M&A Roundup: Aug. 7, 2015

CANADA

Crowe BGK Bolsters its Presence in Ottawa with Merger

Details: The accounting firm Crowe BGK LLP has bolstered its accounting practice in Ottawa with Connolly & McNamara Chartered Accountants. The merger is expected to nearly double the size of its Kanata operation to 30 employees and 4 partners.

Crowe BGK began its Kanata operation in 2005 and this merger will grow their existing talent to support its client base.

"Our merger with Connolly & McNamara represents the combination of two highly respected firms in the community," sited Brian Kreisman, managing partner of Crowe BGK from the Montreal head office. "We share the same purpose of providing the highest quality of service to our clients by attracting top talent and nurturing their expertise with a diverse client portfolio that consists of daily interaction and guidance by our partners."

Connolly & McNamara has enjoyed 25 years of serving individuals and owner managed businesses in and around the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley. Joining Crowe BGK will allow Connolly & McNamara to expand their expertise and depth of service to their clientele. "Our clients' success is at the core of Connolly & McNamara. We have an established connection with Michael McCrann, Managing Partner at the Ottawa division of Crowe BGK, we can confidently offer expanded services to our clients while maintaining the prompt attention with personalized service they have grown accustom to," said Gary Connolly.

The combined practices of Connolly & McNamara and Crowe BGK will operate under Crowe BGK effective August 4, 2015. "We are excited to grow the footprint of Crowe BGK in the Ottawa region. We have had several opportunities to grow our team with other firms; it was only with Connolly & McNamara we felt it was a true extension of our value system – professionalism, service excellence and integrity," added Michael McCrann.

FLORIDA

Templeton & Company and Cocuy, Burns & Co. Merge

Details: Cocuy, Burns & Co., a CPA and consulting firm in Wellington, Fla. and Templeton & Company, a South Florida-based firm, combined practices effective August 1, 2015.

Juan Cocuy and Tom Burns became partners in the combined firm - Templeton & Company.

The combination deepens the firm’s capabilities and expands its presence in the South Florida marketplace. The combined firm has offices in Fort Lauderdale, West
Palm Beach and Wellington, Fla., with more than 60 professionals and staff serving 11 defined industries and multiple service lines.

Templeton Solutions’ technology affiliate, is a software publisher, implementer, IT consulting, and integration services provider, and TC Family Office, its multi-family office division, uniquely serves the needs of business owners and high net worth families.

“We have long admired Juan Cocuy and his talented team and are pleased to join our practices. They perfectly complement our existing services and are well-respected throughout the community,” said Steven Templeton, founder and managing partner of Templeton & Company.

Templeton & Company (before the combination) was the area’s 13th largest account
firm, with $8 million in South Florida billings, according to the South Florida Business
Journal’s Book of Lists. The combined firm’s billings will exceed $10 million.

IOWA

Bergan Paulsen, Networking Solutions and KDV Merge

Details: Bergan Paulsen, Networking Solutions and KDV have merged, effective July 1, 2015, to become BerganKDV.

The new firm offers business planning and consulting, tax, audit and accounting, payroll and 401(k), technology, and wealth management services primarily in the Midwest.

BerganKDV is led largely by the existing partners and leadership teams from each firm, including Chris Honkomp as CEO, and Loren Viere as president. The combined firm employs approximately 300 people in seven offices across Iowa and Minnesota.

“From the first time we met the people at Bergan Paulsen and Networking Solutions, we knew they were people we wanted on our team,” said Viere in a statement. “We truly believe our firms will offer our clients and employees a better future, together.”

The firms have been talking for much of the last two years and ultimately saw a unified vision for the future—to be a first class firm that helps clients solve problems, grow and plan for their future while providing a fun and challenging workplace for employees..

“One of the most exciting aspects of this is the growth we will see—we are growing our team, horsepower, depth and specialization—to name a few things,” said Honkomp. “Our clients will feel the same commitment to excellence they always have, but they will also see us bring more to the table to help them with their challenges and issues.”

ILLINOIS

Weiss & Company Merges in Allen C. Berg

Details: Weiss & Company has merged in Allen C. Berg, CPA and his staff. Berg and his team bring extensive experience with high net worth clientele and Family Office Services to the firm.

“We are enthusiastic about this merger and know that Allen Berg and his team will help us to further strengthen our position as a market leader and to better serve our exceptional client base,” said the firm’s managing partner, Dan Fortman. “We will continue to provide the highest quality of service to our clients with expanded depth in Family Office Services.”

The combination finalized on July 23, 2015, shortly after Weiss & Company. moved into its new office space at 2700 Patriot Boulevard. Weiss & Co., which is a 2015 Best Place to Work in Illinois award recipient, now has forty-seven employees.

VERMONT

Siliski & Buzzell and Davis & Hodgdon Associates Merge

Details: Rutland Accounting firm Siliski & Buzzell has merged with Williston-based CPA firm, Davis and Hodgdon Associates.

Operating under the banner of Davis & Hodgdon Associates CPAs, the firms’ newly expanded team will continue to operate from their existing locations in Rutland and Chittenden counties. Robert Buzzell Jr., will continue to manage the Rutland office which will be known as Siliski & Buzzell, a division of Davis & Hodgdon Associates CPAs.

Each firm has been serving the Vermont business community for over 25 years and developing strong foundations that will enable combined strategic growth. “This merger represents significant opportunities for everyone. Our clients will benefit from an extensive menu of services being offered locally as well as the added technical support,” said Robert Buzzell.

John Davis agrees, “There is a great commonality with regard to the belief our firms have in serving our clients. We are always seeking the best ways to bring value to the table. Widening our range of services and expanding our talent pool is the most beneficial way to do just that.”

Davis & Hodgdon Associates CPAs is a full-service public accounting firm and members of the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility, Vermont Business Environmental Partnership, Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Women Business Owners Network. The firm serves its clients by providing progressive, proactive services through expert staff, high-end technology, and unparalleled efficiency.

 

 

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
M&A
MORE FROM ACCOUNTING TODAY