July 18, 2014 UBJ by Community Journals

JULY 18, 2014

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UBJ INFRASTRUCTURE

Report: SC rural roads rank No. 1 in fatalities JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com South Carolina drivers may want to reconsider taking the back roads. A report issued by TRIP, a national transportation research group, concluded that the Palmetto State’s rural roadways ranked highest in the nation for fatalities. In 2012, non-interstate rural roads in South Carolina had a traffic fatality rate of 3.99 deaths for every 100 million vehicle-miles of travel. This was the highest rate nationally and nearly six times higher than the fatality rate of 0.68 fatalities on all other roads in the state, according to the report. Only 19 percent of South Carolina’s secondary road system eligible for federal aid was in good condition in 2008, said Eric Dickey, chairman of the South Carolina Alliance to Fix Our Roads (SCFOR). By 2013, 50 percent of the state’s secondary road system eligible for federal aid had lapsed into poor condition, he said. While South Carolina struggles to maintain its interstate and primary systems, the rural roadways are neglected and continue to deteriorate. A significant number of South Carolina’s rural bridges are also in need of repair. As outlined by the TRIP report, 12 percent of South Carolina’s rural bridges were rated as structurally deficient in 2013. Butch Kirven, Greenville

County Council chairman, said the report comes as no surprise. There is an infrastructure problem in South Carolina contributing to fatalities, but “we are offering Greenville County voters with an opportunity to pay for a solution with a sales tax,” he said. Government is responsible for providing public safety to its citizens, but the citizens are responsible for paying for it, he said. The report recommends modernizing and extending key routes to accommodate personal and commercial travel, implementing needed roadway safety improvements, improving public transit access to rural areas, and adequately funding the preservation and maintenance of rural transportation assets. The safety and quality of life in America’s rural areas and the health of the nation’s economy ride on its rural transportation system, said Will Wilkins, executive director of TRIP. The nation’s rural roads provide crucial links for people and industry, but with long-term federal transportation legislation stuck in political gridlock in Washington, America’s rural communities and economies could face even higher unemployment and decline, Wilkins said. Funding the modernization of the rural transportation system will create jobs and help ensure long-term economic development and quality of life in rural America. View the full report online at bit.ly/rural-roads.

RURAL AND NON-INTERSTATE ROUTES: • Nationwide, rural roads have a traffic fatality rate nearly three times higher than all other roads. In 2012, non-interstate rural roads had a traffic fatality rate of 2.21 deaths for every 100 million vehicle-miles of travel, compared to a fatality rate on all other roads of 0.78 deaths. • Crashes on the nation’s rural, non-interstate routes resulted in 16,161 fatalities in 2012, accounting for nearly half— 48 percent – of the nation’s 33,561 traffic deaths in 2012. • Rural, non-interstate routes accounted for 25 percent of all vehicle-miles of travel in the U.S. in 2012.

July 18, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

Volume 3, Issue 29

July 18, 2014

Top-of-mind and in the mix this week

WORTH REPEATING “Within a week or two, a large majority of the campus was using it. It was then that Tyler and I looked at each other and said, ‘I think we have something.’” Page 12

“We grew up and didn’t have much. It made us natural entrepreneurs because we knew we were going to have to build it because nobody else was going to.” “I like to think someone went home yesterday instead of being killed on the job because of one of our products.” Page 19

A DEDICATED COMMERCIAL KITCHEN for rent has launched in The Village of West Greenville. Naked Kitchen is available for rent by the hour, day, week or month. The business describes itself as a “great solution for caterers, food trucks, food carts or home-based food businesses looking to expand.”

GREG BECKNER / STAFF

Page 17

MONEY SHOT: Work continues on River’s Edge, a 140-apartment community being built by developer Phil Hughes at the corner of River and Broad streets in downtown Greenville. The development will also feature a new restaurant along with a courtyard area with outdoor seating, retail space and hotel. Look for more information on River’s Edge, and a status report on other downtown construction projects, in next week’s Commercial Real Estate Quarterly UBJ.

TBA

VERBATIM

Word is the Ice Box Bar, a Charleston-based bar service company, will soon be expanding to the Upstate. Stay tuned for more details…

On Building an Artists’ Community…

Bevello, a contemporary boutique for women’s fashion, is set to open its first South Carolina store next month at 124 N. Main in Greenville…

“We’re not in it to ﬂip the building and buy a big house at the beach. This is a very redemptive place. It feeds you – and it’s not just the artwork.”

Mainstream Boutique, a retail clothing, accessories and giftware franchise, is opening Aug. 7 at the other end of Main at 716A Main St. in the Village of West Greenville…

Diane Kilgore Condon, founder of the Art Bomb studio and gallery in the Village of West Greenville, quoted in the Charleston Post and Courier, on the need to keep studio space affordable for artists.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

July 18, 2014

WHAT’S YOUR INNOVATIVE IDEA?

CLEMSON.EDU/MBA FALL APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JULY 31!

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

Meritage acquires Legendary Homes SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com Meritage Homes, a Scottsdale,

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

July 18, 2014

Ariz.-based company and the ninth-largest public homebuilder in the United States, has purchased the homebuilding assets and operations of Atlanta-based Legendary Communities for $130 million. The lotte operations will be combined company hopes to use Legendary into Meritage’s existing division Communities’ large Upstate presence there. Both Atlanta and Greento expand in the Greenville-Spartan- ville-Spartanburg will be new burg market, Meritage officials said. markets for Meritage. Legendary is one of the largest Atlanta is the second-largest and privately held homefastest-growing housing builders operating along market in the U.S. based the I-85 corridor of the on single-family permits Southeastern U.S., acactivity in 2013, and the cording to a news release Greenville-Spartanburg issued by Meritage. market is expected to Legendary was founded experience growth in in 2009 and builds single-family permits of homes primarily for first approximately 20 and second move-up percent from 2013 to buyers with base home 2015, according to the JAMES THROWER, prices ranging from ap- South Region President press release. proximately $120,000 to Meritage also an$550,000. The company closed ap- nounced it has created a new South proximately 500 homes and gener- region to be based in Atlanta that will ated roughly $156 million of revenue initially include Meritage’s recently in 2013. As of June 30, Legendary acquired operations in Nashville, owned or controlled approximately Tenn., and the Atlanta and Green4,000 home sites. Legendary has 42 ville-Spartanburg markets. This will communities in the Upstate, accord- be the fourth operating region for ing to its website. Meritage Homes, in addition to the “This is a strategic acquisition for existing West, Central and East Meritage, expanding our Southeast- regions. ern operations in a meaningful way James (Jay) Thrower has been by entering into two more growing hired to lead the new region as South housing markets in Atlanta and region president. Thrower has more Greenville-Spartanburg, while also than 25 years of experience in the solidifying our position in the Char- real estate and homebuilding induslotte market,” said Steven J. Hilton, try, including 17 years of senior chairman and CEO of Meritage management positions with two Homes. other national homebuilders, where The purchase is also expected to he was responsible for operations in bolster Meritage’s current operations Georgia and North and South Carin Charlotte, and Legendary’s Char- olina.

Greenville Real Estate Market Update

UBJ REAL ESTATE

GREG BECKNER / STAFF

Marchant Company joins Leverage Global Partners

Seabrook Marchant in front of the Marchant Company’s offices on Stone Avenue

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com The Marchant Company, a Greenville-based real estate firm, announced this week its new affiliation with Leverage Global Partners, a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based network of independent luxury real estate brokerages. Under the agreement, Marchant will be the exclusive Leverage Global Partner in the Greenville market. Leverage offers its members the opportunity to better serve their clients’ relocation and real estate

portfolio needs by providing worldwide networking, including personal introductions and access to top firms around the world in the luxury real estate market. “We’re very excited and honored to have been selected,” said Seabrook Marchant, president/broker-incharge of the Marchant Company. “They only select one company in each market.” “We personally vet each real estate brokerage before offering them membership,” said F. Ron Smith, president of Leverage Global Partners. “We are certain that The

The halfway point in a year is a good time to pull the market statistics and let them tell the story of where our local real estate market stands.

Marchant Company Inc. is an innovative and forward-thinking market leader, offering exceptional service to their clients and to the communities of Greenville. We are thrilled to welcome them to Leverage Global Partners.” As a member of Leverage, Marchant will be promoted as the network’s exclusive representative for the Greenville area, facilitating a framework in which the company can expand and compete with larger franchise networks. Leverage also assists in increasing the online and social media presence of its members and provides marketing tools designed to help its members expand their businesses. “We think it will help our company rise to a new level,” said Marchant. “Leverage will provide tools and access to additional business that we haven’t had before and give us one more tool in the tool bag that agents can use to build their business.”

We track several key indicators to stay on top of market trends, including current number of active homes, average days on market, monthly sales units and volume and year-to-date sales units and volume. First, the current active number of homes on the market is up slightly from this time last year from 5,682 to 5,997. This means there are a few more Dan Hamilton homes to chose from if you are looking and a little more competition if you are selling. Second, the average days on market for the year to date is down from 97 to 93 days. It is taking fewer days on average to get a home under contract once it is listed for sale. Last, the number of sold homes is up 2.8% year-to-date while the average price of a home sold is up 6.7% to $194,124. These local market statistics tell us that we are in a balanced market with a steady supply of inventory to meet the current demand of buyers.

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July 18, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

UBJ TRANSPORTATION

Ride-sharing service Uber not legal here, says state agency JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com Some of the legal troubles surrounding Uber in other parts of the country have followed the ride-sharing service to South Carolina. The Office of Regulatory Staff has filed a petition with the state’s Public Service Commission stating that it is illegal for the company to operate in South Carolina. The petition states that Uber has been actively engaged in the recruitment of “partner” drivers and the advertisement of its transportation services in the State of South Caro-

lina and intends to begin offering transportation passenger carrier services through its app to the general public. Last week, Uber announced the launch of its lower-cost uberX service in Greenville, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach, S.C. Uber spokesperson Taylor Bennett said the ride-sharing service is not a transportation company and the regulations for those business models simply do not apply. “We’re a technology company that

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connects riders to drivers,” he said. Current transportation regulations are antiquated and were created long before Uber, but “we want to help modernize those policies and look forward to continuing conversations with city and state officials to find a permanent home for Uber in South Carolina.” Currently, the City of Greenville has three certified taxicab companies and a contracted ground transportation service in place at the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport. In an interview last month with the Upstate Business Journal, Greenville’s interim city attorney Bob Coler said Uber’s business determination would be made at a state level. If Uber were determined to be a taxicab company, it would come to Greenville to secure a certificate of necessity, he said. Before the certificate was issued, the city manager would determine if Greenville has a need for an additional ground transportation service. The petition stated that Uber does not intend to seek commission approval or certification of itself or its partner drivers. Uber is a tech company that recruits and pays drivers to provide transportation, said John Bacot, owner of Yellow Cab. The company should be obligated to follow the same standards of business as all other transportation services, he said. “As

of now, it is an illegal practice.” The petition also states that Uber is advising potential partner drivers that they may operate as passenger motor vehicle operators under individual non-commercial automobile insurance policies and that they should not inform their motor insurance carriers they are drivers for Uber. With several clients in South Carolina, the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) represents more than 1,000 insurance companies and is concerned with the insurance issues of ride-sharing services such as Uber, said Bob Passmore, senior director of personal lines policy for PCI. The insurance provided by Uber can leave liability up in the air in terms of who is covering the loss, and is contingent on coverage from a personal auto policy that likely does not exist, he said. As a result, there is the potential for dispute. Bennett said all driver partners for Uber must have their own insurance by law, but the company also provides a $1 million liability insurance policy that covers any incident. “Anytime a driver accepts a trip, they are covered until that trip is completed,” he said.

go online View the Office of Regulatory Staff’s petition online at upstatebusiness.com

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UBJ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

KI Logistics opens Upstate headquarters plant Gov. Nikki Haley attended the grand opening cere-

logistics facility that would create 149 new jobs. mony at KI Logistics’ North In June 2014, KI Logistics American headquarters on announced it would invest an Monday in Piedmont. additional $2.7 million to add The company, a division of an additional 64,000 square Kimura Inc., initially an- feet to the facility and innounced in October 2013 that crease job creation by at least it would locate its headquar- 20 more positions. The exters to South Carolina with pansion is expected to be an $11.5 million investment completed in September for a 206,000-square-foot 2014. KI Logistics is still OCTOBER 2013 hiring for positions – $11.5 million investment including support – 206,000-square-foot logistics facility technicians, customer – 149 new jobs service representatives, SEPTEMBER 2014 team technicians, and – Additional $2.7 million investment fork lift drivers. Inter– 64,000 additional square feet ested applicants should – 20 more positions visit readySC.org.

Photo by Jeanne Putnam

Gov. Nikki Haley, center, joins officials from KI Logistics and the Greenville Area Development Corporation in cutting the ribbon for KI Logistics’ new North American Headquarters in Piedmont.

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July 18, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

UBJ TECHNOLOGY

SCRA invests in CampusConnectr, KIYATEC JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com To help further the business plans of two Upstate companies, the SC Launch program of SCRA Technology Ventures presented checks to CampusConnectr and KIYATEC at Clemson University’s ICAR campus. Originally announced in November, the ceremony honored the companies and commemorated the investments at a networking event held last week. The two Upstate businesses are bringing innovative technologies to South Carolina and growing the state’s knowledge economy, said Bill Mahoney, CEO of SCRA. “We look forward to many future partnerships and successes,” he said.

CampusConnectr addresses student engagement and retention, and was designed “by students for students,” said founder and president John-David McKee. Through two systems, the company allows university students to engage with their institution and with each other. The program provides students with news feeds, campus information and functional apps. Although CampusConnectr is a closed program, it is free to the students and schools they attend. The $200,000 awarded CampusConnectr enabled the company to rebuild its technology, McKee said. “We’ve built a private social network for college students [called Flock] that is available on any device through responsive design and native apps for

Apple iOS and Android, and scalable to any and all higher ed campuses in the US and beyond.” Flock provides sharing features and in-system apps designed to help the daily life of a college student. KIYATEC specializes in providing advanced, 3-D cell-based assays and diagnostics with superior physiologic relevance for more accurate predictions of patient response to drugs. KIYATEC’s Greenville offices and labs are co-located with the Institute for Translational Oncology Research (ITOR) Clinical Research Unit on the main campus of the Greenville Health System. SC Launch’s $250,000 investment will be used to further KIYATEC’s business plan, said CEO Matthew R. Gevaert.

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to CampusConnectr for the development of Version 2+, to hire a sales team, and working capital

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to KIYATEC to secure and execute multiple preclinical service contracts and define the EV3D service offering with market validation.

By accurately predicting patient drug response without exposing actual patients to drugs, KIYATEC will create informed drug selection that minimizes clinical trials’ failures After and maximizes patient outcomes in The B the clinic, he said. bring

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UBJ TECHNOLOGY

EMILY PRICE | DIGITAL STRATEGIST

eprice@communityjournals.com

Two 2013 Furman graduates recently raised $10 million from major Silicon Valley investors to fund Yik Yak, a controversial location-based social app that allows users to post messages anonymously to other users in their 1.5 mile radius. CEO Tyler Droll and COO Brooks Buffington – both just 23 years old – launched the app on Furman’s campus during Homecoming weekend in November 2013. “Within a week or two, a large majority of the campus was using it,” said Buffington. “It was then that Tyler and I looked at each other and said, ‘I think we have something.’” Yik Yak next spread to Wofford College after they told one student there to download it and share with his fraternity brothers; later Clemson caught on, along with a multitude of other colleges. On the heels of a $1.5 million seed

round of fundraising, Droll and Buffington can additionally cite venture firms including Azure Capital Partners and DCM as investors, along with billionaire Tim Draper, who made headlines earlier this month for purchasing all 30,000 bitcoins (a software-based currency) anonymously auctioned by the U.S. Marshals Service after an FBI raid. Draper is also known for ventures like Hotmail (sold to Microsoft in 1998 for $400 million) and Skype (sold to eBay for over $3 billion in 2005). BUILDING A TEAM Yik Yak recently established its first official headquarters in Atlanta Tech Village. With the $10 million, Droll and Buffington are actively building a team that is “really starting to take shape,” Buffington says. The full-time staff includes a frontend developer, back-end developer, community manager, community development manager, designer, lead digital marketer, director of operations and interns. “We’re looking for A-level people, plain and simple,” Buffington says. “How to build out an office and a team was never something we learned at Furman, so it was, and still is, a learning process for us. Luckily we have some gray hair around us in the form of advisors and investors.” Droll said he and Buffington “have also made it a strong focus to surround the table with extremely smart and experienced people, such as a director at Google, wellknown investors, and successful entrepreneurs.” HOW IT BEGAN The two initially developed the app while in school. Droll, an IT major, took a

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

July 18, 2014

course in iPhone programming and discovered he wanted to develop iPhone applications full time. After Yik Yak seemed to take off, he decided to drop out of the USC-Greenville School of Medicine one week before the start of classes. “On campus, there were a few very popular anonymous Twitter accounts that would tweet engaging commentary about life at Furman,” Droll Yik Yak COO Brooks Buffington (left) and CEO Tyler says. “I knew that there were Droll (right) created the social app while students at Furman. They recently raised $10 million in more students that could say venture funding from Silicon Valley investors. clever things like these… but building a large base of followers is hard and time-consuming. users can discuss both personal and community issues they may not feel There had to be an easier way.” comfortable addressing in an identiHe found a way to capitalize on the fiable forum. conditions of author anonymity (“the Some of the $10 million will also be content is judged by the content; not allocated to continue to build the “peek by who is saying it”) and a captive, feature,” a tool for glimpsing into other hyper-local audience of “thousands of Yik Yak networks. This is part of an people around them” who could ideneffort to build Yik Yak into what Bufftify with specific subjects and events. ington calls “a technology that fulfills GOSSIP, SLANDER AND a higher purpose of delivering unCYBERBULLYING abridged news in real time.” Yik Yak was born, but not without They also plan to use a significant controversy. Critics attack the app as amount of funds to market the app lacking productive purpose and and build its user base. College users serving as a vehicle for gossip, slander remain a target. Most college stuand cyberbullying. High school users dents “understand the importance of in particular tend to use the app “in- acting responsibly on social media appropriately” in ways that do not and the negative impact of cyberbul“align with Yik Yak’s mission of cre- lying,” Buffington says. Collegiate ating beneficial social communities,” communities are beginning to Buffington says. “self-regulate in a positive way” In response to cases of cyberbul- through methods such as up- and lying and backlash, the creators set down-voting messages. an age restriction of 17. Since they “A large user base often results in began geo-fencing primary and sec- the expedited down-posting of negondary schools from accessing the ative and hurtful comments, which app in March, they have blocked 85 leads to the quick removal of such percent of them in the U.S. comments,” Buffington says. Agreed The creators want the app to be a Droll, “as Yik Yak communities get medium for commentary on current larger and more diverse, the more events or other general knowledge effective these social policing mechrelated to the local area, and a place anisms become.”

Photo provided

Furman grads secure $10M for anonymous social app Yik Yak

By JOHN TRIPOLI, managing director, Northwestern Mutual

YOUR MONEY News and tips for your personal bottom line

6 things you should know about mutual funds Last year, an estimated 90 million individuals owned mutual funds – a number that has remained steady over the past decade despite recent market ups and downs. What accounts for their enduring popularity? The answer is simple: Mutual funds are uniquely designed to help investors accomplish a broad range of financial goals. To understand why, here are six things you should know about mutual funds. 1. THEY COME IN MANY VARIETIES. There are thousands of mutual funds available in the marketplace, representing a range of asset classes, types and styles. Each has its own investment approach, which is explained in the prospectus. All you need to do is find the one that meets your particular goals, risk tolerance and objectives. 2. THEY’RE PROFESSIONALLY MANAGED. Most investors don’t have the time, resources and expertise to manage a portfolio of investments on their own. When you invest in a mutual fund, you are hiring a fulltime professional money manager to buy, sell and monitor your investments on your behalf. As economic conditions change, the portfolio manager has the ability to adjust the mix of fund investments to ensure it continues to meet the fund’s objectives. This day-to-day oversight can be valuable, especially during times of market volatility. 3. THEY PROVIDE BROAD DIVERSIFICATION. Most mutual funds hold

Mutual funds are uniquely designed to help investors accomplish a broad range of financial goals. 50 or more securities in their portfolios – far more than the typical investor can afford to buy on his own. This level of diversification is important because it helps limit the impact a decline in the value of any one security may have on your portfolio’s overall performance. 4. THEY’RE EASY TO TRACK. Mutual funds make managing your investments easier by offering you a spectrum of investments in one fund portfolio. This means you don’t need to track the performance of multiple individual securities; your fund provider does it for you. You’ll receive quarterly and annual fund statements summarizing important performance, transaction and earnings information. 5. THEY OFFER AN AFFORDABLE WAY TO INVEST. Investing in a mutual fund usually doesn’t require a large sum of money, which makes it easy to get started. What’s more, mutual funds offer a cost-effective way to invest. Because they buy and sell securities in such large quantities, mutual funds typically qualify for lower brokerage commissions than individual investors can get. Mutual fund investors can share in these savings, enhancing the profitability of the pool. (These transaction cost savings, however, should not be confused with annual operating

expenses that every shareholder pays.) 6. THEY OFFER EASY ACCESS TO YOUR MONEY. Mutual fund investments are liquid, which means you can access your cash on any business day by redeeming your shares at their net asset value (NAV). Of course, the amount you receive may be more or less than you initially put in, depending on how well the portfolio has performed during the time you invested. Most mutual funds also allow free exchanges within the fund family, enabling you to adjust your portfolio, at no cost, as your needs and circumstances change. What should you look for when selecting or evaluating a fund? Start with the fund’s performance, including its one-, three-, five- and 10-year results (if applicable). This can help you understand how a fund has weathered market ups and downs and how it has performed over longer periods of time. As with any investment, a fund’s past performance doesn’t guarantee future results. That’s why you’ll also want to consider other factors that can impact a fund’s success, including: • The fund’s sales charges, fees and expenses. These can add up over time and eat into your returns.

• Its turnover rate. A fund that frequently buys and sells securities may generate higher trading and capital gains costs. • The volatility of the fund. Generally, the more a fund’s performance bounces up and down from year to year, the greater the investment risk. • Its tax impact. Check to see when a fund makes distributions before buying into the fund. This can help you avoid receiving a capital gains distribution immediately upon investing and paying more than your fair share of taxes. Analyzing these and other factors, and reading the prospectus, can provide a more complete picture of a given fund and help you to make an informed decision about whether it’s right for you. But you needn’t go it alone. A qualified financial representative can help you select suitable investments based on your particular investment objectives, financial circumstances, risk tolerance and tax status.

DEFINED Mutual fund: an investment vehicle that pools the money of investors with similar financial goals in order to invest in a diversified portfolio of securities, such as stocks and bonds.

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July 18, 2014

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

By MATT DUNBAR, managing director, Upstate Carolina Angel Network

INNOVATE Movers, shakers and disruptors shaping our future

Zen and the art of angel investing Are instincts or algorithms the future of venture capital?

“Algorithms are the future of venture capital.” “If you are a good venture investor, you are better off applying your own judgment than you are collecting data on how everyone else invests and performs.” Science or art? Instincts or algorithms? Gut feel or statistical analysis? Old-school scouting or big data “Moneyball”? The debate along this spectrum of decision-making approaches is an age-old one, and it features prominently today in many aspects of life. Perhaps the most highly popularized at the moment is in sports, thanks to the emergence of Sabermetrics and “Moneyball” in baseball – but the differing approaches show up frequently in many other places, and certainly in many facets of business.

In “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” Robert Pirsig puts the debate in philosophical terms, using the device of a motorcycle ride across the West to ultimately seek unity between the classic (analytical, functional) and the romantic (emotional, esthetic) views of the world. As I re-read Pirsig’s famous work this summer ahead of my own trip out west, it struck me that his thoughts parallel closely with the art versus science debate in the early-stage investing market. Should investors focus on rigorous statistical analysis of markets and business models, or should they use their gut instincts to make a call on whether the entrepreneur has the “it” factor to navigate the company to success? The debate is prominent in the blogosphere – as evidenced by the

2014

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July 18, 2014

quotes above from prominent venture capitalists. Some new venture funds leverage big data and statistical approaches to investing, while others instead place many small bets, largely based on quick evaluation of talent. In practice, most investors operate closer to the center of the instincts-versus-algorithms spectrum than the extremes, and indeed it seems that a healthy respect for both approaches makes for an effective decision-making process – what Pirsig would call a “Quality” investment strategy. One of the compelling aspects of an angel investor group like UCAN is the opportunity for investors to exercise both science and art in making their own investment decisions on which companies to support with their financial and intellectual capital. The UCAN diligence process allows investors to undertake a detailed analysis of business models and markets, while getting to know the entrepreneurial teams and their intangibles. UCAN has been successfully implementing this approach over the last six years, and the first half of 2014 proved to be the group’s busiest, and perhaps highest Quality yet. So far this year, the group has made seven investments – including three new investments and four follow-on investments in existing portfolio companies. The new companies include Iron Yard Academy, a rapidly expanding code school based in Greenville; OBMedical, a Florida-based medical device company commercializing a next-generation fetal-maternal monitoring system; and the newest addition to the portfolio, PharmRight, a Charleston-based provider of smart medication dispensers for use in the home and in continuing care centers. Follow-on investments included KIYATEC and Proterra in Greenville, Pandoodle in Columbia, and Southeast TechInventures in Research Triangle Park. With these investments, UCAN has now invested $9.5 million in 35

companies. Those companies have raised an additional $200 million and created more than 300 jobs – evidence that other investors have identified Quality in these companies as well. Just as important as the new capital deployed by UCAN thus far in 2014, investors have also enjoyed two exits this spring, with the acquisitions of Verdeeco, an Atlanta smart grid company, and Selah Genomics, a Greenville personalized medicine and clinical diagnostics firms. Collectively, those two exits will return investors’ money more than 12 times. While UCAN has been busy here in the Upstate this year, the group has also helped launch two statewide initiatives to help build the infrastructure for capital formation to support emerging entrepreneurs across South Carolina. The South Carolina Angel Network (SCAN) is an umbrella organization fostering the growth of new angel groups around the state, and the Palmetto Angel Fund is a committed capital fund that will co-invest alongside the angel groups that are part of SCAN. The additional capital from the fund will help increase the available capital for entrepreneurs who traditionally have a difficult time raising sufficient early-stage capital in South Carolina. The fund held its first closing in June with over $1 million in commitments, and will remain open to accredited investors for several more weeks. Like Pirsig in “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” UCAN and its investors are using science and art to identify and back startups with that elusive Quality that blends disciplined analysis and entrepreneurial pluck. So far, those efforts have led to an exciting first half of 2014 for UCAN, and we look forward to continuing the quest for Quality in our investment decisions and startup companies in the remainder of the year to come. To join us or learn more, please contact me at matt@upstateangels.org.

By RICKY D. GARNER, MBA, MetLife Premier Client Group of the Carolinas

PROFESSIONAL Strategies for honing your professional skills

Small-business owners: What are your goals? Every small-business owner has a unique story to tell about why he or she decided to launch a new company. For some, it’s the opportunity to be their own boss. For others, it’s to satisfy a product niche that no other local business is offering. Still others are thinking big picture and looking to offer something truly innovative that might take off on a national scale. And for some, it’s a combination of all these reasons. Regardless, once a business has gone through the lean and mean early years and started to establish a reputation for itself – not to mention, a comfort level that it might be around for the long haul – it’s time for owners to give some thought to their longterm personal objectives. In other words, what would you like to achieve now that the business is up and running? What is the measure of success 20 or 30 years down the road? Once the day-to-day questions about business viability have been resolved, it’s important to set personal goals. This will help small-business owners define exactly what they would like to achieve – for themselves, their families and the employees who have helped make the business what it is. In setting these objectives, it’s important to ask:

1. AM I WORKING TO STRENGTHEN MY PERSONAL FINANCES AND BUILD WEALTH? Many business owners become so engrossed in running their companies that they inadvertently end up putting their personal finances on the back burner. Although it’s

What would you like to achieve now that the business is up and running? What is the measure of success 20 or 30 years down the road? easy to tie up most of your liquid assets in a business, to achieve financial independence and build personal wealth, it’s important to make personal savings a priority. By conducting regular financial reviews, and taking follow-up action as needed, you can help develop and strengthen your personal financial position.

2. AM I PREPARING FOR RETIREMENT? Many tax-deferred, qualified retirement savings vehicles, such as 401(k) plans, are available to business owners and their employees. The retirement plan that is best in a given situation is often determined by the size of a company, as well as the ages and salaries of its employees. In addition, nonqualified plans allow business owners to provide selective benefits for themselves, as well as their key employees.

3. HAVE I DEVELOPED AN EXIT STRATEGY? Although it’s sometimes difficult to think past any given quarter, it’s important for small-business owners to give some thought to whether the business will be marketable if and when the decision is

made to sell it. Developing an “exit” strategy can help provide cash commensurate with the value of the business in the event you choose – or are forced (due to death or disability) – to divest.

4. DO YOU WANT TO RETAIN THE COMPANY WITHIN YOUR FAMILY? Your company, like many others, may be a closely held business operated by more than one family member. If you wish to keep your company in your family, it’s important to learn about transfer tax issues and develop a business succession plan that will help keep your long-term goals and objectives on the right track.

STAY FOCUSED Unfortunately, these questions are not ones that should be asked once and then forgotten. Personal goals and priorities change and develop over time. To make sure the priorities that you established in your 30s are still the priorities you have as you grow older, it’s important to conduct a periodic review of your personal and business

DEFINED Qualified retirement plan: A plan giving employers a tax break for the contributions they make for their employees. Qualified plans that allow employees to defer a portion of their salaries into the plan also reduce employees’ present income-tax liability by reducing taxable income. Nonqualified retirement plan: Any type of tax-deferred, employer-sponsored retirement plan that falls outside of employee retirement income security act (ERISA) guidelines. Nonqualified plans are designed to meet specialized retirement needs for key executives and other select employees. These plans also are exempt from the discriminatory and top-heavy testing that qualified plans are subject to. Closely held corporation: Any company that has only a limited number of shareholders. Closely held corporation stock is publicly traded on occasion, but not on a regular basis. Transfer tax: Any kind of tax that is levied on the transfer of official documents or other property. Transfer tax is paid by the seller of the property. Gift and estate taxes are both transfer taxes. Also known as “excise tax” in some states. Source: Investopedia

priorities. Annual reviews can help ensure your business activities are still consistent with your long-term personal goals and objectives.

Stay ininthe onLinkedIn. LinkedIn. Stay theknow know on Follow us us today: Business Journal Follow today:Upstate Upstate Business Journal July 18, 2014

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INSIDE A day (or more) in the life of an Upstate company

OB Hospitalist Group

Medical staffing company fills need in women’s healthcare

By April A. Morris | staff | amorris@communityjournals.com

Brothers Dr. Chris Swain, 55, and David Swain, 56, founded OB Hospitalist Group, an Upstate business that provides trained obstetricians and gynecologists who are always available in hospital settings. UBJ caught up with CEO David Swain to talk about the company’s 2006 launch, how it has grown and where it’s going. What need did you identify? If you come into a hospital as a pregnant patient and you have some complication, you go into the emergency room and are seen by a physician. They either admit you or send you home with an appointment later with your own physician. The issue is, the acuity level of pregnancy complications is higher at 20 weeks and beyond. Physicians in emergency rooms are not obstetricians and will send patients up to [the] labor and delivery [unit]. More often than not, labor and delivery is not staffed by an ob-gyn. A nurse will call the patient’s doctor and there will be a back-and-forth on the phone. You have a potential for phone triage where the doctor gives instructions. There’s a chance the patient could be discharged that night without having seen a doctor. The only patient who could have a [medical] problem, go to the hospital and not be seen by a doctor is a pregnant woman. >>

Photo Provided

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

July 18, 2014

>> Tell us about the beginning of the company.

There was a hospital in Florida that needed a 24/7 program anyway, so Chris established a presence of ob-gyns in the hospital. He realized he needed to formalize the process. Now patients are seen by a board-certified doctor who also specializes in high-risk pregnancies.

BROTHERS IN BUSINESS The Swain brothers grew up in Charleston and both attended The Citadel.

How did the business get established in the Upstate? Chris was more of a physician than a businessperson and I had an IT business in Greenville [Foundation Technologies], so he said we should do this together. He moved to Greenville and initially worked out of our offices.

How does the model differ from an on-call obstetrician who comes to the hospital when his patient is there? We wanted to be more than staffing physicians, but wanted to make sure we provided outstanding quality. We wanted the physicians involved with every patient who comes through labor and delivery. We wanted them to help train the nurses in things like emergency drills. If there’s an emergency, we know where everything is and the nurses are working well together. Sometimes the nurses will go on rounds with the physicians and they learn a lot more with a physician actually there instead of the doctor just stepping in to help deliver just one patient.

How has the business grown? We thought if we got five hospitals on board, we would be doing well. Now we have 76 total hospitals and will be adding 100 doctors by the end of 2014, for a total of 350 physicians across the country in 24 states. In Greenville, we’ve grown from two employees and now have 110.

What have you discovered as the business has evolved? One of the most striking things that we’ve discovered is that since we’ve started we’ve seen lives saved. We’ve documented more than 7,000 lives saved. If a woman is hemorrhaging, that is not an ER doctor’s type of problem – you need a specialist. If there’s not an ob-gyn doctor there very quickly, then you’re going to have a disaster on your hands. The standard is that a physician is available within 30 minutes. For some of these patients, it

“The only patient who could have a problem, go to the hospital and not be seen by a doctor is a pregnant woman.” David Swain, CEO, OB Hospitalist Group

CHRISTOPHER C. SWAIN, MD

DAVID C. SWAIN

Founder and Chief Medical Officer

Chief Executive Officer

Chris Swain completed undergraduate studies at The Citadel. Attended medical school in Alabama. Formed OB Hospitalist Group in 2006.

David Swain served in the Air Force for 10 years, majored in electrical engineering at USC. He is also owner of Foundation Technologies, an IT company in the Upstate.

needs to be 10 minutes. The first night we started a program at a hospital in Virginia, there were two lifesaving interventions. That hospital was stunned and delighted by that.

How has the business diversified?

have a pretty big credit line. We had to dip into savings, credit cards to make sure the physicians were paid. There were some touch-and-go times. My brother and I would travel around together to hospitals and no one wanted to do it initially because it was a new concept. Now it has become a more of a best practice for hospitals.

We also do the billing and coding for the physician. We also help the hospital improve the efficiency within that [labor and delivery] unit. OB Hos- How did your background help pitalist Group tracks key quality in business? initiatives like C-section and episioto- ➤ BY THE Our parents always said we could NUMBERS my rates. We’ve partnered with the be whatever we wanted to be. We grew March of Dimes on a pre-term labor up and didn’t have much. We knew if toolkit. we were ever going to have anything, number of physicians within we were going to have to work for it. OB Hospitalist Group What’s next for OB Hospitalist It made us natural entrepreneurs because we knew we were going to Group? We’re adding 25-30 people this year have to build it because nobody else number of employees in the in our Greenville office. It’s a process was going to. company’s Greenville office explaining to hospitals what we do, and we’re bringing on 18 hospitals What’s the best piece of number of states with OB simultaneously. business advice you’ve Hospitalist Group physicians

350 110 24

ever received?

Describe a time when you thought you were going to fail. Did it happen? The business was initially risky. If the hospital didn’t pay you for a month or two, you’ve got to

To make sure that you hire the very best people you can hire. It’s more expensive up front, but we like to hire people who are much more knowledgeable in areas than we possibly could be.

July 18, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

90 YEARS

COVER STORY – MILESTONE A tribute to our long-lasting enterprises Finished webbing of various colors.

Southern Weaving in the early 1960s.

Southern Weaving CEO Ron Mohling.

The Southern Weaving office in the early 1960s.

Vale Johnson works on a loom in the production plant.

A loom making webbing.

Southern Weaving’s first 90 years From the Model T to the space shuttle, this Upstate company has woven itself into history – and beyond

JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com Nine decades ago, the late actor Marlon Brando was born, U.S. President Calvin Coolidge gave the first radio address from the White House, and the Southern Weaving Company was founded in Greenville, S.C. Formed by two friends of Henry Ford, Fred Murdock and J.W. Burnett Sr., the Upstate business began in 1924 by supplying cotton webbing for the Model T. With an order for 1 million feet of heavyweight cotton webbing for brake linings, Southern Weaving opened the doors in a building purchased from the Shambo Shuttle Company. Cotton webbing is a natural fiber grown and later spun into yarn, said Ron Mohling, CEO of Southern Weaving Company. A variety of fabrics can be produced from the yarn, including clothing and belting, he said. As the automotive industry expanded throughout the 1920s and ’30s, Southern Weaving began making hood lace and anti-squeak webbing for cars while diversifying its product line to include military specification tapes and webbings used for

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

large bearings. Mohling said a lot of companies were producing products for the U.S. military at the time. During the early 1940s, Southern Weaving’s focus became the war effort, he said. “We made everything from belts to backpacks.” Following World War II, the American automobile industry exploded and the birth of the seat belt assembly was born. Southern Weaving Company became a strong supplier for the new product, Mohling said. “I suspect that at one time, we were the largest seat belt producer in America,” he said. The company was making almost 1 million yards each week.

THE AGE OF SYNTHETICS During the 1960s, as the nylon seat belt became Southern Weaving’s primary product line, the Greenville fabric company began transitioning from cotton webbing to synthetic materials. Unlike cotton, nylon is a synthetic material but is more versatile and long lasting, Mohling said. Synthetic materials have opened a new world of what can be done with chemical fibers, he said. Although synthetics have become more popular, there are remaining uses for cotton.

July 18, 2014

The webbing technology for seat belts eventually developed into both a nylon and polyester construction until polyester became the dominant fiber in the late 1970s. During that same time, the fabric company began to expand its facility, adding a receiving warehouse, a yarn preparation area and a polypropylene extrusion unit. Because the narrow fabrics industry is very competitive, the Southern Weaving Company remains focused on purchasing modern equipment and the development of new products. “You have to reinvent yourself every so often,” Mohling said. A large number of Asian imports keep the market competitive, and “we have to develop products that set us apart,” he said.

LIFTING THE HUNLEY By the 1990s, seatbelts had become unprofitable and the company began to produce sling web and lifting technology. Today, the company has evolved into a large fabrics supplier for companies in need of fall protection products and webbing technology including synthetic, cotton, tubular, pasting belts, synthetic web dyeing, and custom product design. >>

SOUTHERN WEAVING TIMELINE

COVER STORY – MILESTONE

YEARS

A tribute to our long-lasting enterprises The Southern Weaving office as it looks today.

1924 – Southern Weaving Company founded, begins making webbing for the Ford Motor Company. 1941– U.S. enters World War II. Southern Weaving Company begins making a variety of products for the war effort. 1954 – The automobile industry expands and Southern Weaving Company begins to focus on manufacturing seat belt webbing for cars. 1958 – Southern Weaving Company purchases Anderson Narrow Fabrics.

Southern Weaving Technical Sales Manager Jack Miller.

1959 – Longtime employee Jack Miller joins the company.

Employees gather for a group photo celebrating Southern Weaving’s 90th anniversary.

>> Southern Weaving has played a role in several high-profile events, creating the webbing that helped lift the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley from the bottom of the Charleston harbor, the space shuttle from a barge onto its permanent home on the Intrepid, and the needle onto the top of the World Trade Center memorial in New York City. “Nearly half of the business is dedicated to making harnesses and webbing for the construction industry,” Mohling said. “We like to think of it as protecting people and property with our product.” The webbing technology is a safety product designed to lift property or protect people in body harnesses, he said. Additionally, the company creates tubular webbing to contain the burst pressure from hydraulic hoses. “INTO A NEW GENERATION” Over 90 years, the Southern Weaving Company has worked with a variety of notable companies

SOUTHERN WEAVING PROVIDES A VARIETY OF PRODUCTS INCLUDING: Webbing Rope products

Protective sleeve Coated products

In addition to producing webbing, sleeving, rope products and coated products, Southern Weaving also provides: Sewing Dyeing Embossing Printing

Coating Treatments Jacquard Designs

Thread used to make webbing.

and organizations, such as the Ford Motor Company, the U.S. military, Caterpillar, Liftall, Honeywell, Eaton, NASA and Altec Industries. The Upstate business also provides employment for roughly 200 people, including 55-year veteran and technical sales manager, Jack R. Miller. Miller joined the company in 1959, the same year Alaska and Hawaii were admitted as U.S. states. “I was a freshman at Furman University looking for a summer job,” he said. Miller worked part-time after school performing a multitude of tasks until eventually making his way through every department of the company including shipping, production, and the testing lab where he spent 30 of his 55 years. Miller joined Southern Weaving when Greenville was still considered the textile capital of the world, and during his tenure, has witnessed a variety of technological advances and changes in industry focus. “We have a lot of specialists now making safety products,” he said. “I like to think someone went home yesterday instead of being killed on the job because of one of our products.” Having served Southern Weaving for over a half century, Miller has become an invaluable source of information for company officials. Mohling said weaving is an art form and longstanding employees such as Miller have become artists of the trade and a testament to the company’s longevity. “We are taking weaving into a new generation together,” he said.

1960’s – As nylon synthetics become more popular, the Southern Weaving Company starts transition from cotton to synthetics. 1970s – Polyester becomes dominant fiber used in Southern Weaving’s manufacturing of materials. 1982 – Woven Electronics Corporation, formed by officers of the company and an executive from Milliken and Company, buys Southern Weaving Company. 1990s – The company’s focus shifts from seat belt production to lifting and sling web technology. 2000 – Confederate submarine Hunley lifted from the ocean floor, using webbing from Southern Weaving. 2009 – The Southern Weaving Company appoints new CEO Ron Mohling. 2012 – Space shuttle was lifted onto the Intrepid with Southern Weaving webbing. 2013 – Needle was placed on top of the new World Trade Center memorial with Southern Weaving webbing. 2014 – Southern Weaving Company is a privately held company.

FINE PRINT Business briefs you can’t miss

Belk announces $47M investment in Union County Department store retailer Belk Inc. recently announced a $47 million investment in its Jonesville e-commerce distribution and fulfillment center operations, which is expected to expand the facility’s footprint by 50 percent and add 20 new jobs. The new expansion, which is expected to be completed in January

2015, is the second expansion to the Union County facility since its establishment in June 2012. The investment will add more than 345,000 square feet of newly constructed space to the 515,000-squarefoot building. Additionally, the Jonesville facility was recently acquired by CPA:18 -

Global, a non-traded REIT affiliate of global real estate investment trust W.P. Carey Inc., and is being leased to Belk. Belk and CPA:18 - Global will invest a collective $47 million, which includes funding for construction and to upfit the facility with equipment such as conveyor systems, racking and automation.

GSHRM conference returns in August The Greenville Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (GSHRM) recently announced that its Human Resources & Management Conference will return after a two-year hiatus on August 26 at the TD Convention Center in Greenville. The conference is organized by GSHRM and features educational sessions, which are presented by national and local speakers, attorneys, HR professionals and business leaders to increase the knowledge of attendees and further develop their careers. Additionally, attendees have the opportunity to explore products and services designed to make their jobs easier while maintaining their organization’s marketplace competitive ad-

vantage. More than 195 professionals with titles such as HR business partner, vice president, manager, generalist, trainer, and recruiter attended the conference in 2011. “The program will provide the information human resource professionals will need to stay informed about the latest developments in their field, as well as compliance and regulatory issues, and will focus on the distinctive interests and professional development essentials of HR professionals seeking the most current tactics and strategies,” said Donnie Brown, GSHRM president, in a news release. For more information, visit greenvillehr.shrm.org.

844 -GSP-ESPN 20

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

July 18, 2014

In addition to the 20 new jobs created by the investment, Belk had previously announced plans to hire an additional 170 people by the end of 2015.

Triad Advisors named as independent broker dealer for Wagner Wealth Wagner Wealth Management recently signed a deal for Triad Advisors, a subsidiary of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services, to serve as its independent broker dealer. Wagner Wealth Management, which has offices in Greenville, Anderson and Seneca, S.C., currently has $260 million in assets under advisement as a registered investment adviser (RIA) and chose Triad to support its growth plans, said Dan Wagner, Wagner Wealth’s president, in a news release. According to Wagner, the firm

Mike & Mike 6 -10 A

expects to close acquisitions with RIAs in the San Francisco area and in Asheville, N.C., by the end of this year. Triad currently works with around 600 advisors around the country and was bought by Ladenburg Thalmann in 2008. The company has approximately $21 billion in assets under management and its total revenues rose last year to $156 million, a 27 percent increase from 2012.

The Her d 10A-1 P

FINE PRINT Business briefs you can’t miss

Blackboard acquires Perceptis Blackboard Inc. recently an nounced its acquisition of Greenville-based Perceptis, a provider of help desk and tech support services to more than 1.4 million students, faculty and staff members. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In addition to its Greenville headquarters and Southeast call center on West McBee Avenue, Perceptis also has a Southwest office and call center in Phoenix, Ariz. Through the acquisition, Blackboard, an enterprise technology company with corporate headquarters in Washington, D.C., primarily known as a developer of education software, in particular Blackboard Learn, its flagship learning manage-

Entrepreneurial space to open in Anderson Innovate Anderson and the City of Anderson are creating e-Merge @ the Garage, an entrepreneurial space and programs that will focus on a public/ private collaborative with local industry partners. The space will be located at 130 W. Whiter St. within the existing parking garage facility the City of Anderson owns. e-Merge @ the Garage will consist of entrepreneurial flexible work space for startups in health care, IT intelligence, culinary arts and education opportunities, according to a news release. Chosen companies will go through a 12-week startup “boot

ment system, “extends its capabilities to provide integrated services to support students at every step of their education pathway,” according to a statement released by the company. “Together, Blackboard and Perceptis will support millions of campus community members at over 500 institutions, through support teams located at five operation centers nationwide,” said the statement. This marks Blackboard’s second

purchase this year, after acquiring MyEdu in January. “Student expectations around how they are supported by their schools is drastically changing,” said Trevor Allen, president and CEO of Perceptis, in the statement. “I couldn’t be more excited for Perceptis to become a part of Blackboard and work in unison to help drive change and innovation in the way education and education services are delivered.”

Pacolet Milliken and Syncarpha Capital complete solar facility

camp” that will guide them in areas such as idea creation, business canvassing, funding and storytelling, according to the release. During the program the startup companies will be offered workspace, mentors and funding opportunities. Innovate Anderson received a $250,000 SC Department of Commerce Innovation Grant for the initiative. More information is available at the e-Merge @ the Garage Facebook page.

Syncarpha Capital and Pacolet Milliken recently announced the completion of Fischer Road Solar, a jointly-owned six-megawatt solar project in Dartmouth, Mass. The facility is currently the second-largest solar project in Massachusetts. The project was constructed by Ameresco Inc., a renewable energy and energy efficiency company, and features approximately 20,000 solar panels. It is located on a parcel that also contains cranberry bogs and a composting center. “Our Energy Division at Pacolet Milliken has two goals – to work with best-in-class partners and to invest in high-quality, long-term renewable energy generation, and we have found

both in this solar energy facility,” said Rick Webel, president of Pacolet Milliken, in a news release. The facility is expected to generate enough energy to offset the annual electricity requirements of 820 typical U.S. residences in its first year.

Greg McKinney 4-7 P Sturg 7-10 P July 18, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ

SQUARE FEET

IRendering by

Real estate deals and developments across the region

Southern Living home at Cliffs at Keowee Falls opening for tours The eighth Southern Living 2014 SOUTHERN LIVING CUSTOM BUILDER PROGRAM SHOWCASE HOME WHERE: The Cliffs at Keowee Falls PUBLIC TOURS: July 25–Sept. 1 Fridays 1–6pm Saturdays 10am–6pm Sundays 1–5pm No admission charge, but visitors may donate to Tamassee DAR School and Operation Finally Home INFORMATION: dillardjones.com

Custom Builder Showcase Home by Dillard-Jones Builders is set to open for public tours July 25 at The Retreat in The Cliffs at Keowee Falls South. The home is a 3,300-square-foot custom cottage design. It has an open floor plan with four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. Special features include an open kitchen/dining room with flagstone flooring, media room, and outdoor living space that include a screened porch, stone fireplace and outdoor fire pit. Hand-hewn stone is used throughout the home. The Retreat is a collection of 16 single-family cottages and lakeside living townhomes in an established waterfront enclave. Retreat home-

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

July 18, 2014

owners have a choice of membership options including the Cliffs clubhouse and Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. Private boat slips are also available. In 2009, Dillard-Jones Builders became the first South Carolina homebuilder to be named a Southern Living Custom Builder of the Year. In 2011, Dillard-Jones became the first company in the 18-year history of the Southern Living Custom Builder Program to win the Builder of the Year award twice. Also in 2011, Southern Living named Dillard-Jones to represent its Custom Builder Program in the Asheville, N.C., market along with Greenville. The title sponsor of the home is 84 Lumber. As a Southern Living Show-

case Home, the project will incorporate products of all national Southern Living sponsors including JELDWEN Windows & Doors, Lennox, Sherwin-Williams and Rinnai. After public tours, the house will serve as a model home.

PROJECT PARTNERS DEVELOPER: Worthington Hyde Partners GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Dillard Jones Builders ARCHITECT: Dillard Jones Builders MARKETED BY: Justin Winter and Associates

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ

SQUARE FEET Real estate deals and developments across the region

‘I love to list. I love to sell.’ CBC top producer Sharon Wilson launches new Upstate realty firm

Sharon Wilson, a real estate professional with 28 years’ experience, announced the opening of her own firm, Wilson Associates, last week. Wilson, along with former colleague Nick Carlson, will head the new residential real estate firm focusing primarily on Greenville County. Both were previously with Coldwell Banker Caine. “I just felt the timing was right. The economy was right. And personally, the time was right,” Wilson said. The veteran Realtor said she had “pretty much done everything else in real estate” except own her own company and everything just “came together” to make it happen. “It’s been so well-received in the community so far – partly because we’re a non-franchise company,” said Wilson. “Everyone has been so supportive, from both peers and the business community.” Wilson says she “never been as tired,” but opening her own firm is “a dream come true.” She plans to create a company that is “more creative and has more synergy” with agents. The office space is currently under construction and will feature an “open work space instead of offices behind closed doors,” she said. She’s also being selective in hiring, saying her goal is to have about 10-15 agents. “I’m not trying to be the biggest. I’m trying to be the best.” Wilson was consistently recognized as a top producer during her

tenure with Coldwell Banker Caine, and was named No. 1 producer in South Carolina in 2009, 2012 and 2013. She was in the top 1 percent for Coldwell Banker internationally and top 10 percent in the Southeast. Wilson is also a seventh-generation Greenvillian, and is actively involved in community organizations such as Project Host and the CC Pearce Community Culinary School. Wilson was a founding board member for the McCall Hospice House and has been involved in the United Way of Greenville County and Junior League of Greenville for many years. She graduated from the University of South Carolina and the Real Estate Institute, is accredited as a Buyers Representative, and is a Certified Residential Specialist. Carlson has 10 years of experience in real estate and is also considered a top producer in the Upstate market. Wilson said she plans to continue to sell real estate herself as well as support her agents. “I love to list. I love to sell. It’s my heartbeat and I love it.” Wilson Associates is located at 213 E. Broad St. in downtown Greenville, next door to Northampton Wines.

Photos Provided

Sperry Van Ness launches Greenville CRE franchise

Photos Provided

Carlos Salgado (left) & Ford Elliott (right)

Sperry Van Ness International Corporation (SVNIC), a commercial real estate services franchisor based in Boston, has opened its newest franchise office, Sperry Van Ness/Blackstream Commercial LLC, in Greenville. The new firm will be led by managing directors Ford Elliott and Carlos Salgado. Elliott, the operating partner, has 10 years’ experience in the Greenville real estate market. The organization will focus on full-service commercial real estate brokerage, sales, leasing and property management services in Greenville. The duo also purchased the franchise rights in Columbia and Asheville. “Sperry is really excited about this franchise and wants to grow this market,” said Elliott. What sets SVNIC apart from other commercial real estate companies is the national exposure clients receive, Elliott said. Listed qualified proper-

July 18, 2014

ties have the ability to be reviewed on a national sales call with representatives from brokerage firms, investors and other buyers. “We are top-of-the-line investment specialists,” Elliott said. “Our firm has a national platform that gives clients national exposure and national distribution channels.” SVNIC says it is the only commercial real estate firm that markets all of its properties nationally to a 100,000-member brokerage and investment community. The company has 180 locations in 200 markets and produced $8.1 billion in sales and leasing transactions in 2013. The Greenville franchise has five agents, with plans “to grow as needed” to be a full-service firm for industrial, office, land and multifamily properties in the Upstate, Elliott said. Offices are located at 7C Brendan Way, Suite 1, in Greenville. More information is available at svnblackstream.com.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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

HIRED

PROMOTED

NAMED Reggie Gay, named

Ann Marie Stieritz

Mary Ellington Johnson

Larry Compton

Eli Hestermann

Joined New Carolina, South Carolina’s Council on Competitiveness, as its president and CEO. Stieritz brings more than 15 years of economic and workforce development experience to New Carolina. She was previously the deputy executive director of the University of South Carolina’s Office of Economic Engagement.

Joined the South Carolina Children’s Theatre as its development director. Johnson spent four years as the founding executive director of Artisphere, two years as the director of development for The Children’s Museum of the Upstate raising capital funds to open the museum, and most recently five years as a consultant for local nonprofits focused primarily on grantwriting.

Joins Greer State Bank as vice president and mortgage loan officer. Compton has more than 30 years in lending and mortgage lending experience. He served as a board member for the S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs, and as president of the South Carolina Mortgage Brokers Association.

Named as executive director of health education/ undergraduate studies and students for the partnership between Furman University and Greenville Health System (GHS). Hestermann joined the Furman faculty in 2003 and is an associate professor of biology. He has previously worked at Harvard Medical School and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT:

keting and communication intern for USTA South Carolina.

experience and has been instrumental in developing, executing and managing business strategies and public relations campaigns.

Visions International recently announced that Johanna Brassert has joined the organization as a language coach. Brassert began teaching English as a second language and French in 1995 in Surabaya, Indonesia. She has since taught in France, Spain, Tunisia, Cambodia and the United States.

The Greenville Area Small Business Development Advisory Board recently announced that Randy Bell has been named chairman. Bell is the senior vice president at the Bank of Traveler’s Rest.

COMMUNICATIONS/ MARKETING: Jackson Marketing Group (JMG) recently added Amanda Renken as media buyer and Mario Cuadros as public relations intern. Renken previously led the media planning and buying team for her company’s fastest growing client. She also has experience with events, trade shows and copywriting while working as marketing team member at Whole Foods and as an intern at a marketing agency. Cuadros held two previous internships as media relations intern for the University of South Carolina as well as mar-

Erwin Penland has announced that Craig Melchiano will take on the role of EVP/ executive creative director, and that Bee Reynolds was named associate creative director. Both are new positions in the agency. Melchiano and Reynolds, who are a married couple, both formerly of Goodby Silverstein & Partners, will relocate to the agency’s headquarters in Greenville. Both will work on Erwin Penland’s marquee clients including Microsoft, Denny’s and Verizon.

CONSTRUCTION/ ENGINEERING: GMK Associates Inc. recently announced that Jeremy M. Ellison has joined the firm’s Interiors Division as a sales and business development professional. Ellison possesses eight years of sales and marketing

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

July 18, 2014

HRP Associates Inc. (HRP) recently announced the promotion of Justin Evans to senior project engineer and Jackie Baxley to senior project manager, South/Midwest region. Evans has been employed with HRP for more than five years. Baxley has been employed with HRP for more than seven years.

EDUCATION: Spartanburg Methodist College recently announced that Kyle Owings will be serving as the Men’s and Women’s Golf Coach beginning with the 20142015 academic year. Owings was a four-time Most Valuable Player, four-time All-Conference, and in 2003 a Ping Regional All-American while playing golf at Anderson University.

FINANCIAL SERVICES: SuggsJohnson LLC recently announced that Chris Clem as joined the company as senior manager of the firm’s tax team. Clem joins the firm with more than 16 years of experience in public accounting and industry.

MEDICAL: Southern Eye Associates recently welcomed Dr. Craig A. O’Dell as its newest optometrist. O’Dell earned his biology degree and Doctorate of Optometry at The Ohio State University in

managing shareholder of McNair Law Firm’s Upstate Unit. Gay has been practicing law for 27 years, 12 of which have been with McNair. As managing shareholder, he will oversee the Greenville office, which includes 16 attorneys and 13 staff members. He also serves on the board of the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce.

Columbus, Ohio. He has completed a residency in ocular disease at the Chillicothe VAMC and Chalmers P Wylie VAACC. Greenville Natural Health Center recently welcomed Dr. Sande Triponey to its staff. A licensed acupuncture physician, Triponey specializes in the treatment of chronic pain, anxiety and depression, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, PTSD and women’s health.

TECHNOLOGY: Spirit Communications has named Richard Coggins as regional sales manager for the Greenville and Asheville, N.C. markets. Coggins has 14 years of sales experience in the IT industry including business communications, data center operations and managed/cloud services.

NEW TO THE STREET The freshest faces on the business landscape

2 WILL WHITMAN

1. Nichole Livengood, the writer behind Greenvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food blog GapCreekGourmet.com and presenting partner

for Greenville Small Plate Crawl, has launched her own public relations company, NicLive PR. The firm currently works with Travelers Rest Farmers Market, Wits End Poetry (Southern Fried Poetry Slam), Leopard Forest Coffee Company, Upcountry Provisions, ChekTrek and iOnGreenville. For more information, call 864320-3002, email nichole@niclivepr.com, or visit niclivepr.com. 2. Kumon recently held a ribbon-cutting at 838 Woods Crossing Road in Greenville. Kumon offers after-

school math and reading programs. For more information, visit kumon.com or call 864-607-9400.

3. NEXUS IT and Networking Services recently opened at 305 Pleasant Retreat Road

in Travelers Rest. NEXUS specializes in IT and network services for standard residential

CONTRIBUTE: Opening your doors? Submit photo and information for consideration to ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

services, home business and business services in small to medium-sized businesses. For more information, call 864-630-8292, email nexusitandnetworkingservices@gmail.com or visit nexusitandnetworkingservices.net.

Growth and improvement in every direction. A land-use program committed to the legacy of carefully considered, responsible, sustainable, and environmentally sensitive growth and development.

Learn more...www.GSP360BeyondtheRunway.com July 18, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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

PLANNER Events you should have on your calendar

FRIDAY JULY 18 NORTH GREENVILLE ROTARY CLUB The Poinsett Club, 807 E. Washington St., Greenville; 12:30-1:30 p.m.

TOPIC: Encore Careers Call Golden Career Strategies at 864-527-0425 to request an invitation

WEDNESDAY JULY 23

TUESDAY JULY 22

COST: Free to attend but invitation required, lunch $16

EXECUTIVE ASSOCIATION OF GREATER GREENVILLE (EAGG) MEETING

CONTACT: Shanda Jeffries at 864-228-2122 or sjeffries1@allstate.com

Embassy Suites, 670 Verdae Blvd., Greenville; 7:30-8:30 a.m.

MONDAY JULY 21 GCS ROUNDTABLE The Office Center at the Point, 33 Market Point Drive, Greenville; 8:30-9:30 a.m. SPEAKER: Myles Golden

FOR INFORMATION: greenvilleeveningrotary.org

COST: Guests are invited to have a free breakfast for at least two meetings. Dues are $125 a quarter. CONTACT: Dale Greene at 864-901-5827 FOR INFORMATION: eagg.org

BREAKFAST & LEARN PIEDMONT EXECUTIVE CLUB (TOASTMASTERS) City Range, 615 Haywood Road, Greenville; noon-1 p.m. Open to all and guests eat free. CONTACT: 864-458-8277 or brianwoolf@gmail.com GREENVILLE EVENING ROTARY MEETING Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Place, Greenville; 6 p.m.

Pelham Medical Center, Community Room, 250 Westmoreland Rd., Greer, 8-9:15 a.m.

Hilton, 45 W. Orchard Park Dr., Greenville, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

BNI

COST: Free and open only to PULSE members REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org

BNI CHAPTER, GREATER GREENVILLE

CONTACT: Allison McGarity at amcgarity@ simpsonvillechamber.com

City Range, 615 Haywood Road, Greenville; noon-1:30 p.m.

DIGITAL MARKETING BREAKFAST SEMINAR

SPEAKER: Larry Bailin, author of “Mommy, Where Do Customers Come From” TOPIC: Getting Beyond Average REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org

PULSE LEADERSHIP

Southern Fried Green Tomatoes, 1175 Woods Crossing Road, Greenville; 8:15-9:45 a.m. CONTACT: Shanda Jeffries at 864-228-2122 or sjeffries1@allstate.com for invitation WOMEN’S BUSINESS NETWORK

TOPIC: Mortgage Seminar

CONTACT: 864-304-9632

Upstate Business Journal

THURSDAY JULY 24

SPEAKER: John Bostic, Independence National Bank

Hilton, 45 W. Orchard Park Dr., Greenville; 8:30-10 a.m.

Stay in the know on Twitter.

LUNCHEON

COST: $15 for lunch CONTACT: Hardy Auston at 864-313-9942 or hdaustonmoving@aol.com YOUNG PROFESSIONAL TOASTMASTERS Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Place, Greenville; 6 p.m. COST TO VISIT: $5 to cover meeting space and one drink at the bar FOR MORE INFORMATION: visit yptm. toastmastersclubs.org

No Limits Martial Arts, 510 S. Main St., Simpsonville, 11:30 a.m.-noon ACTIVITY: Women’s self-defense course COST: $10 before July 22, $15 after July 22 REGISTER AT: simpsonvillechamber.com CONTACT: Jennifer Richardson at jrichardson@ simpsonvillechamber.com UWIT ANNUAL SUMMER SOCIAL! Bavarian Pretzel Factory, 534 Woods Lake Road, Greenville; noon COST: $10, includes a lunch buffet REGISTER AT: uwitsc.com

JOIN THE 20 COMPANIES SHARING WORK AND EVENT SPACE IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE www.JOINOPENWORKS.com 26

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

July 18, 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

When a large section of the sanctuary ceiling fell in 1951, construction began on the renovation and extension of the church. The new section of the sanctuary (seen in this recent photograph), completed in 1952, extended almost to Buncombe Street. On the interior, the old church had a continuous chancel rail with the pulpit in the center. The new sanctuary, with a seating capacity increased from 550 to 850, had a divided chancel.

The Greenville Methodist Church was formally organized in 1834. On land donated by Vardry McBee, the small congregation constructed a clapboard church at the corner of East Coffee and Church streets. Forty years later, when more space was needed, the Coffee Street property was sold and a large block of land was purchased from J.W. Stokes. The front of this property bordered on the intersection of Buncombe, Richardson, and West North Streets. The back extended all the way to College Street. Unfortunately the back end of the land was later sold off. Begun in 1871 and completed in 1873, the new church originally had a cupola-like tower without a spire. It was not until 1892 that the Greenville Methodist Church was officially renamed Buncombe Street Methodist Church. By the time Bill Coxe took this photograph in the 1930s, the tower had been removed. The education building to the rear of new church was completed in 1927.

MARKETING & EVENTS Kate Madden

GREG BECKNER / STAFF

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

UBJ milestone

UBJ milestone jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years

DIGITAL STRATEGIST PRESIDENT/CEO Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com

UBJ PUBLISHER

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

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

ART & PRODUCTION

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Michael Allen, Whitney Fincannon

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

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

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

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

2003 2009-2012 Jackson marketing Group named a top BtoB agency by BtoB magazine 4 years running

him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-prof non-profits. The company was recently awarded the Community Foundation Spirit Award. The company reaffirmed its commitment to serving the community last week by celebrating its 25th anniversary with a birthday party and a 25-hour Serve-A-Thon partnership with Hands on Greenville and Habitat for Humanity. JMG’s 103 full-time employees worked in shifts around the clock on October 22 and 23 to help construct a house for a deserving family. As Jackson inches towards retirement, he says he hasn’t quite figured out his succession plan yet, but sees the companies staying under the same umbrella. He wants to continue to strategically grow the business. “From the beginning, my father has taught me that this business is all about our people – both our clients and our associates,” said his son, Darrell. “We have created a focus and a culture that strives to solve problems, serve people and grow careers.” Darrell Jackson said he wants to “continue helping lead a culture where we solve, serve and grow. If we are successful, we will continue to grow towards our ultimate goal of becoming the leading integrated marketing communications brand in the Southeast.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

ADVERTISING DESIGN CLIENT SERVICES Anita Harley, Jane Rogers

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NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, AND AWARDS: onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties. Guest columns run 700-800 words. Contact Executive Editor Susan Clary Simmons at ssimmons@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration.

NEXT WEEK: Commercial Real Estate Quarterly Catching up on apartment, condo and hotel projects; rounding up the industrial, office and retail numbers for Q2; shaking hands with the dealmakers.

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

ART DIRECTOR Kristy M. Adair OPERATIONS Holly Hardin

MANAGING EDITOR

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

1990 Jackson Dawson

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

Emily Price

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

1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport

1988

u UP NEXT

publishers of

COMING SOON: Special Issue: Focus on Leadership Who’s building leaders in the community? What are questions leaders should never ask? What can we learn from the military, football coaches and university presidents? Special Issue: Focus on Technology Is the outsourcing scare over? Can social media change how we enjoy downtown? What exactly is data mining? Is 3-D imaging the wave of the future? Got any thoughts? Care to contribute? Let us know at ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

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