Old North State Trust
Old North State Trust is a North Carolina-chartered trust company serving high-net-worth individuals and families across the Southeast with personal trust administration, estate settlement, retirement, and investment management services through six North Carolina offices and multi-state banking charters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersGreensboro, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Old North State Trust does
Old North State Trust (ONST) is a privately held, North Carolina-chartered trust company founded in 1994 by Denis R. de St. Aubin as Heritage Investments in Siler City, NC, and reorganized as a registered Trust Company in 2004. The firm serves high-net-worth individuals, families, attorneys, CPAs, and retirement plan participants through six integrated service lines: Personal Trust Services, Asset Management, Estate Settlement, Retirement Services (including self-directed IRAs), Administrative Trustee Services, and Legacy Planning. ONST holds banking trust charters in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, and operates six physical offices across North Carolina (Greensboro HQ, Wilmington, Lexington, Greenville, Siler City, and the newest Mooresville location opened October 2023).
The firm operates on a fee-only, open-architecture model with no proprietary investment products, using the third-party MAUI (InfoVisa) platform for trust administration, record-keeping, and client portal access. Its distinctive technical capability is the administration of non-marketable assets (real estate, partnerships, LLCs) within client portfolios — a service that many competitors cannot or do not provide. The firm cites 160 years of combined North Carolina trust experience across staff holding CFP, CTFA, CPA, and attorney credentials.
ONST generates revenue through asset-based trust management fees computed on a declining rate scale tied to assets under administration, supplemented by fee-only investment management fees with no commission charges. The go-to-market motion is consultative and relationship-driven, relying heavily on referral partnerships with attorneys and CPAs, complemented by twice-monthly investment newsletters and community engagement across the Southeast. The customer base is a long-tail of HNW individuals rather than concentrated enterprise contracts, and the firm remains founder-led with no disclosed external institutional investors.
Old North State Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Old North State Trust
- Legal name
- Old North State Trust, LLC
- Website
- https://oldnorthstatetrust.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Old North State Trust is a North Carolina-chartered trust company serving high-net-worth individuals and families across the Southeast with personal trust administration, estate settlement, retirement, and investment management services through six North Carolina offices and multi-state banking charters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Old North State Trust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trust and Wealth Management Services
- NAICS
- Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities (523991), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Trust Administration & Fiduciary Accounting Services (FSAAANAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Trust & Fiduciary Advisory for HNW/UHNW (Trust Structuring & Trustee Oversight) (FSAAABAF), Personal & Family Trust Services (FSAAANAA)
Keywords
Where Old North State Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Greensboro
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Old North State Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Trust Management Fees: Fees based on the market value of assets under management, computed on a declining rate scale. This is an asset-based fee structure typical of trust companies where the company earns a percentage of assets under administration.
- Fee-Only Asset Management: Fee-only asset management free of commission charges. The company emphasizes it is service oriented, not commission based.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Asset-Based Fee Structure |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Old North State Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Old North State Trust is a registered trust company that administers personal trusts (revocable, irrevocable, special needs, and charitable) and provides fiduciary investment management, estate settlement, retirement plan advisory, self-directed IRA custody, and legacy planning services. Revenue is earned through asset-based, fee-only management fees computed on a declining rate scale applied to client assets under administration.
Product overview
Old North State Trust operates as a registered trust company offering a suite of fiduciary financial services centered on trust administration and wealth management. The company's core portfolio consists of six integrated service lines: Personal Trust Services (corporate trustee administration of revocable, irrevocable, special needs, and charitable trusts), Asset Management (customized investment strategies using open architecture), Estate Settlement Services (probate support and estate administration), Retirement Services (company plan advisory and IRA custodian services including self-directed IRAs), Administrative Trustee Services (co-trustee partnerships with external advisors), and Legacy Planning (multi-generational wealth and estate planning). The company also provides a client web portal (Infovisa) for account access. Old North State Trust is chartered in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, and maintains offices across these states.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Personal Trust Services
Companies that use Old North State Trust
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Old North State Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Old North State Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Independent Investment AdvisorscoreOld North State Trust serves as Administrative Trustee in partnership with investment advisors independent of the company. Assets are managed by the client's investment advisor while ONST provides trust expertise and administration. Custody of assets can be maintained by the investment advisor or by ONST.
- Attorneys and CPAscoreStrategic partnerships with estate planning attorneys and certified public accountants for collaborative client service. ONST works with clients' attorneys and CPAs to facilitate tax strategies and optimize planning.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Old North State Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wilmington Trust (M&T Bank): Wilmington Trust is one of the most established independent trust company brands in the US, providing personal trust, estate, and investment management services to HNW families. Now an M&T Bank subsidiary, it shares ONST's fee-based fiduciary trust administration model and multi-generational wealth focus, making it the closest large-scale comparable for the personal trust services line.
- Bessemer Trust: Bessemer Trust is a privately held, family-owned wealth and investment management firm specializing in trusts, estate planning, and multi-generational services for ultra-HNW families. Its exclusive focus on private trust and family office services — fee-only, no proprietary products — closely mirrors ONST's positioning and target client base.
- Glenmede: Glenmede is an independent, privately held investment and wealth management firm providing trust administration, estate services, and investment management to HNW families and endowments. Its fee-only fiduciary model and family-focused service offering directly parallel ONST's personal trust and legacy planning products.
Broad incumbents
- Northern Trust: Northern Trust is a global wealth and asset manager with a large personal trust services franchise serving HNW and UHNW families. It overlaps directly with ONST's trust administration, estate settlement, and investment management services, but operates at vastly greater scale and across geographies, making it a broad incumbent rather than a direct competitor in the NC regional niche.
- Bank of America Private Bank (formerly U.S. Trust): U.S. Trust, now BofA Private Bank, is one of the largest personal trust and wealth management franchises in the US, serving HNW/UHNW clients with full-service trust, estate, and investment services. It is a broad incumbent in ONST's space, with comparable products but broader geographic reach and platform capabilities.
- BNY Mellon Wealth Management: BNY Mellon Wealth Management is a global wealth manager offering personal trust, estate administration, and investment management to HNW families. It competes with ONST across the full trust services stack but at substantially greater scale and with institutional-grade infrastructure that ONST does not match.
- Truist Wealth: Truist Wealth (formed via the SunTrust/BB&T merger) offers personal trust, estate, and investment management services across the Southeast US, directly competing with ONST in North Carolina and adjacent states. As a large regional bank wealth franchise, it is a broad incumbent in ONST's core territory with overlapping capabilities.
Regional players
- First Citizens Bank Wealth Management: First Citizens Wealth Management provides personal trust, estate, and investment services primarily across the Carolinas and Southeast US. As a regional bank wealth franchise with strong NC presence, it directly overlaps with ONST's trust administration and asset management offerings within the same geographic footprint.
Emerging players
- Foundation Source: Foundation Source is a specialty provider of administrative services for private foundations and charitable trusts. Its focus on charitable trust administration overlaps with ONST's Personal Trust Services (specifically charitable trusts) and Legacy Planning offerings, though it operates as a specialist rather than a full-service trust company.
- Aspiriant: Aspiriant is an independent, fee-only wealth management firm serving HNW individuals and families with investment advisory, tax, and estate planning services. While it does not serve as a corporate trustee, its fee-only fiduciary model and multi-generational planning focus overlap with ONST's asset management and legacy planning service lines.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights2 records
Customer concentration
Old North State Trust social profiles
Digital presenceOld North State Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Old North State Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Old North State Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Old North State Trust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Old North State Trust
What does Old North State Trust do?
Old North State Trust is a registered trust company that administers personal trusts (revocable, irrevocable, special needs, and charitable) and provides fiduciary investment management, estate settlement, retirement plan advisory, self-directed IRA custody, and legacy planning services. Revenue is earned through asset-based, fee-only management fees computed on a declining rate scale applied to client assets under administration.
Is Old North State Trust a public or private company?
Old North State Trust is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Old North State Trust founded?
Old North State Trust was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Old North State Trust based?
Old North State Trust is headquartered in Greensboro, United States, in the North America region.
How does Old North State Trust make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Trust Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are fee-Only Asset Management.
Who are Old North State Trust's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wilmington Trust (M&T Bank), Bessemer Trust and Glenmede. Broad incumbents are Northern Trust, Bank of America Private Bank (formerly U.S. Trust), BNY Mellon Wealth Management and Truist Wealth. First Citizens Bank Wealth Management is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Foundation Source and Aspiriant.
Does Old North State Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for Old North State Trust.
What industry is Old North State Trust in?
Old North State Trust's product category is Trust and Wealth Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAANAF, Trust Administration & Fiduciary Accounting Services, with a secondary code of FSAAABAF, Trust & Fiduciary Advisory for HNW/UHNW (Trust Structuring & Trustee Oversight). Its NAICS code is 523991.