Antioch
Founded in Lake Villa in 1964, we relocated to Antioch in 1972
and moved into our present location in 1986.
Also in this location: Vicinitech, Inc., an IT company founded in October 2000
and Your Payroll Department (YPD), founded in 1997.
T: 847.395.6000
F: 847.395.6010
A: 1555 Main Street Antioch IL 60002
Antioch Team
In that time, we’ve got to see businesses flourish and grow. We love working with small-town businesses because it’s about relationships. When you see a business thrive, it helps the whole community. Nowhere is that more evident than in Antioch and the surrounding cities, where we’ve worked with businesses like Colorful Concrete Solutions, Omni Saloon & Spa, and countless others to help them better understand their business and work towards their financial goals.

Clay Hamlin
Clay grew up in Antioch, Illinois, and in a sense, never left. After graduating from Notre Dame with a degree in philosophy and literature and earning his master’s degree in taxation from DePaul University, in 1996 he joined the firm James C. Hamlin & Co., Inc., founded by his parents...
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Know More About Clay
In 1998, Clay purchased the firm from his father and started businesses in IT, payroll, marketing, financial services, and insurance. Clay is a licensed CPA in Illinois and Wisconsin and has financial services licenses Series 7 and 63, as well as a life insurance license. He served on the board of St. John’s Preparatory School for 8 years, with the last four years as Chair. He played hockey through high school and “men’s league” until the age of 39, and he once even completed the Chicago Marathon. These days he enjoys playing golf with family and friends. An avid lifelong learner, Clay reads books of just about any kind and listens to lecture series from the Teaching Company. (He says – and his two grown children lovingly agree – this puts him in true Geek status, but he doesn’t mind the label.)

Eric Joern
Eric is a graduate of Columbia College of Missouri with a degree in accounting and joined the firm in 2013. He is a licensed CPA and a key business advisor at Kaizen.
Coming from generations of entrepreneurs, small business is in his blood...
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Know More About Eric
He has spent his working career getting his hands dirty with concrete, increasing profits and efficiency, managing an automotive service department, and currently is a key resource for many small business owners. Eric is currently the lead on our Automotive concentration, with years of experience as an Automotive Service Advisor and connections in the industry to better serve his clients. Eric enjoys live music, working with his hands, and spending time outdoors with his wife and their two pooches. A big fan of the Chicago Bears, Cubs, Bulls, and Blackhawks, he jumps at the chance to catch ‘em live and in person when he can.
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Pierre Langlois
Pierre graduated with a degree in accounting from Northeastern University in Boston. Licensed in Wisconsin and Illinois, Pierre has been with the firm since 2003 (he says it seems like only yesterday) and credits his success to having a great team and really getting to know and understand his clients...
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Know More About Pierre
Pierre has served on various boards of directors and previously served on Nippersink District 2 school board and RSGSA soccer board. And, if you’re ever heading to the Boston area and want to know where to get fantastic lobster bisque or fresh lobster shipped to you (psst...James Hook & Co), Pierre’s your man. According to Pierre, it’d be criminal not to stop at Regina’s Pizzeria for the world’s best slice!

Renee Perks
Renee joined the firm in 2003. She is a graduate of National Louis University, with a degree in accounting. She is a CPA, licensed in Illinois, and had more than 15 years’ experience running her own business prior to joining the firm.
Renee is attentive and responsive to her clients and what they need to succeed in their own businesses...
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Know More About Renee
A life-long resident of Antioch, Illinois, Renee is involved in her community, including formerly serving on the Antioch Police Pension Board. and as the Treasurer of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce.
Outside of the office, Renee enjoys traveling –she has been to 26 of our national parks so far! -and spoiling her four grandchildren (that’s what grandparents are for, right?).

Kathy Brinkman
A life-long area resident, Kathy graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University with a degree in accounting. She started her career working at Arthur Andersen for 13 years in their Financial Consulting Services division focused on large litigation and dispute engagements. Kathy co-founded and ran a local 501c3 charity benefiting Chicagoland pediatric cancer patients and is now an enrolled agent (EA) and Illinois licensed CPA.
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Know More About Kathy
It’s important to Kathy that she takes time to know and understand each client’s business. She says it’s each client’s personal story and business goals that inspire her to consistently provide her clients with exceptional service. Kathy and her husband, Mark, are passionate about supporting their community, and they attend local events as often as they get the chance. Kathy also enjoys reading, gardening, and visiting our national parks. The park she’d visit again? Glacier National Park. If you’ve never had an opportunity to stay in a national park lodge, you might want to add it to your bucket list –according to Kathy, they’re all very beautiful!
YOUR PATH TO BETTER FINANCIAL SUCCESS
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Design a Plan
Our experienced CPAs and advisors will work side-by-side with you to create a customized plan for success.
Make Decisions that Win
Manage your auto shop with confidence.
It's time to thrive.
It has been a wonderful experience since the beginning. We feel that we have a true partnership. They care about the well-being of our business and keep us up to date on all changes that affect us. Communicating with them is excellent. They are always super responsive and always get our work done in a timely manner. The reporting is superb, and every person that we have dealt with has been great.

Kelley Landscape and Patio have been using James Hamlin for many years. It's been great having a partner that knows all the ins and outs of Federal and State tax laws. They help me strategize and plan capital expenditures, handle my payroll, file my taxes, and handle all the annoying stuff so I can focus on designing and building awesome backyards. Thanks, Eric for all your help and support!

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