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One of Bradley Bergman's favorite possessions is a 130-acre tract of undeveloped land at 179th Street and Antioch Road, near the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.
The president and CEO of The Midwest Trust Co. spends several hours there each month clearing brush, fixing fences and removing fallen trees. Bergman said he has no grand designs for the property, which ties near Johnson County's sprawling development. He just likes wandering the woods with a chain saw and a rake, doing the kind of vigorous work that reminds him of growing up on his family's tree farm near Quincy, Ill.
"We have shade trees, Japanese yews, dogwoods," he said of a family livelihood that dates to the 19th century. "Quincy has
dogwoods all over town because my family planted them."
Bergman relishes his rural background even as his collection of local moneymanagement companies branches out. In July, Midwest Trust acquired the private trust arm of Overland Park-based EBK Capital Management Group. Bergman also owns part of Financial Counselors Inc. (FCI) and The Benefit Trust Co., an employee benefits company he formed in 2002.
The four companies, which work closely together, have 100 employees and more than $5 billion in managed assets.
Bergman and his companies don't get a lot of publicity, but it's a rare social event where he isn't found chatting up some of Kansas City's power elite.
"Brad's never met a stranger, and I think he loves dealing with people,"...