Gene Barinholtz of Barinholtz & Horwitz has merged his team and their practice into the CPA firm Kutchins, Robbins & Diamond, Ltd.
The merger will create one of the top 35 CPA firms in the Chicago area. The combination of firms enhances the capabilities that Kutchins, Robbins & Diamond will be able to offer its clients.
“This seemed like a logical step forward given the fact that we have been collaborating with Barinholtz & Horwitz for the last five years in providing services to a number of their clients,” said KRD partner Allen I. Kutchins in a statement. “We had developed an excellent working relationship with them, and I’m confident that KRD offers an additional level of resources and professional expertise that will allow Gene Barinholtz and his outstanding team to serve their clients more effectively than ever.”
At the combined firm, Barinholtz, 51, has become the partner-in-charge of the business services unit at KRD, which offers a full range of accounting services to companies that prefer to outsource some or all of their day-to-day accounting and bookkeeping operations. He is a resident of Algonquin, Ill., and was a founding partner of Barinholtz & Horwitz in 1987.
Barinholtz said he views becoming part of KRD as “an opportunity to get out from behind a desk much more often, use my talents more fully and serve my clients even more effectively.” Also making the move to KRD along with Barinholtz are Lauren Clawson, a CPA and tax specialist who worked at Barinholtz & Horwitz for 15 years and is a resident of southern Wisconsin; Arlene Meyers, who served as practice manager at Barinholtz & Horwitz for 15 years and lives in Streamwood, Ill.; and Lori Wuchevich, a staff accountant for 10 years at Barinholtz & Horwitz and also a resident of Streamwood.
Adding these four new staff members brings the total number of professionals at KRD to 48.
The two firms actually merged in early December, but decided to delay the public announcement until this month.
“Once we agreed to bring Gene and his team aboard, we wanted to get as much done internally as we could because it was so close to the start of the tax season,” explained Kutchins. “Fortunately, we had done another merger of this type a few years ago, so we understood the process and have been able to move ahead smoothly. Growth is always a challenge, but it is an essential part of a successful firm. We’ve been fortunate enough to achieve a steady annual growth rate of 10 to 12 percent for a number of years now and look forward to continuing at that pace for some time to come.”
