ARKANSAS
Frost acquires Ervin & Co.
Details: Little Rock-based Frost PLLC announced plans to acquire Fayetteville-based Ervin & Co. Frost is the state's largest accounting firm. "Northwest Arkansas is important to the firm's growth," said Frost managing member Daniel M. Peregrin. Prior to the acquisition, Frost had 152 employees in its offices in Little Rock and Fayetteville, along with Raleigh, N.C. The firm, formerly known as Moore Stephens & Frost, acquired firms in Raleigh and and Fayetteville last December. Ervin will move his offices to Frost's existing Fayetteville offices. (At press time, Frost announced that it had itself just merged with Moore Stephens Wurth Frazer and Torbet - see page 6 for details.)
FLORIDA
Proctor Crook merges with Fogal
Details: Proctor, Crook & Crowder and Fogal & Associates have merged to form one of the largest firms on the Treasure Coast, the east coast of central Florida.The combined firm will be known as Proctor, Crook, Crowder & Fogal. This is the first merger for both. Proctor, Crook & Crowder is based in Stuart, Fla., and was founded in 1974. Fogal & Associates, co-founded by Chris Fogal and Stacy Ludwig, is in Fort Pierce and dates back to 1980.
ILLINOIS
Sikich merges in Sleeper Disbrow
Details: Sikich LLP has entered into a merger agreement with the accounting, tax, business consulting, litigation support and business valuation practice of Sleeper Disbrow Morrison Tarro & Lively LLC in Decatur, Ill. The merger took effect Nov. 1. SDMT&L will operate under the Sikich name; its 28 personnel will continue as the Decatur office of the firm. SDMT&L partners Robert Disbrow, Richard Tarro, Wayne Lively and Thomas Leach will join Sikich as partners.
MINNEAPOLIS
Carver Moquist and TK Advisors merge
Details: Minneapolis-area CPA firms Carver Moquist & O'Connor and TK Advisors Ltd. have merged to form a larger advisory firm to service the Twin Cities.The new firm will operate under the name Moquist Thorvilson Kaufman Kennedy & Pieper LLC, or MTK, with offices in Edina and Plymouth, Minn. The deal unites the 70 members of CM&O with the 35 in TK Advisors. Members of the two firms met several years ago as the only two Minnesota-based accounting members of the BDO Seidman Alliance. MTK plans to continue its membership in the alliance.
PENNSYLVANIA
Zinman merges in Titcher Kritzstein
Details: Pennsylvania CPA firms Zinman & Co. and Titcher, Kritzstein & Co. have merged. Zinman added five people with the deal, giving the combined firm, which will retain the Zinman name, a total of 14 personnel. Both Elliot Titcher and Stanley Kritzstein will become partners in the combined firm, in addition to Zinman, who will remain managing partner, and senior partner Karen McNamee.
The firms had been in talks for about two months, according to spokesman L. Jamie Coates. The deal was set up by a business broker contact of Zinman's. Titcher Kritzstein moved from its offices in Ambler, Pa., to Zinman's offices in nearby Huntingdon Valley on Oct. 31, and the merger took effect on Nov. 1.
Coates declined to provide revenue figures for either firm, but said that the deal involved some equity sharing. Titcher also plans to retire in a few years, and part of the package provides him with compensation for the clients he brought to the combined firm.
PHILADELPHIA
Citrin Cooperman merges in Carrow Doyle
Details: New York City-based accounting firm Citrin Cooperman has merged in Berwin, Pa.-based Carrow Doyle & Associates, expanding the New York-based firm's presence in the Philadelphia area.
The partners and staff of Carrow Doyle were due to move into Citrin's existing office in Philadelphia in mid-to-late November after the deal closed on Nov. 1, according to a letter circulated by Citrin managing partner Joel Cooperman.
As a result of the merger, Mark Carrow, William Briggs and James Revels will become partners at Citrin. Citrin's Philadelphia office dates back to its merger with Yampolsky Mandeloff Silver Ryan in November 2007. Cooperman believes the Philadelphia office will now bill and collect over $10 million annually with the addition of the $3 million practice of Carrow Doyle, a more than 200 percent increase since the merger with YMSR.
