A History Of Building Financial Security
In the early 1960s and fresh out of the Air Force, Frank Burke and Nick Lawton came together to found “Burke Lawton” – an investment firm geared towards helping other young investors plan for and build financial security. In the early days, they had a small office with a ticker tape machine in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA. Four years later, Curt Brewer, joined the firm and soon became a partner. As it grew, the firm moved a few miles away to a larger office in Flourtown, PA. Eventually, the firm added Frank’s brother, Clay, to the partner ranks and in 1996 moved to Ambler, PA. With that location at capacity, the firm relocated to its current home in Montgomeryville in January 2019.
In the early years, Burke Lawton focused on providing brokerage services to investors. The founders soon realized that many of their clients needed and wanted more. So, in 1974, the firm also began offering investment management services. Over the years, the firm has grown in countless ways and yet still stayed true to its original mission of helping clients plan for and build financial security.
BLBB Advisors is now a full-service provider of fiduciary planning advice, guidance and investment management on over $2 billion in client assets. We also now work with a number of local businesses, business-owners, and endowments, along with many multi-generational families including the second, third, and even fourth generations of families who originally started with Frank and Nick back in 1964.
As we look to the future, there are many exciting things on our horizon. We completed the full ownership and management transition of the firm from its original founders to the current management team. We constantly upgrade our technology platforms and investment management systems to better provide our clients with information about their investments and their financial plans.
U.S. Air Force Captains Franklin A. Burke (“Frank”) and Thomas N. Lawton (“Nick”) meet in London.
Frank and Nick start Burke, Lawton & Co. in Chestnut Hill, PA, “to help people build tomorrow’s financial security through sound investments today.” Many of their initial clients are military colleagues.
Burke, Lawton & Co. moves to larger offices in Chestnut Hill.
John Curtis Brewer (Curt) joins the firm.
Burke Lawton begins offering investment management services through an investment advisory subsidiary, Venture Securities Corporation, the predecessor of BLB&B Advisors, LLC.
Co-Founder Nick Lawton passes away after 25 years with Burke, Lawton & Brewer.
Clayton E. Burke joins the company as its newest partner and the firm becomes Burke Lawton Brewer & Burke.
BLBB moves to 516 N. Bethlehem Pike in Spring House, PA.
Three additional investment professionals – Laura Brewer, Dean Karrash, and John Lawton – become partners of Burke Lawton Brewer & Burke.
Bob Phillips, Jr., Clifford Haugen, John Armstrong, III, Peter Bedell, and Margaret Wingerd become the newest members of the BLBB team. Frank Burke and Curt Brewer begin the gradual transition of day-to-day operations and investment management responsibilities to the next generation.
The transition is complete as Laura Brewer, Dean Karrash, John Lawton, Bob Phillips, and Clifford Haugen join Frank Burke as the owners of BLB&B Advisors, LLC.
BLBB Charitable, the charitable arm of BLBB Advisors is established, supporting initiatives that help people discover their true and full potential through educational and leadership opportunities.
Co-Founder, Franklin A. Burke (Frank) passes away after a 54 year career with BLBB Advisors.
The Gwynedd Company join our firm expanding our service offering in designing, building, and managing retirement plans for organizations and providing corporate and not-for-profit clients with thorough, accurate, and comprehensive administrative services in support of the retirement plans they offer their employees.
The firm moves to its current building in Montgomeryville, PA.
Robb Parlanti joins Clifford Haugen, John Lawton, Laura Brewer, and Dean Karrash as a Principal of the firm.
Doug Huntley retires as a Principal and Financial Advisor of the firm.
John Curtis Brewer (Curt) passes away after a 40 year career with BLBB Advisors.
Still independent and employee-owned, BLB&B Advisors, LLC adheres to the same principles upon which the firm was founded: “to help people build tomorrow’s financial security through sound investments today.”