About Our Firm Oarsman Capital, a Registered Investment Advisor, was founded in 2000 by Robert Phelps and Alan Purintun. Prior to founding Oarsman, Phelps and Purintun were portfolio managers in Robert W. Baird & Company's portfolio management department, Baird Investment Management. The Phelps/Purintun team has worked together managing client portfolios for more than a decade.