Accounting firm Holthouse Carlin Van Trigt has deepened its roots in the Mountain West by opening a large office in Salt Lake City.

The move upgrades the Sawtelle-based firm’s Utah presence in nearby Park City, which it opened in 2014, and a coworking space it has been using in Salt Lake City since 2023. The new office, in downtown Salt Lake City, is expected to accommodate 50 employees.

Chief Executive and Managing Partner Vicken Haleblian said the firm – typically referred to as HCVT – made the decision based on its “go to the talent” growth strategy.

“Rather than make acquisitions, we are expanding in – and to – dynamic metro areas with thriving business communities, pools of experienced talent and a concentration of exceptional accounting programs,” Haleblian wrote in an email. “The presence of accounting programs is important – if not essential – to this approach, because the schools give us ongoing access to high-caliber job candidates each year and a sizable, alumni network with professional accounting experience.”

It’s the start of what looks like a growth spurt for HCVT. The company later this month will launch its first San Diego office and late last year doubled its office in Phoenix, which opened in 2018 with two employees and now has more than 60.

“We have found that recent graduates and alumni in markets like Salt Lake City and Phoenix value the quality of life in these cities and are often hesitant to leave for Southern California,” Haleblian said. “By essentially bringing HCVT to them, they can remain in the communities they love and enjoy the professional opportunities we offer.”

Formed in 1991, HCVT has local offices in Camarillo, Encino, Glendale, Irvine, Long Beach, Monrovia, Pasadena and Westlake Village. Additionally, it has a location in Fort Worth, Texas.

Haleblian noted that company leadership is eyeing additional U.S. metro areas such as Denver for future growth and was also in the midst of setting the stage for global expansion, starting with Armenia.

HCVT clientele includes entertainment companies, high-net-worth individuals and celebrities, private equity firms, family offices, real estate developers and foreign companies doing business in the United States.

Leading the growth for HCVT’s Utah presence are Blake Christian from the Park City office and Jonathan Wang, who is the firm’s strategic markets leader and also spends time at its Irvine and Phoenix operations.

“We expect great things from this office, given the roster of motivated, engaged, and talented graduates from local universities,” Wang said of the Salt Lake City office.