Benjamin F. Edwards & Co, a registered investment adviser headquartered in Missouri, has expanded its US footprint by launching a new office in Naples, Florida.

The new office is the firm’s seventh location in the state.

The office will be staffed by J. Eric Price, Wayne Meland, and Thomas Kahl.

Price stated: “So many positive factors drew us to Benjamin F. Edwards & Co., most especially my past working relationship with Tad, the firm’s chairman, and with many of the firm’s team.

“What we found especially appealing, however, was the company’s reverence for the adviser-client relationship and its willingness to let us – as advisers – work with our clients as we see fit.”

Price, Meland, and Kahl previously worked at Morgan Stanley.

They bring assets worth around $520m.

Price will be managing director of investments and branch manager.

Both Meland and Kahl will serve as senior vice president of investments.

The three will be supported by Mary Mapes and Delfina Buenrostro, who too worked at Morgan Stanley.

Mapes and Buenrostro will serve as operations manager and senior registered financial client associate, respectively.

Benjamin F. Edwards & Co founder, chairman, and CEO Benjamin Edwards IV said: “I had the privilege of working with Eric and his father during our days at A.G. Edwards, and I know first-hand this group shares our core values of delivering client first service in an atmosphere of trust, integrity and mutual respect.”

Established in 2008, Benjamin F. Edwards & Co presently has 72 offices across 27 states.

The company oversees over $24.6bn in assets and has staff headcount of around 600.