Anchored in Capital Growth

More than a change of address, the new offices of James Moore & Company in Tallahassee represent a strategic signpost: a firm rooted in regional heritage expanding into the next chapter of advisory services, community partnership, and workforce attractiveness. The accounting and business consulting firm opened its first office in 1980, and steady growth has bumped the number of local employees to more than 50, according to company CEO Suzanne Forbes.

“We needed the space,” Forbes says, noting the older space was considerably smaller. The new offices at 1983 Centre Pointe Boulevard cover more than 12,500 square feet with 24 private offices, two conference rooms, a training room, and 29 staff cubicles.

The redesign introduced fresh blue paint, modern furnishings, and upgraded technology. Walls display a mix of employee degrees, maps, and artwork. The personal photographs and sports memorabilia create a friendly, comfortable atmosphere. The firm opened its doors to neighbors and community partners in a ribbon-cutting ceremony in early October. Forbes emphasizes that “we are here for the community,” and the expansion gives them a chance to deepen that relationship.

Tallahassee’s economy provides fertile ground for such ambition. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the metropolitan area’s Gross Domestic Product recently surpassed $24.5 billion, underscoring its role as a stable business environment anchored by government, education, and health care, which Forbes notes that such stability will help weather the ups and downs in the economy.

In 1964, James Moore & Company opened their first Florida office in Gainesville when the founder left a teaching position at the University of Florida. Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of 14, Moore spent his life in a wheelchair. The Tallahassee office opened 16 years later, and now the company has additional offices in Deland, Daytona, and Ocala. Moore passed away in 1985.

The company now has employees in 20 states and a national client base with many employees working remotely. “We love our offices and our hometown where we can have our people and be part of the community, but we also have a very broad national reach.”

Increasingly, James Moore & Company’s role has shifted from traditional accounting into an advisory role, connecting operations with finance. Forbes says, “Now what we’re really trying to do is work with clients that want us to help them look into the future.”

The advisory role is especially important in the Tallahassee market, Forbes notes. With Tallahassee being the state capital, they have a lot of association and nonprofit clients. “With what’s going on at the federal level with funding cuts, we look at how you have to change your business operations.” As advisors, Forbes says, they try to work with clients to maximize what they currently have and plan ahead for the cuts.

Forbes is really passionate about economic development and how their firm plays a role in that. “We do a lot of work with governments and help them look at their budget and what their finances are, making sure they’re able to maximize their operations to utilize taxpayers’ money in the [wisest] way possible.”

While much of the state centers economic growth around real estate and tourism, Forbes indicates that Tallahassee has the stability of state government and two universities to help weather the ups and downs in the economy. For example, this stability helped Tallahassee weather the Florida real estate crash in 2008.

Due to low interest rates and speculative demand in the housing market, a bubble in the early 2000s caused home prices to surge. The median price of homes nearly doubled, rising from $120,000 in 2000 to $235,000 by 2005. Prices began a rapid decline in 2006 in Florida before bottoming out in 2011, effectively bursting the housing bubble.

Even through those years of contraction and recovery, Tallahassee’s steadiness remained a defining strength, anchored by state government, universities, and a diverse professional base. That same resilience is mirrored in the businesses that continue to grow here, including James Moore & Company, whose latest expansion was recently marked by a ribbon-cutting celebration.

Michael Dalby, president and CEO of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, says his office was honored to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the James Moore & Company expansion into their new offices, saying, “This milestone reflects not only their continued success but also their steadfast commitment to our region’s economic growth.

Their role in the community is important to Forbes. “We work with our chambers and our organizations in the community to help them grow,” she says. But it doesn’t stop with just being a member, she noted. “We have people that are involved in learning about what is going on in the community and giving our advice on what we see.”

Forbes says the new offices are important for their employees. “You need to have a good community for those folks to live in. They want to live and work in a place where there is culture and recreation, a good wage base, and have jobs for their spouses or their partners.” Forbes also emphasizes that good schools for employees’ children are also important.

“We just had one of our directors move from Gainesville to Tallahassee because of the need in Tallahassee,” Forbes says. He has young kids and is loving the new life in Tallahassee, adding, “That’s a big thing to say from a Gator.” ▪