Bridgeford Trust Company, LLC (Bridgeford Trust Company) and Delta Trust Company of South Dakota, Inc. (Delta Trust Company), two independent South Dakota chartered trust companies, are very proud and excited to announce the completion of their merger.
Founded in 1992, as a private trust company, Delta Trust Company was established by the descendants of James Ford Bell, the founder of General Mills, to serve the various and complex trust and fiduciary needs of one of America’s largest and most prominent families. Delta Trust Company subsequently evolved into a public trust company, serving the fiduciary needs of a select and limited number of very large families, quickly earning a reputation for providing excellent technical fiduciary expertise, attention to detail, and outstanding client service.
Founded in 2012, as a public trust company, Bridgeford Trust Company provides trust and fiduciary services to domestic and international families across the country and around the world, leveraging South Dakota’s very progressive and industry leading modern trust laws. Powered by its entrepreneurial, creative, and extremely responsive approach to education and client service, Bridgeford Trust Company works with many of the nation’s top advisors serving large families, including several on the Forbes 400 list, and has been recognized as one of South Dakota’s fastest growing trust companies.
David A. Warren, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Bridgeford Trust Company and President and Chief Executive Officer of Bridgeford Advisors states,
“The ‘New Bridgeford Trust’ is a perfect marriage of two exceptional trust companies bringing together very powerful and complementary strengths and many years of experience, positioning the company to be a leading provider of South Dakota fiduciary services while delivering direction and control to settlors of trusts, beneficiaries, and their advisors across the country and around the world.”
Todd J. Bernhard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bridgeford Trust Company adds,
“Our team of trust professionals, with over 125 years of combined South Dakota trust administrative experience, will continue Delta Trust Company’s tradition of providing outstanding personal service, excellent responsiveness, and attention to detail while leveraging Bridgeford Trust Company’s strong focus on education, flexibility, collaboration, and creativity around planning, problem solving, and getting to ‘yes’ in the trust planning process.”
The completed merger brings a new and sophisticated structure to Bridgeford Trust Company, bifurcating service and business development functions supporting the Company’s focus on education, creativity, and organic growth while ensuring the very best personal service and attention to detail.
Bridgeford Trust Company
Led by Todd J. Bernhard, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Linda M. Voller, President of Domestic and Global Fiduciary Services, all trust administration and corporate governance functions will be performed and executed through offices in Pierre and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Bridgeford Advisors
Led by David A. Warren, JD, President and Chief Executive Officer, all consultative, planning, business development, and marketing activity will be coordinated through Bridgeford Advisors, Inc., a legally distinct sister company of Bridgeford Trust Company, with imminently planned locations in New York City; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in addition to our current office locations in Pierre and Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Central Pennsylvania.
South Dakota has consistently been ranked as the top U.S. dynasty trust state, and its decanting statute has been ranked as the most progressive in the nation by Nevada Attorney, Steve Oshins. In addition, South Dakota has the strongest privacy provisions and one of the most powerful domestic asset protection statutes in the nation, as recently observed by Trusts & Estates Magazine. Consistently recognized as an innovator in the trust industry, South Dakota is also one of only three states with a Community Property Trust statute, a very powerful tax planning tool, and the only state in the nation with the Family Advisor role, referred to as a “trust protector light.” Click here to view a chart comparing the leading U.S. trust jurisdictions, with a particular emphasis on areas that clearly distinguish South Dakota as the superior U.S. trust jurisdiction.
For more information on this exciting merger and Bridgeford Trust Company, please visit our brand new website at www.bridgefordtrust.com. You can also follow Bridgeford Trust Company online by visiting us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
