February 7, 2014 UBJ

FEBRUARY 7, 2014

United Community Bank’s new president, Lynn Harton, looks at the past, present and future of finance in the Upstate

BANKING ON GROWTH

Volume 3, Issue 6

February 7, 2014

WORTH REPEATING

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VERBATIM

“Hispanic marketing doesn’t mean simply translating all of an organization’s marketing materials into Spanish.”

Janice Baddley, senior account manager at DNA Creative Communications, on reaching the growing Hispanic market in S.C.

“With unemployment going down and employment going up, people will buy clothes, people will buy cars, and people will by houses.”

Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns, on the county’s 2013 uptick in jobs and wages.

“We need to be better salespeople. We’ve got the best customer scores, but our sales scores are some of the worst in the business.”

Lynn Harton, on one of the challenges he faces as the newly named president of United Community Bank.

On More than Cycling…

“Thirteen years ago, I just came here for the cycling. Now I love being able to showcase everything it has to offer.”

Retired pro cyclist George Hincapie, co-owner of the boutique Hotel Domestique in Travelers Rest, in the February issue of Men’s Journal.

Bravo/Senor Wraps has applied for a temporary 120-day alcohol license for 109 N. Main St. Does this mean that Cantinflas owner Ruben Montalvo is taking over Guadalajara and bringing back his quick-wrap Mexican concept to downtown Greenville?

Looks like Brooks Brothers will have a new next-door neighbor on Main Street

downtown. Word is a high-end women’s boutique with lines from New York is set to open soon…

The Design Review Board hearing for the proposed Broadstone Gateway Apartments at 400 N. Church St. has been postponed until March.

Developers want more time to refine plan details before going before the committee…

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February 7, 2014

When you are done reading this paper, please recycle it.

UBJ RETAIL

Spinx Names First President from Outside Family

By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer joladipo@communityjournals.com

The Spinx Company has named Stan Storti its next president, the first from outside the Spinks family. Over the next few months Storti will transition from his role as executive vice president to overseeing operational management as head of the company, Spinx officials said at a press conference last week.

He succeeds Steve Spinks, the eldest son of company founder Stewart Spinks. Both family members will continue in leadership positions.

Steve Spinks will serve as chief executive officer, overseeing the Spinx retail company and its Ace Energy fuel purchasing operation. Stewart Spinks was appointed chairman of the board, where he will focus on improving corporate governance and on the Spinks family’s real estate investments and developments, the company said.

Storti joined Spinx as chief financial officer in 2005, and has also served as chief marketing officer. He will transition to the role of president

STAN STORTI over the next several months, officials said.

The Spinx Company was founded in 1972 and operates 74 convenience retail stores in South Carolina and North Carolina.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 3

UBJ RETAIL

Asbury Automotive Group Buys Land Rover Greenville

By Joe Toppe | staff | jtoppe@communityjournals.com

After more than 20 years along a landmark strip of Greenville’s automotive dealers, the Land Rover Greenville franchise has changed hands and will be relocated to another spot on the Motor Mile.

Asbury Automotive Group, the local owner of Jaguar/Porsche/Volvo, purchased the franchise from Jack

“We are looking forward to it because it will be a good thing for both brands.”

Pam Tatum

Frasher to consolidate both Jaguar and Land Rover at their Laurens Road location.

The purchase was made Jan. 28, and Jaguar Land Rover Greenville will now feature both brands under the same roof, said General Manager Pam Tatum.

“We are looking forward to it because it will be a good thing for both brands,” she said.

Frasher said he decided to sell the franchise after the automobiles’ importer and parent company, Jaguar Land Rover North America, encouraged him to combine the two

automotive brands at his Greenville location.

“Although we have combined both Jaguar and Land Rover in Asheville, it didn’t make business sense for us in Greenville,” he said.

Frasher first opened Land Rover Greenville in October of 1993 but will

now continue as Lotus Greenville and Luxury Pre-Owned.

“We are in the same location, but we are now going to focus on luxury pre-owned and classic European cars,” he said. “It is difficult to concentrate on vintage when your primary focus is new models.”

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UBJ LEGAL

McNair Consolidates Anderson Branch Into Greenville Office McNair Law Firm recently closed its Anderson office to consolidate and strengthen its services in the Upstate.

As of Jan. 31, the law firm has moved all Upstate services into its Greenville office, and welcomed Tom Martin, Doug Gray, Reggie Gay and Brad Thomas, all formerly of the Anderson location.

“We are excited to have our Anderson attorneys in Greenville,” said Rita McKinney, managing shareholder of McNair’s Upstate Unit, in a release.

“The attorneys and staff from Ander-

son will complement the Greenville office’s existing practices and further extend our range of services.”

McNair will continue to serve its

t of the r a p a n e e b e ’v e W istory h y l i m a f n a g i n r Je . for over 10 years

Anderson clients and will remain active in the Anderson community and surrounding areas from the Greenville office in Poinsett Plaza on South Main Street.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 5

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UBJ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Jobs, Wages Climb in Anderson County in 2013 Report shows 887 new jobs, $27 million in new annual payroll

By Joe Toppe | staff | jtoppe@communityjournals.com

A year-end report issued to An-

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derson County Council last month revealed an increase in manufacturing jobs and hourly wages.

The county’s director of economic development, Burriss Nelson, said the report was an explanation of the previous year’s industrial announcements.

The report included data on the expansion of existing manufacturing companies and others new to the county in 2013, he said. The information revealed 13 projects totaling 887 new jobs, $27 million in new annual payroll, and an increase in the average hourly wage from $14.98 in 2012 to $15.52 in 2013.

“We are experiencing a yearly increase in the hourly wage for employ-

➤ IN 2013, ANDERSON COUNTY SAW...

13 887 $15.52 projects

new jobs

average hourly wage (increase from $14.98 in 2012)

$16.32

average hourly wage projected for 2014

$1.1 million

in first-year property taxes

$27 million in new annual payroll

$46.6 million

(combined) in first-year community impact

$90 million in capital expenditures created

6 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 7, 2014

ees of Anderson County manufacturers, and we expect it to increase again in 2014 to $16.32,” he said. “Job creation and capital investment is critical, but it is more important to raise the standard of living by bringing higher wage companies into the community.”

Nelson said the projects consisted of three new businesses and 10 expansions of existing companies.

According to the report, more than $90 million in capital expenditures were created in 2013 with $1.1 million in first-year property taxes, and a combined $46.6 million in first-year community impact.

Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns said the county is experiencing an upward trend in both the marketplace and employment opportunities.

“The local economy will be stimulated by this new revenue, and those dollars will probably change hands four or five times before they leave the county,” he said. “With unemployment going down and employment going up, people will buy clothes, people will buy cars, and people will buy houses.”

County Councilman Ken Waters said the 887 new jobs will include health care benefits while providing self-reliance to the workforce.

“People are getting more than jobs, they are also getting benefits,” he said.

“This can repair not only a local problem, but a state and federal problem. If we can get people back to work with health insurance, we don’t have to worry about paying for it ourselves. Our goal is for people to supply for themselves, and we are getting closer to that.”

Tailored

UBJ MEDIA

by the Purveyors of Classic American Style

Mr. Valentine

Greenville News to Close Printing Operation

By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer joladipo@communityjournals.com

The Greenville News reported that its parent company, Gannett, reached an agreement with Halifax Media Group to move printing of The Greenville News and the Asheville Citizen-Times from Greenville to Halifax printing facilities in Spartanburg and Gastonia, N.C., effective April 2014.

The News and Citizen-Times were among publications printed at the Greenville News Media Group facility in downtown Greenville. The Greenville facility will close, affecting 42 full-time and 75 part-time positions for whom it will try to find positions at the Halifax operation or other Gannett locations, the company said.

“We deeply regret the loss of local positions and the impact on colleagues of many years,” said Steve Brandt, president and publisher of the Greenville News Media Group, in a statement. He said the move would ensure a strong market posi-

“We deeply regret the loss of local positions and the impact on colleagues of many years.”

Steve Brandt

You might have planned a casual, more intimate evening to spend with your Valentine. The thoughtfulness of a low-key evening doesn’t mean to neglect your attire. So dress the part. A handsome sweater over a button down shirt matched with a comfortable, yet sporty pair of pants could just be the look that you desire. If you know that you will be attending social event, take that into consideration and chose a suit or fun sport coat and trousers coupled with an unforgettable dress shirt and tie. Dress with the intent to impress your special someone…she will notice! “How do you compliment the one you love…dress well.”

tion amid “fundamental changes in our business,” and that neither readers nor advertisers would be affected.

The company also saw cuts to its editorial staff in August.

Gannett announced in June 2012 plans to list the downtown facilities for sale but has yet to do so. The Greenville News Media Group will then move to another location, yet to be announced.

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For Valentine’s Day, you might think of giving flowers, special candies and a sweet card expressing the love and admiration for your special someone… and that is a great start! Maybe you’ve made reservations at that new restaurant or purchased tickets to the main event downtown.

You have planned for the day—but did you ask yourself, what am I going to wear?

Don’t just think about the logistics of the day—follow through and dress for the occasion. I bet the woman in your life will feel special that you did.

How you dress is an important form of expression. Your special someone will notice that you’ve thought about the date from buying the gift, booking the reservations to paying special attention in choosing how to dress --especially for her.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 7

UBJ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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February 7, 2014

Downtown Greer Is ‘Poised for Growth’ New businesses opening despite merchants’ parking concerns

By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com

2013 was a good year for downtown Greer.

The small downtown area saw 11 new businesses open their doors in 2013 with only four businesses (The Paperback Exchange, The Cazbah, ACME General Store and Capella’s Salon) closing.

But has the influx of new businesses created a parking problem?

Late last year the city lost approximately 60 parking spaces when a property owner gated a private parking lot.

Alan Fore, owner of properties at 117 Trade St. and 118/120 Victoria St., had wrought-iron fencing installed to prohibit public parking in his private lot. He told city officials that steady traffic was damaging the parking lots and safety issues at Victoria Street were a concern, according to Greer Today.

Meanwhile, Chris and Denise VandenBerghe, owners of Wild Ace Pizza and Pub at 109 Trade St., cut the restaurant’s lunch shift immediately following the parking lots’ closures and threatened to eliminate lunch service.

“Our customers are telling us they only have 45 minutes for lunch and if they can’t find a parking space they must go elsewhere,” VandenBerghe told GreerToday.com.

Wild Aces is currently pursuing plans to expand and move a block east to 103 Depot St. “If there is a perception that there is a parking issue, then yes, we have a parking issue,” Greer city administrator Ed Driggers told UBJ. “We certainly don’t want to be a contributing factor to a business not suc-

ceeding.”

He said the city is currently conducting an inventory and capacity study to determine if parking issues do exist and what can be done to address them. Driggers expects the study to be completed in February so it can be discussed at the yearly city council retreat.

One possible solution is to go to restricted parking, he said. “I don’t know that we’re really ready to build a parking deck. If there is a need, not just a perception, then we will do what we need to do.”

The city has also spoken with nearby businesses such as BB&T and First Baptist Church, which have offered their lots after business hours.

Reno Deaton, executive director of the Greer Development Corporation, said a “larger number of spots are available than those currently occupied.” Deaton said close to 300 parking spots are available during the day and another 440 spaces in the evening and weekends. “We have plenty of parking for customers who want to visit and see all that downtown Greer has to offer.”

No matter what is decided about parking, the city of Greer hopes to continue to attract new businesses to the downtown area. The city recently appropriated $500,000 towards Greer Station, to re-landscape Trade Street and other public infrastructure.

“The health of our downtown is important for our community,” said Deaton. “We’ve got a really great collection of downtown businesses that work together and provide for a holistic retail experience. It’s a reason to >>

UBJ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS ACTIVITY IN 2013 FOR DOWNTOWN GREER

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Paperback Exchange, 105 N. Main St. The Cazbah, 308 Trade St. ACME General Store, 201 Trade St. Capella’s Salon, 120 Victoria St. Wild Ace Pizza and Pub*, moving (but no date yet) from 109 Trade St.

visit Greer. It’s a reason to stay in Greer.”

Part of the challenge for businesses looking to locate in Greer’s downtown is that much of the empty building space hasn’t been renovated in quite a while. That can be daunting and costly to upstart businesses, Driggers said. The city of Greer currently has no programs to assist business owners in renovating the spaces.

When asked if the city would do something similar to Spartanburg’s Main Street Challenge, Driggers said the city is “intrigued by that concept” but isn’t ready to commit to something similar just yet. The Main Street Challenge matches winning businesses with participating downtown property owners; winners receive $12,000 in funds from the city to be used for rental assistance for their

Dark Corner Diner, 224 Trade St. Greer Trading Post, 217 Trade St. Pour Sports Pub, 302 Trade St. Plate 108, 108 E. Poinsett St. Spa Victoria, 120 Victoria St. AIM Insurance, 114 Trade St. Cup Cake Castle, 208 E. Poinsett St. The Chocolate Toad, 208 Trade St. Sire George’s White House Salon, 200 School St. 10 104 Trade Street Business Center 11 302 Trade Executive Offices 12 Wild Ace Pizza and Pub*, moving (but no date yet) to 103 Depot St.

first year of operations, along with approximately $8,000 in in-kind support and services from local businesses and sponsors.

Greer has also commissioned a master plan to be completed to aid in redevelopment, but that’s still at least a year away from being done, Driggers said.

Driggers said that Greer is “poised for growth and will continue to attract more businesses into its downtown.

The city would also like to add more residential into the downtown mix.

The stage is set for a good, strong year.”

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 9

UBJ CONNECTIONS

Personal Connections Come First at Cake & Whiskey

By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com

Two entrepreneurs, newly arrived in Greenville with neighboring businesses, wondered how they could better connect with other women in a similar situation. Veera Gaul had recently opened Oil & Vinegar with her husband, Joe, just steps away from Kilwins, where Ashley Adams is co-owner. The two women decided to form a local Cake & Whiskey group for professional women, which met for the first time last week.

Gaul had organized similar events in another city. She was also a reader of Cake & Whiskey, a women’s business magazine that

Veera Gaul, owner and operator of Oil & Vinegar, left, and Ashley Adams, co-owner and operator of Kilwins, worked together to establish the local Cake & Whiskey gatherings.

PROFESSIONAL • PUNCTUAL • FRIENDLY • FRESH

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also promotes women’s groups.

Gaul wants the group to be “kind of that kitchen cabinet of people you can call on and say, ‘I don’t know what to do.’”

Networking isn’t the focus, but some business relationships do flow from personal connections.

Vicki Sorauf of the Enclave at Paris Mountain said she looked for a social group that could replace others who drift away as life goes on. “Soccer mom days are over for me,” she said.

Several the women in attendance had lived in Greenville for less than one year, and many owned their own businesses. >>

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UBJ CONNECTIONS >>

Tracy Vanzura, owner of Great Harvest Bread Company, said she wanted to connect with people who can understand life as a small-business owner.

“It does just become the type of thing that other people who haven’t done it don’t understand,” she said.

She talked with Jessica Randall, owner of Cool Mama’s ice cream truck, who agreed and added that women have their own particular concerns and need a venue to address them together.

Amid consumption of the eponymous cake and whiskey, a few activities helped people connect. Attendees eventually settled down for a guided “hot topic” discussion of habits of successful women, which elicited several candid and funny comments about dealing with regret and adding completed items to to-do lists just for the pleasure of crossing them off on paper.

True to the goal, business cards remained out of sight. But business talk – within a definite female slant – was all around.

THE GROUP: Women employees and business owners, age 20s to 60s THE GOAL: Make friends first, talk business later THE SCHEDULE: Every two to three months THE FORMAT: Chat, chew, drink, break the ice, discuss “hot topic” issue THE VENUE: Organizer’s home until members decide otherwise THE VIBE: Ladies night at a friend-of-a-friend’s house THE LOOK: Casual to just-left-the-office. On the first chilly night, lots of stylish boots and sweaters

Connections is a chance to get an inside look at how the business community comes together after hours. Want UBJ to connect with your group? Email joladipo@ communityjournals.com.

THE MENU: Cupcakes from Chocolate Moose, cheese plate, whiskey from Dark Corner Distillery, and other drinks

Local businesswomen gather and mingle during the first Cake & Whiskey gathering.

facebook.com/cakenwhiskeygville

THE SOUNDTRACK: Frank Sinatra THE NEXT MEETING: Thursday, April 24, 6:30-8 p.m. Location to be determined.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 11

UBJ INNOVATE

By BREANNE PRZESTRZELSKI & JOHN WARNER

Clemson’s DEN Pairs Tech With Entrepreneurship Thomas Green Clemson baked innovation into the core of his university’s mission, saying he was creating “a high seminary of learning… affording to its youth the advantages of scientific culture.” Too often world-class technologies crafted in university research labs collect dust and never reach those they were designed for. Leaders in the Clemson University Bioengineering Department are making Thomas Clemson’s vision a reality by fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in some of the most passionate people around the university’s technologies – the students.

The DEN (Design and Entrepreneurship Network) exposes passionate undergraduate students with transformative technologies to the possibility of marketing them through entrepreneurial ventures.

Students working with local and regional entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and technology transfer officers get excited about entrepreneurship as a career. Countless undergraduates who might not have seen entrepreneurship as an opportunity available to them only need The DEN’s environment to foster their passion.

The DEN is developing a makerspace combining manufacturing equipment, community and education so student teams can come together in a collaborative environment to learn, design and build ventures.

The DEN’s team environment supports students with the drive for design and entrepreneurship and is transforming Clemson’s innovation landscape.

Founded in 1963, Clemson’s bioengineering program is one of the oldest in the world and is known as the international birthplace of the field of biomaterials. The program’s

website notes that “today’s bioengineers are on the job in research and development labs in all areas of medicine, from investigating the physiological behavior of single cells to designing implants using living and nonliving materials for the replacement of diseased or traumatized body tissues.”

Breanne Przestrzelski is a bioengineering Ph.D. candidate and a University Innovation Fellow, which is a national program empowering engineering student leaders to increase entrepreneurial activity on their campuses. Through an innovation and entrepreneurship landscape analysis, Przestrzelski identified gaps and formulated ideas to fill them, including creating The DEN. Although located in the bioengineering department where this passion began, multifunctional teams are key to any successful venture and all entrepreneurially minded undergraduates from a variety of disciplines are welcome in The DEN. Clemson’s Creative Inquiry Program, led by Barbara Speziale, Clemson’s associate dean of undergraduate studies, funds projects that are undergraduate team-based investigations led by faculty mentors that spark an imaginative combination of engaged learning and undergraduate research. Many undergraduates enter The DEN with innovative technologies being developed through Creative Inquiries. Some students are actively involved in senior design classes, such as BioE

12 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 7, 2014

4030: Applied Biomedical Design, which allows students the opportunity to interact with leading area hospitals and therapy clinics to identify critical unmet needs to be solved by enthusiastic teams of student innovators.

There are other opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship development for undergraduates.

A new Clemson summer accelerator program will be led by established regional entrepreneurs and local educators. Innovation and entrepreneurship talks are hosted alongside student-led Vox Novo and soon-to-be TEDx programs. The Clemson University Research Foundation’s technology transfer office will begin to host how-to sessions and workshops about the process of bringing technology to those it was intended for. The Spiro Institute supports student entrepreneurs through its LaunchPadSC and SEED programs. The best part about this movement is that is it led by students – students who are passionate about design, innovation and entrepreneurship and eager to share their passion. Student-led teams are forming across campus

with dedicated faculty who are just as eager to bring this innovation and entrepreneurship movement to Clemson.

This spring, InnoVenture is working with Larry Dooley, Clemson’s vice president of research, and the Clemson University Research Foundation to develop the Clemson.

Innoventure.com network to help faculty, staff and students grow the impact of their research and entrepreneurial projects through campaigns to engage alumni and others in industry. Clemson Research Month will be held in April 2014, during which the Clemson Alumni Association, the Office of Public Affairs and InnoVenture will promote faculty and student research and entrepreneurial projects to tens of thousands of alumni and industry partners.

Projects at The DEN will be highlighted on Clemson.Innoventure.com, which will help expand the university’s network of support for entrepreneurial activity by connecting passionate student entrepreneurs and innovators on campus with outside collaborators to start building a place that can rival the entrepreneurial energy that radiates from Palo Alto.

Clemson has the right ingredients and the right cooks here in South Carolina, and it’s time to bring it all together.

Breanne Przestrzelski is a Ph.D. candidate in the Clemson University Bioengineering Department and a University Innovation Fellow. She led her senior design team to win the 2012 National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance BMEStart Undergraduate Design Competition with a technology that has since been licensed to a technology advancement group.

John Warner is CEO of InnoVenture.com, a global Web platform growing Clemson.InnoVenture.com to connect faculty and student research and entrepreneurial activities with alumni and others in industry.

UBJ DIGITAL MAVEN

By LAURA HAIGHT

XP Certainly Isn’t Going Quietly You’ve got 60 days from today to get Windows XP off your PC. C’mon, you knew this was coming.

Almost two years ago, Microsoft announced it would euthanize XP on April 8, 2013. Of course, it has backpedaled – perhaps because nearly 30 percent of all Windows desktops and laptops are still running XP, according to Net Applications, which tracks analytics for 40,000 clients. Its analysis of operating systems is based on 160 million unique visitors monthly.

In our get-it-new, throw-it-out-andreplace-it society, why are so many people holding on to Windows XP? To borrow from Apple: It just works. It’s solid, familiar and stable.

Most users understand it; most things work with it.

Windows XP was the most widely installed operating system in the world. That has made it a giant target

for hackers, crackers and thieves.

Come April 8, there will be no updates, no security patches, no way to stop hackers from finding their way into your system and those connected to you. Hackers are reportedly ramping up for a big 2014 when millions of XP computers open their doors.

Unfortunately, most who still have XP are probably least prepared to upgrade: individual users and small businesses. Larger businesses most likely have a computer replacement cycle and stay more on top of new software, so the chances are they are among the 46 percent of Windows OS users on Windows 7. (The new Windows 8 is slow to gain ground because of the significant changes and learning curve; and there was no love in the world for Vista, which is also scheduled for the digital scrap heap in 2017.)

XP’s swan song may have an impact

➤ DESKTOP OPERATING SYSTEM MARKET SHARE

47% Windows 7

TOTAL MARKET SHARE

on Mac users too – at least those who run Parallels or other virtualization tools that enable Windows to run on a separate area of a Mac hard drive.

What’s Next

• Determine if your current PC

can run Windows 7 (if you’re still on XP, I’m guessing you aren’t ready for the big jump to Windows 8). Microsoft has a tool you can download to test your hardware capabilities: goo. gl/GSjfGA. • Your next big decision is 32-bit vs. 64-bit. Huh? This Microsoft page has some good tips to help you decide: goo.gl/i32sZe. But if you are on XP, the biggest issue you need to determine is whether the other applications you use will work with the new OS as well. So often, one change can knock the whole house of cards down. So write down all your critical software and then contact the vendors for information on compatibility, upgrades and costs. This is especially important for small businesses.

• Don’t confine your analysis only to software; look at hardware, too.

Especially printers, network devices and desktop peripherals like backup

3% Mac OS X

TOTAL OPERATING MARKET SYSTEM SHARE

7% Windows 8

Windows 7 47.49% Windows XP 29.23% Windows 8 6.63% Windows 8.1 3.95% Windows Vista 3.30% Mac OS X 10.9 3.20% Linux 1.60% Mac OS X 10.8 1.48% Mac OS X 10.6 1.44% Mac OS X 10.7 1.19% Mac OS X 10.5 0.29% Windows NT 0.07% Mac OS X 10.4 0.07% Windows 2000 0.03% Mac OS X (no version reported) 0.01% Windows 98 0.00%

4% Windows 8.1

Calendar Q1, 2014

6% Other 3% Windows Vista 29% Windows XP

February 7, 2014

drives, storage devices, webcams, etc.

• If you are a business owner who allows employees to use their own computers or connect to your network servers from their homes, you should block Windows XP users effective April 8. If you don’t have a system in place that can do this, you should let employees know that their Windows XP computers can no longer be used on your network.

The Costs Add Up

For small businesses with just a few employees and PCs, migration can be expensive. And you need to factor in the time it takes to do all this work. If you are not a geek and don’t have an IT staffer or outsourced contract, this is probably a good time to hire a professional. Plug and play is a nice slogan, but when it comes to major OS upgrades, you need an expert, not a marketing pitch.

Isn’t it easier and cheaper just to buy new computers? It may be, but you still have to consider the software and devices your business uses.

What if I do all this and Microsoft changes its mind again? There’s no doubt that Microsoft is backpedaling.

They have announced that they will keep pushing out the Malware Removal Tool through July 2015. All that means is that they will give you a tool to remove dangerous code once it’s already in your system. That doesn’t help the other systems that the code may have moved on to once it got in yours.

XP is going away, and the longer you wait to upgrade to a new OS, the more out-of-version you are getting.

Migration will just get more expensive, not less.

Laura Haight is the president of Portfolio (portfoliosc.com), which works with small businesses to incorporate emerging media and technology into its business communications, operations and training.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 13

UBJ WORKING WELL

By ABBY RUSSELL

Healthy Workplaces Win, With or Without Awards Should your company apply for LiveWell’s 2014 Healthy Workplace Award?

The Healthy Workplace Awards will recognize and celebrate Greenville’s healthiest organizations, but there are other benefits that can be derived from applying for the award, even when your company may not meet the requirements to earn an award.

Any comprehensive wellness award application will take some time, but it will also provide a high-level view of your current wellness program, and assist in exploring opportunities for growth and improvement of your program. Your results – and even the application process itself – can be beneficial in obtaining support for growth and developing a stronger foundation.

Completing the application process encourages you to take an objective look at each facet of your organiza-

LiveWell Greenville provides an executive summary to all award winners. This executive summary is an analysis of their program’s strengths and weaknesses, and highlights opportunities for improvement in their workplace wellness program. The executive summary is complete with links to resources including direct references to LiveWell Greenville’s At Work Toolkit.

The application can be found at livewellgreenville.org/category/ at-work, and the deadline to apply is March 14.

APPLY NOW FOR

LIVEWELL GREENVILLE’S 2014 Healthy Workplace Awards • Recognizing Greenville’s Healthiest Organizations • Useful benchmarking and planning tool • Join us for lunch on April 24 at Greenville’s TD Center to recognize and celebrate our award winners!

• The online application is open now through March 14 at www.livewellgreenville.org/category/at-work

tion’s wellness initiative, and analyze the planning and structure of each.

The application may even open your eyes to current offerings that cross over into the wellness arena and already support your workplace wellness efforts.

After completing the application, create a list of specific areas in which you saw an opportunity to expand or improve, then indicate the potential benefits and impact for such additions. Present this list as an action plan – along with a timeline and potential budget – to your management team. This program review and action plan will greatly aid in the success of your wellness program, and can have a great impact on your organization overall.

Using any wellness award program as a benchmarking tool for your organization can be very powerful. To further obtain support and buy-in, compare your results to similar organizations’ award achievements. It is important to consider differences in size, region and industry as you compare, although some award programs will benchmark your results to similar sized organizations or by region.

In addition, applying for an award over multiple years will help track your progress and improvements.

Award achievement and recognition could also positively impact your organization’s recruiting and retention efforts. Organizations with

14 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 7, 2014

strong wellness programs and a healthy culture tend to attract and retain quality candidates; so consider advertising and promoting any award achievements.

Lastly, if the award program offers an award celebration or presentation, strongly consider attending the presentation. Encourage members of your wellness committee and top management to attend as well. Many award programs highlight each award winner’s initiatives or most successful programs, so it could be a learning experience as you hear about other successes. This is also a good time to network with other organizations that are excelling in the administration of their workplace wellness programs, and this also lends the opportunity to learn from other’s experiences.

LiveWell Greenville’s At Work group initiated the Healthy Workplace Awards for Greenville County businesses last year. The current application consists of a 76-question application, and a few minimum criteria and submissions must be met in order to be eligible for a bronze, silver or gold award. The scoring system is set up to take the size of each applying organization into account.

The scope of the award mirrors the LiveWell At Work Toolkit, and the categories, scoring and benchmarking were formed with the help of the academic, medical, wellness and business communities. These profes-

sionals include Ph.D.s, M.D.s, CEOs and HR directors, as well as health and wellness professionals throughout the Southeast.

The minimum criteria to be eligible for an award are: 1. Program in place for minimum of 18 months.

2: Senior management commitment to a workplace wellness program, requires letter of commitment.

3. Functioning workplace wellness committee that meets at least twice per year.

4. A guiding document or action plan must be submitted.

5. A dedicated workplace wellness budget must be established.

6. 10 percent employee participation on average in workplace wellness initiatives.

7. Workplace must have a tobacco policy that limits the use of tobacco at the workplace.

Abby Russell is a workplace wellness consultant at Rosenfeld Einstein, a Greenville-based insurance agency, brokerage and consulting firm, and a LiveWell Greenville At Work lead facilitator.

UBJ YOUR MONEY

By JOE GALLOWAY

Can You Afford to Retire?

Most studies of our collective retirement preparedness report that we are woefully underfunded. For example, the Merrill Lynch study “Reinventing Retirement,” done in 2010, found that 73 percent of those over age 51 are concerned their retirement assets won’t last as long as they will. As recently as mid-December 2013, a key finding in the National Retirement Risk Index, a measure calculated for the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, finds that 53 percent of American households are at risk of not covering essential expenses and so will be unable to maintain their standard of living in retirement.

Is this our reality? Maybe not. A surprising result was released on Dec. 4, 2013, in the study “Our Strong Retirement System: An American Success Story.” It asserts that we’re doing better than we think. Published by the American Council of Life Insurers, the American Benefits Council, and the Investment Company Institute, it reports that the average U.S. household had $167,800 in retirement assets. Those near retirement (folks ages 60 to 64)

have on average $360,000 saved for retirement.

These numbers appear to conflict with how most headlines harbinger our impending retirement crisis.

Bold lettering will report the average 401(k) balance at only $75,000 – clearly a fraction of what it will take to fund even a modest retirement lifestyle.

Household averages are interesting, but what does this mean to you?

How do your numbers compare?

First, realize that average 401(k) balance numbers include every participant, from the entry-level trainee to the 30-year veteran. Obviously, younger employees have lower balances and so bring the average down.

But when the research homes in on specific groups, it discovers that baby boomers seem to be in good shape for retirement success. Be careful not to become complacent, however; retirement success does not just happen.

One must take intentional and concrete steps in order to have enough savings to provide for the lifestyle desired in post-employment years.

What is your vision of retirement?

How will you achieve that? Oppor-

Baby boomers seem to be in good shape for retirement. But don’t get complacent; retirement success does not just happen. tunities abound for putting money aside for retirement. One outstanding venue is a 401(k) plan. These plans allow deferring $17,500 of salary – before taxes – into the plan. If you’re over age 50, add another $5,500 to that. And many companies offer to match their employee’s contributions. If your company matches contributions and you don’t take advantage of that, it is like turning your back on free money.

Another choice for retirement saving is the old standard IRA. Contribution maximums to these accounts are now up to $5,500 per year; $6,500 if over age 50. These same limits apply to ROTH accounts as well.

As you approach retirement, how will you know if you have accumulated enough to meet your chosen level of lifestyle expenses? It is important to project how the sum total of your retirement savings will work

AVERAGE RETIREMENT ASSEST PER HOUSEHOLD (constant 2012 dollars, rounded to nearest $100, end-of-period, selected dates)

180,000 160,000

167,800 150,300

140,000 120,000

Note: “Retirement assets” include annuities, federal pension plans, state and local government pension plans, private defined benefit plans, defined contribution plans, and IRAs.

105,400

100,000 80,000

56,200

60,000 40,000

27,300

20,000 0

1975

1985

1995

Chart updated and reprinted with permission from Investment Company Institute (ICI): The Success of the U.S. Retirement System, December 2012, Page 11, Fig. 4

2005

2013 (June)

Sources: Investment Company Institute; U.S. Federal Reserve Board; National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators; American Council of Life Insurers; Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division; U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics; and U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration

February 7, 2014

to supply your future needs. Most retirement calculators use a 4 percent withdrawal rate applied to investment balances as a rule of thumb.

How that rate actually applies is unique to each family.

Once in retirement, it is vital to calculate the actual withdrawal amount taken, and to consider expense needs for the next year, and then to project that withdrawal rate out into the future. I recommend to clients that this become an annual exercise. By so doing, retirement expenses are monitored in light of investment returns. This allows for adjustments for special situations, not to mention surprises. The objective is to do everything possible to ensure one’s nest egg can last a lifetime.

There are a lot of choices available to help you achieve your retirement goals. The key to financial success in retirement is to save consistently over time. Proverbs 13 tells us that wealth will increase for those who gather little by little.

A professional financial advisor can help you formulate your vision for retirement. He or she will work to create appropriate strategies to put you on the path to retirement success – the definition of which is unique to you. That path should include both saving and investing strategies, as well as managing expenses and expectations. Talk to your advisor today to determine the best path for you.

Joe Galloway is a financial advisor with the Global Wealth Management Division of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Greenville.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 15

UBJ QUARTERLIES Span-America Income at Greenville-based Span America Medical Systems dropped by more than half in the first quarter compared to the prior year. The company reported income for the first quarter 2014 ended Dec. 28, 2013.

Span-America manufactures pressure-management products for the medical market such as therapeutic beds, medical bed frames and other health products, as well as foam and packaging products for consumer and industrial markets.

The company attributed the drop in sales and earnings to lower sales of consumer bedding products. “Last year, we benefited from a consumer promotion with a large retail customer

World Acceptance Corp

that generated $5.8 million in sales.

This promotion was not repeated in the most recent quarter and resulted in lower consumer sales, reduced gross profit and lower net income compared with the first quarter of last fiscal year,” said Jim Ferguson, president and CEO of Span-America, in a release.

In addition, the loss of a large retail customer for everyday bedding products in a routine bidding process is expected to lower full fiscal year 2014 earnings by $0.10 to $0.15 per diluted share compared with fiscal 2013, offsetting potential gains from new products and cross-selling in Span-America’s medical segment.

SPAN-AMERICA MEDICAL SYSTEMS, INC. (NASDAQ: SPAN) Q1 2014 $666,000 Q1 2014 $14.9M

$.22

NET INCOME Q1 2013 $1.4M NET SALES

+/-82%

Q1 2013 $21.7M DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE +/-52%

+/-31%

The small-loan consumer finance company reported positive results for the third quarter ended Dec. 31, 2013. Net income for the third quarter increased 11.0 percent to $23.0 million compared to $20.7 million for the same quarter of the prior year. Net income per diluted share increased 25.3 percent to $1.98 in the third quarter of fiscal 2014 compared to $1.58 in the prior year quarter. Total revenues increased to $160.5 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2014, a 7.3 percent increase over the $149.6

million reported in the third quarter last year.

An ongoing $25 million share repurchase program contributed to increased earnings per share. CEO Sandy McLean ascribed positive results to “increased interest and fee income resulting from the state law changes in Texas, Georgia and Indiana, reversals of long-term incentive accruals due to the departure of the Company’s COO during the quarter, as well as a leveling off of the Company’s charge-off ratios.”

WORLD ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION (NASDAQ: WRLD) NET INCOME Q3 2013 $23.0M

Q3 2012 $20.7M

+/+11%

NET SALES Q3 2013 $160.5M

Q3 2012 $149.6M

+/+7.3%

DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE $1.98

+/+25.3% More Quarterlies can be found on page 27.

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UBJ THE TAKEAWAY

By Carolyn Farr Shanesy, public relations specialist, University Communications, USC Upstate

Acing the Interview – and Beyond You want a career, not just a job, advises HR executive Steve Nail A recent survey of hiring managers shows that half of human resource managers spend less than one minute reading a resume. And during an interview, nearly 30 percent of hiring managers will decide in the first 15 minutes if they will hire you.

“People never go past their thumb when they are reading a resume,” said Steve Nail, vice president for human resources for Hubbell Lighting. “So you need to be impactful right up front or you may not get the attention of a hiring manager.”

“People never go past their thumb when they are reading a resume. You need to be impactful right up front.”

Nail said that one of the most important things that he does while hiring is make sure the person is a good fit for the company.

“Hiring the wrong person for the job could cost the company more money in turnover,” Nail said.

Nail gave a 45-minute presentation on “How to Get and Keep a Job,” during a Wells Fargo Speakers Series event Jan. 22 at USC Upstate’s George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business and Economics in downtown Spartanburg.

Students listened intently as Nail offered tips for interviewing, planning for a successful career and strategies to move ahead in business.

Best Practices for Interviews

• Dress appropriately.

• Use discretion, if you have body piercings or tattoos.

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• Stay confident, but not cocky.

• Stay enthusiastic.

• Remember you want a career, not just a job – have a plan for what you want to do in life.

• Scan the office for talking points (e.g., pictures, degrees, artwork, etc.) – find a way to connect with that person on a personal level.

• Offer great references before the recruiter asks for them.

• Ask honest questions about the company – financial security, does the company promote from within?

• Give examples of how you have been successful.

• Send a note.

Successful Career Advice

• Develop a career plan.

• Remember the 3 A’s of successful employment – Attitude, Aptitude, Ability.

• Be professional with your speech, your dress and your actions.

• Be aware of the image your social media sites portrays.

• Make your job what you want it to be.

• Demonstrate a good work ethic – exceed your employer’s expectations.

• Be patient – earn your stripes.

• Treat everyone as if they are your boss, because one day they may be.

• Be a team player – listen more than you speak.

• Think before you speak.

• Be honest and truthful.

• Be kind and smile.

• Never take yourself too seriously.

• Your job is a privilege, not an entitlement.

10 Strategies to Help You Move Ahead in Your Job

• Talk to your boss about your future with the company.

• Ask for more responsibilities; this will help to increase your

February 7, 2014

EVENT: Wells Fargo Speaker Series WHO WAS THERE: About 60 USC Upstate students, faculty and staff TOPIC: “How to Get and Keep a Job” SPEAKERS: Steve Nail (above), vice president of human resources at Hubbell Lighting value with the organization.

• Sharpen your people skills – listen carefully to people and practice being a clear and effective communicator.

• Think outside the box to seek creative solutions.

• Develop a mentor, inside or outside the company.

• Stay on top of trends.

• Strengthen your personal network.

• Answer questions directly as possible.

• Help others, knowing that not everyone will help you.

• Reputation is the most valuable thing you own – be known for being dependable, professional and courteous.

For more information on the Wells Fargo Speaker Series, visit uscupstate.edu/wellsfargo.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 17

UBJ PROFILE ‘We’re Putting the Bad Stuff Behind Us’ Newly named president of United Community Bank Lynn Harton sees big changes and growth ahead

L

By JENNIFER OLADIPO | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com

Lynn Harton was named president

and coastal areas in and near Charleston. It depends on when and where the best partners present themselves.

of United Community Bank last week.

He had served as vice president and CEO of United Community Banks Inc., parent company of United Community Bank (UCB), as well as chief operating officer of UCB. Now as UCB’s president and COO, Harton will continue to focus on day-to-day operation of United Community Bank. Two days after donning the new title, he took some time to let UBJ learn a bit more about the bank’s new leader and his perspective.

Where is there room for change?

We need to be better salespeople.

We’ve got the best customer scores, but our sales scores are some of the worst in the business. The customer satisfaction isn’t translating to sales, which just doesn’t make sense. That’s a problem to solve, and the solution includes product improvement, incentive plans and other things.

What have been some highlights since joining the company in 2012?

What’s your personal leadership style?

How the bank has embraced organizational changes like centralizing operations like the credit card business and coming to Greenville [last year].

We also put a thousand people through sales training about focusing on big conversations that trigger financial needs, rather than products. We added a health care lending specialty business. We repaid TARP [federal Troubled Asset Relief Program] funds ahead of expectations without raising additional equity, and the memorandum of understanding with regulators has been lifted.

What I’ve been doing is getting the bank ready to take on those growth opportunities. My job is to look at the environment and decide where we need to go. I let [employees] go and I work for them, asking teams what they need. We’ve got 27 different projects led by teams within the bank, because they’re the ones that know how to do it.

Who are your mentors?

What are you looking forward to this year?

We’re putting the bad stuff behind us as we focus on organic growth and eye acquisition. We want to increase our density in the area around Atlanta and expand in Knoxville and Charlotte,

18 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

PHOTOS BY GREG BECKNER / STAFF

February 7, 2014

[United Community Banks Inc.] CEO Jimmy Talent and I have been good friends for about eight years.

Being a CEO is a lonely job, so to have that person that understands what it’s like to lead an organization, and to have complete trust and bounce things off of each other – I’ve been in enough places to know that that’s rare.

I also talk to Henry Williamson, former COO at BB&T; Jack Moore, >>

>> former CEO of Union Planters Bank; and Carl Carande, head wealth consultant at KPMG. Then there’s my wife, Flavia, my not-sosecret asset. She’s smart, direct and observant.

You need business advice and political advice, and she’s my best advisor in the latter area, I would say.

What’s the last book you read?

I’m almost embarrassed to say, but “The Wolf of Wall Street.” It was fascinating in a watchinga-train-wreck sort of way. It was unbelievable, yet believable in a way. I usually read either hardcore business or way-out fiction.

I like to keep track of economics, too. I’m interested in the impact of the [Federal Reserve Bank] expanding its balance sheet and the interrelatedness of Europe and China. It’s been kind of unbelievable the [economic growth] numbers coming out of China, but I think you’re starting to see some of the cracks in that. I haven’t figured it all out, but I like to read people who think they know.

And how does that inform your work at UCB?

It makes you aware of more volatility that could affect us. For example, our bank has a

THE BASICS: LYNN HARTON ALMA MATER: Wake Forest University (B.A.) HOMETOWN: Asheboro, N.C. PAST EXPERIENCE: Consultant and special assistant to CEO and VP of commercial banking at TD Bank President, CEO and head of commercial banking at The South Financial Group Various executive roles at Regions Financial Corp., Union Planters Corp. and BB&T FAMILY: Wife Flavia; two adult daughters.

Lynn and Flavia Harton in their Greenville home.

very conservative risk profile on our balance sheet compared to most, about 40 percent of investments in variable rates. Sure, were giving up current earnings to that, but we think it’s right because of the global environment we’re in.

might as well take advantage of the golf. We also love great restaurants and trying out new ones. And we love to travel. My wife is from an Italian family, grew up in Brazil and majored in French, so she speaks four languages and makes a great travel companion.

How do you spend your down time?

Any favorite places to visit?

Golf. I started playing at age 30. I’d joined a club in Wilmington, N.C., so my daughters could swim in the pool, but then I figured I

The Amalfi Coast in Italy. If you told me I could only take one more trip, that’s where I would go back to.

February 7, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 19

NEVER SETTLE ON

‘GOOD ENOUGH’ With Babaziki, Bo and John Knapp bring new fast-casual concept to Greenville

W

By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer joladipo@communityjournals.com

WITH 22 YEARS IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, Papa John’s franchisees Bo and John Knapp are bringing a new restaurant Mediterranean concept to Greenville. The company, Perfect Delivery, will open Babaziki Mediterranean Grill in mid-February in the Magnolia Plaza development on Woodruff Road. That’s in addition to 19 of about 25 Papa John’s restaurants throughout the Upstate and Western North Carolina. The Knapps sat down with UBJ to talk about planning, execution and building on an existing business.

How does this new venture fit with the existing business?

JK: Our experience with Papa John’s has been tremendous leading into this new venture. We have a whole organization and support staff, a lot of whom are involved in Babaziki from accounting to marketing to operations, about 20 people. There’s a lot of crossover. We hope that’ll help us make this new one successful. It’s allowed us to do it the right way from the beginning.

What is the right way?

JK: I guess the thing that we really tried to do is not take any shortcuts from the very beginning. In any area of the business or any possible scenario, we try to never settle on the phrase “good enough.” We

20 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 7, 2014

Entrepreneur John Knapp in the dining area of his newest venture, Babaziki Mediterranean Grill, in Magnolia Park.

PHOTOS BY GREG BECKNER / STAFF

“There are so many decision points and always trying to do things to the best of your ability gets kind of tough. You kind of start suffering decision fatigue.”

John Knapp

have the luxury to do that because we have the organization and the time to devote to that, which is not common. Usually in the entrepreneurial role you just throw everything you have at it and hope for the best when you come out the other side of it.

What lessons have you learned from experience with Papa John’s?

BK: Even before that I was with PepsiCo and saw their restaurants all over

>>

>> the world. The most important thing is if you get the food right, everything else falls into place. The second thing is, image is everything.

People want to go someplace that looks good; they have more confidence in the food.

Then we’ve got some important guidelines about how we hire people.

We have what we call the “fairness doctrine” internally that’s basically about treating people how you want to be treated. Our retention rate for Papa John’s is way, way higher than the national average.

What’s the current discussion around franchising Babaziki?

JK: If this location proves a success, we’d like to add an additional location, possibly here, possibly outside of Greenville. The real estate is such a determining factor.

What are some of the challenges?

JK: There’s a lot of stuff that we won’t know how to operate or how to build the systems in place for controls until the doors open. There’s some stuff that’s unknowable when it comes to food and labor and that sort of thing.

There are so many decision points and always trying to do things to the best of your ability gets kind of tough.

You kind of start suffering decision fatigue where you just want it to be there and be done, but you can’t allow that to happen.

How did you settle on the location?

JK: Once we heard that Cabela’s was announced we knew that was going to be probably one of the largest draws in the state. Plus the

visibility on Woodruff Road was very appealing. There’s plenty of office and daytime population within a few miles of Magnolia Park.

Tell us about the concept.

JK: First of all, we all love the region and really love the food that comes out of there. The food naturally lends itself to healthy and good eating, but the interesting thing is that it’s actually also really good food.

You can eat healthy and actually enjoy it, which is a pretty major selling point. We think that’s where the U.S. is trending and where the market is trending on a daily basis.

The area has a growing young professional active segment, which we hope lends itself to this type of food.

What are your other selling points?

JK: All of our meats are antibiotic- and hormone-free, the chicken is cage-free. All of our packaging is going to be sustainable. We tried to incorporate that into the restaurant design, which was a little bit tougher to do from an economic standpoint on some things.

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Why go that route?

I am engaged in my own learning because I am able to explore the areas that interest me most.

JK: It’s something we personally believe in. It makes me comfortable to go to a place and know that that’s part of their goals, and I think it’s important for future customers as well.

I use hands-on materials to bring my Math and Science lessons to life.

“The most important thing is if you get the food right, everything else falls into place.”

I am in kindergarten and I am just beginning to measure the impact I will have on the world.

Bo Knapp

John Knapp’s newest venture, Babaziki Mediterranean Grill in Magnolia Park. The new restaurant opens Feb. 17.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 21

SPEAKING THE

FEATURE STORY

LANGUAGE Marketing to a diverse and dynamic Hispanic population

By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com

F

For many Americans, the 2012 presidential election was a wake-up call regarding the growth and influence of the nation’s Hispanic population. Better employment opportunities, higher-paying professional jobs, strong immigration and growing wealth are among the factors making Hispanics an increasingly powerful buying demographic as well.

The Upstate is like many regions where growth is fueled in a large part by the Hispanic population, but just a few years ago most companies here were unaware of the growth that could mean for their businesses. Times change, though.

Businesses are waking up to the $4.4 billion buying power in South Carolina’s Hispanic market, and finding there’s a lot to learn about getting their messaging right.

Blind Spot It seems logical that anyone looking to sell anything in the Upstate should be interested in the 70,000-strong Hispanic population, but awareness has come slowly to many businesses. Just a few years ago, most companies didn’t consider Hispanics among the different demographic groups they might try to reach.

When the recession hit, the state’s growing Hispanic population was a hot topic in general, but businesses weren’t seeing what that could mean for them. In that collective blind spot, brothers Gustavo Nieves and Ramon Nieves-Lugo saw a business opportunity in 2008. They looked around and saw there was no full-service market-

22 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

Ramon Nieves-Lugo, cofounder of Unicomm Media Group.

ing agency targeting Hispanics and decided to create one, UniComm Media Group. In fact, there were very few such agencies in the Southeast, even though this is where the U.S. Hispanic population is growing fastest.

Nieves and Nieves-Lugo set out on what was “essentially an education campaign” with brands in the area and throughout the state.

Some companies cutting back on expenses weren’t interested in the service, but others responded well when showed how the Hispanic community had fared relatively better during the recession and were a potential new market in tough times.

“A lot of it had to do with simply not having a clear picture of what the market opportunity was, not to mention language and cultural barriers,” Nieves said.

UniComm’s niche has resulted in quick growth. The agency announced in January that

February 7, 2014

PHOTO BY GREG BECKNER / STAFF

it had been chosen to develop and implement Greenville Health Systems’ outreach to the Hispanic obstetrical population.

Se Habla Español There’s a lot to consider when trying to market to Hispanics. First of all the language barrier – if there is one – is more than just the difference between Spanish and English. It is the difference between Mexican Spanish, Puerto Rican Spanish and Spanish spoken in Spain. Even more important, marketers must understand that language is only one aspect of the culture.

“Hispanic marketing doesn’t mean simply translating all of an organization’s marketing materials into Spanish. This is a common misperception that we strive to overcome as we help our clients understand that we really >>

>>

must explore ways to relate their brand or their messaging to Hispanic culture,” said Janice Baddley, senior account manager at DNA Creative Communications. DNA works with government and nonprofit clients whose success is vital to engaging Greenville County Hispanics, she said.

Common threads include music, family, food and faith, but there exist many cultures that make up the larger Hispanic group and communities at various levels of integration into American or local culture. Newer immigrants have different concerns, goals and spending habits than those who are more established, say local branding experts.

Then there are those whose families have been born in the U.S. for several generations. Some might not even speak Spanish. Knowing a target group’s level of acculturation is crucial to knowing how best to communicate, crafting the message to knowing whether it should appear online or on the radio, experts say.

The Details Local companies should realize that South Carolina has a newer immigrant population than other parts of the country, often with lofty goals and very few resources to achieve them, Nieves said. If marketers can establish themselves as a brand that can help them achieve those dreams, they will be rewarded with customer loyalty.

It’s important to know, for instance, that the large Hispanic community in Berea is in a constant state of transition and owns little property there.

It serves as a landing spot in Greenville, but then many move on as they are able to do better for themselves, Nieves said.

In another example, Baddley said Hispanic

women particularly focus on connecting with others and seeking out opportunities to improve their families’ well being, often using personal technology and social networking to do so. As a group expected to comprise 30 percent of the U.S. population by 2060, understanding their behaviors and motivations is crucial.

Moving Target Then again, the needs are different if you’re targeting a national audience. The lines delineating the Hispanic community have blurred quickly in the past five to seven years, said Joe Saracino, chief marketing officer at Greenville’s Erwin Penland, which handles large national brands.

“What’s happening is it’s not the same as it was five or 10 years ago because the target has shifted a bit,” he said. “Now brands are trying to do marketing that speaks to a lot of cultures at the same time, thinking about not just a separate Hispanic market.”

They are looking more at age segments, noting that millennials are a highly and increasingly multicultural group, but for older demographics, cultural distinctions still matter more.

“For a smaller brand that’s where you might have to prioritize more,” Saracino said. “Big brands can afford to spread their dollars around.”

Saracino said it’s a little upsetting that more marketers haven’t figured out these nuances by now, but there aren’t nearly as many making the mistakes they did a decade ago.

Bringing It Home “One area that makes a difference is actually

Cofounder of Unicomm Media Group Gustavo Nieves at work.

➤ BY THE NUMBERS U.S. HISPANIC MARKET

$1.3 trillion

in consumer buying power

S.C. HISPANIC MARKET

$4.4 billion

in consumer buying power, up 1,096% since 1990

5.2% of population in 2011, up from 2.4% in 2000

UPSTATE POPULATION

1,849 or 1% 36,565 or 8.10% 2,932 or 4.10% 3,781 or 3.20% 16,062 or 5.60%

– Anderson area – Greenville County – Oconee

– Pickens – Spartanburg area

Sources: American Immigration Council, “The Political and Economic Power of Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians in the Palmetto State,” May 2013; South Carolina Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

having people within the staff that understand the Hispanic community. That goes a lot further than placing ads,” said UniComm’s Nieves-Lugo. The implication, then, is that as outside culture changes, so must company cultures, he said. In South Carolina, companies that engage wisely can have a larger role to play than simply finding buyers for their products and services.

“You can be a tool to help people assimilate while showing that you want to celebrate their culture.

If you can tap into that, you’ll be successful,” Nieves-Lugo said.

Seeing the full potential of the exchange between brands and cultures is truly “speaking the language,” doing so in a way no dictionary or app could ever come close to translating.

GUSTAVO NIEVES

UBJ THE FINE PRINT

Carolina Dental Alliance Selects UniComm Media Group for Marketing Peanut Farmers Discuss Uncertainty After the rain-soaked 2013, more than 300 South Carolina peanut farmers came together last week at Clemson’s Edisto Research and Education Center to discuss the future of the crop.

South Carolina farmers saw a record peanut crop in 2012, which pumped more than $100 million into the state’s economy, and compared to other crops in 2013, “peanuts weathered the storm,” said Scott Monfort, a peanut specialist with the Clemson University Extension Service, in a release.

Tyron Spearman, executive director of the National Peanut Buying Points Association and editor of the Peanut Farm Market News, told farmers their strategy this year needs to be patience because the market is in transition now.

The market is currently seeing increased production in India and China while there is a drought in Argentina, said Spearman. This impacts the United States, which while it is “third globally in peanut production, is the leading exporter of the crop.”

Additionally, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, there are about four billion pounds of U.S. peanuts in commercial storage, and that large stock will impact the market.

Farmers are also facing a new federal farm bill, which is currently before the U.S. Senate after two years of debate. The proposed changes in regulations in the five-year bill are expected to affect planting decisions for most row crops like peanuts.

Carolina Dental Alliance has chosen UniComm Media Group LLC to create and enact programs to reach both the general and Hispanic markets.

“Our company is committed to becoming active in our community and fulfilling its dental needs,” said Dr. Jim Nasim, DMD, dental director for Carolina Dental Alliance, in a release. “I feel that there is a large void, specifically in our local His-

panic population, in regards to oral education and the availability of quality dental care. CDA will offer

Spanish-speaking staff in our modern, centrally located Cherrydale office to encourage better communication between our patients and doctors.”

UniComm and Carolina Dental Alliance will work to reach these markets through dental awareness campaigns, support of Hispanic community efforts and culturally relevant marketing and advertising practices.

The Woodlands at Furman Receives Holleran’s Highest Honors Holleran, a research and consulting firm specializing in senior living, recently awarded the Woodlands at Furman its Highest Honors status.

The Woodlands at Furman ranked in the 90th percentile among senior living communities in several categories, including hospitality, community/environment and dining services. The

community’s dining services ranked in the 99th percentile nationwide for food quality, service, appearance of wait staff, attention for special dietary needs and other factors.

“We are very proud of these results,” said Kevin Parker, The Woodlands at Furman’s executive director, in a release. “Ed Schopf is our dining services director and obviously does an amazing job of pleasing our residents.”

The Woodlands’ residents were among the more than 56,000 residents in independent senior living

Dillard-Jones Builders Wins Business of Integrity Award Dillard-Jones Builders LLC received The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of the Upstate of South Carolina’s 2013 Business of Integrity Award.

The award is given to businesses by the BBB in the 10-county Upstate

24 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 7, 2014

region for high ethical standards, advertising practices, and community involvement.

Dillard-Jones Builders has been

involved with community charitable efforts for Habitat for Humanity, The Greenville Health System Children’s Hospital, The Wounded Warrior Project, Operation Finally Home, YWCA, Food-for-Kids and the North Georgia Food bank.

g

al

UBJ THE FINE PRINT

BMW X5 Sales Drop, Other Models Up in January X5 light trucks produced in Greer were down 9.8 percent overall compared with January 2013. Sales dropped 32.6 percent for the X5 to 2,754 vehicles. At the same time, sales of the X3 increased by 34.6 percent and X6 sales rose slightly by 0.5 percent compared to January 2013.

“Coming right after an historic December, the January numbers are

BMW reported that overall North American sales were up 10.5 percent in January, including both BMW and MINI brands.

The best performing vehicles in January included the BMW 3 and 4 Series segment which increased 34.4 percent; the BMW 5 Series, up 26.5 percent; and the 6 Series, up increased 19.6 percent.

Sales for the BMW X3, X6 and

a momentum jump-start for 2014; a

pace we expect to accelerate as the partnership between BMW and Team USA hits the air this weekend at the Sochi Olympics,” said Ludwig Willisch, president and CEO of BMW of North America, in a statement.

“During the Olympics, viewers will get a sense of the full breadth of the BMW model range with focus on the new X5, the 2 Series, the i3 and the i8 especially.”

First Financial to Close 19 Branches in S.C. Columbia-based First Financial Holdings will close 20 branches in North and South Carolina, including three in Greenville. The closings result from the merger of SCBT Financial Services and First Federal Bank. Other locations will close in

coastal areas in the Carolinas.

First Financial announced in July 2013 that it completed its merger with First Federal Bank, held by First Financial Holdings Inc., and would operate as First Federal, a Division of SCBT,

until conversion is completed in July.

Consolidation began this month.

John Pollok, chief financial officer and chief operating officer, said in a Jan. 28 conference call that about half of the closings would be completed by the end of the first quarter.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 25

SHHH!!

UBJ SQUARE FEET

THERE’S A MAJOR CELEBRATION COMING SOON!

Stadium Apartments Construction Set for Spring

By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com

Adding to the mix of recently

Lafayette Scientific Cleaners has a Big Birthday Surprise for the upstate you will not want to miss!

Serving the Upstate for 60 years

Personalized Cleaning & Hand Finishing 1707 Augusta Street | Greenville 864.242.5606

announced downtown projects, the Stadium Apartments will be set in Greenville’s West End on Rhett and Markley streets, just blocks away from Fluor Field.

The project will consist of 108 oneand two-bedroom units ranging from 756 square feet to 1,357 square feet.

Rental rates are expected to be $1,134 to $2,036 per month and amenities will include two levels of on-site parking beneath the apartments, a workout room, club room and swimming pool.

Greenville developer Rob Cobb, who also built the Richland at Cleveland Park complex across from the Greenville Zoo, says that while there have been a lot of downtown apartments announced recently, the Stadium Apartments will be “some of the first” to be completed with construction expected to begin in late spring 2014 and units ready for occupancy in summer 2015.

Cobb says that the demand for apartment living in downtown “is just huge and it’s going to continue to be huge for the next few years.” Also already under construction and expected to complete in August 2014 is the 150-unit 400 Rhett apartment complex, being developed by the Croft

26 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 7, 2014

Company.

Cobb has been working on the Stadium Apartments project for a few years and has already gone through all of the initial city approvals. Financing is in place as is LML Construction, one of the principal partners. Cobb said he is currently completing the working drawings to obtain the building permits. “We’re

chomping at the bit to get started,” he said.

Final plans will be done soon but Cobb says one of the unique features of the four-story buildings will be an atrium ceiling with lots of open spaces. There will be a lot of water features too, says Cobb. “It will be special.”

Fluor Field

UBJ SQUARE FEET – DEALMAKERS NAI EARLE FURMAN MULTIFAMILY DIVISION ANNOUNCED: NAI Earle Furman’s Multifamily Division recently announced the sale of three apartment complexes: Newport Commons, a 32-unit complex at 700 Simpson Road in Anderson; Colony North, a 48-unit complex at 300 N. Highway 25 Bypass in Greenville; and Colony Place, a 36-unit complex at 51 Montague Road in Greenville.

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.

DHP Real Estate, purchased all three properties for $3,600,000.

LEE & ASSOCIATES-GREENVILLE ANNOUNCED: Lauren Nicholson enabled the lease of a +/- 4,000 SF flex space at 1317 Cedar Lane Road, Greenville, to ServPro. Randall Bentley represented the lessor, Carolina Mobility Sales LLC, in a +/- 9,500 SF flex space lease renewal at 563 Woodruff Road, Greenville.

Tony Bonitati and Kay Hill represented the seller, Upstate Property Rentals LLC. The buyer,

UBJ QUARTERLIES AVX AVX announced preliminary third quarter results showing a big increase in income for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2013. The company continues to report gains after losses in 2012.

Net sales for the nine months ended Dec. 31 increased 3.6 percent to $1.1 billion compared to same period the previous year. The company saw net income of $88 million during the nine months ended Dec. 31 compared to a net loss of $89 million for the same period the previous year.

Chairman and CEO John Gilbertson said in a statement, “During the quarter, we saw increased sales and

profitability compared to the same quarter last year as we continued to perform well in a challenging market.

This was not a normal holiday season quarter as many customers were concerned about end-market product flow-through and inventory management, especially in the commodity products. We see improvement going forward as electronic content grows in existing and new applications.”

AVX manufactures and supplies electronic components and related products. The company is a part of the Kyocera Group.

AVX CORPORATION (NASDAQ: AVX) NET INCOME Q3 2013 $31.4M

Q3 2012 $19.8M

+/+58.2%

NET SALES Q3 2013 $346.2M

Q3 2012 $339.8M

+/+1.9%

DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE $0.19

+/+58%

When you are done reading this paper, please recycle it.

To feature your own business or to suggest a business you would like to see in

BEHIND THE COUNTER, call today 864-679-1223.

February 7, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 27

UBJ ON THE MOVE HIRED

HIRED

HIRED

HONORED

served as facility operations coordinator at BBA Fiberweb in Grey Court and was a team leader/trainer for Albany International in Simpsonville.

JOINED

MEDICAL:

Kirsten Floyd

Karen J. Nichols, M.D.

Kim Sanders

Doug Webster

Fahd Quddus, M.D.

Joined Centre Stage as the director of development. Floyd is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a degree in education and human and organizational development, and has worked in various roles in the nonprofit field for the last few years.

Joined AmeriHealth Caritas VIP Plans as its chief medical officer. She has more than 20 years of experience as a health care executive and medical practitioner. She was previously the chief medical officer at the Living Independently for Elders program at the University of Pennsylvania.

Joined the Greenville Airport Commission as administrative assistant.

Sanders will report to Airport Director Joe Frasher. The Greenville Airport Commission is the owner and operator of the Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU).

Recognized as Charlotte Business Journal’s 2014 Energy Leadership Honoree. Webster is a senior associate with CBRE Brokerage Services. He was among 15 honorees recognized for playing a key role in making the Carolinas a global player in the energy industry.

Joined Bon Secours St. Francis Health System’s Upstate Oncology Associates. Quddus received his medical degree from Allama Iqbal Medical College and completed his internal medicine residency at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood, N.J.

VIP – PROMOTED

position, specializing in the engineering, architectural and construction industry. Civils has more than seven years of experience in the construction field and has previously held positions as a construction superintendent, project manager and business development manager.

JO ANN WHITAKER Named Upstate operations manager for KeenanSuggs Insurance’s Greenville office. She has over three decades of experience in the insurance industry with Canal Insurance and Sullivan Company, which became KeenanSuggs in 2013.

Whitaker will be responsible for Upstate office operations and will maintain her role as an account manager.

ARCHITECTURE/ CONSTRUCTION: LS3P’s Greenville office recently welcomed Mel Middleton as an architect and Stephen Troutman as an intern architect. Middleton’s

professional experience includes faith-based, hospitality, commercial, residential and historic/adaptive reuse projects. Troutman’s previous career experience is in sales and marketing.

EDUCATION Creative Builders Inc. recently announced the addition of Carole Murphy as a project manager assistant and Tyler Civils as project engineer. Murphy brings 20 years of administrative experience to the

Spartanburg Methodist College recently announced that Martin Woods has joined the college staff and will serve as director of facilities.

Woods comes to SMC from Presbyterian College where he served as director of facilities. Prior to PC, he

Ob Hospitalist Group recently welcomed Zane Meadors as director of business development.

Meadors was previously vice president of business development at JSD Architecture and Spiezle Group Inc.

TECHNOLOGY: Engenius recently welcomed Catherine Ryan as its new content and marketing strategist. Ryan graduated from Clemson University with a marketing degree in 2006. She has worked in the marketing and communications fields, primarily with the not-for-profit sector in the United States and Australia.

New hires, promotions & award winners can be featured in On The Move. Send information & photos to onthemove@ upstatebusiness journal.com.

THE PANEL HAS SPOKEN...

JOIN US IN HONORING THIS INAUGURAL CLASS OF “WHO’S WHO” THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 AT 5:30 PM CLEMSON MBA’S 5TH FLOOR & ROOFTOP TERRACE, ONE BUILDING

BOB HUGHES

Real Estate Development & Lifetime Achievement Who’s Who Sponsored by

28 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 7, 2014

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3. Brewery 85 recently opened at 6 Whitlee Court, Greenville.

For more information, visit brewery85.com.

ain M

2. Carolina Olive Oil recently moved to 104 S. Main St., Simpsonville, and held a ribbon-cutting.

For more information, visit carolinaoliveoil.com or call 864-483-2421.

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1. Chef Paul’s Street Side Cafe and Catering recently held a ribbon-cutting at 1000 NE Main St., Simpsonville.

The café is open Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

For more information, call 864-228-6133 or visit streetsidecafe.com.

1

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14

UBJ NEW TO THE STREET

BOB MORRIS

CARL SOBOCINSKI

RICK DAVIS

DEBRA CLEMENTS

MIKE RIORDAN

DAVID WILKINS

WALTER DAVIS

Charitable Who’s Who Sponsored by

Hospitality Who’s Who Sponsored by

Accounting Who’s Who Sponsored by

Legal Who’s Who Sponsored by

Medical Who’s Who Sponsored by

Political Who’s Who Sponsored by

Financial Who’s Who Sponsored by

PLEASE CONTACT KATE MADDEN FOR EVENT DETAILS AT KMADDEN@COMMUNITYJOURNALS.COM OR 864-679-1254.

February 7, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 29

GOT A HOT DATE?

UBJ PLANNER

Contribute to our Planner by submitting event information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 7 2014 ECONOMIC FORECAST BREAKFAST

SPEAKER: Bob Hughes, president, Hughes Development Corporation

USC Upstate, Olin Sansbury Jr. Campus Life Center Ballroom, 800 University Way, Spartanburg; 8-9:30 a.m.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 10 GCS ROUNDTABLE

SPEAKER: Tim Quinlan, economist, Wells Fargo REGISTER AT: spartanburgchamber.com

FIRST FRIDAY LUNCHEON Greer City Hall, 301 E. Poinsett St., Greer; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

REGISTER AT: bit.ly/ firstfridayhughes

The Office Center at the Point, 33 Market Point Drive, Greenville; 8:30-9:30 a.m.

SPEAKER: Linda Gallicchio TOPIC: Ethics in the Workplace CONTACT: Golden Career Strategies at 864-5270425 for invitation

COST: $10 for Greer Chamber members, $15 for non-members

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE

REGISTER AT: greerchamber.com

Clemson, 1 N. Main St., Greenville; 12:15-1:15 p.m.

NORTH GREENVILLE ROTARY CLUB The Poinsett Club, 807 E. Washington St., Greenville; 12:30-1:30 p.m.

SPEAKERS: Gail DePriest, Elizabeth G. Rasor, Beth Veach, Sharon Day, Erika Cannon, Becky McCrary and Valerie Miller.

COST: Free to attend

COST: Free to attend, lunch $16

REGISTER AT: bit.ly/wlrclemson

CONTACT: Shanda Jeffries at 864-968-2319 or sjeffries@flynnwealth.com

ROTARY CLUB GREENVILLE EAST MEETING

FIRST FRIDAY LEADERSHIP

CityRange, 615 Haywood Road, Greenville; 12:30-1:30 p.m.

One Main Building, 1 N. Main St., Greenville; 5-7 p.m.

INFORMATION: facebook. com/GreenvilleEastRotary

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com

CONTACT: president@ greenvilleeastrotary.org

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 11 BUSINESS BEFORE HOURS Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Place, Greenville; 7:30-9 a.m.

COST: $8.50 for those who pre-register online or $12 at the door.

Open only to Greenville Chamber members.

CONTACT: Lorraine Woodward at 864239-3742 or Dot Drennon at ddrennon@ greenvillechamber.org if you are a Commerce Club member.

TOPIC: Developing Your Message COST: $25 per person REGISTER AT: scwbc.net CONTACT: Janet Christy at janet@scwbc.net or 864-244-4117.

INTRODUCTION TO PULSE Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Board Room, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Light refreshments will be served.

CONTACT: 864-239-3743 REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org

REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org

NXLEVEL FOR ENTREPRENEURS

HIRING OUR HEROES

USC Upstate, The George Business College, Room 270, 160 E. St. John St., Spartanburg; 6-9 p.m.

The Solomon Center, 6510 Strom Thurmond Blvd., Fort Jackson; 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Includes workshop and job fair for veteran job seekers, active-duty military members, guard and reserve members, and military and veteran spouses.

INFORMATION: hiringourheroes.org

MARKETING SERIES Tri-County Technical College, 7900 Highway 76,

SPEAKERS: Michael Mino, PropertyBoss Solutions (Moderator); Steve Hoffman, Skyline Exhibits & Design; Myles Golden, Golden Career Strategies Inc.; and John Tripoli, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network TOPIC: Sales, Networking, Lead Generation/Nurturing, and E-Marketing Open to Chamber member, small business owners only.

CONTACT: 864-242-1050

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com

SALES REPRESENTATIVES Lori Burney, Kristin Hill, Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Pam Putman MARKETING & EVENTS Kate Banner DIGITAL STRATEGIST Emily Price

30 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 7, 2014

GREENVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 125TH ANNUAL MEETING

CityRange Steakhouse Grill, 774 Spartan Blvd., Spartanburg; noon-1:30 p.m.

Includes an awards presentation in the following categories: Small Business of the Year Award, Minority Business of the Year Award, Young Professional of the Year Award, Arts Leadership Award, Athena Award, Max Heller Neighborhood Improvement Award, Distinguished Leadership Greenville Alumni Award, Chairman’s Award and Buck Mickel Leadership Award.

SPEAKER: DeLisa Dawkins, American Cancer Society

CONTACT: Beth Smith at es2@clemson.edu

864-594-5000

REGISTER AT: clemson. edu/centers-institutes/sbdc

REGISTER AT: spartanburgchamber.com

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 12 SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS’ FORUM

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL TOASTMASTERS

INFORMATION:

Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Place, Greenville; 6 p.m.

COST TO VISIT: $5 to cover meeting space and one drink at the bar

PRODUCTION MANAGER Holly Hardin

MARKETING & ADVERTISING

INFORMATION: tenatthetop.org

SPEAKER: James P. Clements, 15th president of Clemson University

STAFF WRITERS Sherry Jackson, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris, Joe Toppe

PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Beckner

Mauldin Cultural Center, 101 East Butler Rd., Mauldin; noon-2 p.m.

DIVERSITY CONNECTIONS LUNCHEON

ART & PRODUCTION

CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jeanne Putnam

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13 TEN AT THE TOP BOARD MEETING

TD Convention Center, 1 Exposition Drive, Greenville; 5:30 p.m.

FEE: $195 for 6 weeks

Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

INFORMATION: yptm. toastmastersclubs.org

REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org

SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER Jennifer Oladipo

UBJ ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com

MANAGING EDITOR Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com

Pendleton, 5-7:30 p.m.

ART DIRECTOR Kristy M. Adair

ADVERTISING DESIGN Michael Allen, Whitney Fincannon UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties. Guest columns run 700-800 words. Contact Executive Editor Susan Clary Simmons at ssimmons@communityjournals. com to submit an article for consideration.

Copyright @2014 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, South Carolina, 29602. Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $65. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, SC 29602. Printed in the USA.

COST: $75 per Greenville Chamber member, $135 per non-member REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE STORY IDEAS: ideas@ upstatebusinessjournal.com

EVENTS: events@ upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, AWARDS: onthemove@ upstatebusinessjournal.com

UBJ SNAPSHOT

Historic photo available from the Greenville Historical Society.

From “Remembering Greenville: Photographs from the Coxe Collection,” by Jeffrey R. Willis

The Greenville News building was constructed in 1914 and dominated the eastern side of the block of Main Street south of Broad Street. The Greenville Daily News had been established in 1874 by A.M. Speights. Bony Hampton Peace operated a printing business in Spartanburg before moving the operation to Greenville. In 1916 he became business manager of the newspaper and acquired controlling interest in 1919, changing its name to the Greenville News. In the 1970s the buildings in this photograph were demolished to make room for the newspaper’s new home.

PHOTO PROV IDED

GREG BECKNER / STAFF For now, the Greenville News continues to operate from the building constructed in the 1970s. Its parent company, Gannett Co. Inc., is planning to move the newspaper’s printing and distribution facilities out of town, which will reportedly eliminate more than 40 local full-time jobs. The future of the 4-acre site is uncertain.

February 7, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 31