Western Reserve Valuation

What Western Reserve Valuation does

Western Reserve Valuation (WRV), operating legally as Venture Valuation Advisory, LLC, is a U.S.-based business valuation advisory firm headquartered at 274 Marconi Blvd, Suite 140, Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 2012, the firm provides appraisal and valuation services across six interconnected practice areas: financial reporting (purchase price allocations, goodwill and intangible asset impairment testing, stock-based compensation, debt facility fair value measurements, and audit support), corporate finance transactions (M&A, divestitures, recapitalizations, LBOs, bankruptcies, going-private and pre-IPO valuations, and buy-sell agreements), portfolio and fund valuation (mark-to-market and quarterly fund valuations, carried interest, and cross-fund transfers), ESOP valuation services (feasibility studies, fairness opinions, second-stage and annual administration valuations), succession planning and wealth preservation (estate and gift tax planning, FLP/LLC discount studies, restricted stock and blockage opinions, and qualified appraisals), and corporate tax planning and compliance (IRC §409A deferred compensation, stock options, C-to-S conversions, corporate redemptions, transfer pricing, and joint-venture contributions).

The firm serves a deliberately broad client spectrum spanning pre-revenue startups, family-owned businesses, mid-market companies, and Fortune 500 multinationals engaged in international tax restructuring. Engagement-based, quote-based pricing is the sole revenue stream, with services billed on a per-engagement basis for financial reporting, corporate transactions, tax, and compliance purposes. The principals carry ASA, AVA, CM&AA, CFA, and CVA designations and have tenures at Ernst & Young, GBQ Consulting, BDO, IHS Markit, Empire Valuation Consultants, and Argus Partners; the firm cites over 100 years of combined valuation experience among its leadership.

In 2017 the practice was acquired by Citizens Financial Group (NYSE: CFG) and operated as Citizens Valuation Services for seven years. In 2024 the management team completed a buyout, rebranding the firm back to WRV (Western Reserve Valuation / WR Valuation), and in 2025 the firm launched a dedicated WR Equipment division, co-founded by Daniel J. Dawson, to extend into specialized equipment valuation.

Name

Western Reserve Valuation

Legal name

Venture Valuation Advisory, LLC

Website

https://wrvaluation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WRV is a Columbus, Ohio-based business valuation advisory firm serving clients from pre-revenue startups to Fortune 500 companies across financial reporting, M&A, ESOP, portfolio, succession, and tax practice areas. Management re-acquired the firm in 2024 after a seven-year Citizens Financial Group ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Valuation Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

akta.pro primary industry

Business Valuation (Private Company & Enterprise) (FSAEAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Valuation (Private Companies & Equity Interests) (BPAHANAA), Financial Reporting Valuation (ASC 820/805, IFRS 13/3) (FSAEAHAB), ESOP & Equity Compensation Valuation (ESOP, options, warrants) (FSAEAHAN), Business Valuation for Business Sales (FMV/Deal Support) (FSAEAIAE)

Keywords

• Business valuation services
• Financial reporting valuation
• ESOP valuation services
• Merger and acquisition valuation
• Tax planning valuation

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Valuation Services: Professional valuation services billed on a per-engagement basis for financial reporting, corporate transactions, tax planning, and compliance purposes. Revenue generated through project-based fees for valuation engagements ranging from pre-revenue startups to Fortune 500 companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Western Reserve Valuation is a professional business valuation firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, providing independent valuation services for financial reporting, corporate transactions, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), tax planning, succession planning, and portfolio/funds reporting. The firm serves clients ranging from pre-revenue startups to Fortune 500 corporations.

Product overview

Western Reserve Valuation (WRV) is a professional valuation advisory firm that offers a suite of integrated valuation services. The firm operates as a unified service offering rather than a software product, providing specialized valuation expertise across six interconnected practice areas: Financial Reporting, Corporate Finance Transactions, Portfolio and Funds, ESOP Valuations, Succession Planning and Wealth Preservation, and Corporate Tax Planning and Compliance. Clients range from pre-revenue startups to Fortune 500 companies. The principals have over 100 years of combined experience in the valuation industry serving clients across industry verticals from local family-owned business equity transfers to international tax restructuring for multinational firms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Reporting Valuation Services
• Corporate Finance Transaction Valuation
• Portfolio and Funds Valuation
• ESOP Valuation Services
• Succession Planning and Wealth Preservation Valuation
• Corporate Tax Planning and Compliance Valuation

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ernst & YoungminorOthersDavid C. Orth served as Northeast Ohio valuation leader at Ernst & Young for 9 years prior to joining Citizens Valuation Services and subsequently WRV.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Empire Valuation Consultants: Independent business valuation firm with a comparable boutique size and service mix spanning financial reporting, ESOP, M&A, and tax-related valuations. Directly comparable as a mid-sized specialty practice focused on private company valuation work.
• GBQ Consulting: Midwest-based consulting and valuation practice where WRV's co-founders previously served as directors. Comparable in size, regional footprint, and valuation/advisory service breadth across closely-held and middle-market clients.
• Valuation Research Corporation: Specialty valuation firm offering business valuation, ESOP, and financial reporting services to private and public clients. Closely comparable boutique competitor with overlapping practice areas and similar client segments.
• Withum: Mid-market accounting and advisory firm with a dedicated Valuation, Forensic and Litigation Support practice serving privately-held businesses, ESOPs, and family-owned companies. Comparable in client size focus and service breadth.
• Suncorp Valuations: Independent valuation firm specializing in equipment, inventory, and intangible asset appraisals. Directly comparable through shared leadership lineage (Daniel Dawson) and overlap in equipment/intangible valuation services.

Broad incumbents

• Kroll (formerly Duff & Phelps): Global valuation practice offering business valuation, fairness opinions, and ESOP services to Fortune 500 and large-cap clients. Competes for the same high-end financial reporting and transaction mandates at the top of the market.
• Houlihan Lokey: Global investment bank with a well-known Financial Advisory Services practice providing valuation, fairness opinions, and transaction-related services. Comparable on M&A, fairness opinions, and portfolio valuation mandates.
• BDO USA (Valuation Services): Top-tier accounting and advisory firm with a national valuation practice serving the same mid-market and large-company clients on purchase price allocations, stock-based compensation, and impairment testing. Competes on the same engagements at greater scale.
• Marcum LLP (Valuation Services): Top-15 U.S. accounting firm with a national valuation and litigation support practice serving middle-market and large private clients. Directly comparable on purchase price allocations, ESOP, and 409A services.
• Stout: National advisory firm with a substantial valuation services practice covering financial reporting, tax, transactions, and disputes. Comparable across most practice lines but with materially greater scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wr-valuation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Western Reserve Valuation