Runyon Kersteen Ouellette

What Runyon Kersteen Ouellette does

Runyon Kersteen Ouellette (RKO) is a privately held Certified Public Accounting and business consulting firm headquartered in South Portland, Maine with a second office in Rochester, New Hampshire. The firm employs approximately 35 professionals and support staff organized around five service lines: Commercial (audit, review, compilation, bookkeeping, tax), Employee Benefit Plans (ERISA-compliant 401(k), 403(b), and pension audits), Government (municipalities, school departments, and quasi-governmental audit work under Governmental Auditing Standards, Uniform Guidance, and MAAP), Nonprofit (financial and compliance audits, Form 990), and Individual Taxes and Advisory. Engagement delivery relies on credentialed CPAs, with seven principals and two consultants providing specialized expertise across the firm's verticals.

RKO's underlying technology stack is conventional for a regional CPA practice. The firm operates the ICFiles client portal for document sharing and is migrating to SafeSend (launching January 1, 2026) to replace NetClient CS for tax-document delivery, electronic signatures, and payment reminders. The firm publishes the quarterly Quill newsletter and maintains a website-based Tax Tools Suite including calculators, a glossary, and a refund tracker. There is no disclosed proprietary software platform, API, or AI/ML capability; product differentiation is rooted in credentialed expertise, AICPA peer-reviewed quality (pass rating, 2022), and membership in EBPAQC and GFOA.

The business model is hourly and fixed-fee professional services billing across five segments, with revenue mix disclosed as approximately 50% audit, 20% tax preparation and planning, 15% compilation/review/write-up, and 15% consulting and financial advisory. Distribution is direct client service through the two physical offices plus portal-enabled self-service. The firm is owned by its principals (Managing Principal Amy Chasse plus principals Donald Gaudet Jr., Casey Leonard, Jeff Raab, Jennifer Conners, Timothy Gill, and Kristin Starzyk); there is no disclosed private equity, venture, or external institutional ownership.

Name

Runyon Kersteen Ouellette

Legal name

Runyon Kersteen Ouellette

Website

https://rko-cpas.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Runyon Kersteen Ouellette is a privately held CPA firm based in South Portland, Maine with a regional office in Rochester, New Hampshire, delivering audit, tax, accounting, and advisory services to commercial, government, nonprofit, benefit plan, and individual clients through approximately 35 professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Accounting Services

NAICS

Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (5412), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

General Ledger & Close (Journal Entries, Month-End Close, Reconciliations) (BPAAAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Planning & Analysis Support (Budgeting, Forecasting, Management Reporting) (BPAAAGAJ)

Keywords

• Public accounting services
• Audit and assurance
• Tax preparation services
• Business consulting
• Employee benefit audits

Headquarters

HQ city

South Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Audit Services: Audit, review, and compilation services for commercial entities, governments, nonprofits, and employee benefit plans. Comprises approximately 50% of firm revenues.
2. Tax Preparation and Planning: Individual and business tax preparation, research, and planning services. Represents 20% of income.
3. Compilation, Review and Write-up Services: Compilation and review services along with bookkeeping and write-up work. Represents 15% of gross fees.
4. Consulting and Financial Advisory: Business advisory, financial planning, and consulting services. Represents 15% of total fee income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Runyon Kersteen Ouellette (RKO) is a full-service Certified Public Accounting firm delivering accounting, auditing, consulting, and tax preparation services. The firm operates five distinct service lines covering Commercial, Employee Benefit Plans, Government, Nonprofit, and Individual Taxes, supported by secure client portals and tax tools resources. RKO serves clients across southern Maine and New Hampshire through two office locations.

Product overview

Runyon Kersteen Ouellette (RKO) is a full-service Certified Public Accounting firm offering a unified portfolio of professional services rather than a software product platform. The core offering consists of five service lines: Commercial Services (audit, review, bookkeeping), Employee Benefit Plans Services (ERISA-compliant audits), Government Services (municipal and school district audits), Individual Taxes and Advisory, and Nonprofit Services. Client-facing digital tools include the SafeSend Client Portal for secure document delivery and e-signatures, ICFiles Portal for document access, and a Tax Tools Suite with calculators, glossary, and tax calendar. The firm also publishes the Quill Newsletter as a client communication channel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Services Audit, review, and compilation services; business tax planning and preparation; accounting procedures and internal controls review; and small business bookkeeping services for for-profit businesses of varying sizes and stages of development.
• Employee Benefit Plans Services Employee benefit plan audits subject to ERISA for 401(k), 403(b), health and welfare, and pension plans, including Form 5500 and 990 compliance and fiduciary obligation advisory.
• Government Services Auditing, accounting, consulting, and advisory services for governmental entities including municipalities, school departments, regional school units, and quasi-governmental organizations, covering Governmental Auditing Standards, Uniform Guidance, and Maine Uniform Accounting and Auditing Practices.
• Individual Taxes and Advisory Services Individual income tax planning and preparation, business income tax planning, estate and gift tax preparation, and state and local tax planning for high net worth individuals and business owners.
• Nonprofit Services Financial audits, compliance audits under Uniform Guidance and MAAP, general business advice, organization planning and setup, Federal forms 990/990-T filing, and employee benefit compliance audits for nonprofit organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• AICPA quality control review 'pass' rating in 2022

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)coreOthersRKO participates in AICPA's quality control review system, undergoing independent review every three years. The firm received a 'pass' rating in the 2022 review of its accounting and auditing practice.
• EBPAQC (Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center)coreOthersRKO is a member of EBPAQC, demonstrating commitment to quality employee benefit plan audit services.
• Maine Employee Benefits CouncilminorOthersSeveral RKO professionals are members of the Maine Employee Benefits Council, supporting their expertise in employee benefits compliance.
• Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)coreOthersMultiple RKO professionals are members of GFOA and assist clients with GFOA Certificate Program requirements for disclosure and financial reporting compliance.
• College Campus Recruiting PartnersminorOthersRKO conducts interviews on various college campuses each fall for recruiting staff accountants, interns, and senior positions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WithumSmith+Brown (Withum): Mid-Atlantic-headquartered top 30 U.S. accounting and advisory firm serving commercial, nonprofit, and government clients with audit, tax, and consulting services. Broad incumbent given similar mid-market positioning but materially larger scale.
• Wipfli LLP: Top 20 U.S. accounting and advisory firm serving middle-market businesses, government, and nonprofit clients with audit, tax, and consulting services, including offices in Maine. Broad incumbent given wider national footprint, deeper specialty practices, and overlapping client segments.
• CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA): Top 10 U.S. accounting and advisory firm with strong dedicated practices serving government, nonprofit, and employee benefit plan clients nationwide. Broad incumbent given direct overlap in RKO's strongest niches and substantially greater scale.
• Marcum LLP: Top 15 U.S. accounting and advisory firm providing audit, tax, and consulting to middle-market businesses, nonprofits, and government entities with offices in New England. Broad incumbent due to overlapping target segments and significantly larger resources.
• RSM US LLP: Top 5 U.S. audit, tax, and consulting firm focused on the middle market, with significant nonprofit and government practices nationally. Broad incumbent given substantially larger scale and broader service portfolio competing for the same regulated-entity clients.
• BDO USA: Top 10 global accounting organization providing assurance, tax, and advisory services to middle-market and large clients, including dedicated nonprofit and government practices. Broad incumbent competing in the same regulated-entity assurance and tax engagements.

Direct peers

• Baker Newman Noyes: Portland, Maine-based CPA firm providing tax, audit, accounting, and advisory services to businesses, nonprofits, government entities, and individuals throughout northern New England. Direct peer given shared headquarters city, comparable service lines, and similar mid-market client profile.
• BerryDunn: Portland, Maine-headquartered full-service CPA and consulting firm offering audit, tax, and advisory services across New England, including government, nonprofit, healthcare, and commercial clients. Direct peer given overlapping Maine footprint and similar service mix, especially in government and nonprofit assurance.
• Macpage LLC: South Portland, Maine-based full-service accounting and business advisory firm with offices across New England serving closely held businesses, government entities, and nonprofits. Direct peer because of geographic overlap, similar vertical mix, and comparable firm size profile.
• Purdy Powers & Co. Portland, Maine-based CPA firm offering audit, tax, and consulting services to commercial, nonprofit, government, and individual clients in northern New England. Direct peer given shared geography and similar mid-market professional services positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RKOCPAS
• Facebookfacebook.com/RKOCPAS

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Runyon Kersteen Ouellette