Born in the
heartland
Growth has shaped RSM from the very beginning—but not growth for its own sake. Across generations, the firm expanded thoughtfully by staying close to clients, investing in talented people and making disciplined choices about where and how to grow. That combination of ambition and steadiness helped RSM navigate change while building a business designed to serve the middle market.
Over time, the firm drove growth through a mix of organic expansion, mergers, acquisitions, alliances and strategic relationships—always anchored in a client-centered approach to service. By entering new cities, states, regions and countries with intention, RSM built a robust multinational business while preserving the core values and inclusive culture that have long distinguished the firm.
RSM’s growth story began with Ira B. McGladrey, whose steady, methodical approach to auditing and deep commitment to clients established principles that would endure for generations. McGladrey, a World War I veteran raised on a primitive Michigan homestead, had tried several vocations before beginning a distinguished career in accounting that would span more than three decades. From his firm’s founding in 1926 through its first nine years, it carried his name as the I.B. McGladrey Co.
In 1935, McGladrey made two young associates, Keith Dunn and George Hansen, his partners. Four years later, he renamed the firm McGladrey, Hansen, Dunn & Co., a name that would last nearly 40 years. Together, the three partners ran four Iowa offices: Cedar Rapids and Davenport (the founding offices); Burlington (opened in 1928); and Iowa City (acquired in 1933 from the widow of the town’s sole accountant). Even at this early stage, the firm was refining a pattern that would define its future—disciplined expansion based on market and client demand.
In 1939, the firm purchased Allison and Associates, which had offices in Davenport and Omaha, Nebraska. It was the first deal outside the firm’s home market—and a sign of things to come. Around this time, McGladrey, Hansen, Dunn & Co. also restructured as a holding company with separate partnerships for each office, a practical move that helped the organization manage increasing scale while preserving local accountability.
After World War II, growth accelerated. New offices opened in Des Moines, Iowa, and Janesville, Wisconsin, in 1945, followed by Clinton, Iowa, in 1947; Keokuk, Iowa, in 1949; and Rock Island, Illinois, in 1950.
When George Hansen became managing partner in 1952, he sharpened the growth model further, favoring expansion into modest-sized cities and towns where existing clients created natural footholds, while also pursuing acquisitions when they strengthened the footprint. Just as important, the era reinforced the firm’s ethic of client service that remains part of its culture today.
Former Managing Partner Jack Wahlig recalled Hansen’s approach in a simple phrase: “Give ’em some Green Stamps”—a metaphorical reference to the popular retail loyalty program that peaked in the 1960s; it translates to offering clients something extra and building trust through quality work and practical advice.
By the mid-1960s, the firm had established a durable pattern: Grow with purpose, stay close to clients and carry a service-minded culture into each new market.
