Our community is unique in so many ways. Central Oregon is home to a wide array of businesses of different industries and sizes. As individuals, we treasure our time spent outside of the office. As professionals, we place a high value on personal, community-focused connections. A conversation on a trail, a chairlift, or at a community event can become a trusted referral, a new partnership, or the beginning of a long-term business relationship.
That relationship-driven culture is one of our region’s strengths, but it is being tested by forces outside of our small but mighty community. Central Oregon continues to attract talent, investment, and entrepreneurial activity, even as employers contend with housing affordability, workforce constraints, higher operating costs, and economic uncertainty.
The professional services industry is also in a period of uncertainty. Private equity investment has expanded across accounting and other advisory industries, often bringing additional capital, scale, and operational discipline, but it can also increase the emphasis on utilization, growth targets, and standardized measures of financial success. Those measures have value, but they can crowd out service quality and strong connections. Artificial intelligence introduces a different kind of change. It can automate research, organize information, and reduce repetitive work, but some worry about its impact on job availability and human connection.
Kernutt Stokes shares many of the qualities that define Central Oregon’s business community. Founded in Eugene in 1945, we remain Oregon-based and locally owned. In Bend, our team participates in the Bend and Redmond Chambers of Commerce, supports Economic Development for Central Oregon, and contributes time and resources to various local nonprofit organizations. We value human connection and community involvement. We also cherish our capacity so that we can better serve our clients. Our ties to the community are not separate from our work; they help us understand the people and businesses in the community we get to call home.
