Saltmarsh Joins the Ascend Platform

6/2/2025 - By Nancy Patton

Ascend, a strategic partner for regional accounting and advisory firms backed by private equity firm Alpine Investors, today announced that it has welcomed another regional leader onto the platform that has profoundly changed the landscape for modern accounting firms since its founding two years ago.

Effective June 1, Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund (“Saltmarsh”) of Pensacola and Tampa, FL, became the latest firm to join the Ascend platform. Saltmarsh gives Ascend its first foothold in Florida. The firm brings deep market roots in the region and the people-focused foundational values that are core to Ascend’s approach.

Nishaad (Nish) Ruparel, Ascend’s President, said, “This is a monumental partnership for Ascend. Saltmarsh has an equally proud history, with an 80-year legacy in Florida’s panhandle and central cities. The firm is synonymous with quality, is a longstanding best-place-to-work, and has a dynamic group of partners that are seen as trusted advisors across disciplines. Less than a year ago, Lee Bell and the Saltmarsh leadership team took the time they needed to articulate a strategic vision that would carry the firm into the next decade and enumerate a plan for achieving that vision. We feel privileged that they decided Ascend is best positioned to help them fulfill those ideals.”

Lee Bell, CEO of Saltmarsh, said, “The success of our business is entirely about putting our people first so they can do what they love, which is helping our clients achieve success. Ascend’s intense focus on people and their unique concentration on supporting our more than 80-year legacy as Saltmarsh is why we made the decision to partner with them. We found ourselves spending valuable time and energy just to keep up with rapidly evolving industry demands. And we concluded that we needed a partner to stay comfortably ahead, so we can keep our energy focused on our people and our service to clients. Our great clients will continue to work with the same Saltmarsh professionals, right where they are today. But now we will have the power of an industry-leading organization, with growth capital and real ability to continually adapt to a rapidly changing future. Partnering with Ascend will make Saltmarsh that much better and allow us to immediately bring our people’s career paths into a modern era, enabling them to continue serving the clients they love, where they love to work and live.”

Saltmarsh is one of the largest full-service accounting and advisory firms in the Southeast. The firm offers deep expertise and specialized consulting for many industries and high-net-worth individuals. It has been recognized as a top accounting firm nationally and locally and received ClearlyRated’s Best of Accounting™ Award for exceptional client service. The award, based on client ratings, is presented to fewer than 1% of all accounting firms in the United States and Canada.

“We believe in delivering legendary service and being relentless about improvement. Our passion for people and excellence is the foundation of our work and drives our client experience. Ascend’s platform is built on the same fundamentals that comprise the ‘Saltmarsh Way,’ which defines how we work with our clients, strategic partners, and each other. Ascend is the only firm we seriously engaged with, and we know they are the perfect partner for the future success of our firm and our people,” Mr. Bell said.

Saltmarsh brings 16 partners and 178 total team members to Ascend. Saltmarsh is an active, independent member of the BDO Alliance.

The Ascend Platform
Ascend’s platform enables regional accounting firms with between $15 and $50 million of revenue, committed leadership, great cultures, and a big vision for the future to remain independent while accessing the sophisticated resources of a large firm to achieve their full potential.

As is common in private equity deals with CPA firms, platform firms adopt an alternative practice structure, separating non-attest and attest services. Tax and business advisory services are provided by a new entity affiliated with Ascend. Attest services are provided by an independently owned and licensed CPA firm.

Since launching in January 2023, close to twenty regional accounting leaders have restructured in order to join the Ascend platform. The appeal of Ascend’s platform as a solution to the challenges of the traditional partnership structure has rapidly driven Ascend into the upper tier of the accounting industry, establishing it as an Accounting Today Top 30 firm in just two years. Its Founder & CEO, David Wurtzbacher, has twice been named one of Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.

About Ascend
Backed by private equity from people-focused Alpine Investors, Ascend is building a dynamic platform for regional accounting firms that enables them to stay independent while accessing the resources of a national firm to help them grow. Ascend provides access to growth capital, robust talent acquisition and training, leading quality management resources, best-of-breed technology, AI tools, an offshore captive, shared back-office services, a catalytic leadership system, and modernized equity incentives so firms can surmount today’s industry challenges to reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.ascendtogether.com.

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