Established in 1917 by Sigmund and Morris Stern, Stern Brothers has played an integral part in fueling the growth of the Midwest.  Morris and Sigmund immigrated to the United States from Germany at the end of the 19th century because their Bavarian village was too small to contain their dreams for a better life.  Even as teenagers, the brothers knew that people who succeed in business create their own opportunities.  Morris and Sigmund settled in Sioux City, Iowa, and began working at a department store.  They quickly realized that they needed to start their own business if they wanted to get ahead.  The brothers developed a plan to buy large, inexpensive plots of land, which they divided into small parcels and sold to farmers.  By 1917, they had accumulated $300,000 from their land deals which was used to found their investment banking firm.  For over 100 years, Stern Brothers has performed the primary functions of the investment banking business:  the fulfillment of the financial needs of both the private and public sectors of the economy; and the maintenance of secondary markets in security issues of interest to its clients.  The firm’s founders set a standard of excellence and commitment to servicing the long-term capital requirements of the region that to this day have remained the key elements of the firm’s operating philosophy.