Intermountain West

Building the next generation of regional accounting

Carryover Group acquires and grows well-run accounting practices across the Intermountain West. We partner with founders who've built something worth preserving — and give their practices the team, technology, and leadership to serve clients better for decades to come.

20+
Years CPA Experience
2–4
Practices Targeted
IMW
Focus Region
Est. 2025
Founded in Utah

We're not a national roll-up. We're Intermountain West operators who understand what it takes to build a practice clients trust — and what it means to hand one off well.

Built for continuity, designed for growth

Most accounting firm acquisitions prioritize cost reduction. We prioritize continuation. Our model is built around three principles that distinguish us from PE-backed consolidators and national platform plays: we preserve what works, invest in what doesn't, and never compromise client relationships in the name of efficiency.

Preserve the Practice

Clients chose your firm for a reason. We keep what works — your people, your client relationships, your reputation in the community. The name on the door may eventually evolve, but the relationship your clients have trusted doesn't disappear overnight.

Invest in Technology

We bring modern AI-assisted workflows and offshore support for routine compliance work — freeing your team to focus on the strategic advisory work that clients actually value and that no software will replace. The goal isn't fewer people. It's better work.

Elevate the Advisory

Our principal brings 20+ years of complex CPA experience including business workouts, restructurings, and expert witness engagements. Acquired practices gain access to that expertise — expanding what they can offer clients without adding headcount.

Two principals. Complementary strengths.

Carryover Group was founded by a Utah CPA with deep experience in complex accounting matters and a technology entrepreneur with a track record of building and scaling businesses. Together, we bring the credentials, capital, and operational experience to be a genuine long-term partner to the practices we acquire.

Managing Partner — CPA Principal
Troy Hooton, CPA

A licensed Utah CPA with over 20 years of experience in public accounting, complex business transactions, and advisory services. Specialties include business workouts and restructurings, bankruptcy and reorganization, expert witness testimony in business disputes and divorces, and financial advisory for closely-held businesses.

  • Certified Public Accountant, State of Utah
  • Expert witness — commercial litigation & divorce matters
  • Business workout & reorganization specialist
  • 20+ years serving Utah SMBs and business owners
LinkedIn Profile
Managing Partner — Operations & Technology
Mike Bills, PhD

An experienced Utah technology entrepreneur with a background in building, scaling, and operating businesses. Brings expertise in AI-enabled workflow automation, business development, and creating systems that allow professional services firms to grow without proportional increases in overhead.

  • Serial technology entrepreneur — multiple ventures
  • Specialist in AI workflow automation for professional services
  • Experience building and operating scalable SMB-focused businesses
  • Utah-based, long-term community commitment
LinkedIn Profile

What we're looking for

We're focused on a specific type of practice — and we're honest about that fit upfront. The conversations that work best are with founders who've built something real, served their clients well, and are now thinking seriously about what comes next.

Geography
Intermountain West
Utah, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. We follow opportunity across the region — and bring operators who know each market personally, not a management team flying in from a national platform.
Practice Size
$400K — $2.5M Revenue
Below the radar of private equity, above lifestyle-only scale. Enough revenue to justify real investment and still leave room for meaningful growth.
Client Focus
Small & Mid-Sized Business
SMB-focused practices with tax, accounting, and advisory work. Diversified client base preferred. We're not looking for practices dependent on one or two large clients.
Succession Timing
Near-term to 5 Years
We're flexible on timing. Some transitions happen quickly; others benefit from a multi-year partnership. We work with whatever timeline makes sense for you.
Deal Structure
Flexible
Cash at close, seller financing, earnouts, or hybrid structures. We structure deals that protect the seller's interests while aligning everyone on long-term client retention.
Our Commitment
Confidential Process
We understand that exploring a sale requires discretion. Conversations with us are completely confidential. We never approach clients or staff without explicit authorization from the owner.

Structured, fast, and decisive.

We've completed dozens of transactions working alongside top investment banks, private equity, and venture firms. Our process reflects that standard — and we're transparent about exactly what it looks like from first conversation to close.

24h
Response to all advisor communications
5d
Written IOI after introductory call
60–90d
Target close from signed LOI
0
Re-trades without a material finding
01
Days 1–2
NDA & Initial Materials

We execute an NDA and request a CIM or equivalent package. If one isn't prepared, we work with whatever is available and generate our own questions. We don't need a polished book to get started — we need enough to have a substantive first conversation.

02
Days 3–5
Introductory Call

A 45–60 minute call with the selling principal. We're here to understand the practice, the culture, and what a successful outcome looks like for the owner. We come prepared and we move the conversation forward — no posturing, no generic questions.

03
Days 6–10
Written Indication of Interest

If we want to move forward, we submit a written IOI within five business days of the intro call — not a vague verbal interest, not a range that shifts. The IOI includes our valuation range, proposed deal structure, and any key diligence questions that would affect price or terms.

04
Weeks 3–5
Focused Diligence

Targeted, practical diligence — not an exhaustive document dump designed to create friction. Troy leads financial review; we engage experienced M&A counsel for legal. We provide a complete diligence list upfront and work through it systematically. No surprises, no moving goalposts.

05
Weeks 4–5
Letter of Intent

A binding-term LOI with clear economics, structure, and a 30-day exclusivity period. Our LOI reflects the deal we intend to close. We are the decision-makers — there is no committee to convince, no fund manager to call. When we sign, we mean it.

06
Weeks 6–10
Purchase Agreement & Close

Clean, standard documentation prepared by experienced M&A counsel. Closing is not leverage for renegotiation — if we've signed an LOI, we're closing on those terms unless diligence surfaces a material issue. Target close is 60–90 days from LOI for straightforward transactions.

A note to advisors and brokers

We do not circumvent representation, and we do not cut advisors out of transactions. If you introduced the opportunity, you get paid — full stop. What we ask in return is a process that reflects how sophisticated buyers operate: direct access to the principal at the appropriate stage, honest communication about where we stand relative to other parties, and a timeline that doesn't artificially slow a deal that both sides want to close. We've seen good transactions fall apart over process friction rather than economics. We're committed to making sure that doesn't happen here.

We're not a broker. We're not private equity.

There's a difference between being acquired by a national platform that owns 200 firms and partnering with an Intermountain West team that's building something in your backyard. Here's what that difference looks like in practice.

  • We're regionally based and personally invested in the communities where we operate — we're not deploying capital from a fund with a 5-year exit horizon.
  • Our CPA principal will remain actively involved in the practices we acquire — clients and staff get continuity, not a management handoff to strangers.
  • We respect what you've built. We're not here to strip costs and flip the practice — we're here to grow it and serve its clients better.
  • We move quickly and professionally. If the fit is right, we can complete diligence and close in 60–90 days.
  • Every conversation is completely confidential — nothing reaches your staff or clients without your explicit approval.
"The best outcome for a founder-built accounting practice isn't the highest sale price — it's the right continuation. Clients who've trusted you for 20 years deserve a successor who takes that trust as seriously as you did."
Carryover Group — Founding Principles

Start a confidential conversation

We welcome introductory conversations with practice owners at any stage of thinking. You don't need to be ready to sell — just curious about your options. Everything stays completely confidential.

If you received a letter from us and want to learn more, this is the right place to start. Leave us your contact information and we'll reach out within 24 hours — or call us directly.

  • Headquarters Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Region Utah · Nevada · Montana · Idaho · Wyoming · Colorado
  • Focus Intermountain West CPA Practices
  • Response Within 24 hours, always confidential
  • Website carryovergroup.com

All inquiries are completely confidential. We will never contact your staff or clients without your explicit permission.