Client: Martin Sprocket & Gear
Line of Business: Industrial Manufacturer
Services: Audit, Tax and Consulting Services
Client Contact: Chuck Reynolds, Vice President, 817.258.3000
In 1951, Martin Sprocket & Gear opened for business. From the start, the Arlington-based manufacturer of power transmission products, material handling components and systems and industrial hand tools, has relied on Weaver and Tidwell—founded in 1950—for accounting services.
“To a large extent, these two companies have grown up together,” marvels Chuck Reynolds, vice president and treasurer of Martin Sprocket & Gear.
“Obviously, over that long period of time you’re naturally not always going to work with the same people,” Reynolds notes. “But our people and their people have always been able to work well together, even as new generations have come on-line.”
Weaver and Tidwell provides audit, tax and consulting services to the company as it has expanded to 29 North American locations, including two each in Mexico and Canada. So Reynolds—who’s been with Martin Sprocket & Gear in a variety of capacities for 20 years himself—has had plenty of opportunities to interface with many Weaver and Tidwell staffers.
“What’s so great is that most of the people that I meet from Weaver and Tidwell know our company intimately, because one of the duties most of them undertake at some point is to participate in the physical inventory that’s part of our year-end audit. That means they spend part of the summer counting inventory in our hot warehouse—and we have a lot of parts,” chuckles Reynolds. “They never forget that.”
Like Reynolds, many at Weaver and Tidwell who’ve worked with Martin Sprocket & Gear over the years have risen through the ranks. But he’s always felt that the transitions from one primary contact to another have been handled smoothly.
“[Partner] Tommy Lawler has moved up the Weaver and Tidwell ladder to COO with the firm, but he still maintains the overall responsibility for our account and remains our go-to guy for virtually anything,” says Reynolds, who’s equally pleased with his key tax and audit contacts, partners Doyle Freeman, Mark Walker and Brad Jay respectively. “We have a strong, long-term relationship with them.”
After almost 57 years of a client-service provider relationship, Reynolds says mutual understanding has been the key to maintaining a successful bond.
“What’s important is they know us, and they understand that we have a reasonably conservative approach to things,” he explains. Although Martin Sprocket & Gear isn’t opposed to evaluating suggestions and new approaches, Reynolds continues, “Weaver and Tidwell knows what’s a better fit for us because they’ve been with us for such a long time—and that’s a big deal. Even when they help us on complicated issues, they don’t talk over our heads. We speak the same language.”
Chuck Reynolds
Vice President
Martin Sprocket & Gear