Nov. 16, 2012 UBJ by Community Journals

Business Upstate

NOVEMBER 16, 2012

J O U R N A L

THE

Shipping

News INLAND PORT PROMISES REDUCED COSTS, INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES Page 14

SPREADING GOODWILL page 3

LIFE IS A HIGHWAY page 12

B.Y.O.B. NO MORE page 19

UBJ 5

InnoMobility conference tells ‘remarkable’ Upstate story

Spinning plastic into polyester

Transportation summit highlights successes and problems

Statehouse Report

By Dick Hughes senior business writer

By Jennifer Oladipo contributor

2012 election has lessons for all By Andy Brack contributor

A construction worker welds part of ONE’s facade to the rest of the building in downtown Greenville. ONE will be Greenville’s newest mixed-use hub and, supposedly, it will be the tallest highrise in South Carolina.

Greg Beckner/Staff

‘No better privilege’ than serving community

RMF announces $13 million Matrix facility

Burdette tapped as Greer State president

Election changes attitudes little

By Dick Hughes senior business writer

By Jennifer Oladipo contributor

By Leigh Savage contributor

2 Upstate business | NOVEMBER 16, 2012

UBJ

Spreading Goodwill

Nonprofit to open several new stores in coming months

By April A. Morris | staff

Shortly after opening a revamped Job Connection in Simpsonville this October, Goodwill Industries of Upstate/ Midlands South Carolina is poised to open two new stores in December, one in January and several more over the next three years. There are currently 31 stores in the region serving 16 counties between the Upstate and Columbia. The first, a new 21,000-squarefoot store, donation center, training center and Job Connection, is set to open in Greenwood County in early December, said Goodwill spokesperson Crystal Hardesty. With a rounded glass wall near the Job Connection area, this new construction will be “a little different than what people expect a Goodwill store to look like,” she said.

it’s all in the numbers There are currently 31 In addition, a fourth location in Spartanburg County on Blackstock Road should open in mid-December, she said. This location, at 15,800 square feet, will hopefully be more convenient to more shoppers, Hardesty said. There’s an existing Goodwill store in Seneca on North Radio Station Road, said Hardesty, but the organization is planning to open a Job Connection in January, repurposing a former Ryan’s restaurant. Goodwill owns land to build an 18,000-square-foot combined store and Job Connection in Seneca, she said, but construction is not planned until 2015. GOODWILL continued on page 4

stores in the region serving 16 counties between the Upstate and Columbia.

A 21,000-square-foot

facility is set to open in

Greenwood County in early December. Fourth location in Spartanburg County is 15,800

square feet

Goodwill owns land to build an 18,000-square-foot combined store and Job Connection in Seneca in 2015. In Pickens County, a 19,000-square-foot combination store is planned near the Easley Town Center in the fall of 2014. In the 2011-2012 fiscal year, the local organization provided job training and placement services for 38,892

individuals in the region, resulting in 7,282 newly employed workers.

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UBJ In Pickens County, a 19,000 square-foot combination store is planned near the Easley Town Center at the corner of Saco Lowell and Prince Perry roads. The new store, donation center and Job Connection will replace the current shopping center store on Calhoun Memorial Highway. This location is set to be completed in the fall of 2014. Goodwill Industries is not limited to new construction, Hardesty said; some locations are upfits of existing structures. The addition of locations is part of a new five-year plan that was approved in July 2012, she said. Goodwill will focus on expansion and access to services. The Job Connection locations offer resources for those seeking employment. The local organization also provided job training and placement services for 38,892 individuals in the region, resulting in 7,282 newly employed workers during the 2011-2012 fiscal year. “We continue to be excited about playing a larger role in helping bring financial stability to Upstate families through the power of work. Our mission of putting South Carolinians back to work promotes economic

Photo and rendering credit: Courtesy of Goodwill

GOODWILL continued from page 3

A new 21,000-square-foot store, donation center, training center and Job Connection is set to open in Greenwood County in early December,

vitality that benefits everyone living here,” said Patrick Michaels, Goodwill president and CEO. John DeLoach, vice president of retail, added, “Goodwill’s planned expansion is fueled by the generosity of people in the Upstate and Midlands who donate to Goodwill. These additional locations and the continued support of people in

South Carolina will enable us to help more than 8,000 people go back to work in the coming year.” In the past, Goodwill almost exclusively served those with vocational disadvantages, such as welfare dependency, illiteracy, homelessness and language barriers, along with those with physical and mental disabilities. However, as a result of the recent recession, Goodwill is serving more people who are unemployed due to plant closings or downsizing and require job search assistance and training. Hardesty said those passing along items are the people who

help fund these services. In the last year, nearly $34.5 million was raised through the sale of donated merchandise. “It all comes down to people who are donating things like jeans and computers,” she said. Goodwill Industries of Upstate/ Midlands South Carolina’s service area includes Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Kershaw, Laurens, Lexington, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg and Union counties. Contact April A. Morris at amorris@communityjournals.com.

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UBJ

InnoMobility conference tells ‘remarkable’ Upstate story ▲

Venture firm ‘very proud’ of investments in Greenville

By Dick Hughes senior business writer Early this year, Friedola-Tech, a Germany company, had narrowed down potential locations for its first factory in North America. The company, which makes board, sheet and textiles out of recycled plastics, was looking for a place for Con-Pearl North America, a subsidiary, to manufacture lightweight plastic boards used in a variety of industries, including autos. Greenville was in the running, but so were other locations. The city got a big boost at an opportune time. A delegation from Greenville was visiting the Menlo Park, Calif., offices of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the Silicon Valley venture firm that had invested in Greenville’s Proterra and also had a stake in Friedola-Tech. KPCB told a Friedola-Tech executive, “What you really need to do is look at Greenville,” according to Greenville Mayor Knox White, who was part of the delegation. “And he did,” said White. Ryan Popple, a KPCB partner who focuses on green technology companies and is on Proterra’s board, said KPCB was willing to “put in a good word for Greenville, given our positive experience with the area via our investment in Proterra.” He said Friedola-Tech already had put Greenville on its short list, and

Greg Beckner/staff

Phil Yanov with Tech After Five, a speaker for and a member of the advisory council of the InnoMobility conference, makes a few remarks while introducing the next person to make a presentation at the conference at the TD Convention Center.

once KPCB knew “Greenville was a finalist for the location, we were supportive of their interest in the area.” Greenville County won the day. Friedola-Tech is spending $14.5 million to plant Con-Pearl in 60,000 square feet of an existing building on Augusta Road in Greenville. The company said it would hire as many as 51 people over five years. “You can’t beat having someone else tell your story for you,” said White, particularly noting that the messenger is “so well regarded

quoted

“It was a great company that brought us to the area, and what we found was the strength of the community.” Ryan Popple, a KPCB partner

related To read more about what plans execs discussed at InnoMobility, see article on page 6.

and deeply entrenched in Silicon Valley. The personal testimonial is quite remarkable.” Popple carried that message as a keynote speaker and panelist at the InnoMobility two-day conference in Greenville last week, sharing KPCB’s positive experience of having discovered Greenville in getting involved with Proterra. He said when KPCB was doing due diligence before investing in Proterra, it visited Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research, finding it “definitely a positive” Proterra could draw on for resources and assistance.

Popple also said Greenville and the Upstate have done a good job of attracting international companies and “making everybody feel at home.” KPCB is “very proud” of the investments it has made in Greenville with Proterra and Con-Pearl and is looking for other startups with “breakthrough” technology, a solid business plan and good management, he said. KPCB was introduced to Greenville when it led an investment group in putting $30 million into Proterra in 2011 after the company lost its main investor who was charged and pled guilty to fraud in federal court. “It was a great company that brought us to the area, and what we found was the strength of the community,” Popple told the InnoMobility attendees. INNOMOBILITY continued on page 7

NOVEMBER 16, 2012 | Upstate business 5

UBJ

Professional Speak Out CPA? CFO? IDK?

By Anna T. Locke If you think that your CPA is digging deep into your financials, looking for issues that you should be concerned about, think again. Most CPAs focus on compliance obligations – taxes, financial statement compilation, perhaps an audit – and not on coaching you on how to improve your business. In fairness, your CPA probably can't serve you as a CFO might. Because you don’t immerse him in your business, include him in strategy sessions, or debate staff changes, he’s not equipped to monitor your performance – much less plan and forecast the future accurately. His perspective is limited largely to past performance, not future opportunity.

Photos Provided.

Spinning plastic

CPAs diﬀer greatly from CFOs. CPAs use historical data that you provide to compile ﬁnancial statements based on generally accepted principles after your accounting period ends. These are acceptable to third parties like banks, and it is assumed that you read and understand them.

into polyester

▲

A CFO focuses on the goals and strategies of your business, establishes and monitors key performance indicators that signal opportunities – or warnings – to management, works to maximize the value of your business, and coaches you on your ﬁnancials, including the issues they unveil and trends they indicate.

At InnoMobility, execs from Ford, Sage and UNIFI discussed plans to turn plastic bottles into seat covers for 900,000 cars in 2013

By Dick Hughes senior business writer

Some CPA ﬁrms can perform both functions. Many cannot. If you seek a partner to improve the performance of your business going forward, consider adding a CFO, even in an outsourced capacity. Your organizational performance, your bottom line, and your peace of mind will be better for it.

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What began with seat covers made from plastic bottles in the limited-production Ford Focus plug-in will enter the mainstream in Ford Fusion sedans globally. The project to make sustainable seat covers for cars comes out of a partnership of Ford, UNIFI of Greensboro, N.C., and Sage Automotive Interiors of Greenville. Ford makes the cars. UNIFI makes the recycled REPREVE polyester. Sage spins the raw material into yarn and weaves, cuts and sews the seat covers. Sage also supplies UNIFI with waste materials from its mills to add to the recycling batch. The three companies are individually and collectively leaders in developing sustainable fabric materials for the auto industry. Ford promotes the Fusion as having 38.9 clear plastic recycled bottles in its cloth seats.

6 Upstate business | NOVEMBER 16, 2012

Carol Kordich

Jay Hertwig

Carol Kordich, Ford’s sustainability lead designer; Jay Hertwig, vice president of global branding for UNIFI; and Sidney Locke, business manager of Sage, talked about the project with the Journal at the InnoMobility conference last week in Greenville. Kordich said Ford’s use of sustainable seat covers in the 2013 Fusion is “continuing what we started with the Focus electric.” The larger scale is in the magnitude of hundreds of thousands.

Sidney Locke

“We’re going global with this development,” said Kordich. “We are using the REPREVE fabric in North America and China.” Added Hertwig, “Fortunately, all three of us have global operations, so it is a very good fit from a logistic standpoint and a profitability standpoint.” Kordich said Ford expects sales of 900,000 for the combustionengine 2013 Fusion. Focus EV sales likely will be a couple of thousand this year.

UBJ INNOMOBILITY continued from pg 5

Strands of fabrics that go into vehicles.

She also said Sage seat covers made from REPREVE potentially could go into other “new vehicles coming out, and we are looking at fabrics right now.” Locke said Ford “will be the leader of this opportunity, and it will push the other domestic brands to try to move in this direction.” For Sage, Locke said, the new recycled production replaces virgin polyester output and therefore does not immediately create new jobs. It does, however, move Sage closer to its sustainability goal. In an interview in January, Brian McSharry, Sage’s chief operating officer, said the company seeks to produce 30 percent of its auto interiors with 100 percent recycled yarns within two years. “Thirty percent would require us to do it at several automobile companies, there’s no question about that,” he said. UNIFI invented the breakthrough process for removing impurities from plastic bottles that had made the recycled polyester hard to dye. Its REPREVE polyester is identical to virgin white polyesters. Hertwig said while the cost of recycled polyester remains higher than virgin polyester, the difference is being driven down by efficiencies in manufacturing and by higher volumes. “Here in the U.S., three or four years ago, the upcharge over virgin or non-recycled poly was as high as 50 percent. Today, we’ve got that down to the 10- to-15 percent range with the ultimate goal of making it

cost-neutral,” he said. While there may be additional costs associated with recycled materials, consumers “don’t pay any more at the dealership,” says Kordich, because Ford offsets the cost with savings throughout its system. Locke said Sage’s research indicates “slightly more receptive” consumer acceptance to paying a little more for sustainable products, “but at the end of the day cost most always is a major driver.” The goal, then, is “making sure that sustainable materials such as recycled versus virgin polyester are close to, if not improving upon, the cost points,” he said. Hertwig said the fact that Sage “was chosen as a company to implement sustainable materials into their values” is important to its partnership with the Greenville company. Sage was formed in September 2009 when Milliken, the Spartanburg textile and chemical company, sold its auto body cloth division with its six plants and $100 million revenues to the Greenville private equity firm of Azalea. Two former longtime Milliken executives, McSharry and Dirk R. Piper, who is CEO of Sage, led the spin-off. In May 2010, Azalea sold its majority interest to The Gores Group, a Los Angeles private equity firm. After a short time in borrowed space on the Milliken campus, Sage moved into new quarters in CU-ICAR in Greenville. Contact Dick Hughes at dhughes@communityjournals.com.

KPCB was so impressed it invited Greenville to California in March to meet with some KPCB clients. Making the trip, in addition to White, were Jerry Howard, president of the Greenville Economic Development Corp.; John Moore, executive vice president of the Greenville Chamber and director of the NEXT incubator center; and Michael Kersti, the city’s economic development manager. Kleiner Perkins “brought their clients, friends and neighbors to introduce them to Greenville,” said White. He said the Greenville group came away with “so many leads and so many contacts with the credibility of Kleiner Perkins behind us that we probably will be making later visits.” White said KPCB tells its clients how Greenville raised money to provide Proterra with a loan while it waited for the KPCB investment to come through – at a time Proterra could not raise money elsewhere to meet payroll. “This is the story they tell out there: ‘We saw this community do something we’ve never seen before, how they rallied in this

community to hear the story of Proterra and help them out with a bridge loan.’” White said one of the takeaways from Popple’s remarks at InnoMobility was the importance of keeping graduates of the state’s universities in the state with quality jobs and to offer more intern programs. “Beyond that, it is the whole social climate to make people feel welcome. We have developed a reputation as welcoming people from all over the word. With worldwide competition for businesses, that is very important.” White also said more must be done to make CU-ICAR and “the extraordinary people” there more visible and do more to encourage ICAR students to participate in the Upstate’s lifestyle amenities, not least of which is Greenville’s lively downtown. “They come from all over the world, and this year, for the first time, we held a welcome to Greenville reception for the ICAR students downtown. It is really important to make them feel welcome, and interaction with the community is more than just going to class.” Contact Dick Hughes at dhughes@communityjournals.com.

Greg Beckner/staff

Barry Einsig with Cisco Systems makes his presentation at the InnoMobility conference at the TD Convention Center. NOVEMBER 16, 2012 | Upstate business 7

UBJ

Business Upstate

NOVEMBER 9, 2012

J O U R N A L

Wiring Oconee

The $15.6 million project to bring broadband to the county’s rural residents is on track for completion in 2013

BACK IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME

Photo courtesy of the S.C. Port Authority

NONPROFIT HELPS BOOST BUSINESSES

WORKING THEIR WAY TO WELLNESS

Business Upstate

NOVEMBER 9, 2012

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Wiring Oconee

The $15.6 million project to bring broadband to the county’s rural residents is on track for completion in 2013

WORKING THEIR WAY TO WELLNESS

NONPROFIT HELPS BOOST BUSINESSES

BACK IN THE NEWSPAPER GAME

A new BMW is loaded onto a waiting ship at the Port of Charleston.

Business Upstate

NOVEMBER 9, 2012

J O U R N A L

Wiring Oconee

The $15.6 million project to bring broadband to the county’s rural residents is on track for completion in 2013

WORKING THEIR WAY TO WELLNESS

NONPROFIT HELPS BOOST BUSINESSES

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Transportation summit highlights successes and problems By Jennifer Oladipo | contributor

With few exceptions, the theme of last week’s Upstate Transportation Summit at BMW Zentrum was a call for more funding to address transportation issues. Speakers from transportation-related companies and organizations shared the state of their enterprises with an audience of people in business, transportation, government and economic development sectors. The majority of the emphasis was on the movement of materials and products, as was evident in the opening presentation by Brian Gwin of New Carolina’s TDL Council, who called for better logistical infrastructure for business. “Cargo traffic has taken off at GSP, and I think that’s a reflection of the economy and what’s going on in the Upstate from a business standpoint,” said Dave Edwards, president and CEO of GSP International Airport. He also reported a significant increase in commercial traffic and lower prices, due largely to the addition of Southwest Airlines to the airport’s roster of carriers. How-

8 Upstate business | NOVEMBER 16, 2012

ever, he pointed out that no carrier provided more than 29 percent of GSP’s business, Delta Airlines having the biggest share. Edwards also gave an overview of GSP’s economic impact, which included 9,528 jobs, about $112 million in payroll and just over $817 million in overall economic impact in 2012. With a reminder that ongoing improvement to terminals are completed without public funding, Edwards showed renderings of those upgrades and plans for the development of a larger campus. An inland port in Greer planned by the Ports Authority for late 2013 is a factor in GSP’s expansion plans. SC Ports Authority president and CEO Jim Newsome spoke only briefly about the port as part of an “added value strategy” for overall port operations. He focused instead on changes in global shipping that he said require state funding for better intermodal transportation and a deepening of the Port of Charleston. Bringing to the center what others had mentioned in passing, Rick Todd of the South Carolina Truck-

ing Association said trucks were the common denominator among all modes of transportation. As such, he delineated his chief concerns, which included traffic along the I-26 corridor, an insufficient number of roads to handle current and future traffic, and hundreds of miles of roads that have been assessed as in poor or mediocre condition according to federal standards. State Sen. Larry Grooms rounded out the presentations with a discussion of the politics behind transportation funding, from recent changes at SCDOT that prioritize road improvements according to objective criteria to his proposed “Give Me Five” plan, which calls for five percent of the state’s general fund to be reserved for road infrastructure. “It doesn’t make any sense to have one of the best ports in the world to call on when on the back side you get clogged up on 1-26. You can’t get there,” Grooms said. “Bottom line, DOT needs more money.” Contact Jennifer Oladipo at joladipo@communityjournals.com.

UBJ statehouse report

2012 election has lessons for all Maybe the biggest thing the nation learned in the 2012 election was that it’s not so bad to have “community organizer” on your resume, despite seemingly constant By Andy Brack criticism from Fox News. Joking aside, the close national election has many lessons for South Carolina politics, even though GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney garnered just over 200,000 more votes in the Palmetto State than President Obama out of about 1.9 million cast. First and foremost, reminded GOP Lt. Gov. Glenn McConnell, the election is over and leaders need to remember it’s over to get down to work. “There are problems ahead and we need to start concentrating on these problems,” he said. Examples: the state’s budget, people’s real needs, the increasing aging population and various “reform” measures for government. For South Carolina Republicans, the biggest lesson to learn is the need to adapt to the diversifying electorate. Veteran GOP observer Chip Felkel of Greenville said Republicans have a serious branding problem. “We cannot continue to think we can continue to win elections being the party of the angry white male.” “Republicans in recent election cycles have spent their time telling people you’re not good enough to be one of us,” GOP political consultant Wesley Donehue of Columbia reflected. “Republicans can stay true to their values and explain to people why our values matter to them.” USC political science professor Mark Tompkins said the 2012 election sent a clear message that the country was changing. “If Southern states continue to argue about immigration, about Voter I.D. and seem to embrace vote suppression, if they resist health care reform, and allow [degradation] of infrastructure and services like public education, then they court larger risks.”

▲

Less than a quarter of the 170 House and Senate seats were contested.

Illustration courtesy of Times Union

“If you focus on new ideas, new people and new technology, you win. ... Politics as usual with the usual politicians means we continue to lose.” Charleston politico Phil Noble

State Democrats, hapless for years in legislative elections, stayed about even in the Statehouse for the coming session, losing one state Senate seat overall and remaining a vocal minority in the House. “The big challenge for the Democrats remains candidate recruitment and training, and building local party organizations,” said noted political scientist Jack Bass of Charleston. He said Democrats were in a slightly better position in the past because Obama would help with momentum and GOP Gov. Nikki Haley, a flash point to many, likely would run for re-election because there is no Romney administration. Charleston politico Phil Noble said state Democrats could learn a lot from Obama’s win. “If you stand up for Democratic principles and fight for the middle class, you win,” he said. “If you focus on new ideas, new people and new technology, you win. ... Politics as usual with the usual politicians means we continue to lose.” The Rev. Joseph Darby of Charleston, a longtime leader with the state NAACP, said the election offered a similar lesson: “When quality candidates are on the ballot, they can garner broad support.” Barbara Zia, co-chair of the League of Women Voters of South Carolina, pointed to how the 2012 election highlighted the need for movement on

specific issues, such as stemming the flow of big money – especially from outside the state – into politics and the need for better voting systems to cut long lines and voting machine problems. “Early voting matters,” noted Brady QuirkGarvan of Charleston. “The early absentee turnout was tremendous and it’s clearly something people in South Carolina want. South Carolina needs to stop fearing change and allow no-fault early voting.” Ann Timberlake of the League of Conservation Voters added voters needed to demand more competitive districts in the redistricting process to guard against “protected seats” for incumbents. She reminded that “less than a quarter of the 170 House and Senate seats were contested.” Timberlake’s concern is particularly relevant this year after more than 250 people got thrown off ballots following candidate registration problems. “The confusing manipulation of ballots by the parties added to voter cynicism that the system is rigged by insiders,” added advocate Dana Beach of Charleston. “This, in combination with a variety of high-profile ethics scandals, argues in favor of radical reforms of ethics and campaign finance laws.” Andy Brack, publisher of Statehouse Report, can be reached at brack@statehousereport.com NOVEMBER 16, 2012 | Upstate business 9

UBJ focus: profile

‘No better privilege’ than serving community ▲

Gage Weekes brings business acumen to grant-making

By Leigh Savage | contributor

Gage Weekes assumes his new post as senior vice president of strategic initiatives for the Hollingsworth Funds Inc. in December, and after living and working in the area for three years, he is looking forward to helping make a difference in the city he calls home. “What I’m really excited about is the ability to focus 100 percent on the community I love and where I’m going to raise my family,” Weekes said. “To me, there is no better privilege than to be able to do that.” Weekes is finishing up an eightyear stint with New York-based Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, where he worked as philanthropic advisor, manager and then director, managing a portfolio of 20 sponsored projects and funder collaboratives with more than $20

million in annual distributions. At Hollingsworth, Weekes will be responsible for advising the board on how best to distribute the funds left by John D. Hollingsworth Jr., whose estate was valued at $290 million at his death. The fund has been distributing approximately $4 million per year, following Hollingsworth’s wishes that his self-made fortune be used to improve the community in perpetuity. “My job, in its simplest form, is to help Hollingsworth create the greatest impact possible for the community, and to ensure that the dollars used to support social issues are used well,” he said. The board and grants committee have done a great job, he said, but having a grantmaking professional in the mix can increase efficiency and maximize benefit to the community. Hollingsworth dictated that

the basics

occupation: Incoming senior vice president of strategic initiatives for the Hollingsworth Funds Inc. in Greenville

education: – MBA from Fordham University in the Bronx – B.A. from the University of Richmond in Virginia

45 percent of funds should go to Furman University and 10 percent to the YMCA, with the remaining 45 percent to be spent on projects that benefit Greenville County. The Hollingsworth grants committee will continue being responsible for allocating the funds, with Weekes working with the board to help develop and implement the vision and mission.

previous jobs: – Philanthropic advisor, manager and director at Rockefeller Philanthropy advisors – Tournament director, Worldwide Senior Tennis Circuit

the numbers

– USGA golf pro

At Hollingsworth, Weekes will advise the board on how best to distribute approximately $4 million a year from the estate of John D. Hollingsworth Jr. Hollingsworth dictated the funds be split:

family life:

10%

to the YMCA

45%

to Furman University

45%

to projects to benefit Greenville County

– Wife Cary Hughes Weekes – Son Broughton, 3 – Daughter Eloise, 2 – Son Henry, 1 week

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UBJ focus: profile they said it

“He will make a great addition to not only our team but also the Greenville community. I am confident that future decisions for grant-making will be enriched by Gage’s involvement.” Jim Terry, president and CEO of Hollingsworth Funds

“He will make a great addition to not only our team but also the Greenville community,” said Jim Terry, president and CEO of Hollingsworth Funds. “I am confident that future decisions for grantmaking will be enriched by Gage’s involvement.” As the community grows, the nonprofit sector grows as well, and Weekes said it becomes increasingly critical to approach grant-making in a businesslike way, with a clear vision, operating guidelines and discipline. As the economy improves, he expects the Funds’ ability to distribute money will increase, though needs will increase as well. The Hollingsworth Fund will be analyzing a variety of local issues, he said, including food, shelter, education reform, access to health care, financial sustainability, arts and culture and conservation. “There are a lot of things that are critical for the community to be a great place to live, work and play,” he said. “You can’t have a vibrant community without the public, private and government sectors all

working together.” Weekes grew up in Oyster Bay, N.Y., and graduated from the University of Richmond before playing professional golf. He then became tournament director of a senior men’s tennis tour before deciding to return to school, earning an MBA at Fordham University. “That was where my path shifted toward philanthropy,” he said. “My parents instilled great values in me, and I’ve always been taught that you need to be mindful of those less fortunate, and that everyone deserves an equal chance in life. That resonated with me.” While in New York, Weekes met and married Greenville native Cary Hughes, and they had their first child, son Broughton, who is almost four. “When you’re living in a 900-square-foot apartment in Manhattan with your first child, knowing you’d like to have more, it makes you think twice,” he said with a laugh. “We thought, ‘OK,

this has been fun, but where do we go from here?’” They agreed Greenville was the ideal spot to raise their family and moved three years ago, with Weekes continuing with Rockefeller and spending time flying to New York and other locations. He and Cary, who works with Hughes Development Corp., welcomed daughter Eloise, now 2, and recently welcomed their third child, a son, Henry. As his family expanded, he realized he could be at home more if he focused his grant-making skills on a smaller geographical area. “There are the same national issues, they translate,” he said. “It’s essentially the same issues here in Greenville. It’s a challenge to prioritize needs. But just like in the private sector, some do a better job than others, so you can identify who has the most potential to create the largest impact on the issues you care about.” Weekes said he feels fortunate to be able to do a job he is passionate about, working with people he respects in the community he has grown to love. “It’s a privilege to help donors and those responsible for distributing money,” Weekes said. “Who wouldn’t want that job? For me, I wake up every morning excited to go to work, and I go to sleep every night hoping I’ve made a difference.” Contact Leigh Savage at lsavage@communityjournals.com.

Hollingsworth Funds Inc.

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UBJ entrepreneur

LIFE IS A

Photos by Jay Caruso, Caruso Photography

HIGHWAY

marty bauer, robert pearce, blair deckard and nik budisavljevic – members of the ridepost team

Jump Start Entrepreneurship is everywhere

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Ridepost starts new venture in high gear By Jennifer Oladipo | contributor

A dream team is a sports fantasy of having all the best players on your side in a grouping that’s unlikely to occur in reality. But if you ask the four people who make up the young communal transportation company Ridepost, they will tell you they’ve got one. The idea for Ridepost started with co-founder Marty Bauer, who encouraged two of his friends and classmates in USC’s International MBA program to join him in a final project to see where the idea could go earlier this year. They aimed to connect travelers who had vehicles with those who did not, creating an inexpensive and socially-oriented transportation alternative. By the end of their final semester, Bauer, Blair Deckard and Nik Budisavljevic had a solid plan they thought could become a reality. 12 Upstate business | NOVEMBER 16, 2012

Just one day after graduation they got news that would seal the deal: They had won a spot in the Next Big Thing startup accelerator, which gave Ridepost 13 weeks and tons of resources to focus on their business even more intensely than they had in graduate school. Web developer Robert Pearce joined the crew, and just as that program finished in September, their beta website was preparing to go live. Their talents and background vary, but a love of travel is what brings them together. They had each experienced communal or inexpensive travel options overseas, and a desire to increase such opportunities for others is what drives the business. The classmates knew Web developer Pearce was the right person for the job when they learned he had just returned from a trip overseas. Bauer said at first Pearce turned down the offer, favoring something a little more certain. But he called back a couple of weeks later saying the idea had caught his

UBJ entrepreneur

imagination, and he would be willing to move to Greenville and crash on a couch in order to help make it a reality. Ridepost’s entire website is his doing. Bauer has traveled to Europe and Thailand, but long car trips with his dad to go fishing and family trips to visit his older brother in college contributed just as much to the feeling that every trip could be an adventure. “This kind of wanderlust for being in a car has always been in my mind,” he said. Both Bauer and Blair had returned to school after becoming disenchanted with their jobs. Bauer faced an unappealing career working with commercial loans, yet was inspired by the entrepreneurs he repeatedly encountered there. Deckard went to business school planning to leave public relations for accounting or finance, but an internship quickly disabused her of that notion. She said through Ridepost she discovered that it wasn’t the PR industry she had disliked, just her role as an account manager. Garnering support for her own company, and for a goal she believes in, makes the work much more rewarding. Budisavljevic had attended law school before business school. “I was looking at banking or trading, and I’m ecstatic I didn’t do that,” he said. “I don’t know what I was thinking.” Instead, he applied those skills as Ridepost got its legal ducks in a row and prepared for liabilities related to getting strangers together in cars. His parents have been slower to change their minds about his choice, however. Budisavljevic said entrepreneurship was completely

details Their talents and background vary, but a love of travel is what brings them together. unfamiliar to the immigrants from communist Bosnia-Herzegovina, but he has seen it as a chance to educate them about it in the process of convincing them that the idea is not totally crazy. Fittingly, the Ridepost crew spends a lot of time the road. Some of the rides posted on the website are in their own cars. The current focus is on relationshipbuilding with universities where the company has identified a prime target audience. They stay connected to users through their website’s chat feature and comments on posted rides. At a downtown coffee shop recently, Deckard and Budisavljevic discussed how the unusually large startup team generates valuable feedback and helps the young company progress rapidly. Good ideas are quickly acted upon, and bad ones are tossed out just as fast. “It’s definitely kept us from making any bonehead decisions,” Budisavljevic said. Right then, both team members knocked on the wooden table where they sat. Just in case. Contact Jennifer Oladipo at joladipo@communityjournals.com.

Congratulations to BankGreenville’s founding director, Art Howson, recipient of the Greenville County Bar Association’s prestigious Tommy Thomason Award.

Art Howson

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NOVEMBER 16, 2012 | Upstate business 13

UBJ

Inland port will reduce costs, increase opportunities

upstate dependents Large companies in the Upstate that are already dependent on the Port of Charleston and will benefit from the inland port include:

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$23.5 million project to begin ‘soon’

By Jennifer Oladipo | contributor

By this time next year, a new $23.5 million inland port is expected to have changed the Upstate landscape in more ways than one. The project is due to start “soon,” said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority. The promise came during his presentation at the Upstate Transportation Summit last week, just one of several stops on a recent speaking blitz about port operations. The inland port will be an

extension of those operations about 220 miles inland, promising lower transportation and equipment costs, faster speeds, and less environmental impact to import/ export and distribution processes. “It looks just like our port in Charleston, without the container frames,” Newsome said. BMW will be the port’s anchor user, shipping some 25,000 containers through the port. Newsome said without that business, the inland port would have never gotten off the ground. A 100-acre area in Greer was acquired

with the port in mind in 1982, but it remained mostly dormant for the next 30 years. Once the 30-acre port is up and running on that land – located at the intersection of Highway 101 and Highway 290 and the J. Verne Smith Parkway – much of the action still won’t be seen. Cargo will be transported by train to and from the port during late-night hours when most people are asleep. The Ports Authority has yet to study the potential economic impact in the Upstate, but expectations here are high.

Photos courtesy of the S.C. State Ports Authority

A crane at one of the Port of Charleston’s two container ship terminals lowers a shipping container onto a tractor-trailer for transport. 14 Upstate business | NOVEMBER 16, 2012

UBJ

A container ship being off-loaded and reloaded at one of the Port of Charleston’s two container ship terminals.

“The inland port offers existing and potential port users the connectivity to the Port (of Charleston) in a convenient Upstate location. Some 60 percent of the Port’s business is tied to Upstate businesses, so the location here streamlines that opportunity,” said Ben Haskew, president and CEO of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce. “All in all, this is a win-win for the Port and the

Upstate business community.” Alex Papapieris, a broker with the NAI Earle Furman commercial real estate company, said the port will contribute to important cost-cutting measures for some companies, especially the industrial sector. “Due to high energy prices, we are beginning to see some clients spend more on logistics than payroll expenses,” Papapieris said. “In addition to cost savings, this

will likely improve supply chain reliability for upstate companies that import and export. These factors are important when attracting new business to the area.” Brian Nash, director of business development at the Spartanburg Economic Futures Group, agreed that the port will make the Upstate more competitive. “We view the inland port as a differentiator for what we do,”

By the numbers:

$23.5 million

25,000

Estimated cost of the inland port project

BMW expects to ship per year through the port

23 million

50,000

Consumers within a 250-mile radius that can be reached with goods moving through the port

Truck moves projected to be taken out of the I-26 corridor by port operations

Nash said. “It’s one of the things you’re always trying to look for in economic development, because there’s someone doing what we do in every county in the country… It puts the Upstate and Spartanburg County at a strategic advantage over other locations. If you can import or export your product at a lower cost than you could in another location, then why wouldn’t you locate here?” Nash and others say it remains to be seen what opportunities there will be for smaller businesses to benefit, but Spartanburg is well positioned with several sites for industrial facilities close to the port. Ports Authority spokeswoman Allison Skipper said the port will not just benefit large Upstate companies such as BMW, because the majority of their customer base employs fewer than 50 people. That includes importers bringing in components and raw goods, and also those who are exporting throughout the Southeast. The distance will be covered by the Norfolk Southern railroad line. Experts in several fields agree that transporting cargo by rail is more economical than by truck. PORTS continued on page 16

Upstate business 15

UBJ PORTS continued from page 15

The Ports Authority expects that on the first day of operation, the facility will take 25,000 existing truck moves off the already congested I-26 corridor between Spartanburg and Charleston. That number will eventually increase to 50,000. This capacity will make the Greer port comparable to the Virginia Inland Port in Front Royal, Va., the only similar inland port in the country. “We’re experiencing an exporting and manufacturing renaissance in the country today, and that’s what we’re trying to capture,” Newsome said. Within 100 miles, about 6.5 million consumers could be reached with goods moving through the port, and nearly 23 million within 250 miles. Yet Newsome emphasized that the port will better tie the Upstate into a rapidly changing global trade landscape, where more and more containers are moving around

A third container ship terminal is currently under construction. The port is the nation’s eighth largest.

the planet. The Panama Canal expansion and the deepening of the Charleston Harbor in particular are contributing to a rise in cargo traffic. What’s more, the size of cargo ships is increasing. By the year 2015, ships carrying more than 7,500 20-foot containers – more than twice the capacity of today’s largest – will come onto the

scene. They’ll be too large for the Panama Canal, and Newsome said these realities, plus a fast-growing population, contribute to making the area from Northern Florida to North Carolina one of the most competitive port regions in the world. Improvements at the Charleston port are intended to make it the nearest alternative to the Panama Canal on the East

Coast. Closer to home, companies are already planning around the inland port, whether it’s GSP working it into its physical expansion plans or others rethinking their distribution options. Most are eagerly waiting to see exactly how its effects will ripple through the Upstate. Contact Jennifer Oladipo at joladipo@communityjournals.com.

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UBJ

RMF announces

$13 million Matrix facility

By Dick Hughes senior business writer

RMF, one of the largest zinc and zinc alloy electroplating companies in the Southeast, will build a new facility in the Matrix Business & Technology Park with a $13 million investment, the company announced. It expects to add 20 new jobs over the next three years. “We have discussed the new facility for five years, and are excited about the decision to

expand RMF operations here in Greenville,” said John Pazdan, president. The company has two facilities in Greenville County, “and may ultimately combine all operations in the new Matrix facility,” Pazdan said. The new plant, which is expected to be operational in June, will initially have 85,000 square feet of space with room to expand to more than 200,000 square feet if demand warrants, Pazdan said. Founded in 1961 as Roy Metal Finishing, RMF grew as the auto industry expanded in the Upstate. It does work for “many of the nearly 1,000 related suppliers located within 400 miles of this region,” said Cliff Roy, CEO. “Their decision to expand and consolidate operations at The

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Photos Provided

Matrix Park is an important affirmation of this region’s focus on growing our automotive and aerospace clusters,” said H.G. “Butch” Kirven, a director of the Greenville Area Development Corp. and chairman of the

Greenville County Council. RMF’s new plant is under construction at 1515 Old Grove Road, Piedmont. Contact Dick Hughes at dhughes@ communityjournals.com.

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NOVEMBER 16, 2012 | Upstate business 17

UBJ

Burdette tapped as Greer State president By Dick Hughes senior business writer Greer State Bank named George W. Burdette, who most recently was BB&T’s senior vice president for the Upstate, as president and director. Burdette’s appointment paves the way for Dennis Hennett, who retains the position of CEO, to return to retirement, leisure he left in 2011 to resume direction of the bank when it was faltering. Burdette, 59, has been in banking for 28 years, including at BB&T, as vice president for Community Bank in Greenville and as assistant vice president for C&S Bank in Columbia. Hennett said the bank brought Burdett “on board as a consultant in January with the clear intent of grooming him as my successor.” Because Greer State is under a consent order with the FDIC, it must get approval from that regulator, as

well as the Federal Reserve and the State Banking Commissioner, to make high-level changes. “After several months of working with George, the board and I are very confident in George’s abilities as a banker and leader, so we requested approval of him as president from the regulators in August and received approval in September,” said Hennett. Hennett said he would work with Burdette a few more months and then seek approval from regulators to step aside and make Burdette CEO. “We are trying to manage this transition in a way that keeps the regulators comfortable with our progress and succession plans,” he said. “We have made great progress, and are hopeful that the bank will be removed from the consent order before long.” Burdette said that the Greer market and surrounding area “has great potential to continue growing,” and

18 Upstate business | NOVEMBER 16, 2012

Dennis Hennett retains the position of CEO of Greer State Bank

that it is an “exciting time to lead” the bank to build on its “established foundation of trust and customer care.” Hennett, 69, led Greer State from its beginning in 1987 until he retired as president and CEO in 2008. He came out of retirement on April 8, 2011, to replace his successor, Kenneth Harper,

who resigned. Three weeks earlier, the FDIC had placed Greer State, which had had multiple quarters of losses and had fallen below required regulatory capital, under a consent order. It had lost $5.4 million in 2008, $1 million in 2009 and $7.9 million in 2010. Although it had an annual loss of $2.8 million in 2011, the bank turned profitable in the last quarter of 2011 and has remained so this year. For the nine months ending Sept. 30, Greer State has had net earnings attributable to shareholders of $3.6 million. In an interview with the Journal last November, Hennett was cautiously confident that the bank had worked through “the worst problems” inflicted by the recession, the heavy deflation of value of real estate held as collateral and the inability of many borrowers to service their loans. Contact Dick Hughes at dhughes@communityjournals.com.

UBJ professional: who’s who

B.Y.O.B. no more

Tammy Johnson’s Liquid Catering will bring the drinks for you By April A. Morris | staff

Tammy Johnson characterizes herself as “an adrenaline junkie.” She doesn’t spend her weekends jumping from planes or speeding around a racetrack, but rather orchestrating the perfect event. “This is the perfect time for me to open this business: I have the energy and the time to do it,” she says. “And I love being my own boss.”

Q&A When was your first exposure to running a business? I spent summers on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, working in my aunt’s store. I was pretty much running it at age 15. How did Liquid Catering begin? I spent several years as a bartender and many long hours as a catering sales manager for Sticky Fingers in Spartanburg. The hours and having to be always on call got to me, so I

the facts

investigated launching my own business. There was nothing like a bar service company in the area, so I launched Liquid Catering out of my garage in January 2011.

“We just send out a digital call for help and they can respond if they’re available.” tammy johnson, owner of liquid catering What was it like launching your own business? The business planning and structure I had learned about managing the catering sales. I’m very meticulous with planning. I surprised my business mentor with the most detailed cost analysis spreadsheets that he had ever seen. I believe you’ve got to analyze every single penny. It was the little things that challenged me at first, like selecting a font for the logo and prepping our new space. • Hometown: Houston • Age: 28 • TITLE: Owner of Liquid Catering, bar catering and event planning company • FYI: – President of Greenville Chamber’s PULSE group – Current Leadership Greenville class member – Bar manager for Euphoria – Big Sister • Fun fact: Liquid Catering’s panel van is dubbed “Hunk” and he has his own Facebook page. • CONTACT: www.liquid-catering.com

Photos Provided

Tell us about your new space. In the spring, I moved the business from my garage into another garage: a former VW shop in downtown Greenville. I know from experience that catering in bad weather is miserable. Now we can pull the van into the garage and load it for an event. How do you keep organized for an event? We have specific tools for specific needs, like a trolley that can only fit in certain vehicles and coolers for particular kinds of drinks. You can’t say, “Bring me the blue cooler with the Champagne,” because we have multiples of each color, so they all have names like Ted, Marlon, Simon and Bubbles. And our van is named Hunk. How does your staffing work? Customer service is so important to me. We have about 70 part-time employees, and most have other jobs. They work with Liquid Catering for a little extra money and for fun. They provide exceptional service because they’re not tired. It’s still fun for them. They’re not coming off of their eighth

shift at the bar that week. We just send out a digital call for help and they can respond if they’re available. What were some of the challenges you faced since Liquid Catering’s launch? In nearly two years in the business, I’ve met some who said I was “too young.” I also want to own the premiere event company in town and had to overcome the “fly-by-night” reputation of the event planning business. I’ve also had to keep my cool and work to free a shuttle bus stuck under an awning during a VIP event – all while wearing a short dress! Where to next? We may manage up to six events a day, and will probably work 200 events by the end of the year. I estimate that we’ll do 300 events in 2013. I plan to expand the business to Columbia and then hopefully out to North Carolina or Georgia. When I’m done in the event business, down the road, I want to open a mountain summer camp for foster kids, where they can have a consistent summer experience. I want them to do everything from fun camp activities to learning hygiene and business training.

NOVEMBER 16, 2012 | Upstate business 19

UBJ digital maven

are you a geek or a gizmo? GOS now offers Wide Format Printing BANNERS, SIGNS, POSTERS, SIGNAGE AND MORE!

Recently, our built-in microwave oven’s power supply blew, and it died. Working one minute; gone the next. No biggie, right? In a couple of days, a new one arrived at the door, and we slid it into the cabinet and were back in business. But the three microwave-less days forced me to confront the deep-seated dependency I’ve developed. From softening up the ice cream to reheating leftovers, everywhere I turned I found things I was microwave-dependent on. It’s a cautionary tale for many things in our personal and work life. We have come to depend on technology far more than we might realize or want to admit. It’s no longer a tool, it’s a partner. Along with this growing codependency, we develop our own tech personalities. It is helpful to understand the way the members of your team – and not just the IT staff – relate to technology. In general, we all fall into one of these four types: Geeks know how everything works and love technology for its own sake. You often find your eyes

glazing over and mind wandering when they talk. Gizmos love what technology can do but don’t care how it works. They are into having the newest software, gadget and device. The difference between a gizmo and a geek? The gizmo wants to know what this tech can do for me; the geek wants to know how it does what it does. Gumbies see technology as a necessary tool in life. They may not love the idea of a cell phone but know they need one. Because they don’t get attached to technology in any way, as each new thing comes out, they learn to adapt to it. The vast majority of people fall into this group. Grumpies are a small but vocal group who resist change. I know what you are thinking: grumpies are the old dudes. Not necessarily. There is no age limitation on grumpies, but they do develop attachments to technology and refuse to see benefits in anything new. Apple afficianados (and I consider myself one of these as well) can fall into this group. Grumpies are vociferous in their complaints

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20 Upstate business | NOVEMBER 16, 2012

By Laura Haight

and can have a negative impact in new rollouts and implementations. Anything your business needs to accomplish with technology has to capitalize on, redirect or overcome the group dynamics of your geeks, gizmos, gumbies and grumpies. A recurring theme in this column will be providing business benefits through technology, not simply adding new technology because it is cooler, faster, newer. Decisions to implement new tech, whether it’s smartphones, laptops or servers, need to be grounded in knowing what this technology will do to benefit the business. For that you need a geek and a gizmo to work together to provide the whole picture. I have seen tens of millions of dollars of new systems gather dust in data centers because the employees simply refused to adapt. There are a lot of reasons this happens: lack of sufficient training for staff, lack of follow-up and oversight, or a lack of champions among the staff. One or all of these can be underlying causes, but the main reason is almost always a lack of understanding and buy-in from the CEO or president. The one person on your team who must be a gizmo is you. You may be an accidental gizmo, or a reluctant gizmo. But in your business, you can’t be a grumpy or a gumby. Laura Haight is the managing partner of Portfolio (www.portfoliosc.com), a communications company based in Greenville. She is a former IT executive, journalist and newspaper editor. We want your comments, ideas and suggestions, too. So connect with us on Facebook at www. facebook.com/thedigitalmaven.

UBJ create, innovate, celebrate

Successful entrepreneurs require flexible vision Entrepreneurs who see emerging opportunities struggle to grow the confidence of those with resources, because the entrepreneurs’ visions are not fully formed and their ventures morph in unpredictable ways. Corporations, investors and other resource providers want to engage successful entrepreneurs, but don’t know if the entrepreneurs’ intuition is on target. My own entrepreneurial journey illustrates the creative tension that plays out over time as entrepreneurs grow the confidence of customers and resource providers. I co-founded Capital Insights in the 1990s to raise capital from wealthy individuals to invest in private, highgrowth companies. By 1998, we had raised $15 million from 150 individuals, making Capital Insights one of the largest organized angel investment groups in the country. Then the 2000 technology bubble burst. Our investors began telling us they needed money back before they could invest more. There was little we could do other than give our investments time to mature. One of my largest investors was the chief financial officer of KEMET. He asked me to join the senior team, where I ultimately became vice president of strategy. KEMET was hit hard by the shift of electronic manufacturing to Asia. I needed to find outside innovations to reinvigorate the company, but found that very difficult because outside innovations were highly fragmented among entrepreneurs and universities. To help entrepreneurs find the resources they need to grow, in 2004 I started InnoVenture with a few allies. Nine entrepreneurs presented at the first conference. At the end, a venture capitalist told me, “You get an A+ for energy and enthusiasm, but the quality of your companies is not good enough for me to come back.” That wasn’t the right answer, so I asked her what she was looking for. I’ll never forget her answer, which

became InnoVenture’s mission. “I’m looking for a pipeline of emerging companies with game-changing innovations,” she said. Combining my Capital Insights with my KEMET experience, I reached out to a retired Michelin executive I knew, Calder Ehrman, to help get Michelin involved in InnoVenture. He introduced me to Ralph Hulseman, Michelin’s director of external research, who became an anchor partner. Together we visited Chris Desoiza, VP of research at Milliken, who came on board, too. The mission of InnoVenture evolved to discovering innovative ventures aligned with the priorities of our anchor partners. By 2008, we were filling a room at the TD Convention Center with innovation exhibits. Then the 2008 financial crisis exploded. Our corporate partners began telling us they didn’t have the budgets for large exhibits any longer. We thought about ending InnoVenture by declaring victory and moving on. Our partners encouraged us to keep going. We evolved from focusing on exhibits to a distinctive conference format where industry, academic and entrepreneurial presenters made brief, eight-minute pitches back-to-back. The audience had never seen this before and found it very interesting. We added a second annual conference in the fall, InnoMobility, focused on the global transformation of mobility. When we first started InnoVenture, innovators and entrepreneurs in the region did not know one another. Now, 10 years later, many of us know each other much better and our partners started telling us InnoVenture needed to be broader geographically. On November 1, we released the latest revision of InnoVenture.com to grow a global network of local networks of entrepreneurs attracting resources. This is a major pivot, from a company that makes connections through live events to a company that makes connections primarily online.

Karl McCollester was one of the first entrepreneurs to present his company on InnoVenture.com. Voterheads’ big idea is to make you feel smart about local government, providing alerts about votes matching your interests and making your voice heard. Karl is looking for people who are passionate about making the world easier for citizens, elected officials, advocacy groups or local government officials. Mindy Espey followed Voterheads on InnoVenture.com and shared Karl’s venture with a colleague who is a political activist in Oklahoma, Mitch Laird. Karl and Mitch have now connected about how they might work together. We integrated InnoVenture.com into this fall’s InnoMobility conference. Now there are presentations online from innovative ventures in

By John Warner

South Africa, Israel and Portugal. A colleague in Silicon Valley said, “What you’re building is LinkedIn for entrepreneurs.” It was impossible at the beginning to predict this is where we would be, but growing a company that significant right here in the Upstate continues to be an exciting journey. John Warner is founder and CEO of InnoVenture LLC and a recognized leader in the Southeastern innovation and entrepreneurial community. He has 30 years’ experience in leadership positions as a senior manager of KPMB, a global professional services firm; president and co-founder of Capital Insights, a S.C. venture capital firm; chairman of Earth Fare, a successful entrepreneurial company; vice president of KEMET, a global NYSE manufacturer; and co-founder of Hoowaki, a high technology startup. He publishes the SwampFox.ws website and a related weekly email and S.C. public radio update.

NOVEMBER 16, 2012 | Upstate business 21

PLANNER Saturday November

UBJ social

Progoff Intensive Journal Workshop Clemson at the Falls, 55 E. Camperdown Way, Greenville; 9 a.m – For more information visit,http://journalforlife-eorg.eventbrite.com/ Monday November

Photos by Greg Beckner

GCS Roundtable: Using Social Media in Transition The Office Center at the Point, 33 Market Point Drive, Greenville; 8:30-9:30 a.m. Speaker: Ed Macmillian Of True Presence Call Golden Career Strategies at 864-527-0425. Tuesday November

Veronica Butler and Norman Bunn at Complete Public Relations.

Healthcare Providers Network Greenville Chamber Boardroom, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 7:30-9 a.m. Must be a Healthcare Provider leader and a member of the Greenville Chamber. Contact Julie Alexander at 864-239-3754 or www.greenvillechamber.org.

PULSE Council members Lindsey Myers and Kimberly Witherspoon at the November PULSE Leadership Luncheon at the Embassy Suites in Greenville. PULSE is a leadership program of the Greenville Chamber.

Big Brothers Big Sisters 4th Annual Clemson/Carolina Pep Rally Fundraiser Embassy Suites, 670 Verdae Blvd., Greenville; 6-11 p.m. – Cost is $50. Open to the public. www.bbbsupstate.com. Monday November

GCS Roundtable: What Recruiters Want The Office Center at the Point, 33 Market Point Drive, Greenville; 8:30-9:30 a.m. Speaker: Gary Tompkins of the Kidder Group Call Golden Career Strategies at 864-5270425 to request an invitation. Tuesday November

Kathryn Davis and Mark Davis at Complete Public Relations.

Breakfast Series: South Carolina Economic Outlook A Preview 201 River Place, Suite 300, Greenville, 7:30-8:30 a.m. – Presented through teleconference, $15 in advance; $25 at the door. www.mooreschool.sc.edu/events.

James Moore, Tim Brett, Jonathan Whitehead at Complete Public Relations, where regional business leaders and members of the Mauldin Rotary Club gathered at a drop-in on election night. More than 50 people attended the event at Complete Public Relations’ offices.

2012 InnoVision Awards

Winners were announced at the 14th annual InnoVision Awards Dinner at the TD Convention Center in Greenville. The keynote speaker for the event was Jason Berns, director of open innovation at Under Armour.

1) The Southside High School SAMTeam was awarded the 2012 InnoVision Ibrahim Janajreh Young Innovator Award. 2) Climax Global Energy won the 2012 InnoVision Sustainability Award. 3) The Clemson University Social Media Listening Center was awarded the 2012 InnoVision Innovation in Education Award. 4) Greenville’s VidiStar LLC was awarded the 2012 InnoVision Small Enterprise award. 5) The Greenville County Library System won the 2012 InnoVision Community Service Award. 6) Steve Johnson, CEO of CreatiVasc, was honored with the 2012 InnoVision Dr. Charles Townes Individual Achievement Award. 7) Proterra won the 2012 InnoVision Technology Development Award. 8) Milliken and Company was awarded the 2012 InnoVision Technology Application Award.

Wednesday November

ATHENA Leadership Symposium (Breakfast) Pointsett Club, 807 E Washington St., Greenville; 8:30-10 a.m. Cost: $25, includes breakfast. Speakers: Sharon Decker, CEO of the Tapestry Group LLC, and Minor Shaw, president of Micco Corp. Contact Nika White, 864-239-3727 or nwhite@greenvillechamber.org

SC OSHA Training: Hazard Communication Standard Changes Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 10 a.m.-noon. Free program. Open to workplace managers of Health & Safety programs. Speaker: Van Henson, Training & Education Supervisor, Office of OSHA Voluntary Programs, SC Dept. of LLR. Contact Hank Hyatt at 864-239-3714 or www.greenvillechamber.org.

Submit your event: events@upstatebusinessjournal.com

8 Photos by Jamie Werne, Liquid Video Technologies

Women Mean Business, For Professional and Entrepreneurial Women High Cotton, 550 South Main Street, Greenville; 5:30-7:30 p.m. Cost: $15 Chamber members, $25 future Chamber members. David Rich of Rich Ideas. will discuss “Turn A One Time Connection Into a Life-Long Relationship.” Contact Elizabeth Garrison of Ever-Green Recycling at 864-230-9800.

UBJ

Election changes attitudes little By Jennifer Oladipo | contributor

A week after the election, the uncertainty that characterized the pre-election business climate still remains to some degree. National policies are overshadowing the local. Jack Snedigar, broker-in-charge at Spectrum Commercial Properties, said he does not feel any more certain about the future now that local and national elections have passed. He wants to see changes in policy that will work for his and others’ businesses, but has yet to see any signs that they will come. President Obama’s call for higher taxes and the coming changes in healthcare as a result of the Federal

Affordable Care Act are also leaving investors unsure, he said. “We’re hoping the banks are allowed to get back to business on a reasonable basis,” Snedigar said. “We have record low rates, but the qualifications are so high that it makes it difficult for small businesses.” Snedigar said banks are not loaning on land or development, only owner-occupied businesses with high levels of equity. He feels regulations on the banking industry are to blame. One of his clients recently could not get a loan with a more than 50 percent down payment, he said. “The pendulum may have just swung too far the other way. Before they were loaning money to anyone

ONE development on sc he du l e

City Council approves property exchange, encroachment permit By Cindy Landrum | staff As construction continues on ONE, the $100 million downtown multi-use development that city officials say will help pump new life into Greenville’s North Main Street, the city council gave initial approval to a land swap necessary to make the project a reality. The swap, included in a development agreement the city entered into with developer Bob Hughes’ Greenville ONE LLC a year ago, transferred more than 5,000 square feet of city property to ONE and more than 3,000 square feet of land to the city. An ordinance given initial approval Monday night calls for ONE to pay the city $124,860.99 for the difference of 2,056 square feet. Construction for the project is on schedule, said Hughes of Hughes Development.

Office tenants are expected to begin occupying the facility in January and the first retailer will open by mid-2013. Tenants in the project include national retailer Anthropologie, CertusBank, the Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd law firm and the Clemson University business school. No other tenants have been disclosed, but Hughes said another retailer is expected to announce this week or next. ONE is at the corner of Main and Washington streets, long considered by city officials as one of the key locations in downtown. City officials said ONE and the renovation of the Hyatt nearby will help revitalize that area of Main Street and could prompt an increase in downtown’s retail offerings.

for anything because the money was so plentiful,” Snedigar said. Scott Baier, associate professor of economics at Clemson, said electionrelated uncertainty undoubtedly contributed to the slow recovery. Now that uncertainty has been eliminated, and he expects the political parties to work together to resolve fiscal issues through cuts to program growth and increased taxes. However, he does not expect results that would make significant changes to the economy’s debt-to-GDP ratio.

As for the Upstate, one of the keys to the economic recovery in the area will be its ability to attract new firms and continue what it has been doing well, Baier said. “In addition, existing firms will need to continue to innovate in order to maintain a competitive edge over the competition,” Baier said. To an extent, the Upstate has done a good job at this. The unemployment rate in the combined regions is about 7.3 percent. Employment growth in the financial, health, and business services sectors have helped bring down the unemployment rate from this time last year. The elections may not have had any significant effect. As policies come to fruition in the coming year and continue to be debated in the interim, opinions may then begin to shift. Contact Jennifer Oladipo at joladipo@communityjournals.com.

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Contact Cindy Landrum at landrum@communityjournals.com. NOVEMBER 16, 2012 | Upstate business 23

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Upstate business Journal

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24 Upstate business | NOVEMBER 16, 2012

UBJ on the move

promoted

hired

Chris Arthurs, CPA

Chris Halkowitz, CPA, CFE

Chief Martin “Marty” Brown

Dr. Cart deBrux

C. Tommy Wyche

Currently serves as senior accountant, assurance and advisory services, with Scott and Company LLC; Graduated from Bob Jones University with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the South Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (SCACPA).

Currently serves as manager of assurance and advisory services for Scott and Company LLC; a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and knowledgeable in fraudulent financial transactions, fraud prevention and deterrence, legal elements of fraud, and fraud investigation, which are major areas critical against the fight against fraud.

With more than 37 years of law enforcement experience on the federal, state and local levels, along with more than ten years of supervisor and executive management experience; has recently joined the American Security team.

A plastic surgeon at Greenville Hospital System; was voted into active membership with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) – the largest plastic surgery specialty organization in the world. Member physicians must be boardcertified and have at least five years of surgical training (two of which must be in plastic surgery).

Of Wyche Attorneys at Law; was selected for the YMCA of Greenville’s highest honor, the Order of the Red Triangle, in recognition of exemplary volunteer service to the Y. The award honors those who have given generously of their abilities, their resources and their time in order to advance the work and the mission of the YMCA.

Accounting • Scott and Company LLC recently promoted Chelsea Shoolbred to associate accountant, assurance and advisory services.

ACCREDITATION • Quality Certification Alliance (QCA) has hired Jeffrey P. Jacobs as executive director. For the last 12 years, he has served Michelin North America in a number of roles, including director of brand merchandise as well as director of business development for travel and lifestyle. He was also a member of the company’s social media executive team and was the sole North American representative on the Michelin worldwide committee for manufacturing compliance of non-tire products.

MARKETING & PR • Full Circle Public Relations recently hired Heather Miller as account manager, Carolyn Nicoletti as associate account executive, and Hannah Swank as account coordinator. Miller brings more than seven years of agency and clientside experience to Full Circle PR, and manages client activities in the outdoor and fishing industries. Nicoletti comes to Full Circle PR with agency experience from Greenville-area firms, including Jeff Dezen PR and Smoak Public Relations, where she also served as a freelance graphic designer. Swank is a recent graduate of Clemson University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and sociology.

• Full Circle Public Relations recently promoted Mollie Williams to account manager. As an account manager, Williams continues to provide client support, manage strategic public relations initiatives and foster client relationships for multiple brands in the consumer and architecture and design industries.

NONPROFIT • The South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Educational Association (SCWCEA) announced the newly elected 2013 officers and members to the board of directors at its annual business meeting on Oct. 17. They are: President Richard V. Davis Esq. of Christian and Davis Law Firm, Secretary Sunnie M. Thomason of Michelin – PRIME, and Benjamin M. Renfrow, Esq. of Willson Jones Carter & Baxley PA. Davis serves as a trial advocate for injured workers and is past chairman and commissioner of the State Ethics Commission. He has served as past co-chair of the SCWCEA Educational Conference and Annual Medical Seminar. Thomason is the employee relations and workers’ comp coordinator for Michelin North America in Greenville. Renfrow practices primarily in the area of the workers’ compensation defense with Willson Jones Carter & Baxley PA.

REAL ESTATE • Prudential C. Dan Joyner Co. Realtors recently added Pam Childress as a sales associate at the Pelham Road office and Sarah Logan Cottingham as a sales associate at the Pleasantburg office.

honored

STAFFING • Godshall Professional Recruiting & Staffing, a professional recruiting, staffing and human resources consulting company, recently hired Chad Hardin and Rebecca Reed. Hardin has more than 15 years of recruiting experience, and will serve as a technical recruiter at Godshall. Reed will serve in a newly created recruiting role with the company.

Transportation • The Greenville City Council has appointed R. Kinard Johnson Jr. to the Greenville Airport Commission to serve a three-year term. The Greenville Airport Commission is the owner and operator of the Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU).

UNIVERSITIES • The Furman University Board of Trustees recently welcomed Larry Estridge, Michael Riordan, and the Hon. William Traxler Jr. They began their terms July 1, and will serve threeyear, renewable terms. Estridge is an attorney with Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice of Greenville and has more than 30 years of experience in all facets of real

honored

estate development, including zoning and incentives. Riordan has been president and CEO of Greenville Hospital System since 2006. Traxler has been chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit since 2009.

HONORS • Greenville Chamber Executive Vice President John Moore and Vice President of Entrepreneurship Brenda Laakso received the SCRA’s Knowledge Economist Award for the Chamber’s NEXT economic development initiative at the annual Innomobility conference in Greenville on Nov. 7. The Knowledge Economist Award, presented by SCRA to leaders whose efforts have supported and strengthened the knowledge-based economy of South Carolina, was given to both Moore and Laakso for their longstanding efforts to enable economic development and the technology-based economy through the NEXT initiative. • The Better Business Bureau and BBB Board of Directors of Upstate South Carolina recently honored Rush Wilson Limited with the 2012 Business of Integrity Award for Marketplace Ethics in the one-10 employee business category.

movers and shakers If you have new hires, promotions, award-winners, or any stand-out employees that you would like to feature in On The Move... just send us the information & a photo.

onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com NOVEMBER 16, 2012 | Upstate business 25

UBJ snapshot THE NORTHGATE SHOPPING PLAZA The Northgate shopping plaza has been around since at least the 1930s. It contains four shops in total, but its most well-known stores are Northgate Beauty and the Northgate Soda Shop. Northgate Beauty has been open in this location since 1957 when the Sizemore sisters moved it from their home in American Spring Mill Village. The Northgate Soda Shop opened in 1947. Photographs of Greenville from the early 20th century line waist-high walls that make nooks for cozy seating. Gold-colored embossed plaques affixed to tables honor longtime regulars who have passed away. The shopping plaza has survived through several recessions due to customer loyalty and word-of-mouth advertising. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Photo by Greg Beckner/staff

(Clockwise from Above, Top) The exterior of the Northgate Soda Shop on North Main Street in Greenville, which has been in business for about 65 years. Talking after lunch at the Northgate Soda Shop were (from left to right) Don Belue; Bob Parker; Ron Bell, co-owner of the soda shop; and Jim Hardwick. Various memorabilia, collectibles and old photographs of Greenville decorate the interior of the Northgate Soda Shop. Metal tags on the tables and counter at the Northgate Soda Shop are in memory of loyal patrons who have passed away. Northgate Soda Shop co-owner Ron Bell waits on a customer.

Upstate

Business J O U R N A L

HOW TO REACH US 148 River Street., Suite 120 Greenville, SC 29601, 864.679.1200 Copyright @2012 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal (Vol. 1, No. 2) is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. 148 River Street, Suite 120, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601. Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $65. Visit www.UpstateBusinessJournal.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, 148 River St., Ste 120, Greenville, SC 29601. Printed in the USA.

26 Upstate business | NOVEMBER 16, 2012

PRESIDENT/Publisher Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com Senior Vice President Alan P. Martin amartin@communityjournals.com UBJ Associate Publisher Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com eXECUTIVE Editor Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com Assistant editor Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com

Marketing Representatives Lori Burney | Mary Beth Culbertson Kristi Jennings | Donna Johnston Pam Putman

MarketinG Katherine Elrod Marketing & EVENTS Kate Banner Billing Shannon Rochester PrODUCTION Holly Hardin

staff writers Cindy Landrum | April A. Morris Charles Sowell

Client Services ManagerS Anita Harley | Jane Rogers

SENIOR BUSINESS writer Dick Hughes

ADVERTISING DESIGN Michael Allen | Caroline Reinhardt

contributing writerS Jenny Munro | Jennifer Oladipo Jeanne Putnam | Leigh Savage

BUSINESS STORY IDEAS ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com

EDITORIAL INTERN Shelby Livingston Design LEAD Kristy M. Adair photographer Greg Beckner photo EDITOR Gerry Pate

NOTICE OF BUSINESS/SOCIAL EVENTS events@upstatebusinessjournal.com IDEAS, FEEDBACK, OPINIONS opinions@upstatebusinessjournal.com

UBJ the fine print Packager expands in Spartanburg Exopack, a global manufacturer of packaging and coating materials, has completed a $6.5 million expansion in Spartanburg to strengthen packaging for the pet food market and to absorb other production. “The move f o l l o w s c omple t ion of the closure of Exopack’s Seymour, Ind., plant and the consolidation of Seymour’s manufacturing to Spartanburg and various other Exopack facilities,” the company said. The company also has added new equipment in Spartanburg as well as in its plant in Tomah, Wis. ExoPack said the additional capacity strengthens the company’s “leadership within the pet food market.” Bob Arvanites, whose 17 of 23 years experience in packaging has been in pet food packaging, was named president of that division. Exopack has 19 production facilities in North America, the United Kingdom, Lebanon and China, as well as a worldwide network of partners.

NEXT founders win honor The South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) has presented Knowledge Economist Awards to John Moore and Brenda Laakso of the Greenville Chamber. SCRA said the awards honor their “longstanding efforts to enable economic development and the technology-based economy through the NEXT Innovation Center in Greenville.” Moore is executive vice president of the chamber and manages the NEXT programs. Laakso, vice president of the chamber, was part of the team that founded and manages NEXT. “It is through the leadership and efforts of individuals such as John and Brenda, working together to build and strengthen our knowledge economy and economic stability, that we will continue to shape a stronger economy for our state,” said Bill Mahoney, chief executive officer of SCRA.

retailers, has created a new unit to give resellers to retailers marketing support and training in the use of ScanSource products and services. “We are continually looking for ways to help resellers grow their businesses more efficiently and cost-effectively,” said Mike Burns, who was named president of the business unit. ScanSource also announced the addition of several new services and devices to its product line, including computer tablets that are seen as the next big wave in product selection and checkout at retail counters.

KeyMark acquires Oregon company KeyMark, a Liberty-based systems provider for document capture and management, has acquired Encore Imaging Systems of Beaverton, Ore. The acquisition strengthens KeyMark’s position in the health care industry. The two companies specialize as resellers of software and systems to capture and organize paper documents in integrated digital forms. Encore focuses primarily on the health care industry with a product called Magician that integrates a GE healthcare electronic medical system with two products both companies sold, OnBase and Kofax.

Community group gets grant The South Carolina Association of Community Development (SCACDC) has received a grant of $150,000 from the Emily Hill Tremaine Foundation of Connecticut to promote energy efficiency in South Carolina. “In 2010, South Carolina ranked 18th in the nation in total per-capita energy consumption and third in the Southeast in the highest retail price of electricity,” said Bernie Mazyck, president and chief executive officer of SCACDC. “With support from the Tremaine Foundation, SCACDC will help families save on their energy bills and make South Carolina less reliant on foreign oil.”

Realtor wins relocation recognition KeyMark said the transaction includes acquisition of Magician. “We believe the Encore acquisition will help us to continue growing and supporting our West Coast business and will enhance our medical industry focus,” said Jim Wanner, chief executive officer. In addition to headquarters in Liberty, KeyMark has offices in Columbia and Rock Hill, Indianapolis; Lancaster, Penn.; Portland, Ore.; and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

ScanSource adds service unit AFL perfects laser splicer ScanSource, the Greenville re-seller of pointof-purchase equipment and other services to

commercially available carbon dioxide laser-heat device to splice, taper and shape glass fibers. “The clean, deposit-f re e fiber surface and consistent results is essential in high-power fiber lasers and delivery systems,” the company said. AFL said its LZM-100 laser splicer is “ideal for technically advanced markets such as medical, military/defense, industrial and more.” The company says the laser device can be operated manually, automatically or by computer control.

AFL, the Duncan-based maker of fiber optic cables, says it has developed the first

Allen Tate Relocation and Corporate Services, a division of Allen Tate Realtors, received an award from Lexicon Relocation for quality service. “This recognition distinguishes us among our relocation peers, and reinforces the value proposition we offer to our clients,” said DJ Stephan, president of the unit. Allen Tate Relocation was selected for the award from more than 100 Lexicon Global Network members. NOVEMBER 16, 2012 | Upstate business 27

UBJ

Less than an inch. The difference between off and on. For you, there is no in-between. Just todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deals and deadlines. Clients to email and copies to make. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think about all that goes on behind that switch. Because we do.