Ten of the largest CPA firms in the US announced yesterday the formation of Capital Professional Advisors, a new financial management company designed to provide turnkey insurance and investment programs for their clients.

Minneapolis based Capital Professional Advisors will be funded by the affiliated member firms and by Allmerica Financial Corporation, a Fortune 500 insurance and financial services company.

Gordon Viere, CEO of Larson Allen Weishair & Co., LLP, Minneapolis, is chairman of Capital Professional Advisors. Douglas Wright, former vice president and general counsel of 1st Global, Inc., Dallas, is president.

"Like most CPA firms, we have been contacted by many financial service companies that want to gain access to our clients," Viere said. "Our foundation firms created Capital so that we could provide quality financial services at competitive prices, but do so from an independent position that protects the integrity of our client relationship. "

Founding Member Firms

Firm rankings are based on Accounting Today's 1999 Top 100 Firms list:

Firm Location Rank

Clifton Gunderson, L.L.C. Peoria, IL 17th

Larson Allen Weishair & Company Minneapolis, 20th

Eide Bailly LLP Fargo, ND 26th

Cherry Bekaert & Holland, LLP Richmond, VA 29th

Virchow Krause & Company, LLP Madison, WI 31st

Parente Randolph Orlando Wilkes-Barre, PA 35th

LeMaster & Daniels, PLLC Spokane, WA 47th

Rubin, Brown, Gornstein & Co. St. Louis, MO 49th

Kennedy & Coe, LLC Salina, KS 52nd

Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co. Middletown, OH 65th
SOURCE Allmerica

/CONTACT: Doug Wright, President of Capital Professional Advisors, Inc., 612-376-4613, or Carl George of Clifton Gunderson, LLC, 309-671-4574, or Howard Kies of Cherry Bekaert & Holland, LLP, 804-673-4224, or Gordon Viere of Larson, Allen, Weishair & Co., LLP, 612-376-4800, or Eric Simonsen, President of Allmerica Services, Inc. 508-855-4239/ (AFC)

[Copyright 1999, PR Newswire]