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Super
CPAs
Small business
consulting
L. Samuel Saunders
Harris, Harvey, Neal & Co.
by Jenifer Buckman
He's certified as a public accountant,
but L. Samuel "Sammy" Saunders thinks of himself
as a doctor for business. He has helped generations
of clients in Danville turn an idea into a healthy,
thriving enterprise. Among his "patients:"
several local medical practices and retail operations.
"I like to tell them, 'If you do a good job practicing
medicine, we'll do the rest.'" The same goes for
his other clients. "Lots of people make a great
product. My clients know how to develop and make electronics,
or make plywood or buy the items they know will sell
in their retail shop. What they need is instructions
on operations."
 The
57-year-old senior partner of Danville's largest CPA
firm, Harris, Harvey, Neal & Co., says working in
his hometown gives him the chance to be involved in
all facets of a client's business. "With some of
the bigger [CPA] firms you work on one small issue,
but you never get to see the big picture. In a smaller
firm like ours, you've got to look at the trees, but
you get to step back and see what those trees have made."
Saunders began putting down deep roots in his hometown
not long after graduating from Virginia Tech in 1966.
Before coming home, he used his accounting skills for
two years in Saigon during a stint with the Army. Then
he worked in Washington, D.C., for a short time with
the firm that is now Deloitte & Touche. After returning
to Danville, he joined his current firm where he has
been a partner since 1973.
While at Tech, Saunders considered engineering, but
soon found that accounting was his strength - besides
it runs in his family. Saunders' brother and his son,
Tim, are also accountants.
Harris, Harvey, Neal has served the community since
the 1950s. "The firm handled the accounts of local
businesses from jewelry stores to corner drug stores.
A lot of our clients have stayed with the company all
these years, and we have helped them make transitions
and successions," says Saunders.
The firm itself has grown dramatically. Saunders was
the fourth partner, though he wasn't enthusiastic about
making the company's name any longer. Now there are
eight partners and nearly 30 other employees - CPAs
and support staff.
"I like to think of us as business doctors,"
Saunders says. "We help people plan how to run
their business better." When it's time to expand,
time to relocate, time to retire - his company provides
advice and strategic planning.
Visibility in the community is also high on Saunders
to do list. He serves as a member of his church's pastor
selection committee and is the longtime treasurer for
the DPC Community Foundation serving Danville and Pittsylvania
and Caswell counties. The foundation pools funds from
individual and corporate donors to support a variety
of educational, social, cultural and charitable interests.
Saunders also finds time to be an active member of the
Virginia Group of CPA Firms.
Charles "Chuck" Snead Jr., a senior partner
at Snead and Williams in Danville, says Saunders is
respected for both his community and professional work.
"He and I go back quite a ways. He has a real care
for the profession. His clients have the utmost confidence
in him. He really works hard to help clients understand
the different methods available for business expansion,
internal and external expansion."
Snead says he and Saunders have remained great friends
and have often referred clients to each other over the
years, despite being competitors.
"I think he really tries to be a good friend to
everyone. When I had left another practice and was talking
to Harris, Harvey, Neal, I was heavily involved with
a lot of nonprofits. That wasn't really something their
firm did, so Sammy and Mr. Harris encouraged me to start
my own business and sent me a lot of work."
Brad Reynolds, a partner at Harris, Harvey, Neal since
1985, says Saunders' willingness to put in extra hours
and to make time for his clients even on the busiest
of days gains him respect. "Even during the busy
tax season, he will make time. He goes out of his way
to see clients. He once had a group of doctors that
wanted to meet with him on the evening of April 15,
and he made time for that."
When he's not mincing numbers, Saunders turns to music
for fun and relaxation. A voracious record collector,
his personal collection includes rare Beatles' items.
On Saturdays he reigns as proprietor of Downtown Records,
a used record store in downtown Danville. "He's
got a room in his house just for the records,"
says Reynolds.
Still the bulk of Saunders' time is spent naming that
number rather than that tune and, fortunately for Danville,
this is one doctor who is always in.
Return
to Virginia Business - November 2001
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