Alan Appelbaum began his professional career as a history teacher. Years later, he found himself working in the bond market. He has spent 48 years in the bond market industry. He's now retired but continues to be involved in charity organizations. He's proud to have worked with some of his clients for 40 years or more. Humble Beginnings Alan Appelbaum is proud to say he came from humble beginnings. He grew up in Bayonne, NJ. It is a blue-collar town located near Newark Bay. The town is a far cry from Wall Street. It's known for exporting, oil refining, and yacht building. His first career was as a history teacher in New Jersey. He got his start in the bond industry in 1973. Surprisingly, he did not know what he was getting into at the time. When asked about those early years, Applebaum said, "A friend of mine thought I would like working in the bond market, and all I knew of were bail bondsmen. I thought I would be getting guys out of jail.” He worked in the industry for nearly a decade, learning everything there was to know. In 1982, he founded A.F. Best Securities Inc. in Coral Springs, Fla. He eventually sold the company to Gruntal & Co. LLC. The company kept the original name and added a Gruntal Division, in which Applebaum acted as the president. He worked with the company until 1999. President of H.J. Sims & Co. Alan Appelbaum became president of H.J. Sims & Co. in 2002. The company was founded in 1935. Their current headquarters is in Connecticut. H.J. Sims is well known and respected. They are known for having a client-centered approach to investing. The company has a surprising beginning. It was founded during the Great Depression by Herbert J. Sims. He began with a one-room office. He got the capital to begin his business from his mother. He built the business with little other than integrity and word of mouth. Appelbaum upheld the principles of the company, identifying with the humble start Mr. Sims had and what he had built. He successfully guided the company until 2007. Managing Partner for Aegis Capital Appelbaum began acting as the managing partner for Aegis Capital in 2015. He was the head of the division of the municipal bond. Aegis Capital was founded in 1984 and is located in New York City, New York. They focus on tailored investment solutions and take a hands-on approach when working with clients.