Analysis of Robert W. Baird & Co - Essay Example

Module Robert W. Baird & Co. My choice of businessman whose company interests me is Robert W. Baird. The company started by Mr. Baird has along story. After graduating, Baird’s found a job in a trust department of Wisconsin. The company later became first Wisconsin National Bank. He was the lead partner in Wisconsin Investment Firm when it was founded in 1919. Later, the company was separated from Wisconsin National Bank and when the company applied for a listing in the New York Stock Exchange, the investment company headed by Robert W.

Baird became Robert W. Baird & Co. He remained the Chairman of the company till 1960, and then retired. Today, the company has a special place in all the businesses in America, and the Fortune magazine has included the company in a prestigious list of 100 best places to work. Robert W. Baird & Co is an asset management company. Its special focus is on middle market investments, capital markets investment, fixed income investments and provision of a broad range of other services to its clients such as Private Wealth Management, Mutual Funds and a company’s own special fund.

The company performed extremely well in the fiscal year ending 2010. It earned $847 million in revenues, a figure which is 18 percent more than in the previous year. The principal competitors of Robert W. Baird & Co are all the investment firms operating in America. The major rivals of the company are Jefferies Group, Inc, Piper Jaffaries Company Inc. and Raymond James Financial. However, RWB&CO has outsmarted its competition in the last few years, and especially in 2010. While other companies downsized and contracted, RWB managed to grow by an impressive figure of eighteen percent.

Robert W. Baird & Co does not only have strong presence in the entire United States but is also present in other countries around the world. The company operates extensively in the UK, Greece and India. In these countries, it is involved in the development of risk-averse portfolios and making investments throughout the world. The greatness of the company lies in the fact that despite strong recessionary pressures, the company has managed to grow and within a few years, it has doubled in size in terms of revenue.

This achievement puts RWB ahead of its competition. The company is currently an employee- owned business, meaning that the largest shareholders of the company are people working for the organization. It has a flexible structure. Each unit works independently and is controlled by the head of the department. Project teams are developed to sense market opportunities in different investments, and usually high performers get a hefty bonus. Everyone in the organization is given importance, mistakes are tolerated, and good work is encouraged and recognized through achievement awards.

This has made RWB one of the best companies to work for. Works Cited Co., Robert W. Baird. "Annual Report of Robert W. Baird Company 2010." Financial Report. Wisconsin: Robert W. Baird Co. Records Department, 2010.