jlaciak@laciak.com

Laciak>cpa, the accountancy group Joe Laciak started more than thirty years ago, was founded upon the principle of doing more for clients. It was his own inability to do more for his clients when he worked for other firms that spurred Joe to start doing CPA work the way he wanted to – and it’s a way that’s been keeping clients happy, financially healthy, better informed, and more, since 1983.

Before then, Joe spent his childhood in Northwest Indiana. School was easy for Joe, but unlike many kids who can become complacent when unchallenged, Joe’s own competitive drive lead him to learn more, excel in sports, and graduate as salutatorian of his class at Bishop Noll Institute.

After graduating from Saint Joseph’s College with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Mathematics, Joe started working for a large firm, and soon grew restless with the necessity to spend time, “kissing derrière” to advance his career, when that time could be spent working on client information and projects.

“I tell it like it is, and I wasn’t about playing ‘the game,’” remembers Joe with his signature grin.

Instead, Joe started Laciak>cpa, and worked hard for every client he had.

“I work harder than clients expect,” says Joe. “Our clients can’t understand the amount of effort we put into what we do.”

For Joe, and his staff of 9, including his twin sons Brian and Geoff, that means meeting with each client personally. It means reviewing every document multiple times, by multiple CPAs. It means considering every implication, not just financial, of personal and business decisions for clients. It means being accessible any time of day for questions. It means that Joe’s tax return is done last every year – because everyone else comes first.

“If it has to do with our client, we’re going to have their back,” says Joe. “If a client has a problem, I have a problem.”

It’s this dedication that keeps Laciak clients returning year after year, and referring others.

“At my first visit, I met with Joe Laciak, and I think Brian Laciak as well,” says Tami Poortenga, owner of Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio and Laciak client. “I knew from that first meeting they were a great fit for my business. Laciak>cpa made me feel comfortable as a client, provided me with more information than I could have imagined and I felt every part of making informed decisions for my business. A professional CPA firm like theirs is worth every penny.”

Not that it’s all work and no play for Joe. In between client meetings, Joe enjoys spending as much time as possible with his wife of 39 years, his twin sons, and his growing brood of grandchildren.

Joe is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Indiana CPA Society, and is an accredited Personal Financial Specialist with the AICPA. He enjoys speaking to the Northwest Indiana business community on a wide range of financial and accounting topics.