FEBRUARY 27, 2015 | VOL. 4 ISSUE 9
The Domain, Austin, Texas
Santa Fe Railyard, New Mexico
WORKSHOPPING DESIGN
Riverfront Park, Denver
Will the Greenville News site resemble one of these projects? Asheville-based Design Workshop has a portfolio bursting with ideas for downtown’s prime patch of real estate. - Page 6
Hardy Yards, Houston
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| TECHNOLOGY | 3
Upstate duo aims to elevate special needs care ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF
aboncimino@communityjournals.com Having a voice can cost special needs patients thousands of dollars a year, but it doesn’t have to, according to two Upstate entrepreneurs. “We do not believe in charging families with special needs children Adam Kern large sums of money for something that can improve their quality of life,” said ExcepApps cofounder and Applied Behavior Analysis therapist Adam Kern. Kern and business partner Ryan Poplin founded ExcepApps as a low-cost therapy solution for special needs children with communication issues. The company’s flagship product, Ryan Poplin AACcess, is a speech-generation application that also allows parents and specialists to track progress for a few dollars a month. “We are already tracking language development over time in the forms of sentence length, vocabulary, commonly used phrases, and word length,” said Kern, who launched a crowdfunding campaign in February to finish the app’s development and fund data
collection and storage. “We can see how these metrics change over the course of a day, an hour, a week, a month, a year, etc.” While the company received initial investment through The Iron Yard’s Digital Health A c c e l e r a t o r , AACess screenshot additional investment has been harder to secure. The pair have turned to crowdfunding to avoid bringing in outside investors, which could alter the direction of the company, he said. ExcepApps has 4,000 existing users for its other application, Color Countdown, a visual timer designed to improve behavior by representing time through easily understood concepts such as colors and shapes. ExcepApps was born when Kern noticed children using mobile technology themselves while he was doing the same thing with more complicated and expensive technology as a therapist to track progress.
“I thought, why can’t we combine the two together? Create apps that kids are already familiar with, but track a child’s development as they use it,” he said. Collecting data on development allows therapists and parents to easily locate areas of most improvement and where more work needs to be done, he said. “Even insurance companies could benefit, because this data could prove the effectiveness of treatments they are paying for,” he said. While both apps will be offered for free, the company still has to finish AACcess and pay for data hosting, which will be covered by the $10,000 the duo hopes to raise in less than a week. “While working as a therapist, I saw families make tremendous sacrifices. They often pay tens of thousands of dollars a year to give their child the best chance to succeed. This includes spending thousands of dollars on technology,” said Kern. “This has to stop, and we intend to do something about it.”
MORE INFO For more information on ExcepApps and its crowdfunding campaign, visit excepapps.com.
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TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK
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02.27.2015
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 9 Featured this issue: Anderson’s e-Merge prepares for launch 8 South State Bank has more than 80 years in the vault 14 New Clemson facilities will hold those Tigers 16
MONEY SHOT: This photograph was taken in 1891 in front of the Northeastern Banking Company, which later became Community Bank and Trust, at its Broad Street office in Commerce, Ga. In 2010, South State Bank entered the Georgia market by acquiring Community Bank and Trust. Read more on page 14.
WORTH REPEATING
TBA
“While working as a therapist, I saw families … spending thousands of dollars on technology. This has to stop, and we intend to do something about it.” Page 3
Word is that Ernst and Young will be the ONE building’s newest tenant, occupying almost 15,000 square feet on the fifth floor.
“Kids like to create things, they’re curious, they want to know how things work. I don’t think their interest is being nurtured in the right way.” Page 5 “Mentors are the secret sauce.” Page 8
A new bicycling store is coming to downtown Greenville. Stay tuned for more soon. Look for a speedy new electric vehicle charging station to be located soon at Crown Nissan on Laurens Road for public use.
VERBATIM
On a love letter to Greenville “I would live here, Greenville. I would live by your waters and the rocks of the Reedy River, in an apartment in Falls Park, or one of those places with a balcony overhanging the baseball stadium … And then I’d shop for legalized moonshine.” Charlotte Magazine writer Justin Heckert, in “a love letter to Upstate South Carolina’s finest town, a place where renewal can take on many meanings.” Read it at bit.ly/charlotte-loves-greenville.
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NEWS
| AUTOMOTIVE | 5
Panel: SC needs more diverse entry points for automotive careers ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF
aboncimino@communityjournals.com With the many entrances to automotive and manufacturing
shortage of skilled workers and everything, it’s not higher education’s challenge or K-12’s challenge or industry’s challenge; it’s all of the above, and that collaboration is key.” Another aspect of the challenge is not only building technical skills, but building basic skills ranging from collaboration and communication to basic math and reading, he said.
careers, educators and industry partners can do a better job at highlighting them, said members of a workforce development panel at the S.C. Automotive Summit held in Greenville this week. “Kids like to create things, they’re curious, they want to know how things work,” said JoAnn Bortles, who works with a nationwide high school engine build competition organization, Hot Rodders of Tomorrow. “I don’t think their interest is being nurtured in the right way.” The skills gap and workforce Dirk Pieper, president and CEO of shortage problem facing the indus- Sage Automotive Interiors, spoke this try is twofold, said Greenville week at the S.C. Automotive Summit held in Greenville. Technical College President Keith Miller, who also spoke on the panel. Photo by Greg Beckner “If we look just at Greenville County, One opportunity is expanding focus over 54 percent of those involved in to recruit and employ more women in some aspect of manufacturing now are the industry, which can be achieved approaching retirement age,” he said. through non-conventional avenues “There’s also a lack of sufficient interest such as the arts. One student, Couch on the part of the young.” said, began to practice her art through Part of that lack of interest is tied welding and advanced to the point to perceptions, said Lexington-Richwhere her projects won regional land Center for Advanced Technical welding competitions. Her aim is to Studies Director Bob Couch, who become an underwater welder, a job oversees a program that offers highthat garners salaries between $100,000 wage and high-tech courses to high to $200,000 per year, according to the school students. American Welding Society. “We’re seeing two-year graduates “Awareness needs to be centered making more and starting with higher around young girls and females,” he wages than four-year graduates,” said said. “There has to be an attraction Couch, noting the challenge of rising of different students’ interests in tuition costs and mounting national different fields.” student debt at more than $1.2 trilBortles said during her 35-year lion. “Part of the challenge is: How career—which included loading raw do children coming out of homes materials, high-precision welding, today get on a productive track to get and research and development—she the wages that they need to have to had the most fun “down there in the provide for their family?” trenches” working on the floor with The state’s history as a textile hub machines, a little-emphasized aspect has left many parents with an inacof the industry. curate perception of manufacturing “The easy answer here is the kids careers, which is a challenge in itself, are just not enjoying it, and I have to Miller said. disagree,” she said. “As far as manu“In the eyes of some, manufacturing facturing and automotive, I think is not the high-tech field that it is,” he there’s outdated stereotypes and said. “To solve this whole issue of a perspectives. … That has to change.”
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6 | DESIGN |
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02.27.2015
Planning by design
For Design Workshop, the downtown Greenville News site is “a bridge from the past to the future” SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF
sjackson@communityjournals.com With all eyes reliably focused on the redevelopment of the Greenville News site on Main Street, the city of Greenville has hired Design Workshop, an international landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm to guide the city in the planning process. Design Workshop has an office in Asheville along with nine other offices and projects that span the globe. UBJ recently connected with Rebecca Leonard, president of Design Workshop, to talk about the project and what her firm will be looking for as it progresses—including the desire for “activated” spaces that will attract and engage the public. What’s your company’s background? Design Workshop is a landscape architecture, land planning, urban design and strategic services firm. We’ve been providing these services for almost four decades to developers, property owners, government agencies and other clients engaged in improvements
to the land. In our years of practice we have evolved a proprietary approach and distinct culture. Design Workshop is a firm born in the pursuit of ideas. While college classmates, founders Don Ensign and Joe Porter resolved to someday start their own landscape architecture firm. The opportunity came in 1969 when both assumed teaching positions in North Carolina. Early on, they were invited to assist private sector clients, often engaging colleagues and students in a collaborative process they labeled “design workshops.” These early assignments were the chance to marry the idealism of academia with development realities and to begin a small professional practice. A few years later, Don and Joe relocated the fledgling firm to Aspen [Colo.] and quickly earned a reputation for solving the complex problems found in fragile ecosystems and development challenges of the western landscape. Over the last 45 years, we’ve had the opportunity to expand the breadth and sophistication of our firm. Our experience ranges from master plans for coun-
“A portion of this site will always be elevated or submersed. The key is maximizing visibility and activating space.” Rebecca Leonard, president, Design Workshop
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ties, planned communities, urban centers and resorts, to detailed design for urban districts, public parks, residences and roadways. We have continuously honed the collaborative dynamics of the workshops and the pursuit of the ideas and ideals that result in the best solutions for every assignment. This approach remains the hallmark of our firm. What exactly will your role be? Design Workshop was hired by the city of Greenville to provide professional services to review proposed site plans for the redevelopment of the Greenville News site in downtown Greenville. The site is approximately four acres and is a highly visible corner on Main Street, adjacent to the award-winning Falls Park. The site is being developed as a mixed-use development that may include a hotel, office, rental housing, condominiums, movie theater, health club, retail and restaurants. What other projects have you completed that might be similar to this project? Over the years, Design Workshop has led the design and planning efforts of many urban districts across the country. Riverwalk Commons in Denver, Hardy Yards in Houston, The Domain in Austin and the Railyards in Santa Fe are examples of some of our firm’s district work.
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Bellingham Harbor, Bellingham, Wash. Biltmore Fashion Park, Phoenix Gardens on El Paseo, Palm Desert, Calif.
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Hardy Yards, Houston
Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, Houston Loma Larga, Monterrey, Mexico Railyards in Santa Fe, Santa Fe 4 Riverfront Park, Denver
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Scottsdale Quarter, Scottsdale, Ariz. Songhua Lake, Jilin, China Symphony Park, Las Vegas The Domain, Austin
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What specific design elements will you be looking for? We are looking at the development to ensure it meets the intent of the Design Guidelines and Downtown Master Plan. Walkability and activated street frontages are a key piece of that. This includes ensuring primary entrances to buildings are from streets and key public spaces, maintaining the existing setbacks in the area (most buildings are built to the property lines), strong streetscape treatments and activated plaza spaces. In addition, the architecture needs to reflect the traditional geometries and materials. Is there any type of design or structure that has been discussed that might not work (such as the underground movie theater)? No. We have discussed how to activate the streets and public spaces. What is the single most important item in the redevelopment of this property? The Design Guidelines suggest that Main Street and Broad Street frontages are the most important. This is where we have focused our conversations. In the current design, it’s a raised plaza approach. In your experience, how successful are those in keeping with a walkable, open Main Street concept? There is 35 feet worth of drop from the corner of Main Street and Broad
to the corner of Falls Street and Murphy Street. A portion of this site will always be elevated or submersed. The key is maximizing visibility and activating space. Since these are going to be signature buildings in the heart of downtown Greenville, what kind of originality or design specifics will you be looking for? We would like to see this reflect the historic approach to site planning with buildings addressing the streets and public spaces and architecture that reflects the patterns in place in the community, but this site offers the opportunity for innovation and new ideas as well. This is a bridge from the past to the future. The key will be making this compatible with its context. Anything else about the project you’d like to comment on? Looking forward to shaping the west end of Main Street and connecting it with the park and other successful developments in the area.
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| DESIGN | 7
8 | STARTUPS |
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02.27.2015
Anderson incubator to launch first cohort
12-week boot camp at e-Merge @ the Garage planned to start this spring ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF
aboncimino@communityjournals.com After announcing a plan in July, Anderson-based business incubator program e-Merge @ the Garage is ready to start taking names—specifically, the names of companies and entrepreneurs to participate in its first cohort of startups slated for a 12-week business boot camp, says company chairman and founder, Craig Kinley. “Cohort1” will include four to six early-stage companies, each of which will develop a business or idea using mentoring opportunities, collaboration space and business support from e-Merge. Businesses should focus on products or services in the health care, information technology, education, agribusiness or culinary arts industries, Kinley says. The industry targets were chosen from the state’s list of competitiveness clusters based on existing industries and firms in Anderson and in the Upstate. Targeted partnerships,
mentoring and regional strengths will increase the chances for long-term success among e-Merge graduates, Kinley said. “Anderson today doesn’t have the talent to go after all 16 clusters,” said the Anderson native. “When you look at the South Carolina incubators, a lot of them have a lot of technology or application-driven focus, but we want to broaden them to some of the manufacturing or agribusiness industries.” Startups chosen to be a part of the first cohort will also have the chance to pitch their businesses to angel investors, turning the typical accelerator model upside down by offering intangible pieces such as mentoring, space and the environment up front, Kinley said. Offering seed money right off the bat can be attractive to entrepreneurs, but they might not always stay put, he said. “We’re looking for someone or a group of people that have an idea, the team and the passion to take this to a scalable business model,” he said. “It’s
GO ONLINE Learn more at emergeandersonsc.com.
a 12-week program that teaches and guides through mentors. Mentors are the secret sauce.” Kinley said applications have already started rolling in, including a health monitoring applicant, a data analytics cruncher and an education-focused idea. While a deadline for applications hasn’t been set, Kinley
hopes to announce the cohort by May and begin the program in May or June this year. Last July, Kinley announced that the incubator project would be located in 10,000 square feet of long-vacant space in the bottom of a parking garage in downtown Anderson. The building, which was built by the >>
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>> city of Anderson, hadn’t been occupied for five years, and none of the heating or piping had been installed. Total renovations and infrastructure are expected to be around $400,000, which he calls an investment in Anderson’s business future. “We didn’t have a place that you could go to as a business resource when you were starting a small company,” he said, recalling his own entrepreneurial beginnings with Anderson-based craft beer store Growler Haus. Kinley also founded
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technology company WiProwess LLC after spending several years in the corporate world. “I had to go through that struggle of who do I talk to, how do I do this,” he said. “I just had to kind of get it done.” Funding for e-Merge began with a Liberty Fellowship, Kinley said, and the organization has since received a grant for $250,000 from the S.C. Department of Commerce Office of Innovation. Photos by Greg Beckner
Opposite page: Craig Kinley with e-Merge @ the Garage in the e-Merge office space in Anderson; This page: Some of the work space at e-Merge @ the Garage in Anderson.
200,000+ in SC sign up for ACA’s second year Subsidies may be in jeopardy based on Supreme Court ruling APRIL A. MORRIS | STAFF
amorris@communityjournals.com Open enrollment for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ended on Feb. 15 and approximately 11.4 million Americans signed up or were reenrolled, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). In South Carolina, 209,773 residents signed up for coverage. DHHS reports that approximately 80 percent of those who enrolled nationwide qualify for reduced premium costs through subsidies. In South Carolina, the percentage was higher, 88 percent qualifying for an average $283 per month tax credit. Whether those subsidies will be available hinges on a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court on the King v. Burwell case alleging that the law
does not provide for subsidies in states that did not establish their own insurance exchanges. This includes South Carolina and 26 other states. Arguments in the case are set to begin in March. In addition, the Obama administration has allowed a special enrollment period March 15-April 30 for those who missed the deadline and could be subject to a fine when they file their taxes for not signing up for coverage. For 2014, the fine was $95 or 1 percent of their income, whichever is greater. For 2015, the fine will be $325 per person or 2 percent of household income. Gov. Nikki Haley is a vocal supporter of repealing the ACA. She rejected state Medicaid expansion and opted out of a state-run online insurance exchange.
| STARTUPS & INSURANCE | 9
10 | BANKING |
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02.27.2015
United Community Bank makes moves in Greenville STAFF REPORT
Blairsville, Ga.-based United Community
be based in Greenville. Edwards previously worked at TD Bank as senior vice president and executive credit officer, and at The South Financial Group as chief credit officer. United Community Bank operates out of one interim branch in Greenville while construction continues on its Augusta Street location, slated to open in March. Harton has told reporters the bank aims to be top five in the Greenville area and plans
Banks Inc. promoted Greenville-based Lynn Harton as president and COO of the financial institution. The company also elected Harton as a director, elected existing board member W.C. Nelson to the position of lead director and elected the bank’s CEO Jimmy Tallent as chairman and CEO. Harton is a 30-year banking veteran who was hired in 2012. Harton was the executive vice president of commercial banking at TD Bank Financial Group in Greenville, as well as president and CEO of The South Financial Group, which was sold to TD. Subsidiary United Community Bank also announced hiring 25-year credit management veteran UCB president and COO, Lynn Harton Rob Edwards as chief credit officer, who will
Photo by Greg Beckner
to open several locations during the next few years. United Community Banks Inc. is the $7.6 billion asset holding company for United Community Bank, which is the seventh-largest bank in Georgia by market share, according to the latest data from the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The bank operates 103 locations in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
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MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE
| INNOVATE | 11
Don’t ignore the strength in diversity Majority voices may crowd out the distinctive, valuable insights from your team’s minority By JOHN WARNER, publisher, Swamp Fox
I once attended a management seminar affectionately known as “charm school.” A dozen teams played a survival game, where each team’s plane had crashed north of the Arctic Circle. The task was to rank, in about an hour, 20 items on the plane in order of importance. Our team spent most of our time hashing out what was essential to survive. Would we stay with the plane or leave? Was the wind a greater threat than hunger? There were lots of different ideas at the beginning, but over time we developed a strong consensus about what we needed to do together to make it out alive. Because of our consensus, ranking the items was pretty easy, except for the water purification tablets. All but one member of the team were from urban areas, so the almost unanimous opinion based on all our prior experiences was that the purification tablets were essential. It was so beyond question that it was common sense.
solve the problem a different way. They first had each team member individually rank the items in the plane. Only then did they begin to talk among themselves about what the solution should be. By that time, individuals had staked out their turf and spent the rest of the exercise advocating for their solution. They ended up focusing on their differences, rather than focusing on what they had in common. These teams missed the inherent strength of the diversity in their groups. Over our history, South Carolina has also missed the inherent strength of the diversity of its citizens. When the Civil War ended, South Carolina had gone in fewer than five years from being one of the wealthiest states to being broken and bankrupt. Blacks were a majority of South Carolina in 1876 when the federal occupation ended, but whites regained political power through roving bands of vigilantes called Red Shirts who terrorized blacks to keep them from voting. The Red Shirts helped Wade Hampton become the first post-occupation governor.
We have yet to come to terms with the historical savage brutality of our society. It isn’t just an artifact of our past. It is an unresolved legacy that … continues to impact our present and our future. However, one member of our team, a woman from rural northern Maine, observed that “the snow is clean north of the Arctic Circle.” The purification tablets were not needed. As soon as she said that, I paused: She knew a lot more about snow than I did. Where I grew up we sprayed snow from a can on the windows at Christmas. Now she seemed to make common sense. The woman from Maine was a minority of one. She had a distinctive, valuable insight that she shared only once and very softly. Fortunately, our group’s leader was listening for just such an insight. The Army Rangers, who developed the solution key, ranked all 20 items in almost the same order we did. Our instructor said it was the best score he had ever seen. Most of the other teams tried to
Benjamin Ryan Tillman came of age during this time, becoming a key leader of South Carolina in the generation after Hampton. He could have tried to create from the ashes a new, inclusive society where it was self-evident that all men are created equal with certain unalienable rights. But he didn’t. Tillman led a movement that brutalized blacks because he felt that was necessary for whites to succeed. The South Carolina state constitution is still the 1895 constitution that Tillman wrote, which created our fragmented, dysfunctional state government originally designed to prevent blacks from regaining power. Tillman fractured our society with perverse Jim Crow laws that corrupted the entire South Carolina culture
for another century. Late in his life, Tillman reminisced about “terrorizing the Negroes at the first opportunity by letting them provoke trouble and then having the whites demonstrate their superiority by killing as many of them as was justifiable.” Blacks aren’t lynched today, but they daily suffer indignities that whites don’t. Whites don’t always see it, but blacks and other minorities live it. This creates barriers that harm not only minorities, but all of us. We’ve seen
this frustration expressed across America in the past year. We have yet to come to terms with the historical savage brutality of our society. It isn’t just an artifact of our past. It is an unresolved legacy that is the source of the profoundly different filters with which races see the world that continues to impact our present and our future. Diversity is an asset. The sooner we figure that out, the better off we will be.
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UBJ
THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUSINESS
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02.27. 2015
Building better remote meetings without busting the budget dedicated conference phone with omni mics and much higher audio gain can make the difference between frustrating and unproductive meetings, and truly useful discussions.
By LAURA HAIGHT, president, portfoliosc.com Virtual workers, remote teams, out-of-town contractors—these are the new workers. Armed with smartphones, laptops (or laplets) and an array of specialized apps, they can be a powerful ally for your business. To bring these new workers into the team, an entire segment of online services and software has risen to provide online collaboration, including phone conferencing, online meetings, interactive breakout rooms and even seminars and conferences. High-end teleconferencing suites running the gamut from multi-screens, mics and articulated cameras to telepresence systems are prohibitively expensive for most businesses. But building better meetings for your team and clients requires equal parts of technology and common sense—and doesn’t have to bust the budget.
Building better meetings for your team and clients requires equal parts of technology and common sense—and doesn’t have to bust the budget. 1. AUDIO. Nothing is more important than being able to hear each other clearly. If you are using VOIP via a connected computer, make sure the computer is centrally positioned on your conference table and invest in an omnidirectional microphone that will connect via USB. That will help, but conference phones are better, especially if they’re equipped with mics that can be extended to the ends of the table. Expensive phone systems aren’t in the budget for a lot of businesses, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do better than a cordless phone with the speaker function on. Investing $500 to $600 in a
2. USE YOUR WEBCAMS. The remote staffer has a lot of challenges. First they can’t hear you clearly, and now they can’t see you. There’s nothing worse than sitting on the phone or online in a group meeting and hearing everyone else laughing about something going on in the room that you can’t see. Nearly every mobile device has a webcam. Use them. Because most of us don’t have high-end conferencing cameras or telepresence technology in our meeting rooms, I’d even go so far as to suggest each employee bring their mobile device—smartphone, tablet, laptop—to the meeting and sign on separately. Turn the sound off, but that way they can be seen. There’s no cost; you already have these. 3. PROJECT. Ever been in a meeting where the computer running the online meeting software is positioned at the end of the 10-foot-long conference table and everyone in the room is squinting and jockeying for position, struggling to see? Ultimately, it becomes so frustrating that you stop using it and the remote staffer doesn’t see anything anymore. Even for the most tightly budgeted small business or nonprofit, a very cost-effective solution is available for this problem. Go to the store and buy a 36- to 42-inch flat panel Internet-connected TV ($300-$400). You don’t have to have any TV service, so long as it has the capability to connect to a Wi-Fi network. Now get a Chromecast, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick or Apple TV. (Chromecast is among the cheapest at $35.). If we’re all going to be on the same productive team, we need to be looking at the same things. 4. ONLINE MEETING SERVICE. Most online conferencing services offer “freemium” levels that give you a taste of their systems, but may leave you hungry for more. That gets you to opt up to a paid account. Sometimes it’s worth it. But think carefully about
the services you really need. Meeting size matters— most systems start with a small number (3-5) at the free level—but more important are the tools. Screen sharing seems basic, but it’s not the same as passing control. That function is what lets multiple people work on a single document. Can you transfer completed documents or meeting notes to the participants through the meeting itself? Can meetings be recorded and replayed easily? Is there a limit to the number you can store? And mobile capabilities are critical. Can I join (and present) from my tablet? That may be important to some of your team. Even with GoToMeeting, WebEx or Fuze, you can pack in a pretty robust set of tools for $20-$40 per month. 5. TEST AND DOCUMENT. Take the time to learn how your system works and document it, not only for your staff but for customers and clients you may need to meet with remotely. Nothing is more frustrating than spending 10 minutes of a 30-minute meeting troubleshooting a remote attendee’s problem bringing up a document. Yikes! You will look like a class act if you provide a brief (I stress brief) guide to using your online meeting services along with the invitation. And you will reclaim a ton of wasted time. We did spend a little money. But a better meeting experience is worth the investment if it pays off in productivity, team collaboration and putting your most professional foot forward.
PLANNING FOR A LASTING LEGACY Margaret Southern lived modestly but left a magnificent gift to the Community Foundation to benefit her most cherished interests—early childhood education, special needs children and animal welfare—forever. We make it easy to give back to the place we all love to call home.
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14 | MILESTONE |
UBJ
A TRIBUTE TO OUR LONG-LASTING ENTERPRISES
|
02.27.2015
‘SOUNDNESS, PROFITABILITY AND GROWTH’ For more than eight decades, South State Bank has used those principles to build relationships throughout three states
81 YEARS
STAFF REPORT
The story of South State Bank encompasses the history of several other banks that have been acquired through the years. It was founded as First National Bank in Orangeburg in 1933 and opened the following year, capitalized by farmers who banded together to dig out of the Great Depression. Last year the bank brought its five different entities under one name. That included two 80-year-old banks: South Carolina Bank and Trust, and First Federal. >>
upstatebusinessjournal.com
A TRIBUTE TO OUR LONG-LASTING ENTERPRISES
>> Founded in 1933, at a time when the Great Depression had seen many financial institutions close their doors, South Carolina Bank and Trust was started by seven farsighted men who were determined to bring banking services to Orangeburg, S.C. The bank was originally named First National Bank in Orangeburg. Robert Lide, a prominent Orangeburg attorney, and businessmen Wallace C. Bethea, D.A. Gardner, W.L. Glover, E.V. Mirmow, Dwight Moseley, and Dr. C.A. Mobley were the organizers. Each pledged a minimum stock purchase of $1,000 and together raised $62,500 through the sale of stock, which required concerted effort, and borrowed a matching amount from the federal government’s Reconstruction Finance Corporation.
a pivotal moment in the bank’s history was the formation of First National Corporation in 1985. Another important moment in the company’s history was its entry into the Greenville market. Windley joined the company in 2002 to spearhead the entry and form his leadership team, recruiting Mike Coggin, Upstate Regional president. Both had worked with Citizens & Southern National bank and remained on board through acquisitions by NationsBank, and then Bank of America. “John hired me, Jimmy Lindsey, Shields Cochran, Tom Ledbetter and Morris Hardigree to start the Greenville region and we are all still in leadership roles in the company today,” Coggin said. “The region was profitable in under a year, which is rare in the banking industry.”
“Our bank never got involved in a lot of the risky lending practices that were happening in the industry, and these conservative methods helped us survive and thrive during the recent banking crisis and economic downturn. In fact, we were one of the few companies to continue to turn a profit during the down time.” South State Bank Upstate Regional President Mike Coggin
A Columbia customer born in 1914 remembers when the bank was formed. “My father had some of the original stock he received when the bank was opened. He had some money in a bank that failed during the depression. Mr. Bill Glover told him that a new bank was being formed and asked him to accept stock in the new bank in lieu of the money. My dad accepted and we’ve had stock in South Carolina Bank and Trust ever since. I opened my first account at the new bank in 1934.” As a result of their determination, South Carolina Bank and Trust opened its doors as First National Bank in Orangeburg on January 2, 1934. Located in the old Edisto National Bank building at 170 Russell Street in Orangeburg, the company featured just six employees under President Robert Lide. The company’s first expansion outside of South Carolina was in 2007 with the acquisition of The Scottish Bank in North Carolina, which it renamed NCBT. In 2010, the bank entered the Georgia market with its acquisition of Community Bank & Trust, a failed bank in northeastern Georgia founded in 1900. In 2011, the acquisition of two strong healthy banks, Peoples Bancorporation in the Upstate and The Savannah Bancorp in coastal Georgia, allowed the bank to further expand into new markets. In 2014, the bank rebranded to its new name, South State Bank, to bring SCBT, NCBT, Community Bank & Trust and The Savannah Bank under one name. HEADING UPSTATE Since 1933, South State Bank has expanded into communities in 19 South Carolina counties, 12 Georgia counties and four North Carolina counties. The bank operated in South Carolina’s Lowcountry for its first 60 years and began to look for statewide opportunities 20 years ago. John Windley, president of South State Bank, said
The group set up shop on the third floor of the Ogletree Deakins law firm building. They had no customers in the market, but they put their sign out and began drumming up business. “The Peoples Bancorporation merger in December
South State Bank became the new name for SCBT, NCBT, Community Bank & Trust and The Savannah Bank in 2014.
| MILESTONE | 15
of 2011 really rounded out our presence in the Upstate, adding offices in Pickens, Anderson and Oconee counties,” Coggin said. Later the bank’s acquisition of Community Bank & Trust in Georgia was the most profitable quarter in the company’s history. “Across our company, we have 15 employees who have been with the company for over 40 years, including five with over 45 years of service. Specifically in the Upstate and Foothills regions, we have two employees with over 26 years with the bank, and five who have been here over 20 years,” Coggin said. FACING CHALLENGES The company fared well during a period that saw many financial institutions of all sizes in trouble. “Our bank never got involved in a lot of the risky lending practices that were happening in the industry, and these conservative methods helped us survive and thrive during the recent banking crisis and economic downturn,” Coggin said. “In fact, we were one of the few companies to continue to turn a profit during the down time.” Windley said important values haven’t changed in the bank’s 80 years. “We were founded on the principles of soundness, profitability and growth, and we still use those to govern our decisions today,” Windley said. “For over 80 years, we’ve been creating relationships built on trust with our employees, customers and communities.” At the same time, because of the nature of the bank’s growth, 80 percent of its employees have been with the company fewer than five years. Recognitions like service awards are an important part of acknowledging achievements and maintaining a sense of community. GOOD TIMES Some of the proudest moments in the bank’s history have occurred in recent years. “In 2013, our company completed the largest bank merger in South Carolina history, bringing together two 80-year-old financial institutions,” said Windley. “Being able to execute a merger of this magnitude with minimal customer impact is quite an accomplishment and a testimony to the quality of our team.” The company’s stock has consistently outperformed peers in the Southeast Bank Index and the NASDAQ Composite Index for the past five years, Windley said. He credited the bank’s successes to sticking with traditional banking in areas such as mortgage, wealth and retail. Yet measuring growth by local markets, rather than by these lines of business, has been an important tool for growth, he said. “There’s ownership in local markets and decision-making in local markets,” he said. This has allowed the bank to grow to about $8 billion in assets today. With that model, the bank will continue to gain longstanding relationships into the future, he said.
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UBJ
REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION
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02.27.2015
Tiger town transformation New football complex and renovations to Littlejohn Coliseum and Death Valley are in Clemson’s playbook SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ
Several of Clemson’s athletic facilities are undergoing a transformation as work continues and approvals are received on several construction projects. Earlier this month, the Clemson Board of Trustees gave the go ahead for construction to begin on Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson’s event venue and basketball arena, with a targeted start date (pending state agency approvals) of May 2015. Major renovations will include reconstruction of the seating areas, along with new practice facilities, locker rooms, meeting rooms and coaches’ offices for both the men’s and women’s basketball programs. The trustees also approved the athletic facilities bond resolution for the project, which is slated to cost $63.5 million. Construction is expected to be completed by fall 2016. The board also approved construction of a new football complex near the existing indoor practice facility and practice fields, with a targeted opening in 2017. The initial concept approval allows for the hiring of an architect and further design of the new building. The complex is set to include locker rooms, meeting rooms and coaches’ offices along with strength and conditioning, sports medicine and a dining area. The budget for the project is $62 million. University Vice President for Finance and Operations Brett Dalton said neither project would use university operating and facilities funds or state
Artist’s rendering of a renovated Littlejohn Coliseum Rendering provided
funding, as both will be financed completely by the athletic department and IPTAY. “We’re appreciative of the board giving final approval to the Littlejohn Coliseum project and initial approval to the football operations center,” said director of athletics Dan Radakovich. “We will now seek the requisite state approvals for these extremely important facility pieces.” Meanwhile, at Memorial Stadium, a.k.a. Death Valley, complete suite renovations are already underway, including concourse and club areas, a new football operations facility and significant upgrades
to the tennis complex, along with the construction of a letter-winner’s area and meeting space. An oculus, a circular opening in a wall, is also part of the redesign of Memorial Stadium. The third phase of the WestZone complex is also underway. Both projects are expected to be completed this summer. Upgrades to Doug Kingsmore Stadium, Clemson’s baseball venue, are already underway and are expected to be completed this spring. New player facilities, locker rooms, exhibition space and offices are all part of the $8 million upgrade to the north side of the stadium.
305 apartments approved at Conestee Park More apartments are coming to Greenville. A 305-unit community will be located across the street from the Lake Conestee Nature Park on Mauldin Road. Ardmore at Conestee Park is one of the latest apartment complexes to receive approval from the Greenville Planning Commission last week. Apartments will be one to three bedrooms and range from 700 to 1,500 square feet. Rents will be from $800 to $1,300 a month. Each apartment will feature 9-foot ceilings, crown molding, walk-in closets, granite countertops and upgraded appliances. There will be a pool, clubhouse, fitness center, dog park, playground and walking trails in the new community. Greensboro, N.C.-based Certus Partners will be developing Ardmore. Brant-
ley White with Certus Partners said they saw the need for Class A, multifamily housing in the Greenville submarket and that “they are excited about all that’s going on in Greenville.” Construction should begin June 2015 and will take about 18-20 months, with units beginning leasing spring 2016. Renderings provided by Bradley & Ball Architects
PROJECT PARTNERS GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Whitewood Construction, Greensboro, N.C. ARCHITECT: Bradley & Ball Architects, Greensboro, N.C. LEASING AND MANAGEMENT: Certus Properties, Greensboro, N.C.
upstatebusinessjournal.com
REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION
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Verdae grows with 262-unit Vélo community Vélo at Verdae, a new 262-unit apartment community, is the latest planned addition to Verdae’s 1,100-acre master planned community in Greenville. The new community will be a mixture of two- and three-story buildings, located off Verdae Boulevard, behind the BI-LO shopping center and adjacent to the new southern extension of the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail. “This particular site has always been considered for multifamily and with its close proximity to the trail, we think the timing is wonderful,” said Rick Sumerel, president of Verdae Development. Vélo—French for “bike”—will center on the bicycle connectivity to the trail, said Mark Stuermann, vice president of development for Birmingham, Ala.based Arlington Properties, which will be developing and maintaining the new community. The new community will include a bike room with maintenance equipment and lockers, while several trails will run through the property, with at least three connection points to the Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail, Stuermann said. Additional amenities will include a fitness facility with a yoga/spin room, an automated kiosk for classes, a business center with Wi-Fi, a clubhouse, a swimming pool with a large swim deck, an outdoor kitchen and a dog park. A common green space, several garden areas and
pocket parks will “bring all of the energy of the Swamp Rabbit Trail into the community,” Stuermann said. A wetland deck overlooking a pond, meditative garden and outdoor fire pit will also be included, he said. “We really enjoy working with Arlington Properties as they don’t like to maximize the density of their communities,” Sumerel said. “With the use of green spaces, we’re trying to be slightly ahead of the curve of best practices without doing anything too crazy.” The apartments will range from studio to three bedrooms and feature granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and 9-foot ceilings. Ten of the units will have direct-entry garages. The community will also have eight carriage buildings with two apart-
ments above garages. Prices will range from $850 to $1,600 a month and apartments will range from 650 to 1,392 square feet. Some of the units are a little smaller than Arlington’s other community at Verdae, Tapestry at Hollingsworth Park, in reaction to a noticeable demand for smaller apartment homes with the direct connection to ICAR and other businesses. The plan is to break ground in late spring or early summer 2015. Construction should be completed in 12-14 months, with some units ready for occupancy late 2015 or early 2016. “The location is great with the proximity to jobs and shopping,” Stuermann said. “We can’t wait to get started.”
Rendering provided
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Visit www.sctelco.com/current-promotions or call us at 800-922-0446. Don’t miss out! *Annual Percentage Yield. APY is accurate as of January 23, 2015. **Membership required. Members who deposit $50,000-$99,999 into a 24 or 48 month IRA Certificate will receive a $200 incentive transferred into their savings account at the time of certificate opening. Members who deposit $100,000 or more into a 24 or 48 month IRA Certificate will receive a $300 incentive transferred into their savings account at the time of certificate opening. Incentives apply to new money only – IRA and 401k transfers or rollovers. Early withdrawal fees could reduce earnings on the account. Limited time offer to begin February 16, 2015. Offer subject to change without notice. Federally Insured by the National Credit Union Administration.
PROJECT PARTNERS
DEVELOPER: Arlington Properties, Birmingham, Ala. ARCHITECT: Charlan Brock & Associates, Maitland, Fla. CIVIL ENGINEERING: Site Design Inc., Greenville, S.C.
18 | SQUARE FEET |
UBJ
REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION
|
02.27.2015
Plans proceed for Lewis Plaza Harris Teeter SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ
The construction of a Harris Teeter grocery store on Augusta Street and the redevelopment of Lewis Plaza are moving forward after the Greenville Planning Commission voted Thursday night to designate the entire project as a planned development. “Planned development provides certainty on the project,” said Michael Kerski, Greenville planning and development manager. “All the signage, plans and designs go into an agreement with the city. As the project progresses, the city can compare submitted drawings and ensure they match up to the planned development agreement.” The property was zoned a mixture of C-2 and multifamily. Residents and neighborhood representatives who spoke at the packed meeting generally favored a Harris Teeter at that location, but expressed concerns about ingress and egress from the shopping center, too many parking spaces and noise from deliveries. Robert S. “Tex” Small of Avtex Commercial, which owns and is redeveloping the shopping center, said the new design will have 31 fewer parking spaces than exist on the property now. He said his company is escrowing a “minimum of $50,000” to address any traffic problems that might surface after the opening, once true traffic patterns are determined. Residents also raised concerns about the timing of deliveries to the new store and trash pickups coming “at all hours of the night.” A representative from Harris Teeter said those will be limited to between the hours of 6 a.m. and midnight. After neighbors voiced concerns at a December meeting in December about the store’s original plan to be open 24 hours, a Harris Teeter representative made the decision on the spot to limit store hours to 7 a.m. until 11 p.m.
Rendering provided
The operating and delivery hour terms will be included in the planned development agreement, officials said. Lewis Plaza, which opened in 1948, is considered to be the first shopping center in Greenville. Several businesses have occupied the plaza, most recently an antique store and Earth Fare grocery store where the new Harris Teeter will be situated. Most of the current shop owners will remain in the redesigned Lewis Plaza, with a facelift for each to match the new look of the plaza. They will remain open while construction is underway. However, the Dollar General store will be demolished, along with
the old post office, most recently a Shogun of Kyoto restaurant. Additional streetscaping improvements, including removing power poles, will be made along Aberdeen Drive, Augusta Street and Lewis Drive. Avtex Commercial has said a new 5,000-square-foot space with an outdoor seating area will be available that would be ideal for a restaurant. Another 6,000-square-foot space will also be open to new tenants, and Avtex is looking for a “mixture of both local and national tenants that suit Augusta Road and its residents.” Wells Fargo will move to a new freestanding building located at the corner of Lewis Drive and Augusta. Construction is expected to start late spring 2015, with the Harris Teeter opening in the third or fourth quarter of 2016.
Multifamily development slated for Market Point Drive Woodruff Rd
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County, Ga., which will overlook the new Braves Stadium. Tony Bonitati, Kay Hill, Bern DuPree and Jon Good of NAI Earle Furman represented Brand Properties. The seller was Point Development LLC. Along Carolina Point Parkway, the Greenville Planning Commission approved a zoning change request last week for the former furniture store site, which was zoned as PD (planned development). The zoning change to C-3 will match the zoning of the adjacent parcels and allow Greenville-based AHG Hotels to pursue 2.7 acres for a possible hotel.
Lau
a little busier with plans for a new hotel and new apartment complex in the area behind the Whole Foods Market. Brand Properties of Atlanta purchased 13 acres of land on Market Point Drive with plans to build a “Class A multifamily development featuring high-end finishes and amenities.” This will be Brand’s first multifamily development in the Upstate, according to an NAI Earle Furman release. Brand Properties specializes in developing commercial and multifamily real estate. Their latest project is The Village at Coolray Field in Gwinnett
d
Woodruff Road is set to become
upstatebusinessjournal.com BROADSTREET PARTNERS ANNOUNCED: John Parker represented the buyer, IIM Properties LLC in purchasing 5. W. Main St., Greenville, for $335,000. John Parker represented the tenant, Appalachian Sales Group, in leasing 10,200 SF at 32 Concourse Way, Greer. PETRA CAPITAL COMPANY LLC ANNOUNCED: Joel Patterson represented the seller in selling a 3,700 SF building at 4 S. Lewis Plaza to Lewis Plaza Partners LLC. COLDWELL BANKER COMMERCIAL CAINE ANNOUNCED: George Zimmerman and Robert Zimmerman represented the seller, GrandSouth Bank, in selling 14 AC of vacant land at Bethel and Bridges roads, Mauldin, to Cothran Properties LLC. Pete Brett and David Sigmon represented the seller, South State Bank, in selling a 7,616 SF office condominium at 103-A Regency Commons Drive, Greer, to JMG Capital Management LLC. Pete Brett, David Sigmon and Matt Vanvick represented the buyer, The Estate of Henry Clay Wilson and Mary Louise Wilson, in purchasing a 10,000 SF industrial building on 1.24 Ac at 6 Loop St., Greenville, from MS Properties of SC LLC. Pete Brett represented the buyer, Grubb Management Inc., in the purchasing a 0.438 AC lot at 229 Rhett St., Greenville, from The Estate of Henry Clay Wilson and Mary Louise Wilson and a 0.86 AC lot at River and Rhett streets, Greenville, from River Street Properties LLC. George Zimmerman and David Sigmon represented the seller, Village Greer, in selling 0.85 AC of vacant land at Village and Executive drives, Greer, to Spitra Technologies Inc. Rick Cauthen P.E. represented the seller, Shumaker Industries,
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS IN THE UPSTATE
in selling a 26,000 SF industrial building on 1.73 AC at 200 Watson Road, Taylors, to FreakShow Factory LLC, represented by Pete Brett.
office/showroom space at 1327 Miller Road, Greenville, from Miller Road Park LLC.
David Sigmon represented the tenant, M. Judson Tim Satterfield and Steve LLC, in leasing 5,639 SF Hammett represented the of retail space at 130 S. seller, First Palmetto Bank, Main St., Greenville, from in selling five lots within Family Court LLC. Tyger Shoals Subdivision, David Sigmon represented Moore, to Mungo Homes the tenant, Berg Inc. Chiropractic Centers LLC, Tim Satterfield and Angela in leasing 2,000 SF of Halstead represented retail space at 2541 the buyer, Henderson N. Pleasantburg Drive, Properties of Spartanburg Greenville, from Cherrydale LLC, in purchasing a Crossings LLC. 4,875 SF retail building Tim Satterfield and Angela on 0.04 AC at 151 W. Halstead represented Main St., Spartanburg, the tenant, Arrow from Cavert K. McCorkle Exterminators Inc., in Revocable Trust. leasing 2,409 SF of retail George Zimmerman space at 861 Falling Creek and Robert Zimmerman Road, Spartanburg, from represented the seller, First Piedmont Federal. DEALCO LP, in selling Tim Satterfield and Angela 80.18 AC of vacant Halstead represented the land on Howard Drive, landlord, Jean C. White, in Simpsonville, to Mark III leasing 6,000 SF of retail Properties Inc. space at 8690 Asheville Sammy DuBose Hwy., Boiling Springs, to represented the seller, Banana Box Market. Woodvan LLC, in selling Tim Satterfield and Steve 0.87 AC of vacant land Hammett represented the on Halton Green Way, landlord, Premier Holdings Greenville, to Valentine LLC, in leasing 2,500 SF Investment Properties LLC of office space at 1000 N. and 3HG LLC. Church St., Spartanburg, to Rick Cauthen represented Gold Buying Company LLC. the seller, Aurora Real Estate Tim Satterfield and Steve Inc., in the selling a 167,452 Hammett represented the SF industrial facility on landlord, Eyedoc LLC, in 18.32 AC at 19 Page Court, leasing 1,056 SF of office Travelers Rest, to Mercy space at 399 E. Henry St., Foundation Group Inc. Spartanburg, to Francis Pete Brett, David Sigmon Eye Center. and Matt Vanvick Graham Howle represented represented the seller, the landlord, Andrighetti South State Bank, in Law Firm, in leasing 1,364 selling a 5,000 SF office SF of office space at 700 E. building on 2.276 AC at North St., Greenville, to Stan 109 N. Buncombe Road, Gendlin and Gregory Hodges. Greer, to Leon Hix. Graham Howle represented Pete Brett represented the the landlord, Sanda and tenant, Rick Erwin Dining Saunders Properties LLC, Group LLC, in leasing in leasing a 1,086 SF 5,333 SF of retail space office building at 308 NE at 8595 Pelham Road, Main St., Simpsonville, to Greenville, from Armaly Karen McClaran. Properties LLC. George Zimmerman Pete Brett represented represented the landlord, the tenant, Advicare Concourse LLC, in Corporation, in leasing leasing 10,800 SF of 4,000 SF of office industrial flex space at 32 space at 631 S. Main Concourse Way, Greer, to St., Greenville, from Jerry D. Shive Inc. d/b/a Timberland Capital Appalachian Sales Group. Investments LP. George and Robert Pete Brett and Sammy Zimmerman represented DuBose represented the the landlord, Vissage tenant, CG4 Enterprises Commercial Properties, in Inc. dba Speedpro Imaging, leasing a 6,000 SF retail in leasing 3,000 SF of
building at 2300 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville, to Brakes 4 Less of Columbia. LEE & ASSOCIATES ANNOUNCED:
Drew Stamm and John Gray represented the landlord of Augusta Pointe in leasing 1,750 SF of retail space at 104 Mauldin Road, Greenville, to Grape & Grains.
| DEALMAKERS | 19
Scott Jones represented the buyer in purchasing 1,950 SF of office space at 407 Parker Ivy Drive, Greenville.
Jake Van Gieson and Bill Sims represented the seller in selling a 20,400 Towers Rice represented the Randall Bentley SF retail property at represented the landlord in landlord of 9 Commercial leasing 4,548 SF of retail Drive, Greenville, in leasing 6340 White Horse Road, Greenville. 7,500 SF of office and space at 525 Congaree industrial space to Kendall Road, Greenville. Tony Bonitati and Kay Media Inc. dba BringFido. Hill represented the seller Kevin Bentley represented com. in selling a multifamily the landlord in leasing residential property at 1,200 SF of space at 845 Earle Furman, Alexi 501 Camelot Drive, Papapieris and Jonathan NE Main St., Simpsonville. Spartanburg. Good represented the Randall and Kevin Bentley landlord of Roper Center Tony Bonitati, Kay Hill and facilitated the 15,000 in leasing 5,250 SF of Bern DuPree represented SF industrial transaction office space at 6000the seller in selling two at 119 McDougall Ct., 6040 Ponders Court, multi-family residential Mauldin. Greenville, to Palmetto properties totaling 224,336 Pharmaceuticals Inc. Randall Bentley represented SF at Woodside and the landlord in leasing Westgate Apartments at Ted Lyerly, Jimmy Wright 5,200 SF of space at 535 430 E. Blackstock Road, and Brendan Gower Brookshire Road, Greer. represented the landlord of Spartanburg. Ford Borders was the referring broker. 36 S. Main St., Travelers Willz Tolbert represented the buyer in purchasing of Rest, in leasing 2,194 SF Robert Schmidt, Jake of retail space to Greenville Van Gieson and Bill Sims 82,380 SF at 1108 NE Proaxis Therapy LLC. Main St., Simpsonville. represented the seller in selling a 2,722 SF retail Ken Anderson and Dan property at 3695 E. North Dunn represented the NAI EARLE FURMAN St., Greenville. landlord of Converse ANNOUNCED: Corners in leasing 1,577 Brendan Gower, Jimmy SF of retail space at 551 COLLIERS Wright and Ted Lyerly E. Main St., Spartanburg, INTERNATIONAL represented Mobile Tech to Green Papaya. ANNOUNCED: LLC in leasing 1,000 SF of Frank Hammond and Nick retail space in Cherrydale Grice Hunt and Ford Reinhardt represented the Point on N. Pleasantburg Borders represented the landlord of White tenant, Carolina Bedding Drive, Greenville. Horse Industrial Park Direct LLC, in leasing Tim Roller represented #6 in leasing 40,000 4,800 SF of flex space at Sharif Farhan in leasing a SF of industrial space at 1310 Garlington Road, 3,100 SF of office space 132 White Horse Court, Greenville, from Bell, at 134 N. Main St., Greenville, to Yokohama Garrett, Lathan LLC. Anderson. Industries Americas South Givens Stewart, Garrett Carolina LLC. Earle Furman and Alexi Scott and Richard Jackson Papapieris represented the Keith Jones represented the represented the tenant, landlord of Global Business landlord of Green Gate Office Silvercote LLC, in leasing Park at 28 Global Drive, Park in leasing office space 90,000 SF of industrial Greenville, in leasing at 25 Woods Lake Road, space at 25 Logue Court 1,300 SF of office space to Greenville, to William Spears in Greenville, from JoLo Fluor Enterprises Inc. III, CLU, ChFC. Holdings LLC. Gaston Albergotti, Jake Keith Jones represented Van Gieson and Bill Sims the landlord of Green NEW CITY represented the landlord of East Gate Office Park in leasing DEVELOPMENT Butler Plaza in leasing 1,200 office space at 25 Woods AND REAL ESTATE SF of retail space at 103-105 Lake Road, Greenville, to ANNOUNCED: E. Butler Road, Mauldin. RNN Group Inc. Jake Van Shawn Thomas represented Gieson, Gaston Albergotti Keith Jones represented the seller, Raymond Hall, and Bill Sims represented and buyer, Comunidad the landlord of Green Gate Office Park in leasing the tenant. Cristiana Internacional, office space at 25 Woods John Staunton and Hunter in purchasing a 17,800 Lake Road, Greenville, to Garrett represented the SF retail space at 1709 John Hancock Financial Easley Bridge Road, seller in selling two Network. Greenville, for $265,500. industrial properties totaling 133,500 SF at Gaston Albergotti, Jake Shawn Thomas represented Van Gieson, and Bill Sims 3054 and 3056 Fork the purchaser, Romoca Shoals Road, Simpsonville. represented the landlord of Corp, purchasing 5,000 East Butler Plaza in leasing Earle Furman and Alexi SF of medical office space 1,200 SF of retail space at Papapieris represented the at 10 Winchester Court, 103-105 E. Butler Road, seller in selling 20,000 SF Mauldin, for $191,500. Mauldin. ReMax represented the of industrial property at 200 Sunbelt Court, Greer. seller, Dr. Russell Gaddy.
20 | THE FINE PRINT |
UBJ
BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS
Unemployment drops among SC vets The unemployment rate for South STATES WITH LOWEST VETERAN Carolina veterans 18 and older UNEMPLOYMENT RATES dropped to 3.5 percent in 2014, down from 4.1 percent in 2013, according 1. North Dakota 1.4% to unpublished data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. 2. Vermont 2.2% South Carolina’s rate ranked 3. Idaho 2.3% seventh best in the nation and is below the national rate of 5.3 percent. 4. Louisiana 3.1% “We are a proud military state. We support the families of those 5. Ohio 3.1% who are deployed, and we take care 6. Virginia 3.2% of our veterans and help them find work when they come home,” Gov. 7. South Carolina 3.5% Nikki Haley said in a release. “Working together with businesses, 8. South Dakota 3.7% the military community and work9. Mississippi 3.9% force partners, we are expanding opportunities for those heroes who 10. New Hampshire 3.8% sacrifice so much for our families, Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics and we couldn’t be prouder to celebrate another drop in our military veterans’ unemployment rate.” In the past year, more than 9,000 S.C. veterans were placed in jobs, according to the SC Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW). Last year, Haley launched the Operation Palmetto Employment initiative to help service members, family members and veterans find civilian careers.
CreatiVasc merger approved CreatiVasc Medical shareholders approved a merger with Brookhaven Medical of Atlanta, with the next step of the consolidation with FutureMatrix Interventional (FMI) into Brookhaven. FMI of Athens, Texas, manufactures medical devices for businesses in the United States, Europe and Japan. The merger paves the way for manufacturing of the major CreatiVasc components in South Carolina, Steve Johnson, CEO of CreatiVasc, said in a release. Johnson will become president and COO of Brookhaven. John D. Feltman will continue as chairman and CEO of Brookhaven.
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02.27.2015
“This is a story of innovation started in South Carolina, developed by and invested in largely by South Carolinians, and that soon will be creating manufacturing jobs in South Carolina,” Johnson said. CreatiVasc has received recognition for development of the Hemoaccess Valve System, an access valve for patients on dialysis. It was named by the FDA as one of the top three devices to speed to market as part of its Innovation Pathway program. The deal was approved by more than 99 percent of the stockholders of CreatiVasc.
EDTS named to CRN’s MSP 500 EDTS, a regional IT services company, was named to the 2015 CRN Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list as a member of the MSP Pioneer 250. The list recognizes the top technology providers and consultants in North America whose approach to managed services enables customers to improve operational efficiencies, elicit greater value from their IT investment, accelerate time to market, and fully leverage technology to achieve greater competitive advantage. Honorees on the MSP Pioneer 250 have a business model heavily weighted toward managed services focused on the small- and midsize-business market, according to CRN, a division of The Channel Company and a leading media resource of IT vendors and solutions, which selects the top MSPs. Charles Johnson, CEO of EDTS, said in a release, “Being recognized in this top tier of managed service providers is a testament to the commitment to excellence of our employees and the confidence and support of our growing client base, and we look forward to sharing insights and best practices from this group with our customers.”
SCRA awards Upstate biotech company SCRA Technology Ventures’ SC Launch awarded the University Start-up Assistance Program (USAP) award to Aptus LLC. The Upstate-based cardiovascular bioreactor company accelerates tissue-engineering and regenerative-medicine efforts. USAP awards are intended to support university-based, early-stage company and prototype development preliminary to consideration as an SC Launch investment. Based on research from Clemson University, the company’s cardiovascular bioreactors and custom-designed solutions provide mechanical conditioning of
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BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS
printed organs, development of recellularized scaffolds and physiological testing of devices. The systems will help Aptus and their collaborators to continue developing the tissue-engineered heart valve replacements. “We are delighted to offer resources that expand the opportunities for this Clemson University-based emerging company,” SCRA CEO Bill Mahoney said in a release. “Outstanding companies like Aptus are bringing innovations and technology-based jobs to South Carolina’s economy, and we look forward to supporting their continued progress.”
Delta Apparel to sell subsidiary Delta Apparel Inc. entered into a letter of intent to sell its wholly-owned subsidiary, To The Game LLC, to David Peyser Sportswear Inc., the owner of MV Sport Inc. “We are pleased to have reached an agreement to sell The Game-branded headwear and apparel business to an established and growth-minded company such as MV Sport,” Delta chairman and CEO Robert Humphreys said in a release. “Our Salt Life and corporate business currently operating within To The Game LLC are not being impacted by the sale of the collegiate part of the business. The sale of The Game will allow us to focus on other areas of our business that are more strategic to our long-term goals.” The approximately $25 million-revenue business being sold consists of The Game-branded products sold nationally in college bookstores and through team dealers. The contemplated transaction is expected to close within the next several weeks. The letter of intent is nonbinding and the transaction is subject to the execution of a definitive asset purchase agreement, the obtainment of necessary approvals and other customary conditions.
| THE FINE PRINT | 21
with the services, tools and support that can help them grow their businesses,” Mike Ferney, president of worldwide communications and services at ScanSource Inc., said in a release.
SCHB receives safety award The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently honored SCHB Self Insurers Fund with the Associate Member Safety Program of the Year Award. The award recognizes the achievements of builders and trade contractors who have developed and implemented high-quality construction safety plans. SCHB provides workers compensation insurance, including risk control and safety services, to more than 1,100 builders, contractors and subcontractors in South Carolina. “We are pleased that NAHB has recognized our commitment to job-site safety,” Danny Dilworth, risk control safety manager for SCHB, said in a release. “Our clients’ well-being is always our main focus, and we strive to eliminate on-site accidents through training and by educating our policyholders.” Last year, SCHB Self Insurers Fund held more than 20 regional safety seminars regarding common workplace hazards.
move. Inside Proterra’s next big
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2014 | VOL. 3 ISSUE
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Polycom Inc. named ScanSource Communications as the Global Distributor of the Year. ScanSource Communications US and Canada was also awarded North America Distributor of the Year, and Imago ScanSource was designated Europe, Middle East and Africa Partner of the Year. Polycom’s Circle of Excellence Awards recognize partners for sales performance in 2014 and for innovation, industry focus, customer services and integration. “Polycom’s solutions continue to play an integral role in many of our reseller partners’ businesses, and we are pleased to be able to complement these solutions
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22 | ON THE MOVE |
UBJ
PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS
APPOINTED
APPOINTED
HIRED
HIRED
|
02.27.2015
HIRED
Rebecca Romanek
Kristina Simmerman
Ebony Austin
Bonnie Wallin
Caroline Wham
Named director of operations of the Greenville Center for Creative Arts. She previously served as a board member and officer of the Texas Sculpture Association, committee chair for the Dallas Visual Art Center, chairwoman for the White Rock Artists’ Studio Tour and president for the Creative Arts Center of Dallas.
Named a member at large on the board of directors of the Pickens Area Society of Human Resource Mangement (PASHRM). Simmerman is a human resources professional at Phillips Staffing with nearly 20 years of experience in staff development and training.
Named business development manager of Bravo1 Protection. Austin has experience in account management, sales and entrepreneurship. She is vice-chair of PULSE, and holds positions on the Greenville Chamber of Commerce Finance Committee and the United Way African American Leadership Greenville Advisory Council.
Named community outreach manager of the Greenville Humane Society. Wallin will help implement an education and community engagement program tied to the SC Department of Education standards. She is licensed by the State Board of Education and previously taught at League Academy and Mauldin Middle School.
Named director of college town and quality of place for the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the College Town Board of Directors. Wham will promote Spartanburg as the location of choice for employees, students and residents. She previously served as director of student activities at Converse College.
BANKING Pinnacle Bank named Tracy Woodruff as manager and Mandy Lamb and Lisa Smith as personal bankers for its new Easley location. Woodruff previously served as the branch manager at the bank’s Powdersville office. Lamb has 18 years of banking experience. She previously served as a branch operations specialist and personal banker with South State Bank. Smith has more than 30 years of personal banking experience. She previously worked with Peoples National Bank (now South State Bank).
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O’Neal Inc. hired Hugo Fehrenbach as project manager and Kim Miller as design specialist. Fehrenbach has more than 25 years in the engineering, procurement and construction business. He has managed capital projects in the United States and internationally for clients in the automotive, aerospace and packaging industries. He most recently worked at Wood Group Mustang, providing support for the Boeing expansion in Charleston. Miller has more than 25 years of piping design experience. She has designed piping and related systems for the chemical, nuclear, pharmaceutical and energy industries. She previously worked at Amec Power and Process and Jacobs Engineering.
HRP Associates Inc. hired Laura Lopez-Sosa as project engineer and Michael Steinberg as senior project engineer. Lopez-Sosa is a graduate of Mercer University where she earned both a B.S. and M.S. in environmental engineering with a minor in Spanish. Steinberg earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Florida and is certified as an engineer-in-training (EIT) and Class ‘B” biological wastewater treatment operator.
EDUCATION Legacy Charter School hired Cristina Lindsey as fitness director. Lindsey is an athlete with experience in equestrian sports, triathlons and cycling. She is a certified instructor for CrossFit, American Riding, cycling and Krav Maga, and holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
ENGINEERING Clemson University honored Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of India’s Tata Motors, this week with an honorary doctorate in automotive engineering at the S.C. Automotive Summit. Tata was the chairman of the major Tata companies, including Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Power, Tata Global Beverages, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels and Tata Teleservices. During his tenure, >>
CONTRIBUTE: New hires, promotions & award winners may be featured in On the Move. Send information and photos to onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com.
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PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS
| ON THE MOVE | 23
VIP
Douglas K. Rackley: Appointed Assumed the chairman position for the United States Green Building Council SC Chapter Board of Directors. Rackley, an architect in the community studio at DP3 Architects, manages a portfolio of projects which promote sustainable best practices. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and holds a LEED AP Building Design and Constructuion (BD+C) credential.
>> the groups grew to total over $100 billion in 2011-12. MARKETING VantagePoint Marketing has named Andrea Simrell public relations manager. Simrell will lead public relations strategies and tactics for several of the B2B marketing agency’s foodservice clients. Simrell has experience in public relations, including content development, media relations and strategic planning.
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NONPROFIT The Friends of the Greenville Zoo added David Richard as the newest board member. Richard is a vice president at Resurgent Capital Services. He received his bachelors’ degree from Davidson College and an MBA from the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business.
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24 | SOCIAL SNAPSHOT |
INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE
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J M Smith Corporation, Wells Fargo Bank and NAI Earle Furman presented the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Economic Forecast Breakfast at the Olin B. Sansbury Jr. Campus Life Center Ballroom at USC Upstate. Wells Fargo economist Tim Quinlan delivered the keynote address, and attendees got a look at the 2014 Economic Forecast.
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THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
| NEW TO THE STREET | 25
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Tijuana Flats recently opened at 1139 Woodruff Road, Greenville. The restaurant specializes in made-to-order Tex-Mex favorites. For more information, visit tijuanaflats.com or call 864-844-8148.
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EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR
TUESDAY MARCH 3 SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS SERIES Comfort Suites Simpsonville, 3971 Grandview Drive, Simpsonville; 8-9:30 a.m. TOPIC: Networking: How It Can Increase Your Sales SPEAKER: Meredith Noon, BNI COST: Chamber members $39, nonmembers $49 RSVP: 864-862-2586
MAIN EVENT: FRIDAY MARCH 6 FIRST FRIDAY LEADERSHIP SERIES Clemson at Greenville ONE, 1 N. Main St., Greenville; 5:15-7 p.m.
UBJ THURSDAY MARCH 19 DIGITAL MARKETING LUNCH AND LEARN Clemson at Greenville ONE, 1 N. Main St., Greenville; noon-1 p.m.
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SPARTANBURG ANGEL NETWORK LUNCH The Iron Yard, 151 S. Daniel Morgan Ave., Spartanburg; noon-2 p.m. TOPIC: Understanding investment term sheets for startup companies
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OpenWorks, 2 N. Main St., Greenville: noon-1 p.m. TOPIC: Workplace Design and the Bottom Line COST: $10 REGISTER: bit.ly/ designthinkers-april2015
THURSDAY APRIL 16 DIGITAL MARKETING LUNCH AND LEARN Clemson at Greenville ONE, 1 N. Main St., Greenville; noon-1 p.m. TOPIC: Blogging for Business: Best Practices and Other Advice COST: Free REGISTER: bit.ly/ lunch-and-learnapril2015
TUESDAY MAY 12 WORKPLACE LAW BREAKFAST SERIES Westin Poinsett Hotel, 120 S. Main St., Greenville; 8-10 a.m.
COST: Free
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WEDNESDAY MARCH 11 UPSTATE SC ALLIANCE ANNUAL MEETING Spartanburg Marriott, 299 N. Church St., Spartanburg; 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 18 GSA TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL LEARNING LUNCH Embassy Suites, 670 Verdae Blvd., Greenville; 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
SPEAKER: Lynn Good, president and CEO of Duke Energy
TOPIC: Tech Jobs 2015: Where they are and how to get them
COST: Free for investors, $35 for non-investors
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Watch 10 Wofford College students pitch businesses or social good projects to win $20,000 in cash and prizes
Westin Poinsett Hotel, 120 S. Main St., Greenville; 8-10 a.m.
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A QUICK LOOK INTO THE UPSTATE’S PAST
| SNAPSHOT | 27
The store and staff are shown in Williams Coxe’s photo from the 1920s. Eventually the emergence of shopping malls outside the city center led to the decline of the Main Street department store. Construction of McAlister Square began in 1965. When the mall opened, the largest in South Carolina at the time, Myers-Arnold was one of the anchor stores. The Main Street store closed in 1971. A second store was opened at the Anderson Mall in 1975. By the 1980s, most locally opened department stores had been absorbed by national chains
Among the dry goods stores operating on Main Street at the turn of the 20th century was that of J. Thomas Arnold. In the 1910s, Manas and Alex Myers moved to Greenville from Virginia and acquired Arnold’s store. Along with their brothers, L.A. and Nolan Meyers, they established Meyers-Arnold Company. When Meyers-Arnold first opened on Main Street, it occupied a building about half the size of the store in this photograph. In the 1920s the larger building was constructed to accommodate the expanding store.
Today the building is still serving Greenville shoppers with a wide variety of merchandise as the home of Mast General Store.
Photo by Greg Beckner
s provide d Historic photo
Historic photograph available from the Greenville Historical Society. From “Remembering Greenville: Photographs from the Coxe Collection” by Jeffrey R. Willis
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MARCH 20: INTERNATIONAL ISSUES How the Upstate does business with the rest of the world, and vice versa.
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ART & PRODUCTION
1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
UBJ milestone
UBJ milestone jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years 1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport
1988
PRESIDENT/CEO
Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com
UBJ PUBLISHER
Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
ART DIRECTOR Whitney Fincannon OPERATIONS Holly Hardin ADVERTISING DESIGN Kristy Adair, Michael Allen
1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993
1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont office Center on Villa.
>>
with a majority of them utilizing the general aviation airport as a “corporate gateway to the city.” In 1997, Jackson and his son, Darrell, launched Jackson Motorsports Group. The new division was designed to sell race tires and go to racetracks to sell and mount the tires. Darrell Jackson now serves as president of the motorsports group and Larry Jackson has two other children and a son-in-law who work there. Jackson said all his children started at the bottom and “earned their way up.” Jackson kept the Jackson-Dawson branches in Detroit and others in Los Angeles and New York until he sold his portion of that partnership in 2009 as part of his estate planning. The company now operates a small office in Charlotte, but its main headquarters are in Greenville in a large office space off Woodruff Road, complete with a vision gallery that displays local artwork and an auditorium Jackson makes available for non-profit use. The Motorsports Group is housed in an additional 26,000 square feet building just down the street, and the agency is currently looking for another 20,000 square feet. Jackson said JMG has expanded into other verticals such as financial, healthcare, manufacturing and pro-bono work, but still has a strong focus on the auto industry and transportation. It’s
Chairman larry Jackson, Jackson marketing Group. Photos by Greg Beckner / Staff
Jackson Marketing Group celebrates 25 years By sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
Solve. Serve. Grow. Those three words summarize Jackson Marketing Group’s guiding principles, and according to owner Larry Jackson, form the motivation that has kept the firm thriving for the past 25 years.
Jackson graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in video and film production and started his 41-year career in the communications industry with the U.S. Army’s Public Information Office. He served during
Vietnam, where he said he was “luckily” stationed in the middle of Texas at Fort Hood. He left the service and went to work in public affairs and motorsports at Ford Motor Company in Detroit. After a stint at Bell and Howell, where he was responsible for managing Ford’s dealer marketing and training, the entrepreneurial bug hit and he co-founded Jackson-Dawson Marketing Communications, a company specializing in dealer training and product launches for the auto industry in 1980. In 1987, Jackson wanted to move back south and thought Greenville would be a good fit. An avid pilot, he
learned of an opportunity to purchase Cornerstone Aviation, a fixed base operation (FBO) that served as a service station for the Greenville Downtown Airport, providing fuel, maintenance and storage. In fact, when he started the Greenville office of what is now Jackson Marketing Group (JMG) in 1988, the offices were housed on the second floor in an airport hangar. “Clients would get distracted by the airplanes in the hangars and we’d have to corral them to get back upstairs to the meeting,” Jackson said. Jackson sold the FBO in 1993, but says it was a great way to get to know Greenville’s fathers and leaders
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2003 motorsports Division acquires an additional 26,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space
1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court
also one of the few marketing companies in South Carolina to handle all aspects of a project in-house, with four suites handling video production, copywriting, media and research and web design. Clients include heavyweights such as BMW, Bob Jones University, the Peace Center, Michelin and Sage Automotive. Recent projects have included an interactive mobile application for Milliken’s arboretum and 600-acre Spartanburg campus and a marketing campaign for the 2013 Big League World Series. “In my opinion, our greatest single achievement is the longevity of our client relationships,” said Darrell Jackson. “Our first client from back in 1988 is still a client today. I can count on one hand the number of clients who have gone elsewhere in the past decade.” Larry Jackson says his Christian faith and belief in service to others, coupled with business values rooted in solving clients’ problems, have kept
2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson marketing Group when larry sells his partnership in Detroit and lA 2003
2009-2012 Jackson marketing Group named a top BtoB agency by BtoB magazine 4 years running
him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-profits. The company was recently awarded the Community Foundation Spirit Award. The company reaffirmed its commitment to serving the community last week by celebrating its 25th anniversary with a birthday party and a 25-hour Serve-A-Thon partnership with Hands on Greenville and Habitat for Humanity. JMG’s 103 full-time employees worked in shifts around the clock on October 22 and 23 to help construct a house for a deserving family. As Jackson inches towards retirement, he says he hasn’t quite figured out his succession plan yet, but sees the companies staying under the same umbrella. He wants to continue to strategically grow the business. “From the beginning, my father has taught me that this business is all about our people – both our clients and our associates,” said his son, Darrell. “We have created a focus and a culture that strives to solve problems, serve people and grow careers.” Darrell Jackson said he wants to “continue helping lead a culture where we solve, serve and grow. If we are successful, we will continue to grow towards our ultimate goal of becoming the leading integrated marketing communications brand in the Southeast.”
2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports Group employee base reaches 100 people
2008 2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation with Creative spirit Award
pro-bono/non-proFit Clients American Red Cross of Western Carolinas Metropolitan Arts Council Artisphere Big League World Series The Wilds Advance SC South Carolina Charities, Inc. Aloft Hidden Treasure Christian School
CoMMUnitY inVolVeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board, Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board
November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21
20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013
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