Cedar Heights Clay in Oak Hill, Ohio needed a complete QuickBooks setup — fast. They had just transitioned out of a corporate ownership structure, a hard deadline, a massive data load, and no financial system in place. They called Peak Advisers.
The Situation
Cedar Heights Clay, a ceramics manufacturer based in Oak Hill, Ohio, had just been through a significant ownership transition. The company was coming off a large corporate accounting system that had been in place during its previous ownership — built for an enterprise, not for an independent business.
The new ownership team needed something built for how Cedar Heights Clay actually operates. Simpler. Integrated. And operational fast. They were coming out of a big, corporate financial management ERP.
The deadline wasn’t flexible. The data load was substantial — 50 years of customer, vendor, inventory, and banking history that all needed to move cleanly into the new system. And the margin for error was essentially zero.
“We were on a time crunch to get it done in basically 20 to 30 days,” said Angie Smith of Cedar Heights Clay. “We had 50 years’ worth of information to enter and get loaded, and we got it done in 30 days.”
What Peak Advisers Implemented
Bruce Peterka assessed Cedar Heights Clay’s operational needs and built the system around two integrated platforms:
QuickBooks Online for accounting, banking, customers, vendors, and sales — giving the business a complete financial picture accessible from anywhere.
SOS Inventory for advanced inventory management — handling the product-based complexity that QBO’s built-in inventory tools weren’t designed to carry at this scale.
The full scope included setting up both systems for how Cedar Heights Clay actually operates, moving their complete history — customers, vendors, inventory, and banking records — into the new system cleanly, and getting the team trained and working in it.
“All of the systems updates to get everything — inventory, banking, customers, sales, vendors, the whole everything,” said Linda Simpson.
The Result
Fully operational in 30 days. All historical data loaded. Staff trained and working in the system.
For a business coming out of a corporate structure with a hard go-live date, the transition could have been a months-long disruption. It wasn’t.
“If you’re in a time crunch, he’s your man.” — Linda Simpson, Cedar Heights Clay
The implementation also changed how the Cedar Heights Clay team understood what their new system was capable of.
“I thought it was more geared toward a gas station, not realizing what all the system can do,” said Angie Smith — describing the moment she recognized SOS Inventory’s depth after seeing it configured for their actual operation.
About Cedar Heights Clay
Cedar Heights Clay has been a trusted name in ceramic materials for decades, supplying potters, artists, and clay studios across the country. Based in Oak Hill, Ohio, the company operates as an independent manufacturer with a strong direct-to-customer business.
About Peak Advisers
Peak Advisers LLC is a certified QuickBooks Solution Provider and SOS Inventory implementation partner. Since 2011, we’ve helped small and mid-size businesses choose the right systems, move their data cleanly, and build financial operations that support growth — not just compliance. When you need QuickBooks setup fast and done right the first time, that’s exactly the situation we’re built for.
Learn about QuickBooks Setup & Data Migration →
Learn about SOS Inventory →
Learn about QuickBooks Online →
Transcript
Below is the full interview transcript from our Cedar Heights Clay testimonial video. Included for accessibility and for readers who prefer to scan the questions and answers in text form.
What challenges were you facing before working with Peak Advisers?
Linda Simpson: We had just sold our company and we had come from a corporation that had a QAD system. We were looking for something simpler, so we got in touch with Bruce and had him come and do QuickBooks and SOS.
What made you decide to work with Peak Advisers?
Linda Simpson: Because they were recommended, and flexible.
What specific services or support did Peak Advisers provide you?
Linda Simpson: All of the systems updates to get everything — inventory, banking — customers, sales, vendors, the whole everything.
What has your overall experience been like working with Bruce at Peak Advisers?
Angie Smith: Bruce has been very helpful trying to get everything set up. We were on a time crunch to get it done in basically 20 to 30 days. We had 50 years’ worth of information to enter and get loaded, and we got it done in 30 days.
What would you say to other business owners who are considering working with Peak Advisers?
Linda Simpson: If you’re in a time crunch, he’s your man.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience?
Angie Smith: I just think that you need to be more open to what is available for the systems to do. Whenever we first started, I thought it was more geared toward a gas station, not realizing what all the system can do.