Ewing Bemiss & Co

Ewing Bemiss & Co

Ewing Bemiss & Co was founded in Richmond, Virginia, in 1952 and has operated continuously as a privately held investment bank focused on the middle market. T. Gaylon Layfield III serves as President and CEO, leading a team that provides merger and acquisition advisory, private capital raising, and strategic consulting to corporate clients. The firm's longevity and geographic concentration in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast reflect a business model built on long-term corporate relationships rather than transaction volume. The firm's advisory work spans multiple industries, with a particular depth in manufacturing, distribution, business services, and healthcare. Ewing Bemiss & Co executes sell-side and buy-side M&A mandates, arranges senior and subordinated debt, and raises growth equity for founder-led and family-owned businesses. The bank typically engages with companies generating between $10 million and $250 million in annual revenue. Its capital-raising capabilities include relationships with regional and national senior lenders, mezzanine funds, and private equity groups — functioning as a placement agent without taking balance-sheet risk. Headquartered in Richmond, Ewing Bemiss & Co maintains a deliberately concentrated team of senior bankers, though exact headcount is not publicly disclosed. The firm does not operate additional offices. Management continuity has been a hallmark: Layfield has led the firm for over two decades, and Managing Director Rodney D. Dillard II represents the next generation of leadership. The firm has not announced fund structures or proprietary investment vehicles, distinguishing its model from firms that co-invest or manage committed capital. What differentiates Ewing Bemiss & Co structurally is its status as a purely advisory, non-bank investment bank — a shrinking category as boutiques consolidate or add principal investing arms. The firm does not underwrite securities, manage assets, or deploy its own balance sheet, which eliminates conflicts that arise when advisors have capital at stake in transactions. This independence, combined with a single-office footprint in Richmond, positions the firm as a specialist for Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic business owners seeking a full-service M&A process without Wall Street overhead.