Manufacturing & Distribution Accounting & Advisory Services

With more than 30 years of experience in the manufacturing and distribution industry, CJBS understands the headwinds our clients face, from increasing global competition to changing technology and supply chain issues. Our expert team helps you proactively meet these challenges by addressing any operational inefficiencies you may have, maximizing your overall resources, and minimizing your tax burden.

Whether you produce steel or food, we provide the practical strategies and industry-specific insights you need to improve your performance and increase profitability. Acting as an extended member of your team, CJBS always customizes our manufacturing accounting, tax, and advisory services to your organization’s unique goals.  


Manufacturing & Distribution Accounting & Advisory Services

Audits, Reviews & Compilations

CJBS offers all levels of financial statement services — from a straightforward compilation for internal use to a full-scale audit required to secure financing from banks. Beyond their transactional value, these statements offer valuable data and insights that can inform key business decisions year-round.

Budget Variance Analysis

We typically perform budget variance analysis quarterly, annually, or every few years for our manufacturing clients. This tool allows us to track budget discrepancies, favorable or unfavorable, and pinpoint the reasons behind any rising costs. In this way, CJBS provides you with a clear picture of your finances, helping you better manage your money and forecast your future financial needs.

Cash Flow Management

How are you managing the dollars you actually have? Are you using cash in an efficient and cost-effective way? CJBS’s manufacturing accounting and advisory team helps you answer these types of vital questions. By planning and tracking the flow of cash in and out of your business, we help ensure that you have the funds to meet both your day-to-day and future needs. Additionally, we’re then able to recommend ways to manage any surplus cash you have to maximize its value.

Inventory Management Analysis

Based on our decades of experience in the manufacturing sector, most production problems are inventory-related. After all, it can be extremely difficult to have multiple employees tracking raw materials in a large-scale business. CJBS’s approach to inventory management analysis includes site visits, so we can provide a candid perspective on your operations and uncover any redundant processes or other inefficiencies. Once we identify those operational issues, we can then help you implement an inventory system that mitigates human error and puts checks and balances in place. The result: having the proper amount of inventory on hand at a given time without having too much in storage — a particular challenge for food manufacturers, whose inventory has an expiration date. 

Enterprise Software Selection 

CJBS helps you determine the best software solution for your unique manufacturing needs, ensuring you have a program that does exactly what you need it to do and how you need to do it — from tracking raw inventory through the finished product. We understand that even the most advanced software only works if it’s user-friendly for your team, so we base our software recommendations not only on our industry expertise but on the extensive feedback we consistently gather from our current manufacturing clients. 

Compliance With Federal, State & Local Laws 

Our manufacturing accounting and tax team offers tax preparation and planning services that help minimize your tax burden and maximize your refund. Our industry expertise also helps ensure that your business is compliant with all federal, state, and local laws — from taxes you might owe in states where you do business to net worth requirements. 

Facilitating Financing Relationships

Drawing on CJBS partners’ long-standing relationships with trusted financial institutions, our manufacturing team is able to connect clients with banks that perfectly meet their needs. That might mean referring a client to a bank that will provide valuable tax credits for a multimillion-dollar new building. Other clients are simply looking for a better relationship with their banker. In any case, CJBS always finds the right match for you. 

Financial Projections & Operating Budgets

Similar to predictive cash flow reports, financial projections and operating budgets are more widely focused on helping your manufacturing company reach its future goals. CJBS analyzes this  information to allow you to plan ahead for big expenses, such as real estate and costly manufacturing equipment.  

Predictive Cash Flow Reports

For startups or manufacturers adding a new line or product, CJBS forecasts the amount of cash that will be coming in and going out of your business to predict big-picture financial data. This includes future cash balances, product cost, and debt — numbers that can inform everything from your hiring decisions to business investments. 

Business Planning & Investment Decisions

As trusted partners, we assist our manufacturing clients with a wide range of business decisions. That includes everything from determining whether renting or purchasing your facility will save you money in the long run to succession planning and retirement. 

Why CJBS?

At CJBS, we approach our manufacturing accounting and advisory work with an eye to improving your performance year-round and boosting your bottom line. As a partner to your business, we combine hands-on evaluation of your systems with decades of manufacturing industry expertise. 

Our team operates like a small company, but we bring 70 experts and a wealth of resources to the table. Whether you hire CJBS for an audit or tax preparation and planning, you’ll benefit from our personalized service and deep knowledge of manufacturing.


Your Manufacturing & Distribution Accounting Expert

Lori Johnson-Engelman is a senior partner at CJBS with more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing and distribution accounting and advisory services. She enjoys working hand in hand with her clients, helping them create cost-effective and tax-effective solutions to complex challenges and streamline their processes. The end goal: helping clients build a better financial future for themselves. 


General Manufacturing & Distribution FAQs

How can I reduce my tax burden?

Capitalizing your equipment purchases is one of the best ways a manufacturing company can lower its tax liability. An accelerated tax deduction called a bonus depreciation allows you to deduct a large percentage of equipment purchases upfront.

Will my point of contact remain consistent with CJBS?

Yes. You’ll work with a small, dedicated team of CJBS manufacturing accounting and advisory experts from the start — generally consisting of a partner, at least one manager, and one additional staff member. This provides you with multiple points of contact with our team and the consistency you need to improve your bottom line. 

Can CJBS help with internal control processes?

Absolutely. We’ll help you build internal controls to reduce human error, which in turn reduces the misappropriation of assets and the risk of fraud. 


Manufacturing & Distribution News & Updates

Stay current on the latest Manufacturing & Distribution industry developments and find out what it means for you and your business.

Optimize Your Manufacturing Company’s Financial Situation by Using the General Business Credit 
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Optimize Your Manufacturing Company’s Financial Situation by Using the General Business Credit 
If you’re a manufacturer, optimizing your business tax credit is key to maintaining good financial health. In general, tax credits are more valuable than tax deductions. Why? Because a credit reduces the company’s overall tax liability on a dollar-for-dollar basis, whereas a tax deduction only reduces the business’ taxable income. Appropriately using both, of course,
How to Utilize Clean Energy Tax Credits for Your Manufacturing Company
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How to Utilize Clean Energy Tax Credits for Your Manufacturing Company
2022 gave us the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) which provides valuable tax credits for companies that support clean energy manufacturing. Though the funding is limited, any eligible manufacturers can apply for this credit if they purchase property to re-equip, expand, or establish facilities in relation to clean energy. Most notably, the Act Of course, there