Threshold Group Opens New Offices in Seattle and Portland

SEATTLE & PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Threshold Group, a financial planning and investment advisory firm serving private families and family-run philanthropic foundations, is opening new and expanded offices in downtown Seattle and Portland beginning Nov. 1. After more than a decade of serving large, multi-generation families from its headquarters in Gig Harbor, WA, the firm is deepening its client service and community-building commitments in both Seattle and Portland.

“Our goal is to continue building a family-oriented wealth advisory business, and a vital part of our mission is to create dialogue, involvement and awareness among our clients and those in the community who share our interests and organizational principles”

The family-owned wealth advisory firm was founded in the Pacific Northwest in 1999 by the Russell family after the family’s sale of Frank Russell Company (known today as Russell Investments). In 2010, Threshold Group established a full-service East Coast office in Philadelphia, and it has previously maintained smaller client service offices in Seattle and Portland. The firm employs 38 associates and serves approximately 50 families and family foundations across the country.

“Our new offices represent more than added square footage and new meeting space – they signify our growing commitment as an integral community member and collaborator with families, philanthropic foundations and other professional service providers,” said Ed Lazar, president of Threshold Group. “We want to be more directly involved in the daily pulse and cultural priorities of each community. For many years, some of our associates have worked and lived in both Seattle and Portland, and our new offices will enable us to develop a deeper and more interactive presence in both cities.”

Threshold’s new offices are at these locations:

520 Pike Tower, 520 Pike Street, Suite 2250, Seattle, WA 98101
The Spalding Building, 319 SW Washington Street, Suite 1010, Portland, OR 97204

To connect with people in Seattle and Portland, the firm is planning open house events and beginning in 2013 will invite guests to a series of small, educational gatherings and discussion groups. These multi-faceted sessions will reach beyond typical investment issues by highlighting innovation and leadership in areas such as wealth education, natural resources and other issues involving economic, cultural and environmental sustainability.

“Our goal is to continue building a family-oriented wealth advisory business, and a vital part of our mission is to create dialogue, involvement and awareness among our clients and those in the community who share our interests and organizational principles,” said Kristen Bauer, Senior Managing Director and head of the firm’s Seattle office. “As professionals and people with our own families, we want to do more than just come to work each day – we want to continually learn from being part of these communities.”

Threshold’s expansion to new office space coincides with the firm’s strategic decision to begin offering financial planning and investment management services for individual families whose wealth ranges from $5 million to $50 million. This service, called Threshold Wealth Management, is designed for private individuals and families who want robust, personalized investment advice and financial planning without the complete array of additional family office services. Threshold’s wealth management offering is an outgrowth of the firm’s broader family office service program. The new service focuses on investment advice, financial planning and, in some cases, legacy or succession planning for wealth owners entering a new phase of life.

Last March, the firm introduced Threshold Foundation Services, a distinct investment advisory capability designed for private family foundations. A key component of the offering is a dedicated focus to mission-related investing and the ability to align traditional investment strategy with philanthropic mission and social/environmental impact.

Threshold Group / www.thresholdgroup.com / leads a select yet diverse group of families through the opportunities and challenges of family wealth. Our wealth advisory services provide a solid foundation necessary for a family to grow, thrive, and give back, not just for a lifetime, but for generations. We ask tough, compelling questions to inspire family leaders and their next generation to define and achieve success on their own terms. Along the way, we find that every family provides new chances to learn and grow, and we put each experience to work for our community of clients. Founded as a family office in 1999, Threshold today guides private family investments of $2.7 billion¹ and serves a client base of more than 50 families and family foundations across the United States. Threshold employs 38 associates in four offices in Gig Harbor, WA; Philadelphia, PA; Portland, OR; and Seattle, WA. The family-owned firm was founded by members of the Russell family, who created Frank Russell Company (now Russell Investments), a global investment leader best known for the Russell stock indices and wide range of independently researched investment products and services.

Threshold Group is a Registered Investment Advisor.

¹Data based on assets under advisement as of 6/30/2012.