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Oklahoma-based HoganTaylor and Arkansas-based JPMS Cox will merge January 1, 2018 to create one of the region’s largest independent accounting firms.
Once combined, the firm will operate under the name HoganTaylor and number more than 300 employees in four offices — Fayetteville, Little Rock, Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The firm will continue to represent clients from small nonprofits to multibillion-dollar multinationals.
“In track record, in culture, in expertise and focus on client service, these two firms fit hand-in-glove” said HoganTaylor CEO Randy Nail. “By joining forces we’re capturing tremendous synergy to create value for our clients, communities and employees.”
“HoganTaylor gains a stronger presence in Arkansas, dozens of talented CPAs and support staff, and several additional expert practice areas. JPMS Cox adds a deeper bench, increased capacity and specialized services like cybersecurity to better serve its growing client list,” Nail said.
HoganTaylor, with 15 employees in Little Rock since 2015, will add JPMS Cox’s staff of 74 to total 314 team members across all four offices when the merger closes January 1, 2018. The Little Rock staff will combine into the JPMS Cox office space at 11300 Cantrell Road. No staffing changes are anticipated as a result of the merger.
JPMS Cox managing partner Gary Cooper concurred. “We have complementary skills, teams and industry expertise. Joining forces with HoganTaylor will let us bring our clients highly specialized services while deepening and enriching our ability to serve a growing list of clients in Arkansas and throughout the mid- South.”
HoganTaylor provides services via three core functions — assurance, tax and advisory services — and complements such foundational capabilities as tax and audit with cutting-edge capabilities in financial management, outsourced CFO services and employee benefits consulting. The firm’s partners deliver industry experience in construction, energy, financial institutions, technology, insurance, collective investment funds, manufacturing and distribution, nonprofit, retail and transportation.
JPMS Cox has extensive experience serving the healthcare, professional services, construction, nonprofit, financial institution and real estate sectors as well as high net worth individuals. Specialized services include forensic accounting and business valuation.
Nail said, “Our industry experience, geographic footprint and greater resources will allow us to serve clients better together and reach larger clients throughout the Midwest and Mid-South. We’re focused on growth and on helping Arkansas, Oklahoma and regional companies and nonprofits run better, more successful businesses.”
Unique Management Structure
HoganTaylor’s management structure allows business executives in marketing, IT, HR and operations to guide the business while accounting partners lead the practice areas and focus on client service.
“Our management and technical ‘segregation of duties’ provides for focus and concentration,” Nail said. “Accounting partners focus solely on our clients and their own expertise without the distraction of management duties. Our executive team concentrates on building a better business to serve our clients and employees better. IT, HR, marketing, systems and other skills are managed by experts in those disciplines while our partners hone expertise in theirs.”
“HoganTaylor’s administrative structure is particularly appealing,” Cooper said. “Allowing our accounting leaders to focus on their particular expertise full-time means we’ll create more value for our clients and create more opportunity for our staff to grow and excel. Both firms have been recognized as top accounting firms to work for, and this combination allows us to continue competing for the best talent.”
A Culture of Service
HoganTaylor and JPMS Cox have another attribute in common — that of a strong commitment to the communities they serve. Both have been recognized with multiple awards for philanthropic and community support, and both provide for employees to deeply engage with local nonprofits and causes. In fact, a quarter of HoganTaylor’s professionals serve on nonprofit boards, and the company underwrites 24 hours per year for every team member to engage in volunteerism. In 2016, the company contributed nearly a quarter of a million dollars to community causes in Arkansas and Oklahoma.
In like fashion, JPMS Cox invested nearly $50,000 in community causes in 2016, and nearly every one of its professional staff serves a nonprofit board or committee. Through team and individual service efforts, members of the firm contributed more than 700 volunteer hours in 2016.
“HoganTaylor’s mission is to ‘elevate our communities, our clients and our people through remarkable service,’” Nail said. “Through multiple synergies between these two partner firms, this merger puts us in a position to further excel and contribute to communities, businesses and people in the most meaningful ways.”
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