The National Center for the Middle Market (NCMM) and CPA firm Cherry Bekaert announced a strategic alliance to provide ongoing insights into innovation and growth strategies for middle market companies.

“The National Center for the Middle Market is the premier resource on the U.S. middle market economy,” said Kip Plowman, managing partner of Strategic Markets at Cherry Bekaert. “As one of the leading CPA firms in the nation serving fast-growth mid-size organizations, we have constant interaction with middle market company CEOs and CFOs. One way we support these executives is by providing access to world-class resources like NCMM’s Middle Market Indicator data. We are also co-creating research with NCMM to understand and influence Middle Market company growth. Overall, the NCMM alliance enables us to keep a pulse on the key business trends driving innovation, capital investments and expansion and to directly benefit our clients and the business community. This type of proprietary thought leadership will be a key facet of THInc, our new specialty practice that serves the innovative needs of clients in the Technology, Health and Industrial sectors.”

“As a firm known for its innovative CPA and advisory practices, Cherry Bekaert advances our ability to look at the middle market in new and dynamic ways,” said Tom Stewart, Executive Director for the NCMM.“Our collaboration with Cherry Bekaert promises to bring new perspective on the issues impacting the middle market ,” Stewart added. “It is critical that this vital but understudied segment of the economy gains exposure. Middle market companies led the U.S. out of the last recession. Companies in Atlantic Coast states, from D.C. and Virginia to Georgia and Florida, over-indexed on growth (20% higher than the national average) during the fourth quarter of 2014. Cherry Bekaert provides us with direct, intimate access to middle market leaders in these high-growth areas.”