Spring 2018
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EDITOR
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Dear Reader,
With concern, I have watched as my parents and friends in their age group have had to
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give up driving, limiting their world and making everyday trips and appointments a major
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production. A baby boomer myself, I’m not worried about the day when I have to hand over my car keys. Why? Because, by then, the roads will be full of self-
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driving cars. I’ll have an app on my phone to summon an autono-
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mous vehicle when I want to go out.
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Am I being overly optimistic? I don’t think so. Audi plans to in-
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troduce a self-driving car by 2020, and Ford CEO Mark Fields says his company will offer fully automated ride-sharing vehicles by
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2021. You can read about the University of South Carolina’s role
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in this research inside this issue. The university has established the Licia Jackson Editor, SCBIZ Magazine
Continental Endowed Chair in Global Supply Chain Management and Management Science at the Darla Moore School of Business. Funded by a grant from the S.C. Department of Commerce, the chair will support cutting-edge research.
South Carolina is making more cars every year. You can catch up with what’s going on at the Mercedes Benz van plant and the new Volvo plant inside. And of course, making cars requires all kinds of parts, including tires. Our state continues to be a leader in tire manufacturing and export sales. A new addition is Giti Tire in Chester County, which opened in October. Take a look inside the plant in these pages. In this issue, we also honor the newest laureates of the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame: Robert E. Hughes Jr., James W. Roquemore and the late Michael J. Mungo. A special section recognizes these outstanding leaders, with news from Junior Achievement of Greater South Carolina, which presents the Hall of Fame program and event. The latest issue of Cities Mean Business, the publication of the Municipal Association of
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Chuck Crumbo
South Carolina, and the spotlight shining on Orangeburg County make this a jam-packed
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Table of
CONTENTS TRENDING: AUTOMOTIVE IN S.C. 12 The Giti effect Rural Chester County attracts investment, attention as tire manufacturer ramps up production
14 Autopilot Continental driving momentum toward automated cars
16 Mercedes-Benz Vans readying site for full-scale production 19 Volvo vehicles to start rolling off line in 2018 Cover: Mercedes-Benz worker Paul Freeman installs a heat shield on the underbody of a Sprinter van. He has been promoted to group leader in the assembly area. Left: Mercedes-Benz employees work in the Ladson plant. (Photos/Provided)
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2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
CITIES MEAN BUSINESS
When getting there is half the fun.
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4 Upfront 7 County Spotlight: Orangeburg 20 S.C. Delivers
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UPFRONT regional news | data
BMW drifts past world records in Spartanburg County
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ore than a few South Carolinians inadvertently did some drifting in their vehicles as a winter storm descended on the state back in January. But not long ago, the expert drivers at the BMW Performance Center in Greer did it on purpose ... for eight hours. Not only did BMW use an M5 to defeat a world record for the longest vehicle drift in 8 hours — they actually demolished the old record of 89.55 miles with a new record of 232.5 miles — they also now own the world record for two cars drifting together (using water) at 39.25 miles. Why would they do this? Because world records are meant to be broken. BMW owned the record a while back, but someone had broken it in a Toyota. “When I saw that my old record got beaten, that was cool,’’ said Johan
BMW driving instructor Johan Schwartz, Detroit Speed’s Matt Butts and Performance Center chief driving instructor Matt Mullins cooperated to break the world record for longest vehicle drift. (Photo/BMW)
Schwartz, BMW Performance Center driving instructor. “I thought it was excellent because that just gave me another opportunity to go out and do it again.’’ BMW used the same in-flight refuel-
ing techniques that military jets and Air Force One use. But this hadn’t been done with cars before, at least not at this level. As the representative from Guinness World Records said, they could have stopped to refuel and still beaten the record — they just decided not to. Not only did the refueling chase car have to go into a drift, but it had to match the angle, speed and momentum of the record car. Why is balance of angle and momentum important? Watch the video (go to youtube.com and search for BMW drifting) as one of the cars inadvertently caroms off the other during refueling. Remember, this isn’t a Hollywood film with tons of takes. This happens in real time in Spartanburg County. Thanks to BMW for the high-quality documentation of this.
FAST FACTS | South Carolina’s Automotive Business Here’s a quick look at the impact of the automotive industry:
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$27 billion
Annual economic impact
158,000
Number employed
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No. 1
In export sales of both tires and completed passenger vehicles
Sources: S.C. Automotive Council, S.C. Department of Commerce
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16,300
Jobs added in automotive, 2011-16
$6 billion
Capital investment, 2011-16
S.C. attracts $5.24 billion in economic development projects in 2017 Here are the latest economic development announcements from the Department of Commerce:
UPFRONT
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outh Carolina recruited more than $5 billion in capital investment to the state in 2017, the fourth time the total has surpassed that level in the past seven years. The state won 157 economic development projects, accounting for $5.24 billion in capital investment and 18,445 new jobs, according to a report from the S.C. Department of Commerce. Although manufacturing was heavily represented, the state attracted diverse companies, from energy to logistics to office and shared services. The figures cover projects that were won in 2017; announcements made in 2017 may include projects recruited in a previous year.
Company County Investment Jobs FOMAS Inc. York $2.5M 10 MED-ALLY Berkeley $2.4M 90 Grupo Antolin Spartanburg $50M 150 Innovative Vehicle Solutions Charleston $2.5M 108 Home Fashions International Cherokee $5.5M 60 Zylo Therapeutics Greenville N/A 30 Carolina’s Rigging & Crane, Charleston, Richland $3.4M 35 Charleston’s Rigging & Marine Hardware Tree Brand Packaging Inc. Orangeburg $1.3M 28 Tidewater Boats Lexington $8.3M 100 Firefly Distillery Charleston $7.3M 20 Thermo King Berkeley $2.6M 25 PG Aerospace Pickens N/A 22 Cypress Creek Renewables Orangeburg $115M N/A Fab Fours Inc. Lancaster $5.7M 88 Stanley Black & Decker York $31M 500 Precision Jig & Fixture South Spartanburg $6.5M 40 Allied Air Enterprises Orangeburg $10M 100 Specified Fittings Hampton $1.8M 36 Nephron Pharmaceuticals Lexington $12.5M 125 Bosch Group Anderson $152M 130 Ritedose Corp. Richland $10M N/A
Source: S.C. Department of Commerce
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county spotlight
ORANGEBURG
The Edisto River is one of the longest free-flowing blackwater rivers in North America, meandering over 250 miles from its sources in western South Carolina through Orangeburg County and to the Atlantic Ocean. (Photo/Orangeburg Times and Democrat)
ORANGEBURG COUNTY IN SWEET SPOT FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH
Proximity to ports, transportation infrastructure are keys to attracting new industries By Steve McDaniel, Associate Editor
O
rangeburg County appears to be in the right place to grow. “We are in a unique position to succeed in competition
for industrial development,” Ken Middleton, chairman of the
Orangeburg County Development Commission, said. “Our proximity run through and close to the county, all of this makes us attractive to business.”
Orangeburg County Spotlight presented by:
ion........................ ...... 91,282 Per capita income.. ................$31,575 Median household income.....$34,175 Age distribution Median age.............. ................... 39.3 18 and older............ .................78.5% 65 and older............ ..................18.1%
Source: Orangebu rg County Development Comm ission
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to ports in Charleston and Savannah, the number of interstates that
Orangeburg Co by the numbersunty Populat
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COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: ORANGEBURG Above: Orangeburg is home to three schools of higher education: Claflin University, South Carolina State University and Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. OC Tech has construction underway on the Nursing & Health Sciences Building. (Photo/Orangeburg County Development Commission) Right: Orangeburg County is rich with historic charm and character. Downtown districts are seeing a resurgence of activity in town squares and plazas. (Photo/Orangeburg Times and Democrat)
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Leading local employers
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Rank 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Company: Number of Employees Husqvarna: 2,000 Orangeburg County School District Five: 1,350 The Regional Medical Center: 1,200 Orangeburg County: 600 Orangeburg County School District Three: 600 Orangeburg County School District Two: 554 Koyo Corp. of USA: 550 Zeus Industrial Products: 520 Food Lion Distribution Center: 498 Allied Air: 450 S.C. State University: 435 North American Container Corp.: 280 Cox Industries: 280 Claflin University: 240 The Okonite Co.: 236
Source: Orangeburg County Development Commission
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The county, one of the state’s largest in land area, sits between two of South Carolina’s biggest metro areas, Columbia and Charleston. Interstates 95 and 26 intersect in the southeastern corner of the county, and it has regular rail and truck service. Orangeburg County’s location gives it convenient access to the state ports in Charleston, about 75 miles to the east. The Savannah, Ga., ports are about 100 miles to the southeast, and the metro areas of Columbia and Augusta, Ga., are within about an hour’s drive or less. Recent activity points to growth on several fronts, according to OCDC Executive Director Gregg Robinson. “It has been a record 18 months,” he said. “We have almost 1 million square feet in new industrial construction, our prospect activity has been very good and our unemployment rate is the lowest in 30 years.” Allied Air Enterprises has been part of that record activity. The company, which has been making residential heating and air
conditioning systems in the county since 1999, recently announced a $10 million expansion and the addition of 100 jobs, said plant manager Lee Rachels. “Orangeburg County, both the Development Commission under Gregg Robinson and the Chamber of Commerce, under the leadership of Melinda Jackson, have been true partners throughout our time here,” Rachels said. “With OCDC, Gregg is always willing to lend a helping hand. Whether it is keeping us updated on the current development activities around the county or helping us navigate through specific things such as FILOT (fee in lieu of taxes) applications and renewals, Gregg is engaged. “Under Melinda’s leadership at the Chamber of Commerce, there has been a vision created for Orangeburg County, one of growth and cooperation,” Rachels added. “The chamber has engaged businesses to understand their needs and is actively involved in efforts to help overcome some of the
COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: ORANGEBURG
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COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: ORANGEBURG www.scbizmag.com
Above: U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-S.C., speaks at the ribbon-cutting of the new I-95, Exit 97 interchange in May 2017. Orangeburg County has one of the highest numbers of interstate interchanges, a key factor for businesses looking to locate in South Carolina. (Photo/Orangeburg County Development Commission) Left: The growth in Orangeburg County is at a record-breaking pace. Manufacturing, industry and commercial business are choosing to locate in the county. (Photo/Times and Democrat)
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challenges they face.” Other recent additions to the county’s industrial base include Tree Brand Packaging, a Charlotte-based provider of crates and other shipping material, announcing plans for a facility in Holly Hill; and Zeus, a polymer extrusion company, nearing completion on a $15.9 million, 65,000-squarefoot expansion project. Brazilian chemical company Inbra Chemicals recently finished construction on a 45,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. Two planned solar facilities near Bowman, a $115 million, 75-megawatt project by Cypress Creek Renewables, and an $89 million, 75-megawatt project by Tradewind Energy, are part of a $300 million overall solar investment across the county. “We had over $108 million in capital investmests in 2017,” Robinson said. “We’re seeing a lot of interest from domestic and international companies, and we expect 2018 to be a good year as well.” Orangeburg is home to the state’s only public historically black college or university, S.C. State University, and to privately supported Claflin University, the oldest HBCU
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Carolina Chips is one of the newer industries to call Orangeburg County home. Here, lumber is loaded by crane into the chipper in the chip yard. (Photo/Orangeburg County Development Commission)
COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: ORANGEBURG
in the state. Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, part of the state technical college system, offers two-year associate’s degrees and industry-specific certifications and training through partnerships with readySC and Apprenticeship Carolina. Enrollment at the three schools totals nearly 10,000 students. Outdoor recreational activities are plentiful in Orangeburg County. The Edisto River provides world-class blackwater canoeing and camping on its way to the Atlantic Ocean, and the river’s floodplains are home to a variety of wildlife and scenic natural settings. Lake Marion, the upper lake of the Santee Cooper Reservoir and the largest in South Carolina, is widely known for its freshwater fishing and offers a variety of boating, camping and other outdoor activities. Construction of new recreational facilities is underway in Orangeburg and Branchville. Edisto Memorial Gardens in the town of Orangeburg features 175 acres of azaleas, roses and other blooms and is home to the annual Orangeburg Festival of Roses. The Grand American Coon Hunt, the largest field trial for coon dogs in the U.S., has been held annually in the county for more than 50 years.
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TRENDING: AUTOMOTIVE IN S.C.
Giti Tire has opened its plant in Chester County. (Photo/Provided)
Rural Chester County attracts investment, attention as tire manufacturer ramps up production By Chuck Crumbo, Contributing Writer
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hen Chester County Supervisor Shane Stuart stepped to the microphone during Giti Tire’s unveiling of its new plant, he compared the moment to what happened more than 20 years ago in nearby Spartanburg. The new, 1.8-million-square-foot Giti manufacturing and distribution facility, expected to create 1,700 jobs in the next 10 years, would be “Chester County’s BMW,” Stuart said. “This will help reshape Chester County’s economic future.” Stuart was drawing a comparison to the German automaker’s manufacturing complex off I-85 in Spartanburg County that employs 9,000 workers and packs an annual economic impact to the state of nearly $3 billion, according to University of South Carolina economists. Giti’s impact will last over “many generations,” bringing new companies and jobs to Chester County, less than an hour’s drive up I-77 from Columbia, Stuart said. Since Singapore-based Giti announced its plans in 2014, the county has heard from
The $560 million Giti Tire plant began operations last fall. It’s expected to create 1,700 jobs and attract investments by suppliers as well as spark new retail and residential projects. (Photo/Chuck Crumbo)
other companies interested in expanding their operations to the Palmetto State. “We’ve had a lot of looks since the Giti announcement,” Stuart said. “When over a half-a-billion-dollar investment is being made in a little, small county, people want to know why.” Giti, currently ranked by industry trade
journal Tire Business as the world’s 11thlargest tire manufacturer, broke ground in 2015 on the $560 million facility at the Carolinas I-77 Megasite. The company cited proximity to major transportation infrastructure, port facilities some 180 miles away in Charleston and access to the growing Southeast market.
Walmart’s influence Also attending were Walmart Stores executives, who remarked on the largest investment of a foreign company under the retailer’s U.S. job reshoring initiative. In 2013, Walmart committed to sourcing an additional $250 billion over 10 years on products that support U.S. jobs. “By investing in products that support American jobs, we are able to bring new products to our shelves that our customers want and new jobs to the communities we serve,” Greg Foran, Walmart president and CEO, said at the event. Enki Tan, Giti’s executive chairman, noted Walmart’s U.S. manufacturing initiative played a role in Giti’s decision to make tires in South Carolina. Walmart stores sell Giti tires, he said. Giti (pronounced Gee-tee) joins a handful of suppliers in South Carolina that are
County Supervisor Shane Stuart says the new Giti Tire plant located near the interchange of I-77 and S.C. Highway 9 promises to be ‘Chester County’s BMW.’ (Photo/Chuck Crumbo)
part of Walmart’s push to source U.S.-made products. Those firms include Element Electronics, a TV assembly plant in Winnsboro; and Kent International, owner of a bicycle assembly plant in Manning. Giti, whose customers include General Motors and Firestone tire stores, also will
have its S.C.-made tires offered on the 2019 Volkswagen Passat built at the automaker’s plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. The announcement marks the first OEM placements for Giti brand tires that will be manufactured at the Chester plant. A Giti Tire brand also has been sourced as original equipment on the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, the German automaker’s all-new, full-size SUV. During the first phase of production, Giti’s South Carolina plant will have a projected capacity of making 5 million radial passenger, light-truck and SUV tires annually for replacement and OEM markets. In the tire business since 1951, Giti sells tire brands such as GT Radial, Primewell, Dextero and Runway. S.C. Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt said Giti is the fifth original equipment tire manufacturer to operate in the state, joining Michelin North America, Continental, Bridgestone and Trelleborg A.B. Michelin and Continental Tire the Americas are also headquartered in South Carolina. Tiremakers employ about 3,750 South
TRENDING: AUTOMOTIVE IN S.C.
Nearly two years later, on Oct. 4, the company celebrated launching operations at its first manufacturing site in North America and ninth worldwide during a public event attended by state and local officials.
See GITI EFFECT, Page 15
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TRENDING: AUTOMOTIVE IN S.C.
Autopilot Continental driving momentum toward automated cars By Melinda Waldrop, Editor, Columbia Regional Business Report
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elf-driving cars are no longer a fantasy from the futuristic world of the Jetsons. They could become a common sight on the road in the next two years, though how quickly autonomous technology is adapted depends largely on people – what they’re comfortable with, where they live and how they travel. “In urban environments, we see the adoption happening much faster versus rural and suburban environments, where people are going to keep their personally owned vehicles for longer periods of time,” said Jeremy McClain, director of systems and technology for the chassis and safety division at Continental in North America. McClain has focused on automated driving technologies for the company’s North American and global markets during his 16 years at Continental. He says automated driving is one of three major areas of emphasis of the company’s research and development, along with electrification and connectivity, and he is seeing two distinct research paths emerge as the industry has advanced. The revolutionary road deals with largescale mobility services, such as automated ride-hailing vehicles and taxis. That technology is already on display in cities where driverless Uber cars cruise. The evolutionary avenue advances the technology people use in their personal vehicles. “You see companies like Continental, traditional automotive companies, that are continuing to innovate and develop new technologies related to automated driving, including the automated driving systems themselves,” McClain said. “You also see tech companies and new entrants to the
An increase in intelligent infrastructure on American roads is underway. Here, a sensor on the traffic signal relays information to a car about a pedestrian, who is obscured behind a turning van. (Rendering/Provided).
market really pushing innovation as well, and I think that’s a pretty healthy mix.” The University of South Carolina will play a significant role in that collaboration. In December, the school announced the establishment of the Continental Endowed Chair in Global Supply Chain Management and Management Science at the Darla Moore School of Business. Funded by a $2 million grant from the S.C. Commerce Department, the chair will support cuttingedge research and training. “We have a lot of resources here in South Carolina,” said George Jurch, general counsel for Continental Tire the Americas, who obtained bachelor’s, master’s and law degrees from USC. “This seems to be a natural fit for getting the research and cutting-edge technology to go to the next level of business.” McClain said collaborations with colleges help Continental in several ways,
including spotting trends. Among those are artificial intelligence and deep learning, “where we don’t just necessarily program software or a system to do things as we would understand them as humans, but also let them learn how humans would behave in certain situations,” McClain said. “Those are new skill sets that we need and have high demand for. We can be very good partners in that respect.” Research will also continue to address safety concerns. Though National Highway Traffic Safety Administration studies show that 94 percent of car crashes are caused by human error (including nearly 10,500 deaths annually because of drunk driving and more than 10,000 because of speeding), a AAA survey found that 54 percent of drivers feel less safe sharing the road with fully autonomous cars. McClain believes automated cars can help mitigate human mistakes as well as
TRENDING: AUTOMOTIVE IN S.C.
Automated vehicles can assist drivers when needed and free up time for other tasks. (Photo/Provided)
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. (left), tours the newly opened Giti Tire plant in Chester County. The plant will manufacture tires for the replacement and OEM markets. (Photo/Provided)
GITI EFFECT, from page 13 Carolinians who earn an average salary of about $43,000, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. While other potential deals may not be as large as Giti’s, Stuart said each one promises to create jobs in a rural county hit hard by the Great Recession and the textile industry’s exodus to overseas plants. For example, Oregon-based Roseburg Forest Products, a privately held company, is building an engineered-wood products plant along S.C. 9, six miles east of Chester. The plant, expected to create 145 jobs, will make structural beams used in construction. Chester County’s neighbors also are reaping the benefits of what Stuart calls the “Giti effect.” In adjacent Lancaster County, Poland-based MAKROchem, a supplier of carbon black used in the manufacturing of tires, plans to invest $7.5 million in its first U.S. distribution facility, creating 20 jobs. Giti officials said factors in picking Chester County included the area’s workforce and training opportunities through the schools and technical college system. Another boost for the local economy will be new housing for workers at Giti as well as other businesses, Stuart said. In November, Texas-based homebuilder LGI presented plans at a community town hall meeting in Richburg for an 850-unit residen-
tial development on a 243-acre site along S.C. 901. Plans call for a mix of single-family and multi-family units. The availability of new housing should help the county attract more residents, Stuart said. In January 2010, the county’s jobless rate reached 22.1%. While the jobless rate has fallen considerably to 5.3% in October, it’s still above the state average of 3.9%. Additionally, the county’s population declined by about 2,000 residents or 5.5% to 32,181 between 2010 and 2016, according to the U.S. Census. The county, though, recorded a net increase of 139 households in 2016, only the second time since 2008 that the net total number of households was in positive territory. “We gained 400 people,” Stuart said. “I’ve seen a lot more people coming to our county. They’re coming from Connecticut, New York, Alabama. They’re relocating here. That’s part of the Giti effect.” Among area residents grateful for Giti’s arrival is Arlene McIver. During the October rollout of the new plant, McIver offered a tearful testimonial. “This job has truly saved me in so many ways because I am no longer stressing,” McIver said, adding that she can now provide her children with health insurance. “I now have financial security and peace of mind. I thank God for placing Giti in my path.”
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improve the overall driving experience. “When you’re in traffic, it’s relatively boring from a driving perspective, and it’s also quite dangerous, as more and more distractions are out there,” he said. “Your everyday vehicle that you drive to and from work, you don’t necessarily need that vehicle to be automated all the time. You want that vehicle to be able to assist you as much as possible in certain situations, (and) we certainly want to make those more comfortable and safer and give some of that productive time back to you. So when you spend an hour in traffic, you can do more things with that time – have your conference call, or take care of some emails.” Driver reservations aside, the future of autonomous cars is shifting into high gear. Audi has announced plans to introduce a self-driving car by 2020, and Ford CEO Mark Fields has said the company will offer fully automated ride-sharing vehicles by 2021. “We see huge value coming to consumers from ride-hailing,” McClain said. “The more we can automate those vehicles, the more available they are. Right now, the demand is much higher than the supply.” McClain also foresees an increase in intelligent infrastructure. Say a driver’s view is partially obstructed at an intersection by an 18-wheeler. The vehicle’s sensors can’t see around the truck, either – unless they get information relayed from sensors on traffic lights, for example. “We can broadcast that information from the infrastructure to that automated vehicle in order to make it safer, but also to make its movements a little bit more fluid,” McClain said. “The last thing we need is a bunch of automated vehicles driving through intersections which are super-timid and backing all the traffic up.”
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TRENDING: AUTOMOTIVE IN S.C.
Mercedes-Benz Vans readying site for full-scale production By Liz Segrist, Staff Writer
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ass hiring at Mercedes-Benz Vans’ expanding campus kicked off this year as the automotive manufacturer moves closer to producing next-generation Sprinters in the United States. The $500 million expansion, which began in 2015, is on schedule to roll off the first new vans by 2020. The investment will double the size of the Lowcountry site, triple the building’s square footage and grow its workforce by 11 times its original size. The existing assembly and administration building will more than double in size, and a new body shop and paint shop now stand on formerly empty land. Some equipment has been installed in the buildings as construction continues.
“You can see the progress each and every day, and it’s really, really amazing,” Michael Balke, Mercedes-Benz Vans president and CEO, said during a tour of the Ladson campus about 20 miles north of Charleston. The expansion should open by mid-2018; the site will be fully operational by 2020 with a 1,300-person workforce capable of producing Sprinter vans from start to finish for shipment to North American customers. For more than a decade, workers reassembled Metris and Sprinter vans — arriving in pieces from Europe — to avoid paying heavy U.S. import tariffs. The expansion brings the Sprinter manufacturing process to the U.S. for the first time, eliminating the need to assemble the vans twice. Workers and robots will weld parts
together to create the Sprinter van bodies, which will then undergo painting. After painting, the vans will head to final assembly, where workers will install interior parts such as dashboards and wiring. “The next-generation Sprinter van will be produced part by part in the U.S. for the first time ever,” Balke said. Metris vans will continue with the reassembly process for now, although Balke said that might change to full assembly in the future, depending on market demand.
U.S. expansion The full production of Sprinter vans requires significant expansion of MercedesBenz Vans’ buildings, equipment, land and workforce.
TRENDING: AUTOMOTIVE IN S.C.
Mercedes-Benz Vans’ workers will build nextgeneration Sprinter vans from start to finish in Charleston County by 2020. The existing campus has reassambled vans for more than a decade. The expanding site will require an additional 1,300 employees. (Photo/Provided)
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Mercedes employed 130 workers when the expansion was announced in 2015. “We have tripled that workforce already,” said Biljana Jelacic, Mercedes-Benz Vans’ head of human resources. Hiring is ongoing and should hit the 1,300-worker count by the end of the decade; the company is focusing on filling manufacturing positions in the first half of 2018. About 900 of the new employees will work in manufacturing, including maintenance technicians, paint technicians, body shop operators, assemblers and robot programmers. Experience in automotive manufacturing is preferred but not required, officials said. Applicants will undergo assessments and interviews, and new hires will receive extensive training through ReadySC and on
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TRENDING: AUTOMOTIVE IN S.C.
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2 4 3 Photo/Provided by Mercedes-Benz Vans
1. Body shop: Materials and parts for the next-generation Sprinter vans will enter the 500,000-square-foot body shop through large doors. Nearly 1 mile of conveyor belts will move the van bodies throughout the facility, stopping at different stations for additional work. Workers and nearly 150 robots will weld, drill and glue the bodies of vans together. Workers will program, manage and repair the robots. Some robots require constant human maneuvering; others can perform tasks independently. Completed van bodies will head to the paint facility.
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2. Paint shop: Vans arriving in the 500,000-square-foot paint shop will encounter filtered air to keep any dirt, debris or dust from infiltrating the paint job. The paint shop will clean, pretreat, paint and cure the vans. Mercedes-Benz will use female emu or ostrich feathers to clean the surface of vans ahead of painting. Cleaned vans will enter a large tank to undergo a 360-degree rotation for painting. Thirty robots will perform the painting work. Some robots will open doors for other robots to perform interior paint work; other robots will paint the exteriors. Mercedes-Benz workers will program and oversee the robots.
18
the Mercedes site, as well as possibly overseas. New hires have trained at Mercedes facilities in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Duesseldorf, Germany, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Balke said the Lowcountry’s growing manufacturing sector creates a competitive market for recruiting skilled labor. Volvo Cars will open its campus in Berkeley County in 2018, with plans to hire an initial 2,000-person workforce, for example. But Balke said the job market attracts more people to move to the region, creating a larger pool of potential new hires. “We’re optimistic we’ll find the right people,” Balke said.
Automating production Automation will play a significant role in
3. Conveyor system: Vans in various stages of development will move from building to building on conveyor belts inside covered tunnels. The tunnels, located off the ground, will protect the vans from weather during production. 4. Assembly shop: Vans will make their last production stop in the assembly shop. Mercedes-Benz has reassembled vans in the shop for more than a decade. Disassembled vans arrive from Europe in shipping containers, and Ladson workers reassemble them for the North American market. The automaker’s campus expansion increases its 400,000-square-foot assembly and administration operations by more than 1.1 million square feet. Assembly workers will continue to reassemble Metris vans, and they will also assemble the next-generation Sprinter vans built from scratch on site. Completed vans will head to the 2.8 million-square-foot marshaling yard to await a train or truck to pick them up for delivery to dealerships across the United States and Canada.
the Sprinter van production cycle, as many of the production employees will learn to program, operate, oversee and repair the nearly 200 robots on the campus. “We can train someone how to program robots today, and that would have been something we couldn’t do 20 years ago,” said Mark Allen, Mercedes-Benz Vans’ head of body and paint. Robots often perform repetitive assembly work, preventing ergonomic problems experienced by many production workers. Robots are also fast and precise, Allen said. If a robot is programmed to weld in a certain spot on a van body, it will not miss the mark by more than half a millimeter — smaller than the tip of a pencil. “When you program them to go to a
spot, they’re going to the exact same spot every time,” Allen said. Some robots are programmed to perform work, such as certain types of welding or painting, on their own. Other robots require a human to maneuver them to complete tasks. Many fear that robots will replace manufacturing positions. Allen said the use of automation means other jobs become available. Those hired to work in robotics will undergo at least four months of training. “We have a lot of automation, but you have to have people that can operate, fix and program the equipment. ... At the end of the day, it’s people that produce these vehicles,” Allen said.
Volvo vehicles to start rolling off line in 2018 Volvo’s new body shop, paint shop, assembly facility, office building and parking lots are now standing at the 1,600-acre site near Ridgeville. (Photo/Provided)
ity to produce the newest version of the XC90, said Katarina Fjording, purchasing and manufacturing vice president for Volvo Car U.S. Operations, during the announcement last fall. Fjording oversees the plant’s construction processes and launch. The XC90 is currently produced only at the company’s headquarters in Torslanda, in Gothenburg, Sweden. The vehicle will eventually be produced at two other Volvo facilities — in South Carolina and at a yet-
TRENDING: AUTOMOTIVE IN S.C.
V
olvo Cars is on track to produce the new S60 sedans from its Berkeley County site in the fourth quarter, marking the launch of a third major automotive manufacturer in South Carolina. Volvo’s new body shop, paint shop, assembly facility, office building and parking lots are now standing at the 1,600-acre site along I-26 outside Ridgeville. The Swedenbased automaker plans to ramp up hiring throughout this year, growing from several hundred employees to 2,000 workers before production of the S60 begins. Starting in 2021, the Volvo campus will begin production of a second model at the site, the newest version of the manufacturer’s XC90 sport utility vehicle. Production of the second model requires the company to double its investment to a total of $1 billion and double its workforce to a total of 4,000 people building cars at its S.C. footprint in the coming years. The S.C. site will be the first Volvo facil-
to-be-determined site, said Lex Kerssemakers, president and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America. “By 2021, say 2022, this region will have an equivalent of about 20,000 people directly and indirectly working with this facility,” Kerssemakers said during the news conference last year, noting that the Volvo campus will have spinoff economic impacts as the supplier base grows and employees spend at area businesses.
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19
S.C. DELIVERS Ports, Logistics & Distribution
The Wando Welch Terminal in Mount Pleasant. (Photo/Kim McManus)
Port
By Liz Segrist, Staff Writer
Port sees cargo growth, projects on horizon for 2018
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S 20
.C. State Ports Authority officials expect continued growth in the Southeast port market in 2018 with the deployment of larger ships, expanded service to Asia and more cargo. The growth in plastic transload operations and the launch of manufacturing operations such as Samsung’s new Newberry plant and Volvo Cars’ Berkeley County facility should boost the number of containers moving across S.C. port terminals. “Global container trade growth was the strongest it has been since 2010, mirroring surprising strength in the global economy,” port CEO Jim Newsome said in a statement. “We expect to see continued strength, albeit slightly more modest, into 2018 with growth in the emerging-market economies
as a key factor in sustaining this positive outlook.” The port reported during a recent board meeting that it saw a record December with more than 103,000 pier containers — boxes of any size — handled, up 11.6% from the year prior. The port handled nearly 183,000 TEUs — 20-foot equivalent containers — in December, up 11.2% from the previous year. Thus far in fiscal 2018, which began in July, the port has handled 605,000 pier containers, up 4.3%, and nearly 1.2 million TEUs, an increase of 3.9%. Break-bulk cargo — products that cannot fit into a container — also saw growth last year. In calendar year 2017, nearly 235,000 finished vehicles moved across the dock of
the Columbus Street Terminal, for example. Heading into 2018, the port plans to continue work on: • Construction of the Hugh K. Leatherman Sr. Terminal in North Charleston; phase one is set to open in 2020. • Construction of an inland port in Dillon; the operation is set to open in April. • Construction of a new corporate headquarters building in Mount Pleasant; the office project is set to open in December. • Renovation and reinforcement of the Wando Welch Terminal in Mount Pleasant; work should wrap up this spring. • Initial dredging for the deepening of Charleston Harbor; work will begin in February and completion is projected by 2020.
S.C. DELIVERS
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21
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S.C. DELIVERS
Manufacturing
22
Staff Report
Michelin North America rolls out new leadership team
M
ichelin Group named Scott Clark as the next chairman and president of Michelin North America to replace Pete Selleck, who retired at the end of the year. Joanie Martin has been named chief administrative officer, a newly created role in the company. “Scott has represented the voice of Mi-
chelin customers with dependable passion in our organization for more than 20 years,” said Jean-Dominique Senard, CEO of Michelin Group, based in Clermont-Ferrand, France, in a news release. “Scott is well equipped to lead Michelin North America, especially as we transition next year to a new organizational structure.” The new structure at Michelin North
America, headquartered in Greenville, went into effect Jan. 1. Clark will be responsible for all key customer-facing functions of the company, including sales and marketing for Clark North America, as well as quality, technical and supply chain units. Going forward, Michelin’s North America region will comprise the U.S. and Canada. Clark has served Martin since 2007 as executive vice president of Michelin North America and COO of its passenger and light-truck tire unit spanning the United States, Canada and Mexico. Previously, he served from 2005 to 2007 as senior vice president of Michelin’s heavy-truck tire unit in Asia. During his 21-year tenure with Michelin, Clark has held various leadership roles in marketing, sales and other functions for units in Europe, Asia and North America. He holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis. Reporting to the chairman and president in her new role as chief administrative officer, Martin will be responsible for businesssupport functions that include communications, corporate development, finance, legal services, personnel, safety and environment. A 21-year veteran of Michelin North America, Martin recently served as CFO for the company. Previously, Martin was financial director and controller for Michelin’s passenger and light-truck tire business across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Earlier assignments included leadership roles in the tax and audit functions for Michelin in Greenville and Clermont-Ferrand, France. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Furman University and a master’s degree in management and accounting from Georgia Tech.
S.C. DELIVERS
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S.C. DELIVERS
Industry
24
Staff Report
Cox sells residential lumber division to focus on commercial, industrial
C
ox Industries is selling its residential lumber division assets to Virginiabased Culpeper Wood Preservers. Included in the sale are Cox manufacturing plants in Orangeburg and Branchville, as well as two North Carolina facilities. All Cox residential business employees will have the opportunity to transition to Culpeper, Cox said in a news release. Cox will retain its corporate headquarters in Orangeburg to oversee its industrial division, which includes 10 plants across the country. Cox is one of the country’s largest producers of pressure-treated wood products. The company said aligning its residential business with Culpeper “will help to create an industry powerhouse, with combined manufacturing facilities and customers that stretch throughout the Eastern and Midwestern states.” “We are excited at the opportunities this
“Within only a few years, our industrial division has grown to become one of the largest providers of utility poles in the United States, with a customer base that now extends from coast to coast.” Mikee Johnson
CEO, Cox Industries
next phase in Cox’s history presents for our employees,” Cox Industries CEO Mikee Johnson said. “The residential division of Cox represents a significant part of our company’s legacy, so it was extremely important that any transaction we entered into was done with a company that shares the
same foundational values as us. As a familyrun business in operation since 1976, we certainly believe that in addition to providing a platform for continued expansion of the residential division, Culpeper operates its business with the same employee focus that has served us well for over 75 years.” The transaction will allow Cox to put additional resources into its industrial division, which primarily manufactures utility poles and marine piling, the company said. “Within only a few years, our industrial division has grown to become one of the largest providers of utility poles in the United States, with a customer base that now extends from coast to coast,” Johnson said. “We look forward to using proceeds from the sale of our residential division to growing and diversifying this business while expanding our role as a key player in supporting America’s electrical and marine infrastructure.”
Cities Mean
BUSINESS A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E M U N I C I PA L AS S O C I AT I O N O F S O U T H C A R O L I NA
The journey and the destination Cities and towns are finding new ways to make transportation more fun.
ISSUE 1
|
2018
CONTENTS
5 Fun trips rev up downtowns By Megan Sexton
Cover Photo: One of the several bike share stations on the peninsula of Charleston. Photo: Andrew Sprague
BUSINESS A publication of Municipal Association of South Carolina
8 Opera houses change with their towns
10 Cities embrace, enhance their blueways
By Amy Edgar
By Amy Edgar
1411 Gervais St., P.O. Box 12109 Columbia, SC 29211 803.799.9574 mail@masc.sc www.masc.sc @muniassnsc Wayne George Executive Director, Municipal Association of SC
12 City museums draw visitors, stir pride
Reba Campbell Deputy Executive Director, Municipal Association of SC Contributing writers Amy Edgar Megan Sexton
Published by
FEATURES
Cities Mean
By Megan Sexton
DEPARTMENTS 4
Letter from the Editor
15 Hometown Snapshot
By Reba Hull Campbell
www.scbiznews.com A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
@MuniAssnSC | Cities Mean BUSINESS 3
Letter from the
EDITOR
While safe neighborhoods, clean water and timely trash pickup may be what people think of first when asked about city services, there’s a lot more to that story. Cities also provide many amenities that support a positive quality of life that attracts residents and businesses alike. Cultural and recreational amenities are what help make our 271 cities and towns unique. This issue of Cities Means Business takes a look at how cities of all sizes are leveraging their distinctive assets to benefit residents and tourists. Several cities are seeing an uptick in unique downtown transportation to move people to fun or bring the fun to people. Find out how rickshaws, pedal-powered trolleys and unique Reba Hull Campbell
Editor and Deputy Executive Director, Municipal Association of SC
biking activities are seeing success in Charleston, Columbia, Moncks Corner and James Island. Opera houses were common in Southern cities and towns in the late 1800s and early 1900s as performers found welcoming audiences on their treks down the eastern seaboard. Today, many cities have restored their opera houses to meet diverse local needs from community gathering places to year-round performance venues. Learn how city officials in Clio, Sumter and Newberry are making the most of these historical gems to promote economic development, tourism and community spirit. Every city has a story to tell, and local museums create hometown pride while also providing an economic boost to help share cities’ history and culture. Read about how Greenwood, Seneca and Williston use their unique assets to tell a story that appeals to locals and visitors alike. Cities all over the world have long built commerce around waterfront amenities. That’s increasingly true in South Carolina as cities are taking advantage of what public access to nearby rivers and lakes means to the local economy. Learn about what North Augusta, Ware Shoals, Pacolet and Calhoun Falls are doing to expand residents’ and visitors’ access to their rivers and lakes. We have a wealth of cultural and natural assets in cities of all sizes. Enjoy reading more about them!
Reba Hull Campbell rcampbell@masc.sc
Editor
4 Cities Mean BUSINESS | @MuniAssnSC
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
FUN TRIPS REV UP DOWNTOWNS By Megan Sexton
When it comes to downtown transportation, sometimes the journey is the fun part.
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
@MuniAssnSC | Cities Mean BUSINESS 5
FEATURE STORY
A
s several South Carolina cities
visitors who get tired of walking and want
have shown, fun ways of getting
to cruise around the city instead.
around can also boost downtown
business. Rickshaws pulled by bikes, horse-drawn
“It’s a fun, unique and eco-friendly way to ride around downtown,” said Mattew
Lawson said the five carriage com-
Koleske, co-owner of the SC Pedal Parlor.
panies run year-round and employ 138
“It’s a different way to do a pub crawl — a
people with an annual economic impact
different way rather than a party bus.” While the party-on-wheels moves by the
carriages, electric scooters or pedal-powered
of $19 million. The carriage industry has
trolleys all offer visitors a chance to get from
long been regulated, while the city got
power of its riders — there is no drinking
place to place while experiencing downtown
involved with regulating pedicabs more
allowed onboard — a driver is provided
from a different perspective.
recently, as more companies moved into
who steers and leads the tour.
“When we can get people out of their
“It’s something new, cool and different
the market. “Many alternative modes of transporta-
to do. It’s something fun to see, and it puts a
Lawson, vice president for business develop-
tion are beneficial for any community. But
smile on people’s faces when we go by. There
ment at the Charleston Area Convention and
transportation infrastructure is going to be
are dozens of people taking pictures of us,
Visitors Bureau.
different, depending on the community,” he
and they’re always smiling. It’s also stimu-
“The more options, the better.”
said. “What works in Charleston may not
lating the economy and spreading money
In the City of Charleston, visitors can
make sense in Columbia or Bennettsville or
around to local businesses,” Koleske said.
cars, it’s helpful for everyone,” said J. Perrin
hop into a pedicab — a rickshaw pulled
Koleske said the restaurant managers
someplace else in the state.”
by a three-wheeled bike — or climb into a horse-drawn carriage, offering the quintessential way to tour the historic district. “An association or corporate group may be in town, and they want a ride to a hotel
love when the riders stop in for a drink and
‘They’re always smiling’
a snack before they hop back on the Pedal
Columbia is home to the SC Pedal Par-
Parlor, with some bars offering specials for
lor, a “bike” that looks more like a bar pow-
customers. He estimates the Pedal Parlor
ered by up to 16 people who pedal it.
has generated $100,000 in local revenue in
or restaurant or some other venue. The car-
Columbia’s pub-crawl-on-wheels tours
riages are a unique and atmospheric way to
the Main Street and Vista districts, stopping
get from Point A to Point B, and people ab-
at two to four restaurants and bars, making
tertainment districts, finding fun ways
solutely love it,” Lawson said. The pedicabs
it popular for birthday parties, corporate
to get to all of them is easier with bright,
hold only a couple of people but appeal to
events or just a night on the town.
colorful buses like the Soda Cap Connector
6 Cities Mean BUSINESS | @MuniAssnSC
the last 18 months or so. In a city with distinct downtown en-
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
FEATURE STORY
SC Pedal Parlor in Columbia lets participants power their vehicle to bars and restaurants downtown. Photo: SC Pedal Parlor.
and bright green, three-wheeled scooters,
a way to give residents and visitors a taste
known as Zapps. The electric cycles are
of the unexpected. It, too, involves pedaling
“And when they come to Moncks Corner for a day of trail riding, they are
rented through an app on smart phones and and generating local vibrancy.
certainly going to stop at our local restau-
can be picked up and dropped off at dozens
rants to refuel or refresh with a cold drink,”
of locations around Columbia. “The scooters are an innovative way
Moncks Corner partnered with Santee Cooper to open a highly technical, five-mile mountain biking trail. The town put up sig-
said Lord. Sometimes the fun starts when the ve-
(to move people around), and Columbia
nage and trail markers and works with vol-
was one of the first cities in the country to
unteers to maintain the course. Mountain
On James Island, the nonprofit Smalls
embrace that, and city staff worked hard to
biking is not something you find a lot of in
Music Lab, a bus filled with musical instru-
establish areas to park the scooters,” said
the Lowcountry, so it attracts a lot of people
ments, spreads the love of music through-
Matt Kennell, president and CEO of the
from the area.
out the area. Much like a bookmobile but
Center City Partnership in Columbia. “It makes getting there half the fun,” said Kennell. The “fun factor” is a big part of the strategy. “The Soda Cap Connector is a brightly decaled vehicle. There’s free wifi. Inside, it’s
“Tourism-related economic develop-
hicle rumbles to a stop.
stocked with keyboards, guitars and percus-
ment is all about finding what makes you
sion instruments, the mobile musical class-
unique,” said Jeff Lord, town administrator
room is a regular at community events, said
of Moncks Corner.
Ashley R. Kellahan, the town administrator.
“What do you have that others do not? For a community in the Lowcountry, hav-
“It’s a very engaging mobile unit that really makes the atmosphere at events more
like going back to an old Beatles album; that ing a large greenspace with a 50-foot eleva-
lively. Anytime you add music to an event
goes to the fun factor,” Kennell said. “It’s a
tion change is just one of many things that
you draw a larger crowd. When it’s music
way to enjoy getting around downtown and
makes Moncks Corner unique. It is some-
that kids can help create, it adds another
the different districts around Columbia.”
thing we can offer closer to home for the
level of community and spirit,” Kellahan
many outdoor adventure enthusiasts who
said. “It’s definitely a draw. Our town hall is
live in the Charleston metro area that enjoy
in a shopping center with two restaurants.
mountain biking.”
When we have events in the evening, it
Local vibrancy While pedaling a trolley to a bar in downtown Columbia may draw surprised
He said the town sees visitors from far-
draws people and they can go to the restau-
glances from the automobile-driving public, ther away who come for a bike ride as part
rants. And we’re increasing our hospitality
the Town of Moncks Corner has also found
tax revenue.”
of their trip to the Charleston area.
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
•
@MuniAssnSC | Cities Mean BUSINESS 7
FEATURE STORY
OPERA HOUSES CHANGE WITH THEIR TOWNS
The Sumter Opera House attracts tourists and enriches residents’ lives. Photo: City of Sumter.
By Amy Edgar
T
Changes over the decades
heater companies traveling between
gramming to enrich the lives of the residents
New York City and Miami used
of Clio and surrounding areas. O.P.E.R.A.
to stop at the Town of Clio’s opera
stands for Organizing, People, Empowering
1881. It hosted touring companies of New
Resourceful Achievers.
York plays, minstrel and variety shows, sing-
house to give performances, attracting crowds from neighboring South Carolina
“The history behind the ownership is
The Newberry Opera House was built in
ers and speakers, magicians, mind readers,
towns. Today, many decades later, the
significant,” said Kinney, explaining that a
Edens Opera House now draws in the
former resident of the town, Sally Calhoun,
town’s residents, serving as an unofficial
donated the building to the organization in
rium became a community gathering space
community center.
2013. She took a special interest in a first-
for meetings, dances or commencements.
grade class from Clio Elementary School and
When silent movies and then traditional
era House in about 1910, it contained stores,
provided educational and program support
movies became popular, the Opera House
offices and an auditorium, according to its
for 12 years. She also sought to pay for the
became a movie theater in the 1920s. It
1979 National Register of Historic Places
college education after the students com-
closed in 1952, and a few years later, there
nomination form.
pleted high school, said Kinney.
was talk of tearing the building down. The
When Jefferson D. Edens Sr. built the Op-
While it’s no longer drawing perform-
Opera houses have had a presence in
and boxing matches. When it didn’t offer shows, the audito-
Newberry Historical Society stepped in to
ers from both ends of the East Coast, Edens
American cities and towns for more than
preserve the Opera House, and it was placed
Opera House today has stayed true to its
200 years.
on the National Register of Historic Places
mixed-use identity. It houses an auto parts
In the 1800s, small towns began build-
in 1970.
retailer, a variety market supply store, a low-
ing their own opera houses as a way to
power community radio station, a Medicaid
attract visitors and entertainers. Over the
1990s, adding 10,000 square feet to the origi-
services provider for children, a church and
years, cultural changes and the advent of
nal building to create a modern theatrical
two youth organizations.
movies led to the decline of many opera
production facility. Today, the opera house
houses. A few, such as Clio’s Edens Opera
seats 426 and boasts state of the art lighting
the building, said Clio Mayor Joe Kinney,
House, still grace small towns in South
and sound systems.
A nonprofit called Clio O.P.E.R.A owns
The Opera House was renovated in the
the nonprofit board’s immediate past chair-
Carolina, where local leaders have em-
man, who said the organization provides
braced their storied buildings and fit them
stored opera house has been a catalyst for
community service projects and special pro-
into their downtown visions.
an economic and artistic revitalization in
8 Cities Mean BUSINESS | @MuniAssnSC
City Manager Matt DeWitt said the re-
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
FEATURE STORY
The Edens Opera House in Clio houses youth development groups, a church and an auto parts store. Photo: Town of Clio.
The Newberry Opera House has driven cultural and economic development for decades. Photo: City of Newberry.
Newberry. The Opera House attracts private
tional economy. (The study was conducted by
tional systems, civic organizations, corporate
investment through sustained quality en-
Mandala Research for the U.S. Cultural and
sponsors and individual renters, said Seth Re-
tertainment and community engagement. It
Heritage Tourism Marketing Council, in con-
imer, cultural manager for the City of Sumter.
also has an engaged board of directors who
junction with the U.S. Department of Com-
have a passion for the city and talk directly
merce. Heritage Travel Inc., a subsidiary of The
that assists investors with getting their mes-
with investors, DeWitt said.
National Trust for Historic Preservation, was
sage out in an engaging way,” Reimer said.
the lead sponsor of the study.)
“The Sumter Opera House, now present-
“The organization strives to fulfill the mission of cultural and economic develop-
The Sumter Opera House is another site
“We are creating a vibrant community
ing local, regional and national acts, builds
ment through the window of the arts,” he
with a colorful history. Built in 1895, the build-
a powerful presence and allows investors
said. “This is done by attracting quality arts
ing has served not only as an opera house, but
another ‘stage’ in which to reach customers
programming that includes all the com-
also as a music academy, movie theater, city of-
and entertain prospective and current cli-
munity and demonstrating its commitment
fices, barber shop, jail and even a meat market.
ents. There is evidence that it helps increase
time and time again.”
In 1982, the Opera House closed its doors after
name recognition and offer networking op-
46 years as a movie theater.
portunities to develop new business.”
DeWitt said the Opera House brings roughly 100,000 people to downtown New-
The City of Sumter purchased the build-
By presenting 14 acts in the 2016-2017
berry each year for performances, tours,
ing in 1984 with an eye toward gaining of-
season, the Sumter Opera House had an
educational seminars and meetings. It also
fice space and attracting visitors downtown.
economic impact of as much as $750,000,
supports tourism in the Midlands.
Careful renovations to restore the Opera
considering its 70 total events and more than
“By quality entertainment and tours, the
House to its former beauty, including the art
21,000 attendees, Reimer said. Patrons at the
Opera House supports the city with extra dol-
deco gold leaf by French restoration artists,
Opera House spend money on meals, re-
lars not only to the city, but also local business-
were completed in 1987. These renovations
freshments, souvenirs, gifts, transportation,
es through increased revenue,” DeWitt said.
were the first steps in an ongoing movement
lodging and other miscellaneous items.
These efforts pay off. According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a 2009 study found that 78 percent of all U.S.
toward downtown revitalization and historic preservation in the City of Sumter. Today, the Opera House still houses Sum-
The City of Sumter strives to be a destination worthy of travel and visitation, and the Opera House supports that goal, Reimer said.
leisure travelers participate in cultural or
ter City Hall and City Council’s chambers.
heritage activities.
The 550-seat theater hosts a variety of local,
ing that vision by stimulating economic de-
regional and national talent, free perfor-
velopment and tourism growth while enrich-
mances by local groups, and many gradua-
ing the cultural lives of Sumter residents,” he
tion ceremonies.
said. “The Sumter Opera House is creating
Economic contributions With cultural and heritage travelers spending an average of $994 per trip, they contribute more than $192 billion annually to the na-
The Sumter Opera House attracts private investment through collaboration with educa-
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
“The Sumter Opera House is spearhead-
an environment that blends backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures.”
•
@MuniAssnSC | Cities Mean BUSINESS 9
FEATURE STORY Saluda River/Ware Shoals
CITIES EMBRACE, ENHANCE THEIR BLUEWAYS By Amy Edgar
F
rom moving sewer lines to add-
River. In the 1990s, the city did a study on
nity of Augusta, Georgia, which sits across
ing trails, South Carolina cities and
riverfront development and adopted the tag
the river, Jones said.
towns are recognizing — and maxi-
line “South Carolina’s Riverfront,” according
mizing — the appeal of their rivers. That means taking any number of steps, such as adding a boat launch, rerouting
As developments grew, the city retained
to Lark Jones, who recently retired as the
access to the riverfront because city leaders
city’s mayor.
believed public access would be key for fu-
In the mid-1990s, a private developer
ture successful development.
infrastructure, or securing an easement to
built a golf club and riverfront homes, which
open up public access and attract residents
sold for up to $1 million. This was the cata-
to provide public access to the river,” Jones said.
and visitors.
lyst that began to bring people into North
“It’s part of the public realm that our residents
Augusta and cultivate an identity for the city
own. When we develop these things, we want
as something other than a bedroom commu-
the residents to feel ownership.”
The City of North Augusta has worked for years to take advantage of the Savannah 10 Cities Mean BUSINESS | @MuniAssnSC
“The philosophy of the city has always been
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
FEATURE STORY The city had a greenway from a railsto-trails project and then added a 1-mile spur to the riverfront. The spur circles the Brick Pond Park, which is a 40-acre restored wetland, water treatment system and public nature park. Significant developments continue at the riverfront. Project Jackson is a mixed-used development that includes a new minorleague ballpark for the Augusta GreenJackets. A hotel, restaurants, shops, homes and condominiums all are underway near the riverfront. Other towns are investing in their riverfronts, as well. The Town of Ware Shoals succeeded in having its project to reroute a 40-year-old sewer line along the Saluda River included on the Greenwood County Penny Sales Tax Commission’s list of projects funded by the penny sales tax, which voters approved in 2016. This project addresses the dangers of possible pollution and contamination that come
Significant developments continue along the Savannah River in North Augusta.
“Providing public access to the river gives
Blue Hole Recreation Area offer boat ramps,
community members and individuals some-
playgrounds, picnic areas, and canoeing and
thing to do,” Meissner said.
kayak areas.
For years, there was no public access to
The West Carolina Pavilion on Lake Rus-
from having waste running through sewage
the Pacolet River, due in part to industrial
sell hosts musical and outdoor events, said
pipes along the river, said Town Administra-
sites located there. The town reached an
David Garner, Calhoun Falls town admin-
tor Heather Fields.
easement agreement with Lockhart Power,
istrator. The town works closely with the
which provides hydropower along the river,
Calhoun Falls Chamber of Commerce and
prove Pitts Park, which lies along the shoals
to create trails and allow public access to the
the Lake Russell Recreation and Tourism
and offers access to the river. Fields said the
water, Meissner said.
Coalition to plan and organize events and
In addition, the town is working to im-
town would like to clean up the park, add
The town has other projects in the works,
trash cans and restrooms, and make it handi-
including a new traffic circle in front of Pa-
capped accessible.
draw people to the area, he said. In the future, Garner said they hope to
colet Town Hall, and improvements, such
establish a rails-to-trails project accessible
The river is part of the Heritage Cor-
as benches, to the park area and river walk.
from downtown Calhoun Falls, which would
ridor, and signage there points to the kayak
An old building known as the Cloth Room,
be a regional recreational trail linking the
launch and access to fishing, Fields said.
which is a remnant of the textile mill, is un-
two counties of Abbeville and McCormick.
The park is a true gem of the community,
dergoing renovations to become a commu-
she said.
nity events center that will spur revitalization
the Savannah River Basin offer an oasis from
efforts by the river. Eventually, Meissner said,
the fast pace of daily life. When cities em-
they hope to expand the trails, add a bridge,
brace and enhance the rivers and waterways
increase signage and expand a fishing pier.
that make them unique, they can increase
“On any given day, we have hundreds of people in the park,” she said.
Reaching an agreement Scores of people visit the Pacolet River Paddling Trail, and the Town of Pacolet has
The activities around Lake Russell and
economic development while providing
‘Get connected to nature’ The Town of Calhoun Falls, located in
healthy spaces for citizens to enjoy the outdoors.
been working on other improvements to
the Savannah River Basin, provides numer-
“We want to get people disconnected
draw visitors to the riverfront area, according
ous recreational activities for residents and
from technology for a while and get con-
to Mayor Michael Meissner.
visitors. Calhoun Falls State Park and the
nected to nature,” Garner said.
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
•
@MuniAssnSC | Cities Mean BUSINESS 11
FEATURE STORY
CITY MUSEUMS DRAW VISITORS, STIR PRIDE By Megan Sexton
The “Carolina” executive car is part of the Greenwood Historic Railroad Center collection.The restoration budget is a public-private partnership that includes grants from the S.C. National Heritage Corridor, City of Greenwood and private contributions. Photo: City of Greenwood.
E
very town has a story to tell. And whether that story is one of history, science, agriculture, trans-
A ‘must stop’
is critical. Both museums were ‘must stops’
One such museum is the Greenwood Museum and its nonprofit subsidiary, the
portation or any other topic, there may be
Railroad Historical Center. The museum fea-
no better way to tell it — to both residents
tures three floors awith 20,000 square feet of
and tourists — than with a local museum.
hands-on exhibits.
Scores of museums dot South Carolina’s
for the Aug. 21 solar eclipse.” The Greenwood Museum, like many in towns around the state, started out small. Opening in 1970 with one room in the old armory, it eventually took over the entire
Permanent displays include a 1900s
building. In 1982, it moved to its own loca-
cities and towns, with exhibits that preserve,
replica of Main Street with interactive
tion on Main Street. In 2007, the museum
honor and explain local history and culture.
exhibits such as a cinema, general store,
closed for renovations that were paid for with
Museums provide everything from a source
blacksmith shop, classrooms and railroad
nearly $600,000 from the city’s hospitality tax
of hometown pride for a community to an
depot. It also displays gems, rocks and
and a $396,000 federal grant.
event venue that can mean an economic
minerals and native wildlife, along with
boost to a downtown. These museums can
annual summer exhibits.
The city has no day-to-day role in the museum’s staffing, but it does provide operations
improve quality of life and support the long-
“The museum plays a critical role in
term goals of cities, while local governments,
Greenwood’s history preservation and (tell-
owns the building and covers the monthly
in many instances, play a role in helping
ing) Greenwood’s story,” said City Manager
utility costs, while the City of Greenwood’s
start, staff or fund the museums.
Charlie Barrineau. “Economic development
hospitality tax funds are used to help pay for
12 Cities Mean BUSINESS | @MuniAssnSC
support, Barrineau said. Greenwood County
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
FEATURE STORY
Visitors tour the Bertha Lee Strickland Cultural Museum, which preserves African-American history. Photo: City of Seneca.
the museum – including making sure the
maintenance support, with about $35,511
museum can provide free admission. The
spent through August of this year. The rail-
if this small black community in Oconee
city also provides annual operations and
road center has plans for a new replica depot,
County could achieve that, there must be
maintenance support, budgeted at $66,667 in
modeled after the old Greenwood Main
a lot more to tell,” said Shelby Henderson,
2017. The museum must provide copies of its
Street Union Station, to sit next to the seven
the manager of what became the Bertha Lee
expenditures to receive reimbursements from
historic rail cars.
Strickland Cultural Museum.
hospitality tax funds. Nearby, the railroad center is home to a
Both the museum and the railroad center are rented for events.
locomotive and a collection of restored train cars. It is committed to collecting, preserving
“He was fascinated by that. He felt that
The city eventually purchased land for the museum, established a preservation group and hired Henderson to coordinate the
‘We have a wonderful story to tell’
Strickland project.
In the City of Seneca, the idea for a mu-
“The city didn’t have specific plans; they
seum celebrating African-American history
just knew they wanted to preserve the black
was born after City Administrator Greg Diet-
community’s history. They left it in my hands.
dollars to receive three grants for the rail-
terick learned about the often untold story of
I asked for permission to have a board of di-
road museum, totaling $250,000 from the
Oconee County’s black history, including the
rectors and the council approved that. It’s an
South Carolina National Heritage Corridor.
story of Seneca Junior College, an African-
amazing board of directors — all volunteers,
Greenwood also provides operation and
American school from 1899 to 1939.
all grassroots,” Henderson said.
and interpreting the railroad history of Greenwood and the surrounding communities. The city has leveraged hospitality tax
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
@MuniAssnSC | Cities Mean BUSINESS 13
FEATURE STORY
Trains of the Greenwood Historic Railroad Center collection. Photo: City of Greenwood.
The museum shares a back yard with the
Henderson said the museum is commit-
“The museum is a source of pride for the
city’s Lunney House Museum, and bears the
ted to improving education, preservation and
community and is impressive for such a small
name of the late Bertha Lee Strickland, a
quality of life. But it also plays an economic
town. It has very limited normal operation
Seneca resident who worked for the Lunney
development role for the city and the county.
hours due to lack of funding and full-time
family for 47 years, starting as a laundress at about the age of 13. “We have a wonderful story to tell. Strick-
employees. However, people can schedule it
How to draw people in
for private viewing and parties and often do,”
“No city in this country enjoys economic
Cook said. “The board also tries to have an
land is giving us a voice that will live well
development without diversity. It’s one of the
annual event to showcase the museum. They
beyond any of us. And generations to come
things that draws people in,” Henderson said.
have done this each of the last two years, and
will have that piece of the town’s history,”
“To educate everyone about black culture and
it has been quite successful.”
Henderson said. “For a small museum to be
black history is to show the value and the worth.
owned by a city that embraces it the way Sen-
Once you understand people, you accept more.”
scroft, said the museum is home to every-
In the Town of Williston, the town owns
thing from collections of photographs of
eca does is rare.”
One of those volunteers, Julia Raven-
the former school building that houses both
military veterans to a replica of a country
rectors which city council appointed. The city
the museum and the library. The museum uses
store to old farming tools, a nod to Wil-
fully funds the museum through its annual
the building at no cost, and the town pays for
liston’s history as one of the world’s largest
city budget and hospitality tax funds. Money
maintenance and utilities for both the museum
growers of asparagus.
from the hospitality tax was used to con-
and the library, said Kenny Cook, Williston’s
struct the building and supports free public
town administrator. The museum is run by a
their town, and they like to see things dis-
museum events and programming. The city’s
volunteer board. And while the town doesn’t
played. There’s a great admiration for it,” she
annual budget includes items for operational
get directly involved with the day-to-day opera-
said. “I think every town, if they can afford it,
expenses and staff professional development.
tions, it does assist with long-term plans.
should have a museum.”
The museum is guided by the board of di-
14 Cities Mean BUSINESS | @MuniAssnSC
“The people in this town are proud of
•
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
HOM ETOWN
SNAPSHOT
Photo/Licia Jackson
downtown ed Sept. 1 in ch n u la s u tor b T S o da ap Connec The COME C . a d d n o u S o e ar Th get ew way to routes that to offer a n of dedicated Columbia em st sy le p m cluding ector is a si tinations, in es d ia Cap Conn b m lu ice ajor Co ts. This serv eople to m d Five Poin an connects p ta is V e ng the ict, th treet Distr 6 p.m. Duri .m a. 0 1 the Main S urday from Tuesday-Sat is running are free. nths, rides first six mo
2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS
of Hall Fame
Sponsored by
JA marks 50th year
2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
Dear Reader, It is our honor to present the 2018 South Carolina Business Hall of Fame magazine within SCBIZ. The Hall of Fame is paying tribute to its 34th class of laureates. The S.C. Business Hall of Fame, presented by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and Junior Achievement of Greater South Carolina, began honoring business leaders in 1985. The laureates this year are Robert E. “Bob” Hughes Jr., James W. Roquemore and Michael J. Mungo, who is being honored posthumously. Please read about these outstanding South Carolinians in the following pages. Also, we congratulate Junior Achievement of Greater South Carolina on 50 years of inspiring the business leaders of the future. JA focuses on teaching our children life skills that everyone needs: financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. As another important benefit, business people who volunteer in the classroom give students a glimpse of a future that could be theirs. Every year, new laureates are added to the S.C. Business Hall of Fame. Their lives are celebrated at a gala banquet in Columbia. The list of those who have been honored, both living and dead, goes back to a time before the U.S. was a country; among the laureates is Eliza Lucas Pinckney (1722-1793), who took charge of her father’s three indigo plantations at age 16. Other familiar names among the laureates include Milliken, Peace, Seibels, Swearingen, Close, Kahn, Baruch, Averyt, Detyens and Zucker. You have probably seen these names on buildings and other places in South Carolina. We hope you will enjoy learning about Junior Achievement and this year’s Hall of Fame laureates.
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Licia Jackson, Editor
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On the cover: Junior Achievement volunteer Ginetta Hamilton works with fifthgraders Lelandra Haynes (left) and Kamryn Clark. (Photo/Jeff Blake)
Junior Achievement of Greater South Carolina 2711 Middleburg Drive, Suite 105 Columbia, SC 29204 | 803 252-1974 Casey Pash, President Bette Bronson, Program Manager Elizabeth Blake, Program Manager Rebecca Borovsky, Intern
Published by:
www.scbiznews.com
Michael J. Mungo
James W. Roquemore
Page 34
Page 38
Page 43
2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
Robert E. “Bob” Hughes Jr.
About the S.C. Business Hall of Fame Each year, the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame honors business leaders chosen for their unique contributions to South Carolina’s business landscape, for being agents of positive change, for their leadership, and for being a source of inspiration to the leaders of tomorrow. The Business Hall of Fame is presented by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and Junior Achievement of Greater South Carolina. The laureates for 2018 are Robert E. “Bob” Hughes Jr., Michael J. Mungo and James W. Roquemore.
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2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT Celebrating 50 Years of Growing S.C.’s Future Workforce In 1968, a phone company executive from Atlanta had the foresight to value the
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importance of creating a solid workforce in South Carolina. This, he determined, could
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only be accomplished by educating the future workforce, which he knew was centered in the current and future generations of South Carolina’s students.
2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
Blythewood High School student and Junior Achievement volunteer Tynasia Foster works with a fifth-grade class at Conder Elementary in Columbia. (Photo/Jeff Blake)
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29
2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME www.scbizmag.com
Above: Blythewood High student and Junior Achievement volunteer Asia Williams, the JROTC Bengal Battalion executive officer, takes pictures of fellow volunteers in a fourth-grade class at Conder Elementary in Columbia. Right: Junior Achievement volunteer Ginetta Hamilton talks about career choice with a fifth-grade class at Conder Elementary. (Photos/Jeff Blake)
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What was needed was an organization that could give students a solid grasp of financial literacy, foster children’s understanding of the importance of workforce readiness and inspire a spark inside each of them to create entrepreneurship. He fulfilled his vision by establishing South Carolina’s first Junior Achievement office – which, at that time, only provided programming to high school seniors. Fifty years later, Junior Achievement
continues to serve South Carolina students with programs that now begin as early as kindergarten and continue through 12th grade. Using the power of volunteers, Junior Achievement has designed easy-toteach, and easy-to-grasp, grade-level curriculum that fosters students’ curiosity about the community in which they live and the workforce that they one day will join. Gone are the days of “civics classes” where students learn how communities
are built and what role jobs play in the economy. Today’s schools’ curriculums are not geared toward teaching the skills of money management and the roles of business and government in our community. Enter Junior Achievement. Now, with the help of volunteers from across the state who are willing to spend just one hour a week for six weeks, thousands of students each year are exposed to the life skills concepts of financial literacy, work readiness, and
2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
The value of Junior Achievement Below, and on the following page, are quotes from this year’s Business Hall of Fame laureates or their family members about the importance of Junior Achievement.
– Steven Mungo, son of Michael J. Mungo
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“Junior Achievement was a tremendous experience for me. I started a little business, manufactured desk thermometers. I sold them door to door. It taught you how to ask for an order and how to figure costs and prices. I was named Junior Achievement Entrepreneur of the Year.”
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2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
entrepreneurship. In addition to teaching students, Junior Achievement also recognizes those business men and women who have successfully created career opportunities for themselves and others. For 34 years, the South Carolina Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame has recognized outstanding individuals who have distinguished careers and are true role models for the children of our state. This year, the Hall of Fame is proud to welcome three distinguished Laureates – Mr. Robert E. Hughes Jr., Mr. Michael J. Mungo and Mr. James W. Roquemore. These gentlemen will be recognized at a black-tie event on March 1, with an audience that consists of the titans of South Carolina industry as well as past inductees into the Hall of Fame. Whether you are recognized as a laureate or choose to be a volunteer teaching a JA class in your local elementary school, Junior Achievement encourages you to be a role model for our state’s youth. By exposing students to how careers work, how businesses work, and how money is managed, you can help Junior Achievement to inspire students to succeed. Looking forward another 50 years, JA hopes to continue to brighten the future for thousands more of South Carolina’s students – allowing them to understand and prosper in the new world economy.
Blythewood High students Jazlyn Gallishaw (left) and Katelyn Yates, Junior Achievement volunteers, work with fifth-graders at Conder Elementary. (Photo/Jeff Blake)
For more information on how you can get involved with Junior Achievement in South Carolina, call 803-252-1974 or visit the website centralsc.ja.org
The value of Junior Achievement www.scbizmag.com
“Junior Achievement has a positive impact on young students, teaching them values, what’s expected of them. Mentoring is important too.”
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– James Roquemore “Junior Achievement is based on the message that hard work and preparation will take you far in life. It teaches you to look people in the eye, how to shake hands and the importance of being able to rely on your word and what you say you are going to do.” – Bob Hughes
Here are the classes offered to teach students business and career skills: Elementary School
Middle School
High School
• JA Ourselves (personal economics)
• JA Economics for Success
• JA Be Entrepreneurial
• JA Our Families
• JA Global Marketplace
• JA Career Success
• JA Our Community
• JA It’s My Future
• JA Our City
• JA It’s My Business!
• JA Company Program – Blended Model
• JA Our Region
• JA Economics
• JA Our Nation
• JA Job Shadow
• JA More than Money (financial literacy and entrepreneurship)
• JA Personal Finance
2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
Junior Achievement Classes
• JA Personal Finance – Blended Model
Do you want to inspire future business leaders? Volunteer for Junior Achievement. Contact the JA office at centralsc.ja.org or 803-252-1974.
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2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
Robert E. “Bob” Hughes Jr. Developing downtowns into destinations
F
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rom his earliest days, Bob Hughes was influenced by the values his father taught. One of those values drilled into him was that it was important that he leave the world a better place than he found it. “Dad said, ‘You’re here a finite amount of time. You’re a blip in history, but if you don’t leave it better, what was the point in your being here?’ ” Hughes said. Young Hughes did not have much spare time to ponder that question, as his parents also taught him the value of hard work. “We were a family that believed in work,” Hughes said. His father, a real estate developer in Greenville, brought colleagues from all over the world to meet his two sons. “We were taught to admire people who worked hard.” For Hughes, now chairman of Hughes Development Corp. of Greenville, one of
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his first jobs was mowing the putting green his father had in the front yard, receiving a dime each morning that he cut it. Later, this would lead to a job at a country club in Greenville at about age 14.
“They said they needed somebody with experience. I said I have about eight years’ experience,” Hughes said. He grew up in Greenville, the son of two Greenville natives, and he is living in a
“Be alert. The opportunity you are going to find in the future is not the opportunity you are going to be told about today.” –Robert E. “Bob” Hughes Jr.
Greenville’s downtown, as well as other places. Hughes Development Corp.’s projects include NEXT, RiverPlace and ONE in Greenville and BullStreet in Columbia. “We became known as the people who could do hard projects,” Hughes said. He suggested that clients not come to him until the project became hard. Then the client would pay the company more as it got the job done. Deals in the late 1980s and early 1990s helped make the company’s reputation, Hughes said. They took a lot of patience
and extra time. “It took a couple of years for each of those projects, to get the rest of the world to see it was the right project in the right place.” On one occasion, a client brought him a project with eight fatal flaws. Hughes told him he had solved all eight of those problems for other clients, but never all on the same project. Hughes Development Corp. is a fullservice real estate development company that focuses on downtown redevelopment, urban infill and mixed-use development. Office buildings, medical parks, shopping centers, business parks and residential communities have been included in the company’s developments, with an objective of constructing sustainable buildings to last a lifetime. In Greenville and the rest of South Carolina, “we are blessed to be in an environment where we’re surrounded by people who want you to succeed,” Hughes said. “It’s so much better to go to someone and say, ‘I’ve got this problem,’ and know they will work with you.” Communication skills learned when he
2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
home built in the same neighborhood as the house he grew up in. Hughes’ father had grown up poor but became the first in his family to graduate from college. The elder Hughes attributed his success to his education at Greenville’s Furman University, Hughes said. Bob Hughes was educated in the public schools of Greenville County until he reached high school. Aspiring to go to Harvard University, he decided to go to boarding school in New Jersey to prepare. “That’s where I learned that snow wasn’t always white,” Hughes said. The snow that fell in December seemed to stick around until spring, getting dirtier as it melted and refroze. The experience made him rethink and decide to go to college in the South, at Duke University. The Monday after he graduated from Duke, Hughes was at his desk in his father’s company. Though his strengths in science and math had led to interest in medical research, his father wanted him to start up the ladder as a real estate developer. And so began the trajectory that led to Hughes’ leadership in the renaissance of
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2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME www.scbizmag.com
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collected rents for his father have helped in figuring out the best way to execute projects, Hughes said. “You’ve got to be able to communicate with everybody. Dad said you need to be able to talk to anybody and understand their needs.” These days, the two big things in Hughes’ life are his family and his work. He and his wife have three children and six grandchildren, all of them living in Greenville. Hughes says he tried to be less strict in raising his children and also did not expect them to work in his business, although that didn’t take. His son, Robert, for example, is now president of Hughes Development. Hughes has been supportive of Junior Achievement as a means for students to learn about the work world before they have a chance to take part in it. However, he says, “I’m not a big fan of me telling people what to do. I think you have to figure it out yourself.”
2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
The world is changing so rapidly that the most valuable skills for young people are knowing how to learn, to work and to think, he said. Lessons about financial responsibility are also critical because most students don’t get the opportunity to work while in school, Hughes said. He grew up constantly thinking of ways to make money, with his parents matching what he earned to pay for expensive items. Today, Hughes sees money not as a way to keep score but as a way to measure what a development project is worth to society. If a $100 project sells for $100, then the company has not added value. But if a $100 project sells for $150, then that project has additional value to the community. South Carolina is a marvelous state for business and growth, Hughes said. However, he would like to see incentives offered to high tech and professional workers who can live anywhere they want. “We hear complaints that our college graduates are going out of state,” Hughes said. “Another way to say it is we don’t have enough jobs in this state for our college
graduates.” Looking back at his own life, Hughes said he would not do anything differently, because he likes where he is today so much. But going back to his father’s advice about his legacy, he said, “I hope that when I’m gone, they say, ‘You know, somebody else might have done it, but Bob was here and he did it, and he made the world a better place.’ ”
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2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
Michael J. Mungo Residential developer left poverty behind but never forgot those in need
G
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rowing up in poverty in rural South Carolina forged the determination and drive that led to the successful career of Michael J. Mungo. It also helped make him a lifelong philanthropist, because he did not want others to suffer as he had. Mungo, who died in 2010, built a successful residential real estate development business in Columbia. The second half of his life was devoted to establishing the Michael J. Mungo Foundation to help improve the lives of low- to moderate-income residents of the Midlands of South Carolina. Born in 1928, Mungo grew up in the abject poverty of the Great Depression. His father had been a successful businessman, but the business failed during tough economic times. When Michael was 11, his father died, leaving seven children and their mother, who had no job training.
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“The children lived with other relatives,” said Stewart Mungo, elder son of Michael Mungo. “The family unit didn’t exist for them.” The siblings never lived together again. Because of the family’s poor circumstances, Mungo had to pick up donated food and carry it home. It was a demeaning experience. “He swore that would never, ever happen to him again,” his son said. Much later, Mungo was a founding board
“He was a problem solver, a pure entrepreneur in the greatest sense of the word. He loved the challenge — the creativity of ‘here’s this great piece of land, this is my vision for what it can become.’ ” Steven Mungo
2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME www.scbizmag.com
member and major supporter of Harvest Hope Food Bank, which provides food with dignity and compassion for the needy in 20 counties of South Carolina. Mungo felt very strongly that no one should ever go hungry in one of the richest countries in the world. Mungo realized early the value of getting an education. In his hometown of Bethune, in Kershaw County, there were only three brick houses – owned by a physician, a billing manager and a school principal. Mungo was determined to get an education like those three, Stewart Mungo said. Many years later, Mungo went back to
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2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME www.scbizmag.com
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Bethune and built a fourth brick house, for his mother. To complete high school, Mungo had to live with a sister in Rock Hill. After serving in the U.S. Army, he went on to work his way through the University of South Carolina, majoring in political science. Foreseeing that plaster walls were on the way out, he started a business painting and installing drywall. “By the time he graduated, he hired professors to install sheetrock in new homes,” his son, Steven, said. After a year in law school, Mungo decided to go in another direction. He went to work for C.W. Haynes Realty Co., a premier land development firm, and spent a year there before going into business on his own. “He was fascinated by the urbanization of America, with people owning cars and moving to the suburbs,” Stewart Mungo said. “He realized that was what the latter half of the 20th century was going to be.”
And so, Mungo became one of the first professional land developers in South Carolina. With an eye to providing new homes for working-class families, he bought land, titled it, solved water and sewer problems and added amenities such as curbs, gutters and streetlights. “He was a problem solver, a pure entrepreneur in the greatest sense of the word,” Steven Mungo said. “He loved the challenge — the creativity of ‘here’s this great piece of land, this is my vision for what it can become.’ ” Mungo’s early developments were in Forest Acres and neighborhoods that have disappeared into the city of Columbia. In 1959, with the completion of I-26, he opened Whitehall in the Irmo-St. Andrews area. Assembling numerous pieces of property, he developed a community of 1,000 homes, the first real suburban development on the Lexington County side of the Broad River. During that time, plants were hiring
2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
workers in the area, young families were forming and veterans of World War II and the Korean War were buying houses and needing more space. “Whitehall was one of the first to have garages, rather than carports,” Stewart Mungo said. The development had a swim and racquet club, its own water system and sewer plant, street lighting and curbs and gutters, “very innovative in its time.” Going on to establish more than 50 subdivisions, Mungo favored developing a plan over actually building the homes, Steven Mungo said. Having grown up in an
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2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME www.scbizmag.com
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uncertain era, he didn’t mind taking on risk. “He had zero fear of falling off the high wire,” Steven said. “If you asked him, he would say, ‘I didn’t take any risk, I knew exactly what was going to happen.’ There might be a recession in the middle of a project, but he knew the project would sell.”
“He liked the adrenalin you get from doing a deal, buying and selling, creating things,” said Stewart Mungo. Michael Mungo suffered a heart attack in 1978, at age 50, and retired from Mungo Homes, leaving it to his sons. While he had never pressured them to go into the fam-
ily business, both found that they liked it. The business has changed and grown, now building in eight markets in the Southeast. “He was very proud of our success,” Stewart Mungo said. The elder Mungo taught his sons flexibility so that they would be ready for the severe downturns they would inevitably face. Stewart Mungo said their father taught them to make sure the customer gets what he pays for, and “if something is wrong, fix it.” They also learned to give back to the community, especially to those less fortunate. Mungo spent the last years of his life as a fulltime philanthropist. He was committed to the University of South Carolina, helping others go to college and becoming the longest serving trustee in the university’s history. “It was very important to him that the university become a great institution,” Stewart said. He helped USC get into the Southeastern Conference for the status it would bring, but always realized the most important function was to teach the students. He established the Michael J. Mungo Distinguished Professor Award, given to the best teacher of undergraduate courses each year. Mungo was S.C. chairman of the United Negro College Fund, recognizing that historically black colleges were performing a great service to communities, his son said. To meet a different kind of need, Mungo provided a facility for a center for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts, known today as the Providence Home. Mungo lived out his life in the family home he built in Whitehall. Today that house is leased for $1 a year to Leeza’s Care Connection, a nonprofit that provides support to caregivers. It’s a fitting use in a community where Mungo felt a deep commitment. The family was able to invest Mungo’s entire estate in the foundation, something that would have made him proud, Steven Mungo said. He always wanted to support the community that had supported him. “He was a big believer in the American dream, that everybody deserves the right to own a home.”
A
Growing a worldwide business from seed and sod
s he tells it, James Roquemore went into the seed and sod business to get out of the tobacco patch. Growing up in Lakeland, Ga., a small town near the Georgia-Florida line, he and other boys like him were expected to crop tobacco from the age of 7 or 8. It was hard, hot work. “We worked every day of summer vacation,” Roquemore said. His father and grandfather had started Patten Seed Co., and he was able to graduate to that business at age 13. Although he says he never planned it, Roquemore rose to become chairman and CEO of Patten Seed Co. and its well-known Super-Sod division. He moved to Orangeburg 25 years ago as the business expanded
2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
James W. Roquemore to get closer to the golf course and residential markets in South Carolina. In his first job with Patten Seed, he went on the road to sprig golf courses, he said. The company was pioneering new varieties of grasses such as Coastal Bermuda and established golf courses all the way to California. By age 16, he was a crew leader. He would go to a new location, hire 10 to 15 workers and get a tractor-trailer load of sprigs to plant every day. “My father invented equipment to dig and plant sprigs,” Roquemore said. The elder Roquemore, a veteran of World War II, would build the equipment in his shop or have it built to his design in a fabrication shop. Watching his father make what he needed taught Roquemore to be entrepreneurial. “You have to have vision. What do
– James W. Roquemore
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“You have to be willing to go the extra mile. Nobody is going to be successful that thinks they can work 8 to 5 and they are going to move up the ladder. Take on other projects, make yourself valuable . . . The most important thing is suit up and show up.”
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you need? If it’s not out there, just figure out how to make it.” In 1965, the company began establishing its own golf courses. Roquemore said he planted the last golf course on a commercial basis in 1979. Growing up, Roquemore always loved baseball. He played in Little League and Pony League, as a pitcher, catcher and center fielder. He dreamed of playing professionally and had an offer from the Atlanta Braves in 1976. But his father talked him out of it. “I would have to quit school, and he said
only 1 out of 3,000 make it to the Major Leagues.” Roquemore, then a sophomore, stayed in college. Although he was offered baseball and basketball scholarships for college, Roquemore didn’t take them, again on his father’s advice. His father took pride in having set aside enough funds to send his five children to college. “He said, ‘No way, I saved money to send you to school,’ ” Roquemore said. A lifelong baseball fan, Roquemore played softball till age 50 and has many good friends among the Atlanta Braves, who
2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
come to South Carolina to hunt doves with him. He has also been part owner of three minor league teams. Scouting has been another important part of his life. Roquemore was in Boy Scouts until age 13, when baseball interfered. He never forgot his interest, though, and during the past 30 years, he has been a major fundraiser for the Boy Scouts. He has served on boards at the regional and national level and has brought in celebrities such as Brooks and Dunn, Chipper Jones
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and Dale Earnhardt to help raise funds. Roquemore has raised about $3 million for Scouting in Orangeburg County. The program helps young people learn good values, flexibility and love of the outdoors, as well as job skills, he said. It also provides young boys with excellent male role models. Junior Achievement is another program Roquemore appreciates, although it wasn’t available at his school. JA teaches what is expected of an employee, as well as solid values, he said. “When I grew up, we all worked,” Roquemore explained. With changes in law, most now must wait till age 17 or 18 to get a job. “They’re not prepared to work because they don’t know how.” Focusing on work early in life helped Roquemore build his business into the largest turf grass producer in the world. Patten Seed Co. is the parent company for SuperSod, the marketing division for sod. The company has six sod farms in three states. The seed division sells all the Zoysia seed in the world and most of the centipede seed, Roquemore said. A compost division, called Super-Soil, makes compost from grass
2018 SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME
clippings. “We ship 15,000 tractor-trailer loads of sod in a year, and we ship 250,000 pounds of seed per year around the world,” he said. When he was starting the business in South Carolina, his father told him he needed at least 250 acres to be successful. The elder Roquemore ended up with a 1,300-acre farm, but he told his son not to plant more than 250 acres. “I planted 900 the first year,” Roquemore said. “Within two years, we were the largest sod producer in the Southeast. “To start a business from scratch is a lot of pleasure but it’s a lot of hard work,” he said, having been through the process three times. Roquemore also believes in enjoying his time off. A North Carolina fishing trip resulted in unexpected tension on Sept. 11, 2001, when the small plane he was riding in was ordered down by a military jet — as most planes were on that fateful day. Roquemore’s business principles include paying bills on time, following through on what you say you’ll do and hiring solutionoriented (rather than problem-oriented)
people. Know the market for your product and be flexible as conditions change, he said. “You need to plan for ups and downs,” he said. “You need to reassess the business to make sure it will be viable going forward.” In the 2007-08 recession, his business was cut in half as home-building stopped, home sales plummeted and landscapers went out of business. Patten Seed Co. had planned for downturns and came out the
other side in better shape, Roquemore said. At 62, he hopes to keep working for another 15 years, but has a succession plan in place. The employees who work for him are phenomenal, he said. As South Carolina industry grows and adds jobs, he believes Patten Seed and Super-Sod will remain a player. “Those thousands of employees will want a house with a front yard.”
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