BPW opened its doors in 1948 as a sole proprietorship by CPA, Thomas R. Kruger. The firm was among only one other accounting firm in Santa Barbara.
Kruger, who valued client service above all else, was soon joined by Stanley Bartlett and Phillip Pringle. Six years after the passing of Kruger, in 1963, the firm’s name was changed to Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf, CPAs when Walter Wolf became partner.
In the early days, the firm was a family-run business as Stanley Bartlett’s and Phillip Pringle’s wives handled the client billing. Hand-crank adding machines were used and employees kept track of billing hours manually in those pre-electronic days.
As the firm grew, departments were developed to provide a full range of financial services, accommodating the growing needs of clients and the increasing complexities of the tax and accounting world.
Today, BPW has over 50 full-time team members, including 7 partners and 15 managers, who offer the most comprehensive tax and accounting solutions to both high net worth individuals and privately-held businesses. The firm is a trusted advisor to many of the Tri-County area’s most reputable individuals as well as largest businesses and non-profit organizations. Always looking to enhance the technical infrastructure, BPW was one of the first firms in the area to incorporate a secure, paperless approach to their work.
Our core market has always been and remains our hometown of Santa Barbara. Over the last 70 years, however, BPW has grown along with the community and the needs of our clients. We now provide a variety of services in Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties. In addition, the audit department travels statewide to service businesses spanning California. The consulting team reaches even further by offering implementation and support services to Credit Unions across the country.