Top 50 accounting firm HBK CPAs & Consultants has combined with Zapken & Loeb, a Woodbury, NY-based 70-person CPA firm that provides accounting and business consulting services to business owners, executives, and independent professionals. The merger became official on Nov. 1.

As a result of the merger, Zapken & Loeb partners Tanvi Shah, Alex Charitos, Nachu Vellayappan, Kieron Ludde, and Scott Anderson are now principals at HBK. In addition, Managing Partner Howard Zapken and partners Jeff Isaacson and Steve Bandini have been named senior directors.

Christopher Allegretti

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“Howard Zapken, Stanley Loeb, and their team of talented professionals have been delivering high-quality accounting and business consulting for more than three decades,” Christopher Allegretti, managing principal and CEO of Canfield, OH-based HBK, said in a press release. “This merger is the largest in our firm’s long history and not only extends our presence in our Mid-Atlantic region but adds to our deep expertise in a wide range of accounting disciplines and industries.”

Like HBK, Zapken & Loeb professionals offer services to clients in a variety of industries, including construction, manufacturing, and health care.

“We are pleased to join HBK to ensure the next stage in the growth of our business,” said Howard Zapken. “HBK will offer our clients additional services that a firm with such a national reach can obtain.”

Phil Whitman, CEO of Whitman Transition Advisors, who advised both accounting firms on the transaction, added, “HBK has a track record of being a dominant player in secondary markets. The merger of Zapken & Loeb brings HBK five young principals who are poised to bring the firm significant growth and expansion opportunities on Long Island.”

A member of BDO Alliance USA, HBK now has 16 offices throughout Florida, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.