Company Formed From BKD-DHG Merger to be Called FORVIS

The company formed from the merger of BKD CPAs & Advisors of Springfield, Missouri, and DHG of Charlotte, North Carolina, will be called FORVIS, the two accounting firms announced Wednesday.

The name is a combination of “forward” and “vision,” which the companies say reflects the unique heritage of each firm and the way the combined firm will operate moving forward. 

The merger, expected to take effect June 1, will create one of the 10 largest accounting firms in the nation. BKD and DHG have a combined $1.4 billion in revenue and 5,400 employees in 27 states, along with the United Kingdom and the Cayman Islands.

Matt Snow, future FORVIS chair and current CEO of DHG, said the two firms considered more than 200 names before choosing FORVIS. The process included a branding agency, employee interviews and focus groups. They wanted a moniker that shared eight brand attributes: purposeful, people first, industry intelligence, high quality, ultra-responsive, innovative, forward-thinking and driven.

“These attributes strengthen the brand identity and represent how FORVIS will care for its people and clients,” the firms said in a news release.

BKD has more than 150 employees across Arkansas, with offices in Little Rock, Fort Smith and Rogers. It announced in February that it was expanding in Arkansas through the acquisition of Bankers Assurance LLC of Little Rock.