INSIDE // WESTONE UPDATES • CLEMSON’S NEW COLLEGE OF BUSINESS DEAN • FACEBOOK BOOST
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JUNE 8, 2018 | VOL. 7 ISSUE 23
HOW HAS NEXT SHAPED THE UPSTATE’S STARTUP SCENE?
A Q&A WITH FOUNDER AND CEO JOHN MOORE
Photo by Will Crooks/Upstate Business Journal
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TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK
| THE RUNDOWN
VOLUME 7, ISSUE 23 Featured this issue: Facebook to partner with Carolina Code School.....................................................7 Thinking globally, acting locally at Movin’On Mobility Summit....................15 Health care planning after retirement.....................................................................17
Liability Brewing Co. anchors the corner of the L-shaped contiguous buildings at the Westone development, 109 W. Stone Ave., Greenville. Owner Terry Horner and brewer C.J. Golobish hope to have some fun and be experimental with the beer they produce. Read more about the progress of Westone and its tenants on Page 4. Photo by Will Crooks/Upstate Business Journal
WORTH REPEATING “Think of us as the ‘center of gravity’ for innovative entrepreneurs and their companies in the Greenville/Upstate area.” John Moore, Page 12
“A culture that cares about their people recruits and retains the best talent.” Tim Cox, Page 18
“Like any new startup business, there were a few roadblocks and tough years.” Tammy Johnson, Page 19
VERBATIM
On your iPhone “You can set how long you can use an app each day — like Instagram — and Apple will tell you as you’ve started to reach that limit.” Todd Haselton, technology product editor at CNBC, on the best updates in iOS 12 for the iPhone and iPad. Other new features include an improved “Do Not Disturb During Bedtime” setting, higher-quality notifications, and group FaceTime calling.
6.8.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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World Piece and the second Coffee Underground (left), Moe’s Original Bar B Que (center), and Liability Brewing Co. (far right) all plan to open this summer. Photo by Will Crooks/Upstate Business Journal
Westone nears completion; tenants aim for June to August openings 9Round Fitness will go into the front corner space closest to the road. Photo by Will Crooks/Upstate Business Journal
ARIEL TURNER | STAFF
aturner@communityjournals.com Seven of the eight available spaces at the nearly completed Westone development at 109 W. Stone Ave. are leased, and the new brewery, restaurants, and retail locations will begin opening by the end of June, barring unforeseen delays. Developers Pete Brett and Michael Fletcher released initial plans for the former home to Battery and Electric Company in fall 2016, and now construction on the combined 18,000-square-foot buildings is nearly complete. The L-shaped redevelopment includes on the far left the new family restaurant concept World Piece by Coffee Underground owner Dana Lowie. Next to it is the second location of Lowie’s long-time basement-level coffee shop that has become a downtown Greenville staple and success story, weathering the ups and downs of the downtown market over the last 23 years. Combined, the two spaces are about 4,000 square feet and will share seating but have separate kitchens. Lowie says target opening date is Aug. 1. In the center 2,300-square-foot space of the strip facing Stone Avenue is Moe’s Original Bar B Que, one of the dozens of franchise locations 4
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around the country, but the first Upstate location. Franchisees John Wood and Sam Ragland say they are shooting for a late June opening. In the corner parcel, Liability Brewing Co. occupies 3,426 square feet of brewery space with 1,200 square feet of outdoor patio. With the tanks recently installed, brewer C.J. Golo-
bish and owner Terry Horner say they also are planning on a June opening. The leg of the development running perpendicular to Stone Avenue still has one approximately 1,500-square-foot vacant space remaining closest to the brewery. The other three tenants are, in order from furthest from the
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Liability Brewing Co. will occupy 3,426 square feet of brewery space with 1,200 square feet of outdoor patio. Photo by Will Crooks/Upstate Business Journal
road to nearest, V’s Barbershop, the first South Carolina franchise location of the traditional barbershop concept that even offers shoe-shines; Cache & Co., a home goods retail store; and a 9Round Fitness. The development has about 60 parking spaces on-site with additional street parking nearby on Wilton Street. A few businesses across Stone will likely open up their parking lots to Westone customers on nights and weekends, Brett and Fletcher say. 6.8.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
SCRA announces new SC Launch client companies The South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) has accepted four new client companies into its SC Launch program. The economic development program, which was founded by the SCRA in 2006, provides grants, loans, and equity investments to startups, seed, and early-stage advanced technology companies, according to a news release. Participating companies receive mentoring and other support services and may also be eligible to receive grant funds or investments. They may also be eligible to receive matching funds or larger investments, according to the release. The four companies selected to participate in the program include the following: • tForm Inc., an advanced manufacturing company headquartered in Williamston, has created a software solution to address the need for custom packaging solutions for consumer, medical, and industrial goods. The company’s patent-pending technology employs revolutionary software, advanced CAD and 3-D modeling capability, proprietary mold designs, and lean manufacturing techniques to deliver optimized packaging solutions while significantly reducing lead times, the release said.
• Microhortone, in Central, is developing microwave techniques that can be used by brewers, distillers, biopharmaceuticals companies, and biofuel producers. The online cell monitoring technology improves product quality and yield, according to the release. The company is commercializing the results of research conducted at Clemson University. • Elongator Tailgates, in Bluffton, has developed a tailgate system with an integrated, folding extension that replaces factory tailgates, according to the release. The patented product locks in two positions to either extend the standard cargo bed or to provide adjustable loading ramps that can accommodate anything from motorcycles to all-terrain vehicles and lawn equipment. • Med-Ally, which is located in the Charleston International Manufacturing Center in Goose Creek, manufactures solutions for the medical device market. Its platform technology, VersaStim, is an implantable pulse generator system that provides an alternative to drug therapy for chronic pain. SCRA is a public, nonprofit corporation that fosters South Carolina’s innovation economy. –Andrew Moore
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TECHNOLOGY
Facebook partners with Carolina Code School to fund coding boot camp scholarships
individual’s digital and social media skills are an important consideration when hiring, more than where they went to school. –Andrew Moore
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Social networking giant Facebook announced on Wednesday, May 30, that it will fund scholarships for 25 Greenville residents to enroll at Carolina Code School. Carolina Code School is the first of several economic development initiatives organized by Build Carolina, a Greenville-based nonprofit “dedicated to building talent initiatives to support innovative companies across the Carolinas.” The school’s full-time, 12-week web development immersive course aims to prepare college students and working professionals for a career in software development — no coding experience required, according to a news release. The course, which costs $13,999, is offered six times a year and accommodates up to 20 students per cohort. Those accepted into the course will study the basics of front-end and back-end web development for eight weeks and then focus on a programming language (Java, JavaScript, Ruby, etc.) of their choice. Students will also be eligible to receive credits through Greenville Technical College for courses like web programming, DHTML and JavaScript, relational database, and introduction to information technology, according to the release. “Providing scholarships for students to attend Carolina Code School demonstrates how strongly they [Facebook] believe in the power of learning to code and in the importance of making sure our entire community has access to high-quality code education,” Lelia King, executive director of Build Carolina and Carolina Code School, said in a statement. The partnership between Facebook and Carolina Code School was announced as part of the company’s Community Boost program, which “is designed to help small businesses grow and better compete in today’s new economy,” according to a news release. Greenville was one of the first five cities chosen to host the program. It is currently being held at the ONE Center in downtown through Friday, June 1. By the end of this year, 30 other cities across the country will have hosted similar events. The Community Boost program includes training for job seekers and small businesses looking to strengthen their digital skills acumen, the release said. Sample courses include Getting Started with Facebook, Connecting with Local Shoppers, Getting Business Done with Instagram, and Taking Facebook Ads to the Next Level. “We’re inspired by what small businesses have been able to do using Facebook, but we want to do more — particularly for those who are transitioning to careers that require more digital skills. It’s clear that small businesses are using social media to create new opportunities and grow, so we’re bringing this valuable training program to them in Greenville to help local entrepreneurs learn and prosper,” Doug Frisbie, global marketing director of small business for Facebook, said in a statement. As of November, Facebook said it had invested more than $1 billion since 2011 in training, technology, tools, support, and research to help people and small businesses. A recent report — released by Morning Consult in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center and Facebook — found that small businesses create an estimated 4 out of every 5 new jobs in the United States and that small businesses’ digital usage translates into those jobs. In South Carolina, 46 percent of small businesses on Facebook said the social media platform is an essential tool for running their business, and that it has helped them hire employees. Sixty-two percent said Facebook allows them to find customers in other cities, states, and countries. And 79 percent said that an
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EDUCATION
Clemson University names new College of Business dean
The Importance of Hydration for Seniors Seniors are at greater risk of dehydration than other adults for a number of reasons. They can have electrolyte imbalances, their sense of thirst can diminish, and certain prescribed medications or some medical conditions can affect the ability to retain fluids. It is important to make sure that seniors are staying hydrated, especially in the warmer months of the year when there are greater chances of becoming overheated, dehydrated, and the increased risk of falling and urinary tract infections (UTIs). Ways to Stay Hydrated To ensure that seniors are staying hydrated they should drink plenty of fluids. Because our bodies are 60% water, it makes sense to drink as much water as possible. But sometimes this can lack nutrition and flavor. There are many water enhancers available in stores, or they can create fruitinfused water. They can also stay hydrated and healthy by drinking broths (chicken, vegetable, or beef) and by eating hydrating foods. Here are a few foods with high water content: • Tomatoes • Cucumbers • Watermelons • Bell peppers • Grapes • Cantaloupes • Oranges • Blueberries • Apples Comfort Keepers® Can Help At Comfort Keepers®, our compassionate, professional caregivers can provide seniors with the assistance they need to stay hydrated in the warm months-and year round. With in-home care services, our Comfort Keepers can help prepare hydrating foods or create a large pitcher of fruit-infused water for senior clients to enjoy. For more information on how our caregivers can help seniors stay hydrated, and to learn more about our other in-home care services, contact us. SERVING GREENVILLE AND SPARTANBURG 1200 Haywood Road • Greenville
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A chief executive with more than a decade of management and investing experience will be the next dean of Clemson University’s College of Business. Wendy York will begin her new position as dean of the university’s College of Business in July, according to a news release. York previously served as associate dean of the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University in California. “Wendy brings a unique combination of academic excellence, administrative leadership, and private sector entrepreneurship to Clemson,” said Clemson University President James P. Clements. “She has had a proven track record as a leader who can bring about organization-wide transformational change at one of America’s top business schools, and I am confident that her diverse background, energy, connections, and strategic vision will help raise the national profile of our already strong College of Business.” While at Stanford, York reorganized multiple units at the university’s business school to bring them into strategic alignment. The resulting new organization supports faculty research activities, facilitates the creation of innovative curriculum, and provides experiential learning opportunities for faculty, students, and alumni. Her efforts also included creating a new centralized faculty research support services resource to assist quantitative academic research using high-end analytic techniques and cloud computing. She has led the group, called the Centers and Initiatives for Research, Curriculum, and Learning Experiences, for the past five years. York previously served as managing director of the university’s Programs for Executive UBJ | 6.8.2018
Wendy York. Photo provided.
Education, which engages in providing leadership for executives and corporations, thereby expanding the impact of the faculty research and teaching. Before joining Stanford, York worked for more than 20 years at forprofit and nonprofit organizations. She also spent more than five years as a venture capitalist, managing a private portfolio with a market capitalization of $100 million. “She is clearly a major academic leader with strong credentials and very significant business and entrepreneurial experience,” said Robert Jones, Clemson University’s executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. “Dean York will be a key partner in our program to make Clemson’s business school a major player in the Southeastern, national, and the world economies.” As the dean of Clemson University’s College of Business, York will lead 177 faculty and 49 staff members who serve 3,854 undergraduate business majors and 735 graduate students, according to the release. York, who holds an undergraduate degree in international relations with honors from Stanford University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School, will also join the university’s marketing department as a tenured faculty member. –Andrew Moore
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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION
ARIEL TURNER | STAFF
aturner@communityjournals.com |
@arielhturner
Focal Pointe Business Park is located less than 10 miles from downtown Nashville and provides high accessibility to I-24, I-40, and the Nashville International Airport. Photo provided
Moves in Music City RealOp Investments closes on 100,000 SF of office/flex buildings within Nashville’s airport submarket RealOp Investments, a commercial-real-estate-focused private equity firm headquartered in Greenville, announced the purchase of the 101,330-square-foot Focal Pointe Business Park located at 1645-1661 Murfreesboro Pike in Nashville, Tenn. Focal Pointe is located less than 10 miles from downtown Nashville and provides high accessibility to I-24, I-40, and the Nashville International Airport. The airport submarket has experienced a 5.5 percent market rent growth over the last 12 months, while Nashville has
experienced more than 4 percent annual rent growth marketwide since 2014. “We are excited to have completed the acquisition of Focal Pointe and will immediately begin the execution of our value-add investment strategy for the properties,” says Reggie Bell, CEO of RealOp Investments. “With one of the nation’s strongest job market recoveries, Nashville is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. RealOp is thrilled to be entering the Nashville MSA, as we rapidly expand our footprint across the Southeast.”
J.McLaughlin apparel retailer to take over former Ten Thousand Villages space Classic American apparel retailer J. McLaughlin, which was established in 1977 in Manhattan and now has more than 100 stores in more than 20 states, will be the next tenant at 207 N. Main St., downtown Greenville. The 2,225-square-foot space was formerly occupied by Ten Thousand Villages before it closed nearly a year ago. Philip Whisnant of RealServ Property Advisors represented the landlord in the transaction. Dick O’Connell of NewGate Retail Advisors (NY) LLC represented J.McLaughlin.
Former Office Depot location to redevelop into body shop Vacant for more than three years, the former Office Depot building in Greer will be revived at last. While the building must be significantly renovated, John Harris Body Shops is expected to bring life to the location late this year. “Re-adapting the 21,000-square-foot building is a win-win for Greer and John Harris Body Shops,” said John Parker of Broadstreet Partners. “Any time you can bring an abandoned building back to life, it dramatically helps the community.”
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John Harris Body Shops hired the team of Parker and Ryan Koop of Broadstreet Partners,
headquartered in Greenville, to help select an Upstate site. Headquartered in Columbia, the body shop expansion with its first Upstate location will include more than 20 full-time positions that will be sourced locally. “We are excited to serve the community of Greer very soon,” said Zachary Taylor, CEO of John Harris Body Shops. John Harris Body Shops has been family-owned for more than 40 years with locations in South Carolina and Georgia. –Melody Wright
DICK WILKERSON, CEO BUILD, CHAIR AFL Jody Gallagher, President & CEO
2018 CEO Build
every hand makes a difference
Auro Hotels DJ Rama, President & CEO Bon Secours St. Francis Health System Craig McCoy, CEO Community Foundation of Greenville Bob Morris, President Complete Public Relations John Boyanoski, President Corley Plumbing Air Electric Chris Corley, Owner Eastern Industrial Supplies Kip Miller, President & CEO Ethox Chemicals, LLC Chuck Hinton, President Find Great People John Uprichard, CEO Fluor James Brown, Greenville OfďŹ ce Vice President & General Manager Greenville County Redevelopment Authority Doug Dent, CEO Greater Greenville Association of Realtors Nick Sabatine, CEO Greenville Chamber Carlos Phillips, President & CEO Greenville Health System Mike Riordan, CEO of the Strategic Coordinating Organization
Thank you to our 6th Annual CEO Build partners for their commitment to Habitat and for building alongside our families and volunteers. Strong and stable homes help build strong and stable communities.
Greenville Technical College Dr. Keith Miller, President KC Max Creations Kevin Corbitt, CEO Lockheed Martin Don Erickson, Site Director Meritage Homes Steve Hahn, Division President Renewable Water Resources Joel Jones, Chief Technical OfďŹ cer SC Telco FCU Steve Harkins, President & CEO Southern Fried Green Tomatoes Kevin Baluch, Owner Southern Harmony, LLC James Covington, Jr. (Josh), Owner/Operator Spinx Steve Spinks, CEO Ten at the Top Dean Hybl, Executive Director The Blood Connection Delisa English, President & CEO The Marchant Company Seabrook Marchant, Owner
Building strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable homeownership. habitatgreenville.org
United Way of Greenville County Meghan Barp, President & CEO Wal-Mart Distribution Maurice Nunn, Assistant General Manager Warehouse Services, Inc Barry Cox, President & COO Grant funding provided by:
SC Association for Community Economic Development South Carolina Ports Authority
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JOHN MOORE, FOUNDER AND CEO: NEXT
NEXT UP LOCAL STARTUPS CREATED 261 JOBS, RAISED OVER $9.8M IN NEW CAPITAL WORDS BY ANDREW MOORE | PHOTO BY WILL CROOKS 12
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JOHN MOORE, FOUNDER AND CEO: NEXT
The Upstate’s startup scene continues to grow. A new report shows the 102 companies supported by NEXT in Greenville and across the Upstate region created 261 new full-time jobs in South Carolina last year. NEXT is the economic development program launched by the Greenville Chamber of Commerce in 2006. “Momentum for NEXT and the high-impact ventures we support continued to build in 2017 as we experienced significant growth on numerous fronts,” said founder and CEO John Moore. In addition to the increased job creation, the payrolls of entrepreneurial ventures at NEXT grew significantly in 2017 with the average salary reported at $69,443, or 1.6 percent higher than the average salary in Greenville County. That amounts to an annual payroll of $52.3 million. NEXT companies also continue to attract significant investments, raising more than $9.8 million in new capital during 2017 alone, according to the report. In total, companies at NEXT have raised about $169.6 million since
the program’s launch.
Additional highlights from the report: •N EXT companies occupied more than 599,000 square feet of leased and owned real estate across the Upstate in 2017. • Venture Pitch, a conference held in downtown Greenville, welcomed 225 attendees from across the Southeast in 2017. The conference, which aims to connect startups with venture capitalists and angel investors, includes live pitches and panels. •S eventeen companies participated in the NEXT Venture Mentoring Service, which was launched in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2015 to provide unbiased, conflict-free advice to startups. The Upstate Business Journal recently sat down with Moore to discuss the history and goals of NEXT and what the future might hold for the economic development program.
How would you describe the role of NEXT in the Upstate business community? The role of NEXT is to build the entrepreneur ecosystem and support the high-impact ventures in it. Think of us as the “center of gravity” for innovative entrepreneurs and their companies in the Greenville/Upstate area. We champion the cause of innovative entrepreneurs and work collaboratively with all types of organizations and individuals to build a better community for high-growth startups as a means for significantly improving the economic vitality of our area today and in the future. … At NEXT, we work hard each and every day to help entrepreneurs launch and scale their innovation-based businesses here. We do this to further strengthen and diversify our economy by growing our own globally impactful headquarter companies. So, at our core, we’re an economic development organization. In fact, we’re a subsidiary of the Greenville Chamber where we were born in 2006 as a part-time economic development program. Since our founding, the number of high-growth startups has risen steadily in the area and NEXT has grown accordingly. We’re funded by the local business community through the chamber’s Accelerate initiative, which I helped launch in 2009, plus direct investments by the city of Greenville and Greenville County as well as grants, membership dues, and event income.
What are some services that NEXT provides for member companies? We support entrepreneurs and their ventures two ways: by building the supporting ecosystem and by providing ongoing services and programming. On the ecosystem side, we work to fill the gaps in the community’s startup support infrastructure and are guided by the two Ecosystem Summits we’ve held through the years where over 50 entrepreneurs and community leaders came together to debate and prioritize ecosystem projects for NEXT going forward. These projects focus on needs like facilities, access to capital, talent, and more and often take years to plan and implement. We spend the major-
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ity of our time and resources providing direct services and programs to entrepreneurs on a daily basis. The first service our founding entrepreneurs asked for in 2006 remains core to NEXT today, and that is to be on-call for ad hoc requests for assistance. We sometimes refer to this as our Concierge Service where we handle all types of support requests from our entrepreneurs such as strategic introductions, PR assistance, talent recruiting assistance, and more. In a typical year, we’ll address over 250 such requests, which we call the “blocking and tackling” of NEXT.
Can you give some examples of the projects NEXT has spearheaded? The first ecosystem project we tackled was the formation of a local angel investor network. This was the first gap identified by our founding entrepreneurs, and we sought training on launching such an effort and then began incubating what we now know as the Upstate Carolina Angel Network or UCAN. Under Matt Dunbar’s leadership and that of his board, UCAN has been a resounding success for over a decade now and has recently launched a larger angel network across S.C. and N.C. called Venture South. Our second project was to create an entrepreneur facility where innovative new ventures could locate and thrive together. With help from the city of Greenville staff, we pitched the idea of a “NEXT Neighborhood” to our entrepreneurs and then to the local developer community, resulting in Bob Hughes and Hughes Development partnering with us in 2009 to open the award-winning NEXT Innovation Center on Church Street. That facility continues to thrive as the largest startup space in the state today, and its success was the catalyst for the launch of our second location, NEXT on Main, in downtown Greenville in 2015, also in partnership with Hughes, and our third location, NEXT Manufacturing, on Birnie Street on the west side of downtown Greenville, in partnership with Dennis Braasch and his firm IPI Group. All three locations are at or near capacity today and serving well as the hubs of entrepreneurship in our area. 6.8.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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JOHN MOORE, FOUNDER AND CEO: NEXT
What is your background – did you start out in economic development?
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I’m a Greenville County native who studied accounting at Clemson University. Upon graduating Clemson, I moved to Charlotte to start work in banking and accounting, which I did for five years. I was given a marketing project by the bank where I was working, and my eyes were opened. I realized I’m a marketer at heart and so I pivoted and saved up money for graduate school, moving with my newlywed wife, Lucynda, and our dog to Minneapolis to pursue an MBA from the University of Minnesota. From there I went on to serve in brand management positions with Kimberly-Clark and The Coca-Cola Co. at their respective headquarters in Wisconsin and Georgia before returning to Greenville to launch a startup with friends from Minnesota. Looking back on my roles at large companies, I realize that I was what we now call an “intrapreneur” as I gently but methodically challenged the status quo from my various positions in order to produce greater results. I guess that’s what happened when I agreed to work at my hometown Chamber of Commerce for one year to help the then-struggling organization set up a small-business program. Less than 18 months later, I found myself as the interim president for several months, during which time we created a foundation on which innovative new efforts like NEXT could form.
When did you begin working with the Greenville Chamber?
Contact Derek Davis for more information.
www.intellinet-sc.com
864-241-5401 Intelli-NET of SC 703 LAURENS RD., GREENVILLE SC 29607
Following the tragedy of 9/11 and economic downdraft that came after, I found myself wrapping operations of our business, Smoothie Zone, and researching possible brand-marketing positions in the region. As I searched for connections to send my resume to at Michelin, Dunlop Sports, and other brands here UBJ | 6.8.2018
locally, I invited my college roommate, Jody Bryson, to lunch as he was the VP of public policy at the chamber at that time and knew everyone in town. Toward the end of our discussion, he asked me if I would consider working at the chamber, as they were looking for someone to restart their small-business efforts there. I remember thinking that I didn’t even know what a Chamber of Commerce was or did, though I’m proud to say my business was a chamber member at the time. Little did I know where that conversation would lead and that I would stray far from my brand-marketing career path to the most rewarding and challenging chapter of my working life to date.
What projects are next for NEXT? What are the most pressing needs? Based on the priorities coming out of our Ecosystem Summit last year, NEXT is working on several strategic projects. First, we are currently developing greater virtual and physical incubation support for early-stage startups. Through a grant we were just awarded from the S.C. Department of Commerce and support from the local community, we’re looking to implement a virtual incubator online later this summer and a structured, entrepreneur training/incubation series in the fall. The other top priority requiring our attention is the need to market this area to targeted talent pools such as software programmers and to better aggregate the number of innovative companies here and their job/internship openings. We’ve been studying best practices for implementing such a marketing program and will be meeting with possible sponsors over the summer.
WHAT ’S NEXT FOR THE UPSTATE, AND HOW WE’LL GET THERE
| FORWARD
Global ideas to help build local mobility By DEAN HYBL executive director, Ten at the Top
While increased traffic congestion around our primary transportation corridors and lack of access to transportation for some Upstate employees have become growing concerns in our region in recent years, the reality is that other regions around the globe have been dealing with similar challenges for decades. I was fortunate to be among a number of Upstate leaders who participated in the recent Movin’On Mobility Summit hosted by Michelin in Montreal. Billed as the World Summit on Sustainable Mobility, more than 4,000 people from around the globe participated in the conference with the goal of bringing global, smart, sustainable, and multimodal mobility to life. It is perhaps natural to think that other places have all the answers and that we are behind when it comes to addressing our transportation and mobility challenges in the Upstate. However, while there are communities with amazing, cutting-edge programs, one of my takeaways from the conference was that no place has all the answers. In fact, regions around the world are scrambling to figure out how to connect local transportation needs with dramatic innovations in technology and a desire to improve sustainability and mitigate harm to the environment. While the theme of the conference was innovation and technology, many speakers spent as much time talking about the importance of creating a community culture to enable success. Building a vision and then collaborative partnerships with everyone who can play a role, even though many of those players may be competitors, was an underlying theme from presenters.
“Collaboration between the public and private sector is the key to the future,” Michelin CEO Jean-Dominique Senard said in the conference opening. Adam Blinick, the director of public policy and communications for Uber Canada, said that “you need a vision of where you want to go first. Technology shouldn’t be the end.” He added, “A joint vision is not a technical challenge; it is a collaborative challenge. You have to bring together all the transportation modes that play a role in mobility and work together to accelerate the trends we are already seeing.” Joanna Kerr, executive director of Greenpeace Canada, moderated a panel about creating an inclusive transformation and said that “collaboration is becoming increasingly important in helping meet our mobility needs.” Given that Upstate stakeholders have spent much of the past year working to develop a transportation vision, actionable strategies, and a framework for continuing to build collaborative partnerships through the Connecting Our Future program, you can certainly say that the Movin’On conference affirmed that approach. However, it is also clear that we cannot stop with simply creating a regional mobility vision. For the Upstate to tangibly address our growing challenges, we must take the next step and continue building the partnerships and “community will” needed to turn vision into action. Sampo Hietanen, founder and CEO of MaaS Global in Helsinki, talked about creating a dream for people that goes beyond simply owning a vehicle, but gives them aspirations about how having multiple mobility choices can positively affect their lives. He also said that to create sustainability, you have to focus not just on projects, but on enabling the market that will
I invite you to join us for the unveiling of the regional vision and actionable strategies and the start of the discussion on “next steps” on Aug. 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the TD Convention Center. This event is open to the public, and you can register to attend at www.connectingourfutureupstatesc.org. then allow for the cultivation of projects. In an Upstate region where 94 percent of residents use a personal vehicle to get to work and our investment in public transportation is near the bottom of most rankings, our solutions are going to be different than in some other parts of the country and world. Yet, if we can cast a compelling vision for how multiple mobility solutions can positively affect the quality of life for all of us, over time we can create a future that enables greater mobility.
What we must do in the Upstate is continue to grow a coalition of partners and stakeholders who are committed to supporting and prioritizing the solutions needed to improve how we move people and goods across the Upstate. As was said multiple times by speakers at the conference, there is no “silver bullet” to fix transportation and mobility in a community, and having the right partners at the table to enable change will be crucial.
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15
YOUR MONEY |
NEWS AND TIPS FOR YOUR PERSONAL BOT TOM LINE
Worst-case scenarios in cyberwarfare By BELTON ZEIGLER partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
Previous articles have focused on solutions to corporate cybercrime. But what would a catastrophic societywide cyber-issue look like, one that involves cyberwarfare? Cybercrime is about greed—stealing money and defrauding the vulnerable. Cyberwarfare is about military power: confusing, disrupting, and destroying opponents’ assets. CONSIDER THREE CYBERWARFARE EXAMPLES. At 11:08 a.m. Aug. 15, 2012, a virus planted by Iranian cyber-operatives came to life and permanently destroyed hard drives on more than 30,000 computers and servers owned by the Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco. For months thereafter, Aramco had to conduct its massive global operations without email or electronic records—at one point, giving away gasoline and diesel fuel to domestic suppliers because the company had no way to charge them. In the end, Aramco bought up all hard drive production it could find globally and chartered cargo jets to fly in pallets of hard drives from the Far East to replace the hardware. Full systems restoration took five months. But the data and records not backed up elsewhere were gone forever.
1
2
On Dec. 31, 2015, Russian cyber-operatives used stolen credentials to shut down much of the Ukrainian electric grid, blacking out service to about 225,000 customers. After disconnecting Ukrainian electric generators and substations, Russian malware programs destroyed the computers and communication systems that the Ukrainian operators needed to use to restore service. Russian malware also flooded utility customer service centers with calls, effectively shutting them down. Other malware destroyed the emergency battery systems meant to allow telephone utilities to stay online during the blackout. Fortunately, Ukraine’s “outdated” electrical infrastructure allowed manual switching of the power grid in the field, which is what workers did, using radios and cell phones to communicate with central control centers. But the 16
UBJ | 6.8.2018
utilities’ sophisticated electrical control systems were ruined and had to be replaced. In 2017, a Russian cyberwarfare attack targeted Ukrainian state-owned businesses, ministries, banks, and infrastructure companies. The malware used was self-spreading, jumping past the targets to destroy or damage the computer systems of international companies like FedEx, DHL, Maersk, and Merck. These companies lost thousands of computers and servers along with any data on them that was not also stored elsewhere. During the first week after the attack, the damage to global businesses was estimated to exceed $5 billion.
3
FROM THESE CYBERWARFARE EXAMPLES, WE CAN GLEAN THREE PRINCIPLES. Even in the limited instances of recent cyberwarfare, malware has shown a nasty habit of spilling beyond intended targets and damaging businesses that thought they were on the sidelines. None of us is ever far from the battle lines. The internet itself provides no checkpoints, border guards, passports, or ports of entry apart from those that we impose ourselves. Every internet-connected computer or router sits on the front lines of global cyberwarfare, what is effectively an undefended international border unless we make it otherwise through the firewalls and perimeter defenses we maintain. It is the nature of cyberwarfare that invasions precede hostilities. The principal weapons for
waging cyberwar have to be built in advance within the opponent’s territory, by breaching the opponent’s computer systems and infecting them with malware for future use. So cyberwarfare units do not wait for the start of conflict to begin their activities. They are breaching computer systems and installing malware in their opponents’ territory every day. That is what is behind the FBI’s recent notice asking citizens to reset routers in homes and businesses. A Russian cyber-campaign had infected as many as 500,000 personal and business internet routers worldwide. The malware installed on these routers allows operatives to steal passwords and data, to take control of the devices for their own use, or to destroy those devices on command. Resetting the infected routers wipes the malware out of active memory, causing stored malware programs to send messages back to command and control servers seeking a reload. The FBI has identified the servers and seized their internet domains. Now when the infected routers call for fresh malware, it is the FBI that receives the message. Today, cyberwarfare is part of the strategy, doctrine, and capabilities of militaries around the world. Billions of dollars are being spent, quietly but purposefully, to strengthen U.S. utility, communications, and financial systems, and other critical infrastructure against cyber-threats. But our personal and business computers are equally on the front lines and as accessible to cyberwarfare teams in Russia, Iran, North Korea, or China as we allow them to be. Beyond financial self-protection, there are now purely patriotic reasons to maintain strong internet security, use strong passwords, change them regularly, install software security patches, and take the other steps needed to prevent our computers and routers from being controlled by those who mean to do us harm. Belton Zeigler, a partner with Womble Bond Dickinson, has a practice focusing on the energy and natural resources sector, as well as cybersecurity. Connect with Belton at linkedin.com/in/beltonzeigler. The author gratefully acknowledges the insights of Allen O’Rourke, co-leader of Womble Bond Dickinson’s Privacy and Cybersecurity Team. Connect with Allen at linkedin.com/in/allenorourke.
NEWS AND TIPS FOR YOUR PERSONAL BOTTOM LINE
| YOUR MONEY
Addressing health care needs in retirement In my career, I’ve worked with a lot of managing principal, families and business DeHollander & Janse owners over the years. Financial Group The typical cycle of wealth creation involves growth, preservation, and eventual distribution of assets as a financial legacy. I’ll address the legacy step in a future column. This month, I’d like to address the preservation step, particularly as it relates to health care. This is often one of the hardest and most often overlooked financial planning steps for many clients. There is an emotional bias against this area of planning, especially for successful individuals. Who wants to think about the idea that someday they may experience diminished physical or cognitive ability? It can be a hard conversation, but it is a critical one to have with your loved ones. By ROB DeHOLLANDER
Moving beyond fear
Most of us are aware that life expectancies are on the rise. However, we avoid thinking about getting older, getting sick, and having to pay for health care for a prolonged period. Medicare and Medigap premiums, deductibles, and copayments alone can consume a significant portion of your income. And long-term care expenses can quickly drain even a large nest egg.
Here are four questions to help get the process started: What were your parents’ health care experiences like? Before you begin wrestling with your own goals and concerns, think about your family’s experience: • How old were your grandparents when they died? What illnesses were common among other family members of their generation? You may remember that your grandmother was very forgetful, but you likely don’t remember a diagnosis of dementia. • Does longevity run in your family? Are your and your spouse’s parents still alive? Are they in good health, or are they declining physically or mentally? • What were some lessons learned from your grandparents’ and parents’ final years? For example, did an uncle or aunt — or brother or sister — take on caregiving? How did the caregiver feel about that?
How and where do you want to live? Next, consider how you want to age and how you want to use your assets for your care: • Have you thought about long-term care and what it would cost? • What resources do you have for funding health care?
• If assisted living doesn’t appeal to you, have you considered selling your house and downsizing to a smaller and easier-to-maintain living space, such as a condominium? • Will you rely on your children to be your caregivers? One child may be willing to be your caregiver, but has he or she considered how those duties will impact his or her employment and finances? • Would you consider relocating to another part of the U.S.? Perhaps your children live in different states, but one of them is more than willing to serve as your future caregiver. Would you be willing to leave established friendships and activities to move where this son or daughter lives?
Whom do you trust? Over time, most people experience some cognitive decline. Senior fraud has reached epidemic levels and can be devastating. Whom do you trust to manage your assets and carry out your financial plan if you are no longer able to? After answering this key question, you’ll want to consider several related and equally important issues: • Do you have basic estate planning documents, including a last will and testament, power of attorney (POA), and health care POA? If you do have these documents, how old are they? Do they need to be revised? • When do you want your general durable POA to take effect — immediately or only years from today after you lose capacity? • Do you have a revocable trust? If so, was it drafted and executed before the federal portability and increased exemption amounts became effective? • Are the beneficiary designations on your assets correct and up to date? Remember: Those designations — not the terms of your will — determine the distribution of your assets.
What’s your family dynamic? Finally, ask your children and heirs whether they will be able to put aside any long-standing differences and follow through with your wishes. This can be the most difficult question to answer objectively. Your children may not react well to the subject of your lifetime health care needs. Even though it’s a hard conversation, it’s one worth having. Your heirs will thank you for proactively planning and making these tough decisions clearer and easier when the time comes. Robert DeHollander is a managing partner and co-founder of the DeHollander & Janse Financial Group in Greenville.
• Have you thought about assisted living? If so, what type of assisted living or continuing care residence would offer you the lifestyle you want?
6.8.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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THE TAKEAWAY |
NOTES FROM THE BEST TALKS YOU MISSED
Why a company culture of caring breeds success By AMANDA LONG senior account director, Hughes Agency
What: Endeavor’s Collaborators & Cocktails monthly professional development series Where: Endeavor, a coworking community for creatives in the ONE Building Who was there: 80+ creative industry and corporate marketing professionals Presenter: Tim Cox, director of creative services, Publix Super Markets Publix, the country’s largest associate-owned grocery store, has always known what it stands for. Its tagline, “Where shopping is a pleasure,” hasn’t changed in its 88-year existence. Nor has the brand experience, which consistently ranks high for both associates and customers, regardless of how times have changed. While Publix is in the business to sell products, its focus is helping people create experiences. This permeates into everything they do, including marketing with commercials that trigger emotional responses in customers. Publix “gets life.” Publix’s culture also has not changed, even 22 years after the death of founder George Jenkins. At Endeavor’s Collaborators & Cocktails, its director of creative services, Tim Cox, shared why the principles that Jenkins established years ago are the reason behind the company’s continued success.
Work for someone (or something) you believe in
Jenkins was a visionary. He was very people-focused, knowing that if he took care of his associates, they would take care of Publix’s customers. When Jenkins died, Cox and his team ensured that they documented what culturally made the company so successful, commemorating the lessons he instilled, ones that are still a guiding light today:
• B e there • G iving is the only way to get • I nvest in others •R espect the dignity of the individual • T he customer is queen (and king) • P repare for opportunity •D o the right thing 18
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In their research, they uncovered a report from 1962 where Jenkins projected Publix’s future would include ordering groceries from a telephone with a color TV-like screen. Even so, Jenkins knew that the future was still very simple: Nothing would replace stellar customer service. “When we look ahead, we are also glancing back to make sure nothing we do, no new device we employ, no new design we conceive, departs from our original principle which is to make Publix in every way possible the market where shopping is a pleasure,” Cox said. With the rise of e-commerce, brands are becoming faceless. Being disciplined about immersing their associates in its values is the differentiator for Publix. After showing TV spots that left the audience in tears, Cox said, “It’s important to understand how to connect emotionally with your customers. When you do, they become raving fans, and they will talk about your brand more than you do. Good brand work is still where the magic is.”
Hire great people
Hiring people with the right skills is important, but it is critical to hire someone who is a right fit for the brand’s culture. “Big egos don’t work, and I learned a long time ago to find people who are better than me,” Cox said. One of Jenkins’ mantras that is still used today, which any company can embrace, is “Publix will be a little bit better place to work, or not quite as good, because of you.”
Take good care of your people
“A culture that cares about their people recruits and retains the best talent,” Cox said. The ac-
complishment he is most proud of? Of the 82 people on his in-house creative team, 73 have been there more than 10 years, and of those, several for more than 25. “When I look back, the highlights are the people. The work is important, but don’t overlook the people.” Cox disputes the saying that leadership is lonely. “Not if you bring people along with you,” he said. Cox also said he seeks to find and promote leaders. “Leaders have willing followers; they care for their people and demonstrate servant leadership.” That servant leadership is something that Jenkins possessed and instilled in those who are leading the company today. When asked later in his life what he thought he would be worth if he hadn’t given away so much, Jenkins replied, “Probably nothing.”
Prepare for opportunities
Be prepared for opportunities, even when you can’t see what’s coming. Most people prepare for opportunities they see, but when an opportunity comes up they weren’t expecting, they aren’t ready to capitalize on it. “It never ends,” Cox said. “I don’t know what the next chapter is, but you better prepare so you are ready.” Endeavor, a creative, collaborative coworking community, presents a monthly professional development speaker series called Collaborators & Cocktails, where marketing chiefs from brands including Southwest Airlines, Ritz Carlton, and Nike share their marketing strategies.
NOTES FROM THE BEST TALKS YOU MISSED
| THE TAKEAWAY
High Spirits Hospitality CEO talks building and growing startups By EMILY DYER associate, Complete PR
What: Facebook Community Boost’s #shemeansbusiness Where: May 29 at the Greenville ONE Center Who was there: Tammy Johnson, CEO of High Sprits Hospitality, and about 75 Greenville businesspeople attending through Facebook Community Boost To Tammy Johnson, success means simply having a good day. Whether that be planning the annual Tacos n’ Tequila Fiesta or throwing a thrilling trivia night at Topside Pool Club, the young entrepreneur has had a lot of good days. The journey to a blossoming business has had a few bumps in the road, but that has never stopped Johnson from pushing the limits. Spending the summers at her aunt’s gift shop in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Johnson caught the entrepreneur bug at a young age. Gaining opportunities to order merchandise, hire staff, and learn a thing or two about bookkeeping was enough to hook Johnson on the idea of one day opening her own business. Shortly after her aunt sold the shop, Johnson started traveling around the country working various jobs in the hospitality business— eventually landing in Greenville at a local catering company working as the marketing and catering sales manager in 2010. “I was learning the ins and outs of the restaurant and catering business, and was loving the job and loving Greenville. However, one day things took a turn. A client was asking for an alcohol permit for an upcoming event. I asked our CEO if that was OK, but the CEO denied the permit because the company wasn’t making enough money in bar catering sales and told me to find a local bartending company. The event was set to happen in three weeks and I was striking out on trying to find the right bar catering service in Greenville because there really wasn’t one. I started thinking back to that dream of opening my own business. That became Liquid Catering.”
Getting Started in Business
Unsure of what the future held for her first startup, Johnson kept her position at the local catering company and pulled in a lot of late
Tammy Johnson (pictured right) is the CEO of High Spirits Hospitality, the parent company of Bravo1 Protection, Liquid Catering, The Old Cigar Warehouse, and High Spirits Events. Photo provided
nights and more than 90 hours per week. However, once word spread about this newfound bartending catering service, the calls started coming in and didn’t stop. With major clients such as Greenville Health System and the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Johnson decided to leave her job and make her sole focus Liquid Catering. “Like any new startup business, there were a few roadblocks and tough years. I powered through by literally working out of my garage. I wondered what my neighbors thought when they saw hundreds of empty glass bottles in my recycling every Monday. It was fun as I learned what I needed to.”
Growing to a New Level
In the spring of 2012, Liquid Catering had finally taken off and gained a home base at a renovated warehouse on Broad Street. With the business finding its footing in Greenville, Johnson started to seek out more opportunities around the community. She came across The Old Cigar Warehouse and had a gut feeling that this was exactly what she needed to expand her business. Opening the event space in February 2013, The Old Cigar Warehouse is now home to corporate events, weddings, and the annual Tacos n’ Tequila Fiesta. “I was actually trying to book the site for a euphoria event. The owner called back and said he was having some issues getting the site going. We grabbed brunch one day. He showed me his concepts and then we drove to the site. It
was pretty much a vacant shell, but the potential was there. He saw it, and he trusted me with taking this building and turning it into something amazing.” However, Johnson soon realized that with big events come a few headaches, one being finding the right security company. Johnson got the entrepreneur itch again after dealing with countless security companies that were deemed “flaky” and rude to guests. She decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. With the help of a retired police officer in her leadership class, Bravo1 Protection was created in 2014. The security company has since had the opportunity to work major events around the Upstate such as Fall for Greenville and euphoria. Just within the past year, Johnson has also added High Spirits Events and Topside Pool Club to her ever-growing list of successful startups. With so many companies under her belt, Johnson knew it was time to upgrade spaces at a much bigger office on McDaniel Avenue, where the company’s home base is today. “Someone once asked me how I ‘fall forward.’ I had to ponder this for a second but realized that every time I was knocked down and didn’t think I was going to make it, I took a step back and was completely honest with myself. I never sweat the small stuff and I keep moving forward.”
6.8.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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SOCIAL SNAPSHOT |
INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE
CELEBRATING A QUARTER CENTURY The Marchant Company celebrated their 25th anniversary on May 17 at Up on the Roof in Greenville with employees, family, and friends. Photos by Stephanie Council Photography
HERE, YOU’RE ALWAYS SOMEBODY’S TYPE. Human blood is divided into one of four main blood types (A, B, AB, and O) and are based on the presence or absence of specific antigens on red blood cells. The need for your specific type is always in need, and donors are the only source for this life saving gift. #idonateblood #isavelives #givelife
Sharing Life, Saving Lives 20
UBJ | 6.8.2018
864.255.5000
TheBloodConnection.org
PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS
ELECTED
HIRED
HIRED
HIRED
| ON THE MOVE
APPOINTED
ELLIOTT GOLDSMITH
BLAKE WHITAKER
LAUREN STARKS
KATIE M. BROWN
ALAN BENSON
Has been elected to the board of directors of Bank of Travelers Rest. Goldsmith has served on the advisory board at the bank’s North Pleasantburg location since 2014. Goldsmith is a franchise owner for the Firehouse Subs chain. His franchise includes seven locations throughout the Upstate. Goldsmith attended Christ Church Episcopal School and Wofford College.
Has joined Pinnacle Financial Partners as office leader for the firm’s location on Laurens Road. Whitaker has more than 25 years of financial services experience and previously worked at Capital Bank. Whitaker earned his degree in business administration from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Has joined Nachman Norwood & Parrott as senior wealth planner. Starks brings 12 years of experience in the wealth management industry. She comes from Smith & Howard Wealth Management in Atlanta. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of Georgia and earned a certificate in personal finance planning at UGA’s Terry College of Business.
Has joined Nexsen Pruet as an associate. Brown will focus her practice on employment-related issues. Brown earned her undergraduate degree from Wofford College and attended the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Has been named vice president for student development and discipleship at Bob Jones University. Benson has 25 years of pastoral experience as a youth pastor and senior pastor in Florida, North Carolina, and Illinois. Benson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Bible at Bob Jones University in 1992 and a Master of Divinity from Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary in 2011. He is a Doctor of Ministry candidate at BJU Seminary.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SC Launch Inc. has announced the appointment of Dr. Patrick Springhard and Stephen Wiggins to the SC Launch board of directors. Dr. Springhart is the vice president for institutional innovation at Greenville Health System. Wiggins is retired after 37 years with BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina as executive vice president and chief information officer.
SERVICES OneDigital Health and Benefits, the nation’s largest employee benefits-only company, has merged with Susan E. Crocker Human Resources Consulting Inc. in Greenville.
Root Bound: A beautiful bouquet of veggies, courtesy of Margie Levine at Crescent Farm in Clinton, SC; for more, see page 86.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Doug Campbell recently created RDS Communication LLC to help coach soft skills for professionals. The company focuses on skills like public speaking and communication skills.
The
Good Earth
CELEBRATING THE BOUNTY OF OUR LAND AND THE HANDS THAT FEED US
J U N E 2 018 TOWNCAROLINA.COM TOWN_JUNE_COVER.indd 1 5/21/18 3:26 PM
JUNE TOWN HAS ARRIVED!
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#TRENDING |
INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW
THE WATERCOOLER 1. Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County builds a firewall to blunt rising costs
2. Green Cloud changes the game by educating next-gen MSPs on the promise of cloud tech
3. Upstate diversity leaders recognized at award dinner
4. New Village of West Greenville retail locations set to open in June
5. Clemson University names new college of business dean
*The Top 5 stories from last week ranked by Facebook reach
DIGITAL FLIPBOOK ARCHIVE The layout of print meets the convenience of the Web. Flip through the digital editions of any of our print issues, and see them all in one place. upstatebusinessjournal.com/ past-issues
INSIDE // 11.11 TRA INING • CREATING FUNDABLE COMPAN IES • SEC OND SHO T FOR CAR OLINA AWN ING
JUNE 1, 2018
| VOL. 7 ISSUE
CO. BUILDIN G
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THE
INSIDE
GREEN CLO UD HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
ISSUE
PLA CS IN AEROSPSTIACE PAYING FOR PATENTS MARKETING IN THE DIGITA L ERA
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EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR
UBJ PUBLISHER
Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com
DATE
EVENT INFO
WHERE DO I GO?
HOW DO I GO?
Saturday
6/9
Clemson MBAe Innovation at Work Competition
Greenville ONE 1 N. Main St., Room 601 3–5 p.m.
Cost: Free. Registration required For more info: www.bit.ly/2kiH14g
Tuesday
6/12
USC Darla Moore School of Business Information Session
USC Moore School Greenville Classrooms 201 Riverplace, #300 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Cost: Free For more info: www.bit.ly/2IcVcFS
Thursday
6/14
Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Upstate Infrastructure Summit
Commerce Club 55 Beattie Place, Floor 17 1–6 p.m.
Cost: $35 investors, $70 general For more info: www.bit.ly/2L9KD4e; 864-239-3748; kbusbee@greenvillechamber.org
Tuesday
7/10
Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Netnight (nonprofit community)
Avenue 110 E. Court St., Suite 600 5:30–8 p.m.
Cost: $25 investors, $50 general For more info: www.bit.ly/2JQfIct; 864-631-6596; nikawhiteconsulting@greenvillechamber.org
Thursday
8/23
Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Business Growth Expo
TD Convention Center 1 Exposition Drive 11:30 a.m.–7 p.m.
Cost: Prices vary. See registration for details. For more info: www.bit.ly/2H4jHQS; eaustin@greenvillechamber.org
TuesdayWednesday
Ogletree Building (Aug. 28) & The Greenville Chapter of the Society TD Convention Center (Aug. 29) for Human Resource Management’s 300 N. Main St., 500 (Ogletree); 1 REthinkHR Exposition Drive (TD Convention Center) 7:30 a.m.–4:45 p.m.
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Susan Schwartzkopf susans@communityjournals.com
MANAGING EDITOR
Emily Pietras epietras@communityjournals.com
ADMINISTRATIVE EDITOR
Heidi Coryell Williams hwilliams@communityjournals.com
COPY EDITOR Rebecca Strelow
| PLANNER
STAFF WRITERS
Cindy Landrum, Andrew Moore, Sara Pearce, Ariel Turner
MARKETING & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR OF SALES Emily Yepes
MANAGER OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Donna Johnston
MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES Heather Propp, Meredith Rice, Caroline Spivey, Liz Tew
CLIENT SERVICES
Anita Harley | Rosie Peck | Jane Rogers
ART & PRODUCTION VISUAL DIRECTOR Will Crooks
LAYOUT
8/288/29
Cost: Aug. 28: $100 members/nonmembers; Aug. 29: to July 1: $150 members/$175 nonmembers; to Aug. 15: $175 members/$200 nonmembers For more info: www.greenvillehr.org/meetinginfo.php
Bo Leslie | Tammy Smith
VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS
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JUNE 29 LEGAL ISSUE
Holly Hardin
Kristy Adair | Michael Allen
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onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties. Guest columns run 700-800 words. Contact managing editor Emily Pietras at epietras@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration. Circulation Audit by
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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
JULY 27 COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE ISSUE
1988
>>
Chairman larry Jackson, Jackson marketing Group. Photos by Greg Beckner / Staff
Jackson Marketing Group celebrates 25 years By sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
AUGUST 3 FINANCE ISSUE Got any thoughts? Care to contribute? Let us know at upstatebusinessjournal.com/submit.
1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993
1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont office Center on Villa.
Solve. Serve. Grow. Those three words summarize Jackson Marketing Group’s guiding principles, and according to owner Larry Jackson, form the motivation that has kept the firm thriving for the past 25 years.
Jackson graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in video and film production and started his 41-year career in the communications industry with the U.S. Army’s Public Information Office. He served during
Vietnam, where he said he was “luckily” stationed in the middle of Texas at Fort Hood. He left the service and went to work in public affairs and motorsports at Ford Motor Company in Detroit. After a stint at Bell and Howell, where he was responsible for managing Ford’s dealer marketing and training, the entrepreneurial bug hit and he co-founded Jackson-Dawson Marketing Communications, a company specializing in dealer training and product launches for the auto industry in 1980. In 1987, Jackson wanted to move back south and thought Greenville would be a good fit. An avid pilot, he
learned of an opportunity to purchase Cornerstone Aviation, a fixed base operation (FBO) that served as a service station for the Greenville Downtown Airport, providing fuel, maintenance and storage. In fact, when he started the Greenville office of what is now Jackson Marketing Group (JMG) in 1988, the offices were housed on the second floor in an airport hangar. “Clients would get distracted by the airplanes in the hangars and we’d have to corral them to get back upstairs to the meeting,” Jackson said. Jackson sold the FBO in 1993, but says it was a great way to get to know Greenville’s fathers and leaders
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with a majority of them utilizing the general aviation airport as a “corporate gateway to the city.” In 1997, Jackson and his son, Darrell, launched Jackson Motorsports Group. The new division was designed to sell race tires and go to racetracks to sell and mount the tires. Darrell Jackson now serves as president of the motorsports group and Larry Jackson has two other children and a son-in-law who work there. Jackson said all his children started at the bottom and “earned their way up.” Jackson kept the Jackson-Dawson branches in Detroit and others in Los Angeles and New York until he sold his portion of that partnership in 2009 as part of his estate planning. The company now operates a small office in Charlotte, but its main headquarters are in Greenville in a large office space off Woodruff Road, complete with a vision gallery that displays local artwork and an auditorium Jackson makes available for non-profit use. The Motorsports Group is housed in an additional 26,000 square feet building just down the street, and the agency is currently looking for another 20,000 square feet. Jackson said JMG has expanded into other verticals such as financial, healthcare, manufacturing and pro-bono work, but still has a strong focus on the auto industry and transportation. It’s
2003 motorsports Division acquires an additional 26,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space
1998
2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson marketing Group when larry sells his partnership in Detroit and lA 2003
1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court
also one of the few marketing companies in South Carolina to handle all aspects of a project in-house, with four suites handling video production, copywriting, media and research and web design. Clients include heavyweights such as BMW, Bob Jones University, the Peace Center, Michelin and Sage Automotive. Recent projects have included an interactive mobile application for Milliken’s arboretum and 600-acre Spartanburg campus and a marketing campaign for the 2013 Big League World Series. “In my opinion, our greatest single achievement is the longevity of our client relationships,” said Darrell Jackson. “Our first client from back in 1988 is still a client today. I can count on one hand the number of clients who have gone elsewhere in the past decade.” Larry Jackson says his Christian faith and belief in service to others, coupled with business values rooted in solving clients’ problems, have kept
2009-2012 Jackson marketing Group named a top BtoB agency by BtoB magazine 4 years running
him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-profits. The company was recently awarded the Community Foundation Spirit Award. The company reaffirmed its commitment to serving the community last week by celebrating its 25th anniversary with a birthday party and a 25-hour Serve-A-Thon partnership with Hands on Greenville and Habitat for Humanity. JMG’s 103 full-time employees worked in shifts around the clock on October 22 and 23 to help construct a house for a deserving family. As Jackson inches towards retirement, he says he hasn’t quite figured out his succession plan yet, but sees the companies staying under the same umbrella. He wants to continue to strategically grow the business. “From the beginning, my father has taught me that this business is all about our people – both our clients and our associates,” said his son, Darrell. “We have created a focus and a culture that strives to solve problems, serve people and grow careers.” Darrell Jackson said he wants to “continue helping lead a culture where we solve, serve and grow. If we are successful, we will continue to grow towards our ultimate goal of becoming the leading integrated marketing communications brand in the Southeast.”
2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports Group employee base reaches 100 people
2008 2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation with Creative spirit Award
pro-bono/non-proFit Clients American Red Cross of Western Carolinas Metropolitan Arts Council Artisphere Big League World Series The Wilds Advance SC South Carolina Charities, Inc. Aloft Hidden Treasure Christian School
CoMMUnitY inVolVeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board, Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board
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AS SEEN IN
NOVEMBER 1, 2013
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