BKD unveils new name

Last edited 12:49 p.m., May 2, 2022

The merger of Springfield-based BKD LLP and Charlotte, North Carolina-based Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP, dba DHG, has yielded a new company name: FORVIS.

FORVIS, a combination of the words forward and vision, as well as unnamed partners, is slated to go into effect when the merger closes June 1, according to an April 27 news release.

“Business today is moving faster, with greater complexity than ever before. To lead in this environment, businesses need to anticipate and prepare for what comes next,” said Tom Watson, future FORVIS CEO and current CEO of BKD, in the release. “The past two years have certainly shown us that the world can change instantly, and you can never be too prepared for tomorrow.”

BKD and DHG announced the merger in February, noting a new name would come at a later date.

With its $1.4 billion in combined revenue, the entity now known as FORVIS would rank No. 8 on Inside Public Accounting's list of the top U.S. firms. BKD ranked No. 14 on the 2021 list, with $758.1 million in revenue, and DHG was No. 17, with $504 million in revenue. Combined, FORVIS will have more than 5,400 employees spanning 68 markets in 27 states, as well as the United Kingdom and the Cayman Islands. BKD accounts for over 40 of the offices, and DHG brings expertise largely on the East Coast, according to past reporting.

In creating the new name, FORVIS' leaders and team members additionally penned eight shared brand attributes: purposeful, people first, industry intelligence, high-quality, ultra-responsive, innovative, forward-thinking and driven, according to the release.

“Building on BKD’s and DHG’s strong foundations and legacies, we took a very purposeful and collaborative approach with our naming process, engaging a branding agency to guide us through team member interviews, focus groups and many other activities to develop our brand identity,” said Matt Snow, future FORVIS chair and current CEO of DHG, in the release. “We considered more than 200 naming options, including combinations of BKD and DHG, but when we heard FORVIS, we knew it represented who we will be."

Previously known as Baird Kurtz & Dobson, the company became BKD LLP through the 2001 merger with Olive LLP, according to the company's website.