Ford Keast

What Ford Keast does

Ford Keast LLP is a privately held Canadian chartered professional accounting firm founded in 1929 (originally as Foote & Rafuse) and headquartered at 624 Maitland Street in London, Ontario. The firm provides a full suite of professional services — accounting, assurance/audit, tax advisory, business advisory (including M&A support, succession planning, and corporate finance), human resources consulting, and wealth management — to small and medium businesses, not-for-profit and charitable organizations, cooperative housing entities, entrepreneurs, and high-net-worth individuals across London and Southwestern Ontario. It operates two wholly owned subsidiaries: Ford Keast Wealth Management Inc. (launched 2000, with referral-based portfolio management through TriCert Investment Counsel) and Ford Keast Human Resources (launched 2015), and runs the Career Resilience sub-brand (podcast, YouTube, coaching).

The firm's technology stack is third-party and cloud-based rather than proprietary: Caseware Cloud for audit and financial reporting, Taxprep Cloud for tax preparation, QuickBooks Online (with in-house QuickBooks Online Technicians) for client bookkeeping, Doc.It Portal for document management, and the Audit Dashboard client portal for engagement tracking. The firm went paperless in 2008 and completed a major cloud migration in 2018. There is no proprietary AI/ML capability, no patents, and no AI-related hires disclosed.

The revenue model is engagement-based fee-for-service professional services, with pricing quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The only subscription product is Audit Shield, an annual flat-fee insurance program covering professional fees for CRA audit defense, underwritten by Accountancy Insurance Brokers Ltd. Go-to-market is relationship-driven: client referrals, direct consultative sales, community involvement, and content marketing (blog, Career Resilience podcast, YouTube). Growth has historically come from partner-led mergers (Gordon Hardcastle in 2015, Robert G. Sandford Professional Corporation in 2016), service-line expansion (Wealth Management 2000, HR 2015), and the 2020 Aprio Alliance membership providing national-level reach without diluting independent partner ownership.

Name

Ford Keast

Legal name

Ford Keast LLP

Website

https://fordkeast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ford Keast LLP is a privately held Canadian CPA firm founded in 1929 in London, Ontario, providing accounting, audit, tax, business advisory, HR consulting, and wealth management services to SMBs, not-for-profits, co-operative housing entities, and individuals across Southwestern Ontario.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accounting Services: Full range of accounting services including financial statement preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, and compilation engagements for private, not-for-profit, and government organizations
2. Assurance Engagements: Audit and review assurance services providing credibility to financial statements for businesses and not-for-profit organizations
3. Tax Advisory and Compliance: Tax planning, compliance, and CRA audit support services for individuals and businesses, including Canadian and US tax matters
4. Business Advisory: Consulting services including business consulting, financial planning, valuation, mergers and acquisitions support, and succession planning
5. HR Consulting: Human resources consulting services including policy development, training, workplace investigations, and compliance support
6. Wealth Management: Financial planning, investment management through referral to TriCert Investment Counsel, estate planning, and insurance advisory services
7. Audit Shield Fee Waiver Service: Annual flat fee insurance program covering professional fees for responding to CRA audits, enquiries, and reviews

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ford Keast LLP delivers a full-service suite of chartered professional accounting, assurance, taxation, business advisory, human resources consulting, and wealth management services to private businesses, not-for-profit organizations, cooperatives, entrepreneurs, and individuals in London and Southwestern Ontario. Services are delivered directly by a partner-led team of CPAs and advisors, leveraging cloud-based platforms for document management, audit, tax, and bookkeeping workflows.

Product overview

Ford Keast LLP is a full-service CPA firm offering an integrated suite of professional services organized around five core practice areas: Accounting (including assurance/audits, not-for-profit services, and cooperative housing expertise), Business Advisory (including corporate financial services, M&A, succession planning, and Audit Shield insurance), HR Consulting (including compliance, training, workplace investigations, and day-to-day HR support), Tax Advisory (including CRA/US tax compliance, corporate reorganizations, estate planning, and entrepreneur/start-up services), and Wealth Management (including financial planning, investment management through TriCert referral, and business succession). The firm also operates Career Resilience as a sub-brand offering career counselling through podcasts and coaching services. All services are delivered through a collaborative, integrated approach with a team of over 50 professionals, leveraging cloud-based tools including Caseware Cloud, Taxprep Cloud, QuickBooks Online, and client portals (Audit Dashboard, Doc.It Portal).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ford Keast Human Resources: Human Resources consulting division of Ford Keast LLP offering HR support, training, compliance, and workplace investigations.
• Ford Keast Wealth Management Inc.
• Career Resilience

Products and services

• Accounting Services Full range of accounting and bookkeeping services including financial statement preparation, compilation engagements, income tax return preparation, and Canadian and U.S. income tax compliance for businesses and individuals.
• Assurance Engagements (Audits & Reviews) Audit and review assurance services that add credibility to financial statements and financial information, providing comprehensive compliance verification for businesses and not-for-profits.
• Not-for-Profit & Charitable Organizations Services Specialized accounting and assurance services for non-profit organizations, charitable organizations, religious organizations, and professional associations, including charitable status compliance and government funding reporting.
• Audit & Assurance for Housing / Co-ops Comprehensive accounting solutions for cooperative housing organizations including AIR preparation, capital cost audits, COCHI, SHIP, SHEEP, and SHERRP programs, with HST assistance and CMHC mortgage support.
• Business Advisory Services Comprehensive business consulting services including corporate financial services, business succession planning, valuation of intellectual property, duty drawback claims, mergers and acquisitions, and government grant applications.
• Corporate Financial Services Corporate finance services including financial acquisitions, business divestiture services, and financing strategy and advice.
• Audit Shield Annual flat-fee fee waiver service providing audit insurance protection against CRA audits, enquiries, investigations, or reviews; coverage expires January 31 each year and is backed by Accountancy Insurance Brokers Ltd.
• HR Consulting Services Comprehensive human resource solutions including employee onboarding, policy development, performance management, employment terminations, and day-to-day HR management support.
• Health and Safety and Compliance Compliance services ensuring adherence to Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), policy development, legislative compliance, training programs, and workplace audits.
• HR Support Day-to-day HR management support including employee onboarding, attendance and leave management, employee relations, policy development, and performance management.
• Training and Coaching Customizable training programs including workplace culture building, difficult conversations management, customer service excellence, and executive/leadership coaching.
• Workplace Investigations Professional workplace investigation services addressing harassment, discrimination, bullying, workplace violence, fraud, theft, and misconduct allegations.
• Tax Advisory Group Comprehensive tax services including CRA audit support, US personal tax compliance, corporate reorganizations, business sale planning, intergenerational farm transfers, estate tax planning, and family law tax matters.
• Entrepreneurs / Start-ups Services Tailored advisory services for entrepreneurs and start-ups including business growth analysis, cash flow management, tax planning, and business succession planning.
• Wealth Management Comprehensive financial planning services including investment management through TriCert Investment Counsel, education planning, insurance advisory, estate planning, and business succession planning.
• Career Resilience Career counselling and resilience services providing personalized support, frameworks for workplace collaboration, and career journey strategizing through podcasts and content, offered under the Ford Keast HR Consulting sub-brand.
• Career Resilience Podcasts Podcast series featuring career journeys, coaching tips, and life advice from various professionals and guests, hosted by the firm's HR team.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aprio AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Ford Keast LLP is an independently owned member of Aprio Alliance, a national association of collaborative, growth-minded CPA firms. This affiliation provides access to leading expertise, resources, and best practices while maintaining the personalized service and local insight expected from an independent firm. The partnership reinforces commitment to exceptional client service and staying ahead of industry trends.
• TriCert Investment Counsel Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationThrough a referral arrangement, Ford Keast Wealth Management offers clients direct access to TriCert Investment Counsel's portfolio management services. TriCert uses a quality sector-based (QSect) approach to tailor investment strategies to client circumstances. TriCert is registered as a Portfolio Manager with the Ontario Securities Commission and Investment Fund Manager in Ontario, managing over $4 billion in assets on behalf of thousands of clients. Ford Keast Wealth Management Holdings Inc. has partial ownership in TriCert.
• Accountancy Insurance Brokers Ltd.minorOthersAccountancy Insurance Brokers Ltd. provides the insurance backing for Ford Keast LLP's Audit Shield Fee Waiver Service. This partnership allows the firm to offer clients insurance against the costs of responding to CRA audits, enquiries, and reviews.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• KPMG LLP (Canada): KPMG is a Big Four firm with comprehensive audit, tax, and advisory services. Competes with Ford Keast for mid-market engagements in Southwestern Ontario but operates at vastly larger scale with deeper specialist resources and broader portfolio.
• BDO Canada LLP: BDO is a top-tier national CPA firm with full-service accounting, tax, and advisory capabilities. Overlaps with Ford Keast across audit, tax, and advisory for mid-market clients, but operates with materially greater scale, broader geographic reach, and deeper resources.
• Deloitte LLP (Canada): Deloitte is a Big Four firm with significant mid-market tax, audit, and advisory practices overlapping Ford Keast's offerings. Serves as a competitor for larger mid-market mandates in the region while operating well outside Ford Keast's scale envelope.
• PwC Canada: PwC is a Big Four firm offering assurance, tax, and advisory services. Competes with Ford Keast for select mid-market engagements in Southwestern Ontario, with overlapping capabilities but at materially greater scale and breadth.

Direct peers

• Crowe Soberman LLP: Crowe Soberman is a Toronto-based mid-tier CPA firm offering integrated accounting, tax, and advisory services. Comparable to Ford Keast in practice breadth and mid-market private business client focus, with similar positioning as a relationship-led alternative to larger national firms.
• Welch LLP: Welch is a Canadian mid-tier accounting and advisory firm serving similar SME clients across Ontario and beyond. Comparable in service mix (accounting, audit, tax, advisory) and segment focus, with comparable scale and partnership-style ownership model.
• Grant Thornton Canada: Grant Thornton is a national mid-tier CPA firm offering integrated audit, tax, and advisory services. Serves the same mid-market Canadian business segment as Ford Keast, with comparable service breadth and similar positioning against the Big Four.
• Baker Tilly Canada Cooperative: Baker Tilly is a leading mid-tier Canadian accounting and advisory firm. Comparable to Ford Keast as a similarly sized full-service CPA firm offering accounting, tax, audit, and advisory services to SME and not-for-profit clients across multiple Canadian provinces.
• MNP LLP: MNP is one of Canada's largest mid-tier full-service accounting, tax, and business advisory firms. Directly comparable to Ford Keast in offering integrated accounting, audit, tax, advisory, and wealth services to mid-market businesses, with comparable practice breadth and client segment focus.

Others

• TriCert Investment Counsel Inc. TriCert is Ford Keast's referral partner for portfolio management and is partially owned by Ford Keast Wealth Management Holdings. Listed as OTHERS rather than a direct peer because TriCert is a single-discipline investment manager, not a multi-line CPA/advisory practice - it operates in an adjacent segment of the firm's value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClk9TxrzyYuNX0S2LkPvI_w
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ford-keast-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Ford Keast