Photo caption: Matthew Kelly assumed the role of managing partner at the Plante Moran Kalamazoo office in January 2024.

In 2024, Plante Moran celebrated 100 years in business, a milestone few organizations reach. Since its founding in 1924, the firm has grown from a sole accounting practitioner in a Detroit office to a billion-dollar audit, tax, consulting, and wealth management firm with more than 3,800 professionals and 23 offices serving clients around the globe.

“You can sum up our 100-year history in one word: people,” explains Matthew Kelly, who in January, after an 18-year career with Plante Moran, assumed the role of Kalamazoo office managing partner. “Our ‘We Care’ culture puts people first and is centered around high-touch relationships, transparency, and trust.”

Plante Moran’s unique culture is rooted in what its founders, Elorion Plante and Frank Moran, called their “grand experiment.” They envisioned an accounting firm where the best practitioners couldn’t wait to get in the door and clients were lining up to receive unsurpassed service. To achieve this, they built the firm on a solid foundation of principles and values like following the Golden Rule, doing the right thing for the right reasons, and putting people and a long-term view before profits.

“Many believe culture is synonymous with the policies and procedures developed by an organization, but it’s not,” explained Kelly, who in his role, takes responsibility for developing and growing the firm’s Kalamazoo staff. “A strong culture comes from the values and behaviors epitomized from the top down. It’s the way people behave and how they treat one another, at work and outside of work. It’s the camaraderie enjoyed by a group of people who genuinely enjoy what they do and who they do it with.”
Kelly notes that while maintaining a supportive culture takes time and attention, it’s the single biggest driving force when it comes to staff retention—trumping benefits, opportunity, and even pay.

“Creating a solid culture isn’t something that you set and then forget—doing it right requires constant attention,” Kelly explains. “Our culture has withstood the test of time because we’ve been intentional about protecting and perpetuating it. It’s an investment, but we know if we take care of our staff, they will in turn take care of our clients and communities—and that’s priceless.”

As Plante Moran enters its 100th year in business, it will continue to focus on client service, innovation, and building a strong pipeline of talent. But most importantly, the firm will stay true to its values, principles, and one-of-a-kind culture.

“This milestone celebration gives us an opportunity to show gratitude and appreciation for those who helped us get here—our founders, current and past staff, and the clients who count on us every day to advance their businesses, chart new territories, build stronger strategies and—most importantly—help support those who count on them,” Kelly says. “Our centennial reinforces the values that got us here: dedication, quality, trust, and the relationships we build. We haven’t lost sight of that, from our first year to our hundredth.”

ABOUT PLANTE MORAN
Plante Moran is among the nation’s largest audit, tax, consulting, and wealth management firms and provides a full line of services to organizations in the following industries: manufacturing and distribution, financial services, service, healthcare, private equity, public sector, real estate, construction, and energy. Throughout the firm’s 100 years in business, Plante Moran has grown to a staff of more than 3,800 professionals throughout the United States with international offices in Shanghai, China; Mumbai, India; Tokyo, Japan; and Monterrey, Mexico. Plante Moran has been recognized by a number of organizations, including Fortune magazine, as one of the country’s best places to work. For more information, visit plantemoran.com.