Oct. 3, 2014 UBJ by Community Journals

OCTOBER 3, 2014

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UBJ RETAIL

Downtown deli plans mid-October launch

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com Cianciola’s, a New York-style grocer and deli, hopes to open by mid-October in downtown Greenville. The new business will be located in the former Natural Baby space at 11 College St., just around the corner from North Main Street. Local businessmen Wayne Weldon, who owns the Vault,

a vintage sports apparel store, and Joe Varieur, who owns Carolina Motion Controls, an industrial robotics firm, are partners in the new venture. In addition to typical deli items such as fresh-sliced cold cuts and cheeses, Cianciola’s will also offer grocery items such as Italian breads, local produce, eggs and meats and other staples for downtown residents and workers, said Weldon. Ciancola’s will also offer an ice cream and smoothie bar, and according to the signage out front, an upstairs coffee cabana with a TV and free Wi-Fi as well. For lunch and dinner, a steam table will provide already prepared hot foods and ready-to-eat dinners. Cianciola’s will offer online ordering and curbside pickup, said Weldon. The name “Cianciola’s” comes from Varieur’s grandparents. Weldon said he anticipates hours of operation to be 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily. More information is available at cianciolasgrocers.com

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THE CORNER POCKET TAPROOM ON COFFEE STREET HAS CLOSED ITS DOORS. A downtown bar and pool hall icon since 1961, The Corner Pocket was first owned by former S.C. Gov. Carroll Campbell. In its place, a new restaurant is slated to emerge by the end of the year. The concept is expected to be an “open-air” environment restaurant and definitely not a chain, said Todd Justice, the new owner of the space. He, along with three partners, own five other restaurants in Charlotte and Folly Beach.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

Volume 3, Issue 40

October 3, 2014

Top-of-mind and in the mix this week CORRECTION The list of companies accompanying an article in the Sept. 19 UBJ, “Upstate dominates among fastestgrowing companies,” was not a list of the top 25 fastest-growing companies in S.C., but was instead a list of companies attending the Capital Corporation’s CEO Roundtable in Columbia last month. 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/SCfast-growing.

A3 Communications, Inc. Avtec Inc. Chancel Builders Inc. Duke Sandwich Productions Dynamic Solutions, LLC EDTS LLC eGroup Garden & Gun Magazine LLC GBS Building Supply Immedion LLC Infinity Marketing Integrated Systems, Inc. ISHPI Lima One Capital M33 Integrated Solutions MEDcare Urgent Care LLC Ob Hospitalist Group, Inc. O’Neal, Inc. PureCars Sandlapper Securities LLC SolBright Renewable Energy LLC Spartina 449 LLC Trinity Healthcare Staffing Group Inc. Unitrends Wireless Communications

Photo by the City of Greenville

2014 Top 25 South Carolina Fastest Growing Companies (Upstate companies in bold)

An aerial photo shows the removal of Camperdown Bridge, clearing the way for the construction of Falls Park on the Reedy. The park, which celebrates its 10th anniversary Oct. 5, has been credited with helping spark downtown Greenville’s renewal. Read more in this week’s Greenville Journal.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

WORTH REPEATING

VERBATIM

“Our game-changer was the duct tape. …When The United States was building up for the war in Iraq, the military needed duct tape. I don’t know what they did with it, but they bought a lot.” Page 6

On cool companies…

“There is no one way to have a family. We want to support all our people, and are very careful to create policies to be all-inclusive.”Page 13 “I thought my greatest opportunity was to get really good at what I liked doing and get somebody to pay me a million dollars to do it. Eventually I realized that person was me.” Page 15

“Greenville has demonstrated in recent years that it will not take a back seat to any Southern city when it comes to opening terrific restaurants.”

Restaurant Hospitality, naming Table 301 Restaurant Group one of “25 Coolest Multi Concept Companies” nationwide.

TBA Bar Louie, an eclectic urban bar and restaurant, has chosen Greenville’s Magnolia Park for its first South Carolina location (it has 70 others across the U.S). Look for construction to begin soon, near Pier One Imports… October 3, 2014

UBJ ENTREPRENEURSHIP

NEXT snags tips at MIT EMERGENCY

JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER

POWER

joladipo@communityjournals.com The Greenville Chamber’s

FOR YOUR

BUSINESS Photo Provided

NEXT entrepreneurship program plans to formalize its mentorship services, and a quick trip to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) last week helped ensure they get it right. NEXT will join MIT’s Venture Mentoring Service (VMS), an international network that matches entrepreneurs with highly skilled and experienced mentors. NEXT is run by Greenville Chamber of Commerce staffers Brenda Laakso, vice president of entrepreneurship; and John Moore, executive vice president. They traveled to MIT with Amy Love, SC Department of Commerce innovation director, and Matthew Klein, business development director at the Clemson College of Business and Behavioral Science, to receive training ahead of a VMS pilot in Greenville that will begin later this year. “Even with all the educational institutions [in the Boston area], their biggest obstacle to growing globally impactful new ventures is lacking a skilled pool of entrepreneurs,” Moore said. The training was intense, and the Greenville group had its own turn in the mentee hot seat opposite people such as a former head of the Bose Corporation as they received feedback on their plan. Moore said the most important takeaways were: Adhering to VMS’ very strong guiding principles. For example, it is meant to be a safe and confidential space for entrepreneurs where non-disclosure agreements are sometimes used.

John Moore, executive vice president, NEXT Upstate

Using a team mentoring approach. CEOs will benefit from the expertise multiple mentors have to offer, creating a different dynamic from one-on-one mentorship. Starting small. Although the economic development world often raises a lot of money to implement big programs, that approach is contrary to MIT’s model and the lean startups they hope to foster. Moore said VMS aligns well with NEXT, because the key metric over the long term is how the entrepreneurs rate the mentoring that they receive. Mentors will include entrepreneurs who have run profitable businesses and corporate executives who have headed profitable divisions of larger companies. NEXT will scale up the program once they feel they have the right formula. “We’ll wake up one day and have a big thing, much like UCAN [the Upstate Carolina Angel Network investor group].” More changes are afoot as NEXT spends a $250,000 matching grant from the SC Department of Commerce (SCDOC). Moore said some announcements would come soon.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

UBJ ENTREPRENEURS

Greenville Tech Foundation means business with Entrepreneur Forum JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER

joladipo@communityjournals.com The Greenville Tech Foundation honored three entrepreneurs – and gave a nod to students – for their accomplishments in business and contributions to the prosperity of the Upstate at the Entrepreneurs Forum Gala last week at the TD Convention Center. Michael Bolick of Selah Genomics, Mark Johnston of Community Journals, and Jon McClure, founder of ISO Poly Films, joined a network of business-world advisors who support Greenville Tech’s efforts. Since its inception in 1998, the event has recognized 89 business leaders. In a departure from the norm, Bob Howard, president of the Greenville Tech Foundation, announced that Greenville Tech students were the fourth honoree. They were featured in a video including a 52-year-old veteran and a working mother. This year’s honorees run companies that reflect the diversification of the Upstate’s economy, Howard said. Previous honorees heavily inform the nomination process, and also help the college stay relevant. “Developing this community of people has been one of the ways Greenville Tech keeps in touch with the educational needs of local businesses and of our entire community,” he said.

Michael Bolick, cofounder and CEO, Selah Genomics Inc. Licensed nanotechnology from Clemson University and founded Selah Technologies to develop a tool to help doctors see cancer during surgery. Advisory board member for the Greenville Chamber’s NEXT initia-

From left to right, Greenville Tech Foundation President Robert Howard, with Entrepreneurs Forum honorees: John McClure, founder and CEO of ISO Poly Films Inc.; Mark Johnston, founder, publisher and president of Community Journals Publishing Group; and Michael Bolick, chairman and CEO of Selah Genomics. Far right: Greenville Technical College President Dr. Keith Miller. Photo Provided

tive and for the University of South Carolina’s NanoCenter.

How did you prepare for the leap to entrepreneurship? MB: Since I didn’t have a framework for my business, I just had the support of the entrepreneurial community in Greenville. I read an awful lot of books on the subject. Each time I sat down with folks who had experience, I’d ask for four more people I should talk to, and also what books I should read. The Kauffman Foundation FastTrac TechVenture program also helped me early on.

Since you sold your company

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 3, 2014

to an international firm this year, how do you now see your role as an entrepreneur? MB: I came out of the corporate world to begin with, so I’m comfortable operating in both arenas. It hasn’t really changed the way I operate. You’re always answering to somebody, whether investors or board or, in this case, group leadership. We’re doing exactly the same thing.

Mark Johnston, founder and CEO, Community Journals Founded the Greenville Journal

in 1999 and later added At Home magazine, TOWN magazine and the Upstate Business Journal and events. Company has donated over $4 million in advertising and services since 2001.

What should educators be doing to prepare college students to work for you? MJ: I think we need to continue to foster a direct connection between us and their students earlier on. Medical and other industries are better at that. You do need that general, well-rounded education, but our challenge here is that we are

UBJ ENTREPRENEURS

Photos by Greg Beckner

Greenville Tech Foundation President Robert Howard welcomes attendees to the annual Greenville Tech Foundation Entrepreneurs Forum at the TD Convention Center.

so specialized, and we need people with specialized skills. Sometimes, rather than being in the classroom, they might as well be over here with us.

How do you make a family business work? MJ: This is not necessarily a family business; I don’t want to shortchange my staff. But if you look at a lot of family businesses, everybody knows their roles well and capitalizes on their strengths. I think the question is, how do you work best with members of your family? I got lucky with my family. My wife, Donna, has been senior marketing representative, and now my son Ryan publishes the UBJ. They don’t want to be the Head Fred. They just want to come in here and make the business successful for everybody. Family tends to be your biggest fans, but they are also clearly your biggest critics, which is important.

Jon McClure, founder and CEO, ISO Poly Films Founded ISO Poly Films Inc. in 1997; made the company a major player in the plastic films industry generating $115 million in sales in 2013; and sold his stake last year Company named to Dun & Bradstreet and Entrepreneur magazine’s “Hot 100” Small Businesses list for

two consecutive years.

What was the game-changing moment for your company? JM: Our game-changer was the duct tape. We had some inside info on the duct tape industry, so we called every manufacturer and asked if they would do business with us if we could solve their biggest problems. Ironically, stuff like wars and hurricanes are unfortunate for a lot of people, but when The United States was building up for the war in Iraq, the military needed duct tape. I don’t know what they did with it, but they bought a lot.

What’s next? JM: Right now I’m building a couple of warehouses to rent. The chemicals industry is exploding because of shale gas. The United States is already big exporter of plastic resins, but in the next five years will become world’s dominant plastics producer. The Port of Charleston is going to become major exporter, and my goal is to package resin for export through the port. It’s going to be a $50 million investment and 200 jobs.

sc.edu

MORE GLOBAL From top-ranked international business programs and global initiatives to bringing together students from 50 states and more than 100 countries, we take South Carolina to the world and bring the world to South Carolina.

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Benjamin Jeffers contributed to this story. go online For more photos and videos featuring the honorees, www.upstatebusinessjournal.com

October 3, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

UBJ RETAIL

Aunt Fannie’s FlyPunch wraps up busy summer Time flies for startup aiming to “break the taboo” about fruit flies JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER

joladipo@communityjournals.com The fruit-fly-killing startup, Aunt Fannie’s, made some important gains in recent months. Based in Greenville, Aunt Fannie’s had set its sights on getting its nontoxic fruit fly pesticide FlyPunch on Whole Foods shelves since the company ran an unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign early last year. As of this summer, however, the product is available in Whole Foods stores throughout the Southern region. That includes the

Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee. CEO Mat Franken said the marketing to the premium health food retailer’s customers centers on “breaking the taboo” about fruit flies. “They’re just a natural part of a life for people who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables,” he said. “It’s not a reflection of how clean your kitchen is or how clean your home is. People don’t need to feel bad about them.” A recent, tongue-in-cheek YouTube commercial makes his point clear. A young woman tells the camera, “I’d heard about other people getting [fruit flies], but I’m

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just not that kind of girl.” Once her “outbreak” is cleared up, she proudly declares, “I’m proud of my Fannie.” Much of the social media marketing is aimed at people who eat locally produced or specialty foods, and those who prefer natural alternatives to household chemicals. Franken said new revenue streams are opening up due to unanticipated interest among a variety of businesses. Institutions such as health care facilities that feed a lot of people have expressed interest, as have breweries and wineries. Plans to go global came to fruition over the summer, though the expan-

sion has been challenging, Franken said. Aunt Fannie’s now has distribution in Panama and is talking to buyers in Peru. Franken has shared his insights on exporting with readers of Entrepreneur magazine, and said the company is seeing “lots of international interest.”

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UBJ INSURANCE

Excise tax, rising costs biggest ACA worry JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER

joladipo@communityjournals.com Most companies aren’t making drastic changes in order to stay on the right side of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but the law continues to make employers at mid-size companies with 50-99 full-time employees nervous. Earlier this year the Obama administration extended the deadline for businesses with 50 or more employees, meaning that they will not have to provide coverage to employees until 2016. Many companies are taking advantage of the extra time to prepare. Reactions among Upstate employers are in line with the findings of a

recent national study from professional services company Towers Watson. Their top priority is avoiding a 40 percent excise tax on high-cost plans that will be levied beginning in 2018. Known as the “Cadillac Tax,” it is a separate tax from the penalties employers could pay if their health insurance offerings are deemed inadequate. The study found that 54 percent of employers will trigger the tax by 2020 if their health care benefit strategies remain unchanged. Howard Einstein, president of Rosenfeld Einstein Employee Benefits/Marsh McLennan Agency in Greenville, said his clients are no different. “Many are moving to a self-funded option as it eliminates the 4

percent Health Insurance Industry Fee, and [has] no state premium tax. This also allows the client to begin to better manage the plan via data mining and population health management,” Einstein said. “We have a full-time physician who does this for our clients to manage cost long-term. More employers are beginning to get more aggressive with health and wellness and putting in outcome-driven programs.” Such programs are part of a larger cost-cutting push that also includes rethinking coverage for spouses, using new payment methodologies to hold providers more accountable, expanding account-based health plan enrollment and adding cost-management strategies for specialty pharmacy spending. Overall, few employers plan to drop their health insurance benefits. According to the study, 77 percent don’t see individual exchanges as a viable alternative for employees. Charlie Moseley, CEO of Group Benefit Strategies, said companies with 10 employees or fewer are the ones likely to drop coverage for employees. Although exempt from the mandate to offer health insurance, employers at small Upstate companies with fewer than 50 full-time employees say they wonder whether they will be able to continue to offer insurance as costs rise. They say

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ending insurance offerings and letting employees shop on exchanges is a lingering, albeit unfavorable option. Einstein said he does not see many employers dropping coverage. In fact, many staffing and hospitality companies are beginning to offer benefits because of the ACA. Those costs are being passed on to employees, but Einstein said that might change over time. On the other hand, he said moving to insurance through exchanges would be a “win/win” for some small companies where employees’ low salaries would qualify them for government subsidies that reduce the cost of the insurance. Mid-size companies have the option of providing insurance through the government’s Small Business Health Options Program Marketplace (SHOP). “We have decent offerings on the groups side for SHOP. I’m not overwhelmed by the quality of what we have for individuals,” Moseley said. “I hope those will improve in 2015. The biggest shortcoming in the individual is we don’t have a decent product with health savings accounts anymore.” “I think the private exchange for employers will have some traction in 2016,” Einstein said. “This moves to a defined contribution approach and more choices for employees,” which will eventually become the norm. Whether the benefits are offered through a private exchange or traditional benefits administration, expect to see online enrollment on the rise. His advice to employers has changed little since the employer requirements rolled out. Companies should run “pay or play” models this year and every year to be able to decide whether providing coverage or paying a fine is the best option for their companies.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

UBJ EMPLOYMENT

Survey: Improving tech may be bad news for workers JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com A recent survey of Harvard Business School alumni revealed that improving technology and a lack of skilled workers could lead to a decrease in full-time positions, increased outsourcing and wage reductions, according to the Economic Times. More than 40 percent of the survey respondents predicted lower pay and benefits for workers, while a growing share preferred part-time labor and roughly half favored outsourcing and investments into new technology over hiring or retaining employees. Researchers said the survey reflects the unevenness of the recovery

from the Great Recession as many of the gains in employment, income and wealth have failed to circulate through the entire economy. Almost any labor-intensive jobs not sensitive to transportation costs have been offshored, said John Baker, director of Greenville Works. Baker said any low-value, highvolume production continues to be at risk for outsourcing. A vibrant manufacturing economy remains for high value products, but employers are trying to find the ratio of direct to contract workers that allows them to manage costs, quality and productivity concerns. Although outsourcing is an issue, Baker said direct hiring opportunities are increasing, though a skills gap is creating an obstacle.

Unfortunately, employers have not invested in training their workforces to move into higher-level skills such as CNC machining, multi-skill maintenance and welding, he said. Training costs have not been a high priority in budgets, and this is a problem for small to midsize manufacturers without a high number of skilled people to drive down the per-person cost of training. In addition to a lack of skilled workers, Clemson economist Bruce Yandle said high economic uncertainty and the falling prices of robotics and technology has resulted in temporary hires. Because of mandated health care and higher employment taxes, workers are becoming more expensive, and “the choice favors robots,”

he said. Upstate firms that produce automated equipment, related software and business consulting services will see higher demand for their services. The most successful organizations are the ones optimizing their workforces by finding the right balance of direct and contract workers, said Ed Parris, president of Phillips Staffing. A workforce balance provides the flexibility to respond to business changes, manage cost and enhance quality and productivity, he said. The challenge is twofold: “Match the right people to the right job to avoid turnover and training cost, and encourage businesses to invest more in training and apprenticeships,” he said.

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INNOVATE

By JOHN WARNER, publisher, SwampFox

Movers, shakers and disruptors shaping our future

From concepts to companies Big ideas from universities can make SC the Startup State In the past decade, South Carolina invested $200 million that can drive prosperity in a way few people know about. The state’s investment in the SmartState program helped recruit more than 40 preeminent scholars to our research universities, which has attracted $1.2 billion in private dollars. For example, four SmartState-endowed research chairs are at the core of Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research. They have attracted a strong faculty around them, which has attracted 200 of the world’s best engineering students. The SmartState program is a talent magnet for South Carolina. Three years ago, I traveled to Israel with 17 of the SmartState researchers and a few other people. In recent decades, Israel has developed into the startup nation, with more startups per capita in Tel Aviv than anywhere in the world outside of Silicon Valley. After the Soviet Union fell, a million Soviet and Eastern European Jews moved to Israel, which had a population of 6 million. The State of Israel created a system of 23 incubators where some of these immigrants could launch companies. Like all startup efforts, the incubators themselves took several years to fire on all cylinders. In Misgav, Israel, I visited with The Trendlines Group, a private company that runs two of the Israeli incubators. The best way to describe Trendlines is as a startup factory. Michelin manufactures tires. Trendlines manufactures companies. Trendlines focuses on life science companies in the medical technology and agritech fields. Since 2007, Trendlines has started and incubated 53 early-stage companies, and expects to add eight to 10 new companies each year. Twelve portfolio companies have reached the “commercialization”

stage and are generating revenues. There have been five exits in three years. The power source for this amazing performance is Israeli universities. Israel and North Carolina both have populations of about 8- to- 9 million. North Carolina has Duke, NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill. Israel has three similar universities and five more like them. When I asked how Israel created its culture of education, the answer was, “What Jewish mother doesn’t want her son to be a doctor?” The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. The SmartState program is the top of a deep bench of over 200 other strong South Carolina scholars holding endowed research chairs. In many cases, their research is also preeminent in its field, and they attract thousands of other strong faculty and students to the state. Last spring, I was engaged to do a deep dive at Clemson to explore how

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 3, 2014

to grow the university’s research enterprise and create more related startup companies. Most university incubators focus on helping coach faculty and students into being entrepreneurs, and that was the model I had in mind at the beginning of my project. Toward the end of the spring, I began meeting one-onone with faculty to understand how to help them. I was joined in many of these meetings by Brian McSharry, the former COO of Sage Automotive Interiors. One day, Brian and I met with Clemson bioengineering Ph.D. student Kayla Gainey and her professor, Delphine Dean, who has a Ph.D. from MIT in computer science and electrical engineering. Delphine is working with a group of students, led by Kayla, to develop Glucosense,

an ultra-low-cost system for monitoring the glucose of diabetics in developing countries. Where market-leading test strips in the U.S. sell for a dollar, Glucosense test strips can be inkjet-printed on location in developing countries for a nickel. Diabetes is epidemic, with over 366 million diabetics worldwide. Many impoverished diabetics in developing countries are unable to monitor their disease due to the high cost, which can lead to horrific and expensive health consequences. Blown away by the opportunity, I was explaining how I could help coach Delphine into starting a company when she said, “I’m not a business person and don’t want to be. You need science, you call me.” She was very interested in being involved with an entrepreneurial company commercializing her research, because that it how it could get out of her lab to the people around the world who desperately need it. She was looking for a business partner to start and run the company. Brian and I have agreed with Delphine and Kayla to cofound Accessible Diagnostics, whose first product will be the Glucosense system. Most faculty Brian and I met with said this is precisely what they wanted, too. They have chosen an academic career for a reason, and doing their research and educating their students are full-time jobs. That’s inspired us to research launching Concepts to Companies, a startup factory modeled on The Trendlines Group to partner with faculty and students with strong ideas who don’t have the experience or desire to start a company themselves. Won’t it be cool if a decade from now, people are coming to South Carolina to study the startup culture here?

By ABBY RUSSELL, LiveWell Greenville At Work lead facilitation

WORKING WELL Good health is good for business

Reaching out to working parents Top companies go above and beyond federal recommendations for modern-day families The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2013 that about 70 percent of mothers with children under the age of 18 are a part of today’s workforce (bit.ly/bls-mothers). Yet mothers with younger children are less likely to be in the labor force than mothers with older children – at a difference of almost 10 percent. To date the United States remains only one of three developed countries without a federal paid family leave law. On July 14, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued new enforcement guidelines under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). One particular update is that lactation and breast-feeding are now pregnancy-related medical conditions protected under the PDA, and employers should allow employees the same freedom to address these needs as others with limiting medical conditions. Companies are updating their policies to meet these guidelines and adopting new policies to support modern-day families. Working Mother magazine just announced its 2014 100 Best Companies (bit.ly/working-mother-best). These companies go above and beyond the federal recommendations, offering not only fully paid leave, but also child care support, flexible schedules, telecommuting and advancement programs to help women continue to succeed in their careers. On average, the Working Mother 100 Best Companies offer eight fully paid weeks off for new birth moms, three for new dads and five for new adoptive parents. By comparison, the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires that employers with 50 or more workers provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave.

Many of the top 100 companies are making an effort to keep up with their employees’ changing needs. Whether it’s same-sex couples raising kids, or adoptions and surrogacy, there is much more for the employer to consider. Barbara Wankoff, national director of workplace solutions at KPMG, says, “There is no one way to have a family. We want to support all our people, and are very careful to create policies to be all-inclusive.” Wankoff commented on her firm’s decision to add six weeks to its adoption leave for primary caregivers this year (the total is now 12): “It’s meant to give people time to bond with their child. If we try to shortchange that and rush people back to work, they’re often concerned about having left their child too soon, and therefore are not 100 percent fully engaged,” she said. The EEOC provides guidance that parental leave must be provided to

similarly situated men and women on the same terms; they cannot discriminate between men and women when it comes to parental leave (leave for the purposes of bonding with or providing care for a newborn child). Employers may restrict leave related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions to the women affected by those conditions. The cost of recruiting, hiring and training the average employee generally outweighs the costs of allowing generous maternity leave and flexible scheduling after the birth or adoption of a child. Unquestionably, a workplace that is accepting and accommodating to employees’ work-life balance needs improves its recruiting and retention costs. Often, pregnancy-related resources may exist through the employer and community, but go underutilized due to lack of awareness. Many em-

E N G A G E OCT

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

Employer considerations for maternity management in the workplace Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland Street $10 (includes healthy lunch) Register: bit.ly/LWAW-roundtable ployers offer health insurance that includes maternity management services to covered employees and spouses. These programs commonly provide support and education on prenatal care, high-risk screenings, and breast-feeding. Employee assistance programs typically have great resources for support and advice on parenting from adoption to childcare to stages of development. Local hospital systems are also a great resource for expecting parents. In most cases the employer may be the first to know and can recommend available programs and resources to the expecting parents. A discussion of leave for such purposes is a great time to introduce available resources.

PARENTS IN THE WORKFORCE MARRIED-COUPLE FAMILIES WITH OWN CHILDREN

AGES 7–18

AGES 6 AND YOUNGER

MOTHER EMPLOYED

69.9% 59.4%

BOTH PARENTS EMPLOYED

62.9% 54.1%

MOTHER EMPLOYED, NOT FATHER

7.0% 5.3%

FATHER EMPLOYED, NOT MOTHER

26.3% 37.2%

NEITHER PARENT EMPLOYED

3.8% 3.4%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013 Statistics

October 3, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

ENTREPRENEUR On the road to success

One-man

BRAND JDew stays focused on the big picture amid diverse business, tech and entertainment interests

JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER

joladipo@communityjournals.com JDew is the brand, and Jeremiah Dew is the savvy man behind it who’s built a business around a self-carved niche in entertainment. Depending on where they encounter him, people know JDew as the hype man for the Greenville Drive or Clemson University Men’s Basketball, a performer of one-man shows detailing African-American history, or the founder of a growing tech startup. Last year he cofounded the holding company Sky Realm Entertainment with his partner, Matt Fisher, as a way to coordinate – and make a profit from – the three small companies they had between them. One of those is Gamemaster, a former Iron Yard startup founded in 2008. Gamemaster participated in Wall Street Journal’s Startup of the Year contest and Web show last year. This summer, several hundred families played Gamemaster’s custom scavenger hunt through parks, while Dew himself was navigating parenthood after the birth of his first child. He’s come a long way from the young man who graduated from Bob Jones University in 2007 with a college loan bill that sent him back

home to share a bunk bed with his 12-year-old brother. After 11 months working as a janitor and spending nothing, he paid off the loan and moved out of his mother’s house the same day. He also found his entrepreneurial drive. Even in casual conversation, JDew projects his voice clearly and chooses words wisely. He believes the value of work, life or business is in how well you can communicate, “so when you walk out of the room people know what the heck you’re supposed to be doing together.” Although he wouldn’t advise entrepreneurs to start out with so many ventures, his ongoing work to weave together seemingly disparate interests is impressive.

How many businesses do you run? I am a partner with Matt Fisher in Sky Realm Entertainment, and we run Gamemaster, Emblem Film Company and Dew Productions. Gamemaster does mobile games and events. Emblem Film Company does marketing type of things. Dew Productions holds my one-man show that I’ve been able to do in the Upstate and other places. The big goal for Sky Realm is to take all these entities and make our own stuff, so you come watch it, buy it, take a trip to go see it, etc. We want

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 3, 2014

to be an entertainment-producing engine, and we’re doing that most right now through Questalot. It’s a game that they’re playing on our system; just like you put lots of songs on iTunes; you can put lots and lots of games on Questalot.

How many hours a week do you work? All of them.

How do you balance it all? To be honest, it’s not necessarily that hard. I think folks struggle with balance because they don’t make a list of what you need to do and what you need to stop doing. Writing down is a big step. I say, what are the three to four things I need to do, and really, I don’t do anything else. I manage systems and not people. If I manage people I get upset, and managing my emotions is a never-ending battle, but my systems don’t change. Also, I don’t watch TV, and I spend a lot less time than I did three years ago hanging out with friends. That doesn’t mean I hate people, it’s just not what I’m working on right now.

What’s your favorite part of your job? I love being in front of people and giving them a great memory. The one dream job that would pull me away from what I do today would be game show host, and I would still try to figure out how to do both.

Where do you look for business advice? We’ve had some good mentors, especially the Iron Yard. Craig Brown at Greenville Drive – of course I know him as my boss when I’m there – has been in our office several times to talk over Gamemaster. Brice Bay with Enveritas Group talked with us about gaming as a content marketing strategy.

What about personal mentors? Some of my greatest mentors don’t know it. For instance, after college I worked for two guys who ran cleaning companies. To watch them have money and time was huge for me because my goals are to be fulfilled by what I do, not work all the time.

ENTREPRENEUR On the road to success

TRUNK SHOW

Friday, October 17th

Famous mentors are Diddy, Ryan Seacrest and Nick Cannon, and the engines they run behind what you see on the main stage stuff.

Did you always want to do what you do now? No, not at all. I had average desires,

JDEW FACTS COMPANY: Sky Realm Entertainment, holding company for Gamemaster, Emblem Films and Dew Productions Gamemaster.co CAREER: Director of Fun, Greenville Drive; Hype Man for Clemson Athletics; Entrepreneur

baseball player or photographer. I realize now they were entrepreneurial, but I never wanted to take on the risk. I thought my greatest opportunity was to get really good at what I liked doing and get somebody to pay me a million dollars to do it. Eventually I realized that person was me.

Photos Provided

EDUCATION: Mass Media, Bob Jones University FAMILY: Wife Sydney, daughter Johnnie READING NOW: Harry Dent FAVORITE WAY TO RELAX: Crossfit. “It takes so much physical energy it keeps my mind from all the business stuff.” KRYPTONITE: Television. “I don’t watch TV. I was child of the ’90s and I had fetal TV syndrome, so I’ve got to be careful.”

23 West North Street, Greenville, SC 29601 864.232.2761 | www.rushwilson.com Open Mon.-Sat. 9:30am - 5:30pm; Wed. 9:30am - 1:00pm October 3, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

FIRST PERSON What you want to know about people you need to know

Photos by Greg Beckner

‘We are a TEAM, and we are working TOGETHER’ to discuss the new position and what steered him to Greenville County.

What was your impression of Greenville from the outside? I saw a prosperous community with a significant manufacturing presence. I knew Greenville’s economic development programs produced a lot of project announcements and had been successful in the past. Greenville is a model community and had a positive impression on me.

What mistakes did you make in your previous job that you wouldn’t want to repeat as leader of the GADC?

New GADC head Mark Farris keeps his eye on ROI and the bottom line JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com Mark Farris, the Greenville Area Development Corporation’s (GADC) new president and CEO, was introduced to economic development as a young Clemson University graduate student interning with Anderson County. While still at Clemson, Farris

became the director of economic development for York County, where he announced more than $4 billion in new investment over 28 years. In July, Farris was selected to lead the GADC after a nationwide search generated over 300 applications. He started in his new role at GADC on Sept. 15, and sat down with the Upstate Business Journal last week

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October 3, 2014

We didn’t do enough internal marketing as a department of York County. We didn’t spend a lot of time letting people know what we were doing, and I want to make sure we do more of that here. Our primary goal is external marketing and working with international and national companies to make them aware of Greenville’s unique strengths and opportunities, but it is also important to let the community and its elected officials know that we are a team and we are working together.

What was the GADC doing – or not doing – that will change now that you are on the job?

We developed a cost-benefit analysis program in York County, and although they are using a similar program here, it is more of a matrix. We developed an Excel spreadsheet that looks at all the costs associated with a company coming in. Essentially, I would like to add the Excel spreadsheet to the existing matrix here so that all interested parties could see a legible bottom line and the return on investment in a deal.

What can the GADC do to lure Charlotte companies to Greenville? It is important to focus on our assets rather than our deficiencies. Greenville has a high quality of life, it’s close to the mountains, it’s free of the traffic issues associated with larger cities such as Atlanta or Charlotte, it has a strong link between area schools and workforce development, and the cost of operation is cheaper here. Of course, I will use the contacts I have in Charlotte’s development community to spread the word about Greenville’s unique opportunities.

FIRST PERSON What you want to know about people you need to know

How important are real estate developers to attracting new business? They are critically important. While in York County, 70 percent of my projects came to me from Charlotte brokers or developers. Although some deals are consultant-driven, a lot of them are development-driven. In fact, real estate developers are often the first to know about a potential project,

and in York, that is primarily how they came to us.

How important are spec buildings to attracting new business? While working in York County, we kept a running tally of company requests and found that 90 percent of them were looking for existing buildings. A lot of that could be attributed to the struggling economy

in 2009 when companies were consolidating and spaces became available at cheaper rates. Although much of that inventory is gone now, companies still want existing buildings to eliminate risk. Established infrastructure eliminates risk.

How can the GADC provide the necessary tools and support to retain existing businesses?

We were the first organization to hire an existing industry person fulltime in York County, and my objective was to ensure our companies did not become someone else’s prospects. In fact, 70 percent of investment normally comes from existing industry expansion. Having those relationships is critical and I want to make sure we do that here. We need to be aware of our existing companies and be advocates for them.

THE BASICS: MARK FARRIS OCCUPATION: President and CEO, Greenville Area Development Corporation PREVIOUSLY: President and CEO, York County Economic Development Board (28 years) EDUCATION: Undergraduate and master’s degrees from Clemson University

CREDENTIALS: Certified Economic Developer (CEcD); graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma; past president of the South Carolina Economic Developer’s Association FAMILY: Wife Erin; sons Cade, 19; Conner, 17; Colin, 15

October 3, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

Photo provided by Lowes.com

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Innovations and inventions born in the Upstate

Making the bright connections Charles Scales’ perseverance leads to invention of EasySpot INVENTOR: Charles Scales, president and CEO, Greenville Office Supply INVENTION: The EasySpot PATENT: US 6523970 B1 WHAT IT DOES: “The EasySpot is about a foot long with a male screw base at one end, and a light-bulb socket at the other end. The middle part is flexible, like that of a caterpillar. You screw in the base to an outlet, then bend the fixture around a downspout, or to shine light wherever you want it.” INSPIRATION: “I was looking at the downspouts on my home and other homes and I found the same problem: The lights over the gutters

were shining down into the gutters, not throwing the light where it needed to go. So I thought, ‘There’s got to be a way to get light around the downspout without having an electrician rewire the house.’ That’s how the EasySpot came about.” OBSTACLE: ““Getting UL [Underwriters Laboratories] approval is very, very difficult when you’re a one-man band. I would send them a prototype, they would deny it, and I’d have to fix what they said was wrong with it, then send it back again. And it was very expensive every time I did this. There were no investors in this – it was all money out of my own pocket. It took three times and 18 months of remaking the product before I got UL approval.”

Photo by Greg Beckner

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 3, 2014

Charles Scales, president and CEO, Greenville Office Suppy and inventor of The EasySpot

AVAILABLE AT: Lowe’s stores. “I got an appointment with someone in their home office in [Mooresville] North Carolina, and showed him the product. They weren’t interested, didn’t even want to look at it, and that was a little disheartening… After some time passed, I got to thinking, ‘Maybe I just didn’t meet with the right person at Lowe’s.’ So I tried them again. I had become friends with one of the procurement assistants up in the home office, and … she gave me another name, saying that this idea might be more in line with their decorative lighting. So I met with another representative, and this guy loved the idea, and said he wanted to test the product in 30-40 stores. Today it’s in about 650 of their stores nationwide.”

FOCUS ON MANUFACTURING

COVER STORY

PROTERRA’S ELECTRIC DREAMS Participating Cities BUSES RUNNING ON STREETS FROM THE MANUFACTURER HAS ITS ELECTRIC SENECA TO SEATTLE. COULD HOMETOWN GREENVILLE BE ITS NEXT DESTINATION? JOE TOPPE | STAFF jtoppe@communityjournals.com RTC of Washoe County Reno, NV Electric Fleet: 4

As Proterra expands into areas as

San Joaquin RTD Stockton, CA Electric Fleet: 2

far away as Seattle and as close as Seneca, the Greenville-based electric bus manufacturer is turning its sights on its home city and a regional university as prospective customers. The company’s next-generation bus would cost Greenville approximately $800,000, said Proterra CEO Ryan Popple. With a diesel bus ringing up at roughly $400,000, natural gas-powered at $500,000 to $600,000, and the hybrid at $600,000 to $700,000, Popple says Proterra’s new bus falls within “striking distance of competing technologies.” Noting diesel buses can

Worcester RTA Worcester, MA Electric Fleet: 6

Transit Authority of River City Louisville, KY Electric Fleet: 10

Foothill Transit Pomona, CA Electric Fleet: 15

VIA Metropolitan Transit San Antonio, TX Electric Fleet: 3

StarMetro Tallahassee, FL Electric Fleet: 5

City of Seneca Seneca, SC Electric Fleet: 4

Illustration Provided

Nashville MTA (in production) Nashville, TN Electric Fleet: 7

➤ NUMBERED

SEATTLE BOUND

$800,000

In August, Proterra sold two 40-foot (12 meter) battery-electric transit vehicles and a fast-charge system to As County interestMetro in green transportation so has number Proterra buses on theup road. Proterra King in Seattle, Wash. continues Followingto a grow, one-year trialthe period, theofagency may purchase to 200 more buses additional fast-charge systems.cities, with new contracts continuing to come in regularly: buses are and currently operating in the following  Louisville, Ky. consume to $60,000  $40,000 Nashville, Tenn. in fuel percent higher than a diesel bus, she business model, and “we’re open to each year, “helping a city avoid one said, “we must exercise due diligence public/private partnerships for cus Pomona, Calif. year of diesel purchases per bus can in presenting a solid cost-benefit tomers like Greenville,” he said.  heReno, add up,” said. Nev. analysis to the Greenville Transit “Perhaps Proterra could make the up-front cost similar to a diesel bus  San Antonio, Texas Authority Board of Directors.” A problem of funding and allow the customer to pay for the The purchase cost of a diesel bus  Seneca, S.C. The City of Greenville’s bus service, is roughly $375,000 with annual remainder of the vehicle with the  Stockton, Greenlink, operates Calif. a 23-bus fleet. maintenance averaging $62,500 and funds acquired from fuel savings.”  Tallahassee, Fla. Vass said establishing a public/ Greenlink spokeswoman Kathy Vass annual fuel costs averaging $45,000, private partnership with Proterra said the transportation provider has Vass said. Worcester, Mass.

cost of a Proterra nextgeneration bus

$375,000

cost of a diesel bus

$500,000–$600,000 cost of a natural-gas bus

$600,000–$700,000 cost of a hybrid bus

$40,000–$60,000 fuel consumed in a year by a diesel bus

$600,000

potential fuel savings over 12-year life of a Proterra bus 20

met several times with Proterra over the last few months to discuss the possible purchase of electric buses. The issue is funding, she said. Greenlink has several funding sources available, including federal (FTA), county, city, state and fare recovery. But with the cost of an electric bus 43

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 3, 2014

Although a Proterra bus can save $600,000 in fuel over a 12-year life, if a city is accustomed to paying a certain price for a diesel bus, raising the additional funds for an electric bus becomes the challenge, Popple acknowledged. The problem requires a creative

is a viable option for adding an electric bus to the Greenlink fleet because “private dollars help us secure a local match to seek additional federal funding.”

Greenville “a great fit” for Proterra

FOCUS ON MANUFACTURING

COVER STORY >>

Popple said downtown Greenville provides a valuable example of sustainable urban planning and is a great fit for the Proterra product. The city’s walking system, restaurants, hotels, apartments and downtown ballpark offers a model for smart development in medium-sized cities, he said. A Proterra vehicle deployed on Main Street would not interrupt conversation at an outside café or put unwanted diesel emissions into the air. Popple points to the airport as another strategic target for electric buses, saying he would “love if the city’s first impression was advanced technology.” The idea is to pull up outside the Westin Poinsett hotel downtown or GSP International Airport with a

“Forget Tesla. If you really want to reduce vehicle emissions, it’s unglamorous buses, not flashy sedans, that need to go electric.”

Slate magazine (bit.ly/slate-proterra)

Proterra vehicle designed and manufactured in Greenville, S.C., he said.

Establishing a foothold

The electric bus company recently established a foothold in the Upstate with the City of Seneca’s purchase of four electric buses. The city’s trans-

portation provider is the Clemson Area Transit System. With those purchases, Seneca “is excited … to offer the only all-electric bus system in the nation operating electric buses made in South Carolina,” said Al Babinicz, the executive director and CEO of Clemson Area Transit System. Many factors led to Seneca’s decision to go electric, he said. The city has its own utility company, an ideal location for accommodating electric bus routes, and the average diesel bus gets five miles per gallon while the diesel fuel equivalent of an electric bus gets 22 miles per gallon. Babinicz said the savings would go a long way toward providing better services to the community. In addition to the fuel savings,

there is no exhaust system or traditional engines with the vehicles, he said. “We expect to save on maintenance while providing cleaner air.” The Clemson Area Transit System also provides transportation for several other routes including Pendleton and Clemson University. Although Seneca is the only route using electric buses, the Seneca route is expected to build familiarity with Proterra’s product. Popple said the bus manufacturer does not have a university fleet, but Clemson would be an ideal place to start. A local fleet is already in operation under the Clemson Area Transit System’s umbrella, he said. “We’re local and we’re already right next door.”

SINGING THE BUS ELECTRIC

GLOBAL PIONEER

UNDER THE HOOD

$135,000 in lifetime savings after eliminating engine and exhaust costs. No tailpipe emissions Drive train and propulsion system demonstrates a 20.8 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) and typical fleet operation of > 17 MPGe. 300-500 percent improvement over conventional combustion engines. Noiseless when stationary. In motion, noise level below a normal conversation (57 decibels as opposed to 60 for a normal conversation).

The World Economic Forum (WEF) recognized Proterra as a 2015 Technology Pioneer. One of only 24 companies selected worldwide. Program recognizes companies involved in the design, development and deployment of new technologies poised to have a significant impact on business and society.

Proterra was founded in Denver in 2004. Moved to Greenville in 2011. Employs more than 200. First company to produce and deliver full-size transit vehicle meeting California Zero Emission Bus Rules. By 2010, already met all of the FTA’s 2030 preferred electric drive vehicle requirements. EcoRide BE35 was first battery-electric passenger bus to pass Altoona testing. More than 70% are manufactured in U.S. A Proterra bus set a record for most miles travelled by a battery-electric bus in a day: more than 700 miles in 24 hours. The fast-charging docking station can fuel a bus mid-route in 10 minutes or less.

Source: Proterra.com

Photo Provided

October 3, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

FOCUS ON MANUFACTURING

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

SCC sees CAMIT as essential to economic development $5.9M Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies to open in Gaffney

Site perspective

East elevation

JOE TOPPE | STAFF

➤ NUMBERED

jtoppe@communityjournals.com

CAMIT facility funding:

With 27 percent of the workforce in Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties tied to manufacturing, Spartanburg Community College President Henry Giles said SCC’s new Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies (CAMIT) will be an important tool for economic development. Combining funds from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, the Appalachian Regional Commission, capital funds from the State of South Carolina, and the school’s Plant Fund, SCC aims to break ground in November on a new $5.9 million CAMIT at its Cherokee County Campus in Gaffney. The new facility will house programs in welding, automotive technology, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC), machine tool technology, robotics, electronics and industrial maintenance, Giles said. “These fields will give students the necessary skills to be successful in manufacturing.” The new facility will augment the CAMIT that has been in operation on SCC’s main campus since July of last year, officials said.

$1.1 million East view Rendering Provided by LSP3 Associates LTD

A major focus for Spartanburg Community College is preparing people to work in manufacturing, and area manufacturers in need of a skilled workforce inspired the education model of the CAMIT program, said Daryl Smith, executive director for the Cherokee County Campus. “It is essential to create a skilled and indigenous workforce for the future,” Smith said. Because there is a misconception about what skills manufacturers are looking for, Smith said the curriculum would address some overlooked essentials of the industry. While electronics play a major role on the modern manufacturing floor, a need exists for basic technicians, and that need aligns itself well with CAMIT, he said. Brian Gallagher, spokesperson for O’Neal Inc., said industries such as

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 3, 2014

manufacturing and construction are experiencing a shortage in skilled workers. Many Upstate manufacturers are investing in advanced technologies, and the CAMIT program will allow students to work in labs similar to real world work environments, he said. “This initiative will go a long way to developing a pipeline of skilled workers for our manufacturers.” However, Smith said he expects the CAMIT program to only narrow the regional skills gap because skilled laborers are leaving the workforce at much faster rate than new graduates are entering it. “Unfortunately, a large portion of the skilled workforce is ready to retire,” he said. To ensure the skills gap does not widen, Giles said SCC will continue to expand on its education and

grant from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA)

$500,000

from the Appalachian Regional Commission

$4.2 million in capital funds from the State of South Carolina Remaining balance covered by college’s Plant Fund (money generated for one-time capital expenditures) Source: Henry Giles, SCC president

training capabilities and work with area high schools to encourage post-graduate education. “We need every student graduating to continue their education and become actively engaged in our workforce and community.”

FOCUS ON MANUFACTURING

EDUCATION

Oct. 3 a day to celebrate manufacturing JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com On Oct. 3, the third annual Manufacturing Day will provide manufacturers and educational institutions a forum to showcase the technical expertise in the modern facility. Manufacturing Day was created in 2012 to clear up industry misperceptions with open houses and other opportunities to tell individual company stories, dispel myths and highlight the potential in manufacturing careers. Celebrated the first Friday of every October, the one-day event will spotlight the skilled-labor shortage, industry changes and in-

novations, and the resurgence of American manufacturing, industry leaders said. Lewis Gossett, president and CEO of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance, said the Upstate is one of the great manufacturing areas in the country.

“We’ve got what it takes for manufacturing in the Upstate,” he said. “We need to ensure it continues.” Gossett said Manufacturing Day is a useful promotional venue to draw attention to modern-day manufacturing and the job opportunities that come with it. The greatest challenge going forward is recruiting a skilled workforce, he said. The jobs require a great deal of skill pay well; ”we just need the kids and their parents to understand this.” Manufacturing Day events occur at various manufacturing facilities and educational institutions across North America. Visit mfgday.com for more details.

FAST FACTS 1st Manufacturing Day was held on Oct. 5, 2012 244 manufacturers in 37 states participated Has grown to 834 events in North America and Puerto Rico More than 35,000 event attendees in 2013

TODAY’S MANUFACTURING High tech: automation, 3-D printing, robots and screen technology. $77,000+ annual average salary Highest job tenure in the private sector 90% of workers have medical benefits Source: mfgday.com

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October 3, 2014

8/28/14 2:48 PM UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL 23

PROFESSIONAL Strategies for honing your professional skills

FOCUS ON MANUFACTURING

By THOMAS PRINCE, program manager, ADEX Machining Technologies

Skills, education critical for advanced manufacturing careers The industry has come a long way from yesterday’s dark, dirty shop floor about 25 years now. When I started, straight out of a vocational school, the skills I had were adequate for the job I was doing. I tried to attend college, but I was working lots of hours, and eventually, I dropped out. Five years later, I applied for a position with BIC Corporation in Duncan, and as a condition of employment, I returned to the machine tool technology program at Greenville Technical College to complete my degree. I have a lot of respect for the man who supervised me then. Without his urging, I don’t know that I would have gone back to school, and without the degree, I would have missed out on a lot of opportunities including the job I have now. Currently, I serve as value stream program manager for ADEX Machining Technologies, a Greenville company that makes structural components for the aerospace industry. A member of the company’s leadership team, I’m in charge of project management, working with customers including Boeing, Curtiss Wright and General Electric to make sure that their projects are on task and on target for completion. ADEX Machining was originally founded in 1987 in Greer as a small tool-and-die shop with just 13 employees. In 2007, the company was acquired by partners Sean Witty and Jason Premo, relocated to Greenville in 2009, and reinvigorated with new people, processes and technology. The focus is on valueadded prototype and production machining services for the aerospace, defense and energy industries. With a current staff of 30, ADEX has twice been named to Inc. magazine’s list of the fastest-growing companies in the United States. When people hear that I now work in advanced manufacturing, they often ignore the word “advanced,” while manufacturing brings to mind scenes from a movie. In that scenario, everything’s dark and dirty. The environment is rough and greasy. The skill level is low. The reality is very different. Our shop is

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

bright and open. Everything is neat and orderly. We run advanced equipment, and that requires advanced math skills. Opportunities in manufacturing have progressed significantly, and the skill level required has moved in the same direction. Today, a technical college education is not just encouraged, but required. That education is just enough to get in the door. At ADEX, our staff now includes four graduates of Greenville Tech in addition to me. The field of advanced manufacturing is evolving so rapidly, with changing technology in terms of cutting tools and equipment as well as advances in the materials we use and the processes we employ. So it’s not a matter of earning a degree and checking education off your list. Instead, education prepares you for a lifetime of learning. That’s one of the things I enjoy most about what I do at ADEX. The other is the creativity involved. Back in high school, I loved art classes, and sculpture appealed to me because it allowed me to make something. Machining is similar in that you’re taking pieces of metal and creating a component that will then be used in another creation. That component might be made of titanium and become part of a Boeing 747 jetliner. Or it might end up, as one of our ADEX components will, on the international space station. One thing is certain. Advanced manufacturing is going to continue to advance, and the people who can take advantage of the strong opportunities in this field will need the right skills. Currently, my company and others are having to turn down business because we don’t have enough of those highly skilled people. At ADEX, we’re looking to Greenville Technical College and its planned Center for Manufacturing Innovation to help us build the pipeline of qualified employees. Education is essential for people who want to enter this field and essential for companies like ours that want to win more business and continue to grow.

October 3, 2014

For every $1 of goods produced, manufacturing generates an additional $1.43 for the economy

In just 5 states manufacturing adds over half a trillion dollars to the economy

Manufacturers are responsible for almost two-thirds of all private sector R&D

Each manufacturing job creates at least 2.91 more jobs in other sectors

THE DISCONNECT BETWEEN PERCEPTION & FACTS

While manufacturing is filled with high paying jobs, people aren’t joinging the field

Over 70% of Americans view manufacturing as the most important industry for a strong economy and national defense

77% of Americans fear the loss of domestic manufacturing jobs to other nations

Only 30% of parents encourage their kids to enter manufacturing

Only 17% of people view manufacturing as a top career choice

More than $77K: Annual average salary of manufacturing workers

Nearly $60K: Annual salary of entry-level manufacturing engineers

Manufacturing workers have highest job tenure in private sector

90% of manufacturing workers have medical benefits

Highest paid new college graduates are chemical manufacturing engineers

78% of manufacturing workers get retirement contributions from employers

ECONOMIC GROWTH DEPENDS ON MANUFACTURING GROWTH. THE FUTURE OF U.S. MANUFACTURING RELIES ON A SKILLED, TALENTED WORKFORCE. Illustration Provided.

I’ve been working in manufacturing for

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23 Cleveland St. Suite A, Greenville, SC | 864.233.1101

FINE PRINT Business briefs you can’t miss

Table 301 among 25 coolest companies

SCORE offers mentorship to entrepreneurs SCORE, a nonprofit organization that educates and mentors individuals who desire to start up their own business, will provide a quarterly workshop at Greenville’s Hughes Main Library on Nov. 22. Local area experts, such as lawyers, CFOs and accountants, will present topics relating to legal considerations, accounting requirements and digital marketing strategies. In addition, local SCORE mentors will answer questions and facilitate the workshop. Anyone wishing to register for the $69 workshop can go to PiedmontSCORE.org. The Upstate chapter of SCORE has about 40 volunteers who act as resources for clients and is promoted by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Table 301 Restaurant Group was named as one of Restaurant Hospitality’s “25 Coolest Multi Concept Companies” nationwide. Owned by Carl Sobocinski, Table 301 was named to the list for leading the charge in Greenville as a serious food city and was the only restaurant group in the Carolinas to make the list. Table 301 was listed among other restaurants in New York City, Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas and New Orleans. According to the article by Restaurant Hospitality, “Greenville has demonstrated in recent years that it will not take a back seat to any Southern city when it comes to opening terrific restaurants.” It also said Table 301 “has opened a mélange of wildly fun and interesting places that all have a ton of street cred.”

Spartanburg gets $2M for sewer infrastructure The Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2 million grant to the Startex-Jackson-Wellford Duncan Water District in Spartanburg to make water treatment

CBRE finances apartments in Columbia

CBRE Group Inc. (CBRE), through its FHA lending platform, announced the successful financing of The Atlantic at Parkridge, a new 298-unit apartment complex near Columbia, S.C. New York and South Carolina companies AVR Realty Company LLC and Middle Street Partners LLC sponsored the project. The design architect is Humphreys & Partners, located in Orlando, Fla., and the general contractor is Summit Contracting Group Inc. of Jacksonville, Fla. CBRE, a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is a direct FHA lender offering the full array of FHA-insured financing for both multifamily and health care.

plant improvements needed to support the location of a new Japanese manufacturer. The grant, which will go toward upgrading water and sewer infrastructure to support business development, will help create an estimated 300 new jobs and generate $1 billion in private investment, according to a release.

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October 3, 2014

Every Game

FINE PRINT Business briefs you can’t miss

$5.25M grant to advance nuclear tech in SC A team of environmental scientists and engineers, led by Clemson University associate professor Brian Powell, was awarded a three-year, $5.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research to make a direct positive impact on South Carolina in the advancement of monitoring, remediation and disposal of radioactive contaminants. “Understanding the scientific and engineering needs for safely and adequately dealing with environmental aspects of nuclear technologies is imperative if South Carolina is to make a positive and meaningful contribution to the future of nuclear energy,” said Powell. Additionally, through an outreach program, scientists and engineers will visit high schools throughout South Carolina to offer presentations on nuclear energy, nuclear waste cleanup and environmental aspects of nuclear technologies.

Greenville Chamber wins Workplace Diversity Award The Greenville Chamber received the South Carolina Excellence in Workplace Diversity Award at the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Palmetto Vision Awards Gala. “This is certainly an accomplishment to be proud of, considering the wonderful organizations throughout South Carolina that share our passion and interest in seeing diversity and inclusion as an integral part of the workplace and community at large,” Nika White,

vice president of the Greenville Chamber’s Diversity and Inclusion initiative, said in a release The Greenville Chamber’s CAPACITY program provides minority-owned businesses access and entry into a sustainable, well-managed and structured program that facilitates the development of the local economy. The awards gala, presented by Jackson Lewis P.C., also honored those who have made significant contributions in the fields of manufacturing and human resources.

Greenville nonprofit receives $15,000 grant

SCRA honors Greenville companies

John Tripoli, recipient of The Northwestern Mutual Foundation Community Service Award, designated the Center for Developmental Services (CDS) in Greenville as a recipient of a $15,000 grant. The CDS connects individuals and families with multidisciplinary services for developmental evaluation, treatment, education and support. “I’m a proud supporter of the CDS as they were there for my family when we needed treatment for our son,” Tripoli said in a release. “This grant will enable the organization to help other children like him develop the skills and abilities they need to lead a healthy and prosperous life.” The nonprofit will use the grant money in various ways to help the 6,500 children it serves in the community each year.

SCRA Technology Ventures’ SC Launch program honored Greenville-area companies ByTech Technologies and Sabai Technology at a networking reception last week. The event, held in conjunction with NEXT and the Clemson University Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurship at the ONE building in Greenville, formally recognized SC Launch investments. ByTech Technologies is an agribusiness solutions provider. Sabai Technology develops and distributes wireless network equipment for consumer VPN and other specialized network setups. “We are delighted to announce these recent investments,” said SCRA CEO Bill Mahoney. “It is an honor to acknowledge these promising Upstate companies and the many important ways that they contribute to our state’s knowledge economy.”

Clems n Every Game October 3, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ

SQUARE FEET Real estate deals and developments across the region

Changes coming to Augusta St. shopping center

PROJECT PARTNERS DEVELOPER: Cothran Properties LEASING: NAI Earle Furman SITE PLANNING: Arbor Engineering ARCHITECT: Goodwyn Mills Cawood

View of the new front entrance from the parking area

2109 Augusta St 1774 SF Retail

a St gust il 7 Au ta 210 0 SF Re 420

St gust il a 5 Au 210 SF Ret 8 234

The shopping center on the northeast corner of Augusta Street and East Faris Road is in the midst of a renovation that will include parking changes and three new retail storefronts. Parking in the front of the center will soon be gone, but 43 new parking spaces will be available elsewhere in the redesigned shopping center. Access to the parking will be via Faris Road. The front of the center will also be updated with “park-like” landscaping that will include outdoor seating, planners say. Radio Shack and AT&T Wireless are already slated to occupy two of the three new retail storefronts. Ted Lyerly with NAI Earle Furman, which is handling the leasing, said he is actively talking to several potential tenants for the remaining 1,900-square-foot space. The former LA Nails building on the property is set to be demolished soon and construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

ting Exis urant ta Res

ting Exis tion Sta Fire

DEALMAKERS Commercial real estate transactions in the Upstate NAI EARLE FURMAN ANNOUNCED: Hunter Garrett and John Staunton represented the landlord in leasing a 92,000 SF industrial space at 141 Old Mill Road to Wal-Mart Corporate Properties. Towers Rice represented the landlord in leasing a 18,848 SF industrial space at 6 P & N Drive to Greenville Winair Co. Inc. Stuart Wyeth and Alexi Papapieris represented the landlord of Park East office park in leasing 10,325 SF to Pacific Architects and Engineers Inc.; 10,203 SF to Fabric Editions Inc.; 4,156 SF to MSN Healthcare Solutions LLC; and 2,307 SF to Varigence Inc. John Baldwin represented the

landlord in leasing a 10,000 SF industrial space in North Perimeter Business Park at 54 Concourse Way to Brooke Cutting Tools USA. Stuart Wyeth and Taylor Allen represented the landlord of 101 N. Main St. in leasing a 3,149 SF office space to Davis & Floyd and a 5,643 SF office space to Consumers’ Choice Health Plan, represented by Jimmy Wright and Ted Lyerly. John Powell represented Palmetto Bank in leasing a 6,732 SF office space at 1221 N. Fant St. Dan Dunn represented the landlord of the Corporate Center in leasing an 11,550 SF industrial space at 130 Corporate Drive to PecTec Corporation.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

John Gray and Drew Stamm represented the landlord in leasing a 2,107 SF retail space at 1036 Pleasantburg Drive to Whippersnappers Kids & Maternity Resale Boutique LLC. Tyson Smoak and Ross Kester represented the landlord in leasing a 2,478 SF office space at 508 Rhett St. to the tenant, Tyrecheck, represented by John Gray and Drew Stamm. Earle Furman and Alexi Papapieris represented the landlord of the Roper Center in leasing a 5,208 SF to Baldor Electric Company. Tony Bonitati, Kay Hill and Jon Good represented the seller in selling Perley Apartments at 2 Byrd Blvd. John Baldwin represented the

October 3, 2014

seller in selling a 25,000 SF industrial building at 3 Space Drive. Scott Jones represented KLR Investments in selling a 17,545 SF office building at 300 B Pelham Road for $1,525,000. Towers Rice represented the seller in selling a 108,330 SF industrial building at 227 Youth Center Drive. Rusty Hamrick represented the seller in selling 33.59 acres on Highway 912. Jimmy Wright, Ted Lyerly and Brendan Gower represented the buyer in purchasing a 7,456 SF restaurant at 1133 Woodruff Road. Hunter Garrett and John Staunton represented the

seller in selling a 39,000 SF industrial building at 110 Delaware St. Earle Furman and Jon Good represented Camperdown Academy Inc. in selling 15.83 acres at 501 Howell Road. Tony Bonitati and Kay Hill represented the buyer, Howell Preserve LLC. Keith Jones represented the seller in selling a 5,820 SF office building 721 Lowndes Hill Road. CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD/ THALHIMER ANNOUNCED: Brad Harvey represented AMEC Environment & Infrastructure Inc. in leasing 3,401 SF of office space at 37 Villa Road, Greenville

NEW TO THE STREET The freshest faces on the business landscape

Photos Provided

1. RJ Rockers Flight Room, Thomas Creek Grill and Hudson News opened at the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. The businesses are part of the $125 million WINGSPAN terminal improvement project. For more information, visit gspairport.com.

2. Upward Sports opened the Upward Star Center at 9768 Warren H. Abernathy Hwy., Spartanburg. The center features six full-sized basketball courts, 12 regulation indoor volleyball courts, four batting cages, a running track, and strength and conditioning area. For more information, visit upwardstarcenter.com. 3. RevUP Indoor Cycling opened at 2441 Laurens Road in Greenville. The studio features 30 spinning bikes, television screens, dressing rooms and showers. For more information and a class schedule, visit revupcycling.com.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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

ON THE MOVE Play-by-play of Upstate careers

HIRED

ADMITTED

AWARDED

Alan Fuehring

Mark Vaughan

Cal Collins

Meg Scoopmire

C. Ross Turner III

Named play-by-play broadcaster and media relations manager of the Greenville Road Warriors. Fuehring previously oversaw media relations for the Peoria Rivermen of the Southern Professional Hockey League, maintained the organization’s website and social media pages, and served as an account executive.

Named vice president of development of the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame. Vaughan has more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience, including work in the real estate, beverage, packaging and industrial products and golf and mortgage industries. He will head fundraising and partnerships for the Hall of Fame.

Named as new director of property management at Lee Property Services. Collins has more than 20 years of property management expertise. He has been able to increase occupancy rates from 45 to 100 percent. He also managed a full facility renovation, resulting in a $10,500,000 sale.

Named a fellow in the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. Scoopmire leads the Real Estate Practice Group at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.’s Greenville office. She represents lending institutions in real estate and assetbased financing transactions and represents owners in purchase, sale, leasing and financing matters.

Honored by the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC) for his ongoing pledge to education, commitment to excellence and dedication to the insurance profession. Turner, president of Turner Agency Insurance of Greenville, has participated in the CIC program for more than 20 years.

ACADEMICS:

4th ANNUAL AWARDS RECEPTION Honoring Upstate Leaders Promoting Women Within the Commercial Real Estate Industry Tuesday, October 14, 2014 5:30PM to 7:30PM The Palmetto Bank 306 East North Street Greenville, SC 29601

Johnson & Johnson American Association of Colleges of Nursing has named Eboni Harris of USC Upstate Mary Black School of Nursing as a Minority Faculty Scholar. Harris is a second-year doctoral student at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Her research interest is to develop ways to address obesity in African-American women. Harris was also recently named a Jonas Nurse Leader Scholar and will receive $20,000 to support her studies. The Royal Society of Chemistry, based in London, has admitted Clemson University professor Anthony Guiseppi-Elie as a fellow for his work on a biochip that doctors could inject into the muscle of trauma victims to determine whether blood loss is life-threatening. Guiseppi-Elie’s career spans nearly four decades, including eight years at Clemson.

ACCOUNTING: Scott and Company LLC has hired Sarah Judge and certified public accountant Ronnie Head to the firm’s Assurance and Advisory Services team. Head rejoins Scott and Company as senior manager after five years as vice president of finance for BCI Lending and has more than 15 years of combined experience in industry and public ac-

For more information or to register, visit: www.crewupstate.org

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CREW Awards Invite 2014_UBJ Ad_bk.indd 1

October 3, 2014 9/29/2014 10:26:06 AM

counting. Judge joins Scott and Company as an associate accountant from Ernst & Young where she was on the assurance services team with clients in the manufacturing, healthcare, closely-held businesses and not-forprofit arenas.

CONSTRUCTION: O’Neal Inc. hired Charlie Mullinax as business development manager, Charles Whitesides as construction manager and Jeff Trantham as safety manager. Mullinax has more than 30 years in the EPC business, having worked with the firms of Watkins Engineering and Construction, BE&K, and Southern Industrial. Whitesides has more than eight years of field experience at IMICO and Crowder Construction as a pipefitter, welder and foreman. Trantham has more than 15 years of construction and safety management experience in the chemical, nuclear and automotive industries.

ENGINEERING: SynTerra hired Chris Suttell as a senior geologist and Chad Ponce as an environmental scientist. Suttell is a licensed professional geologist registered in South Carolina and has practiced in the field of geology, hydrogeology and environmental science and engineering throughout the U.S. since 1999. Ponce

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 has more than thee years of experience in engineering and environmental consulting and is experienced in contaminated site assessments, Phase I & II ESAs, and environmental fieldwork.

FINANCE: Felicia Douglas, CEO of The Legacy Group and registered insurance and financial specialist, has achieved the designation of National Social Security Advisor. Douglas has more than 10 years of experience in the financial industry and has been featured in national magazines such as SHEEN Magazine and Consciousness Magazine and as a financial expert on WYFF Channel 4. SunTrust Mortgage Inc. hired Craig Benton as a mortgage loan officer in Upstate. He has more than 12 years of mortgage experience and will help clients achieve home ownership.

FINE ARTS: The Greenville Symphony Association (GSA) has appointed Sherwood Mobley as interim executive director. He has

served as principal timpanist with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra since 1991 and has held a variety of administrative capacities with the GSA, most recently serving as director of operations and orchestra personnel.

INSURANCE: John Tripoli was awarded the national Northwestern Mutual Community Service Award for his service and volunteerism at the Center for Developmental Services (CDS). Tripoli is the managing director of the Northwestern Mutual Greenville office, and serves as chair of the governance committee on the CDS board of directors. Tripoli designated CDS as the recipient of a $15,000 Northwestern Mutual Foundation gift.

IT: EDTS hired Kevin Netherton as a business technology advisor and Brandon Parrish as a senior network engineer. They will support customer needs at the IT firm’s Augusta, Columbia and Greenville offices. Netherton has two decades

Douglas Fowler Executive Recruiter 20 years experience

of IT experience, which includes network security, systems administration and user support with the United States Army and Clear Harbor. Parrish has more than 10 years of IT experience and is certified as a Microsoft Certified IT Professional, Enterprise Administrator, Server Administrator, Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator and VMware Certified Professional.

LEGAL: Smith Moore Leatherwood hired Brad Gower as an attorney in its Greenville office. Gower’s practice focuses primarily on commercial real estate law. He will represent clients in connection with real estate transactions including the acquisition, financing, developing, leasing and disposition of commercial properties. Gower also has experience setting up LLCs and corporations.

PR/MARKETING: ZWO promoted Chris Bradley from art director to associate creative director. Hired initially as a designer, Bradley has

been with ZWO since 2009 and focuses on video production and animation; he also leads ZWO’s creative team training and development. Bradley is an adjunct professor at Anderson University, teaching courses in Web design, print production and design software.

STAFFING: Phillips Staffing hired Madison McLain as marketing coordinator. McLain has two years of experience in marketing on both the corporate and agency sides. She previously served as an account coordinator for Ritz Marketing in Charlotte, N.C. McLain will work with all 11 offices to provide marketing assistance and sales support.

TRANSPORTATION: Arrow Nationwide Ground Logistics hired Phil Rabe as a top charter account executive with Champion Coach. Rabe has worked in the motor coach industry for over two years and has built relationships with athletic teams and numerous operators.

We’ve already met your next employee.

Godshall Professional Recruiting and Staffing specializes in executive recruiting, career placement, and consulting for businesses and job seekers in South Carolina. For more than 20 years, Douglas has worked with clients across both the European and U.S. markets. Specializing in the technology industry as a vertical, he has helped place high-value sales, pre-sales, marketing, and professional services staff at all levels. Godshall welcomes Douglas as the newest addition to our Technical Recruiting Team.

Professional • Finance • Technical • Healthcare sccareersearch.com • 864-242-3491

October 3, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

SOCIAL SNAPSHOT Inside the Upstate’s networking and social scene

CONTRIBUTE: Got high-resolution photos of your networking or social events? Send photos and information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

CELEBRATING WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Photos Provided

Greer State Bank recently hosted its inaugural Women’s Forum, titled “Work & Life Balance,” at The Davenport Downtown Greer. Dr. Elizabeth Davis, president of Furman University, was the guest speaker.

LAUNCHING SERVICES FOR VETERANS

Photos Provided

The Marchant Company hosted a reception at the Poinsett Club in Greenville announcing the launch of its Military Veterans Services Department. Realtor Lee Vining, a ten-year Army veteran, will be the director.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 3, 2014

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HOSTED BY

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PLAT INUM NSO R S PLATI NUM SPO SPONSO The Iron Yard Clemson Arthur M. Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadrship Robert Half Technology

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Launch Launcha a startup startupinin hours HOURS

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Join a global network of passionate designers, developers, entrepreneurs, and leaders on a mission to inspire, educate, & empower individuals, teams & communities.

Upstate Business Journal

SPO NSORS GOLD S PONSO RS The Palmetto Bank

For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/StartupGville2014

SILVE SO R S SI LVE R SPON S PONSO

Imagine Upstate Rye Development Tech After Five

October 3, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

PLANNER Events you should have on your calendar

FRIDAY OCTOBER 3 FIRST FRIDAY LUNCHEON Greer City Hall, 301 E. Poinsett St., Greer; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. COST: $10 for Greer Chamber members, $15 for non-members CONTACT: katie@ greerchamber.com

Ten at the Top Office, 124 Verdae Blvd., Suite 202, Greenville; 10 a.m.-noon CONTACT: Michelle Newell at 864-2832313 or mnewell@ tenatthetop.org FOR INFORMATION: tenatthetop.org

DIGITAL MARKETING FOR SMALL BUSINESS

ECONOMIC & ENTREPRENEURIAL TASK FORCE MEETING

CONTACT: Beth Smith at 864-592-6318 or es2@clemson.edu FOR INFORMATION: bit.ly/digital-marketingspartanburg

TUESDAY OCTOBER 7

COST: $29 per person

Spartanburg Community College Tyger River Campus; 8:30 a.m.noon Conference hosted by the Spartanburg Small Business Development Center

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 8 SPARTANBURG CHAMBER DIVERSITY CONNECTIONS LUNCHEON

INTRODUCTION TO PULSE

CityRange Steakhouse Grill, 774 Spartan Blvd., Spartanburg; noon-1:30 p.m.

Greenville Chamber, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 5:30-6:30 p.m.

SPEAKER: Daniel T. Sulton, “How Healthcare May Reform Your Business”

Learn more about the young professionals organization PULSE, its membership benefits and the services provided.

FOR INFORMATION: bit.ly/diversityconnections

FOR INFORMATION: greenvillepulse.com

BUSINESS BEFORE HOURS

COST: $8.50 for pre-register or $12 at the door. Open only to Chamber members. CONTACT: Lorraine Woodward at 864239-3742 or if you are a Commerce Club member, contact Dot Drennon at ddrennon@ greenvillechamber.org REGISTER AT: greenvillechamber.org

BUSINESS IMMERSION: NXLEVEL FOR ENTREPRENEURS Tri-County Technical College-Pendleton Campus; 5:30-8:30 p.m. COST: $299 per person for weekly sessions (starting Oct. 14) REGISTER AT: piedmontscore.org

OCTOBER 14DECEMBER 2

TUESDAY OCTOBER 14

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

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

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 3, 2014

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Historic photograph available from the Greenville Historical Society.

SNAPSHOT A quick look into the Upstate’s past

From “Remembering Greenville: Photographs from the Coxe Collection,” by Jeffrey R. Willis The Ivey’s building under construction. After occupying a building near the College Street end of North Main Street for many years, Ivey’s Department Store moved into its new building at the corner of Main and North Streets in 1949. After the opening of McAlister Square, Ivey’s joined Meyers-Arnold as an anchor store. In 1972 Its Main Street building was closed and remained vacant for many years.

Photo Provided

In the 1990s the building was remodeled for shops on the street level and condominiums on the upper level. Today the Ivey’s building is home to Bertolo’s Pizza, the Artist Guild Gallery of Greenville and Charleston Cooks. (Inset) Visitors to the building will notice the Ivey’s logo embedded in the floor of the central Main Street entrance. Photos 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

Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com

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

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

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.”

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

THIS FALL: LEADERSHIP

CoMMUnitY inVolVeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board, Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

AS SEEN IN

NOVEMBER 1, 2013

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

OCTOBER: COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY

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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?

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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.

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October 3, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

INDIVIDUALIZED SUCCESS Being able to own my professional identity and take the courses that I was most interested in really helped shape me as a student, a business professional, and candidate for future employers.

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