JULY 11, 2014
UPSTATE POWERHOUSE Built in its Greenville plant, GE’s gas turbines are energizing the world
Frustrated By Unethical Payment Processing Practices? Make it better. Bait-and-switch tactics have tarnished the
industry’s customer satisfaction reputation. You may think there’s no integrity in credit card
payment processing, but Tandem just earned the
BBB award for “Integrity in Marketplace Ethics.”
There is a company pushing for the best practices.
Don’t you deserve the best?
Tandem Innovative Payment Solutions 728 N Pleasantburg Dr, Greenville, SC 29607 (864) 672-1570 www.tandempayment.com Tandem is a registered ISO/MSP of Chase Paymentech Solutions, LLC
UBJ EDUCATION
iMAGINE Upstate seeks to inspire future workforce Weeklong event next spring will put advanced manufacturing and STEM on stage
JOE TOPPE | STAFF
jtoppe@communityjournals.com As the manufacturing industry’s demand for a skilled and indigenous workforce continues to grow, local employers are placing increasing emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in Upstate schools. Industry leaders are laying the groundwork now for a Spring 2015 series of activities that will celebrate STEM, innovation, and creative and entrepreneurial activity in the Upstate. The weeklong series will kick off with CU-ICAR’s Millennium iMAGINE UPSTATE’S COLLABORATIVE KICKOFF PARTNER: CU-ICAR FOUNDING PARTNERS: GE, Bosch, Fluor and Michelin EVENT DATES: March 28 through April 4. SERIES CLOSEOUT: InnoVenture annual conference in downtown Greenville April 3-4. TARGET AUDIENCE: K-16 students, families and young professionals, with a focus on ages 12-24.
Drive event, said Ryan Heafy, executive director of iMAGINE Upstate. iMAGINE Upstate is intended to generate “aha moments” for a future workforce, Heafy said. “The idea is to educate students, families and young professionals about the opportunities right here in our community.” By showing students and parents additional career options and highlighting the differences between a two-year and four-year degree, “we hope to drive the Upstate’s future workforce development,” Heafy said. The future of the Upstate is centered on manufacturing and innovation, he said. As the demand grows and the supply dwindles, “we need to create homegrown talent to fill those jobs.” Thomas Peters, executive director of the SC Coalition for Mathematics & Science, said iMAGINE Upstate will be a celebration of curiosity, innovation and learning. The program is a visible symbol of this region’s passion for progress and opportunity, he said, bringing together people of all ages and from all walks of life to explore the many ways STEM enriches lives. As the Upstate’s manufacturing sector becomes more complex, workforce demands require highly
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES: • Put advanced manufacturing and other STEM workforce opportunities “on stage” in a way that no school career fair could. RYAN HEAFY
skilled workers, he said. “Imagining the next generation of our manufacturing workforce begins with the opportunities we present to our community today.” The inaugural event will feature crowdsourced activities, including playing Tetris on the side of a downtown building, interactive sidewalks, presentations on college degrees, and a festival in downtown Greenville.
• Showcase and promote Upstate South Carolina as a national model for workforce development to attract new businesses and foster new opportunities in the Upstate. • Partner with educational institutions to create collaborative ventures during the week. • Create conversation and growing public interest in STEM, innovation, creative and entrepreneurial opportunities in the Upstate.
Stay in the know on Facebook. Like us today:facebook.com/TheUpstateBusinessJournal Upstate Business Journal July 11, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
3
Volume 3, Issue 28
July 11, 2014
WORTH REPEATING “I came here right after the Iranian Hostage Crisis – a 26-year-old Iranian trying to get people to take me seriously about something they’d never heard of.”
MONEY SHOT: Workers attend to HArriet, GE’s 866,000-pound HA-model gas turbine, during the 6,000-mile journey from its manufacturing facility in Belfort, France, to Greenville. HArriet is set for testing on the Greenville facility’s full-speed, full-load test stand in September. Read more on page 18.
Page 16
“We get to learn very quickly what our hardware is capable of.” Page 18
“He who thinks he leads but has no followers is only on a walk.” Page 23
TBA Firehouse Subs is reportedly coming to Haywood Road, across from Haywood Mall… Look for the Greenville Area Development Corporation to announce its new CEO in the next few weeks. Word is more than 300 candidates applied… Keep your eyes open for Thorne Boutique, coming soon to Stone Avenue…
A new 41,000-square-foot grocery store could be built at corner of Old Buncombe Road and Duncan Chapel Road… Word is an international customized automation equipment company is considering expanding its U.S. operations in Greenville County, bringing several dozen new jobs when it arrives …
VERBATIM On Bloodies with brunch… “There’s a lot of folks who have moved here from other areas where they were used to being able to take the family out for a nice meal, and if somebody wanted a Bloody Mary with brunch then they could get it.” Greenville restaurateur Carl Sobocinski, on a petition drive to allow for a referendum on Sunday alcohol sales in unincorporated areas of Greenville County, as reported in The State newspaper. Elections officials are currently verifying the signatures on the petition, which was delivered Monday.
4
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
July 11, 2014
Photo Courtesy of GE
THENTHEN (2000)(2000) THEN (2000) 4Q 2000 Rank Airport Rank Airport 1 2 3 4
WhiteRank Plains, 1 NY White Plains, NY 738.71 Airport Charlotte, 2 NC Charlotte, NC 663.54 1 White Plains, NY Washington 3 Dulles Washington Dulles 655.01 2 Charlotte, NC Greenville/Spartanburg, 43 Greenville/Spartanburg, 644.21 SC Washington SC Dulles
Top Most TopExpensive Most Expensive Airports* Airports* Top Most Expensive Airports*
Ranked by average Rankeddomestic by average itinerary domestic fareitinerary in 4Q 2000 fare&in2013 4Q 2000 (current$). & 2013 (current$). *Based on data *Based furnished on data by furnished US Department by US of Department Transportation. of Transportation. Rank 4Q 2000 Ranked by average domestic itinerary fare in 4Q 2000 & 2013 (current$). Rank Airport
4Q738.71 2000 663.54 738.71 655.01 663.54 644.21 655.01
5 Cincinnati, 54 OHCincinnati, OH 624.61 624.61 Greenville/Spartanburg, SC 644.21 6 Huntsville, 65 AL Huntsville, AL 620.70 624.61 620.70 Cincinnati, OH 7 Richmond, 76 VA Richmond, VA 615.62 615.62 Huntsville, AL 620.70 8 Newark-Liberty, 87 Newark-Liberty, NJ NJ 612.90 612.90 Richmond, VA 615.62 9 San Francisco, 98 San CA Francisco, NJ CA 610.68 612.90 610.68 Newark-Liberty, 10 Harrisburg, 109 PAHarrisburg, PA 607.24 607.24 San Francisco, CA 610.68 11 Dallas-Fort 1110 Worth, Dallas-Fort TX Worth, TX 598.73 607.24 598.73 Harrisburg, PA 12 New York 1211JFK, NY New York JFK, NY 593.00 593.00 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX 598.73 13 Portland, 1312ME Portland, ME NY 585.93 593.00 585.93 New York JFK, 14 Charleston, 1413 SCCharleston, 577.57 585.93 577.57 Portland, MESC 15 Cedar Rapids, 1514 Cedar IA Rapids, 569.57 577.57 569.57 Charleston, SC IA 16 Pittsburgh, 1615 PAPittsburgh, PAIA 564.92 569.57 564.92 Cedar Rapids, 17 Knoxville 1716TN Knoxville 562.00 564.92 562.00 Pittsburgh,TNPA 18 Wichita,1817 KS Wichita, 561.18 562.00 561.18 Knoxville KS TN 19 Denver,19CO 560.57 561.18 560.57 18 Denver, Wichita,CO KS 20 Pensacola, 2019 FL Pensacola, 555.65 560.57 555.65 Denver, CO FL 21 Philadelphia, 2120 PA Philadelphia, 554.67 555.65 554.67 Pensacola, FL PA 22 Colorado 2221Springs, Colorado CO Springs, 550.25 Philadelphia, PA CO 550.25 554.67 23 Fayetteville, 2322 ARFayetteville, AR CO 549.68 550.25 549.68 Colorado Springs, Fayetteville, AR IL 24 Chicago2423 O’Hare, Chicago IL O’Hare, 543.53 549.68 543.53 Chicago O’Hare, IL 25 Houston2524 Bush,Houston TX Bush, TX 542.30 543.53 542.30 Houston MA Bush, TX 26 Boston,2625 MA Boston, 541.89 542.30 541.89 Boston, MAWI 27 Madison, 2726WI Madison, 536.31 541.89 536.31 Madison, WI IA 28 Des Moines, 2827 IADes Moines, 529.66 536.31 529.66 Des IA MI 29 Grand Rapids, 2928 Grand MI Moines, Rapids, 529.28 529.66 529.28 Grand 30 Minneapolis/St. 3029 Minneapolis/St. Paul,Rapids, MN MIPaul, MN 524.12 529.28 524.12 Minneapolis/St. MN518.08 524.12 31 Norfolk/Virginia 3130 Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA Paul, Beach, VA 518.08 31 Fresno, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA517.41 518.08 32 Fresno,32 CA CA 517.41 Fresno, CA NY 33 Syracuse, 3332NY Syracuse, 509.01 517.41 509.01 Syracuse, NYVT 34 Burlington, 3433 VTBurlington, 506.88 509.01 506.88 Burlington,TN VT 35 Memphis, 3534TN Memphis, 504.51 506.88 504.51 Memphis, 36 Santa Ana 3635 (Orange Santa County), AnaTN(Orange CA County), 490.48 CA 504.51 490.48 36 Miami, Santa Ana CA 490.48 37 Miami,37 FL FL (Orange County), 488.92 488.92 Miami, FL WI 38 Milwaukee, 3837 WIMilwaukee, 486.84 488.92 486.84 Milwaukee, 39 Los Angeles, 3938 CA Los Angeles,WICA 479.70 486.84 479.70 Los Angeles, 40 Atlanta,4039 GA Atlanta, GA CA 474.50 479.70 474.50 Atlanta, 41 St. Louis, 4140MO St. Louis,GAMO 471.18 474.50 471.18 41 St. Louis, MO 471.18 42 Washington 42 Reagan Washington National Reagan National 470.14 470.14 42 Washington Reagan National 470.14 43 Austin,43 TX Austin, TX 469.53 469.53 43 Austin, TX 469.53 44 New York 44 LaGuardia, New York NYLaGuardia, NY468.90 468.90 44 New York LaGuardia, NY 468.90 45 Cleveland, 45 OH Cleveland, OH 467.58 467.58 45 Cleveland, OH 467.58 46 Greensboro/High 46 Greensboro/High Point, NC Point, 466.38 NC 466.38 46 Greensboro/High Point, NC 466.38 47 Rochester, 47 NY Rochester, NY 464.02 464.02 47 Rochester, NY 464.02 48 Seattle/Tacoma, 4848 Seattle/Tacoma, WA WA 462.37 462.37 462.37 Seattle/Tacoma, WA 49 Detroit,49MI MI 458.38 458.38 458.38 49 Detroit, Detroit, MI U.S. Average Domestic U.S. Average Itinerary Domestic Fare Itinerary Fare 455.49 455.49 U.S. Average Domestic Itinerary Fare 455.49 50 Hartford, 5050CT Hartford, CT 454.77 454.77 Hartford, CT 454.77 51 Dayton,5151 OH Dayton, OH 453.66 453.66 453.66 Dayton, OH 52 Jackson, 5252MS Jackson, MS 437.76 437.76 Jackson, MS 437.76 53 Savannah, 5353 GA Savannah, GA 433.64 433.64 433.64 Savannah, GA 54 Manchester, 5454 NH Manchester, NH 432.49 432.49 Manchester, NH 432.49 55 Albany,55 NY NY 431.78 431.78 431.78 55 Albany, Albany, NY 56 Portland, 5656OR Portland, OR 422.56 422.56 422.56 Portland, OR 57 San Jose, 5757CA San CA 421.53 421.53 421.53 San Jose, Jose, CA 58 West Palm 5858 Beach/Palm West Beach/Palm FL Beach, 421.26 Beach, 421.26 West Palm PalmBeach, Beach/Palm FL FL 421.26 59 Columbus, 5959 OHColumbus, OH 419.41 419.41 419.41 Columbus, OH 60 Indianapolis, 6060 IN Indianapolis, 414.16 414.16 414.16 Indianapolis, ININ 61 Omaha,6161 NE Omaha, NE 413.39 413.39 413.39 Omaha, NE 62 Providence, 6262 RIProvidence, 411.86 411.86 411.86 Providence, RIRI 63 Birmingham, 6363 AL Birmingham, AL 410.42 410.42 410.42 Birmingham, AL
*Based on data furnished by US Department of Transportation.
WE’VE WE’VE WE’VE BEEN BEEN BEEN BUSY... BUSY... BUSY...
Working Working to helptomake help air make air Working to help make air travel even traveleasier even easier for you.for you. travel even easier for you. Between Between 2000 and 2000 and Between 2000 and 2013 our 2013 fares ourhave fares have 2013 our fares have
DROPPED DROPPED 42% 42% DROPPED 42% causingcausing GSP to GSP go from to go from causing GSP to go from 4th MOST EXPENSIVE MOST EXPENSIVE 4th4th MOST EXPENSIVE Airport Airport to 63rd... to 63rd... Airport to 63rd...
THAT’S THAT’S A BIG ACHANGE. BIG CHANGE. THAT’S A BIG CHANGE. The average average GSPGSP fares GSP ourfares TheThe average fares our our now 2.4% lower than lower thethe than the 2.4% nownow lower than 2.4% national national average, average, 8% 8% national average, lower lower 8%lower than than Charlotte, than Charlotte, andand and 6.8% 6.8% Charlotte, 6.8% lowerlower than lower Atlanta. than Atlanta. than Atlanta.
BOOKBOOK YOUR BOOK FLIGHTS YOUR FLIGHTS TODAY YOUR FLIGHTS TODAYTODAY USING OUR USING LOWOUR FARE LOW FINDER FARE AT FINDER USING OUR LOW FARE FINDER AT AT
GSPAirport.com GSPAirport.com GSPAirport.com
NOWNOW (2013)(2013 NOW (2013) Airport 4Q 2013 4Q 2013
Rank 1
Airport1 AL Huntsville, AL 4Q527.52 2013 Huntsville, 2 Cincinnati, 2 OHCincinnati, OH 510.36 1 Huntsville, AL 527.52 3 Washington 3 Dulles Washington Dulles 505.62 2 Cincinnati, OH 510.36 4 Newark-Liberty, 4 Newark-Liberty, NJ NJ 498.71 3 Washington Dulles 505.62 5 Houston5Bush,Houston TX Bush, TX 497.61 4 Newark-Liberty, NJ 498.71 65 Fayetteville, 6 AR Fayetteville, AR 485.41 Houston Bush, TX 497.61 76 Savannah, 7 GA Savannah, GA 480.54 Fayetteville, AR 485.41 87 Madison, 8 WI Madison, WI 479.08 Savannah, GA 480.54 98 Cleveland, 458.53 Madison,9 WIOH Cleveland, OH 479.08 109 Pensacola, 10 FL Pensacola, FL 451.68 Cleveland, OH 458.53 1110 Colorado 11Springs, CO Springs, CO451.68 440.94 Pensacola, FL Colorado 1211 Grand Rapids, 12Springs, Grand MICO Rapids, MI 440.94 434.63 Colorado 1312 New 13 JFK, NY New 434.60 GrandYork Rapids, MI York JFK, NY 434.63 1413 Memphis, 14JFK, TN NY Memphis, TN 434.43 New York 434.60 1514 San Francisco, 15 TN San CA Francisco, CA 434.43 433.68 Memphis, 1615 Jackson, 16MS Jackson, MS 433.35 San Francisco, CA 433.68 1716 Albany, 17 NY 432.91 Jackson, MS Albany, NY 433.35 1817 Detroit, MI Detroit, MI 425.41 Albany,18 NY 432.91 1918 Tulsa, 19 424.14 Detroit,OK MI Tulsa, OK 425.41 2019 Greensboro/High 20 Greensboro/High Point, NC Point, 423.40 NC Tulsa, OK 424.14 2120 Birmingham, 21 AL Birmingham, 420.96 Greensboro/High Point, NC AL 423.40 2221 Midland/Odessa, 22 ALMidland/Odessa, TX TX 420.96 420.92 Birmingham, 2322 Harrisburg, 23 PAHarrisburg, PA 420.46 Midland/Odessa, TX 420.92 Harrisburg, PA Richmond, VA 420.46 2423 Richmond, 24 VA 420.39 Richmond, 420.39 2524 Los Angeles, 25 VACA Los Angeles, CA 414.88 Los Angeles, 2625 Minneapolis/St. 26 CAMinneapolis/St. Paul, MN Paul,414.88 MN 414.70 Minneapolis/St. Paul, Plains, MN 2726 White Plains, 27 NY White NY 414.70 414.21 WhiteLake Plains, 2827 Salt 28 City,NYSalt UT Lake City, UT 414.21 413.20 Salt Lake 413.20 2928 Syracuse, 29 City, NY UT Syracuse, NY 412.81 Syracuse, 3029 Philadelphia, 30 NY PA Philadelphia, PA 412.81 411.22 Philadelphia, PAChicago 3130 Chicago 31O’Hare, IL O’Hare, IL 411.22 410.62 Chicago32O’Hare, IL TX 3231 Dallas-Fort Worth, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX410.62 409.51 Dallas-Fort TX VA Beach, 409.51 3332 Norfolk/Virginia 33 Worth, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, 407.39 VA Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA NC 407.39 3433 Charlotte, 34 NC Charlotte, 405.50 Charlotte, 405.50 3534 Burlington, 35 NCVTBurlington, VT 404.34 35 Burlington, VT 404.34 36 Knoxville 36TN Knoxville TN 402.89 Knoxville 402.89 3736 Fresno, 37 CATN Fresno, CA 400.42 Fresno,38 CA City,Oklahoma 3837 Oklahoma OK City, OK 400.42 400.42 Oklahoma OK 400.42 3938 Atlanta, 39GACity,Atlanta, GA 399.10 Atlanta,40GA SCCharleston, SC 399.10 4039 Charleston, 396.91 Charleston, SCColumbus, OH 396.91 4140 Columbus, 41 OH 395.15 Columbus, OH 395.15 4241 Little Rock, 42 ARLittle Rock, AR 394.16 42 Little Rock, AR 394.16 43 Boise, ID 43 Boise, ID 392.80 43 Boise, ID 392.80 44 San Antonio, 44 TX San Antonio, TX 392.59 44 San Antonio, TX 392.59 45 Pittsburgh, 45 PAPittsburgh, PA 392.26 45 Pittsburgh, PA 392.26 46 New York 46 LaGuardia, New York NYLaGuardia, NY389.62 46 New York LaGuardia, NY 389.62 47 Portland, 47 ME Portland, ME 389.35 47 Portland, ME 389.35 48 Louisville, 48 KY Louisville, KY 388.81 48 Louisville, KY 388.81 4949 Indianapolis, 49 IN Indianapolis, IN 388.32 Indianapolis, IN 388.32 5050 Wichita, KS Wichita, KS 387.90 Wichita,50KS 387.90 5151 Austin, 51 TX Austin, TX 387.29 Austin, TX 387.29 5252 Tucson, AZ Tucson, AZ 387.25 Tucson,52AZ 387.25 5353 Washington 53 Reagan Washington National Reagan National 386.14 Washington Reagan National 386.14 5454 Miami, FL Miami, FL 385.76 Miami,54 FL 385.76 5555 ElEl Paso, TX El Paso, TX 384.39 Paso,55TX 384.39 5656 Seattle/Tacoma, 56 Seattle/Tacoma, WA WA 383.16 383.16 Seattle/Tacoma, WA 5757 Hartford, 57CT CT Hartford, CT 381.76 Hartford, 381.76 U.S. Average Domestic U.S. Average Itinerary Domestic Fare Itinerary Fare 381.05 U.S. Average Domestic Itinerary Fare 381.05 5858 Jacksonville, 58 FLFLJacksonville, FL 380.83 Jacksonville, 380.83 5959 Boston, MA Boston, MA 376.60 Boston,59MA 376.60 6060 Omaha, NE Omaha, NE 375.01 Omaha,60NE 375.01 6161 Raleigh/Durham, 61 Raleigh/Durham, NC NC372.33 372.33 Raleigh/Durham, NC 6262 Des 62 IAIADes Moines, IA 372.28 Des Moines, Moines, 372.28
Park Park closer. closer. Check-in Check-in faster. faster. Park closer. Check-in faster. 6363
Greenville/Spartanburg, 63 Greenville/Spartanburg, 371.99 SC Greenville/Spartanburg, SCSC 371.99
GSP is closer, GSP is closer, and less faster crowded and than crowded Atlanta than or Charlotte Atlanta orAirports. Charlotte Think Airports. GSP Think first. GSP isfaster closer, faster and less less crowded than Atlanta or Charlotte Airports. Think GSP first. GSP first. www.GSPAirport.com www.GSPAirport.com www.GSPAirport.com gspairport.com : Book Hotel Rooms and Rental Cars. gspairport.com gspairport.com : Book Flights, : Flights, Book Hotel Flights, Rooms Hotel and Rooms Rental and Cars. Rental Cars.
527.52 510.36 505.62 498.71 497.61 485.41 480.54 479.08 458.53 451.68 440.94 434.63 434.60 434.43 433.68 433.35 432.91 425.41 424.14 423.40 420.96 420.92 420.46 420.39 414.88 414.70 414.21 413.20 412.81 411.22 410.62 409.51 407.39 405.50 404.34 402.89 400.42 400.42 399.10 396.91 395.15 394.16 392.80 392.59 392.26 389.62 389.35 388.81 388.32 387.90 387.29 387.25 386.14 385.76 384.39 383.16 381.76 381.05 380.83 376.60 375.01 372.33 372.28 371.99
UBJ REAL ESTATE
Vacation rental owners get new tax break SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF
sjackson@communityjournals.com It may be time to buy that beach house. In June, Gov. Nikki Haley signed into law a tax break that will allow homeowners to pay owner-occupant property taxes even if their homes are rented out up to 72 days per year. Meant as a tax break for people who live at the beach but rent their homes for part of the year, the new 72-day rule applies to any property in the state of South Carolina. Previously, a home that rented for longer than 14 days was taxed as a commercial property. Rental property taxes in the state equate to about triple the rate of owner-occupied homes. According to the Post and Courier,
the bill originally allowed 100 rental days but was changed to allow 72 days – roughly the length of summer vacation – as it went through a series of amendments. But the change is not a tax savings for everyone. The state’s economic analysis found the bill will cost local governments – primarily school districts – about $1 million yearly in property tax revenue, the Post and Courier reported. That’s because some properties now taxed as commercial will qualify for owner-occupied residence tax rules. Sen. Paul Thurmond, R-Charleston, who is among the bill’s cosponsors, said the change will allow property owners to rent out their primary residence for a longer period if they so desire. The legislation would essentially undo a
“If individual property owners are not paying the required taxes, schools, local governments, public safety and the community at large lose.” Brad Dean
series of court rulings that found homeowners should lose their preferential property tax status if they rent their homes for more than 14 days. The new law is effective immediately and applies to property tax years after 2013. In a move more helpful to local governments, Haley also signed the Fairness in Lodging Act in June,
giving municipalities new tools to go after rental property owners who fail to collect accommodations taxes. The law requires the S.C. Department of Revenue to share information with towns and cities that could help identify suspect property owners. “While we are pleased that so many people own property that is rentable to tourists, both in the Myrtle Beach area and other locations across the state, we need to maintain a level playing field and ensure all property owners are abiding by the rules,” Brad Dean, president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, told WMBF-TV News. “If individual property owners are not paying the required taxes, schools, local governments, public safety and the community at large lose.”
Greenville Chamber
July 15, 2014
Business After Hours
5:30 - 7:30 pm at Haywood Mall (Downstairs inside entrance to Belk)
Please join us for an After Hours Expo open to the Community! Food will be provided by Bailey’s Sports Grill, Good to Go Mobile Kitchen, Honey Baked Ham, Jimmy John’s and Tom’s BBQ. Cash bar provided by Liquid Catering. Attendees will receive 20% off purchases at Belk (limited exclusions apply).
Learn more and register at www.GreenvilleChamber.org. 6
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
July 11, 2014
UBJ TECHNOLOGY
9 digital health startups selected for 2014 Iron Yard class Nine digital health and wellness startup companies from around the world have been selected to take part in The Iron Yard’s 2014 Digital Health Accelerator. Two of those companies were founded by Iron Yard Academy alumni. The program, based in Spartanburg, began July 7, and the group will present at the Health 2.0 conference in San Francisco in September. It is the fourth accelerator cohort of the Iron Yard. This year’s startup class includes: AHOYDOC: An online chat service that allows potential patients visiting a physician’s website to request an appointment or ask questions of a trained professional representative who will assist them in real time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. APOTHESOURCE: Service platform and mobile app designed to simplify medication management. BEE RESILIENT: Specializing in the creation and distribution of behavioral health education products. The platform cross-pollinates medical research, evidence-based programs, educators and vetted professionals. EXCEP APPS: Mobile applications for individuals with special needs. Founded by an Iron Yard Academy alumni. HATS OFF TECH: NavAssist, the team’s first patient navigation development, is a mobile platform for connected care that facilitates care and communication between cancer patients and their families, navigators and physicians.
ICLINICAL: Mobile platform for clinical trial analytics and data collection. Tablet-based data collection platform enables powerful and customized analytics for clinical trials in the healthcare market. INTENTION TECHNOLOGY: Develops medical algorithms to assist in the early diagnosis of disease. A noninvasive medical diagnostic tool will enable home-based diagnosis of 15 different diseases. RALLY FIT: Leveraging the power of wearable activity tracking devices (e.g., Fitbit, Jawbone, Withings) through an all-inclusive social media Web application. Founded by an Iron Yard Academy alumni. RECOVR: Researches, develops and distributes virtual therapy games to improve the daily lives of people recovering from a stroke. Its first product is an interactive stroke rehabilitation game that patients use via an XBox gaming system.
PARTICIPANTS IN THE ACCELERATOR WILL RECEIVE: • $20,000 in seed capital. • Three months of mentorship and weekly workshops from experts in health care innovation, fundraising, design, lean startup methodology, team formation and financing. • A full year of free coworking space. • Downtown housing in the same building as the accelerator and free access to bikes for getting around town.
Semi-Annual Clearance Sale Starts July 10 • Up to 50% off
Selected Spring and Summer merchandise SUITS, SPORT COATS, DRESS AND CASUAL PANTS, SPORT SHIRTS, DRESS SHIRTS, SHOES, SHORTS, SWIMWEAR AND MORE!
“Purveyors of Classic American Style” 864.232.2761 | rushwilson.com | 23 West North St. | Downtown Greenville
July 11, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
7
UBJ WORKFORCE
Client Murphy
Upstate staffing companies stay responsive to workforce demands
Murphy’s Law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. Have you ever had a Murphy’s Law client? If anything is going to go wrong, then it will most likely happen to that client. Everything is running smoothly and then a bump in the road occurs. Guess who is affected: Client Murphy!
Efforts combine focus on local talent with recruitment outside the region
I imagine everyone has had their own Client Murphy at one time or another. The client relationship starts rocky and never seems to get better. At times, it can be so frustrating that you are ready to terminate the relationship as if it were a gangrene arm. Client Murphy can be so difficult that you begin to lose confidence in LEE YARBOROUGH your team and yourself.
JOE TOPPE | STAFF
jtoppe@communityjournals.com Upstate staffing companies are collaborating with the region’s industry leaders to meet the high demands for a skilled and reliable workforce. Understanding local employment needs are key to recruitment services and can play a large role in showcasing the area’s ability to create a sustainable workforce. The complete hiring plans of an incoming business must be provided to staffing companies so they can be better prepared to meet their needs, said Abby Gary, director of professional services for Human Technologies Inc. It is important for employment services to know not only the number of hires expected but also the types of positions needing to be filled, she said. Although staffing companies do not influence regional business recruitment firsthand, a strong indigenous workforce can be used as a persuasive marketing tool. Gary said companies interested in
But, there is hope! Don’t let Client Murphy keep you awake at night. And don’t let Client Murphy control your workplace! Learn to steer clear of Murphy’s law and turn Client Murphy into a happy and profitable client! • Be prepared for mistakes. When beginning a new project, contemplate what can go wrong and prepare for the worst case scenarios. If prepared, the worst is never as bad as it once seemed. • Take time to evaluate your operations. We often get so comfortable with our daily processes that we work on auto-pilot. Audit yourself and have the team self-check regularly. • Cover your bases and document your work. Many times with Client Murphy, mistakes have not been made; you just can’t prove that the work was done correctly because it was not adequately documented. • Be positive. You know your value and the worth of your business; don’t let Client Murphy get you down. Focus on the positive and move forward. In work and in life, we always must expect the unexpected. Sometimes, the unexpected is bad, but most of the time, it is good. Remember this when Client Murphy is knocking and go ahead and kick Murphy’s Law out the door!
M43A
669 N. Academy Street, Greenville, SC 864.679.6055 | 800.446.6567 | www.propelhr.com
8
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
July 11, 2014
relocating to the area want to see that the Upstate is capable of staffing a high-volume and high-speed facility within a reasonable amount of time. The ability to staff large companies efficiently can appeal to industry leaders considering the Upstate of South Carolina for business relocation, she said. HTI began establishing a relationship with ZF Lemforder Corporation five years ago while providing a staff for its Duncan facility. Gary said the company requested HTI’s assistance once again when ZF Transmission moved into its Gray Court facility in May 2012 and began full-scale production in January of 2013. The initial job announcement called for 800 employees, she said. To date, ZF has exceeded its initial request and is at over 1,400 employees. Gary said HTI created job fairs, recruiting events, partnered with SC Works, and worked with the region’s technical schools to build a staff. Staffed entirely >>
UBJ WORKFORCE >> locally, job recruitment for ZF began with the professional and skilled labor, she said. Once production was started, “we began hiring the remainder of the workforce.” As large companies begin the hiring process during startup, it is impossible to complete the operation in-house, said Marisa Middaugh, HR process manager for ZF Transmissions. HTI handled all pre-screening for candidates based on ZF’s hiring plans, she said. Upon beginning operations, staffing services enable large companies to hit the ground running with a prepared workforce and maintain that momentum as they expand. Gary said HTI worked with Greenville Technical College to develop positions in maintenance and machining. Machine tool technology and mechatronics were areas of study applicable to the job openings, she said. In an interview with the Upstate Business Journal in April, Dr. Keith
Miller, president of Greenville Technical College, said the school will amend their curriculum to meet workforce demands. Greenville Technical College is shaping education to meet employer needs through programs offered in the Corporate and Career Development Division, he said. “The school was established in the 1960s to create the skilled workforce companies need for success.” As companies come into the region with major job announcements, or an existing company expands its operations, a ripple effect is experienced throughout the marketplace. When major job announcements are made, staffing firms are well aware of the domino effect that often occurs, said Julie Brown, president and owner of Godshall Professional Recruiting and Staffing. When one firm expands, its resonance extends beyond job seekers and into the Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers to those major corporations, she said. Large expansions signal aftershocks
that are far-reaching, and depending on the scale of the announcement and the type of hiring needed, small businesses may also feel wage pressure. Including advertising and online posts through business and national websites such as Monster or Careerbuilder, most staffing firms use a variety of techniques in building their workforce, Brown said. Many companies use referral programs and hold career fairs, she said. The talent may be found locally or beyond the regional market, “but it is not difficult to sell candidates on relocating to the Upstate; we are an easy sell.” Brown said staffing and recruiting companies are uniquely qualified to assist firms as expansions occur. The industry recruits 365 days per year and represents the largest single employee base, she said. “Because recruiting and staffing is our only business, we have a very good temperature on the job market.”
• Seasonally adjusted staffing employment was up 0.4 percent over May and 8.1 percent over June of last year, while the average over the past eight months has remained at 8.7 percent, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). • Non-seasonally adjusted BLS data, which estimate the actual number of jobs in the economy, indicated that staffing employment increased by 31,400 in June, up 1.1 percent from May. On a year-to-year basis, there were 8.2 percent more staffing employees in June than in the same month last year. • “Employment in temporary help services continued to trend up (+10,000) and has grown by 216,000 over the past year,” said Erica L. Groshen, commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2014 ML550
starting at $59,450*msrp www.CarltonMotorcars.com CARLTON A Refreshing Escape. 864-213-8000 | 800-801-3131 2446 Laurens Road, Greenville, SC 29607 MOTORCARS From the Ordinary. Carlton HalfH UBJ 0711 v2.indd 1
July 11, 2014
M74A
* Excludes all options, taxes, title, registration, $925 transportation charge, and dealer prep fee.
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL7/7/149 2:31 PM
UBJ MANUFACTURING
Led by Greer-made X models, BMW sales rev up in June JOE TOPPE | STAFF
jtoppe@communityjournals.com Halfway through 2014, Greermade BMWs continue to help drive the luxury carmaker’s monthly sales. The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported June sales in excess of 35,000 vehicles, an increase of 5.7 percent from the 33,645 vehicles sold in the same month one year ago. Year-to-date, the BMW Group is up 5.1 percent as more than 181,000 vehicles were sold during the first six months of 2014 compared to the 172,787 vehicles sold in the same period last year. Midway through 2014, U.S. sales of the South Carolina-made X models continue to show solid gains, said Sky
JUNE 2014
JUNE 2013
% CHANGE
BMW BRAND 30,201 27,074 11.5 BMW passenger cars 23,557 20,396 15.5 BMW light trucks 6,644 6,678 -0.5 MINI BRAND 5,376 6,571 -18.2 TOTAL GROUP 35,577 33,645 5.7
YTD JUNE 2014
YTD JUNE % 2013 CHANGE
157,382 140,431 12.1 110,804 101,936 8.7 46,578 38,495 21.0 24,152 32,356 -25.4 181,534 172,787 5.1
Source: BMWblog.com
Foster, department manager for corporate communications forBMW Manufacturing. “Our associates in Spartanburg contribute greatly to the overall success of BMW’s U.S. sales growth,” she said. BMW brand vehicles saw a boost of 11.5 percent during June, totaling
over 30,000 vehicles compared to the 27,074 vehicles sold during the same month last year. Year-to-date, the BMW brand is up 12.1 percent on sales of over 157,000 vehicles compared to the 140,431 sold the first six months of 2013. The June and first-half results prove that customer demand is solid and
strong, said Ludwig Willisch, president and CEO of BMW of North America. “We fully expect confidence and demand to stay strong through the end of the year,” he said. “I am particularly pleased with the results for our 2 and 4 Series models; these are driving machines at the core of the BMW brand.”
Labels Designer Consignments celebrates 5 years SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF
sjackson@communityjournals.com Labels Designer Consignments, an upscale resale boutique, celebrated its fifth anniversary this week. The store opened in 2009 on Augusta Street after owner Bentley Mitchell saw a need for “a shop catering to career women who wanted to dress fashionably without breaking
the bank.” The clothing store offers upscale, designer and couture brands at an average of 60 percent off retail prices, in sizes 0-18. More than 40,000 consignment pieces have exchanged hands in the boutique’s five years of operation. “I set out to make Labels a store I would want to shop in,” said Mitchell. “We carry a great mix of high-quality brands at exceptional
844 -GSP-ESPN 10
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
July 11, 2014
prices, thanks in large part to our consignor relations.” Over the years, Mitchell says Labels has sold notable couture items, including 35 pairs of Louboutin shoes and more than 150 pieces of Chanel. Her hottest sellers are brands like J. Crew and Ann Taylor, and pieces
Mike & Mike 6 -10 A
from Tory Burch. “The past five years have been some of the most challenging and rewarding times in my professional career,” says Mitchell. “It’s been a privilege to see the business grow and expand, and I’m excited to toast the next five years.”
The Her d 10A-1 P
P
UBJ ENERGY
What will power the grid of tomorrow? Clemson researchers are using renewable energy and smart grid technology to find the answer at its Charleston facility JOE TOPPE | STAFF
FEEDING THE GRID
jtoppe@communityjournals.com Researchers at Clemson University are playing a significant role in updating the nation’s power grid while working with industry leaders to revolutionize the generation and distribution of electricity. The university is currently developing several initiatives, including the testing and evaluation of next-generation large wind turbines, at the Clemson University Restoration Institute (CURI) in Charleston, said Randy Collins, professor of electrical and computer engineering. The test facility will be the largest in the world and enable the industry to hasten technological advancements for large wind turbines, he said. In addition, the electric grid simulator at CURI – also the largest facility of its type in the world – will support testing of renewable energy converters. The current electrical grid has seen few changes over the past century due to a scarcity of alternatives and the massive investments required. But scholars are working closely with the industry on projects and technologies that are modernizing the electrical grid. The U.S. electrical grid is some-
Artist’s model of the wind turbine testing facility at the SCE&G Innovation Center.
times referred to as the world’s most complex machine, Collins said. Making changes to this infrastructure would be incredibly expensive and alter the very nature of the way the energy is controlled, he said. “Until recently, there were not any economically viable alternatives.”
Enter the smart grid Updating the grid could revolutionize how energy is controlled, stored, transmitted, distributed and utilized – which is where smart grid
Photo Provided
technologies could provide an answer. “Smart grid” is the term experts use for a class of technology designed to bring utility electricity delivery systems into the 21st century using computer-based remote control and automation. The systems are made possible through two-way communication technology and computer processing that have been used for decades in other industries, according to the US Department of Energy. The smart grid enables devices connected to the grid to communicate
Currently, significant quantities of the nation’s electrical energy is generated for the power grid through thermal, nuclear, hydro, solar and wind, while nuclear energy remains an important source of power in the U.S., and particularly in the Carolinas. Per capita, the Palmetto State has the second highest amount of nuclear energy in the country, said Clemson professor Randy Collins. Although the Japanese tsunami and its impact on the Fukushima nuclear facility was a setback to the industry, “we are still proceeding forward with new nuclear,” he said. Researchers are attempting to resolve issues involving nuclear fuel and waste while efficiently delivering electrical energy with the existing infrastructure.
with each other while allowing the energy flow to be controlled in ways that were previously not attainable, Collins said. As a result, the existing network of wires and transformers can be used ENERGY continued on PAGE 12
Greg McKinney 4-7 P Sturg 7-10 P July 11, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
11
UBJ ENERGY ENERGY continued from PAGE 11
more efficiently, flexibly and with greater reliability, he said. The smart grid will enable a utility to know more about its system, what’s connected to it, how much energy it’s consuming, and what the operating parameters are in terms of voltage, current, frequency, power, etc. Collins said the innovation would
provide better reliability, efficiency and quality of power. Consumers will gain from pricing structures to schedule electrical energy when it is cheaper, he said.
Necessity drives advances In addition to upgrading the existing infrastructure, advances in technology remain crucial to renewable energy as the use of fossil fuels
The Clemson University Restoration Institute in Charleston, S.C.
THE INBOX INBOX Stay inTHE the know with UBJ’s free weekly Stay in the know email. with UBJ’s free weekly email. Sign up today: UpstateBusinessJournal.com Sign up today: UpstateBusinessJournal.com
Commercial Real Estate Services At Avison Young, we know the status quo is no longer acceptable. Clients want
Learn more about how our approach might help you at avisonyoung.com
new approach. So we’ve aligned our structure in a collaborative model focused on client performance and satisfaction.
Avison Young is the world’s fastest-growing
intelligent solutions that deliver a better client experience - and better results.
providing a full range of value-added services to real estate owners and occupiers.
Partnership. Performance.
864.334.4145 12
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
July 11, 2014
and carbon emissions become more problematic and expensive. Collins said new hydro is unlikely and new nuclear is extremely expensive and slow to construct. “The only alternative is wind and solar,” which can quickly add power generation close to the point of the energy’s utilization, he said. Without investments in renewable sources of energy, Collins said energy costs could significantly increase for consumers as utilities struggle to comply with carbon emission limits, increasing fuel costs and investment in nuclear. In the worst case, consumers could see blackouts and poor quality of power, he said. Alternative forms of power, such as wind and solar, provide emission-free sources with the potential of being located near the load. Collins said the adoption of renewable technologies would enable companies to utilize research and development. Government investment is also critical for advancing the technology, he said. LED lighting was once high-priced but became much less expensive as more companies began adopting the technology, Collins said. LEDs are relatively environmentally friendly and have many advantages such as instant-on and low energy consumption – but without the government outlawing 100-watt and 60-watt standard incandescent light bulbs, the market might not have developed, he said.
Photo Provided
“The more utilization we have of the technology, the faster the advances will occur,” he said. In collaboration with Clemson University, the South Carolina Energy & Gas Company (SCE&G) is developing renewable energy resources that will contribute to the Palmetto State’s sustainable energy future, said Bill Turner, vice president of electric operations. For many years, SCE&G and Clemson have worked together to analyze the impact of distributed generation on the state’s electrical system, he said. “We look forward to the developments that will now result from the increased collaborative research efforts.”
SOUTH CAROLINA ENERGY SOURCES (IN TRILLIONS OF BTUS)
1. Nuclear electric power: 536 2. Motor gasoline excluding ethanol: 303.6 3. Coal: 298.6 4. Natural gas: 250.5 5. Biomass: 118 6. Distillate fuel oil: 106.7 7. Other petroleum: 32 8. Residual fuel: 15.8 9. Hydroelectric power: 13.5 10. Jet fuel: 8.5 11. Liquefied petroleum gas (propane): 8.4 Source: Energy Information Administration, State Energy Data System
By LAURA HAIGHT, president, portfoliosc.com
DIGITAL MAVEN The technical side of business
Do you know where your broken windows are? Has your business got a broken window? The Broken Windows theory was developed by social scientists James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling in the early ’80s. They drew a line connecting disorder and crime. They used the “broken window” as a symbol of unaccountability. If one window in a building is broken and left unfixed, they argued, it is likely that the rest of the windows will be broken soon, too. In the late ’80s, New York City successfully battled back one of the worst crime waves in its history by basing policies and procedures on this theory. Technology and digital media best practices have plenty of examples of broken windows that occur because we either aren’t watching or we tacitly allow small breakdowns, frequent exceptions and, ultimately, abandonment. Here are three things you probably think you have covered, but compliance may be flagging: 1. Backups. Of course, you have them. Everybody has them. You’ve probably even got a binder full of completed checklists. But have you ever really checked those backups? If you use an online backup service, have you ever attempted to restore from the backup? I learned this one the hard way: First, that rote procedures often become so ho-hum that even the most conscientious staffers stop monitoring them thoroughly. And second, that the more experience people have, the more they take for granted that they know how to do their jobs and they don’t need the checklists that are designed to be a mental reminder of tasks to be done. Instead they do their jobs and then grab the checklist on the way out and check off all the items, whether
they did them or not. Why does this happen? Because I let my guard down. Busy staff trying to complete a lot of tasks often focus on the high-profile things – the things their bosses check. When you stop checking, procedures may fall off. And you’ll never know it until it is an urgent problem and you don’t have the fix you thought you did. 2. Mobile security. Employees take work home all the time and, if we are honest with ourselves, we know it has always been a problem. Files were lost, laptops left in cars
Technology and digital media have plenty of examples of broken windows that occur because we either aren’t watching or we tacitly allow small breakdowns.
3. User management. There are many aspects to user management, but I’m going to talk about what happens when employees leave. You’ve got policies, but how often do you allow them to lapse for longtime employees who leave on good terms or, sadly, get laid off through no fault of their own? Instead of requiring that their accounts are disabled immediately, we give them some extra time to go through their “personal files” and emails (are they even supposed to have these on their work computers?). Maybe we don’t check to see if the individual has access to – or, more scary, ownership of – any of our social Photo courtesy of Wikipedia media sites. were stolen, sensitive data was Because we don’t want to insult the exposed on unsecured networks. Still employee, we may give them a few we allowed it to continue because it extra days to come in the office and seemed very hard to stop. How can go through their things. we tell a hardworking staffer who is By making different rules for willing to take work home on the different situations, we make all our weekend that she can’t do it? policies suspect. What is the point Left to their own devices, employ- of a procedure if it doesn’t apply all ees remove data from behind costly the time? Eventually, policies that corporate firewalls and take it home should be SOP become the subject where the environment – and I’m just of discussion with each new termiguessing here – is far less secure. It’s nation (“How will we handle this even more complicated when em- person’s leaving?”). Are you absoployees use their own equipment, lutely certain that the last person such as smartphones and tablets, to who left your company doesn’t still access customer records, spreadsheets have an active account, access to and company files remotely. your social media or access to your How can you control this? Mobile building? Device Management suites enable These are some of the broken you to set policies for registered windows we need to attend to. devices including password securi- Develop policies that are functional, ty rules, remote lock and wipe, repeatable, sustainable and explainencryption at the device and data able and stick to them. Follow up on levels, and virtual private network them, inspect what you expect and (VPN) management. Yes, you have be rigorous in doing it. If we don’t, to have some control of the individ- what starts out as unsightly can easily ual’s device, but that is the price become dangerously lax. Do you know where your broken they pay for the flexibility they now windows are? have.
July 11, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
13
INNOVATE
By JOHN WARNER, CEO, Innoventure
Movers, shakers and disruptors shaping our future
Aiming low The rise of Wal-Mart, the fall of Sears and the lesson of Disruption Theory Wouldn’t you jump to use a powerful analysis tool allowing you to predict business success with a high degree of accuracy? Join me in a thought experiment. Imagine participating in the October 1969 strategic planning retreat of Sears Roebuck. Executives are reviewing their plans to roll out mallbased stores in affluent suburban markets. The suburbanization of America will generate growth as far as can be seen on the horizon. As a retail powerhouse, Sears has information dominance over its rivals, including point-of-sale data and customer focus group research, as well as relationships with most mall landlords in the country and global vendors. Bursting with confidence, Sears’ leadership reviews plans for their iconic headquarters, the Sears Tower in Chicago, which when complete in 1973 will accommodate their headquarters expansion to support the world’s largest and most successful retailer. During a brainstorming session at the retreat, a young manager with a Southern twang suggests Sears can be successful expanding into poor, rural Southern markets. Sears’ leadership has an operationally excellent culture built around making data-driven decisions. The Sears store location team is asked to use the demographics for Bentonville, Ark., to assess whether Sears can be successful there. After cranking the demographics through
DEFINED Disruptive Innovation: A process by which a product or service takes root initially in simple applications at the bottom of a market and then relentlessly moves up market, eventually displacing established competitors. Source: claytonchristensen.com
14
Sears’ management never saw the market disruption coming. By the time they had the data to recognize the threat, Sears was toast. the Sears model, the location team reaches a clear conclusion reported to senior management: “You can’t make money in Bentonville.” Unknown to Sears’ leadership, at the very time of the retreat, a middle-aged entrepreneur was incorporating a retail chain he had founded only seven years earlier which had grown to 24 stores across Arkansas with $12.6 million in sales. Had Sears’ leadership even noticed it, this small retailer was too small and insignificant to fit into Sears’ need for growth. The entrepreneur built on his experience running a chain of five-and-dime stores in rural Arkansas to iterate a new business model that could dominate an emerging market. He wasn’t building mall-based stores; his new store model was large enough to be the mall in rural markets like Bentonville. By the time the Sears Tower was complete, Wal-Mart had gone public and was traded on the New York Stock Exchange. When Sam Walton stepped down as CEO in 1988, WalMart had 1,198 stores with sales of $15.9 billion and 200,000 associates. Sears’ fortunes were decimated by missing an important inflection point in retailing. Sears began moving its offices out of the Sears Tower in 1992. Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen pondered how a company like Sears with such overwhelming advantages could be overtaken by an upstart like Wal-
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
July 11, 2014
When Sam Walton (above) stepped down as CEO in 1988, Wal-Mart had 1,198 stores with sales of $15.9 billion and 200,000 associates.
Mart. He knew that many of the Sears executives had among the finest business training in the world because they had been educated at Harvard. What could be missing in their Harvard Business education? Christensen’s answer is Disruption Theory, which he popularized in his best-selling book, “The Innovator’s Dilemma.” Trained to make data-driven decisions, Harvard-educated executives of market leaders follow their data to improve their products targeted at their best, most profitable customers. An upstart that tries to get between a market leader and its best customers is likely to get annihilated. A market leader like Sears is exposed to competitors like Sam Walton where they have the least information – the less profitable, low end of the market. Sears’ demise was not a failure of execution. Their management came to work each day doing what they had done for years, closely following their data to create a dominant, operationally excellent
company. Sears’ demise was a strategy failure. Sears’ management never saw the market disruption coming. By the time they had the data to recognize the threat, Sears was toast. Wal-Mart was a significant company that had established a low-cost position in the market, and it was too late for Sears to change their higher-cost, mall-based strategy. Can we use Disruption Theory to predict winners? Thomas Thurston is sure we can. Thurston is a partner at WR Hambrecht + Co, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, and CEO of Growth Science, a data science prediction lab that uses algorithms to forecast the rise and fall of businesses. He observes, “Disruption Theory is the foundation of the most accurate, thoroughly vetted, quantitative prediction model of new business survival or failure in the world today.” That is a strong statement. Only around 25 percent of venture capital-backed businesses survive. While previously at Intel, Thurston analyzed their investment portfolio to see if Disruption Theory analysis could pick winners better than the venture capital industry. He found that Disruption Theory blindly predicted if new businesses would survive or fail with 94 percent accuracy and over 99 percent statistical confidence. Thurston’s response: “Holy crap!” Alan Kay said that “the best way to predict the future is to create it.” Disruption Theory is a powerful, predictive tool entrepreneurs can use to create the future.
WALMART VS. SEARS 1962
FOUNDED
1893
11,088
# OF LOCATIONS (2013)
768
$468.651 billion
2013 US REVENUE
$36.188 billion
2.2 million
# OF EMPLOYEES (2013)
274,000
PROFESSIONAL Strategies for honing your professional skills
By CHRIS HAYES, founder and principal, The Hayes Agency
Avoiding the pitfalls of insuring your small business ticularly one in the startup phase, can be overwhelming at times. In addition to doing what you do best (your core business), you are responsible for handling a litany of necessary administrative functions, including but not limited to recruitment, payroll, taxes, facility management and insurance – all of which can be complex, confusing and costly if misunderstood. Insurance is necessary for all businesses, and certain types of insurance are legally required. Keeping a handle on the latest requirements, available policies and cost effectiveness, however, can quickly become like a second full-time job – a commitment no small-business owner really has time for. By exposing the issues and areas that create the most vulnerability for the small-business owner (SBO) as it relates to insurance, it equips us to make better-educated decisions and to protect ourselves with a more tightly knit security blanket for our businesses.
PITFALL NO. 1:
A landlord’s insurance policy does not cover against theft, fire or water damage of your contents. Many SBOs forget to cover the contents of the buildings that they own or lease. A landlord’s insurance policy will not cover against theft, or fire or water damage, of your contents. If you rent or own a building, your landlord or mortgage provider, respectively, may require you to obtain property coverage.
PITFALL NO. 2:
Little to no safety net in the event of a lawsuit. We live in an increasingly litigious society. One mistake or accident
60TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
WE PROUDLY PRESENT OUR NEW, STATE-OF-THE-ART LAUNDRY DEPARTMENT.
Step away from the edge Running a small business, par-
FOR OUR
Insurance is important, and can make or break any company, large or small. Being adequately protected is an investment worthy of time and resources. could sink a small business without the proper coverage. General and professional liability policies are musts for all business owners. While the conventional wisdom is that insurance is expensive, many SBOs are pleased to discover that bundled policies are actually quite affordable. Some are able to combine their general liability, property and possession coverage into a Business Owners Policy (BOP) for around $150 a month.
PITFALL NO. 3:
The maze that is health care. Health care coverage is crucial for SBOs and a valuable benefit for recruiting and retaining staff. Understanding health care coverage, however, is intimidating, particularly in the face of the substantial reforms currently affecting companies. The new health care laws taking effect require some small businesses to offer health care policies to their employees, or pay out of pocket for coverage. Consulting an insurance professional who specializes in healthcare for small businesses is well worth the effort.
PITFALL NO. 4:
Not protecting your biggest asset – yourself. In the spectrum of what ifs that go along with running a small business, many owners discount the importance of short- and long-term disability policies. This is the most overlooked coverage for SBOs but can be the most devastating for owners if,
for some reason, they are suddenly unable to work. Everyone values life insurance, but only 13 percent of SBOs protect themselves or their businesses with disability insurance. The statistics are sobering: working adults are four times more likely to become permanently disabled than to die early. Personal disability policies must be paid from individual accounts, whereas the company can pay for business overhead. An own-occupation policy pays you in the event that you can no longer perform the duties of your current profession. Key Man Life Insurance is another policy that every SBO should consider. This policy protects you and your business in the case of a fatal accident or illness. It can pay off any liens held against the business and allow your heirs additional funds and time to make important decisions with regard to the continuation of your company. Banks now require this coverage for most small business loans.
Bottom line: Insurance is important, and can make or break any company, large or small. Being adequately protected is an investment worthy of time and resources. If you have fallen into any of the pitfalls above, you are one of many. Find an agent you trust, who has access to the best variety of providers, and map out a plan for your business today. July 11, 2014
NOW PROVIDING THE FINEST QUALITY CLEANING AND PRESSING OF LAUNDERED SHIRTS, PANTS, LAB COATS AND HOME LINENS.
Lafayette Scientific Cleaners
Because you demand the best. Serving the Upstate for 60 years
Personalized Cleaning & Hand Finishing 1707 Augusta Street | Greenville 864.242.5606
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
15
FOUNDERS The people who built the businesses that are building the Upstate
The man who brought Subway to South Carolina Iranian entrepreneur Ali Saifi reveals how he turned a fledgling food business into a $200 million annual state business
I
By L.C. Leach III | contributor
In 1973, 18-year-old Ali Saifi emigrated from his home in Shiraz, Iran, to Boston and then later to the Washington, D.C., area. America was immersed in a fuel crisis and Watergate hearings. Few in the U.S. had heard of an eight-year-old company out of Bridgeport, Conn., called Subway. Saifi began attending college, and held a variety of jobs before deciding in 1980 to buy a Subway franchise. He didn’t realize it then, but Saifi had opened a door that soon led him to the Upstate, and eventually the distinction as “The man who brought Subway to South Carolina.”
What made you come to South Carolina? I decided to become a Subway franchise developer. So I took South Carolina as a territory and moved here in 1981.
Was it like starting over? Yes, because 33 years ago, there were no Subways in South Carolina, and only 154 in the entire world. My wife and I opened the state’s first subway in Clemson [on College Avenue], and used it as a model to sell other franchises.
How has it grown here since then? We now have developed 402 Subways – more than any other fast-food restaurant in S.C. – with 4,000 employees and annual sales of about $200 million.
Well, I came here right after the Iranian Hostage Crisis – a 26-year-old Iranian trying to get people to take me seriously about something they’d >>
16
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
President and CEO of Subway Development Corporation Ali Saifi with a few of the awards that he has received over the years.
July 11, 2014
GREG BECKNER/STAFF
What were your biggest challenges in opening that first Subway in Clemson?
[
>>
never heard of. Banks wouldn’t lend me money. I had trouble trying to convince a landlord to lease me space for that first Subway. After getting past that obstacle, I had to get a food line set up. I met with a gentleman from Pearce, Young and Angel (PYA Monarch), a U.S. Foods distributor, and said, “If you help me get to where I can afford to make it in this business, I will stick with you.”
My Advice
ALI SAIFI, President/CEO, Subway Development Corporation of S.C. Owner, Pomegranate on Main TEST YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL INTEREST. “Go out and work in the business you want to be in and find out what that environment is like.”
Did you come from a food background before Subway? Yes, but not in the way you mean. I worked in a restaurant in North Carolina with my in-laws and they lost a lot of money in it. And I told myself “I’ll never get in the restaurant business again.”
What changed your mind?
But Subway now has a non-sandwich item called a Flatizza that you invented. What is a Flatizza, and how the idea came about? A Flatizza is six inches by six inches in size, made fresh to order with the same ingredients we use in our sandwiches. The way it came about was that several years ago, I was conducting studies to analyze consumer habits, preferences, what they liked about Subway, and where we needed to improve. The results showed interest in a healthy, non-sandwich product. We used to sell a small, round pizza that didn’t fit in with our business model. I figured if I could
replace the pizza with an item made from scratch, like our sandwiches, it might be great. So I took the flat bread that we already used, and kept trying to prepare it different ways.
honeymoon period, but this one didn’t. It began as a steady seller, and continued to steadily build. Right now, Flatizzas make up about 5 percent of our sales.
Was this effort an example of what Edison called “99 percent perspiration”?
Did you intend the Flatizza just for S.C.?
Oh, yes. It took four years of experimenting and testing in our Greenville kitchens until we rolled out the first one on Augusta Road in 2011-12.
Were you ever tempted in those four years to stop and say, “Forget it”? Absolutely. But it was a passion, something I really wanted to do. So I persisted until I found a way that worked.
Has the effort paid off? Well, let me answer this way. Most new products have a
Originally, yes. But about a year after we introduced it, we started getting calls from other franchise owners asking us about it because they had customers requesting it. A couple of other markets tested the Flatizza and it did well – and then it went across all of the U.S. and Canada. I think it’s eventually going to go international.
How did the Flatizza get its name? At first, we called it Flat Bread Pizza. But we did a round of studies with consumers who had tried it and they kept asking why we called it pizza. So we asked them to help name it. At one point I had about 80 names that I narrowed down until finally settling on Flatizza.
Is the Flatizza your biggest business success so far? No. My biggest success is making this state into one of the most successful submarine sandwich markets
HAVE PASSION AND PATIENCE. “If you want to be an entrepreneur, do not plan on having any income for a number of years. Plan for a lot of sweat-equity before it works for you.”
]
It was the Subway setup. There were no burgers, deep fryers or temperamental chefs. It was just a place with bread and ingredients to make sandwiches.
GREG BECKNER/STAFF
Saifi with a map showing the more than 400 Subway restaurants in South Carolina.
STAY WITH BASICS. “Regardless of the changes that have happened in the last 20, 50 or 100 years, the fundamentals of business are always the same: hard work, producing something the consumer wants, and consistently delivering it.”
in the country. And it took me 10-15 years – until 1995 – before I began to see any success.
What’s the biggest gamechanger in the last 25 years in your line of business? I would say it’s how you reach customers. How they make decisions on where they’re going to eat has a lot to do with the new age of computers and mobile apps and if they can order by their cellphone and get it custom-ordered by their phone. [Consumers are] less patient, more in a hurry, they want a product faster, and they’re not willing to travel as far to get it.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far in business? Trying to figure out how to succeed. You have to have a goal and continue striving at it. You have to have the passion and personality to stay with your business. You have to keep repeating the process, and sometimes you have to throw it out and re-do it.
You have to have the passion and personality to stay with your business. July 11, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
17
COVER STORY – MADE HERE
Cranking out the power
Photo Provided
The largest gas turbine manufacturer in the world, GE’s Greenville-made gas turbines are turning up the lights internationally at 3,600 rpm APRIL A. MORRIS | STAFF
amorris@communityjournals.com What weighs 350 tons, spins at 3,600 revolutions per minute, resembles a piece of jewelry inside and is made in the Upstate? It’s a heavy-duty gas turbine that can provide power for everything from energy companies to developing nations, and GE has been manufacturing them in the Upstate since 1968. The plant on Garlington Road in Greenville is now the largest gas turbine manufacturer in the world, according to former plant manager Paula Martin. (Martin recently took on the job of GE’s general manager of Power Generation Services Global
18
Repairs and Shane Long assumed the plant manager post.) The plant now employs 3,350 in a 1.4 million-square-foot facility that houses manufacturing and lab space on more than 400 acres, Martin said. The Upstate location was a sister plant to the original power generation location in Schenectady, N.Y., where Thomas Edison started what became General Electric Company.
For a developing nation, power generation is a fundamental building block of an economy, Martin said. “GE equipment is what turns on your lights, what runs your computer. In a developing country, the ability for them to have dependable power is critical for industry, so many of our customers are countries.” The turbines can also be used for compression for creating liquid
“GE equipment is what turns on your lights, what runs your computer. In a developing country, the ability for them to have dependable power is critical for industry.”
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
Paula Martin
July 11, 2014
natural gas in the oil and gas industry. The local plant runs three shifts, and employees have to be highly skilled to manufacture and assemble the large but precise pieces of equipment. “We’re really low-profile because we’re a B2B company,” Martin said.
PIECE BY PIECE At a cost of $20-40 million, a turbine takes about one year to construct from molten metal to finished turbine, said Martin. On the production floor, employees are assembling the more than 100,000 parts that will become gas turbines. Martin likens them to a “giant Swiss watch,” similar to a piece of >>
COVER STORY – MADE HERE >>
jewelry inside with a tolerance of one-quarter the width of a human hair. It takes about eight weeks to assemble a turbine, said Chris Bruner, customer relations representative, whose father also worked at the plant. The turbines have two main parts: the case and the rotor. Cases are made of cast iron or steel, typically in Asia. It takes six months to manufacture a case, usually in five parts, and eight weeks to arrive via ship. After the rotor is assembled, the case is installed around it. The rotor spins to generate the power. Gas is injected into one end of the turbine and ignited, and the hot air produced catches the “buckets,” which look like fins, turning the 80-ton rotor. The turbine gradually tapers in shape, with each set of fins set on smaller and smaller wheels. Just like a car’s wheel, the rotors must be balanced and are outfitted with small weights, said Bruner. The plant contains 19 manufacturing cells, he said, each cell run like a mini-business with its own team. Multiple cranes tower above the assembly floor, one of them with a load rating of 200 tons. These heavy-duty lifters move the turbines and parts from one station to another. Five-foot diameter turbine wheels, carefully stacked so as not to damage the $500,000 pieces, sit waiting for
TURBINES MADE IN THE UPSTATE E class – 50Hz F class – 60Hz HA class – 60Hz new, highefficiency, high-output turbines in development and expected to be produced for 2015. “HArriett,” an HA (highefficiency air-cooled) turbine that arrived from France at the Upstate plant earlier this year, is set for testing on the facility’s full-speed, full-load test stand in September.
HOW IT WORKS A gas turbine compresses air and mixes it with fuel. The fuel is burned and the hot air-fuel mixture is expanded through turbine blades, making them spin. The spinning turbine drives a generator, which converts the spinning energy into electricity.
assembly inside the cases. The workforce now knows where in the world the turbines are bound, said Bruner, with a photo and map outside each manufacturing area and plate attached to each turbine with the customer’s names.
TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT Once assembled, the mammoth machines used to be put through their paces on a full-speed, no-load test stand that was not connected to a power grid and did not generate power. As of two years ago, the Upstate plant added a unique fullspeed, full-load test stand, which allows the manufacturer to test the turbine and actually generate power with it without being connected to the local power grid, Martin said. The data collected during the tests helps engineers optimize and evaluate the design, she said. “This industry is all about technology,” Martin said. In addition to developing new manufacturing process-
“We get a total life-cycle look at the product. We get to learn very quickly what our hardware is capable of.” Shane Long
es, GE is now developing new turbines with fuel flexibility, which will allow customers in different areas to burn different grades of fuel. In the combustion lab, technicians simulate “any sort of fuel cocktail that customers can dream up,” Martin said.
WORLDWIDE REACH After they are assembled and tested, the massive turbines are loaded onto specially designed rail cars and moved along GE’s own rail siding on their way to the Port of Charleston. For some of the F series turbines, the special car hydraulically shifts to the side to allow a passing train to get by, said Bruner. Some of the plant’s customers include Duke Power and Southern Company domestically and Saudi
July 11, 2014
Electric Company, CFE of Mexico, Tokyo Electric and Power Company and Sonelgaz in Algeria, said Martin. This year, the plant received the world’s largest high-efficiency, high-output gas turbine, an HA model nicknamed HArriett, from its construction spot in France to be tested on their full-speed, full-load test stand.
DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT GE also does repair work for customers and provides spare parts, Martin said. A rotor lasts approximately 20 years and can be rebuilt or replaced. What drives replacement is developing technology related to efficiency and output, she said. There TURBINES continued on PAGE 21
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
19
FINE PRINT Business briefs you can’t miss
Trucking company UCW chooses Greenville for logistics HQ A North American third-party logistics (3PL) provider has selected Greenville as its operational headquarters. UCW Logistics, based in Memphis, Tenn., will expand its 3PL services to include truck brokerage and freight transportation. The management team made a quick consensus that the Upstate of South Carolina was an ideal location for the new third-party logistics segment, said Warren East, CEO of
UCW Logistics. “As a truck broker, our operational headquarters needs access to the ports in Charleston and Savannah to support UCW Logistics customers,” he said. The development of the inland port made Greenville an
obvious choice, and “we are happy to be here.” In addition to being near I-85, Greenville is also in close proximity to the logistics company’s Cordele, Ga., warehousing facility and UCW Logistics’ affiliations with warehouses in Decatur, Ala., Vicksburg, Miss., Shreveport, La., and West Memphis, Ark. Future expansion in Greenville may include warehouse space and truck terminals.
SC deploys $17.6M from State Small Business Credit Initiative South Carolina has deployed more than $17 million to grow small businesses, according to a new quarterly report from the U.S. Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). The state has already deployed 95 percent of its SSBCI funds to local lenders and small businesses through the South Carolina Jobs and Economic Develop-
SC SSBCI ALLOCATION AGREEMENT DATE: 7/6/2011 ALLOCATED AMOUNT: $17,990,415 ORIGINAL SSBCI ALLOCATION EOT*: $17,104,766 PERCENT: 95% RECYCLED FUNDS EOT*: $532,106 TOTAL FUNDS EOT*: $17,636,872 *Expended, obligated or transferred Source: U.S. Treasury
ment Agency (JEDA), the report said, and has recycled more than $500,000 of the funds it has deployed. “The U.S. Treasury Department, states, and private sector lenders are investing in local communities to help drive economic growth, and these efforts are supporting small businesses in South Carolina,” said Sarah Bloom Raskin, the U.S. Treasury Department’s deputy secretary, in a news release. South Carolina has participated in the SSBCI program since 2011, and the JEDA, which works in partnership with the Business Development Corporation of South Carolina (BDC), is using these resources to provide private lending to small businesses. The state has made 101 SSBCI investments as of Dec. 31, 2013.
Evan Cramer, senior vice president, said the UCW team is positioned for major growth and “we are pleased to expand our 3PL business within a city that supports great economic development and attracts the type of people that we are looking to hire. The area offers a highly educated and talented workforce as well as an excellent business climate, he said. “We are extremely excited about the move to Greenville.”
Bridgestone Americas overtakes Michelin in trade journal rankings Bridgestone Americas Inc. recently rose to first place in Rubber & Plastic News’ rankings of top rubber companies in North America. The tire manufacturer, which has two plants in Aiken County, took the No. 1 spot with $11 billion in sales in North America, which was a 10 percent increase over 2012, said the publication. Michelin North America Inc., which has its North American headquarters in Greenville County as well as manufacturing operations in the Upstate and Midlands, dropped to second place due to a 6.2 percent fall in 2013 sales with the company only making $9.34 billion last year,
the trade journal said. Additionally, Michelin opened its 800,000-squarefoot, off-the-road tire plant in Anderson County and expanded its existing operations in Lexington County last year. Also joining in the top four was Continental Tire the Americas LLC, which opened a 1 million-square-foot plant in Sumter. According to the publication, the company recorded $3.55 billion in sales, with an increase of 28.9 percent from 2012.
Stay in the know. Upstate Business Journal
20
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
July 11, 2014
@UpstateBiz
TheUpstateBusinessJournal
FINE PRINT Business briefs you can’t miss
Utility Partners of America completes call center upgrades Utility Partners of America (UPA), a utility service contractor and professional services firm, recently completed an enterprise-level upgrade of its call center systems in Greenville. According to a news release, the enterprise-level upgrade features a fully customized, secure, dedicated
VOIP system and dynamic dialer with redundant data systems hosted in separate facilities with redundant security to protect customer information. The upgrade has allowed for UPA to increase its call center employee base by more than 250 percent in the past 18 months and plans to at least
State DOC awards $13M in Community Development Block Grants Communities across the state are slated to benefit from public improvement projects supported by nearly $13.3 million in funds from the latest round of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The South Carolina Department of Commerce is awarding CDBG funds to 24 local municipalities, representing 12,591 residents, for improvement projects. The DOC awards CDBG funds each fall and spring. Selected through a statewide competitive process, local governments receiving CDBG funding are required to provide at least a 10 percent match in funding to complete the projects. Grant funds are allocated annually to South Carolina from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Commerce administers the CDBG program on the state’s behalf. CDBG assists communities in providing housing, a suitable living environment and expanded economic opportunities. All grants awarded through the CDBG program must meet at least one of three objectives, says the DOC: • Benefit low- and moderate-income persons.
UPSTATE COMMUNITIES RECEIVING CDBG FUNDS: CITY OF EASLEY: West End Sewer Upgrade, $719,475 CITY OF GREENWOOD: Water Upgrade, $487,700 GREENWOOD COUNTY: Sullivan Sewer Upgrade, $700,000 TOWN OF IVA: Water Tank, $750,000 TOWN OF JONESVILLE: Alman Street Water & Sewer Upgrade, $547,093 LAURENS COUNTY: Joanna Mill Water & Sewer Upgrade, $387,295 TOWN OF LOCKHART: Sewer Upgrade, $607,290 CITY OF UNION: May Street Sewer Upgrade, $343,490
• Aid in the prevention or elimination of slums and blighting conditions. • Meet other urgent community development needs where existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to public health and welfare, and where other financial resources are not readily available to meet such needs. For more information, visit cdbgsc.com.
double it again by the end of 2015, officials said. However, the hiring surge will require UPA to expand its South Carolina-based physical plant in the next six to 12 months.
TURBINES continued from PAGE 19
is also an outage simulator, which allows designers to design real-world outage processes for the turbines in the field. The integrated campus has been an advantage, allowing design engineers and production to be on the same site, so new products can be developed, manufactured and tested on the same campus, she said. The repair business also offers valuable feedback. “The engineers who are designing the new parts can step into the next building and see the parts that have come back from the field [for repair]. There’s a hard-wired feedback loop there,” said Martin. “It’s pretty powerful and unique.” Shane Long echoed the value of the novelty process. “We get a total life-cycle look at the product. We get to learn very quickly what our hardware is capable of.”
FOR THE FUTURE GE is keenly aware of the need for skilled manufacturing employees and revived a long-dormant machine apprenticeship program two years ago with Greenville Technical College In May, the first group graduated from the two-year program. “The skill of our workforce is critically important,” Martin said. “Everyone knows that part of their job is to figure out a better way – continuous improvement in safety, quality, cost and cycle. That’s part of
July 11, 2014
UPA helps utilities install automated meters, AMI networks and load reduction equipment. The company also helps utilities sell and manage regulated and deregulated products and services including home warranty service contracts, demand response programs and more, according to the release.
➤ BY THE NUMBERS
2,400° 1.4 million 100,000+ 300,000
temperature inside a turbine (Fahrenheit)
square feet in GE’s Upstate facility
number of parts in a GE gas turbine
average number of homes a GE gas turbine can power
$500,000 24,000 hours 250 3,350 1,200 250 250+
cost of one wheel on a turbine rotor
estimated life of a rotor
original size of workforce in 1968
number of employees currently
number of skilled technicians in the plant
salaried employees in the plant
number of customers who visit the plant annually
the culture.” In addition, Long said the facility will soon be home to the recently announced Advanced Manufacturing Works, which will not only offer the best manufacturing capability for the gas turbine division, but for all of the Power and Water division: wind turbines, nuclear, steam turbines and water.
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
21
SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ
SQUARE FEET Real estate deals and developments across the region
Anderson, Pickens counties rated among best residential markets in US In a new report released by RealtyTrac, a housing data firm based in Irvine, Calif., Anderson and Pickens counties are two of the top three markets in the U.S. for buying residential properties. Anderson County came in at a 15.33 percent annual gross rental yield while Pickens County was at 13.00 percent. Woodbury County, Iowa, in the Sioux City metro area, was the third area at 13.02 percent. For the report, RealtyTrac analyzed median sales prices for residential property and average fair market rents for three-bedroom properties in 370 U.S. counties with a combined population of 186 million people – 60 percent of the total U.S. population. Rental returns were calculated using annual gross rental yields: the average fair market rent of three-bedroom homes in the county, annualized, and divided by the median sales price of residential properties in the county. The 370-county analysis found that investors buying U.S. residential rental property in the second quarter of 2014 are getting an average annual return of 9.97 percent, down from an average annual return of 10.60 percent a year ago. “Home prices have increased at a faster pace than fair market rents in most counties over the past year, eroding the average returns available to investors buying rental properties,” said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac. “Even so, an average annual return of nearly 10 percent across all the counties we analyzed nationwide is still solid, and investors holding on to rental property for the long term will also typically benefit from home price appreciation on top of the annual returns from rental income.” Median home prices in the 370 counties analyzed in the report in-
22
COUNTY NAME METRO AREA
ANNUAL 3-BR APRIL GROSS FAIR MEDIAN APRIL RENTAL MARKET SALES UNEMPLOYMENT YIELD RENT PRICE RATE
Anderson County
Anderson, SC
15.33%
$893
$69,900
4.30%
Woodbury County
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
13.02%
$914
$84,250
4.00%
Pickens County
Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC
13.00%
$975
$90,000
4.30%
Alachua County
Gainesville, FL
12.02%
$1,161
$115,950
4.30%
Spotsylvania County
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
11.86% $1,966 $199,000
4.30%
Lexington County
Columbia, SC
11.26%
$1,046
$111,500
3.90%
Allegheny County
Pittsburgh, PA
11.25%
$991
$105,700
4.50%
Franklin County
Columbus, OH
9.97%
$1,039
$125,000
4.30%
Dorchester County
Charleston-North Charleston, SC
9.95%
$1,160
$139,900
4.20%
Douglas County
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
9.93%
$1,059
$128,000
3.70%
Oklahoma County
Oklahoma City, OK
9.89%
$989
$120,000
4.10%
Polk County
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
9.83%
$1,090
$133,000
4.00%
Frederick County
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
9.74% $1,966 $242,100
4.50%
Rutherford County
Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN
9.70%
$1,131
$139,900
4.40%
Anoka County
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
9.69%
$1,332
$165,000
4.40%
Benton County
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO
9.69%
$1,009
$125,000
4.50%
Tulsa County
Tulsa, OK
9.54%
$1,002
$126,000
4.00%
Ramsey County
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
9.41%
$1,332
$169,900
4.10%
Jefferson Parish
New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA
9.21%
$1,190
$155,000
4.00%
Franklin County
Chambersburg, PA
9.16%
$992
$129,900
4.50%
Greenville County
Greenville-Mauldin-Easley, SC
9.14%
$975
$128,000
4.10%
Fairfield County
Columbus, OH
9.08%
$1,039
$137,250
4.50%
Canadian County
Oklahoma City, OK
9.06%
$989
$131,000
3.50%
Lancaster County
Lincoln, NE
9.05%
$973
$129,000
3.00%
Sarpy County
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA
9.01%
$1,059
$141,000
3.50%
creased more than 7 percent on average in the second quarter of 2014 compared to a year ago, while average fair market rents for three-bedroom homes increased an average of less than 1 percent. “Investors leveraging demographic trends will often be able to amplify rental returns and home price appreciation, particularly when it comes to trends in the baby boomer and
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
July 11, 2014
millennial generations, which combined account for approximately 147 million people – more than 60 percent of the U.S. adult population,” Blomquist said. “Many individuals in both of those demographic groups are in the midst of major life changes that will often involve changes in housing, something that smart real estate investors should take into consideration when deciding when
and where to buy or sell.” RealtyTrac also factored in unemployment rates along with annual gross rental yields to select the 25 best markets for buying residential property rentals. Counties in the top 25 all had unemployment rates of 4.5 percent or lower in April 2014 – well below the national average of 6.3 percent – and had an annual gross rental yield of 9 percent or higher.
THE TAKEAWAY Notes from the best talks you missed
By Cameron Colby, senior environmental, health and safety consultant at Life & Safety Consultants Inc. Hillier, commander of the Canadian forces during their aid to the U.S. following the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, thanking his troops during a Christmas meal. Hillier had re-instilled pride in the Canadian troops during his tenure as their leader. “You can only lead if you’re willing to walk beside your troops,” he told Wilkins, for “he who thinks he leads but has no followers is only on a walk.”
COURAGE: “Courage is grace under pressure.” – Ernest Hemingway
‘Be a leader worth following’ David Wilkins, former U.S. ambassador to Canada, shares lessons in leadership from “an ordinary guy” David H. Wilkins is a partner at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, where he chairs the Public Policy and International Law practice group, focusing primarily on representing business on both sides of the U.S.-Canada. A lifelong resident of South Carolina, sans four years in Ottawa, Wilkins received his bachelor’s degree WHAT: The Greenville Chamber’s Friday Forum Series WHEN: June 27, 2014 WHERE: Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Conference Center FEATURE PRESENTATION: “Lessons in Leadership: What an ordinary guy learned through extraordinary experiences and special people” with David Wilkins, former United States ambassador to Canada WHO WAS THERE: 200+ members of Greenville’s business community
from Clemson University. He is currently serving a lifetime seat on the Clemson Board of Trustees. He earned his law degree from the University of South Carolina and subsequently joined the ranks of the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant. Wilkins’ political career began in 1980 when he was elected to the S.C. House of Representatives. By 1994, Wilkins had worked his way through the ranks, making history by becoming the first Republican to be elected Speaker of the House since Reconstruction. He retired from the House in 2005 after President George W. Bush appointed him to serve a four-year term as U.S. ambassador to Canada. Wilkins credits his style of leadership not only to God-given ability, but to the people and experiences encountered throughout his journey. “Leadership,” Wilkins stated, “like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder.”
Shortly after 9/11, David Wilkins and his son Robert stood in the Oval Office, face to face with America’s commander in chief. President George W. Bush was not elected as a wartime president, but he was going to shoulder it. Without anxiety or angst, the president remarked that he didn’t know whether Americans would stay with him or not, but he was going to do what he had to do to bring reassurance during those tough days. Through and through, he remained steady at the wheel.
SELFLESSNESS: “Leadership is not the position you hold, it’s about the people you touch.” David Wilkins still recalls the number tattooed on the forearm of David Shentow, lone survivor of his family in the Nazi death camps: 72585. To this day, Shentow remembers the exact moment he thought his life was all but over, only to be rescued hours later by an American G.I. offering him a piece of gum. It was an agonizing time for Shentow, as it was for 11 million other Jewish families, and it is agonizing to this day for him to remember the harrowing details, but he retells his story to the masses every day. Why? Wilkins shared, “History repeats itself, and if not him – who? If not now – when? Leaders can be born of the deepest scars.”
HUMILITY: “The best leaders are the most faithful servants.”
RELATIONSHIPS: “Trust is the essence of leadership.” – Colin Powell
In a trip to Afghanistan in 2007, Wilkins remembers General Rick
Relationships matter. How you treat people matters. The relationship
July 11, 2014
between Ambassador Wilkins and Canada’s Prime Minister Steven Harper was one that would lead to the swift and decisive termination of decades of dispute over lumber tariffs with Canada. The relationship was one of trust that Ambassador Wilkins had the best interest of both counties in mind, and that the decision was the right one.
PREPAREDNESS: “Be a leader worth following.” What David Wilkins recalls most about working with then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was the effort she took to always be prepared, no matter the topic or situation. She always left him feeling challenged and wanting to push himself harder. She put in the time to be prepared and well versed in the things she was engaged in, and in turn encouraged those she led to follow in her steps. Perhaps the most compelling takeaway from Ambassador Wilkins’ address was simple, but powerful: “Leadership is not a talent one possesses, but a gift one has to give.” It’s safe to say that everyone in attendance left that morning asking themselves, “How am I making things better for the people who follow me?”
Photos by Mandy Madigan, Clemson University
E N G A G E JULY
25
GREENVILLE CHAMBER FRIDAY FORUM SERIES
Featuring Tim Pecoraro from the idea group, 2013 Chamber Minority Business of the Year Information: greenvillechamber.org
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
23
CONTRIBUTE: New hires, promotions & award winners may be featured in On the Move. Send information and photos to onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com.
ON THE MOVE Play-by-play of Upstate careers
ELECTED
NAMED
HIRED
HIRED
HONORED
SELECTED
Dr. W. Carter Brown Brianna Shaw
Carmella M. Cioffi
Mary Beth Culbertson Dr. Gene Reeder
H. Donald Sellers
Installed as the Academy of General Dentistry’s president. Brown has a full-time private practice in Greenville and is an adjunct faculty member in restorative dentistry and community-based learning at the Medical University of South Carolina James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine.
Joined DP3 Architects Ltd. as design team leader. Cioffi is a graduate of Clemson University and brings more than 20 years of design experience. She is a founding board member of Greenville Women in Architecture, and is a member of the City of Greenville Planning Commission.
Joined employment agency AvelPro as the director of professional services. She has more than 25 years of experience in recruiting and sales, and a strong background in training and development. She owned her own corporate training business for more than 12 years, and is active in several local and regional networking groups.
Selected as a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. Sellers is a senior litigator in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s Greenville office. He has been a trial lawyer for more than 35 years and heads the firm’s Business Litigation and Professional Liability Practice Group.
Joins Euphoria Greenville, a food, wine and live music festival, as its new executive director. With two decades of fundraising, event planning, integrated marketing and relationship building experience, Shaw most recently served as an interior and commercial design executive.
GRADUATED Marion Mann, Graduated from the Institute for Organization Management, the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Awarded to all graduates of the Institute program, the IOM Graduate Recognition signifies the individual’s completion of 96 hours of course instruction in nonprofit management. Mann is senior marketing manager of the Greenville Chamber.
CONSTRUCTION/ENGINEERING: O’Neal Inc. has hired Daniel Fielding as construction manager. Fielding has more than 25 years in the construction industry, obtaining his career experience from Century 3, John J. Kirlin, and most recently Walbridge Southern. Kevin Cosgrove joins O’Neal as
24
process department head. Cosgrove has more than 30 years of process engineering experience, having worked with Owens Corning, Jacobs Engineering, and LG/CH2M Hill. Tony Willis joins the firm as construction manager. Willis has more than 30 years in the construction industry with Fluor. He also has experience in millwrighting, welding, rigging, and equipment setting.
EDUCATION: Spartanburg Methodist College recently announced Kacie Hines Higginbotham has joined the SMC Admissions Office staff as an admissions counselor. Higginbotham received her Associate of Arts degree in 2012 from SMC, and continued her studies at the University of South Carolina Upstate, earning a Bachelor of Arts in studio art with an emphasis in graphic design in 2014. The University of South Carolina Upstate Foundation recently announced the appointment of Vollie C. “Vic” Bailey, III, Matthew Cash, Chris Crowley, Chris Dorrance, Richard “Butch” Genoble and D. Ralph Settle II to the board of directors. Bailey is president of Vic Bailey Automotive. Cash is a 2006 graduate of USC Upstate and serves as the vice chair of the USC Upstate Alumni Association board of directors. Crowley is a 2011 graduate of USC Upstate and stepped up to lead the University’s $50 million Capital Campaign in 2012. Dorrance is a former headmaster of Spartanburg Day School. Genoble works in the real estate division of Gibbs International. Settle works with
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
July 11, 2014
Received the Bowl of Hygeia Award by the 138th annual South Carolina Pharmacy Association (SCPhA). Reeder is a professor at the Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy. He has served as a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry, government agencies and various health plans, as well as working as a full-time professor.
Johnson Development Associates in efforts to revitalize downtown Spartanburg.
professional association for design. The students are: Kenny Keller, Charis Marshall and Meredith Rice.
FINANCIAL SERVICES: The Faust-Boyer Group of Raymond James recently announced that Aimee Waite, investment management consultant, has earned the CFP certification from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. Waite joined The Faust-Boyer Group in 2009 and has worked as a financial advisor since 2007.
INSURANCE: Rosenfeld Einstein recently welcomed Carmon Hughes as a shared services specialist. Hughes joins Rosenfeld Einstein after more than a decade with Extended Stay Hotels, and has a total of more than 15 years of benefits administration experience in private industry, much of it concentrated in the hospitality sector.
MARKETING/PUBLIC RELATIONS: ZWO (formerly Woodward & Zwolinski) has selected three students – two graphic design interns and one account management intern – from more than 50 applications for its annual summer intern program “Fivers.” The 10-week summer program emphasizes real-life projects with real clients, and allows interns to build a solid portfolio, gain excellent work experience and receive mentorship from outstanding professionals in marketing, design and branding; the 2014 program will also include attendance at a summer event with the Charlotte AIGA chapter, a
NONPROFIT: The Friends of the Greenville Zoo unanimously elected John Boyanoski as chairman, Chris Lewis as special projects chair, and Matthew Madden and Phillip Cox as co-treasurers for the 2014-15 year. Boyanoski is the president of Complete Public Relations; Lewis is the general manager of the Greenville Road Warriors; Madden is a senior tax manager with Elliot Davis LLC, and Cox is a senior vice president with Grand Bridge Real Estate Capital. Hannah Wickline has joined ReWiGo (Ready, Willing, Go) Ministries as its new program director. She has served with Habitat for Humanity of Wake County as an AmeriCorps member and has worked at several camps in the area, most recently Look Up Lodge.
STAFFING: HTI Employment Solutions recently announced the addition of Kristen Brown as an industrial recruiter, Cassie Bruce as the Anderson Branch coordinator, Anna Newell as the Mauldin Branch coordinator, and Brandon Rice as a recruiter. Brown is a Clemson University graduate. Bruce previously worked as an intern for Anderson County Economic Development. Newell has experience in communications and freelance writing. Rice is a 15-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
NEW TO THE STREET The freshest faces on the business landscape
1
2
3 1. The Womens Advisory Group recently opened at 38 Pointe Circle in Greenville. They offer education and guidance to women and their families regarding financial decisions in planning for retirement. For more information, visit womensadvisorygroup. com, email judy@womensadvisorygroup.com, or call 864-918-4532. 2. Cone & Coleman Collection recently held a ribbon-cutting at 1 N. Main St., Suite F, in Greenville. The store hours are Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call 864-546-1304, email info@conecoleman.com, or visit conecoleman.com.
4
3. AnMed Health opened a new outpatient care site in the building formerly known as Clemson Health Center. AnMed Health-Clemson, located at 885 Tiger Blvd./U.S. Highway 123, offers primary care, urgent care and on-site lab and radiology services. For more information, visit anmedhealth.org. 4. Guild Mortgage recently held a ribbon-cutting at 104 Trade St. in Greer. They are open 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. For more information, visit guildmortgage.com or call 864-334-8780. 5. Manning Place, an assisted-living facility for seniors, recently held a ribbon-cutting at 10 Companion Court in Greer. For more information, call 864-962-4490 or 855-784-8200.
CONTRIBUTE: Opening your doors? Submit photo and information for consideration to ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com.
5
July 11, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
25
CONTRIBUTE: Got a hot date? Submit event information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com.
PLANNER Events you should have on your calendar
FRIDAY JULY 11 NORTH GREENVILLE ROTARY CLUB The Poinsett Club, 807 E. Washington St., Greenville; 12:30-1:30 p.m.
ENTREPRENEURIAL READINESS SEMINAR
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS
Simpsonville Chamber of Commerce, 211 N. Main St., Simpsonville; 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Haywood Mall, 700 Haywood Road, Suite 106, Greenville; 5:30-7:30 p.m.
COST: $20 per person
COST: Free to Greenville Chamber members
COST: Free to attend but invitation required, lunch $16
Attendees are asked to bring lunch and dessert will be provided
CONTACT: Shanda Jeffries at 864-2282122 or sjeffries1@ allstate.com
REGISTER AT: c4women.org/upstatecalendar
MONDAY JULY 14 GCS ROUNDTABLE The Office Center at the Point, 33 Market Point Drive, Greenville; 8:30-9:30 a.m. SPEAKER: Myles Golden TOPIC: Listening: Why We Don’t Hear Others Call Golden Career Strategies at 864-5270425 to request an invitation
TUESDAY JULY 15 HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS NETWORK Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland St., Board Room, Greenville; 7:30-9 a.m.
CONTACT: Lorraine Woodward at 864-239-3742 REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org
Greenville; 8-9 a.m. COST: Free for Greer Chamber members REGISTER AT: greerchamber.com SALES ROUNDTABLE Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. SPEAKER: Mike LaPierre, former executive at Arnold Industries
TOASTMASTERS BILINGUE
GOLDEN STRIP TOASTMASTERS
University Center, 225 S. Pleasantburg Dr., Auditorium Room 204, Greenville; noon-1 p.m.
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 739 N. Main St., Mauldin; 7-8 p.m.
FOR INFORMATION: tmbilingue. toastmastersclubs.org
FOR INFORMATION: goldenstriptoastmasters. toastmastersclubs.org
REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org
CONTACT: Jeff Alfonso at jeff@ alfonsointerpreting.com
CONTACT: Prasad Patchipulusu at pprasa1@hotmail.com
BROWN BAG LUNCH & LEARN
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS
COST: Free for guests
UPSTATE PC USERS GROUP
Growler Haus, 113 N. Church St., Spartanburg; 5:30-7 p.m.
Five Forks Baptist Church, 112 Batesville Road, Simpsonville; 7:30-9:30 p.m.
COST: Free to Spartanburg Chamber members
FOR INFORMATION: ucpcug.org
CONTACT: Julie Alexander at 864-239-3754
REGISTER AT: spartanburgchamber. com
REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org
CONTACT: 864-594-5000
WEDNESDAY JULY 16 HANDSHAKES AND HASHBROWNS 3 Fold Creative, 714 Pettigru St., Ste. B,
TOPIC: The Value of You CONTACT: Tripp James at tjames@ greenvillechamber.org or 864-239-3728
Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Board Room, 105 N. Pine St., Spartanburg; noon-1 p.m. SPEAKERS: Reggie Gay, Adam Artigliere, and Doug Lineberry TOPIC: The Small Business Legal Toolbox: Basic employment guidance and workers compensation overview; corporate formation and necessary business safeguards; and profiting from your ideas – basic
intellectual property protection REGISTER AT: spartanburgchamber.com CONTACT: 864-594-5000 BNI CHAPTER, GREATER GREENVILLE City Range, 615 Haywood Road, Greenville; noon-1:30 p.m. COST: $15 for lunch CONTACT: Hardy Auston at 864-313-9942 or hdaustonmoving@aol. com TECH AFTER FIVE – GREENVILLE Carolina Ale House, 113 S. Main St., Greenville; 5:30 p.m.7:30 p.m. Free to GSA Technology Council members. REGISTER AT: techafterfive.com.
THURSDAY JULY 17 MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE: APPROPRIATE AND EFFECTIVE INTERVIEWING AND SELECTION TECHNIQUES Thornblade Club, 1275 Thornblade Blvd., Greer; 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. SPEAKERS: Karen Tyler, Ford Harrison Firm attorney; and Rita
Revels, HR professional, consultant, and instructor COST: $195 per person, includes breakfast, materials, and lunch REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org or call 864-585-1007 BNI Southern Fried Green Tomatoes, 1175 Woods Crossing Rd., Greenville; 8:15-9:45 a.m. CONTACT: Shanda Jeffries at 864-2282122 or sjeffries1@ allstate.com for invitation CHAMBER PRESENTS! Stella’s Southern Bistro, 684 Fairview Road, Simpsonville; noon-1 p.m. SPEAKER: Mark Wilson, Duke Energy TOPIC: Solar Energy and South Carolina’s future COST: $15 for Simpsonville Chamber members, $20 for non-members REGISTER AT: simpsonvillechamber.com CONTACT: Jennifer Richardson at jrichardson@ simpsonvillechamber. com
JOIN THE 20 COMPANIES SHARING WORK AND EVENT SPACE IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE www.JOINOPENWORKS.com 26
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
July 11, 2014
Historic photograph available from the Greenville Historical Society.
SNAPSHOT A quick look into the Upstate’s past
From “Remembering Greenville: Photographs from the Coxe Collection,” by Jeffrey R. Willis
Between the Ottaray Hotel and Springwood Cemetery was a tract of land that was once part of the property of Waddy Thompson (1769-1845). When Greenville built a new courthouse in 1822, Waddy and Eliza Thompson bought the old wooden courthouse and moved it to the North Main Street location. With the addition of two wings, it became their new home. In 1925 North Main acquired two new motion picture theaters. Several months before W. H. Keith opened the Rivoli, the Carolina Theater opened on the Thompson Home site. The Carolina was built by the same company that owned the Ottaray Hotel next door. On both sides of the theater, space for small stores was constructed.
MARKETING & EVENTS Kate Madden
DIGITAL STRATEGIST PRESIDENT/CEO Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com
UBJ PUBLISHER
Emily Price
ART & PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR Kristy M. Adair
Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com
OPERATIONS Holly Hardin
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Michael Allen, Whitney Fincannon
Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com
MANAGING EDITOR Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com
SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER Jennifer Oladipo
STAFF WRITERS
Sherry Jackson, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris, Joe Toppe
CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jeanne Putnam
PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Beckner MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehman, Pam Putman
ADVERTISING DESIGN CLIENT SERVICES Anita Harley, Jane Rogers
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE STORY IDEAS: ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com
EVENTS: events@upstatebusinessjournal.com
DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: Follow us @UpstateBiz
FACEBOOK: TheUpstateBusinessJournal
LINKEDIN: Upstate Business Journal Copyright @2014 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, South Carolina, 29602. Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $50. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, SC 29602. Printed in the USA
GREG BECKNER / STAFF
Today the Ogeltree building occupies the site where the Carolina Theater once stood and the four-lane Beattie Place runs where the Ottaray Hotel once stood.
IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF UBJ? WANT A COPY FOR YOUR LOBBY? 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
UBJ milestone
UBJ milestone jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years 1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport
1988
>>
Chairman larry Jackson, Jackson marketing Group. Photos by Greg Beckner / Staff
NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, AWARDS:
Jackson Marketing Group celebrates 25 years
onthemove@ upstatebusinessjournal.com
20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013
UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties. Guest columns run 700-800 words. Contact Executive Editor Susan Clary Simmons at ssimmons@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration.
1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993
1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont office Center on Villa.
By sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
Solve. Serve. Grow. Those three words summarize Jackson Marketing Group’s guiding principles, and according to owner Larry Jackson, form the motivation that has kept the firm thriving for the past 25 years.
Jackson graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in video and film production and started his 41-year career in the communications industry with the U.S. Army’s Public Information Office. He served during
Vietnam, where he said he was “luckily” stationed in the middle of Texas at Fort Hood. He left the service and went to work in public affairs and motorsports at Ford Motor Company in Detroit. After a stint at Bell and Howell, where he was responsible for managing Ford’s dealer marketing and training, the entrepreneurial bug hit and he co-founded Jackson-Dawson Marketing Communications, a company specializing in dealer training and product launches for the auto industry in 1980. In 1987, Jackson wanted to move back south and thought Greenville would be a good fit. An avid pilot, he
learned of an opportunity to purchase Cornerstone Aviation, a fixed base operation (FBO) that served as a service station for the Greenville Downtown Airport, providing fuel, maintenance and storage. In fact, when he started the Greenville office of what is now Jackson Marketing Group (JMG) in 1988, the offices were housed on the second floor in an airport hangar. “Clients would get distracted by the airplanes in the hangars and we’d have to corral them to get back upstairs to the meeting,” Jackson said. Jackson sold the FBO in 1993, but says it was a great way to get to know Greenville’s fathers and leaders
>>
with a majority of them utilizing the general aviation airport as a “corporate gateway to the city.” In 1997, Jackson and his son, Darrell, launched Jackson Motorsports Group. The new division was designed to sell race tires and go to racetracks to sell and mount the tires. Darrell Jackson now serves as president of the motorsports group and Larry Jackson has two other children and a son-in-law who work there. Jackson said all his children started at the bottom and “earned their way up.” Jackson kept the Jackson-Dawson branches in Detroit and others in Los Angeles and New York until he sold his portion of that partnership in 2009 as part of his estate planning. The company now operates a small office in Charlotte, but its main headquarters are in Greenville in a large office space off Woodruff Road, complete with a vision gallery that displays local artwork and an auditorium Jackson makes available for non-profit use. The Motorsports Group is housed in an additional 26,000 square feet building just down the street, and the agency is currently looking for another 20,000 square feet. Jackson said JMG has expanded into other verticals such as financial, healthcare, manufacturing and pro-bono work, but still has a strong focus on the auto industry and transportation. It’s
2003 motorsports Division acquires an additional 26,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space
1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court
also one of the few marketing companies in South Carolina to handle all aspects of a project in-house, with four suites handling video production, copywriting, media and research and web design. Clients include heavyweights such as BMW, Bob Jones University, the Peace Center, Michelin and Sage Automotive. Recent projects have included an interactive mobile application for Milliken’s arboretum and 600-acre Spartanburg campus and a marketing campaign for the 2013 Big League World Series. “In my opinion, our greatest single achievement is the longevity of our client relationships,” said Darrell Jackson. “Our first client from back in 1988 is still a client today. I can count on one hand the number of clients who have gone elsewhere in the past decade.” Larry Jackson says his Christian faith and belief in service to others, coupled with business values rooted in solving clients’ problems, have kept
2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson marketing Group when larry sells his partnership in Detroit and lA 2003
2009-2012 Jackson marketing Group named a top BtoB agency by BtoB magazine 4 years running
him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-profits. The company was recently awarded the Community Foundation Spirit Award. The company reaffirmed its commitment to serving the community last week by celebrating its 25th anniversary with a birthday party and a 25-hour Serve-A-Thon partnership with Hands on Greenville and Habitat for Humanity. JMG’s 103 full-time employees worked in shifts around the clock on October 22 and 23 to help construct a house for a deserving family. As Jackson inches towards retirement, he says he hasn’t quite figured out his succession plan yet, but sees the companies staying under the same umbrella. He wants to continue to strategically grow the business. “From the beginning, my father has taught me that this business is all about our people – both our clients and our associates,” said his son, Darrell. “We have created a focus and a culture that strives to solve problems, serve people and grow careers.” Darrell Jackson said he wants to “continue helping lead a culture where we solve, serve and grow. If we are successful, we will continue to grow towards our ultimate goal of becoming the leading integrated marketing communications brand in the Southeast.”
2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports Group employee base reaches 100 people
2008 2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation with Creative spirit Award
pro-bono/non-proFit Clients American Red Cross of Western Carolinas Metropolitan Arts Council Artisphere Big League World Series The Wilds Advance SC South Carolina Charities, Inc. Aloft Hidden Treasure Christian School
CoMMUnitY inVolVeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board, Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board
November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21
AS SEEN IN
NOVEMBER 1, 2013
publishers of
Order a reprint today, PDFs available for $25.
PO Box 2266, Greenville, SC 29602 864-679-1200 communityjournals.com
For more information, contact Anita Harley 864.679.1205 or email aharley@communityjournals.com
July 11, 2014
UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL
27