After years of servicing its Triangle clients out of offices in Charlotte and Richmond, the audit firm BDO has decided to open an office in Raleigh.

Michael Dannar, managing partner for the Raleigh office, said the company has built up a local staff of 16 since February and expects to have about 20 employees when it moves into new office space at 5430 Wade Park Boulevard off Edwards Mill Road in west Raleigh.

"With the growth of Raleigh and the industries that are here and BDO's focus on those industries it just made sense for them to move forward right now," Dannar said.

Chicago-based BDO offers audit, tax, financial advisory and consulting services to a range of companies. Many of the company's clients work in industries that have a heavy presence in the Triangle -- biotechnology, IT, financial services, nonprofits and higher education.

If you're looking for work in finance, don't expect fast movement on the hiring front.

It takes an average of five weeks to hire for most management positions, four weeks for a staff level job, according to a survey of chief financial officers by Robert Half Finance and Accounting, a recruitment service.

The survey was based on interviews with 1,400 CFOs at compaines with 20 or more employees.

During your job interview be sure to ask aboutthe company's time frame for hiring and when you might expect to hear from a hiring manager.

FROST PLLC, an accounting firm with 24 employees in its Raleigh office, announced today that it is merging with the California firm of Moore Stephens Wurth Frazer and Torbet, LLP.
The new accounting firm will be called Frazer Frost, LLP and will continue to operate in all its existing offices.
For those keeping score at home, this latest merger brings to an end to a flurry of activity that has likely left you asking where Worth Frazer and Torbet came from.
Until late 2008, FROST was Lynch & Howard, an 80-year old accounting firm based in Raleigh. That name change took place after a nearly 18-month association with the former Moore Stephens Frost, which also changed its name to FROST in December of 2008.
The new Frazer Frost will keep its membership with Moore Stephens North America, a group of 41 accounting firms which is itself a member of Moore Stephens International Limited, a multi-national consulting and accounting association based in London.
That's it. I promise.
The merged Frazer Frost will have 272 employees. It will operate in 47 states and 15 countries and expects to have annual revenue of $60 million.