RSM US LLP, a Top 5 Firm based in Chicago, is acquiring Andculture, a Harrisburg, Pennsylvania-based marketing firm that provides client-facing marketing strategy, design and technology services, launching a human-centered design practice at RSM, with the deal expected to close June 1.
Andculture was founded in 1999 and provides various marketing services, including strategic marketing campaigns, website and platform design, user experience design, demand generation and more.
As part of the deal, Andculture CEO David Hickethier, president Joshua Benton, chief experience architect Evan Keller, and the rest of Andculture’s nearly 60 strategists, designers, engineers, client advisors and support staff will be joining RSM’s consulting business. RSM will be adding a new location in downtown Harrisburg when the transaction closes.
The acquisition will enable RSM US to introduce a new practice area. “A lot of our middle-market companies need to be on the digital journey of how to attract customers under that type of platform,” RSM US’s incoming CEO-elect and managing partner Brian Becker told Accounting Today. “Larger companies have that benefit, but smaller, middle-market customers have struggled. So us being able to provide more of that front-office type of consulting vs. traditional back office is going to be a real value add for our clients. Traditionally we’ve offered accounting systems implementation, advising them on the back-office technology and things like that. But on the customer acquisition side, and talent acquisition, the front office is critical for our clients and they want that advice. This will give us another avenue to give them that advice.”
“Andculture brings a highly creative, skilled and dynamic team to RSM,” said Pat Vance, consulting leader for RSM US LLP, in a statement. “Their integrated human-centered design approach to marketing aligns with RSM’s purpose to deliver the power of being understood. Our clients are increasingly looking to RSM for go-to-market strategy and support as a companion to the operational services we provide to power the engines of their business. We are thrilled to introduce the Andculture team and our new human-centered design practice to the middle market. We are also eager to consider opportunities for applying human-centered design more broadly within the services we provide today and in new services we may add in the future.”
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. RSM US ranked No. 5 on Accounting Today’s 2022 list of the Top 100 Firms, with $3.1 billion in annual revenue, and approximately 1,100 partners and 14,000 employees.
Hickethier, Benton and Keller will join RSM as consulting principals, and the Andculture team will move to RSM when the transaction closes.
“We are excited to establish and lead a human-centered design practice at RSM,” said Hickethier in a statement. “We look forward to bringing RSM’s clients marketing strategy, design and technology capabilities to craft end-to-end experiences that help them achieve and exceed their business goals. Similarly, we are pleased to make RSM’s world-class audit, tax and consulting services available to our clients, and happy for the opportunity to help our people grow in their careers with access to new training, development and advancement opportunities at RSM.”
RSM was represented in the deal by Martinwolf, an M&A advisory firm that specializes in the middle-market IT industry.
Last August, RSM US
