By Marisa Dawson

Molly Hoge and Sarah Ryan, financial advisors with Edward Jones, officially celebrated the opening of their new Bennington office August 4 with a joint ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Bennington Chamber of Commerce and West O Chamber.

The new office is part of a newly constructed building at 8053 N. 157th St., and Hoge and Ryan said they are also looking forward to welcoming other businesses to the space. They hope to welcome other local businesses and professionals to the space as the development continues to grow. Contact Joshuwa Hannum for more information on the building’s availability.

Not only this, but the new space also provides Hoge and Ryan with a dedicated space in the community they both call home. The ribbon cutting followed a Coffee, Carbs & Convo networking event hosted at the office by the chambers earlier that morning.

For Hoge and Ryan, opening an office in Bennington represents the realization of a long-held goal.

“Opening an Edward Jones office in Bennington has been a dream of ours for a long time,” Hoge and Ryan said. “This is the community we call home, where our children attend school, and where we are actively involved and connected. When the right real estate became available, we recognized it as the perfect opportunity to bring our business closer to the community we care so much about.”

The new office allows the advisors to provide financial planning and wealth management services from a location close to the clients and community members they serve.

Clients can expect a personalized approach, with Hoge and Ryan working to understand each person’s individual goals, values and financial priorities. Their services include investment management, tax-sensitive planning, retirement income strategies, insurance and risk management, education funding and estate planning considerations.

“Our goal is to help clients feel confident about their financial future and create a plan that supports what matters most to them and their families,” they said.

The Aug. 4 event also highlighted the advisors’ longstanding relationships with both chambers. Because Hoge and Ryan are members of both the Bennington Chamber and West O Chamber, the joint ribbon cutting offered an opportunity to bring the two organizations together while celebrating the new location.

“With two advisors in our new location, it was important to preserve our history and relationships with both Chambers,” Hoge and Ryan said. “Each chamber has played a meaningful role in supporting our business, and we wanted our ribbon-cutting celebration to reflect those connections.”

Bennington Chamber President Felicia Weaver said the event was particularly meaningful because of Hoge’s longstanding involvement with the chamber and her connection to the community.

“For our community to have something like this in a new space, have somebody who has been an integral part of our chamber,” Weaver said. “And she has her family here. So all of it for her is just coming together in an absolutely wonderful space.”

Weaver also praised the new office itself and said having the business physically located in Bennington makes the milestone even more significant.

“Her office is stunning, so I’m super excited for them,” Weaver said. “I just think that with her being part of the chamber and being able to have space in Bennington is even better for her.”

The joint event also demonstrated the amount of overlap between the two chambers and their memberships. Weaver said the organizations are already discussing ways they could collaborate more frequently in the future.

“I think it’s important that we have a ton of crossover between the West O and Bennington Chamber,” Weaver said. “We have a lot of members who are members of both.”

She added that she and West O Chamber President have discussed the possibility of holding joint events on a quarterly basis.

West O Chamber Representative Trevor Albert said the collaboration gave members an opportunity to meet people they might not normally encounter at their individual chamber events.

“I’ve met a lot of people today that I had never seen before, so it’s good to get in a room with a lot of our West O Chamber members,” Albert said. “You see a lot of the same faces, which can be a good thing. Something like this where you’re meeting a lot of new people and seeing new faces, it’s good to see people come together like that from a couple different communities.”

For Albert, the celebration was also a chance to see the two Edward Jones advisors reach a milestone they had envisioned for years.

“I know Sarah had talked about when Molly first started training, how they were sharing an office, and she envisioned something like this happening someday,” Albert said. “So it’s really cool to see them be able to do this.”

The turnout was another highlight of the event, with West O Chamber members traveling to Bennington to take part in the celebration.

“I think that’s actually a really good turnout,” Albert said. “A lot of our West O Chamber members are driving from a little farther, so I’m surprised as many people came out, but it was really good.”

As Hoge and Ryan settle into their new space, they said they are looking forward to becoming even more connected to the community and serving as a resource for local residents and businesses.

“As Bennington continues to grow, so does the need for trusted local professionals who can help individuals, families, and business owners navigate important financial decisions,” Hoge and Ryan said. “We’re excited to be part of that growth and to serve as a resource for the community.”

For the advisors, the new office is more than simply a new location. It represents an opportunity to deepen their relationships with the people and businesses in the community they already consider home.

“Being located in Bennington gives us the opportunity to deepen our connections with the people who live and work here, and we’re excited to contribute to the continued success and growth of this great community,” they said.