Avizo Group Merges With BMSS Advisors & CPAs

A look at what the merger will mean for the local community 

Effective July 1, Avizo Group, Inc. merged with BMSS Advisors & CPAs, expanding BMSS from eight to 10 offices, adding locations in Brewton and Fairhope. Operating under the BMSS name, the two relationship-driven firms see the merger as a way to strengthen the firm’s presence and reinforce its position as one of the Southeast’s top advisory and CPA firms.

To discuss the merger and what it means for their clients and the larger community, three team members took time to answer questions from your author (LMF) by email: Don Murphy (DM), CPA, CGMA, CEO and managing member for the BMSS Family of Companies; Phillip Rivers (PR), CPA, a member who oversees the Mobile and Eastern Shore presence for the BMSS Family of Companies; and Rachel Young (RY), CPA, CGA, formerly Avizo’s CEO and managing shareholder and now a BMSS member.

LMF: What factors led your firms to consider a merger?
RY: This merger was driven by a shared commitment to clients, team members and the communities we serve. Both Avizo and BMSS have built their firms around relationships, trust, technical excellence and personal service. As client needs continue to grow more complex, both firms recognized the opportunity to create something stronger together: a local, relationship-driven firm with greater depth, broader resources and expanded capabilities across the Alabama Gulf Coast and beyond.

For Avizo, it was important to find a partner that would preserve the personal service and culture clients have valued for decades while creating additional opportunities for clients and team members. BMSS offered that balance. We share similar values, similar commitments to our people and a similar belief that exceptional client service begins with strong relationships.

LMF: Why was now the right time to combine forces?
RY: The accounting and advisory profession is changing quickly. Clients need more than traditional tax and assurance services. They are looking for strategic guidance in areas such as technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, payroll, human resources, wealth planning, business intelligence, succession planning and advisory services.

At the same time, firms are navigating talent challenges, succession planning, increasing specialization and the need for deeper infrastructure. By joining together now, we can be proactive rather than reactive. This merger allows us to preserve what clients and team members value most about Avizo while giving them access to the expanded resources, leadership structure and specialized knowledge of BMSS.

It also comes at an important time for the Alabama Gulf Coast. BMSS expanded into Mobile in January 2025, and by adding Avizo’s Fairhope and Brewton offices, we are significantly deepening our presence across South Alabama.

LMF: What made the two firms a good fit for each other?
RY: The fit really begins with culture. Both firms believe relationships matter. Both believe people come first. Both believe in doing the right thing and providing an exceptional client experience.

Avizo has been deeply rooted in the Gulf Coast region for more than three decades, with strong client relationships and a reputation for personal, responsive service. BMSS brings additional scale, specialized services, leadership depth, technology resources and the BMSS Family of Companies. Together, we are large enough to offer expanded expertise, but still local enough to know our clients personally and understand the communities where we live and work. That combination is what makes this such a natural fit.

LMF: What are the primary goals of the merger?
PR: Our primary goal is to create an even stronger future for clients, team members and the communities we serve. For clients, that means continuity in the relationships they trust, along with access to broader resources and deeper expertise. For team members, it means expanded career paths, additional training, stronger infrastructure and more opportunities to grow within a larger organization. For the Gulf Coast business community, it means greater access to a Top 100 accounting and advisory firm that remains locally connected and relationship focused.

We want clients to feel that the service they value is not only preserved but strengthened. We want team members to feel supported and excited about the future. And we want the combined firm to be a long-term resource for businesses throughout the Alabama Gulf Coast.

LMF: What surprised you most about bringing the two firms together?
RY: What has stood out most is how natural the alignment has felt. When two firms begin conversations about combining, you expect to find similarities, but the depth of shared values between Avizo and BMSS has been very encouraging.

There has been a common language around client care, team member support, community involvement and long-term thinking. Both firms are relationship-driven, and both understand that culture cannot be an afterthought. That shared mindset has made the process feel less like one firm joining another and more like two aligned teams preparing for the next chapter together.

LMF: What metrics will you use to determine whether the merger is successful?
DM: We look at success in several ways. Client retention and satisfaction will be very important. We want clients to continue feeling well served, well known and confident in the team around them. We will also look at team member retention, engagement, career development and how effectively we are integrating people into the broader BMSS culture.

From a business perspective, we will evaluate growth in the Gulf Coast market, expanded service opportunities, cross-functional collaboration and the ability to bring additional BMSS Family of Companies resources to clients when appropriate. But success is not just financial. A successful merger means clients experience continuity and added value, team members feel supported and included and the local community sees a stronger firm investing in the region.

LMF: Both firms now operate under the BMSS name. What do clients need to know moving forward?
DM: Effective July 1, Avizo became part of BMSS Advisors & CPAs. The combined firm operates under the BMSS name, while continuing to honor the relationships, legacy and reputation Avizo has built since 1990.

For clients, the most important message is continuity. They will continue working with the Avizo professionals they know and trust now backed by the expanded resources and specialized expertise of BMSS. The name changed, but the personal service and client-first approach remains.

LMF: How will leadership responsibilities be structured moving forward?
PR: BMSS has a structured leadership model designed to support growth while maintaining accountability and local connection. Murphy will continue serving as CEO, with Todd Hindsman serving as chief operations officer and the firm’s broader steering committee and department leaders continuing to guide strategy, operations, client service and team member support.

Young will become a BMSS member and continue to be an important leader for the Fairhope office and the Avizo team as they transition into BMSS. Local leadership will remain important because our goal is not to lose the local identity and relationships Avizo has built. Instead, the goal is to connect those local relationships with the broader leadership, technical resources and service infrastructure of BMSS.

LMF: To what new services or capabilities will clients gain access?
DM: Clients will gain access to a broader platform of services and specialists. In addition to advisory, tax, assurance, estate and trust, valuation and business consulting services, clients will have access to the BMSS Family of Companies.

That includes Abacus Technologies for cybersecurity, managed IT and business intelligence; Payroll & Benefit Solutions for payroll, human resources, benefits and professional employer organization services; and BMSS Wesson Wealth Solutions for financial planning and investment advisory services. Clients will also benefit from BMSS’ membership in the BDO Alliance USA, which provides access to national knowledge and global reach while allowing clients to continue working with a local, relationship-focused firm.

The real value is that clients do not have to sacrifice personal service to gain deeper resources. They can continue working with trusted local professionals while having a wider network of expertise available when their needs require it.

LMF: Will the merger cause any changes for existing clients?
RY: For existing clients, the experience should feel very familiar. For the most part, clients will continue working with the Avizo professionals they know and trust. The same commitment to responsiveness, care and personal service will remain at the center of the relationship.

What will change is the depth of resources behind the scenes. As client needs evolve, the combined firm will be able to bring in additional specialists, expanded service lines, technology resources and advisory capabilities. The goal is a smooth transition that preserves the relationships clients value while adding meaningful support.

LMF: What does this merger mean for the local business community?
PR: This merger strengthens the professional services resources available to businesses across the Alabama Gulf Coast. With offices in Mobile, Fairhope and Brewton, BMSS will have a much deeper footprint across South Alabama. That means local businesses will have greater access to advisory, accounting, technology, payroll, wealth and business consulting resources without losing the benefit of local relationships.

It also reflects our belief in the future of this region. The Gulf Coast has a strong and growing business community, and we want to be part of supporting that growth. By combining Avizo’s deep local roots with BMSS’ broader resources, we can help businesses in the region navigate complexity, plan for growth and create long-term success.

LMF: What excites you most about the first year of operating as one organization?
DM: The most exciting part is bringing our people together. Both firms have talented professionals who care deeply about clients and about doing excellent work. The first year will be an opportunity to build relationships across offices, introduce clients to additional resources and help team members see the new opportunities available to them.

We are also excited to strengthen BMSS’ presence across the Alabama Gulf Coast. With Mobile, Fairhope and Brewton, we will be able to serve the region with more depth and more local connection than ever before.

LMF: How does this merger position the firm for future growth?
DM: This merger positions BMSS for thoughtful, strategic growth across the Southeast while reinforcing our commitment to remaining independent, relationship-driven and locally connected. It expands our presence from eight offices to 10 and grows the firm to approximately 410 team members.

More importantly, it gives us greater depth in a region that is important to our future. The Alabama Gulf Coast is a strong and dynamic market. By combining Avizo’s established presence in Fairhope and Brewton with BMSS’ Mobile office and broader firm infrastructure, we are creating a stronger platform for growth across South Alabama.

LMF: What opportunities do you see in the local market over the next five years?
PR: We see tremendous opportunity across the Alabama Gulf Coast. The region has a diverse economy, strong entrepreneurial activity, growing communities and businesses that increasingly need sophisticated advisory support while still wanting local relationships.

Over the next five years, we believe businesses will need more guidance around succession planning, technology, cybersecurity, business intelligence, artificial intelligence, workforce issues, tax strategy, wealth planning and growth advisory. Through BMSS and the BMSS Family of Companies, we are well positioned to meet those needs. We can support business owners not only with compliance, but with broader strategic decisions that affect their companies, employees and families.

LMF: Where do you hope the combined firm will be in three to five years?
DM: In three to five years, we hope the combined firm is viewed as one of the most trusted advisory and CPA firms serving the Alabama Gulf Coast. We want clients to say the merger strengthened their experience. We want team members to say it created new opportunities and helped them grow. And we want the community to see BMSS as a firm that is invested for the long term.

Our hope is that the Fairhope, Brewton and Mobile offices are fully integrated within the BMSS footprint while still maintaining strong local relationships. We want to be known as a firm that brings deep resources, national knowledge and global reach while remaining grounded in the communities we serve.

LMF: What message would you like to share with clients, employees and the broader community?
RY: To our clients, thank you for the trust you have placed in Avizo and BMSS. The relationships you value will continue, and this merger is designed to serve you even better in the years ahead.

To our team members, you are at the heart of this decision. This merger creates new opportunities for collaboration, growth, leadership and professional development while preserving the people-first culture that both firms value.

And to the broader community, we are excited to deepen our commitment to the Alabama Gulf Coast. This region matters to us. Together, Avizo and BMSS are stronger, and we look forward to continuing to support the businesses, families and communities that make South Alabama such a special place.

About BMSS Advisors & CPAs

BMSS Advisors & CPAs, founded in 1991, has grown into one of the Southeast’s leading advisory and accounting firms, with 38 partners, 410-plus employees and 10 offices across Alabama and Mississippi. A Top 100 Accounting Firm in the U.S., BMSS offers tax, assurance and business advisory services across various industries, including manufacturing, construction, technology and nonprofit to name a few. To address evolving client needs, BMSS launched the BMSS Family of Companies, which includes Abacus Technologies (IT and cybersecurity), BMSS Wesson Wealth Solutions (financial planning) and Payroll & Benefit Solutions (HR and payroll services). BMSS is also a member of the BDO Alliance USA, enhancing its resources while remaining independently owned. Throughout its growth, BMSS has continued to focus on client care and cultivating a strong internal culture.