Freelandt Caldwell Reilly: chartered professional accountants.

• Position: CORPORATE PROFILE - Company overview

Supporting local has never been so fashionable. Increasingly, independent businesses in Northern Ontario are doing their own version of buying locally, by getting their professional accounting and tax services from Freelandt Caldwell Reilly LLP (FCR). These trusted advisors are celebrating their 25th anniversary in December, marking another milestone for the home-grown firm.

Founded in Sudbury in 1991, FCR has retained its core priorities of recognizing opportunity, mitigating risk, managing growth and mentoring decision makers. They are a local firm with a broad range of expertise with a refined and intimate knowledge of the local environment and institutions, while holding themselves to the same quality expectations of a national firm.

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More than 75 professionals and the six partners make up the diverse team of FCR, with expertise in areas including accounting, taxation, assurance, business valuation and advisory services. They are prepared to serve new businesses and meet their clients' growing needs by offering in demand services such as acquisitions and divestitures, business succession and estate planning. FCR's clients consist of Northern Ontario businesses, public sector and not-for-profit organizations which represent a cross section of the business community and economy in the region.

FCR operates out of two offices, in Sudbury and Espanola, but serves clients across the North. In 2007, FCR outgrew their Sudbury facilities and moved into a larger downtown Sudbury location originally built and used by the Inco Club in 1937 and more commonly known as the former Cambrian Foundation building. Here, the original structure and history have been preserved. Through location changes, growth and staff acquisition, the firm has stayed true to their original purpose.

"We are born and raised in Sudbury, our families are here, which is another reason we are vested here. We're a home-grown firm." said partner Sam Lolas. "We have a positive outlook on our Northern Ontario community. We're a microcosm of the local...