March 13, 2015 UBJ

MARCH 13, 2015 | VOL. 4 ISSUE 11

Grounds for success The growing thirst for elite coffee has entrepreneurs pushing their craft throughout the Upstate Page 14

upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEWS

Growler Haus ponders Fountain Inn expansion ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com Anderson-based craft beer store Growler Haus has plans for a third location, but owner Craig Kinley wants the community’s help deciding.

His plan is an on-the-spot community input and crowdfunding campaign during St. Patrick’s Day festivities in Fountain Inn, where Growler Haus will be serving craft beer from the surrounding region. If Kinley’s team hears support for a Growler Haus location from around 150 people that day, a third location in Fountain Inn is a go, said Kinley.

“We’re 80 percent confident that Fountain Inn and Simpsonville being bedroom communities of Greenville, and the growing craft beer industry in Greenville, will support a new location”, said Kinley, who said he has already found a potential site and has applied for grants with economic development organizations to back the project. “The more interest we get from these communities, the more information we have to make a decision.”

Growler Haus first opened in Anderson in mid-2012 as a proof of concept, and Kinley has since expanded to include a 3,300-square-foot location in Spartanburg, which opened in 2013. Kinley said he then looked at eight different secondary and tertiary cities for potential expansion options before hitting upon the idea of Fountain Inn. The potential 2,500-square-foot location would be in the heart of the community’s downtown hospitality center, and would start off with a general manager and between three and four craft beer pourers, he said.

THE LATEST

Kinley said they’ve been working on the plan “for a couple of months. If all the moon and stars line up, we’re targeting June for an opening date.”

Kinley plans to ask community members why Growler Haus should open in Fountain Inn and hold an on-the-spot crowdfunding campaign where people can buy T-shirts and other merchandise to support the expansion.

“Fountain Inn is a natural fit with their hospitality center and focus on growth,” he said.

Kinley and his team will be in Fountain Inn on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. during a business after hours event at the Commerce Park, located at 102 Depot St. in downtown Fountain Inn. The event will include live music and wood-fired pizza from Cucina 100.

| HOSPITALITY | 3

We’ve Come a Long Way in 75 Years of Service to the Upstate

From providing electric power for the first time to rural customers like Mrs. Agnes Morgan in the mid-20th century, to meeting the 21st century needs of Walgreens Distribution Center, Blue Ridge Electric Co-op continues its dedication to powering innovation and improving the quality of life for people in our Upstate communities.

SHERRY JACKSON | Staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com

Dive ‘n’ Boar to launch in Cherrydale With a motto of a “modern BBQ restaurant with a very cool bar,” the Dive ‘n’ Boar is a new restaurant concept from the owners of Southern Culture in Greenville.

Dive ‘n’ Boar will be located on Pleasantburg Drive at Cherrydale, in the same shopping center as Southern Culture. The restaurant is expected to

serve barbeque with a modern twist and will be open seven days a week for lunch, dinner and late-night dining.

Look for the barbeque restaurantmeets-dive bar to open in May.

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4 | THE RUNDOWN |

TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

UBJ

|

03.13.2015

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 11 Featured this issue: Charles E. Daniel’s skyscraping impact Fred Festa’s ice dreams for the Road Warriors Eyes turn to David Street for redevelopment

13 20 24

MONEY SHOT: Members of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) gather at the Poinsett Club in Greenville for their monthly meeting.

For more photos, turn to page 33. Photo by Greg Beckner.

WORTH REPEATING

TOP 8 U.S. CITIES FOR STEM GRADUATES, SHARE OF YOUNG ADULT POPULATION, 2014

“There comes a certain point where you’ve got this pile of something that nobody wants to buy, and they’ve got to do something with it.” Page 5

Raleigh, NC

36%

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

29%

“I’ve seen my customers evolve from starting out with heavy cream and sugar to putting a drop of cream in because they’ve had a chance to develop their palate.” Page 14

Madison, WI

26%

Rochester, NY

24%

Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC

23%

Dayton, OH

23%

Worcester, MA-CT

22%

Pittsburgh, PA

21%

“I don’t know if Greenville needs a hockey team, but Greenville deserves a hockey team.” Page 20

TBA Look for a new Marco’s Pizza at Augusta Street and Faris Road, reportedly to be opening soon.

Source: Brookings analysis of Burning Glass data

upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEWS

| SUSTAINABILITY | 5

Upstate green tech firm turns filth to fuel ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com Garbage. It’s smelly, a waste of space

looking at what they can do with their waste. The first thing they want to do is try to avoid it, minimize it, recycle it, but then there comes a certain point where you’ve got this pile of something that nobody wants to buy, and they’ve got to do something with it.”

Take a small island or a rock-based area such as Nepal, for example, said Matt Baston of Taylors-based product development and engineering firm Yellow Root Design.

Baston’s firm has been working with Baker for years on these technologies. “They can’t dig in the ground and hide everything and park over it,” he

and an increasingly severe problem in a world with more stringent sustainability regulations and a rising population that just keeps producing it.

Thanks to technological innovations in the Upstate, however, garbage could power the economic growth we need, according to D4 Energy Group Chief Technology Officer Ron Baker.

After years of research and development, Baker, who is based in the Upstate, and his team are looking to be the bridge between landfills and industry by converting garbage into fuels that local industries and communities can use. The result “The first thing they want to do is try to is a community-tailored, wasteavoid [waste], minimize it, recycle it, but to-energy approach that fits the then there comes a certain point where specific needs of the community, you’ve got this pile of something that rather than sticking with the tranobody wants to buy, and they’ve got to do ditional, one-size-fits-all solution something with it.” of capturing landfill gases and Ron Baker, D4 Energy Group producing electricity, he said.

Baker spent 16 years with Michelin Tire as a field evaluation manager, and learned “there are a lot of entities out there that have their own set of issues … that are

said from his office in Taylors Mill. “They just need to get rid of the waste. Even though they have cheap hydroelectric power over there, they still want what we have to offer … you’re going to have to do something with it eventually.”

“A HUGE POTENTIAL MARKET” Part of the drive for waste-to-fuel conversions stems from the inevitable push towards sustainable energy production and waste control, even more significantly in European countries. But rather than simply being an increased cost municipalities and GARBAGE continued on PAGE 6

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6 | SUSTAINABILITY |

UBJ

NEWS

THE LATEST

SHERRY JACKSON | Staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com

King of Pops headed to Upstate

The King of Pops, a frozen fruit bars purveyor, is headed to Greenville. The company, which has locations in Charleston, Athens, Atlanta, Savannah, Charlotte and Richmond, offers exotic flavors of fruit bars – such as key lime pie with graham crackers, pineapple-habanero, and sea-salted chocolate – sourced from local ingredients.

The King of Pops is currently looking for kitchen space with a possible walk-up window. They’ve also filed paperwork with the city of Greenville for two cart spots along Main Street, said Greenville General Manager Jeremy Elrod. Elrod is hoping those will win approval this week. They’ve also already been approved for space at the downtown TD Saturday Market when it reopens in May.

GARBAGE continued from PAGE 5

firms have to deal with, waste-to-energy technology has the potential to make money, or at least offset the added costs through long-term purchase contracts, said Baker and Baston. If D4 and the investors behind their projects don’t see an opportunity for a return, they walk away, Baker said.

“Every city, every county, every state in the United States is facing a similar problem, some of which are more urgent than others,” he said, noting that projects for large municipalities could easily cost billions of dollars each. “It’s a huge potential market out there, which is the reason we’re trying to play.”

The company is involved with both international and domestic projects, one of which is a community in Oklahoma. The issue isn’t landfill space or overcrowding, Baker said, but an invasive evergreen taking over many of the pasture lands. Instead of simply burning the cedar—which is less than ideal for the environment—or using a traditional landfill or transit method of disposal, D4 is working to convert the biomass waste into dimethyl ether (a lower-emissions material), which can then be used for the region’s thriving poultry industry.

“Everybody wants to take waste material and convert it into electricity, but that is not a profitable venture in the United States,” because the highly regulated utility industry simply doesn’t have the

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03.13.2015

profit margins to invest heavily in renewables, he said. “There is a tremendous amount of attempts both domestically and internationally to be able to do what we do.”

FINDING SOLUTIONS While at Michelin, Baker spent time investigating ways to create value-added products out of used tires, which included projects such as rubberized asphalt. “I would go to where these tires were piling up next to these huge landfills,” he said. “I started [asking], ‘Well, what’s out there that can take a tire at the end of its life and convert it into something without emissions and do it correctly?’ It’s the same thing to deal with MSW [municipal solid waste], with garbage.”

Baker left Michelin in 1994 and has been working on similar projects ever since, all the while keeping his home base in Greenville. While D4 Energy Group is technically based in the Midwest, Baker and his team—including Baston—are located in South Carolina and the surrounding region.

“If someone has a serious enough issue, they’re going to find a solution. It may be to push it onto somebody else, and while I’m in South Carolina, I would prefer not to receive waste from everybody else,” Baker said. “But if it comes this way, we would like to be able to take that material and convert it to something that is beneficial to our state and our region.”

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NEWS

| FINANCE | 7

‘It starts with the people’

Greenville banking veteran Lynn Harton leads the Georgia-based UCB into the Upstate aboncimino@communityjournals.com Blairsville, Ga.-based United Community Bank (UCB) may be new to the Upstate, but its Greenville team certainly isn’t.

The company’s recently elected president and COO Lynn Harton—a Greenville banking veteran known for positions with hefty institutions such as TD Bank and The South Financial Group—has been on a hiring spree, snatching up talent to the tune of more than 60 names from the region’s banking roster to build out its local team.

For example, the bank most recently hired Rob Edwards to be UCB’s chief credit officer, in addition to Richard Bradshaw to head up SBA lending and Charles Chamberlain as director of corporate banking. All three were hired from TD Bank, but other key hires are most recently from Charleston (Mike

Davies in mortgage services), Raleigh-Durham (Christian Zych in M&A) and from Greenville-based CertusBank (Chuck Valerio with retail credit administration and Dan Graham as director of loan operations).

Southeastern banking has a relatively small network, which Harton, who has been with UCB for just over two years, says allowed him to personally vet many of the new hires behind these groups. Other hires have attracted more talent within their circles, which simply builds their pool of skills and experience, he said.

“When you’re trying to grow as fast as we would like to and at the same time manage the risk of that, which is our No. 1 job, it really helps if you know the people and they know each other,” Harton said.

SPECIALTY LENDING The decision is a part of the bank’s plan for growth, which is a combination

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“If you look at what happened during the crisis, the specialty lenders blew up because they didn’t have the funding,” said Harton, who said he followed health care with Small Business Administration lending. “The specialty groups operate independently, but they also kind of partner with the banks.”

Lynn Harton

Photo by Greg Beckner

ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

of strategic diversification—specifically when it comes to specialty lending— and “opportunistic acquisitions,” Harton said. While the nearly $8 billion asset bank has a strong presence in the north Georgia and North Carolina markets, “they’re not growing very rapidly,” he said. “Strategically, what we’ve been doing is focus on those higher-growth markets.”

Greenville has been highlighted as one of those high-growth markets, along with the north Atlanta area, Cleveland and Knoxville. Charleston is “definitely in the plan, but the timing of it is hard to see,” Harton said.

UCB’s strategy is to marry traditional community banking—a great source of stable deposits—with specialty lending operations, which suffered during the 2008 financial crisis because of a lack of funding, Harton said. High growth in the specialties will in turn help with costs associated with consumer lending compliance, which have been steadily increasing.

To avoid investing too much too soon, Harton said the bank invested a staggered growth strategy that built each specialty up over a period of time.

“Our strategy is really to cash flow everything, so we started with my first hire here for the income property group,” he said. The high-growth specialty—particularly with Class A apartments, hotels, credit tenant leases and shopping centers all over the Southeast—quickly began to pay for itself, he said, at which point they started a health care lending group based in Nashville.

BUILDING A COMMUNITY UCB opened its first branch location in South Carolina this month, and hopes the space—located on Augusta Street— will be a way for the community to get comfortable walking into the bank. The building includes a community room aimed at providing a space for neighborhood associations to hold meetings, Harton said.

“It starts with the people, so you have to have people who live there, who understand it,” he said. “Building a community is what a bank does. If the economics of a community don’t improve, then the bank’s business doesn’t go up. If economic activity improves, our activity improves.”

Part of Harton’s emphasis on hiring quality people, building quality customer relationships and highlighting diverse operations may stem from his experience during the financial crisis as president and CEO of The South Financial Group (TSFG), which used to be the largest bank headquartered in the state.

“The thing that really killed TSFG is that it had a concentration of land lines, and when the market fell out for land lines, it almost sealed the deal,” said Harton, who eventually made the decision to sell TSFG to TD Bank Financial Group in 2010. “The strength of the people at the end of the day, that’s why we were successful in selling the bank to TD. It was the first non-failed bank deal in the Southeast.”

Harton said the experience taught him the importance of working with a board, of communicating clearly and of emphasizing actions—rather than words—when it comes to leadership.

“I think we’re just trying to take the good pieces of where we all have been and do it better here,” he said. “I just think about how happy and fortunate I am to be sitting here and talking about this and talking about the quality of the people we’ve got on board and our plans for the Southeast and Greenville.”

8 | THE TAKEAWAY |

UBJ

NOTES FROM THE BEST TALKS YOU MISSED

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03.13.2015

‘Being right is overrated’ Toby Stansell, president of Acumen IT, shows that circumstances don’t have to be perfect for success to be shared by all

By MEGAN SHERARD,

Communications coordinator, Greenville Chamber

If you didn’t know what a “Toby-ism” was before, you will now. Toby Stansell, president and chief operating officer of Acumen, is known not only for his business success—with a track record of turning businesses around, accomplishments include helping Acumen IT produce top-line revenue growth of 35 percent and achieving a level of profitability never before attained during Acumen’s 14-year history—but also for his ability to quote nearly everyone from every walk of life, turning even the most commonplace phrase into something profound.

Before joining Acumen IT, Stansell served as president of Greenville-based OOBE Inc. During his tenure at the

corporate apparel and uniform provider, the company experienced unprecedented growth in revenue and profitability. He has also served in executive management roles for high-impact, fast-growth companies like Factory Logic and Western Data Systems.

WHAT NOT TO DO If Stansell were to write a book, it would be titled “What NOT to Do.” After all, he says, “Wise people learn from experience. Wiser people learn from the fools who went before them.”

Among his list of things to avoid were: 1. Don’t be born in the city where the atomic bomb was invented.

Born in Oak Ridge, Tenn., he reminisced on his childhood growing up in the same town as K-25, one of three plants that were part of the Manhattan Project. Secrecy was important

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WHAT: The Greenville Chamber’s Friday Forum Series WHEN: Feb. 27, 2015 WHERE: Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Conference Center FEATURE PRESENTATION: “Being Right… Is Overrated” with Toby Stansell WHO WAS THERE: More than 120 members of Greenville’s business community to the town, ideologically troublesome for a boy who liked to talk.

2. Don’t be born with a hole in your heart the size of a dime. At a meager 36 pounds, his sister weighed more at two years old than he did in the first grade.

3. Don’t live in 900-square-foot government housing with no insulation.

4. Don’t go to elementary school where they try to make you a foreign diplomat by the time you’re 8 years old. He was taught both French and Spanish from a young age.

5. Don’t join the military when you’re 5 years old. Students in Oak Ridge wore two military dog tags to school just in case of emergency—not exactly comforting.

6. When you’re 5 years old, don’t ride your bike in the street with your hands off the handlebar when police live in your apartment building. When a police officer warned him not to ride his bike without his hands, he told the officer “no.” Witnessing the encounter, his mother scolded him and told him to apologize. When he refused, his mother threw a blanket over him, tied him up and carried him

over to the officer’s apartment to apologize. We’re not sure whether the moral of the story was to always treat others with respect, or to never say no to your mother.

The background, complete with the list of to-don’ts, while fascinating, isn’t the important part. In Stansell’s own words, “It’s not the background that matters. It’s what happens after the prologue.” Though his youth seems like there are more to-don’ts than to-do’s, this hasn’t prevented him from achieving great success, proof that from small beginnings come great things.

TOBY-ISMS ON TEAMWORK Stansell’s childhood may not have been “right,” but after all, being right can often lead to dismissal of others’ ideas, limitation of creativity, restriction of collaboration, and the breeding of arrogance, in turn making you seem unapproachable. To create an inviting, team-minded culture, Stansell uses three guiding principles: Principle 1: There’s more than one way to get to the endgame and achieve the desired results. He is always open to other options, as long as they are ethical and don’t violate the brand value or the company’s culture.

Principle 2: It doesn’t matter if I’m right or you’re right—let’s just get it right. Sometimes you have to let go of your pride for the betterment of the team.

Principle 3: Major in the four C’s: Communication, Collaboration, Cooperation and Coordination.

As Toby puts it, “We get it right by getting it together.”

Other “Toby-isms” on teamwork include: Don’t draw attention.

Pay attention.

upstatebusinessjournal.com Talk less. Do more.

Talk with people, not about them.

Be clear. Always use stunning clarity.

In God we trust, all others bring data.

Don’t defend it, deal with it.

No drama—let’s take our energy out of the air and put it into the effort.

Humility is more important than visibility.

Learn to say, “What can I do for you?” And actually mean it.

ONE GREENVILLE As we learn to let go of the pressures of being right, adopting the “get it right by getting it together” attitude, we begin to build “One Greenville.”

Though we have many players, we can have one team, with one shared message, blueprint, scorecard and vision. “Good leadership creates an environment that’s a perfect balance of accountability and authority.” As we work together to create one unified Greenville, we can assess our leadership skills using his three-pronged leadership test: 1. Did we consider all stakeholders?

Expand prosperity by requesting outside input.

2. Did we project? Did we think ahead, beyond today?

3. Did we achieve the intended result? This is the ultimate test.

Great leaders set goals.

“Let’s eliminate overlap and inconsistencies and put energy on coordination, not locked in silos without working with partners.” In essence, let’s adopt the abundant-world approach.

Stansell is the shining example that all circumstances don’t have to be perfect for plenty of success to be had for all. When we learn to work together and share responsibility, amazing things can happen. “Making a great life, or a great community, or achieving the seemingly impossible is not always about being right.“ Maybe being right truly is overrated.

NOTES FROM THE BEST TALKS YOU MISSED

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| THE TAKEAWAY | 9

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10 | INNOVATE |

UBJ

MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE

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03.13.2015

Small-town investors get big-city exposure

Robust entrepreneurial and angel communities thrive in ‘flyover country’

By MATT DUNBAR,

managing director, Upstate Carolina Angel Network

“Many have the impression that most angel investing happens in Silicon Valley, Boston and New York. I’m here to tell you that angel investing is thriving in many other places across the country.

Case in point: angels in so called ‘flyover states’ without a tradition of venture capital or cities with populations of 100,000. These locations are creative angel epicenters that are doing special things to be successful.”

This paragraph was the introduction to an article published two weeks ago on Forbes.com entitled “The Emergence of Small Town Angel Investing.”

In the article by Marianne Hudson, executive director of the national Angel Capital Association, the featured angel group she used to illustrate her point was Greenville’s own Upstate Carolina Angel Network.

We were certainly honored to receive the national exposure and we are always excited to see the state’s profile raised among the entrepreneurial and venture community—but it was also a good remind-

er to us to make sure we tell our story closer to home here in the Upstate. After a record-setting 2014 and a strong start to 2015, we’d like to share a few highlights.

Last year, UCAN set records for its number of investments, dollars invested and company exits.

With $2.6 million invested across 15 funding rounds in 2014, UCAN has now invested a total of $11.6 million in 36 companies across 69 rounds. Importantly, 80 percent of those dollars have been invested in 22 South Carolina companies that have created over 300 high-paying jobs.

Of course, the key to angel investing is realizing investment returns, and there were three acquisitions in the UCAN portfolio last year, headlined by the EKF Diagnostics purchase of Selah Genomics for $75 million. Additionally, several other portfolio companies realized substantial growth and secured new funding at improved valuations.

In 2014, UCAN also helped launch the South Carolina Angel Network, which is building out a more robust infrastructure for early-stage capital formation across the state through angel groups and funds. New angel groups were launched in Columbia (Capital Angels) and Asheville (Asheville Angels), both of which now exceed 30 members. SCAN also launched the Palmetto Angel Fund, a committed capital fund that co-invests alongside the active angels in the SCAN member groups. The $1.4 million fund has already made five promising investments, and based on investor interest, the fund recently re-opened to new commitments through the end of March. Finally, a major highlight in 2014 was UCAN’s recognition as one of the Top 10 angel groups in the country by venture data company CB Insights.

Building on the momentum coming out of 2014, UCAN is off to a strong start in 2015. The group >>

“You may need to roll up your sleeves a little more to build or support the local entrepreneurial infrastructure, but there are opportunities, resources, and angel groups to connect with.”

Marianne Hudson, executive director of the national Angel Capital Association, in Forbes.com

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MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE

>> has already made its first three investments this Already this year, new groups have launched year in support of companies in our portfolio, inin Spartanburg (Spartanburg Angels) and cluding South Carolina-based CharlestonPharma Charleston (Lowcountry Angels), with active and The Iron Yard. discussions underway The first new addition to in three other “small

BY THE NUMBERS: the portfolio this year will be town” communities ActivEd, an education softacross the state. ware company founded by Good things are invested happening across the Furman professor Julian

by UCAN across 15 funding rounds in 2014 Reed and local entrepreneur entrepreneurial ecoMatt Ferebee. The vidsystem in South total eo-based software platform Carolina, and we’re is based on Dr. Reed’s reproud to be a part of invested in 36 companies across 60 rounds search on cognition and it. We may be a flyover state when it motion—students learn invested in better when they are moving comes to venture South Carolina companies (and the activity also imcapital, but we are proves health and reduces growing organically high-paying jobs created with interested invesbehavior problems at the same time), so they developed tors who are joining Source: Upstate Carolina Angel Network the Walkabouts program to us as we make some get students out of their desks money, have some and moving while reinforcing math and literacy fun and do some good. Here’s the way concepts required by the curriculum. The product Hudson put it in her concluding paragraph: has just been released from beta and will soon be ”If you are based in a smaller community making a difference in classrooms across the country. or flyover state, know that you can be part UCAN’s first exit for 2015 is also in the works. of a robust entrepreneurial and angel comAlthough the details can’t be announced publicly munity. You may need to roll up your sleeves just yet, the rate of return to UCAN investors will a little more to build or support the local entrepreneurial infrastructure, but there are opporeasily exceed 100 percent.

Finally, SCAN continues to expand at a rapid pace. tunities, resources, and angel groups to connect with.

| INNOVATE | 11

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12 | DIGITAL MAVEN |

UBJ

THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUSINESS

PROFESSIONALS Count on our State-of-the-art Laundry Department to look their best everyday!

Why net neutrality matters to small business

By LAURA HAIGHT, president, portfoliosc.com neutrality makes my head hurt. And worse, everyone’s eyes glaze over in that look that says, “Please stop torturing me!”

Exactly one year ago, in this column I talked about the importance of net neutrality and its role in maintaining an equal and open society with unfettered access to information. Last month, the FCC did the right thing and upheld net neutrality, fighting back a big-business lobby.

How many new tech businesses would be nothing more than a USB key tossed in a drawer if the access to the very backbone itself had been in someone else’s control?

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03.13.2015

A victory for innovation

Just trying to explain net

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The propaganda campaign hauled out the same, tired song: government overreach, unnecessary restriction, the Obama-net. But in reality, the decision is one that strongly benefits business— your business. Especially if you are a startup or a small business, relying— as so many of us do—on the Internet, social media and mobile apps to reach your audience.

Here’s how.

Innovation and creativity are exciting—and hard-pressed for cash. A Google search for “app developer Greenville SC” produced 153,000 results. Let’s assume there’s a lot of duplication and only 25 percent are actual businesses or individuals.

Then there are only 38,000 app developers in the area. What would happen if those companies developing new health technology apps to streamline collaboration and consultation, or home automation systems, or just the next big game, had to pay fees to ISPs like Verizon, AT&T or Charter in order to ensure their data would get a priority ride on the information superhighway? Apps with

delays, data loss, freezes and dropped connections are losers. How many new tech businesses would be nothing more than a USB key tossed in a drawer if the access to the very backbone itself had been in someone else’s control?

How important is Internet access, speed and reliability to your company?

According to the Pew Research Institute, 94 percent of all workers use the Internet. The top tools for all workers: email and online access. In fact, since the Internet went mainstream in the early ’80s, small businesses have grown by 49 percent. Many of them are fueled by access to markets and social media made possible by the Internet’s equal playing field.

One could argue that the entire contingent workforce—made up of freelancers, independent contractors and single-owner proprietorships—that has grown exponentially since the recession is fueled in large part by Internet access. Contingent workers with skills that traverse geographic boundaries are able to find customers and markets that were not accessible just a decade ago. If designers, writers, Web developers and app creators were faced with a “pay-to-play” situation, many would be quickly priced out of business.

Critics of the FCC decision say these are worst-case scenarios, unlikely to

DEFINED Net neutrality: “A uniform playing field for Internet transport. Net neutrality is the absence of restrictions or priorities placed on the transmission of content by the ISPs that run the major backbones. … It means all traffic is treated equally, and all packets are delivered on a first-come, firstserved basis regardless from where they originated.”

Source: PC Magazine

happen. And yet so long as the capability is there, some will test it. If they’re successful, others will follow.

And the potential certainly exists for the Internet to become yet another “get” for the haves and wistful hope for the have-nots.

Now that the FCC has put this to rest, perhaps we can focus on a real issue: the sorry state of broadband speed and accessibility in the U.S. According to the NetIndex, a data report developed by Ookla based on 50 million global speed tests each month, the US is 27th in the world in broadband speed. Who’s better than us? Macau, Lithuania, Moldova, Iceland, Estonia, Bulgaria and Hungary. And I didn’t even mention all the Asians and Scandinavians.

Now there’s something we could be working on.

upstatebusinessjournal.com

NAMES FROM YESTERDAY WHO GOT US WHERE WE ARE TODAY

| FOUNDATIONS | 13

BUILT TO ENDURE

Photo by Greg Beckner

Greenville’s skyline owes a debt to Charles Ezra Daniel

Charles Ezra Daniel

Contributed by the staff of the South Carolina Room at the Greenville County Public Library.

Greenville, S.C., is a beautiful city.

Nestled snugly in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, its stunning skyline is dominated by the Landmark Building, or as it was once known, the Daniel Building. This skyscraper is the crowning achievement and signature structure of the Daniel Construction Company.

Charles Ezra Daniel was born in Elberton, Ga., in 1895 and moved to Anderson County with his family a few years later. He was a good student and a hard worker, earning a scholarship to enter the Citadel in 1916; unfortunately his college career was cut short by World War I. He served as a lieutenant in France in the Army’s 6th Division and returned to the Upstate when the war ended.

In his youth he had learned construction techniques from his father, James, a millwright, but it was his work for Townshend Lumber in Anderson after the war that really taught him the profession.

At Townshend, he became interested in building things on a large scale. The textile industry was rapidly expanding in South Carolina in the 1920s, which meant factories to be built along with their attendant mill villages. Charles Daniel was one of the first to see that building a village could be a more efficient process if the houses were mass-produced rather than individually crafted. Daniel Construction, which he founded in 1934, would ultimately become famous for its efficiency.

Daniel Construction Company grew rapidly during the 1930s in spite of the Great Depression. New Deal money was readily available for infrastructure projects in the form of loans and grants; Daniel made good use of these opportunities to grow his company.

In December 1941, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Greenville was selected as the home of a major new military installation. Daniel Construction was

Photos provided

Greenville Army Base, now the Donaldson Center Charles Daniel Building

awarded the contract to build Greenville Army Air Base, which later became Donaldson Center.

The facility was completed in 90 days, an almost unbelievable accomplishment. Other wartime projects included significant enlargements of the Charleston and Savannah Navy Yards, always on time and under budget.

It was during the postwar years that Charles Daniel perfected the art of industrial recruiting; in 1945 he helped establish the State Development Board to attract new businesses. According to William Jennings Bryan Dorn, who served in the S.C. House of Representatives from 1947-1949 and 1951-1975, “He was South Carolina’s ambassador for private enterprise and economic development.”

Daniel brought many industries to the South and was a major player in the effort to bring the Greenville-Spartanburg airport to the region. Daniel Construction Company built the Bob Jones University campus and much of the new Furman campus.

Clemson House, Johnstone Hall and the Sirrine Textile Building, all at Clemson University, were also Daniel Construction projects. When Charles Daniel died in 1964, his company was one of the largest construction companies in the world. It merged with the Fluor Corporation in 1977.

Charles Daniel was a visionary in many ways. He was an advocate for racial integration in educational institutions, an extremely unpopular position to take in the early 1960s. His impact on Greenville is such that without him, the revitalization efforts of the 1980s may have never occurred.

The Greenville News editorial of Sept. 14, 1964, paid tribute to Daniel, stating that “Emerson once said that ‘an institution is the lengthened shadow of one man.’ Mr. Daniel built in his company a great institution, and it is his ‘lengthened shadow.’ But he built it, as he built everything else, to endure.” When you next look at the Greenville skyline, take a moment to think of Charles Ezra Daniel.

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UBJ

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03.13.2015

COFFEE CULTURE

PERKS

UP Photos by Paul Mehaffey

A new coffee academy is only the latest result from a tide of demand for a more sophisticated coffee experience—and with downtown reaching capacity for bean slingers, entrepreneurs are pushing their craft beyond Greenville’s city limits ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com The Upstate has worked up a terrible thirst.

Thirst, that is, for a sophisticated coffee experience—and not just in downtown Greenville, if recent openings are any indication. A plethora of downtown

bean slingers is pushing coffee entrepreneurs to spread their craft beyond city limits.

At least five specialty coffee shops have opened their doors during the past year, including two since January. That’s in addition to a coffee-powered music venue and an upcoming specialty coffee training center to build the Upstate’s certified barista workforce.

Clockwise from top left: A barista at Methodical Coffee in downtown Greenville prepares a brewed beverage; Espresso dripping at Village Grind in the Village of West Greenville; Pour over set up at Due South Coffee Roasters in Taylors Mill; Village Grind co-owner Lindsey George.

While cafés aren’t new in themselves, what’s surprising is the emphasis on one of the industry’s niche markets—specialty coffee—said Ricardo Pereira, co-owner of Taylors-based Due South Coffee Roasters, which opened as a specialty coffee venue and roasting company in Taylors Mill last year.

“Specialty” is defined as coffee beans with quality ratings of 80 points or higher out of a hundred, >>

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

>> while coffee with fewer than 80 points is commercial-grade coffee. Five shops opening in the last year is a sign the Upstate is growing up, he said.

“The South is the last part of the country coming around to take the movement of the Northeast and the Northwest,” said Pereira, a longtime coffee importer and current specialty coffee manager for Ally Brazilian Coffee Merchants. “The Southeast is starting to actually move, and Greenville is the same way.”

Younghwa Hudgens with Coffee & Crema at work in the Main Street coffee counter in downtown Greenville.

Photos by Greg Beckner

Building a movement Building awareness of specialty coffee in Greenville started more than 10 years ago with Coffee & Crema, known among local coffee aficionados as the first specialty coffee shop in the Upstate, said coffee connoisseur Will Shurtz.

Known for his traveling brew bar business Vagabond Barista, Shurtz is also co-owner of Methodical Coffee, a specialty coffee shop that opened this year in the Bank of America Building in downtown Greenville.

“They started this whole trend of specialty coffee in Greenville,” said Shurtz, referring to Coffee & Crema owner Shannon Hudgens, who gained fame

with his coffee bar in Haywood Mall and now operates across from Methodical at 2 N. Main St. “Before Coffee & Crema … specialty coffee in Greenville and in the Southeast was really lacking and almost nonexistent.”

Coffee & Crema served as an unofficial training ground for many of Greenville coffee’s movers and shakers, said Alex Medina, who will soon launch a specialty coffee academy to teach aspiring baristas the fine points of fine coffee making. Medina began his career in coffee with an eight-year stint at Coffee & Crema before working at Due South.

“A lot of people who are in the shops that have opened in specialty coffee either knew someone who worked at Coffee & Crema or worked there as well,” he said. “It’s like if it wasn’t for that, a lot of people might not have gotten into specialty coffee, or it would have taken a lot longer to get to where it is now.”

Born in Greer, Hudgens spent several years out of state and out of the country before returning and starting Coffee & Crema in 2004.

Hudgens said he was the first to do a “single-origin” espresso in the Upstate, or offering an espresso made from a single type of bean rather than a blend of several.

Doing so—and with high-quality coffee—could be expensive, and he has had people walk away or remind him that coffee used to be a quarter a cup after looking at his prices.

“You’ve got to decide on where you cut corners on, and … the easiest thing to cut corners on is the cost of coffee,” he said.

“Greenville in the last 10 years has come a long way.”

AWARENESS, INTERNATIONALS AND A GOOD CUP OF COFFEE Several factors lie behind rising demand, most notably the increase in public awareness and knowledge about specialty coffee, said Travelers Rest-based Leopard Forest Coffee Company coowner Adam Kelley.

Founded in 2004, Leopard Forest roasts coffee from Africa and Central and South America for use all over the country. The company has seen around a 10 percent bump in demand every year since it opened, Kelley said.

“Once people become more educated in specialty things … the more they know, the more they want,” he said. “I think it’s the demand for the artisanal craft nature of it.”

Once people are aware of the quality coffee available, they’re more likely to seek it out, said Lindsey George, co-owner of The Village Grind, a specialty coffee shop that debuted last October in The Village of West Greenville.

George—along with business partners Jim Bolt and Carl Chambers—said the shop uses Due South coffee and focuses on quality ingredients. While she said she’s not a coffee snob, most people can tell the difference between commercial and specialty coffee.

“If you put them side by side, there’s a difference,” she said.

Greenville’s growing population of diverse and well-traveled coffee drinkers is also driving the trend, as people from larger metropolitan areas and from overseas have different expectations for their cup of joe, said Spartanburg-based Bella Latte General Manager Eric Blanton. Located near the BMW Performance Center, GSP International Airport and several other large companies, Blanton said half of the shop’s customer base is from around the world.

“It’s interesting to see that they have a very different definition of what coffee is compared to the average person from South Carolina,” Blanton said, noting the shop has carved out a niche for itself by providing a high-quality cup of coffee with more convenience and speed. “They want the quality of something you’d get at Due South, but they don’t have time to wait for the long brew.”

OVERCROWDING DOWNTOWN Of the five specialty coffee shops added in the last year, four opened outside of downtown Greenville, revealing the small area’s limit for supporting such a high number of existing coffee shops, said Coffee & Crema founder Shannon Hudgens, who serves specialty coffee at 2 N. Main St. COFFEE continued on PAGE 16

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UBJ

Housed in a historic building in Simpsonville, Exchange Co. was founded on the premise of creatThe area immediately surrounding his shop ing a space to build community, Bacaro said. While supports Moe Joe Coffee and Music House, Port coffee chains such as Starbucks played a significant City Java, Coffee Underground, and recently opened role in building interest and awareness about coffee, Methodical Coffee and The there is certainly room for Chocolate Moose, which regrowth for independent FRESHEN THAT UP? cently began emphasizing its shops in the area in the coffee, Hudgens said. “We future, he said.

Five new specialty coffee shops* have have reached our capacity in opened in the Upstate in the past year “As the understanding of these three blocks at least.” coffee really expands, people Exchange Co. Coffee Bar and Bake Shop, Competition and crowding want more than just their Simpsonville, February 2015 downtown was one of the daily fix for a dollar at Mcreasons Michael and Roxanne Methodical Coffee, downtown Greenville, Donald’s,” he said. “When Bacaro decided to open their February 2015 you think about larger cities, shop—Exchange Co. Coffee there are different things

The Village Grind, Village of West Bar and Bake Shop—in Greenville, January 2015 that appeal to different Simpsonville last month. people. … If I drink coffee Tandem Creperie and Coffeehouse, “Instead of competing everyday like many people Travelers Rest, July 2014 there, we wanted to go where do, I may want a different the need was,” said Michael Due South Coffee Roasters, Taylors, environment.”

Bacaro, whose shop brews February 2014 SPREADING THE BUZZ specialty coffee from a * Coffee beans with quality ratings of 80 points The Village Grind roaster in Tennessee. “In or higher out of 100 co-owner Lindsey George downtown Greenville, I said support from the local probably couldn’t even count artist community in The Village of West Greenville the number of shops. We moved here about a year has been strong and consistent, likely because the ago and there was just no local coffee shop … the coffee house filled a niche the community needed. city’s growing, so I think it was just a matter of time.”

COFFEE continued from PAGE 15

Coffee Academy aims to slake Upstate’s thirst for baristas

Upstate coffee experts Ricardo Pereira and Alex Medina are opening a specialty coffee academy to not only to give local residents a chance at a career, but to boost the region’s specialty coffee culture.

“I might go in and meet this amazing farmer and buy this amazing coffee from him, pay this amazing price … and then the barista is the one who is going to have the final touch,” said Pereira, a longtime coffee importer and current specialty coffee manager for Ally Brazilian Coffee Merchants. If that barista doesn’t brew the coffee properly, “then all that work is thrown away,” he said.

Pereira is a licensed Q grader—the coffee equivalent of a wine grand sommelier, he said—by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, a nonprofit trade organization and coffee knowledge development group. He and Medina—who also works at

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03.13.2015

Rather than open a shop in Greenville during a less-than-stellar economy, now-Stomping Grounds co-proprietor Lisa Garland said she saw more of a need in Greer for a coffee house. Garland—who completed coffee courses in Portland—said she has seen “definitely a change in the trends for coffee.”

Garland said while the shop doesn’t work with specialty coffee, customers have begun to ask for specialty preparation methods such as pour-overs and French press coffee, a sign of an increasingly sophisticated coffee customer, she said.

“Over the three years we’ve been here, as we’ve had a chance to educate people about good coffee …

I’ve seen my customers evolve from starting out with heavy cream and sugar to putting a drop of cream in because they’ve had a chance to develop their palate,” she said. “There’s definitely a change in the trends of coffee for sure.”

As Stomping Grounds has become a destination coffee shop, Garland says she’s been approached by neighboring towns about opening locations, since coffee houses act as local cultural and community hubs and are more convenient for residents.

“Inman and Woodruff have been screaming for establishments to come out their direction because Woodruff people go to Greenville and Inman people go to Landrum or Spartanburg,” she said. “We’re more than just coffee.”

Ally and specialty coffee roasting company and venue Due South—plan to teach classes ranging from basic roasting and brewing to customer management and safety through the organization.

“The actual pay difference between certified and non-certified baristas, it’s a good bit,” said Medina, who began his coffee career with an eight-year stint at Coffee & Crema in Greenville.

“Non-certified are getting $5,000 less per year.”

Ricardo Pereira (far left), with Ally Brazilian Coffee Merchants in Taylors Mill.

Pereira, along with quality control and lab supervisor Alex Medina (middle), leads Ally’s office and handles grading, sampling and sales of specialty coffee. The facility is also a Specialty Coffee Association of America certified lab.

Photos by Greg Beckner

Ally’s Taylors Mill office will double as the coffee academy, equipped with gleaming espresso machines, locally crafted work tables, small-batch roasters and grinders and a separate cupping room to sample the product.

The duo say they have already been approached by several people interested in classes and certification, and Pereira said coffee companies in the area would be interested in sending their employees to the academy for certification.

“There isn’t anywhere you can go here in America, any college in America where you can get a degree in coffee,” he said. “There is this demand and there is this niche. We are super pumped about this space.”

The lab—which needs to be approved by the Specialty Coffee Association of America before classes can begin—is the first in the Upstate and one of few in the Southeast region, Pereira said. The organization records the participant’s completed classes and certifications in its database, which serves as a digital resume for baristas applying for work.

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UBJ

WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE YOU NEED TO KNOW

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03.13.2015

No. 1 fan

The Road Warriors’

Photos by Greg Beckner

Team owner Fred Festa has committed to five more years to make hockey succeed in the Upstate APRIL A. MORRIS | STAFF

amorris@communityjournals.com

Fred Festa, president and CEO of Maryland-based W.R. Grace & Co., purchased the ECHL Greenville Road Warriors hockey team in 2012 and was in the Upstate last week to announce that the team extended its contract for another five years with the Bon Secours Wellness Center.

A former financial manager with General Electric, Festa took over as CEO of Grace in 2005 in the midst of reorganization after a Chapter 11 filing. The company produces chemicals, building materials, catalysts and packaging materials. Since Festa took

the helm, the company has settled claims related to asbestos exposure and one of the largest asbestos-related environmental cleanup lawsuits in the U.S. Grace emerged from bankruptcy in early 2014 after 13 years and announced in February that it will split into two separate companies. As of December 2014, the company reported $3.2 billion in sales.

Original Road Warriors owners Neil Smith and Steven Posner sold the team to Festa, citing diminishing attendance and financial losses. Festa sat down with UBJ last week to talk about his experience as team owner and what’s next for minor league hockey in the Upstate.

Has attendance been what you were expecting since you first bought the team?

Candidly, it’s been below what I’ve expected. We deserve to be at the league average, 4,500 folks per game; we’re at 3,500. It’s gotta work its way up.

We’ve had some games with 7,300 in attendance.

The league has worked with us on our schedule so we’re not competing as heavily with high school or college football. At the minor league level, we’d love everyone to follow us, but we’re looking to create an entertainment value that will attract people, whether they come to five games a year or 20 games a year.

I think we’ve done that.

Why does Greenville need a hockey team?

I don’t know if Greenville needs a hockey team, but Greenville deserves a hockey team. Where else are you going to have a diverse entertainment base?

When you look at indoor football or indoor soccer, the volatility is much higher than minor league hockey. Relocation experts drive by the arena when people ask, “What are we going to do for entertainment?” From running a company, I know how hard it is to attract, retain and motivate employees, and you’ve got to capture the family.

What can increase interest?

We need corporate partnership support. We’ve issued a corporate challenge to the top 100 companies in employee base to purchase season tickets and give them out to their employees. Once they come, we think they’ll come back.

Has the community involvement paid off?

To the degree in the numbers, it hasn’t shown it.

I think we’ve got some momentum. The old owners were in for two years; they were getting out after 18 months. We were in for three years. There may >>

upstatebusinessjournal.com

WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE YOU NEED TO KNOW

| C-SUITE | 21

>> be a little bit of wait-and-see. We’re here for another five years. This should take out any of the uncertainty that we’re not here to stay.

In 2012, you mentioned seeking to invest in other minor league teams. Have you done that?

I’ve looked at a couple—hockey and a baseball team. With the realignment of minor league hockey, we’ll get more in the conference. We’ve got work to do here. I’d love to see us put a rink down here. One sheet of ice is not enough. If someone were willing to want to do that in a public-private partnership, I’d be willing to do that.

“I don’t know if Greenville needs a hockey team, but Greenville deserves a hockey team.”

BY THE NUMBERS: When you purchased the team, you had said that you were willing to spend $1 million on the team.

Has that happened?

I’ve done more than that. The investment has been larger than I thought, which is fine. [Festa would not disclose the specific total investment.]

How have you shaped the team since its purchase?

My mark on it has been to operate ethically and right out front. That’s how I do business. You see it too often in minor sports leagues that a person tries to cut a corner here or there because the budgets are very tight. Fortunately, we’re in a little different position than that.

How has your corporate experience influenced how you approach this investment?

I am metric-driven: Forward-looking as well as past and putting it into data. That’s something that they weren’t used to. I have to be careful, though, because I’m dealing with people [at the arena] who are wearing 10 hats. I’m used to dealing with cor-

3,572

—average attendance for

Greenville Road Warriors (fifth lowest porate staff. But I am trying to put some of that discipline and rigor around the process.

I think it has paid us benefits.

in the ECHL)

4,432

close. I believe it will be like that going forward.

—average ECHL

Do you think the Road Warriors will cultivate a league attendance What has surprised you fan base like the about your experience Greenville Drive?

—average attendance for I do. The baseball team for owning the Road Warriors?

I thought that we would the first few years wasn’t Ontario Reign (top in attendance) have more success with the spectacular from that standfan base and community point [attendance], and now I think it’s got a home. I do think it takes time. because I believed that the Grrowl did that. …

I naively thought that would transfer much quicker.

How often do you get to watch your team?

I still believe that it will. The demographics of this Not often enough. We try to come down for a area support this type of team or even a larger team. weekend and go to the whole weekend series. Last I should have realized a lot sooner that the partneryear during the playoffs I came a lot. Hopefully, we’ll ship between an arena and a team has got to be very make a nice long run in the playoffs.

7,578

FRED FESTA Age: 54 Hometown: Rome, N.Y. Occupation: President and CEO, W.R. Grace & Co. (headquartered in Columbia, Md.); owner, Greenville Road Warriors Education: SUNY Oswego, B.S. finance Lifelong love: Festa grew up playing hockey and still plays in the men’s league at The Gardens Ice House in Laurel, Md. “I love the camaraderie. Everybody has a role and I like the discipline of everyone having a certain role. Me, I like to be the guy who sets up the assist. What I like about the discipline is that everyone has a role and everyone sticks to their role. If they don’t, that’s when things break down. That’s true in business as well.”

“We’re here for another five years. This should take out any of the uncertainty that we’re not here to stay.”

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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

Continuing The Legacy for 50 Years

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03.13.2015

$3M activity center opens at Cliffs at Keowee Falls The new center is somewhat unique among The sjackson@communityjournals.com Cliffs Communities, in that @SJackson_CJ these amenities are available for use by all Keowee Falls At the Cliffs at Keowee Falls, a property owners, not only Cliffs Club recently opened sports, activity and members, Winter said. He expects wellness center is designed to give sales “to be brisk this spring with the residents and prospective property additional investment.” owners another amenity at the re-

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

TRANSFORMING COMMUNITY

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CGD Renovations and Additions

Fine Arts Center 1974

CGD Renovations and Additions

Legacy Charter Elementary 2010

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Southern Depot Elementary 1956 Hattie Logan Duckett Elementary 1966

CGD Renovations and Additions

sort-like community.

Worthington Hyde Properties, the developer of the Cliffs at Keowee Falls, recently invested $3 million to build the 7-acre, 4,800-square-foot Keowee Falls Sports, Activity and Wellness Park.

“This is the largest investment being made in any of the Cliffs communities,” said Justin Winter with Sotheby’s International Realty, the exclusive broker for the community. The center was built to make the development more attractive and provide property owners with the amenities they expect, he said.

Located near the Keowee Falls clubhouse and golf course, the new center offers a gym, resort-style pool, four lighted tennis courts, basketball courts, a yoga/ relaxation pavilion near a waterfall, as well as a track, playing field and putting green.

An integrated jogging and hiking trail connects up to 10 additional miles of trails in the community.

The new center also has a fulltime fitness director and a variety of classes and spa services available. Owners can book the main clubhouse room with a stone fireplace for private functions.

BY THE NUMBERS:

197 100 8 145 12 20 2,500

homes at Keowee Falls full-time residents

homes currently under construction lots owned by developer

lots currently on the market miles of private shoreline acres of woodland

upstatebusinessjournal.com

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

LISTED: Buncombe Street Properties Six acres are for sale on Buncombe Street. Could this be the next hot spot in downtown Greenville?

515, 600, and 601 Buncombe Street have all been listed for sale. All properties are located near the Upcountry History Museum, adjacent to both to the North Main and Hampton-Pinckney Historic District neighborhoods.

515 Buncombe Lot size: 1.0+- acre Buildings: One building, 4,260 SF; second building, 5,680 SF Asking price: $2.5 million For more information, contact Frank Hammond, Colliers International, 864-527-5451 600 Buncombe

Lot size: 1.91+- acres Buildings: 53,000 SF All properties are zoned RDV and Asking price: $3.3 million For more information, contact have multiple access points.

Alexi Papapieris, NAI Earle Furman, 864-232-9040 601 Buncombe

N 600 Buncombe St

Lot size: 2.88 +- acres Buildings: 38,000 SF Asking price: undisclosed, accepting offers For more information, contact Alexi Papapieris, NAI Earle Furman, 864-232-9040 od

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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

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Highland Homes targets David Street for redevelopment SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF 276

sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ

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working to “revitalize” the David Street community with 20 lots available for sale in the neighborhood.

Local real estate experts are eyeing this neighborhood, near downtown and close to the North Main and Hampton-Pinckney communities, as the next big gentrification focus. Highland Homes focuses primarily on infill development.

“We are re-investing, replenishing and redeveloping an area,” said Patrick Franzen with Highland Homes. “Most of the surrounding homes are now mostly owned, not rented, and that leads to a revitalized neighborhood.”

Three lots have already been sold and are under construction. Home prices are in the $350,000 range. Several floor plans are available to build.

Homes in this community are also available for a specialized loan program from South State Bank that offers 100 percent financing with no mortgage insurance required.

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We’ve got Upstate commercial real estate covered.

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for the redevelopment of the Greenville News site, Greenville developer Centennial American Properties (CAP) has acquired two additional properties along Main Street that are adjacent to the current building.

The two buildings at 421 and 423 S. Main St. will be demolished along with the Greenville News building. Liz Daly Designs, which occupies the ground floor space at 421 S. Main, previously announced that she would be moving and was looking for new space on Main Street.

A spokesperson for CAP said acquiring the two buildings will “add a few thousand square feet of retail to the building that was already in that area, and will allow for the widening of that plaza stairway to open that area up.”

The project, called Camperdown, is expected to have a public plaza surrounded by 18 condos, 225 apartments, an upscale seven-story hotel, a fitness center, two office buildings, retail and restaurant spaces and a dine-in movie theater.

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| SQUARE FEET | 25

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UBJ

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

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03.13.2015

Lofts project receives conditional board approval A “landmark sign” for the community is included sjackson@communityjournals.com in the most recent render@SJackson_CJ ings but will be approved separately when the The Lofts of Greenville, a new project is a little further along. Karie 215-unit apartment complex at the Kovacocy, architect with Floridaintersection of Westfield and Academy based Group 4 Design, told the streets, is moving forward after revised DRB that since the site is a gateway plans went in front of the city’s Design site into the city, she sees the sign as Review Board last week and received a landmark sign, similar to the Love conditional approval. sign in Philadelphia.

The project is being built by BirThe four-story development with mingham-based Arlington Properties, 215 apartments will be a mixture of the same company that is building studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom Vélo at Verdae, a new 262-unit apartunits.

Approximately 50 of those will ment community.

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

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7 St.

KEY PLAN

have direct-entry garages. Shared amenities will include a workout 13 a facility, common area Wi-Fi with cyber café, club room, billiard room, pet area, a swimming pool with a large deck and a bike barn with workshop space.

Rents are expected to be from $950 for a 550-square-foot studio to $1,800 a month for a three-bedroom apartment. Apartments will feature the standard granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and higher-end finishes.

Construction is expected to begin late spring 2015 and will take approximately 12-18 months. field

West

Updates to the design since the project was first announced in DecemGreenville Multi-Family DRB Review ber include mostly exterior changes, said Mark Stuermann, vice president of development for Arlington Properties. The roof pitches are now updated with a butterfly-type design. More brick has been included and additional streetscaping along Westfield has been added.

The conditional approval requirements from the DRB stipulate that the architect and Arlington Properties will work with two members of the DRB on a proposed yellow exterior color and the placement of some of the brick.

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© 2015 Group 4 Design, Inc. : PLANS, DESIGN CONCEPTS, WRITTEN MATERIALS AND DRAWINGS ARE NOT TO BE REPRODUCED, ALTERED, COPIED IN ANY FORM OR MANNER, NOR ASSIGNED TO ANY PARTY WITHOUT OBTAINING WRITTEN PERMISSION & CONSENT OF Group 4 Design, Inc.

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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

| SQUARE FEET | 27

Charlotte developer scopes out Memorial Auditorium site Charlotte-based FCD-Development is scoping out plans to build 176 apartments on the former Memorial Auditorium site at 400 N. Church St. in downtown Greenville.

In an informal discussion at last week’s Design Review Board meeting, architect Karie Kovacocy with Jacksonville, Fla.-based Group 4 Design described the project as a motor court surrounded by apartments, with a new street accessible via East North Street.

The proposed development would be situated on a triangular piece of land bordered by North Church Street, East North Street and Beattie Place.

The site has long been considered a strategic location and a gateway into downtown Greenville.

However, the new project would not include all of the land at the site. A parcel of land that was the former home of Canal Insurance would still be vacant.

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Amenities at the new development, called Greenville Gateway, would include an urban garden wall, small lap pool, fitness center and public plaza areas. The project would also include two levels of subterranean garage parking. A large amenity or retail space would be located at the corner of East North Street and Beattie Place and could include a little café or smoothie bar, said Kovacocy.

In an effort to make the site more pedestrian-friendly, the architects propose exterior steps leading down from the elevated apartment buildings to the sidewalk below. Cantilevered balconies, stoops with stairs and garden gates are also proposed.

The development is expected to be formally filed to be reviewed at the April 2 Design Review Board meeting.

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28 | THE FINE PRINT |

UBJ

BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

Minority Business Accelerator enters second year The Greenville Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator (MBA) program began its second year after a successful inaugural year.

The Minority Business Accelerator, a program of the Greenville Chamber’s diversity and inclusion initiative, is designed to prepare minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) for growth and expansion. The MBA serves as a catalyst to drive a positive community economic impact by increasing the overall capacity of locally based MBEs. The program offers businesses development services, mentoring and access to corporations for partnership opportunities.

Success of the 14 inaugural businesses was measured through several metrics, including new strategic introductions and referrals, participation in active RFPs and RFQs issued by local corporations and new and recurring contract awards, officials said.

“The inaugural MBA program year, by all accounts, is considered a success,” said Nika White, vice president of diversity and inclusion at the Chamber.

“However, sustaining success requires that we refine the program each year for optimal impact. We are thrilled to have the support of so many dedicated business and community leaders.”

Peace Center becomes zero waste facility The Peace Center for the Performing Arts has become a zero waste to landfill building.

The Peace Center has partnered with Wasteco Inc. for the initiative, which uses the process of gasification to convert waste to energy.

All waste from the Peace Center is taken directly to Photo by Brenda Ernst VLS Recovery Services or Greenpointe Recycling Center. Once there, the material is sorted for recyclable material. The unsalvageable material is shredded and taken to a gasification site. The material is then fed into a gasifier, where the waste and oxygen create synthetic gas (syngas). This syngas can then be cleaned for any impurities and used for energy.

The arts center said in a release that gasification reduces the need for landfill space, decreases methane emissions from the decomposition of organic materials in the landfill and reduces the risk of groundwater contamination from landfills.

The Bosch Community Fund gave $24,000 to Greenville Technical College to help unemployed or underemployed indi-

Photo provided

Bosch gives $24K to support manufacturing jobs

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03.13.2015

viduals complete training for manufacturing positions. The money will help students going through the Quick Jobs with a Future program at the college.

“High-skilled technicians are fundamental to our business,” Mike McCormick, plant manager for Bosch Rexroth in Fountain Inn, said in a release. “This scholarship fund is part of the skills gap solution, giving more people the opportunity to gain the skills they need to qualify for excellent positions in advanced manufacturing and allowing manufacturing to continue to lead our economy forward.”

Individuals seeking Quick Jobs education for positions as CNC operators, welders, forklift operators and mechatronics technicians are eligible to apply for the tuition assistance.

“The skills gap issue can only be impacted when industry and education commit to come together in an innovative solution,” Keith Miller, president of Greenville Tech, said in a release. “Through this scholarship fund, the company is creating the skilled workforce that employers need now.”

Self Family Foundation gives $72k for biomedical research The Self Family Foundation gave a $72,000 grant to Photo provided the Greenwood Genetic Center (GCC) to upgrade the center’s computational and bioinformatics capabilities.

“Bioinformatics is a field that uses complex computer science tools to analyze biological data,” Mike Friez, GCC diagnostic lab director, said in a release. “New technologies in genetics generate extraordinary amounts of data for both the diagnostic and research labs. In order for this technology to benefit our patients, we must have the computing capabilities to analyze and interpret this vast information in the most efficient manner.”

GGC provides next-generation sequencing (NGS) for patients with disabilities to analyze multiple genes at one time to help make a diagnosis and guide treatment. Ten NGS tests are currently available through GGC, including panels of genes for autism, X-linked intellectual disability and skeletal disorders.

Foundation led

by Clemson professor wins award A foundation led by Clemson University associate professor Matthew Saltzman won an award for its work on openPhoto provided source software.

The foundation, Computational Infrastructure for Operations Research (COIN-OR), won the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) Impact Prize.

“We’re really excited,” Saltzman said in a release. “We started with a number of goals 15 years ago. It’s nice to get recognition that we’ve made substantial progress.”

The IMPACT prize, given every two years, awards work in analytics and operations research.

Companies and organizations such as Yahoo, the Environmental Protection Agency and Sandia National Laboratories have utilized COIN-OR’s projects.

The foundation began as an in-house project for IBM in 2000 and spun >>

upstatebusinessjournal.com

>> off as a nonprofit in 2004. It started with four projects and has since expanded to more than 50, Saltzman said in the release.

COIN-OR produces tools that help users solve optimization problems in manufacturing, scheduling, engineering design, finance and other areas.

In an announcement for the award, the institute said, “Software supported

by COIN-OR has been an essential part of hundreds of peer-reviewed research papers and is embedded in dozens of software systems, including the most widely used environments for performing analytics.”

Mac Papers rebrands company

BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

| THE FINE PRINT | 29

The Greenville Chamber Congratulates our February 2015 Small Business of the Month!

Mac Papers, a Florida-based company with operations in Greenville, launched a new corporate brand this week.

The company is now a distribution partner with four lines of business: paper and print, packaging, facility supplies and office products.

“This is the first rebrand in the company’s 50-year history, and it’s a vital part of our strategic vision for the next 50,” said Ray McGehee, director of marketing and communications at Mac Papers. “The new brand honors our company’s heritage … while showcasing the innovation, drive and diversification that is shaping its future.”

Mac Papers also unveiled its new tagline, “Ideas to power your business.”

Mac Papers unveiled a range of branded assets, including a new corporate website and new printed corporate collateral.

NEXT releases economic impact survey results NEXT recently completed an Economic Impact Survey, which found that 145 Upstate companies supported by NEXT created 221 new full-time jobs in South Carolina last year.

The total full-time employment of NEXT-supported companies is now 913 workers.

NEXT companies also attracted $40 million last year in angel capital and venture capital investments. In 2014, two NEXT companies were successfully acquired by international firms: Hitachi Solutions acquired Customer Effective and EKF Diagnostics acquired Selah Genomics.

“It is very exciting and encouraging to see these kinds of results from our dynamic entrepreneur community,” Michael Bolick, NEXT board chair and CEO of Selah Genomics, said in a release.

John Moore, CEO of NEXT, said in the release, “When companies are founded and flourish here, everyone wins—the founders, the employees, the investors and ultimately the community.”

Community organizations host crowdfunding potluck Community organizations 10-4 Good City and iMAGINE Upstate are hosting a crowdfunding potluck to highlight the youth maker movement on March 30.

The potluck dinner will spotlight five makers who are working on creative projects that will potentially impact the community. Each student will have five minutes to pitch his or her project, followed by a brief question-and-answer period to explore how community support and mentors could help move the effort forward. After all students pitch, audience members will vote on their favorite project, which will take home a donation to support the effort.

To learn more, visit 104good.com.

Engenius co-founder, team leader, and chief strategist Chris Manley and staff recieve the Small Business of the Month award, sponsored by Cowart Awards, at the Chamber’s February Board Meeting With a hallmark of unparalleled service, Engenius is a premier web design and marketing company headquartered in downtown Greenville.

The Engenius team provides strategic, focused campaigns aimed at driving traffic, sustaining exposure, and solving problems for businesses, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs across the Southeast.

Over the past three years, Engenius has achieved extraordinary growth of over 300%, having served over 150 local small businesses and nonprofits. They have invested over $100,000 in local charitable giving over the past five years, making the community better for all.

Learn more at: www.engeniusweb.com Impressed by a local small business? Nominate them for the Greenville Chamber’s Small Business of the Month Award at www.GreenvilleChamber.org.

30 | ON THE MOVE |

UBJ

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

HIRED

HIRED

APPOINTED

ELECTED

|

03.13.2015

HIRED

Steve Grant

Patrick Carter

David Freedman

Zoran Filipi

Tonya Strickland

Named city engineer and head of the Building and Development Standards Department for the City of Greer. Grant worked for the past seven years with Spartanburg Water as project engineer and maintenance engineer. Other experience includes positions with K.B. Sellars Engineering and the City of Spartanburg.

Named vice president of product at ChartSpan Medical Technologies. Carter has 18 years of experience as a physician’s assistant, medical provider, administrator and university faculty member. He also has nine years of entrepreneurial and executive management experience.

Named chairman of the Clemson University Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. Freedman will oversee more than 20 faculty members whose work ranges from monitoring PCB contamination in Lake Hartwell to developing nuclear waste storage methods.

Named a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Filipi is chairman of the Clemson University Department of Automotive Engineering and executive director of the Carroll A. Campbell Graduate Engineering Center. He began work in the department in 2012 as the Timken Endowed Chair in Vehicle System Design.

Named provost at Southern Wesleyan University.

Strickland has served as vice president for academic affairs and tenured professor of English at Bainbridge State College in Georgia.

She has received several national and statewide awards for education.

DEVELOPMENT O’Neal Inc. hired Cameron Langley as senior designer and Daniel Faulk as business development manager. Langley has more than 20 years of experience in electrical design. He previously worked for

Fluor and Day & Zimmerman. Faulk has eight years of experience in project engineering and management. He previously worked for Duke Energy, Burns & McDonnell and Barry-Wehmiller.

Creative Builders Inc. hired David Hughs as vice president of interiors. Hughs has more than 17 years

of construction experience specializing in interior upfit management. His current role involves overseeing upfit projects from conception to completion.

Harry Gleich was named a Titan of the Industry by the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute. Gleich is the vice president of engineering at Metromont >>

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Beth Paul Named general manager of the Bon Secours Wellness Arena by the Greenville Arena District board of directors. Paul has served as the arena’s interim general manager since November and has been with the arena for more than nine years as its assistant general manager and director of finance.

>> Corporation. The PCI Titans of the Industry program honors people who have made a significant impact in the areas of education, research, design, production, quality, erection, marketing or management.

FINANCE SuggsJohnson LLC promoted John Clint Bates to tax manager on the firm’s tax team. Bates joined SuggsJohnson as a tax accountant in 2008.

In his new role, he will provide tax consulting and compliance services to individuals and closely held businesses. He focuses on tax planning and compliance, financial statements including compilations and reviews, and nonprofit formation/filings.

IT/TECHNOLOGY EDTS hired Pradeep Satyaprakash as an account executive and Kirstin Bolt as marketing and strategy partner. Prakash has more than 15 years of professional experience in sales and customer support roles with business-to-business organizations

concentrated in the technology, manufacturing and import/wholesale arenas. Most recently, he served in business development capacities with Ricoh USA and Spektrumn Corporation. Bolt has more than 12 years of experience in marketing and communication management and business development support, most recently serving as marketing and communications manager for Fluor Corporation’s global power business.

Mike Burns, president of ScanSource Services Group, was named a 2015 CRN Channel Chief. Individuals are selected for inclusion based on their track record of channel accomplishments, standing in the industry, dedication to the partner community, and plans for driving future business innovation and channel growth. Burns is responsible for managing the professional services and value-added services offerings that ScanSource provides to its reseller partners.

NONPROFIT The St. Francis Foundation appointed Kathy B. Duncan and Michael McNicholas as new board members.

Duncan previously served on the Meyer Center board of directors and as chairman of the Meyer Center Ladies Luncheon. McNicholas, president of Carolina Holdings Inc., has served on the boards of Greenville Family Partnership, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church and School, and Clemson University.

| ON THE MOVE | 31

PEO, Your Next Trusted Advisor As a business owner, you work with many trusted advisors to keep your company on track. You have a banker to help with financial needs and daily banking requests. You have a CPA to monitor your profit and handle your taxes. Attorneys are also trusted advisors assisting with the different legal issues that a business encounters. But do you have a PEO? A Professional Employer Organization (PEO) is not only a trusted advisor but a partner in the success of your business.

A PEO provides a one stop shop for all your HR needs and allows you to focus on your core business.

According to economists Laurie Bassie and Dan McMurrer, small businesses that partner with PEOs benefit greatly. Compared to companies that do not use a PEO as a trusted advisor, PEO clients experience the following: LEE YARBOROUGH

•

9% Higher Growth Rate

•

14% Lower Employee Turnover Rate

•

50% Lower Business Failure Rate

•

2X More Participation in Retirement Plans

•

21% Savings on HR Administration

REAL ESTATE CBRE promoted Charles Gouch and Trey Pennington to senior vice president and Blaine Hart to vice president in its Greenville office. Gouch has consistently been a top producer for CBRE in the Upstate and has more than 500 office lease or sale transactions. Pennington joined CBRE in 2007 and provides comprehensive and sophisticated services to owners and users of industrial real estate. In 2014, he participated in one of the largest industrial transactions in the nation. Hart joined CBRE in 2008 and specializes in providing brokerage and consulting services for local and national clients in the office sector. He has participated in more than 100 transactions.

CONTRIBUTE: New hires, promotions & award winners may be featured in On the Move.

Send information and photos to onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

These numbers show that when small and mid-sized businesses use a PEO, they grow faster, survive longer and have a stronger workforce.

Now is the time to add a PEO to your group of trusted advisors.

Source: NAPEO publications: Professional Employer Organizations: Keeping Turnover Low and Survival High, September 2014 and Professional Employer Organizations: Fueling Small Business Growth, September 2013.

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PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

32 | NEW TO THE STREET |

THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

Open for business

2

1

UBJ

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03.13.2015

2. Dentistry at Pelham Pointe recently cut the ribbon at 70 Point Circle, Greenville. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:15 a.m.–5 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. For more information, call 864-271-6705 or visit dentistryat pelhampointe.com.

2

1. Maserati Lotus Greenville recently opened at 1450 Laurens Road, Greenville. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information, visit lotusgreenville.com.

CONTRIBUTE: Know of a business opening soon?

Email information to bjeffers@communityjournals.com.

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE

| SOCIAL SNAPSHOT | 33

CREW UPSTATE LUNCHEON Members of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) gather at the Poinsett Club for their monthly luncheon. The CRE professionals gathered to listen a presentation on “The Past, Present, and Future of Upstate Commercial Real Estate,” from Brian Reed, AICP, research manager for CBRE. Photos by Greg Beckner

CLOSE MORE DEALS. ECONOMIC ISSUES UPDATE Dr. Bruce Yandle, dean emeritus of Clemson University’s College of Business and Behavioral Science, gives a presentation at the Greenville Chamber’s Economic Issues Update.

Photo by Greg Beckner

CONTRIBUTE: Got high-resolution photos of your networking or social events? Send photos and information for consideration to events@ upstatebusinessjournal.com.

Over 100,000 readers look to the UBJ every week to help them close more business.

DRINK UP!

34 | PLANNER | DATE

EVENT INFO

Saturday

3/14 Tuesday

3/17 Wednesday

3/18

Thursday

EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR

3/19

Main Event

2015 Greenville Roast Roastee: Bob Hughes, president of Hughes Development Corporation

UBJ

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03.13.2015

WHERE DO I GO?

HOW DO I GO?

Hyatt Regency 220 N. Main St., Greenville, 6-8:30 p.m.

Cost: $100 Register: greenvilleroast.eventbrite.com

Small Business Success Series Topic: Technology: A Business’s Friend Speaker: Randy Oneal, CCT Business School

Comfort Suites Simpsonville Cost: Chamber members $39, nonmembers $49 3971 Grandview Drive, Simpsonville, RSVP: 864-862-2586 8-9:30 a.m.

Summit on IT 2015 Information technology in South Carolina and how it impacts industry, education, policy and capital

IT-oLogy 1301 Gervais St., Columbia 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Cost: $20 Register: bit.ly/it-summit2015

GSA Technology Council Learning Lunch Topic: Why You Should Begin with the End in Mind

Embassy Suites 670 Verdae Blvd., Greenville 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Cost: $25 Register: bit.ly/gsa-march2015

Anderson Angel Network Interest Meeting Learn about plans for 2015

The Bleckley Inn 151 E. Church St., Anderson 5:30-7 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: bit.ly/aan-march2015

Women’s Leadership Round Table Speaker: Carolyn Rivers, founder of TheSophiaInstitute.org

Greenville ONE 1 N. Main St., Greenville 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: womensleadershipcarolynrivers. eventbrite.com

Digital Marketing Lunch and Learn Topic: Easy SEO Wins for Your Website

Clemson at Greenville ONE 1 N. Main St., Greenville noon-1 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: bit.ly/lunch-and-learn-march2015

USGBC Upstate Winter Social Connect with like-minded industry leaders

Barley’s Tap Room 25 W. Washington St., Greenville 6-9 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: bit.ly/usgbc-march15

CONTRIBUTE: Got a hot date? Submit event information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

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A QUICK LOOK INTO THE UPSTATE’S PAST

| SNAPSHOT | 35

In 1920 Greenville Senior High School (shown in this photograph) was built on Westfield Street. To clear the site, the Central School was demolished as well as Prospect Hill, one of Greenville’s oldest homes. Built by Lemuel Alston in 1799 and bought by Vardry McBee, the house had become the property of John Westfield after McBee’s death in 1864. After only 16 years, the Senior High School moved to a new building on Augusta Street in 1936.

The Westfield Street school then became the Greenville Junior High School.

In the 1950s and 1960s, as subdivisions proliferated around Greenville, the concept of a central junior high school became obsolete. The Westfield Street school was demolished to make way for the Greenville Water Works.

Photo by Greg Beckner

His toric photos prov ided

Today the site is used as the Greenville Water System’s headquarters. The building was constructed in 1991 and is a 1:2 scale model of the House of Burgesses in Williamsburg, Va. Freeman and Major Architects were chosen for the project, because of their previous work on the Duke Power building a short distance away, also done in a Colonial American style. A monument to Prospect Hill and the former schools was dedicated in 1988 and stands in front of the building on Broad Street at Westfield Street.

Historic photograph available from the Greenville Historical Society.​ From “Remembering Greenville: Photographs from the Coxe Collection” by Jeffrey R. Willis

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1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

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UBJ milestone jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years 1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport

1988

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ART DIRECTOR Whitney Fincannon OPERATIONS Holly Hardin ADVERTISING DESIGN Kristy Adair, Michael Allen

MANAGING EDITOR

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Jackson graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in video and film production and started his 41-year career in the communications industry with the U.S. Army’s Public Information Office. He served during

>>

2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports Group employee base reaches 100 people

2008 2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation with Creative spirit Award

pro-bono/non-proFit Clients American Red Cross of Western Carolinas Metropolitan Arts Council Artisphere Big League World Series The Wilds Advance SC South Carolina Charities, Inc. Aloft Hidden Treasure Christian School

CoMMUnitY inVolVeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board, Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

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NOVEMBER 1, 2013

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DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & ACCOUNT STRATEGY

Solve. Serve. Grow. Those three words summarize Jackson Marketing Group’s guiding principles, and according to owner Larry Jackson, form the motivation that has kept the firm thriving for the past 25 years.

learned of an opportunity to purchase Cornerstone Aviation, a fixed base operation (FBO) that served as a service station for the Greenville Downtown Airport, providing fuel, maintenance and storage.

In fact, when he started the Greenville office of what is now Jackson Marketing Group (JMG) in 1988, the offices were housed on the second floor in an airport hangar.

“Clients would get distracted by the airplanes in the hangars and we’d have to corral them to get back upstairs to the meeting,” Jackson said.

Jackson sold the FBO in 1993, but says it was a great way to get to know Greenville’s fathers and leaders

him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-profits. The company was recently awarded the Community Foundation Spirit Award.

The company reaffirmed its commitment to serving the community last week by celebrating its 25th anniversary with a birthday party and a 25-hour Serve-A-Thon partnership with Hands on Greenville and Habitat for Humanity. JMG’s 103 full-time employees worked in shifts around the clock on October 22 and 23 to help construct a house for a deserving family.

As Jackson inches towards retirement, he says he hasn’t quite figured out his succession plan yet, but sees the companies staying under the same umbrella. He wants to continue to strategically grow the business.

“From the beginning, my father has taught me that this business is all about our people – both our clients and our associates,” said his son, Darrell. “We have created a focus and a culture that strives to solve problems, serve people and grow careers.”

Darrell Jackson said he wants to “continue helping lead a culture where we solve, serve and grow. If we are successful, we will continue to grow towards our ultimate goal of becoming the leading integrated marketing communications brand in the Southeast.”

EVENTS:

PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Beckner

Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehman, Maddy Varin, Emily Yepes

By sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com

Vietnam, where he said he was “luckily” stationed in the middle of Texas at Fort Hood.

He left the service and went to work in public affairs and motorsports at Ford Motor Company in Detroit.

After a stint at Bell and Howell, where he was responsible for managing Ford’s dealer marketing and training, the entrepreneurial bug hit and he co-founded Jackson-Dawson Marketing Communications, a company specializing in dealer training and product launches for the auto industry in 1980.

In 1987, Jackson wanted to move back south and thought Greenville would be a good fit. An avid pilot, he

2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson marketing Group when larry sells his partnership in Detroit and lA 2003

2009-2012 Jackson marketing Group named a top BtoB agency by BtoB magazine 4 years running

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SALES REPRESENTATIVES

Chairman larry Jackson, Jackson marketing Group. Photos by Greg Beckner / Staff

Jackson Marketing Group celebrates 25 years

2003 motorsports Division acquires an additional 26,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space

1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

also one of the few marketing companies in South Carolina to handle all aspects of a project in-house, with four suites handling video production, copywriting, media and research and web design.

Clients include heavyweights such as BMW, Bob Jones University, the Peace Center, Michelin and Sage Automotive. Recent projects have included an interactive mobile application for Milliken’s arboretum and 600-acre Spartanburg campus and a marketing campaign for the 2013 Big League World Series.

“In my opinion, our greatest single achievement is the longevity of our client relationships,” said Darrell Jackson. “Our first client from back in 1988 is still a client today. I can count on one hand the number of clients who have gone elsewhere in the past decade.”

Larry Jackson says his Christian faith and belief in service to others, coupled with business values rooted in solving clients’ problems, have kept

ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com

Amanda Cordisco, Natalie Walters

MARKETING & ADVERTISING

with a majority of them utilizing the general aviation airport as a “corporate gateway to the city.”

In 1997, Jackson and his son, Darrell, launched Jackson Motorsports Group. The new division was designed to sell race tires and go to racetracks to sell and mount the tires. Darrell Jackson now serves as president of the motorsports group and Larry Jackson has two other children and a son-in-law who work there. Jackson said all his children started at the bottom and “earned their way up.”

Jackson kept the Jackson-Dawson branches in Detroit and others in Los Angeles and New York until he sold his portion of that partnership in 2009 as part of his estate planning.

The company now operates a small office in Charlotte, but its main headquarters are in Greenville in a large office space off Woodruff Road, complete with a vision gallery that displays local artwork and an auditorium Jackson makes available for non-profit use. The Motorsports Group is housed in an additional 26,000 square feet building just down the street, and the agency is currently looking for another 20,000 square feet.

Jackson said JMG has expanded into other verticals such as financial, healthcare, manufacturing and pro-bono work, but still has a strong focus on the auto industry and transportation. It’s

Anita Harley, Jane Rogers

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

STAFF WRITERS

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CLIENT SERVICES

Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont office Center on Villa.

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