Sikich Merges in Stelmacki Cochran

Sikich LLP has agreed to combine with CPA firm Stelmacki, Cochran & Sauerburger, building Sikich’s presence in the St. Louis area.

“We presently have a fairly strong presence with our technology people down there, but we found that technology and accounting work very well together,” said Sikich CEO Jim Sikich. “We were searching for a quality firm to merge with, and we think Stelmacki is the firm.”

His firm has been engaged in about eight mergers in the past year. Earlier this month, the Aurora,Ill.-based firm merged with two Chicago-area information technology service consulting firms, Hal Weinberger Consulting and MAS Consulting (see Sikich Merges in Two Tech Consultancies). Last month, Sikich announced that it had merged with a marketing firm, Icon Digital Design & Illustration, and a local accounting, tax and consulting practice, Frederick M. Marcus & Co. In November, it merged with another Illinois accounting practice, Sleeper Disbrow Morrison Tarro & Lively. In August, Sikich acquired an investment banking firm, Levi Littell Herbst & Co.

In the latest merger, SCS partners L. Michael Stelmacki, James M. Cochran, David P. Sauerburger and Richard F. Provaznik will join Sikich as partners. Sikich said the two firms had been in merger talks for about a year and a half before the merger took effect on Jan. 1. SCS earns a little over $3 million annually, giving Sikich combined annual revenues of $56 million.Sikich ranked 70th on Accounting Today’s 2009 list of the Top 100 Firms.

Sikich said his firm has pursued mergers as part of its strategic plan for the past four to five years. “We’re actively seeking mergers in larger Midwestern cities,” he said. “We’re not just accounting. We do strategic mergers in specialty consulting areas where we want to grow.”

The 19 employees of Stelmacki, Cochran & Sauerburger will be joined by staff from Sikich’s Earth City, Mo., technology office and operate as the St. Louis office of Sikich.