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NewsM&A

Meridian CEO says Merchant stake helped it add advisors faster

Greg Couch said Meridian brought on a couple of advisors a few years ago and now adds two or three a year.

At a glance

  1. Meridian grew entirely organically at first, Couch said on AdvisorHub's Tony Sirianni Podcast on Nov. 3, then brought on a couple of advisors a few years ago and moved to the current pace.
  2. Sirianni, in his question, tied Meridian's equity program to a "feeling of partnership."
  3. Terms of Merchant's investment were not disclosed.

Meridian Wealth Management has been adding two or three advisors a year, and CEO and founder Greg Couch credits the minority investment Merchant made a year ago with helping the firm add them faster.

Meridian grew entirely organically at first, Couch said on AdvisorHub's Tony Sirianni Podcast on Nov. 3, then brought on a couple of advisors a few years ago and moved to the current pace.

Sirianni, in his question, tied Meridian's equity program to a "feeling of partnership." For an advisor weighing an offer from a firm with outside minority capital, the terms that decide the outcome sit below that pitch. How equity is granted, what it is valued at and when it vests determine whether the stake is worth the move.

Terms of Merchant's investment were not disclosed. Couch said Merchant, a New York firm, has been a partner for a year and helped Meridian structure the business so it can grow with new people more quickly.

Reported by the M&A desk from AdvisorHub. Published . Corrections

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