Lentz & Company, Inc. is an independent professional business valuation company specializing in appraisals for Employee Stock Ownership Plans ("ESOPs").  We have accomplished over 750 business appraisals since we were founded in 1998, and have never been successfully challenged by any legal or governmental authority.

Our business has been built on close and recurring contact with each of our clients, as ESOP appraisals are usually performed annually in order to comply with ERISA regulations.  Our appraisal reports are written such that they can be easily read and understood by the individual participants in the ESOP. 

I, Bob Lentz, am the only professional currently associated with Lentz & Company, and all the work product is personally prepared by me.  I have earned the Accredited Senior Appraiser designation in business valuation from the American Society of Appraisers (the “ASA”), the most prestigious and rigorous of all the appraisal certification bodies.

I am a proponent of the ASA’s and the Appraisal Standards Board’s Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (“USPAP”), the IRS's recognized standards for appraisal submissions.  As a Chartered Life Underwriter (“CLU”), I also have extensive experience with buy-sell agreements, employee benefit plans and ERISA issues.  I have also been a principal in two investment banking and security dealer firms in San Francisco, where I held the NASD financial and operations principal licenses (Series 7, 24, 28 and 63).

The appraisal process begins with the client’s invitation to an on-site visit to the company's headquarters, and a dialogue with management.  A list of questions that will be discussed is shared with company management prior to that visit.  After gathering the appropriate data and impressions about the company, I prepare a six-section report that is usually 70 to 90 pages in length.   I am a firm believer that tables, charts and graphs tell a more compelling story than a lot of verbiage in paragraphs that may be quickly forgotten.  (Samples of these charts and graphs appear on the webpage below.)  My presentations use color in all the charts and graphs, as well as in the financial spreadsheets.  A complete explanation is written in common language that can be understood by a non-technician and ESOP participant.  All work is accomplished in a completely confidential manner.

We specialize in ESOP appraisals because ESOPs require a specialty, and I may refer other non-ESOP valuations to my ASA colleagues.  We emphasize service and strive to live up to a reputation that has been built over decades.  (Please refer to the Client Comments section that is a part of this website.)

The expense of an original ESOP appraisal, and subsequent updates, is based on the complexity, time and effort required to accomplish a quality job and work product.  Other ESOP appraisers may charge less, but quality is generally remembered long after the price has been forgotten.  And the last thing an ESOP trustee needs is a shoddy appraisal that will not stand up to close scrutiny.

If you are serious about your Company ESOP and its appraisals, please contact me at the addresses and telephone numbers shown in this website.  I look forward to talking with you.