Smith and Stilwell
Smith & Stilwell is a woman-owned, family-run Atlanta payroll services firm founded in 1985 that provides specialized payroll, workers compensation, and tax administration for entertainment industry productions, including film, television, commercial, and photography clients requiring union and non-union compliance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersWestport, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Smith and Stilwell does
Smith & Stilwell is a privately held, woman-owned payroll services company founded in 1985 in Atlanta, Georgia, specializing in entertainment industry payroll for film, television, commercial, and print productions. The company administers crew payroll, talent payroll, photography payroll, and payroll for clients carrying their own workers compensation insurance, operating through distinct sub-brands including Payroll South (crew), SpotChex and XChex (talent, with affiliate Broadcast Business Affairs signatory to SAG-AFTRA and AFM contracts), APA National (photography), and CrewPay, Inc. The company also operates two affiliated businesses co-located in Midtown Atlanta: Stilwell Casting and Studio at Stilwell, a 2,000+ sq ft production studio with a 45 ft cyclorama wall.
The firm's core technology stack consists of electronic hiring forms, timesheets, and direct deposit capabilities, complemented by deep human expertise in union and non-union contract interpretation, residual estimation, multi-state tax compliance, workers compensation administration, and minor trust / Coogan account handling. The company acts as administrator-of-record for tax and workers compensation purposes and is a registered Employing Unit Representative for productions employing minors in Georgia. It delivers 48-hour turnaround on properly submitted timesheets and claims clients can be onboarded within hours.
Revenue is generated through a percentage-based fee on processed gross wages, encompassing employer-matched taxes, workers compensation insurance, and an administrative fee, with rates varying by state and additional charges for foreign crew traveling abroad. Go-to-market is sales-led direct B2B outreach to entertainment production companies, primarily driven by industry referrals and 36+ years of brand reputation. The leadership team consists of CEO and Founder Annette Smith Stilwell, COO Annie Stilwell Burch, and CFO Erin Stilwell Buda, who joined in 2008 to continue the family business. The company has been certified as a Women Owned Business since 2021.
Smith and Stilwell firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Smith and Stilwell
- Legal name
- Smith and Stilwell
- Website
- https://smithandstilwell.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Smith & Stilwell is a woman-owned, family-run Atlanta payroll services firm founded in 1985 that provides specialized payroll, workers compensation, and tax administration for entertainment industry productions, including film, television, commercial, and photography clients requiring union and non-union compliance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Smith and Stilwell industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Entertainment Payroll Services
- NAICS
- Payroll Services (541214)
- SIC
- Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)
- akta.pro industry
- Managed Payroll Services (Full-Service Payroll Outsourcing)Business & Public Services/Administrative & Support Services (BPO, Call Centers, Back Office)/Payroll Processing & Timekeeping AdministrationCrew & Labor Services (Production Staff, Unions, Payroll)Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Production Services (Crew, Equipment Rental, Locations)Payroll & Employment Tax ServicesBusiness & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Accounting, Audit & Tax ServicesContractor Payroll, Invoicing & Payment ServicesBusiness & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/Contract Staffing & Independent Contractor Management
Keywords
Where Smith and Stilwell is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Westport
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Smith and Stilwell business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Payroll Processing Services: Revenue generated through a percentage of cast and/or crew gross wages, consisting of employer matched taxes, workers comp insurance and admin fee. Rates vary by state. Also handles foreign crew traveling abroad with additional worker's compensation fee.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Percentage of gross wages model |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Smith and Stilwell product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Smith and Stilwell provides specialized payroll services for the entertainment industry, handling crew payroll, talent payroll, and photography payroll for film, television, commercial, and print productions. The company serves as administrator-of-record for tax and workers' compensation purposes, managing union and non-union contracts, residuals, multi-state compliance, and minor trust accounts. Adjacent offerings include casting services (Stilwell Casting) and studio rental (Studio at Stilwell).
Product overview
Smith & Stilwell is a certified women-owned, family-run payroll services company operating since 1985. The company offers a portfolio of payroll solutions through distinct divisions: Payroll South handles crew payroll, SpotChex & XChex manage talent payroll with union/non-union contract expertise, APA National serves photography professionals, and CrewPay, Inc. handles clients with existing workers compensation insurance. Related services include casting (Stilwell Casting) and studio rental (Studio at Stilwell). All services provide daily, weekly, and salaried wages with customizable invoicing, direct deposit, and compliance handling for federal, state, and local payroll taxes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Crew Payroll (Payroll South)
Quantifiable outcome
- 48-hour turnaround on payroll processing
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Smith and Stilwell
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Smith and Stilwell technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Smith and Stilwell partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Smith and Stilwell competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Wrapbook: Tech-forward entertainment payroll and production accounting startup offering a unified platform for payroll, cost tracking, and incentives management. Competes with S&S on crew/talent payroll and represents the software-first disruption risk to manual, concierge-style providers.
- LivePay: Entertainment payroll services firm focused on production payroll for film, TV, and commercials. Smaller and tech-leaning, providing a similar specialized alternative to S&S with a more modern stack.
Broad incumbents
- Paychex: Major SMB and mid-market payroll/HR services provider. Competes on general payroll but does not specialize in entertainment-specific requirements like residuals, SAG-AFTRA contracts, or minor trust accounts, where S&S retains differentiation.
- ADP: Largest US payroll services provider with broad enterprise offerings including workforce management and compliance. Has an entertainment-industry practice and competes with S&S for larger production companies seeking a single, scaled vendor, though it lacks S&S's entertainment-specific domain depth.
Direct peers
- Casting Networks: Leading casting platform for actors, models, and talent used across film, TV, and commercial productions. Directly comparable to S&S's Stilwell Casting subsidiary, though it operates as a self-serve SaaS rather than a concierge service.
- Cast & Crew (now C&C): Major entertainment industry payroll and workforce management provider formed through the merger of Cast & Crew and indie production services. Competes head-to-head with S&S on crew payroll, union compliance, and production accounting support across film, TV, and live events.
- Entertainment Partners: The dominant North American entertainment payroll and production accounting provider, serving film, TV, and commercial productions. Directly comparable to S&S across crew/talent payroll, residuals, and union contract administration, but at vastly larger scale and with national/international footprint.
- Backstage: Major casting and talent marketplace serving actors, models, and crew. Adjacent to S&S's casting services and provides a digital-first alternative to Stilwell Casting's traditional, relationship-led approach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Smith and Stilwell social profiles
Digital presenceSmith and Stilwell compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Smith and Stilwell financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Smith and Stilwell leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Smith and Stilwell subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Smith and Stilwell funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Smith and Stilwell M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Smith and Stilwell
What does Smith and Stilwell do?
Smith and Stilwell provides specialized payroll services for the entertainment industry, handling crew payroll, talent payroll, and photography payroll for film, television, commercial, and print productions. The company serves as administrator-of-record for tax and workers' compensation purposes, managing union and non-union contracts, residuals, multi-state compliance, and minor trust accounts. Adjacent offerings include casting services (Stilwell Casting) and studio rental (Studio at Stilwell).
Is Smith and Stilwell a public or private company?
Smith and Stilwell is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Smith and Stilwell founded?
Smith and Stilwell was founded in 1985. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Smith and Stilwell based?
Smith and Stilwell is headquartered in Westport, United States, in the North America region.
How does Smith and Stilwell make money?
One revenue line is on record: payroll Processing Services.
Who are Smith and Stilwell's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Wrapbook and LivePay. Broad incumbents are Paychex and ADP. Direct peers are Casting Networks, Cast & Crew (now C&C), Entertainment Partners and Backstage.
Does Smith and Stilwell have an API?
No public API is recorded for Smith and Stilwell.
What industry is Smith and Stilwell in?
Smith and Stilwell's product category is Entertainment Payroll Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAAAHAA, Managed Payroll Services (Full-Service Payroll Outsourcing), with a secondary code of MPADAFAA, Crew & Labor Services (Production Staff, Unions, Payroll). Its NAICS code is 541214 and its SIC code is 7819.