ST. LOUIS, MO--(Marketwire - Aug 19, 2011) - Illinois continues to be fertile territory for St. Louis-based brokerage firm Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. Today, the firm announced its sixth office in the Land of Lincoln with the opening of a branch location in LaSalle-Peru. The new office is the 19th in the firm's branch network.
Working from this new location are Tom Krzyzek and Scott Shirley, two long-time local financial consultants. Pat Olszewski will assist the two with their client management responsibilities. All are transferring from Wells Fargo Advisors.
Krzyzek joins the firm as a vice president - investments. Krzyzek began his financial services career in 1988 with the LaSalle-Peru branch of Shearson, Lehman, Hutton following a 10-year career in the Finance Department for General Electric. In 1991, he opened and managed the LaSalle-Peru branch office for A.G. Edwards. He stepped down from branch management in 1994 to fully concentrate on his client work.
Scott Shirley entered the financial services business when he joined the A.G. Edwards LaSalle-Peru office in 1994, immediately after graduating with a bachelor's degree in marketing and a minor in finance from Illinois State University. Today, he joins Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. as an associate vice president - investments.
Pat Olszewski comes aboard as a registered financial associate. She joined A.G. Edwards in 2008 after a 17-year career in banking where she worked in the loan and accounting departments.
"Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. is a top-notch firm," said Krzyzek. "It provides a full assortment of the investment products and services my clients need, along with the personalized service and attention my clients enjoy. It's a win-win for all of us."
Branch expansion continues
The firm was founded in 2008 by Benjamin F. (Tad) Edwards IV, the great-great-grandson of the founder of A.G. Edwards, and the son of that firm's long-time chairman, Benjamin F. Edwards III, who was known for his client-friendly business practices.
"When we started Benjamin F. Edwards & Co., we were in the midst of the Great Recession, and we understood that investors were looking for a financial services firm that would offer the one-on-one service and advice that they craved," said Tad Edwards, founder, chairman, CEO, and president of Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. "Today, as we find ourselves in the midst of another period of market and economic uncertainty, our mission is unchanged: to be there for our clients and help them navigate this choppy investment climate and remain on course to achieve their financial goals and objectives."
Finding the right people is the key element of the company being able to deliver on its client-first pledge, according to Edwards. "In addition to identifying and hiring talented individuals, an essential component of our client-first culture is to ensure that all of our employees embrace our commitment to the Golden Rule and treating others the way we want to be treated," Edwards said. "From this, a corporate culture rooted in trust, integrity, and mutual respect emerges and is sustained."
The LaSalle-Peru office is the company's sixth in Illinois and joins locations in Peoria, Springfield, Decatur, Wheaton, and Galesburg. The new branch is conveniently located at 1701 4th Street, Suite 101, in Peru. Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. currently has 19 branches in 12 states and employs 189 people company-wide.
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. The firm was founded in 2008 by Benjamin F. (Tad) Edwards IV, the great-great-grandson of Albert Gallatin Edwards, the founder of brokerage firm A.G. Edwards. In addition to the new location in LaSalle-Peru, the firm has offices in Peoria, Springfield, Decatur, Wheaton, and Galesburg, Ill.; Red Bank, N.J.; Danbury and Hamden, Conn.; White Plains, N.Y.; St. Louis and Springfield, Mo.; Highlands, N.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; Bluefield, Va.; Madison, Wis.; Mentor, Ohio; Wichita, Kan.; and Chattanooga, Tenn.
A subsidiary of Benjamin Edwards, Inc., Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. is a full-service brokerage and a Registered Investment Adviser, which offers 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.
Contact Information:
For more information, contact:
Margaret Welch
314-703-1215