June 6, 2014 UBJ

JUNE 6, 2014

POISED TO GROW BMW’s coming expansion is just one driver in Greer’s forward motion

SPECIAL EDITION: FOCUS ON GREER

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UBJ TRANSPORTATION

GSP Renovation Heads for Completion

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JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com Within the next 90 days, portions of GSP’s $125 million terminal renovation project, Wingspan, will be completed, including the glass façade and the North Wing, airport president and CEO Dave Edwards reported.

Business and government leaders from across the Upstate gathered at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport last week for Upstate SC Alliance’s monthly series, Coffee and Conversation.

The meeting’s theme, “GSP: A Key Element to the Success of the Upstate,” featured an update presentation from Edwards.

The makeover includes new baggage carousels, curbside canopies to shelter walkways and several new vendors, including Dunkin’ Donuts, Flatwood Grill and Hudson News.

An RJ Rockers Brewing Company will be located on Concourse A and a Thomas Creek Grill on Concourse B, Edwards reported.

The North Wing will serve as a

temporary location for the airline ticket counters and will eventually house the second baggage claim area.

Airport officials are eyeing early 2016 as a completion date for the remainder of the terminal renovations.

The presentation also provided updates on the airport’s growth initiative, GSP360, and its continued efforts to expand air and cargo service. GSP360 stems from a landuse planning and development study commissioned by the airport district, and features nine tracts of land to be developed and made available to companies and corporations from across the region and around the globe.

GSP remains focused on a higher-quality customer experience and building strong partnerships within the community, Edwards said.

➤ BY THE NUMBERS The Impact of GSP:

$817,000,000 116% 9,500+ $170,000,000 GSP’s economic impact in 2012

Increase over the economic impact in 2009 ($377,000,000)

Jobs provided as of 2012, an increase of more than 5,800 jobs since 2009

Annual payroll as of 2012, an increase of $58,000,000 since 2009

June 6, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

3

Volume 3, Issue 23

June 6, 2014

WORTH REPEATING “We‘re seeing a regular stream of automotive and aviation suppliers, but also a whole new crop of large scale distribution companies that are giving Greer a serious look.”

Reno Deaton, executive director of Greer Development Corporation

“Even though we are a relatively small city, we’re part of a region that touches the world, in many regards. That gives us a broader sight of who we are and what we’re about.”

Greer Mayor Rick Danner

“As growth continues, it is vital Greer works closely with both Greenville and Spartanburg counties to ensure this process is done the right way to cultivate and enhance our roots.”

Mark Owens, vice president of the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce

TBA Wondering what’s happening at the corner of Woodruff Road and Garlington? The former gas station site will become home to two new businesses – Stanton Optical and possibly a restaurant to be announced in the next couple of weeks…

The city of Greenville has put out a request for proposals for the Green Plaza site on Pete Hollis Blvd. The city is looking for developers who can “design and develop the property for a use that is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and commercial area”…

4

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

MONEY SHOT: Automated assembly line at the BMW plant in Greer works on the BMW X4. More on page 24.

Photo by Fred Rollison

VERBATIM

On the Liberty Bridge and Falls Park...

“It’s just all come together. I don’t know if you could script it and recreate it, but it has worked phenomenally in Greenville.”

Table 301’s Carl Sobocinski, in an interview with Fort Wayne Indiana’s WPTA-TV News Channel in a special report about the creation of the Liberty Bridge and Falls Park called “On River’s Edge.”

June 6, 2014

BANK

LOCAL

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UBJ INTERNATIONAL

‘It Hasn’t Been an Easy Road’

After 20 years of NAFTA, trade between Mexico and our region is strong – but challenges remain APRIL A. MORRIS | STAFF

amorris@communityjournals.com The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) marks its 20th anniversary this year, and Upstate Global Professionals of The International Center of the Upstate and the Hispanic Alliance hosted a panel of Mexican business experts to talk about the agreement’s impact on the Upstate and the continent.

Javier Díaz de León, consul general of Mexico, was part of a panel that also included Iciar Balza Echita of Gonvarri Steel Services, Pablo Martinez of TI Automotive’s quality and warranty division, Reinaldo Panico Peres of No Borders Consulting Group and Denis Csizmadia of the

local U.S. Commercial Service.

Continental Change

There is no doubt that NAFTA created changes in North America, said León. “It hasn’t been an easy road. It has created tremendous transformation for all of us.”

In 1993, before NAFTA, total exports from South Carolina to Mexico were about $140 million per year, he said; in 2013, the number was $1.8 billion.

Trade between Mexico and the U.S. totals approximately $500 billion (U.S.) worth of goods in a year, he said, approximately $1 million each minute, and Mexico is the second-largest purchaser of U.S. products in the world.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

June 6, 2014

“Of every product that comes into the U.S. from Mexico, 40 percent of that product is from American parts,” he said.

Room for Improvement

There is room to improve and focus on making the entire region of North America competitive, León said. “The U.S. economy is one of the most powerful, but it’s also part of North America, Mexico is part of North America. We need to be thinking about how we can work together as a region.”

Asia, Europe and South America are very aware of their status as economic regions, León said.

Denis Csizmadia addressed the trade deficit with Mexico, which he called a “perennial issue.” According to the Office of the United State Trade Representative, the U.S. goods trade deficit with NAFTA was $86 billion in 2013, a 7.5 percent decrease over the previous year. On a macro level, Csizmadia’s office works with small- to medium-sized companies to help determine their top markets around the world. Mexico is usually one because of proximity and free trade, he said.

Maquiladoras [factories that enjoy special tax breaks] are seeking companies to help them produce goods and export them worldwide, Csizmadia said. Mexico has a booming aerospace and auto industry, added León.

NAFTA has improved the Mexican economy significantly, said Reinaldo Panico Peres. The deficit is misunderstood, and is not a zero sum, he said. For every dollar that Mexico earns through exports, half is spent on American products, Peres said.

Though there is free trade between the countries in North American, barriers to business still exist. All countries need to simplify regulations, León said. “They make commerce complicated and trades cumbersome.”

Improving both border security

and infrastructure will also make trade more efficient, he said. No new ports of entry have been created between Mexico and the U.S. in more than 30 years, before NAFTA was signed.

The panel also discussed issues of corruption and crime in Mexico.

Csizmadia recommended due diligence for any investor in Mexico and the need to stop generalizing about the country and focus on individuals when doing business.

Martinez said Monterrey was the best city in which to invest in 1999, but by 2008, had become very dangerous. Economic recovery is happening so fast, however, that companies are coming back to the area, he said. Franchises and real estate are good investments in Mexico right now, especially in smaller, growing cities, he said.

Immigration Ramifications

NAFTA is helping to restore the Mexican middle class, which was wiped out in economic crashes in the 1980s and 1994, León said. The standard of living increase is also affecting immigration, he said: Mexicans are now weighing the higher income available to them in Mexico against the potential jobs in the U.S., and many are deciding the U.S. wages are not worth the sacrifice of leaving Mexico.

While the agreement has been beneficial for the continent, Mexico is a complex country, León said. “One single brush stroke is not enough to paint the country of Mexico.” ➤ GO

FIGURE

U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in NAFTA Countries (stock) was

$452.5 billion in 2012 (latest data available),

up 7.1% from 2011, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

UBJ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

KI Logistics Expanding Footprint by 30% at Matrix Technology Park Expansion expected to add 20 jobs JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com A demand for services has led a Greenville County logistics company to expand its planned facility at Matrix Technology Park by 30 percent.

KI Logistics will invest $2.7 million into its North American headquarters and major logistics facility, adding 64,000 square feet and creating at least 20 new jobs, company officials announced.

In October 2013, KI Logistics announced plans to invest at least $11.5 million in a new facility and generate as many as 149 new jobs over “the next several years as business warrants.” Since that time, customer requests for additional assistance prompted the decision to expand the company footprint, said Harry Chase, Vice President of Logistics for KI Logistics.

“As we prepare to open our new facility in a matter of weeks, the time is right to undertake this expansion,” he said.

KI Logistics originally planned to build a 208,000 square foot custom facility at the Matrix, with an option to expand the facility in the future.

The addition will bring the facility’s full capacity to 272,000 square feet.

Operations at the new facility are expected to begin in July, with the additional space to be completed by September, company officials said.

Gov. Nikki Haley called the company’s expansion a testament to

South Carolina’s growing business community.

“We congratulate KI Logistics on their decision to invest another $2.7 million and create 20 more jobs, on top of the $11.5 million and 149 jobs already announced,” she said. “This is another sign we are headed in the right direction.”

The Greenville County facility is intended to enhance KI Logistics’ ability to assist clients “in optimizing their supply chain and operations, while teaching and training a new generation of associates to embrace the lean tools and processes of the company,” Chase said. “We believe Upstate South Carolina is the ideal location to support world-class companies as customers, and to attract and retain a top quality workforce.”

KI Logistics has already added several dozen employees and is working with local companies in the recruiting and training of additional associates, officials said.

The distribution and logistics sector is among the fastest-growing industries today, and a key target for Greenville County and the Upstate, said Dr. Bob Taylor, a member of the Greenville Area Development Corporation board and chairman of Greenville County Council.

“The company is a globally respected business focused on innovation and we are pleased to see KI Logistics grow and thrive here,” he said.

UBJ ENERGY

Renewable Energy Targets Become State Law JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER

joladipo@communityjournals.com Gov. Nikki Haley signed a law this week that creates new targets for renewable energy. The bill pushes utility companies to diversify their energy portfolios and could change the game in a state that has one of the lowest solar energy capacity in the nation.

The bill passed both the House and Senate by unanimous vote last week.

The new standards revise a 1976 law by providing for updates such as including requirements for the net energy-metering program and the lease of renewable electricity generation facilities, among other measures. It also aims to encourage residential customers to purchase or lease renewable energy facilities in order to become an eligible “customer-generator,” feeding solar energy back into the grid.

The new law also raises the cap on business and university use of solar power by 10 times, to 1 megawatt from 100 kilowatts.

Electric companies will also be required to adopt a net energy metering policy and report their policies to the state within one year. By 2021, any new proposals from power companies would have to show at least two percent of energy they produce would come from solar power (based on average figures from the previous five years).

The new standards allow power companies to recover costs incurred by expanding their solar programs, but leave open the question of whether companies would recover costs from their customers. The Public Service Commission will make that determination.

Power companies in the state have already taken measures to diversify

June 6, 2014

their energy portfolios recently, especially moving away from coal-fired plants toward natural gas as the latter becomes more abundant and cheaper. Duke Energy Carolinas has been reviewing proposals for solar power projects, though the company would not say whether any were in South Carolina.

The new standards may put South Carolina in a better position to respond to a major announcement from the Obama administration this week.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it plans to set caps on carbon emissions from the power sector that would cut power plant emissions over the next 15 years. The EPA wants to cut carbon emission from the power sector by 30 percent nationwide below 2005 levels, which is equal to the emissions from powering more than half the homes in the United States for one year.

It will be up to up to states to figure out how to meet these standards.

South Carolina currently has capacity for about 7 megawatts of solar power, and the new law’s supporters say it could increase the amount of solar energy in South Carolina to more than 300 megawatts. Georgia, by comparison, moved into the top 10 in the nation by adding 91 megawatts of capacity last year, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

7

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UBJ RETAIL & HOSPITALITY

Yeah, THAT Greenville celebrates with a new fashion collection and $1 billion 2013 impact SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com It’s been a year since the Green-

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ville Convention and Visitors Bureau rebranded itself as VisitGreenvilleSC and announced its new marketing and branding campaign, Yeah THAT Greenville. Last week, the city celebrated with style at the 2nd Annual THAT Party as the organization announced a new fashion collection and some impressive visitor numbers.

Officials at VisitGreenvilleSC say visitor spending in Greenville County topped a record-breaking $1 billion in 2013. Tourism in Greenville generated $58 million in state and local taxes and hotel occupancy rates increased by 3.1 percent – more than double the U.S.

average. New inquiries from advertising communications increased 283 percent since 2012 while requests for visitors guides went up 250 percent.

In the latest addition to the rapidly growing “Yeah, THAT Greenville” branding campaign, VisitGreenvilleSC unveiled a fashion collection last week to a crowd of more than 450 industry, business and community leaders. The collection includes branded women’s and men’s jeans, men’s button down shirts, polo shirts, outerwear and fashionable “postcard” tops for women featuring iconic Greenville images.

“We wanted to create a fashion-forward collection with hints of Greenville, S.C.,” said Jennifer Stilwell, Chief Marketing Officer for VisitGreenvilleSC. “Everything from

our signature colors to our brand identity marks including the “Yeah, THAT Greenville” logo and Happy G icons are located in unexpected places [inside waistbands, on a pocket, under a collar] throughout the apparel line.”

Stilwell said the tourism agency is “strategically weaving the brand throughout every touch point – from paid media, earned media and social media, to what we’re calling ‘wearable’ media. This is all part of our strategy to spark engagement and conversation with the brand and the destination. What better way to strike up a conversation than by literally wearing the destination on your sleeve?”

VisitGreenvilleSC teamed with local designer and fashion company Beija-Flor Jeans to create the >>

Growth in Occupancy Rate GROWTH IN OCCUPANCY RATE GREENVILLE

9.00% 9.00%

USA

Southeast South Carolina SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA

8.04% 8.04%

8.00% 8.00% 7.00% 7.00%

Greenville USA

7.02% 7.02%

6.00% 6.00% 5.00% 5.00% 4.21% 4.20% 4.21% 4.20% 4.00% 4.00%

2.91% 2.91%

3.00% 3.00%

2.23% 2.23%

2.00% 2.00%

1.99% 1.99%

3.03% 3.03%

2.83% 2.83% 1.63% 1.63% 1.68% 1.68%

1.00% 1.00%

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0.00% 0.00% -1.00% -1.00%

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UBJ RETAIL & HOSPITALITY Salon retail pop-up store at 2 North Main Street as well as online at www.ilovethesejeans.com. Official “Yeah, THAT Greenville” happy merchandise are also sold at their locations.

Additionally, branded items such as coffee mugs, hats, T-shirts and more will be available mid-June at www. visitgreenvillesc.com as well as select local retailers.

c utti ng- e d g e The “Yeah, THAT Greenville” signature collection will soon be available at Beija-Flor’s Denim Salon retail pop-up store at 2 North Main Street as well as online at www.ilovethesejeans.com.

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Branded items such as coffee mugs, hats, T-Shirts and more will be available mid-June at www.visitgreenvillesc.com as well as local retailers

>> “Yeah, THAT Greenville” signature collection. The company, owned and founded by mother/daughter design team Kathy Moca and Emilie Moca Whitaker, has been recognized by “O, the Oprah Magazine” as having the “World’s Best Jeans.” Since 2005, they have offered Brazilian jeans designed in Greenville to women of all shapes and sizes.

“We are thrilled to be involved in creating a collection for “Yeah, THAT Greenville,” said Whitaker. “It represents the first of its kind collaboration between two industries – travel and fashion.”

Pieces from the collection will soon be available at Beija-Flor’s Denim

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UBJ SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

10-4 Good City Launches Initiative to Connect Upstate Social Entrepreneurs CASEY LOVEGROVE | CONTRIBUTOR

10-4 Good City held its first meeting early Monday morning at OpenWorks, where over 40 individuals gathered together before the beginning of the workweek to hear six presentations that focused on social entrepreneurship.

The presentation objectives ranged from requesting input on a project in the works to sharing a future vision for an already established business.

The presenters and attending group represented both for-profit and non-profit organizations, whether in manufacturing, art, or urban farming.

Adam Gautsch and Ben Riddle, the organizers of 10-4 Good City, wanted to bring together individuals

10

united by their interest in improving the Upstate through purpose-driven work that benefits the community, often labeled as social entrepreneurship.

“It’s a field that a lot of people have tried to put their thumb on, but few have really effectively named or dis-

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

June 6, 2014

cussed in an open form,” said Riddle in the meeting’s opening remarks.

Gautsch and Riddle saw 10-4 Good City as an opportunity to tap into the growing interest in social entrepreneurship across the state. The initial concept of 10-4 Good City emerged several years ago in tandem with Gautsch’s work with “What If Greenville,” a partnering effort between Greenville Forward and Orange Coat to collect ideas for improving the city.

“Our original idea was to have 10-4 Good City be something that helps move some of the ideas from What If Greenville into action. That never really got off the ground, but we had a fun brand and a fun goal,” said Gautsch.

The name itself derives from Gautsch’s love of the film “Smokey and the Bandit”, adopting the affirmative “10-4, good buddy” phrase in CB radio lingo. Gautsch thought the implicit “I understand, I got it” attitude fit a forum that fostered connections and conversations for the good of the city.

The 10-4 Good City concept was revived about two months ago, when Riddle, a rising junior at Furman University, approached Gautsch.

With 10-4 Good City still a side project, Gautsch said the energy Riddle brought was the key to propelling the project forward once again. This time, they agreed, 10-4 Good City would be a space to give tangible form to ideas originating from all sources, not only What If

Greenville.

Gautsch and Riddle spoke with Phil Noble, co-founder of Envision South Carolina, about achieving Envision’s goal of developing global connections and leadership within the state through social entrepreneurs. Nobel was able to connect Gautsch and Riddle to a similar group in Charleston to compare notes.

Noble spoke Monday morning, along with five presenters who had responded to Gautsch and Riddle’s call for presentations at Monday’s meeting. The format highlighted 10-4’s purpose to bring together people around good ideas and learn from others’ success and failure.

Cate Ryba of Hub-Bub Spartanburg shared her past projects to cultivate community in Spartanburg, like the citywide ‘80s prom and Biketoberfest. Dan Weidenbenner, director of Mill Village Farms, presented his next objective to begin rooftop farming on the OpenWorks building and need for financial support.

Other presenters included Ryan Heafy of ADEX Machining Technologies; Will Schurtz, the Vagabond Barista; and Wendy Lynam, owner of the newly opened Swamp Rabbit Inn. Details concerning the next 10-4 Good City meeting will be finalized after Gautsch and Riddle review the feedback on Monday’s meeting. They said they intend to keep the time and format flexible to better accommodate work schedules.

“We want to treat it like a working prototype, we don’t ever want to stick to a routine,” said Riddle. “By trying new things, you always have unexpected outcomes, so that’s the only way really that we’ll see Greenville grow and develop into what it can become.”

For more information, visit 104good.com or facebook.com/tenfourgoodcity.

UBJ EDUCATION

Clemson Expands Engineering Master’s to Meet Demands in Asia JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com With an emphasis on placing global-minded engineers into the international workforce, Clemson University is expanding its online industrial engineering master’s program.

The current degree focuses on supply chains and large capital projects, but a universal component will now be added to the program to meet specific criteria associated with sites in Asia.

As countries throughout the continent begin to emerge on the world market and commerce extends into the United States, a demand for logistical engineers who understand the region’s distinct infrastructure has increased. The supply chain is becoming international, said William Ferrell, professor of industrial engineering and associate dean of the graduate school at Clemson University.

Fluor Corporation donated $1.5 million to Clemson in 2013 to aid the program’s efforts, he said. “Fluor started this program for their industry; they have backlogged internationally and are building projects all over the world with global suppliers.”

The company added money to the Clemson supply-chain program to help expand it internationally, said Jim Scotti, senior vice president and chief of procurement for Fluor Corp.

The engineering and construction company has several clients in India and a large office in New Delhi, he said. Fluor buys millions of dollars in materials and equipment from suppliers in India for the construction of global capital projects, so it is important for people to understand the quality requirements, he said.

Currently, India ranks 134th out of 189 economies on The World Bank’s “Ease of Doing Business” index, while The World Bank ranked India 46th out of 155 in global trade logistics performance.

India’s large English-speaking workforce is expected to add 140 million people over the next decade, said M.P. Singh, executive director of India’s Ansal Institute of Technology and Management, Lucknow.

New roads, ports and airports are underway, he said. The Indian government has energized the logistics business with tax incentives and encouraged private investment, including public-private partnerships.

As part of its outreach to Asia, Clemson University recently helped organize the second Industry-University International Conference on Supply Chain. The two-day conference in New Delhi brought together experts, government officials and industry representatives from the United States and India.

The conference connected Clemson with experts who know the most about India’s challenges and can help develop content for the master’s program, said Dr. Scott Mason, the Fluor Endowed Chair in Supply Chain Optimization and Logistics.

Conducting business in India is not the same as building a plant in the United States, he said. “We’re trying to reach out, find the partnerships.”

Ferrell said India would serve as a starting point for the program’s expansion and that the university may extend into the Middle East or the Philippines.

“Growth is international, particularly in Asia and the Middle East,” he said. “Due to its current growth

➤ BY THE NUMBERS The logistics market in India is...

15% 45 million $90 billion–$125 billion

Growing at Employs

each year

people

Valued at

and its future growth potential, the Indian logistics sector is viewed as one of the most attractive in the world.”

By supplying the workforce with international-minded engineers, educators at Clemson University believe the expansion of the graduate program will enable the effective management of resources involved in capital projects. Mason said broadening the current curriculum would provide the engineering workforce in Asia with site-specific skills and geographic relevance.

Upon completing the expanded master’s program, graduates will enhance the current engineering workforce with localized knowledge, he said.

Currently, there are approximately 120 students around the world enrolled in the online master’s program, including logistics and supply-chain professionals at various energy, power, construction and

manufacturing companies. The university will now integrate international material into the curriculum.

Ferrell said the expansion of the online degree is expected to pay knowledge-based dividends for the international engineering and logistics workforce.

“We are certainly going to educate a more global-savvy workforce,” he said.

All of the students participating in the online program have been out of school for at least three years and are full-time employees with relevant experience.

Ferrell expects the program’s expansion to not only increase the supply-chain knowledge of engineers, but also make the citizens of South Carolina participating in the program more internationally aware.

“The knowledge supplied by the program will make the students more competitive and attractive,” he said.

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UBJ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Doodle Trail to Link Easley and Pickens Cities hope for “Swamp Rabbit Trail effect” on local businesses JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com An eight-and-a-half-mile stretch of railway between the cities of Easley and Pickens will be converted into a multi-use trail system suitable for pedestrian and bicycle use. The trail is expected to have a local economic impact similar to the Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail’s influence on Travelers Rest.

Once owned by the Pickens Railway Company, the Doodle Line was originally built in the 1800s to connect the two cities for commerce and manufacturing. In 2013, the privately owned rail company in-

formed both the cities of Easley and Pickens the track would be abandoned and available for purchase.

With resources secured by a combination of hospitality taxes and general funds, the line’s purchase price of $500,000 was split between the two cities.

Spinoff businesses such as restaurants and bike shops accompany a recreation facility like this, said Pickens City Administrator Katherine Hendricks. “The trail will give people a reason to think of Pickens as a destination.”

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UBJ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT “The Doodle Trail will dramatically improve the economies of Easley and Pickens, increase tourism, and provide the two cities with regional exposure,” Julian Reed, associate professor of health sciences at Furman University

>>

Travelers Rest, said City Administrator Dianna Turner.

“The Swamp Rabbit Trail has impacted the city tremendously,” she said. “I would advise both Easley and Pickens to remain persistent as they move forward.”

A July 2012 market analysis by Arnett Muldrow and Associates showcased some of the Swamp Rabbit Trail’s long-term effects on Travelers Rest. The town’s retail trade area represented a $1.27 billion consumer market in 2012 with significant opportunities in restaurants, clothing and specialty home goods.

The study predicted the economic impact would strengthen, especially in downtown restaurants and specialty retailers.

More than 70 percent of use on the Swamp Rabbit Trail takes place on Saturdays and Sundays, where some businesses within 250 yards of a trail access point are reporting close to $400,000 in annual revenue specific to trail users, said Julian Reed, associate professor of health sciences at Furman University.

Recreational trails can increase real estate prices up to 10 percent and are typically a boom for businesses and economic growth, Reed said. “I see very few disadvantages for the conversion of the Doodle Line in Pickens County.”

The Doodle Trail will dramatically improve the economies of Easley and Pickens, increase tourism, and provide the two cities with regional exposure, he said.

Both cities will be responsible for their own trailheads but will partner on proposed trail facilities and improvements.

The city of Easley has high hopes the trail will provide economic prosperity to existing merchants while adding new merchants, said Easley City Administrator Fox Simons. Eateries such as restaurants, coffee shops and ice cream shops could experience the greatest impact, he said. “We will have to wait and see what the market will deliver.”

A feasibility study completed in February by Seamon Whiteside highlighted the existing natural features along the Doodle Trail despite the corridor’s original purpose as a manmade transportation infrastructure.

Pine and hardwood forests, native shrubs, groundcover and several creeks extend along the rail line. In addition, the path provides views of the surrounding landscape, including open pasture and rolling hills.

Connections between the two cities and adjacent neighborhoods are anticipated along the trail with the opportunity to link places of worship, retail centers, recreation facilities and natural areas. Converting the Doodle rail line into a recreational trail and preserving the corridor for long-term public use will benefit the communities of Easley and Pickens as an alternative transportation route, according to the study.

The report presented the trail as a public amenity that will increase adjacent property values, fulfill a need for outdoor recreation opportunities, offer a safe route for bicycle commuting as an alternative to driving, raise recreational revenue, and revitalize local communities.

As Rails to Trails conversions become more common across the country, the collaboration of Easley and Pickens will begin with the removal of railroad ties along the eight and a half miles of track.

A completion date for the project has not been established, but officials said the timeline could be accelerated with the addition of grant money.

(L to R): Rick Hennecy, Greer Community Executive; Jennifer Cash, Spartanburg Private Client Relationship Manager; Fred Williams, Spartanburg Community Executive

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June 6, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

13

UBJ WORKING WELL

By SAMANTHA REID

Get personal In-person coaching has potential to transform health care Picture it; you are sitting at your desk diligently working to get a project done and your health coach calls and starts talking about how you should start exercising.

As you mindlessly agree with everything the coach says, all you can think about is the big presentation that you have tomorrow. You hold the phone up to your ear, pretend that you are listening, and continue to review the presentation for tomorrow.

What a waste of time coaching is anyway. How can someone get to know you over the phone?

EXERCISING A DIFFERENT WAY Now picture another coaching scenario that happens in a different way.

You are in a quiet room with the undivided attention of your health coach. There are no distractions. Your cell phone is on silent. You know you will have time to finish the project waiting on your desk because your health coach scheduled this appointment around your schedule – and even came to your place of work.

The coach listens to your family history, the barriers that keep you from exercising, your eating habits, and asks you open-ended questions to get to know you better. He doesn’t judge you and even smiles and nods as you talk. As you sit through the

coaching session, you realize you are doing most of the talking. You are actually talking yourself into going for a walk tomorrow. How did the coach do that? He isn’t even telling you to exercise – you just want to.

The coach is even helping you create achievable goals. You are so used to vague and overwhelming directives such as “exercise more” and “eat better.” However, at the end of this session, you have three smart goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Sensitive – goals you can actually achieve before the next session. You leave knowing you have learned something, excited to get started.

The first scenario is a perfect example of telephonic coaching. Such coaches are trying to communicate with and educate the participants, but they can’t make a proper connection because they never truly have the participants’ full attention.

ACHIEVABLE GOALS The Greenville Health System (GHS) has moved away from telephonic coaching and is now focusing on Care Management and Disease Management for its employees. The Care Management team works collaboratively with providers and highrisk participants to develop individ-

THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL (DHEC) is accepting public comments on a voluntary cleanup contract through July 1 for the 2.4 acre site of the new CVS to be built at Augusta Street and Faris. CVS intends to lease the property and raze existing structures. If the cleanup contract is implemented, DHEC will allow CVS to lease the property as a “Brownfield Site,” which recognizes that CVS did not create any environmental pollution that might be discovered and will voluntarily clean up any toxins found.

14

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

June 6, 2014

ualized care plans, to decrease the gaps in care and therefore, lower the health risks of those individuals. Our Disease Management team conducts in-person coaching for lower risk participants as well as those who are managing their risks with the help of Care Management. These two departments work hand-in-hand to provide comprehensive care, at the right time and the right place.

GHS’s Business Health department is comprised not only of the Disease Management team, but also the Wellness team, which sends Health Educators to local businesses to conduct screenings and then implement wellness programs. One of these programs is “Five Phase Wellness” that includes faceto-face coaching sessions with a nurse practitioner for the highest risk individuals and health educator coaching sessions for the moderate to low risk individuals.

Companies have seen many benefits from this phased, in-person coaching approach to wellness, including reduced health care costs, reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, improved employee satisfaction, and an overall better understanding of what being “well”

truly means.

Our approach to coaching is transforming healthcare for our own employees and the communities we serve. We are trying to heal our patients and participants with the compassion that we would expect if the roles were reversed. We are constantly improving our coaching and teaching methods as we learn from experiences and get feedback from our clients and from our own employees. Our goal is to ensure that people not only leave our coaching sessions having learned something, but being able to make a change as well.

Samantha Reid is supervisor of wellness services at the Greenville Health System and a former personal trainer.

CONGRATULATIONS To the winners of the Clemson EnterPrize Awards presented by CertusBank!

1ST

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DARRYL MCCUNE Community Bound 3RD

RYAN DEMATTIA Voice

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UBJ INNOVATE

Endangered Angel New federal rules could strike devastating blow to startup capital In recent weeks on these pages, several exciting local startups have made the news for their significant national and international successes: The Iron Yard expanding its code school to cities across the Southeast; KIYATEC winning a rare grant from the National Cancer Institute and being featured at the upcoming BIO International Convention; and Selah Genomics realizing a highly lucrative acquisition by a European diagnostics company.

All three of these companies have relied on local angel investors (including the Upstate Carolina Angel Network) to help provide the risky, early-stage capital required to fund their achievements. They are not alone – across the country last year, more than 70,000 companies raised more than $24 billion from 300,000 angel investors.

But many of those angel investors may be endangered.

DISASTROUS REGULATORY CHANGES The Securities and Exchange Com-

mission is currently considering regulatory changes that could eliminate more than 60 percent of eligible angel investors – a move that would be disastrous for startups, and for our economy.

Since startup companies consistently create all net job growth in this country, and since angel investors provide an estimated 90 percent of all outside funding for startups, it would stand to reason that our public policy should encourage more early stage capital formation from angels – not less.

But when Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Act in the summer of 2010, they called for the SEC to review the definition of “accredited investor” (is effectively synonymous with eligible angel investors) every four years. In order for startup companies to avoid the prohibitive costs and filing requirements of a public offering, they must rely on an exemption that limits their capital raising efforts primarily to accredited investors (i.e. accredited angels).

Currently, an individual is accred-

NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS (MILLIONS)

NUMBER OF US HOUSEHOLDS THAT QUALIFY AS ACCREDITED INVESTORS BASED ON 2010 NET WORTH 6

5.37

4

1.89

2

0.83 0

0.6 0.01

$1.0–$2.5

$2.5–$5.0

$5.0–$10

$10–$100

>$100

HOUSEHOLD NET WORTH ($ MILLIONS)

Source: SEC Release No. 33·9415, Eliminating the Prohibition Against General Solicitation and General Advertising in Rule 506 and Rule 144A Offerings, Economic Analysis, page 75

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

June 6, 2014

ited if he or she has a net worth (with a spouse) of at least $1 million, or an income of $200,000 for the last two years and an expectation of the same in the current year (or $300,000 for a couple). When Dodd-Frank was passed in 2010, the net worth standard was changed to eliminate the value of the primary residence, which reduced the pool of accredited individuals at that time by about 20 percent to 9.5 million households.

Now, a new proposal could reduce the number of accredited investors much more drastically. Some state regulators and consumer protection activists argue that the accredited investor definition should be indexed to inflation from when it was first introduced in 1982 – ostensibly as an effort to protect gullible investors – even though there has been very little evidence of fraud in the angel investor market in those intervening 30 years.

Under the contemplated index adjustment, the accredited investor thresholds would increase to roughly $2.5 million in net worth or $450,000 in annual income. The General Accounting Office estimates that this change would immediately disqualify 60 percent of currently eligible investors from supporting startups with their capital (beyond potential minimal crowdfunding options which still remain in limbo with the SEC).

FINANCIAL BLOW FOR STARTUPS Clearly this change would strike a devastating blow to startups that have little access to capital outside of their own bootstrapping pluck, perhaps some friends and family – and accredited angel investors. The carnage would be even more acute outside of traditional capital centers like New York, Boston and Silicon Valley – and particularly harmful in less wealthy states like South Carolina, where we rank 43rd in per capita millionaire households.

The Angel Investor tax credit that

was passed by the South Carolina Legislature last year is helping to increase availability of capital to our startups, but new federal rules could render that hard-fought gain meaningless.

However, it is not too late to battle this misguided proposal. The SEC is currently taking comments on the accredited investor definition – and we need to make sure they hear loud and clear from emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems like ours that the proposed changes are unnecessary and counterproductive. We encourage you to add your voice to the many entrepreneurs, investors and concerned citizens who want to resist further regulatory overreach that would choke out vital capital formation efforts in South Carolina and across the country.

ADD YOUR VOICE The Angel Capital Association has launched a “Protect Angel Funding” campaign to inform and engage those who wish to “preserve the health of early-stage companies and their role in job creation.”

To heed their call to action to send letters to the SEC, you can find a link to resources and templates on our blog at upstateangels.com. As part of the message, the ACA and UCAN are also encouraging the SEC to expand the angel market by broadening the rules to allow sophisticated investors with requisite expertise to invest as accredited investors, even if they don’t meet the stated financial thresholds.

We invite you to help us take up the cause to protect and broaden >>

Matt Dunbar is managing director of the Upstate Carolina Angel Network and a co-founder of the South Carolina Angel Network and Palmetto Angel Fund. He can be reached at matt@upstateangels.org.

Spring-Cleaning Your Business agement team created back in December laying out your grand plans for 2014?

It was the one filled with promises to market better, network more efficiently, energize clients, grow economic achievement and enough industry buzzwords to keep the thesaurus business solvent for the next decade to come.

If you are like most business people, those goals are a document on your computer that you have not looked at since about the time your New Year’s Resolution expired or pondered since sometime before Groundhog’s Day. If you are a little more organized and motivated, that document became a binder that was handed out to everyone on your staff – and likely now resides somewhere gathering dust unless momentarily needed to end the life of a large insect.

Then there is a rarified leadership breed, usually seen in larger organizations, which has created a special action committee to review the goals and lay plans weekly. Those plans are then forwarded to someone in senior management who scans the reports on his or her mobile phone while waiting for a tee time.

Lastly is a group that actually looks at those reports often, implements them and refines them during the course of the years. The most successful businesses are able to do this. It may seem tough to make the jump from the worst group to the top group in this lineup, but it can be done with some simple spring-cleaning that can be finished by the time you play a round of golf.

START AT THE TOP. Make that goal list a priority for your managers/ company leaders. If they don’t buy in, no one else will. For a small business owner, this means carving out time each day to make sure you are reviewing goals.

Create new goals as needed. This step can be especially key; part of the reason your company’s plan floundered is because it wasn’t working.

GET STAFF TO FEEL OWNERSHIP OF THE PLAN. A likely reason any plan fails is because staff didn’t buy in originally. One step to try is rewarding them when they accomplish something on the plan. This will get them excited to keep working off those documents.

DEVELOP WAYS TO INTEGRATE THE PLAN AMONG EMPLOYEES AND DEPARTMENTS. A problem many businesses face is business plans become housed in silos so that one part of the company doesn’t know what the other parts are doing. Encourage people to sit in on other meetings so they learn what others in your business are accomplishing.

But the biggest thing is to be persistent when getting these plans going again. A strong business plan is the lifeblood of a company. Implemented effectively it can motivate a team, create loyalty and at the end of the day build the most profitable high-valued companies on the planet.

Restate Goals Implementation

Í

Review Systems

Í Growth

CHANGE THE PLAN AS NEEDED. What has worked and what hasn’t worked? What needs to be developed more? What can be scrapped?

SPRING CLEANING FOR THE BUSINESS PLAN

Strategies

REVIEW THE PLAN WITH YOUR ENTIRE TEAM. Use this time to engage them on ideas and thoughts.

A simple task is to ask each team member what works and what doesn’t on the plan.

Update Market Research

Evaluate ÍMarketing

Review and Plan Finances

Update Human Resources

Í

Remember that list of goals you and your man-

Í

>> angel funding resources for companies like the Iron Yard, KIYATEC and Selah Genomics. Without angel investors, those companies would not have been able to commercialize technologies, create high-paying jobs, and generate wealth and know-how that is helping us build our economic future in the Upstate.

For those companies, and others like them, UCAN is working hard to create a more fluid marketplace for entrepreneurs to access early stage capital in South Carolina. The South Carolina Angel Network (SCAN) is growing with the launch of the Capital Angels in Columbia last week, and the Palmetto Angel Fund, which will co-invest with SCAN investors is scheduled for its first close this month.

We are always seeking more angels to join our efforts, so please contact me at the address below if you’d like to try on a pair of wings to fund promising startups – and a shield of common sense and entrepreneurial fortitude to protect the endangered angels.

By CHRIS MANLEY

Í

“The Angel Investor tax credit that was passed by the South Carolina Legislature last year is helping to increase availability of capital to our startups, but new federal rules could render that hard-fought gain meaningless.”

UBJ PROFESSIONAL

Í

By MATT DUNBAR

Chris Manley is the managing partner of Engenius, a Greenville web marketing and design firm. He was South Carolina’s 2013 Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Learn more at www.engeniusweb.com.

June 6, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

17

SPECIAL EDITION: FOCUS ON GREER

UBJ FORWARD

By MARK OWENS

Rooted for Growth Decades of leadership laid the foundation for Greer’s advancement Imagine a city in the picturesque foothills of South Carolina. You’re sitting at a charming courtyard restaurant table finishing a fourcourse meal. As you head for an after-dinner walk through the city, the air is filled with a mix of music and church bells.

A train whistle suddenly overtakes the music, and you’re reminded of the city’s prosperous past and promising future at the same time. Slowly making your way through downtown admiring the history painted on the sides of beautiful brick buildings, you’re welcomed to City Park by an

enchanting fountain spouting water that appears to be dancing to the beat of the city.

Did you picture Greer?

Nestled between Greenville and Spartanburg, Greer is the second fastest growing city in the state of South Carolina. With a 50 percent growth rate since 2000, numerous people and businesses call Greer home. Companies such as BMW, Michelin, Mitsubishi Polyester Film and Honeywell have all found their

home in Greer alongside the countless other businesses, both large and small, that make up the fabric of the Greater Greer business community.

How did they get here? Glad you asked. The answer is simple: strong roots.

Heritage, pedigree and a robust foundation are words often used when describing a successful entity.

Greer embodies all of those characteristics; but how did that happen?

Since incorporation in 1876, Greer’s

community leaders have worked tirelessly to lay the groundwork on which the city now stands.

It is easy to revel in the success Greer enjoys today, but it is critically important to acknowledge the roots that have made continuous growth possible. It is the 90-plus year-old businesses still in operation today, the successful farms, educated workforce, welcoming community, churches, schools, volunteers and city officials who have created the strong root system that attract families and new businesses to Greer. >>

Become a Corporate Member Today!

To learn more contact: Joelle Teachey Executive Director 864.313.0765 jteachey@treesgreenville.org

18

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

June 6, 2014

SPECIAL EDITION: FOCUS ON GREER

UBJ FORWARD >>

Why Greer?

We all know roots without the right conditions produce no growth. For an area to develop, many things need to fall into place. Located with access to two multi-state interstate systems, an established rail system, a cutting edge international airport and most recently, an inland port providing daily access to the port of Charleston, Greer has the land, air and water to foster growth. Amenities such as two first-class hospital systems, state leading schools, access to outdoor activities, a competitive job market, a quaint but vibrant downtown and the all-important affordable housing, are the true fruits that Greer now enjoys. Our community offers amenities of a big city with the charm and hospitality of your hometown.

What is next for Greer?

Split between both Greenville and Spartanburg counties, Greer is experiencing substantial growth in the residential and commercial sectors.

Over 1,750 new residential housing lots are currently in development, while new major retailers, diverse restaurants and specialty retail shops are under construction. The foundation has also been laid for future development with existing industrial growth and available Class A spec space. BMW’s recently announced $1 billion investment will make their Greer plant the largest BMW plant in the world. As growth continues, it is vital Greer works closely with both Greenville and Spartanburg counties

Nestled between Greenville and Spartanburg is the second fastest growing city in the state of South Carolina. to ensure this process is done the right way to cultivate and enhance our roots.

Experience Greer My wife and I recently watched a remarkable video created by the Greater Greer Chamber in the late 1940s, which showcased a lively and exciting downtown. Our favorite line was “You need not leave Greer for the finer things.” As we watched this film, it was exciting to see recognizable business names, knowing we are experiencing the fruits of their labor.

The roots of our community from years past have truly provided a flourishing present, proving that message is still true today. As we continue to grow, it is comforting to know our foundation is strong.

This UBJ edition features a “spotlight on Greer,” but I will take it one step further, and encourage you to look closer and truly experience Greer.

Mark Owens is vice president of the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce.

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P

UBJ INSIDE A look at American Eagle Builders/ Arthur Rutenberg Homes

A

Local homebuilder weathers recession by buying into Arthur Rutenberg Homes franchise

By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com

AN ESTABLISHED HOME BUILDER IN THE UPSTATE SINCE 2002, BRUCE PASQUARELLA, who owns Greer-based American Eagle Builders, decided to

Photos by Greg Beckner

weather the recession by buying into the Florida-based Arthur Rutenberg Homes franchise in 2012, giving him instant access to support and resources without having to hire additional staff.

SPECIAL EDITION: FOCUS ON GREER 20

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

June 6, 2014

P

BY THE NUMBERS

Pasquarella is a seasoned professional with more than 31 years in the construction industry.

He started framing houses after he graduated from high school in 1979, and earned a degree from Clemson University in 1993.

2002

YEAR AMERICAN EAGLE BUILDERS ESTABLISHED

2012

YEAR PURCHASED ARTHUR RUTENBERG HOMES FRANCHISE

225 9

HOMES BUILT TO DATE

New franchise rights

An established custom homebuilder since 1953 in the Florida market, Arthur Rutenberg Homes has more than 30 franchises in Florida, but was looking for franchisees to expand its footprint across the South.

“They interviewed four or five builders in the Greenville area,” Pasquarella said. “They have a really good reputation in Florida as being a high quality, reliable custom home builder. Anyone that comes out of Florida, I have instant name recognition.”

Pasquarella signed a 10-year franchise agreement and purchased the franchise rights for five Upstate counties: Greenville, Spartanburg, Pickens, Anderson and Oconee.

“I made the commitment. I drank the Kool-Aid,” he said. “It was a very hard decision to make, but when I looked at the pros versus the cons, the only con I had was that I had put my heart and soul into building the American Eagle brand and I was being asked to put that on the back burner to start marketing ourselves as Arthur Rutenberg Homes.”

But Pasquarella says he is happy with his decision. “I have a whole team of people now. I immediately added architecture support, accounting support, design support. I have excellent buying power with vendors. It allows for a small, custom homebuilder to grow without all the overhead.”

The company builds in several

HOMES CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION

3

HOMES CURRENTLY UNDER CONTRACT

subdivisions across the Upstate, including Thornblade, Kingsbridge and Claremont, where he currently has a model show house. Pasquarella said the company’s other big market is the Cliffs communities and properties along Lake Keowee, along with land and lots that buyers already own. The next model show house will soon be built at the master-planned community of Acadia in Piedmont.

Expanded resources

All Arthur Rutenberg franchises are required to have a fully furnished model show house, and Pasquarella says the network of model homes with other franchisees in North Carolina and Georgia is a huge selling point. “It’s great to be able to send customers out on a weekend to walk through a fully furnished model for a custom home.”

The franchise also gave Pasquarella access to more than 40 floor plans and a design studio in Pineville, North Carolina. He says he is able to show buyers a plan, make modifications and have a customized plan with pricing back in just a couple of days.

“We have access to streamlined processes that no other custom home builder has,” he said. “Other custom builders may take weeks if not months going back and forth between the customer, the home builder and the architect.”

The company also makes the design process very interactive, setting up a Pinterest board so buyers can start pinning things they like, he said. The certified interior designers can then take that information and “anticipate customers’ design sense” with color selections, fixtures, countertops and other selections buyers need to make.

Pasquarella says the biggest challenge right now in the Upstate is the availability of developed lots.

“There are just none out there to build on.” Out of necessity, he is talking to land acquisition companies and private equity financing to look into developing.

Pasquarella says he plans to continue to build homes and grow the company under the Arthur Rutenberg name. “I have a passion for building houses. It’s a privilege and a responsibility that we don’t take likely.”

11 1,888–7,000 HOMES IN DESIGN

SQUARE FEET RANGE OF FLOOR PLAN SIZES

10

YEAR WARRANTY OFFERED

$300,000’s & upHOMES PRICED FROM

40

HOUSE PLANS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE WITH MORE BEING ADDED

7

EMPLOYEES NOW WITH PLANS TO ADD MORE IN A FEW MONTHS

$20

MILLION IN SALES EXPECTED IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS

SPECIAL EDITION: FOCUS ON GREER June 6, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

21

Photos by: (Top Left) Fred Rollison, (All Others) Greg Beckner

COVER

KNOWING THEIR PLACE:

I

It’s telling how often a major company is referred to as a Spartanburg or Greenville operation when in fact its home is Greer. Historical growth left the small city straddling two economically important South Carolina counties, but the city of Greer has its own trajectory worth paying attention to.

Some of the reasons are obvious.

BMW’s $1 billion expansion announced in March will be a serious economic boost. GSP’s ongoing development of a business hub on its property is another promising force (see p. 3). The inland port that opened in October 2013 is expected to spur a logistics hub for companies in the business of moving goods around the Southeast, Midwest and around the world.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Association of South Carolina recently

Greer claims its niche and plans for the future

By Jennifer Oladipo senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com honored Greer with an award commending the community for the quick, organized action that allowed all of this to happen. It’s common for people to point to Greer’s tight-knitted nature as one of its biggest assets.

“We probably did need to catch our breath after that, but we know [the economic impact] is only a matter of time,” said Greer Mayor Rick Danner.

Beyond Transportation

The high-profile expansions aren’t the only catalysts within the community. Reno Deaton, executive director of Greer Development Corporation, said industrial parks are part of the reason he’s been fielding calls for the past six to 12 months from companies looking for 100,000, 900,000 and a million or more >>

SPECIAL EDITION: FOCUS ON GREER 22

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

June 6, 2014

>>

More than 70 international companies help fuel Greer's economy, but local companies are also booming in three main areas;

Residential growth continues. Development that was happening north of the city toward the Lake Robinson area in previous years has shifted to the other side of I-85, in the Brockman-McClimon Road area where several new subdivisions are underway.

1. Renewed interest in commercial real estate development.

2. Increased development as companies—especially retail— expand or start new.

3. Small manufacturers and large service providers are showing significant interest in locating in Greer.

>>

square feet of space in Greer.

“We’re seeing a regular stream of automotive and aviation suppliers, but also a whole new crop of large scale distribution companies that are giving Greer a serious look,” Deaton said.

Roughly 100,000 square feet of the coveted Class A space is now available at Caliber Ridge Industrial Park in a spec property finished just as the Inland Port opened.

Velocity Park, adjacent to the BMW Performance Center, recently became a South Carolina certified site. The city also worked with Duke Energy and Deloitte Consulting site qualification.

Deaton said alongside automotive industry-driven growth, a healthy diversification has also supported growth.

“Most prospects don’t even zero in whether they’re in Greenville or Spartanburg, they zero in on where they can get the best assets most efficiently,” he said.

Greer is on another upswing, though development is broader than it was in the early 1990s, Danner said.

“I don’t think broad is bad at all,” he said. Nor is the pace of growth today, which Danner says is more sustainable. He sees I-85 interchanges at Highway 14 and Highway 101 as ripe for development, the latter possibly for the kind of commercial activity on Greenville’s Woodruff and Pelham roads.

Downtown

The downtown area still isn’t as far along as businesses and city officials would like. They say they want a vibrant downtown, and they want it to be their own: not Greenville’s, and not Spartanburg’s.

Brandon Price runs Smith & James Clothing, which at 98 years old is the longest established retail shop downtown. His father worked the menswear shop, took it over, and eventually passed the business down to Price. He hopes part of what’s next for Greer is for downtown vacancies to fill up. He said the city’s efforts so far have been a big help and his company has felt the impact of BMW raising household incomes, but still it’s a challenge.

“It’s a struggle for a store. It would be hard for us to survive coming out here opening a menswear store of this magnitude and the clothing that we carry without having that long history and loyalty,” Price said.

Danner said downtown’s development is “a private process more than a public process.”

A weekday afternoon stroll through the area gives the impression of a place that is quiet but by no means vacant. Part of that comes from the variety of eateries and retail shops with creative signage and merchandise placed out on the sidewalk to beckon customers, and also from all of the conspicuously full parking spaces.

What’s Next

Observers are seeing all of these pieces and wondering how they will come together. It’s a question that won’t remain unanswered for long as a path is being mapped out for the city’s near and slightly more distant future.

Along with the city, the Partnership

Photo courtesy of BMW Charity Pro-Am

for Tomorrow, a group of business, civic and community leader formed in 1998, recently began working on the 2030 community master plan for next 15 years and seeking investments implement it. More than 20 representatives from just about every sector serve on the board and are working together on a plan the community will get its first look at this month. The plan is expected to be finished about this time next year.

The five-year plan is already spelled out, complete with a price tag of just over $1.6 million (see sidebar).

Deaton said there is no reason to dwell on the fact that Greenville and Spartanburg sometimes get credit for Greer-based businesses that are powerhouses in the Upstate. Danner said the city gets some of the best of what both affiliations have to offer – the more industrial-leaning pull of Spartanburg County and Greenville County’s more headquarters and high tech-focused economic development.

“It’s important for use to understand who we are,” Danner said.

“We’re not above stealing a good idea but…”

The mayor said there’s been a shift in thinking from considering the city alone to contemplating its larger role.

Danner considers this shift both part of a maturing process as internal issues are addressed, and part of being responsive to the way people truly experience life in Greer.

Leaders have come to realize that people often don’t know where the city limits are – and the workers from elsewhere who swell the city’s population by two to three times during the daytime are also part of the community, he said.

The most immediate impact of BMW and more than 70 international businesses in an around the city, domestic companies that do international business, and flights touching down from overseas, is that Greer has come to understand its place, Danner said.

“Even though we are a relatively small city, we’re part of a region that touches the world, in many regards.

That gives us a broader sight of who we are and what we’re about.”

The Five Year Plan A sampling of proposals Economic Development Annual Cost $130,000 Five Year Cost $650,000 Examples: Secure federal funding to continue implementation of the Railroad Relocation Plan.

Advocate for incentives to encourage urban infill and redevelopment.

Community Master Plan Annual Cost $120,000 Five Year Cost $600,000 Examples: Develop a plan for a Visitors Bureau, Visitors Center and other tourism opportunities.

Establish a task force to determine how we can capitalize on healthcare as a “destination” for Greer.

Quality of Life Annual Cost $40,000 Five Year Cost $200,000 Examples: Advocate the development of a cultural arts center.

Create venues to establish and exhibit public art.

Communications Annual Cost $30,000 Five Year Cost $10,000 Examples: Support marketing and branding efforts to further Partnership projects and programs.

Communicate regularly with the Greer area PFT shareholders to monitor the progress of this program.

More at www.pftgreer.com/thefive-year-plan/

ENGAGE The public gets its first chance to weigh in on the 2030 master plan 5:30-7:30 June 12 at the Cannon Centre.

Information: www.plangreer.com JUNE

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SPECIAL EDITION: FOCUS ON GREER June 6, 2014

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UBJ SQUARE FEET

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Shopping and Dining What’s new to do in Greer SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF | sjackson@communityjournals.com

Greer, both in downtown and throughout the city limits, continues to attract new businesses for its growing population. Here’s a look at some of the new restaurant and retail options that have opened in the past year.

1

Dark Corner Diner

224 Trade Street Owner- Virginia Maclure Opened- July 2013 Serving homemade lunches and desserts with a menu that changes weekly.

2

El Ranchero Mexican Grill

308 E. Poinsett Street Owner- Bernardino Noriega Mendoza Opened- May 2014 Mexican Restaurant

3

IHOP

1494 W. Wade Hampton Blvd, Suite A Opened- March 2014 National restaurant chain specializing in breakfast foods.

4

The Southern Growl

6 South Buncombe Road Owner- Matthew Bowes Opened- April 2014 Craft beer store with more than 60 different varieties on tap.

5

American Made Windows of the Upstate 107 Middleton Way, Suite 12 Owner- Don Broughman Opened- August 2013 Replacement windows and doors

SPECIAL EDITION: FOCUS ON GREER 24

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

June 6, 2014

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6

Bargain Hut

14173 East Wade Hampton Blvd, Suite B Owner- Wesley Satterwhite Opened- September 2013 Discount shoe retailer

7

Beeloved Boutique

14157 E. Wade Hampton Blvd Owner- Beverly Dawkins Opened- April 2014 Fashion retailer

8

Gatherings on Main

504 and 506 North Main Street Owner- Darla Booher Opened- September 2013 Antiques and vintage items

4

9

OOBE Uniform and Apparel

550 Brookshire Road, Suite D Opened- February 2014 Uniform showroom for BMW employees

10

Piddly Do Hickeys

300 Randall Street, Suite B Owner- Noelle Forrester Opened- March 2014 Unique and eclectic mix of gifts, clothing, accessories

11

Valentino’s

300 Randall Street Owner- Valentino Lopez Opened- February 2014 Gently used men’s clothing store

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30 UBJ MILESTONE

Greenville’s Commerce Club celebrates 30 years SHERRY JACKSON | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com

Thirty years ago, restaurants weren’t as plentiful in downtown and Greenville’s movers and shakers were looking for a place to meet with colleagues, entertain guests and have

➤ BY THE NUMBERS Commerce Club membership:

1,003

Members

Of Those:

248 506 249 130 50%

Over the age of 65 Between the ages of 40–65

Under the age of 40

New members added in 2014

of the members who have joined in 2014 have been under the age of 40

26

access to fine dining. So a group of businessmen formed the Commerce Club in the summer of 1984.

With arguably one of the best views in the city from its digs atop the 17th floor of the One Liberty Square Building, the club has more than 15,000 square feet of dining and meeting rooms and a vast lineup of networking opportunities, guest speakers and events available for members.

To keep up with the times and appeal to the younger demographic the club is continually trying to attract, the Commerce Club recently completed an $800,000 renovation that “drastically changed what the club is and does,” said Dylan Petrick, general manager.

The renovation achieved its objective and “helped attract younger members,” Petrick said. The club also created a young executive board that provides programming input, leading to club events such as brew master nights, wine tastings, networking nights and trivia nights.

“We’ve got to have fun and have

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

June 6, 2014

energy and we try to mix social events with education,” Petrick said.

The club is designed to be a “home away from home” for its members, who have access to free Wi-Fi, comfortable seating in the renovated Alta Vista lounge area and Beattie Bar and complimentary coffee, tea and fruit are offered in between meal times. If a member is solo, a long, rectangular table called the “joiners table” is set up so others can get to know each other.

Two small “Touch Down” rooms are also available at no extra charge to members to take a conference call or phone call in private or have a oneon-one meeting. On a recent Thursday afternoon, several members were hanging out in the lounge area, some meeting with clients, others grabbing a drink while hunched over their laptops.

The C. Dan Joyner Wine Room, named for its past chairman (and one of the founders) who served for 21 years, is a “happy 30 years old,” said Petrick. The wine room features “wine

Photos by Greg Beckner

YEARS

lockers” where members may purchase bottles of wine via the club’s wine connoisseur program and store them in individual, temperature-controlled compartments.

Brides and business groups take advantage of the large Pearis Ballroom, which now features decorative, modern lighting. A complete re- >>

>> design of the bar and lounge area involved removing a wall that was blocking those panoramic mountain views. Three conference rooms will undergo a complete transformation next month that will match the same color and feel as the Pearis Ballroom.

In addition to the décor and furnishings, one of the main changes over the past 30 years is the dress code. The club now has a “business casual” code with the exception of the “very formal” Ogletree Dining Room, which still maintains a no jeans-jackets encouraged atmosphere. Shorts, t-shirts, sneakers and sandals are not allowed anywhere in the club.

Membership in the Commerce Club is by invitation only and Petrick says the club takes pride that its members have never been discriminatory, even during times when other clubs had strict gender and ethnic rules on who could joint their clubs. In fact, the club’s newest and first woman chairperson is Ingrid Erwin, who has been a member since the early 1990’s.

All memberships also provide equal privileges to spouses and dependent children under the age of 21.

The club will be celebrating its 30-year anniversary with a black tie event on June 6 for members and their guests.

The club offers different levels of membership dues, depending on age, ranging from $34 per month to $130 per month. Younger members pay the lower dues.

In 2014, because the club is celebrating its anniversary, the one-time initiation fee is only $130. In 2015, it will go back up to $500.

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UBJ THE FINE PRINT South Carolina Among 10 Worst States for Bank Charges South Carolina is the 8th worst state for affordable banking, according to personal finance website GoBankingRates.com. Joining South Carolina on the 10-worst list were Arizona, Washington, D.C., Connecticut, Nevada, South Dakota, California, Indiana, Delaware, and Wisconsin.

The analysis found that average interest rates were 0.147 percent for checking accounts and 0.112 percent for savings. Returned check fees in South Carolina averaged $34, while debit and ATM fees cost $3 per transaction. Additionally, average monthly maintenance fees were $5 for savings accounts and $15 for checking ac-

counts.

The analysis evaluated all 50 states and the District of Columbia according to nine criteria: number of financial institutions per state, average checking and savings account rates, average checking and savings minimum balance requirements, average NSF returned check fees,

average out-of-network ATM fees, and average monthly maintenance charges for checking and savings accounts.

All of the information was compiled from GOBankingRates’ database, which aggregates information from Informa Research Services, and RateWatch.

First Quality Announces $350 Million Investment First Quality Tissue, a manufacturer of ultra-premium towel and tissue products in Anderson County, announced a $350 million investment that will add another line to its facility, creating an additional

200 jobs on top of its current workforce.

The investment will also include more than 1 million square feet of new construction to accommodate a third Through-Air-Dried (TAD) paper machine with an estimated annual capacity of 70,000 tons. The startup of the new machine is ex-

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pected for late 2015.

“Today, we stand with one of our own as they excel beyond their original commitment,” said Tommy Dunn, chairman of Anderson County Council. “The addition of their third premium quality tissue line, investment of $350 million and 200 new jobs is great news for

Anderson County residents.”

With the additional positions, the Anderson plant is expected to employ around 650 by the end of 2015. The announcement represents the second phase of the company’s overall planned investment of $1 billion in its South Carolina operations.

ESPN Upstate Launches on Two FM Signals

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28

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL June 6, 2014 Upstate Business Journal

Entercom Communications Corp. began broadcasting ESPN Upstate on 105.9 FM in Greenville and 97.1 FM in Spartanburg. The two FM signals join ESPN’s 950 AM and 1330 AM signals; WFBC-HD3 on HD radio; and espnupstate.com online streaming services.

“In three short months, ESPN Upstate has become the fastest-growing and most powerful sports station in The Upstate,” said Steve Sinicropi, Entercom VP/market manager, in a news release.

“Adding the powerful ESPN brand to not only one, but two, FM signals makes our already-powerful cluster of stations an even better advertiser choice to serve the important male audience. With 24-hour sports on ESPN Upstate, Clemson Football playby-play on 93.3 The Planet and Carolina Panthers play-by-play on Classic Rock 101.1, we deliver to an enormous audience.”

UBJ THE FINE PRINT Tetramer Technologies Announces $1 Million Anderson County Expansion

Tetramer Technologies, a company that manufactures advanced materials and performs research and development for new materials, announced a $1 million investment of its Anderson County location that is expected to create 25 new jobs over the next five years.

The company previously occupied 50 percent of the incubator space in the Griffith Building on South Mechanic Street in Pendleton, but will now fill the entire space.

“We have spent the last three years looking for locations that would accommodate Tetramer’s growth while providing the necessary infrastructure for materials development.

Working with Anderson County, the City of Pendleton, and Clemson Uni-

versity Research Foundation, Tetramer was able to stay in our current location through this expansion,” said Jeffery DiMaio, Ph.D., Tetramer co-owner and COO, in a news release.

The expansion is the result of the newly formed South Mechanic Street Group purchase of the property, which provided the needed space for Tetramer to grow. Additional laboratory space allows Tetramer to hire an eight full-time and 10 part-time employees. The building has another 2,000 square feet of warehouse space that will be used as flex space for further expansions in both manufacturing and research and development over the next five years.

Clemson MBA Students Win $30,000 In Startup Funding

CertusBank’s EnterPrize Awards recently presented $30,000 in startup funding to students from Clemson University’s MBA in Entrepreneurship program.

The winners were Even Skjervold and SouthYeast Labs in first place with the $20,000 prize; Darryl McCune’s nonprofit Community Bound in second-place with the $6,000 prize; and the third place of $4,000 went to Ryan DeMattia for his social media app Voice.

SouthYeast Labs captures wild yeasts from fruit, plants and such other objects as historic buildings. SouthYeast

already serves more than 20 regional breweries, and the prize money will allow Skjervold to build a larger laboratory.

McCune’s Community Bound aims to equip the next generation with IT skills to help them obtain one of the projected 1.4 million IT jobs projected to be available in 2020. Community Bound has already taught IT skills to 800 students from Southside High School, who went on to win $10,000 in technology for their school.

Community Bound plans to roll out additional summer camps and programs throughout the Southeast.

DeMattia’s Voice location-based app is designed to bridge the gap between large social media sites that keep a permanent record of users’ posts and those where users are anonymous.

Greenville To Receive $400,000 in EPA Brownfields Grants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced plans to award the city of Greenville $400,000 in brownfield grants to clean up toxic waste sites.

“Not only are these funds protecting the environment and public health by helping communities clean up blighted toxic waste sites, there are new job growth opportunities for local economies to leverage through these investments,” said Gina McCarthy, EPA administrator, in a news release. “With cities looking at how to combat the impacts

of climate change, it’s more important than ever for communities to innovate new ways to retrofit formerly polluted, unused sites for renewable energy use.”

About $23.5 million will go to communities that have been impacted by plant closures, with South Carolina receiving $1.5 million. Cheraw, Columbia, and Rock Hill also received grants. Greenville’s grant is divided into a $200,000 assessment grant for petroleum and a $200,000 as-

June 6, 2014

sessment grant for hazardous substances.

EPA’s Brownfields Program helps states, communities, and other stakeholders to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. Brownfields are properties in which expansion, redevelopment or reuse might be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous contaminants.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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UBJ SOCIAL SNAPSHOT

NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT 20TH ANNIVERSARY In 2014, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) celebrates its 20th anniversary. Upstate Global Professionals and the Hispanic Alliance hosted Mexican Culture Night featuring a panel of experts on Mexican business to discuss the affects of the trade agreement on the state and the continent. Featured on the panel were Javier D铆az de Le贸n, Consul General of Mexico; Denis Csizmadia of U.S Commercial Service, Iciar Balza Echeita of Gonvarri Steel Services, Pablo Martinez of TI Automotive and Reinaldo Panico Peres of No Borders Consulting Group. The evening also featured Mexican fare and a tequila tasting.

844 -GSP-ESPN 30

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Mike & Mike 6 -10 A

The Her d 10A-1 P

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UBJ PLANNER FRIDAY JUNE 6 FIRST FRIDAY LUNCHEON Greer City Hall, 301 E. Poinsett St., Greer; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

COST: $10 for Greer Chamber members, $15 for non-members REGISTER AT: greerchamber.com 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 864-2282122 or sjeffries1@ allstate.com

MONDAY JUNE 9 GCS ROUNDTABLE The Office Center at the Point, 33 Market Point Drive, Greenville; 8:30-9:30 a.m.

SPEAKER: Salley Ouellette TOPIC: Overcoming Adversity Call Golden Career Strategies at 864-5270425 to request an invitation

UWIT ROOFTOP GARDEN PARTY Clemson’s Center for Corporate Learning, One Building, 1 N. Main St., Greenville; 5:30-7:30 p.m.

COST: $5 per person Attendees are encouraged to wear floral attire to participate in Best Garden Ensemble contest REGISTER AT: uwitsc. com CONTACT: Jill Rose at 864-908-0105

TUESDAY JUNE 10 BUSINESS BEFORE HOURS Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Pl., Ste. 1700, Greenville; 7:30-9 a.m.

COST: $8.50 for pre-register or $12 at the door. Open only to Chamber members.

CONTACT: Lorraine Woodward at 864239-3742 or if you are a Commerce Club member, contact Dot Drennon at ddrennon@ greenvillechamber.org REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org GET WHAT YOU WANT FROM CUSTOMERS,

VENDORS, EMPLOYEES AND …

CU-ICAR, 4 Research Dr., Greenville; 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

SPEAKERS: Louise Connell, buyer and supplier diversity coordinator at BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC; and Beth Veach, franchise placement and business coach with The Entrepreneur’s Source COST: $25 per person Attendees are asked to lunch and dessert will be provided.

REGISTER AT: scwbc. net under Events CONTACT: Janet Christy at janet@scwbc.net or 864-244-4117 GREENVILLE ROTARY CLUB Poinsett Hotel, 120 S. Main St., Greenville; noon REGISTER AT: greenvillerotary.org WOMEN’S MEET AND GREET Emily Elizabeth Paper Boutique, 109-A. N. Main St., Simpsonville; 5:30-7:30 p.m.

RSVP TO: 864-2971323 or info2@

mauldinchamber.org

hdaustonmoving@aol. com

WEDNESDAY JUNE 11

DIVERSITY CONNECTIONS LUNCHEON CityRange Steakhouse Grill, 774 Spartan Blvd., Spartanburg; noon-1:30 p.m.

COST: Dutch treat for lunch, open to anyone CONTACT: 864-5945000 REGISTER AT: spartanburgchamber. com

PELHAM POWER BREAKFAST The Guardian, 979 Batesville Rd., Greer; 8-9 a.m.

COST: Free for Greer chamber members REGISTER AT: greerchamber.com BUSINESS BEFORE HOURS Simpsonville Chamber of Commerce, 211 N. Main St., Simpsonville; 8-9:30 a.m.

COST: Free to attend REGISTER AT: simpsonvillechamber. com CONTACT: Jennifer Richardson at jrichardson@ simpsonvillechamber. com BNI CHAPTER, GREATER GREENVILLE City Range, 615 Haywood Rd., Greenville; noon-1:30 p.m.

COST: $15 for lunch CONTACT: Hardy Auston at 864-313-9942 or

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL TOASTMASTERS Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Place, Ste. 1700, Greenville; 6 p.m.

COST TO VISIT: $5 to cover meeting space and one drink at the bar FOR MORE INFORMATION: visit yptm.toastmastersclubs. org

THURSDAY JUNE 12 BNI Southern Fried Green Tomatoes, 1175 Woods Crossing Rd., #8, Greenville; 8:15-9:45 a.m.

CONTACT: Shanda Jeffries at 864-2282122 or sjeffries1@ allstate.com for invitation WOMEN’S BUSINESS NETWORK Events at Sapphire Creek, 401 N. Main St., Simpsonville; noon-1 p.m.

SPEAKER: Justin Hamrick, Anderson Law Firm TOPIC: How to plan to protect your children’s inheritance COST: $20 per person CONTACT: Jennifer Richardson at jrichardson@ simpsonvillechamber. com REGISTER AT: simpsonville chamber.com

GOT A HOT DATE? Contribute to our Planner by submitting event information for consideration to events@ upstatebusiness journal.com

Greg McKinney 4-7 P Sturg 7-10 P June 6, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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UBJ ON THE MOVE HIRED

HIRED

HIRED

HIRED

Duane Manning

Adam Artigliere

Joe Watkins

Tyler Whims

Joined SANDLAPPER Securities, LLC as a financial advisor. Manning brings more than 30 years of experience from his previous work with companies including Wedbush, Noble and Cook and Edgar M. Norris and Co. Most recently, he served as first vice president and financial advisor at Hilliard Lyons.

Joined McNair Law Firm as special counsel focusing on commercial real estate and business trans-actions, as well as economic development and local government law.

Artigliere serves on the board of directors for the Clemson Community Foundation and the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce.

Joined Clemson University as the new director of its general engineering department.

Watkins is a career naval officer who has served aboard three nuclear submarines and has done research on how lasers can be used as weapons. He will replace interim director Don Beasley.

Joined Addison Homes project manager. Whims graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Science & Management and a minor in Business Administration. He also holds OSHA certification.

He previously worked as an operations and maintenance specialist at Fluor.

EDUCATION: The University of South Carolina’s first ever Alumni Center, My Carolina Alumni recently announced the new volunteer leadership for its board of governors. They are: Paula Harper Bethea as president; Robert Eddie Brown as immediate past president; Tommy D. Preston, Jr. as president-elect; Deepal S. Eliatamby as board secretary; C. John Wentzell as board treasurer; Jack W. Claypoole as executive director; Jancy L. Houck as vice president, Development and Alumni Relations; W. Michael Bond, Clarernce Davis, Robert F. Dozier, Jr., and Robin D. Roberts as members at-large; and Frances E. Ashe-Goins, Dr. Lisa A. Bishara, Amy B.

We’ve already met your next employee.

Ginny Beach, Ana Davis, Drew Brown, Julie Godshall Brown

Godshall Professional Recruiting and Staffing specializes in executive recruiting, career placement and consulting

for businesses and job seekers in South Carolina. Our team of recruiters brings a combined 124 years of experience placing candidates in the financial, technical, healthcare, and professional industries. Let us find the perfect fit for your employment needs.

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GODSHALL Professional Recruiting Staffing Consulting

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

June 6, 2014

UBJ ON THE MOVE Faulkenberry, John W. Fields, Gregory B. Foster, Julie J. Horton, Kathy A. Randall, and the Honorable Robert V. Royall to a three-year term on the board.

Nancy Kennedy has been named director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Furman University. Kennedy has spent the past three years as volunteer coordinator and office manager for OLLI. Prior to coming to Furman, she served as a development specialist for the American Red Cross.

ENGINEERING/ CONSTRUCTION: Bryan Bearden has been promoted to staff project manager for the Construction Materials Testing department after seven years with ECS Carolinas, LLP as a technician team leader in the Greenville office.

HRP Associates, Inc. (HRP) recently announced that Jeremy Lawson, project engineer at HRP’s Greenville office, has passed the Professional Engineer exam and is now a licensed P.E. in South Carolina.

FINANCIAL SERVICES: SANDLAPPER Securities, LLC recently registered sales assistant, Veronica Creps. Creps began work in the banking industry in Greenville in 1993.

She gained experience as a registered sales assistant and registered sales associate at companies including Scott and Stringfellow, UBS Financial Services, and most recently Hilliard Lyons.

SCBT recently announced that L. Andrew Westbrook, III, who has served as regional president for the bank’s Foothills Region since 2012, has been named director of risk management. With 29 years of experience in the banking industry, Westbrook has worked at large regional banks as well as smaller community banks starting as a management trainee and has

3 WAYS TO CONNECT:

worked in a variety of positions including corporate banker and regional management.

PUBLIC RELATIONS/ MARKETING: Complete Public Relations recently announced that Maggie Stange has joined the firm as a public relations intern. Stange attends Kutztown University of Pennsylvania where she studies Professional Writing, Culture and media, and Public Relations.

Jackson Marketing Group (JMG), recently promoted Donna Waldrep to account director, Ryan Fisher to public relations account supervisor, Mary Adams to account manager, and Kelsey Clark to account representative. Waldrep joined JMG in 2011 with 15 years experience in both the client and agency sides of marketing. Fisher was named the 2009 Rookie of the Year by the SCPRSA and has served in JMG’s public relations department for eight years. Adams has seven years of service at JMG and a marketing management degree from Bob Jones University. Clark holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Liberty University.

1. PRINT

2. MOBILE

LEGAL: Chambers USA, a UK guide which annually ranks American law firms and lawyers by state and practice area, announced the following Upstate honorees. Kathleen C. McKinney and Margaret R. (Meg) Scoopmire Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd; Stephanie Lewis, Ashley B. Abel, and Andreas N. Satterfield, Jr. of Jackson Lewis P.C.; and Wallace Lightsey, Henry Parr, Matthew Richardson, Troy Tessier, Cary Hall, Eric Amstutz, Melinda Davis Lux, Mark Bakker, Ted Gentry, Jim Warren, Maurie Lawrence, Rita Bolt Barker, and Greg English of Wyche.

3. ONLINE New hires, promotions & award winners can be featured in On The Move.

Send information & photos to onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

www.UpstateBusinessJournal.com

For print subscription and email subscription to the “In Box”.

Stay up to date with the business of the Upstate.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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UBJ NEW TO THE STREET THE INBOX Stay in the know with UBJ’s free weekly email.

THE INBOX Stay in the know with UBJ’s free weekly email.

The Buckley School recently opened its Greenville office at 14 Manly Street. The school provides private coaching and interview skills training in house, but will host executive seminars in the Clemson University MBA space at the ONE building in downtown Greenville. For more information, call 864-979-1807 or visit buckleyschool.com.

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UBJ SNAPSHOT

Historic photograph available from the Greenville Historical Society.

From “Remembering Greenville: Photographs from the Coxe Collection,” by Jeffrey R. Willis

GREG BECKNER / STAFF

Today the drugstore is gone. For 15 years, the site has been home to Trio – A Brick Oven Cafe, a family Italian restaurant. As at many downtown Greenville restaurants, outdoor seating is available, weather permitting.

Main and East Coffee streets. Between 1900 and 1930 many of Main Street’s remaining 19th-century commercial buildings were replaced by more functional structures lacking the ornamental details of their predecessors. A building boom in the 1920s followed World War One. During this rebuilding some older structures survived but had their facades significantly altered or covered over. At the southeast corner of Main and East Coffee streets, one of these buildings is seen under demolition to make way for a modern drugstore. Accompanying the rebuilding of Main Street at this time was the replacement of locally owned establishments by regional and national chain stores.

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

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LINKED IN: Upstate Business Journal Copyright @2014 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved.

Upstate Business Journal is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, South Carolina, 29602. Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $50. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, SC 29602. Printed in the USA

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF UBJ? WANT A COPY FOR YOUR LOBBY? 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

UBJ milestone

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

1988

>>

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-prof non-profits. The company was recently awarded the Community Foundation Spirit Award.

The company reaffirmed its commitment to serving the community last week by celebrating its 25th anniversary with a birthday party and a 25-hour Serve-A-Thon partnership with Hands on Greenville and Habitat for Humanity. JMG’s 103 full-time employees worked in shifts around the clock on October 22 and 23 to help construct a house for a deserving family.

As Jackson inches towards retirement, he says he hasn’t quite figured out his succession plan yet, but sees the companies staying under the same umbrella. He wants to continue to strategically grow the business.

“From the beginning, my father has taught me that this business is all about our people – both our clients and our associates,” said his son, Darrell. “We have created a focus and a culture that strives to solve problems, serve people and grow careers.”

Darrell Jackson said he wants to “continue helping lead a culture where we solve, serve and grow. If we are successful, we will continue to grow towards our ultimate goal of becoming the leading integrated marketing communications brand in the Southeast.”

2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports Group employee base reaches 100 people

2008 2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation with Creative spirit Award

pro-bono/non-proFit / Clients lients American Red Cross of Western Carolinas Metropolitan Arts Council Artisphere Big League World Series The Wilds Advance SC South Carolina Charities, Inc. Aloft Hidden Treasure Christian School

CoMMUnitY nit inV nitY in inVolVeMent olVe olV VeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board,

Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board

eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

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NOVEMBER 1, 2013

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June 6, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

35

SUPPORTING GROWTH

Through Entrepreneurship

Congratulations Even Skjervold, Founder of SouthYeast Labs We’re passionate about supporting business innovation and are honored to play a role in helping Even and other entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. As winner of the Clemson EnterPrize Awards, he receives a cash prize and access to experienced bankers to help expand his business serving the growing craft brewery community in the Southeast.

CertusBank is proud to partner with the Clemson MBAe program in promoting innovation through entrepreneurs like Even.

Entrepreneurship helps our communities thrive — creating jobs, revitalizing underserved areas, and driving economic growth.

Cheers, Even. We look forward to supporting your continued success.

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