Company History
    ABOUT US    Company History   ::  Our People   ::  In the Community  ::  Celebrating Community Service
 
Company History 

1935
Brokerage firm E.J. Gibson, Inc. opens first branch office in Great Falls, Montana. David Adams Davidson oversees the office.

1941
D.A. Davidson and family and friends buy all stock of the firm, now called Gibson Associates, and move headquarters to Great Falls.

1958
D.A. Davidson’s son, Ian B. Davidson, joins as the third Gibson employee. The firm’s capital is $33,000.

1959
Gibson Associates is renamed D.A. Davidson & Co.

1970
Company namesake David Adams Davidson dies. Ian Davidson is named Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President.

1975
D.A. Davidson buys Financial Aims Corporation, a financial planning firm.

1984
D.A. Davidson expands into Idaho. Total capital exceeds $8 million.

1986
DADCO, a financial services holding company, is formed. DADCO buys Trust Corporation of Montana, renaming it TrustCorp.

1991
D.A. Davidson expands into Wyoming. Total capital is $20.5 million.

1992
D.A. Davidson opens first Washington state office.



DAVIDSON - OUR ROOTS, OUR REGION
When David Adams Davidson joined a tiny Montana brokerage in 1935, he was planting seeds that would grow into a family of financial services firms. Today, we at Davidson Compa nies are proud to maintain our local roots and regional focus while expanding to serve clients across the West and beyond. We’re proud to be known for our exceptional service, strong ethics and deep sense of responsibility to our communities.

At Davidson Companies, we believe our unwavering commitment to you, our clients, differentiates us from the crowd. We listen to you. Only by listening, and working closely with you, can we find the best financial solutions for you. That personal touch is what makes us uniquely capable of being your financial partners.


DAVIDSON IN THE COMMUNITY
We are proud of our rich tradition of community involvement. Each year we select an outstanding volunteer from our employees for the Bragg Lewis Knutson Community Service Award. Through this award, we celebrate volunteerism and encourage others to give freely of their time and skills.

Davidson Companies also donates a portion of profits to civic and charitable causes, especially targeting organizations our employees care about. Our business units and employees provide gifts as well, supporting everything from the arts to domestic violence prevention. To add power to employee donations, we match their donations to eligible groups and offer an extra match for one gift each year. Our many contributions to education include the D.A. Davidson & Co. Student Investment Program, providing hands-on learning coupled with money for their colleges and universities. We also are proud supporters of The Stock Market Game.

Look around, and you’ll see the charitable touch of Davidson Companies on many projects. Community responsibility isn’t just part of our culture; it’s the way we do business.

1997
D.A. Davidson expands into Utah. TrustCorp is renamed Davidson Trust Co.

1998
D.A. Davidson expands into Oregon and acquires Jensen Securities, specializing in
equity research and institutional sales.

2000
DADCO is renamed Davidson Companies. Vincent Purpura becomes President and CEO; Ian Davidson remains as Chairman. Financial Aims
becomes Davidson Investment Advisors, and DADCO Travel is renamed Davidson Travel.

2002
D.A. Davidson expands into Colorado, opening a capital markets office in Denver. Total capital is $71.6 million.

2004
William Johnstone is named Davidson Companies President and CEO.

2005
D.A. Davidson & Co. celebrates 70th anniversary.

Davidson Companies acquires the Kirkpatrick Pettis family of companies, specializing in fixed income products and services.

2008
Davidson Companies celebrates Ian Davidson’s 50-year anniversary of joining the firm.

2009
D.A. Davidson acquires Ruan Securities, a small fixed income firm in Des Moines, Iowa.

2010
Davidson Companies celebrates its 75th year in business.