Firm News: July 24, 2015

CALIFORNIA

LaSalle Network, a recruiting and staffing firm headquartered in Chicago, has opened an office in San Francisco in the Bay Area. This is the firm's fourth office, and first to open in California. … Armanino LLP released its free eBook, Semiconductor Manufacturer's IT Playbook: A guide to ERP, CRM and BI system infrastructure to support compliance, profitability and supply chain excellence. The book is a one-stop crash course in how to maximize value and efficiency in semiconductor company business management. … Hood & Strong LLP was named to the Accounting MOVE Project Equity Leadership List for the second consecutive year. This list recognizes firms with at least 50 employees and a minimum of 32 percent female partners and principals. More than 60 percent of the leadership team at Hood & Strong is female; 46 percent of the partners are women. … According to a study cited by the Brookings Institution's Hamilton Project, "Only one-third of Americans age 25-34 and one-half of those age 55-64 can accurately answer questions about compound interest, inflation, and risk diversification." To help improve financial acumen across generations, CalCPA Institute along with the California Society of CPAs and the California Jump$tart Coalition is holding the California Financial Literacy Summit on July 30 at the San Jose Marriott. It will bring together experts and leaders from government, business, education and other fields who are concerned about financial illiteracy in the state. The Summit will include sessions focusing on incorporating financial literacy programs into elementary, middle and high school curriculums, managing the college student debt crisis, training of financial literacy volunteers, and helping small businesses and entrepreneurs learn how to better handle their finances. Among those scheduled as speakers are Betty Yee, California state controller; Assembly member Kansen Chu; Dianna MacDonald, president-elect of the California State Teachers Assn.; and Pilar Diaz, senior institutional review specialist, U.S. Dept. of Education.

CHINA

BKR International is accepted of Fuyun (Fuzhou) Certified Public Accountants of Fuzhou City into membership.

CONNECTICUT

BlumShapiro has rebranded its consulting services business into BlumShapiro Consulting, with office locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

FLORIDA

Global professional services group Russell Bedford has announced the further expansion of its network in Eastern Europe with the addition of St Petersburg-based ASB Audit Company as the member firm in north-west Russia. … Gregory, Sharer & Stuart was recently named one of Florida’s Best Companies to Work For by Florida Trend. … Daszkal Bolton LLP has been accepted as a Palm Beach, LF member of the National CPA Health Care Advisors Association. The HCAA is a nationwide association of CPA firms that provide specialized accounting, tax and consulting services to the health care industry. To be awarded membership in HCAA, firms must demonstrate proficiency and commitment to serving clients in health care.

GEORGIA

Porter Keadle Moore, recently named one of the Workplaces for Millennials, is renovating its offices with the new generation in mind. The accounting firm is revamping 14,000 square feet of space in Peachtree Center into an invigorating “retro cool,” work environment. Collaboration is key in the new space. Employees can move around throughout the day, working from any space as the need, or mood, strikes. Several comfortable sitting areas are available for informal discussions. People who work in the office every day will have their own spaces. Flexible, shared spaces accommodate employees who spend time offsite at their clients’ offices, but still land at headquarters from time to time. Any employee can reserve an office or conference room by using iPads attached to the doorways. Mobile pedestals let people move around the office. Traditional conference rooms, named after area lakes, are wired for modern electronics. Those who prefer to work standing up can camp out at a counter in the break room.

GERMANY

GAR Gesellschaft fr Aufsichtsrecht und Revision mbH is now a member of HLB Germany. Based in the Frankfurt/Main financial center, the firm specializes in consulting and auditing services to companies in the financial sector, especially banks and investment companies. In addition to general accounting activities, the audit and accounting services provided by GAR focus primarily on regulatory requirements, with the aim to offer comprehensive support to clients in all strategic and operational issues. GAR’s industry-specific expertise will contribute to extending HLB Germany’s range of consulting services.

ILLINOIS

The American Institute of Steel Construction, a not-for-profit technical institute and trade association, has selected Sikich LLP to perform audit and tax services. The Sikich team will audit AISC’s financial statements and offer tax consulting guidance and review services to ensure AISC’s taxes are structured and reported properly. … Three in four global manufacturing and distribution executives expect profits to increase, and the sector is projecting an average growth rate of 10 percent over the next 12 months, according to an annual survey gauging middle market sentiment conducted by McGladrey LLP, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market. Globally, executives expect average sales to increase 12 percent over the next 12 months. They also plan to increase domestic hiring by roughly 8 percent. … A study of family owned businesses conducted by Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP and Baker Tilly International, indicates that the majority of U.S. family business owners are not succession-ready. According to the study, Succession Reset: Family Business Succession in the 21st Century, key challenges faced by family business owners include being ready for transition or market sale, and ensuring that the business has the financial capacity to support both retirement and the next generation. … Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting US today announced its new CCH® Tangible Property Regulations Certificate Program — providing critical guidance for the biggest change in tax implementation and preparation for businesses since the 1986 Tax Reform Act. This premiere research and learning opportunity offers tax and accounting professionals a comprehensive, self-study, e-learning program covering the TPRs.

INIDIA

BKR International has accepted Rao & Emmar, of Bangalore, into membership.

MAINE

Baker Newman Noyes recently hosted 17 college students for a unique three-day internship. The program was designed for students to gain insight into what a career in public accounting entails and to experience the firm's culture and atmosphere.

NEW JERSEY

SaxBST is conducting its Fourth Annual 4 Miler at Garret Mountain which will benefit the Child Life Department at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital. The charity run will be held at Woodland Park, NJ on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. … More than 40 chief executive, audit, compliance and financial officers from commercial and community banks in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York attended The Mercadien Group’s seminar, “Are You Ready for TRID?,” at its offices on July 21, 2015. TRID is an acronym for new TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure regulations promulgated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and effective October 3, 2015. Part of its long-running series of compliance seminars and qualified as continuing professional education, Mercadien’s two-hour forum provided a comprehensive overview of the changes and new requirements under TRID, expected to significantly impact the loan operations, credit transactions, disclosure practices and customer relations of financial institutions. Specifically addressed were the coverage, deadlines, exclusions, and changes to key loan and closing documents and processes, and possible impact from compliance on financial institutions’ operations and financials.

NEW YORK

Anchin, Block & Anchin LLP held its annual New York Construction Awards on June 11, 2015 at Club 101 in New York City. Presented in cooperation with the New York Building Congress (NYBC) and industry partners, American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC New York) and the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter (AIA-NY), the event honored Construction, Architecture & Engineering Industry innovators, leaders and rising stars. … Colliers International has arranged a long-term, 19,939-square-foot relocation and expansion on behalf of accounting firm Marks Paneth LLP at 4 Manhattanville Road in Purchase, NY. … Grassi & Co. has redesigned its website. The revamped website provides quick and easy access to essential information and features that offer an understanding of the firm’s mission, as well as, its comprehensive suite of services developed to help companies achieve sustainable financial success. The new website also provides access to detailed information on the firm’s subsidiaries, Grassi Technology Consultants, LLC (“GTC”) and Grassi Fund Administration Services, Inc. (“GFAS”). … The CFO Squad enables client Nadler Modular to optimize its debt obligations and increase working capital to be best positioned for continued growth in the construction industry. Nadler Modular has been a leading supplier of quality modular buildings since 1977, serving much of the Eastern United States. With the improved economy and expansion of the construction industry, Nadler has experienced increased demand from homebuilders, construction managers, government entities, and schools looking to solve their spacing challenges. … In a major new study released by KPMG International, which tracks insights on the coming three years, chief executives of global businesses said they are confident about the ability of their companies to grow over the next three years and are expressing confidence about the prospects for the global economy. According to the 2015 KPMG CEO Outlook Study of 1,278 CEOs, 69 percent of CEOs in Europe, 66 percent in Asia Pacific and 52 percent in the US are more confident than they were last year about growth and the global economy in the next three years. In assessing their own company’s growth prospects, 70 percent of European CEOs and 68 percent of Asia Pacific CEOs indicated they are more confident than a year ago. In the US, where the recovery is well underway, 19 percent are more confident than a year ago with another 46 percent expressing the same level of confidence about their prospects for growth. Most importantly, CEOs globally are set to hire, with 78 percent of respondents indicating they are expecting to be in hiring mode through mid-2018. … CPA.com and the American Institute of CPAs founded the Digital CPA Conference on a simple premise: Disruptive technologies are transforming the accounting profession, and innovation offers an opportunity to build thriving CPA firms of the future. This year’s keynote speaker, senior financial services marketing executive and innovation thought leader Amy Radin, will offer a unique take on embracing change through her concept of “pragmatic innovation.” … The American Woman’s Society of Certified Public Accountants announced that CohnReznick LLP is the recipient of its Innovation in Women’s Programming Award for 2015. This award recognizes CohnReznick for its efforts to continually develop new and innovative programs to promote and support women in the accounting profession, as exemplified by WomenCAN: A Collaborative Advocacy Network for Women and the Executive Women’s Forum. … Deloitte LLP is proud to support Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 (LA2015), taking place from July 25 to August 2, 2015. Deloitte was closely involved in preparing the winning bid that brought the 2015 Special Olympics to Los Angeles and has committed pro bono services to aid in the planning and execution of the event.

SRI LANKA

Baker Tilly International has added Sri Lankan firm Baker Tilly Edirisinghe & Co. to the network. The multi-disciplinary firm has enjoyed continued growth in the local market since it was founded in 1985. 

TEXAS

After surveying nearly 90,000 millennials, Great Place to Work and Fortune have recognized Ryan, a global tax firm, as one of the 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials in the country. Ryan earned a spot near the top of the list at No. 22. This ranking comes from an anonymous survey of the firm's millennial employees administered by the workplace culture experts at Great Place to Work. … Weaver has launched a new IT advisory service that provides unique and enhanced computer network security assessments performed by a Certified Ethical Hacker. … As part of Grant Thornton LLP’s focus on leveraging its strategic capabilities in high-growth emerging markets, the firm has established a Latin America Business Group, a joint initiative between the U.S. firm and a number of Grant Thornton’s Latin America member firms. This unique, collaborative approach will offer clients seamless, integrated global support for complex business activities in some of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

VIRGINIA

Steve Koons has been awarded AGA’s 2015 Author Award in honor of his superior writing and research in AGA’s flagship publication, the Journal of Government Financial Management. Koons’ article, “New Federal Reporting Models: Does Adopting a Citizen-Centric Model Mean Abandoning Our Roots?” which ran in the fall 2014 Journal, was chosen out of 21 eligible articles in 2014. … The Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants was among several organizations honored June 25 for its role in the successful implementation of the Economics and Personal Finance Diploma Requirement in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia is one of only 22 states to require a high school course in economics and personal finance and one of only 16 states that requires testing on the subject. The graduating class of 2015 is the first to graduate with the requirement.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, P.C. is partnering with the Housing Opportunity Community Partners again this year for their annual school supplies drive. This year, HOCP’s goal is to collect enough school supplies to support 2,000 low-income students throughout Montgomery County, Maryland.

WISCONSIN

Wipfli LLP and NetSuite Inc. has joined the NetSuite Solution Provider Program to advance the firm’s cloud practice. With more than 1,500 employees and 34 offices worldwide, Wipfli will now be able to provide strategic technology assessments, implementation, product optimization and ongoing multi-year managed services for NetSuite's cloud business management suite to midmarket companies in the manufacturing, e-commerce, and distribution industries.

 

E-mail your firm announcements to Tamika.Cody@sourcemedia.com

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