Firm Management
Wipfli Acquires Milwaukee Accounting Firm Sattell, Johnson, Appel
The combined firm will have approximately 1,900 associates and 48 office locations across the United States and two offices in India.
Dec. 06, 2017
Milwaukee-based Wipfli, one of the top 20 accounting and consulting firms in the United States, announced that Sattell, Johnson, Appel & Co. (SJA) merged with the firm effective December 1. This is the fifth firm to join Wipfli this year and the second Milwaukee-based firm to join Wipfli in the last 12 months.
“We are pleased to be joining forces with Sattell, Johnson, Appel & Co., a well-respected firm with a long history of serving businesses, nonprofit organizations, and individuals in the Milwaukee area,” said Rick Dreher, Wipfli’s managing partner. “This combination will benefit Wipfli by further strengthening our resources and market presence in Southeastern Wisconsin, which has always been a key market for us. The combination presents Wipfli with opportunities to further add to our talented team of professionals and build on our already strong client base of privately held businesses, nonprofit organizations, and high-net-worth individuals.”
Founded in 1954, SJA is an accounting, audit and tax firm headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. The firm provides accounting, audit, tax and financial planning services with a strong focus on serving privately held businesses, nonprofit organizations and high-net-worth individuals. As part of this combination, 33 SJA professionals, including three shareholders, have joined Wipfli.
“SJA is recognized in the Milwaukee market for it’s great reputation and as one of the most prestigious CPA firms,” said Allan D. Koltin, CEO of Koltin Consulting Group, who advised both firms on the merger. “They were approached by numerous regional and national firms but in the end selected Wipfli as they felt they had a similar culture, great depth of services for their clients, and tremendous growth opportunities for their people.
“When we were presented with the opportunity to merge with a national firm with such a rich history in Wisconsin very similar to ours, as well as a firm with consistent values and a similar commitment to excellence, we were excited to move forward and combine with Wipfli,” said Barry Sattell, chief executive officer of Sattell, Johnson, Appel & Co. “This combination will greatly benefit our clients by enhancing our ability to provide them with increased technical specialization and expertise as needed to meet increasing demands in the marketplace. This combination will also provide our employees with enhanced career opportunities.”
The combined firm will have approximately 1,900 associates and 48 office locations across the United States and two offices in India.