
Discover how the accounting firm that began in 1949 grew, diversified and expanded its expertise and market reach. Today the firm is known as HBK CPAs & Consultants and includes HBKS Wealth Advisors and Vertilocity, which provides IT consulting and management.

For 75 Years, Clients Count on HBK
HBK CPAs & Consultants started in business in a small office in downtown Youngstown in 1949 as Hill & Hammonds. By the mid-1950s, the firm had become Hill, Barth & King, and today the company – still based in the Mahoning Valley – is recognized as the 46th largest accounting and business consulting firm in the country.
Present at the beginning and central to HBK’s growth is Wallace “Wally” King, a combat pilot during World War II who returned home and cofounded the company along with Rowland Hill and William Barth. King, who turned 101 on Oct. 31, shares his story and insights in this special anniversary coverage.
Others helping to tell HBK’s story are principals Phil Carlon, who joined the firm in 1980; Jim Rosa, who joined in 1986; and Jim Dascenzo, who arrived at the firm in 1988. READ MORE

Keys to Growth of HBK: Leadership and Planning
As a young man just out of college, Jim Dascenzo’s options were wide open. Armed with a degree in accounting from Youngstown State University, Dascenzo recalls he had his pick of joining major firms such as Ernst & Whinney and Deloitte.
Uneasy about committing to a major firm in Cleveland or Columbus and wishing to remain in the Mahoning Valley, Dascenzo approached a family member for advice – his uncle, Anthony Giampetro, then a CPA. After Dascenzo described his situation and his prospects, his uncle imparted a dose of wisdom: “He said, ‘You’ve got to go with Hill, Barth and King,’” Dascenzo remembers his uncle advising. “They’re the best. You’ll get the best training. You’ll learn the most. And you’ll make a career out of it.” READ MORE
Wally King Personifies the ‘Greatest Generation’
Wally King personifies a generation that struggled through the Great Depression, fought in the most devastating conflict in history, and participated in the largest economic expansion the world has ever known.
During the Depression, King would take on any job that was available. On one occasion, he and another classmate spent a summer excavating the ground underneath a house to make way for a new basement. “We were using a tractor and a dirt scoop. We worked all summer taking the dirt out so they could build a basement. That’s what you call starting from the bottom,” he says with a laugh. READ MORE

HBK’s Business Services Set Firm Apart
Twenty years ago, a shift in strategy at HBK CPAs & Consultants set the course for exemplary growth at the firm, adding to what was already a dynamic and diverse company, its executives say.
It proved to be a critical moment for the 75-year-old HBK, reflects Jim Dascenzo, Principal. “It was really monumental,” he says.
The new strategic planning initiative helped to transform HBK from what was mostly a tax, accounting and consulting operation into a multidisciplined business services company, according to Dascenzo.
Since then, the firm has added services such as wealth management; information technology; retirement planning; leadership and culture development; and valuation, litigation and forensics. READ MORE
CLICK HERE FOR MORE 75 YEARS OF HBK COVERAGE

HBK Takes Community Involvement to Next Level
Support for Youngstown State University, United Way of Youngstown and Mahoning County, the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, Youngstown Business Incubator, Cityscape, Boys and Girls Club, Valley Economic Development Partners and the American Heart Association represent just a portion of HBK’s involvement. READ MORE

HBK Expands Leadership Team
This year, as HBK celebrates its 75th anniversary, the firm’s executive committee voted to split the leadership roles of its two operating entities, HBK CPAs & Consultants and HBKS Wealth Advisors, giving each its own top executive. READ MORE

Technology, AI and the Future of HBK
From manually operated adding machines to sophisticated software to massive amounts of data that are stored remotely in the cloud, the financial services sector has undergone a wild technological transformation over the last 75 years. READ MORE

HBK Solutions Takes Deep Dive Into Diverse Industry Sectors
The concept of developing industry sector specialists within HBK took hold as the firm’s client base became more diverse and the needs of different business segments changed. READ MORE

Construction Trade Journal Ranks HBK Among Top 50
HBK CPAs & Consultants this year again was named to Construction Executive magazine’s “The Top 50 Construction Accounting Firms.” READ MORE

Wally King’s Advice for the Young Professional
Today, younger men and women are entering a business world that is completely foreign to the one King stepped into. What hasn’t changed, though, are fundamental sensibilities that young professionals should take to heart. READ MORE