Blackburn, Childers & Steagall

What Blackburn, Childers & Steagall does

Blackburn, Childers & Steagall, PLC is a privately held regional CPA firm headquartered in Gray (Johnson City), Tennessee, founded in 1961 and operating across three offices in Gray, Greeneville, and Boone, North Carolina with a team of over 100 professionals. The firm delivers accounting, taxation, audit and assurance, client advisory, and affiliated wealth management services to individuals and businesses throughout Upper East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. Its service mix spans business and individual tax preparation, financial statement audits and single audits under Uniform Guidance, GASB and ERISA compliance work, construction contractor licensing financial statements, nonprofit Form 990 preparation, payroll, bookkeeping, and outsourced accounting, with deep industry specialization across healthcare, construction, nonprofits, governmental entities, higher education, employee benefit plans, manufacturing, and small business.

The firm's underlying technology is conventional for a mid-sized regional CPA practice: it uses QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll as the core client bookkeeping and payroll platforms and operates an iChannel secure client portal for document exchange and communication. There is no proprietary software product, no public API, and no AI-driven capability disclosed. BCS distributes services directly through its three physical offices, delivers remote engagement via the client portal, and extends into wealth and trust services through a Family of Companies model that links BCS Wealth Management and First Covenant Trust & Advisors via cross-referral. It also holds membership in PrimeGlobal, an international association of independent accounting firms, giving it access to multi-jurisdictional expertise and referral networks for complex client needs.

Commercially, BCS operates a fee-for-service professional services revenue model with individualized pricing that is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, built on six decades of community presence and reinforced through an active blog, a quarterly newsletter program, social media on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram, community outreach through the BCS Gives Back program, and earned media around regulatory updates. Recent strategic activity centers on the 2024 Project Gray office consolidation, expansion of the Family of Companies, and sustained investment in content marketing and community engagement, consistent with a mature firm pursuing incremental growth through service-line extension and brand reinforcement rather than geographic or technological expansion.

Name

Blackburn, Childers & Steagall

Legal name

Blackburn, Childers & Steagall, PLC

Website

https://bcscpa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Johnson City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accounting and Audit Services: Fee-for-service professional services including audit and assurance engagements, financial statement reviews and compilations, and agreed-upon procedure engagements for construction contractor licensing and other specialized needs.
2. Tax Services: Tax preparation and advisory services for individuals, businesses, estates, gifts, trusts, and nonprofits, including tax planning and compliance related to federal legislation changes such as OBBBA, SECURE 2.0, and energy credits.
3. Client Advisory Services: Payroll processing, bookkeeping, compliance support, outsourced accounting, and software training and support services for clients.
4. Wealth Management and Trust Services: Financial advisory and wealth management services through affiliated companies BCS Wealth Management and First Covenant Trust & Advisors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Blackburn, Childers & Steagall, PLC is a regional public accounting firm providing tax preparation, audit and assurance, and client advisory services to businesses, nonprofit organizations, individuals, and estates/trusts. Founded in 1961 and headquartered in Northeast Tennessee with offices in Gray (Johnson City), Greeneville, and Boone, North Carolina, the firm pairs traditional CPA services with affiliated wealth management offerings.

Product overview

Blackburn, Childers & Steagall (BCS) is a regional CPA firm offering a comprehensive suite of accounting, tax, and advisory services. The firm's core offerings include Tax Services (business, individual, estate/gift/trust, and nonprofit tax), Audit & Assurance Services (serving nonprofits, higher education, governmental entities, employee benefit plans, construction, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors), Client Advisory Services (payroll, bookkeeping, compliance, and software support), and BCS Wealth Management. The firm operates primarily as a professional services organization rather than a software product company, delivering services through a team of over 100 professionals across three office locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Services Comprehensive tax preparation, planning, and compliance services for businesses, individuals, nonprofits, and estates/trusts across multiple industries.
• Audit and Assurance Services Financial statement audits, reviews, compilations, and assurance engagements delivered to businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government entities.
• Client Advisory Services Business consulting and advisory engagements covering operational, financial, and strategic matters for business owners and organizational leaders.
• Wealth Management Services Wealth management and investment advisory services for individuals, families, and business owners, delivered through affiliated wealth management partners.
• Estate, Gift and Trust Planning Estate, gift, and trust planning and compliance services for individuals, families, and trustees handling wealth transfer matters.

Named customers1 record

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• BCS Wealth ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCS is a strategic partner with BCS Wealth Management, forming a 'Family of Companies' that provides clients with comprehensive financial solutions. The affiliation enables cross-referral of wealth management and financial advisory services to BCS's existing accounting and tax client base, supporting clients at every stage of their financial journey.
• First Covenant Trust & AdvisorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCS maintains a strategic partnership with First Covenant Trust & Advisors as part of its Family of Companies structure. The relationship enables delivery of trust administration and financial advisory services alongside traditional accounting and tax services, providing clients with holistic financial guidance.
• PrimeGlobal AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCS is a member of PrimeGlobal, an international association of independent accounting firms. The membership provides access to global resources, technical expertise, and professional development support, enabling BCS to serve clients with complex multi-jurisdictional needs and maintain connections with the broader accounting profession.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pugh CPAs: Knoxville-based regional CPA firm of comparable size and service mix (tax, audit, advisory), serving East Tennessee individuals and businesses. Closest direct peer given overlapping Tennessee geography and similar professional services model.
• Rodefer Moss & Co: Tennessee regional CPA firm with offices in Blountville and Knoxville offering tax, audit, and advisory services to individuals and businesses. Comparable in size, regional footprint, and service breadth to BCS.
• Decosimo (now part of CBIZ): Chattanooga-based regional accounting and advisory firm (now a CBIZ company) with comparable full-service offerings including tax, audit, and wealth advisory, serving similar Tennessee and Southeast markets.
• Brown Edwards: Mid-Atlantic/Southeast regional CPA firm (Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee) with similar size and vertical specialization including nonprofits, government, and construction. Directly comparable regional accounting model.
• Coulter & Justus, PC: Knoxville-based regional CPA firm offering tax, audit, and advisory services with comparable Tennessee market overlap and similar mid-market client focus.
• Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain (LBMC): Nashville-headquartered Tennessee regional CPA and advisory firm with broader service portfolio including wealth management. Similar professional services model and multi-vertical specialization, though larger in scale.
• Elliott Davis: Southeast-focused regional accounting and advisory firm offering tax, audit, and consulting with similar multi-vertical industry specialization (healthcare, manufacturing, construction, nonprofits). Comparable regional growth-stage firm.

Broad incumbents

• FORVIS (formerly BKD + DHG): Top-10 U.S. accounting firm formed from BKD and Dixon Hughes Goodman merger, with significant Southeast/Tennessee presence including acquired Pershing Yoakley. Larger incumbent that competes for the same mid-market and audit clients as BCS, especially in healthcare and nonprofits.
• Cherry Bekaert: Southeast-based national accounting firm with similar vertical expertise in government, nonprofits, healthcare, and construction. Larger incumbent competing for the same regional clients.
• Wipfli: Top-25 U.S. accounting and advisory firm serving mid-market clients with comparable industry verticals including construction, manufacturing, and nonprofits. National incumbent with growing Southeast presence that competes for similar client engagements.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BCSCPA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bcscpa
• Instagraminstagram.com/bcs_cpa?igsh=MXN2c2tvZDRqaTh3OA==
• Xx.com/bcscpas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Blackburn, Childers & Steagall