THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 29, 1994 TAG: 9409270151
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
Larry Gregory has brought Wall Street to Ocean View.
Last February, the longtime Ocean View civic leader established an office of the St. Louis-based investment firm of Edward D. Jones & Company at a shopping center on Granby Street. There, Gregory, his wife, Valerie, and a secretary has been working to provide full-service stock brokerage and investment advice to some 200 clients.
His business is the first of its type in the community, he contends.
``Usually for this type of business, people have to travel downtown,'' said Gregory, 50, a resident of Ocean View for 20 years.
``Now they just have to come a few blocks. This company does things a little differently because we take our business to the community, rather than operating out of a single office with 60 or so people in one room working the phones.''
Gregory said before he initiated his new business venture, he polled hundreds of Ocean View residents about the idea.
The reception was ``tremendous,'' he recalled.
``(People) are glad they can go to Wall Street and not leave Ocean View,'' he said. ``A lot of retired people have been affected by poor rates on government (certificates of deposit). They're looking at alternatives. They want to know who they deal with and that they can trust them . . . instead of trusting a voice . . . on the phone.''
Helping bring more business into Ocean View is something Gregory has worked toward for years. A former president of the Cottage Line Civic League, Gregory has been active in Ocean View community affairs for decades. He has also served as a committee member on city-wide committees for the Norfolk Public Schools.
``I believe strongly in Ocean View, and we need a lot more business interest here,'' he said. ``There are a lot of people down here, and they need all sorts of services.''
Gregory recently earned a professional financial planner certificate from Old Dominion University's business school. Before his latest business venture, he owned a remodeling contracting business. His investment firm is located at 9633 Granby St. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MOTOYA NAKAMURA
Larry Gregory stands outside his new office. ``I believe strongly in
Ocean View,'' he says.
by CNB