By Patty Jo Sawvel  ~  

Neal Parnell learned Kernersville’s values the old-fashioned way.  Following his Granddad Parnell into the pumpkin patch, young Neal learned to be a “steward” or keeper of the land.  In return, the land produced delicious pumpkins and watermelons

When he and his Granddad sold the produce at their roadside stand or made deliveries to small community stores, Neal noticed something else.  Granddad was a steward of the family name.  In Kernersville, Parnell is synonymous with trustworthy.

Neal also spent plenty of time with his Papaw Smith.  As tractor mechanic, Papaw often had Neal help at his shop or ride along on house calls.  In this way, Neal learned stewardship of one’s neighbor.  Papaw never overcharged and often fixed things for free.

“Papaw was never rich financially,” Neal fondly reminisced, “but he was rich in friends and rich in self-worth.  I keep one of his signed invoices on my desk to remind me to always be more than fair and worthy of trust.”

His high school buddy, Patrick Grubbs will vouch for that.  Patrick said, “Neal is the most trustworthy person I know.  When Neal and I were at Glenn High School everyone knew that if Neal told you something, it was the truth.”

Neal had another reason to uphold his integrity—which to him means “being who you say you are and doing what you say you will do.”  Between his two grandfathers’ businesses and his parents’ work in the community, it seemed as though everyone knew Neal.  They all had high expectations for him.  So, he found it best to do as his parents, Rick and Lynn, said.

“Mom always said, ‘Always do what is right and honest and then you can sleep good at night.’  My dad always told me to do my best and never, never, never give up.  Those reminders kept me from ever having to look over my shoulder,” Neal said graciously.

When it came time for Neal to choose his life’s work, he chose to be a steward of the community.  After earning his degree in finance and banking at Appalachian State University (and later his MBA at University of North Carolina, Greensboro) Neal Parnell set about finding a financial institution worthy of his dedication.  He did not have to look too far.  As a fourth generation customer of Piedmont Federal Savings Bank—this community bank had proved its integrity to Neal’s family through the toughest times.

In fact, in Piedmont Federal’s 112-year history, it has stayed open during the nation’s worst recessions and depressions, has never laid off an employee, has received the highest rating from Bauer Financial Inc. since its banking health analysis began 25 years ago, and was voted “Best Mortgage Lender” seven years in a row by readers of the Winston-Salem Journal.  Last year, at the age of 28, Neal Parnell was named manager of the Kernersville branch of Piedmont Federal Savings Bank.  “This is an exact match for my values,” Neal said solidly.

It is an exact match for Assistant Vice President and Loan Officer Tammy Coulter, too.  Tammy—who also grew up in the Kernersville area—brought 16 years of lending experience to Piedmont Federal.

“Coming to Piedmont Federal,” Tammy explained, “is like moving back to your hometown after spending a few years in the big city.  You really appreciate the wholesome pace, the traditional values, and serving the community that you have known your whole life.”

It is these same values and principles that draw customers to Piedmont Federal.  Tamara Greenwood has a financial background, so when she was looking for a mortgage for her son, she called every bank in town.

“Not only did Piedmont Federal come out on top for the lowest rate and lowest closing costs, but this bank never sells its mortgages.  That is important to me,” said Tamara.

She added, “Tammy Coulter called me back within minutes of my initial call and she has been there for me ever since.  I was so happy that I gave her a hug.”

Twenty-eight year old Dustin Stephens feels the same way.  He likes the fact that mortgage decisions are made locally, that the closing takes place right at the bank, and that the same person who originates the loan will be caring for it right here in Kernersville.  Dustin also got a little surprise when he bought his house.

“I found Piedmont Federal by doing my own research,” explained Dustin.  “I had no idea that my great-grandparents chose Piedmont Federal when they originally built this house!”

Piedmont Federal Savings Bank has had a branch in Kernersville since 1961.  For years, this branch was located across from The Factory in Historic Downtown.  Since 2003, its home has been 505 Pineview Drive, just off Highway 66 near Business-40.  Amazingly, the customer care staff—Cathy Echols, Donna Clinard, Joan Voss, Julia Bethea, and Maria Reeves—have over 110 years of service at Piedmont Federal between them.

Having loyal and long-term staff is important to Patrick Grubbs, mentioned earlier.  He wants to do business with people who can be counted on when there are problems.  One time, Patrick’s wife, an accountant, found an “error” in their checking account.

“Neal printed out all the statements and ran all the numbers.  In the end, the problem was on our side—a check had not cleared—but it proved to me that Neal would do everything that he could to resolve a problem,” Patrick said proudly.

Patrick also prides himself in being a bit of a penny pincher.  He added, “I know how banks work.  So I will never bank with a bank that charges ATM fees or checking account fees.”

He landed at the right bank.  Piedmont Federal customers enjoy free transactions from any ATM in the world, low-fee and free checking options, along with complimentary online and mobile banking.

Piedmont Federal even offers the modern convenience of Popmoney, a simple and secure way to send and receive money via email and mobile devices without having to share private account information.

Piedmont Federal is a role model business, combining modern technology with traditional good neighbor stewardship.  Betsy Smith—a customer for 30 years and owner of Cheer Extreme—is convinced that Piedmont Federal takes the best care of her money and of her personally.

Betsy said, “They are so friendly and good to me when they see me in the bank.  But they also know me so well, that if I do not come in for a couple of days they will call.  When I was sick, they actually brought me food and sent me cards.  It is banking the way that it should be in a hometown bank in Kernersville.”

It was actually the Customer Care Associates, mentioned earlier, who took it upon themselves to go the extra mile and care for Betsy beyond her banking.  At Piedmont Federal, they take “customer care” to a completely new level.

In addition to being a good neighbor to customers, Piedmont Federal is a fine steward to the community, supporting Bright Beginnings through the YMCA, sponsoring sports at East Forsyth and Glenn High School, and sponsoring Chamber events such as Business Before Hours and the Annual Banquet.

As you might guess, Branch Manager Neal Parnell and his wife, Lindsey, have opened a Piedmont Federal Savings Bank account for their 15-month-old daughter, making her a 5th generation customer.

Neal said, “I am so grateful to be one of many stewards of our community that keeps Kernersville true to its values and a great place to live.”

Award-winning journalist Patty Jo Sawvel can be contacted at pjsawvel@gmail.com.

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Piedmont Federal

Neal S. Parnell – Branch Manager

Tammy M. Coulter – Loan Officer

Cathy Echols, Customer Care Specialist

Donna Clinard, Customer Care Associate

Joan Voss, Customer Care Associate

Maria Reeves, Customer Care Associate

Julie Bethea, Customer Care Associate

• Mortgage Loans & Home Equity Loans

• Checking, Savings, Money Market IRAs / CDs

• Mobile, Money Transfer Options, Online Banking and Bill Pay

• FREE ATM Service Worldwide

505 Pineview Drive, Kernersville, NC 27284

336.993.2156