Blue & Co., LLC, based in Carmel, Indiana, has announced plans to merge with the Cincinnati-based accounting firm of Fleming, Brockschmidt & Durkin (FB&D), effective January 1.
The combined staff for the firm will include more than 362 professionals in 10 offices across Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Texas, with more than 50 staff members based in Blue & Co.’s Lexington office, located in the downtown Lexington Financial Center.
The move follows close behind Blue & Co.'s merger with another Cincinnati accounting firm, Ossege Combs & Mann, on July 1, 2015.
"Both of these mergers have been very positive for the Lexington office, and for Blue & Co. in general," said Greg Mullins, director in charge of Blue & Co.'s Lexington office.
Mullins said the mergers have brought both more depth and a greater mix of expertise to the firm, both of which will benefit Blue & Co.'s local clients. "They will bring us additional expertise and resources, and we will do the same for them," he said.
Mullins noted that the firm's growing Cincinnati presence includes directors with Lexington connections, including Mike Combs, a University of Kentucky graduate who has served as a director in Blue & Co.'s Cincinnati office prior to the merger, and Stephen Mann, a Transylvania University graduate who serves as director in charge of the Cincinnati office. Those local ties, and the firm's increasing footprint in the Louisville-Cincinnati-Lexington triangle, will mean more opportunities within those markets for the firm and more capabilities to be offered to Blue & Co.'s clientele, Mullins said.
“We are excited about welcoming our second merger in the Cincinnati market in the last 12 months. FB&D brings a wealth of expertise to our existing office and further enhances our technical capabilities within this important market,” said Brad Shaw, CPA, managing director of Blue & Co., in a release on the merger. “As a large regional firm, Blue & Co. has a unique opportunity to deliver truly specialized services to better assist our clients. This merger deepens our ability to bring an extensive variety of world class services to our clients with local attention and focus.”
“FB&D has consistently enjoyed a strong market position as a leader in client service. To continue our commitment to our clients we knew that we would need to enrich our practice by building our service line offerings and bench strength," said Robert Findley, CPA, managing partner at Fleming, Brockschmidt & Durkin. "Understanding the current market, we knew that the most effective way to do this was to seek a merger opportunity. We’re grateful to have found an incredible fit with Blue and Co. The partnership that we have forged has proven to be a tremendous fit both culturally and in its ability to help us offer cutting edge solutions to our clients.”
Five FB&D partners, including Findley, Sandra S. East, Kirk V. Fegley, Emily D. Merkle, and J. Clay Deye, will join Blue & Co., bringing the total number of directors (partners) for the newly combined firm to 47. For more information, check the Blue & Co. website at www.blueandco.com.