Corporate Report: North and Co. merges with accounting firm

Sarasota-based accounting firm North and Co. has merged with Hill, Barth & King, a larger firm based in Boardman (near Youngstown), Ohio.

North and Co., run by Bill North Sr. and his son, Bill North Jr., has four certified public accountants on staff and about 12 employees. Hill, Barth & King has more than 280 employees in 11 offices in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida, including in Fort Myers and Naples.

Bill North Sr. says he sought the right merger partner for a few years, just as the industry started going through a consolidation period. He reached out to executives at HB&K last year.