GSA Business Report - June 2023

Freight value rebounds after pandemic pummeling

Everyone remembers the scramble. During the pandemic that began in March 2020, everyone scrambled for toilet paper, hand sanitizer, antiseptic wipes, and, before it was all over, raw materials and basic supplies to run their businesses. Recent data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics show how the kink in the supply chain resulted in a decimation of value, and what happened the year a er the pandemic caused a short recession in the nation’s economy.

Data over ve years show South Carolina and every state in the Southeastern U.S. saw a dip in value of cargo owing. Louisiana had the highest percentage drop in freight value with a decrease of 18.56% from 2019 to 2020, but South Carolina was the second-highest in the Southeast for value loss with a decrease of 8.56%. By looking at freight ow, including exports, imports and freight transported within a state, the BTS shows how quickly cargo stopped owing and how that resulted in a decrease in value. In 2019, the state’s freight ow was worth more than $306.7 billion. By the end of 2020, that number had dropped to $280.5 billion.

at changed the next year, with the state posting a 13.46% increase in value to $318.2 billion, the highest on record for ve years.

e increase in value didn’t result in an increase in freight tonnage, the BTS data show. Following a trend that began in 2018, South Carolina’s freight ow of 230.9 million tons dropped 1% between 2019 and 2020. But from 2020 to 2021, the amount of freight ow went down further, from 228.5 million to 213.4 million, a decrease of 6.6%.

Starting two years before the pandemic began, South Carolina’s freight ow tonnage has dropped more than 10% from 2018 to 2021, BTS data show.

By Andy Owens

Post-pandemic rebound across Southeast

Table shows the percentage change in values of freight in the Southeast, during and after the pandemic-era economic downturn. This reflects the percentage change in exports, imports and in-state cargo moved during 2020 and 2021.

SC’s logistics by the numbers

77,992 Miles of public roadways in the state.

2,278 Miles of railroad track in the state.

480 Miles of waterways in South Carolina.

8 Number of major airports operated in the state.

$42,085,000,000

More than $42 billion worth of motorized vehicles, the state’s top freight commodity category by value, were moved in South Carolina in 2021, up 3.3% from the previous year.

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

ON THE RECORD

“As we are going through the process of redevelopment, there is a lot of di erent protocols we will be subject to both from the standpoint of what we already have been doing with EPA and DHEC and moving forward. It has been a challenge, which is to be expected.”

Dean Warhaft, developer The Union Bleachery project

SC Biz News Briefs

The latest application calls for 24 mixed-use buildings of varying heights, some seven stories tall, comprising hotels, residences and commercial spaces. It would include five acres of public green space along the water. (Rendering/Provided)

Union Pier project in Charleston delayed for 30 days after public outcry at hearing

After a nearly four-hour meeting with more than 70 public comments from residents who were overwhelmingly opposed to an application for a high-density Planned Unit Development on the South Carolina Ports Authority’s nearly 70-acre waterfront property on Concord Street, the Charleston City Planning Commission voted to defer a recommendation to council for 30 days.

Residents came out in full force, with more than 250 people packing the South Carolina Ports Authority’s passenger cruise terminal Wednesday night to air their concerns about the development, its related zoning designation and how quickly the application is moving. e latest application calls for 24 mixed-use buildings of varying heights, some seven stories tall, comprising hotels, residences and commercial spaces. ere would be ve acres of public green space along the water, with walking bridges over a small carved-out canal and a pedestrian mall surrounding the Rice Mill landmark. ere would be a minimum of 367 units dedicated to a ordable housing.

Groundbreaking held for $800M electric vehicle battery plant in Florence County

Groundbreaking was held Wednesday June 7 for a new $800 million electric vehicle battery plant in Florence County.

AESC, a battery technology company based in Japan, held the ceremony on-site at the plant’s future location in Florence County. Je Deaton, managing director of AESC U.S. attended, along with local and state o cials attended.

With construction of the 1.5 million square foot plant underway, commercial operations are expected to start in 2026, creating 1,170 new jobs for the local community, according to a news release.

“ is groundbreaking marks another major milestone in AESC’s commitment to investing in South Carolina and manufacturing electric vehicle batteries,” Deaton said. “AESC continues to be a global leader in developing next generation EV battery technology, and we’re proud to be further growing our capacity to build those products in U.S. facilities, accelerating the transition to clean energy transportation.”

With publications in the Upstate, Columbia and Charleston, as well as a statewide magazine, SC Biz News covers the pulse of business across South Carolina. Above are excerpts from our other publications.

Charleston

Florence

Jenny Peterson, Charleston Regional Business Journal

Christina Lee Knauss, Columbia Regional Business Report

Donna Bischo , publisher SC Biz News dbischo @bridgetowermedia.com • 843.804.6093

Jason Thomas, executive editor jthomas@scbiznews.com • 864.568.7570

Ross Norton, managing editor-content rnorton@scbiznews.com • 864.642.5229

Andrew Sprague, managing editor-production asprague@scbiznews.com • 843.628.4739

Christina Lee Knauss, sta writer cknauss@scbiznews.com • 803.753.4327

Krys Merryman, sta writer kmerryman@scbiznews.com • 864.640.4418

Steve McDaniel, editor Custom Publishing Division smcdaniel@scbiznews.com • 843.628.4744

A View From The C-Suite

Leah Stoudenmire , The Rock It! Co.  |

Founder & CEO

THE BEST ADVICE I’VE EVER RECEIVED

Never burn a bridge. Building lasting relationships, embracing integrity, and staying authentic have proven invaluable throughout my life and career. You never know when paths will cross again or how someone might be a major part of your future.

WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE?

Ryan Downing, director of sales rdowning@scbiznews.com • 864.867.1928

Account Executives

Amanda Alford, multimedia account executive aalford@bridgetowermedia.com • 864.720.1223

Shannon Pollard, multimedia account executive spollard@scbiznews.com • 843.804.6094

Tony Rossi, multimedia account executive trossi@scbiznews.com • 864.867.1920

Jim Wheeler, multimedia account executive jwheeler@scbiznews.com • 843.628.4752

Events

Lauren Medders, event manager/manufacturing conference lmedders@scbiznews.com • 864.720.1220

Accounting ar@bridgetowermedia.com

Subscription Services service@bridgetowermedia.com • 877.615.9536

WHAT IS THE STIFFEST CHALLENGE FACING YOUR INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW?

The use of AI is the biggest challenge in our industry. Using AI to replace humans takes away creativity, personality and puts companies at risk due to potential job displacement, lack of human oversight, and potential ethical situations.

LITTLE KNOWN FACT ABOUT YOUR COMPANY

In 2022, The Rock It! Co.  tripled its sales with a small but mighty team and trusting clients. Additionally, we added a full suite of marketing services to our o erings and aim to hire two to five new positions by the end of 2023.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE?

Prioritize life-work balance and self-care to ensure personal wellbeing and ultimately better job performance. Trust your instincts, overcome challenges, and lead with your gut to accomplish goals.

As CEO of The Rock It! Co., I wear multiple hats. I steer the company’s mission and vision, spearhead client strategies, drive new business acquisitions, and oversee operations, finance, marketing and sales.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?

In high school, I strapped on my roller skates and worked as a carhop at Sonic Drive-In.

WHAT DOES YOUR COMPANY DO?

The Rock It! Co. is a boutique, full service marketing and events agency. From startups to corporations we partner with companies of all sizes to deliver specialized marketing solutions to ROCK their brand.

Photo/Provided

Featuring the world-class services & amenities you have come to expect from Hilton

• Over 22,000 sq ft. of exible meeting & event space

• Largest hotel ballroom in Columbia with 10,400 sq ft. 800 sit down dinner capability

• 237 well appointed guest rooms

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• Columbo’s Restaurant - open breakfast, lunch & dinner Happy hour M-F 4pm - 7pm

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By Krys Merryman kmerryman@scbiznews.com

The first phase of a long awaited $2 billion-$3.5 billion Greenville County development is expected to be underway this summer.

e Union Bleachery project, at 3335 Old Buncombe Road, will consist of luxury apartments, townhouses, a ordable housing, restaurant and retail space, and commercial space, which equates to upward of 20 million square feet, according to project developer Dean Warha .

As one of the largest civil projects the county has dealt with, said Warha , the site sits on more than 250 acres and is currently going through the civil permitting process for the rst phase of the project. He anticipates the issuance of land disturbance permits within the next two-to-three weeks.

e rst phase of the development will include four acres of commercial space along South Carolina Highway 253 and the Swamp Rabbit Trail, said Warha . Tied to this phase will also be two residential communities — approximately 600 housing units — another commercial parcel that will include food and beverage opportunities, an entertainment parcel that will be activated along the trail, and another parcel that houses a historical structure that will be adaptively reused to become a distillery, he said.

is rst phase will cost north of $150

million, he added.

Tapping into the robust growth of the life science industry, Warha sought out a partnership with SCBIO and the South Carolina Research Authority to attract wet labs and corporate o ces to the site.

“Jobs in the commercial sector we think are an important holistic aspect to continue to grow the Sans Souci/Berea area,” Warha said.

Avison Young is the project’s real estate partner, McMillan Pazdan Smith is collab-

orating on the development as the architect on record, and 13th Floor Investments is the joint venture partner.

Environmental engineers with Kimley-Horn helped delist 150 acres of the site from the Environmental Protection Agency Superfund List and enter the 1903 site into the state’s brown elds program.

“As we are going through the process of redevelopment, there is a lot of di erent protocols we will be subject to both from the standpoint of what we already have

been doing with EPA and DHEC and moving forward,” said Warha . “It has been a challenge, which is to be expected.”

Warha said a er all is said and done, they anticipate moving dirt to get the project rolling this summer.

“ e county admin and sta have continued to be extremely supportive in working through the complexities of a largescale project like this and we wouldn’t be where we are at without them and their assistance,” said Warha .

The old bleachery will become luxury apartments, townhouses, affordable housing and retail and restaurant space. (Photo/Provided by Dean Warhaft)

Unused building in downtown Greer to become entertain hub

By Krys Merryman kmerryman@scbiznews.com

Developers are under contract to purchase an unused building in downtown Greer to turn it into an entertainment hub.

Developers Bryan Beal, CEO of Cra ed Community Concepts, and Nate Tomforde are bringing Trade Street Social to Trade Street, next to the Greer Chamber of Commerce building.

Trade Street Social will focus on entertainment, featuring arcade games, virtual golf and racing simulators, bowling, with a full bar and food menu, patio seating, and roll up doors at the front of the building.

“ e city of Greer has done such a great job with their downtown and this hub would add to what they have downtown currently,” said Beal. “ is is a great opportunity for us to focus on bringing the entertainment aspect to downtown Greer.”

Beal said they expect to close on the purchase of the building within the next month — a building that has been abandoned for more than 10 years, he said. e building has been used for storage, sitting idle. And when they saw it hit the market, Beal said, they saw it as a good opportunity to bring a unique concept to downtown Greer.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

e goal for renovations to begin is this fall, targeting a spring 2024 completion

date, said Beal.

“One thing that was missing (in downtown Greer) was the entertainment piece,” said Beal. “We are hoping to have this hub for staying power to Greer, so people can jump around downtown and start to activate that space and nightlife there.”

Greer Mayor Rick Danner said one of the things the city works hard on is the authenticity of the Trade Street downtown area.

“Certainly, the restaurants and shops that are there now help embrace that,” he added. “We are a community that is growing, that is serving a lot of people, and an entertainment venue would be welcomed,

especially with all the families we have, it would t a real need for one.”

Architects on record is Project Plus Architects, Marsh Bell Construction Co. as the general contractors, as well as the project being an investment opportunity for Vicinity Capital.

“Overall, we are really excited to enter a new market to be a part of the City of Greer as they have done such a great job with their downtown,” said Beal. “We look at every town, city, municipality to see if we could do something unique in that community, and every place has a unique need and caters to the concept of each commu-

nity. “Nothing we do is cookie cutter.” Other projects in the works by Cra ed Community Concepts are the revitalization project — e Mill at Fountain Inn — which o cially broke ground at the corner of Ellison and Wall streets in Fountain Inn in March; e Pardo Café in Inman, which is set to open on June 15, is a co ee shop and café with chef-driven food items for breakfast and lunch, as well as early evening appetizers and light bites; and a barbecue restaurant in downtown Spartanburg, Smoking Butt Heads, which is set to open this summer in the historic Greenewald’s building on Main Street.

WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS

•

Arcade games, virtual golf and racing simulators will be some of the entertainment available at Trade Street Social. (Rendering/Crafted Community Concepts)

Board approves $100M-plus Greenville Gateway project — with conditions

By Krys Merryman kmerryman@scbiznews.com

The Greenville Design Review has given its final approval of the long-awaited Greenville Gateway project design — with conditions.

Located on the former Greenville Memorial Auditorium site on North Church Street, the project – which will be named the Gracie Plaza at the Arena District — had its plans deferred during the design review board’s April meeting to further review and make changes to the development’s exterior materials, color selection, and activation of the plaza. e panel also suggested a simpli cation of the development’s design.

Gracie Plaza will consist of two interconnected towers featuring 294 residential apartments, restaurants and commercial space, creative studios and a parking structure concealed by an elevated terrace.

Conditions of the approval of the project’s new design, which were recommended by city sta , include a full-scale material mockup for review as well as further review of exterior lighting and treatment of the eastern façade of the North Tower.

e project is envisioned to act as an anchor to the Cultural Corridor and a pedestrian connection from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena to downtown, said Beth Brotherton, Greenville’s director of communications and engagement.

The estimated total project cost is between $100 million to $120 million, according to the project’s Miami-based developer NR Investments and said they will have a better idea of the anticipated start/finish date by the end of the year as they advance on design and permitting processes.

“We are thankful to the board and

sta for their input throughout the process and for this vote of con dence,” said NR Investments. “We think Gracie Plaza will spark a reinvention of the corridor leading to downtown and around Bon Secours, leading to the creation of a safer, more walkable, and livable entertainment district in this part of Greenville.

is vacant lot of 25 years will provide

the connecting link between downtown and the arena, triggering the redevelopment of the area and the creation of a new district along the way.”

SC Biz News emailed a request for comment to the city of Greenville for Mayor Knox White, but has yet to receive a response.

Per SC Biz News’ April report of the project, NR Investments unveiled plans for the mixed-use development on the former Greenville Memorial Auditorium site, which had been abandoned for decades.

NR stated the project would become a stepping stone toward PlusUrbia Design’s “Community Vision Plan,” the urban planner’s master plan for the Interstate 385 corridor and adjacent areas, which gave its nal proposal to the Greenville Design Review Board in October.

NR closed on the land on March 9 but has been working on plans with Greenville-based Johnston Design Group for more than a year. e development went before the city’s design review board on April 6.

“NR Investments’ vision, inspired by what they’ve done in Miami and backed by their experience and ability to execute, is what caught our attention,” White said in April. “ ey understand the history of this location and are committed to activating a place that’s been a ‘Bermuda Triangle’ of development.”

The project, which will consist of two interconnected towers featuring 294 residential apartments, restaurants and commercial space, as well as creative studios, is now called Gracie Plaza at the Arena District. (Rendering/Johnson Design Group)

Downtown Greenville residential building to undergo $24M expansion

By Krys Merryman kmerryman@scbiznews.com

Adowntown Greenville historical building that was turned into affordable housing units for seniors will be getting an eight-story expansion.

e Greenville Summit building was purchased in 2018 by developer JE Properties. It was originally a hotel but was turned into a ordable housing units in the 1970s, said Joseph Eddy, president of JE Properties. He said they promised to keep the property as a ordable housing when they purchased it and immediately dumped approximately $2.5 million into it for renovations.

e current building located at 201 W. Washington St. will be undergoing an expansion of 50 units to the current 102 units, a nearly $24 million project, said Eddy.

As a part of the expansion, the new building will be built on the existing site, in the parking lot adjacent to 201 W. Washington St., and the two buildings will be connected via a new single-story hallway and courtyard.

“ is is a great location for seniors and are currently at capacity with a waitlist out about a year now,” Eddy said. “ e impetus for this expansion was that and the rents having gone up so much, especially for those on xed incomes, it becomes

di cult to nd a ordable housing, especially for seniors.”

e project was approved by the Greenville Design Review Board last week. e next step would be to get approval from the Greenville Housing Authority to be a part of its voucher program that would allow residents to pay rent equaling only 30% of their income, said Eddy, averaging $338 a month. If that comes through soon, they will also need to work with South Carolina Housing to receive around $2 million in

low-income housing tax credits.

Eddy said the average resident income is about $13,500 a year.

Development has a ‘human piece to it’ Once everything is funded, said Eddy, they are looking to begin the construction of the 14-month expansion early 2024, with the 50 units available in 2025.

“ ere is a human piece to it,” said Eddy. “Our goal as housing developers is to house people. Organically, we had 27 people come from homelessness, and we believe we are helping solve that problem.

Because we are downtown, we have a beautiful property and so many resources, a computer lab, a workout facility, providing meals, and you don’t need a car. We have working class seniors here who contribute to society and want to give them an a ordable place to live.”

Living at the Greenville Summit allows access to a full-time residence coordinator who helps residents schedule doctor’s appointments, Meals on Wheels, a community room and kitchen, and other senior convenience measures.

Architect on record is DP3 Architects, with DP3 Architects Principal Meg Terry leading the project for the architecture rm.

“DP3 Architects is thrilled to be a part of the vital need to ll the need for a ordable housing for aging seniors in Greenville,” said Terry. “A ordable housing should be digni ed and should exude a pride of place. is project embodies that philosophy and also lls an important need within the city.”

This is a difficult project to construct, especially in downtown Greenville, said Eddy.

“Even since the purchase of the building in 2018, the city has worked to streamline this,” he added. “ is is a place they want to see business and have been helpful in seeing that happens, and for the push of a ordable housing and overall, the improvement of downtown.”

As a part of the expansion of Greenville Summit, a new building will be built on the existing site, in the parking lot adjacent to 201 W. Washington St., and two buildings will be connected via a new single-story hallway and courtyard. (Rendering/Provided)

Company to spend $30M on West Union plant

By Jason Thomas jthomas@scbiznews.com

Aglobal industrial tech company plans to expand its Oconee County operations.

Itron, a global industrial Internet of ings (IoT) rm that innovates the way utilities and cities manage energy and water, is planning a capital expenditure of $28.5 million over three years that will create nearly 100 new jobs in the area, according to a Commerce Department news release.

“Itron’s Oconee plant has a long history of manufacturing excellence and is known

for its commitment to quality,” Vijay Rajaram, Itron North America’s operations director, said in the release. “ rough past acquisitions, we have been located in the area for more than 50 years. We are proud of our roots here and look forward to expanding our operations.”

Itron plans to expand its existing facility in West Union and establish a Center of Excellence for manufacturing operations in North America, the release stated.

e company will recon gure the plant to include manufacturing for gas and water endpoints, which collect and transmit meter data. Currently, the facility manufactures Itron’s next generation smart elec-

tric and gas meters.

Serving communities in more than 100 countries, Itron enables utilities and cities to safely, securely and reliably deliver critical infrastructure solutions, according to the release. e company’s portfolio of smart networks, so ware, services, meters and sensors helps its customers better manage their critical infrastructure.

e expansion is expected to be complete by the end of 2024, according to the release.

“It’s another top shelf for business moment in Oconee County with Itron’s decision to establish a Center of Excellence at their West Union facility,” Oconee

Economic Alliance President and CEO Jamie Gilbert said in the release. “Itron is a world leader in the utility metering and monitoring sector and has been an important part of Oconee County’s economy for many years. As one of the county’s longest operating manufacturers, we are thrilled that Itron is making a commitment to signi cantly expand their Oconee operations, and we appreciate the new investment and excellent job opportunities it will generate.

Hill Construction is the General Contractor and Lisa Weitz (owner and wife of Jon Weitz, founder and president of Avocet Hospitality) is the designer.

Commerce Club prepares for $1.75M in renovations

By Krys Merryman kmerryman@scbiznews.com

AGreenville private business and social club founded nearly 40 years ago is undergoing $1.75 million in renovations and rebranding.

Dallas-based BNG Hospitality, the owners of the Greenville Commerce Club on the 17th oor of the One Liberty Square building in downtown Greenville at 55 Beattie Place, said they will create a “brand new club.”

e club was formed and continues to operate so that members are in a comfortable setting that facilitates interaction and camaraderie while providing ne dining and personalized service.

e club currently features 360-degree views of Greenville, personalized dining and service experiences to include breakfast, lunch and dinner, co ee concierge service, an active array of monthly member activities and events, shared and individual workspaces, venues for weddings, rehearsal dinners, anniversaries, business meetings, confer-

ences and more, and protected self-parking.

BNG also operates clubs in Charleston, Tampa, Fla.; San Antonio, Texas; and Costa Mesa, Calif. Jim Coyne, founding partner and executive vice president of operations, said Greenville Commerce Club members also have access to several business clubs and social clubs around the nation.

BNG acquired the club a few years ago, and Coyne said they fell in love with the Greenville market.

“Greenville is such an up-and-coming city,” said Coyne. “It’s been a while since the club had anything done to it, and we wanted to update it to be more modern and relevant, to clean up the wear and tear of it over the years. We will be giving homage to Greenville’s past, present and future through the renovations.”

Coyne said they expect to start renovations in July reopen to members in the fall. Although they are still working out the nal details with designers and architects, DP3 Architects, Coyne said “every space in the club will be touched.”

Home Team BBQ | Greenville, SC

On the top florr of the One Liberty Square building, the Greenville Commerce Club has provided a venue for mixing business and pleasure for years. (Photo/Krys Merryman)

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN JOURNEY

Sponsored By

Photos courtesy of Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, College of Charleston

A letter from the presenting sponsor About this section

On behalf of the entire team at Blackbaud, I celebrate the monumental opening of the International African American Museum, a long-awaited catalyst for education, connection, and growth. As a global company with roots in Charleston, we’re inspired by and honored to support IAAM’s expansive vision–capturing the regional significance of its site while bringing to light far-reaching stories of African American culture.

Blackbaud is proud to offer our support as the Museum illuminates the past and drives progress for the future through their programs and exhibitions. New initiatives like IAAM’s Center for Family History will build a vital sense of connection and identity through heritage research and public digital archives. The Museum’s opening is just the beginning of a new chapter for Charleston and the country. There is truly no limit to the experiences that IAAM can offer, and I look forward to continued partnership between Blackbaud and IAAM’s leadership, staff, and the board of directors as they steward this living history.

Mike Gianoni, president and CEO, Blackbaud International African American Museum Board Member

An untold story is coming to life within the walls of the International African American Museum in Charleston.

As a media platform, we could never do justice to a narrative that transcends time, that whispers over a vast ocean, from the shores of Africa to those of our nation – to our very state. The museum, which will officially open June 27, documents the journey that began in Africa centuries ago, and still continues today. Its location, at the former site of Gadsden’s Wharf, which was the site where an estimated 100,000 enslaved Africans came ashore during the peak of the international slave trade, is sacred ground. Words could never properly explain the significance of the thousands of souls who passed over those waters and onto that soil, and the struggle that lay ahead.

This special section represents a portal to the people who had a key role in shaping what the museum would become, and their hope of what those who pass through its doors take away with them. It’s a resource for the museum’s message, as well as the Gullah Geechee culture that exists to this day.

With reverence we offer these pages.

Jason Thomas, executive editor, SC Biz News

Mike Gianoni

Jason Thomas

Musicians perform during the groundbreaking ceremony of the International African American Museum in October 2019. (Photo/File)

A historic achievement.

A transformative force. A new chapter.

Blackbaud celebrates the opening of the International African American Museum, and the powerful stories it tells in Charleston, South Carolina, and to the world. We’re proud to help fuel your impact—today and in the future.

www.blackbaud.com

Photo Credit: Ellis Creek Photography

EXPERIENCING A WIDE RANGE OF EMOTIONS

International African American Museum CEO Tonya Matthews hopes museum sparks visitors’ curiosity

By Christina Lee Knauss cknauss@scbiznews.com

Since April of 2021, Tonya Matthews has gone through the joys and challenges of building a new museum, one that is unique not only in South Carolina but in the nation because it seeks to tell the story of African-American history from its roots in Africa to its impact in today’s world.

Matthews, CEO of the International African American Museum, arrived in Charleston in April 2021 bringing with her years of experience in the nonprofit sector, the sciences, museums and education.

Born in Washington, D.C., Matthews holds a degree in biomedical and electrical engineering and a certificate in African American studies from Duke University as well as a doctorate in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

Matthews developed education programs for the Maryland Science Center and worked in the division of restorative and neurological devices for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. She then became vice president of the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, where she directed research and education.

She served as president and CEO of the Michigan Science Center and the as associate provost for inclusive workforce development and as director of the STEM Innovation Learning Center at Wayne State University in Detroit.

While at the Michigan Science Center, she founded The STEMinista Project, a movement to engage girls in their future with STEM careers and tools. She continues this work today through STEMinista Rising, supporting professional women in STEM – and the colleagues who champion them – with an inclusive emphasis on women of color.

Matthews recently took time out during the busy weeks leading up to the IAAM’s grand opening to talk with SC Biz News about her time in Charleston and her hopes for the new museum.

What has the experience been like as CEO of a new museum, especially one with this much history involved?

This appointment felt like a collision of the professional and the personal. The opportunity to build

Tonya Matthews, CEO of the International African American Museum, will view the museum as a success if visitors leave wanting to learn more.

(Photo/Provided)

We all play a part

Boeing is proud to partner with the International African American Museum to further its mission to explore and honor the untold stories of the African American journey. We look forward to celebrating the grand opening together.

boeing.com/community

a museum from the ground up, help take it over the edge, and take it from the foundations an amazing opportunity, particularly for a museum of this scale, covering African American history and with its location and its place. For me personally it’s all resonating very deeply. I feel this is where I belong, this is what I’ve been trained for and led to do, so I’m very excited.

How has your previous museum experience helped you with your work in Charleston?

Very seriously, all of it has. In Detroit, my experience was bringing the museum back online, reconnecting an institution to community. In Cincinnati, my role was about transformation, creating a new type of museum out of traditional bone and also helping to steward the incorporation of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center into that space. Even at Wayne State, my student programs were all about the art of making people comfortable with topics that people assume they are going to be uncomfortable about. In my previous world before museums, it was all about algebra and calculus, and now at museums it’s about telling untold stories about places and times that in some ways are so familiar to us.

What lesson or message do you want visitors to take away after visiting the museum?

I would like for our visitors to leave a little bit more curious because I think curiosity is a key. We tell a lot of stories, but we cannot tell them all. I think the museum will have been successful if we have visitors wanting to learn more, whether that’s going into our bookstore and looking for a book or asking volunteers and docents about how they can find more information and learn more. Regardless of the background you bring to the International African American Museum, if you leave a little bit more curious than when you came, that’s what success looks like. I’d also like our visitors to experience a wide range of emotions,

because one of the things we’ve tried to do is put these stories in their full context.

What impact do you hope the museum will have for the African American community in Charleston, the rest of South Carolina and beyond?

If we do our job right, the impact to the broader African-American community is about recognition and appreciation. so much of the story has been hidden or untold or told in a false way. Everything from the trauma of enslavement to the joy and recognition of innovation and invention has been a part of our story here, and the museum offers recognition of our incredible contributions, of how we are a piece of the fabric of this nation and not an add-on. We’re offering a beautifully designed space where the stories we tell can be truthfully and artistically told. It’s an incredible thing to have these stories told in a space so carefully cared for like this one.

What kind of an impact do you see the museum having on Charleston’s tourism industry, and its economy?

We’ve received an enormous amount of support from people on the tourism side of things here like Explore Charleston, and also our cultural heritage partners who have all been incredibly welcoming and excited about the museum. I think the impact we can have is as a history museum. Charleston already has developed a brand because of its history, and we are offering a chance to delve deeper. Our community is already phenomenal at offering historical experiences and storytelling, and we’re expanding the variety of both. We also open the door for additional tourists to come to Charleston, especially folks who are seeking different kinds of stories. We also have the power of place because of our location at Gadsden’s Wharf, so for

The International African American Museum in Charleston is located at the former site of Gadsden’s Wharf, which was the location where an estimated 100,000 enslaved Africans came ashore during the peak of the international slave trade, and is a site that many consider sacred and which offers a pilgrimage element to the museum. (Photo/Provided)

MAIN, from Page 16

some people there is the pilgrimage element to coming here. We’re telling a lot of stories that align with a lot of different elements of Charleston’s history.

How has the business community supported the museum?

We’ve seen a really diverse base of business support for the museum. There are some folks that you would expect – veterans in the arts and culture world and philanthropy. We have a lot of support from banks like Bank of America and South State Bank, and other institutions known for showing up in these spaces. We’ve also had significant support from Michelin and Mercedes. I think it’s been very exciting to see all of the business community come together to understand and realize the value things like the museum bring to larger economic development in the region.

The IAAM also offers a unique element with the Center for Family History. Can you talk a little about why this space

is unique?

Our genealogy center is as large as our largest gallery. We devoted that much space to it because of our role as an African American history museum. There are serious challenges in exploring African American histories, family histories, because of the interruptions of our space. We are uniquely positioned with our archives in the Lowcountry because this is where the largest concentration of people with African ancestry came through into the United States. Our records are particularly significant for that reason. I think we’ll be able to help people explore their genealogy because our records can help overcome periods of poor or dismissive record-keeping that affected African Americans. Charleston is also a perfect place for the Center because one of the things I’ve really enjoyed about South Carolina is this is a community that loves to tell stories. People tell stories about their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, and there are many multigenerational businesses here. This idea of ancestry is part of the cultural DNA of South Carolina.

EVENTS TO MARK OPENING OF MUSEUM

The International African American Museum has released additional details for opening week events, including a worship service on June 22 and a dedication ceremony community gathering on June 24. The festivities will begin with an opening worship service on Thursday, June 22, at Morris Brown AME Church. Beginning at 6 p.m., the multi-faith celebration of IAAM’s opening will help build community, reflect on the work that led to the museum’s opening, and celebrate the long history of the African-American people and their culture, which is woven into the fabric of the museum. Registration is free but required for this event, according to an IAAM news release.

On Saturday, June 24, a dedication ceremony community watch event in Marion Square will bring visitors and members of the community together for a live simulcast of the ceremonies and presentations taking place at the museum and on-site at Marion Square, the release stated. Presented by Boeing, the watch celebration will include live performances from the “African American Songbook” featuring a 12-piece band, local and big-name musicians and artists, and refreshments from Black-owned food trucks.

Boeing South Carolina’s DreamLearners, an educational program that provides students with opportunities to learn about careers in STEM, advanced manufacturing, and aerospace, will also host a celebration event in the square. Led by the Boeing Black Employee Association, volunteers will help lead the interactive STEM-based DreamLearners programming, which will feature paper airplane building, flight competitions with free Boeing swag, and additional giveaway items. Registration for the public is not required.

Details are below.

Opening Worship Service

What : IAAM will co-host a multi-faith-based worship service with Morris Brown AME to mark the opening of the museum.

When : Thursday, June 22, at 6 p.m.

Where : Morris Brown AME Church, 13 Morris Street, Charleston

Who : Speakers include Tonya Matthews (president and CEO of IAAM), Bishop Samuel Green, the Rev. DeMett Jenkins (director of education and engagement for faith-based communities at IAAM), among others.

Community Watch Celebration for Dedication Ceremony

What: The dedication ceremony community watch celebration will include a live simulcast of the ceremony, in addition to live performances by local musicians and artists, food trucks, and activities led by Boeing South Carolina DreamLearners. The presenting sponsor for the Dedication Community Watch Celebration is Boeing.

When : Saturday, June 24, at 10 a.m.

Where : Marion Square. 329 Meeting St., Charleston

Who : Boeing South Carolina DreamLearners, local musicians and artists, Blackowned food trucks, surprise guests, and more RSVP : The event is free and open to the public.

Musicians perform during a grounddbreaking ceremony for the International African American Museum in Charleston in October 2019; several events are planned for the museum’s opening later this month. (Photo/File)

MAIN, from Page 18

REACHING A NEW AUDIENCE AT A SACRED SITE

Malika N. Pryor is charged with conveying a historically and emotionally complex story through exhibits

By Christina Lee Knauss cknauss@scbiznews.com

For the past year, Malika N. Pryor has had to work on answering a question that not many people deal with in their lifetimes: how do you convey a story that is historically and emotionally complex to as many different people as possible, in a way that they will understand and embrace?

That has been Pryor’s challenge since July 2022 when she was appointed chief learning and engagement officer for the International African American Museum in Charleston.

Her role is to create programs and experiences for a diverse audience ranging from children to senior citizens and including everyone in between. The museum’s goal is to tell the stories of the African-American experience and its impact on the United States and the world, tracing those tales from their roots in Africa to arrival in the U.S.

This important historical work is being done on a site that many people consider sacred. The museum is built at the former site of Gadsden’s Wharf, which was the location where an estimated 100,000 enslaved Africans came ashore during the peak of the international slave trade.

Working to open the museum that will tell their stories as well as others has been the center of museum staff members’ focus for months.

“We’re in the home stretch now — it’s really an exciting time,” Pryor said in a recent interview with SC Biz News. “Everyone is working hard and doing the things that need to be done. I think it’s safe to say we all just feel so

honored and blessed to be able to be a part of this and bring it to the finish line. It’s an incredible honor, and I’m not sure those words fully encapsulate the emotion that comes out of this work.”

A background based on history

Pryor’s passion for preserving history and helping to interpret it for diverse audiences has led her to work here in the U.S. and abroad.

A native of Detroit, Pryor holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational studies and Afro-American and African studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and got a law degree from Wayne State University’s law school.

She practiced law in Atlanta for several years before returning to Detroit to begin her journey in the nonprofit and museum worlds by serving as director of education and programs at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. She then started her own nonprofit consulting firm focused on serving emerging, communitybased organizations with an emphasis on those with BIPOC founders (Black, Indigenous and People of Color.)

From there, it was back to museums as Pryor joined the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas to establish the communications and education department. While living abroad, she also founded the Curlyfest Bahamas Festival.

After her time in the Bahamas, she returned to her home city to serve as senior director of education programs and outreach for the Detroit Historical Society, working on innovative programs and experiences such as “Invoking

Malika N. Pryor, chief learning and engagement officer at IAAM, says the museum’s exhibits appeal to a wide audience. (Photo/Provided) See EXHIBITS, Page 21

EXHIBITS, from Page 20

the Spirit: Detroit’s Black Bottom,” a digital exhibition and walking tour depicting the lives of one of the city’s most historic African-American neighborhoods.

Pryor said one of the most intriguing challenges she faces is coming up with ways to inform people about the African American experience from both an international and very local perspective.

“Here in Charleston, I have had to activate and employ virtually every experience I’ve had in my work in the past, whether designing experiences and exhibitions that speak to very local questions or those histories that have national implications and are connected to larger, international narratives,” she said.

Sparking interest for a wide array of audiences

Pryor said her work in the Bahamas has helped her in her Charleston work because in many ways the locations are similar, and the museums are similar in the stories they are trying to tell.

“When I worked for the national institution in the Bahamas, I was in a country with a very nuanced and complex history with some difficult elements, and it was also a center of tourism with an economy constructed to bring people from all over the world,” she said. “In many ways, Charleston is the same. We’re having to look at how to be an institution that must take on questions of the moment as well as explore history and culture with depth and with honesty, while also presenting it in a way that is accessible and digestible for an incredibly wide audience.”

Pryor said the museum’s permanent exhibits as well as its visiting ones are designed to spark interest for a wide range of audiences. Its first visiting exhibit, “Men of Change,” is a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian making its only South Carolina stop in Charleston.

Museum officials are also hoping to reach young people across the state with a program that offers free admission to the museum for every student in South Carolina. Pryor said she is working to develop partnerships with school districts across the state to develop multi-faceted learning experiences for student based at the museum.

One of the most unique elements at the IAAM is the Center for Family History, which is designed to enable visitors to connect with their family history. During the pandemic, the Center developed a series of monthly webinars that focused on how to do genealogy, and Pryor said those will continue. There will also be drop-in “Genealogy 101” courses offered for visitors. For those interested in the arts, there will also be monthly creative workshops in the museum’s studio space.

Putting all of these programs together is a challenge, but it is all worth it, Pryor said.

“At the end of the day after spending 20 years in the non-profit sector, 13 of them in the museum sector, I can say after this experience that I was part of the leadership team to open one of the most important museums in the world,” she said.

WHERE CONSERVATION AND CULTURE CONNECT

The South Carolina Aquarium is honored to welcome the International African American Museum to the Charleston waterfront.

Our home on the Charleston Harbor is a reminder of our inextricable link to the ocean, and to our complex human history. Together, we will learn about the past, educate in the present and inspire a future of empathy and action.

‘Transatlantic Crossings’ is one of 11 core exhibits on display at the International African American Museum, which will feature over 150 historical objects and over 30 works of art. (Rendering/Provided)

OPENING EYES TO STATE’S AFRICAN ROOTS

Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor bolsters awareness of the community through tourism, advocacy

By Molly Hulsey gsa@scbiznews.com

West Africa may be 4,000 miles away from South Carolina, but in some Lowcountry communities, the continent is much closer to home.

Gullah, also known as Geechee, people created the only African creole language unique to the United States, according to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission.

Some speakers consider today’s Gullah language to be mutually intelligible to the lingua franca of Sierra Leone, one of the nations along Africa’s “Rice Coast,” where the ancestors of the Gullah people lived before they were enslaved to work on Sea Island rice plantations stretching from southern North Carolina to northern Florida.

Beaufort’s Gullah communities were the first to gain freedom in the American South in 1861, and into the 20th century, residents were able to perpetuate their centuries-old traditions with little

outside influence, according to Visit Beaufort.

Despite such isolation, the Gullah Geechee language, as well as the community’s vibrant arts, music and culinary heritage, has given birth to many iconic Lowcountry touchstones, from speech patterns to shrimp and grits.

Today, coastal development and corresponding property prices have pushed many Gullah people out of of their centuries-old homelands, but efforts such as the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, a 12,000-square-mile National Heritage Area, have bolstered awareness of the community through tourism and advocacy.

“We just go to old neighborhoods and tell the story about what took place in that area,” said Irwin Campbell of Gullah Heritage Trail Tours on Hilton Head Island. “Most of the neighborhoods have changed now, so I have to tell people ‘imagine what I’m talking about.’ That is so true in a lot of these

Members of the Gullah/Geechee Nation stand in front of the Angel Tree on St. Johns Island, which is slated to become the focal point of a 44-acre park. (Photo/Provided)

TOURIST IMPACT, from Page 22

Sea Islands right now. Developers have taken over a lot of these areas now.”

Campbell also takes visitors to see a Gullah schoolhouse, the ruins of a plantation and the site of Mitchelville, the first town in the country to be self-governed by freed enslaved people after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Mitchelville, visited by abolitionist Harriet Tubman after she heard stories about the town’s success, is now a featured site on the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor.

“The Gullah Cultural Corridor definitely has opened the eyes up of a lot of folks coming into this area,” Campbell told SC Biz News.

In the 27 years that Campbell has offered tours, interest in Gullah traditions has grown among tourists to the region.

“They come into different areas like Hilton Head, Charleston, Beaufort, Savannah even, to get the specifics, you know: to learn about the language, to learn more about the food, to learn more about the religion,” he said. “And so, I think even the townships in these areas or the governments in these areas are paying more attention to this culture than before.”

SITES AND TOURS FOR YOU TO VISIT IN THE LOWCOUNTRY

Here are a few sites and tours in the Lowcountry suggested to SC BIZ News by the Gullah/Geechee Nation for your next weekend at the coast:

Sites

Angel Oak Preserve, Johns Island

Tours

De Gullah Root Experience Tour, St. Helena Island

Queen Quet, chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, introduces visitors to one of the largest remaining Gullah/Geechee communities in the Sea Islands, located a few miles east of Beaufort.

Contact: Connections@QueenQuet.com

Gullah/Geechee Angel Network Tour

Elder Carlie Towne offers visitors the chance to see Charleston or Union Heights through the lens of the Gullah and Geechee experience.

Contact: ctowne@gullahgeecheeangelnetwork.com

Faith Endures that

As a faith-based partner of the International African American Museum, CSU is excited about this historical moment in Charleston.

A Charleston Southern University education is your Passport to Purpose. You will be equipped with a biblical worldview as you increase your competencies to perform at the highest levels. Declare your purpose with one of our 80+ undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs, and expect to receive individualized attention on your CSU academic voyage.

Learn more about CSU at charlestonsouthern.edu

The Angel Oak, a 400 to 500-year-old live oak, presides over what the Lowcountry Land Trust plans to make a 44-acre park on the island through the support of the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition. The new park will feature boardwalk trails, a nature-oriented playground and interpretation of the site’s 1,000-year history, including the plantation home and cabins that once housed enslaved workers on the site, according to the Lowcountry Land Trust. The trust expects to launch construction on the park in 18 to 24 months.

Beaufort National Historic Landmark District and Visitor Center

Another site in the Reconstruction-Era National Historical Park, the Beaufort National Historic Landmark District became a command center for Union Army operations after they occupied the town See TOURISM, Page 25

TELLING THE FULL AFRICAN-AMERICAN STORY

This summer, South Carolina will become home to the secondlargest African American museum in the country. When the International African American Museum (IAAM) opens its doors on June 27, the public will get a glimpse into one of South Carolina’s most ambitious cultural projects to date.

On May 10, Furman University’s Riley Institute awarded IAAM the 2023 Building OneSouthCarolina Partners in Progress Award in recognition of the museum’s completion and the catalytic effect it will have on social and economic progress for years to come.

Indeed, the sheer effort it took to get to this moment of IAAM’s grand opening is itself remarkable. The project began 23 years ago, when Charleston Mayor Joe Riley read “Slaves in the Family” and recognized the egregious omissions in our state’s and country’s narratives that obscured the legacy of slavery and erased the vast contributions and international heritage of enslaved Africans and their living ancestors.

Thus began years of painstaking work to get community buy-in on the very concept of the museum, countless hours spent planning the museum’s design and collections, and tireless efforts to generate the necessary resources — totaling over $100 million — through investments from myriad public and private sources.

It is easy to see the upcoming opening of the museum as a culmination of these efforts and a crowning achievement of social progress in our state, and, in some respects, it is. To paraphrase IAAM CEO Tonya Matthews, the very fact that the state of South Carolina is now home to the country’s second-largest African American museum and that its creation was initiated by a white man from a longstanding Charleston family is a remarkable testament to what is possible and how far we have come.

The museum’s opening, however, is just the beginning of what it will achieve. Its approach to telling the full African-American story allows us to push beyond a national narrative that incorrectly positions slavery as the moment of genesis and sole pillar of self-identification for Black Americans.

While IAAM recognizes the horrors and defining legacies of slavery, it widens the perspective to shine light on the ingenuity, resilience and skills of enslaved Africans. This richer telling of our history will help all

visitors understand that our nation’s greatness owes much not only to the physical labor and sacrifice of enslaved people, but also to their intellectual, innovative and cultural contributions to early America.

IAAM’s location at Gadsden’s Wharf further enriches the museum’s empowering potential. In the words of former IAAM CEO Michael Boulware Moore, Gadsden’s Wharf is a kind of Ellis Island for Black Americans — a gateway to a lineage and heritage that predates the arrival of enslaved Africans in America and stretches well beyond our shores. This location helps shift the African American story away from a narrative that foregrounds forced participation in a white-dominated world toward a story of hard-won agency and international influence.

IAAM’s presence in Charleston also serves in some ways as a reckoning with the city’s economic history. Cash crops brought wealth to the region, but the city itself — its offices and institutions — made money levying taxes and fees for the buying and selling of slaves and the “leasing” of their services. IAAM marks this historical legacy of profiting from oppression and traces the through line to Jim Crow and continuing inequities.

Importantly, the museum presents an opportunity to stand this pernicious economic trend on its head by serving as a platform to help museum visitors seek out minority-owned restaurants, shops and other businesses.

Cultural heritage tourism is booming, with more and more people wanting to better understand the authentic human stories contained within historic sites. IAAM will help to round out Charleston’s cultural heritage landscape, drawing visitors from across the country and around the globe who are eager to learn more about the city, its international history, and their own place in it. According to the College of Charleston’s Office of Tourism Analysis 2018-19 annual report, IAAM is projected to have a $129 million annual impact on Charleston. The museum is expected to serve as a site of pilgrimage for many African Americans, who are already making a $2.4 billion annual impact on SC’s tourism economy, according to a University of South Carolina study released in 2016.

Twenty-three years ago, no one could have predicted the confluence of people, places, stories, and contemporary events that have created the perfect moment for IAAM’s opening. The museum positions South Carolina to be a global leader in fostering informed conversations and storytelling as a means of promoting greater understanding, empathy and respect across difference. I look forward to the profound effect that this museum and the stories it tells will have on each individual who visits in the months and years ahead.

According to the College of Charleston’s Office of Tourism Analysis 2018-19 annual report, IAAM is projected to have a $129 million annual impact on Charleston. The museum is expected to serve as a site of pilgrimage for many African Americans, who are already making a $2.4 billion annual impact on SC’s tourism economy, according to a University of South Carolina study released in 2016.

Don Gordon, executive director, The Riley Institute at Furman; Jacki Martin, deputy director, The Riley Institute; Claudia Winkler, director of communications, The Riley Institute

Gordon

Martin Winkler

TOURISM, from Page 23

in 1961. Former offices, hospitals and military quarters were later purchased by formerly enslaved people.

The visitor center, a Reconstruction-Era National Historical Park site, is located at the Old Beaufort Firehouse at 706 Craven Street, Beaufort.

Brick Baptist Church, St. Helena Island

Enslaved people first built Brick Baptist Church in 1855 for white planters, but after their liberation in 1961, the church became hub for the Gullah Geechee community. Today, the church still serves a Baptist congregation within the Reconstruction-Era National Park.

Camp Saxton, Port Royal Island

The First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, also known as the 33rd United States Colored Troops, was stationed at Camp Saxton, which was built on the ruins of 1730-era British outpost Fort Frederick. On January 1, 1863, the formerly enslaved Black Americans from South Carolina, Georgia and Florida that made up the regiment first heard the Emancipation Proclamation under the boughs of the live oaks, according to the National Parks Service, which manages the site.

Hutchinson House, Edisto Island

In 1885, Henry Hutchinson, born enslaved, built what is now the oldest standing house associated with the island’s free Black community. During his lifetime, Hutchinson also operated the first Blackowned cotton gin, according to the Green Book of South Carolina.

The Victorian-style home, located at 7666 Point of Pines Road, will be open to the public as a newly revitalized museum in the near future, according to The Lowcountry and Resort Islands Tourism Commission.

The Penn Center, St. Helena Island

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “I Had a Dream Speech” while visiting the campus of The Penn Center, the first school opened for formerly enslaved Black Americans.

Today, the former Penn School serves as a museum and heritage center for Gullah cultural and educational events within the Reconstruction-Era National Historic Park,. Guests can also tour the 25 historic school buildings or stay overnight at rental cottages onsite.

THANK YOU

for

CONGRATULATIONS

on the opening of the visionary International African American Museum.

charlestonchamber.org

honoring our history to build an equitable future and embracing the untold stories of our past.

Molly Hulsey

Queen Quet of the Gullah/Geechee Nation guides tours of St. Helena Island, a nexus point for the Gullah community. (Photo/Provided)

SEEING THE IAAM AS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE

As we eagerly await the grand opening of the International African American Museum on June 27, after more than 20 years of planning, fundraising and construction, it matters that we take time to reflect on the potential of IAAM not only as a sacred, cultural space but as a transformative economic powerhouse.

In my speeches along our coastline and neighboring states, I often speak of the threads that bind our diverse Gullah Geechee communities, Wilmington, N.C., through Charleston to Jacksonville, Fla. This thread of culture and heritage is comprised of many knots and entanglements over the arc of culture, history, and economics.

In particular, the IAAM is positioned to be a knot of tourism economic impact that can transform Charleston and the surrounding region, and in particular Gullah Geechee communities.

According to Samantha Queen, director of corporate communications at South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism, the SC Tourism estimated economic impact is $29 billion in 2022 with numbers tracking slightly ahead in 2023. With the opening of IAAM the expectation is that large numbers of visitors will be coming to Charleston and the region creating more revenue for local and regional tourism businesses.

But with this potential, we must be intentional and visionary in including Gullah Geechee and local African-American owned restaurants, lodging, landmarks and creators in this increased tourism revenue as owners and not just as labor.

In 2021, the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission released a market research study indicating that Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Tourism has a potential of generating $34 billion tourism dollars annually. That’s a gamechanger.

During a recent chat with Michael B. Moore, former president and CEO of the museum, he shared with me: “The IAAM was designed to be a place that informs, but in so doing also inspires even more curiosity. It tells the stories about those who landed where the museum is built, but also shares the broader stories about the history that was created throughout the region. IAAM might attract people to the Lowcountry, but it will then direct visitors throughout the region to learn the ‘rest of the story.’”

Understanding the IAAM role as an economic gateway, if you will, as visitors learn from the nine exhibition spaces in a 100,000-square-foot building including researching DNA from the Center for Family History, designed to be a leading national genealogical research center. They will seek stronger connections by venturing out beyond Charleston.

If positioned correctly, IAAM can be a regional economic engine helping to create wealth in Gullah Geechee communities which will overflow into traditional tourism businesses.

In 2020, TD Community Development Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of TD Bank, N.A., announced its allocation of New Markets Tax Credits to the International African American Museum to assist in its construction project and opening. This represents an investment of $5.5 million. Company officials said the investment will also help create 186 jobs in the Charleston community along with apprenticeship and fellowship programs. This is real direct impact.

According to an article in ArtNet, the IAAM staff of 30 will double in size by the time the museum opens in June 2023. These are real numbers in new professional career positions, museum administration, management, communications, curator and community/faith-based outreach, not traditionally filled by African Americans in South Carolina. These numbers represent people placing their hard-earned salary back into the local community.

To see faces that look like mine in positions of authority in a cultural space with a potential to attract a global audience engenders a variety of emotions. As founder of a chamber of commerce, which is a traditional capitalistic entity, there is an expectation of leading with strategy and logic. However, as a Gullah Geechee, I lead not only with logic but with ancestral knowledge and understanding of the spirit.

When starting the Gullah Geechee Chamber of Commerce in 2018 with the mission of creating global awareness, profitability and sustainability of African-American businesses and other entities impacting the Gullah Geechee community, I visualized how the Gullah Geechee Chamber and IAAM could partner together to create economic resilience in the Gullah Geechee community and across the region.

In the 2022, as a charter member, I was invited to meet with IAAM staff and tour the museum. It was an emotional day for me as an African American and Gullah Geechee. As I understand, the IAAM is another piece of the global arc as it bends toward justice, but also a step in creating economic resilience and ownership in our Gullah Geechee community.

Great wealth was created through our enslaved ancestors who were kidnapped and brought to North America, 40% transported, bought and sold through Charleston, because of their knowledge of how to control the water and manage the land to grow the indigo, rice, sugar cane and sea island cotton.

It is fitting that the final location of the IAAM is on the Charleston waterfront, at Gadsden’s Wharf, once the site of a trading port where hundreds of thousands of the enslaved first stepped onto American soil. A site just as meaningful as Ellis Island, and the Statue of Libery.

But this grand opening can only be meaningful and impactful, if it is met with creative and imaginative partnerships with the IAAM as a leading economic development engine.

Marilyn L. Hemingway, civic leader and entrepreneur, is the founder and president of the Gullah Geechee Chamber of Commerce, the Gullah Geechee Chamber Foundation and The Hemingway Group communications firm. In 2022, Hemingway received a presidential appointment to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission.

Hemingway

A GLIMPSE AT THE GALLERIES AND EXHIBITS AT THE INTERNATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM

The International African American Museum features nine galleries housing 11 core exhibits and one changing exhibit that rotates two to three times annually. The core exhibits include over 150 historical objects, over 30 works of art, nearly 50 films and digital interactives.

Transatlantic Experience | Media Experience

The Transatlantic Experience provides visitors with a large-scale immersive media experience. Situated as the entry point to the east wing of IAAM, this gallery features eight large video screens.

The Theater

| Grounding Film

The Theater features films and videos, which provide broad historical context and further orient the visitor to the overall museum experience through a narrative storytelling format.

Gullah Geechee Gallery | Gullah Geechee Exhibit

With a focus on the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia, the Gullah Geechee Gallery provides an introduction to Gullah Geechee history and culture.

South Carolina Connections Gallery | South Carolina Connections Exhibit

The South Carolina Connections Gallery focuses on African American and African diasporic history that is within and historically interconnected to South Carolina. This gallery tells

stories of resistance and achievement, from the many local, national, and international influential African Americans in South Carolina’s history.

African Roots & Routes Gallery | African Roots & African Routes Exhibits

The African Roots Exhibit explores the diverse empires, cultures, historic figures, knowledge systems, and technologies of West and West Central Africa — the areas of origin connected to Africans forced to the Americas.

The African Routes: Diaspora in the Atlantic World Exhibit illuminates stories that exemplify the influence and movement of people of African descent throughout the Atlantic World over time, from the Transatlantic slave trade to the 21st century. Atlantic Worlds Gallery | Atlantic Worlds Exhibit

The Atlantic Worlds Gallery explores the nuanced historical connections throughout the Black Atlantic World. Carolina Gold Gallery | Carolina Gold & Memories of the Enslaved Exhibits

The Carolina Gold Exhibit demonstrates the transformative impact of enslaved people who labored on plantations in South Carolina and helped build the lucrative rice industry.

The Memories of the Enslaved Exhibit utilizes quotes and insight

of formally enslaved people to examine the brutality of chattel slavery.

American Journeys Gallery | American Journeys Exhibit

The American Journeys Gallery presents key moments, figures, and movements in African American history that are interconnected with South Carolina, showing how they shaped, and were shaped, by local, national, and international cultures, politics, and economies.

Special Exhibitions Gallery

The Special Exhibitions Gallery is a 3000 square-foot space dedicated to temporary, rotating exhibits.

Men of Change | Special Exhibitions Gallery Installation

Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth. presents for new generations the stories of significant African American men, the known and unknown leaders who stand as national icons.

Creative Journeys Exhibit

The Creative Journeys Exhibit consists of artwork, poems, films and creative materials placed throughout IAAM.

Digital Exhibits

IAAM utilizes the Google Arts & Culture platform to develop and publish digital exhibits which explore themes and special topics relevant to the museum’s mission.

Proud Supporters of

We celebrate and honor the opening of the International African American Museum and its mission to tell the untold stories of the African American journey.

In Focus

By Christina Lee Knauss cknauss@scbiznews.com

Logistics Providers, Warehouse Services, Page 33-34

PICKING UP THE SLACK

dollars each year. When the ocean ships were backed up in the harbors, the planes were all ying full.”

The COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020 forced many consumers and business owners to get an unwanted crash course in how the supply chain works.

For the leaders and workers at Greenville-based ACL Airshop, however, there weren’t any hard lessons to learn. Working to get freight of all kinds where it needs to go worldwide is something the company has done for 40 years.

ACL Airshop specializes in Unit Load Devices, also known as ULDs, which are the primary type of containers used for air shipping worldwide. e company owns, maintains and leases more than 60,000 of these ULDs issued from more than 50 airport hub locations in North America, Europe, Asia Paci c, the Middle East and Latin America, according to company information. eir services network has grown from 23 airport hubs in 2016 to 57 today, with the most recent opening in Istanbul, Turkey.

Steve Townes, president and CEO of ACL Airshop, and other company o cials celebrated ACL’s 40th anniversary there in April, in conjunction with an appearance he was also making at a major conference for the international air cargo industry.

Townes is also the founder of Ranger Aerospace, a Greenville-based private equity consolidator and management holding company specializing in aerospace operations and aviation services, which marked its 25th anniversary in 2022. Ranger acquired ACL Airshop in 2016.

In 2021, ACL Airshop was purchased by Alinda Investment Partners, now known as Astatine Investment Partners, an independent investment rm specializing in the aviation sector.

ACL Airshop maintains what statistics show as the industry’s largest independent inventory of lease ready ULDs for clients

who need short-term shipping solutions, as well as a growing catalog of long-term ULD contracts. ACL Airshop also manufactures cargo nets, straps and other materials needed in the air cargo sector at its Greenville manufacturing facility which opened in 2019.

“We solve several pain points because our cargo control equipment is mission-essential yet almost cost-incidental, compared to the value of a full cargo load on a freighter plane,” said company COO Wes Tucker. “If you don’t have enough pallets or containers to fully secure the entire load, the plane remains grounded. When a cargo carrier airline leases pallets from us, for example, that saves them unbudgeted capital expense. If they sign a multi-year contract for ACL Airshop to manage their entire ULD eet, that not only saves them capital expense, but also reduces their in-house operating expenses.”

Technology to the rescue

Townes and others at ACL realized early on that technology can also come to the rescue to solve a wide variety of problems in distribution and logistics.

“We’ve been at the forefront of technological evolution in the air cargo sector over the past 20 years.” Townes said.

ACL’s use of technology includes its ULD

Control logistics management so ware and the use of Bluetooth for tracking ULD shipments. In 2019, the company launched a free mobile app, FindmyULD, which allows customers to track and control their shipments with ACL from their phone.

“ e real-time phone application allows the user to view, manage and coordinate equipment in the palm of their hand,” Townes said. “We call this the ‘Uberization of air cargo,’ and once an airline and their related cargo centers, handlers and forwarders all get onto the app, it makes a big di erence.”

Because of its long record in the aviation sector of distribution and logistics, ACL Airshop was able to step in and assist many clients who were facing supply bottlenecks when passenger aircra eets were grounded during the pandemic. On a normal day, about 70% of all air cargo ies on main-deck air freighters while the rest is own in the cargo hold of passenger planes.

“When passenger aircra eets were grounded, the cargo airlines swooped in and picked up the slack,” Townes said. “Our large freighter clients looked to us for assistance in keeping the global supply chain active and e cient. As the demand rose, we stepped up our investments and expanded, literally increasing our own UDL eet by millions of

Looking toward the future

Townes said the end of the international pandemic and the resumption of passenger airline service has resulted in a “normalizing” in the air cargo industry. Most market experts, he said, expect the air cargo airplane eets to double worldwide in the next decade, with annual real growth in the air cargo sector expected to return to a historical level of about 4% to 5% annually due to growth in world trade, e-commerce and regional demographics.

“ at growth is a strong strategic underpinning for our company’s long-term growth,” Townes said. “At the midpoint of 2023, we are seeing a bit of short-term market so ening because global demand is down due to uncertainties with Ukraine and even China, in ation and recession risks and other factors. However, we are leaning forward and maintaining our momentum with what we specialize in — superior customer service.”

at momentum includes continued expansion into far- ung hubs such as Istanbul. Townes and Tucker said o cials at ACL consider several things when deciding on a new hub, including major clients who need their services, available facilities and sta , and whether or not the airport is in the “Top 100” in terms of tonnage of air cargo shipments.

Wherever ACL expands, Townes said the focus will be on the basics — getting shipments where they need to go on time in the most cost-e cient way possible.

“Our expansion strategy is deliberate and well-capitalized — we are cementing our reputation as the fastest growing niche leader for custom ULD solutions,” he said. “We make our customers measurably more e cient by saving them time and money.”

Greenville-based ACL Airshop uses technology to solve supply chain issues

ACL Airshop specializes in Unit Load Devices, the primary containers used for air shipping. (Photo/Provided)

UPSTATE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Spartanburg Regional Union Medical Center — New Replacement Hospital

Located along Highway 176, Union

Developer/owner: Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

Architects: Earl Architects LLC, Greenville

General contractor: Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

Engineers: SSR, Nashville, Tenn. (MEP); PEA, Greenville (structural and civil)

Estimated completion date: Fall 2024

Estimated total cost of project: $55 million

Project description: The Union Medical Campus comprises of an acute care hospital and medical office building (MOB). The combined hospital and MOB are designed to create a sustainable model for healthcare in Union County that centralizes physician practices, outpatient services and inpatient care. The building will total 99,600 square feet. Medical services will include emergency care, imaging, Gibbs Cancer Center Infusion service, inpatient care, lab services, mammography, outpatient, pharmacy and primary care.

General contractor: Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

Engineers: PFA Engineering Inc., Augusta (mechanical, plumbing); EDC Engineering, Augusta (electrical)

Estimated completion date: June 2023

SRHS — Pharmacy Renovation

101 E. Wood St., Spartanburg

Developer/owner: Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

Architects: Earl Architects LLC, Greenville

Estimated total cost of project: 44 million Project description: This project relocated and expanded the existing pharmacy for the main campus. Phase 1 includes the automation component, the remaining portion (phase 2) includes a clean room IV and chemo hood area, pharmacist and technician workspace, bulk storage, and ancillary spaces to support the pharmacy.

SRHS — Cardiovascular Surgery Renovation

101 E. Wood St., Spartanburg

Developer/owner: Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

Architects: Earl Architects LLC, Greenville General contractor: Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

Engineers: SSR (MEP), BaSE (structural)

Estimated completion date: June 2023

Estimated total cost of project: $6.3 million

Project description: This project will provide an all-new open heart surgery department located on the main campus. The Operating Rooms are designed for both integration and hybrid capabilities allowing for the latest technology in cardiovascular care. A dedicated support space for anesthesiology, nursing, and profusion patient care is also included in the project scope. Adjacent to surgery is a new sky bridge that will improve staff flow that will conveniently link into the surgery department.

SCMEP provided an HSE expert to review current systems and determine the best way to implement new protocols. A Safety Committee was formed to develop action plans and reports to the staff at Tuffaloy Products in monthly training meetings.

Direct results included:

• Improved culture

• Improved productivity

• No major workplace injuries

United Community Bank Headquarters

200 E. Camperdown Way, Greenville

Developer/owner: United Community Bank, Greenville

Architects: McMillan Pazdan Smith, Greenville

General contractor: Haper Construction, Greenville

Engineers: Britt Peters & Associates, Greenville (civil); Sexton Design and Development, Greenville (landscape architecture); RMF Engineering, Charleston (MEP, fire protection); Ecoworks Studio, Atlanta (WELL certification)

Project manager: The Furman Co., Greenville

Estimated completion date: Spring 2024

Project description: Construction is progressing on the new six-story headquarters for United Community Bank. Downtown Greenville near the new Grand Bohemian Hotel, the 118,000-square-foot office building will serve as the national headquarters for UCB. It will be the largest bank headquarters in South Carolina upon completion. The building will feature several outdoor terraces, including a rooftop patio. The building will be both LEED and WELL-certified.

Spartanburg Judicial Center

W. St. John and Magnolia streets

Developer/owner: Spartanburg County

Architects: McMillan Pazdan Smith, Spartanburg (architect of record); SSOE Stevens & Wilkinson, Columbia (design architect)

General contractor: Turner Construction Company, Charlotte

Engineers: McCutchen & Associates, Spartanburg (civil); Britt Peters & Associates, Greenville (structural); LandArt Design Group, Spartanburg (landscape); SSOE Stevens & Wilkinson, Columbia (MEP, fire protection); Kimley-Horn, Columbia (traffic consultant)

Project manager: Clerestory Project Group, Spartanburg

Estimated completion date: Q4 2023

Project description: Work continues at the 340,000-square-foot Spartanburg Judicial Center. An average of 300 workers a day are helping build this transformative facility for Spartanburg. The building envelope is complete, with the focus now turning to the building interior. Demolition of the old courthouse and the construction of a new plaza will then be completed in 2024.

Greenville County Square Parking Deck

220 County Square Greenville

Developer/owner: GT RP Greenville LLC

Architects: LS3P Associates, Greenville

General contractor: Harper General Contractors, Greenville

Engineers: SeamonWhiteside (civil and landscape), Fuller Group (structural), Kimley-Horn (MEP and other design)

Estimated completion date: September 2023

Estimated total cost of project: $27.1 million

Project description: The new Greenville County Square Parking Deck is an eight-story, pre-cast concrete parking garage that will have more than 1,000 parking spaces for visitors. The project scope includes relocation of several new utilities, construction a 35-foot tall soil nail wall, approximately 40,000 cubic yards of soil export, and decorative aluminum metal panel exterior.

MMSA (structural); J+A Engineering, Marietta, Ga. (low voltage and audio visual); JMZ Architects and Planners, Glens Falls, N.Y. (programmer and lab consultant architect), Blue Water Civil Design, Augusta (civil), Grimball Cotterill Associates, Columbia (landscape); Michael Simpson + Associates, Greenville (structural); Simpson Gumpertz and Heger (envelope consultant for architect); Building It Green LLC (GreenGlobe Certificate; and KLG Jones, Greer (commission agent for mechanical systems and electrical lighting)

Estimated completion date: Fall 2024

Estimated total cost of project: $68.5 million

Project description: This project is a three-story, approximately 137,366-square-foot academic classroom building and will include state-ofthe-art science laboratories and classrooms, an OB Ultrasound Clinic, faculty offices, student engagement areas, student café, Anatomage tables for virtual learning and more.

Prisma Health Center for Health & Life Sciences

506 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville

Developer/owner: Greenville Technical College

Architects: McMillan Pazdan Smith, Greenville

General contractor: Harper General Contractors, Greenville

Engineers: Peritus Engineering (mechanical, plumbing, fire); Burdette Engineering (electrical);

LeRoy

The Hangar on Stone Avenue

17 E. Stone Ave., Greenville

Developer/owner: KVP Inc.; Greenville

Architects: LMG Architects LLC; Greenville

General contractor: Clayton Construction Company Inc.; Spartanburg

Engineers: Darrohn Engineering, Greenville (civil); Michael O. Vaught PE, West Columbia (mechanical);

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Harvey O. Lucas PE, Columbia (electrical); Michael O. Vaught PE, West Columbia (plumbing); Arrowwood & Arrowood PC, Greenville (structural); Palmetto

Structural Engineering, Tigerville (structural)

Project manager: Clayton Construction Co. Inc.; Spartanburg

Estimated completion date: December 2023

Estimated total cost of project: $3 million

Project description: New 13,300-square-foot, three-story, mixed-use project with restaurant tenant space and office tenant space.

Alexander-Cannon-Hill House Restoration

671 High Falls Rd, Seneca

Developer/owner: Oconee County

Architects: LS3P Associates LTD

General contractor: Greenville

Engineers: Burdette Engineering Inc. (electrical), Arrowood + Arrowood (structural), LeBlanc Welch (mechanical)

Project manager: Greenville

Mauldin Fire Station

Butler Road, Mauldin

Architects: SCN Architects

Engineers: Seamon Whiteside, Greenville (civil and landscape architecture)

Project description: A two-bay station (approximately 17,250 square feet) with a third bay alternate located at the intersection of W. Butler Road and Plant Street in Mauldin.

General contractor: Mavin Construction, Greenville

Estimated completion date: October 2023

Estimated total cost of project: $3.3 million

Project description: Interior renovation of existing patient rooms and support spaces to expand the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit by six patient rooms and associated family and staff support spaces on the fifth floor of the Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital.

VELUX — Building G Expansion

450 Old Brickyard Road, Greenwood

Developer/owner: VELUX, Greenwood

Architects: GPN, Spartanburg

General contractor: THS Constructors, Greenville

Engineers: Davis & Floyd, Greenville (civil); Arrowood & Arrowood, Greenville (structural); Thomas Mechanical, Laurens (mechanical); Walker Whiteside, Greenville (electrical); W.N. Kirkland, Spartanburg (plumbing)

Project manager: THS Constructors Inc., Greenville

Estimated completion date: December 2023

Project description: This project will be a 46,000-square-foot expansion to VELUX’s Greenwood facility.

Project description: This will be a renovation and rehabilitation of a circa 1831 two-story clapboard upcountry pioneer home which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was moved in the 1970s to its present site. The project will make it more functional and add 21st century amenities while respecting the historic fabric.

Evolve Homestead

Corn Road, Greenville

Developer/owner: Evolve Companies

Engineers: Seamon Whiteside, Greenville (civil and landscape architecture)

Project description: A multi-family development consisting of about 240 units on approximately 23 acres.

Crescent One Startup Community

705 Poinsett Highway Greenville

Developer/owner: Hartness Development, Greenville

Architects: Workplace Architecture + Design, Winston-Salem, N.C.

General contractor: Mavin Construction, Greenville

Engineers: MSWG Engineers, Charlotte

Estimated completion date: August 2024

Estimated total cost of project: $8.9 million

Gateway 29

Old Spartanburg Highway, Wellford

Developer/owner: Greenville

Project manager: Summit Real Estate Group

Project description: Gateway 29 is a Class A speculative building in a prime location with access to I-85, I-26, Inland Port Greer and BMW Plant Spartanburg

Prisma Health GMH Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Renovation

701 Grove Road, Greenville

Developer/owner: Prisma Health, Greenville

Architects: McMillan Pazdan Smith, Greenville

Project description: Renovation of a 48,781-square-foot facility. The renovation will provide a flexible mix of multi-tenanted office and collaboration space, centered around a co-working operator. Scope includes renovations of the main first floor, along with smaller basement and second floor areas. There will be modification of select portions of the building envelope, including both portions of the walls and roof.

See UUC, Page 35

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Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. For a full list of participating organizations, visit scbiznews.com/buy-business-lists. Email additions or corrections to Listresearch@Bridgetowermedia.com.

Greenville creates economic development corporation

By Jason Thomas jthomas@scbiznews.com

Greenville officials have created a new entity with the goal of raising funding for economic development projects.

The Greenville City Council recently approved the creation of The Greenville City Economic Development Corp., according to a news release. The 501(c)3 will have its own board of directors and the ability to raise private funding.

The GEDEC will have its own president and CEO and is expected to include the following divisions: real estate and property development, small and minority business, retail, marketing, investor relations and business recruitment, the release stated.

“The city of Greenville is relatively small, just over 30 square miles, and our population is under 75,000, neither reflects our true impact on economic development of the region. The city is a hub of innovation. Our vibrant downtown, quality of life, climate and business-friendly approach make us a draw for anyone looking to scale and

grow a company. This

structure and organization allow us more flexibility of operation,” said Mayor Knox White in the

new

release.

GCEDC will carry out the city’s Economic Development Strategic Plan, which was finalized and adopted in 2022, the release stated.

This approval provides city staff the authority to begin creating the organization, which includes bylaws, governance and hiring staff.

The Greenville City Council created a development corporation to raise funds for economic development and address opportunities in several areas. (Photo/Provided)

UUC,

Page 32

Park National Bank — Verdae Office Upfit

100 Verdae Boulevard, Greenville

Developer/owner: Hollingsworth Funds

Architects: McMillan Pazdan Smith, Greenville

General contractor: Mavin Construction, Greenville

Estimated completion date: September 2023

Estimated total cost of project: $650,000

Project description: Tenant upfit in Suite 100 for Park National Bank. This project includes the selective demolition of interior partitions, ceiling conditions and interior finishes. New construction covers the addition of interior partitions, finishes, millwork and ceiling conditions. An additional exit door has been added for egress. No site or zoning improvements. Minor revision to drive-thru curb only.

Architects: LMG Architects, Greenville

General contractor: Caldwell Constructors

Engineers: LeBlanc Welch Inc., Greenville (mechanical); Vrettos Engineering & Consulting, Charlotte (electrical); Arbor Engineering, Greenville (civil); Fuller Group, Greenville (structural)

Estimated completion date: February 2024

Estimated total cost of project: $1,480,000

Project description: The new construction of a 5,000-square-foot office building for a repeat client is set to break ground this July. Southern Eye Associates is a physician-owned comprehensive eye care practice with multiple locations in the Upstate, with the newest location calling Clemson home. The new office building will have state-of-theart technology and will also hold offices for Keller Williams Reality.

Engineers: Bluewater Civil Design, Greenville

Estimated completion date: September 2023

Estimated total cost of project: $6.7 million

Project description: Design Build delivery of a 22,000-square-foot laser manufacturing and office facility. Construction consists of tilt wall concrete panels with structural steel roof structure and TPO roofing system. Complete sitework and utilities to support the entire facility.

Snow Family Outdoor Fitness & Wellness Complex

Seneca

Developer/owner: Clemson University

Architects: Land Planning Associates Inc.

Engineers: Burdette Engineering Inc. (electrical)

Estimated completion date: Spring 2023

Project description: Snow Family Outdoor Fitness and Wellness complex was ready for spring 2023 intramural sports. Davidson Family Field and Reed Family Field for soccer and softball will host even more students and fans.

AnMed Cardiac and Ortho Center Renovation

100 Healthy Way, Anderson

Developer/owner: AnMed Health

Architects: McMillan Pazdan Smith, Greenville

General contractor: Mavin Construction, Greenville

Estimated completion date: October 2023

Estimated total cost of project: $850,000

Project description: Renovations to create new cardiac and ortho suite. Includes echo and vascular exam rooms, new check-in/lobby area, breakroom and support space, and replacement of Nuc Med equipment. Scope includes, but is not limited to, demolition, millwork, doors/hardware, sliding doors, automatic operators, door glazing, metal stud framing, gypsum, ceilings, flooring, painting, accessories, corner guards, wall protection, roller shades, fire protection, plumbing, HVAC/controls, and electrical/fire alarm.

1510 S. Batesville Road, Greer

Developer/owner: Walter USA

Architects: Craig Gaulden Davis, Greenville

General contractor: Mavin Construction, Greenville

Estimated completion date: April 2024

Estimated total cost of project: $8.9 million

Project description: Scope includes construction/ renovation of an existing facility including highend features for new sales office space, flex space, canteen, training rooms and conference areas. Scope also includes exterior façade improvements to upgrade overall curb appeal. Includes heavy acoustical features and systems.

Taco Boy

1813 Laurens Road, Greenville

Developer/owner: Karalee Nielsen Fallert, Taco Boy Laurens Road LLC

Architects: Gensler, Raleigh

General contractor: Caldwell Constructors, Greenville

Engineers: Civil Engineer: Isomer Project Group, Greenville

Estimated completion date: Fall 2023

Estimated total cost of project: TBD

Project description: Located at 1813 Laurens Road, construction for Taco Boy is set to kick off in July! Originally founded in 2006, this Lowcountry-based taqueria will bring scratch-made Mexican-inspired flavors, an in-house tortilleria, and a fun atmosphere to the Greenville area! The redevelopment of the 4,700-square-foot area includes a complete transformation of the interior space and an expansion of the outdoor patio for gathering and dining.

CTE Innovation Center @ Roper Mountain Greenville

Developer/owner: Greenville County Schools

Architects: SGA-NW Architects, Little Diversified

Architectural Consulting

Engineers: Burdette Engineering Inc., ADC Engineering, Crow Bulman Engineering, MMSA Inc.

Project description: Construction underway for the CTE Innovation Center This 30,000-squarefoot education center is being constructed at the existing Roper Mountain campus for Greenville County Schools. When complete it will include flexible classroom and lab space for Biomedical Sciences, Clean Energy Technology, Cybersecurity/ IT, Emerging Automotive Research, as well as space for Informatics or Global Supply Chain Management.

Center

64 Centennial Way, Greenville

Developer/owner: Prisma Health

Architects: Boulder Associates

General contractor: Mavin Construction, Greenville

Estimated completion date: Fall 2024

Estimated total cost of project: $21.5 million

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CUICAR Tech Neighborhood 3 — Flex Lab

Greenville

Developer/owner: Clemson University

Architects: McMillan Pazdan Smith

Engineers: Burdette Engineering Inc. (electrical), Peritus Engineers & Associates (mechanical)

Estimated completion date: 2023

Project description: New 39,200-square-foot building with proposed tenant spaces and provisions for 22,400 square feet of expansion. Multi-bay, multi-tenant, flexible laboratory as part of Tech

Neighborhood 3 at CU-ICAR in Greenville.

Project description: New construction two-story steel structure with masonry veneer situated in the side of a hill, with the upper-level walking out to grade on the northwest side of the building and lower-level walking out to grade on the southeast side of the building. Functional use of the building will be six new operating rooms with the necessary patient and clinical support functions on the upper level. The lower level will be majority shell space for future utilization.

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Southern Eye Associates / Keller Williams

161 Thomas Green Blvd., Clemson

Developer/owner: SouthernEyeKW, LLC

Erchonia Corporation Headquarters

112 Southchase Blvd., Fountain Inn

Developer/owner: Erchonia Corp.

Architects: Stonecraft Studio 3, Greenville

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Business Digest At Work

Countybank supports genetic center

The Countybank Foundation gave $5,000 to support the Greenwood Genetic Center Foundation’s GGC Cares Fund. This fund provides financial assistance for genetic evaluations, testing and treatment for families who are uninsured or under-insured.

Dominion Energy funds scholarships

Dominion Energy said it is renewing its $105,000 scholarship investment with S.C. Independent Colleges and Universities. e investment supports 105 scholarships worth $1,000 each across SCICU’s 21 member colleges and universities.

University Master of Science in Cybersecurity program will cover both technical and risk management aspects of cybersecurity. Most of the 30-credit hour program is organized into seven-week courses with a few requiring 14 weeks.

Favor Upstate receives $50,000 donation

Favor Upstate said it received a $50,000 donation from the Mary Black Foundation to support recovery services to people with substance use disorders in Spartanburg County. Favor provides support to more than 5,000 individuals in the Upstate.

New industrial property completed in Wellford

Summit Real Estate Group announced the completion of Gateway 29, a 248,000-square-foot industrial building in Wellford. e building is ready for occupancy and can accommodate users from 65,000 square feet up to the full 248,000 square feet. Cushman & Wakeeld’s Kacie Jackson, Brian Young and Elliott Fayssoux are overseeing leasing for the entire industrial building on behalf of the landlord and developer, Summit.

Greenville Tech health center to open fall 2024

e nal beam has been placed on Greenville Technical College’s Prisma Health Center for Health & Life Sciences. e three-story, 125,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in fall 2024 and will impact 90% of Greenville Technical College students with general education requirements, welcome 150,000 visitors annually, and serve more than 500 health science graduates.

Carolina Handling gives to Ronald McDonald

House

Carolina Handling said it donated $25,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities to support Adopt-A-Room programs in six cities, including Greenville. Ronald McDonald Charities provides overnight accommodations and meals for families with children in nearby hospitals to ensure they can remain actively involved in their child’s care. Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas in Greenville served 2,236 families in 2022.

Burns Chevrolet to give to Meals on Wheels

Burns Chevrolet said a portion of all vehicle sales until Sept. 9 will be donated to Meals on Wheels of Cherokee County. e donation will be presented at Burns Chevrolet of Ga ney’s 100 Year Anniversary Celebration on Sept. 9. Hosted at the dealership at 101 Peachoid Road in Ga ney, the free family-friendly event will feature local food trucks, in atables for children and free Kona Ice.

AU adds online master’s program in cybersecurity

e Anderson University Center for Cybersecurity is launching an online master’s degree program. e Anderson

Goodwyn Mills Cawood acquires engineering firm

Goodwyn Mills Cawood announced the acquisition of Commercial Site Solutions, a civil engineering rm with o ces in Greenville and Tampa, Fla. CSS has been providing site planning and civil engineering design services for commercial, industrial, municipal, institutional and residential developments since its founding in 2007. e acquisition adds 12 employees to GMC’s sta – seven in South Carolina and ve in Florida.

Study to explore potential airport transit hub with feasability study

e S.C. Department of Transportation awarded a $100,000 grant to the Upstate Mobility Alliance to conduct a feasibility study exploring the establishment of a transit hub at the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. e study will look at how a hub could help local transit authorities expand service to the airport. Upstate Mobility Alliance will work with transit authorities such as GreenLink, SPARTA, CATbus, Electric City Transit and GSP. e study is to be complete in December.

Hartness opens new neighborhood

Hartness announced the opening of e Meadow neighborhood, part of the urban village founded by the Hartness family on Greenville’s Eastside. e Meadow borders Hartness’s nature preserve. With the release of e Meadow, Hartness introduced a collection of 53 homesites featuring new designs of classic Hartness homes along with several debut plans.

Grant supports New Morning

New Morning said it received a $90,000 grant from Greenville Women Giving to support a program that provides free and reduced-cost birth control for low-income and uninsured or underinsured women in Greenville County. e program, No Drama, is embedded within eight Greenville-area health clinics managed by Genesis Birth and Wellness, New Horizon Family Health, Unity Health and Prisma Health. Nearly 10,000 women annually receive free and low-cost contraceptive services through the program at the Greenville clinics.

Cooper Advisors acquires Greer CPA firm Greenville accounting rm Copper Advisors acquired the tax and accounting rm Edwards & Hedrick CPAs in Greer. e acquisition expands the services footprint of Copper Advisors beyond Greenville to include the Greer market. Retirement plans for both Bobby Edwards and Joe Hedrick, former partners with Edwards & Hedrick, prompted them to sell the CPA rm to Copper Advisors, according to a news release. Additionally, Dan Cruice is joining Copper Advisors to manage the Greer o ce. He joins Copper Advisors from Elevate Financial.

Upcountry Fiber announces three grants

Upcountry Fiber Foundation said it gave $24,320 to three Upstate non-pro t organizations. Golden Corner Food Pantry of Seneca received $10,000 to provide groceries for individuals and families dealing

See BUSINESS DIGEST, Page 37

Representatives from Countybank and Greenwood Capital present a check to the Genetic Center Foundation. (Photo/Provided)

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a 33% growth in information/cybersecurity fields in this decade, making it among the fastest-growing fields in the job market. (Photo/Provided)

Carolina Handling associates present a check to Michael Lanier of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas. (Photo/Provided)

From left: Jennifer Robbins and Terry Dennis of Meals on Wheels of Cherokee County and Charlie Burns, Sam Burns and Laura Geary from Burns Chevrolet. (Photo/Provided)

Keith Miller signs the beam at an event for the Prisma Health Center for Health & Life Sciences. (Photo/Provided)

The Meadow includes this home plan called The Burton. (Photo/Provided)

Leaders of Goodwyn Mills Cawood and Commercial Site Solutions pose for a group photo. (Photo/ Provided)

with food insecurity. Lakes and Bridges

Charter School of Easley received $5,000 for its LEAP (Learn, Experience, Apply, Participate) Program that o ers students with dyslexia opportunities to develop and strengthen their creative interests and natural gi s through weekly clubs. Upstate Institute of Youth Programs,Inc. of Seneca received $9,320 to provide pre-college and career explorational programming to rst-generation, limited income high school students and their parents in Oconee County.

Barbara Stone Foundation awards grants

e Barbara Stone Foundation said it awarded grants to Upstate non-profits. e Foundation invests in programs that support individuals with disabilities. Grant recipients include Applied eatre Center, Bridged, Carolina Dance Collaborative, Meyer Center for Special Children, Project Hope, rive Upstate, Upstate-Carolina Adaptive Golf and e YMCA of Greenville.

duce marketing materials and media to support the workforce development programs that will provide training for minority groups in wealth management and personal development, as well as the technical and creative aspects of lm and TV production. e instruction will take place at the George Dean Johnson, Jr. College of Business and Economics at University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg.

Davis & Floyd acquires Beaufort firm Davis & Floyd Inc. said it acquired Andrews Engineering Co. Inc., a Beaufort-based engineering rm. e acquisition is part of Davis & Floyd’s strategic plan to expand its capabilities and services in the coastal region of South Carolina, the company said. Andrews Engineering was founded in 1990 by Steve Andrews. e rm specializes in civil engineering, surveying, land planning and construction management.

BASF gives to Spartanburg County

Sheriff’s Office

People in the News

BANKING & FINANCE

lence at the college’s spring convocation.

The One 5 opens at Hartness

e One 5 at Hartness has opened in the Hartness community’s Village Center on Greenville’s Eastside. e restaurant features a full bar and lunch and dinner menu by Chef Nelson De Hoyos, formerly executive chef at Hall’s Chophouse. e One 5 at Hartness is located at 2000 Society St. Greenville.

Townhome development coming to downtown Greenville

Real estate development and investment company Keene Development Group and real estate rm Wilson Associates announced e McDaniel, a townhome development in downtown Greenville. e development will townhomes ranging form 3,100 to 4,100 square feet near the intersection of McDaniel and McBee avenues. Construction will begin in June and should take 18 to 20 months, the companies said.

Cargo, Urban League join for workforce development

Cargo announced an alliance with the Urban League of the Upstate to create workforce development initiatives in the entertainment industry. is alliance is part of a joint task force with the Minority Film Institute, the SC Film Commission and the Urban League to attract more productions to the Upstate region. As part of this initiative, Cargo will pro-

BASF in Converse donated $2,000 to the Spartanburg County Sheri ’s O ce to fund 124 Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) kits, one for every patrol o cer and open patrol position. e kits include chest seals to protect gunshot wounds, a clotting agent to help stop bleeding, scissors to cut through clothes and other barriers so o cers can check for wounds and tape for injuries. BASF in Converse also donated $1,000 to the Spartanburg County Sheri ’s O ce for the Chaplains Benevolence Fund, which provides nancial assistance by distributing resources in addressing the many needs of over 350 deputies that protect and serve the citizens of Spartanburg County.

Greenville YMCA raises $1.3 million YMCA of Greenville announced that it raised more than $1.33 million for its 2023 Annual Campaign. Funds raised provide nancial assistance so that anyone who wants to participate in the Y’s programs or services is able to, regardless of ability to pay. e $1.33 million will provide children, adults and families scholarships for wellness memberships, youth sports programs, swim lessons, the SC Youth in Government program, a erschool care and summer day camps, as well as funding the Y’s food program for those experiencing food insecurity across Greenville County.

New nonprofit to support architecture careers

MOA Architecture Inc. CEO and architect Michael Allen founded Arkitex, a new nonpro t organization providing resources and guidance to youth and young professionals pursuing a career in architecture. e website arkitexfoundation.org is the central hub for resources and information for youth, young professionals, schools and community organizations. Free resources include webinars, youth activities, information on college programs and student organizations, and other resources.

Greenwood Capital’s Quintin A. Pile received his Certi ed Public Accountant (CPA) license.

e Southern Bank named Kristi Eller executive vice president and chief administrative o cer. Eller most recently worked as executive vice president and COO for GrandSouth Bank, acquired by First Bank in 2023.

Lima One Capital announced that Chip Cummings and Aaron Metaj, principals of Northwind Financial, have joined Lima One’s commercial real estate team.

Countybank promoted Jack Lucas to senior vice president and Simpsonville market executive.

Lucas joined Countybank in 2019 as senior vice president and commercial relationship manager in Greer.

CONSTRUCTION

Messer Construction Co. added Braden Busold as operations vice president, Bill Keckeis as project executive and Alex Walling as project manager. Busold, Keckies and Walling are relocating to Greenville from other Messer o ces.

EDUCATION

e Anderson University College of Business add six members to its MBA/MOL/ MSBA advisory board. New members are Bo Burch, CEO of Human Capital Solutions Inc.; Shane Duncan, senior vice president of sales, at Gulf Relay; Joe Gass, president and CEO at Heritage signs & displays; John Moore, eld operations at DirecTV; Bryan Seaford, talent consulting at Chick- l-A; and David Churchill, chief HR o cer at CoreCivic.

HEALTH CARE

Jordan Crosby, a provider at Carolina Nephrology, received the APP Teaching Award presented by Dr. Peter Tilkemeier of Prisma Health. is honor is awarded annually to an advanced practice provider, or APP, who has demonstrated excellence in teaching residents and students in training. is was Crosby’s second time winning a Prisma department of medicine award since her tenure with Carolina Nephrology.

MANUFACTURING

e South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance named Max Metcalf, manager of government and community relations at BMW Manufacturing Co. LLC, and state Sen. Ross Turner, R-Greenville, the 2023 recipients of the Roger Milliken Defender of Manufacturing Award.

NONPROFITS

Anderson University named Lisa Zidek dean of the College of Engineering. Zidek most recently worked at Florida Gulf Coast University as an associate dean.

Mia Tensley, reading and college skills instructor in the Academic and Career Foundations Department at Tri-County Technical College, received the Presidential Medallion for Instructional Excel-

Rebuild Upstate presented the Golden Hammer Awar to Kevin Risden, the Home Base Helper Award to Don Davis, the Founder’s Award to Chip Reaves and the Outstanding Volunteer Awards to Bob Hannah, Stephan and Karen Hamel, Stacy Sargent and Paul Wodecki. Shawn Potwardowski was named Young Professional of the Year, and the RSVP-Anderson County Volunteer Award went to Mark Hyndman. e Foundational Supporters Award went to Megan Finnern and John Boyanoski.

REAL ESTATE

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Blayne Byars joined the company as a sales associate.

Eller

Pile

Lucas

Busold

Zidek

Tensley

Crosby

Matcalf

Byars

The One 5 is at 2000 Society St. in Greenville, in the Hartness neighborhood. (Photo/Angela Zion)

Target

JULY 24 STARTUPS

Lists: Business Assistance Organizations

Advertising Deadline: July 10

AUGUST 7

REAL ESTATE

Lists: Commercial Real Estate Firms, Residential Real Estate Firms

Advertising Deadline: July 24

SEPTEMBER 18

ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION

Lists: General Contractors & Architecture Firms

Under Construction

Advertising Deadline: September 4

Joan Herlong & Associates Sotheby’s International Realty hired Kristen Cox and Story Cosgrove as real estate agents. Cox has a background in home design, renovations and woodworking. Cosgrove previously worked as director of operations at Piedmont Petroleum Corp.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Lilly Brumbaugh joined the company’s Anderson o ce as a sales associate. Brumbaugh is a former secondary education teacher.

Rosenfeld Realty Group hired Jolene Peddicord and Nicole Hayes as real estate agents. Peddicord started her real estate career in 2018 working with a custom home builder. Hayes is from California.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Matthew McDowell joined the company’s Midtown o ce as a sales associate.

Suzanne Withington and Rhonda Owens joined Joan Herlong & Associates Sotheby International Realty. Withington brings more than 30 years of experience in the real estate industry. Owens has experience in customer service and sales.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Adel Forsythe joined the company’s Greer o ce as a sales associate. She has experience as an interior designer.

branch leader of the company’s Greer o ce at 1380 W. Wade Hampton Blvd. Swett began her career in 2003 and has held positions as a real estate agent and broker-in-charge.

Allen Tate Cos. named Alicia Abels branch leader of the company’s o ce at 158 McNeely Road in Powdersville. Abels began her real estate career in 2007 and has held positions as a real estate agent and associate broker in Louisiana.

Exit Realty Unlimited hired Danielle Black. She joined the company from Virginia.

Marchant Real Estate hired Katie Johnson as strategic marketing director. She has nearly a decade of experience in the hospitality and tourism, automotive and experiential design industries.

Emily Pitts was named director of community based programs at e Woodlands at Furman. Pitts has worked at e Woodlands at Furman since 2021, serving as the wellness assistant before moving into the role of wellness coordinator.

United Home Loan Services Inc. hired Cole McCollum. He previously was a sales representative in southwest Florida. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Alneshia Sudduth joined the company’s Midtown o ce as a sales associate. Sudduth previously worked in the logistics industry.

For advertising information, contact Ryan Downing at rdowning@scbiznews.com

Exit Realty Unlimited LLC hired Jean Maher. e company plans to add 15 members to its sales team.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C.

Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Clare Carpenter joined the company’s Midtown o ce as a sales associate.

Allen Tate Cos. named Donna Swett

Wilson Associates hired Amanda Harbin. Harbin has experience as a real estate agent and investor.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Scott Wilson joined the company’s Midtown o ce as a sales associate.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Julia Ross joined the company’s Midtown o ce as a sales associate.

PEOPLE, from Page 37

Brumbaugh

McDowell

Forsythe

Maher Carpenter Swett

Abels

Johnson Pitts

Harbin Wilson Ross

Viewpoint

AND READERS’ LETTERS

Why employee financial wellness matters

Did you know that 86% of employees identify finances as their top source of stress?1 Or that financially stressed employees cost U.S. businesses $500 billion a year in productivity alone?2 Or that only 36% of employees say their employer’s financial well-being resources meet their needs?3

ese are just a few of the staggering statistics that bring into sharp focus the importance of employee nancial wellness in today’s environment, and why employers should consider taking steps to enhance employee nancial wellness o erings. ese facts also motivate me each day in my work as an organizational nancial wellness consultant at PNC Bank and my involvement with the Greenville Society for Human Resource Management, an organization elevating awareness for the business imperative of employee nancial wellness throughout the Upstate.

Employee nancial wellness is broadly relevant across all professional functions, income brackets and sectors. is reality constantly is reinforced as I meet with HR business partners at local companies representing a diverse mix of industries, from production agriculture

to professional services.

e value proposition of an employee nancial wellness program is two-fold: increased productivity and improved talent attraction and retention. Equipping employees with bene t options and resources can help reduce their stress and improve their overall nancial wellness, which in turn creates a more productive workforce. And in today’s competitive employment market, di erentiated bene t o erings can help employers attract and retain talent.

Elements of an e ective program While there’s no one-size- ts-all approach to building a nancial wellness program, the following elements are foundational.

Bank-at-work program: A bank-atwork program should o er employees a variety of account options available at no cost or burden to employees, complete with digital banking and money management tools. Additionally, a bank-at-work program should include no-cost access to nancial education sessions and resources, as well as connectivity to a dedicated team of bankers for personalized service.

Consumer-directed health care: Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are common ways for employees to pay for health care and represent an important pillar of a nancial wellness program. However, we o en nd employees overlook or underutilize the full

bene ts of these accounts. e administration of HSAs and FSAs should entail delivering information that can help employees make smart health care spending decisions.

Online nancial education: To help employees improve their nancial acumen and pursue pathways to nancial wellness, a successful program should o er a customized, digital learning tool that allows employees to assess their nancial wellness, access nancial education curriculum and earn points for tracking progress toward their goals.

Retirement plan services: Successful retirement plan programs focus on everything from investment selection to policy assistance, with duciary support to help plan sponsors understand and meet their duciary obligations to participants, as well as an annual employee education campaign.

Student debt management: With the Federal Reserve estimating that 50% of employees between the ages of 22 and 44 carry some amount of student loan debt, student debt bene ts are growing in popularity among nancial wellness incentives. To that end, employers should look for solutions that address the full lifecycle of student debt and not just repayment.

Because so many of us have experienced the burden of student debt, this aspect of a nancial wellness program resonates strongly with me. Studies show that employees who use student debt man-

agement tools are more likely to show strengthened engagement in their jobs, have an increased rate of retention and are less likely to experience burnout, making student debt management solutions a winwin for employees and employers alike.

While the stakes for improving employee nancial wellness have never been higher, the availability of resources to help employers deliver customized solutions and programs has never been greater. Personally, I have never been more driven to help companies care for their greatest assets –– their employees. CRBJ

With 13 years of experience in banking & nance, Hillary Dobson is a vice president and organizational nancial wellness consultant for PNC Bank and an active member of the Greenville Society for Human Resource Management. Source material for the facts in the rst paragraph include MetLife’s 19th Annual U.S. Employee Benet Trends Study 2021; e Employer’s Guide to Financial Wellness-2019, Salary Finance; and “Rethinking Financial Wellbeing for Today’s Diverse Workforce,” Willis Towers Watson, 2021.

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