U
D
! !
R
O
F
C
O
M
S
• E
E
E
R
C
B
R
M
2024
A
Winner
H
FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
C
!
A
A
T
O
L
E
.
C
M
SECURING TOMORROW
DAVE, JIM, AND ANDY JACOBS, JACOBS FINANCIAL, HAVE BEEN HELPING FAMILIES PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE FOR OVER 50 YEARS. By Emily Bertram // Photography by Switchboard
I
f there is one thing that is certain about the future, it’s that it is uncertain. For over fifty years, financial planning firm Jacobs Financial has been helping generations of families prepare for the unexpected. By placing a strong emphasis on faith, family and relationships, James (Jim) Jacobs and his sons Andrew (Andy) and David (Dave) have provided thousands of people with financial confidence and a future they can look forward to. As Dave put it, “There’s really no better feeling than helping my clients feel confident about their financial well-being.” Jim Jacobs grew up in St. Cloud, marrying his wife Carol in 1972. Carol’s
TIMELINE
1960S David Willmore starts selling insurance in the Twin Cities
1973 Jim Jacobs joins Willmore and together they form
28
father, David Willmore, worked in the insurance business through the 1960s in the Twin Cities. In 1973, Jim partnered with his father-in-law to form Jacobs, Willmore & Associates. “For the first years it was insurance,” Jim said. Eventually he and Willmore got their securities licenses. They relocated to the Westgate Mall in 1979, and then to the St. Cloud Business Center downtown in 1981, where the business remained for many years. After Willmore died in 1992, Jim took over full ownership of the firm, renaming it The Jacobs Agency. He worked solo for over two decades, developing deep relationships with his clients, many of whom are still working
Jacobs, Willmore & Associates, still located in the Twin Cities
1979 The business moves to Westgate Mall in St. Cloud
BusinessCentral Magazine.com // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 2 4
with him today. “Relationship is a big word for us,” Jim said. “I have some clients that are still with me after 45-50 years.”
ALL IN THE FAMILY rowing up, Andy and Dave Jacobs watched their father continue to grow his business. Dave knew early on that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. Not only does he have a way with numbers, he also saw how his father benefited from the flexibility of being his own boss. “Knowing he could coach the baseball team and take off Fridays in the summer,” Dave said, “that was appealing to me.” Dave joined his father at Jacobs Financial in 2003.
G
1981 The company moves to a larger space in the St. Cloud Business Center
operations and the company becomes known as The Jacobs Agency
1992
2003
David Willmore passes away; Jim takes over all
Dave Jacobs joins the company