& wellness
& downtown | recreation | arts
th nk greenville
k-12 | higher education | health
culture
innovation | entrepreneurship | employment
A publication of the Greenville Chamber
th nk greenville Raleigh (266 mi.)
Nashville
Asheville Charlotte (63 mi.)
(263 mi.)
(102 mi.)
Greenville
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reenville, one of South Carolina’s most beautiful cities, is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
It’s situated in the heart of the Altanta-Charlotte
Columbia (103 mi.)
Megaregion, one of the 10 areas in the U.S. that is expected to account for more than 70 percent
Atlanta (146 mi.)
Charleston (213 mi.)
of the country’s population growth over the next 30 years.
Savannah (257 mi.)
With more than 250 international firms such as Michelin and BMW investing in the region, Greenville has developed a reputation for being a welcoming community for both new businesses and residents. A very unique blend of economic and cultural vibrancy awaits newcomers. We hope that you will take a few minutes to
th nk about our wonderful community and how it may fit into your future plans.
contents 4 downtown 6
recreation
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arts
&
culture
10 innovation 12 entrepreneurship 14 employment 16 k-12 18 higher education 20 health
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Published for
24 Cleveland Street Greenville, SC 29601 www.GreenvilleChamber.org 864.242.1050
wellness Published by
1204B East Washington Street Greenville, SC 29601 www.scbiznews.com 864.235.5677 Publishers of
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th nk downtown
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downtown “I have lived in many cities throughout North America from Fargo to New York, but Greenville tops the list as the best place I have ever lived. It has the perfect mix of location, climate, business and culture for me.”
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– Roger Newton, Bi-Lo Center
Photo/Saige Linda Irlacher
Soby’s
Falls Park
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owntown is flourishing with trees, restaurants, shops, offices, residents, and entertainment. It has earned the designation of “Great American Main Street” and with over 300 events each
year, leads the region in hosting visitors. Designated as the area’s cultural center, downtown Greenville features the Peace Center for the Performing Arts, the County Art Museum, the Main Public Library, the Upcountry History Museum, and a number of private galleries and theater venues. There is fun for the whole family with many parks, the Greenville Zoo, the BI-LO Center arena, and Fluor Field, home to the Greenville Drive minor league baseball team.
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FAST FACTS
t • Foreign Direc azine M t Investmen ag lle as a named Greenvi of the Top Micro-City Future er 90 • There are ov ithin restaurants w ce of walking distan Main Street
Saturday Market
Fluor Field, H
ome of the Gre
enville Drive Photo/Greenville CVB
ville
Fall for Green
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th nk recreation “It only makes sense that companies look for healthy communities when deciding where to relocate. A connected and active community is a healthy community.” -Ty Houck, Greenville County Recreation District
FAST FACTS
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has: The Greenville area nearly ith • 3 state parks w 5,000 acres city parks • 60+ county and acres with nearly 2,000 nway • Countywide gree ore than network that is m growing 17 miles long and
Photo/Kevin Greene
Victoria Valley Vineyards
n Wilcox
Photo/Rya
in State Park
Paris Mounta
Rainbow
Falls
Within minutes from the award-winning downtown lies the Blue Wall Escarpment, recognized as one of the world’s most significant ecosystems, with more than 400 species of rare plants and more individual tree species than in all of Europe.
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&
th nk arts culture “Greenville is affordable and low stress but offers cultural amenities far beyond what one would expect in a city this size. There are many more concerts, plays, and festivals than I can attend.” - Nancy Fitzer, Upstate Forever
Warehouse Theatre
Artist’s rendering of $12.5 million renovation project underway at the Peace Center
Artisphere Photo/City of Gr
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reenville’s dedication to the arts provides for numerous cultural experiences, including the symphony, an art museum,
eenville
a history museum, a children’s museum, a chorale, a light
opera company, a gallery of religious art, three ballet companies, five downtown theatres, a performance center, and a 15,000-seat arena. The West End of downtown features a rapidly growing arts district featuring galleries, working studios and monthly gallery crawls. In addition to these wonderful assets, Greenville is home to numerous festivals and arts-related events including Artisphere, Fall for Greenville, Euphoria, and Open Studios. The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities and Fine Arts Center train many talented young artists, adding to the cultural vibrancy of the area.
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mphitheatre
Peace Center A
FAST FACTS
• Named a “Best Art Town in America” by John Vil lani • Home to the most s ig n ificant Andrew W yeth and J a s per Johns collections in the worl d • Artisph ere is a To p 20 Arts e in the Sou vent theast • 8 gradu ates of the SC Govern School for or’s the Arts ha ve been accepted to Julliard’s prestigiou drama pro s gram in th e p ast 8 years (of o nly 18 acc epted a year, world -wide)
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GE Energy Greenville is the global headquarters for GE Energy’s Engineering Division and is the world’s largest heavy duty gas turbine manufacturing facility.
FAST FACTS
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e of the • Greenville is on orld to first cities in the w be an be chosen by GE to City st Electric Vehicle Te d Energy • Ranked #2 Win ader Manufacturing Le ss in 2010 by Busine Facilities tly 52 • There are curren arging ch electric vehicle ille, more stations in Greenv arket than any similar m
Electri
c vehic
le char
ging
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innovation “I have come to appreciate that this is one of the most vibrant and forward-thinking communities in the Southeast. I see innovation and leadership as an integral part of this region’s culture.” – Mark Nantz, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System
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rich mix of engineering, manufacturing, applied research, and higher education in the Upstate creates a fertile ground where innovation can thrive. Michelin has long had a very strong
R&D presence in the region. The recent addition of Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research has elevated the area to one of the premier automotive and motorsports research and educational centers in the world. Greenville has developed a unique “Greening of Greenville” partnership with GE, Duke Energy, Enterprise, Greenville County, GSP Airport, Hubbell Lighting, Thurso Power Systems and others to create a “living laboratory” to test green technologies such as electric vehicles, LED street lighting and technologies for commercial buildings.
Proterra builds the electric bus of the future in Greenville, S.C.
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entrepreneurship “Greenville’s most telling recent development is the NEXT Innovation Center, where tech start-ups, entrepreneurs, and even angel investors rent and share space, coffee, and brainpower. The creative vibe here is so strong that walls are covered with writable surfaces so eurekas can get scribbled down anywhere, anytime.” – Men’s Journal
Thomas Creek Brewery Thomas Creek Brewery was founded in 1998 by father and son team Bill & Tom Davis after the two traveled the country together and developed a passion for craft beer. Since opening the brewery, they have completed numerous expansions and spread into sales territories including the Southeast, Midwest and Scandinavia. Bill & Tom’s fascination and excitement for beer continues to foster Thomas Creek’s position as the leading South Carolina microbrewery. The NEXT Innovation Center opened its doors in the summer of 2009
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t’s an easy place to connect and launch a business. This is the common sentiment among businesses that have started in our community. With a very business-friendly environment, entrepreneurs flock to Greenville for the unbeatable combination
of business support and lifestyle quality that cannot be found in most communities. With the Greenville Chamber’s NEXT initiative to support the entrepreneurial community through concierge service, advocacy and infrastructure development, the region is gaining both national and international recognition as the place to go to launch a venture.
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Lab21
Michael Bolick, President A rising star in the region’s Health Sciences cluster, Lab21 Inc is the US headquarters for a UK firm and is located at the NEXT Innovation Center. Their 7.500 ft square feet CLIA laboratory provides advanced diagnostic services with a focus on enabling personalized medicine for oncology and virology including next generation sequencing and HPLC/mass spectrometry. They offer both routine diagnostic services and clinical trial support.
FAST FACTS
The Next Big Thing is a membership driven start-up accelerator in Greenville. Each year, 10 incredible start-up firms are selected to participate in a 12 week summer program, receiving up to $18,000 in seed funding, coworking space at the NEXT Innovation Center, access to an amazing set of mentors, and the opportunity to pitch to more than a hundred investors.
• Busin ess Facil ities has the Gree ranked nville me tro as #1 economic for potentia l • Forbe s magaz ine has recogniz ed SC La unch as of the to one p entrep r eneurial support organiza tions in th country e • KPMG ranked G reenville as havin g the sec ond best favorable tax struc ture for business es amon g mid-size metros d • South Carolina is #4 in the Top 1 0 rankin gs of Pro-Busin ess State s
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Greenville Hospital System • Five medical campuses in Greenville County with 1,268 licensed beds • Regional referral and trauma center including ground and air patient transport • Over 600 employed physicians with more than 20 primary care and 40 specialty practices • Number one employer in Greenville County with 10,000 employees
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• Ranked nationally by US News & World Report Best Hospitals 2010 in the areas of heart and heart surgery, gastroenterology, and endocrinology and diabetes
BMW Manufacturing Co. • Produces the BMW X3 and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupe for over 130 global markets • BMW’s facility is over four million square feet and occupies 1,150 acres • Largest automotive exporter from the U.S. to non-NAFTA countries • Total investment in South Carolina through July 2011 is over $5 billion
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employment “When you consider the technologies being developed in this area- aviation, automotive, energy, transportation, software, medical and even lighting – you start to see how diverse the talent base is and why there’s always some buzz going on here.” – Mark Reilly, GE Energy
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ith strong growth in manufacturing and other sectors, Greenville expects to see several thousand jobs created over the next several years. Recent announcements from
companies such as BMW, Proterra, First Quality Tissue, ZF Group, TD Bank, Certus Bank and others mean that good opportunities will exist for individuals with the right mix of skills and talent. With two highlyrenowned health systems, a wide assortment of financial institutions, many professional service provider firms in the region, and more, Greenville is poised to strongly compete as the nation recovers from the recent downturn.
FAST FACTS
Michelin North America Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle program. •
North American headquarters located in Greenville, S.C.
• Employs approximately 7,600 • Operates eight manufacturing facilities
• Forbes nam ed Greenville as one of the top 5 places to weather the ec onomic downturn • In 2010, econ omic developm ent officials announ ced the creation of more than 6,00 0 new jobs in th e Upstate region • Greenville co ntinues to lead the nation in terms of en gineering empl oyment per capita
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k-12
“Our experience with education in Greenville has been uniformly positive. We found schools that provided a challenging and supportive educational environment to prepare our children for competitive higher education.” – Dr. Paul Catalana, USC School of Medicine - Greenville
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reenville values high-quality public education. The Greenville County School District offers a wide variety of educational opportunities from the Fine Arts Center to the AJ Whittenberg
Elementary School for Engineering. Greenville is a leader in “attendance by choice” programming with the charter school movement. The many private and parochial schools, as well as a strong homeschool support system, offer even more options.
Engaged learning is key to Greenville’s education success
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FAST FACTS
• Greenville is the 50th larges t school district in the nation, with al most 70,000 studen ts attending 99 schools or centers • Greenville ha s more Nationa l Board certified teache rs than 30 othe r states • Greenville is home to 40 Mal co lm Baldrige Model Schools, 9 New sweek top high school s, a top 15 Char te r High School an d a top 20 Cath olic High School
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higher education
Photo/Furman University
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“Greenville has the full formula for success – local government, business leaders and education coming together to make things happen.” – Keith Miller, Greenville Technical College
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reenville is a community that values higher education. Every year, new partnerships are forged that benefit both individuals and businesses.
Clemson at the Falls: In early 2010, Clemson University relocated its
MBA program and several community outreach programs to downtown Greenville. This Greenville presence allows for a very unique student experience and a strong Clemson-Greenville relationship. Furman University: One of the nation’s premier liberal arts colleges, with a student body of 2,700 and a campus acclaimed for its beauty, Furman offers an ideal setting to enhance scholarly activity, personal growth and leadership development for a broad range of students with a passion for learning. Photo/Kevin Greene
University Center of Greenville: This consortium of eight higher education institutions is dedicated to increasing access to educational opportunities for Upstate citizens. Greenville Technical College: The state’s flagship two-year educational institution serves more than 15,000 academic and 21,000 continuing education students annually. Greenville is also home to a burgeoning number of other higher education institutions including Bob Jones University, Brown Mackie College, ITT Tech, North Greenville University, Southern Wesleyan, University of Phoenix - Greenville, USC Upstate - Greenville and Virginia College.
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national Center Clemson University Inter for Automotive Research
Furman University graduates
FAST FACTS
• Clemson Uni versity is a To p 25 Public Research Unive rsity (2011 U.S . News & World Repor t), with the 2n d ha ppiest students in the nation (2012 P rinceton review) • Furman Uni versity has the 4th Best Undergraduate Research Progr am in the nation (U.S. New s & World Rep ort) • 21 Upstate colleges and un iv er sities serve more th an 71,000 stud ents annually • The Greenvi lle / Upstate re gion has one of the highest concentrations of MBAs in the nation (Ups tate SC Alliance )
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FAST FACTS
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ted as a was recently ra s ur co Se n Bo • safety spital for patient Leapfrog Top Ho and quality s been orial Hospital ha • Greenville Mem ls in p 50 U.S. hospita ranked in the to crine abetes and Endo 5 specialties - Di ive Disorders, Disorders, Digest & rgery, Neurology Heart & Heart Su d Orthopedics Neurosurgery an an home to Steadm • Greenville is , of the Carolinas Hawkins Clinic es ri ju opaedic in focusing on orth e #2 place Greenville as th • AARP ranked ple Life” to “Live the Sim
Photo/City of Greenville
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health
&
wellness
“Greenville is a community where you have the opportunity to live a healthy life. With plenty of outdoor activities available, healthy food options as well as a strong health care and wellness system, newcomers will find ample opportunity to live well.” – Eleanor Dunlap, LiveWell Greenville
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aintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle can be a challenge in today’s hectic world, but our wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities is helping to mark Greenville as an
active and healthy community. Greenville has a growing reputation as a community of cyclists, being home to the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. When out of balance though, there are good options to get you back to where you need to be. With two major health care systems operating Greenville Memorial Hospital
in Greenville – Bon Secours St. Francis Health System and Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center, residents have affordable, easy access to physicians and other health professionals.
New Medical School in Greenville
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“I knew Greenville would be a great place for my
“I choose to live in Greenville because of the
family, but I was delighted to find how beneficial it is
wonderful terrain, great climate and comfortable
for my company as well. Greenville offers an active,
atmosphere. Several of my current and former
supportive business community that focuses on both
teammates have spent time here in Greenville, some
international development and local presence. Both
racing and some just visiting, and they have all been
of those things are important to me. My company has
very impressed with this area. It really is one of the
benefited greatly from direct contact with programs
best areas in the country to ride a bike. Hundreds of
at nearby universities. Greenville offers big city
cyclists share that opinion and that’s why you see such
opportunities with small-town charm. I wouldn’t want
a great cycling community here in Greenville.”
to be anywhere else.”
– George Hincapie, Professional Cyclist
– June Wilcox, President, The adec group
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Photo/Mark Cuddihee Photography
final thought 4 Jobs 4 Nature 4 Education 4 Innovation 4 Economical 4 Eco-friendly 4 Great climate 4 Arts and culture
4 International airport 4 A vibrant downtown 4 Healthy communities 4 Support for businesses 4 A few hours to the beach 4 Minutes to lakes and mountains
The secret is out. In 2011 alone, Greenville was recognized as the following: Top 15 Metro Area for Young Adults in the U.S. – Forbes Magazine #1 MicroCity of the Future – FDi Intelligence Top 10 Place to Live – RelocateAmerica
"What I love most about Greenville is how it's packed full of the unexpected. Whether it's a restaurant, various art venues, or a world renowned performer giving a show, Greenville always finds a way to
Best of the Best – The American Water Works Association’s Water Taste Test Top 18 Best Places to Live – Men’s Journal
deliver it to you." – Matt Harvey, Professional Dancer, Carolina Ballet Theatre
We’re glad yo u’re th nking Gree nville. We
love it here an d know you w ill too. Want to k now more? Visit www.Gre envilleChambe r.org or call us toll fr ee at 866-485 -5262.
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24 Cleveland Street Greenville, SC 29601 www.GreenvilleChamber.org 864.242.1050 | 866.485.5262