Two Top 50 Firms, Carr, Riggs & Ingram and PKF O'Connor Davies, separately announced Monday they scored funding from investment firms, marking the latest examples of accounting firms attracting outside financing from venture capital and other sources.
CRI, based in Enterprise, Alabama, received funding from Centerbridge Partners, a private investment management firm, and Bessemer Venture Partners, a VC firm. PKFOD, based in New York, received funding from Investcorp, a global alternative investment firm, and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, one of Canada's largest pension investment managers. (Investcorp formerly owned Accounting Today's parent company.)
The amount of investment was not disclosed in either case. In both cases, the firms will be splitting their attest and nonattest sides in an alternative practice structure, as is common practice when private equity firms invest in CPA firms.
Carr, Riggs & Ingram, L.L.C., as an independent licensed CPA firm, will provide assurance, attest and audit services. CRI Advisors, LLC (including its subsidiary entities) will operate as a separate legal entity, providing clients with tax and business consulting services.
PKF O'Connor Davies LLP, as a licensed CPA firm, will provide attest services, while PKF O'Connor Davies Advisory LLC and its subsidiary entities will continue to provide tax and advisory services.
CRI ranked No, 24 on Accounting Today's 2024 list of the Top 100 Firms, with $455.36 million in annual revenue. PKFOD ranked No. 26 with $380 million.
CRI plans to use the extra funding for M&A, technology-driven service delivery, and client-centered innovation.
"Centerbridge and Bessemer recognize the value that CRI has already built and see the potential for where the company can go," said CRI chairman Bill Carr in a statement Monday. "We are thrilled to gain partners whose vision aligns with ours. We believe this strategic investment will greatly benefit our talented team members and certainly our valued clients as well. We'll be able to invest more into our staff, create new opportunities, and continue doing what we've always done, which is delivering exceptional results to our clients."
Centerbridge has approximately $40 billion in assets under management as of Sept. 30, 2024, while Bessemer has more than $18 billion in assets under management. Centerbridge and Bessemer are taking a combined 51% voting interest in the firm.
"This combination is truly groundbreaking — CRI is the accounting profession's 'feel good' story of the century," stated Koltin Consulting Group CEO Allan Koltin, who consulted with CRI during the investment research and transaction process. "CRI is the only top 25 firm in the country to grow from a start-up to $500 million in a little over 25 years, making it the country's fastest-growing first-generation firm. From its humble beginnings in Enterprise, Alabama, and Destin, Florida, CRI has become the youngest top 100 firm ever to receive a private equity investment as a foundation firm. Many private equity firms courted them during this process, but they chose Centerbridge and Bessemer for their similar values and shared vision of what CRI can become at the national level. There is no question in my mind that CRI will grow substantially over the next years while maintaining the 'family feel' culture they have had since day one."
CRI engaged William Blair & Company, L.L.C. as its financial advisor and McGuireWoods LLP as its legal counsel for this transaction. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Vedder Price served as legal advisors, and Citizens M&A Advisory served as financial advisor to Centerbridge and Bessemer.
PKFOD plans to use the outside investment to improve its competitiveness and long-term sustainability, strengthening its balance sheet to provide flexibility for increased M&A activity as well as invest in new technology and service lines. PKFOD did not disclose whether Investcorp and PSP will be taking a majority interest in the firm.
"Since inception, our identity as an organization has been our enduring commitment to service. This investment from Investcorp and PSP further validates that we have an attractive business with a great brand, great talent and great customers," said Kevin Keane, PKF O'Connor Davies' executive chairman. "Investcorp and PSP Investments have a long history of backing profitable, industry-leading companies with demonstratable growth avenues and were impressed by PKFOD and the culture that we have built."
Capstone Partners served as sole financial advisor while Levenfeld Pearlstein served as legal advisor to PKF O'Connor Davies. Gibson Dunn served as legal advisor to Investcorp. Weil, Gotshal & Manges served as legal advisor while McDermott Will & Emery served as regulatory counsel to PSP Investments.
"In recent years, Investcorp has established itself as a partner of choice for ambitious professional services organizations seeking to grow," said Steve Miller, co-head of North America Private Equity at Investcorp, in a statement. "Together with PSP Investments, with whom we have a strong investment track record in the professional services sector, and more than 200 PKFOD partners, we are excited to build upon the organization's decades of success."
