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We see our heritage as the foundation for our future. It's in our past that the roots of the Elliott Davis character were formed: our connection with the community, our personal touch, our authenticity, our passion for helping clients succeed, and the unpretentious way we strive for excellence. All of that started in 1925, when Merrill Patten traveled down from Boston-based Elliott, Davis and Company, specialists in the northern textile industry, to start a branch office in the South.
Merrill opened up on Main Street in Greenville, without even an assistant. He typed his own letters, answered his own calls, and prospected for his own clients. Periodically, he traveled by electric trolley to other cities, through tiny towns and cow pastures, and by train to textile centers to visit prospective clients, particularly within the textile industry.
Slowly, as the Elliott Davis reputation grew, relationships within the community were built and the clients came. Many early client relationships flourish to this day. And they established our expertise in two industries early on: manufacturing and distribution and financial institutions.
In 1930 the depression hit the Southeast with full force. The firm suffered through the bank closings, strikes, and slow collections with the rest of the country, yet continued to build steadily. In 1939, James Elliott, founder of the Boston-based Elliott Davis, died and Merrill Patten carried on the Elliott Davis tradition down south.
Young managers in the Elliott Davis firm served in World War II, and returned to Greenville to serve clients afterwards. In 1959, four men - Buck Welling, Bill Kellett, Roy McAdams, and Warren "Dusty" Schulze - bought out Merrill Patten, and opened a branch office in Greenwood. In the remaining decades of the 20th century, the Southeast grew, transferring much of its manufacturing energy into the service and information technology economy. Industry, both national and international, came in droves, unemployment plummeted, cities grew, and the region prospered - all while maintaining a low cost of living and a high quality of life. Elliott Davis grew with the region.
Eighty years after that start in the tiny office on Main Street, we've opened more branches, added more shareholders, rolled out more services, developed more industry specializations, and served many more clients. But the essence of Elliott Davis, and our commitment to our clients, remains the same.
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