Local Yuma Business Owner Celebrates 20 Years of Success
The founder and President of Yuma Investment Group Wealth Management, Tom Rush, celebrated his company’s 20th year of success by donating $20,000 to local non-profit organizations. On Wednesday, October 27, Rush and his team threw a chamber mixer to celebrate the company’s accomplishments and award the money to the various organizations. With over 27 years in the investment world, Rush’s journey to success started right here in Yuma County.
Born and raised in Dateland, Arizona, Rush is the fourth of seven children and started working for his future at a young age. After attending Brophy College Preparatory, a prestigious high school in Phoenix, Rush attended Amherst College in Massachusetts, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics.
Following his licensure and move back to Yuma, Rush worked for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter for seven years before opening and managing Yuma’s Merrill Lynch for two years. Following the economic downturn in 2000, Merrill Lynch relocated, and Rush decided to independently launch Yuma Investment Group Wealth Management on September 1, 2001.
Through the economic
challenges at the time and the aftermath of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center, Rush started Yuma Investment Group with just himself and an assistant. Since then, the team has expanded to 16 people, including Adrian Elder, the company’s vice-president, and partner, George Davis. Additionally, the company manages more than 300 million dollars, most of which is in Yuma.
Rush and his diligent team take pride in financial planning and wealth management, always aiming to align themselves with their customers’ needs and emphasizing care with risk tolerance. Rush continues to work on improving the company for each client’s best interest, including a semi-recent change from LPL Financial to Carson Wealth Management, allowing for increased discretion
and fiduciary capacity on accounts.
As a Yuma native, Rush takes pride in supporting the community. Yuma Investment Group has employees in many different Rotary clubs and on many different local boards, and makes a point to give back to the community that has made the business successful. Having started his business from the ground up, Rush understands the normal challenges business owner faces and sympathized with the additional hardships brought on by the pandemic. After deliberation with his team, Rush decided the best way to celebrate Yuma Investment Group’s 20 successful years of business was to give back to the community: 20K for 20 years!
Fifteen non-profits received donations, including the United Way of Yuma County (UWYC). In an interview with KYMA, UWYC director Karina Jones explained that the money will go to children in the JA BizTown Program, helping them understand valuable financial skills they might not otherwise learn.
Following the celebration of his business and the people of Yuma, Rush looks to the future with enthusiasm. He recognizes his business partners, Elder and Davis, for their role in the company’s ongoing success, as well as his amazing staff. Rush also expresses gratitude to his family, including his four children and his wife, Sandy. Wrapping up the chamber mixer, Rush said he is excited to continue serving the Yuma area and local businesses and is optimistic about more charitable celebrations to come.
(Friday, October 29, 2021)