1981

After starting his career in Atlanta as a licensed certified public accountant at a large downtown Atlanta firm, Barclay Rushton founded Rushton & Associates (original company name) in a small office on Green Street in the heart of Gainesville.

1984

The Rushton firm soon expanded to five employees and moved to a new location on South Enota Avenue, near its current location. Though still small in size, the firm was gaining a well-earned reputation for personal service, professional expertise and a strong devotion to community service.

1997

When Chris Hollifield joined Rushton & Company in 1994, his experience and specialization in government and non-profit audits greatly expanded our chain of services. And his community involvement meshed perfectly with our tradition of civic service. He became a full partner in 1997.

2000

Rushton & Company took a big step in expanding its client base with the merger of the practice with the Walden and Crowe accounting firm. Sally Walden-Crowe, has since retired but remains associated with the firm as a consultant during tax season. The merger with her firm added a high level of expertise in tax and estate planning for businesses and high-wealth individuals.

2002

The management team further expanded with the addition of our third partner, Perry Barnett, who moved his practice from another Gainesville-area accounting firm. With Barnett's strong background in corporate banking, he oversees the firm's Business Services division, specializing in accounting and business planning for a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing and construction. In keeping with the firm's reputation for community service, Barnett has coached youth sports and serves on the board of several local non-profits.

2013

Clay Pilgrim, CPA, was named partner. Clay is an Audit Partner in the Government Division of Rushton & Company. Certified as a Fraud Examiner as well as in Financial Forensics, Clay oversees audits as well as performing training for government, non-profit and business clients throughout the state of Georgia.

2016

Nicholas Bruner, CPA and Director of Corporate Audit and Consulting, was named partner. Nicholas specializes in for-profit corporate audits and reviews. He also maintains International Audit Standards for the firm and educates the staff on new accounting standards and financial statement presentation.

2019

Gail Iverson, a very familiar professional for Rushton’s clients became a partner after being with the firm since 2001. In the Business Services Division, Gail applies her expertise to tax planning and preparation. She works with small business owners and managers in all financial aspects of their operations.

Today

In February 2003, Rushton moved to its present, expanded office on South Enota Drive in a rapidly growing medical corridor for Gainesville and Northeast Georgia. Our staff has increased to more than 40 professionals, positioning the firm as one of the region’s largest and most successful locally based accounting firms. Rushton has also added to its capabilities by affiliating with CPAmerica International and Crowe Global, a professional association drawing upon the expertise of more than 26,000 professionals in more than 100 countries around the world.

With more than 40 employees, Rushton is poised to become the region’s largest and most successful locally based accounting firm.