Pease & Associates, CPAs launched a deliberate CPA firm growth strategy by forming a strategic alliance with Brent Grover, the founder of Evergreen Consulting LLC. Grover’s appointment strengthens the firm’s advisory capabilities, expands its national reach, and brings specialized distribution industry consulting into a full-service accounting practice. For firms looking to understand how CPA practices evolve beyond traditional compliance work, this leadership decision offers a clear case study in modern accounting firm growth.
This article answers one central question: how can a mid-size CPA firm grow its advisory practice without absorbing the cost and risk of a full merger? The Grover alliance provides a practical, repeatable answer.
Why Pease CPAs Pursued a Strategic Alliance
Most accounting firms grow by adding staff or acquiring smaller practices. Pease took a different path. Rather than a traditional hire or an accounting firm merger and acquisition, the firm structured a strategic alliance, a model that preserves the independence of both parties while creating shared value.
Joe Pease, the firm’s leader, described the move as the culmination of a 30-year professional relationship. “This is a very exciting time for us and I look forward to what we will be able to achieve together,” Pease said. “This has been a journey for Brent and I that has spanned over 30 years, and it’s great to see it finally result in this outcome. I am confident it will positively impact the future success of the firm.”
The alliance model lets Pease CPAs tap Grover’s national network and deep industry expertise without the integration challenges of a full merger. For mid-size CPA firms weighing their own options, the structure shows that strategic alliances can deliver many of the same benefits as accounting firm mergers and acquisitions, with greater flexibility and lower risk. The American Institute of CPAs has documented this broader shift toward advisory and consulting work as firms diversify beyond compliance, a trend reflected in its practice management resources for firms.
What Brent Grover Brings to the Firm
Brent Grover is a recognized authority in the distribution industry, with a career spanning consulting, ownership, academia, and board governance. His background positions him to lead CPA advisory services that reach well beyond traditional accounting. This depth complements the firm’s broader accounting services and its work across multiple industries.
Consulting and Business Ownership
Grover founded Evergreen Consulting LLC and grew it from a solo practice into a nationally recognized consulting entity serving distributors across the country. Before that, he served as CEO and co-owner of National Paper & Packaging Company, a Cleveland-based distribution firm, for 25 years. That combination of consulting and operational leadership gives him firsthand insight into the financial, strategic, and operational challenges that distribution businesses face daily.
Board Service and Academic Contributions
In addition to his consulting work, Grover serves as a board member on several prominent distribution, manufacturing, and service-based enterprises. He also spent four decades as an adjunct professor at The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. These roles give him a network of executive relationships and a deep bench of industry knowledge that few advisors can match.
A Unique Perspective on CPA Advisory Services
Grover describes himself as a “recovering accountant,” someone who brings the perspective of both a provider and a consumer of accounting and assurance services. That dual perspective helps firms strengthen their CPA advisory services, because Grover understands what clients actually need, not just what accountants typically deliver.
How This Alliance Supports CPA Firm Growth Strategy
The Grover alliance accelerates growth across several of Pease CPAs’ high-growth practice areas. Grover’s role centers on three responsibilities that directly support the firm’s CPA firm growth strategy.
Leading High-Growth Practice Areas
Grover provides leadership and direction to the firm’s fastest-growing service lines. For accounting firms that have plateaued in traditional audit and tax work, investing in advisory and consulting practices is one of the most effective paths to renewed growth. Grover’s experience positions him to identify which practice areas hold the most potential and to build the teams and processes needed to scale them. The firm’s distribution practice is a natural anchor for that expansion.
Co-Creating Strategies Across Departments
Rather than operating in a siloed role, Grover works across departments to co-create strategies and build new competencies. This cross-functional approach ensures growth initiatives are integrated into the firm’s overall operations rather than treated as standalone projects. CPA firms considering similar moves should study this structure, because it avoids the common trap of hiring a growth leader who lacks the authority or integration to make a real impact.
Buy-Side and M&A Client Engagements
Grover also works directly on select buy-side and M&A client engagements, bringing distribution industry consulting expertise to transactions where clients are acquiring or merging with other businesses. This hands-on advisory work is a direct revenue driver and deepens the firm’s reputation in mergers and acquisitions advisory. It aligns closely with the firm’s existing transaction advisory capabilities, where rigorous due diligence and deal structuring protect client value.
“Collectively, we plan to leverage my vast national network of companies to identify new opportunities for the firm, while accelerating the growth of the entire organization through thoughtful and targeted expansion strategies,” Grover said.
What This Means for CPA Firms Evaluating Growth
The Pease CPAs and Brent Grover partnership illustrates several principles that apply broadly to CPA firm growth strategy.
First, growth does not always require a full merger or acquisition. Strategic alliances can deliver specialized expertise, new client relationships, and expanded service lines without the cost and complexity of integration.
Second, industry specialization matters. Grover’s deep roots in the distribution industry give Pease CPAs a credible entry point into a sector with distinct advisory needs. Firms that try to be generalists in advisory services often struggle to differentiate themselves, while those that invest in specific industry verticals tend to win more engagements and build stronger client relationships.
Third, leadership hires should be structured to drive cross-functional impact. A growth leader who only advises from the sideline has limited value. By giving Grover both strategic and client-facing responsibilities, Pease CPAs ensures his expertise translates into measurable results.
Growth-minded CPA firms also operate inside a defined regulatory and ethical framework. Independence and professional conduct standards shape how advisory and assurance work can coexist, and firms expanding their service mix should consult resources such as the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. For accounting firms in Cleveland and beyond, this alliance serves as a practical model for pursuing growth through targeted leadership, industry focus, and creative partnership structures.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do CPA firms grow through strategic alliances?
CPA firms grow through strategic alliances by partnering with experienced professionals or firms that bring complementary skills, client networks, or industry expertise. Unlike a full merger, a strategic alliance preserves each party’s independence while creating shared opportunities for revenue growth and service expansion. This model reduces integration risk and lets firms test new practice areas before committing to permanent structural changes.
What is an M&A advisory role at a CPA firm?
An M&A advisory role at a CPA firm involves guiding clients through the process of buying, selling, or merging businesses. The work includes financial due diligence, valuation analysis, deal structuring, and post-transaction integration support. CPA firms with dedicated M&A advisory capabilities can serve clients beyond traditional tax and audit work, making them more competitive in the accounting firm mergers and acquisitions landscape.
Why do accounting firms hire industry-specific consultants?
Accounting firms hire industry-specific consultants to deepen their expertise in sectors where clients have specialized needs. A consultant with deep knowledge of distribution, manufacturing, or healthcare can identify risks and opportunities that a generalist advisor would miss. This specialization also helps firms win new business, because prospective clients prefer advisors who understand the specific dynamics of their industry.
What services does a CPA firm’s advisory practice typically offer?
A CPA firm’s advisory practice typically offers strategic planning, transaction advisory, risk management, operational consulting, and succession planning. These CPA advisory services go beyond traditional compliance work like audit and tax preparation, allowing firms to build deeper client relationships and generate higher-margin revenue.
How does distribution industry expertise benefit a CPA firm?
Distribution industry expertise benefits a CPA firm by providing a clear specialization that attracts clients in that sector. Distribution businesses face unique challenges around inventory management, supply chain optimization, and capital allocation. An advisor with hands-on experience running or consulting for distribution companies, like Brent Grover, can offer practical guidance that creates measurable value for clients.
How do CPA firms expand into new practice areas?
CPA firms expand into new practice areas by hiring or partnering with professionals who have deep expertise in target service lines. Successful expansion requires more than adding headcount, because it demands leadership that can build processes, train teams, and bring credibility to the new offering. Structuring these roles with both strategic and client-facing responsibilities, as Pease CPAs did with Brent Grover, increases the likelihood of meaningful growth.
