A new company was born today. Blue Heron Financial Corp., formerly University Avenue Financial Corp., has a new mandate — to provide wealth management services to retail investors by delivering a full range of superior proprietary investment products and individualized wealth management advice through dedicated financial professionals and highly accessible technology.

“We’re excited to have the Blue Heron finally see the light of day,” said president and CEO Gregory Levi. “It’s a unique branding stance we selected to underscore our innovative approach to customer service and the very special relationships we are structuring with our financial advisors.”

Levi says the company’s distribution division, to be known as Blue Heron Financial Group, will deliver exceptional customer service. Clients will have complete personalized wealth management services, using the skills and judgment of experienced financial professionals, easy, on-line access to their account information, and the option of self-administered investing.

Designed to encourage entrepreneurial business development within a carefully regulated managerial structure, Blue Heron Financial Group has distinguished itself through its highly beneficial territorial ownership arrangement and is attracting leading financial professionals. This model enables financial advisors to maintain close personal relationships with their clients, while allowing clients to choose the type of service they require.

@rgentum Funds and University Avenue Funds, will continue to deliver a wide range of product and service to meet the demands of today’s investor.

The Blue Heron senior management team puts a high level of industry maturity and expertise at the service of Blue Heron clients. Levi says, “Veteran industry experience and leading technology will be the predominant factors evolving the team-oriented strategy”. To execute the company’s mandate, he has built a team of industry professionals, who bring over a century of financial services industry experience collectively, encompassing, both asset management and distribution.

The change of the company’s name was approved at a meeting of shareholders on Friday, October 5. In addition, at the meeting the shareholders voted to terminate the existing stock option plan in favour of a new plan, authorizing the issue of up to 3,730,000 options to acquire that number of common shares.

Blue Heron Financial Corporation trades on the CDNX and its ticker symbol, effective Thursday, October 18, is BHC.