Aprio, LLP, the No. 1 Fastest-Growing Accounting Firm in the U.S., announced that Birmingham, AL based Culotta, Scroggins, Hendricks & Gillespie, PC will merge with the firm. Partners Jake Culotta, Chris Gillespie, Joel Scroggins, and Steve Hendricks, along with 25+ Birmingham based team members, will join Aprio effective August 1, 2023.

The strategic combination alongside Aprio’s existing Birmingham presence, will propel Aprio even higher in the Alabama accounting firm ranks, while also enhancing Aprio’s ability to add client logos across the Southeast. With more than 100 years of combined experience, CSH&G excels in delivering personal services with a clear focus on client goals through relationships of the highest quality.

“CSH&G broadens Aprio’s geographic presence in the Southeast and supports our national go-to-market strategy,” said Richard Kopelman, CEO and Managing Partner at Aprio. “CSH&G will drive continued growth in the region serving clients with accounting services, tax planning, business consulting, and more. Together, as like-minded firms, we are reinforcing our people-first, purpose-driven culture and navigating what’s next. We plan to aggressively buildout our client roster in Alabama and beyond.” 

With a strong focus on providing superior client service, relationship expansion and community involvement, the CSH&G transaction will enhance Aprio’s ability to connect and create meaningful relationships with clients across the Southeast. As trusted advisors, CSH&G is known for being an innovative firm built on an authentic, relationship-based growth model.

“We are extremely excited about this partnership. Joining Aprio will provide access to a wide offering of expertise in new services and enable us to better serve our clients in meeting their business needs and objectives. The combination of our firms represents a great opportunity for us to bring next level services and to facilitate our continued growth in Birmingham and Alabama. This also represents a tremendous opportunity for our team to advance their professional growth and build even stronger client relationships,” said Jake Culotta and Chris Gillespie, CSH&G Partners, in a joint statement.

Terry Putney, Partner with Whitman Transition Advisors, consulted with Aprio and CSH&G in the transaction. "I knew that CSH&G joining Aprio would provide a unique expansion opportunity in a fast-growing market, while providing the CSH&G team an impressive platform to provide amazing new opportunities and servicing abilities for their people and clients,” Putney said.

Since 2017, Aprio has grown to be the fastest growing accounting firm through expanded services and capabilities and has completed more than 20 strategic mergers and acquisitions in the last five years, including Aronson, Salver & Cook, Gomerdinger & Associates, Tobin & Collins, Squire + Lemkin, LBA Haynes Strand, Leaf Saltzman, RINA and Tarlow and Company. The firm is regularly awarded top workplace awards nationally and regionally across the U.S. and earned a 2023 Top Workplaces USA Award and received recognition on Vault’s Top Accounting 25 list, which ranks the best accounting firms to work for in 2023.