DECEMBER 1, 2017 | VOL. 6 ISSUE 48
Two Two by
Julie Godshall Brown and Drew Brown celebrate Godshall Professional Recruiting and Staffing’s 50 years as a family-run business
ALSO INSIDE // • WILL THE PANTHERS LEAVE SPARTANBURG? • HUGHES AGENCY EXPANDS • THE FIGHT FOR HISTORIC TAX CUTS
THE RUNDOWN |
TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK
VOLUME 6, ISSUE 48 Featured this issue: First Look: Husk Greenville...........................................................................................8 70 lofts, arts incubator coming to Spartanburg’s Arcadia Mill No. 1............17 Lessons from the ATHENA Leadership Symposium......................................... 20
The highly anticipated Husk Greenville, from James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Brock and the Neighborhood Dining Group, opened its doors this week at 722 S. Main St. in a renovated former grocery and department store. The restaurant will showcase Brock’s unique spin on Southern cuisine by highlighting Upstate ingredients and heavily relying on a supply chain from local farmers. Take a look inside Husk Greenville on Page 8. Photo by Will Crooks
WORTH REPEATING “Every year, it has gotten better and better. It has been a phenomenal success. Every dime Spartanburg has committed to it has paid off.” Page 3
“Many aspiring entrepreneurs have crashed against the rocks of reality due to their situational blindness.” Page 18
“So many things we do are tied to technology that it seems impossible to accomplish anything without it.” Page 19
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VERBATIM
On brick-and-mortar vs. online shopping “The fact that shopper visits remained intact on Black Friday illustrates that physical retail is still highly relevant and when done right, it is profitable.” Brian Field, senior director of advisory services at ShopperTrak, on the slight drop in in-store shopping early into the holiday season.
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Throughout the years, the Panthers training camp has given fans an opportunity to meet their favorite players in person. Photo courtesy of the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau.
ECONOMY
The Carolina Panthers are big business for Spartanburg …but are the glory days about to come to an end? TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF
tanderson@communityjournals.com Although shunned by many, the black cat is revered in Spartanburg County – especially when it appears as the image of a snarling panther bordered in electric blue. For the past 23 summers, the NFL’s Carolina Panthers have brought revenue and the national spotlight to Spartanburg during their training camp at Wofford College. This year, the camp had a best-ever $13.24 million impact on the community and supported a record 266 jobs, according to a Clemson University study. That was accomplished despite a 27 percent decrease in attendance to 99,196 visitors, compared with an all-time high of 135,371 fans in 2016, a year following the team’s second Super Bowl appearance.
The turnout in 2017 was the second highest in the camp’s history, even though the Panthers finished the previous season with a 6-10 record and in the basement of the NFC South. While the marriage between the Charlotte, N.C.-based franchise and Spartanburg has always been happy and prosperous, a lingering question has persisted for more than a decade: Would the Panthers, one of the few remaining NFL teams to hold training camp away from its home campus, continue to hold court in Spartanburg after the death of its founder and majority owner Jerry Richardson? Richardson, a native of North Carolina who is still very much alive, graduated from Wofford in 1959 and played two seasons for the Baltimore Colts before returning to Spartanburg and establishing a restaurant empire. In 1987, Richardson began pursuing his dream of bringing an NFL team to the Carolinas.
PANTHERS FACTS ECONOMIC IMPACT $13.24 million JOBS 266 NUMBER OF VISITORS 99,196 AGREEMENT EXPIRES 2019
Richardson’s dream became a reality on Oct. 26, 1993, when he received a call from the league’s top brass confirming the Panthers as the 29th franchise in the NFL. Before the team’s first season in 1995, Richardson fulfilled his other dream of having the Panthers train at his alma mater. “When they first announced the Panthers were going to Charlotte, we immediately put together a team of county, [Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce], and Wofford officials,” said Spartanburg County Councilman David Britt, who is also a Wofford alum. “[Richardson’s] first love is Wofford. His second love is Spartanburg. Wofford gave him an opportunity to play football. His commitment to Spartanburg has been unquestionably strong. We put together a package and went after [training camp] just like we would to attract a company here.” “We did it because we thought we knew the 12.1.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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“There are only a handful of communities that can lay claim to being the home to an NFL team. Every summer for more than two decades, Spartanburg has been in that group of communities, and the status has proven to be a bottomless well of good fortune for us.” Will Rothschild, vice president of strategic communications for the Spartanburg Chamber
The stands at Wofford College’s Gibbs Stadium filled during one of the Panthers’ training camps. Photo courtesy of the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau.
impact it would have,” Britt added. “Every year, it has gotten better and better. It has been a phenomenal success. Every dime Spartanburg has committed to it has paid off.” The team originally signed a 15-year agreement to hold the camp at Wofford. That agreement has been extended several times. Its most recent contract extension promises to keep the camp in Spartanburg at least through 2019.
However, in late October, Panthers minority owner and Richardson’s son, Mark Richardson, told reporters in Anderson that a decision had been made to sell the team within two years after his father’s death. The elder Richardson, now 81, has a history of health issues. Team spokesman Riley Fields could not be reached for comment. Local officials said they have no idea what new
ownership would mean for the training camp’s future in Spartanburg, but they plan to make every effort to keep the Panthers from going somewhere else. “I think [Panthers training camp] is synonymous with Spartanburg. We do it right,” Britt said. “If the Panthers were to be sold, I don’t think the new owners would have any other choice but to take a good, hard look at us – what we’ve accomplished together. Partnership. That’s
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Spartanburg area officials said they will continue to fight for the Panthers training camp to be held at Wofford. Photo courtesy of the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau.
what we have with the Panthers. Mr. Richardson was so smart and so generous in bringing them here.” The energy and enthusiasm surrounding the camp for two weeks during the summer is something the Panthers need every season, officials said.
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“From our standpoint, we have a proven track record of success,” said Chris Jennings, executive vice president of the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCVB). “The partnership between the team and the city, county, the SCVB, and Wofford is stronger than it has ever been.” “The NFL is a business,” Jennings added. “We know that. The team has let us know this is their home. That doesn’t factor into new ownership and business models. I think we’re in good stead. We hope Mr. Richardson lives a long, long life. All we can control is the work that we do here.” Jennings said his organization plans to expand its efforts to promote the 2018 training camp. He is confident the next camp will surpass previous attendance and economic impact numbers. Various tourism partners in the community are also moving forward as one on many fronts to bring more sports tourism events to Spartanburg. “We’re not going to rest on our laurels,” Jennings said. “In the sports tourism arena, pardon the pun, Spartanburg is positioning itself well to be the home for several kinds of sporting events. We’re always looking ahead and we have to. … We’re like the little engine that could. Nothing can replace the Panthers. The eyes that are on Spartanburg and the Upstate because of training camp are irreplaceable. The NFL is premier. We’re going to keep working our great customer service, our partnerships, and facilities.” When he named the team, Richardson chose something inclusive in order to draw support from fans in both North and South Carolina. Spartanburg leaders said that fan support has blossomed throughout the years and firmly fixed the team in the hearts and minds of area residents. “There are only a handful of communities that can lay claim to being the home to an NFL team,” said Will Rothschild, vice president of strategic communications for the Spartanburg Chamber. “Every summer for more than two decades, Spartanburg has been in that group of communities, and the status has proven to be a bottomless well of good fortune for us.” Rothschild added, “The national name recognition, economic activity, and community identity and pride the Panthers have created for and in Spartanburg is immeasurable, as is Jerry Richardson’s loyalty to this community.” 12.1.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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The staff of the Hughes Agency, with its founder, Velda Hughes, has met every Monday at 10 a.m. since it began.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Room to Grow
Hughes Agency ready to expand in new, bigger office WORDS BY ARIEL TURNER | PHOTOS BY WILL CROOKS
A single glass block picture frame sits on each employee’s desk in the new Hughes Agency office in Greenville. And that’s about it in terms of personalization. Founder and President Velda Hughes says the uniformity and simplicity are deliberate. “Clients come in, and the way we represent ourselves is why they’re hiring us,” Hughes says. Every aspect of the new 110 E. Court St. office for the 16-year-old full-service public relations, marketing, and advertising agency has been strategic – from the clean, white décor and wallto-wall windows to the very reasons for the move in the first place. “For 20 years we had no windows,” Hughes says of the agency’s previous location in Poinsett Plaza at 104 S. Main St. “The light and sunshine give me more enthusiasm for my work.” The Hughes Agency is located on the ground floor in the EP+Co building owned by Hughes Commercial Properties, of which Hughes’ husband, Jackson Hughes Jr., is the president. “At this stage, it made sense for my landlord to be my spouse,” she said. Her previous landlord, Phil Hughes of Hughes Investments, is Jackson Hughes’ cousin. 6
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But beyond that, moving from 2,500 to 6,000 square feet positions the company for growth that the previous space couldn’t accommodate. “We didn’t even have a place for people to sit,” Hughes says. “I couldn’t hire anybody.” Hughes, who started a small public relations firm 32 years ago that laid the foundation for the current agency whose longtime clients include TD Bank and SYNNEX, says the company is now poised to bring on new clients in 2018, which will necessitate adding about five more employees to the 20-member staff. Hughes says she’s actively scouting new strategic talent. The agency also manages the Avenue rooftop event space in the same building. The venue, which opened in the spring, has booked 140 events for 2018. In order to continue the forward momentum, Brandy Humphries, now in her 13th year with the agency, has been named COO, and Anna McNinch and Elise Nichols will serve as senior vice presidents for client services. “We’ve been growing steadily over the years, but we were at a point that we just couldn’t take on more clients or work because we literally couldn’t fit any more people into the office space
that we had,” Humphries says. “The move to the new office gives us the opportunity to bring in additional staff and grow our current client base.” Humphries will be shifting her focus from client services to operations. “Taking on more of the day-to-day responsibility of managing people and the overall client management helps to give Velda the ability to focus more on the overall vision and growth of the company,” she says. Hughes says the firm will continue to enhance and increase services to its clients, connecting leaders in the business and philanthropic communities as she has for 32 years. “When I think about Greenville today versus where it was 20 years ago, there’s a small handful of people I always think about in terms of what Greenville would look like if they weren’t here – people who have had a significant impact on where Greenville is today. And I absolutely put Velda in that list of people,” says David Lominack, South Carolina market president for TD Bank, a client for those 32 years.
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The original floor-to-ceiling murals running the entire length of the building remain visible on both floors.
FIRST LOOK
Welcome to Husk Greenville A look inside the highly anticipated restaurant that opened Nov. 28 WORDS BY ARIEL TURNER | PHOTOS BY WILL CROOKS Husk Greenville, likely the most anticipated restaurant in the Upstate in the last 18 months, opened Nov. 28 in the renovated former grocery and department store at 722 S. Main St. Originally 4,400 square feet, the two-story addition off the back, which houses the kitchen downstairs and offices, storage, and restrooms upstairs, brings the restaurant to almost 7,000 square feet. The addition was strategic in order to keep the integrity of the historic brickwork and allow guests to enjoy the original architecture and two large murals, rather than have them engulfed by the kitchen, said David Howard, president of the Neighborhood Dining Group, which operates the four Husk locations. Howard said people have commented to him 8
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throughout the process that they’re glad the murals running the length of the entire right wall, both upstairs and downstairs, remained intact. “Are you kidding me? That’s why we chose this building,” Howard said. Upon entering at the far left of the building, guests will see the 36-foot, 18-seat bar. To the right is the main dining area, including a 10-seat chef’s table immediately in front of the open kitchen and an additional five four-tops and three two-tops. Upstairs, roughly 72 seats are available between a mixture of square four-tops and round six-tops. Husk’s widely acclaimed hyperlocal culinary approach extends beyond the food to the art displayed. On the first-floor wall opposite the
mural, two paintings by New York City artist Simon Cooper represent Greenville’s success as the “Textile Center of the South” in the early 20th century. Upstairs are three Cooper paintings depicting Vardry McBee (considered by many to be the “Father of Greenville”), the Reedy River, and Nathanael Greene, Greenville’s namesake. Two large cabinets loaded with pickled vegetables also add a splash of color to the brick wall. Husk Greenville’s hours of operation are 5-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Happy hour from 4:30-6:30 p.m. begins Dec. 4. Lunch and brunch service will be added in January 2018.
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Upstairs, pickled vegetables in wooden cabinets provide pops of color against the wood-tone and brick backdrop.
The chef’s table, which seats up to 10, sits directly in front of the open kitchen, with a view of the well-appointed bar.
12.1.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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A federal historic tax credit that made the renovation of the Brandon Mill in Greenville possible faces an uncertain future under a sweeping national tax reform bill. Photo by Will Crooks.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Tax On, Tax Off Developers say they need federal tax credits to redevelop historic buildings, but the program could be a victim of GOP cuts TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF
tanderson@communityjournals.com
A Republican-led effort to overhaul the nation’s tax code has created uncertainty about the future of a federal incentive that has stimulated the redevelopment of historic buildings in the Upstate and South Carolina. But developers and other advocates of the Historic Tax Credit (HTC) said they hope Congress will keep the program alive in a bill GOP leaders promised to deliver to President Donald J. Trump by Christmas. “Federal Historic Tax Credits are a valuable development tool that promotes economic development, job creation, and revitalization of cities,” said James Bakker, co-principal of Greenville-based BF Spartanburg, which has undertaken a $29 million renovation of downtown Spartanburg’s 93-year-old Montgomery Building. “The renovation of the Montgomery Building would not be possible without [HTC].” The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on Thursday, Nov. 16. The bill eliminated the HTC, which was enacted in 1978 and made permanent under the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Administered by the National Park Service and the Internal Revenue Service in conjunction with 10
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state historic preservation offices, HTC provides a 20 percent credit that can be claimed in one year by developers of certified buildings. The Senate is currently working on its version of the bill. GOP leaders plan to hold a floor vote after members return from Thanksgiving break. An amendment supported by South Carolina Republican Sens. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham was added to the bill to keep the 20 percent incentive in place, but requires it to be claimed over a five-year period. An earlier version of the Senate bill reduced the credit from 20 percent to 10 percent. “As a South Carolinian, Sen. Scott understands the importance of the Historic Preservation Tax Credit and how it allows the state to preserve landmarks and sites unique to South Carolina,” said Michele Perez Exner, a spokeswoman for Scott. “He sees it as an effective way to display and reuse our state’s history.” “Sen. Graham is very supportive of the Historic Preservation Tax Credit,” said Kevin Bishop, spokesman for Graham. “There have been numerous projects in Spartanburg and throughout South Carolina that would not have been possible without the credit.” “Sen. Graham supports retaining the credit at
20 percent and will work with colleagues to restore the credit to benefit historic preservation in South Carolina,” Bishop added. U.S Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., declined to comment on the matter. According to the Historic Tax Credit Coalition and National Trust for Historic Preservation, HTC has attracted more than $131 billion in private investment since its inception. As of the end of 2016, the program had been used to rehabilitate 42,293 historic buildings across the country and created more than 2.4 million jobs, advocacy groups said. A study by Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy commissioned by the National Park Service found that the program has a net benefit to the U.S. Treasury. For the $25.2 billion in credits allocated during the lifespan of the program, it has produced $29.8 billion in federal tax revenue, according to study. That means every $1 invested in the program has yielded a return of more than $1.18. The tax credit is generating redevelopment of historic buildings in the Palmetto State. According to the state’s Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which is responsible for reviewing
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“This is an extremely successful private-public partnership that is working nationwide. It has helped breathe new life into blighted buildings that no one would even touch.” Tara Sherbert, managing principal of The Sherbert Group
applications for income-producing projects seeking the 20 percent federal HTC and the 10 percent, or optional 25 percent, state historic tax credit, applications boomed during the past year. SHPO said in its 2016-2017 fiscal year report that tax credit applications for income-producing projects increased 36 percent, while applications for residential tax credits increased 7 percent. The agency said it received 54 new tax credit project applications from 12 counties covering all seven congressional districts during the year. Projects completed during the fiscal year amounted to $180 million in total costs and earned a combined $48.4 million in federal and state HTCs, SHPO said. About two-thirds of the credits earned came from federal HTCs. Since the federal HTC was first introduced 41 years ago, SHPO estimates projects in South Carolina have earned $148 million. Under the state HTC, SHPO estimates projects in South Carolina have earned about $24.2 million. A few notable projects completed during the past fiscal year include
the $28 million Palmetto Compress project in Columbia, the $15 million Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, and the $20.9 million Brandon Mill renovation in Greenville. On Nov. 6, Scott and Dr. Ben Carson, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, visited Drayton Mills Lofts and Marketplace in Spartanburg. To date, project officials said Drayton is the largest historic renovation in the state’s history. And it wouldn’t have happened without the federal HTC. “When Sen. Scott and Secretary Carson came to Drayton, the intent was to talk to them about the historic tax credit,” said Tara Sherbert, managing principal of The Sherbert Group, owner of Drayton Mills Lofts and co-owner of Drayton Mills Marketplace. “This is an extremely successful private-public partnership that is working nationwide,” Sherbert said. “It has helped breathe new life into blighted buildings that no one would even touch. There are mill communities across South Carolina that could benefit from this.” Sherbert and her team are leading
Common room of Brandon Mill. Photo by Will Crooks. the redevelopment effort of University Center at Knowledge Park in Rock Hill. Pace Burt, a developer from Georgia who has successfully revamped a variety of buildings in the Upstate, including the West Village Lofts at Brandon Mill in Greenville, and Church Street Lofts and Mayfair Mills in Spartanburg, said HTCs are critical for the revitalization of downtowns. “If we didn’t have tax credits, downtowns would just implode,” Burt said. “In large markets, it would painful, but in smaller communities, it would be devastating. It’s a game-changer.” “Church Street Lofts never would’ve happened without it,” Burt added. “That was a really good indicator, because it showed that downtown Spartanburg could handle more residential development. Since we completed it, more than 1,000
units have been proposed, planned, or developed during the past two years. Success breeds success.” BF Spartanburg’s Bakker applauded Scott and Graham for supporting efforts to keep the program alive. He said the federal HTC is one of the few government programs that “is doing what it is supposed to do.” Without it, the character and authenticity of communities across the state will be damaged. “The bottom line is this tax credit is very important for developers to justify the added cost of redeveloping historic buildings,” said John Montgomery, principal of Spartanburg-based Montgomery Development Group and co-owner of the Drayton Mills Marketplace in Spartanburg. “Without it, we would not have been able to make Drayton a reality. If it goes away, I’m not sure what the future will be for many of the state’s historic buildings.”
12.1.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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Elevate Upstate grant winners announced Main Street Laurens USA and the Greenwood Arts Center have been named the winners of the 2017 Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Community Vibrancy Grants. The grant program, which was launched by Ten at the Top in 2013, provides “seed funds” to support vibrancy initiatives in communities across the Upstate. Greenville’s Hughes Investments contributes at least $10,000 a year to the program, with two recipients receiving $5,000 each. “The goal of the Elevate Upstate program is to get communities thinking about what types of initiatives or programs might help spark vibrancy within their area and then provide some seed money to get some of them started,” said Phil Hughes, president of Hughes Investments, in a statement. “In the three years we have done this program, I have been amazed by the great ideas and passion of communities across the region to grow their vibrancy and sense of place. It was a real challenge to narrow the field to five finalists and to select the recipients.” In the five years of the Elevate Upstate Grants program, Phil Hughes and Hughes Investments have provided a total of $73,000 to help with 22 different vibrancy initiatives across the Upstate region. The five finalists for 2017 were selected from 22 applications. Each finalists gave a brief presentation at Ten at the Top’s Celebrating Successes Brunch on Nov. 16 at the Greenville Marriott. Main Street Laurens USA plans to use its Elevate Upstate grant to launch a Food Truck Plaza, which
will dedicate space within the city of Laurens where food trucks will be located for residents and visitors. It will include colored shade sails, brick pavers, picnic benches, and more. The Greenwood Arts Center plans to use its grant to provide educational and interactive art programs designed around the Bee City USA designation, which aims to celebrate and raise awareness of the contribution of bees and other pollinators. In addition to providing $10,000 to the two winners, Hughes has also pledged a $2,000 matching grant to each of the three other finalists. If they raise $2,000 toward completing their project, he will provide a matching $2,000 contribution. The other three Hughes Investments Elevate Upstate Grant Finalists are as follows: Art of the Horse in Landrum: In celebration of the 2018 World Equestrian Games being held in nearby Tryon, N.C., the city will be displaying a lifesize painted fiberglass horse. The city is looking to use the Elevate Upstate Grant to allow for the piece of public art to become a permanent component of the city of Landrum. Farm to Fork Dinner, Abbeville County Farmers Market: The Abbeville County Farmers Market is looking to host a farm-to-fork dinner to highlight the vital role of local farming and farmers markets in creating local vibrancy in Abbeville. Art Wall at Monarch Park, city of Seneca and Blue Ridge Arts Council: As part of an Eagle Scout project for a local student, an art wall has been created in Monarch Park, located within walking distance of Main Street Seneca. The Elevate Upstate Grant would be used to commission three-dimensional butterfly art for the wall and park. –Andrew Moore
Greenville Tech plans Advanced Manufacturing Academy for high school seniors The Greenville Tech Foundation has received a $32,000 donation from Bosch Rexroth Corp. to create an Advanced Manufacturing Academy for high school seniors. The multiple-course program is designed for students who are pursuing either technician or engineering education after high school, according to a press release. Students accepted into the program will spend their afternoon hours at Greenville Technical College’s Center for Manufacturing Innovation, where they will be introduced to CNC machining, mechatronics, welding, 3D printing, robotics, and metrology. “Students will have the chance to experience UBJ | 12.1.2017
advanced manufacturing and to understand the opportunities ahead of them on this path. We appreciate the chance to come together with Bosch Rexroth to help create the workforce of the future,” said David Clayton, executive director at the Center for Manufacturing Innovation. He added that the program applies as a technical elective for several advanced manufacturing programs at Greenville Tech and as an overview of manufacturing technologies for those planning to enroll in university engineering programs. –Andrew Moore
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Photo by Trees Greenville.
Duke Energy donates $350K to Upstate conservation projects The Duke Energy Foundation has awarded more than $350,000 in grants to 14 environmental nonprofits in South Carolina. “We are dedicated to protecting the natural beauty of South Carolina and being good stewards of the environment,” said Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, Duke Energy’s South Carolina president, in a news release. “By supporting the organizations that do this honorable work, we can help protect and restore wildlife and natural resources, and support quality environmental education programs in our state.” The grants will fund various environmental projects, wildlife conservation efforts, and environmental educational programs within Duke Energy’s service territory in the state. Some of the grants are going to Upstate conservation efforts. Ten at the Top, for instance,
will receive $25,000 to support the Connecting Our Future Initiative, the goal of which is to build a coalition of stakeholders to develop a regional vision for the Upstate to increase connectivity while reducing congestion and environmental pollutants. TreesGreenville, a nonprofit that works to plant, promote, and protect trees in Greenville, has been awarded more than $44,000 to coordinate five tree giveaways that help educate homeowners on the right place and right tree to plant in order to improve energy savings. “Thanks to the Duke Energy Foundation, we’re promoting tree planting and protecting a healthy community forest,” said Joelle Teachy, executive director of TreesGreenville. “Together, we’re giving away trees that are saving energy, improving air quality, and providing public health benefits.” Other beneficiaries include Anne Springs Close Greenway, Beautiful Places Alliance, The Children’s Museum of the Upstate, Clemson University, Newberry Soil and Water Conservation District, Pee Dee Land Trust, S.C. Aquarium, S.C. Waterfowl Association, and S.C. Wildlife Federation. –Andrew Moore 12.1.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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MILESTONE | A TRIBUTE TO OUR LONG-LASTING ENTERPRISES
At the Core
From Wayne and Jessie Godshall to Drew Brown and Julie Godshall Brown, the heart of Godshall Professional Recruiting and Staffing has always been the couple at the helm Words by Leigh Savage | Photos by Will Crooks
Drew Brown and Julie Godshall Brown 14
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A TRIBUTE TO OUR LONG-LASTING ENTERPRISES
| MILESTONE
In 1968, Wayne and Jessie Godshall founded Godshall & Godshall Personnel Consultants Inc. Fifty years later, the company now known as Godshall Professional Recruiting and Staffing has undergone drastic changes, but the core values of this family business have remained the same – and it’s still owned and run by a married couple. “It’s always been a husband-and-wife company,” said Drew Brown, who is owner and vice president of marketing and sales. “And we’re all still married,” joked Julie Godshall Brown, owner and president. Just like her parents, Godshall Brown and her husband have complementary skills that have helped them shift with the changing economic landscape. “The advice my mom and dad gave us was to focus on your own core strengths and stay out of each other’s way,” she said. Wayne and Jessie Godshall have been retired for more than a decade, but enjoy attending events such as a recent party celebrating 50 years in business. “It was so much fun,” Godshall Brown said. “I so much wanted them to feel like it was a celebration of what they started, because it’s certainly a great foundation we’re standing on.”
The beginning After working briefly for a franchise in the staffing industry, Wayne Godshall decided to open his own firm in Greenville. “My father was one of those people that, regardless of the type of business, he was going to run his own business,” Godshall Brown said. “He was an entrepreneur.” The couple started in the Daniel Building (now the Landmark Building) and were the only two employees. A strong economy led to steady growth, and as staff members were added, the business eventually moved to Cleveland Street across from the Greenville Chamber of Commerce. “They had fairly smooth sailing, though with a lot of hard work, in those early years,” Godshall Brown said.
A key transition period began in 1981, when a recession transformed the industry. This was the beginning of what was called the temporary service, a diversification that allowed Godshall to weather economic highs and lows. “There is a balance between the temporary, or what we call contract staffing, and the direct-hire side of our business, and it ebbs and flows,” Godshall Brown said. When the economy is strong and the job market is tight, direct hire makes up a larger percentage of the company’s work. In more recessionary periods, and recovery from those periods, contract work shifts to the forefront. The Browns say adding temporary staffing in response to customer need set the tone for the company going forward, and now there are key points every few years where “we identify a client need, and then we have to decide if we
are best equipped to match that need,” Godshall Brown said. A recent example involved health care staffing, which Godshall has done for decades, though they had focused on placing administrative staffers and not clinical posts. When clients asked them to place clinical professionals, the Browns had to weigh their ability to fill that need, and realized they should add it to their offerings. “We’ve had to change as Greenville has changed,” Drew Brown said. In the early years, the focus was on placing executives and management at textile and manufacturing firms because those dominated the Upstate workforce. Now, the company still works with niche textile companies, but has responded to the changing workforce, working with automotive and plastics companies, health care, banking, engineering, IT, and more.
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MILESTONE | A TRIBUTE TO OUR LONG-LASTING ENTERPRISES
“ My father was one of those people that, regardless of the type of business, he was going to run his own business. He was an entrepreneur.” Julie Godshall Brown
Wayne and Jessie Godshall
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A new generation
Looking forward
Julie Godshall Brown always loved the family business, and as a teenager worked answering phones on holidays or evenings. She and her parents agreed that after college, she would work elsewhere in the industry to gain experience before joining the firm, so she earned a master’s degree in human resources and worked in technical recruiting at AT&T before returning in 1995. Drew Brown began as an engineer but had spent almost a decade in sales before he was brought on board at Godshall in 2002. Two years later, Wayne retired, and Julie and Drew purchased the business and moved to the current site across from County Square. And it all occurred during a jam-packed three-month span. The next major challenge occurred with the recession in 2008 and 2009, when many competitors struggled to survive after focusing on one business sector or just a few large clients. The diversity at Godshall carried them through. “Health care stayed strong, and several niche industries related to education. We were fortunate,” Godshall Brown said. “We are blessed to partner with the largest companies in our area, but we are also pleased to work with companies that might hire one or two people per year. Working with so many small companies and so many different industries has really been a blessing that has allowed us to weather the hard times.” Today, the company employs 21 core staff, with thousands of field associates placed at more than 500 companies each year. Staffing firms aren’t often considered a large employer, but Godshall Brown said her company provides benefits, matches taxes, and creates W2s for each contract staffer. “They are all Godshall employees, and we take care of them as such,” she said.
The Godshalls plan to continue focusing on relationships and a diverse client roster. “The biggest challenge for us will be to recognize those opportunities the way my parents did,” Julie Godshall Brown said. “We want to recognize the opportunities to serve our clients in different ways based on their needs.” Drew Brown adds that the company will continue building on the foundation laid by Wayne and Jessie Godshall. “Mr. Godshall has made the comment to me that he’s extremely proud of Julie especially, for taking over the company and not only just running it, but improving it,” he said. The Brown’s children are 18 and 16 and have enjoyed pitching in, but it’s too soon to say if they will bring a third generation to the family business. The couple said they will follow her parents’ example and allow the kids to make their own decisions. No matter where the future leads, the Browns have learned to build new client relationships and offerings while also working closely with clients that have been with them for generations. “Technology may change, our market focus may change, our offerings may change completely, but hiring the top talent we can hire, keeping an eye on your business levers like cash flow – those kinds of things don’t change, and they haven’t changed since 1968,” Godshall Brown said. “Those core things that make a business successful will be the same 50 years from now.”
UBJ | 12.1.2017
|
REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION
TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF
| SQUARE FEET
tanderson@communityjournals.com |
@AndersonTrev
THE DETAILS SQUARE FEET 200,000 COST $9 million AMENITIES 70 high-end lofts, 20,000-square-foot arts incubator in partnership with Chapman Cultural Center DEVELOPER Pace Burt DESIGNER McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture Plans for Arcadia Mill No. 1 include 70 high-end loft apartments and a 20,000-square-foot arts incubator named the Creativity Mill.
CONSTRUCTION Clayton Construction Company
Spartanburg’s Arcadia Mill No. 1 is getting a much-needed makeover A 114-year-old textile mill in Spartanburg County will soon breathe new life. Georgia-based developer Pace Burt said he plans to move forward with a $9 million renovation of the 200,000-square-foot Arcadia Mill No. 1 at 1875 Hayne St. The project will include about 70 high-end loft apartments and a 20,000-square-foot, two-story arts incubator named the Creativity Mill that will be developed in partnership with the Chapman Cultural Center. “I’m very excited,” said Burt, who has successfully completed renovations of several historic buildings in the Upstate, including Mayfair Mills and Church Street Lofts in Spartanburg, and the West Village Lofts at Brandon Mill in Greenville. “Arcadia was a very difficult building to deal with because we had to demolish about 175,000 square feet of newer additions to get back to the original structure of the mill.” In May, Burt sold the 107-unit Mayfair Mills complex at 100 W. Cleveland St., just down the road from Arcadia No. 1, to Charleston-based Mayfair Apartments of SC LLC for $10.59 million. At the time, Burt said he planned to use the funds to renovate the Arcadia
facility, which has sat vacant for the past 16 years. The developer acquired both sites from Spartanburg businessman Jimmy Gibbs in 2004. Four years later, Burt completed an $8 million rehab of the West Cleveland Street property to transform it into apartments blending history with modern urban appeal. In late 2012, Burt began moving forward with plans for the Hayne Street property. Some of the plant’s construction from the 1970s was demolished and removed, exposing the original shell of the building, comprised of brick and large windows. “It took a little while, but we’re ready to move forward,” Burt said. A site plan filed with the county showed the facility will have ample parking and a pool. Jennifer Evins, president and CEO of the Chapman Cultural Center, said Burt first approached the Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg in 2012. He planned to gift a portion of the building for an arts studio. County Council voted in 2015 to utilize a community development block grant to help move the project forward, Evins said.
Spartanburg Community College 85
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Arcadia Fairforest
Plans for the space have been in progress for the past two years as federal and state historic preservation offices were reviewing Burt’s plan. The arts complex will feature co-working space for local artists and a “maker space” for ceramics, metal, and glass. It will have a climbing wall, dance studio, and practice studios for musicians. Evins said the facility will be geared toward teaching local artists about entrepreneurship. She said it will also focus on reaching out to artists in Spartanburg’s Latino and Hispanic communities. She said the community surrounding the mill is the fastest-growing Hispanic census tract in South Carolina.
26
HAYNE STREET Evins said officials have held meetings with members of the community to receive feedback about what they’d like to see at the facility. “We want to make sure this building is not just something we want, but what the community wants,” she said. “This is so exciting.” Evins said Spartanburg-based McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture designed the space. The construction contract has been awarded to Spartanburg-based Clayton Construction Co. She said about $350,000 of the $500,000 needed for the first phase of the arts facility has already been raised. Evins anticipates the first phase will be completed before the end of 2018, while the second phase could be finished in 2019. 12.1.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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FORWARD |
WHAT ’S NEXT FOR THE UPSTATE, AND HOW WE’LL GET THERE
Help Wanted Three veterans specializing in ops management, counseling, and strategy seek employment By ROBYN GRABLE founder, Service to Civilian
So you want to hire a hard-working,
get-the-job-done superstar? They do exist – they are called veterans. Armed Forces veterans have the proven ability to learn new skills and concepts with an accelerated learning curve. Veterans are constantly training and developing new skills. They bring this capability to your workforce with identifiable and transferable competencies, proven in real-world and diverse situations. Veterans excel at performance under pressure. They understand the hardships of tight schedules and limited resources. They have developed the capacity to know how to accomplish priorities, no matter what. They know the critical importance of staying with a task until it is done right. Veterans know the meaning of teamwork. They have learned to work side by side with individuals regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and economic status as well as mental, physical, and cultural backgrounds. They have the sensitivity to cooperate with many different types of individuals and work within teams that are constantly changing. Veterans know what it means to do a job bigger than themselves without blinking an eye. Their integrity translates into qualities of sincerity and trustworthiness. This week, we’re profiling three veterans who could be great additions to your team.
VETERAN PROFILES
In each recurring article, we will highlight two to three veterans currently seeking their next great career after the military. With years of training to do jobs with direct civilian compatibility, veterans will immediately hit the ground running, integrate into your organization, and add value from day one.
Operations Management
Production, Lean Manufacturing, Maintenance, Safety • Suited for handling complex situations due to strong acumen in efficient time management, lateral organizational communication, and problem solving • Solid reputation as a highly effective and innovative leader in plant management, 18
UBJ | 12.1.2017
maintenance and safety management, and project management as an Army engineer captain, leveraging an unparalleled longterm vision and attention to detail to increase operational efficiency • Highly proficient at gap analysis, continuous improvement, implementation of new projects, and motivating a culture of success that seeks results • Interested in pursuing senior management positions bringing 15-plus years of experience CORE COMPETENCIES • Visible leader that is engaged, approachable, and highly energetic promoting a culture of change and efficiency with strong customer focus • Known strategist who transforms strategic plans into workable solutions and benchmarks for performance against key operational objectives • Expertise in lean manufacturing with an extensive scope of responsibility and a proven track record of delivering optimal results in a high-growth environment that exceeds operational goals and yields measurable outcomes • Strong operational process improvement background through effective cost reduction, tactical planning, productivity gain, and revenue growth strategies
Counselor/Coach
Eleven years of executive management and leadership experience. As an active-duty naval officer (naval aviator/information dominance warfare officer), progressed from project manager to senior administrator. Looking for a position within the educational system at any level to utilize desire to coach, counsel, and develop students. PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Developing Future Leaders/Mentorship. Coached over 600 students at Greenville Technical College. Devoted over 120 hours to training, hosting practice oral examinations, and facilitating oral qualification boards for over 60 naval officers resulting in a 93 percent pass rate of newly qualified information dominance leaders. • Program Development. Organized and led a sexual assault prevention and response program for over 2,000 employees during a
period of heightened sexual assault awareness within the Department of Defense. Managed the training of 11 victim advocates across five organizations, developed a 24/7 sexual assault response hotline, and supervised over 10 large-scale awareness events. Developed a sexual assault checklist that was used to improve a Department of the Navy instruction for sexual assault response. EDUCATION Masters of Arts in Counseling, Projected: 2018 Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Leader and Strategist
Leader, innovator, and visionary with over 30 years of combat-proven leadership and senior-level strategy experience within large and diverse organizations operating in complex environments • Active top-secret security clearance (last updated: August 2014) • Tested leader, innovator, and systems thinker in regional economic development strategy development and operational planning • EcoDistrict-accredited professional • In partnership with ReThink Advisors and Black & Veatch, developed a planning, execution, and assessment framework based on the EcoDistrict Protocol for communities and municipalities to implement sustainability in a pragmatic, systems-based, and transparent manner to achieve their longterm prosperity and security goals. • Launched LHCG to deliver long-term, attractive returns by providing capital to meet demand for sustainable, walkable, and healthy communities. Primarily responsible for developing a business strategy to capture market opportunities in medium-sized cities in the areas of energy- and location-efficient housing, intra-city rail systems (light rail and streetcar), and district infrastructure related to renewable energy, water, and connectivity.
To schedule an interview or learn more about these veterans and others, please call 864-580-6289 or email info@servicetocivilian.com.
MOVERS, SHAKERS, AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE
| INNOVATE
Aspiration and Experience Two approaches to innovative thinking in startup cultures By BRENT WARWICK Partner, ipsoCreative
More than 40 years ago, a San Francisco Bay-area teacher named Jacqueline Leventhal sought to connect with challenging students through creative ways. One day, while searching through her school’s basement, she stumbled upon a rubber vulcanizer and had the idea of using that vulcanizer to make rubber stamps of her designs and then to use those stamps with her students. As she shared the ensuing stories with her family and friends, word began to slowly spread beyond that small circle, and others began asking her if they too could buy her stamps and inquire about new designs. So was born the pioneering wooden stamp company known as Hero Arts, which is sold via independent shops and big-box retailers like Michael’s and JOANN Fabric and Crafts. Through the experience of serving others, Leventhal gained firsthand knowledge of a particular need and then extended that knowledge to create an innovative solution. A few short years ago, another warm-hearted woman was serving in a women’s ministry at her church, making cards by the hundreds. Iliana Myska, eventual founder of My Sweet Petunia, become frustrated with errors and inconsistencies while using stamps in making her cards. With some remarkable ingenuity, and after several trips to a hardware store, she developed what is now known as the MISTI (the Most Incredible Stamp Tool Invented). Thousands upon thousands of stampers will tell you that her tool completely revolutionized the stamping world in a way not seen since the founding days of Hero Arts. Similar to Leventhal, Myska was simply serving others and realized her own need in that experience. Plus, she realized that need she felt extended to the experience of others. In these examples, both women were doing something in a realm that they knew well. They had an innovative wisdom born from their own experience. Theirs is an experiential innovation that stands in contrast with much of the aspirational innovation that preoccupies the thinking and dreaming in today’s startup culture.
Aspirational Innovation Aspirational innovation is largely characterized by the desire to innovate without an obvious need that is being addressed. It’s a solution in search of a problem. Often, this is commonly seen in business school students in search of practical ways to put
their education in practice, aspiring entrepreneurs looking to find their niche, or even researchers and product developers looking to fulfill their responsibilities within their company. Although there are always exceptions to such broad characterizations (the origin story of prescription eyeglasses retailer Warby Parker being a well-known outlier), this sort of aspirational innovation is the result of some other motivating factor that competes with the desire to find a useful solution to solve a problem. In other words, the point of origin for aspirational innovation is not necessarily just finding a useful solution to a problem.
Many aspiring entrepreneurs have crashed against the rocks of reality due to their situational blindness. A quick look at the statistics for startup businesses proves how profoundly our motivations affect our judgment in assessing opportunities.
Business students are often looking to boost their prospective career, whether that be as an entrepreneur or just to be more attractive to potential employers. The aim of many entrepreneurs is autonomy, or financial independence. And many product developers are looking to sustain their current employment. With each of these example groups, they may very well be earnestly seeking to find a solution to a need, and the ultimate results of their quest may be truly innovative regardless of their motivations. But their motivations can be a significant hurdle to their success and sometimes can outright prevent it. For example, if I am an aspiring entrepreneur, one of my first objectives is to identify a niche in a
market or industry that is either not served or underserved. That, in and of itself, is a tricky proposition. It’s difficult to be objective in evaluating opportunities when it takes time and your desire to be autonomous is waiting on the outcome of your evaluation. I may see “opportunities” where they do not truly exist or where the challenges to those opportunities greatly outweigh the relative value of pursuing them. Many aspiring entrepreneurs have crashed against the rocks of reality due to their situational blindness. A quick look at the statistics for startup businesses proves how profoundly our motivations affect our judgment in assessing opportunities. There’s also another unintended side effect to aspirational innovation. Because there are competing motivations in the pursuit, the resulting innovation may be heavily influenced beyond the identified need. This one point probably demands its own exploration, but suffice to say for now, there are countless products (and services) that are the result of a compromise where one of those competing motivations made the innovation less useful then it could have been were it not for the desire for inordinate profit, superfluous recognition, or power within an organization.
Experiential Innovation The alternative, experiential innovation, shouldn’t be seen as moralistically ideal, per se. However, the pursuit of a solution largely for the solution’s sake (simply to meet an existing real-world need) usually produces a truly useful product, service, or process. Unencumbered by the tug of other prime motivators, innovators like Leventhal and Myska channeled their own experiences into a solution that tangibly met their needs and the needs of others. These weren’t the conjured “needs” of an aspiring entrepreneur trying to find a niche to fill. Rather, they were real needs whose solution benefited others through being truly useful. And it’s this sort of innovation that time and again leads to the flourishing of individuals and communities.
12.1.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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DIGITAL MAVEN |
THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUSINESS
Truth in Fiction A ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ episode shines light on large-scale health system hacks By LAURA HAIGHT president, portfoliosc.com
Fans of the long-running medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” were treated to a pretty frightening scenario recently when the hospital was taken over by hackers seeking a Hollywood-sized ransom to release access to blood banks, medical records, and control of medical devices. Several friends have looked for reassurance from me, asking, “That can’t really happen, right?” Well, actually, it can. And it’s not just possible, but actually likely. If we dissect the drama, we can find some takeaways for patients and the health care community. Let’s break down the reality from the ampedup-for-TV “Grey’s Anatomy” storyline. Monitoring devices, electronic locks, and patient records were all locked down by a hacker. That’s a pretty terrifying but likely scenario. The most recent example was last March’s WannaCry hack that infected 300,000 computers in 150 countries, including radiology devices made by Bayer that were disabled by the virus. There are also many documented cases of hacking implanted medical devices like pacemakers, defibrillators, and insulin pumps, as well as hospital-based infusion and monitoring systems. With historically weak security as a lure, hackers are switching from locking down medical records or stealing Social Security numbers to taking control of health equipment and services and ransoming back access. Just like in “Grey’s.” And just like a bad case of MRSA, one infected connected device can quickly spread throughout the entire facility’s IT network. According to Wired magazine, an average of 10 to 15 such devices are connected to each hospital bed. The FDA has developed guidance for device manufacturers on cybersecurity, and it has even blocked some deficient devices from coming to market. But that, according to industry watchers, is rare and insufficient to address the magnitude of the risk. For the most part, the industry has to police itself. Device manufacturers are turning a lot more attention to security on their devices, but updates are primarily embedded in new devices. 20
UBJ | 12.1.2017
A ransom of 5,000 Bitcoin was demanded of the Grey+Sloan facility. In U.S. dollars today, that’s $40 million. Bitcoin fluctuates like any currency, and when the Grey’s episode was filmed the ransom in dollars was a mere $20 million. Regardless, that’s a lot, even for cardiologists and brain surgeons. It’s also exaggerated for dramatic impact. In reality, ransom demands are considerably smaller. Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Los Angeles paid out $17,000 last year in a ransomware incident. But the demands can be higher when lives linked to MRIs, medication dosage pumps, and pacemakers hang in the balance. The problem with Bitcoin, however, is that it is not easy. You can’t just go to the bank, buy Bitcoin, and transfer it to your hacker. The process is complex and underground, and it often doesn’t work so smoothly. That complicates the situation even more for victims, who think they can just pay and everything will go back to normal. Even if you decide to pay, it can take a few days to complete the transaction. For health care, that’s a critical situation with a poor prognosis. With Ransomware 1.0, not paying the ransom was an option for organizations with strong disaster recovery and the ability to switch over quickly to backup systems. But with the focus on control of medical devices, backups really don’t help regain control of
services, devices, and access controls. The FBI storms in and takes over early in the unfolding of the disaster. No, that’s not going to happen. In the case of ransomware, the FBI wants you to notify them (that’s a request, not the law) and not pay the ransom. If, however, patient information or other sensitive data is exposed (even if you don’t know that it has been taken), companies in South Carolina are legally required to report the breach. Operational thinking saves the day at Grey+Sloan. And that’s a good lesson for any organization hit with a cyber attack. So many things we do are tied to technology that it seems impossible to accomplish anything without it. Operational thinking demands that we give up on what we can’t do and turn our attention to what has to be done. Solutions, often unusual ones, will bubble up. Regardless of your industry, this is a great exercise to go through – preferably when you are not under attack or facing onrushing floodwaters. For most of us, that won’t likely involve pumping your blood directly into a patient mid-surgery. How will things turn out at Grey+Sloan? It remains to be seen. But if art imitates life, we have a lot of work to do in an essential industry that is now sitting squarely in the crosshairs of cybercriminals.
NOTES FROM THE BEST TALKS YOU MISSED
| THE TAKEAWAY
Women Who Lead Former assistant to President Clinton shares career, leadership lessons By MEGAN CAMPBELL
Keynote speaker J. Veronica Biggins speaks at the ATHENA Leadership Symposium. Photo provided
communications coordinator, Greenville Chamber
What: The Greenville Chamber’s Sixth Annual ATHENA Leadership Symposium When/Where: Nov. 14 at TD Convention Center Who was there: 400+ business leaders, multicultural and women professionals
J. Veronica Biggins has forged her own path, but she hasn’t done it alone. Biggins recently imparted wisdom she’s learned along her journey to 400+ professionals at the sixth annual ATHENA Leadership Symposium, a unique women’s leadership program. Biggins currently serves as the managing partner of the Atlanta office of Diversified Search. There, she leads the firm’s board practice. Prior to joining Diversified Search, Biggins served as assistant to the president of the United States and director of presidential personnel under Bill Clinton, a role that tasked her with selecting and hiring all political appointees within the federal government. Biggins describes working at the White House as a humbling experience. She was able to accomplish much in this role, but one of her greatest memories from the experience was meeting Nelson Mandela. Biggins began her career in banking, where she was a true trailblazer. At one point, she was one of the highest-ranking women in the industry. Biggins’ experience is largely reflective of the proverb “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Biggins has indeed gone far in her professional career, and she insists she had others lift her up along the way. Here are some of the lessons she shared.
Mentors Are Fabulous; Sponsors Are Better Biggins is a strong advocate for mentoring, coaching, and sponsoring. According to Biggins, mentors give guidance and act as a sounding board. Coaches provide specific help with something. Sponsors take a vested interest in your success and have opportunities to open doors for you. “None of us can have a great professional career without all three being present,” Biggins shared. While the three must be interwoven, she says, “Mentors are fabulous, but sponsors are better.” In each of these three roles, critical assessment should be provided. “If your mentor makes you feel good every day, you need to move along.”
More than 400 people attended the unique women’s leadership program. Photo provided She offers this advice for building an effective relationship with mentors: • You need a mentor for every phase of your life. • Seek mentors with a different background. • Seek feedback from your mentor and act on it. • Mentors should be in a higher role than you to help lift you up. • The key is building a trusting relationship. • Understand and share your short- and long-term goals. Biggins had great mentors, coaches, and sponsors in her life. Because Biggins was such a trailblazer, these were primarily men. There simply weren’t any women to mentor her. Biggins says, “If someone helped you, you have a clear obligation to help others.” She adds, “I’m clear about how I got here, the boards I sit on, and my responsibility for opening the door for others.”
Global Perspective When asked what trait she most admires about herself, Biggins says that it is her accepting and welcoming nature. “Acceptance is a gift we can all give,” Biggins says. She strives to “live a life that is welcoming to all.” It’s a trait she learned from her parents and
grandparents. It’s also a lesson she learned from a young age when her parents uprooted her family to move to Indonesia so her father could start a school in Jakarta. From this experience, Biggins “learned that there’s a big world out there” and that “there’s a lot of people who look like me who are in charge.” She says the experience forced her to see the world in a bigger way, and taught her to respect and appreciate different cultures and viewpoints. Today, the self-proclaimed lifelong learner continues to expand her horizons by reading and traveling. She constantly seeks to learn new skills. In her role at Diversified Search, she knows firsthand that boards and executives are looking for “people that understand the world from a global perspective.” Here are some of the tips she shared for gaining a global perspective: • Take courses that expand your world. •S eek out resources to learn new skills. There are many free resources online. • Take time to listen to others. • Travel. Get a passport and use it. •R ead often and let your readings guide you as you form your own opinions.
Full Circle It’s fitting that in her current role, Biggins, who is so appreciative of the support she’s been shown throughout her career, has the power to change the trajectory of people’s lives. She has a keen eye for identifying untapped talent, a useful strength as she identifies and assesses leadership for boards and C-suite positions in her role at Diversified Search. As we collectively strive to advance women’s leadership and board service, let’s be mindful of the power we have to share the gift of acceptance and the responsibility we have to lift others up.
12.1.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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FORWARD |
WHAT ’S NEXT FOR THE UPSTATE, AND HOW WE’LL GET THERE
A Building-Block Year
Creating a blueprint for future success in the Upstate The end of the year is an
By DEAN HYBL
opportunity to look back on the successes and challenges of the past 12 months as well as the promise of a new year. For Ten at the Top, 2017 has been a building-block year as we grow a clearer understanding around key issues facing the Upstate. As an organization created to encourage collaboration and regional partnerships on issues related to how we are growing as a region, better understanding current and future challenges and opportunities across the Upstate is critical. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “If you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it.” In 2017, TATT and other partners took key steps to increase the amount of measurable information available for how the Upstate is growing. The release of the Shaping Our Future Growth Analysis, coordinated through a partnership of Upstate Forever, TATT, and the Riley Institute at Furman University, provided valuable information and a wake-up call for the potential future cost of growth, both financial and in terms of land used for development, in the Upstate. executive director, Ten at the Top
g
According to the trend model created for Shaping Our Future, the Upstate is projected to use more land for development (920 square miles) between 2015 and 2040 than was used from the beginning of time until 2015 (725 square miles). This is while adding only about 320,000 new residents for a total population of 1.75 million by 2040. What is perhaps most concerning is that the study showed that the revenue to cover the expanded development footprint would cover only about half the projected cost-to-serve without additional taxes, fees, or other sources of income. So, if we do not change our current growth patterns in the Upstate, we are not only going to have sprawling growth that impacts our quality of life, natural resources, and potentially our economic vibrancy, but we are going to have to likely tax ourselves at a higher rate to pay for it. For Ten at the Top, this study has helped clarify some of the areas in which we need to focus our involvement and efforts to coordinate collaboration and a strategic approach toward how the Upstate addresses current and future growth. While Upstate Forever is leading the efforts around growing awareness of the land use challenges, the Upstate Planners Group coordinated by TATT is helping craft and share the message for what can be done by communities to change and grow in a more strategic manner.
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WHAT ’S NEXT FOR THE UPSTATE, AND HOW WE’LL GET THERE
If we do not change our current growth patterns in the Upstate, we are going to have to likely tax ourselves at a higher rate to pay for it.
The first step is a series of workshops for elected officials starting in January 2018. Moving people and goods across the Upstate is another important component of the overall regional growth strategy. In 2017, TATT started coordinating an effort called Connecting Our Future that includes many partner organizations and businesses in looking holistically at mobility, connectivity, and congestion reduction across the Upstate. According to the Census Bureau, 94 percent of Upstate residents currently use their personal vehicle for transportation to get to work. That equates to about 700,000 vehicles on the road in the region every day simply transporting people to and from work. By 2040, that figure could be closer to 1 million cars. There are currently many efforts, some federally mandated and others championed by nonprofit or community organizations, that are related
| FORWARD
to some element of transportation, connectivity, and mobility. Through Connecting Our Future, we are trying to ensure that all these efforts are working toward the same goals and, when appropriate, working collectively to build the Upstate capacity around moving people and goods. Ultimately, once a shared transportation and mobility vision and actionable strategies are created, it will take a coalition of business and community leaders to push forward efforts that have measurable impacts on the role of transportation and mobility in the overall growth of the Upstate. In 2018, Ten at the Top will continue to work with local businesses, governments, and community organizations in building partnerships that recognize the importance of collective investment in the future of the Upstate. There are many additional hot-button issues including workforce, child well-being, senior needs, our entrepreneurial ecosystem, and others that Ten at the Top will be partnering with key Upstate stakeholders in 2018 to increase clarity on our current challenges and potential collective opportunities. The current success the Upstate is enjoying both in economic and community growth is thanks to the time, energy, and commitment of many leaders who have come before us. It is now up to all of us who call this region home to work together to ensure that the Upstate remains a special place to live, learn, do business, and raise a family for generations to come.
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NEW TO THE STREET |
NEWS FACES OF BUSINESS
Open for business
1
1. MAU Workforce Solutions Skill School recently opened at 2824 Old Woodruff Road in Greer. Learn more at mau.com/ skill-school. 2. United Solar recently opened their new corporate headquarters at 403 Dunbar St. in Greenville. Learn more at gounitedsolar.com. Photos provided
CONTRIBUTE: Know of a business opening soon? Email information to aturner@communityjournals.com.
2
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Sharing Life, Saving Lives 24
UBJ | 12.1.2017
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PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS
HIRED
HIRED
HIRED
PROMOTED
| ON THE MOVE
SELECTED
DAWN S. REDMOND
JESSY SEGAL
JASON RANDALL
KATIE WITHERSPOON
KATHRYN BOUCHER
Joined the Cushman & Wakefield Greenville office as vice president. Redmond will lead and oversee the commercial property services team. Redmond has over 20 years of experience in the real estate field and has previously worked with JBG Companies as senior vice president.
Joined Bright + CO Marketing as project lead and content specialist. Segal is a native of Richmond, Va., and graduated from the College of William and Mary. She previously worked at EP+CO and has been in the industry for five years.
Joined SVN Blackstream LLC as an associate advisor. He brings over 25 years of experience in the industrial and manufacturing sales industry to the company. Randall is a Greenville native and passionate about the commercial real estate market in the area.
Has been promoted to vice president of operations of the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce. Witherspoon has been with the Chamber for four years. She is an Upstate native and graduate of the University of South Carolina.
Has been selected for the League of American Orchestra’s emerging leaders program. Boucher is a member of Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra and one of 12 orchestra professionals chosen to participate in this program. She has served as the SPO executive director for three years.
VIP AMY TINSLEY Amy Tinsley has been named the executive director of the South Carolina Automotive Council by the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance. Tinsley will play a key role in advancing the automotive industry in South Carolina. She has spent eight years in the utility industry and most recently worked with the president of Duke Energy South Carolina in leading strategy and planning. She earned a degree in political science from Presbyterian College and her MBA from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business.
Contec Inc. earned Working Well’s Platinum recognition for promoting optimal well-being among employees. It was recognized in five categories, including Financial Well-being, Incentives and Communication, Nutrition and Food Environment, Risk Assessment and Outreach, and Tobacco Free.
FINANCE Southern First Bank has expanded into the Atlanta area, specifically the Buckhead and North Atlanta markets. The bank is operating as a full-service office in Two Lenox Tower and will relocate permanently in early 2018 to 309 E. Paces Ferry Road.
CONTRIBUTE: New hires, promotions, & award winners may be featured in On the Move. Send information and photos to onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com.
AWARDS The Better Business Bureau of the Upstate selected the winners of its Business of Integrity Award on Nov. 9 at the Hilton of Greenville. The winners for customer service are DFS Creative Concepts, Merus Refreshment Services Inc., Southern Traditions Window Fashions, and Guy Roofing Inc. Winners for Marketplace Ethics are HIBR, Gabriel Builders Inc., and Thomas McAfee Funeral Home. The winners for Community Service are Flourish, ProGrin Dental, Thomas McAfee Funeral Home, ScanSource, and Keller Williams Greenville Upstate. The Greenville Chamber presented Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP with the 2017 ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award. The award is presented to an organization that is increasing the positive impact of women’s leadership in the community. 12.1.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW
THE WATERCOOLER Social Chatter
RE: 70 LOFTS, ARTS INCUBATOR PLANNED FOR SPARTANBURG’S ARCADIA MILL NO. 1 “So glad they are going to… do something there. It is such an eyesore right now.” Katina Dawn McGarity “Thought they were out of mills… guess they found another one. Thought they tore that one down a long time ago.” Jeff Pridmore
RE: 20 LEADERS FROM FIVE CITIES TOUR GREENVILLE FOR EXAMPLES OF SMART GROWTH “I wonder if they took a drive down Woodruff Road on a Saturday afternoon as part of the tour.” Michael Gutta
“Yeah, I think this tour was mostly focused on redevelopment and smart growth in a downtown area, as there’s an overabundance of development happening on Woodruff Road and a few other areas. I almost feel that by the time SCDOT finishes all the interstate improvements, Greenville’s car traffic will have outgrown what’s been put in place.” Andrew Molinaro
“Ye Olde Fireplace and Cork ‘n Cleaver.” Chris Aiken “I vaguely remember Sharkey’s Pizza and Big Scoop ice cream shop.” David E. Isley
FROM THE GREENVILLE JOURNAL, RE: REMEMBERING THE ONE-TIME STARS OF THE GREENVILLE CULINARY SCENE “BBQ King! Pleasantburg Drive near present-day Greenville Tech across from a Baptist church, I believe.” Dusty Parker “The Red Baron on Main Street.” Beth Crews
TOP 5:
DIGITAL FLIPBOOK ARCHIVE
E 46
ER 17, 2017
NOVEMB
ISSU | VOL. 6
The layout of print meets the convenience of the Web. Flip through the digital editions of any of our print issues, and see them all in one place. upstatebusinessjournal.com/ past-issues
1. Kolache Factory announces opening of new bakery-café in Powdersville
2. 70 lofts, arts incubator planned for Spartanburg’s Arcadia Mill No. 1
ING BUILD CY A LEGA
N TRUCTIO GLE CONS LE’S TRIAN GREENVILTES 70 YEARS CELEBRA
3. Hartness unveils home designs for village-esque neighborhood development
E // ILL ALSO INSID S FOR JUDSON M
of y Pellett n. r and Trac ctio Tom Bae ngle Constru ks Tria Will Croo Photo by
• BIG NEWWITH KITTENS OS • COFFEE S LUXURY COND • AVANT’
4. First look at the floor plans for the new Avant luxury condos
CONNECT 5. Are the Carolina Panthers’ days of holding training camp in Spartanburg numbered?
We’re great at networking. LINKEDIN.COM/COMPANY/ UPSTATE-BUSINESS-JOURNAL FACEBOOK.COM/ THEUPSTATEBUSINESSJOURNAL
*The Top 5 stories from last week ranked by Facebook reach
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EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR
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DATE
EVENT INFO
WHERE DO I GO?
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Friday
Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Legislative Breakfast
Hyatt Regency 220 N. Main St. 7:30–9:30 a.m.
Cost: $35 for investors, $50 general For more info: bit.ly/2yxquQv; 864-239-3748; kbusbee@greenvillechamber.org
Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Minority Business Accelerator 2017 Cohort Graduation & Entrepreneurship Excellence Celebration
The Old Cigar Warehouse 912 S. Main St. 5–7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free For more info: bit.ly/2zGjXqu
Tuesday
01/09
Piedmont SCORE’s Basic Small-Business Startup
Greenville County Library Augusta Road Branch 100 Lydia St. 6–8 p.m.
For more info: bit.ly/2hVT7zl, 864-271-3638, info@piedmontscore.org
Tuesday
01/09
Clemson University’s Clemson MBA Info Session
Clemson MBA at Greenville ONE 1 N. Main St., fifth floor 5:30–7 p.m.
Cost: Free For more info: bit.ly/2zqUYDa, nikawhiteconsulting@greenvillechamber.org
Tuesday
01/23
Piedmont SCORE’s Business Planning Seminar
Greenville County Library Augusta Road Branch 100 Lydia St. 6–8 p.m.
For more info: bit.ly/2zFFZcP, 864-271-3638, info@piedmontscore.org
Thursday
Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting
TD Convention Center 1 Exposition Drive 5–8 p.m.
Cost: $95 for investors, $150 noninvestors. For more info: bit.ly/2A8oPjL; 864-271-0718
12/08
UBJ PUBLISHER
Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Susan Schwartzkopf susans@communityjournals.com
Monday
12/11
EDITOR
Chris Haire chaire@communityjournals.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Emily Pietras epietras@communityjournals.com
| PLANNER
STAFF WRITERS
Trevor Anderson, Cindy Landrum, Andrew Moore, Sara Pearce, Ariel Turner
MARKETING & ADVERTISING VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES David Rich drich@communityjournals.com
ACCOUNT MANAGERS
John Clark, Maria Hall, Donna Johnston, Stephanie King, Rosie Peck, Caroline Spivey, Emily Yepes
ART & PRODUCTION VISUAL DIRECTOR Will Crooks
LAYOUT
Bo Leslie | Tammy Smith
02/01
VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS Holly Hardin
ADVERTISING DESIGN
Kristy Adair | Michael Allen
CLIENT SERVICES
Anita Harley | Jane Rogers
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IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF UBJ? WANT A COPY FOR YOUR LOBBY?
DECEMBER 15 MANUFACTURING ISSUE
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
UBJ milestone jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Kristi Fortner
1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport
JANUARY 19 MARKETING ISSUE
1988
>>
Chairman larry Jackson, Jackson marketing Group. Photos by Greg Beckner / Staff
Jackson Marketing Group celebrates 25 years
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onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties. Guest columns run 700-800 words. Contact editor Chris Haire at chaire@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration. Circulation Audit by
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.
FEBRUARY 9 QUARTERLY CRE ISSUE Got any thoughts? Care to contribute? Let us know at ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com.
1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993
1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont office Center on Villa.
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
>>
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
2003 motorsports Division acquires an additional 26,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space
1998
2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson marketing Group when larry sells his partnership in Detroit and lA 2003
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
2009-2012 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-prof 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 lients 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 nit inVolVeMent nitY in olV inV olVe VeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board,
Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board
eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board
November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21
20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013
AS SEEN IN
NOVEMBER 1, 2013
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