Born September 29, 1898, the son of Frank H. and Agnes Cooper Denison, Homer was peddling eggs and hauling milk to a cheese factory in the 3rd grade. The following year, he borrowed $90 from his father so he could purchase one share of stock in the Citizens State Bank for $125. Homer graduated from Sheboygan High School in 1916, attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and graduated from Babson College in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts in 1920. After four years with Babson’s Statistical Institute, Homer returned to Sheboygan in 1924, and was named an officer of the very bank in which he had made his first investment.

At that time, only a handful of people in Sheboygan County held securities listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Still, only two years after the company was founded, H.C. Denison Co. moved from its first location in the Bowler Building to larger offices on New York Avenue to accommodate its growing business.

Homer married Loretta Hidde in 1936, and they had three children. He and Loretta were avid bridge players, and in 1965 he was named Life Master at bridge. Homer was active in community affairs throughout his life. He served as president of H.C. Denison Co. with Harold Huibregtse as vice-president until 1974, when Konrad C. Testwuide (who joined the firm in 1964 after seven years in the business) assumed the position of president and became the controlling stockholder. Dorothy Metscher, currently vice-president, joined the firm in 1972, bringing to her new role 37 years of brokerage industry experience. Konrad’s son, James, joined the firm in 1984.

H.C. Denison Co.’s growth continued, and in April of 1987, the firm purchased Gottsacker Investment Co. The acquisition of First Securities Co. of Manitowoc followed, shortly after Homer’s death, in 1988.

But Homer’s honesty, integrity and intellect had established the strong foundation from which H.C. Denison Co. continues to serve its clients into the 21st Century.

In March of 1990, the firm relocated to its current headquarters at 618 North 7th Street. James Testwuide was elected president of the firm in 1996, and his father, Konrad, became Chairman of the Board.