History

McAdams Wright Ragen (MWR) was founded in 1998 by Brooks Ragen and Scott McAdams. Underlying the formation of their new company was the belief that Northwest-based investment firms occupy a unique and valuable niche for regional investors and businesses.

The Northwest’s ideal geographic location, removed from the drumbeat of “Wall Street”, allows regional firms to operate more independently. At MWR, individual stock investing using a contrarian, value-based approach is common practice for advisors and analysts.

After a wave of consolidation in the late 1990s, few independent regional firms remained in the Northwest. Brooks and Scott set out to recreate the classic investment firm model that had worked so well beforeconsisting of the traditional divisions in trading, retail, research, institutional, and corporate financebut with strategic modifications to remain current and competitive.

MWR opened its doors with eight people on January 4, 1999, but outgrew its original space in just three years. The Seattle headquarters moved three blocks to its current location, which has since tripled in square footage.

The company now has six offices in Washington State and one in Portland, Oregon. The company opened a branch in Bellevue in 2004, followed by Portland in 2005 and Yakima in 2009. In autumn 2010, MWR underwent a massive expansion, increasing employee headcount by about 50%, and opening branches in Mount Vernon in December 2010 and Anacortes in January 2011. In May 2012, the firm opened its seventh office, which is in Spokane, WA.

MWR continues to grow steadily, serving clients at home in the Northwest and around the world.