The Peru Gazette

L-R Molly LaMountain and Karen Ricardelli

By John T Ryan 

Peru – Peru’s newest business has opened adjacent to Mountain Valley Federal Credit Union and the CFA Insurance Agency. After several weeks of remodeling and cleaning, Molly LaMountain and Karen Riccardelli opened LaMountain Riccardelli Accounting at 692 Bear Swamp Road. The women bring many years of individual and business accounting experience to our community. 

Molly LaMountain, a lifelong North Country resident, graduated from AuSable Valley Central School and Clinton Community College and then earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting at SUNY Plattsburgh. Karen Riccardelli has over thirty years of accounting experience, possesses a Masters’s Degree in Accounting, and is an Enrolled Agent Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Agent, the highest credential the IRS awards. Riccardelli is a new Peru resident and homeowner. She moved here from Connecticut, where she’s operated an accounting firm for many years. 

LaMountain and Riccardelli met through a mutual relative. Molly LaMountain explained, “First, we met over coffee to see if we liked each other. We did, so they formed a partnership on January 1 of this year. I worked for a CPA firm in Lake Placid and at a Plattsburgh firm for twenty-five years. I’ve been working from home since 2015. My kids are fifteen and seventeen, so I’m willing to take on more. Karen was moving to the area and looking to open up something. We’re both professionally in the right place at the right time.” 

The women also think they’ve located their business in the right place. Glancing at the Bear Swamp Road’s constant traffic stream, LaMountain commented, “The building was reasonably priced, eye appealing, very visible, and plenty of parking. It’s a great location for us.” Karen Riccardelli added, “One of the advantages of us being close to Plattsburgh is its two colleges. Clinton Community College has a bookkeeping program, and SUNY Plattsburgh offers a degree in taxation. We’ll be adding bookkeeping and payroll services. We’d like to have students working as interns during their college years. We plan to add two formal offices, five workstations in the back, four workstations up front, and a reception area. 

While LaMountain and Riccardelli plan on being in the office Monday – Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p. m., sometimes they could be visiting clients; therefore, they recommend making an appointment. The office phone number is 518-643-5129.