MAY 23, 2014
Changes to visa rules may allow spouses to work when professionals come to the Upstate from abroad
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UBJ TRANSPORTATION
GSP Domestic Fares Lower Than National Average JOE TOPPE | STAFF
jtoppe@communityjournals.com Travelers flying out of Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport are now paying domestic fares lower than the national average. With data assembled from the US Department of Transportation’s fourth quarter 2013 airfare report, the national average of domestic fares stands at $381.05 while the average domestic fare out of GSP International Airport stands at $371.99. The US Department of Transportation ranked airports based on average fares in the fourth quarter of 2013, and GSP ranked in the Top 100 ahead of Atlanta, Charlotte and Charleston airports. In the same report, GSP was credited with the second largest decrease in average fares since the fourth quarter of 2000, behind only White Plains, N.Y. With the average rates out of Atlanta sitting at $399 and the average rates out of Charlotte sitting at $405, GSP holds the lowest regional fares, said GSP spokeswoman Roslyn Weston. “Upstate consumers often think the fares are cheaper at the region’s other airports,” she said. A portion of the lower fares can be attributed to carriers such as South-
west Airlines and Allegiant Air operating out of the airport. When low-fare carriers are introduced into the marketplace, other carriers will provide a competitive response, Weston said. GSP’s domestic rates are a combination of low-fare carriers coming into the Upstate and existing airlines registering a competitive reply, she said. The airport commission also worked hard to ensure low-fare carriers would come to GSP and correspond with the marketplace. Weston said GSP International Airport was not always in the position to provide its customers with the lowest fares. In 2000, the average fare out of GSP was approximately $600, she said. “We have come a long way.” Along with the competitiveness of American Eagle, Delta Airlines, United Express and US Airways, low-fare carriers like Allegiant and Southwest Airlines have positioned GSP to offer 53 nonstop daily depar-
tures to 18 major cities and 22 airports across the U.S. “The latest airfare report is great news for the community and we are all looking forward to this trend continuing,” said Dave Edwards, president and CEO of the GSP Airport District. Although airfare trends are difficult to predict, a decrease of 7 percent in average domestic fares between 2012 and 2013 could signal a positive
move for travelers out of GSP International Airport. Upstate consumers must continue to support the airlines operating out of GSP to continue this trend, Weston said. “If we can demonstrate to airlines that we have a committed, strong passenger base, it will have a significant impact on continuing the trend of lowered domestic fares.”
AIRFARE BY THE NUMBERS
average domestic fare from GSP
national average
average domestic fare from Atlanta (ATL) average domestic fare from Charlotte (CLT) $325
$350
$375
$381.05
average domestic fare from Charleston (CHS)
$300
$371.99
$396.91 $399.00
$400
$405.00 $425
Source: US Department of Transportation Domestic Airline Consumer Airfare Report
May 23, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
3
Volume 3, Issue 21
May 23, 2014
WORTH REPEATING “There was a time I said, ‘Okay, we go back. I cannot work, I can’t afford things.’ I wanted to have a nice life, and I wanted to eat fruits and vegetables.” Cassandra Rijnsburger, wife of a mechanical engineer with Netherlands-based NEM USA corp. Under current visa laws, she cannot work while she is in the Upstate.
“This is probably the area’s third wind. We’re very excited. This is a big day.” Tracy Dozier, project manager with the City of Greenville’s Department of Economic Development, at the unveiling of the streetscape plan for the Village of West Greenville last week.
“You just do what you would want someone else to do. That’s a principle we’ve had since day one.” J. Michael Taylor, cofounder of DP3 Architects, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
VERBATIM
On Bacon Meeting Bacon…
MONEY SHOT: The first office machine DP3 Architects purchased was this IBM Wheelwriter 5. The typewriter is still in use today. More photos on page 16.
TBA
“Couple of Bacons hanging out.” Actor Kevin Bacon, in Greenville last weekend for the BMW Charity Pro-Am, tweeting a selfie posing next to “Il Porcellino,” the bronze boar fountain on Main Street.
4
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
Developers are seeking county rezoning to build a high-end subdivision on 41 acres at East Georgia Road, King Road and Lee Vaughn Road in Simpsonville. The 119-unit development would also be near Fox Run Country Club… A major supermarket chain is reportedly planning a move into an established shopping plaza on Augusta Street… Word is the DHHS offices across from County Square on University Ridge may have been sold. No news yet on what may be coming there…
May 23, 2014
Ron Rallis, a Greenville investor, has purchased the former Handlebar property and has new plans for the space. Look for more details soon in UBJ…
UBJ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Spartanburg Snags Greer Chamber President JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER
joladipo@communityjournals.com Next month Greer Chamber of Commerce President Allen Smith will head about 20 miles east to become CEO of the Spartanburg Chamber. He will begin working in Spartanburg June 16. “We were contacted by the leadership over there several months ago; the more I learned about the momentum in that community, the more interesting it became,” Smith said. He was enticed by Spartanburg’s growth and opportunities created by a structure that has the Spartanburg Chamber, the Economic Futures economic development group, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau operating under one roof. Smith accepted the position because it was a good career move and also allows his family to remain in the Upstate. He and his wife will move to Spartanburg County as soon as possible, he said. “We are thrilled to have Allen joining us in Spartanburg,” said Colleen Perry Keith, chair of the Spartanburg Chamber’s board of directors. “We are looking forward to his energy and enthusiasm as we believe it will help us to soar higher. He will be a tremendous asset to our work in workforce development, convention and visitors bureau, accelerating small business development and overall economic development.” Keith said the search committee of representatives from the financial, legal, philanthropic and young professional communities reviewed 78 applications from around the United States and foreign countries. She said Smith’s success in developing a strong social media presence for the Greer chamber influenced the committee’s choice, as did the Greer Chamber’s “2012 Carolinas Chamber
of the Year” recognition under Smith’s tenure. Smith is a native of Greenville, N.C., who moved to Greer to join the chamber in 2010. Among the highlights of his time in Greer, Smith said the chamber’s growth to its current 716 members reflected the value the people have placed in the organization. “To have the confidence of the Greer business community means a lot,” he said. He was also proud of “Keep the Green in Greer,” a buy-local campaign, which has brought $200,000 to local businesses through pre-loaded spending cards. Smith said people’s opinions of chambers are changing, and such tangible results are in demand. “It used to be a civic responsibility kind of thing,” he said. “But 85 percent of our members are small businesses… they want to see an impact. They want the chamber to make it rain.” At the same time, he said the community displayed a notable sense of unity across sectors from transportation to government to business. Smith is also proud of the Chamber’s leadership role in speaking out in favor of the proposed sales tax increase to support infrastructure improvements in Greenville County. In Spartanburg, Smith will head a 1,124-member organization. He said immediate goals are to evaluate the chamber product and make sure it’s what it needs to be. He will replace Charles White, who was named to a six-month term as interim CEO in January after former CEO David Cordeau retired in December 2013. Cordeau had headed the chamber for seven years. The Greer Chamber will conduct a regional and national search for Smith’s replacement. Smith said he considers his soon-to-be-vacant post one of the best jobs in South Carolina, offering leadership in a highgrowth, pro-business community.
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May 23, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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The Greenville Chamber Congratulates our May 2014 Small Business of the Month!
UBJ UTILITIES
Duke Natural Gas Plant to Add 500 Jobs in Anderson County JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER
joladipo@communityjournals.com
“Being an active member of the Greenville Chamber affords Synesis the opportunity not only to network with fellow business owners, but also to share our leadership and industry expertise in support of growing area businesses.” -Ricardo Studart, President of Synesis International
Small Business of the Month Award Presentation to Talent Management Solutions: Chamber President/CEO Ben Haskew, Chamber Board Chair Tim Reed, Award Committee Representative Debbie Nelson/DNA Creative Communications, Talent Management Solutions founder David C. Mitchell, and Ken Pelanda, Charter Business/Award Sponsor.
Small Business of the Month Award Presentation to Synesis International: Chamber President/CEO Ben Haskew, Chamber Board Chair Tim Reed, Ken Pelanda (Charter Business/Award Sponsor), Synesis team members Willa Gleason, Ricardo Studart (President), Kathleen Payne and David Lavotchin, Award Committee Representative Ava Smith/Flat Fee Recruiting.
Synesis International, Inc. is a full service business systems consulting and IT infrastructure support firm. They provide a complete spectrum of systems planning, analysis and design-to-implementation for manufacturing, distribution, energy and service industries. A leader in ERP, MES, CRM, Business Intelligence, and SharePoint-based web portals, Synesis also provides custom programming services for unique client, web and mobile needs. Learn more at www.synesisintl.com.
Impressed by a local small business lately? Nominate them for the Greenville Chamber’s Small Business of the Month Award at www.GreenvilleChamber.org.
6
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
May 23, 2014
Duke Energy’s plans to build and operate a 750-megawatt natural gas-fired combined cycle plant at the existing Lee Steam Station site in Anderson County are officially moving ahead, the Charlotte-based utility announced last week. With a reported investment of $600 million, the project will create at least 500 jobs during construction, and 25 full-time employees will operate the plant once it is completed, company officials said. “Natural gas-fired combined cycle plants are a good match to meet the significant energy needs of our customers over the next 15 years, and are expected to be an important part of the future Duke Energy Carolinas generation portfolio,” said Clark Gillespy, Duke Energy state president – South Carolina. “They are very efficient in the production of electricity using natural gas as fuel and have very low plant emissions.” The state Public Service Commission approved Duke’s plan in April. The new plant will use both a gas-fueled turbine to make electricity and a steam turbine fueled by the waste heat from the gas turbine.
The company is in the process of procuring equipment and the contracts to begin construction so the project will be commercially available in November 2017, officials said. Construction is expected to begin in summer 2015. The new plant will replace the current coal-fired plant, which will be retired. The safety of Duke’s coal ash storage facilities had come under scrutiny since large amounts of coal ash spilled from a broken pipe at a retired power plant into North Carolina’s Dan River earlier this year. Duke and the North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, which will own 100 megawatts of the plant’s capacity, will jointly own the operation. In April Duke had also announced jointly with Piedmont Natural Gas a request for proposals for a natural gas pipeline to North Carolina. The pipeline would service a planned natural gas-powered plant at Lee Station in Anderson County, currently powered by coal, in addition to several more gas plants in North Carolina.
NEW RESTROOM FACILITIES NEAR the Greenville Zoo at Cleveland Park are currently under construction. Once completed, the area will also have a B-cycle station that can accommodate up to seven bikes. CONSTRUCTION HAS BEGUN on Markley Row, a new, luxury six-home community at the corner of Markley and Rhett streets in Greenville’s West End “warehouse district.”
UBJ ENTREPRENEURS
NEXT Boosted by $250K SCDOC Grant JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER
joladipo@communityjournals.com The Greenville Chamber’s NEXT entrepreneurial development program won a $250,000 matching grant from the SC Department of Commerce (SCDOC), increasing its budget by more than 160 percent. Other Upstate winners in the agency’s inaugural round of innovation-focused grants include Spartanburg Economic Futures Group, which won $70,000 for its Spartanburg Entrepreneurial Resource Network (SERN). SERN serves as a coordinated resource effort across business, education and other groups in order to assist and empower entrepreneurial efforts in Spartanburg.
Innovate Anderson won $250,000 for a new hybrid incubator-accelerator-workforce development program, and South Carolina’s Coalition for Mathematics & Science in Clemson won $25,000 for STEMLinx, a digital portal for science, engineering, math and technology education. NEXT’s current budget is about $300,000 annually to launch and support high-impact technology companies. It will use the grant and matching funds to expand some programs and start new ones, said John Moore, executive vice president at the Greenville Chamber. NEXT grew quickly to 135 member companies since 2006, and its two-person staff has found it difficult to meet new needs that arise as the companies
grow and mature. “We’ve grown so dramatically with no real marketing or recruiting that we’re just barely able to keep our head above water in servicing these companies,” Moore said. The majority of matching funds came from private-sector investors, including the area’s large hospitals and industrial employers, Moore said. The funds will be to launch a new mentoring program through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Named the MIT Venture Men-
toring Service, it will expose NEXT-seasoned businesspeople nationwide who can lend their expertise to startups in which they are interested. “They’ve already been down here, so we’re all lined up and ready to go. We just needed the money to do it,” Moore said. The new funds will also allow NEXT to initiate its first marketing efforts, especially to talented workers already in the Upstate who might be unaware of job opportunities at the often-quiet NEXT companies. “Definitely the funding is always key, but also the seal of acknowledgement that comes from DOC that NEXT is an economic developer is as valuable as the funding itself, and just the partnership of working with DOC,” Moore said.
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UBJ DEVELOPMENT
Village of West Greenville Kicks Off Master Plan JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER
joladipo@communityjournals.com A group in the Village of West Greenville got the first glimpse of the West Greenville Streetscape Master Plan last week. The Village’s business association saw the proposed first phase of improvements to the area of Pendleton Street where arts-based groups and other business have been repopulating several empty commercial spaces. During a presentation by McLeod Landscape Architects and Darrohn Engineering, they learned the project is estimated to cost $265,000, of which only $180,000 will be available from public funds this year. The figure does not include lighting, stormwater improvements or decorative landscaping. Nor does it include the major change, turning one block of Perry Avenue adjacent to Pendleton into a pedestrian-only plaza for events and other activities. The area had been closed off for about a week to test the feasibility and impact on nearby residents and businesses. One complaint was reported from
ESTIMATED PROJECT COSTS:
$265,000+
landscape parking bumpouts, new sidewalks, crosswalk restriping as shown (lighting, stormwater, decorative hardscape, & Perry Ave closure/ relocation not included)
AVAILABLE FUNDING:
$180,000 including new additional funds from City 8
Rendering Provided.
a company that said its trucks had difficulty maneuvering the blockade, but meeting attendees unanimously approved of the idea. To reflect artistic identity, the design team suggested embedding steel plates into the sidewalk, possibly designed by area artists. McLeod said the community feedback at a charrette had included the desire for any development to be unique, mimicking neither downtown nor the Augusta Road area. The city had asked the designers to look at traffic calming, parking analysis, pedestrian safety and lighting and streetscape infrastructure The first phase of the projects would consist of only modest changes, a response to the modest budget, said Parks McLeod of McLeod Landscape Architects. It
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
May 23, 2014
would increase pedestrian safety and calm traffic with bump-out landscaping at the intersection of Pendleton and Lois Avenue. A preliminary parking analysis completed as a project by Furman University math students showed as many as 200 parking spaces available during certain times of day, though some in the audience said in reality there were far fewer because many of those are privately owned. “If the city wants the area to grow, it needs to invest in legitimate parking,” one business owner said. The design team said they had received favorable and supportive responses after sharing preliminary plans with city officials. They have yet to make an official submission. “This is probably the area’s third
PRIMARY STREETSCAPE ELEMENT CATEGORIES BEING CONSIDERED: Parking Streetscape Sidewalk Pavement Furnishings (bike racks, tree grates & skirts, benches, trash receptacles, lighting) Streets & Intersections Types of art wind. We’re very excited. This is a big day,” said Tracy Dozier, project manager with the City of Greenville’s Department of Economic Development. She said her office receives calls about the area daily, and lots of interest and investments are moving in.
UBJ FINANCE
CertusBank Denies Former Execs’ Allegations JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER
joladipo@communityjournals.com CertusBank denied most of the accusations leveled in a lawsuit by the former leadership team that was ousted from the bank last month, and filed a motion asking to move the dispute to arbitration. The response filed in district court last week is mainly characterized by the perspective of a special committee of five board members outside of the executive team who, the response says, “lost confidence in the [executive leadership team] to effectively manage the business affairs of the CertusHoldings and the Bank.” They therefore voted unanimously on April 9 to terminate Milton Jones, Walter Davis and Angela Webb from their respective posts as executive chairman, CEO and president. Davis remains on the board, however. The three subsequently filed suit in federal court in April implicating the board and a shareholder in a civil conspiracy to smear them. The bank denies the allegation that that group of rogue board members conspired with at least one shareholder to wrest control of the company away from the executives. It claims that board members became aware of serious problems in early 2013, which it subsequently began to investigate. The leadership team failed to provide timely and accurate budgets, or to reduce overhead expenses and adapt its business plan once losses began to mount. Instead, the bank indicates that members of the executive team sought to obscure problems, alleging that they did not submit a 2013 budget until April of that year, and that it consisted of numbers re-worked by the executive leadership team to show a loss of only $3.5 million for the year. Ultimately, the bank lost slightly more than $64 million for the year, according to FDIC filings. The board alleges
that cost-cutting measures included in the budget were never realized, though it does not specify what those were. The response also claims that independent board members were not made aware of letters from unhappy shareholders. The bank also refuted the allegation that that the executives were prevented from defending themselves publicly against media reports alleging serious mismanagement by the executive leadership, saying instead that they had agreed to remain silent in the face of public allegations and violated an agreement when they eventually did comment to the media days later. Davis, Jones and Webb claim in their lawsuit that shareholder Benjamin Weinger of New York, also named as a defendant, unlawfully obtained and leaked the information that spurred the media reports.
learn more View documents related to the case at bit.ly/UBJ-certusbank. The response also offers a different version of the 15-minutes-of-shame on April 9, when former execs say in their lawsuit that they were given that much time to decide whether to resign or be fired. The bank counters that they had decided not to resign after meeting with personal counsel for several hours. Joseph Poelker, an industry veteran known for tackling troubled banks, was named interim president the same day. The suit alleges that the termination caused them many millions of dollars in damages, libel and defamation, and brings claim against Weinger for interfering with their contractual rights and future economic advantages. It demands unspecified damages in restitution.
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May 23, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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UBJ EMPLOYMENT & MANUFACTURING
Report: SC Unemployment Drops to 5.3% JOE TOPPE | STAFF
jtoppe@communityjournals.com The South Carolina Department of Education and Workforce is reporting a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 5.3 percent for the month of April, the lowest it has been since June of 2001 and better than the national average of 6.3 percent. The unemployment rate is down from March’s 5.5 percent as over 4,700 South Carolinians found work, leaving a total of 114,413 unemployed persons. At a historic high of 2,050,776 working statewide, April marked the ninth consecutive month an increase in employed persons was recorded, the 11th consecutive month that the unemployment rate decreased, and the third consecutive month that the state’s unemployment rate was a >>
NONFARM EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY, SEASONALLY ADJUSTED STATEWIDE – APRIL 2014
MARCH 2014 TO APRIL 2014
INDUSTRY Total Nonfarm Employment
Source: SCDEW
APRIL 2013 TO APRIL 2014
APR. MAR. APR. # % # % 2014 2014 2013 CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE CHANGE 1,929,200
Construction
83,100
1,923,900
1,889,300
83,300
5,300
0.27%
39,900
2.07%
79,500
-200 -0.24% 3,600 4.33%
Manufacturing
230,600 228,800 223,300
1,800 0.78% 7,300 3.17%
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities
366,400
1,600
364,800
359,400
0.44%
7,000
1.91%
Information
26,500
26,400
26,600
100 0.38%
Financial Activities
94,200
94,700
95,200
-500
-0.53%
-1,000
-1.06%
Professional and Business Services
247,400
247,200
237,900
200
0.08%
9,500
3.84%
Education and Health Services
223,200
222,600
217,800
600
0.27%
5,400
2.42%
Leisure and Hospitality
230,300
229,500
221,200
800
0.35%
9,100
3.95%
70,200
70,600
70,600
-400
-0.57%
-400
-0.57%
Other Services Government
353,600 352,300 354,000
1,300 0.37%
-100 -0.38%
-400 -0.11%
Electrolux to Invest $30M in Anderson Facility JOE TOPPE | STAFF
jtoppe@communityjournals.com To provide advanced manufacturing capabilities and enhance capacity, an Anderson appliance company will invest an additional $30 million into its existing 810,000-square-foot facility. Electrolux, a provider of top-freezer refrigerators and under-the-counter facilities, has already invested more than $30 million into its operation since 2011, which included the Refrigeration Research and Development Center. The Anderson plant is situated on 225 acres, employs 1,900 full-time and contract employees, and produces one out of every two top-freezer refrigerators shipped in North America. Based on consumer insight that delivers high-quality products, the primary focus at Electrolux is on the development of new innovation, said Jack Truong, president and CEO of
10
Photo Provided
S.C. Governor Nikki Haley and Jack Truong, president and CEO of Electrolux Major Appliances North America, at the recent ribbon cutting ceremony.
Electrolux Major Appliances North America. “The company’s new investment will drive future growth while positively impacting our local base of employees
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
May 23, 2014
and the communities we call home here in South Carolina,” he said. Selling more than 50 million products to customers in more than 150 markets every year, the Electrolux
Group is a global producer of home appliances, which it manufactures under such brand names as Electrolux, AEG, Zanussi, Frigdaire and Electrolux Grand Cuisine. In 2013, Electrolux had sales of $16.7 billion ($5.3 billion in North America) and 61,000 employees. “It is always exciting to see one of our state’s long-standing companies continue to grow here,” said Secretary of Commerce, Bobby Hitt. The global company’s presence in South Carolina spans a quarter of a century and adds to the list of internationally respected, household names operating in the Palmetto State, he said. Electrolux’s additional investment reflects the company’s commitment to making the highest quality products and to providing jobs in the community, said Tommy Dunn, chairman of Anderson County Council. “Anderson County is proud that Electrolux has been part of our community for the past 25 years,” he said.
UBJ EMPLOYMENT >>
full point below the national level. The Palmetto State’s near 13-year low in unemployment is a strong sign that South Carolina’s approach to economic development is delivering real results, said Gov. Nikki Haley. “This kind of progress says a lot about our state, our workforce, and all the businesses that call South Carolina home,” she said. Since April 2013, an estimated 35,939 have found work, although the state’s labor force declined by nearly 23,000. During April 2014, more than 60 people retuned to the labor force, increasing the current state total to 2,165,189. Total nonfarm employment gained 5,300 seasonally adjusted jobs since March and more than 39,000 seasonally adjusted jobs since April last year. Since March of 2014, manufacturing experienced the greatest increase with 1,800 jobs, followed by trade, transportation and utilities with 1,600 jobs, and government with 1,300 jobs. Since April of last year, professional and business services has gained the most seasonally adjusted jobs with 9,500, followed by leisure and hospitality’s 9,100, and manufacturing’s 7,300. Financial activities reported a loss of 500 seasonally adjusted jobs since March 2014, other services reported a loss of 400, and construction reported a loss of 200. Since April of last year, seasonally adjusted jobs in financial activities have decreased by 1,000, government by 400, other services by 400, and information by 100. The Greenville MSA added 300 seasonally adjusted jobs since March 2014, while both the Anderson MSA and Spartanburg MSA lost a combined 400. Since April 2013, the Greenville MSA acquired 7,900 seasonally adjusted jobs, the Anderson MSA gained 2,700, and the Spartanburg MSA added 2,300. Each of the state’s 46 counties saw their unemployment rates go down in April, according to data not seasonally adjusted. South Carolina’s 5.3 percent April unemployment rate is the lowest in the neighborhood, said Clemson Uni-
versity economist Bruce Yandle. North Carolina’s rate stands at 6.2 percent, Georgia’s at 7.0 percent, Tennessee’s at 6.3 percent, Alabama’s at 6.9 percent and Florida’s at 6.2 percent, he said. On the East Coast, only Vermont, New Hampshire and Virginia
have lower rates. Yandle said South Carolina’s large international sector, strong linkages through the Charleston port and rising population shared with college degrees seem to be distinguishing features lifting economic performance.
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UBJ MANUFACTURING
BMW Has Best April Ever More than 95,000 Greer-made X3s and X5s sold in first four months of 2014 JOE TOPPE | STAFF
jtoppe@communityjournals.com With significant contributions provided by sales of the Greer-made X3 and X5 models, the BMW Group (BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce) continues its record 2014 by delivering more than a half million vehicles the first four months of the year. Sales of over 162,000 units propelled the carmaker to the best April ever, marking a 4.3 percent increase from the same month last year. Yearto-date, BMW Group sales have climbed to a new high of 649,118, an improvement of 7.5 percent when compared to the 603,631 recorded during the same time last year.
BMW X models continued their strong growth during the first four months of 2014 with the X3 delivering more than 53,000 vehicles and the X5 delivering more than 42,000. The X3 has experienced a 9.8 percent improvement from the first four months of 2013 with an additional 4,752 vehicles delivered so far this year, The X5 experienced a 20.8 percent increase from the first four months of last year with 7,370 additional vehicles delivered during the same time in 2014. Representing roughly 20 percent of BMW’s worldwide sales, the X3, X5 and X6 models made in Spartanburg County continue to be strong growth drivers for the company, said
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May 23, 2014
Sky Foster, department manager of corporate communications for BMW Manufacturing. “BMW Manufacturing is pleased with the release of April’s global sales figures,” she said. BMW brand vehicles also enjoyed a record-breaking April with the sale of 140,840 vehicles, an improvement of 7.8 percent from the same time last year. Year-to-date, sales have boosted over 11 percent to 569,100 vehicles, an increase of over 57,000 units when compared to the first four months of 2013. In dealerships since March, the BMW 2 Series hit the 5,000 mark while the BMW 4 Series, on the market since October, has achieved sales of 25,859 in the first four months of the year. Sales of the BMW 3 Series grew steadily during the first four months of 2014 with 153,623 sold, an improvement on the 147,807 sold during the same time last year. Sales of the
BMW 5 Series rose 4.2 percent in the same period to reach 122,510, while deliveries of the BMW 6 Series jumped 19.4 percent to reach 9,999. With the BMW Group expected to launch a total of 16 new or revised models this year, Ian Robertson, member of the board of management of BMW responsible for sales and marketing, said the company’s record-breaking April kept the carmaker on pace for its most successful year of more than two million vehicles sold. “I am particularly pleased that sales of our new BMW 2 and 4 Series cars are developing well, proving that these brand new models are appealing to our customers,” he said. In the Americas during the first four months of 2014, a total of 135,827 BMW and MINI vehicles were delivered to customers, an improvement of 2.2 percent from the same time in 2013. Year-to-date, U.S. sales have rose 2.5 percent with a total of 110,626 vehicles delivered to customers. Sales in Brazil during the same period climbed 23.3 percent to 5,586 while deliveries in Mexico rose by 13.7 percent to 4,610. The European market continues to show signs of recovery with a total of 283,702 BMW and MINI models delivered in the first four months of 2014, an improvement of 2.4 percent and more than 6,600 vehicles from the same time last year.
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WHAT’S YOUR INNOVATIVE IDEA?
CLEMSON.EDU/MBA
UBJ INNOVATE
By FRANK BEIDER
The STEM of Growth
RECENT AND PROJECTED GROWTH IN STEM AND NON-STEM EMPLOYMENT
Science, technology, education and math education is the key to the Upstate’s and South Carolina’s economic future When you see voice over IP (VOIP), long-term evolution (LTE) or high-speed Internet on fiber optic cable, you are seeing the results of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). You may have associated these terms with the digital revolution but are not aware that you use them in your daily lives. Every time you make a call with your smartphone, watch a video or play an online game, you are relying on individuals with STEM skills. They design, implement and maintain our digital communications world. The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that the information communications technology (ICT) sector will add more than a million jobs in the next 10 years. President Obama announced $107 million in grants to create educational programs in technology skills. Science, technology, engineering and math teachers need these new programs now because what they teach, like broadband services, will carry our work life, educational systems, entertainment and health care industries into the future.
and the jobs of the future require. Furman University has had a fiveyear mentorship STEM program for middle school students to help teens find careers. Project Lead The Way is a STEM curriculum for high schoolers that teaches the principles of engineering, computer-integrated manufacturing, digital electronics and aerospace engineering. There are 553 students enrolled in these programs in six of our local Greenville high schools. The middle school STEM curriculum is Gateway to Technology and the Greenville area has 2,200 young people enrolled in these classes that teach design, modeling, automation, robotics, green environment and medical method. And various schools offer STEM-connected extracurricular activities including the National Guard, Junior Achievement, Robotics, IT-ology’s CyberSaturdays, Upstate AHEC, Medex Academy and others. Greenville Tech’s Center for Manufacturing Innovation near CU-ICAR will give side-by-side, hands-on experiences with engineering professionals. The goal is to create an inter-
We need to refocus our current direction from business and marketing education to Internet communications and engineering majors. Manufacturing in the United States will need STEM graduates in advanced manufacturing – not for unskilled positions, but for planning, testing, improving and implementing the life-enhancing new products for a world market. The Upstate STEM Collaborative was founded by Michelin, GE and Fluor. With the educators of Greenville, Spartanburg, Pickens and Anderson counties, the STEM group is collaborating with Furman University, Clemson University and Greenville Technical College to produce courses our students need
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nationally recognized learning environment that integrates research and education to meet industry needs. Our state is not alone in the effort to improve STEM education. In Wisconsin, Harley-Davidson partnered with Milwaukee’s inner-city Washington High School for its 16th annual i-Fair. Local companies offer booths with technology applications and experiences. This event introduces STEM hands-on activities to girls and boys and is inspiring careers. These students deserve our kudos and our support.
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Source: ESA calculations using Current Population Survey public-use microdata and estimates from the Employment Projections Program of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
I personally see the direct impact of STEM education on an individual’s job prospects. Being an instructor at Greenville Tech, teaching technology subjects such as VOIP and Internet technologies, I transfer the skills employers are looking for. Voice will be carried over fiber optic cable, and the landline will be a historical artifact. Employers need technicians to install, service and maintain their complex data and voice volume. With my encouragement, these students go on to find gainful employment with Upstate employers. What is the impact on South Carolina? We will need to refocus our current direction from business and marketing education to Internet communications and engineering majors. We are creating more opportunities for teaching these careers. We need to fill our classrooms with eager, motivated young women and men who want a lifelong, challenging job. According to the US Department of Commerce,
STEM jobs earn 26 percent more than the average starting job. This uptick in salary stimulates the local economy. It improves the tax base and keeps the hometown talent here. This benefits graduates’ families, friends and communities. Our social structures will remain free from constant job search, turnover and unemployment. The physical infrastructure can be improved. Better roads, traffic flow and secure power lines are already in the pipeline. They will create civil engineering jobs. They, in turn, will attract larger, better technology-focused industries. These jobs are here now and will be the employment future for our area. They are STEM-based jobs, which use problem solving, innovation and collaboration. They favor “out of the box” thinking. I believe that placing our emphasis on STEM education and training will make the Upstate’s and all of South Carolina’s economy more secure for the future.
Frank Beider has a B.S. in electrical engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering. He is an engineer with Windstream Communications and an adjunct instructor at Greenville Technical College, transferring his passion for science, technology, engineering and math to students.
UBJ PROFESSIONAL
By ED PARRIS
Achieving a Work-Ready South Carolina Economic development announcements are up. We have one of the fastest-growing economies in the United States, and capital investment is flowing into the Palmetto State. South Carolina unemployment is down. The seasonally adjusted rate hit 5.3 percent in April – the lowest level of joblessness in over 13 years. More South Carolinians are employed now than ever before. So… all is good, right? Not so fast. Despite this good news – and it is very good news – one of our greatest challenges lurks. It is a challenge that threatens this momentum, and our future prosperity. South Carolina lacks the availability and readiness of a workforce that can sustain this momentum and be competitive in tomorrow’s global marketplace.
NATIONAL TREND, SOUTH CAROLINA CHALLENGE
This is not just a South Carolina issue, but one that permeates the economies of every state across our nation. Skills gap surveys document how a vast majority of American businesses are struggling to deal with a serious shortage of qualified employees. Driven by retirement trends, advances in technology that necessitate new skills, increasing competition globally, and systematic shortcomings in training a sufficiently skilled workforce, South Carolina is at a crossroads. We must demonstrate that we are capable of providing a pipeline of workers who have the requisite skills to do the jobs of tomorrow, or we risk losing the confidence – and investment – of companies who would consider relocating and expanding here. At our staffing, professional placement and HR consulting firm, we place thousands of associates in jobs across the Southeast every day. Yet even a long-standing commitment to delivering superior talent, out-
standing service and innovative productivity solutions to customers has been tested as the states where we operate struggle to offer the talent pipeline to sustain success.
SOUTH CAROLINA WORK-READY COMMUNITIES
In 2012, South Carolina was selected by ACT as one of four states to participate in the Certified Work Ready Communities Program. Using a community-based approach to strengthen economic development efforts by certifying communities as work ready, the program sends a clear message to businesses that if they invest in South Carolina, we will deliver the workforce they need. The state certifies counties as South Carolina Work Ready Communities (SCWRC) based on four key criteria: meeting established high school graduation rates, soft skills development, business commitment, and National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) holders, which builds upon WorkKeys, the gold standard in job skills assessment. The NCRC is a portable and industry-recognized credential earned from taking WorkKeys assessments to identify competencies including reading for information, applied mathematics, and locating information – essential capabilities in today’s business arenas. By May 2013, every South Carolina county had signed up to participate in SCWRC – the first state in the nation to accomplish 100 percent participation. Counties have two years from sign-up to achieve the Certified Work Ready designation.
BUSINESS SUPPORT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
The SCWRC initiative is helping job seekers understand what talents employers are looking for, helping educators prepare students for
success, a n d helping employers find better matches between candidates and their needs. As one of the companies that has embraced SCWRC in every community where we do business, Phillips Staffing has been able to document that we consistently deliver a better-skilled, better-suited employee to meet our customers’ needs by fully embracing this initiative. Phillips has also hired and trained three certified job profilers to profile jobs of employers who sign up as Businesses Supporting South Caro-
lina’s CWRC efforts, and we have completed dozens of profiles for South Carolina businesses. The profiles help organizations find an ideal candidate match for each profiled position, and are generating bottom-line benefits to participating businesses. Importantly, these profiling services are currently available at no cost to businesses through Gov. Haley’s Work Ready Communities initiative on a firstcome, first-served basis, with the number of available profiles determined by the number of employees working at the profile site and the types of jobs to be profiled. If having a steady pipeline of skilled, talented and committed workers to meet your business’s needs now and in the future interests you – and surely it does – please visit scworkready.org today. Your involvement can improve your business today, and can make South Carolina even more competitive in the global economy tomorrow. Join us.
Ed Parris is president of Phillips Staffing. Founded in 1968, Phillips Staffing provides staffing and productivity solutions, professional placement, payroll management and HR consulting solutions and services to organizations across the Southeast. For information, email Ed at eparris@PhillipsStaffing. com, call 864-242-4144, or visit PhillipsStaffing.com.
Stay in the know on Twitter. Follow us today: @UpstateBiz Upstate Business Journal May 23, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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30 UBJ YEARS
People, Places, Purpose 30-year success of DP3 Architects is “all about relationships”
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By Sherry Jackson | staff sjackson@communityjournals.com
In 1984, three former Clemson classmates, Mark Eggl, Sam Justice and J. Michael Taylor, were working at separate architectural firms. The trio “came to the same conclusion at the same time” – to strike out on their own. So with “no clients and no projects,” they left their respective companies and started Design Partnership, working out of Eggl’s basement. “I think we all felt like we’d learned enough on the business end of architecture. We felt like we were ready to do it the way we thought it should be done,” said Taylor, the only remaining founding partner at what is now called DP3 Architects. But they left on good terms with their former employers and started getting referrals for small projects. One of the first projects was a condo development called Wolf Laurel that Sam’s brother-in law referred to the team, said Taylor. Another was a small shopping center called McAlister Court on Laurens Road. The three were equal partners and saved every dime they brought in, about $5,000, for the first six months until they were able to lease their first office space on Cateechee Avenue, just off Augusta Street. “It was about 600 square feet, maybe smaller,” said Taylor. They hired an assistant to answer phones and help with proposal letters and marketing materials. They also purchased their first typewriter, which they still have and use today. When the company moved to the Cateechee office, “we went through a process in learning how to work with each other,” said Taylor. “Even though we were friends socially, we’d never been in business together.”
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From left: Margaretta L. Terry, J. Michael Taylor, Brian S. Thomas, and Benjamin R. Urueta.
The early years brought some “learning experiences.” In addition to realizing all of the paperwork required for payroll, “we hired a marketing person and after six months he hadn’t brought in any business,” said Taylor. “We were young and naive.” Six months after the company began paying the marketing person commission only instead of a salary, he left and found another job. The team didn’t set out to specialize in any particular type of projects. “The first couple of years we did anything anyone would trust us to do, even doing a few residential house plans,” said Taylor. “I don’t know if any of them even got built.” In 2003 the company changed its name from Design Partnership to DP3 Architects. “It [Design Partnership] lasted a long time until we started growing and getting registered in other states where there was already a Design Partnership,” said Taylor. The firm has done work in 49 states. While some may
LEADERSHIP TEAM AT DP3 Managing Principal J. Michael Taylor, AIA, LEED AP (85% ownership) Principal/VP of Operations Brian S. Thomas, AIA, LEED AP (5% ownership) Principal/VP of Design Benjamin R. Urueta, AIA, LEED AP (5% ownership) Principal/VP of Business Development Margaretta L. Terry, AIA, LEED AP (5% ownership) think DP3 stands for the three founding members, it’s just a coincidence. It now stands for the company’s mantra: “people, places, purpose.” As the firm got more projects, they found their first niche: community projects. “In 1984 there were two really established >>
UBJ MILESTONE >>
firms in Greenville. Instead of going head-to-head with those firms, we decided to go outside of Greenville and call on small towns and cities,” said Taylor “We were pretty successful.” The firm now has approximately “20-30 small towns” in the Upstate as clients. Another niche was created when the team was hired to do an Applebee’s restaurant in 1985. The concept was brand new at the time and the firm worked with AppleSouth of Madison, Ga., which at the time was the largest Applebee’s franchisee. The team did the design work for “about 275 of the 450” restaurants that the franchisee built or purchased. DP3 has gone on to do work for national restaurant chains such as Panera Bread, Red Robin, Outback, Carrabba’s and Bonefish Grill. Local projects include Mac’s Speed Shop, Grill Marks, Pomegranate on Main and Tupelo Honey Café. DP3’s third niche is higher education, with projects at Clemson, Anderson University, Bob Jones, Greenville Technical College and Winthrop. “We’ve probably worked with 15 different institutions across the South,” said Taylor. The company’s biggest project to date is in its higher education niche. The DiGiorgio Campus Center at Winthrop University was completed in 2010. It was a $26 million, 128,000-square-foot student center that included a bookstore, seven-ven-
ue food court, gaming area for the students, bookstore, student life offices and theater. The team is also proud of the NEXT building on Church Street. “We took an old warehouse and converted it to really cool space that has gained national attention,” said Taylor. Changes are bound to happen over 30 years. In 1995 Justice left the company to pursue resort and residential architecture, and Eggl left in 2010. That left only Taylor at the helm. So in 2011, after navigating the recession, Taylor brought on new principals in the company – giving employees Meg Terry, Brian Thomas and Ben Urueta each a 5 percent stake in the company. Thomas, who has been with the firm for 21 years, is also the Restaurant Studio Leader. “A firm’s greatness is not measured by what it produces, how it reacts to change, or its net worth,” said Thomas. “It is measured by the people that have dedicated their careers to making it great. DP3 Architects has always
stood by this philosophy and that is one of the reasons why myself and others have dedicated so many years to the firm.” In 2000, the company moved to its current location at 211 E. Broad St., renovating the former Gas and Electric Light building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, taking it from a brewery/restaurant to an open studio office space. Technology has also changed. “When we went into business in 1984, there were no computers; we were drawing everything by hand,” said Taylor. “But slowly but surely, computers came into our profession and we had to learn to use them.” At its core, the company is still focused on the principal building blocks it set forth 30 years ago. “We started out thinking we wanted to have great response, and we still do today,” said Taylor. “To call people back, answer emails quickly. Doing a good, quality set of documents. You just do what you would want someone else to do. That’s a principle we’ve had from day one.” The company is celebrating its 30th anniversary on June 1. Future plans for the company may include an office in another state, although there are currently “no definite plans for that yet.” The firm has also three big projects currently in the works that include the Doug Kingsmore Baseball Stadium addition at Clemson University, a new student center at Anderson University, and the new public works facility
T I MEL I N E: 1984 – Three classmates at Clemson, Samuel D. Justice, Mark S. Eggl and J. Michael Taylor, form Design Partnership Inc. and work out of a residential basement. 1985 – Design Partnership moves to first 600-square-foot office, hires first team member and purchases first typewriter, still in use today. 1987 – After growing to six employees, the firm moves to 105 N. Spring St. and invests in two CADD stations for the production of construction drawings. 1992 – With a staff of 10, the principals purchase their first office building and relocate to 201 E. Camperdown Way. 2000 – After growing to 16 team members, principals purchase and renovate the Greenville Gas and Electric Light building. 2003 – Changes name to DP3 Architects Ltd. Emerges as a national presence in the restaurant segment. 2010 – During the Great Recession, firm goes from 33 people to 13 team members. Taylor purchases the outstanding stock in the firm. 2011 – With the firm growing once again, Taylor sells stock and Margaretta L. Terry, Brian S. Thomas and Benjamin R. Urueta join as principals. 2014 – Having grown back to 25 team members, firm celebrates 30th anniversary.
DIGORGIO CAMPUS CENTER AT WINTHROP UNIVERSITY
for the City of Greenville. Taylor says right now though the company focus is to maintain and reinforce its client base. “It’s all about relationships,” he said. “It’s an awesome responsibility and the journey has been very rewarding.”
May 23, 2014
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THE WHOLE PICTURE KIYATEC’s 3-D cell modeling technology is helping speed advances in personalized cancer medicine
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By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com
With an 88 percent failure rate in clinical trials on humans, the world of pharmaceuticals could use some improvement. KIYATEC addresses this and other testing issues with technology that allows living cells to be studied in a state that more closely mimics the human body. The company’s 3DKube technology and ongoing research are standing out in the field of cell culture.
Last year the company won a $295,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the first in this congressional district in 15 years. As a result, KIYATEC will be featured in the National Institutes of Health “Innovation Zone” exhibit at the 2014 BIO International Convention in San Diego next month. The exhibit features “some of America’s most promising biomedical technology firms strategically positioned and ready for investor and partnering engagement,” according to the NIH. KIYATEC’s 3-D cell modeling device responds to more than a decade of research showing that the flattened-out 2-D cells in the familiar petri dish simply don’t yield the best information. Its own research is showing how 3-D modeling can help foster advances in personalized cancer medicine. KIYATEC’s staff and equipment are humming along in the high-tech milieu of Greenville Health System’s (GHS) Institute for Oncology Research (ITOR). CEO Matthew Gevaert showed UBJ the space and talked about what’s going on in the lab and offices.
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KIYATEC’s staff and equipment are humming along in the high-tech milieu of Greenville Health System’s (GHS) Institute for Oncology Research (ITOR).
WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW? Right now I’m excited that we are getting promising early results from our clinical studies. We’re now getting data that backs up the assertion that 3-D cell culture is better than 2-D, that our laboratory results are reflected in results from patients. We had to work a lot to position ourselves to start asking the right questions using live cells from patients.
DESCRIBE KIYATEC’S GROWTH. Our first full-time employee started in June of 2009. We moved
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May 23, 2014
into [ITOR] in 2011. That’s a pretty good marker as to when the company really increased our focus on cancer. We’ve had revenues every year since 2010, and they’ve grown every year since we started. We sell our 3DKubes through Sigma-Aldrich, a big life sciences distributor. We also have revenue around the services we offer for companies that want us to do a cell culture assessment of their material or their drug.
WHAT WAS THE FOCUS BEFORE CANCER? The initial research comes from
Photo Provided
the graduate work of David Orr, our cofounder. He was immersed in the world of 3-D versus 2-D for other purposes, but he recognized that 3-D was a more convenient way to do complicated but more relevant cell culture and really opened up that field. The 3DKube came out of that research. So even though people had been doing it for 15 years or so, it wasn’t being widely adopted. Things get widely adopted when you make them easier, which his invention does. So we’ve always been working on complicated but more relevant >>
“I’m excited that we are getting promising early results from our clinical studies. We’re now getting data that backs up the assertion that 3-D cell culture is better than 2-D, that our laboratory results are reflected in results from patients.” CEO of Kiyatec Matt Gevaert
>> cell cultures. At first we were focused on changing that corner of the world by giving people a convenient tool, and then we realized the market wants us to do the work of growing the cells, generating the data and then giving them that, rather than the tools to do it themselves. WHAT ARE YOU ASKED TO TEST ON THESE CELLS? For one example, we’re looking at whether we can take a person’s cells back to our laboratory and see which
cancer drugs work best for individual patients.
HOW LONG DOES THAT PROCESS TAKE? We aren’t able to offer that kind of individualized drug response testing service for patients yet. We’re doing the research to generate the data so that we will someday be able to offer it commercially. But for the tests that we run right now, we can have data back within one week of getting the cells.
HOW DO YOU PARTNER WITH GHS? Our first patient samples that we’ve processed and made individualized drug response predictions on have been ovarian cancer, which is one of the five lowest-survival cancers. One of the reasons we got into it was our relationship with Dr. Larry Puls, a gynecologic oncologist at GHS. Ovarian cancer met the right criteria in that we could apply [research] to a patient population that could really use some help, as well as the practical matter that they remove enough tumor tissue that there is some left over, which we use.
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW FAR AWAY THAT IS? There are a lot of variables that can’t be predicted, of course, but less than five years, and we are driving hard to make it happen sooner than that.
WHAT WOULD NEED TO CHANGE TO MOVE THE MARKET TO 3-D CELL TESTING AND AWAY FROM THE PETRI DISH? First of all, the onus is on us – which we embrace – to create the robust, excellent data that demonstrates that this really works, that it truly predicts drug response. And then to convince clinicians to use it and insurance companies to pay for it.
WHAT ABOUT PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES?
They do see the potential. They’re interested.
Photo Provided
There is a tightly defined system in place right now by which they submit drugs to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval to use in people in clinical trials. The FDA’s expectations of what data is needed before you put a drug into a person would have to change, so it becomes a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem. We’re looking for early pharma adopters to pay for this kind of data right now, even though they’re not going to get rewarded for that investment by checking a box because it’s outside of the prescribed norm.
May 23, 2014
Photo by Greg Beckner / STAFF
Kiyatec’s 3DKUBE allows for three-dimensional cell culture growth and for dynamic perfusion.
SO HOW WILL YOU BE COMPETITIVE IN THIS SPACE? We have the challenge of doing what we’ve said we would do, and delivering it at a reasonable cost. There are places right now that would accept your live cancer tissue, but they are using models that don’t offer the kind of predictivity we’re aiming for. Creating the data to show that we can deliver on predictivity, of accurately identifying how a person would respond to a drug if it was given, that’s our biggest challenge, and we embrace it.
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COVER STORY
A new visa rule might make life easier for families of workers from abroad coming to the Upstate By Jennifer Oladipo senior business writer joladipo@communityjournals.com
Cutting Red Tape for International Workers
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Many of the world’s most highly skilled and needed workers have spouses to consider when deciding whether to come to the Upstate. Often that spouse is on his or her own career path, which can become obstructed once they come to America. The good news for them is that the Department of Homeland Security proposed a new rule this month that would allow spouses of H-1B visa holders trying to stay in the U.S. to also obtain work permits.
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SC’s rank in H-1B employer requests in 2013 20
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
Organizations operating in the United States apply for a limited number of H-1B visas to bring in workers with specific skills, such as engineering or advanced research. The new rule, which faces little opposition, could make it easier for those workers to put those talents to work in the Upstate for the long term with happy, employed spouses in tow. Ask around and it’s not hard to find somebody who knows a couple that left Greenville because one spouse couldn’t work.
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number of employer requests in 2013 May 23, 2014
Competitive Edge
According to myvisajobs.com, a provider of daily updates of job openings for people holding various types of visas, South Carolina sought to fill nearly 1,800 positions with H-1B visa holders last year. “The visas are really of extreme importance to the Upstate because of the great number of foreign-owned businesses we have here,” said Knox White, immigration law attorney with Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd and mayor of Greenville. “It’s >>
$70,193 average salary of those jobs
350+
number of international firms in the Upstate’s 10 counties
for couple of years or six years, White said. It is also an issue for companies that would like to recruit foreign nationals graduating from American universities. He estimates his firm handles about 16 new cases each year. Rule changes might convince them to stay permanently. White says the Upstate would quickly start to see the impact of the H-1B rule change. “The first wave will be people who have H’s calling companies back after they’ve said no.” Then others will consider coming when they might have ruled it out in the past, he said.
Right to Work It’s not impossible for spouses to obtain the right to work in the United States, but it’s difficult. Cassandra Rijnsburger, whose husband is a mechanical engineer in Greenville with Netherlands-based NEM USA Corp., has resigned herself to remaining jobless while her family is here. Back home she worked as a specialized postnatal home nurse. Now, even with two children ages 3 and 9, being unable to work can leave her with an uncomfortable amount of free time. “I can ask for a working license, but there are so many rules. You must change your visa and that is hard. If I want to change it, first thing they told me is I must go back to the Netherlands and change it over there, and that could be six months. So it’s not easy.” Those hurdles, plus the potential loss of benefits back home, removed paid work from the list of Rijnsburger’s options.
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basically three categories: executives, managers and special-skill workers.” Plenty of domestic companies, universities and research organizations use them as well. Whether a spouse is also able to work can make the difference between an employees staying in Greenville
WHAT’S THE H-1B VISA? • Non-immigrant visa that allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign professionals in specialty occupations for three years, extendable to six years. • One of a few visas companies use to bring in workers with the specific skills they need. • Foreign professional must hold a bachelor’s or higher in the specialty occupation. • Often the visa of last resort because of a number of restrictions in addition to spousal employment. • Nationwide it is used most often by tech companies. In the Upstate, engineers dominate, working in automotive and other fields such as healthcare and universities. • Efforts to raise the cap on such visas, currently 65,000, have heretofore been stymied by its attachment to other immigration reform issues.
PROPOSED RULE TO EXTEND EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATION TO SPOUSES OF CERTAIN H-1B WORKERS This proposed rule will amend existing regulations to allow H-4 dependent spouses of certain principal H-1B workers to request employment authorization. Under existing regulations, DHS does not extend employment authorization to dependents (also known as H-4 nonimmigrants) of H-1B nonimmigrant workers. The change proposed by DHS would allow H-4 dependent spouses of certain H-1B nonimmigrant workers to request employment authorization, as long as the H-1B worker has already started the process of seeking lawful permanent residence through employment. Eligible individuals would include H-4 dependent spouses of principal H-1B workers who: • Are the beneficiaries of an approved Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker; or • Have been granted an extension of their authorized period of stay in the United States under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 (AC21) as amended by the 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act. AC21 permits H-1B workers seeking lawful permanent residence to work and remain in the United States beyond the six-year limit.
Almighty Dollar Depending on what you’re accustomed to, America can be a very expensive place. Rijnsburger said she was shocked by how much more expensive items like fresh food are, or how a lack of credit history increased the cost of cable and Internet access to more than seven times what the family paid in the Netherlands. It all made her inability to work that much more stressful. The incentives package had seemed attractive while the family was still in the Netherlands, but proved to be unworkable when they arrived in the States. They eventually worked out an arrangement with their host company, but the difficulty had almost sent Rijnsburger packing. “There was a time I said, ‘Okay, we go back. I cannot work, I can’t afford things.’ I wanted to have a nice life, and I wanted to eat fruits and vegetables.”
Gainful Unemployment White said 15 years ago it was the norm for spouses not to work, and he tried to help. “I had a sort of cottage industry going where I had a long list of volunteer organizations to send them to,” he said. “Sometimes that would work,
Source: Department of Homeland Security, dhs.gov
they were very happy doing that, but many others wanted a job and a paycheck. So it’s a morale issue.” Rijnsburger is one of those. She said she likes it here and wanted her children to experience another culture, but joblessness isn’t ideal. “I want to work. I’m used to working,” Rijnsburger said. For people like her, filling the days can be a challenge. In Greenville, it is often wives who find themselves idle when unable to use their education or experience in a professional setting. She’s done her best to stay active during the family’s 11 months in Greenville. Her friends include women from the Netherlands, Italy and Germany sharing the same experience. “What do I do? Clean house, do groceries, read books, go to [the International Center of the Upstate] and meet other people, drink coffee with friends … In the beginning it was hard, but now I’m used to it.” Knowing the situation is temporary, just another couple of years, makes it more bearable, she said.
May 23, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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UBJ THE FINE PRINT BridgePointe Capital Markets Launches Online Funding Portal BridgePointe Capital Markets recently launched an electronic funding portal. Clemson University has been using the platform for its clemsonidea.com funding platform, as has the nonprofit-focused fundingcharleston.com. BridgePointe’s private marketplace, bridgepointemarkets.com, allows accredited individuals and qualified institutions to invest in private businesses via Reg. D debt
and equity private placements. The portal uses mobile technology, video overviews, offers standardized transactions with online documentation, electronic closings, and investor communication tools; robust due diligence which leverages a team of SEC/FINRA registered investment bankers; and community support. The company currently has several clients already participating, including Anderson’s Growler Haus,
and Exchange Commission- (SEC) accredited investors can participate in the program, which does not have a cost to join.
Charleston’s Luxury Simplified Group and Engineered Marine Coatings, and JournalDoc based in Bethesda, Md. Any U.S. Securities
J.D. Power Ranks UCB Highest in Customer Satisfaction J.D. Power’s 2014 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Survey was recently released and United Community Bank ranks highest in the Southeast region in customer satisfaction. Falling just behind them were First Citizens Bancorp, Branch Banking & Trust (BB&T) and First Citizens Bancshares. The study measured customer satisfaction with banks in 11 regions by evaluating the responses of 80,000 retail banking customers of more than
130 of the largest banks in the United States regarding their experiences with their retail bank in quarterly evaluations from April 2013-February 2014. Additionally, the study found that the overall customer satisfaction with retail banks as bank customers are experiencing fewer problems, or are more satisfied with how problems are resolved. Affluent customers were the least satisfied segment due to expectations for person-
alized experiences. However, J.D. Power also found that midsize banks saw a decline in satisfaction with their affluent customers by 6 points while big banks have seen a 40point improvement and regional banks have improved by 30 points. The study also found that the most common reason why customers switched banks in the past 12 months was for poor customer service, but other reasons were that the branches were not conveniently located, interest rates were not
competitive, or that the customers experienced high fees. Also, while overall banking satisfaction is at an all-time high, not all banks are serving their customers’ needs effectively. “Even with record high satisfaction, there are some banks that fall far short in meeting customer needs,” said Jim Miller, director of banking services at J.D. Power, in a news release. “It is easy for banks to become complacent. To stay at the top of their game, banks should focus on those customers who are not satisfied. And consumers should keep in mind they have the opportunity to shop banks to find the right combination of services, products and fees to meet their needs.”
950 AM/1330 AM/ 97.1 FM/ WFBC-HD3
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RPA Development to Open in Mauldin RPA Development LLC, a designer and manufacturer of fencing and railing products and the machines to produce them, recently purchased and will upfit a 90,000-square-foot facility on Old Mill Road in Mauldin. The company’s $2.8 million investment is expected to add at least 43 new jobs over the next few years. RPA Development LLC sells under the AAA Fencecrafters brand name, which installs wood, vinyl, chain link and alu-
minum fence products for both residential and commercial markets across the United States. It also sells under the Snaptight Aluminum brand name, which manufactures aluminum fencing and railing products, and the equipment to produce those products, for both domestic and international markets. “AAA Fencecrafters and Snaptight Aluminum are highly trusted brand
UCAN Launches Palmetto Angel Fund The Upstate Carolina Angel Network (UCAN) announced the launch of the Palmetto Angel Fund, a committed capital fund that will co-invest with current UCAN angel investors and other new angel groups being launched in other parts of the state. The fund is designed to allow passive investors to benefit from the expertise of the local angels while gaining access to a diversified portfolio of promising early-stage companies. The fund is also an important part of the strategy for the long-term sustainability of UCAN itself, said UCAN managing director Matt Dunbar in the announcement. Dunbar said the new fund is intended to address the issue that “even with
an average new investment of $220,000 from UCAN, most companies still struggle to raise the additional $100,000-$500,000 needed to fully fund a robust investment round that can provide 12-18 months of runway to execute their business, rather than spending all their time raising money.” UCAN has invested nearly $10 million in 33 companies since its inception five years ago, including 20 companies, 300 jobs and nearly $8 million in South Carolina.
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names for quality fencing and railing products, and we are pleased to announce this exciting expansion of our operations right here in Greenville County,” said Ron Allen, president and founder of RPA Development LLC, in a news release. “This organization’s history is deeply rooted in South Carolina and we are excited to embark on this new era of growth and
expansion here in our home state. We appreciate the support of the Greenville Area Development Corporation, the Department of Commerce, and all who helped make today’s announcement come to fruition.” RPA Development plans to have the facility’s upfitting completed in August. Additionally, the Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved a $100,000 set aside grant for the project.
Buckley School Opens Greenville Office The Buckley School of Public Speaking recently opened its Greenville office on Manly Street. The school, which specializes in teaching professionals everything from dinner manners to public speaking to dressing the part, will also hold its first Greenville seminar in Clemson University’s MBA School in the ONE Building downtown during the summer. The Camden-based school chose to open a Greenville business office because its new president, Caroline Avinger, lives in Greenville. Avinger took over the school last year and wants to run the school from the Upstate, but will still operate classes
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out of the Camden location. “Greenville is such a hub for activity,” said Avinger. “There are so many entrepreneurs in the area and many of the businesses we have done seminars for, such as Fluor and BMW, are in the area. It’s [Greenville] a great place to draw people to with so much to do such as Falls Park and the Peace Center.”
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UBJ SQUARE FEET
Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville. The shopping center is located near the Greenville Technical College campus, RealOp Investments, a Greenville and current tenants include the commercial real estate investment Miracle Hill Thrift Store, Family firm, announced that it has acquired Dollar Store and others. Richmond Town Center at 409 S. The 77,686-square-foot retail project is RealOp’s 11th investment in the Upstate market. TENANTS AT “Greenville is among the counRICHMOND TOWN CENTER try’s most dynamic markets, and TENANT SQUARE FOOTAGE growth in the market has been explosive. The property is located Miracle Hill Thrift Store.............. 36,666 in very close proximity to GreenFamily Dollar.............................. 6,720 ville’s Central Business District Bank of America......................... 3,600 and is set squarely in the path of 496 Barber Academy/Salon.......... 3,525 new infill development,” said Budget Cleaners.......................... 2,625 Kyle Putnam, RealOp InvestChang An Chinese Restaurant...... 1,450 ment’s chief investment officer. RealOp expects to improve TGIS Party Shop......................... 1,175 co-tenancy and physical characMakers Finance.......................... 1,125 teristics of the property. “We are Lee’s Nails................................. 1,000 in discussions with several tenant TOTAL LEASED 57,886 prospects about the vacant endcap space along Pleasantburg AVAILABLE SPACE Drive, as well as with other end Vacant...................................... 15,500 users about ground-up construcVacant........................................ 4,000 tion on a new outparcel,” said Vacant........................................ 2,900 Reggie Bell, partner at RealOp. Vacant........................................ 1,000 “We hope to have some exciting new tenant announcements in TOTAL AVAILABLE 23,400 the next 90 days.”
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Buyers Court New Tenants for Richmond Town Center SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF
sjackson@communityjournals.com
sjackson@communityjournals.com Construction has begun on The Enclave at River Reserve. Located just off Interstates 185 and 85 and Highway 153 and across the street from the large master-planned community of Acadia in Powdersville, the new, 56-homesite gated community will have walking trails; wooded, private backyards; and riverfront lots along the Saluda River. “We’re located directly across from The
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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
River Reserve and are offering smaller lots –about one-fourths acre – for those looking for homes with about the same square footage but less yard,” said Stan McAlister, owner/broker of McAlister Realty. “We’re expecting buyers from both the Anderson and Greenville areas.” A community river house overlooking the Saluda will also be available for residents to use for birthday parties and other gatherings. >>
May 23, 2014
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“This is a high-quality asset both in terms of location and upside potential and, we believe, will be accre-
Gated Community Planned for River Reserve SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF
GREENVILLE TECHNICAL
COLLEGE – BARTON CAMPUS
PA RK IN SM ILL RD .
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tive based on our target return for the portfolio upon stabilization,” said Putnam.
UBJ SQUARE FEET
It’s Showtime for Rivoli Flats Apartments In 1925, it was the Rivoli Theater. Today, the 23 apartment units at 233 N. Main St. in downtown Greenville are about to get a makeover thanks to a new owner. Lat Pursuer & Associates, a Charlotte-based commercial real estate firm, bought the two buildings, which also include retail spaces below the apartments, in April for an undisclosed sum. The company is rebranding the apartments to “Rivoli Flats,” named after the movie theater. Renovations to the apartments, which haven’t been renovated since they were built in 1987, will include vinyl plank flooring in the living areas and kitchen, new carpet in the bedrooms, new fixtures, new blinds and new stainless steel appliances, said
Justin Mueller, who will be acting as Lat Pursuer’s construction manager for the renovation. “With all of the new apartments downtown, it’s competitive,” said Mueller. “We want to give people a product that speaks to the revitalization of downtown Greenville.” With the upgrade comes a raise in apartment rental rates “of about 20 percent,” said Mueller. The two buildings have a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. “No unit is the same. Some have exposed brick and some have vaulted ceilings. There’s even one townhome in the mix,” said Mueller. Currently there is only one vacant apartment, but that could change with the price increase and renovation activity, he said. Residents will not be able to stay in the units while 2BR/2BA
2BR/1BA
they are being renovated. All retail spaces in the two buildings are occupied except a 5,400-square-foot basement space that Mueller says he hopes to attract a “unique, low-impact use” to. The company is also working on a new website that should be up in early June.
1BR/1BA
233 NORTH MAIN RETAIL TENANTS Jersey Mike’s............ 1,785 SF Beaded Frog............. 2,141 SF Pure on Main............... 750 SF Greenville Glide........ 1,064 SF Edward Jones.............. 997 SF
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>> Home prices will begin in the $300,000s and homes will range from 2,400 to 5,000 square feet. Standard features will include nine and 10 foot ceilings, oversized garages, granite counter-tops, hardwoods floors and ceramic tile. Eight floor plans are available, but customers may also present a plan for builder approval. Homes are being built by SK Heritage. A model and two inventory homes are now under construction and are expected to be completed in August 2014. For further details, contact McAlister Realty at 864-292-0400 or visit BuilderPeople.com.
The Rivoli Theatre from 1939. Photo courtesy of Marion Peter Holt, author of “Magical Places – The Story of Spartanburg’s Theaters and Their Entertainments: 1900-1950” published by Hub City Writers Project.
DEVELOPER: Westchester Spartanburg LLC GENERAL CONTRACTOR: SK Heritage PLAN DESIGNS BY: Jordan Krook at Dimensional Design MARKETED BY: McAlister Realty I-1 85
sjackson@communityjournals.com
SALUDA RIVER
SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF
May 23, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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Realtors Report: SC on Road to Normalization SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF
SC REALTORS® MLS STATISTICS
sjackson@communityjournals.com
NUMBER OF RESIDENTIAL HOMES, CONDOS & VILLAS SOLD IN THE UPSTATE Most Recent Month Most Recent Quarter
Year to Date Prices are going up and most metropolitan markets are between APRIL APRIL % % % 2013 2014 CHANGE Q1 13 Q1 14 CHANGE 2013 2014 CHANGE recovery and normalization. That’s according to the South Carolina Cherokee County 49 50 +2.0% 88 138 +56.8% 137 188 +37.2% Realtors April Statewide Market Greater Greenville 826 820 -0.7% 1,807 1,862 +3.0% 2,633 2,682 +1.9% Report, released last week. Greenwood 65 52 -20.0% 148 120 -18.9% 214 172 -19.6% New listings in the state inSpartanburg 332 318 -4.2% 733 740 +1.0% 1,065 1,058 -0.7% creased 4.7 percent to 10,623 and Western Upstate 303 311 +2.6% 671 696 +3.7% 975 1,010 +3.6% pending sales were down 0.4 State Totals* 5,495 5,430 -1.2% 12,776 12,877 +0.8% 18,271 18,307 +0.2% percent to 6,190, says the report. Inventory levels shrank 1.6 percent *State Totals match the figures in the Monthly Indicator report, and are not a summation of the areas in the tables. This is done so as not to double-count any listings that may be found in more than one MLS. to 48,185 units. The median sales price also increased 4.8 percent to $159,000. supply of inventory was down 10.0 signs of stability and ongoing health, 2013 through April 2014. The price The report also shows days on market percent to 9.0 months. says the report. range with the largest gain in sales decreased 1.6 percent to 120 days. With housing recovery now maturPending sales in S.C. were up 9.0 was the $300,001-and-above range, Absorption rates improved as months’ ing into the next phase, expect to see percent overall for the period May where sales increased 17.0 percent.
Green Grow the Rooftops Urban farm planned for top of former Windstream building
SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF
sjackson@communityjournals.com The green in Greenville is heading to the rooftops. With a half-acre of unobstructed roof space, the downtown building located at 2 N. Main St., at the corner of East Washington Street (the former Windstream building), is planned as the first urban rooftop farm in South Carolina. The rooftop farm, run by Mill Village Farms, a local nonprofit organization that educates teens in basic job skills, sustainable agriculture and entrepreneurship, will utilize 50 state-of-the-art vertical aeroponic towers that can grow fresh and healthy vegetables in just 24 days. “We hope to inspire teenagers to be part of all of the businesses and startups in downtown Greenville, and this gives them another connection to that,” said Dan Weidenbenner,
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director at Mill Village Farms. He is planning on conducting public tours of the garden, which will be visible from Main Street. Hughes Corporation owns the building and has agreed to let Mill Village use the space. Other local businesses such as Erwin Penland and JHM Hotels have also committed funds towards the project, but the organization still needs to raise another $15,000 to $20,000, said Weidenbenner. On Tuesday, June 17, Whole Foods Market on Woodruff Road will be donating 5 percent of its sales to support the Urban Rooftop Farming Initiative. In addition, Dishcrawl Greenville and Larkin’s on the River will be hosting a Farmer’s
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
May 23, 2014
Table Secret Supper & Wine Pairing on Sunday, June 22, at The Farm at Rabon Creek in Fountain Inn, to directly benefit the rooftop project. “I think it’s unique. Greenville is leading the way in innovation and sustainability,” said Weidenbenner. “How great would it be for local
restaurants to get their salad greens from just a few blocks away?” Depending on funding, Weidenbenner hopes to launch the garden this summer. To learn more about the Rooftop Farm Initiative and the Secret Supper, visit millvillagefarms.org/rooftop.
UBJ SOCIAL SNAPSHOT
DRIVE BUSINESS DOWNTOWN
Photos by Greg Beckner
Elliott Davis LLC and the Greenville Drive recently held the fourth annual Drive Business Downtown event at Fluor Field. The annual event sponsored by Elliott Davis combines business and baseball by spotlighting the important role that downtown businesses play in the economic development and prosperity of the Upstate – recognizing key members in finance and banking, law, manufacturing, retail and nonprofit. Attendees enjoyed pre-game and post-game networking opportunities, special appearances by downtown business and community leaders, on-field skits and competitions, and an opportunity to help end hunger in the Upstate by giving back to Harvest Hope Food Bank in a very hands-on way.
May 23, 2014
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UBJ ON THE MOVE APPOINTED
ELECTED
HIRED
HIRED
PROMOTED
Carmela Epright
Julie Theall Earp
Rob Howell
Lindsay L. Builder
Jennifer Ignacio
Joined the department of psychiatry at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia as clinical professor of neuropsychiatry and behavioral science. Epright will continue to be a full-time member of Furman University’s faculty, where she is a philosophy professor.
Elected chair of Smith Moore Leatherwood’s management committee. Earp is the first managing partner of the firm and succeeds Rob Marcus, who has served in the position for the past four years. She has been with the firm since 1986.
Named managing director of Avison Young Greenville. Howell brings more than nine years of experience in real estate investor services with experience in multifamily, office and industrial asset classes.
Joined the Greenville office of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP as an associate. Builder joins Nelson Mullins from a Spartanburg law firm, where he was an associate. He also worked as a clerk for Judge G. Edward Welmaker of the 13th Judicial Circuit of South Carolina.
Promoted to operations manager at Jackson Motorsports Group (JMG). Ignacio has worked for JMG for eight years and has provided payroll support, travel support, agency traffic support, seasonal employee hiring, crew scheduling and executive assistance.
CONSTRUCTION/ ENGINEERING:
Who gives you the speed to grow sales? Reduce costs? Serve customers better? Globalvision. All thanks to our advanced data and communications solutions. Surprised? We are Greenville’s oldest independent internet, colo, wireless and network services provider. Learn more. Call us at 864.467.1333 or visit us today online at www.globalvision.net to see just how fast you can go. 28
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May 23, 2014
O’Neal Inc. has hired Cary Camden as senior controls designer. Camden has more than 25 years of electrical and controls design experience, working with both Fiberweb and Jacobs Engineering. Woody Landis has been hired as senior architect. Landis has more than 30 years of design experience and joins the O’Neal team from Jacobs Engineering. Emad Sinno has been hired as construction project manager. Sinno has more than 30 years of experience in the engineering, procurement and construction industry, having worked in the industries of oil and gas, chemical and biopharmaceuticals. Greg Lepak has been hired as senior process engineer. Lepak has more than 30 years of experience in the engineering, procurement and construction industry, obtaining his career experience from the firms of Fluor, Day and Zimmerman, and Jacobs Engineering. Sam
Lawrence has been hired as senior electrical designer. Lawrence has more than 25 years of electrical design experience, primarily in the nuclear industry.
EDUCATION: Clemson University announced that Bruce Yandle, dean emeritus of the College of Business and Behavioral Science and Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus of economics, was named an Honorary Alumnus of Clemson University by the Clemson Alumni Association. Yandle began as an economics professor at Clemson in 1969 and retired in 2000.
MEDICAL: Greenville EyeCare Associates recently announced the addition of Stephanie Guzman to their team of technicians. Guzman is a graduate of the Greenville Technical College Ophthalmic Technician training program and is bilingual in >>
GOT A HOT DATE?
UBJ PLANNER FRIDAY MAY 23 NORTH GREENVILLE ROTARY CLUB The Poinsett Club, 807 E. Washington St., Greenville; 12:30-1:30 p.m. COST: Free to attend but invitation required, lunch $16 CONTACT: Shanda Jeffries at 864-228-2122 or sjeffries1@allstate.com
MONDAY MAY 26 TAILORED FOR TAYLORS Avanti Salon, 4800 Wade Hampton Blvd., Taylors; 8-9 a.m. COST: Free for Greer Chamber members REGISTER AT: greerchamber.com
TUESDAY MAY 27 GREENVILLE ROTARY CLUB Poinsett Hotel, 120 S. Main St., Greenville; noon
BNI CHAPTER, GREATER GREENVILLE
REGISTER AT: greenvillerotary.org
WEDNESDAY MAY 28 PULSE LEADERSHIP LUNCHEON Hilton Greenville, 45 W. Orchard Park Drive, Greenville; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Open only to PULSE members REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org CONTACT: 864-239-3743
B2B NETWORKING Oasis Mediterranean Cuisine, 105 E. Butler Road, Mauldin; noon SPEAKER: James Stewart, board chairman, Mauldin Chamber of Commerce COST: Dutch treat REGISTER AT: Call 864-297-1323 or email info2@ mauldinchamber.org
>> Spanish and English, allowing her to assist with Spanish-speaking patients. MOTORSPORTS: Jackson Motorsports Group (JMG) recently promoted Joe Ignacio to program director. Ignacio has worked with JMG motorsports clients for nearly nine years; his past positions include account executive, account manager and inventory manager. JMG has also promoted Alex Perez to program manager. Previously, Perez was JMG’s warehouse operations specialist overseeing warehouses and inventory. David Trimble has
Contribute to our Planner by submitting event information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com
City Range, 615 Haywood Road, Greenville; noon-1:30 p.m. COST: $15 for lunch CONTACT: Hardy Auston at 864-313-9942 or hdaustonmoving@aol. com
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL TOASTMASTERS Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Place, Greenville; 6 p.m.
Spartanburg Community College, Tracy Gaines Auditorium, 107 Community College Dr., Spartanburg; 8-11:30 a.m.
FRIDAY FORUM
COST: Free to attend
SPEAKER: Dick Wilkerson
CONTACT: Rich Hause at 864-576-2430 or r.hause@servprospartanburg.com
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce, 102 Depot St., Fountain Inn; 5:30-7 p.m.
COST: $5 to cover meeting space and one drink at the bar
FOR INFORMATION: fountaininnchamber.org
FOR MORE INFORMATION: visit yptm. toastmastersclubs.org
FRIDAY MAY 30
Embassy Suites, 670 Verdae Blvd., Greenville; 8-9:30 a.m.
COST: $12 for Greenville Chamber members, $20 for non-members, includes breakfast REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org
NORTH GREENVILLE ROTARY CLUB The Poinsett Club, 807 E. Washington St., Greenville; 12:30-1:30 p.m.
COST: Free to attend but invitation required, lunch $16 CONTACT: Shanda Jeffries at 864-228-2122 or sjeffries1@allstate.com
SATURDAY MAY 31 COMPREHENSIVE SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOP Hughes Main Library, 25 Heritage Green Place, Greenville; 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. COST: $59, includes program materials and lunch REGISTER AT: piedmontscore.org
THURSDAY MAY 29 ARE YOU READY? THE 3RD ANNUAL BUSINESS DISASTER SYMPOSIUM
been promoted to sales manager. Prior to JMG, Trimble developed his skills as the director of sales with Emotive Experiential Performance and sales/event manager for both the BMW Performance Driving School and Skip Barber Racing School.
New hires, promotions & award winners can be featured in On The Move. Send information & photos to onthemove@ upstatebusinessjournal.com. May 23, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
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UBJ NEW TO THE STREET 2. Purple Orchid Spa & Salon recently opened in the Town Square Plaza at 464 E. Main St., Suite 8, in Spartanburg. For more information, visit purple-orchid.com, call 864-764-1448, or email purpleorchid464@gmail.com.
1
2
1. Upstate Biomedical Research recently held a ribbon-cutting at 413-C S.E. Main St. in Simpsonville. For more information, call 864-228-8980.
2
2
Meet the newest members of our brokerage team.
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Welcome to Commercial Real Estate Services, Worldwide.
Gaston Albergotti
Bernie Bastian
Brendan Gower
Ross Kester
Retail
Retail/Land
Retail
Office/Investment
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
May 23, 2014
UBJ SNAPSHOT Court Square on South Main Street underwent extensive rebuilding in the mid-1920s. After the demolition of the 1822 courthouse/Record Building, a 10-story office building was erected on the site at a cost of $250,000. This skyscraper came to symbolize the “New Greenville.” The Chamber of Commerce was housed on the first floor. The remaining floors were rented out as offices, and the Haynsworth Law Firm occupied the top floor. When the Depression hit, the Chamber of Commerce lost ownership. The building then became the home of the Liberty Life Insurance Company, organized in 1919 by W. Frank Hipp.
Historic photograph available from the Greenville Historical Society. From “Remembering Greenville: Photographs from the Coxe Collection,” by Jeffrey R. Willis
The Chamber building looks as it did in 1924 when it was completed.
MARKETING & EVENTS Kate Banner
DIGITAL STRATEGIST PRESIDENT/CEO Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com
UBJ PUBLISHER
Emily Price
ART & PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR Kristy M. Adair
Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com
OPERATIONS Holly Hardin
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Michael Allen, Whitney Fincannon
Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com
MANAGING EDITOR Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com
SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER Jennifer Oladipo
STAFF WRITERS
Sherry Jackson, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris, Joe Toppe
CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jeanne Putnam
PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Beckner MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehman, Pam Putman
ADVERTISING DESIGN CLIENT SERVICES Anita Harley, Jane Rogers
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE STORY IDEAS: ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com
EVENTS: events@upstatebusinessjournal.com
DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: Follow us @UpstateBiz
FACEBOOK: TheUpstateBusinessJournal
LINKED IN: Upstate Business Journal Copyright @2014 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, South Carolina, 29602. Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $50. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, SC 29602. Printed in the USA
GREG BECKNER / STAFF
IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF UBJ? WANT A COPY FOR YOUR LOBBY? 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
UBJ milestone
UBJ milestone jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years 1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport
1988
>>
Chairman larry Jackson, Jackson marketing Group. Photos by Greg Beckner / Staff
NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, AWARDS:
Jackson Marketing Group celebrates 25 years
onthemove@ upstatebusinessjournal.com
20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013
UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties. Guest columns run 700-800 words. Contact Executive Editor Susan Clary Simmons at ssimmons@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration.
1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993
1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont office Center on Villa.
By sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
Solve. Serve. Grow. Those three words summarize Jackson Marketing Group’s guiding principles, and according to owner Larry Jackson, form the motivation that has kept the firm thriving for the past 25 years.
Jackson graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in video and film production and started his 41-year career in the communications industry with the U.S. Army’s Public Information Office. He served during
Vietnam, where he said he was “luckily” stationed in the middle of Texas at Fort Hood. He left the service and went to work in public affairs and motorsports at Ford Motor Company in Detroit. After a stint at Bell and Howell, where he was responsible for managing Ford’s dealer marketing and training, the entrepreneurial bug hit and he co-founded Jackson-Dawson Marketing Communications, a company specializing in dealer training and product launches for the auto industry in 1980. In 1987, Jackson wanted to move back south and thought Greenville would be a good fit. An avid pilot, he
learned of an opportunity to purchase Cornerstone Aviation, a fixed base operation (FBO) that served as a service station for the Greenville Downtown Airport, providing fuel, maintenance and storage. In fact, when he started the Greenville office of what is now Jackson Marketing Group (JMG) in 1988, the offices were housed on the second floor in an airport hangar. “Clients would get distracted by the airplanes in the hangars and we’d have to corral them to get back upstairs to the meeting,” Jackson said. Jackson sold the FBO in 1993, but says it was a great way to get to know Greenville’s fathers and leaders
>>
with a majority of them utilizing the general aviation airport as a “corporate gateway to the city.” In 1997, Jackson and his son, Darrell, launched Jackson Motorsports Group. The new division was designed to sell race tires and go to racetracks to sell and mount the tires. Darrell Jackson now serves as president of the motorsports group and Larry Jackson has two other children and a son-in-law who work there. Jackson said all his children started at the bottom and “earned their way up.” Jackson kept the Jackson-Dawson branches in Detroit and others in Los Angeles and New York until he sold his portion of that partnership in 2009 as part of his estate planning. The company now operates a small office in Charlotte, but its main headquarters are in Greenville in a large office space off Woodruff Road, complete with a vision gallery that displays local artwork and an auditorium Jackson makes available for non-profit use. The Motorsports Group is housed in an additional 26,000 square feet building just down the street, and the agency is currently looking for another 20,000 square feet. Jackson said JMG has expanded into other verticals such as financial, healthcare, manufacturing and pro-bono work, but still has a strong focus on the auto industry and transportation. It’s
2003 motorsports Division acquires an additional 26,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space
1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court
also one of the few marketing companies in South Carolina to handle all aspects of a project in-house, with four suites handling video production, copywriting, media and research and web design. Clients include heavyweights such as BMW, Bob Jones University, the Peace Center, Michelin and Sage Automotive. Recent projects have included an interactive mobile application for Milliken’s arboretum and 600-acre Spartanburg campus and a marketing campaign for the 2013 Big League World Series. “In my opinion, our greatest single achievement is the longevity of our client relationships,” said Darrell Jackson. “Our first client from back in 1988 is still a client today. I can count on one hand the number of clients who have gone elsewhere in the past decade.” Larry Jackson says his Christian faith and belief in service to others, coupled with business values rooted in solving clients’ problems, have kept
2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson marketing Group when larry sells his partnership in Detroit and lA 2003
2009-2012 Jackson marketing Group named a top BtoB agency by BtoB magazine 4 years running
him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-profits. The company was recently awarded the Community Foundation Spirit Award. The company reaffirmed its commitment to serving the community last week by celebrating its 25th anniversary with a birthday party and a 25-hour Serve-A-Thon partnership with Hands on Greenville and Habitat for Humanity. JMG’s 103 full-time employees worked in shifts around the clock on October 22 and 23 to help construct a house for a deserving family. As Jackson inches towards retirement, he says he hasn’t quite figured out his succession plan yet, but sees the companies staying under the same umbrella. He wants to continue to strategically grow the business. “From the beginning, my father has taught me that this business is all about our people – both our clients and our associates,” said his son, Darrell. “We have created a focus and a culture that strives to solve problems, serve people and grow careers.” Darrell Jackson said he wants to “continue helping lead a culture where we solve, serve and grow. If we are successful, we will continue to grow towards our ultimate goal of becoming the leading integrated marketing communications brand in the Southeast.”
2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports Group employee base reaches 100 people
2008 2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation with Creative spirit Award
pro-bono/non-proFit Clients American Red Cross of Western Carolinas Metropolitan Arts Council Artisphere Big League World Series The Wilds Advance SC South Carolina Charities, Inc. Aloft Hidden Treasure Christian School
CoMMUnitY inVolVeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board, Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board
November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21
AS SEEN IN
NOVEMBER 1, 2013
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May 23, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
31
WE’RE BUILDING A
BRIGHT FUTURE I’m proud to call the Upstate home. I can’t think of a better place to raise a family, enjoy the outdoors and be an active part of the community. The proximity to Death Valley doesn’t hurt either. As a banker with CertusBank, I have the privilege to spend my days supporting individuals and businesses that make the Upstate great. And there’s nothing more rewarding than that.
Scott Frierson Community and Business Banking Executive Greenville, SC
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