AWARDS Family-Owned Business of the Year
Cochran Bell
Cochran Bell Wealth and Tax Strategy began in 1981 as an accounting practice located in Shawnee Okla . Danny Cochran , founder and senior wealth and tax advisor of Cochran Bell , started this business to help clients file their annual taxes . In the late 1980s , Cochran helped change legislation and allow accountants to receive commissions for providing financial services . Once the legislation passed , Cochran adapted his accounting practice to provide financial service opportunities .
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COMMERCE | 2023 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce
In 2005 , Cochran bought an accounting practice in Stillwater , and made the move from Shawnee to Stillwater . Five years later , his daughter Melinda Bell returned to Stillwater and began working for her dad .
“ I think for the most part I always knew I was going to come back ,” Melinda said . “ Growing up , my dad was always finding something around the office for my twin sister and I to do and I was always helping around the office .”
Kevin Bell , Melinda ’ s husband and co-owner of Cochran Bell , said he always knew Melinda was going to end up working for her dad . The Bell ’ s lived and worked in Dallas for a few years before Melinda got the call from her dad to come back to Stillwater .
“ What makes Cochran Bell a family business is that the clients we work with truly feel like family ,” Melinda said . “ We like to be involved in every aspect at all stages of life , so we are able to help our clients , and then maybe their kids and so on .”
Cochran Bell helps clients in three different physical locations , the original office in Shawnee , an office in south Oklahoma City and the Stillwater office . Across the three offices , Cochran Bell employs eight full time employees .
The staff at Cochran Bell do everything they can to help clients better prepare for their future . Once you become a client at Cochran Bell , you become family and can expect to be treated as such . After your financial plan has been created , the staff at Cochran Bell continually monitors and searches for ways to improve your plan . They take pride in remaining in close contact with their clients , so they never feel they are left in the dark .
“ Stillwater is unique because everyone genuinely cares about each other ,” Kevin said . “ Seeing the community dive in during good and bad times is truly what I think makes Stillwater home .”
Cochran Bell will always be a place clients can make informed and confident decisions about their future . The value of treating customers like family is just as present now as it was when the company was founded in 1981 , and the business will continue to thrive for years to come .
As for the future of this family-owned business , Kevin and Melinda say it ’ s too soon to tell if their young daughters will carry on the business .“ One when she counts always skips 15 and 20 , but we ’ re working on it ,” Melinda said .
“ What makes Cochran Bell a family business is that the clients we work with truly feel like family . We like to be involved in every aspect at all stages of life , so we are able to help our clients , and then maybe their kids and so on .”
— MELINDA BELL