Hamilton and Associates was founded in 1983 by Gregory C. Hamilton, CPA. A resident of Brandon with a wife and young family Mr. Hamilton left a large firm in Tampa and opened an office on SR 60 with just six clients. Within a year the practice grew to over thirty- four clients and continued to multiply exponentially for the next thirty years.
When searching for qualified employees Mr. Hamilton tapped an underutilized segment of the workforce - professional women who chose to no longer work eight hour days in downtown Tampa while raising a family. He adjusted their work schedule from 9:00 to 2:00 to mirror the school schedule and offered reduced summer hours thus garnering many of the top professionals in the area.
Referrals from existing clients were the basis for the firm’s success. They praised the individual attention and expertise in which the firm addressed their business and individual accounting needs as well as Mr. Hamilton’s ability to clarify tax laws and offer recommendations.
Mr. Hamilton retired in 2016 but his legacy of dedication to clients continues.
Donald Pate created Donald B. Pate & Associates Inc. in 1975. Mr. Pate was an Enrolled Agent and served as President of the Florida Accountants Association.
Over the years, he volunteered within the community serving many leadership roles including, President of ECHO, Treasurer of the Rotary Club, and President’s Round Table. Mr. Pate has earned awards from the Brandon Chamber such as Small Business Leader of the Year, Member of the Year, and Person of the Year.
Mr. Pate sold his practice to Greg Hamilton in 1998 and ensured that his seven staff members would also have jobs as part of the buy-out. He continued to work for Hamilton & Associates for the next 13 years following the buyout. This wonderful and successful working relationship was filled with respect and its influence continues today.
The current principals Rachel Santana and Dustin Orr have been with the firm for twenty years and ten years respectively. They bring a wealth of knowledge much of which they learned from working directly with Mr. Pate and Mr. Hamilton.
