Clayton's big 3 count on closely held businesses. (Clayton, Missouri, accounting firms) (company profile)

Clayton's big 3 count on closely held businesses

The big six national accounting firms dominate downtown St. Louis. But the Clayton Three rule the roost in the St. Louis County seat.

The three - Rubin Brown Gornstein & Co., Stone Carlie & Co., Brown, Smith, Wallace Librach & Gordon - have grown up in Clayton largely by serving a clientele of closely held businesses.

The three all do more than count numbers. A growing percentage of their business is business consulting. The three also are among the larger metro area accounting firms.

RBG has one office with 111 CPAs and a staff of 198. It is larger than some of the national firms with area offices.

"It's been purely internal growth," said James Castellano, managing partner of the firm. That differs sharply with other large accounting firms which grew in the 1980s through …