Our History
1971
In 1971, Mike Marston and Bob Spence formed the foundation of Spence Marston Bunch & Morris in St Petersburg, Florida. Shortly thereafter, they brought in Ed Bunch who would act as the managing partner for decades.
And eventually, George Morris was added as a partner through acquisition of George’s prior firm. In 2006, Ed’s son Steve Bunch joined the firm, and became a partner four years later.
1974
In 1974, Gordon Spoor left the local firm where he was working to start a new accounting firm that better matched the culture and values he believed in. His goal was simple: to build a family-oriented environment where employees could pursue their career aspirations in public accounting while also leading a balanced lifestyle.
In 1997, Gordon’s son W.G. Spoor joined the firm, and became a partner a few years later. Gordon and W.G. added their third partner in 2010 with the addition of Rich Franz, who joined the firm in 2004.
With Mike, Bob, and Ed passing the torch to Steve, and with Gordon handing off firm management to W.G. and Rich, the next generation began steering their respective firms. In 2015, WG, Steve, and Rich extensively discussed what a merged firm would look like – and it became clear that the combination would result in enhanced capabilities, expanded opportunities for employees, and an even stronger foundation for the service of clients.
2016
In 2016, Spence Marston Bunch & Morris and Spoor & Associates merged to form SBF. After five-plus decades, SBF continues to embrace the original values of its original founders.
2018
In 2018, SBF merged with another St. Petersburg-based accounting firm – Strawn, Marshall, Cunningham, Condon & Sweat. The partners at this firm also happened to be long-time friends and building co-tenants with SBF. This relationship served to reinforce our strong foundation in our community and continue our legacy of high quality client service.
2021
In 2021, Tampa-based firm Dwight Darby merged into SBF. Dwight Darby served clients all over the Tampa Bay area from its South Tampa location for more than 70 years. The move allows us to better serve our Tampa clientele, grow SBF’s client base, and increase flexibility for our staff living in Tampa.
2023
In 2023, Westbay CPAs merged into SBF, bringing our firm to over 100 employees spread across three offices across Tampa Bay. The merger strengthens our lineup of services by adding forensic accounting, value consultation, and litigation support services to the list.
While SBF has grown to become one of the largest local accounting firms in Tampa Bay, we are still a family-oriented firm at our core. We are an organization that’s focused on people – both the success of our employees as well as the businesses and individuals we serve.
At SBF, our depth and breadth of knowledge, combined with our low attrition, give us a distinct competitive advantage over other firms. Our clients consistently praise our ability to return the same client service professionals to their account year after year. We understand that quality client service begins with a genuine care and respect for our people.
