Betty Dillard bdillard@bizpress.net
The merger of regional accounting firm Hartman Leito & Bolt LLC with national accounting and consulting firm BDO USA LLP became effective June 1 but the Hartman name hasn’t disappeared from the financial scene. Frank Hartman Jr., one of the founders and partners of HLB, has started the second round of his entrepreneurial career with the launch of another accounting firm. Hartman and former HLB partner Nick Wanzor have opened their own accounting firm – appropriately named Hartman Wanzor – one floor down from their old offices at 6050 Southwest Blvd. in Fort Worth. Hartman, a Fort Worth native, graduate of Texas Christian University and CPA, along with childhood friend Mark Walton started the company in 1986 as Hartman Walton & Associates. The company enjoyed steady growth, becoming one of the top accounting firms in Tarrant County. James Leito III joined the firm in 1991 as an audit partner and in 1994 Tracy Bolt came aboard as a federal tax partner. The firm would later evolve into Hartman Leito & Bolt.
When Leito and Bolt both decided to join BDO, Hartman saw an opportunity to successfully build another startup. “It’s kind of like starting over but we have clients we’ve built relationships with over the years. We think we can service our clients with the same personalized level of service we’ve done in the past,” Hartman said. Hartman’s 30 years of experience in the accounting industry includes commercial entities as well as federal taxation, relating to individual, corporate, partnership, trust, and estate and gift taxation. He specializes in serving clients in the not-for-profit, manufacturing, medical professionals, retail, import/export, attorneys, construction and real estate, and estates and trusts. A graduate of Oklahoma State University and a CPA, Wanzor has 10 years of experience in the accounting field, including three years at KPMG, one of the Big Four international accounting firms. He started at HLB in June 2009 as a senior associate and made partner in October 2013.
“I’ve always pondered going out on my own,” Wanzor said. “This presented a great opportunity to do something, not necessarily on my own, but to be a part of something that I can put my own influence on. It will be fun to create something with Frank and see it do well.” Wanzor assists clients in a variety of tax and consulting engagements including individual tax compliance and planning, changes in accounting methods and periods, and acquisitions and restructurings for tax and legal purposes. Industry experience includes manufacturing, health care, construction, wholesale/retail, real estate, investment management and service companies. With an initial staff of four, Hartman Wanzor serves the smaller mid-market.