OCTOBER 25, 2013
Halloween is a $6 billion industry, but new regulations are making it harder to scare up a profit
GHOST TOWN A mummy greets shoppers at the Halloween Highway costume store in Greenville. The year-round store faces competition from pop-up stores this time of year. Photo by Greg Beckner/Staff
Clemson Alumni are known for ingenuity, creativity and passion at work, at home and in the community. Now accepting nominations. clemson.edu/spiro/innovation-awards
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
Innovative Spirit Awards
UBJ UP FRONT
Hometown Vantage By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
our mountains, waterfalls and lakes, the Upstate has more to see and do within a one-hour drive than entire states elsewhere in the country. The report from VisitGreenvilleSC shows that I’m not the only one who thinks that, either. I mean, more than 5.3 million people come to visit Greenville each year. Not too shabby for a city
eastern U.S. In each place I visited, I met the passionate business owners and community leaders who help shape, grow and build their towns. They all seem to have one thing in common: pride in their community. I see that same pride throughout Greenville while I am interviewing business owners and community leaders, or just walking down the street. People like to be here, they choose to be here and they are doing what they can to make Greenville a great place – not only to visit, but to live.
T IM EE SD TIM E D I GE N ESDI G N E D
he C lassiC TTHE C LASSI C
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530 HAYWOOD ROAD GREENVILLE, SC 864.297.5610
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As I was writing the story on Greenville’s Travel Barometer report this week, I got an overwhelming sense of pride for my adopted hometown. I’ve been here for a little over eight years now, and I still am continually amazed at all that Greenville has to offer. From our downtown, Cleveland Park and the Swamp Rabbit Trail to
of 60,000 people. The report also shows that Greenville is only 1 percent behind major travel destinations like Savannah and Charleston in hotel occupancy. Again, I think that’s pretty impressive. Those destinations have pretty large tourism budgets and have many more years of marketing under their belt. I spent the last several years before joining the Community Journals team doing freelance travel writing. That took me to many places, both near and far, and quite a bit throughout the south-
765 Haywood Greenville 765 Haywood Road,Road, Greenville, SC 29607 864-297-6458
October 25, 2013 Upstate business journal 3 21357 DY-Geiss_NLC30.indd 21357 DY-Geiss_NLC30.indd 1 1
10/22/13 7:48 10/22/13 7:48 AM AM
Volume II, Issue XLIII
October 25, 2013
Worth Repeating “There have been times we wanted to give up, but we didn’t. Each year we fortify ourselves to become bigger and bigger.”
18
Verbatim
On winning the bronze…
Joseph Thompson, co-owner of Madworld Haunted Attraction and Zombie Shoot.
“We know Greenville’s investment in bicycling will be returned many times over in the health, environmental and quality of life benefits of a thriving community.”
“All of our competitive states are sitting there with shovel-ready sites.” S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt, on the state’s shrinking inventory of commercial sites and buildings.
“I did what I did and I’m sorry for what I did.” Former investment firm manager Arthur Field, recently released after spending five days in prison on fraud and other charges.
Photo by Greg Beckner
Masks for sale at the Halloween Highway costume store in Greenville. The year-round store faces competition from pop-up stores this time of year.
Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists, which named Greenville a Bronzelevel Bicycle-Friendly Community.
TBA Word is Chick-fil-A is expanding in Mauldin; look for a new restaurant to open next summer in the Kmart shopping center at Butler Road and Hwy 276…
O’Reilly Auto Parts has reportedly submitted plans to open a new store at 205 N. Main St. in Mauldin. Opening date yet to be announced …
UBJ NEWS
Inland Port Gets Extra $2.7M By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com
One week after the inland port terminal opened in Greer, the S.C. Ports Authority (SCPA) voted unanimously to give the project an additional $2.7 million to cover unexpected costs. Issues including rain delays and unexpected topographical challenges ultimately added to the cost of the $51.4 million project. The SCPA broke ground in March on the project that directly connects to the Port of Charleston by rail and is expected to bring significant distribution-related business to the area. That brings the SPCA’s total funding commitment to about $43.9
million so far. The rest of the funds to cover the costs come from the Norfolk Southern rail line. The board previously had approved $41.2 million for the project as part of a $1.3-billion 10-year capital plan.
would expand cruise operations in downtown Charleston. The ruling follows an October 2012 lawsuit brought by the Preservation Society of Charleston and the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League alleging that the SCPA did not adequately assess the project’s impact on historic properties. U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel agreed Photo provided and ruled last month that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed Full operations were expected to begin this week. Meanwhile, the to complete a thorough review. Gergel SCPA also filed an appeal last week rejected the permit the Army Corps against a federal court ruling that that had issued as a result of its assessaffects a $35 million cruise terminal ment, sending it back for further project in Charleston. The project review.
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October 25, 2013 Upstate business journal 5
UBJ NEWS
World-Class Lawyers. Deep Local Roots.
Field Released From Prison By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer joladipo@communityjournals.com
Former investment firm manager
Greenville has been our home for over 90 years. With unmatched talent, our lawyers could practice anywhere in the country, but they chose Wyche—and Greenville—to call home. Greenville is one of the most vibrant and exciting Gree places in the country, and Wyche has been an integral part of its growth and success. We have a firm history of supporting local businesses, from startups to mature public companies. Let us nurture your company’s growth into the future. Learn why so many businesses choose Wyche at Lear www.wyche.com/why.
Arthur Field was released from prison last week after spending five days there on fraud and other charges. Field had headed Capital Investment Funds (CIF) in Easley, which owed note holders more than $38 million when he began to dissolve the company in 2008. That triggered civil lawsuits and a criminal investigation by the state attorney general. Field was indicted by a grand jury in June 2012 and sentenced Oct. 8, 2013, to 10 years in prison for securities fraud after pleading guilty.
“I did what I did and I’m sorry for what I did. But when I did it, I did not believe they were worthless loans, and I thought we were acting in the best interest of the people.” Arthur Field
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6 Upstate business journal October 25, 2013
The indictment alleged that Field failed to disclose financial practices and important information, such as the removal of the most senior level staff at CIF and its parent company for improper financial transactions made with CIF funds. The prosecution also argued that CIF sold promissory notes to inves-
ARTHUR FIELD
tors and then fraudulently re-lent the money to other businesses. Field pled guilty to one count of forgery, two counts of conspiracy and 11 counts of securities fraud. On Oct. 18, Circuit Judge Cordell Maddox ruled that Field’s sentence would be suspended after Field served 26 months in prison. But the judge also ordered that Field be given credit for 15 months of home confinement and 33 days already spent in jail before his trial. After that, Field would serve five years probation. He also must pay $2.8 million in restitution to more than 650 note holders. “I did what I did and I’m sorry for what I did,” Field told the court at his sentencing. “But when I did it, I did not believe they were worthless loans, and I thought we were acting in the best interest of the people.” Many of those people were elderly clients who suffered significant losses in the collapse of CIF, the prosecution said. Field maintained that he was unaware of the extent of “other people’s” activities, though admitted he should have known. Field had faced up to 23 years in prison, but Maddox factored his guilty plea and cooperation into a more lenient sentence.
UBJ TRANSPORTATION
Neighbors Lose Greyhound Location Appeal By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com and April A. Morris | staff | amorris@communityjournals.com
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tomers,” said Alexandra Pedrini, spokeswoman for Greyhound. For decades, Greyhound has been known for its terminals Greyhound located within city centers. Station Pedrini said the company chose the Hendrix Drive locaTanne r Rd. tion because it is closer to the interstates, shortening travel times for trips to and from Woodruff Greenville. Rd. “Anytime we’re moving to a new location, factors such as convenience, accessibility, cost and zoning all come into play,” Imagery ©2013 City of Greenville, Google, Pedrini said. “We do operate Map Data ©2013 City of Greenville, Google in city centers across the 8-0 vote. not be located in a C-2 district, but country, but that’s not always the best Representatives of the townhome rather an S-1 (services) or I-1 (indus- option for everybody. We just decide association complained of noise, trial) district. on a case-by-case basis.” They also complained about pasfumes and surface damage from inPart of the issue in Greenville is sufficient turning space onto Hendrix sengers “wandering” in the area. that the table of uses for the C-2 “While we understand [residents’ zoning was consolidated and “bus Drive. They argued the station should concerns], we’ve received station” is not expressly listed as a nothing but positive use. Board member William Powers feedback from said the use was not expressly proour cus- hibited; therefore, officials have to allow leeway and interpretation by the staff and “to let the professionals do their job.” Hendrix Dr.
Some residents near the new Greyhound bus terminal location off Woodruff Road made an unsuccessful attempt to get the county to reconsider the terminal’s location. The station had moved from McBee Avenue downtown last month after the Greenville Transit Authority, which owns the property, decided to claim it for needed office space. On Oct. 9, the Greenville County Board of Zoning and Appeals heard an appeal by the Woodruff Crossing Townhome Association regarding the zoning administrator’s decision to allow the Greyhound station to be located at 9 Hendrix Drive in a C-2 commercial district near the WalMart Supercenter. The board upheld the zoning in an
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By Jennifer Oladipo| senior business writer joladipo@communityjournals.com
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ed on the first year of its diversity initiative and laid out specifics of a new business accelerator last week. Since its launch a year ago, the initiative has aimed to make diversity and inclusion integral to all aspects of the Chamber’s operations. Nika White, vice president of diversity and inclusion for the Chamber, maintains that it must be more than a stand-alone program in order to be
effective. White cited a greater need for corporate participation in areas such as hosting events and pitching educational sessions. The initiative’s full title is “CAPACITY: Economic Development Through Diversity Inclusion,” and it includes about a dozen programs aimed at changing the Chamber’s internal culture and the larger business landscape simultaneously. For example, companies such as >>
UBJ DIVERSITY >>
Blood Connection and Piedmont Natural Gas have committed to increasing and tracking supplier diversity through the Goal Setters program, White told attendees. The bulk of the report was given over to detailed discussion of the Chamber’s first Minority Business Accelerator (MBA), for which 12 companies were undergoing the final vetting and approval process. The program is modeled after similar ones in Charlotte and Cincinnati, and will be managed in partnership with NuLevel Solutions of Charlotte, a data analytics and strategic planning firm. NuLevel consulted on the Charlotte program. The program is targeted at high-potential companies in the $100,000 to $4.9 million and $5 million and above ranges. Other tangential opportunities will also be created for companies not yet in that range. Between 90 and 95 percent are headquartered in Greenville and all do business in Greenville County. David Willis, principal at NuLevel, emphasized that the MBA would evolve as it progressed. “Whatever we say today about
what it is, a year from now it’s probably going to be a little different, but better,” Willis said.
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At the close of its first year, the Greenville Chamber’s CAPACITY initiative reported its impact on operations and culture at the Chamber. • Increased minority membership by 47 percent since August 2012 • Added 25 nonprofit chamber members focused on serving diverse communities • 36 percent of the 30 new 2013 NEXT member companies are minority/women-owned; 16 percent of the total are women • Minimized barriers that hinder minority participation in its Small Business awards • Most diverse Leadership Greenville class with 21 percent minorities • Helped PULSE increase minority membership to 19 percent
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October 25, 2013 Upstate business journal 9
UBJ TOURISM
CHARTS COURTESY OF VISITGREENVILLESC
Report: Continued Growth for Greenville Tourism Travel Barometer shows more are visiting area By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
Greenville continues to grow in major tourism indicators with occupancy levels ahead of prior peak levels, increased hotel tax collections and an increase in restaurant sales, according to a new report from VisitGreenvilleSC. Greenville currently gets more than 5.3 million visitors a year, and strong hotel performance gains are
capturing the attention of investment firms, buyers, hotel owners, operators and brands, said Jennifer Stilwell, chief marketing officer of visitgreenvillesc. “Here at home, we are seeing increased buyer and investment announcement activity,” she said. “Our current travel, tourism and hospitality marketplace creates appealing
opportunities, but at the same time, we raise cautionary flags as travel remains sensitive to economic trends and global risks.” The report shows that overall, the realized economic impact of increased visitation is being felt not only through increased hotel tax collections (up 18.1 percent yearto-date), but across a variety of
sectors, including dining establishments. Restaurant sales were up 5 percent for the second quarter, with approximately 33 percent of all restaurant sales a result of visitor expenditures. Greenville also continues to outperform national, South Atlantic and South Carolina performance averages in hotel occupancy and average >>
HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS • WEDDING RECEPTIONS • CORPORATE EVENTS • REHEARSAL DINNERS
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UBJ TOURISM
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daily rates (ADR). Greenville occupancy was at 3.4 percent compared to 1.6 percent for the South Atlantic region and 1.5 percent in the U.S. For ADR, the report shows Greenville at 6.6 percent compared to 3.3 percent for South Carolina and 4.0 percent for the U.S. overall. Hotel tax collections are also up 18.1 percent in the second quarter. These tourism tax dollars fund facilities, new parks and recreation amenities, museums, attractions and the arts, as well as festivals and events in Greenville. Earlier this year,
VisitGreenvilleSC kicked off its first leisure travel marketing campaign, dubbed “Yeah, THAT Greenville.” The campaign focused on branding, sales, public relations, social media and advertising, all with the “Yeah, THAT Greenville” theme.
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College and boarding school students, lawyers and university professors are no longer the exclusive members of the bow tie fraternity. Anyone can incorporate bow ties into their sense of style. The traditionalist might prefer a more conservative look like a regimental stripe bow tie, while a more fashion forward man who is daring might opt for bold colors and patterns. Bow ties are often a popular way for young men and boys to be introduced to neckwear. Young men are dressing up and the girls love it! Bow ties have been a mark of distinction for centuries. Originally, scarves were worn by Croatian mercenaries during the Prussian wars of the 17th century to hold together the opening of their shirts. This style was adopted by the fashionable French upper class during the 18th and 19th centuries. Worn by officers and professional throughout the centuries, bowties have evolved to what we see today. Traditionally worn as formal neckwear, bow ties have become the main stream fashion for work and social occasions. Bow ties have always been a part of the heritage at Rush Wilson Limited. We can help incorporate them into your wardrobe and teach you how to tie them like a pro. Wearing a bow tie does not guarantee you will equal Churchill’s eloquent public speaking but you will look good saying, “never give up!” You may not live the adventures of 007 by simply wearing a bow tie but you will look great when requesting a martini “shaken not stirred.” Your moves may not be as smooth as Fred Astaire’s because of your bow tie, but don’t worry….. no one will be looking at your feet.
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What did Sir Winston Churchill, James Bond, and Fred Astaire have in common? They all had an incredible sense of style and all favored bow ties. Some stylist suggest that men’s trends are bolder and bow ties are back. At Rush Wilson Limited we say bow ties have always been in style and more popular than ever.
October 25, 2013 Upstate business journal 11
UBJ TECHNOLOGY
Proterra Moves Close to $200M By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com
Last week Proterra, Greenville-based makers of battery-powered, zero-emission buses, announced $24 million raised in its third round of funding, bringing investments so far to nearly $200 million, according to the company’s CEO. Some of the new funding came from two new investors: Edison Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Edison International, and Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corp. Both are utility companies, whom Proterra officials said have a vested interest in the electric vehicle market. CEO Garrett Mikita said some municipalities try to negotiate lower rates in view of electric-bus purchases, and the new investors will be able
to offer helpful insights about how to best approach power providers in such discussions. The current round of funding will close within the next three months, and Proterra expects to add an additional $5 to $15 million in that time, according to Sharon Self, a spokesperson for Proterra. “We have no plans for additional rounds of funding at this time,” she added. The funds will be put into development and production moving forward. Proterra had raised $23 million in a second fundraising round last year. Top funders so far include Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, which funds Proterra through its Green Growth Fund; General Motors
12 Upstate business journal October 25, 2013
Corp.’s GM Ventures; and Mitsui & Co. They returned for the current round along with Vision Ridge Partners, Hennessey Capital and 88 Green. In-state funding has also come from SCRA’s SC Launch initiative. This latest funding announcement is the tail end of a string of positive news from Proterra in recent weeks. Last month the company announced its largest sale of electric buses to date. Prior to that, the company had announced in August that it had more than doubled its production size in the previous nine months. The company has about 300 employees, having added about a hundred in the past five months.
Proterra’s Top 3 Investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers – portfolio includes Groupon, Spotify and Twitter GM Ventures – General Motors’ innovation-focused venture capital arm Mitsui Global Investment – a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Mitsui & Co.
UBJ RETAIL
FIRST FRIDAY
LEADERSHIP SERIES
Ten Thousand Villages Expands for the Holidays
PRESENTS
LORIN DEMORDAUNT Managing Director Deloitte Corporate Finance, LLC
By Jeanne Putnam | contributor | jputnam@communityjournals.com
NOVEMBER 1
said Wendy Frattolin, marketing committee chairwoman. “All of our products are purchased using fair-trade principles. We talk to our artisans and agree on a fair price. The artisans are given 50 percent up front for materials to make the crafts, and then we pay them the other 50 percent once our order arrives, so our artisans are paid in full before any crafts come into Ten Thousand Villages.” The organization’s goal is “to increase product sales so we can help more artisans and their families lift themselves from poverty,” said Winkler. Ten Thousand Villages is heavily involved with Fair Trade Greenville, a program to make Greenville a Fair Trade Town by educating people about fair trade. It frequently partners with the Red Cross, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and area schools. Although the store supports Fair Trade, it encourages buying local. “We say buy local when you can,” said Frattolin. “We aren’t saying not to buy local, but think about fair trade when buying.” For more information, call 864-2394120, or visit greenville.tenthousandvillages.com.
5:00 Presentation · 6:00 Networking Reception
Clemson at the Falls
55 East Camperdown Way, Greenville Attending First Friday is free, but space is limited! register at FirstFridayNov13.eventbrite.com
10 Guidelines for Nonprofit Retail 1. 2. 3. 4.
Define your mission. Be obsessively transparent. Invest in long-term causes. It’s not enough to just give nonprofits money. 5. Lead with impact, not branding or splash. 6. Involve employees. 7. Connect customers to a cause beyond the purchase. 8. No markups. 9. Don’t exploit the cause. 10.Report on impact.
Source: causecapitalism.com
When various holidays roll around, the pop-up store soon makes its appearance, be it for fireworks, Halloween costumes or Christmas gifts. As the trend has grown over the years, so have the types of stores and possible locations for them. Most recently, Ten Thousand Villages of Greenville has joined that list with the opening of its first ever pop-up store last week at the corner of Main and Washington streets. While this holiday season welcomes the store’s first downtown pop-up location, its permanent location in Lewis Plaza on Augusta Street started as a seasonal store, said Claire Winkler, Ten Thousand Villages board member. “By opening this pop-up store in downtown Greenville, we hope to introduce Ten Thousand Villages’ mission, products and artisans to many new audiences, including downtown residents and businesses, other local residents and the ever-growing number of visitors to our city.” As a nonprofit retailer, the store uses its revenues to buy more from artisans and develop new source markets. To keep overhead low, both the pop-up store and the permanent location are primarily staffed with volunteers. “We have three part-time paid employees at the downtown seasonal store and one full-time and two part-time paid employees at our permanent store,” said Pelosky. “We are mostly staffed by volunteers, and those people are customers.” The store first came to Greenville around 2007 when Fleming Markel received a gift from another Ten Thousand Villages store. Markel and others raised money for the store through selling merchandise at local churches. The store sells home décor and gift items from developing countries, made by local artisans, and produced without child labor,
October 25, 2013 Upstate business journal 13
UBJ Innovate
By JOHN WARNER
The Future of Mobility InnoMobility applies the Concepts to Companies process to startups focused on transportation, energy and technology My last UBJ column described the Concepts to Companies process. Typically what happens now is a startup entrepreneur creates a multiyear business plan to raise capital only to find many of her assumptions are off. Predictably, the entrepreneur’s credibility with investors becomes toast over several cycles of raising new capital only to find she is still discov-
2013
Presenters Bethany Acampora Peter Adriaens Joe Ballif Assaf Biderman Nigel Clarke Corey Clothier Steve Corona Andrey Derevianko Matt Dunbar Michael Fleming Netanel Goldberg Juan Gilbert Patrick Kirby Kevin Klinkenberg Mark Knight Aniela Kuzon Sidney Locke Dave McNamara David Muyres Tony Nausieda Gari Singh
ering the market. Rather than seeing the entrepreneur’s journey as a series of failures, Concepts to Companies reframes it as a learning process that builds momentum. Initially the entrepreneur doesn’t have a business plan, but a business hypothesis. The entrepreneur tests her assumptions by talking to customers, vendors and others, iteratively refining her business. Once the entrepreneur discovers what the market is, she is ready to attract an experienced team and raise a large round of capital to grow rapidly. Presenters on the first morning of InnoMobility 2013 on Nov. 6 and 7 at the Peace Center will apply the Concepts to Companies concept to startups focused on the global transformation of mobility. Several startups are focused on a new form of personal rapid transit. Corey Clothier will return to InnoMobility for the second year, describing his progress developing a system of on-demand, autonomous vehicles at the Fort Bragg wounded warrior campus. Michael Fleming will present his company, TORC Robotics, which is providing the autonomous vehicle control software Corey uses. Corey met Greenville County Councilman Fred Payne last year, and Payne has held several meetings since then to explore developing in Greenville the first community-wide on-demand autonomous vehicle system using Corey and Michael’s technologies. Nigel Clarke will represent Ultra Global PRT, which has one of the most significant personal rapid systems already operating at Heathrow Airport in London.
14 Upstate business journal October 25, 2013
Netanel Goldberg from Israel will discuss Auto-Mate, a multimodal private transportation system. Andrey Derevianko from Austin, Texas, will explain how his MaglevTrans system can achieve 180 miles per hour in electric vehicles energized by solar power. Several other transformation of mobility concepts will also be featured. Aniela Kuzon is from the NextEnergy Center in Detroit, a catalyst for advanced energy technology demonstration and commercialization that has helped to attract more than $1 billion of new investment. Steve Corona from Charleston will discuss how Life 360 uses location-based technology to help families to stay connected throughout the day. Share Savannah, founded by Kevin Klinkenberg, is a leading car-sharing marketplace. Clemson professor Juan Gilbert will review innovations from the Human-Centered Computing Lab. Dave McNamara from Columbia will discuss Big Rig Innovations’ elegant solution to save fuel in long-haul trucking. Over lunch, Tony Nausieda of GM Ventures, Matt Dunbar from the Upstate Carolina Angel Network, crowdfunding expert Mark Knight from Nexsen Pruet, and Peter Adriaens, professor of engineering and entrepreneurship strategy at the University of Michigan, will explore investing in the future of mobility. The afternoon of the first day, major organizations with resources will discuss how to the use Concepts
InnoMobility 2013 Join us for InnoMobility 2013 on Nov. 6 and for the Concepts to Companies workshop on Nov. 7 to discuss working together to create high-growth and wealth. Learn more at innomobility.com/2013.
to Companies to discover and develop new high-growth mobility markets. Assaf Biderman will show how the MIT SENSEable City Lab is helping to create connected communities around the world. David Muyres from Johnson Controls and Gari Singh from IBM WebSphere will discuss their technologies that connect communities together. Patrick Kirby will announce a global Michelin initiative to incubate high-growth mobility businesses. Joe Ballif from Itron will review how electric vehicles and the supporting infrastructure are growing markets for Itron products. Sidney Locke with Sage Automotive Interiors will discuss applying their world-leading design expertise to develop what’s next in mobility. Bethany Acampora will review how Clemson’s broad portfolio of technologies positions the university to participate in mobility’s transformation. On the morning of Nov. 8, three rounds of discussions will drill into how corporations, universities, entrepreneurs, investors and others use >>
>> Concept to Companies to ial journey as a series of failures to collaborate in fostering high-impact startups creating high growth and wealth. Round 1 will explore how entrepreneurial catalysts are discovering and developing highgrowth businesses in networks within and outside of corporations and universities. Round 2 will explore how entrepreneurs can systematically document, test and validate their business assumptions so that the market leads them to highly successful companies. Round 3 will explore how entrepreneurial catalysts and others can shift from seeing the entrepreneur-
seeing it as progress towards high growth and wealth creation. The afternoon of the second day will wrap the first day and a half together. The Personal Rapid Transit Seminar will feature several companies considering Greenville as a corporate location and looking to identify pilot sites for their operational system. A key goal is to understand how Greenville can be home to PRT system demonstration projects that can then be sold around the world. InnoMobility 2013 will be an exciting two days of converting Concepts to Companies. I hope to see you there.
PRESENTS
Congratulations to our Charter Business
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE MONTH
John Warner is CEO of InnoVenture, whose global Web platform helps people with big ideas attract needed customers, capital, talent and technology. InnoVenture.com partners include major corporations, universities and entrepreneurial companies regionally and around the world.
Small Business of the Month Award Presentation for Corporate Investigation Bureau, Inc. From left to right: Greenville Chamber President/CEO Ben Haskew, Board Chair Luanne Runge, Corporate Investigation Bureau President William Dantin, and Award Committee Representative Miles Golden, Golden Career Strategies. This award is sponsored by Charter Business.
“The contacts that we have made and relationships we developed through the Greenville Chamber have been instrumental in helping us to acclimate our business within the community. Through the programs and events we’ve participated in and sponsored over the years, we have generated many valuable clients and continued to see significant revenue growth.”
-Bill Dantin, Corporate Investigation Bureau President
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October 25, 2013 Upstate business journal 15
UBJ guest column
NMTCs Drive Growth New Markets Tax Credits is one program the government got right In this time of government shutdowns, debt ceiling deadlines, sequestration and general gridlock in Washington, D.C., it is easy to become cynical about our government and programs backed by the government. But we must remember the programs created by our government that actually work. One such program is the New Markets Tax Credit program. Established by Congress in 2000 and administered by the Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund), the NMTC program was designed to stimulate new and increased investments in commercial, industrial and real estate projects located in low-income communities. The program has been utilized extensively in the Upstate, including stimulating the continual development of downtown Greenville. For
example, NMTCs were a pivotal component of financing the Children’s Museum of the Upstate in 2008 and the Peace Center renovation in 2011. In fact, NMTCs have been used in 10 different projects along Main Street, reshaping the landscape of Greenville as the populous skyline we see today. Not only has Greenville benefited from the program, but NMTCs have been used to fund numerous projects across the Upstate. In Spartanburg, NMTCs were a vital tool in bringing the new Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine to Spartanburg – now the centerpiece of economic development in the city’s Northside revitalization efforts. NMTCs also made it possible for the University of South Carolina Upstate to build its business and economics college in the downtown area, and they
NMTCs have been used in 10 different projects along Main Street, reshaping the landscape of Greenville as the populous skyline we see today.
startflourishing.com 16 Upstate business journal October 25, 2013
were used by Wofford College to renovate several dormitories and convert them to energy-efficient buildings. Across the state, the NMTC program was also effective for the city of Seneca, which used NMTCs to renovate an old industrial building near downtown and attract several new industrial companies to the area. Rock Hill used NMTCs to help finance a Velodrome as an economic development tool for its industrial park. NMTCs have also been used in other industrial applications, enabling businesses to expand and create much-needed new jobs. The NMTC program is primarily delivered through Community Development Entities, which can be formed by banks, divisions of municipalities, not-for-profit entities or private developers. A CDE can apply to the CDFI Fund once a year to secure an “allocation” of NMTCs. Each time a CDE makes a qualifying loan to a qualified low-income borrower under the program, the applicant receives a tax credit equal to 39 percent of the loan amount. The tax credits are earned over a seven-year period,
Go Figure
749
awards made
$36.5 billion total allocated Includes:
$3 billion $1 billion
in Recovery Act Awards and
of special allocation authority to be used for the recovery and redevelopment of the Gulf Opportunity Zone. Source: “Veterans Employment Challenges,” Prudential study
during which time the CDE can transfer the tax credits to investors by selling them at market price, generally 65 to 80 percent of the
By CHARLES CHAMBERLAIN
>> face value of the tax credits. The CDE then passes the proceeds from the sale to the borrower, either in the form of forgivable debt or reduced interest rates. Therefore, the end cost of the project is significantly reduced – by as much as $2.5 million on a $10 million transaction – by utilizing the NMTC program. One area where the NMTC program deviates from other government programs is that the transaction uses a “loan” rather than a “grant.” This forces the project to pass certain basic credit underwriting standards on the front end and to sustain its performance for at least the seven-year tax credit period for the benefits to be realized. Qualifying projects have to be meaningful, viable projects that can withstand the test of time and a changing economy. Another benefit of the program is job creation. Most approved projects create meaningful new jobs in areas of need, including construction jobs and long-term positions to sustain the new facility. The economic benefits of the program allow projects to be completed or expanded that otherwise would not be possible due to economic restraints. The ONE building on Greenville’s Main Street is a prime example. The use of NMTCs enabled the developer to bring Clemson University’s MBA program to downtown Greenville, providing an ongoing, significant and positive impact on both the university and the city. In fact, the income tax revenue the federal government will collect from the new jobs created by the development will be greater than the tax benefit the government
Fast Facts An organization wishing to receive awards under the NMTC Program must be certified as a Community Development Entity by the Fund. To qualify as a CDE, an organization must: Be a domestic corporation or partnership at the time of the certification application; Demonstrate a primary mission of serving, or providing investment capital for, low-income communities or low-income persons; and Maintain accountability to residents of low-income communities through representation on a governing board of or advisory board to the entity.
Source: CDFI Fund, U.S. Department of the Treasury
surrendered under the program. This turns out to be a “win-win” situation for everyone involved with the project. The New Markets Tax Credit program continues to be a key component of economic development and urban revitalization. It is well conceived and more than pays for itself by creating meaningful, taxpaying jobs. This is at least one program the government got right.
Charles Chamberlain is senior vice president and head of corporate banking at United Community Bank. He is a 30-year commercial banking veteran with experience in corporate finance, credit administration, municipal lending, New Markets Tax Credits, tax-free lending and relationship management.
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Backstage at Madworld.
Madworld’s Zombie Shoot.
cover story
Actors at the House of Horrors.
Madworld actress Jennifer Michelle Lewis.
The line at Madworld.
Treats&tricks Haunted attractions draw crowds but few profits
M
By LEIGH SAVAGE | contributor | lsavage@communityjournals.com
Madworld Haunted Attraction and Zombie Shoot is a seasonal business, but for owners Joseph Thompson and Tim Thompson, it represents a year-round commitment, backbreaking labor and – so far – very little financial payoff. But for the Thompson brothers – lifelong horror fans and haunted house connoisseurs – creating their own attraction and seeing people’s reactions to their vision makes it all worthwhile. “People love being scared,” Joseph Thompson said. “It’s an adrenaline rush, like a roller coaster. It’s great seeing people so scared they are laughing themselves silly, or crying. There’s nothing like seeing people get scared.” Halloween is a high-earning holiday for business, with nearly 158 million consumers spending approximately $75 each on decor, costumes, candy and events this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s Halloween Spending Survey. Consum-
ers are expected to spend $2.6 billion on costumes and $2.08 billion on candy. Haunted houses are making up a growing portion of those revenues, with more than 1,200 haunted attractions charging admission, each bringing in an average of 8,000 paid guests, according to the Haunted Attraction Association, a trade group. With ticket prices averaging $13 each, the haunted attraction industry generates between $300-$500 million in annual ticket sales. At Madworld, off I-85 in Piedmont, attendance is higher than ever, with customers paying $15 for the haunted attraction, $15 for the Zombie Shoot or $25 for both. But despite growing popularity, the Thompsons expect to put most of what they earn back into the business as they gear up for next year. “Whatever we make, we put back into the haunt,” Joseph Thompson said. “We want to give the customers something totally different each year.”
Memorable marketing
For some haunted attractions, the benefit goes beyond dollars and hinges on the marketing value of the event. Hawk & Tom’s New Nightmare on Pendleton Street opened Oct. 4 and has drawn steady crowds, offering publicity for radio station B93.7’s Hawk & Tom morning show, according to Roy Hummers, promotions manager for Entercom Upstate. “It gives us a lot of exposure,” he said of the haunted house that the morning show has sponsored for six years. Many people in the station’s young demographic not only attend the haunted house,
18 Upstate business journal October 25, 2013
I N A D D ITI O N … READ ABOUT THE BUSINESS BEHIND COSTUMES, on page 20
but post about it on social media. The attraction cost about $30,000 to open up this year, said owners Rocky Elrod and Robert White. They must apply for a new business license every year, as well as an admissions tax ID number, they said. Hummers said the ticket price went up from $13 to $15 this year to cover staff and costs, but the goal is not to make a large profit. “It’s all about attaching the Hawk & Tom name,” he said. Thompson has seen steady growth since opening Madworld three years ago. Despite setbacks, including the recession and a theft that forced the company to repurchase many supplies, Madworld has carved out a niche for families in addition to typical haunted house customers in the 14-25 age range. They also create a festival atmosphere by offering food like doughnuts, funnel cakes, coffee and hot chocolate. “ I t ’ s good, >>
Horror Hosts, Beware Liability is not limited to haunted houses open to the public, according to a report in Insurance Business America: Even people hosting a private haunted house may be at risk, said Insurance Information Institute Vice President Loretta Worters. “Anyone hosting a Halloween party should take steps to make sure they have the proper insurance,” Worters told Insurance Business America. “Social host liability can have a serious impact on party throwers.” According to the report: • Haunted house owners should have general liability coverage, as well as excess liability and volunteer accident insurance. • Props and other decorations can be problematic – for example, a noose used as decoration can be considered a weapon, and therefore not covered by insurance. • Insurance policies for haunted houses can range from a few hundred dollars for private parties to more than $20,000 for longer-running attractions with a wide audience. • Owners may consider “getting insurance polices that cover other company attractions during the year, adding on special coverage needs for haunted houses in the fall.”
>> but it’s extremely hard to profit at this point,” Thompson said. “It’s going to take some years.”
Fright risk
Some who try the haunted attraction business find that the difficulties outweigh the payoff. In 2009, John Walsh and some friends decided to create the Haunted Hayride in Simpsonville, but discontinued it after one season. “It was constant w o r k and a huge disappointment,” s a i d Walsh. “ I t rained
Madworld actress Ana Sylvia.
Madworld actors touch up their “blood.”
most of October that year. And the liability insurance was very steep.” Insurance is an important factor for haunted houses, said Beverly Duvall, commercial producer for Herlong Bates Burnette. She recommends seasonal attractions purchase a special events policy that protects against any injuries or issues with the attraction. “The underwriter would make sure there are enough exits for safety, and make sure staff is not touching the public,” she said. “They will make sure the house is up to code. If they think it is too high of a risk, they will not cover it.” Walsh said their insurer required that they raise the rails on the side of their hayride to prevent people from falling out. “It was actually easier for us because we didn’t have a building,” he said. “With a building, you have so many more codes.” At Hawk & Tom’s New Nightmare on Pendleton Street, owners Elrod and White had to add sprinkler systems, fire alarms, exit signs and emergency lights to adhere to the 2012 International Building Codes. The fire alarm cost $8,000 and the sprinkler system $16,000, they said. In the case of an emergency, the alarm turns the music off and the lights on. The House of Horror on Calhoun Memorial Parkway in Easley does not require sprinklers because it is in a tent, not a permanent structure, said manager Victoria Collins. But the attraction in required to have fire extinguishers, exit signs, damp wood shavings on the ground and walls that can be pushed through, she said. An off-duty first responder, whom the House of Horror must pay, must also be standing by. Madworld has visitors sign a waiver before entering the attraction, which Thompson said serves two purposes: “It’s a liability issue, and it creates a fear factor in people.” He and his team start in January making sure the attraction adheres to Greenville County’s code for special amusement buildings and training the staff of 85 how to properly interact with guests. Despite difficulties, Thompson is encouraged by the growth of the business. Though he declines to give actual numbers, he has seen attendance double each year and said halfway into this year’s season, “we are getting record numbers by far. The weather is holding out great, and that’s a huge factor.” Both Thompson brothers run other businesses, but hope to eventually focus solely on Madworld. “There have been times we wanted to give up, but we didn’t,” Joseph Thompson said. “Each year we fortify ourselves to become bigger and better.”
Madworld actors Hy V. Huynh & Ciara Sylvia.
BY THE NuMBERS
Halloween Spending 158 million consumers $75.03 each spent on decor,
costumes, candy and events this year (down from $79.82 last year)
$6.9 billion
estimated total spending this year
$330 million on pets’ costumes $1.04 billion on children’s costumes $1.22 billion on adult costumes $2.6 billion total amount spent on costumes
$2.08 billion spent on candy
More than 1,200
haunted attractions charging admission
8,000 paid guests on average at each attraction $13 average ticket price $300-$500 million in annual ticket sales
Sources: National Retail Federation’s Halloween Spending Survey; the Haunted Attraction Association
Jeanne Putnam (jputnam@communityjournals.com) contributed to this article.
Also, photos provided by Jeanne Putnam, Jon Carl, and Hy V. Huynh
Fear and Clothing in the Upstate cover story EXTRA
Year-round costume shops can find seasonal pop-up competition tricky By Jeanne Putnam | contributor | jputnam@communityjournals.com
This Halloween, the search for the perfect costume may take partygoers to a pop-up shop that will be open for a few weeks, or a permanent store that sells costumes year-round. Halloween Highway has been making and supplying costumes in the Upstate for 17 years. The company started out as a manufacturer and then opened a small store inside its North Pleasantburg Drive location. The store got bigger over time, said Karen McCollum, store manager. In addition to its mainstay Halloween season, the store also rents some costumes, such as Easter Bunny outfits, throughout the year, said McCollum. Another permanent costume store, Costume Curio on Laurens Road, finds most of its sustainability in renting costumes year-round. “Rentals have always been a staple of Costume Curio’s transactions; however, at Halloween, rentals and sales turn out to be fairly even,” said Lydia Latham, costume designer and manager. “People learn that we have a good quality of sale merchandise and keep our prices low, so they even end up getting a combination of rental and sale things to complete their look, when it’s important to them.” Costume Curio rents to the public “all of the time,” said Latham – for occasions such as school projects, >>
Masks for sale at the Halloween Highway costume store in Greenville. The year-round store faces competition from pop-up stores this time of year.
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One of the many mask and costumes for sale at the Halloween Highway costume store in Greenville.
>> business parties, meetings, Mardi Gras celebrations, retro parties and murder mysteries. Both stores carry inventory yearround since they are permanent establishments. Buying from a permanent store, as opposed to a pop-up shop, has benefits, said Latham: “We carry a constant supply of what the client needs, even beyond the season. There are permanent personnel to help with the application of the costume, makeup and wig, who know the business better than just seasonal help. Permanent shops still have merchandise when Halloween is over.” However, pop-up shops such as Spirit Halloween – temporarily housed in Jackson Crossing on Woodruff Road in Greenville and on W.O. Ezell Boulevard in Spartanburg – try to connect with the communities they appear in. “Our CEO is big into giving back to
our community, and about five years ago started ‘Spirit of the Children,’ where each store asks for donations from our customers for local children’s hospitals,” said Barric Lee Thompson, Spirit Halloween consignee operator. Spirit Halloween is different from any other Halloween store, Thompson said. “We are clean, neat, organized and easy to shop, because our team incorporates accessories with the costumes so the customer doesn’t have to search all over the store for them,” he said. While Spirit Halloween is a pop-up store, the company employees 110 full-time employees, who work yearround on ideas for the next year’s theme, costume buys and marketing ideas, Thompson said. “Corporate controls almost all aspects of our inventory, from buying to distribution and storing, and they help pick the location for the store,” he said.
Find out how we can be your guide forward Mark H. Cooter Managing Partner, Greenville Photos by Greg Beckner
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Wigs for sale at the Halloween Highway costume store in Greenville.
October 25, 2013 Upstate business journal 21
UBJ Square Feet GMC Wins Medical University Contract By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood
WHO LEADS THE WAY IN GREENVILLE’S LEGAL FIELDS? The UBJ’ upcoming event, Who’s Who recognizes the people in our community who are committed to advancing their fields. Whether new on the scene or veterans in the trenches, they’re the professional to look out for and look up to. Many have gone uncelebrated. Until now. Also including, but not limited to Accounting, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Political/Government, Design, Finance, Hospitality Legal, Marketing/PR, Non-Profit, Real Estate, Tech/IT.
NOMINATE SOMEONE TODAY! Nominations will be accepted from
SEPTEMBER 20-NOVEMBER 8
A third party panel of Community Leaders will select 8 “Who’s Who” recipients, from the nominations submitted, that will be announced in February 2014. Self Nominations are also encouraged.
FORMS CAN BE FILLED OUT HERE: upstatebusinessjournal.com/whos-who
PR support provided by Complete Public Relations
22 Upstate business journal October 25, 2013
(GMC), a Greenville engineering and architectural firm, was recently awarded a two-year contract with the Medical University Hospital Authority (MUHA) to provide architectural services for a variety of projects for the Medical University of South Carolina. The collaboration will be a first for the MUHA and GMC. GMC will be providing a range of design services, including conceptual studies, planning, full-service design, construction administration and any other
tasks that support the needs of MUHA and the university. Because the contract will focus primarily on medical and clinical projects, GMC built a design team that centered on expertise in healthcare design. GMC has previously completed projects for the Greenville Health System and the Medical University of South Carolina, among others. GMC has other offices in Montgomery, Birmingham, Mobile and Huntsville, Ala.; Atlanta, Ga.; and Memphis and Nashville, Tenn.
DEALMAKERS Griffin Property Solutions announced: Griffin Property Solutions recently represented ERF Administrative Services LLC in the purchase of a 3700 SF commercial building located at 2101 Laurens Road, Greenville. ERF Marketing Inc. purchased the facility for expanding their administrative services both locally and internationally. Griffin Property Solutions recently represented Eurover Automotive Services Inc. in a long term lease of their 6,000 SF facility located at 444 W. Warehouse Court, Taylors. The business was acquired
under a separate transaction. The lessee is Wesley Bradstreet. Bradstreet is currently operating under Eurover Automotive LLC. Griffin Property Solutions recently represented New Hope Ministries in the purchase of a 7,000 SF facility located at 2762 Old Anderson Road, Greenville. Griffin Property Solutions recently represented RML IV LLC in the lease of a 5,000 SF facility located at 3304 New Easley Highway, Greenville. Crosspoint Assembly Ministries is the lessee and is relocating its ministries from another location in Anderson County.
Lee & AssociatesGreenville announced: Randall Bentley and Logan Berry facilitated a lease of a +/2,700 SF flex space at 501 Richardson St. Extension, Suite A, Simpsonville, to broadband and telecommunications company D & J Cable. Bill Durrell represented the landlord in leasing a +/- 1,500 SF office at 150 Milestone Way, Suite B, Greenville, to Achieve, MD, LLC. Randall Bentley and Logan Berry represented the landlord in leasing a +/- 2,400 SF retail space at 7486 Augusta Road, Suite A, Piedmont, to Little Caesars Pizza.
UBJ Square Feet Board to Review West End Garden Plan Pedrick’s Garden to be “an extension of Falls Park” By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
A new garden and green space may soon replace a portion of a parking lot in Greenville’s West End, pending approval of the design by the city’s Design Review Board on Nov. 7. At the meeting, the DRB will review designs submitted by Craig Gaulden Davis Architects to redevelop a portion of the parking lot located behind the West End Market near University Street. The City of Greenville owns the property and will redesign the parking lot to a one-way lot with angled parking spaces. Craig Gaulden The green space will be Davis Architects’ named Pedrick’s Garden, plans for Pedrick’s in honor of Pedrick Lowrey, Garden. a member of the Carolina bridge connecting the West End Foothills Garden Club who led that parking lot to Furman College Way. club’s involvement in preserving The theme of the park is sunFalls Park, serving as co-chair of flowers, and plans call for a sunthe fundraising campaign for an flower fountain and a lawn area endowment. Lowrey died in 2010 with benches. A raised observation after a seven-year battle with platform and bridge will overlook cancer. the Carolina Foothills Garden area The new park is really an exten- and Vardry Creek. Materials used sion of Falls Park, says Ed Zeigler, will be similar to those in Falls Park president of Craig Gaulden Davis, to tie them together, said Ziegler. and will replace an overgrown Funding is a combination of the ravine area and replace the existing Pedrick’s Garden Fund, estab-
Upstate Companies Develop Daniel Island Apartments Spectrum Properties Residential and
lished by her family at the Community Foundation of Greenville, fundraising from the Carolina Foothills Garden Club and money the city had already set aside for the project. Construction is expected to begin after the holiday season, and Zeigler hopes the garden will be completed by late spring 2014. The West End parking lot will remain open with some areas closing as needed as construction progresses.
Pacolet Milliken Enterprises, Inc. recently announced the development of a 269-unit luxury apartment community, called Simmons Park, in the town center on Daniel Island, S.C. The project is designed by Charleston-based architects LS3P and will be constructed by Balfour Beatty Construction. It will seek Green Certification. Simmons Park is expected to break ground in the fall. Leasing will begin in late 2014, with an estimated project completion of mid-2015. The property, located at the intersection of Seven Farms Drive and River Landing, will overlook Simmons Park, an urban-style park dedicated to master blacksmith Phillip Simmons, who is nationally known for his intricate iron gate and fence designs, found throughout the Charleston area and in museums around the country. The apartments will be within walking distance of a variety of restaurants and retail stores, including the Publix grocery store. The building’s four-story exterior will feature Charleston brick, tan stucco and large porches. The building will additionally feature two street-level retail spaces overlooking the park.
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October 25, 2013 Upstate business journal 23
UBJ The Fine Print
Charter Goes Digital, Opens New Store Charter announced that customers in the Asheville-Greenville area now have access to more than 175 HD channels through a digital box as part of an all-digital upgrade to the company’s network. This month the company began clearing all analog signals from its local network, making way to add more than 70 new HD channels in these areas. The process will continue through the end of the year.
ESPN Goal Line, CBS Sports, Hallmark Movie Channel, Disney Jr., Nick Jr., and Univision are among the new HD channels that will soon be available.
Customers not currently equipped with Charter-issued digital set-top boxes or CableCARDs must acquire them for each individual TV. They can be obtained free at charter. com/digitalnow or by calling 1-888-GET CHARTER (1-888-438-2427). The boxes will also be available at a new Charter retail store at 1042 Woodruff Road. The store is the first of its kind in Greenville, located in a 5,500-square-foot space that houses dozens of televisions, tablets and l a p t o p
Greenville Tech Seeks Bids for $25M Enterprise Campus Greenville Technical College recently started to seek bids for architectural and engineering work on its planned Enterprise Campus. The project is anticipated to cost up to $25 million and the location will likely be announced in mid-November, said a spokeswoman for the college. According to Becky Mann, Greenville Tech spokeswoman, Greenville County Council members previously approved a borrowing plan that will provide $25 million without a tax increase. Officials hope the
S.C. Budget and Control Board will act on the project in December. The planned Enterprise Campus has been described as a 62,500-square-foot building with related utility support operations for workforce training, research and development and manufacturing startup assistance. The location for new campus has yet to be disclosed.
devices that allow customers to try the latest Charter services available. “The new store was designed with the customer in mind,” said Pattie Eliason, vice president of Charter Stores and retail partners. “People who come in will not wait in a traditional line. Rather, customers can browse and interact with an assortment of products. Our representatives will show customers the latest advances in technology, help them become familiar with using it, and put together just the right package of Charter services for their home and family.” The store replaces two smaller stores. Customers can sign up for new services, learn about all-digital coming to the Greenville area, pay their bills, or pick up and drop off equipment.
Spartanburg Schools Partner with Pepco on Upgrades Pepco Energy Services Inc. recently announced that it will implement an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) with Spartanburg County School District Three. Under the contract, Pepco Energy will install more than $5.5 million of energy-efficiency improvements at nine school facilities. The improvements are guaranteed to save the district more than $185,000 annually and $3.5 million over the term, while also addressing critical infrastructure needs. The energy-efficiency measures include building automation system installations, interior lighting retrofits, LED exterior lighting retrofits and water conservation measures, as well as upgrades to the 35-year-old HVAC and plumbing systems that were originally installed in the facilities. “For the past five years District Three has been in budget survival mode, not budget development,” said Greg Mack, assistant superintendent for finance and operations. “This
24 Upstate business journal October 25, 2013
project will allow us to replace HVAC, lighting and plumbing equipment that in the majority of schools is over 35 years old and was original to the building, paid in majority from energy savings.” The project is expected to reduce the school district’s energy usage by 25 percent below year 2000 levels. After implementation of this ESPC, the school district will exceed the energy-efficiency requirements established by South Carolina energy efficiency law, which set a goal of reducing all state agency and public school districts’ energy usage by 20 percent relative to year 2000 levels by July 1, 2020.
UBJ The Fine Print
S.C. and Israel Sign Bilateral R&D Deal The state of South Carolina and the nation of Israel recently agreed to establish a bilateral research and development initiative designed to enhance collaboration. An agreement, signed by Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt and Opher Aviran, consul general of Israel to the southeastern United States, creates a funding mechanism for joint industrial research and development projects between Israeli and South Carolina companies and universities. The agreement will be carried out by SCRA and MATIMOP, the Israeli government research and development organization, on behalf of the Office of the Chief Scientist of Israel’s Ministry of Economy. The agreement creates a “matchmaking” relationship between SCRA and MATIMOP, which will allow both entities to connect potential project partners in South Carolina with partners in Israel. The two entities will establish a process for submitting joint project applications and a process to review and approve selected collaboration projects on the basis of a mutually developed set of merit criteria. Projects selected for funding will be funded by SCRA and MATIMOP, respectively. “South Carolina is the first state in the Southeast region to forge this kind of partnership with Israel,” said Hitt. “As our state continues to foster innovation, collaborative relationships such as this one will keep us on the cutting edge.”
Peter Millar Crown Shop Comes to Rush Wilson Men’s clothing store Rush Wilson Limited, located in downtown Greenville, has been designated as a Peter Millar Crown Shop. Peter Millar, a leader in the luxury apparel market, will create a 300-square-foot Crown Shop inside Rush Wilson Limited, offering an expanded selection of specialty merchandise, the store announced. “Rush Wilson Limited and our customers have long enjoyed the high quality and styling of the Peter Millar brand,” said owner Rush Wilson III. “It is a natural progression to heighten Peter Millar’s presence in our store by introducing the Crown Shop.” Peter Millar offers casual sports-
Photo provided
wear, tailored sport coats and pants, and accessories including ties, shoes and luggage. Founder Chris Knott chose the name Peter Millar from an inscription on an antique lawn bowling ball given to him by his mother. In conjunction with the launch of the Crown Shop, Rush Wilson will
host a Peter Millar Fall Trunk Show from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25, at its store at 23 W. North St. Attendees will receive 15 percent savings on Peter Millar purchases during the event, and Knott will be at the store to personally assist in customers’ menswear selections, the store announced.
ID Protection Service Is Open for Enrollment South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and CSID recently announced that taxpayers impacted by last years’ South Carolina Department of Revenue breach can enroll in up to one additional year of state-provided identity protection coverage beginning Oct. 24. Eligible taxpayers can sign up for the identity protection
coverage through scidprotection.com
or by calling 855-880-2743. Enrollment will remain open until Oct. 1, 2014. CSID’s service will end on Oct. 31, 2014. Citizens are advised to watch local media and news coverage for any questions about eligibility or enrollment. Information will also be available at scidprotection.com.
October 25, 2013 Upstate business journal 25
UBJ On the Move APPOINTED
APPOINTED
HIRED
James Akers Jr.
Todd Usher
Dorothy Self
Appointed as the Marchant Company’s social media coordinator. Akers attended the Wyatt Institute of Real Estate and obtained his real estate license in 2005. Prior to joining Marchant, he sold over 100 homes in less than five years with another local company.
Named to the industry advisory board for Clemson University’s Department of Construction Science and Management. The board is comprised of leaders from a variety of construction-related companies throughout the Southeast.
Joined the Carolina Ballet Theatre as development specialist. Self began her career as associate marketing manager of The Greenville News Media Group. She has also served on numerous boards, and is a graduate of Leadership Greenville Class 39.
HIRED
JOINED
HIRED
EDUCATION:
MEDICAL:
Peter Anglea, Web developer with the new media team at Bob Jones University, was recently named “Best of Conference” and “Best of Track” for his presentation at the 2013 Higher Education Web Professionals Association Conference.
Physical Therapy Greenville recently announced that Lisa Wells, a physical therapist with 20 years of clinical experience, has joined the practice. Wells is a specialist in treating neck and back pain and individuals with neurological disorders.
INSURANCE:
Bon Secours St. Francis recently honored Dr. Dana Parker with membership in the Society of St. Luke, which recognizes a staff physician for outstanding clinical achievement and a professional life reflecting the highest levels of character, commitment to patients and to the healing mission of Bon Secours St. Francis.
Rosenfeld Einstein added commercial insurance professional Amy Browning as a commercial account executive in the firm’s property and casualty division. Browning has more than 20 years of experience in commercial insurance sales, service and consulting, most recently with Marsh USA Inc.
REAL ESTATE: LEGAL: The Hultquist Firm has hired Robert P. Brown as its director of CFO services. Brown brings with him over 30 years of experience as a CFO for various businesses and industries.
MARKETING/ PUBLIC RELATIONS:
Dan Watts
John Madison
Amanda Ryan, M.D.
Joined TSAChoice Inc. as director of customer development. Watts previously worked with USLEC/PAETEC/Windstream for 13 years, working as a technician and holding sales and management roles. He graduated summa cum laude from Liberty University in Virginia.
Joins technology consulting firm EDTS as a support engineer. Prior to joining EDTS, Madison worked with ITT Exelis, an aerospace, technology and security company. He holds several IT and network management certifications, and is a graduate of Augusta Technical College.
Joined the Bon Secours St. Francis Health System. Ryan is a board certified OB-GYN with Highlands Center for Women. She attended the Medical University of South Carolina and is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology.
MOVERS & SHAKERS New hires, promotions and award winners can be featured in On The Move.
Send information & photos to onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com. 26 Upstate business journal October 25, 2013
Cargo has made several new hires. John Ennis is a copywriter with previous experience at Atlanta ad agency Scout. Ben Granger was hired earlier this year as an intern at Cargo and has been brought on board fulltime to assist with client engagement and research. Jordan Pittman is a website developer. Walker Reed is a graphic designer. Sara Beth Trimble is a traffic manager who previously worked for Ferebee Lane and Company, the Bounce Agency and Henderson Advertising.
KDS Commercial Properties recently added Sam Ligon as an industrial broker specializing in both site and facility development with emphasis on the Upstate. Ligon brings more than 40 years of experience in the manufacturing and construction industry to KDS. In addition, Bobby Miller joined as a specialist in the area of retail, investment and land tract sales. Miller began his career on Wall Street with the middle market banking group of Chemical Bank.
TECHNOLOGY: Brock Barth joins technology consulting firm EDTS as a support engineer. He previously served in IT support and client service for document management solution providers the Pollock Company. He holds a B.S. in chemistry from Georgia Southern University, and is a native of Dade City, Fla.
By Caitlin Covington, PR strategist, Crawford Strategy
UBJ The Takeaway
‘What Makes Us Special Is What Makes Us Win’ Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt discusses economic growth, S.C.’s public image and the need for shovel-ready inventory EVENT: South Carolina Economic Developers’ Association Midyear Meeting WHO WAS THERE: SCEDA members from around the state TOPIC: “South Carolina Is Just Right” SPEAKER: S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt
While the SCEDA Midyear Meeting began with recreational events and social gatherings, the real value was in the connections made, the conversations that took place and the promises of a positive future for South Carolina’s economic development. Friday’s conference speakers were among the most influential economic development leaders in the state. Greenville Mayor Knox White welcomed everyone to the Greenville Hyatt; then Fred Cartwright, executive director of CUICAR, spoke on the future of the automotive industry. John Montgomery, the director of land holdings at Pacolet Milliken, explained his company’s process for maintaining land and land develop-
ment. Merl Code, with Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart, P.C., spoke on the merits of leadership; economic development leaders are the community’s gatekeepers, you know. And finally, Secretary Bobby Hitt explained how South Carolina is just right for economic development and just right for all of us. 1. The Statistics Say It All If we really want to know how South Carolina is doing in terms of economic growth, take a quick peek at the statistics for our state – they might surprise you. Here’s a brief breakdown of South Carolina’s last few years in terms of our key industries, according to Hitt: Since January 2011, South Carolina has recruited $11.7 billion in capital, with foreign firms creating $6 billion in capital. The unemployment rate dropped by 3 percent in South Carolina’s rural areas in the last two years.
miss out on future opportunities in the next couple of years. “All of our competitive states are sitting there with shovel-ready sites,” said Hitt. As economic developers, we need to pull our resources within the state and think about our inventory, because it will become terribly important to us in the future.
S.C. SECRETARY OF COMMERCE BOBBY HITT
There has been an 18 percent increase in manufacturing output in the last two years. South Carolina is currently the No. 1 exporter of automobiles and tires in the United States. “We are seeing commerce from Asia and foreign markets – Charleston should be prepared to service the entire Southeast,” said Hitt. 2. We Need Inventory South Carolina is running out of competitive sites and buildings. Our state must find places for new businesses and expansions to take root, because we are quickly exhausting the inventory we have of available, shovel-ready inventory. This is good news and bad news. Good, because it means we have done a terrific job of selling inventory; bad, because we don’t want to
3. Adjust Our Perspectives Hitt explained that the business community outside of South Carolina has a great image of our state. When asked about South Carolina, they reply that we are a can-do state, a manufacturing state, and that we are responsive to the needs of the business community. People come to South Carolina from outside of our state and they are simply blown away. The only people who are critical of our state are us, and we need to change our attitude about ourselves. 4. Palmetto Partners The Department of Commerce and other lead selling agencies (S.C. Parks, Recreation and Tourism and S.C. Ports Authority) teamed up to launch Palmetto Partners to support a simple goal: Create a unique, globally recognized image for South Carolina. So far, they have done a great job. Hitt showed a preview video to the SCEDA audience, and without giving anything away, the video’s main theme was how South Carolina is a state of mind, both friendly and unpretentious. In essence, “South Carolina is just right.” Hitt encourages all of us to think through what makes us special, because what makes us special is what makes us win.
October 25, 2013 Upstate business journal 27
UBJ Planner FRIday OCTOBER 25 Social Media Workshop Mauldin Chamber of Commerce, 101 E Butler Rd., Mauldin; 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Cost: $125 guest attendee, $497 full attendee Register: http://bit.ly/ SMW_102513
SATURday OCTOBER 26 Corporate Champions Day Wofford vs. Samford, Gibbs Stadium, 429 N. Church St., Spartanburg; 1:30 p.m. For information or tickets: 864-594-4023
MONday OCTOBER 28 GCS Roundtable The Office Center at the Point, 33 Market Point Dr., Greenville; 8:30-9:30 a.m. Speaker: Myles Golden Topic: Tips on Networking During the Holidays Call Golden Career Strategies at 864-5270425 to request an invitation Chamber Presents! Stella’s Southern Bistro, 684-C Fairview Rd., Simpsonville; noon-1 p.m. Speaker: Philip Hendel, independent associate with LegalShield Topic: Identity Theft Cost: $15 for Simpsonville Chamber members, $25 for non-members
Contact: Jennifer Richardson at jrichardson@ simpsonvillechamber.com Lunch and Learn Hillcrest Memorial Hospital, Conference Room E, 729 SE Main St., Simpsonville; noon-1 p.m. Speaker: Dr. Katarzyna Kocol, D.O., Physican Medicine & Rehabilitation Topic: A pain management option called neurostimulation Cost: Free, but registration is required Register: 1-877-GHSINFO (447-4636) Sustainable Conversation – Entrepreneurship Panel Discussion Kroc Center, 424 Westfield St., Greenville; noon-1:30 p.m. Speakers: Bruce Forbes, SHARE; David Esch, local mentor with SCORE; and Latrice Folkes, owner of LifeIt Café. Includes a free lunch Register: eventbrite.com/ event/8831313697 Opportunity Greenville – Fall 2013 Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 3-7 p.m. Topic: Education & Culture Cost: $325 for registrant spouse or three or more from same organization; $350 for Greenville Chamber
members; and $750 for non-Greenville chamber members. Includes dinner. Register: 864239-3743 or greenvillechamber.org 2013 CEO Social – Fall Piedmont Club, 361 E. Main St., Spartanburg; 5:30-7 p.m. Attendance for this event is reserved for the president and/or CEO of member businesses and organizations. Speaker: Dr. Nayef Samhat, president of Wofford College Register at: 864-594-5000 or spartanburgchamber.com U.S.-China: Strategic & Business Relations Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Place, Greenville; 5:30-8 p.m. Cost: $34 Register: http://bit.ly/ CS2013_Gville
TUESday OCTOBER 29 CREW Upstate Coffee Chat Tealoha, 131 E. McBee Ave., Greenville; 8-9 a.m. For information: crewupstate.org Affordable Care Act Seminar for Employers Embassy Suites Columbia-Greystone, 200 Stoneridge Dr., Columbia; 8:30 a.m.4:30 p.m. Speakers: William Wright, Fisher & Phillps
28 Upstate business journal October 25, 2013
LLP; Mike Brittingham, Nexsen Pruet; Kendall Buchanan, S.C. Department of Insurance; Godlee Davis, DECO; Ray Farmer, director, S.C. Department of Insurance; Daniel Sulton, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.; and Robby Kerr, Kerr & Company. Register: scchamber.net SOUTH-TEC 2013 TD Convention Center, 1 Exposition Dr., Greenville; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Event is Tuesday through Thursday. For information: southteconline.com Business After Hours GrandSouth Bank, 325 S. Main St., Fountain Inn; 5:30-7 p.m. For information: fountaininnchamber.org Greater Mauldin Chamber Women Meet and Greet – Halloween Bash Glamour Girl, 304-A N. Main St., Mauldin; 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Spartanburg; 5:30-8 p.m. Topics: Possible outlines, budgeting time and money, marketing planning, operating plans, computing costs and projecting revenue Cost: $25 per person, $15 for students and faculty. Refreshments will be provided. Register: scwbc.net/ events/upstate Contact: Janet Christy at janet@scwbc.net or 864-244-4117 Successful Entrepreneur Lecture Series University Center of Greenville, 225 S. Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville; 6-8 p.m. Speaker: Ray Lattimore, Marketplace Staffing Cost: Free, but participants must be registered. For information: successfulentrepreneurship.com
WEDNESday OCTOBER 30 Women Mean Business
RSVP to: Judy Harris at info2@mauldinchamber. org or 864-297-1323
Metcalfe & Atkinson LLC, 9 Toy St., Greenville; 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Business Plan Clinic
For information: facebook.com/WMB. Greenville
USC Upstate, 800 University Way, Media Building,
Contact: Lauren@ riverfallsspa.com
PULSE Social On the ROXX, 734-A S. Main St., Greenville; 5:30-8 p.m. Register: greenvillechamber.org Women’s Wednesdays Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Place, Greenville; 6-8 p.m. For information: clubcorp.com/clubs/thecommerce-club/aboutthe-club/calendar
THURSday OCTOBER 31 TATT Executive Committee Meeting Trehel Corporation, 408 E. North St., Greenville; noon-2 p.m. For information: tenatthetop.org CREW Upstate Happy Hour Chat Roost, 220 N. Main St., Greenville; 5-7 p.m. For information: crewupstate.org
FRIday NOVEMBER 1 First Friday Lunch 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 Register: greerchamber. com
Got a hot date? Contribute to our Planner by submitting event information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com
UBJ New to the Street 1. Two Sisters Embroidery recently
3. Commercial real estate services firm Avison Young recently opened a new office at 300 E. Coffee St. in Greenville. Joining the team are Reggie Bell, Kyle Putnam and Todd Justice.
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For information, visit candlewoodsuites.com or call 864-281-1000.
N. Line St.
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5. Candlewood Suites recently opened at 25 Green Heron Road in Greenville. The 97-room hotel includes complimentary high-speed Internet access, free local phone calls, free on-site guest laundry and a 24-hour fitness center.
N. Main St.
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recently cut the ribbon at 110 W. Church Street in Greer.
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For information, call 864-334-4145 or visit avisonyoung.com.
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For information, visit metalmarketexchange.com or call 864-438-4653.
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2. Metal Market Exchange recently held their ribbon-cutting at 3188 Wade Hampton Blvd. in Taylors, buying and selling coins, gold, silver and platinum jewelry.
N. I rvin e St .
For information, visit twosistersembroidery.com or call 864-430-3576.
E. N orth St.
St .
held a ribbon-cutting at 123 W. Antrim Drive in Greenville.
N. Sp rin g
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Verdae Blvd.
October 25, 2013 Upstate business journal 29
UBJ Snapshot
Donaldson Elementary School on Tindal Avenue was named for Thomas Quinton Donaldson. When the Greenville city school district was created in 1886, Donaldson served as the first chairman of the school board. The large wing on the back was originally for junior high students. In 1939, Albert Einstein visited the school to speak to the fifth-grade students. Einstein was in Greenville visiting his son H. Albert Einstein, who was a hydraulic engineer working for the USDA Soil Conservation Service. Where the school once stood is now Tindal Park. The vacant lot next to the former school is home to a building that was most recently the Greenville School District Office Annex building. Tindal Park offers tennis courts, a playground and picnic area and a basketball court.
From “Remembering Greenville: Photographs from the Coxe Collection� by Jeffrey R. Willis. Historic photo available from the Greenville Historical Society. UPDATED PHOTOs BY GREG BECKNER / STAFF
SENIOR BUSINESS writer Jennifer Oladipo staff writers Sherry Jackson, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris PRESIDENT/Publisher Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com UBJ Associate Publisher Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com eXECUTIVE Editor Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com MANAGING editor Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com
contributing writerS Dick Hughes, Jenny Munro, Jeanne Putnam, Leigh Savage
marketing & advertising Sales representatives Lori Burney, Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Pam Putman Marketing & EVENTS Kate Banner DIGITAL STRATEGIST Emily Price
INTERN Benjamin Jeffers photographer Greg Beckner art & production art director Kristy M. Adair PrODUCTION MANAGER Holly Hardin ADVERTISING DESIGN Michael Allen, Whitney Fincannon
30 Upstate business journal October 25, 2013
Copyright @2013 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. 148 River Street, Suite 120, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601. Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $65. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, 148 River St., Ste 120, Greenville, SC 29601. Printed in the USA.
how to contribute Story ideas: ideas@ upstatebusinessjournal.com
Events: events@ upstatebusinessjournal.com
New hires, promotions, awards: onthemove@ upstatebusinessjournal.com
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