&Partners Adds Arkansas Team From Wells Fargo Advisors

&Partners, a St. Louis-based hybrid broker/dealer launched by David Kowach, the former president and CEO of Wells Fargo Advisors, has added a team of advisors in Russellville, Ark., from Wells Fargo Advisors. The team had a pre-transition AUM of $769 million.

The Four Corners Wealth | &Partners team includes wealth advisors Jared Smith, Kyle Scott, Shawn Gordon, Tyler Goodson and Chuck Gordon. They’re joined by Wealth Consultant Tommy Fields, Senior Client Relationship Associate Susan Woodard, Senior Client Associate Pam Bixey and Senior Registered Client Associate Elizabeth Kearney.

Some team members have long histories with Wells Fargo; Chuck Gordon, for example, started at A.G. Edwards, a predecessor of Wells Fargo, in 1982. Shawn, his son, joined in 2002. Goodson joined in 2011, while Smith and Scott came on board in 2015.

The firm is focused on serving pre-retirees, nuclear plant professionals and families. It aims to serve “the four corners” of a client’s financial life, including planning, advising, investing and protecting.

This follows news last week that &Partners recruited Virginia “Ginny” Bowie and Scott Larson in Richmond, Va. The two have launched Tuckaway Capital | &Partners. Bowie is an industry veteran, having started her career at Wheat First Securities, a Richmond-based investment banking and brokerage firm, in 1978. Wheat First was acquired by First Union in 1997, eventually becoming part of Wells Fargo through several transactions.

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According to RIA Catalyst, &Partners was the fastest grower in its asset range in the first quarter of this year, seeing a 1,106% growth rate by assets under management. The next closest, Modern Wealth Management, had a growth rate of 197%.

Today, &Partners is comprised of 83 teams overseeing $39 billion in AUM, according to a spokesperson. However, Kowach and co-founders Kristi Mitchem and John Alexander have aggressive growth plans for the next three years, with a target of 150 teams, $120 billion in assets, and $800 million in revenue.