JULY 19, 2013
WHAT ABOUT OBAMACARE DON’TT YOU UNDERSTAND? (If you’re like most consumers and business owners, a whole lot. Answers for the Upstate on page 15)
R A LTHCA NEW HE Patient Name: Date:
REAL ESTATE MARKET HEATS UP Foreclosures down, mortgage rates and home sales up PAGE 26
Signature:
CAPE E LANDS
CENTER
Volume II, Issue XXVIII
July 19, 2013
WORTH REPEATING “We try to fight fear with knowledge, but when there’s no knowledge available, fear runs rampant.”
19
David McMillan, chairman of the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (SCRLA), on the confusion surrounding the Affordable Care Act.
Tonya Martin of ProSource, on the Spartanburg showroom the company is opening on Aug. 8. “A challenge will be finding a place for the people with shiny new Medicaid cards to go to.”
LEFT: Scott Montgomery with Core Care uses one of the company’s iPads to demonstrate the ease of use of their product
Suzie Foley, executive director of Greenville Free Medical Clinic, on newly insured and the physician shortage
Jimmy Gibbs on advice for entrepreneurs.
Photo by Pam Putnam
The Arena District reportedly has signed an MOU with one of the region’s larger employers for a new name for the BI-LO Center. Word is it’s a hospital, but we may be surprised which one … Plans are charging forward for 51 new apartments at the corner of East Stone and Rowley in a new four-story said to include an outdoor rooftop deck and 1,600 square feet of retail/ commercial. A public hearing is set for Aug. 8…
“Spartanburg is a tough market. If you’re not in that market, they don’t buy from you.”
“Get out in the real world and learn. By the time you’ve gone to graduate school, a lot of time has gone by for people who are hungry like I was – they’re going to eat you alive.”
TBA
Photo by Greg Beckner
VERBATIM
On the future of Upstate business litigation… “It’s hard to see into the future. I think that South Carolina’s beginning to come out of the recession, and there’s more and more investment coming in here, so I would expect my practice would involve a whole series of very interesting, complex litigation matters.” Henry L. Parr Jr., attorney with Greenville’s Wyche Law Firm, interviewed last week on SCETV Radio. Parr, who clerked for U.S. Chief Justice Warren Berger in 1978 during the historic Bakke affirmative action case, was recently featured on the cover of South Carolina Super Lawyers Magazine.
2 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL July 19, 2013
Professional Speak Out
UBJ NEWS
By Anna T. Locke
Germshield Aims to Keep Employees Healthy Greenville Office Supply also gains Upstate rights to Flavia Coffee Brewers
SkinGuard24
By Keith Sechrist | contributor
greenville office supply (gos) says that their new product, Germshield, was designed to make any business a healthier place for employees and customers. GOS is the only company in the state with certification to apply Germshield, an EPA- and USDAapproved disinfectant antimicrobial spray, company officials say. According to GOS, a Germshield treatment offers odorless and colorless antimicrobial protection for up to 90 days. oz. bottle “The active ingredient in Germshield (organosilane) forms a colorless, odorless, positively charged rice: $13.95 EA polymer, which chemically bonds ase (24 to bottles): a surface,”$334.80 explained GOS antibacterial specialist McClain Scales. The polymer lowers the general growth of biofilm, the layer of cells found on many surfaces, which includes germs, bacteria, mildew and yeasts, Scales said. This biofilm is what results in approximately 80 percent of human infections – which can lead to downtime for employees.
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If your company were a ship, the financial reporting and accounting function is the rudder. Usually the maintenance and reporting of financial statements are carried out by a small data entry division, or completed using “do-it-yourself ” accounting software. The receipts come in, invoices go out, taxes are prepared. The ship keeps sailing in the same direction, the status quo is met—business goes as usual. Instead of cruising at the usual pace, companies that get the right insight from the financial reporting could actually steer toward a more profitable and strategically sound direction. To accomplish this, businesses are turning to outsourced accounting firms with teams of highly-trained accountants to help companies outside the box by providing highhand think sanitizer products level analysis that provides critical information to propel the business to the next level.
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Though the product does not replace general cleaning practices, Germshield has a positive charge so it will stick to most surfaces without rubbing off with daily use, said These accounting agencies provide more than just data entry han Scales. Its resilience means that services and periodic financial statements. They dig into the Germshield can be considered “the details with their clients to offer insights that tell the story cleaning in between cleanings,” said of the business while planning for future goals. Outsourced Charles Scales III, GOS president. accounting groups become an extension of your team and cost In addition, GOS also recently a fraction of the price to hire a CFO or similar type of internal made a deal with Mars Corporation position. for the rights to its Flavia Coffee Note that hiring a total accounting agency is not the same as Brewers, making GOS the first and outsourcing only private company in the Upstate 10 ml. tax preparation to a CPA firm, hiring a full time CFO orBottle adding a bookkeeper – it’s acquiring a team of “do-ers” SkinGuard SkinGuard24 Foam to sell this product. Flavia office to look at the whole picture of your company’s current fi nancial machines use a single-serving 8 oz. bottle 10 ml. health helpEA you navigate the data so you have the key packet of coffee or tea, similar to Price:and $4.95 information you need to move toward your future aspirations Keurig personal coffee machines. A Case (48 bottles): $237.60 Price: $13.95 EA Price: $4.95 E and goals. Flavia machine can make coffee, cappuccinos and lattes from(24the Case bottles):Think $334.80 about your rudder. Are you following the same routeCase as (48 bott same machine, and built-in filters usual or is there opportunity to use outsourced accounting to prevent flavor transfer from previsteer you in the direction for growth? Don’t settle for the status ous employees’ drinks – one comquo. There are new voyages on the horizon. hand sanitizer products plaint GOS found common with hand sanitizer products Keurig machines. Used Flavia packets can also be recycled through TerraCycle.
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ProSource Keeps Profit in the Pipeline By Jenny munro | contributor jmunro@communityjournals.com
despite enduring a collapse of the housing market in 2007, ProSource, a Greenville-based plumbing supply company founded in 1996, is going strong and actually grew through the tough years. The company managed that feat while laying off only a couple of employees and asking remaining employees to take a 10 percent pay cut. Owners Grover and Tonya Martin took a 20 percent cut in pay during that period. “We’re always looking for what’s coming down the road,” Tonya Martin said of the company’s growth during a tough economic environment. The gloom that then hovered over the U.S. economy was pervasive, but she said, “I tried to be proactive and keep everything optimistic. There was so much negativity in the industry and the world.” ProSource held various events and added three major new lines of inventory. “It sent the right message,” she said. “Most of our competitors were hunkered down,” Grover Martin said. “The good thing in being independent is that the buck stops here. Decisions are made in Greenville rather than some other state or country.” The plumbing supply industry began a turnaround near the end of 2011, and 2012 was better than the previous year. So far, 2013 is better still as “we’re ahead of last year,” he said. Consumers and contractors, residential and commercial project leaders – all can be found in the showrooms, warehouses and other business locations of ProSource. Builders and buyers browse through tankless water heaters, nuts and
bolts, pipes, light fixtures, cabinet knobs, toilets, septic tank equipment, and more. If you want it, the Martins probably have it or can point you in the right direction. “The showroom is a small part of what we do,” but it’s the visible part, said Tonya Martin. She handles the
showrooms, sales and marketing and also much of the inventory selection. Grover Martin is in charge of operations, meets with clients and handles the commercial work. After years of experience in the business, the couple decided in the 1990s that it was time to open their own business. “We decided I wasn’t getting any younger,” said Grover Martin, a native of Charlotte, N.C., and a graduate of North Carolina State University. “We fell in love with Greenville when we were here earlier for several years. We were living in Columbia and moved back
Founders of prosource, grover and tonya martin, in their greenville showroom.
4 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal July 19, 2013
to Greenville.” He found financial support from a group of local venture capitalists. “I think they thought we would be a tax write-off initially,” he said, “but we were black in 90 days.” ProSource opened with four employees in Greenville. The company outgrew its initial 13,000-square-foot location and is now in an 86,000-square-foot showroom, office and warehouse on Industrial Drive. Employment has grown to 49 full-time employees and six or seven temporary workers, said Martin. Also, the independent business – one of the few independent plumbing supply organizations left in the Upstate area – added locations in Anderson and Spartanburg and Hendersonville, N.C., over the years. A location opened in Winston-Salem but later closed because it was too far from the parent company, he said. Although the business already has a presence in Spartanburg, it is opening a showroom there on Aug. 8, said Tonya Martin. “Spartanburg is a tough market. If you’re not in that market, they don’t buy from you,” she said. The Hendersonville market was opened at the request of “a lot of customers,” said Tonya Martin, a native of Hillsdale, Mich., and a graduate of Appalachian State University. The Anderson location took over an existing business, keeping the former owner as manager and retaining the employees. The only change was the name, the inventory and the fact that the business management now comes from Greenville. A grand opening of the showroom is planned for the late fall. Grover Martin said plumbing supply is “a very mature industry, ” but opportunity still exists for young people interested in the business.
Photo by Greg Beckner
UBJ company spotlight
UBJ News “The good thing in being independent is that the buck stops here. Decisions are made in Greenville rather than some other state or country.”
SCDOT Begins $240M Interstate Projects By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer
Grover Martin, co-owner of ProSource
However, they should expect to start in the warehouse, pulling orders and unloading trucks, regardless of a college education, he said. “I never thought with my graduate degree I would be doing that,” he said. “(But) it can be a good business. There’s a lot of potential.” The hot topic right now is filtration systems, his wife said. Also, any sensor-type products are big as are anti-microbial products and anything “green.” When hiring, Tonya Martin said that she looks for passion in her employees. They are sales people
and must believe in their product and understand it enough to explain it to consumers or contractors. Many of them have interior design experience. “This should be so much fun for everybody,” she said. And customer service is key: “It doesn’t matter how much you spend. You can buy cabinet knobs or a whole bathroom system. We treat everybody equally.” Eventually, the Martins plan to allow their employees to buy shares of the business, creating a core of employees who can continue the business when they retire.
the state department of Transportation (SCDOT) began seeking requests for qualifications for the Interstate 85/385 Interchange Improvements project totaling $240 million. The design public hearing for the project took place in late 2012. Since then only minor changes have been made to the plan, such as changes at Frontage Road and Crone Drive near the Harley Davidson dealership said Tommy Elrod, SCDOT program manager. “It’s essentially just a modern-
izing or an upgrading of what ‘s been up there,” Elrod said. Directional ramps will replace loops that are sometimes difficult for large trucks to navigate. The interchange improvements are part of an ongoing project to widen I-385 in order to alleviate congestion. A section near Mauldin Road in Mauldin was recently completed. Elrod said the procurement process is already underway, and SCDOT will begin the selection process in August 2014.
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UBJ News
McKissick Warns Congress of Textile Threats By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer
last week a prominent upstate textile manufacturer urged Congress to ensure a new trade agreement won’t stymie the industry’s resurgence. Smyth McKissick, CEO of Alice Manufacturing Co. in Easley, testified before the Committee on Small Business on behalf of the National Council of Textile Organizations. He told the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access that the proposed TransPacific Partnership (TPP) must maintain textile-friendly rules and strict enforcement. The United States is the third largest exporter of textiles in the world totaling $53 billion in 2012. The largest trade agreement since NAFTA, McKissick said the TPP “could be the U.S. textile industry’s single greatest threat since the Asian financial crisis,” which he said brought a flood of cheaper foreign textiles into the U.S. market after Asian countries devalued their currency. The 18th round of negotiations are taking place in Malaysia this week. The TPP’s 11 partners include Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico,
Alice Manufacturing CeO smyth McKissick testifies before the U.s. House small Business Committee in washington.
New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam and the United States. In addition to challenges that arise from environmental, economic and other policies in competing countries, he said U.S. trade policy posed other potential threats. “We also face the difficulty of the U.S. government’s tendency to
trade U.S. textile manufacturing interests away to competitors for perceived gains in other policy arenas,” he said. “This does nothing more than erode the U.S. industrial base and displace workers and families in small towns and communities nationwide.” He stressed the need for a yarn
forward rule of origin that would require countries to use only member-produced yarn in their textiles in order gain U.S. market access. He was concerned about Vietnam’s involvement, specifically because of its trade and currency practices and opposition to a yarn forward rule. He said projected job loss after 10 years of a TPP without a yarn forward ruled would reach 530,000 jobs in the United States. The subcommittee chairman, Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina’s 7th District, also prompted McKissick to discuss the tax rate his company pays, seeking support for an argument that corporate taxes needed to be lowered. McKissick said Alice Manufacturing’s rate was in the “high 30 percent” range. Three other witnesses addressed the committee: Michael Porter, professor at Harvard Business School; James McConeghy, CFO of Chobani; and Cynthia McIntyre, senior vice president of the Council on Competitiveness. At the conclusion Rice, who is serving his first term, said, “this is the best panel I’ve had since I’ve been in Congress.”
Decades of Trust. Confidence in the Future. 1993
1995
864.467.0085 WWW .M ARCHANT C O . COM
1997
2002
2003
Marchant Company relocates to the newly constructed office building located at 100 West Stone Avenue, just outside of Greenville’s growing city center.
2013
UBJ News
Young Job Seekers Face a Tough Search, Too By Keith B. sechrist | contributor
for parents, it may be hard to understand why their child isn’t employed this summer or during the school year; they remember their own teenage years working at local stores and diners. Did the kids just not want a job? Are children this lazy? The answer is no: one of the hardest things for a high school student to obtain in this economic climate is a job – summer or otherwise.
Few teens eMployed Thousands of high school and college students begin the search for employment but come back emptyhanded. According to the Department of U.S. Labor and Statistics, only 22 percent of teens enrolled in high school are employed. South Carolina’s Department of Employment and Workforce’s data indicates that of the 47,365 15- to 19-year-old residents in Greenville in 2012, only 4,675 of teenagers 14- to 18- years old were employed. Nationally, “the effective unemployment rate for 18-29 year olds, which adjusts for labor force participation by including those who have given up looking for work, is 16.1 percent,” according to the June 2013 Millennial Jobs Report released by Generation Opportunity, a national, non-partisan youth advocacy organization. “The declining labor force participation rate has created an additional 1.7 million young adults that are not counted as ‘unemployed’ by the U.S. Department of Labor because they are not in the labor force, meaning that those young people have given up looking for work due to the lack of jobs,” the report said.
Minor restrictions A problem for teenaged job seekers is that many of the jobs that appear available for teens actually aren’t due to Child Labor Law dictates. These restrictions limit not only the number of hours teens can work, but also what jobs they can apply for. The state restricts minors aged 14 to 15 to “cashiering, serving food, custodial duties, bussing tables, car washing, and delivery work not involving the operation of a motor vehicle,” according to South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (SCLLR) website. Minors ages 16 to 17 are restricted from any jobs considered hazardous, including construction, machine and factory jobs, according to the Hazardous Occupations Orders of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Lastly, many restaurants have limited jobs for teenagers under age 18 because they cannot serve alcohol, and employees must be 21 to pour alcohol.
increased liability According to U.S. Department of Labor, each violation of child labor laws can carry up to $10,000 in fines. “Hiring teens under the age of 18 years old has a lot of liability risks,” said Clemson City Administrator Rick Cotton. Within the Clemson city limits, “The only jobs for minors are as camp counselors, and they are supervised by adults constantly,” he said.
resUMe bUilding Another factor for young adults is competition for higher education. Instead of having the summer to
make money and have fun, some students are spending their summers at camps and participating in programs to improve their resumes for college admission.
iMproving jobs scene Job opportunities may be few and far between for teenagers, but summer jobs and part-time jobs are often the
first exposure to the workplace and can have a positive effect on future career earnings, according to the Employment Policies Institute. Recent evidence suggests there may be hope for future summers; South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) announced in April that unemployment rates hit their lowest point since 2008.
RANK
sTATe
TeeN UNeMPLOYMeNT
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
SOUTH CAROLINA 33.2% CALIFORNIA 33.1% GEORGIA 30.6% ARKANSAS 28.9% ILLINOIS 28.6% WASHINGTON 27.9% ARIZONA 27.2% OREGON 26.6% NEW JERSEY 26.5% COLORADO 26.5% VIRGINIA 26.2% NORTH CAROLINA 26.0% RHODE ISLAND 25.6% NEVADA 25.6% NEW YORK 25.6% According to Employment Policy Institute, May 2013
July 19, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 7
UBJ GUEST COLUMN
By MICHAEL BATCHELOR
Rejecting Medicaid Expansion Will Have Costly Results For Our State i have had two careers in my life; 15 years in the U. S. Army and 12 years as an employee of Greenville Health System, most recently as a campus president. On March 1, I became the Chief Executive Officer of Baptist Easley Hospital. Within the first 100 days in my new role, I have found myself in the crosshairs of a major issue for our state and the healthcare industry. As the new leader in town, I set out to meet the people of Easley and the surrounding community. The first question I am frequently asked as I am extending my hand is: “How is Obamacare going to affect my business?” That question is one that hospitals, as businesses, ask themselves. Or maybe more specifically, “How are we going to manage severe cuts and still adequately serve the people of our community?” In my first career, I didn’t have to think about health insurance. It was provided for me and my family, and I used services as I was instructed. Healthcare coverage is very different in the private sector – and with healthcare reform, the private sector and government-aided services now cross lines in the provision of hospital and physician services. There are many more questions than answers about healthcare reform, or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as ACA), which was signed into law on March 23, 2010, and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2012. Many would agree that it is imperfect. However, regardless of our opinions, it is the law of the land and we have to figure
W HO W ILL BENEFIT? 10 STATES THAT WILL BENEFIT THE MOST FROM EXPANSION
10 STATES THAT WILL BENEFIT THE LEAST FROM EXPANSION
The number of uninsured adults earning less than 133 percent of the poverty line is expected to decrease by: 1. Kentucky 2. Oregon 3. West Virginia 4. South Carolina 5. Mississippi 6. Nebraska 7. Idaho 8. Alabama 9. Oklahoma 10. Wyoming
57.1% 56.7% 56.7% 56.4% 54.9% 53.9% 53.9% 53.2% 53.1% 53.0%
1. Iowa 2. Tennessee 3. Illinois 4. California 5. Pennsylvania 6. Delaware 7. New York 8. Arizona 9. Vermont 10. Massachusetts
44.1% 43.3% 42.5% 41.5% 41.4% 15.9% 14.8% 13.6% 10.2% 10.2%
*States that Obama won in 2008 presidential election *States that McCain won in 2008 presidential election Source: The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
out how to make it work. The Supreme Court ruling gave the states the ability to opt out of the Medicaid expansion component, rather than be penalized for non-participation as stated initially in the ACA. In order to provide coverage for the American population, each state would be compensated 100 percent of its cost of Medicaid expansion in 2014-2016. In following years, states would be reimbursed at 90 percent. The South Carolina Hospital Association has encouraged us – rightly, I believe – to lay aside the politics and focus on the business
impact of accepting or rejecting Medicaid expansion. Economic impact studies, such as that done by USC’s Moore School of Business, give us the numbers. Without Medicaid Expansion, Baptist Easley’s cuts will be $20.4 million over seven years, or $2.9 million per year. Accepting Medicaid expansion stimulus money translates to more than $11.7 billion total to our state from 2014 to 2020. In Pickens County, 831 new jobs would be created, to total an income of $181 million and generate taxes of $12.3 million. By 2020, the state’s projected annual economic impact will
total $43.3 billion in annual economic output, nearly 44,000 jobs, approximately $1.5 billion in labor income, and increases to South Carolina general funds totaling $105.6 million. Rand Corporation, Moody’s, and American Academy of Actuaries, Jackson Hewitt, and others have released independent studies on the effect of rejecting Medicaid expansion, citing costly results to our state. Implicitly, without expanded Medicaid dollars, a greater number of residents will be uninsured. Hospitals are required by the federally mandated Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) to provide access to emergency services to the public regardless of ability to pay. The more uncompensated care, the higher the cost to insurers, providers, and hospitals themselves – many of which may face eliminating services or even closing their doors. There are still unknowns and some delays regarding the ACA, but Medicaid expansion is here and now. For 2014, our state has already sent $700 million to other states – the amount of funding SC would have received in just six months. In recent conversations with the Pickens County delegation, I have heard their concern for their constituents. I am confident that this issue is a top priority for them, and that there will be a solution. I encourage you to reach out to your legislators. It will take us all in partnership – businesses, government, and community – to take action to insure that the needs of our citizens are met for the future.
Michael Batchelor is CEO of Baptist Easley Hospital. Located in Pickens County, Baptist Easley operates independently under a unique partnership agreement between Palmetto Health and Greenville Health System.
8 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL July 19, 2013
A STEP AHEAD It’s possible. And it’s easier than you think to earn your MBA at Clemson University. With all of Clemson’s MBA courses located at our beautiful downtown Greenville campus, you can take classes full time, attend classes in the evening after work or even explore turning your entrepreneurial spirit into reality in our new blended learning program, beginning Summer 2014. Clearly, whatever MBA is right for you, there’s one best place to earn an MBA your way. Clemson.
Application deadline extended! Apply now for Fall 2013. clemson.edu/mba ∙ 864-656-8173
UBJ INNOVATE
By BLAINE CHILDRESS
Your Chance to Witness ‘Disruptive Innovation’ important new technologies are being invented each week in South Carolina. However, these developments largely take place outside the notice of the news. There is great fanfare attached to expansion news from corporate giants such as Boeing and BMW. However, little is reported about early stage technologies that are creating valuable and quite possibly, disruptive innovations. Learning about exciting early stage SC technologies is why the annual InnoVision Technology Awards is a “must attend.” Permit me to highlight a few achievements that inspire and often astonish banquet attendees. Dr. Joan Combie of Montana Biopolymers in Winnsboro became interested in adhesives derived from the fermentation of sugars. She recognized the interesting properties of the slippery coating on river rocks. Since she knew bacteria produced the coatings in order to anchor their colony to the rock, she decided to try to invent new adhesives that could be manufactured by bacteria. After 500 tries, she found a way to use a certain bacteria to produce glues from sugar instead of petroleum. Her products include MagiGlue craft glues (sold at Whole Foods) and insecticides that coat the pest with non-toxic glue rather than poisonous substances. Montana Biopolymers, Inc. received the 2011 Sustainability Award. Another remarkable technology belongs to KIYATEC in Pendleton. Dr. David Orr appreciated
an insight about how cells are grown for testing. He recognized that biological testing of tissue cells, for example to determine a response to experimental drugs or nutrients, was still being conducted on flat surfaces, similar to the Petri dishes you know from your biology studies. Yet the actual environments in nature, like tissues in our bodies, reside in intricate three-dimensional shapes. Orr decided to invent a small test module that could provide a more natural environment for tissue growth, while permitting one to view growth activity from additional points of view. This departure from traditional lab practices (Petri dishes or microscope slides) led to founding the biotech company, KIYATEC, with its co-founder Dr. Matt Gevaert. In 2010, KIYATEC was recognized for its insightful work by receiving the InnoVision Technology Development Award. Gevaert decided to invent a small test capsule that could provide a more natural environment for tissue growth, while permitting one to view growth activity from additional points of view. This departure from traditional lab practices (petri dishes or microscope slides) led to founding the biotech company, Kiyatec. In 2010, Kiyatec was recognized for its insightful work by receiving the InnoVision Technology Development Award. Jerry Barber of BarberWind in Greenville, became intrigued with the rapidly growing business of wind power. Larger and larger
towers were being erected throughout the world, based on enormous three-blade wind machines driving power plants sitting on towers hundreds of feet in the air. Besides being positioned hundreds of feet in the air, another thing bothered Barber: the drive for the power plant was from the hub of the machine. Barber knew from his knowledge of physics and mechanical engineering that the greatest speed is located near the tips of the blades. He coupled this insight with his former career (inventing ingenious devices for the amusement park industry) and began sketching new wind turbines that have the wind blades mounted onto a large wheel, similar to a Ferris wheel. Barber transformed his new vision into wind power machines, driven not from the hub, but from the bottom of the wheel.
BarberWind has captured the interest of the sustainable energy market throughout the world. With more than 50 career patents, Jerry Barber was honored for his inventive spirit by receiving the 2010 Dr. Charles Townes Lifetime Achievement Award. A further and slightly different example of South Carolina innovation includes the contributions of Nathan Scolari and his team at Zike LLC in Greenville. Scolari defined a new mode of urban transportation that combines exercise with mobility. The Zike Bike may be described as part scooter and part crosstrainer, using inventive pedal locomotion similar to the action of a cross trainer in the gym. Of course, it has the distinct advantage of not being stationary. One can combine exercise with propulsion to zoom along urban pathways. Zike’s revolutionary thinking about urban transportation resulted in the firm being recognized as a Finalist in the 2012 Small Enterprise category. Attending the annual InnoVision Technology Awards banquet offers the unique opportunity to witness the latest in cutting edge South Carolina technologies. The achievements of this year’s finalists and winners will be recognized in the categories of Technology Development, Technology Application, Sustainability, Small Enterprise and Education at the 2013 InnoVision Awards Dinner at the TD Convention Center in Greenville on Nov. 14. The public is invited to attend. To reserve your seat in advance, send an e-mail to info@ innovisionawards.org
Blaine Childress is a longtime Advisory Board member of InnoVision Awards. He is the global open innovation manager for Sealed Air Corporation’s R & D Technology Scouting. Sealed Air Corporation is the sponsor of the InnoVision Sustainability Award.
10 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL July 19, 2013
UBJ DIGITAL MAVEN
By LAURA HAIGHT
The Internet of Things: Science or Fiction? refrigerator will learn the ebb and flow of activity in your home and be able to regulate its own power usage based on peak and off times. The home climate control will sense your presence or absence and adjust itself accordingly to keep the home comfortable and energy efficient. Coming home early from work? The car knows that, so the fridge is alerted to get to work and get the beer cold! Does that seem silly, selfish, unnecessary or lazy over-the-top consumerism? Not when you consider the amount of energy wasted each year. In fact, the U.S. is No. 1 in the world in energy waste, with more than $130 billion a year. (http:// goo.gl/rBXnx). Adaptive technology can save billions in technology and, by extension, increase our environmental sustainability. Major automakers like Toyota, Audi and Mercedes Benz are already working on driverless cars. Google has had an “autonomous” Prius scooting around Silicon
Valley since March 2012. (Watch this video: http://goo.gl/v1hGO). Would this really change the world or just have a high coolness factor? Consider: one third of the average city’s land is devoted to parking; space that could be parks, playing fields or affordable living spaces. How does autonomous driving potentially change the face of cities? check out this Harvard University policy blog (http://goo.gl/ioBlu). For some, there’s more fiction than science in these visions of the future, and there are no small number of obstacles to be overcome or problems to be resolved. Historically, we as consumers have been very slow to adapt to technologies that affect energy. Electric cars have been in development and on the road as far back as at least the 1960s. And yet a half-century later, hybrids and electrics are struggling to gain adapters despite the unpredictable cost of gasoline and
limitations of fossil fuel extraction. But we have been quick to jump on technologies for entertainment and lifestyle - flat screen TVs, Bluetooth components, and, of course, mobile phones presaged by the release of the iPhone only six years ago. Technology development shows us what can be. But technology commercialization lags behind and usually follows where the consumer is willing to go. Got a question or comment about this or any other tech topic? Go to facebook.com/thedigitalmaven and post it for discussion.
Laura Haight is the president of Portfolio (portfoliosc.com), a communications company based in Greenville that leverages the power of technology and digital media to communicate effectively with clients, customers and your staff. She is a former IT executive, journalist and newspaper editor.
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it is easy to get caught up in technology’s lowest common denominator - the mobile app - as the definition of how far we have come and where we are going. It’s true that barely a day or two go by that I don’t think: “Wow, that would be a cool app!” You see things all over and imagine how life could be improved, tasks streamlined, obstacles removed if only there really was “an app for that.” Often our vision of a better world, however, is small and tightly focused on us. I thought it might be helpful to stand back and look at a bigger picture of technology that is greater than a smartphone and its potential to make the world a much different place. The Internet of Things. You hear this mentioned quite a lot, and it is where each step in the technology journey has been taking us. Right now, connected appliances are a hot commodity. LG’s Thinq line has appliances communicating with you via your smartphone - the laundry is done, the oven is ready, we’re out of milk! That’s cute, but the next step is for the refrigerator to talk to the thermostat. As the Internet of Things evolves, the
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COVER STORY
Diagnosing the
Healthcare Law PA R T O N E : S M A L L B U S I N E S S By JENNIFER OLADIPO | senior business writer joladipo@communityjournals.com
editor’s note: This is the first in a series of stories and opinion pieces aimed at helping Upstate businesses understand the current and future impacts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Let us know your thoughts and experiences at opinions@upstatebusinessjournal.com.
THE LAW KNOWN AS “OBAMACARE” HAS ALREADY BROUGHT CHANGES TO
healthcare and insurance policies, but it is the mandatory changes in 2014 that could rock many Upstate businesses. No matter the industry or size of the company, the frustrations everyone seems to share are with the law’s complexity and the piecemeal manner in which information is made available.
CHANGING EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES After the backlash of boycotts and bad press nationwide when some companies announced they would trim staff and hours in response to the ACA, most Upstate business owners
16 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL July 19, 2013
remain tight-lipped about their own responses. But they are making changes, and other indicators say what business owners won’t. “A lot of people I know have cut as many people as they can [to] under 30 because they know they won’t be able to survive,” said SCRLA’s McMillan. He said some restaurants and hotels are already looking at how to pool employees among multiple businesses. Many hospitality workers already have multiple part-time jobs, so employers are looking at how to formalize that activity to avoid cost increases. “People tend to get creative when you feel threatened,” McMillan sad. Local staffing agencies say they are seeing an increase in companies hiring for part-time positions. Ana Davis, business manager at Godshall staffing, said the past two quarters have brought a notable increase in the number of 30-hour or less positions, and more are expected in the next two quarters. The company staffs primarily administrative, clerical and other professional support positions. The majority are tempto-hire positions, mostly at small businesses. “Definitely companies are hiring, we have tremendous activity right now, but it’s part-time. We don’t know if it’s because of the healthcare reform, but it could be because of that,” Davis said.
THE BIG QUESTION: PAY OR PLAY? It’s not that simple, experts say. Looming above questions of how to follow the law is the dilemma of whether to pay fines associated with not insuring employees, or to provide coverage at the levels required by the ACA. Experts say the first point to consider is not the cost, but the importance of healthcare benefits in recruiting and retaining the employees you need. Then there are multiple options: Employers who suddenly find themselves unable to afford the same level of benefits because the law makes more employees eligible might offer higher salaries to offset the higher cost of coverage. Or they can insure some and pay penalties on the rest. Another option is to offer everyone a plan and pay different penalties on those who don’t use it. Or simply cover no employees and pay yet a different penalty when employees use government vouchers for other insurance options. (see Play or Pay chart) No matter the decision, Einstein suggests aggressive management of plans going forward. Each company has many unique characteristics, so a long hard look at needs and resources is the only way to know the best move.
Photo by Greg Beckner
One PDF on a government website explaining employer options for buying insurance reads, “Call our help center at 1-800-XXX-XXXX.” The resulting lack of understanding is clear to those whose job it is to help companies navigate the law formally named the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Many employers are not paying close enough attention, said Howard Einstein, president of Rosenfeld Einstein Employee Benefits/Marsh McLennan Agency. Some companies are unaware of myriad details that mean cost increases, or how their industries will be disproportionately impacted. They include hospitality, staffing and logistics. Restaurants with delivery service are a good example, Einstein said. “All of a sudden these [delivery] drivers are benefit eligible. Just think of what that’s going to do to the bottom line.” Others have oversimplified the decision to “pay or play” – that is, provide health insurance or pay a penalty – yet they don’t understand the nuances of the coverage options, the penalties or which apply to their own businesses, said Herb Drew, president of HTI Employment Services. Even those who have studied the law in earnest since last year say they do not feel comfortable with their level of understanding. A pop-up industry of consultants helping companies navigate the act has emerged nationwide, and can be seen at local events related to business and the ACA. Larger companies were given a surprise reprieve earlier this month when the White House announced their deadline for implementing the ACA has been pushed to 2015. However, those who employ fewer than 50 employees must be ready to comply by January 2014. “We try to fight fear with knowledge, but when there’s no knowledge available, fear runs rampant,” said David McMillan, chairman of the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (SCRLA). “When our insurance agents can’t even tell us what it’s going to cause less than six months away, that’s kind of scary.” For a law that literally grows as time passes, compliance has been complicated for some to approach. But there are several elements companies can begin to address, and trained professionals are available to help. What follows is an overview of some of the most significant aspects of the law for small business.
BEST OPTIONS VARY BY SIZE AND INDUSTRY.
• Full-time employment is 30 hours or more • Small businesses are those with 50 or fewer employees
Courtesy of Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC
PAY OR PLAY DECISION TREE Do you offer coverage to at least 95% of FT employees and their children?
NO
Employer pays $2,000 for every FT employee (exception on first 30) if at least 1 FT employee receives a tax credit
YES Are plan benefits sufficient?
NO
YES Is the coverage affordable?
NO
Employer pays the lesser of $3,000 per affected FT employee who receives a tax credit, or $2,000 for every FT employee
YES NO PENALTY
SMALL EMPLOYERS NEED TO KNOW IN 2014 Employees must be notified that exchanges are available by
OCT. 1 OF THIS YEAR,
Employer plans are required for employees only, not for spouses or dependents.
before changes take effect in 2014. (That is the date when everyone is eligible to enroll in coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace, or exchanges. )
Photo provided
Find the model notice from the US Department of Labor here: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/ healthreform/index.html.
THE DIFFERENCE IN RATES FOR A 65-YEAROLD AND A 25-YEAR-OLD IS 7:1, BUT THE NEW LAW MANDATES THAT IT MUST BE 3:1. THAT MEANS MOST INSURERS WILL BE RAISING RATES ON YOUNGER PEOPLE.
Any plan you might offer must be deemed sufficient and affordable. That means it must pay at least 60 percent of the cost of services, and cannot cost employees more than 9.5 percent of their incomes. EMPLOYEES’ OUT OF POCKET DEDUCTIBLES CANNOT EXCEED $2,000, WHICH WILL LIKELY REQUIRE AN INCREASE IN THE COSTS OF PLANS.
An annual fee on all insured plans is estimated to cost up to 2.5 percent for 2014 and up to 4 percent annually after that.
“ERISA 510” CLAIMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE THE WEAPON OF CHOICE FOR EMPLOYEES WHO BELIEVE THEY’VE BEEN FIRED SO AN EMPLOYER CAN REDUCE OR AVOID BENEFIT PLAN EXPENSES. Eligible employers can buy insurance through the
Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP)
using a broker or on your own. More info in October 2013.
those who provide coverage can and will likely become MORE INVOLVED HELPING EMPLOYEES
become or stay healthy
IN ORDER TO KEEP COSTS DOWN.
July 19, 2013 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 17
COVER STORY
Even employers who want to take advantage of this opportunity to add insurance may find it hard to do so because young workers – who help bring premium costs down – may not even buy the insurance. “We’ve got a lot of workers who are young and bulletproof, and they would rather pay $95 a year and go without,” McMillian said.
IMPORTANT TERMS
How much will it hurt? Forgoing Medicaid expansion creates questions, uncertainties for providers and patients By APRIL A. MORRIS | staff amorris@communityjournals.com
E
ARLIER THIS YEAR, THE SC Legislature voted to reject the federal government’s proposed Medicaid expansion and forego an additional $4.1 billion in federal funds. The expansion – a component of the federal Affordable Care Act – would be initially financed with the federal government paying 100 percent of the cost to enroll more low-income residents in Medicaid, dropping back to 90 percent after three years. Opponents maintain that even at just 10 percent, the cost to the state is too high to justify accepting the federal money, it wouldn’t be worth it in the long run, and other healthcare sources like community clinics can provide care for the poor and underserved. Supporters argue that the infusion of funds would create jobs and could cover up to an additional 236,000 residents, according to an April 2012 Milliman study prepared for the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). DHHS head Anthony Keck said that the expansion would only affect about 200,000 people in the state. The healthcare delivery system needs to be reworked, moving away from a fee-forservice model, he said. Focusing on outcomes, pricing transparency and clinical integration would help address the issue rather than accepting additional funds from the federal government, he argues. But those in the industry say foregoing the Medicaid expansion funding will have a serious effect on healthcare providers, patients and the state – the question is simply how much.
Hospital changes
The rejection of Medicaid expansion puts healthcare providers in a quandary, said Bon Secours St. Francis Health System’s Administrative Director of Finance David Sudduth. Hospitals
traditionally received federal funding for the “disproportionate share” of uninsured patients they treated, many served in the emergency room. With Medicaid expansion, more of those patients would have health insurance and the hospitals would get reimbursed through Medicaid for those patients, he said. At this point, hospitals are looking at reductions in the disproportionate payments, but without anything to fill in the gap because South Carolina is not receiving that additional Medicaid money. “We’re getting the cuts without the ability to move patients to Medicaid,” he said. According to the SC Hospital Association, approximately $11.2 billion would come to the state between 2014 and 2020 to help cover newly eligible Medicaid enrollees if the state accepted expansion funding. What kind of financial hit that hospitals, St. Francis included, will have to endure is still an unknown, said Sudduth, but “there’s no question it’s significant. We are trying to mitigate cuts without any real way to make up for reimbursements.” St. Francis is working to target specific conditions to help reduce cost, Sudduth said. Hospitals and health systems are moving to focus on outcomes versus what procedures they can perform for a patient, the traditional method of how hospitals are paid, he said. “There’s only so much value in treating chronic conditions,” he said. What changes are ahead in terms of the number of uninsured patients hospitals will see depends on whether an uninsured individual chooses to pay the penalty for not having insurance and if that individual opts to use the emergency room or a doctor for primary care, he said.
At capacity
Community clinics are already serving at full capacity and the pressure will only increase once the ACA takes effect, predicts Suzy Foley, executive director of Greenville Free Medical Clinic. According to a fall 2012 survey, there were 78,000 uninsured residents in Greenville County and the Greenville Free Medical Clinic served a little more than 4,000 unduplicated patients in 2012, she said. When the Affordable Care Act provisions go into effect, “for one person who finds coverage, two or three may take their place,” she said. Assuming that community clinics or free clinics can do all the things that could be provided for through Medicaid coverage is unrealistic, Foley said. There are gaps in the services that a free clinic can provide – like oral health, nurse counseling, diabetes management, smoking cessation and weight loss, to name a few, she said. Because the state rejected Medicaid expansion, the DHHS and the Legislature included provisions in the 2013 budget to help address some of the gaps, Foley said. However, “there’s uncertainty about what that’s going to look like.” Partnering with hospitals to help find patients a medical home where they can receive continued care, especially for chronic conditions, rather than using the emergency room will help to address costs, she said. Cooperation between hospitals and clinics is required in the budget provision. Those with the lowest incomes, especially families without children, may not qualify for Medicaid or subsidies to buy health insurance on the insurance exchanges, she said. When it was first launched, the ACA presumed that all states would expand Medicaid and it would fill in the gap, she said. Now, Foley predicts, patients will “continue to depend on us even more.”
A NEW WAY TO WELLNESS
CORE CARE MEDICAL LAUNCHES APP TO HELP DOCTORS, PATIENTS By LEIGH SAVAGE | contributor lsavage@communityjournals.com
NILS BOUWMEESTER AND STAN MCDANIEL knew they had an idea with great potential: a simple way for Medicare patients to get the annual wellness visit recommended by the Affordable Care Act. By using iPads and a unique application that transmits on a secure Internet connection, Core Care Wellness was designed to improve patient care while making the process more efficient and cost-effective for health care providers. Bouwmeester, who has a background in business development, sales and marketing, and McDaniel, a CPA and CFO of Carolina Medical Affiliates in Spartanburg, brought in a third principal, Scott Montgomery, who has been involved in funding and advisement for a variety of startups. After fine-tuning the product for about a year, they set up their first clients on July 8 and have a team in place to begin Upstate sales July 15.
Nils Bouwmeester photo provided; all others by Greg Beckner
How did this idea originate? STAN: I work in a multi-specialty practice, and Nils had helped us set up a clinical lab and other projects. I talked to him about a struggle we had in our office trying to conduct Medicare wellness visits. This is the third year they’ve been offered, but only 4 percent of Medicare patients have had them. The struggle is for the physician to do the questionnaire and the health risk assessment with the patient - it’s time-consuming. Also,
patient education was missing. NILS: Stan and I saw we could solve this issue. The traditional way, on paper, was too timeconsuming, and for elderly patients, it’s not too fun to do 17 different sections by hand. So how can we make this really easy? There’s great technology available … (tablets) make it easy for patients to do the visit and easy for providers to review it, so it’s pleasing both sides. Scott, how did you become involved? SCOTT: Nils and I had talked about ideas - he has a million ideas. This was by far the best idea he ever brought me, his and Stan’s idea. Over several months, we
settled on this solution. We did a lot of research and formalized the company in January of this year. What were your next steps?
Nils Bouwmeester
stolen or lost, there is no patient information because it’s all stored in Amazon’s Cloud. What is included with your product?
STAN: We had to go to an application software developer that had experience in not only designing an app that is HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant, but storage of the information that is also HIPAA compliant.
STAN: We have a small licensing fee that includes the software, tablet and support, and then a small processing fee for visits conducted on our system, processing and archiving. We also have banners and brochures for the doctor’s offices, and a website, mywellnessvisit.com. It educates the patient so they know what to bring and what to expect. Folks don’t know to seek this benefit so we are trying to raise awareness.
SCOTT: There is no information on the tablet itself. If it is
How much time will the product save for doctors?
SCOTT: We hired a software company, Sparc, in Charleston. They helped us develop our survey.
NILS: If doctors were doing these - and not many were doing them, simply because they didn’t have the time or manpower - you were spending 35-45 minutes on each one. With this, the provider time is approximately 10 minutes.
Stan McDaniel
How is quality of care affected? NILS: Core Care Wellness points out the highlights, and the physician can review every single answer or just the critical parts, if they filter the report. The patient gets a report as well, an assessment of their health situation and a personal prevention plan. We hope it helps patients lead healthier lives. For example, $28 billion is spent by Medicaid on broken hips each year, and that’s a cost to society. The survey can show if you are at high risk for falling, and the doctor can discuss this with you. What was the biggest challenge in getting the business off the ground? STAN: I learned how involved software development is and the challenges we presented to our developer. We had them build the foundation and the application at the same time, which was challenging. And in software, if you fix one bug, it might create another one. SCOTT: I would agree.
Scott Montgomery
Raising capital wasn’t hard, finding employees wasn’t hard, the sales and marketing wasn’t hard. It was really developing the product. What are your plans for the future? SCOTT: This product can also do other types of surveys, so we can develop additional products like screens for drug study participation, patient satisfaction surveys and others. We should have 10 employees by the end of the month. Our goal was to sell 20 tablets in July and we are on track to do that halfway through the month. We have interest in Miami, Mississippi, Minnesota and Texas. NILS: We are proud we can do this in the Upstate. We have an entrepreneurial community, a high-end medical community, state-of-the art facilities, highly educated doctors. It’s very exciting to be launching this in our own backyard, but our market will be nationwide. Our primary focus on the short run is to capture our own state and then expand out.
July 19, 2013 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 19
UBJ PROFILE
Real World Learning
Jimmy Gibbs started out two classes shy of finishing college and grew an international business By APRIL A. MORRIS | staff amorris@communityjournals.com
Photo by Pam Putman
Jimmy and Marsha Gibbs at the ground breaking for the Gibbs Cancer Center Pelham.
20 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL July 19, 2013
jimmy Gibbs jUst Celebrated tHe 40tH anniversary of His Upstatebased company, Gibbs International. The owner of this once textile-based corporation talks about how he went from dealing in textile equipment to a multi-national corporation investing in everything from mining to software, not to mention supporting local cancer care. How did you launch your own company?
I was working at Three Pines golf course and met a man who was buying and selling electrical components to the textile industry. He always had a big, old wad of money, he was having a good time and he was playing a lot of golf and I thought if he could do that, I could too. At 22 years old, I started with modest means and actually borrowed $100. I started with textile parts, then textile machinery, then buying and selling complete plants, then complete companies.
How did the company evolve from textiles?
I worked initially in textile parts, but with the downturn in the textile industry, we began buying textile companies and their real estate assets. That put us in the real estate business. In 1978, we became an international business with an office in Mexico and expanded to Europe in 1981. At this point, we’ve done business in around 80 countries. We have ventures in mining, oil and gas, power plants, smart (power) grid technology and artificial intelligence.
What is your philosophy when it comes to choosing what to invest in?
Sometimes I’m my own worst enemy because I tend to look at the glass over half-full. We’re not risk averse, we don’t mind taking calculated risks. And when I was 22 to 35 years old, I had to take risks to keep up. It gets in your blood. And it’s not something you can teach people, but you can fine-tune it.
What is a point of pride for you along the way?
I’ve bought a lot of companies that have gone out of business, but never caused a textile worker to lose a job. I take great pride in the fact that probably five percent of those that I bought and resold and kept people working. I helped to put together the Sage Automotive deal when they bought it from Milliken a couple of years ago. Instead of that company being liquidated, it kept around 900 employees working. You get a lot of satisfaction in being able to take something
that may be dispersed along with some good people…to keep it running and to make it a great success.
How do you spend your free time?
Well, I love to work. I usually work all week. If I’m not working, I like to spend time with my wife and our dogs. I also like to play golf and play once a month.
What got you interested in contributing to the Gibbs Cancer Center?
In my family, there are many survivors of cancer. I’ve always believed that it’s not how much money you make, but it’s what you do with it that counts. My wife and I started a foundation about 20 years ago. Dr. James Bearden and Dr. Julian Josie shared their dream of starting a cancer center in Spartanburg. And my wife and I prayed about it and everything they said would happen has happened. The new research institute will be a great economic driver for Spartanburg, Greenville and the Upstate. It’s nice to be involved in something that helps people. Everybody gets scared to death when they hear about cancer; it’s just a lot different from other diseases. You want to go to the very best.
in light of your interest in healthcare, what is your opinion on the affordable Care act?
I think the government should keep its nose out of everything except policing our borders and policing the country. I think it (ACA) creates more bureaucracy. Instead of care going to people who need it, it just takes money away from research and development. The key to cancer is prevention, not treatment and the ACA only addresses treatment.
What’s the best piece of advice that you received?
When I was very young, the lady that played the organ at Roebuck Baptist Church, Ms. Foster, said something that stuck in my mind. She told me that it only takes a few moments to tear down a reputation that you’ve built up over a lifetime. I think it translates to doing what you say you are going to do.
The Basics: Jimmy giBBs homeTown Powell Mill, SC, now lives in Spartanburg alma maTer Dorman High School wife Marsha Gibbs, Jimmy Gibbs’ childhood sweetheart
Dogs Samson, Annabelle and Abigail favoriTe spoT his home, complete with indoor golf practice facility
fasT facT Jimmy Gibbs attended Wofford College, Clemson University and Limestone College, but left college to start his business just two courses shy of graduation. aDvice for enTrepreneurs I think what you need to do is find something you really enjoy doing and then figure out if you can become good at it. Then do it. You’re not going to find it [experience] in the classroom. Get out in the real world and learn. By the time you’ve gone to graduate school, a lot of time has gone by for people who are hungry like I was – they’re going to eat you alive.
July 19, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21
UBJ THE FINE PRINT
Delta Apparel to Combine North Carolina Operations delta apparel, inc. announced plans consolidate its U.S. screenprinting operations by closing its Wendell, N.C., decoration facility operated by the company’s Soffe business. Those operations will be moved to Soffe’s Fayetteville, N.C., facility. The closing of the Wendell facility will impact the employment of 135 associates. They will be considered for open positions at Fayetteville and other Delta Apparel facilities.
“These decisions are never easy, especially when they affect associates who have been dedicated and loyal to our company,” said President and CEO Bob Humphreys in a statement. “However, as our business becomes increasingly competitive, we can no longer justify the additional cost associated with operating two U.S. decoration facilities. We believe this economic decision is in the best long-term interest of Delta Apparel and our shareholders.”
Agilysys Completes Sale of Retail Solutions Group
agilysys, inc. completed its sale of Taylors-based Retail Solutions Group (RSG) to Clearlake Capital Group for about $34.55 million. RSG had been the retail division of the hospitality technology company. Los Angeles-based
Clearlake will run Retail Solutions Group as a stand-alone company renamed Kyrus Solutions. Keith Bradley, a Clearlake operating advisor, will become the company’s chairman and CEO. The existing management team led by General Manager and SVP Paul Civils remains in place. Kyrus provides retail point-of-sale,
The consolidation begins immediately and is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of fiscal year 2014. The company expects to save about $1.5 million annually once the consolidation is complete. The consolidation is expected to cost about $1.5 million, of which $0.4 million is being expensed in the company’s fiscal year 2013 fourth quarter and the remainder in the fiscal year 2014 first quarter. self-service and wireless mobility solutions along with proprietary business consulting, deployment, implementation and maintenance services, operational support, and other managed services. “As an independent company, Kyrus will continue its 39-year tradition of providing customers with exceptional managed service delivery and innovative technology solutions,” Civils said in a statement. “The rest of the management team and I are excited to partner with Keith and Clearlake as they will provide us with the support to build Kyrus as a platform for growth and focus on our customers’ success.”
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Walmart Begins Hiring for Neighborhood Market walmart has begun hiring for 95 new positions at its new Neighborhood Market on Wade Hampton Blvd in Taylors. Walmart Neighborhood Markets are smaller concept stores that feature fresh produce, groceries, pharmacy items and general merchandise. The store is scheduled to open in the fall, with most workers beginning in August to prepare for the grand opening. “We are excited to add the first Walmart Neighborhood Market to Greenville and bring good
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EPA Seeks Input from Small Business The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking nominations by July 29 from individuals who represent small businesses, small governments, and small notfor-profit organizations and trade associations to provide input to a federal panel that will explore changes to existing uses of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This panel will focus on the agency’s development of a proposed rule to revise or end the existing authorized uses of PCBs as appropriate if the conditions under which they were authorized more than 30 years ago have changed. This rulemaking may address existing liquid-filled PCB jobs with great career opportunities to the area,” said Store Manager Wilfredo Gonzalez. A temporary hiring center has been opened at the Walmart Supercenter
Play
as hard as you work with Club events, parties, and mixers designed to help you kick back and relax
use authorizations, PCBs in fluorescent light ballasts, PCBs in natural gas pipelines, and regulatory language clarifications. Small Entity Representatives (SERs) will be selected to provide comments on behalf of their company, community or organization and advise the panel about the potential impacts of the proposed rule on small entities. EPA is seeking self-nominations directly from the small entities that may be subject to the rule requirements. Self-nominations may be submitted at www.epa.gov/rfa/pcb.html More information at www. epa.gov/sbrefa/faq.htm at 3027 Wade Hampton Blvd. in Taylors. Walmart provides benefits for full and part-time associates, including health-care coverage, 401k, discounts and an Associate Stock Purchase Program. The company also offers a job to any qualified veteran who has been honorably discharged within the past 12 month as part of their Veterans Welcome Home Commitment program.
Gamemaster's Matt Fisher and Jeremiah Dew talk with Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh.
Gamemaster Featured in Wall Street Journal Documentary Series gamemaster, inc. was selected to be one of 24 startup companies nationwide that are featured in Wall Street Journal’s “Startup of the Year” documentary series. The gaming company will receive mentorship from high profile and celebrity mentors including Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh and rapper MC Hammer, with whom they talked last week via teleconference. In a reality TV style series, entrepreneurs in the contest are tasked with challenges over the course of several months, and will
be eliminated over several rounds. Viewers may also vote for how likely they would be to invest in the company, and rankings are updated in real-time. Gamemaster recently completed a stint in the Iron Yard Accelerator. Its first product, Questalot, guides users and tracks their progress through real life quests. Gamemaster is currently developing a Mice on Main St. Quest and expects to release other Greenville-focused projects in coming months.
Celebrate exciting accomplishments with family, friends or co-workers in your choice of private dining rooms
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UBJ ON THE MOVE ELECTED
HIRED
HIRED
PROMOTED
Roger Liska
Steve Navarro
Josh Blaha
Virginia Vanvick
Sharon Whitney
Roger Liska, professor and chairman of Clemson University’s construction science and management department, has been named interim director of the Richard H. Pennell Sr. ’50 Center for Research in Design and Building. He is a fellow in the American Institute of Constructors and the Chartered Institute of Building in the United Kingdom.
Steve Navarro was named to a three-year term on the Clemson University Advancement Board for Real Estate Development. Navarro is CEO and president of The Furman Co., a full service commercial real estate firm. He oversees the five operating companies specializing in Development, Investment Advisory Services, Risk Management, Brokerage and Management services.
Josh Blaha was recently hired as interactive developer at Jackson Marketing Group (JMG). A graduate of ECPI University in web development, he joins the interactive team, where his skills will be used to work in the back-end development of websites and web-based applications.
Virginia Vanvick recently joined VantagePoint Marketing as an account executive. Vanvick is a Clemson graduate and was most recently at Crawford Strategy, where she worked with clients in education, nonprofit, and healthcare. At VantagePoint, her primary role will be research and project management for several clients, including Cryovac, Fitesa, Michelin Ag and Nason.
Sharon Whitney recently joined the Palmetto Bank to lead the bank’s private banking efforts as it expands its wealth management strategy to meet the banking needs of high net worth clients. Whitney is a graduate of Penn State/ Behrend College and holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation.
Cherry Bekaert Grows Forward in the Upstate Mark H. Cooter joins Firm as Managing Partner of the Greenville practice CPAs & Advisors with Your Growth in Mind Find out how we can guide your business forward
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Photos provided; Sharon Whitney photo by Stephen Stinson
APPOINTED
HIRED David “Stanton” Horne, Jr. David “Stanton” Horne, Jr. joined First Citzens as the Commercial Relationship Manager for Upstate South Carolina. Horne will be responsible for managing relationships with existing commercial clients and developing customized strategies for new commercial clients. In addition, he will ensure the delivery of a superior client experience and provide clients with financial solutions, including commercial loans, depository accounts, cash management, merchant services and retail/wealth management services. He comes to First Citizens from BB&T, where he most recently served as a commercial banker in Greenville. Prior to that role, he served as a commercial portfolio manager and financial center leader at BB&T.
Photo provided
ACCOUNTING: Scott and Company LLC, one of South Carolina’s leading accounting and consulting firms, recently announced that Christina Auckland and Casey Gilbert have been selected as professional interns. Both are rising seniors at the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business, pursuing a B.S. degree in Business Administration while majoring in Accounting. Auckland has served as an after-school counselor for the Lexington-Richland County School District Five and as an athletic department tutor for USC athletes at the Dodie Anderson Academic Enrichment Center. Gilbert has prior experience serving as an accounting clerk and warranty administrator for major area automotive dealerships, where she managed numerous accounting schedules, prepared management reports, and reconciled and submitted sales taxes for multiple car franchises. BANKING/FINANCE: Greer State Bank recently announced the promotions of Brad Cantrell and David McCammon to new roles within the bank’s credit department. Cantrell has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Officer. He has been with the bank for more than 10 years, most recently as head of the credit administration department. He holds a master's earned from Clemson University and is a graduate of the South Carolina Banker’s School and Stonier Graduate School of Banking. McCammon has been appointed Banking Officer and Special Assets Manager. He has been with the bank for more than five years and is a graduate of Clemson University. Southern First Bancshares, Inc.
recently announced that the following people have been promoted at Southern First Bank. Tiffany Beesley has been promoted to Assistant Vice President, Client Officer at the Verdae office. Beesley most recently has held the position of Client Services Specialist. She joined the bank in November of 2001 and has held various roles in the retail and credit areas, also serving as Teller and Teller Leader. Her prior banking experience was with Central Carolina Bank in Greenville and State Bank in Oklahoma. Donna Coggins has been promoted to Assistant Vice President Client Services at the Verdae office. Coggins joined the bank in 2008 as a Client Service Specialist at the Verdae office with more than six years banking experience as Teller, Head Teller, Customer Service Representative and Money Manager. Previous employers include First Federal Savings and Loan, Carolina First Bank and Greenville National Bank. Zachary Freeman has been promoted to Vice President at the Verdae office. Freeman joined the bank in 2010 in Client Service, most recently serving as Assistant Vice President. He was formerly with Countybank and graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Management. Carolyn Austin Herbert has been promoted to Executive Vice President Client Services at the Verdae office. Herbert joined the bank in 2007 as Senior Vice President Client Services at the Verdae office, and has more than 40 years banking experience in retail and lending positions. Previous employers include Bank of America, Carolina First Bank, and South Carolina Bank and Trust. William Johnston has been promoted to Vice President at the Verdae office.
Johnston joined the bank in 2010 as Client Services Specialist and has also served as Assistant Vice President Market Manager at the Parkway office. Jason Starnes has joined Southern First Bank as Chief Information Officer. Starnes is a 1996 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management Information Systems. He began his banking career in 2007 at Carolina First Bank where he led the merger and acquisition teams in eight mergers before joining Community Resource Bank as the Chief Information Officer. In 2009 First Citizens Bank acquired Community Resource Bank, where he led their technology and operations. Human Resources: Innovate HR, a Greenville SC womanowned and operated business serving clients in more than 32 states, recently added Jasmine Buckmire as an Innovator/“new employee experience leader” and Andrea Ponder as an intern. Prior to Innovate HR, Buckmire provided field support group at Aerotek Staffing where she managed multiple clients in the Upstate. She has more than 10 years customer service experience and five years of human resource experience and knowledge. Ponder is a senior at Clemson University, working towards a B.S. degree in Management with an emphasis in HR and a minor in Life Sciences. She is a student member of the Society of HR Management, a member of Clemson’s SHRM Chapter, and the Public Relations Chair for Clemson’s Institute for Healthcare Improvement Open School Chapter. INSURANCE: Rosenfeld Einstein, a South Carolinabased insurance agency, brokerage and consulting firm that is part of the Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC (MMA) family of companies, recently welcomed Courtney Mayfield as an Account Manager in the firm’s employee benefits division. Mayfield joins Rosenfeld Einstein after several years with a regional construction company and at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where she held various positions as an employer benefits representative, in employee development and personnel management capacities, and also served as a payroll manager. A current MBA candidate at North Greenville University, she holds a B.S. degree in Management with emphasis in human resources and insurance from the University of South Carolina, and earned her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification from the
Human Resource Certification Institute. NON-PROFIT: The Friends of the Greenville Zoo have added Bill West, Casey Gallagher Reid, and Chris Lewis to its board. West is the managing partner of Atlantic Partners, a business improvement firm that specializes in financial exit leadership. Reid is president of Up to 11 Events, LLC, an event management production group in Greenville. Lewis is the executive vice president/ general manager of the ECHL Greenville Road Warriors. The Simpsonville Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors recently announced that Allison McGarity, Development Coordinator for the Chamber, has recently completed her first year at the Institute for Organization Management, a four-year nonprofit leadership training program at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA. Graduates receive the IOM recognition, signifying completion of 96 hours of course instruction in nonprofit management. In addition, participants can earn credit hours toward the Certified Chamber Executive (CCE) or Certified Association Executive (CAE) certifications. Nearly 1,000 individuals attend annually. PUBLIC RELATIONS/MARKETING: Complete Public Relations recently welcomed Sarah Moore as the office’s summer intern. Moore is a 2012 graduate of Wofford College and is currently a second-year master’s student at the University of Georgia, studying Journalism and Mass Communication with a specialization in Public Relations. REAL ESTATE: Coldwell Banker Caine recently welcomed Sijia Hughes to the team as a residential sales agent in its Greer office. Hughes earned her Master's degree in Business Administration from Clemson University and a Master's degree in Law from Northeastern University of Finance and Economics. She is active with the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors (GGAR) and the Greenville Chinese Association. Spencer/Hines Properties, Inc. recently announced Dale Seay as a new addition to its real estate team. Seay brings more than 30 years of sales experience. Prior to joining Spencer/ Hines, he spent 26 years in the wholesale lumber business and is the owner of Seay Trading, LLC.
July 19, 2013 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 25
From residential to commercial we’ve taken Upstate Real Estate personally for 80 years.
UBJ SQUARE FEET
Area Home Sales Up 28% Foreclosures down, mortgage rates up, according to MLS stats By Sherry Jackson | staff sjackson@communityjournals.com
Handshake by handshake. Block by block. That’s how we’ve done business in the Upstate for 80 years. Working together, thinking ahead, treating customers like family - because an Upstate family name is on the door.
26 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL July 19, 2013
the upstate real estate market is heating up this summer. Greenville area homes sales are up 28 percent in the first half of 2013, according to recent Multiple Listing Service (MLS) stats. That includes an overall increase in both new-home construction and existing homes sales. The Greenville area saw home sales increase 23.3 percent in June, with 936 homes sold compared to 759 in June 2012, according to the June Statewide Market Report released Monday by the South Carolina Realtors Association (SCRA). Spartanburg saw a 14.5 percent increase, with 316 homes sold in June compared to 276 last year. The average days a home stays on the market also improved in Greenville, going from 93 days in June 2012 to 78 days. Spartanburg showed a decrease of 18 percent, going from 169 days on the market to 138 days. Greenville and Spartanburg both made the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI) for July. The IMI identifies metropolitan areas that have shown improvement in housing permits, employment and house prices for at least six consecutive months. Greenville showed a 3.1 percent growth and Spartanburg, 4.7 percent. “Based on recent trends in home prices, housing permits and employment, the outlook for a continued housing expansion remains very positive for the remainder of 2013,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe.
Foreclosures are a mixed bag in the Upstate. While foreclosure rates are down 12 percent in the state compared to 2012, Greenville County is up 6.2 percent and Spartanburg County is up 1.8 percent, according to a recent report by Realty Trac. Anderson County is the silver lining, with foreclosures down 22.8 percent. South Carolina has the nation’s seventh-highest foreclosure rate, with one of every 125 homes in foreclosure. “Halfway through 2013, it is becoming increasingly evident that while foreclosures are no longer a problem nationally, they continue to be a thorn in the side of several state and local markets,” RealtyTrac Vice President Daren Blomquist said in a news release. “Given the rising home prices in most of these markets, it is an opportune time for lenders to dispose of these distressed properties, either at the foreclosure auction to a third-party buyer, or by repossessing the property at the auction and subsequently selling it as a bank-owned home.” Those thinking of refinancing or purchasing a home should do it soon, experts say. Mortgage rates are on the rise. The average U.S. mortgage rates on a 30-year fixed mortgage have climbed to 4.51 percent – a two-year high. Observers say this is in response to a report from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who said that the Federal Reserve could slow its bond purchases this year if the economy continues to strengthen.
Hughes gets the green light for Bull Street New Primrose School May Come to Houston Street
Photos provided
By Sherry Jackson | staff sjackson@communityjournals.com
plans for a new, private preschool are taking shape in downtown Greenville. Developers of The Primrose School have filed for a land development permit on 1.3 acres just off South Church Street in downtown Greenville. The new school would be roughly 11,500 square feet and owners hope to open in early summer 2014. Franchise holder Lauren Briles of the Briles Company told UBJ she is “very excited to bring the Primrose concept to Greenville. There are so many programs that are currently wait-listed in downtown Greenville and this will offer much needed relief for dual-working parents.” Primrose Schools were founded in Marietta, GA by Paul and Marcy Erwin, who “revolutionized the concept of child care, making education the key component of its curriculum in an era when all-play
and nothing-but-play” was the accepted norm, according to the Primrose website. The team franchised the concept and there are currently 250 Primrose Schools in 17 states. According to documents filed with the city of Greenville, the new school would have 11 classrooms, multiple playgrounds and sports courts for basketball, baseball and hopscotch. The design includes an onsite garden area to teach kids about growing their own plants and vegetables. The school will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students are projected to range in age from six weeks to six years old attending the school’s kindergarten and up to age 12 participating in afterschool programs. The request is scheduled to go before the city planning commission on Aug. 8.
NAI Earle Furman
Healthcare Real Estate
By Sherry Jackson | staff sjackson@communityjournals.com
after a historic and controversial 4-2 vote from Columbia’s City Council, Hughes Development Corporation of Greenville received the okay last week to proceed with the massive redevelopment of the Bull Street neighborhood located on the former state mental hospital property. The 20-year project is expected to create more than 11,000 new jobs, have a total economic impact of $1.2 billion once completed and will bring $20 million in property taxes alone. It “is the largest project of its kind east of the Mississippi and probably in the nation,” according to Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin. The agreement includes an initial city investment of $31.25 million for infrastructure improvements such as water, sewer and roadways as long as Hughes invests $81.25 million in infrastructure improvements. In addition to a row of mature
magnolia trees referred to as Tree Allee, Hughes has agreed to preserve The Babcock Building (including the north and south wings and the male and female dining halls), the central portion of the Williams Building and the Chapel of Hope. The bakery, the laundry and the Ensor building are also under a special agreement. If these buildings cannot be redeveloped, Hughes will first give the city the opportunity to relocate them before demolishing. In addition, the city agreed to foot the bill for a parking deck if Hughes develops 120,000 square feet of property, rehabilitates the Babcock Building or builds a baseball stadium. To get a second parking deck, Hughes will need to have either secured $75 million in private investments or have purchased at least 90 acres of the site. Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin says he is rooting for the baseball stadium.
The healthcare industry can be complex. But healthcare real estate doesn’t have to be. We understand that the healthcare community’s real estate needs are unique and more complex than the everyday office user. That’s why our Healthcare Division specializes in commercial real estate sales, leasing and development within the healthcare sector. Visit our website or call today.
101 E Washington Street Suite 400 Greenville, South Carolina 29601 864 232 9040 earlefurmanhealthcare.com
UBJ SQUARE FEET Facelift for Bank of America Tower Hughes Development Corporation and 4240 Architecture are proposing a facelift for the 15-story Bank of America tower and adjacent Richardson Street garage in downtown Greenville. The proposed modifications will go to the city Design Review Board in August for approval.
Upward Sports Breaks Ground on Complex
upward sports broke ground June 18 on a new 60-acre, 120,000 square foot sports complex in Spartanburg. The world-class facility will feature six full-size basketball courts, 12 regulation-size indoor volleyball courts, batting cages, a running track, and a gym. Upward
Sports has also partnered with Spartanburg Regional Health Services to offer on-site physical therapy, rehab and orthopedic services. McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture designed the $19 million project, which is expected to be completed by September 2014.
DEALMAKERS
Andy Hayes represented the lessor, Jackson S. Burnett in a multi-year lease at 233 E. Blackstock Road, Spartanburg to Kelly Ultrasound Center, LLC. David Strickland represented both the buyer, Steve Henderson and seller, Spartanburg County School District 2 in the sale of the former Chesnee Elementary School located at 212 North Alabama Avenue, Chesnee. The total square footage of the facility is 51,588 +/- SF on 11.6 acres. NAI EARLE FURMAN ANNOUNCED: Towers Rice represented Biltcom, LLC in leasing a 10,000 SF industrial space to Sunbelt Transformer, Ltd, LLC.
at 10 Carlisle Drive, Simpsonville. Jon Good and Earle Furman represented Adelphoi Investments, LLC in leasing 31,200 SF of industrial space at 140 Congress Blvd., Suites E & B, Duncan to AER Worldwide. John Baldwin and Mike Greer represented International Cotton Depots, Inc. in leasing a 187,543 SF industrial space at 2425 Rutherford Road, Greenville. Jimmy Wright and Ted Lyerly represented the landlord of 534 Woods Lake Road, Greenville in leasing a 6,600 SF retail space to Bavarian Pretzel Factory, LLC. Alexi Papapieris represented the landlord of Union County Business Center in leasing 6,000 SF office/ flex space to Trane in
Charlotte, NC. Jake Van Gieson, Bill Sims and Rob Schmidt represented the buyer in purchasing a 3,080 SF retail space at 1795 E. Main Street, Spartanburg. Peter Couchell represented the seller in selling a Dollar General Plus in Easley. Tyson Smoak represented the BMW Car Club of America Foundation (BMW CCA Foundation) in purchasing a 15,000 SF industrial building at 190 Manatee Court, Greer, located next to the BMW Performance Center. Jon Good represented Hendrix Heating & Air Services in selling the property. The BMW CCA Foundation purchased the property with the intent to build a library, museum and archive at the new location. Scheduled to
28 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL July 19, 2013
move in September, the BMW CCA Foundation will launch a capital campaign to fund the development. The expansion will allow the BMW CCA Foundation to grow as a resource of BMW historical information and continue their educational and safety initiatives for the automotive community, including their STREET SURVIVAL teen driver safety program. Brewery 85 is set to open this fall in a 10,000 SF building on a 6.2-acre tract of land
near Interstate 85 and the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research campus, around Laurens Road. The Canadian company Criveller Group is constructing the building. Owners say the brewery will feature an eight-tap tasting room with a view of the fermentation cellar and brewhouse. In addition, Brewery 85 will be part of the upcoming Greenville Brew Tours, which starts in August.
CAROLINA HOLDINGS, INC., RECENTLY ANNOUNCED: The sale of its Shops on Broad development to an undisclosed buyer. Shops on Broad is a two-tenant property, including Starbucks and Aspen Dental, located on Highway 378 at Alice Drive, Sumter. Both stores are expected to open in July. Carolina Holdings developed the property and will continue as manager on behalf of the new ownership. Grand South Bank provided the construction financing.
Photos provided
SPENCHER/HINES PROPERTIES, INC. ANNOUNCED:
UBJ New to the Street 1.
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1. Spiritex recently opened its second location at 123 Main Street in Greenville. The company was founded in 2005 to provide a completely local and eco-conscious approach to the textiles industry of Western North Carolina. The store’s first location is in Asheville.
2. Plan Ahead events is run by Lucy Beam Hoffman, who has also been the owner of Aprons, Etc. with her husband Jeff Hoffman for the past 25 years. It is a full service meeting and event management company for events and meetings of any type or size.
For more information, visit spiritex.net or call 864-640-8831.
For more information, contact Lucy at 864-326-3479 or at Lucy.hoffman@ planaheadevents.com
3. Ace hardware recently opened at 30 Ray E. Talley Ct. in Simpsonville. They are open MondaySaturday 8 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. For more information, call 864-757-8315 or visit facebook.com/ SimpsonvilleAcehardware.
4. Austin, TX-based Chuy’s restaurant – serving fresh, authentic Tex-Mex – recently opened its first ever South Carolina location at 1034B Woodruff Road in Greenville. The new location makes 43 fullservice restaurants across nine states for the chain. For more information, visit chuys.com or facebook. com/ChuysGreenville.
5. Pure Barre recently held its ribbon cutting for its newest location at 3722 Pelham Road in the Pelham Hills Shopping Center in Greenville. The Pure Barre workout creates the long and lean muscles of a dancer through small isometric movements centered around a ballet barre. For more information, call 864-477-8312, visit purebarre.com or facebook.com/ PureBarrePelhamrd.
July 19, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 29
UBJ PlANNER TuESDAy July 23 cREw chATS coffEE houR Tealoha, 131 E. McBee Ave., Greenville; 8-9 a.m.
woMEN AT woRk bREAkfAST Rich Products, 1405 South Main Street, Fountain Inn; 8:30-9:30 a.m. hostess: Norma Galicia will offer bakery tour and bread samples. cost: Free for Fountain Inn Chamber members, $5 for non-members after first visit. Includes a light breakfast. RSVP to: Charlene at 862-2586 ext.0
uNDERSTANDING AND APPlyING foR woMAN owNED cERTIfIcATIoN woRkShoP Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland Street, Greenville; 2-4:30 p.m.
Speaker: Janet Christy, business counselor for the SC Women’s Business Center. Materials on each certification will be provided, including the application and a list of required documents, as well as cautions and tips. cost: $50 per person with a limit of 10 people. Register at: scwbc.net/ events/upstate/
buIlDu PM Simpsonville Chamber of Commerce, Board Room, 211 North Main Street, Simpsonville; 5-6 p.m. Topic: Hard Skills cost: Free for chamber members, $7 for non-members contact: Allison McGarity at amcgarity@ simpsonvillechamber.com
wEDNESDAy July 24 TAIloRED foR TAyloRS Schneider Tree Care, 231 Tanner Drive,
Taylors; 8-9 a.m. Price: Free for Greer Chamber members Register at: greerchamber.com
July coffEE AND coNVERSATIoN Upstate SC Alliance, 124 Verdae Boulevard, Suite 202, Greenville; 8-9 a.m. Investors only. Discussions about Sister Cities. If interested in becoming an investor, call Clay Andrews 864-2832300. RSVP at RSVP@ upstatealliance.com.
PulSE luNchEoN Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Conference Center, 670 Verdae Blvd., Greenville; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Speaker: Don Erickson, Lockheed Martin Topic: Ethics in leadership and the workplace Open only to PULSE members. contact: 864-239-3743
youNG PRofESSIoNAl ToASTMASTERS The Commerce Club, One Liberty Square, 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
ThuRSDAy July 25
Speakers: Shirley A. Scott, Life Purpose Coach; Sara Carter, Certified Financial Life Coach; and Jeremiah Battle, Certified Behavioral Analyst and Leadership Coach, the Votary Group cost: $25 Early Bird Special until July 17, then $35. Includes snacks and lunch. Register at: coachwithpride.com
MoNDAy July 29
cREw chATS hAPPy houR
chAMbER PRESENTS!
SIP Rooftop Bar, 101 N. Main St., Ste. 400, Greenville; 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Stella’s Southern Bistro, 684C Fairview Road, Simpsonville; noon-1 p.m.
SATuRDAy July 27 PERSoNAl AND PRofESSIoNAl DEVEloPMENT coNfERENcE Holiday Inn Express, 1315 W. Wade Hampton Blvd, Greer; 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Topic: Volunteer opportunities at United Hospice, The Generous Garden Project, Center for Community Services and Concerned Citizens for Animals. cost: $15 for Simpsonville Chamber members, $25 for non-members contact: Allison McGarity at amcgarity@ simpsonvillechamber.com
TuESDAy July 30 SMAll buSINESS SyMPoSIuM Lumpkin Auditorium, 8th Floor, Darla Moore School of Business, 1705 College Street, Columbia; 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Topics: Finance, Risk Prevention, and Learning from the Best cost: $397 per person. Lunch, refreshments, and parking will be provided. Register at: smallbusinessdevelop ment.eventbrite.com contact: Pete Oliver at 803-777-4550 at the Columbia Area Small Business Development Center.
GoT A hoT DATE? Contribute to our Planner by submitting event information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com
MANAGING EDIToR Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com
PRESIDENT/PublIShER Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com ubJ ASSocIATE PublIShER Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com EXEcuTIVE EDIToR Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com
STAff wRITERS Sherry Jackson, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris SENIoR buSINESS wRITER Jennifer Oladipo coNTRIbuTING wRITERS Dick Hughes, Jenny Munro, Jeanne Putnam, Leigh Savage EDIToRIAl INTERNS Cynthia Partridge, Keith Sechrist
30 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal July 19, 2013
ART & PRoDucTIoN ART DIREcToR Richie Swann PhoToGRAPhER Greg Beckner PRoDucTIoN Holly Hardin MARkETING & ADVERTISING MARkETING REPRESENTATIVES Lori Burney, Mary Beth Culbertson, Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Pam Putman MARkETING & EVENTS Kate Banner DIGITAl STRATEGIST Emily Price bRAND STRATEGIST Austin Hafer bIllING Shannon Rochester clIENT SERVIcES MANAGERS Anita Harley, Jane Rogers ADVERTISING DESIGN Kristy Adair, Michael Allen, Whitney Fincannon
IDEAS, fEEDbAck, oPINIoNS opinions@upstatebusinessjournal.com how To REAch uS 148 River Street., Suite 120 Greenville, SC 29601 864-679-1200
Copyright @2013 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. 148 River Street, Suite 120, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601. Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $65. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, 148 River St., Ste 120, Greenville, SC 29601. Printed in the USA.
UBJ SNAPSHOT
Photo Provided
p In 1869, Greenville was officially incorporated as a city. In 1879 funding was available to build a proper city hall. Samuel A. Townes was mayor at the time. Located on the corner of West McBee Avenue and Laurens Street, the two-story building had a heavy cornice around the roofline and windows that were slightly arched at the top. The corner entrance was in an Italiante tower, which in this photograph from the 1930s offers a curious juxtaposition with the Woodside Building, the symbol of Greenville’s new growth in the 1920s. This site continued to serve as the city hall until the Federal Post Office building on the corner of South Main and West Broad Streets was acquired in 1938. Historic photograph available from the Greenville Historical Society From “Remembering Greenville: Photographs from the Coxe Collection,” by Jeffrey R. Willis q Today, the corner has a building with retail and office space. The Woodside building is gone. The Wells Fargo building can be seen in the background on the right, and the newest addition to Greenville’s skyline, the ONE project, can been seen in the background on the left.
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July 19, 2013 UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 31
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