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UBJ INFRASTRUCTURE
A Whole New Haywood Road? Five years in the making, the master plan for the commercial corridor is coming together JOE TOPPE | STAFF
jtoppe@communityjournals.com As progressive development continues along Greenville’s commercial corridors, a master plan created in 2009 for Haywood Road is beginning to take shape. Over the next year, the city is expected to complete an additional undergrounding project of overhead utility lines, and the Simon Property Group will begin a multimillion-dollar renovation of Haywood Mall. The projects being completed along Haywood Road are the direct result of the city’s master plan, said Joe Pazdan, managing principal and architect at McMillan Pazdan Smith. The corridor is in a convenient location in relation to the interstate and downtown, he said, and several Haywood Road business owners approached him in 2007 about working with the city to refocus their efforts along the corridor. “Over the last 20 years there has been an emphasis on downtown and Woodruff Road,” Pazdan said. “What used to be a thriving retail market in Haywood Road had lost some of its luster.” With funds secured by both the city of Greenville and business owners, an outside firm was hired to conduct
a master plan study of the area. Completed in August 2009, the plan outlined a variety of improvements including parcel redevelopment, signage and wayfinding, burying overhead utility lines, and intersection beautification and improvement. Pazdan said the city of Greenville should be multidimensional: placing a singular focus on one particular area is not necessarily healthy for a community. There has to be more to a city than its downtown business district, he said. The master plan indicated a need for emphasis on the interchange of I-385 and Haywood Road. Pazdan said the city applied for a Beautification Grant to improve the landscaping and signage at the exit and completed the project last year. As part of the project, the city took over maintenance of the interchange from the department of transportation, and “It looks wonderful.” City Engineer Dwayne Cooper said the second phase of undergrounding will begin in May. Funded by a 1 percent charge on Duke Energy bills to city residents, the project will cost $1.6 million to complete and extend an additional 1,000 feet from the Chipotle restaurant to Kanpai of Tokyo, he said. To date, the city has completed a
line burial project along Haywood Road spanning 1,000 feet south from Woods Lake Road, he said. The program is designed to improve the city’s reliability, aesthetics, infrastructure and safety of its electrical systems. The cost of the undergrounding will include the burial of overhead utilities, new street lamps, and a mast-arm traffic signal between Havertys and the old Babies R Us shopping center, Cooper said. As part of the project, Havertys is realigning its driveway to coincide with the new traffic signal, he said. The city is also planning a sidewalk project extending from I-385 to Woods Crossing Road. The sidewalk project is dependent on future funding and is proposed for 2016, he said. Estimated cost for the development is approximately $350,000. The improvements along Haywood Road extend beyond the corridor’s infrastructure and include a staple of the roadway’s retail outlets. Haywood Mall recently opened two new stores, Vans Shoes and the kids’ clothing
store Crazy 8, said Stacy Jacobs, area director of marketing and business development for Haywood Mall. The Simon Property Group, the mall’s owner, wants to do its part in revitalizing Haywood Road. In addition to the new tenants at the Haywood Mall, “we are beginning a multimillion-dollar renovation,” she said. The mall renovations will include a variety of updates and new amenities. Most notably, Haywood Mall will receive a complete interior remodel, including an expanded women’s restroom, all new carpet and tile, enhanced interior lighting, additional soft-seating areas and additional carts and kiosks. Exterior updates are set to include the installation of new irrigation systems and updated landscaping at several mall entrances with a focus on the feature entrance at Haywood Road. There will also be enhanced and additional lighting added to the parking deck. The renovations are expected to begin in May 2014 and be completed by the end of the year.
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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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Volume 3, Issue 18
May 2, 2014
WORTH REPEATING “This store has been here for 30 years, and people tell you print is dying.” Robert Young, owner of Borderlands Comics and Games in Greenville.
“You’re just going to generate better research and better ideas through that body contact sport happening.” Sam Konduros, executive director of the Research Development Corporation at Greenville Health System, on the importance of academics, clinicians and industry researchers working together.
“We recognize that this decision will be difficult for our employees.” Caterpillar spokeswoman Tana Utley, on the company’s plans to close its Fountain Inn plant and eliminate more than 500 jobs.
4
MONEY SHOT: S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt delivers the keynote address at last week’s annual meeting of the Greenville Area Development Corporation. Hitt saluted the GADC for its performance on behalf of Greenville County. More photos on page 30.
TBA Look for a new headquarters announcement from Park Sterling for downtown Greenville… The Universal Joint, a restaurant/bar with locations in Asheville, Georgia and Chattanooga, is setting up shop at 300 Stone Ave. in Greenville (next door to the former Handlebar location). Hiring has already begun…
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
May 2, 2014
Chick-fil-A is coming to the Kmart Plaza on West Butler Road in Mauldin... A new $7 million mixeduse development is coming to downtown Spartanburg behind the Marriott Hotel… Word is architects McMillian Pazdan Smith will be moving out of the Elliott Davis Building by January 2015…
VERBATIM
On the Hometown Advantage… “Only two Southeastern cities represented the options east of the Mississippi. One of them – Greenville, S.C. – is the hometown of legendary champion cyclist George Hincapie, who served as our expert for the category, and made the original 20 nominations.” USA Today, naming Greenville No. 5 in its Best Cycling Town Readers’ Choice Contest. Read the whole list at bit.ly/ cyclingtowns.
UBJ TRANSPORTATION
Photo by Greg Beckner
Southern Connector Traffic Climbs in Q1 JOE TOPPE | STAFF
jtoppe@communityjournals.com Data released by officials with the Southern Connector shows an increase of nearly six percent in the toll road’s traffic over the first three months of 2014 as compared to the same time last year. Spanning Greenville County, the 16-mile roadway processed nearly 60,000 more transactions than in the first three months of 2013 with 1,112,235 over the first quarter of the year. During 2013, the Southern Connector enjoyed an all-time high with $6,963,035 in revenue collected. Currently, the toll road is on pace to better that number, collecting $76,374 more the first quarter of 2014 than the same time last year with $1,621,001 in total. Bill Carpenter, chairman of the Connector 2000 Association, said the growth of the toll road is a positive sign for transportation in Greenville County. “We are very optimistic as we head into the summer months that usage will continue to increase,” he said. In addition, the roadway experienced improvement each month of 2014 when compared to the same
➤ GO FIGURE
16
miles the Southern Connector spans through Greenville County
1,112,235
transactions processed over the first quarter of this year (nearly 60,000 more transactions than in the first three months of 2013)
$6,963,035 all-time high revenue collected during 2013
time last year. January saw an increase of 6.8 percent in traffic and a 5.2 percent increase in revenue, equating to 22,954 more transactions and $25,395 more in revenues. February numbers were affected by a mid-month snowstorm, but traffic grew 1.2 percent (3,905 transactions) and revenue grew 1.3 percent ($6,139). March numbers saw an 8.4 percent increase in transactions (32,588) and a 7.8 percent increase in revenue ($44,840).
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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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UBJ PARTNERSHIPS
Golden Career Strategies Extends Global Reach Partnership with OI will offer local and international employee transition services JOE TOPPE | STAFF
jtoppe@communityjournals.com After 14 years of operating locally, an Upstate career development and transition firm is partnering with a global organization to extend the reach of their business. Golden Career Strategies will now partner with OI Global Partners to offer both local and international employee transition services, said Myles Golden, president and founder of Golden Career Strategies. “We can offer international talent management services to firms in the Upstate with employees being displaced or who need executive coaching,” he said. “OI Global Partners will provide worldwide coverage.”
The Greenville company can now assist employees of global companies located in the Upstate with transition services should they want to return to their home countries. Golden Career Strategies is also receiving referrals from clients around the world for individuals wanting to move to the Upstate area, Golden said. The partnership with OI Global has also provided state-of-the-art technology enabling clients 24-hour access to transition tools, he said. “We help individuals make career changes by identifying a better career path, constructing a powerful resume, fine-tuning interviewing skills, and making a connection to one of our dealers around the world.” OI Global Partners was formed
when OI Partners Inc., a U.S.-based company, and CareerNet International, a European company, identified a mutual endeavor. A synergy was recognized between the two organizations that would enable an improved service to clients on a global basis, said Patty Prosser, chairwoman of OI Partners. “We shared the same values, so it was wonderful to come together,” she said. The primary focus of each company and OI Global is to help organizations manage transitions when employees are being displaced and impacting the workforce. Prosser said the companies are also focused on leadership development and executive coaching.
“Executives at organizations forced to make tough decisions regarding employees could partner with these companies to transition that individual compassionately into a new career opportunity,” she said. “Executives wanting to enhance their success could partner to improve their leadership development.” OI Global provides talent management services to both the individual and the organization to help navigate change. Although the market needs may vary, OI Global and Golden Career Strategies will partner to offer both corporate and individual support, Prosser said. The goal is to provide support services that align with the marketplaces, she said.
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4/9/14 7:09 PM
UBJ RETAIL
Superhero Stores Digital media may be flying high, but true believers still flock to their local comics stores JEANNE PUTNAM | CONTRIBUTOR
jputnam@communityjournals.com
With the opening of used bookstores such as 2nd & Charles and Mr. K’s, as well as the success of the iPad, Kindle, Nook and other digital media, many brick-and-mortar new book sellers have struggled to keep their doors open. But like the superheroes depicted in their wares, two Greenville comic book stores have kept flying on. “With the economy, [comic books are] a luxury item,” said Richard Morgan, owner of Richard’s Comics & Collectables on Laurens Road. “People need to have money to buy extra comic books.” Morgan, who opened his store 10 years ago after working in the information technology field, said most of his customers work and pay bills, but need to have some fun. What he sells is a “reasonably affordable” type of entertainment. Morgan said the chain stores do not interfere much with his business because “mostly they are an outlet for more common comics and trade paperbacks, but since they do not stock full runs and the condition of the items can be iffy, they may actually help more than harm.” Robert Young, owner of Borderlands Comics and Games, also on
MAY
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FREE COMIC BOOK DAY
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“This store has been here for 30 years, and people tell you print is dying.” Robert Young, owner of Borderlands
Laurens Road, reports similar success. “This store has been here for 30 years, and people tell you print is dying,” he said. Young credits Borderlands’ success to its “personal service and attention to detail,” which he said makes the store part of the community. “Everybody has that restaurant that is a mom-and-pop restaurant that they like to go to because they take care of you. Chains seem to have a hard time understanding how to provide customer service at a local level.” Since Young bought Borderlands in 2011, he has involved the store in community events such as sending participants, including himself, to St. Baldrick’s cancer fundraiser, hosting blood drives for the Blood Connection, and collecting donations for Harvest Hope. Additionally, both Young’s and Morgan’s stores feature more than just comic books to help with niche marketing. Richard’s Comics includes movies, Magic the Gathering cards, and memorabilia from television shows such as “The Big Bang Theory,” whereas Borderlands carries board games and tabletop pieces for games such as Warhammer, in addition to comic books and collectibles connected to the franchises. Also, with the continuing appearance of comic book-themed television shows and movies, both stores have noticed some interest in certain series, particularly “The Walking Dead.” Young credits the rise of interest in “The Walking Dead” comics to “The Talking Dead” show that follows ep-
isodes of the television series, in which they discuss the comic. Both Richard’s Comics and Collectables and Borderlands Comics and Games are preparing for the annual Free Comic Book Day on May 3. Borderlands saw more than 2,000 people come out and 15,000 free comics given away last year, and Richard’s Comics gave away several thousand comics.
Both stores will have a variety of activities outside the store during their normal store hours. BORDERLANDS COMICS AND GAMES 1434 Laurens Road, Greenville 864-235-3488 • borderlands.us RICHARD’S COMICS AND COLLECTABLES 1214-A Laurens Road, Greenville 864-271-1104 • richards-collectables.com
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UBJ BANKING
Ousted CertusBank Execs Fight Back in Court JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER
joladipo@communityjournals.com Members of the executive team and board ousted from CertusBank earlier this month filed a lawsuit saying they were libeled, defamed and prevented from defending themselves against serious public accusations of mismanagement. Milton Jones, Walter Davis and Angela Webb were terminated from their respective posts as executive chairman, CEO and president. They founded the bank along with Charles Williams, who resigned as co-CEO days after a report in American Banker magazine in which many of the accusations first appeared. The company announced banking veteran John Poelker of Atlanta was appointed interim president and CEO of the bank at the same time it revealed the leadership team had been fired. The suit filed in federal court last Wednesday implicates the board and a shareholder in a civil conspiracy to smear Webb, Davis and Jones. The shareholder in question is hedge fund manager Benjamin Weinger of New York, who plaintiffs claim “waged a campaign of misinformation and half-truths against the Plaintiffs to convince fellow investors and a majority of the CertusBank Board of
Angela Webb and Walter Davis
Directors … to remove the Plaintiffs from their jobs and destroy their business and personal reputations.”
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May 2, 2014
Weinger’s firm 3-Sigma Value Financial Opportunities L.P. is also named in the suit. Weinger had sent a letter to the board and investors in January complaining of unrealized returns on investment and questioning various expenditures, and one in March calling for management’s removal. Jones, Webb and Davis claim Weinger unlawfully leaked information that was fodder for a report by industry magazine American Banker last month and subsequent media coverage that damaged their reputations. Although the bank had issued a public statement saying it was launching an investigation into the claims, the plaintiffs say the board refused to take action to determine the source of the leak of the information. They say the board also refused to allow them to defend themselves publically. What’s more, the lawsuit says the board encouraged and condoned some of the spending for which management was being attacked, including some self-compensation and charitable donations, and even decisions about keeping branches open for personal reasons. CertusBank did not respond to questions about the allegations or its internal investigation, saying the company could not comment on an ongoing legal dispute. As supporting evidence to its claim that the information was leaked as part of a calculated personal attack, the suit alleges Weinger used racist language in internal oral and written communications. Webb, Davis and Jones are all African-American. Weinger said in the March letter that an unprecedented reference to Certus as an African-American managed bank was management’s attempt to “play the race card at this desperate moment in time.” The motive, according to court documents, was that “Weinger and 3-Sigma desired to change the management and Board composition of
“CertusBank directed Plaintiffs to say nothing in rebuttal of these false allegations which damaged the bank and were refused to allow them to do anything to restore or defend their reputations,” CertusBank and to position CertusBank as a target for acquisition because they did not receive a rapid return on their hedge fund investment.” The plaintiffs said some board members condoned the behavior. “CertusBank directed Plaintiffs to say nothing in rebuttal of these false allegations which damaged the bank and were refused to allow them to do anything to restore or defend their reputations,” court documents say. “Instead, Plaintiffs were given 15 minutes to decide whether to resign their positions at the bank or be fired. The truth about the Board’s actions, ultra-vires acts, breaches of their duties, self-dealing and other acts have been intentionally suppressed by the Board.” The suit alleges that the termination caused them many millions of dollars in damages, libel and defamation, and brings claim against Weinger for interfering with their contractual rights and future economic advantages. Weinger did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations made in the lawsuit. The bank has experienced significant losses for the past several quarters, losing $64.2 million and showing a significant drop in market capitalization in 2013. An FDIC performance report also shows a widening gap between CertusBank and a comparable group of peer banks.
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UBJ MANUFACTURING
Photo Provided
Caterpillar plans to move production of its marine engines from Fountain Inn to Griffin, Ga.
Caterpillar to Close Fountain Inn Plant Operations to move to Georgia and Texas; 510 Upstate jobs lost
JOE TOPPE | STAFF
jtoppe@communityjournals.com At the cost of 380 full-time jobs and 130 temporary jobs, Caterpillar Inc. is shutting down its engine production plant in Fountain Inn. The company issued a statement saying it will begin ramping down production in the second quarter of 2014 while a transition is made to plants in Georgia and Texas. Caterpillar will move its marine engine operations from Fountain Inn to its facility in Griffin, Ga., according to the statement. The mid-range C7 engine assembly line will move from Fountain Inn to Seguin, Texas, said the company. Tana Utley, vice president with responsibility for the Large Power Systems Division at Caterpillar Inc., said in a media release the company recognized the difficulty in which the decision will put its employees. “We value and appreciate the work that our Fountain Inn employees have contributed and their dedication to producing quality products,” she said.
“However, after considering our options, we have concluded we must move forward with this decision for better asset utilization.” The company’s goal is to improve efficiency across the engine-manufacturing footprint, Utley said. “We are committed to the industries served by products from Fountain Inn, including Marine and Industrial, and we will maintain and grow that commitment under this improved manufacturing strategy,” she said. Full-time employees will receive severance packages and outplacement services from the appropriate agencies, according to the company. At the end of 2014’s first quarter, Caterpillar’s full-time employment stood at 116,579 compared to 124,874 during the same time last year, a decrease of 8,295 full-time employees. Caterpillar also has facilities in Anderson County and Newberry, S.C., and Toccoa, Ga. The company announced in April 2013 that it would shut down a facility in Summerville by mid-2014.
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UBJ QUARTERLIES First Financial Holdings (SCBT)
Palmetto Bank In its latest earnings release Palmetto Bancshares reported net income of $2 million for the first quarter of 2014 ended March 31, up from $1.8 million the previous quarter. The holding company for the Palmetto Bank said in the release that lower loan originations reduced the bank’s loan portfolio. However, the quality of the bank’s loans improved as net charge-offs – a measure of loans expected to go unpaid – declined to $242,000 from $2 million. “We continued to experience improved credit quality, which resulted in a significant reduction in our
credit-related expenses,” said chairman and CEO Samuel Erwin in the release. An increase in low-cost core deposits reduced the cost of funds and led to an increase in net interest margin, Erwin said. The increase in deposits also increased assets by $9.2 million compared to the previous quarter. Loans dipped to $739,635 from $751,028 in the quarter, and represented a 3.7 percent increase over the same quarter of the previous year. Deposits grew to $928,033 from $907,360, a 4.5 percent decrease from the same quarter in 2013.
Palmetto Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ: PLMT) TOTAL ASSETS Q4 2013 $1.1B NET INCOME
Q1 2014 $1.1B Q1 2014 $2.02M
+/0.84 %
Q4 2013 $1.82M DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE
Q1 2014 $0.16
+/14%
+/11.2%
First Financial Holdings, the holding company for SCBT, reported a $2.6 million increase in net income for the quarter ended March 31. Net income rose to $16,917,000, a 58.8 percent increase over the same period a year ago. The company attributed the gains to a reduction in merger and branding expenses and salaries and employee benefits. Total assets decreased slightly for the quarter, but at $7,977,604 represented a 55.6 percent increase over the same period in 2013. Overall quality of assets improved as nonperforming loans declined by $4.8 million, or 11.4 percent. Operating earnings saw a more modest increase of 2.4 percent in the
first quarter of 2014 after major quarterly leaps during 2013. At $19,776 (non-GAAP), operating earnings represents a 65.2 percent increase over the first quarter of 2013. In the earnings release, CEO Robert Hill Jr. attributed the increase to “low credit costs, improved asset quality and expense management, accompanied by strong organic growth in loans and core deposits.” Core deposit growth, excluding CDs, was up $146.5 million or 11.7 percent annualized in 1Q 2014. In February the company created the state’s largest publicly traded bank with $7.9 billion in assets by consolidating five different brands, including SCBT, under the name South State Bank.
First Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SCBT) TOTAL ASSETS Q1 2014 $8.0B
Q4 2013 $8.0B
+/-0.22%
NET INCOME Q1 2014 $16.9M
Q4 2013 $13.9M DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE
Q1 2014 $0.66
+/20.9%
+/20.3%
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UBJ QUARTERLIES & TECHNOLOGY Southern First Southern First Bancshares reported significant gains for the first quarter ended March 31, 2014, compared to the same period last year. The holding company for Southern First Bank and Greenville First Bank reported a 30 percent increase in net income to $1.25 million, compared with $961,000 for the same period in 2013. Loan balances rose to $778.8 million from $665.2 million, a 17.1 percent year-over-year increase. Core deposits also increased 13 percent to $519.9 million, compared with $460.2 million in the same quarter of the previous year. Changes from the previous quarter
Greer Bancshares
ended Dec. 31, 2013, were less consistently positive. The quarter brought a 13.1 percent drop in net income to $1,250,000 from $1,439,000. Non-interest income rose, however, to $969,000 from $882,000, primarily due to increases in loan fee income and other income, the company said. A significant portion of its loan fee income relates to income derived from mortgage originations. Earlier in the quarter Southern First redeemed shares related to the federal Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), converting the preferred stock into common stock using a private placement of about $6.2 million.
Southern First Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ:SFST) TOTAL ASSETS Q1 2014 $936,884
Q4 2013 $890,831
+/5.2%
NET INCOME Q1 2014 $1.3M
Q4 2013 $1.4M DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE
Q1 2014 $0.22
+/-13.1%
+/22.2%
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The parent company for Greer State Bank, Greer Bancshares, reported an 80 percent net income increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Net income rose to $1,153,000 from $641,000 a year ago. Quarterly earnings were aided by gains on the sale of securities, including a gain on a sale of an investment that had been previously written down, and a reversal of previous loan loss provisions enabled by a recovery and an overall improvement in loan credit quality, the company said. Quarter to quarter, total deposits increased to $266 million, up from $253 million on Dec. 31, 2013. The
bank’s non-accrual loans continued to improve to $1.5 million, down from $2.6 million on Dec. 31, 2013. Past-due loans were $1.1 million, down from $1.6 million on Dec. 31, 2013. Last month the company also received notice of the termination its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the FDIC and the South Carolina Board of Financial Institutions that was effective from Jan. 31, 2013, a sign of its improved financial health. In March the company announced that it had repurchased $3.15 million of its TARP preferred stock from the U.S. Treasury. Full quarterly data had not yet been filed with the SEC as of publication.
Iron Yard to Skip Greenville Accelerator in 2014 JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER
joladipo@communityjournals.com The Iron Yard’s Accelerator program will only appear in Spartanburg this year, according to Managing Director Marty Bauer. Last year the company launched a digital health accelerator focused on launching early-stage tech companies in and around health and wellness applications. Bauer said the accelerator map will expand in 2015, which includes plans for a green tech accelerator in Asheville. Bauer said the Iron Yard’s sponsors and partners are homing in on the emerging trends and interesting technologies that they want to see commercialized. The focus on health will also take advantage of new markets opened up by the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. The emphasis will continue to be on “capital efficient” companies developing software applications, many of which will be for improving various aspects of service delivery in hospital systems.
May 2, 2014
One of last year’s startups, ChartSpan, chose to remain in the Upstate and now operates out of the NEXT Innovation Center in Greenville. It secured just over $1 million in its first fundraising round. Another company, Prime Genomics, developed cancer-screening technology that is undergoing clinical trials at the Mayo Clinic. Applications are being accepted for the session that will begin July 7. The group will again present at the Health 2.0 conference in Santa Clara, Calif., in September. The Iron Yard is expanding all of its programs to other cities. Chief Strategy Officer Joe Saddington has said free computer coding education for children will be part of the program in any new location. An intensive code school opened in Atlanta in March 2014. The Iron Yard also plans to offer co-working spaces in Asheville; and intensive code schools for front-end developers in Charleston; Tampa, Fla.; Austin, Texas; and Durham, N.C. The fourth Greenville code school kicked off last month.
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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By Marion Mann, senior marketing manager, Greenville Chamber
UBJ THE TAKEAWAY
Time to Form Alliances The ACE Leadership Symposium discusses the present and future of minority leadership
The Greenville Chamber’s second annual ACE Leadership Symposium, designed to promote advancing minority leadership and corporate board service, included workshop presentations on “The Truth about Coaching and Managing Minorities” and “How Not to Be a Victim and Produce Results” with facilitators Charles Weathers and Anita Garrett, both with The Weathers Group based in Columbia, S.C. Weathers delivered the keynote lunch presentation, “Collaborative Relationships to Advance Minority Leadership,” after which both facilitators answered questions from the audience. Key points from the presentation include:
WHAT CAN YOU DO WHERE YOU ARE, WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, BY YOURSELF? If you’re going to grow, excel and be effective, you’re going to need to work with someone else to make it happen. We know that diversity of backgrounds and thought can provide a
major asset to our organizations. It’s time to put silos to bed and form alliances to advance minority leadership in order to advance our businesses, our community, and all of Upstate South Carolina.
HELPING PEOPLE HELPS ALL PEOPLE We need to lose the thinking that helping minorities helps minorities. It’s not about affirmative action, quotas or having a rainbow in the boardroom. It’s about having diversity in skills and thinking. Minority advancement should not be an extra thing to do, but an integrated and cohesive strategy throughout everything we do. If we’re truly working for a greater good, we can put our energy toward a cause that is larger than us.
MOVE BEYOND THE USUAL SUSPECTS If we want to advance leadership, we must move beyond the usual suspects. The same 20 percent of minorities are on our local boards. Weathers
EVENT: Greenville Chamber’s ACE Leadership Symposium, April 22 at the TD Convention Center
TOPIC: Collaborative Relationships to Advance Minority Leadership SPEAKERS: Charles C. Weathers Sr. and Anita M. Garrett, The Weathers Group
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
BREAK DOWN THE WALLS BY ASKING QUESTIONS Weathers recalled a manager who, in trying to relate to a lesbian employee, searched for a special book
for guidance. There wasn’t one. When he asked a peer for advice, the peer asked him, “Have you spoken with her about it?” He realized he hadn’t. When he did, it turned out they had the same family and financial problems, so empathizing was easy. People have more similarities than differences. If you are a good coach, you can be a good coach to all.
WE FAIL NOT BECAUSE OF A LACK OF SKILL, BUT BECAUSE OF A LACK OF WILL. We seem to all think we work together well, but the truth is we need to do a better job working together. For some, it’s a threat to work together as some people would rather be the king or queen of nothing rather than be a servant to something. Understand that division serves a purpose for some people – as long as we subscribe to this, we’ll never realize the success togetherness can deliver. Working together requires doing the work and holding each other accountable.
WHO WAS THERE: A sold-out, diverse audience of 400 Greenville Chamber members, community and business leaders, local college and university students, and a group of eighth-graders from LEAD Academy
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stressed the importance of developing their replacements. Grooming and mentoring individuals to serve in leadership positions will help guarantee the success of organizations and our community in the future.
KNOW THE ECONOMICS OF TRUST For every person who works in
May 2, 2014
UBJ THE TAKEAWAY
Q& A
Q: Do you think there’s a revolving door for minority talent?
A: The biggest problem with good people is that other people want them. Building relationships with employees doesn’t stop with recruiting/ hiring. Leaders must cultivate relationships and provide mentoring opportunities while the employees are there.
Q [from a middle school student]: How should we prepare now for success in the workplace later? your organization, you’ve told the public that you trust them. No collaboration or alliance can exist without trust. Weathers referenced Stephen M.R. Covey’s formula for the economics of trust: “When trust goes down, speed will also go down and costs will go up. When trust goes up, speed will also go up and costs will go down.” More important than trust is credibility. Credibility = Competency + Character. Ask yourself daily, “Am I demonstrating the competency and character consistent with the responsibility I hold?”
ORGANIZATIONS DON’T HAVE RELATIONSHIPS – PEOPLE DO Organizations can’t assume that relationships will continue when the people who originated them leave – yet another reason to help cultivate
MAY
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and groom our future leaders. Weathers stressed the importance of relationship building with these five “I”s: 1. Identification 2. Introduction 3. Interest 4. Involvement 5. Investment You can’t expect investment until you’ve completed 1-4. People invest in one another because they’ve been through some things together and have developed credibility. Once you’ve completed all five, it’s most important to take the time to share your relationships and open up your circle of influence in order to advance the conversation.
AGE DIVERSITY IS A BIG DEAL TODAY
workplace with some organizations having up to four and five generations working together. Weathers noted his father’s generation and its 40/40 plan (work 40 hours a week/ retire after 40 years/get a watch). Today’s younger generations go into jobs thinking they’ll be there for three years, tops. All have something to teach one another, so create an environment that encourages sharing.
WE CAN HIRE DIVERSE PEOPLE IF WE DIVERSIFY OUR CIRCLES Weathers noted the all-too-frequent remark, “There are no diverse people with the skills we need. Where are they?” By cultivating and building necessary relationships, our eyes will open to the wealth of resources that exist in our community.
Age diversity is common in today’s
A: Start early in valuing yourself. When you value yourself, you value others and are able to find similarities and common ground. Be yourself, stand up for yourself and each other.
Q [from a minority small business owner]: How do you explain to someone that you’re not going to hire them just because they are of the same race as you? A: Focus on competency, not color. You can mentor, but you can’t help anyone more than they are willing to help themselves. Business owners must hire competent people with the skillsets they need in order for their businesses to survive and thrive.
UPSTATE DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP AWARDS DINNER at TD Convention Center
The Greenville Chamber and the Riley Institute at Furman, in partnership with Upstate Chambers, will host this tenth annual event to celebrate diversity and inclusion leaders in the region. Event registration and award nominations: GreenvilleChamber.org
Opportunity: In an effort to serve as a resource for connecting organizations with qualified individuals, the Chamber developed the Diversity Leadership Pipeline (DLP). This online tool allows individuals interested in serving in leadership capacities to provide their interests and contact information to be considered/connected when opportunities for volunteer leadership are presented to the Chamber. The DLP is online at greenvillechamber. org/diversity-leadership-pipeline.php. For more information about this and the Chamber’s CAPACITY initiative, contact Nika White at 864-239-3727.
May 2, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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UBJ INNOVATE
A Novel Approach to Capital The Palmetto Angel Fund brings the idea of mutual fund diversification to early-stage investing Which group of people is more entrepreneurial: business owners or capital providers? Easy answer, of course: People rarely accuse financiers of being innovative – and when they do it is usually for “innovations” that can contribute to bubbles and crises. Undoubtedly this reputation for conservatism is partially deserved, and is supported by recent trends in how companies are funded. Banks have had to become significantly more risk-averse, reducing what they lend to early-stage businesses; private equity buyout funds continue to grow in size, with an estimated $900 billion of “overhang” funds raised but not deployed; and even venture cap-
italists have reduced their risk tolerance as they “de-risk” by moving to larger, later-stage companies with already-proven business plans. There are, however, exceptions. A startup seeking capital does not need to look too hard, or too far beyond the Upstate, to find innovative capital providers. There are now more than 300 organized groups of angel investors across the country, including UCAN, which has now provided nearly $10 million to finance startups. Crowdfunding – or online pre-sales for new products – has exploded over the last three years, and recent changes to regulatory restrictions on raising capital via the JOBS Act will soon allow
companies to raise equity through approved crowdfunding platforms. Other innovative capital sources are less well known. One particularly interesting novel approach is to apply the ability to raise capital through “general solicitation” – effectively, the public marketing of private investment funds and companies in the same way that other public funds (like mutual funds) are already permitted. One such Greenville-based fund now operating under the new rules is the Palmetto Angel Fund. The Palmetto Angel Fund is a newly launched effort to attract more people into early-stage companies by bringing the idea of mutual fund
diversification to early-stage investing. The fund will invest alongside angel investor groups in the South Carolina Angel Network in the same companies that these groups analyze, mentor and support. Fund investors get the benefit of the collective investment expertise of over 50 experienced investors and successful business people combined with a professionally-managed, cost-effective investment platform. It is structured like a venture capital fund, with investors committing a specified amount of capital to fund investments over a four-year period, but unlike most VC funds it is deliberately being marketed “publicly” to attract a wider range of investors.
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Excellence Has A New Name. Village Hospital is now Pelham Medical Center. Village Hospital is no longer just a hospital. It is a hospital that is now accompanied by the Gibbs Cancer Center & Research Institute and the physicians of the Medical Group of the Carolinas. As a result, the hospital name is being changed to better unify all of the programs and services now available on the campus. For more information, call 864.530.6000.
PelhamMedicalCenter.com
(PMC) Upstate Business Journal 1|2 Page Print Ad.indd 1 14SRHS UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL May 2, 2014
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UBJ INNOVATE >>
Who cares? First, investors interested in early-stage companies. It has historically been time-consuming and difficult (if not impossible) to invest effectively in early-stage companies. If you wanted to buy Facebook shares while its value was growing from $0 to $15 billion (when Microsoft acquired its stake in 2007), unless you were exceptionally wealthy and well connected you were out of luck. For the approximately 120,000 “accredited” households in South Carolina (that is, those that meet certain minimum annual income or net worth thresholds), this fund allows access to our most exciting companies before they are public – and, hopefully, when they are generating the most value. Perhaps not the next Facebook, but potentially the next Selah Genomics, an investment made by UCAN in 2013 that
By PAUL CLARK
was sold for up to $75 million two weeks ago. With a commitment of $25,000 or more, an investor can access a diversified portfolio of 15-20 early-stage investments, with the potential for an attractive return in a unique asset class in a less risky way than investing in a friend’s new venture or a distant, unknown crowdfunding candidate. Second, entrepreneurs: Instead of having to raise money from multiple investor groups from a wide area, the best entrepreneurs in South Carolina can close their entire seed financing round from one source. Companies that are focused on executing their business plans, rather than constantly trying to scrape together more capital, have a much greater chance of succeeding – and of staying in South Carolina instead of disappearing to Silicon Valley.
Lastly, anyone with an interest in the Upstate’s prosperity: economic development agencies, state commerce departments, business service providers, banks hoping to support more mature companies, or anyone else interested in creating wealth and jobs. Having successful startups is crucial to the future prosperity of our state. Encouraging innovative capital is one way that South Carolina can emulate, or even surpass, the most dynamic areas of the country.
Paul Clark is a general partner of the Palmetto Angel Fund, a director of SCAN, and an angel investor excited to be emulating, in a small way, the entrepreneurialism of the many impressive startup companies around South Carolina. He can be reached at paul@scangelnetwork.com.
The Palmetto Angel Fund interests are being offered pursuant to Rule 506(c) of the Securities Act of 1933. Interests are offered only to accredited investors, in reliance on an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Fund is not required to comply with specific disclosure requirements that apply to registration under the Act, and should only be considered by investors that are able to bear the loss of their investment. The SEC has not passed upon the merits of or given its approval to the interests, the terms of the offering, or the accuracy or completeness of any offering materials; the interests are subject to legal restrictions on transfer and resale and investors should not assume they will be able to resell their interests.
Designed with you in mind Designed with you in mind
No Initiation Fee for a Limited Time Private Membership • No Assessments
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OST of the 2014
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ADVERTORIAL
SPRING INTO ACTION Spring into Action
Prepare now for summer storm-related power outages Hurricanes, tornados and spring storms can be ferocious at this time of year and can cause power outages! Are you prepared?
Scott Kelly
President Carolina Heating Service Serving Greenville since 1981
As the weather warms up, and memories of recent winter storms melt away, it’s tempting to forget that most of the Upstate dodged a bullet while in regions all around us hundreds of thousands suffered without power for days due to ice and wind. But the potential for storm-related power outages is a year-round sleeping tiger. Tame the dark with the security of an emergency generator. This keeps the power on, allowing you to maintain a mostly normal routine during extended outages caused by the severe thunderstorms spring and summer often bring. While losing power may be a mere nuisance for some – what with spoiled food, messy candles and blank computers – it can be a critical safety issue for others, especially the very young, the very old, and those in fragile health. Now is the ideal time to install a standby generator, before the warm-weather storm season gets fully under way. Because while you can’t tame disruptive weather, you CAN prepare for it. Power your peace of mind by installing an emergency generator today. Contact Carolina Generators at 864.232.5684 or 866.488.4688 or visit www.carolinagenerators.com.
Greenville: 864-232-5684 Seneca: 864-638-6635 Anderson: 864-281-1977 Toll Free: 800-261-0359 | www.carolinagenerators.com
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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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UBJ FORWARD
A Watershed Moment It’s a great time lead the Upstate SC Alliance, says its new president
“Watershed: a time when important change happens.” – Merriam-Webster.com
Each of us has those moments in our lives when something happens and you know your life will never be the same after that event occurs. You are forever changed. Such an event happened to me recently when I walked in the door of the Upstate SC Alliance as its new president and CEO. A native of Anderson, I have spent most of my life in the Upstate. I grew up here, went to high school here, and now I am raising my family here. After college I took jobs elsewhere early in my career, but I returned to practice economic development in Anderson County in 2002. I quickly become an advocate for the Upstate SC Alliance because I could see how much more success we had presenting Anderson County to the world as part of a region with more than 1 million people. I was able to gain exposure to more prospects without having to use all of my limited resources. During my time at Anderson County and as the former vice president for economic and institutional advancement at Tri-County Technical College, I have gotten to know
economic development professionals and allies statewide. I had the opportunity to directly participate in supplying the workforce for the companies who were recruited to the Upstate and those already here who were growing. Many of the programs we created were for people in our service counties to work for regional companies not in our service counties – regionalism in action. Now I have the high honor and responsibility for guiding the Upstate SC Alliance. Organizationally speaking, I have stepped into a great situation. The Upstate SC Alliance has driven, talented people working with it, a healthy balance sheet, a full program of work –including fresh new programs such as the Global Cities Initiative through the Brookings Institution – and strong regional support. Not every new leader is this fortunate. Bruce Katz, founder of the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program, said at our recent annual meeting, “This [Upstate SC Alliance] is a very, very, very smart public-private partnership. … Business, government [and] universities are sitting at the table with skin in the game, marketing the region.” Much of the economic development success this region enjoys is due to our “collaborate to compete” attitude. My job is to make it even smarter.
Stay in the know on Twitter. Stay in usthetoday: know on Twitter. Follow @UpstateBiz Follow us today: @UpstateBiz
Upstate Business Journal Upstate Business Journal
UBJ FORWARD During the past few months the Upstate has seen a torrent of economic development success. Highlights of this boom include: • Colgate-Palmolive announced the largest phase-one investment in Greenwood County history with a $196 million facility that will create 300 jobs. • Toray Industries of Japan announced the largest phase-one investment in Spartanburg County history with a $1 billion facility that will create 500 new jobs. • Esurance announced a new facility in Greenville that will employ 450 people. • Clemson University and Self Regional Healthcare announced a new
By JOHN LUMMUS
Much of the economic development success this region enjoys is due to our “collaborate to compete” attitude. My job is to make it even smarter. $5.6 million collaboration at the Greenwood Genetics Center. • BMW announced a $1 billion addition to its Spartanburg facility that will create 300 new jobs, bringing its total employment to about 8,800 and making this the largest BMW facility in the world. From Belk’s expansion of an e-commerce distribution facility in Union, to BorgWarner in Oconee; from Core Molding and Suminoe in Cherokee County to Prysmian Power Cable and Sage Automotive Interiors
in Abbeville – every corner of the Upstate is participating in this boom. People are going back to work. In many cases these announcements are a sign of things to come, not immediate openings. This is great news for those planning a future in the Upstate. Since many of these facilities will be opening over the next five years, the economic impact will grow. These companies will need skilled workers. There is time to enroll in classes at a technical school to get the skills to work at one of these employers when their new facility opens. Also
more homes and apartments will be sold and rented, more clothes will be bought, more meals will be eaten out, more cars will be bought and more people will have insurance to be able to care for themselves and their families at area hospitals. A new wave of prosperity and opportunity is just starting to sweep over the Upstate. As you can tell, I am excited to be the new president and CEO of the Upstate SC Alliance. This is definitely a watershed moment for me, and I look forward to working with our partners to make the Upstate better. John Lummus is the president and CEO of the Upstate SC Alliance, a nonprofit organization made up of public and private investors aimed at promoting economic growth in the Upstate. Additional information is available at upstateSCalliance.com.
For Membership Information, please contact:
David Pullon david.pullon@ourclub.com To Host your Event at the Commerce Club, please contact:
Crystal Moorhouse crystal.moorhouse@ourclub.com
www.Commerce-Club.com 864.232.5600
Next level conversations. Next level meeting space. Breakfast meetings • Training seminars • Client Luncheons • All Day Meetings • Company Happy Hours • Corporate Dinners
May 2, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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UBJ FOUNDATIONS
A
HUGUENOT MILL
Weaving a Legacy
CAMPERDOWN MILL, 1920
Charles E. Graham’s vision helped form the center of Greenville’s vibrant downtown Contributed by the staff of the South Carolina Room at the Greenville County Public Library
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At the time of his death, Charles E. Graham
Photos Provided
was one of the wealthiest men in South Carolina. According to his obituary, “[he] was one of the most widely known and most highly esteemed men in Greenville.” Graham was one of Greenville’s savviest entrepreneurs and business futurists. The legacy of his life still stands at the center of our vibrant downtown. Charles Edgar Graham was born October 16, 1854 (October on his gravestone or November according to his obituary), in North Carolina to
At the time of his death, Charles E. Graham was one of the wealthiest men in South Carolina. According to his obituary, “[he] was one of the most widely known and most highly esteemed men in Greenville.”
Thomas C. Graham and Ellen Foster. His father was a farmer and later a retail merchant. After the Civil War, Charles entered the mercantile business in Hickory. He moved to Charlotte and later to Asheville where he started and operated a general merchandising enterprise under the name C.E. Graham & Co. While in Asheville, C.E. Graham saw the possibilities of cotton manufacturing and helped to establish the Asheville Cotton Mill, which was very successful. After selling his interest in the Asheville mill,
CAMPERDOWN MILL
Graham came to Greenville using his profits to acquire the Huguenot Mill in 1890. For a brief period he sold the mill to the Fulenwider brothers, but soon bought it back, and by 1892 Huguenot Mill was incorporated with C.E. Graham as president. At the time it was the only mill in South Carolina to produce ginghams, plaids and cottonades. During the 1890s the mill expanded to 2,750 spindles, hired more workers, and built more mill housing along Whitmire and Jackson streets. Graham even built a separate brick office in 1900. Graham’s business continued to expand. In 1902 he purchased the old, idle Camperdown Mill property on the falls of the Reedy River from Vardry McBee and installed new machinery. Sometime during the period of 1904-1907, C.E. Graham sold the Huguenot Mill to a “regular chartered company” of which his brother Robert L. Graham was president and also opened the Camperdown Mill to produce ginghams and yarn. Over the next decade Camperdown proved exceedingly profitable, enabling Graham to expand his textile holdings with the addition of Enoree Mill and Alice Mill in Easley. Graham was known to be generous with his money and his time. He contributed liberally to several organizations including the YMCA and the YWCA; he established a charitable trust fund, and gave $300,000 (worth about $5 million today) to the Presbyterian Foreign Mission Board. In his will he bequeathed money to the Home Mission Fund, added to the C.E. Graham Trust Fund, and directed an additional $100,000 to the educational work of South Carolina. Toward the end of his life he assumed a more supervisory role and left the day-to-day management of the mills to his son, Allen J. Graham. He sold his home at 210 (104 today) Broadus Ave. and began to spend his winters in Orlando, summers in Asheville or Montreat, and a few weeks in the spring and fall in Greenville residing at the Ottaray Hotel on Main Street. While staying at the Battery Park Hotel in Asheville the summer of 1922, Charles E. Graham suddenly died from “an attack of heart failure” on August 23. He was 67 years old. His body was brought back to Greenville and buried in Springwood Cemetery. Although C.E. Graham’s name is not well known today, he left an extraordinary mark on both the economic history and landscape of Greenville. Generations were employed at Camperdown Mill until it closed in 1956. The Huguenot Mill and office still stand today; in 1993, grandson Allen J. Graham Jr. donated $1 million to renovate and incorporate the existing structures of the Huguenot Mill into the Peace Center for the Performing Arts complex, ensuring that his grandfather’s legacy remained a vital part of Greenville for years to come.
May 2, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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The Upstate’s Biotech Ecosystem COVER STORY
Initiatives from Clemson, GHS, ITOR and others have created conditions where cutting-edge companies can thrive
There’s a sense that the Upstate’s biotech industry is growing up and signs that it’s ready to come into its own in a major way. Undertakings in various sectors – finance, research, education – seem to have created a ecosystem in which cutting-edge companies can thrive, if recent news is any indication of the future. The Upstate’s bioscience companies are making the most headway in the areas of genetic testing, cancer and personalized medicine, said Wayne Roper, president of the biotech advocacy group SCBIO. Second to that is a presence in strong medical devices, an area in which the state has been actively trying to strengthen its foothold. Also on the horizon is regenerative medicine, or regenerative tissues. Clemson has a number of real experts in that area, and Roper said the field is heating up as it emerges from under a regulatory shadow. Not only are companies growing locally, but the fast-moving worlds of genetic medicine and cancer research are also being advanced through work at local companies partnering with health care organizations, and outside companies depending on those located here. In that regard, the industry’s growth isn’t always easy to see. Because of the nature of technology-based business, many companies might never physically move to the Upstate. Still, their use of products, infrastructure and technologies generated here results in some of the same job growing and industry supporting impacts that are the hallmarks of traditional economic development. A full understanding of the future of biotech in the Upstate means looking at some of its many moving parts and how they are working together.
By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com
Photos Provided
Clemson University
The presence of a renowned applied research university is an undeniable boon in a life sciences-based industry. Its >>
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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
May 2, 2014
>> work is by default closer to market phases than that of other research institutions. The school has stepped up its effort to help faculty and students get the best research to market. A team from the school was among the top 10 finalists last month in an international competition among universities to create business plans to commercialize breast cancer research technologies. The Breast Cancer Startup Challenge was sponsored by The Avon Foundation, The Center for Advancing Innovation and the National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute. Last week the school held a conference connecting bioengineering researchers with prospective business partners and investors, an event that drew heads of most of the major biotech companies and organizations. The Clemson University Biomedical Engineering Innovation Campus, known as CUBEInC, is the designated avenue for moving biomedical innovations into the health care system.
Research Development Corp.
Leaders in the biotech community say they anticipate significant input from the budding Research Development Corporation (RDC) at Greenville Health System (GHS). “Naturally there are a lot of exciting companies that come to our door with great ideas on how they can solve problems and challenges,” said executive director Sam Konduros. The RDC will channel those and carefully vet presented ideas to determine which are the strongest and most mission-centric to GHS, and warrant deeper exploration and potential formal collaboration. The RDC has been established as a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Having a nonprofit innovation/ technology transfer platform is a common model for academic health centers, Konduros said. Much of the organizing is still underway, but the RDC will work on generation, protec-
SonoSure by Norgenix
tion and management of intellectual property, and a response to clinician-generated innovations in addition to health care delivery goals. Some of those intellectual property initiatives include 22 teams of combined GHS clinicians and Clemson bioengineering student researchers this year, some of which already have led to provisional patents. The ultimate goal is to license those technologies.
ITOR
The Institute for Translational Oncology Research (ITOR) made GHS one of 100 formally defined academic health centers rather than one of thousands of hospitals. Opened in 2010, it has become an avenue through which some of the brightest stars in the area’s biotech industry are shining. Working in conjunction with Selah Genomics, local developer of genetic testing technologies, ITOR’s Clinical Genomics Center is among the first in the nation to provide DNA-specific cancer treatment. In an arrangement often likened to Clemson’s automotive research center, CU-ICAR, ITOR has a 21,000-square-foot “innovation zone” where academics, clinicians and industry researchers are researching together. “You’re just going to generate better research and better ideas through that body contact sport happening,” said Konduros. “You don’t force collaboration but generate a place where it can flourish.”
The Institute for Translational Oncology Research (ITOR)
ITOR has partnered with more than 50 pharmaceutical companies worldwide, conducting phase-1 clinical trials for companies including Novartis and AstraZeneca. Amgen is among companies choosing ITOR to do the first human studies of their drugs, making the Upstate a serious player in the field. The center has created a number of high-quality new jobs, drawing highly skilled people – intellectual capital – from neighboring states, Konduros said.
Investors
If not the backbone of a thriving biotech industry, money might be the legs that keep it moving forward. A community of investors that includes the Upstate Carolina Angel Network (UCAN), SC Launch and private investors is supporting the industry – and seeing returns. UCAN, for example, invested $600,000 in Selah Genomics over several fundraising rounds. That company sold to a UK-based company last month for a cash and deferred compensation deal valued at $75 million. UCAN, angel investors and others who put in $2 million made 11 times what they put in. “Our investor base is not skewed toward a life science background, but we have a lot of investment in that space, so that tells me that the opportunities we have seen have been strong ones,” said Matt Dunbar, managing director of UCAN. UCAN has invested in nine biotech and medical device companies. Three of those investments were iterations of the same company (Selah Technologies, Lab 21 and Selah Genomics). The nine companies represent 27 percent of UCAN’s portfolio of 33 companies, and 26 percent of the group’s total invested dollars – $2.3 million of $9.0 millions. The Iron Yard’s health tech accelerator, through which it invests $20,000 each in startups, has contributed to an increase in health technology in the area, though its focus is mainly companies developing software applications, said Managing Director Marty Bauer. The one medical gene testing company in its portfolio, Prime Genomics, is located in California.
May 2, 2014
SOME OF THE COMPANIES EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT: KIYATEC (Greenville): Specializes in providing advanced, 3-D cell-based assessments and diagnostics for more accurate prediction of patient response to drugs, as well as cancer diagnostics. Co-located with ITOR. Norgenix (Spartanburg): Specialty pharmaceutical company that engages in the development, commercialization and sales of pharmaceutical products in the women’s health arena. Ortec Inc. (Easley): Offers outsourced manufacturing services and synthesis services, including biomedical devices, dental composites, membranes and pharmaceutical small molecule synthesis. Selah Genomics (Greenville): A clinical diagnostic specialist supporting healthcare providers and the pharmaceutical industry with advanced molecular and genomic diagnostic services. One of the Greenville Chamber’s NEXT companies.
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UBJ WHO’S WHO – ONES TO WATCH
Jason Fletcher
Owner, High Street Hospitality Group
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By JOE TOPPE | staff | jtoppe@communityjournals.com
Born just a few miles north of Oklahoma City in a town of only 500 people, High Street Hospitality Group’s owner Jason Fletcher would eventually leave the quaint confines of middle America to pursue a global career in IT until the restaurant business fastened his roots to Greenville. After high school, Fletcher traveled south to work in a lumberyard in Dallas. There, he would a meet a recruiter for a young company owned by famed American businessman and onetime presidential candidate Ross Perot. Fletcher began a career with Perot Systems in 1994, working in inventory control initially and later joining the information technology aspect of the business, where he hit his stride. Following nine years of company growth and personal advancement, Fletcher credits Perot as a significant mentor. “Ross taught me a lot about life and business, and I will never forget him signing a 26 percent increase in my salary,” he said. While working for Perot Systems, Fletcher began traveling the world doing technology consulting. “I took over the sales efforts and traveled 80 to 100,000 miles each year until settling in Germany,” he said. Following his arrival in Munich and an amicable split with Perot Systems, the Oklahoma native decided to go into the IT business for himself. He remained in Germany for five years while he traveled the world working on projects for BMW, until the carmaker’s management beckoned him to Greenville to support its efforts at CU-ICAR. By July of 2009, Fletcher decided
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to follow the dreams of many red-blooded Americans by opening his own restaurant and bar, The Green Room, in Greenville. In an effort to keep things fresh, Fletcher continued opening distinct restaurants in the city, and Floyd’s Oyster House and Cajun Kitchen, SIP Rooftop Lounge and The Loft at Falls Park joined the Green Room to make up the High Street Hospitality Group. “My grandmother was an English war bride who came over after World War II, and I lived in England for a while as well,” he said. “All of my locations are on Main Street, and High Street is the English version of that phrase.”
Was there one particular restaurant that inspired you to build your own? My favorite restaurant in the world is down a little alley in Barcelona, Spain, called Els Quatre Gats. I went there for the first time in the late 1990s. Picasso painted the front cover of their menu. My favorite restaurant here is The Green Room because it is everything I want in a bar.
After traveling the world and visiting different restaurants around the globe, did you take certain aspects from each of those you visited and assign them to your own in Greenville? Yes, but mostly around menu development. Living in Munich, I was spoiled by everything being made fresh and in-house, and that is why everything is fresh in The Green Room. Of course, traveling around the world can give you a lot of cool ideas for flavors.
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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Photos Provided
What about the Greenville market makes it so conducive for opening a restaurant?
What is the greatest asset to Greenville’s downtown business community?
Greenville’s restaurant market is the residual effect of neighboring cities such as Charleston and Savannah. Charleston has restaurants noted in national publications, and with Greenville being so close, consumers are adventurous enough to support us.
Restaurant owners in downtown Greenville work together well. It is not a cutthroat business environment and we reach out to help one another.
What is the greatest obstacle to business downtown? The traffic and lack of parking is the greatest obstacle.
What do you do for yourself? I love to play golf and I love wine. I really enjoy getting to know the background stories of wine and visiting wineries.
If you could change places with someone in the world, who would it be? I would trade places with or live the life of my grandfather, Don Wright, who always has provided me with great advice in life and has inspired me to always chase my dreams. He is 93 now, and even last year as I was in the middle of some life-changing events was able to connect with me and show me love, direction and support. He is the best version of man that I know.
New hires, promotions & award winners can be featured in On The Move. Send information & photos to onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com.
UBJ ON THE MOVE HIRED
HIRED
HIRED
PROMOTED
HONORED
Heath Lane
Yancey Epps
Dr. David S. Wood
Michael Weyman
Alicia Powers
Joined EDTS as a network engineer. Lane has nearly 15 years of business-to-business experience in end-user support and IT networking prior to joining EDTS. He holds numerous certifications including Microsoft Certified Network Technician accreditation.
Named as risk management and operations specialist at Phillips Staffing. Epps joins Phillips with more than 20 years of experience in risk management, operations and sales. Most recently, he served as sales and marketing director for a regional Chamber of Commerce.
Named Wofford College’s senior vice president for development, effective July 1. Wood is currently the college’s provost. Wood has served as Wofford’s vice president and director of athletics, senior vice president, and dean of the college. He was named provost in 2013.
Named deputy director of Clemson University’s Regulatory Services unit, a state agency charged with safeguarding the health of South Carolina’s crops, forests and landscape plants. Weyman has worked for the Department of Pesticide Regulation since 1998 and was its assistant chairman since 2011.
Awarded a 2014 Excellence in Teaching Award from the South Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities (SCICU) organization. Powers is an associate professor of health services at Furman University.
May 2, 2014
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UBJ THE FINE PRINT
Moore School Ranked No. 1 for International MBA The University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business’s International MBA program was named No. 1 in the 2015 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools. The program, which was ranked third last year, bested Thunderbird School of Management, University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and Harvard Business School. The Moore School has ranked in the top three for 25 consecutive years.
“The Moore School has over the past few years redesigned its In-
ternational MBA program, and it is gratifying to receive such wonderful recognition for this effort,” said Peter Brews, dean of the Darla Moore School of Business, in a news release. “I am grateful to all the faculty, staff and students who contributed to the ranking announced today. Being ranked No. 1 in both undergraduate and graduate international business programs by U.S. News & World
Report is an outstanding accolade to receive, and the Moore School will continue on its innovative path in international business education so that this stellar ranking is maintained.” The U.S. News & World Report graduate school rankings are based on peer and recruiter assessments, placement success, selectivity and salary surveys of graduates. The Moore School enrolls more than 4,000 undergraduate students and nearly 900 graduate students.
Duke Selects SC Spots for Site Readiness Program Duke Energy recently announced that the company has selected five South Carolina properties for participation in its 2014 Site Readiness Program to prepare the properties for potential industrial development. The program identifies, evaluates and improves industrial sites in the company’s service territory to help communities served by the utility compete for new companies and jobs. The properties chosen to participate in the 2014 program are: The Capps II Industrial Site in Marion County; the Florence Regional
Airport Industrial Park in Florence County; Alligator Industrial Park in Chesterfield County; the Reliance Industrial Site in Marlboro County; and farmland in Williamsburg County. McCallum Sweeney Consulting will conduct site studies. As part of the program, Duke Energy will collaborate with county leaders and local economic development professionals to develop a strategy for providing water, sewer, natural gas and electricity to the
sites. At the completion of the program, Duke Energy will present its findings, which include a detailed report and conceptual drawings, to county officials. Since 2006, Duke Energy has evaluated 114 sites in the Carolinas and has won 12 major projects on
those properties, which has resulted in approximately 2,100 jobs and $2.9 billion in capital investment, said Stu Heishman, Duke Energy’s vice president for economic and business development, in a news release. Duke Energy’s Site Readiness Program’s ideal candidates are 75 acres or larger and served by the utility. A qualified site can be suited for a single, large industrial facility or data center, or a potential industrial park (multi-tenant site).
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UBJ THE FINE PRINT Palmetto State Bank Assumes Allendale County Bank’s Deposits Palmetto State Bank, through a purchase and assumption agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), will assume all of Allendale County Bank’s deposits. Federal regulators closed Allendale County Bank, based in Fairfax, S.C., last month. Its five branches will reopen as branches of Palmetto State
Bank, and depositors of Allendale County Bank will automatically become depositors of Palmetto State Bank. As of Dec. 31, 2013, Allendale County Bank had approximately $54.5 million in total assets and
$51.0 million in total deposits. In addition to assuming all of the deposits of the failed bank, Palmetto State Bank agreed to purchase essentially all of the assets. According to a news release, the FDIC esti-
TPM Expands to Charleston
TD and NFCC Renew Partnership TD Bank recently announced a renewed partnership with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) to sponsor 110 adult financial education seminars for about 2,000 people in Florida, New York City, Philadelphia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Until Dec. 31, NFCC member agencies will host and teach the seminars, which will focus on budgeting and basic financial management skills, understanding credit reports and scores, and preparing for home ownership. “The NFCC is delighted to partner with TD, whose commitment to financial education aligns perfectly with our mission,” said Susan C.
Keating, president and CEO of the NFCC, in a news release. “We applaud their support of financial education, and are pleased they selected the NFCC Member Agency network to deliver the education in these communities.” The seminars are free of charge and open to anyone.
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“Financial education is a lifelong journey, and TD is dedicated to providing the tools and resources necessary to help people take control of their finances,” said Elizabeth K. Warn, senior vice president of community development for TD Bank, in a news release. “This renewed partnership is a great opportunity for TD and NFCC to continue to provide critical information and guidance for people to make smart financial decisions.” ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions in Greenville will host the NFCC seminars. For a calendar listing of seminars and registration information, visit nfcc.org/ tdbank.
mates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $17.1 million. Allendale County Bank is the sixth FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the first in South Carolina. The last FDIC-insured institution closed in the state was Carolina Federal Savings Bank, Charleston, on June 8, 2012.
TPM Inc., the Carolina’s largest 3-D CAD provider, will add a new office and training facility in Charleston. The company said the new office will expand its abilities to support manufacturers, engineers and architects across the Southeast. TPM provides 3-D design software, 3-D printing and scanning, data and document management solutions, reprographics and large format graphics to 3,000 customers across the Southeast. “Having served the Lowcountry and sur-
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rounding communities for over two decades, this local office and training facility will enable TPM to continue providing the highest level of support and service to our existing and prospective customers,” said Chris Fay, vice president of TPM, in a press release. TPM is headquartered in Greenville, with offices in Columbia, Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
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UBJ SQUARE FEET
Plans Underway for Augusta Walk ‘Pocket neighborhood’ will occupy Augusta Street YWCA site SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF
sjackson@communityjournals.com Plans are underway for Augusta Walk, a new 24-home subdivision on Augusta Street, on the property where a YWCA is currently located. The community is about “a mile from Main Street and the ballpark. It’s the missing corridor,” said Neil Wilson, principal at RealtyLink Development Properties. “The plan is to help that part develop the same way Main Street is being developed and the same way Augusta Road was developed.” This is the commercial real estate company’s first foray into residential development in the Greenville area. “We work downtown and we understand what’s going on with the
downtown area. We wanted to put forth a pocket neighborhood,” said Wilson. The new subdivision will be situated on 3.7 acres. Homes will be 2,500-3,000 square feet and two to three stories with alleyways and garages in the rear and porches in the front. Wilson says that “it’s going to be nicely landscaped with sidewalks and gas lanterns – sort of a throwback to when Augusta Road was developed. We’re going to embellish that Augusta Road look with front porches and a community feel.” Homes are expected to be in the $700,000 to $800,000 range and will be custom-built from “five or six plans” by the community’s exclusive builder, Rembrey Homes. All yard maintenance will be taken care of by the neighborhood. Site construction is expected to
PROJECT PARTNERS DEVELOPER: Realty Link GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Rembrey Homes
begin July 1 with home construction to begin in October. The existing YWCA building will be demolished. Deb Long, executive director of the YWCA, said the organization is currently “undergoing strategic planning” with the board of direc-
tors and other stakeholders. “As a result of that, there are a lot of things under review and we will be evaluating what is best for the community,” she said. Long expects the planning to be completed by the end of May.
Starbucks Coming to NOMA Square SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF
sjackson@communityjournals.com
Coffee lovers can rejoice. A new Starbucks is coming to NOMA Square in downtown Greenville. “We have signed an agreement to bring Starbucks into the final retail location at
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NOMA – right next to Kilwins,” said Heather Meadors, director of community relations for JHM Hotels, which owns the Hyatt and adjacent NOMA tower. JHM Hotels chose Starbucks because “we felt they fit nicely with the Hyatt brand, would be convenient
for our hotel guests, and would serve the local community well with their long hours, great following, and because they’re just a great place to gather,” said Meadors. The company hasn’t been given a start date for the build out yet. “We under-
stand that they [Starbucks] have a fairly long list of projects ahead of ours,” said Meadors. “Therefore, we don’t have a date determined for opening,’ she said. Starbucks also operates a location in downtown at 550 S. Main St., across from Falls Park.
UBJ SQUARE FEET LISTED: Former Taylormade facility, 100 Dunlop Drive, Westminster, SC
Bright’s Creek Makes a Comeback SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF
sjackson@communityjournals.com Bright’s Creek, a residential golf and sporting club community located about 12 miles north of Landrum, S.C., in Mill Spring, N.C., is relaunching this weekend with a new vision amid a series of events during the annual Block House Steeplechase May 2-4. The 4,700-acre property, surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, is being developed by Alianza Trinity Holdings LLC, whose principals include Omar Botero, Gilberto Iragorri and Pasquale Giordano, a real estate development team who purchased the property and remaining assets in August 2013. The original developer, Par Investments, went out of business during the economic downturn. “It’s really a fantastic community in a
PROJECT PARTNERS DEVELOPER: Alianza Trinity Holdings GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Manello Construction ARCHITECT: TBD-In final stages of selection FINANCED BY: Alianza Trinity Holdings
very unique, natural setting,” said Botero. “An enormous amount of work had been done already and it had great bones when we acquired it.” The community had an existing $100 million infrastructure already in place that included 18 miles of paved roads, and underground utilities including triple-play fiber optic cable, natural gas, water and sewer. Bright’s Creek also boasts more than 200 creeks and 75 waterfalls. The Alianza team has re-envisioned the property as a family-friendly destination where residents of all ages can enjoy the existing world-class equestrian center, 15 miles of riding trails, hiking trails, a 19-hole Tom Fazio-designed, PGA-rated golf course, and a traditional lodge and club house. Future amenities “are already in the works,” said Botero, and include a swim and fitness club, a wine tasting room and “one of the top VIP gun clubs in the U.S,” he said. A kids’ entertainment village is also underway with climbing walls, zip lines, a teepee village and treehouses. “We recognize that while golf remains popular, second-home buyers today are trending younger and looking for an experience that captures the imagination of the entire family, not just the golfer or rider,” said Botero. “We’re working to
This property just listed is the former Taylormade facility in Oconee County. The 200,000-square-foot property offers a unique opportunity in the Upstate given the building’s amenities such as air conditioning, heavy power and process systems. PRICE/SF: $2.85/ SF NNN
LOT SIZE: 44 acres
PROPERTY SIZE: 200,000 square-feet
BUILDING OWNER: Edgar Investments LLC
PROPERTY TYPE: Manufacturing
LISTING BROKER(S): Cushman and Wakefield | Thalhimer, Brian Young, Elliott Fayssoux, Kacie Jackson
PROPERTY USE TYPE: Manufacturing
create an amenity package for everyone to enjoy.” The community has three property types available, including lots, cottages and condominiums/villas. Lot prices range from $150,000 to $600,000 and up. Cottages range
May 2, 2014
from $600,000 to $750,000, and the villas/condos range $650,000 to $800,000 for two-bedroom units and $1.2 million and up for four-bedroom units. All will be fully furnished with upscale amenities, said Botero. There are 143 fully developed lots available with 200 cottages and eight condo/villas. Bright’s Creek is located at 2222 Palmer Road in Mill Spring. Sales and marketing are being overseen by Beth Butler. For more information call 828-620-2552 or visit brightscreek.com.
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GOT A HOT DATE?
UBJ PLANNER FRIDAY MAY 2 CITADEL DIRECTORS’ INSTITUTE Francis Marion Hotel, 387 King St., Charleston; 8 a.m.-4 p.m. SPEAKERS: Myron Steele, former Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice; Brig. Gen. Harvey W. Schiller, USAF Retired, Ph.D. and chairman of Schiller Management Group; Bill Bojan, president and CEO of Integrated Governance Solutions; and Donna Dabney, executive director of the Governance Center of the Conference Board COST: $395 per person REGISTER AT: citadeldirectorsinstitute.com
Contribute to our Planner by submitting event information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com
NORTH GREENVILLE ROTARY CLUB
FOR INFORMATION: greenvillehr.shrm.org
The Poinsett Club, 807 E. Washington St., Greenville; 12:30-1:30 p.m.
CONTACT: greenvillehr@gmail.com
COST: Free to attend, lunch $16
TOASTMASTERS BILINGUE
CONTACT: Shanda Jeffries at 864-9682319 or sjeffries@ flynnwealth.com
University Center, 225 S. Pleasantburg Dr., Auditorium Room 204, Greenville; noon-1 p.m.
MONDAY MAY 5 GSHRM COMMITTEE PLANNING MEETING Greenville Technical College, Buck Mickel Center, 216 S. Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville; noon-1 p.m. TOPIC: HR Management Conference
TUESDAY MAY 6
FOR INFORMATION: tmbilingue.toastmastersclubs.org CONTACT: Jeff Alfonso at jeff@alfonsointerpreting.com NON-PROFIT ALLIANCE Greenville Chamber of Commerce,
24 Cleveland St., Greenville; noon-1:30 p.m. SPEAKER: Bev James, Greenville County Library System TOPIC: Grant Funding COST: Free for Greenville Chamber members, $20 for non-members CONTACT: 864-242-1050 REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org GCRA SEMINAR Simpsonville Chamber of Commerce, 211 N. Main St., Simpsonville; 1-2 p.m. SPEAKER: Rashida Jeffers, Greenville County Redevelopment Authority (GCRA) TOPIC: GCRA’s Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund and their Facade Improvement Grant Program COST: Free to attend
Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 5:30-6:30 p.m. CONTACT: 864-239-3743 REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org 10TH ANNUAL UPSTATE DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP AWARDS DINNER TD Convention Center, 1 Exposition Drive, Greenville; 5:30 p.m. SPEAKER: Kiara Kabukura, fashion model COST: $75 per person CONTACT: 864-239-3731 REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org GSHRM MEMBERSHIP MEETING Thornblade Club, 1275 Thornblade Blvd., Greer; 5:30-8 p.m.
CONTACT: Allison McGarity at amcgarity@ simpsonvillechamber.com
TOPIC: What’s New with Affirmative Action/ EEO/Veterans/Disability Reporting
INTRODUCTION TO PULSE
COST: $25 per person
greenvillehr.shrm.org CONTACT: greenvillehr@gmail.com GOLDEN STRIP TOASTMASTERS Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 739 N. Main St., Mauldin; 7-8 p.m. COST: Free for guests FOR INFORMATION: goldenstriptoastmasters. toastmastersclubs.org CONTACT: Prasad Patchipulusu at pprasa1@hotmail.com
WEDNESDAY MAY 7 2014 MANUFACTURERS ROUNDTABLE Greenville Spartanburg Airport District (GSP), 2000 GSP Drive, Ste. 1, Greer; 3:30 p.m. TOPIC: Development Tour: Inland Port and GSP Airport COST: Free for Greenville Chamber manufacturer members, $15 for non-members CONTACT: Darlene Parker at 864-239-3706
FOR INFORMATION:
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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
May 2, 2014
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UBJ NEW TO THE STREET 1
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1. Artisan, a Southern cuisine restaurant, recently cut the ribbon at its location inside the Greenville Marriott, 1 Parkway E. in Greenville. For more information, call 864-297-0300. 2. Joe’s Place recently opened at 640 S. Main St. in Greenville. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and noon-6 p.m. Sunday. The store is a used bookstore featuring a
wine bar, gourmet coffee and art. For more information, call 864-558-0828 or email joesplacebookstore@yahoo.com. 3. Shadow Wood Cottage recently held a ribbon cutting at 113A S. Main St. in Fountain Inn. The store is an antique and home décor store. Hours are 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday. For more information, call 864-363-5184, email shadowwoodcottage@ gmail.com, or visit shadowwoodcottage.com.
MARKETING & EVENTS Kate Banner
DIGITAL STRATEGIST PRESIDENT/CEO Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com
UBJ PUBLISHER
Emily Price
ART & PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR Kristy M. Adair
Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com
OPERATIONS Holly Hardin
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Michael Allen, Whitney Fincannon
Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com
MANAGING EDITOR Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com
SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER Jennifer Oladipo
STAFF WRITERS
Sherry Jackson, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris, Joe Toppe
CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jeanne Putnam
PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Beckner MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehman, Pam Putman
ADVERTISING DESIGN CLIENT SERVICES Anita Harley, Jane Rogers
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LINKED IN: Upstate Business Journal Copyright @2014 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, South Carolina, 29602. Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $50. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, SC 29602. Printed in the USA
IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF UBJ? WANT A COPY FOR YOUR LOBBY? 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
UBJ milestone
UBJ milestone jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years 1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport
1988
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Chairman larry Jackson, Jackson marketing Group. Photos by Greg Beckner / Staff
NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, AWARDS:
Jackson Marketing Group celebrates 25 years
onthemove@ upstatebusinessjournal.com
20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013
UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties. Guest columns run 700-800 words. Contact Executive Editor Susan Clary Simmons at ssimmons@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration.
1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993
1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont office Center on Villa.
By sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
Solve. Serve. Grow. Those three words summarize Jackson Marketing Group’s guiding principles, and according to owner Larry Jackson, form the motivation that has kept the firm thriving for the past 25 years.
Jackson graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in video and film production and started his 41-year career in the communications industry with the U.S. Army’s Public Information Office. He served during
Vietnam, where he said he was “luckily” stationed in the middle of Texas at Fort Hood. He left the service and went to work in public affairs and motorsports at Ford Motor Company in Detroit. After a stint at Bell and Howell, where he was responsible for managing Ford’s dealer marketing and training, the entrepreneurial bug hit and he co-founded Jackson-Dawson Marketing Communications, a company specializing in dealer training and product launches for the auto industry in 1980. In 1987, Jackson wanted to move back south and thought Greenville would be a good fit. An avid pilot, he
learned of an opportunity to purchase Cornerstone Aviation, a fixed base operation (FBO) that served as a service station for the Greenville Downtown Airport, providing fuel, maintenance and storage. In fact, when he started the Greenville office of what is now Jackson Marketing Group (JMG) in 1988, the offices were housed on the second floor in an airport hangar. “Clients would get distracted by the airplanes in the hangars and we’d have to corral them to get back upstairs to the meeting,” Jackson said. Jackson sold the FBO in 1993, but says it was a great way to get to know Greenville’s fathers and leaders
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with a majority of them utilizing the general aviation airport as a “corporate gateway to the city.” In 1997, Jackson and his son, Darrell, launched Jackson Motorsports Group. The new division was designed to sell race tires and go to racetracks to sell and mount the tires. Darrell Jackson now serves as president of the motorsports group and Larry Jackson has two other children and a son-in-law who work there. Jackson said all his children started at the bottom and “earned their way up.” Jackson kept the Jackson-Dawson branches in Detroit and others in Los Angeles and New York until he sold his portion of that partnership in 2009 as part of his estate planning. The company now operates a small office in Charlotte, but its main headquarters are in Greenville in a large office space off Woodruff Road, complete with a vision gallery that displays local artwork and an auditorium Jackson makes available for non-profit use. The Motorsports Group is housed in an additional 26,000 square feet building just down the street, and the agency is currently looking for another 20,000 square feet. Jackson said JMG has expanded into other verticals such as financial, healthcare, manufacturing and pro-bono work, but still has a strong focus on the auto industry and transportation. It’s
2003 motorsports Division acquires an additional 26,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space
1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court
also one of the few marketing companies in South Carolina to handle all aspects of a project in-house, with four suites handling video production, copywriting, media and research and web design. Clients include heavyweights such as BMW, Bob Jones University, the Peace Center, Michelin and Sage Automotive. Recent projects have included an interactive mobile application for Milliken’s arboretum and 600-acre Spartanburg campus and a marketing campaign for the 2013 Big League World Series. “In my opinion, our greatest single achievement is the longevity of our client relationships,” said Darrell Jackson. “Our first client from back in 1988 is still a client today. I can count on one hand the number of clients who have gone elsewhere in the past decade.” Larry Jackson says his Christian faith and belief in service to others, coupled with business values rooted in solving clients’ problems, have kept
2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson marketing Group when larry sells his partnership in Detroit and lA 2003
2009-2012 Jackson marketing Group named a top BtoB agency by BtoB magazine 4 years running
him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-profits. The company was recently awarded the Community Foundation Spirit Award. The company reaffirmed its commitment to serving the community last week by celebrating its 25th anniversary with a birthday party and a 25-hour Serve-A-Thon partnership with Hands on Greenville and Habitat for Humanity. JMG’s 103 full-time employees worked in shifts around the clock on October 22 and 23 to help construct a house for a deserving family. As Jackson inches towards retirement, he says he hasn’t quite figured out his succession plan yet, but sees the companies staying under the same umbrella. He wants to continue to strategically grow the business. “From the beginning, my father has taught me that this business is all about our people – both our clients and our associates,” said his son, Darrell. “We have created a focus and a culture that strives to solve problems, serve people and grow careers.” Darrell Jackson said he wants to “continue helping lead a culture where we solve, serve and grow. If we are successful, we will continue to grow towards our ultimate goal of becoming the leading integrated marketing communications brand in the Southeast.”
2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports Group employee base reaches 100 people
2008 2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation with Creative spirit Award
pro-bono/non-proFit Clients American Red Cross of Western Carolinas Metropolitan Arts Council Artisphere Big League World Series The Wilds Advance SC South Carolina Charities, Inc. Aloft Hidden Treasure Christian School
CoMMUnitY inVolVeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board, Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board
November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21
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UBJ SOCIAL SNAPSHOT ARTHUR RUTENBERG HOMES HOSTS KELLER WILLIAMS REALTORS Arthur Rutenberg Homes hosted the Keller Williams Realtors at a recent wine and cheese event.
GREENVILLE AREA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION’S ANNUAL MEETING A packed house attended the annual meeting of the Greenville Area Development Corporation. Speakers included GADC board chairman Bob Howard, GADC Interim President and CEO Kevin Landmesser, Greenville County Council Chairman Bob Taylor, and S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt.
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Historic photos provided by Ron Copsey.
UBJ SNAPSHOT
Current photos taken by Greg Beckner/Staff . The entrance to Donaldson Air Force Base from the 1950s. The base was opened in 1942 as an Army air base and was active as a military air base until 1962 when the Air Force left the facility.
The heated hanger in the new S.C. Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility will be used to service helicopters. A South Carolina Historic Marker on the site of the former Donaldson Air Force Base. The former base and surrounding area are now home to the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (SCTAC), which includes some 80 business.
A U.S. Air Force C-124 Globemaster II in flight during the 1950s. The planes were used by the 63rd Troop Carrier Wing stationed at Donaldson Air Force base from 1953 to 1962. The C-124 was the largest cargo aircraft in the Air Force at the time and saw missions all over the world. The base was called the “Airlift Capital of the World” while the C-124s were stationed there.
Equipment is unloaded at the new South Carolina Army National Guard Aviation support facility as it gears up for operations at the Donaldson Center. For the first time since the U.S. Air Force left Donaldson in 1962, active military aircraft will be located at the center.
UBJ ON THE MOVE …continued from 23 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: The Greenville Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (GSHRM) announced that Celeste Bethell Purdie has been awarded the 2013 Human Resources Professional of the Year Award. Purdie is the human resource associate director for Verizon Wireless.
CONSTRUCTION/ENGINEERING: O’Neal Inc. has hired Doug Morris and Jim Creel as senior engineers. Morris has more than 30 years of mechanical engineering experience,
working with General Electric and Lectrodryer LLC. Creel has more than 25 years of engineering experience, working with O’Neal previously from 1986 to 2006. O’Neal has also hired Scott Sorgee as construction manager. Sorgee has more than 20 years of electrical construction experience, working with such contractors as Hayes & Lunsford and Delta Electric. Trent Culp and Jim Donahue have been hired as project engineers. Culp has more than six years of engineering experience, working with Wood Group Mustang and SYS Constructors. He
comes to O’Neal from Zachry Holdings Inc. Donahue has more than 20 years of construction management experience, working with Yeargin Potter Shackleford and THS Constructors during his career.
MAINTENANCE: The South Carolina Association of Heating and Air Conditioning Contractors (SCAHACC) recently named Aaron Courier of Carolina Heating Service as the Top Tech in the State with a perfect score. Courier competed against 10 other technicians from
May 2, 2014
across the state. The technicians were skill-tested and timed at four HVAC stations with accuracy being critical.
NONPROFIT: Habitat For Humanity of Greenville County announced that Chris Umberger has joined the organization as chief business officer. Prior to joining Habitat, Umberger was controller at General Wholesale Distributors. He brings more than 17 years of experience in finance and accounting operations including positions with IBM and AIMCO.
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