Hilyer and Associates relocates to Second Avenue
By Rebekah Martin
Associate Editor
Jeff Hilyer is a man of many talents.
The Opelika native is a licensed tax attorney, certified public accountant and business owner. Since 1997, he has owned and operated Hilyer and Associates.
Hilyer has degrees from Auburn University, the University of Alabama and Faulkner University’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law – earning his law degree in 1996 and his L.L.M. (Master’s Degree in tax law) in 1999.
Because of the varied work and educational experience of Hilyer and his staff, the firm offers its clients a trifecta of services. Hilyer and Associates specializes in business and corporate tax matters, as well as estate planning and probate proceedings.
“It’s like a one-stop-shop … especially if you’re setting up a corporation or LLC. Here you can get all the legal work for it done and you can also get all the tax stuff for it,” said Chelsea O’Dell, who has worked at the firm as a paralegal for three years.
Hilyer and Associates recently moved from its downtown location on Avenue A to the former Scott Bridge Company building on Second Avenue. The move, Hilyer’s first in 17 years, is quite an upgrade for the firm. The newly renovated building boasts two levels, 8,300 sq. ft. and more than a dozen offices and conference rooms.
“I started looking at the building when the Scotts moved out about 5 or 6 years ago … it’s got better visibility, and I’m hoping it will give us a competitive advantage,” Hilyer said. “We were at capacity (on Avenue A) and this move gives us the ability to expand if the opportunity arises.”
Hilyer and Associates employs a staff of 13 people and serves more than a thousand clients. “We have an excellent staff,” Hilyer said. “We could not do what we do without them.”
Running a business like his keeps Hilyer busy, but he still finds time to have a little fun. Every fall for 19 years, Hilyer has traded in his suit and tie for the black-and-white stripes of a referee’s uniform, officiating football games in the Sun Belt Conference. Due to the strenuous travel commitments, Hilyer recently took a step back from his second job, only officiating a handful of games this season.
Outside of his busy work schedule, Hilyer is active in the community and a devoted family man. He is a lifelong member of First United Methodist Church and has served as the vice chairman of the Opelika Water Works board since 1995. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Cherry, for 36 years. Together they have two children, Brandon and Amanda, one daughter-in-law, Morgan, and two grandchildren, Aubrey, 5 and Taylor, 3.