KERN NAMED PARTNER OF MALIN BERGQUIST
A PITTSBURGH “TOP 10” CPA FIRM

PITTSBURGH, PA, April 2, 2007 – CPA Peter J. Kern has been promoted to partner with Malin, Bergquist and Company, LLP, a Pittsburgh “Top 10” accounting firm.  This promotion will mark the fourth major development for the firm since February 1, 2007.

With more than 15 years experience, Kern currently focuses his practice on audits of publicly traded companies, including companies contemplating initial public offerings.  He has a broad base of experience and education that allows him to provide clients a range of expertise and solutions to a wide variety of business issues.

He received a bachelor of business administration degree in 1990 from the University of Notre Dame, and a masters degree in business administration in 1997 from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business.  He was certified as a public accountant in Pennsylvania in 1994.

He is a member of the American and Pennsylvania Institutes of Certified Public Accountants and is active in the Northern Allegheny County Chamber of Commerce.

Malin Bergquist’s Expansion Since February - In March, CPA Timothy A. Goldsmith joined the firm as an audit manager to provide audit services to clients ranging from not for profit organizations to public companies, including Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) compliance. He previously was an accounting manager with Rent Way, Inc. in Erie, where he reported to Rent Way’s chief financial officer and managed compliance with SEC and accounting regulations. He has 22 years of experience in financial reporting and public accounting.

About Malin Bergquist - With total employment of more than 70, Malin Bergquist is the 15th-largest accounting firm in Pittsburgh, as ranked by local employees by the Pittsburgh Business Times.

In addition to its public companies specialty, Malin Bergquist is known for providing audits and consulting for foreign-owned businesses operating in Western Pennsylvania. The firm also practices in the areas of automobile dealerships, financial institutions, tax-exempt organizations and family owned businesses.