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Every
other month the Firm will profile a strategic partner or
resource that we feel our clients would benefit from.
This
month we have interviewed Jeff Gilmore, president/CEO of GFO
Consulting, LLC
www.gfoconsulting.com) one of the regions top
management and operations consulting firms. Jeff, who has a BS in
accounting from Albright College and an MBA from LaSalle University,
serves on the board of directors of such organizations
including Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia and the Cradle of
Liberty Boy Scout Council
Why did you start GFO Consulting?
"In 2002 I was looking for a job and couldn't
find one with my name on it.
I fell into a couple of consulting gigs, liked what I was doing,
and decided I wanted to make this my career. From that grew the concept
of owning my own business.
In early 2005 I launched GFO Consulting LLC and began putting a
team together. We have been growing ever since."
What is the
company's mission?
"Our mission is to help small to medium size
companies achieve their goals by providing hands on operational and
financial management expertise."
What is GFO's
greatest strength?
"Our people! The varied experiences and
wealth of knowledge about M&A, leverage buyouts, financial
management, and turnarounds. Our people have been there and done
that. They are former
Controllers and CFOs of larger entities who have demonstrated the
ability to lend their experiences to smaller growth oriented
businesses."
Where have you had
the most success?
"We have the greatest impact in building out
financial operations where there were none and in rebuilding or
restructuring financial operations of poorly managed businesses. We are that third leg of that
three legged stool. The
other legs being sales and operations."
What types of
companies can you have the biggest impact on?
"We have the most significant impact with
Companies that recognize that they need and are willing to make
change. We have been
referred into companies that need to make change, but it wasn't
embraced. It hinders out
ability to be effective. A
client has to admit they are in pain and has to be committed to taking
the necessary measures to resolve that pain."
What geographic
area do you cover?
"We market ourselves in southeastern, Pennsylvania, New Jersey
and Delaware. However; we will go where
needed. In fact we worked
with a client in Alaska."
What industries do
you work best with?
"We work best with manufacturing,
transportation, distribution and professional services."
What is the average
experience of your fellow consultants?
"Our people have to have at least 15 years
experience as a CFO or controller and the average experience is 25
years."
What has been your
biggest success to date?
"A $25 million services company, were we helped
turn their business around by reorganizing their operations,
restructuring their balance sheet, and renegotiating contracts with
their vendors and their clients."
What is the biggest
problem companies' deal with today?
"Poor management! Whether the businesses are small
or large, most of their issues are caused by inadequate
management. The challenge
is recognizing it and determining how to resolve the issue. This is precisely where we come
in by providing experienced hands to rebuild the business and get it to
the next level."
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