Sept. 19, 2014 UBJ

SEPTEMBER 19, 2014

COMPLIMENTARY

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UBJ GOVERNMENT

Council looks at minority, women-owned business contracts BENJAMIN JEFFERS | STAFF

bjeffers@communityjournals.com The City of Greenville is searching for ways to increase the number of contracts awarded to businesses owned by minorities and women.

At Tuesday’s work session, Greenville City Council brainstormed ways to accelerate use of the city’s Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprise Program, which is designed to “promote balanced economic and community growth” by increasing diversity in city contracts.

Greenville CFO Kai Nelson and City Purchasing Administrator Ron Satcher presented statistics from fiscal year 2013-14. Of the 325 minority- and women-owned vendors in the city, 102 were awarded contracts. The city increased total net controllable expenditures from $14.8 million last year to $19.6 million, but the $3.1 expenditures in contracts with both minority- and women owned vendors did not change from last year.

However, expenditures for just minority-owned vendor contracts increased 36 percent, while expenditures for women-owned vendors decreased by 41 percent from last year.

Nelson and Satcher suggested that the numbers might increase if the council would create incentives for contracting with minority- and women-owned businesses. Nelson said that he was looking to council members for direction.

“I think the incentives are something that we would really like to have a conversation with City Council about,” Nelson said. “On the construction side, whether it’s prime or sub [contracts], there’s no value added for incentives.”

Council member Lillian Brock Flemming said minorities and women typically owned small businesses, and the city should look for ways to help them. “It’s the small businesses that keep us in business,” she said.

Councilman David Sudduth expressed concern about focusing too heavily on increasing the number of contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses to the exclusion of better-qualified candidates.

“I want to make sure at the end of the day it’s going to be a quality job,” he said.

Council members noted that the city policy should also be clearer to contractors, and Satcher agreed. The council decided to continue discussions regarding incentives and develop recommendations.

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➤ NUMBERED During fiscal year 2013–2014

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increase in contract expenditures for city enrolled minority-owned vendors

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decrease in contract expenditures for womanowned vendors

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change in expenditures for women- and minority-owned businesses from last year ($3.1 million) September 19, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Volume 3, Issue 38

September 19, 2014

Top-of-mind and in the mix this week

WORTH REPEATING “Farms don’t need to be big, they just need to be organized.”

Page 13

“I tell anyone who will listen that if you have a goal and you’re upright and breathing, you can certainly reach it.”

Page 16

“Bill Gates and them were all starting their companies and I thought, who needs a smarter computer?

We need solar power.”

Page 20

TBA Photo by Greg Beckner

A new subdivision is in the works for the corner of Scuffletown and Jones Mill roads in Fountain Inn. Developers expect to offer 125 lots for new homes…

Look for Frank & Co Pizza Café to open soon at 134 S. Main St. in Simpsonville, near the clock tower…

VERBATIM “One of the fastest growing cities in America is Greenville, a community that continues to attract numerous young professionals for careers in high-tech sectors.”

Livability.com, ranking Greenville 33rd among the “Top 100 Best Places to Live.”

See the whole list at bit.ly/top-100-places.

4

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

Photo provided by Krispy Kreme

On Livability…

MONEY SHOT: There’s nothing that bloodthirsty seafaring criminals love more than hot sugar-glazed yeast confections. This Friday, Sept. 19, in honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, Krispy Kreme offers one free doughnut to anyone who enters a store and talks like a pirate, and a dozen to anyone who dresses the part. Sadly, according to Krispy Kreme, stores in Spartanburg and Anderson— possibly due to pressure from landlubbers—are not participating. For more information, heave to at krispykreme.com/pirate.

September 19, 2014

It’s (Still) A Good Time To Buy Your Dream Home!

UBJ WORKSPACE

CoWork breaks from Iron Yard

As the housing market continues to stabilize and show more signs of health and improved conditions, you might be thinking more seriously about purchasing a home, right? Here are some reasons why it’s (still) a good idea to get off the fence — sooner, rather than later.

Railside coworking space relaunches independently JENNIFER REYNOLDS CONTRIBUTOR

Mortgage rates are (still) low.

During the recession, the rate on the 30-year, fixed-rate loan averaged 4.32 %. Now, rates are close to that, and there’s no recession! That means they’ve got nowhere to go but up — particularly because, in October, the Federal Reserve is expected to end its bond-buying program, which has been credited with pushing mortgage rates to historic lows.

CoWork is severing its multiyear

Home prices are (still) affordable.

Dan Hamilton While home prices, nationally, continue to rise, up nearly 7% from July 2013, they are still 11% below their 2007 peak.

And get this: Home buying is more affordable now than ever before.

According to a recent Zillow analysis, U.S. home buyers at the end of the second quarter spent 15.3% of their incomes on a mortgage, far less than the 22.1% share homeowners devoted to mortgages in the pre-bubble days.

Photos by Greg Beckner

partnership with The Iron Yard and once again resuming operations as a sole enterprise.

CoWork, which offers members a workspace on a monthly rental basis at its Railside location on Washington Street in Greenville, was founded in 2007 as a way for six freelancers to share office space. The concept of coworking was relatively unknown at that time and the friends did not create a formal company.

In the following years, coworking became a growing trend nationally.

People began to approach CoWork about joining. What began as friends looking to work from somewhere other than home became a legitimate business.

In late fall 2012, CoWork was absorbed by startup incubator The Iron Yard. The Iron Yard’s recent success and rapid growth has limited its ability to effectively run CoWork, according to CoWork cofounder Matthew Smith. Smith has joined long-term CoWorkers Matt Cook, David Haskins, Marco Suarez and Chris Merritt in relaunching the business.

They envision the future of CoWork to be more than just a workspace, but as a community of people who are innovators in their respective fields – where members network to create opportunities and share ideas to drive everyone who participates in CoWork to become better at their chosen path, they say.

“We always had an ethic to find people who added to the quality of our work environment,” Smith said.

“Our central theme is to help people improve their work life. We don’t rent a desk. The desk is an attribute, an accessory. What people pay for is

the opportunity to grow their work life, become more skilled in their field, hone critical thinking skills to give and get feedback and be more connected.”

By cultivating a team of passionate members, CoWork hopes to become a place that does great things for Greenville. Members of the CoWork team recently launched lifeingreenville.com, a website dedicated to the promotion of Greenville as a great place to live and work.

“We want to be well known nationally for being a hub place where

the highest quality creatives and entrepreneurs develop world-class products, and for attracting industry to Greenville through events,” Smith said.

CoWork’s future includes plans to continue providing workspace, to grow to a new location and to begin hosting events aimed at drawing in leaders of industry from around the globe to problem-solve and network together to find creative solutions to problems and challenges in member’s respective fields.

Buying is (still) cheaper than renting.

No doubt, buying a house is a significant purchase, but in a majority of the country, it’s (still) cheaper than renting. In fact, in half of the metros in the U.S., buying beats renting after only two years. This can be attributed to historically high rental prices that have helped skew the rent vs. buy decision toward buying for those who can afford it. So if you can afford to buy, now is the time as rents aren’t getting any cheaper!

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September 19, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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UBJ REAL ESTATE & BANKING

Marchant Company forms Veteran Services Division SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com The Marchant Company has formed a Veteran Services Division to offer real estate services to military veterans and their families.

“As a veteran myself, I’m a big supporter of our military and the men and women who serve, and we want to assist them in this very important step in their lives,” said Seabrook Marchant, president of The Marchant Company. “We are also proud to welcome Lee Vining, a 10-year Army veteran who will serve as director of this division.”

Vining will serve as the home solutions specialist to former servicemen and women and their families in the greater Greenville area. Vining said he believes “Amer-

ica’s heroes deserve the best representation to help navigate all the intricacies required to fulfill their dreams of owning their home.”

Vining joined the military following the 9/11 terror attacks and served at Fort Lewis in Washington state in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3/21 Infantry and Charlie Company.

Vining spent 12 months in Mosul, Iraq, and upon his return, was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

With the 82nd Airborne, Lee deployed to Iraq for the second time, this time to Baghdad, and then to Haiti.

Vining served 10 years until he had to leave the Army due to medical conditions.

After service, Vining relocated to Greenville, where he developed and

implemented a justice program for veterans at the Greenville Detention Center. Since its start, the program has offered nearly 800 veterans the opportunities to enroll in VA medical services, find employment, connect with counseling services, and return to normalcy stateside.

Vining has also partnered with Upstate Warrior Solution to help veterans find emergency, temporary Lee Vining or permanent housing in the community.

Vining has a bachelor’s Treatment Court, a diversion degree in criminal justice program for veterans with the 13th from Troy State University of Circuit Court.

Alabama and manages the Veteran’s

CertusBank to offload mortgage and wealth divisions JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER

joladipo@communityjournals.com CertusBank announced Monday that it received letters of intent from two companies interested in buying the mortgage and wealth management divisions the bank is selling as part of an ongoing restructuring effort.

Officials said restructuring would help to improve the bank’s financial performance. CEO John Poelker said in a statement that the bank is “undoing structural and operational components of the company that are no longer consistent with our strategic transition toward a more traditional community banking business model.”

The company plans to focus instead on core banking services, which include (but are not limited to) small business

6

financing, consumer lending and retail banking services, said Emily Ledbetter, vice president of corporate communications.

About 120 employees work in the mortgage and wealth management divisions, the majority of which Poelker said will be employed with the acquiring companies.

Retail mortgage lender AmeriSave Mortgage Corporation issued a letter of intent to acquire a large portion of CertusBank’s mortgage business, including a majority of employees and facilities. AmeriSave operates in 49 states and Washington, D.C., primarily through its online lending platform.

Vincent Molinari, CEO of Eximius Holdings LLC, provided a letter of intent to acquire CertusSecurities Inc. and CertusInvestment Advisors LLC, the bank’s wealth management businesses. Molinari’s investment

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

September 19, 2014

John Poelker group will take ownership of CertusBank’s brokerage and investment advisory platform and some associated employees.

“We take the needs of our customers very seriously. If it makes sense to offer services inside CertusBank branches – including through industry-leading partners—we will explore those options,” Ledbetter said.

CertusBank had assets of more than $1.5 billion as of June 30, the company said in a statement. Its most recent FDIC filing on June 30 listed total deposits at $1.35 billion.

The bank posted a $24 million net income loss since the beginning of 2014, $15 million of that during the second quarter of 2014, according to the latest earnings report filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Poelker was named CEO in August after assuming the interim position in April. His appointment coincided with the ousting of the bank’s leadership team, president Angela Webb and co-CEOs Milton Jones and Walter Davis, over accusations of mismanagement. The three subsequently filed suit in federal court in April implicating the board and a shareholder in a civil conspiracy to smear them.

UBJ TECH BYTES

Clemson collaborates with Adobe to build digital studio

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sjackson@communityjournals.com In a first-of-its-kind partnership between Adobe’s education division and a university, Clemson University announced the construction of a new Adobe Digital Studio.

The 3,000-square-foot studio, which is expected to open next summer, will be located on the fifth floor in Clemson’s R.M. Cooper Library and will serve as a showcase and support center for Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite of software, university officials said.

Adobe Creative Cloud is a platform for making, sharing and delivering creative work, and includes software across design, Web, video, collaboration and digital-imaging tools. The studio will also include facilities for audio and video recording and editing, officials said.

“The Adobe Digital Studio in the Cooper Library will serve Clemson faculty and students as they develop projects and publications using Adobe tools,” said Michael Laderman with Clemson University Media Relations. “The studio will also be accessible to everyone on campus and deploy technologies that supplement and enhance the Clemson experience.”

Good City Architects, in association with McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, both Greenville-based architectural and design firms, have completed the initial design of the studio.

“Through this project, the university will provide a dedicated and inspiring space for students, faculty and staff to explore and share their creativity,” said Ron Geyer, founder and principal of Good City Architects.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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UBJ BIOTECH

KIYATEC wins $2M cancer research contract BENJAMIN JEFFERS | STAFF

bjeffers@communityjournals.com KIYATEC, a Greenville-based biotech company, announced Thursday morning that it has been awarded an almost $2 million contract by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

KIYATEC CEO Matt Gevaert told UBJ that the contract is a “great vote of confidence by the NCI.” To his knowledge, no other privately held company in the Greenville/Spartanburg congressional district has been awarded a similar contract by the government. “This is a huge win for us,” he said.

The two-year, $2 million contract will help KIYATEC advance development of its 3-D cancer research

model. NIC previously gave the company a $295,000 contract, which helped Gevaert’s team develop a 3-D breast cancer model.

Gevaert said the new contract will help expand this model in two important ways.

First, KIYATEC will further develop the 3-D breast cancer model by incorporating biological features, which allow the accommodation of drugs that teach the immune system to kill cancer cells, and also angiogenesis inhibitors, which choke blood supply to tumors.

Second, Gevaert said his company would expand the 3-D model to study brain cancer cells. One cancer he plans to specifically target is glioblastoma multiforme, which the American Brain Tumor Association

describes as highly malignant and “difficult to treat because the tumors contain so many different types of cells.”

KIYATEC is developing its 3-D model to predict which type of treatment drugs will best help cancer patients. Doctors currently prescribe drugs based on percent chance of the patient’s response.

But KIYATEC’s 3-D cancer models will grow live cancer cells from the patient and test those cells with a range of drugs. The future cancer diagnostic will then make a drug response prediction based on the cells’ response and recommend the proper course of treatment to the doctor.

Photo by Rachel Boling Photography

The method is designed to improve the predictive accuracy over current 2-D cell culture.

The 3-D model diagnostics are not yet at the point to make predictions to doctors, Gevaert said. But he hopes once the two-year contract has expired, KIYATEC can begin clinical trials.

“We’re really creating history,” he said.

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September 19, 2014

UBJ INSURANCE

Benefits survey shows modest increase in premiums Average cost of employer-sponsored health plans over $16,000 annually APRIL A. MORRIS | STAFF

amorris@communityjournals.com Health insurance premiums for employer-sponsored health plans rose 3 percent this year, making the average cost $16,834 annually, according to a the Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) 2014 Employer Health Benefits Survey released last week. The survey conducted among 2,000 businesses also revealed that workers pay an average of $4,823 annually for family coverage.

“These findings are positive and reflect a general slowing in health care costs overall,” said Dr. Maulik

Joshi, president of HRET and senior vice president for research at the American Hospital Association.

Kaiser Family Foundation has conducted the annual survey since 1999, tracking premiums, employee contributions, cost-sharing provisions and employer opinions.

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, beginning in 2015, businesses with at least 100 full-time workers could face federal penalties if they do not offer health benefits and their workers obtain subsidized coverage through a health insurance exchange. Smaller businesses are required to do the same in 2016.

According to the survey,

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94 percent of companies this size offer health coverage to their workers.

With the majority of employers having fewer than 50 workers, smaller businesses drive the overall coverage rate nationwide, according to Kaiser.

“Among employers with fewer than 50 workers, 52 percent offer health benefits,” said the study. This makes the overall coverage rate come in at 55 percent, close to last year’s 57 percent.

Trends connected to the implementation of ACA requirements include reductions in grandfathered health plans from 48 percent in 2012 to 36 percent in 2013 and 26 percent this year, according to the survey.

Employers have also reduced the waiting period for an employee to qualify for health insurance to less than the 90 days required by the legislation.

In addition, many employers currently providing retiree health benefits are looking at eliminating them. According to the survey, “One in four (25 percent) of large firms that offer retiree health benefits say they are considering changes because of the ACA’s new public health insurance marketplaces.”

Most business owners are bracing for the implementation of the coverage mandate in 2015 and 2016.

However, some local businesses have experienced some positive changes.

One result of the ACA was that additional employees at the Blood Connection qualified for coverage, said Patrick Garrett, VP of human resources. Some employees were working way more than 20 hours, but not quite 40, qualifying them for expensive part-time coverage, he said. With the new standard of 30 hours considered full time, more employees could obtain coverage.

After re-examining the health plan,

September 19, 2014

the company opted to drop coverage for part-time employees because the cost was too great to the employees and many were opting out, he said.

To read the results of the employer survey, visit kff.org.

➤ NUMBERED

$16,834

annual cost of family health plan

$4,823

annual employee contribution

$6,025

annual cost of employee-only health plan

$1,081

annual employee contribution

$1,210

average annual deductible for 80 percent of all covered workers

$826

average annual deductible in 2009

47%

average deductible increase since 2009

9%

employers now who attach restrictions for spouses’ eligibility if they are offered coverage at another source

9%

employers who provide additional compensation if employees do not enroll in health benefits Source: Kaiser Family Foundation/ Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) 2014 Employer Health Benefits Survey

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

9

UBJ TRANSPORATION

Uber subsidiary applies for state license Greenville awaits PSC decision on ridesharing service JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com Rasier LLC, a subsidiary of Uber and the licensed operator of the ridesharing UberX app, has applied for a certificate to operate as a motor passenger service in the state, prompting the S.C. Public Service Commission to cancel a hearing that was scheduled for Thursday to address Uber’s status in South Carolina.

This move by Uber appears in direct conflict with the legal notice Uber sent to the commission last month denying “that it is providing a passenger carrier transportation service or that it is otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the commission.”

Uber spokesmen refused to address the discrepancy or apparent change of heart.

The operational overview of the application read “Rasier LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Uber Technologies Inc. and a foreign limited liability company authorized to transact business in South Carolina, seeks to be licensed in South Carolina as a Class C Transportation Network Company (TNC).”

Rasier’s 15-page application

commercial auto insurance policy will apply, the company says.

Raiser also asks to be exempt from rules requiring taxis to display company names and commission ID numbers on the sides of their cars.

TNC partners will not solicit or accept street hails; rather, they will connect with prospective passengers through Uber’s ads are a persistent presence in Upstate social media.

Uber’s digital platforms, which are lidetails how UberX differs from censed to Rasier, according to the traditional taxi services and requests application. numerous state waivers to accomSouth Carolina law states transmodate its unique business model. porting passengers for compensation For example, Rasier asks to be requires a Certificate of Public exempt from the state requirement Convenience and Necessity for that the company keep insurance Operation of Motor Vehicle Carrier policy information on file with the from the Public Service Commission state. The UberX app is GPS-enas a general rule, said Dukes Scott, abled and connects passengers to executive director of the S.C. Office freelance drivers who operate their of Regulatory Staff. own vehicles and use their personal The Public Service Commission auto insurance as the primary covcan grant a certificate, deny it, grant erage in case of an accident. If the a modified certificate or determine accident is not covered by the a certification is not needed, he said. driver’s insurance, Uber’s $1 million

Greenville City Attorney Michael Pitts said the city continues to remain neutral regarding Uber’s operation and is awaiting the state’s decision. “It is my understanding the city plans on assessing the matter after the Public Service Commission holds a hearing and issues a decision,” he said.

Scott said the state could not make a decision on who can operate within a city’s jurisdiction, as “that determination is made by the city itself.”

Uber’s “now hiring” ads remain a consistent theme on the news feeds of Upstate social media users. A recent Facebook post read “Earn up to $500 this weekend in fares driving in Clemson and make your own schedule.”

The company has received a positive response and an overwhelming embrace in South Carolina, said Uber spokesman Taylor Bennett.

“We’ve heard from riders across the state who are excited for the added transportation options, and from drivers who have taken advantage of the opportunity to partner with Uber, start their own business, and earn a living,” he said. “We’re continuing to move people around their cities safely and reliably.”

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September 19, 2014

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UBJ GROWTH

Upstate dominates among fastest-growing companies JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER

THE COMPANIES

Upstate companies dominated

(* Denotes Upstate company) Palmetto Engineering and Consulting*

joladipo@communityjournals.com the list of the 2014 top 25 fastest-growing companies recognized by the Capital Corporation at its inaugural CEO RoundTable event last week at the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce in Columbia.

State Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt gave the keynote address to an exclusive group of past and present nominees of the SC Fastest Growing Companies Program.

Afterward, a panel of CEOs from last year’s top 25 list shared their business practices and growth strategies in a moderated discussion.

The three-person panel included Patrick Hassell, founder and managing director of Solbright Renewable Energy in Charleston; Noah Leask, chairman and CEO of ISHPI in Mount Pleasant; and Frank Mobley, founder and CEO of Greenville-based Immedion. Immedion owns and operates four enterprise-class data centers in Greenville, Columbia, Charleston, and Asheville, N.C. Among various strategic and operational topics, panelists discussed customer acquisition and retention, lessons learned in personnel recruitment, and bottlenecks they had to overcome. Other CEOs in attendance shared their own perspectives on keys to success, making for an inclusive discussion.

When asked which infrastructure aspects of Immedion’s business model had become stressed by growth, Mobley said “replacing our sales process system in order to stay and get to the next level of sales” was a challenge. He also told the group

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that increasing revenue per square foot, geographic redundancy and growth through acquisitions were some of the key strategic issues for his company over the next three to five years.

The Top 25 SC Fastest Growing Companies 2014 Awards Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Downtown Marriott in Columbia. Registration is available at bit.ly/SC-fast-growing.

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UBJ INTERNATIONAL

‘Embrace globalization and execute locally’ Executive panel advocates global commerce for Upstate JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com As the Upstate positions itself as a hub for global commerce, the International Center of the Upstate and the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) assembled a panel of noted executives to discuss the possibilities of adding to the area’s 230 international companies.

Comprised of IBM’s Bill Brooks, Dell’s Tom Deegen, Michelin’s Karl Litzinger, TEKsystems’ Damon Moore and TipHive’s Joost Wentink, the executive panel discussed global commerce with the public and members of the Upstate’s business

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community at a breakfast event on the CU-ICAR campus last week.

Panel members emphasized the need for Upstate companies to create dialogue with the global customer base, stay ahead of technology advancements and anticipate industry shifts.

“Technology has changed everything, and because of the global economy, everyone has to evolve,” Brooks said. “Embrace globalization and execute locally.”

Whitney Walters, executive director for the International Center of the Upstate, said the region is in the midst of worldwide growth. Once one international company moves into the area, the vendors, the

families, and the tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers will follow, she said. “The business associations travel together.”

CU-ICAR spokesperson Amy Bulger agreed, saying world-class companies relocating to the region would attract other world-class companies.

The distinguishing factor in drawing corporations with high-paying jobs to the Upstate is a progressive business community that supports the global business population, she said. “Events such as the global executive panel contribute to raising the level of the conversation and the awareness of our market.”

Walters said planning open dis-

cussions to create networking opportunities is vital for a community to establish cross-cultural business interactions The International Center of the Upstate is often the first thing businesses are involved with when coming into the area, she said.

Planning open-forum discussions is crucial for developing dialogue.

Walters said the collaboration between CU-ICAR and the International Center of the Upstate can be attributed to a shared objective.

Although CU-ICAR targets the automotive sector, the research facility’s global format coincides with the international center’s aim to foster cultural diversity, she said.

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UBJ AGRIBUSINESS

Nonprofit aims to organize local foods for profit joladipo@communityjournals.com The rural and urban pieces of the Upstate’s food system might be much better connected in five years if a new nonprofit effort is successful. A newly launched nonprofit called Feed & Seed plans to connect area farmers with urban consumers and industrial producers, increasing earnings and creating an atmosphere that will attract new business.

The year-round, indoor farmers market will also serve as a testing kitchen and distribution point for area farmers, its creators say.

Consumers will find a place to buy produce, prepared meals and value-added products.

The project has been underway

for about a year since founder Mike McGirr met Scott Parks, principal planner with Greenville County Planning and Code Compliance, at a local farm. Parks was conducting an anecdotal feasibility study of how to increase supply to match the increasing demand for local foods.

The study was driven in part by the loss of business from Amy’s Kitchen, a manufacturer of organic processed foods that relies heavily on local farmers.

Amy’s had proclaimed in 2011 that it would take over the shuttered Sara Lee plant, but instead announced an expansion of its Oregon facility last month. Parks said Amy’s gave insufficient access to organic local produce as a major reason for the change of plans.

“Farms don’t need to be big, they

just need to be organized” to cater to companies like Amy’s and meet consumer demand, Parks said.

The study found that consumers are willing to pay up to 30 percent more for locally Feed & Seed hopes to make a former feed and seed store on Laurens Road in Greenville its home. produced foods, he said. What’s more, 86 percent of farmers are in- DeKalb Farmer’s Market in Atlanta, terested in growing for the wholesale an indoor space featuring sales of market and many area farmers have produce and value-added goods, as up to 40 percent more land available well as a restaurant with eat-in and that could be used to do so or supply takeaway meals. It will operate primarily with grant support of the first niche products.

McGirr said the organization is several years. Students and experts applying for a $3 million grant from from Greenville Technical College agricultural lender AgSouth, 90 and Clemson University Extension percent of which would be backed by would also be involved, McGirr said.

The public school system is the first the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Business & In- target customer. McGirr plans to access schools through the federal dustry loan guarantee program.

Feed & Seed takes its name from CATCH program, which would help the location it hopes will be its home, inform farmers about what to a former feed and seed property at produce. Erwin Penland Advertising the corner of Laurens Road and will also conduct real-time market Washington Street. The Spinx surveys of what the kids are eating Company currently owns the company, in the schools.

In the future, McGirr said he hopes and Community Lawn and Garden was the site’s most recent occupant. to see an exclusive line of food prodMcGirr said he should know for ucts distributed at gas station concertain by next week whether the deal venience stores, the sorts of places has gone through. He declined to that often serve as the only food discuss details, but said a backup source in neighborhoods commonly downtown location is also under known as “food deserts.” consideration.

The complex project would unite agriculture, education and business stakeholders in a network that would SEP PROJECT affect what crops are grown in the OVERVIEW Upstate, how they are delivered, and 4:30 p.m. how they are consumed. Feed & Seed Greenville County Planning will eventually make its profits from premium meat cuts sold at an on-site Commission meeting, butchery, McGirr said. The site would County Square be similar to the 140,000-square-foot

Photo by Rod Fincannon

JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER

E N G A G E

25

www.MAVINCONSTRUCTION.com

September 19, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

13

UBJ ENERGY

Clean energy group to clarify EPA rules JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER

joladipo@communityjournals.com Medium to large manufacturers and other big energy users are the target audience for the South Carolina Clean Energy Business Alliance (SCCEBA) Roundtable Oct. 2. The event will educate attendees about new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements for renewable energy.

SCCEBA maintains that the EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan could have a significant impact on the Upstate’s economy over the next decade. Featured speakers at the roundtable are Myra Reece and Robbie Brown of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental

14

Control (DHEC) Bureau of Air Quality, who will draft a state plan in response to the EPA requirements. Attendees will be able to ask questions and also give feedback to Brown and Reece.

“Through a collaborative effort with a variety of key stakeholders, we have been committed to reviewing EPA’s proposed greenhouse gas rule for existing power plants and its requirement for state compliance plans,” Reece said. “It is critical that all S.C. stakeholders have a good understanding and an opportunity to have a ‘seat at the table’ in this federal rulemaking process.”

“The impact could be positive or negative,” said Andrew Epting, SCCEBA program director. “While

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

September 19, 2014

the Upstate is a leader in energy-efficient building stock, and has the workforce necessary to benefit from the increased energy efficiency and renewable energy generation requirements, the potential drawbacks could yield higher utility rates or reduced competitive advantage over other regions.”

The event is open to the general public, but the goal is for a diverse group of heavy energy users to learn about and discuss how changes might affect them. SCCEBA expects up to 40 attendees but can accommodate many more for such a potentially popular topic.

“The EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan will affect everyone in South Carolina. Our business roundtable

on Oct. 2 is the best place for the Upstate’s business community to learn about the EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan from the people who are developing South Carolina’s response to that plan,” said Jim Poch, SCCEBA executive director.

E N G A G E OCT

2

SCCEBA BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE

TD Gallery at Clemson University’s ICAR, Lunch is served at 12:00 p.m.

Information: scceba.org

Wells Fargo Advisors Private Client Group is pleased to announce that

Jeff Stone has joined our Greenville, South Carolina Office “We are so pleased to welcome Jeff as the newest member of our South Carolina Complex Team. He joins us with years of extensive experience committed to putting his clients’ needs first. As Wells Fargo Advisors shares this same commitment, we are excited to support Jeff as he continues to provide his clients with the sound advice they need to pursue and realize their financial dreams,” said Scott Spang, South Carolina Complex Manager.

Jeff Stone First Vice President – Investments 35 W. Court Street, Suite 100 Greenville, S.C. 29601 Phone: (864) 232-5621 Toll-Free: (800) 929-0380 Fax: (864) 370-2936 jeff.stone@wellsfargoadvisors.com https://www.wfadvisors.com/jeff.stone

Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

September 19, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

15

INNOVATE

By ED ROLLINGS, Certified Quality Engineer

Movers, shakers and disruptors shaping our future

Returning to learning Even in midlife, pursuing your academic goals can produce real-world results I thought about attending college and majoring in engineering when I graduated from high school. But in my family, going to college wasn’t seen as something we did, and financial pressures meant that I really needed to get to work.

Thoughts of college were put on hold. For the next 28 years, I worked a variety of jobs that were enough to pay the bills. For a time, I thought I wanted to be involved in auto racing, so I worked in racing shops, spent time in an auto salvage yard, and even drove a tow truck.

I later worked as a machinist, a mechanic and a metal fabricator.

My father-in-law became ill in 1998. He, too, had dreamed of being an engineer, and he would have made a great one, but he never had the chance to earn a college degree. When he was hospitalized, I was 41 years old, and I realized that if I were ever going to do something about engineering, there was no time to waste.

I enrolled at Greenville Technical College that year. I had intended to take a few preparatory classes in math and English just to see whether I could handle the assignments and tests, and then move on.

Instead, I found that I enjoyed the environment, so I continued at GTC until I earned an Associate of Science degree. Then I transferred to Clemson University and completed a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.

It was not the easiest time of life to be a student. I was working full-time at a garage in Anderson County and taking care of my wife,

WAGE % INCREASE OF GRADUATE DEGREES OVER BACHELOR’S DEGREES +69.2% Health +57.5% Arts & Humanities

+61.6% Social & Behavioral Sciences

+48% Business & Communication +37.5% Education

+28.8% Science, Technology, Engineering & Math +14.5% Trades

State Higher Education Executive Officers, 2012

16

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

September 19, 2014

NUMBER OF DEGREES OBTAINED

18–24 YRS 25–29 YRS

MASTER’S 167

6 1,147 1,759

35–39 YRS

1,809

40–44 YRS

1,947

45–49 YRS

1,685

50–54 YRS

1,723

60–64 YRS 65–69 YRS

1,835 1,642 1,205

DOCTORAL 13

224

30–34 YRS

55–59 YRS

PROFESSIONAL

125 385

291 305 324 360 317 282 254

280 327 306 285 314 337 350 333

*In thousands, U.S. Census Bureau, 2012

who is disabled and had developed a number of health problems. I went from work to doctor’s appointments to homework, constantly juggling all the demands and trying to find time enough to stay ahead. And in the midst of it all, I lost my job.

Still, I was a college student. So in addition to preparing for class and cramming for exams, I made time to go to football games and attend concerts.

I may have been older than many of the other students, but I had waited a long time to be able to do those things, and I didn’t want to miss out.

When I graduated from Clemson, I quickly found work at Eaton Corporation’s Hydraulics Division in Greenwood. There, I’m a manufacturing engineer, and every day is different. I complete forensic investigations to diagnose and resolve process and product issues, design computer programs for manufacturing complex parts, develop documentation for testing and assembly procedures, and many other tasks.

Because I worked for so many years before I refined my abilities and knowledge with a degree, I have a wide skill

set, and I like the fact that I can design a component and then put it on a machine and manufacture it, too. This job is a way for everything I’ve learned in my life to come together.

I’ve made it my mission to encourage other people to follow their dreams in education, so I speak to classes at Greenville Tech and at Clemson about the possibilities in this field. I’ve also talked to audiences at Rotary Club and American Legion meetings about the importance of learning.

Today, I have three very important letters after my name: CQE. I worked hard to become a certified quality engineer at age 52, and passing the certification exam was the final step on my path to a midlife career change. My father-in-law didn’t get to become an engineer, and I almost missed the chance, too.

Many times, I hear people say that they’re too old to do something. I tell anyone who will listen that if you have a goal and you’re upright and breathing, you can certainly reach it. Just look at me – Ed Rollings, CQE.

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Your coat is too BIG or too small. If your sleeves are in your hands or the body of the coat

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Your neck tie.

It’s a tie knot, not a shoestring!

Take the time to tie your tie correctly and make it the right length. It should come to the top of your belt buckle and there should be a perfect dimple in the middle of your knot. Many times, your tie is the first thing that people notice about you.

And those themed ties? Please don’t wear them! Save them for a tacky Christmas sweater party or a family reunion. You are a businessman, not a clown!

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The collar on your shirt.

If you have a tie on and your top button is undone, it looks like the shirt is too small. Sometimes people think this is the cool thing to do, but it isn’t. It is a very sloppy look. When you purchase dress shirts, use the collar stays that are under the collar to hold the tie neatly in place. Last, but definitely not least, don’t wear a button down collar with a tie, it is a very “Frat Boy” look!

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Your shoes and belts.

It is a good idea to have a belt that matches each pair of shoes.

Step out of the box…just because you have a blue suit doesn’t mean you have to wear black shoes.

Mix in some suede during the fall and winter, but brown suede shoes need a brown suede belt.

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By KEVIN LANDMESSER, Senior Vice President, Greenville Area Development Corporation

FORWARD What’s next for the Upstate, and how we’ll get there

The sky’s the limit GSP helps keep Upstate economic development flying high Collaboration is essential to success in business today. And make no mistake, collaboration also underpins Greenville County’s economic development strategies, and is central to helping this community realize its unlimited potential for an even brighter future with more and better jobs.

As the economic development arm of Greenville County, the Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC) understands that growing existing companies and attracting new jobs and investment here demands collaboration. Whether we are encouraging organizations to relocate here or helping existing businesses grow, the GADC works closely with allies in government, education and the private sector to present a unified answer to the question: “Why should we bring our jobs and investment to Greenville County?”

From the beginning, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) has been an essential partner and integral contributor to Greenville County’s economic development success. Without GSP and its record of continuously improving facilities, services and carrier mix, there might never have been such cornerstone accomplishments as Michelin’s North American headquarters, Clemson-ICAR’s campus, or Hubbell Lighting’s headquarters— much less BMW’s Greer manufacturing facility.

Like many major companies, Michelin has significant travel requirements. Thus GSP’s continuing efforts to attract and grow low-fare carriers, including Southwest Airlines, have been helpful to its business.

BMW cited its proximity to GSP as one of the contributing factors to its decision to locate manufacturing operations here.

18

Since the Upstate, and in particular Greenville and Spartanburg counties, has a higher penetration of international firms operating here on a per capita basis than anywhere else in the United States, air travel is a huge consideration. More than 200 foreign-owned organizations have growing presences here, and “enjoy one-stop access to hundreds of national and international destinations when flying out of GSP,” notes Rosylin Weston, a spokeswoman for GSP. “We are truly a gateway to the world.”

More than 40 Fortune 500 and 75 Fortune 1000 companies have a presence in Greenville or Spartanburg counties today, and the region’s pro-business mindset, high-quality workforce and low cost of business and living make it attractive to many other businesses.

For these organizations, as well as for the thousands of residents who enjoy direct or one-stop access to hundreds of cities, states and countries when flying through GSP, Greenville-Spartanburg Internation-

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

September 19, 2014

al Airport truly is a gateway. While it may not be the optimal transportation solution for every single company – Sealed Air noted lack of direct international flights as one of multiple criteria it weighed in deciding to locate its corporate headquarters in Charlotte rather than Greenville recently – GSP is highly appealing and attractive to most.

The appeal of GSP is becoming even more pronounced and marketable with the significant improvements being made currently to the facility: The terminal is moving along rapidly with a dynamic $125 million expansion and improvements, with completion planned by early 2016.

GSP was recently ranked No. 1 nationally for the largest decreases in airfare by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation among top 100 US airports.

Between 2000 and 2014, average domestic airfares out of GSP have fallen by an average of 44 percent.

The total economic impact of

Greenville‐Spartanburg International Airport including the effects of ongoing airport operations and visitor spending supports a total of 9,528 local jobs.

Every job at GSP supports an additional nine jobs in the local economy.

GSP operations in their entirety have an $817 million impact on the local economy.

Cargo traffic continues to grow rapidly, and GSP’s runway infrastructure is fully capable of accommodating any aircraft flying today, meaning that the sky is the limit for cargo operations growth.

One of GSP’s greatest assets is its user-friendliness, a striking contrast to the metropolitan behemoths to our north and south. Business leaders and prospective corporate customers who visit Greenville frequently mention the attractiveness of the airport, its easy-to-navigate layout, easy access, reasonable parking costs, and proximity to their ultimate destination.

Across South Carolina and around the world, economic development is an intensely competitive, highstakes business. It’s a business where winners earn quality jobs, a diversified economy and continuing investment, awareness of and pride in community, and a brighter future with enhanced opportunity and prosperity.

It’s a business that forwardthinking communities dare not fail at. Thanks to partners like GSP, it’s an arena in which Greenville County excels.

Working together, Upstate economic developers and GSP are focused on the future – the better to retain our competitive advantage, to achieve our full potential, and to keep our community flying high.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

19

COVER STORY – FOUNDERS The people who built the businesses that are building the Upstate

Bruce Wood´s bright idea S.C.’s renewable energy pioneer reflects on his “solar coaster ride” JENNIFER OLADIPO | SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER

Bruce Wood, founder and CEO of Sunstore Solar.

joladipo@communityjournals.com America in 1976 was a challenging time for Parker High School graduate Bruce Wood. The Vietnam War ended his junior year, but the social and political turmoil it had wrought still resonated nationwide. Wood watched his country brought to its knees by oil prices that quadrupled

because of an embargo by petroleum-exporting Arab countries. These dramas played out before a backdrop of growing environmental awareness, creating the atmosphere that set Wood on the path to becoming South Carolina’s solar energy pioneer.

At age 22, he responded to all he

had seen by starting Sunstore Solar Energy Solutions, and continuing to advocate for solar power throughout his career. A much-deserved recognition came earlier this month when the South Carolina Solar Council named him winner of the 2014 Special Recognition Award.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Wood said of the honor. Over nearly four decades, he has survived an industry energy insiders refer to as “the solar coaster ride,” hanging on as solar energy went in and out of fashion. Business would grow dramatically and then shrink again >>

➤ BRUCE WOOD COMPANY: Sunstore Solar

operations manager. Wood has four adult children.

FAVORITE WAY TO RELAX:

Sunstore Solar

READING NOW: “I read too much

EDUCATION: Parker High School,

technical stuff. My wife says I get a little bit myopic with this stuff.”

FIRST THING DO IN THE MORNING: “Coffee and a bit of

CAREER: Entirely at

20

Greenville Tech electrical engineering courses, North Carolina Solar Center

on season

FAMILY: Wife Gail is a partner in

LOCATIONS: Two, in Greenville &

the business; his youngest son is

Mount Pleasant

EMPLOYEES: 14-20 depending

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

September 19, 2014

“Playing with the grandkids.”

meditating and focus, after feeding the cats.”

LAST THING DO AT NIGHT: “Try to

take out the trash before leaving the office.”

ONE REASON NOT TO GET INTO THE SOLAR BIZ: “If you want to

get rich quick.

INSIDER TIP: Right now you can

get a really good deal on net metering until 2021. Look out for new financing/leasing options for solar equipment between March and June next year.

>>

COVER STORY – FOUNDERS The people who built the businesses that are building the Upstate

➤ SOLAR STATS • Two-thirds of all solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity has been installed since 2011.

• Solar energy employment in the U.S. has increased by 20%.

• A solar PV system is now installed every four minutes.

• California is the leading state for solar generation.

• The U.S. solar market grew 41% last year.

• China plans to add 70 gigawatts of solar power.

• On average, solar panels are less than 18% efficient.

• 25% of roofs are suitable for solar panels.

• The cost of solar panels has declined 80% since 2008.

ing it out through the bad times appears to be paying off, he said.

However, “there was times during that solar coaster that I thought, ‘God, maybe you made a mistake.’” He wanted to get out of the business a few times. But then Hurricane Katrina changed the discussion on energy (again) in 2005 when it effectively halted oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, prompting the Bush administration to seriously explore alternative energy sources.

One of the projects Sunstore Solar was responsible for, the solar panel installation of the Wired Minds Tutoring building in Greer.

>> as the prices of other fuels rose and fell.

Today, Wood is a wellspring of knowledge on the history of energy in America. He knows the details of how and why thinking and policy have changed, and says consumers wanting more options were the main impetus for game-changing legislation passed earlier this year. He was a proponent of the South Carolina Distributed Energy Resource Program, a popular new update to the 1976 solar energy policy that will allow the state’s commercial and residential utility customers to lease equipment to generate their own electricity and increase the cap on how much utilities can produce or buy.

It’s the kind of law he would have expected years ago.

“At one point when I was young and naïve, I thought we would start this [business] and we would be the ones who would change the world,” Wood said. “Bill Gates and them were all starting their companies and I thought, who needs a smarter computer? We need solar power.”

Wood assumed his company

would surge forward while those focused on computers would be slower to develop. He was wrong, but says the industry is on a better trajectory after a slow start and years of spikes and dips.

Right pricing

A drop in the price of polysilicon, the main material in solar cell construction, brought solar energy prices closer to those of the competition.

Prices for the material began to drop around 2008 as more of it was produced for use in computer chip manufacturing, going from about $450 to about $20 per kilogram, Wood said.

Around that same time Sunstore Solar began taking on commercial and institutional clients, working with utilities such as Duke Energy and electric cooperatives. Wood said about 60 percent of his company’s accounts are residential and about 40 percent commercial. The revenues from the groups are inverse, however; more come from commercial clients.

Wood declined to give specific numbers, but said revenue has grown steadily throughout the years. Stick-

Soul searching

It was his sensitivity to that sort of national concern that had pushed Wood toward solar. His company was born from his personal quest for meaning at a time when the nation was rocked by dramas that became shorthand for different types of catastrophe: Vietnam (messy war), Watergate (political scandal) and Three Mile Island (nuclear meltdown).

“All kinds of stuff that didn’t make sense. I was looking for something I could put my heart and soul into and really commit to,” he said.

The young man also owned a Pontiac GTO muscle car that made him keenly aware of rising gas prices caused by the oil embargo that he saw as a threat to Americans’ way of life.

He believed the oil crisis was a sign that energy sources would be a hugely important issue in the future. Helping people harness the free, God-given power of the sun for energy security was the way he felt that God called him to serve a bigger purpose and do some good in a world that seemed topsy-turvy.

“Solar energy is like Christianity or democracy; you can go and get it yourself,” he said.

The revelation wasn’t so clear to everyone Wood encountered,

September 19, 2014

however. In the early days, he says most of the people around him “thought I was a little bit crazy there, for sure.” But some thought he was a visionary, and were excited about the possibilities solar power presented.

Bright future

Right now Sunstore Solar is nearing the time of year when business ramps up as people look to install solar in time to receive a tax credit for this year.

The South Carolina market generates between seven and eight megawatts of solar energy, compared with about 500 megawatts in Georgia.

Wood said over the next six years the local market should increase to about 300 megawatts. In response, Sunstore will be expanding its marketing and sales efforts to small and medium-sized businesses across the state.

He expects South Carolina to follow the path of neighbor North Carolina, a state with a similar amount of sunshine where good policies have led to greater installed capacity, he says.

Still, Wood doesn’t expect selling solar to suddenly become easier.

“It never really has been easy. An educated consumer who has done his homework finds a lot of value in solar,” he said. But cold calls can take a long time to turn into transactions.

Sunstore Solar hasn’t changed much over the years, Wood says. The business moved from providing solar thermal to electricity and the technology has matured, but the core of the business is still “old fashioned customer service.”

Despite the miscalculation at the beginning of his career, Wood still believes solar has the potential to be bigger than computers. As an industry in this this state at least, that just might be true.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

21

FINE PRINT Business briefs you can’t miss

KEMET kicks off worldwide lecture series KEMET Corporation kicked off its 31st KEMET Institute of Technology (KIT) series on Sept. 17 at the Simpsonville Innovation Center.

The two-day event offered a technology workshop based on classroom instruction and live discussion covering details on how capacitors and other passive components are made and how they work.

KIT seminars are geared toward engineers, technologists, designers and other technical decision-makers utilizing capacitors and other passive components in their products.

This year’s event also introduced presentations on KEMET’s new components provided through the recently announced partnership with NEC TOKIN.

Two technology tracks focusing on customer applications are available. One track focuses on embedded electronics associated with low-voltage DC electronics, while the other focuses on AC line and power applications such as AC/DC converters.

A range of speakers across the KEMET technology, application engineering, manufacturing and quality teams presented lectures on a variety of electronic component topics.

KIT will be held across 50 locations in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit kemet.com/kit.

Entercom hires new program director Entercom Greenville LLC named Dave “SupaDave” Jackson as new program director for B93.7/WFBC-FM and Magic 98.9/WSPA-FM. He previously served as program director for three stations at SummitMedia. As a Greenville native, Jackson said in a press release that he grew up listing to WFBC and it was the first DAVE “SUPADAVE” station to hire him.

JACKSON “Now, I’ve come full-circle and it would be an understatement to say that I’m honored to work with the winning team at Entercom Greenville,” he said about the company that reaches about 660,000 Upstate listeners weekly.

Entercom VP/Market Manager Steve Sinicropi said in the release, “Dave’s experience with music, talent, branding and promotions will elevate our brands.”

Glen Raven to invest $13.5M in Anderson Glen Raven Inc. plans to create 10 new jobs at its Anderson County Sunbrella manufacturing center through a $13.5 million investment.

The company’s Anderson plant, built in 1994, is the largest manufacturing center for the Sunbrella brand of fabrics for awning, marine and upholstery applications, and employs more than 600 people.

The 1 million-square-foot business center includes vertically integrated manufacturing facilities along with research and new product development.

Glen Raven markets products in more than 130 countries. To view available positions, visit Glen Raven’s career page at glenraven. com.

U.S. Commerce Department grants SCC $1.1M The U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded a $1.1 million grant to Spartanburg Community College (SCC). The grant is designated to help build the college’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies (CAMIT) in Cherokee County.

Spartanburg Community College Director of Grants Elena Rush said the new facility is in response to Cherokee County’s lack of workers trained in specific skill sets.

Once completed, the facility is expected to train 105 workers per year.

The CAMIT facility will have labs and classroom spaces for welding, computer numeric control machine tool technology, and mechatronics, including automated manufacturing and robotics.

The Commerce Department said in a press release that the project is expected to generate nearly $20 million in private investment.

The EDA awards grants to economically distressed areas for the purpose of creating jobs and promoting growth and innovation.

The release said that South Carolina’s unemployment rate “is consistently higher than the national average.”

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105.9 FM 1330 AM

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

September 19, 2014

Every Game

FINE PRINT Business briefs you can’t miss

Wells Fargo announces $2.8M investment in SC

Wells Fargo & Company announced a $2.8 million investment in 375 philanthropic organizations across South Carolina through August 31.

The announcement came at the beginning of Wells Fargo’s inaugural Week of Caring across South Carolina.

During the week, Wells Fargo team members landscaped and mulched the Triune Mercy Center in Greenville and offered several financial literacy classes to the Boys and Girls Club of the Upstate at Carver Middle School in Spartanburg.

“We are the Upstate’s bank, and we are proud to continue to do what we can to make a difference in our local communities,” said Karen Lambert, Community Banking area president for the Upstate market, in a release.

Additionally, Greenville Technical College’s Quick Jobs With a Future program received $25,000 from the Wells Fargo Foundation.

The gift will be used to provide tuition support for students pursuing the skills needed to start in a career field that is currently hiring in Greenville County. Greenville Tech President Keith Miller said the funds could help up to 20 people become self-supporting.

ACI Plastics to create 25 Oconee County jobs

Emitec invests $3M in Laurens County

Thermoplastics processor and recycler ACI Plastics Inc. is investing $4.1 million to expand its manufacturing operations into Oconee County.

The investment is expected to create 25 new jobs, and the company plans to begin hiring for the new positions in mid-January.

ACI Plastics has purchased a former textile warehouse building in Westminster, S.C., and will remodel the 88,000-square-foot facility for its operations.

These renovations are expected to be complete in the spring of 2015.

ACI Plastics has been in business for 28 years, with operations in South Carolina, Michigan, Arizona and Nebraska.

Anyone interested may apply after Jan. 15, 2015, by sending resumes to the ACI Plastics office manager at valerieg@aciplastics. com or in person at 435 East Shockley Ferry Road in Anderson.

Emitec, an exhaust technology company and wholly owned subsidiary of Continental, is investing $3 million to expand its Laurens County manufacturing plant to boost capacity and serve new automotive customers.

The investment will add new equipment to manufacture catalytic converter substrates and will create 20 new jobs. The Fountain Inn facility currently employs about 55 personnel and expects to begin hiring for the new jobs in the first quarter of 2015.

Open positions include both hourly production associates and salaried associates.

Interested applicants may submit resumes to Emitec at 400 South Nelson Drive, Fountain Inn, SC 29644.

iMAGINE Upstate launches new website iMAGINE Upstate has announced the launch of its new website iMAGINEUpstate.com to provide information about the company’s weeklong series of crowdsourced programs and events on March 28-April 4, 2015.

“The website is a space where the community can find more information about the events and event programming, sign up to participate, contribute ideas and learn more about contributing to the initiative as a sponsor or event coor-

dinator,” said Ryan Heafy, executive director of iMAGINE Upstate, in a press release.

Designed and built by local Internet marketing and website development company Full Media, the website is multi-device-ready using a custom responsive design.

The event series showcases innovation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Clems n Every Game September 19, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

23

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

ON THE MOVE Play-by-play of Upstate careers

HIRED

NAMED

HIRED

HIRED

HONORED

Jim Brogdon

David Pauly

Benjamin Jeffers

Janice C. Hartsoe

Paul Foster

Named attorney of counsel by Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP’s Columbia office. Brogdon was the former general counsel and executive vice president for Santee Cooper. He will practice in the areas of energy and utilities, business litigation, class action, and dispute resolution.

Named to Canal Insurance Company’s board of directors.

Pauly’s experience includes chairman and CEO of Capitol Insurance Companies in Middleton, Wis., and COO of Heritage Mutual (now Acuity)

Joined Community Journals as a writer for UBJ and the Greenville Journal. Jeffers previously worked for the company as an editorial intern. He graduated from Bob Jones University in 2013 with a degree in journalism and mass communication.

Selected as the new registrar at Southern Wesleyan University. Hartsoe has 20 years of higher education experience. She most recently served as registrar at the University of North Georgia and was also associate registrar at the University of South Carolina.

Received Northwestern Mutual’s 2014 Top 20 Producer at the company’s 134th Annual Meeting event in Milwaukee, Wis. Foster is a wealth management advisor based in Greenville.

CONSTRUCTION/ ENGINEERING: O’Neal Inc. has hired Rick Hannas as safety technician, Jeffrey May as design project manager and Michael Brooks as business development manager. Hannas has construction safety experience in the areas of nuclear, power and institutional. He has worked with such organizations as Morgan Corporation, Department of Energy and Avisc and has achieved his OSHA 500 certification. May has experience in the engineering, procurement, and construction industry. He has worked with firms such as CH2MHill and M+W Group. Brooks has professional business development experience marketing construction materials and equipment as well as risk management services. He obtained his B.S. degree in Business from Presbyterian College.

SynTerra, environmental and engineering consulting firm, named Matt Mudge as a senior professional. Mudge is a geologist with 14 years of experience in engineering and environmental consulting and is experienced in managing and preparing environmental assessments and studies for both private and public sector.

24

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: The Greenville Area Development Corporation has added Taylor Capps as an intern for the fall of 2014. During her internship, she will focus primarily on the GADC’s social media marketing efforts. Capps, a native of the area, joins the GADC team from Clemson University, where she is currently a senior majoring in marketing.

INSURANCE: Virginia Huffman of Turner Agency Insurance of Greenville, has successfully achieved the designation of Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR). Huffman completed several courses covering and passed five comprehensive exams to earn this designation. Huffman is a personal lines account manager with Turner Agency Insurance with over 11 years experience in the insurance industry. She is a graduate of Clemson University.

MARKETING/PR: Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG) has chosen Holly Rollins and her 10-x Group team as PR/content consultants.

Rollins and her team will produce strategic analysis, public relations and

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

September 19, 2014

content marketing services for OBHG. 10-x also recently won the Content Marketing Maven award this year.

REAL ESTATE: NAI Earle Furman (NAIEF) welcomed Cameron Babbitt and Clay Williams to the brokerage team. Babbitt joins NAIEF’s Investment Services Group, representing clients in the sales and acquisitions of investment properties. Prior to joining NAIEF, Babbitt earned his law degree at West Virginia University College of Law and worked as a commercial real estate agent in Morgantown, WV, for Black Diamond Realty LLC. Williams joins NAIEF’s Industrial Division, focusing on sales and leases of industrial properties across the Upstate. Williams is a native of Spartanburg and comes to NAIEF with seven years of experience in sales and service within the technology industry.

STAFFING: Phillips Staffing has promoted Tracy Howard to branch manager of the firm’s Seneca office and Helen Schenck to interim branch manager of its Gaffney office. Howard has more than two decades of experience in staffing, recruit-

ing, sales and management for industrial and telecommunications organizations. Schenck has 15 years of experience in industrial, healthcare, distribution and manufacturing circles. She holds multiple certifications from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

EDUCATION: A Clemson University assistant professor of bioengineering, Frank Alexis, made the national list of top junior faculty researchers who were chosen based on their number of patents. Alexis develops new ways of delivering drugs in nanoparticles that are 10,000 times smaller than the cross-section of a human hair. Alexis has six patents to his credit.

Gary W. Southern has joined North Greenville University as director of the new NGU Media Center. The Media Center will provide digital printing and media solutions to the university and the greater Greenville community. He joins NGU after serving since 1998 as general manager at TruColor Marketing and Printing in Greenville.

UBJ LAYOUT

Darla Moore School is open for business at USC

Photos Provided

THE TABLE IS SET, STEAK YOUR CLAIM.

More than two years of planning and construction have ushered in a new era in Columbia, as the new Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina has officially opened.

“The new building is all about organizing functions logically, so that students and faculty can reach each another very easily,” architect Andera Lamberti told Columbia’s WLTX-TV. “It’s all about PROJECT DETAILS using light, too, and basic ARCHITECT: Rafael Vinoly orientation Architects of New York booths on the CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT: site, so that Gilbane Co., Cumming and people can be Brownstone Construction Group oriented and COST: $106.5 million find their way SQUARE FOOTAGE: in the build251,891 gross square feet ing. So that LOCATION: Assembly and Greene there’s greater streets, next to Carolina Coliseum, sense of Columbia community.”

Photo by Stephen Simmons

Reserve a seat at the table to enjoy all you can eat, sip and listen at euphoria2014.

For more details and to purchase tickets, visit euphoriagreenville.com.

CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE: Site preparation began December 2011; building opened in August 2014

SUPPORTED BY

Upstate Business Journal

September 19, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

25

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ

SQUARE FEET Real estate deals and developments across the region

LISTED: American Spinning Mill, 300 Hammett St., Greenville

Developers looking for a large multi-family or mixed-use development property take note: The American Spinning Mill in Greenville is listed for sale.

Located between Poinsett Highway and Pete Hollis Boulevard and just two miles from downtown Greenville, the former textile mill served as a catalyst for the surrounding community until it closed in the 1990s. Today, a handful of businesses use the property mostly for warehouse and storage needs.

The mill was built in 1903 and the property consists of three separate buildings with high ceilings, original oak floors and exposed brick. It is considered “one of the most attractive redevelopment sites in the state,” according to CBRE, the listing broker.

Several state and federal tax incentives are possibly available for anyone who purchases and redevelops the property.

SALE PRICE: $3 million PROPERTY SIZE: 365,385 square feet PROPERTY TYPE: Industrial LOT SIZE: 12.77 acres

26

BUILDING OWNER: Whitehorse Properties of Greenville LISTING BROKER(S): John Parker and Nick Hollstegge, associate brokers at CBRE

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

September 19, 2014

Southern Living Showcase Home to open for tours

The latest Southern Living Custom Builder Showcase Home by Dillard-Jones Builders is set to open for public tours Sept. 26.

The Ridges at Paris Mountain is an 18-residence master-planned community, featuring views of Greenville on the south side and the 1,300-acre Paris Mountain State Park on the north side.

Amenities include access to a national park, community garden, shared common area and fire pit.

“The Ridges at Paris Mountain offers some of the most beautiful views in the Upstate,” said Tom Dillard of Dillard-Jones Builders. “Special care has gone into the site layout and planning to ensure that no home obstructs another home’s view.”

This is Dillard-Jones’s ninth Southern Living Custom Builder Showcase Home.

This year’s project is a 3,900-square-foot custom cottage design featuring an open floor plan with a kitchen, casual dining and great room combination. The home also includes a screened porch, a grill deck and a covered porch with an original Charleston bed swing.

In 2009, Dillard-Jones Builders became the first South Carolina homebuilder to be named a Southern Living Custom Builder of the Year. In 2011, Dillard-Jones became the first company in the 18-year history of the Southern Living Custom Builder Program to win the Builder of the Year award twice.

PROJECT PARTNERS DEVELOPER: Malloy and Co. GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Dillard-Jones Builders ARCHITECT: Dillard-Jones Builders MARKETED BY: Conservus Realty

SEE FOR YOURSELF Sept. 26-Nov. 2 1-6 p.m. Fridays 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays 1-5 p.m. Sundays No admission charge; donations accepted for the Thornwell Home for Children, GHS Children’s Hospital and Operation Finally Home

Also in 2011, Southern Living named Dillard-Jones to represent its Custom Builder Program in the Asheville market along with Greenville.

Title sponsor of the showcase home this year is GBS Building Supply of Greenville. The house will feature interior design and furnishings from Sandy Hankins of SH Designs of Greenville.

As a Southern Living Showcase Home, the project will incorporate products of all national Southern Living sponsors including Marvin Windows & Doors, Lennox, Sherwin-Williams and Rinnai.

The home is currently for sale and is listed at $999,000.

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ

SQUARE FEET Real estate deals and developments across the region

$20M industrial center underway on White Horse Road jtoppe@communityjournals.com Designed for distribution and light manufacturing, the White Horse Industrial Center is currently under development on a 45-acre site in Greenville County.

Located at 2721 White Horse Road, the $20 million investment broke ground six weeks ago and will see the construction of two buildings: a 306,000-square-foot facility and another at 234,000 square feet.

The larger of the two buildings will be completed in January and the smaller in March, said Rob Halpin, president of Burnham Partners LLC, which is in a venture with Exeter

THE BUILDINGS • The construction is tilt wall panel, and each building will have 40 truck docks with mechanical equipment and three drive-in doors.

Property Group.

The facilities could eventually create 500 to 1,000 permanent jobs, he said. Although the buildings have not been leased, “there has been quite a bit of activity and we expect the larger building to be leased upon its completion.”

Halpin said over half of the leasing prospects are located in South Carolina.

Based on the state’s revitalization act, a South Carolina corporation or resident leasing the former textile site is eligible to receive a state income tax credit, he said.

Greenville County is in desperate need of Class A manufacturing and distribution space, said Kevin Landmesser, interim president

Warehouse/Distribution Building #2 234,000 Gross S.F.

• The standard bays will be 48 by 50 feet with speed bays 60 by 50 feet.

• ESFR and T-5 fluorescent lighting are in base building.

• No blind turns. Abundant parking and trailer storage.

Realtors report shows ‘positive trend’ August statewide market reports from South Carolina Realtors released this week show that the “macro trend is still positive” while the “micro trend involves more moderate pinching up and down the month-tomonth timeline.”

For the 12-month period spanning September 2013 through August 2014, pending sales in the state were up 4.4 percent overall.

and CEO of the Greenville Area Development Corporation.

With elevated ceilings and significant square footage, the new buildings at the industrial park will raise Greenville’s profile and competitiveness with corporations seeking a new location, he said.

Rendering from Burnham Partners, LLC

JOE TOPPE | STAFF

Warehouse/Distribution Building #1 306,000 Gross S.F.

➤ NUMBERED

The price range with the largest gain in sales was $300,001 and above, which saw a 10.4 percent increase.

Although housing had a slow start in 2014, ongoing market improvements across various areas and segments continue, the report said. Those interested in the industry are encouraged to “watch for long-awaited and yet still-uneven inventory gains.”

New listings decreased 0.2% to

Days on market down 5.4% to

Pending sales down 0.2% to

Absorption rates improved as months supply of inventory was down 5.3% to

9,204.

5,692.

Inventory levels fell 0.6% to

48,608 units.

Median sales price increased 0.4% to

$165,700.

106 days.

8.9 months.

Source: August 2014 SC Realtors market report

104,000 SF CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD | THALHIMER represented Liberty Property Trust in the lease of a 104,000 SF at 110 Caliber Ridge within Caliber Ridge Industrial Park, Greer, SC

(864) 370 8155

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Brian Young Elliott Fayssoux brian.young@thalhimer.com elliott.fayssoux@thalhimer.com

Kacie Jackson kacie.jackson@thalhimer.com

September 19, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

27

NEW TO THE STREET The freshest faces on the business landscape 1. CommunityWorks Federal Credit Union recently opened its Greenville main office at 115 W. Antrim Drive. CWFCU specializes in serving families and individuals who are financially underserved. For more information, visit communityworksfcu.org or call 864-438-2421.

1

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Wide Format Printers Ink Jet and dry toner wide format printing solutions for every application

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

September 19, 2014

www.TPM.com

SOCIAL SNAPSHOT Inside the Upstate’s networking and social scene

CLEMSON MRED/CREW UPSTATE DISCUSS DEVELOPMENT TRENDS Last week, Clemson University’s Master of Real Estate Development program and CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) Upstate hosted a networking reception and panel discussion on trends in commercial real estate development.

Panelists included the Honorable Helen Elizabeth Burris, United States bankruptcy judge of the District of South Carolina; Amy Clayton of Nexsen Pruet; Jimmy Grumbos, real estate manager, Michelin North America; and Courtney Warren, property and casualty consultant, Rosenfeld Einstein.

Photos Provided

more online For more photos, visit upstatebusiness journal.com

September 19, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

29

PLANNER Events you should have on your calendar

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 19

Register at: greenvillechamber.org

Columbia Marriott Hotel, 1200 Hampton St., Columbia; 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Public Policy Breakfast

Register at: leadsc.net CONTACT: Hannah Cook at Hannah.cook@ scchamber.net or 803255-2565 CELEBRATION LUNCH & SMALL BUSINESS EXPO

TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22

Register at: greenvillechamber.org

GCS Roundtable The Office Center at the Point, 33 Market Point Drive, Greenville; 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Speaker: Rich Estrin

Call Golden Career Strategies at 864-5270425 to request an invitation

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 23 JON MCCLURE ISO Poly Films

For more information or to order tickets, please contact Butler Mullins of the Greenville Tech Foundation at butler.mullins@gvltec.edu.

Funds raised from this event will be allocated to student scholarships and other critical needs for Greenville Technical College.

30

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

September 19, 2014

Cost: $25 per Greenville Chamber member, $35 per non-member, includes breakfast Register at: greenvillechamber.org

Hilton, 45 W. Orchard Park Drive, Greenville; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Contact: 864-242-1050

MARK JOHNSTON Community Journals

Speaker: Tom Ervin, gubernatorial candidate

Speaker: Thom Shea, CEO of Adamantine Alliance Inc., former Navy SEAL of 23 years, and author

Topic: My Career Transition Story

MICHAEL BOLICK Selah Genomics

Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Place, Greenville; 7:30-9 a.m.

Contact: 864-242-1050

ENTREPRENEURS FORUM

2014 HONOREES

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 24

Embassy Suites, 670 Verdae Blvd., Greenville; 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Cost: $125-$400

6:00pm Reception • 7:00pm Dinner TD Convention Center

Contact: 864-239-3727

LEADSC YOUNG PROFESSIONALS SUMMIT

Cost: $195 for all three days

2014 GALA 09.25.14

$10 until Sept. 20

PULSE Leadership Luncheon

Speaker: John Boyanoski, president of Complete Public Relations Topic: One-penny referendum on the 2014 ballot Register at: greenvillechamber.org Contact: 864-239-3743

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 25 GREENVILLE TECH FOUNDATION ENTREPRENEURS FORUM GALA TD Convention Center, 1 Exposition Drive, Greenville; 6 p.m.

Cost: $75 for young professionals 30

and under, $125 per individual, $250 per couple Contact: Bob Howard at 864-250-8719 or bob. howard@gvltec.edu Business After Hours Garden House Bed and Breakfast, 302 S. Main St., Simpsonville; 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Register at: simpsonvillechamber. com Contact: Lindsey Smith at lsmith@simpsonville chamber.com Greenville Women @ Work Launch Networking Social Coldwell Banker Caine, Main Street Real Estate Gallery, 428 S. Main St., Greenville; 6-8 p.m.

Cost: Free to attend Register at: greenvillechamber.org Contact: 864-242-1050

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26 Friday Forum Embassy Suites, 670 Verdae Blvd., Greenville; 8-9:30 a.m.

Speaker: Jon Wilken Topic: Retail to Real Estate to Research Cost: $12 for Greenville Chamber members, $20 for non-chamber members Contact: 864-242-1050 Register at: greenvillchamber.org

NETnight Hyatt Regency Greenville, 220 N. Main St., Studio 220, Greenville; 6-8 p.m.

Cost: $15 at the door,

CONTRIBUTE: Got a hot date?

Submit event information for consideration to events@ upstatebusinessjournal.com.

SNAPSHOT A quick look into the Upstate Bill Rogers, executive director of the South Carolina Press Association, presents the 2013 PALMY President’s Award to Community Journals creative design lead Kristy Adair. This year, the Community Journals design team won 29 of the awards, which recognize excellence in advertising and product design, and encourage creativity in advertising sales.

Included were 12 first-place awards and two entire categories swept.

Photo by Greg Beckner

MARKETING & EVENTS

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF UBJ? WANT A COPY FOR YOUR LOBBY?

Kate Madden

DIGITAL STRATEGIST PRESIDENT/CEO

ART & PRODUCTION

UBJ PUBLISHER

ART DIRECTOR Whitney Fincannon

Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com

OPERATIONS Holly Hardin

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Kristy Adair, Michael Allen

MANAGING EDITOR

CLIENT SERVICES Anita Harley, Jane Rogers

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE

SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER

STORY IDEAS:

Jennifer Oladipo

ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com

STAFF WRITERS

EVENTS:

Sherry Jackson, Benjamin Jeffers, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris, Joe Toppe

events@upstatebusinessjournal.com

PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Beckner

onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com

SALES REPRESENTATIVES Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehman, Pam Putman

jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years

1988

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

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

>>

with a majority of them utilizing the general aviation airport as a “corporate gateway to the city.”

In 1997, Jackson and his son, Darrell, launched Jackson Motorsports Group. The new division was designed to sell race tires and go to racetracks to sell and mount the tires. Darrell Jackson now serves as president of the motorsports group and Larry Jackson has two other children and a son-in-law who work there. Jackson said all his children started at the bottom and “earned their way up.”

Jackson kept the Jackson-Dawson branches in Detroit and others in Los Angeles and New York until he sold his portion of that partnership in 2009 as part of his estate planning.

The company now operates a small office in Charlotte, but its main headquarters are in Greenville in a large office space off Woodruff Road, complete with a vision gallery that displays local artwork and an auditorium Jackson makes available for non-profit use. The Motorsports Group is housed in an additional 26,000 square feet building just down the street, and the agency is currently looking for another 20,000 square feet.

Jackson said JMG has expanded into other verticals such as financial, healthcare, manufacturing and pro-bono work, but still has a strong focus on the auto industry and transportation. It’s

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

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

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

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

Vietnam, where he said he was “luckily” stationed in the middle of Texas at Fort Hood.

He left the service and went to work in public affairs and motorsports at Ford Motor Company in Detroit.

After a stint at Bell and Howell, where he was responsible for managing Ford’s dealer marketing and training, the entrepreneurial bug hit and he co-founded Jackson-Dawson Marketing Communications, a company specializing in dealer training and product launches for the auto industry in 1980.

In 1987, Jackson wanted to move back south and thought Greenville would be a good fit. An avid pilot, he

learned of an opportunity to purchase Cornerstone Aviation, a fixed base operation (FBO) that served as a service station for the Greenville Downtown Airport, providing fuel, maintenance and storage.

In fact, when he started the Greenville office of what is now Jackson Marketing Group (JMG) in 1988, the offices were housed on the second floor in an airport hangar.

“Clients would get distracted by the airplanes in the hangars and we’d have to corral them to get back upstairs to the meeting,” Jackson said.

Jackson sold the FBO in 1993, but says it was a great way to get to know Greenville’s fathers and leaders

>>

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

1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

also one of the few marketing companies in South Carolina to handle all aspects of a project in-house, with four suites handling video production, copywriting, media and research and web design.

Clients include heavyweights such as BMW, Bob Jones University, the Peace Center, Michelin and Sage Automotive. Recent projects have included an interactive mobile application for Milliken’s arboretum and 600-acre Spartanburg campus and a marketing campaign for the 2013 Big League World Series.

“In my opinion, our greatest single achievement is the longevity of our client relationships,” said Darrell Jackson. “Our first client from back in 1988 is still a client today. I can count on one hand the number of clients who have gone elsewhere in the past decade.”

Larry Jackson says his Christian faith and belief in service to others, coupled with business values rooted in solving clients’ problems, have kept

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

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

him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-profits. The company was recently awarded the Community Foundation Spirit Award.

The company reaffirmed its commitment to serving the community last week by celebrating its 25th anniversary with a birthday party and a 25-hour Serve-A-Thon partnership with Hands on Greenville and Habitat for Humanity. JMG’s 103 full-time employees worked in shifts around the clock on October 22 and 23 to help construct a house for a deserving family.

As Jackson inches towards retirement, he says he hasn’t quite figured out his succession plan yet, but sees the companies staying under the same umbrella. He wants to continue to strategically grow the business.

“From the beginning, my father has taught me that this business is all about our people – both our clients and our associates,” said his son, Darrell. “We have created a focus and a culture that strives to solve problems, serve people and grow careers.”

Darrell Jackson said he wants to “continue helping lead a culture where we solve, serve and grow. If we are successful, we will continue to grow towards our ultimate goal of becoming the leading integrated marketing communications brand in the Southeast.”

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

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

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

CoMMUnitY inVolVeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member

mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board, Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

AS SEEN IN

NOVEMBER 1, 2013

Order a reprint today, PDFs available for $25. For more information, contact Anita Harley 864.679.1205 or aharley@communityjournals.com

DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: Follow us @UpstateBiz FACEBOOK: TheUpstateBusinessJournal LINKEDIN: Upstate Business Journal

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, AND AWARDS: UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties.

Guest columns run 700-800 words.

Contact Executive Editor Susan Clary Simmons at ssimmons@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration.

publishers of

NEXT WEEK: NONPROFIT INNOVATION Nonprofits and companies are crowdsourcing for the greater good.

OCTOBER: COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY

David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman

ADVERTISING DESIGN

Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com

MARKETING & ADVERTISING

UBJ milestone

1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport

Emily Price

Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com

Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

UBJ milestone

u UP NEXT

THIS FALL: LEADERSHIP Who’s building leaders in the community? What are questions leaders should never ask? What can we learn from the military, football coaches and university presidents?

Got any thoughts? Care to contribute? Let us know at ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

Copyright @2014 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, South Carolina, 29602.

Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $50. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, SC 29602.

Printed in the USA.

581 Perry Avenue, Greenville, SC 29611 | 864-679-1200 | communityjournals.com UBJ: For subscriptions, call 864-679-1240 | UpstateBusinessJournal.com

September 19, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

31

TRANSFORMATIONAL THINKING I use what I learned from the Clemson MBA program every day. I rounded out my technical background and learned how to make sound business decisions, build a business from the ground up and keep my business ahead in the industry.

Steven, MBA ‘10

www.clemson.edu/mba · 864-656-3975