april 19, 2013
Protecting Your Credit Electronic pickpockets are getting more hightech—can a smarter card save the day?
vroom vroom
A First Look at the BMW X4 branching out
CU-ICAR Director Seeks New Adventures page 6
page 16 upward march
Realtors Report Home Sales Looking Up page 25
UBJ Table of Contents PRESIDENT/Publisher Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com
BMW’s X4
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
16
Photo provided by BMW
F e at u r e s
colu m ns
de pa rt m e n t s
Cover Story 18 The Next Generation of Credit Card Security by Jenny Munro
Digital Maven 8 The Last Line of Defense by Laura Haight
3 Worth Repeating 3 TBA 22 The Takeaway 23 The Fine Print 24 Square Feet 26 Planner 28 On the Move 30 New to the Street 31 Snapshot 31 Social
Who’s Who 21 The Serial Entrepreneurship of an ‘Efficiency Guy’ by Cindy Landrum
Statehouse Report 9 Take the Money and Save Employers From Fines by Andy Brack Create. Innovate. Celebrate. 10 Listening In on Social Networks: What’s to Learn? by Martha Winebarger
contributing writerS Jenny Munro, Jennifer Oladipo, Jeanne Putnam, Leigh Savage EDITORIAL INTERNS Shelby Livingston, Casey Dargan art & production art director Richie Swann photographer Greg Beckner CONTRIBUTING photo EDITOR Gerry Pate PrODUCTION Holly Hardin marketing & advertising Marketing Representatives Lori Burney, Mary Beth Culbertson, Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Pam Putman MarketinG Katherine Elrod Marketing & EVENTS Kate Banner BRAND STRATEGIST Austin Hafer 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. 15) 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. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, 148 River St., Ste 120, Greenville, SC 29601. Printed in the USA.
2 Upstate business journal April 19, 2013
UBJ Worth Repeating | TBA “I can keep bringing jobs, but at some point it’s not enough if we don’t have air, rail, ports and roads to handle all that freight.” Gov. Nikki Haley, speaking to the Greenville Area Development Corporation, on the need for an “infrastructure pool” to fund improvements and repairs.
nston Photo by Ryan Joh
“Most of the world population by 2030 is going to be living in mega cities. Our focus needs to be on smart urban mobility, connecting vehicles to get from one point to the next.” Frederick Cartwright, CU-ICAR’s new executive director.
“The knowledge economy is now supplanting the industrial economy. We don’t think public education is broken. We think it’s outdated.” Zachary Eikenberry, planning coordinator of the NEXT High School.
“It was real important to us that we let these girls know that they do not need to change who they are. They need to be comfortable in their own skin.” Jenni Bryson, co-founder of What’s the Rush, a consulting firm focused on sorority recruitment.
TBA
Look for Gringo’s, a new Mexican restaurant opening soon in the old Oysters on the West End spot on Camperdown Way…
Word is a cigar/hookah bar is being proposed for Laurens Road, but many residents in the nearby neighborhood are said to be opposing it…
530 HAYWOOD ROAD • GREENVILLE, SC • 864.297.5610
April 19, 2013 Upstate business journal 3
UBJ This Week Tupelo Honey Now Hiring
Correction
A caption on the Snapshot page in the April 12 UBJ was incorrect information. The photo shows Sampson Mill on the left and the larger American Spinning Company on the right. The wooden Sampson Mill was built in 1895 by Oscar Sampson, who extended his operation to the large brick American Spinning building across the street in 1990. We regret the error. Historic photo available from the Greenville Historic Society.
a much-anticipated restaurant opening in downtown Greenville’s ONE project is looking for a few good people. Tupelo Honey Cafe is now accepting applications for all positions at its new Greenville location, the restaurant announced. Scheduled to open in mid-June, Tupelo Honey plans to hire more than 100 people for its location on the ground floor of the ONE project on Main and Laurens streets. Applications will be taken through Tupelo Honey Cafe’s website at tupelohoneycafe.com/ Greenville. The restaurant will conduct interviews between April 30 and May 2 at the South Carolina Works offices in McAlister Square. Although the interviews
Meric Ga binson WendytaRnbour g, SC
will be scheduled based on presubmitted applications, walk-in applicants will also be welcome, Tupelo Honey said. The original Tupelo Honey Cafe on College Street in Asheville opened in 2000. A second Asheville location opened in 2010. The chain’s third location opened in Knoxville, Tenn. in October 2012. In fall 2013, a Tupelo Honey Cafe will open in Chattanooga, Tenn., and a restaurant is also planned for Johnson City, Tenn., in 2014. The Greenville restaurant will have approximately 140 seats and will feature Tupelo Honey’s signature performance and display kitchen, a full bar and outdoor patio seating. A revamped Piazza Bergamo will flank the front of the restaurant and
mbel
of Chamber Commerce
Spar Commerce Chamber of
Business is a contact sport. Join the Chamber.
864.594.5000 spartanburgchamber.com
105 North Pine Street Spartanburg, SC 29302
UBJ This Week provide an idyllic setting for dining, officials said. Tupelo Honey Café serves scratch-made, Southern fare with a creative interpretation. The restaurant’s menu features shrimp and grits, root beer molasses glazed pork tenderloin, “Not Your Mama’s Meatloaf,” sweet potato pancakes, Southern fried chicken BLT and a gluten-free menu. The company’s annual payroll will be $5 million by the end of 2013.
Wilkins Named Advisor to Nexsen Pruet Subsidiary william “billy” wilkins, a former U.S. Appeals Court judge who is now a member of the Greenville office of Columbiabased law firm Nexsen Pruet, will serve as senior advisor to the firm’s newly created communications subsidiary. NP Strategy is comprised of “a veteran group of professionals from media, public policy,
public relations and business,” the firm said in a press announcement, and will offer services including community assessment, crisis management and media relations. “Twenty plus years of practicing law helped me realize that businesses, particularly those that are moving into or expanding within South Carolina, need more than what a traditional law firm can provide,” said Leighton Lord, who will serve as the managing director of NPS. “Our clients need strategic guidance and direction from professionals with diverse backgrounds and deep, real-world experience.” “Business deals are built on
trust,” said Wilkins, former chief judge of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. “Because we have such deep roots here, we can help to build relationships between business, government and community leaders to create jobs and grow our economy.” As a child, Wilkins would watch his father try cases at the Greenville County Courthouse, he told the Greenville Journal in an interview. He made up his mind then to be an attorney and went on to become an iconic figure in state legal circles. Wilkins was Ronald Reagan’s first appointment to the federal court system in the early 1980s. His son, Walter Wilkins, currently serves as 13th Judicial Circuit solicitor in Greenville County. Photo provided by Nexsen Pruet
Greenville is OUR HOME. Let us be YOUR BANK.
Images courtesy of the CVB & Furman
G ro w i n g G re e n v i l l e Member
FDIC
499 Woodruff Road, Greenville | 864.335.2200 | www.BankGreenville.com
UBJ Industry Frederick Cartwright and Suzanne Dickerson
Clemson University as a whole. “We see strong opportunity in the area of power train,” Dickerson said. “BMW is leading the charge in a number of areas with respect to power train technologies, and we have a new chair in Dr. [Zoran] Filipi. A good alignment now with real world-class capabilities here and a world-class partner in BMW.” Dickerson said the presentation was informational and an immediate decision was neither made nor expected. She said, “We could see something even this year, but it is hard to say. There will be more than one trip to Germany this year.” Asked for BMW’s view of an expanded relationship, a spokesman based in Spartanburg would say only BMW “has had a successful 10-year partnership with CU-ICAR, and we look forward to continuing that collaboration.”
ICAR Seeks Expansion of BMW Collaboration Research center hopes to contribute to research and development By Dick Hughes | senior business writer
clemson’s international center for Automotive Research is in talks with BMW to expand its partnership in research and development beyond manufacturing at the German automaker’s Spartanburg plant. The initiative comes at a time Clemson is adding breadth and depth to CU-ICAR’s academic and research capabilities to raise its prominence globally just 10 years from inception as a “simple idea.” CU-ICAR’s new executive director is Frederick Cartwright, a retired GM executive with vast experience in technology, including electric
and hybrid vehicles, and in building research partnerships with other domestic and foreign automakers. He took office April 1. The discussion to expand collaboration with BMW took off on a high level March 18 when Clemson President James Barker led a delegation for a presentation to BMW’s entire global network at its Munich headquarters in Germany. Suzanne Dickerson, director of international business development, who was on the trip, said the visit was designed to present “what we have done for BMW over the
6 Upstate business journal April 19, 2013
last five years and where we think we could do even more.”
Expanding Into Product Research She said the collaboration to date “has been focused mainly on what is going on in Greer, and a lot the stuff we have been doing can be transferred” to BMW’s other plants in Germany, China and Great Britain. The other dimension, she said, was “how to get more into product and development and engineering parts of the company with our research” at CU-ICAR and from
Clemson is moving quickly on the deeper commitment to power train research and development. It is spending more than $2 million for high-tech equipment to support Filipi’s work. University trustees Friday gave approval to the concept, and CU-ICAR is moving labs around to tie in existing related technology into what Dickerson described would be a “very, very, very futuristic power train lab.” When operational, she said, “In the power train area, pardon the pun, we are going to be a powerhouse as far as universities go.” She said the work is not intended to be exclusively with BMW, and CU-ICAR plans to make presentations to Chrysler, Ford and other automakers as well. Filipi, an internationally recognized expert in power trains as professor of engineering at the University of Michigan for nearly two decades, is himself a draw of research dollars.
Contact Dick Hughes at dhughes@communityjournals.com.
Photo by Gerry Pate
‘Very, Very, Very Futuristic’
Professional Speak Out By Anna T. Locke
Prior to joining Clemson Jan. 1, 2012, as Timkin-endowed chair of vehicle design and development, Filipi was deputy director of the Automotive Research Center at Ann Arbor. Much of his research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Science Foundation. “He has a lot of new projects on the horizon here. Pretty impressive,” said Cartwright.
Transportation’s ‘Whole Spectrum’ Cartwright’s 30 years of experience at GM fits well with Clemson’s vision to raise CU-ICAR’s prominence in development of more fuel-efficient and less-polluting engines and finding ways to get them to market. “For probably 20 years of my career, I’ve been focused primarily on new technology and accomplishing that development in the auto industry through partnerships with
adding small engines to make them into hybrids. When Toyota launched the Prius for sale in the Japanese market in 1997, “GM did not have a whole lot to counter, except for what we were doing. They left instructions to us to determine what it would take resource-wise to get us seriously in the hybrid business.” By 2002, Cartwright said, “We had a team, developed the technology, built a positive case for hybrid electric vehicles – small transit buses first.” Cartwright moved to Detroit to develop the program further for fullsize trucks and SUVs, and he was given responsibility “to negotiate partnerships” with Chrysler and BMW to share in the development. “It was a big success for each company. It got each of us into the hybrid business seriously and affordably. We shared the investment, we shared the risk.” Cartwright believes CU-ICAR will
To get the most value and insight out of your financial reporting, many business leaders need more than just a CPA firm relationship. Because while CPA firms are excellent at preparing taxes and executing audits, their emphasis is on “after-the-fact” analysis. Today, many forward-thinking organizations want to fill critical gaps in accounting and financial data, or seek more personalized insight to grow and prosper. Where to turn? Savvy organizations are turning to outsourced accounting management services, where a skilled team fills multiple roles by providing book-keeping, financial review and analysis, timely reporting and business strategy… all for a fraction of the cost of paying a CPA firm to perform these functions, or – worse -supporting multiple salaried positions within your organization. To help you maximize opportunities while managing risk, you need the data entry skills of a Bookkeeper, the review and analysis of an Accounting Manager, the financial reporting and insight of a Controller, and the strategy of a savvy CFO. With outsourced accounting management services, you get all of these in just the right amounts – which means both expert advice and big savings. For a scalable team that delivers complete accounting support, an inclusive approach to financial management, and ongoing examination of key business issues while remaining savvy to tax consequences, audit considerations, and legal compliance, consider outsourced accounting management services. Your bottom line, and your peace of mind, will be better for it. A.T. LOCKE provides outsourced accounting management services.
“Our focus needs to be on smart urban mobility, connecting vehicles to get from one point to the next. That’s how we become relevant in time.” Frederick Cartwright, executive director of CU-ICAR
864.908.3062 • atlocke.com other companies,” he said. In the early 1990s, Cartwright developed the first business case for GM in the area of electric and hybrid vehicles. He was involved with the first electric vehicle, GM’s EV1, a two-seater sports car that gained wide praise but was junked by GM in 2002 as unprofitable. It remains a controversial decision. “We took some components from EV1 and stared to apply them to buses of all things,” said Cartwright, who was with a small “skunk works” team in Indianapolis. Working with a small team in Indianapolis, the group built some shuttle buses,
build prominence by establishing its relevance in the “whole spectrum” transportation globally. “Most of the world population by 2030 is going to be living in mega cities. Our focus needs to be on smart urban mobility, connecting vehicles to get from one point to the next. That’s how we become relevant in time.” While he has “not completely sized up the job,” Cartwright said he’s seen enough to know CU-ICAR has “a lot of the pieces here, probably not all the pieces. These need to be knit together, and we must fill in the missing parts to become relevant.”
C82R
April 19, 2013 Upstate business journal 7
UBJ Digital Maven
The Last Line of Defense “When there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can’t hurt you.” – African proverb what is the biggest computer threat to your business? Is it Bob, the sales manager? Or Sarah, the new marketing intern? Of course, they aren’t the face of the enemy we imagine. Too bad, because that’s where our biggest threat – albeit unwitting – is. Your employees are not actively working against you, but their actions often unknowingly enable the enemy outside the gates to gain entry. The hard truth is this: No amount of money, no software or hardware, no security experts on your staff can protect you from the seemingly harmless acts of an authenticated user. Here are four ways your own employees put your business at risk. 1. Ignoring password security. Some companies enforce password rules that require employees to create strong passwords (read this short article for some good strategies from Microsoft: goo.gl/I7grD) and to change them with regularity. Those that don’t may educate employees about strong passwords and how to create them, but must still expect that the average employee will ignore that and create a password that is simple and easy to remember. Convenience trumps security every time. Last year, the most used password was… “password.” (See the full list at Gizmodo: goo.gl/Sq0hX). The second? “123456.”
By laura haight
2. Ignoring basic email best practices. These are basic and have been well publicized and yet, over and over again, employees violate these rules. • Don’t open email from people you don’t know. • Don’t open email from people you know that doesn’t sound like the people you know (subject lines like “HI,” “For You” or “Welcome” are clear warning signs). • OK, you opened it, but now don’t click on any links in a suspicious document. Emails from a friend with no text – just a link – scream “scam.” Don’t do it. • Don’t open photos, particularly in emails, because crackers hide malware and virus code in them. Phishing schemes like this get you to click on a link that may install software to maliciously damage your network – or worse, transfer data or even funds in undetectable amounts. Or it may install a keylogger – a piece of software that captures all keystrokes so that the hacker obtains passwords, file encryption, maybe online services (like banking or accounting) access. 3. Taking company documents home. We love people like this in our organizations: those who take the initiative and do extra work at home. It seems harmless enough: Bob copies a few spreadsheets of financial data or company records to complete an analysis he’s been charged with over the weekend at How long will it take to break your password?
Check out this open-source website. If it were me, I would use a made-up password for testing purposes. It’s the Internet, after all. But pretty interesting stuff at: goo.gl/h4uSQ.
8 Upstate business journal April 19, 2013
The Top 10
Passwords of 2012 1. password 2. 123456 3. 12345678 4. abc123 5. qwerty 6. monkey 7. letmein 8. dragon 9. 111111 10. baseball Source: Gizmodo home. Now, your data is out there in the wild. Maybe Bob put it on a USB key that had some encryption – that will take longer to break, but it is likely not unbreakable. Possibly, he took it home on a laptop that he left in the back of his car while he played golf. The laptop looked like a good get to the 13-year-old who smashed his window and grabbed it. But the kid is probably not a hacker – just a thief. You might take comfort in the fact that following PCI compliance rules for credit cards, your spreadsheet does not include full credit card numbers. But they do have an online account with you, so they have a password. Depending on what source you read, somewhere between 60 percent and 78 percent of us use the same password that we use at our bank for most if not all online logins. So even though my credit card number was protected, the password is out. And even though the kids with the laptop didn’t know what they have and might not know what to do with it, you still have to come clean to your client base. Thanks Bob
for the extra effort! 4. Ignoring computer warnings of viruses or out of date software. This is a dual problem – they do it at work and at home. If your company has an Exchange server or cloud-based service, you are most likely getting your virus and OS updates pushed to you by an automated service. Companies make choices about how updates will be done, and in many cases users are informed that there is an update that needs to be installed and the computer restarted. More annoying interference from those geeks in IT! Your staff has work to do and can’t be stopping in the middle of it to restart their computers. It’s OK, do it later. Often, later doesn’t come, and now a violation of item 1 or 2 on this list also allows your network to be infected by a virus you could have been protected against. This happened at a Fortune 500 company headquarters when I worked there. It took a small army of IT people to go from floor to floor, office to office, manually updating every computer and testing every part of the network. The manpower cost was enormous; the data cost could have been even greater. Computer policies and actions are work rules that need to be explained, understood and enforced. I personally know people and businesses who have been hacked and hurt by all the things on this list and in every case, it was an authenticated user – the wolf in sheep’s clothing – who let the enemy in the gates. Got a question? Come to Facebook/thedigitalmaven and post it.
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 Statehouse Report
By Andy Brack
Take the Money and Save Employers From Fines when south carolina business owners figure out how they’ll face millions in fines if the state doesn’t take billions in free federal money to provide better health care for hundreds of thousands of low-income workers, they’ll rise up in disgust. As part of the complicated implementation of the Affordable Care Act to expand access to health care through the federal Medicaid program, South Carolina businesses that employ at least 50 workers could face fines of up to $47 million if Gov. Nikki Haley gets her way and state lawmakers turn down federal expansion dollars. To put it bluntly, the governor is playing the dangerous political game that business owners won’t figure out they’re liable for fines of up to $3,000 per qualified employee who signs up to get Obamacare through a federal exchange. Why? So she can blame President Obama for “causing the problem” when the bills start rolling in to business owners. This is all avoidable. The federal government will pay for 100 percent
“We are cutting off our nose in spite of our face because we have a president they don’t like,” said Frank Knapp, head of the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce. “That’s the only reason this is going on. It’s all party politics.” Knapp highlighted the value of federal Medicaid expansion money: “If we think it’s a good return on investment on this Boeing venture ($120 million in bond money to support a new expansion), it’s a much better investment to expand Medicaid. We’re talking about it creating about 44,000 jobs. Boeing’s not going to create 44,000 jobs.”
“We are cutting off our nose in spite of our face because we have a president they don’t like. That’s the only reason this is going on. It’s all party politics.” Frank Knapp, president and CEO of the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce
of Medicaid expansion efforts through 2016 and for 90 percent from then to 2020 under the Affordable Care Act. That would pump $11 billion into poor South Carolina over seven years, compared with having to pay hundreds of millions of fines over the same time frame.
The Affordable Care Act envisions low-income workers who don’t have health insurance being able to get coverage for free through Medicaid if they earn 100 percent or less of the federal poverty level. If they earn between 100 percent and 138 percent of poverty, they will qualify
for tax credits to help pay for health insurance through Medicaid. But in states that don’t take federal money to expand Medicaid, an employer with 50 full-time employees who doesn’t currently offer health insurance – like a lot of folks in the tourism industry – will have to pay a $40,000 fine ($2,000 per employee for the number of employees minus 30). If the same employer offers insurance that’s of such low quality that just one employee decides to use a tax credit to get Obamacare through a federal health insurance exchange, the employer could face an annual penalty of $3,000 per employee who takes the credit up to the $40,000 amount calculated earlier. According to a March study by Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, South Carolina employers could confront fines of $30.4 million to $45.7 million if state lawmakers don’t figure out a way around Haley’s obstinacy. Proponents of expanding Medicaid say there’s still a chance state senators will include expansion dollars in the state budget. Later this month, busloads of preachers and health care workers are expected to flood the Statehouse to support the measure. Meanwhile, some conservative House members are reportedly looking for an alternative to allow the state to take the money to pay private insurers instead of an exchange for the extra health care. We’ll see. Time is growing short. Lots of people might not like how health insurance implementation is playing out. They might feel like a gun is being held to their heads
go figure $11 billion Amount the federal government would give the state over seven years (100 percent of Medicaid expansion efforts through 2016, 90 percent from then to 2020)
$3,000
per qualified employee: Fines business owners may be liable for
$45.7 million total of fines South Carolina employers may face
to force implementation of Obamacare. But the time for that debate is long past. Now, it’s best for lawmakers to do what’s best for South Carolina and stop fighting old battles (sound familiar?). It’s time for South Carolina to join other industrialized nations and implement broader health care for workers without crippling our hospitals and forcing costs to go up – both of which will happen if we remain bull-headed. Let’s not be dumb and send the Medicaid expansion dollars we’re supposed to get to California or New York.
Andy Brack, publisher of Statehouse Report, provides weekly commentary. He can be reached directly at brack@statehousereport.com.
April 19, 2013 Upstate business journal 9
UBJ Create. Innovate. Celebrate.
By Martha Winebarger
in hindsight, it’s apparent that I didn’t know what I expected to see on my visit to the Social Media Listening Center at Clemson University, but I do recall being immediately impressed. Located in a former working lab dedicated to textiles research, the space had been recently modernized, then totally renovated and outfitted with the latest and greatest equipment, using modern technologies to become an interactive learning lab, command center and classroom in one. The Center uses Marketing Cloud (rebranded from Radian6), considered one of today’s premier social media monitoring software platforms, to analyze and assimilate multiple data streams from Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other social media sites – close to 400 million sources of information, actually. The command center is hightech all the way. Six 47-inch wallmounted flat screens continually flash real-time data, while two Panasonic projectors and two much larger display screens are used for lecture-style presentations. Six PCs are tied to Marketing Cloud servers and a digital switching system from Crestron, which allows for a reconfiguration in mere seconds. Conference room furnishings complete the arrangement. Oh, yes: It’s also modeled after Dell’s Social Media Listening Command Center in Austin, Texas. Clemson’s chief information officer Jim Bottum toured Dell’s facilities in early 2011. He was so impressed with the results of their listening efforts that he wanted to
Clemson’s Social Media Listening Center at a glance • Founded in 2011, opened in 2012. • Students from disciplines including communications studies, psychology, computer science, engineering, graphics
communications, grant money for business management further research. and marketing participate in research and studies • The Center received the InnoVision 2012 at the Center. Innovation in Education • To date, the Center Award, sponsored by has received more Techtronics Industries than $400,000 in North America.
replicate the operation at Clemson for academic research purposes. The project has been a collaborative effort from the start: Dell became a partner in building the facility and brought their command center operation experience to the table. Salesforce Radian6 added their software expertise; Clemson Computing and Information Technology, the Clemson University Cyberinstitute, the College of Business and Behavioral Sciences, and the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities all joined forces to support the Social Media Listening Center. Clemson University is one of the first academic institutions in
North America to use social media listening for research. Bottum tapped Barbara Weaver, program manager of Clemson’s CyberInstitute, as the IT lead and Jason Thatcher, an associate professor in Clemson’s Department of Management, as the academic lead for the project. The two have embraced their new roles with enthusiasm. “One of the delights I have experienced working with students in Clemson’s Social Media Listening Center is watching them develop a professional relationship with a client, an understanding of the client’s needs, and then using the Listening Center through Marketing Cloud to develop
a refined search that provides insights for the students, as well as the client,” Weaver says. The students work on both independent research projects and group projects, studying everything from what social media sentiment can predict about stocks and the Dow to what exactly prospective students are most excited about (area of study, athletic programs, Greek life, etc.) when they receive their admittance letters from the University. The Center partnered with WSPA-TV and analyzed the streams of data that flooded the networking sites during Election 2012. It’s important to define the goals of a social media listening project, since internet conversations produce massive amounts of unstructured data. The students are learning to mine for specific keywords on networking sites, blogs, image sites (Pinterest, Instagram) and in discussion forums. They monitor conversations, aggregate the data looking for trends, and track sentiment. The students organize the multiple streams of data into silos of valuable information and formulate strategic plans for their projects. Responsiveness to social media plays a crucial role in business today, and the prediction is that this strategy will only grow in importance. If there is negative discourse, or if an opportunity for a brand/business/ organization is expressed online, listening and engaging can lead to tangible, positive benefits. “Even though it is spring break, I have corresponded with two startups, two public relations firms and a
Martha Winebarger, principal with [en-gage] solutions, is an advisory board member of InnoVision. The InnoVision Awards Program, founded in 1999 and presented by McNair Law Firm, P.A., is South Carolina’s premier organization dedicated to the advancement of technology in the state through communication, education and recognition of the spirit of innovation and technological progress.
10 Upstate business journal April 19, 2013
Photo provided by Clemson University
Listening In on Social Networks: What’s to Learn?
UBJ This Week major regional bank,” Thatcher says. “All of these organizations are either interested in starting a ‘social relationship’ with their customers [or] partnering with Clemson students to develop strategies for social interaction, or [they] want to learn more about how Clemson faculty and staff are using social media analytics to better understand our world.” Weaver, Thatcher and their group have recently received two grants: one to study the 2012 election and the other to collaborate with and support the University of Washington’s Social Media Lab (SoMe Lab) project, “INSPIRE: Tools, Models and Innovation Platforms for Research on Social Media.” Clemson researchers will support the work at UW by developing open-source tools and models for aggregating, storing, analyzing and visualizing a vast amount of social media data. Weaver and Thatcher share similar sentiments regarding the
impact of the unique resources the Center offers the University. As Weaver explains, “The students are developing critical thinking skills, and that’s one of the best outcomes we could have from an education perspective.” Thatcher adds, “While we started the project with the vision of creating a unique resource for student and faculty learning, we have become an intersection between the world and Clemson students, faculty and staff.” I have to agree with both: The Center is a vibrant and exciting place to delve into what’s being shared via social media, and there is plenty of learning, research, collaboration and interaction taking place there on a daily basis! The Social Media Listening Center at Clemson University received the InnoVision 2012 Innovation in Education Award, sponsored by Techtronics Industries North America Inc.
Catherine Culler Legal Recruiter 9 years experience
Trade In Mower for Cleaner Air ever-green recycling is teaming up with DHEC’s Bureau of Air Quality to sponsor a lawn mower exchange program during an Earth Day event at GE in Greenville on April 22. Participants can trade in a gas-powered mower for a discount on the purchase of an electric one during the exchange. “Studies show that a gaspowered push mower emits as much hourly pollution as 11 cars and a riding mower as much as 34 cars,” said Elizabeth Garrison-Rasor, president of EverGreen Recycling, in a statement. “The exchange of 1,000 gasoline-powered lawn mowers for
electric mowers has the potential of reducing volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by 9.8 tons per year, which is equivalent to removing 230 cars from the highways.” Lawn mower exchanges take place across South Carolina each year in celebration of Earth Day. For more information, contact Elizabeth Garrison at 864-230-9800 or visit ever-greenrecycling.com.
We’ve already met your next employee.
Godshall Professional Recruiting and Staffing specializes in executive recruiting, career placement and consulting for businesses and job seekers in South Carolina. Our professional services team has more than 40 years of combined experience recruiting in the following areas: Sales, HR, Administrative, Legal and Insurance. Let us find the perfect fit for your employment needs.
Professional • Finance • Technical • Healthcare godshall.com • 864-242-3491
GODSHALL Professional Recruiting Staffing Consulting
UBJ Downtown
Poinsett Club: 78 Years and Counting Long-term staff, careful renovations add to appeal
Photos by W. Taft Matney, Jr.
By Leigh Savage| contributor
ABOVE, LEFT: Entrance of the Poinsett Club; RIGHT: the Poinsett Club’s dining room.
the poinsett club adopted its bylaws 78 years ago this month, but thanks to a steady influx of new members and the dedication of its board and staff, the club remains a vibrant part of Greenville’s community – socially, philanthropically and economically. Founded as a social club, that’s still the main draw today. “There is business conducted there, but that’s not the primary focus,” said Taft Matney, who owns a public relations firm and has served on the Poinsett Club board. Charlie Mickel, president of the Poinsett Club Board of Governors, who works in commercial real estate investment, has been a member for 30 years, and said it has paid off in several ways. “It’s a great way to socialize and meet new people,” he said. “I’ve made business contacts, and the biggest benefit is getting to know people in a different way from just the day-to-day business basis.” Brent Reeder, chief operating
officer and general manager, said total membership is more than 1,400 and is almost back to prerecession numbers. The club has doubled its junior membership – defined as 35 and under – in the past two years, he said.
Character and History Club officials say the growth is due
updates to a large ballroom will be complete in July. Plans are underway to rework the entrance and another smaller ballroom. “We make sure when we renovate, we don’t get away from the character and history of the home,” Reeder said. Updating technology is key as well, with Wi-Fi, high-tech audiovisual equipment and a mobile app
“The biggest benefit is getting to know people in a different way from just the day-to-day business basis.” Charlie Mickel, president of the Poinsett Club Board of Governors
to renovating facilities and expanding offerings while maintaining the history and tradition of the club, which was built in 1904 as a home for textile executive Lewis Parker. In the past five years, the first-floor hall of the 40,000-square-foot Colonial has been renovated, and
12 Upstate business journal April 19, 2013
letting members know what’s happening at the club. The ballrooms, dining areas, sitting rooms, library and cocktail lounges make this one of the most popular places for community organizations to host charity events, including the Rose Ball and the recent Chocolate
Soiree, a benefit for the Children’s Museum of the Upstate that brought in close to 500 guests. The club also works to build a schedule of events that will be of interest to a variety of members, including approximately six military appreciation events each year. Other options include skeet shoots, wild game dinners and a varied lineup of speakers.
Wealth of Experience A unique aspect of the club, and a big draw for many members, is the staff of almost 50 people who take great pride in their jobs. “The average tenure of the staff is 20 years,” Matney said. “There is quite a bit of longevity and history.” Three members of the dining staff are particularly popular, having worked at the Poinsett Club longer than many members have been alive. Paul Latimore has been there for 54 years, J.C. Rosemond for 47 years and Charles Brewer 31 years.
Contact Leigh Savage at lsavage@communityjournals.com.
UBJ This Week RJ Rockers Sends Suds to Atlanta rj rockers brewing co., based in Spartanburg, is set to begin shipping its Son of a Peach beer to The Big Peach itself. The craft brewery announced that it will distribute its seasonal brew to select bars, restaurants and retail chains throughout Atlanta and the greater metropolitan area for 2013. With this addition, Son of a Peach is now available throughout the majority of the Southeastern United States, the company said. The brand currently features distribution in five states for 11 different handcrafted brews. Besides Son of a Peach, these brews include concoctions such
as First Snow Ale, Patriot Pale Ale, Bell Ringer and Fish Paralyzer Belgian-Style Pale Ale. An unfiltered American wheat ale, Son of a Peach includes South Carolina peaches in the brewing process. Son of a Peach made its 2013 debut March 15 and will be available through August. Though RJ Rockers founder Mark Johnsen has been in the brewing business in Spartanburg for 15 years, he has seen the biggest growth happen in the last five years. “It’s a very rosy industry now,” he told UBJ in a recent interview, calling the craft beer business “recession-proof.”
Photo by Greg Beckner
“A lot of the staff have grown up with the members,” Reeder said. “If there is a need a member has, or a want, the staff will bend over backward to accommodate it,” Matney added. “I don’t know of another facility as attentive and in a partnership role as the Poinsett Club staff is with its members.” That attention to detail has led to the Poinsett Club being named a Platinum Club of America, which designates the top 35 city clubs in the country as chosen by managers and presidents at 5,000 clubs nationwide. Only three percent of clubs earn the honor, and the Poinsett Club has received the award every year it has been given since 2003. “One of the keys to the organization, like any business, is to reinvest our funds in the club,” said Mickel. “It’s important for our members to know, and for outsiders to know, we are thinking long-term in nature with this club. Very long-term.”
Mark Johnsen, founder and co-owner of RJ Rockers Brewing Company.
Carolina Bold & Palmetto Blend Premium Coffee Blends from GOS The beans in our custom, premium coffee blends are carefully selected, blended, roasted, ground and packaged in a consistent manner to match a special flavor profile. We have created these blends to give our customers consistent flavors they can enjoy throughout the day, every day. We invite you to enjoy our premium blends, Carolina Bold and Palmetto Blend.
Want a FREE taste test at your office? Call Beth Brown today to set up your very own FREE taste test. 864.809.3537
gos
We have all the snacks, drinks and coffee you need. Give us a call or go online today to place your order!
864.232.6765 / www.gos1.com
UBJ This Week
The Honeymoon Begins Raymond James and Morgan Keegan are now one company, and changes are evident in their Upstate offices By Jenny Munro | contributor
Raymond James
at a glance Fifth-largest brokerage in the U.S. More than 62,000 financial advisors 2.4 million customer accounts Shares: $46.19 high, up 27% over six months 100 quarters of profitability Acquired Morgan Keegan in April, 2012
although raymond james’ $1.2 billion acquisition of Morgan Keegan occurred last April, the two became one company only in February. Morgan Keegan replaced its signs with the Raymond James name in the middle of February and converted to the Raymond James IT system by the end of month, said Lynn Faust, senior vice president for investments of Faust/Boyer Raymond James, and Courtland Williams, manager of Raymond James offices in the Upstate. Tens of billions of dollars were transferred from the Morgan Keegan system to the Raymond James system with no major problems occurring, Williams said. The combined firm, which retained 95 percent of Morgan Keegan’s brokers nationwide, now has three Greenville offices – on The Parkway, Haywood Road and in downtown Greenville – and about 30 financial advisors, Williams said.
Morgan Keegan, established in 1969 and purchased by Regions Bank in 2000, was put up for sale in June 2011. The two financial firms were a perfect fit, Williams said, with each complementing the others’ strengths. Morgan Keegan was stronger in fixed income while Raymond James has a strong equity division. In addition, the cultures of the two firms also align, with the customer at the top, then the broker and finally the company supporting both other entities. Anthony Panuccio, managing director, said he and three other advisors started the Morgan Keegan office in Greenville about eight years ago. When the firm was put up for sale, “we had a great deal of consternation. We wanted to be sure that the purchasing firm had client-focused values. “Our concerns were greatly diminished when Raymond James turned out to be the buyer,” he said. “Clients come first. That’s the reason we’re here.” “We both have more than we had before,” Faust said. Panuccio said the merger gives his office “more tools and more resources in terms of people” than it had before. The only drawback was learning the new system, but that conversion moved smoothly with a lot of help available. “We’ve gotten past the pain and can now move to the rewards,” he said. Raymond James is now the fifthlargest brokerage in the United States with more than 6,200 financial advisors and 2.4 million customer accounts. The company wants to remain independent, Faust
14 Upstate business journal April 19, 2013
said, and to do that it had to grow. She said combining the companies and basically doubling in size also will eventually help reduce costs. Company shares have risen 27 percent over the past six months.
The company has posted 100 consecutive quarters of profitability despite the financial turmoil of the last few years. Fortune magazine ranked Raymond James Financial as the fourth most admired securities company in the world in March 2012 – the second year in a row that it received the ranking. Also, SmartMoney magazine named Raymond James the best full-service broker in its 2011 in its Annual Broker Survey, the third time the company received the honor.
Raymond James in the Upstate Greenville
Greer
201 West McBee Ave. 864-942-1587
310 The Parkway 864-968-3800
531 South Main St., Falls Place/ Suite ML-1 864-282-2935
30 Parkway Commons Way 864-334-2137
101 W. Camperdown Way, Suite 600 864-370-2050 217-B East Washington St. 1 Cleveland St., Suite 202 864-232-2320
101 Aaron Tippin Drive 864-848-0220 Travelers Rest 42 Plaza Drive 864-834-9031
306 East North St. 864-255-7988
Taylors
2021 N. Pleasantburg Drive 864-244-4380
6000 Wade Hampton Blvd. 864-879-7771
201 Pelham Road 864-660-7647
Fountain Inn
3431 Pelham Road 864-942-2105
113 A South Main St. 864-862-5417
112 Haywood Road 888-289-2100
Spartanburg
6204 White Horse Road 864-295-0008 5101 Old Buncombe Road 864-246-6702 300 Executive Center Drive B238, Darlington Bldg, Ste 104 864-676-1234 109 Lovett Drive 864-642-2471
101 W. Saint John St., Suite 308 864-573-5605 311 E. Main St. 864-591-1099 349 E. Main St. 864-580-5222 1445 E. Main St. 864-582-1611
6 Davis Keats Drive 864-234-6580
Contact Jenny Munro at jmunro@communityjournals.com.
UBJ This Week
Raymond James Exec Predicts Bull Market
Know Your Terms A secular market is driven by forces that could be in place for many years, causing the price of a particular investment or asset class to rise or fall over a long period of time. Secular markets are typically driven by largescale national and worldwide events, which occur in combination. For example, wars, demographic/ population shifts and governmental/political policies are all events that could drive secular markets.
By Jenny Munro | contributor
after years of stocks rising and falling in pretty much the same range, the stock market stands at the beginning of another secular bull market, predicted Jeff Saut, chief investment officer for Raymond James. “We have been in a 13-year rangebound market,” he told Raymond James clients recently. The 13 years of up-and-down
to decline over the years. “I think the economy is going to strengthen in the latter half of the year,” he said. He does expect inflation to return as an issue because of the massive amounts of cash thrown into the economy. The question for investors is where to move their money. “I like dividend-paying stocks,” he said. “I like
“I think the economy is going to strengthen in the latter half of the year.” Jeff Saut, chief investment officer for Raymond James
market conditions is not unusual, he said. “After every secular bull market – one lasting more than a decade – we have a range-bound market.” One began in the late 1960s and lasted 17 ½ years before breaking out in 1982-1983. “I think there’s a decent chance we’re in another secular bull market,” he said. He sets out the rationale behind his predictions: record highs in stocks, a change in the constituency of Congress meaning that smarter policies are possible, and the beginning of on-shoring, or moving businesses back to the United States. The energy sector – and the possibility of energy independence – provides another big plus for his prediction. Still, alternative energy is not a favorite because he believes the world will remain a carbonbased economy for the foreseeable future. But he also said subsidies for carbon-based energy are likely
stocks that increase their dividends every year. Another area to invest in is energy stocks.” In addition, “Wall Street will always pay up for growth” so fastgrowing companies are good bets, Saut said. He also pointed out that the technology sector is historically under-valued, making it a good possibility for investment. Real estate is another area in which investors need exposure, perhaps through real estate investment trusts. “The only sector I really don’t like is consumer staples, because a lot of people have run to it,” he said, pushing the value of the sector too high. He also is not in favor of utility stocks because as interest rates go up, utilities typically go down. Dennis Zank, chief operating officer of Raymond James, which was established in St. Petersburg, Fla., 51 years ago, also spoke to clients at the recent meeting. He said Raymond James is on track with its integration of Morgan
Keegan, an investment company strong in fixed income, which it bought in April 2012. The acquisition beefed up Raymond James’ portfolio in that area. “We are primarily a private client business. We give advice to clients,” he said, setting the firm apart from the majority of investment firms, which are part of a larger business, focus on institutional investors or create their own products. While Raymond James clients have varying portfolio sizes, he said the company is probably strongest with those holding portfolios of $500,000 to $5 million, Zank said. He noted, however, that many clients start out with less than $500,000 and allow it to accumulate over the years. As more and more Americans hit retirement age, they need the type of advice Raymond James can give them, he said. “I think the market downturn in ’08 and ’09 impacted people dra-
In a secular bull market, strong investor sentiment drives prices higher, as there are more net buyers than sellers. A secular bull market will have bear market periods within it, but it will not reverse the overlying trend of upward asset values. For example, most economists agree that U.S. equities were in a secular bull market from about 1980 to 2000, even though the stock market crash of 1987 occurred within the same time period. Source: Investopedia matically,” he said, adding many now fear the stock market. However, with interest rates as low as they are, the stock market is one of the few places to invest with a reasonable yield. “We try to help people facing that dilemma – being afraid of the market and needing a return on their investment,” Zank said. The end result for many is delaying retirement, if that is possible.
April 19, 2013 Upstate business journal 15
UBJ This Week
bmw’s newest sports activity vehicle, the X4, which will be produced in Spartanburg for the world market, goes on display as a concept vehicle next week at the Shanghai Motor Show. Descriptions and photos of the concept version of the new vehicle leaked out and are being reported in the trade and mass media. BMW then released photos and a narrative from its concept description on its website. BMW is spending $900 million for a new production line for the X4 at its Greer plant in Spartanburg County, where it is building the X5, X6 and X3. The buzz ahead of the China auto show comes perhaps as long as a year before the X4 is on the market. The company said it expects the new model to begin production and appear in showrooms “as early as 2014.”
Photos provided by BMW
BMW’s X4 Unveiled
In its description of the X4 concept, BMW said, “It takes no more than a first glance to see how smoothly the qualities of a BMW X model can blend with the genes of a BMW Coupe.” The company said it expected the X4 “to continue the success of the BMW X6,” which is one of its most popular models. The company said X models account for one out of every four cars sold by BMW worldwide.
SMF Announces $5.8M Anderson Facility with a $5.8 million investment expected to generate 146 jobs over the next five years, SMF Inc., a metal fabrication company based in Minonk, Ill., announced that it will establish its new production facility in Anderson County. “We look forward to beginning our operations at our new site in Anderson County,” said SMF president Brian Brown in a press statement. “South Carolina provides an excellent location for us, a great business environment and the workforce talent we need. We
appreciate all the support we’ve received from state and local officials as we’ve moved forward with our plans.” SMF’s new manufacturing plant will take over an existing building at 131 Harvester Court in Anderson County. The plant, which is expected to begin operations in early July, will provide metal fabrication services including torch and laser cutting, sawing, forming, machining, welding, painting and assembly. The company will begin hiring
16 Upstate business journal April 19, 2013
for the new positions in June. Anyone interested in job opportunities with the company should contact SC Works Anderson office at that time. SMF, which was founded in Minonk in 1972, did not have any representatives present at the announcement at Anderson County’s historic courthouse. Earlier this month, another Illinois-based metal company, McLaughlin Body Co., a Moline, Ill., maker of protection stations for manufacturers, announced plans
to invest $22 million in a subsidiary plant in Anderson to supply heavyequipment manufacturers. The new McLaughlin plant, which will be located in an industrial park on Old Pearman Dairy Road and begin production in early 2014, will generate 250 jobs over five years, the company said. It will be McLaughlin’s first plant outside Illinois; and, according to the S.C. Department of Commerce, the first supplier for Caterpillar’s new plant in Georgia to locate in South Carolina.
UBJ This Week
Rush and Ready Friends launch sorority rush prep business By April A. Morris | staff
high school students and their parents employ tutors to boost SAT test scores to attend their college of choice, so why not a tutor to help with the social side of higher education? The business of helping students get into a Greek organization is booming, and Upstate residents Jenni Bryson and Suzanne Short have teamed up to launch a new consulting firm focused on sorority
Contact April A. Morris at amorris@communityjournals.com.
recruitment: What’s the Rush? It’s All Greek to Me! Bryson said that she had been part of a sorority, and as friends’ daughters were going through the rush process, she was tapped for advice. Bryson also lent a hand when her friend Short, who went to a non-sorority school, asked for help when her own daughter went through sorority rush in 2011. This month, Bryson and Short will meet with seniors from five Upstate high schools who want to attend eight different colleges. The point is not to become a different person, but to determine the best fit for each student, Bryson said. “It was real important to us that we let these girls know that they do not need to change who they are. They need to be comfortable in their own skin,” she said. Both women stress the importance of not starting the process with one organization in mind.
“There’s lots of misinformation about what sorority is the ‘best,’” Bryson said. “There is no best sorority; it’s the one where you feel the most comfortable.” Cost for an hour of individual consultation on sorority rush is $50. Recommendations will cover everything from lingo and legacies to the best and most comfortable clothes to wear for rush events. In addition, students will get pointers on assembling everything from recommendation letters to resumes as part of the process. “It’s a lot like applying for a job in some ways,” said Short. Learning skills like how to carry on a conversation with someone you don’t know is something that translates into life beyond college, she said. And even if some participants don’t join a Greek organization, the knowledge
“Four years of college is your growing-up years to get ready for the real world. Joining a sorority or fraternity is kind of like rehearsal for the real world. … I contend that a sorority can really prepare you for the next step in your life.” Jenni Bryson
Duke Energy to Host Open Houses if you’ve ever wished for a chance to get somebody from the power company in a room and talk face-to-face, you may soon get your opportunity. Duke Energy is hosting two open-house events for customers in Greenville and Spartanburg counties, where the company can hear from residents and discuss its work in the state, said the company. “Duke Energy has a long tradition of serving local communities here in South Carolina, and our roots in the Upstate run deep,” said Clark Gil-
they gain can translate to activities like student government and later into the workplace, she added. “Four years of college is your growing-up years to get ready for the real world,” said Bryson. “Joining a sorority or fraternity is kind of like rehearsal for the real world [of joining Rotary and other charitable organizations later] because these sororities today are doing so much fundraising and philanthropy. I contend that a sorority can really prepare you for the next step in your life.” Short said brushing up on social interaction skills for college provides a counterpoint to rigorous academic preparation. “I feel like we’re focusing on the more social aspect of college and making sure they’re prepared for these opportunities socially.”
lespy, Duke Energy’s South Carolina state president. “Duke Energy values its long-standing relationships with customers and neighbors in Greenville and Spartanburg, and these open houses will help those relationships continue to grow.” The events will be set up similar to a health fair or college fair, with information stations staffed by Duke Energy experts. At an open house in Anderson in early April, about 20 Duke employees sat at tables behind signs like “Energy Efficiency,” “Vegeta-
Duke Energy Open Houses
tion Management,” “Hydro and Lake Services” and “Nuclear Power,” fielding questions from attendees, according to the Anderson Independent Mail. The open houses are separate from the public hearings Duke Energy are expected to have this summer regarding the utility company’s request to increase rates. Those hearings should be expected around June and July in communities that request them, company spokesman Ryan Mosier told the Independent Mail.
Tuesday, April 23, 4-7 p.m. Hughes Main Library 25 Heritage Green Place Greenville Thursday, April 25, 4-7 p.m. George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business and Economics 160 E. St. John Street Spartanburg
April 19, 2013 Upstate business journal 17
The Next Generation of
Credit Card Security RFID chips, biometrics and one-time PINs: High-tech solutions are evolving to thwart high-tech credit thieves By Jenny Munro | contributor
Just one day after
using her RFID-enabled credit card successfully, Greenville resident Karen Schulz found the card denied. Since the card should have been fine, the Greenville resident immediately called her bank. The bank told her a hold had been placed on the card when activity showed up at a Target in New York. They told her the number could have been retrieved when she used the card to buy gasoline. “I was so gratified they put a hold on it,” she said. Factor3, a Greenville-based company, is trying to com-
18 Upstate business journal April 19, 2013
mercialize technology that could solve that problem, said John Boyd, founder and chief financial officer of the company.
Card fraud is common Stories like that abound. Greenville County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Jonathan Smith said that when he was working white-collar crime, the office had people coming in to report stolen cards or fraud several times a week. Thieves steal credit or debit card information easily – prying it from cards electronically, obtaining it from stolen cards, finding it in information-laden dumpsters or even skimming it from a card handed over to be swiped.
Smith advised people to be particularly cautious with debit cards, which link directly to a bank account. “If you allow someone to use your card, say to buy gas, and give them the PIN number and they buy something you didn’t authorize, the bank will hold you responsible,” he said. However, if you did not give them the PIN or authorization to use the card, it is then treated as fraud. Card fraud can happen to anyone at any time, according to experts. More than 9 million Americans suffer from identity theft every year. Card fraud “is a multibillion dollar problem,” said Richard McDonald, CEO of Factor3. But consumers can fight back. They need, however, to know what steps to take to protect their personal information and to fight fraud if it occurs.
Electronic pickpockets The newest concern is electronic pickpocketing through the use of cards with RFID, or radio frequency identification, chips embedded. The chips make it possible for a consumer to use a smart card by waving it over a reader rather than swiping it through one. The chip includes information about the card and its owner read remotely, meaning usually one to four inches in distance. These cards, becoming more common with more than 1 billion estimated issued worldwide, provide convenience for consumers, who are able to keep the card in their possession at all times, according to the Smart Card Alliance. Merchants gain from faster transaction times and lower operational costs. Issuers gain by the card’s penetration into the cash payment market. Some voice concern that thieves with readers could steal the information from the cards while they are in the consumer’s pocket or while the card is in use. A 2007 study by researchers at the University of Massachusetts, RSA Laboratories and Innealta Inc., experimented with about 20 different cards and two card readers. They found that the technology was vulnerable to theft but said security would be beefed up as the technology matured. Security experts said cards now use encryption and the fear of remote reading should decline as security levels increase. Also, many cards create a new authentication code
Photo provided by Factor3
1
3
2
4
for each transaction so only one transaction can be made with stolen information. In addition, issuers are moving away from smart cards that include a magnetic strip to one based on chips using the EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) security standard, with all the information stored solely on the chip. No strip will be needed as fewer people swipe their cards.
Old security ‘not adequate’ Boyd, who calls himself a serial entrepreneur, said the idea for the Factor3 card being developed by his company and its partners came during a visit to Disney World. He watched the biometric scanning as visitors used their park passes. The cards can be used anywhere in the park. He also watched food stamps being sold in a BI-LO parking lot, a practice he thinks could be eliminated with the Factor3 card. The card under development includes biometric scanning of fingerprints and a one-time PIN that changes with each use, he said. Once a cardholder swipes two fingers across a specified section of the card, it can be waved in front of a reader or swiped. Boyd and McDonald emphasized that the fingerprint is only stored on the card and is in no database, either government or private. “Static passwords and PINs are not adequate any longer,” said McDonald. He said one in four Americans reported card fraud, but that the actual number is higher than that, because people often don’t report it. Currently, Factor3 is on its third version of the card and is negotiating with a group for a pilot project to test the card and work out any quirks that show up from consumer use. McDonald said an ideal pilot program probably would focus on a government agency or a business and include about 500 people. The two hope to have a card ready for use within six months. But credit and debit cards probably are not the first place their card would be used. It could be used for residents to access a condo complex, or to allow government employees to securely log into a computer or other system. It could be used for recipients of government benefits. (continued on page 20)
Factor3 Technology’s biometric powered card aims to provides an end to identity fraud with several advanced security features. one • Contact EMV Payments • PKI Logical Access • Other desired Java Applets • Match-on-Card
Following credit card theft or fraud: File a police report. Close the affected accounts immediately. Put a 7-year fraud alert on the card. Get a credit freeze if possible. Have inaccurate or fraudulent information blocked from credit reports. Receive a copy of all application and transaction records on accounts opened fraudulently in your name. Talk to all three major credit reporting companies. Keep a detailed log of all phone calls you receive or make on the issue. Mail correspondence “certified, return receipt requested” to receive confirmation it has been delivered. Confirm conversations and agreements in writing. Keep receipts of expenses and copies of correspondence. Source: Identity Theft Resource Center
two • Dynamic OTP for Financial Cards • Dynamci OTP for Logical Access • LED Display for Visual CInfirmation three • Contactless EMV Payments • Physical Access four • Biometric Swipe Sensor
April 19, 2013 Upstate business journal 19
“People don’t tend to worry about fraud until it happens to them.” Richard McDonald, CEO of Factor3
(continued from page 19) “The important thing,” he said, “is to get started. People don’t tend to worry about fraud until it happens to them.”
Consumers are ready The goal of the card, McDonald said, is “to prevent cardholder-not-present fraud.” Currently, about $30 billion to $40 billion of this type of fraud occurs annually. While the Factor3 card is not likely to solve all identity theft problems, “what we’re doing now is certainly not working,” he said. Boyd said that when he talks with people, they tell him they have too many passwords and PIN numbers and that they are too similar. They know that’s not safe. He said he expects many consumers to jump at the opportunity of biometric and one-time PINs on a card. “It sounds like it’s worth trying,” said John Bennett, a Spartanburg resident who said he currently has three credit cards plus a debit card. “If my wallet is stolen, I have to immediately pull the plug on all of them. It’s a pain. I’d be willing to have my fingerprint stored on a card as long as it doesn’t go into a database. I wouldn’t like that.” Factor3 plans to design, manufacture and sell the cards as well as provide authentication that the card is valid to the person using it, McDonald and Boyd said.
How Crooks Can Get Your Number Scanners that can “read” RFID-enabled credit cards are available to merchants and the general public. These scanners can interrogate the RFID card and retrieve the information provided by the RFID chip. This can be done without the card owner knowing that it has been done, perhaps by a thief concealing a scanner in a briefcase or purse and holding it near a victim’s purse or pocket. If the RFID chip contains the same information contained on a credit card’s magnetic strip, the thief can use that information to make fraudulent purchases or clone a new credit card. Source: Identity Theft Resource Center
20 Upstate business journal April 19, 2013
Until that card or other similar protection is available, experts said it’s important to realize that most credit and debit cards are much more low-tech. Thieves steal the cards, find them dropped, take photographs of the cards when they’re out of sight of the owners or go through bank statements or credit statements thrown away. For example, a year before Schultz had her card problem, her mother experienced a confusing and difficult fraud situation. She responded to “something on the computer that looked very official, like it was from her bank,” Schulz said. The scammers took control of the computer and got all her mother’s passwords and numbers. Her brother called about the same time and when told of what happened, he told his mother to turn off the computer immediately. The bank worked with her, but she had to replace all her cards and passwords, Schulz said.
Foiling crooks with aluminum foil Consumers also need to realize that theft and fraud is something that has to be lived with, Smith said. The consumer is doing nothing wrong when using a card online or when using a smart card at a store. There is probably nobody in the country that doesn’t have a good part of his personal information on the Internet, where it can be lifted or sold or stolen. Beyond protecting against the obvious kinds of fraud, the first step for a consumer comes from knowing if the card – credit or debit – is RFID-enabled. Symbols of electric waves in the corner of the card indicate that a chip is embedded. Some cards have the words Pass Wave, Blink or PayPass. Easy steps can be taken to help protect the cards. Simply wrapping the card in aluminum foil might be enough protection. The consumer would have to unwrap it for use. Special envelopes have been developed to protect the information on the RFID card. The Federal Trade Commission suggests that account numbers not be given over the phone unless the card owner initiated the call to a company known to be reputable and that cards be carried separately from a wallet. Another suggestion: Carry only the card needed for the transaction. The commission also said that card owner need to notify the issuer if they plan to travel. And, finally, report lost or stolen cards immediately. One important step is detection – review all types of card fraud. Review credit card statements and view checking accounts often to find any unauthorized charges. Check your information at credit reporting agencies at least once a year and maybe more often, Smith said.
Contact Jenny Munro at jmunro@communityjournals.com.
W h o ’ s W HO The Serial Entrepreneurship of an ‘Efficiency Guy’ Photo by Greg Beckner
Zachary Eikenberry started more than 10 businesses, but don’t call him an entrepreneur By Cindy Landrum Staff Writer
Zachary Eikenberry
In his biography on the FCD Inc. website, Zachary Eikenberry is described as a serial entrepreneur. Beginning with a lawn care business he started when he was 15 years old, Eikenberry, the senior partner of Federal Contracting Distributors Inc. of Greenville, has started more than 10 businesses. He is also spearheading the creation of NEXT High School, a public charter school expected to open in 2014 that will use a project-based curriculum he said will prepare students for life after school. What was the first business you started? I started a lawn care company when I was in high school. I realized real quickly that I could supplant other lawn care companies because I was younger. I’d show up at people’s doors with my letter jacket from school. I’d sell it and my brother would mow it. To what do you attribute your entrepreneurial bent? I came out of Purdue University with a philosophy major. I wrote one resume and interviewed with a medical records company in Wisconsin. I was sitting with the HR lady after they wined and dined me. I looked out and saw all these empty desks in cubicles. I asked why they were all empty and was told it had been a 3,000-person company and a couple of years before they had to lay off 1,000 employees. The reason I wanted a job was for job security, and that told me the only way I could make sure I had a job was to hire myself. You’ve started more than 10 companies. How has that worked out?
Two were complete busts, four were washes and the rest are up in the air.
and that’s federal contracts, that’s where we play best.
You said you don’t like to be called an entrepreneur. Why? A lot of times “entrepreneur” is equated to “innovation.” I don’t consider myself an innovative entrepreneur. I’d consider myself an efficiency guy. I find out what you’re doing and do it better.
How is Ledger Work Inc. related? We work in the world of federal contracts and decided there had to be an easier way to manage our federal contracts. Big-box companies’ solutions were too clunky and expensive. We found some software experts we could trust and created ECHO, a Web-based software solution. We realized the value to the market, and Ledger Work was formed.
What does FCD do? We help clients develop government sales contracts. When it comes to federal contracting, clients typically fall into one of three categories: They either have no experience with federal contracting, they have started the process and are stalled, or they are underperforming in their government sales efforts. When there are two or more people deciding whether or not to use you,
“The only way I could make sure I had a job was to hire myself.” Zachary Eikenberry
Contact Cindy Landrum at clandrum@communityjournals.com.
What has surprised you the most? It’s not the hard work. My dad told me when I was young that he was sure there were some out there, but that he had never met a lazy millionaire. What surprises me is how long the road is to success. Business plans make it sound like in a couple of years everything will be all right. What was the most unusual business lesson you’ve learned? I was living in Indiana and was at a Starbucks where they had a bowl for people to put their business cards in for a chance to get a free cup of coffee. I would fish out the
CEO business cards. I called up one of them and asked if I could meet with him for 15 minutes. I had one question: “How do I get your job?” He had me meet with a venture capital guy who had access to all kinds of business plans. I wanted him to let me look at plans for several successful businesses. He wouldn’t. Instead, we looked at plans for failed businesses to look for strategic and tactical mistakes. As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to play baseball. I wanted to wear a suit. I wanted to travel. You are the planning coordinator for NEXT High School. What is NEXT High School? How is it different? NEXT High is based largely on CART, or the Center for Advanced Research and Technology in California. The charter school would feature project-based learning that would prepare students for life after school. Education was originally designed to prepare our youth for life in an industrialized world. But the world is drastically different. The knowledge economy is now supplanting the industrial economy. We don’t think public education is broken. We think it’s outdated. For more on the NEXT High School, see the article in this week’s Greenville Journal.
April 19, 2013 Upstate business journal 21
UBJ The Takeaway
By Sam Patrick, president of Patrick Marketing & Communications
All of SC Is ‘Open for Business’ The Greenville Area Development corporation, charged with enhancing quality of life in Greenville County by facilitating job growth and investment, revealed results from another strong year in economic development at its annual Investor Meeting and Luncheon at The Poinsett Club last week. ¶ GADC President and CEO Jerry Howard and Chairman Chris Riley cited 2012 results including continued strong job creation – 1,454 new jobs announced – along with $273 million in new capital investment for 2012, and a 7-to-1 return on investment to Greenville County for every public dollar invested in GADC activities. The GADC also took time to honor keynote speaker and S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley with the ninth annual William D. Workman III Buffalo Hunter Award, the organization’s highest honor. Presented since 2004 to the individual or organization having the most significant positive impact on the local economy, Governor Haley is the EVENT: 2013 GADC Investor Meeting & Luncheon – The Poinsett Club, April 11 WHO WAS THERE: Nearly 300 business and political leaders from Greenville County and across South Carolina SPEAKERS: Included keynoter Gov. Nikki R. Haley; GADC Chairman Chris Riley; GADC CEO Jerry Howard THEME: “Greenville County: Creating a Pathway to Prosperity”
first S.C. governor ever to receive the GADC award. Here are some highlights from the event. DELIVERING RESULTS Riley told a standing-room-only gathering of private- and publicsector leaders that in 2012 the GADC worked with relocating and existing companies to create 1,454 new jobs and attract new investment of $273 million. Since 2001, the GADC has announced over 16,500 new jobs and $2.8 billion in capital investment in the county, he added, while returning $7 to Greenville County for every public dollar invested in GADC initiatives. “That’s a heck of a return,” Riley noted. GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND “Throughout her tenure as governor, Nikki Haley has consistently made calls, made visits and met with business executives anywhere in the world to ensure that positive economic growth – and the thousands of good paying jobs and billions of dollars in investments that
go with them – come to South Carolina, with many of them right here in Greenville County,” said GADC CEO Jerry Howard. “More so than any governor before her, Nikki Haley has made a huge difference in economic development.” THE NEED FOR AN “INFRASTRUCTURE POOL” Haley addressed concerns that the state doesn’t have enough money to take care of inadequate roads and bridges by calling for the creation of an infrastructure pool to fund improvements and repairs. “We have got to start an infrastructure pool, because I can keep bringing jobs, but at some point it’s not enough if we don’t have air, rail, ports and roads to handle all of that freight.” STATE IS “A GREAT PLACE TO DO BUSINESS.” Haley thanked attendees for their support of economic development across the state. “We have gotten to the point where we no longer think regionally. We understand that what’s good for Greenville is good for Charleston and Orangeburg, so we can deliver a coordinated message to the world that all of South Carolina is open for – and a great place to live and conduct – business.”
Photo Provided
Haley saluted for economic development success
Gov. Nikki Haley
DON’T RAISE THE GAS TAX Haley urged attendees not to be too quick to jump on a gasoline tax increase. “It shouldn’t be a consideration until we put 100 percent of the current gas tax money to infrastructure. So many say we don’t have enough money, but we had $300 million to put into ports last year. Let’s make sure that the money we have is going to the right places first.” AMERICA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOVERNOR Howard pointed to Haley’s record pace for job creation and investment in South Carolina. “Since becoming governor, she has emerged as a champion of strategic economic development, announcing a record 31,000 new jobs and over $7.5 billion in investment in South Carolina in just 2 years,” he said. Howard presented the William D. Workman III Buffalo Hunter Award to the governor, noting it was aptly inscribed “America’s Economic Development Governor.” The governor received a standing ovation from attendees.
“So many say we don’t have enough money [without the gas tax], but we had $300 million to put into ports last year. Let’s make sure that the money we have is going to the right places first.” Gov. Nikki Haley
The Greenville Area Development Corporation is a nonprofit organization established by Greenville County Council to promote and enhance the economic growth and development of Greenville County. For more information on the Greenville Area Development Corporation or its activities, contact Jerry Howard at 864-235-2008 or visit them online at goGADC.com.
22 Upstate business journal April 19, 2013
UBJ The Fine Print
Building Rural Economies Clemson University is working with federal agencies to assist rural South Carolina in building stronger economies. The Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development and Stronger Economies Together (SET) works on a multi-county basis to provide training and technical assistance “to help their regions’ quality of life.” “SET works on the premise that creating, attracting and retaining jobs as a single rural county in isolation from other nearby counties is ineffective,” according to a statement from Clemson. “In today’s global marketplace, economic development is more likely to be realized when rural and metropolitan counties work together to implement plans that build on their assets and economic strengths.” Under the program, Clemson Extension and the Department of Agriculture Rural Development staff will provide multi-county groups in South Carolina with 35 hours of “step-by-step training to develop economic development plans, in-depth regional socio-economic data and up to 40 hours of technical assistance. USDA established SET in 2010 to work with regional rural development centers and land-grant colleges and now operates in 26 states.
The bank said while it did not incur any loan loss expense in the quarter, its reserve for loan losses increased to 2.35 percent of outstanding loans as compared to 2.25 percent as of Dec. 31. “This was primarily due to the declining size of the loan portfolio,” the bank said. Greer State reported assets of $359 million as of March 31, down from $361 million on Dec. 31. Total deposits increased by $11 million to $272 million, and total outstanding loans were down $5 million to $191 million. “As the economy continues to slowly recover, we are seeing the optimism return for both consumer and business customer activity,” said George Burdett, president and CEO. Golf-Fitter Honored as Best Golf equipment maker PING named Carolyn Echols and the staff of The Eagle Zone Golf Center in Greenville as the
2012 PING National Fitter of the Year. John A. Solheim, PING chairman and CEO, said, “Carolyn and her team are exceptional ambassadors for the PING custom-fitting philosophy.” He said The Eagle Zone has continued to show sales growth the past few years. “Plus they have a very impressive facility, the largest in the area, and PING has a big presence there.” Bank Reports Echols, a LPGA Profits Class A member, has been Greer State Bank reported a professional teacher for 20 first quarter net income of $641,000, or 26 cents per George Burdette years. She joined Eagle Zone in 2010 after being head pro share. It was the community for 11 years at The Cliffs at Glassy bank’s sixth consecutive quarter of in Landrum. profitability. In addition to Echols, Eagle Zone In the comparable quarter last year, fitters are Tony Littlejohn, golf shop Greer State had net income of $1.7 manager, and Daniel Clemmons and million, or 67 cents per share. The bank Jarrod McWatters, golf shop assistants. said it had gained $1.2 million in PING, a family-owned business, was investment transactions in the prior year compared to $120,000 this past quarter. founded in 1959.
April 19, 2013 Upstate business journal 23
UBJ Square Feet Pelham Links Family and Cosmetic Dentistry recently announced that they will be moving their Greenville office to 3369 Pelham Road in Greenville, beside Grace Church. The 12,000 SF building is set to open in the winter.
DEALMAKERS
A Chuy’s Tex-Mex Restaurant similar to this one will open on Woodruff Road in July.
Langston-Black Real Estate Inc. announced: Bobby Hines recently represented American StarlingerSAHM Inc. in the purchase of an approximately 7.8-acre lot on Wilson Bridge Road, Greenville. The property was purchased from Hovie Clyde Brooks and Eleanor H. Brooks. American-Starlinger-SAHM Inc. purchased the property in order to build a new facility, as they have outgrown their current location on Pelham Road.
For more information, visit pelhamlinks.com. Chuy’s Tex-Mex Restaurant, based in Austin, Texas, will open its first South Carolina location in the Upstate in July. The chain was founded in 1982 and now has 42 full-service restaurants across nine states. Chuy’s Greenville will be located at 1034-B Woodruff Road, across the street from the Magnolia Park development. The restaurant will be 7,200 SF and include an outdoor patio. To learn more about Chuy’s Greenville, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/ChuysGreenville or chuys.com.
Alen Tate Realtors has relocated its Greer sales office.
Allen Tate Company recently announced the relocation of its Greer sales office to 1380 West Wade Hampton Blvd. in Greer. The 4,000 SF flex-space office features an open floor plan, private offices, video displays, conference space and a coffee bar. In addition, it will accommodate up to 38 realtors and staff. Sandlapper Securities LLC will be moving its headquarters facility to 800 East North St. in Greenville, previously the home of First Citizens Bank. The Sandlapper Financial Center will house Sandlapper Securities, Sandlapper Capital Investments, Sandlapper Wealth Management, Sandlapper Insurance Services and the first corporate-operated retail branch, currently scheduled to open by August
1, 2013, said the company in a statement. The new branch will add 10 new employees in addition to the 10 home-office staff who will be relocating. Sandlapper is moving from its
3 offices. 36 brokers. 600 deals completed in 2012. 4 million+ SF under property management.
current location in the Bank of America building and leasing the East North Street property for five years with an option to buy. The building will undergo some significant interior
renovations, said the company. Ken Betsch of Betsch and Associates will be the architect for the project. The Greenville Renewable Energy Education (GREEN) Charter School has acquired the former Pelham Oaks Shopping Center at 1440 Pelham Road, CBRE | The Furman Co., the buyer’s agent, has announced. The GREEN Charter School will be the first charter school in Greenville County and second in the state to focus on renewable energy as part of the core curriculum of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The GREEN Charter School will initially occupy approximately 30,500 SF of the 40,000 SF property. In its first year, it will serve 260 students (K-6) and will expand one grade per year through 12th grade. The school expects to begin registering students within the next month for the 20132014 school year.
The Upstate’s leader in Commercial Real Estate.
Celebrating 27 Years 101 E Washington Street Suite 400 Greenville, South Carolina 29601 864 232 9040 naiearlefurman.com
Housing Sales Inch Toward Prerecession Levels sales of homes for the first quarter of 2013 were up 17 percent from a year ago in Greater Greenville and 16.4 percent in Spartanburg County. According to South Carolina Realtors, sales of 1,790 homes closed in the first quarter in Greater Greenville, which includes Laurens and a portion of Pickens counties. That’s still below the pre-recession height of 2,077 homes in the first quarter of 2007 but far better than the 1,216 in 2009, the lowest point of the recessionary collapse. In Spartanburg, 717 homes closed
in the quarter, inching closer to the 2007 high of 742 and better than the low in 2009 of 506. In March, sales were up from March of last year by 18 percent in Greenville to 741. The median sales price rose to $145,300, and days on the market, an indicator of activity, was down to 107 from 117 a year ago. In Spartanburg, sales were up 3 percent to 277 and the median price jumped 17.1 percent to $119,450, but days on the market rose two days to 146. Statewide, SCR reported, closings
were up in March by 9.2 percent, median price by 4.6 percent to $151,600 and days on the market fell 8.4 percent to 128. For the state as a whole, the inventory in March was 10.1 percent for all housing types, 9.6 months for single-family homes and 9.6 months for condos. That’s still what Realtors consider a buyer’s market. Most Realtors consider a balanced supply-demand market at a supply of six to seven months. SCR noted three positive trends: “First, tightened inventory levels combined with strong demand are fueling price gains in many areas. Consumer demand is shifting from distressed properties to conventional homes. Third, record-low mortgage rates and rising rents are
supporting housing recovery.” New listings in South Carolina increased 3.4 percent and pending sales were up 8.3 percent.
real estate 13-month data mar
apr
may
jun
jul
aug
sep
oct
nov
2012 dec
2013 jan
feb
mar
619 262
606 209
664 212
736 262
736 289
758 248
597 220
660 259
613 251
662 212
502 220
530 210
741 277
$140,312 $115,000
$143,000 $115,500
$159,000 $127,000
$155,515 $121,000
$157,000 $128,000
$146,000 $121,900
$144,000 $125,000
$149,900 $122,600
$149,450 $124,900
$146,580 $105,000
$143,500 $119,000
$145,300 $119,450
107 179
107 151
94 132
96 160
98 146
93 154
100 141
102 149
96 139
98 161
104 165
107 146
Closed sales greenville spartanburg
median price greenville $144,000 spartanburg $103,236
average days on market greenville spartanburg
114 142
AQUOS BOARD It’s not just a display, it’s your business. Communicate, Collaborate, Disseminate on an affordable, large touch screen LCD whiteboard display to make every presentation unforgettable.
864.675.2000 | sharp-sbs.com
aquos-board-10 X 2.668-AD .indd 1
2/23/2012 2:18:27 PM
UBJ Planner saturday April 20 Smartphone Classes Verizon Wireless Store, 119 E. Blackstock Road, Spartanburg; 8-9 a.m. Topic: iPhone: Getting Started Cost: Free, but registration is required at verizonwireless.com/ workshops.
Smartphone Classes Verizon Wireless Store, 2399 E. Main St., Spartanburg; 8-9 a.m.
Custom water. Refreshing results.
Topic: iPhone: 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: Apple iPhone 5 Workshop Cost: Free, but registration is required at verizonwireless.com/ workshops.
monday April 22 GCS Roundtable
YOUR LOG HERE O
Pure WATER
26 Upstate business journal April 19, 2013
The Office Center at the Point, 33 Market Point Drive, Greenville; 8:30-9:30 a.m. Speaker: Myles Golden Topic: Emotional Intelligence Call Golden Career Strategies at 864-5270425 to request an invitation.
NEXT High School Education Summit GHS Health Science Education Building: Lecture Hall, 607 Grove Rd., Greenville; 8:30-10 a.m. Cost: Free to Greenville Chamber members. Possible tour is free as well, but registration is required. Register at: eventbrite. com and search for NEXT High School Contact: Sharon Colker at sharon.colker@ nexthighschool.org
2013 Spring CEO Social The Piedmont Club, 361 E Main St., Spartanburg; 5:30-7 p.m. Speaker: J. Patrick O’Shaughnessy, president and CEO, Advance America Cash Advance Centers Inc. Cost: $35 Register at: spartanburg chamber.com For more information, contact: Cindy Teaster at 864-594-5022 or cteaster@spartanburg chamber.com or visit thepiedmontclub.org.
NxLevel for Entrepreneurs (Existing Businesses) Upstate Workforce Investment Board, 102 Commerce St., Spartanburg; 6-9 p.m. For entrepreneurs who want to expand an existing business and need the skills to make it grow. Cost: $195 per person Register at: bizbuildersc.com
tuesday April 23 BuildU PM - Hard Skills Session Simpsonville Chamber of Commerce Board Room, 211 North Main St., Simpsonville; 5-6 p.m. Speaker: Peggy Ward, a Microsoft Certified Trainer at Ward Training Dynamics Topic: Using Microsoft Access Cost: Free for Chamber members and $5 for non-members. Space is limited to 25 people. Contact: Allison McGarity at amcgarity@ simpsonvillechamber.com
Smartphone Classes Verizon Wireless Store, 469 Congaree Road, Greenville; 6-7 p.m. Topic: Android: Getting Started 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: Android: 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: Android: Getting Started Cost: Free, but registration is required at verizon wireless.com/workshops.
wednesday April 24 April Coffee and Conversation Upstate SC Alliance, 124 Verdae Blvd., Suite 202, Greenville; 8-9 a.m. Investors only. Discussions from Clemson University Advanced Materials Research Lab in Anderson. If interested in becoming an investor, call Clay Andrews 864-2832300. RSVP at RSVP@ upstatealliance.com.
Tailored for Taylors Eastside YMCA, 1250 Taylors Road, Taylors; 8-9 a.m. Free for Greer Chamber members. Register at: greerchamber.com
Administrative Professional Day Luncheon Greer City Hall, 301 E. Poinsett St., Greer; 11:30 a.m. Speaker: Dr. Nancy Welch Cost: $20 per person Lunch will be provided. Register at: greerchamber.com
Mauldin Chamber Leads Group Mauldin Chamber of Commerce, 101 East Butler Road, Mauldin; noon-1 p.m. Contact: Don Johnson at dfjj1141@yahoo.com
PULSE Hangar Party Greenville Jet Center, 1 Aviation Lane #1,
Greenville; 5:30-8 p.m.
Contact: 864-239-3727
Cost: Free and open to the public, but preregistration at greenvillepulse.com is required. A cash bar and a parking shuttle service will be available. Contact: 864-239-3743
saturday April 27
thursday April 25 Women’s Business Network Hampton Inn – Simpsonville, 3934 Grandview Drive, Simpsonville; noon-1 p.m. Speaker: Dr. Lee Angle of the Ryan Clinic Topic: The Basics of Women’s Health Cost: $15 for Simpsonville Chamber members, $20 for non-Chamber members. Payments received in advance or at the door. Contact: Allison McGarity at amcgarity@simpsonville chamber.com
Small Business Start-Up Tri-County Technical College - Pendleton Campus, 7900 Highway 76, Pendleton; 5:30-8:30 p.m. Cost: Free Register at: piedmontscore.org Call 864-271-3638 for more information.
Dream Catcher’s Workshop Part II Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Board Room, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 6-7:30 p.m. Speakers: James Jordon and Rich Winley, Founder of No Chains
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 verizon wireless.com/workshops.
SmartPhone Classes Verizon Wireless Store, 2399 E. Main St., Spartanburg; 8-9 a.m. Topic: Android: Getting Started Cost: Free, but registration is required at verizon wireless.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 verizon wireless.com/workshops.
Ronald Cup Golf Tournament Monday, April 29, 2013
The Preserve at Verdae - Embassy Suites Golf Resort Gift packs, breakfast and lunch provided.
A great day for a great cause... Sunday, April 28, 2013
19th Hole Party with live Jazz and great food, silent auction and much more!
For full tournament information please visit
www.rmhc-carolinas.org or call 864.235.0506
Where customer experience and expectations are one in the same.
ets
Serving Upstate SC, Charlotte, Atlanta, Columbia and Asheville since 1997. Located next to GSP International Airport, our services include… • Luxury Stretched Limousines
Open House
• Vans
Airwolf Aviation, 100 Tower Drive, Greenville; 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Vintage Cars
The Open House will provide the opportunity for persons interested in Career Pilot Training to see Airwolf’s facility and have their questions answered. Refreshments will be provided. RSVP at: flyairwolf.com or 1-877- 3-FLYING. For more information: call Cyndy Hollman, chief flight instructor, at 864-202-3342.
• Limousine Coaches
• Town Cars
• Motor Coaches • Mini-Coaches
• Transportation Coordinators • Valet Parking & Greeters • and more…
Eastside Transportation Service
2311 Airport Rd., Greer • 864.609.LIMO
April 19, 2013 Upstate business journal 27
UBJ On the Move
APPOINTED
HIRED
HIRED
HIRED
Margo Steahly
Dr. Tom Wilkins
Jack Catalano
Associate professor of philosophy, recently started as acting athletic director at the University of South Carolina Upstate. Griffis has served as the faculty athletics representative since 2006, the year USC Upstate went Division I. He joined USC Upstate in 1986 and he teaches logic, ancient philosophy, and philosophy of law. From 1993 to 2000, he served as chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Griffis served as faculty chair from 2005 to 2007.
A 15-year veteran of financial services investment and marketing services, was recently named national marketing manager for Sandlapper Capital Investments. Steahly has been a financial advisor, director of sales and marketing for TICs at ORIX Real Estate Capitaland and an executive vice president of national sales. She holds FINRA Series 7 and Series 66 licenses.
Recently joined the staff of Doctors Express Cherrydale, a state-of-the-art urgent care center located in Cherrydale Shopping Center in Greenville. Wilkins is a graduate of the College of Charleston and The Medical University of South Carolina. He completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. He holds additional certifications in Basic Life Support (BLS) Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS). A Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physician, he has worked in South Carolina for the past 17 years, the last four working in various Emergency Rooms across the state, many in underserved areas.
Recently joined Faces and Voices of Recovery Greenville (FAVOR) as Director of Volunteers. FAVOR Greenville is a volunteer-based organization dedicated to providing assistance to individuals seeking recovery and to removing the stigma from substance use disorders. Catalano brings more than 20 years in consulting, training, and business development experience from his previous employment in the information technology sector. He has since transitioned to recovery coaching, having most recently served as a Certified Peer Support Specialist for the Spartanburg Alcohol & Drug Abuse Commission (SADAC).
ACCOUNTING:
director of operations, and hired Matt Buckler as the new operations manager as part of its latest expansion. Byrne moved to Greenville in January 2001, and joined Liquid Catering almost immediately. She is a full-time student, and has been a member of PULSE for two years, participating in the Pacesetters, Connects & Sports programs and is the 2013 Social Committee Chair. Buckler brings a long career in catering and restaurant management to the Liquid Catering team.
2013
Dr. Jim Griffis
EXPO
HEALTHY
WORKPLACE Presented by LiveWell Greenville Free Educational Sessions Vendor Expo
Wellness Luncheon including “Strategies for a Healthier Workforce,” presented by Lewis Schiffman 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!
A.T. LOCKE, which provides accounting services, business analysis and financial and strategic guidance to emerging and mid-sized organizations, recently added Adeana Elvin as an accounting analyst on the firm’s rapidly-growing team. Prior to joining A.T. LOCKE, Elvin served in a variety of roles with AbitibiBowater, the most recent being that of Sr. Financial Analyst; and has also served in accounting and finance capacities with ScanSource and Southern National Bank. She currently is an adjunct professor at both Furman University and at Greenville Technical College, serving on Greenville Tech’s Accounting Advisory Committee in addition to her teaching duties.
CATERING:
Liquid Catering, the Upstate’s premier event-bar management company, recently promoted Kathleen Byrne to
CONSTRUCTION/ ENGINEERING:
O’Neal Inc., a Greenville-based integrated design and construction firm, has hired Alan Henson as Construction Manager. Henson has more than 25 years of professional experience in construction management. He previously owned two companies that focused on commercial and industrial
HONORED Dr. Bruce Dillenbeck
PROMOTED Alex Stalvey From Bannister & Wyatt, Stalvey was recently made partner with the Greenville firm. Stalvey worked in Washington D.C. for U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond as a Project Assistant before graduating from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2004. After being admitted to the South Carolina Bar, he held a year-long clerkship with the Honorable John L. Breeden, Jr., Circuit Court Judge in the 15thJudicial Circuit. He served as the Assistant Solicitor in the 7th Judicial Circuit under Solicitor Trey Gowdy before accepting a position with Greenville County as a prosecutor under Solicitor Bob Ariail. construction, new construction and renovations and expansions. Most recently, he worked for Michelin North America in Anderson.
EDUCATION:
Clemson University recently announced that professor Ashley Cowden has received the South Carolina Faculty Award for Service Learning from the South Carolina Campus Compact (SCCC). Cowden is a lecturer in business and technical writing and is the director of Clemson’s Client-Based Program. The Faculty Award for Service Learning is one of the four 2013 civic engagement leadership awards given to South Carolina students, faculty, staff and campus partners for achievements in civic engagement on campus and in the surrounding community. Recipients are selected based on nominations submitted from South Carolina Campus Compact member campuses.
Spartanburg Community College’s Academic Director of Social Services, recently received the Governor’s Distinguished Professor Award at the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the South Carolina Governor’s Professors of the Year and Distinguished Professors Luncheon. Dillenbeck, who has been with the College since 1990, also received a student nominated Quality Award for Teaching in 1991 and SCC’s Faculty of the Year Award in 2012 for his outstanding command of the She received her bachelor’s degree in graphic communications and master’s in professional communication from Clemson. She began teaching at Clemson in 2003 and has been the director of the Client-Based Program since 2008.
ELECTRONICS:
Tandem Innovative Payment Solutions, an electronic payment processing and merchant services provider, recently announced Larry Feniger and Greg Ericson have been granted the Certified Payments Professional (CPP) designation from the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA). The ETA launched the CPP exam in November 2011. The CPP credential is the standard for professional performance in the payment industry and a symbol of excellence. It signifies that an individual has demonstrated the knowledge and skills required to perform competently in today’s complex electronic payments environment. Feniger and Ericson are among only seven Certified Payments Professionals in South Carolina, and are the only account executives certified in the Upstate S.C. region. According to the ETA, currently 500 individuals worldwide have earned the credential. Feniger is the president and founder of Tandem Innovative Payment Solutions. He also serves on the ETA’s Education Committee that is responsible for seminars, training sessions, workshops, distance learning offerings and classroom-based courses. Ericson, a graduate of The Citadel, is an account
subjects he teaches and for using various techniques in the classroom to engage students. He has a Ph.D. in history from Florida State University where he worked as a teaching assistant. In his current role, he teaches and oversees SCC’s history and political science courses. executive with Tandem. He has been with the company since May 2010.
NON-PROFIT:
Pendleton Place for Children and Families recently welcomed Tiffney Parker as the Family and Child Assessment Center Director and Teri McLaughlin as the Family Bridges Director. Parker has served as the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program Manager for Contemporary Therapeutic Services, Inc. in Hyattsville, Maryland, where she supervised staff to ensure foster youth obtained mentoring services to improve emotional, mental and social stability and well-being. She also served as Program Manager for the District of Columbia’s Department of Mental Health to aid in the smooth transition of aging-out foster youth with mental illness, from child mental health services and supports to adult supports. McLaughlin served 14 years as the Executive Director/CEO of Children’s Safety Centers in Minnesota. She helped this organization serve as a multinational model for supervised visitation and safe custody exchange services.
PUBLIC RELATIONS/ MARKETING:
Jeff Dezen Public Relations (JDPR) recently announced the addition of Matthew Lochel as the company’s newest account executive. Prior to joining JDPR, Lochel served as staff writer and international news producer
for NBC News, where he wrote national news stories and managed the news pipeline that supplied affiliate NBC stations, nationwide, with “feeds” for their overseas coverage. He also held positions at General Electric Capital Corporation as the senior communications specialist and as executive director/senior advisor of marketing for Boy Scouts of America.
REAL ESTATE:
The Marchant Company, the Upstate’s local “Signature Agency” in Real Estate, representing buyers and sellers of residential, land, and commercial properties recently recognized several agents for their outstanding performance during the month of March. Kathy Slayter was recognized as Unit Listing and Sales Units & Sales Volume Agent of the month. Tom Marchant was recognized as Volume Listing Agent of the month. “March to SOLD” team, Anne Marchant, Jolene Wimberly and Brian Marchant were recognized as Sales Team of the month.
RETAIL:
Linda McDougald Design | Postcard from Paris Home, a full-service interior design firm and retail furnishings boutique, has hired Megan Keisling to support the firm’s economic initiative; Wendy Nanney to manage the company’s financial operations; Lance Putnam to lead the retail efforts of the firm’s downtown boutique; Cate Husman in a design support role to the design team; Kim Ritchie as retail associate at the firm’s downtown boutique; and April Scapin as sales associate at the boutique at The Shops at Greenridge. Keisling graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Marketing and most recently worked in the marketing department at EMI Christian Music Group in Nashville. Nanney holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Bob Jones University and currently serves in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Putnam has a degree in Visual Arts from Presbyterian College and is currently pursuing an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Clemson University. Husman received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in interior design from Bob Jones University.
April 19, 2013 Upstate business journal 29
UBJ New to the Street
For more information, call 864-271-4082 or visit blueberryfrog.com.
2. Blackstone American Bistro recently opened at 1606 Woodruff Road in Greenville. It offers a wide variety of food that includes burgers, sandwiches and breakfast as well as vegetarian options. It is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Feaster Rd
E NORTH ST
RD
Verdin Rd
2
3 Blvd
a
M
RD
ht r e e Be e c
ale
HA
RUF F
D VE R GRO
1 PE L
Az
WOO D
O LD
Pelham Commons Blvd
3. Carbures Carbon Structures recently had its new facility dedication at 202 Beechtree Blvd. in Greenville. The new 30,000-square-foot facility plans to manufacture parts for the aerospace, automotive, marine, technology and infrastructure sectors for Carbures worldwide. The company will hire 100 more people in Greenville over the next four years.
Ct
30 Upstate business journal April 19, 2013
AUGU STA R D
1. BlueberryFrog, located at 215 Pelham Road in Greenville, in the Publix shopping center, recently had their ribbon cutting. They offer frozen yogurt prepared fresh daily in-house.
UBJ Snapshot
Historic photographs available from the Greenville Historical Society
Photo by Greg Beckner
Photo Provided
Not long after Furman University moved to Greenville, the Baptist Convention voted to establish a female college under the same board of trustees. The town of Anderson urged against locating the two institutions in the same town, arguing that “you cannot shut up the chambers of the heart.” Nevertheless, Greenville outbid Anderson by a gift of the property of the old Male and Female Academies. Classes began at GFC on a limited scale in 1855. The first full session was in 1856. Construction of
the college’s main building was begun in 1858, with the additional wings added later. It provided space for classrooms, offices and dormitories. In 1914 the name of the institution was altered to Greenville Woman’s College. During the Depression, matters of finance dictated that GWC become the Woman’s College of Furman University. From “Remembering Greenville: Photographs from the Coxe Collection,” by Jeffrey R. Willis
The Tucker Branch community in downtown Fountain Inn was the site for the Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce’s recent Business After Hours gathering.
In 1961, the college moved north to the consolidated campus where it is located today. The former site of the Greenville Woman’s College is home to Heritage Green and The Children’s Museum, the Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville Little Theatre, the Hughes Main Library of the Greenville County Library System at Heritage Green, the Upcountry Museum and the Museum and Gallery at Heritage Green.
The South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations (SCANPO) recently held its annual nonprofit summit at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville. Drawing names for the SCANPO raffle were Brian Rogers and Susan Bankson with Wells Fargo; Madeleine McGee, SCANPO president; and Steve Lambright with the United Way of Pickens County.
April 19, 2013 Upstate business journal 31