Letter to the editor.

• Author: Green, Isaac
• Position: UPFRONT - Letter to the editor

We at Piedmont Investor Advisors very much appreciate the coverage of our firm in your January issue. At the same time, I thought it might be useful to provide your readers with some additional context around the other two companies mentioned in the article.

North Carolina Mutual Insurance Co. and M&F Bancorp have played vitally important roles in building the foundation for the growth and success of multiple businesses in our community over many years. Their founders--primarily members of the Merrick, Moore and Spaulding families--were pioneers who overcame substantial obstacles to establish groundbreaking, minority-owned corporations that were based in Durham but went on to operate on a much bigger stage. These companies, in turn, helped open the doors to others that would follow, including Piedmont.

As you noted, my great-grandfather played a role in the...