Dowling Hales acted as exclusive financial advisor to Modern Business Associates, Inc. in its sale to DecisionHR Holdings, Inc.  Founded in 1997 by father-son duo, Jack Rice Sr. and Jack Rice Jr., in St. Petersburg, FL, Modern Business Associates, Inc. is one of the largest privately-held PEO and HR outsourcing companies in the United States. MBA offers customized payroll, tax expertise, benefits administration, risk management and HR consulting designed to give business owners flexible, cost-efficient solutions. MBA’s team serves more than 20,000 employees across the country in diverse industries ranging from franchises, restaurants and hospitality, professional services, healthcare, construction, and manufacturing. The integration of MBA and DecisionHR will create the fifth largest privately-held PEO in the United States and MBA will continue to operate out of its St. Petersburg office.