The Berry Company was a construction company founded in 1946 by LM Berry, YJ Grigsby, TE Ruffin, and JR Peddy. LM Berry was born in Lexington, KY and graduated from the Hampton Institute in Virgina, but came to Durham to teach 'trades' in the Durham City Schools from 1929-1933, when he became construction lead for North Carolina Mutual, overseeing the physical expansion of the company into multiple states. He left that position in 1946 to found his own company.