Baird, an employee-owned wealth management firm, is continuing its expansion by adding seven financial advisors with a total of $970 million in assets under management to its Private Wealth Management Group.

Fred Gartrell, who has $425 million in AUM, will join as vice president and will be based in the Fort Worth, Texas, office. Joining the Omaha, Neb., office are Jon Narmi as director, and Charlie Narmi and Theresa Rynaski as vice presidents. They are part of the Narmi Group with $330 million in AUM.

Joining the Dallas office as vice presidents are Ken Belter and Will Schaffler, who are part of The Belter Schaffler Group, with $130 million in AUM. And joining the Easton, Md., office as senior vice president is Jim Vermilye, with $85 million in AUM.

Baird has added more than 250 financial advisors and branch managers to its Private Wealth Management Group since the beginning of 2009, the vast majority of whom are industry veterans.

Baird has opened or has announced plans to open wealth management offices in Portland, Me.; Salt Lake City; Portland, Ore.; Denver; Fort Worth; Sacramento, Calif.; San Francisco; Charleston, S.C.; Charlotte, N.C.; Winston-Salem, N.C.; Raleigh, N.C.; and Lynchburg, Va.