ARTHUR ANDERSEN, LLP, is a major accounting firm providing a wide range of professional services in accounting, auditing, tax consultation, management-information systems, and specialty consulting through 358 offices in 74 countries. Established in Chicago in 1913 as Andersen, Delany & Co., it employed 37,000 throughout the U.S. in 1995. Andersen opened its Cleveland office in 1946, transferring personnel from its Chicago and Detroit offices. During the 1940s, it became the first major accounting firm to formally recognize the special needs of the smaller business and to offer specifically designed services for entrepreneurs. It was also among the first firms to recognize the potential of computers and helped to develop the first major computer application for processing and recording business information. Another innovation that contributed to its growth in the area was encouraging its staff to develop expertise within specific industries. That enabled Andersen to serve efficiently the specialized needs of the widely diversified industries and businesses in the Cleveland area. The 1960s saw its strongest growth in Cleveland. Its small-business emphasis paid off as many of its closely held clients became publicly owned corporations. By 1970 Andersen was the second largest among area accounting firms, a position it maintained in 1992. During the 1970s the firm completed a transition to a practice based on manufacturing, retailing, and distribution firms. In 1995 Arthur Andersen, LLP, was located at 1717 E. 9th St.
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