From Now On, Charlie Rangel Won’t Be Relying on Accountants

The accounting firm formerly known as Plante & Moran will forever going forward be known as Plante & Moran, according to a firm press release. And from the sound of things, it’s good riddance:

The change is prompted by tradition, growth and technology, according to Chief Marketing Officer and firm partner, Jeff Antaya. “The ampersand isn’t compatible with current and emerging technologies and can’t be used in a web address, for example,” notes Antaya. “Plus, many of Plante Moran’s entities, such as Plante Moran Financial Advisors and Plante Moran Global Services, never used the ampersand; nor is it part of the firm logo or signage. This change helps make the strong Plante Moran brand even more consistent.”

Ah, the PwC reasoning: no one calls us Plante & Moran, so why would we continue to be known as Plante & Moran? This ampersand has been ignored; it’s not appreciated; so get this eyesore of a graphical symbol out of our sight! But since the firm doesn’t want to hurt its feelings, there’s a bit of a send-off of sorts for the ol’ logogram.

Because the ampersand has been such an integral part of the firm’s history, and in keeping with the Plante Moran tradition of offering the option of preparing a departure memo for departing staff (fondly referred to as a “green memo” from when the firm used bulletin board memos as a key form of communication), the firm is sponsoring a green memo contest for staff. Titled, “& Now What?” the ampersand-less contest runs through September 20th and requires interested staff to prepare a departure memo of up to 500 words for the ampersand. Based on a staff vote, prizes will be awarded for the best memos and the winning essay will become the ampersand’s official green memo.

Is there anyone out there sad to see it go? Leave your well wishes below. Oh, and an advanced copy of your essay would be nice too. Email it to us.