The Buffalo Niagara region’s only all-women accounting firm has merged with Amherst accounting firm Tronconi Segarra & Associates.

Domachowski, Kempisty & Salvatore, a Clarence accounting firm where all 15 employees were women, merged with Tronconi Segarra earlier this week, creating the third largest independent accounting firm in the region.

The combined firm will have 95 employees, including 52 certified public accountants, and will operate out of Tronconi Segarra’s two existing offices in Williamsville and Niagara Falls, as well as from the former DKS office at 9280 Main St. in Clarence.

All of Domachowski Kempisty’s 15 associates are joining Tronconi Segarra. “One of the things that was exciting for us is that it really changes our culture,” said James S. Segarra, Tronconi Segarra’s managing partner.

Segarra said Wednesday that the two firms began discussing a possible merger about 1 1/2 years ago. “This isn’t a merger, or acquisition, out of necessity. This is a merger, or acquisition, out of desire,” he said.

Some of the partners at the two firms knew each other from working together at Price Waterhouse years before, Segarra said. “We had done a little bit of work together over the years,” he said.

About two-thirds of DKS’ work was tax-related. “This further bolsters our tax practice,” he said.

Combining the two firms also will give the combined firm the resources to offer more extensive services to clients, without stretching its ability to serve its other clients, Segarra said.

Having a larger firm also makes it easier for its accountants to specialize in particular areas, rather than having to be a jack-of-all-trades within the field, Segarra said.

“The larger the firm, the more specialized one can become,” he said. “It allows us to have additional career paths for our people.”

DKS was formed in 1994 when partners Lynn T. Domachowski, Sarahann Kempisty and Carol G. Salvatore took over the former Campbell & Bowlus accounting firm. The three DKS partners will become partners in Tronconi Segarra, giving it 11 partners in all.

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