Ed crutchfield biography

Now we’re going to take a moment to remember a man who helped turn Charlotte into the banking center it is today. Ed Crutchfield died Tuesday at age As CEO of First Union in the s and '90s, Crutchfield grew the bank into one of the largest in the country by acquiring other banks.

It earned him the nickname Fast Eddie. He spoke to WFAE in about it.

“It came about apparently because I was doing so many acquisitions so fast in the bank,” Crutchfield said. “ And somebody, I don't know who, I guess around here, came up with that name and the Wall Street Journal picked it up.

So every time after that it was Fast Eddie this, and Fast Eddie that.”

First Union later merged with Wachovia, which Wells Fargo then bought in

For more, I’m joined now by Tony Mecia of the Charlotte Ledger Business Newsletter for our segment BizWorthy.

Marshall Terry: Take me back to those early days when Crutchfield became First Union’