UPDATE -- BENCHMARK -- HONOREE AND SPONSOR OF PITTSBURGH BUSINESS TIMES 2009 BOOK OF LISTS
(JANUARY 2009) -- BENCHMARK SPONSORS OF THE PITTSBURGH BUSINESS TIMES' BOOK OF LISTS. RANKED AS THE #3 FINANCIAL SERVICES FIRM IN PITTSBURGH BY THE PITTSBURGH BUSINESS TIMES (RANKING BY SIZE -- NUMBER OF FINANCIAL NETWORK REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVES, JANUARY 2009), FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR IN THE TOP FIVE.
Bob O'Korn, who recently joined the downtown office of BenchMark Financial Network, poses for a photo with the ING F1 Race Car, which was on display at One Oxford Centre on January 26, 2009, as part of the Pittsburgh Business Times 2009 Book of Lists Celebration.
ARCHIVES
JULY 2008 -- BENCHMARK PRESIDENT & CEO MIKE MCCORMICK WAS THE SOLE RECIPIENT OF FINANCIAL NETWORK'S CHAIRMAN AWARD IN WASHINGTON, DC, GIVEN BY FINANCIAL NETWORK INVESTMENT CORPORATION'S PRESIDENT, JACK HANDY.
President & CEO Mike McCormick and the BenchMark Team -- Winner of the 2008 Financial Network Chairman's Award -- July, 2008, Washington, D.C.
DECEMBER 2007 -- UPDATE -- BENCHMARK FEATURED IN FORBES MAGAZINE
President & CEO Mike McCormick at One Oxford Centre, opened in August 2007 and expanded in September 2008; now located on the fourth floor just across from the Rivers Club.
AUGUST 2007 -- PRESS RELEASE -- BLUE VASE CHANGES ITS NAME TO BENCHMARK, OPENS NEW OFFICES
Pittsburgh • August 13, 2007
Blue Vase Launches New Offices and a New Name
Firm renamed BenchMark Financial Network; New office in Downtown Pittsburgh
Blue Vase, now BenchMark, has been in the process of launching a number of new office locations to support its growing network of over 150 financial advisors and institutions, including one in Downtown Pittsburgh at One Oxford Centre.
Among the associates housed at the new Pittsburgh office is the Managing Director Dale Dominick, CFA. “It’s great to be able to serve clients from one of the premier business addresses in the city,” said Dominick. Preparations are underway for several other locations in the region, including offices in Altoona, the Mon Valley, Erie, and Lancaster, Penn., as well as in Frederick, Md.
The firm’s newest managing partner, James Grimes, AAMS, who is overseeing the development of these offices, said “Our new office locations and our new name are a reflection of our commitment to setting high standards within the investment and insurance industry, and the tremendous growth we have been experiencing recently”.
Grimes reports that the firm’s revenue is up over 30% year-over-year, and attributes the recent success in part to its strategic transformation in 2005 when it joined Financial Network Investment Corporation as an independently owned and operated “regional team.” As a result, they “outsourced” infrastructure duties (such as, technology and training), and focus on helping financial advisors and institutions grow and serve their clients.
Mike McCormick, the firm’s president and CEO, who co-founded the company in 1998, observed “As we had hoped, partnering with Financial Network has helped us create the best of both worlds for our advisors and clients – maintaining independence and identity, while gaining the support and resources of a financial services leader. Our value has been enhanced significantly with Financial Network’s ING SmartWorks top-notch technology and advisory services platform”.
Press inquiries:
James Grimes, BenchMark Financial Network, 800.830.0445, grimesj@financialnetwork.com
Philip Margolis, ING U.S. Financial Services, 860-723-4783, phil.margolis@us.ing.com
About Financial Network:
Financial Network Investment Corporation, member SIPC, has an exclusive model that creates a dynamic environment of teamwork through the local service of its regional offices, the national support of its home office and its position as an ING company. With this unique structure, Financial Network is able to build and support extraordinary regional teams, making it easier for its nearly 3,000 financial professionals in the U.S. and Puerto Rico to succeed. In addition to its representative offices, Financial Network provides third-party marketing services to banks and credit unions through its Financial Institutions Division. For more information, visit www.financialnetwork.com. Benchmark Financial Network and Financial Network Investment Corporation are not legal affiliates.
About ING:
ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services to over 85 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of over 125,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand. In the U.S., the ING (NYSE: ING) family of companies offer a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning, and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves over 17 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.com.
PRESS RELEASE APPROVED -- ING US FINANCIAL SERVICES & FNIC ADVERTISING COMPLIANCE, INITIALLY APPROVED AUGUST, 2007. ING DISCLOSURE LANGUAGE UPDATED/REAPPROVAL REQUESTED MARCH, 2009.
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