Greenville is not here merely to swim in the wake of the future, but to be a part of building it. We are positioned like few other communities to innovate, advance, invent, develop and prosper.
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OUR AMBITIONS ARE GREAT.
WHAT WILL IT TAKE? Foresight. Intelligence. Commitment. A well-trained workforce. A collaborative environment. Generosity of time, spirit and financial resources. And one more thing:
COURAGE.
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ACCELERATE EXISTS TO BULLDOZE BARRIERS AND PAVE THE WAY FOR THE FUTURE.
Accelerate is Greenville’s private sector fueled economic development initiative. It exists above and beyond regular Greenville Chamber initiatives in an aggressive and forward-thinking effort to cultivate further growth. Results to date have been more than promising. We have identified four major strategies for growth to take our region into the future: • GROW NEW COMPANY HEADQUARTERS • POSITION OUR WORKFORCE FOR 21ST CENTURY OPPORTUNITIES • INCREASE THE NUMBER OF, AND THE PERFORMANCE OF MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES. • LEAD NEW TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS:
“NEXT made our launch and our current success that much faster, easier and smarter. This is exactly how a town should support a start-up business.”
GROW NEW COMPANY HEADQUARTERS
JON-MICHIAL CARTER CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, CHARTSPAN NEXT is proof positive that a well-focused and collaborative effort can make a difference in the economy of Greenville.
ACCELERATING FORWARD
RESULTS SINCE 2013
WHAT WE WILL DO WITH ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS:
New Full-Time Jobs Created | 851 New Capital Investment | $180 million
Companies keep the majority of their wealth where they’re headquartered. NEXT is building an ecosystem where risk takers and pioneers can thrive and generate high-quality jobs and wealth.
MILESTONES High growth companies supported | 164 Over 2,000 support efforts with entrepreneurs Launched two new entrepreneur facilities– NEXT on Main and NEXT Manufacturing Maintained NEXT Innovation Center at capacity Successful exit | 1
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Total Payroll Paid Out | $252 million
OUR GOALS TO 2020 INCLUDE: New full-time jobs created | 1,000 New capital investments | $200 million Total payrolls paid out | $300 million High growth companies supported | 250 Finalize NEXT Manufacturing Phase Two launch, maintain 90% capacity at all three facilities and explore new life-science facility Successful exits | 2
STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS:
POSITION OUR WORKFORCE FOR 21 ST CENTURY OPPORTUNITIES
ACCELERATING FORWARD
Greenville has a tightening labor market and employers are finding it difficult to fill many critical positions. Our unemployment rate is at its lowest since 2001 and there are currently more than 20,000 jobs advertised in the Upstate.
WHAT WE WILL DO WITH ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS:
ACTION IN NEED OF ACCELERATION
Workforce is the differentiating factor when communities compete for capital investment and jobs. The region that best solves that problem will be the one that accelerates its growth to a new level.
placing a highly skilled workforce.
“An educated, talented and skilled workforce continues to be a driving force for international firms like Fluor to consider relocating or choose to expand their operations in the area.” JAMES BROWN GREENVILLE GENERAL MANAGER, FLUOR
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Meeting the needs of employers by expanding, training and
OUR GOALS TO 2020 INCLUDE: Expand the pool of eligible workers in the region | Ease the barriers to gainful employment Expand the pool of trained workers in the region | Work with key partners to align workforce systems with employer needs Expand the number of employed workers in the region | Work with education institutions to identify opportunities to connect the right students to the right employers
STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS: INCREASE THE NUMBER OF, AND THE PERFORMANCE OF MINORIT Y-OWNED BUSINESSES
“The Minority Business Accelerator program has been exceedingly beneficial to our Team. We have gained tremendous value from the network of peers and mentors, as well as the tools to help us be intentional about growing in a sustainable way.” JAMES JORDON CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, JORDON CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
ACCELERATING FORWARD WHAT WE WILL DO WITH ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS:
The Minority Business Accelerator is one of five like-minded programs in the
Diversity is essential to a well-rounded and resilient economy. We intend to continue funding the Minority Business Accelerator, supplier diversity and more efforts to foster inclusiveness.
country. Since its inception in 2013, it has had a tangible economic impact
RESULTS SINCE 2013 Firms served | 33 Contracts awarded/revenue increases | $4.8 million Jobs created | 80 Introductions/referrals | 114 RFP/RFQ opportunities | 43 Capital/financing | $1 million
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throughout the region.
OUR GOALS TO 2020 INCLUDE: Total number of minority-owned businesses served | 60 Contracts revenue | $15 million Increase in jobs announced by minority business executives | 100 Recruitment of companies participating in supplier diversity efforts | 5 Increase in introductions and referrals | 200 Increase RFPs/RFQs | 100 Increase capital/financing | $2 million
FORBES MAGAZINE LISTS GREENVILLE AS ONE OF THE TOP CITIES WITH THE GREATEST CAPACIT Y FOR INNOVATION.
STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS:
LEAD NEW TRANSFORMATIVE PROJEC TS Visionaries have helped Greenville and the region accomplish things that were
“The USC School of Medicine Greenville is a perfect example of a collaborative effort. Greenville Health System working in conjunction with the business leadership of Accelerate and our academic health partners created something very special and future-forward.” MICHAEL RIORDAN CEO, GREENVILLE HEALTH SYSTEM
seemingly impossible twenty years ago. Our community has been transformed in ways that are the envy of many others our size and larger. Our intention is to build on this transformative momentum.
ACCELERATING FORWARD WHAT WE WILL DO WITH ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS:
USC School of Medicine • Of 49 graduates of the inaugural Class of 2016, 100% were placed, 25% matched for GHS residencies, and 50% are pursuing primary care, our region’s most critical need • Full Accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) Southwest Airlines | Upon their arrival, some carriers responded competitively into some markets, which included: • Decreased fares • Increased size of aircraft • Increased frequency of flights
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RECENT RESULTS
Greenville has been shaped by big thinking. An international airport. A technical college. A medical school. A performing arts center. A downtown baseball stadium. An automotive research center. Accelerate exists in large measure to help spark and support game-changing projects.
OUR GOALS TO 2020 INCLUDE: Support IMED, the overarching brand for a chain of life sciences/ biomedical/healthcare innovation campuses to be developed along the I-185 and I-85 corridors Identify and lead transformative projects in collaboration with economic development allies
Please consider investing in Accelerate. Let’s keep Greenville growing, building, incubating and encouraging new and existing businesses.
As Michelangelo said,
“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”
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And let’s do it responsibly. Intelligently. Diversely. Realistically. Let’s keep striving to make our region the envy of successful, prosperous communities everywhere.
ACCELERATE
ACCELERATEGREENVILLE.COM 864-242-1050