Beard Miller Company LLP, Pennsylvania's largest regional CPA firm with 250 employees, has announced plans to merge with Lancaster-based Dorwart Andrew & Company, effective January 1, 2002.

According to Beard Miller Company’s Chairman, Robert J. Gibble, "Our objective in combining our two firms is to create a dominant, regional professional services firm in the eastern, central, and south central Pennsylvania markets. This will allow us to concentrate our efforts in this region and to continue to deliver high quality, value-added services to each of our local communities. Beard Miller Company LLP will have the size, depth of resources and talent that will permit us to focus on middle market companies, entrepreneurial, and small business entities, as well as public companies and specific industries. This is critical to the success of our clients, who stand to benefit from our increased ability to deliver responsive, sophisticated services at a local level."

Founded in 1950, Dorwart Andrew & Company is a certified public accounting firm offering professional services to individuals, businesses and organizations of all sizes and operating in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, health care, and construction. The firm is one of Lancaster County's largest and oldest certified public accounting firms with 50 employees, 9 of whom are partners and all of whom will be joining Beard Miller Company LLP.

This combination results in a 300-person firm with 48 partners. With this combination, Beard Miller Company LLP's size will place it among the Top 50 of certified public accounting and consulting firms in the United States.