MAY 10, 2019| VOL. 8 ISSUE 11
the balancing act
New trends could ease parents’ childcare challenges
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TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK
| THE RUNDOWN
VOLUME 8, ISSUE 11 Featured this issue: The challenges of being a saleswoman..................................................... 8 Meet Camperdown’s senior project manager......................................... 10 How an app can grow your customer base..............................................14
WORTH REPEATING
“There still are a number of barriers for women to be considered equal when it comes to the ability to sell.” Lorraine Ferguson, Page 8
“We like to say, running a business is not hard work, but you have to work hard.” By 2020, occupations with nonstandard schedules will see the most growth, according to a Child Care Aware of America report. Companies like Prisma Health-Upstate are finding that having on-site child care aids in employee recruitment and retention. Photo by Bonfire Visuals.
Kimberly Bailey, Page 11
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HEALTHCARE
KIYATEC Inc. receives $3 million in financing n story by STAFF
KIYATEC Inc., a company dedicated to accurately modeling and predicting cancer patient response to drug therapies, announced the initial $3 million closing of its Series B2 financing round. The round was led by VentureSouth and included LabCorp. The financing will go to KIYATEC’s ongoing clinical study, 3D-PREDICT. The test analyzes a patient’s live cancer cells, grown in a KIYATEC lab, to determine how they respond to guideline-recommended cancer drugs. The 3D-PREDICT study seeks to validate the predictive accuracy of the test and correlate response predictions to clinical outcomes among patients with newly diag-
nosed and relapsed ovarian cancer, glioblastoma, and certain rare tumors. “The validation and confidence by our investors, coupled with the exciting progress of our clinical trials, puts us on the path toward the next phase of growth and development,” KIYATEC CEO Matthew Gevaert said in a news release. Last month, KIYATEC was one of 20 companies recognized by Congress as part of the 2019 University Innovation & Entrepreneurship Showcase. KIYATEC added three clinical sites to the 3D-PREDICT study in the first quarter of 2019 and plans to add additional sites throughout the year.
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Should you cut gluten? ASK YOUR DOCTOR IF A GLUTEN SENSITIVITY IS AFFECTING YOUR HEALTH Is a gluten-free diet healthier? The short answer is no. The longer answer? For people with gluten intolerance or sensitivity, avoiding foods that contain gluten can greatly improve health and well-being. But for everyone else, cutting unprocessed gluten-rich foods likely won’t make much of a difference. “People could wind up avoiding a lot of nutritious grains, and it’s possible to consume a lot of processed gluten-free food,” says Dr. Jana Morse, a physician specializing in internal medicine at PartnerMD. Gluten, a wheat protein, is often found in bread, cereal, pasta and oats and is often hiding in foods like hot dogs, beer and ice cream. Celiac disease, a serious autoimmune disorder in which gluten damages the small intestine, is rare, estimated to affect one in 100 people worldwide, but gluten sensitivity or allergy may be more common that people realize - and they may be ignoring their symptoms or chalking them up to another cause. Morse says bloating, diarrhea, vitamin D deficiency and even depression and arthritis can be caused by an inflamed gut that is the result of gluten sensitivity. “People think, this is normal for me. But something is going on,” Morse says. Are more people becoming gluten intolerant, or are we simply hearing
about it more? Morse thinks its a combination of both. Because gluten coverage is common in the media, more people are learning about it and gluten sensitivity is being diagnosed more often. But she thinks it could be related to the foods we eat and the resulting microbiome we are creating in our bodies. Keeping your While the concept leadership isn’t fully understood, researchers at arethe leading looking into edge the of health. possibility that our she says. “Your microbiome will highly processed diets are affecting change accordingly.” our gut microbiome - the microorIf you think you could be sensitive ganisms in a particular environment, to gluten, Morse recommends seeing such as a human body - and making your doctor and asking to be tested it more difficult for our bodies to for a gluten allergy. If you want to try process gluten. “We are dependent on to cut gluten from your diet, she bacteria to break down our food,” suggests making the bulk of your healthy leadership to business success. do lean we. Morse said.You “Toknow preserve food, to give is essential meals vegetables, fruits So and We’re PartnerMD, concierge care practice specializing it a longer shelf life, we haveGreenville’s to kill the leading meats, ideally locally grown or raised. care to equipbreads progressive businesses bacteria.” in executive physicals and primary Gluten-free and pastas can like yours with the latest advancements in medicine and holistic Every gut is different, and probiot- be helpful, but she says mostwellness people for you and your some leadership. tailorbe our programs to your exacting ic supplements seem to help but We would better off reducing the level needs, providing customized control that enables executives to diet, perform not others. “The funny thing about of carbohydrates in their as at the peak of health and excel every day through care so personal, humans is we can change our gut people tend to get far more than they like having a doctor in theneed. family. bacteria byit’s changing what we eat,” Focusing on whole, unprocessed
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If you think you could be sensitive to gluten, Morse recommends seeing your doctor and asking to be tested for a gluten allergy.... fruits, vegetables and lean meats can lower weight, reduce the risk for heart disease, and reduce inflammation, especially for people with gluten intolerance. “I’ve seen many symptoms completely turn around when people don’t have inflammation caused by a gluten allergy,” she said.
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Prisma HealthUpstate began offering onsite child care through a partnership with Bright Horizons in 2011.
C H A S I N G
child care Demand for child care services still outstrips supply but more centers are making things easier n story by NEIL COTIAUX | photo by BONFIRE VISUALS
Across South Carolina, demand for child care, especially flexible child care, remains a pressing need. Last year, says Child Care Aware of America, a national resources and referral group, 216,000 married working mothers and 120,000 single working mothers in the state faced the challenge of holding down a job while finding child care. By 2020, a new report from the group says, occupations requiring nonstandard schedules will see the most employment growth, making the hunt for available child care more problematic. But for now, a slowly increasing number of employers and care centers are starting to make things easier for working parents.
ONSITE CARE Job-based child care remains a rarity, but it has proved beneficial to both employers and employees. In 1973, sensing a need to better recruit and retain staff in critical areas like nursing, administrators at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System distributed questionnaires across its workforce and found that 80 families had an interest in child care. A child development center opened one year later and, over time, expanded both its programs and enroll6
UBJ | 5.10.2019
ment. Now in its 45th year, the center is open to any household on the payroll and each year enrolls about 350 children from 12 weeks to 12 years old. The center is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday and also on certain holidays based on need, said director Linda Lawson. Once run by Spartanburg Regional, the center on North Pine Street is now managed by Bright Horizons, a third-party operator that oversees 18 classrooms, an art studio, and three age-appropriate playgrounds, with a staff of 57. Although the medical system’s investment in the center is considerable, its benefits outweigh those costs, Lawson said. “’Cause I’ve had parents come to me and say, ‘I’ve been offered a position … can I leave my child here if I leave?’ And the answer is no. And they don’t leave,” Lawson said. In addition to nurses, the center also helps attract physicians. “A lot of times people will choose to do their residency here because of this child care center” and will join the staff afterward, Lawson said. Prisma Health-Upstate, the region’s other large health care organization, opened its child care center on the Greenville Memorial campus in 2011 in partnership with Bright Horizons.
As in Spartanburg, the Greenville center was based on “a good, hard look at where was the workforce of the future going to come from,” said Tony Bohn, Prisma Health’s vice president for total rewards in charge
eligible to enroll, Burton said. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. In February, Clemson University broke ground for its own center, scheduled for completion next year.
Last year, 216,000 married working mothers and 120,000 single working mothers in the state faced the challenge of holding down a job while finding child care. - Child Care Aware of America, a national resources and referral group
of compensation and benefits. Sixty-four percent of Prisma’s Upstate workforce is female, Bohn noted, the majority of them of childbearing age. Open from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday and on certain holidays as needed, the center serves infants through age 5. At mid-February, the center’s waiting list stood at 250. Co-workers had spoken of the center highly “and so we knew that we wanted to get in and get on the waiting list here as soon as possible,” said Ashley Metcalf, a trauma program performance improvement coordinator who joined Prisma Health in 2012 and whose husband travels extensively. The couple have a son. “Probably the biggest asset was when I first came back to work. I was still breastfeeding and so I was able to walk over, feed him, and then go back,” Metcalf said of the center’s breastfeeding station. “I can say that this [the center] has definitely helped in my retention … and it’s helped with my appreciation of my position and my job,” she said. Area universities are also taking note of child care needs. At Furman University’s child development center, the objective is to recruit and retain “the highest quality faculty and staff,” Director Meredith Burton said. Kids age 3 through kindergarten whose parents are Furman employees and children who live within a four-mile radius of the campus are
To be operated by a third party, the center will serve infants through preschoolers. But the programs at Greenville, Spartanburg, Furman, and eventually Clemson are outliers, with a vast majority of the Upstate workforce left to find child care on their own. Lekesa Whitner, a neighborhood counselor at Spartanburg’s Northside Development Group who struggled with balancing job and family when she worked for a large area employer, thinks employer-sponsored care is rare for a reason. “The liability, the risk … and then, they probably look at it as there’s enough day cares out there,” she said. Lawson believes it’s difficult for companies to take on child care without a hefty budget. And yet, she said, “With the workforce being as many women as it is, that’s very important.” One smaller business that’s tackling the issue is Find Great People, a Greenville employee recruitment firm. In addition to hearing about child care from candidates, the firm tries to assist its staff. “We try and also work with individuals that may want to leave every day at 2:30 or 3 and have that flexibility,” said Megan Coleman, a senior recruiter. If a candidate has care needs but takes a job that requires substantial work on-site or with teams, “that individual or that type of job doesn’t typically have as much flexibility,” Coleman said. Candidates should plan their care
strategy upfront before a job interview and “that may be part of discussions related to the candidate’s start date,” she added.
TRENDING: FLEXIBLE DAY CARE HOURS For parents who don’t have employer care or need an alternative to traditional day care schedules, options are emerging. At KidsZone Drop-In Hourly Childcare on Orchard Park Drive in Greenville, parents can opt for an hourly rate, a flat fee for after-school coverage, or a full-day rate with the ability to switch days each week. The center closes at 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and midnight Friday and Saturday. The first drop-in provider in the market, Giggles Drop-In Childcare,
opened in 2017 on Augusta Road. Its second location is now open at 3620 Pelham Road. Donna Quinn, the KidsZone owner, said providing parents with scheduling options is a growing trend. “I think that it is and I think that it will continue to be,” she said. But with many day cares tied to traditional hours, some moms may have to ma ke a tough choice. “I will say that they either change jobs or they just decide not to be in the job market right now …,” said Metcalf, the Prisma Health employee, of some acquaintances. “I think it’s a life decision to make because once you come out of the workforce, trying to get back in can be difficult,” she said.
Hospitals like Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System and Prisma Health-Upstate have had success attracting and retaining employees by providing job-based child care.
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Her perspective: SELLING IN MALEDOMINATED INDUSTRIES n story by MELODY CUENCA
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“There’s no reason to apologize for being a woman with ambition who wants to accomplish and make a difference in life. I’s our time. Let’s make it happen,” Lorraine Ferguson says. Coaching saleswomen is Ferguson’s career. Before starting the Sandler Training franchise in Albany, New York, Ferguson worked in sales for over 25 years in companies big and small. Ferguson recently spoke to women and men in sales at Greenville’s “She Means Business” event on April 29. The lunchtime event also featured another expert speaker and a panel to discuss women’s unique challenges in sales as both women and sales professionals. “I’ve really been focused on helping salespeople and sales leaders to transform their selling processes, attitudes, and behaviors,” she says. Many challenges continue to exist for women in sales, says
Ferguson, who first observed these challenges as a woman entering sales herself and now as a trainer for saleswomen.
A CHANGED MINDSET “There still are a number of barriers for women to be considered equal when it comes to their ability to sell,” Ferguson says. “And that mindset is as much within the saleswoman herself as it is within society to some degree.” Ferguson says women in sales can take control of the situation by f irst changing their own self-perception. “Women’s perception or their lack of confidence in themselves to take on risks, to step out of their comfort zones, to be assertive — not aggressive, but assertive — are all things that can hold a woman back,” she explains. “It’s an internal fear that sabotages our success,” she says. Naturally inclined to compare themselves with others, women
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should first question to whom they’re listening. “The person who we really need to be listening and believing most is ourselves,” Ferguson says. “So working on what are you saying to yourself and working on your own confidence and belief system is ver y, ver y important for women.”
Confidence in sales To gain confidence in sales, Ferguson suggests three things:
1.
Have a selling process that works for you as a woman.
2.
Have a mindset of what selling is and is not.
3.
Have a vision of outcomes you want from your job or personal life. Ferguson says possessing a strong, positive belief in self is important for women because they are often required to prove themselves in the sales industry more so than men. “There are people out there that are going to have doubts about your ability, but the reality is we are just as capable as our male counterparts to do a fantastic job at selling,” she says.
A CHANGED APPROACH Due to what Ferguson considers innate behavioral traits, she says women possess all they need to become sales superstars. “We tend to be nurturers, … relationship builders, and connectors. We are problem solvers … [and] typically good listeners,” Ferguson says of women. “All of those things define what a really great salesperson brings to the table.” The relationship between salesperson and client is a longtime commitment, according to
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Karen Rattray, vice president of sales and national accounts at Pro Chem Inc. “In our industry, it’s not a onetime sale,” she says. “It’s a relationship.” Rattray echoes Ferguson in that women’s tendency to be relationship-builders helps them succeed.
A CHANGED ENVIRONMENT Working for the specialty chemical company for over 27 years, Rattray has seen a recent change in the sales environment. “I have seen an evolution of how women are treated,” she says. “Once you prove yourself and your knowledge, then your gender matters little.” When she started out in sales, Rattray says a lot of men would say inappropr iat e t hings. However, she rarely experiences that now. “Especially with the #MeToo movement, men are very careful in what they say and how they behave,” she explains, but she says she doesn’t want men to be afraid of doing business with women. “In my experience, men have been incredibly supportive and incredibly giving of their time,” she says. Morgan Rabas, a recruiter for Michelin North America who began in sales three years ago, f inds unique oppor tunities working in a traditionally male-dominated industry. “There’s a lot more opportunity to break the mold or do things not the traditional way, which for me is exciting because I think change can be a very positive thing,” Rabas says. Rabas says working for a company that recognizes diversity in thought, experience, and culture is invaluable. Rather than viewing men as competition in the industry, Rabas suggests viewing them as people who can offer support and guidance. “It’s really kind of building and growing with [men] and maybe just helping them understand what we as women do face in sales and how they can help,” she says.
Stay protected, no SPF required With winter behind us, boating season is here. While many people are planning trips to the lake or beach, boat storage may be far from their minds. “You store your boat indoors for the same reason you keep your car in a garage - to keep it protected,” said Blake Jones, General Manager of Take Cover Storage, Lake Keowee. “It keeps the boat in the best shape. You don’t have critters getting into it. You have fewer maintenance problems. You don’t have to worry about environmental issues whether it’s hail from a storm or a tree branch falling on it.” In addition to avoiding environmental impacts yearround, using a facility like Take Cover provides an extra measure of security for a boat and other equipment, like water skis or tubes, that an owner may want to keep with his or her boat. According to Jones, Take Cover’s facility uses 42 indoor and 6 outdoor cameras to ensure that their customers’ boats are constantly monitored. According to Jones, storing a boat closer to where it’s being used is more convenient because it takes less gas than hauling it from home. Also, the owner is avoiding
additional wear-and-tear on his or her personal vehicle by not having to travel to and from home with the boat. Take Cover offers marina amenities and concierge services through their “Virtual Marina.” Onsite ethanol-free fuel, repair and
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OUR GOAL IS TO GIVE OUR CUSTOMERS AS MUCH TIME ON THE WATER, ENJOYING THEMSELVES, AS POSSIBLE. BLAKE JONES transport services, as well as boat cleaning and detailing are some of the most popular offerings. “Our goal is to give our customers as much time on the water, enjoying themselves, as possible. Before you get your boat to take it to the lake, we pull it out and splash wash it. We are going to check your battery and tire pressure on your trailer to make sure you are ready to go,” said Jones. “After a full day on the lake, there’s still work to be done. We take care of all of that – cleaning out the trash, rinsing the boat, drying out lifejackets – our customers don’t have to hassle with any of those things.”
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Greenville’s hard hatted woman MEET KIMBERLY BAILEY: THE BOSS LADY BUILDING A MARQUE PROJECT ON MAIN STREET n story by STEPHANIE TROTTER | photo by WILL CROOKS
NAMI MI Greenville MI illee To become #stigmafree and learn more about mental illness, visit
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Drizzle slices the air, pooling in puddles across the corner of South Main and East Broad streets. Kimberly Bailey stands in her hard hat and well-worn cowboy boots, surveying the 4-acre construction site with its concrete pads and blue fencing. As Camperdown’s senior project manager, she’s charged with keeping the build on time and budget. “I can’t say this is the hardest I’ve managed, as every job has its own measure of difficulty,” she says. “But this is one of the largest and most complex, with the most moving parts and entities involved.” While the public has eagerly awaited development at this high-profile intersection for more than a decade, Bailey’s been working the $200 million project for Brasfield & Gorrie General Contractors since October 2016. She remembers her first visit, saying, “You look at a set of plans and you see the footprint, and you know it’s big, but until you walk out here and stand in the middle
of it, you don’t really understand the scale.” Roughly 30% of the lot features an office building already in use and the beginnings of a 196-room AC Hotel. Centennial American Properties, which hired B&G, owns the remaining 70% of the footprint, where crews are erecting the 17-story Falls Tower with 229,323 square feet of office, living, and retail space; a 217-unit apartment building; a 629-space parking garage; and the largest plaza in Greenville’s history. As lead of the project, and a female, Bailey is adding her own asterisk to the history of this iconic downtown corner. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that women comprise less than 10% of the construction industry, yet the National Association of Women in Construction reports that involvement has been steadily increasing since 2012. Bailey was one of only three women in her building science group at Auburn University, yet when she first entered Dudley Hall to study
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brick composition, she knew she’d found her passion. “There was a mood about that room, and I felt like these are my people, this is where I’m meant to be,” the 35-year-old recalls. After graduation, the high-energy go-getter went to work for Brasfield & Gorrie, where she’s moved up the team across sites in Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta; and Jackson, Mississippi. “I would encourage any woman to go into this business. I don’t ever walk into a room and feel I’m in the minority. I never really let it hold me back,” she says. “I’m of this mindset you just have to work and earn it. People are going to have their judgments when they meet you, and you just have to prove yourself to them and earn respect, no matter who you are.”
“I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANY WOMAN TO GO INTO THIS BUSINESS. I DON’T EVER WALK INTO A ROOM AND FEEL I’M IN THE MINORITY. I NEVER REALLY LET IT HOLD ME BACK.” KYMBERLY BAILEY Bailey has certainly earned the respect of the president of Centennial American Properties, Brody Glenn. “We are fortunate to have a team member in Kimberly who is the entire package. She brings the resolve, focus, and effectiveness to our project with poise. She also possesses the humor and work ethic that a leader needs to gain the most from the team,” he says. As a CREW Upstate Dealmaker Award winner, Bailey networks
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frequently, especially with women. This month, she’s meeting with 90 other B&G co-workers, all female, at an annual gathering. “We’re all in operational roles,” says the married mother of two. “I’m going to talk to them about their professional networking and personal networking. Who is there to help and encourage you, coach you, advocate for you, in all areas of your life and work?” She also finds herself communicating across company lines at Camperdown, coordinating barricades and crane swings with groups building the hotel, for other owners. Her self-admitted obsessive tendencies serve her, and the build, well. “I’m very anal, to a fault,” she jokes. “I do like to get into the details. Safety is one of my responsibilities while I’m managing finances, hiring subcontractors, creating and managing schedules.” The ground has proved the most challenging issue on-site. “We’re having to go down over 30 feet through rock, and the granite is as solid as solid can be,” she explains. In addition, trucks are having to make 90-minute runs to and from Twin Chimneys Landfill to dispose of every tablespoon of excavated dirt. “It’s a brownfield site,” Bailey says. “Basically, it means the ground has been deemed contaminated. Apparently, there was a laundromat in the area, which is bad for the soils underneath.” Even with ground issues and a rainy spring, Bailey sees Camperdown completion coming in mid2020, but she plans to stay in town afterward to oversee build-outs and other ventures. “Greenville’s now home,” she says. “It’s going to be a lot of fun when this is over and I get to actually come and spend time and hang out on the plaza and do the Saturday morning thing here, and it’s not work anymore. I carry a big sense of pride. There’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in this project, and it’s going to be nice to complete it and have it open for everybody’s enjoyment.” 5.10.2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
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RETAIL & HOSPITALITY
We arepleased pleased to announce We are to announce to announce William A.A. Murphy William Murphy o announce Murphy
Modern restaurant and retail strip center planned for Brushy Creek Road in Greer is now Director – Investments is nowaaManaging Managing Director – Investments
g Director – Investments Murphy We are pleased to announce
n story by ARIEL TURNER | renderings by JOHNSTON DESIGN GROUP
William A. Murphy A. Murphy SeniorWilliam Financial Advisor - Wealth Management
Senior Financial Advisor - Wealth Management gphy Director – Investments William A. 15 S MainMurphy St Fl 2 dvisor - Wealth Management
(864) 213-8000 12
UBJ | 5.10.2019
92979-v2 A1547
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92979-v2 A1547 92979-v2 A1547
www.CarltonMB.com
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A new 9,000-square-foot retail rant experience to the Greer strip center has been announced community he’s called home for near Brushy Creek and Suber six years. Greenville, SC 29601 15 S Main St Fl 2 hy is now a Managing Director – Investments Direct: (864) 467-2580 roads in Greer. “Brushy Creek Road is so imGreenville, SC 29601 visor - Wealth Management will.a.murphy@wellsfargo.com Located at Brushy Creek Road portant for Greer, and by bring01 William A.Direct: Murphy(864) 467-2580 https://home.wellsfargoadvisors.com/will.a.murphy and Moorlyn Lane, the developing modern, contemporary com2580 Senior Financial Advisor - Wealth Management will.a.murphy@wellsfargo.com ment has been named The Palms mercial space to the town, it will ellsfargo.com We are pleased to announce 1 15 S Main Sthttps://home.wellsfargoadvisors.com/will.a.murphy Fl 2 at Brushy Creek by Venditio LLC, help the growth, and neighborlsfargoadvisors.com/will.a.murphy 580 Greenville, SC 29601 William A. Murphy the developer and owner. Project hoods will also appreciate the Direct: 467-2580 llsfargo.com Investment and InsuranceisProducts: NOT FDIC Insured u NO Bank Guarantee– u MAY Lose Value now au (864) Managing Director Investments partners include Johnston presence,” Desai said. will.a.murphy@wellsfargo.com Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & fargoadvisors.com/will.a.murphy A. Murphy Company. © 2009, 2013, 2016 Wellshttps://home.wellsfargoadvisors.com/will.a.murphy Fargo ClearingWilliam Services, LLC. All rights reserved. Design Group and Zuendt EngiThe space will include a gym, Senior Financial Advisor - Wealth Management neering. Construction is planned restaurant, small park for chil0718-01805 S MainFDIC St Fl 2 Insured u NO Bank Guarantee u MAY Lose Value Investment and Insurance Products: u15NOT u NO Bank Guarantee u MAY Lose Value Greenville, SC 29601 to begin this summer with a comdren, interactive water features, Direct: (864) 467-2580 Wells FargoSIPC, Advisors is a trade name usedand by Wells Fargoaffiliate Clearing Services, ing Services, LLC, Member a registered broker-dealer non-bank of Wells FargoLLC, & Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & will.a.murphy@wellsfargo.com Company. © 2009, 2013, 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved. pletion target of spring 2020. palms trees, charging stations for https://home.wellsfargoadvisors.com/will.a.murphy LC. All rights reserved. Investment and Insurance Products: u NOT FDIC Insured u NO Bank Guarantee u MAY Lose Value u NO Bank Guarantee u MAY Lose Value Jay Desai, part owner of Venelectric cars, and other features Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & 0718-01805 0718-01805 © 2009, 2013, 2016 Wells Clearing Services, LLC. All rightsaffiliate reserved.of Wells Fargo & ng Services, LLC,Company. Member SIPC, a registered Fargo broker-dealer and non-bank ditio LLC, said the goal is to being finalized, he said. Investment and Insurance Products: u NOT FDIC Insured u NO Bank Guarantee u MAY Lose Value . All rights reserved. Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & bring an0718-01805 environmentally con“This location is going to be a Company. © 2009, 2013, 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved. 0718-018050718-01805 scious, modern retail and restau- huge hit,” Dasai said.
2446 Laurens Road Greenville, SC 29607
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The 3,600-square-foot restaurant component is Desai’s unique concept called Green Cafe Lounge and will include specialty drinks such as espresso, smoothies, and healthy farm-totable items. Green Cafe Lounge will not offer single-use plastic straws, and other paper and plastic items will be biodegradable. Construction will also focus on
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sustainability, he said. A mechanical design engineer for a Florida-based company, Desai moved to Greer in 2012 from New Jersey and said he sees this venture into real estate as a way of helping the city. “Actually, I should have done this five years back,” he said. “I’m just loving it. The city is growing so much. I’m just happy to be part of Greer.”
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5.10.2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
13
OPINION |
THE 2019
READER’S
LENS
FROM THE COMMUNITY
Five ways a mobile app can grow your customer base By KEITH SHIELDS CEO, Designli
PHOTO CON TEST The Greenville Journal invites you to share your best photos of what the Upstate has to offer. Each month one lucky winner will win a $250 gift card to be used at any Rick Erwin’s Dining Group restaurant. Three honorable mention photos will also receive a $25 gift card to an upstate business. Winning entries will be published in the Greenville Journal.
MAY THEME: THE PETS WE LOVE
If you have a pet, you know you can never take enough photos! Whether they’re sleeping on the couch, rolling around in the grass outdoors or even just going for a walk along their favorite trail… we want to see! Send us your favorite snapshots of your furry four-legged friends.
For details on each month’s contest and to submit your photo, visit
GreenvilleJournal.com/ReadersLens 14
UBJ | 5.10.2019
As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to increase sales and grow your customer base. And one proven way to boost your business’ success is by generating a bigger bottom line. An often overlooked way to up-sell existing customers and gain new ones is to offer a mobile app. Apps aren’t just for big brands like Amazon and Starbucks. Many types of businesses can benefit from a mobile app. Here are five ways you can increase your revenue with a mobile app.
1. MAKE PURCHASING MORE CONVENIENT The most obvious benefit of a mobile app is that it makes purchasing more convenient for your customers. In this modern world where life is busy, saving time is increasingly valuable. Saving your customers time can push you ahead of your top competitors in your customers’ minds. For instance, restaurants and coffee shops can give their customers the ability to place orders and pay ahead for faster pickup. Retail companies can
FROM THE COMMUNITY
allow customers to shop from their mobile phones at their convenience and pick up right where they left off when interrupted by daily events. And fitness businesses like yoga studios and gyms can allow their customers to book and manage their reserved classes from their phones.
2. PROMOTE YOUR LOYALTY PROGRAM Research shows that, on average, businesses that offer a loyalty program do over 20 percent more in sales than businesses that don’t. A well-conceived loyalty program that offers benefits your customers truly value will deliver even greater results. Your loyalty program may offer rewards for frequent purchases or for referring friends. Gamification techniques like incentivizing customers to work their way up through tiered achievement levels can draw more participation —
| OPINION
customers can level up by taking various actions like posting about your business or their purchase on social media. Your loyalty program is limited only by your imagination. To get the best results, talk to your customers to find out what they’d value in a program.
WISHES TO THANK OUR SPONSORS & THE COMMUNITY FOR SUPPORTING
3. BOOST ENGAGEMENT A mobile app also makes engaging with your business easier. Customers will value being able to quickly open your app if they have questions or if they want to grab their referral code for a friend. Another benefit is the ability to send push notifications to reach customers that opt-in with offers, promotions, and helpful tips. And push notifications are popular. On average, 59 percent of Android users and 40 percent of iOS users opt-in to push notifications. You can increase your push notification effectiveness with a strategy based on your customers’ needs and desires.
The Malulinski Family Foundation
every saturday
May - October from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
main street
between Cour t Street & Washington Street
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5.10.2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com
15
OPINION |
FROM THE COMMUNITY
4. ENHANCE YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE
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UBJ | 5.10.2019
“Customer-centered” is a business buzzword. If you Google “customer-centered strategy,” you’ll find 43,900,000 results. But this concept is popular for good reason — it works to grow businesses. One of the best ways to breeze by your competition is to provide top-notch customer service. A mobile app can help you offer a better customer experience. You can give answers to common questions right from your customers’ pockets. Beyond a searchable FAQ, you can allow your customers to reach out at their convenience with specific issues that require more help. A live chat feature gives customers who are phone call-averse an alternative way to get quick answers. Chatbots can even handle most of the work and connect your customers to a real-life representative further along in the process.
5. STAY TOP-OF-MIND If your customers have your app on their phones, they’re going to see it regularly and be reminded of your business. We all know how often we pull out our phones every chance we get. Simply staying top-of-mind is one of the biggest challenges businesses face due to the myriad daily demands on customers’ attention. A mobile app can help you stay in your customers’ awareness. Mobile apps offer various ways to save your customers time and make doing business with you more convenient. Apps are a clear path to more engaged and loyal customers, and they entice prospective customers who may have otherwise chosen a competitor. For many businesses, apps are a key component of a revenue-generating strategy.
presents
From the event on April 24 at Hapitap Photos by Jack Robert Photography NEXT EVENT
MAY 22
5:30 - 7:00 PM
OAK & HONEY
200 E WASHINGTON ST., GREENVILLE, SC
ON THE MOVE |
NEW HIRES IN THE UPSTATE
PROMOTED
HIRED
HIRED
HIRED
HIRED
TRIPP GLENN
COLTON MORITZ
MIKE TEDSTONE
JACI WILLING
ADAM HAYES
is now a managing director of Valbridge Property Advisors in Greenville. He has been with the company for 14 years and has been a commercial appraiser since 2002. Glenn holds the MAI designation, which is achieved by completing graduate-level curriculum.
has joined Cargo’s Greenville office as a graphic designer. In his role, he is responsible for concept and design on the agency’s Mercedes-Benz Vans team. Moritz studied art studio with a graphic design focus at the University of South Carolina Upstate.
has joined O’Neal Inc. in Greenville as a staff structural engineer. He has more than 30 years of structural engineering experience. Previously, Tedstone worked for Fluor, Day and Zimmerman and Wood Group. He has a degree in civil engineering from Clemson.
has joined Topside Pool Club as the new membership and events manager. In her new role, Willing is responsible for membership management, event planning, and more. Previously, Willing worked for the Club Med Sandpiper Bay in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
the new director of culinary for Larkin’s Restaurants, will head the culinary team for Larkin’s on the River, Limoncello, Grill Marks Brands, and Larkin’s Catering and Events. Previously, Hayes has worked at several notable restaurants in North Carolina and Georgia.
LOCAL BUSINESSES
BANK ON US. With a host of business services and customized solutions, Countybank is ready to help grow your business.
As your community bank, we focus on what matters —
you!
BANKING INSURANCE MORTGAGE INVESTMENTS TRUST Greenville: (864) 335-2400 | Greer: (864) 331-2190 | ecountybank.com
18
UBJ | 5.10.2019
| ROUND UP
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jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years 1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport
1988
1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993
1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont office Center on Villa.
>>
Chairman larry Jackson, Jackson marketing Group. Photos by Greg Beckner / Staff
Jackson Marketing Group celebrates 25 years By sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
Solve. Serve. Grow. Those three words summarize Jackson Marketing Group’s guiding principles, and according to owner Larry Jackson, form the motivation that has kept the firm thriving for the past 25 years.
Jackson graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in video and film production and started his 41-year career in the communications industry with the U.S. Army’s Public Information Office. He served during
Vietnam, where he said he was “luckily” stationed in the middle of Texas at Fort Hood. He left the service and went to work in public affairs and motorsports at Ford Motor Company in Detroit. After a stint at Bell and Howell, where he was responsible for managing Ford’s dealer marketing and training, the entrepreneurial bug hit and he co-founded Jackson-Dawson Marketing Communications, a company specializing in dealer training and product launches for the auto industry in 1980. In 1987, Jackson wanted to move back south and thought Greenville would be a good fit. An avid pilot, he
learned of an opportunity to purchase Cornerstone Aviation, a fixed base operation (FBO) that served as a service station for the Greenville Downtown Airport, providing fuel, maintenance and storage. In fact, when he started the Greenville office of what is now Jackson Marketing Group (JMG) in 1988, the offices were housed on the second floor in an airport hangar. “Clients would get distracted by the airplanes in the hangars and we’d have to corral them to get back upstairs to the meeting,” Jackson said. Jackson sold the FBO in 1993, but says it was a great way to get to know Greenville’s fathers and leaders
>>
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 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court
also one of the few marketing companies in South Carolina to handle all aspects of a project in-house, with four suites handling video production, copywriting, media and research and web design. Clients include heavyweights such as BMW, Bob Jones University, the Peace Center, Michelin and Sage Automotive. Recent projects have included an interactive mobile application for Milliken’s arboretum and 600-acre Spartanburg campus and a marketing campaign for the 2013 Big League World Series. “In my opinion, our greatest single achievement is the longevity of our client relationships,” said Darrell Jackson. “Our first client from back in 1988 is still a client today. I can count on one hand the number of clients who have gone elsewhere in the past decade.” Larry Jackson says his Christian faith and belief in service to others, coupled with business values rooted in solving clients’ problems, have kept
2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson marketing Group when larry sells his partnership in Detroit and lA 2003
2009-2012 Jackson marketing Group named a top BtoB agency by BtoB magazine 4 years running
him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-profits. The company was recently awarded the Community Foundation Spirit Award. The company reaffirmed its commitment to serving the community last week by celebrating its 25th anniversary with a birthday party and a 25-hour Serve-A-Thon partnership with Hands on Greenville and Habitat for Humanity. JMG’s 103 full-time employees worked in shifts around the clock on October 22 and 23 to help construct a house for a deserving family. As Jackson inches towards retirement, he says he hasn’t quite figured out his succession plan yet, but sees the companies staying under the same umbrella. He wants to continue to strategically grow the business. “From the beginning, my father has taught me that this business is all about our people – both our clients and our associates,” said his son, Darrell. “We have created a focus and a culture that strives to solve problems, serve people and grow careers.” Darrell Jackson said he wants to “continue helping lead a culture where we solve, serve and grow. If we are successful, we will continue to grow towards our ultimate goal of becoming the leading integrated marketing communications brand in the Southeast.”
2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports Group employee base reaches 100 people
2008 2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation with Creative spirit Award
pro-bono/non-proFit Clients American Red Cross of Western Carolinas Metropolitan Arts Council Artisphere Big League World Series The Wilds Advance SC South Carolina Charities, Inc. Aloft Hidden Treasure Christian School
CoMMUnitY inVolVeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member 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
ART & PRODUCTION VISUAL DIRECTOR Will Crooks
LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Stephanie Orr
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Order a reprint today, PDFs available for $25. For more information, contact Anita Harley 864.679.1205 or aharley@ communityjournals.com
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11/5/18 1:55 PM
presents
A casual networking event in a relaxed atmosphere. No pressure. No presentations. Bring your friends, grab your business cards and meet interesting people who have new ideas to share.
WHAT:
WHERE:
WHEN:
with Upstate Professionals
200 E Washington St., Greenville
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Conversations
NETWORKING SPONSOR
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UBJ | 5.10.2019
Oak & Honey
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Wednesday, May 22