Hunter Frayne promoted to Investment Research Analyst
Fenimore Asset Management, an independent, Capital Region-based investment advisory firm and manager of the FAM Funds family of mutual funds, announces that Hunter Frayne was promoted to Investment Research Analyst after earning his CFA® (Chartered Financial Analyst®) designation.
Mr. Frayne is responsible for conducting firsthand, company-level investment research and adhering to the firm’s market-tested approach. Previously, he served as a Fenimore Investment Research Associate. Mr. Frayne graduated with honors from the University of Connecticut with a double major in economics and philosophy.
“Hunter is a talented professional with strong values and a passion for our investment philosophy,” said Fenimore’s Chief Investment Officer John Fox. “We are pleased to recognize his contributions to our in-depth research process. Hunter’s insights and analytical abilities should continue to help our investors over the long term.”
Fenimore Asset Management is featuring five nonprofits as part of its 50th anniversary celebration and overall 2024 charitable giving. Double H Ranch represents Youth Development, one of our five main giving categories.
DOUBLE H RANCH, Lake Luzerne, NY
Double H Ranch, co-founded by Charles R. Wood and Paul Newman, provides specialized programs and year-round support for children and their families dealing with life-threatening illnesses.
Double H’s purpose is to enrich lives and provide camp experiences that are memorable, exciting, fun, empowering, physically safe, and medically sound.
All programs are FREE of charge and capture the magic of the Adirondacks!
There are no geographical barriers to participation.
Each year, hundreds of kids living with a serious illness, and their families, have the chance to experience camp uniquely ― purposefully designed, fully adapted, and medically safe.
Due to the seriousness of their diagnoses, many children are precluded from attending other camps. With doctors and nurses on site 24 hours a day, a staffed and equipped medical facility, and a close partnership with Albany Medical Center, Double H provides these children with a distinctive experience.
Watch our video that spotlights all five nonprofits.
The recent presidential election has certainly prompted various questions from our investors. Beyond this topic, we want to share with you answers to other questions we have received recently.
1. Does your investment research team maintain access to company management and tour their operations?
Yes, in most cases. One of the reasons why we tend to focus on small and midsize companies is because we have better access to management.
Fenimore’s in-house research team typically conducts more than 120 in-person meetings annually with the leaders of our holdings, and prospective holdings, and tours facilities. This direct company-level scrutiny helps us know our investments well while reinforcing our confidence in them.
Fenimore in the Field
2. Has your investment approach changed in the past 50 years?
Our long-term investment approach has not changed. It is a business-first approach where we seek to invest in what we believe are quality companies that meet our rigorous criteria.
Buying a share of stock is buying a piece of ownership in a business. It’s not just a “piece of paper” to sell to a higher bidder a few months later. We approach researching a company as if we’re buying the whole business, so we want to personally know everything we can about their operation — especially their leadership team.
At the same time, we constantly look for ways to be more efficient, leverage technology, and access industry resources so that we have even more time to conduct firsthand research in the field.
3. Since the labor pool is tight, are our companies having a hard time finding employees?
The quality firms we seek to invest in typically have strong corporate cultures and this makes it easier to attract good employees — even in tight labor pools.
That said, most firms have had to raise wages and salaries to attract and retain employees. One characteristic of a quality business we seek to own is the ability to raise prices to offset labor inflation.
Lastly, many of our holdings invest in their operations to automate workforce tasks as necessary and feasible.
4. With all the hype about AI, what are you hearing from the management teams of our holdings?
We have had numerous conversations with managers about AI (artificial intelligence). While it remains to be seen how generative AI will develop, we expect that many of our holdings will be able to use new AI based technologies to help improve the products and services they provide.
Additionally, we believe that AI should help our businesses increase efficiency by allowing them to organize and analyze data faster than ever before.
5. How do you find new ideas?
Sources of new ideas include a screening process using our proprietary Fenimore Quality Scores, trade publications, trade shows, peer networking, competitive analysis, and general reading. Often, we get ideas from the management teams of our companies.
Once we identify a potential investment, the work has just begun. Next, we go through extensive due diligence and team examination. An idea must make it through Fenimore’s intensive analysis before it becomes a holding.
Fenimore Asset Management is featuring five nonprofits as part of its 50th anniversary celebration and overall 2024 charitable giving. The Regional Food Bank represents Human Services, one of our five main giving categories.
REGIONAL FOOD BANK, Latham, NY
The Regional Food Bank’s vision is that everyone has the nutritious food they need to thrive. Serving 23 counties, the Food Bank works with agency partners, community groups, food and farm donors, volunteers, and its dedicated staff to close the meal gap.
Founded in 1982, the Food Bank leads the fight against hunger. It operates a 70,000 square-foot distribution center in Latham.
Additionally, to accommodate growing needs in the Hudson Valley, a new 50,000 square-foot distribution center will open soon in the Town of Montgomery.
The Food Bank accepts donations from the food industry and our community. It then feeds more than 350,000 of our neighbors in need each month through 1,000+ direct-service programs and partners.
In 2023, the Food Bank distributed more than 48 million pounds of food (the equivalent of 40 million meals).
More than 20,000 volunteers contribute 54,000 hours of service annually.
Volunteers can sort and repack donated products in the distribution centers or help with various tasks at their Patroon Land Farm.
Watch our video that spotlights all five nonprofits.
The FAM 5 Featured Nonprofits: St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation
Fenimore Asset Management is featuring five nonprofits as part of its 50th anniversary celebration and overall 2024 charitable giving. St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation represents Healthcare, one of our five main giving categories.
ST. PETER’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION, Albany, NY
Founded in 1978, St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation serves as the fundraising arm of St. Peter’s Hospital.
The purpose of St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation is to advance the Mercy Mission by continuing to provide critical funding to support the programs and services that St. Peter’s Hospital provides.
Through the generosity of our community, funds raised support programs and services including Cancer Care Services, Surgical Services, Cardiovascular Care, Maternity Services, NICU, Emergency Medicine, ALS, Women’s Health, Mission Services, and more.
The critical funding to St. Peter’s Hospital ensures that our community continues to have access to world-class healthcare and the most advanced technology right here in the Capital Region.
In addition to monetary gifts, volunteer opportunities are available at St. Peter’s Hospital through their volunteer services team.
Watch our video that spotlights all five nonprofits.
The FAM 5 Featured Nonprofits: Mohawk Valley Library System
Fenimore Asset Management is featuring five nonprofits as part of its 50th anniversary celebration and overall 2024 charitable giving. The Mohawk Valley Library System represents Education, one of our five main giving categories.
MOHAWK VALLEY LIBRARY SYSTEM, Schenectady, NY
Mission: The Mohawk Valley Library System (MVLS) serves communities by empowering libraries.
The MVLS serves 14 public libraries and their communities in Fulton, Montgomery, Schenectady, and Schoharie Counties.
It offers shared resources and services to allow libraries to serve as a nexus for collaborating and building community.
Demand for electronic materials, including e-books and audiobooks, is dramatically increasing. The MVLS provides access to a dynamic shared collection of more than 24,000 electronic items.
Library activities promote community engagement, foster civic responsibility, and enhance overall quality of life.
Volunteers are always needed. You can help out with library programs, join a Friends of the Library group, and more.
Watch our video that spotlights all five nonprofits.
The FAM 5 Featured Nonprofits: PROCTORS COLLABORATIVE
Fenimore Asset Management is featuring five nonprofits as part of its 50th anniversary celebration and overall 2024 charitable giving. Proctors Collaborative represents The Arts, one of our five main giving categories.
PROCTORS COLLABORATIVE, Schenectady, NY
As an arts and community development organization, Proctors Collaborative makes a wide variety of performing arts experiences accessible, while also supporting the community behind the scenes.
Founded in 1977 by community advocates who rescued the 1926 Proctors theatre from demolition, the organization has grown to become the region’s destination for touring Broadway shows.
In 2012, Proctors launched an affiliation with Capital Repertory Theatre, modeling how organizations can work together to share services for mutual benefit across the region.
The Collaborative partnered with Universal Preservation Hall in 2016 and Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra in 2022.
The partnership of venues hosts more than 1,700 events per year, attended by 650,000 people.
The Collaborative supports 1,300 direct and indirect jobs and makes a $45 million annual impact on the region’s economy.
Watch our video that spotlights all five nonprofits.
Fenimore Asset Management is featuring five nonprofits as part of its 50th anniversary celebration and overall 2024 charitable giving.
The organizations represent each of Fenimore’s main giving categories: The Arts, Education, Healthcare, Human Services, and Youth Development. The nonprofits are:
The Arts = Proctors Collaborative
Education = Mohawk Valley Library System
Healthcare = St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation
Human Services = Regional Food Bank
Youth Development = Double H Ranch
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“These are only a few of the hundreds of organizations that are the lifeblood of the Capital Region,” said Fenimore CEO Anne Putnam. “They are our neighbors, our friends, and our support systems that keep us going each and every day.”
“We want to raise awareness and help educate the public about each of these impressive organizations,” shared Fenimore President Christian Snyder. “Our vision is to transform lives and transform communities for generations as we continue to support more than two hundred nonprofits each year.”
This year’s FAM 5K “FUND” run/walk was more than just a race—it was a celebration of the power of community, health, and service. On race day, participants came together, united by a shared goal: to support the qualities that define our community—family, health, and a commitment to service.
We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who showed up to run, walk, or cheer on participants. Your energy and dedication made this event unforgettable, and together we demonstrated how powerful it is when a community rallies around a common cause.
A special thank you goes out to our incredible partners:
Catholic Charities of Delaware, Otsego, and Schoharie Counties
Cobleskill Regional Hospital
Helios Care
Schoharie County Community Action Program
And this year’s main beneficiary: The Arc Lexington NY
Your support has not only strengthened our community today but will also impact generations to come.
Transforming Lives, Transforming Communities
At the heart of the FAM 5K is a simple yet profound idea: that by coming together, we can transform lives—and through those lives, transform our communities. Each step taken during the race was a step toward building a healthier, more connected future for all. Together, we’re shaping a brighter tomorrow!
