Richard L. Craig, CPA

Richard L. Craig, CPA

  • 415 Group
  • Managing Partner
415 Group

415 Group

4300 Munson St NW
Canton, OH, 44718-3674
United States
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415 Group

4300 Munson St NW,
Canton, OH 44718-3674,
United States

Professional experience

As managing partner at 415 Group, Rich Craig manages a portfolio of client accounts, while also serving as the firm’s director of business valuation and litigation support division. For more than 30 years, he’s brought a wealth of accounting and consulting expertise to the firm with a focus in business valuation, forensic accounting, merger and acquisition assistance, as well as corporate tax and structured growth planning. Before becoming managing partner, he was the director of the business valuation / litigation consulting division for the firm. Having served as an expert witness in hundreds of court cases, Rich has a deep understanding of business valuation, forensic accounting and economic damages as they relate to the law. Beyond litigation, Rich shares his expertise as a requested speaker at many legal and accounting educational events. Rich brings a unique background to 415 Group’s clients, allowing them to go beyond tax planning and compliance to entrepreneurial growth and success. He has previously used his skillset to work in the National Tax Department in Washington D.C. at Ernst & Young and on the Accountant Council for Intuit, Inc., based in Mountain View, California. As a leader in the firm, he has a keen eye for matching clients with the right team to best serve their needs. He values collaboration, knowing that a team with a diverse skillset is a stronger advocate for clients than just one individual.

Educational background

Rich received a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Mount Union College, with dual majors in Accounting and Quantitative Analysis. In addition to being a CPA Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) and Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF), Rich is also accredited as a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Master Analyst in Financial Forensics (MAFF), Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) and a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). Rich has served on the Accountant and Advisor Customer Council for Intuit, Inc. in Mountain View, California.

Affiliations

Rich is a member of many professional organizations including the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants, American Institute of Public Accountants, and National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts.
He has been active in many community organizations, including Community Services of Stark County, Canton Palace Theater, Congress Lake Club, Jackson Township Abatement Committee, Jackson Township Community Improvement Corp, Greentown Community Park, the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association. Rich also has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jackson-Belden Chamber of Commerce.

Expertise

Tax

Individual Tax - Divorce/Separation Specialty Niches - Litigation Support Specialty Niches - Franchises Specialty Niches - Business Valuation Specialty Niches - Mergers and Acquisitions Specialty Niches - Fraud/Forensics

Specialty & Niche

Manufacturing - Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing General Services - Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services Manufacturing - Plastic and Rubber Distribution/Wholesale/Retail - Food Services and Drinking Places General Services - Legal Services General Services - Litigation Support Construction - Residential Building Construction General Services - Business Valuation

Credentials

Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certified in Financial Forensics Certified Valuation Analyst Certified Public Accountant Certified Information Technology Professional Accredited Business Valuation Microsoft Certified Professional

Speeches/Articles/Awards

• Instructor and Author: National Business Institute, Eau Claire, WI, “Getting the Best Financial Settlement for your Divorce Client in Ohio”, Cuyahoga Falls, 2005 • Instructor and Author: National Business Institute, Eau Claire, WI, “Preventing Critical Financial Mistakes During Divorces”, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, 2007 • Instructor and Author: National Business Institute, Eau Claire, WI, “Failure To Understand Tax Consequences of Assets, Preventing Critical Financial Mistakes During Divorces”, Cleveland, OH, September, 2007 • Speaker: Alliance Health Partners Annual Meeting, “Benchmark and Budgeting”, Getting Preventative Care for your Practice”, Alliance, OH, February, 2008 • Instructor: Small Business Succession Planning Forum for Ohio Employee Ownership Center at Kent State University, “How Much is My Company Worth; The Basics of Business Valuation”, May, 2008 • Instructor and Author: National Business Institute, Eau Claire, WI, “Equitable Divorce Settlements - Confidently Handling Valuation Issues”, Akron and Cleveland, OH, August 2008 Radio Interview • Instructor and Author: National Business Institute, Eau Claire, WI, “Successful Financial Settlements for Your Divorce Client”, Cuyahoga Falls, 2010 • Author: National Business Institute, Eau Claire, WI, “Financial Divorce Settlements from Start to Finish”, Cleveland, Ohio, July 2011 • Author and Instructor: National Business Institute, Eau Claire, WI, “Business Valuation Methods”, Akron, Ohio, December, 2011 • Author and Instructor: National Business Institute, Altoona, WI, “Mergers and Acquisitions: Nuts and Bolts”, “Business Valuations”, Cleveland, Ohio, June, 2012 • Instructor: Famous University, “Exit Strategies & Succession Planning for Contractors”, Sebring Ohio, June 2013 • Instructor: Famous University, “How to Value Your Small Business”, September, 2013 • Instructor: AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) National Broadcast Webinar, “How to Gain Business Valuation Experience”, August, 2014 • Instructor and Author: Famous University, “Exit Strategies for HVAC & Plumbing Contractors”, Bedford Heights, Ohio, May, 2015, Akron, Ohio, July, 2016 • Instructor: Intuit Seminar, “Accounting Forensics”, Akron, Ohio, May, 2015 • Instructor and Author: National Business Institute, Eau Claire, WI, “Handling the Sale of a Business – What an Attorney Needs to Know”, Youngstown, Ohio, December, 2015 • Instructor: Stark County Dental Society, “Three Phases of the Practice Lifecycle”, Presenting: “Phase III Selling or Transitioning a Practice”, Canton, Ohio, January, 2016 • Instructor and Author: National Business Institute, Altoona, WI, “Forensic Accounting 101 for Attorneys”, Cleveland, Ohio, October, 2016