Merger Establishes CRI’s Presence in Tuscaloosa, Extending Reach in Western Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, AL / ACCESS Newswire / September 1, 2026 / Top 25** nationally ranked accounting and advisory firm Carr, Riggs & Ingram (CRI) announced today the addition of Tuscaloosa-based public accounting firm Morrison & Smith, LLP. This merger gives CRI a foothold in Tuscaloosa and broadens its client reach in western Alabama. The Morrison & Smith team will continue to serve clients from their existing office, now operating under the CRI name.

Founded in 1951, Morrison & Smith is among Tuscaloosa’s longest-standing accounting firms. The firm provides audit, review, and compilation services, along with tax planning and preparation, accounting, and business advisory services for individuals and organizations. Its client base includes real estate developers, banks, healthcare providers, and construction companies.

Allan D. Koltin, CEO of Koltin Consulting Group, who advised both firms on the combination, said, “Carr, Riggs & Ingram continues to write the book on how to select great firms and successfully integrate them. They have now completed more than 100 M&A transactions, and I have yet to hear of one that went badly. CRI screens upfront for cultural and strategic fit, as well as any firm I have seen in the country. Morrison & Smith will be a great addition to CRI. Beyond Tuscaloosa being a fantastic market, the firm has outstanding partners and associates and an excellent client base.”

“Morrison & Smith has spent over seventy years building trust with clients throughout West Alabama. Their reputation for integrity and personal service is exactly what we value in a firm,” commented Bill Carr, CRI chairman and founding partner. “Tuscaloosa is an important new market for us, and Barry Burns, Alan Hartley, and Daniel Sutter bring us a strong local team to grow with. We are proud to welcome them to CRI.”

Clients of Morrison & Smith will continue working with their existing professionals at their current location. They will also gain access to CRI’s expanded tax, assurance, and advisory services, as well as specialized teams and additional resources in wealth management, data analytics, business consulting, and fractional CFO services.

This combination follows CRI’s recent growth, supported by investment from Centerbridge Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners in late 2024. The firm’s strategy emphasizes cultural alignment, client retention, and sustained investment in its clients and communities. For additional information, please visit criadv.com.

About Carr, Riggs & Ingram

CRI is a Top 25** nationally ranked accounting and advisory firm operating in more than 50 markets across the United States. The firm specializes in construction, government, banking/financial institutions, healthcare, insurance, not-for-profit, manufacturing, and distribution, offering audit and assurance*, tax, business outsourcing, forensic accounting, IT auditing, SEC compliance, business valuation, and advisory services.

CRI’s specialized portfolio companies† extend its service capabilities and include Auditwerx (SOC reporting and IT audits), CRI Advanced Analytics (data analytics), CRI Government Solutions (government accounting, auditing, and compliance), CRI M&A Advisors (investment banking), CRI Simple Numbers (business consulting), CRI TPA Services (retirement plan administration), Level Four Advisory Services (wealth management), Paywerx (payroll management), ProSport Accountants (professional athlete tax services), and The Preferred Legacy Trust Company (trusts and estates).

For more information, visit CRIadv.com.

†This is not a CPA firm.
*Assurance, attest, and audit services provided by Carr, Riggs & Ingram, L.L.C.

“Carr, Riggs & Ingram” and “CRI” are the brand names under which Carr, Riggs & Ingram, L.L.C. (“CRI CPA”), CRI Advisors, LLC (“CRI Advisors” or “Advisors”), and Capin Crouse, LLC (“Capin Crouse CPA”), and CRI Capin Crouse Advisors, LLC (“Capin Crouse Advisors”) provide professional services. CRI CPA, Capin Crouse CPA, CRI Advisors, Capin Crouse Advisors, Carr, Riggs & Ingram Capital, LLC, and their respective subsidiaries operate as an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and applicable law, regulations, and professional standards. CRI CPA and Capin Crouse CPA are licensed independent certified public accounting (“CPA”) firms that separately provide attest services, as well as additional ancillary services, to their clients. CRI CPA and Capin Crouse CPA are independently owned CPA firms that provide attestation services separately from one another. CRI Advisors and Capin Crouse Advisors provide tax and business consulting services to their clients. CRI Advisors and its subsidiaries, including Capin Crouse Advisors, are not licensed CPA firms and will not provide any attest services. The entities falling under the Carr, Riggs & Ingram, or CRI brand are independently owned and are not responsible or liable for the services and/or products provided, or engaged to be provided, by any other entity under the Carr, Riggs & Ingram, or CRI brand. Our use of the terms “CRI,” “we,” “our,” “us,” and terms of similar import denotes the alternative practice structure conducted by CRI CPA, Capin Crouse CPA, Capin Crouse Advisors, and CRI Advisors, as appropriate.

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MEDIA CONTACTS

Cheryl Hunt, Chief Marketing Officer
629.208.7705
chunt@criad.com

Betsy McTee, Director of Communications
629.208.7706
bmctee@criadv.com

SOURCE: CRI

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