August 28, 2015 UBJ by Community Journals

AUGUST 28, 2015 | VOL. 4 ISSUE 35

nowhere” to to d a o “r m o fr e orridor in nnector has gon c o ic C m rn o e n o th c u e o S w e e Th f a potential n County - pg 14 le il v n the backbone o e re G rn e south

FOR PURPLE MOUNTAIN MAJESTIES? Duke Energy has proposed a 40-mile long transmission line through the Mountains and Foothills of the Carolinas. Over 200 towers with an average height of 140 feet would support the line. Some of the towers would be over 190 feet tall. The width of the tower corridor would be a minimum of 150 feet. 44 different routes are under consideration, and all of them would severely disfigure the area’s stunning natural beauty, majestic mountains and abundant green spaces. This, in turn, will cause great harm to the area’s economic well-being. No one questions the need for Duke to provide electrical power to its customers, but this can be done in a way that avoids environmental and economic damage to the Upstate and western North Carolina.

Visit NoLines.org to learn more.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: DUKE ENERGY’S COMMENTS DEADLINE IS AUGUST 31. 4 STEPS TO IMMEDIATELY HELP: OPPOSE THIS PROJECT. WRITE TO:

WRITE YOUR NC + SC PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONS:

VISIT THE UPSTATE FOREVER WEBSITE:

wcmodernization@duke-energy.com

South Carolina Public Service Commission: 101 Executive Center Dr., No. 100 Columbia, S.C. 29210

www.upstateforever.org

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES

Sign our petition asking Duke to withdraw its proposal.

and let them know that you oppose this ill-conceived project.

OR Duke Energy 526 Charlotte St. Charlotte, N.C. 28202.

North Carolina Utilities Commission: 4325 Mail Service Center Raleigh, N.C. 27699

08.28.2015

upstatebusinessjournal.com

Unemployment rate falls in Greenville County, state But so does number of jobs, labor participation rate CINDY LANDRUM | STAFF

clandrum@communityjournals.com The good news is unemployment in the Upstate and in South Carolina fell in July. The bad news is that so did the number of jobs and the state’s civilian labor force participation rate. The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce reported that Greenville County’s unemployment rate fell – to 5.4 percent in July, down from 5.7 percent in June and in July 2014. So did the rate in Spartanburg, Pickens, Oconee and Anderson counties. In fact, unemployment fell statewide and in all but four South Carolina counties – Orangeburg, Bamberg,

Fairfield and Calhoun. But while the unemployment rate fell, so did the labor force. In Greenville County, there were 161 fewer workers in the labor force than in June. The other Upstate counties saw a reduction as well. The state’s civilian labor force participation rate fell to 59.1 percent in July, down from 59.3 percent. The labor participation rate is the percentage of the population 16 and older that is employed or actively seeking work. The federal labor participation rate was 62.6 percent. For the detailed report, go to bit.ly/SC-employment-July15.

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

WORKING NUMBERS:

5,284

decrease in unemployed South Carolinians

15,900

decrease in working South Carolinians from June to July

3,200

jobs lost in Greenville MSA

2,000

jobs lost in Spartanburg MSA

58,000

nonfarm jobs added in the last year in South Carolina

| WORKFORCE & SQUARE FEET | 3

LAST

WEEK

END Check out our Facebook page!

Upstate Foodie Fest 2015 Last chance to enter contest for $50 gift card!

(Source: SC DEW)

RiverPlace tops out Phase III STAFF REPORT

Earlier this week, Brasfield & Gorrie topped out Phase III of the RiverPlace development, which includes the new Embassy Suites Greenville Downtown, parking deck and associated retail space. The 156-key hotel, the centerpiece of this latest phase of construction, “has reached its pinnacle with the placement of the uppermost concrete slab,” according to a release from the company. “Reaching the top of the structure is a critical milestone for the construction team,” said Brasfield & Gorrie senior project manager Steven Barber. “The men and women on our team have worked hard to create the building’s strong bones, and now we shift our focus to the intricate details that will make this hotel special for visitors and locals alike.” Brasfield & Gorrie’s construction team, includ-

ing 150 field workers, held a site-wide celebration to commemorate the topping-out on Tuesday. RiverPlace Phase III includes the eight-story, 150,000 square foot, full-service Embassy Suites hotel with an enclosed pool, amenity level with meeting space, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and rooftop restaurant and bar; a two-story, 150,000 square foot parking deck; and 10,000 square

feet of retail space. Designed by Bounds & Gillespie Architects, the hotel is being developed by Windsor Aughtry Company. The parking deck is being developed by Hughes Development Corporation and designed by Cooper Carry. Construction of RiverPlace Phase III is expected to be complete in early summer 2016.

AUGUST

20–30

4 | THE RUNDOWN |

TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

UBJ

08.28.2015

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 35 Featured this issue: Artists at work – and play – at TR Makers Co. 70-acre Greer project to feature St. Francis care center Avana at Carolina Point acquired for $51.75M

6 7 8

TBA A developer is seeking to rezone 300 Ben

Hamby Drive (off Pelham Road) in Greenville to establish a funeral

home with a crematorium. Corley Plumbing was the former tenant there.

Ballantyne Commons, the new apartment complex going up in Simpsonville on Fairview Road, may grow from 184 to 304 units if a requested rezoning goes through.

MONEY SHOT: A young artist helps decorate a wall at Travelers Rest Makers Co., set to open in September. Read more on page 6.

WORTH REPEATING “I can’t imagine a better place to wrap up one’s career.” Page 5 “We decided instead of going to the bank, we’d rather see the community benefit from their investment in our company. We want them to be a part of this.” Page 6 “We’re not sharks. We’re trying to be angels.” Page 18

VERBATIM

On Black Monday “In order to capture the potentially higher returns that stocks can offer, you have to reconcile yourself to the certainty of horrifying short-term losses. If you can’t do that, you shouldn’t be in stocks – and shouldn’t feel any shame about it, either.” Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Zweig, commenting on “The Cruel Psychology of the 1,000-Point Drop.” Read the whole article at on.wsj.com/1JWleZk.

08.28.2015

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

upstatebusinessjournal.com

| CHAMBER | 5

Haskew retiring from Greenville Chamber BENJAMIN JEFFERS | STAFF

bjeffers@communityjournals.com Greenville Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ben Haskew has announced he will retire from the chamber when the board completes the selection process for his successor. Haskew has served as chamber president and CEO for nearly 12 years. He came to Greenville in December 2003 following a four-year stint as director of the Florida Chamber Federation, an initiative of the Florida Chamber of Commerce. “It’s been a real pleasure to work in this remarkable community with remarkable leadership,” Haskew said in a release. “I’ve been fortunate to work with a great staff and dedicated volunteers; I can’t imagine a better place to wrap up one’s career.” David Lominack, market president for TD Bank and the chamber’s current chair-elect, will lead a national search for Haskew’s replacement, which is expected to take several months “as we develop a profile for the type of candidate we desire and canvas the country,” Lominack said. “We are optimistic about attracting a very strong candidate pool.” “Ben was a focused leader who developed several successive strategic plans with emphasis on economic prosperity, advocacy, workforce development and diversity,” said chamber board chair Julie Brown, president

of Godshall Staffing. “He will be hard to replace.” Haskew will remain in the position until the chamber finds a successor. He noted the creation of NEXT, the Accelerate economic development program, launch of the diversity initiative, the Upstate Chamber Coalition,

renovation of the chamber’s headquarters facility and development of a wide array of programs and services for the small business community as some of the achievements for which he is most proud. The chamber also achieved Four-Star Accreditation by the U.S. Chamber in March of this year.

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6 | RETAIL |

UBJ

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

08.28.2015

Artists at work in downtown TR Travelers Rest Makers Company will feature art bars, studio space, handmade items for sale SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com Two local artists are bringing

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a new retail concept to Travelers Rest that will feature two art bars, studio space and classes along with local, handmade items available for sale. Michelle Wade, owner of Trail Potter Clay Studio, and Kristin LaRoy, who owns Growing Up Happy, a print making studio, are joining forces to create the Travelers Rest Makers Company at 3 S. Main St. in downtown Travelers Rest, along the Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail. After they learned the space was available, Wade and LaRoy jumped at the chance to create the new business. “Being artists in this community, we saw that our paths were crossing a lot and our customers intertwined,” LaRoy said. “We saw this as our opportunity to bring something really cool to Travelers Rest where people can not only shop for local, handmade goods but experience what it’s like to see an artist working and even experience it themselves.” The two artists have been in the community for many years, working out of either their homes or other studio space. Wade is a fine arts graduate who specializes in wheelthrown functional clay pieces for the kitchen, garden and home. LaRoy is an artist and printmaker who creates unique hand-carved stamps along with hand-stamped apparel, home decor and stationery. Both have served on the board of the Travelers Rest Artists Alliance and want to continue to see arts thrive in the town of Travelers Rest. “We have our families here and continue to invest a lot of our creative energy in promoting the arts and this community,” LaRoy said. “We really couldn’t image doing this anywhere else.” Visitors to the shop will be able to come in and “belly up to the bar” at one of the two art bars, watching the artists work at their craft. Customers can also opt to make their own projects. The store will feature crafted clay pieces along with hand-carved and

stamped goods for the home, kitchen, garden, wardrobe and more. The artists are planning classes and Makers Happy Hour events. These regularly scheduled events will be an opportunity for adults and kids to do activities such as a Mug Shot, surfacing and glazing their own mugs; or a Print-tini, printing their own tees from hand-carved stamps. The two have also launched a Kick-

starter campaign to raise $5,000 to help with renovations. “We decided instead of going to the bank, we’d rather see the community benefit from their investment in our company,” LaRoy said. “We want them to be a part of this.” They’ve already exceeded their initial goal. The campaign ends Sept. 4. Travelers Rest Makers Company is planning a Sept. 19 opening.

Connect with the Makers Kickstarter campaign: bit.ly/makers-kickstarter Information on the company: facebook.com/ trmakersco

08.28.2015

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

upstatebusinessjournal.com

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Bon Secours St. Francis care center featured in Greer development 70-acre project centered on health care to include multifamily, office and restaurants SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ A new development planned on a 70-acre tract of land at Interstate 85, Garlington Road and Pelham Road in Greer will be anchored by a Bon Secours St. Francis Health System ambulatory care center along with multifamily development, office/professional uses and restaurants. Greenville-based Central Realty Holdings will be the lead developer of the project and will work with Bon Secours St. Francis Health System on the ambulatory care center and Fairfax, Va.-based Middleburg Real Estate Partners on the multifamily portion. This is the first project that Central Realty and Middleburg have partnered on. “When we started working on this project, we knew the master plan called for a medical facility,”

Have you

said Rece Morgan, president and CEO of Central Realty Holdings. “This new development will bring a variety of businesses to the area, and we are excited about what it has to offer the surrounding community.” The project is expected to have approximately 300 garden-style apartments situated on 29 acres of the property, keeping the density low, said Morgan. The complex will have the typical higher-end apartment amenities, including a swimming pool and green spaces. Three sites are available for restaurants, and Morgan said he expects to have one or two fast-casual and one or two sit-down restaurants. No retail is zoned or expected at this location, he said. Office space will follow later, and overall, buildings in the project will be from one to three stories. Bon Secours St. Francis is building the ambulatory care center to “expand our existing heath care offerings,” said Craig McCoy, CEO of Bon Secours

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St. Francis Health System. “It will allow patients who are not admitted to the hospital easy access to a wide range of services.” The center will house primary care and specialty services with convenience care capabilities and will offer many of the same outpatient services provided in an acute care hospital setting except the actual hospital stay. “We want to offer our patients services that are convenient and deliver medical care in a way that meets the needs of their lifestyle,” said Anselmo (“Mo”) Nuñez, M.D., chief executive officer of Bon Secours Medical Group. “Further, as consumers – patients, businesses and the community at large – are demanding lower out-of-pocket costs, we anticipate providing these services at a more affordable rate than can be provided in an acute care hospital.” Construction on the ambulatory care center and apartments is expected to begin as soon as approvals are secured and will take 12 to 18 months to complete.

Chances are, the answer is yes. With more than 800 listings, NAI Earle Furman is the largest commercial real estate firm in the Upstate and has been an industry leader for nearly 30 years.

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UBJ

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

08.28.2015

Baltimore company acquires Avana at Carolina Point for $51.75M

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real estate investment and management company Continental Realty Corporation has acquired Avana at Carolina Point, a 346-unit apartment community located at 201 Carolina Point Parkway in Greenville for $51.75 million. Avana at Carolina Point was constructed in 2010 and was previously owned by Greystar Real Estate Partners and their joint venture partner, Lubert-Adler. The apartment community is adjacent to TD Bank’s Regional Campus and includes amenities such as an outdoor pool, fire pit, courtyard area, fitness center, business center and dog park. “Avana at Carolina Point satisfied each value-add criteria in our evaluation and analysis process,” said J.M. Schapiro, CEO of Continental Realty Corporation. “The apartment community was purchased for below replacement costs and is in excellent physical condition with a diverse 5 amenity package for its I-8 residents. In order to add significant value to this asset, CRC intends to invest in unit upgrades as well as expanding the fitness room M

Baltimore-based commercial

and improving the clubhouse and resident amenities. Newly renovated units will feature granite countertops and wood-plank floors that will command higher rental premiums. We also intend to install Nest Learning Thermostats in each unit, which will enable residents to save money and conserve energy with the ability to remotely control the temperature with their smartphone device. These improvements will allow Avana to continue to be operated as the top luxury apartment community in the sub-market.” CRC was founded in 1960, and manages a diversified portfolio of retail centers consisting of more than 3 million square feet of space, as well as apartment communities featuring more than 8,000 units throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. Continental Realty Fund IV LP represents the fourth fund established by CRC. This is the initial acquisition for the fund.

sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ

Point P

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

ill

8 | SQUARE FEET |

10 | SQUARE FEET |

UBJ

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

08.28.2015

RECAP: August Planning Commission Meeting

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PC hashes out new zoning classifications, Perry Place and Bonaventure plans SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ First, thank you for all of the feedback on the Greenville DRB meeting recap in the Aug. 14 UBJ. We decided to just do it and see if it works, and it did. You all seemed to appreciate the additional insight into our public process on proposed projects. Let’s keep that momentum with a recap of last week’s (Aug. 20) Greenville Planning Commission meeting. The PC wasn’t affected as much as the Design Review Board in the recent shuffle of members, with Meg Terry as the only new member at the meeting. PC meetings work the same as DRB meetings; for each application the board hears a statement from city staff regarding the project, along with their recommendation. Then, they hear from the applicant (if he/she wants to speak). After that, it’s open to public input – both for and against the project. Once public comment is closed, the board discusses the project, asks the applicant any additional questions and then votes. The only real difference is the area of the city. The PC handles anything outside the Central Business District and historic districts, but still within the city of Greenville limits. It also reviews all new subdivisions along with making recommendations to City Council on zoning and annexation issues. GONE TILL SEPTEMBER This month’s agenda was fairly light with only six items, and two of those were postponed. An application to rezone a property on Earle Street from single-family residential to OD, Office and Institutional, was postponed until the September meeting because a required neighborhood meeting wasn’t held. An application for an amendment to the Planned Development at the Greenville Water System’s development was also postponed until September because public notice was not completed.

NEW ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS But the PC did have some work to do. The city filed its own application to create three new single-family zoning classifications. R-4: 4,000 sq. ft. minimum lot size; R-15: 15,000 sq. ft. minimum lot size; and R-20: 20,000 sq. ft. minimum lot size. City personnel asked the PC to table the R-4 request until they look at it more closely. The PC approved the other two unanimously. The city also submitted a text amendment to clarify inconsistencies and to revise the maximum height of accessory structures, front, rear and side setbacks and fences and wall height. This was also approved. PERRY PLACE The PC then heard an application from MS Jenkins Building Solutions regarding a subdivision called Perry Place of 0.94 acres located at 99 N. Leach St. and Perry Avenue, seeking to expand from four lots into six lots. The parcel is zoned C2, local commercial. Cheryl and Mike Jenkins, who have rehabbed a lot of houses in Greenville neighborhoods, said they have been working for the past two years on gentrifying and bringing new homes to the neighborhood. One of the lots will be green space with picnic tables, which the Jenkins said they hope will bring a sense of community to the area. An existing house, which was already renovated, will become part of the new HOA. A sewer main extension will be needed for the project. The PC approved the project. NEW APARTMENTS ALONG TRAIL? The bulk of the meeting and discussion concerned the project submitted by JP Hyland for a new 278-unit apartment community on 14 acres along Woodruff Road and the Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail. The project would be located near the Breakaway Honda dealership. This project had been reviewed informally by the DRB, which said the original design did not meet standards. >>

08.28.2015

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS IN THE UPSTATE

upstatebusinessjournal.com

>> The first issue is that the project lacks a secondary access point that would be needed. So the developer, Arlington, Va.-based Bonaventure, was requesting approval on only 199 apartments, saying that if a future access point could be secured, the rest could be built in a second phase. Bonaventure tweaked the design a bit from the original one reviewed by the DRB, moving some exterior vents to the side instead of the front of the buildings. Brick was added to corner units after the DRB commented that the materials were mostly Hardie Board and they should consider using more masonry and brick. The DRB had also said that the rooflines on the buildings needed to be varied and expressed concern that users of the trail would just see one long building. All in all, even with some modifications to the design, city staff said what was submitted to the PC still wasn’t adequate and recommended denial of the application. City staff said the developer and architect “still have a ways to go.” Architect Jeff Price, who hails from Liberty, Mo., said he “felt sad that

we’re this far apart still.” The developer representative said the developer would continue to work with city staff. It is “100 percent our intent to get where we need to be,” he said. A question came up about right-ofway access between Bonaventure and GADC to the trail, and the city attorney said he would check into it. A representative from Verdae spoke and said that while “not at all opposed to the project,” Verdae is not willing to give an easement for the secondary access point if the project goes into a second phase. After more discussion about adding another staircase or connection to the Swamp Rabbit Trail (the project showed one) and additional gables and roofline modifications, the PC decided to table the application until the September meeting and allow city staff, the developer and the architect additional time to make adjustments instead of issuing a denial. That’s it for this month. Keep the feedback coming, and if you ever have tips, suggestions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at sjackson@communityjournals.com.

DEALMAKERS Commercial real estate transactions in the Upstate BROADSTREET PARTNERS ANNOUNCED: John Parker represented the buyer, Childress Klein Properties/SpaceMax Storage, in the re-zoning and purchase of 8 Legrand Blvd., Greenville, from Guatum Holdings. AVISON YOUNG ANNOUNCED: John Odom represented the buyer, ROIF Pelham LLC, in the purchase of a 4,157 SF retail building at 115 Pelham Road, Greenville, from Dallas Skye Day Spa LLC.

in the 57,000 SF lease of 604 High Tech Court, Greer, by Rockwell Medical Inc.

of 8595 Pelham Road, Suite 600, Greenville, to Lawson Chiropractic Wellness Center Inc.

Bryon Culbertson represented the tenant, SP Funding LLC, in the 9,000 SF lease of 1470 S. Buncombe Road, Greer.

Deanna Hudgens represented the landlord, Lwood Drive 283 LLC, in the 2,400 SF lease of 283 Lakewood Drive, Greenville, to Intensity Strength & Conditioning LLC.

Randall Bentley represented the landlord, Brookfield South Associates LLC, in the 4,046 SF lease of 48 Brookfield Oaks Drive, Suite E, Greenville, to Schindler Elevator Corporation.

Deanna Hudgens represented the tenant, The Equipping Center, in the 6,682 SF lease of 64 E. Antrim Drive, Greenville.

Kevin Bentley represented Randall Bentley and Willz the buyer, A & W Robert Howell represented Tolbert represented the Investment, in purchasing the buyer, Oceana Rapid landlord, Rajman 94 LLC, 2.8 AC at Pride Drive. LLC, in the purchase of in the 2,492 SF lease Randall Bentley a 100,000 SF industrial of 12 Maple Tree Court, represented the landlord, warehouse at 1320 Suite 201, Greenville, Webber Ventures LLC, in Hampton Ave. Extension, to Advanced Hearing the 14,031 SF lease of Greenville, from Banker Solutions of Greenville. 6000 Pelham Road, Suite Exchange LLC. Randall Bentley D, Greenville, to ADT represented the landlord, Security Services Inc. LEE & ASSOCIATES Armaly Properties LLC, ANNOUNCED: Willz Tolbert represented in the 1,524 SF lease the tenant, Visions of Randall Bentley represented the landlord DEALMAKERS continued on PAGE 12

RARE

| DEALMAKERS | 11

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TRACT: 7077.02 Oconee County, SC Acres: 122.25 Price: $794,625 • Ideal for family compound, mini-estates or lakefront community • Located on secluded Stamp Creek arm of Lake Keowee • Approximately 2,800 feet on Lake Keowee • Close proximity to several state parks To view all of our listings visit

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DEALMAKERS continued from PAGE 11

Willis Road, Gaffney, by Powertrain Integration.

Greatness Inc., in the 10,122 SF lease of 700 Airport Road, Greenville.

Andy Hayes was the listing and leasing agent in the 84,000 SF lease at 160 Lincoln School Road, Spartanburg, by Marlow Trucking Co.

Deanna Hudgens represented the buyer, W & Z Woodruff Road LLC, in purchasing 1.196 AC at 1145 Woodruff Road, Greenville. SPENCER/HINES PROPERTIES, INC. ANNOUNCED: Craig Jacobs was the listing agent in the lease of 11,000 SF truck terminal at 311 Gossett Road, Spartanburg, by Dawood Properties LLC.

Andy Hines was the listing and leasing agent in the lease of 1,700 SF of retail space at 810 WO Ezell Blvd., Spartanburg, by David Smith. Guy Harris was the listing and leasing agent in the lease of 1,874 SF of landscaping and related services space at 180 Dove Hill Road, Spartanburg, by Southland Landscaping Management Corp.

Craig Jacobs was the leasing and listing agent in the 5,000 SF lease of warehouse distribution space at 251 Inglesby Guy Harris was the leasing Parkway, Duncan, by Rosemary Wood d/b/a/ agent for a 15,071 SF lease of warehouse space Bundle Box LLC. at 120 Brooks Blvd., Craig Jacobs and Guy Spartanburg, by IAC Harris were the listing Spartanburg Inc. agents in the 3,670 SF lease at 1190 Asheville Bobby Hines was the Hwy., Spartanburg, by leasing agent and Zach Market Place Staffing Hines was the listing Services. agent in the 21,000 SF lease renewal at 221 N. Main St., Greenville, by 221 N. Main Street LLC.

UBJ

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS IN THE UPSTATE

Guy Harris was the listing and leasing agent in the lease of 13,250 SF on 1.45 AC at 289

sale of 32,750 SF of manufacturing space at 350 Seminole Drive, Spartanburg, to F3 Holdings LLC.

Alison Germain was the listing agent and Paul Wetzel was the selling Andy Hayes was the listing agent in the sale of 3,208 SF of residential space and leasing agent in the at 410 Leyswood Drive, 1,800 SF lease at 1983 Greenville, to Catherine S. Pine St., Spartanburg, Kaufhman. by Pine Street Financial Partners. David Strickland was the Andy Hayes was the listing listing agent in the sale of 3,600 SF of automotive and leasing agent in the space on 1.68 AC at 2497 0.88 AC lease at Coastal Bryant Road, Chesnee, to North Town Center, Parcel 5, 11th Avenue, N. Myrtle Vadim Kapnik. Beach, by BO Berrton LLC. Andy Hayes was the selling agent in the sale David Strickland was the of land on Hayne Street in listing and leasing agent Woodruff to Dialysis Clinic in the 10,125 SF lease Inc. at 7092 Howard St., Spartanburg, by Atlantech Distribution, Inc. Guy Harris was the listing agent and Neal Boyett was the leasing agent in the 1,200 SF lease at 2500 Winchester Place, Spartanburg, by Sin U Well Hair Salon.

Dale Seay and Andy Hayes were the listing and selling agents in the sale of 5,880 SF on 2.87 AC at 101 Old Hills Bridge Road, Roebuck, to Biggerstaff Investment Holdings LLC.

Road, Spartanburg, to Parker-Hannifin Corp. NAI EARLE FURMAN ANNOUNCED: Scott Jones represented the landlord, Amy and Lauren Properties LLC, in the leasing of a 10,122 SF office property at 700 Airport Road, Greenville, to Visions of Greatness. Towers Rice represented the landlord, KHK Anderson LLC, in the leasing of an 8,673 SF property at 1214 North Fant St., Anderson, to Global Revival Center. Alexi Papapieris, Stuart Wyeth and Taylor Allen represented the landlord, Terra Parkgreen LLC in the leasing of a 5,759 SF office space at 750 Executive Center Drive, Suite 205, Greenville, to Southern Management Corporation.

Scott Jones represented the landlord, Sarah Goodson Properties LLC, in the leasing of a 3,400 Andy Hayes was the listing SF office space at 3535 Pelham Road, Suites 101 Neal Boyett was the listing and selling agent in the sale of 41,732 SF on 5.85 and 102, Greenville, to agent in the AC at 3070 Southport The Hultquist Firm.

08.28.2015

Alex Campbell represented the landlord of Greenville Business Center in the leasing of a 7,200 SF industrial space at 150 W. Phillips Road, Suite L, Greer, to Rogers & Brown North American Logistics Inc. Scott Jones represented the landlord, Pleasantburg Associates LLC, in the leasing of a 2,902 SF office space at 116 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Suite A, Greenville, to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Inc. Dan Dunn represented the landlord of the Corporate Center in the leasing of a 34,650 SF of light manufacturing and office space at 130 Corporate Drive, Suite E-M, Spartanburg, to Holroyd Precision Rotors Inc. Ted Lyerly and Jimmy Wright represented the landlord, Hotzfam Trusts, in the leasing of a 1,280 SF retail space at Five Forks Promenade, 2531 Woodruff Road, Suite 110, Simpsonville, to Gotta Run Clemson d/b/a Gotta Run Spartanburg. Brendan Gower

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08.28.2015

upstatebusinessjournal.com

represented the tenant. Tyson Smoak was the referring broker.

Springs Road, Boiling Springs, from JLRB Realty LLC.

Stuart Wyeth, Alexi Papapieris and Taylor Allen represented the landlord, Terra Parkgreen LLC, in the leasing of a 14,670 SF office space in the Edgefield Building at 545 N. Pleasantburg Drive, Suite 300, Greenville, to the South Carolina Department of Revenue.

Glenn Batson represented the seller in the sale of a 4,000 SF flex space at 635 Augusta St., Greenville, to Fast Forward Inc.

Jimmy Wright, Ted Lyerly and Brendan Gower represented the landlord, Five Points Center Holdings, in the leasing of a 3,600 SF retail space in Shoppes at Five Points at 100-102 Batesville Road, Suites 102-D&E, Simpsonville, to Soulace Spa. Lianna Saad and Andrew Babb represented the landlord of 172 E. Main St., Spartanburg, in the leasing of Suite 102, a 135 SF office, to Holiday Auction & Realty. John Powell represented the landlord, Ratner Sunset LLC, in the leasing of a 1,250 SF retail property at 1815 E. Greenville St., Suite B, Anderson, to State Farm. Brendan Gower, Jimmy Wright and Ted Lyerly represented the landlord, Shops at Hartsville 2 LLC, in the leasing of a 3,650 SF retail space in Central Plaza of Hartsville at 1101-1109 S. 5th St., Suites A-C, Hartsville, to Caresouth Carolina Inc.

John Gray and Drew Stamm represented the seller, Palmetto Opportunity LLC, in the sale of a 2,400 SF retail property at at 6 Parkins Mill Road, Greenville. Tyson Smoak and Ross Kester represented the buyer, RBC LLC. Earle Furman Jr. and Alexi Papapieris represented the seller, The Ralph and Virginia Hendricks Foundation, in the sale of a 2.23 AC land property at 313 N. Main St., Simpsonville. Tyson Smoak and Ross Kester represented the buyer, 313 Main Street Partners LLC. John Powell represented the seller, Zion Investments LLC, in the sale of Newport Commons, an eight-unit multifamily investment property at 700 Simpson Road, Anderson, to ServiSolutions Plus LLC. Tony Bonitati, Kay Hill and Bern DuPree represented the seller, ACM United CR LLC, in the sale of REO Hotel, a 300,564 SF hospitality property on 6.9 AC at 4295 Augusta Road, Greenville, to JR Capital LLC.

Glenn Batson represented the seller, Matrix Land John Staunton and Hunter Company LLC in the sale of an 6,750 SF industrial Garrett represented the buyer, MNP Property space at 103 Greer Drive, Simpsonville, to Dismuke Management LLC, in the sale of a 32,850 Holdings LLC. SF industrial property Tony Bonitati, Kay Hill and at 275 Gossett Road, Bern DuPree represented Spartanburg. the seller in the sale of Keith Jones and Hunter a 50-unit, 48,000 SF Garrett represented the multifamily property at 10 seller, Ramsay Warne LLC, Moore St., Mauldin, to in the sale of an 8,569 DHP Real Estate LLC. SF office space at 850 SIRIUS REALTY S. Pleasantburg Drive, ANNOUNCED: Suite 300, Greenville. Hal Johnson represented Curtis Harper represented the buyer, The Toniwood the tenant, Marathon Group LLC. 2015 LLC, in leasing Bill Sims, Jake Van Gieson and Gaston Albergotti represented the buyer, Six Brothers of Boiling Springs LLC, in the purchase of a 7,240 SF retail property at 3109-3117 Boiling

2,500 SF of space at 6525 Calhoun Memorial Hwy., Easley.

Curtis Harper represented in the tenant, Once Upon A Dream LLC, in leasing 1,350 SF of space at

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS IN THE UPSTATE

1099 E. Butler Road, Suite 106, Greenville. COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCED: Richard Barrett represented HBP Property Holdings in the sale of 238 AC and facilities at the former Hanson Brick Plant in Ninety Six. Richard Barrett represented Faurecia in leasing 92,000 SF at 141 Old Mill Road in Mauldin. Givens Stewart also participated in this transaction. Givens Stewart, Garrett Scott, Richard Barrett and Brockton Hall represented the landlord in the leasing of 60,000 SF at Hayne Street, Spartanburg, to Knights Apparel. Richard Barrett represented the landlord in leasing 7,600 SF in units C, E & F in the Thomas Centre, Greenville, to Orbis Health Solutions Richard Barrett represented the landlord in leasing 3,958 SF in units L, M and N in the Thomas Centre, Greenville, to NHC Homecare. Richard Barrett represented the landlord in leasing 9,642 SF at Mauldin Center in Mauldin to Atlanta Foam Recycle Center. Richard Barrett represented the landlord in the leasing of 3,100 SF in the Mauldin Center in Mauldin to Green Heating and Cooling of SC. Richard Barrett represented the buyer Burnside Properties in the purchase of 13,200 SF at 535 Brookshire Road, Greer. Frank Hammond and Bob Shaw represented Greenville Health System in two transactions for 6,835 SF at 104 Simpson St. and 4,891 SF at Duncan Chapel Road. Frank Hammond and Nick Reinhardt represented the landlord in leasing 2,000 SF at 880 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville, to Hillcrest Behavioral Medicine PA. Lyn Tyner represented YUASA-YI, Inc. in the leasing of 7,500 SF at 506 Matrix Parkway, Piedmont.

| DEALMAKERS | 13

Highway to health

UBJ

08.28.2015

FIVE YEARS AFTER DECLARING BANKRUPTCY, THE SOUTHERN CONNECTOR SEES CLIMBING REVENUES— AND A FUTURE AS THE MAIN ARTERY FOR A BURGEONING HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY CORRIDOR

ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com Few topics in the Upstate elicit as strong and polarized reactions as the Southern Connector, the 16-mile toll road stretching across southern Greenville County. After failing to meet ridership projections after opening in 2001, the privately built association overseeing the road declared bankruptcy in 2010, and in 2012 restructured its debt payments and began the path to recovery. Three years later, its leaders report record ridership and climbing revenues, and say it could serve as the backbone of a burgeoning economic corridor in the future.

“Until the Southern Connector was built, there really was no main infrastructure in the southern part of Greenville County,” said Caleb Freeman, noting his 340-acre, 650-unit residential mixeduse development Acadia would not have been possible without it. “It was impossible to get to this land unless you knew the back roads. … There really was no way to develop efficiently these large tracts of land.” Today, he said, the Southern Connector has already made a difference by making the development tracts more accessible and minimizing travel time to destinations like downtown Greenville. In addition, recently announced plans for a life sciences and biomedical industry cluster (Innovations in Medical Economic Development, or IMED) will spur all kinds

of development along the corridor, he said. “You may not see it now, but in the next 10, 20, 30 years, this stretch of the Southern Connector will be really focused on the health care industry,” Freeman said, predicting the corridor could develop and thrive along the same lines as CU-ICAR. “It might be offices for pharmaceutical companies, and more residences for doctors and medical-related people. … We’re going to start to look at our land and say what we want to do, how do we want to develop it.” While some motorists argue that the $3 per car fare on the Southern Connector is too expensive, more and more are using the tollway to avoid congestion in other areas, said Pete Femia, the executive vice president and general manager for the >>

08.28.2015

COVER | 15

upstatebusinessjournal.com

Mile Markers

FEBRUARY 2001

Southern Connector opens, six months ahead of schedule

MARCH 2001

Tolling begins

BY 2007

Connector 2000 Association (C2A) in financial trouble as ridership fails to meet original estimates

FALL 2007

C2A seeks a concessionaire to take over operation and liability

JANUARY 2010

“We’re lean. There are no extra bodies here.” Pete Femia, executive vice president and general manager, Connector 2000 Association

Bond trustee misses an interest payment; C2A more than $8 million behind on payments to SCDOT

JUNE 2010

C2A files for Chapter 9 (Municipal Reorganization) bankruptcy

AUGUST 2012

Bankruptcy plan agreed to with creditors, leading to restructuring of bonds

2013

Officials report 4.6 million transactions, $6.9 million in revenue

2014

Traffic increases to 5.2 million transactions, $7.6 million in revenue

MAY 2015

The planned IMED footprint is expected to spur development along the Southern Connector toll road portion of I-185.

IMED announced

“Until the Southern Connector was built, there really was no main infrastructure in the southern part of Greenville County. It was impossible to get to this land unless you knew the back roads.” Caleb Freeman, developer of the Acadia project

>> Connector 2000 Association, which oversees the road. For example, traffic jumped more than 10 percent to 5.2 million transactions in 2014, while total revenue increased 8.7 percent to $7.6 million. Palmetto Passes make up a third of all transactions, said Femia, which speaks to a significant portion of people choosing the Southern Connector as a regular part of their commute or travel around the area. While the county’s southern half includes some economic drivers – think the S.C. Technology and Aviation Center – the area has lagged behind in

development compared to its northern counterpart in the last few years. That means southern Greenville County still has hundreds of acres of large, industrial zoned tracts available for development along the connector, according to Greenville Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Mark Farris. While many tracts may not be “shovel ready” for companies, others with access along the connector such as The Matrix Business and Technology Park are some of their most frequented site visits. “We show The Matrix more than half the time.

We went out there twice already this week,” said Farris, who said most companies he works with will prioritize workforce high above the physical and geographic attributes of a potential site. “I think it’s a safe bet that that corridor is going to be very active for the next decade.” In recent years, Femia said part of the road to better financial health has been cutting excess expenses, to the point of doing their own building maintenance. “Over the years we’ve saved thousands of dollars by doing things ourselves rather than contracting for something as simple as fixing a leaky pipe,” he said. “We’re lean. There are no extra bodies here.”

16 | SQUARE FEET |

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

UBJ

08.28.2015

North Main Flats renovations near completion SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ If you’ve been to downtown Greenville lately, no doubt you’ve seen the scaffolding and construction work at 233 N. Main St. Renovations to 23 existing apartments have been completed and exterior building painting and railing work is expected to be completed by the end of September. Last year, Charlotte-based Lat Pursuer & Associates, a commercial real estate firm, purchased the two buildings that house the apartments along with offices and retail tenants, which include Jersey Mike’s, Beaded Frog, Greenville Glides, Pure on Main and Edward Jones. The firm has also put about $25,000 into a 5,400-square-foot basement space that is available for rent and are looking for a low-impact tenant, which could be a restaurant, bar or yoga studio, said Justin Mueller, who has been overseeing the construction project for Lat Pursuer. All apartments received interior renovations, which included vinyl plank flooring in the living areas and kitchen, new carpet in the bedrooms, new fixtures, new blinds and new stainless steel appliances. The apartments had not been renovated since they were

first built in 1987. Even though the renovations came with an increase in rent, Mueller said they had a 68 percent retention rate and all units are leased with several people on a waiting list. The company was going to rename the project Rivoli Flats after the former Rivoli Theater that occupied the space in 1925, but chose to keep it simple, going with North Main Flats instead. The company plans to upgrade the storefronts, but there is not a timeline for that yet, Mueller said.

Strong local knowledge and talent National perspective and resources The Greenville office of Jackson Lewis is highly regarded for its employment litigation practice, its prominent national ERISA practice, and its sophisticated wage and hour FLSA work. An integral member of the Jackson Lewis team is ELLISON MCCOY, who serves as the Litigation Manager for the Greenville office. Ellison has represented employers in litigation matters before state and federal administrative agencies and various state and federal trial and appellate courts. He devotes a significant amount of his practice to assisting employers with disability practice management, particularly issues arising under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Family and Medical Leave Act. In addition, he handles a wide-variety of employment matters involving claims such as discrimination based on race, sex, national origin, age and disability; sexual and racial harassment; wrongful discharge; retaliation; breach of contract; defamation; covenants not to compete and trade secret violations. Ellison also has extensive experience counseling clients on compliance issues and litigation avoidance strategies, and he regularly conducts management training programs on various employment-related topics. To learn more about the services we offer in Greenville, please contact Ellison McCoy or Office Managing Shareholder Stephanie Lewis at (864) 232-7000 or mccoyE@jacksonlewis.com; lewiss@jacksonlewis.com. With 800 attorneys practicing in major locations throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Jackson Lewis provides creative and strategic solutions to employers in every aspect of workplace law. To learn more about our services, visit www.jacksonlewis.com.

Greenville Office of Jackson Lewis P.C. 15 South Main Street • Suite 700 Greenville, South Carolina 29601 • (864) 232-7000

08.28.2015

upstatebusinessjournal.com

MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE

| INNOVATE | 17

The myths about entrepreneur spaces By JOHN MOORE CEO, NEXT

Far and away the most noted element of any entrepreneur ecosystem is the specialized facilities that house early-stage ventures. Unlike many of the other elements needed for successful startups, facilities are tangible, physical assets that can be visited, photographed and touched and thus they get the lion’s share of press and general community attention. For instance, the effort to support Greenville/Upstate entrepreneurs was relatively unknown until the opening of the NEXT Innovation Center in 2009 as the first high-impact entrepreneur facility in the Upstate region. They are high-profile and a critical resource for early-stage innovation-based companies. Unfortunately, many entrepreneur facilities never deliver on their promise to fill with high-growth ventures and generate high-paying jobs as they often misunderstand what drives success. Here are some of the biggest myths that often doom well-intending efforts to create thriving entrepreneur facilities. 1. It’s all cool buildings and shared conference rooms. Though these aspects are important and often the first things visitors notice when they visit co-location spaces, they are actually well down the list of wants by tenant entrepreneurs. More important to startups are density of companies, ecosystem support elements, and flexible lease terms, just to name a few. Yes, shared resources and cool architecture are important, but not primary. 2. As long as the space is cool, location isn’t that important. Location is still key. Though entrepreneurs are very committed to the community and redevelopment projects in struggling parts of town, they are still primarily motivated to find the optimal location for their venture to compete globally. After all, that is their job as CEO. The location must contribute to the company’s operating results by helping them attract world-class talent, close investment rounds, and serve as their oper-

ations hub for producing innovative goods and services. Yet communities sometimes force fit entrepreneur facilities where they desire future development but without checking to ensure the startups they target are interested in locating there. 3. Rent must be subsidized or free. Yes, discounted lease rates are attractive to young, cash-strapped ventures. But facilities that depend on deep discounting in order to attract entrepreneur tenants is not a sustainable model over the long term. Instead, communities should develop spaces that make market lease rates attractive even to early-stage startups through a combination of building attributes, support services and density of companies. To anyone skeptical of this market-driven approach, I encourage you to look at the NEXT Innovation Center in Greenville which has remained full since opening during the recession of 2009 without any lease subsidies or discounts. 4. If we build it, they will come. This is the biggest mistake I see here in South Carolina and around the country. Communities that realize the importance of entrepreneurs to their economic future usually make the mistake of starting their ecosystem development efforts by building an entrepreneur facility and then working

feverishly to fill it up. Like the mantra from the movie “Field of Dreams,” communities mistakenly believe that if they “build it, they will come.” Far too many locales invest major community resources, energy and political will to rehab an old downtown building, give it a hip new name, and announce it is open for business – all in hopes of attracting a groundswell of entrepreneurs to fill it up. Unfortunately, this very rarely works. Instead, the hoopla and energy surrounding the new facility announcement and opening is typically the high-water mark for the effort and several years later the facility remains half-full, if it remains open at all. In Greenville, we have taken a totally different approach with NEXT. We focused first on the entrepreneurs themselves and the variety of needs they have in the short term like support services, connections to investors, attraction of talent, etc. In fact, NEXT was in place for several years meeting and providing support services to more than 30 high-impact entrepreneurs before a building was ever envisioned. It was only when a group of existing entrepreneurs began asking about a co-location facility that we began working on the idea of a specialized facility, resulting two years later in the opening of the award-winning NEXT Innovation Center in partnership with Hughes

Development, a Greenville-based real estate development firm. Notice that there were no resources expended on a facility until (1) our customers began asking for one and (2) there were enough of them seriously interested to warrant community and private developer attention. To further mitigate the risk of developing such a property, the project was not finalized until a reasonable percentage of the space was committed to by NEXT companies. In other words, the NEXT Innovation Center was not a sure thing until the demand for the space was proven and entrepreneurs were committed to leasing space. Following this principle, we were thrilled to open the new NEXT on Main space in downtown Greenville this summer and are planning an exciting new NEXT space for early-stage manufacturing entrepreneurs later this year. Specialized facilities are a critical for many high-growth companies, and getting that element right is critical for any community’s effort to attract and support entrepreneurs. Avoiding these myths and learning from the successes and mistakes of others is critical for developing new startup spaces that truly meet the needs of entrepreneurs and thus help generate substantial returns for the community.

Shared resources and cool architecture are important, more important to startups are density of companies, ecosystem support elements, and flexible lease terms, just to name a few.

The new NEXT on Main entrepreneurial space is set to open this summer. Rendering provided by JSD Architecture.

18 | THE TAKEAWAY |

UBJ

NOTES FROM THE BEST TALKS YOU MISSED

UCAN marches toward ‘the Promised Land’ ‘We can see the milk and honey,’ says managing director Matt Dunbar By MEGAN SHERARD,

communications coordinator, Greenville Chamber

What do high-growth startups, Babe Ruth and the biblical book of Numbers have to do with each other? Not much, unless you’re Matt Dunbar. A GENESIS (TO NUMBERS) STORY Matt Dunbar moved back to Greenville from Atlanta in spring of 2008 to join the recently formed Upstate Carolina Angel Network (UCAN) as the managing director. Cofounders J.B. Holeman and Tim Reed took a chance on Dunbar, but as with many of the risks UCAN has taken, it proved to be well worth it. UCAN is a group of accredited investors who put their capital and expertise to work for high-growth startups across the Southeast. Dunbar compares it to the show “Shark Tank” – not because it’s the most apt reference, but because most people are familiar with the concept. “We’re not sharks,” Dunbar notes. “We’re trying to be angels.”

08.28.2015

23 companies in UCAN’s portfolio have generated more than 350 jobs. UCAN is currently ranked the eighth-best angel network in the nation based on investments, networks and exits. Dunbar refers to “numbers” in the literal sense and also as a biblical reference, saying, “We’re not quite to the Promised Land, but we’re excited about how far we’ve come. We can see the milk and honey.”

A NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE Dunbar, who collectively with UCAN investors has Ideal startups are capital-efficient, defensible, and reviewed over 1,400 business plans, embraces Babe scalable. While they’ve narrowed down key qualities, Ruth’s all-orthey’re a bit “agnostic” about industry, covering nothing playing markets such as life sciences, software, and indusstyle. “We’re trial/energy (and steak if you’re including New York swinging for the Butcher Shoppe, jokes Dunbar). Over the years, fences and we Dunbar has learned that not every business fits their know we’re model, and occasionally unexpected businesses going to strike happen to fit the bill. Also, sometimes it’s best to bet out a bunch,” your money on the jockey, not the horse, as the he says. success or failure of a >> venture often relies equally on the mindset of WHAT: The Greenville Chamber’s Friday Forum the entrepreneur as it SPEAKER: Matt Dunbar, managing director, Upstate does on the product itself. Carolina Angel Network So far, UCAN has TOPIC: “Angels Across the Palmetto State: Making a raised $200 million and Market for Early-Stage Capital in South Carolina” invested $12 million in 39 WHEN: July 31, 2015 campaigns. More than 80 percent of the money has WHERE: Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Conference Center been invested in South WHO WAS THERE: More than 100 business professionals Carolina companies. The

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08.28.2015

NOTES FROM THE BEST TALKS YOU MISSED

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>> One of the major risks taken by UCAN investors was the decision to assist Proterra with locating its headquarters and manufacturing plant in Greenville. Shortly after the move, the company’s hedge fund manager was convicted of a Ponzi scheme, unbeknownst to Proterra. Community leaders quickly coalesced and UCAN, with the help of SCRA, provided bridge financing to keep the company alive until June 2011, when Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers invested $30 million in Proterra. “It’s not something we would have typically done,” Dunbar says, but the risk paid off. Proterra has truly become one of their “rise-from-theashes stories,” or more appropriately, a home run. A BIG WIN All net job growth comes from startups, Dunbar says. “Long-term job growth comes from entrepreneurial startups. Over the long term it pays off, but early-stage capital is scarce.” To remedy this, UCAN advocated for legislation to incentivize angel investors, and after several years, the High Growth Small Business Job Creation Act finally passed in June 2013, providing angel investors with a 35 percent tax credit. “The Upstate Chamber Coalition was a leading champion for this,” notes Dunbar, who also credited many other organizations and advocates for the role they played in bringing the bill to fruition. Since the bill passed, there has been growth in qualified businesses (those qualified to accept investments that qualify for the tax credit), applications and credits approved with

| THE TAKEAWAY | 19

$3 million in credits awarded last year. THE FLYWHEEL EFFECT Dunbar isn’t gloating about the big wins or dwelling on the near deaths, but he is sharing the stories of the past as a way to sustain the momentum UCAN has worked so hard to build. Dunbar references the Flywheel Effect from Jim Collins’ book “Good to Great.” The theory is that while it takes great effort to turn the flywheel initially, with continued hard work, the wheel will eventually turn of its own accord from the momentum gained. He hopes to use the momentum UCAN has gained to continue improving South Carolina’s robust entrepreneurial infrastructure. He’s excited about continuing and expanding partnerships across the state with groups such as the Palmetto Angel Fund and the growing South Carolina Angel Network, which currently consists of eight groups and over 200 investors. KEEPING THE MOMENTUM UP With Dunbar at the helm, UCAN will continue turning the flywheel, swinging for the fences and cultivating the next generation of jobs and companies. But they can’t do it alone. UCAN may be ranked one of the top angel networks in the nation, but he’s made it clear that they haven’t gotten there on their own. Dunbar consistently shines the light on others and insists on the important role the community plays. “We’re blessed to live in this business community,” Dunbar says. “We may be a small state, but we’re powerful together.”

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20 | ON THE MOVE |

UBJ

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

HIRED

APPOINTED

08.28.2015

ELECTED

Jess Smith

Naomi Sargent

Katherine H. Odom

Lynn Brown-Bulloch

Gregory M. Tate

Named desktop support engineer at EDTS. Smith has more than seven years of combined professional experience in networking, support and system security across multiple industries including healthcare, telecommunications, manufacturing and professional services.

Named director of college town and quality of place by the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the College Town Board of Directors. Sargent will collaborate with partner organizations to position Spartanburg and market the community.

Named a wealth advisor with South State Bank Wealth Management Group. Odom has worked as a trust team manager for the philanthropic services team with a large national bank and was most recently the wealth relationship manager for the Upstate South Carolina market with a privately held regional bank.

Named to the board of examiners for the 2015 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Bulloch is MBA program director at Southern Wesleyan University. Examiners are responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the Baldrige Award, as well as other assessment-related tasks.

Named chairman of the Spartanburg County Commission for Technical & Community Education. Tate worked as CFO and controller for more than 30 years in the construction industry. He is currently a financial consultant for contractors.

COMMUNITY The Riley Institute’s Diversity Leaders Initiative selected the following members to its 20th Class of Fellows: George Allwes, vice president of retail at Goodwill Industries; Shafiq Anwar, CIO at Michelin North America; Paul Butler, senior vice president at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System; Brenda Byrd, assistant superintendent for school leadership at Greenville County Schools; Kelly Callahan, vice president and COO at United Way Association of South Carolina; Anna Cass, clinical assistant professor at Greenville Health System/University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville; Troy Chisolm, administrator of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at GHS; Pam Christopher, president and CEO, Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce; Chrissie Cofield, assistant chief at Laurens Police Department; Neal Collins, member of the S.C. House of Representatives and attorney at Carolina Law & Mediation LLC; Pam Davis, director of Bridges to a Brighter Future at Furman University; Gary Eichelberger, associate priest for faith development and worship at Christ Church Episcopal; Richard Everly, vice president paint, BMW Manufacturing LLC; Jessica Fisher, senior corporate counsel at Michelin; Stephanie Griffin, finance project manager

at BMW; Paul Grosskopf, vice president of R&D at Michelin; Linda Hannon, manager of government and community relations at Duke Energy; Scott Henderson, professor of education at Furman, Jo Anne Hennigan, vice president at Michelin; Gary Hill, S.C. Circuit Judge; Cornelius Huff, mayor of the city of Inman; Neil Jamerson, assistant vice president for student development at Furman; Rodney Johnson, principal/director at Lead Academy Public Charter School; Leonard Kupersmith, headmaster at Christ Church Episcopal School; Chad Lawson, communications manager at Spartanburg Water; Wes Lehrer, Spartanburg market president at BB&T; Becky Mann, director of executive communications at public relations at Greenville Technical College; Derek McGowan, program manager STEM, generations and higher education at Lockheed Martin; Ricky McGrady, section manager at BMW; Diane McNeil, vice president of finance/CFO at Urban League of the Upstate Inc.; Curt McPhail, principal at Greenlab Strategies; Jordana Megonigal, publisher at Business Black Box; Kenneth Miller, chief of Greenville Police Department; Ty Miller, lieutenant over administration at Greenville County Sheriff’s Office; Terri Newsom, vice president and CFO at GHS; Kimaka Nichols-Graham, managing attorney and education unit

head at South Carolina Legal Services; Josh Patterson, principal at Oakland Elementary School; Steven Prior, director of supplier diversity and small business development at Michelin; Jim Shew, director of national accounts at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; Susi Smith, executive director at Communities in Schools of Greenville; Rob Stevens, senior manager at Elliot Davis Decosimo LLC; Chris Tolbert, career manager at Michelin; Johannes Trauth, vice president of human resources at BMW; Charles Weathers, founder of The Weathers Group; and Hubert Yarborough, vice president of development at Propel HR. The commissioners of the Duncan Chapel Fire District in northern Greenville County promoted Russell Watson to chief. Watson previously served as assistant chief and interim chief.

DEVELOPMENT O’Neal Inc. hired Ben Childs as process engineer and Mike Thompson as senior procurement manager. Childs previously worked with Ascend Performance Materials in South Carolina, Alabama and Florida.

Thompson has more than 20 years of procurement expertise and previously worked at Enviva.

EDUCATION The Spartanburg County Commission for Technical & Community Education named new officers. William G. Sarratt, representing Spartanburg County School District 6, will serve as vice chairman. Sarratt joined the commission in 1997 and previously served two terms as vice chair. He is retired as vice president of operations from Roebuck Builders. Tracy W. Keller, representing Spartanburg County School District 3, joined the commission in 2012 and will serve as secretary. He works with Denny’s Corporation as senior manager of Denny’s Real Estate Portfolio at the corporate office in Spartanburg.

ENVIRONMENT EnviroSouth Inc. named Jonathan D. Gerst as branch manager of the Spartanburg office. Gerst has more than six years of professional experience. He will help expand the company’s local service area. >>

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

08.28.2015

upstatebusinessjournal.com

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

| ON THE MOVE | 21

VIP

H. Mills Gallivan Named president-elect of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel. Gallivan is a shareholder at Gallivan, White & Boyd, PA. He has more than 39 years of experience serving clients as a civil defense litigator. He focuses his practice on mediation, alternative dispute resolution and serving as a Special Referee.

WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE GROWING FOR OUR GREATEST ASSET OUR CLIENTS Integral Solutions Group & Radiate Technologies are now one.

>> HOSPITALITY McKibbon Hotel Management Inc. added three members to its team at the Aloft Greenville Downtown. Ashley Stidfole, previously director of sales and hospitality for Cherokee Valley Golf Club, will serve as sales manager. Claire Bray, previously an inside sales representative for SYNNEX Corporation, will serve as sales and catering manager. Alison Richards, previously with The Westin Poinsett Hotel and Charleston Bay Gourmet, will serve as sales and service coordinator.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud to announce that Radiate Technologies is now an Integral Solution. With this long anticipated merger, Integral Solutions Group is now the largest IT company in South Carolina. As Radiate becomes fully integrated, we will expand our offerings, giving you even greater access to our IT and cloud services, data backup and recovery, monitoring, network security, virtualization, and the only Tier IV commercial data center in the state.

MEDICAL Bon Secours Medical Group added three doctors and two specialists to its local physician network. Jennifer Smart joined Powdersville Family Practice. Daniel G. Smith joined Mountain View Family Medicine. Meredith Vejnar joined Premier Family Medicine. James A. Merriam joined Upstate Cardiology. Dylan J. Watson joined Piedmont Orthopaedic Associates.

To learn more, call one of our team specialists at 1-800-975-6060 or visit us online.

www.integralsg.com

22 | THE FINE PRINT |

UBJ

BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

5 chosen for Michelin Development assistance Five Upstate businesses will receive financial help from Michelin Development, a subsidiary of Michelin North America, the company announced in a news release. Michelin Development provides low-interest loans and business expertise to startups and small businesses in key regions where Michelin has operations and facilities. The Upstate is home to Michelin’s North America headquarters and several major tire facilities. The Michelin Development program has aimed to support economically and socially disadvantaged small business owners in the Upstate since 2009. The five new businesses in the Upstate are receiving a total of $162,000 and have the potential to generate more than 80 jobs across the Upstate, the release said. The five businesses receiving loans are Anchor Bat Company, makers of wood baseball bats; Palmetto Surface Solutions, provider of services to maintain athletic and asphalt surfaces; Nutty Scientists of Greenville, creators of handson science activities for students; Gregory Formal Wear on the Go, offering house calls, fittings and deliveries to customers wherever they are; and Moe Joe Coffee and Music, a coffee house and music venue. To learn more about Michelin Development programs or apply for a loan, visit michelindevelopment.com.

KEMET Partnership makes humanitarian outreach in DRC KEMET Corporation, a global supplier of electronic components headquartered in Greenville, announced this week that its Partnership for Social and Economic Sustainability is “making a substantial humanitar-

08.28.2015

ian impact” in Kisengo, a conflict-free tantalum mining region in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). KEMET has made contributions to the KEMET Partnership for projects such as a school, medical clinic, fresh water wells, solar street lighting, as well as road and bridge repairs, according to a release from the company. Supplies delivered to Kisengo consisted of a variety of medical and school equipment, including 2,000 Duracell LED flashlights intended to enhance reading, safety and mobility for the schoolchildren. “Seeing the children in Kisengo hold flashlights for the first time and their reaction of pure joy is impactful,” said Per Loof, KEMET chief executive. “For many of us, we take light for granted. But for the community in Kisengo, a flashlight can profoundly change a child’s life.” Since 2010, KEMET has focused on the sourcing of conflict-free tantalum ores from the DRC, said the company. This resulted in one of the electronics industry’s “first comprehensive, socially and economically sustainable sourcing models based on tantalum ore from the DRC and culminated in the only closed pipe, vertically integrated conflict-free supply chain,” according to the release. More information is available at kemet.com/conflictfree.

Duke Energy issues RFPs for solar projects Duke Energy last week issued a request for proposals (RFP) for about 53 megawatts (AC) of utility-scale solar capacity to be in-service in its South Carolina service areas by the end of 2016. The announcement is another step forward in Duke Energy’s Distributed Energy Resource Program, which was approved by the Public Service Commission on July 15, the company said in a release. The RFP gives bidders the flexibility to offer a power-purchase agreement to the company, or to provide a proposal through which Duke Energy would take ownership of the proposed project. Utility-scale projects should be greater than 1 and no more than 10 megawatts in capacity. In a separate RFP, the company seeks up to 5 megawatts of solar capacity for its Shared Solar Program, an offer that will allow multiple customers to subscribe to the output of a specific solar facility and share in the economic benefits of the power produced. Projects should be greater than 250 kilowatts and no more than 1 megawatt of capacity. The company anticipates the Shared Solar Program will be particularly attractive to customers who want to receive the benefits of renewable energy but may not be able to install solar on their premises, such as renters or those who live in multifamily housing. The deadline for both RFPs is mid-October. More information about the Duke Energy RFP is available at duke-energy.com/generate-your-own-power/sc-renewable-energy-certs.asp.

USC faculty awarded $242.8M for research in 2015 Spurred by research in medicine, energy and law, the University of South Carolina set a record for sponsored award funding during the 2015 fiscal year. In total, university faculty garnered $242.8 million in sponsored awards; a 5.5 percent increase over last year’s funding, according to a statement by the university. The largest 2015 sponsored awards support a wide variety of initiatives, including $18.4 million from the National Institutes of Health to continue the South Carolina IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program; >>

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>> $8.3 million from the National Institutes of Health to continue the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Center; $5.5 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to manage a competitive grants program; $4.7 million from the U.S. Department of State to fund the Justice Sector Training, Research and Coordination Program (JusTRAC); and $4 million from the Department of Energy to validate current procedures for storing used nuclear fuel and investigate advanced methods for handling and storing used fuel. “USC’s faculty set two sponsored award records in the past year because of their hard work, excellence and willingness to go the distance by collaborating, innovating and working to achieve more than ever,” said university President Harris Pastides. “That they were able to make these strides in such a competitive funding climate makes their accomplishments all the more impressive. Their success is an inspiration to me, to our students and to the entire Gamecock community.”

SCRA releases bestever annual results SCRA’s preliminary (unaudited) results for fiscal year (FY) 2015, which ended June 30, are the best in the company’s history, SCRA reported this week. The results include annual revenues of $399 million and a year-end total backlog of $1.02 billion, SCRA said. Year-over-year revenue growth was 140 percent overall, while operating earnings grew 130 percent, based upon incremental re-investment opportunities. Year-over-year total backlog growth was 121 percent. FY15 operating earnings, excluding innovation center operations, stood at $4.4 million, a level representative for non-profit R&D companies. “SCRA hit $100 million in revenue in 2008, our 25th year of operation,” said SCRA CEO Bill Mahoney. “By our 30th year of operation, revenue was at $200 million, and we rose to $399 million in revenue in 2015, our 32nd year of operation. I am pleased with this accelerating business trend, which enables us to incrementally re-invest into the state’s high-tech economy, fulfilling our economic development mission. My appreciation goes to our SCRA associates for successful execution this year, and I look forward to a productive year ahead.”

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