Premium Associate Member Spotlight: Maner Costerisan
This article appeared in the Sep/Oct issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.
Manufacturers throughout Michigan and the United States are feeling the pinch of the labor shortage in the industry, as well as how to plan for the future. Maner Costerisan aims to resolve these challenges for manufacturers through insightful solutions and by stepping in to provide or find assistance where it is needed.
A full-service accounting firm based in Lansing, Maner offers assurance, accounting, consulting, technology and wealth management services with experienced professionals skilled in accounting and finance, technology and automation guidance, cost reduction, succession planning and other customized solutions as necessary.
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Businesses that need assistance in accounting or finance roles — anything from a bookkeeper to a CFO — can connect with a Maner team member with the skillsets to fill in the gap temporarily or in an ongoing outsourced capacity, such as in the role of a fractional CFO. While Maner does not staff the shop floors or other areas of operations, the company can help businesses find those employees through its business and community partnerships.
“We have alliances and relationships with other organizations that we can call on to assist manufacturers with these needs,” says Principal and Director Sarah Jennings, listing the BDO Alliance global accounting and advisory firm and the related network as one of those alliances. “We know we don’t know everything, but we are very good at getting the right people in the room who can solve the problem.”
Maner Principal Dave Nielsen notes that the MMA, Capital Area Manufacturing Council and Michigan Works! are especially helpful.
“I’ve also seen a lot of success with local ISDs and vocational programs that get in front of students before they get into the workforce with a goal of getting them into the talent pool,” he adds.
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Helping clients solve problems and helping coworkers grow their career.
Maner’s consulting team also helps businesses get prepared for transitions or plan and work through mergers and acquisitions.
“The biggest challenge manufacturers face is finding the time to do these things while continuing to run their businesses,” Nielsen says, adding that Maner’s team includes a certified value growth advisor and a certified exit planner, as well as members accredited in business valuation, who all work together to provide businesses with valuable insights.
“The advisors will meet with the company, determine future plans and help them develop strategies to grow the value of the company and alter the structure when needed to get them to the point where they can achieve their goals,” he says.
Additionally, Maner’s team can focus on strategies to determine where businesses’ costs can be reduced and income can be increased. To complement their in-house solutions focused on process improvement, automation and technology integrations, the company has partnered with AFS Logistics, which uses a data-driven approach to drive measurable savings and optimize logistics operations. They provide incredible savings to companies with significant distribution costs. In addition to helping businesses reduce hard costs, Maner’s team also looks at tax credits, such as those for R&D, clean energy and advanced manufacturing, as well as impacts from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Maner Costerisan’s wide range of accounting and advisory solutions assist manufacturers in resolving financial, logistical, succession and technology challenges — whether it’s through their in-house team or through their extensive partnerships and alliances.
Maner Costerisan is an MMA Premium Associate Member and has been an MMA member company since October 1976. Visit online: manercpa.com.