Our History

The names Julius and Arthur, of Julius Arthur Seibert & Co., come from humble origins in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Around 1918, Julius Seibert (1894-1944), Phil’s grandfather, was a young man of about 24. The Ford Model T production lines were in full swing and qualified repair shops were important. Seeing the opportunity in auto and truck repair, Julius began the Seibert Auto Company. Over the next 11 years, the Seibert Auto Co. grew from a one-garage shop into three separate companies: An auto and truck repair shop A trucking business that started with a single Ford truck that hauled slag, (a by-product of metal smelting) from the steel mills to dumpsites. New and used truck sales; believed to be the first International Harvester Truck dealership in western Pennsylvania. As the Great Depression unfolded, many customers were unable to pay for their work. Julius had a great sense of customer relations and was very generous and flexible with his customers, yet was able to keep his business going. Julius was also active in his community. He sponsored several immigrants from Hungary – one of whom became his night watchman as he was learning English. Another was a priest, who benefited from Julius’s generosity when his new church needed fixtures and a communion rail. He also applied for, and received, a patent for an airport runway snowplow. In December 1944, Julius died suddenly of a massive heart attack. Phil’s father, Art, (1921-1994), Julius’s first son, was the likely successor at the Seibert Auto Co. Art, a decorated soldier in WW II, was serving with the Army Air Corp in the Philippines at the time. By the end of the war, Art returned to find that Julius’ business had dissolved. Gary Arthur (1945-2008) Friend and Former Colleague Phil’s good friend and former colleague, Gary Arthur, passed away in February 2008 after battling throat cancer. We choose to include Gary’s biography in his memory and honor. In fact, at one time Gary had suggested the Arthur-Seibert name as a possibility for a future firm that they might start together. Phil and Gary collaborated extensively during their more than 20 years of close friendship. Unfortunately, Gary was diagnosed with throat cancer in the fall of 2005. Aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatments were unsuccessful. He received his BA in Finance and a graduate degree in Macroeconomics at Indiana University. In 1971, Gary began his 37-year investment career as a research analyst. Later, he held various positions as an investment manager with several large trust institutions, a mutual fund company and eventually set up his own firm. In the late 1980’s, while making the rounds to different brokerage companies, Gary and Phil met. Gary served in Viet Nam and was severely wounded, spending a year in recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Coincidentally, both Gary and Phil served with the 1st Cavalry Division and within about six months and 100 miles of each other. Throughout his life, Gary was also quite an athlete, avid outdoorsman and accomplished bicyclist, regularly biking between 150 and 200 miles a week. When he passed away, Gary and his wife had been married for 28 years.

A Brief History Of The Julius Arthur Seibert Name The Julius And Arthur Story - In Honor Of A Family Tradition