Honkamp Merges With Brems Group in Iowa

Top 200 accounting firm Honkamp merged in Brems Group, a CPA firm with offices in Cedar Rapids and Coralville, Iowa, effective Aug. 1.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. After the merger, Brems Group leaders Jim Brems, Brian Coller, and John Warren, as well as their 20 or so employees, will continue to serve their current clients from those two offices, Honkamp said in a media release.

Dubuque, Iowa-based Honkamp said the new locations in Cedar Rapids and Coralville will increase the firm’s ability to provide CPA and business advisory services to even more clients.

Katie Thomas

“We couldn’t be more excited to continue our growth and to expand our presence in the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City area,” Honkamp President and CEO Katie Thomas said in a statement. “The Brems Group and its leaders have a long track record of excellence in helping clients—the same standard that guides Honkamp. This merger will let us provide even more clients with world-class service and innovative solutions.”

The Brems Group touts that its leaders have been helping companies since the 1970s. The merger into Honkamp only will bolster the ability to assist local businesses, according to Coller, a partner at Brems Group who is now a shareholder at Honkamp.

“We look forward to joining the Honkamp team, as they share our commitment to clients, people, and community,” Coller said. “This strategic partnership will expand our opportunities to provide value to clients and continue offering the highest level of service and attention.”

This marks Honkamp’s fifth M&A deal in three years. The firm added Nigl Accounting, based in Oshkosh, WI, in December 2021. In November 2022, Honkamp acquired Vaassen, Pluemer CPAs, of Platteville, WI, and the Cedar Falls, Iowa-based office of Gosling & Co. Most recently, Schowalter & Jabouri merged into the firm in December 2023.