By: Deborah Johnson Wood
Since January, the financial investment firm Edward Jones has placed 19 new financial advisors in West Michigan and opened five new locations in the Grand Rapids metro area. What's more, the company plans to hire at least six more advisors before year's end.
Scott McPheeters, 25, opened one of the new locations at 645 Cherry St SE after working 18 months at the corporate headquarters in St. Louis, MO. McPheeters and his wife are originally from Flint. But they both attended Calvin College and wanted to return to Grand Rapids to start McPheeters practice.
Edward Jones encourages its employees to live in and be part of the city where they practice, so a corporate research team and local corporate leaders actively work with employees to make sure their new location will be a good fit for their lifestyle.
"When we were in St. Louis, we had an opportunity to go anywhere in the country," McPheeters says. "It was a specific decision to be here. There's a new excitement about living in the city, being in the city, and shopping in the city. I specifically came back to be in this area for a reason."
As to why West Michigan needs more financial advisors when the economy is struggling, McPheeters thinks its because the area is working to bring in jobs and redevelop the city.
"We hear stories about jobs leaving the state, but Grand Rapids people are committed to developing the urban areas and creating a new hub for business and health industries," McPheeters says. "This is one spot that's doing well."
Source: Scott McPheeters, Edward Jones; Nick Wasmiller, Seyferth Spaulding Tennyson
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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