INVESTMENT FIRM PRESIDENT VISITS CITY

Benjamin F. Edwards III was in Cape Girardeau Friday for what he called a "visit to the real world."

Edwards, president, chairman and chief executive officer of A.G. Edwards & Sons, is taking time out to visit brokers in several of the investment firm's branches.

"I've visited 14 branches in three days," said Edwards. "We like to keep in personal touch.

"We discuss and answer questions on market and brokerage industry trends and talk about the outlook for individual investors."

Edwards is in touch with employees throughout the nation each Friday when brokers huddle around their desk speaker phones.

"These personal visits give us an added touch," he said.

A.G. Edwards has 19 branches in Missouri, including Cape Girardeau and Sikeston. Nationally, the investment firm has 480 offices.

"We now have branches in 48 states," said Edwards. "We've added a few branches since I visited Cape Girardeau in 1988. We've also added some new people and we've experienced growth over the past year."

Edwards added that "these are interesting times in the world of finance. Economic growth is slow, but we're seeing some better-than-expected progress in a number of areas."

Looking ahead, he added that after looking at some of the major proposals of the new administration, "we view this as a time to stay alert and keep an eye on Washington."

At A.G. Edwards, we remain positive about the future of the stock market, the economy and American business, added Edwards. "Overall we believe the country will experience higher economic growth, rising earnings and lower inflation for 1993."

Edwards said his advice to investors is to buy selectively and avoid overpaying.

"Our brokers can recommend," said Edwards. "But, the investors must decide."

A.G. Edwards was founded in 1887. With 480 offices in 48 states and the District of Columbia, the firm is now the largest U.S. brokerage firm headquartered outside of New York in number of employees and investment brokers.

The firm is the only retail brokerage firm to be included in the 1993 book, "The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America." The company also received a five-star rating in "Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine" in 1991.

"We attract a certain kind of broker," said Edwards. "We have a homey atmosphere here. Our people are our most important asset."

Edwards explains that the company's policy avoids putting the firm in competition with its own customers. "We don't try to tie our customers to the house," he said. "We don't try to control our sales force."

A.G. Edwards employs more than 9,000 and is third in total locations in the industry.

Edward D. Jones & Co. heads the list of locations with 2,120, and is followed by Raymond James Financial, noted Edwards. "But, many Jones and James offices are one or two persons branches." Edwards branches average about 15 to 20 brokers.