Service Provider Profiles
Local government is where the decisions that affect citizens most directly are made – and it is important to share the good work of municipalities and local elected officials. These people – often volunteers – give countless hours to their communities and toward making their places of residence better for all citizens.Associate Vendor Members A-F
Bookminders
Bookminders opened its doors in Pittsburgh in 1991 and is the industry leader in outsourced accounting. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Bookminders also has local offices in the Philadelphia and Baltimore markets. The company has been honored seven times as one of the “100 Fastest Growing Private Companies” by the Pittsburgh Business Times. They deliver accounting services ranging from weekly cash and general ledger management to financial statements and board reporting.
Nearly half of all Bookminders clients come from the nonprofit and municipal sectors. Bookminders’ specialized tools and reports assist stakeholders in grant management, program tracking and accurate financial reporting. All clients are provided a Year-End Package that streamlines the work for the auditors and tax accountants.
Relying on Bookminders’ accurate financial reporting for the publicly stewarded tax dollars is welcomed by numerous municipalities with limited staff and resources. Bookminders delivers accurate and timely financial information required for municipalities’ complex reporting requirements. As a result, local governments can improve financial controls, segregate duties, and decrease accounting costs.
Bookminders became an Associate Member of ALOM in 2017. They have been an active participant in the association including leading instructive sessions through the ALOM Spring Educational Conference.
Jessica Minkus, COO of Bookminders, comments on the company’s partnership with ALOM: “Our membership with ALOM is a natural partnership. ALOM’s mission is to provide essential resources to those in local government and Bookminders delivers specialized accounting services to those same organizations. Improved local government tools and resources help everyone and we are honored to support our communities.”
C.S. McKee
C.S. McKee is an institutional investment management firm that operates from a single office location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 100% owned by employees, managing institutional assets is their only business, and they have approximately $10 billion under management in equity, fixed income, and balanced portfolios.
C.S. McKee works with 51 public entities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, many of which are ALOM members. The firm believes in transparency and strives to provide honest, helpful information to municipal representatives – not just a sales pitch.
C.S McKee consistently supports ALOM members in several ways from education to event sponsorship. In particular, they provide perennial support to the ALOM Spring Educational Conference, sponsorship of the ALOM Annual Golf Outing and participation in a host of other association events throughout the year. Additionally, CS McKee professionals have provided pro-bono education to our membership in the areas of Defensive Trends for Pension Management, Passive vs. Active Management of Pension Assets and Understanding the Impact of Interest Rates on Pension Plans.
Leaders of C. S. McKee had positive feedback about their own Associate Membership in ALOM and are quoted as stating that “participating in ALOM has been a rewarding opportunity for C.S. McKee. The organization has such a strong commitment to education and networking, with experts from all facets of local government represented and working together.
The dedication of ALOM’s members to improving their communities through shared knowledge, focus on current and future issues, and implementation of best practices demonstrates why municipal officials should participate.”
Associate Vendor Members G-O
Keystone Collections Group
Keystone Collections Group is a local tax collector serving 94 Allegheny County municipalities and 25 school districts. They bill, collect and distribute all types of local revenues across Allegheny County, as well as to over 800 taxing authorities in 36 other counties throughout Pennsylvania.Keystone collects a multitude of current and delinquent local tax or claim types including: real estate, earned income, local services, per capita/occupation, business privilege/mercantile, garbage fees, stormwater management fees, utilities. Additionally, Keystone serves as the Act 32 Tax Officer for two of the four tax collection districts located within Allegheny County, and 15 other tax collection districts throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The company was founded in the Borough of White Oak in 1986 to help local municipalities and school districts recover delinquent tax revenue. They currently employ over 200 individuals and maintain two offices in Allegheny County, in White Oak and the Municipality of Penn Hills.
Keystone continues to be an active ALOM member and participates in many events, including the Spring Educational Conference. “Our partnership with ALOM throughout the years gives Keystone access to Allegheny County communities which has allowed for clear communication and open dialogue regarding the communities’ collection needs,”said company founder and President Thomas J. Kratzenberg.
Keystone’s in-house IT team develops proprietary tax software applications to ensure fast, accurate and transparent distribution of tax revenues to cities, boroughs and townships. “Every innovation is meant to serve the immediate and future needs of communities,” said Joseph W. Lazzaro, Keystone’s Vice President and General Counsel.
A prime example of Keystone’s innovation and growth occurs in the collection of stormwater management fees. Keystone is poised to support every municipality searching for assistance in solving stormwater problems and meeting Federal regulations. “Keystone’s billing and collection system is in place to fund stormwater management authorities,” Lazzaro said. “We assist the municipality with the collection of this rapidly growing revenue source, as well as any other municipal tax type.”
HRG Engineering
Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (HRG) is dedicated to helping municipal leaders improve their communities through better infrastructure like roads, bridges, parks, and water systems. ALOM’s member municipalities are run by dedicated public servants who know the value of good infrastructure, and HRG is proud to work with so many of them.
The leaders of these municipalities have a strong desire to make their communities great, and HRG helps them do that from the initial planning phases through financing, consensus building, design and construction. HRG professionals are by their side through the whole process, acting as a partner.
The consulting firm also helps ALOM member municipalities make sense of changing regulations and find creative ways to meet them under the tight financial constraints so many communities face.
Ben Gilberti of HRG had this to say about their partnership with ALOM: “ALOM has historically provided invaluable resources to the communities in which we work. HRG sees our partnership and support of the Banner Community program as an enhancement of ALOM’s mission to provide resources to the communities in which we work and live, while giving them the recognition they deserve for their hard work and dedication to local government. We are honored to have such a great relationship with ALOM and look forward to continuing to watch Allegheny County, and neighbors, grow and succeed.”
Associate Vendor Members P-Z
Senate Engineering
Senate Engineering Company has been serving ALOM Member Municipalities since 1970. The firm’s employees are dedicated to planning, designing and implementing public infrastructure projects that are cost effective and affordable. Financial constraints continue to reduce the ability for municipalities to fund these projects. At Senate, the firm makes certain that all eligible grant and low interest loan programs are identified and applied for in order to reduce that burden.Well informed elected officials and public employees are instrumental in the successful project planning and implementation process. Senate actively encourages clients’ participation in the budgetary, public awareness and alternative design and construction process. They strive to keep their clients appraised on all current and proposed regulations, especially unfunded mandates, such as the most recent Municipal Separate Storm Sewer (MS4) regulations.
Gordon Taylor, President of Senate Engineering, had the following feedback about his firm’s relationship with ALOM: “Senate recognizes the value that ALOM brings to each of its Member Municipalities through its educational programs, the various resources it can provide and its advocacy of sound policies and legislation for a stronger local government presence. Our clients who are taking advantage of these membership offerings are building stronger communities every day.
Our support for ALOM has been there since its inception by attending, sponsoring and participating in the annual Spring Educational Conference to more recently, sponsoring the Inaugural Sporting Clay Shoot and Networking Event. A good time was had by all and we hope that more ALOM members will attend next year.”