About Us

At Winther, Stave & Co., LLP we use a team approach. You have a team of accounting professionals at your disposal, not just one person. With specialists in many different areas, we can draw on that breadth of knowledge and experience to help with services ranging from taxes, to payroll, to wealth preservation.

STAFF BIOGRAPHIES AND DIRECTORY

Even though they can’t be found on our balance sheet, the most important asset we have is our people.  Our team of professionals share a wide array of talents and have a depth of expertise and experience that we believe sets us apart. Below you’ll find contact information about our staff and a link to an expanded directory.

Jaycee Benson

Lacie Brandts

Sherri Denoble

Hailey Derrickson

Arvin Druvenga

Rebecca Graves

Karen Hankins

Lacey Johnson

Courtney Lappegard

Jennifer Maki

Walter Mantler

Rodney Meendering

Dawn Monnahan

Patrick Nalley

Rita Schallau

David Schmidt

Jennifer Schuster

Mary Jo Smith

Carol Sporrer

Alecia Tolzin

Justin Zinnel

Industries We Serve

Banking
Construction
Convenience Stores
Cities and Counties
Farming and Farm Industries
Manufacturing
Medical
Non-Profit
Professional Services
Restaurants
Retail
Trucking

Services We Perform

Tax Planning
Tax Preparation
Auditing
Review
Compilation Services
Agreed Upon Procedures
Directors’ Exams
Business Valuations
Business Consulting
Payroll, Quickbooks, Accounting, and Bookkeeping Services
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Sales
Wealth Preservation and Succession Planning

History
Winther, Stave & Co., LLP was founded in 1966 and has grown to a staff of 28, including 20 CPAs, serving clients in 35 states and concentrated in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Merlyn Winther opened a one-room office in an office complex in the Floete Building at 14 W 6th Street on December 1, 1966. This complex had a common receptionist. His wife, Sonna, an experienced legal secretary, was his typist. He acquired an old army desk and a brand new chair, which he uses to this day.The desk is long since gone.

Paul Stave and a young Gary Peters joined the firm in 1978. On January 1, 1979, Paul Stave became a partner and the firm became Winther, Stave & Co., LLP. Ron Bauermeister and Bill Orrison joined the partnership in 1981, at which time the whole first floor of the office complex was occupied by Winther, Stave & Co. Bill Orrison left the partnership in 1984 and Gary Peters became a partner in 1984.

On April 2, 1984, a fire on the top floor of the Floete Building destroyed the property. The entire office was severely damaged by water. We started carrying out to the street and parking lot our furnishings at 7:00 am and the 20 of us were joined by 35 other business people, two step vans and various pickups to relocate our office to an empty office space. By 3:00 pm, our furniture was cleaned and situated, our telephone system was installed, and our accounting machines and computers were operative. Our finest hour!

The current Spencer location was acquired and remodeled in 1984 after the fire episode. We took possession and opened January 1, 1985. It took two weeks to relocate as opposed to the one day emergency move.

Jeff Crew joined the firm in 1983 and became a partner in 1990.

The Milford office was acquired in August 1993; and due to our expanded staff, our current Spencer location was expanded in 1995.

Paul Stave and Ron Bauermeister retired from the partnership in 2011.

The firm has been in existence for 50 years and currently consists of 28 employees, 20 of which are CPAs. The firm name is well known in the local and surrounding communities and the once young Gary Peters is now the managing partner.

The firm is well experienced in all facets of auditing, accounting, consulting, tax and tax planning, and our firm was an early participant in the peer review audit system conducted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and our firm has received unqualified opinions on each of its peer reviews.

The firm’s members are encouraged to be active in the community. Almost every service club in Spencer and many of the churches have one of our employees on their boards. We are most proud of this service.

Community Outreach
Winther, Stave & Co., LLP is a locally owned business with deep roots in Spencer and the surrounding communities. We believe in supporting local organizations and are proud to be sponsors of Clay County Cattlemen’s Association, Clay County Pork Producers, Spencer Chamber of Commerce, Iowa Great Lakes Chamber of Commerce, Iowa Lakes Corridor, youth league teams, local schools, service clubs and non-profit organizations. We support and encourage our staff to be active in volunteerism.

Our staff has provided volunteer services, board and committee participation to Arts on Grand, Parker Historical Museum, Spencer Community Theatre, Spencer Chamber of Commerce, Hy-Noon Kiwanis, Spencer Rotary, Daybreakers Kiwanis, Y’s Men, Spencer Soccer Association, numerous churches, service clubs, and non-profit organizations. We are proud that our staff contributes over 1,000 hours of community service each year to these important organizations.

OUR AFFILIATIONS

  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
  • Iowa Society of Certified Public Accountants (ISCPA)
  • Iowa Board of Accountancy
  • Minnesota Board of Accountancy
  • Nebraska Board of Accountancy
  • South Dakota Board of Accountancy
  • Georgia Board of Accountancy
  • National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA)
Peer Review

Our Firm has been a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) since its founding and has been subject to the AICPA’s Peer Review requirements since it was originated in the 1970’s. Our firm’s commitment to high standards and integrity is demonstrated by its participation in this program. For a copy of our most recent Peer Review Click Here