October 27, 2017 UBJ by Community Journals

INSIDE // REMEMBERING ROBERT CHAPMAN • CLEMSON RADIO STATION SCORES • SMART CARS, SMART STREETS

OCTOBER 27, 2017 | VOL. 6 ISSUE 43

Thirty Years of Law

Greenville’s Nelson Mullins continues to push the bar Tim Madden, Dick Riley, and David Wilkins. Photo by Will Crooks

TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

| THE RUNDOWN

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 43 Featured this issue: Clemson athletics’ unique media rights approach.................................................4 Raw bar coming to Main Street Greenville.............................................................21 Jumping into the cloud.................................................................................................. 23

Railside Studios, which comprises two two-story, formerly vacant buildings in the Village of West Greenville on Lois Avenue, recently opened with full occupancy. The 8,000-square-foot space houses small businesses and artists in 13 studios. Read more on Page 20. Photo by Will Crooks

WORTH REPEATING

TBA

“If employees can’t get to and from the job, then the odds of successfully recruiting that business are seriously reduced.”

Kolache Factory’s first South Carolina location has landed in the Three Bridges Commons strip center on Highway 153, Powdersville. The Katy, Texas-based chain serves up traditional pastries filled with sausage, cheese, or fruit, along with coffees and cinnamon rolls, croissants, and strudel niks.

Page 6

“His biggest overarching legacy is in culture. He really wanted to make sure everyone was treated fairly.” Page 8

“This is going to be the next food niche, the next scene in South Carolina.” Page 12

VERBATIM

On Amazon’s HQ2 “No single community within the Upstate meets the requirements of this project alone, but by working together, we do in fact meet the requirements and have the opportunity to submit.” Jacob Hickman, director of business recruitment at Upstate S.C. Alliance, quoted in The Post and Courier, on site pitches that cover a “10-county swath” across the region. 10.27.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEWS |

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MEDIA

Paw Power

Is Clemson’s new radio distribution agreement changing the rules of the game?

Reba Robinson, vice president of client services & operations of Clemson Sports and Campus Marketing for JMI Sports; Scott Morris, president of Clemson Sports and Campus Marketing for JMI Sports; Ben Milstead, director of operations for WCCP; and Debra Jones, general manager of WCCP. Photo by Will Crooks

ANDREW J. BECKNER | CONTRIBUTOR

In an age when college sports are increasingly national, Clemson University’s athletic program is turning the “bigger is better” paradigm on its head. Case in point: Rather than rely on a media-rights organization with a big footprint to broadcast Tiger football, baseball, and basketball, the university has signed a new deal with a boutique sports marketing firm, while expanding its relationship with local flagship station WCCP 105.5 The Roar. “We’re actually not building our own brand. We’re building Clemson’s brand,” said Scott Morris, president of Clemson Sports and Campus Marketing for JMI Sports. In June, his company signed a seven-year, $68 million multimedia and marketing rights partnership with Clemson that’s different from what many other college athletics programs are doing.

UBJ | 10.27.2017

A ‘BOUTIQUE’ APPROACH

JMI Sports is headquartered among the palm trees, sand, and surf in San Diego, Calif., far from the rolling foothills and red clay of Upstate South Carolina. But don’t let that fool you. Its portfolio of college properties is tiny by today’s standards. In addition to Clemson, it holds the media and marketing rights for the University of Kentucky, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Ivy League. The first big news coming out of Clemson’s partnership with JMI Sports came in August, when the sports talk radio station WCCP announced an expansion of its role as Clemson athletics’ flagship station. Starting this season, WCCP began distributing broadcasts to 17 Clemson Tiger Network affiliates across the region, in addition to its historic role of broadcasting football, baseball, and men’s and women’s basketball games. That’s a change from Clemson athletics’

previous agreement with Learfield, a 1,300-employee, nationwide media rights company that represents close to 130 institutions. Subsequent to Clemson’s deal with JMI Sports, Learfield served as distributor. “In simplest terms, [Learfield was] Grand Central Station for all [Clemson athletics] broadcasts,” said Ben Milstead, director of operations for WCCP. He said radio broadcasts under Learfield connected first to its hub in Jefferson City, Mo., then back to stations like WCCP. In short, that’s what made Learfield the distributor of Clemson sports broadcasts. Under the new agreement with JMI Sports – and WCCP’s role as Clemson’s new distributor – local broadcasts stay local. Milstead said the infrastructure needed to distribute broadcasts led to WCCP investing “around $50,000” to build a newer studio, buy equipment, and hire additional staff. It’s worth it, Milstead said.

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In many ways, the Clemson Tigers have the cachet of a professional team – especially the university’s football team. It is, in short, a national brand already.

“It’s solidifying Clemson’s brand with ours,” he said. “It’s just a large part of who we are as a station. We are the only sports talk station in South Carolina that has live, local sports talk 13 hours a day. And the majority of that time is spent on Clemson.” That’s the way JMI Sports wants it. Morris said the company partners with “premier” schools, and places trust in local stakeholders at those schools who know the brand, its audience, and how the two align. “It’s all about the university, the local engagement,” Morris said. “We have to have an alignment of priorities. [WCCP has] the knowledge and relationships that are necessary to be our partner.”

AMATEUR ATHLETICS IS BIG BUSINESS

Broadcasting college athletics is big business. Last October, Providence Equity Partners, a private equity firm, sold its stake in Learfield for a reported $1.3 billion – a tidy profit from the stake it purchased for more than $500 million in 2013, the New York Times reported. It’s getting bigger, too. Learfield and IMG College, two of the biggest names in the college media rights game, are reportedly in negotiations about a merger. If federal regulators approve the

deal, the two companies would own an overwhelming majority of media rights for big-name schools. Learfield alone owns the rights to several elite college football teams, including No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Penn State, and No. 10 Oklahoma. One way of managing broadcast rights for college athletics isn’t necessarily better than the other, Morris said. Companies like Learfield and IMG College have one model. JMI is just different. “We have a very small corporate function,” Morris said. “We put most of our resources at the school. And you can only do that if you work with premier institutions.” Of course, describing the new JMI Sports, Clemson University, and WCCP partnership as “local” is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, WCCP’s programming is Clemson-centric, almost to the exclusion of everything else. Yes, JMI has an entire team of locals, headquartered in Greenville, that wear orange most days of the week. And, yes, Clemson athletics is wildly popular in the Upstate. Nor is JMI a small company. It is a major player in a very big game. In addition to its media-rights partnerships, its sports facility development clients include the San Diego Padres and the NBA

| NEWS

champion Golden State Warriors, for example. In many ways, the Clemson Tigers have the cachet of a professional team – especially the university’s football team. It is, in short, a national brand already. The key, WCCP officials said, is marrying the idea of Clemson’s status nationally with broadcasts that have a hyper-local focus. That’s the station’s model, and JMI is on board. “Clemson was looking for a partner that is very boutique and personalized, but as a national brand,” said Debra Jones, WCCP’s general manager. “JMI offers that.” “The feeling we got from Clemson was that they didn’t want… a cookie-cutter national broadcast,” Milstead said. “They wanted more localized content.” In Morris, Clemson has an ally at JMI Sports. He bleeds orange. Raised in Rock Hill, he holds a degree from Clemson. The voicemail message on his cellphone ends with “Go Tigers,” a number that, by the way, has an 864 area code. It’s just another way a national company feels smaller than it really is. “We’re going to take a backset,” Morris said. “We’re in the car, but we want to put our schools front and center. They drive everything. To that end, JMI’s approach is that we’re a bit of a boutique company. We carefully select and target schools in which we work. “I’m only interested in Clemson.” Over at WCCP, staff members say little has changed. More importantly, radio listeners won’t notice much of a difference. “WCCP has been a longstanding affiliate with Clemson University; we are very Clemson-centric,” Milstead said. But the new partnership, he said, supports Clemson’s sports program in ways “that we didn’t have before.” “There are very few Division I schools in the nation that originate the way we do now. So many schools use Learfield, IMG, and CBS. Few people do what we do on a local level. This is what’s gonna set JMI apart.”

10.27.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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TRANSPORTATION

The Road Forward Q&A: Ohio State’s Carla Bailo on reducing commuting times and the zero-stress future of driving WORDS BY ANDREW MOORE | PHOTO BY WILL CROOKS

arla Bailo is a leader in engineering and vehicle program management with 35 years of experience in the automotive industry. As Ohio State University’s assistant vice president for mobility research and business development, she helps coordinate the university’s involvement as the primary research partner for Smart Columbus, a $140 million program to transform central Ohio into a test bed for smart mobility. UBJ interviewed Bailo on Oct. 19 while she was in Greenville for a keynote presentation at the TD Convention Center. The event, which was sponsored by Ten at the Top, marked the beginning of Connecting Our Future, an initiative focused on increasing mobility and connectivity while reducing traffic congestion across the Upstate.

What is smart mobility? Smart mobility is the adoption of transportation strategies and services that have been designed to reduce pollution, reduce congestion, and create seamless, efficient travel experiences for people. I usually call it the triple zero, which is zero accidents, zero carbon footprint, and zero stress.

Why should growing cities consider smart mobility options? As cities continue to grow, congestion is getting worse. It’s not only creating unsafe driving conditions but also leaving a huge carbon footprint because people are having to sit in traffic for longer periods of time. The federal government estimates that a typical passenger vehicle emits over 4 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year. We can reduce that number. But we can’t continue to add more lanes. Studies have shown that we don’t use 6

UBJ | 10.27.2017

those added lanes more efficiently. We just fill them up. I think for people to improve their quality of life, increase their time with family, and reduce their commuting time, it’s critical that we look at ways to reduce congestion.

sider providing a shuttle service for businesses or convince them to operate their own. Places like Mexico and Brazil are already adopting this idea. Unfortunately, Google is the only American company doing it.

How can cities reduce their carbon footprint and create a safer driving environment?

Why are public agencies struggling to implement smart mobility solutions?

I think autonomous vehicles are the only way we’re going to have a crash-free society and reach the efficiencies we need. For example, in a traffic jam today, about 30 percent of the roadway is available. Human drivers aren’t capable of finding it. Autonomous vehicles, on the other hand, can get up to 400 percent throughput on any existing roadway because of sensing technology. But still, everyone switching from a personal vehicle to an autonomous vehicle isn’t going to solve the issue. In fact, it could make it worse if the car is used a lot and not parked in a garage like 95 percent of the time it is today. We have to be really careful how we do this and the kinds of mobility packages we offer. It’s going to need to be a sharing environment, with three or four autonomous vehicles for an entire apartment complex that people can use throughout the day on some kind of shared basis.

Is there a relationship between transportation and economic development? Transportation is extremely important to economic development, especially when public officials are trying to convince a business to move to their city. If employees can’t get to and from the job, then the odds of successfully recruiting that business are seriously reduced. That’s why I think we should con-

I think we tend to build our cities around our roadways. And all of our building codes are enforced in such a way to promote more and more cars. Many planners are thinking about how to get more vehicles into the area with parking garages. But they are neglecting the arteries and how to move vehicles in and out efficiently. In a lot of cases, we should just turn urban planning upside down to really make the city what we want it to be and find the most efficient way to move people and goods in and out.

How important is the private market to the adoption of smart mobility? We’re not going to be able to adopt these solutions without the private market. There are a number of private companies and startups across the U.S. that are working to solve congestion and other issues. Via, for instance, is a shuttle-based ridesharing service that uses data analytics and crowdsourcing to allow people to catch a ride with other people who are going in the same direction. These kinds of businesses can actually supplant the public bus system. I don’t know what it’s like in Greenville, but many times you have a huge bus that only has one or two people on it depending on the time of day. They’re spitting out large amounts of carbon dioxide and wasting money. That’s why I think we have to really push for public-private partnerships. That’s the future.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153; Many planners are thinking about how to get more vehicles into the area with parking garages. But they are neglecting the arteries and how to move vehicles in and out efficiently.â&#x20AC;?

10.27.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

LEGACY |

A LOOK BACK AT THOSE THAT MADE AN IMPACT

Remembering Robert Chapman The late textile mogul was instrumental in shaping a new vision for Spartanburg TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF

tanderson@communityjournals.com Kindness, humility, and empathy – with every fiber of his being, Robert “Rob” Hett Chapman III exemplified those characteristics and used them to weave a legacy for bettering the people, places, and things that crossed his life’s path. Among his family and friends, the late Spartanburg textile mogul and philanthropist will always be remembered for fully engaging in life, giving himself completely, and a generosity of spirit he shared with no strings attached. “He was so inclusive,” said Lacy Chapman, his wife of 41 years. “He always made sure everyone felt his equal. If someone called him Mr. Chapman, he would always say, ‘I’m Rob; please call me Rob.’ He was so interested in people. “I’m just so thrilled we had so many great years together,” she said. “He was great, gracious, and he never lost that boyish twinkle in his eye.” Chapman, the chairman, CEO, and treasurer of Inman Mills, died on Aug. 23. He was 66. Chapman was born in Spartanburg, the son of the late Harrison Shackeford Chapman and Robert Hett Chapman Jr. He graduated from the Spartanburg Day School and then attended the University of the South, where he majored in economics and was captain of the school’s golf team. Throughout his life, Chapman earned degrees from the Institute of Textile Technology, Harvard Business School, and the National Cotton Council. 8

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“ He was a force for good, a source for improving Spartanburg in many ways, some of which have been welldocumented and some that haven’t.” After college, Chapman worked for three years at Citizens and Southern National Bank in Columbia. It was there that he met his wife. “Our friends wanted to set us up on a blind date,” Lacy Chapman said. “We saw each other and everything just grew from there.” In 1975, the couple married and moved to Spartanburg in 1976, where Rob Chapman joined the Inman Mills textile company founded by his great-great uncle James A. Chapman in 1901. “He loved manufacturing,” his daughter Jane Harrison Chapman Fisher said. “He enjoyed being a part of the vision that helped transform the industry. He could see and feel the end results.

But he always wanted it to be about the people and not him. Many of his employees said it best: He made everyone in his path feel important and special.” Like many of the great textile companies impacted by the decline of U.S. textile manufacturing during the 1990s and early 2000s, Inman Mills faced some difficult decisions. The company had grown to five manufacturing locations, including its original Saybrook plant in Inman, and its Riverdale (later renamed Mountain Shoals) and Ramey facilities in Enoree. By 2001, Inman Mills had shuttered its original Inman plant and some of its Riverdale facilities. “I think most people could see how much it hurt him when he had to lay people off,” Lacy Chapman said. “It was the most difficult thing he had to do in his life. He always tried to empathize with them. These weren’t just his employees. They were his friends, like family to him.” Since Chapman’s passing, his cousin, Norman Chapman, who he worked beside for 32 years, has taken over leadership of the company with support from the late leader’s son-in-law, Ellis Fisher. “He was unbelievably caring,” Norman Chapman said. “He had a passion for people. He learned their names. He learned about their families. Rob was a servant leader. There are a lot of different ways to lead. He didn’t do it for the glory. Where the credit fell was immaterial to him. “He was not a micromanager. He put very

| LEGACY

A LOOK BACK AT THOSE THAT MADE AN IMPACT

capable people around him and empowered them to do their jobs,” Chapman added. “His biggest overarching legacy is in culture. He really wanted to make sure everyone was treated fairly. … He had an open-door policy.” Chapman said his cousin introduced everyone as “his friend.” “It didn’t matter who you were,” he said. “You were his friend, and he was going to introduce you to his other friends.” “We were really close,” Chapman added. “There wasn’t one thing he wanted to do that he couldn’t do. He was still a 2-handicap golfer. He was a great fly fisherman. He’d wade out in the water and put out decoys in the duck pond. He was the guy who was doing all of the activities like he was a teenager.” Chapman served on the boards of the YMCA of Greater Spartanburg, Sage Automotive Interiors, Spartanburg Regional Medical Foundation, and the National Council of Textile Organizations. He led efforts to boost tourism and build community in Linville, N.C. Chapman served as a committee chairman at Augusta National Golf Club, where he led the Cup and Tee Marker committee that set up the course for the Masters Tournament. He was a past member of the boards of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, the New York Cotton Exchange, the Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg, Spartanburg County Foundation, United Way of the Piedmont, Carolina Golf Association, American Textile Manufacturers Institute, S.C. Manufacturers Alliance, Advance America, Converse College, Bumber2Bumper Media, Tuscarora Yarns, FabTech Industries, Spartan Communications, S.C. Independent Colleges and Universities, Spartanburg Arts Council, S.C. Technical College System Foundation, Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., Bank of America’s local advisory board, and the J.E. Sirrine Foundation. In 2016, he was inducted into the S.C. Business Hall of Fame. His business travels spanned the globe, but he never lost sight of his

“Rob was a servant leader. There are a lot of diﬀerent ways to lead. He didn’t do it for the glory. Where the credit fell was immaterial to him.” home – Spartanburg. “I think he left a legacy in life and leadership that will not soon be forgotten,” said Spartanburg business leader George Dean Johnson Jr. “People knew that he cared about them. He was known for his humility, kindness, his smile, and his laughter. I never heard him say a harsh word. He was genuine.” “He was a wonderful citizen and a great friend,” said former Spartanburg Mayor Bill Barnet. “He was a force for good, a source for improving Spartanburg in many ways, some of which have been well-documented and some that haven’t.” Chapman was essential to an effort led by local leaders to raise money for a new venue for performing and visual arts, science, and history. That venue opened in 2007 and was named the Chapman Cultural Center. Chapman’s friends said the late leader was initially opposed to having the Chapman name attached to the center, but later embraced the idea. “He was so inclusive of everyone,” said Jennifer Evins, president and CEO of the Chapman Cultural Center. “He didn’t want people to think that the Chapman family was the only contributor to the center. They’re a huge family. So many of them practice the arts as professionals. It wasn’t about him or his leadership. It was about a family legacy of valuing the arts.” “Bill [Barnet] shared his vision with Rob, and Rob totally got it,” Evins added. “The biggest thing our community had ever done was raise $3 million for the library. We were talking about raising $32 million. Bill convinced Rob that this was a

risk worth taking. What I know is that he understood the importance of the arts because of the loss of textile jobs and that it took tremendous commitment to succeed. He understood that revitalization was needed to give people hope. Because his family is full of creative people, he understood the hope that the arts give people. He saw other successful cities and realized the arts are a big part of that success.” Chapman’s family and friends said he had a curiosity about life. He was never afraid to lean on other leaders for advice.

Although he stayed busy, he always managed to strike a healthy balance between his work life, community service, and family time. “Dad lived life to the fullest every day,” Fisher said. “He never focused on the negative.” His eldest daughter, Dennis Chapman Hughes, remembered her father always made time to speak with his family no matter how busy he was. “He called it ‘windshield time,’” Hughes said. “He had 25 minutes typically during his drive from Inman to Spartanburg. If he called you, you knew you’d better answer.” She said no matter what her father did, he always viewed his work as a passion, rather than a job. He encouraged his family to think big and to use their talents and abilities to have an impact on others. “He pushed us to go out of our comfort zone and do things outside of the norm,” Hughes said. “He made you feel like you were the only person in the room.”

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HEALTH CARE

Behind the Wheel

Spartanburg physician, CU-ICAR looking into concussion aftereﬀects in student drivers

Dr. John Lucas, head of the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System (SRHS) Sports Medicine Institute, has partnered with Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research to begin a new project that studies the impact of concussions on the driving capabilities of high school and college athletes.

TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF

tanderson@communityjournals.com Should an individual who recently suffered a concussion drive an automobile? That’s a question one Spartanburg County physician hopes to answer with the findings of a new research project he is conducting in partnership with Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). “About one-tenth of the cases I see are concussions,” said Dr. John Lucas, head of the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System (SRHS) Sports Medicine Institute at the Upward Sports Star Center at 9678 Warren H. Abernathy Highway in Spartanburg. “The No. 1 killer of teenagers in the U.S. is motor vehicle crashes,” Lucas added. “We know the presentation [of concussions] can vary. We want to find out if there are deficits. When should they go back behind the wheel? There’s next to no literature out there about this.” Lucas earned his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the Wake Forest Family Medicine program in Winston-Salem, N.C. 10

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As a third-year resident, he received one of four national research grants from the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine to investigate the effects of progesterone on concussions, according to SRHS. Concussion research has attracted hundreds of millions of dollars during the past few years. Efforts by the National Football League and other sports organizations to raise awareness for the short- and long-term impacts of brain injuries, particularly among young athletes, have sparked a range of studies. Lucas said he noticed a gap in those investigations a few years ago. “We have intensive protocols for when [student athletes] should return to play, or return to the classroom, but nothing for this,” he said. “They leave the office, get behind the wheel of a car, and drive home. … It all falls back on the shoulders of the physician. I still don’t have protocols to go off of. I’m hoping to at least raise the question.” Lucas said his initial research led him to poll other physicians in his field. He found out that they too were uncertain about protocols for driving after a concussion. In 2014, he was part of a group of Spartanburg

Regional physicians that visited CU-ICAR’s facility in Greenville. It was there he met Johnell Brooks, an associate professor who, for several years, has been working with an interdisciplinary team to develop driving simulators focused on rehabilitation in a clinical setting in partnership with Utah-based DriveSafety. Lucas described his research to Brooks, and the two quickly realized they could help each other. “We’re really excited to work with Dr. Lucas and Spartanburg Regional,” Brooks said. “We think this is going to provide invaluable research that may one day have a real-world impact, which is what CU-ICAR was created to do.” Brooks and Lucas said CU-ICAR had already collected some data from a group of students at Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, CU-ICAR students, and other seniors in the community. In 2016, the Spartanburg Regional Foundation awarded a $75,000 grant to support the purchase of two driving simulators. One of the simulators was placed at Lucas’ office and the other at the SRHS Rehabilitation

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“ The typical reaction time [for a healthy driver to put on the brakes] is about a half second. I had one girl that it took 2.5 seconds. And the scariest part about it was she said, ‘I thought I was doing good.’” Services facility at the Thomas E. Hannah Family YMCA in downtown Spartanburg. Travis Dewyea, rehabilitation manager for SRHS’s Rehabilitation Services, said the simulator at the YMCA will be used to study the impacts of a variety of factors, such as cerebrovascular disease, chemotherapy, neuropathy, and musculoskeletal injuries, on driving. “CU-ICAR is one of the world leaders in automotive research,” Dewyea said. “We’re truly grateful to have them as a partner. … For us, one of the most exciting things about this is that it’s leveraging technology to help manage someone’s rehabilitation.” Brooks said designers worked closely with Lucas and his team to tailor the driving simulators to meet their needs. “It’s about finding tools that make sense in a clinical setting,” she said. “In a research setting, we have all of the time in the world. But in a clinical setting, Dr. Lucas has a limited amount of time to spend with a patient. Many of the tools and tasks we have with the simulators make sense for research like this. We went through and looked at how we could maximize [the simulators] for his research.” Brooks said CU-ICAR has about 50 simulators “out in the world.” The focus of those simulators is to shed more light on the importance of mobility in the community. “You have to establish that there is a problem and then provide lots of numbers,” Lucas said. “I think

that what comes out of the Upstate during the next few years has the potential to have a global impact.” Lucas said the research takes into consideration the age and driving experience of subjects. He said the optimal age range for his study is 15 to 22 years old, and all subjects must have their driver’s license or restricted driver’s license. The simulator puts patients through a variety of basic tests that measure reaction times, response to visual cues, and other cognitive aspects of driving. He has already put several patients through the simulator and said the results show promise for his research. “The typical reaction time [for a healthy driver to put on the brakes] is about a half second,” Lucas said. “I had one girl that it took 2.5 seconds. And the scariest part about it was she said, ‘I thought I was doing good.’” Brooks said a simulator will be placed at Dorman High School in Spartanburg during the spring semester, which will enable researchers to collect more data on the topic. Lucas said he hopes his research will lead to protocol that helps doctors determine when a patient should return to driving after a concussion. He also doesn’t want to unnecessarily restrict anyone based on knee-jerk reactions that aren’t based on facts. “As far as I know, we’re the first to do this,” Lucas said. “The sky is the limit.” 10.27.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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RESTAURANTS

Talent Surge Greenville chef set to join downtown Spartanburg’s emerging food scene TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF

tanderson@communityjournals.com

Left to right: Lenora Sansbury, Haydn Shaak, and Joel Sansbury. The Sansburys have hired Shaak as a chef for their farmto-table dining concept The Farmer’s Table, which will relocate to a new space in downtown Spartanburg in January.

Downtown Spartanburg’s food renaissance has attracted another talented chef. Joel and Lenora Sansbury, owners of The Farmer’s Table, announced they have hired Haydn Shaak, formerly the chef de cuisine at Greenville-based Table 301’s Soby’s New South Cuisine. Shaak, 33, originally of York, Penn., will officially join the Sansbury’s popular farm-to-table eatery on Nov. 14 and help lead its relocation to the 5,000-square-foot space in the Gilbert & Son Co. Building at 149 S. Daniel Morgan Ave. “This is very exciting for us,” Lenora Sansbury said. “I’ve known Haydn for a long time. When we talked about doing this, we knew it would be something good, not only for The Farmer’s Table, but for Spartanburg. He pairs extremely well with what we hope to accomplish here.” The Sansburys opened their dining concept almost six years ago. In September, the couple announced their plans to move out of their original 2,500-square-foot space in the Farmer’s Marketplace shopping center off Kennedy Street due to their restaurant’s growth. They plan to double their staff from 21 to 42 employees, with hiring expected to begin later this year. The Farmer’s Table will remain open in its original space until late December. The Sansburys will open their new space across the street from downtown Spartanburg’s new AC Hotel in early January. 12

UBJ | 10.27.2017

After the move, the couple will be able to accommodate 250 diners, compared with 99 in their current space. “With this move, we will basically have a blank canvas on which to create our future vision,” Joel Sansbury said. “While diners will still be able to order many of their favorite dishes, Haydn’s expertise and creativity will provide them with a range of new experiences. We couldn’t be happier that he is joining us.” The owners said Shaak will be involved in every aspect of the kitchen. He will be essential to maintaining existing relationships and forming new ones with the local farms and vendors that provide The Farmer’s Table with fresh ingredients. “I’ve known Lenora for about 10 years – since we worked together at City Range [in Spartanburg],” Shaak said. “We’ve been tossing this idea around for a couple of years. … I felt like this was the right time. I think Spartanburg is ready. This is going to be the next food niche, the next scene in South Carolina.” Shaak said his wife, Abbey Shaak, will also join the team. “She has always been like my sous chef,” he said. The couple has two children, and Shaak said their decision to join The Farmer’s Table was influenced by their desire to have a healthy work life-family life balance. “It’s always a tough decision for a chef whether you want to be driven by your family or your

career,” he said. “It’s difficult to find a middle ground. This move for me is kind of bittersweet. I’ve had some great years at Table 301 and will miss all of the great people I’ve met, but I am looking forward to this new opportunity.” Shaak moved to Simpsonville during his senior year in high school. After he graduated from Mauldin High School, he enrolled in the culinary program at Greenville Technical College. But the food business has always been a big part of his life, as his father, Bob Shaak, is also a chef. “I grew up around it,” he said. “I grew up knowing what good food was.” Shaak took part in an apprenticeship program under his dad at City Range. He said he started as a dishwasher and eventually worked his way up to executive chef. That led him to become a sous chef with The Cliffs at Keowee Falls and then an executive chef at Holiday Retirement in Greenville. In 2014, he joined High Cotton in Greenville as an executive sous chef. The following year, Shaak landed at Soby’s. “I really think during the next five to 10 years Spartanburg is going to change dramatically, and The Farmer’s Table will be well-positioned near the heart of a new food mecca,” he said. “Sure, I have some ideas. But The Farmer’s Table will continue to be what it has always been – a place to find great quality food with a story behind it.”

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

LEADERSHIP

An aerial view of Bosch Rexroth’s new research and development testing area near its Fountain Inn manufacturing facility. Photo provided.

MANUFACTURING

Bosch Rexroth opens R&D testing area in Fountain Inn Bosch Rexroth has opened a new research and development vehicle testing area near its manufacturing facility in Fountain Inn. Located in Southchase Industrial Park, the company’s existing operations manufacture various types of hydraulic pumps and motors for the construction, agriculture, mining, material handling, and oil and gas exploration industries. The new testing area will be used to showcase and evaluate new and current machinery, as well as confirm endurance levels, according to a press release. It includes gravel, concrete, and wash pads to test for things like traction control and drive systems. An excavation site also allows for safety testing. “With the new test area, customers are active participants in the testing and commissioning of their vehicles and evaluate new products on demo machines,” the company said. “Customer vehicle commissioning, prototype vehicle functional testing, prototype evaluation, components endurance testing, and new control algorithm evaluations are just a few of the possibilities the new vehicle test area opens.” -Andrew Moore

Metromont expanding operations in Greenville County Metromont Corporation, a concrete manufacturer, has announced plans to invest $8.8 million in an expansion and renovation of its existing Greenville County operations. The expansion will accommodate new concrete operations, as well as an engineering facility. It is expected to create 100 jobs over the next five years, according to the S.C. Department of Commerce. “Metromont is very excited to expand our operations in Greenville. This offers an opportunity to provide expanded product offerings to our customers while improving our operational efficiencies,” said Russell Rumley, vice president of Metromont. “We are also very thankful to the state for being so very supportive of this transition.” Metromont, which is located at 2802 White Horse Road, manufactures precast concrete for everything

| NEWS

Anderson native named CEO of Glen Raven

from schools, office buildings, and parking decks to industrial plants and stadiums. With operations in five states, the company has completed projects at more than 50 stadiums and more than 1,000 parking decks. The Coordinating Council for Economic Development awarded a $100,000 grant to Greenville County to assist with the costs of site improvements. Hiring for the new positions is projected to begin in the first quarter of 2018, according to a press release. For more information, visit metromont.com. -Andrew Moore

ENERGY

Report: South Carolina ranks low in energy eﬃciency October is National Energy Awareness Month, but a new report shows that South Carolinians are some of the country’s worst when it comes to saving energy. The report, which was released earlier this month by personal finance website WalletHub.com, ranks the Palmetto State last among the 48 contiguous states in overall energy conservation. In separate categories, South Carolina ranked 48th in home energy efficiency, 43rd in vehicle fuel efficiency, and 30th in transportation efficiency. According to WalletHub, the rankings ultimately conclude that South Carolinians spend more on energy than the average American. The typical U.S. family spends at least $2,000 per year on utilities and another $1,900 on motor fuel and oil. The report compiled data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Climatic Data Center, Energy Information Administration, and the Federal Highway Administration. Due to data limitations, Alaska and Hawaii were excluded from the report. Using two primary metrics, WalletHub created scores for home energy efficiency and car energy efficiency. For the former, the site calculated the ratio of total residential energy consumption to annual degree days. To calculate car energy efficiency, the site divided the annual vehicle miles driven by gallons of gasoline consumed to determine vehicle-fuel efficiency and measured annual vehicle miles driven per capita to determine transportation efficiency. -Andrew Moore

Leib Oehmig, an Anderson native, has been named president and CEO of Glen Raven Inc., a global textile manufacturer. Oehmig replaces Allen Gant, who recently retired as CEO of the family-owned company that was founded by his grandfather in 1880. Gant, who joined Glen Raven in 1971, will remain chairman of the company’s operating board. With a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University, Oehmig joined Glen Raven in 1989 and Leib Oehmig led the construction and management of the company’s 1-million-square-foot Sunbrella fabrics manufacturing center in Anderson. His tenure at Anderson led to his promotion as president of Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, the makers of Sunbrella, a position he held until he was named president and COO of Glen Raven Inc. in 2013. “Leib’s previous leadership role will serve him well as the next CEO of Glen Raven,” Gant said in a press release. “He is a transformative leader and a strategic architect of the company’s current course focused on solutions for our customers. His ability to lead will be felt across our company’s global footprint for years to come.” In his new role, Oehmig leads a company with 40 locations across 17 countries and six continents, according to a press release. He is the first non-family member to serve as president and CEO of Glen Raven. “I am privileged to work alongside our associates, who are among Glen Raven’s greatest assets and whose input is invaluable as the company continues its mission to design and build innovative solutions that improve people’s lives,” Oehmig said. “I’ve also been fortunate to learn from the best during my career at Glen Raven, including from a predecessor who puts a premium on collaboration and teamwork.” -Andrew Moore

RETAIL

Entrepreneur plans to open upscale meat market in Spartanburg When it came time for Lance Brown to pick a career, there was no doubt about the course he would take. The Spartanburg entrepreneur hails from a line of meat processing professionals that have been plying their craft in the Upstate for almost 80 years. Brown plans to put that accumulated knowledge and skill to work for his neighbors with his own retail meat market established on a foundation of quality, service, and providing customers with an authentic experience. “I have a lot of friends who really enjoy cooking meats, and I enjoy giving them what they need and providing them with that wow factor,” Brown said. 10.27.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEWS |

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

Lance Brown and his wife, Blair Brown, stand in the space that will soon house their new concept Brown’s Meat Market. Photo by Trevor Anderson

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“Spartanburg is growing and changing. It needs a place like this – a place to get a variety of high-quality meats. Somebody needs to be there [for local residents] to impart an understanding about what they’re eating. I’m excited to be able to do this.” On Friday, Oct. 20, Brown signed a lease for Brown’s Meat Market on a nearly 2,300-square-foot space at 1457 Union St. formerly occupied by Eastside Meats and Produce. Brown plans to renovate the space for his concept, and he hopes to open Brown’s Meat Market by Christmas. His wife, Blair Brown, originally of Spartanburg, will join him in the venture. The couple has two children and lives on Spartanburg’s east side. “I enjoy working one-on-one with customers,” Lance Brown said. “I think there is a big opportunity here to take my experience and knowledge and give Spartanburg something it doesn’t have. My family is here. I’d like to have something for my children to be a part of.” Brown’s grandfather, Walter W. Brown, opened Cherokee Packing Co. in 1939 near Gaffney. His great grandfather, Broadus Brown, was also involved in that company, which was sold to Armour and Co. during the 1950s. Brown’s father, Jim Brown, and uncle, Walter Eugene “Gene” Brown, later started Brown Packing Co. in Gaffney. Some of his other family members opened Sunnydale Meats, also in Gaffney. Brown honed his skills at Brown Packing Co. and learned the business from the ground up. “I did a little of everything,” he said. “I was able to build knowledge, relationships, and years of firsthand experience. I think it will be nice to share that with my customers.” “It has been a long journey,” said Blair Brown, who serves on the board of directors for the Children’s Advocacy Center. “I believe in him and am proud to carry on the family business.” Brown said renovations will begin soon. He plans to give the space a clean, modern, industrial feel with metal and weathered wood accents. The business owner said he is still finalizing details about his offering, but customers can expect to find a variety of premium cuts of beef, pork, poultry, possibly some fish and shellfish, and maybe even some exotic proteins. He plans to have a selection of jerky, fresh eggs, sauces, homemade sausages, craft beers, and other items. Brown said he may have some vegetarian options, kabobs, international foods, and fresh pet food. He plans to have an online store, specials, and meal packages. To the extent possible, Brown said he plans to get all of his stock from local sources. He will tailor his menu to suit the tastes of local residents. Brown said he hopes to hire a few employees for the store. “I’m going to try to take care of people,” he said. “I really think it’s important to make customers happy. … I’m very happy to continue a legacy.” -Trevor Anderson

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

EDUCATION

Spartanburg Methodist College will open off-site facility in Aug W. Smith Building Spartanburg Methodist College (SMC) on Monday, Oct. 16, announced it plans to open an off-site location in downtown Spartanburg. The college said it has signed a lease on a 2,000-square-foot space in the historic Aug W. Smith Building at 174 E. Main St. Greenville-based developer Blue Wall Real Estate is investing $10.5 million to redevelop the 91-year-old building with two retail spaces on the ground floor and apartments above. In September, Spill the Beans, a coffee shop and creamery owned by Greenville entrepreneurs Abram and Heather Curtis, announced it would move into the adjacent 2,500-square-foot retail space. SMC President Scott Cochran said this would be the school’s only off-site facility. It will provide the college with flexible office and event space, and give SMC something it needs – a presence in downtown. “Downtown is really important to Spartanburg,” Cochran said. “We want to be active and visible in the community. And, for us, this is a great way to do that.” Cochran said no for-credit classes would be offered at the space. The space will be open to students, in particular those participating in entrepreneurial programs. SMC will host a variety of community outreach events, such as executive education classes, and camps for children and senior adults. “We have an entrepreneurial spirit here,” Cochran said. “So we’re asking the public, ‘What would you like to see here?’” Cochran said the college is working with a team from Spartanburg-based McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture to come up with a final design for the space. He said it will have an open, industrial feel that will be enhanced by the glass accordion doors that will be installed on the building’s façade. Cochran said the sidewalk in front of the space will likely feature outdoor seating, which he said will most likely match that of Spill the Beans in order to maintain continuity. The space will have a small kitchen area for catered affairs, as well as an art studio for local artist and SMC professor Kris Neely. In the spring, the college will hold its prospective and admitted students event in the space, Cochran said. SMC previously had to rent out Indigo Hall for the event. “We’re excited to have SMC occupying that second space,” said Bogue Wallin, principal of Blue Wall Real Estate, in a statement. “The college has a long history of serving the Spartanburg community, and SMC’s plans felt very compatible with our goal to make sure Aug Smith on Main is part of the civic and cultural life of Spartanburg.” Andrew Babb with NAI Earle Furman represented both Blue Wall and SMC in the signing of the lease agreement. -Trevor Anderson

INFRASTRUCTURE

SC Ports Authority reports busiest September on record The South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) on Tuesday, Oct. 17, reported 10 percent container volume growth in September. SCPA said it moved 179,856 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEU) during the month, making it the busiest September on record. The growth in traffic pushed the agency’s volume for the first quarter of its 2018 fiscal year to almost 540,000 TEUs, a nearly 4 percent increase compared with the same period of the previous year. SCPA said its Inland Port in Spartanburg County near Greer handled 10,648 rail moves in September. The facility’s volume has increased nearly 16 percent to 30,401 moves during the quarter, compared with the same quarter of 2017. “The port continues to see year-over-year growth,” said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of SCPA, in a statement, “and our first quarter results, including record September container volumes, reflect a very positive start to our 2018 fiscal year.” The Port of Charleston handled 101,902 pier containers during the month and achieved a 4.2 percent increase in pier container growth during the first quarter with 305,648 boxes handled. SCPA said its break-bulk business, which includes non-containerized cargo, such as finished vehicles, wire rod in coils, and wood pulp, totaled 65,269 tons in September, and 153,304 tons during the quarter. -Trevor Anderson 10.27.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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MILESTONE |

A TRIBUTE TO OUR LONG-LASTING ENTERPRISES

LAWYERING

UBJ | 10.27.2017

A TRIBUTE TO OUR LONG-LASTING ENTERPRISES

| MILESTONE

Nelson Mullins celebrates 30 years in Greenville WORDS BY CINDY LANDRUM PHOTOS BY WILL CROOKS

hen the Nelson Mullins law firm opened an office in Greenville, downtown was deserted. Save for the first block where the Hyatt was located, Main Street was dotted by empty storefronts. The Peace Center was merely an idea, and Falls Park didn’t exist. But there were three good business reasons for the Columbia-based firm to open the office 30 years ago — former Gov. Dick Riley was returning to Greenville to practice law; the Upstate city was the industrial center of the state and offered a good opportunity to attract corporate clients; and the firm, which was almost exclusively a litigation firm, wanted to develop a corporate practice, said Tim Madden, the Greenville office’s managing partner. Today, if the office were an independent law firm, it would be among the top five largest in Greenville, with annual revenues in excess of $20 million. “We’ve had good success in this office almost from day one,” said John Campbell Jr., one of the office’s original partners. “And we still do it the same way as we did in the beginning. We find good lawyers wherever they are and we hire them.”

The beginning When Riley left the Governor’s Mansion at the end of his two terms in January 1987, he met with all the major law firms in the state. “Anybody coming out of the Governor’s Office has opportunities,” he said. Riley had a good working relationship with the late Claude Scarborough, who was managing partner of Nelson Mullins. The two had worked together on court reform, Riley as a state senator and then governor and Scarborough as president of the South Carolina Bar. “This firm had, in my judgment after analyzing firms around the state, clearly had the best lawyers in the state,” Riley said. “It was not an exciting firm at the time, because it was a litigation firm at the time, but they attracted really good lawyers and they were very careful about that. It was a real stable, respected law firm.”

A few months later, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough opened its doors in the Daniel building. The Greenville office was a pioneer for the firm in many areas. The opening of the Greenville office was a first for an out-of-town firm. Sheryl Ortmann, a partner in Columbia, moved to Greenville to manage the office, marking the first time in the firm’s history that a woman managed an office. Riley and Scarborough set out to identify established lawyers with growing practices to build the office and corporate practice. In January 1988, Campbell and Ken Young joined the firm, bringing with them several key corporate client relationships that fueled the growth and success of the office. Campbell had planned to leave South Carolina to go to Raleigh, N.C., until he reluctantly met Scarborough at Alexandro’s restaurant on Augusta Road, the vote for the North Carolina firm just a week away. “He pulled out a piece of paper, and I still have this paper, and said, ‘Now, this is what we’re going to be doing in the next five years.’ Campbell looked at it, and Scarborough pushed the paper toward him. “I remember sitting back in the seat and thinking, ‘There’s no way,’” Campbell said. “Well, we exceeded those numbers by 25 percent a year for the first five years.”

Different culture Campbell said it was difficult to build Nelson Mullins when the firm first came to Greenville because lawyers didn’t want to come in. “Nelson Mullins is not for everybody,” he said. “They were scared of it. They were scared of the culture. We’ve had a pretty intense bunch from the get-go. Standards are high. Goals are high, much higher than any other firm.” Operating on the foundation created by Campbell and Young, the firm recognized the opportunity for the Greenville office to grow and to operate autonomously. Some of the firm’s most recent hires out of law school had Greenville roots and wanted to return to their hometowns to establish careers.

Clockwise from top left: Dick Riley, David Wilkins, John Campbell, Marvin Quattlebaum, Rivers Stilwell, Tim Madden, Neil Grayson 10.27.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

MILESTONE |

A TRIBUTE TO OUR LONG-LASTING ENTERPRISES

April 1987 Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough opens Greenville office in the Daniel Building January 1988 John Campbell and Ken Young join the firm, bringing with them several key corporate relationships that fuel the growth and success of the Greenville office. 1993 Dick Riley leaves the firm to lead President Bill Clinton’s transition team and then serve as U.S. secretary of education. Around the same time, the firm assists BMW with economic development issues associated with the just-announced Spartanburg plant. 2001 Firm relocates to its current home on the ninth floor of Poinsett Plaza Early 2000s Lawyers in Nelson Mullins’ Greenville office begin working with Clemson in the development of CU-ICAR 2004 Leo Hill, a past president of the South Carolina Bar, joins the firm. 2006 Members of the Wilkins & Madden law firm join Nelson Mullins February 2009 With his stint as U.S. ambassador to Canada over, David Wilkins joins the members of his old law firm and chairs Nelson Mullins’ government and public policy practice in both the Washington, D.C., and Greenville offices of the firm. 2011 Marvin Quattlebaum becomes president of the South Carolina Bar.

UBJ | 10.27.2017

David Wilkins and George W. Bush. Photo provided

“We’ve had good success in this office almost from day one. And we still do it the same way as we did in the beginning. We find good lawyers wherever they are and we hire them.”

Marvin Quattlebaum, who is President Donald J. Trump’s nominee for a federal judgeship, returned to Greenville in the late 1980s to develop the office’s litigation practice. Greenville native Rivers Stilwell, who leads the Greenville litigation team, returned home from Columbia. Neil Grayson, a former Wall Street attorney who heads the firm’s financial institutions practice group, was practicing in Atlanta when that firm merged with Nelson Mullins in 1992. “For me, it felt like I was coming home,” he said. “The others in the office were sort of embarrassed that we were a branch office of a South Carolina law firm that nobody’s ever heard of.” A year later, Riley left the firm to lead President Bill Clinton’s transition team and then serve as U.S. secretary of education. About the same time, Nelson Mullins assist-

ed BMW with issues related to its newly announced Spartanburg plant.

Continued growth Greenville continued to grow, and the firm became one of the anchor tenants of Poinsett Plaza, the first new Main Street office tower built in years. And another prominent public servant came into the fold in 2009, when former S.C. Speaker of the House and U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins joined Nelson Mullins, three years after the other members of the Wilkins & Madden law firm. It created a reunion of sorts. Wilkins’ and Riley’s fathers were classmates at the Furman Law School, and Wilkins and Riley had shared office space and secretarial assistance in the early part of their careers. “We’ve grown with Greenville,” Riley said.

A TRIBUTE TO OUR LONG-LASTING ENTERPRISES

| MILESTONE

THE FACES OF NELSON MULLINS IN GREENVILLE John M. Campbell Jr., Partner John Campbell is one of the original partners in the Greenville office and served as its managing partner for more than 10 years. Campbell served as a certified contract advisor for the National Football League Players Association for more than 10 years. He earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics and graduated summa cum laude from Furman University. Neil E. Grayson, Partner The former Wall Street attorney heads the firm’s financial institutions practice group. In 2011, he and the firm led the $115 million financing and restructuring of The Palmetto Bank and its eventual sale to United Community Bank. He’s a board member for Public Education Partners and is currently working with the Hispanic Alliance to establish a scholarship fund for South Carolina Dreamers.

Bill Clinton, Dick Riley, Betty Farr. Photo provided

“We’ve had a pretty intense bunch from the get-go. Standards are high. Goals are high, much higher than any other firm.”

The Greenville office has 77 employees, including 42 lawyers, 31 of whom graduated from high school or college in Greenville or another Upstate county. Other members of the management team with connections to the Upstate include managing partner Jim Lehman, who grew up in Pumpkintown, and chief operations officer Lee Dixon, who was born and raised in Laurens. Madden said Nelson Mullins has doubled in size since he joined the firm in 2006 to more than 550 lawyers, and offices in 17 cities and 11 states. It practices in all types of law except defense of violent crimes. “A lot of legal work no longer needs to go to Atlanta,” Stilwell said.

Nelson Mullins is known for its pro bono work, including the twodecades-long “Corridor of Shame” case, where some of the state’s poorest school districts sued over funding. Some of the lawyers in the Greenville office worked on the case, Riley said. Wilkins said the office’s lawyers serve on boards of Greenville’s nonprofit and civic organizations. “The office is more civic-minded than any group, and it’s not mandated by the firm,” he said. As for the future, Madden said it continues to look bright. “Everybody sees the future here as more of the same,” he said.

Timothy E. Madden, Greenville Office Managing Partner Timothy Madden became managing partner of Nelson Mullins in 2011. He has a statewide family court and appellate practice focused on high-conflict divorce-related issues, especially those related to money. He is the former chairman of the S.C. Education Lottery Commission. A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr., Partner Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. is President Donald J. Trump’s nominee to the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. He had a hearing before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month. Quattlebaum served as managing partner for Nelson Mullins’ Greenville office from 2001 to 2011. He’s a former president of the South Carolina Bar. Richard W. Riley, Partner Former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. “Dick” Riley is a senior partner of Nelson Mullins and EducationCounsel LLC, a mission-based education consulting firm he co-founded that combines experience in policy, strategy, law, and advocacy to drive significant improvements in the U.S. education system. Riley remains an ambassador for improving education. Rivers S. Stilwell, Partner Rivers Stilwell, who leads the Greenville litigation team, is an original member of the City of Greenville’s Design and Preservation Committee and president of Project Care, a HUD-funded program serving the chronically homeless. He served as a U.S. Marine Corps infantry officer and was recalled to active duty for service in Operation Desert Storm during law school. David H. Wilkins, Partner David Wilkins, who served as U.S. ambassador to Canada from 2005 to 2009, chairs Nelson Mullins’ public policy and international law practice group, with a special focus on U.S.-Canada interests. Since returning from Canada, he spent six years chairing the Clemson University board of trustees. He served 25 years in the state House of Representatives.

10.27.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

ARIEL TURNER | STAFF

aturner@communityjournals.com |

@arielhturner

Railside Studios opens in the Village of West Greenville Railside Studios at 46 Lois Ave. in the Village of West Greenville has officially opened for business with full occupancy. Composed of two two-story, formerly vacant buildings that total 8,000 square feet, Railside is divided into 13 smaller studios designed for artists and creatives and five small-business units. “We wanted to expand the Village to the other side of the tracks and provide affordable artist space for artists who felt they were getting pushed out because of rising rent,” co-owner Cliff Carden says. Monthly rental rates per unit range from $200 to $300. Carden says a few of the young artist tenants are sponsored on scholarship. “It’s part of our giving back to the community,” Carden says. Current occupants include longtime Greenville painter Mark Mulfinger, jeweler Leandra Hill Metal Works, blogger Amanda Phillips, ﬂoral design studio Philo Floral, Lucky Penny Creative, and GVLtoday. Railside has started a waiting list for future tenants. The property, adjacent to the railway overpass on Lois Avenue, is owned by CB Holdings, a partnership between Cliff Carden and Bo Bruce. CB Holdings also owns the nearby Village Wrench, and Carden is a partner in the Mutual Home Store redevelopment project around the corner on Pendleton Street. CB Holdings closed on the property in March and began construction at the end of May. Carden’s wife, Kristi, designed the modern interior. The front building was completed in time for the October First Friday arts crawl in the Village. Carden says a couple hundred visitors came through that night. The back building, which houses GVLtoday’s new office, was completed last week. 20

UBJ | 10.27.2017

Top: The two buildings that make up Railside Studios house 13 artists’ studios and ﬁve small business spaces. Middle: The front building faces Lois Avenue, adjacent the railway overpass in the Village of West Greenville. Bottom: Savereign plant designs is one of the artists occupying a studio in the front building. Photos by Will Crooks

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

ARIEL TURNER | STAFF

aturner@communityjournals.com |

Next phase of Camperdown development headed to Nov. 2 DRB The next phase of the proposed Camperdown development from Centennial American Properties at South Main and East Broad streets will go to the City of Greenville Design Review Board Urban Panel on Nov. 2. Plans have been submitted for an office and condo building that will border the Camperdown Plaza that received approval at last month’s DRB meeting. The Camperdown development is transforming a block of Main Street across from the Peace Center. The old Greenville News building has been demolished, and the newspaper has moved into a smaller office building on the site. Work has started on the podium for the development’s multifamily building, and the design for the project’s

175-by-300-foot central plaza, which sits atop a three-level parking garage, has been approved. The plaza will include a variety of paver-tile surfaces, a play area, a variety of seating options, planters throughout with trees and other vegetation, a stage designed to be used for performances and recreational use, and shade sails suspended from the surrounding buildings. The public should see new buildings being constructed on the site by this time next year. The project should be finished early in the second quarter of 2019. Camperdown will have a 140-room AC Hotel from JHM Hotels, a 217-unit apartment development, about 80,000 square feet of retail, 150,000 square feet of office space, and 18 condomini-

Composite image from Greenville On the Rise

RESTAURANTS

Ottaray Seafood & Raw Bar planned for former YAP location on Main Street A new restaurant, Ottaray Seafood & Raw Bar, is in the works for the former YAP location next to Cantinflas in downtown Greenville. Restaurant managing partner Taft Wirthlin says the planned opening is spring 2018. Wirthlin filed plans with the City of Greenville Design Review Board

Urban Panel for a complete redesign of the storefront at 12 S. Main St. The plans call for removing the stucco and faux rock façade, returning windows where they were originally on the second floor, returning the cornice that was removed, and constructing a storefront painted black with gold letters that would be closer to the historic look of the building built in 1893. Wirthlin says construction will start in early November, which also includes completely gutting the interior.

| SQUARE FEET @arielhturner

Rendering from Wakeﬁeld Beasley & Associates

ums. The hotel has long been an anchor component of the site, but recently it was announced that portions of the hotel would draw some inspiration

The design includes exposed brick and custom woodwork. The restaurant, including the bar, will seat 195. The second floor is planned to be an event venue with the capacity for 160 people. YAP, a Malaysian restaurant, closed in September 2015. YAP’s chef, Alex Wong, and his team opened Yellow Ginger Asian Kitchen at 2100 Poinsett Highway after leaving the downtown market. The DRB meets Nov. 2 to discuss this and other projects. -Ariel Turner

SERVICES

Giggles Drop-In Childcare to open in Pelham 85 shopping center The second Giggles Drop-In Childcare location in the Upstate will open at 3620 Pelham Road at the Pelham 85 shopping center in a spot to the left of Earth Fare. February is the projected opening timeframe, says franchise co-owner Brandon Kimball. The 4,600-square-foot space with 18-foot ceilings and an outdoor play

from the newspaper in acknowledgment of the site’s predecessor. Cindy Landrum contributed to this story.

area is a new-construction addition to the shopping center, which has been undergoing an update for several months. Pete Brett of Coldwell Banker Commercial Caine represented the tenant, while the shopping center, owned by Central Realty Holdings, is represented by Cortney Carter, Greg Carter, and Bill Runge of Collett. The first South Carolina location of Giggles is nearing completion in the 3,400-square-foot former Antiques on Augusta location, 10 W. Lewis Plaza. Both locations are owned by franchisees Brandon and Caroline Kimball. The Wilmington, N.C.-based Giggles provides child care at an hourly rate for children ages 12 months to 12 years from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. without requiring advance notice or reservations. Children can be dropped off for as little as one hour or for the entire day. The Kimballs, parents of two young children, discovered Giggles while on vacation and decided to bring the concept to Greenville. -Ariel Turner

10.27.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

THE TAKEAWAY |

NOTES FROM THE BEST TALKS YOU MISSED

Engaging the Untapped Workforce Forum focuses on hiring ex-offenders, individuals with disabilities By MEGAN CAMPBELL communications coordinator, Greenville Chamber

What: Upstate Chamber Coalition Workforce Forum When/Where: Oct. 12 at TD Convention Center Who Was There: 120 HR and business professionals Presenting Sponsor: Greenville Technical College With over 28,000 advertised jobs available in Greenville County, it is time to begin looking at innovative ways to broaden the talent pool. For those with a criminal record or a disability, there can be many barriers to gainful employment. When there are critical jobs sitting unfilled and qualified talent waiting anxiously to contribute, the math doesn’t add up. The Workforce Forum addressed this issue and the many ways we can work together to lower our unemployment rate and put good people to work.

Look Beyond the Paperwork Eighty million Americans have a criminal record. That’s nearly one in three people. For many ex-offenders, though they are motivated, willing, and able, the path to re-entering into the workforce can be a tumultuous one. Many employers are simply afraid to take the risk. However, what companies like Excel Machine Co. and Owens Steel have found is that ex-offenders are often exceptionally motivated to change the trajectory of their life. “People who have been incarcerated know what they want to do with their life,” says David Zelesne, CEO of Owens Steel. Many organizations are doing good work behind the scenes to ensure that ex-offenders are job-ready. Greenville Technical College’s Emerge program examines a person’s skill set and prior learning and matches it with certifications so they can enter the workforce with credentials. South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation offers extensive job preparedness training and long-term tracking with “case managers.” Goodwill provides on-the-job training and “job tryouts,” building up both soft and technical skills. For David Boyer, owner of Excel Machine Co., the secret to success is finding an individual with a vision, ensuring that person has the discipline to follow 22

UBJ | 10.27.2017

The Business Case for Hiring Ex-offenders panel discussion included (left to right) David Zelesne, CEO of Owens Steel; David Boyer, owner of Excel Machine Co.; Tony Merritt, ex-offender and now welding supervisor at Excel Machine Co.; and Caroline Caldwell-Richmond, executive director of New Mind Health and Care.

through, and engaging the community to provide necessary assistance. “No matter who we are, we need our community to support us in our ambitions and goals,” he says. “Potential is the only thing that matters when hiring,” says Caroline Caldwell-Richmond of New Minds Health and Care, a local nonprofit that helps former offenders re-enter society. Is yours an organization of second chances?

Enable the Disabled “So much of our identity is wrapped up in our work,” says Susie Rukowski, Project SEARCH co-founder, co-director, and education specialist. The Project SEARCH High School Transition Program helps students with significant intellectual disabilities get good jobs and meaningful work. The unique, business-led, school-to-work internship program takes place entirely at the workplace. The curriculum is based solely on the work. Nationwide, there are almost 500 Project SEARCH programs. Over 75 percent of the program’s graduates are employed, with an average hourly wage of $9.61. Many of these programs take place in health care systems. Bon Secours St. Francis Health System has partnered with Greenville County Schools and S.C. Vocational Rehabilitation to launch Project SEARCH locally. The program kicked off in September. For Chris Sparrow, employment services coordinator at Able SC, disability “just means doing things a little differently.” He reports that 1 in 4 South Carolinians has a disability of some capacity. A few

of the many business benefits of hiring an individual with a disability include the addition of a highly motivated employee, improved customer satisfaction, and a strengthened workplace culture. It also leads to higher productivity and better retention rates.

Become Engaged and Make a Difference Here are some actions your business can take to broaden your talent pool:

1. Examine your recruiting policies and practices. Can your equal opportunity employment statement be simplified and optimized? Do you immediately reject candidates if they have a criminal record?

2. Communicate with community partners. Organizations need the help of businesses and staffing agencies. These organizations have the resources and connections to provide solutions. “Partnerships are how you’re going to be successful,” Able SC’s Sparrow says. Take advantage of the available networks.

3. Have an open door and an open mind. “We just need industry to open the doors and place value based on the merit in front of you, not the past behind them,” says New Minds Health and Care’s Caldwell-Richmond. Taking advantage of this untapped workforce may take innovation, creativity, and courage, but together we can lower the unemployment rate and fill the critical workforce gaps.

THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUSINESS

| DIGITAL MAVEN

Making the Leap What businesses should consider before jumping into the cloud By LAURA HAIGHT president, portfoliosc.com

Every business has a toe in the cloud, with internet-based software and online services ranging from email to accounting as the most common starting points. For many, it is hard to let go of the comfort of knowing you’ve got your data in your office and under your control. Still, we are on a seemingly inexorable path toward businesses migrating all their data, files, and functions into some form of cloud. A Cisco Forecast Report estimates that by 2020 the amount of business data living in the cloud will have grown more than 21 percent over just five years. Meanwhile, data centers are killing it over their traditional counterparts with a five-year growth trend of nearly 30 percent. And just last week, IBM announced two new services designed to make it easy for business clients to migrate to the cloud. But before you make the cloud jump, consider the following. WHAT’S THE BUSINESS REASON There are a lot of business buzzwords associated with moving to the cloud: agility, flexibility, and digital transformation. But those are slogans, not strategies. Game this out the same way you would any other business decision: cost vs. benefits, risk vs. rewards, and soft benefits vs. hard choices. If you currently have your own internal servers, cost may be an issue when you factor in hardware replacements on a fiveto-seven-year basis, as well as other network infrastructure expenses. Also consider the human factor: how well will the staff adapt and how will procedures and processes have to change. ASK GOOD QUESTIONS, AND GET BETTER ANSWERS Once you know what you expect to get out of a cloud migration, figure out how you are going to monitor and evaluate it. Setting those expectations will depend on getting good information from cloud providers, and that will depend on asking good questions. Here are a couple: • Ask for uptime reports and some historical tracking (are they getting better – or falling off). Uptime may be presented in 9s. A company promising 99.9 percent (3 9s) is estimating that your services will be down for 8 hours and 45 minutes a year. Sounds pretty good. But with 4 9s uptime, you get services all but 52 minutes a year. A company promising 6 9s is expecting downtime to be 31.6 seconds a year. • How quickly can you restore your data? Many companies move to the cloud to increase security and improve disaster recovery prospects. But

not all cloud providers are the same. You need to know how often restore points are created; the more frequent the restore point, the less data loss you’ll have in the event of a ransomware or business continuity situation. But also consider how many recovery points are maintained. In the event of ransomware, you don’t necessarily want the most recent data restored; you will want the data from before the hack. You’ll also want to know how long it will take to complete a recovery. • Since you will likely not start by moving your entire business to the cloud, you need to plan for growth. So ask cloud providers you are considering how easy it will be to add to your environment. How much control will you have? • While you’re on that topic, ask any potential provider how they plan for growth. Disk and infrastructure are expensive, so a good provider who can grow with you effectively has to be well-capitalized. START WITH A PILOT Yes, your company probably is in the cloud either with email or any number of online services, but a larger migration has many different issues and challenges. Don’t try to eat this elephant in one “byte.” Take a department or even a particular product or

project to start with. Monitor and document this process so you can replicate it, or learn to identify the potholes and avoid them as you move forward. EVALUATE STAFFING A lot of cloud migration projects are based on a cost-saving strategy. That usually involves IT staff. Before you start counting those chickens, make sure you have based those calculations not only on the number of positions you might save. Systems in the cloud still need support, user interaction, training, and a whole lot more. Ideally, you will be freeing your IT production for higher-level functions. Make sure you have the right people in the right places, doing the right things. SECURITY Worried about the security of the data in your business? You should be. We all should be. But moving to the cloud will not make everything inherently safe. Depending on how much of a hardware or software investment you’ve made, you may get significant improvement. But the path of least resistance for hackers and crackers goes straight through your staff. True security comes from developing stronger humanware. And that’s not something the cloud can do for you. 10.27.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

FORWARD |

WHAT ’S NEXT FOR THE UPSTATE, AND HOW WE’LL GET THERE

What’s in a Name?

College is often synonymous with four-year programs, but we shouldn’t overlook our two-year institutions By DR. JERMAINE WHIRL vice president for economic development and corporate training, Greenville Technical College

Have you ever had one of those neighbors that you somehow never got to know, but then after years of living on the same street, you meet and realize that all along, you’ve had a lot of common ground, and it just took you awhile to find it? Community colleges are sometimes seen as those neighbors. They’ve been around for decades, but when people in their service areas think of college, they may think of four-year institutions. Many of these people attended four-year colleges, so they encourage the next generation to follow in their footsteps. Employers don’t view community colleges that way. They know that many of the best jobs out there today require the type of education found on two-year college campus. These are advanced manufacturers seeking mechatronics technicians, CNC operators, and experts in 3-D printing.

UBJ | 10.27.2017

They’re health care providers needing paramedics, nurses, and radiologic technologists. They’re attorneys needing paralegals, dentists hiring hygienists, and car dealerships seeking automotive technicians. Even though some of their neighbors may not know what two-year colleges are all about, many others do. For 41 percent of the undergraduates who are enrolled in postsecondary education in this country, a community college is where they are studying. For them, college clearly is a twoyear college. Of this group, 36 percent are the first in their families to attend college, 17 percent are single parents, and 4 percent are veterans. Some are returning to college on a two-year campus to gain job skills or to prepare for a new career, with 7 percent of those enrolled at the community college level having previously earned a bachelor’s degree. Earning an associate degree elevates income. Someone who has completed only a high school diploma averages about $36,000 in yearly earnings. The associate degree graduate can in-

crease that annual income to $42,600. Those who start at the two-year level and transfer can expect to earn about $60,100 once they complete a bachelor’s degree. Why don’t some of us get to know the two-year college right around the corner? Maybe we just pass right by its parking lots without thinking about why so many cars travel there each day. At Greenville Technical College, we don’t want to be that neighbor you’ve missed getting to know anymore, so we’re hoping you’ll stop by soon to meet us. On Saturday, Nov. 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., we’re hosting Community Fest @GreenvilleTech. We’re inviting families to come out for a fun day of learning through playtime and demonstrations. You can help create objects through 3-D printing, watch our human patient simulators in action, and find out what it feels like to ride in an ambulance. Join our child development center for a bike rodeo; get your hands on seeds and plants as you experience sustainable agriculture; and enjoy coffee, donuts, food trucks, and giveaways. Our doors will be open, so please come on by.

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

PROMOTED

ELECTED

SELECTED

| ON THE MOVE

SELECTED

JEFF COTHRAN

BRAD LOVE

LAUREN KAY HUMPHREY

HANNAH HOUCK

Promoted to residential general manager at Waldrop PlumbingHeating-Air. Cothran has worked his way up at Waldrop since 1978, where he began working in the warehouse. Cothran has an associate degree in climate control technology from Spartanburg Technical College.

Has been elected to serve a threeyear term on the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees. Brad is a shareholder at Haysworth Sinkler Boyd in the Greenville office and serves as the co-leader of the firm’s public finance group.

Brought on as a fall intern for Engenius. Lauren is a 2017 Clemson University graduate with a degree in business management. She will be working with account management, business development, and digital marketing.

Returns as an intern for Engenius and is a student at Furman University studying communications studies. As a returning intern, she is continuing her experience in client services, web support, web design, and development.

VIP CATHERINE HEIGEL Catherine Heigel, the former director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), has returned to Elliott Davis LLC as its chief operating officer. Heigel graduated with honors from the University of South Carolina and went on to earn her law degree from Ohio State University. In 2013, Heigel worked for Elliott Davis as a general counsel and corporate strategies officer but left for a period of public service when Gov. Nikki Haley named her the director of DHEC, one of the state’s largest agencies. In her new role, Heigel will manage the firm’s operational support functions, including legal, information technology, human resource, marketing and communications, and firm administration. She is also charged with leading strategy and innovation efforts for the firm to promote the efficient operation and strategic growth of Elliot Davis’ capabilities.

SERVICES American Services Inc. announces its addition of Sen. Thomas Alexander to its advisory board. Alexander has served in the business community and the state of South Carolina for over 30 years.

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

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COMMUNITY The Greenville Arena District, which owns and operates the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, has appointed three new board members: Michael Allen, Neetu Patel, and Jimmy Pittman. Michael Allen is an architect with McMillian Pazdan Smith Architecture with over 17 years of experience. He is a graduate of Clemson University. Neetu Patel is the vice president of operations for Sycamore Investment Group. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina. Jimmy Pittman is a graduate of Clemson University and currently owns Maintainit Ltd., a management and maintenance services company. He was employed by Daniel Construction for over 27 years. The Blood Connection appointed new members to its board of trustees: Chad E. Richard of Greenville Health System and Mark B. Johnston of Community Journals. The two new members will join a 13-member board that helps ensure donor collection meets community needs.

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10.27.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

#TRENDING |

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

THE WATERCOOLER Social Chatter

RE: THE SEAN BROCK EFFECT: HUSK GREENVILLE’S OPENING COULD BE A GAME-CHANGER FOR THE UPSTATE

FROM THE GREENVILLE JOURNAL, RE: BARRETO: WE NEED TO GET RID OF MAIN STREET

“Sean Brock’s book is pretty fantastic as well.”

“Hate it. It’s part of the downtown experience. Driving down the street with your top down or windows down and enjoying the view. The trolleys that drive down Main Street. The parades that go through Main Street. The horse carriages. Take those things away, and you’ll take a key piece of the downtown Greenville experience.”

Larry Simonson

“Husk’s opening elevates the level and nationwide visibility of Greenville’s restaurant scene to where it hasn’t been before.”

MPIF Blog

FROM THE GREENVILLE JOURNAL, RE: GREENVILLE NAMED NO. 3 SMALL CITY IN THE US BY CONDÉ NAST “Visit all you want, but don’t move here. Greenville’s growing way too fast, and we are losing our small-town feel daily.”

Jim Howard

“Love my town!”

Brice Huet de Guerville

“This is a stellar idea, and pedestrian-rich environments like Charlottesville, Va., have made it work beautifully. Restaurants can expand their patios outside, artists and musicians abound, and there’s no traffic for pedestrians to worry about. There’s so little parking really available on Main Street. The new garages recently built can absorb that need.”

Scott Dishman

Susan Brown Hamilton

TOP 5:

Peter Eliya

“The fact is Greenville became what it is today because of its Main Street revitalization in the ’70s. Main Street Greenville is studied in urban planning all over the U.S. and looked at by other cities as an ideal downtown. It works; don’t break it.”

Jeremy Thorne

“Totally agree. It would also get rid of the idiots that just cruise up and down the street making noise. Main Street isn’t the strip at Myrtle Beach.”

Nathan Ashley

“I absolutely support this idea, especially noting that the parking loss is essentially zero.”

Scott Lees

E 42

20 OCTOBER

VOL. 6 ISSU , 2017 |

1. Greenville chef set to join downtown Spartanburg’s emerging food scene

nt is staura ers ston re Charle te – and farm ta lebrated The ce en in the Ups boost set to op t to get a big are abou

2. Orthopedic device manufacturer will bring new facility, 1,000 jobs to Anderson County

“I’ve heard this suggestion for about a decade from business owners downtown. We already close it off pretty often for weekly events on Thursdays and Fridays and other festivals. I don’t see the need to make it permanently pedestrian only.”

Sean g ck’s Broe-changin

DIGITAL FLIPBOOK ARCHIVE

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

gam

SK HU to ady is re e its mak ville Green t debu

3. Brazwells closes and Wu’s Cajun Seafood moves in former Green Room

4. The Sean Brock Effect: Husk Greenville’s opening could be a game-changer for the Upstate

IDE R ALSO INS F IS COMING NCEPT CA • TOPGOL N’S NEW MINI CO ON • CLEMSO BS FOR ANDERS • 1,000 JO

CONNECT We’re great at networking.

5. Karios Greek Kitchen inks deal for Lewis Plaza

LINKEDIN.COM/COMPANY/ UPSTATE-BUSINESS-JOURNAL FACEBOOK.COM/ THEUPSTATEBUSINESSJOURNAL

*The Top 5 stories from last week ranked by Facebook reach

UBJ | 10.27.2017

@UPSTATEBIZ

GET THE INBOX Follow up on the Upstate’s workweek. The Inbox – our weekly rundown of the top 10 local biz stories you need to know. upstatebusinessjournal.com/email

ORDER A PRINT SUBSCRIPTION Style & substance are not mutually exclusive. Order a year of UBJ in no time, and we’ll deliver every week. upstatebusinessjournal.com/subscribe

EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR

DATE

EVENT INFO

Thursday

Endeavor’s Collaborators & Cocktails: Endeavor Kenn Sparks, head of U.S. corporate 1 N. Main St., 4th ﬂoor communications, BMW Group 5–7:15 p.m.

Thursday

UBJ PUBLISHER

11/02

Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Netnight

Fluor Field 945 S. Main St. 6–8:30 p.m.

Cost: $15 investors, $25 noninvestors For more info: bit.ly/2gdQMiy, 864-239-3727, nwhite@greenvillechamber.org

EDITOR

Thursday

11/02

Upstate SC Alliance’s Coffee & Conversation

Upstate SC Alliance 124 Verdae Blvd., Suite 202 8–9 a.m.

Cost: Free. Event is exclusive to Upstate SC Alliance investors and their invited guests. For more info: bit.ly/2zpqfpx

Thursday

STAFF WRITERS

11/09

Nicholas Glover Sr. at the Johnson Innovation Speaker Series

USC Upstate’s George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business and Economics 160 E. St. John St., Spartanburg noon–1 p.m.

Cost: Free for students, faculty, and staff; $10 for the general public For more info: bit.ly/2hTf1CB; 864-503-7623; bbrady3@uscupstate.edu

MARKETING & ADVERTISING VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES

Tuesday

11/14

Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s ATHENA Leadership Symposium

TD Convention Center 1 Exposition Drive 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Wednesday

Upstate SC Alliance’s Pivots and Turns in U.S.-Asia Relations

Ogletree Deakins Meeting Room 300 N. Main St. 8:30–10 a.m.

Cost: Free for members, $5 for nonmembers For more info: conta.cc/2xaLXgC

ART & PRODUCTION VISUAL DIRECTOR

Thursday

NEXT Venture Pitch

ONE Auditorium 2 W. Washington St., 2nd ﬂoor 1–6 p.m.

Cost: $50 For more info: bit.ly/2kXS9a6

Pulse Leadership Luncheon

Hilton Greenville 45 W. Orchard Park Drive 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Cost: Free for members, $25 nonmembersFor more info: bit.ly/2yxGTG3; 864-239-3702; eaustin@greenvillechamber.org

PRESIDENT/CEO

Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com Chris Haire chaire@communityjournals.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Emily Pietras epietras@communityjournals.com Trevor Anderson, Cindy Landrum, Andrew Moore, Ariel Turner

David Rich drich@communityjournals.com

John Clark, Maria Hall, Donna Johnston, Stephanie King, Rosie Peck, Caroline Spivey, Emily Yepes

Will Crooks

11/02

11/15 11/16

WHERE DO I GO?

| PLANNER

HOW DO I GO? Cost: Free for members, $30 for preregistered guests. No walk-ins. For more info: Endeavor@EndeavorGreenville.com

Cost: $35 investors, $50 noninvestors For more info: bit.ly/2sUsFdd; 864-239-3727; nwhite@greenvillechamber.org

LAYOUT

Bo Leslie | Tammy Smith

OPERATIONS Holly Hardin

ADVERTISING DESIGN

Wednesday

11/29

Kristy Adair | Michael Allen

CLIENT SERVICES

UP NEXT

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

NOVEMBER 3 QUARTERLY CRE ISSUE

Anita Harley | Jane Rogers Kristi Fortner

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

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

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE STORY IDEAS:

ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com

EVENTS:

events@upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, AND AWARDS:

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

1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport

1988

NOVEMBER 17 LEADERSHIP ISSUE

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.

DECEMBER 15 MANUFACTURING 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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10.27.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

Celebrating 20 Years That’s a whole lot of shrimp & grits.

Mark your calendars! Join Soby’s and Table 301 in celebrating 20 years of service and hospitality in Greenville, SC. We’ll be commemorating all year, but are kicking off our celebration with some events this November.

November 5, 2017

November 15, 2017

Guest Chef David Guas/ Winemaker Bob Egelhoff Dinner

Taste of Table 301

Join us as we kick-off our 20th Anniversary celebration at Soby’s with guest chef David Guas and California winemaker Bob Egelhoff. Five courses paired with Egelhoff wines (including the new 2014 vintage BellaLexis!) $95/person (includes gratuity). Tickets: ShopTable301.com

November 12, 2017

Soby’s Sunday Supper

It’s a Soby’s culinary dream team reunion, and you’re invited! Join the Soby’s chefs and pastry chefs from the past 20 years, as they work together to serve up the ultimate New South Family Style Sunday Supper. Axel Schug will present wine pairings and we’ll be unveiling our Soby’s 20th Anniversary Maker’s Mark Private Select. $95/person (includes gratuity). Tickets: ShopTable301.com

November 13, 2017

20th Anniversary Party

Grab your favorite party dress and meet us for a night of dancing and live music with Edwin McCain and friends! Tickets include open bar, dinner and music.

A “meet the staff” event showcasing each Table 301 restaurant with food samples and a beverage pairing. Sample, sip and socialize with friends while hobnobbing with our chefs and beverage professionals at The Lazy Goat. $35/person. Tickets: ShopTable301.com.

November 20, 2017

Annual Holiday Wine Tasting & Sale Join us for our annual Holiday Wine Tasting and Sale at The Lazy Goat. It's the perfect holiday event for wine lovers; whether you're looking for gift giving, client appreciation, entertaining or to restock your cellar. Complimentary light hors d’oeuvres. $25/person. Tickets: ShopTable301.com

November 6 - December 3, 2017

Soby’s Throwback Menu

We’re bringing back your Soby’s menu favorites all month long! Order from our regular Soby’s menu or pick entrees, appetizers and desserts from an evolving Soby’s throwback menu. Favorites will include the Soby’s Meatoaf and the original New Orleans’ Style BBQ Shrimp & Grits!