april 12, 2013
Printing the Future Born in the Upstate, 3-D printing offers a new dimension of opportunity for industries and home users PLUS Meet the Innkeepers
Hincapie Brothers Announce Hotel Domestique page 10 The Cube desktop 3-D printer
Back on the Green
Cliffs Communities Get Back on Top page 14
UBJ Table of Contents 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
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art & production art director Richie Swann
Bill Masters in his Easley workshop. Masters holds three of the six patents that paved the way for today’s 3-D printing technology. Photo by Gerry Pate
F e at u r e s
colu m ns
de pa rt m e n t s
Cover Story 16 3-D Printing Steps Into the Spotlight
Digital Maven 8 Some Input on Input by Laura Haight
Profile 19 Building a Legacy from the Ground Up
Create. Innovate. Celebrate. 12 Sources of Capital for Entrepreneurs by Mike Smith
3 Verbatim 3 Worth Repeating 22 The Takeaway 24 Square Feet 26 Planner 28 On the Move 30 Snapshot 31 The Fine Print
Entrepreneur 20 Full Circle: Power Player
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. 14) 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 April 12, 2013
UBJ Verbatim
765 Haywood Road, Greenville 864.297.6458
On S.C.’s success and struggle with regionalism… “I think it’s a mindset that doesn’t look beyond where they are. The biggest problem the state of South Carolina has with Greenville is nobody from Greenville will go past Simpsonville. They don’t engage the rest of the state. “Greenville is a dynamic, growing, innovative, terrific place, but an hour’s drive from here you can find pockets of real problems. “Why can’t we expand those circles of success to encompass the rest of the state?”
864-281-3820 743 Congaree, Suite 2 Greenville, SC 29607 www.clothesmakestheman.us
Phil Noble of Envision SC, interviewed at last week’s GEEK (Greenville’s Expanding Economy of Knowledge) event
UBJ Worth Repeating “I thought by [the year] 2000 we’d have a printer on everybody’s desk.”
“They’ve moved on. They’re working in 2013, not 1966.”
Bill Masters, holder of three of the six patents that paved the way for 3-D printing.
Instel Power Products’s Stuart Jackson, on manufacturers servicing vintage electrical equipment.
“When you tell people they can go out for a ride with George Hincapie, they are just amazed. It is more than cycling. It is a legend.”
“You’re looking at the balance sheet. Whatever money we make, we will pay you back.”
Davis Sezna, CEO of Cliffs Club Partners, on the potential allure of activities offered by Hotel Domestique, owned by Hincapie and his brother, Rich.
The response of brothers J.P., H.P. and M.P. Rama, of JHM Hotels, to a bank officer arranging a loan for their renovation of the Camelot Hotel in 1976.
April 12, 2013 Upstate business journal 3
Tailored
by the Purveyors of Classic American Style
UBJ This Week St. Francis Plans Downtown Clinic
“To Top It Off ”… Hat Etiquette for Men Inspiration having come from famous personalities, old movies and the “Mad Men” TV show, hats are making a comeback in the fashion industry. And for the middle aged man, the awareness of skin cancer has prompted many to start wearing hats. In the 1930’s, ‘40’s and 1950’s, a man was not fully dressed unless he was wearing a hat. Some say that President John F. Kennedy, when he refused to wear a top hat to his inauguration, started the decline of wearing hats.
bon secours st. francis recently announced the addition of Bon Secours Express Care to the downtown Greenville streetscape. The walk-in clinic will offer the chance to see a doctor for non-life-threatening conditions like sprains or fractures, insect stings, allergic reactions, colds and intestinal distress. Located at 75 W. McBee Ave., behind the Main Street CVS drugstore, the clinic will be staffed by a physician and support staff, Dr. Juan Teruel, clinic physician, said,
Now, it seems to be commonplace to go to a restaurant and see men and boys wearing their hats indoors at the table. There has been a generation of men whose fathers did not wear hats and did not pass down hat-wearing etiquette to their sons. Many men just don’t know what to do with their hats. So they just make up their own rules. They seem to wear their hats wherever and whenever they wish.
Hub City Co-op Aims to ‘Invest and Grow’
To help shine some lights on this quandary of what to do, here are some guidelines for wearing hats according to EmilyPost.com.
spartanburg’s hub city cooperative’s owner investment campaign – “Invest and Grow” – had its official launch on April 5. The cooperative expects to generate $1 million in investment from its 919 cooperative owners in 30 days. The funds, which derive from a combination of loans from owners and purchases of preferred shares, will be used to begin renovations of the Co-op’s site at 176 North Liberty St. in downtown Spartanburg. The Co-op has raised $500,000 from outside lenders and community supporters towards its goal of $1.5 million in additional development costs. Hub City Co-op’s investment campaign resembles those used by other privately held businesses in which the business owners invest their personal funds to grow the businesses. As owners of the Cooperative, community members may invest to
Hats can be left on outdoors, at athletic events (indoors or out), on public transportation, in public buildings such as post offices, airports, hotel and office lobbies and on elevators. Men should take hats off (including baseball caps) in someone’s home; at meal times, at the table; while being introduced (indoors or outside); in a house of worship, unless a hat or head covering is required; indoors at work (unless it is required for the job); in public buildings such as a school, library, courthouse or city hall; in restaurants and coffee shops; in a movie or indoor performance; when the National Anthem is played; and when the flag of the United States passes by as in a parade. These rules apply to women as well when they are wearing baseball-style (unisex) caps. Following these rules of wearing a hat will assure that you show proper respect of others, your surroundings and yourself.
Open Mon.-Sat. 9:30am - 5:30pm Wed. 9:30am - 1:00pm
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23 West North Street, Greenville, SC 29601 864.232.2761 | www.rushwilson.com
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Rush_HalfV_0412 UBJ.indd 1
“We will partner with primary care providers by offering their patients treatment for minor urgencies, injuries and illnesses especially after hours or when their primary care access is limited. Our goal is to have patients return to their medical homes for ongoing primary care.” Bon Secours Express Care will offer care 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday. The clinic is scheduled to open June 4.
4/9/13 11:43 AM
grow a natural foods grocery store just for Spartanburg. South Carolina residents who are Hub City Cooperative owners can purchase preferred shares and loan offerings. “We are thrilled to see the level of support from the ownership prior to the official start of the investment campaign,” said Erin Ouzts, Hub City Co-op board chairwoman in a statement. “We expect continued enthusiasm from Co-op owners as they begin receiving more information this week on the Invest and Grow Campaign specifics.”
UBJ This Week 7-Eleven Acquires 46 Upstate Stores 7-eleven has acquired 46 convenience store locations from CB Mart Inc., increasing their count of stores in the Carolinas to more than 100, the company announced earlier this week. The stores currently operate under the names Hickory Point and Palms in the Upstate, the Greenville News reported. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The announcement follows the acquisition of 55 Sam’s Mart and 13 Fast Track stores that closed in
2012, according to the company. “7-Eleven is committed to building its presence in the Carolinas and bringing our proprietary products to the acquired Hickory Point and Palms locations as the stores are converted to the 7-Eleven brand,“ said Stan Reynolds, 7-Eleven executive vice president and CFO, in a press statement. 7-Eleven has offered employment to existing store personnel, according to the statement. CB Mart, Inc. was advised by Robert L. Valentine of Trefethen Advisors LLC, the company said. Marvin Quattlebaum and Frank Williams of Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP served as legal counsel to CB Mart Inc. for this transaction.
Rudisill Named Dean at The George the university of south carolina Upstate recently announced that Dr. Frank Rudisill has been named dean of the George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business and Economics. Since joining the USC Upstate faculty in fall 2002, Rudisill has served as associate dean of the college from fall 2008 through spring 2011 and has been the interim dean since July 2012. He teaches management, operations management, statistics and business strategy. In addition, he served as the lead partner from USC Upstate in working with BMW Manufacturing to develop the USC Upstate/ BMW Acad-
Frank Rudisill
emic Outreach Camp for high school students. Prior to coming to USC Upstate, Rudisill had more than 25 years of experience in industry with companies such as Duke Energy and Milliken & Co. He is the co-author of the book “Quality Management and Measurement Systems.” Rudisill earned a Ph.D. in management science and a M.S. in mathematical science from Clemson University and a B.A. in mathematics from Appalachian State University. He received Certification in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) in 1987 and 2003. The school (known as “The George”) currently enrolls nearly 650 majors and offers programs in business administration with concentrations in accounting, economics/finance, general business, management, marketing, and nonprofit leadership.
DEW Announces Layoffs, Enhances Online Services as part of a continued effort to replace in-person counseling with online services, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) announced in a press conference Tuesday that it will lay off 100 DEW employees in June, the Associated Press reported. Interim director John Finian said that DEW will eliminate one-on-one help with unemployment claims as of June 10, according to the AP. Finian blamed these cuts, as well as previous cuts that closed 17 rural employment offices, on a reduction in federal funding. “We’re trying to refocus from unemployment, which has been the
mantra for the office, to re-employment,” Finan told the AP. “We need to work on innovative things the state can do and locals can do to really put people to work.” To that end, DEW also announced “an upgraded, technology-focused service delivery method” that will include 12 comprehensive SC Works centers, according to a statement released by the department. “While UI claims will no longer be taken by representatives at SC Works centers, staff at the 12 comprehensive centers will be able to offer assistance with online filing,” the statement said. For more information, visit jobs. scworks.org.
Boeing to Invest $1B, Add 2,000 Jobs in SC by 2020, boeing inc. plans to invest $1 billion and create 2,000 jobs in South Carolina, in order to qualify for economic incentives being discussed in the state Legislature, a Boeing spokeswoman confirmed this week. The company also cited steep demand for commercial airplanes as a motivation to expand its North Charleston 787 campus, the Charleston Post and Courier reported. “With unprecedented demand for commercial airplanes, including a forecast of another 34,000 airplanes required over the next 20 years, Boeing is positioned for significant and sustained growth in the years ahead,” company spokeswoman Candy Eslinger told the Associated Press Tuesday. “This is an expansion on a
whole new level,” Gov. Nikki Haley told the Post and Courier. “I think what we’re seeing is a new phase of building airplanes in South Carolina.” The newspaper reports that the proposal to state lawmakers includes an information technology “center of excellence” in North Charleston that would create about 1,000 jobs. Engineers and production employees for the 787 would make up the other 1,000 jobs, the Post and Courier said. An operations center for the 747 Dreamlfter cargo jet that delivers 787 components and a new paint facility also are part of the proposal, the paper reports. A proposed bill in the General Assembly will provide $120 million to offset some of Boeing’s expansion costs, according to the Post and Courier.
April 12, 2013 Upstate business journal 5
UBJ This Week GADC Praises $237M in Capital Investment the greenville area development Corporation said $237 million in capital investment that would create 1,450 jobs was committed in 2012. At its annual meeting Thursday, the GADC reported that for every dollar invested in economic development the county gets $7 in return. The GADC said it has been instrumental in bringing 36,500 jobs and $2.8 billion in investment since it was created in 2001. At the luncheon event at the Poinsett Club in Greenville, the GADC honored Gov. Nikki Haley with its highest award, the William D. Workman III Buffalo Hunter Award for her “significant positive impact on the local economy.” In her third year as governor, Haley’s administration has announced more than 31,000 new jobs and more than $7.5 billion in investment in South Carolina. Both are records for a governor in office just two years, GADC said. Haley is the first governor to receive the recognition. She was keynote speaker at the luncheon. Chris Riley, chairman of the
GADC board, said Haley “has gone above and beyond the call of duty in helping ensure … thousands of good jobs and billions of dollars in economic contribution and taxes that go with them are situated right here in South Carolina, with many of them right here in Greenville.” Also recognized was Peter Waldschmidt, CEO of software developer Gnoso Inc., for “countless hours in support” of TEDxGreenville, the NEXT Innovation Center, the Upstate Angel Network and InternGreenville.com. Haley recently named Waldschmidt Greenville’s economic development ambassador for 2013. Bob Howard, GADC vice chairman, said private sector support for the public-private development agency “is near an all-time high” with more than 125 organizations making contributions. “Every penny our investors provide goes to our marketing budget, and every penny you invest is working hard and producing better jobs and a brighter future for our community,” Howard said in thanking the contributors.
T. Boone Pickens to Share Leadership Insights
one of the most successful businessmen in recent American history will share his “Thoughts on Leadership” at Clemson University next week. T. Boone Pickens will deliver a public lecture at 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 18, at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts at Clemson, the school announced. The appearance marks an exploration of the business magnate’s Upstate roots, according
to a statement from Clemson. Pickens is a descendent of Andrew Pickens, the Revolutionary War hero for whom Pickens County is named. “I take considerable pride in the Pickens name and the wonderful heritage and history tied to our family and South Carolina,” Pickens said in the statement. “I’m eager to return there and rekindle our family’s love and respect of our ancestry.” Pickens’ “Thoughts on Leadership” presentation will focus on his tips to become an effective leader, according to Clemson. Pickens chairs the hedge fund BP Capital Management, and was renowned as a corporate raider during the 1980s. With an estimated current net worth of about $1.4 billion, he is ranked by Forbes as the 328th-richest person in America and ranked 879th in the world. Pickens’ lecture is free, but registration is required at clemson.edu/pickens-lecture.
Caterpillar Supplier to Build in Anderson County mclaughlin body company will invest $22 million in a new manufacturing facility in Anderson County that is expected to generate 250 new jobs over the next five years, the SC Department of Commerce announced Monday. “The search for a new location was extensive and we felt South Carolina and Anderson County was the best choice for us,” said John Mann, president of the
Moline, Ill.-based McLaughlin Body Company, in a statement released by the Department of Commerce. Anderson County Council still must give final approval to the facility’s locating at the industrial park at 5121 Old Pearman Dairy Road, which it should do early next week, according to the statement. The new facility will manufacture operator stations and complex
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metal componentry for construction equipment being built in the new Caterpillar facility near Athens, Ga. McLaughlin will be the first Caterpillar supplier to locate in South Carolina, the statement said. “McLaughlin Body Company’s decision to locate new operations here provides another boost to our state’s manufacturing renaissance and is another sign that
firms see the Palmetto State as just right for business and just right to find success,” said Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt in the statement. The facility is expected to be fully operational in the first quarter of 2014, according to the Department of Commerce, and will employ workers skilled in engineering, robotic weld programming and welding.
UBJ This Week Symposium Focuses on Developing Minority Leadership
Top 10 HR Mistakes Business is good and your profits are rising. But, what you don’t know can hurt you. Supervisors are key to your business, but a few mistakes can lead to high liability. Here are my top ten HR mistakes made by management.
By Cindy Landrum | staff
So you know what “Advancing Minority Leadership and Corporate Board Service”
who ACE Leadership Symposium, Greenville Chamber
when April 18, 11:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.
where Poinsett Club 807 E. Washington St.
tickets $25
information Nika White, 864-239-3727 or nwhite@greenvillechamber.org
LEE YARBOROUGH
1. Failure to Document – Documentation is vital. It does not always have to be formal; a quick email or notes on a calendar will suffice.
2. Saying too much – As it pertains to documentation as well as “small talk” with the employees, supervisors need to maintain a filter. Keep personal opinions to a minimum. Make sure your communication is fair and unbiased. 3. Non-compliance with company policies – Supervisors should know the company policies and apply consistently. 4. Misclassification of employees – Paying someone a salary does not make them exempt from overtime requirements. Supervisors should know the Fair Labor Standards Act and how it applies to their employees. Nika White
Office of Federal Student Aid. Davis, a Greenville native, has served as co-CEO since February 2012. He had served as vice chairman and chief credit officer from CertusBank’s founding in November 2009. Prior to helping to found CertusBank, Davis had held senior leadership positions at Wachovia and Bank of America. Hampden is responsible for delivering technology solutions that assist in the smooth delivery of student aid to students attending post-secondary institutions in the U.S. and abroad. “We need for everyone in the community to engage in the process of diverse leadership,” White said. “We need senior leaders to open doors and create opportunities, to give qualified minorities access to those opportunities.” The ACE Leadership Symposium is one of two programs the Chamber holds annually to advance leadership diversity in underrepresented populations. In the fall, the Chamber hosts the ATHENA Leadership Symposium designed to advance women’s leadership and corporate board service.
Contact Cindy Landrum at clandrum@communityjournals.com.
5. PTO tracking – Many mistakes are made when it comes to the tracking of Paid Time Off. Know your policy and make sure that it is followed, especially at termination. 6. Inflating performance reviews – Reviews are an important assessment tool for both the company as well as the employee. Always speak the truth and do not inflate performance. 7. Being too nice – Just like the performance reviews, terminations are a time for the truth, not niceties. Although it is difficult to terminate an employee, it is best to be truthful. 8. Lack of HR training – Supervisors need to stay current with HR issues. Look to the Chamber and other resources for ongoing training. 9. Showing favoritism – Treat everyone with respect and listen to concerns. You do not have to agree with everyone, but great managers show respect to all employees. 10. Not knowing when to get your HR department involved – Your HR department needs to be integral during the course of employment. HR should be involved in the hiring, promotions, counseling and terminations. Many sticky situations can be avoided if HR is involved from the beginning.
669 N. Academy Street, Greenville, SC 864.679.6055 | 800.446.6567 | www.propelhr.com M43A
it takes two things to increase the number of minorities in senior leadership positions and on corporate boards: minorities with strong leadership potential and people to help open up opportunities for them. Next week’s ACE Leadership Symposium sponsored by the Greenville Chamber is aimed at both, said Nika White, the chamber’s vice president of diversity and inclusion. “Research has proven that diversity allows an organization to be more competitive,” she said. “It used to be that the conversation about diversity was geared toward social consciousness. Today’s conversation is geared more toward the business aspect of it.” Speakers for the ACE Leadership Symposium – ACE stands for “advocate, collaborate and excel” – are CertusBank co-CEO Walter L. Davis and Bridget-Anne Hampden, deputy chief information officer of the U.S. Department of Education’s
April 12, 2013 Upstate business journal 7
UBJ Digital Maven
By laura haight
Some Input on Input your tablet is beautiful. it’s slim, slick and shiny. You can carry it in your purse or folio and be productive no matter where you are. Oh, wait: productive to a point. Typing on tablets is not comfortable. How many times do you start to respond to an email on your tablet only to defer until you get back home or to work where you can write a more detailed response on your computer? A keyboard or stylus may make your tablet a better tool. That, of course, would have Steve Jobs (who said, “God gave us 10 styluses – let’s not invent another”) tossing and turning. What would not displease Jobs would be indicators that the growth of the tablet market is hastening the demise of desktop PCs and changing the design and future trajectory of the laptop from desktop replacement to tablet adjunct. Whether it’s an iPad or a Nexus, Samsung or Surface, adding a keyboard or stylus to the already robust library of business applications can take you from content viewer to content creator. What you need depends on what you do. We use keyboards for more detailed writing – reports, proposals, blog posts. But what about doodlers and those whose pursuits are more visual and creative? Is your God-given stylus the effective input tool you need? There are some incredibly creative apps for artists and photographers that allow you to create or enhance original digital art. But for precision control, an index finger is a poor substitute for a brush or graphite pencil. There are plenty of styli in the marketplace – standalone, retractable, stylus and pen combinations that can range from $8 to $80. Two elements to consider: • Match your stylus to what you
regard. Backlit keys may seem an important feature, but they are power draining. Balance the bells and whistles against power drains.
want to do. If you’re an artist, check out the Sensu Artist Brush & Stylus. The capacitive tip can be removed to expose a brush tip with synthetic, conductive fibers that are responsive and fluid.
How do you want to work? Do you prefer typing in portrait or landscape mode? If screen orientation makes a difference, you’ll want to look for a keyboard device that enables flexibility and doesn’t lock you into the more common landscape mode.
• Capacitive tips are NOT forever. They wear out and need to be replaced. Less expensive styli don’t allow you to change the tip – just throw it away and buy another. That’s great if you don’t mind shelling out $5 every month or so (depending on how often you use it). But many of the better devices include replacement tips. They are usually more solid devices as well. Tablet keyboards are a bigger investment, and there are more usage and personal preference options to consider.
FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: The Sensu Artist Brush and Stylus lets digital artists get the look and feel of real brush strokes; The ZAGGfolio combines an iPad case and keyboard; The carrying case for the Logitech Tablet Keyboard converts to a stand for a tablet computer.
Connectivity. This may pose a problem if you are a mobile businessperson who has a smartphone, a tablet, a headset or portable speakers. All those Bluetooth connections can collide if you pair too many peripherals with one device. Still, you want a Bluetooth keyboard. Form factor. The keyboard needs to be as mobile as your tablet. Many come as part of cases or folios. You want the functionality, but you don’t want to give up the good looks. Feel. Anyone who has ever spent much time on a computer can tell you that the feel of the keys is different on different keyboards. Some are mushy, some are springy. This is something you should touch and try before you buy. Power. Devices that drain power quickly tie you down. And not all devices are created equal in this
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For precision control, an index finger is a poor substitute for a brush or graphite pencil.
Do you want your keyboard to do double duty with both your tablet and your desktop or laptop? I use a Bluetooth keyboard with my laptop just because it is more comfortable for me. But it is hardly portable. For portability with my iPad, I have a keyboard and case. There are devices with a more portable form factor that can work at home and on the road, if that’s a preference. Where do you plan to do most of your working? If you spend a lot of time traveling, you probably need to consider a unified case/keyboard/stand. There are a lot of options on the market, from combination keyboards and cases to standalones that can do double duty with your tablet and desktop/laptop. You will be looking at an average of $100 for a folio and $40-$60 for a standalone device. For reviews and comparisons, check out ZDNet’s best picks for iPad keyboards at goo.gl/ IC6SM, and reviews specifically for Android tablets from Computerworld at goo.gl/4SGhI. Sorry, Steve Jobs, but many of us need a little help getting from content consumer to content creator.
Laura Haight is the president of Portfolio (portfoliosc.com), a communications company based in Greenville that leverages the power of technology and digital media to communicate effectively with clients, customers and your staff. She is a former IT executive, journalist and newspaper editor.
UBJ This Week A New Game for Charles Warren Golfer gets into the swing of things at Arthur Gallagher By Leigh Savage | contributor
What prompted your decision to leave professional golf after 15 years? I last played on the PGA Tour in 2010, and I really gave myself two years to get back there. In 2011 and 2012 I was playing on the Web.com Tour, which is the second level down from the PGA Tour. I wasn’t playing great, and I wasn’t into it, and wasn’t happy with it. If you aren’t in the right place mentally, you can’t do it effectively at all. You can’t do it unless you are 100 percent committed. Then, last October, I decided it was time for a new chapter. I was 37 years old and it seemed like a good time to do it. I didn’t want to spend five or six years on the Web. com Tour trying to get back out there while also managing family life and home life.
What will you miss most about your time on the tour? I miss the people. It’s a great group of people, like a traveling circus, with a day care and the golfer’s wives. The people and the culture were awesome. I keep in touch with the golfers and I’ll probably go to Charlotte or Hilton Head to see those guys, and soon some of them will be playing around here, so we’ll hang out. How did you end up with Arthur Gallagher? Walker Taylor, who played golf at Clemson, works at Arthur Gallagher in North Carolina. He hooked me up with (area president) Larry Smith here in Greenville. I talked to different insurance groups and this one seemed like a great fit, a great culture for me. It’s a good place to come and learn, with a lot of resources as I go through the learning curve process. Did you want to find a job in Greenville? That was our No. 1 prerequisite – we were not leaving Greenville. I’ve lived in Greenville since 1998, for the most part, and I’ve always admired the
What do you hope to bring to your role at the company? One of the great things about being on the PGA Tour is meeting great people and making great relationships. You meet business guys when you play pro-ams and charity functions, so I hope to facilitate those personal relationships into business relationships. Plus, golf and insurance go hand in hand, and most of my relationships are through golf, so I definitely anticipate golf being a big part of how I apply myself in the industry. I want to increase Arthur Gallagher’s presence in the downtown community and let people know that the fourth-largest insurance broker in the world has an office on Main Street. Do you think clients and coworkers will be intimidated to golf with you? (Laughing) At 5’ 8”, “intimidated” is not a word I hear about anything. What do you do when you aren’t working? It’s been fun to go downtown with the family and have lunch. You miss so much when you’re on the road half the year. So that’s going to be cool. I love to duck hunt and fly-fish, and this year I was head coach of the Rockies with Greenville Little League.
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Charles Warren
Contact Leigh Savage at lsavage@communityjournals.com.
Photo by Gerry Pate
W0312F
on monday, april 1, at the age of 37, Charles Warren headed to his first office job. He was on the clock for the first time since 1991, when he was a teenager driving the rangepicker, gathering golf balls at his home course in Columbia. But after 15 years as a professional golfer – eight on the PGA Tour and seven on the Web.com tour – the former Clemson University standout was ready to settle in Greenville with his wife, Kelly, and their two children, Charlie, 6, and Riley, 3. His new job as area assistant vice president for insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. allows him to use his marketing degree and contacts to help grow the business – while occasionally meeting clients at his former workplace, the golf course.
community and the business world here. I look forward to being part of the downtown community.
April 12, 2013 Upstate business journal 9
UBJ This Week
La Bastide Redubbed Hotel Domestique Hincapie brothers’ destination to combine the old and new worlds
nearly a year after brothers George and Rich Hincapie purchased defunct inn and restaurant La Bastide in northern Greenville County, the 13-room inn will reopen this summer as Hotel Domestique, the pair announced this week. The 29-acre property and vineyards had been shuttered since January 2011 before the Hincapies took it over in July 2012. It was once owned by the Cliff Communities, but had been foreclosed on. Hotel Domestique’s name comes from the French word “helper,” a role that George Hincapie often took on, helping his teammates win cycling races. George Hincapie is known for competing in the prestigious Tour de France a record 17 times. The multi-million dollar renovations started in August 2012, and much of the ground floor was ready in October for the Grand Fondo event that celebrated George Hincapie’s retirement from professional cycling, Rich Hincapie said this week.
“The hotel renovation should be completed by the end of next week and then we’ll start on the restaurant side,” said Rich Hincapie. The brothers preserved the “oldworld” portions of the hotel’s structure like the original stone floors, ironwork and cut granite staircase, but have updated everything else, he said. “We’re mixing old-world with new-world. All the furniture, colors, lighting is all kind of chic-modern – really new, fresh and young, mixed with the actual architecture, the floors and some of the beams, which are old-world European,” he said. Because both Hincapies have traveled and enjoy Mediterranean food, the restaurant’s menu will reflect some of their favorites, he said. The chef has not been hired, but should come on board soon, he added. The restaurant, expanded to seat 160, will be open to guests and the general public. In addition to Mediterranean fare, they hope
10 Upstate business journal April 12, 2013
to feature farm-to-table items from a nearby farm, said Hincapie. “We want it to be simple, good Mediterranean-style food, really a comfortable place to go eat – we don’t want it to be stuffy or unapproachable,” he said. Some of the added amenities include an outdoor pizza oven, additional bar, patio water feature, and a new 25-meter pool for floating or swimming laps, he said. And Hotel Domestique boasts something that most hotels don’t offer: a custom storage area for road or mountain bikes along with a bicycle mechanic to fine-tune the two-wheelers after a day out. “That’s a small component of what we’ll do,” Rich Hincapie said. “For the most part, it’s going to be a hotel open to the general public and a good getaway destination whether you’re a cyclist or not.” However, the mountain destination has already created some buzz. “We have some corporate bike rides
booked for September and October,” he said. Hincapie said Hotel Domestique also has several weddings and other events already booked. The original structure was constructed in the 1990s to emulate a villa in Provence, France, and included a staircase constructed of granite from Winnsboro that was left unused since 1932 along with red roofing tiles from Tulane University’s original administration building. Outside the inn, there are vineyards situated in the best climate for growing grapes in South Carolina; however, the vines never produced wine. Rich Hincapie said they want to preserve the vineyards and at this point they have been cleaned up, but new grapes won’t be planted until next spring. “Nobody had touched them for years,” he said. Hotel Domestique is scheduled to open in late July or early August in anticipation of the busy season beginning in September, said Hincapie.
Contact April A. Morris at amorris@communityjournals.com.
Photos Provided
By April A. Morris | staff
REMEMBER THAT
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT
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ONE-IN-A-MILLION BUSINESS IDEA YOU HAVE TUCKED AWAY IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND?
DUST IT OFF. IT’S TIME. The Clemson MBA in Entrepreneurship & Innovation Info session April 25 · apr25info.eventbrite.com Application deadline extended! · www.clemson.edu/mba
UBJ Create. Innovate. Celebrate.
By mike smith
Sources of Capital for Entrepreneurs the upstate carolina angel Network (UCAN) is proud to be celebrating its fifth anniversary this month. Over the past five years, despite the challenging economic environment, this group of local investors has provided nearly $7 million in risk capital to 26 entrepreneurs with promising earlystage ventures. In the months ahead, we plan to use this space to offer a series of articles that will provide a brief education on angel investing – and its importance to our local and national economy. This month, we begin with a quick survey of sources of capital for entrepreneurs. Once an entrepreneur gathers the
courage to launch a new business, he is immediately faced with the daunting “valley of death,” in which more cash is flowing out than flowing in. Resourceful entrepreneurs will often “bootstrap” in these earliest stages, perhaps keeping their day jobs, taking out a home equity loan, or maxing out credit card limits. Once the entrepreneur’s own resources are exhausted, he may turn to friends and family, typically gathering several thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. This source of capital is massive in the aggregate, providing up to $50 billion per year in the U.S. – more than double the annual venture capital investments eventu-
Source: UCAN
ally provided to later-stage entrepreneurs. At this point, the entrepreneur’s company is typically still in the pre-revenue stage, but the friends and family funds help to finalize development of the product or service and narrow in on the target customer segment. Once the development cycle progresses further, the company finally goes to market and (hopefully) begins to generate revenue as early customers are attracted. Although the company is not yet profitable, it can begin its climb out of the deepest part of the valley of death. With early market traction, the entrepreneur can produce proforma financial models with suffi-
cient data and early stage results to confirm the viability of the product or service – and present the business to angel investors for consideration. Angel investors are (nonfriends and family) individuals who invest their own hard-earned capital into risky startup ventures. If the entrepreneur convinces angel investors to invest, it is common for the angel investment (particularly from organized angel groups) to range from $150,000 to $1 million. Across the U.S., angel investors provide more than $20 billion in capital each year to more than 60,000 early-stage companies. In addition to their capital, since many of these angel investors are entrepreneurs and businesspeople themselves, they often become valuable mentors to the entrepreneurs, providing guidance and expertise on formal boards of directors or in informal advisory roles. Angel investors in the Southeast are quite active. However, in South Carolina, less than one half of one percent of eligible accredited investors currently allocate capital to the early-stage asset class. The High Growth Small Business Act currently working its way through the South Carolina legislature will hopefully draw more capital into the marketplace for South Carolina entrepreneurs by offering angel investors a 35 percent tax credit for eligible angel investments in the state (see inset for more details). How active is the Southeast in angel investor deals? Second only to California! Once the entrepreneur’s company has progressed to realize significant revenue growth and consistent profitability, the venture capital market
Mike Smith has a 30-year background in running a privately-held family flooring distribution business in the Southeast. After selling the company in 2006, Mike is now involved in light industrial real estate, as well as investments in the health care industry and UCAN investments. In addition to his position as chairman of the board of UCAN, Smith is a vice-chairman and secretary of the Wofford College board of trustees.
12 Upstate business journal April 12, 2013
Southeast Rivals California for Share of Angel Group Deals in Q3 2012 %
New England Northwest
New York
8.3%
Great Plains
5.2%
Great Lakes
6.5%
9.7%
California
21.4%
Southwest
Southeast
13.0%
19.5%
HAWAII
14.3%
Mid-Atlantic
9.1%
Update on High Growth Small Business Job Creation Act
Source: Halo Report
Senate bill 262 would create income tax credits for accredited angel 8 investors who support high-growth potential startup businesses headquartered in S.C. The bill passed the Senate on March 12 by a vote of 35 to 6. A similar bill (H3319) will be heard in a House Ways and Means Subcommittee meeting this week.
If you would like to learn more about becoming an angel investor, please visit upstateangels.org or contact Matt Dunbar, our managing director, at matt@upstateangels.org.
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becomes a viable source for the entrepreneur’s next phase of development and capital requirement. Collectively, venture capitalists invest about $25 billion in the U.S. annually, but only in about 3000 to 4000 companies (a far cry from the 60,000+ investments by angel investors). Unfortunately, South Carolina receives just a tiny sliver of those venture capital investments (only five S.C.-based companies received VC funding in 2012), which makes the value of angel investors in South Carolina all the more important. Without angel investors, our local entrepreneurs may never emerge from the valley of death. And since all net job creation each year comes from startup companies, an active angel investor community is more important than ever.
UBJ On the Green
Cabin in the Woods In addition to completing the Gary Player Golf Course for play by September, the new owners are building a 4,000-square-foot clubhouse at Mountain Park in contrast to the more formal 20,000-square-foot clubhouses in other communities. “The idea is to have it be like a cabin that has been in the woods forever,” said Johnson. “It is going to be rustic, but nice. The food will be casual. It is going to be indigenous to the area, Southern mountain.” At lakeside Keowee Springs, which has a Tom Fazio course but had no clubhouse, the former home of the International Institute of Golf is being refitted as a clubhouse with its Southern porch, rocking chairs
Back on Top The Cliffs Communities continue their climb back from bankruptcy By Dick Hughes | senior business writer
in. We can track a couple of sales that came through this office.” A master plan is in the works for ongoing capital investment over the next decade. The plan takes into account the lifestyle interests of existing property owners and potential buyers, Johnston said. “The Cliffs has always been known for golf, but, as we go forward, we’ll find fewer people mention golf because there are so many other reasons to be at The Cliffs. So many things are happening with food and beverage and what we are doing with wellness.” Sales activity picked up last year with more than $80 million in property transactions. Johnston expects even more sales this year.
Adjusting to Reality The Cliffs at Mountain Park
and casual food. The pro shop for the Tom Jackson-designed course at The Cliffs at Glassy Mountain, the first Cliffs golf community to be built, was rebuilt, and 350 people showed up for its opening, said Davis Sezna, CEO of Cliffs Club Partners. In all, $8 million in amenity improvements are currently underway.
More than Tees and Greens “You are going to see a lot more amenities like bike trails, outdoor fire pits, a lot more of the social infrastructure rather than big clubhouses. Those are things of the past,” said Johnston. “We’re really raising the bar throughout all the communities with culinary,” he added. Still, golf remains a major attraction, and the owners expect the Player course to create considerable buzz in the golf world and be a draw for Mountain Park.
14 Upstate business journal April 12, 2013
“When a golf course opens to great acclaim, we all want to go,” said Sezna. “We don’t care how far or where it is, we find a way of getting there. I believe this course will attract this kind of attention.” The acquisition by cyclist George Hincapie and his brother, Rich, of La Bastide, which had been owned by Cliffs founder Jim Anthony, has been a “wonderful addition to the neighborhood,” said Sezna. This week, the Hincapies announced that the property will reopen soon as Hotel Domestique. “When you tell people they can go out for a ride with George Hincapie, they are just amazed,” said Sezna. “It is more than cycling. It is a legend.”
Greenville Office Pays Off Johnston said that the storefront sales office on Main Street in Greenville also has helped raise awareness. “We get people walking by, stopping
“We get most of our people through our website,” Johnston said. “The buyer today is extremely educated. When they walk in, they already know what is out there and what things are selling for.” Sensitive to the realities of today’s market, the costs of entry into the lifestyle are lower, relatively speaking. Home sites start at $100,000, half what it was in the high-flying pre-recession days. Homes range from $500,000 to $4 million. The up-front initiation for golf membership was reduced to $50,000. It had been as high as $125,000. Monthly fees range from $865 for full access to any of the seven courses to $778 for home golf privileges and $692 for non-residents. There are lower monthly dues for wellness, non-golf sports and social activities. Johnston said memberships have increased more than 30 percent from 1,920 in prerecession days to 2,600.
Raw Land for Conservation? Seventy-seven homes are under construction, and the company is
Contact Dick Hughes at dhughes@communityjournals.com.
Photo Provided
the new owners of the cliffs Communities are building clubhouses for the two exclusive Cliffs Communities, Mountain Park and Keowee Springs, that don’t yet have them. Unlike the ostentatiously large buildings characteristic of clubhouses at the five other communities, these clubhouses are smaller, more typically Southern and more harmonious with the environment. The clubhouses at Mountain Park and Keowee Springs reflect the restrained approach of the partnership formed after the club entity of seven of eight Cliffs communities in South and North Carolina came out of bankruptcy in August. The new owners are aware of the devastating toll a collapsing real estate market visited on exclusive golf communities like The Cliffs, coinciding as it did with the overbuilding of golf-linked luxury homes while golf was in decline. “What we have to get away from is the huge grandiose plans that people had in the past,” said Brett Johnston, CEO of Cliffs Land Partners. “They are not sustainable. Our plan is to build sustainable buildings useable today.”
recruiting and vetting builders to have five or six preferred builders for each of three regions – lake communities and mountain communities near Greenville and Asheville. Silver Sun Partners, the umbrella group that owns the clubs and most of the land and which Johnston and Sezna work for, anticipate developing 2,000-3,000 more home sites over eight to 12 years, leaving “several thousand acres of raw land” that could be developed for another 1,000 or more home sites. “But,” Johnston said, “I don’t see us ever fully developing everything. We might put some of the land in a conservation easement.” When things were on hold, at best, followed by the uncertainty of bankruptcy, Sezna said, property owners “went through a traumatic time” but now “are excited and ready to roll again, chanting, ‘The Cliffs are back.’”
The Cliffs
by the Numbers 4,000 SF
size of the clubhouse at Mountain Park, compared to 20,000 SF clubhouses built elsewhere
$100,000
starting price of home sites at The Cliffs, half of the pre-recession price
77
homes currently under construction
3,000
potential new home sites developed over the next 12 years
$50,000
up-front golf membership fees, down from $125,000
30%
increase in memberships
High hopes for high carolina The Cliffs of High Carolina, which sits on a mountain overlooking Asheville, has the most potential of all eight communities of The Cliffs, according to Brett Johnston, CEO of the partnership handling the land development. It also is largely undeveloped and was not included in the bankruptcy of Clubco, the entity that had control of the clubhouses, golf courses and other recreational and social facilities of the other seven communities. Work on the Tiger Woodsdesigned golf course had hardly begun when the real estate collapse in 2007 brought the project to a halt. Little roadwork has been done, and no homes have been built on the 1,200 plotted sites. Only a few have been sold.
Meric Ga binson WendytaRnbour g, SC
For Silver Sun Partners, which owns two-thirds of the property, the project is blank paper and its “biggest opportunity.” “It is the prettiest piece of land. It probably has the most going for it in terms of natural amenities,” said Johnston. While careful not to suggest a decision has been made, Johnston doesn’t see it as a golf community “with today’s crystal ball. It may become a destination of other kinds. There are a lot of great amenities up there in terms of hiking and biking, conservation easements.” But for now, said Johnston, no decisions have been made. “We have seven new babies we are trying to grow and take care of, and we have one we’re not sure how to take care of fully.”
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From industrial prototyping to home crafting, Upstate users are getting it done better, faster and cheaper By Jennifer Oladipo contributor
16 Upstate business journal April 12, 2013
The exploding popularity of 3-D printing ought to be surprising. Not because it’s new, but because in terms of innovation, the technology is a dinosaur at nearly 30 years old. ¶ Over the past year there has been talk of desktop 3-D printers in every home, but commercial versions have appeared on the manufacturing floor regularly for as long as seven years, according to some experts. They have changed the pace and cost of creating industrial prototypes, a benefit that is just now trickling down to consumers. The printers’ ability to produce things that were previously impossible is a major part of why they’ve captured the public imagination. Because it generally creates items by building a series of layers, Bill Watson of Anvil Prototype and Design in Charlotte suggests a 3-D printer could make a model of the Statue of Liberty inside a solid steel block. Most often the applications are more practical, falling right in line with inventors’ intentions.
A Brief History of 3-D Printing 3-D printing was born in the Upstate. At least, one of its parents was here. The first machine that ever printed a three-dimensional object still sits in the workshop of Bill Masters, an Easley native who invented and did business in Greenville. He holds three of the six patents that paved the way for today’s 3-D printing, and uses mercifully simple language to describe the processes. “Shoot drops, make parts” is Masters’ shorthand for what was otherwise known as ballistic particle manufacturing, and he compares the extrusion process to squeezing frosting out of a cake decorating tube. The process that uses surface tension to gently print layers of living tissue is called “eye dropper,” which, unlike a pressure-dependent “cow milking” process, does not damage living cells. All of these additive technologies were patented in the late 1980s, yet they languished mostly unused for years. Industries were loath to adopt a complex technology that did not fit easily into current processes, said Masters. What’s more, there was a lot of disagreement over standards that would govern the use of the technology in the same way that computer-coding language was already standard across the manufacturing platform. A few key factors together changed that situation in recent years. The creation of an open-source printer at Bath University in the UK in 2007 spurred a spread of the technology. When costs finally began to come down about a decade ago, widespread industry adoption took off. Printed objects have rapidly become more durable. Cathy Lewis, spokesperson for Rock Hill-based 3D Systems, said increased software options and ease of
use also made a difference. The 26-year-old company is the largest maker of 3-D printing machines serving the Carolinas and Georgia. “When you bring those things together, you have a technology anyone can adopt,” Lewis said.
Better, Faster, Cheaper So who is using 3-D printing? “The question is almost who isn’t using it,” Lewis said. “Pretty much every company that delivers a physical product uses the technology.” That includes GE, BMW, Cryovac, Michelin and Bosch. Then there are biomedical device companies that make products such as hips and monitors to be used in the human body. Major users in the Carolinas include the automotive and energy sectors, and the technology is beginning to be embraced by the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sectors. Greenville’s TPM has sold 3-D Systems machines for 20 years. Yet general manager Chris Fay said only in recent years have the technology and cost created conditions for widespread use. “Probably five years ago it was a little bit costprohibitive, and the technology wasn’t really there as far as fast good parts,” Fay said. A testament to the technology’s popularity, 3D Systems has reported more than 40 percent growth for the past two years, and is planning an expansion in the next six to 12 months to meet expected demand in the Carolinas. Most people in the field agree that 3-D printing has had an almost revolutionary impact on research and design across the board. Just as the printing technology becomes better, faster and less expensive, so does R&D. Machines that create durable, detailed parts can cost up to $250,000. A low-resolution machine costs $45,000-$100,000 and would allow a company to quickly create prototypes of a shoe or something of similar size for about $40 apiece. “If you own the machine, you’ve got 10 iterations for about $500, but the value of that on the back end is huge,” Fay said. Having a product in hand helps designers see exactly
17 Upstate business journal April 12, 2013
(continued on page 18)
Growth in all dimensions
29.4%
growth rate of additive manufacturing (AM) in 2011
26.4%
growth rate for the industry’s 24-year history
$3.7 billion
projected worldwide sales of AM products and services in 2015
$6.5 billion projected AM sales in 2019 Source: Wohlers Associates
Additive Manufacturing, Simplified 3-D printing, or additive manufacturing, is a process of making a solid object of virtually any shape from a digital model. In the additive process, successive layers of material are laid down in different shapes. Using CAD or some other modeling software, the designer creates a virtual blueprint for the object. The virtual blueprint is then sliced into digital cross-sections for the printer to use as a guideline. The printer then reads the cross-sections and lays down successive layers of liquid, powder, paper or sheet material to build the model. The layers are then joined together to create the final shape.
(continued from page 17) where improvements are needed, and the ability to repeatedly prototype and test any changes is incredibly valuable. 3-D printers are said to be able to take a few weeks off of a four-month design process, or a few months off of a twoyear process. As a result, companies can get their products to market faster.
Consumer Boom Most of the rest of us caught onto 3-D printing with the launch of the Cube home 3-D printer in January 2012, though Masters thought his inventions would have become mainstream long before now. “I thought by [the year] 2000 we’d have a printer on everybody’s desk. And you know the one I really wanted? I wanted it to be the erector set for kids,” he said, imagining that children would be able to print their own version of the classic building blocks. Heightened awareness outside of manufacturing has also brought to the fore questions about some of the technology’s potential risks. Some worry that counterfeiting of all sorts of products will become so easy as to be unstoppable. There are even concerns about potential printing and selling of organs on the black market. Yet there are people such as the members of the Greenville Makers
Group, who are raising money to purchase a printer for community use. The group’s community outreach officer, Susan Molnar, purchased her own printer for $450. She uses it to add plastic glow-in-the-dark items to the home-based jewelry-making business she started after illness forced her to leave her job more than a year ago. The printer gives her advantages similar to larger companies. “You can just imagine a design, which brings my graphics background into it, and I can make it happen without having to special order it,” Molnar said. Design of a complex piece may take a couple of days, but she can move from design to product in 15 minutes. She continues to tinker and learn the machine, and is excited about new materials available for her printer, such as a new composite that looks like wood. Still, Fay said it’s going to be a while before the “printer in every home” dream comes true. “That’s really far-fetched for now,” Fay said. “There’s a lot of opportunities right now in manufacturing, biomed, and AEC, but I think widespread consumer adoption is still a ways off.” Contact Jennifer Oladipo at joladipo@communityjournals.com.
The Next ‘Disruptive Technology’? 3-D printing promises to affect IP rights – and laws throughout history, we have seen “disruptive” technology significantly affect intellectual property (IP) rights. Disruptive technology creates or modifies existing markets and improving goods or services in an unexpected way. For example, in 1959, Xerox introduced its first commercially successful photocopier. Because Xerox made copying simple and relatively inexpensive, entities would copy materials – including copyright-protected material – rather than purchase them from authors or publishers. Therefore, copyright owners were deprived of their profits. Litigation ensued, including Williams and Wilkins v. United States (1973) to Harper and Row Publishers Inc. v. Nation Enters (1985). Additionally,
the Copyright Act of 1976 was enacted in response to such technological developments. In 1999, Napster, considered “the godfather of peer-to-peer programs,” was released and almost immediately sued by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). While Napster’s technology has great commercial utility, its use as a music piracy application chilled its commercialization. As for the movies, by the early 2000s, most states, under significant pressure from Hollywood, criminalized the act of recording movies with camcorders. In 2012, Megaupload, one of the most heavily visited file-sharing sites in the world, saw its CEO arrested. And now, this brings us to 3-D printing. 3-D printing has the
potential to be the next “disruptive” technology and could significantly affect IP rights and laws. The parts that are possible to make with this new technology are limited only by one’s imagination and include anything from machine parts to jewelry to toys. So the initial question is, “Will 3-D printing be used for good or evil?” One would argue the entire peer-to-peer technology was tainted by its use for sharing protected music, which drew the fairly harsh response from copyright owners and the RIAA. 3-D printing by its very nature can be used to create new designs and parts or to make copies of existing parts. The latter use has the risk of causing a reaction from the owner of the copied design, especially from
By Doug Kim copyright and patent holders. If copying occurs en masse, we can expect to see a reaction that may cause the modification of IP laws and the chilling of the use of the 3-D printing technology. Simply making a “nongenuine part” will be quite easy. It is easy to see that while patent protection is not nearly as widespread as copyright protection, if a patent protects a design, product or part and 3-D printing is used to replicate the part, patent infringement can be a real risk. However, this risk is tempered, as patent law can allow for the free reproduction of replacement parts (but does not allow the entire patentprotected article to be reproduced). Further, design patents exist to protect the aesthetic properties of an
article. Given the abilities of the 3-D printer, I would anticipate that inventors of these designs will increase the reliance upon design patents, as well as a copyrights, to protect their creations. The critical factor that will shape the effect of 3-D printing on IP law is its initial use. If it is used in an attempt to sidestep IP owners, as occurred with Napster, the chances that we will see restrictive limits on 3-D printing are increased. If, however, the initial applications are for R&D, rapid prototyping and increased sharing of ideas (think open source), we should see the spread of this technology ever increasing. Regardless, the difference between the physical form of a part and its digital form will most certainly begin to blur.
Doug Kim heads the Intellectual Property Group of McNair Law Firm, P.A., and concentrates on counseling companies concerning the protection and enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights. He is a frequent lecturer on topics that include: patents, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, trade secrets, development agreements, licensing, particularly intellectual property and software, litigation, infringement and infringement defense, electronic discovery (E-Discovery), and document retention/document destruction policies.
If you had a 3-D printer, what’s the first thing you’d create? Share your idea on Facebook: facebook.com/TheUpstateBusinessJournal.
18 Upstate business journal April 12, 2013
Building a Legacy From the Ground Up The Rama family’s JHM Hotels took a grassroots approach to revitalizing the Hyatt and North Main
A
couple of miles and the difference between a cheap sleepover and a pampered stay separate the Camelot Inn off traffic-heavy I-85 and the Hyatt Regency on pedestrian-friendly Main Street in downtown Greenville. For the Rama family, they are linked: The Camelot brought them to Greenville and through hard work generated building-block cash that led 33 years later to ownership of the Hyatt and inheritance of a legacy to restore its luster. On Wednesday, April 17, JHM Hotels, the Rama family business, officially marks the completion of a multimillion-dollar renovation of the Hyatt as flagship of the JHM’s 42-hotel empire and anchor catalyst for a resurging North Main. JHM acquired the Hyatt in 2009 after buying the chain’s Hyatt Regency in Atlanta. They transformed that hotel “beyond Hyatt’s expectations, and they said, ‘We want to keep doing business with you,’” recalled D.J. Rama, JHM’s secondgeneration president. “That’s when we went to them and said we wanted to get into downtown Greenville. We’d like to buy the Hyatt.”
Going to the Source
streets with plans for a 250-300-room brandname hotel within two years. Aside from the Hyatt in Greenville County, JHM owns and operates the Marriott Courtyard on The Parkway, the Fairfield Inn on Fisherman Lane and the Greenville Marriott on Parkway East. The company has eight other projects in the works with land acquired elsewhere, including downtown Chicago, Miami and Orlando. “We are dusting off some of the projects we put on hold from 2009,” Rama said. JHM acquired 1,500 rooms during the recession.
Keeping Independent One important characteristic of the company’s success, Rama said, is its independence. “We are 100 percent private,” he said. “Nobody is telling us what to do. And I am not trying to prove anything to anybody unless I prove it to myself.”
“We are 100 percent private. Nobody is telling us what to do. And I am not trying to prove anything to anybody unless I prove it to myself.”
After the deal closed in 2009, the Ramas spent five months talking to “all of the stakeholders to understand what it is we can do better that can help have this hotel repositioned.” They started with former mayor Max Heller, who, along with Tommy Wyche and the late Buck Mickel, brought Hyatt to Greenville in the early 1980s as a catalyst to revive a dreary and sleepy downtown. Heller’s vision was clear: Reposition the hotel for the next 20 years so the Greenville community can enjoy it, and make the Hyatt an anchor for other companies to come into the city.
JHM also will not operate anything they do not own from the ground up. The Greenville Hyatt was a case in point. Hyatt owned the building, but the city owned the plaza and the ground. JHM stipulated it would buy only if it could own the whole thing. So Hyatt bought the ground and the plaza from the city, and JHM bought the whole package from Hyatt.
Busting the Estimate
Camelot Pays Off
The initial estimate of the remodel was $15 million, but that number was “busted early on,” Rama said. The final cost was well north of the estimate, in large part because a lot of mechanical work had to be done. JHM has other plans for Greenville, having acquired a corner lot at Washington and Spring
While the Camelot was not the first American motel acquisition of this immigrant Indian family, it was “basically the starting point,” D.J. Rama said. “It helped plant our seed in this marketplace and acquire other motels.” His uncle H.P. Rama, who is chairman and CEO of JHM, left India in 1969, got an MBA at
D.J. Rama
Contact Dick Hughes at dhughes@communityjournals.com.
Photo by Greg Beckner
By Dick Hughes | senior business writer
From left, D.J. Rama, H.P Rama, J.P. Rama and R.O. Rama, with JHM Hotels in their newly renovated Hyatt Regency in downtown Greenville.
Xavier University in Cincinnati, worked odd jobs and bought a run-down 40-room motel in Pomona, Calif. Brothers J.P., now vice-chairman, and M.P. joined him and later named the company with their first initials, JHM. After stops in Hopkinsville, Ky., and Hurricane, Tenn., to revive and sell small, mismanaged motels, the family bought the Camelot out of bankruptcy in 1976. As D.J. tells the story, when an officer at First Federal Savings Bank asked for a balance sheet, the brothers said, “you’re looking at the balance sheet. Whatever money we make, we will pay you back.’” They turned it around, operating it profitably until selling it 1986. That success is “our grass roots,” said D.J. Rama.
It Starts in Laundry The Ramas have a major hotel in India, and H.P. spends six or seven months a year there, leaving the day-to-day operations to the second generation. Every member of the family learns the business from the bottom up, from the laundry room to setting up banquet tables. In D.J. Rama’s case, he worked for the Sheraton for free while the family owned the Camelot. While at Johnson and Wells University in Providence, R.I., where he also received a master’s, D.J. worked “for free for five months” and rotated through all departments. After corporate jobs at Marriott and Holiday Inn, he went to the Cornell hotel school for another master’s and then back to the family business – where he started in the laundry room. For more on the history of the Hyatt renovation and its role on North Main Street, see this week’s Greenville Journal.
April 12, 2013 Upstate business journal 19
THIS page: Stuart Jackson stands in Instel Power Products’ warehouse filled with electrical components that can power everything from a manufacturing plant to a local restaurant; OPPOSITE: Jackson talks with an employee in company’s shop.
Power Player Stuart Jackson has bought and sold electrical business Instel Power Products multiple times
Stuart Jackson calls himself the Fred Sanford of power equipment. In a climate where inventory is a “dirty word” and lean manufacturing leads to no spare equipment on site, Jackson is the “junk man,” he says, with a warehouse and yard full of everything from threefoot-long fuses to giant transformers that can power a shopping mall.
The Early Years
Jackson, who grew up in Chester, Va., says he didn’t begin dealing in electrical equipment right away. With a history degree under his belt and little business experience, he found work selling office machines for Monroe Systems for Business. One of the top performers in the country became his mentor, however, teaching him how to treat people and be successful, he said. After about a decade, the office machine business changed and Jackson was looking for a new venture. In 1983, he learned that a friend’s father,
20 Upstate business journal April 12, 2013
who had founded Instel Power Products in 1967, was given the option to buy it back. “I met with him, and he hired me to run this business,” Jackson said. “In hindsight, if I’d had really known what this business was, I wouldn’t have done it, because I was not trained … but what I did have was a knowledge of how to be successful in business. I’ve also always been a Mr. Fixit. This business is a fixit business.” Instel was originally an independent testing company, testing electrical systems for Fortune 1000 companies all over the Southeast, he said. Jackson worked to educate himself about all things electrical. “Every spare moment I would study manuals, textbooks and all I could read about the discipline,” he said. He didn’t have the benefit of a mentor at Instel, however, when the owner developed health problems and had to leave. “Within two months of coming in to run this company, my mentor was gone and I was on my own.”
Photos by Gerry Pate
By April A. Morris | staff
While he learned about electrical systems, Jackson spent the first 10 years also collecting the various parts and pieces of equipment Instel needed to also do field service. The collection started with the surplus in the closed Celanese plant on Woodruff Road, he said. Jackson was the second-highest bidder on the equipment, but ended up buying it because the first bidder didn’t pay by the deadline. He was then able to sell several pieces to the original bidder and also sell pieces back to Celanese, he said. “That was the start of me getting into the surplus business.”
The First Sale
The business continued to grow and in 1996, SC Electric and Gas offered to buy Instel with Jackson staying on to run the company. To prove the company’s value, Jackson said he worked harder than he did as owner, but finally turned in his resignation. “I sold the company to slow up, not speed up,” he said. Jackson met with corporate executives and a business psychiatrist in 1999. The psychiatrist concluded Jackson was right to feel like quitting. However, the group offered Jackson a paid sabbatical and a salary increase. He accepted lessened responsibility and scheduled the sabbatical for the summer. “I bought a motor home and told my sons we were going to drive across the U.S.,” and they spent the summer traveling. “We had the most glorious time, and I didn’t call the office once. It took me about two weeks to get decompressed, however.”
Owner Again
A week before he left on his cross-country trip, however, the owners informed Jackson that they wanted to sell. “When I got back, the whole company was upside down and twisted and backwards,” he said. Jackson purchased the company again and “began to build it back up into a large company with multiple locations.” In 2005, another buyer made an offer – this time Square D, he said. “So I said okay. I thought we were selling the whole company, but I learned that they didn’t want the used-equipment side.”
Timeline 1967
Instel Power Products founded
1983
Stuart Jackson joined the company as president, replacing longtime owner Eusebio Quintero; nine employees
1986
Instel began to buy, stock and sell surplus electrical equipment
1996
SC Electric and Gas purchased Instel; 17 employees
1999
SC Electric and Gas opts to sell and Jackson buys Instel back; 23 employees
2005
Square D purchased field service business and Jackson retained Instel Power Products equipment side of the business with three employees
2013
Instel Power Products now has nine employees and continues to grow
Crafting a Welcoming Workplace After the Square D purchase, there were only two employees left, he said. Both were willing to stay, so they started building the business again. “I said we were going to have three rules: We’re going to
Fast Fact
When he’s not collecting all manner of electrical equipment for his warehouse, Stuart Jackson enjoys road bicycling in Anderson and Oconee counties, along with cycling trips in places like Italy, France and California.
Contact April A. Morris at amorris@communityjournals.com.
work hard, we’re going to have fun, and no ***holes. And that was the premise of this new company,” he said. Jackson said he had many years experience with employees who were skilled at the business, but “had personality flaws or conflicts, and they cause a lot of heartache. They bring down the good employees.” Now Jackson’s two sons, Matt and William, help with the business, along with longtime employee Dave King and Coco, the resident pooch. Instel now has nine employees.
Niche Electrical
In 2013, Instel provides quick support to manufacturers who have a power failure and need to get their plant up and running as soon as possible. With some equipment dating back to the 1960s or beyond, Instel can switch out a piece of equipment much quicker than the plant can order it from the electrical manufacturer, Jackson said. Instel’s staff takes in all kinds of electrical equipment and refurbishes it along with manufacturing buses for power distribution. There is a surprising amount of vintage equipment operating, Jackson said. “The whole infrastructure of the United States has a lot of vintage electrical equipment. It’s running the whole country, and everything isn’t new.” Because it is so durable and high quality, the cost-effective option is to purchase a refurbished piece of equipment, he said. “The equipment that was built then is better than the equipment that’s built now. This type of equipment is quite expensive, so it lends itself to being repaired.” He notes that Instel recently rebuilt the 1960s-era equipment in the Landmark building (originally the Daniel building) in downtown Greenville. “Most companies are making products just a few days in advance; they don’t have a warehouse full of product,” he said. If a plant has to shut down production, it can have a domino effect down the supply line, he said. And that’s where Instel comes in. Its 80,000-square-foot warehouse is packed with equipment from the late 1920s to current vintage that can get a plant up and running again. “We’re the need-it-now company,” he said. “The plants will call and I can hear the tremble in their voice” when they ask if he has a part on hand. The original manufacturers aren’t always well versed in the older equipment and focused on service. “They’ve moved on. They’re working in 2013, not 1966.” Jackson said he prides himself on giving everyone equal treatment, from the largest auto manufacturer in the area to the owner of the local pizza joint who lost power. Instel’s customer service includes going the extra mile, he said. In the shop, he pointed out a breaker dating back to 1949 that was sent to them from a furniture manufacturer in North Carolina. It didn’t need repair, just resetting, but Instel also cleaned, oiled and repainted parts of the equipment before returning it. Lining the halls are binders full of manuals, diagrams and all manner of documents related to decades of electrical equipment that he’s collected from closed plants and fellow equipment brokers. Jackson said he simply is a fixit guy and junkman, adding that he could use another warehouse the same size as the current one. “I don’t have the heart to throw anything away,” he said.
April 12, 2013 Upstate business journal 21
UBJ The Takeaway
By Jennifer Lowe Cobb, chamber marketing and special projects coordinator
Greg Boone Serves Up Lifeonomics 101
EVENT: The Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce April First Friday Luncheon, sponsored by Greenville Health System and King Consulting WHO WAS THERE: Over 130 area business leaders SPEAKER: Greg Boone, executive director of Look Up Lodge, a non-denominational Christian camp and conference center TOPIC: Lifeonomics As executive director of Look Up Lodge, a nonprofit non-denominational Christian camp serving church groups from all across the Southeast, Boone knows a thing or two about people and success. Under Boone’s leadership, Look Up has seen an average annual growth of 20 percent for the past 15 years and oversees the successful management of more than 11,000 guests annually. Lifeonomics, as Boone calls it, is
Greg Boone
simply the implementation of successful life. A true understanding and application of Lifeonomics would result in one of two outcomes, Boone said: Either a person will become more successful where he is currently located, or he will do something completely different within six months. What exactly is Lifeonomics? Well, like all things good in the South, it starts with the illustration of a dining-room table.
drive across town to the second business simply because of friendly customer service. A basic application of “treat others how you would like to be treated” goes a long way in the business world. A healthy work ethic and a willingness to take risk represent the final two table legs. While a physical work ethic is a positive attribute, Boone challenged the crowd to maintain an ever-expanding mental work ethic by continuing to grow and learn your business. Finally, a successful life is also found in a person’s willingness to take calculated risks.
1. The four dining room table legs represent a foundation for a successful life – wisdom, wellness, work ethic and willingness to take risk. As a table needs four legs for foundational stability, so does one’s success depend upon the application of these four foundational truths. While wisdom comes from one’s ability to understand basic business principles such as how to make a profit, wellness stems from an inner emotional health such as dealing politely with people. Boone gave an example of two similar businesses located at opposite ends of his current hometown. When given the choice to patronize one of the two businesses, Boone chooses to
2. The delicious turkey represents a vision of success in all areas of your life. To achieve a successful life, you must have a vision of success built upon your foundation. Boone challenged the crowd to clearly define not only the vision for their lives, but also the vision for their companies. Not only should you make your visions big, but you should also make them clear. Write them down. Give them definition. By clearly defining your vision, you will be able to determine your wins and make any necessary adjustments. Boone likened the failure to clearly define one’s life and business visions to shooting arrows without a target.
4. The tablecloth represents life’s passions. Boone told of a recent poll where people were asked to relay their strengths to complete strangers. While the majority of people had no problems expressing areas of weakness, they struggled to express areas of strength. He challenged the crowd to take an introspective look into their passions and find a way to use their God-given talents every single day. What drives you to get up in the morning? What do you absolutely love to do? Often, it’s the gut-level answers that reveal a person’s true passions. While discovering passions is a must for everyone, Boone cautioned against mixing up passions when it comes to a business venture. For example, a passion for baking does not necessarily translate into a successful bakery business venture. An individual must thoroughly examine all aspects of a passion and how that might positively or negatively translate into a business. It is the correct combination of all of these things – a foundation in wisdom, wellness, work ethic and willingness to take risk, along with vision, hope and passion – that will enable each of us to truly be successful in Lifeonomics. Thanksgiving and the carving of a turkey will never be the same again.
The Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit organization that represents approximately 675 businesses in the Greer area. The mission of the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce is “to champion economic prosperity for our members and the Greater Greer community.” For more information, call 864-877-3131 or visit greerchamber.com.
22 Upstate business journal April 12, 2013
Photo by Gerry Pate
Imagine a dining-room table topped WITH with a beautiful lace tablecloth and a delicious turkey on a silver tray. While this might sound like your typical November family get-together, according to Greg Boone this scenario represents your life. Using this clever illustration, Boone demonstrated that a successful business is really no different than a successful life. Boone calls this philosophy “Lifeonomics.”
3. The silver tray represents hope. As the silver tray and turkey are connected in Boone’s illustration, so are your vision of success and inner hope. One can have vision, but must also have hope. Boone believes a lot of failed enterprises happen because people lose vision and hope, resulting in a negative outcome both professionally and personally.
Altitude
An Exclusive Experience For Those Well Traveled LIFT OFF: 04.25.2013 By Invitation Only*
RUNWAY SPONSOR: Bynum Aesthetic Dentistry | LIVE DRAWING: Powered by Verizon SUPPORTING SPONSORS: Back to 30, Bubbly Dry Bar, Capello Salon, cb Events, Charleston Cooks!, Clothes Make The Man, Dapper Ink, Eric Brown Design, Fairview Builders, Greenville Dermatology, Gregory Ellenburg, In Site Design, JB Lacher Jewelers, Joan Herlong/AugustaRoad.com Realty, Labels Designer Consignment, Linda McDougald Design|Postcard From Paris Home, Liquid Catering, Marguerite Wyche & Associates, Millie Lewis Studio Models and Talent, Panageries, Inc., Rush Wilson Limited, Studio.7, The Chocolate Moose, The Houseplant, The Valet, Traveling Chic Boutique, Vintage Made Modern *Limited open tickets available for $125/person. Tickets available at: 2013Altitude.eventbrite.com. A portion of ticket sale proceeds will benefit the Spartanburg Regional Foundation’s Village at Pelham General Fund. This fund is used to assist the Village at Pelham’s community outreach programs, education and other priority projects and needs identified by the Village at Pelham.
UBJ Square Feet
Rhett Street Apartments Underway Artist’s rendering of the Rhett Street apartment complex
The New Anytime Lounge
feel like our proximity to all the great restaurants on Main Street, Fluor Field, the Kroc Center, the Swamp Rabbit Trail, and down-
town Greenville really set us apart from the competition.” The project is set to be completed in May or June 2014.
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parking levels. The building will also feature a large private courtyard with a saltwater swimming pool, fireplaces, televisions, shuffleboard court, outdoor kitchen, multiple private seating areas, fully equipped fitness center, and clubhouse, as well as a “sports bar”-like media room with multiple televisions. Lat Purser & Associates chose the location because they “are big believers that renters not only want to live in a project with a lot of amenities, but want to live in an area where they are surrounded by the city’s amenities,” said Purser. “We
au g us ta
charlotte-based lat purser & Associates recently broke ground on a new apartment complex on Rhett Street in Greenville. The building will be four stories over two levels of parking with independent street access to each level. According to project coordinator Adam Purser, “The parcel slopes from Rhett down Wardlaw, so really, the building is five stories on Rhett and six stories at the rear of the property.” The 150-unit building will be 157,580 SF with an additional 71,879 SF spread over the two
The New Beattie Bar
Pacolet Milliken Plans Development in Florida pacolet milliken enterprises Inc. announced the development of Azul, a 178-unit Class A LEED-certified luxury apartment community located in the Baldwin Park community, less than 3.25 miles from downtown Orlando, Fla. Azul will be a fourand five-story Mediterraneanstyle midrise apartment community with surface parking and amenities including a resortstyle pool, day spa, cybercafé, fitness center, and resident club-
room and lounge. Azul will be part of the 1,100-acre Baldwin Park neighborhood. The traditional neighborhood development offers two large lakes, more than 20 parks and more than 50 miles of trails and paths. Construction on the project has begun, and Pacolet Milliken is working with Jefferson Apartment Group, the project’s developer and property manager, to make the apartments available in the first quarter of 2014.
DE A L M A K E R S NAI Earle Furman announced: Stuart Wyeth represented the tenant of 526 Howell Road, Greenville, in leasing a 3,240 SF office space to Movement Mortgage LLC. Keith Jones represented the landlord of Highland Business Park at 355 Woodruff Road, Greenville, in leasing a 1,637 SF office space in Suite 208 to Rent-ACenter. Keith Jones represented the landlord of 3535 Pelham Road, Greenville, in leasing a 2,172 SF office space to SC Upstate CPR LLC. Stuart Wyeth represented the landlord of 109 Laurens Road, Greenville, in leasing a 3,420 SF office space in Suite A to Keable & Brown PA. Andrew Babb assisted Katalyst Network Group in leasing a 1,450 SF office space at 172 E. Main St., Spartanburg.
DEAL of the WEEK Stuart Wyeth represented the landlord of Greenville Business Center at 146 W. Phillips Road, Greer, in leasing a 16,850 SF flex space to Rogers & Brown North American Logistics, Inc. Alexi Papapieris represented the landlord of Park East at 150 Executive Center Drive, Greenville, in leasing a 1,685 SF space to Beano Brothers, a restaurant that will serve the tenants of Park East and the public.
represented Antrim Donnan LLC with the lease of their building located at 115 W. Antrim Drive, Greenville. The 1200 SF office space was leased to Community Works, Inc. as an expansion of their current space.
Andrew Babb represented West End Properties in selling a 24-unit multifamily property at 1465 Grant Court, Spartanburg.
Spencer/Hines announced:
John Gray represented the seller of 48 Parkway Commons Way, Greer, in selling a 1,915 SF office property. Jake Van Gieson represented the buyer. Langston-Black Real Estate, Inc. announced: Brad Toy recently
Andy Hayes represented KSH Land Company LLC in the purchase of a two-story Class A office building on approximately 7 acres of land at 1320 Howell Road, Duncan. The building featured 12 private offices, two conference rooms, a large open work area that could accommodate up to 26 cubicles, and a large print/media room. David Strickland represented the seller.
Artist’s rendering of the Azul development in Baldwin Park, Fla.
55 Beattie Place | Greenville 29601 commerce-club.com | 864.232.5600
The New Touchdown Rooms
Still the highest level of excellence in elegant & gracious service you deserve
UBJ Planner Saturday April 13 Smartphone Classes Verizon Wireless Store, 119 E. Blackstock Road, Spartanburg; 8-9 a.m. Topic: Android: Getting Started Cost: Free, but registration is required at verizonwireless.com/ workshops.
SmartPhone Classes Verizon Wireless Store, 365 Harrison Bridge Road, Simpsonville; 9-10 a.m. Topic: Android: Getting Started Cost: Free, but registration is required at verizonwireless.com/ workshops.
monday April 15 GCS Roundtable The Office Center at the Point, 33 Market Point Drive, Greenville; 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Ronald Cup Golf Tournament Monday, April 29, 2013
The Preserve at Verdae - Embassy Suites Golf Resort Gift packs, breakfast and lunch provided.
Speaker: Lindsey Stemann Topic: Using Social Media in Your Career Transition Call Golden Career Strategies at 864-5270425 to request an invitation.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
NxLevel for Entrepreneurs (Existing Businesses)
For full tournament information please visit
Upstate Workforce Investment Board, 102 Commerce St., Spartanburg; 6-9 p.m.
A great day for a great cause... 19th Hole Party with live Jazz and great food, silent auction and much more!
www.rmhc-carolinas.org or call 864.235.0506
26 Upstate business journal April 12, 2013
For entrepreneurs who
want to expand an existing business and need the skills to make it grow. Cost: $195 per person Register at: bizbuildersc.com
tuesday April 16 Healthcare Providers Network Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 7:30-9 a.m. Chamber Board Room Open to Greenville Chamber members and prospective members who are healthcare providers. Contact: Julie Alexander 864-239-3754.
EngeniusU Seminars Clemson at the Falls, 55 East Camperdown Way, Greenville; 9-11 a.m. Topic: Focused Web Marketing Cost: $31.59 per person Register at: focusedwebmarketing. eventbrite.com.
Business After Hours Nissan of Greer, 14125 E Wade Hampton Blvd., Greer; 5:30-7:30 p.m. Open only to Greenville Chamber members. Cost: Free Contact: Lorraine Woodward at 864-239-3742
Smartphone Classes Verizon Wireless Store, 469 Congaree Road, Greenville; 6-7 p.m.
Topic: Apple iPhone: Getting Started Cost: Free, but registration is required at verizonwireless.com/ workshops.
Smartphone Classes Verizon Wireless Store, 6031 Wade Hampton Blvd., Taylors; 6-7 p.m. Topic: Apple iPhone 5 Workshop Cost: Free, but registration is required at verizonwireless.com/ workshops.
Smartphone Classes Verizon Wireless Store, 4 Market Point Drive, Greenville; 6-7 p.m. Topic: Apple iPhone: Getting Started Cost: Free, but registration is required at verizonwireless.com/ workshops.
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
Upstate PC Users Group Five Forks Baptist Church, 112 Batesville Road, Simpsonville; 7:30-9:30 p.m. Description: A small informal PC Users Group that can help cut through the confusion of today’s computers and software with real-world information and answers.
wednesday April 17
Human Resource Roundtable
Breakfast Series
Fountain Inn Chamber History Center, 102 Depot St., Fountain Inn; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Darla Moore School of Business-Greenville Telepresence Site, 201 Riverplace, Suite 300, Greenville; 7:30-8:30 a.m. Speaker: Joshua Pierce, assistant professor of finance, Darla Moore School of Business Topic: Finance for the Non-Financial Manager: Highlights of Financial Reports Cost: $15 RSVP at: eventbrite. com/event/55763610 46?ref=ebtn Contact: 803-777-2231 or 800-393-2362
Speaker: Steve Ivester Facilitator Topic: Sharing Common Concerns & Opportunities Across the HR Function RSVP to: Yancey Epps at 864-770-5407 or yepps@fountaininn chamber.org
Sales U Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m.
Cost: Free for Greer Chamber members. Register at: greerchamber.com.
Speaker: Paul Clark, Colonial Life Topic: Setting the Agenda Attendees may bring lunch or purchase a lunch catered by Camille’s Sidewalk Café for $8. Beverages will be provided. Contact: Claudia Wise at 864-239-3728.
AM Think Tank
Resource Recess
Chamber Office, 211 N Main St., Simpsonville; 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m.
Simpsonville Chamber of Commerce Board Room, 211 North Main St., Simpsonville; 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.
Handshakes and Hashbrowns Art and Wine on Trade, 205 Trade St., Greer; 8-9 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.
Speaker: Chris Brown of Babb & Brown Topic: Small Business Cost: Free for chamber members, $5 for future members. Lunch will be provided to those in attendance. Contact: Allison McGarity at amcgarity@ simpsonvillechamber. com.
Mauldin Chamber Leads Group
Mauldin Chamber of Commerce, 101 East Butler Road, Mauldin; noon-1:00 p.m. Contact: Don Johnson at dfjj1141@yahoo.com.
Tech After Five – Greenville Carolina Ale House, 113 South Main St., Greenville; 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Free to GSA Technology Council members. Register at: techafterfive.com.
thursday April 18 ACE Leadership Symposium Poinsett Club, 807 East Washington St., Greenville; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Theme: Advancing Minority Leadership and Corporate Board Service. Guest speakers: Walter Davis, Co-CEO of CertusBank, and BridgetAnne Hampden, deputy chief information officer for the U.S. Department of Education Tickets: $25 each Contact: Nika White at 864-239-3727 or nwhite@greenville chamber.org.
Business After Hours Eagle Zone, 8000 Pelham Road, Greenville; 5:30-8:30 p.m. RSVP to: Mauldin Chamber of Commerce at info2@mauldin chamber.org.
April 12, 2013 Upstate business journal 27
UBJ On the Move
APPOINTED Danny K. Holliday
Joined Renewable Water Resources (ReWa)’s board of commissioners. Holliday is a project manager at Holliday Utility Services, a general and utility contractor specializing in the water and wastewater industry. He has 30 years of experience in both the water and wastewater industry, including treatment plant operation, design and construction, in addition to experience with collection and distribution systems.
ACCOUNTING:
A.T. Locke, an Upstate business providing accounting services, business analysis and financial and strategic guidance to emerging and mid-sized organizations, recently added Mike Pfohl as a financial analyst. Prior to joining A.T. Locke, Pfohl served as chief financial officer for Perceptis LLC, a help-desk and IT consulting provider to higher education, and as vice president of finance for Level One, a strategic support solutions provider to the multifamily industry. He also has served in leadership roles with Avery Dennison, NewSouth Communications and the Electric Power Board of Chattanooga.
CONSTRUCTION/ ENGINEERING:
O’Neal Inc., a Greenville-based integrated design and construction firm, has hired Edwin Shull
HIRED
HONORED
Judy Barnaskey
Howard Klinetop
Hired as assistant vice president, branch manager, of the Palmetto Bank’s Seneca branch. Barnaskey brings to the bank 27 years of financial services experience, the most recent of which was as branch manager for a regional bank in Oconee County. She is a graduate of Leadership Class of Clemson and is active in United Way and March of Dimes, and serves as Ambassador for the Clemson Chamber of Commerce. as senior structural engineer. Shull has more than 15 years of professional experience in structural design. He has experience with IDC, Lockwood Greene Engineers, and most recently Bailey & Sons in Greenville.
LEGAL:
Gallivan, White & Boyd P.A. recently announced that Robert D. Corney has joined as an associate in its insurance practice group, Zachary L. Weaver has joined as an associate in its business and commercial practice group, and Lauren T. Maxwell has joined as an associate in its business and commercial practices group. Prior to joining GWB, Corney worked as an assistant attorney general in the criminal litigation division of the South Carolina attorney general’s office. While at the University of Miami School
28 Upstate business journal April 12, 2013
PROMOTED J. Scott Ross
Recently recognized by Lennox for his 50 years of service as HVAC technician, 26 of those with Five Star Plumbing Heating Cooling in Greer. Lennox honored Klinetop by awarding him an iPad and publishing an article titled “Tenured and True” about him in the Spring 2013 dealer magazine.
Promoted to president at Keys Printing, South Carolina’s oldest commercial sheet-fed printer custom manufacturer. Ross has been in the printing industry for more than 24 years and has had many roles at Keys over the past 16 years, including prepress and pressroom manager and vice president of operations. For the past eight years, he has been a leader in sales for Keys, developing and growing healthcare and integrated program-related work.
of Law, Weaver served on the editorial board and publication review panel of the University of Miami Law Review and on the Moot Court Board. He spent time practicing in Miami and West Palm Beach, Florida for an NLJ 200 firm and a litigation firm. While there, he counseled Fortune 500 companies, large manufacturers, local corporations, and individuals. Maxwell earned her Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where she served as a staff member on the North Carolina Law Review. Prior to joining GWB, she developed her legal skills by handling matters before the state and federal courts of South Carolina and by working for two years as the law clerk for the Honorable Helen Elizabeth Burris, United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina.
REAL ESTATE:
Coldwell Banker Caine recently welcomed Erin Halperin as a residential sales agent to its Greenville office. Halperin started in real estate in 2000. Her background as manager at Drexel Heritage Home Furnishings and design manager at Belgravia Group has provided her with extensive knowledge and skill in home staging and interior design. Allen Tate Realtors has announced that Lee Bowman and Julie Howe have graduated from the company’s Winner’s Edge training in the Upstate region. Winner’s Edge is a required, comprehensive real estate training program exclusively for Allen Tate Realtors. Spencer Hines Properties recently named Guy Harris as Agent of the Year for 2012. This is Harris’s third time receiving
2013
HONORED Fred Bender
Director of pharmacy services at Greenville Health System; received the 2013 Pharmacist of the Year Award from the South Carolina Society of Health-System Pharmacists at the society’s annual meeting in Charleston in March. This award is presented annually to a pharmacist who provides exemplary and ongoing service to the society and to the pharmacy profession. Bender worked as the assistant director of pharmacy at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston before returning to Pennsylvania to assume the position of director of pharmacy at Saint Vincent Health System in Erie. In 2004, he assumed the position of director of pharmacy Services for Greenville Health System. He is a licensed pharmacist in Pennsylvania and South Carolina. this award as he was also named agent of the year in 2003 and 2008. This award is presented annually to the agent chosen by the office staff and agents, based on professionalism, integrity, teamwork and overall representation in the commercial real estate community.
WATER/UTILITY:
Renewable Water Resources’ (ReWa) recently announced that its Operations Challenge Team,
WORKPLACE Presented by LiveWell Greenville
Tommy Davis
Free Educational Sessions
Promoted to community banking relationship manager of Regions Bank. Davis has successfully led the Upstate Retail Team as consumer sales manager for the last four years. Prior to the CSM role, he led the Anderson office to the Chairman’s Club. Davis has been with Regions in the Upstate and in Aiken for more than 10 years.
Wellness Luncheon including “Strategies for a Healthier Workforce,” presented by Lewis Schiffman
the Blackwater Bruisers, competed in the State Operations Challenge Competition at the South Carolina Environmental Conference (SCEC) in March. The team finished first place at the state level overall by taking first place in the safety, process control, maintenance, lab and collections categories. ReWa’s Operations Challenge Team members are: Larry Camp, Russ Moore, Adam Harvey, Cain Massey and Joe Ortiz.
Vendor Expo
The 2013 LiveWell Workplace Awards, presented by Sportsclub
Thursday, April 25 • TD Center – Greenville Educational Sessions and Vendor Expo, 10am to 3pm • Luncheon, 12pm to 2pm
Register to attend, and for the luncheon, at livewellatwork.eventbrite.com Register as a vendor at healthyworkplaceexpovendor.eventbrite.com For more information, contact Richard Osborne at richard@gomagsc.com
If you are interested or involved in Workplace Wellness in Greenville County, this event is designed for you!
WE’RE IN GREENVILLE! After a decade of successfully helping businesses grow, trustaff is now offering its recruiting and staffing services to the Greenville Area. trustaff provides a comprehensive recruiting and staffing solution by sourcing, evaluating and presenting exceptional talent to your organization at all levels.
• Accounting & Finance • Banquets & Events • Call Center • Clerical • Engineering • Healthcare • Human Resources • Information Technology
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Temporary • Contract • Permanent • 864.288.1562 trustaff.com • tpsgreenville@trustaff.com
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April 12, 2013 Upstate business journal 29
UBJ Snapshot
Historic photo available from the Greenville Historic Society
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RUNNER-UP One Discovery Flight Lesson Includes 45 minutes of ground instruction and a 45 minute flight. Valued at $149!
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GRAND PRIZE One Airplane Pilot Training Program Includes all the training, books and exams to qualify someone to get their private pilot’s license. Valued at $8,000!
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Photo Provided
FLY
This aerial view of Poe Mill, center, and the American Spinning Company, left, provides a classic view of a mill and the surrounding village. The large building is F.W. Poe Manufacturing Company, which was organized in 1895 by Francis Winslow Poe and began operations in January 1897. Its main building, four stories in height, was 1/8 mile long. In 1912, male workers at Poe Mill started at 10 cents an hour. For a 60-hour, six-day week, the earnings were $6. Poe Mill had one of the largest villages. By 1930, its population was 2,050. The American Spinning Company was founded in 1894 by Oscar H. Simpson as Simpson Mill, and later reorganized as the American Spinning Company.
RV
From “Remembering Greenville: Photographs from the Cox Collection,” by Jeffery R. Willis
GREENVILLE
JET
Poe Mill ceased operation in 1977. The mill was destroyed by fire in 2003. The only recognizable part of the facility left are the iconic brick towers that once loomed over the four-story building. The Greenville County Redevelopment Authority currently owns the property that will be developed into a community park once the 11-acre site is cleaned up.
CENTER
greenvilledowntownairport.com/LearnToFlyContest.html
L E A R N T O F LY C O N T E S T NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE
30 Upstate business journal April 12, 2013
K313A
*Entry must be received by 5pm, 05/18/13. Must live and/or work in Greenville or Spartanburg County. Must be 17 by 05/19/13 and winners, if under age 18, must have signature of parent/legal guardian. Must be US Citizen; weigh less then 250 lbs.; capable of passing a third-class flight physical; & sign liability waiver. If Grand Prize winner is unable to accept prize, offer will default to Runner-Up. Training must be completed by May 19, 2014 with at least one lesson per week. Multiple entries accepted. Winners will be notified on 05/19/13 – International Learn to Fly Day!
Photo by Greg Beckner
*Mail or drop off entry during business hours to:
Airwolf Aviation Services, 100 Tower Dr., Unit 8, Greenville, SC 29607
UBJ The Fine Print
Golf Balls Galore for Pickens TaylorMade Golf, an Adidas company that claims to be the biggest maker of golf equipment, says it will invest $13 million in a plant in Liberty as its North American manufacturer of golf balls. “The opportunity to have a permanent home in Pickens County was too good to pass up,” said John Kawaja, executive vice president of TaylorMade, which is based in Carlsbad, Calif. The plant will be located in a new building in the Pickens County Commerce Park. The company said it expects to start turning out golf balls in July 2014. “We are getting a new building in a booming area that will improve our unit production, quality and margin position. Most important, we are committed to keeping jobs in South Carolina.” Neither the company nor state and county officials, who joined TaylorMade in the announcement, disclosed how many people would be employed. According to a consensus by Yahoo Answers, 540 million golf balls are sold in the United States annually. TaylorMade said it had $1.7 billion in sales in 2012 of golf clubs, balls, bags, footwear and other accessories. It said it sells more drivers, fairway woods and rescue clubs than any other company TaylorMade was started by a golf equipment salesman in 1979. It remained independent until bought by Salomon Co. in 1984, which sold the business to Adidas in 1997.
SC-China Alliance on Auto Fabrics Aspiring to increase sales in the growing China and Asian auto sector, Sage Automotive Interiors has linked up with Wuhan Boqi, a Chinese maker of interior fabrics. The joint venture will be named Sage Automotive Interiors (Wuhan) Co. The financial partnership offers Sage greater opportunity for contracts with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in Asia, including GM, Ford, Fiat, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Suzuki. Dirk Pieper, CEO of Sage, said Wuhan Boqi “can only increase our ability to grow with the multinational and local OEMs.” The two companies said they would work together on a commission basis. Wuhan Boqi is the third largest supplier of automotive fabrics in China. Sage China, which is based in Shanghai, has been active in China since 2009 Sage Automotive, which is headquartered at the Clemson International Center for Automotive Research, is an outgrowth of Milliken’s auto interior division that was spun off and acquired by former Milliken executives under private equity ownership.
Cloud Maker Wins Investment Millry Corp. of Millry, Ala., has increased its investment in Greenville’s Green Cloud Technologies through support of a new round of $5.6 million in equity. The latest investment makes Millry, which is a full-service communications company, Green Cloud’s single largest investor at $9.6 million
“We look forward to the growth of Green Cloud as its employees concentrate on providing a best-inmarket service offering,” said Annice Jordon, chief financial officer of Millry. Green Cloud partners with local IT providers to sell cloud-based data transmission and data center services to small and medium companies. The Houser family founded Green Cloud using the same model it developed with NuVox, the successful communications company it sold to Windstream. Just a little over a year in business, Green Cloud recently expanded into south Florida, Greater Atlanta, the Gulf Coast and the Research Triangle of North Carolina. Green Cloud also announced that Walter Alessandrini, former chairman and CEO of Avanex, had joined its board of directors.
Spanish Company Expands Carbures Carbon Structure, a Spanish company, dedicated its new 30,000-square-foot plant on Beechtree Boulevard, Greenville, on Wednesday. The company has had a smaller facility in the South Carolina Technical and Aviation Center for three years and plans to operate both, said CEO Ivan Contreras. He said the company, which now employs 15 at SCTAC, expects to build its workforce by 100 more within four years. Contreras said the company is a supplier of light, durable, strong and flexible carbon materials to Boeing in Seattle and expects to supply Boeing in North Charleston from Greenville. He said the company also sees Proterra, the electric bus maker in Greenville, “as a market for us.”
Room at TD’s Top Bharat Masrani, the president of TD Bank who has been a visible presence in Greenville, will become president and CEO of parent Toronto-Dominion Bank in Toronto. Masrani, 56, was selected by the TD board of directors to succeed Ed Clark, who announced his retirement effective Nov. 1, 2014. To prepare for the transition, Masrani was named chief operating officer reporting to Clark effective July 1. As head of the TD’s U.S. banking operation in Cherry Hill, N.J., Masrani was instrumental in TD’s acquisition of The South Financial Group’s Carolina First banks in the Carolinas and Mercantile Banks in Florida and in TD’s decision to use the former TSFG campus on I-85 as a regional hub for TD. Chartering from Feds to State Southern First Bank, which operates as Greenville First Bank in the Upstate, has converted from a national to a state charter. CEO Art Seaver said the change was primarily driven by a cost savings of about $100,000 a year. He said there is very little regulatory change in going from a federal to state charter. “The conversion is not as a result of any dispute or disagreement with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency,” the bank said. The change was effective April 1.
GRANTS FOR SECURING A BRIGHTER FUTURE A Community Foundation Enrichment Grant helped the Jones Gap Expansion Project secure additional funding to realize a long-standing vision of conservation. We make it easy to give back to the place we all love to call home.
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