Accounts Payable Services & AP Automation Providers in Sarasota, FL

Overview

Kerkering, Barberio & Co. is a Certified Public Accounting and advisory practice headquartered in Sarasota, Florida. It also has offices in Lakewood Ranch and Tampa. The firm was established in 1972 as a single local practice and has grown over more than five decades into a regional firm. Its clients include individuals, privately held companies, nonprofit organizations and family offices across the country. Tax and accounting work forms its foundation, alongside audit, consulting and several industry-focused practices.

Outsourced accounting and payables support

For buyers looking for accounts payable help, the most relevant offering is the firm's outsourced accounting practice. Through this service, KB takes on routine accounting duties for companies, nonprofit groups and family offices. Engagements range from basic bookkeeping up to chief financial officer guidance. The pages reviewed do not describe a standalone AP automation product.

They also do not list specific payables tasks such as invoice processing or vendor payment runs, so organizations needing those functions should confirm scope directly. The firm does describe ongoing management of daily books combined with higher-level advisory input. That model suits companies that want payables handled within a broader outsourced finance function rather than through a software-only vendor.

Industries and specialties

Several practice areas give the firm sector-specific depth where bills, job costs or grant spending must be tracked carefully:

• Construction accounting, including job costing, profitability analysis and bookkeeping for builders and developers
• Nonprofit accounting focused on fund management, grant reporting and transparency
• Healthcare accounting and consulting, plus AHCA-related services
• Real estate accounting, and accounting and tax for law firms
• Audit and assurance engagements
• Business, individual, international, and state and local tax work, along with estate, trust and succession planning

The firm also runs a niche practice for professional athletes, with particular attention to NFL players, covering multi-state filings and business structuring.

Team, network and approach

KB is organized around a group of shareholders supported by managers, of counsel advisors and emeritus members. Robert J. Lane is the current managing shareholder. The firm has announced that he will retire after a 40-year career and that Brian Simmons will take over leadership on January 1, 2027.

Patricia Entsminger serves as both shareholder and CFO, and the firm employs a dedicated director of technology, cybersecurity and AI. Clients can exchange files through a secure ShareFile portal and can pay online.

The firm is a member of LEA Global, an international association of independent accounting and consulting practices with more than 220 members in 106 countries. This membership lets KB draw on outside expertise for cross-border matters while its own partner stays involved in the engagement.

Client testimonials on the site, including from foundation leaders, highlight the team's willingness to explore the reasoning behind a question. They also note its steady background support for nonprofit clients. The firm's stated values stress integrity, fairness, work-life balance, and commitment to family and community.