Long before mForce Capital | Fossil Rock Private Wealth was a name on a door in Fort Worth, it was a piece of 100 rugged acres in Aledo. Founder Larry Milton once had to jackhammer through solid rock just to build a pool on this property. While digging into the stubborn Texas limestone, he kept uncovering fossils. These preserved remnants of life from another time came to represent something deeper.
The land became Fossil Rock Ranch, and eventually, it was the inspiration behind the private wealth entity he leads today.
Larry’s start in investments began in a torrent. His first day in the business was Oct. 19, 1987, otherwise known as Black Monday. It was the fateful day the market crashed over 22%. Larry was in his first day of training with EF Hutton in Fort Worth.
“A very good friend of mine told me to keep my head down,” he remembers. “No one knew what was happening, and it felt like the world was falling apart. In hindsight, it was a great time to learn.”
Larry has been a leader in wealth management since 1987, building long-term relationships across Fort Worth and Parker County. His wife, Jeaneane Grogan Milton, a third-generation Weatherford native, has been equally invested in the community. Jeaneane’s family helped establish The Project Opportunity Foundation, a program that ensures local students in need at Weatherford High School can complete at least two years at Weatherford College.
Robert “Bobby” Brown, Senior Wealth Advisor, joined Larry in 2017 after beginning his career in Waco. A Texas Tech alumnus, Bobby completed the H-E-B management program before joining Merrill Lynch in Fort Worth, where he met Larry. Together, they lead Fossil Rock Private Wealth under the broader mForce Capital platform, founded by Larry’s longtime friend Brad Bruce.
“We wanted to tie in with a strong name that was already established in the community,” Bobby says.
Although Fossil Rock is anchored locally, they serve clients across the country. Their niche goes far beyond stocks. The team designs trusted investment solutions, working closely with estate attorneys and CPAs to build comprehensive financial plans that include estate planning, charitable strategies, and tactical asset allocation.
“We serve a wide range of clients,” explains Bobby. “From a grandchild who gets a $1,000 gift to someone who has liquidated a business with millions in assets. There is no minimum. We are here to manage your assets for you and give you time back with your family.”
Relationships are the cornerstone of Fossil Rock. Larry, now 65, and Bobby, 34, intentionally blend generational perspectives. Client meetings may last 90 minutes, with as much time spent talking about children and family as markets. They fly across the country to see clients and make annual South Texas tours.
“We earn our clients’ business every day,” Bobby says. “We do a lot of face-to-face work. It’s very personal to us.”
The rest of their team, which consists of Senior Client Service Associate, Erin Smith, and Client Service Associate, Linda Castle, pride themselves on providing the highest level of service to their clients. Fossil Rock’s fee-based platform aligns their compensation with client growth. Perhaps most distinctive is their dedication to widowed women.
“Fossil Rock is here to serve the widows,” says Larry. “We call them ‘our girls’. They are very important to us.”
This dedication goes far beyond the typical financial management. The Fossil Rock team will sit for hours to negotiate a better price at a car dealership, send trusted tradesmen to bid on home projects, and personally walk clients through key decisions.
“In this business, we really get the opportunity to help people,” Larry reflects. “I’ve had clients raise children and grandchildren. We are the calm voice through bad markets and hard times.”
Just as he once dug through fossil rock to build something lasting on his ranch, mForce Capital | Fossil Rock Private Wealth now helps families preserve their wealth, their values, and their legacy.
“We really get the opportunity to help people. We are the calm voice through bad markets and hard times.”