our company culture |
our mission:
Investment excellence
Lifelong relationships
Our mission gives us our focus and direction for how we serve our clients, evolve our company and grow our expertise.
Investment Principles
know the ENVIROnMENT
Capital is allocated in accordance with analysis of the global economic landscape.
identify OPPORTUNITIES
Diligence unclouded by emotion often reveals value overlooked by consensus.
manage RISK
Risk must be compensated by excess return or diversified away.
focus ON THE LONG TERM
Catch the cycles, not the turn, and chart a sustainable course.
Investment management requires a rigorous, disciplined approach. It cannot be driven by news headlines, investment trends and emotion. Our Investment Principles reflect our steady, research-based view and how we help clients focus on their long-term goals rather than short-term issues that could take them off-course.
"Each day provides its own gifts."- Marcus Aurelius |
our core values
During our 2000 company retreat,
every employee was involved with identifying our core values.
These core values are an important part of our company and every employee is encouraged to exemplify these attributes with our clients and colleagues. We also strive to apply our core values to our volunteer work with nonprofits and professional organizations.
EXCEED EXPECTATIONS
"Our hope is to always deliver more than clients expect. We believe that being there at every age and stage and proactively anticipating needs foster productive and meaningful relationships."
– Jason Norris, CFA
ACT WITH UNCOMPROMISING ETHICS AND RELIABILITY
"We always make investment decisions that are in the best interest of our clients, not for financial gains or benefits to our company. By employing best practices and making investments in technology, we make every effort to protect our clients’ confidentiality and privacy."
– Ralph Cole, CFA
ADVOCATE INNOVATION AND MANAGE CHANGE
"We encourage everyone in our firm to advance and execute ideas that address our clients’ evolving needs and help us run our company more efficiently."
– Helena Lankton
FOSTER A COLLEGIAL ENVIRONMENT
"When clients hire us, they work with a team, not an individual. We believe it’s important to create a productive, energized workplace that collaborates and innovates on behalf of our clients."
– Mary Lago, CFP®, CTFA
ENJOY THE JOURNEY
"It is an honor and privilege to serve our clients over the years. Through all we have experienced together as colleagues, we often look back at what we have accomplished with nostalgia and humor, which gives us perspective and motivation for the future."
– Don Rainer
Diversity Statement
At Ferguson Wellman and West Bearing Investments, diversity, equity and inclusion are elemental to who we are and undeniably intrinsic to what we seek to achieve: Investment Excellence and Lifelong Relationships. We believe our collective perspectives, experiences and values are what propels us to innovate, which ultimately provides the best outcomes for the client and our firm. We do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion, creed or any other status. Our firm is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for our staff, clients, vendors and professional partners.
At Ferguson Wellman, we value each unique perspective and aspire to be a place of belonging for all.
our name
The Ferguson Wellman Name
At one point, our company name represented our first five partners.
In 2000, our name was shortened to Ferguson Wellman in honor of two of our founders.
Joe Ferguson and Norb Wellman retired in 1998 and 1999 respectively.
Visit our history section for more information about our company and its founders.
our logos
FERGUSON WELLMAN logo
Our logo features a bronze coin of Marcus Aurelius Antonius, emperor of Rome from A.D. 161 to 180. According to historian Edward Gibbon, he governed with “an invariable spirit of wisdom and virtue” and that his was the only period in history in which
“The happiness of a great people was the sole object of government.”
During his campaigns on the Danube front fighting threats to the empire, Marcus Aurelius wrote his famous meditations that revealed a mind of great humanity and natural humility.
WEST BEARING logo
The american bison is an iconic creature symbolizing resilience, grace and the western path to growth and opportunity. An intelligent creature that survived near extinction, the bison is honored and adored by Native Americans, early western preservationists, and numerous individuals and institutions today.
Most animals attempt to outrun inclement weather, prolonging their exposure to the elements and, in doing so, weaken their conditions.
Only bison instinctively turn to face the storm
to find the quickest path to clear skies.
We take inspiration from this story of focus, strength and discipline.
