Oct. 17, 2014 UBJ

OCTOBER 17, 2014

COMPLIMENTARY

The fall and rise of per capita income The good news: Greenville’s per capita income is growing. The bad news: Not fast enough. What’s the key to keeping our area competitive?

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UBJ UP FRONT

Shovels & Rope and my expense report RYAN JOHNSTON | PUBLISHER

rjohnston@communityjournals.com Many times I have found myself at a concert, watching performers go full-throttle and perfectly in sync, giving the audience exactly what it came to experience, engaging the crowd in a way that just doesn’t much happen elsewhere—and I have thought about what can be learned from the display from a business perspective.

I had these thoughts Saturday night as I watched Shovels & Rope perform at Fall for Greenville.

Anyone who was there can attest that the band completely rocked, and their “product,” which is their sound and the experience their performance provided, was on point. Many customers left that evening satisfied and hungry for more.

Simply put, their business is in tune. Based on what I observed, I think these takeaways qualify as continuing education—which obviously makes my trip to Fall for Greenville a completely legitimate business expense.

5 LESSONS LEARNED AT A ROCK CONCERT

Performers must perform. Pressure is part of greatness. They have to rise to the occasion. Their delivery is critical to the product experience.

They must put themselves out there and engage with their audiences. When it’s your turn, and when your customer is present and experiencing your product, it must deliver. There are no second chances.

You have one shot.

Playing in tune is about teamwork and trust. Sure, there might be a lead singer, but the delivery wouldn’t be there if not for the band members standing behind the lead. And it’s live. There is no “You sure this is a good idea?” or “You sure you’re ready?” No micromanaging. Musicians must have full trust that their coworkers will do their respective jobs and not only contribute as ex-

pected, but be prepared to deliver above and beyond when they see an opportunity. You need people on your team who can not only identify these opportunities and rise to these occasions, but also recognize and move aside when others on the team are the ones making the move.

Share your passion and fire. What you can’t see on my iPhone photo is the sweat dripping from singer Trent Hearst. He was soaked. That type of passion is infectious, and the audience can feel it. He left everything he had to give on the stage, and the audience—his customers—appreciated such commitment to quality.

Fight like hell and enjoy the sweet sound. Trent looked over at his wife and said, “We got our start here in Greenville at Meat Heads,” and his wife, Cary Anne, informed him that

bar isn’t around anymore. Meat Heads might not be here, but Trent and Cary Anne sure are. Success takes commitment, determination and persistence. I am sure this duo has had some hard times when there was doubt, when being up-andcoming musicians didn’t feel like it did Saturday night. Because it wasn’t always like it is now. Commitment is key. Up-and-coming musicians, like startups, must get scrappy, use their fingernails, dig in and be prepared to fight like hell to get that traction. Because nights like Saturday night are worth it, when they are in their element with a crowd singing along to the lyrics of their own original songs. THAT is what the struggle is for.

Engage your tribe. Lady Gaga calls her fans her “tribe.” If you are going to grow your business, people must not only like your product but must also want to tell others about it. Your fan base is critical to telling your story. Let them tell it for you. It comes across as so much more authentic. The only way you can do this is if you make them part of your “tribe.”

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October 17, 2014

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

3

Volume 3, Issue 42

October 17, 2014

Top-of-mind and in the mix this week CLARIFICATION: An article in the Oct. 10 UBJ, “Banks are healthy, ready to rumble,” referred to South State Bank as “new to Greenville County.”

South Carolina Bank and Trust (SCBT) and First Federal merged in February 2013, and were re-named South State bank in June 2014.

TBA

The Mechanical Owl food truck announced it is shutting down this week...

Photos by Greg Beckner

A well-known international beverage producer is reportedly eyeing Greenville County for a large distribution center as its first South Carolina operation. Word is the Inland Port is a key driver in luring it to consider Greenville sites...

MONEY SHOT: Toni Bryant with Magnolia Scents by Design pours hot wax into containers at the Main Street business in downtown Greenville. Read more on page 9.

WORTH REPEATING “Education is the only way to increase per capita income.

You can’t bring businesses in to do it. As a community, we still don’t get it.”

David Taylor, president of the University Center of Greenville.

“I’m a rah-rah guy. I lead by example and I try to hire good people. If you hire leaders, then you’re going to motivate people.”

Spence M. Taylor, M.D., president of GHS Clinical University.

“If it’s smelly, we make it.”

Motto of Magnolia Scents, makers of candles, soaps, and bath and body products, now based in a store in downtown Greenville.

4

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 17, 2014

VERBATIM

On the Hub City Co-op…

“We are pleased to serve our community by supporting this effort, and we are proud of the city of Spartanburg for doing their part to see that the co-op succeeds ahead of schedule.”

Kathy Chandler, executive director of the Spartanburg Downtown Association, announcing the group’s plan to purchase $10,000 in shares of the Hub City Co-op. The association said it wants to ensure the co-op meets its $350,000 challenge goal by Oct. 31. (hubcitycoop.org)

A Smart Choice

UBJ AEROSPACE

Roth IRA

Soft landings When all else fails, Upstate air travelers may be saved by a whole-plane parachute JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com If safety is a luxury during air travel, then chartering the right single-engine airplane could be the most extravagant choice ever made by a pilot or passenger.

The Cirrus SR22, available for charter in the Upstate through Special Services Corporation in Greenville, offers general aviators and flight enthusiasts the opportunity to fly with the same safety features used by NASA during the Apollo moon missions.

When the Apollo capsule reentered the earth’s atmosphere, a parachute was deployed to slow it down, said Tim McConnell, Cirrus standardized instruction pilot at Special Services Corporation.

The SR22 uses the same technology, he said. As the plane’s parachute deploys, it is held closed until incoming air pushes a slip ring down the lanyard and opens the parachute completely.

McConnell said the plane model is available at Special Services Corporation for both training and business.

Carrying up to three passengers, including a professional pilot, the Cirrus SR22 can be chartered by anyone for regional flights to Charleston, Atlanta, Orlando or Jacksonville, he said. The plane is also used for flight instruction.

Many travelers will not consider using a single-engine airplane, preferring a jet or twin-engine for safety measures, McConnell said.

On one engine, the SR22 has the same air speed as many twin-engine models and has a parachute as its safety backup in place of a second engine, he said. Economically, the single-engine model is much

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cheaper because “we are not having to feed that second engine.”

The pilot can manually deploy the parachute from a ripcord at the top of the cabin, McConnell said. The ripcord can be reached by anyone in the plane.

“If I am incapacitated, I want the passengers to know how to deploy the parachute so all of our lives are saved,” he said. After the ripcord is pulled, McConnell said a rocket would be launched from the back of the airplane, taking the parachute with it.

Once the rocket steers the parachute above the plane, the chute will deploy and fill with air, he said.

When fully engaged, the entire airplane will float down and land on its wheels.

McConnell said the technology would eventually be part of the standard safety measures used in all general aviation and commercial flight.

Cirrus is already developing a jet with a parachute, he said. A jet travels in excess of 350 miles per hour, much like the aircraft used in commercial aviation, so “it is feasible to think that one day safety parachutes will be used throughout the industry.”

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October 17, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

5

Subtle Shift in FICO Scoring Means Change to Real Estate Mortgage lenders depend on FICO scores to help determine the creditworthiness of a potential borrower.

Recently, Fair Isaac has changed (with “encouragement” from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) the way it scores your credit. From now on, FICO is not going to “ding” people with specific credit blemishes on their credit history.

Three events that used to hurt credit scores that no longer do: • Debt that is written off and then paid by the consumer.

• Little or no credit history.

• One or more medical bills written off.

While this may seem like a positive step — more potential buyers in the market — there is cause for some Dan Hamilton concern. The longer view is that the majority of people with these credit issues do pose a higher risk to lenders and chances are their default rate will be higher.

Lenders will no longer be able to use this data in the loan decision making process, thus making loans to people that may not be able to afford them.

If they default, they will lose their down payment and end up with a worse credit score. If the defaults pile up, we’ll be back in the cycle of more foreclosures and decreased property values.

UBJ INSURANCE

Group insurance costs to rise slightly for 2015 JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER

joladipo@communityjournals.com Employers planning to write small group market coverage for next year can expect to pay an average of 2.7 percent more, according to the S.C. Department of Insurance (SCDOI). The agency published rates for health insurance issuers that are planning to write small group market coverage for the 2015 calendar year.

There are some extremes. For instance, Consumers’ Choice Health customers will see their rates rise as much as 43 percent or drop about 33 percent. Aetna’s rates will only drop, as much as 33 percent.

Area insurance consultants say employers using group policies might have additional costs related to minimum requirements that might not be applicable to their

workforce, such as maternity care for an employee pool of older men.

They also now face the challenge of showing how their plans stack up against individual plans.

A recent study from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business found that large employers expect about 8 percent of the anticipated health care cost increase will be attributed to requirements of the Affordable Care Act. They’re passing those costs on to employees, said Patrick Wright, the study’s author. The costs include a $63 tax per insured employee.

Another increase could come from the law’s mandate that the gap between costs for older and younger people in a group must be narrowed.

“I think the results are pretty indicative of what people suspected employers would do and what they are doing. Small businesses are far more likely to limit head counts as

➤ NUMBERED All small group issuers combined:

43.60%

Maximum rate change

33.80%

Minimum rate change

2.69%

Weighted average rate change See the rates SCDOI approved here: bit.ly/SCDOI-rates

a result of the ACA,” Wright said.

However, he was surprised to find “massive increases in consumer-directed health plans,” which are intended to make costs more transparent to consumers. He sees this as “a good thing,” admitting it will take a while for care providers, insurers and consumers to all be on the same page.

➤ Employment actions as a direct result of ACA Survey of 560 human resources officers from Fortune 500 companies and members of a large professional society.

Have done so or plan to

Don’t plan to

Don’t Know

This very well could be the law of unintended consequences at work again in the real estate world.

Move employees to directed health plans

73%

19%

8%

Raise employees contributions toward health insurance

71%

24%

5%

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Move pre-65 retires to ACA exchanges

30%

49%

21%

Cut back coverage eligibility (dependents, etc.)

27%

64%

9%

More rigorously ensure part time workers work fewer than 30 hrs/week

23%

73%

3%

Direct part time employees to public exchanges

19%

69%

12%

Increase the proportion of part-time workers

12%

87%

1%

Limit the number of full-time hires (because of ACA)

10%

87%

3%

Cut back the hours of part-time workers

9%

89%

2%

Move current employees to private exchanges

10%

69%

21%

Move current employees to public exchanges

1%

90%

9%

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Due to rounding, not all percentages equal 100 Source: University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business; Full study: bit.ly/darla-moore-aca

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 17, 2014

TRUNK SHOWS

UBJ ENERGY

Clemson researchers develop ‘smart’ material for clean energy JOE TOPPE | STAFF

jtoppe@communityjournals.com Before the commercial manufacturing of new clean energy production and storage devices can begin, Clemson University researchers say they must first develop a material that will remain stable once it becomes conductive and is used to capture and store the energy.

Clemson professor and physical chemist Dvora Perahia said the design of “smart” material would drive the production of clean energy for enhanced, fuelefficient transportation.

“We are hard at work to design new polymers for energy applications,” she said. Polymers are very large molecules widely used to make tough, lightweight materials.

Perahia said the transport of ions and electrons in clean energy applications prompts changes in the structure and composition within the polymer.

For example, molecules absorb sunlight and transform them into solar energy, but the light must be captured without greatly disturbing the structure of the polymer, she said. In polymer lithium batteries, a chemical reaction is needed for electricity and storage generation, but the reaction can damage the

batteries’ components.

Perahia’s research team is working on tailoring segments with properties that will enhance the transport of either ions or electrons for clean energy applications while retaining the unique strength and flexibility of the polymers.

Because polymers form durable, light materials, Perahia said scientists have incorporated segments that transport ions or electrons, making the polymers the electrolytic media in fuel cells, polymeric membranes in batteries, or solar energy capturing layers in solar cells.

For clean energy applications, the polymers must be highly conductive while remaining stable, she said. The molecule’s properties must not alter their durability or they may lose the capacity to transport and remain an effective component in a device.

Using neutron techniques, Perahia said her team probes the molecular origin of the polymer toughness and transport.

The unique molecular picture obtained from neutron scattering and computational studies can provide the clues needed to tailor the chemistry of polymers and optimize them for the application, she said. “If the polymer does not remain mechanically and chemically intact, the device will fail.”

Perahia said her research could help design materials that can effectively transport energy and be incorporated into devices without failure for a long time, she said. “We are preparing for technology that will be ready down the road.”

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October 17, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

7

UBJ HOUSING

Banquet celebrates low-income housing successes SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

Engage

sjackson@communityjournals.com The Allen Temple Community Economic Development Corporation will host its inaugural banquet on Oct. 28 to celebrate the success of its affordable rental housing and low-income homeowner-occupied repair programs, and to celebrate the life change these programs have afforded ATCEDC residents.

ATCEDC builds and manages affordable rental homes for low-income individuals and families. The organization manages 55 homes in Greenville County and six homes in downtown Pickens. ATCEDC brings affordable housing and economic development to neighborhoods that are underserved by the normal stream of for-profit development

OCT

28

ALLEN TEMPLE CEDC BANQUET

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and economic activity. ATCEDC also provides ongoing communication and education that supports families in all parts of their lives as a complement to eliminating the impact

on children resulting from unstable housing situations and lack of awareness of community services.

Chandra Dillard, S.C. representative for District 23, will be the

allentemplecedc.org/ first-annual-banquet keynote speaker at the banquet. For more information or to purchase tickets, email info@allentemplecedc.org, call 864-298-0077 ext.

105, or visit allentemplecedc.org/ first-annual-banquet.

UBJ RETAIL

The sweet smell of success Magnolia Scents hopes to wax profitable in its North Main Street space SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com “If it’s smelly, we make it” – that’s the motto of the new Magnolia Scents store in downtown Greenville.

Magnolia Scents both makes and sells its candles, soaps and bath and body products from its new location at 209 N. Main St. All products are made from natural ingredients, most are plant-based and the candles are made with soy, said owner Brian Hight.

This is Hight’s second location.

The first, in Independence, Kan., may seem an unlikely pairing with Greenville, but Hight has family who

Displays at Magnolia Scents by Design. (Right) Magnolia Scents

by Design on North Main Street in downtown Greenville.

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moved to the area three years ago and convinced him he needed to open a store here. Hight came to visit in June 2012 and said, “We’ve gotta do this. We have to be here.”

Hight searched for the perfect location and has spent the past several months refurbishing the former UPS Store space. The store has exposed brick and refinished original hardwood floors.

“It’s a great mix of old and new,” he said, “and to be able to bring the building back was so special.”

Everything is made right in the center of the store so customers can watch. A master chandler – aka expert candle-maker – will oversee the candle-making production.

Hight said many tricks and trade secrets go into creating candles, including making sure the wax is the exact right temperature to pour, the recipe and blends, and the wicking.

“It’s a surprising amount of chemistry,” said manager Tina Rodgers, who moved from Independence to head up the Greenville store.

The store will have “thousands of products” with a wide range of scents

October 17, 2014

Photos by Greg Beckner

and sizes. Orange chili pepper is their most popular candle. A scent called “Dude” – a blend of leather and clean scents – is popular with men.

Magnolia Scents also plans to offer on-site classes where customers can make their own candles. “There is a demand in downtown for hands-on activities,” said Hight. They’ll also take orders for custom scents and fragrance-free products, and will offer customized labels for gifts, weddings, businesses and other special events. Free shipping is available on some orders.

The store had its soft opening last week and will host a grand opening celebration on Saturday, Oct. 18.

Rodgers said contests, giveaways and other promotions are planned.

Hight said the Greenville location is “testing the concept in a new urban environment” and he hopes to expand into other markets and locations in the future.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

9

UBJ REAL ESTATE

CREW Upstate honors real estate leaders SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com The fourth annual CREW Upstate awards reception was held earlier this week, honoring Upstate leaders and promoting women within the commercial real estate industry.

CREW, which stands for “commercial real estate women,” is a networking and business development organization for commercial real estate professionals and professionals who interact with the commercial real estate community.

Founded in 2010, CREW Upstate has grown to more than 75 members, welcoming women and men from a broad range of real estate disciplines across the Upstate.

The awards ceremony was held on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the Palmetto Bank in downtown Greenville.

4th Annual Awards Reception October 14, 2014

CREW Upstate 2014 award recipients: Rising Star Award

Courtney Warren, Rosenfeld Einstein, A Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC Company 10

Most Significant Transaction

Kay Hill, NAI Earle Furman

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 17, 2014

For the Adidas US Distribution Campus in Spartanburg.

Includes three buildings; total of 1,962,293 square feet; 100 percent leased – single-tenant (Adidas).

UBJ REAL ESTATE Best Interiors Project Award

Individual Leadership & Career Advancement for Women Award

Cely Construction | McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture | Young Office For the Greenville Hospital System Corporate Offices, located in the SunTrust building, 300 E. McBee Ave., in downtown Greenville.

Economic & Community Development Project Award Meg Scoopmire, Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd P.A.

Organization Leadership & Career Advancement for Women Award

Britt, Peters and Associates | CBRE | City of Greenville | McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture | Wyche P.A. For the redevelopment of the Claussen Bakery, located at 400 Augusta St. in Greenville.

October 17, 2014

Sage Valuation UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

11

UBJ BANKING

CertusWealth sells for $300M JENNIFER OLADIPO SENIOR BUSINESS WRITER

joladipo@communityjournals.com CertusBank’s wealth management division is worth $300 million to its buyer, N.J.-based Investview, an investor technology and education company. The bank is shedding its wealth management business as part of an ongoing restructuring effort.

Joseph Louro, Investview CEO and chairman, said the acquisition was part of an ongoing growth plan to increase its registered investment advisors. Discussions with CertusBank began about two months ago.

Louro said the $300 million price tag was “a fair deal for both sides.

No bargain here.”

CertusBank acquired Sage South-

INSIGHT PRECONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE

Joseph Louro, Investview CEO and chairman http://article.wn.com/

eastern Securities in October 2011.

CertusWealth was started earlier that year. Sage was an established broker-dealer with an existing revenue source and client base, so many of the associated assets predate CertusBank.

“The quality of the assets under management in this deal is very

high,” Louro told UBJ. “The assets under management have been there for a while, they’ve got a great return on investment, and the bank has done well by their customers… It’s very important bringing in other customers that we demonstrate the kind of assets under management.”

CertusBank had announced

earlier this month that Vincent Molinari, CEO of Eximius Holdings LLC, provided a letter of intent to acquire CertusSecurities Inc. and CertusInvestment Advisors LLC, the bank’s wealth management businesses offered through CertusWealth. Investview backed Eximius, and then Eximius and principals from Eximius became part of the Investview team. A clause in their contract assigned the property to Investview, Louro said.

Fewer than 20 employees will be affected by this deal, said Emily Ledbetter, vice president of corporate communications. Ten staff members located in the Carolinas and Georgia are listed on the CertusWealth website. The division operates out of Charlotte.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 17, 2014

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UBJ HOSPITALITY

Village Grind brews up buzz in West Greenville SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com Artists and businesses in the emerging Village of West Greenville will soon have a place to get their coffee fix when The Village Grind opens on Pendleton Street in early/ mid-November.

Business partners Jim Bolt, Carl Chambers and Lindsey George came together with a few serendipitous conversations. Bolt, a retired dentist who drives to Augusta weekly to teach dentistry, was talking to Michael Watts, who owns several Village of West Greenville properties, over a beer one night. Bolt said the drive was getting to be a bit much, so Watts asked him what he wanted to do next. Bolt said he had

always wanted to own a coffee shop (even though he says he knows little about coffee).

Watts said that he had the perfect space available in the Village and even knew of someone (George) who had worked at Spill the Beans on Main Street and wanted to open a coffee shop. Bolt called Chambers, who had been his college roommate, to see if he might be interested in a partner. Just like that, it “all fell together,” said Bolt.

“Being part of a coffee shop has been a lifelong dream for me,” said George.

Located next door to Lily Pottery, The Village Grind will feature beans roasted from Taylors-based Due South Coffee. George, who will serve as general manager, said Ricardo

Photos by Greg Beckner

Pereira and Patrick McInerney from Due South “have a lot of pride in their coffee, right down to helping us select the equipment that The Village Grind will use. It’s really great coffee.”

The space will feature exposed brick, concrete floors and exposed beams, as well as table and bar-top seating and a makeshift living room space.

“We want to keep with the whole mill village, industrial feel, and make it very inviting,” said George. The shop will also feature artwork by local Village artists on the walls.

Village Grind is planning on “keeping it community-centered and local,” with a local milk supplier and local pastries brought in. A tea selection will also be offered, “but the main focus will be on the coffee,” said George. The partners plan to be open five days a week, from early morning until late afternoon.

October 17, 2014

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“But if there’s an event here (on the weekend or in the evening), we’ll be open,” she said.

Future plans will depend on customer demand and may include a delivery service and live music on certain days.

“We’ll morph into whatever we need to be down here,” Bolt said. “We can see the growth and development that’s happening and coming. We want it to be convenient for people in the Village but we also would like to see it become a destination.”

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

13

UBJ NEWS

Imagine that: Transportation tops the list

Last month’s Ten at the Top Upstate Regional Summit sparked a number of ideas, many of which are being shared at WhatsNextUpstate. com. Of the more than 200 ideas collected in the Sustainable Growth sub-group, 107 were related to transportation.

Ideas collected on WhatsNextUpstate.com at the Ten At The Top Summit and the report created by ImagineThat.io

Thursday October 23rd: 6–8 PM

Commerce Club’s Fall Festival Open House BOOTS, BLUE JEANS, BBQ, AND BEER Complimentary for Members and Prospective Members Register by emailing dylan.petrick@clubcorp.com.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 17, 2014

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UBJ NEWS

UBJ QUARTERLIES A good year for revenues at Synnex Synnex reported stronger than expected results for the third quarter and showed significant gains over the same period last year. Revenues rose to $3.5 million from $2.7 million in the same period last year, a nearly 30 percent increase. Diluted earnings per share also leapt from $1.15 from $0.19, a 505.3 percent increase.

The company completed more than 99 percent of its acquisition of the IBM CRM business during the first half of 2014, boosting its Concentrix business revenue to $333.8 million from $46.3 million in the same period last year. Synnex had agreed to buy the IBM business in September 2013.

For the fourth quarter of 2014, Synnex projects revenue to be in the range of $3.65 billion to $3.75 billion.

The IBM business was combined with Synnex’s Concentrix segment, which offers a portfolio of end-to-end

outsourced services around process optimization, customer engagement strategy and back-office automation to clients in 10 identified industry verticals.

Revenue from the company’s Technology Solutions division was $3.2 billion, up 19.12 percent organically from the same period of the previous year.

Synnex distributes a broad range of information technology systems and products, and also provides systems design and integration services. The company is ranked number 260 on the Fortune 500 list. Its main competitors are Colorado-based Arrow Electronics, Florida-based Tech Data Corp and California-based Ingram Micro. With corporate headquarters in Freemont, Calif., Synnex’s East Coast operations are headquartered in Greenville.

SYNNEX Corporation (NYSE: SNX) NET REVENUE Q4 2014 $3.54M

Q3 2014 $3.45M

+/+2.3%

NET INCOME Q4 2014 $45.00M

Q3 2014 $39.58M

+/+13.7%

EARNINGS PER SHARE +/+505.3%

$1.15

Up next: Later this month, KEMET Corporation will release earnings for the second fiscal quarter ended Sept. 30, 2014.

Stay in the know.

TheUpstate BusinessJournal

Upstate Business Journal

October 17, 2014

@UpstateBiz

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

15

By MATT DUNBAR, managing director, Upstate Carolina Angel Network

INNOVATE Movers, shakers and disruptors shaping our future

Getting smart on startups The Upstate’s startup education system has many critical components “A startup is not a smaller version of a large company.”

On the surface, this small slice of startup wisdom from entrepreneur-turned-teacher Steve Blank might seem obvious, but its profound importance has really only begun to shape our understanding of startup companies over the last five years.

Blank postulated that startups are temporary organizations in search of a scalable business model. Entrepreneurs should “get out of the building” and get to know their market through a customer development process, he said. One of Blank’s students, Eric Reis, furthered Blank’s hypothesis and developed the Lean Startup methodology, which has been widely studied and adopted since its publication in 2011.

In short, their insights have helped entrepreneurs learn valuable lessons about conserving precious resources – namely cash – until they have validated their company’s product-market fit. Once validated, however, entrepreneurs can begin to apply human resources and financial capital to scale up and capture significant market opportunities.

The concept of lean startups is just one thread of a complex and dynamic startup education that entrepreneurs must obtain along the path to building successful companies. Other important lessons include everything from technologies and markets to legal structures and contracts to building teams and culture to accounting and venture finance. And of course, the best startup lessons come from experience and other entrepreneurs.

As cities and regions across the county work to build up their entrepreneurial ecosystems, the academic and experiential elements of a startup education are proving an important

16

ingredient for success. Prominent venture capitalist Brad Feld recently shared his thoughts building those ecosystems his book “Startup Communities.”

Feld’s “Boulder Thesis” describes the need for committed, inclusive, entrepreneur-led initiatives that create continual activities to engage and educate all the parties in the ecosystem, or “entrepreneurial stack.”

Just last month, the Kauffman Foundation published a case study on the growing startup ecosystem in St. Louis. At the core of their findings was the need for collaboration and local-learning among and between entrepreneurs and support organizations, along with hands-on activity-based events, where would-be entrepreneurs gain practical opportunities to put startup skills to work.

Fortunately here in the Upstate, many of those critical elements of a startup education are growing and thriving, and we are getting smarter when it comes to startups.

We have strong leadership from entrepreneurs who have started companies, spearheaded efforts to launch the NEXT initiatives with the

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 17, 2014

Greenville Chamber, the Iron Yard code academy and accelerators in Greenville and Spartanburg, e-Merge @ the Garage in Anderson and Startup Weekend events across the Upstate.

We have great support organizations that are connecting the community and providing opportunities to learn, from speakers and forum series hosted by Innovision, Black Box, NEXT, GSATC, Clemson and others to the networking events hosted by at Tech After Five.

We have strong institutions of higher education providing a broad menu of opportunities, from Clemson’s Spiro Institute and MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, to the Incubator at the George at USC Upstate, to Wofford’s Launch Program, to the Greenville Tech Entrepreneur’s Forum to the collaboration between Furman and Clemson for the recent University Innovation Fellows Southeastern Meetup.

There are many other critical components of our startup education system in the Upstate. And we need to continue to build connections,

collaboration and learning opportunities among them.

The Upstate Carolina Angel Network is also working to do its part to provide part of the startup education – both for entrepreneurs and investors.

UCAN leverages the resources of the Angel Capital Association and the Angel Resource Institute to offer regular educational workshops and seminars geared to both entrepreneurs and investors. In the past, we’ve hosted workshops on topics ranging from valuation to term sheets to startup boards. This month, we are offering a new workshop on an often-overlooked topic for startups – cap tables.

As entrepreneurs start and grow their ventures, it is vitally important that they understand the ultimate impact of sharing equity with their team, their partners and investors.

Likewise, investors must understand the ultimate economic allocations their investment will buy. The UCAN Understanding Cap Tables Workshop on Oct. 29 will offer both entrepreneurs and investors an opportunity to study the math and implications of many common events in a startup’s life.

We’re building a stronger startup community here in the Upstate – and part of that process is getting smart with our startup education.

Engage OCT

29

UCAN CAP TABLE WORKSHOP

Clemson at ONE, 1 N. Main St., Room 505, Greenville 1-5 p.m.

Register at: ucanworkshop captables.eventbrite.com

1

Know Your Fiduciary Liability FIVE THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT BEING A FIDUCIARY TO A RETIREMENT PLAN

By Fifth Third Bank

2

Understand what constitutes a fiduciary.

Congress enacted the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) requiring the fiduciary to act responsibly and solely in the interest of plan participants and beneficiaries. ERISA imposes high standards on fiduciaries to discharge their duties to accomplish this objective.

3

Know your personal risk as a fiduciary.

Fiduciaries may be held personally liable for not meeting ERISA standards and may be liable for breach of duty by a co-fiduciary. Fiduciaries are allowed to delegate certain duties, but must recognize that delegation itself is a fiduciary act that can subject

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The

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a fiduciary to liability. Examples include plan administration functions, participant communications, direction to providers, trustee, etc. If any of these duties are scrutinized and result in a breach of fiduciary duty, a fiduciary may be subject to civil penalties and criminal sanctions.

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Beware of common fiduciary challenges.

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5

Mitigate your fiduciary risk.

You can mitigate your fiduciary risks and fulfill your duties by transferring some or all of the responsibility of

selecting and monitoring investments.

ERISA recognizes two specific forms of fiduciary with respect to the aforementioned: • 3(21) Fiduciary – A person or entity who exercises any authority or control respecting management or disposition of assets or renders investment advice for a fee.

• 3(38) Fiduciary – An investment manager who is a Registered Investment Advisor, Bank or Insurance Company that acknowledges in writing that it is a fiduciary with respect to the plan and has the power to manage, acquire or dispose of any assets of the plan.

For additional information regarding Fifth Third Bank products or services, call our Greenville office to speak with Charlie Arndt at 864-558-2470.

Fifth Third Securities does not provide tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax advisor before making any decisions or taking any action based on this information. Fifth Third Bank provides access to investments and investment services through various subsidiaries, including Fifth Third Securities. Fifth Third Securities is the trade name used by Fifth Third Securities, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and a registered investment advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Securities and investments offered through Fifth Third Securities, Inc. and insurance products: Are Not FDIC Insured, Offer No Bank Guarantee, May Lose Value, Are Not Insured By Any Federal Government Agency, Are Not A Deposit. Insurance products made available through Fifth Third Insurance Agency, Inc.

PROFESSIONAL

By LORA PFOHL, PR Works

Strategies for honing your professional skills

5 reasons you need a crisis communication plan When a crisis happens within your business, it can become not only an operations issue, but also a public relations nightmare. Just ask Paula Deen, the executives of Target or, locally, the board of CertusBank.

Can you have a crisis and come out better for it?

Several months since the height of the controversy, CertusBank continues to work and repair not only the organization, but also the organization’s reputation. If you mention them at a dinner party, what reaction do you get? Did they communicate effectively to the community at large? Not only during the days in April, but continually through the process of recovery?

Open lines of communication are vital to any relationship. In your marriage, with your children, and even with your clients or stakeholders, maintaining a healthy relationship is predicated on sharing your ups and downs, trials and tribulations, explaining your actions and admitting your mistakes. It is not an easy thing to do, but keeping your clients abreast of your company’s well-being, and its despair, gives them a sense of engagement, shows your investment in the company/client relationship and, in turn, can improve your credibility.

1. “ANY PUBLICITY IS GOOD PUBLICITY” IS NOT TRUE. Don’t let the bad press define you.

When you can positively react to a bad situation, your organization appears responsible and sincere. Bad things will happen. Food Network stars will use racial slurs, companies will have security breaches, executives will mismanage funds, and communicating with your customers about your regret and recourse helps you overcome adversity.

2. IT’S BEST TO CONFESS. You can protect your company’s reputation by being up front and

18

When Jack In The Box went into defense mode after the E. coli outbreak several years ago, they denied responsibility and blamed the government. The fallout was severe.

Fortunately, the fast-food chain was advised to fight the backlash with accepting responsibility for its mistake and, sequentially, becoming an advocate for stricter safety measures for restaurants. The company rebounded, and the rest is history.

3. RUMORS, REGRET AND RESPONSIBILITY.

You can protect your company’s reputation by being up front and explaining the situation.

By being the messenger, you get to create the message. explaining the situation. By being the messenger, you get to create the message. The media and your clients will appreciate receiving the details from you, instead of having to search for answers. You have the opportunity to admit the mistake or challenge, and share your solution, which can deter rumors and speculation.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 17, 2014

When information is held back, imaginations begin to fly. If your organization is not talking, I can guarantee your customers and competition are. It’s better to be forthcoming and admit your mistake than to let others wonder, hypothesize and judge.

Case in point with the current gubernatorial race: Vincent Sheheen, the Democratic challenger, is using Nikki Haley’s choice to withhold information on the 2012 data breach for more than two weeks against her.

His point being that not only did her camp withhold knowledge of the breach for arguably too long, but that it was irresponsible because the individuals affected could have reacted to secure their accounts.

4. TIME MANAGEMENT. By having a plan in place, you can control the time it takes to release information. In the heat of the moment, you can become flustered and hasty, especially when reporters are calling. The initial contact to your stakeholders and the media should be a “holding statement” that is distributed immediately following the incident. This statement should have some basic information, and a timetable of when more details will be provided.

Most government agencies, including law enforcement, have the holding

statement protocol down to a science.

When a crime or accident has happened and news reporters have descended onto the scene amongst the chaos, police officers are trained to provide very basic information while the investigation is unfolding. The 5 o’clock news will report from the site with blue lights flashing in the distance and little information, but the promise from the officials that details are forthcoming.

Holding statements for a variety of scenarios should be prepared in advance, reviewed and updated annually for relevance. Once the holding statement is distributed, the executive team can determine the crisis response details and craft full statements for the media, stakeholders, etc.

5. DON’T PUT YOUR FOOT IN YOUR MOUTH. Making sure you have a documented crisis communications plan eliminates errors. When your employees have been made aware that in a crisis situation no one should talk to the media except identified spokespersons, they won’t share details with the reporter who called the front desk. Everyone in your organization should at least know the initial steps of the crisis plan, which in most cases points out who can comment to the media. Also, make sure the crisis communications plan document is not just in a red binder on everyone’s office shelf, but also a digital file that can be accessed by a mobile device.

Remember, you do not have to share every detail of your company’s crisis, but letting the public know that your organization is working on a solution has a considerable effect. Not letting them know also has a considerable effect. You already have one crisis to overcome. Don’t cause a public relations crisis as well.

GvlTech 1017 UBJ.indd 1

10/13/14 12:04 PM

COVER STORY

Leaping the per capita income gap Why Greenville is trailing the national average—and what to do about it.

CINDY LANDRUM | STAFF

clandrum@communityjournals.com The good news is Greenville’s per capita income is growing.

The bad news is that it’s not growing fast enough.

In fact, Greenville County’s per capita personal income has fallen to 89.5 percent of the U.S. per capita personal income, a level not seen since the mid-1980s – before BMW located next door in Spartanburg County and brought a slew of automotive-related enterprises with it, and before companies such as Hubbell Lighting, TD Bank and Proterra called the Upstate home.

W h y ?

Because while the

county and the Upstate have attracted new companies, Greenville has struggled to educate its populace, said David Taylor, president of the University Center of Greenville, a consortium of seven colleges and universities.

“You can say the per capita income will go up if you bring in better jobs because the better jobs pay more,” Taylor said. “But you’re not going to get the better-paying jobs if you don’t have an educated workforce. The BMWs, the Michelins, the Hubble Lighting, the TD Banks can’t cover up when the majority of your people don’t have the education they need.”

The Greenville Metropolitan Statistical Area’s per capita personal income of $35,696 lags significantly behind the U.S. average of $43,735 and trails several comparable Southeastern cities.

A MEASURE OF COMPETITIVENESS

DEFINED Per capita income represents the total personal income of the residents of a state divided by the resident population of the state.

Significance: According to experts, per capita personal income is often used as an important indicator of the quality of consumer markets and of the economic well-being of the residents of an area Source: South Carolina Indicators Project

20

Per capita personal income is the primary measure of an area’s economic competitiveness, experts say.

“It’s like a person’s vitals at the ER,” said Hank Hyatt, vice president for economic development at the Greenville Chamber of Commerce. “If a person’s blood pressure is up, it doesn’t tell you what is wrong, but it does show you might have a problem.”

Per capita income is used as a gauge because it offers a broader definition of personal income – it includes government transfers such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid as well as interest and dividends – than

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 17, 2014

“You’re not going to get the better-paying jobs if you don’t have an educated workforce.

The BMWs, the Michelins, the Hubble Lighting, the TD Banks can’t cover up when the majority of your people don’t have the education they need.”

–David Taylor the self-reported U.S. Census does.

“Per capita income measures the velocity of the economy rather than the health of households,” Hyatt said.

Greenville County saw rapid growth in its per capita income in the mid-1980s to 2000, even for a time surpassing the national average.

“Part of it may be there was a better match between the employment base here and the workforce here,” Hyatt said. Since then, he said, “The mid-level jobs have disappeared.”

Greensboro, one of Greenville’s peer metro areas and also a textile city, has the second worst per capita income among the metropolitan areas to which Greenville compares or inspires itself.

“We have legacy issues we’re dealing with and Greensboro is dealing with,” Hyatt said.

PART OF THE TEXTILE HANGOVER

A much lower percentage of Greenville’s per capita income derives from wages and dividends than its peer cities, and a much larger percentage comes from government assistance, a study by Market Street Services in Atlanta has shown, Hyatt said.

The study was done in conjunction with ACCELERATE!, a Greenville Chamber initiative to promote economic growth in Greenville. ACCELERATE! investors are working on a new work plan being dubbed ACCELERATE! 2.0. The new approach will focus on five strategies – selling Greenville, growing new company headquarters, increasing capacity and performance of minority-owned businesses, championing a pro-business environment for all employers and leading catalytic projects.

David Hughes, a University of Tennessee economist who had been at Clemson University’s Center >>

COVER STORY

Per capita personal income: Peer regions

0

GREENVILLE, SC GREENSBORO, NC COLUMBIA, SC KNOXVILLE, TN CHARLESTON, SC JACKSON, MS LEXINGTON, KY CHARLOTTE, NC LOUISVILLE, KY

PCPI: $35,696 PCPI: $36,645 PCPI: $37,294 PCPI: $37,864 PCPI: $39,444 PCPI: $39,505 PCPI: $39,925 PCPI: $40,465 PCPI: $40,970

POPULATION: 842,853 POPULATION: 736,065 POPULATION: 784,745 POPULATION: 848,350 POPULATION: 697,439 POPULATION: 576,800 POPULATION: 485,023 POPULATION: 2,296,569* POPULATION:1,251,351

LITTLE ROCK, AR BIRMINGHAM, AL

PCPI: $41,662 PCPI: $41,850

POPULATION: 717,666 POPULATION: 1,136,650

JACKSONVILLE, FL RALEIGH, NC AUSTIN, TX RICHMOND, VA NASHVILLE, TN

PCPI: $41,900 PCPI: $42,709 PCPI: $42,902 PCPI: $45,194 PCPI: $45,213

POPULATION: 1,377,850 POPULATION: 1,188,564* POPULATION: 1,834,303* POPULATION: 1,231,980 POPULATION: 1,726,693*

5,000

10,000

15,000

>>

for Economic Development, said the higher percentage of government assistance comes from two entities: a larger retired population and a poorer population.

“It’s part of the textile hangover,” he said, noting the effect of the textile industry crash is still evident when driving into Greenville from Clemson on Hwy. 123.

Greenville’s growth may actually be working against it when it comes to per capita income, Hughes said.

“When the economy is growing, people come looking for work and that tends to lower per capita income,” he said. “In a way, it’s a good sign. Austin, Texas, had the same phenomenon. Greenville is doing a lot of the right things. It just needs to enhance those efforts.”

EDUCATION IS KEY Education is a big part of the key, Hughes said.

Taylor agrees.

“It’s simple math,” he said. As a

20,000

25,000

The Greenville Metropolitan Statistical Area trails all of its peer and target regions in per capita personal income, according to the latest information available from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. *Target Regions Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

30,000

person’s educational attainment rises, so does his income, and the likelihood of unemployment falls. As an area’s per capita income rises, so does its economic growth, Taylor said.

“In order for the Upstate to prosper, we have to move the educational water line,” he said.

Taylor recalled overhearing a woman at a convenience store last week talking about her 17-year-old son pressuring her to sign papers that would allow him to drop out of school.

“He’d be signing his economic death sentence,” Taylor said.

Working-age adults without a high school diploma have an unemployment rate of 11 percent compared to 6.1 percent for all workers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Nationwide, workers without a high school diploma have average weekly earnings of $472.

For high school graduates, average weekly wages are $651 and the unemployment rate falls to 7.5 percent.

35,000

40,000

45,000

50,000

“That’s a 37.9 percent pay raise just for getting your high school diploma,” Taylor said, noting in today’s workplace, a 5 percent raise is great these days.

Results are similar for every rung of the education ladder a person climbs up, Taylor said. In addition to higher pay, increased education leads to an increase in entrepreneurship and innovation, he said. “This is how prosperous areas of the country are prosperous.”

In Greenville County, 30 to 32 percent of residents have some type of college degree, Taylor said (for a period of time, it was 28 percent), while about 42,000 residents have some college but no degree. That number grows to between 80,000 and 90,000 people when contiguous counties are added, he said.

The study conducted by the University Center in 2013 found that 50 percent of Greenville residents with an associate degree want a bachelor’s degree. Sixty-two percent of Greenville residents with a bachelor’s

October 17, 2014

“It’s like a person’s vitals at the ER. If a person’s blood pressure is up, it doesn’t tell you what is wrong but it does show you might have a problem.”

–Hank Hyatt degree want a master’s degree.

The University Center is a consortium of seven colleges and universities – USC Upstate, the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, Furman University, Greenville Technical College, South Carolina State University and Anderson University – that offer programs at the former McAlister Square shopping mall.

“Education is the only way to increase per capita income. You can’t bring businesses in to do it. As a community, we still don’t get it,” Taylor said. The University Center will hold its next College Opportunity Fair on Oct. 21 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Hughes said programs to keep students in school need to start as early as possible. A new initiative to that end was announced last week

by The United Way of Greenville County, Greenville County Schools and the Riley Institute at Furman University, which are partnering to launch a new early warning and response system in the middle schools in the White Horse Road corridor.

The program, paid for through a $3 million federal grant that could grow to $15 million through matching funds, will identify students showing signs of disengaging from school and match them with community organizations that can address issues at the root of the problem.

Greenville can take heart that per capita income is increasing, Hyatt said. “But we can do better.”

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

21

UBJ WHO’S WHO – ONES TO WATCH

Spence M. Taylor, M.D. VP of physician engagement, chief academic officer, and president of GHS Clinical University

H

By APRIL A. MORRIS | staff amorris@communityjournals.com

He trained as a cardiovascular surgeon, was a major in the Air Force, took care of casualties during the invasion of Panama and Operation Desert Storm – and was on the short list for Clemson University president. Dr. Spence Taylor came back to Greenville to work in the general residency program at Greenville Health System and now is senior associate dean for academic affairs at the USC School of Medicine Greenville. The Greenville native has spent the last few years launching the Upstate medical school and sat down to talk about his journey and what’s next.

The lowest moment [in the medical school process] was in June 2010; politics were at their highest.

The Legislature said it wouldn’t give state funds for a medical school and we said we didn’t want any – they didn’t believe us. People were convinced that the medical school wouldn’t happen and MUSC had hired a consultant to re-evaluate. The consultant ended up helping me pull everything together that summer for the October deadline. There were 8,000 pages of documentation we had to put together – I was getting up at 3 in the morning to work. It was nuts, but we got it done.

How did you become involved at the Greenville Health System?

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I was recruited to revamp the general residency program at GHS. We started with two doctors and expanded to 100. And at 39 years old, I threw my hat into the ring for chair of surgery in 1998. I helped recruit Dr. Jerry Youkey to GHS and took on additional duties as associate dean in 2008.

The patient care piece is very rewarding. When you’re operating, you’re totally present. I also enjoy working in the medical school and instructing a new generation of doctors –and essentially dozens of patients.

How were you involved in getting the medical school to come to the Upstate?

In April 2009, we started working on the medical school and presented a feasibility study in August 2009.

By July 2010, I had to step down from chair of surgery to work on the medical school full time, and we worked on the accreditation process in October 2011. We put the medical school together in about two years – I’ve not really recovered since.

Was there a time when you were sure you would fail? Did it happen?

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What was your first job?

I had a paper route in fourth grade in Chicago and later worked for my father. He owned a corrugated box business in Lexington, S.C. I began to work there at 15. He saw trouble in my eyes and he told me I had a job, but I had to show up early – at 3 a.m. – to do my paperwork and start on second shift. For four years, I worked second shift and kept asking if I could switch to first shift.

Keep in mind, he owned the business, but told me there were no openings.

He kept me out of trouble, out of jail and off the streets of Columbia.

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 17, 2014

Photo by Greg Beckner

Is it still a family business?

My younger brother is in the corrugated box business, older brother is an ob-gyn and my twin sister is a nurse.

What’s next for you?

I’m excited about our clinical university that pairs traditional university rivals in a shared academic health center. It gives you the size, scale and scope to have a shot at transforming health care, with Clemson as our research partner, USC for clinical and Furman as undergraduate. What we’ll have on this campus in 10 years will be tremendous. I predict we will have a physician assistant school and nursing school. I still keep my hand in one day a week and see patients and still do surgery. I’ll also continue to help administer the American Board of Surgery oral exams.

What is your idea of work-life balance?

Surgery is such a vocation that it’s also your hobby. I made a commitment to my wife Marie when we had kids that I wouldn’t work 15 hours a day and then go hunting on the weekends – I would be home to help out. And that’s been the success of

our marriage. I also love to play golf and go walking.

What is something that people don’t know about you?

I love to listen to music, contemporary jazz. Some of my favorites are Boney James, Gerald Albright, Michael Franks and Steely Dan.

What excites you in your field?

It was for us to put together the largest medical university in the state with the largest health care system in the state to create an academic health center (a university with a medical school connected to a group of hospitals). The real vision is around the I-85 corridor, to leverage the academic health center into an economic engine. We’ve started a research and development corporation. That will be a legacy along with the intellectual property that will come from the academic health center.

How do you motivate people?

I’m a rah-rah guy. I lead by example and I try to hire good people. If you hire leaders, then you’re going to motivate people.

SOCIAL SNAPSHOT Inside the Upstate’s networking and social scene

GREENVILLE CELEBRATES GOOGLE ECITY HONOR People meet and mingle at the Dark Corner Distillery last Friday, at a community celebration in recognition of Greenville being named the 2014 eCity of South Carolina by Google. The eCity Awards recognize the strongest online business community in each state – the digital capitals of America.

Lilyn Hester, Google Southeast public affairs manager, left, presents Greenville Mayor Knox White the Google 2014 eCity of South Carolina award.

Photos by Greg Beckner

Growth and improvement in every direction.

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

Learn more...www.GSP360BeyondtheRunway.com October 17, 2014

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

23

ON THE MOVE Play-by-play of Upstate careers

BANKING

LEGAL

Fifth Third Bank promoted Charlie Arndt, Wholesale Middle Market Team leader, to senior vice president. His responsibilities will focus on expanding Greenville and Asheville opportunities.

Collins & Lacy P.C. attorney Christian Stegmaier was named chairman of DRI’s 2015 Retail & Hospitality seminar in Chicago. Stegmaier is a member of the Collins & Lacy Management Committee and chair of the firm’s Retail & Hospitality Practice Group. DRI is an organization of defense attorneys and in-house counsel.

CONSTRUCTION O’Neal Inc. promoted David Hardy to preconstruction facility manager and hired James Masters as construction manager and Paul McGowan as structural engineer. Hardy has more than 22 years of experience in the engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) business. Masters has more than 30 years of managing MEP construction, primarily for pharmaceutical and data management facilities. McGowan has more than seven years of structural engineering experience, working most recently with CH2MHill.

EDUCATION

SUPPORT OUR LOCAL WOUNDED VETS

COMEDY NIGHT Genevieve’s Lounge at the Peace Center 20 UPSTATE LEADERS ARE TAKING THE STAGE TO TELL THEIR FAVORITE JOKE! Benefiting The Military Order Of The Purple Heart

UPSTATE CHAPTER 845

Monday, November 3, 2014

Reception from 6-7 pm • Show begins at 7 pm Tickets: $30 (tax deductible donation) Available online at:

www.peacecenter.org

or at the Peace Center Box Office

Fred Cartwright, Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) executive director, has been appointed to the SAE Foundation board of trustees. He will help direct the foundation on expanding SAE International’s STEM education programs. Prior to joining CU-ICAR in 2013, Cartwright spent more than 32 years at General Motors.

FINANCE Pete Byford was hired as NMTC senior program manager by taxadvantagegroup. Byford will assist qualified projects to source capital through the federal new market tax credit program administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He previously served as general counsel and executive vice president of S.B. Phillips Co. Inc. Other professional experience includes serving as president of Banker Exchange LLC, a national qualified intermediary for Section 1031 tax deferred exchanges.

MARKETING/PR Infinity Marketing named Andrew Roberts, Nanette Ternberg, Lee Campbell and Jessica Howard as interns for the fall semester. Roberts and Ternberg join the Infinity team as graphic design interns. Roberts is a senior at Anderson University. Ternberg recently graduated from Greenville Technical College. Campbell assists the DJ Endorsements team. He is a senior at Bob Jones University.

Howard recently graduated from University of Georgia. She assists the manufactured housing team and the grocery team.

NONPROFIT The Blood Connection Inc. promoted Donna Ehrlich to manager of marketing and communications. She began working for The Blood Connection in June 2012. Her new position will include leading corporate-wide marketing, communications and community relations efforts. She will also work closely with donor resources and business development.

The Spartanburg County Foundation hired Bailey Edwards Nelson as director of communications. Prior to joining the Foundation, Nelson was senior pastor of a congregation in North Carolina and provided marketing and public relations services to the New Baptist Covenant movement. She also served as the director of the Stephenson Seminary Scholars Program.

9ROUND, A GREENVILLE-BASED KICKBOXING CHAIN, has grown to 130 locations in 36 states during the five years since beginning its franchising opportunity The company opened 94 locations since 2013 and has an additional 100 locations in various stages of development. The fitness centers offer smaller, more specialized training compared to big-box gyms.

Professional kickboxer Shannon Hudson founded 9Round.

24

UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 17, 2014

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

PROMOTED HIRED

SELECTED NAMED

HIRED

HIRED

HONORED HIRED

Greg Taylor

James Clements

Beth Ellen Holimon

John Hirt

Micah Brandenburg

Named office managing partner for Dixon Hughes Goodman’s Greenville office.

Taylor has worked at Dixon Hughes Goodman his entire 21-year public accounting career, providing services for health care clients and nonprofit entities.

Named by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker as a co-chair of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Clements, president of Clemson University, will advise Pritzker on programs to accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship.

Named executive director of Dining for Women. Holimon has more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit management. Her nonprofit career includes leading organizations and addressing issues such as child abuse, cancer and environmental preservation.

Joins FinTrust Investment Advisors as managing director of capital markets. Hirt was previously managing director and national sales manager for Raymond James. He also served on the senior management committee for the Fixed Income Capital Markets group.

Named vice president of new business at digital strategy firm Worthwhile. Brandenburg will lead Worthwhile’s team in engaging with companies, startups and individuals. He will also oversee the company’s marketing efforts.

Is Your Office Overflowing With Endless Piles of Paper?

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FINE PRINT Business briefs you can’t miss

Road Warriors welcome Sandlapper as naming rights partner The Greenville Road Warriors have partnered with Sandlapper Securities LLC for naming rights of the ice surface at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

As part of the three-year partnership with the team, the Road Warriors’ playing surface will now be called Sandlapper Securities Rink. The company’s logo will be displayed just inside

the blue line at each end of the ice, and Sandlapper will be mentioned every time the Road Warriors take the ice during the regular season and playoffs.

Sandlapper, a veteran-owned business, will also be highlighted as the presenting sponsor of the national anthem at each home game.

In addition, Sandlapper will be the presenting partner for a Center for Developmental Services (CDS) game night during the season. The Road Warriors will donate a portion of the game’s ticket sales proceeds to CDS.

Windstream recognized by ATLANTIC-ACM

UCB launches new veterans program

Windstream, a Greenville-based network and cloud communications provider, received the 2014 Metro Wholesale Service Provider Excellence Awards for Voice Value and Data Value from research consultancy firm ATLANTIC-ACM. The awards are based on customer ratings for each of the Metro Carrier report card product categories in combination with customer ratings on price competitiveness.

The annual awards program honored five telecommunications companies during the COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2014 conference in Dallas. Recipients were selected based on more than 1,800 individual wholesale customer ratings of the carriers’ services and each will be featured in the ATLANTIC-ACM’s Metro Carrier Report Card series.

United Community Bank is rolling out a new program for veterans as part of the national Operation: Vet Access initiative.

Rich Bradshaw, president of specialized lending at United, helped launch the program through his work with National Rich Bradshaw Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders.

The initiative stems from Bradshaw’s background as a retired commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve and five years of active duty as a captain in the U.S. Air Force. Through the program, veterans receive preferential rates, and the packaging fees on SBA loans are waived for veterans.

The program serves as a complement to the SBA’s Veteran Pledge initiative announced earlier this year.

Chicken Salad Chick to expand franchise in Greenville Chicken Salad Chick, a fastcasual restaurant franchise, announced the development of another location on Pelham Road.

“We are so happy to be bringing this extraordinary concept to another Greenville location,” said owners Julie Beville and Michelle Singleton in a release. “We have absolutely loved getting to know our guests on Augusta Road, and cannot wait to share the Chicken Salad Chick experience with this new location.”

SingBev Hospitality LLC currently operates four Chicken Salad Chick restaurants in Greenville, Lexington and Columbia, as well as Charlotte, N.C. Chicken Salad Chick has sold 85 franchises to be developed across Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and the Carolinas, and has plans to expand nationally in the coming years.

The restaurant is expected to open in the first quarter of 2015.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 17, 2014

Every Game

FINE PRINT Business briefs you can’t miss

Clemson dedicates Erwin Center Last week, Clemson University officials dedicated the Erwin Center for Advertising and Communication with the formal launch of its communications studio in Daniel Hall.

The Erwin Center is designed to help students prepare for degrees in advertising and marketing by learning from industry leaders who hold senior-level positions in the advertising industry, according to a statement from the university.

“When they leave this program, they will be

Dave & Buster’s to hire 260 at Magnolia Park Dave & Buster’s has begun the hiring process for more than 260 jobs at its Magnolia Park restaurant on Woodruff Road, scheduled to open Nov. 17.

Available positions include servers, host staff, bartenders, cooks and game technicians.

“The grand opening in Greenville marks our first location in South Carolina, and we are excited to meet applicants wanting to join Dave & Buster’s fun, high-energy work culture,” Greg Simms, general manager of the Greenville location, said in a release.

Dave & Buster’s Greenville will feature more than 130 games and a 360-degree sports bar that provides sports fans with high-definition televisions. Interested candidates should complete an online application at daveandbusters.com/careers.

ready to hit the ground running,” said Richard Goodstein, dean of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities.

The Erwin Center was founded in 2012 through a donation by Joe Erwin, a 1979 Clemson graduate, and his wife, Gretchen.

Together, the Erwins started Erwin Penland Advertising of Greenville, South Carolina. The new center is a strategic partnership between Erwin Penland and Clemson University’s department of communication studies.

Photo by Joshua Kelly

EDTS named one of the fastest-growing companies EDTS, a technology consulting firm with offices in Greenville, Columbia and Augusta, Ga., was named for the second straight year to the CRN Fast Growth 150 list.

The list features IT companies that have been the fastest growing nationally over a two-year period from 2011 to 2013.

The solution providers on this year’s Fast Growth 150 list had just over $7 billion in combined annual revenue in 2013, and averaged a two-year growth rate of 102.6 percent.

“This honor reinforces a growing national recognition of EDTS and is directly attributed to our team focus on delivering IT services to help our customers attain the highest level of success possible,” said Charles Johnson, CEO of EDTS. To be eligible, companies must be headquartered in North America; founded before Dec. 31, 2009; be an independent company; and have a primary business as an IT solution provider, and not as a vendor or distributor.

Passco purchases Vinings at Laurel Creek Passco Companies LLC has purchased Vinings at Laurel Creek, a 244-unit, Class A apartment community, for $30.9 million. The multifamily community is located at 3434 Laurens Road near downtown Greenville.

Delivered in 2013, the apartment property features a beach-entry pool, indoor/outdoor clubhouse, cyber café, dog park and fitness center.

Passco plans to hold the asset for seven to 10 years, or until the market dictates, according to Gary Goodman, senior vice president of acquisitions for Passco Cos.

Clems n Every Game October 17, 2014

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SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ

SQUARE FEET Real estate deals and developments across the region

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Gre three-bedroom units and range from 750 to 1,500 en Ave square feet. Rental rates will be $800 to $1,350 t S s s e Gu per month, said Gilley. Features such as exposed wood beams, stained concrete floors and PROJECT PARTNERS countertops will add to DEVELOPER: TRV Development Inc. the character.

PROJECT ARCHITECT: Atelier Architecture Other amenities PROJECT CPA, FINANCIAL AND BUDGETING planned are a theater/ ADVISOR: Carol L. King & Associates PA lounge area, exercise facilities and swimming HISTORIC CONSULTANT/SHPO LIAISON: pool. There will also be Stephanie Ferrell a community garden and HISTORIC TAX CREDIT SYNDICATION/LEGAL: a 1/4–mile walking trail Donald S. Holm for residents.

St Augusta Construction is expected to begin in two weeks and apartments will be available in summer 2015.

“The space itself is in a fantastic location in a neighborhood that is revitalizing itself,” said Gilley.

“I think a project of this nature will really change the dynamic of this community.”

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After acquiring the E. W. Montgomery Cotton Warehouse building on Green Avenue three years ago, developer Nick Gilley has worked hard to get it placed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as lay out a plan to restore the building to its former glory.

Gilley, who is vice president of TRV Development and whose company built The Elements condos/ townhomes in the North Main community, plans to convert the former textile building into 60 loft apartments called Elements West while “restoring and preserving the historical structure.”

Originally built between 1927 and 1933, the cotton warehouse supported the textile industry for the thriving cotton mills in the area. Huge north-facing skylights illuminate what will be the common room, which was where the cotton was “graded.” The common area “will be the best room in the building,” said Gilley.

The Elements was the first Earthcraft and Energy Star-certified townhome neighborhood in Greenville, and Gilley said he plans to build the Elements West apartments in the same environmentally friendly way. The apartment community will be constructed to LEED specifications and will include solar panels for hot-water heating and common-area power.

“As a green builder, I chose this building for its locations and its potential,” said Gilley.

Apartments at Elements West will be one- to

St .

Historic West End cotton mill to become loft apartments

St

LEADERSHIP CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD | THALHIMER is pleased to announce Kacie Jackson has been named President for CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) Upstate Chapter for the 2015 term. Kacie is an industrial sales and leasing specialist in Thalhimer’s Greenville office.

(864) 370 8155

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Kacie Jackson kacie.jackson@thalhimer.com

October 17, 2014

NEW TO THE STREET The freshest faces on the business landscape

1

Communicating through the Generation Gap A salesperson sends a text message to a client. The client responds to the text, but is irritated that the salesperson did not call him to discuss.

Meanwhile, another salesperson calls a different client. The client answers the phone, but can’t believe that the salesperson would waste his time with a phone call when he could have simply sent a text.

Two different ways of communicating and both methods were viewed as rude to the client. Is it the salesperson? Is it the client? Is it the message? No, it is the Generation Gap.

LEE YARBOROUGH

1. Motte and Sons Bootlegging Co., a family-owned distillery and retail store, recently opened at 220 E. Daniel Morgan Ave., Spartanburg. Hours for tastings, tours and sales are Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. For more information, visit motteandsons.com.

Photo Provided

2

Millennials (born post 1981) have an entirely different view. To question authority is a right and promotes collaboration. The internet has been in existence their entire life and technology is their second nature.

People born between 1965 and 1980 are referred to as Generation X. They can often be the bridge between the older generations and the Millennials. They understand the old style hierarchy, but grew up encouraged to speak out.

Each generation has its strengths and weaknesses. They need to learn from each other. Communication styles are inherently different. Traditionalists can coach Millennials in the value of face to face communication and in turn, Millennials can educate their team on the latest technology.

So, do you send a text or make a call? The key is to know your audience. Learn what is important to each generation and use the proper tools to communicate.

669 N. Academy Street, Greenville, SC 864.679.6055 | 800.446.6567 | www.propelhr.com M43A

1. Baltimore Life recently opened an office at 337 Prado Way, Greenville.

The mutual life insurance company specializes in working with middleclass American families. Hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, call 864-558-0495.

Traditionalists (born before 1946) and Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) view the workplace using a traditional organization chart. The mentality is to work your way up, don’t question authority and follow the chain of command.

October 17, 2014

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

PLANNER Events you should have on your calendar

FRIDAY OCTOBER 17– SUNDAY OCTOBER 19

TUESDAY OCTOBER 21

GREENVILLE CHAMBER BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Brown Mackie College, 70 Beattie Place, Suite 100, Greenville; 4-6 p.m.

STARTUP WEEKEND The Iron Yard, 411 University Ridge, Greenville Businesses go from ideas to actualities in 54 hours.

INFORMATION: bit.ly/ SWgville2014

REGISTER AT: techafterfive.com

REGISTER AT: bit.ly/ chamber-BAH

OKTOBERFEST BUSINESS AFTER HOURS & BUSINESS EXPO Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, 385 N. Church St., Spartanburg; 4-7 p.m.

Hosted by the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce FOR INFORMATION: bit.ly/spartanburgoktoberfest

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 22 TECH AFTER FIVE – GREENVILLE Grille 33, 535 Haywood Road, Greenville; 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Networking for tech entrepreneurs, professionals and supporters.

COST: $0-$5

eparris@ phillipsstaffing.com

REGISTER AT: uwitsc.com

ANDY BINDEWALD GSHRM GOLF TOURNAMENT Carolina Springs Golf Club, Fountain Inn; 11:30 a.m. check-in Greenville Society of Human Resource Managers (GSHRM) hosts annual tournament to raise funds for SHRM Foundation.

TO REGISTER: contact Ed Parris at 864-242-4144 or

THURSDAY OCTOBER 23 UPSTATE WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY LUNCH & LEARN City Range, 615 Haywood Road, Greenville; 11:30 a.m.

TOPIC: “Flip: Flop or Not? Can We Change Our Classrooms?”

SPEAKER: Paul Litzenberger, director of strategic innovation research, BJU Press Learn how a “flipped

GENERATIONS GROUP HOMES Inaugural Fundraising Dinner Thursday, November 13, 2014 7:00 pm

Keynote Speaker

Perry Tuttle Sponsorship opportunities and individual tickets are still available.

Please visit www.GenerationsGroup.com or call (864) 235-8330.

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UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 17, 2014

classroom” pilot project at Bob Jones Academy and two other schools is going.

SC CHAMBER UPSTATE REGIONAL GRASSROOTS MEETING Michelin North America, 1 Parkway South, Greenville; 10-11:30 a.m.

REGISTER AT: sccchamber.net (select “Events”) or email julie. scott@scchamber.net

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 Today the Dollar Store is home to Reality Link and Creative Health on the first floor. Next door on the right is Milano Kozani Restaurant, offering Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. A variety of restaurants and specialty shops continue south on Main. What was once home to First National Bank is now TD Bank. The Poinsett Hotel, restored in 2002, is now the Westin Poinsett Hotel, part of the Westin hotel and resort chain.​

Photo Provided

This view of Main Street from the 1960s looks south from Washington Street toward McBee Avenue and beyond. The ornamental clock, a reminder of Main Street’s 19th-century heritage, was moved from a block north. In the 1960s, beyond this point, the entire southern end of the block consisted of new construction.

Photo by Greg Beckner

MARKETING & EVENTS

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

Kate Madden

DIGITAL STRATEGIST PRESIDENT/CEO

ART & PRODUCTION

UBJ PUBLISHER

ART DIRECTOR Whitney Fincannon

Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com

OPERATIONS Holly Hardin

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Kristy Adair, Michael Allen

Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Anita Harley, Jane Rogers

Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com

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

MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehman, Pam Putman, Maddy Varin, Emily Yepes

NOVEMBER: PERSONAL FINANCE Saving and investing

UBJ milestone jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years 1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport

1988

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

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

>>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

>>

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

1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DECEMBER: ENERGY What does S.C. need for the future?

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

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NOVEMBER 1, 2013

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

OCTOBER 31: COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY

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

UBJ milestone

Emily Price

Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com

u UP NEXT

publishers of

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

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

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

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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.

Harold, MBA ‘14

www.clemson.edu/mba ¡ 864-656-3975