May 20, 2016 UBJ

FAC TO R

Keys Village planned as newest attraction in Greenville’s North of Broad District—Page 14

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Spartanburg moving forward in plans for Michelin distribution center TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF

tanderson@communityjournals.com Michelin North America could soon tread new territory in Spartanburg County.

The Greenville-based tire manufacturer and its development partner Panattoni Development Co. of California plan to build a $332 million multiunit distribution center.

Spartanburg County Council on Monday approved the second of three readings of an incentives agreement for the project previously codenamed “Project Magellan.”

County documents showed the project will create at least 350 jobs and will be located on a 460-acre site on the eastern side of Highway 101 between Brockman Road and Highway 417.

“We are always looking at and constantly evaluating new growth opportunities,” said Michelin spokesman Tony Fouladpour. “I am not able to provide specifics on any announcements at this time.”

Sources familiar with the project said the center could be similar to Michelin’s 1.7 million-square-foot Midwest distribution center at the RidgePort Logistics Center in Wilmington, Ill. The Spartanburg distribution center could include up to five separate buildings each totaling 300,000 square feet, sources said.

County documents said the center would be used for the “distribution of tires and related activities.”

During Monday’s meeting, Council passed the first reading of incentives for Tokyo Gas Engineering Solutions (TGES) America, which plans to invest more than $68 million to build a gas turbine cogeneration system for Toray’s $1.4 billion plant under construction off Highway 290. That project will create four new jobs.

Spartanburg County Councilman David Britt said Michelin’s investment

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combined with TGES’s project and others announced since January have the potential to push capital investment in the county to $450 million since the start of the year.

Local officials and commercial developers have expressed optimism about the potential of the Highway 101 corridor between Woodruff and

Greer to attract a wide range of economic development opportunities.

Council also moved forward a plan to extend sewer services along the Highway 101 corridor.

“It takes a team effort to make this possible,” Britt said. “Everyone working together is what makes the successes go forward.”

Canadian pharmaceuticals giant Valeant, the parent company of Bausch & Lomb, has filed site plans with the county for a 432,000-square-foot distribution facility on more 219 acres opposite Michelin’s proposed site at the intersection of highways 101 and 417.

Doris Smith, principal of Doris Smith Realty, said she began selling property that was part of her brother’s former peach orchard near the intersection in the late 1980s.

Smith has a few large tracts listed in the area, including the property Michelin is eyeing for the distribution center.

“I said at the time that it would be one of the fastest-growing areas of the county if the utilities could be extended that way, and that was back before the road was widened,” Smith said. “I grew up near BMW, and I have seen many changes over the years. I see tremendous potential in that area.”

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4 | THE RUNDOWN |

UBJ

TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

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05.20.2016

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 21 Featured this issue: $65M Gibbs Cancer Center breaks ground.. .................. 6 Local startups join Silicon Valley VC “road show”...... 10 Are angel investments outperforming public markets?... 18

Greenville’s vibrant downtown, a renovated Bon Secours Wellness Arena and community support were the key ingredients in the Southeastern Conference officially awarding the 2017 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament to the city, said arena general manager Beth Paul after the announcement this week. Read more in this week’s Greenville Journal. Photo by Gwinn Davis

“I grew up near BMW, and I have seen many changes over the years. I see tremendous potential in that area.” Page 3 “I didn’t cry, but it was bad.”

Page 10

“Here’s you on a VPN: Someone is following you home, you duck into a building, put on a wig, change clothes and go out the back door.” Page 19

TBA Pet Supplies Plus, a franchise with more than 250 locations across the U.S., will be opening its first store in the Upstate soon. The new store will be located in a portion of the former Office Depot space in the Publix Shopping Center at 2801 Wade Hampton Boulevard in Taylors.

VERBATIM

On the SEC Women’s Tournament “We are going to have a lot of visitors. They are coming to a city that is kind, accepting, and it is a city that those visitors will want to come back to.”

Gov. Nikki Haley, at Monday’s announcement that Greenville’s Bon Secours Wellness Arena would host the 2017 Southeastern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Photo by Gwinn Davis

WORTH REPEATING

05.20.2016

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

| HEALTH CARE / MANUFACTURING | 5

Bon Secours expands urgent care in Greenville County MELINDA YOUNG | CONTRIBUTOR

myoung@communityjournals.com

Bon

Secours

St.

Francis

Health System is expanding urgent care sites in Greenville County with long-term plans to double the number of AFC Urgent Care Bon Secours centers. The sites previously were called Doctors Express Urgent Care.

Last fall, the health organization acquired franchise rights for four existing AFC Urgent Care sites. Plans are underway to build two new ones by fall 2016. Bon Secours holds the rights to add another two – for a total of eight – in 2017, says Marcus Blackstone, senior group lead physician for primary care for Bon Secours Medical Group.

Existing AFC Urgent Care clinics are in Greer, Simpsonville, at Cherrydale and on Woodruff Road. The two new sites added this year will be on Pelham Road, near I-85, and on

Augusta Road adjacent to a new site for the Woodward Medical Center, which is a Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Group primary care practice, Blackstone says.

The new urgent care sites will have about 2,500 square feet and will be built with the health team model that includes physicians, nurse practitioners and nursing assistants. “We usually double up during the busiest times,” Blackstone says. “During peak hours, we have two providers there at the same time.”

To staff the new sites, Bon Secours will hire more doctors, nurse practitioners, certified X-ray technicians and other staff, he says.

The average patient time spent in the urgent care clinics, including lab tests or X-rays, is about one hour, he notes.

The planned expansion will help meet the county’s health care demands: “When you look at data,

this is consumer-driven,” Blackstone says. “People want convenient care, close to home, close to work.”

Each urgent care clinic can do on-site X-rays and some lab testing.

Their hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

“At full capacity, most of our centers can see 60 visits a day,” Blackstone says. “These are true urgent care centers with no primary care services and no routine follow-up.”

When patients are diagnosed with a chronic illness and they do not have a doctor, the urgent care physician will offer them a referral to another site for regular checkups and care, he explains.

“Thirty percent of the people who use urgent care are not tied to a primary care provider or a medical home, so we know this is a touchpoint to bring people into our practice and our network,” Blackstone says.

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Sioux Chief to add 77 jobs in Cherokee County ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com

Plumbing equipment firm Sioux Chief Manufacturing plans to relocate its corporate headquarters and establish operations in Cherokee County. The development will include $2.5 million in investment and an additional 77 jobs.

The move follows Sioux Chief’s $35.5 million acquisition of certain assets of Watts Water Technologies Inc., according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The acquisition included Watts’ fittings, brass and tubular and vinyl tubing product lines across four operating units and assets in three factories, Sioux Chief Manufacturing.

The company’s headquarters have been in Missouri since 1987. The Chesnee facility – located at 815 Pickens St. in Chesnee – will house Sioux Chief Manufacturing’s corporate headquarters as well as its engi-

neering, manufacturing, warehouse and distribution operations. A Michigan-based affiliate, Tribal Manufacturing, will run the operation.

"We are very excited about the opportunities at the Chesnee, S.C., operation. A great network of people here in South Carolina have supported us, and we are proud to be a part of Cherokee County and operate in the fine state of South Carolina,” said Sioux Chief manufacturing president Joseph N. Ismert in a statement. “We have aggressive growth plans, and have already begun working with our customers and future customers to re-shore many of their products.”

Founded in 1957, the company manufactures plumbing, heating and water products for residential, industrial and commercial applications.

The company designs, builds and maintains its own machines and equipment, according to a news

release.

"We would like to welcome Tribal Manufacturing to Cherokee County and look forward to working with them to ensure success,” said Cherokee County Council Chair Tim Spencer. “The company's choice to invest in new equipment and expand their operations creating new jobs for our experienced workforce shows that Cherokee County is a great place for business."

The news follows auto supplier Essex Weld Solutions’ decision to invest $2.6 million and create 70 jobs with a 15,000-square-foot facility in Cherokee, as well as Daimler Trucks’ $22 million investment in its subsidiary’s local operations, both announced this year. Cherokee County reported drawing $58.2 million in capital investment associated with 235 new jobs in 2015, according to an Upstate Business Journal report.

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6 | FITNESS / HEALTH CARE |

UBJ

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

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05.20.2016

Spartanburg Regional breaks ground on $65 million cancer center MELINDA YOUNG | CONTRIBUTOR

myoung@communityjournals.com

Spartanburg

Iron Tribe plans second location on Woodruff Road SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com Iron Tribe Fitness, a group-based workout facility, is planning to open its second location on Woodruff Road, next to The Fresh Market.

“The first location on Augusta Street has been super successful and is growing so quickly, we are getting close to capping out,” said Rob Jackman, owner/operator of Iron Tribe Fitness Greenville. Each Iron Tribe facility caps out when it reaches 300 members.

Jackman said he chose the 3,600-square-foot space adjacent to The Fresh Market because of its location and because customers can use Highway 14 instead of traveling Woodruff Road.

“We’ve had a ton of interest and a good network,” Jackman said. “The new location on Woodruff Road will be accessible to the other side of Greenville.”

Jackman hopes to open the new facility in early August. He and his two business partners (both based in Birmingham, Ala.) hope to continue to expand in the Greenville market with additional locations, possibly in downtown, North Main, Verdae or Pelham Road.

For more information, visit irontribefitness.com.

Regional

Healthcare System (SRHS) broke ground on Tuesday morning at a planned $65 million, seven-story cancer center facility on Highway 14 in Greer.

The new Gibbs Cancer Center and Research Institute will expand its small existing site, which opened in 2013, at the Greer location. Gibbs Cancer Center originally was opened in Spartanburg in 1999 and now also has facilities in Gaffney and Union, as well the Greer address.

The new facility will have 198,000 square feet. It is located on the 150acre campus of the 48-bed Pelham Medical Center, says David Church, DHA, vice president of oncology and support services, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.

SRHS is contributing $50 million to the project’s total cost, and the remaining $15 million is being raised through philanthropy from the Spartanburg Regional Foundation.

Cancer is one of the top two causes of death for older adults nationwide, and as the Greenville-Spartanburg region grows, the need for oncology care will increase rapidly, Church says.

“We are estimating a growth in oncology of 28 percent over the next five years, due to a combination of things,” Church says.

As the area’s population ages, the incidence of cancer also increases. The Greenville-Spartanburg area is predicted to have a 19.1% increase in people ages 65 and older between 2013 and 2018, he adds.

The newest Gibbs Cancer facility is scheduled to open in mid-2018 with a staff of 125. It’s named for benefactors Marsha and Jimmy Gibbs, and it’s associated with the National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Center program and the Medical University of South Carolina.

“Our goal is to be a destination cancer center, and being in close proximity to the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport makes it convenient for patients and families,” Church says.

HDR architectural firm is designing the facility with a variety of patient-centric features, including an oncology pharmacy, a chapel, centralized labs and an entire floor dedicated to patients and families. The holistic care floor will have oncology rehab, patient education, a demonstration kitchen, a survivorship program and integrative medicine, Church says.

Other features include an infusion (chemotherapy) center with 40 chairs.

“It has all glass so patients can see the mountains and sky view of the city,” Church says. “Patients may spend four to 10 hours having an infusion, so it’s very important the space is conducive to tranquil and supportive space.”

There also will be a phase I study unit, with room for eight patients at one time, which will bring the latest research oncology drugs to patients.

It will be located in dedicated research space, staffed by clinical trial experts.

It will be available for studies involving numerous types of cancer, Church says.

“Our goal is for patients and families to be treated and to have the latest clinical trials right here,” he says. “It’s more than just the buildings; we have invested heavily in our physicians and support medical professionals to support our expansion of clinical trials and phase I research.”

Another unique feature is the center’s multidisciplinary clinics, which will provide an academic approach to cancer care through multidisciplinary planning conferences.

“We have 11 different conferences,” Church says. “We have a large auditorium that 50 to 60 professionals can visit; every aspect of the cancer team comes together to review each case and, sometimes, to debate on the best way to take care of a particular patient, based on research and guidelines.”

This method is based on the academic medical care model and a multidisciplinary approach, he says.

“We have nurses, oncology nurses, research nurses, pathology physicians, radiology physicians, plastic surgeons,

05.20.2016

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

| HEALTH CARE | 7

New SRHS urgent care opens on Pelham myoung@communityjournals.com

A new Immediate Care Center

WALMART

– Pelham, located next to a BI-LO near I-85, is scheduled to open June 6, according to Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, which owns the facility.

The 8,192-square-foot building will have 21 physicians, nurses and other staff, providing traditional and urgent care health services, says Lisa Self, Medical Group of the Carolinas manager for primary care.

“We chose this location because it’s a high-traffic, convenient location,” Self says. “Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System’s mission is to provide high-quality care in locations that are convenient to our patients.”

Also, SRHS was attracted to the Greer and Greenville area because of its rapid growth, she adds.

“We feel a commitment to put an

additional option for our Pelham Medical Center patients.”

Batson Associates has designed the new urgent care space, which is being leased from the shopping center. It’s the third Immediate Care Center site. The other two are located in Spartanburg, one on the east side and one on the west side, Self says.

“An Immediate Care Center is a hybrid health care model, combining a traditional doctor’s office with the convenience of an urgent care clinic,” Self says. “Physicians can provide care for anything from chronic problems, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, to routine preventive care.”

Immediate Care Centers are open seven days a week with hours extending to 9 p.m. on weekdays and until 5 p.m. on weekends.

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oncology surgeons, genetics, social workers, patient navigators and medical oncology.”

The new center will provide only outpatient care. Patients who need hospital beds will be able to stay at the

Pelham Medical Center or Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, Church says.

“The new cancer center has a large, climate-controlled connector to the hospital, so patients, families, and staff can easily access the medical center.

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05.20.2016

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Papa’s and Beer signs lease in Spartanburg’s west side TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF

tanderson@communityjournals.com Diners in Spartanburg will soon have their very own Papa’s and Beer.

The family-owned Mexican eatery has signed a lease on the 6,000-squarefoot prominent west side restaurant building at 180 E. Blackstock Road formerly occupied by Brasilia Churrasco Steakhouse.

It will be the company’s fifth new store since its founders, Javier and Connie Gomez, relocated their concept from Los Angeles to Asheville, N.C., in 2009.

The restaurant will be owned and operated by the couple’s daughter and son-in-law, Crystal and Uriel Ibarra.

Crystal Ibarra said the store could open in early July and create 20 to 25 new jobs.

“We have wanted to expand into Spartanburg for a while,” she said. “We feel like we’ve found the perfect location and we’re very excited about it …

We’re praying and hoping that it will be a success.”

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

upstatebusinessjournal.com

The Spartanburg store is in addition to stores in Asheville, Greenville, Simpsonville and Anderson.

Papa’s and Beer’s menu features an array of authentic Mexican dishes crafted from fresh, quality ingredients, according to the company’s website.

“A lot of people think we’re corporate-owned, but that’s just not true,” Ibarra said. “We have fallen in love with this region. Our diners are absolutely the best, and we look forward to serving Spartanburg.”

Lynn Spencer, a principal of Spartanburg-based Spencer/Hines Properties, brokered the real estate transaction.

Spencer said the building, which originally housed a Hops restaurant, has sat vacant for about a year.

“We have been approached by different parties but really never felt like any of them were the right fit,” he said.

“However, we felt this was absolutely the right fit … We think it’s going to be an asset for Spartanburg, and we’re very excited about it.”

| RESTAURANTS | 9

Oakblue Kitchen plans June opening in downtown Greenville ANDREW MOORE | STAFF

amoore@communityjournals.com Food

lovers

craving

a Southern meal or Asian cuisine will have the best of both worlds when Oakblue Kitchen opens in downtown Greenville in June.

The 2,500-squarefoot restaurant, located at 109 N. Main St., will feature a contemporary rustic design and offer various Southern and Korean foods.

Menu items include traditional Southern and Korean barbecue, fried chicken, ribs, mac and cheese, kimchi and more. The restaurant will also offer a beverage menu of crafted cocktails, local beers and various wines that will be served at a bar.

The unique culinary concept was thought up by John Ko, former owner of Local Taco. He formulated the idea during his time at the popular taco stop. And after selling the restaurant last fall, Ko decided to pursue his new concept, one fueled by a culturally diverse upbringing.

“I grew up in a traditional Korean family in south Georgia. My mom was an excellent cook, and we had Korean food most nights. But sometimes we would get local barbecue from the side of the road,”

Ko said. “I just love Southern comfort foods, so I decided to blend my favorites from both.”

Ko was also inspired by downtown Greenville’s growing food scene.

“I love the idea that people are venturing out and that there is more than just shrimp and grits in downtown. I just felt that I could add a little twist and bring something new to the table,” Ko said.

However, Ko needed help bringing his concept to life. He recruited Kris McGowan, a veteran chef who he met in 2012 after opening Local Taco on Conestee Avenue in Greenville.

Since then, the two have worked together to perfect the menu.

“It’s about showcasing the best of both cuisines. They share a lot — vegetables, starches and meats.

So you start from the same spot but end up with two very different meals.

It’s about letting everyone try a bit of everything,” McGowan said.

Oakblue Kitchen will offer lunch and dinner and outside and inside seating once it opens in June. An opening day has not been set.

Be on the lookout for at least two more food trucks to hit the streets of Greenville this summer. THE CHILLWAGON,, a specialty organic ice cream truck, and KEEPIN’ IT FRESH GREENVILLE, a farm-to-customer truck, are both in the works.

10 | ENTREPRENEURS |

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05.20.2016

Greenville entrepreneurs enter ‘VC Roadshow’ ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com

Two Greenville startup founders headed to Silicon Valley for a “VC Roadshow” this month after making an elite list of the most promising Founder Institute graduates from around the world. Founder Institute is an international startup launch accelerator with chapters across 60 countries and 110 cities, including the recently established Upstate chapter.

Founder Institute invited 500 startups out of its global pool of graduates to apply for the inaugural FounderX Advisory Program, which is designed to help startups “on the cusp of significant growth.” Greenville’s Bandwagon and tForm were among 50 startups selected for the program, which connected founders to mentors such as Adeo Ressi (CEO and founder of Founder Institute) to help refine their pitch decks and presentations.

The program culminated with FounderX, a three-day private networking event in San Francisco. The 50 selected founders participated additionally in a “VC Roadshow,” placing them in front of some of the country’s top venture capitalist firms to pitch.

“Pretty much right off,” Ressi was highly critical of his pitch, said tForm founder Benjamin Moore, part of Greenville’s first cohort. “I didn’t cry, but it was bad.”

Bandwagon founder Harold Hughes pitched to 500 Startups, a global venture capital seed fund that has invested in more than 1,300 startups and manages $200 million in assets. The experience, said Hughes, was more than just a valuable networking experience.

“It’s given me the confidence that this [Bandwagon] is a venture capital-backable business … I know I have something here,” said Hughes. “When you think about the level that they were at, it just de-risked

Greenville in a big way.”

Bandwagon and tForm both graduated as part of Greenville’s first Founder Institute cohort in late 2015, along with seven other companies for a total of 12 entrepreneurs.

Bandwagon is an online fan community marketplace for game tickets. tForm is a quick-responding custom thermoformed packaging company.

For an inside view of lessons learned from FounderX, see Harold Hughes’ guest column on page 13.

Upstate Business Journal publisher Ryan Johnston serves as a co-director of Greenville’s Founder Institute Program.

Founder Institute chapter directors and program graduates hold small shares of equity in each graduate company.

Harold Hughes with Bridget founder and CEO of Australi

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05.20.2016

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From left: tForm founder Benjamin Moore, Bandwagon founder Harold Hughes, Founder Institute CEO and founder Adeo Ressi, Connect2NICU founder Shante Nixon.

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

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| RESTAURANTS | 13

Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries opens in Spartanburg TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF

tanderson@communityjournals.com A new burger joint has opened in Spartanburg — the first of many it hopes to open in the Upstate during the next few years.

Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries opened its doors Monday in a 2,400-square-foot space in the shopping center beside the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market in Cedar Springs.

J.R. Cottle, a master franchisee for the North Carolina-based family-dining chain, said the 104-seat restaurant has created 55 new jobs. The company will soon begin opening restaurants in Greenville, Anderson and Greer, he said.

“Everything has been good so far,” said Cottle, who began working for the company as a fry cook after graduating from high school. “We’re very excited about this location and look forward to continuing our growth throughout the Upstate.”

Cottle said the company, which was founded in a shopping mall in Goldsboro, N.C., as Andy’s Cheesesteaks and Cheeseburgers in 1991, has 130 stores in 10 states, Denmark and the United Arab Emirates.

It has sold the rights to franchisees that could propel its growth tenfold during the next decade. That means

the company could have more than 1,000 stores by 2026.

“It’s really neat to see,” Cottle said. “When I started, we had 30 stores. We’re one of the few companies where anyone can literally start at the bottom and work their way up to owning their own restaurant.”

The Spartanburg store is owned by franchisee Alcides Ferreira.

Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries master franchiser J.R. Cottle said the store is still hiring and the Cottle company is looking for more franchisees in the region. service, quality and value. The company’s mantra is, Tom Stanley, vice president of operations for Hwy “Love your neighbor,” he said.

55, was busy flipping burgers at the Cedar Springs He said the company was attracted to the space in location Tuesday.

Cedar Springs because of its proximity to local sports Stanley, a native of Massachusetts, said he began complexes and potential growth of the community. his career with the company in Texas in 2003 after “We considered several sites,” Cottle said. “We liked retiring from the U.S. Army. this one because it isn’t overcrowded. We wanted to “I was looking for something to do and [a Hwy 55] be in on the ground floor of what’s happening here.” opened around the corner from my house,” Stanley The Spartanburg restaurant has a full wait staff, said. “I started working there part-time. I was a little Cottle said. Burgers are cooked with 100 percent beef older [than my coworkers], so I picked things up and each meal is made-to-order. quicker. I learned everything I could about the The store will operate from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday business … It’s been very rewarding. I’ve traveled all through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on across the country helping to open restaurants.”

Friday and Saturday.

Cottle said the company’s focus is on customer For more information, visit www.hwy55.com.

From lenders to developers, we represent Greenville.

With our experience in real estate, business and commercial law, we pride ourselves in bringing a business perspective to your transactions. We represent sellers, purchasers, lenders, and developers in a variety of real estate matters, including the sale, purchase, lease, development, and financing of residential, commercial, and industrial properties.

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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com |

|

05.20.2016

@SJackson_CJ

Keys Village planned for North of Broad District New mixed-use village with a “wow factor” planned for Greenville’s former Keys Printing building “Fun and funky with a cool factor” doesn’t always seem to describe downtown Greenville projects, but a new concept planned for the former Keys Printing building and property promises all that and more.

Picture a mixed-use village that’s edgy, with industrial elements and repurposed shipping containers thrown into the design. Parking for a food truck or two. A brewery and restaurant with roll-up doors to the outside. People gathered at rows of picnic tables with lights strung overhead watching live music or perhaps an indie movie on the outdoor stage and projection screen.

That’s the vision for Keys Village.

For more than 10 years the property, located at 307 E. McBee Ave. adjacent

to American Roadside Burger, sat vacant, waiting for the right time to do something “cool” with it, said Steve Navarro, managing partner for the project, who purchased the property along with another investor. Seeing that Greenville was changing, they thought the property was a good buy and ripe for future development. “We just didn’t think it would take quite so long,” quipped Navarro.

They watched downtown Greenville’s progress and waited patiently. Revenue generated from the billboard on top of the building (which was just replaced with a new, digital billboard) paid the property taxes. Over the years, with rising property values downtown, several developers had wanted to

purchase the property and tear down the existing building.

But while the outside isn’t much to look at right now, it has “good bones” and a “wow factor” with a barrel-vaulted open truss, said Navarro. As Erwin Penland’s new building and adjacent parking garage is nearing completion, now is the right time to turn the property into a destination, he said.

“That [digital] billboard really set the stage in what we want to do with Keys Village,” said Navarro.

Exposed, industrial trusses will show up in the overall development of the project, both indoors and out. “We also really want to create an open, market village feel with a really active space inside and out. To do that, we had to

“IT WILL GIVE GREENVILLE A COOL FACTOR. IT WILL BE A PLACE PEOPLE WILL WANT TO WANDER TO OFF OF MAIN STREET. Steve Navarro, developer

have a unique architectural design that would work and also appeal to tenants that could appreciate that,” he said.

Nationwide inspiration Navarro has spent the past six months touring several different cities in the U.S., including San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Atlanta and Philadelphia, to see similar market concepts and “to bring back the best of those concepts,” he said.

The outdoor area will be called the Court Yard, named for the backdrop views of the Federal Courthouse building, and will feature a 20-foot covered patio and a 20-foot canopy trellis.

Navarro says he is expecting the space to be active “five or six nights a week.”

Audio-visual will be state-of-the-art to

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

comply with city noise ordinances, and they’re looking at a mobile app that can provide sound from the movies and bands to a personal headset. “Sort of like a silent rave,” he said.

The cargo containers could possibly hold patio furniture by day and then can be used to service patrons in the evening.

CycleBar coming – brewery next?

The CycleBar, an indoor cycling studio, is the first tenant to sign on at Keys Village. Talks are ongoing – but not solidified – with a “nonlocal brewery and restaurant” to occupy a 4,402-square-foot space with three roll-up side doors in the building fronting McBee Avenue. An additional 2,286-square-foot space is also available

for another “food and beverage operator.”

The three-story building on the side of the property has 2,200 square feet per floor and can be subdivided, said Navarro. The space is open with lots of windows, and the top floor has great views, he said. This building is expected to house mostly office tenants, with possibly retail on the ground floor. An elevator tower will be built out of two end-to-end cargo containers, and a “very cool mural” is planned for the side of the building facing Church Street.

“As Greenville continues to grow, it is exciting to see entertainment and retail extend beyond Main Street to support an evolving community,” said Shelby Dodson, senior associate with

CBRE, which is handling the marketing and leasing. “Keys Village will be a unique project that will offer convenience, amenities and vitality to the developing office, hotel and multifamily projects surrounding the site. The project team has done a great job of implementing design ideas from larger markets to make this a distinctive place where people will want to gather.”

Navarro is very excited about the project, and preliminary discussions

PROJECT PARTNERS

with the city have been favorable. “It will give Greenville a cool factor,” he said. Located in the new North of Broad District, “it will be a place people will want to wander to off of Main Street.”

Navarro said he is planning to present plans for the elevator tower and exterior to the design review board in June.

If approved, construction will begin immediately after permitting. The previously announced CycleBar is planning a fall opening and everything else Navarro says he hopes to have open by the end of this year.

DEVELOPER: The Furman Company GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Harper Corporation ARCHITECT: McMillan Pazdan Smith FINANCING: TD Bank MARKETING/LEASING: CBRE

16 | PROFESSIONAL |

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STRATEGIES FOR HONING YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

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05.20.2016

From Death Valley to Silicon Valley A Clemson grad and entrepreneur shares lessons from a national venture capital conference

By HAROLD HUGHES Founder and CEO, Bandwagon

Everywhere you look, millennials are seen

trepreneurship, building a scalable business and what they don’t tell you about building a mega company that raises millions (and billions). I noted dozens of takeaways, but here are the three I reflected on the most – and subsequently kept me up at night:

as a group that would rather play than work.

However, as a millennial myself, I believe we value Look the part. enjoyable work. That was my reality long before enrolling at Clemson University or starting my Marvin Liao of 500 Startups shared that he company, Bandwagon. To make this a reality, I personally reviews over 100 pitch decks a week. As studied innovation and entrepreneurship in gradusuch, it is easier for VCs to rule out entrepreneurs ate school knowing that play would be at the center that don’t take the time to polish their pitch deck of my work. After graduation, I was full steam ahead. and marketing materials before We spent a year testing distributing them. As a founder and surveying, launching seeking funding, it is important to “I don’t need to know that the our minimum viable present your company in the best idea will succeed. I need to know product (MVP) last Seplight. Oftentimes, that means followthat the founder will win.” ing a traditional format. tember. The results were Jason Calacanis, investor encouraging; we discovStart with the end in mind. ered thousands of fans interested in what BandScott Painter, Founder of TrueCar, wagon set out to accomplish. Our next step was to is starting his 38th venture and taking everything get resources (read: capital) behind us. Enter The he learned from his first 37 with him. Scott has Founder Institute. notably raised over $2 billion and spoke freely about The inaugural cohort of The Founder Institute the importance of building your company with the (FI) in South Carolina was started in Greenville, end in mind. Do you want a lifestyle business? Do which seemed serendipitous. The Founder Institute you want a franchise? Do you want to take your is a global idea-accelerator. Their goal is to identify company to IPO? Starting with the end in mind talented entrepreneurs, provide training and menhelps you identify your path and mitigate risks. torship, incubate teamwork and give businesses like Bandwagon a better chance of success.

Last November, 12 entrepreneurs in my cohort graduated. Among them, I was now equipped with the tools I needed to take Bandwagon to the next level: FounderX. FI invited the top 10 percent of their global graduates to apply to FounderX, a new conference hosted in Silicon Valley designed to showcase the best of their best. Of that 10 percent, 40 companies were hand-selected for the FounderX event, with Bandwagon and tForm representing Greenville and South Carolina. My journey from Death Valley to Silicon Valley came at the perfect time. We were now seeking funding to scale and, with moderate success in the Upstate, it was time to look elsewhere.

“Elsewhere” happened to be Silicon Valley, home to top venture capital (VC) firms. On Day One, we met with VCs from the 500 Startups to Founders Fund, which just closed a sale that returned a record $1.7 billion. The gems that I took away from these meetings were invaluable. Understanding the metrics that VCs use to analyze a startup before investing helps me know how to better position my company against the thousands of companies they see each year.

On Day Two, we were privileged to sit in an audience as Jason Calacanis, Dave McClure and Scott Painter gave candid thoughts on the future of en-

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Believe you will win.

Now convince them. Jason Calacanis, investor in companies like Uber and Wealthfront, talked about investments he overlooked and why he makes the investments he does. When evaluating investments, Jason needs to know two things: Do you care passionately about what you’re doing, and are you executing at a high level? Once answered, the deal takes care of itself.

Jason also left us with this nugget: “I don’t need to know that the idea will succeed. I need to know that the founder will win.” Believing you will win is the easy part; hubris is common in entrepreneurs.

Convincing “them” – a customer, an investor or even a business partner – is the true task. Being able to express your passion and display your ability to execute at a high level separates the “wannabe entrepreneurs” from those that will succeed at whatever they touch.

On my red-eye home, I had a lot of time to think about what separates Bandwagon from other companies and what separates me from other founders. “The No. 1 skill of entrepreneurs today is the ability to acquire new skills” echoed in my mind as I assessed my own strengths and weaknesses. The resources being created in the Upstate are definitely in the strengths column.

This Tiger went west and came home with a renewed passion to build a meaningful company in the Upstate.

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STRATEGIES FOR HONING YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

upstatebusinessjournal.com

| PROFESSIONAL | 17

Rockets before rocket fuel Venture capital does no good without the right companies to invest in

Capital flows freely across borders to companies with big ideas, strong teams and solid traction. More than ever, venture capitalists are looking beyond their backyards and funding good deals wherever they can find them. Even though the startup funding market has cooled in the last several months, there are almost 800 VC Firms in the U.S., and there is still significant competition for the best deals.

We don’t know type of fuel is needed.

what

For VCs to be successful, they need to focus on particular sectors: financial, tech, consumer, cloud services, health care, security, etc. Focusing enables a VC firm to not only make more educated investment decisions but also to accumulate the deep sector-specific expertise and connections that are hugely important for entrepreneurs who are looking for more than just capital.

In South Carolina, we do not have a critical mass of venture-ready deals in any one sector. Picking a sector and forming a VC fund around it would at best only fuel a small number of homegrown rockets. Not picking a sector would almost certainly lead to mediocre fund performance, and the

www.crewupstate.org

IN KIND

The best rockets can get fuel from anywhere.

22.

GRANITE

11.

deal-driven. In recent conversations with Brendan Wales of Silicon Valley based e.ventures and Alex Estevez of Accel, both confirmed they have done deals in the Southeast and would love to fund more startups here, but they struggle to find quality deals that fit their criteria. These criteria are typically a combination of strong team and demonstrated traction and growth (users, revenues, etc.) within a large and attractive market.

We need to stop talking about the lack of local venture capital and double down on creating more companies that are venture capital-ready.

GOLD

companies

MARBLE

high-growth

are rockets, then venture capital is rocket fuel. Pair the right rocket with the right fuel and you can reach the moon. Even with the best fuel, the wrong rocket will not get far and may even explode on the launch pad. In South Carolina we need to focus on building the right rockets before getting distracted by sourcing rocket fuel.

The National Venture Capital Association recently reported that only seven South Carolina companies received VC funding in 2015 compared with 64 in North Carolina and 71 in Georgia. On a per capita basis, North Carolina landed seven times more and Georgia eight times more venture capital than South Carolina.

There is no doubt we have some catching up to do. But is South Carolina’s poor performance due to a lack of good rockets or lack of rocket fuel?

Many entrepreneurs and economic developers conclude that South Carolina has a rocket fuel problem. They argue that to correct the imbalance we need to attract or create more VC funds based here in the state. That is a flawed strategy for two main reasons:

For South Carolina to narrow the gap with our neighbors, we need to stop talking about the lack of local venture capital and double down on creating more companies that are venture capital-ready. Once we build better rockets, we can help them secure the right fuel from wherever it may be located. That’s how we will launch rockets from South Carolina to the moon.

Here’s the rub: It still takes money to build rockets, and that’s not going to come from venture capital firms.

That is where seed-stage angel investors come in, and that’s what we need more of in South Carolina. We also need to develop a culture that fosters the connection of all the people and resources needed to design, build and fly those rockets.

How we do that is an article for another day.

PLATINUM

If

So let’s focus first on building better rockets.

SILVER

Founder and CEO, Arkiver

best of our rockets would still likely prefer to secure better fuel from outside the state from sources with deeper industry expertise and connections.

We should let the market work and enable small VC firms to take root here on their own terms. This has been happening with small funds like Alerion and CapitalA Partners setting up shop in Charleston. As it should be, both of these firms are relatively sector-specific and they look beyond the borders of South Carolina to find enough quality deals to fill their pipeline. Others that came before were more general in their focus and, like Trellys, a Columbia-based VC started in 2002, have since been wound down.

Thank You

By LOGAN METCALFE

Steve Case’s D.C.based Revolution fund goes so far as to organize “Rise of the Rest” tours that take their search for deals on the road to small metropolitan centers across the Southeast. They are not alone, although the travel schedules of most VCs are much more

2016 CREW Upstate Sponsors

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MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE

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05.20.2016

Tracking angel returns Do early-stage investors really enjoy rates of return three times better than public markets?

By PAUL CLARK Managing Director, Upstate Carolina Angel Network

How much money do angel investors make investing in early-stage companies? Is it a genuine “asset class” with generally predictable returns, or just a potentially expensive hobby?

When Upstate Carolina Angel Network (UCAN) investors in Greenville and South Carolina Angel Network (SCAN) investors across South Carolina invest in a startup company, we have a specific return goal: to make a 50 percent or better annualized internal rate of return (IRR), which translates to 10 times our investment in five years (or four times in three years, etc.). We know that early-stage investing is highly risky: Startups often fail and take their investors’ capital with them. Factoring in the inevitable losses, we target a “portfolio return” of 20 percent IRR. This compares to the annualized return (including dividends) of the S&P 500 over the last 15 years of around 7 percent. Do angels really enjoy rates of return three times better than public markets?

When you read about the fortunes of early private investors in Twitter or Uber, or founders like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, you see that sometimes they do. But those cases are news precisely because they are atypical. So what returns do “regular” angel investors expect, and what do they actually achieve?

Matthew Le Merle’s study, “Capturing the Expected Returns of Angel Investors in Groups,” released last December, answers the first question.

From surveys of angel groups, Le Merle found that 55 percent of investors expect returns above 20 percent IRR, and the rest expect 10 to 20 percent IRR – better than public markets on average. This resonates with surveys of our members that show they are targeting returns of 20 percent or more IRR. Do angels achieve those goals?

There is almost no public data on angel investment returns, as angels are private individuals with no reason to share their successes or failures, and

gathering data from the 70,000 angel investments made each year would be a Herculean task.

However, there are some clues. The most comprehensive data available on angel returns suggests that – in groups and on average across a diversified portfolio – angels have achieved rates of return over 20 percent IRR. The seminal study “Returns to Angel Investors in Groups,” published in 2007 by professors Robert Wiltbank and Warren Boeker, surveyed angel investors and over 1,000 exits, finding an average 2.6x return in 3.5 years, or 27 percent IRR. Other studies demonstrate similar results.

Angels can outperform S&P Why is this relevant now? Last week, Wiltbank published an updated study, “Tracking Angel Returns,” to the Angel Capital Association, on whose board our partner Matt Dunbar serves. The study added another 250 investments, and found a similar result – 2.5x return over 4.5 years, or 22 percent IRR. If you’re a skeptic, you might consider that evidence of a decline in angel investment returns. One blog reacted with concern about “the internal rate of return dropping five points, down from 27 percent in 2007 to 22 percent in 2016.” That seems a bit of a leap, given the smaller sample size, changes in methodology and other differences between the two studies.

Still, there is evidence that angel investments themselves have changed over the last decade – generally, and on the West Coast particularly, moving to larger sizes, later stages and higher valuations – so a slightly lower return is not surprising. But even the “lower” 22 percent IRR is three times the 7 percent of the S&P 500, so no one in the angel investment world is panicking.

Two lessons for angel investors Wiltbank’s data reinforced other lessons for early-stage investors. First, individual investments are very risky.

Nearly 70 percent of investments in the new study returned less than the invested capital; picking one or two angel investments is not likely a winning strategy. Attractive returns come from portfolios of diverse invest-

ments – a basic expectation from portfolio theory. If you plan to be an angel investor, you should either dedicate the time, diligence and resources to invest in 10 or more companies, or find a vehicle that does it for you – like the Palmetto Angel “sidecar fund” that is SCAN’s “index fund” of angel investments.

Second, patience is key. People lose money by trading on emotion – buying or selling based on fear or gut reactions. If you “lock in” losses by selling, you cannot achieve those target portfolio returns. Angel investments are typically protected from that downside because they are illiquid – the shares cannot be sold easily unless the company is sold, so losses are not locked in when the company faces challenges. On the other hand, angel capital is locked away for several years – five years is our guidance, although we aim for, and have realized, several earlier exits; but if you expect capital back in a year, you will be disappointed.

Patience is key. People lose money by trading on emotion – buying or selling based on fear or gut reactions.

So how much money do angels make investing in early-stage companies?

With diligence, diversification and patience, 20 percent annual returns are still attainable. Although the UCAN and SCAN portfolios are still relatively young, we have already generated several returns above 50 percent IRR – and we anticipate our portfolio will compare favorably to the angel studies over time.

And finally, remember angel investors join our groups to “make money, have fun and do good.” Make money from diverse investments, have fun interacting with other members and innovative and exciting ideas, and do good advising our entrepreneurs and growing our local community.

The total return on that is measured in more than just dollars.

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This announcement does not constitute an offer to buy or sell securities. Such offers may only be made to qualified accredited investors via Private Placement Memorandum (PPM). Investments should be considered highly speculative and involve a degree of risk including the potential for complete loss of principal investment. This announcement does not supersede the PPM. Prospective investors must read the PPM in its entirety and pay particular attention to the cost projections, performance assumptions and the “Risk Factors” to fully understand the risks and costs involved. Offerings are illiquid investments.

Income/Returns are NOT GUARANTEED and no representation to such has been made. All statements here are believed to be accurate. Securities offered through SANDLAPPER Securities, LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC), an affiliate of Sandlapper Capital Investments, LLC, the Sponsor and Manager of the offerings.

05.20.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUSINESS

| DIGITAL MAVEN | 19

Watch your back on public Wi-Fi Open wireless connectivity is a double-edged sword of the mobile tech-enabled workforce What makes public Wi-Fi so dangerous?

It’s a culmination of factors: Our need for immeBy LAURA HAIGHT diate results and a get-it-now culture, and our lack President, Portfoliosc.com of adherence to basic security practices that runs headlong into some very accessible and cheap tools Public Wi-Fi is a great asset that even your mother could use to crack your bank for mobile workers: Empowered and connected account. staff is out of the office, working with clients, Packet sniffers, for example, are a common customers and prospects all day. That would have network diagnostic tool. IT will use them to monitor to drive sales and stronger relationships fueled by and maintain your business network. But they can better service. Right? Yes, but… also be installed on any computer wirelessly conPublic Wi-Fi is also a huge risk for business. A nected to an unsecured network, like at a Starbucks, recent survey of 500 CIOs from companies around and begin intercepting and scraping information the world found that two-thirds are banning workers from whatever business you are conducting. That from using public Wi-Fi. The survey conducted by could be logging into your corporate email account, global ISP iPass found 53 percent of U.S. companies checking your balance on your online banking app surveyed considered Wi-Fi or checking your next the biggest mobile security client’s account details threat to their business. on your online CRM To counter the problem software. of insecure and extremely When IT says you are hackable public Wi-Fi, not permitted to access many companies provide company resources their employees with VPN from unsecured Wi-Fi, access, but only 26 percent it’s not just that they’re are certain that employees trying to make your life use it. harder. Hackers scrape your info and then, to add insult to injury, may use the same unsecured access to plant malware on your company EXPERIENCED. AWARD WINNING. TRUSTED. network or the work computer that you are working on. From your computer, that malware SL Opportunity Finance, LLC can easily propagate and spread throughout your 10% Preferred Return1 network.

What can we do?

Short-Term Equity and Debt Real Estate Investments Obviously, there’s no $50,000 Minimum Investment way businesses can ban all unsecured activity.

SL – FL NNN Industrial Portfolio I, DST Policies that take that stance are unenforceable, 6.3% Current Cash-on-Cash Return2 but they should serve as Portfolio of Three NNN-Leased Properties a warning to all employees to be cognizant of the Suitable for §1031 Investments3 risks – and not only to the $100,000 Minimum Investment company. Your personal information is as much www.SandlapperCapital.com at risk as your employers’.

There are some steps most security experts 1. Investors will be entitled to a preferred distribution accruing from date of issuance of Preferred Units at a cumulative, recommend. non-compounding rate of 10.0% per annum on capital contributions. Investors may also receive an additional distribution Use a mobile VPN accruing from date of issuance of Preferred Units at a cumulative, non-compounding rate of 5.0% per annum on capital contributions. INCOME IS NOT GUARANTEED. 2. Properties are leased to Collis Roofing, Inc., Florida’s largest roofing company.

If your company has a Current return is based on the tenant’s continued ability to pay. Income is not guaranteed. 3. While the Sponsor believes the DST VPN, you should be using investment should qualify as replacement property for investors seeking to use interests as replacement property in an IRC §1031 Exchange, and has received a tax opinion to such, neither the Trust nor Sponsor has applied for a Private Letter Ruling with the it. Whether you have an IRS to such, and exchange investors are encouraged to seek their own independent tax advice on such.

iPhone or Android device, you can pretty quickly set up your smartphone or tablet to use your VPN with configuration information from your business IT staff.

What’s the difference? I wish I could claim ownership of this example, but I read it somewhere: Someone is following you home. You arrive and they know where you live, whether you have an alarm system, a dog, nearby neighbors, etc. That’s you on public Wi-Fi. Here’s you on a VPN: Someone is following you home, you duck into a building, put on a wig, change clothes and go out the back door. The guy following you is lost, and you go safely to your destination.

Install updates It’s appalling how many people never install updates on their devices. Updates are most frequently developed to add features and, more importantly, to fix bugs and shut down vulnerabilities. In April 2014, the Heartbleed attack infected the vast majority of websites in the world. Patches and fixes were available for the bug within weeks. A year later, three of four large U.S. companies (much less smaller firms with fewer resources) had not installed the fix; many still haven’t. Updates serve a critical purpose. Put them on.

Wi-Fi off by default Ever notice on your desktop that there are webpages that you aren’t even looking at, but you still have a tab open for refreshing constantly? The same thing is going on with the Wi-Fi on your phone.

When you enter an area with a previously accessed network, your phone, tablet or laptop remembers it and automatically will connect. Even when you’re not watching anymore, it is continually pinging that network to let it know that you are there. As long as you’re connected, you’re vulnerable. Turn Wi-Fi on when you need it only.

Always use SSL and HTTPS SSL is a security protocol that creates an encrypted link between you and a web server. It’s used commonly with email. You should make sure your email provider supports SSL, as it is a basic, if not impenetrable, level of security.

When on public Wi-Fi, access only secure sites through your browser. Just type “https://” instead of “http://.” This is important on all sites, but especially critical on those where you enter personal information, passwords and credit card information.

Don’t shop on public Wi-Fi First, we are talking about work here, so I assume you aren’t shopping, but just in general, never enter a credit card number or password on a website when you are on public Wi-Fi. Just don’t.

These steps will not guarantee you don’t get hacked, or that you don’t facilitate a hacker getting into your company, but they will add some layers of protection.

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“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

POWER SOLUTIONS CASE STUDY of

Spartanburg School District 2 The Upstate of South Carolina is a beautiful area home to many businesses. It is also home to severe thunderstorms in the summer and ice storms in the winter. As the Hot weather lingers, and memories of past winter storms melt away, it’s tempting to forget the cold, hard dread that the lights might go out. Most of the Upstate have already felt the effects of no power due to Scott Kelly storms this President Carolina summer. But Heating Service the potential Serving Greenville for storm since 1981 related power outages is a year-round sleeping trigger. While you cannot prevent power outages, you can prepare for them. As a business owner I know just how important having power is, so do the folks at the Spartanburg School District 2 main office here in the Upstate. Spartanburg school district 2 is made up of 14 public schools that rely on power to function. Power is needed 24/7 to keep all students and faculty safe. In the past, the schools have experienced a loss of power after a heat pump over heated causing distress. All 14 schools in the district lost internet access which is crucial for faculty duties, lunch reports, alerts to parents, and much more. Assuring students continued education with the goal of no interruptions provides the district with an advantage over many other districts who would be at the mercy of their local power grid. Virtually every daily function of the schools are dependent in some way on a power source. And power is needed to keep computer servers up and running. Any loss of power takes them out of communication with parents and internally. As peace of mind a 60KW Generac Generator from Carolina Generators was installed. Since then the school system has experienced a power outage due to a vehicle wreck near the district office. Fortunately, their new generator restored power immediately!

Power your peace of mind by installing an emergency generator today. Contact Carolina Generators today.

STAY OPEN FOR BUSINESS. HAVE A BACKUP PLAN FOR POWER! Contact us today to schedule our Power Pro Professional for your FREE onsite assessment.

Greenville: 864-232-5684

Seneca: 864-638-6635

Anderson: 864-281-1977

www.CarolinaCommercialGenerators.com

THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

Open for business

2

1

Photo Provided

1. Clemson Eye Visual Health & Surgery Center recently opened at 360 Pelham Road, Greenville. For more information, visit clemsoneye.com.

2. Empereon-Constar recently opened at 440 North Roper Mountain Road, Suite J, Greenville. The company offers contact center solutions specializing in multimedia and customer-centric interactions. For more information, visit empereonmarketing.com.

CONTRIBUTE: Know of a business opening soon?

Email information to lgood@communityjournals.com.

| NEW TO THE STREET | 21

22 | ON THE MOVE |

UBJ

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

HIRED

HONORED

HIRED

HIRED

|

05.20.2016

APPOINTED

SANDI LA RENE

MIKE MCCORMICK

TODD C. MAREK

RHYS GRATZ

SCOTT BAIER

Joined Crawford Strategy as office manager. La Rene most recently worked at AppleCare KellyConnect as a senior iOS advisor. She previously served as the shelter and marketing manager at the Jackson River Enterprises and Humane Society in Covington, Va.

Named Greenville County’s 2016 economic development ambassador by the Greenville Area Development Corporation.

McCormick is vice president and technical plant leader of Bosch Rexorth.

Named executive director of the Clemson University Watt Family Innovation Center.

Marek has experience in advanced technologies, research and development and test and evaluation programs. He most recently served as senior vice president at the Scientific Research Corp. in Atlanta.

Joined the Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Inc. Greenville team as engineer intern.

Gratz has experience in evaluating the effects of water treatment technologies in the domestic and industrial sectors as well as in ASIM modeling and remediation.

Named interim chair of the John E. Walker Department of Economics at Clemson University. Baier is the director of the Clemson BB&T Center for Education and Policy Studies and has been an economics faculty member at the university for 15 years.

VIP Betsy Fleming Named as the recipient of South Carolina’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the Palmetto.

Fleming has served as president of Converse College since 2005 and on the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities board, among others. The award recognizes a person’s lifetime achievements and contributions to the state of South Carolina.

DEVELOPMENT LS3P named Nathan Asire as an associate with the firm. Asire is a designer and has been with LS3P since 2012. He is a graduate of Clemson University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in architecture.

O’Neal Inc. hired Jonathan Sharpe as project controller and Rob Will as civil engineer. Sharpe has over 10 years

of project controls experience. He previously worked with Fluor and is a graduate of The Citadel with a degree in business administration. Will has over five years of civil engineering experience. He previously worked with CCAD Engineering and Gewalt Hamilton & Associates.

medical-surgical nurse at Bon Secours St. Francis Health System. Rainer is a senior at Bob Jones University pursuing a degree in nursing.

Spartanburg Regional Healthcare system named medical intensivist Dr. Stuart Reynolds as Physician of the Year; Brian Webb, director of imaging services, as Leader of the Year; and Adam Smith of construction and renovations facilities as Associate of the Year.

HOSPITALITY Embassy Suites Downtown Greenville Riverplace named Glen Williams and Beth Harris to the leadership team that will guide its grand opening

HEALTH Andrew Rainer was hired as a

later this year. Williams will continue his role as the regional director of operations for Hospitality America and general manager of the Embassy.

Harris serves as director of sales and marketing.

REAL ESTATE Wham Auction and Realty named Kelvin Quinn as president.

SPORTS Greenville Sports Leagues (GSL) hired Elizabeth Luttrell as assistant to the director, field liaison and GSL field day director. Luttrell is a senior at Bob Jones University pursuing a degree in exercise science.

CONTRIBUTE: New hires, promotions & award winners may be featured in On the Move. Send information and photos to onthemove@ upstatebusinessjournal.com.

Building Solutions

www.thalhimer.com 864 370 8155

FINDING SOLUTIONS As a leading full-service commercial real estate firm we don’t shy away from a challenge. We tirelessly strive to find the right solutions for our clients no matter how big the haystack.

Driving client value by delivering the right real estate solution.

Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer is a leading full-service commercial real estate firm in the Mid-Atlantic. We have a unique balance of local flexibility and global reach by leveraging our partners in the Cushman & Wakefield alliance. Our clients benefit from the combined talents of over 400 associates with expertise in all product types. Together, we tirelessly strive to build the right solutions for every one of our clients’ unique needs. No matter what the requirement, we’ve got the solution!

05.20.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE

| SOCIAL SNAPSHOT | 23

DRIVE BUSINESS DOWNTOWN

Photos by William Crooks

Last week, the Greenville Drive and Elliott Davis Decosimo hosted the annual Drive Businesss Downtown networking event at Fluor Field, before the Drive’s game against the Columbia Fireflies.

Photo Provided

IRON TRIBE FIRST ANNIVERSARY Iron Tribe Fitness Greenville celebrated their one-year anniversary at Zen downtown last week. Their members won several awards for their accomplishments over the past year, and the night capped off with the announcement of their new location coming to Woodruff Road in August. Read more on page 6.

CONTRIBUTE: Got high-resolution photos of your networking or social events? Send photos and information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

THE EASIEST WAY TO TRAVEL. For over 50 years, GSP International Airport has helped our local economy take flight. With convenient parking, shorter lines and more direct flights to the places you need to be, your choice in travel is close to home.

THINK GSP FIRST. GSPairport.com

24 | THE FINE PRINT |

UBJ

BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

Serious About Improving Sales Performance?

Check this out!

Announcing The Activate Series Weekly B2B sales training sessions facilitated by Sharon Day, Sales Activation Group.

Dynamic hands-on learning with customized topics that are relevant, real world and resource rich.

Join us to learn how to activate: • In-depth conversations • Qualified leads • Shorter sales cycles • Greater impact

Classes start Wed., June 8th

‘The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat.’

—Richard Marcinko

|

05.20.2016

Oliver Rubber adds Texas retread facility Greenville-based Oliver Rubber, provider of products and services to the tire retreading industry, announced the opening of a new retread facility, Border Recapping, in El Paso, Texas.

Operating under Texas-based Border International, Border Recapping will increase Oliver Rubber’s capacity to service the Southwest market with the brand’s retreading and related services. The 32,000-square-foot facility will also offer new commercial-truck tire sales from the Michelin-family tire portfolio, including Michelin, BFGoodrich and Uniroyal brands. Border International is a full-service truck, trailer, parts, service, body shop and leasing dealership.

“Border Recapping/Border International has a clear commitment to fleet service and has strategically located this facility in the Southwest,” said Ralph Dimenna, COO for Michelin Americas Truck Tires Division. “Both companies highly value innovation, technology and service, which are paramount to the customer.”

BASF Whitestone recognized

by Spartanburg Water Germany-based BASF’s local plant “Whitestone” in Spartanburg was recognized

by Spartanburg Water for its 100 percent compliance record with their industrial wastewater permits for the 2015 calendar year.

BASF, short for Badische Anilin- & Soda Fabrik is an international chemical company. The Spartanburg site produces surfactants used primarily in consumer and industrial cleaning products.

Pictured from left: Josh Smith, reclaimed water treatment manager, Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District; Angela Moore, Director of Industrial Pretreatment, Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District; and Brandi Hart, EHS Specialist, BASF.

Michelin North America files lawsuit against Atturo Tires and Svizz-One

To register, call or go online: 864.451.7676 • 2activatesales.com

It’s time to get serious.

Michelin North America Inc., headquartered in Greenville, recently filed suit against Atturo Tire Corporation and Svizz-One Corporation Ltd. alleging they infringed a design patent covering the Michelin Latitude tire tread design.

Michelin filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina in Greenville. The suit alleges that two tire models – the Atturo AZ600 and the Thunderer Ranger 007 – infringe the company’s Patent U.S. D483,322 for a tread.

Atturo brand tires are specialized for the light-truck segment that includes >>

05.20.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

| THE FINE PRINT | 25

>> SUVs, pick-up trucks and crossovers. The Atturo tires in question are manufactured by Svizz-One in Thailand for the U.S. market.

“This lawsuit demonstrates Michelin’s legal strategy to protect the intellectual property created by its 6,000 research and development employees and an annual R&D investment of about $700 million,” said Paul Grosskopf, VP of research and development at Michelin.

Clemson professor granted funding for implant development research Through research by Andy Tennyson, an assistant professor of inorganic chemistry, and his group at Clemson University, medical patients could be less likely to reject artificial hips, knees and other medical implants.

Tennyson received research funding through the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program.

Tennyson The $500,000 NSF Career award will cover five years of research into modifying the artificial materials that go into the body as implants.

Rather than invent a new material, Tennyson wants to modify the materials that are commonly used for implants such as stainless steel, titanium, polyethylene and polypropylene.

“There is already a medical device infrastructure that has been built up around making devices around those materials,” Tennyson said. “So we don’t want to say, ‘throw that out, we’ve got to start from scratch.’ We want to come up with a way to take what is already made and do some minor functionalization on the surface of it, so that a new infrastructure doesn’t have to be designed from the ground up.”

Tennyson’s long-term goal is to develop implants that resist failure by preventing chemical degradation. He hopes to have the technology ready for animal testing in five years.

Clemson research could help power devices with vibration Mohammed Daqaq, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Clemson University, received the C.D. Mote Jr. award for his research on developing “energy harvesters,” a new technology that could play a key role in helping monitor bridges for cracks and other signs of strain.

The energy harvesters would channel vibrations to small Daqaq sensors that are embedded throughout bridges, buildings and other structures. The sensors would provide a continuous stream of data that would report on the “health” of the structure, according to a release.

Daqaq said the energy harvesters would provide an environmentally sustainable way of powering the sensors with no need for a battery or plugging into some other energy source for decades.

“These vibratory or flow-energy harvesters operate well within very small bandwidth frequencies that are in the environment,” Daqaq said. “But the energy in that environment is distributed over a wide range of frequencies. What we want to do is make that harvester respond to excitations and stimuli that have a very wide frequency bandwidth, not only a very small bandwidth.”

WE CREATE IN ORDER TO HELP HUMANS FLOURISH. MEET OUR TEAM

i p s o c re at ive.co m

26 | #TRENDING |

UBJ

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

OVERHEARD @ THE WATERCOOLER MAY 13, 2016

| VOL. 5 ISSUE 20

> Sharon Hoeft “So exciting. Looking forward to the special treats!”

RECHARGING

> Cynthia Serra “We are becoming a food mecca!!!” > Elizabeth Waye Limbaker “Woo hoo!!” > Wade Kennedy “That sure looks like a Ford cab and certainly not a ’55 chevy.”

RE: OLD CHICAGO PIZZA PLANNING GREENVILLE, SPARTANBURG LOCATIONS > Keith Boling, C. Dan Joyner Realtors “Awesome! Can’t wait for some good Chicago style pizza!” > Jacqui R Rose “Nice addition! OCP coming to the 864!” > @meganbwriter “Second SC location actually.”

RE: TO TAKE GREENVILLE TO THE NEXT LEVEL, WE’LL NEED A BETTER TECHNOLOGY GRID > Charlie Wolfe “What we need is a high speed rail line that will connect us with Atlanta, Charlotte, Columbia, etc., not to mention an airport that will offer direct service to cities OTHER than ATL, CLT, and PHL. Why not offer service to other major cities, such as Miami, Minneapolis, Boston, St. Louis, New Orleans, etc.?”

05.20.2016

BIZ BUZZ

Distilled commentary from UBJ readers

RE: COASTAL CRUST PIZZA TRUCK PLANS GREENVILLE ROLLOUT

|

THE

ELECTRIC CITY TS STEVE KAY REFLEC DEVELOPER T STATE OF ON THE CURREN SON - PAGE 16 GROWTH IN ANDER

DIGITAL FLIPBOOK ARCHIVE >> The layout of print meets the convenience of the web: flip through the digital edition of any of our print issues at >> upstatebusinessjournal. com/past-issues

>> WEIGH IN @ THE UBJ EXCHANGE Got something to offer?

Get it off your chest.

We’re looking for expert guest bloggers from all industries to contribute to the UBJ Exchange. Send posts or blog ideas to dcar@communityjournals.com. > Devic33 via upstatebusinessjournal.com “Absolutely nailed it. We have affordable housing, great community colleges and universities as well as proximity to major cities, mountains and beaches that really adds to the quality of life. All we need is commitment and investment in blindingly fast network infrastructure to be treated as a utility that is available to all.

Can I add: We need to enact smart noncompete legislation like California. A vibrant tech scene is one where people are free to take the plunge without fear of legal repercussions.

The ingredients are there! Let’s get to cooking!”

RE: CHEESECAKE FACTORY SET FOR LATE MAY OPENING

The top 5 stories from the past week ranked by shareability score

>> 4,097 1. Papa’s and Beer signs lease in Spartanburg’s west side

>> 1,052 2. Coastal Crust pizza truck plans Greenville rollout

>> 168 3. Cheesecake Factory set for late May opening

>> 142 4. Old Chicago Pizza planning Greenville, Spartanburg locations Spartanburg

>> 29 5. Guitar Center opens in Spartanburg

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> Tiesha via upstatebusinessjournal.com “YAY!!! I’m so ready for them to open!!! I love The Cheesecake Factory!!!”

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05.20.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

DATE

EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR

| PLANNER | 27

EVENT INFO

WHERE DO I GO?

HOW DO I GO?

5/25

Piedmont SCORE Business Planning for the Small Business Owner workshop

NEXT Innovation Center 411 University Ridge, Greenville 6-8 p.m.

Cost: $19 Register: bit.ly/score-may2016

Thursday

UWIT monthly luncheon: Emotional Intelligence How Does it Serve You in Business?

City Range 615 Haywood Road, Greenville 11:30 a.m.

Cost: $17.50 in advance, $20 at the door Register: uwitsc.org

Greenville Chamber Netnight Networking event for business owners and professionals

Aloft Greenville Downtown Hotel 5 N. Laurens St., Greenville 6-8 p.m.

Cost: $10 investors, $15 non-investors Register: bit.ly/netnight-june2016

HTI Organizational Solutions Friday Morning Coffee: Creating a Learning Culture Monthly series on current HR topics

Human Technologies Inc. 105 N. Spring St., Suite 200, Greenville 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Cost: free Register: bit.ly/hticoffee-june2016

Clemson College of Business and Behavioral Science "Being a Leader And The Effective Exercise of Leadership" 7-day course

Madren Conference Center 230 Madren Center Drive, Clemson

Cost: $4,400 Register: bit.ly/leader-april2016

Wednesday

5/26 Thursday

6/2 Friday

6/3 Sunday-Saturday

6/12-18

CONTRIBUTE: Got a hot date? Submit event information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

ART & PRODUCTION

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF UBJ? WANT A COPY FOR YOUR LOBBY?

LAYOUT PRESIDENT/CEO

Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com

UBJ PUBLISHER

Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Emily Pietras epietras@communityjournals.com

STAFF WRITERS

Trevor Anderson, Ashley Boncimino, Lety Good, Caroline Hafer, Sherry Jackson, Cindy Landrum

Bo Leslie Tammy Smith

Kristy Adair Michael Allen Anita Harley Jane Rogers

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Kristi Fortner

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE STORY IDEAS: ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com

EVENTS:

DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER

onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com

MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Nicole Greer, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehmen, Emily Yepes

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & ACCOUNT STRATEGY Kate Madden

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont office Center on Villa.

>>

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

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

>>

2003 motorsports Division acquires an additional 26,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space

1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

also one of the few marketing companies in South Carolina to handle all aspects of a project in-house, with four suites handling video production, copywriting, media and research and web design.

Clients include heavyweights such as BMW, Bob Jones University, the Peace Center, Michelin and Sage Automotive. Recent projects have included an interactive mobile application for Milliken’s arboretum and 600-acre Spartanburg campus and a marketing campaign for the 2013 Big League World Series.

“In my opinion, our greatest single achievement is the longevity of our client relationships,” said Darrell Jackson. “Our first client from back in 1988 is still a client today. I can count on one hand the number of clients who have gone elsewhere in the past decade.”

Larry Jackson says his Christian faith and belief in service to others, coupled with business values rooted in solving clients’ problems, have kept

2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson marketing Group when larry sells his partnership in Detroit and lA 2003

2009-2012 Jackson marketing Group named a top BtoB agency by BtoB magazine 4 years running

him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-prof 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 lients 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 nit inVolVeMent nitY in olV inV olVe VeMent & 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

JULY 15 THE HEALTH CARE ISSUE The business of cancer and other medical matters.

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

CLIENT SERVICES

events@upstatebusinessjournal.com

Danielle Car

jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years 1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport

1988

Holly Hardin

CONTRIBUTING WRITER Melinda Young

UBJ milestone

OPERATIONS ADVERTISING DESIGN

JUNE 17 THE MONEY ISSUE Investing 101, funding and finance.

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

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, AND AWARDS: UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties.

Guest columns run 700-800 words.

Contact Managing Editor Jerry Salley at jsalley@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration.

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Order a reprint today, PDFs available for $25. For more information, contact Anita Harley 864.679.1205 or aharley@communityjournals.com

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AUGUST 19 THE CAREERS ISSUE Finding – and keeping – the right job.

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