Aprio adds CAVU Advisors

Top 25 Firm Aprio is expanding its services for government contractors by combining with Columbia, Maryland-based CAVU Advisors.

The deal is expected to expand and strengthen Aprio's presence in the Capital Region around Washington, D.C., where it now has almost 400 professionals and partners.

"Our clients in aerospace, defense, and government need more than an accounting firm; they need a partner who knows their world and can grow with them," Aprio CEO Richard Kopelman said in a statement. "CAVU Advisors has spent two decades earning the trust of federal contractors, and that experience, combined with Aprio's integrated platform, means our clients get more of what they need in one place. We see enormous opportunity ahead, especially across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia market, and we're building to meet it."

CAVU Advisors was founded in 2005 by owners of government contracting businesses, and delivers accounting, financial and technology services to federal contractors, bringing specialized expertise in relevant software systems like Unanet and Deltek. It takes its name from an aviation term for "Ceiling and visibility unlimited."

"CAVU Advisors has built a strong reputation as a trusted partner to government contractors by staying deeply focused on their needs and delivering consistently high-quality service," said Susan Beall, CEO of CAVU Advisors, in a statement. "Aprio's commitment to investing in industry-focused capabilities and supporting high-performing teams makes this a natural next step for the business and for our clients."

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but CAVU Advisors' team is expected to join Aprio, with president Nicole Trimble and chief sales officer Mike Kalnasy becoming partners.

"Our priority has always been delivering practical, high-value support to our clients and creating a strong, collaborative culture for our team," said Trimble, in a statement. "Joining Aprio allows us to build on that foundation, bringing our clients more resources, broader capabilities, and new opportunities, while continuing to deliver the hands-on service they rely on."

Aprio ranked No. 20 on Accounting Today's 2026 list of the Top 100 Firms, with $615 million in revenue, 37 offices and almost 300 partners.

It has a long track record in M&A, both before and after receiving a private equity investment in July 2024 from Charlesbank Capital Partners. Earlier this year in acquired two firms in the Pacific Northwest: Delap LLP and Hoffman, Stewart & Schmidt, and in 2025 it added Mize CPAs and Prism Financial Group, RSM US's Professional Services+ practice in the U.S. and Canada, JMS Advisory Group in Atlanta, and AI accounting assistant platform TimeCredit. The firm also announced plans last February to open a law firm in Arizona known as Aprio Legal LLC, in partnership with Radix Law.

Aprio has completed over 20 mergers and acquisitions since 2017, including Ridout Barrett & Co. CPAs & Advisors, Antares Group, Culotta, Scroggins, Hendricks & Gillespie, Aronson, Salver & Cook, Gomerdinger & Associates, Tobin & Collins, Squire + Lemkin, LBA Haynes Strand, Leaf Saltzman, RINA and Tarlow and Co.