middle market and range from contract manufacturers and medical device companies to job shop/metal shops so it's a pretty wide range.
Q: Why do you like working with them?
A: One of my favorite things to do is go out to tour the facilities, to go behind the scenes. As accountants we don't often get our hands all that dirty. It's fascinating to see how the product is made and then understanding how that works itself through the financial statements and the numbers that we ultimately end up looking at.
Q: What kinds of tech companies do you work with?
A: From smaller, venture capital-backed startups to companies a little more established. Similar to what we're seeing in the private company and private equity world, those software and tech companies are selling and trading hands at really high multiples of earnings, which is a good sign.
Q: How are your distribution clients doing?
A: My distributor clients and maybe this is in manufacturing, too, one of the common themes is that finding labor has been a challenge. Certainly, in clients that run big distribution centers or have a need for people like that, I think finding people and retaining people has been a challenge.
Todd Nelson is a freelance writer in Lake Elmo. His e-mail is todd_nelson@mac.com.
