BKD, Houston accounting firms merge

Bill Fingland, managing partner of Baird, Kurtz & Dobson's, headquartered in Springfield, announced in a Nov. 30 news release that effective Dec. 1 the firm opened a Houston office.

The new office is the result of BKD's merger with two local Houston CPA firms, White Petrov McHone and McGee Wheeler & Co. PC.

Joining BKD as active partners will be five White Petrov McHone shareholders and three McGee Wheeler & Co. shareholders.

The combined office of approximately 75 people will be Houston's eighth largest certified public accounting and consulting firm and the only one specifically serving the middle market.

Dave Hayob, a Springfield BKD partner, will transfer to Houston as the partner in charge of the $8 million practice.

Hayob joined BKD in 1976. He provides audit, accounting and consulting services for retail businesses, financial institutions and Securities and Exchange Commission clients.

Hayob also has served as the primary recruiter for BKD's Springfield, Branson, Joplin and Pittsburg, Kan., offices.

BKD, founded in 1923, is ranked No. 10 in size nationally, according to Public Accounting Report, serving middle-market and closely held companies, individuals, governments and not-for-profits, from its 17 offices in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma.

The firm reports revenues of $116 million and staff of nearly 1,000, including 122 partners.

Two wholly owned subsidiaries, BKD Financial LLC and BKD Investment Advisors LLC, provide corporate finance and investment management services, respectively.

BKD already works with many Texas health care providers as a reimbursement consultant.

BKD Health Care Group's 130 consultants work with 2,800 health care providers nationwide.

The Houston merger will boost BKD's revenues to $124 million, increase its offices to 18 and partners to 130.