April 8, 2016 UBJ

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APRIL 8, 2016 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 15

New guy in town Carlos Phillips takes the lead at the Greenville Chamber Page 14


Not just powerful. Positively motivational. The 2016 C300 Sedan. There’s a family of overachievers powering the C-Class, all with stateof-the-art Direct Injection engines. The C300’s 241-hp turbo-4 matches quick response with up to 34 highway mpg. A new AMG®-enhanced biturbo V-6 in the C450 AMG® outputs 362 hp. And the new C300 4MATIC® and C350e Plug-In HYBRID bring C-Class efficiency to new heights. Starting at $38,950.

CARLTON MOTORCARS www.CarltonMB.com (864) 213-8000 | 7446 Laurens Road, Greenville, SC 29607 Introduction dates vary. 2016 EPA estimated fuel economy. Compare the estimated mpg to the estimated mpg of other vehicles. You may get different mileage depending on how fast you drive, weather conditions and trip length. Your actual highway mileage will probably be less than the highway estimate. All-electric driving range may vary based on terrain, temperature, driving style and other factors.


04.08.2016

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

| BANKING | 3

United Community Bank expands into Lowcountry ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com Blairsville, GA-based United

UPDATE

Community Banks plans to buy Mt. Pleasant-based Tidelands Bank for $2.2 million, which will be paired with a $9 million federal share buyback created in the depths of the financial crisis. The deal – expected to close in the third quarter – will include seven branches and could add $466 million in assets to United Community Bank. The purchase could push United Community Bank past the $10 billion asset threshold, according to United’s president and COO Lynn Harton. Increased regulatory expense at that new level could bring earnings per share down by 2 cents per quarter, Harton said. The effect could be felt as early as the third quarter of 2017. The deal also follows a string of purchases by United into new markets, including a $240.5 million purchase of Greenville-based The Palmetto Bank. The acquisition “significantly accelerates” United’s strategy to expand in the Lowcountry, stated the company’s chairman and CEO Jimmy Tallent, who said he expects future regional expansions. “The recession took its toll on Tidelands, as it did to so many other community banks in the Southeast,” he stated. “Despite their challenges, Tidelands’ bankers were able to build a solid franchise in outstanding markets with loyal customers and a core deposit base.” Tidelands’ common shareholders will receive cash equal to $0.52 per share, or an aggregate of approximately $2.2 million, according to a news release. United also inked a deal with the U.S. Department of Treasury to redeem all of Tidelands’ fixed-rate cumulative preferred stock. The stock

was issued under the Treasury’s Capital Purchase Program, created to stabilize the financial system with additional capital to banks. The repurchase will be $9 million in aggregate, which represents a 56 percent discount. Tallent said the purchase follows United’s decision to establish a Charleston office last fall, which has “produced approximately $85 million of new loans and commitments within the last five months.” Tidelands has four branches in Charleston, two in Myrtle Beach, and one in Hilton Head. As of Dec. 31, 2015, Tidelands reported approximately $466 million in assets, $421 million in deposits and $325 million in loans. “This acquisition is consistent with our long-term strategy of targeting attractive markets that we know well, identifying a great team of bankers to deliver the United experience, and then either building brick-and-mortar around them or finding an attractive partner to accelerate their success,” said Harton. “In this case, Tidelands brings meaningful market share, a great branch distribution system, and a talented team who successfully managed the bank during challenging times.” Based in Blairsville, GA, United Community Banks Inc. is a $9.6 billion-asset bank holding company in the Southeast. Subsidiary United Community Bank has 134 offices in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

West End Coffee has moved and opened in its new Greenville location at 1021 S. Main St., next to the new M West townhomes. The Chocolate Moose has new owners and has moved to a new location inside of the M. Judson bookstore in downtown Greenville.

After the applause, the stage goes dark… Blue Ridge Security keeps watch over the Peace Center.

We don’t sell systems, we create security solutions.

A subsidiary of Blue Ridge Electric Co-op

1-888-407-SAFE (7233) blueridgesecuritysolutions.com


4 | THE RUNDOWN |

UBJ

TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

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04.08.2016

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 15 Featured this issue: Businesses see ROI with on-site health care New commercial tenants coming to Main + Stone New life for iconic Spartanburg building

Furman University shared the news about last week’s opening of the Joe and Diana Hurley Finance and Business Analytics Lab with an announcement on the NASDAQ video tower overlooking Times Square in New York City. Furman had previewed the opening of the lab with an announcement on the tower last month. Read more on page 24. Photo by Jeremy Fleming.

WORTH REPEATING “How do we train students for the jobs of the future … that we don’t know exist yet?” Page 8 “A friend asked me if I would consider working for the chamber, and I laughed, because I thought all they did was shake hands, kiss babies and lie about the weather.” Page 14 “As humanity becomes increasingly trackable, are we controlling, or being manipulated?” Page 20

TBA If you’ve driven down Poinsett Highway lately, you may have wondered what EMJ Construction is building on the lot at 101 Poinsett Hwy., across from the Independent Public Ale House. It will be First Cash Pawn, scheduled for completion this summer.

VERBATIM

On keeping it small “If you can’t feed a team with two pizzas, it’s too large.” Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com.

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Laurens Electric to build community solar project LETY GOOD | STAFF

lgood@communityjournals.com Greenville-based

Laurens

Electric Cooperative (LEC) will construct a 100-kilowatt community solar farm this summer, with plans to break ground in June and begin delivering energy to customers by July. For the average customer’s home, one kilowatt of solar will produce approximately 12.5 percent of the home’s energy use, according to a release. “This program gives our members the option to go solar without installing panels on their property,” said Jim Donahoo, LEC director of marketing. “With this option there is no liability

for the member, no HOA rules to worry about and the subscriptions are transferrable.” The co-op is pre-selling 100-kilowatt units to members who would like to subscribe to a portion of the community solar farm’s generation capacity. Residential members can choose the number of kilowatt units they would like to subscribe to at the community solar site for a 20year period. Preliminary work on the solar farm is under way at the co-op’s Mauldin office on Butler Road. Learn more at laurenselectric.com/ community-solar.

| ENERGY / ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | 5

$5,000

SCHOLARSHIPS Full-Time MBAe Students

Chinese auto supply firm to invest $45M in Spartanburg 150 jobs will be added over the next five years LETY GOOD | STAFF

lgood@communityjournals.com China-based Jiangnan Mold Plastic Technology Corporation is establishing operations in Spartanburg County, investing $45 million and adding 150 jobs over the next five years. The new plant will be located at 1000 Robinson Road in Greer. Hiring for the 260,000-square-foot facility will begin in the second half of 2017 and the facility is expected to be fully operational by the start of the third quarter. “This investment in South Carolina and in Spartanburg County will further strengthen Jiangnan’s effort to expand its global leadership role in the plastic molding industry,” said Robert Cao, general manager and chairman of the Jiangnan board of directors. “It is very clear to us that South Carolina is a pro-business state, and we look forward to continuing our cooperation with the state as we grow.”

Jiangan Mold Plastic Technology Corporation is one of the largest suppliers of plastic mold parts in China’s automotive industry and specializes in the development, manufacturing and sales of plastic products and high-tech molds. The company will manufacture a variety of parts and products for original equipment manufacturers and tierone suppliers in the automotive industry, according to a release. “We are exceedingly pleased that Jiangnan chose to locate a new operation in Spartanburg County and welcome yet another international company to our community,” said David Britt, chairman of the Economic Recruitment Committee of Spartanburg County and member of the Economic Futures Group Board. “The decision to locate here continues to demonstrate Spartanburg’s ability to attract international manufacturing operations and highlights the role our skilled workforce plays in recruiting companies.”

RULES AND DETAILS 5 scholarships of $5,000 each are available for students in the full-time MBAe program ONLY. Must apply to the program by April 15th, Answer these 2 questions in 500 words or less: 1. Describe a time when you engaged in an entrepreneurial passion. What about your actions can be considered entrepreneurial? 2. Tell us about a challenge you’ve faced in life and how you overcame it. Email your answers to our Admissions Director, Kristin Allen, AFTER you have applied to the program: klallen@clemson.edu

www.clemson.edu/mba


Anderson U’s new advanced practice college set for fall Program will utilize hybrid online-classroom approach to attract students nationwide MELINDA YOUNG | CONTRIBUTOR

myoung@communityjournals.com Anderson University is moving forward with plans for a June opening of its College of Health Professions in the University Center in Greenville. The new college will include the Upstate’s first School of Physical Therapy, which is expected to enroll 30 students in January 2018. It will also include the existing School of Nursing and new master- and doctoral-level nursing programs, says Dr. Timothy Smith, provost of the private, faith-based Christian university, which has 3,200 students. “There’s a tremendous need in the community for graduate nurses and for physical therapists,” Smith says. “Nurse practitioners are very important because of health care reform, which has continued to evolve over the years.” The master’s program in nursing education, along with the two doctoral-level programs for nurse practitioners and executive leadership, are expected to enroll 30 students this fall, Smith says. “We have more than enough applicants to fill the program, but have not selected students yet,” he says. Enrollment still is open. Applicants must have a minimum of an associate’s degree, be a registered nurse, and have a current nursing license.

PROGRAMS OFFERED AT THE NEW COLLEGE School of Physical Therapy, a

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

three-year program that will offer a doctorate in physical therapy. School of Nursing, including advanced degrees in nursing education (a 15-month, master’s degree), nurse practitioner and executive leadership (36-month doctoral degrees). School of Human Performance, formerly the Department of Kinesiology. School of Allied Health, which will include the current Department of Human Services.

Two aspects of the advanced nursing programs are new to South Carolina: Applicants are not required to have a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and coursework will utilize a hybrid model divided between three weeks per semester online and one week in the classroom. “We want to help nurses get to advanced practice in a shorter period of time,” Smith says. It would be possible, Smith says, for a student to go right to the nurse practitioner program after receiving an associate’s degree in nursing. But most applicants will likely be those who have worked in nursing and are seeking an advanced degree, Smith says. “We will have students from throughout the country earning advanced nursing degrees,” he explains. “We chose Greenville because it’s near an airport and students can fly in for the intensive, week-long sessions.” The new college’s faculty will include two leaders and 10-12 faculty for the physical therapy school and one faculty member per six students for the advanced nursing program. Anderson University will continue to offer a bachelor’s of nursing degree at its Anderson campus, Smith says. The physical therapy school will help South Carolina and the Upstate meet a dire need for more physical therapists, he says. “South Carolina is fifth from the bottom in the percentile of physical therapists per capita,” Smith says. Although the physical therapy program is not yet accepting applications, experience from similar programs suggests it might receive as many as 1,000 bachelor’s degree-level applicants for those 30 slots, Smith says. South Carolina has several other universities offering nurse practitioner degrees, including Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), and the University of South Carolina (USC). MUSC and USC also have physical therapy degree programs.

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04.08.2016

NEXT firms raised $69.4M in 2015: Study 2014

2015

% change

Number of companies

145

161

11.03%

Total employment

913

1091

19.50%

New FT jobs (direct)

221

253

14.48%

Additional indirect jobs

331

380

14.80%

Total new job creation

552

633

14.67%

New capital raised

$40M

$69.4M

73.50%

ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com

Companies under the NEXT umbrella created 633 jobs and employed more than 1,000 people in 2015, according to the nonprofit’s in-house economic impact report. That’s a 15 percent and 20 percent (respectively) increase over 2014, and represents very conservative estimates, according to the organization. The report is based on self-reported surveys from NEXT companies each year, according to NEXT. The results are an extrapolation of available data, since not all companies choose to complete the survey. NEXT companies created 253 new full-time jobs through direct employment, and added an additional 380 jobs through indirect activity such as professional services, construction and retail. NEXT associated companies – which include firms such as Selah Genomics, The Iron Yard and

Chartspan – also raised a cumulative $69.4 million in 2015 compared to around $40 million in 2014, and occupied more than 585,000 square feet of real estate in the area. For comparison, Greenville-based Fortune 500 company SYNNEX Corp. employs 1,055 local workers, according to the Greenville Area Development Corp. NEXT leaders also estimated $75,329 in average employee salary for both existing and new direct fulltime jobs, or more than $82 million in annual wages for the 161 companies’ 1,091 total employees. Founded in 2006, NEXT operates under the Greenville Chamber of Commerce as a resource for innovation-based startups and entrepreneurs. NEXT expanded in 2015 from its flagship location, NEXT Innovation Center, to include an office presence in the Bank of America Building (NEXT On Main) and a co-location space for small and startup companies (NEXT Manufacturing Center).

Roots Smokehouse, which opened earlier this year inside of Dr. Mac Arnold’s Blues Restaurant in the Village of West Greenville, has closed and is planning to emerge in a new space two doors away at 1241 Pendleton St. in late spring/early summer. Roots will continue to do catering and special events until the new space is ready.

UPDATE

6 | EDUCATION / IMPACT |

Fortune 500 engineering firm CH2M will move into its built-to-suit 70,000-square-foot facility in Greenville next week, completing its 350-job shift from previous Spartanburg facility. The new facility at Bonaventure Circle off of Verdae Boulevard is nearly half the size of its previous operations. The company employs more than 25,000 people worldwide for projects related to transportation, water, environment, nuclear, industry, oil & gas, industry and urban environments.



8 | TEXTILES |

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Are You Ready for the FLSA Exemption Changes?

LEE YARBOROUGH

In March 2014, President Obama issued a memorandum directing the Secretary of Labor to “update and modernize overtime regulations” covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Department of Labor (DOL) issued its Proposed Rule in July 2015, and on March 15th of this year, the final rule was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Typically, the OMB takes 30 to 60 days to review and publish regulations. What does this mean for you?

This means that employers could be expected to comply with the new regulations as early as mid-June. Below is an overview of the proposed changes issued in 2015: • An Increase to the Minimum Weekly Salary Threshold for Exempt employees from $455 per week ($23,660 per year) to as much as $970 per week ($50,440 per year). • An Increase to the Highly Compensated Employee (HCE) Salary Threshold from $100,000 per year to at least $122,418 per year. • Automatic Adjustments to Future Thresholds to keep up with inflation. What can employers do NOW to prepare? 1. Review Employee Job Classifications Now! Audit positions classified as Exempt to determine if the job duties meet the current or newly revised/expanded criteria. Review 2015 total pay for employees who may be impacted by the proposed changes. If you have Exempt employees making less than $50,440 then you need to take the next step. 2. Develop a strategy for addressing employees who are currently classified as Exempt but do not meet the proposed salary threshold or whose position does not meet the Exempt definition. Options include: • Raise the salaries of those employees. • Reclassify those employees as Non-Exempt. 3. Create a Rollout Plan. Proper communication to employees regarding any changes to their classification will be crucial for success. New policies and procedures may need to be established related to timekeeping, work hours, and payment of wages. 4. Evaluate Future Budgets. Remember that there will be automatic adjustments to the thresholds each year. Keep this in mind during your annual budget process. For many businesses, the changes will significantly impact budgets as well as HR policies. Once the final regulations are published, there will be little time to prepare. NOW is the time! Consult your HR team to develop your strategy to manage labor costs and limit liability.

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

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04.08.2016

Clemson, MIT to build $317M textiles project ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com Clemson University will take part in a five-year, $317 million project to transform the country’s textile industry into a high-tech business. The plan loops in 72 industry, academic, government and venture capital partners across 28 states to advance the commercialization of “smart fabrics” by U.S. companies for a greater share of the global market. The project will operate under the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America, a nonprofit founded by MIT that will connect research to companies, companies to workers, and workers and students to education resources for the country’s technical textiles industry. Clemson University will spearhead the education component by developing virtual reality training and digital learning tools to equip employees for the world of tomorrow. “We’ll be working on taking a lot of research … and then putting that into training materials for industries, in high schools, for recruitment, for two-year programs,” said Kris Frady, the operations director for Clemson’s Center for Workforce Development. “Ultimately as a part to the education and workforce side, we’ll be … converting what they’re doing in research and development and making it trainable and teachable.” The center will create virtual reality training tools such as factory simulations, which boost engagement for students and combat outdated perceptions of manufacturing as dirty, dangerous and low-tech, she said. The center previously created a training tool that allows students to move through a manufacturing plant from a first-person viewpoint to learn about safety. Another simulation lets students take machines apart and put them back together to learn how they work. Clemson’s share of the $317 million budget is to be determined, said Frady, as are further details about the scope of the education component. Big names such as DuPont, Intel and Nike are behind the project, as well as local partners at Clemson, Milliken, Inman Mills and the SC Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

Funding for the $317 million project will come from the US Department of Defense, industrial partners, venture capitalists and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The project aims to advance the innovation of textiles and fibers across several industries, including defense; consumer products; transportation; manufacturing machinery; apparel; raw materials; consumer electronics; software and databases; medical textiles and scanners; and architectural and interior textiles. “It turns out there is no company or university in the world that knows how to do all of this,” said MIT Research Laboratory of Electronics Director Professor Yoel Fink in a press release. “Instead of creating a single brick-andmortar center, we set out to assemble and organize companies and universities that have manufacturing and ‘making’ capabilities into a network – a ‘distributed foundry’ capable of addressing the manufacturing challenges.” Clemson’s education resources will partially focus on boosting the 620,000person “middle skills” workforce, expected to make up nearly 50 percent of the new job opportunities in the industry. As many as 30 percent of those workers will need to acquire new skills, according to an analysis by Advanced Functional Fabrics of America. Newly created jobs will require backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), as well as a strong core competencies base that will help workers adapt to new technologies as they come along, said Frady. “How do we train students for the jobs of the future … that we don’t know exist yet?” said Frady. “If they can develop some learning tools that are centered on those core competencies … we can help the students to be able to transition as technologies emerge.” The partnership is the eighth Manufacturing Innovation Institute established to date, and the first to be headquartered in New England, according to an MIT news release. The headquarters will be established in Cambridge, Mass., in proximity to the MIT campus and the U.S. Army-funded Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology.



10 | HEALTH CARE |

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

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04.08.2016

Businesses see ROI from on-site health care Improving access to health care, increasing worker productivity and keeping health care premiums lower all contribute to a $5-to-$1 return on investment for on-site clinics MELINDA YOUNG | CONTRIBUTOR

myoung@communityjournals.com More than 55 Upstate companies now have on-site health care services and the trend is growing, according to four major area health systems and national surveys. “There is a huge interest in businesses offering more health screenings and services for their employees,” says Tara Hicks, department director, AnMed Health Occupational Medicine. “It increases the health benefits of their employees, which leads to less absenteeism. It creates employee satisfaction, and it decreases the claims to their insurance carriers if preventive care and steps are taken before employees are sick.” Offering health services is a strategy designed to attract talent, improve workforce health and save money, according to local businesses and health care providers, as well as national research. Across the United States, the number of companies with more than 5,000 employees providing on-site health clinics rose to 29 percent from 24 percent in 2014, according to a survey by Mercer, a global consulting company that keeps a finger on the pulse of corporate wellness, wealth and performance issues and solutions. In South Carolina, about one-third of employers with 500 or more workers have an on-site health clinic, and another 22 percent say they will add one in the next year, says Bruce Lee, spokesman for Manhattan (NY)-based Mercer. A 500% ROI The Upstate’s four largest health systems each offer health care services and on-site clinics to companies. They’ve witnessed the growth in popularity of these services. Over the past decade, Bon Secours St. Francis workplace locations have grown from one to 15, says Kimberly W. Tolson, business health services clinical supervisor for Bon Secours St. Francis. Resurgent Capital opened an on-site health clinic, staffed by a Bon Secours nurse practitioner, in 2007. The clinic is open 4.5 days a week at no cost to the company’s 375 downtown Greenville employees and their dependents, ages 12 and older. Even the company’s 80 employees in Cincinnati, Ohio, can have phone consultations with the Greenville clinic’s nurse practitioner, says Patti Whitlock, Resurgent Capital’s senior director of benefits and payroll. Whitlock says the clinic more than pays for itself, returning $5 for every $1 spent. The company added the clinic to give employees access to quality care but also to reduce lost employee productivity and to keep overall medical premium rates lower, Whitlock says.

Productivity and cost savings are derived from time saved for an on-site clinic visit versus time off from work to go to a doctor and more time to pick up a prescription. There also is a cost-avoidance benefit: “If an employee went to the doctor’s office, a claim is filed with the insurance company,” Pam Wessel, GHS business relations director, explains. “When employees are in the on-site clinic, the business is paying GHS Business Health directly for the nurse practitioner’s time, so there is no claim filed.” ‘A MATTER OF CONVENIENCE’ ScanSource decided to open a health clinic for its 650 Greenville-area employees about three years ago, says Jessica Howard, benefits and wellness program manager. The clinic is staffed for 25 hours per week by a nurse practitioner from the Greenville Health System. They handle basic primary care medical needs, write prescriptions, draw blood and provide some help with management of chronic diseases, Howard says. “At the end of the day, we’re always trying to reduce our claims and keep a control on medical costs, as best we can,” Howard says. “We want to be innovative, and our CEO is all about investing in the health of employees.” The on-site health clinic also has proven to be a great recruitment incentive, she says. “It’s a matter of convenience for employees,” Howard says. “It’s literally a 30-minute process: a two-minute walk to the clinic; the nurse practitioner sees people for 20 minutes max, and then they’re back to their desks.” As a bonus, Upstate Pharmacy delivers employees’ prescriptions to work by the end of the day, she adds. HEALTH IS THE BOTTOM LINE For businesses that can’t afford a full on-site clinic, there are many other ways to bring services to staff. The four health systems in the Upstate offer collaborative initiatives such as health screenings for all employees, during which their basic health information is collected and blood samples are screened for cholesterol and blood sugar problems. They also could provide stress management services, smoking cessation assistance, diet and exercise health education and coaching, and annual flu shots. Bon Secours St. Francis and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System even offer a mammography van that travels to the worksite. Health services have a good return on investment: “National averages would support positive returns on investment of anywhere from $1.50 to $6 for every $1 spent on promoting health within an employed population,” says Greg Crowe, director of business health services at Bon Secours St. Francis Health System.

Bon Secours St. Francis nurse practitioner Devon Sharkey examines Trish Doan at a Greenville-area work site health clinic. The bottom line, though, is protecting the health and well-being of employees. At one Upstate company, a nurse practitioner was alarmed by an employee’s high lab values, so she sent him to the emergency room. “He was admitted and found to have kidney failure,” says Tolson of Bon Secours. “Now he’s back at work, waiting for a kidney transplant.” Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System’s nurse practitioners have referred patients to cardiac follow-up, which resulted in cardiac bypass surgery, says April Huttunen, director of corporate health and wellness at Spartanburg Regional. “Through physical exams and lab work, our clinics have diagnosed several patients with cancer,” Huttunen says. “We continue to see an increased interest in employer worksite services,” Huttunen says. “Enhancing access to care and worker productivity, while reducing work loss time and health care costs are goals every employer has.” The Bon Secours St. Francis Mobile Mammography Coach will visit worksites at no cost to the business. To arrange for a visit, the business must have a minimum of 15 appointments (and no more than 22) scheduled for each screening day. Bon Secours will bill employees’ insurance or assist patients with applying for a grant or hospital sponsorship, according to Dana Hagy, director of Women’s Imaging and Diagnostic Services, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System. Call 864-675-4101 to schedule. Read more about the Mobile Mammography Coach in this week’s Greenville Journal.


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| HEALTH CARE / DEVELOPMENT | 11

Businesses with clinics find worker health improving MELINDA YOUNG | CONTRIBUTOR

myoung@communityjournals.com The U.S. workforce mirrors the national population in suffering from a general epidemic of poor health, according to Greg Crowe, director of business health services at Bon Secours St. Francis Health System. “Most employee populations are suffering from obesity and [high cholesterol],” Crowe says. “Forty to 50 percent of the work population has an unfavorable body mass index, and a smaller percentage is suffering from Type 2 diabetes.” Despite this, Crowe says, workers are often an underserved population. “We’re all living life at frenetic paces and are neglecting our own personal health and well-being, and we often don’t take time to make that appointment and have a problem looked at.” That may have been a factor in the case of one Upstate worker whose life may have been saved by the availability of a workplace clinic. Kimberly W. Tolson, business health services clinical supervisor for Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, tells the story of a 60-yearold man who came to an on-site clinic with pain in his abdomen. Tests and the exam revealed nothing

unusual, but the clinic’s nurse practitioner knew him well and sensed something was off. So she measured his blood pressure again, only this time, on the other arm. The results raised a red flag. “There was a large discrepancy between the readings in each arm,” says Tolson. “He was sent to the emergency department, where it was determined he had an abdominal aneurysm that was causing his pain. Two days later, he underwent a surgical procedure, which was successful in repairing it.” Left undiagnosed, an aneurysm can rupture and be potentially fatal. “More often than we would like, we find that workers do not have a primary care provider and do not access medical care routinely,” Tolson says. “With a nurse practitioner on site, employees have convenient access to care without having to lose time at work, and they’ll go there for issues they might otherwise ignore or put off.” That’s resulting in measurable improvements in some cases, like at ScanSource where GHS analyzed data from three years of operating an on-site health clinic at the company. They found the number of patients

who reached the healthiest phase in annual screening assessments climbed nearly 46 percent from 250 to 364, according to Pam Wessel, GHS business relations director. “And the unhealthiest phases have been reduced from 85 to 55 employees,” she adds. Not all companies need an on-site clinic. Some would benefit from employee health screenings and wellness programs that are directed

toward workers with health risk factors identified in the screening, says Jane McBride, GHS director of clinical rehabilitation and wellness. “Say a company wants to start a smoking cessation program and help people quit the habit,” McBride explains. “We do a health screening and find out that smoking is not a high risk for this company, but [high blood sugar] is a risk. So we help them design a wellness program based on those findings.”

New electronic billboard tops Greenville’s Keys Building SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com A new digital billboard was installed this week atop the historic Keys Building, replacing a billboard that had been in place since the 1950s. The sign on the roof of 307 E. McBee Ave. is visible from Church Street. Greenville developers Steve Navarro and Doug Harper own the Keys Building and are in the process of redeveloping the property, which has been vacant for years. The billboard has provided “a source of income” as the two waited for the area to grow and “create a real sense of place,” said Navarro. The billboard is also grandfathered in as one of very few remaining billboards in downtown Greenville’s Central Business District, he said. The new digital billboard is also unique in that it is not owned by Fairway Outdoor as most billboards are in the city, said Navarro. Grace Outdoor, which operates digital signs in Charlotte, Columbia, Atlanta and Charleston, will manage the advertising on the sign and already has several advertisers lined up.

“Downtown Greenville will have another opportunity to communicate its offerings to the area,” said Grace Outdoor partner Hal Stevenson. “We have found that digital signs create the opportunity for nonprofits and fundraising events that don’t typically have a large advertising budget to do a two-week or short term ad to get the word out.” An agreement has also been made with the city of Greenville to allow use of one of the slots to notify passersby of upcoming events and other city notifications. Navarro said they started working with the city over a year ago, laying out various options. “We wanted something that would work in harmony with the building,” he said. The new digital billboard is

about 40 percent smaller than the previous one, but maintains an industrial look with exposed trusses. The digital billboard will be turned off from midnight until 6 a.m. and has a sophisticated light sensor that brings the light down to the ambient light around it, said Stevenson.


12 | RESTAURANTS |

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04.08.2016

Cantina 76 taqueria to take over Rare space downtown EN

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for its downtown restaurant mix, Mexican restaurant Cantina 76 will join the fray. Rare Steakhouse quietly vacated its space recently at ONE City Plaza, and Cantina 76 will take over the mid-Main Street location in early summer, after some interior renovations. The popular taqueria and bar has two locations in Columbia, and the four partners said that Greenville was a logical next step. “It’s a great city and close by,” said managing partner Rob Ward. “Three of the business partners went to the University of South Carolina and one to Clemson. It really was a no-brainer.” The team had been looking at opening a Greenville restaurant for the past two years but waited until “a Main Street opportunity came along.” Ward said the look and feel of the former Rare space will change somewhat, but existing wood floors and some of the décor will remain. Cantina 76 makes everything fresh, in-house daily and is known for its specialty margaritas which include agave nectar and freshly squeezed lemon juice. “It an environment for everyone that’s easy, fun and the food’s fresh,” Ward said. “It’s a concept that works and appeals to all individuals.” The first Cantina 76 opened six years ago in Columbia and has been voted Best Margarita, Best Mexican Restaurant, Best Happy Hour and Best Bang for Your Buck in Columbia’s Free-Times readers’ poll. The partners also own Za’s Brick Oven Pizza in Columbia. Hiring for the Greenville restaurant will begin in about a month. For more information, visit cantina76.com.

NL aure

As downtown Greenville continues to receive accolades

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Bank of America building

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CANTINA 76 PARTNERS Rob Ward, managing partner

A native of Columbia, Ward is managing partner at Cantina 76 and Za’s Brick Oven Pizza. He also serves as general manager at Cantina 76 Devine Street and Cantina 76 on Main in Columbia. Prior to co-founding Cantina 76 in November 2009, Ward lived in San Francisco and Atlanta, where he worked in tech startups including MediaMetrix, a pioneer firm in Web measurement. Ward is a graduate of the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, with a major in finance and marketing. Craig Wyatt, managing partner A Columbia native, Wyatt is managing partner at Cantina 76 and Za’s Brick Oven Pizza. Craig has lived in Chicago and Atlanta and recently served as vice president of steel supply chain software firm Tennex. Previously, he worked for Jemison Metals for 16 years. He holds an economics degree from the University of South Carolina. Chad Elsey, managing partner Originally from Charleston, Elsey is managing partner at Cantina 76 and Za’s Brick Oven Pizza. Elsey has lived in Los Angeles and Atlanta, and he came to the restaurant business from a career in pharmaceutical sales and mortgage banking. He has a degree in finance from the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. Jeb Babcock, partner A Columbia native, Jeb Babcock is a partner at Cantina 76 and Za’s Brick Oven Pizza. He holds a degree in biological sciences from Clemson University and runs his own investment firm, Emerson Capital Management, based in Columbia.

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

| RESTAURANTS | 13


14 | COVER

UBJ

Meet the new boss ‘Accidental chamber professional’ Carlos Phillips’ journey led him to leadership of the Greenville Chamber

aboncimino@communityjournals.com The Greenville Chamber of Commerce welcomed a new boss last week, as Carlos Phillips took over for previous chamber president and CEO Ben Haskew. Phillips, 47, previously served as senior vice president of operations at Greater Louisville Inc., The Metro Chamber of Commerce of Louisville, where he spent nearly a dozen years. The University of Kentucky grad’s schedule is already booked through May with four external meetings each day on average, he says. Upstate Business Journal caught Phillips on his fourth day on the job to talk Kentucky, the first 100 days and sports teams. How did you get here/how did you get into chamber work? I am an accidental chamber professional. … [A friend] asked me if I would consider working for the chamber, and I laughed, because I thought all they did was shake hands, kiss babies and lie about the weather. That was 12 years ago. I fell in love with the work that we do and the value we’re tasked with delivering to the business community.

“I didn’t inherit a broken chamber. It’s in good shape, which is almost a scary thing.” Did you know anything about Greenville before your interview? When I lived in Atlanta, my wife and I liked to go to Asheville, to the [Omni] Grove Park Inn. We would drive by Greenville but never stopped. … I was aware that it existed. I knew Furman was here. What are your plans for the chamber? I didn’t inherit a broken chamber. It’s in good shape, which is almost a scary thing. You almost want to walk in to a broken system so you can come in and fix it. I’m kind of in a spot where I don’t want to mess anything up. The community and the chamber want to do more. They recognize that they’ve done a lot of good work,

but they want to do more. I’m most excited about helping the Greenville business community achieve its dreams. Now, I’ve got some work to do to figure out what those dreams are, but again, I’m engaging in work that is bigger than me. Where does that work start? For my first 100 days, I’m going to listen and absorb as much information as possible. … As quickly as possible, I want people to think that I am from here because people do business with people they know, they like and they trust. The only way that they can know, like and trust me is I’ve got to make every effort possible to get to know and see them, and get them to trust me. There’s a piece of me that’s excited about it, but there’s a piece of me that’s nervous, too. If I don’t get to know the people here, it’s going to be my fault, because everybody here has demonstrated an interest in getting to know me. How different are the Upstate and Kentucky, in your opinion? You could close your eyes and really, sometimes I wouldn’t be able to tell if I was in Kentucky or here. The states are very similar – very, very similar – but I think you could do that from state to state. The challenges are the same. What differentiates different areas are how are they are addressing their issues, because everybody has workforce issues, or almost everybody. Has the role of chambers of commerce changed in the last decade? I don’t think there’s been a shift in the [chamber’s] responsibility to deliver value. I think several things have shifted to change the definition of what value is. Millennials define value a little differently than the old geezers like me. Folks my age, we didn’t mind joining organizations. But millennials are not joiners, per se, they’re engagers. One of the things the chamber of today has to do is to meet business leaders where they are. It’s not a one-size-fits-all. What does it mean that you’re the first African-American to lead this organization? That’s not unique to Greenville. The industry is quite homogenous. Our country

is browning, and if we are going to continue to be successful as a country, we’re going to have to figure how to make sure that everybody shares in the opportunity for prosperity. … There aren’t many black people in the chamber industry, period. There sure aren’t many black CEOs. Having said all that, I have no interest in being the black CEO. My only interest is to be the best CEO. I think our search committee exercised what we would want everybody to exercise, and that is, let’s look at the qualifications. Let’s look at the skill sets. Let’s look at the qualities they bring to the table. I think if a Martian interviewed, and they felt like the Martian could do what they needed to, I think they would have hired him, selected him. I think that’s how open-minded they are, and I think that’s what we want our world to be.

“If you’re not striking out, you’re probably not swinging enough.” How can we improve our entrepreneurial culture, build on NEXT? Sometime over the next few weeks, you might eat a Papa John’s pizza, born first in Louisville. The founder, his dad owned a bar. It started in a broom closet of his dad’s bar. That’s what a NEXT is for. People are providing the services they need to provide so people can take that broom closet dream and potentially turn it into Greenville’s next great organization. You’ve got to be less risk-averse. What is the average batting average of Major League Baseball Hall of Famers? 300s, and that’s the Holy Grail. That means you’re only getting a hit – if you’re the best in your business – three out of 10 times. And that’s Hall of Fame. If you’re not striking out, you’re probably not swinging enough. And finally: Clemson or USC? There’s one school that I’m passionate about, but I root for several folks. I’ll root for whoever. I’m a UK fan. My wife is a University of Louisville alum and we’ve been married 24 years. I’ve figured it out.

Photos by William Crooks

ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

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“We don’t sell widgets in the chamber industry. We’re selling vision. We’re selling futures. The work we do makes a difference tomorrow.”

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16 | SQUARE FEET |

UBJ

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com |

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04.08.2016

@SJackson_CJ

Two Chefs, Greek restaurant, hair salon among new tenants for Main + Stone

Main + Stone rental rates (subject to change) • Studio, 470 sq ft: $1,005-$1,330 • One-bedrooms, 600-771 sq ft: $1,185-$1,410 • Three-bedrooms, 1,290 sq ft: $2,235-$2,360

As the first apartment renters moved into Main + Stone this past week, the mixed-use project at the corner of Main Street and Stone Avenue also announced new commercial tenants. The Main + Stone project is being developed by Charleston-based developer The Beach Company and has 20,900 square feet of retail space and 293 apartment homes. Announced previously, in May Two Chefs Café & Market will move from its current location from the Poinsett Building on Main Street to become the anchor tenant at Main + Stone, occupying 5,000 square feet. The restaurant will expand its scope to offer grab-and-go prepared food options as well as local

and regional market items such as seasonal produce and farm-fresh eggs and milk. Late this summer, restaurant owner, lifelong Greenville resident and Le Cordon Bleu graduate John Makkas will open Ji-Roz, an authentic Greek restaurant serving lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. The 2,500-squarefoot restaurant will be equipped with a full bar and large outdoor seating area. Ji-Roz will feature an open kitchen concept with rotisserie meats, traditional Greek sides and pastries, vegetarian and gluten-free options and exclusively Greek wine. “I love the fact that the members of this community support each other,”

said Makkas. “Ji-Roz will be another amenity for residents, families and nearby professionals to enjoy authentic Greek food while promoting a sense of community.” Megan Diez Salon will occupy 1,854 square feet and is expected to open in late summer 2016. The salon carries exclusively vegan products that are both preservative- and sulphate-free. Diez chose the location for its downtown convenience and easy access to parking. “The interest level in retail space that we’ve had is incredible,” said Dan Doyle, vice president of development for The Beach Company. “We thought it would take longer to lease but it’s been just the opposite.”

A temporary leasing office along Main Street is currently open for new and prospective residents. One building with 40 apartments is now open, with the others expected to be completed by July. Once the other buildings are completed, the leasing office will move to Stone Avenue and Rowley Street. Main + Stone features studio apartments to three-bedroom flats and townhomes. Amenities will include a courtyard pool with sun and shade lounge decks, commercial-quality fitness center, resident clubroom, covered parking garage, urban gardens and on-site retail. Of the 20,900 square feet of retail space, 8,225 are still available for lease.


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SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

sjackson@communityjournals.com |

| SQUARE FEET | 17 @SJackson_CJ

Development in store for Spartanburg landmark

Montgomery Building is poised to rise in prominence again with major redevelopment One of Spartanburg’s most iconic buildings, the historic 10-story Montgomery Building on North Church Street, is poised to once again be the hub of activity in downtown Spartanburg. Approximately 92 apartments are planned, with 9,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Commercial space will occupy the first two floors, and floors two through 10 will be residential, with one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 422 to 1,374 square feet. Built in 1924 by the Montgomery family, one of the leading families of textile entrepreneurs in the area, the building is considered to be the only remaining example of its kind in the state because of the type of construction and the date of construction, according to Phillip Stone, an archivist and historian at Wofford College who serves on the city’s Board of Architectural Design and Historic Review. When it opened, the Montgomery Building was the tallest building in Spartanburg, eclipsing the Andrews Building on Morgan Square by two stories. It held that distinction until the early 1950s, and was the city’s tallest commercial building until the late 1980s. (The two taller buildings were apartment buildings.) One of the building’s first significant tenants was Lockwood Greene, the engineering company that built many of the area’s textile mills and designed the Montgomery Building. A number of local textile companies moved their offices into the new building, including the Pacolet Manufacturing Company, which was one of the Montgomery family’s companies. Local textile powerhouses Inman Mills, Arcadia Mills and the Deering-Milliken Mills all occupied space at some point in the Montgomery Building, as did the South Carolina Cotton Manufacturers Association. In 1926, shortly after it opened, its tenants also included physicians, attorneys, real estate agents and a number of life insurance companies. Even in the mid-1960s, the building remained relatively full, with the same complement of insurance agents, physicians, dentists and real estate agents. Many of the city’s leading attorneys (one of whom was the mayor in that decade) had their offices in the building. By the 1970s, the city saw a growing number of vacant buildings and storefronts around downtown. The Montgomery Building suffered to some extent along with downtown. The building’s Carolina Theater, which took up much of the lower floors, closed. By 1980, the building still had a few loyal tenants. A sandwich shop, barbershop and a few random offices occupied the ground floor, along with WFBC TV Channel 4, the Greenville NBC affiliate, which had moved its Spartanburg office into the building.

PROJECT PARTNERS DEVELOPER: BF Spartanburg, LLC ARCHITECT: McMillan Pazdan Smith CONSTRUCTION: Mashburn Construction COMMERCIAL LEASING: NAI Earle Furman MARKETING: A-LINE Interactive

By 1992, much of the building was vacant, with offices clustered on the first, fourth and fifth floors. Channel 4 remained on the ground floor, and The Paper, a local weekly newspaper, had offices on the 5th floor. As late as the early 2000s, the Palmetto Conser-

vation Foundation and the Hub City Writers Project had space in the building. The Montgomery Building remains the third tallest downtown. Renovations are expected to begin third quarter 2016 and be completed second or third quarter 2018.


18 | SQUARE FEET |

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com |

Lofts of Greenville construction underway – but development may soon have a new name After several delays, construction has now begun on the four-story, 215-unit apartment complex at the intersection of Westfield and Academy streets. Known as The Lofts of Greenville, the project is next door to the 365-unit District West apartment community under construction by Flournoy Development. Birmingham-based Arlington Properties, the same company that is also building a 262-unit apartment community, Vélo at Verdae, is looking to change the name of the apartment project from The Lofts of Greenville. “It will be something that will tie into the community,” said Mark Stuermann, vice president of development for Arlington Properties. “Swamp Rabbit Flats or Vélo Downtown are a couple of options that have been discussed.”

The project had originally been slated to start last year and received approval by the city’s design review board and was fully permitted and ready to go. But before construction could begin, Arlington first had to work with the city to expand a sewer main, said Stuermann. The apartments will be a mixture of studio, one-, two- and threebedroom units. Six carriage unit buildings will have direct-entry garages and be more “townhome-like,” Stuermann said. Shared amenities will include a workout facility, common area Wi-Fi with a cyber café, clubroom, billiard room, pet area, a swimming pool with a large deck and a bike barn with workshop space to store bikes and keep bikes in good repair. Construction is expected to be completed in June 2017.

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20 | INNOVATE |

UBJ

MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE

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04.08.2016

Innovation and ethics Is tracking technology ‘useful or creepy’? And who should benefit from expensive medical marvels? By BLAINE CHILDRESS US Patent Agent, Open Innovation champion

Innovation affects each of us profoundly. Some of these changes are transformative: use of GPS, robotic industrial manufacture, drones and telemedicine kiosks. But transformative innovation also has consequences, and this can raise ethical questions. One very timely example is the conflict between one’s personal information and the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens from harm. There was a deep divide between Apple iPhone encryption and the FBI’s need to “unlock” Syed Farook’s device. Apple stood firm against a court order to provide assistance in accessing information. The stalemate has now been resolved with assistance by a third-party expert. Google is today’s personal research librarian. This provides a fantastic ability to find patents and invention components, access new ideas or news, and map out your vacation. But Google is actually tracking everything that interests you. Artificial intelligence (AI) has advanced at light speed from the early days of IBM Watson, to Siri and Cortana. But the use of such personal assistants allows companies to monitor your personal interests,

daily schedule, favorite restaurants and more. And those technology products continue to listen and learn. The ethical question, first raised by futurist Gerd Leonhard in a 2014 TEDx talk, becomes: Is this tracking “useful or creepy?” “As humanity becomes increasingly trackable,” Leonhard asked, “are we controlling, or being manipulated?” I recently met with Stu Williams, director of the Bioficial Organs Program at the University of Louisville. Williams can share all manner of impressive medical advances in organ function correction, and even replacement with artificial products. Those devices can be custom-shaped, and some researched components can be 3-D printed. Such medical marvels are incredibly expensive, so the technical advance invites the ethical question: Who should benefit? Is a longer life reserved for billionaires, or should medical miracles be available to all of us? Consider Hepatitis C, a widespread and contagious virus that has infected the livers of more than 3 million people in the U.S., and an estimated 180 million globally. It kills, due to liver failure or liver cancer. About 20,000 Americans died in 2013 from the virus, including a very close friend of mine. Now there is an effective treatment. But medica-

tions such as Sovaldi and Harvoni require a daily pill for 12 weeks. At $1,000 to $1,125 per pill, that amounts to $84,000 to $94,500 per patient. It is a great technical achievement, believed to be 90 percent effective. But the ethical question arises: Who should be entitled to this lifesaving drug? Is it again reserved for the rich, or should it be considered somewhat like a smallpox or polio vaccine, and provided by the government? Even with expected and continued pricing discounts, the total cost would be greater than $100 billion. So, whether one considers how Facebook or Amazon exploit information gleaned from your use of their electronic interfaces, or whether one considers if it is proper to use CRISPR gene editing to snip devastating traits such as sickle cell away from the cells of the next generation, digital and bioethical questions attach to some of the most astonishing innovations of our time. What do we do with such new challenges? I offer no answers, but welcome your thoughts. Do you have thoughts on the ethics of innovation? Weigh in at upstatebusinessjournal.com, facebook.com/TheUpstateBusinessJournal or twitter.com/UpstateBiz.

Mauldin is OURS. Diverse Convenient Trendy Innovative Innovation is the key to the future. In 2015 over 100 new businesses opened in Mauldin. Our businesses are constantly creating new solutions and services to push our community forward.


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HIRED

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

AWARDED

HIRED

AWARDED

| ON THE MOVE | 21

AWARDED

Courtney Shelton

Kinneil Coltman

Kimberly Langston

Terry Childress

Rebecca Sigmund

Named vice president for professional development and design at Spartanburg Methodist College. Shelton has 10 years of experience in developing programming for higher education. She previously served as an assistant dean of students and director of student activities and Greek life at Wofford College.

Named a recipient of a 2016 Women Making History Award by the Greenville Cultural Exchange Center. Coltman is the chief diversity officer at the Greenville Health System (GHS) and leads diversity efforts for the USC School of Medicine Greenville. She also serves on the Urban League of the Upstate board.

Joins Infinity Marketing as a graphic designer. Langston has more than 15 years of agency experience and will be part of the creative and production team at the firm. She was most recently with Erwin Penland where she worked on accounts such as Verizon Wireless and Advance America, among others.

Named the Water Environment Association of South Carolina (WEASC) Maintenance Person of the Year and a recipient of the Dennis Pittman Collection System Award. Childress is a line maintenance supervisor for Renewable Water Resources (ReWa) in Greenville.

Named a Top Author by JD Supra for the 2016 Readers’ Choice Awards. Sigmund is a shareholder in the Ogletree Deakins Greenville office. The award recognizes authors for their reach with readers in specific industries and for their thought leadership writing on cross-industry topics.

COMMUNITY The Greenville Cultural Exchange Center awarded Rhonda Rawlings, Jane Robelot, Charlotte Walker, Andrea “Dee Dee” Washington and Nancy Welch with the 2016 Women Making History Award. Rawlings is the news and community affairs director for SummitMedia Corp. Robelot is a TV personality and national Emmy Award winner. Walker is a former program administrator and clinical treatment service provider at the Greenville Mental Health Center. Washington is an associate superintendent for academics for Greenville County School District and a veteran educator. Welch is a TV personality and educator. Lisa Forrester, with United Community Bank, won the Citizen of the Year Award; 9Round won the Business of the Year Award; Jay Owens, with the Simpsonville Police Department, won the Police Officer of the Year Award; Dan Wilder, with the Simpsonville Fire Department, won the Firefighter of the Year Award; Jason Hucks, with Hucks Financial Services, won the Chairman’s Award; and Ken Cummings, board chairman with Indepen-

VIP David Wood Named chief operating officer at The Children’s Museum of the Upstate (TCMU). Wood previously served as director of exhibits at TCMU and has been with the museum for five years. He also has 27 years of experience in the museum and exhibit management and construction industries. dence National Bank, passed the gavel to chairperson, Tiffany Welborn with United Community Bank at the Simpsonville Chamber of Commerce annual banquet. Mark Clark was appointed to the Greenville Airport Commission by Greenville City Council to serve a three-year term.

SUPPLIES ProSource Plumbing Supply hired Clay Lovely as showroom sales consultant and Nikki Allen as showroom coordinator to the Greenville showroom team. Lovely is a graduate of Bob Jones University with a degree in interior design. Allen previously served as gifting coordinator for Wyndham Worldwide.

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

CLOSE MORE DEALS. Over 100,000 readers look to the UBJ every week to help them close more business.

DRINK UP!


22 | NEW TO THE STREET |

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THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

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04.08.2016

Open for business 1. Children’s Medical Center recently opened at 307 N. Main St., Simpsonville. For more information, visit cmc-pa.com.

1

2. Coldwell Banker Caine Pelham Road Real Estate Gallery recently opened at 3608-B Pelham Road, Greenville. For more information, visit cbcaine.com. See more photos of the opening on page 23.

2

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INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE

| SOCIAL SNAPSHOT | 23

INTRODUCING

TO OUR COLLECTION

PHOTOS BY CAROL B. STEWART

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

23 West North St., Greenville, SC 29601 864.232.2761 | www.rushwilson.com Open Mon.-Sat. 9:30am - 5:30pm; Closed on Sunday


24 | THE FINE PRINT |

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BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

IT’S HERE! BEHIND THE COUNTER

WHO WORK FOR

YOU

WHO THEY ARE – WHAT THEY DO

2016 Cover FINAL.indd 2

04.08.2016

Furman opens Business Analytics Lab

Furman University recently unveiled the new Joe and Diana Hurley Finance and Business Analytics Lab located in Hipp Hall. Joe Hurley is a 1978 Furman graduate and CEO of Chi-Rho Financial in Atlanta. The lab is a 600-square-foot space equipped with dual-screen Bloomberg terminals, a stock ticker, several flat-panel displays and large atomic clocks showing times for major trading cities around the globe. It will offer students hands-on, real-time training with “big data” in business analytics for a variety of applications such as finance, marketing, health care, real estate, insurance, risk management, government, and supply chain management, according to Furman University. “The lab has a finance look and feel, but we can do a lot more than investment/ portfolio management with the technology we have,” said Tom Smythe, Furman finance professor. “Furman supports its students, and this cutting-edge lab is just one example of it.”

Syncarpha Capital and Pacolet Milliken add 3 solar projects

LOCAL COMPANIES

A C O M M U N I T Y J O U R N A L S P U B L I C AT I O N

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2016

3/31/16 10:43 AM

BTC 2016 Contact Anita Harley at 864.679.1205 or aharley@communityjournals.com for information on how to get your copy of Behind the Counter 2016 or to advertise in next year’s issue!

New York-based Syncarpha Capital and Greenville-based Pacolet Milliken added three solar projects, located in the Massachusetts towns of Leominster, North Adams and Palmer, to their jointly owned solar portfolio. The projects, all privately funded, are currently delivering 12 megawatts of clean, renewable energy, according to a release. “Our partnership with Syncarpha continues to see the successful deployment of renewable energy that will provide sustainable benefits for many years to come,” said Ralph Walker, executive VP of energy for Pacolet Milliken. “The addition of these three projects brings the solar portfolio in Massachusetts to 18 megawatts, of which have all gone online within the last two years.” The solar projects are part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “RE-powering America’s Land” initiative that encourages the development of renewable energy on current and formerly contaminated lands such as landfills, brownfields and superfund sites.

Michelin wins J.D. Power tire awards

Michelin received several awards in the 2016 J.D. Power Original Equipment Customer Satisfaction Study. This year, Michelin took the industry’s top honors in the luxury, passenger car and truck/utility segments, scoring above the industry average in each segment, according to a release. The 2016 results bring Michelin’s all-time total of J.D. Power tire awards to 80. “At Michelin, we have always been strongly committed to the quality and performance of our tires at every level, and we never stop finding ways to remain the leading innovator to improve our tires and satisfy the high expectations of new-car buyers today,” said Ken Kruithof, VP of operations for passenger and light truck original equipment tires, Michelin North and South America. “And more than ever, Michelin has been accomplishing this with original-equipment tires by working closely in collaboration with the automotive manufacturers who have the biggest stake in achieving overall driving satisfaction.”


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BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

Atlas Copco selects A10 Compressed Air Services as distributor

Greenville-based A10 Compressed Air Services LLC, a sales and service provider of air compressors and related parts and equipment, was selected as the authorized distributor for Atlas Copco Group in South Carolina. Under the agreement, A10 Compressed Air Services is authorized to distribute a complete line of Atlas Copco compressed-air equipment, including air compressors, air dryers, blowers, generators, breathing air purifiers, vacuum pumps and filtration accessories. “Atlas Copco is broadly recognized as the most reliable and innovative air compressors brand in the world,” said Jervey Inglesby, president of A10 Compressed Air Services. “We are confident that Atlas Copco’s reputation combined with our technical expertise will be a game-changer for South Carolina’s industrial market.”

| THE FINE PRINT | 25

Presented by

SC Angel Network announces 2 new investments

The South Carolina Angel Network (SCAN) announced investments in two new companies, Charleston-based Crowdr.tv and Target PharmaSolutions Inc. in Chapel Hill, N.C. SCAN was launched in 2014 to expand the work of the Upstate Carolina Angel Network in Greenville across the Carolinas. “The two investments SCAN completed in March were in widely different markets but with common investment themes,” said Paul Clark, managing director of SCAN. “Both have compelling leadership teams that are deeply experienced and knowledgeable in their industries, and both have demonstrated early traction with customers. Target PharmaSolutions was SCAN’s most oversubscribed round to date, with 47 investors from across the network participating.”

Spinx turns over a new Leaf; adds charging stations

Owners of the Nissan Leaf and some other electric vehicles may get charged up about this: Starting in May, seven Spinx stations across South Carolina, including one in the Upstate, will open electric charging stations. On May 3, Spinx will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating their new Level 3 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, including at the station on Marue Drive in Greenville. A Nissan Leaf, an electric car that can drive about 100 miles per charge, will demonstrate the EV charger as part of a partnership between the gas station and car manufacturer. Nissan’s “No Charge to Charge” program is offering eligible Nissan Leaf owners 24 months of free public charging at the new Level 3 Spinx stations. All E-vehicles are able to use the new stations provided the vehicle-specific charging port is in use. The new high-speed EV chargers will cut down charging time by more than 50 percent. Once the introductory program expires, the cost to charge a car will be $5.95 for a 20-minute charge.

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RE: NEW RETAIL ANNOUNCED AT MAIN+STONE AS FIRST RESIDENTS MOVE IN > Candance Kay Stephens upstatebusinessjournal.com “Someone mentioned that Harris Teeter will be opening as well? Any truth to this rumor?” > Manley J McKinley upstatebusinessjournal.com “Harris Teeter is supposed to be a few blocks down at Stone and Wade Hampton.” > Marie Limnios Blough “Greek food in N Main??? AWESOME!” > Damian Hall “Congrats on the new location Megan Diez Salon and Two Chefs!”

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APRIL 1, 2016

| VOL. 5 ISSUE 14

bakery and bistro rooted Upcountry Provisions' ity - page 12 in a sense of commun

DIGITAL FLIPBOOK ARCHIVE >> The layout of print meets the convenience of the web: flip through the digital edition of any of our print issues at >> upstatebusinessjournal. com/past-issues

The top 5 stories from the past week ranked by shareability score

>> 461 1. One to Watch: Walt Wilkins

>> 315 2. First Look: Ink N Ivy

>> WEIGH IN @ THE UBJ EXCHANGE Got something to offer? Get it off your chest. We’re looking for expert guest bloggers from all industries to contribute to the UBJ Exchange. Send posts or blog ideas to eprice@communityjournals.com.

RE: BAKERY DUO GROWS AND ADAPTS WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS > Yelp Greenville “Have you been to Upcountry Provisions Bakery and Bistro? The cookies alone are worth going for and, heck, if you bike there you should eat two!”

>> 299 3. 2016 Who’s Who Winners Announced

>> 297 4. The Upper Room has a NY feel with good Greenville bones

>> 260 5. New Endeavor co-work venture draws creative from broader market

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Greenville Chamber Women at Work The Path of the Professional Woman

Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Conference Center 670 Verdae Blvd., Greenville 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Cost: $25 Chamber members $35 nonmembers Register: bit.ly/waw-april2016

Spartanburg Chamber Doing Business Better: Growing Your Business Through Acquisition workshop

Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce 105 N. Pine St., Spartanburg 8:30-10:30 a.m.

Cost: $20 Chamber members $40 nonmembers Register: bit.ly/dbb-april2016

Tech After Five Networking event for tech entrepreneurs and professionals

Pour Lounge 221 N. Main St., Greenville 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: bit.ly/taf-april2016

Greenville Chamber ACE Leadership Symposium

TD Convention Center 1 Exposition Drive, Greenville 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

More info: bit.ly/ace-april2016

Piedmont SCORE Basic Small Business Start-Up workshop

Tri-County Technical College: Pendleton Campus 7900 Hwy 76, Pendleton 5:30-8:30 p.m.

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APRIL 29 WHO’S WHO Meet the latest class of game-changers in the Upstate.

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

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STAFF WRITERS

UBJ milestone

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

Tammy Smith

1988

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

OPERATIONS Holly Hardin

ADVERTISING DESIGN Kristy Adair, Michael Allen

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

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

>>

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

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

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

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

Vietnam, where he said he was “luckily” stationed in the middle of Texas at Fort Hood. He left the service and went to work in public affairs and motorsports at Ford Motor Company in Detroit. After a stint at Bell and Howell, where he was responsible for managing Ford’s dealer marketing and training, the entrepreneurial bug hit and he co-founded Jackson-Dawson Marketing Communications, a company specializing in dealer training and product launches for the auto industry in 1980. In 1987, Jackson wanted to move back south and thought Greenville would be a good fit. An avid pilot, he

learned of an opportunity to purchase Cornerstone Aviation, a fixed base operation (FBO) that served as a service station for the Greenville Downtown Airport, providing fuel, maintenance and storage. In fact, when he started the Greenville office of what is now Jackson Marketing Group (JMG) in 1988, the offices were housed on the second floor in an airport hangar. “Clients would get distracted by the airplanes in the hangars and we’d have to corral them to get back upstairs to the meeting,” Jackson said. Jackson sold the FBO in 1993, but says it was a great way to get to know Greenville’s fathers and leaders

>>

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

1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

also one of the few marketing companies in South Carolina to handle all aspects of a project in-house, with four suites handling video production, copywriting, media and research and web design. Clients include heavyweights such as BMW, Bob Jones University, the Peace Center, Michelin and Sage Automotive. Recent projects have included an interactive mobile application for Milliken’s arboretum and 600-acre Spartanburg campus and a marketing campaign for the 2013 Big League World Series. “In my opinion, our greatest single achievement is the longevity of our client relationships,” said Darrell Jackson. “Our first client from back in 1988 is still a client today. I can count on one hand the number of clients who have gone elsewhere in the past decade.” Larry Jackson says his Christian faith and belief in service to others, coupled with business values rooted in solving clients’ problems, have kept

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

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

him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-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

MAY 6 QUARTERLY CRE ISSUE The state of commercial real estate in the Upstate.

David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board,

Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board

eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

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NOVEMBER 1, 2013

CLIENT SERVICES Anita Harley, Jane Rogers

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