LAKE PLACID — Two firms of certified public accountants — the Hoffman Eells Group, with offices in Lake Placid and Malone, and the Plattsburgh-based Abbott, Frenyea & Russell — announced Friday that they merged their business operations starting Jan. 1.

With offices in Plattsburgh, Lake Placid, Malone and Canton, the expanded business will serve Essex, Franklin and Clinton counties.

The combined firms will continue under both names and retain all present employees except for Patrick Russell, CPA, a senior partner of Abbott, Frenyea & Russell who is retiring.

Continuing as senior partners of the combined firm will be Hoffman Eells’ CPA/MBA Douglas Hoffman and Pamela Laplante of Lake Placid, as well as CPAs Nicholas Eells and Stephen Harstedt Jr., plus Abbott, Frenyea & Russell CPAs Lucy Carroll, Holly Morrow and James Holmes. Newly appointed junior partner CPAs are Fernado Casue and Cheryl Jeror of Hoffman Eels, and Kristina Bennett of Abbott, Frenyea & Russell.

“This merger will provide the North Country with an extensive variety of accounting, US and international taxation, business advisory, business coaching and personal financial planning services combined with an extraordinary level of experience,” the combined firm said in a press release. “This merger brings together 11 CPAs with more than 250 years of combined experience as well as many other professionals.”