KANSAS CITY, Mo. - (Business Wire) TrendStar Advisors, LLC ("TrendStar"), the investment advisor to the TrendStar Small-Cap Fund, has entered into an agreement to sell its investment advisory business to subsidiaries of UMB Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: UMBF), pending shareholder approval, in a transaction that is expected to close on or about June 30, 2009.

If approved, the TrendStar Small-Cap Fund (TRESX) will be reorganized into a newly-formed mutual fund within the UMB Scout Funds family of mutual funds called the Scout TrendStar Small-Cap Fund. The CUSIP number and ticker symbol of the Fund will remain unchanged. Additionally, the portfolio management team of Tom Laming and James McBride will join Scout Investment Advisors, Inc. and will continue to provide investment management direction for the Fund. The transaction will provide a broader range of investment options for clients of Scout Investment Advisors, as the growth focus of the TrendStar Fund will serve to complement the core focus of the existing UMB Scout Small-Cap Fund (UMBHX).

"We are pleased to have TrendStar join the Scout Funds family under Tom’s and James’s continued leadership," said Peter deSilva, president of UMB Financial Corporation. "This transaction will allow us to further meet our clients' investment needs by offering a larger breadth of options."

"Our agreement with Scout Investment Advisors is a great opportunity as it will enhance our access to an array of world-class resources," added Tom Laming, president and chief investment officer of TrendStar Advisors, LLC.

Scout Investment Advisors, Inc. is a subsidiary of UMB Bank. The firm is located in Kansas City, Missouri and adheres to a management philosophy focused on long-term investments and a systematic “top-down bottom-up” strategy. Through this approach, specific research methodology and portfolio managers’ unique expertise is combined to identify target investments based on the highest standards and criteria. Scout Investment Advisors, Inc. is a responsible, prudent investment organization built to generate long-term returns and help achieve individual and institutional investors’ objectives. Additional information about Scout Investment Advisors, Inc. and its full line of products can be found at umbia.com.

TrendStar Advisors, LLC is a registered investment advisor located in Overland Park, Kansas overseeing the TrendStar Small-Cap Fund and TrendStar Large-Cap Endeavor Fund. Additional information about TrendStar Advisors, LLC and its full line of products can be found at trendstarfunds.com.