GAINESVILLE - Rushton & Company, one of Northeast Georgia’s largest business accounting and consulting firms, recently hosted an international summit in Atlanta with its strategic partner firms from Germany and across the United States in addition to U.S. government and Chamber representatives.
As part of an annual gathering of accounting firms with expertise in global business and international tax strategies, the 2015 U.S.-German Summit was held May 4 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel near Buckhead. The meeting is an opportunity for member firms to share their expertise in international business trends and tax-law updates.
This year’s summit included a panel discussion on domestic and foreign investments moderated by Tracy Moon, partner with Fisher & Phillips, LLP. Thomas A. Strauss, Southern regional director of the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration, discussed U.S. outbound investments in countries overseas. Nico Wijnbert of the international division of Georgia’s Department of Economic Development, provided an overview of foreign business investment trends in the United States.
Perry Barnett, head of Rushton’s international division, served as summit host.
Another highlight of the summit was a presentation by Stefan Hammann, vice president of operations for Hansgrohe, a German shower and faucet manufacturer whose U.S. subsidiary is based in Cumming, Ga. Hammann provided a unique perspective on a German company establishing an operation in the United States and then exporting products from its U.S. location.
The other German firms represented at the US-German Summit hailed from locations throughout their home country: Albstadt, Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Essen, Frankfurt, Kiel, Munich, Reutlingen, Schwerin, and Stuttgart, Germany. They were joined by their U.S. partner firms from Alabama, California, Washington D.C., Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon and Wisconsin.
“The summit was an impressive cross-section of some of the world’s most knowledgeable business and international tax law experts,” said Perry Barnett of Rushton & Company. “I was honored to welcome our German friends to Atlanta and represent our firm as the summit host.”
Based in Gainesville, Ga., Rushton is part of an international association of CPA and business consulting firms through its alliance with Crowe Horwath International and CPAmerica, one of the 10 largest networks in the world with independent accounting firms from more than 100 different countries. The strategic partnership allows Rushton to provide expertise in international tax and accounting to its clients conducting global business, both outbound from the United States and inbound from oversea investments.
Founded in 1981, Rushton & Company also provides businesses throughout North Georgia with a wide variety of accounting services including auditing, tax planning and return preparation, management consulting, payroll services and business valuation. Rushton is one of the area's largest business accounting firms with over 35 staff professionals. In addition to general business operations, Rushton offers financial expertise in a number of specific industry fields such as construction, agribusiness, government, healthcare, not-for-profit organizations, professional services, manufacturing and distribution. For more information, call 770-287-7800 or visit www.rushtonandcompany.com.
