About GDS Investments | 401K and Wealth Management in West Chester, PA

Value Investing

"I am a believer that informed value investing—buying assets at a fraction of fair value—is the most sensible path to wealth creation. Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger are my mentors in terms of investing, what companies to look for, and the virtues of patience."

-Glenn D. Surowiec

Glenn D. Surowiec

Registered Investment Advisor

Bio

Glenn founded GDS Investments in 2012. From 2001 to 2012, he worked for Alsin Capital Management, Inc. as an equity research analyst (2001-2003), co-portfolio manager (2003-2008), and portfolio manager (2008-2012). Before joining ACM, Glenn worked for Enron Corp. as a derivatives structuring manager, and for Commerce Bancorp (now TD Bank) as a real estate credit analyst.

He currently serves as an advisory board member of Value Conferences, an online-only conference featuring some of the most prestigious value investors across the globe.

Glenn has a B.A. in management (accounting concentration) from Gettysburg College and an MBA (finance concentration) from Southern Methodist University. He graduated in the top 10% of his MBA class and participated in study-abroad programs both as an undergraduate (Seville, Spain) and graduate student (Melbourne, Australia). Glenn is a proud husband to Alicia, father to three college-aged boys, and his interests include running, golfing, and hot yoga.

Honestly, 95% of the information and advice out there is bad. It won't help you reach your goals. My job is to find the 5% – the relevant, the accurate, the uncommon – and put it to work for you.

Philosophy

PHILOSOPHY

At GDS, we specialize in moving 401K assets from former employers to IRA accounts, to provide our clients with options. We invest on behalf of individuals and institutions who desire more control over their money's future. Client portfolios are managed using Value Investing principles, with a particular emphasis on buying securities at a discount to fair value, and investing with a long-term horizon.

We invest in securities that have the following attributes:

Business Strength

We seek out industry leaders with enduring competitive advantages within their supply chain (price setters vs. price takers). In addition, we emphasize companies with above average returns on equity and capital, and those who are consistent producers of free cash flow throughout the economic cycle.

Management Quality

We invest in ethical companies with high-integrity management teams. We look for companies that demonstrate a deep understanding of the capital allocation process and that aim to create value for shareholders beyond conventional methods.

Valuation

The easiest way to generate excess returns (above market returns) is to pay less for a security than its conservative valuation. Much of our time is spent figuring out what securities are worth and waiting until it is priced substantially below this level. Patience is the cornerstone of successful investing.

Catalysts

At GDS, our preference is to own securities (debt and equity) in companies that are undergoing change. Academic studies show that the market is delayed in accounting for material changes in company strategy, business composition and capital structure. Therefore, consistent with our goal of finding misunderstood and mispriced securities, we routinely analyze and evaluate spin-offs, mergers, restructurings, rights offerings, asset sales, recapitalizations and other special events.

On Glenn's Desk

Client Update, September 2026: Paying Attention

“Remember that the art comes in editing after the invention, not before.” Ben Thompson Dear Clients and Friends, I hope you have all had a wonderful summer and have managed to stay cool despite the intense heat covering much of the country. Despite taking August off from this monthly letter myself, the world kept turning, and we return this September with a lot of news to touch on. For that reason, I thought I would do something a little different this month. Rather tha

Client Update, July 2026: Shifting Tides

“Typically, we make money when we buy things. We count the profits later, but we know we have captured them when we buy the bargain.” Billionaire value investor Seth Klarman Interview with Jason Zweig at the CFA Institute Annual Conference (2010) (x) Over the past several months, one of the themes I've returned to repeatedly has been the growing disconnect between price and value across different areas of the market. A relatively small group of companies continued to attr

The History of Stock Market Bubble Concentration

Client Update, June 2026: Valuation Risk and Opportunity

“The essence of investment management is the management of risks, not the management of returns.” Value Investor Benjamin Graham (The Intelligent Investor, 1949) Over the last several months, I have written extensively and broadly about the uncertainty inherent in today’s market. Between tariffs, inflation, interest rates, geopolitics, fiscal policy, and more, there is no shortage of big-picture macro considerations for investors to consider. This month, however, I want t

Client Update, May 2026: Let's speak plainly.

“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a 1938 radio broadcast This month, we want to take a step back from our usual analysis and speak a little more plainly and openly about the world we’re all operating in right now. The constant stream of economic and geopolitical uncertainty is exhausting, and the combination of economic volatility and rising costs are steadily eroding both quality of life and the opportunities available to peop

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