Fractional Services Firm 512Financial Acquires Austin People Works, Expanding HR and Recruiting Service Capabilities
AUSTIN, Texas, January 8, 2025—(Business Wire)—Fractional business services leader 512Financial announces today the acquisition of AustinPeopleWorks (APW), a respected HR and recruiting firm serving growing businesses and nonprofits throughout the United States and internationally. This strategic acquisition expands 512Financial’s overall HR capacity and client list while boosting service offerings to include recruiting and talent sourcing.
Since its founding in 2022, 512Financial has experienced steady quarter-over-quarter growth. The company boasts over 72 clients that utilize fractional accounting, finance, HR, or marketing services. As part of this growth strategy, Bart Davis, the company’s CEO and Co-Founder, finalized the deal with APW’s Founder, Laurie Howell.
“We’re thrilled to bring the people and culture that Laurie has built at AustinPeopleWorks into the 512Financial team,” stated Davis. “One of the many reasons I’m excited about this expansion is to add recruiting and talent acquisition to our HR offerings. It’s complementary to our existing services and a great additional value-add to our clients. In speaking with the extremely talented group at APW, it’s apparent we share a passion for our clients’ success.”
With APW, Howell has built a strong HR business over five years, serving 136 clients.
“I was determined to find a buyer who truly understood and valued the magic of AustinPeopleWorks—our incredible people, outstanding clients, and the trusted reputation we’ve built,” stated Howell. “512Financial shares our core values, a client-centric approach, and an employee-focused philosophy. Bart’s vision for growth and the opportunities this will provide our team align perfectly with what I envisioned for APW’s next chapter. Together, I’m confident this union of skills and experience will create unparalleled success for our teams and our clients.”
Howell and her business partner and husband, Dave Oyer, will take a step back to focus on personal and non-HR-related business projects. Howell will continue to consult and advise 512Financial for the foreseeable future.
Going forward, 512Financial will offer a comprehensive array of fractional services and expertise, including:
- Accounting and payroll management
- Finance services, such as Quality of Earnings analysis
- Marketing, social media management, and content strategy
- Human resources, recruiting, and talent acquisition
The combined organization will maintain its headquarters in Austin, Texas. All current APW client relationships will remain unchanged, and existing team members will continue providing service while gaining access to 512Financial’s expanded resources, benefits, and capabilities. The acquisition is effective immediately. To learn more about 512Financial, visit www.512Financial.com.
About 512Financial
Founded in 2022, 512Financial provides fractional finance, accounting, HR, and marketing services to early-stage and growing companies. Achieving consistent quarter- over-quarter growth, 512Financial delivers integrated business solutions at flexible pricing, helping clients accelerate growth, and optimize operations. Learn more at www.512Financial.com.
About AustinPeopleWorks
Laurie Howell founded AustinPeopleWorks (APW), a premier provider of fractional HR services and recruiting solutions, to serve diverse businesses across multiple industries. The firm’s team of seasoned HR and recruiting professionals brings decades of collective experience in outsourced HR support, having served startups, high-growth companies, and nonprofits throughout the United States and internationally.
For more information about this acquisition, contact:
Grace Daleki, grace.daleki@512financial.com