For over 40 years, Hobe and Lucas CPAs has been helping families and businesses throughout Northeast Ohio. We’ve grown a lot since we first opened our doors in 1978.
Dave Hobe and Jerry Lucas started Hobe & Lucas in October 1978 when they were both 28 years old. Dave spent the beginning of his career at Arthur Anderson and Jerry at Ciulla Stephens. Their first office was located in Parma Heights.
One of Hobe & Lucas’s first clients was Cleveland’s largest construction contractor, and they remain a client today. Revenue for 1979, their first full year, was $95,142. In 1980, they moved their office and four employees to Strongsville. In 1982, H&L became the audit firm for Lee Wilson Engineering, Inc., a publicly traded company. In 1988, Dave Cornish and Jerry Bonning joined the partner group. In 1989, H&L was listed #27 on the Crain’s Cleveland Business Largest Accounting Firms with a total of 19 employees. They have been on the list ever since.
In 1990, H&L became one of the first tenants in the brand new Crowne Center Building located on Rockside Road in Independence. That year, H&L reached 20 employees and $1 million in revenue. In 1994, each staff member was issued a green screen terminal. Three years later they were replaced with PCs with windows 95 and everyone was issued an email account shortly thereafter. In 1999, H&L rolled out its first web page – it was literally one page!
Jerry Bonning successfully led H&L through the “Y2K” scare. The Y2K issue was a phenomenon at the turn of the 21st century where computer users and programmers feared that computers would stop working on December 31, 1999. Jim Gero and Bill Wildenheim became partners in 2000. H&L moved their office to One Independence Place in 2001. In 2008, H&L implemented paperless engagement software for their attest practice.
In 2013, Dave Hobe retired as a shareholder and Lisa Matuszny became the first female partner of H&L. In 2016, Jerry Lucas retired as a shareholder and Louis Loparo and Lawrence Debaltzo joined the partner group. In 2016, H&L implemented a paperless software solution in their tax practice.
H&L turns forty years old and is named one of the Top Workplaces in 2018 by the Plain Dealer with over forty employees. The future looks very bright as we focus on growth and transformation.
Hobe & Lucas Certified Public Accountants, Inc. is a full-service accounting and business consulting firm dedicated to providing clients with exceptional value.
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Investment advisory services are offered through Avantax Planning PartnersSM. Commission-based brokerage services are offered through Avantax Investment ServicesSM, Member FINRA, SIPC. Insurance services offered through licensed agents of Avantax Planning Partners. 3200 Olympus Blvd., Suite 100, Dallas, TX 75019. The Avantax entities are independent of and unrelated to Hobe & Lucas Certified Public Accountants, Inc.
Although Avantax does not provide or supervise tax or accounting services, our Financial Professionals may offer these services through their independent outside business. Financial Professionals may only conduct business with residents of the states for which they are properly registered. Not all Financial Professionals are licensed to offer all products or services. Financial planning and investment advisory services require separate licenses.
