HBK CPAs & Consultants

What HBK CPAs & Consultants does

HBK CPAs & Consultants, operating as Hill, Barth & King LLC, is a privately held regional accounting and advisory firm headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio, founded in 1949 and ranked the #44 largest CPA firm in the United States by INSIDE Public Accounting. The firm delivers a comprehensive suite of professional services across three functional pillars: core accounting and tax (Accounting, Tax, Assurance), advisory (Advisory, Risk Advisory, Transaction Advisory, Private Equity Advisory), and specialized offerings (HR Business Advisory, Outsourced Accounting & Advisory, IT Consulting via the Vertilocity sub-brand, Wealth Management via HBKS, and Valuation, Litigation & Forensics). Services are organized around more than a dozen industry verticals including manufacturing (with a dedicated HBK Manufacturing Solutions practice), construction, dealerships, healthcare, cannabis, nonprofit, energy/oil & gas, real estate, retail, timber, transportation, and medical practices.

The firm monetizes through professional services engagements priced on a per-engagement basis, with multi-year recurring relationships particularly in tax, assurance, HR outsourcing/RPO, outsourced accounting, and wealth management (HBKS). Go-to-market is sales-led via National Directors of Business Development, Client Engagement Directors, and a professional referral network with attorneys, bankers, and financial advisors. Delivery is supported by a multi-office footprint (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and newly Maryland via the 2025/2026 MKS&H combination) and proprietary tooling including the ClientAxcess client portal, the SafeSend Gather secure document upload platform, the HBK 2025 Tax Organizer Checklist, and the 940-page HBK Legislation Impact Assessment. Alliance membership in BDO Alliance USA extends capability for clients with national or international needs.

Name

HBK CPAs & Consultants

Legal name

Hill, Barth & King LLC

Website

https://hbkcpa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

HBK CPAs & Consultants is a regional U.S. accounting and advisory firm (founded 1949, Youngstown OH) delivering tax, assurance, advisory, HR, risk, transaction, wealth, and IT services to privately held businesses and individuals across more than a dozen industry verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accounting & Advisory Services

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Office Administrative Services (5611)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Planning & Analysis Support (Budgeting, Forecasting, Management Reporting) (BPAAAGAJ)

Keywords

• Accounting services
• Tax advisory
• Audit assurance
• Business consulting
• Wealth management

Headquarters

HQ city

Youngstown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tax Services: Comprehensive tax preparation and consulting including federal tax consulting, international tax services, state and local tax advisory, personal income tax planning, estate planning services, cost segregation studies, and R&D tax credits. This represents a core recurring and project-based revenue stream.
2. Accounting & Assurance Services: Financial statement preparation, audit services, agreed-upon procedures, financial benchmarking, public company audit assistance, write-up services, and write-up services for businesses and individuals.
3. Advisory Services: Financial transformation, internal audit consulting, operational and organizational transformation, and technology transformation advisory engagements for clients.
4. HR Business Advisory Services: HR consulting, HR operations and implementation, HR outsourcing, HR project management, HR review and analysis, strategic advisory, training and development, and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO).
5. Risk Advisory Services: Compliance and assessment, cybersecurity services, SOC reporting, and Microsoft Supplier Security and Privacy Assurance services.
6. Transaction Advisory Services: Acquisition advisory, capital raising, company and asset sales and divestitures, strategic advisory, and quality of earnings analysis.
7. Wealth Management – HBKS: Wealth management services offered through the HBKS brand for individuals and business owners, including employer-sponsored retirement plans.
8. Outsourced Accounting & Advisory: Controller services, consulting services, and transactional services for clients seeking outsourced accounting functions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HBK CPAs & Consultants provides accounting, tax, assurance, advisory, HR, risk, transaction advisory, wealth management, IT consulting and valuation/forensic services to businesses and individuals across roughly 13 industry verticals. Service delivery is enabled by proprietary client tools including the ClientAxcess portal and SafeSend Gather, with the Vertilocity sub-brand providing technology transformation and managed IT support.

Product overview

HBK CPAs & Consultants is a regional accounting and advisory firm offering a comprehensive suite of professional services organized around three pillars: core accounting and tax services (Accounting, Tax, Assurance), advisory services (Advisory, Risk, Transaction Advisory, Private Equity), and specialized offerings (HR Business Advisory, Outsourced Accounting, IT Consulting via Vertilocity, Wealth Management via HBKS, Valuation & Forensics). The firm provides industry-specific solutions across 14 verticals including manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and real estate. Service delivery is supported by proprietary client portals (ClientAxcess) and digital tools like the Tax Organizer Checklist and Legislation Impact Assessment. The firm operates as a single unified brand with multiple sub-brands (HBKS for wealth management, Vertilocity for IT services, Evolve for DEI initiatives) and maintains global reach through HBK CONNECT.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HBKS: Wealth management and employer-sponsored retirement plans services
• Vertilocity
• HBK Manufacturing Solutions
• Evolve
• Tax Advisory Group

Products and services

• Accounting Services Comprehensive accounting services for businesses and individuals including financial statement preparation, financial benchmarking and performance measurement, other basis of accounting services, public company audit assistance, and write-up services.
• Assurance Services Audit and attestation services for businesses including audit services, agreed-upon procedures, financial forecasts and projections, fraud risk assessment, and internal controls and fraud prevention engagements.
• Tax Services Full-service tax offerings including cost segregation studies, estate planning, federal R&D tax credit, federal tax consulting, international tax services, personal income tax planning, state and local tax advisory services, and tax preparation services for businesses and individuals.
• State & Local Tax Advisory State and local tax advisory covering sales and use tax consulting, state and local tax credits and incentives, and multistate income/franchise tax support for multi-jurisdiction businesses.
• Advisory Services Strategic advisory covering financial transformation, internal audit consulting, operational and organizational transformation, and technology transformation engagements for business clients.
• Risk Advisory Services Risk management services including compliance and assessment, cybersecurity services, Microsoft Supplier Security and Privacy Assurance, and SOC reporting.
• Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) Transaction-focused advisory including acquisition advisory, capital raising, company and asset sales and divestitures, strategic and advisory services, and quality of earnings analysis.
• Private Equity Advisory Services Specialized advisory services for private equity firms and their portfolio companies.
• HR Business Advisory Services Human resources consulting and managed services including HR consulting, HR operations and implementation, HR outsourcing, HR project management, HR review and analysis, HR strategic advisory, training and development, and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO).
• Outsourced Accounting & Advisory Services Comprehensive outsourced accounting support for clients seeking external finance functions, including consulting services, controller services, and transactional services.
• Valuation, Litigation & Forensics Business valuation, litigation support, and forensic accounting services for businesses, attorneys, and individuals involved in disputes, transactions, or succession events.
• IT Consulting & Management – Vertilocity Technology consulting and IT management services offered through HBK's Vertilocity sub-brand, covering technology transformation and managed IT support for clients.
• Wealth Management – HBKS Comprehensive wealth management services for individuals and business owners provided through the HBKS sub-brand, including employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Quantifiable outcome

• Client satisfaction score of nearly 2x the industry average, backed by Best of Accounting Award
• +2 more outcomes

Segments13 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BDO Alliance USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHBK is a member of the BDO Alliance USA, a network of independently owned accounting firms that provides access to additional resources, expertise, and capabilities beyond what HBK offers independently. The alliance enables HBK to serve clients with national and international needs while maintaining its independent identity. The alliance is shown in HBK's footer logos alongside the firm's internal brand initiatives (ADVANCE, EVOLVE, HBK Cares, Work/Life balance programs).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Plante Moran: Plante Moran is one of the largest US CPA and advisory firms serving mid-market companies, with similar industry specialization (manufacturing, healthcare, financial services). Directly comparable in size range, service portfolio (audit, tax, consulting, wealth), and mid-market client focus.
• Wipfli LLP: Wipfli is a Top 25 US accounting and advisory firm with deep vertical specialization in manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and dealerships — overlapping directly with HBK's core verticals. Comparable size, multi-state presence, and full-service offerings including outsourced accounting.
• Crowe LLP: Crowe is a Top 10 US public accounting and consulting firm with industry-focused practices in manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, and government — closely matching HBK's vertical-specialization strategy and service mix. Comparable advisory, audit, tax, and risk advisory practices.
• Baker Tilly US: Baker Tilly is a Top 10 advisory, tax, and assurance firm with industry specialization in manufacturing, real estate, healthcare, and financial services. Directly comparable to HBK in size, mid-market focus, and full-service model including transaction advisory and risk services.
• Eide Bailly LLP: Eide Bailly is a Top 25 US CPA firm with strong regional Midwest presence similar to HBK's Ohio base, serving mid-market clients with tax, audit, advisory, and outsourced accounting services. Comparable vertical specialization and PE advisory practice.
• Forvis (formerly BKD + Dixon Hughes Goodman): Forvis is a Top 10 US accounting firm formed from the merger of BKD and Dixon Hughes Goodman, with industry-focused practices in healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services. Direct competitor for HBK's mid-market client base with broader geographic reach post-merger.
• CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen): CLA is a Top 10 US accounting and advisory firm with deep industry specialization in manufacturing, healthcare, and construction — directly overlapping HBK's core verticals. Offers comparable audit, tax, advisory, and outsourced accounting services to mid-market clients.
• Moss Adams: Moss Adams is a Top 15 US accounting and business advisory firm with industry-focused practices in manufacturing, consumer products, healthcare, and real estate. Comparable in mid-market focus, service breadth, and PE advisory capabilities to HBK.

Broad incumbents

• RSM US: RSM US is the US member of RSM International and a leading provider of audit, tax, and consulting services to the middle market. Significantly larger than HBK but competes directly for the same mid-market manufacturing, healthcare, and PE portfolio company clients.
• BDO USA: BDO USA is the US member of BDO International and a Top 5 global accounting network. Notably, HBK is a member of the BDO Alliance USA — making BDO both a strategic partner and competitive threat as clients scale into BDO's direct service territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hbkcpa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HBK CPAs & Consultants