A Prime Time for Meridian

Chris Gilder is the CEO of Meridian, a fast-growing self-service solution company. Meridian creates custom interactive kiosks for some of the largest brands in the world. “I think there are self-services applications really for any industry, and it’s all about enhancing that customer experience,” says Gilder.

You may think that a company like this would be in Silicon Valley, but you’d be wrong. Gilder and his team are actually housed in Aberdeen, North Carolina, one of the small towns in Moore County that’s home to a surprising number of big industries. “When you’ve got a little company in Aberdeen that really not many people have heard of, and we have Intel and Hertz and Hewlett Packard and these people coming to visit us here every month, it’s pretty eye-opening for us.”

Gilder is originally from North Yorkshire, England but moved to the United States when he was 20 years old. He fell in love with the Pinehurst/Southern Pines area while visiting a friend of his years ago. “It reminded me a lot of where I grew up in England. A lot of stores and banks, everything downtown. A very quaint area. I fell in love with the place and three kids later, here we are.”

Concept to Completion

Meridian prides itself on owning every step of the process. “Our tagline (Concept to Completion) really relates to us doing all the design and manufacturing in-house, bending the sheet metal, powder coating, and assembly. Also, with the acquisition we did in 2009 of the software company in Canada, we also do the software application and development as well.

One of the challenges Meridian faces in Aberdeen is that they don’t have the pool of software talent that can be found in a larger metropolitan area. In order to solve that problem, Gilder and his team have partnered with Sandhills Community College. “Our guys are teaching a class there,” says Gilder. “We’re really trying to develop local talent here. It’s good for any business that comes here, so we can attract more of the high-tech businesses into the area.”

A local commitment required a local financial partner and Gilder is quick to point out how First Bank has helped Meridian become one of the fastest growing companies in the state…“The biggest challenge when you’re a growing company is your bank relationship.” said Gilder. “That’s certainly something that First Bank delivered for us. They gave us the financing that we were looking for to expand the company, to continue growing the company, and they’ve been great to work with.”

With cutting-edge technology, a growing business, and a dedication to their local community, Meridian’s future is sure to be bright!

To learn more, watch Meridian’s Business Spotlight video.