At Ashford Advisors, we pride ourselves in the legacy and reputation our firm has in Atlanta and the Southeast. We would like to recognize our past—the foundation, the legacies, and the principles our firm was built upon as well as the men who invested their time, energy, and lives into building it.
What started as a small insurance agency in Columbus, GA in 1898 has grown into a premier financial services firm with offices in eight states and over 20 detached offices throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
The Columbus agency became licensed with The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America in 1900. However, it was not until Mr. Holcombe Green became the manager of the Atlanta agency in 1930 (and later General Agent in 1940) that the agency began to grow. There were a handful of men who joined the firm during his leadership who went on to become Charter members of Guardian’s Presidents Council, Leaders Club, and Centurion Club. Since Mr. Green became a General Agent in 1940, the agency has been in more than 10 locations from Downtown Atlanta to Midtown to Buckhead and to our present location on the Perimeter. Most recently, the agency formed a strategic partnership with an agency in Jackson, Mississippi, formerly Allen Financial Group founded in 1978, and an agency in Memphis, Tennessee, formerly Chartwell Financial Group founded in 1936. As members of the Guardian network, this partnership unites us as one firm with shared values and expands our presence and services throughout the southeast.
Our firm has survived over 20 U.S. Presidents, two World Wars, four other wars, two major economic recessions, and so much more. Regardless of the external circumstances, we have remained committed to providing our clients the best service and products available. It is this commitment that created a culture of excellence and the incredible work ethic among our producers. It is a commitment that has spanned over 120 years and counting and, God willing, will guide us through another century as prosperous and as storied as our first.
We remember the saying, “A great tradition can be inherited but greatness itself must be won”.
The leaders who have led our firm and shaped it into what it is today:
V. Thomas Purcell, CLU®, ChFC® (1999-Present)
Leonard B. Taylor, CLU®, ChFC® (1989-2006)
George S. Murdock, CLU® (1975 – 1995)
Edward H. Mattingly, CLU ® (1963-1979)
Holcombe T. Green, CLU® (1930-1966)
