More than five decades after opening its doors in Manning, Barrineau Accounting is returning to the community where its family business began, bringing four generations of experience and a renewed commitment to serving local individuals and small businesses.
The accounting firm opened its new Brooks Street office on Nov. 2, marking a homecoming for a business founded in Manning in 1969. The firm will also maintain its longtime Sumter location, with both offices offering tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll and other financial services.
Barrineau Accounting was established by the late Glen A. Barrineau Sr. and his son, Glen A. “Al” Barrineau Jr. After operating in Manning for several years, the family relocated the business to Sumter, where it continued to grow and serve clients throughout South Carolina.
Al and his late wife, Harriett, built the business around personal relationships and a range of accounting services, including individual and business tax preparation, bookkeeping, payroll and sales tax assistance.
Their son, Brent A. Barrineau, later joined the firm, expanding its offerings to include tax resolution and more comprehensive financial support for business owners. The family tradition now extends to a fourth generation with the addition of McKenzie A. Barrineau, Brent's son and Al's grandson.
“Manning is where our story began, and I’ve always wanted to bring the business back home,” Al Barrineau said. “Opening this office with my son and grandson makes that return especially meaningful.”
The family's ties to Clarendon County have remained strong. Brent has lived in the Wyboo area for the past five years, while Al has relocated to Church Branch. Those connections helped make the return to Manning a natural next step for the family business.
Al, Brent and McKenzie will divide their time between the Manning and Sumter offices, ensuring clients at both locations continue receiving the same services and personal attention.
The firm offers individual and business tax preparation, including federal and state filings, sales tax calculations and reporting, compliance assistance and year-round tax planning. Its tax resolution services help clients address unfiled returns, outstanding balances and other issues involving the Internal Revenue Service.
“Having a tax preparer that takes the time to get to know you and cares and understands you can make a big difference in maximizing your savings,” McKenzie Barrineau said.
For small businesses, Barrineau Accounting provides both real-time and after-the-fact bookkeeping services, including customized accounting systems designed to track income and expenses in categories meaningful to each business. Additional services include bank reconciliations, general ledger maintenance, profit-and-loss statements, balance sheets and monthly financial reports.
Payroll services include payroll calculations, paycheck preparation, quarterly reporting, W-2 reconciliation and preparation, W-3 transmittals and 1099 processing and filing. Monthly and quarterly financial reviews also help business owners evaluate profitability, manage tax obligations and plan for future needs.
Beyond traditional accounting services, Barrineau Accounting emphasizes a hands-on approach through what it calls a Financial Information Officer, or FIO, model. The approach focuses on helping business owners maintain accurate, up-to-date financial information, understand their reports and apply that knowledge to daily operations and long-term planning.
“Small business owners need timely information and someone they can call who understands their business,” Brent Barrineau said. “Our goal is to keep their books current, help them stay on top of taxes and payroll, and give them practical guidance so they can focus on running and growing their business.”
Through personalized guidance and timely financial reporting, the firm aims to help small businesses make informed decisions throughout the year and compete more effectively with larger companies.
The firm's service philosophy also centers on three priorities it calls the “Q's”: quality of work, quality of life and profit quality.
Quality of work focuses on maintaining consistent attention to accounting, payroll and tax responsibilities, allowing business owners to spend more time serving customers, strengthening relationships and pursuing new opportunities.
Quality of life emphasizes reducing paperwork and administrative demands so owners can spend less personal time catching up on business responsibilities and more time with family and enjoying life outside of work.
Profit quality focuses on providing timely, meaningful financial reports that help owners understand profitability, monitor expenses and cash flow, identify opportunities for improvement and make informed decisions about their businesses.
Together, the three priorities reflect the firm's goal of helping clients build successful businesses that support both their financial goals and personal lives.
The Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the firm's return with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon Friday, Nov. 13, at the new Manning office.
The Manning office, located at 111 S. Brooks St., is open during the non-tax season from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and can be reached at 803-433-5100. The Sumter office, at 259C Broad St., operates from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and can be reached at 803-775-7220. Both locations offer additional appointments outside regular hours.
For the Barrineau family, the new office represents more than a business expansion. It brings a family tradition that began in Clarendon County in 1969 back to its original home.
