60 Fun Facts Celebrating Our 60th Anniversary

Published on January 5, 2026 by Kat Jenkins in Firm News

Fun Things to Know About Barnes Dennig

This past year, we’ve shared 60 fun facts celebrating 60 incredible years of Barnes Dennig – honoring the people, milestones, and moments that shaped who we are today. And now, here they are – all in one place for the first time. We hope you enjoy our 60 Fun Facts as much as we enjoyed creating them.

From our founders’ vision to our latest achievements, one thing has never changed: our commitment to clients, colleagues and community.

Here’s to the past that built us, the present we’re proud of, and the better, brighter future we’re creating together. Thank you for being part of our story!

60 Fun Facts

1. Since the first Outreach Day in 2011, Barnes Dennig has donated more than 8,000 hours helping deserving non-profits throughout our region.
2. Barnes Dennig has a robust international tax practice, with a fully dedicated team and a level of expertise and services unusual for a firm of our size.
3. The Barnes Dennig Cincinnati office is located downtown in the Federal Reserve Bank building. Which we think is some pretty cool marketing.
4. Jay Rammes completed two successful mergers in his first year as Managing Director. Since then, he’s led two more successful mergers.
5. Barnes Dennig was a Goering Center for Family and Private Business Awards honoree in 2021.
6. In 2024, Barnes Dennig won FOUR best places to work awards: Top Workplaces (USA Today), Accounting Today Best Accounting Firms to Work For, Top Workplaces (The Enquirer), and Best Workplaces in Ohio.
7. Inside Public Accounting named Barnes Dennig a Best of the Best Firm in 2023 – one of only 75 firms across the country to receive the honor.
8. Barnes Dennig Managing Director Jay Rammes was named one of Accounting Today’s Managing Partner Elite in 2024. Only 8 managing partners earn this distinction each year.
9. Barnes Dennig produces multiple compensation and benefits studies each year and provides them to the public free of charge.
10. Industries covered in our compensation & benefits studies are: construction, manufacturing and wholesale/distribution, and not-for-profit.
11. Barnes Dennig produces a triennial report on trends in 401(k) plan management and provides it to the community free of charge.
12. Bob Barnes and Al Dennig founded the firm on the belief that commitment to clients, colleagues, and community in equal measure was the foundation for a better way of doing business. 60 years later, we couldn’t agree more.
13. Flexibility is fundamental – we fully believe in our team and embrace that they can do great work from anywhere on a schedule that works for their lives. Less stress. Better life. And a better, brighter future for us all.
14. In 1978, Barnes Dennig named Dan Moss the first non-founding partner.
15. In 1979, Barnes Dennig hired Diane Rosebrock as the firm’s first female CPA.
16. In 1992, Laura Brunner became the first female partner at Barnes Dennig.
17. In our 60 year history, the firm has had only four Managing Directors: Bob Barnes, Bill Cloppert, Steve Hube, and Jay Rammes.
18. Barnes Dennig has won ClearlyRated’s Best of Accounting award for outstanding client satisfaction for 7 consecutive years.
19. ClearlyRated has awarded Barnes Dennig the Best of Accounting Client Satisfaction Diamond Award for three consecutive years – we’re going for four in 2026!
20. Barnes Dennig has five offices in three states: two in Ohio, two in Indianapolis, and one in Northern Kentucky.
21. When Bob Barnes and Al Dennig founded the firm in 1965, they had a total of 9 children between them.
22. As of 2024, Barnes Dennig has grown to become #141 on Inside Public Accounting’s largest accounting firms in the country list.
23. In 2020, the Barnes Dennig kickball team brought home the gold – winning the league championship!
24. Barnes Dennig’s Dayton office is located in the landmark Stratacache Tower in beautiful downtown Dayton.
25. In 2018, Barnes Dennig named its first all-female Director promotion class with Cheryl Ganim and Paula Hume.
26. In 2023, Barnes Dennig named the second, larger all-female Director promotion class, with Rachael Cruse, Heather Steinke, and Kara Wysinski.
27. The firm’s culture has been rock solid from day 1 – founded on the principle that clients, colleagues, and community come first, in equal measure. From the day Bob Barnes and Al Dennig opened the doors through 60 years of inspired leadership, that principle holds strong.
28. Early on, Barnes Dennig introduced the four-day work week to reward our team for their busy season commitment. Later, we replaced that with workplace flexibility –a central part of our culture and commitment to our team.
29. Barnes Dennig was a pioneer in the “team” concept for staffing and scheduling – increasing efficiency, knowledge sharing, and client and firm success.
30. Barnes Dennig was one of the first in the profession to hire a business development director and a marketing team (hi from the marketing team, who loves bringing you these fun facts!)
31. Barnes Dennig conducts annual fundraising campaigns that raise tens of thousands of dollars for United Way and ArtsWave – building a brighter future for us all.
32. The firm’s first offices were in Carew Tower. We started on the 4^th floor, and as we grew, moved to the 9^th, 15^th, and finally to the 19^th and 20^th Talk about movin’ on up!
33. We conducted our first client satisfaction survey in 1996 – and have conducted one every year since. In 2019, we moved to a Net Promoter Score survey conducted by ClearlyRated.
34. Co-founder Bob Barnes didn’t go to college – he completed his education through correspondence while serving in the US military, then passed the CPA exam.
35. Barnes Dennig was the first firm in Allinial Global to hire a full-time marketer and full-time business developer. (Speaking for the Marketing and Business Development teams – we’re so glad they did!)
36. Barnes Dennig Directors retire at 65 – a policy established by Bob Barnes so that younger people in the firm can see a clear path for career growth.
37. Barnes Dennig team members at every level volunteer and serve on boards at non-profits throughout our communities, dedicating their time, financial resources, and energy for causes they care about.
38. In 1997, we conducted our first annual fundraiser for the Fine Arts Fund (now ArtsWave). 28 years later, our campaigns are still going strong!
39. In 1999, Barnes Dennig launched our first annual United Way corporate campaign, helping to create stronger communities and a better, brighter future for us all.
40. Barnes Dennig has been named a Top Workplace by the Enquirer an almost unheard-of 15 times!
41. Barnes Dennig’s SOC reporting practice serves clients throughout the United States and around the globe – with clients in New Zealand, Europe, the Philippines, and more.
42. The firm was founded with 5 clients – and 60 years later, 4 of them are still with us. (The fifth one sold – and we still work with the shareholders). We’re proud to build relationships that stand the test of time!
43. In 2024, Barnes Dennig launched its own Registered Investment Advisory (RIA), creating new opportunities for clients and career opportunities for our team.
44. The current Barnes Dennig leadership team has a combined 1,462 years of experience. How’s that for inspiring confidence?
45. The Barnes Dennig Fractional Accounting and Advisory team provides fractional CFO, Controller, and accounting team support to businesses and non-profits throughout our region – and is growing exponentially!
46. In 2025, Forbes recognized 9 Barnes Dennig CPAs on their inaugural Top CPAs by State list – more than any other Allinial Global firm and more than one of the Big Four firms!
47. When the OBBBA was signed into law, the Barnes Dennig Tax team got to work, producing more than a dozen blog posts in just a few days to educate taxpayers on the impact on individuals, businesses, and non-profits.
48. The Barnes Dennig SOC Reporting team covers five time zones throughout multiple corners of the world – so wherever you are, our team has you covered!
49. Business Valuation Director and practice leader Harold Kremer was named one of the Top CPAs for Valuations in 2025. Congrats, Harold!
50. The Barnes Dennig SOC Reporting team helped write the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA)’s SOC implementation guide. Talking about writing the book on a topic!
51. Members of our SOC Reporting team have competed in lacrosse, swimming, baseball, and soccer for six different colleges.
52. Chip Dennig joined Barnes Dennig as a college sophomore in 1977 and retired in 2022 after 45 years – still our longest-tenured team member!
53. Exceptional service is part of who we are – and no one embodied it more than long-time receptionist Carolyn Rouse. She was so cherished by team and clients alike that a client once took out an ad in the Cincinnati Business Courier to honor her!
54. Our Assurance leader Tom Groskopf is Technical Director of the AICPA’s Center for Plain English Accounting and has served on multiple national and international standard-setting committees.
55. Legendary former Managing Director Bill Cloppert brought extra cheer to our holiday parties—showing up as Santa year after year (and once – quite memorably – as an elf!).
56. In 2025, Barnes Dennig joined forces with Indianapolis-based Greenwalt CPAs, building critical mass in the market and unlocking new opportunities for clients, colleagues, and community.
57. Barnes Dennig is one of the country’s top 100 firms for employee benefit plan auditing, performing more than 200 plan audits a year.
58. Outstanding client service isn’t just a value—it’s who we are. With over 500 reviews and an amazing 4.8 out of 5 stars, our clients say it best!
59. Barnes Dennig’s first merger (with Spaeth & Batterberry in 1999) ignited exciting new opportunities for clients, colleagues, and community – laying the foundation for a better, brighter future.
60. Bob Barnes and Al Dennig founded our firm on a simple belief: serving clients, colleagues, and community in equal measure. 60 years later, that commitment still drives everything we do – and we couldn’t agree more. Thanks, guys.

It’s been an incredible 60 years, building a talented, caring team serving outstanding clients and community organizations. Thank you to everyone who has made this firm so impactful over the past six decades. We’ll always be here to serve as your trusted advisors, helping build a better, brighter future for us all.