Hoffman, Stewart & Schmidt traces its history to 1979, when Mel Nygaard, Burke Mims, Wally Hoffman, Ray Stewart, and Debbie Keller left the accounting firm of Hurdman & Cranstoun to form Nygaard, Mims & Hoffman. By 1980, the small office of 6 had grown to 14 staff people. Don Schmidt joined the firm as a tax partner in 1984.