Sources: Horne CPA closing Nashville office

Horne CPA is closing its tax and accounting firm on the West End, the company confirms.

Horne was the 20th largest accounting firm in Nashville, with 43 employees, according to Business Journal research. But that number had dropped sharply from the previous year when Horne reported 71 employees and was the 6th largest in Middle Tennessee.

A written statement from a Horne spokesperson says only that Horne is closing its Palmer Plaza location, and that the office???s partner in charge, Bob Whisenant and others, would be starting an accounting firm named ???Whisenant, Stewart, Watrous & Associates LLC,??? and would continue to practice from the former Horne office.

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Whisenant could not immediately be reached for comment. Calls to the Nashville office of Horne were directed to Horne???s executive partner at the company???s headquarters, Hugh Parker, who could not be reached for comment.

Vic Alexander, chief manager for KraftCPAs PLLC, says he has been told that Horne plans to close its accounting and tax office by June 19, though the company plans to maintain the Grassmere office of its franchise accounting business, which serves retail and franchise companies nationally.

Alexander says that while the markets have tightened for accounting firms across the board general, the fate of an individual firm hangs on their specific business. ???It depends on what type of work your firm does, the types of industries you service, and just overall recognition within the marketplace,??? he says.

Charles Frasier, partner at accounting firm Frasier Dean & Howard, says that though Horne did have a large presence in Middle Tennessee, ???I???m sure clients won???t lack for strong accounting firms.???

The Nashville branch of the Jackson, Miss.-based firm was established in 1992.