MAY 4, 2018 | VOL. 8 ISSUE 18
THE
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY ISSUE
ASHLEIGH & LAWRENCE BLACK ARE TRANSFORMING TAYLORS’ SOUTHERN BLEACHERY INTO SOMETHING VISIONARY
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Will Crooks / Upstate Business Journal
GREER’S GROWTH & REBIRTH SPARTANBURG’S SPECS MOVERS, SHAKERS, DEALMAKERS
The intersection at Stone Avenue, North Church Street and Wade Hampton is undergoing a transformation into Downtown Greenville’s next highly coveted walking neighborhood community. NorthPointe will feature both residential and retail opportunities – shops, cafes, and an anchor grocer – to serve the entire North Main District.
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THE RUNDOWN |
TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 18 Featured this issue: Exploring some of the Upstate’s hidden gems..................................................... 33 Updates on the robot revolution................................................................................ 34 Three questions to ask before committing to social media............................. 36
WORTH REPEATING “We’re in a maturing process, and we weren’t mature then. Now we’ve grown.” Mayor Rick Danner, Page 16
“The Inland Port is changing the dynamic of spec in the market.” Garrett Scott, Page 20
“We fell in love with the place and the potential.” Ashleigh Black, Page 24
VERBATIM
Love Connection
The Makers Collective flagship event Indie Craft Parade, which has been bursting at the seams of the 19,000-square-foot Huguenot Mill since the first annual festival in 2010, is moving out of downtown Greenville to a 25,000-squarefoot location in Taylors for its popular makers market. Read more on Page 28. Conceptual rendering by Clemson graduate student Seth Lauderdale
“There are 200 million people on Facebook who list themselves as single. And if we are committed to building meaningful relationships, then this is perhaps the most meaningful of all.” Mark Zuckerburg, on Facebook’s new dating feature that was announced May 1
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UBJ | 5.4.2018
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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW
CLEMSON
MBA
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PROGRAM
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AT GREENVILLEONE Mr. Knickerbocker opened in 1973 as a men’s clothier and later became a go-to shop for Clemson memorabilia and clothing. Photo provided
REAL ESTATE
Iconic downtown Clemson building sold MIKE MCMILLAN | CONTRIBUTOR
The sale of an iconic downtown Clemson storefront was finalized in late April, signaling that the original Mr. Knickerbocker store is changing hands. The property, at 354 College Ave., was sold to 354 Clemson LLC as an investment. The store, which has been the original location for Mr. Knickerbocker, was part of Clemson’s downtown for 45 years. “We’ll be making a change,” said David Spearman, president of Mr. Knickerbocker. “It’s all been a surprise for us.” Details about the sale of the 5,175-square-foot property are still being hammered out. Laura Harmon, of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer, handled the sale of the property on behalf of the buyers.
“It’s just such an iconic property,” she said. “It’s so unique — it’s just so hard to put a price on it.” Harmon said the buyers plan to keep the property as is. “Hands down, it was all about the nostalgia,” she said. According to Mr. Knickerbocker’s website, the store opened in April 1973 by James and Betty Spearman as a men’s clothier. It expanded in 1974 to add Clemson memorabilia and clothing as the school’s football program rose to national prominence. The shop expanded several times over its lifetime and has since opened three other locations — one on Tiger Boulevard, one in Greenville, and one in Central. The store offers all manner of Clemson-themed items for men, women, and children, and plenty of unique collectible items. 5.4.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW
FINANCE
Southern First announces 2018 Q1 earnings
Art Seaver, CEO, Southern First Bank. Will Crooks/Upstate Business Journal
Southern First Banchares Inc. (NASDAQ: SFST), the holding company for Southern First Bank, has reported its net income available to common shareholders for the first quarter of 2018. The net income increased 68 percent to $5.2 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, compared with $3.1 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2017. Total loans increased 20 percent to $1.46 billion in the first quarter 2018, compared with $1.22 billion in the first quarter of 2017. Total deposits increased 26 percent to $1.52 billion in the first quarter of 2018, compared with $1.21 billion in the first quarter of 2017. Southern First also announced its entrance into the Greensboro/ Triad region of North Carolina with a team of three new bankers. “The first quarter of 2018 was simply outstanding as the Southern First team generated record earnings of $5.2 million,” said CEO Art Seaver. “Our performance was highlighted by strong growth
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UBJ | 5.4.2018
in new client relationships and retail deposits, as well as excellent production by our mortgage team. We continue to add experienced bankers to our team, and we are excited to announce our expansion into the Greensboro, N.C., market.” As of March 31, 2018, SFB’s nonperforming assets were $7.5 million, or 0.43 percent of total assets. Gross loans were $1.5 billion, excluding mortgage loans held for sale. Core deposits, which exclude out-of-market deposits and time deposits of $250,000 or more, increased to $1.3 billion, compared with $1 billion at March 31, 2017. Shareholders’ equity totaled $154.7 million as of March 31, 2018, compared with $149.7 million at December 31, 2017, and $113.6 million at March 31, 2017. As of March 31, 2018, SFB’s capital ratios continue to exceed the regulatory requirements for a “wellcapitalized” institution. -Robert Hull
INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW
| NEWS
MANUFACTURING
EAS Change Systems locates headquarters to Greenville EAS Change Systems, a company that supports the plastic injection molding industry, will locate its headquarters for North and Central American operations in the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center at 200 Augusta Arbor Way in Greenville. “Moving our operations to Greenville, S.C., places us in the middle of the most exciting region for plastics and automotive in the United States. Here, we can find a high-quality workforce, and we’re located in close proximity to many of our global customers,” EAS Change Systems CEO Vincent Nijzink said. EAS Change Systems manufactures quick-clamping and quick-changing systems for plastic
injection molding machines and metal stamping presses, according to a press release from the S.C. Department of Commerce. The company’s headquarters is expected to be online in the comings weeks and will create 20 new jobs. Hiring for the new positions is already underway, and interested applicants should contact vincent. nijzink@easchangesystems.com. “As a project offering high-tech, innovative services that support our region’s existing manufacturers, EAS Change Systems embodies new economic development approaches,” said John Lummus, president and CEO of Upstate S.C. Alliance. -Andrew Moore
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THE SPARK
The Spark
Happenings in Upstate Biz with Trevor Anderson Just as it occurs in life, culture in business doesn’t just evolve overnight.
In the banking industry, where economic headwinds, regulations, consumer behavior, and other factors are constantly changing the landscape, particularly for community banks, personality and core principles have become paramount. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., you know, that organization that props up the U.S. financial system, reported the number of insured commercial banks in the country decreased almost 4 percent in 2017 to 4,919 institutions, compared with 5,116 during the previous year. Since 1980, the number of FDIC-insured banks has fallen nearly 66 percent from 14,434 institutions. Suffice to say, there’s a race on, not to see which banks will grow the largest, but which ones will still be around within a decade or so.
And one Upstate institution appears to be on the right track. “Our business is survival of the fittest,” says Lynn Harton, CEO of Georgia-based United Community Bank (UCB). “It’s intensely competitive. … The question is, who are those winners going to be?” Full disclosure: This reporter doesn’t bank with UCB. It’s like a vegan trying to describe the taste of a thick, juicy steak. You don’t really know until you’ve tried it. And there are a lot of community banks in the Upstate that are succeeding. However, few have enjoyed growth like UCB in such a short span of time. Founded in 1950, UCB entered South Carolina in 2012. At the time, the bank had zero market share, zero locations, and only one employee — Harton — in the state. Since establishing its Greenville corporate office in 2013, UCB’s operations in South Carolina have grown to 540 employees and 39 branches, including nearly 25 locations in the Upstate. The bank’s total deposits in the state were $1.7 billion and UCB ranked No. 9 in market share in South Carolina in 2017.
Lynn Harton
UCB’s corporate footprint in downtown Greenville has expanded to about 90,000 square feet. In addition to Harton, the bank’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, chief information officer, president of mortgage services, president of commercial banking solutions, chief credit officer, and chief audit officer are all based in Greenville. The Upstate has become the epicenter for UCB’s entire enchilada, which includes more than 2,050 employees, $12.3 billion in assets, and 151 branches in Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee.
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UCB is building a new multimillion-dollar Spartanburg market headquarters that is expected to transform one of the city’s major gateways to downtown. In each of the past four years, J.D. Power has ranked UCB first in customer satisfaction in the Southeast. The bank has made Forbes’ 100 Best Banks in America list for five consecutive years. The list of achievements goes on. But when you boil it down, UCB’s success in South Carolina stems from a culture that prizes forward thinking, community relationships, and openness to change. It also encompasses its CEO’s belief in Greenville and the Upstate. For example, UCB has partnered with Clemson University to develop its Leadership Academy, an internal talent development program that grooms 15 of the bank’s emerging leaders annually. The bank supports the Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville’s Ice on Main, and a range of other
community organizations and events across the region and state. Although technology has made it more convenient than ever for customers to conduct banking business online, Harton says the bank remains committed to the best customer service possible. “Our model of a community bank is one that is focused on the community in which it operates,” Harton says. “We can be organized like a small bank, care like a small bank, but have the resources of [a larger bank].” Sorry about all of the food puns, but the proof may, in fact, be in the pudding. “Lynn Harton has been instrumental in so many ways in supporting Greenville’s business and cultural development,” says Greenville developer Phil Hughes. “Without Lynn, Greenville wouldn’t be what it is today. And, with Lynn and United’s substantial local presence and support, Greenville is sure to continue its quality growth and vibrancy.”
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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW
| NEWS
MANUFACTURING
Alice Manufacturing Co. to close Ellison plant in Pickens County One of the oldest textile operations in the Upstate is closing its doors later this year. Easley-based Alice Manufacturing Co. announced on Monday that it will begin phasing out operations at its Ellison Plant on June 30. The plant, which opened in 1968, produces apparel and yarn for home furnishings and employs 175 people, according to a news release.
plant. “These folks have produced well over a billion yards of fabric serving a unique variety of markets from apparel to home furnishings customers,” he said. Alice Manufacturing Co. was launched in 1923 when Foster McKissick of Greenville and his son, Ellison Smyth McKissick, purchased the Alice Mill from E.H. Shanklin. The company grew and eventually
“ The Ellison plant team has had a proud 50-year history of producing the finest textile products in the world. Thousands of folks have come here for decades to create the highest-quality fabrics.” E. Smyth McKissick III, chairman, Alice Manufacturing Co.
E. Smyth McKissick III, chairman of Alice Manufacturing Co., said the company “is dedicated to helping employees make as smooth a transition as possible.” Alice Manufacturing Co. is working to place associates with other companies in Pickens County and offering training as well as scholarships for continuing education to assist with their employees’ transitions, according to the release. “The Ellison plant team has had a proud 50-year history of producing the finest textile products in the world. Thousands of folks have come here for decades to create the highest-quality fabrics,” McKissick said. “They’ve worked together for a common purpose and have created a community of the very best people.” McKissick said the company’s focus is on the well-being of the employees, who he described as the “heart and soul” of the Ellison
added numerous plants across the Upstate. It opened the Ellison plant in 1968. The company, however, has struggled to compete with imported textile products. “Once vibrant U.S. and NAFTA markets on which plants like Ellison have depended have changed dramatically due to a flood of imports from producers in nonmarket economies,” the company said in the release. “In response to these changes, Alice Manufacturing Co. founded a fashion bedding business in 2000 in order to become closer and more important to the final consumer.” “We are energized about the future of our fashion bedding business,” McKissick said. “This business made two acquisitions in 2017, and we believe both of these will generate terrific synergies and build on its successful platform.” -Andrew Moore
5.4.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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NEWS |
INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW
Marathon Petroleum’s Galveston Bay Refinery. Photo: Business Wire
ENERGY
Fluor Corp. wins contract for integration of Marathon refineries Texas-based Fluor Corp., which has offices in Greenville, has been awarded a contract from Marathon Petroleum to execute the engineering and procurement scope of the South Texas Asset Repositioning (STAR) program at its Galveston Bay refinery in Texas. Fluor booked the undisclosed contract value into backlog in the first quarter of this year, according to a news release. The STAR program aims to integrate Marathon’s refinery in Texas City into the adjacent Galveston Bay refinery, according to a news release. The integration of the refineries will result in the creation of a refining complex with a crude processing capacity of 611,000 barrels per day. The program is slated to be completed in 2022. “This project will continue the development of MPC’s Galveston Bay refinery into a world-class refining complex,” Fluor’s energy & chemicals Americas president Mark Fields said in the release. “Fluor and MPC have a proven track record of delivering similar programs, most recently in Detroit and Garyville, La. Fluor values its strong working relationship with MPC and is excited to be part of the STAR program.” Since 2013, Fluor has been engaged in the STAR program, performing the feasibility studies and early engineering work. The company is also currently providing engineering, procurement, and construction management services on reconfiguration at the Galveston Bay refinery under a contract awarded in April 2017. The reconfiguration will enable the refinery to achieve updated U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tier 3 gasoline sulfur standards. Fluor’s scope in the contract includes a new unit, modernizing a number of existing units and modifying utilities and offsites to support the scheduled process changes, and refinery connections, according to the release. -Andrew Moore UBJ | 5.4.2018
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The Wells Fargo Center DP3 Architects www.dp3architects.com | PEOPLE
The Wells Fargo Center’s new ownership and management team, Caprocq and Colliers International, envisioned a transformation of the building interior that would make it one of the most desirable locations for existing and prospective tenants. DP3 Architects was hired to design updated and innovative spaces throughout the building, and the firm worked alongside Colliers International’s project management team, LCK, to make the vision a reality. “The owner’s recent capital investments to the lobbies, common areas, and amenities have been extremely well-received by the current tenants and will be enjoyed by future tenants and visitors of the building for years to come.” said David Feild, Market President of Colliers International’s office in Greenville. The redevelopment includes a dramatic facelift to the main lobby and each floor elevator lobby. New storefront entrances have been revealed from the lobby to the onsite retail and restaurants, and comfortable seating and gathering areas are placed throughout the space. Feild praises the result of the renovation, “The investment has positioned the Wells Fargo Center to be one of the nicest and most in-demand buildings in downtown Greenville.”
PLACES
PURPOSE
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY ISSUE
CRE quarterly market reports Market analysis derived from first-quarter reports provided by Avison Young, CBRE, Colliers, CBC Caine, Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer, NAI Earle Furman, and Newmark Grubb Wilson Kibler.
Industrial SUMMARY:
Office SUMMARY:
Industrial space in the Upstate continues to be hot with record-low vacancy rates. Avison Young reported a 5.6 percent vacancy rate, “the largest decrease in industrial vacancy in the last eight quarters.” NAI Earle Furman reported that total inventory grew by more than 2 million square feet in the first quarter of 2018. Rates are at an all-time low of 6.6 percent, CBRE says.
Some large chunks of space are still available in the Greenville market, and overall vacancy is between 7.4 percent (reported by CBC Caine) and 15 percent (reported by CBRE). NAI Earle Furman reported a negative net absorption in the first quarter of 2018 of 52,512 square feet. The large chunks of space are “perfect for a headquarters location,” Colliers says.
Industrial speculative development continues but still is not outpacing demand. According to CBRE, the market is “attracting a large number of developers who are delivering new product and acquiring land at an unprecedented rate.” Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer says much of that space will be leased prior to building completion. Developers and brokers continue to look for viable land sales, but the biggest hurdle is a lack of utilities. Twenty-two leases were signed during the first quarter of 2018, Colliers reports.
CBRE reports space “given back” this quarter is concentrated among Class A office product in the Greenville suburban submarket, where vacancy climbed by “over 1,200 basis points to 20.6 percent.” CBRE also reports that this is the “first time in the market’s history that tenants have had as many of four different options of 50,000 contiguous Class A square feet in the local market.”t
OUTLOOK: Expansion at the Port of Charleston continues to be a huge driver for the Inland Port Greer and continues to fuel industrial-space needs in the Upstate. Several large industrial developments are in progress, including the Inland 85 Logistics Center in Greer on 324 acres with 500,280 square feet, expandable to 1.2 million square feet. Also under construction is the Apply Valley Industrial Park in Spartanburg with 373,000 square feet of Class A industrial space — 177,000 square feet has already been preleased. Newmark Grubb Wilson Kibler reports the new Smith Farms Industrial Park could “yield up to 11 buildings totaling nearly 6 million square feet of Class A space.”
OUTLOOK: Construction of office buildings continues with seven buildings totaling 151,057 square feet under development across the Greenville-Spartanburg market, reports Newmark Grubb Wilson Kibler. Avison Young forecasts a continuing demand for co-working space and points out that many private landlords are filling vacancies by signing multiple leases with individual office users.
Retail SUMMARY: Even with some national retailers (Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Bi-Lo) closing stores in the Greenville-Spartanburg market, retail space continues to remain strong. NAI Earle Furman reported a 4.4 percent vacancy rate for the first quarter of 2018 with an average asking rent of $11.82 per square foot, up 9 percent for the same period in 2017 and 5.5 percent higher than fourth-quarter 2017. On Main Street in downtown Greenville, rents continue to rise, reports Avison Young, with little vacancy on South Main Street. North Main Street, however, has struggled to fill vacant retail and restaurant spaces. Colliers cites an example of the difference in the Greenville urban retail submarkets with average triple net rental rates of $33 per square foot on Main Street. North Main Street is at $36 per square foot, and the West End is at $25 per square foot.
OUTLOOK: The Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail continues to attract commerce, even outside of downtown Greenville. Avison Young reports local retailers are locating businesses along the trail in the Overbrook, Gower, and Parkins Mill neighborhoods. Downtown Spartanburg also continues to draw new retailers and investors, Colliers says.
5.4.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY ISSUE
HERE GROWS GREER
A Hampton by Hilton, to be located at the pictured site, is currently in the design and planning stage. Will Crooks/Upstate Business Journal
DOWNTOWN GREER ‘EXPERIENCING DRAMATIC EVOLUTION’
WORDS BY ARIEL TURNER
early 15 years ago, Scott Stevens was looking to buy a live/work downtown property to house his web design business. He looked in Greenville — too expensive for his budget even then — Simpsonville, Mauldin, and other surrounding walkable communities. And then he found Greer. “They have a plan for where they’re going,” he says. “Greer really had a vision.” Stevens landed at 230 Trade St. in 2003, which was a shell of a building and much bigger than he’d originally planned. Through a series of events, he completely revamped his plans and turned the street-level space into The Davenport, an events space that through cooperation with local merchants and support from the city has been successful from the opening. He has since renovated the upstairs and lives there with his wife and two young sons and also manages Grace Hall events space down the street. The vision that drew Stevens and many other retailers to downtown Greer, or Greer Station as it’s referred to based on the former train station, came from The Partnership for Tomorrow, a community initiative for the future of Greer, which commissioned the Greer Community Master Plan. The plan focuses on growing the local economy and emphasizing entrepreneurship; promoting the walkable, outdoor areas of the city; and enhancing aspects of the city that are uniquely Greer while using its history to shape forward momentum. “A strong central business district is the backbone of a municipality,” says Ed Driggers, city administrator. “Community leaders recognized that fact in 1999 when the first Greer Community Master Plan was launched with the goal of revitalizing our downtown. The following year, when I arrived in Greer, it was evident that businesses and prospective businesses were literally buying into that plan with a desire to transform downtown. Within a decade, restaurants, businesses, and the city did exactly that and made Greer Station a leading destination for Upstate residents.” All of this planning over nearly two decades has led to two monumental and transformative projects — a full downtown streetscape plan and the previously announced Greer hotel by Greenville-based Sycamore Investment Group at the corner of North Main and East Poinsett streets in conjunction with a new parking garage. These massive undertakings 16
UBJ | 5.4.2018
“ We believe in value-add projects. The city is ready for a hotel that will help be a catalyst to an already charming area. We found a great partner with the city that happened to be the right project at the right time.” Neetu Patel, VP of operations, Sycamore Investment Group
will occur at about the same time, beginning this month. While the streetscape plan and wooing a hotel developer have been in the works for years, their happening at the same time was a coincidence, Greer Mayor Rick Danner says, adding that already having the street improvement plan on deck helped draw in the current hotel project. The repaving of downtown Greer’s alleyways and parking lots begins May 7. The entire project, the largest visible undertaking of which is transforming Trade Street’s retail and restaurant corridor by replacing asphalt with pavers and creating a wider, walkable area while still allowing vehicular traffic, will continue into 2019. Replacing the 100-year-old sewer lines under the streets was the first necessary step before the visible work could begin, says Katie Witherspoon, vice president of operations of Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce. As for the hotel project, codenamed Project Kaboom by the city, it is in the design and planning stage, says Neetu Patel, vice president of operations for Sycamore Investment Group. Reno Deaton, executive director of Greer Development Corp., says demolition will likely begin this summer with construction beginning this fall. Sycamore Investment Group, which operates eight hotels in South Carolina and Florida, has revealed that the Greer hotel will be a Hampton by Hilton. “We believe in value-add projects,” Patel says. “The city is ready for a hotel that will help be a catalyst to an already charming area. We found a great partner with the city that happened to be the right project at the right time.”
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY ISSUE Danner says four years ago the city was pursuing a hotel project that didn’t pan out. “We’re in a maturing process, and we weren’t mature then,” he says. “Now we’ve grown.” The hotel will have at least 100 rooms and will open up the opportunity for other developers to build commercial/retail facilities on adjacent property. The city’s contribution will include a 300-space municipal parking garage. Plans outlined in an ordinance approved by City Council call for the city to lease 90 parking spaces to the developer for 30 years. Upstate Business Journal previously reported that Driggers said the city would borrow at least $10 million through a bond issue to build the Greer 2017 Downtown Streetscape Master Plan
parking garage but that no property tax increase would be required. “The streetscape, hotel, and parking garage projects are designed to build on the success of that first plan,” Driggers says. “This is an opportunity to build on the solid investments those businesses and the city have made — investments that will allow us to complete the streetscape and parking garage with no millage increase. We knew it was time to update the utility infrastructure downtown. As our partner Greer CPW completes that work, the time is right to redevelop the look of the central business district. It touches transportation, economic development, and quality of life.”
Danner says these projects are, without exaggeration, game changers for downtown. He says the projected returns on the projects are more than monetary, namely a boost in overall confidence in the vitality of downtown Greer, which is evidenced by single-digit vacancy rates, and among other smaller transactions, the recent sale of the 33,000-square-foot Mutual Home Store of Greer property at 139 E. Poinsett St. for $2.8 million to Parkside Pediatrics and Grace Church. Mark Ratchford of KDS Commercial Properties, which was recently named a partner in the Greenville County Square redevelopment project, represented the seller in the transaction. GREER continued on PAGE 17
5.4.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY ISSUE GREER continued from PAGE 17
The medical group that includes Parkside Pediatrics, Tribe513, will be relocating its corporate headquarters to the Mutual Home Store property and opening a Parkside Pediatrics location on the site later this fall, bringing 70-80 employees downtown. Tribe513 is a faith-based, independent medical group that also includes Brio Internal Medicine, Vida Gynecology, and the Breastfeeding Center of Greenville. Grace Church closed on three adjacent buildings, including the old D&D Ford facility, and will transition its current Greer campus over to the buildings once renovations are complete, drawing hundreds of churchgoers downtown. The Mutual Home Store property at 139 E. Poinsett St., composed of several buildings, will be redeveloped into office and church space, which has the potential to bring 50-80 employees and hundreds of churchgoers to downtown. “Greer is experiencing a dramatic evolution,” Deaton says. Deaton says the hotel project is leveraging fringe areas of downtown that have yet to be activated. “Properties adjacent downtown will start being redeveloped on a scale we haven’t seen,” he says, adding that there are multifamily and mixed-use
projects in the works for some of those areas that previously wouldn’t have been possible. Fourteen residences are scattered within the rows of retail, restaurant, and offices downtown, most of which are second-story apartments above street-level businesses. Three of them are used as Airbnb rentals. With more than 40 downtown buildings on the national historic register, the city leaders have worked very hard to preserve the charm of downtown, Deaton says. Greer Station Association (GSA), the downtown merchant association with 65 contributors, is responsible for much of the success of the local merchants and restaurants in many of those historic buildings through its centralized marketing efforts and events, Stevens says. “Greer Station is already a highly desirable location for businesses,” Driggers says. “Improving the streets, curbing, lighting, and landscaping will only enhance the best parts of downtown and add new ones. A warm and inviting streetscape naturally attracts more visitors and is more desired by young professions — one of the fastest-growing groups in the city of Greer. As our population continues to grow and gets younger, there is a logical demand for activities
and businesses that meet their interests. That success then attracts more visitors who may choose to make Greer a destination for a getaway. The hotel project continues a long history of downtown hotels in the city and will provide convenient access to our vibrant downtown and Greer City Park.” GSA will be ramping up marketing efforts during the streetscape project to ensure businesses are not impacted negatively by the road closures and entrances being temporarily obstructed, says Katie Howell, marketing and research director. “No pain, no gain,” Stevens says. “We all want the streets to be redone. We know on the other side it’s going to be amazing.” Deaton says one of the benefits of GSA, of which he is also the executive director, is that it fosters collaboration between the members in a way that creates a unique environment for visitors and residents alike. “We’re authentic. We’re not trying to emulate any other city,” Deaton says. “Greer is Greer.”
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COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY ISSUE Apple Valley Industrial Park. Rendering provided by PCCP LLC and Panattoni Development Co.
SPARTANBURG’S SPEC INDUSTRIAL MARKET IS BOOMING
BUILD TO SUCCEED WORDS BY TREVOR ANDERSON
othing screams progress like vacant buildings. Right? Well, in Spartanburg County, speculative, or spec, industrial facilities are seeding the growth of an economy that already reaped a harvest of more than $5.75 billion in capital investment and 12,000 jobs during the past eight years. Spartanburg’s spec market is in the midst of an unprecedented expansion. During the past 18 months, at least six major new developments have been announced that promise to bring about 3 million square feet of spec space to the market by early 2019. When combined with several ongoing projects, the county’s inventory of spec space could jump to more than 4 million square feet during the next year. “When the economy crashed in 2008, we couldn’t beg, plead, or borrow a spec building,” said Spartanburg County Councilman David Britt. “We lost all of our inventory [of available buildings]. It made it very challenging to land companies.”
WHAT EXACTLY IS SPEC? Typically, spec is a term used to describe buildings that are not build-to-suit, meaning tailored to meet the needs of a specific tenant. Spec buildings usually appeal to a broad range of users. The advantage is that they enable new or expanding companies to move in and set up operations quickly instead of having to wait months for one to be built. 20
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A majority of the buildings already under construction in Spartanburg have not yet been leased, but local experts don’t believe that will be the case for long. And the return for the community could yield investment, jobs, economic diversification, tax revenue growth, and other benefits for several years to come. “A lot of these companies don’t have time to wait,” Britt said. “Now with this drastic [increase in spec space], we expect to see growth. The results are driving these investments. Developers are realizing there’s gold in the hills of Spartanburg County. They’re not prospecting anymore. They’re looking at it with a laser focus.”
WHAT’S DRIVING ALL OF THE GROWTH? It never hurts to have the world’s largest BMW plant in your backyard. BMW Manufacturing Co.’s growth since the Great Recession has set off a chain of new projects and expansions across the county. For example, German automotive supplier Brose North America celebrated the grand opening this past year of its new $6 million, 77,000-square-foot facility at Scannell’s Hillside Enterprise Park. Brose makes lightweight door systems and front air gates for several BMW models. The company was able to utilize Spartanburg Community College’s Spark Center as soft landing space before moving to its permanent home in the spec building at 1171 Howell Road. Brose’s story is also one of many examples of the team approach that local economic devel-
opment officials have cultivated and used to entice a spate of projects. And the presence of global brands, including Michelin North America, Toray, Kobelco, Ritrama, Adidas, Amazon, Rite Aid, and others, has solidified Spartanburg’s reputation as a destination for manufacturing and distribution operations. “Spartanburg and the Upstate have enjoyed much success,” Britt said. “The results are driving these [spec] investments. … It’s a great sign of the times, and we need to take full advantage of these partnerships we have formed with developers and owners [of these spec projects]. We’re not saying, ‘Build it and they will come.’ We’re saying, ‘Build it and we will help you succeed.’” One of the biggest game changers, experts said, has been the introduction and continued growth of the South Carolina Ports Authority’s (SCPA) Inland Port Greer in Spartanburg County. The facility has enabled BMW, Michelin, and other companies to import and export goods via Norfolk Southern Rail to the Port of Charleston and out to waiting markets around the world. In fact, SCPA recently announced the Inland Port handled 10,612 rail moves in March, bringing its fiscal year-to-date volume to 87,360 moves since July, which is a 3 percent increase compared with the same period of the previous year. That means the facility is on track to break its all-time record of 121,761 rail moves completed in 2017.
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY ISSUE
MEET THE NEW PROJECTS
WHO: St. Louis-based CRG, a private real estate investment affiliate of Clayco Inc. WHAT: Multimillion-dollar Inland 85 Logistics Center WHERE: 324 acres composed of multiple parcels in the vicinity of Genoble and Robinson roads near Greer SCOPE: First phase will be the construction of a 500,280-square-foot spec building that will be expandable to 1,186,680 square feet. WHEN: Company said the building should be available for occupancy by the fourth quarter of 2018. MASTER PLAN: A preliminary site plan from the company showed as many as six buildings with the potential to provide an additional 2.3 million square feet of industrial space. UPDATE: County Council documents discussing incentives for the project said it would be an investment of at least $194 million. On April 12, Clayco announced it established a new office in downtown Greenville’s ONE Center at 2 W. Washington St. The company said the move is tied to construction of the spec building.
WHO: Columbia-based Red Rock Developments WHAT: Multimillion-dollar Smith Farms Industrial Park WHERE: 475 acres at Highway 101 and Reidville Road near Duncan MASTER PLAN: Red Rock’s proposed site plan showed the project could yield up to 11 buildings ranging from 60,000 to 1.6 million square feet. Park’s total capacity is nearly 6 million square feet of Class A space. WHEN: Company expects to deliver both buildings during the first quarter of 2019. UPDATE: Red Rock has announced it will construct two spec buildings on the site. The first building will be 396,073 square feet. The second will be a 210,820-squarefoot facility.
WHO: A joint venture between PCCP LLC and Panattoni Development Co. WHAT: Apple Valley Industrial Park WHERE: Almost 40 acres at Apple Valley and Boiter roads near Duncan SCOPE: Construction includes a 196,000-square-foot spec building and a pre-leased 177,320-square-foot building. WHEN: Completion expected by mid-2018. UPDATE: The first building has been leased to Global Automotive Partners. No lease signed on the second building, according to Panattoni.
WHO: Charlotte, N.C.-based McDonald Development Co. WHAT: Carolina Commerce Center WHERE: More than 42 acres at 1611 Poplar Drive Extension near Greer and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport SCOPE: Development will include two Class A industrial buildings totaling 458,754 square feet. Building 1 will be 327,137 square feet. Building 2 will be 131,617 square feet. WHEN: Both buildings could be delivered during the first quarter of 2019.
WHO: Mark Cothran WHAT: Global Commerce Park WHERE: 67 acres at I-85 and Brockman McClimon Road near Greer SCOPE: Construction will include a 163,000-square-foot industrial building followed by several multitenant industrial buildings. MASTER PLAN: The park will be a Class A multibuilding industrial park with up to six buildings that total 600,000 square feet. WHEN: Completion of first building expected in summer of 2018.
WHO: Atlanta-based Rooker Development WHAT: $30 million Spartan Ridge Logistics Center WHERE: 52 acres at 210 Nazareth Church Road near Highway 29 and Interstate 85 near Spartanburg’s west side SCOPE: The center will be composed of two Class A spec buildings totaling 559,000 square feet. Building 1 will be 273,000 square feet. Building 2 will be 286,000 square feet. WHEN: Building 1 expected to be completed by November. Construction will begin on Building 2 as soon as the company finds a tenant for either building. UPDATE: Cason Bufe, vice president of real estate, said no leases have been signed, but the company has received inquiries from a number of companies and conducted multiple site tours in recent weeks with interested tenants.
VISIT UPSTATEBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ONGOING PROJECTS. 5.4.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY ISSUE
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In addition, Spartanburg’s inventory of available land capable of accommodating large industrial projects, particularly along highways 101 and 290, continues to fuel activity related to the nearby Inland Port. Perhaps it’s no surprise that most of the new spec projects are positioned along or near those corridors. “We are bullish on the Upstate market,” said Tracy White, senior vice president of McDonald Development Co. Carolinas. “Our location in Greer near the BMW plant and the Inland Port is where the majority of leasing is taking place, and the city of Greer has been very ac-
feet in speculative space under construction. So we expect a number of these projects to be leased upon delivery.” Young noted that from 2014 through 2016, available spec space in the market was leased within six months of being delivered, on average. Garrett Scott, vice president of Colliers International South Carolina, said the Inland Port has been a boon for the Upstate’s spec market. So much, in fact, he said the facility has even impacted the style of spec buildings being introduced to the market.
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commodating. The number of manufacturing and distribution users planning new or expanded operations in Greer and the greater Upstate market gives us confidence that Carolina Commerce Center will be absorbed during construction and over a short lease-up period.”
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Brian Young, senior vice president and managing broker with Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer, said the market is “very tight,” with the vacancy for industrial near 5.5 percent. “It has never been this low,” he said. During the first quarter, Young said there were about 2 million square feet of positive absorption, meaning space leased or sold. He expects the market will see additional absorption into the second quarter and an even lower vacancy rate. “We very much need the new product,” Young said. “Currently, we are tracking about 4 million square feet in users in the market. We have about 3.2 million square UBJ | 5.4.2018
For example, there’s a mix of flexible, multipurpose, rear-load buildings, and cross-dock buildings, which are perfect for distribution centers, under construction. Many of them are going into the same industrial parks. “The Inland Port is changing the dynamic of spec in the market,” Scott said. “The strength of the Upstate manufacturing market is also driving this growth.” He said the next wave of companies moving to Spartanburg could be logistics companies that offer supply chain solutions to specific companies, such as Amazon or BMW. While Spartanburg’s spec development is small compared with other large markets, such as Dallas and Atlanta, the county is punching above its weight, Scott said. He oted that a majority of the developers of Spartanburg’s new class of spec projects are all players in much larger markets. “Spartanburg County has stepped into the big leagues,” he said. “The money is now chasing performance and yield. The fundamentals here are strong. It’s the perfect confluence.”
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COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY ISSUE
“A NEW NARRATIVE”
Lawrence and Ashleigh Black currently operate the 8,800-square-foot Southern Bleachery event venue in Taylors Mill. Will Crooks/Upstate Business Journal
THE STORY OF SOUTHERN BLEACHERY IS ABOUT TO GET REWRITTEN
WORDS BY ARIEL TURNER Lawrence Black can tell you the best place to sit to watch the sun set over the historic Piedmont Print Works Mill, now known as Taylors Mill. “You can sit here,” he says, his back to the west, pointing east to the former boiler room building, “and watch the sun set up the smokestack. And so it goes all the way to the top and it gets right to the top and just the edge, the rim of the smokestack, is lit up by the sun, and then it pops. That’s a nightly occurrence.” It took him almost a year of working on site at the mill to find that perfect spot. “One of the main reasons I fell in love with this place is that I just seem to discover something different all the time,” Black says. For Black and his wife, Ashleigh, falling in love with the 900,000-square-foot mill founded in 1924 and the 9 acres at the front of the property at 250 Mill St. meant getting involved a few years ago in the redevelopment that Kenneth Walker began when he purchased the western part of the property in 2006. The mill had sat vacant since it closed in 1965, devastating the surrounding community. Walker bought the adjoining eastern part in 2008, and in summer 2015, he sold that portion to Caleb Lewis and Greg Cotton. Walker retained ownership of the western portion of the property. Most of the redevelopment to this point has taken place in that eastern section, where 13 Stripes Brewery opened in 2017 and where dozens of artists have studios. But that’s about to change. The Blacks, who already operate the Southern Bleachery event venue inside Taylors Mill, have now in partnership with Walker, and with the help of former Texas tiny home developer Kevin Duckworth, undertaken an enormous redevelopment project with an aggressive timeline for 24
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the western-most 9 acres of the property that has the ability to be a catalyst for change not just in the struggling former mill community but the entire greater Greenville area as well. In the most basic of terms, the project, which will be named the Southern Bleachery, reviving the original name of the property, calls for four historic buildings totaling roughly 49,300 square feet to be renovated into event venues and restaurant spaces; the clearing of 2-and-a-half miles of trails that intersect on the property that will tie into the proposed Enoree River Trail; the construction of a handful of live/work/play cottages along Mill Street; a full-scale relandscaping on the rolling hills between the sites into wide, open areas for families to congregate; a stage for concerts or events such as Shakespeare in the Park; repurposing of two concrete basin ponds; and creation of multiple parking areas. “Most importantly, we are creating a place for gathering, a place for community, and a place for discovery,” says Ashleigh Black, who will
manage all of the event spaces. “Part of that is reviving the rich history of the Southern Bleachery and Piedmont Print Works Mill and the other is repurposing several historical buildings as event venues to create an authentic place where you can see something different each time you come. Whether you are attending a concert with friends, meeting for a first date at a coffee shop, or watching the sunset against the old smokestack. And we want to be the place where they come back for anniversaries and where they host heir baby showers and children’s birthday parties. It’s a place to honor and create memories.”
HOW THEY GOT HERE Until a few years ago, the Blacks lived in Washington, D.C. Ashleigh Black worked in international development and public policy for the last 20 years with nonprofits, the United Nations, and the U.S. government.
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY ISSUE Preliminary rendering by Clemson graduate student Seth Lauderdale
To say her resume is impressive is an understatement: She opened the Washington office for the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and ran their Global Agricultural Development program in Washington; she was the associate director at the GW Center for Global Health and taught classes in their masters in public health program; and she worked for the United Nations World Food Program at their headquarters in Rome, which is the largest humanitarian organization in the world, working on providing relief efforts to families during times of natural disaster, wars, and civil conflict. To sum up, she’s happily overqualified for her new role as director of several event venues. “Feeding millions of refugees in remote parts of the world after a natural disaster or figuring out ways to boost agricultural productivity so people have enough food to eat puts everything else in perspective,” she says. “It makes operating multiple event venues, appeasing the occasional bridezilla, or catering a three-day corporate retreat a breeze.” Lawrence Black was involved in tech startups and even served as a police officer in Washington post-9/11. Ashleigh’s mother is from Sumter, S.C., and has many extended family members in the Greenville area. “We spent most holidays and summers here, so Greenville has been a second home as long as I can remember,” Ashleigh says.
The Blacks were visiting Greenville for Christmas after their cousin Patrick McInerney had opened Due South coffee shop, which has since moved to Hampton Station, and he showed them around the mill. “We fell in love with the place and the potential,” she says.
“ Most importantly, we are creating a place for gathering, a place for community, and a place for discovery.” Ashleigh Black
The wheels began to turn. The Blacks had been looking for a change of pace, a project, for when they got burnt out with their current lifestyle. “After we went home, we would talk about what we would do at the mill when we would get burned out at work or have a date night,” Ashleigh says. “With a growing family, we quickly started to think of it as a way to spend more time with our kids, transition out of D.C.’s long hours, and build something long-lasting. We were wrong about the hours.”
Lawrence began talking to Walker about buying the entire property. “I was just mesmerized,” Lawrence says. But the vastness of the mill building was intimidating. “I couldn’t get my head around 900,000 square feet,” he says. Instead, the Blacks, who now have three young sons, eventually moved to Taylors and chose to open the 8,800-square-foot Southern Bleachery event venue a year and a half ago inside the first floor of Taylors Mill. It will continue to operate as The Venue by Southern Bleachery in conjunction with the new redevelopment. “I’d been planning, executing, and facilitating everything from intimate policy dinners with members of Congress to large-scale policy forums with international practitioners, so the shift to the venue was an easy one,” Ashleigh says. “Being able to host weddings and play a small part in such an important day for clients came as a bonus. Each one reveals something unique to that couple and illuminates what binds us as couples, families, and communities. It has been more than rewarding.” But they weren’t done yet.
WHERE THEY’RE GOING Lawrence continued talking with Walker about the untouched western-most 9 acres. Two of the four historic buildings on site had been used as artist studios, but the others were in 5.4.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY ISSUE 1: Marketplace and commercial kitchen (25,000 square feet) 2: Coffee shop and build-to-suit TBD tenant space (9,200 square feet) 3: Barbecue window and additional venue space (10,000 square feet) 4: Filtration plant, 200-seat venue (5,100 square feet) Preliminary rendering provided by Arbor Engineering
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disrepair. The rolling grassy, wooded areas where the former mill workers and their families would have congregated had become a dumping ground for large automobiles and other non-biodegradable junk. But in order to do something about it, Lawrence needed more education. He enrolled in the Clemson Master of Real Estate Development program and is using the knowledge he’s gaining to inform what he has planned for the property. “What I like about this part of the property is that it’s manageable,” Lawrence says. “You have individual projects. You can have a flow to it. The vastness of the main part of the mill is overwhelming.” He has also enlisted the services of Michael Spangenberg, principal of Framework Architecture, and a partner with the Sherbert Group based in Charlotte, N.C., which provides investment, accounting, architectural, tax, consulting, development, and management services to the real estate tax credit industry. Spangenberg specializes in adaptive-reuse architecture and planning, and historic preservation and rehabilitation and has assisted the Blacks in taking full advantage of the historic mill revitalization act tax credits. He has worked on such rehabilitation projects as Drayton Mills in Spartanburg, The American Tobacco Campus in Durham, N.C., and Revolution Mill in Greensboro, N.C. 26
UBJ | 5.4.2018
Phase One of the project, which is scheduled to be completed later this summer, will include demolition of a non-historic house currently serving as the Southern Bleachery office, creation of parking areas, the complete overhaul of a
“ What I like about this part of the property is that it’s manageable. You have individual projects. You can have a flow to it.” Lawrence Black
25,000-square-foot warehouse that will be turned into a marketplace to be used for trade shows and makers events, the creation of an exterior courtyard, and the landscaping of the whole property, which includes a stage and concession truck currently being outfitted for an operator to serve snacks outdoors. The pedestrian trails, which are well underway, will also be completed as part of this phase.
A coffee shop concept by local barista Alex Medina will move into a second building on the property that currently sits at 9,200 square feet, part of which was used as an art studio and is fully ADA compliant. “There’s not civilization without coffee,” Lawrence says. The additional space in that building, which housed the former boiler room and has the potential for the construction of two additional floors that would expand the square footage to 26,000, will be listed as build-to-suit and marketed toward a long-term tenant that would fit in with a venue destination. Lawrence says the marketplace was designed specifically with Indie Craft Parade in mind, and so the popular annual Makers Collective festival, which has outgrown its previous location at the Huguenot Mill, will move to the new marketplace for this year’s festival, Sept. 14-16. “We’re creating a space that will allow people to come and families and have spaces that are spread out and make it a full day,” Lawrence says. The renovation of the building will cost about $800,000, not including a 2,400-squarefoot commercial kitchen that will cost in the $250,000 range. The marketplace will feature 100 trade show-rated stalls, all of which will have their
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY ISSUE own outlets, USB connections, and “very robust Wi-Fi,” Lawrence says. It will have an occupancy of 1,000 people and should be able to turn 30,000 occupants per weekend. “That’s what we’re shooting for,” Kevin Duckworth says. Bacon Bros. Public House chef Anthony Gray and COO Jason Callaway are consulting on the project and designing the kitchen to be a topof-the-line show kitchen that could be featured in trade publications. The kitchen will be available for full catering operations for all of the venues. Up to this point, all catering for the current Southern Bleachery venue has been brought in, rather than prepared on site. “Us as businessmen are looking at it like, ‘Wow, you’re leaving tons of money on the table,’ and we thought that it could be done within that space for them to do better for themselves,” Gray says. Gray says that having successfully opened Bacon Bros. with a similarly small space for a kitchen, they have the experience to be able to design the Southern Bleachery kitchen very efficiently. He says in the future, he’d love to host guest chef dinners using the new kitchen and the available event space.
TAYLORS MILL: THE NUMBERS 900,000 square feet 8,800-square-foot Southern Bleachery event venue 9 ACRES of undeveloped surrounding land 25,000-square-foot warehouse for trade show space 4 historic buildings 49,300 to be renovated into event venues and restaurant spaces 2-and-a-half miles of trail clearing that will tie into the proposed Enoree River Trail “The possibilities are limitless,” Gray says, adding that this consulting project will not take their focus away from continuing to operate Bacon Bros. Phase Two includes the renovation of the 10,000-square-foot building that will have the Southern Bleachery signage painted on the roof and potentially house a barbecue vendor with a walk-up window. “We’re looking to create an unlimited number of front porch areas, place[s] you can sit with different views,” Lawrence says. At the same time, the 5,100-square-foot filtration plant at the southwestern edge of the
property that used to be sculptor Doug Young’s studio will be completed along with the repurposing of two concrete basin ponds measuring 180 feet by 200 feet and 180 feet by 160 feet. One could remain a pond with an overlooking dock, and the other, which sprung a leak, could be drained and turned into an amphitheater. Lawrence calls the filtration plant, with its location at the top of the hill, the “crown jewel” of the entire mill. He says the projected timeframe for Phase Two is to begin immediately after the completion of Phase One. The construction of five live/work/play cottages along Mill Street will be one of the last stages of the project. “I think the greatest narrative about this place is that we’re taking a place that 200 people had their livelihoods here, and one day, they’re all gone,” Lawrence says. “One person decides that it’s cheaper to make something somewhere else, and the community dries up. The neighborhood is still recovering. But then that same space could be reused, repopulated by entrepreneurs, small businesses, family businesses, artists, people that for them one person doesn’t hold their destiny in their hands. That’s the 21st-century narrative. That’s really hopeful. We really do have a maker community and entrepreneurial community that sees beauty in places like this.”
5.4.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY ISSUE
PARADE ROUTE
INDIE CRAFT PARADE HEADS TO NEW TAYLORS SOUTHERN BLEACHERY DEVELOPMENT
WORDS BY ARIEL TURNER ou asked, and they listened. The Makers Collective flagship event Indie Craft Parade, which has been bursting at the seams of the 19,000-square-foot Huguenot Mill since the first annual festival in 2010, is moving out of downtown Greenville to a 25,000-square-foot location in Taylors for its popular makers market. The event will be held this year from Sept. 14-16. “This is year nine and we’re going toward our 10th year for it to be a really big deal, and we knew we couldn’t do that downtown,” says Lib Ramos, creative director of Makers Collective The newly announced Southern Bleachery development in front of what is known as Taylors Mill, 250 Mill St., Taylors, will be the new home for the festival in a redeveloped warehouse designed specifically by the developer, Lawrence Black, with Indie Craft Parade in mind. Black and his wife, Ashleigh, also operate the Southern Bleachery event venue inside Taylors Mill proper, and this new development on the adjacent property will be an extension of those services. The new space, which is under construction and will be completed by the end of August, will have wider aisles and be completely tech-friendly, with adequate Wi-Fi and power sources at each booth, and also include a full, cutting-edge commercial kitchen designed by Bacon Bros. Public House chef 28
UBJ | 5.4.2018
Jen Moreau, Lib Ramos, and Erin Godbey founded the Makers Collective in 2010. Will Crooks/Upstate Business Journal
“ We think people will be excited that we’re doing something about it, but there is that shift from a very familiar part of downtown to a less familiar part of Greenville.” Lib Ramos
Anthony Gray and COO Jason Callaway. The Huguenot Mill space maxes out at 7,000 people, which is the number the festival typically draws each year, and the new goal is 10,000 attendees. “Lines around the block is just kind of standard,” Ramos says. “And we get feedback about that every year, but up until this point, there hasn’t been anything we could do about it. Last year we identified, ‘It’s time to do something about it.’” Taylors Mill, which houses 13 Stripes Brewery and the soon-toopen The Farehouse restaurant in the former Due South Coffee Roasters space, is also home to
dozens of artists who would benefit greatly from the kind of publicity Indie Craft Parade will bring, along with the thousands of people who attend the annual festival. “There’s a whole new set of restaurants and hotels and shops and everything that is going to be affected by the move, and that’s fun, and completely out of our control, but we know that’s a thing,” Ramos says. During the last eight years, The Makers Collective had been casually looking around and keeping their ears to the ground for any new location options, Ramos says. They considered the TD Convention Center and any other option that
would provide a large enough space while continuing to maintain the overall feel and aesthetic of the festival. While looking at Taylors Mill, which is largely still undeveloped with wide open spaces that could host events, the new Southern Bleachery space was mentioned as an option. “It’s a really big gamble for us,” Ramos says. “Basically any other space at the TD Convention Center is ready to go. This is being built now for our event. But it’s exciting, and we think it’s definitely worth that gamble because it’s 25,000 square feet, it’s laid out very conducively to a trade show kind of market, and one of the biggest things that we’re excited for is that the space is built to accommodate trade show specs. So, where at the Huguenot Mill, the options we could give our artists were 6-foot booths and 8-foot booths, these will be 10-by-10-foot spaces.” A smaller booth size will be available for those vendors who would prefer that as well as an emerging artist row geared toward new artists who aren’t able to afford the larger space. “There’s way more space for this festival to spread out,” Ramos says. “We can bring in food trucks; there’s that outside space. Our hope is that it really is a family friendly, ‘come and hang out the whole day.’” The Makers Collective, which launched Indie Craft Parade in 2010, also hosts the annual Makers Summit in March and a smaller-scale holiday pop-up market in December. It was founded by three Greenville creatives — Erin Godbey, Jen Moreau, and Ramos — to fulfill the needs of the creative community. In 2010, they observed that artists and makers around the South needed a way to put their work in front of a larger community, so they created Indie Craft Parade.
The 2018 Indie Craft Parade call for artists opens June 1. For more information, visit makerscollective.org.
DEALMAKERS ANNOUNCING THE FOLLOWING COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS
COLDWELL BANKER CAINE Pete Brett, David Sigmon, and Matt Vanvick were the agents in the lease of 8,526 SF located at 33 Villa Road at Piedmont Center to Devita & Associates. Matt Vanvick was the agent in the lease of an executive office suite located at 217 E. Stone Ave., Suite 1, by Hampton Doorway LLC to Priscilla Mickie Grist. Pete Brett, David Sigmon, and Matt Vanvick were the agents in the lease of 1,950 SF of industrial flex space located at 114 Toledo St. by Roy F. Vaughn to Dave Balingit. Rick Cauthen was the agent in the lease of 1,272 SF of retail space located at 291 Plaza, 404 N. Pleasantburg Drive, by Wong Properties LP LLC to Ms. Asia Park d/b/a Salon Lerae. Tim Satterfield and Steve Hammett were the agents in the lease of 4,000 SF of industrial flex space located at 121 Venture Blvd. by S&W LLC to Le Neon & Signs Inc. Tim Satterfield was the agent in the lease of a +5-AC parking lot located at 208-226 Oak Forest Road by Spartanburg Center No. 2 LLC to PODS Enterprises LLC. Pete Brett, David Sigmon, and Matt Vanvick were the agents in the sale of 85.248 AC located at Stanford Road and Leone Avenue by Crimson Marion Street LLC to Westridge SC LLC. Graham Howle was the agent in the sale of a 1,086 SF office building on 0.4 AC located at 308 NE Main St. by Sanda & Saunders Properties LLC to Karen McClaran. Tim Satterfield was the agent in the sale of 7.61 AC located at 810 Mt. Pleasant Road by Compark Ltd. to Wagner’s Tree Service LLC. Tim Satterfield was the agent in the purchase of a four-unit multifamily property located at 695 Maple St. by 695 Maple Street LLC to Watts & James LLC. Tim Satterfield was the agent in the lease of 1,800 SF of retail space located at 253 Magnolia St. by Kelestatio LLC to Badmon LLC d/b/a Burrito Hub. Pete Brett, David Sigmon, Matt Vanvick, and Brad Halter were the agents in the purchase of a 4,065-SF retail building on 0.19 AC located at 114 Falls St. by Broad & Fall LLC to CBL Investments, LLC. Pete Brett, David Sigmon, and Matt Vanvick were the agents in the purchase of a 3,828-SF retail building on 0.4 AC located at 2720 Wade Hampton Blvd. by The Estate of Richard A. Hermann to Colonial Star LLC. Graham Howle was the agent in the purchase of a 7,100-SF office building on 0.484 AC located at 12 S. Calhouse St. by Abiding Workspaces LLC to 12 S. Calhoun Street LLC. Tim Satterfield was the agent in the purchase of a 3,628-SF industrial flex building on 0.8 AC located at 1000 S. Pine St. from Peter U. Bartsch to the Beth C. Cecil Revocable Trust.
Pete Brett, David Sigmon, and Matt Vanvik were the agents in the lease of 2,600 SF of retail space at 1320 Hampton Ave. by Oceana Rapid LLC to Jake Jensen & Travis Cornelius d/b/a Escape Game Unlimited LLC. Pete Brett, David Sigmon, and Matt Vanvick were the agents in the lease of 2,150 SF of retail space located at 1320 Hampton Ave. by Oceana Rapid LLC to Jake Jensen & Travis Cornelius d/b/a Craft Axe Throwing. Pete Brett, David Sigmon, and Matt Vanvick were the agents in the lease of a 11,440-SF industrial building located at 2513 Rutherford Road by Freeman Highway 501 LLC to Sealing Agents Waterproofing Inc. Rick Cauthen was the agent in the lease of 4,728 SF of office space located at 68 Global Drive by Fairforest of Greenville LLC to the City of Greenville, SC. Tim Satterfield was the agent in the lease of 4,450 SF of office space located at 1335 Nazareth Church Road by Triple Rock Investments to Verticle LLC.
JOYNER COMMERCIAL
Ted Arnold was the agent in the sale of 2,400 SF located at 215 Old Piedmont Highway to Turnhouse Properties LLC. Joey Burton was the agent in the purchase of 7,100 SF located at 12 Calhoun St. Steve Greer was the agent in the purchase of 5,000 SF located at 200 Bryce Circle in Simpsonville. Michael Joseph was the agent in the purchase of 5,000 SF located at 200 Bryce Circle in Simpsonville. Joe Teague was the agent in the lease of 5,345 SF located at 1791 Woodruff Road. Matt Carter was the agent in the lease of 900 SF located at 409 Markley St. to Edge Developments LLC. Matt Carter was the agent in the lease of an office building located at 1313 B Miller Road. Joe Teague was the agent in the sale of street retail located at 112 Trade St. in Greer to Jallison Properties LLC.
Hope Tz Schmalzl was the agent in the purchase of a 4,400-SF office building located at 143 Commons Way to Ukoona LLC.
Nelson Garrison was the agent in the sale of a 2,000SF office retail building located at 950 W. North 1st St. in Seneca.
Ernest A. Crosby was the agent in the sale of a 3,733-SF retail building located at 14 S. Main St. in Mauldin.
LEE AND ASSOCIATES
Matt Carter and Steve Greer were the agents in the lease of 1,000 SF located at 24 Vardry St., Suite 301, to Mussman Architect. Michael Joseph was the agent in the purchase of a warehouse distribution building located at 9020 Fairforest Road in Spartanburg. Hope Tz Schmalzl was the agent in the lease of 1,250 SF of retail space located at 9 Victor St., Unit H, to Get Weird Smoke Shop. Greg Huff was the agent in the purchase of a 7,970SF warehouse located at 143 18 Oil Mill Road. Greg Huff was the agent in the sale of 10,500 SF on 3.2 AC located at 7275 Highway 14 in Gray Court. Hope Tz Schmalzl was the agent in the purchase of 3,400 SF located at 672 B Fairview Road. Hope Tz Schmalzl was the agent in the lease of 5,400 SF located at 420 The Parkway Unit in Greenville to Premier Neurology PC. Michael Joseph was the agent in the purchase of 1.03 AC of land located at Welcome Road and Anderson Road. Tyler Knauss was the agent in the lease of 336 SF located at 514 White Horse Road to Greenville MED Group LLC. Bryon Culbertson was the agent in the lease of 1,200 SF of retail space located at 3225 N. Pleasantburg Drive to Mattress Folks.
Kevin Bentley was the agent in the sale of 35,387 SF located at 118 Hurricane Creek Road in Piedmont by CFC Investors Ltd. to Walyn LLC. Darath A. Mackie was the agent in the lease of 2,325 SF located at 1514 N. Fant St. in Anderson by L.E. McGaha to Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company LLC. Randall Bentley was the agent in the sale of 175,000 SF located at 175 Old Airport Road in Roebuck by Les Lor Realty Company to Productions Unlimited Inc. Randall Bentley was the agent in the sale of 1.20 AC located at NPA High Tech Court in Greer by EZE Management Properties LTD Partnership to Upstate Industrial LLC. Kevin Bentley was the agent in the lease of 45,600 SF located at 25 Brookfield Oaks Drive, Suite H, in Mauldin by Liberty Property Limited Partnership to Koops Inc. Chad Stepp was the agent in the sale of 2.01 AC located at 102 War Birds Blvd. in Spartanburg by John A. Redmond Jr., Charles Rick Stepp, and Brian Lancaster to Terminix Service Inc. Ashley Trantham was the agent in the sale of 9,000 SF located at 2115 Anderson Road by Zion Hill Baptist Church to The Frazee Center. Randall Bentley was the agent in the lease of 3,600 SF located at 3550 Highway 153 in Piedmont by Friddle & Friddle LLC to The Cellular Connection. Randall Bentley was the agent in the lease of 3,300 SF located at 421 SE Main St., Suite 200, in Simpsonville by Chancellor’s LLC to Guaranteed Rate Inc. 5.4.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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DEALMAKERS ANNOUNCING THE FOLLOWING COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS Randall Bentley was the agent in the lease of 1,500 SF located at 7486 Augusta Road, Suite D, in Piedmont by Larry A. Friddle to Subway Real Estate LLC.
Randall Bentley and Chad Stepp were the agents in the lease of 14,960 SF located at 57 Pelham Davis Circle by Binkley Enterprises LLC to Carrier Enterprises
Randall Bentley was the agent in the sale of 1.229 AC located at 26 Littlejohn Glenn Court by Friddle Pelham LLC to Raby Properties LLC.
Kevin Bentley was the agent in the sale of 4.292 AC located at 307 W. Main St. in Spartanburg by Tiger Paw Properties LLC to Blackstock Development LLC.
John Collett was the agent in the sublease of 19,430 SF located at 40 Freedom Court in Greer by the sublessor NFL Office Works to the sublessee, Elite Flooring.
Randall Bentley and Kevin Bentley were the agents in the lease of 4,722 SF located at 96 Brookfield Oaks Drive, Suite 110, in Simpsonville by Holland Oaks LLC to Precision Tools Service Inc.
Randall Bentley was the agent in the sale of 20,543 SF located at 603 High Tech Court by RushingMarlowe Properties Inc. to Paul V. Kumler & Ginger A. Kumler.
Kevin Bentley and Ryan Welch were the agents in the lease of 31,920 SF located at 1930 Hwy 52 in Moncks Corner by Indian Fields & HTS Investments to VLS Recovery Services.
Darath Mackie was the agent in the lease renewal of 3,000 SF located at 1110 West Butler Road, Suite J, by SEPP Inc. to Upward Pool Supply LLC.
Randall Bentley was the agent in the lease renewal of 25,000 SF located at 309 Tucapau Road in Duncan by Sikes Properties LLC to Eaton Corporation.
Kevin Bentley was the agent in the lease renewal of 1,205 SF located at 420 River St., Unit G, by John D. Hawkins to Riverstone Wealth Management.
Randall Bentley and Andrew Harrill were the agents in the lease renewal of 660 SF located at 409 SE Main St., Suite 202, in Simpsonville by Chancellor’s Park LLC to George E. Sansoucy PE LLC.
Randall Bentley and Andrew Harrill were the agents in the lease expansion of 600 SF located at 3535 Pelham Road, Suite 101-103, by 699 Fairview LLC to The Hultquist Firm. Kevin Bentley was the agent in the lease of 9,240 SF located at 107 Old Laurens Road in Simpsonville by Bell Garrett LLC to Emory Electric.
Ashley Trantham was the agent in the lease of 1,344 SF located at 21 Augusta St., Suite B, by Properties on West End LLC to 601 South Boutique LLC. Kevin Bentley was the agent in the lease of 3,000 SF located at 1310F Garlington Road by Bell, Garrett & Lathan LLC to HEYCO WERK USA INC. C L E M S O N
Rakan Draz and John Odom were the agents in the sale of 2,450 SF located at 125 W. Stone Ave. by West Stone 125 to West Stone Avenue LLC. Rob Howell was the agent in the lease of 2,150 SF located in Hampton Station at 1320 Hampton Station Ave. by Oceana Rapid LLC to Craft Axe Throwing.
COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL Frank Hammond was the agent in the sale of 3,800 SF located at 701 Pendleton St. by SRM Properties LLC. Richard Barrett and Brannan Hudson were the agents in the purchase of 20,453 SF located at 603 High Tech Court in Greer by Rushing-Marlower Properties, Inc. to Second Half Properties LLC. Frank Hammond was the agent in the sale of 4.74 AC located at 905 Laurens Road by Young Properties to Stratton Hills Properties LLC. Garrett Scott and Brockton Hall were the agents in the lease of 215,000 SF by Suncap Property Group to Tristone FLowtech Group.
NAI EARLE FURMAN Graham Mullikin and Jeff Benedit were the agents in the lease of 2,500 SF located at 90 Allen St. by Bad Company II LLC to Memoirs Fine Catering and Event Planning.
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UBJ | 5.4.2018
DEALMAKERS ANNOUNCING THE FOLLOWING COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS Hunter Garrett, Alex Campbell, and John Staunton were the agents in the lease of 3,600 SF located at Haywood Ridge Flex Park by WWG-Flex LLC to Rockwell LG LLC. Earle Furman Jr. was the agent in the lease of 5,000 SF located at 40 Commerce Center by Camperdown Company Inc. to Chris Brank Films LLC dba Let People See. Tom Daniel, Scott Jones, and John Stathakis were the agents in the lease of 2,579 SF located at 124 Verdae Blvd. by Bonaventure LLC & Four Plus Bonaventure LLC to Pro Mach Inc. Keith Jones and McNeill Epps were the agents in the lease of 3,150 SF located at 126 Milestone Way by Oaktree Medical Center to Gandaria Milestone LLC. Chris Harrison, Cole Morris, and Kevin Pogue were the agents in the lease of 3,067 SF located at 736 Saluda Lake Road by Lynbar LLC to Sunshine Place Properties. Hunter Garrett, Alex Campbell, and John Staunton were the agents in the lease of 26,661 SF located at Haywood Ridge Flex Park by WWG-Flex LLC to Pomeroy IT Solutions Sales Company Inc. Jimmy Wright and Ted Lyerly were the agents in the lease of 2,640 SF located at 280 N. Church St. by George Koumoustiotis to Impact Sports International. Kevin Pogue, Chris Harrison, and Cole Morris were the agents in the lease of 8,000 SF located at 480 Old
Greenville Road by AACS Properties LLC to Carolina Custom.
LANGSTON BLACK
Rusty Hamrick was the agent in the purchase of 225.5 AC located at 4221 Hwg 29 South by Ben May to Marion W. Francis Jr.
Bradley D. Toy was the agent in the purchase of .717 AC located at 2081 E. Main St. in Spartanburg by Gator East Main Center Two LLC to GFC Leasing Corp. LLC.
Hunter Garrett and John Staunton were the agents in the sale of 4,800 SF located at 121 Commerce Blvd. by JDP Greenville LLC to San Giusto Estate LLC.
Bradley D. Toy was the agent in the sale of 1.419 AC located at 1564 Laurens Road by JDL Holdings LLC to Chick-Fil-A Inc.
Hunter Garrett, John Staunton, Rusty Hamrick, IV, an`d Hal Johnson were the agents in the purchase of 206.49 AC located at Old Dairy Road by FM2 Holdings LLC to 1939 Land Management LLC.
Bradley D. Toy was the agent in the lease renewal of 5,194 SF located at 100 E. Washington St. to Anytime Fitness.
John Gray Jr. and Drew Stamm were the agents in the purchase of 34,300 SF located at 37 Pinckney St. from Radius Church Greenville to Grace Baptist Fellow. Tom Daniel and John Powell were the agents in the sale of 9 AC located at 733 Hampton Road by Hampton Road Partners LLC to Richpower Industries Inc. Hunter Garrett, Rusty Hamrick IV, John Staunton, and Hal Johnston were the agents in the purchase of 122 AC located on South Frontage Road from Qualified Intermediary for Avera Properties LLC to 1939 Land Management LLC. Alex Campbell and Jake Van Gieson were the agents in the sale of 12,000 SF located at 12 Distribution Court in Greer by Power Source Properties LLC to LeafGuard of South Carolina LLC.
Bradley D. Toy was the agent in the lease renewal located at 958 E. Main St. in Spartanburg by Core Leasing LLC to MetroPCS.
CUSHMAN AND WAKEFIELD | THALHIMER Habitat for Humanity leased 12,000 SF of retail space at 1659 Woodruff Road, Greenville. Laura Harmon handled the lease negotiations on behalf of the landlord. Laura Harmon was the agent in the lease of 6,075 SF located at 30 Patewood Drive by the landlord to TRS Staffing Solutions Inc.
FLAGSHIP PROPERTIES Benji Smith and Josh Tew were the agents in the sale of a 2,500 SF medical office located at 403 B Hillcrest Drive in Easley to Abdur Rahman.
5.4.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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DEALMAKERS ANNOUNCING THE FOLLOWING COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS Pleasantburg Drive, Suite A, to Elite Pizza.
Benji Smith was the agent in the lease of 4,500 SF located at 420 The Parkway in Greer to Premier Neurology PC. Josh Tew was the agent in the lease of 3,100 SF located at 2421 New Easley Highway, Suite C, to Sam Chapman’s American Karate School.
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Josh Tew was the agent in the lease 1,915 SF located at 2 Parkway Commons in Greer to JDM Pioneering LLC. Jim Brown was the agent in the lease of 1,900 SF located at 702 Pettigru St.
Josh Tew and Caldwell Johnston were the agents in the lease of 2,500 SF located at 4011 Pelham Court in Greer to Advanced Crawlspace Solutions LLC.
Josh Tew was the agent in the lease of 1,000 SF located at 3904 Augusta Road to Boss Barber Studio.
Jim Brown was the agent in the lease of 1,000 SF located at 1401 Laurens Road, Suite G, to Poise Salon.
Mike Kiriakides was the agent in the purchase of 340 Rocky Slope Road located in Legacy Square at Verdae by Verdae Properties to Olive Branch Properties.
Josh Tew was the agent in the lease of 1,500 SF located at 1259 S.
KDS COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES
Mark RatchWford and Mark Masaschi were the
agents in the sale of the church facility at 37 Pinckney St. by the Frazee Dream Center to a church. Mark Ratchford was the agent in the purchase of Zion Hill Baptist Church located at 2115 Anderson Road to the Frazee Center. Brad Doyle was the agent in the sale of 1.71 AC of land located at 6800 State Park Road. Gary Kirby was the agent in the sale of land by the Bramlett Family. Mark Ratchford was the agent in the sale of 33,000 SF located in downtown Greer by Mutual Home store of Greer. Bobby Miller was the agent in the sale of 4,6,8, and 10 Main St. in downtown Piedmont to Webb Development.
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UBJ | 5.4.2018
Triangle specializes in a variety of industries including commercial, healthcare, higher education, religious construction, industrial, K-12 schools and historic renovations. Some of the Upstate’s most trusted brands have trusted us for their construction needs – over and over again.
864-288-5500 | triangleconstruction.com 2624 Laurens Rd, Greenville, SC 29607
WHAT ’S NEXT FOR THE UPSTATE, AND HOW WE’LL GET THERE
| FORWARD
Discovering hidden gems in the Upstate By DEAN HYBL executive director, Ten at the Top
Many great treasures play a role in making the Upstate an amazing place to live and visit. Some, like the Liberty Bridge and downtown Greenville, Abbeville Opera House, Table Rock, Clemson University, Greenwood Genetic Center, and BMW, are very well-known to residents and visitors alike. Other businesses, communities, and programs don’t necessarily receive the same level of publicity or national recognition but are among the Upstate’s hidden gems. Recognizing that every part of the Upstate has its own gems, in 2015 Ten at the Top began the Getting to Know Your Neighbors Upstate Bus Tours to showcase elements that make each of the 10 counties in the Upstate special. Over the past four years, participants have been treated to hands-on tours of a wide range of regional assets. Whether it be education, research and workforce-training facilities, high-tech manufacturing facilities, cutting-edge social service provider initiatives, breathtaking waterfalls, trails and historic parks, or beautiful downtowns with a great sense of place, the region has many gems that are part of the story of what makes the Upstate a leading place to live, learn, do business, and raise a family. Our most recent tour took participants to parts of Spartanburg County that are not necessarily on the beaten path. Anyone who follows the Upstate economy has likely heard of the Inland Port in Greer. Since opening in October 2013, the Inland Port has become a valuable asset that has been a deciding factor in many businesses locating or expanding in the Upstate. It is one thing to see pictures of the Inland Port or view it from the road, but a totally different experience when inside the terminal and viewing the unloading of containers from right next to the cranes. The Inland Port has about 40 employees, and the crane operators are incredibly talented as they quickly move containers around to ensure the greatest efficiency possible for truckers moving through the facility. Spartanburg County has many great employers and companies. One that you may never have
Landrum, SC
Inman, SC
Inland port heard about, but have likely seen its work, is The Heirloom Cos. based in Campobello. Tucked within that beautiful area of the Upstate, this company has been producing custom-designed wood and iron pieces for nearly a quarter of a century. Mixing old-world craftsmanship with modern technology, Heirloom creates one-of-a-kind
pieces that can be found in places like Walt Disney World’s new World of Avatar as well as locally at the AC Hotel in Spartanburg and the Cancer Survivors Park in Greenville. Watching its 30-plus employees design and create unique pieces right before your eyes using both new-age CNC machines and traditional craftsman methods is awe-inspiring. Much has been written about the downtown transformations in Greenville and Spartanburg, but Landrum has also created a unique downtown vibrancy that makes it an attractive destination. The downtown is filled with specialty shops as well as a growing number of restaurants and soon will have a community museum. With the FEI World Equestrian Games coming right down the road to Tryon, N.C., in September, Landrum is gearing up for what should be a very busy summer and fall. Just a few miles down the road, Inman is working to grow its own uniqueness and vibrancy. A streetscape project is underway to enhance the walkability of its downtown corridor. In addition, the old Inman Mills location is being redeveloped as a mixed-use residential community that will give Inman much-needed housing options for people looking to live close to jobs in Spartanburg County while also being able to enjoy the charm a smaller community. Of course, any tour of Spartanburg County would be incomplete without checking in on all the great things happening in Spartanburg. Because our 2016 tour of the county focused on its largest city, we spent only a portion of the day in downtown Spartanburg, but still got a taste of all the amazing things transforming the city. From the 10th floor of the new AC Hotel, you can see all the construction happening across the city. With more than 40 new businesses and restaurants opened in the last year, Spartanburg is continuing to grow its stature as a bustling and leading part of the Upstate. A vibrant region includes many individual gems that combine to sparkle at a greater magnitude together. The Upstate is truly blessed to have such a wide array of unique assets. Whether it be through our tours or your own exploration, I encourage you to discover some of the special gems in the Upstate. Check out www.tenatthetop.org to learn about future tours and the many gems in the Upstate.
5.4.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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DIGITAL MAVEN |
THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUSINESS
Developments in robotics dominate tech news this week By LAURA HAIGHT president, portfoliosc.com
Are you ready for the robot revolution? Not sure? Well, grab your servo gloves and your augmented reality headset, and get ready to rock your world. It’s been 76 years since Isaac Asimov penned the three rules of robotics designed to protect humans from our artificial-intelligence (AI) helpers. And we are finally close to living his dream. Or is it his nightmare? Here’s just a small selection of news from the world of robotic development in industry and consumer products that appeared in tech publications this week.
Strawberry fields Immigrants and migrant workers are often accused of taking American jobs, but what many
growers know is that they can’t get enough American workers to do the hard, hands-on labor of picking fruits and vegetables, from California lettuce to Florida strawberries. Fearing the dual problem of an aging workforce and the expected end of many migrant work visas, growers turned to technology. Wish Farms in Florida has 600 acres of strawberries to be picked. Strawberry picking is not an easy task. New strawberries ripen on the vine every three days in the growing season. Pickers must be able to identify the ripe ones, pluck them off without damaging or bruising the fruit, and leave the plant unmarred. It requires dexterity, speed, judgment, consistency, and experience. Young pickers are not coming up to take the place of their parents in the fields, leaving farms like Wish facing a massive manpower problem. For five years, Harvest CROO Robotics has been working side by side with human pickers.
Now, using artificial intelligence fed by digital photography, Harvest has a robotic picker that can “look” at a strawberry plant and correctly identify and properly pluck the ripe berries. Once it’s ready for prime time, one harvester will be able to cover as much ground as 30 workers. It’s not about reducing labor costs, growers say. It’s about saving the growing industry in general and strawberries in particular. Without a seed change in harvesting strawberries, it’s estimated a pound of strawberries could hit $10, making it out of reach for many American tables. Two-thirds of the nation’s strawberry growers are investing in Harvest’s development. In other farming segments, some of the nation’s largest companies — like John Deere — are also developing machine learning, artificial intelligence, and robotic solutions.
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UBJ | 5.4.2018
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It’s not about reducing labor costs, growers say. It’s about saving the growing industry in general and strawberries in particular. Without a seed change in harvesting strawberries, it’s estimated a pound of strawberries could hit $10, making it out of reach for many American tables. Can you put a hard hat on that robot? There are more than a million robots working on factory floors around the world. We’ve all seen them building cars at BMW, working side by side with human handlers. But like most manufacturing robots, they are designed to stay in one place. Not anymore. Spearheaded by a major construction company in Japan, robots are being developed to play a role in the building of skyscrapers, an industry that has been hard to acclimate to automation, while at the same time it is severely affected by a Japanese labor shortage. Requiring some half-million worker-days to build a 30-story tower, Shimizu Corp., a Japanese general contractor, has introduced robots that can weld beams, haul supplies, and install ceiling panels. The biggest development challenge was that the robots would have to work around humans who are moving around at the same time — a task AI technologists believed was impossible. But, using some of the same tech as self-driving cars, robot-run forklifts have been able to navigate the unpredictable environment of the construction site. And robot installers can lift 66 pounds at a time and install ceilings, taking over some of the most back-breaking work on the site.
Alexa, build this chair Here’s something closer to home. Rumors have been flying for some time that Amazon was working on a home robot to augment Alexa. The robot, code-named Vesta (after the Roman goddess of family, hearth, and home), is utilizing the same technology as the construction robots to be able to navigate the typical family home. Amazon expects to be testing Vesta in employees’ homes by the end of this year, and could potentially have them commercially available sometime in 2019. The sooner the better, I say, since we learned this week that a robot in Singapore had been able to accomplish something that eludes even the smartest of humans: putting together Ikea furniture. Twenty minutes. No screaming. No throwing manuals across the room. No stomping on the leftover pieces (hint: there are no leftover pieces). If you’ve ever attempted this task, you know it’s not easy. And for a robot (or in this case, two robotic arms working together) it requires a number of skills including perception, coordination, planning, and control of a free-moving object (the chair in progress, and its pieces). Nearly 70 years have elapsed between Asimov’s fantastical idea and today’s reality. Will it be, as Asimov envisioned: “... you just can’t differentiate between a robot and the very best of humans”? 5.4.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
Commercial Real Estate Services At Avison Young, our commercial brokers deliver integrated real estate services to occupiers and investors throughout South Carolina. We provide solutions via tools, technology and expertise to support our clients however complex their challenges. It starts with the Avison Young team’s understanding of your business priorities, not with real estate transactions. For our clients, this means we produce customized, costeffective solutions with speed, creativity, and confidence.
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STRATEGIES FOR HONING YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
These Three Questions
Don’t do social media until you have answered them The past few years it’s been hard to avoid the hype around social CEO, Engenius media. Every business feels like it needs a profile on every social media platform, from Facebook to Snapchat to Instagram to YouTube. Why? Because we keep reading in the pages of business magazines and on blogs from “highly authoritative” sources that we should do it. Well, here’s my advice: Don’t do it. This is your free pass. If you’re a marketing director and your boss keeps telling you to “do” social media, hand him this column. For years I’ve heard the hype and seen countless businesses hire interns to set up every type of social account possible, and now I see a lot of stale social accounts posting the same bland content. It’s time for us all to rethink social media, starting with asking ourselves why. Why “do” social? Why create a Facebook account? Are By CHRIS MANLEY
you succumbing to peer pressure because other businesses have already done it? Being bullied into doing something is a terri-
AS WE CELEBR S U AT IN E O J
ble reason to start. No matter what your reasons, absolutely, positively, confidently, don’t do social media until you’ve answered these questions:
AS WE CELEBR S U IN S AS WE CELEBR ATE O J IN U AT JO
E
If you’re a marketing director and your boss keeps telling you to “do” social media, hand him this column.
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?
The first question has nothing to do with social media. It’s an age-old marketing question: Who are your buyers? To whom are you selling? Who is your market? Is your audience 18-24-year-olds? Is it baby boomers nearing retirement?
WHERE IS THAT AUDIENCE ALREADY HANGING OUT?
If your target is 18-24, Facebook isn’t your platform. Likewise, if it’s baby boomers, Facebook might be the best place to be. (Think of all those near-retirees who keep up with their grandkids through Facebook and Instagram pics — you might be one of them!)
WHAT ARE PEOPLE DOING ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH BRUNCH MOTHER’S DAY MAY 13, 2018 MAY 13, 2018 2018 MAY 13, 10AM 4PM 10AM 4PM 10AM --- 4PM
GROWLER ST GREENVILLE GREENVILLE 12 12LOIS LOISAVENUE AVENUEGREENVILLE GREENVILLE , SC GROWLERHAUS HAUSVILL VILLAGE AGE WE WE ST , SC
GROWLER HAUS VILL AGE WE ST GREENVILLE
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UBJ | 5.4.2018
12 LOIS AVENUE GREENVILLE , SC
Quick answer: not working. If you’re B2B, marketing on social media is a totally different animal than marketing through LinkedIn or your local business magazine (like this one!), where the audience is focused on business. When people are scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, they’re likely trying to escape work. Think about the mindset people have while crafting your messaging on social. Many businesses use it to build a “feel good” spirit to their brand — not to push specific products and services. These are the first three of many questions you should be asking before engaging with social media. Be smart about social. It can be a valuable tool for building your brand and increasing brand attachment. But if you’re not asking these questions and just following the crowd, do yourself a favor and just don’t do it.
PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS
HIRED
HIRED
NAMED
HIRED
| ON THE MOVE
HIRED
CATHERINE EBERLY
MICHAEL MALSCH
JESSICA DONAN
DANIEL LOVELACE
STEVE MCNEELY
Has joined Hughes Agency as graphic design coordinator. Eberly was previously a graphic design intern in fall 2017 and was then offered a full-time position. She previously worked for Aspen Heights in Clemson and Coast Apparel in 2016. Eberly will graduate from Clemson University with a degree in graphic communications in August 2018.
Has joined The Heirloom Companies operations team as project coordinator. Malsch brings more than 30 years of experience in construction and previously worked as project coordinator for The Cliffs for 18 years.
Has been named as managing partner of the Greenville office of Ernst & Young LLP. Donan has 19 years of experience in public accounting among other services. Donan received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Memphis as well as a Masters in Accountancy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Has been hired by Rick Erwin Dining Group as the director of sales and marketing. Lovelace brings more than a decade of experience in brand activation and business development.
Has joined HS Pharmaceuticals LLC as director of business development and business relations. McNeely is a graduate of Clemson University and started his own business, Global Sales Group, shortly after.
HEALTH CARE
VIP JIM LOVINGGOOD Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative has named Jim Lovinggood as president and CEO. Lovinggood assumed the role in February 2018 and is only the third person to hold the top position during the company’s 77-year history. Lovinggood has worked for Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative for 36 years. He was the second employee the previous CEO hired in 1982 and most recently served as the cooperative’s vice president of engineering. “We didn’t need to look very far to arrive at the individual we see as best suited to take this co-op into the future,” said Kenneth Southerlin, chairman of the Blue Ridge board of directors. “Jim has a proven record as a tireless and productive employee. My fellow directors and I are full of enthusiasm for Jim’s success in this new role and believe in his ability to keep Blue Ridge moving in a positive direction.” “I am honored by the board’s confidence in me, and I am thrilled to continuing working alongside the dedicated and talented team at Blue Ridge,” Lovinggood said. “Operationally, we will continue to be member-driven and deliver reliable service from our highly trained workforce. In addition, we will remain very active in giving back to our community, especially through our annual fundraising event, Blue Ridge Fest.” Lovinggood currently serves on several boards including Anderson University Board of Visitors, Central Electric Power Cooperative, Cooperative Electric Energy Utility Supply, The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, New Horizon Electric Cooperative, and Tri-County Technical College Foundation.
Bon Secours has received the 2018 Gallup Great Workplace Award, which honors organizations dedicated to optimizing employee engagement. Bon Secours was among 39 organizations from around the globe to receive the award. MARKETING FUEL won a Digital Marketing Award for “Best Integrated Campaign” for the work they did on the Blue Ridge Mountain Club SOAR Campaign.
Contribute: New hires, promotions, & award winners may be featured in On the Move. Send information and photos to onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com.
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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW
THE WATERCOOLER Social Chatter
RE: HOW ONE LOCAL WOMAN IS WORKING TO CLOSE THE TECH INDUSTRY’S GENDER GAP “So she is attacking the problem of people leaving, which is a real problem. But there is a bigger challenge much earlier in the cycle. Girls in high school aren’t attracted to it. As a result we’re busy trying to catch up later in the cycle. To me, that is the harder question I’m trying to get an answer for.”
George Eichholzer
FROM THE GREENVILLE JOURNAL, RE: DEVELOPER CHOSEN FOR $1 BILLION COUNTY SQUARE DEVELOPMENT
“What a waste of my county taxes!”
Harold Smith
“Wow. Not to be a downer. But there is a ton of unrented office space downtown and they are going to add more? I honestly think this project is going to flop. I hope I’m wrong.”
“While the architecture is cool, it doesn’t fit.”
Jack Knipe
“Guess I will be checking out Greenville, South Carolina. Great job, Rocapoint!”
William Broscious
Stacy Rackstein Mays
1. Developer chosen for $1 billion County Square development INSIDE // MOHAWK PIZZA ON
2. How one local woman is working to close the tech industry’s gender gap
3. Experts on County Square: got to get it right
GADC BSITES • MOBILE WE UP WITH • WHAT’S WHO CODE • WOMEN
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4. Video: County Square development
5. Southern First Bank expands to greater Triad market
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EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR
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Friday
Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Gubernatorial Series Featuring Marguerite Willis (D)
Cost: $25 investors, $50 general Greenville Chamber of Commerce For more info: www.bit.ly/2v7MTWg; 24 Cleveland St. kbusbee@greenvillechamber.org; 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. 864-239-3748
Tuesday
5/8
GTC Adjunct Faculty Recruitment/Networking
University Center Greenville Auditorium 225 S. Pleasantburg Drive 6–8 p.m.
Tuesday
Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Gubernatorial Series Featuring John Warren (R)
Cost: $25 investors, $50 general Greenville Chamber of Commerce For more info: www.bit.ly/2INCJw1; 24 Cleveland St. kbusbee@greenvillechamber.org; 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. 864-239-3748
Thursday
NEXT’s Creating Fundable Companies: From Seed to Exit
Clemson University at Greenville One Cost: Free 1 North Main St. For more info: www.bit.ly/NEXTMay17 5–7:30 p.m.
Thursday
Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards Dinner
TD Convention Center 1 Exposition Drive 5–8 p.m.
Cost: $85, $60 student admission For more info: www.bit.ly/2FVD3I7; katies@hughes-agency.com; 864-271-0718
Tuesday
Upstate Chamber Coalition Republican Gubernatorial Debate
Furman University 3300 Poinsett Highway 7–9 p.m.
For more info: www.bit.ly/2FT5KW0; 864-239-3748; kbusbee@greenvillechamber.org
5/4
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5/17
Emily Yepes
MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES Donna Johnston, Heather Propp, Meredith Rice, Caroline Spivey, Liz Tew
CLIENT SERVICES
Anita Harley | Rosie Peck | Jane Rogers
ART & PRODUCTION VISUAL DIRECTOR Will Crooks
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5/24 5/29
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IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF UBJ? WANT A COPY FOR YOUR LOBBY?
JUNE 1 INNOVATION ISSUE
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
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UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties. Guest columns run 700-800 words. Contact managing editor Emily Pietras at epietras@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration. Circulation Audit by
1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport
JUNE 29 LEGAL ISSUE
1988
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JULY 27 COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE ISSUE Got any thoughts? Care to contribute? Let us know at upstatebusinessjournal.com/submit.
1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993
1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont office Center on Villa.
Chairman larry Jackson, Jackson marketing Group. Photos by Greg Beckner / Staff
Jackson Marketing Group celebrates 25 years 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
2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson marketing Group when larry sells his partnership in Detroit and lA 2003
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
2009-2012 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
20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013
AS SEEN IN
NOVEMBER 1, 2013
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A growing neighborhood town center that welcomes everyone. Whether you visit, work or live here, Legacy Square is blossoming into a shining centerpiece filled with a thoughtful collection of local shops and services for all. Located at the heart of Verdae’s high-growth area, this multi-phase town center surrounds the northeast end of Legacy Park and will ultimately include 13 acres of quality commercial development that provides accessibility and convenience to area residents and more.
Join the Expanding List of Businesses Stella’s Southern Brasserie Carolinas Center for Oral & Facial Surgery Wagner Wealth Management NHE Property Management KDS Commercial Properties Dwayne Wood Architects Kathy Lenser Interiors Carolina Closets
Legacy Square Phase 2 design by DP3 Architects
Holliday Dental YMCA at Verdae Majik Touch Lockers Park View at Verdae SCBIO Headquarters Verdae Development Caldwell Constructors
Rocky Slope Road at Legacy Park New storefronts are taking shape & Phase 2 development is underway. For sales and leasing info, call (864) 329-9292 • verdae.com