Top 200 Firm Smith + Howard Merges with Tennessee's Market Street Partners

Atlanta-based top 200 accounting firm Smith + Howard said today that it has merged in Chattanooga, TN, accounting firm Market Street Partners as of Aug. 15.

“The addition of Market Street Partners to our family of companies is a perfect fit, as we share similar values, visions, and the same dedication to providing high-quality, personalized service to our clients,” Smith + Howard CEO Sean Taylor said in a press release. “With our firms united, we are expanding our footprint in the Southeast region while enhancing the breadth and depth of services we provide.”

Market Street Partners will operate under the Smith + Howard name, with co-founding partner Kyle Bryant serving as managing partner of Smith + Howard’s Chattanooga office.

Founded in 2016 by Bryant and Kevin Rose, Market Street Partners provides accounting and advisory services to businesses and individuals.

“Joining forces with Smith + Howard is an exciting chapter for our team and clients,” Bryant said. “We look forward to bringing an enhanced array of resources and expertise to our clients, while maintaining the close relationships, personal touch, and local presence that our clients value and deep engagement in our community.”

Taylor and Bryant both agreed that along with commonalities in services, industries, and vision, the two firms share very similar cultures.

“When Smith + Howard launched our 10-year vision in 2020, the non-negotiable in that vision was our culture. It is core to who we are, and we will not sacrifice culture for the sake of growth. It was important for us to find a firm that shared that view,” Taylor said.

Bryant added, “Finding a firm who would provide us with additional resources, investment and technology was important, but even with each of those boxes checked, a culture match was the ultimate deciding factor. We’re very confident that we have found the right firm in all respects.”

Allan Koltin, CEO of Koltin Consulting Group, who advised both firms on the combination, said he believes this deal will serve as a springboard for other successful firms to join Smith + Howard.

“Smith + Howard is known nationally as one of the highest performing accounting and advisory firms in the country. They wanted their first deal to be a strong culture fit with a great firm in their geographic footprint, and that is exactly what happened here,” he said. “Market Street Partners is one of Tennessee’s youngest and fastest-growing firms, and they will be a welcome addition to Smith + Howard.”

Ranked No. 103 in the top 500 accounting firms in the U.S. by INSIDE Public Accounting, Smith + Howard provides tax, accounting, and advisory services to businesses across the U.S. in the construction, distribution, hospitality, manufacturing, nonprofit, real estate, and technology sectors. Along with traditional services, the firm offers sales and use tax, international tax consulting, enterprise risk services, SOC reporting, technology consulting and process automation, among other offerings, through its family of companies.

Smith + Howard operates under an alternative practice structure. In that arrangement, Smith + Howard PC, a licensed CPA firm, provides audit and other attest services to its clients, while Smith + Howard Advisory LLC provides tax, accounting, and advisory services to its clients. Wealth management services are provided through Smith + Howard Wealth Management LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor, and sales and use tax services are offered through Synexus Tax Solutions LLC.