Chartered Financial Planning firm Fairstone has opened a major new hub in Cardiff as it expands its presence in Wales.
The wealth manager says its new base in the Welsh capital extends its network to 12 hubs and more than 40 other offices across the UK and Ireland.
The hub is based in the North of the city near the M4 motorway and A48 link road. It will provide space for more than 20 staff and advisers previously located in three smaller offices in South Wales and the Welsh Borders.
The office is located in the Vision Court business complex and is designed to support Fairstone’s planned expansion across Wales in the coming years, the firm says.
Fairstone Group CEO Steven Cooper CBE said: “This is an important milestone in our plans to build a stronger, scaled presence across Wales, with Cardiff acting as the foundation for further growth.
“Establishing a presence in the Welsh capital is an important strategic step for us as a group as we look to support more families, individuals and business owners in making confident financial decisions.
“With strong levels of early-stage entrepreneurship in the UK and a well-evolved business support system, Wales is a country with a clear opportunity for long-term growth. Our hub offices play a key role in how we operate as a business. They bring colleagues together, support collaboration across teams and ensure clients receive a joined-up service.”
The Cardiff hub serves more than 4,500 clients located across Wales and the Welsh Borders and manages more than £400m worth of client assets.
Mike Slater, managing director for Fairstone’s Central region, said the firm was looking to substantially boost its presence in Wales.
He said: “We’ve designed the hub with plenty of ‘growing room’ to accommodate the additional advisers and support staff we anticipate joining us over the next 12 to 18 months and beyond. It also gives us dedicated meeting rooms and enhanced client facilities compared to the previous offices from which we operated in the region. Cardiff will act as our core hub, enabling us to build out further across Wales in a structured way as demand continues to grow.”
Fairstone operates from more than 50 locations, employing over 1,350 operational staff and regulated advisers. It oversees more than £22 billion in assets under management on behalf of over 65,000 wealth and 60,000 mortgage clients.