Paul Oetter is an Audit Partner and is in charge of Blackman Kallick's Manufacturing and Distribution Practice. He is a team leader for merger and acquisition engagements. For more than twenty years, Paul has served as a business advisor for his clients, which are mainly privately held, mid-sized manufacturing firms, though they also include service-based firms such as engineering and technology consulting firms, as well as food processors, printers and bio-technology companies. He and his team provide assurance services and consulting for operations, cost analysis, materials management, business process improvements, strategic planning, transaction structuring and due diligence prior to acquisitions. "It ultimately comes down to fully understanding our clients so we can help them make the best possible decisions about how to grow and sustain their business. We need to provide the right strategies when they ask, 'What do you think I should do here?'" Paul is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Illinois CPA Society, the Tooling and Manufacturing Association and the American Production and Inventory Control Society. In addition, he is the former President of the United Way of Hinsdale Area. Paul is detail oriented and enjoys working with numbers, but feels most at home acting as a sounding board for his clients and bringing them ideas that balance the needs of the entire organization, from sales to finances to operations. He believes one of his greatest strengths is team building. As engagement partner for his clients, he creates unique teams of professionals to help clients reach specific goals, whether it's for auditing financial statements, managing a due diligence project prior to an investment or developing purchase contracts and purchase price allocations. He says the best time for clients to initially contact him is before they embark on a critical project. "Our typical client is not fully set up to handle a purchase on their own.If it is not done correctly up front, there can be enormous tax implications and a whole host of other issues later on." Paul was born in Joliet and grew up in Lockport, Illinois when, as he says, "it was a blue collar town and most of my neighbors worked for the oil refinery." He received his B.S., with honors, from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in 1981 and now lives in Willowbrook. Paul likes studying history, especially of places he has recently visited. He says he now knows a lot more about Greek history, for example, since he and his family went to Greece on business/vacation trip. But mostly he enjoys playing basketball, tubing and waterskiing with his two girls."My first priority outside of work is to find what my girls are doing and figure out how I can participate." To contact Paul Oetter, call his direct line at 312/980-2920 or send an e-mail to poetter@BlackmanKallick.com.