Ian Davidson Rings Closing Bell At Exchange

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — Ian Davidson, chairman of D.A. Davidson and Davidson Cos., rang the closing bell on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday afternoon.

Davidson was being honored for his tenure on the board of directors of Plum Creek Timber Co., which is celebrating its 20th year as a publicly traded company on the NYSE.

Davidson served as Plum Creek's chairman of the board from 2005 until last month.

Wednesday was the first time Davidson has rung the bell at the NYSE. He has rung the bell at the Chicago Stock Exchange and opened the Nasdaq in the 1990s.

"We spent a lot of time on the exchange floor and that was a great experience; it was really fun," Davidson said, noting how the exchange had changed over the years. "There aren't as many people running around on the floor and yelling now that everything is electronic. Before, when we were there, there was at least an inch of paper on the floor and the whole scene was more chaotic. the nature of trading has changed materially in recent years and it's changed our business, too."

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Information from: Great Falls Tribune, http://www.greatfallstribune.com