Case Study: How 6 Meridian Transformed Its Equity Strategies Through ETFs With Exchange Traded Concepts
6 Meridian is a Wichita-based, advisor-owned wealth management firm known for its disciplined, research-driven investment philosophy and deep commitment to client experience.
Over a decade of managing sophisticated U.S. equity strategies, the firm built a reputation for thoughtful portfolio construction and personalized service.
When 6 Meridian launched its family of ETFs in 2020, the goal wasn’t just operational efficiency, it was to enhance the investment experience for clients. The new structure allowed the practice to offer a range of approaches designed to meet different objectives: strategies that seek growth while maintaining quality fundamentals, approaches focused on large, established companies, and options that emphasize stability with lower sensitivity to broad market swings. For clients seeking diversification, the lineup includes solutions targeting smaller, high-quality companies with potential for long-term growth, as well as strategies that incorporate risk-mitigating techniques to help cushion against market downturns. Together, these enhancements reflect 6 Meridian’s commitment to disciplined portfolio construction and its ability to deliver tailored outcomes within a scalable, tax-efficient framework.
Their journey illustrates how advisory practices can leverage Exchange Traded Concepts (ETC) to modernize their investment offerings without taking on the operational burdens of launching ETFs on their own.
Identifying the Right Moment to Enter the ETF Space
For years, 6 Meridian managed its equity strategies through separately managed accounts (SMAs). While effective, the SMA structure created two major challenges: highly detailed, cumbersome client reporting and ongoing tax inefficiencies due to regular rebalancing. By 2018, the team began researching pooled investment vehicles - including mutual funds - but ultimately concluded that ETFs offered a superior path forward. The ability to deliver substantial tax advantages to clients made ETFs a compelling solution.
When the COVID-19 market selloff occurred in early 2020, the firm recognized a distinctive opportunity. With equity prices temporarily depressed, 6 Meridian realized it was a good time to accelerate its ETF launch timeline with ETC’s support, enabling them to liquidate portfolios and reinvest directly into their new ETFs. In just a few months, the firm converted nearly half a billion dollars into ETFs quickly, cleanly, and efficiently.
Choosing What to Convert and Why ETC Was the Right Partner
6 Meridian chose to convert only its U.S. equity strategies - those with the greatest operational complexity and tax friction. The move immediately addressed their biggest reporting and turnover challenges.
When evaluating whether to build an ETF infrastructure or partner with a white-label provider, the choice was clear. Managing custodial relationships, compliance, legal, trading infrastructure, and market-maker coordination was not how 6 Meridian wanted to spend its time. ETC’s responsiveness, experience, pricing, and collaborative approach made them the standout partner.
“We never wanted to deal with all the things ETC is good at,” said Chief Investment Officer Andrew Mies. “They made it easy, and we’ve never looked back.”
The Launch Experience: Smooth, Fast, and Operationally Transformative
While launching during a global pandemic created considerable communication challenges, the process itself unfolded more smoothly than expected. ETC’s trading and market-maker support helped the team quickly acclimate to the nuances of trading brand-new ETFs with no prior volume.
Within two months, 6 Meridian had fully executed its conversions, closing thousands of legacy SMA accounts and streamlining operations across the firm. What had once required multiple client accounts could now be delivered in a single, clean structure.
The efficiencies extended beyond the firm. CPAs praised the dramatically simplified tax reporting. Clients appreciated the clarity. And internally, the investment operations and trading teams gained meaningful time back to focus on client service and innovation.
Post-Launch Impact and Lessons Learned
6 Meridian saw immediate benefits. Morningstar ratings provided positive visibility, operational friction dropped dramatically, and the platform occasionally attracted outside assets, with no outside marketing efforts.
Strategically, the ETFs helped differentiate the brand and strengthened advisor conversations. For 6 Meridian, the ETF structure has proven to be “an incredibly elegant solution for a tax-paying client,” in Mies’s words.
A Roadmap for Other Advisors
6 Meridian’s experience illustrates what happens when a strong investment philosophy meets the right operational partner. By leveraging ETC’s white-label platform, the firm preserved its focus on client relationships and portfolio construction while unlocking better tax outcomes, streamlined operations, and scalable growth.
For advisory firms considering the ETF path, 6 Meridian’s journey offers a clear message: with the right partner, converting strategies into ETFs can be efficient, impactful, and transformative.
If you’re wondering whether an ETF could level up your firm, let’s talk. We’d love to explore what ETC can build with you. View our services here.
Click here to learn more about 6 Meridian’s Funds.
Exchange Traded Concepts, LLC (“ETC”) is an SEC Registered Investment Adviser. ETC presently offers two lines of business, the first being the provision of white-label ETF services, that include investment advisory and administrative platform services, and the second is offering its portfolio management services on a stand-alone basis to other advisers managing funds that have a need for a specialized trading sub-adviser familiar with and skilled in trading on behalf of an ETF and other investment vehicles. ETC provides the trust, board, and decades of experience to offer asset managers (hedge, SMAs, mutual) and others an efficient, cost-effective means to leverage the benefits of the ETF wrapper. ETC’s Form ADV can be found here https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/151197
