Firm News: Dec. 5, 2013

ARMANIA

AMH Audit, based in Yerevan, has joined the global accountancy network HLB International as a new member. AMH Audit provides audit and accounting, tax and business advisory services to local and international clients operating in the consumer, industrial, financial, infrastructure, government, health care, information, communication, entertainment, mining and non-profit industries.

SOUTH AFRICA

Certified Master Auditors Inc., based in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, has joined the global accountancy network HLB International as a new member. Established in 1960, CMA Inc. provides a full range of audit and accounting, tax and business advisory services through its 120 staff and Big Four-trained partners.

UNITED KINGDOM

Baker Tilly International in co-operation with Baker Tilly Pitcher Partners and Swinburne University has launched the results from 1,650 business owners across 55 countries provides businesses with a common sense, practical guide on how you should view and conduct your succession process. The full copy of Interim Findings of the Global Survey November 2013: Future Proofing the Capital Value of Your Business, is available at: www.bakertillyinternational.com

CONNECTICUT

For the second consecutive year, more than 2,000 families and seniors in New Haven enjoyed a full, traditional Thanksgiving meal thanks to the food collection and distribution efforts of the BlumShapiro Thanksgiving Food Basket Campaign for Christian Community Action. The two-month collection efforts included a bagging weekend, pictured here, when BlumShapiro employees, their families and others prepared bags of food at the Casa Community Center prior to the week of Thanksgiving. More than 40 New Haven-area businesses, churches, schools and other organizations, including News 8, joined BlumShapiro in this community-wide effort. … BookKeeping Express opened its first office in central Connecticut in November, where it will serve businesses throughout Glastonbury, Manchester and Wethersfield.

FLORIDA

CPAConnect, a companion association of CPAmerica International, welcomes three new members to the accounting association. James M. Wesolowski PA, based in Cape Coral, Fla., offers accounting and audit services, consulting services and tax services. Wesolowski is a sole-practitioner that values client relationships and believes they are crucial to his firm’s success. Hector M. Willars, LPLLC, based in Cypress, Texas, provides advisory, accounting and assurance services to businesses, firms and individuals. As principal of the firm, Willars aims to provide comprehensive and customized solutions for businesses and individuals. O’Malley PC, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., is a firm that specializes in personal and small business accounts. The firm has two partners who are dedicated to providing tax services, consulting services and financial planning.

ILLINOIS

Crowe Horwath LLP issued its annual year-end tax planning guide highlights. The guide highlights tangible property regulations, research credit and a number of tax issues for individuals. To download a copy of the Crowe year-end tax guide, please visit www.crowehorwath.com/numbers-nr/. … BDO has announced that world-wide revenue for all BDO Member Firms (including the exclusive members of Member Firms’ Alliances) for the year ended September 30, 2013, amounted to $6.45 billion. This represents an increase of 7.3% from last year. Revenues from assurance services accounted for 59% of combined fee income, with those for tax and advisory services representing 20% and 21% respectively. The BDO network has more than 56,000 total staff operating from 1,264 offices in 144 countries around the globe

NEW JERSEY

WithumSmith+Brown collected 2,500 cans of food for charity. With recent news circulating that many local food banks are facing a critical shortage of supplies, the firm coordinated two “jeans day” food drives, where the staff were allowed to wear jeans if they donated canned or non-perishable goods. The result was the collection of nearly 2,500 cans of food, which were ultimately distributed to several local organizations, including the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, Community FoodBank of New Jersey, and HomeFront. … The Mercadien Group contributed over 250 canned good and non-perishable goods that will be donated to Mercer Street Friends. Associates were provided the option to wear jeans at the office, the day before Thanksgiving, in return for donating canned or non-perishable goods. … The Young CPAs, of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants, collected more than 2,800 pounds of food during its annual September to November food drive to benefit the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. … Friedman LLP will be the presenting sponsor of the annual Katz JCC Sports Awards Dinner, taking place in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, on December 12.

NEW YORK

A Nexia International survey found that companies are ready to increase investment in risk management. Get the survey highlights and a full copy of Nexia International’s Global Risk Management Report here.  … WTP Advisors was recognized as a New York SmartCEO 2013 Future 50 award winner. The program recognizes the fastest-growing mid-sized companies and four large “blue chip” companies who have continued on a path of growth. The 2013 Future 50 winners collectively generate $2.1 billion in annual revenue and employ over 5,300 individuals in Greater New York. This impressive group is recognized in the December issue of New York SmartCEO magazine and was celebrated at an awards ceremony on Nov. 25, 2013. … On Tuesday Dec. 17, 2013, the New York State Society of CPAs will be holding its annual 2013 Real Estate Conference: How to Adapt and Succeed in an Ever-Changing Market. More than 200 industry professionals from real estate, accounting, and law will converge at the Marriot Marquis Times Square to learn about the challenges and recent developments shaping the real estate industry. … Nussbaum Yates Berg Klein & Wolpow LLP has become the newest member of McGladrey Alliance, an affiliation of independent accounting firms associated with McGladrey LLP. As a McGladrey Alliance member, NYBKW will now leverage the resources of a global accounting firm, allowing them to broaden service offerings to their clients and increase in-house efficiencies. … Ernst & Young LLP has received two industry honors in the accounting and auditing space. The firm has been named Best Accounting Firm by the HFMWeek 2013 U.S. Hedge Fund Service Awards for the fifth consecutive year, and ranked as the top global audit and accounting service provider by Hedge Funds Review for the third consecutive year. … According to a KPMG survey, more than 90 percent of U.S. companies are changing existing business models. For a broader take on the survey visit KPMG’s Website. KPMG plans a webcast on the topic of Transformation on January 29, 2014 at 11 am ET. Click here to register. KPMG also partnered with SourceMedia, the publisher of Accounting Today, to forecast what the M&A market may be like for 2014. KPMG expects 2014 deal making to be “solid.” To find out how solid, take a peek at the 2014 M&A Outlook Survey at http://www.kpmgsurvey-ma.com/

NORTH CAROLINA

The American Institute of CPAs has received national recognition for its suite of benefits that helps put employees on stronger financial footing. The Principal Financial Group named the Institute to its annual list of top companies for employee financial security – the fourth award in as many months for the AICPA’s benefits program.

OHIO

SS&G Inc. and its affiliate SS&G Healthcare Services have been recognized as two of the fastest growing companies in Northeast Ohio. The businesses have been named to the 2013 Weatherhead 100, which identifies the 100 top growth companies in Northeast Ohio based on sales from 2008 through 2012.

SOUTH CAROLINA

SuggsJohnson LLC, Anderson, has been named to the University of Georgia Alumni Association’s Bulldog 100 Rankings for 2014, the prestigious annual ranking of organizations that combine the highest compounded annual growth rate in revenues for the last three full years.

VIRGINA

Keiter received the 2013 HYPE Young Professional Workplace award for the large employer category from the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce.