Live Here. Love Here. by Greenville Chamber

livability.com/sc/greenville

2 Greenville

CONTENTS PHOTO: VISIT GREENVILLE SC

2019 EDITION • VOLUME 1

ARTS, CUISINE & COMMUNITY

BUSINESS CLIMATE

ARTS, CUISINE & COMMUNITY

BUSINESS CLIMATE

EDUCATION & WORKFORCE

HEALTH CARE

Strong Sense of Community Though Greenville may seem like an overnight sensation, its success has been years in the making.

Spirit of Greenville Greenville’s diverse economy and its well-established support network for entrepreneurs and innovators make the region a destination of choice for businesses and individuals.

Talent Scouts

Greenville earns an A+ for effort in bringing innovative initiatives, such as the Graduation Plus program, to its schools.

Good Medicine The presence of two major health care systems gives Greenville residents access to the highest quality care and the latest in technology and treatments.

5 Overview 43 Economic Profile

6 Discover 44 Community Profile

INNOVATION

LOCATION & RECREATION

Greenville’s entrepreneurial ecosystem punches above its weight.

Active lifestyle opportunities abound in Greenville.

Power in Partnership Made for the Outdoors

LOCATION & RECREATION

36 livability.com/sc/greenville

2019 EDITION • VOLUME 1

DISCOVER ALL THERE IS ABOUT Greenville

GREENVILLE South Carolina

MEDIA A DIVISION OF JOURNAL COMMUNICATIONS, INC

Livability Greenville, South Carolina is published annually by Livability Media, a division of Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Greenville Chamber of Commerce. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by email at info@jnlcom.com. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Greenville Chamber 24 Cleveland St. Greenville, SC 29601 (866) 485-5262 • greenvillechamber.org VISIT Livability Greenville, South Carolina ONLINE AT livability.com/sc/greenville ©Copyright 2018 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine

livability.com/sc/greenville 4 Greenville

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OVERVIEW

GREENVILLE, S.C.: ‘A DYNAMIC COMMUNITY THAT EAGERLY EMBRACES NEWCOMERS’ “If Greenville were a stock, I would say that we are a ‘strong buy. ’” Thanks for taking the time to learn more about Greenville, South Carolina. In the following pages, you will read stories from people who have found Greenville to be a welcoming place to further their careers, raise their families and enjoy an unparalleled quality of life. As a fairly recent relocatee myself, I have found Greenville to be a very dynamic community that eagerly embraces newcomers from around the globe. Greenville’s success is increasingly recognized by many. Some of our more recent Top 10 accolades include:

• #2 Best Cities in America to Start a Business In – Home

• Top 10 Small Cities Where Business is Thriving

Whether you are just starting out in your career, looking to take your career to the next level or are at a point where you are considering where you want to spend your post-career years, Greenville has something to offer you. The stories and information presented in Live Here. Love Here will showcase the interesting and engaging career and lifestyle opportunities that await in an affordable, high-quality community where it is easy to connect and become engaged. The Greenville Chamber’s vision is for a globally competitive Upstate economy where businesses succeed and people prosper. I am confident that you will find our region to be living out that bold vision every day. Through innovative business leadership, strong public-private partnerships and a community that is willing to weigh in on important issues, Greenville

continues to transform itself. We hope you will make the decision to buy into Greenville and join us on this journey to accelerate our economic and community prosperity. I look forward to seeing you in Greenville soon!

W. Carlos Phillips President & CEO Greenville Chamber

– Entrepreneur

• #3 Top New Foodie Cities in America – People

• #3 Top Small Cities in the US – Conde Nast

• Top 10 Cycling Cities in the United States

– Global Cycling Network

• Top 10 Cities for Millennials to Live In – Growella

livability.com/sc/greenville

DISCOVER GREENVILLE

THIS THRIVING COMMUNITY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA OFFERS AN OUTSTANDING QUALITY OF LIFE

265 miles 4 hours 18 minutes

Raleigh

63 miles 1 hour 15 minutes

Asheville

miles Charlotte 100 1 hour 45 minutes miles Spartanburg 2935 minutes

GREENVILLE Atlanta 145 miles 2 hours 25 minutes

Columbia 103 miles 1 hour 40 minutes

Charleston

210 miles 3 hours 20 minutes

Savannah

257 miles 3 hours 57 minutes

COST OF LIVING INDEX Greenville, SC:

DRIVING DISTANCES TO SELECT CITIES

$225K

94.7 Atlanta, GA: Raleigh, NC: 99.0 105.0 Charleston, SC: Charlotte, NC: 104.0 96.2 $1,115

Median sales price for a home in Greenville County (includes single-family homes, townhomes, and condos) Source: MLS, 2018

U.S. average = 100

Source: C2ER Cost of Living Index, 2017 average

6 Greenville

Average rent for a two-bedroom apartment Source: rentcafe.com

MAJOR EMPLOYMENT SECTORS (based on % of nonfarm jobs) Category Percentage Health Care and Social Assistance �� 14.1% Administrative Support and Support Services �� 12.9% Manufacturing �� 11.3% Retail Trade �� 10.7% Accommodation and Food Service �� 9.2% Educational Services �� 5.8% Wholesale Trade �� 5.1% Construction �� 4.7% Finance and Insurance �� 4.0% Stat Source: SC Department of Employment and Workforce, 3rd Quarter 2017

GREENVILLE ACCOLADES 16 Under-the-Radar Southern Food Destinations, Zagat 2016 Top 100 Best Places to Live, Livability.com 2018 Best Cities to Start a Business, WalletHub 2018 52 Places to Go in the World, New York Times 2017

57.5% 22 15+

Commuters in the Upstate who travel 10 or fewer miles to work

Miles of greenway on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a favorite spot for hikers and bikers

Median age in Greenville

$54,819 Median household income in Greenville in 2018

300

Waterfalls within an hour’s drive of Greenville

300+

Major events and festivals each year, from outdoor concerts to nationally ranked street festivals

Craft breweries in the Greenville area

GREENVILLE KEY INDUSTRIES

A Diverse Economy Greenville’s thriving economy includes concentrations in a number of industry sectors. Advanced Materials: Greenville’s successful history in manufacturing has created an advanced materials and composites sector that includes polymers, metal alloys and nano-materials. Automotive: More than 120 automotive organizations/suppliers operate in the metro area, employing more than 30,000 workers. Aviation/Aerospace: Extensive high-quality infrastructure and the availability of a skilled workforce have made Greenville attractive to the aviation and aerospace industry. Biosciences: A high concentration of pharmaceutical and biotech talent and groundbreaking R&D facilities make Greenville a bioscience hub.

Data Centers: Greenville is attractive to data center facilities, thanks to competitive advantages such as a low natural disaster risk, low-cost power and redundant fiber.

Distribution & Logistics: Advantages that Greenville offers the logistics industry include mega-growth along the Interstate 85 corridor, two airports and favorable labor costs. livability.com/sc/greenville

ARTS, CUISINE & COMMUNITY

Strong Sense of

COMMUNITY W

ith more than a half million residents, Greenville is a community on the rise. Though it may seem like an overnight sensation, its success has been decades in the making. Greenville embraced walkability and the use of ample green space years before it became fashionable. The community offers a wealth of cultural treasures that includes

the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Dance Arts Greenville and International Ballet. The communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural centerpiece is the Peace Center, a multiuse performing arts venue that includes a 2,100-seat concert hall and a 400-seat theater. The center hosts events including classical, jazz, country, bluegrass, folk, pop and rock

concerts, as well as comedy acts and Broadway shows. Resident companies at the center include the Greenville Chorale. From spring to fall, residents can enjoy a variety of free weekly outdoor concert series and movies. A staple of downtown from May through October is the TD Saturday Market, where visitors can buy locally produced fruit, vegetables,

This page: The Peace Center, adjacent to Falls Park in Greenville, is one of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature entertainment venues. Opposite page: The Greenville Center for Creative Arts, left, offers children and adults the opportunity to experience hands-on arts education. The TD Saturday Market, right, is a staple of downtown Greenville.

8 Greenville

PHOTO, THIS PAGE: VISIT GREENVILLE, SC

FROM CULTURE TO CUISINE TO OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES, Story by Jessica Walker Boehm GREENVILLE OFFERS THE WHOLE PACKAGE

meat, eggs, cheese and other homegrown fare. While Greenville has its eyes fixed on the future, it preserves and celebrates its culture through standout museums such as the Upcountry History Museum, Carolina Music Museum and the Children’s Museum of the Upstate, which is the only children’s museum in the country affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution.

PHOTOS, THIS PAGE: KRIS DECKER/FIREWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

FROM TEXTILE MILLS TO GALLERIES Textile mills, warehouses and factories once dominated the West End Historic District, a neighborhood that dates to the 1830s. Today, it is known as the arts and entertainment center of the region, and offers a dozen restaurants and an array of shops and boutiques. Greenville is home to an eclectic mix of galleries that one might only expect to find in a community many times its size. To name but two: the Greenville County Museum of Art, which features the world’s largest public collection of watercolors by Andrew Wyeth; and the Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery, which displays Old Masters like Rubens, van Dyck, Tintoretto and Cranach.

‘Artists have seen the potential of this area’ Cherington Love Shucker Executive Director Greenville Center for Creative Arts

fter approximately 20 years living elsewhere – including a decade in Manhattan – Greenville native Cherington Love Shucker returned to her hometown with her husband, ceramic artist Darin R. Gehrke, and their daughter in 2014. Shucker says they chose Greenville because of its welcoming, family-friendly vibe, along with its vibrant arts and culture scene, which was a must for the couple. “We knew my husband could be a successful full-time artist in Greenville,” Shucker says. “Plus, I loved the idea of raising my daughter in the place that gave me so much.” As Shucker was settling in to her new life, she was approached by a group of Greenville locals who were interested in opening an arts center that would be a hub for the visual arts and offer year-round art classes for children and adults. The group, now known as the founding members of the

nonprofit Greenville Center for Creative Arts, asked her to take on the role of executive director, which Shucker says has been a perfect fit for her. “I moved back to Greenville with the mantra ‘I want to effect positive change in my hometown,’ and being part of the Greenville Center for Creative Arts has been a wonderful way for me to do just that,” Shucker says. Open since May 2015, the center is situated in the recently revitalized Brandon Mill in the Village of West Greenville that is considered by many to be the community’s primary arts district, thanks to its dozens of galleries and artists’ studios. “The Village of West Greenville is a walkable community with fabulous restaurants, residential properties, retailers and art galleries galore,” Shucker says. “Artists have seen the potential of this area, and they are unleashing their creativity.” livability.com/sc/greenville

‘Public art brings people together’ Adam Schrimmer Blank Canvas Mural Co.

hrough the creation of public art, artist Adam Schrimmer of Blank Canvas Mural Co. in Greenville is helping enhance neighborhoods across the community while bringing residents together in a unique and meaningful way. Schrimmer is involved with The Greenville Housing Authority’s (TGHA) Communities of Opportunity Mural Program, in which he works with those living in TGHA properties to design and create murals that contain prominent historic figures and other concepts such as pride and freedom. While Schrimmer typically paints one of each community’s murals, residents paint the rest with his guidance, and all works of art are displayed on formerly plain spaces, such as refuse enclosures, in their residences. “We’re finding ways to beautify neighborhoods while giving the residents

a real sense of ownership,” says Schrimmer, an artist who has lived in Greenville since 2011. “The message behind each mural is whatever the community wants to say, and kids love getting involved, so there’s a lot of fun and whimsy in every design.” The first Communities of Opportunity Mural Program concept is on display at the Gallery at West Greenville, a 66-unit complex on South Textile Street that includes 12 units for

artists. Painted by Schrimmer and inspired by residents’ ideas, the complex now features a large mural of Maya Angelou adorned with flowers – a powerful image that will be enjoyed and admired for years to come. “Public art brings people together,” Schrimmer says. “This is a wonderful way for people to express themselves, and I believe this program has the ability to find great success in Greenville.”

GREENVILLE EMERGES AS A DINING DESTINATION With more than 600 restaurants and cuisine offerings to match any palate, Greenville is setting the table as a foodie destination. Vogue magazine in fall 2017 noted that Greenville is making “a name for itself on the culinary map.” From the meat and vegetable delights at Aryana Afghan Cuisine to the signature pasta dishes at Jianna to the Tex-Mex inspired offerings at Willy Taco Feed & Seed, Greenville’s diversity in dining experiences and innovative restaurant concepts have given it a status as an emerging food location.

10 Greenville

Top: One of the works of the Communities of Opportunity Mural Program of The Greenville Housing Authority. Bottom: Caviar & Bananas, a newcomer to Greenville’s diverse dining scene. Longtime fixtures such as Southern dining staple Soby’s have been joined by relative newcomers such as Caviar & Bananas and the Anchorage. The thirst for craft beers, wine and spirits has cultivated a roster of outlets that includes Swamp Rabbit Brewery & Taproom, Quest Brewing Co., Brewery 85, Thomas Creek Brewery, Grape & Grains, Northhampton Wine + Dine

and City Scape Winery. Birds Fly South Ale Project, which opened in a century-old cotton warehouse in the Water Tower District, made the cover of Beer Advocate in 2017 as one of the 34 Best New Breweries in the U.S. Local flavor is a theme that runs throughout Greenville’s restaurants, with an emphasis on sourcing food and ingredients from local and regional farms.

ARTS, CUISINE & COMMUNITY

‘We’re focused on the relationships we have with farmers’ Mary Walsh Co-owner, Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery

he Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery, open since September 2011, is often credited with helping to spark Greenville’s local food revolution – and for good reason. Mary Walsh, who opened the dining destination and food hub with Jacqueline (Jac) Oliver, says there wasn’t anything quite like it in Greenville at the time. The duo wanted to provide a place where residents could purchase food produced by area farmers and support a sustainable food system. After finding the right spot – a building on the famed Swamp Rabbit Trail near

downtown Greenville – their shared vision came to life. “We source food from more than 200 farmers each year, and about 90 percent of those farmers are within a half-hour drive from us,” Walsh says. “More than anything, we’re focused on the relationships we have with farmers, and we’re proud to buy directly from them.” The Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery, named the Greenville Chamber’s 2017 Small Business of the Year, has grown exponentially since its inception and is now home to a wood-fired pizza restaurant,

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an artisan bakery, a whole animal butchery, a space for cooking classes and an expanded grocery store. Walsh says Swamp Rabbit’s success is rooted in large part to the community’s strong support and growing interest in local food. “The local food movement is really gaining ground in Greenville,” Walsh says. “Many people in our community understand the importance of buying local and supporting farmers, and more and more restaurants are opening with a focus on serving locally produced foods.”

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ARTS, CUISINE & COMMUNITY

‘Our community is definitely gaining notoriety’ Greg McPhee Owner, The Anchorage

n integral part of Greenville’s thriving and growing food scene, The Anchorage opened in the Village of West Greenville in January of 2017.

farmers with local buyers] and New Appalachia in Boone [purveyors of local, organic and unique food], so we’re able to access about 350 farms between North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and eastern Tennessee,” says Greg, who also serves as The Anchorage’s executive chef. Named a semifinalist in the category of Best New Restaurant by the James Beard

Foundation in 2018, The Anchorage is one of Greenville’s newest foodie favorites – but according to Greg, the community is just getting started when it comes to quality culinary offerings. “We’re starting to see a more eclectic variety of restaurants in Greenville,” Greg says. “There’s a strong push for fast-casual places with the same mentality you’d normally find in

Husband-and-wife team Greg and Beth McPhee, the restaurant’s owners, were attracted to the village’s strong arts community, and they’ve found quick success in the neighborhood with a focus on sourcing local ingredients and serving up small plates, craft cocktails and beer, and sustainable wine. “We work with about 18 producers in the area for produce and protein, and we have connections with GrowFood Carolina in Charleston [a food hub connecting local

Dan Weidenbenner Mill Village Farms

an Weidenbenner moved to Greenville in 2007 to attend Furman University, and after falling in love with the community, he decided to stick around after graduation and put down roots in a more permanent way by launching Mill Village Farms in 2012. Based in West Greenville, Mill Village Farms is a nonprofit organization that transforms vacant properties into gardens to grow produce for communities with limited access to fresh and local foods.

12 Greenville

Weidenbenner started the effort, which is part of Mill Community Ministries, after realizing there was a need for both fresh produce and jobs in the community – specifically for those in high school. “Healthy food access can be a real challenge in our neighborhood of Greater Sullivan, and we realized we had a lot of vacant land where we could grow fruits and vegetables,” Weidenbenner says. “We started with a small urban farm on our church’s property [Long Branch Baptist Church] and raised the money necessary to employ teens who wanted jobs, then sold the produce back into the

neighborhood at an affordable rate.” Mill Village Farms quickly expanded and is now operating four farms in Greenville that employ more than 40 teenagers throughout the year, and its produce is available at local farmers markets and through a branch of FoodShare SC, a fresh food box program. In addition, the organization offers educational programs for young people in areas such as entrepreneurship, cooking,

THE ANCHORAGE: WILLIAM CROOKS

‘People tend to be very generous with their resources’

a fine-dining setting, focusing on sustainable products and healthy menu items, and we have a fast-growing craft beer scene that adds to Greenville’s appeal as a place to enjoy food and drink. Our community is definitely gaining notoriety across the country, which is exciting for us, and I think Greenville is poised for more recognition as it continues to grow and evolve.”

A Festive Mood Greenville knows how to have fun. Here’s Just a small sample of events, festivals and fairs that take place in the region:

ARTISPHERE Named as one of the nation’s best art fairs in 2017 by ArtFairCalendar.com, Artisphere draws thousands to downtown Greenville in May for a three-day event that includes works for sale by exhibiting artists, juried competitions, musical performances and culinary demonstrations.

EUPHORIA GREENVILLE Created in 2006 by singer-songwriter Edwin McCain and restaurateur Carl Sobocinski, the four-day September event in downtown Greenville includes tasting events, musical experiences, cooking demonstrations and wine seminars, as well as multicourse dinners and live music concerts.

FALL FOR GREENVILLE Billed as one of the most popular outdoor festivals in the Southeast, the event features more than 40 restaurants offering 200 menu items and free entertainment on seven stages.

THE INDIE CRAFT PARADE Presented by the Makers Collective, the two-day event held in Taylors celebrates the resurgence of handmade goods, art and craft items throughout the South.

BMW CHARITY PRO-AM wellness, personal finance and workforce development. “Greenville is a generous, philanthropic community,” Weidenbenner says. “People tend to be very generous with their resources, both time and money, to help facilitate a lot of growth and help meet needs. It’s easy to get involved and help out if you’re interested – there are so many opportunities here.”

The June event is the lone tournament on the Web.com Tour where amateurs and celebrities are grouped with Web.com Tour professionals in a four-day better-ball competition over three golf courses.

Top Row: The Anchorage restaurant in Greenville, a James Beard Award finalist in 2018. Bottom row: Vacant lots are transformed into community gardens at Mill Village Farms in West Greenville. livability.com/sc/greenville

SPIRIT GREENVILLE of

A TERRIFIC AND SUPPORTIVE PLACE TO LIVE, PLAY AND WORK Story by Bill Lewis

reenville’s diverse economy and its well-established support network for entrepreneurs and innovators naturally make the city a destination of choice for businesses and individuals. The unparalleled quality of life, Mayor Knox White

sense of place and communityfocused orientation of residents make them never want to leave. Just ask Meghan Barp, who relocated from the Twin Cities to lead United Way of Greenville County. “One of the reasons my husband and I chose to make Greenville our home is because of the great quality of life here,” Barp says. “It’s amazing what has been accomplished in just the past couple of decades.

We are the envy of every other small city in the country. I believe our success results from a strong public-private partnership between business, civic and nonprofit leadership. This is a terrific and supportive place to live, play and work.” Carlos Phillips, who moved from Louisville to become president and CEO of the Greenville Chamber, was immediately sold on the region. “I was struck by Greenville’s successful transition from the textile capital of the world to a more diverse economy, the search committee’s vision for the Chamber and the overall spirit of Greenville’s citizens. Greenville was making intentional and meaningful efforts to improve its economy for all people, and I wanted to be a part of those efforts,” he says.

SENSE OF COMMUNITY Greenville is distinguished by a “laser focus” on quality of life issues that makes the city a desirable place to live, work and raise a family, says Mayor Knox White. “Greenville is a welcoming city with an excellent quality of life. We have a vibrant arts scene, a thriving, walkable downtown, abundant green space, excellent schools

14 greenville

BUSINESS CLIMATE and great jobs. Greenville is a small city that offers all the amenities of a much larger urban area, without losing our sense of community,” he says. Over the last 30 years, Greenville’s downtown has changed from a city with blighted storefronts to a vibrant, bustling Main Street full of people throughout the day and night, White says. “Our growth has been intentional, with focus on green space, parks and people-friendly areas, which has brought businesses, jobs and stability to our city,” he says. Individuals and businesses in Greenville have a talent for forming partnerships to meet challenges and opportunities, including access to public transportation, affordable housing, education and job training. “United Way of Greenville County is fortunate to partner with hundreds of businesses that are committed to making Greenville County a great place for everyone to live. Big problems require big solutions, and businesses invest in us to solve them,” Barp says. As the largest poverty-fighting organization in South Carolina, United Way of Greenville County is committed to ensuring that everyone has the best possible chance of moving from poverty to prosperity. “United Way of Greenville County, businesses and business owners share the same values and a vision for what our community can and should be. They give generously of their time and treasure because they know that doing good is good for business. In addition to their generous financial support, their employees invest 41,000 hours of volunteer hours in our community, which has an economic impact of more than $1 million annually,” says Barp.

Will Whitley and Janet Foster Whitley are managers at Michelin North America Inc., which employs more than 4,100 people in the Greenville area.

‘We enjoy being part of a great community with close proximity to the International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR) campus...’ Will Whitley and Janet Foster Whitley Michelin North America Inc.

anet Foster Whitley and Will Whitley were looking for a great city where they would find not only professional success but also a welcoming home where they could raise a family and be involved in the life of their community. They found everything they were looking for in Greenville, where they are managers for Michelin North America Inc., whose headquarters, research center and manufacturing operations employ 4,100 people in Greenville. The international tire company has been a key part of the region’s manufacturing sector since the 1970s. “We built our first home in Greenville in 2007, where we still live today. We enjoy being part of a great community with close proximity to the International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR) campus and the ever-expanding area of the Woodruff Road/85/385 corridor,” the Whitleys say. Janet Foster Whitley is Michelin’s director of sales operations for North America.

Will Whitley is director of events/chief of staff for communications and brands. Working for Michelin has provided many different opportunities to work directly and indirectly with their international colleagues. “At various times throughout our careers, we have both traveled and worked with colleagues in Mexico, Canada and France. As a result, we have developed professional relationships and gained a better understanding of how Michelin operates on a global scale,” they say. Their careers provide an opportunity to give back to the community. “We are both passionate, long-standing members of the Greenville County United Way Palmetto Society. We also stay very busy participating in different volunteer activities with the Greenville County School system. As a YMCA board member, Will coaches multiple sports programs there,” they say. livability.com/sc/greenville

TOP EMPLOYERS IN THE GREENVILLE REGION

The Right Address

Greenville Health System 14,787, health services

GREENVILLE ATTRACTS MAJOR COMPANIES

BMW 10,000, auto manufacturing

reenville blends an ideal business environment with an outstanding quality of life, helping create a dynamic and diverse economy. More than 40 Fortune 500 companies have operations in the region, which has key industry sectors in automotive production, aviation/aerospace, advanced materials, biosciences, data centers, and distribution and logistics. The region attracted more than $336 million in capital investment in 2017 alone. The Greenville area is home to major national and international companies that include AMECO construction equipment, AVX Corp., BMW Manufacturing Co., Charter Communications, GE Power, Hubbell Lighting, Lockheed Martin, Michelin North America, Nutra Manufacturing and Verizon Wireless. Its wealth of attributes as a place to live and its ample resources to promote growth have made it an inviting area for new business investment.

Concentrix, 1,500, business services Greenville Technical College 1,435, higher education

Bon Secours St. Francis Health System 5,047, health services

Verizon Wireless 1,360, telecommunications call center

Michelin North America 4,100, headquarters/R&D/manufacturing radial tires

Charter Communications 1,345, telecom services

GE Power 3,400, turbines and turbine generator sets

Sealed Air Corp-Cryovac Division 1,300, paper coated and laminated packaging

SC State Government 3,036, state government

Bob Jones University 1,204, higher education

Fluor Corp. 2,400, engineering/construction services

SYNNEX Corp., 1,055, technology solutions

Bi-Lo Supermarkets 2,089, distribution and retail Greenville County Government 2,085, county government

Windstream 1,000, telecommunication call center City of Greenville, 973, city government Source: Greenville Area Development Corporation 2017, Greenville Chamber

MAJOR HEADQUARTERS OPERATIONS IN GREENVILLE COUNTY AMECO, construction equipment

KEMET Corp., capacitors

AVX Corp., capacitors

KI Logistics, logistics

Charter Communications, broadband communications

Michelin North America, radial tires

Fluor Corporation, engineering and construction services GE Power, engineering and energy manufacturing

16 Greenville

TD Bank, 1,600, financial services

Greenville County Schools 9,800, public education

Elliott Davis, accounting and tax consulting

The region hosts major operations for a number of global companies, including automaker BMW.

U.S. Government, 1,835, government

Nutra Manufacturing, pharmaceuticals Sage Automotive, automotive interiors ScanSource, internet systems Span-America Medical Systems Incorporated, medical products SYNNEX, information technology

Hubbell Lighting, lighting

Verizon Wireless, communications

JTEKT North America, automotive and industrial products

Sources: SC Department of Commerce, The Upstate Alliance, Reference USA and Greenville Area Development Corporation

ON THE MOVE

‘We foster creativity and creation’

HIGHWAYS: greenville lies along interstate 85, a major north-south corridor, roughly between charlotte and atlanta. greenville also connects with i-26 to the south, allowing access to south carolina ports. the southern connector (part of i-185), a privately developed 17-mile toll road, has opened portions of greenville county for industrial development.

AIR: greenville-spartanburg international airport (gsP) handles more than 2 million passengers annually and is served by six passenger airlines with nonstop flights to 16 cities. Four cargo airlines that operate out of gsP moved nearly 50,000 tons of cargo in 2017. RAIL: class i carriers norfolk-southern and csX transportation and the shortline carolina Piedmont railroad serve greenville county. norfolk southern provides direct service to the Port of charleston. PORTS: the region offers access by highway and rail to the deep-water Port of charleston, one of the busiest seaports on the east coast. the inland Port in greer, 212 miles from charleston, is a full-service container yard offering daily rail service via norfolk southern to the Port of charleston.

Doug Cone Synergy Mill

his coworking makerspace inside Greenville’s NEXT Manufacturing building is the shop everyone wants at home, complete with CNC machines, a laser cutter and equipment for wood and metal working, welding, sewing, soldering, electronics and programming. NEXT Manufacturing is a part of NEXT, the Greenville Chamber’s highly regarded program supporting entrepreneurial growth. Synergy Mill is much more than its equipment, says co-founder Doug Cone. “Nothing at Synergy Mill is so special that you couldn’t get one for yourself, but the people who work here, sharing their expertise and helping with the various questions and challenges of making, are something that’s nearly impossible to get in your shop at home. It’s the key feature of this space and what keeps our members coming back for more,” he says.

At least 700 to 1,000 individuals have participated in activities at Synergy Mill and are adding to the excitement of Greenville’s manufacturing sector. Several businesses have gotten their start via Synergy Mill, and others are still growing and deciding what’s next. Businesses launching at Synergy Mill include Digitize Designs, Tao Life Sciences, Pins Fast, Maker Pipe and Drone Racing Supply. “We foster creativity and creation. Our space has directly or indirectly created nearly a dozen jobs, but more importantly, we’re helping small businesses get started, with lots of assistance, and easy access to space and resources that are very capital intensive. Making is critical to the economy, and enabling as many people as possible to do it makes Greenville more competitive and interesting,” Cone says.

Lockheed Martin flies high in Greenville

ockheed Martin Greenville Operations occupies 16 hangars on 276 acres at the former Donaldson Center, now the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (SCTAC). The site provides nose-to-tail aircraft sustainment including modification, maintenance, repair and overhaul services for both military and civil aircraft, and is the new home of the F-16 production line. In March 2017, Lockheed Martin announced the move of its F-16production line to Greenville, which will help create approximately 150 new jobs in the coming years. The F-16s manufactured in Greenville will be for international customers Greenville’s Paint Facility is a state-of-the-art operation with two environmentally controlled bays and a unique down draft system, which help save time and costs.

With more than 20 years of experience in high-gloss painting, the plant’s skilled experts provide quality and affordable results for a variety of aircraft such as C-130, P-3, L-1011, A-10, VH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, and even the Presidential C-9C airplane. livability.com/sc/greenville

18 Greenville

SCOUTS TALENT

EDUCATION & WORKFORCE

‘OUR COMMUNITY CARES ABOUT OUR LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS’

Story by Teree Caruthers

n 2007, Ansel Sanders, president and CEO of Public Education Partners, was an eighth-grade language arts teacher with Baltimore Public Schools. His girlfriend (and now wife) Helen was living in Greenville, her hometown. Wanting to live closer to each other, the couple set out to find their perfect place — a place where they could each pursue their professional goals and also someday raise a family.

THE RIGHT ADDRESS “We kicked the tires on a lot of places,” Sanders says. “But when I visited Greenville, I had this immediate reaction — I’m sure not dissimilar to that of other people upon seeing Greenville for the first time. There's definitely kind of a ‘wow’ factor in terms of all of the amenities the community offers and how welcoming it is.” Sanders interviewed to become an administrator at Mauldin Middle School within Greenville County Schools, the largest school district in the state. Later he helped establish A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School of Engineering — a shining example of the district’s commitment to STEM and STEAM education and preparing students for high-tech careers. “It ensures students are able to think through a design process, to use critical thinking skills and apply the knowledge that they learn in math and science and

English and social studies and reading to real-world relevant opportunities,” Sanders says.

HIGH MARKS FOR INNOVATION Other examples of those opportunities include: • The NEXT High School, a free nondistrict public high school that focuses on curriculum that steers students to entrepreneurship. • The STEAM and STEM programs at schools such as Hughes Academy and Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School. • Programs for students with special needs at Meyer Center, Hope Academy, Einstein Academy and Camperdown Academy. • Legacy Charter School, which serves more than 1,350 K-12 students by emphasizing academic excellence, superior nutrition and physical education leading to college graduation. • Langston Charter Middle

School serving students in grades 6-8. Even though it’s under the Greenville County Schools umbrella, Langston Charter operates under the authority of its own school board and features single-gender classes designed to increase student motivation and achievement.

BUILDING ON RELATIONSHIPS Public Education Partners is a nonprofit organization that collaborates with the community, business leaders, educators and elected officials to support and strengthen public education and student achievement in Greenville County schools. “Our community cares about our local public schools,” Sanders says. “Our community is invested in these schools because we know it’s essential to Greenville continuing to be prosperous and healthy and for businesses that come here to have a healthy pipeline of employees.” livability.com/sc/greenville

Private Schools G

reenville County’s 59 private schools serve about 11,000 students, with 80 percent of the schools religiously affiliated. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11:1. With 1,145 students, Bob Jones Academy in Greenville has the largest private school enrollment and is one of 12 private schools in the county that serve students from kindergarten through grade 12. Others include Abundant Life Christian School, Christ Church Episcopal School, Fuller Normal Industrial Institute, Hampton Park Christian School and Shannon Forest Christian School. St. Joseph’s Catholic School, a top 50 Catholic High School as named by The Cardinal Newman Society, serves middle and high school students.

An A for G Plus G

raduation Plus, a districtwide initiative of Greenville County Schools, is a key part of the district’s strategy to ensure that every student is college and career ready. With G Plus, the district wants students to not only graduate from high school, but also have college credit (through AP or dual enrollment) and/or an industry-recognized certification that can be used toward their post-secondary pathway of entering a technical school or going directly into the workforce. For high schoolers in Greenville County, several college-credit courses are

20 Greenville

Fashioning a Unique Curriculum FINE ARTS SCHOOL PROGRAM SUPPORTS REGION’S TEXTILE INDUSTRY

extile artist April Dauscha was given an offer she couldn’t refuse: the opportunity to build and shape a brand-new curriculum at a first-of-its-kind school in the largest school district in South Carolina. The program is fiber arts design; the school is the Fine Arts Center of Greenville (FAC), the state’s first school exclusively dedicated to fine arts education. “I came into the picture after a national search went under

available, including an Accelerate Engineering program that earns 36 college engineering credits for students. “We don’t believe it’s sufficient anymore for a student to leave us simply with a high school diploma, because it doesn’t qualify a graduate for the kind of jobs that make for an economically viable life,” says Dr. W. Burke Royster, superintendent of Greenville County Schools. The results have been impressive. District students in 2016-17 earned more than 3,500 college credit hours through the 75 dual credit courses the district offers, while students looking to go directly into the workforce earned 601 industry

way in the winter of 2016,” Dauscha says. “After making it through the first round of interviews, I was asked to come to Greenville for a visit. I walked away from that visit wowed by the work being produced by the students in the Visual Arts Department and was incredibly charmed by this quaint city of Greenville.” Dauscha teaches her students about fabric formation, such as weaving and knitting, and about surface design and production

certifications – nearly double the amount from just two years earlier. Those certifications for 2016-17 translated to more than $18.5 million in first-year earnings for students who went right to work. Initiatives for middle school students in grades 6-8 include introductions to computer apps, Google basics and a variety of STEAM courses that are applicable to today’s careers. “Businesses today look at the quality of a school system in terms of a future workforce and career readiness,” Royster says. “For Graduation Plus, the bottom line is that it better prepares our students for life after high school.”

EDUCATION & WORKFORCE processes, such as screen-printing and apparel construction. Students supplement the fiber arts program with courses in drawing, photography and design, and students in upper classes are also encouraged to attend a textile exploration program at North Carolina State University, the nation’s premier university for textile arts and a sponsor of the FAC program. “This program is allowing the students to gain direct access to the industry so they can see first-hand that this career path is relevant and continues to thrive despite its reputation,” Dauscha says. “The students are thrilled to be a part of the new program, and the parents have been incredibly supportive. We have two students that are now off to N.C. State’s College of Textiles and a cohort of students next year who are planning to further their studies

in textiles and fiber arts. I’m excited to start seeing the results of the program over the next several years, what these students go on to achieve, and how they’ll bring that back to Greenville.”

ART AND INDUSTRY Dauscha herself has a long history in textile design. A Louisville, Ky., native, Dauscha majored in fashion design and taught fiber pattern weaving and wearable sculpture at various points in her career. Her own works in lace have won multiple awards and have been exhibited at Fiberart International and the Muskegon Museum of Art. As an artist and instructor, Dauscha was well aware of how beneficial this new program could be for students. What she didn’t know, however, was how important this program would be to the Greenville economy.

Greenville was dubbed Textile Capital of the World in the 1950s and 1960s. Even after a national downturn, many of Greenville’s longtime industry leaders — Sage Automotive Interiors and Southern Weaving to name a few — remained. Today, the industry thrives, employing thousands and pumping millions of dollars into the city’s economy. “The textile industry is incredibly important to Upstate South Carolina — it is the very foundation that this city was built on. Before moving to Greenville, I had the perception that the textile industry was completely dormant in the United States after moving most of its production overseas,” she says. “But after heading this program and interacting with the vast local industry, it has completely changed my perception. The industry is alive and well in the Upstate.”

livability.com/sc/greenville

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT IN GREENVILLE

87.9%

High school diploma

21.9%

Bachelor’s degree

12.1%

Graduate or professional degree

Source: American Community Survey, 2016, adults age 25 and over

‘You can’t beat the way that everyone works together’ Jason Warren Principal, Greenville High School

ason Warren, principal of Greenville High School, says his years as an educator have made something very clear: “The more you can apply what kids are learning to reallife situations,” he says, “the higher their interest and the better they retain that knowledge.” LEARNING BY DOING This understanding led Warren to partner with Greenville Federal Credit Union in 2016 to establish the city’s only student-run bank branch, The Branch at Greenville High, housed inside the high school. “When you have something like the credit union, it answers all those questions for them, because everything that they are learning and have learned in school — from soft skills to math skills to the way they write and speak to others — are being used. It is real life,” Warren says.

that we're producing graduates with soft skills that they can take to any company. I think you'll find when you talk to business leaders nowadays about what they need in a graduate, they say it is soft skills. So not only will there be more graduates coming out of Greenville High School with those skills, but these skills have been taught at a higher level,” he says. COMMUNITY INVESTMENT The credit union is just one of the many community stakeholders invested in the success of the school system. “Without those types of partnerships — whether that's our partnerships with our parent organizations, which consistently win major awards from across the state, or whether that's our partnerships with businesses that are providing opportunities for our students to gain employment or internships — schools alone would never be able to provide those experiences for a student. Those partnerships are what make us so strong,” he says. That spirit of community cooperation and commitment to education is one of the reasons the Jacksonville, Fla., native chose to settle in Greenville after graduating from Bob Jones University nearly 20 years ago.

“I followed my brother to Greenville for college and just fell in love with the city,” he says. “As a resident, you can't beat the way that everyone works together. It is not a city, and a council and a school board disagreeing and fighting on issues. They are all working together on how can we make sure our schools are supporting what our businesses need, and our businesses are thinking how “One of the major benefits of this program is they can support our schools.”

Students who participate in the program are trained to become full employees of the credit union. They complete paid training with the credit union’s human resources department over the summer and learn to operate the same software and perform the same functions employees at other branches do.

22 Greenville

Above: Greenville County Schools has placed an emphasis on ensuring every student not only graduates from high school, but has the credentials needed to transition to college or a career. Right: Greenville’s higher education institutions give the region research heft.

GREENVILLE COUNTY SCHOOLS BY THE NUMBERS

1,089 Average SAT score, above the national average of 1,044

4Program International Baccalaureate high schools 684 National Board Certified Teachers, 13th highest among the 14,000 districts in the U.S.

6,000 Teachers, with about 65 percent

holding a master’s degree or higher

106

Active facilities in Greenville County Schools district that accommodate 75,000 students

No. 1

GCS has the highest student enrollment in South Carolina and 44th largest in the nation

$128M Scholarship offers to Class of 2017 students 49 Languages spoken Source: Greenville County Schools

EDUCATION & WORKFORCE HEAD OF THE CLASS Greenville’s academic and research assets put it on the lead lap in innovation. Greenville’s innovation economy is powered in part by a roster of higher education institutions that provide research and skills training capabilities. The region’s burgeoning life sciences sector is bolstered by the University of South Carolina

maintains a visible presence in the city. Clemson’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) brings together academic, industry and government organizations to collaborate in state-of-the-art facilities on a 250-acre campus in Greenville. Clemson’s College of Business and Behavioral Science offers a number of its graduate business

diesel programs. The community is home to Furman University, a 2,800-student liberal arts university that offers more than 60 areas of study, and Bob Jones University, a nondenominational Christian liberal arts institution that offers more 120 undergraduate majors.

On the Job GREENVILLE OFFERS A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO KEEP THE TALENT PIPELINE FLOWING AND PROVIDE EMPLOYERS WITH SKILLED WORKERS. AMONG THEM: LAUNCHGVL

School of Medicine Greenville, a four-year medical school on the campus of Greenville Memorial Hospital, one of seven campuses of Greenville Health System. Students have access to an extensive choice of research opportunities in biomedical science, clinical practice, population health, health care policy and epidemiology. Major advances in automotive engineering, from zero-emission vehicles to autonomous and support connected cars, are being tested and validated in Greenville. The South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center includes the International Transportation Innovation Center, 350 acres of automotive testing infrastructure that includes two miles of asphalt and concrete straightaways, an urban city track, and research and office space. Greenville is in close proximity to Clemson University, which

and community outreach programs in downtown Greenville at the ONE development. With an enrollment of 15,000 Greenville Technical College offers more than 100 programs designed to get students into the workforce in two years or less or on to a four-year school. The college’s Center for Manufacturing Innovation (CMI) brings together research and academics and applies problem-solving and critical thinking on real-world projects aimed at moving advanced manufacturing forward. Greenville Tech is also home to the McKinney Regional Automotive Technology Center. The 94,000-square-foot facility includes 10 multimediaequipped classrooms, computer labs, offices, and teaching facilities for the college’s auto body, automotive and

An initiative of the Greenville Chamber and Greenville County Schools, LaunchGVL connects high school students with paid work opportunities in high-demand fields. Paired with relevant coursework, students launch their careers in one of six pathways and enter the workforce and college more equipped to succeed. greenvillechamber.org/launchgvl

READYSC™ The award-winning program, a part of South Carolina’s Technical College System, works with the 16 technical colleges in the state to meet employer needs for a skilled workforce. readysc.org

APPRENTICESHIP CAROLINA A division of the state’s Technical College System, the program provides on-the-job training and related technical instruction in industries such as: advanced manufacturing, health care and information technology. At no cost to the employer, apprenticeship consultants can help guide companies through the registered apprenticeship development process. apprenticeshipcarolina.com

SC WORKS Offers extensive services to employers and employees through training, workshops, job fairs and job listings. scworks.org livability.com/sc/greenville

Greenville Health System’s Human Performance Laboratory works to find ways to help cancer patients combat fatigue. The lab is a joint venture between GHS and USC School of Medicine Greenville.

GOOD

GREENVILLE’S HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS ATTRACT TOP TALENT Story by Teree Caruthers

24 greenville

PHOTO: RACHAEL BOLING PHOTOGRAPHY

MEDICINE

HEALTH CARE

he presence of two major health care systems gives Greenville residents access to the highest quality care and the latest in technology and treatments. Anchored by Greenville Health System and Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Greenville’s health care network includes a Level I trauma center, cancer centers, specialty treatment centers and Shriner’s Children’s Hospital. The region is blanketed by dozens of outpatient care centers and health care groups with physicians across the full range of specialties. Greenville’s superior quality of life has helped draw highly skilled medical expertise to the area.

of 14,787 that includes 997 staff physicians and 4,185 registered nurses. It operates eight inpatient campuses, 100 outpatient facilities, a Level I trauma center, a comprehensive women’s center, children’s and pediatric emergency services, as well as a Regional Perinatal Center and Greenville’s only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The GHS flagship hospital, Greenville Memorial Hospital

‘More people are discovering how easy it is to live here’

BON SECOURS ST. FRANCIS HEALTH SYSTEM With more than 5,000 employees, the faith-based, nonprofit health system is one of the top employers in Greenville, offering advanced care to patients with two hospitals, hundreds of physicians and outpatient care throughout the region. The health system recently opened the freestanding St. Francis Cancer Center, which offers comprehensive and stateof-the-art care. Bon Secours was ranked high performing in two specialties on U.S. News & World Report’s 2017-18 Best Hospitals list. It was the only hospital in South Carolina to be named a Top 100 Hospital (2014-2015) by Truven Analytics and it has been recognized by Healthgrades as a Distinguished Hospital of Clinical Excellence and Becker’s Hospital Review, as one of the 100 Great Community Hospitals.

GREENVILLE HEALTH SYSTEM (GHS) The top employer in Greenville, the health system has a workforce

(GMH), is the largest acute care hospital in South Carolina, serving 1 million patients a year. The hospital ranked in U.S. News’ 2013-2014 publication of America’s Best Hospitals. Located on the GMH campus, the $60 million Health Sciences Education Building opened in 2012 and is home to the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville.

Dr. Shannon Burgess Pediatric Surgeon Greenville Health System

f ter graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Alabama-Huntsville and after medical school at the University of South Alabama, Dr. Shannon Burgess, trained her sights on a pediatric residency with Greenville Health System, a growing academic system with eight inpatient campuses. The match turned out to be a perfect one. During her residency, Burgess served as the vice president of the GHS House Staff Senate in 2014 and as president in 2015 and 2016. In turn, she received training at Greenville Memorial, the health system’s flagship hospital and the largest acute care hospital in South Carolina. So when the time came to choose where she would continue her career, the decision was simple. “During my residency training at GHS, I was treated very well and my opinion was valued. I also really appreciated the camaraderie held by the faculty at GHS. Everyone here has the same goal — to take great care of our patients and provide them with the highest

quality care we have to offer, and I really wanted to continue to be a part of a health system that continually chooses to put the patient first,” Burgess says. She says the GHS Healthy Greenville 2036 initiative — an $80 million, 20-year pledge to help make Greenville County the healthiest county in America by 2036 — is just one example of how the health system puts patients first. The initiative provides grants to programs that tackle community health issues, such as obesity, diabetes and mental illness. “Several of my own patients who have recently moved from large, nationally known medical institutions comment on how impressed they are with GHS and the care they have received since moving here. Greenville continues to grow, and the population is booming because more and more people are discovering how easy it is to live here. There is so much that Greenville has to offer, and that makes it a great place to live, work, play, raise a family and retire,” she says. livability.com/sc/greenville

‘Greenville offers something for everyone’ Dennis Ruder Scientist, KIYATEK

Dennis Ruder, left, a scientist at KIYATEK in Greenville, talks with Matt Gaevart, the company’s CEO

ennis Ruder, a scientist with KIYATEK — a biotech company creating a new paradigm shift in cancer care by developing a predictive test that will allow clinicians to more accurately and efficiently select effective therapeutic regimens for cancer patients — immigrated with his family from Eastern Europe when he was young. He grew up in Texas and studied cell and developmental biology at Baylor University and the University of Texas. His interest in studying the biological nature of cancer led him to Greenville and KIYATEK. But Ruder

‘Health care is a large part of the draw to Greenville’

“Greenville offers something for everyone, which is why it is a wonderful place to live and work. It has the charm of a small town, but has everything one would see or do in a big city. The close proximity to everything is a big plus as well, especially the short commute to work. The industries of jobs here are diverse and competitive, and are continuously attracting top talent. There is a reason why ‘this’ Greenville stands out above the rest,” Ruder says.

Dr. Thomas Cummins Chief Medical Officer Bon Secours St. Francis Health System

recent transplant to Greenville, Dr. Thomas Cummins joined the faith-based health system, which is part of Bon Secours International, after serving as senior vice president and chief medical officer of CHI St. Vincent Arkansas in Little Rock. “The very first time I came to Greenville to interview with Bon Secours St. Francis, I fell for downtown Greenville — Falls Park, the restaurants, the Peace Center. It just blew me away. And every time we have visitors, we go downtown so they can see it and see why we moved here after 30 years in Arkansas,” Cummins says. Cummins says he was also impressed by the wealth of talent both at St. Francis and within the community as a whole. The health system is one of the largest employers in Greenville County.

26 greenville

says it’s Greenville’s quality of life that keeps him here.

“Our people are our strongest attributes — from physicians to nurses to every other member of our team. We have so many great people who truly live the mission of providing Good Help to the people we serve. I stand in awe of the number of coworkers we have who have served for 10, 20, 30 and even over 40 years.” “We would not be able to deliver the care we do without their loyalty and passion for who we are,” Cummins says. “Health care is a large part of the draw to Greenville — from employers to retirees. A community without great health care cannot grow.”

HEALTH CARE

Lab Leader

Clemson University gives the Greenville region a major research asset to support bioscience growth.

BIOSCIENCE SECTOR BREEDS GROWTH IN GREENVILLE ECONOMY

ith the wealth of pharmaceutical and medical device companies located in the region, such as Bausch & Lomb, Nutra Manufacturing and International Vitamin Corp. (IVC), the Greenville area has positioned itself well for the dynamic growth within the biosciences industry. Extensive research and development assets, the presence of the University of South Carolina Medical School Greenville and partnerships with Clemson University give the region a wealth of resources to support biosciences growth. At the medical school, the $60 million Health Sciences Education Building is home to advanced medical research and state-of-the-art equipment, including a high-fidelity clinical simulation and skills center and an anatomy lab, equipped for work with up to 16 cadavers. Students at the school have a 100 percent match rate after graduation for residency with students and faculty winning numerous

medical research awards. The clinical research unit at the Institute for Translational Oncology Research, located on the Greenville Memorial Hospital campus, is an innovator in early research and advanced treatments for cancer patients. Greenville’s biosciences industry includes significant clusters in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical development and manufacturing, medical device manufacturing, diagnostic services and optical care products. More than 50 medical device companies alone operate in the region. A 2010 study placed Greenville fifth among large MSAs for workforce dedicated to the

biosciences. Greenville County houses more than 34 percent of South Carolina’s private employment within the drug and pharmaceutical industry.

34% South Carolina’s private-sector employment within the drug and pharmaceutical industry that is in Greenville County

Extensive research and development assets, the presence of the University of South Carolina Medical School-Greenville and partnerships with Clemson University give the region a wealth of resources to support biosciences growth. livability.com/sc/greenville

28 Greenville

livability.com/sc/greenville

POWER IN PART Story by Jason Zasky

s the Palmetto State is quickly becoming the hotspot for entrepreneurial talent, Greenville remains a mainstay for ideas, high-tech research and innovative startups. Through initiatives such as the renowned entrepreneurial program NEXT, a program of the Greenville Chamber that offers a suite of services to give entrepreneurs what they need to build successful, globally competitive businesses, the region is attracting high-tech companies and talent. In Greenville, businesses that are starting up, expanding or relocating find an environment that fosters success, says Carlos Phillips, president and CEO of the Greenville Chamber. “In addition to our welcoming culture, wonderful quality of life and sense of place, our burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystem punches above its weight. Our community provides several resources that serve area entrepreneurs,” he says. Those resources include Upstate Carolina Angel Network, a group of more than 100 accredited investors who support early-stage, high-growth businesses with capital and expertise.

‘YOU ARE NOT ALONE’ Clemson University’s Small Business Development Center operates a Greenville location that offers entrepreneurs services that

30 greenville

Greenville’s highly regarded NEXT program offers entrepreneurs a suite of services including state-of-the-art makerspace facilities and specialized space that promotes collaboration.

include consulting, business operation assistance, seminars, mentoring and resources to attract capital. The multifaceted NEXT, an internationally recognized program, supports technologyfocused businesses and ideas and has helped launch dozens of companies. The NEXT Innovation Center in downtown Greenville offers 60,000 square feet of specialized space that allows entrepreneurs to collaborate and connect, while NEXT on Main offers 20,000 square feet of collaborative space in the city’s central business district. NEXT Manufacturing, developed in collaboration with Industrial

Project Innovation (IPI), gives makers access to state-of-the art equipment in an open and bright facility minutes from downtown Greenville. Beyond its facilities, NEXT offers resources that range from mentoring and networking to capital workshops and talent recruitment services, all supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem. “Greenville specializes in partnerships, and to those considering relocating their business to Greenville or starting here, you are not alone,” Phillips says. “Everything great in Greenville has been accomplished through the power of partnership.”

INNOVATION

TNERSHIP

ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM PUNCHES ABOVE ITS WEIGHT

The Greenville Chamberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Minority Business Accelerator program, one of only six in the country, prepares locally based, high-potential, minority-owned businesses by offering business development services, mentoring and access to potential partners.

livability.com/sc/greenville

‘We got to Greenville and fell in love with the place’ Jon-Michial Carter CEO, ChartSpan

“What happened is we got to Greenville and fell in love with the place; things happened for us here that would never happen in a large city. At the end of the program, city leadership asked, ‘What would it take to get ChartSpan to stay in Greenville?’ We were two guys in a garage but they thought we would become something.” Fast forward four years and ChartSpan has become something. With over 200 employees, ChartSpan is one of the largest employers in the

downtown area, growth that Carter attributes, in part, to “the genuine desire for leaders of this city to help a startup like ChartSpan succeed.” “I have dozens of stories about how city leaders helped us overcome an obstacle,” Carter says. “Frankly, we have an unfair advantage being in Greenville compared to the startups we compete against because we can accelerate faster.” In fact, Greenville has given ChartSpan so much support that the company feels compelled to give back by doing community service. “I do it on a personal level, the leadership team does it, and every quarter our employees embark on a philanthropic endeavor for a day,” says Carter. “We’re committed to giving back as we’re fervent fans of this city and its future. We’re thrilled to be here.”

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32 greenville

PHOTO: KRISTEN ALEXANDER PHOTOGRAPHY

“I

t wasn’t part of the plan to move to Greenville,” says Jon-Michial Carter, a Texas native whose company provides care coordination services for doctors, clinics and health systems. “Our plan was to come here for six months [as part of Greenville’s The Iron Yard accelerator], then get back to Texas and launch our business.”

‘I love being in a walkable community’ Kenzie Biggins CEO, Worxbee

“I

started my business in Atlanta but I got to the point where I felt like I was floundering there,” says Kenzie Biggins, whose company provides virtual executive assistant services. She happened to tell her mentor — a highprofile leader in Atlanta — about Greenville’s minority business accelerator. Her mentor replied: “I’ve heard about it and I’ve been on a tour. You should move to Greenville!” Biggins took the advice and moved to Greenville with her then-fiance a few weeks later.

“We love it,” says Biggins, noting that she and her husband have purchased a house in Greenville’s West End neighborhood. “I love being in a walkable community. That has allowed us to be a one-car household, which is very important to me.” Biggins also appreciates the close-knit nature of the local business community. “It’s refreshing to be in a place where people say, ‘I will follow up with you,’ and they actually follow up with you.” Greenville has also revealed itself to be a great place to grow a business like Worxbee,

which provides virtual executive assistant support, as well as headhunting services for executives in need of an assistant. “I’m a black female and you don’t come across many cities that invest in minorityowned businesses. A lot of cities say they support entrepreneurs, but they are typically supporting the rock star of the moment, not the entrepreneurial community,” says Biggins, who is involved in a variety of local organizations, including NEXT, and a networking group called Cake & Whiskey. Clearly, whatever Biggins is doing in Greenville is working, both personally and professionally. “Since I moved here I have quadrupled the size of my business,” she says. “I’d like to think that is because of the business accelerator and feedback from community leaders.”

livability.com/sc/greenville

Spaces in Plenty of Places A SAMPLE OF COWORKING AND OTHER SPACES IN GREENVILLE DESIGNED FOR ENTREPRENEURS: ATLAS LOCAL

ENDEAVOR

coworking space in West greenville offers three levels of membership.

shared workspace for creative professionals in downtown greenville.

BOOTSTRAP ENGINE

OPENWORKS

offers a 24-week course that focuses on various aspects of launching a business, including attracting investment, sales, branding and talent. Provides mentorship, peer accountability groups, physical space and other services.

a community-run work and meetup space in the middle of downtown greenville focused on starting and sustaining good work.

BRICKYARD a greenville chamber-backed coworking facility at neXt manufacturing center geared to small businesses and startups that could benefit from pooled resources.

SERENDIPITY LABS located in the former Piedmont Plush mill, the coworking space offers flexible workplace options for large companies, mobile professionals and independent workers.

SOCIETY HALL the historic redevelopment in greenvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s West end neighborhood offers 21,000 square feet of class a space.

TEXTILE HALL Part of the nonprofit collective mill community ministries, it offers coworking space.

THE WHEELHOUSE coworking space in greenville geared to marketing agencies.

Greenville offers entrepreneurs an abundance of space for collaboration, such as Atlas Local in West Greenville.

34 greenville

INNOVATION

‘The city has such a great vibe’ Stijn Van de Velde Co-founder, Execution Partners

“T

his is the first place I’ve lived where I truly feel at home, so much so that I may retire here,” says Stijn Van de Velde, co-founder of Execution Partners, a consulting firm that helps clients with project management and process improvement. So it’s fortuitous that Van de Velde ended up in the Upstate, arriving by way of Ohio after taking a job at a Belgian company that sent him to work at its plant in Greenville. “As a recovering Belgian, I can definitely appreciate the ample blue skies and sunny days, as well as Greenville’s magnificent downtown area. Simply walking along Main Street or crossing Liberty Bridge — on my way to yet another meeting — makes me happy,” he says.

But what makes Van de Velde even happier is having so many customers and potential customers within driving distance, as Greenville and the Upstate have become a manufacturing powerhouse. “The whole area is brimming with investment, activity and growth. I’ve never lived in a place with so much opportunity,” he says. Van de Velde is introducing his adopted hometown to people back in his homeland, serving as the liaison between Greenville and its sister city of Kortrijk. “Last May, a group of 20 people came from Kortrijk to visit. Everyone was amazed at what Greenville has to offer,” he says. “The city has such a great vibe to it.”

livability.com/sc/greenville

Made for the

OUTDOORS

36 greenville

LOCATION & RECREATION

ACTIVE LIFESTYLE OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND IN GREENVILLE Story by Cary Estes

Greenville embraces an active lifestyle,

and it offers an abundance of ways to connect with the outdoors, whether your pursuit is hiking, biking, boating, kayaking, canoeing or ziplining. It offers proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains and ready access to Atlantic Coast beaches, but doesn’t require much travel to find the outdoors. A collection of outdoor parks, greenways, recreational venues, trail systems, gardens, community centers and bike paths put green

spaces within easy reach. Falls Park on the Reedy has been described as “an oasis within the city” – a postcard-perfect downtown park that features trails, landscaped gardens, scenic overlooks, waterfalls and the “floating” Liberty Bridge, a pedestrian suspension bridge that draws visitors from restaurants and stores on Main Street. Swamp Rabbit Trail, a multiuse greenway, winds along the Reedy River and connects Falls Park with area schools and businesses. Paris Mountain State Park in Greenville is a favorite for bikers and hikers, and includes trailside camping facilities. Paris Mountain’s Park Center features historical exhibits and a classroom to teach visitors about the park’s ecology.

‘We’re in the business of creating memories’ Craig Brown Owner, Greenville Drive

fter enduring the colder climates of Michigan and Connecticut for 50 years, Craig Brown was pleased to find a more temperate environment when he moved to Greenville in 2005.

PHOTO: VISIT GREENVILLE SC; RIGHT: WINSTON CONNORTON

“You still have the four seasons here,” Brown says, “but the good seasons are the longest.” Actually, for Brown, there is a fifth season that is the best of all: baseball season. The former advertising agency executive relocated to Greenville when he became owner of the Greenville Drive minor-league baseball team. He says he quickly discovered that his new hometown touches all the bases in terms of being a great place to live and work. “We were attracted to both the economic and the social environment of Greenville,” Brown says. “It

has a broad, diverse economy, and it has all the quality-of-life advantages. The community is small enough that a single individual or organization can really make an impact. At the same time, it’s large enough that there’s something here for everybody.” One thing Brown has helped make available to Greenville is a charming baseball stadium, Fluor Field, which opened in 2006. Modeled after Boston’s historic Fenway Park, Fluor Field is home to the Drive, and also is used approximately 200 times a year for community events. “From the very outset when we first came to town, we wanted to be part of the fabric of the community,” Brown says. “We’re in the business of economic development, but we’re also in the business of creating memories.” livability.com/sc/greenville

‘It’s booming. It has an energizing vibe’ Mari Steinbach Director, Greenville Parks & Recreation

s a self-described parks-and-recreation lifer, Mari Steinbach’s job has taken her all over the map, from Colorado, Alaska, Arizona to Vermont and Minnesota. The one area missing was the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains.

people, and how welcoming everyone is. When they say, ‘Welcome to Greenville,’ they’re sincere about that. They really are open, welcoming folks.” Steinbach leads a department that oversees more than 300 acres of parkland, five community centers and a zoo. She wants people to use the local parks as a stepping stone to exploring the nearby

state and national parks. “We’re all about improving the health of the community and developing connectivity and that sense of place,” Steinbach says. “We want to be the gateway to the Great Outdoors. If we give people wonderful spaces to play in their home neighborhoods, that opens their eyes to what else is out there for them to enjoy.”

So in 2017, with a corner of the country still to experience, Steinbach accepted the position as director of Greenville’s Recreation and Parks Department. It didn’t take long for her to realize that the mountains are only the tip of what makes Greenville a great place to live and work. “I love the mountains, and this was the one area I had never really explored before. That was the initial attraction (to Greenville),” Steinbach says. “But once you get here, you see all these great things going on in this city. It’s booming. It has an energizing vibe.” “One thing I noticed immediately were the

Falls Park on the Reedy is a 32-acre park adjacent to downtown Greenville.

‘You can quickly get networked in and have an impact’ Ty Houck Director of Greenways, Natural and Historic Resources Greenville County Parks Recreation & Tourism

single 4-mile section when it opened in 2009 to more than 25 miles by 2019. Running along the scenic Reedy River on a historic rail bed, the trail attracts more than 500,000 users annually.

y Houck admits there is one common complaint he hears from people about the Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail, a 22-mile paved greenway system that cuts through the heart of the city.

“You can use the Swamp Rabbit Trail before you can ride a bike, and you can use it after you can no longer walk,” Houck says. “You’ll see people on $10,000 bicycles, and day laborers walking to work. It allows people to share that type of community.”

“Some people say they get tired of saying, ‘Hello, how are you?’ all the time,” says Houck, whose job includes oversight of the trail for Greenville County Parks Recreation & Tourism. “Everybody here is just so friendly.”

The community aspect of Greenville appeals to Houck, who says the city is big enough to offer plenty of activities, but not so large that a single voice gets lost in the masses.

“If you have an idea about how to improve the community, you can That was one of the things that attracted Houck back to Greenville. A make a connection with your council member or the mayor’s office 1993 graduate of Furman University, Houck returned to the city to help pretty easily,” Houck says. “You can quickly get networked in and with the expansion of the greenway system, which has grown from a have an impact on making Greenville even better.”

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LOCATION & RECREATION

Big Wheels

Greenville is a community that embraces cycling. It offers numerous places to ride, such as Swamp Rabbit Trail, a 22-mile greenway system.

GREENVILLE’S BIKE-FRIENDLY ENVIRONS CREATE NEW BUSINESS

PHOTO LEFT: TRAVIS BELL; RIGHT: KRIS DECKER

reenville is one of the nation’s most enthusiastic biking communities. Bikeville, the city’s bike friendly community initiative, promotes increased ridership, encourages bicycle use and expands bicycling facilities and infrastructure. Greenville was the first city in South Carolina to build an on-street protected bike lane. Completed in the spring of 2017, the lane runs along Broad Street between Main Street and Spring Street. Greenville B-Cycle, a partnership between conservation planning organization Upstate Forever and Greenville Health System, is a bike share program with 10 bike stations scattered throughout the city. The system provides community members and visitors an active and affordable way to get around Greenville and experience some of its most scenic areas. The cycling culture of Greenville extends beyond the recreational rider. On any given weekend, large group rides, duathlon and triathlon competitions, and race events take

place across the region. The Greenville Spring Series, a four-weekend event, is considered one of the top cycling events in the state. The Gran Fondo Hincapie celebrates the cycling lifestyle with racing events and a major festival. Former pro bike racers Boyd and Nicole Johnson moved from Charlotte to Greenville 13 years ago because of cycling, “Boyd was a professional stage racer and I was a Criterium racer, and the Blue Ridge Mountains are perfect for training,” says Nicole Johnson. “When Boyd retired from racing, he had ideas to improve top-level bike equipment, so he launched Boyd Bikes in 2009 in Greenville.”

IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR CYCLING The company, now known as Boyd Cycling, began designing and building bike frames, handlebars and other products, but after 1 1/2 years, the married couple just wanted to specialize in producing high-tech bicycle wheels and hubs. “In 2011, we launched our own rim designs and hubs thanks to

Boyd’s engineering and bike competition background, and today we sell racing wheels in 150 bike shops throughout the nation and have online customers worldwide,” Nicole says. “We employ 10 people.” The company specializes in carbon fiber and aluminum wheels for high-performance bikes that ride on gravel or asphalt. “You think about Colorado and Utah that are amazing for highperformance bicycling, but you have to contend with snow and harsh winters,” Nicole says. “In Greenville, it’s only in January when you need to be completely bundled up.” Nicole adds that motorists are “pretty tolerant” of the bicycling community, knowing that there are so many riders in Greenville. “It seems that every road being built these days includes a bike lane,” she says. “Greenville has bike clubs, organized races and a bike share program, and the city seems to be embracing a European scenario about bicycling that is really good to see.” livability.com/sc/greenville

MASTERPIECE MUSEUM The Greenville County Museum of Art anchors the region’s diverse and thriving arts scene. The GCMA houses the world’s largest public collection of watercolors by iconic American artist Andrew Wyeth. PHOTO BY Kris Decker/Firewater Photography

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GALLERY

VILLAGE WRENCH Greenville displays its volunteer spirit in unique ways. Village Wrench in West Greenville brings together volunteers who offer free bicycle maintenance in several neighborhoods one Saturday a month. The initiative also offers youth and adults who would like a gently used bike to do service work in their neighborhood to earn one, an effort dubbed bike (l)earning. PHOTO BY Mill Village Farms livability.com/sc/greenville

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ECONOMIC PROFILE WORKING AGE POPULATION DISTRIBUTION (Greenville County) 15-24:

12.5% 25-34:

13.4% 35-44:

UPSTATE INTERNATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS BY COUNTRY The Upstate has more than 466 international companies, employing more than 51,000 people germany Japan 53

United Kingdom 41

canada 32

italy 30

13.1%

France

45-54:

switzerland

13.4%

150

138

netherlands 16

china 13

39.7% of the population in their prime working age

belgium 13

sweden 11 stat source: Upstate sc alliance

THIS SECTION IS SPONSORED BY

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COMMUNITY PROFILE POPULATION

HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES

506,837

2018

2017

2023

55.3% Greenville County 9.4% Spartanburg County 8.0% Anderson County 6.3% Pickens County 3.1% Laurens County 1.7% Richland County 1.6% Oconee County 1.1% Lexington County 1.1% Charleston County 0.9% York County

total Households

200,878 217,015

451,221 2010

POPULATION BY RACE

total Families

Black 18.1% // 17.6% // 17.4%

133,602 143,493

American Indian/Alaska Native 0.3% // 0.3% // 0.3%

average Household size

White 73.8% // 73.2% // 72.4%

Asian 2.0% // 2.3% // 2.5%

2.5/2.5

source: greenville area Development corp.

Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.1% // 0.1% // 0.1% Two or More Races 1.9% // 2.3% // 2.6%

2018

31.8%

58.3%

renter occupied 2018

owner occupied 2018

GREENVILLE COUNTY

40+

Fortune 500 companies

Hispanic Origin (any race) 8.1% // 9.0% // 10.0% 2010

WHERE DO GREENVILLE COUNTY WORKERS LIVE?

2023

source: greenville area Development corp.

Headquarters operations

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