Change of Auditors: 7/22/02

Peregrine names PWC auditor and new CFO: Embattled software maker Peregrine Systems chose Big Five firm PricewaterhouseCoopers as its new auditor and named Kim Sexton as its new chief financial officer.

The appointments came just one week after the N.Y.-based company said that it planned to slash 1,000 employees from its workforce amid an accounting scandal. The company also said that it might have to restate its financials for the past three years to correct accounting errors of $100 million.

The accounting problems led to the resignations of incumbent chief executive Matt Glass and chief executive Steve Gardner.

Fresh Brands names KPMG as new auditor: Supermarket retailer and grocery wholesaler Fresh Brands Inc. named KPMG as its new auditor, succeeding Andersen.

The Sheboygan, Wis., company said that the decision to replace Andersen was not a result of any disagreement between the company and the accounting firm on any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or auditing scope or procedure.

The corporate-owned and franchised retail supermarkets operate under the Piggly Wiggly and Dick’s Supermarkets brands.

Wells Real Estate Funds taps E&Y as new auditor: The board of Wells Real Estate Funds, a national real estate investment management concern, has appointed Ernst & Young as the company’s independent auditor, succeeding Big Five firm Andersen.

The selection follows a search for a successor to embattled Andersen. In a statement, Walter M. Sessoms, chairman of the company’s REIT audit committee said, "In the end, the decision of our board to choose Ernst & Young was based on several key factors, central to which is a shared passion of providing Wells’ investors with the highest level of trust in our business and financial practices. Wells is steadfast in its commitment to being the best possible stewards of our client’s investments. We feel Ernst & Young is well aligned with that goal."

Andersen had served as the company’s auditor since 1995. Wells said that the result to change auditors was not based on any disagreement with Andersen on accounting principles.

Form 8-K filings 

Adelphia Communications Corp. (Coudersport, Pa.), from Deloitte & Touche to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

American National Bankshares Inc. (Danville, Va.), from Andersen to Young, Hyde and Barbour.

AquaPro Corp. (Sunflower, Miss.), from Ernst & Young to Horne CPA Group.

Bridge Bancorp Inc. (Bridgehampton, N.Y.), from Andersen to Crowe Chizek.

Casella Waste Systems Inc. (Rutland, Vt.), from KPMG to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Corrections Corp. of America (Nashville, Tenn.), from Andersen to Ernst & Young.

Creative Host Services Inc. (San Diego), from Stonefield Josephson to Deloitte & Touche.

Emmis Communications Corp. (Indianapolis), from Andersen to Ernst & Young.

Gaylord Entertainment Co. (Nashville, Tenn.), from Andersen to Ernst & Young.

General Dynamics Corp. (Falls Church, Va.), from Andersen to KPMG.

GFSI Inc. (Lenexa, Kan.), from PricewaterhouseCoopers to KPMG.

IMP Inc. (San Jose, Calif.), from KPMG to BDO Seidman.

JCC Holding Co. (New Orleans), from Deloitte & Touche to Ernst & Young.

Johnson Outdoors Inc. (Racine, Wis.), from Andersen to Ernst & Young.

Kushner-Locke Co. (Beverly Hills, Calif.), from PricewaterhouseCoopers to Clumeck, Stern, Phillips & Schenkelberg.

Loudeye Technologies Inc. (Seattle), from Andersen to Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

MGM Mirage (Las Vegas), from Andersen to Deloitte & Touche.

North American Technologies Group Inc. (Houston), from BDO Seidman to Mann Frankfort Stein & Lipp.

PeopleSoft Inc. (Pleasanton, Calif.), from Andersen to KPMG.

Point.360 (Hollywood, Calif.), from PricewaterhouseCoopers to KPMG.

Schuff International Inc. (Phoenix), from Ernst & Young to Deloitte & Touche.

Southwest Gas Corp. (Las Vegas), from Andersen to Pricewaterhouse-Coopers.

Sun Bancorp Inc. (Selinsgrove, Pa.), from Parente Randolph to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The Morgan Group Inc. (Elkhart, Ind.), from Ernst & Young to McGladrey & Pullen.

Transaction System Architects Inc. (Omaha, Neb.), from Andersen to KPMG.

WPS Resources Corp. (Green Bay, Wis.), from Andersen to Deloitte & Touche.

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