Two leading U.S. accounting firms, BKD LLP and Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP (DHG), announced Thursday they will merge to create a new professional services firm with $1.4 billion in revenue. The two firms together will operate under a new name that will be announced at a later date. Tom Watson, current CEO of Springfield, Mo.-based BKD, will be the CEO of the new organization; and Matt Snow, current CEO of DHG, based in Charlotte, N.C., will be chairman. BKD established its Iowa presence in 2013; DHG does not currently have any Iowa offices. The two companies said the merger will create a firm that is primed for growth in the current business landscape. “For years, both BKD and DHG have built strong reputations as high-value, professional client service firms,” Watson said in a statement. “We’ve established complementary geographic footprints and strong capabilities in a range of critical service sectors. Together, as one organization, we will deepen our bench strength even further, allowing us to continue to serve our existing client base while also providing the resources necessary to serve an ever-increasing upstream client base.” Both firms have an overlapping industry focus in health care, financial services and private equity, coupled with other industry sectors where each legacy firm is individually strong, Snow said. “As one organization, we will be able to bring our capabilities to a broader range of clients, providing more innovative, client-centric services to the market.”