Cohen Guides Companies Through PPP Funding

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Cohen & Company’s greatest success in 2021 was helping its clients remain successful, which in turn fueled the accounting and consulting firm’s growth.

Cohen & Company helped local businesses understand and execute on the Paycheck Protection Program and the Employee Retention Credit, says Lisa Metzinger, assurance partner.

It presented webinars and published regular updates throughout the year as rules and timelines changed.

Helping private companies ready themselves for the new lease standard was also a top priority for Cohen, Metzinger says.

The growth of its consulting practice, which was driven in part by clients seeking guidance on the Cares Act and PPP loans, allowed Cohen & Company to increase its presence in Youngstown as well.

Cohen & Company plans to double the size of its Youngstown office within the next several years as part of its larger plan to expand its footprint in northeastern Ohio. More than 60 jobs will be added to the existing 320 across the company’s  three Ohio offices, Metzinger says.

The company is focused on creating opportunities for the local workforce and identifying boomerangs looking for the right opportunity to return to the region. “Our strategic partnership with Youngstown State University enables promising students to gain real-world experience as early as the summer following their sophomore year,” Metzinger says.

 In 2021, the company hosted a virtual leadership day to educate YSU students about the public accounting industry, while providing them with the opportunity to interview for open opportunities. That, coupled with additional recruiting efforts over the past year, enabled the company to bring aboard a class of nearly 90 new hires in January, including 11 in Youngstown.

Also in 2021, Cohen & Company’s Idea (Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in Action) team, led by Youngstown-based Assurance Director Trinette Simon, continued its work to expand dialogue and understanding within the firm.

In the community, company associates volunteered with organizations, including the United Way, Project MKC, Second Harvest, Beatitude House and YWCA. Employees also participated in and won the YOlympics, a fundraiser benefiting the Melina Michelle Edenfield Foundation.

Cohen & Company was named to Forbes magazine’s 2021 list of America’s Top Tax and Accounting Firms. It was also on Inc.’s list of the fastest growing businesses in America.

The company has offices in Ohio, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.