APRIL 4, 2014
VROOM TO GROW With the X7 set to roll off the lines soon and the X4 already underway, BMW is set to make the biggest impact of its 20-year history in the Upstate
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05-3058 © 2014 Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI (NM) (life and disability insurance, annuities) and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (securities), a subsidiary of NM, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, and member of FINRA and SIPC. John B Tripoli, District Agent(s) of NM. Managing Directors are not in legal partnership with each other, NM or its affiliates. John B Tripoli, Registered Representative(s) and Investment Advisor Representative(s) of NMIS. NCAA® is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
UBJ BANKING
CertusBank Co-CEO Williams Resigns Amid Mismanagement Allegations By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com
Before CertusBank could
Photo by Greg Beckner
“respond in due course” to a March 27 report by American Banker alleging serious problems at the company, co-CEO Charles Williams resigned effective Monday March 31. The industry magazine reported the resignation after revealing that Certus investors are considering doing away with the company’s board, alleging serious problems with management and spending. The company could not be reached for comment on Williams’ resignation but had sent a statement in response to the original report. American Banker called into question spending and other practices at Greenville-based CertusBank, shining a light on concerns that quietly have been building over the past year. The report detailed many of the concerns members of the local banking community have shared with UBJ in recent months, though they have asked not to be named. The bank raised half a billion dollars to begin operations in 2011, and has remained in the spotlight since then through bank acquisitions, charitable donations, and building impressive branch locations. Behind closed doors, members of the local banking community have speculated about when the spending-versus-earning equation would finally meet with a reckoning, in both senses of the word. American Banker said it reviewed documents that showed spending including “$146,000 for three months of work by an executive’s son fresh out of college; $2.5 million for three executive apartments and high-end upgrades; $347,000 for private plane trips; $131,000 for Carolina Panthers games; several hundred thousand dollars for sponsorships and charitable gifts; more than $500,000 for American Express bills.” The report also said the bank paid
Greenville Mayor Knox White, left, joins CertusBank’s Angela Webb and Walter Davis at the opening of the bank’s branch in the ONE building downtown.
$9.7 million to a Charlotte-based consulting firm, Integrated Capital Strategies, that was founded by Certus co-CEOs Walter Davis and Charlie Williams in 2009. The spending coincides with poor performance in several areas. One banker who had reviewed Certus’ financials told UBJ that the bank currently is spending $1.80 for each dollar it earns. UBJ’s review of FDIC data shows there has been some growth in commercial lending, but the bank lost $64.2 million in 2013. The bank is currently disputing $19 million of that calculation with the regulators. When compared to peer banks suggested by a former employee, UBJ found Certus to be consistently at the top end of spending and the low end of income, according to FDIC data. The regulatory agency’s own performance report shows a widening gap between Certus and a comparable group of peer banks. One knowledgeable banker who declined to be named told UBJ the
bank’s assets per employee were “the lowest I’ve ever seen … staggeringly low” and keep dropping. What’s more, the bank’s tier 1 capital ratio, which regulators use to determine how well a bank is capitalized, dropped from 12.6 percent to 8.6 percent over the course of 2013. The bank has been sliding toward the 6 percent threshold that would put it into undercapitalized territory. Bankers also say Certus’ overall strategy has been unorthodox and focus unclear, according to peers who have asked not to be named. The accumulation of real estate has been at odds with an industry trending toward online and especially mobile retail banking services. They say the bank’s niche or strategy is hard to discern. One of their major concerns, and the most visible, has been the amount of real estate that Certus has developed in a short time. Investors are now responding loudly, according to American Banker, which described an emergency conference held March 11 “to discuss
April 4, 2014
ousting the board over what some regard as gross mismanagement by senior executives.” They are unhappy with the numbers and with the board that has let the bank generate them. The report cites resignations from the board of its most experienced members, and a reduced role for Milton Jones, an experienced executive whose leadership the report said had been a major selling point for investors. “We take very seriously the issues raised in the article published by the American Banker,” a CertusBank spokesperson said in a statement. “The facts will be established and there is a board process in place to evaluate the claims and to respond in due course. CertusBank remains a strong financial institution, and our talented teammates are focused on providing quality services to our customers in the Upstate and in the many other communities we serve.” See American Banker’s full report at bit.ly/certus.
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 3
Volume 3, Issue 14
April 4, 2014
22
more online
MONEY SHOT: Attendees at a press conference at BMW’s Greer facility got the first look at the automaker’s new X4 model. See the full story on page 22.
WORTH REPEATING “We love Germany, but South Carolina is now the BMW capital of the world.” Gov. Nikki Haley at last week’s announcement of expansion at the BMW plant in Spartanburg County.
“I am a firm believer that as a Realtor, I have the responsibility of protecting private property rights.” Adair Senn, a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, explaining why she plans to attend the annual Realtors Rally at the Statehouse in Columbia.
“It is very hard to expect people to be happy and serving our clients well if our employees aren’t happy.” Bob Nachman, managing director of Nachman Norwood & Parrott, on the company’s incentive programs for employees.
4 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
TBA Word is Carolina Pizzeria is going into the old Schwaben House German restaurant location on Pelham Road… Also coming to 3906 Pelham Road in August is PDQ (for “People Dedicated to Quality”), a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in hand-battered chicken tenders, made-to-order sandwiches, fries, milkshakes and fresh salads… Look for a new Señor Salsa coming soon to Woodruff Point Shopping Center… Ice cream lovers, keep watch for a new Stanley’s Ice Cream opening soon in Howell Ridge on East North Street… April 4, 2014
To view more photos from the BMW announcement, visit
www.upstatebusinessjournal.com
VERBATIM
On Unforgettable Southern Towns… “Don’t scoff, Greenville is a destination in its own right. In the corner of South Carolina, this town has a really beautiful River Walk, a fun downtown area … and a minor league baseball stadium modeled after Fenway Park that’s worth a visit in its own right (bonus: tickets are super cheap).” HuffPost Travel, naming Greenville one of “9 Southern Towns You’re Forgetting About but Shouldn’t.” Read the whole thing at bit.ly/southerntowns.
UBJ INSURANCE
Marsh & McLennan Agency Acquires Capstone Insurance Services Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC (MMA), a subsidiary of insurance broker Marsh LLC, today announced it has acquired Capstone Insurance Services LLC, a $1.8 million revenue agency based in Greenville. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1995, Capstone Insurance provides property/casualty insurance and risk management solutions to more than 1,000 customers ranging from individuals to major corporate entities with international interests, and conducts business for clients in nearly every state across America, according to a statement released by MMA. The firm will become part of MMA’s Mid-Atlantic region, expanding MMA’s market position in South Carolina created with the merging in of Rosenfeld Einstein in 2012. MMA was established in 2008 to meet the needs of midsize businesses in the U.S, said the statement. MMA operates autonomously from Marsh to offer commercial property, casualty, personal lines and employee benefits to clients across the U.S. MMA’s parent company, Marsh, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies. With more than 53,000 employees worldwide and annual revenue exceeding $11 billion, Marsh & McLennan Companies is also the parent company of Guy Carpenter, a global leader in providing risk and reinsurance intermediary services; Mercer, a global leader in talent, health, retirement and investment consulting; and Oliver Wyman, a global leader in management consulting.
L to R: Michael Wilkins, Senior Commercial Banker, Ryan Tiwari, Commercial Banker, Ronnie Colson, Greenville Market President, Haywood Hardin, Commercial Banker, Neal Kyber, Regional Market President, Lauren Greene, Private Client Relationship Manager
Measure of success. Having a financial partner ready for your next opportunity. Puckett
“Capstone is a great addition to further increase our market share in the Greenville area. We are pleased to be gaining a high caliber of local talent to enhance the resources available to our clients,” said Thomas R. Brown, vice chairman of the MMA Mid-Atlantic region, in the statement. Capstone’s nine-member team is led by President Jack Puckett, Executive Vice President William Boswell III and Vice President Karen Cooper. All Capstone employees will join MMA’s Rosenfeld Einstein office in Greenville. “We are excited to embark on Capstone’s next chapter as part of Marsh & McLennan Agency,” Puckett said in the statement. “With the tremendous capabilities and resources that MMA brings to bear, we will be even better positioned to help our clients identify, manage, and transfer their risks.”
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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 5
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UBJ TRANSPORTATION
SC National Guard Opens Flight Facility in Greenville By Joe Toppe | staff | jtoppe@communityjournals.com
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outside Columbia, pilots in the South Carolina Army National Guard can now come to Greenville to fine-tune their flying skills. Completed in February 2014 and designed to support the training and maintenance needs of aircrew members and maintainers, the South Carolina National Guard Army Aviation Support Facility at Donaldson Field sits on 34 acres and will sustain 78 full-time military
technicians along with 200 traditional guardsmen. At an approximate cost of $26 million, the 110,000-square-foot facility was funded by the Defense Authorization Bill for military construction and will include two hangars, supply, storage, allied shops, administration, classrooms, locker rooms and an emergency aviation operations center. Lt. Col. Charles Lewis said the facility would house UH-72A >>
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April 4, 2014
“The National Guard had outgrown its facility near Columbia and chose Greenville because of the Upstate’s technical expertise.”
role in the developing Southeastern Army Aviation Training Site. The site will serve as a regional training center for employment of
aviation assets in civilian support operations and inter-agency partnering, Lewis said. “We want to develop a training
center where units similar to ours will come to train,” he said. “They will come from all over the United States to this location.”
Lt. Col. Charles Lewis
>> Lakota aircraft and the CH-47F Chinook aircraft. “If there should be another Katrina-type event, these aircraft will perform the rescues,” he said. The Lakota is a light utility helicopter and has been in service since 2007, and the Chinook is a multi-mission transport helicopter and has been in service since 1958. When pilots leave flight school, they only have a basic understanding of the aircraft, Lewis said. At the support facility in Greenville, adjacent to Donaldson Field at the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (SC-TAC), pilots will learn tactics, techniques and procedures, he said. All of the maintenance on the aircraft will be done in Greenville as well. Lewis said three-quarters of the facility’s members are part-time National Guardsmen. “Flying is a perishable skill, and young pilots need to be in an aircraft at least two times each week,” he said. The National Guard had outgrown its facility near Columbia and chose Greenville because of the Upstate’s technical expertise, Lewis said. The Greenville facility will allow aviation soldiers in the South Carolina Army National Guard to maintain readiness while providing improved coverage of the state when responding to natural or man-made disasters, he said. The Greenville support facility will also play a future
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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 7
UBJ UNEMPLOYMENT
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April 4, 2014
SC Unemployment Rate Falls to 5.7% SCDEW reports largest single-month drop in 35 years By Joe Toppe | staff | jtoppe@communityjournals.com
With a drop of 0.7 percent in February, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce is reporting a significant decrease in the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate. The 0.7 percent drop is the largest ever recorded in a single month since the data series began more than 35 years ago. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped from 6.4 percent in January to 5.7 percent in February. South Carolina’s February unemployment rate was 1.0 percent better than the national average of 6.7 percent and marked the ninth consecutive month statewide unemployment decreased. The Palmetto State also experienced the largest one-month drop of unemployed persons with an estimated 13,895, while the number of working South Carolinians rose for the seventh consecutive month to a historic high of 2,039,455. In a statement issued March 28, Gov. Nikki Haley said the state celebrated both the record decrease in unemployment and the fact that more South Carolinians were working than ever before. Statewide, nonfarm employment saw 27,500 more seasonally adjusted jobs in February 2014 than in the same time last year, with the leisure and hospitality sector experiencing the greatest increase at 7,700 jobs. The trade, transportation and utilities industry experienced the second
largest boost in seasonally adjusted nonfarm employment with a rise of 5,900, while manufacturing rounded out the top three with an increase of 4,700 seasonally adjusted jobs. The Upstate also saw an increase in nonfarm employment of seasonally adjusted jobs from February 2013 to February 2014, with the Greenville MSA increasing by 5,900 jobs, the Spartanburg MSA by 3,100 jobs, and the Anderson MSA by 3,000 jobs. Unemployment rates were down for every county in the state, according to data that had not been seasonally adjusted. Greenville County employed 8,032 more in the second month of 2014 than in the same time one year ago, while Spartanburg County experienced an increase of 3,392 and Anderson County experienced an increase of 3,432. Dr. Bruce Yandle, a Clemson University economics professor emeritus, said while all the numbers are estimates based on the national sample and then adjusted with estimates for population, there are no seasonally adjusted numbers for county unemployment. “It is risky to make heavy interpretation of one month’s data, and we should focus on the trend,” he said. “Raw adjusted data may show a negative or positive move, but when the data is adjusted for what typically occurs across a long period of time, the data may change direction.”
UBJ UNEMPLOYMENT NONFARM EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY, SEASONALLY ADJUSTED January 2014 to February 2014
STATEWIDE - FEBRUARY 2014 Industry
February 2014
Total Nonfarm Employment Construction
February 2013 to February 2014
January 2014
February 2013
# Change
% Change
# Change
% Change
1,917,700
1,884,900
-5,300
-0.28%
27,500
1.44%
1,912,400 81,100
81,200
78,600
-100 -0.12% 2,500 3.08%
Manufacturing
227,900
227,600
223,200
300 0.13% 4,700 2.06%
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities
364,000
366,400
358,100
-2,400
-0.66%
1.62%
Information
26,200
26,400
26,300
Financial Activities
94,800
94,100
94,800
700
0.74%
0
0.00%
Professional and Business Services
243,500
243,500
239,000
0
0.00%
4,500
1.85%
Education and Health Services
220,400
222,100
217,100
-1,700
-0.77%
3,300
1.50%
Leisure and Hospitality
228,100
229,200
220,400
-1,100
-0.48%
7,700
3.38%
70,500
71,900
70,500
-1,400
-1.99%
0
0.00%
Other Services Government
352,200
351,600
352,100
-200 -0.76%
5,900
600 0.17%
-100 -0.38%
-900 -0.26%
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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 9
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Employers Learn from Eager Students By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com
Maureen Coyn, left, manager of cardiology research and education at Greenville Health System, and Clemson student Anna Grace Tindal talk on the cardiology floor of Greenvile Memorial Hospital. Tindal interned at the hospital last summer and hopes to again this summer.
April is crunch time for
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April 4, 2014
students looking for summer internships, and the best ones will be looking to give as much as they receive. At the same time that employers are looking for highly skilled people to fill vacant positions and prepare for massive retirements across industries, college students are stacking up internships to build a competitive advantage against their peers. The young people bring a lot to the table. “There’s a tremendous opportunity to get a fresh set of learners who are learning the latest in their education, but also bring some fresh perspectives to the workplace,” said Brenda Thames, vice president for academic and faculty affairs at Greenville Health System. The company hosts more than 100 interns each year in departments including marketing, IT, facilities, academics and HR. Thames said the students bring knowledge of newest technologies, or insightful ques-
tions or research projects that can benefit GHS. That process has become formalized in recent years, said Suzan Zeiger, who heads the internship office at Furman University. She said students give presentations and debrief employers with their suggestions at the end of the internship. Thames said on the research side, GHS can measure interns’ direct impact on projects. Although internships are temporary by definition, employment is the golden ticket that usually goes unmentioned. “You could almost be recruiting,” said Thames. “If you find somebody who’s good at what they do and fits within your world of work, that saves a lot of money and time.” Employers have come to expect internships on graduates’ resumes. “It’s almost becoming a norm. Certainly in business, economics and any of the research sciences,” Zeiger said. Most students do more than one. “I’ve never heard anybody >>
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[on the faculty] say that you need more than one, but it’s pretty much implied,” said Anna Grace Tindal, a sophomore marketing major at Clemson who spent last summer interning in the cardiology department at GHS. “You hear what other people are doing and it can be kind of intimidating … employment is always on the edge of your thoughts, especially in this economy,” she said. Yet students are also aware of what they should be getting out of the relationship, especially if school officials helped facilitate the internship. Controversy over internship pay made national headlines when former interns, mostly in the entertainment and communications industries, sued employers who they said violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by effectively employing them full-time without pay. Some of them knowingly reduced
staff size while increasing the number of full-time internships. The key to fairness is for employers to ensure interns are learning as much as they are doing, and follow the clear federal rules regarding internships, Zeiger said. Tindal is now searching for another internship and says she wants to know that her time will be well spent. She found it rewarding to see the communications, financial and research aspects of cardiology at GHS. She and others are not concerned with pay when the hours are fair and the mentorship is comprehensive. The coming months would be the best time to start planning for companies that might want to add an internship program in the fall. Zeiger said she spends the summers working with such companies and that Furman’s internship roster has grown from 50 to 280 opportunities in past eight years.
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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 11
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UBJ FEATURE
Money Isn’t Everything To get and keep good people, many employers are finding that incentives are the key By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com
Everyone still wants to get paid, but more and more, they see the things that money can’t buy as the best incentives to stay with or take a job. Recruiting and retaining the best workers traditionally has been considered a matter of offering competitive wages, bonuses or perks such as travel, profit sharing or use of company vehicles. But at a time when industries from accounting to nuclear energy face a tight squeeze for talent, the right enticements can be incredibly important. One reason is that companies are aggressively poaching their competitors’ best employees, according to the Incentives Research Foundation’s 2014 trends report. A combination of skills gaps and aging workforce across the economy means the talent pool is set to shrink by some 40 percent, making it harder for companies to fill vacancies or position themselves for growth. The report argues that this reality should encourage companies to invest in their incentive programs.
What Works Today Traditional incentives such as financial compensation don’t tend to work for long, nor is training a very attractive enticement, said Jane Allen, founder and CEO of Smart Work Network in Greenville. More appealing are opportunities to try out different job functions, or to experience the challenges of working in a foreign country. “We think that’s one of the main issues. If they can be in a job where they really get to max out who they are, they will stay even if they’re offered another job with more money,” Allen said. Flexibility is also becoming a key issue in recruitment and retention, experts say. In practice, flexibility means giving employees more control over when, where or how they work. Many of today’s workers consider
periods of intense work punctuated by long breaks of a few weeks or even months to be more attractive than a more forgiving daily schedule with just a few weeks of vacation each year. Especially for younger workers, the notion of flexibility might mean being able to access social media sites while at work.
A Matter of Time The ability to set a schedule that fit her personal goals was a major factor that brought certified financial advisor Laura Copsey to Nachman Norwood & Parrot. Before joining the Greenville wealth management firm, she and Managing Director Bob Nachman discussed eventually reducing her hours so that she could pick up her two children – 3 years old and 6 months old at the time – from school. “The commitment was huge on the front end because I [would be] leaving before the markets would close, so there would still be active business happening,” she said. The firm agreed to the plan, so she took the job. When the time came to reduce hours, Copsey said her salary was reduced accordingly, “but that didn’t bother me because I was doing the things in the afternoon with my children that were so important to me.” In the 14 years since the arrangement was made, several other employees have worked out flexible schedules at the firm. That is rare for their field, Nachman said. “It’s an intangible that is provided to the office by all of us who do it,” Copsey said. The years of being able to live the life she dreamed, unlike many of her peers, have cemented her commitment to her employer. “I can speak for myself; I’m very loyal to the office. Headhunters might call and inquiries might happen, but the answer is no.”
12 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
April 4, 2014
THE SCIENCE OF SEARCHING There is a serious search for talent in many fields, but changes in technology are notably impacting employers’ ability to find the right people. More applications are processed online. Yet if specific credentials, experience or even key words don’t meet the criteria of a pre-programed algorithm, an application is often automatically rejected. A new wave of HR professionals trained to rely on these technological tools might be missing out on some of the best applicants, said Jane Allen, founder and CEO of Smart Work Network. “You have to stop looking for the perfect person who has done everything that you want, and you have to start looking at potential.” Hire for traits, and train for knowledge and skills. On the other hand, another technology, predicative assessments, might be the antidote. Using thousands of data points, such assessments identify hardwired traits and learned behaviors, and can predict an individual’s potential with 99.5 percent statistical reliability.
Know Thy Staff People who stay are people who are in the right job and the right organization, Allen said. “Many people think you have to motivate people, and you really can’t. All you can do is build a culture where people want to be there. And the way you engage them is you find out who they are.” So even though financial incentives are generally sliding down the scale of importance, some employees are most driven by them. For instance,
Allen said a surprising number of companies limit how much their sales teams can earn in commissions, despite the fact that the thrill of seeing bigger and bigger numbers might be exactly what motivates them. On the other hand, more money is only a short-term fix for somebody who sees more variety or a more flexible work schedule as the more valuable reward. Soon, no amount of money will be enough.
Know Thyself Allen said employers who take the time to discover what motivates the employees they already have might find themselves surprised. Her company provides career counseling and talent searches, and she said companies perform better when they understand their internal cultures and how well different people fit into them. Even startups should spend time understanding who they are. “It’s even more applicable in a small company,” she said, “because you can get it wrong and lose your shirt.” Allen said she personally learned that lesson the hard way with poor hiring in the past. Nachman said the firm’s philosophy of being open to what employees say they want and need has paid off in very low turnover, with most employees having been with the firm 10 to 15 years. Most often they’ll try a proposal to see if it works before rejecting the idea. “I think we have taken the approach from the beginning that we wanted to have a good place to work and be competitive with things like pay and flexibility,” Nachman said. “It is very hard to expect people to be happy and serving our clients well if our employees aren’t happy. Figuring that out was a big plus.”
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UBJ PROFESSIONAL
5 Requirements for Sales Success What makes some people successful at sales while others struggle? How can I get my results to the level that I need them to be? This is the profession and career that I have chosen and I want to become the best I can—what do I need to do to get there? These are questions that I often get from salespeople and business owners. Since I have been training sales professionals for 15 years, people think I have the magic answer. Guess what: There is no magic answer. Sales is a difficult field. It is full of rejection. It requires hard work and a strong desire for success. However, I have found that there are five fundamental processes that are required for success.
1. You must have a system – a process for identifying, qualifying and developing selling opportunities. Pursuing anyone who expresses a casual interest in your product or service is a poor investment of your time and energy. Even pursuing only those who have a real interest but not the wherewithal to buy it, or the ability to make a decision to buy it, is a poor investment of resources. In order to obtain the greatest return on that investment, you must be able to systematically qualify opportunities quickly using appropriate measurable criteria.
communicate: to get your point across – succinctly and meaningfully – using language appropriate to the situation; to ask meaningful questions that keep the conversation focused on topics essential to qualify the opportunity; and to listen… really listen to not only >>
2. You must have skill – to implement your system. And the most valuable skill is the ability to
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April 4, 2014
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>>
understand the content of what the other person is saying, but the intent of their words, as well.
3. You must have belief – in yourself, in your company and in your product or service. Because you can do no more than what you believe you can do, you must believe in your ability to tackle the job at hand and succeed to whatever level your skill and tenacity will take you. You must believe in your company’s intention to treat its customers fairly and fulfill its obligations to them. And you must believe in the ability of your product or service to deliver to the customer the results promised. 4. You must have the desire to improve – even if you are at the top of your game. There’s a saying in the aviation world: “A good
Your personal value is not measured by the size of your paycheck, but rather by the quality of service you provide to others. When you are committed to providing the best service you can, all the people you touch benefit. pilot is always learning.” The same concept is true in the sales world. A good salesperson is always learning to be more efficient and effective; identifying, qualifying and developing opportunities; representing his or her company; and serving customers. 5. You must have a 100 percent commitment – to doing the very
best job you can, and to providing the best possible service to your customers, your colleagues and others who depend on you. Your personal value is not measured by the size of your paycheck, but rather by the quality of service you provide to others. When you are committed to providing the best service you can, all the people you touch benefit.
Sales is one of the most rewarding professions available to many of us. There is no limit to how successful we can be, how far we can go or how much money we can make. Incorporating the above five processes doesn’t guarantee anything, but it will give you the edge that you need to help you reach your goals. Award-winning Sandler trainer Russ Davis opened a Sandler Training office in the Greenville-Spartanburg area in 2007. He has years of management and business development experience, most recently spending seven years associated with Sandler Training in Pittsburgh. He has a B.S. from the University of Delaware and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.
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April 4, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 15
UBJ COMMUNICATE
Digital Communication and the Demise of Genuine Dialogue I should have written this article a few years back. However, I kept thinking that the growing phenomenon of the misuse and abuse of e-mail, texting, Twitter, Facebook and other means of digital communication would eventually diminish and that we would regain our appreciation for in-person, face-to-face – or even phone – conversation. I was wrong. Every day, I see the erosion of our ability as a society to negotiate an acceptable common position when two parties are not in alignment with each other. Frequently, I encourage
a colleague to contact another party to collect a late receivable, secure a resource in timely fashion, or settle a disagreement or dispute, only to inquire a week later and hear, “Well, I sent them an e-mail, but I haven’t heard from them.” Basically, an entire week has passed with no substantive ground gained against an issue that could have been resolved in an hour or less. I believe we are dealing with a cultural reality that we have not faced before, in that many of us spend as much time interacting with digital devices as we do with humans. Gen-
erally, digital devices behave in a logical fashion. When I press the “s” key on the keyboard, an “s” appears on the screen. When I pull my smartphone out of my pocket, I expect it to perform flawlessly and in the same manner every time. In fact, on the rare occasion when our mobile devices don’t work or are out of service or range, we usually are completely flabbergasted and sometimes furious. Today’s digital world demands 100 percent availability and predictability as the standard. The problem is, those same characteristics and pa-
rameters are not always congruent with human nature and the human experience. The digital-centric communication culture of today begs the need to make a clear distinction between the digital world and the world of flesh and bone, tissue and sinew, heart and soul – and mind. The digital world is logical and linear. Humans, however… not as much. Humans are, in fact, somewhat random. Humans are individuals. Unlike the iPhone 5s – a single model with millions of exact duplicates – no two of us are exactly alike. >>
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SPRING INTO ACTION By G.T. “TOBY” STANSELL
>> We emanate from a wide range of cultures, upbringings and circumstances, and we espouse different perspectives, wants and needs. We do not all act or react in the same way, and we are not perfectly predictable as digital devices are. We do not all arrive at the same conclusions at the same time and, in many cases, we will not arrive at the same conclusion at any time. Digital communication is appropriate when we are communicating things we know – and in some cases, things we need – but it is usually not fitting for issues being negotiated. Digital is ideal for conveying information, but not very effective when resolving differences. Digital communication may inaccurately convey tone and emotion, and, in many cases, is misused when the author projects a counterfeit air of authority or power because he or she can do so when operating behind the faceless veil of digital copy. However, when these same individuals are forced to engage in face-toface discussion to deliver the same message while looking their digital victim in the eye, they quickly retreat to a much softer position with a compromised proclamation, delivered with no real conviction, exposing them for the “power pretenders” that, in many cases, they really are. In addition, digital media is challenged to serve as an appropriate platform for rich dialogue. In fact, I would categorize digital communication as a serial monologue of sorts. First, you say or post something… and then I respond… and then you respond… and then I say or post something… and it goes on from there. Real conversations and discussions inherently include interruptions and breaks and emotions and exclamations and redirects interspersed throughout the process, making them sometimes none too efficient, but rich and real. It has been said that the measure of a truly successful negotiation is that neither party ends up with ev-
Digital communication is appropriate when we are communicating things we know – and in some cases, things we need – but it is usually not fitting for issues being negotiated. erything that he or she wants, but that the parties find the “common ground” that each can accept and with which all can live. Today, it seems to me the more sensitive the subject matter or tougher the negotiation or greater the philosophical distance between two parties, the more we resort to some form of digital transmission that is marginally effective at bringing two parties in accord with one another. Quality interpersonal communication requires skill – with an element of art mixed in. Our choice of appropriate communication mediums is not an “either/or” dilemma; it is a “both/and” decision. We live in a diverse, technology-centric culture that demands the mastery of many skills in order to fulfill our promise and achieve significance. I will continue to fully exploit my digital devices, but I am not going to discard your phone number or physical address. You never know: We might find that it is not so bad to forgo a little efficiency for the enjoyment of a genuine relationship. G. T. “Toby” Stansell is president and chief operating officer of Acumen I.T. LLC. He has served and continues to serve in an executive management role for high-impact, fast-growth companies, primarily in the arenas of apparel sales/sourcing/ distribution, information technology and enterprise software.
Prepare now for summer storm-related power outages March certainly came Scott Kelly in like a lion this year President Carolina – let’s hope it goes Heating Service out like a lamb – but summer squalls can be Serving Greenville ferocious, too. since 1981 As the weather warms up, as memories of recent winter storms melt away, it’s tempting to forget the cold, hard dread that the lights might go out. Most of the Upstate dodged a bullet while in regions all around us hundreds of thousands suffered without power for days due to ice and wind. But the potential for storm-related power outages is a year-round sleeping tiger. Tame the dark with the security of an emergency generator. This keeps the power on, allowing you to maintain a mostly normal routine during extended outages caused by the severe thunderstorms spring and summer often bring. While losing power may be a mere nuisance for some – what with spoiled food, messy candles and blank computers – it can be a critical safety issue for others, especially the very young, the very old, and those in fragile health. Now is the ideal time to install a standby generator, before the warm-weather storm season gets fully under way. Because while you can’t tame disruptive weather, you CAN prepare for it. Power your peace of mind by installing an emergency generator today. Contact Carolina Generators at 864.232.5684 or 866.488.4688 or visit www.carolinaheating.com.
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www.carolinagenerators.com April 4, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 17
UBJ INSIDE D&W Fine Pack When you sip a soda, thank the workers at this Fountain Inn manufacturer – they make 22 million drinking straws a day
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By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
Plastic straws, spoons, forks and knives are so commonplace in today’s world that most people have probably never given much thought about how they are actually made. But at Fountain Inn manufacturer D&W Fine Pack, it’s their business, and they manage to churn out 4.5 billion pieces of cutlery and 8 billion straws each year with efficiency, technology and quality. The sprawling 650,000-square-foot facility on Old Laurens Road along I-385 occupies 53 acres and is Fountain Inn’s largest employer with more than 500 employees – 375 on the manufacturing floor alone. It’s also the second largest plant of D&W’s 14 plants (12 in the U.S., one in Canada and one in China), part of a food-packaging empire including 2,200 employees and sales in excess of $430 million. Plastic cutlery and straws are made at other U.S. plants along with plastic and aluminum food containers and other specialized containers, but this is the only D&W plant to service the Southeast region.
Straw Champs
Fine Pack in Fountain Inn. Photos by Greg Beckner
The company is the third largest thermoformer – a manufacturing process where a plastic sheet is heated, shaped in a mold, and trimmed to create a usable product – in North America, according to Don Loepp, editor of Plastics News, a trade magazine which produces a yearly ranking of thermoformer companies. D&W also holds the title as the largest drinking straw manufacturer in North America, says Clay Davis, senior vice president. The company churns out 22 million straws a day – roughly 3,000 cases – in the Fountain Inn plant alone, distributing throughout the U.S. and Canada. D&W Fine Pack’s customers include food powerhouses such as Sysco, U.S. Foods and many national chain restaurants as well as school systems across the country.
18 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
Key Location
The plant has been a Fountain Inn powerhouse since 1984, operating as Dispoz-O-Plastic Inc. until Mid Oaks Investments, the portfolio company that owns D&W, acquired the brand and plant in 2009. The Fountain Inn plant had also served as the company’s headquarters until last year, but after two Chicago-based acquisitions, the headquarters operation moved to Chicago with many corporate functions still remaining in Fountain Inn. “The Fountain Inn location is strategically located with a great labor force and quality of life,” says Davis. “It’s located on a rail line and near a major highway, making shipping efficient.” The area is also “one of the fastest-growing population
April 4, 2014
centers in the U.S.” To get those billions of straws made, the plant operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with three shifts. Each machine operator handles three machines with the help of automation, says Jeffrey Seiden, plant manager. “We are continuing to advance our technology and workforce more to bring up our level of what we’re actually doing here at this facility.” Seiden adds that the internal engineering team has even designed proprietary equipment to streamline processes. “Our level of innovation is something that sets us apart,” says Davis. “Our technical expertise, our product quality and reliable service levels, along with our broad array of product offerings, is what our customers expect from us.” >>
BY THE NUMBERS AT D&W FINE PACK IN FOUNTAIN INN: They make
4.5 billion pieces of plastic cutlery each year
8 billion straws each year
WITH:
500 650,000 employees
square feet
>> Thinking Lean
Stanley Garrett, area director of manufacturing, says D&W just started working with the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance on value-stream mapping – a lean-management method for analyzing manufacturing processes. Seiden added that management is continuing to incorporate technology to gain efficiencies, including more application of continuous improvement initiatives. “We can and will continue to automate to improve our efficiencies,” says Seiden. Safety is a key concern at the plant, with signs posted everywhere, reminding employees to stay vigilant. The plant also has to adhere to food safety standards, and quality teams do inspections every hour, every day. Staffing is an ongoing challenge with “competition heavy in the area,” but Seiden says some employees have been with the company for 25-30 years, which is attributable to “a competitive wage, benefit package and on-the-job training.”
Community Involvement
Diane Turner, community development director with the City of Fountain Inn, says that D&W has also worked with the special-needs community to employ those that are able to work. “That is a remarkable thing for an employer to do,” she
Wendy Westfield with D&W Fine Pack weighs a bin of plastic forks coming off the line at the said, adding that D&W Fine Pack is always willing Fountain Inn plant. to donate products it produces for special events
the city hosts. The company uses “as many local suppliers as Clay Davis, senior vice president of D&W Fine Pack possible, including corrugate and pallets that come from nearby businesses,” says Garrett. Davis says D&W will continue to grow. “It’s still a fairly fragmented industry. We’re looking to grow the company organically and through future acquisitions.” For now, the team is focusing on incorporating technology and working with its customers to solve problems. “It’s still very much a people business, and believe it or not, food containers can be a very technical product,” says Davis. “There’s more to it than meets the eye and we have to have the absolutely best people involved, and it’s our people that set us apart.”
LOCAL LEADERSHIP TEAM CLAY DAVIS, Senior Vice President STANLEY GARRETT, Area Director of Manufacturing JEFFREY SEIDEN, Plant Manager
April 4, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 19
STREET
LEGAL
“This opportunity to marry my profession with something I like doing and helping people that I like was a no-brainer. It really has made the practice of law fun again for me.” Kirk Fisher, owner of Iron Horse Lawyers
Kirk Fisher serves clients on two wheels with Iron Horse Lawyers
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By April A. Morris | staff | amorris@communityjournals.com
Motorcycle riders have a totally different vehicle, so why shouldn’t they have a totally different attorney? Upstate native and lawyer J. Kirk Fisher realized this unique situation was the perfect jumping-off point for his niche practice: Iron Horse Lawyers. Fisher, a motorcycle rider since childhood, sat down in his converted garage office space, complete with impeccably restored 1962 Triumph convertible sports car and Harley-Davidson motorcycle, to talk with UBJ about his growing business.
How was the idea for Iron Horse Lawyers born?
I had gone to Las Vegas for a brain injury seminar and met a group from an Arizona firm called Law Tigers that rode [motorcycles]. I thought they were motorcycle accident reconstruction engineers, but they explained there was a real need for lawyers to handle motorcycle accident cases. It took me about 30 seconds to realize it was a brilliant idea. I was looking for something different in practice of law; I have an environmental law degree and the demand for that had fallen off. In 2009, I signed on for a three-year contract with Law Tigers. The name caused some problems [in South Carolina], though, because everyone thought it had to do with Clemson. So in July 2012, I started Iron Horse Lawyers.
How do you connect with clients?
We cover the entire state and I attend bike nights, poker runs and rallies. When I launched the practice, I was working about 100 hours a week. I also have three marketing staff members. From March through September, we are working somewhere every weekend. I ride with this community and have developed very deep friendships with a lot of them. It has become a part of my life, as well.
20 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
April 4, 2014
Attorney Kirk Fischer with his Harley-Davidson in his Greenville office. Fischer specializes in motorcycle law.
What sort of reaction do you get at events?
Many people are surprised that I’m there. I actually ride my motorcycle to the event. Some other lawyers who do this never attend – you just see the pretty model they hired to man the tent. The face-to-face meeting has actually been a great part of our success.
How does your experience help with your practice?
I rode minibikes at first when I was growing up, and have ridden off and on throughout my life. I was injured in a skiing accident, which is much like being injured in a motorcycle accident. I turned my foot 180 degrees, was on crutches for eight months and had two surgeries. Being able to have some empathy or sympathy for what they’re experiencing and comforting them that it’s going to be okay, I think is very important for my clients. The majority of my clients have my cellphone number; I’m very reachable and approachable. I’ve had people call me and I can hear the ambulance coming in the background. >>
FAST FACTS • The colors of the Iron Horse Lawyers logo come from Fisher’s alma mater, Furman University. • Fisher has always wanted to be a firefighter and began volunteering with the Duncan Chapel Fire Department last year. He plans to pursue additional training this year. • Fisher currently rides a ’97 HarleyDavidson Springer Softail. His first “real” motorcycle was a Triumph Bonneville.
>>
Why is it important for a rider to have an attorney like you?
What makes a motorcycle work is very different from how a car works. If you ride, you have a better understanding of that. An accident often involves broken bones and brain injury. If a rider doesn’t have contact with a vehicle, the insurance adjuster will rule it not the vehicle driver’s fault. However, I explain that a rider will intentionally put down the bike to avoid a collision. The worst thing that can happen is a “high-side ejection” where you hit and go tumbling through the air. It’s better to do a “low-side exit” where you are close to the ground and separate yourself from the motorcycle.
What’s next? Fischer has converted a former service station into office space for his law practice.
We are looking into establishing satellite offices in the Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach areas. We’re going to grow slowly, not too fast.
What other activities are you involved in?
We’re currently very involved in partnering with the Motorcycle Awareness Alliance, the folks behind the “Look Twice, Save a Life” campaign. I’ve worked with them on a new South Carolina [special] license plate. We are also working to get away from stereotypes about riders – they come from all walks of life. You should look twice, it’s someone’s father, brother, mother, daughter or wife on that bike and it’s not worth someone else’s life so you can be 10 seconds faster to your destination.
Where will we find you on the weekends?
I like to work on sports cars and my Land Rover. I go off-roading and camping. I go with an informal club and we take our sons and daughters out camping. And I snow ski as much as I can. PHOTOS BY GREG BECKNER / STAFF
April 4, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 21
7th GEAR
COVER STORY
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BMW’s X7 is coming to the Upstate, bringing with it a $1 billion expansion, 800 jobs and greatly increased capacity – and the promise of greater economic impact in the region By Joe Toppe | staff | jtoppe@communityjournals.com
Following a week of fevered speculation, BMW confirmed plans at a press conference last Friday to manufacture the X7 model at its Spartanburg County plant. The largest of the X series models, the X7 will require a $1 billion investment to produce, creating an additional 800 jobs and boosting the plant’s capacity from 350,000 to 450,000 vehicles in 2016. Last week’s event also commemorated the launching of production of the X4, with a redesigned model of the sports activity coupe unveiled in advance of its official debut at the New York International Auto Show in April. Shipping vehicles to more than 140 countries around the world, BMW’s Upstate facility is responsible for the construction and delivery of the seven BMW X models. The South Carolina Department of Commerce reported the state ranked second in the nation for automobile exports to Germany in 2013, while BMW’s Spartanburg plant produced 300,000 cars and exported 210,000 through the Port of Charleston. Spartanburg will become the largest plant in BMW’s global production network and is expected to employ 8,800 associates by the end of 2016, said Dr. Norbert Reithofer, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG. A study conducted by the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina
➤ BY THE NUMBERS BMW’s investment in South Carolina
1,545,992
vehicles exported from SC from 1993 through Dec. 2012
$16.6 billion Total Economic Contribution
30,000+
Jobs created, one for every three at the Greer plant
$1.8 billion Labor Income
22 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
X7 SPECS: In this case, “specs” stands for “speculations,” as the specifications for the X7 have not been publicized. However, reports in the automotive press have predicted: • 7-seat SUV • Larger cabin • Longer rear overhang • A size larger than the BMW X5
Manfred Erlacher, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing, speaks to the crowd gathered at BMW for announcement of the new manufacturing line coming to the plant to produce the X7.
• Competitive with models such as the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class and the Range Rover. Will sit on an enlarged version of the platform underpinning the X5
room and on the factory floor, she noted. John Ballato, vice president of economic development at Clemson University, said BMW’s announcement serves as an exemplar of its continued transformative impact on South Carolina’s manufacturing sector. The carmaker’s expansion will mean additional high-paying jobs and global visibility, he said. >>
valued BMW’s total contribution at $16.6 billion, while every job held at the Greer plant creates three others somewhere else in the region, he said. This corresponds to more than 30,000 jobs and $1.8 billion in labor income for South Carolina that would not exist otherwise. From 1992 to December of 2013, BMW invested a total of $6.3 billion in South Carolina. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker commended BMW and its Spartanburg County associates for the 2.5 million cars produced at the Greer plant since 1994. “With hundreds more coming on board this year, 8,000 Americans wake up each day and come to work here,” she said. “There has never been a better time to invest in America.” Pritzker said a key to investing in the United States lies in educational partnerships. BMW partners with local colleges to provide hands-on training for future workers, while the BMW scholars program allows BMW has not released any official designs for the X7, but students to learn both in the class-
April 4, 2014
that hasn’t stopped speculation – this artist’s conception from bmwblog.com shows what the SUV might look like.
➤ X4 SPECIFICATIONS
20 YEARS OF BMW IN THE UPSTATE
The BMW X4 will be offered with a choice of two TwinPower Turbo engines:
• JUNE 22, 1992: Plans to build a plant announced. • SEPT. 30, 1992: Groundbreaking. • APRIL 6, 1993: Construction begins. • SEPT. 8, 1994: First American-made BMW, a 318i, rolls off the line.
THE X4 XDRIVE28i
THE X4 XDRIVE35i
MSRP $45,625, including destination and handling 240-horsepower 2.0-liter Four-cylinder engine
MSRP $48,925, including destination and handling 300-horsepower 3.0-liter Inline-six-cylinder engine
Both models include an 8-speed Steptronic sport automatic transmission with shift paddles as well as xDrive, BMW’s all-wheel drive system. LENGTH: 184.3 inches (4,680 mm) – 0.6 inches (14 mm) longer than the X3
Source: BMW
automotive manufacturing successes to state and local leaders, the commerce department and economic development alliances, as well as universities and technical colleges. “We love Germany, but South Carolina is now the BMW capital of the world,” she said. The announcement of the X7’s manufacture in Greer coincided with the ➤ BMW’S INVESTMENT IN SOUTH CAROLINA carmaker’s 20th anniverBMW Investment – $6.3 billion 1992 through December 2013 sary in the United States. Regional automotive supSources: BMW; Darla 1993 $139 Moore School of pliers as well as local city Business – University of 1994 $305 officials expect the compaSouth Carolina study 1995 $166 ny’s most recent expansion 1996 $155 to have a profound eco1997 $117 nomic impact on the 1998 $294 Upstate. $295 1999 Stueken LLC, a manu2000 $236 facturer of deep-drawn 2001 $204 metal parts in Fountain 2002 $185 Inn, is already planning to 2003 $97 expand in 2014. BMW’s $50.8 2004 expansion will kick start 2005 $236.2 Upstate growth, and auto2006 $606 motive manufacturers are 2007 $433.8 working to align their 2008 $411.4 supply base to reduce 2009 $551.6 long-distance transporta2010 $458.9 tion costs, said Deric 2011 $214 Frisch, the company’s 2012 $619 North American sales and 2013 $534 marketing manager. $0 $100 $200 $300 $400 $500 $600 $700 Stueken furnishes (in millions)
• MARCH 10, 2008: BMW announces a $750 million investment to add 1.5 million square feet to produce the BMW X3. • JAN. 12, 2012: The factory had grown to 4 million square feet. BMW announces $900 million investment and 300 new jobs in preparation for the X4. • SEPT. 17, 2013: 2.5 millionth BMW is made in South Carolina; BMW prepares to expand to 5.6 million square feet.
HEIGHT: 63.9 inches (1,624 mm) – 1.5 inches (37 mm) lower than the X3
>> “We are proud to have BMW as a founding partner at Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research, and we will strive to live up to the expectations placed on us to meet the innovation and workforce needs of the automotive industry,” he said. Gov. Nikki Haley attributed South Carolina’s
• SEPT. 26, 2002: In 10 years, factory had grown to 2.4 million square feet. BMW announces $400 million investment and 400 new jobs.
• MARCH 28, 2014: BMW announces expansion at its Upstate plant to accommodate production of the X4 and X7 models. Source: BMW
Upstate BMW suppliers like Bosch with precision metal stampings and deep-drawn components for fuel injection, braking systems, automotive lighting and electronics, Frisch said. Ranging from the size of a small Coke can to the tip of a match, Stueken averages 42 parts on every vehicle. “The ripple effects of BMW’s expansion will impact the entirety of automotive manufacturing in the Upstate,” he said. Greer City Councilwoman Judy Albert said BMW has been a huge contributor to the city’s growth and the company’s expansion will translate directly to the community. BMW has provided thousands of jobs and is responsible for people moving into the area and building homes, she said. “An additional expansion can only mean good things.” The annual impact of the automotive industry in South Carolina currently stands at $27.1 billion, while BMW has announced $2 billion of capital investment in the Palmetto State since 2011. Of the 2.03 million working South Carolinians, nearly 50,000 are employed in the automotive industry, with 37,100 jobs directly attributed to BMW’s investments in the state. Since January 2011, 40 of South Carolina’s 250 automotive companies have announced new locations or expansions, while 11 of the 38 counties with automotive companies work as direct suppliers to BMW.
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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 23
UBJ SQUARE FEET Rendering provided by Christian LeBlanc with Greene & Associates
Precorp Announces New $14.9M Facility By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
Precorp, a provider of machining solutions to the automotive and aerospace industries, announced this week a new $14.9 million, state-ofthe-art manufacturing facility in Greer. The new plant, which joins Precorp operations in Germany, Michigan and Utah, will be located at 1510 S. Batesville Road. The custom-built 60,000-square-foot facility will nearly triple its current space, and allow the company to expand services to existing customers and expand its business development initiatives. It’s expected to create 29 new jobs over the next few years. “South Carolina’s success in attracting key members of the aerospace and automotive industries led to the
continuing growth of our existing operations in Greer, and ultimately to our decision to build a new stateof-the-art facility here in Greenville County,” said Rich Garrick, president of Precorp, in a statement. “While we considered other locations, South Carolina’s leadership in supporting advanced manufacturing and the excellent workforce we have found here clinched our decision to expand here. We appreciate the support of the Greenville Area Development Corporation, the South Carolina Department of Commerce, and all who helped to make this announcement possible.” Precorp is a member of the Machining Solutions Group of Sandvik, a high-technology engineering group
with nearly 47,000 employees worldwide and business conducted in more than 130 countries. Sandvik’s primary business areas focus on tools and tooling systems for mining, construction and numerous other industries. The company is also a leader in working with advanced stainless steels, special alloys, titanium and metallic and ceramic resistance materials. “We’re pleased that Precorp Inc. has chosen to expand its operations here in Greenville County, and to continue to enjoy the talent pool and business climate that this community offers,” said Dr. Bob Taylor, board member of the Greenville Area Development Corporation and chairman of Greenville County Council.
Hiring information for the company will be released shortly, according to facility manager Tim Davis. Positions to be filled include CNC-controlled cutter operators and mechanical drafters, among other positions. Interested candidates may apply in person at Remedy Staffing offices in Greer or Easley, or at Adecco Staffing offices in Greenville.
PROJECT PARTNERS GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Cunningham-Waters Construction ARCHITECT: Christian LeBlanc with Greene & Associates FINANCED BY: United Carolina Bank
950 AM/1330 AM/ 97.1 FM/ WFBC-HD3
www.ESPNupstate.com 24 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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Mike & Mike 6 -10 A
The Her d 10A-1 P
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UBJ SQUARE FEET
Realtors Take Message to Statehouse Annual Realtors Rally promotes tax reform, deregulation, property rights By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
Realtors from across South Carolina will be headed to Columbia’s Statehouse on April 8 for the third annual Realtors Rally to make sure state lawmakers hear their voices on issues that affect Realtors and homeowners alike. The Greater Greenville Association of Realtors (GGAR) considers the rally to be one of the “biggest grass roots efforts in South Carolina,” and has approximately 50 Realtor members from the Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson area who are registered to attend the event. Adair Senn, a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, says she has been a realtor for 17 years and has never
missed a rally. “I am a firm believer that as a Realtor, I have the responsibility of protecting private property rights. As a result, being active in the legislative world is a must.” Issues being tackled include: increasing Realtor professionalism, reforming real estate license laws and regulations, comprehensive property tax reform, decreasing government regulations on real estate firms and protecting private property rights. Chris Bailey, government affairs director with GGAR, says the organization is also trying to “get ahead of the game” on legislation that imposes a tax on real estate commissions, an issue that other states are currently battling but that has not yet
been introduced in S.C. The group is supporting S.569, a bill that would provide a market-based approach to insurance reform. Bailey says the bill would incentivize homeowners to better prepare their homes for storms by participating in an expanding SC Safe Home Program. The legislation would also require insurers to provide all policyholders with a recap of coverage provided, summary of available discounts, and replacement cost of home along with other detailed information. GGAR is also supporting two additional bills, H.4629 and S.1121, both addressing unnecessary patent litigation. Bailey says that Realtors have
increasingly been the target of licensing demands from patent trolls from their use of common business technologies like scanner-copiers and website search functions. Senn says that H.4943 is also an important bill as it prevents the use of eminent domain on underwater mortgages. “The use of eminent domain in this way will create great uncertainty for lenders and investors in the mortgage market,” she says. “Most importantly, this practice violates the rights of private property owners.” “In general this is a good opportunity as an industry to remind lawmakers that we are involved and paying attention,” said Bailey.
Former Meineke Gets New Life By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
Halpern Enterprises, an Atlanta-based company, is redeveloping the former Meineke Auto Repair building on Fairview Road in Simpsonville into two retail spaces that will be occupied by national corporate tenants. The property had been sitting vacant for several years. Aspen Dental, a corporation offering “complete dental care solutions,” which provides general and cosmetic dentistry and denture care, will occupy
SVP & Russillo 1-4 P
approximately 3,600 square feet and Kay Jewelers, a national jewelry store chain, will occupy the remaining 2,400 square feet. The redevelopment of the property is expected to be completed in May with the space turned over to Aspen Dental May 15 and Kay Jewelers on June 1 for tenant build out. James Grumbos with GRB JG Capital Properties served as the selling broker.
Greg McKinney 4-7 P
Rendering provided by Halpern Enterprises
PROJECT PARTNERS DEVELOPER: Halpern Enterprises LISTING BROKER: James Grumbos with GRB JG Capital Properties
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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 25
UBJ THE FINE PRINT Clemson’s Business College Ranked Globally Clemson University’s College of Business and Behavioral Science has ranked among the top 10 institutions in the world on the Association for Information Systems (AIS)’s list of management information systems research. Clemson also ranked No. 6 in the world for 2011-2013 based on six leading AIS journals. Additionally, Clemson had three faculty members in the top 100 researchers list, with more than 7,000 active researchers to compete against. Varun Grover, the William S. Lee Distinguished
Professor of Information Systems, was ranked No. 1. Grover has consistently ranked among the top five in the world over the past six years. Professor Heshan Sun ranked No. 18 and Jason Thatcher ranked No. 73.
HRP Associates Inc. (HRP), an environmental/civil engineering and hydrogeology firm in Greenville, recently announced it has expanded to Buffalo, N.Y., and Denver, Colo. In Buffalo and Denver, HRP will provide site investigation and remediation, environmental health and safety compliance, civil engineering,
energy management, global consulting and shale gas services. The new offices now expand HRP to 12 cities nationwide. HRP serves more than 6,000 clients around the world.
CRR Announces $20M Investment
Sandlapper to Acquire Colony Park Financial Services
Greenville-based Sandlapper Wealth Management LLC recently announced that it will acquire and merge operations with Georgia-based Colony Park Financial Services LLC during the second quarter of 2014. The merger will bring Colony Park’s 16 producing advisory and brokerage representatives and six offices in Atlanta, Greenville, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Cincinnati under the Sandlapper umbrella.
HRP Expands to New York and Colorado
Additionally, Colony Park’s chief operating officer and chief compliance officer Bjorn Jordan will assume the COO position, and Colony Park president and CFO Mark Reinstein will serve as Sandlapper Wealth’s new president and join Sandlapper Securities as executive vice president and national sales manager of the independent broker dealer channel. Sandlapper currently has 33 producing representatives in 23 locations throughout the U.S.
CRR Carbon Resources Recovery SC LLC, a manufacturer of recycled tire materials, recently announced that it plans to invest $20 million in its first North American facility in Anderson County, which would create 30 new jobs over the next two years. CRR uses a manufacturing system to recycle shredded tire materials into renewable energy products.
According to a release, the company’s specialized green process supports environmental sustainability goals, eliminates the disposing of tires in such places as landfills, incinerators and boilers, and provides a full recovery of recyclable materials. Construction for the Anderson County facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.
BorgWarner to Add 150 Jobs BorgWarner Inc., an automotive parts manufacturer in Seneca, recently announced that it will produce transfer cases for the Toyota Tundra pickup truck and will add 150 jobs. According to a release, the transfer cases switch between two-wheel and four-wheel drive while moving, using an electromagnetic-based synchronization system to synchronize the front and rear axle speeds before
locking them together. “BorgWarner has invested nearly $60 million in the Seneca facility and created over 470 new jobs in the past five years,” said Dr. Stefan Demmerle, president and general manager of BorgWarner TorqTransfer Systems, in a release. BorgWarner currently employs more than 650 people.
Copac Expands Spartanburg Operations Copac Global Packaging, a leading provider of packaging services to domestic and global customers, today announced the completion of its expansion at its Spartanburg County facility. The $14.8 million expansion is expected to create 32 new jobs. Copac has constructed an additional 50,000 square feet of manufacturing space at its facility
26 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
to increase productivity and add capacity. The larger facility also will allow the company to consolidate operations that are currently performed in separate buildings into a single, more efficient workflow. Job opportunities with the company will be posted at copacinc.com. The Coordinating Council for Economic De-
April 4, 2014
velopment approved a $100,000 set aside grant for site development and real property improvements related to the project.
UBJ THE FINE PRINT Clemson Announces Engineering Master’s Partnership with Asia Clemson University recently announced a partnership with experts in Asia to help expand its master’s program in industrial engineering to prepare graduates for leadership roles in the business of figuring out the best way to manage the flow of goods and materials needed for everything from retail to large capital projects. A Clemson program that offers a Master’s of Engineering in industrial engineering will be broadened to include content specific to various countries such as India, which struggles with traffic, ports, and a widely distributed population. The online program has been offered for six
years with a focus on supply chains and emphasis on large capital projects. While Clemson has already made inroads in India, the university could also expand to the Middle East, the Philippines, or any number of other countries based on global growth, said Bill Ferrell, a professor of industrial engineering and associate dean of the graduate school, in a release. The master’s program currently has 120 students from across the United States and around the world. It is aimed at logistics and supply-chain professionals at various energy, power, construction and manufacturing companies.
Hitachi Solutions Acquires Customer Effective
Hitachi Solutions America Ltd., a provider of global industry solutions based on Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, recently announced it has acquired Greenville-based Customer Effective, a provider of industry-focused Microsoft Dynamics customer relationship management (CRM)
solutions. The acquisition has expanded Hitachi Solutions’ capabilities in the financial services sector, and has added 90 CRM resources throughout North America. Hitachi Solutions is a subsidiary of Fortune Global 500 company Hitachi Group. Additionally, Customer Effective leadership employees will be integrated into Hitachi Solutions’ Global CRM practice. Customer Effective CEO Scott Millwood will become the senior vice president of the Hitachi Solutions Global CRM practice.
Excellence Has A New Name. Village Hospital is now Pelham Medical Center. Village Hospital is no longer just a hospital. It is a hospital that is now accompanied by the Gibbs Cancer Center & Research Institute and the physicians of the Medical Group of the Carolinas. As a result, the hospital name is being changed to better unify all of the programs and services now available on the campus. For more information, call 864.530.6000.
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UBJ THE TAKEAWAY
Learning to Love the Hard Stuff Start-up success isn’t always easy, warn local entrepreneurs Ray Lattimore and Art Seaver
EVENT: Successful Entrepreneurship Series WHO WAS THERE: 2014 Spring Successful Entrepreneurship series members SPEAKER: Ray Lattimore, Marketplace Staffing and Art Seaver, Southern First Bank TOPIC: Local Start-Up Success Stories
These Successful Entrepreneurship presentations came from a duo whose businesses both have local beginnings. Ray Lattimore grew up in the Nicholtown neighborhood of Greenville and went on to found his own company, Marketplace Staffing, in 1996. Art Seaver, CEO of Southern First Bank, is a Clemson graduate who settled in Greenville and established Southern First Bank, now the sixth largest bank in South Carolina. Sports and the Start of a Business
Lattimore joked that his journey to becoming a businessman began when he realized he wasn’t going to become an NBA star while playing basketball at Southern Wesleyan University. While working for Met-
ropolitan Life Insurance Company, Lattimore taught classes out of his home on how to operate the new IBM PC, which led to classes on how to write a resume, interview and get the job you truly wanted. These classes formed the basis for his employment agency, Marketplace Staffing, now a regional provider of staffing services. Southern First Bank was founded 14 years ago when 24 other banks were already operating in Greenville. Seaver says entrepreneurs “have to see a need, solve that need and do it better than anyone else,” so in order to stand out, Seaver decided that banking at Southern First would be personal and focus on being “client-first.”
“Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast Every Single Morning”
Peter Drucker’s quote is the basis of Lattimore’s business. He said when your company is hiring, entrepreneurs should remember that “you want the best person for the job that also fits your culture.” Seaver agreed, saying that his goal is to create and foster a cohesive and unified working environment for his employees. He explained that successful banking is the same as any successful business; it’s about creating great relationships and building trust, with both your staff and your clients. To accomplish this, you have to build a cohesive team, but Lattimore cautioned that all business owners
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UBJ THE TAKEAWAY
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Next speaker in the Successful Entrepreneurship series Randy Dobbs, Matrix Medical Network More Information: successfulentrepreneurship.com
Ray Lattimore, founder of Marketplace Staffing
should hire slowly and fire fast. The cost of a bad hire is incredible, so it’s vital that each hiring decision made is the right one.
“Everyone’s Got 24 Hours; It’s How You Use It”
Lattimore says that part of those 24 hours should be spent volunteer-
ing – what he calls “giving back to help bring people forward.” Seaver believes that another necessity is to always be looking over the horizon, learning how to create value that your customers don’t know they need yet. Being a successful entrepreneur means “earn[ing] the right to
Art Seaver, CEO of Southern First Bank
exist every day,” and sometimes earning that right means learning how to “love the hard stuff.”
The Successful Entrepreneurship series is a program developed by Serrus Capital Partners that encourages individuals to develop ventures that benefit the community. A group of industry experts share experiences and insight, offering proven advice on how to foster business success. Topics include marketing, social media, financial and accounting basics, human resources, leadership and international business.
Symposium Workshops • 10am Two Concurrent Workshop Sessions Are Available
Please join us for the
ACE Leadership Symposium Advancing Minority Leadership Tuesday, April 22, 2014 • 10am to 1pm TD Convention Center 1 Exposition Drive, Greenville, SC 29607
Charles Weathers
Anita Garrett
The Truth About Coaching & Managing Minorities
How to Not Be a Victim and Produce Results
Keynote & Luncheon • 11:30am - 1pm Collaborative Relationships to Advance Minority Leadership
Register online at greenvillechamber.org (Pre-registration is required)
Keynote Speaker: Brett Carter, Senior Vice President & Chief Distribution Officer, Duke Energy
• Individual Luncheon Registration $25 • Individual Workshop Registration $15 • Individual Luncheon & Workshop Registration $35 Contact Nika White at 864-239-3727 or nwhite@greenvillechamber.org
Brett Carter Keynote Speaker
April 4, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 29
UBJ SOCIAL SNAPSHOT
UPSTATE SC ALLIANCE ANNUAL MEETING The Upstate SC Alliance held its annual meeting last week at the TD Convention Center in Greenville. The Alliance welcomed new CEO John Lummus.
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1 The Miniature World of Trains recently held its grand opening at 7 W. Camperdown Way in Greenville. Their hours are Wednesday-Friday and Sunday from noon-6 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Admission is $5 per person. For more information, visit miniatureworldoftrains.com or call 864-991-8347.
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2 Yarn & Y’all recently opened at 600 Laurens Road, Suite C, in Greenville. They are open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Tuesday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. For more information, visit yarnandyall.com or call 864-239-2222.
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3 Cabela’s recently opened at 1025 Woodruff Road in Greenville’s Magnolia Park. For more information, visit cabelas.com or call 864-516-8100. Ma g
nol ia P W ark oo dru ff Rd .
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UBJ ON THE MOVE HIRED
HIRED
HIRED
PROMOTED
PROMOTED
Cindy Smith-Payne
David Shelnutt
Michael Adams
Jeff Allen
Janine Kernohan
Joined Phillips Staffing as senior recruiter. SmithPayne most recently served as a professional technical recruiter and business development manager for a global staffing firm, where she won numerous performance awards for her region.
Joined United Community Bank as senior vice president and manager of its new structured finance department. Shelnutt has spent the majority of his 42-year banking career in Greenville. He began at Citizens and Southern National Bank of South Carolina.
Joined EDTS as director of business development. Adams has nearly 15 years of business-tobusiness experience. Most recently, he served as sales leader for a regional information technology organization overseeing business development in the Carolinas.
Named account vice president at UBS Wealth Management. Allen has been with UBS since 2007. Prior to joining the firm, he had a seven-year career with US Trust – Bank of America Private Wealth Management, where he served as a vice president and trust officer.
Named Coldwell Banker Caine’s director of agent services. Kernohan began her real estate career in 2003 as the relocation coordinator for Coldwell Banker Caine. She previously worked as the sales manager for Courtyard by Marriott.
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32 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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>>
UBJ ON THE MOVE >>
CONSTRUCTION/ ENGINEERING:
O’Neal Inc. recently hired Dan Ellis and James Sweatt as construction managers. Ellis has more than 30 years of industrial construction experience previously gained with Suitt/BE&K/ KBR and THS Construction. Sweatt has more than 30 years of engineering, procurement and construction experience, having worked with Lockwood Greene and Bechtel. EDUCATION: Furman University recently announced that Meredith Burton, director of the Furman University Child Development Center, has been elected president of the South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children (SCAEYC). Burton will serve a two-year term as president. Clemson University recently announced Julie Vidotto is the new director of Clemson University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Vidotto comes to Clemson after a 20-year career in museum and public garden education program administration, serving as director of education for the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, N.C., and director of visitor education/services at the Chicago Botanic Garden. HOSPITALITY: JHM Hotels recently announced that Kris Bryant, director of sales at the Fairfield Inn and Courtyard Greenville Parkway, was named Sales Associate of the Year. In addition to the Fairfield Inn award, Bryant recently won JHM Hotels’ Corporate Sales Leader of the Year Award.
Diane Wilson to the senior sales manager position. Lupfer handles the corporate and association market segments with a select emphasis on the automotive, engineering and manufacturing industries. He is a 25-year veteran of the hospitality industry, who was formerly a global account executive with Conference Direct. Wright handles the sports and select primary market segments. She comes to VisitGreenvilleSC by way of Visit Jacksonville where she was a national account manager. Wilson is a 19-year veteran of VisitGreenvilleSC and focuses on the religious, education and state association market segments.
New hires, promotions & award winners can be featured in On The Move. Send information & photos to onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com. HomeServices’ Top of The Rock Award for top residential units for the U.S. South region. In addition, the team received the Pinnacle Award as the No. 4 team nationwide. TECHNOLOGY:
Dunlop Sports Group Americas’ North American headquarters. Longshore joined GLS in 2012 as a business analyst after working in engineering, training and product development for Bosch Inc. and Time Warner Cable.
Global Location Strategies (GLS) has promoted Monty Turner and John Longshore to consultants. Turner joined GLS in 2010 as a business analyst. He previously worked in marketing and sales with
Engenius announced that its managing partner Chris Manley has been named the inaugural chairman of the ReFrame Association, a nationwide network of home repair and home rehab organizations.
REAL ESTATE: Allen Tate Realtors recently announced that the Yukich Team has joined the company’s forthcoming Woodruff Road office. The Yukich Team is comprised of John and Brenda Yukich, Scott Corrigan and Pam Buchanan. NAI Earle Furman has been selected by CoStar Group Inc., an internet provider of information, analytics and marketplaces for commercial real estate, to receive two 2013 CoStar Power Broker Awards as a top leasing and top sales firm in the Greenville/ Spartanburg market. In addition to the firm’s two awards, 11 brokers from NAI Earle Furman received individual 2013 CoStar Power Broker Awards. Awards for Top Sales Brokers went to Tony Bonitati, Peter Couchell, John Gray and Kay Hill. Awards for Top Office Leasing Brokers went to Earle Furman, Keith Jones, Scott Jones and Stuart Wyeth. Awards for Top Retail Leasing Brokers went to Ted Lyerly and Jimmy Wright. An award for Top Industrial Leasing Broker went to Glenn Batson.
Stay in the know on Facebook. Like us today: facebook.com/TheUpstateBusinessJournal
MARKETING: VisitGreenvilleSC recently announced the hiring Mark Lupfer and Robin Wright as senior sales managers and the reassignment of
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, Realtors, recently announced that the Chet & Beth Smith Group was named 2013 recipient of Berkshire Hathaway
Upstate Business Journal April 4, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 33
GOT A HOT DATE?
UBJ PLANNER FRIDAY APRIL 4 FIRST FRIDAY LUNCHEON Greer City Hall, 301 E. Poinsett St., Greer; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. SPEAKER: Anissa Starnes, Constant Contact COST: $10 for Greer Chamber members; $15 for non-members CONTACT: katie@ greerchamber.com REGISTER AT: greerchamber.com GCS TOASTMASTER TD Convention Center, 1 Exposition Drive, Greenville; noon-1 p.m. CONTACT: Ann or Myles Golden at agolden@ goldencareerstrategies. com or myles@ goldencareerstrategies.com 12@12 NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION Simpsonville Chamber of Commerce, 211 N. Main St., Simpsonville; noon-1 p.m. COST: Free to new Simpsonville Chamber members CONTACT: Allison McGarity at amcgarity@ simpsonvillechamber.com REGISTER AT: simpsonvillechamber.com
Contribute to our Planner by submitting event information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com
NORTH GREENVILLE ROTARY CLUB The Poinsett Club, 807 E. Washington St., Greenville; 12:30-1:30 p.m. COST: Free to attend, lunch $16 CONTACT: Shanda Jeffries at 864-9682319 or sjeffries@ flynnwealth.com
ROTARY CLUB GREENVILLE EAST MEETING CityRange Steakhouse Grill, 615 Haywood Rd., Greenville; 12:30-1:30 p.m. FOR INFORMATION: greenvilleeastrotary.org CONTACT: president@ greenvilleeastrotary.org
MONDAY APRIL 7 GCS ROUNDTABLE The Office Center at the Point, 33 Market Point Drive, Greenville; 8:30-9:30 a.m. SPEAKER: Tripp James TOPIC: What the Chamber Can Do for You Call Golden Career Strategies to request an invitation 864-527-0425 GSHRM COMMITTEE PLANNING MEETING Greenville Technical College, Buck Mickel Center, 216 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville; noon-1 p.m.
GREENVILLE WOODWORKERS GUILD Education Center, 209 Hollyridge Dr., Greenville; 6:45-7:45 p.m. FOR INFORMATION: greenvillewoodworkers.com
TUESDAY APRIL 8 BUSINESS BEFORE HOURS Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Place, Greenville; 7:30-9 a.m. COST: $8.50 for pre-register or $12 at the door. Open only to Chamber members.
FOR INFORMATION: greenvillehr.shrm.org
CONTACT: Lorraine Woodward at 864239-3742 or if you are a Commerce Club member, contact Dot Drennon at ddrennon@ greenvillechamber.org
CONTACT: greenvillehr@gmail.com
REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org
TOPIC: HR Management Conference
EDOCHOME Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 8:15-9:15 a.m. SPEAKERS: Linda Cowart and Chris Cole TOPIC: Healthcare Reform with Technology and Telehealth COST: Free to attend CONTACT: Chris Cole at ccole@eDocHome.com
WEDNESDAY APRIL 9 PELHAM POWER BREAKFAST AT ROOSTERS Rooster’s Men’s Grooming Center, 3935 Pelham Road, Greenville; 8-9 a.m. COST: Free for Greer Chamber members REGISTER AT: greerchamber.com SOUTH CAROLINA WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER’S FIRST ANNUAL SPRING LUNCHEON TD Convention Center, 1 Exposition Drive, Greenville; 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. SPEAKERS: Carmen Geschke, owner and president of ProtecEnterprises LLC; Taryn
Scher, president and founder of TK PR; Elizabeth Garrison Rasor, founder of Ever-Green Recycling; Cindy Parker, owner of Eyes In Motion and Georgia/Carolina Safety Specialties Inc.; and Karen Knuckles, owner of Express Employment Professionals
REGISTER AT: spartanburgchamber. com
TOPIC: Things Your Momma Never Told You About Running a Business
FOR INFORMATION: http://bit.ly/Think0409
COST: $40 per person for early registration, $50 per person beginning March 17 REGISTER AT: scwbc.net by April 4 CONTACT: Janet Christy at janet@scwbc.net or 864-244-4117 DIVERSITY CONNECTIONS LUNCHEON CityRange Steakhouse Grill, 774 Spartan Blvd., Spartanburg; noon-1:30 p.m. SPEAKER: Dr. Tyler Jack, Southeast Sports & Rehabilitation TOPIC: Workout Smarter – How to get active, stay active and reach goals in life CONTACT: 864-594-5000
THINK LIKE A STARTUP OpenWorks, 2 N. Main St., Suite 300, Greenville; 3-6 p.m. COST: $75 per person
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL TOASTMASTERS Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Place, Greenville; 6 p.m. COST TO VISIT: $5 to cover meeting space and one drink at the bar FOR MORE INFORMATION: visit yptm.toastmastersclubs. org
THURSDAY APRIL 10 2014 BMW TIER 1 SUPPLY DIVERSITY MATCHMAKER CONFERENCE TD Convention Center, 1 Exposition Dr., Greenville; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. FOR INFORMATION: bmwfactory.com/ diversity
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UBJ SNAPSHOT
Historic photo available from the Greenville Historical Society. From “Remembering Greenville: Photographs from the Coxe Collection,” by Jeffrey R. Willis
Sometime in the late 1760s, Richard Pearis resettled from Virginia to the South Carolina backcountry. Near the falls of the Reedy River, he built a gristmill and trading store, and established a plantation. From the Cherokee Nation he bought a large tract of land that included all of Greenville’s present-day downtown area. Because of his support for the Tory cause, Pearis forfeited all of his property at the end of the Revolution and fled to the Bahama Islands. In 1788 Lemuel Alston purchased 11,028 acres consisting of a large section of Pearis’s former land. In 1815 Alston sold his land holdings to Vardry McBee. The many business enterprises started by McBee marked the real beginning of the development of the future city. Vardry McBee has a valid claim to be called the “Father of Greenville.” This view of the Reedy River Falls from the Coxe Collection was not taken by Bill Coxe himself. It is part of the collection of older photographs that Coxe acquired. The two small mills on the left side of the photograph were built by Vardry McBee. Today the area is home to Falls Park and a thriving business community. (Far left) One of the brick walls from Vardry McBee’s mill constructed in 1819 is still visible in Falls Park.
Current photos by Greg Beckner
STAFF WRITERS Sherry Jackson, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris, Joe Toppe CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jeanne Putnam PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Beckner PRESIDENT/CEO Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com UBJ PUBLISHER Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com MANAGING EDITOR Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER Jennifer Oladipo
MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehman, Pam Putman MARKETING & EVENTS Kate Banner DIGITAL STRATEGIST Emily Price ART & PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR Kristy M. Adair OPERATIONS Holly Hardin ADVERTISING DESIGN Michael Allen, Whitney Fincannon CLIENT SERVICES Anita Harley, Jane Rogers
UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties. Guest columns run 700-800 words. Contact Executive Editor Susan Clary Simmons at ssimmons@communityjournals. com to submit an article for consideration.
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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 35