ST. LOUIS, MO--(Marketwire - January 14, 2011) - St. Louis-based brokerage Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. is kicking off 2011 in much the same manner it closed 2010 -- opening a new branch in a new state, and adding experienced financial professionals. Today, the firm opened a branch location in Mentor, Ohio, and added eight employees -- four financial consultants and four financial associates. The office is the company's first in Ohio and 15th nationally.
Leading the office as Branch Manager and Senior Vice President - Investments is Victor W. Lunka, a financial services industry veteran with more than 28 years of experience gained at A.G. Edwards and Wells Fargo Advisors. He also earned his Certified Financial Planner™ designation from the College for Financial Planning® in 1987.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for our clients and for all of us because Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. offers the client service and support that our clients expect, and the breadth and depth of products and services that they need to address their financial goals and objectives," said Lunka. "This company is an energetic, entrepreneurial firm committed to putting its clients' interests first and creating a corporate culture rooted in mutual trust, integrity and the Golden Rule."
Also joining the new Mentor, Ohio, branch for Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. are the following:
Scott J. Marn, CFP®, AAMS® -- Marn concentrates on helping his clients address retirement and estate planning issues, and comes aboard at Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. as a vice president - investments. He started his financial services career in 1992, and in 1996 moved to A.G. Edwards, which was later acquired by Wachovia Securities and is now Wells Fargo Advisors. Marn also received his Certified Financial Planner™ and Accredited Asset Management Specialist™ designations from the College for Financial Planning® in 2001.
Frank Sarosy and Corey Sarosy, CFP® -- At Benjamin F. Edwards & Co., the father and son will work as a team and serve as a vice president - investments and financial consultant, respectively. Frank, who worked previously in advertising for the Painesville (Ohio) Telegraph, moved to A.G. Edwards in 1984. His son, Corey, joined the firm in 1999 after graduating from Grove City College with a Bachelor of Arts in financial management. Corey also earned his Certified Financial Planner™ designation in 2008.
Moving to Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. as registered financial associates and assisting the financial consultants with their client responsibilities are Sandy Nadenbush, Sara Davis, Nora Kelly, and Christine Durkin.
"Each of these individuals in Mentor is deeply committed to delivering the investment advice and the client service needed to achieve their clients' financial goals and objectives," said Benjamin F. (Tad) Edwards IV. "They are seasoned professionals who treasure our client-first approach and are devoted to their clients and meeting their investment needs."
The new Ohio location represents the ninth state in the country where the brokerage has operations, and follows closely on the heels of the December opening of its first North Carolina office in Highlands. According to Edwards, the company is interested in adding middle-market and metro locations in areas where the firm can build around established talent.
"Adding branches and personnel continue to be priorities for us, but we also recognize that for a new location to succeed the economics need to be in place and there needs to be a cultural fit," Edwards added. "Financial consultants from a variety of firms continue to reach out to us, and I am pleased to say that interest remains strong in Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. We're excited about our future."
Tad Edwards founded Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. in 2008 and named it after his father, Benjamin F. Edwards III, the long-time chairman of A.G. Edwards. In doing so, he committed to the client-friendly principles popularized by his father, namely putting clients first, employees second, and shareholders third.
With the addition of the Mentor location, the firm currently, has 48 financial consultants and 142 total employees.
Pershing LLC: A Valued Resource
Helping the firm stay focused on attracting talent and providing superior client service is its reliance on Pershing LLC, a BNY Mellon Company, for back office and trade processing support.
A financial services leader with over 70 years of experience and more than $770 billion in client assets held in custody, Pershing also offers a comprehensive suite of investment solutions and services, including access to a broad selection of mutual funds and support for advisory programs. BNY Mellon is the world's leading provider of securities services and a top, global asset management firm, with over $24.4 trillion of assets in custody and $1.14 trillion in assets under management.
About Benjamin F. Edwards & Co.
With a tagline of "Investments for Generations" and a company logo anchored by the Edwards family crest, Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. is headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. In addition to the office in Mentor, Ohio, the firm has five branch offices in Illinois located in Decatur, Peoria, Springfield, Wheaton and Galesburg; other branches are located in Springfield and St. Louis, Mo., White Plains, N.Y., Bluefield, Va., Madison, Wis., Hamden and Danbury, Conn.; Highlands, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga.
A subsidiary of Benjamin Edwards, Inc., Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. is a full-service brokerage and a Registered Investment Adviser offering a wide-array of financial products and advisory services to its clients and financial consultants. For more information about Benjamin F. Edwards & Co., please visit www.benjaminfedwards.com.
About Pershing LLC
Pershing LLC (member FINRA/NYSE/SIPC) is a leading global provider of financial business solutions to more than 1,500 institutional and retail financial organizations and independent registered investment advisors who collectively represent approximately five million active investors. Located in 21 offices worldwide, Pershing and its affiliates are committed to delivering dependable operational support, robust trading services, flexible technology, an expansive array of investment solutions, practice management support and service excellence. Pershing is a member of every major U.S. securities exchange and its international affiliates are members of the Deutsche Börse, the Irish Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. Pershing LLC is a BNY Mellon company. Additional information is available at www.pershing.com.
Contact Information:
For more information, contact:
Margaret Welch
314-703-1215