William Custer

William M. Custer is the founder and CEO of Custer Capital, Inc., a regional asset-management and private-equity firm he established on May 10, 1985 in New Albany, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. The firm was later incorporated in October 1999 and today describes itself as "a regional asset management firm making sophisticated investing simple," providing customized money- and wealth-management strategies to business owners, executives, professionals, family trusts, and retirees. It holds an A+ Better Business Bureau rating. Alongside the wealth-management practice, Custer Capital has historically made direct private-equity investments in operating companies across the business-services, distribution, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors.

Before founding Custer Capital, William Custer built his career on Wall Street and in regional investment management, holding earlier roles at Shearson/American Express and at Vercoe & Company. This background in brokerage and asset management shaped Custer Capital's dual identity as both a private client wealth manager and an active direct investor.

Custer leads a small team at the firm's 14 S High Street office in New Albany; associated principals have included Chris Henneforth (President), David Raeuchle (VP), and Martha K. Kashner (Compliance Officer), several of whom also serve as principals of an affiliated entity, Level Partners. Outside of investing, William Custer is philanthropically active through the Elizabeth Custer and William Custer Foundation Inc., a New Albany–based charitable organization classified among civic and social organizations.

• Invests through Custer Capital, Inc., blending private-equity-style direct investments with a broader wealth/asset-management practice.
• Sector focus: business services, distribution, healthcare/diagnostics, enabling technologies, communications, and manufacturing.
• Stage: historically a multistage direct investor, taking positions in growth-stage operating companies rather than running a formal seed-stage venture fund.
• Geography: concentrated in the Great Lakes and Midwestern U.S., consistent with the firm's New Albany/Columbus, Ohio base.
• Serves an investor base of business owners, executives, professionals, family trusts, and retirees — implying a relationship-driven, owner-operator-friendly approach.