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Manufacturing & Distribution

Rea’s manufacturing and distribution team has worked inside businesses like yours — as controllers, CFOs, and operations leaders — before advising them. We’ve walked shop floors, managed cost structures, and made the decisions your business depends on every day.

Years Serving Ohio Businesses

Professionals In Your Industry

Offices Across Ohio and Florida

Industrial Manufacturing Tech who works with Metals, Plastics, & Wood after using Rea's Accounting and Advisory Services

Built for the Businesses That Build Things

Manufacturing and distribution businesses don’t all operate the same way. The cost structure of a metals fabricator is different from a CPG brand. The compliance picture for a national distributor looks nothing like a regional retailer. Rea’s practice serves all of these structures — with advisors who specialize in each.  

Industrial Manufacturers — Metals, Plastics & Wood

Tax planning, cost and profitability analysis, assurance, ERP guidance, and succession planning for metal fabricators, plastics processors, wood products manufacturers, and precision parts producers.

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Consumer Packaged Goods

Margin analysis down to the product level, ERP implementation, fractional CFO support, and tax planning for food, beverage, personal care, and branded consumer goods businesses.

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Distribution & Wholesale

Profitability analysis, multi-state SALT compliance, outsourced controller and CFO support, ERP guidance, and transition planning for wholesale distributors, manufacturer’s reps, and value-added resellers.

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Retail & E-Commerce

Inventory visibility, channel margin modeling, sales tax compliance for multi-state sellers, systems selection, and close process improvement for retailers, DTC brands, and omnichannel businesses.

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Not Sure Where You Fit?

If your business spans multiple categories or you’re not sure which page describes you best, talk to our manufacturing and distribution team directly.

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Core Services Built Around Your Business

Rea’s manufacturing and distribution practice covers the full range of financial, operational, and advisory needs that these businesses face — coordinated across disciplines so clients aren’t managing multiple firms for adjacent problems.

Financial Foundation

  • Audits, reviews, and compilations
  • Strategic tax preparation and planning
  • R&D credits and manufacturing exemptions
  • Multi-state SALT compliance
  • Entity structure and owner tax planning
  • Succession and transition planning
  • Retirement plan consulting & audits

Operational & Financial Advisory

  • Operational profitability & cost analysis
  • Strategic pricing and margin management
  • Cash flow modeling and management
  • Inventory optimization
  • Budgeting, forecasting & scenario planning
  • Fractional CFO and controller support
  • Board and leadership reporting

Technology & Additional Services

  • ERP selection and implementation
  • Performance analytics and KPI dashboards
  • Warehouse management system selection
  • Managed IT services
  • Cybersecurity risk assessment
  • Wealth management
  • Payroll services

Our Manufacturing & Distribution Industry Leaders

Rea’s manufacturing and distribution professionals have spent careers inside the industries they now advise. They’ve walked shop floors, run large operations, and made the decisions your business depends on. That experience shapes how they work with clients.

Ryan Brickwood

Ryan Brickwood, CMA, MBA

Principal, Manufacturing & Distribution Industry Leader

Ryan leads Rea’s manufacturing and distribution practice with nearly 20 years of accounting and manufacturing experience, including a career at Smucker’s where he worked on cost analysis, ERP implementations, and lean operations across a multi-billion-dollar CPG operation. He joined Rea in 2022 and earned the firm’s 2023 Tim McDaniel Award for Innovation.

Mindy Gallman | Managing Director

Mindy Gallman

Managing Director

Mindy brings over 30 years of financial leadership inside manufacturing and distribution businesses, including roles as Controller, VP of Finance, and CFO across private, private equity, and public companies. She has managed a $350M multi-country operation and worked directly inside wholesale distribution — experience she applies daily to her work with Rea clients.

Andrew Geiser | Principal

Andrew Geiser, CPA

Principal

Andrew has over a decade of experience serving manufacturing, distribution, and retail clients, with a focus on strategic tax planning, cost optimization, and operational consulting. A Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and graduate of BDO’s Emerging Leader program, he brings a problem-solving approach that regularly goes beyond what a traditional CPA engagement covers.

Allison Stuke

Allison Stucke

Senior Manager, Manufacturing & Distribution

Allison brings nearly 30 years of hands-on manufacturing finance experience to her work with Rea clients, including senior plant finance and operational controller roles across the fertilizer and flavor manufacturing industries. Her background spans cost accounting, pricing and margin management, and supply chain analysis.

Adam Letera

Adam Letera

Senior Manager, Manufacturing & Distribution

Adam has more than 15 years of experience spanning plant finance, operational accounting, and strategic advisory roles in the consumer goods industry. He specializes in e-commerce advisory, ERP and warehouse management system selection, and inventory management for manufacturers and retailers.

Adam Letera

Matt Wenger, CPA, MSA

Principal

Matt has over 15 years of public accounting experience with deep expertise in assurance services, GAAP financial reporting, and complex revenue and equity arrangements for manufacturing clients. He specializes in helping manufacturers build the financial reporting infrastructure that supports growth, banking relationships, and ownership transitions.

What Our Clients Say  

Manufacturing and distribution clients stay with Rea because the work goes well beyond the return and into the business itself.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING

“The staff is very professional and knowledgeable. They are a great resource in many areas. I can always count on them to find the information that we need.”

Susan Fearon, Carolina Stair Supply Inc.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING

“We engaged Rea across multiple segments of our business. Their expertise in payroll and ERP was evident, but what stood out was that their experts had a deep understanding of our entire business. This holistic approach allowed them to provide effective solutions to our challenges.”

Mike Swartzentruber, Flextur

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING

Over the past 5 years, we have experienced double-digit year-over-year growth, nearly doubling our revenue. With that growth came challenges we hadn’t faced before. From my initial conversations with Rea at one of their Manufacturing Days, I knew they had the capability to help us get to the next level. 

Partnering with a firm who is young, energetic, and backed by subject matter experts has been very beneficial for C.J. Dannemiller Co. They have been trusted advisors in not only tax strategy, but in identifying growth opportunities and improving our overall financial processes as well. Their guidance has helped position us for continued success and better prepare us for the future. 

It has been a pleasure to work with Rea, and I look forward to a long-standing partnership with their team.

Tony Dannemiller, Director of Finance – C.J. Dannemiller Co.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING

“After roughly 15 years, Rea is more than our accounting firm. They’re an integral part of how we run and grow our business. From day-to-day financial management to long-range planning, Rea helps us build a stronger future.”

Arlen Raber, Chief Financial Officer, Berlin Gardens 

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING

“What sets Rea Advisory apart is the depth of resources behind them. Almost every time I’ve brought a question to my advisor, he’s been able to connect me with exactly the right person within the firm. Their responsiveness, and their network, makes a real difference. “

Amber Mohrman, President / Chief Executive Officer – Mohr Stamping

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING

“As part of our partnership with REA, we are evolving toward AI-driven analytics—where users can interact with Power BI through a bot-like interface. By combining this with syndicated data, we enable the business to not only understand internal performance, but also benchmark against the broader market in real time. This is a key step toward scalable, self-service analytics.”

Steve Simmons, Director – Business Intelligence/Master Data, Eagle Foods

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING

“Working with REA has provided us with a diverse range of business services that were essential during our rapid growth over the past few years. Additionally, collaborating with banking partners has often been smoother, as our association with REA appears to foster trust and open up opportunities. Overall, our experience with REA has been beneficial for our business needs.”

Kevin Nisly, Chief Executive Officer – Drone Deer Recovery

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING

“We chose Rea for their expertise, professionalism, and stability—and they’ve exceeded our expectations on every front. Beyond solid business and tax accounting, their team delivers the kind of communication and strategic feedback that actually helps us run a better business. We’re thrilled to have Rea on our side!”

Scott Perkins, Co-Chief Executive Officer – Bearded Butchers, White Feather Meats

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING

“We’ve worked with Rea for several years, and the impact they’ve had on our company has been tremendous. Their greatest strength is their people. They have a unique ability to simplify difficult questions, explain things in terms we can understand, and give us the clarity we need to manage our business today while planning for the future.”

Tom Markley, Operations Manager – Alpine

Serving Manufacturers and Distributors Across Ohio

With manufacturing activity in 86 of Ohio’s 88 counties, the sector isn’t concentrated in one region — and neither is Rea. Our 15 offices are positioned throughout the state, from the industrial corridor of Northeast Ohio to the hardwood regions of Holmes and Coshocton counties, the CPG producers of Central Ohio to the distribution networks along the I-75 corridor. Our team knows the local labor markets, the state and county tax environment, and the operational realities that shape every recommendation we make.

Other Ways Rea Can Help

Tax for Business

Business and owner tax strategy built around your entity structure and growth stage.

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ERP Implementation Services

System selection, configuration, and implementation for manufacturers and distributors that have outgrown their current platform.

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State and Local Tax

Multi-state nexus analysis and compliance for manufacturers selling, sourcing, or shipping beyond Ohio.

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From Our Experts