Cloud Momentum, Vertical Reach, Tech Strengths Spur Latest Sikich Acquisition

Last week, Naperville, Ill.-based professional services firm Sikich LLP announced its largest acquisition to date; that of Brockman, Coats, Gedelian & Co., BCG Systems, Inc. and BCG Wealth Advisors, LLC (known collectively as BCG & Co.), based in Akron, Ohio and with an office in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the kind of deal that sets Sikich up for growth - by geographic reach, by vertical expertise, by breadth of IT services, and even within the Dynamics product line.

With annual revenues of more than $18 million, BCG & Co. represents the largest ever acquisition for Sikich. BCG & Co. offers audit and assurance, tax, technology and wealth management services - very much in line with Sikich's offerings, but its technology practice is especially key to Sikich strategy.

Last August the company acquired Massachusetts-based Altico Advisors, which was at $8 million in revenue. At the time, Jim Drumm, partner-in-charge of Sikich's technology practice, said the company's 10-year plan is to grow its technology services practice from $60 million to $250 million by expanding on both east and west coasts.

Complementary in the cloud

Both Sikich and BCG are Tier 1 Microsoft Cloud Solution Providers (CSPs), which was key to the new acquisition.

Strategically, BCG & Co.'s CSP status was essential to this acquisition, "but moving forward that won't be as much of a criteria since we've got that capability," says Drumm. Sikich is eyeing larger ERP solution providers for acquisition that are not CSPs. "As long as they have experience running Dynamcis AX, NAV or GP on Azure or in the cloud, it will be a good fit."

He says of BCG & Co. that it will allow Sikich to expand its cloud capabilities ...