2014 SC Biz - Winter Issue

Winter 2014

Dreamers at work Startups flourish with S.C.’s support Sam Solari tests toys designed by startup Dynepic Inc.

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County Spotlight: Richland | Pullout Magazine: RecyclonomicsSC | Roaring Twenties

Table of

Contents COVER STORY 24 Startup success A new generation of entrepreneurs discovers that South Carolina nurtures their dreams.

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At left, Sam and Amelia Solari test startup Dynepic’s prototype toys.

Cover and contents photos by Kim McManus

FeatureS Supporting the recycling industr y in S.C.

Next voyage

South Carolina company recycles racing yacht

Trash to treasure

Recycling grows to a $13 billion indus try In Partnership With

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3D Systems

South Carolina’s fastest-growing companies — 20 large companies and 20 small companies — receive honors.

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Shaping the future

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www.RecyclonomicsSC.c

om

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Pullout magazine

RecyclonomicsSC, supporting the recycling industry in S.C.

Departments 6 Bill Settlemyer’s Viewpoint

10 Business Accelerator

59 S.C. Delivers

7 Upfront

12 Spotlight: Richland County

64 1,000 words

SCBiz Editor - Licia Jackson ljackson@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7546 Associate Editor, Special Projects - Jenny Peterson jpeterson@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3145

From the

Creative Director - Ryan Wilcox rwilcox@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3117

Editor

Senior Graphic Designer - Jane Mattingly jmattingly@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3118 lowcountry newsroom Managing Editor - Andy Owens aowens@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3142

Dear Reader,

Senior Copy Editor - Beverly Barfield bbarfield@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3115

We had a big party here in Columbia just the other week. It was the Roaring Twenties cel-

Staff Writer - Liz Segrist lsegrist@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3119

ebration, and we always have a great time recognizing the fastest-growing companies in South

Staff Writer - Ashley Barker abarker@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3144

Carolina. We honor 20 small companies and 20 large companies, and the excitement builds as their rankings among the top performers are announced in reverse order.

These companies prove that there is plenty of business to be done in many different lines of work. From e-commerce to energy, from real estate to resort fashion, from cyber security to staffing, the Roaring Twenties honorees cover the map. You can read more about them in the special section in this issue. Oh yes, and why don’t you join us for this event in late October next year?

There’s another treat for you included in this last issue of SCBIZ Licia Jackson Editor, SCBIZ Magazine

for 2014: RecyclonomicsSC, the magazine of the recycling business in

Editorial Assistant - Chris McCandlish chrism@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3123 Research Specialist - Melissa Verzaal mverzaal@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3104 Graphic Designer - Andrew Sprague asprague@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3128 midlands newsroom Editor - James T. Hammond jhammond@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7545 Staff Writer - Chuck Crumbo ccrumbo@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7542 Research Specialist - Patrice Mack pmack@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7544 Upstate newsroom Copy Editor - Don Fujiwara dfujiwara@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 106 Staff Writer - Bill Poovey bpoovey@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 104

South Carolina. This issue drives home the economic impact of this

Staff Writer - Ashley Boncimino ashleyb@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 103

industry: $13 billion added to the economy, with 22,403 jobs. And

Graphic Designer - Jean Piot jpiot@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 105

there is always something cool and new to learn about. This year, we learned that excess carbon fiber is being used to make stronger yet lightweight shoulder pads for football players. And wait till you see the magazine’s cover! It is stapled inside SCBIZ. We have a lot more in store for you here. You were probably surprised to see a young child

Contributing Photographers: Jeff Blake, Kim McManus Contributing Writers: Mike Fitts Account executives Director of Business Development - Mark Wright mwright@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3143

on our cover. He is playing with some innovative toys being developed by one of the many

Senior Account Executive - Sue Gordon sgordon@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3111

startup companies springing up all over our state. Our cover story takes a look at the resources

Senior Account Executive - Robert Reilly rreilly@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3107

available for startups, both technology-related and otherwise. And we visit with three young companies at various stages in the process: from just an idea to international success.

We also write about 3D Systems, a unique company in Rock Hill. The company is riding a wave of growth in 3D printing and scanning in fields from medicine to high-end manufacturing.

And, if you want, they can print a Star Trek figure with your own features – maybe in chocolate.

The snow has flown already in parts of our state, so it’s time to settle in and catch up on our reading. We hope you enjoy this issue of SCBIZ.

Senior Account Executive - Alan James ajames@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7540 Account Executive - Sara Cox scox@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3109 Account Executive - Pam Edmonds pedmonds@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 110 Account Executive - Mariana Hall mhall@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3105 Account Executive - Susan Hurst shurst@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 111 Account Executive - Bennett Parks bparks@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3126 Account Executive - Lucia Smith lsmith@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7547 President and Group Publisher - Grady Johnson gjohnson@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3103

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Bill Settlemyer’s

Viewpoint Technology – The Red Pill or the Blue Pill?

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n the iconic science fiction movie, “The Matrix,” the film’s hero in the fight between the humans and the machines is given the choice of taking the red pill or the blue pill. The red pill leads to reality and the knowledge that he’s been living in a synthetic digital world while his body is being used as a power source by the machines.

He chooses the red pill, but if he’d chosen the blue pill, he would have continued to live in the imaginary digital world created by the machines.

Of course, we all live in the real world, right? Cue the theme from “The Twilight Zone,” because our “real world” is increasingly mediated through glowing electronic screens of all shapes and sizes. Is technology becoming a religion of sorts? My tongue-incheek answer is that in any crowd of people these days, many can be seen in either the prayer position (looking down at their smartphones held reverently in their folded palms) or the praise position (raising their phones up with both arms to shoot photos or videos).

And what about privacy? That’s a quaint question in an age when government agencies and private data and Internet providers can track our movements, our phone calls, our purchases, and keep a history of all our online searches, which on their own can reveal our hopes, our fears, our medical conditions and, indirectly, our identifying data like Social Security and driver’s license numbers.

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Send in the robots

Does our future have a future?

Technology is also replacing humans in the workplace, taking our jobs even as it creates new ones. But the serious question being raised by economists and futurists is whether we are headed towards a tipping point when the volume of jobs destroyed by technology far exceeds the new jobs created.

This could lead to an economic collapse, because the business cycle depends on the ability of middle class consumers to keep the economy humming.

For South Carolina, as in the rest of the country, there’s little incentive to worry about these big picture issues in the short run. Instead, we’re properly focused on building the strongest educational and workforce development system possible so that our citizens can bring higher value to a workplace where those who succeed will be working side-by-side with robots and IT-based systems that automate a lot of the work that humans used to do.

There are many strong initiatives being taken around the state through our local school systems, technical colleges and fouryear and graduate institutions to address this need. Even so, we could do better, and our political leaders in Columbia could do more to support education by investing more tax dollars at all levels, starting with support for universal 4K kindergarten programs in all public schools.

Turning again to topics that seem more in the realm of science fiction than reality, what kind of future will we have if automation and the intrusiveness of digital technology continue on the path they’re on? If the end point of automation is the near-total destruction of middle class jobs, we may have to recycle the wealth and profits accumulated by capital investment back to the public so they can keep spending and keep the market-based economic cycle running.

Yes, that really does sound like a crazy idea, but we may be forced to totally rethink how a successful economy works.

As for the Faustian bargain we’ve made with “The Information Age,” we need to be taking a far more serious look at whether George Orwell’s Big Brother has finally arrived, 30 years behind schedule but every bit as menacing in terms of the potential to control our lives through pervasive surveillance and control of the means by which we increasingly lead our lives. Heads up, people!

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UPFRONT

regional news | data

South Carolina rolls out American-made bicycles

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hiny new bicycles have begun rolling off the assembly line at a former lawn mower factory in Manning.

Employees of the Bicycle Corporation of America, a unit of Kent International Inc., cut a red-white-and-blue ribbon to signal the plant’s opening during an Oct. 15 ceremony at the 200,000-square-foot facility.

“This is very exciting. I’m supposed to be retiring about now,” said Arnold Kamler, the 64-year-old CEO and chairman of Kent, a supplier of bicycles and accessories. “I’m having so much fun with this project. I really believe in it.”

Kamler’s company is part of a wave of Wal-Mart suppliers that have chosen to launch manufacturing operations in South Carolina in response to the retailer’s effort to help reshore manufacturing jobs. In January 2013, Wal-Mart committed to spending $250 billion over 10 years on products that support American jobs.

Kent International plans to invest $4.3 million and bring 200 jobs to Clarendon County. So far the plant, which cranked up operations in mid-October, has 48 workers producing 20-inch bikes sold through Wal-Mart, including the retailer’s local superstore about 8 miles west of the plant.

A worker assembles a bicycle at the new Kent International bic ycle manufacturing plant in Manning. (Ph oto/Chuck Crumbo)

Read about another South Carolina company making TVs for Wal-Mart on Page 58.

FAST FACTS | RECYCLING Consider the impact

Pullout magazine

INSIDE

From 2006 to 2012, South Carolina’s recycling industry announced more than $4.49 billion in investments and the creation of more than 6,900 jobs.

Take a look at how we grew in 2012 alone:

number of recycling jobs added, bringing the total to over 20,000

$463M

amount of capital invested in SC through 19 new or existing companies

30%

percentage increase in investments over 2011

Source: SC Recycling Industry Economic Impact Study

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770

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Upfront www.scbizmag.com

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Where to buy local? Find out on S.C. agriculture site

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f you haven’t visited the S.C. Department of Agriculture website lately – and maybe you’ve never had reason to go there – you’re in for a treat.

The website has been reorganized and updated with all kinds of useful information. If you are interested in communitysupported agriculture, you can find a farmer near you. Looking for a community-based farmers market? You can find the list, and can even sort them by county. There are also listings of certified roadside markets and state farmers markets.

A newer listing is agritourism farms.

What’s that? An agritourism farm welcomes visitors, at least on particular days and hours. If you want to cut your own Christmas tree, pick blueberries or have your child’s birthday party in the country, these are the places to look. There’s much more to learn about. Go to www.agriculture.sc.gov and click on Where to Buy Local.

NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Here are announcements made in South Carolina since Aug. 26, 2014.

Company

County

Investment

Jobs

Innovative Machining Technology

Dorchester

$7.8M

34

ruhlamat America Inc.

Greenville

N/A

35

Providence Home Care

Greenville

$2.9M

167

Torq Tek Design and Manufacturing

Charleston

$12M

50

Emitec

Laurens

$3M

20

Glen Raven

Anderson

$13.5M

10

ACI Plastics

Oconee

$4.1M

25

The Ritedose Corp.

Richland

$110M

65

Prysmian Group

Abbeville

$8.2M

20

Solar Atmospheres

Greenville

$15M

11

Tactical Medical Solutions

Anderson

$2.5M

15

Hengst of North America

Kershaw

$8M

20

Dillon

N/A

400

Orangeburg

$12M

50

Stanco Metal Products

Anderson

$5.9M

10

APAC Customer Services

Charleston

N/A

200

Valmet Corp.

Lancaster

N/A

40

Spartanburg

$3.9M

53

Berkeley

$3.2M

10

Wyman-Gordon Sigmatex

F3 Engineering Intertex World Resources

Source: S.C. Department of Commerce

Seneca out in front with electric bus system UPFRONT

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mazingly, Seneca — with 8,000 residents — may be the first city in the world with an all-electric transportation system. Seneca recently rolled out four new battery-powered buses as part of the Clemson Area Transit System’s Upstate fleet.

The $1 million buses built by Greenvillebased Proterra started operating in September.

Records show about 1,000 people ride the bus system in Seneca daily. There is no fee.

Ed Halbig, the city’s planning director, said the new, mostly federally funded electric buses are being studied by the Center for Transportation and Environment.

“We’ve said we’re basically buying into the all-electric system and we are going to be the ones to demonstrate what it takes to make it work,” Halbig said. He said the celebrity of being the first city with an all-electric public transportation system is “going to carry a little cachet with it.” Halbig said the manufacturer will likely bring

Seneca’s battery-powered buses are carrying about 1,000 passengers daily. (Photo/Bill Poovy)

prospective customers to Seneca to see the buses operate.

Al Babinicz, executive director and CEO of the Clemson-based transit system, said diesel-powered buses get 3 to 5 miles per gallon and have a capacity of 53 passengers, compared to 75-80 passengers in the electric buses. He said the electric buses will go up to 35 miles — about an hour — between

charges that each require about seven minutes. There are charging stations at two locations in Seneca.

He said Seneca is the only city globally “with an all-electric transportation system.

It is scalable to much larger transit systems around the world. What works for five buses in Seneca will work for 500 buses in New York City.”

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Business accelerator

Business Accelerator

Top-notch mentors give Harbor Accelerator cohorts an edge

By Jenny Peterson, Staff Writer

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n late October, eight aspiring entrepreneurs pitched their startup ideas to more than 130 people, including potential investors, at the College of Charleston’s Sottile Theater.

It was the final step of the Harbor Accelerator program of the Mount Pleasantbased Harbor Entrepreneurship Center. The pitch event was organized by the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce.

The entrepreneurs, the second group to graduate from the program, have reason to be hopeful. The first class of cohorts has received over $600,000 in private investments to date, and all are still in business.

“People were highly impressed with each of the teams,” said John Osborne, co-founder and director of the Harbor Entrepreneur Center. “This was their pitch and a question-and-answer session.”

Classes are held twice each year with eight teams of entrepreneurs, also known as cohorts.

The Harbor Entrepreneur Center opened in 2013 with Osborne and co-founder Patrick Bryant modeling it after successful accelerators across the Southeast.

Entrepreneurs accepted into the center’s Harbor Accelerator program get help, advice, resources and direction from mentors and each other. At the end of 14 weeks, they make large-scale pitches to investors.

What sets the Harbor Entrepreneur Center apart from other business accelerators is the mentors affiliated with the program, Osborne said.

“Qualifications for our mentors are people who have built a company from nothing to over $1 million in revenue,” Osborne said. “They are all people who have actually done it. That’s our secret sauce.”

Kerranna Williamson, founder and CEO of Vaga, a workspace app, part of Cohort 2 at the Harbor Accelerator, works out of the Harbor Entrepreneur Center’s workspace in Mount Pleasant. (Photo/Jenny Peterson)

Selection for the class is based on innovation, scalability and the entrepreneurs’ ability to execute the idea, Osborne said.

Teams must commit to spending 40 hours a week on the new business.

“Ninety percent (of applicants) are digitally focused, but if you have a product or some new process that’s innovative and can be scalable, we welcome them with open arms,” Osborne said. The center receives more than 100 applications for the eight spots.

The Harbor Entrepreneurship Center doesn’t charge companies to participate in the program, but entrepreneurs agree to invest a percentage of their equity back into the center to keep it going for future start-

Harbor Accelerator participants present their ideas to potential investors. (Photo/Provided)

ups. The center also received a $250,000 Innovation Grant from the South Carolina Department of Commerce, given to organizations that further entrepreneurial economic development.

Business Accelerator

Networking allows Harbor Accelerator cohorts to share and exchange ideas. (Photo/Provided)

The Harbor Entrepreneur Center has expanded throughout the Charleston area with new locations for co-working space and other initiatives in Summerville, a second location in Mount Pleasant and an upcoming site in downtown Charleston.

Anyone can rent space in the sites and connect with like-minded entrepreneurs.

“Forum groups, co-working space and other initiatives will happen at all of the sites,” Osborne said. “All of it is with the vision of growing their business.”

Applications for a third class of eight will be accepted through Dec. 1, and can be downloaded at www.harborec.com.

By the numbers 8

Number of startups accepted into the Harbor Accelerator program at the Harbor Entrepreneurship Center each session

100+

Number of applications received for the accelerator program

Amount the Harbor Accelerator received in a state Innovation Grant, given to organizations that further entrepreneurial economic development.

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$250,000

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Section Sponsored by

county spotlight

Richland

Visitors walk through Finlay Park in downtown Columbia, the scene of many community events. (Photo/Richland County Government)

Richland County

Central and Thriving

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By Mike Fitts

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E

veryone in South Carolina knows that all roads seem to lead to Columbia. The capital was situated in the Midlands in part to be a central meeting point for the state. Today the Midlands region still serves that role, with three interstate highways coming together here.

This junction has been an economic advantage for Richland County for decades. It also has benefited from another powerful conduit: the thousands of graduates who launch careers after completing their degrees at universities there.

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Richland Coun By the numbersty

Population, 2013...... ..................... 398,3 39 Projected Population by 2018.........421,3 91 2013-2018 Annual Growth Rate..........

1.13% Per Capita Income Personal Income (B EA 2012)........ $38,1 95 Median Household Income, 2013......... ......................... $5 0,118 Median Home Value , 2013............ S165,81 2 Source: Richland County Economic Development

County Spotlight: Richland www.scbizmag.com

The new Moore School of Business building at the University of South Carolina is working toward generating as much electricity as it uses. (Photo/Andy Owens)

The county’s central location often is key when officials are speaking with a potential business relocation prospect, according to Nelson Lindsay, the county’s economic development director. There are not many communities that can match Richland County’s connections to the Northeast, Georgia and Florida. To the southeast, of course, is another vital economic connection: A 90-minute trip down Interstate 26 leads to the Port of Charleston. Richland County also offers two top-level railroad connections and easy access to both Columbia Metropolitan and Charlotte airports.

Put together, the infrastructure and location at the center of the state are a big economic asset for the county, and one that has helped draw companies here for years. “It doesn’t matter how you ship your product, we can do it easily here,” Lindsay said.

Those highways have another economic bonus for Richland County. It’s easier to commute than in many other areas. Getting across the Midlands usually takes 30 minutes or less. That’s not something that can be said in Charlotte or Atlanta, cities that might be in competition for an economic expansion project. That mobility for the

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workforce offers a good selling point for the Midlands as it looks to attract new employers, Lindsay said.

USC a major driver Like the transportation infrastructure, the educational strength based in Richland County has been helping build its economy for decades. The colleges and universities based in the county supply direct economic spending, the power of intellectual property being created and well-educated young people joining the economy. The largest, of course, is the main campus of the University of South Carolina, with more than 30,000 students. “It’s a major driver for our economy,” Lindsay said.

In 2013, numbers, USC outlined its economic contributions to the Midlands: • More than 3,000 university employees living in the county earn more than $183 million in salaries.

• More than 40,000 university alumni live in the county.

• USC as a whole filed more than 400 invention disclosures between 2008 and 2013, receiving 66 U.S. patents and executing 86 intellectual

property licenses.

In addition to the contribution of the four-year universities, Richland County has benefited economically from the efforts of Midlands Technical College, Lindsay said. The college has numerous programs, from nursing to nuclear engineering, that directly relate to needed career fields in the Midlands. It is quick to work with employers and economic development officials to help the county grow its economy, Lindsay noted.

For Lindsay, the strength of the colleges in Richland County means a more talented workforce to attract companies. Between Midlands Tech and the other universities here, employers can count on Richland County to meet their workforce needs and to adapt to changing technology and opportunities, Lindsay said. “We have the broad spectrum of work training covered,” Lindsay said.

Talent helps create clusters The talent of the universities here has helped the economy create several successful economic clusters, such as the local concentration of talent related to information

County Spotlight: Richland www.scbizmag.com

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technology and the insurance industry.

Overall in South Carolina, the cluster employs more than 14,000 people and has a direct economic impact of more than $4 billion, according to the iTs-SC collaborative group for the cluster.

Now numerous companies serve the insurance industry from Richland County. One of the largest is BlueCross and BlueShield of South Carolina. It has 6,000 employees in Richland County out of 11,000 statewide. The company not only is the state’s leading health insurance provider, but it also provides a variety of insurance IT services, including subsidiaries that serve the Tricare and Medicare programs. Another service that BlueCross provides is to host data and processing for other companies, known as “insourcing.” BlueCross has one of the largest IT departments in the state, according to spokeswoman Elizabeth G. Hammond, with more than 1,000 employees.

That growth by BlueCross has been aided by the depth of talent in Richland County and the ability to attract talent to come here, Hammond said. “Having such a large grouping of IT talent in Richland County means these professionals are more likely to stay in the area,” Hammond said.

Insurance IT has been a steady business for Richland County, which can boast that it has a deep pool of employers that offer economic stability. State government, Fort Jackson, higher education and a strong medical/hospital sector offer a healthy base of employment. In fact, according to an economic analysis prepared by the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, more than half of the top 20 employers in the county are government or governmentrelated.

These stable employers frequently have given it an unemployment rate below the South Carolina average, and have helped cushion Richland County during the recent recession. Home prices, for instance, fluctuated less in the Midlands than they did in other parts of South Carolina.

Impact of Fort Jackson Fort Jackson is a massive but sometimes unappreciated driver for the economy in Richland County. The scope of what goes Special Advertising Section

A U.S. Army band performs during a ceremony at Fort Jackson. (Photo/Richland County)

on at the Army post can be hard to appreciate: It covers some 52,000 acres and trains 50% of those taking the Army’s Basic Combat Training. A 2011 study estimated that the base generated $1.69 billion in economic activity across the region and supported a total of 14,640 jobs.

While those steady employers are what many people think of when they hear Richland County’s name, the county also shows strength in manufacturing, and that is growing, too. In Lower Richland, Westinghouse operates a major facility to manufacture nuclear fuel, which is supplied to power plants around the country. The massive manufacturing facility employs about 1,200 people.

Another manufacturer doing high-end work in Richland County is Pure Power.

As a subsidiary of Navistar, it builds diesel engine parts, mostly fuel injectors, in a hightech facility in Blythewood. Most of what it produces is shipped to Navistar truck plants elsewhere in the United States.

This facility is quite different from what people might expect of an auto manufacturing plant based on outdated perceptions, said Jerry Sweetland, plant manager for Pure Power. The equipment is multimilliondollar, and the temperature and humidity are controlled carefully.

To run and maintain that equipment requires some sophisticated technical and engineering skills, Sweetland said. There’s a strong demand in the Midlands for those with the technical skills to support advanced manufacturing, so keeping a skilled workforce in place is an important challenge,

Sweetland said. “You can’t just hire folks off the street,” he said.

To continue to meet Pure Power’s staffing needs, the company has been working with Midlands Tech, including taking part in its apprenticeship programs. Midlands Tech has been quick to make sure that it is teaching the kinds of skills that Pure Power and other advanced manufacturers need, Sweetland said. The ability of the local colleges to meet this need is a major factor in Pure Power’s success in Richland County, he said.

Quality workforce attractive The quality of the workforce here is one of the reasons Richland County is attracting new manufacturing, Lindsay said. The county is especially appealing to a business that is doing advanced work and needs a workforce to match.

Pharmaceutical products manufacturer The Ritedose Corp. announced in September that it would add capacity to its existing facility in the county, located in the Carolina Research Park in Richland Northeast. It’s an investment of up to $110 million at a location where Ritedose has manufactured drops, inhalation products and other medications for more than 20 years. The expansion, when complete and approved, is projected to create about 65 jobs.

“Ritedose has been an excellent corporate citizen in Richland County for 20 years, and this significant expansion represents a continued commitment to our community,” Norman Jackson, chairman of Richland County Council, said at the time of the

County Spotlight: Richland The Village at Sandhill is a major shopping destination in Northeast Richland.

(Photo/Richland County Government)

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expansion announcement. “The company will be creating more tech jobs for our citizens, which is the number one goal of our economic development efforts,” he said.

Another source of new employment in Richland County has been call centers and technical support centers. These centers often provide technical help for users of home electronics or back-office support for customers of insurance or other companies. That is an area that could continue to produce more skilled jobs here in the future, Lindsay said.

What makes Columbia a place that continues to develop and keep talent?

Lindsay notes that a lot of it has to do with the quality of life here. Richland County offers a variety of locations for people to work and live, from the suburban Irmo area

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to downtown Columbia, which increasingly attract retailers, restaurants and attractions that compare favorably with other big cities.

Northeast Richland is crowded with new growth along its interstate corridors, while Lower Richland offers space for businesses, places to live and the recreational opportunities of Congaree National Park.

Quality of life “On quality of life, we offer a diversity of offerings for someone to choose from,” Lindsay said.

Those choices soon will include the Columbia Common, the project that is redeveloping the former Department of Mental Health site on Bull Street. That site, expected to be the home to office, residential and commercial development, will be

Horses head to pasture on a farm in Lower Richland. (Photo/Richland County Government)

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Suburban Lake Murray living is an attraction for many, but Richland offers a variety of residential styles. (Photo/Richland County Government)

dominated by a new baseball park, expected to welcome a minor-league team in 2016.

The Columbia Common development is planned to preserve and re-use several of the historic buildings on the site and give Columbia a new destination and source of growth, even as it has room for up to 3,500 residences on more than 150 acres.

More announcements about projects that bring this underused area to new life are expected soon.

Between the growth linked to the region’s educational strength, the new startups being spun out of its knowledge economy, and increasing retail opportunities, Richland County is becoming a growth destination above and beyond its successful traditional employers.

“It’s coming into its own,” Lindsay said.

Affordable home construction is booming in suburban parts of Richland County.

(Photo/Richland County Government)

3D Systems Shaping the future

By Mike Fitts | Photography, Jeff Blake

www.scbizmag.com

I 20

t looks like a sandal. Your eyes see a stylish men’s sandal with the varying textures of fabric, a rubber sole and leather straps. But none of that is true.

Once you pick it up, it isn’t a sandal anymore. It is all made of the same solid material and has much more heft than what your brain expects from a sandal. It wasn’t even made like a sandal: It was printed as an example of the kind of product prototype that can be produced quickly on the printers of 3D Systems.

The Rock Hill company is riding a remarkable wave of growth in the business of 3D printing and scanning, making new partnerships and venturing into fields

This sandal, while it looks ready to wear, is actually a product prototype printed by 3D Systems.

from medicine to high-end manufacturing.

Three-dimensional printing itself is considered one of the industries that is blossoming in the 21st century. 3D Systems, offering a

desktop printer aimed squarely at consumers and systems that will let businesses make their own parts, is working to be at the forefront of that revolution.

“You can make mass customization a reality,” said Buddy Byrum, vice president of product and channel management.

At 3D Systems, everything from chocolate to metal is usable as a medium in which to construct something with 3D printing.

In general, a 3D printer creates an object by putting down layers of material, one after another. In a matter of minutes or hours, an object rendered in three dimensions takes shape. This process, called stereolithography, was invented by the company’s founder,

3d SYStems

3D Systems’ $999 Cube printer for consumers, at top, can print the toy house shown above, among other things. Their printers can also produce a Star Trek figure, right, with the likeness of your family member or friend. The printer creates an object by putting down layers of material, one after another.

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Chuck Hull, who started 3D Systems in 1986. The company built its headquarters and manufacturing facility in Rock Hill in 2006 and employs 250 there, part of a worldwide workforce of about 1,400.

To walk through the Rock Hill building is to enter a kind of 21st century version of Edison’s workshop, where objects you’ve never seen before are displayed left and right, next to the machine that printed or scanned them. New medical devices, looking like something spun with Spider-Man’s webbing, are not far from printed Star Trek figurines – which can be personalized to have your own features. Intricate, interlocking plastic creations are one doorway away from the kind of manufactured 3D metal parts that mechanical engineers once could only dream of.

“We like to say that complexity is free in 3D printing,” said Byrum.

In fact, many companies want their engineers to have easy access to a desktop 3D printer, because they see it as a way to let them be creative: the new sketch pad.

The possibilities are limitless, and many applications already are coming to consumers without their realizing it. But companies that succeed tend to move toward focused fields of expertise. Is 3D Systems, now under rapid growth, moving out without a plan in every direction? Leaders at 3D Systems believe that their expertise in printing and scanning gives them a market advantage that applies well in many industries.

“We have the skills to understand how to take digital information and translate that into a product,” Byrum said.

Asked to highlight a few applications that best show the promise of 3D scanning and printing’s being realized, Chief Marketing Officer Cathy Lewis mentions these: 3D Systems is a partner with General Electric in the development of the next generation of jet engines. These engines can be lighter and use parts that were impossible to create before, because of the uses of 3D printing of metals. The results, including lighter and more fuel-efficient engines, will begin shipping to jet manufacturers in 2016.

Surgical implant kits are developed for a

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3D systems www.scbizmag.com

22

Hips to hip-hop: will.i.am signs on

F

rom hip replacements to hip-hop, 3D Systems has been making news with a remarkable number of acquisitions and partnerships, fueling the company’s growth in the highly competitive 3D printing field.

In August, 3D Systems acquired Simbionix, a company that provides virtual reality surgical simulation and training tools, for $120 million in cash. The deal is intended to help 3D Systems grow in what it considers a prime area: using 3D modeling and printing to help in surgery.

Earlier in 2014, the company acquired Coloradobased Medical Modeling, another innovator in 3D support for surgery, including the design of patientwill.i.am specific products.

And it wasn’t done buying. In early August, 3D Systems acquired Laser Reproductions, a company that it believes will help it build in the market for 3D-printed manufacturing parts.

3D Systems also has been making bigtime partnership moves. It is working with Hershey in its move into food products that are 3D printed and with Hasbro in the world of toys.

The most attention-getting move, however, must be their announcement in January of rapper will.i.am of the group Black-Eyed Peas as its chief creative officer. The company said the hip-hop artist would help it break into the world of high-end fashion and accessories. In the January announcement, 3D Systems CEO Avi Reichental said: “will.i.am is a global tastemaker who embodies the essence of creativity and entrepreneurship, and we are fortunate to have him as our guide on this exciting journey.”

Professional 3D printers are shown at top. Above left, a piece of 3D printed ceramic pottery is then fired in a kiln. The toy dune buggy, center, is printed as one piece using rubber, plastic and wax. The wax supports the structure during printing and then is melted away. The custom-printed dental appliances, right, straighten teeth. .

particular patient and can provide a model for the surgeon to study before the surgery.

3D printing also can create tools to make the surgery quicker and less intrusive. This can result in more efficient surgeries and fewer infections.

3D printing already is straightening millions of people’s teeth. The Invisalign system uses 3D scanning and printing to create a progressing series of mouthpieces that realign the bite without the use of glued metal braces. About 20 million plastic Invisalign mouthpieces were produced with 3D Systems equipment last year, Lewis said.

Aside from the many business uses, Byrum and Lewis see 3D printing and scanning as unleashing a revolution of creativity in the home. That’s why the company has pushed forward with consumer products, starting with the Cube desktop 3D printer, which sells for $999. Consumers also can scan or design objects on screen and then transmit the data to 3D Systems for them to

The body of this guitar was 3D printed, complete with rotating gears.

be printed, giving them access to higher-end 3D printing equipment.

3D Systems envisions the tools of 3D printing becoming as ubiquitous around the house as the tablet or the paper 2D printer.

That’s going to bring out a creative revolution as more people create in three dimensions, Lewis said. “It’s going to amaze us all.”

south carolina Startups

A new generation of startups

W

By James T. Hammond

ith an abundance of agencies and institutions offering advice, mentoring, financing and space for rent, entrepreneurs in South Carolina have many resources to

turn to.

With a burgeoning interest in spawning and growing technology companies with roots in South Carolina, such resources are the life’s blood of entrepreneurs and their startups.

Just under the heading of “business incubators, resource centers and accelerators,” the South Carolina Department of Commerce lists 41 entities that can assist startup companies with issues unique to entrepreneurs. Because someone has a good idea for a better mouse trap does not necessarily mean they know how raise capital, arrange manufacturing or market their product.

Space to set up shop is less and less an issue, as public and private entities create incubators and accelerators where businesses can get working space at a reasonable cost.

24

By James T. Hammond, Staff Writer

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Jay Williams announced the $1.9 million federal grant to partially pay for a new technology incubator at USC. (Photo by James T. Hammond)

For example, the NEXT Innovation Center in Greenville was created in a public/private partnership by the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, the City of Greenville, the Hughes Development Corporation and NEXT, an entrepreneurial resource collab-

orative. The 60,000-square-foot center offers large and small spaces to meet the needs of startups at various stages of development.

In the Midlands, the USC/Columbia Technology Incubator will be getting a new, larger home on the USC campus, creating additional space for startups. USC officials aim to boost as well the resources that help create fertile ground for ideas, such as mentors from established businesses, and collaborative work spaces where entrepreneurs rub elbows and benefit from the flow of ideas.

A $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration will contribute to the construction cost of USC’s new technology incubator. The grant will help pay for a 50,000-square-foot incubator on 3.62 acres at 707 Catawba St., as part of the USC Innovista Master Planned Innovation District in downtown Columbia.

Construction is expected to begin in 2015.

The USC/Columbia incubator currently occupies an aging office building on

south carolina Startups

finds S.C. nurtures their dreams Laurel Street that is owned by the city, but the growing list of resident companies has outgrown the structure.

Entrepreneurs often shop around to find the amenities they believe will be the most help for their particular business. In 2012, Cherod Webber was looking for the best home for his startup that would specialize in exporting American goods to Europe and Africa. The former executive for BMW Manufacturing chose the USC/Columbia incubator, saying that in it he found the support network, the city and its business leaders to be the ideal environment to nurture his young company.

Some of South Carolina’s incubators specialize in a particular field, which also may influence an entrepreneur’s choice of location. For example, the S.C. Biotechnology Incubation Facility in Greenwood aims to foster the biosciences. A 22,000-squarefoot facility includes laboratory modules with office and support space. There’s also a conference room, library and 124-seat audi-

torium, as well as the latest telecommunications and video conferencing resources.

Entrepreneurs interested in manufacturing technology may be drawn to the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology’s manufacturing incubator in Florence. It provides space for companies that are entering commercialization and light manufacturing stages of their growing business. With 27,400 square feet, the facility comprises flexible, multi-tenant manufacturing and office spaces, as well as support such as conference spaces. The Advanced Manufacturing Center offers services such as CAD design, rapid prototyping and virtual reality simulations, as well as CNC machining, workforce training and business systems development.

The Lowcountry offers a variety of incubators and services to entrepreneurs, such as the Bushy Park Incubator, by Cooper River Partners LLC, which has space for high-tech labs, technology equipment, access to communications networks and collaboration

and manufacturing space.

The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce has established the Catalyst Center, where entrepreneurs can connect, receive information, identify resources and meet with mentors.

The Charleston Digital Corridor exists to attract, nurture and promote the knowledge economy. It offers office and meeting space, educational forums, site acquisition assistance, funding and networking.

The great challenge for South Carolina remains the relatively low levels of investment capital that flow into the state. People with backgrounds in venture capital say the stream of new ideas and startup companies remains too small to attract the sort of investment capital that ends up in places such as North Carolina’s Research Triangle, California’s Silicon Valley or Austin, Texas.

On these pages, read about three entrepreneurs whose companies are at three different stages in the startup process.

25

south carolina Startups

Step 1

The idea

By Licia Jackson

Naked Cask

Entrepreneur has plan to franchise craft brewing

E

www.scbizmag.com

very business starts out at some point as just an idea. That may be the point at which the entrepreneur joins an incubator to find out what to do next.

Naked Cask, the recently christened business of Pete Gasca and his cofounders, is at the idea stage but has joined the Startup.SC incubator in Myrtle Beach to make progress.

“I kind of wanted to do for craft beer what Starbucks did for coffee,” Gasca explained. To get craft beer to a wider audience, he wants to set up a franchise system, collecting data along the way to make smarter decisions.

There are about 3,000 individuallyowned craft breweries in the United States, Gasca said, and they represent just 8% of the beer consumed. So, as he sees it, there is plenty of room to grow.

An admitted Starbucks holdout for a while, Gasca has become a fan. He became a Gold Card member and was surprised at the individualized marketing that followed.

“They are looking at the data and sending me what I’m interested in,” he said.

A part of Naked Cask’s model will be collecting that data and marketing almost at the individual consumers’ level, adding value to

26

Pete Gasca of Naked Cask, right, and Barb Royal, founder of KidsCanGiveToo.com, work on their fledgling businesses at the Startup.SC incubator in Myrtle Beach. (Photo/Startup.SC)

their lives, he said.

A home brewing hobbyist, Gasca had been wanting to start a business related to brewing beer. The first step will be finding capital partners, writing a plan and developing a franchise, then opening two or three brew pubs. After the business model is refined, “we’ll recruit brewers and would-be brewers into the franchise model,” he said.

The brewers will benefit from Naked

Cask’s branding, and there will be economies of scale and operational efficiency, Gasca said. The central office will take care of such common needs as purchasing, accounting and legal work.

After proving the business model works, Gasca and his co-founders hope to raise a second round of capital and open companyowned breweries.

All along the way, data will be a big

south carolina Startups

“I kind of wanted to do for craft beer what Starbucks did for coffee.”

Pete Gasca

co-founder, Naked Cask

www.scbizmag.com

driver of the way the business develops. “We want to write algorithms, use a social media and public relations platform, leverage bloggers and industry influencers,” Gasca said.

Naked Cask will collect and manage its own data and make better use of it.

The other five cohorts in the Startup.

SC incubator are all developing web-based businesses and they are learning from each other. The entrepreneurs are working on business plans and refining their pitches.

“The goal is within the next couple of weeks to have refined the pitch and get in front of investors,” Gasca said.

Gasca has been down the entrepreneur’s road before. He is still managing Wild Creations, a toy and game maker he started and later sold. He also writes freelance business articles and teaches some business courses at Coastal Carolina University.

Wild Creations, named one of the state’s fastest growing companies by the S.C. Chamber of Commerce in 2010, was also founded in Myrtle Beach, and Gasca is high on the Grand Strand’s potential.

“I think this is going to be the next boom area for small business and tech business,” he said, noting the support for coworking, new business and the incubator. “I see it growing.

It’s an exciting opportunity. This is the place people should be looking at.”

27

south carolina Startups

Step 2

Seeking funds and marketing the product

By Chris McCandlish

Dynepic Inc.

A toy story: to interconnectivity, and beyond

www.scbizmag.com

D

28

ynepic Inc. co-founder Krissa Watry was watching the news recently when a segment about Orville and Wilbur Wright came on.

“I heard that their dad came back from Germany with a propeller on a pencil, and they saw it fly, and that’s what really sparked their interest in flying,” Watry said.

Watry saw it as a perfect example of the power of toys to inspire children’s interest in science and engineering. She and her business partner hope to tap into that power with their new product, the Dynepod: a 5-by-5-inch Bluetooth-enabled LED display that children can attach to any toy or object to make it programmable.

Using an “If, then” interface, a child can program the device to react to certain conditions with specific behavior.

For example, if a child wanted to monitor her Halloween candy, she could attach the Dynepod to the bag of candy and program it to display a red “X” and sound an alarm if it sensed movement in the bag, according to Watry. If the child returned home from school to find a red “X” on the toy’s display and her father was the only person home during the day, she would know the culprit.

The Dynepod can also sense the proximity of other Dynepods using Bluetooth, so a child in a grocery store can program the device to react a certain way if a Dynepodcarrying friend is nearby. It could also be used to track a dog’s activity, Watry said.

“It’s like a 21st century connected friendship bracelet crossed with a Lite-Brite,” Watry said, adding that a smartphone or tablet is needed to take full advantage of the toy’s customization and connection capabilities.

A Kickstarter.com campaign for Dynepod launched Nov. 15, and the funds raised will go toward finalizing what Watry calls

Krissa Watry, right, is co-founder of Dynepic, a startup company developing the Internet of Toys.

The toys, some of which are shown above, have connectivity and can be updated with new capabilities as the child grows. (Photos/Kim McManus)

“The Internet of Toys.”

“What we’re trying to do is create this connected platform to drive smart content down to the toys,” she said.

Similar to a smartphone app store, the Internet of Toys will be an open platform where users can add new capabilities to their toys.

“Our toys grow with the child,” Watry said.

According to Watry, the Dynepod is just a starting point and will serve as the brains behind a line of connected toys called Sensibots that Dynepic plans to debut next year.

Dynepic is talking to several toy manufacturers currently, in hopes of getting one of them to produce the toys, which will use Dynepod’s technology and the Internet of Toys.

If that happens, Watry said, “toy manufacturers won’t have to develop software.

We’re trying to sell them on using our platform so we can manage the interconnections. They can do what they’re good at: toy manufacturing, and we can do what we’re good at: coming up with the architecture for the Internet of things.”

See DYNEPIC, Page 31

www.scbizmag.com

south carolina Startups

Step 3

30

Moving out on its own

By Licia Jackson

Bridge to Life

Biotech company finds success in helping save lives

J

ohn Bruens’ startup company is in the business of saving people’s lives. But the business itself, Bridge to Life Ltd., would not exist without the University of South Carolina’s incubator and

SC Launch, he said.

Bridge to Life provides the solution that is used to preserve donated organs prior to transplant. A biotechnology enterprise, it began life as a virtual company, said Bruens,

chief commercial and business development officer. Bridge to Life got access to a generic version of the transplant solution, called Belzer UW, in 2008.

While the company was being started, Bruens, a Clemson University graduate in biochemistry, had been living in Maine and working with business partners in other locations. “I had interviews in every state with life sciences development funding,” he said. “I presented to SC Launch, and we fell into what they were looking for.”

SC Launch, SCRA Technology Ventures’ flagship program, helps innovative companies grow, develop new technologies and create jobs. With the first check from SC Launch, the company produced its first commercial batch of the UW solution. It was sold out in 90 days, and after that the company was self-sufficient, with some funds from its founders.

“Within six months we were in the black,” Bruens said, a most unusual position for a startup.

Bridge to Life moved into the USC/ Columbia Technology Incubator, storing its product, which is manufactured in Wisconsin, and shipping from there. Aaron Gilchrist, who had worked in project management at S.C. Department of Commerce, became the company’s global sales director.

The company branched out internationally, first into the Middle East, then distributing in India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand. An office was opened in London and now the company sells throughout Europe.

Fast-forward to 2014: Bridge to Life early this year moved out of the USC incubator into bright, spacious offices in the St. Andrews area of Columbia. The number of employees has grown to 22, with five in the Columbia office and others in Canada and Europe.

The support of the University of South

DYNEPIC, from page 28

www.scbizmag.com

Carolina, Medical University of South Carolina and the state’s organ procurement organization, LifePoint, have been important, Bruens said. Bridge to Life works with the 57 organ procurement organizations across the U.S. and a few hundred transplant centers.

“In the beginning, those were our customers,” Bruens said. The therapeutic community involved in transplants is small, and everyone knows each other.

With a business like nothing he had ever undertaken before, Bruens found it was important for Bridge to Life to support the mission of organ donation. And support it the company does, taking any chance to spread the word about the importance of organ donation, whether getting involved in the Transplant Games or sponsoring a float in the Rose Parade.

At least 120,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for an organ, Bruens explained, and 10,000 of them will die waiting.

What does it take to start a business?

Bruens, who has started several in his career, lists these attributes: a willingness to do anything including sweeping the floor; blindness to everything that can prevent success; a lot of luck; perseverance and patience; financial sacrifice in the beginning; and readiness to accept help from everybody. “And if failure is something you don’t like, then don’t do it,” he said.

With Bridge to Life, though, the business model is different. “When it comes down to saving people’s lives,” Bruens said, “the return on investment can only be achieved by doing the right thing.”

south carolina Startups

John Bruens’ company ships its transplant solution all over the world. (Photo/Licia Jackson)

So far, the companies have shown hesitation.

“It’s becoming evident that toy manufacturers are kind of scared of technology in a way,” Watry said.

One issue is that toy manufacturers have difficulty seeing past the age-old categories of girls’ toys and boys’ toys, she said.

Watry, a former rocket scientist, said she had many robotic toys as a child that didn’t fall into the category of toys typically

associated with girls. “So, we’re creating this ‘cool’ aisle of gender-neutral toys that aren’t really separated by pink or blue,” Watry said.

Watry, with two engineering degrees, served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force, with her service culminating as chief engineer for the 4th Space Operations Center. She has designed and built aerospace hardware, the most recent a power unit aboard the cargo module docking with the International Space Station last January.

Dynepic graduated from the Harbor Accelerator Cohort 1 in April.

31

Supporting the recycling industry in S.C.

Next voyage South Carolina company recycles racing yacht

Trash to treasure Recycling grows to a $13 billion industry In Partnership With

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

1

Contents

Cover and contents photos: © ORACLE TEAM USA, Photographer:Guilain GRENIER

4

Could recycling be the perfect industry?

5

Welcome from our partners

7

Upfront

8

smart Electronics Recycling electronics gives a jolt to the local economy

10 smart Economics

The business of recycling

16 smart Materials Recycling businesses eye new recycling opportunities

13 smart Governments

Local governments take recycling

efforts beyond plastic bins 20

Profiles: Special Advertising Section

27

smart Companies A use for everything: More companies finding creative ways to recycle materials

30 smart Resources

• RecyclonomicsSC Members • Resources

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

3

Could recycling be the perfect industry?

R

ecycling is the only waste management option that offers the opportunity to save money and earn revenue. The proof: in 2013, recycling became a $13 billion industry in South Carolina, nearly double the revenue from just

six years ago.

We know that recycling helps save the environment by lessening the amount of trash that goes into landfills, but it also moves commerce by reusing commodities like plastic, metal, glass and other items into the marketplace.

When done right, businesses can save money on landfill costs and even make money selling unwanted scrap.

Making this happen requires a bit of effort for a business:

Jenny Peterson Editor

taking inventory of your waste stream to see if anything can be recycled, sorting things into designated bins and selling recyclables and working with reclamation companies.

The best part is that almost everything is recyclable, and

with a growing economy in the state—especially the booming automotive industry—recyclers are now in high demand. The industry isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

There are many resources to help individuals and businesses with recycling efforts, from municipalities providing larger recycling carts to public/partnerships.

There are even local recycling businesses that do waste stream analyses for free.

All of these entities work together to make recycling easy and convenient...and profitable.

Recycling Partnerships in S.C. RecyclonomicsSC is one of the statewide clusters made up of recycling businesses as well as industry who utilize recycled materials in their manufacturing process.

RecyclonomicsSC’s mission is to expand and strengthen South Carolina’s recycling industry by establishing policy, building networks, promoting market

RecyclonomicsSC Magazine Editor - Jenny Peterson jpeterson@scbiznews.com Special Projects Editor - Licia Jackson ljackson@scbiznews.com Creative Director - Ryan Wilcox rwilcox@scbiznews.com Senior Graphic Designer - Jane Mattingly jmattingly@scbiznews.com Graphic Designer - Andrew Sprague asprague@scbiznews.com Account executives Account Executive - Mariana Hall mhall@scbiznews.com Senior Account Executive - Robert Reilly rreilly@scbiznews.com Account Executive - Bennett Parks bparks@scbiznews.com Contributing Writers Mike Fitts, Chris McCandlish President and Group Publisher - Grady Johnson gjohnson@scbiznews.com Vice President of Sales - Steve Fields sfields@scbiznews.com Director of Audience Development - Rick Jenkins rjenkins@scbiznews.com Event Manager - Kathy Allen kallen@scbiznews.com Audience Development & IT Manager - Kim McManus kmcmanus@scbiznews.com Audience Development Specialist - Jessica Smalley jsmalley@scbiznews.com Event Planner - Jacquelyn Fehler jfehler@scbiznews.com Accounting Manager - Vickie Deadmon vdeadmon@scbiznews.com

development and leveraging existing infrastructure.

The Recycling Market Development Advisory Council (RMDAC) is a 14-member, Governor-appointed council focused on recycling. Managed by the South Carolina Department of Commerce, RMDAC works to improve rec ycling feedstock supply and addresses the market needs for new or emerging recyclable materials. Its mission is to support the economic growth of South Carolina’s recycling industry through building recycling markets, increasing material recovery and promoting the recycling value chain.

The South Carolina Council on Competitiveness is a nonpartisan, businessled non-profit organization committed to advancing the long-term economic

The entire contents of this publication are c­ opyright by SC Business Publications LLC with all rights reserved. Any reproduction or use of the content within this p ­ ublication without permission is prohibited. SCBIZ and South Carolina’s Media Engine for Economic Growth are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Mailing address: 1439 Stuart Engals Blvd., Suite 200 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Phone: 843.849.3100 • Fax: 843.849.3122 www.scbiznews.com SC Business Publications LLC A portfolio company of Virginia Capital Partners LLC Frederick L. Russell Jr., Chairman

competitiveness of our state, industries, and citizens. Its work is accomplished through actionable research, support of industry clusters, and education and workforce development initiatives.

4

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

Corporate & Commercial Publishing Division

Going green is good for business Keeping the recycling industry thriving in South Carolina

I

n South Carolina, green

is good for business. The state’s booming recycling

industry has doubled in the

T

he South Carolina Council on Competitiveness celebrated

last eight years – providing

its 10th anniversary in 2014.

a $13 billion impact annu-

The organization was founded

ally on the Palmetto State and boost-

by state industry leaders who

ing related jobs by 44 percent. These

shared one goal—to advance the

results are impressive alone, but when

long-term economic competitiveness of South Carolina.

looked at next to other comparable

While our partner organizations in economic development

economic engines in South Carolina

focus on recruiting industries to our

like aerospace, tourism and the military,

state, the Council on Competitiveness

the state’s green economy has a strong

strengthens and builds on those ef-

foothold here in South Carolina.

forts by addressing underlying factors

More and more, businesses all

Bobby Hitt

S.C. Secretary of Commerce

over the state are adopting a green

South Carolina.

One critical component to the

state of mind, and finding that there is value in their trash. What might

Council’s work is actionable research.

be considered trash to one company

You will read in the pages to come

or a by-product of their process can be an essential element to a recycling process for another company. The strong and profitable connection between recycling and business can be seen in several of the state’s innovative and sustainable partnerships: •

causing industries to stay and grow in

about our partnership with the SC

Ann Marie Stieritz

Department of Commerce, the SC Department of Health and Environ-

President & CEO South Carolina’s Council on Competitiveness

mental Control and RecyclonomicsSC to update the economic impact study

In 2013, Boeing and MIT-RCF partnered to recycle

of the recycling industry. The impact

the 80-footlong Oracle Team USA racing yacht,

•

•

study is an important tool for recy-

which is made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic

cling business leaders and economic developers to market

composites. The boat’s materials are planned to be

the industry, understand trends and identify obstacles

repurposed into a mold for next-generation water-

to growth. This research enables the industry to develop

crafts, among other uses.

informed plans for continuing the upward trend that saw a

Recleim LLC and the South Carolina Association

doubling of the industry’s annual total economic impact in

of Heating and Air Conditioning Contractors have

the past eight years.

teamed up for a statewide initiative to help contrac-

The Council also advances the competitiveness of

tors find a convenient and environmentally-friendly

businesses in South Carolina by supporting industry

solution to recycle retired HVAC equipment.

clusters—a geographic concentration of related compa-

The Upstate BMW Plant has a longstanding partner-

nies, organizations and institutions. Clusters contribute

ship with Stree-Rike3 in Columbia, S.C. to collect

to the competitiveness of businesses because they create

plastics from its assembly process and turn them

an infrastructure that increases productivity. The Coun-

over to the whiffle ball manufacturer to produce

cil currently has direct support relationships with four

hard plastic training balls for baseball players.

industry clusters: RecyclonomicsSC, iTs|SC (insurance

Home to more than 500 recycling companies, the Palmetto

technology services), TDL Council (transportation, distri-

State is emerging as a national leader in the green economy.

bution, logistics) and South Carolina Aerospace. We not

Global brands like Johnson Controls and Sonoco, and smaller

only seek to see individual clusters thrive in their own

firms like Tomato Palms and Fisher Recycling, make up the

industry areas, but also facilitate opportunities for clus-

state’s impressive roster of recycling businesses, and the list

ters to collaborate where interests intersect for the overall

continues to grow. The Department of Commerce remains

benefit of the state.

committed to its support for this thriving industry that’s creating a sizeable contribution to our state’s economy.

See NEW CAROLINA, Page 6 www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

5

Recycling’s ‘ripple effect’ matters

G

oing green has countless benefits for the environment but have you ever stopped to think about the impact recycling has on our state’s economy?

Recycling is voluntary in South Carolina. With a current

recycling rate of 31.5 %, there is a long way to go to meet the state recycling goal of 40 %. But every bit helps. When you or the company that you work for chooses to recycle bottles, cans, cardboard boxes, plastic packaging, industrial plastic process scrap, glass, carpet, tires, electronics or appliances, it is truly like the impact of a pebble in the pond: those ripples of forward progress that recycling creates move through homes, workplaces and the

Tina Green Huskey

RecyclonomicsSC

community, impacting not only the environment but also the economy of our state.

The ripple effect is the belief that

a single action has an effect over many different entities, both directly and indirectly. The closer you are to the “kerplunk,” the greater the impact may be, but those smaller, less noticeable ripples are just as important.

The 2014 Recycling Economic Impact study update, commissioned by the S.C. Department of Commerce, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, New Carolina and RecyclonomicsSC and written by economist Dr. Frank Hefner of the College of Charleston Department of Economics and Finance concludes that the concept that “recycling is beneficial for the environment is a virtually uncontested proposition. What is becoming increasingly

44 % increase in recycling employment from 2006 to 2014, with an average annual wage of $40,203 (vs. average wage in SC for all jobs of $38,700). These are quality jobs with family-supporting incomes. There is also a significant number of additional indirect jobs associated with vendors that supply support to the recycling industry. A gripping fact from the study is that if the recycling industry were to disappear tomorrow, over 54,000 jobs would disappear along with it.

South Carolina is a leader in recycling jobs in the Southeast. We are home to cutting edge recyclers who turn carpet into car parts and carbon fiber into molded composites. In the coming year, RecyclonomicsSC will strive to stay on the crest by furthering education about recycling’s economic impact and increasing recycling opportunities for both our growing manufacturing sector and communities alike.

With all that said, on behalf of the recycling industry, thank you for choosing to recycle. It is an investment that economically impacts real people with real families and real homes. And by the way, the recycling industry in SC has a huge appetite so we want to encourage everyone to landfill less, burn less and recycle more....it matters.

more obvious is that recycling contributes to the economic

Tina Green Huskey, Chair

health of the state’s economy.”

RecyclonomicsSC, an initiative of the

The outreaching waves of recycling have resulted in a

NEW CAROLINA, from page 5

South Carolina Recycling Council

company growth. The recycling industry in South Carolina truly has the potential to run the continuum from curbside

The Council is always looking ahead to emerging competitive opportunities for our state, and you will learn in

to aerospace.

Through sustained collaboration among the private,

this publication about South Carolina’s emerging niche in

public, academic and non-profit sectors, the South Caro-

reclaiming and repurposing carbon fiber materials. This

lina Council on Competitiveness advances the economic

trend in advanced materials is supplemented by cut-

competitiveness of our state, its industries and its citizens.

ting edge work at our state’s research universities as well

Moving into our 11th year, we celebrate our successes and

as increasing opportunities for small- and medium-size

look forward to the opportunities and challenges ahead.

6

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

Upfr nt Recycler collects SBA honors Nancy Ogburn, founder and president of Irmo recycling company Tomato Palms, has been honored as the 2014 S.C. Small Business Person of the Year.

The Store of Hope in Columbia

Ogburn received her award at the annual Salute to Small Business event pre-

takes items that may need a little

sented by the Small Business Administration earlier this year.

help and reconditions them into

Ogburn started Tomato Palms out of her home in 2008 after

one-of-a-kind gifts and furnish-

reading a newspaper article about a previously homeless man

ings. And along the way, the work

who had picked up discarded aluminum cans and sold them

helps young people who have

to recyclers so he’d have cash to pay his rent. Ogburn then got

traveled a bumpy road.

the idea to approach local businesses and ask them to donate

Nancy Ogburn

Find a repurposed gift at the Store of Hope

The store is a new youth-driv-

their empty cans so she could sell the cans to recyclers and

en enterprise program for the S.C.

use the profits to help the homeless. As it turned out business-

Department of Juvenile Justice, fo-

es were willing to help and also needed someone to collect

cused on providing job-readiness

other recyclables, Ogburn said.

training to young people in the

She started the company from her home using her Honda Pilot SUV to pick up

system. Among many hand-craft-

the recyclable materials. Today, her firm operates out of a 3,000-square-foot ware-

ed items for sale are older chairs,

house and office space and provides Midlands businesses with a range of recycling

benches and ottomans that have

services, from collection to sorting to monthly weight tracking of the recycled

been reupholstered for a new

materials.

look. The young entrepreneurs

Tomato Palms now serves 125 clients in four counties, has six employees and

also make wood Adirondack

three trucks. The company estimates it has saved more than 1.5 million pounds of

chairs and metal palmetto trees,

waste from being dumped in a landfill.

hand-carved pens and pencils

Ogburn, who began her training in the recycling industry through the S.C. De-

and sturdy fabric tote bags.

partment of Commerce’s Recycling Marketing Development Department, said she

The Store of Hope is at 3208

named her company after her two favorite plants, a tomato and a palm tree. She

Broad River Road, Columbia, and

joined the Recycling Industry Group, now known as the S.C. Recycling Council, in

is open Wednesday, Thursday and

2009.

Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

“It is very humbling to be at this point in my life,” Ogburn said when accepting

and on the third Saturday of the

the award. She represented the state at the National Small Business Week celebra-

month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For

tion in Washington, D.C.

information, call 803-896-4736.

Recycling as art This image of S.C. Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt (see his photo on page 5), which hangs in the Department of Commerce offices, was made by artist Kirkland Smith. Smith is a classical painter who began creating contemporary assemblages using post-consumer materials as an evocative way to drive home the message of the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling. “We live in a disposable society and what we throw away says a lot about who we are, but what we choose to cherish and protect says even more in the end,” Smith says. (Used by permission of the artist) www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

7

smart Electronics

Recycling electronics gives a jolt to the local economy

By Jenny Peterson

H

undreds of thousands of electronic devices are dis-

amount of electronics dropped off at the site. “Sometimes

carded each year in South Carolina as new prod-

we have two pickups every week, and we get a tractor

ucts hit the market. South Carolinians recycled

trailer once a month,” she said.

more than 11,500 tons of electronics last year alone, a 25

According to Richard Chesley, with the South Carolina

percent increase from 2012, according to the South Caro-

Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Office

lina Solid Waste Management’s 2013 Annual Report.

of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling, governments must

Unwanted electronics – computers, printers, televi-

partner with certified responsible recyclers in

sions, DVD players, cell phones, etc. – comprise one

order to properly recycle items.

of the nation’s fastest-growing waste streams.

“You can’t just use anybody; local govern-

The problem? They are the slowest to break-

ments have to use a company that’s certified

down and deteriorate when sitting in landfills.

‘R-2’ standard of responsible recyclers,” he

Heavy metals, sealed batteries, electric

said.

cables, circuit boards and switches that

The law also requires computer, printer

make up these devices will remain intact

and television manufacturers to provide

for years in landfills. Many parts can even

their own recovery programs for desk-

create health hazards to the environment.

top, laptop, notebook and tablet

For the past four years, an important state-

computers, monitors, printers and

wide program has been in place to ad-

television sets.

dress this issue: E-scrap Recycling.

Most commonly, these recovery

Voted into law in 2010, E-scrap

programs encourage residents to

Recycling eliminates unwanted

bring these items back to the retail

electronics from ending up in a

store for recycling at no cost to the

landfill. The law makes it ille-

consumer. Other recovery programs

gal for residents to knowingly

can include mail-back programs, with

leave electronics by the side

retailers paying for shipping. Retail

of the road for garbage pickup;

manufacturers and local governments

instead, residents are required

pay for the collection, transportation

to bring these items to designated drop-off locations run by local governments. There, the

and recycling of these devices by law.

While the motivation behind the law was for health

items can be sorted and recycled safely through a certified

and safety, the benefits of E-scrap recycling are far-reach-

recycler. Every municipality in the 46 South Carolina coun-

ing.

ties has a designated drop-off site for electronics.

In Richland County, recycling coordinator Shirley Mims said a box truck comes weekly to haul away the large

8

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

E-scrap recycling provides many business opportunities. Currently, there are 24 companies in South Carolina that are part of the e-scrap recycling industry, dedicated

smart Electornics to collecting unwanted electronics from companies and

public relations with Goodwill Upstate, said upstate Good-

local governments so that that the items are recycled

will stores accept televisions, computers, VCRs, radios, cell

properly.

phones and other electronics.

One of those companies is eCycleSecure, an electronics

“Believe it or not, people still buy VCRs,” she said. “We

recycling firm out of Charlotte, N.C. “We disassemble the raw-material components, separate it out and send it to the various markets,” said eCycleSecure owner Brett Rhinehardt. “From there, it goes to other markets – steel goes to steel markets, etc. We separate out the

also have people who buy a lot of them

By the numbers S.C. electronics recycling (in tons)

25%

Increase

lead and other harmful chemicals.”

11,560

and use them for parts.”

She said TVs are the most popular electronic device brought into stores, especially during the holidays when people get newer devices as gifts.

Goodwill in the upstate also partners

9,258

with Dell computers on a third-party

Rhinehardt said a major part of their

program called “Dell Reconnect.” It’s a

service is destroying sensitive informa-

nationwide program that either reuses,

tion on computers and laptops.

recycles or refurbishes computers and

“Information left on your computer is

puts them back in the marketplace.

2012

highly at risk if it’s not handled properly,” Rhinehardt said. “We remove all the data from all the computers we receive. We take circuit boards off—there’s no way

2013

Source: South Carolina Solid Waste Management Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2013

anyone is getting data off of that.”

Another option for consumers who

Residents are encouraged to bring computers of all brands and in any condition to participating Goodwill sites, and Dell will either recycle or refurbish it.

“That has been a very progressive and beneficial program,” Hardesty said. “Every-

have unwanted electronics is to bring them to a local

thing is recycled in a completely green manner and nothing

Goodwill store. Crystal Hardesty, director of marketing and

winds up in a landfill.”

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

9

smart Economics

The business of recycling

By Jenny Peterson

R

How recycling helps the bottom line

ecycling isn’t just good for the environment; it’s great for the economy.

Recycling is the only waste management option that of-

In South Carolina, recycling has a staggering $13

fers the opportunity to both save money and earn revenue.

billion dollar impact on the state’s economy, according to

In 2013, recycling in South Carolina kept more than 1.3

a study from Frank Hefner, professor of economics and

million tons of material out of landfills, allowing items

development at the College of Charleston.

that would have otherwise sat for years in a landfill to be

In just eight years, the industry has doubled its annual

turned into profits. Companies can avoid landfill fees and

total economic impact from $6.5 billion in 2006. About 500 re-

get tax credits by recycling — turning unwanted materials

cycling businesses now operate in the state,

into revenue.

and the industry provides more than 22,403 jobs—a 44 percent increase since 2006.

According to Hefner’s 2014 S.C. Recycling Industry Economic Impact Study, recycling in South Carolina generates $2.7 billion in annual personal income and $329 million in state and local tax revenue each year.

The study was commissioned by the S.C. Department of Commerce, RecyclonomicsSC and the S.C. Council on Competitiveness.

“The results of this report are exciting for us at Commerce, because they further reinforce the correlation between recycling and business,” said South Carolina Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt.“The fact that

In 2013, governments reported earning

Recycling in S.C., by the numbers 22,403

jobs attributable to recycling

54,121

total jobs impacted by recycling

44 percent

increase in recycling jobs since 2006

500+

recycling-related companies

more than $9 million in recyclable materials.

“In the traditional solid waste program, a giant corporation has a dumpster out back and they pay a hauling fee. If you recycle, then someone may take it away for free or may even pay you for it,” said Brett Rhinehardt, owner of eCycleSecure, a Charlotte-based provider of electronics disposal. Success stories include Cooper Standard Automotive in Spartanburg, which found a vendor for its plastic waste that had previously been sent to a landfill.

That diversion resulted in a $15,600 per year cost savings while keeping 200,000 pounds of

the green economy brings a $13 billion economic impact

material from a landfill. Fruit of the Loom in Summerville

to the state annually is significant on its own, but for that

reached 100 percent landfill free operations in 2012 and

impact to double over an eight-year period —- even in the

generates more than $60,000 from the sale of recyclables

midst of a challenging national economy — speaks to the

each year. For more success stories, visit www.scdhec.gov/

strength of the Palmetto State’s recycling infrastructure

smartbusiness/success

and growing recycling capacity.”

Materials that commonly generate the most profits include scrap metal, steel and plastics, Rhinehardt said.

10

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

smart Economics Another type of material that may bring in revenues for businesses is cardboard and certain types of paper. Adding in the avoided disposal costs also can add in to the bottom line for businesses.

With a booming automotive industry in the state, industrial plastics recyclers are in high demand. More plastics recycling companies are moving into tolling recycling, which means a company makes unwanted materials usable again through melting, pulverizing and grinding the product, and then sells it at a cost cheaper than new or raw materials. “Toll work is the newest thing. Companies want their own stuff back to reuse,� said Tina Huskey, recycling and waste specialist at Mumford Industries, Inc. a full-service recycling company out of Ninety-Six, S.C. Glenn Odom, vice president of raw material development

Pratt Recycling celebrated the grand opening of its new 72,000-squarefoot recycling facility in Rock Hill this summer. The facility processes residential and commercial recyclables. From left: Kurt Schmitz, Vice President and General Manager Pratt Recycling; Honorable Doug Echols, Mayor of Rock Hill; Myles Cohen, President Pratt Recycling and Jeff Bushardt, York County Chamber of Commerce. (Photo/Pratt Recycling)

munities — selling paper, metal, plastics, glass, textile, carpet

with Wellman Plastics in Johnsonville, said tolling services

and other materials — it provides a return on investment to

have increased dramatically over the past 10 years.Â

the region and keeps these materials in the value stream.�   Sunshine Recycling, a concrete and scrap metals collec-

Public-private partnerships a booming industry “Local governments are a sturdy force in the recycling in-

tion and processing firm based in Orangeburg, has been partnering with counties and companies to haul away

dustry,� said Secretary Hitt. “ When local governments invest

concrete from the demolition of bridges to repurpose into

in recycling and collect recyclables from within their com-

concrete used for future roads and parking lots.

SC is Just Right for Recycling 5HF\FOLQJ FDUSHW SURYLGHV PDWHULDO IRU FDU SDUWV HOHFWURQLFV KRPH LPSURYHPHQW DQG FRQVWUXFWLRQ LQGXVWULHV EXW

6RXWK &DUROLQD¡V UHF\FOHUV GR PXFK PRUH • Creates jobs •

• Fuels manufacturing • • Grows the local economy •

5HF\FOLQJLQ6& FRP www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

11

smart Economics The company has worked with Orangeburg County on recovering bridge materials, a concrete crushing project for

landfills are now being diverted and reused,” Rich said. “It makes a huge impact on our local economies.”

the Riverwalk in Rock Hill and a bridge near Fort Mill, just to name a few. Recycled concrete is graded specifically to use in

It’s

future South Carolina Department of Transportation projects.

up to the public to keep it going

While businesses are essential, they are only part of

“It’s a neat thing to see our technology take a bridge and

the recycling equation. Manufacturers of recycled-content

turn it into fresh gravel. And recycling concrete allows it to

products rely on a steady stream of recycled material from

be bought at a much cheaper rate, especially with govern-

commercial, institutional and industrial sources as well as

ments tightening their belts,” said Sunshine Recycling

residential recycling programs.

owner Joe Rich. He calls it a win-win for everyone involved.

“Recycling partnerships with private industry and the

Small changes in recycling habits can make a big impact in both the environment and the economy.

public sector allow a city government to operate more efficiently,” Rich said.

According to the South Carolina Department of Commerce, more than 448,000 tons of easily recycled material

Wellman Plastics, which has a division solely dedicated

may have been disposed in landfills in 2013, which trans-

to carpet recycling, has formed partnerships with several

lates to about $60 million in lost potential revenue from the

counties to set up trailers in rural areas including Horry

sale of these materials. Many material recovery facilities in

and Union counties to recycle used carpet material, and

the state are operating at half capacity. More recycling hab-

counties avoid the hauling and landfill fees on those items.

its can mean more jobs and positive environmental savings.

While recycling takes planning, many recycling compa-

Recycling gets creative

nies offer free evaluations of waste streams.

Entrepreneurs around the state are coming up with cre-

“South Carolina has developed a team approach to eco-

ative ways to bring new life to unwanted materials. Today,

nomic development. When we work together, we all win.

nearly everything is recyclable, allowing the industry to

The state’s robust recycling industry is a testament to the

make huge gains in growth.

success of our strategy,” said Hitt. “Our recycling markets

Green Roof Outfitters, in Charleston, manufactures

are hungry for materials, and Commerce continues to work

green roof modules from plastics and old carpet. GeoHay,

with public-private partnership groups like the Carolinas

in Inman, S.C. manufactures erosion control products from

Plastics Recycling Council and the S.C. Carpet Recovery

100 percent recycled carpet.

Coalition to help increase recycling levels in the state.”

Fisher Recycling, in North Carolina, is making counter-

“[Businesses] are moving towards zero-waste initia-

tops and landscape materials with recyclables. Many art-

tives as more and more companies find a way to pull it all

ists and designers upcycle recycled glass, fabric and other

together,” said Huskey of Mumford Industries. “They can

reusable items to make new products.

avoid landfills, avoid buying new materials. It’s a complete

“Because of new ideas, products that are formerly in

Most profitable recyclable items recovered materials prices (Southeast USA)

closed loop.”

2014 recycling related economic development announcements

Commodity......................................................................Value per ton

Company name County Investment Jobs

Aluminum Cans (Sorted, Baled, ¢lb, picked up).................................... $1,570 PET (Baled, ¢/lb, picked up).................................................................... $345 Steel Cans (Sorted, Densified, $/ton dropped off).................................... $115 Mixed Paper (Prices in US$ per short ton - Baled, F.O.B. seller’s dock)...................... $52.50 Cardboard (Prices in US$ per short ton - Baled, F.O.B. seller’s dock)...................... $97.50

12

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

Oconee

$8,200,000

38

Dixie Poly-Drum Corporation

Hampton

$1,100,000

84

ACI Plastics South, LLC

Oconee

$4,100,000

25

Viva Recycling of South Carolina, LLC

Anderson

$6,900,000

14

CRR Carbon Resources Recovery SC LLC Anderson

$20,000,000

30

$2,100,000

50

packIQ, LLC (formerly Tech Source Inc.)

Amber Glass ($/ton del.)...................................................................... $22.50 Source: Region 6 SE United States Commodity Pricing Trends, RecyclingMarkets.net October2014

Greenfield Industries Inc.

Source: S.C. Department of Commerce

Anderson

A student learns the importance of recycling at a waste sort station. Through Charleston County Environmental Management’s partnership with Charleston County School District, 32 schools currently have food waste recycling programs, with plans to add more schools next school year.

(Photo/Charleston County)

smart Governments

Local governments take recycling efforts beyond the plastic bin

By Chris McCandlish

B

y now, most people have heard of the farm-to-table

It also has a partnership with the Charleston County

movement, a food philosophy that narrows the gap

school district, which collects food wastes from 32 elemen-

between the people who grow food and the people

tary school cafeterias.

who eat it.

But for Christina Moskos, Charleston County’s recycling coordinator, that linear relationship is coming full circle.

The county owns a 28-acre composting facility, the only facility in the state permitted to process food waste, and it

“Students learn why they need to separate food waste, and the importance of saving landfill space and conserving natural resources. It lets them see how they can have a small part in taking that process full circle,” Moskos said.

The county facility composts 100% of incoming yard

accepts food waste from a variety of generators, including

waste with food waste brought in from local generators.

local restaurants, grocery stores, and colleges and universi-

Once compost is produced, the county sells it back to the

ties.

local community. www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

13

smart Governments

Charleston County’s finished compost is available for sale to the public for $2/bag or $10/loose ton.

Inset: Food waste is tipped at Charleston County’s Bees Ferry Compost Facility (Photo/Charleston County)

“Whether it’s residents who use it or farmers who buy it by the ton and put it on their fields, it’s staying here, it’s staying local,” Moskos said.

Under the county’s composting system, local farmers

cling tonnage and more than double participation.

Richland County also began making the switch to single-stream two years ago, according to interim solid waste director Rudy Curtis. They are still in the process, and aim

will buy its product and use it on their fields to grow crops,

to convert all county households to the new system by

and sell the crops to local restaurants. Then, the restau-

February of 2015.

rants give the county their food waste from meals cooked

To get the word out, Curtis and coworkers Omah Mc-

with crops raised in soil enriched by the county’s compost.

Clinton and Justin Martin have turned to social media and

“It’s farm-to-table-to-compost,” Moskos said.

technology. The county filmed a music video featuring

As a result of the program, Charleston County is one of

McClinton singing and acting out the lyrics to songs about

the biggest producers of compost on the East Coast. Last year, the county’s composting facility processed about 3,600 tons of food waste that would otherwise be taking up landfill space and creating methane, and which wouldn’t be able to create sellable compost, according to Moskos.

This summer, Charleston County finished converting 115,000 households from dual-stream to single-stream

recycling and the new rollcarts.

“It was just an attention getter to get people to think more about recycling,” Curtis said.

The video was posted to Youtube and Facebook and aired on the local county television network, and it had 10,000 views within days, Curtis said.

Richland County also holds Richland Recycles Day once

recycling, replacing 15-gallon bins with a single 95-gallon

a year in May, an 11-hour recycling marathon that allows

rollcart. The switch allowed the county to double its recy-

residents to drive through the Fairgrounds parking lot and

14

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

smart Governments

Phil D. Bin, Charleston County Environmental Management’s new mascot, encourages residents to recycle. (Photo/Charleston County)

drop off their recyclables. On that day, the county provides shredding services and takes electronics, latex paint, light bulbs, mattresses and hazardous waste, which are not accepted during the normal curbside recycling service.

Curtis said electronics and latex paint are the most prevalent items on Richland Recycles Day because they are not accepted curbside, so many families save them all year for the special one-day event. The county handles around 1,100 to 1,200 vehicles and well over 100,000 pounds of recyclables and hazardous waste that day, he said.

The county also brings fourth- and fifth-graders to the Ellison building at the fairgrounds on Richland Recycles Day for a learning center that runs from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The nearly 300 students that participate get to learn composting and bake cookies in a solar oven, Curtis said.

“We’ve had reports back from kids and teachers that it was the best trip they’ve ever been on,” Curtis said.

Special programs aside, Curtis said that the biggest development in the state’s recycling programs has been the improved infrastructure and the number of opportunities available for recycling.

“We’re providing an opportunity here for the folks to do what I think they’ve always wanted to do,” Curtis said. www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

15

smart Materials

Recycling businesses eye new recycling opportunities

By Mike Fitts

N

ew laws and new materials are creating chal-

regulations went into effect this past summer, there was

lenges for two industries that reuse materials

not a permitting process in place that would let those fa-

that might not immediately come to mind when

cilities open, unless they were classified as experimental.

people think of recycling.

For the recycling of organic materials including

The only one open in the state operates in the Charleston area. Several companies and even municipalities are

restaurant scraps, new laws are opening up new oppor-

looking into opening commercial composting facilities

tunities in South Carolina. Regulations issued this past

now that the regulations are ready, McMillan said.

summer are expected to allow the composting industry to create an infrastructure in the state.

Entrepreneur Joseph McMillan has been building an organic material recycling company in the Upstate called Junk Matters, along with co-owner Kate Conner. The

New regulations may help McMillan’s company continue to grow. Junk Matters now has five employees, and he envisions a path to grow across the Upstate and the Southeast.

To get there, more clients will have to get over their

company started as a student project at Wofford College

concerns over composting, what McMillan calls “the ick

in 2013.

factor.” Companies worry about a smell or mess from the

For organic materials, Junk Matters goes to area res-

on-site container collecting organic scraps. That’s not a

taurants, cafeterias and other businesses that produce

problem, though, McMillan said. The organic scraps are

a lot of organic scraps. Instead of letting them go into

kept in a plastic container with a biodegradable liner,

the trash, his company gathers them and takes them

and the containers are emptied frequently, he said. It’s

to a commercial site. After the material is composted, it

less of a mess or a burden to handle than using a regular

could come back to consumers’ gardens.

dumpster.

At the beginning, Junk Matters had to explain to

It also saves money for the company, he said. Less

potential customers what organic recycling could do for

waste in the dumpster saves costs in fewer visits to

them. “We don’t live in a culture where people had heard

empty the container and to dump it by a waste disposal

of organics collection,” McMillan said.

company.

Now more businesses are using Junk Matters to recycle their organic materials, but the Upstate has no major corporate composting facilities. Until the new

16

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

Carpets: A new challenge The kind of carpet that consumers buy is changing,

smart Materials

Carpet Recovery in South Carolina 1,280

5 billion

3.5%

60%

Almost 100%

Number of

Pounds of carpet

Percentage that

Percentage

Percentage of

recycled carpet

workers in the

placed in the

carpet makes up

of the carpet

carpet that is

• Can be turned

carpet recovery

landfill every year

of the waste that

manufactured in

recyclable

and recycling

is placed in U.S.

the U.S. that is

resin to create

industry

landfills

made of nylon*

new products

Things to do with

back into plastic

• Can be converted to plastic resin to make new carpet • Can be used as *Nylon fibers have the highest economic value in the recycling process making them ideal

fuel to create

for turning into new products.

energy

and that means a change for the expanding carpet recycling sector, too.

Traditionally, most carpets were made of nylon. Since the mid-1990s, more and more installers and consumers had been recycling the old carpets rather than letting them go to a landfill.

One of the key users of recycled nylon has been the

That material, having already been recycled once, doesn’t have as much strength and integrity left as nylon does, and it cannot be put to the same uses. “The PET is the biggest challenge for us right now,” Odom said.

That doesn’t mean that it is useless.

Votaw said that he believes the market should move to using the shredded PET material as a fuel to be burned

automobile industry, according to Glenn Odom of Wellman

in commercial plants and cement kilns. Mixed into those

Plastics Recycling. In fact, the Ford Mustang is just one of

uses, it burns relatively cleanly. With that use, it can be

the cars that contain parts made of recycled nylon under

made to be cost-efficient, Votaw said, especially as emis-

the hood because the material is so heat-resistant, Odom

sions rules encourage cleaner-burning fuels. For any re-

said.

cycled material to work, Votaw said, “there’s got to be some

Now, most of the carpets being installed in homes are made of a plastic that already has been recycled, usually

way to offset the price of processing.”

Votaw believes that the industry will work out recycling

from drink bottles, called PET. Making the carpets from

uses for the carpets made with PET. Carpets and mat-

that material saves the manufacturers considerable money,

tresses create problems in landfills because they expand

30 percent or more over nylon, said John Votaw, owner of

after being dumped, potentially destabilizing the landfill,

Southeastern Plastics Recovery in Mount Pleasant. Within

he said.

the next five years, 80 percent of the used carpet coming to recyclers is expected to be made from PET.

See MATERIALS, Page 19

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

17

smart Materials

New ways to recycle carbon fiber Sometimes recycling involves something very small — a battery or pill bottle. And other times, it can be something much larger — like a racing yacht.

About that yacht: Oracle Team USA, whose yachts have won the America’s Cup in 2003 and 2013, wanted to recycle the carbon fiber from the older yacht. They found the perfect partner in MIT-RCF, a South Carolina Research Authority company in Lake City.

Carbon fiber’s popularity is soaring because of its light weight, flexibility and strength. But it is not an easy material to recycle. MIT-RCF has developed the process for breaking down carbon fiber so that it can be used to mold new parts.

“We got into discussions with Oracle about using reclaimed fiber,” said Mark Housley, executive vice president of MIT-RCF and SCRA Launch zone manager. “They came back in four weeks and had found an application.”

It turned out that the reclaimed carbon fiber could be used in the manufacture of new parts, even a new boat hull.

The first thing made for Oracle from the recycled yacht was a pair of sunglasses, Housley said. But that’s just the beginning, as it has been used to make a mold for their next-generation watercraft.

Oracle Team USA approaches Alcatraz Island during the final race of America’s Cup with New Zealand on Sept. 25, 2013 in San Francisco. USA won the race in a historic comeback. (Photo/cdrin, Shutterstock.com)

MIT-RCF recycled the 2003 yacht’s hull and mast. When the 2013 yacht, known as AC 72, crashed in practice, pieces of it were recycled too.

Boeing, a big player in the carbon fiber world, also sent some parts of the yacht to its carbon-fiber research partner, University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

“Every bit of carbon fiber can be recycled,” Housley said. South Carolina is home to two of the top 10 carbon fiber manufacturers and now a major carbon fiber recycler.

“We will be the only state where you make it here and you recycle it here.”

Oracle Team USA received the first ever REXC award for intelligent design and commercial integration of reclaimed carbon fiber from composites. Oracle Team USA ‘s Chris Sitzenstock receives the award from. Ambrose Schwallie, executive vice president of the South Carolina Research Authority. The matting for the framed award is made of recycled carbon fiber.

Inset: Recycled sunglasses. (Photos/ MIT-RCF)

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www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

smart Materials MATERIALS, from page 17

Turning this around involves both improving consumer awareness and making recycling easier. To change at-

One of the keys to increasing carpet recycling is for more consumers to realize that the old carpet can have new uses. Once the carpet and liner have been thrown to the curb, recycling use is unlikely, Votaw said. “Any value that it had is gone,” he said.

titudes, the committee is sharing the message that “Your Bottles Mean Jobs.”

“It all goes back to jobs,” Zagorski said.

The number of jobs involving plastics recycling in the Carolinas is growing. “It could make that (number) stronger when we increase what’s being collected,” said Leslie

Plastic bottles: Please send more Three out of four plastic bottles don’t get recycled in

Hatchell, recycling coordinator for York County.

The committee brings together businesses and local

the Carolinas, and that’s a shame in two ways, said Steve

governments that are involved in recycling in the hope

Zagorski, co-chairman of the Carolinas Plastic Recycling

of increasing consumers’ use of the services. To Hatchell,

Council. That means more good materials take up landfill

making it simple for folks is key. Too many consumers are

space, and they are not available for use by the growing

confused about the different types of plastic or whether to

recycled materials industry in the state, said Zagorski, also

take lids off of containers (answer: you don’t have to). To

a vice president with recycler US Fibers.

simplify the message and encourage more recycling, York

The plastics in bottles are excellent for recycling into new things that consumers use, including automotive carpeting, but too many bottles are thrown away in the

County is telling citizens to recycle any “bottle, jugs and jars.”

More efficient recycling services and making it easier for

Carolinas. Instead of recycling those bottles here, compa-

customers to take part are two ways to increase what the

nies import plastic recycled elsewhere or use new plastic,

region recycles, Hatchell said. “I feel like we’ve come a long

according to Zagorski.

way, but we still have a ways to go,” she said.

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

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Randy Blackston, vice president of operations for Glen Raven Custom Fabrics, surrounded by the fibers that go into Sunbrella fabrics. All waste fibers that occur during the manufacturing process are recycled or repurposed, including Glen Raven’s line of Renaissance fabrics that include 50 percent recycled content.

(Photo/Glen Raven)

smart Companies

A use for everything More companies finding creative ways to recycle materials

By Licia Jackson

A

s companies find that more and more of their waste products can be reused, they also discover that recycling is good for business. Not only does it save them

stories: What started as a life-cycle approach for its fabrics grew to a holistic environmental movement at Glen Raven’s plant

money, but it brings them new customers who actively seek

in Anderson. More than 50 years ago, the company developed

out companies who recycle. It’s win-win, and then some.

Sunbrella fabrics for outdoor use, made to have a longer use-

South Carolina is blessed to have companies such as Sonoco Recycling, Pratt Industries and ICE Recycling that help

ful life than most other outdoor fabrics.

With expensive pigmented polymers used in manufactur-

other companies find a home for their recyclables. Our state

ing, “we looked at ways to recycle,” said Randy Blackston,

also has good corporate citizens that are leading the way in

vice president of operations. “We couldn’t afford to have high

achieving Zero Waste to Landfill status. Here are a few of their

waste.” Starting with recycling of fiber and cardboard, Glen Rawww.RecyclonomicsSC.com

27

smart Companies has already been achieved is the Greenville plant, which went from sending 450 tons per month to the landfill to sending nothing, said Scott Delorme, continuous improvement manager. The plant was honored by the S.C. Smart Business Recycling Program in 2012.

Now IAC Group is working to make its Spartanburg plant landfill-free, Delorme said. The plant makes interior carpet and noise reduction parts and is looking for new outlets for waste carpet and nonwoven material.

Ladd said IAC Group is using hemp, soy, corn and wheat husks and kenaf, a product similar to bamboo, in an effort to find materials that are strong but also lighter. “That equals fuel efficiency. Car companies are under pressure to make vehicles more fuel efficient,” he said. “That’s what the whole industry is doing.” Natural materials can be more easily recycled, and what does go to the landfill is biodegradable.

In Graniteville, newcomer Recleim helps companies and contractors recycle tough items such as refrigerators, HVAC Natural fibers are used in a vehicle’s glove box manufactured by International Automotive Components Group. These materials are lighter and easier to recycle. (Photo/IAC Group)

units and vending machines. “We are recycling over 95

ven progressed to the point of being landfill-free at its domes-

fluorocarbons.”

tic operations and also at a new plant in China.

percent of these materials,” said Doug Huffer, president of Recleim. “In addition we destroy 99.99 percent of the chloroMost of the household appliances sold are replacements,

“We don’t have a dumpster on our property,” Blackston

and the dealers usually take away the old appliances to make

said. “There is a use for everything. You have to work hard to

sure they are properly recycled, Huffer said. Recleim has part-

find someone to use it.” The 1 million-square-foot Anderson

nerships with the dealers and also with apartment manage-

plant repurposes every single fiber and composts its food and

ment companies, hotels and municipalities to take care of old

landscaping waste. Much of its 180-acre site has been turned

appliances.

into forests, corn and soybean fields. The site is WAIT (Wildlife

As consumers become more aware of the need to take

and Industry Together) certified with bird feeders, bird baths

care of the environment, they want to deal with companies

and food plots.

that responsibly recycle, Huffer said. “This is really picking up

A new plant that opened a year ago in Burlington, N.C., where Glen Raven is headquartered, has never sent anything to the landfill.

steam.”

Recleim recently announced a partnership with the S.C. Association of Heating and Air Conditioning Contractors.

When a customer does finally wear out a Sunbrella prod-

Recleim pays contractors for used HVAC systems and picks

uct, the fabric can be sent back to the Anderson plant where it

them up at no expense. The company will also provide a cer-

can be repurposed. Glen Raven’s Renaissance fabric line uses

tificate of destruction confirming that Recleim processes the

50 percent recycled materials.

unit according to all regulations. This saves HVAC contrac-

With International Automotive Components Group, the drive to be landfill-free is intertwined with the need to find

tors labor and costs of disposing of freon.

The recycled items are broken down by Recleim into

natural materials to replace oil-based resins, said spokes-

their raw materials for resale. The market is good for the

man David Ladd. The resins are costly, and natural materials

steel, copper, aluminum, zinc and plastics that are left.

are better for the environment. IAC makes car interior parts

“Over 95 percent is sellable raw materials,” Huffer said.

— everything but the seat — including cockpit, door panels, flooring and headliners.

The company is driving to make all 33 of its North American plants achieve zero waste status. One place where that

28

www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

In addition to recycling appliances and HVAC units, Recleim has recycled its building. It renovated the old Hickman Mill in Graniteville for its home.

Zero waste to landfill has been a firm commitment for

smart Companies

Shown here is carbon fiber used to manufacture the 787 Dreamliner.

(Photo/Boeing)

Russell Athletic brand ambassador and pro football wide receiver Pierre Garcon wears the CarbonTek shoulder pad system, with an exoskeleton made of 787 carbon fiber. He is shown inside a 787 Dreamliner carbon composite fuselage. (Photo/Russell Athletic)

pany implemented a program to repurpose metal, paper,

Stronger, lighter pads use excess fiber from Boeing’s Dreamliner

carbon fiber, safety vests and glasses, gloves, wood, card-

Russell Athletic, a maker of sports apparel since 1902, wanted to

board, soft plastic, mixed recyclables and organic waste.

create something entirely new when it designed the CarbonTek Shoulder

And it is committed to maintaining that status even as

Pad Exoskeleton for football players.

Boeing South Carolina for years now. In 2011, the com-

the company grows. To meet this goal, Boeing works with

“We wanted to revolutionize protection, so we scrapped the standard

such recycling and reuse suppliers as Charleston Steel

shoulder pad,” said Sarah Gholston, vice president of design and

and Metals, Iron Mountain, Nexeo and the Charleston

development at the company.

County Compost Program.

To meet business and environmental goals, Boeing

The result is a two-part garment that is much lighter than old-style pads. The inner part is made of an automotive foam that absorbs and

looks for markets or companies that can use excess

spreads impact. The outer part is carbon fiber, incorporating excess

materials from its production. As carbon composites are

material from the production of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

used in planes, the company looks for ways to make sure

The aircraft-grade carbon fiber provides flexibility, strength and

carbon fiber gets reused and recycled in aerospace, auto-

reduced weight, Gholston said. The fiber pad system also allows

motive and other products. A recent solution is a col-

increased range of motion and fits closer to the body.

laboration with Russell Athletic, which is using surplus

The CarbonTek pad system has been tested by players on the field for

787 carbon fiber from Boeing to make CarbonTek football

the past two years, Gholston said, with adjustments made along the way.

shoulder pads.

Dr. Richard Brandt of Sports Science did independent tests and found

Boeing is also a user of recycled materials, incorporating recycled aluminum and titanium into parts for airplanes. The material is collected from its own supply chain, recycled and then reused. Kaiser Aluminum has helped form a closed-loop scrap recycling program.

Boeing is also working to use recycled carbon fiber in its aircraft. In coming months, the company will flight test an exterior wing access door make from recycled 787 carbon fiber.

that the pads significantly disperse the impact of a hit. Players echoed that finding, saying they did not feel a hard impact where they were hit.

The system helps a player recover more quickly and perform better later in the game, according to Gholston.

In addition, the CarbonTek pads are low-profile and fit more easily under today’s tighter jerseys, which are harder for opposing players to grab. The pads give 360-degree coverage and are antimicrobial.

“This really will help athletes perform better,” Gholston said. “It’s always been our goal with our apparel, to help the athletes.” www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

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smart Resources

Resources

MEMBERS • Adams Scrap Recycling LLC

RecyclonomicsSC www.recyclonomicsSC.com SC Department of Commerce www.sccommerce.com

• Alcoa Mt. Holly • Alfa Enterprises USA Inc. • Blue Ridge Packaging • BMW • Carolina Interior Demolition Specialties Inc. • Carolina Waste Solutions, Inc. • Cedar Green and Associates

SC Department of Commerce – Recycling Market Development Program www.recyclinginsc.com SC Department of Commerce Recycling Directory www.recyclinginsc.com/directory

• Davco Steel, Inc. • Divergent Energy • E-Z Products, LLC • Ever-Green Recycling • Expense Reduction Analysts • Fisher Recycling, LLC, Elizabeth Fisher • Impact Cleantech, Don Dubey

SC Recycling Market Development Advisory Council www.recyclinginsc.com/sites/default/files/all/ rmdac_members_2014.pdf SC Business Network sccommerce.com/south-carolina-businessnetwork

• Jim Self Center, Donna London • Kershaw County, Vic Carpenter • Kiln Direct Inc., Jeff Hobday • Leigh Fibers, Ron Rose • Michelin North America Inc., Dan Chuy • Mumford Industries, Inc., Tina Huskey, Bill Bruce • SC Council on Competitveness, Ann Marie Stieritz

Asphalt Rubber Technology Service www.ces.clemson.edu/arts Habitat for Humanity ReStores www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx

SC Biomass Council www.scbiomass.org SC Carpet Recovery Coalition recyclinginsc.com/recycling-sc/carpet Carolina Plastics Recycling Council recyclinginsc.com/recycling-sc/plastics SC Clean Energy Business Alliance www.scceba.org State Trade and Export Program sccommerce.com/sites/default/ files/all/sccommerce/Documents/ Business%20Services/state_trade_ and_export_promotion_flyer.pdf SC Opportunities for Promoting Exports sccommerce.com/sites/ default/files/all/scope_ application_2013-2014.pdf SC Green Building Directory www.scgreenbuildingdirectory.org SC Sustainability Institute www.sustainabilityinstitutesc.org

Keep America Beautiful www.kab.org

U.S. Green Building Council – SC Chapter www.usgbcsc.org

Palmetto Pride www.palmettopride.org

Apprenticeship Carolina www.apprenticeshipcarolina.com

Solid Waste Association of North America – SC Palmetto Chapter www.scswana.org

RecycleMoreSC www.recyclemoresc.org/index.htm

• Nucor, Bryan Williamson • Palmetto Synthetics Inc., Bob Usher • Pratt Recycling • Resource Recycling Systems, Marty Seaman • Clean Harbors • SC Department of Commerce • Sonoco Recycling • Southeastern Plastics Recovery • Southpaw Marketing Group • Sustainable Midlands • Tomato Palms, LLC • United Resource Recovery Corp. (URRC) • US Fibers • VLS Recovery Services • WasteZero • York County Government

SC Department of Health and Environmental Control-Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling www.scdhec.gov/HomeAndEnvironment/ Recycling/ SC Small Business Environmental Assistance Program www.scdhec.gov/HomeAndEnvironment/ BusinessesandCommunities-GoGreen/ SmartBusiness/SBEAP/ SC Energy Office www.energy.sc.gov

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www.RecyclonomicsSC.com

Carolina Recycling Association cra.myecoville.com/home-7 Southeast Recycling Development Council www.serdc.org SC Biomass Council www.scbiomass.org SC Business One Stop www.scbos.com U.S. Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov

south carolina Startups

Presented by SC Biz NEWs and Certus Bank

T

he Roaring Twenties recognizes the 40 fastest-growing companies in

South Carolina: 20 small companies and 20 large companies. To qualify for Roaring Twenties consideration, companies had to be nominated by a third party or through self-nomination. Companies must have

a physical presence in South Carolina and can be a for-profit entity or a nonprofit organization (except for government entities and charitable

Emceed by: Chris William, Series Executive Producer and Moderator

organizations, including 501(c)3 organizations. These are not eligible.) The

nominated companies provided financial information to SC Biz News, which was sent to the accounting firm Cherry Bekaert for verification.

Company size was determined by gross revenue: small categorized as $10

million and under; large, more than $10 million. Small companies must have had revenues of at least $500,000 per year for 2011, 2012 and 2013. A formula

was used that awarded points based on both dollar and percentage increases in revenue generated from South Carolina operations from years 2012-2013. Both

This event took place on October 30, 2014 Marriott Columbia

of these criteria were used to create a score, with percent increase used as a tiebreaker if needed. The companies were then ranked by score, with the highest score being the fastest-growing.

All 40 companies were honored at an event in Columbia on Oct. 30. The

companies and their profiles are presented in this issue of SC BIZ. We hope you

SC Biz News is the publisher of:

enjoy reading more about them.

Presented by

Also Sponsored by

www.scbizmag.com

For sponsorship information call Steve Fields at (843) 849-3110

33

Roaring twenties Winners

Welcome from our title sponsor

S

ince joining CertusBank earlier this year, I’ve been lucky enough to spend time traveling throughout South

Carolina meeting with our teammates and customers. I continue to be amazed by all this great state has to offer, from the innovation of small business owners to the philanthropic spirit of most everyone I’ve come in contact with. In an area ripe with competition, South Carolina’s fastest growing companies named in the following pages should be proud. We recognize your vision and dedication and appreciate the role you’re playing every day in making our state a fantastic place to call home.

Congratulations!

John S. Poelker Chairman, President and CEO

CONGRATULATIONS to All 2014 Winners!

You Hit on All Sixes!

CertusBank, N.A. WILL THOMAS willthomas@parkerpoe.com | 803.255.8000 | parkerpoe.com

www.scbizmag.com

Sincerely,

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Roaring twenties Winners

Photos from the event

Roaring twenties Winners

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Roaring twenties Winners: Large Companies

1

NEM USA Corp.

Winner: Large Companies

www.scbizmag.com

164 Milestone Way • Greenville, SC 29615 www.nemusacorp.com

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Total number of local employees: 35 Top local executive: Brad Cunic during award year, Hans Sjollema currently Product or service: Heat recovery steam generators, utility and industrial boilers and after-market services Year founded locally: 2009 Company bio: NEM is a preferred partner to customers in the electric power generation and energy markets for custom made solutions in the field of Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs), industrial and utility boilers and related equipment. NEM USA Corp is part of NEM Energy with a responsibility to serve North America with NEM products and services.

What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? Repeat business as a result of an exceptional team, leadership in technology, and above-industry quality. While the U.S. electric power generation market is growing only slightly, our clients are facing challenges replacing aging power production facilities with more environmentally friendly and lower cost power plants. Our clients are choosing to replace coal-generating power plants with NEM’s “Fast Start” technology.

What sets your company apart from the competition? NEM is the leader in “Fast Start” heat recovery steam generator design, and as a result, we now have the largest Fast Start installed based in the United States. Fast Start technology offers our clients a significant advantage over conventional HRSGs. Our design is resistant to the typical thermal degradation versus that of older conventional HRSG designs. For the plant owner, faster start means power to the grid in a shorter period of time, fewer emissions to the environment, and more profit for our clients.

What are your personal leadership values?

• Honesty and integrity • Entrepreneurial spirit • Transparency • Mentoring spirit/attitude • Operate from a transformational perspective • Empower team members to their highest potential How have your company’s employees helped build success? We have a mix of very experienced and newer employees, not only from the HRSG industry, but from other industries as well. The mix allows NEM USA to “think outside of the box.” In addition to our Fast Start technology, the NEM USA team has also developed “fast” construction technologies that allow our clients to install the HRSG faster and with fewer components in the field. This reduces the clients’ total installed cost and schedule. Our employees did not just help with our success; they are our success.

What key piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in your field? The HRSG business is becoming a commodity with more and more competitors coming from lower cost countries. Select a company that is a leader in technology and truly has a value proposition that resonates with the client base.

What changes do you see ahead in your industry and how are you planning for them? The abundance and cost of natural and shale gas along with the lower capital cost of a combined cycle power plant is driving power producers to select our HRSG technology. However, many gas producers can get more money exporting our gas than from U.S. power production. Once the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) pipelines and facilities that are under construction or in the planning stage are completed, the price of gas will increase. At NEM, we need to continually look for new innovations that increase the efficiency of our technology and reduce our cost.

Roaring twenties Winners: Large Companies www.scbizmag.com

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2

3

SolBright Renewable Energy LLC

Crescent Homes LLC

645 Meeting St., Suite 13 • Charleston, SC 29403 www.solbrightre.com Total number of local employees: 4 Top local executive: Patrick Hassell, managing director Product or service: commercial/military solar/procurement/construction Year founded locally: 2009 Company bio: SolBright is a turnkey developer of solar photovoltaic and solar thermal projects for long term, stable, distributed power solutions. Our focus markets are military and commercial scale projects primarily in the 100kW to 5,000kW size range. We offer market assessment, design/engineering, installation, operation and maintenance/ monitoring, financing and project ownership. We have distinct competitive advantages for parking canopy, rooftop and ground mounted solar applications. We offer a broad range of U.S. and internationally manufactured products, including zero-penetration rooftop solar solutions and innovative parking canopy and parking garage solar solutions.

572 Savannah Highway • Charleston, SC 29407 www.crescenthomes.net Total number of local employees: 40 Top local executive: Edward M. Terry Product or service: Home builder Year founded locally: 2009 Company bio: Edward M. Terry founded Crescent Homes in 2009 with the goal of creating timeless homes and neighborhoods that go “Beyond the Standard.” Being local, innovative and flexible are the key factors that differentiate Crescent Homes from other builders in the Lowcountry.

Crescent Homes provides quality constructed homes using the latest and most innovative green products for the health and safety of the homeowner and to conserve and protect the environment. The Crescent Homes Advantage is the driving force of the company’s success—a beautiful, quality-built home designed to lower utility costs, reduce maintenance, and provide families with a lifetime of comfort and security.

5

Ob Hospitalist Group

A3 Communications Inc.

10 Centimeters Drive • Greenville, SC 29607 ObHospitalistGroup.com Total number of local employees: 100 administrative staff in SC, 300 physicians across the nation Top local executive: Christopher Swain, MD, CMO, founder, and David Swain, CEO Product or service: Ob Hospitalist staffing and management Year founded locally: 2008 Company bio: Dr. Chris Swain began his work at Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee, Fla. In collaboration with a national hospital management company, hospital staff and private physicians, he developed the first Ob Hospitalist Group program. OBHG is meeting the needs for 24/7 OB/GYN services in over 23 states and 70 hospital locations. We have been growing at approximately 50% per year.

What sets your company apart from the competition? Intense, singular focus on one service line.

1038 Kinley Road • Irmo, SC 29063 www.a3communications.com Total number of local employees: 60 Top local executive: F. Joseph Thomas, chief executive officer, and Brian Thomas, president Product or service: System Integration/Information Technology Year founded locally: 1990 Company bio: It started with a man’s passion for technology. In 1990, F. Joseph Thomas, a graduate of USC’s master of electrical engineering program, used his knowledge, experience and enthusiasm for technology to establish A3 Communications Inc. Founding the company from a room above his garage, Joe tirelessly built A3 into the accomplished operation it is today. With more than 2,500 clients, A3 provides turnkey and competitively priced IT solutions, system integration, enterprise networking, wireless solutions, unified communications, physical security, structured cabling, managed IT services and virtualization.

Roaring twenties Winners: Large Companies

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Roaring twenties Winners: Large Companies

6

7

Scout Boats Inc.

GBS Building Supply

2531 Highway 78 West • Summerville, SC 29483 www.scoutboats.com Total number of local employees: 230 Top local executive: Steve Potts, CEO / president / founder Product or service: Family-friendly, high-end coastal fishing boats Year founded locally: 1989 Company bio: Scout Boats Inc. builds sportfishing, fish ‘n’ ski, walk around, flats and bay boat models ranging from 15 to 42 feet. Scout Boat’s goal has been to manufacture the best-built boats in its distinctive sportfishing niches. Each Scout hull is a true original, as the in-house research and design team works closely with engineering to take concepts from blueprint to production more efficiently. Scout has become one of the most sought-after brands in the coastal fishing market, with approximately 20 percent of its sales exported to faraway places like Bora Bora, Hong Kong and Australia.

11 Geneva Court • Greenville, SC 29607 www.gbsbuilding.com Total number of local employees: 106 Top local executive: Bob Barreto, CEO Product or service: Distributor of building materials to the residential and commercial construction markets Year founded locally: 1972 Company bio: GBS Building Supply is an employee-owned company. Builders, remodelers, architects and homeowners choose GBS because of our knowledge, wide spectrum of products, prompt service and attention to detail. In addition to a full-service lumberyard, GBS supplies products such as windows, doors, decking, cabinets and countertops, roofing, siding, installed stone, insulation and house wrap.

Our specialties include green products, cabinetry design services and commercial applications. With four store locations and a drywall division, GBS serves customers in the Upstate and western North Carolina.

8

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Eastern Industrial Supplies Inc.

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11 Caledon Court, Suite A • Greenville, SC 29615 www.easternfirst.com Number of local employees: 132 Top local executive: Kip D. Miller, president and CEO Product or service: Pipe, valves, fittings, industrial/mechanical and commercial plumbing Year founded locally:1980 Company bio: Eastern Industrial Supplies Inc. is a leading pipe, valves, and fittings (PVF) distributor serving the industrial, mechanical, and commercial plumbing markets throughout the Southeastern U.S. Beginning with a single supply house in Greenville, the company has expanded to 15 branch locations in six Southeastern states through a combination of organic growth and acquisition. We also offer vendor managed inventories, pipe fabrication, and valve automation What changes do you see ahead in your industry? There is a push toward apps and online order, so we are working to provide these.

10

Bottles Beverage Superstore

Ishpi Information Technologies Inc.

610 Coleman Blvd. • Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 www.shopbottles.com Total number of local employees: 25 Top local executive: George McLaughlin, managing member/partner; Scott Peace, COO/partner; Mike van Beyrer, wine director/partner Product or service: Retail store of wine, beer and spirits Year founded locally: 2011 Company bio: Bottles Beverage Superstore was formed by three guys who saw a void that needed to be filled in Charleston. Bottles was developed because there was not a great wine, beer or liquor store that had a great selection or great customer service. Bottles prides itself on not being driven by corporate red tape and allowing employees to find unique products for customers.

What key piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in your field? Hire the best you can find and listen to your customers.

401 Seacoast Parkway • Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 www.ishpi.net Total number of local employees: 212 Top local executive: Noah T. Leask, chairman and CEO Product or service: ISHPI specializes in information and cyber dominance and C5ISR engineering and technical services. We have core capabilities in information operations, information warfare, information assurance, electronic warfare, cybersecurity, cyberwarfare, system engineering and integration, intelligence support, enterprise architecture, acquisition management, logistics support, training, and information technology services.

Year founded locally: 2006 Company bio: ISHPI is an international multi-award winning company. ISHPI delivers mission-critical capabilities to the warfighter and defenders of our homeland—the intelligence community, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and federal agencies.

Roaring twenties Winners: Large Companies

9

11

Infinity Marketing

www.scbizmag.com

874 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Suite A • Greenville, SC 29607 www.infinitymkt.com Total number of local employees: 60+ Top local executive: Tony Williams Product or service: Media planning and placement (traditional and digital), creative and production, DJ endorsements, advertising, customizable marketing solutions Year founded locally: 1993 Company bio: Infinity Marketing is a full-service, integrated marketing agency offering traditional and digital media planning and buying, creative development, customization and production solutions. Infinity primarily supports consumer-driven clients with multiple local business locations or multimarket operations throughout the country.

What new product or service offerings have you added? In 2014, Infinity added a social media management program. We have also expanded our focus on analytics, media metrics, sales data and trends.

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Roaring twenties Winners: Large Companies

12

Quality Business Solutions Inc. 280 Hindman Road • Travelers Rest, SC 29690 www.qualitybsolutions.net Total number of local employees: 20 Top local executive: Pamela Evette, president/CEO Product or service: Cost-effective outsource solution for non-core business functions including payroll administration, benefits administration, tax reporting, HR management, workers’ compensation, and more.

Year founded locally: 2000 Company bio: Quality Business Solutions, Inc. (QBS) provides a wide and comprehensive range of benefits and services that can be tailored to meet your company’s individual needs. A woman-owned business, QBS is a cost-effective outsource solution for non-core business functions. Our integrated PEO/ASO services include payroll administration, unemployment management, insurance, benefit administration, human resources, workers’ compensation, tax reporting and more.

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Atlantic Intermodal Services

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2500 Clements Ferry Road, Suite A • Charleston, SC 29492 www.atlanticintermodal.com Total number of local employees: 8 Top local executive: Jeff Banton, president Product or service: Container haulage Year founded locally: 2006 Company bio: AIS has been fortunate to experienced double-digit sales growth since its first year. AIS’s first big break was during the Great Recession in 2009. AIS focused on smaller clients since the bigger clients were not returning phone calls. The smaller clients were very loyal. Weathering the Great Recession allowed AIS to land bigger clients. Keeping the customer satisfied through advanced technology, an experienced staff and good service has been a recipe for success.

What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? Customers are looking for a solid transportation partner who can provide solutions in a challenging market where driver capacity is at an all-time low.

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Immedion

Cohn Construction Services LLC

78 Global Drive, Suite 100 • Greenville, SC 29607 www.immedion.com Total number of local employees: 52 Top local executive: Frank Mobley, CEO Product or service: Data center and cloud services Year founded locally: 2007 Company bio: Headquartered in Greenville, Immedion is South Carolina’s first enterprise-class dedicated data center services provider.

Our objective is to keep customers’ critical data and applications available 24/7/365. We accomplish this by coupling four world-class data center facilities and a strategic array of cloud and managed IT services to deliver the highest degree of reliability at a very competitive price.

Immedion is opening a fifth data center in Rock Hill in late 2014.

What key piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in your field? Be prepared for, open to, and excited by constant change.

912 Lady St., Columbia, SC 29201 • PO Box 2005, Columbia, SC 29202 www.cohnconstruction.com Total number of local employees: 20 Top local executive: Richard and Harris Cohn Product or service: Commercial general contractor Year founded locally: 1993 Company bio: Cohn Construction started in 1993 and aimed to build a reputation as a construction company of quality, value and integrity.

Celebrating over 20 years in business, our focus has been and will continue to be centered on performance and delivering quality work over growth. As a family-run business we value the relationships that we have with our people, our subcontractors and our clients. Our best advocates are our clients and the majority of the work we do is from repeat customers and referrals. We have extensive experience with work ranging from commercial, medical and industrial projects to elaborate interior renovations.

Roaring twenties Winners: Large Companies

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Electric Guard Dog

eGroup

121 Executive Center Drive, Suite 230 • Columbia, SC 29210 www.electricguarddog.com Total number of local employees: 35 Top local executive: Jack DeMao, CEO Product or service: Security service, electric security fencing Year founded locally: 1973 Company bio: Founder Bill Mullis was a provider of guard dogs for more than 20 years. In 1991, despite having his protective fleet on site, he was still experiencing break-ins. In 1991, he built, tested and patented the first solar-powered electric security fence. Other businesses soon took interest and in time, this electric security fence, due to its unmatched deterrence value, replaced the dogs and soon became Electric Guard Dog. Electric Guard Dog is the No. 1 Theft Deterrent Service in the U.S. While other security products focus on detection, we focus on stopping crime before it happens.

482 Wando Park Blvd. • Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 www.egroup-us.com Total number of local employees: 57 Top local executive: Mike Carter Product or service: Cloud computing, applications and data services, end-user computing solutions Year founded locally: 1999 Company bio: eGroup provides innovative cloud, application and enduser computing services to businesses across the Southeast. One of the region’s fastest-growing companies and winner of the 2014 CRN “Tech Elite 250,” eGroup’s solutions drive customer revenue while reducing costs to maintain IT infrastructures.

What changes do you see for your business in the year ahead?

As more and more customers look to offload management and IT infrastructure, eGroup will continue to invest in its managed service solution, allowing customers to focus on their core business.

18 Roaring twenties Winners: Large Companies

Total Beverage Solution 421 Wando Park Blvd., Suite 200 • Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 www.totalbeveragesolution.com Total number of local employees: 15 Top local executive: Dave Pardus, CEO /president Product or service: Beer, wine and spirits Year founded locally: 2002 Company bio: Total Beverage Solution is an importer and supplier of high end beer, wines and spirits. It has developed a highly regarded portfolio of niche premium offerings from some of the world’s oldest and finest facilities. In the past year, we purchased brand rights to Saison Dupont, which is an iconic Belgian brand and brewery.

What changes do you see for your business in the year ahead? Trying to make a big push in our wine and spirits business in 2015 and generate an extra $10 million in revenue from these two categories.

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Marabu North America LP

Find Great People

2460 A Remount Road • North Charleston, SC 29406 www.marabu-northamerica.com Total number of local employees: 25 Top local executive: Bob Keller Product or service: Specialty inks (screen print, pad print and digital) and liquid coatings.

Year founded locally: 2007 Company bio: Marabu is a leading global manufacturer of screen, digital and pad printing inks. The company is headquartered near Stuttgart in southern Germany. Marabu North America became the U.S. subsidiary following a merger with Clearstar Coatings LP and Autoroll Print Technologies. It recently bought its 26,000-square-foot warehousing, manufacturing and lab space in North Charleston.

What new product or service offerings have you added? Marabu is in the process of replacing most of our liquid laminate portfolio with products which are more environmentally friendly.

15 Brendan Way, Suite 140 • Greenville, SC 29615 www.fgp.com Total number of local employees: 55 Top local executive: John Uprichard, president and CEO Product or service: Professional and technology staffing, executive search and HR consulting Year founded locally: 1982 Company bio: FGP International (Find Great People) is a nationally recognized recruitment and human resources consulting organization that specializes in multiple functional areas across industries throughout the United States and internationally. FGP has been in business since 1982, serving as career partners for organizations and professionals.

With the majority of our business coming from repeat clients, FGP’s goal as a business partner is to develop a long-term relationship built on performance and client satisfaction that transcends any one specific hire or project.

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Roaring twenties Winners: Small Companies

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Linden Construction

Winner: Small Companies 245 Seven Farms Drive • Charleston, SC 29492 www.lindenconstructionco.com Total number of local employees: 15 Top local executive: Brandon Linden Product or service: General commercial contractor Year founded locally: 2009

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Company bio: Linden Construction prides itself on delivering a first-class product. The company pulls from over 30 years of combined commercial contracting experience. Linden Construction is committed to providing services that are executed with integrity. Our products are delivered as such due to the strong relationships we have with not only clients, but also colleagues, subcontractors, and vendors. We strive to achieve success with each project. We are passionate about our company, our staff, our work, and most importantly, our clients’ best interests.

We work to build and maintain the most qualified team possible to assist us in building structures of the highest quality.

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What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth?

A continuing ability to remain competitive through thoroughness, and becoming a more established general contractor in the region has enabled us to demonstrate a larger portfolio and track record.

What sets your company apart from the competition?

Our attention to detail, straightforward delivery and interest it doing it right the first time.

What are your personal leadership values? Demonstrating a tireless work ethic and the importance of accountability.

How have your company’s employees helped build success? Our employees are ultimately what make the company. They are the ones working with our clients on a daily basis and delivering our service. Their serviceminded actions are what allow us to turn new customers into repeat clients, and deliver consistent quality that sets us apart.

What key piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in your field? Your best job might be the one you turn away. Stay true to your company’s business plan and never get in a position where you are taking a job simply because it is present.

What changes do you see ahead in your industry and how are you planning for them? Ultimately, we anticipate a slowdown in the construction boom we are all currently enjoying. We are planning ahead by building a larger portfolio of repeat clients so when there is a downturn we have an established base to continue serving.

Roaring twenties Winners: Small Companies

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3

Charleston Imaging Products Inc.

Escapada Living

1315 Ashley River Road • Charleston, SC 29407 www.charlestonimaging.com Total number of local employees: 24 Top local executive: Sean Mummert Product or service: Office technology, furniture and supplies Year founded locally: 1992 Company bio: Charleston Imaging Products Inc. has specialized in providing office technology solutions and business process automations for clients statewide for 30 years. We have been taking costs out of companies’ infrastructure by automating their workplace with digital copiers, printers, office furniture, digital signage, 3D printing systems and managed services. We provide document management, managed print services, software solutions, IT and network support. Our support center helps businesses, school districts, hospitals, medical facilities, banks, law firms, churches and more save money by remotely managing their business processes and equipment via the cloud.

543 Long Point Road, Suite 103 • Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 www.escapadaliving.com Total number of local employees: 27 Top local executive: Natalia Castillo Product or service: Women’s resort wear Year founded locally: 2009 Company bio: Escapada Living is a women’s resort wear brand inspired by the rich, colorful culture of the islands. Today, Escapada’s versatile, feminine designs are sold in more than 2,000 boutiques and luxury resorts worldwide, with fans of all ages, sizes and nationalities. Escapada was recently recognized as one of Inc. Magazine’s 500 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. What sets your company apart from the competition? Escapada has created a unique niche, as a provider of resort wear that is stylish, yet affordable. Escapada offers more than 3,600 print and style combinations, allowing wholesale buyers to highly customize their order.

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As A

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Roaring 20’s Winner,

Would Like To Say Thank You To The Many Customers Who Have Supported Us Along The Way

5

Energy One America

DWG Inc. Consulting Engineers

454 Jessen Lane • Charleston, SC 29492 www.EnergyOneAmerica.com Total number of local employees: 40 Top local executive: Clint Allen, president Product or service: Spray foam insulation, crawlspace systems, mold prevention Year founded locally: 2007 Company bio: Energy One prides itself on being a leader in the spray foam industry and the largest residential spray foam insulation company in the United States. A locally owned and operated business, Energy One America is committed to the development and use of products that ensure improved energy efficiency throughout the residential and commercial building industry.

What are your personal leadership values? If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right — from how we treat our team members to how each and every customer experiences our commitment to quality.

1009 Anna Knapp Blvd., Suite 202 • Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 www.dwginc.com Total number of local employees: 34 Top local executive: Michael G. Weeks and Philip M. Dalpiaz Jr. Product or service: MEP consulting services Year founded locally: 2008 Company bio: DWG is a multidisciplined engineering firm specializing in electrical, mechanical, fire protection engineering and communications design services. The firm provides services to architects, medical facilities, governmental organizations, private owners (industrial and commercial), and other engineering services including technical, economic, and feasibility studies; assessments of existing facilities; and design of HVAC, plumbing, fire protection and other types of systems.

How have your company’s employees helped build success? They are the front line of our success. We believe our clients appreciate our corporate philosophies and the fact that we are different.

Roaring twenties Winners: small Companies

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Roaring twenties Winners: Small Companies

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Structures Building Group 899 Island Park Drive, Suite 101 • Daniel Island, SC 29492 structures.net Total number of local employees: 15 Top local executive: Steve Kendrick, owner Product or service: Custom homes and renovations Year founded locally: 1999 Company bio: In 1999, Steven Kendrick founded Structures Building Co., based in Charleston. From the beginning, the mission was clear: build custom homes of great quality and craftsmanship and bring to each client a level of service, integrity and professionalism that would redefine the standard. As the years passed, this mission has become the foundation upon which we have built our reputation of excellence.

What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? Our high end, design/build, custom market really picked up last year, specifically in I’On, Daniel Island, Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island.

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Photos from the event

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8

The Cassina Group

Carriage Properties LLC

309 Coleman Blvd. • Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 www.TheCassinaGroup.com Total number of local employees: 34 Top local executive: Robertson Allen and Jimmy Dye (co-founders) Product or service: Real estate Year founded locally: 2006 Company bio: The Cassina Group is a boutique real estate brokerage with offices in Mount Pleasant and Charleston. During 2013, The Cassina Group was ranked seventh highest volume by the Charleston Trident MLS and honored as one of the top performing companies in the state. They were also named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in 2014.

What sets your company apart from the competition? Our firm is committed to staying on top of cutting edge technology and we use those technologies to deliver a fresh and innovative approach to real estate.

19 Exchange St. • Charleston, SC 29401 www.carriageprop.com Total number of local employees: 23 Top local executive: Thomas Bennett, Olin Chamberlain, Lynn Hanlin, Melinda Laurens, Charles Sullivan, Judy Tarleton Product or service: Residential real estate sales Year founded locally: 2002 Company bio: The six founding partners had worked together for several years and found that freely sharing information, rather than promoting an internally competitive atmosphere, resulted in success for all. The partners then formed Carriage Properties, making this one of their founding principles.

What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? During the economic slowdown, Carriage Properties maintained a high level of marketing, made improvements in technology with an emphasis on our clients’ experience, and, as a result, sustained strong market sales.

Roaring twenties Winners: small Companies

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Roaring twenties Winners: Small Companies

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360 Clean

Life and Safety Consultants Inc.

670 Marina Drive, Suite 101 • Daniel Island, SC 29492 www.360clean.com Total number of local employees: 5 in corporate office; 150 employees of franchisees in South Carolina Top local executive: Barry Bodiford Product or service: Janitorial services specializing in medical offices and other commercial facilities that want a specialized/hygienic office cleaning.

Year founded locally: 2006 Company bio: 360clean is the innovative leader of the commercial cleaning industry. 360clean provides services to a large number of industry types, including a specialization in providing medical-grade office cleaning services. Through an expanding network of expertly trained owner-operators, 360clean has created a company that delivers consistent, health-focused cleaning services.

15 Brendan Way, Suite 140 • Greenville, SC 29615 lifeandsafety.com Total number of local employees: 8 Top local executive: Don Snizaski Product or service: Environmental, health and safety consulting services Year founded locally: 1997 Company bio: Life and Safety Consultants Inc. has been operating out of Greenville since 1997 under the leadership of President Don Snizaski. Once an OSHA compliance officer, Don has led the field in providing companies with expert environmental, health and safety regulatory compliance, risk management and comprehensive safety management systems. Life and Safety maintains a network of qualified experts with unrivaled knowledge of construction, municipality and general industry compliance in OSHA, EPA, DHEC, DOT, VPP, SHARPS, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, Arc Flash, Process Safety Management and much more.

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HillSouth

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318 W. Palmetto St. • Florence, SC 29501 www.hillsouth.com Total number of local employees: 21 Top local executive: Robby Hill, founder/CEO Product or service: Information technology managed services and cloud hosting Year founded locally: 2001 Company bio: HillSouth was formed in 2001 and is a privately held technology consulting firm based in Florence and servicing clients all over South Carolina. It has experienced professionals focused on delivering business solutions built on a strong technological foundation. HillSouth practices strategic technology consulting services in a wide range of industries all over South Carolina. The company has been ranked three years on the Inc. 500|5000 list, as well as receiving honors from the SBA, CRN Magazine, and the S.C. Department of Commerce.

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4937 Fargo St. • North Charleston, SC 29418 www.CodeLynx.com Total number of local employees: 51 Top local executive: Jeff Heatley, CEO, and Beth Heatley, president Product or service: Software engineering, access control, video surveillance, video walls, network engineering, wireless technologies, information assurance and secure coding.

Year founded locally: 2003 Company bio: CodeLynx is a technology solutions provider specializing in high-end access control and video surveillance applications and software engineering services. CodeLynx provides sustainable and cost-effective solutions for governments and commercial clients.

What sets your company apart? CodeLynx has an extensive background in the security industry, coupled with a full-service software development team in-house to develop products that can interact with security cameras, alarms and data points.

Roaring twenties Winners: small Companies

CodeLynx LLC

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Roaring twenties Winners: Small Companies www.scbizmag.com

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High Street Hospitality Group

Novus Architects Inc.

103 N. Main Street, Suite 200 • Greenville, SC 29601 www.highstreethospitality.com Total number of local employees: 160 Top local executive: Jason Fletcher Product or service: Restaurants Year founded locally: 2009 Company bio: High Street Hospitality Group is comprised of two restaurants, one bar and one event space: The Green Room, Ford’s Oyster House and Cajun Kitchen and The Loft at Falls Park, and Sip Tasting Room and Rooftop Lounge. Opening The Green Room fulfilled what owner Jason Fletcher perceived as a void in Greenville in 2009: a casual restaurant and bar that served great in-house made items.

In four years, High Street Hospitality Group grew to four locations in downtown Greenville. The market was hungry for more and the timing was always perfect. As Greenville continues to grow the possibilities will continue to flourish.

900 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Suite 200 • Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 www.novusa.com Total number of local employees: 24 Top local executive: Thomas N. “Tommy” Smith Product or service: Architecture, interior design Year founded locally: 1992 Company bio: Full service architectural and interior design firm oriented towards repeat clients in health care, schools and multifamily projects.

What changes do you see ahead in your industry and how are you planning for them? We want to continue to be a full-service provider in a field that is being pressured to become a field filled with à la carte providers. We must continue to seek and find the uniqueness in our clients’ businesses so that we are set up to be uniquely qualified to serve them.

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Blue Acorn

EDTS LLC

145 Williman St. • Charleston, SC 29403 www.blueacorn.com Total number of local employees: 74 Top local executive: Kevin Eichelberger, founder and CEO Product or service: eCommerce website design, development and optimization Year founded locally: 2008 Company bio: As an e-commerce entrepreneur, Kevin Eichelberger realized the need for better agencies in the server message block (SMB) segment of online retail. The first version of the Magento e-commerce platform launched in 2008. Eichelberger started working with the platform and consulting remotely from his spare bedroom, and today, his boot-strapped startup, Blue Acorn, is one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in America.

What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? We are capturing a growing share of the growing mid-tier e-commerce market.

933 Broad St., Suite 301 • Augusta, GA 30903 411 University Ridge • Suite 205, Greenville, SC 29601 www.EDTSolutions.com Number of local employees: 56 Top local executive: Charles Johnson, CEO Product or service: A regional IT services provider specializing in advanced infrastructure, network security and managed IT services Year founded locally: 1999 Company bio: EDTS was founded in 1999 with the mission of attracting the best employees, working with the latest in emerging technologies and providing the highest level of technology services to clients. With three Southeastern offices, EDTS serves clients in dozens of industries including health care, manufacturing, banking, higher education, nonprofit and professional services. We also work extensively with federal and local governments, school boards and federal facilities. The EDTS team’s combined experience exceeds 250 years in the IT industry.

Roaring twenties Winners: small Companies

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Parker Land Surveying LLC

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5910 Griffin St. • Hanahan, SC 29410 www.plssc.com Total number of local employees: 33 Top local executives: Steve Parker, Pam Parker, Cleve Gillette, Jess Werner, Maurice Wilder and Ben Brabham Product or service: Professional land surveying services Year founded locally: 2008 Company bio: We perform FEMA elevation certifications, construction staking, boundary, topographical, tree, ALTA, subdivision platting, record drawings of installed infrastructure, closing surveys, GPS services, builder services, aviation, land fill consulting and power generation.

What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? PLS completed many new large tract boundary and topographical surveys for design and future development. The residential market saw another 30% increase from the previous year. We also saw an increase in Commercial Conveyance Surveys known as ALTA surveys.

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Roaring twenties Winners: Small Companies

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DHG Search Advisors

Worthwhile

11 Brendan Way, Suite 201 • Greenville, SC 29615 www.dhgsearch.com Total number of local employees: 8 Top local executive: Brad Ledford Product or service: Executive recruiting services Year founded locally: 2001 Company bio: We opened our doors in 2001 as Staffing Partners. In 2013, we changed our name to DHG Search Advisors. Our new name reflects our focus on advisory services for search and executive placement, and our affiliation with Dixon Hughes Goodman, a Top 15 nationally ranked CPA firm. We’re one of the nation’s top executive recruiting firms for accounting and finance and IT professionals in selected industries—automotive dealers, construction/real estate, financial services, health care and manufacturing. Some of our specializations include manufacturing/distribution, banking and financial services, real estate, construction, automotive retail and health care organizations.

9 Caledon Court, Suite C • Greenville, SC 29615 Worthwhile.com Total number of local employees: 15 Top local executive: Dan Rundle Product or service: Custom web and mobile applications.

Year founded locally: 1994 Company bio: Worthwhile serves clients by building custom web and mobile applications that solve challenges and seize opportunities. Capabilities include e-commerce, custom software, websites and mobile apps. Worthwhile has called Greenville home since our founding. We’re proud to be a leading member of the tech and creative communities in our growing hometown.

What sets your company apart from the competition? We strive to be unmatched in our ability to deliver purposeful work. The web, mobile, and software solutions we create include a unique marriage of beautiful design and smart technology.

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Phish Labs

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PO Box 20877 • Charleston, SC 29413 www.phishlabs.com Total number of local employees: 35 Top local executive: John LaCour, founder and CEO Product or service: Cybercrime protection and intelligence services Year founded locally: 2008. Moved headquarters to Charleston in 2010.

Company bio: PhishLabs is the leading provider of cybercrime protection and intelligence services that fight back against online threats and reduce the risk posed by phishing, malware, distributed denial of service and other cyber-attacks. The company fights back against cybercrime by detecting, analyzing and proactively dismantling the systems cybercriminals depend on to attack businesses and their customers.

What changes do you see ahead in your industry? Technology is always evolving and so do cybercriminals in response. We have evolved our services to deal with things like malicious mobile applications.

S.C. DELIVERS

Ports, Logistics & Distribution

Workers assemble flat-panel television sets at Element Electronics’ plant in Fairfield County for shipment to Wal-Mart stores. The company had been producing televisions for the retail giant in China. (Photo/Chuck Crumbo)

TV plant leads Wal-Mart commitment to U.S. manufacturing

By Chuck Crumbo, Staff Writer

In fact, the sets are rolling off assembly lines in South Carolina — at Element Electronics’ 315,000-square-foot plant in Winnsboro. And, they’re packaged in boxes

with a prominent red, white and blue stamp proclaiming “Assembled in the USA” on the cover.

See TV plant, Page 60

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fter a 30-year hiatus, TV set manufacturing has returned to the United States.

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S.C. Delivers

TV PLANT, from page 59 Element is part of a Wal-Mart commitment to spend $250 billion over 10 years on products that support American jobs. It’s a commitment that has produced dividends for South Carolina.

In just a year, Wal-Mart vendors have announced investments of more than $574 million and 2,600 new jobs for South Carolinians.

Besides Element, which announced in August 2013 its plans to invest $7.5 million and create 500 jobs over the next five years, South Carolina has welcomed four other Wal-Mart suppliers. They include: •

•

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Kent International, a supplier of bicycles and accessories, has opened a new plant in Manning. The New Jersey-based company plans to invest $4.3 million and create 200 jobs at its Clarendon County facility.

Louis Hornick and Co., a manufacturer and importer of window coverings and home textiles, announced in October 2013 plans to invest $2.5 million in an Allendale County facility and create 125 jobs over the next three years.

Singapore-based Giti Tire announced in June plans to build its first manufacturing plant in North America in Chester County. The $560 million investment is expected to create 1,700 jobs in the next 10 years.

Enor Corp., a manufacturer of plastic toys, outdoor games and junior sports items, announced in August it would establish a plant in Fairfield County. The privately held firm said its multimillion-dollar investment would create 151 jobs.

After Wal-Mart first pitched its “Made in USA” initiative in January 2013, South Carolina started recruiting Wal-Mart vendors.

In March 2013, the company hosted a summit for suppliers and invited about a half-dozen governors, including South Carolina’s Nikki Haley, to plug their state.

Among those who heard Haley’s speech

A worker at Element Electronics tests flat-panel television units at the company’s plant in Fairfield County.

(Photo/Chuck Crumbo)

were Michael O’Shaughnessy, CEO of Minnesota-based Element, and Vlad Kazhdan, vice president of product merchandising.

Element, which licenses manufacturers in China to build TV sets under its brand name, had conducted a pilot program to produced TVs on U.S. soil and was near an agreement with Ohio to open a facility there.

But then they heard Haley.

“She gave an amazing speech about how South Carolina was very business friendly and once you come there you’ll never want to leave,” Kazhdan said.

Although Element had spent six months negotiating with Ohio officials and thought it was near a deal, Kazhdan decided to contact S.C. officials.

“In 17 days we had a building selected, we knew where we wanted to go and we were ready to build,” Kazhdan said. “What we were able to do here with the speed that we were able to it – nobody else could offer.”

Wal-Mart’s backing of the project also was crucial.

Wal-Mart committed to buy “a large portion of our South Carolina factory capacity in the first year,” Kazhdan said. “That gave the governor and the (S.C.) Commerce Department a lot of confidence in us.”

“They’re taking a large risk on us and other companies,” Kazhdan said of WalMart. “They’re really about creating jobs

and they don’t want those jobs to be lost in a year or two. The commitment they’re making is not just purchasing a product, but creating jobs and they take that very seriously.”

Element’s decision to set up shop in South Carolina grabbed headlines as well as the attention of other Wal-Mart vendors.

“Element’s successful startup has certainly raised our state’s profile among WalMart’s supplier base,” said Allison Skipper, spokeswoman for the state Department of Commerce. “If you look at a company like Enor Corporation, it’s important for them to see that other companies have located here and are doing well.”

Enor’s executives met with Element’s team as it studied the possibility of moving to South Carolina.

“I certainly think the attention the Element announcement received at the WalMart vendor conference has helped us,” said Tiffany Harrison, the Fairfield County economic development director.

Element said the launch of its S.C. plant has exceeded the company’s initial goals.

The company had planned to have two assembly lines operating by December of this year. However, in the first week of September the plant added a fifth production line and is producing four different models.

“We thought we’d have a higher learning curve, but we have an incredible, incredible work group here,” Kazhdan said.

S.C. Delivers

SPEC building

By Bill Poovey, Staff Writer

Rural Upstate looking for more private spec building

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n Greenville and Spartanburg counties, private developers have dozers clearing sites for 100,000-square-foot and larger industrial spec buildings that will create jobs and benefit community tax coffers.

Even with construction just starting, the pricey, high-ceiling projects already have relocating and expanding businesses lining up as prospective buyers.

“This is due in large part to Greenville’s attractiveness and existing development.

The developers understand the value of our community,” said Kevin Landmesser, interim president and CEO at Greenville Area Development Corp.

In some other Upstate communities that don’t have supplier magnets such as BMW, development of spec properties has been slow since the Great Recession. Hal Johnson, chief development officer at NAI Earle Furman, said investors and develop-

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ers have been cautious but as the economy strengthens he sees growing demand for new industrial property, a product in short supply. Johnson said developers need to see success in the other Upstate counties to get them moving.

“That’s why you don’t see as many developers going into rural communities as they have in the past,” said Johnson, a former CEO at Upstate SC Alliance. He said the “private sector won’t come until they see a demand, and it has been done before. They want to make sure it is going to be a solid investment.”

While officials in Greenville and Spartanburg counties can leave development of spec buildings to the private sector, officials in Laurens and Oconee counties have themselves initiated successful projects.

Laurens County Development Corp.

Deputy Director Jonathan Coleman said

they have a 50,000-square-foot building on the market for $1.85 million and they hope to sell it by the end of the year.

“We do have some very high interest,” Coleman said. He said the building finished eight months ago at Owings Industrial Park is expandable to 400,000 square feet.

Coleman said a spec building was sold in 2011 to Flame Spray and the company is expanding the facility at Woodfield Industrial Park.

Coleman said having a building ready is essential when a prospect looking to quickly start operations contacts his office or the S.C. Department of Commerce.

“You don’t get a chance if you don’t have a building,” Coleman said. “More and more of them have started looking for buildings, and there’s not many.”

S.C. Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt said in an email statement that “in addition

Flame Spray is expanding a building developed as a Laurens County spec project. (Photo/Provided)

build a substation that serves the S.C. Inland Port at Greer.

“The idea is to create practically movein-ready sites for industries looking to expand,” Santee Cooper spokeswoman Mollie Gore said in a statement.

In Spartanburg County, Liberty Property Trust of Charlotte has a spec project going up at Caliber Ridge Industrial Park, one of several private developments underway. R. Carter Smith, executive vice president of Spartanburg County’s Economic Futures Group, said government officials have not had to initiate spec buildings on their own.

“We very much and by design rely on our private developers,” Smith said.

In Anderson, county officials playing catch-up with neighboring Oconee County are moving ahead with construction of their first spec building. The 50,000-square-foot facility expected to cost between $1 million and $2 million will be built on a section of 27 acres the county council has purchased at Alliance Park along Interstate 85.

Santee Cooper’s economic development program is providing a loan, and the county has received grants from the Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative and Innovate Anderson.

“When you have Oconee that has built two and in the process of possibly a third why would a county like Anderson sit on the sideline?” Anderson County Council member Francis Crowder said.

Oconee Economic Alliance Director Richard Blackwell said the county and its partners have been successful with two spec building projects.

He said the county is developing three industrial development sites, the Oconee Industry and Technology Park, Golden Corner Commerce Park and the Seneca Rail Park.

S.C. Delivers

to infrastructure and workforce, sites and product development continue to be a top priority for us.”

“With the pace of projects we have brought to the state over the past three years, we must replenish the sites and buildings that are now occupied,” Hitt said.

“Commerce made some funding available for site development this spring for spec buildings, pads and park improvements.”

Coleman said Laurens County has been successful over the past five or six years and has benefited from financing options such as the Santee Cooper lending program for commercial projects. He said private developers have also done some spec building in the county.

Santee Cooper’s program is among several spec development incentives for local governments. The state-owned utility’s program has awarded $43 million in loans for 20 commercial and industrial projects across the state since 2012. The loans have helped local governments and economic development groups build commercial and industrial spec buildings, make utility and other improvements to industrial sites, and

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OK, winter, we can see you waiting out there.

We’ll just bundle up and keep walking. And along the way, we’ll take joy in such sights as this cardinal paying a visit to Magnolia Gardens along the Ashley River.

(Photo/Kim McManus)

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