Our Mission

AmeriVet’s mission as a purpose-driven company is to provide first class capital markets and financial services across multiple lines of business, while producing meaningful opportunities and results within the veteran community.

Our History

1994
Elton Johnson, Jr., an officer in the U.S. Army, starts AmeriVet Securities and registers the firm with FINRA and the SEC in the Diversity & Inclusion space.
2001
Elton is called up to active duty after the 9/11 attacks.
2004-2011
Elton deploys with the U.S. Army, twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan; he continues to operate AmeriVet Securities remotely while serving overseas.
2013
Elton retires as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army after 37 years of service.
2017
South Street Securities invests in AmeriVet Securities, creating a client-focused, full-service institutional broker-dealer.
2020
AmeriVet Securities continues to grow as an SDVOB and MBE, with 40 employees across multiple locations.
2021
Mercedes Elias is appointed as Co-CEO, becoming the first and currently the only woman veteran to lead the SDVOB broker-dealers on Wall Street.
Elton Johnson, Jr

Meet our Founder

Elton Johnson, Jr., has served in the financial services industry since 1977 and has operated AmeriVet Securities since the company became a member of FINRA in 1994.

Elton is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, serving for two years before transferring to the U.S. Army Special Forces Green Berets.

In 1985, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and served two tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan after 9/11. Elton retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2013.

Elton formed a partnership with South Street Securities in 2017, launching AmeriVet’s growth from one employee to more than 40 by 2021.

Our Partners

South Street Securities

South Street Securities Holdings

Established in 2001, South Street Securities is New York City-based, SEC-registered, FINRA-regulated broker-dealer that concentrates solely on repo cash investment and repo security financing services. In October 2018, South Street made a capital commitment in AmeriVet Securities to create a client focused, full-service institutional broker-dealer and Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) for the institutional market. South Street also provides operational support to AmeriVet (e.g., compliance, information technology, accounting).

BNY Mellon | Pershing

Pershing, LLC

A subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, Pershing provides clearing and settlement services to AmeriVet.