Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management, LLC (Norfolk)


Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management, LLC is a large advisory firm based in Norfolk. It manages $2.85 billion of regulatory assets for 3,781 client accounts. It has been registered with the SEC as an adviser since 2001 and has operated in the jurisdictions of Alabama, Arizona, California, and 26 other states.

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Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management provides financial planning services, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for investment companies, portfolio management for pooled investment vehicles, portfolio management for businesses and institutional clients, and pension consulting services. It doesn't provide financial planning services to its clients. On top of advisory services, the firm doesn't engage in other business activities.

Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management: assets under management

The assets under management (AUM) of Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management, LLC is $2.85 billion. The firm's AUM has grown by 162% since the beginning of its operation, and $100.49 million of the total AUM is attributable to clients outside of the United States.


The firm manages $2.8 billion in discretionary accounts and $49.34 million in non-discretionary accounts. On average, the discretionary accounts where all decisions are made on behalf of the client hold $745.69 thousand each. Non-discretionary accounts, where clients actively manage their portfolios, generally hold around $1.83 million.
Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management has custody of $194.86 million in cash and securities for 61 clients in total but doesn’t act as a qualified custodian.

Investments

The firm invests in exchange traded securities the most. They account for 52% of the total AUM. The second-largest asset type is investment and business development companies, which make up 24% of the firm’s portfolio. Investments in cash and cash equivalents form 9% of the total invested assets.

Fees & Commissions

The advisory firm has several streams of revenue. Clients pay Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management, LLC for their services and products based on a percentage of assets under management and fixed fees. Flat-fee based compensation is the most transparent and the one you can safely predict in advance. These fees don’t include brokerage commissions, interest, taxes, and other account expenses.

What kind of clients Wayne Freeman Wilbanks serves?

The firm provides services to individuals, investment companies, charitable organizations, high net worth individuals, pooled investment vehicles, corporations or other businesses, pension and profit sharing plans, and state or municipal government entities. The largest group of clients of Wayne Freeman Wilbanks is high net worth individuals with 512 clients and $1.81 billion of assets under management. Among the 6 most similar advisory firms, Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management has the highest percentage of high net worth individuals out of all clients.


The amount of regulatory assets under management is $2.82 billion for 1,899 clients that can include trusts, estates, and 401(k) plans and IRAs of individuals and their family members. None of the firm’s clients are foreign persons or businesses.

Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management doesn't advise any private funds.

Careers at Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management, LLC

The company employs 40 people that are either part- or full-time employees. 50 percent of the employees work as investment advisers or researchers. 17 employees are registered as investment adviser representatives with the state securities authorities.

There are 12 people with the role of looking for and bringing in new clients on behalf of the firm. The firm doesn’t compensate employees in addition to the salary for bringing in new clients. Employees don’t receive compensation from other entities for client referrals.

Wayne Freeman Wilbanks has been acting as President since 1 Jan 2009. Patrick Daniel Hayes joined the executive team most recently as the Chief Compliance Officer.

Direct owners and executive officers



Name Entity Date acquired Ownership Employer ID
Norwood Anderson Thomas Exec. v.pres./asst.secretary 1 Mar 1992 Other 2243063
Lawrence Norfleet Smith Exec. v. pres./secretary 1 May 1992 Other 2246488
Lawrence Albert Bernert V.president/principal/portfolio manager 1 Jan 1998 Other 2386213
Theodore Carlyle Turnage V.president/portfolio mgr. 1 Jan 1998 Other 2457876
Smith & Thomas Asset Management Inc. Wilbanks Member 1 Sep 2000 Other 54-1563771
Inc. Wealthtrust Shareholder 1 Sep 2000 Other 62-1696932
Trust For Virginia Ashlin Wilbanks Shareholder 1 Sep 2000 Other 4359308
Trust For Margaret Rivers Wilbanks Shareholder 1 Sep 2000 Other 4355081
Theodore Carlyle Turnage Secretary/principal/portfolio manager 1 Sep 2000 Other 2457876
Virginia Wilbanks Trust Member 1 Oct 2000 Other 54-6474386
Margaret Wilbanks Trust Member 1 Oct 2000 Other 54-6474381
Carolyn S. Thomas Shareholder 1 Mar 2001 Other 4520110
Carolyn Styron Thomas Shareholder 1 Mar 2001 Other 4520110
Carolyn Thomas Revocable Trust Member 1 Jan 2003 Other xxx-xx-xxxx
Llc Thomas Investment Properties Shareholder 1 Dec 2003 Other 16-1672248
David James Kyle Elliott Principal/portfolio mgr. 1 Jan 2004 Other 2488959
Mark Randall Warden Principal/portfolio mgr. 1 Jan 2004 Other 2787768
Llc Thomas Investment Properties Member 1 Jan 2004 Other 16-1672248
Nancy Lee Overton Vice president/chief compliance officer 1 Aug 2004 Other 4845491
Wealthtrust Llc Member 1 Nov 2006 25% - 50% 20-5389611
Wealthtrust Advisors Llc Member 1 Nov 2006 25% - 50% 141925
Wayne Freeman Wilbanks President/managing principal/cio/treasurer 1 Jan 2009 Other 1039562
Llc Wilbanks Family Member 1 Jan 2010 25% - 50% va scc312417-1
Roger Herman Scheffel Chief operating officer 1 Jan 2014 Other 4298675
Sarah Elizabeth Larkin Chief compliance officer/director of account services 1 Jul 2014 Other 6329983
Theresa Ann Garber Chief financial officer 1 Apr 2016 Other 5636592
Lp Rosemont Partners Iii Member 1 Sep 2016 25% - 50% 27-3667035
Matthew Ashley Swendiman Chief compliance officer 1 Feb 2017 Other 2849367
Patrick Daniel Hayes Chief compliance officer 1 Sep 2017 Other 6571587

Indirect Owners

The SEC currently registers 38 indirect owners.

Name Entity Date acquired Ownership Employer ID
Wayne Freeman Wilbanks Shareholder 1 Nov 1990 25% - 50% 1039562
Fredric Mark Edelman Sole shareholder 1 Jun 1996 75% - 100% 1537980
Inc Morgan Asset Management Shareholder 1 Nov 1999 75% - 100% 62-1277223
Inc Mk Holding Shareholder 1 Feb 2001 75% - 100% 62-1153850
Regions Financial Corporation Shareholder 1 Mar 2001 75% - 100% 62-0371391
Ashlin Thomas Wilbanks Member 1 Jan 2003 50% - 75% 6179276
Ashlin Wilbanks Member 1 Jan 2003 50% - 75% 6179276
Thomas Haskell Lee Managing member 1 Aug 2006 75% - 100% 305494
Wealthtrust Holdings Company Member 1 Nov 2006 75% - 100% 20-5576278
Wealthtrust Holdings Llc Shareholder 1 Nov 2006 75% - 100% 20-5493778
Falcon Mezzanine Partners Ii Lp Member 1 Nov 2006 50% - 75% 20-2506252
Mark Kevin Gormley Managing member 1 Mar 2009 25% - 50% 718402
Wayne Freeman Wilbanks Member 1 Dec 2009 75% - 100% 1039562
Llc Rosemont Investment Partners Iii General partner 1 Oct 2010 Other 27-3666961
Llc Lee Equity Partners Manager 1 Apr 2012 Other 157422
Lp Lee Equity Partners Fund Summer Aiv Member 1 Apr 2012 75% - 100% 80-0802317
Llc Lee Equity Partners Gp General partner 1 Apr 2012 Other 26-1532912
Teachers Retirement System Of Texas Limited partner 1 Apr 2012 25% - 50% 74-6000164
Affiliated Wealth Partners Holdings Llc Member-managed 1 Sep 2015 75% - 100% 47-4536791
Awp Ii Llc Member-managed 1 Sep 2015 75% - 100% 47-4845839
Awp I Lp Member-managed 1 Sep 2015 75% - 100% 47-4901400
Llc Lep Summer Holdings Limited partner 1 Sep 2015 50% - 75% 37-1689318
Llc Lee Equity Partners Member 1 Sep 2015 50% - 75% 157422
Inc. The Edelman Financial Center Member 1 Sep 2015 25% - 50% 81-0672613
George Lester Ball Board of managers 1 Sep 2015 Other 11332
Edward Philip Moore Board of managers 1 Sep 2015 Other 1468827
Mark Kevin Gormley Board of managers 1 Sep 2015 Other 718402
Achi Yaffe Board of managers 1 Sep 2015 Other 5167335
Holly Day Deem Board of managers 1 Sep 2015 Other 2665529
Awp Gp Llc General partner 1 Sep 2015 Other 47-5305328
Llc Lee Equity Partners Realization Fund Gp General partner 1 Sep 2015 Other 47-5092925
Bruce Robert Mcmaken Board of managers 1 Dec 2015 Other 2851043
Daniel Joseph Rodriguez Board of managers 1 Feb 2016 Other 4981411
Daniel J Rodriguez Board of managers 1 Feb 2016 Other 4981411
L.P. Lee Equity Partners Realization Fund Summer Aiv Member 1 Mar 2016 75% - 100% 36-4818709
Lep Realization Summer Llc Limited partner 1 Mar 2016 50% - 75% 47-5027114
L.P. Lep Realization Feeder Member 1 Mar 2016 75% - 100% 47-5356891
Mark Kevin Gormley Managing member 1 Mar 2016 25% - 50% 718402

Based in Norfolk

The principal office where Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management, LLC performs its advisory services is located at 150 West Main Street, Norfolk, VA 23510, which is also the mailing address of the firm. An additional office of the firm is in Lynchburg, VA. It doesn’t run an office outside of the United States.

You can reach the main office by calling the phone number 757-623-3676 or by fax 757-627-2943. The normal business hours are 8:00 am - 5:00 pm on Monday - Friday. You can find more information about the New York firm at wstcm.com.