What Hobe & Lucas does

Hobe & Lucas Certified Public Accountants, Inc. is a privately held, full-service accounting and business consulting firm headquartered in Independence, Ohio, founded in 1978 by David M. Hobe and Jerome J. Lucas. The firm operates from a single principal office at 6000 Freedom Square Dr #550, occupying space in the Crowne Center Building since 1990, and maintains a workforce of approximately 40-50 professionals, including partners, directors, managers, and staff accountants. As a PCAOB-registered firm affiliated with BKR International, Hobe & Lucas delivers a portfolio of services spanning auditing, tax planning and preparation, business consulting, client accounting services, employee benefit plan audits, mergers and acquisitions advisory, technology consulting, valuation services, and affiliated wealth management through Avantax Planning Partners.

The firm's revenue model is professional services fee-based, with pricing not publicly disclosed and tailored per engagement. The customer base is segmented across six primary verticals: Construction, Financial Services, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Professional Services, and Property Management. The go-to-market is relationship-driven and direct, leveraging long-tenured client engagements (some active since the firm's founding in 1978), community involvement, professional association memberships, and content marketing via a blog and email newsletter. The firm's technology stack consists of paperless engagement software for tax and audit practices, secure client portals (Aiwyn for payments, QuickFee for billing), and technology consulting expertise in QuickBooks, Sage, and Microsoft Office ecosystems. No public AI/ML capabilities, proprietary software products, or APIs are disclosed.

Name

Hobe & Lucas

Legal name

Hobe & Lucas Certified Public Accountants, Inc.

Website

http://www.hobe.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hobe & Lucas is an accounting firm that offers business consultation, taxation, financial reporting, audit and employee benefit plans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Independence

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Auditing Services: Annual or interim audits, reviews, compilations, employee benefit plan audits, HUD and Yellow Book audits, single audits, forecasts and projections, agreed-upon procedures, internal control reviews, quality of earnings analysis, fraud analysis.
2. Tax Planning and Preparation: Business and individual tax preparation, multi-state and local tax preparation, non-profit compliance, employee benefit plan compliance, estate and gift tax planning, entity selection, mergers and acquisitions, international taxation, tax credit studies, audit representation.
3. Business Consulting: Strategic planning, cost-effective employee benefit plans, compensation planning, profitability analysis, growth management, succession planning, buy-sell agreements.
4. Client Accounting Services: Transaction processing, monthly account reconciliations, financial statement preparation, invoicing, bill payment, receivables/payables monitoring, periodic tax filings.
5. Employee Benefit Plan Services: Full-scope and limited-scope audits, 401(k) plans, defined benefit plans, ESOPs, profit-sharing plans, plan design, compliance testing.
6. Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory: Pre-transaction analysis, acquisition strategy, quality-of-earnings analysis, deal structuring, business valuations, post-merger integration.
7. Technology Consulting: Accounting system conversion, implementation, integration, cloud-based solutions, data mining and analysis, budgeting tools, automated business forms.
8. Valuation Services: Business valuations for taxation, financial reporting, planning, transactions, and litigation support.
9. Wealth Management: Tax-intelligent financial planning and wealth management through Avantax Planning Partners affiliation, including investment strategies, retirement planning, family risk management.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hobe & Lucas Certified Public Accountants, Inc. is a full-service accounting and business consulting firm providing auditing, tax planning and preparation, business consulting, client accounting services, employee benefit plan services, mergers and acquisitions advisory, valuation services, and technology consulting. The firm also offers affiliated wealth management through Avantax Planning Partners. Services are delivered to for-profit, non-profit, and governmental clients across multiple industry verticals in Northeast Ohio.

Product overview

Hobe & Lucas is a full-service accounting and business consulting firm offering a portfolio of professional services. Their core offerings include Auditing Services, Business Consulting, Client Accounting Services, Employee Benefit Plans, Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory, Tax Planning and Preparation, Technology Consulting, and Valuation Services. Additionally, through their affiliation with Avantax Planning Partners, they offer Wealth Management services. The firm specializes in serving industries including construction, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services, and property management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Auditing Services

Named customers2 records

Segments6 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Avantax Planning PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHobe & Lucas partners with Avantax Planning Partners for wealth management services, enabling the firm to provide holistic financial services including tax-intelligent financial planning, investment strategies, and retirement planning backed by 40 years of investing experience.
• Cetera Wealth Services, LLCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSecurities offered through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Additional advisory services may be offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Cetera named entities and Avantax Planning Partners, Inc. are affiliated.
• BKR InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational accounting association membership providing global network and resources. Hobe & Lucas is affiliated with BKR International, participating in committees including Tax Committee and Construction and Public Entity Committees.
• AiwynsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPayment portal powered by Aiwyn, enabling secure online bill payments with options for ACH/bank transfers, credit cards, and recurring payments.
• QuickFeesupportingTechnology or IntegrationOnline payment portal for client billing through QuickFee platform, providing convenient payment options for clients.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cohen & Company: Mid-Atlantic/Ohio-based CPA and business advisory firm offering audit, tax, and consulting across multiple industries. Closely comparable in size, geography, and service mix to Hobe & Lucas.
• Meaden & Moore: Cleveland-based full-service CPA firm serving closely held businesses, manufacturers, construction, and professional services with audit, tax, and business consulting. Direct regional competitor.
• GBQ Partners: Ohio-headquartered (Columbus) CPA and business consulting firm with comparable service lines including audit, tax, valuation, and M&A advisory across multiple verticals.
• Apple Growth Partners: Akron/Cleveland-based accounting and business advisory firm offering audit, tax, business valuation, M&A, and wealth management—highly comparable to Hobe & Lucas in geography, size, and service mix.
• Maloney + Novotny LLC: Cleveland-area CPA firm providing audit, tax, business consulting, and valuation services to closely held businesses across construction, manufacturing, healthcare, and professional services—near-identical vertical mix.
• Bober Markey Fedorovich: Northeast Ohio-based CPA and advisory firm offering audit, tax, valuation, M&A, and business consulting. Similar size, region, and industry specializations to Hobe & Lucas.
• Bruner Cox LLP: Akron-based CPA firm delivering audit, tax, and consulting services to businesses and individuals in Northeast Ohio—direct regional peer with overlapping verticals.

Regional players

• Rea & Associates: Ohio-headquartered (New Philadelphia/Columbus) CPA firm with audit, tax, and advisory services; comparable service lines but operates more across central/southern Ohio rather than direct Northeast Ohio overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Skoda Minotti (now Marcum): Formerly a Northeast Ohio-based CPA firm (Cleveland) offering audit, tax, advisory, and wealth services; now part of Marcum LLP, a national Top-20 firm. Comparable in legacy service mix and region, but larger scale post-merger.
• Plante Moran: Large national CPA and business advisory firm with a strong manufacturing, healthcare, and construction practice. Competes for the same mid-market client base as Hobe & Lucas, though at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hobe-lucas-cpas

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Hobe & Lucas