Our History

The Acuiti Group, Inc. traces its origins back to 1985, when founder Virgil G. Baker, Jr. established the company as a sole proprietorship. Building on nearly two decades of experience in originating, lending, servicing, and banking—dating back to 1967—Virgil identified an emerging need for specialized due diligence and portfolio analytics. At the time, these services were limited in scope and largely undefined within the marketplace.

Operating under the name Baker & Associates, Inc., Virgil quickly built a reputation for delivering clarity and insight to investors. What began as a small group of contract associates soon expanded into a growing team of specialists and full-time employees in response to increasing demand.

This growth also attracted Rick Stockhill, a seasoned senior manager from Foremost Corporation of America. Rick’s career began in 1980 with Beneficial Finance and later Foremost, where he developed extensive expertise in originations and servicing across multiple asset classes. His industry knowledge and leadership ability positioned him to take on greater responsibility at Baker & Associates, ultimately becoming President in 2001 as Virgil prepared for retirement

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In June 2006, after five years of strong leadership under Rick, the firm rebranded as The Acuiti Group, Inc. The new name signaled a modern identity while reinforcing the firm’s evolution into a trusted, independent leader in due diligence and portfolio analytics.

As the business expanded, so did the need for operational excellence. Jeff Clarke, who had spent a decade overseeing projects and managing all technology functions, was promoted to Managing Partner. Jeff streamlined processes in data gathering, reporting, and database management—ensuring the firm could scale efficiently while maintaining the speed and accuracy clients rely on.

Today, The Acuiti Group continues to honor its history while looking ahead—combining decades of proven expertise with innovative strategies to help clients make confident, data-driven investment decisions.