Mar. 22, 2013 UBJ

march 22, 2013

doing well doing good by

Social entrepreneurs in the Upstate discover that altruism and profits aren’t mutually exclusive PASS THE PENNY CANDY

MAST STORE CELEBRATES A DECADE DOWNTOWN page 11

SCENES FROM A MERGER

BI-LO INTEGRATION WITH WINN-DIXIE CONTINUES page 12

DEEDS SPEAK LOUDER

UPSTATE REALTORS REPORT A BRISK FEBRUARY page 23

UBJ Table of Contents

11

PRESIDENT/Publisher Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com Senior Vice President Alan P. Martin amartin@communityjournals.com UBJ Associate Publisher Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com eXECUTIVE Editor Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com MANAGING editor Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com staff writers Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris, Charles Sowell SENIOR BUSINESS writer Dick Hughes contributing writerS Jenny Munro, Jennifer Oladipo, Jeanne Putnam, Leigh Savage EDITORIAL INTERNS Shelby Livingston, Casey Dargan

One of Mast General Store’s more popular attractions is the store’s candy barrels.

Photo by Greg Beckner

F e at u r e s

colu m ns

de pa rt m e n t s

Entrepreneur 14 Jump Start: Glamour Girl

Digital Maven 8 Csn Yiu Resd Thas?

Cover Story 18 Social Entrepreneurship Tackles Big Issues

Statehouse Report 9 Eating on $35 a Week Isn’t a Gimmick

3 Verbatim 4 Worth Repeating 4 TBA 22 The Takeaway 23 Square Feet 24 The Fine Print 25 Social 26 Planner 28 On the Move 30 New to the Street 31 Snapshot

art & production art director Richie Swann photographer Greg Beckner CONTRIBUTING photo EDITOR Gerry Pate PrODUCTION Holly Hardin marketing & advertising Marketing Representatives Lori Burney, Mary Beth Culbertson, Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Pam Putman MarketinG Katherine Elrod Marketing & EVENTS Kate Banner Billing Shannon Rochester Client Services ManagerS Anita Harley, Jane Rogers ADVERTISING DESIGN Kristy Adair, Michael Allen, Whitney Fincannon, Caroline Reinhardt IDEAS, FEEDBACK, OPINIONS opinions@upstatebusinessjournal.com HOW TO REACH US 148 River Street., Suite 120 Greenville, SC 29601 864-679-1200

Copyright @2013 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal (Vol. 2, No. 11) is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. 148 River Street, Suite 120, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601. Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $65. Visit www.UpstateBusinessJournal. com. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, 148 River St., Ste 120, Greenville, SC 29601.

Printed in the USA.

2 Upstate business journal March 22, 2013

UBJ Verbatim on reasons to spend three days (or more) in Greenville …

“Today visitors will encounter a bustling center with scores of shops and restaurants and anchored by a stunning waterfall park.”

The Boston Globe, whose correspondent Diane Daniel recently spent “3 Days in Greenville, S.C.” – see her report at goo.gl/0cqP0.

on the decline of national news media…

“Nearly a third of U.S. adults, 31 percent, have stopped turning to a news outlet because it no longer provided them with the news they were accustomed to getting.”

The Pew Research Center’s “State of the News Media 2013” report, available at stateofthemedia.org/2013.

on the triumph of the local paper…

“Newspapers continue to reign supreme, however, in the delivery of local news. If you want to know what’s going on in your town – whether the news is about the mayor or taxes or high school football – there is no substitute for a local newspaper that is doing its job.”

Warren Buffet’s annual letter to shareholders, posted at berkshirehathaway.com.

Chamber Honors Wong vivian wong’s 50 years of entrepreneurship and fostering of global relationships in the Upstate will be honored by the Greenville Chamber. The Chamber hosts its 21st annual event to celebrate the investVivian Wong

ment of international companies in the Upstate on March 28 at Studio 220 in the Hyatt Regency in downtown Greenville.

Law firm Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd will honor Wong with the 11th annual International Economic Development Award for her work with Greenville’s international business community.

After emigrating to the U.S. from Hong Kong in 1963 with her husband, Thomas, Wong began a series of entrepreneurial ventures, including the Dragon Den restaurant that became part of an Upstate chain, and a still-active

commercial real estate portfolio.

In 2001, Wong co-founded the Pacific Gateway Capital Group, which helps foster U.S.-China commercial trade relations. In 2004, she co-founded Independence National Bank, a regional bank headquartered in Greenville.

She has also served as director of Touchmark National Bank of Atlanta, and the Coastal Carolina National Bank in Myrtle Beach.

Speakers at the event will include Greenville Tech Foundation president Bob Howard; speaker, author and radio host Deb Sofield; and Dr. Jerry Youkey,

executive vice president of medical and academic affairs and dean of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville.

The awards ceremony is one of many events being held throughout March, International Month in the Upstate. For more information about Upstate International Month, visit upstateintern ational.org.

Attendees can register online at GreenvilleChamber.org. For sponsorship and additional information, contact Jennifer Powell at 864-239-3731 or jpowell@greenvillechamber.org.

March 22, 2013 Upstate business journal 3

Tailored

by the Purveyors of Classic American Style

UBJ Worth Repeating | TBA

Naturally Speaking

“We’ve got a building with a creaking wooden floor and a steel ceiling. It would make a perfect Mast General Store.”

We are enjoying tremendous advancement in fabric technology these days. In the athletic industry, women’s clothing and the menswear industry, manmade fibers make up to 66% of the fiber content in the clothing that is manufactured. Attributes of these synthetic fibers span the spectrum of benefits from wrinkle resistance, moisture wicking and easy care. However, clothing has been made from naturally occurring fibers made from plants and animals since prehistoric times.

Natural fabrics are woven from cotton, linen, silk and wool and have inherent characteristics that offer advantages in breathability, temperature regulation, durability and water absorption even more than synthetic fabrics. In addition to these attributes, natural fabrics look luxurious and feel wonderful against the skin.

In men’s clothing, merino and lambs wool, cashmere, alpaca and camel hair, can be tightly spun into fine fabrics to make suits, sport coats and trousers. Wool can have a silky “hand” which is soft and comfortable next to the skin, dyes easily, resists wrinkles, has superior breathability and is durable. A suit made from merino wool will look good and wear longer than any synthetic fiber.

Linen is another natural fabric that comes from the fibers of the flax plant. It is also a fabric that has been used for thousands of years.

Architects have drawn their blueprints on linen for centuries because it doesn’t rot and the ink does not fade. Ancient Egyptians used linen as money and wrapped their mummies in it. Linen is the most durable and strongest of the vegetable fibers. It has two to three times the strength of cotton. It is very absorbent, a good conductor of heat that keeps you warmer in the cold and cooler and more comfortable in the summer heat. It also has antibacterial qualities with natural antiseptic that prevents bacterial growth.

So, when you want to get more out of your clothing, the new fabric technologies are good. But for luxury, durability, and comfort, natural-made fabrics are the time-tested favorite.

Greenville Mayor Knox White’s cold call to Mast General Store owner John Cooper, which resulted in the opening of the store on Main Street 10 years ago

“I wanted to show people that you can be selfless while at the same time being an entrepreneur and being for-profit.”

Kaleb Ross, founder of Bread Bicycles

“If you’re doing it because you want to get rich, then you need to find something else to do.”

Greg Smith, president of Blue Vista Ventures, on one bad reason to become an entrepreneur

“Mom said, ‘I don’t know what you are going to do this summer, but you are going to get out of here and go work.’”

BI-LO president Anthea Jones, on the start of his career in the supermarket business at age 15 as an employee at Food Lion

TBA

Look for the Tile Shop to open in the old Rooms to Go location on Haywood Road in April…

A cigar bar is said to be going up on Laurens Road…

Open Mon.-Sat. 9:30am - 5:30pm Wed. 9:30am - 1:00pm

4 Upstate business journal March 22, 2013

J23

23 West North Street, Greenville, SC 29601 864.232.2761 | www.rushwilson.com

company that will offer turnkey services for community development, construction, marketing and sales. Expect an announcement sometime this spring…

Word is a Greenville A sports bar geared to the custom homebuilder and a 35-and-older crowd is local marketing firm are proposed for 115 Pelham teaming up downtown to Road, where Roscoe’s and form a new real estate Thumper’s used to be…

UBJ News South Carolina salutes manufacturing Greenville company a Silver Crescent Award winner

By Cindy Landrum | staff

southern weaving, a greenville company that manufactures tensile narrow fabrics used in cargo restraint and safety protection, was honored Thursday for its innovation.

Southern Weaving won the 2013 Silver Crescent Award for Manufacturing Excellence for mid-sized manufacturers.

The award was announced at the 17th annual Salute to Manufacturing luncheon held Thursday at the TD Convention Center in Greenville.

Several other Upstate companies were finalists for the Silver Crescent Award for Manufacturing Excellence – BMW Manufacturing Co. in Spartanburg County for manufacturers with more than 500 employees and PropertyBoss Solutions of Greenville and Spartanburg Meat Processing Co. for companies with 199 or fewer employees.

The Silver Crescent Awards were established by the Silver Crescent Foundation to honor outstanding small, mid-sized and large manufacturers in South Carolina.

The awards are also designed to emphasize the importance of manufacturing to quality of life in the Palmetto State.

Boeing South Carolina vice president and general manager Jack Jones, the executive with overall leadership responsibility for Boeing’s 6,000-employee South Carolina operations and 787 Dreamliner facilities in North Charleston, was the event’s keynote speaker.

Jones cited South Carolina’s strong commitment to manufacturing and attracting innovative manufacturers of all types and sizes to the Palmetto State as a key reason that Boeing made its decision to locate in the state.

Southern Weaving has 212 people and designs and produces innovative high-tensile narrow fabrics used in cargo restraint, safety protection, lifting and other specialty arenas.

Founded in 1924, Southern Weaving has increased its employee

base by more than 25 percent in the last two years through a commitment to research and technology.

The company was noted for its creative partnerships with Greenville Technical College, Furman University, SC Works, ReadySC, SCMEP and Personal Pathways to Success.

Other finalists in the 200 to 499-employee category were Aaron Industries, Inc. in Clinton and Shaw Industries Plant 8T in Central.

Cytec Industries won the award for companies with fewer than 200 employees. Cytec, with plants in North Augusta and Langley, has 135 employees.

The company, a global specialty chemical and materials company serving the aerospace and automotive markets, was cited for its nationally admired emphasis on realtime plant performance measurement, allowing immediate input, decision-making and corrective

Cartwright Named CU-ICAR Director

By Dick Hughes | senior business writer frederick m. cartwright, a retired General Motors executive with 30 years experience in the automotive industry, has been appointed executive director of

Frederick M. Cartwright

Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research in Clemson.

Cartwright, 65, replaces Bob Geolas, who resigned in November 2011 to become president of the Research Triangle Foundation in Raleigh, N.C. John Boyette has been interim director.

Cartwright’s appointment is effective April 1.

His three decades of experience at GM included work in design and development of advanced pow-

Contact Dick Hughes at dhughes@communityjournals.com.

ertrains for commercial and military vehicles, management of GM’s hybrid bus program and other new business development initiatives.

Although GM walked away from its electric-bus program, it recently became an investor in Proterra, the electric-bus maker based in Greenville that is a collaborator at ICAR. Cartwright’s latest position at GM was as director of business initiatives. Among other positions, he was vice president for alliances and business development for GM in Europe.

action to enhance productivity.

It was also recognized for taking a proactive role in introducing middle and high school students to career options in chemical manufacturing.

Other small manufacturer finalists were Holcim (US) Inc. of Holly Hill, PropertyBoss Solutions of Greenville, and Spartanburg Meat Processing.

PropertyBoss is a property management software manufacturer.

Spartanburg Meat Processing Co. is a USDA-inspected and approved pork, beef and chicken processing plant that focuses on value-added products for the military, food service and retail markets. The plant opened in 1999.

Nucor Steel of Mount Pleasant was the large manufacturer winner.

Nucor is South Carolina’s largest recycler, recycling more than 2 million tons of steel in 2012. It is among the most energy-efficient steel companies in the world. The company was recognized for consistently outperforming global competitors on safety, cost, energy efficiency and innovation metrics while maintaining employee retention rates exceeding 98 percent.

Other large manufacturer finalists were BMW, Boeing and Itron of West Union.

John Kelly, Clemson vice president for economic development, said Cartwright “will not only further CU-ICAR’s mission but help enhance the reputation of Upstate South Carolina.”

In a statement issued by Clemson, Cartwright said CUICAR has become “a world leader in transportation research” with a reputation expending “far beyond South Carolina’s Upstate.”

“Its list of partners, speaks to the high regard CU-ICAR’s students, faculty and staff are held [in].”

Cartwright plans to move to Greenville.

March 22, 2013 Upstate business journal 5

UBJ News

TD Bank Opens New Corporate Hub in Upstate

By Dick Hughes | senior business writer

Go Figure

1,400

Employees who will work in TD Bank’s Southeastern hub

Located in the center of the new TD Bank corporate campus is the bank’s new contact center.

$17 million

Cost of the rebuilding

300,000 SF Office space on the 67-acre campus

$61 million Photos by Greg Beckner

td bank last week showed off its new call center, the first fully functioning unit at what will be its Southeastern hub of 1,400 employees in the three-building I-85 campus it acquired when buying The South Financial Group.

The call center is located in the central building that was originally designed to be a conference center and auditorium. TD rebuilt it, adding two floors for its call center at a cost of $17 million.

Bharet Masrani, president and CEO of Toronto Dominion’s U.S. bank, said 400 new jobs were added to Greenville for the call center, and “we have more to come.”

He said the bank is hiring new workers at the rate of 32 a month to reach 500. The bank followed up the March 15 grand opening with a job fair on the campus the next day.

The call center is one of three the bank operates. Using temporary quarters elsewhere on the campus, the center took its first call Aug. 2 last year, and reached a one-millionth milestone in January.

The call center, one of three TD operates, “offers live customer service in the bank’s Maine-toFlorida footprint,” according to a statement from the bank. Calls from all along the East Coast bounce to the first open line of the three centers. The other two are in New Jersey and Maine.

The bank also has placed about 100 employees in the two main office buildings and expects to bring in 800 more within three to five years.

As a regional hub, it will perform

operations for credit card services, auditing, small business, technology and employee training in addition to the customer service.

In his remarks, Greenville Mayor Knox White said the TD buildings, along with neighboring buildings, create an impressive entryway to Greenville along I-85. “It is the face of Greenville in many ways, our front door.”

As part of its ceremonial presentation, the TD Charitable Foundation presented a check for $10,000

Rob Hoak, second from left, regional president for TD Bank in South Carolina, plays with a large pair of scissors during a symbolic ribbon-cutting for the TD Bank corporate campus in Greenville.

6 Upstate business journal March 22, 2013

Amount TD Bank paid for The South Financial Group

to Goodwill Industries, which trains disabled people for jobs in the call center.

For a ribbon to cut, the bank strung together bills in various denominations.

TD acquired the campus of three buildings with nearly 300,000 square feet of office space on 67 acres when it bought TSFG for $61 million.

TSFG, which operated as Carolina First in South Carolina, had spent $90 million on the campus and, when it was struggling to stay alive, put it up for sale. Shortly after taking over, TD took the property off the market and eventually announced it would use the campus for a corporate hub.

The two offices qualified for Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and TD said the center building, which was a shell when it was acquired, also was built to meet that standard.

Masrani said it wanted the call center to be “as green as our logo.”

Contact Dick Hughes at dhughes@communityjournals.com.

UBJ News

Contact Jennifer Oladipo at joladipo@communityjournals.com.

who is also known as an emcee at Clemson basketball and Greenville Drive baseball games.

Capitilizing on the craft beer trend in full swing nationwide, Greenvillebased Tavern’s app lets users keep a diary of beers they try, and find good local beer when they travel. Rob Wright said he and team member Sean Gaffney even hope to include a feature that allows users to buy a beer for a friend using the app.

Another Upstate tie comes from Upkeep Charlie, a home maintenance repair scheduler founded by Clemson MBA student Stefan Hahn, who is from Ohio. The service will help homeowners keep track of recurring needs and also refer vetted professionals to complete the work. Hahn said he plans to work on everything from business to product development while in The Next Big Thing, and felt that business school and the accelerator would both challenge and complement each other.

On the other end of the spectrum, long-term experience in other fields spawned a couple of the companies.

One such is Gastke, whose accounting software was inspired by the experiences of Kevin Bong, a former accountant with the Deloitte global accounting firm who was tired of the clumsy software he often encountered. His brother and partner Steve, whom Kevin called “a wizard at programing,” joins him in the accelerator.

Other companies include FilterEasy, a Raleigh company that

Iron Yard Introduces Class of ’13 Next Big Thing’s second class stresses real-world applications

By Jennifer Oladipo | contributor

the new greenville class in the Iron Yard’s Next Big Thing Accelerator shows a diversity of products and services, from accounting software to gaming for money. While the majority of the first year’s companies were entirely Web- and service-based, this year shows a heavier lean toward real-world applications and products.

The class includes eight teams, not all of which are ready to announce their plans. Local companies remain part of the mix. Greenville-based Gamemaster Media is creating a platform for games that are used in the real world and encourage people to get out and explore. The company is headed by Matt Fisher and Jeremiah Dew,

delivers custom air filters to homes.

Its cofounders are Kevin Barry and Thad Tarkington, who said the company can usually match the prices of big-box home supply stores. Elena Tropp of Kydaemos, with partner Jesse Wonder Clark, described their product as “actionbased cash gaming.” Its users try to win money by competing in games such boxing, making real cash bets that start at five cents. Finally, Tip Hive, based in Montreal, will allow users to share recommendations on anything from plumbing service to summer camps. Users will keep a page of recommendations, which can be shared just among friends

or opened to the public.

All of the new teams will benefit from the experienced help of some members from the first class. They include team members from Greenville-based Spent, which co-founder Andria Trivisonno said has rebranded as Relify, though it still helps companies provide product recommendations to their customers. Also in Greenville, Tribr founder Earl Gegory will be acting as mentor.

Tribr, he said, “is so close to launching its killing me.” He pointed out that the very last stages of projects like this can be some of the longest to complete, a lesson he’ll no doubt be sharing with this year’s hopefuls.

updates from the first class MoonClerk’s recurring payment system ended its beta period last month.

One customer accepted nearly $1,000 within a few minutes of signing.

Ridepost launched in August and has grown outside of

South Carolina, and is connecting with universities to build its base.

Leaguevine, the amataeur sports tracking app, was the first company out of The Iron Yard to have an exit and has been acquired by

another company.

NoChains launched its local food finder on iPhone in Greenville last month and was featured by Entrepreneur Magazine among startups at Austin’s South by Southwest festival.

The art of sucessful retirement is building a sustainable and fulfilling second act.

Family Legacy, Inc.

|

104 Broadus Avenue Greenville, SC 29601

|

864-233-0808

|

www.falegacy.com

M112A

RETIREMENT PLANNING

When you think it’s time for a major life change, we can help you evaluate your retirement plans and help you determine appropriate savings and lifestyle goals.

UBJ Digital Maven

By laura haight

Csn Yiu Resd Thas? have you seen this brain teaser on the Internet? A paragraph of text appears scrambled and unintelligible and you are challenged to see if you can read it. Apparently, this has been going around for years and you are patted on the back at the end as having an exceptional brain if you succeeded in descrambling the message.

Well, don’t get too excited. As with all things, they are far more complicated than a post on Facebook would have you believe. And there is both truth and gross exaggeration. If you want to know more about the real science, you can find it from the original Cambridge University researcher here: goo.gl/PLU2V But this issue presents a real challenge for businesspeople who are doing work on mobile devices: writing and responding to emails, reviewing or even creating reports, editing documents that others have created.

Since the personal computer brought word processing applications to the masses instead of in the hands of professional assistants with dictionaries (those are those

Quick responses are often critical, so answer messages quickly and concisely. The fewer the words, the easier to catch any errors. If a longer email is required, tell the recipient you will send a more detailed response when you return to your office. This lets them know that you are on top of things and responsive.

ers, they are so cumbersome that most people turn them off.

For an enlightening experience, watch some of your colleagues or staff as they spell-check a document. OK, OK, OK, OK, OK… They may not even be looking at the screen attentively while doing it.

Now come not-so-smartphones and tablets, typing with your thumbs and virtual keyboards. The same warm-fuzzy we have for spell-

Some businesses make spell-check a requirement. But there’s no spell-check that is going to correctly interpret your intended use of a properly spelled word. big red books on the shelf; the ones with the dust), we’ve been gaining reliance on spell-check to bail us out of careless writing habits.

Some businesses make it a requirement that spell-check be used by default on email and documents.

Journalists, however, know that this is a bad move, and that there’s no spell-check that is going to correctly interpret your intended use of a properly spelled word. And although there are grammar check-

check on your desktop does not translate on these devices.

Recently, for example, I was writing an email to a potential client on my iPad. I typed the phrase “very highly regarded.” I looked it over and was just about to hit send, when I thought of something I wanted to add. Good thing, too, since the phrase had been auto-corrected to “ugly highly regarded.” Obviously, I had made a typo that I glossed over and then the Apple auto-cor-

8 Upstate business journal March 22, 2013

rect (the worm in an otherwise bucolic orchard) took over. And this is not only an Apple problem. A quick search on Google for “Android auto-correct issues” popped up 1.5 million hits.

These auto-correctos (as I will refer to typos made by mobile auto correct) have now spurred a new wrong-headed solution: adding taglines to content you write on a mobile device that warns your recipient that there might be typos.

While I understand the impulse, the message is, in my opinion, clearly wrong. It says “I am too rushed/lazy/busy/inattentive to read/correct my note to you.” In a business world of so many choices, this is not a good impression to give.

2. The signature on your mobile email needs to be as professional as your desktop. It shouldn’t read “Sent from my iPad” or – gasp – some of the self-promotional ones that come built in by cell phone companies (“Sent from my xxxx smartphone on the blazingly fast xxxxx national network.”) Find the setting and change this signature right now (go ahead, I’ll wait).

Include your name, title, business, and key contact information.

3. When you respond to an email, make sure you are using the right account – especially if you have different signatures setup for different accounts. Many of us have more than one email address with emails coming into a consolidated inbox – work, home, throwaway, etc. An email to a business client that comes from “bigbobby@xxx.com” might go right into spam or just ignored.

Here are four quick tips for better communications on mobile devices:

4. Read every word of what you write – twice. Sometimes it helps to read things out loud. You tend to find things that way that you gloss over when you read in your head.

1. Do not try to write lengthy emails on your smartphone.

Ultimately, you are what you say.

And there just isn’t an app for that.

Laura Haight is the president of Portfolio (www.portfoliosc.com), a communications company based in Greenville that focuses on harnessing the power of today’s technology to reach new customers, turn customers into loyal clients and loyal clients into advocates.

She is a former IT executive, journalist and newspaper editor.

UBJ Statehouse Report

By Andy Brack

Eating on $35 a Week Isn’t a Gimmick

Photo Provided

could you eat on $35 a week?

Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker did it in December as part of a challenge to eat for seven days by spending the average budget of food stamp recipients. After seven days, he admitted it was tough. He described how he suffered from caffeine headaches and got very hungry when his food supply dwindled by the end of the week.

Last month, Gov. Nikki Haley said she wanted to change the food stamp program in South Carolina to keep food stamp recipients from buying junk food. While that might sound good at first blush, it’s really just a simplistic way to target “those people” on food stamps. Lift the hood on Haley’s suggestion and you may wonder how a libertarian governor could endorse such an authoritarian prescription to take away choice. (A similar proposal by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to limit the sizes of sugary beverages was thrown out

by a New York court this month.)

So it’s no wonder state Rep. Bakari Sellers, D-Bamberg, cleverly challenged the governor to put her money where her mouth was by eating healthily for just $35 a week. Haley declined. But her spokesman didn’t miss the chance to attack Sellers by alleging he was pulling a stunt.

Governor, this is not all about you and attack politics. It’s about the 878,022 people in South Carolina who get food stamps, known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In January, the federal government pumped $114.9 million into the Palmetto State for food assistance. Yes, that money is supposed to supplement other food purchases, but the reality is many people – including a lot of working people – in our state are so poor that all they have to use to buy food is food stamps.

Sellers challenged Haley to draw attention to how hard it is to find affordable healthy options in rural counties like the one he and Haley grew up in. Many people who get food assistance aren’t eating junk food because they want to, but do so

“This is the only bipartisan approach that can truly curb health care costs by preventing preventable diseases.”

S.C. Rep. Bakari Sellers

Food Stamp Participation January 2013

Households Persons

Benefits

Greenville County

32,365 67,751 $8,897,791

Spartanburg County

20,489 45,361 $8,897,791

State Total

417,702 878,022 $114,882,350 Source: SC Department of Social Services

because they don’t have the access to places with healthy food choices or have money to pay for them.

Sellers is pushing a bill that calls for healthier lunches to be provided at local schools, which are where many kids in his House district get their only square meal of the day. His proposal calls for lunch vendors to provide daily meals with a maximum number of calories so there’s a continuing incentive to remove fat and sugar. The bill also would ban highcalorie snacks and soft drinks from school vending machines.

“This is the only bipartisan approach that can truly curb health care costs by preventing preventable diseases,” he said. His bill currently is stuck in a House committee.

If you wonder whether you could eat a healthy diet on $35 a week, it is possible. But you have to be very smart about what you buy. You have to be a good planner, buy in bulk and eat less meat. And you need to have your own garden to supplement the weekly budget.

That’s the experience of an Oregon woman and her husband who ate on $35 a week – for both of them – for a year and a half. (You can check out her tips and experiences at 35aweek.com; the blog is on hiatus because the couple recently had a baby.)

“It takes a LOT of time, energy and resources to eat well on $35 a week – things people working fulltime and taking care of kids probably don’t have, so I get it,” she said.

“And sometimes when you are down and out, a bag of greasy chips and a soda are really your only indulgence – the only thing you look forward to at the end of the day.

You don’t WANT pickled ginger carrots and a piece of wheat bread.

“It’s easy to be sanctimonious about other people’s eating habits when all your own needs are met.”

Sellers said he planned to eat for a week on $35 at the end of the month. He said he would highlight the results on a new website, HealthyMarch.com.

Andy Brack, publisher of Statehouse Report, provides weekly commentary.

He can be reached directly at brack@statehousereport.com.

March 22, 2013 Upstate business journal 9

UBJ Working Well

By maya smith

Workplace Stress: Ignore or Acknowledge? in a world of looming deadlines, bottom lines and stakeholder interests, how concerned should corporate leadership be about employee stress? Not surprisingly, numerous studies have shown that job-related stress is a major source of anxiety for adults, and plays a significant role in an organization’s success.

According to The American Institute of Stress, 80 percent of workers feel stress on the job, nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress and 42 percent say their co-workers need such help. A survey conducted by ComPsych, one of the world’s largest providers of employee assistance programs, shows that 39 percent of workers cite workload as a primary reason for elevated stress levels, while 34 percent mention issues with co-workers, 18 percent struggle to juggle work and personal lives, and 9 percent worry about the lack of job security.

Stress is defined by MerriamWebster as “a physical, chemical or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation.” Although an employer may not be directly responsible for an employee’s stress, the indirect consequences of not helping an employee manage stress is directly related to work performance, productivity, absenteeism and increased healthcare costs.

Stress can manifest itself many ways, such as belligerent behavior, fatigue, weight loss or gain, absenteeism and tardiness. The result can negatively impact job performance and translate into loss of revenue through work inefficiency, decreased productivity, poor concentration and decision making,

increased number of minor accidents, and an increase in smoking, alcohol and drug abuse.

To acknowledge stress, a leader must scrutinize the work environment from an employee’s perspective. In doing so, he or she needs to consider workload, compensation, working conditions and hours, job security and other factors. In addition to workplace stressors, employees also experience personal dilemmas that compound existing stress.

Ultimately, the combination of all of these factors affects employees’ ability to function at their best.

To manage workplace stress, leaders must begin by examining the organization as a whole. Start by looking at your organization’s current practices on stress management, identify available tools and research your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offerings. Such programs have been proven effective in helping employees with job satisfaction, time management, financial problems, substance abuse, personal loss and grief. In addition to EAP programs, a variety of workplace initiatives can be implemented to aid employees in reducing workplace stress.

10 Strategies to Reduce Workplace Stress 1. Offer on-site child care with non-traditional coverage times based on your organization’s business hours.

2. Provide on-site clinics for accessible, affordable episodic care for common medical problems in addition to wellness visits for high-risk employees.

3. Convert unused office space into meditation/quiet rooms where

10 Upstate business journal March 22, 2013

employees can take breaks to lower stress levels.

Go Figure according to a recent survey of workers

STRESS LEVELS

4. Provide on-site fitness facilities or walking paths that provide easy access to physical activity.

5. Offer weekly group fitness classes such as Zumba or yoga.

6. Host quarterly, bi-annual or annual staff retreats to strengthen work bonds and improve teamwork.

7. Develop a company-sponsored recreation league – for example, bowling or softball.

8. Provide dedicated lactation rooms for employees who are nursing.

63% have high levels of stress, with extreme fatigue/ feeling out of control 32% have constant but manageable stress levels 5% have low stress levels

CAUSES OF STRESS

9. Offer on-site massage therapy services where employees can schedule 15-minute sessions.

10. Play relaxing music throughout the office to promote a sense of pleasure and relaxation in the work environment.

If left unmanaged, workplace stress can profoundly hinder an organization’s ability to prosper and succeed. Therefore, it is imperative that leadership should strive to minimize employee stress by implementing stress management initiatives. The effectiveness of executing these initiatives, such as the 10 examples listed above, will help improve service quality, productivity, office morale and employee satisfaction. In the end, the time and money invested in offering stress management programs are far outweighed by the negative consequences of not managing workforce stress.

39% cite workload 34% cite people issues 18% cite juggling work and personal life 9% cite lack of job security

IMPACT OF STRESS

UPON DAILY PRODUCTIVITY

41% lose 15-30 min. per day in productivity due to stress 36% lose 1 hour or more per day in productivity due to stress 23% report productivity is unaffected by stress Source: ComPsych 2012 StressPulse Survey

Maya Smith is a health educator for HealthTrack, Greenville Health System’s employee wellness program.

UBJ Downtown

Signs in the Mast General Store remind shoppers of the company’s 10 years on Main Street in Greenville.

The Mast General ribbon-cutting in 2003.

Mast Celebrates 10th Year on Main Destination store paved way for downtown’s re-emergence as retail center

By Cindy Landrum | staff

charles kuralt, the late cbs “On the Road” correspondent and host of the “Sunday Morning” television show, once called Mast General Store the place he’d send somebody to get to know the soul of the South.

Its stores were in vintage buildings with olden wooden floors that creaked when customers walked from displays of Burt’s Bees lip balm to displays of wool socks and hiking boots, from cast-iron pots to barrels upon barrels of candy.

Mast General Store celebrates its 10th anniversary in downtown Greenville this month. Eight of the store’s original employees still work there today, a testament to the employee-owned company’s culture of treating people right and giving back to the community.

When Mast General opened on March 20, 2003, it wasn’t the only retail store in downtown Greenville – but it could very well have been the most important. In the years before Mast General’s arrival in Greenville, downtown retail was basically confined to about two blocks on North Main.

After a protracted legal battle that kept Jillian’s, a Kentucky-based

restaurant-bar and billiard establishment, out of One Main Place, the city found itself owner of the cavernous building that had been a retail landmark in the city since the late 1800s, most notably as the “old Meyers-Arnold.”

Mayor Knox White cold-called Mast General Store owner John Cooper, telling him, “We’ve got a building with a creaking wooden floor and a steel ceiling. It would make a perfect Mast General Store.”

Cooper, who was in the middle

It took one trip to Mast’s Asheville store – seeing a store packed with people and stocked with quality merchandise – to convince him it was exactly what downtown needed.

The company gets calls every week from cities and towns that want a Mast General Store.

“The idea of Mast General Store as an economic development tool – we started that,” White said. “Mast General Store was a life raft to retail downtown. It showed that retail could come back to downtown.

“Mast General Store was a life raft to retail downtown. It showed that retail could come back to downtown.”

Greenville Mayor Knox White

of opening a store in Hendersonville, told White that he’d come look at the building in a year – if it was still available.

White said before Cooper decided to make Greenville the first location of Mast General Store outside of North Carolina, he had an instance of buyer’s remorse, wondering if Mast General Store was really what downtown needed.

Contact Cindy Landrum at clandrum@communityjournals.com.

Having a bar in that location would have killed retail before it got started.”

On the morning the store opened, there was a long line of people waiting to get in.

“We’re a destination,” said Mary Nase, the Greenville’s store general manager.

The store did an incredible amount of candy sales in the beginning, she said. “We were a big destination for

older adults who remember candy from their childhood.”

A year later, toy store O.P. Taylor’s opened next door to Mast General Store.

“Almost from day one, Mast General Store was bringing retail in,” White said. “We proved the naysayers wrong.”

Anthropologie, another “destination” retailer, will open this month in the new ONE development and men’s suit specialist Brooks Brothers announced recently it is coming, too.

“2013 will really be the year when we turn the corner,” White said.

“Retail is always the last thing. First you have to have office, then residential, and retail follows that. Ten years ago, we had to recruit residential development to come downtown.

We don’t have to recruit residential any more. I think we’re getting to the point where we will no longer have to recruit retail, either.”

Nase said Mast General Store welcomes more retail to downtown Greenville and on Main Street.

“It just brings more people here,” she said. “We’re very proud to be here. We thank Greenville for a great 10 years, and we look forward to many, many more.”

March 22, 2013 Upstate business journal 11

UBJ News

BI-LO, Winn-Dixie Integration Almost Complete A year after merger, Upstate is losing corporate HQ but gaining customer call center

By Dick Hughes | senior business writer

one full year into the merger of BI-LO and Winn-Dixie, two of the South’s most iconic supermarket brands, integration of the two companies is two-thirds complete, according to Anthea Jones, the new president of BI-LO. Jones was interviewed at BI-LO’s Mauldin offices, where empty cubicles speak to the decision to place headquarters of the combined company in Winn-Dixie’s larger, betterequipped offices in Jacksonville, Fla.

“Yes, at some point in time, we’ll have to decide what we want to be when we grow up.”

Anthea Jones

While Greenville County lost out on the corporate headquarters, it is gaining 40 new jobs in a customerrelations call center for all 700 of the BI-LO and Winn-Dixie stores in eight Southeastern states.

Further, said Jones, who is based in Mauldin, “the team that is going to be on the field here at BI-LO will have a significant presence here, and we will support the 206 stores” in South and North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.

Jones, who was vice president for operations of BI-LO, replaced Michael Byars as president early this year. Jones is a 13-year BI-LO

veteran and worked for Food Lion for 17 years before joining BI-LO. Byars left the company.

Jones said the integration of the supermarkets is “almost done. Both companies have rich heritages, and with those rich heritages our teams are working together to meet customer expectations.”

He said the number of BI-LO’s 450 corporate personnel affected by placing corporate headquarters in Jacksonville remains a “moving target.”

Winn-Dixie had the infrastructure already built to support as many as 1,000 stores, Jones noted, a number it had before downsizing after bankruptcy reorganization.

“Here in our heyday, we had 300plus stores, we had people in five buildings, so it wasn’t the most efficient and effective way to build a market. What we found was making our headquarters in Jacksonville was more centric to the eight states we support,” he said.

The merger creates a stronger company and puts the combined chain in a better position to invest in growth through improving the infrastructure of existing stores, building new ones and making acquisitions, he said.

“We are looking to grow, whether it is one store, 10 stores, 20 stores,” Jones said.

The respective charities of the supermarkets also have been merged with corporate oversight moving to Florida and the separate golf charity

12 Upstate business journal March 22, 2013

events combined into one BI-LO Winn-Dixie Classic, Jones said.

The classic will be held in the Upstate this June. “One thing that will change” is that the priority for distribution of proceeds will be on hunger programs, he said.

Jones said the company will distribute charity funding over the eight states of the two supermarkets in consultation with local advisory committees.

The 29th annual BI-LO Classic last year raised $5.1 million, bringing its total since 1984 to $63 million. The Winn-Dixie golf event, the Jacksonville Open, raised $1.85 million last year, its third year.

“Both companies have a rich heritage in giving,” he said. “This is going to stay consistent no matter where the charity is located.” In fact, he said, the fundraising drive for 2013 already is under way in stores.

Jones said another issue still to be resolved is how to deal with the separate distribution systems of

BI-LO, which outsourced its distribution to C&S Wholesale Grocers in 2005, and Winn-Dixie, which operates its own distribution.

BI-LO is under contract with C&S until 2015.

“Yes, at some point in time, we’ll have to decide what we want to be when we grow up,” he said. “Both distribution arms are able to support our customer network and our stores effectively right now.”

BI-LO was founded by Frank L. Outlaw, a former Winn-Dixie executive, in 1961. Royal Ahold acquired the company in 1977, and Lone Star, a private equity firm, bought it in 2004. It came out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2010.

Winn-Dixie traces its beginnings to 1925 in Miami. The chain of stores became Winn-Dixie in 1955.

Winn-Dixie went through bankruptcy in mid-2000.

The combined company has 63,000 employees and is the nation’s ninth-largest supermarket chain.

Jones: ‘Filling a Need’ Is Key When Anthea Jones was 15, his mother had a message for him.

“Mom said, ‘I don’t know what you are going to do this summer, but you are going to get out of here and go work.’

“She put these applications on the table and said, ‘Fill one out.’ I filled one out for Food Lion, and that’s where I went to work.”

Jones, 46, who today is president of the BI-LO division of the combined BI-LO and Winn-Dixie company, never left the grocery business that his mother nudged him into from their New York City home.

He stayed with Food Lion through his college years at North Carolina State for his bachelor’s degree and master’s

Athena Jones, president of BI-LO.

course work in economics and statistics, the latter degree awarded by Shepperton University.

Jones stayed with Food Lion, which is based in North Salisbury, N.C. and owned by the Belgium company Delhaize Group, for 17 years,

joining BI-LO in 1999.

Asked what keeps him in the grocery business, Jones said, “I like working with people. I like filling a need. You are the nucleus of how people feed their families, so doing something worthwhile makes you feel real good.”

Contact Dick Hughes at dhughes@communityjournals.com.

UBJ News Sustainable Greenville: Here Comes the SUN sustainable greenville has expanded its Sustainable Business Directory to become the Sustainable Upstate Network (SUN), which will serve as a hub and networking center for businesses focused on sustainable action.

Sustainable Greenville is an online directory and education resource to businesses, organizations and events focused on improving quality of life and making a difference through sustainability.

The new SUN will include various

membership levels, from business to individual. Full business memberships will require a one-time fee, without annual fees or renewals, which are often the norm for business networks. Members also have the benefit of monthly networking meetings featuring various experts in ways to incorporate sustainable principles into business and life.

The inaugural meeting will be held at Tortilla Maria on April 2, with additional networking events planned in the Spartanburg and Anderson areas.

Members will also receive discounts and access to hands-on workshops, classes and products.

For more information, visit sustainablegreenville.com.

New Economic Development Ambassador Tapped peter waldschmidt, ceo of Gnoso Inc., is Greenville County’s Economic Development Ambassador for 2013.

Peter Waldschmidt

He was named to the honorary position for his “passionate leadership in advancing the technology and entrepreneurial ecosystems of Greenville County,” said Jerry Howard, president of the Greenville Area Development Corp.

Waldschmidt and 45 other county ambassadors were honored by Gov. Nikki Haley for their “exceptional contributions” Tuesday as part of Industry Appreciation Week.

Gnoso, the company Waldschmidt founded, develops and commercializes software products.

GODSHALL Professional Recruiting Staffing Consulting

Photos Provided

Christina Loftis Welch and her grandmother Stella Louise

Glamour Girl

Christina Loftis Welch goes from Watermelon Queen to makeup magnate with Stella Louise Cosmetics

By Jeanne Putnam | contributor

14 Upstate business journal March 22, 2013

One Upstate company

is aiming for the heights claimed by high-end cosmetic lines such as Bobbie Brown, Estee Lauder and Laura Mercier. Âś A Simpsonville native and Greer business owner, Christina Loftis Welch has held many titles: Miss Simpsonville 2003, Miss Greater Greer 2004, Miss Poinsett Downtown 2006 and South Carolina Watermelon Queen 2007, where she was also second runner-up in the National Watermelon Queen competition.

However, her newest title is entrepreneur and founder of Stella Louise Boutique and Cosmetics. Welch talks about her journey from contestant to cosmetics maven.

How long have you been working as a makeup artist?

Who are your usual clients?

I have been working as a make-up artist for the past 10 years. I have received training and worked for numerous nationally known makeup and skin care brands. My clients have included Miss South Carolina contestants, competitive dancers and bridal parties; however, I was trained to do everything from natural, everyday makeup and photography to stage makeup and extreme, dramatic and colorful creations.

How did you get into makeup artistry?

My experience in makeup artistry began with my own journey as a competitive dancer and pageant contestant. I began dancing at the age of 2, competing at age 7 and teaching other dancers by age 18. I came to Greer as a dance teacher after graduating from high school and have choreographed and directed competitive dancers in the Upstate of South Carolina for the past nine years. My makeup artistry skills were put to use by holding classes for dancers and parents to learn the application techniques of stage makeup. I also consult and coach pageant contestants on overall appearance, stage poise and talent.

What inspired you to create your own cosmetics line?

Having my own line of cosmetics has been a dream of mine since I started working in the beauty industry 11 years ago. The endless possibilities of utilizing my creativity are very appealing to me. For years, I carried around so many different brands for makeup applications because there were different products I liked from several different cosmetic lines. I finally decided that it made more sense to have my own line including all of the Stella Louise Boutique and Cosmetics

products I loved and to actually give my clients the opportunity to purchase the products from me.

What makes your cosmetics line stand out against its competition?

This line has something for everyone! There are great products for people who prefer a more natural look as well those who like a little more color and dramatic effect to their makeup.

Where did the name Stella Louise come from?

I named it after my grandmother who passed away a few years ago. She was always a huge inspiration to me when it came to beauty and fashion.

Have you seen a lot of success with Stella Louise?

So far, Stella Louise has had great success. As soon as someone sits in my makeup chair to try it out for the first time, they are usually hooked.

Do the girls and women you do makeup for prefer your line to others?

Yes, the color pigment in my line is stronger than most makeup. Therefore, less product is needed to achieve their desired look. My clients also love the personal attention they are given when looking for new products. When conducting a skin-care or makeup lesson, each client leaves with a personalized “how-to� guide, so there is no guesswork to recreating their new look.

Is the line best for pageants and formal wear, or can it be used every day?

Stella Louise cosmetics can be used for both. The products are versatile enough to easily suit any desired look. With my history in stage makeup, I wanted to have the ability to cater to those who would like to have products that they could use for any occasion without the need of multiple brands.

Why did you choose to set up your boutique in the Upstate?

Specifically, I decided to open in Greer because it has always been a special place to me. I lived in Simpsonville until moving to Greer a few years ago. I took dance and went to church in Greer as a teenager and started teaching dance in Greer after high school. I then had the honor of being crowned Miss Greater Greer in 2004. During that year, I had the privilege of providing over 830 hours of community service to the Greater Greer area and loved every second I was able to spend with the citizens of the community. I knew at that time that I wanted to open a business in the Upstate, starting with Greer.

What is your vision for the future with Stella Louise?

I plan to continue growing the line by adding more products and making the brand well known to a more broad area of customers. I would love to eventually open multiple boutique locations to make the products more easily accessible for everyone.

Stella Louise Boutique and Cosmetics recently opened at 215 W. Wade Hampton Blvd. in Greer. For more information, call 864-848-7770 or visit facebook.com/stellalouiseboutique.

Contact Jeanne Putnam at jputnam@communityjournals.com.

March 22, 2013 Upstate business journal 15

"WHEN YOU FLY A RACING PLANE PROPELLED BY A 3200 HP ENGINE, YOU NEED THE SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE OF THE WORLD’S BEST CHRONOGRAPH."

cover story

Social

Entrepreneurship

Tackles

Big

Issues

Organizations in Greenville and Spartanburg want to make a profit while making a difference

by Jennifer Oladipo contributor 18 Upstate business journal March 22, 2013

We’re not running a charity here. Definition Social Entrepreneur You know what that means. It usually implies that somebody’s sense of altruism is running amok, that too much giving means putting an enterprise at risk.

Yet for about a decade, the increasing visibility of social entrepreneurship as emerging investment opportunities has challenged that dichotomy. Social ventures are bubbling up throughout the Upstate, but their scale remains just below the radar.

Social entrepreneurs aren’t running traditional charities either, but whether their status is LLC or 501c3, they work to address pressing social needs. In one arena are businesses launched with the specific goal of using profits to big problems. In another, nonprofit organizations make heavy use of business principles to achieve their social goals. Either way, a core set of practices and principles distinguishes them from their colleagues. An innovative approach to tackling big social issues is key, as is a simultaneously profit- and community-focused approach.

Do something that matters, and make some money.

The defining factor of social ventures is that they exist to solve a problem that goes beyond getting products and services to market. It is usually a looming problem such as hunger, neighborhood deterioration, pollution, or poverty. At their best, social entrepreneurs borrow from traditional business and nonprofit models to

create a new approach.

Spartanburg’s Hub City Bookshop facilitates a longtime goal of writers who wanted their talents to uplift their community, said Betsy Teter, executive director of the Hub City Writer’s Project, which started the nonprofit bookstore. The group produced books and movies about neglected areas of the community, from its history to its waterways, then set sights on the struggling downtown.

After building the bookstore to distribute those books, there came the HUB-BUB arts venue center a few blocks away. Both Hub City and HUB-BUB are nationally recognized. “Before we were doing this through books,” said Teter. “More recently we’ve been doing this through brick and mortar.”

Working on a completely different issue, Bread Bicycles founder Kaleb Ross became aware of social entrepreneurship when people told him that’s what he was doing by starting a Greenville company that donates $50 per bicycle sale to help fight hunger locally, and eventually at the national and international levels.

Ross is a bicycle enthusiast who sometimes refitted bikes with trendy features and sold them. He realized that the popular and often expensive machines could literally become a vehicle for addressing the hunger issues he’d been made aware of through travel and media. The first prototype has been designed, and sales of refurbished bikes will fill (continued on page 20)

noun \’so-sh l ,änn-tr -p(r) -’n(y)ür\ A social entrepreneur is a leader or pragmatic visionary who: • Achieves large-scale, systemic and sustainable social change through a new invention, a different approach, a more rigorous application of known technologies or strategies, or a combination of these.

• Focuses first and foremost on the social and/or ecological value creation and tries to optimize the financial value creation.

• Innovates by finding a new product, a new service or a new approach to a social problem.

•Continuously refines and adapts approach in response to feedback.

• Combines the characteristics represented by Richard Branson and Mother Teresa.

Source: Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship

Social Entrepreneurship in action

Bull City Forward: Promotes social ventures in Durham, N.C. (bullcityforward.org)

Social Venture Partners (Charlotte): Invests in social initiatives and nonprofits and sponsors competition. (svpcharlotte.org)

Ashoka: Promotes social change through investment in social entrepreneurs. (ashoka.org)

Echoing Green: Funding and community for social entrepreneurs. (echoinggreen.org)

Warby Parker: For every pair of glasses sold, this company donates a pair to a person in need. (warbyparker.com/ do-good)

Toms: The shoe company donates shoes to children in need for each pair sold in its One to One program. (toms.com)

March 22, 2013 Upstate business journal 19

cover story

Photo by Greg Beckner

Tommy Wilkinson, left, and Kaleb Ross of Bread Bicycles with their prototype bicycle.

(continued from page 19)

“I wanted to show people that you can be selfless while at the same time being an entrepreneur and being for-profit.”

Kaleb Ross, founder of Bread Bicycles

the gap until it goes to market.

“I wanted to try something that not a whole lot of folks are doing,” Ross said, “and show people that you can be selfless while at the same time being an entrepreneur and being for-profit as well.”

Be different, and bring others along.

There is nothing new about the idea of revitalizing a marginalized neighborhood. Nor is there anything new about buying and putting land in the care of an organization in order to protect its natural features from the destruction of development. But the Sterling Land Trust, which keeps some neighborhood prop-

erty in the hands of residents who will use it for profitable enterprises, is a first in South Carolina.

Business incubators and entrepreneurial training centers are planned for defunct properties the trust has purchased, and the Sterling Pride Farm will provide access to healthy food as well as jobs and training.

Sterling’s attractive location just outside downtown Greenville attracts developers, but chairwoman Dorothy Russell said the trust secures community ownership in a way that will allow the community to preserve its unique history and keep housing affordable as improvements continue.

“We’re not saying we want to own the whole Sterling community – that’s not good either – but we want to preserve the community,” Russell said. “We’ve seen a lot of communities that have been revitalized, but the residents who were there at the beginning are not there now.”

Community mobilization is an aspect of the Sterling Land Trust, which actively encourages residents to take a fresh look at the resources they already have in order to leverage them collectively. What’s more, Russell said, she has been heartened by how people from other parts of the city have supported their cause, making it a larger Greenville effort.

In a stance typical of social ventures, Great Outdoor Adventure Trips (GOAT) invites the public to be part of its “tribe,” not just its donor list. The Christian ministry-focused organization provides outdoor experiences to “under-resourced and at-risk” youth as a way to get kids active and help them build leadership skills. In addition to encouraging recurring donations as a way to take ownership, GOAT is funded by revenues from the Mountain Goat Indoor Rock Climbing gym, which is open to the public and charges market rates. The business supports the ministry both through its activity and through the money it brings in.

Community mobilization has also been at the heart of each Hub City venture. The bookstore partnered with a bakery/coffee shop to create a gathering space.

The HUB-BUB arts space, which will be spun off into its own nonprofit this summer, has had an impact beyond Spartanburg’s art world.

Historical Examples of Leading Social Entrepreneurs Source: ashoka.org

Susan B. Anthony (U.S.): Fought for women’s rights in the United States, including the right to control property, and helped spearhead adoption of the 19th amendment.

20 Upstate business journal March 22, 2013

Vinoba Bhave (India): Founder and leader of the Land Gift Movement; caused the redistribution of more than 7,000,000 acres of land to aid India’s untouchables and landless.

Dr. Maria Montessori (Italy): Developed the Montessori approach to early childhood education.

cover story

Photo by Gerry Pate

“[HUB-BUB] was all about getting young creative people involved in their community, and I think that you can see that reflected in the makeup of city council,” Teter said. “Several of them are in this demographic that has been brought together by HUB-BUB.” Most notable is Spartanburg District 4 Councilwoman Cate Ryba, a longtime HUB-BUB organizer who was recently named executive director.

Make a big impact.

The real buzz about social entrepreneurship is its ability to deal with issues on a large scale. Yet while the impact tends to be felt strongly among the specific groups they serve, the relatively small scale of local ventures indicates that social entrepreneurship has yet to take off in the Upstate.

Here, support for startups remains focused on small businesses or products in high-impact sectors. Even

John Muir (U.S.): Naturalist and conservationist; established the National Park System and helped found The Sierra Club.

Photo by Greg Beckner

ABOVE, LEFT: Betsy Teter, executive director of the Hub City Writers Project; ABOVE, RIGHT: Dorthy “Dot” Russell, chairwoman of the Sterling Land Trust, with the Simpson House behind her. The historic home was used by teachers teaching at the Sterling School located across the street from the house.

with medical technologies, social considerations are not central. The capital has yet to flow in the direction of social entrepreneurs.

That said, there are some promising local business models to learn from. The Next Big Thing business accelerator in Spartanburg that aims to work with local universities and hospitals to improve healthcare technologies, and the public and private partnerships that fuel CU-ICAR, could be roadmaps for creating a thriving social venture sector. Just as the Upstate is having a significant impact on the future of automotive transportation, it could also impact how community revitalization, cultural preservation and hunger are addressed beyond our region.

Florence Nightingale (U.K.): Founder of modern nursing; established the first school for nurses and fought to improve hospital conditions.

Contact Jennifer Oladipo at joladipo@communityjournals.com.

“We’re not saying we want to own the whole Sterling community – that’s not good either – but we want to preserve the community.”

Dorothy Russell, chairwoman of the Sterling Land Trust

Jean Monnet (France): Responsible for the reconstruction of the French economy following World War II, including the establishment of the European Common Market, a direct precursor to the European Union.

March 22, 2013 Upstate business journal 21

UBJ The Takeaway

By Darlene Fuhst

‘It’s About Bringing Everybody With You’ Greg Smith on passion, selling and the need to burn your boats

ON CHANGING YOUR CAREER PATH I came to Clemson in 1981 as a mechanical engineer major, and not a very good one. I knew if I was an engineer I wouldn’t have to worry about eating. That was important to me. But I was never passionate about engineering.

After graduation, I worked for a couple of years and then I started getting restless, so I decided to go back to school to earn my MBA. I enrolled at USC because I wanted EVENT: First Friday Speaker Series – Clemson at the Falls, March 1 WHO WAS THERE: 100 Clemson students, Greenville area business owners and other interested parties SPEAKER: Greg Smith, president of Blue Vista Ventures, Inc.

to work internationally. After earning my MBA I moved to Atlanta, got married, and began working for a company where over 60 percent of the revenue was generated outside of the U.S. They bought a competitor in Germany, and at 27 years old I found myself in charge of creating the strategic and operating plans for that company in Germany, never having done it before.

IN THE LAND OF THE BLIND I was sent over to Germany with one other American, and the two of us had a little salute we used to do when we’d pass in the halls, which was to cover one eye with our hand.

This meant “in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king,” and what it signified for us was that even though we had never created a strategic operating plan for a company before, neither had anyone else there, and we at least had some idea of how to go about doing it, which was an advantage, no matter how small. It’s a motto I still live by today

– you may only know a little bit, but any bit of knowledge can often make all the difference.

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR (AND WHY YOU SHOULD) Being an entrepreneur has a kind of cache right now; it’s kind of sexy.

People always think entrepreneurs make a lot of money – and that can be true, but most of the time it’s not.

If you’re doing it because you want to get rich, then you need to find something else to do. You become an entrepreneur because you have identified a problem that you have a potential solution to, and you can’t stop thinking about it; that passion doesn’t go away. If that’s you, then you’re on the right path. But if money is your primary motivator, then you probably should reconsider.

NOBODY EATS UNTIL SOMEBODY SELLS SOMETHING If you’re the owner of a startup and you’re not naturally inclined toward selling, then you better find someone quick to sell your idea – not only to customers but to investors as well if you need them. Start generating income as soon as you can.

ON BURNING THE BOATS For anyone trying to come up with a business idea – maybe you’re working on that at night and the weekends but you’ve still got a regular job during the day – at some point you’ve got a decision to make.

Photo Provided

Greg Smith serves as president of Blue Vista Ventures LLC and is an advisor and consultant to early-stage technology companies. Smith has personally invested in 11 startup companies and funds. He formerly served as vice president and general manager of Xerox Mortgage Services. Prior to Xerox, Smith co-founded and served as CEO and chairman of Advectis Inc., the exclusive provider of BlitzDocs Collaboration Suite, one of the mortgage industry’s most widely-used solutions for electronic document collaboration. Xerox acquired Advectis in October 2007.

Greg Smith

And I don’t know when that point is – it’s different for everyone – but at some point you’ve got to burn the boats. What I mean by that is you have to fully commit to the new venture or you’ll never succeed. It’s scary as hell to burn the boats. I’m not trying to characterize it as easy, because it’s not – it’s really hard.

But you can’t get to heaven without burning the boats.

THE MOST DANGEROUS THING… …is not knowing what you don’t know. I know a lot of people who don’t know what they don’t know and they’re still trying to go faster.

What this means is you’ve got to have the humility to recognize that you can’t know everything and you’ve got to surround yourself with partners and mentors who can fill in those gaps for you. Nobody is successful all by themselves, and when you get through you’ll see it’s not about doing it yourself, it’s about bringing everybody with you.

That’s what I find most satisfying.

Friday signals the end of the workweek, but you can bridge the transition from work to relaxation every First Friday at Clemson at the Falls.

Once a month, the Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership and the Clemson MBA Program host speakers who enlighten the audience on various business topics, followed by a networking reception including drinks and refreshments in the four-story atrium overlooking Falls Park.

The events are free and everyone is welcome; however, space is limited so guests must register in advance. The next speaker is scheduled for April 5. To receive email notifications of upcoming events please register at eepurl.com/oPtGv .

22 Upstate business journal March 22, 2013

UBJ Square Feet NAI Earle Furman announced: > Michael Greer and John Baldwin represented the landlord of 101 Milledge Road, Greenville, in leasing a 98,200 SF industrial space to The Crown Group, Inc. > Stuart Wyeth and Alexi Papapieris represented the landlord of Park Central in leasing a 2,154 SF office space at 535 N. Pleasantburg Drive, Suite 124, Greenville, to H&R Block Eastern Enterprises Inc. > David Feild and Tyson Smoak represented Sandlapper Capital Investments in leasing an 8,000 SF office space at 800 E. North St., Greenville. > John Gray represented the landlord of 906 E. Washington St., Greenville, in leasing a 2,046 SF office

space. Drew Stamm represented the tenant. > Ken Anderson, Grice Hunt, and Ford Borders represented the lessee of 1320 Haywood Road, Greenville, in leasing a 1,500 SF office space. > Stuart Wyeth represented the landlord of Greenville Business Center at 150 W. Phillips Road, Greer, in leasing a 3,416 SF office space to Network Cabling Systems Inc. in Suites C and D. > Glenn Batson represented the landlord of 203 N. Main St., Greenville, in leasing a 2,300 SF retail space. John Gray and Drew Stamm represented the tenant, 20S0G LLC. > John Gray represented the landlord of 2406 E. North St., Greenville, in leasing an 18,000 SF retail property to a retailer.

> John Powell represented the landlord of 760 Hampton Road, Williamston, in leasing a 6,000 SF industrial space to SensorTech Corp. > Keith Jones represented the landlord of 9 Toy St., Greenville, in leasing a 1,760 SF office space.

Tyson Smoak represented the tenant, Metcalfe, LLC. > Stuart Wyeth represented the landlord of 401 Brookfield Pkwy., Greenville, in leasing a 4,010 SF office space to BellSouth Telecommunications LLC. > Stuart Wyeth represented the landlord of 101 E. Washington St., Greenville, in leasing a 5,000 SF office space to Goodwyn Mills & Cawood, Inc. > Scott Jones represented the landlord of 164 Milestone Way, Greenville, in leasing a 14,336 SF office space to

Realtors: Pent-Up Demand Drives Successful February the economy may be moving at a snail’s pace, but Realtors are selling homes at a brisk rate and often at or near listing price, according to the South Carolina Realtors.

SCR’s activity report for February shows “buyers are motivated by an attractive affordability environment, and more sellers are receiving near top dollar for their homes.”

Even though economic growth remains slow, SCR said, the pent-up demand that built up during the lengthy recession and slow recovery is counteracting the overall tepid economy.

That is trend is particularly evident in markets such as Greater Greenville and Spartanburg, as evidenced by February sales, prices fetched and days on the market. All are positive.

In February, sales in Greenville were up 12.1 percent to 530 homes or condos sold from 473 in February last year, which itself was a rising month

as the market was gaining steam.

The median price rose 6.3 percent to $143,500, and the time it took to sell from listing to closing was down to 104 days from 116. Houses are selling faster in Greenville than any other market besides Charleston, where it takes an average of 91 days.

Spartanburg’s market also continues to pick up. Sales rose 7.1 percent to 210 units; the median price was up 8 percent to $119,000 and the days on the market declined to 165 from 176.

For the state as a whole, sales were up 9.9 percent, and the median price was up 3.6 percent to $145,000. The average selling time statewide is 132 days.

As a strong indication the market is moving closer supply-demand balance, the state inventory of single-family homes was 9.4 months in February.

SCR said sellers are receiving, on average, 95.2 percent of asking price.

NEM USA Corp. > Jon Good and Alexi Papapieris represented the landlord of 6035 Ponders Court, Greenville, in leasing a 3,952 SF flex space to Bunnell-Lammons Engineering Inc. > Jon Good represented the landlord of 35 Brendan Way, Greenville, in leasing a 2,600 SF office space to Cambridge Financial & Insurance Group. > Earle Furman, Jon Good, and Alexi Papapieris represented FLK Enterprises LLC in purchasing a 2,532 SF fully-leased retail investment property located at 1219 Woodruff Road, Greenville. The tenant is Krispy Kreme. > David Feild and Tyson Smoak represented Greer State Bank in selling a 2,332 SF office property located at 200 School St., Greer.

By the Numbers residential sales

12.1% to 530

7.1% to 210

Greater Greenville

Spartanburg

gos

$10 off

your next online order of $50 or more at www.gos1.com Use Coupon code:

10DOLLARPR

median price

6.3% to $143,500

8% to $119,000

average days on the market

104 165 Source: South Carolina Realtors

*coupon valid on online orders only. discount is claimed by entering the code 10DOLLARPR at checkout. code is valid on one order only. gos reserves the right to modify this offer at any time.

www.gos1.com

March 22, 2013 Upstate business journal 23

UBJ The Fine Print

Methane Moves Ahead

BMW has expanded its use of hydrogen-fueled forklifts and other material-handling equipment across its entire Spartanburg manufacturing lines and distribution system.

BMW began converting movers in 2010 with about 100 pieces of equipment, and the addition of new compressors and support systems allowed it to more than double the hydrogen-powered fleet to 230 units, the company said.

BMW estimates the expanded system eliminates 4.1-kilowatt hours of electricity per year, more than twice was saved from the initial phase.

Josef Kerscher, president of BMW Manufacturing, said the hydrogen-fueled fleet “has provided a sustainable energy source that exceeds our expectations.”

BMW uses 400 kilograms of hydrogen per day for the fleet.

BMW said it has moved into the second phase and will enter the final stage later this year in its project to convert methane from a landfill to useable hydrogen.

Working with the South Carolina Research Authority and the U.S. Department of Energy, BMW has installed a cleaning system that removes sulfur and trace contaminants from methane to produce hydrogen, In the final phase of the project, BMW will conduct side-by-side trails of material-handling equipment fueled

by hydrogen from landfill gas versus commercially sourced hydrogen.

BMW has been using methane from a Spartanburg County landfill for several years and currently produces 38 percent of its electrical requirements on-site, mostly from its methane-to-energy plant.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers BMW in Spartanburg its “second-largest Green Power Partner.”

More Electric Power for Bus

Proterra has a new three-year agreement with the exclusive supplier of its battery-fed electric powertrain for a newly developed system specifically for commercial vehicles such as Proterra’s bus.

UQM Technologies has supplied Proterra with $1 million in propulsion systems since the electric bus company’s founding, said Eric R. Ridenour, UQM president and CEO. Both companies were founded about an hour apart in Colorado – Proterra in Golden and UQM in Longmont. Proterra moved manufacturing to Greenville three years ago and headquarters 18 months ago.

“UQM has consistently delivered high-quality systems to our EcoRide BE35 batter-electric buses throughout our development and initial fleet deployments,” said David Bennett, CEO of Proterra.

A new UQM propulsion system designed for commercial trucks and buses increases Proterra’s peak torque and power for more energy-efficient performance, the companies said.

UQM is publicly traded on NYSE.

Movers Join Forces

Smith Dray Line, the Greenville-based household mover, has become an Atlas Van Lines affiliate.

Smith Dray, the largest mover based in South Carolina, is celebrating its 125th year in business.

“This partnership with Atlas Van Lines enables us to meet rising demand across the Carolinas as we continue to expand our footprint in the region,” said Sam Turrentine, CEO of Smith Dray.

Steve Hermann, Atlas vice president of agency development, said Atlas’ agency network allows Smith Dray “to tap into Atlas’ resources and expand its business even further” by adding to its existing five offices in North and South Carolina.

Smith Dray got started as a “dray” transporter in the late 1800s moving personal belongings, coal, cotton and other freight by horse-drawn wagons from the railroad depot in Greenville. It remains family owned.

“In the moving industry, experience, quality and longevity mean everything,” said Turrentine. “We are proud to celebrate our 125th anniversary by joining forces with Atlas Van Lines to continue to deliver world-class service to our customers.”

Atlas is the nation’s second largest mover. It is based in Evansville, Ind.

Manufacturers Win Honors

BMW in Spartanburg and Michelin North America in Greenville have been recognized by Trade & Industry Development magazine for corporate investment and community impact.

The 8th annual impact awards are given to companies that have made investments in expansion that “will be

transformational for the communities in which the projects will be located,” the magazine’s publisher said.

In citing companies for recognition, the magazine considered such factors as the number of jobs created or retained, area unemployment, average income level and area plant closings.

In releasing the awards, Gov. Nikki Haley said BMW and Michelin “have played an important role in helping our state’s manufacturing sector grow and create new jobs.”

Engineering Firm Expands

Bluewater Civil Design, which opened its office in Greenville in 2010, has expanded, adding two engineers to bring its professional staff to six.

Michael H. MacNabb, a LEEDaccredited landscape architectural and civil engineer, and Christopher Wade Brown, a civil engineer, joined the firm as associate engineers.

“Lynn Solesbee, founding partner of Bluewater, said business has “increased substantially” in the last two years and MacNabb and Wade bring “an additional level of expertise that enable us to meet growing client demand.”

MacNabb’s prior experience includes positions with HadenStanziale in Charlotte, N.C., and with the Jekyll Island Authority.

Brown’s prior experience was with Gray Engineering Consultants in Greenville and Turkey Roofing and Freeland and Kauffman.

AQUOS BOARD It’s not just a display, it’s your business.

Communicate, Collaborate, Disseminate on an affordable, large touch screen LCD whiteboard display to make every presentation unforgettable.

864.675.2000 | sharp-sbs.com

aquos-board-10 X 2.668-AD .indd 1

2/23/2012 2:18:27 PM

UBJ Social

Photos Provided

Anderson University recently launched Greenville’s newest MBA program with the first day of classes at University Center.

The Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a Diversity Connections event.

The Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce recently held its March Pelham Power Breakfast.

LET HUFF CREEK PROPERTIES TURN YOUR DREAM INTO A SOUND REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT.

Huff Creek Properties, a timber and recreational land division of NAI Earle Furman, offers unmatched brokerage and land management services throughout the Carolinas and Georgia.

Buyer Representation • Seller Representation • Management

Contact Rusty Hamrick to learn more: rhamrick@naief.com • 864 232 9040 HuffCreekProperties.com

UBJ Planner Monday, March 25 GCS Roundtable: Economic Development in South Carolina The Office Center at the Point, 33 Market Point Drive, Greenville; 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Topic: Economic Development in South Carolina Call: Golden Career Strategies at 864-5270425 to request an invitation.

NxLevel for Entrepreneurs (Existing Businesses)

Custom water.

Refreshing results.

Upstate Workforce Investment Board, 102 Commerce St., Spartanburg; 6-9 p.m.

For entrepreneurs who want to expand an existing business and need the skills to make it grow.

Price: $195 per person Register at: bizbuildersc.com.

Tuesday, March 26 Minority Professionals NETnight Hyatt Regency Greenville, 220 N Main St., Studio 220 (located in the Hyatt Regency), Greenville; 6-8 p.m.

YOUR LOG HERE O

Pure WATER

26 Upstate business journal March 22, 2013

Event Description: Minority Professionals “NETnight” is a quarterly opportunity for diverse business owners and professionals to connect for networking. The evening combines sharing of substantive information relevant to minority professionals and an opportunity to highlight a local

nonprofit organization whose mission is to address the needs of diverse communities.

Guests will enjoy light appetizers and a cash bar with special pricing.

Cost: $15 at the door (if space permits). Will only be accepting cash at the door. Preregistration of $10 ends three business days prior to the event.

BuildU PM – Soft Skill Session Simpsonville Area Chamber of Commerce, Chamber’s Boardroom, 211 North Main Street, Simpsonville; 5-6 p.m.

Speaker: John Furnell, president and CEO of KeyPoint Training & Development Topic: “Can You Hear Me Now? Effective Communication Skills” Light snacks and beverages will be provided. Space is limited for this event.

Cost: Free for Chamber members, $5 for non-Chamber members Contact: Allison McGarity at amcgarity@ simpsonvillechamber.com.

Wednesday, March 27 Business Before Hours H&R Block, 655 Fairview Road, Suite K, Simpsonville; 7:30 a.m.-9:15 a.m.

Contact: Beck at 864-963-3781 or bklaus@simpsonville chamber.com.

March Coffee and Conversation Upstate SC Alliance, 124 Verdae Blvd., Suite 202, Greenville; 8-9 a.m.

Investors only.

Discussions from ITOR. If interested in becoming an investor, call Clay Andrews 864-2832300. RSVP at RSVP@ upstatealliance.com.

March PULSE Leadership Luncheon Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Conference Center, 670 Verdae Blvd., Greenville; 11:30 a.m-1 p.m.

Speaker: Russell Stall, director of Greenville Forward Topic: Greenville Vision 2025: Young Professionals and the Future of Greenville Register at: greenvillechamber.com or 864-239-3743.

Creative Fuel Session Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Place, 17th floor, Greenville, 11:45 a.m.

Speaker: Jane Mass Topic: Mad Women Cost: $35 for nonmembers and guests of members, $25 bronze ticket, $20 for students, free for Gold, Silver and Corporate.

For information: aafgreenville.org.

Thursday, March 28 Greenville Chamber’s 21st Annual International Event Studio 220 at Hyatt Regency, Greenville; 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Presenting sponsor Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd PA will honor Vivian Wong with the 2013 International Economic Development Award.

Cost: $50 for Chamber

OWNER OCCUPIED REAL ESTATE LOANS members, $75 for non-Chamber members For more information, visit upstateinternational.org.

Saturday, March 30 Comprehensive Small Business Startup Greenville County Library, Hughes Main Branch, 25 Heritage Green Place, Greenville; 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Cost: $59, includes lunch and materials Register at: piedmontscore.org/ workshops/

Monday, April 1 NxLevel for Entrepreneurs (Existing Businesses) Upstate Workforce Investment Board, 102 Commerce St., Spartanburg; 6-9 p.m.

For entrepreneurs who want to expand an existing business and need the skills to make it grow.

Price: $195 per person Register: bizbuildersc.com.

Tuesday, April 2 Metro Toastmasters Club City Hall, third floor conference room, 206 S. Main St., Greenville; 7-8 p.m.

Open to all Contact: 864-350-0044.

Wednesday, April 3 AM Think Tank Chamber Office, 211 N Main St., Simpsonville;

8:30-9:30 a.m.

Event Description: The purpose of this group is to discuss ideas and challenges you might be having within your own business with other members that might have faced the same circumstances and how they got through it. Bring a beverage and a snack if you like.

Cost: Free to attend as part of your Chamber membership.

Contact: Becky at 864-963-3781 to RSVP.

Is My Business Idea Feasible?

Simpsonville Chamber of Commerce, 211 N. Main Street, Simpsonville; 4-6 p.m.

Cost: $10. Refreshments will be provided by the Simpsonville Chamber.

Register at: scwbc.net/ events/upstate.

Mauldin Chamber Leads Group Mauldin Chamber of Commerce, 101 East Butler Road, Mauldin; noon-1 p.m.

Contact: Don Johnson at dfjj1141@yahoo.com.

Thursday, April 4 Cloud?

Compliance?

Confusion!

Workshop Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, 105 North Pine St., Spartanburg; noon-1 p.m.

Cost: Free, but register at spartanburgchamber.com.

Lunch will be provided.

Contact: Meric Gambel at 864-594-5030 or mgambel@spartanburg chamber.com.

DON’T MISS Becoming a Leader Clemson University, Brackett Hall, Room 100, 321 Calhoun Drive, Clemson; 5:30-7 p.m.

Speaker: Walt Ehmer, CEO of Waffle House Topic: The Waffle House Way Cost: Free Contact: Leah Hughes at leahh@ clemson.edu.

Theirs is nothing like the ease and flexibility of dealing with a local mortgage lender. CBL has been originating loans locally since 1907. Unlike many lenders, we keep our loans in-house. Your loan will never be sold to a third-party. Come experience why Citizens Building & Loan has so many repeat mortgage loan customers. Why complicate things?

Small Business Real Estate Loans Conventional & SBA Loans – Real estate, Construction and Re-financing Mortgage Loans, FDIC Insured Certificates of Deposits, IRA’s and SEP’s Competitive Savings Interest Rates and Annual Yields

229 Trade Street . Greer, SC 29651 864.877.2054 . www.cblgreer.com

Security. Stability. Strength.

Friday, April 5 First Friday Luncheon Greer City Hall, 301 E. Poinsett St., Greer; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Speaker: Greg Boone, executive director, Look Up Lodge Christian Camp Cost: $10 for members; $15 for non-members.

Register at: greerchamber.com.

FIRST FRIDAY

LEADERSHIP SERIES PRESENTS

First Friday Leadership Series

JULIE SEITZ

Clemson at the Falls, 55 E. Camperdown Way, Greenville; 5-7 p.m.

Director, Workplace 2020 The Coca-Cola Company

Speaker: Julie Seitz, director, Workplace 2020, The Coca-Cola Company Topic: Designing Tomorrow’s Workplaces: Coca-Cola 2020 Cost: Free, but space is limited.

Reserve your spot now at: firstfridayseitz. eventbrite.com Contact: Amy Burka at burka2@clemson.edu.

APRIL 5, 5:00 p.m.

Clemson at the Falls

55 East Camperdown Way, Greenville

Attending First Friday is free, but space is limited!

Register at FirstFridaySeitz.eventbrite.com.

March 22, 2013 Upstate business journal 27

UBJ On the Move

CERTIFIED

APPOINTED

HIRED

PROMOTED

Ben Worley

James Brown

Jeremy Keever

Lisa Rourk

BANKING/FINANCIAL Greer Bancshares Incorporated, the parent company of Greer State Bank, recently announced the addition of Linda Smith Hannon and Jeffery (Jeff) M. Howell as directors for the bank’s board of directors. Hannon is director of human resources for Duke Energy where she has served in many leadership roles during her 27 years of employment with the company. Howell is a Realtor who has been with Langston Black Real Estate Inc. for 15 years. He is currently a commissioner for the Greer Commission of Public Works, where he has served since 1998.

standards as measured by one or more of the firm’s criteria for revenue generation, educational attainment and client-service best practices. Nachman, Norwood and Parrott have been affiliated with Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network for five years and have 27, 20 and 30 years of experience in the wealth management industry, respectively. Nachman entered the financial services industry in 1986, maintains the professional designation of Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) and has completed Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) coursework. Norwood has been in the financial services industry since 1987.

Norwood is a Chartered Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA) professional. He is president of both Upstate Senior Living Inc. and Clement’s Kindness Fund for the Children. Parrott entered the financial services industry in 1983 with Interstate Johnson Lane, followed by serving as branch manager for Nations Securities, as well as for Wheat First Butcher Singer.

CONSTRUCTION/ENGINEERING: Mashburn Construction recently announced the opening of a new location in Greenville and the addition of Danny Schaaf as project executive and Dylan Waltz as project superintendent. Schaaf is a former owner and partner of SYS Constructors, and has been a member of the construction industry for over 36 years. Waltz has 18 years of experience. His work history includes industrial, medical, educational and financial, as well as numerous other market types.

account manager. She will be responsible for marketing and servicing life, health, and disability policies. Bullard has a Bachelor of Science degree from Bob Jones University.

Financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual in Greenville; was recently authorized by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. to use the CFP certification mark in accordance with CFP Board certification requirements. These marks identify those individuals who have completed financial planning coursework and have passed the CFP Certification Examination.

Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network has for the eighth consecutive year designated A. Robert Nachman II, Ben K. Norwood III and John F. Parrott, managing directors, as members of the firm’s Premier Advisors Program, a distinction that reflects their achievement of professional success by meeting or exceeding Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Networks’ high

Named a member of the 2012 Executive Council of New York Life Insurance Company.

Members of the Executive Council are among the most successful of New York Life’s sales force of 11,900 licensed agents. Brown has been a New York Life agent since 1998, and is associated with New York Life’s South Carolina General Office in Greenville.

28 Upstate business journal March 22, 2013

Recently joined Technology integrator TSAChoice Inc.’s Greenville office team in order to meet the increased demand for its services in Upstate South Carolina. Keever serves as a technology consultant and account executive with TSAChoice. He has spent most of his professional career in the nonprofit sector utilizing his skills in employee management, public relations and international partnerships.

Tom Dillard, president of Dillard-Jones Builders LLC has earned a Residential Contractors License from the state of Georgia, and has been named a Preferred Builder for Currahee Club on Lake Hartwell near Toccoa, Ga. Dillard-Jones Builders now is licensed in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.

INSURANCE: Kenzie Bullard has joined Herlong Bates Burnett as a life and health

Promoted to network manager for C. Dan Joyner Company’s corporate services division.

Rourk has extensive real estate experience, and joined the staff of the corporate services department last year as the international client services manager for the company. In her new position, she will be responsible for network referrals as well as international services.

REAL ESTATE: Prudential C. Dan Joyner Co. Realtors is pleased to announce that Regina Salley and Vivian Gorski have joined the company. Salley serves as a sales associate at the Easley/Powdersville office and has been in the real estate industry six years. Gorski serves as a sales associate at the Simpsonville office and has previously worked in medical sales for eleven years.

Coldwell Banker Caine’s Greer office recently welcomed April A. Breton as a residential sales agent. Breton has been in the business since 1987, with much of her time spent in property management and holds the Certified Property Manager (CPM) and Accredited Residential Manager (ARM) designations.

HONORED Rick Erwin

HONORED John R. Markel

President and principal analysis of Markel Valuation PC; was recently awarded the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation from the American Institute of CPAs and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Markel has been a practicing CPA in Greenville for more than 30 years, specializing in valuation and litigation services for the past 18 years.

Named 2013 Restaurateur of the Year at the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (SCRLA)’s Stars of the Hospitality Industry Awards. Erwin, of the Rick Erwin Dining Group, was selected from a pool of statewide nominees for his outstanding service, accomplishments and dedication to success in the industry. He, along with 10 other award recipients, was recognized at the Spirit of Hospitality and the South Carolina Stars of the Industry Awards. Erwin, who served as the chairman of the board of the South Carolina Hospitality Association (SCHA) in 2011 and 2012, and president of the Restaurant Division of SCHA, has been in the restaurant industry since age 14, working for more than two decades at Ryan’s Steakhouse, and then opening his first restaurant in 2005.

A MONTHLONG CELEBRATION OF CULTURES

The Marchant Company recently recognized several agents for their performance during January. Nancy McCrory and Karen Turpin were Volume Listing Agents of the month; Kathy Slayter was Unit Listing and the Unit Sales Agent of the month; Tom Marchant was Sales Volume Agent of the month; and the “March to SOLD” team, Anne Marchant, Jolene Wimberly, and Brian Marchant were recognized as Sales Team of the month.

Lee & Associates – Greenville was recently honored in the CoStar Power Broker Awards. Costar, one of the largest commercial real estate databases, grants these awards based on the brokerage firms and individual brokers who closed the highest transactions in leasing and sales of commercial real estate within the market. Only the top ten brokerages in the market are granted this award. In conjunction to being recognized for the firm’s overall exceptional performance, several of Lee & Associates’

A Program of The International Center

MARCH 1 - 31

individual brokers were recognized as well. P. Randall Bentley, SIOR, CCIM excelled in two of the four individual categories as a top producer in both office leasing and industrial leasing. Laurens C. Nicholson, CCIM, SIOR, was also acknowledged for his deal-making accomplishments for half of the categories, including industrial leasing and overall top sales.

UpstateInternational.org

March 22, 2013 Upstate business journal 29

UBJ New to the Street

Edge IT Professionals

EM

ew a sh ing ton

cBe e

me Hig h

dd r

ri a

ld

2 r

to

n

la n

mo

pel ha m r d

gar lin g

1

tie pl

st

Ave

1. Edge IT Professionals recently opened at 330 East Coffee St. in Greenville. Edge IT Professionals is a full-service IT company specializing in startup, small and medium-sized businesses. Services include network and computer consulting, managed IT services such as server and desktop management, network solutions, data backup systems and data recovery.

The company also offers a variety of IT solutions to solve small-business growth challenges such as data integration and migration. For more information, call 864-527-5919.

5 i-8

Dr

t

Village

be at

t

ort hs

nc hur ch s

en

Alpha Health & Rehab of Greer

rd

3

blvd pton ham e d wa

2. Alpha Health & Rehab of Greer recently opened at 401 Chandler Road in Greer. They offer a variety of rehabilitation services and clinical care. They admit patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 864-879-1370 or visit covenantdove.com. To contact admissions, call 864-631-9857.

30 Upstate business journal March 22, 2013

3. Mashburn Construction recently opened its Upstate office at 20 Brozzini Court in Greenville. They are a full-service construction company providing construction management, design/build and general contracting. They are headquartered in Columbia, but have offices in Charleston as well as the new Greenville location. For more information, visit mashburnconstruction.com.

UBJ Snapshot

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

Photo Provided

Among the dry goods stores operating on Main Street at the turn of the 20th century was that of J. Thomas Arnold.

In the first decade of the century, Manas and Alex Myers moved to Greenville from Virginia and acquired Arnold’s store. Along with their brothers, L.A. and Nolan Meyers, they established the Meyers-Arnold Company. Soon Meyers-Arnold became the largest store in South

Carolina specializing in clothes for women and children. Later the business diversified its stock to become a full-fledged department store. When Meyers-Arnold first opened on Main Street, it occupied a building about half the size of the store in this photograph. In the 1920s, the larger building was constructed to accommodate the expanding store.

Photo Provided

Meyers-Arnold Sales Staff. The store and staff are shown in Williams Coxe’s photo from the 1920s. Greenville’s business boom in that decade created an increased demand for employees

and greater opportunities for young white women. The Meyers Brothers motto was “the customer is always right.” Staff were required to observe this rule.

Where customer experience and expectations are one in the same.

ets

Serving Upstate SC, Charlotte, Atlanta, Columbia and Asheville since 1997.

Located next to GSP International Airport, our services include…

• Luxury Stretched Limousines • Vans • Town Cars • Vintage Cars

• Motor Coaches • Mini-Coaches

• Limousine Coaches

• Transportation Coordinators • Valet Parking & Greeters • and more…

Photo by Greg Beckner

Today, the building is still serving Greenville shoppers with a wide variety of merchandise as the home of Mast General Store, which

opened in 2003. Inside, shoppers can purchase Mice on Main merchandise as well as books on Greenville’s history.

Eastside Transportation Service

2311 Airport Rd., Greer • 864.609.LIMO