CLA Expands in New York Via Acquisition

Top 10 accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) has acquired Long Island-based accounting and business consulting firm Richards, Witt & Charles (RWC). Financial terms of the transaction, which went into effect on Sept. 18, were not disclosed.

RWC’s office in Garden City, NY, will become CLA’s second location in the state. CLA also has an office in New York City.

“RWC is an excellent fit with CLA’s focus and experience across numerous industries,” Scott Engelbrecht, CLA’s chief geographic officer, said in a press release. “As we expand our services in the areas of transportation, food, agribusiness and more, aligning the talent and expertise the RWC team brings to CLA only makes our overall offering to clients even more robust. Sharing a common vision and similar client promise, we are eager to build on our collective vision, together.”

Founded in 1979 by Alan Richards and Robert Witt, the medium-sized, niche-based accounting firm specializes in new and used automobile dealerships and restaurants, as well as services for small business clients, in the New York Tri-State area.

“RWC is well-known across the country for our experience and deep connection to the automobile dealership industry, and for our focus on serving restaurants of all sizes. We are deeply connected to our clients and understand their needs inside and out, just the way CLA is connected to its clients,” said Paul Charles, CPA, managing partner of RWC. “The synergies between our firms helps to make this transition easy for our clients and for our people. Together, we bring a together a broad array of talent and scope of service that will impact our clients’ businesses.”

CLA has more than 130 office locations in 29 states.