Industry Leaders Launch New Republic Partners

Belk-Pilon and Springs-Close-Bowles Families Join as Founding Clients

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A group of experienced financial executives has launched a new investment management and wealth advisory firm, attracting The John M. Belk Endowment, the M.C. Belk Pilon family interests and the Springs-Close-Bowles family interests as clients and shareholders.

New Republic Partners is a new, privately held firm specializing in innovative investment, wealth advisory and credit solutions for successful individuals and families, endowments, foundations, and advisors serving accredited investors. The firm is headed by Ralph Strayhorn, the firm's chief executive and chairman of the board, and Tom Hoops, president and chief operating officer.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., New Republic Partners serves clients across the Southeast. The new firm's investment advisory business ranks as the 6th largest Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) in the Carolinas and a top 50 RIA in the Southeast with $1.35 billion in assets under management.

Enabled by the recent acquisition of New Republic Bank, the firm also offers concierge financial services to its investment and wealth advisory clients.

The firm sees new opportunities in a changed investment landscape. “The alignment of our professional team, investors, board members and founding family clients creates a strong foundation for the firm,” says Strayhorn.

Hoops adds, “We are able to leverage that foundation to provide clients with access to unique investment solutions usually reserved for large institutional investors, as well as proprietary private funds and other co-investment opportunities.”

Strayhorn previously served as chief executive of several banks and headed a private consultancy, Cape Point Advisory, that worked with banks and regulators to help banks transitioning through mergers and sales. Hoops, a 35-year veteran of the investment management industry, previously was a member of the executive committee at Legg Mason Global Asset Management where he led global product strategy, M&A and strategic investing.

“The investment team at New Republic Partners brings innovative thinking and a high degree of expertise,” says M.C. Belk Pilon, president and board chair of the John M. Belk Endowment and a member of the New Republic Partners board of directors. “We like the concept of a partnership environment with shared investment opportunities.”

The Springs-Close-Bowles family echoes those sentiments.

“We partnered with New Republic Partners because they expanded our capabilities in ways that other asset managers and advisors could not,” said Sam Bowles, who is joining New Republic Partners as a member of the board of directors and as a managing director in New Republic Capital, the entity in the firm that will develop and manage investment client portfolios. “The breadth and depth of the team’s experience combined with the increased scale of the firm will provide us access to the best investment opportunities in every asset class. They offer their services in a conflict-free manner for reasonable fees. To us, that combination is unique in the market.”

About Us

New Republic Partners is an innovative investment management, wealth advisory and credit solutions firm serving successful individuals and families, endowments, foundations and advisors who serve accredited investors. The firm is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and serves clients across the Southeast.

Learn more at www.newrepublicpartners.com