Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | October 20, 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 5 Longtime Worcester wealth manager co-founds new business downtown Aer nearly two decades at the Worcester office of Wells Fargo Advi- sors, former branch manager Robert Cotter has teamed up with fellow for- mer Wells Fargo advisor Chris Roering to launch their own Worcester-based wealth management firm. e new firm, IKON Private Wealth, will operate as part of Wells Fargo Advisors' independent network channel, which will allow for the new firm to operate with more autonomous deci- sion-making while avoiding competing priorities of the large broker dealers, according to a Sep. 21 press release announcing the new firm. IKON is located on the sixth floor of 100 Front St., the same building where Wells Fargo's Worcester office is located. e firm will focus on families and businesses which meet a $1 million threshold of investable assets. e new firm comes aer Cotter and Wells Fargo reached a mutual agreement, allowing him to move to the bank's independent channel aer frustrations with the lack of autonomy under Wells Fargo's control, according to Advisorhub.com. Since 2020, more than 10% of Wells Fargo brokers have transitioned from Get Started Today! Scan the QR code or visit unibank.com/business/meet-the-team to connect with a member of our business team. www.unibank.com • 800.578.4270 Fuel Growth. Simplify Finances. Bank Local. Streamline Your Business with Business Banking Solutions from UniBank. Commercial Loans¹ Commercial Deposits Cash Management UniBank Commercial Banking Services ¹Subject to credit approval. Fees, terms and conditions may apply. Member FDIC NMLS #583135 Worcester needs a single property tax rate The Nov. 4 election for the Worcester City Council is less than a month away, where 12 candidates are vying for six at-large seats and each of the five district races has two candidates as well. As many planned developments around the city have stalled, pro- business groups are encouraging the City Council to change government policies to make the city more business-friendly. When polled online, the plurality of WBJ readers said the highest pro-business priority should be getting rid of the dual-tax rate. What pro-business issue would you like to see the next Worcester City Council prioritize? Moving toward a single property tax rate 37% I'm not in favor of any of these 22% Relaxing parking requirements for new developments 18% Reducing or modifying stretch code requirements 13% Loosening of inclusionary zoning requirements 10% Continued on next page Robert Cotter (left) and Chris Roering, co-founders of IKON Private Wealth

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