Feb. 14, 2014 UBJ

FEBRUARY 14, 2014

Engineer’s corporate expertise meets Clemson students’ energy to address real-world needs in Haiti and at home

LEARNING

THAT WORKS

UBJ RETAIL & TECHNOLOGY

Copper Penny Expands to Greenville

By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com

Charleston-based Copper Penny, an upscale women’s boutique, is opening its first franchised location in Greenville at 1922 Augusta Road in the McDaniel Village shopping center.

Sisters-in-law Elizabeth Brehm and Heather Brehm are partners in the Greenville Copper Penny.

“I knew the name well and it has a tremendous following,” says Elizabeth Brehm. “When I heard that Copper Penny was franchising, I immediately contacted Bryan Vaigneur [Copper Penny vice president] to get more info.

Heather and I talked about it and without hesitation we knew this was

the perfect fit for us.”

The Copper Penny brand is owned and developed by the Vaigneur family of Charleston. The store debuted in Mount Pleasant in 1987. Copper Penny Shooz, a sister store showcasing women’s designer shoe labels, opened on King Street in Charleston in 2003.

The new franchising system was released in 2013.

The Copper Penny features designer labels like Diane Von Furstenburg,

Trina Turk, Milly, Shoshanna, Tibi, Sam Edelman, Michael Stars, Ella Moss, Jack Rogers, Splendid, Citizens of Humanity, Hudson, Virgins Saints & Angels, Tolani, Rowen and Whitley V. Designs.

Franchise owners gain access to proprietary management systems and vendors representing top-shelf clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories.

“We teach you the Copper Penny way of doing things,” notes Vaigneur.

“That’s what sets us apart from the competition.”

“Copper Penny has a huge fan base here in Greenville,” says Heather Brehm.

“They can’t wait for our store to open.

We had over 600 ‘likes’ the first day of launching our Facebook page.”

Iron Yard Opens in Atlanta

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

The Iron Yard has opened another code school in Atlanta. It is the second outside of Greenville in as many months, and more branches of the Iron Yard Academy are planned throughout the Southeast.

The three-month Web design and engineering programs will launch in Atlanta and Charleston in March. Chief Strategy Officer John Saddington said the company aims to open in four to five more cities this year. Durham, N.C., will likely be next, and any major metro area in the Southeast is a possibility.

Saddington said expansion will happen in places where the Iron Yard identifies potential employees who align with the school’s people-first culture and emphasis on career counseling, which he believes set it apart.

For instance, metropolitan areas in Texas are being considered because of people Saddington met there recently.

“We try to find people that make sense for our organization, match our DNA,” Saddington said. “We know there’s such a gap in the market that we can find customers or students anywhere we go.”

He has hired 10 people in the past 12 weeks.

The schools will provide three months of intensive training with a money-back guarantee for those who also enroll in the job placement program. Of about 60 graduates so far, Saddington said none have sought refunds and all have gained new positions or increased earnings as a result of their stint in the code school.

February 14, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Volume 3, Issue 7

February 14, 2014

16 MONEY SHOT: Clemson’s Engineers for Developing Countries (CEDC) students have designed and helped build a water system that provides clean water for about 10,000 residents of Cange, Haiti (the first chlorinated municipal water system in Haiti’s Central Plateau).

WORTH REPEATING

TBA

“You have to set an example, so you need to be the guy unlocking the doors in the morning and the guy locking them in the evening.”

Be on the lookout for yet another women’s apparel boutique to make an announcement on a downtown Greenville location in the coming weeks…

Robert Humphreys, CEO of Delta Apparel, relating advice that he would give to a new boss.

“If they ran their kitchens like they ran their bars, they’d be out of business.”

Mark Miller, owner-operator of Bevintel, on how bar operators can lose money by “heavy” pouring.

“Whenever passenger traffic goes in the opposite direction, it certainly gets our attention.”

Roslyn Weston, vice president of communications at GSP, on the 1.6 percent decrease in passenger traffic at the airport during 2013.

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Looks like a new subdivision is in the works for Taylors.

A public hearing is scheduled for Feb. 17 at County Square to hear a rezoning request for three parcels totaling 12.7 acres at the corner of Boiling Springs and Phillips roads. Site plans show a 54-home development to be called Windwood Cottages…

VERBATIM On Getting to Know You… “In my own personally conducted linguistic survey in Greenville (read: I asked around), several residents reported that the follow-up you’re likely to hear after ‘Hello’ or ‘How do you do?’ is ‘Where do you go to church?’”

Atlantic writer Deborah Fallows, who visited the Upstate with her husband, James Fallows, late last month as part of their “American Futures” series. Read more of their reports at theatlantic.com/specialreport/american-futures.

3690-UpstateBusinessJournal-RD1.pdf

UBJ TECHNOLOGY

What If Greenville Seeks New Cities

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

About 1,200 ideas submitted to the What If Greenville website show Greenville residents’ notions for what could happen to make their city better. Now the site’s creators want to take their project to new cities.

Posts to whatifgreenville.com are limited to 99 characters or fewer and remain permanently in the online clearinghouse. The crowdsourced ideas range from what if Greenville “had a fashion, media and product design school downtown” to “did not add toxic sodium fluoride to the drinking water” to “had a monthly cookout where elected officials and citizens got together to break bread.”

What If Greenville has been a collaboration between Web design firm OrangeCoat, which created the site and identifies trends among posts, and civic group Greenville Forward, which disseminates that information in regular reports. Cofounder Adam Gautsch said the site helped identify momentum around the Swamp Rabbit Trail expansion before it occurred.

The What If Greenville team plans

to sell similar “Imagine that…” sites and aggregation services to other cities. In the past seven months the founders have worked on a more social version of the website and are identifying organizations in other towns to disseminate findings. They are specifically targeting young professionals’ groups and organizations similar to Greenville Forward that “have the energy and the budget to get the message out,” Gautsch said.

Sponsoring groups are also important because most submissions happen in conjunction with some kind of event. Many entries have come from What If Greenville kiosks at the annual TEDxGreenville conference, for instance.

A website is expected to launch in Anderson possibly next month, and the team is also reaching out to Spartanburg. As cities are added, users will be able to follow ideas in multiple locations. The goal is 200 new cities.

“There’s probably a right size that’s not too big or too small,” Gautsch said.

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February 14, 2014

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UBJ TRANSPORTATION

Losing Altitude?

GSP not worried about decreased passenger traffic; revenue loss minimal

By Joe Toppe | staff | jtoppe@communityjournals.com

Despite a reduction in total passengers last year, officials at GSP International Airport remain upbeat.

A passenger statistical report posted on the airport’s website revealed a 1.6 percent decrease in passenger traffic during 2013.

With 1.8 million passengers coming in and out of the airport last year, the slight decrease in passengers was not a huge factor, said Roslyn Weston, GSP’s vice president of communication.

“Whenever passenger traffic goes in the opposite direction, it certainly

gets our attention,” she said. “However, a variety of factors can determine those statistics.”

Because GSP does not receive profit from airline tickets, the passenger dropoff in 2013 had a minimal impact on the airport’s overall revenue and was felt only in parking, restaurants and gift shop purchases, Weston said.

Airports have the legal ability to add a percentage to the ticket price,

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February 14, 2014

Photo Provided

but GSP does not include a passenger facility charge, she said. The passenger facility charge is used by airports to improve their facilities, and for most, revenue loss caused by a 1.6 percent decrease in passengers would be felt by the airlines themselves.

According to GSP’s passenger statistic report, traffic was up 5.8 percent in 2012 after seeing an increase of 38.4 percent in 2011.

Weston said the decrease in 2013 can be attributed to Southwest Airlines discontinuing direct flights into Orlando and reducing its services by one flight into Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

Whitney Eichinger, a spokeswoman for Southwest, said the airline releases new schedules every six weeks and will make adjustments for local demand, customer pattern and time of year.

“Whenever passenger traffic goes in the opposite direction, it certainly gets our attention.”

Roslyn Weston, GSP’s vice president of communication

“We adjust our schedules to the patterns, but we are still dedicated to our customers at GSP,” she said.

GSP continues to work with existing airlines on increasing the number of flights to serviced markets as well as others that could be utilized, Weston said. The airport remains on the lookout for new carriers that could bring a different level of service to the terminal.

Weston said GSP serviced more than 1.8 million passengers in both 2012 and 2013 and expects those numbers to grow.

“We anticipate doubling the amount of annual passengers once our terminal renovation is completed,” she said. “We expect growth and a future need to accommodate a large number of visitors.”

Weston said the airport is in the midst of a $115 million terminal renovation designed to accommodate anticipated passenger growth. The new terminal will enable GSP to welcome up to four million passengers on an annual basis.

“We have a lot of room for growth and we will continue to talk about that growth,” she said. “We will continue to work with our carriers, so that together we can find the right mix for the people of Upstate South Carolina.”

UBJ TRANSPORTATION

CU-ICAR to Host Car Cruise

Inaugural event will highlight Greenville’s place in the automotive industry

By Joe Toppe | staff | jtoppe@communityjournals.com

Greenville’s automotive charm will be on display next month as one mile of the city’s roadway will shut down to accommodate a line of vehicles on display, vendors and live music.

As part of Upstate International Month, Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) will host a community event called The Millennium Drive Car Cruise on March 22, to showcase Greenville’s global automotive appeal.

The inaugural event is an international car cruise and was inspired by Detroit’s annual Woodward Dream Cruise, said CU-ICAR Marketing

Manager Amy Bulger.

The car cruise will take place along Millennium Boulevard and include a variety of vehicles showcasing both innovation and technology, she said.

The roadway will be lined with automobiles and the community will be invited free of charge to see the future of the automotive industry.

“We are working with a lot of folks on the Motor Mile, corporations and anyone interested in putting their

vehicles on display,” Bulger said.

“Registration is open until March 1, and we are expecting approximately 150 cars to be on display along Millennium Drive.”

Bulger said the event would highlight the history of the automotive industry and is designed to show the progression of its technology over the last 70 years.

The Millennium Drive Car Cruise will also focus on recruiting international cars of every make, model and innovation, she said.

“As a center for Clemson University’s automotive research, it is important for us to share what we do with the community,” Bulger said.

“As part of our DNA and campus, we are international.”

Clemson University has an international scope in terms of research and its students, she said. The Upstate is home to many international organizations such as BMW and Michelin, and The Millennium Drive Car Cruise provides an opportunity to foster collaboration with the community.

Bulger said the event would also include an international festival featuring four bands, international food vendors, drinks from a variety of countries, and a German beer garden.

“We want this to be a community event and we want to invite everyone to come see what CU-ICAR is all about,” she said. “It also coincides with Upstate International Month, and it is a celebration of Greenville’s international diversity in relation to the booming automotive industry centered around the Upstate.”

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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UBJ INNOVATE

Navigating the Boardroom Do boards of directors matter?

Do they contribute to better share price performance for public companies, to greater shareholder value and sustainability for private companies, and to faster growth for startups?

The financial press thinks so: Few announcements bring better publicity to a startup than having a venture capital superstar joining its board.

Politicians and regulators agree, though perhaps for different reasons: If only certain levels of board accountability, legal liability, female representation, or diversity of background and skills are achieved, they argue, businesses avoid becoming Enron, Lehman Brothers or one of the countless smaller companies you never hear of because they quietly

For first-time entrepreneurs, your board can be almost as important as your idea.

Good board members bring expertise in all areas of your business that can be invaluable as you grow. failed long ago.

The success of board regulation remains to be proven. What is certain, though, is that the people who attended UCAN’s recent “Navigating the Boardroom” seminar are now better equipped to contribute positively to the success of companies they assist. Provided by the Angel Resource Institute, the workshop was for existing directors

wanting to improve the impact of their advice, anyone interested in becoming a director, and entrepreneurs hoping to improve the value of their boards.

The nearly 40 participants were treated to a comprehensive education from John May, chairman emeritus of the Angel Capital Association. May has extensive experience as an angel investor network organizer – he has

founded five different angel groups over the last 20 years, including Investors Circle, one of the most iconic early-stage investing groups – and investor and board member. His insights into the challenges and opportunities of board membership in early-stage companies are therefore impressively broad and of great practical benefit.

Lessons on the basics came quickly for everyone. How should you structure a board of a small business?

Ideally, five people: two from the management team, two appointed by investors, and one entirely independent director. What should a board do? Supervise, mentor and if necessary replace the CEO; and never run out of cash. How >>

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February 14, 2014

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By PAUL CLARK

>> should they be paid? Ideally, share options for one percent of the company each, to align their incentives towards company growth but prudent risk management, and to compensate for a major time commitment.

Potential board members received valuable insights on what to consider before taking a position. The potential downsides are obvious: a waste of time, effort and money; risk of ruining your reputation; and legal liabilities if things go wrong (as, for startup companies, they easily could).

The upsides are considerably greater: the satisfaction of helping a company grow from an idea to a success; the intellectual stimulation of solving problems; and, hopefully, job and wealth creation for everyone involved.

Existing board members spent an uncomfortable time understanding

where claims arise against them if they fail in their duties of care, loyalty and cash management supervision.

Key lesson: Ensure the company you are helping buys Directors and Officers insurance, or resign from the board immediately. Not joking: Check into this before you turn the page.

More enjoyable was understanding the corporate events where boards should add the most value, but often do not: finding the next round of funding (a perennial problem for startups in our region); evaluating offers from venture capital firms or responding to “indications of interest” from potential acquirers; and selecting appropriate investment banks to maximize exit proceeds.

Business owners learned much, too. Boards of directors are not supposed to crush your freedom or en-

trepreneurial spirit. They should be mentors, sounding boards and facilitators of relationships. For first-time entrepreneurs, your board can be almost as important as your idea.

Good board members bring expertise in all areas of your business that can be invaluable as you grow. Introducing you to customers, suppliers, sources of financing, and strategic partners can be the difference between having a successful business – and not.

The seminar was organized and run by UCAN, the Upstate’s network of accredited investors that fund early-stage companies in our region.

Attendees from UCAN found practical lessons to implement immedi-

ately in their personal and portfolio companies. The session was hosted by the Clemson MBAE program in its new downtown Greenville location at ONE, and was sponsored by Elliott Davis and Wyche, two of Greenville’s most entrepreneurial companies.

All involved agreed they recommend anyone interested in helping businesses to be more involved on boards. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a retiree, an investor or a business line manager in an established, stable company, your contacts and experience could be exactly what a startup needs. Get involved – and, who knows, perhaps you can help create the next Nest?

Paul Clark is senior vice president of mergers and acquisitions at CertusBank in Greenville, a director of the South Carolina Angel Network, an amateur angel investor, and (thanks to this workshop) now has a chance of adding some value to companies.

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DEBRA CLEMENTS

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February 14, 2014

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UBJ YOUR MONEY

By FRANK WILLIAMSON

Understanding Your Company’s Worth A step-by-step guide to business valuations

Because business owners are not immortal, every business faces one of two fates at some point: sale or closure.

And every business owner – at least, every one I’ve known – prefers the former over the latter.

Yet very few of the 15,000 business owners in Greenville – much less the 70,000 in all of South Carolina – have a realistic idea of what their business is worth. This knowledge is not only essential to selling a business; it can also provide a marker for gauging the ongoing success of your business while you are operating it.

When you consider the value of your business, I recommend that you follow these five guideposts:

1. Understand When A Valuation Is Essential, and What Question It Answers A business valuation can be useful at any point in a company’s life to reference how your organization is performing. However, in some cases, knowing your company’s worth can be the difference between maximizing opportunities and missing them entirely.

A business valuation is critical to these major company transactions: • Tax or estate planning, where you might ask, “How do I compare my business as an asset to other things I own, like a house, life insurance policy or

GIF T CA RD

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February 14, 2014

investment portfolio?”

• Transfer of ownership, where people might wonder, “Will I treat everyone fairly when I give an interest in my business to a relative, employee or business partner?”

• Sale of a business, when the question often is, “How much will someone able to buy my business actually pay for it, and how could I affect that number?”

2. Understand What Factors Influence Value To truly understand what your company is worth, you must look beyond your balance sheet. The IRS recommends analyzing the following:

• The nature and history of your business from inception.

• The overall economic outlook, as well as your industry’s current and projected condition.

• The financial condition of your business.

• Your company’s earning capacity.

• The existence or non-existence of goodwill or other intangible factors.

• The book value of your company’s stock • Sales of the stock and size of the block of stock to be valued.

• The market price of stocks or entities engaging in the similar line of business. >>

Valuation Approach for Your Business

There is no universal formula for a valuation. The strategy you employ depends on why you’re pursing a valuation and the state of your company and industry. Three basic approaches are used by business valuation professionals: • Asset Approach: Best for distressed businesses or those that will liquidate in the near future, this approach bases a company’s value off the sum of its assets on the balance sheet – both tangible and intangible.

• Market Approach: Ideal for large, robust and healthy companies, the market approach determines value by comparing the company against businesses within a similar industry, size or geographic area.

• Income Approach: The income approach values a business based on its generated income and is comprised of two methods: single-period capitalization and multiple-period discounting.

Single-period capitalization, which involves forecasting one typical future year, is ideal if past income has been steady and would serve as a reliable indicator of future income. Multiple-period discounting forecasts three to 10 years or more in some cases, and is ideal for quantifying the value of growth plans or possible future investments. My experience is that when business owners sell to professional investors, the meat of the conversation is based on a multiple-period forecast of income, discounted to the present.

4. Understand When to Adjust the Answer The traditional three approaches will guide you to a sense of value for the whole business, but they don’t

take factors like marketability and control into account. While such variables do not impact the outright value of a company, they do resonate with the interests of individual shareholders. For example, how should a grown child think about the value of her interest in a private company versus in a mutual fund? How should a minority business partner think about the value of his interest in the company when other people make the decisions?

The Year of the Horse My youngest daughter, Josie, was born in China. It is important to us that Josie learns about her heritage and the Chinese culture. One way that we accomplish this is by celebrating Chinese holidays. Right now, our family is celebrating Chinese New Year which started January 31st and will last 15 days.

2014 is the Year of the Horse and according to the Chinese zodiac; people born this year will embody the characteristics of the horse. In business, the year is predicted to be positive for entrepreneurs. It will be a year of good fortune and action.

5. Understand How to Leverage Your Value Once you get the value of your business, don’t let that knowledge sit on a shelf. I’ve found that the insight a valuation provides can serve as one of your best business tools to drive up value.

• Dig deep into financials to get a comprehensive view of what is driving your business and what is detracting from it. Make your numbers tell the story of what you have built and where it is going.

• Address customer concentration issues. If more than 20 percent of your revenue stream is coming from one source, diversify your income base to reduce risk.

• Empower your team so you have well-defined leaders capable of streamlining operations and making quality decisions.

• Delve into details of existing documents, including contracts and compliance records, to know where investors might see risks so you can address them yourself.

• Project future growth to help guide your decision making.

Valuing a business can be a complex process – certainly more involved than can be covered in a brief column. To learn more, call a valuation expert at an accounting firm or investment bank.

Frank Williamson is managing partner of FourBridges Capital, an investment banking firm that serves business owners across the South. He has had a 20-year career managing mergers, acquisitions and financing as an investment banker and corporate executive. He holds a master’s in business administration from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree from Williams College.

LEE YARBOROUGH

Let’s look at how your staff represents the Spirit of the Horse.

Different Breeds—some horses are bred for speed, while some are bred for power. Look around your office: you know who to go to when you need to meet a deadline. Some people work fast and accurate, but are short lived and need frequent breaks. You also know the work horses in your office that can plow through the projects and never seem to give up. Are you using their strengths to your advantage?

Perceptive Nature – Horses are intelligent and have an uncanny ability to understand their rider. If a rider is nervous, the horse picks this up and responds accordingly. As managers, we need to increase our awareness. Watch your staff and learn to pick up the silent cues. If there is repeated tardiness, there could be a problem at home. If someone withdraws, find out why.

If someone appears nervous, are they covering a mistake?

Learn to read people’s silent forms of communication.

Social – Horses are social creatures and find safety in numbers.

Look to the horse for social guidance. Plan fun events with your staff to allow time to socialize and help bolster teamwork.

A little bit of fun goes a long way and can help people stay positive when they have to work alone through long projects.

In 2014, harness the power of the horse. Look to the horse as an example, sit high in your saddle and ride towards a year of success.

669 N. Academy Street, Greenville, SC 864.679.6055 | 800.446.6567 | www.propelhr.com M43A

>> 3. Understand the Best

February 14, 2014

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FOUNDERS

WEARING IT WELL

Upstate native Robert Humphreys finds hometown success in apparel

G

By Joe Toppe | staff | jtoppe@communityjournals.com Photo by Greg Beckner

Growing up in Greenville, Delta Apparel’s CEO Robert Humphreys had his eyes on the business world.

Although he started off in banking, he quickly made the transition to textiles, culminating in his leading Delta Apparel in its rebirth from parent company Delta Woodside Industries. Humphreys sat down with UBJ to discuss his entrepreneurial past, present and future.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I grew up in Greenville and went to high school here. After high school, I went off to Auburn University, but then came back home, and I have been here ever since. Growing up, I always liked business because it intrigued me, and as I got older, I saw local businesspeople that inspired me.

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Did you have any heroes as a kid?

Like so many others growing up, I had a good family, so my parents were my heroes.

What was your first job?

I worked for a downtown bank called First Federal of Greenville right out of college, and I figured out pretty quick that banking wasn’t for me. However, I made some friends that later became business partners.

What inspired you to pursue a career in textiles and apparel?

It was an accident. After my first job, I went to work for Regal Textile and the chairman there was a respected business leader in Greenville and an inspiration. Regal had a big data processing subsidiary at the time, and they were selling services to banks and savings and loans, so they hired me to sell. For a number of years, I never saw the inside of a textile facility, but they had a corporate planning group involved in textiles and that became my first experience in the field.

February 14, 2014

“You have to set an example, so you need to be the guy unlocking the doors in the morning and the guy locking them in the evening.”

Robert Humphreys, chairman, CEO and president of Delta Apparel Inc. (shown here with some of the company’s products).

What steered you to Delta Apparel?

After Regal was sold, several other guys and myself left and formed a data processing company, but I soon went to work for Delta Woodside because Regal president Erwin Maddrey left the company and formed Delta Woodside Industries.

After holding several positions there, I took on the Delta Apparel business after spinning it off as a separate company. >>

>>

Describe your brand.

We started with Delta Apparel, which at the time was a $100 million revenue company, and we’ve been growing ever since. In fact, we just finished our 10th consecutive year of record revenue. We have acquired a lot companies, including the Soffe Company out of Fayetteville, N.C., Junk Food Clothing out of California, The Game Headwear out of Alabama, and the Salt Life license. We have grown through both acquisition and organic growth that has gotten us to where we are today. We operate in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and employ about 7,000 people.

What is your best business decision?

My best decision was to go down to Delta Apparel and spin it off as a separate company.

What is the worst business advice you have ever been given?

In my position, you get so much stuff pitched to you that is half-cooked. But pretty quickly you develop your own matrix that helps you sift through those things.

What excites you about Greenville?

The downtown community and the business atmosphere are really exciting in this city.

What advice would you give a new boss?

You have to set an example, so you need to be the guy unlocking the doors in the morning and the guy locking them in the evening. You need to treat people the way you want to be treated, and around here, we think dignity and respect will take care of most of that.

One of Robert Humphrey’s pasttimes is auto racing. Here he is racing in and winning the 2000 Double National at Roebling Road Raceway. Photo Provided

at Delta Woodside and he gave me big responsibilities, big opportunities and a lot of support over the years.

What is your greatest failure?

I don’t know if there is any one thing that stands out, but I have had normal business failures. I don’t dwell on them and I move on.

What is your greatest success?

My family. I have two kids that were easy and did the right things more often than not. All of that makes the rest fun.

Where would we find you on Saturdays?

I race sports cars. I built a road racetrack in South Carolina just outside of Camden called Carolina Motor Sports Park. I also spend a lot of time on the water because I love to boat.

If you attributed your success to one character trait, what would it be?

What is the last book you read?

Who is your biggest mentor and why?

What if anything keeps you up at night?

Hard work; I think in America it is still the best way to find success.

I would say Erwin Maddrey. I worked for him

demands. If you think about it, no one needs apparel, so you have to connect with the consumer.

Who is the person outside of your professional circle who has the most influence on your work?

The co-founder of my racetrack, Joe Hooker; he is a good friend of mine and he is also a successful businessman.

How do you get your national news?

Local news?

I get national news from the Wall Street Journal and the local news from my wife and all of the local papers.

If you had to make a career change tomorrow, where would you go?

If I were in a different industry, it would be real estate, development or construction because Greenville would be the perfect place for it.

The Steve Jobs book.

Cotton prices and consumer

Delta Apparel T-shirts (below, from left): Salt Life, NFL teams, and Jimi Hendrix.

UBJ INSIDE

Bevintel Taps Into Profits Company takes on the invisible job of keeping the spirits flowing

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

T

Mark Miller, owner-operator of Bevintel, weighs open bottles of liquor during an audit of Blue Martini in Greenville.

There’s a lot more behind bar operation than bottles and booze. One company, Bevintel, has the nearly invisible job of making sure alcohol and its related profits keep flowing in the right direction. The company, a national franchise, has been featured on Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue,” a reality TV show that sometimes shames bar owners into cleaning up their acts.

It’s a little more low-key in the Upstate, said Bevintel franchisee Mark Miller. He and his small staff

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cover the geographical area from Hartwell to Rock Hill, and down to Greenville. Bevintel visits up to 25 clients a week, from small businesses to franchises with multiple bars on site. They do everything from count inventory to act as full-service bar managers, quietly shaping our experiences at some of the area’s most popular places to grab a drink.

UP TIME Bars conjure up images of nightlife;

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 14, 2014

PHOTOS BY GREG BECKNER / STAFF

“It’s the difference between having the cash on the shelf or having the cash in the bank.”

Mark Miller, Bevintel franchisee

Bevintel’s hours are early and quiet.

They wake up around 4 a.m. and hit the bars first thing in the morning. They have keys to some businesses. At other times they’re accompanied by the lone employee who lets them in. Despite the

hours, Miller said the job is fun and he enjoys a behind-the-scenes look at the variety of businesses in the area.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY Part of the secret of accurate

>>

>>

inventory is doing it the same way every time – the same exact way.

Team members enter each business with a mental map of the place and a plan for how to move through it.

Behind one particular bar, Miller always moves left to right, top to bottom, back to front. At another spot, Head Auditor Rakan Draz always moves through the back room in a specific pattern before going behind the bar to complete the exact same motions as he did the week before.

It’s like a choreographed dance, and a fast one. Almost in one fluid movement Miller snatches up a bottle, turns around to scan and weigh it, then swoops back to replace it and grab another. All the while he takes note of empty bottles and other anomalies.

“Each bar is unique. You get to know what’s out of place, what’s missing,” Draz said.

CRUNCHING NUMBERS It’s a somewhat physical job, but the real heavy lifting comes after the bottles are put back. Bevintel performs an audit and generates reports for every visit to show where and how money is being earned or lost. That can take up to two hours.

“It’s the difference between having the cash on the shelf or having the

Weirdest explanation for an empty bottle of Jägermeister: “It evaporated.”

Bevintel’s Rakan Draz takes inventory of unopened bottles during an audit of Blue Martini in Greenville.

cash in the bank,” Miller said.

Every action behind the bar affects the bottom line. Over-ordering – a common problem – can cost 15-25 percent profit loss. Miller has seen “heavy” pouring, say an extra quarter of an ounce per pour, cost an extra $1,000 per week.

“If they ran their kitchens like they ran their bars, they’d be out of business,” Miller said.

“Eyeballing is not a good method.”

Miller said growing Bevintel’s business is simply a matter of showing the business. ➤ AMOUNT WEIGHED “If I can get my foot in the EACH WEEK door, the numbers don’t lie,” he said. “Either they need me MORE THAN MORE THAN or they don’t.”

250 2,550 KEGS

OPEN BOTTLES OF LIQUOR AND WINE

SECRET WEAPON Sometimes their work for a company begins in secret. For two or three weeks the owner or manager might be the only person who knows that Bevintel is tracking the alcohol sales and creating perhaps the first clear picture of the bar operations.

“Anyone can clean up their

act for a week or two,” Miller said.

But bars don’t tend to keep organized on their own, and problem areas are quickly identified when people don’t know there is a monitor. After the clandestine period, Bevintel is invariably asked to stick around. At that point, they review their findings with the bar staff and counsel them on how to improve. Theft can be an issue, but more often it’s small oversights that add up, Miller said. Or sometimes the problem is employees who simply can’t get the count right.

The company also offers software that can provide real-time monitoring at the point of sale so employers and managers can understand their situations even faster.

COMMUNITY (BAR) SERVICE

5 9 10-15% employees

years in business

typical savings for bars with thorough monitoring PARTIAL CLIENT LIST: Blue Ridge Brewing (Greenville) Chiefs Wings & Firewater (Greenville) Wild Aces Pizza (Greer/Spartanburg) Reys (Greenville)

Miller see Bevintel’s job as saving more than money.

“I know we’ve helped keep doors open, and that’s one of the big things for me,” he said. They’re also able to alert companies to trends they might not be aware of, such as letting Greenville bars know that a hot new product has been flying off the

February 14, 2014

➤ INSIDE SCOOP

Corner Pocket (Greenville) The Station (Simpsonville) shelves in Spartanburg. They’ve had some customers for close to a decade and often operate as an extension of the staff. At its best, it’s a partnership everyone can raise a glass to.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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A BUSINESS COVER STORY

Clemson students and corporate professionals are working – and learning – together on a project to bring clean water to a Haitian village

By Jennifer Oladipo senior business writer

T

joladipo@communityjournals.com

There is volunteer work, schoolwork and corporate work – and then there is Clemson’s Engineers for Developing Countries (CEDC), a service-learning program that combines the three with positive outcomes for everyone involved.

CEDC students are learning how real-world engineering and contracting work, and the professionals they work with – including some employees at Fluor Corp. – are learning how to harness students’ talents and improve the potential workforce.

Beginning in 2009, CEDC students have designed and helped build a water system that provides clean water for about 10,000 residents of Cange, Haiti. It was the first chlorinated municipal water system in Haiti’s Central Plateau.

Since then, a major earthquake and then an outbreak of water-borne cholera only heighted the importance of their work. Earlier this month, CEDC won a 2014 Andrew Heiskell Award from the Institute of International Education, a top award for study-abroad programs.

Students are doing more than studying, however.

Photos Provided

employee David Vaughn volunteering what would turn out to be a whole lot of his personal time.

“It started with my own personal journey that I needed to give back,” said Vaughn, Fluor fellow. The opportunity arrived when he got the chance to use his professional experience to mentor CEDC students.

Vaughn said he and the students quickly learned that the conventional classroom structure wouldn’t work for their concept, so the first semester ended with a daylong meeting during Christmas break about how to reorganize. A group of engineers could only accomplish so much. They needed to tap students from communications to help with marketing, number crunchers to work out financial details, and more. Now students from 30 different majors have participated.

“I was mainly focused on giving back to people in Haiti, so that’s where you thought the fruit of your effort was going to be.

What I didn’t expect was the fruit that came from the students.”

Corporate Model

The relationship began with Fluor

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

“We literally have an overall program manager, a project management organization [that] oversees our projects, a group called tech solutions [that] manages the website and databases, finance managing,” he said. “We have all the parts that help us operate like a normal project in the real world.”

Students also began spending longer in the field, with the introduction of full-time interns in 2011.

Over time, it started to look more like a corporation than a classroom, Vaughn said. With that corporate structure came opportunities for advancement based on more than just

David Vaughn

February 14, 2014

showing up or completing assignments. Students show they’re able to step up their engagement and take on serious responsibilities, just like in the working world.

Surprise Lessons

Vaughn found that reality usually exceeded his expectations of what would be the most significant outcomes.

“I was mainly focused on giving back to people in Haiti, so that’s where you thought the fruit of your effort was going to be. And there was fruit there,” he said. “What I didn’t expect was the fruit that came from the students.” >>

MODEL >>

He was surprised at the experience of watching them move from textbook-educated students to individuals running “an organization that was greater than the sum of its parts.”

Josh Mitchell, CEDC student program manager, also learned skills that books couldn’t teach – and that weren’t part of the original project plan.

“Naturally I’m quite shy, introverted and kind of dread talking to people, but being involved with CEDC has taken away a lot of that fear and discomfort, and I think that’s invaluable,” he said. “It’s something employers look for.”

Vaughn said he was also surprised at how students’ roles in the community evolved over time. During one visit, he discovered the community members referring to one student as “Son of Cange” after he’d been there nearly a year. After about nine months, students apparently lose their “outsider” labels and are embraced by the community.

Technology at Home

Communities in the United States are also poised to embrace the kinds of solutions CEDC has developed for Haiti. A report in the wake of Superstorm Sandy from the New York chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council assessed needs for dealing with severe weather events. It called for the very types of solutions the students created for Cange: pumping safe water without an external power source.

As cities begin to shift their thinking

toward planning for resilience in the face of extreme and prolonged weather emergencies, low-tech, high-impact solutions are becoming more popular.

A cadre of people experienced in providing those solutions will become increasingly important.

The Next Level

Vaughn said one goal now is strengthening the relationship between students and companies in a more formal way. He travels to Haiti several times every year on personal time.

So far, Vaughn has sought out about a half a dozen colleagues to fill knowledge gaps ranging from engineering to marketing. “[We’re] hoping to figure out how we expand that, because to stay plugged in like we do, it does take effort,” he said. “We’re managing 18

projects. We have to stay aware of campus environment [in addition to] projects in Haiti… the program is still in infancy as far as connecting to industry, but I think what we’re seeing is a trend that is going to be expected in the future.”

Fluor has hired four students who were connections through the program. Chicago Bridge and Iron Company, which is also involved, has hired more. That company has begun to target the students, who are already prepared for the types of environments in which it works.

Learning What Works

The program itself continues to evolve, and that first reorganizing session set a precedent for eight- to 10-hour meetings every semester.

“I’ll tell you that some of these are very painful,” Vaughn said. “They’re very long, but what you’re doing is asking the hard questions and reformulating to meet whatever the demand is.”

There is always something to reconsider. For example, it had been assumed early on that only upperclassmen and graduate students could handle the work, but freshman and sophomores have proved to be some of the best performers.

Vaughn said he is concerned that the approach to most intern programs places students in the safest positions where their mistakes would have the least impact. He said the major projects Clemson students are running in Haiti prove that they can take more substan-

February 14, 2014

tial positions in U.S. organizations.

Mitchell understood the gravity of his work while he interned for six months on the Cange project in 2012.

He said while he knew Vaughn was there for support, the experience pushed him to think more authoritatively and make decisions more quickly.

These days he spends about five to 10 hours a week on the Haiti project, more when the need arises. Like any project director, he makes sure various parties stay in communication and have the information they need. He has the kind of experience that, when coupled with his degree, will likely have employers clamoring for his attention.

As far as education goes, who can ask for much more than that?

➤ WHAT IS SERVICE

LEARNING?

Service learning is organized experiential education that allows students to use their acquired knowledge to meet the needs of a community.

Community service experiences enhance academic curriculum and help foster civic responsibility.

View additional photos from the Haiti project at UpstateBusinessJournal.com

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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UBJ THE FINE PRINT Extended Care Physicians Acquires Network Geriatric Services Network Geriatric Services (NGS) was recently acquired by Extended Care Physicians (ECP).

The acquisition adds 10 physicians and nurse practitioners into ECP’s South Carolina practice group called ECP-SC, which serves more than 25 nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospices throughout the state.

“For decades, Network Geriatric Services has been a leader in providing progressive

and compassionate medical care to the elderly and other longterm care patients,” said Robert J. Reynolds M.D., CEO of ECP, in a release. “We are excited to have such high-caliber providers join the expanding ECP family.”

ECP now has now has 65 physicians and nurse practitioners working in more than 100 facilities in the mountains, Piedmont and coastal regions of North Carolina and in Upstate South Carolina.

Orian Rugs Announces $13M Expansion Orian Rugs recently announced a $13 million expansion at its Anderson County facility. The expansion is expected to create 125 jobs in 2014.

“Orian is excited to announce this additional investment in our Anderson, S.C., manufacturing facility,” said Wim De Pape, president of Orian Rugs, in a release. “We appreciate the commitment that the local and state governments have made to support manufacturing and encourage us to continue to grow here in South Carolina. Orian is very proud to be a leader in the North American rug business, driven by our dedicated workforce in Anderson, and we look forward to future opportunities here in Anderson County.”

The facility, which opened 35 years ago, has grown into a 550,000-square-foot building with more than 500 employees in the Anderson area.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

Clemson University, EPA to Sign Memorandum of Understanding Clemson University will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The MOU encourages Clemson University to enhance research, teaching, outreach, career development and stewardship in environmental and mathematical sciences. The EPA will work with

Multiple Clean Air Award Winners Named The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) recently honored the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) with a “Spare the Air” award for its emissions reduction efforts. The Upstate Air Quality Advisory Committee (UAQAC) won in the Outstanding Community Improvement Campaign category for the Clean Air Upstate (CAU) initiative. According to a release, the award is given to recognize “environmental leaders that have made a voluntary commitment to promote and practice air quality improvement in South Carolina.”

The SCPA has reduced port-related pollutants by 50 percent since 2005 through equipment upgrades, partnerships and operational commitments to improve air quality.

“We are committed to operating

February 14, 2014

in a way that is safe for our employees, neighbors and the environment,” said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO, in a release. “We are pleased to be recognized by DHEC with this award, which is only possible through the support of our partners in the maritime industry and trucking community.”

SCPA’s reduction efforts include incentives to truck drivers to upgrade their engines to newer, more efficient models; upgrades to terminal equipment to support emissions reductions; and reductions in the amount of time a truck spends on terminal from entry to exit, as well as crane efficiency. Col-

Clemson to establish a cooperative working relationship over the next four years to encourage students to explore courses of study in the environmental sciences.

The MOU was created to help address the dwindling participation of students in environmental fields of study, and to help EPA attract a diverse workforce.

laborations included the Charleston, Waccamaw and Upstate Air Quality Coalitions; Southeastern Diesel Collaborative; Coalition for Responsible Transportation; and the Southeastern Wind Coalition, as well as the City of Charleston’s Green Business Challenge and the S.C. Inland Port.

CAU centers on the Regional Air Quality Pledge, which allows local governments, businesses, community organizations, media outlets and individuals to illustrate their commitment to improving air quality. Twenty-three governments, businesses and community organizations have signed the pledge.

CAU also promotes DHEC’s Breathe Better (B2) program, which focuses on reducing vehicle emissions around school campuses with a focus on making schools a no-idling zone for both school buses and personal vehicles as a way to protect the health and safety of children. CAU also offers a series of clean air tips developed, which are available at cleanairupstate.org.

UBJ THE TAKEAWAY

By Marion Mann, senior marketing manager, Greenville Chamber

From Small to Spinx Stewart Spinks on working hard, setting goals and knowing your limitations KNOW YOUR CAPACITY AND DWELL THEREIN

EVENT: The Greenville Chamber’s Friday Forum Series “From Small to Spinx!”

Though he has always demanded a lot of himself, Spinks cites the need for humility. “Recognize your capacity, and hire accounting people.”

When asked about a strategy for developing an advisory board, Spinks cites the need to seek a balance of interests and expertise. “Geographic diversity is especially important as individuals from other markets can provide insight for what’s to come.”

WHERE: Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Conference Center SPEAKER: Stewart Spinks, founder and chairman of the board of The Spinx Company SPONSOR: TLC Accounting and Tax Inc. STEWART SPINKS Stewart Spinks is the founder and chairman of the board of The Spinx Company. He started Spinx in 1972 with a home heating oil delivery company, and one gas station in Greenville. With annual sales of over $500 million, Spinx is now the largest privately held gasoline-convenience retailer in South Carolina and is ranked among the top 100 U.S. convenience store chains in the country.

Spinks attributes his successes to many teachers and lessons throughout his life and career, as well as luck and the importance of a supportive community. He shared the following values and strategies with business community members:

HARD WORK IS HONORABLE Born in 1946 after his father returned from World War II, Spinks grew up in Augusta, Ga. His father worked first shift as an auto mechanic and third shift as a night orderly in a hospital, and his mother worked second shift as a hostess at the Hotel

DON’T GET DISCOURAGED

Richmond. Both believed in and instilled in him the value that hard work is honorable and an opportunity to be enjoyed.

SET GOALS HIGHER THAN WHAT YOU THINK YOU CAN DO Spinks attributes this lesson to his University of Tennessee football coach Doug Dickey. In business he translates it to passion: “Have a constant curiosity about what might happen, and figure out what you can do to affect that.”

Over the span of his career, Spinks is proud to have sold 54 operating businesses, but not discouraged by the fact that he’s had to close 47 along the way. When asked how to know when to start a business, he says, “the first step is by far the hardest.” His steps are to start with the plan, then organize, staff, direct and control.

CELEBRATE LOYALTY AND SHARE OWNERSHIP

“Have a constant curiosity about what might happen, and figure out what you can do to affect that.” roughly 300 of 1,200 participate in their employee-ownership program.

“We all demand performance and we’re all pulling together.”

COMPETITION MAKES US ALL BETTER From being a Mickey Mantle fan to playing University of Tennessee football, Spinks has always embraced his competitive spirit. When asked about the growing competition in our market, he notes, “They’re strong, but they will make us better. And the beneficiary of a competitive market is Greenville.”

FEB

The Spinx Co. celebrates long-term employment and provides education and ownership incentives. When asked about getting buy-in from associates, Spinks is proud to note that

28

NEXT FIRST FRIDAY FORUM Feature local businessman Leighton Cubbage, CEO of Serrus Capital.

More information: greenvillechamber.org.

DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU’RE GOING TO DO Spinks has built a reputation on his discipline to live up to his obligations. In 1972, he secured his first loan and employee on the promise that “I’m going to build 14 convenience stores.” It was based on trust in Spinks’ interpretation of distribution rules that, during the 1979 petroleum crisis, then-U.S. Rep. Carroll Campbell made the call to allow the supply necessary to keep his business running.

The Greenville Chamber’s Friday Forum Series, held the fourth Friday of each month, is designed to help business professionals connect, learn and grow with networking opportunities and educational presentations. Details at greenvillechamber.org.

February 14, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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UBJ SQUARE FEET

Trade Street Residential Acquires Aventine Apartment Complex

By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com

Aventura, Fla.-based Trade Street Residential, an owner and operator of apartment communities located primarily in the Southeast, announced Thursday that it purchased The Aventine Greenville apartments for $42 million.

The newly constructed, 346-unit Class A apartment community is located at 97 Market Point Drive, adjacent to the Millennium Campus.

The apartments consist of one-, twoand three-bedroom apartment homes with full-sized kitchens, built-in microwaves, granite countertops,

walk-in closets, vaulted ceilings, private balconies/ sunroom options and a fullsized washer and dryer. Its amenities include a Wi-Fi Cafe, fitness facility, pet park, business center, resort-style pool with cabanas, and a pool pavilion.

“This luxury property establishes our presence in Greenville, S.C., a rapidly expanding commercial center in the Southeast, and furthers our goal to modernize our portfolio,” said David Levin,

president and vice chairman of Trade Street Residential. The company obtained a mortgage of $21 million and used a portion of

the cash received from its recently closed rights offering to fund the purchase price. The property is currently 76 percent leased.

Markley Row Construction Set for Spring

By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com

As the West End continues to be a hot spot in downtown development, another new project is coming to Markley and Rhett Street. A new, sixhome luxury townhome development called Markley Row is set to begin construction spring 2014.

The project is being developed by Rallis Holdings and will be built by Highland Homes. The townhomes will be in a gated community and feature

garages, elevators and private yards. Units will range from 4,000 to 7,000 square feet and will be built to suit.

An invitation-only “unveiling party” will be held Feb. 25 at ZEN Greenville where advertising company Red Hype will release additional details about the development. A website has also been established at markleyrow.com.

DEALMAKERS SPENCER/HINES PROPERTIES ANNOUNCED: David Strickland recently sold a 10,000 SF dance school at 235 Tucapau Road, Duncan, to Rhythms Dance LLC on behalf of PETRA Inc. Andy Hayes sold the 9,100 SF building on 1.495 acres of land

20

at 5615 Highway 81 South, Starr, to trustee Larry E. Milan. The seller was MS One LLC.

341 Old Greenville Road, Wellford, to Omnisource Southeast LLC.

Bobby Hines leased a 4,100 SF dental office at 365 Halton Road, Greenville.

David Strickland leased a 6,000 SF day care center at 128 E. Main St., Duncan.

Guy Harris sold 1250 John B. White Sr. Blvd., Spartanburg, to Petrus Properties LLC. Andy Hayes represented the owner Lanford Associates, GP.

Neal Boyett sold a retail center at 227 E. Blackstock Road, Spartanburg, for a total of $520,000.00.

Guy Harris leased a 1,500 SF retail space at 8149 Warren H. Abernathy Hwy., Spartanburg.

Guy Harris leased a 2,100 SF credit union and a 1,540 SF restaurant space on Highway 176, Union.

Bobby Hines leased a 13,500 SF dog day care at 211 Riverside Court, Greer.

Bobby and Zach Hines leased a 4,000 SF space at 1313 Miller Road, Greenville.

Craig Jacobs leased a 1,500 SF hair salon at 914 E. Main St., Spartanburg.

Craig Jacobs sold a 4,800 SF facility at

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 14, 2014

LEE & ASSOCIATESGREENVILLE ANNOUNCED: Deanna Hudgens recently represented the tenant Visions International LLC in a +/-1,514 SF office lease transaction at 3519 Pelham Road, Suite 204, Greenville.

UBJ SQUARE FEET

NAI Earle Furman Wins National Award

By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com

Earlier this week, NAI Earle Furman was awarded the NAI Global Presidents Award at the 2014 NAI Global Convention in Las Vegas.

The award was given in recognition of the company’s leadership, collaboration, innovation and exceptional performance on behalf of their clients.

“NAI Earle Furman continues to demonstrate great commitment to

NAI Global, and we are very proud of their achievements and contributions to the organization,” said Jay Olshonsky, president of NAI Global. “They exemplify how our local market leadership is driving growth, and how members are utilizing the full power of the NAI Global network to help drive their business.”

NAI Earle Furman is a member of

NAI Global, a global network of owner-operated commercial real estate brokerage firms with 5,000 local market experts in 400 offices across 55 countries. NAI Earle Furman was founded in 1986 and has been a

member of NAI Global since 2000.

“We are honored to receive the NAI Global President’s Award,” said Jon Good, CEO of NAI Earle Furman.

“Being a member of NAI Global gives us access to an extensive international network and allows us to pair these global resources with our brokers’ local market knowledge to maximize our clients’ success.”

Addison Homes Honored for Green Building

By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com

Addison Homes, a Greenville custom home builder specializing in energy-efficient homes, won the Southern Home and Garden Bridge Award for Green Building at an awards gala late last month.

The award was presented by the Home Builders Association of Greenville and sponsored by GBS Building Supply. The Bridge Awards program recognizes the best and brightest in the residential construction industry.

Local builders and industry associates were honored in 24 categories, such as new homes, remodels, special features, sales and marketing, and builder of the year.

“It is a special honor to be recognized by one’s peers,” says Todd Usher, Addison Homes president.

“We congratulate all of our colleagues who received Bridge Awards for their outstanding craftsmanship and professionalism.”

THE SOUTHERN HOME AND GARDEN BRIDGE AWARDS WINNERS NEW HOME UNDER 500K

PARTIAL REMODEL

JMC Homes of SC, Thomas Green Blvd: Best Overall

Howard Custom Builders, Fox Run: Best Kitchen

NEW HOME 500K-1M

Howard Custom Builders, Riverwalk Blvd.: Best Innovation of Space

Goodwin Foust, Treetops Court: Best Overall, Best Bath Goodwin Foust, Chamblee Blvd: Best Exterior, Best Kitchen

Addison Homes earned the Green Building Award for a Caesars Head home built to EarthCraft House Gold and Energy Star standards. The project incorporated an abundance of reclaimed materials, recycled-content supplies and energy-efficient systems while also utilizing resource-efficient building techniques. Other sustainable concepts included a tree preservation plan during construction followed up with all-native landscaping.

Other winners included JMC Homes of South Carolina, Gabriel Builders and Hadrian Construction.

NEW HOME 1M-5M

Howard Custom Builders, Riverwalk Dr.: Best Outdoor Space Sales and Marketing Matt Vaughn, Brand Mortgage: Lender of the Year

ABCD AWARD (ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY AWARD) – Presented to three members for their unselfish devotion to the Martha Childress renovations: Scott Lynch of Hollison Custom Homes Tom Dillard with Dillard Jones Builders Jimmy Dias of Dias Home Repair and Renovations CHAMPION OF HOUSING AWARD – presented by the HBA of South Carolina:

Gabriel Builders, Hickory Springs Way: Best Overall, Best Bath

John Wolfrom, Providence Realty: Best Community Promotion

Fairview Builders, Cedar Waxwing Way: Best Exterior, Best Kitchen

ALSO PRESENTED WITH AWARDS:

NEW HOME 5M+

PRESIDENTIAL CITATION AWARD

Gabriel Builders, Majesty Ct.: Best Overall and Best Exterior

Jon Statom of Palmetto Exterminators

Gabriel Builders, Piney Woods: Best Kitchen and Best Bath

Ron Tate of Gallivan, White, & Boyd P.A.

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD (granted to a community or a political leader who has made an outstanding contribution to the housing industry yet is not a member of the Home Builders Association of Greenville)

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

Charles Albin Warth (accepted posthumously by his wife, Becky)

GREEN BUILDING AWARD

Frank Halter (accepted posthumously by Brad Halter of Coldwell Banker Caine)

Addison Homes, Punctatum Place

Mark Nyblom, with Rosewood Communities

FULL HOME REMODEL

COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN AWARD

Hadrian Construction, McDaniel Ave.: Best Overall

Eric Hedrick, Cornerstone Contractors, Government Affairs Committee Chair

The BB&T Builder Member of the Year and the Richard A. Ashmore, Sr. Associate Member of the Year award were presented to:

MEMBERSHIP AWARD

Robert Markel of Hadrian Construction – 2013 Builder of the Year Award

Mike Freeman of ACA/ Freewood Contractors

Bob Barreto of GBS Building Supply – 2013 Associate of the Year Award

February 14, 2014

BUILDER AND ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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New hires, promotions & award winners can be featured in On The Move.

Send information & photos to onthemove@ upstatebusinessjournal.com.

UBJ ON THE MOVE HIRED

HIRED

HIRED

HONORED

PROMOTED

Kate Venuto

Amanda Hamet

Bethany M. Sparks

Joe Erwin

Andreas Guecker

Joined Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas as director of development and marketing.

Venuto previously worked as a media relations strategist for Crawford Strategy and as a public relations coordinator for Erwin Penland.

Joined Coldwell Banker Caine as vice president and sales leader of the Greenville office.

She began her real estate career in 2005 and has more than 15 years of leadership experience. Prior to joining Coldwell Banker Caine, she worked as a manager for a local real estate firm.

Appointed development director for Faces and Voices of Recovery (FAVOR) Greenville. Sparks previously worked as director of development for the Upstate Homeless Coalition and development and marketing manager for Georgia Shakespeare in Atlanta.

Received Clemson University’s Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership’s Innovative Spirit Award.

Erwin is the president and cofounder of Erwin Penland.

He began his career at Greenville’s Leslie Advertising and soon was recruited to join DMB&B in New York.

Named vice president for total vehicle, quality management and engineering at BMW Manufacturing. Guecker returns to South Carolina from Munich and previously worked at the Spartanburg factory from 2008-2012.

VIP – HIRED DR. ROBERT LONDON Named medical director for South Carolina for WellCare Health Plans Inc. Prior to joining WellCare, London was the national medical director for Walgreens, and served as the general manager of ikaSystems. He has also been the chief development officer for D2Hawkeye, and served as the chief clinical officer for TriZetto.

ARCHITECTURE/ ENGINEERING: DP3 Architects Ltd. recently announced that Anna K. King has been named an associate. King has been with the firm for more than 12 years.

BANKING/FINANCIAL SERVICES: Pinnacle Bank of South Carolina recently announced the appointment of Marshall Franklin, chief operations officer at Bob Jones University, to the bank’s board of directors. Franklin was a CPA and an auditor with Ernst & Young and served as a partner for nearly 12 years.

Scott and Company LLC recently welcomed Casey Gilbert as a staff auditor.

Gilbert currently interns with Scott and Company and is a senior at the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, she will assume a position as staff auditor.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

COMMUNITY: The Mauldin Rotary Club recently honored four Mauldin citizens at its annual Charter Night banquet. Gary Brinkley received the Firefighter of the Year Award. He has spent 18 years with the Mauldin Fire Department and has been a lieutenant since 2008. Ginger Ernst and Oana Willmon received the Service Above Self Award. Both are science teachers at Mauldin High School and serve as counselors for the Interact Club, which is a Rotary-sponsored program.

George Miller was honored as the Policeman of the Year.

He serves on the K-9 unit and in 2011 received the 13th Circuit Alcohol Enforcement Teams (AET) Office of the Year award for “outstanding dedication to the enforcement of underage drinking laws and for keeping this community safe and alcohol free.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

February 14, 2014

Global Location Strategies

(GLS) has named Woody Hydrick as senior principal.

Hydrick joined GLS in 2013 from his most recent position as managing director of Cushman and Wakefield Global Business Consulting.

He has also previously served as a senior consultant for Fluor Corporation.

PUBLIC RELATIONS/ MARKETING: Infinity Marketing recently promoted Brandon Candler to graphic design supervisor and Karli Freeman to client services supervisor, and hired Austin Finley as a media assistant. Candler originally joined Infinity Marketing as an intern. Freeman previously served as an intern for Comcast. Finley joined the Infinity team as an intern from Bank of America in Charlotte.

REAL ESTATE: Coldwell Banker Caine recently welcomed Sabrina Latimore as a residential sales agent to its Greenville

office. Latimore joins Coldwell Banker Caine with experience in higher education.

She previously worked as an academic advisor and college business professor for Brown Mackie College.

Spectrum Commercial Properties recently welcomed Richard L. Cox III as a broker-associate. Before joining Spectrum, Cox worked at the Florida based Ginn Company in Charleston and as a development consultant for FOX Commercial Properties in Greenville.

SERVICE: Greenville Office Supply recently announced the addition of Hayes Johnson as marketing manager. Before joining GOS, Hayes was the marketing coordinator for Nashville-based Bristol Development Group. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Carolina.

Clemson University

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3. Copper Penny is opening its first Greenville location at 1922 Augusta St. in Suite 111 of the McDaniel Village shopping center. The store originated in Charleston and carries a collection of designer labels, including Diane Von Furstenburg, Trina Turk, Milly, Shoshanna, Tibi, Sam Edelman, Michael Stars, Ella Moss, Jack Rogers, Splendid, Citizens of Humanity, Hudson, Virgins Saints & Angels, Tolani, Rowen, and Whitley V. Designs. For more information, visit facebook.com/greenvillecopperpenny or call 864-241-3360.

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2. The Beef Jerky Outlet recently opened at 1025 Woodruff Road, Suite D-113, Greenville, in the center of Magnolia Park.

The store is open Monday-Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m.9 p.m. and Sunday noon-6 p.m. For more information, visit scjerky.com or call 864-509-6944.

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1. Jake’s Wayback Burgers recently opened their second location at 1390 Tiger Blvd. in Clemson. The restaurant is open 11a.m.-9p.m.

Sunday-Thursday and 11a.m.10p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit waybackburgers. com or call 864-653-9700.

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February 14, 2014

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4. CB Events, a local event production company, recently launched a second company, Industry Event Rentals. They are located at 6 Bacon St., Greenville. For more information, visit industryeventrentals.com or call 864-735-7845.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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GOT A HOT DATE?

UBJ PLANNER FRIDAY, FEB. 14 NORTH GREENVILLE ROTARY CLUB The Poinsett Club, 807 E. Washington St., Greenville; 12:30-1:30 p.m.

COST: Free to attend, lunch $16 CONTACT: Shanda Jeffries at 864-9682319 or sjeffries@ flynnwealth.com

MONDAY, FEB. 17 GCS ROUNDTABLE The Office Center at the Point, 33 Market Point Drive, Greenville; 8:30-9:30 a.m.

SPEAKER: Myles Golden TOPIC: The Skill of Conforting Call Golden Career Strategies at 864-527-0425 to request an invitation ROTARY CLUB GREENVILLE EAST MEETING CityRange, 615 Haywood Road, Greenville; 12:30-1:30 p.m.

CONTACT: president@ greenvilleeastrotary.org

TUESDAY, FEB. 18 HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS NETWORK Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland St., Board Room, Greenville; 7:30-9 a.m.

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

TOASTMASTERS BILINGUE

TEDX GREENVILLE SALON

COST: Free to Greer Chamber members

SPEAKER: Jim Geffert, Dale Carnegie Training

University Center, 225 S. Pleasantburg Dr., Auditorium Room 204, Greenville; noon-1 p.m.

Zen, 924 S Main St., Greenville; 6-7:30 p.m.

REGISTER AT: greerchamber.com

TOPIC: How Great Organizations Create a Culture of Engagement

CONTACT: Jeff Alfonso at jeff@ alfonsointerpreting.com

REGISTER AT: tedxgreenville.com

INFORMATION: tmbilingue. toastmastersclubs.org LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: BUILDING EFFECTIVE BOARDS

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

CONTACT: Beth Smith at es2@clemson.edu

SPEAKERS: Reid Lehman, Ellen Stevenson, and Ann Wright

REGISTER AT: clemson.edu/centersinstitutes/sbdc

TOPIC: Governance and Board Recruitment and Development COST: $50 for Greenville Chamber members; $75 for non-Chamber members; free to Current Leadership Greenville Class Includes training, materials, and light refreshments REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

GOLDEN STRIP TOASTMASTERS Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 739 N. Main St., Mauldin; 7-8 p.m.

REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org

REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org

COST: Free to attend REGISTER AT: piedmontscore.org SALES ROUNDTABLE Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

SPEAKER: John Horton, Corporate Energy LLC TOPIC: Negotiating

INFORMATION: bit.ly/gstm02142014

REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org

CONTACT: Prasad Patchipulusu at pprasa1@hotmail.com UPSTATE PC USERS GROUP

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 19

CONTACT: Lorraine Woodward at 864-239-3742

TOPICS: Federal Tax, State Tax

COST: Free for guests

INFORMATION: ucpcug.org

COST: Free to attend, but open only to Greenville Chamber members

Spartanburg Community College, Tyger Campus, 1875 E. Main St., Duncan; 9 a.m.-noon, 1-3 p.m.

CONTACT: Tripp James at tjames@ greenvillechamber.org or 864-239-3728

Five Forks Baptist Church, 112 Batesville Road, Simpsonville; 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 5:30-7:30 p.m.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

NXLEVEL FOR ENTREPRENEURS

FEE: $195 for 6 weeks

American Red Cross, 940 Grove Road, Greenville; 4-7 p.m.

CONTACT: Julie Alexander at 864-239-3754

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COST: Free

TAX TOPICS FOR START-UP BUSINESSES

HANDSHAKES AND HASHBROWNS The Manning House, 10 Companion Court, Greer; 8-9 a.m.

February 14, 2014

TECH AFTER FIVE – GREENVILLE Carolina Ale House, 113 S. Main St., Greenville; 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

INFORMATION: Free to GSA Technology Council members.

REGISTER AT: techafterfive.com

THURSDAY, FEB. 20 STRATEGIC SALES DEVELOPMENT Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, 105 N. Pine St., Spartanburg; 8-10 a.m.

COST: $49 per person, $195 for five people REGISTER AT: spartanburgchamber.com

TOPIC: Just Because You’re an Expert…

Doesn’t Make You Interesting RSVP TO: wwhitten@ metlife.com INFORMATION: innovisionawards.org

CEO ROUNDTABLE

CREW HAPPY HOUR CHAT

Poinsett Club, 807 E. Washington St., Greenville; 8:30-10:30 a.m.

Breakwater, 802 S Main St., Greenville; 5-7 p.m.

TOPIC: Take Your Sales Force from Bright to Brightest

INFORMATION: Open to CREW Members only

COST: $50 per person with $25 of each registration donated to Wounded Warriors REGISTER AT: rdavis@sandler.com, 864-527-0497, or thinksandler.com BIZ TALKS

INFORMATION: crewupstate.org SMALL BUSINESS START-UP Tri-County Technical College-Pendleton Campus, 7900 Highway 76, Pendleton; 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Holly Tree Country Club, 500 Golf Club Drive, Simpsonville; noon-1 p.m.

COST: Free to attend

SPEAKER: William Haynes, Sabai Technology

REGISTER AT: piedmontscore.org

COST: $15 for Simpsonville Chamber members before Feb. 18, $20 for Simpsonville Chamber members after Feb. 18, $25 for non-members CONTACT: Jennifer Richardson at jrichardson@ simpsonvillechamber.com REGISTER AT: simpsonvillechamber.com INNOVISION FORUM 124 Verdae Blvd., fifth floor, Greenville; 3:30-6:30 p.m.

SPEAKER: Dr. Paul Homoly, certified speaking professional

CONTACT: 864-646-1700

ROUNDS IN THE ROTUNDA The Rotunda, USC School of Medicine Greenville, 701 Grove Rd., Greenville; 6-8 p.m.

INFORMATION: greenvillemed.sc.edu 2014 ANNUAL FOUNTAIN INN CHAMBER BANQUET SC Army National Guard Armory, 150 Speedway Dr., Fountain Inn; 6-9 p.m.

SPEAKER: U.S. Senator Tim Scott COST: $45 per person

UBJ SOCIAL SNAPSHOT

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.

VANTAGEPOINT MARKETING’S ANNUAL COMPANY MEETING VantagePoint Marketing held its annual company meeting recently in the Lazy Goat’s Caprine Room. They had much to celebrate: besides being recognized as BMA Carolina’s Agency of the Year for the fifth consecutive year in 2013, they were also recognized as a BtoB Magazine National Top Agency for the fourth consecutive year, and named the 7th Best Place to Work in South Carolina.

Every year, the VP team huddles for a day to review, strategize and celebrate.

During the meeting, team members participated in a downtown photo scavenger hunt, CEO Craig O’Neal shared insights and overviews, and Hubbell Lighting VP of Human Resources Steve Nail shared his thoughts on common characteristics of great companies. VantagePoint’s annual, daylong employee retreat was an opportunity to reflect on events of the previous year and strategize for the one coming.

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 14, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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UBJ SOCIAL SNAPSHOT

GREENVILLE CHAMBER 2014 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE The Greenville Chamber recently celebrated the conclusion of a successful membership drive. Thanks to some energetic volunteers, the 2014 campaign brought in 167 new investors.

Photos Provided

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

February 14, 2014

UBJ SNAPSHOT

Historic photos available from the Greenville Historical Society.

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

Today only a few of these structures remain, the most notable being the Liberty Life building.

PHOTO PROVIDED

In this view of Main Street’s east side from Court Street to McBee Avenue taken in the 1930s, people gather for the start of a parade.

On the southeast corner of Main and McBee is the Haverty Furniture Company. Next door is Maxwell Brothers and Quinn. Kirby Quinn was the Greenville partner in this national chain.

At the southern end of the block is Carpenter Brothers Drug Store, and across the Court Street rises the Liberty Life building.

CURRENT PHOTO BY GREG BECKNER / STAFF

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com UBJ ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com

SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER Jennifer Oladipo

ART & PRODUCTION

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

PRODUCTION MANAGER Holly Hardin

CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jeanne Putnam PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Beckner MARKETING & ADVERTISING

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com

SALES REPRESENTATIVES Lori Burney, Kristin Hill, Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Pam Putman

MANAGING EDITOR Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com

MARKETING & EVENTS Kate Banner DIGITAL STRATEGIST Emily Price

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE

ART DIRECTOR / DESIGN Kristy M. Adair

STORY IDEAS:

ADVERTISING DESIGN Michael Allen, Whitney Fincannon

ideas@ upstatebusinessjournal.com

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.

February 14, 2014

EVENTS: events@ upstatebusinessjournal.com

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

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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