William J. Horst is a Director of Consulting with William Vaughan Company.  Prior to joining William Vaughan Company, Bill spent nearly 10 years with a Fortune 500 company.  A number of those years were spent in manufacturing supervision with some time also spent in inventory control as a shift accountant implementing a new inventory control system on the production floor.  As a cost estimator, he worked on new product development and the associated costing.  He had extensive experience with the development of a new standard cost system as an assistant to the cost supervisor who had designed and was implementing the new system.  Bill worked as an industrial engineer doing time studies and developing work measurement standards all for the standard cost systems and the hourly payroll production incentive program.  During his time with the budget department, he developed annual budgets and measured and reported on monthly variances to the department supervisor.  Through his experience with that company, he developed a strong understanding of manufacturing cost systems.

Having over 30 years’ experience with William Vaughan Company, Bill has developed a specific expertise in a variety of manufacturing processes and accounting systems, as well as manufacturing cost reporting systems.  His highly diversified public accounting experience and focus in the manufacturing industry has allowed him to develop skills which can be very useful to a manufacturing company with inventory or costing issues to be addressed.

Bill is a graduate of The University of Toledo and is a committee member for the University of Toledo.  He is a member of American Institute and Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants and serves on the board of director for the Society of Cost Management.  He has served as President on the board for both the NW Ohio and SE Michigan Better Business Bureau, and the Northwest Ohio Kidney Foundation.

Why did you join William Vaughan Company?

When I joined William Vaughan Company, the firm had only eight employees. I interviewed with our founder, Bill Vaughan, for the position. The firm already had a good reputation, one that focused on integrity and quality work that was technically sound and academically based. That was, and still is, extremely important to me.

What are you most passionate about in your work?

In simple terms: helping people. I enjoy using my experience and training to help businesses and individuals be successful.

What has been your most rewarding client experience?

No matter the type of client — a multimillion-dollar company or a “mom and pop” shop — there is a personal relationship. I had a client who made $25,000 annually and struggled to afford her $2,000 tax bill. I have also had clients start new ventures, eventually grossing more than $10 million dollars. For me, helping each client felt exactly the same. When you are able to interact with someone, knowing you helped them in ways they could not have accomplished alone, it’s very rewarding.

What makes William Vaughan Company different?

I have always appreciated the independence and professionalism of our firm. Whether a newly hired staff accountant or the managing partner, we all work diligently to best serve our clients.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I love the outdoors. I enjoy going to our cottage and being out on the lake or cheering on my daughter at a lacrosse game. I also enjoy tinkering in my garage.

What’s a fun fact few would know about you?

When I was 17, I worked in a cemetery. They didn’t trust me to dig graves, so I worked maintenance.

Also, as a teenager, I shot myself in the foot by mistake and shattered several bones. Fifty years later, my friends still make fun of me.

Involvement

• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
• Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants (OSCPA)

Education 

• Graduate of the University of Toledo