Close Brothers has a long and distinguished history, characterised by an innovative approach to financial services.  William Brooks Close founded the business in 1878, initially providing farm mortgages in Iowa and very quickly developed a pioneering approach financing the first railway in Alaska.

This entrepreneurial approach has continued throughout our history; as an independent merchant bank, the company has always carved out a distinctive strategy.  The management buy-out in 1978 was a first for the merchant banking industry, and another important step was the listing on the London Stock Exchange in 1984.  The careful purchase of high quality specialist businesses created a differentiated range of services.  Examples include the high profile purchase of Winterflood Securities in 1993 and the Hill Samuel corporate finance unit in 1996, both leading to step changes in size and scale.

Today, Close Brothers is amongst the top 200 listed companies in the UK.