July 17, 2015 UBJ by Community Journals

JULY 17, 2015 | VOL. 4 ISSUE 29 COMPLIMENTARY

‘I LIKE TO BUILD’ GHS’ Sam Konduros has a long history cultivating relationships, making connections, and getting things done

Photo by William Crooks

Page 12

upstatebusinessjournal.com

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

| ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | 3

Dollar Tree to open new Upstate distribution center $104.4M investment could create 400 news jobs in Cherokee, Spartanburg counties APRIL A. MORRIS | STAFF

amorris@communityjournals.com This week, Dollar Tree Inc. announced that it will make a $104.4 million investment and create 400 new jobs over the next five years as it establishes a new distribution operation in Cherokee and Spartanburg counties. According to the SC Department of Commerce, the operation will be in a new facility in the 500-acre Upstate Corporate Park near Interstate 85. Construction is expected to begin on the 1.5-millionsquare-foot facility this month, and hiring to begin in early 2016.

BY THE NUMBERS:

$104.4 million 1.5 million 400 5

investment

– square-foot facility

new jobs

years to achieve

Dollar Tree will be able to take advantage of Greer’s Inland Port for transporting import goods, according to SC Ports Authority president and CEO Jim Newsome. “The port’s investment in infrastructure to support Dollar Tree operations will be returned through significant volumes over the coming years, and we look forward to serving their import logistics needs,” said Newsome in a statement. Dollar Tree CEO Bob Sasser said in a statement, “We have been very impressed with the business-friendly approach and support that the State of South Carolina and counties of Cherokee and Spartanburg have provided. This project demonstrates our commitment to the Upstate area by creating hundreds of jobs in the region. We are proud to become a bigger part of the local community.” Dollar Tree received a $1.5 million Set Aside grant

from the Coordinating Council for Economic Development to help with the cost of property improvements. It also received job development credits, according to the Commerce Department. Headquartered in Chesapeake Bay, Va., Dollar Tree operates more than 13,600 stores in 48 states and in Canada under the names Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Deals and Dollar Tree Canada. There are more than 100 stores in South Carolina, according to the company.

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4 | THE RUNDOWN |

TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

UBJ

07.17. 2015

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 29 Featured this issue: MoonClerk bootstraps itself into orbit Sam Konduros gets it done at GHS ‘Adult playground’ coming to West Greenville

10 12 16

WORTH REPEATING “It’s like the bank is open and we can go through the drawers of the bank to see if we can find any gold nuggets.” Page 5

“When you work for an agency whose mission is protect and promote the public health and environmental integrity of South Carolina, it doesn’t get much better than that … on what gets your employees out of bed in the morning.” Page 6

“The more indispensible you try to make yourself, often the more dispensable you become.” Page 12

TBA Java Fix Coffee and Deli has opened at 1225 Pendleton St. in the Village of West Greenville. The new location will serve lunch along with Leopard Forest coffee. This is the second location for Fix, which is located on Wade Hampton Boulevard near The Community Tap. Look for Kung Fu Cantina, a new Asian fusion restaurant, to open soon in Clemson at 101 Keith Street. Word is The Donut Experiment, a create-your-own donut shop, will open in early September at 2123 Augusta St., near Zoe’s Kitchen and Starbucks.

VERBATIM

On success

MONEY SHOT: A $6 million grant will help a Clemson University research team advance the breeding of sorghum, a crop that could be a source of renewable energy. Both the stalk and seed of sorghum can be used in the production of biofuels. Read more on page 5. Image provided by Clemson University.

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” Vince Lombardi

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

| AGRIBUSINESS | 5

Clemson combines genomics, robotics research $6M renewable fuels grant aims to maximize energy from sorghum ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

“What we’re really doing is trying to advance the science of genetics and engineering simultaneously.”

aboncimino@communityjournals.com A $6 million renewable fuels grant for Clemson researchers will fund a three-year project that could not only help farmers, but could accelerate future research by funding new sensory robots and systems that speed up the testing process, according Stephen Kresovich, project lead and director of Clemson University’s Institute of Translational Genomics. “We’re trying to replace slow, cumbersome techniques with high-efficiency measurements of the process,” said Kresovich, who said his team of researchers are partnering with The Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, the Danforth Plant Science Center and Near Earth Autonomy. “What we’re really doing is trying to advance the science of genetics and engineering simultaneously.” The project is titled “Breeding high yielding bioenergy sorghum for the new bioenergy belt,” and is focused on maximizing energy from sorghum, a hardy plant currently used largely as feedstock. But research on this level can be slow, as samples need to be taken manually, transported to the lab, dried and ground before they can be tested. That’s where robotics comes in, he said. The grant

Stephen Kresovich, director, Clemson University Institute of Translational Genomics – one of six from the U.S. Department of Energy – will fund the design, development and engineering of both ground-based and aerial equipment studded with sensors that make measuring progress quicker and more precise. The new tools will also include machine learning platforms to help researchers comb through reams and reams of data to find gold nuggets of useful information, said Kresovich. “In some instances it could be a Mars rover type of thing. In other instances it will be a flyover,” he said. “With the complexity of what we’re trying to do, it’s probably at the cutting edge, but science is steps in a process.” With 30,000 genes in each unique sorghum plant,

Kresovich said researchers are focused on discovering how those networks of genes affect photosynthesis, which can affect how fast or how energy-rich a plant becomes. The time-intensive nature of this kind of research has held sorghum exploration back, he said, to the point where only around 20 percent of the 40,000 different plant varieties have been explored. “It’s like the bank is open and we can go through the drawers of the bank to see if we can find any gold nuggets,” he said. Progress for the three-year project will depend on how fast useful genes are discovered and developed and how quickly sensory systems and robotics can be designed and engineered, Kresovich said. The testing sites for the sorghum will be in South Carolina, primarily near Clemson and tentatively near Florence. The Department of Energy awarded a total of $30 million in grants via its ARPA-E agency. Other projects included $8 million to Donald Danforth Plan Science Center in Missouri, $3.3 million to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington, $6.5 million to Purdue University in Indiana, $3.1 million to Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Texas and $3.1 million to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Illinois.

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6 | GOVERNMENT |

UBJ

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO RETIRE? WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO TELL YOU.

New DHEC director Catherine Heigel talks about the human element APRIL A. MORRIS | STAFF

amorris@communityjournals.com Former general counsel at Elliott Davis Decosimo and Duke Energy president Catherine Heigel was recently confirmed as the new executive director of the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). She talks with UBJ about motivating employees and making them feel valued. Heigel gave a copy of “Drive” by Daniel Pink to many staff members. The book suggests that people are motivated by feeling part of something bigger than themselves, by having the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to something that matters and feeling valued in what they do, she said. “When you work for an agency whose mission is protect and promote the public health and environmental integrity of South Carolina, it doesn’t get much better than that … on what gets your employees out of bed in the morning,” she said. But it is also important to thank staff and let them know they are valued. “If you don’t take that time to reaffirm people’s value in that greater cause, then you miss a huge opportunity. It’s not rocket science, but it’s not something that’s intuitive for a lot of people,” said Heigel. “[We need] dedicated resources

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“If you don’t take that time to reaffirm people’s value in that greater cause, then you miss a huge opportunity. It’s not rocket science, but it’s not something that’s intuitive for a lot of people.”

Catherine Heigel, executive director, SC DHEC

Pat Fitzsimmons, AIF® First Vice President, Investments

Matthew Foster, AAMS® Financial Advisor

Karen Alexander Sales Associate

Visit us at www.fosterfitzsimmons.com to learn more. Or call 864.289.2166.

07.17. 2015

Leading the agency

quoted Beach Foster, AIF® Managing Director, Investments

for recruitment … also dedicated resources to training and development,” she said. “It includes career mapping and succession planning.” Much of that planning currently happens on an ad hoc basis, Heigel said. “It’s really ingraining in the culture, just like a business, that … every manager is required to put forth names of people who could assume their role now, in one to three years or three to five years. And determine the training or experience to get them there.” More research is needed, Heigel said. “We need to quantify the cost of churn [in the workforce] of training people, to have positions vacant, to recruit, interview and onboard people,” she said. “If we can quantify that, I would much rather spend those dollars in salary to keep these people than have organizational interruption and service interruption.”

For the complete interview with Catherine Heigel, see this week’s Greenville Journal.

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8 | YOUR MONEY |

UBJ

NEWS AND TIPS FOR YOUR PERSONAL BOT TOM LINE

07.17. 2015

Goodwill hunting Social capital has proven high value – for Tumblr on down to local startups By MIKE JOHNSON AND WILL GIBBS, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP The value of social capital, such as Facebook friends and Twitter followers, is fast becoming an important asset for many early-stage companies valuing their businesses in connection with capital raising and merger transactions. When Yahoo acquired Tumblr for $1.1 billion in the summer of 2013, more than $750 million (nearly 75 percent) of Tumblr’s purchase price was attributed to its “goodwill.” As many were quick to point out, Yahoo had essentially plunked down three-quarters of a billion dollars for the “cool factor.” Regardless of whether Yahoo’s purchase ultimately proves a sound business decision, the transaction demonstrates how social media assets have come to represent an integral part of a company’s goodwill valuation. GOODWILL AND SOCIAL MEDIA Business goodwill is a complex and subjective concept. To quote Yahoo following the Tumblr acquisition, “Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired.” Yahoo’s definition of goodwill may appear technical, but it is open-ended enough to capture multiple factors that comprise goodwill valuation, such as a company’s brand name and recognition and, more importantly, its customer base and the quality of customer relations. By the end of 2014, Tumblr’s micro-blogging platform had managed to capture the attention of 420 million users. Essentially, Yahoo purchased ready-made access to these users. This transaction demonstrates the importance of social media assets and supports the principle that these intangible assets can, in many cases, represent an important aspect, if not the most important aspect, of a company’s pre-money valuation.

VALUING SOCIAL MEDIA ASSETS AT THE PRE-MONEY STAGE Pre-money valuation refers to the valuation of a company or asset prior to an investment of external capital. In other words, pre-money valuation is the value you will attribute to your startup when shopping for capital investments from venture capitalists and angel investors. VCs and angels will use the pre-money valuation to determine how much equity in your company they will require in return for their investment.

Valuing social media assets is more art than science, but if your company is seeking an investment of external capital you should immediately begin gathering hard data on all social media accounts. So, how exactly does a startup value its WordPress, Medium, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook or other social media account and how does this value manifest itself in the context of pre-money valuation? To be sure, valuing social media assets is more art than science, but if your company is seeking an investment of external capital you should immediately begin gathering hard data on all social media accounts. Data capture will ensure that you are prepared to qualify your company’s social media accounts as valuable business assets when courting prospective VCs and angels. Your company should be able to quantify the following for potential investors regarding your various social media accounts: • The number of users or followers attributed to a certain account. • The demographics of users or followers ascribed to a certain account. • The rate at which new users or followers subscribe to a certain account. • Unique user or follower views of each account. • The frequency, quantity and quality of interaction with users and followers.

• The number of users and followers that respond to the content your company publishes to its various social media accounts. • The frequency with which users and followers respond to your company’s content. • The prevailing tone of your company’s interactions with users and followers through social media: positive or negative? • The number of users and followers who initiate interaction with your company through social media accounts and the frequency with which users and followers initiate such interactions. • The valuations of comparable companies with comparable social media assets. Valuing a company’s goodwill is a complex and subjective practice, but consistent data can speak loudly in this context, offering hard numbers to support a valuation. Your company’s ability to demonstrate the quality and quantity of interactions with customers or users across a number of social media platforms can drive your valuation and make your company more attractive to investors. It is yet another opportunity to demonstrate real value in the way your company creates and cultivates meaningful dialogue and relationships with its customers and users.

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE

CoderDojo will open kids to STEM possibilities impact students before they begin making career decisions so that they can do so with a better knowledge of the possibilities that are open to them. Thanks to a gift from the Duke Energy Foundation, I will be able to play a more direct role in doing just that. With the foundation’s support, Greenville Technical College will introduce middle school students to computer programming and advanced manufacturing through a CoderDojo club. This free program is in place worldwide, with 550 clubs in 55 countries including 115 U.S. locations. Students will learn coding, and then they’ll put their skills into practice, completing a project that impacts their daily lives, like creating a program to open and close window blinds or to turn water faucets on and off. The club will begin meeting this fall. Activities will be supervised by faculty and volunteer coaches, creating a ratio of one coach for every two to three students. A total of 280 middle school students are expected to learn the basics of coding, develop websites and explore technology in the first two years of this informative, creative and fun-filled activity. As students learn about STEM fields, their families will get involved, too. Parents and siblings will see the computer programming project in place at home. Parents will also be invited to attend a club session, where opportunities such as the BMW

Scholars and GE Apprenticeship program are introduced, and pathways assistant dean, Greenville to strong careers in STEM fields are Technical College mapped out with the academic programs offered at GTC. I grew up in Winnsboro, La., one The CoderDojo club plays a strong of 10 children. I was encouraged by role in improving the pipeline of my mom to attend college, but had no qualified job seekers for employers. A idea what to major in or which career 2012 SC Department of Education path I should choose. My ninth-grade survey of students in grades eight math teacher changed all that. Seeing through 12 showed career interest in that I was good at math and enjoyed information technology ranked 11 out the subject, he told me that computer of 16 cluster choices, while manufacscience had a strong future. From that turing was ranked even lower at 14. point on, I knew where I was headed. This illustrates just how critical it is I attended Southern University, an to South Carolina’s advanced manuHBCU (Historically Black Colleges facturing industry, which leads our and Universities), in Baton Rouge, La., economy, for young people to be enand majored in computer science with couraged to pursue careers in this area, a minor in mathematics. I became the so that future jobs will be filled and first in my family to graduate from the skills gap can be narrowed. college and realized that my math CoderDojo will introduce students teacher had been right about the opand families to the often unfamiliar portunities. I quickly found work as a world of advanced manufacturing, computer programmer analyst and where information technology and eventually moved to Greenville, where robotics rule the production floor, and I became a relational database conworkers have a solid foundation in sultant at Michelin. STEM skills. It will change misperAfter many years, I realized that I ceptions about these careers, which also wanted an opportunity to posiare often more pronounced among tively influence others in the same way women and minorities, and it will that my math teacher had influenced allow low income and disadvantaged me, and I entered the field of education students to see opportunities for at Greenville Technical College (GTC) success beyond the familiar. in 1999. When I was encouraged to enter a I enjoy working with college stumath field in the late 1970s, the STEM dents as assistant dean for the Business acronym didn’t exist. Today, many and Technology Division, and my people are familiar with the abbreviunderlying motivation remains strong: ation for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, but they may not realize Students will learn coding, and then they’ll put their skills into practice, completing how rich the opa project that impacts their daily lives, like creating a program to open and close portunities are or window blinds or to turn water faucets on and off. how to get there. CoderDojo will show middle school students the importance of education, impacting their futures and the Upstate’s economic well-being.

By MARY LOCKE,

| INNOVATE | 9

Tips for a Quick Home Sale in the Upstate While the local real estate market is more robust than it has been in years, the last things you want as a home seller is for your home to sit on the market any longer than it should. Many factors influence the speed in Dan Hamilton which a home will receive offers, but there are several things a home seller can do to make sure it sells quicker and for top dollar. First, improve your curb appeal. Many sellers overlook the importance of curb appeal. In real estate, appearances mean a lot so make sure the exterior has a fresh coat of paint or a good pressure washing. Neatly manicured landscaping and a few seasonal flowers will make a big difference too. Second, clear out the clutter. Potential buyers should be able to picture themselves living in the home. It is imperative to remove all clutter before listing photos are taken and the first showing occurs. Last, price it right. This could be a whole column itself, but the importance of pricing a home correctly cannot be understated. Savvy buyers know which homes are overpriced and will avoid even looking at them. Remember, you will not only need to sell the price to potential buyers but to their bank too. Our team can help guide you through the process of getting your home on the market and sold quickly for top dollar. We’ve already helped over 130 families buy or sell this year. You could be next. Contact me at 864-527-7685 or mygreenvillehome.com.

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10 | JUMPSTART |

UBJ

COMPANIES BLAZING A TRAIL IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

07.17. 2015

MOONCLERK’S RISING TIDE Iron Yard payments startup bootstraps its way to profitability ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com Many a startup has bemoaned a lack

those offering initially free services or that need a critical mass for success, Caldwell said. “We had a business model that we were able to start charging our customers from day one,” he said. Another difference could be potential for growth and huge returns, which could make startups such as MoonClerk less attractive for investment, he said. “We’re not on a growth trajectory that would impress a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, but we have a viable business.” MoonClerk helps businesses use a popular payments service called Stripe to set up one-time and recurring payments online, but Stripe isn’t an “out-of-the-box” usable service, he said. All MoonClerk users need to

do is add a link to their website and they can start accepting payments, which opened the door for Caldwell and Wood to begin carefully adding other value-added services that would build out their revenue. “We didn’t have the funding to build out a really big development team,” said Caldwell. “It really forced us to take the rifle approach and really target in to wisely add features.” Caldwell says MoonClerk hit 2,000 paying customers last month, and passed the profitability mark about a year ago. The firm’s customers include small to medium-sized businesses all over the world, but that’s where the similarities end. MoonClerk helps nonprofits, churches, media outlets, attorneys on retainer, e-commerce sites and subscription businesses, among others, he said.

MOONCLERK Founded: 2012 Founders: CEO Dodd Caldwell (top), CTO Ryan Wood (middle; also pictured: developer Matt Bertino) Headquarters: Greenville What they do: MoonClerk lets anyone immediately and inexpensively set up branded, embeddable and linkable recurring online payment forms without any technical skills.

Photo by Ashley Boncimino

of investment, but Greenville startup MoonClerk says taking fundraising out of the equation – and refusing $20,000 in seed capital right out of the gate – ultimately helped them survive. “If you’re a CEO, until you’ve gotten the money, fundraising is generally a full-time job,” said MoonClerk cofounder and CEO Dodd Caldwell, who, with cofounder and CTO Ryan Wood, was a part of The Iron Yard accelerator’s first cohort three years ago. Much of the accelerator’s benefit stems from mentorship, access to beneficial networks and good publicity, but the hallmark of any such program is seed funding. Yet MoonClerk was one of two companies that turned down the $20,000 offer, Caldwell said. “When you get funding, you hear about software startups where you just kind of wait until you run out of money. We bootstrapped, so we were forced to make it profitable.” The result was a laser-focus on lean startup fundamentals such as the minimum viable product and paying customers out of the gate, said Caldwell, who also fields customer service calls and requests in addition to being CEO. “We started having paying customers after six months,” he said, noting his “It’s not launching with previous startup attempt had taken 18 months to get to the same point. “It’s what you want to have, but not launching with what you want to what you need to have.” have, but what you need to have.” MoonClerk cofounder and Even so, not every business model CEO Dodd Caldwell lends itself to bootstrapping, especially

Customers: More than 2,000 moonclerk.com “It’s a crazy business that we really didn’t even know that was happening,” Caldwell said, adding he hit upon the idea through his own nonprofit experience running Spartanburg-based RiceBowls. “Our niche is really providing flexibility for different, crazy use-cases.” While Caldwell doesn’t expect wild growth, he says new customers and transactions have been growing at a faster pace than before. He recently hired a developer out of the code school – Matt Bertino – and hopes to continue growing despite the increasingly crowded digital payments space. “There are markets that are kind of zero-sum games where only the leader and one other company is going to make it … I think the payments space is different,” he said. “It’s similar to pizza places. It’s not like you can have in Greenville only one pizza restaurant.”

12 | C-SUITE |

WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE YOU NEED TO KNOW

UBJ

07.17. 2015

wired for GROWT SAM KONDUROS

Family: wife Aphrodite, a S.C. Court of Appeals judge, and two dogs, Turbo and Lucy

Photo by William Crooks

“We first met at 11 years old at Columbia Greek Orthodox Church. We met again in law school and became the best of friends before dating. We’re kind of the consummate career couple.”

Sam Konduros has helped land several big Upstate projects – and has his eye on more growth with GHS’ Research Development Corporation APRIL A. MORRIS | STAFF

amorris@communityjournals.com

Upstate economic development leader and business owner Sam Konduros, 52, has been a part of landing multiple economic development projects for the region, including BMW, CU-ICAR and Southwest Airlines. He sat down with UBJ to talk about his role as executive director of Greenville Health System’s Research Development Corporation and being part of something even bigger. >>

Off the grid: Konduros unplugs while at his place on the coast and enjoys everything from hiking to motorcycling. “I really will break out of the work mode when I’m not there.” Screen time: A lover of movies, Konduros also confesses to following “Downton Abbey” in addition to decompressing to HGTV and the Food Network. Reading: “The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership” by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman and Kaley Warner Klemp Tapping into the architect: “My wife and I have owned six houses in Greenville. We like houses. We enjoy creating the living space… enjoyed taking homes that were good and making them great, really putting our stamp on them. We now have a place at Verdae and I got to do my HGTV fantasy and knock out some walls with a sledgehammer.” On faith: “The spiritual journey has been a very important part of my life—plugging into something more important. Being part of something bigger than myself has become important to me.”

upstatebusinessjournal.com

Where did you grow up? I was born in Alexandria, Va., while my father worked in Washington, D.C. for Sen. Olin D. Johnston. He was recruited back to South Carolina to serve on the staff for Gov. Robert McNair. I grew up in the Columbia area and I graduated from Lexington High School. Did you father’s career in law influence your choices? I knew there was a chance I would go to law school after watching my father help found a law firm, but I have a real creative side and wanted to study architecture. At Clemson University I started as an architecture major. I did well, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I felt law school was a good platform for multiple opportunities.

How did you know that you wanted to pursue economic development? I went to work for the Department of Commerce and I absolutely fell in love with economic development. I felt very privileged to be a young man, from a state that I loved, getting the chance to recruit some of the largest companies in the world into South Carolina. [I] ended up having an unusually engaged role at a relatively young age.

What is a memorable moment from your time with the Dept. of Commerce? My classic “Forrest Gump” moment was when we were recruiting BMW and two executives quietly flew in to have the final meeting of the minds session with Gov. Carroll Campbell and our commerce secretary. And I picked them up from the airport and took them to the Governor’s Mansion. I sat at the other end of the mansion while they did the famous deal on the napkin. It’s like an urban legend, but it’s true how they made the decision that day— literally signed a napkin. I drove them back, but we got stuck in traffic. I ended up having an engaging conversation about what just happened. That was kind of a magical moment. I had no idea then the impact that the decision that day had on our state, our region and on my life. How did you come back to Greenville? I worked with a BMW supplier [Alfmeier] and liken it to the dog that chased the car, caught it and then didn’t know what to do with it. I had worked with Alfmeier on a site study and their CEO offered me head of U.S. operations at a dinner meeting. That is what brought me to Greenville in 1994. What did you learn in that challenging environment? As a young man [at 30], I became so acutely aware of what I didn’t know and that I needed some experts around me quickly. It forced me to become a pretty fearless delegator and forced me to get comfortable with the idea that I needed to hire the best and the brightest people and surround myself with people who knew more than me in certain areas, people who I could learn from as well as them learning from me. Suddenly I was in charge of a seven-day a week

WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE YOU NEED TO KNOW

operation, many people and a complex product – so you grow up quickly. What part of economic development appeals to you? I like to build things. I think after about five years and something becomes more steady, other people enjoy the tweaking process and fine tuning. I seem to gravitate to more of the heavy lifting on the front end and the creative portion. What is new about your work with the Research Development Corporation? It has pushed me to learn a lot more about healthcare and industry innovation. It’s like being in a brand new career with an exciting learning curve. It allows me to exercise a lot of the muscles that fit well with my career and experience: innovation, economic development, public-private partnerships and building relationships with industry. It’s a natural outflow of what I’ve done at every part of my career. This role has unlimited opportunities for growth.

“You just reach a point that you know life is a gift—good health is a gift. It was more important than any of the cool projects I worked on.” Describe a challenge that you faced. In 2010, my wife, Aphrodite, and I both had health issues. She went through a breast cancer diagnosis and I also had health problems. That was a very pivotal time and ‘transformative’ is not an understatement. While she was wrapping up radiation treatment, I had a preliminary cancer diagnosis that turned out to not be cancer, all while I was business development director for the Cancer Research Institute at GHS. I think I needed to be slowed down by all of that. In some ways, I think the challenges we went through either saved what you could call the second half of our lives, or definitely made it sweeter. Any sense of entitlement vanished, you just reach a point that you know life is a gift—good health is a gift. It was more important than any of the cool projects I worked on if you get down to what really impacts you. How do you unwind? We have a place at Seabrook Island. We go kayaking in the tidal creeks and take the dogs on the beach. I also ride my BMW R1100 RSL motorcycle. I took it on an 8,000-mile, cross-country trip during a career

| C-SUITE | 13

transition. You’re really thinking about the road, temperature and how the air feels—it’s the same as going down a mountain on skis. I call it ‘God time.’ Is there a time when you were sure you would fail? The fear of failure has been fuel in my life. I was sure I was not going to pass the bar exam—that was one sleepless night. What is good advice you have received? From David Martin, he has really helped me get comfortable with this idea of not being overly focused on yourself and your own needs--striving to be more of an instrument to be used and part of a bigger plan. Also Todd Mitchell, who could call me out during a very stressful time at Alfmeier. He told me I was usually an encourager, but that day was a discourager. I always want to encourage those around me – that echoes still. What advice do you give? The more indispensible you try to make yourself, often the more dispensable you become. The more willing you are to open yourself up and share all the information and knowledge you have – not controlling it and overprotecting it – the more indispensible you become. If you’re willing to help others succeed it makes you more magnetic, more approachable, more trusting, and people want to be around that. What keeps you up at night? My wheels are turning rapidly these days during one of those major launch phases. When you’re doing something new like this [Innovations in Medical Economic Development, or IMED], you’re assembling the airplane while flying it. It’s not driven by stress, but the multitude of initiatives that are going on. Who is a mentor? Dr. Chris Przirembel. He worked with SK Strategies and now is a coworker [with RDC]. My dad has had a profound impact on me and we are closer than ever. Also a group of friends that I met through church and we have a group called Iron Men who come together every two weeks or so. They are very transparent about their lives and talk about how to integrate faith into work. My wife is my partner in life. You have never practiced law; how has your law degree helped in your career? I keep up my license but have never practiced law. It helps when reading legal documents and I sometimes will sketch out memorandum of understandings or joint development agreements for a lot of our collaborations and will hand that framework over to general counsels. Tell us about starting your own business. I knew at some point I had to take the shot at being my own board of directors and starting my own company. Standing in the surf in my favorite spot at 40 years old…I was comfortable at Upstate Alliance, but made the decision to start SK Strategies. I got to delve more into my creative side because I got to help with things like recalibrating a company’s mission statement and changing brand architecture. Kent Manufacturing was a great client and I helped them transition into Kentwool.

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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

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cleaners or possibly a nail salon, said David Sigmon, sjackson@communityjournals.com broker with Coldwell Banker @SJackson_CJ Commercial Caine, who along with Pete Brett and A small shopping center located Matt Vanvick will be leasing directly across from South Ridge, the the property. new 350-unit mixed-use apartment “We’re trying to tap into services community on Church Street and that South Ridge residents will be able University Ridge, is set to get a facelift to utilize,” said Sigmon. Those resiand new tenants. dents have access to the shopping Existing tenants on the property at center via a pedestrian tunnel that 860 S. Church St. include a laundroruns under Church Street. mat, liquor store and dry cleaner. No timeframe for construction has Those businesses are currently on been set. short term leases and will be moving out soon, making way for three or four new businesses. A total of 6,429 square feet is available with spaces from 1,053 square feet. Once new tenants are signed, the entire shopping center will get a much-needed makeover. No leases have been signed to date, but the property owner hopes to attract a coffee shop, bakery, dry

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Rendering provided

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partner Krish Patel, owner of Wireless sjackson@communityjournals.com Communications, is @SJackson_CJ creating Soul Yoga, a new 5,000-square-foot yoga Opportunities continue to studio which will feature aerial sprout up in the West End along the and Baptiste-inspired fusion hot Greenville Health System Swamp power yoga. Soul Yoga is expectRabbit Trail and the proposed new ed to open Sept. 1. A small Greenville City Park. A five-acre parcel massage therapy space is also of land at 25 Peden St. is now home under construction. to a 13,000-square-foot Swamp “It will be a place for wellness Rabbit Cross Fit facility and to your mind, body and soul,” said 5,000-square-foot bike store, Free Patel. “A destination where it can Hub bicycles. be a place of Zen or be a place of In progress at the site are a new challenge and pushing limits to massage therapy space, a 5,000- the exercise of your body.” square-foot yoga studio called Soul A little later this year, the two Yoga, and a new restaurant/café and expect to open a new restaurant/ 1. event venue space. café in the building. The Once home to a used furniture store, 2. 5,000-square-foot space is the large existing building is being already being used as an event redeveloped into an “adult playvenue and will continue, sharing ground,” says owner William space with the new restaurant. Timmons. Timmons, an entrepreneur Preliminary plans for the new and an attorney with the 13th Circuit restaurant/cafe include a full bar and Solicitor’s office, owns Swamp Rabbit a place to grab a sandwich or drink Cross Fit, and along with business

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

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after working out or asS Aacastop along the Swamp Rabbit Trail, said Timmons. A large 20,000-square-foot outdoor patio will become a beer/wine garden of sorts with water features

and fire pits, he said. “We want people to come and stay awhile and focus around an experience,” he said. “When combining all of the ele- >>

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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

>> ments- the swamp rabbit trail, Swamp Rabbit Cross Fit, Soul Yoga and our café, it will be a destination you can call your home away from home,” said Patel. Hedging bets that the new city park will be built in a few years, Timmons hopes to eventually develop condos on the remainder o f the property. Photo Provided

Park Place on Hudson moves forward

SO YOU KNOW: With a new name and launch party in the works, Park Place on Hudson, a 24-unit townhome development at 104 S. Hudson Street, is moving ahead after receiving all necessary city approvals. The townhomes will be located on 1.5 acres and will range from 2,040 square feet for a 2 bedroom, 2.5-bath unit to 3,200 square feet for a 4 bedroom, 3.5-bath home. Amenities will include granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, 10-foot ceilings, balconies and one or two car garages. Homes prices will begin at $425,000. Units at Park Place on Hudson have more square footage and a lower price point than some of the other downtown projects. “We’re excited to bring a development that is able to attract and expand the demographic of downtown living,” said developer Bobby Barreto with Asterisk Development. “It’s a new living experience in old Greenville.” The launch party for the new development will be held July 30 and is open to the public. A couple of the town-

What: Park Place on Hudson launch party

Where: FUEL 25 E. Court St Suite 100 (valet parking will be available)

When: July 30 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. If you plan to attend, RSVP to: rsvp@parkplaceonhudson.com

homes have already been sold and pre-orders are being taken now with special incentives available for those who purchase at the launch party. Owners will get to choose from a list of interior design choices including paint color, cabinetry, countertop color and flooring. Floor plans have been designed to include the option for an elevator. If an elevator is not chosen, the shaft will be converted into additional closet space. Purchasers also will have an option to extend the floor plan on larger units to include an extra bedroom and bathroom. Groundbreaking is expected in mid-August for phase one of the development. For more information, go to www.parkplaceonhudson.com. Rendering Provided.

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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

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07.17. 2015

Mauldin apartment complex acquired for $66.8M and was constructed between 1989 and 1997. It sjackson@communityjournals.com is comprised of 35 two@SJackson_CJ and three-story buildings, in addition to multiple clubhouses, a fitness center, three swimming pools, sand volleyball court, business center, tennis courts, dog park and a media room. Steadfast plans to upgrade the units with new appliances, countertops, flooring, plumbing fixtures, hardSteadfast Apartment Real ware and new doors and cabinet boxes. Estate Investment Trust has acquired In addition to interior upgrades, Arbors at Brookfield, a 702-unit moderate enhancements will be made apartment community in Mauldin. to the model unit, leasing office, volThe $66.8 million purchase marks leyball court, tennis courts and fitness Steadfast’s entry into the South Carcenter. The REIT will also convert one olina market. of the clubhouses into a resident relaThe apartment community is curtions center. rently 94.9 percent occupied with an With this transaction, Steadfast has average rent of $766 per month. invested more than $687 million in 18 Arbors at Brookfield sits on 50 acres apartment communities in nine states.

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

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PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

HIRED

PROMOTED

HIRED

| ON THE MOVE | 19

APPOINTED

Reba Childers

Veronica Mackey

Jan Geyer

Cara Harris

Brian Powell

Named a member of the Small Business Services group at Graydon Thompson LLC. Childers has 30 years of experience providing accounting and small business services. She previously operated a consulting business and held related positions in commercial property management and retail organizations.

Named lead associate advisor for Mark Clary’s Wealth Management Team at Northwestern Mutual. Clary recently passed the exam to become a Certified Financial Planner. She has more than 10 years of experience in the financial services industry.

Named financial manager for Good City Architects. Geyer will monitor the company’s stewardship of client and consultant agreements and services. Her experience includes working at KPMG, James E. Woodside & Co. and The McCraw Corporation.

Named marketing coordinator at LS3P. Harris has experiences as a designer, freelance writer and creative director at firms in both North and South Carolina. Her skills include writing, content marketing, digital advertising, social media management and branding.

Named as the Field professor in Nuclear Environmental Engineering and Science at Clemson University. Powell is overseeing a $5.25-million research project to find the safest ways of remediating legacy nuclear waste sites and storing nuclear waste. He is an associate professor of environmental engineering and Earth sciences.

ARCHITECTURE/DESIGN Adam D. Roberts, AIA, successfully completed the requirements of the Architect Registration Exam in the state of Maryland. As an architect for DP3 Architects Ltd., Roberts will continue to be responsible for design services for restaurant concepts.

DEVELOPMENT O’Neal Inc. hired Stacy Pirrone as electrical engineer and Ryan White as distribution systems planner. Pirrone has more than 19 years of experience in electrical engineering, previously working at DeVita & Associates. White has more than five years of experience in warehouse automation, previously working at ITW. Douglas F. Dent was appointed as general counsel for the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority. Dent closed his private law firm of 40 years. Harper Corporation hired James Medders as a controller, Bill Gordon as a project manager, David Fey as a project manager and Andrew Skiles as an environmental systems division project manager. Medders has more than 30 years of experience in finance. He previously held positions at Metromont Corporation and the Industrial Bank of Japan. Gordon has more than 30 years of experience in commercial construction as an estimator and project manager. He previously worked for Hardaway Construction. Fey pre-

viously held positions with Shelco, Able Constructors and Zirklelbach Construction. Skiles has more than nine years of experience. He previously served as a project field engineer and an associate project manager in Texas.

EDUCATION Christ Church Episcopal School hired Kahu David Jackson as senior chaplain and Mary Ann Scott as Achievement Center director. Jackson previously spent five years as chaplain of Seabury Hall in Maui. He serves on a committee that will select the new Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States. Scott previously served as the director of student support services and the Learning Project, as well as a school psychologist, at Park Tudor School in Indianapolis.

HEALTH CARE Greenville Technical College hired Renée Rubner as a program coordinator in the Environmental, Occupational Health & Safety department within the Corporate & Career Development division. Rubner has more than 25 years of experience in education and training. She previously worked with Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Inc. for 14 years, first as staff educator and most recently as administrative data support secretary.

HUMAN RESOURCES Recruiting Solutions promoted Michelle Heil to senior staffing coor-

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

dinator and Kelsey Moore to recruiting assistant and hired Bennett Saunders and as a business development manager, Shanon Glenn as a recruiting assistant and Hayley Powell as a direct hire recruiter. Heil previously served as a staffing coordinator for the company’s industrial division. Moore previously served as a staffing assistant. Saunders has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Presbyterian College and a master’s degree in athletic administration from Coker College. Glenn was previously a marketing assistant for a Simpsonville company. Powell previously served as an executive recruiter in the medical device industry.

VIP

Brian Gratz

Michael Harmon, a senior systems engineer with TSAChoice, Inc., earned his Professional 5 Data Center Virtualization Certification through VMware. The certification requires completion of a authorized training course and hands-on experience with VMware technologies.

Named head coach of the Greenville Road Warriors. Gratz served as the club’s assistant coach during the 2014-15 season and has been the interim director of hockey operations since April 16. He has six years of head coaching experience at the professional level.

MANUFACTURING Roy Metal Finishing Co., Inc. promoted Cecelia Miller to quality manager and ISO/TS management representative. Miller will have quality oversight of all facilities. She has more than 26 years of quality and metal finishing experience with certifications in quality auditing and quality technology.

MARKETING/PR VantagePoint Marketing won honorable mention at the 2015 Social Media Icon Awards for work done for T&S

Brass and Bronze Works. The campaign earned recognition in the Facebook – Best PR Campaign category. It resulted in a 35 percent increase in Facebook likes and an increase in overall engagement in the span of nine months. Stephanie Thorn, marketing coordinator for VisitGreenvilleSC, was recognized by Destination Marketing Association International as a 2015 “30 Under 30” outstanding destination marketing expert. Thorn is the only recipient from South Carolina.

20 | THE FINE PRINT |

UBJ

BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

Worldwide Vacation Network expanding to Greenville Global Connections Inc. (GCI), a travel club fulfillment and service provider, is expanding its outside sales distribution network to Greenville. Doing business as Worldwide Vacation Network and led by Tony Pennisi as its director of sales, the new office will offer GCI’s Global Discovery Vacations (GDV) travel club product. The 3000-square-foot sales center is located at 355 Woodruff Road and is staffed with eight sales and administrative professionals. “This is an organization we are proud to represent and are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship,” Pennisi said in a release. “Introducing these vacation opportunities to a whole new group of folks is proving to be a terrific opportunity for all involved.” According to Tom Lyons, president and CEO of GCI, “our business model is structured in such a way to maintain close relationships with distributors like Worldwide Vacation Network. Our fulfillment centers in Florida and Kansas City service our more than 150,000 members providing condo vacations, cruises, tours and numerous other vacation and leisure benefits.” GCI is based in Overland Park, Kan., and serves more than 150,000 members at over 700 North American resorts, according to Lyons.

Beverage company building $10M distribution center in Greer Tampa, Fla.-based Cott Beverages plans to build a 190,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center next to its existing facility in Greer, where the company produces fruit and vegetable juices and beverages. The $10 million expansion is expected to alleviate local roadway traffic in Greer by cutting down on tractor-trailer trips by 30 per day along Wade Hampton Boulevard between Greer and Taylors, S.C., according to a news release. Cott Beverages plant manager William Wise said the expansion plans at 1990 Hood Road in Greer began two years ago and enlisted the help of local public safety entities in the process. “We would like to express gratitude to the administrative offices of the City of Greer, Greer CPW and Greer Fire Department on Hood Road for their support throughout the development and construction period,” he said. “This project is the result of a joint effort by many individuals and is a testament to the City of Greer and its

07.17. 2015

culture of supporting the economic prosperity of its businesses and citizens.” Cott Beverages is the U.S. subsidiary of Cott Corporation, which employs 9,000 people through its 60 manufacturing facilities and 180 distribution facilities worldwide. The beverage company also develops and manufactures concentrates for export to 50 countries. “Greer continues to be a hub of choice for enterprise-sized companies. Our city’s physical location in the center of the I-85 corridor is a big appeal for companies like Cott Beverages, offering quick and easy access to East Coast customers,” said Greer Mayor Rick Danner in a news release. “We see this expansion and organic growth from established area businesses to be a good indication of the overall thriving business climate in the area.”

Google and Spartanburg partner to help small businesses Google is partnering with the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Spartanburg for Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map to help small businesses grow their presence online. The program kicked off this week, and the ongoing partnership will allow businesses to sign up for workshops to learn how to succeed on the Internet. Shea Dent, marketing and design strategist for the Spartanburg Chamber, said dates for the workshops will be announced in the coming weeks. “Four out of five consumers use search engines to find local information nearby, yet only 37 percent of businesses have claimed their listing on a search engine,” Soo Young Kim, Google’s head of small business engagement, said in a release. “Small businesses are the engine of local economies and when they flourish, their communities do as well.” Spartanburg Chamber president Allen Smith said Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map will help promote Spartanburg County as a destination for business and tourism. Businesses can learn more about the program at spartanburgchamber.com.

KBR acquired by Illinois company, changes name Illinois-based Pernix Group Inc. acquired KBR Building Group, which will now operate under its original name, BE&K Building Group. BE&K offers a variety of construction management services and project delivery methods nationally to clients in the advanced manufacturing, commercial/mixed-use, health care and institutional sectors. Its headquarters will remain in Greenville. The company also has full-service regional operations in Charleston; Research Triangle Park, N.C.; Washington, D.C.; and Houston, Texas. “This extraordinary opportunity allows us to continue providing world-class

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THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

construction services to our clients, leveraging Pernix’s agility, commitment to safety, quality control, and worldwide presence,” Mac Carpenter, BE&K president, said in a release. “The biggest difference is that our new family gives us the ability to expand our reach and follow our clients throughout the world.” BE&K has executed building programs for American Honda Motor Company, BASF, Boeing, Duke Medicine, DuPont, General Mills, Ferguson Enterprises, Gulfstream Aerospace, Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, Sysco Foods and Triumph Group.

| NEW TO THE STREET | 21

Open for business Workout Anytime recently opened at 1818 Woodruff Road, Suite 1812, Greenville. The business is a 24hour gym and fitness club. For more information, visit workoutanytime. com/locations/ greenville-sc or call 864-288-0247.

Woodlands launches in-home service The Woodlands at Furman is launching a new in-home companion care service. The in-home model of care is for seniors who need limited assistance but want to maintain their independent lifestyle. Companion care services will include assistance with light housekeeping, grocery shopping, pet care, meal preparation, medication reminders, and bathing and dressing. “Companion care is a natural extension of our work at the Woodlands at Furman,” said Kevin Parker, executive director, in a release. “This in-home service is an opportunity to provide exceptional personal care to someone who may need it in a different way than what we currently offer on our campus.” Services will be provided within a 10-mile radius of the Woodlands campus, located at 1500 Trailhead Court, Greenville. Services will be available 24/7, but must be provided for a minimum of two consecutive hours.

TRPC joins Alliance Benefit Group The Retirement Plan Company (TRPC), an independent record keeper with operations in Greenville, joined the Alliance Benefit Group national network. Alliance Benefit Group added The Retirement Plan Company LLC (TRPC) to its national network. TRPC’s open architecture recordkeeping platform combines custom account management tools with investment research and retirement planning software to serve 1,100 defined contribution plans with over $3 billion and 47,000 participant balances. “TRPC has made impressive usage of its software engineering team, which has created a number of automation tools not available elsewhere in the marketplace,” Don Mackanos, president of Alliance said in a release. “One set of automation tools in particular has enabled TRPC to build and manage a substantial offshore business unit.”

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as hard as you work with Club events, parties, and mixers designed to help you kick back and relax

Photo provided

CONTRIBUTE: Know of a business opening soon? Email information to bjeffers@communityjournals.com.

KEMET introduces capacitors to endure extreme conditions KEMET Corporation introduced new capacitors for extreme environments. The Industrial Grade High Temperature X7R Dielectric capacitor is suited for a variety of applications in extreme environments such as down-hole oil exploration, aerospace engine compartments, geophysical probes, industrial process control, heavy commercial and specialty vehicles and construction equipment. The devices can utilize the full rated voltage at 175 degrees Celsius and has a flexible termination system. The company also introduced the T591 High Performance Automotive Grade Polymer Electrolytic Series, which delivers stability and endurance under harsh humidity and temperature conditions. They can be used in transportation, telecommunications, industrial and avionics. Cristina Mota Caetano, KEMET technical product marketing director, said the T591 delivered high reliability when tested to 500 hours in 85 degrees Celsius, with 85 percent relative humidity and while voltage is applied.

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22 | #TRENDING |

UBJ

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

OVERHEARD @ THE WATERCOOLER

07.17. 2015

Distilled commentary from UBJ readers

BIZ BUZZ

RE: HOW A FURMAN GRAD AND FORMER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN BLITZED THE UPSTATE WITH COMPETITIVE ADULT RECREATIONAL SPORTS

The top 5 stories from last week’s issue ranked by shareability score

“Awesome article from @ UpstateBiz on GSL founder Joe Wilson! Check it out: ow.ly/PsmzC” >> @gslsports via Twitter “Thank you to the GSL staff for sharing this! Doing this was a ton of fun! Our social athletes are amazing and we want to thank you for your unbelievable support! Emily Price, thank you for the awesome article!” >> Joe Wilson via FB “Congrats, Joe, on your businesses success and positive community impact!” >> Vikash Patel via FB

Photo by Jim Pitt Harris

“I remember those original teams, just trying to get to On the Roxx :-) Couldn’t be more proud of you guys Joe Wilson & John Sharkey. What a great article, Emily Price!” >> Katy Grinstaff via FB “Congrats, Joe Wilson. Greenville wouldn’t be the same without GSL. It’s allowed me to stay active, meet a boat load of people, and gives me something to look forward every week. Appreciate it, brother!!” >> Matt Mitchum via FB

“Gotta share this awesome success story about Joe Wilson and John Sharkey, great, hardworking guys who deserve every bit of this success! Congratulations!” >> Eric Murphy via FB RE: COUNTY BOARD HALTS AUTOMATED TRANSIT BID PROCESS

“Glad to hear they are still going to try and continue the project.” >> Daniel Cloy via LinkedIn “A chance at progress… hopefully this will pick back up at a later date.” >> Thomas J. Tucker via FB RE: LOWES FOODS ANNOUNCES FIRST UPSTATE LOCATION

“Congratulations! Great location choice!” >> Wyatt Brothers Financial LLC via FB “I love that place! When I lived in Winston-Salem I worked long shifts at the pharmacy. You could order your groceries online and just for $5 you pull up and click the buzzer and they bring them out to your car! It was a godsend.” >> Nina Gibbs via FB “Excited to see Lowe’s Foods moving into the Greenville market.” >> Gap Creek Gourmet via FB

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

1. Lowes Foods announces first Upstate location - 566

2. The science of service (John Monarch, CEO of Direct Outbound) - 343

3. Camperdown development proceeding after national developer pulls out - 87

4. River’s Edge hopes for luck of the Irish - 63

5. County board halts automated transit bid process - 56

CONNECT WITH US @UPSTATEBIZ FACEBOOK.COM/ THEUPSTATEBUSINESSJOURNAL

JULY 10, 2015 | VOL. 4 ISSUE 28

WATCHING T

CLOCK

The rules for overtime pay for fulltime employees to change are about – with a big impact clos e to home Page 6

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WEIGH IN @ THE UBJ EXCHANGE Got something to offer? We’re looking for expert guest bloggers from all industries to contribute to the UBJ Exchange. Send posts or blog ideas to eprice@communityjournals.com. Check out the new Final Edit, a weekly blog post from our editors that reviews our week’s work in both UBJ and the Greenville Journal.

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DATE

INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE

| PLANNER | 23

EVENT INFO

WHERE DO I GO?

HOW DO I GO?

Commerce Club Investment Club Participate in a “Fantasy Stock Market”

Commerce Club 55 Beattie Place, 17th Floor, Greenville, 5:30 p.m.

MauldinEdge Community based idea session moving the Mauldin Crossroads forward

All Occasions Celebrations 108 N. Main St., 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Cost: $15 Register: bit.ly/mauldin-july2015

Women at Work Breakfast Training Series Topic: The power of negotiation

Hilton Greenville 45 W Orchard Park Drive, Greenvile, 8-10 a.m.

Cost: Chamber member $25, nonmember $35 Register: bit.ly/women-july2015

Women Mean Business Monthly Meeting Networking for businesswomen

Charleston Cooks 200 N. Main St., Greenville, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: Lauren@riverfallsspa.com

Networking with a Twist Monthly speed networking event

Commerce Club 55 Beattie Place, 17th Floor, Greenville, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Cost: Members Free, Nonmembers $10 Register: bit.ly/twist-july2015

7/31

FYI Friday Speaker: Danny Morrison, president of the Carolina Panthers

Country Club of Spartanburg 2500 Country Club Road, Spartanburg, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Cost: Chamber members $15, nonmembers $25 Register: bit.ly/fyi-july2015

Thursday

Iron Yard Ventures 2015 Demo Day Presentations from nine digital health and wellness tech startups

Indigo Hall 190 Ezell St., Spartanburg, 5-7:30 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: bit.ly/iron-aug2015

Greenville Chamber Golf Tournament

Chanticleer Golf Course and Greenville Country Club

More info: bit.ly/golf-aug2015

Tuesday

7/21 Wednesday

7/22 Thursday

7/23 Friday

8/13 Monday

8/24

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

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JULY 24: TRAVELERS REST The small town making big waves.

Whitney Fincannon

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Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com

UBJ PUBLISHER

Michael Allen

CLIENT SERVICES

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Kristi Fortner

Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com

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Ashley Boncimino, Sherry Jackson, Benjamin Jeffers, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris

EDITORIAL INTERNS Andrew Ream, Kayla Wyles

MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Nicole Greer, Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehman, Emily Yepes

DIGITAL TEAM Emily Price, Danielle Car

1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport

1988

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

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

with a majority of them utilizing the general aviation airport as a “corporate gateway to the city.” In 1997, Jackson and his son, Darrell, launched Jackson Motorsports Group. The new division was designed to sell race tires and go to racetracks to sell and mount the tires. Darrell Jackson now serves as president of the motorsports group and Larry Jackson has two other children and a son-in-law who work there. Jackson said all his children started at the bottom and “earned their way up.” Jackson kept the Jackson-Dawson branches in Detroit and others in Los Angeles and New York until he sold his portion of that partnership in 2009 as part of his estate planning. The company now operates a small office in Charlotte, but its main headquarters are in Greenville in a large office space off Woodruff Road, complete with a vision gallery that displays local artwork and an auditorium Jackson makes available for non-profit use. The Motorsports Group is housed in an additional 26,000 square feet building just down the street, and the agency is currently looking for another 20,000 square feet. Jackson said JMG has expanded into other verticals such as financial, healthcare, manufacturing and pro-bono work, but still has a strong focus on the auto industry and transportation. It’s

Chairman larry Jackson, Jackson marketing Group. Photos by Greg Beckner / Staff

Jackson Marketing Group celebrates 25 years By sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com

Solve. Serve. Grow. Those three words summarize Jackson Marketing Group’s guiding principles, and according to owner Larry Jackson, form the motivation that has kept the firm thriving for the past 25 years.

Jackson graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in video and film production and started his 41-year career in the communications industry with the U.S. Army’s Public Information Office. He served during

Vietnam, where he said he was “luckily” stationed in the middle of Texas at Fort Hood. He left the service and went to work in public affairs and motorsports at Ford Motor Company in Detroit. After a stint at Bell and Howell, where he was responsible for managing Ford’s dealer marketing and training, the entrepreneurial bug hit and he co-founded Jackson-Dawson Marketing Communications, a company specializing in dealer training and product launches for the auto industry in 1980. In 1987, Jackson wanted to move back south and thought Greenville would be a good fit. An avid pilot, he

learned of an opportunity to purchase Cornerstone Aviation, a fixed base operation (FBO) that served as a service station for the Greenville Downtown Airport, providing fuel, maintenance and storage. In fact, when he started the Greenville office of what is now Jackson Marketing Group (JMG) in 1988, the offices were housed on the second floor in an airport hangar. “Clients would get distracted by the airplanes in the hangars and we’d have to corral them to get back upstairs to the meeting,” Jackson said. Jackson sold the FBO in 1993, but says it was a great way to get to know Greenville’s fathers and leaders

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

1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

also one of the few marketing companies in South Carolina to handle all aspects of a project in-house, with four suites handling video production, copywriting, media and research and web design. Clients include heavyweights such as BMW, Bob Jones University, the Peace Center, Michelin and Sage Automotive. Recent projects have included an interactive mobile application for Milliken’s arboretum and 600-acre Spartanburg campus and a marketing campaign for the 2013 Big League World Series. “In my opinion, our greatest single achievement is the longevity of our client relationships,” said Darrell Jackson. “Our first client from back in 1988 is still a client today. I can count on one hand the number of clients who have gone elsewhere in the past decade.” Larry Jackson says his Christian faith and belief in service to others, coupled with business values rooted in solving clients’ problems, have kept

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

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

him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-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

JULY 31: QUARTERLY CRE ISSUE The state of commercial real estate in the Upstate.

David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board, Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

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NOVEMBER 1, 2013

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jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years

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UBJ milestone

Holly Hardin

Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com

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