Two St. Petersburg accounting firms announce merger

A St. Petersburg accounting firm with a history of mergers has shown accrued interest in another area company. SBF Advisors recently joined forces with Hoerber Tillman & Company (HTC), which has an office in St. Pete and Tampa, according to a statement. 

SBF Advisors is a public accounting and advisory firm with offices in Florida and Tennessee focused on tax planning, preparation, accounting and advisory services for privately held businesses in the affordable housing, automotive, health care, manufacturing, nonprofit and real estate sectors. The firm has history dating back to the 1970s, but its current iteration is considered to have begun in 2016 as Spoor Bunch Franz. It added Advisors to its name after merging with Westbay CPAs last year.

HTC was founded by Sara Hoerber and Lisa Tillman in 2017. The firm specializes in forensic accounting, litigation support, marital dissolution and business valuations. SBF Advisors says in a the statement that it welcomes all HTC employees and clients to the team. 

“This merger presents a strategic opportunity to further strengthen our advisory services. We’re thrilled to leverage the deep industry knowledge and extensive experience that Sarah and Lisa bring to the table, and we are excited to welcome them to our team,” says David Harper, partner at SBF, in the statement. 

As of now, both firms will operate under their respective brands for the remainder of 2025, with new combined branding to be explored in the coming months.