Spotlight On: Kimberly Ford, President, theKFORDgroup
Key points:
- • theKFORDgroup is experiencing strong growth while maintaining its independence.
- • Advisory services are becoming a central driver of client demand and expansion.
- • AI is reshaping accounting work while increasing the value of personalized guidance.
October 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, Kimberly Ford, president of CPA firm theKFORDgroup, discussed the firm’s growth, changing client expectations, advisory services, and tax developments. “The only constant in tax law is absolute change,” Ford said.
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What changes over the past year have had the greatest impact on theKFORDgroup?
We are on a major growth trajectory that is somewhat unprecedented. We grew about 27% in 2025, and we think we will grow between 20% and 22% this year. Over the years, many local accounting firms have merged with larger firms, been purchased, or taken private equity money. We have not.
In San Antonio, people like to do business with people they know and run into at the grocery store. We have gained new clients who were disheartened when the CPA firm they had known throughout their business life became a totally different firm. It has been exciting for us to give those clients the financial clarity and confidence that we give all our clients. We have a solid team, with younger people moving up in the organization. We plan to remain independent, keep growing, and take care of clients as we always have.
How are tax changes affecting the firm and its clients?
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed in July 2025, and it included several changes that affect the 2025 and 2026 tax years. We helped clients take advantage of provisions and make timing decisions between 2025 and 2026. The new rules included full depreciation on purchased assets, which can make a significant difference, and changes to research and development expenses. The only constant in tax law is absolute change.
Where do you see opportunities in San Antonio amid uncertainty?
The energy sector is still strong. Tourism is also evolving, with new opportunities emerging. San Antonio is a great city, and it continues to grow. There are opportunities around every corner.
How is AI changing accounting work and the development of younger professionals?
With the advent of AI, people are craving people. They value trusted, personal relationships with their professionals as they make difficult decisions.
Still, we are embracing AI as best we can. We know that AI can perform some of the work our accountants do, and we are facing that head-on so we can be more productive. We are training entry-level accountants quickly to understand the advisory side of our business. AI can do calculations and produce answers, but what it cannot answer is: So what? What does the information mean for the client? We are retraining our accountants to answer that question by putting themselves in our clients’ shoes, which is one of our guiding principles. We want them to help guide clients through the decisions they need to make and give them financial clarity and confidence in those decisions.
How are you expanding advisory services across the firm?
We have done advisory work for years, including financial planning, exit planning, succession planning, estate planning, income tax planning, and retirement planning. Much of that work has been handled at the firm’s upper levels. We are pushing it further into the organization, building a deeper bench, and systematizing some advisory projects. We want to make sure we take care of clients and give them the best information available for important decisions.
What trends are shaping San Antonio’s economy and business environment?
The constant influx of people continues to shape San Antonio. With new people come new jobs and new needs. Everywhere, not just in San Antonio, people are thinking about AI. We have to embrace it without being scared of it, while putting controls and security around it so it does not get out of control and people’s data is not lost. As far as the San Antonio economy goes, the sky is the limit. We have a great business environment, and businesses are coming.
Where do you see the greatest need and growth opportunity for theKFORDgroup?
Advisory services are where we see the greatest growth and need, and honestly, that is where the fun is. We can help people look forward, take the data we have, project it into the future, and make great decisions for themselves, their businesses, and their families.
What issue should business owners watch over the next 12 months?
Business owners should always pay attention to cash flow and cash-flow needs. AI is relatively inexpensive now, but it will become more expensive. They need to understand what that will look like and how it will shape their business because it is coming for all of us. Artificial intelligence is everywhere, not just in professional services. Business owners cannot bury their heads in the sand and pretend it will not happen because it is here.
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