Feb. 24, 2017 UBJ

FEBRUARY 24, 2017 | VOL. 6 ISSUE 8

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to watch

Including the software firm Pathwright, led by brothers Paul and Mark Johnson

Photo by Will Crooks

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TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

| THE RUNDOWN | 3

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 8 Featured this issue: Developers line up for a downtown Greenville square dance.............................8 For four decades, Bill Cobb has been at the hub of Hub City .............................10 How to sell your art without selling out..................................................................23

TreeHugger Customs conducted the rustic-style build out of the new Revel Event Center, formerly The Handlebar. Read more about TreeHugger in this week’s Greenville Journal. Photo by Chelsey Ashford.

WORTH REPEATING “If you have 20 people who are highly motivated and they keep going back and buying, you’re able to do a lot of sales.”

Page 6

“I showed up every day. I worked hard and I was always prepared.”

Page 10

“I can print up business cards tomorrow that say I am the senior technology editor of The New York Times. But, sadly, it doesn’t make it so.”

Page 22

TBA

Stone Pin Company, a boutique bowling alley, is preparing for an April opening below Revel.

(See above.)

VERBATIM

On Boeing’s Dreamliner “If you view it through a technology lens, it’s a great success. If you view the program from its inception, it’s a big financial failure.”

Barclays analyst Carter Copeland, giving his take on Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner to the Washington Post. Analysts say the company may have trouble recovering the tens of billions of dollars it invested in the 787. Read the full article at bit.ly/boeing-dreamliner.

4 | ENERGY |

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The Renewable Energy Economic Development Bill would allow unused land or land currently being used for agriculture to be developed as a solar farm and create two new property tax exemptions for distributed energy resources and renewable energy resource property.

Proposed legislation aims to boost clean energy in SC ANDREW MOORE | STAFF

amoore@communityjournals.com The S.C. Senate has passed a piece of legislation that aims to attract investments to the state’s solar industry.

Senate members amended and adopted the Renewable Energy Economic Development Bill (S.44) with a 38-4 vote last week. The House Ways and Means Committee will soon vote on the companion measure, HB.3079. If approved, the bill will be added to the House legislative calendar for debate.

“S.44 promotes economic growth and creates the opportunity for numerous renewable energy jobs to

South Carolina by lowering property tax hurdles on renewable energy developments in the state” said Bret Sowers, chairman of the South Carolina Solar Business Alliance.

The bill, if approved, would allow land currently unused or being used for agriculture to be developed as a solar farm and create two new property tax exemptions for distributed energy resources and renewable energy resource property, according to a press release.

Specifically, the legislation would exempt 80 percent of the fair market value of certain distributed energy resources and the value of renewable energy resource property for residential use. That exemption would apply

to business personal property, manufacturing property, and utility property in service after 2012.

“This legislation is a signal that South Carolina welcomes the expansion of the clean energy industry.

Renewable energy projects will provide counties a substantial increase in discretionary tax revenues without any increased burden on the services they provide,” Sowers said.

Passage of the Renewable Energy Economic Development Bill could put South Carolina on equal footing with North Carolina and other states that have passed similar legislation, according to Sowers.

Sean Gallagher, vice president of state affairs for the Solar Energy

Industries Association, said South Carolina’s solar industry has experienced rapid growth due to the Distributed Energy Resource Program Act, which was passed by the House and Senate in 2014. The act allows the state’s electric utility companies to recover expenses incurred to install solar panels.

In 2015, Duke Energy announced that it was offering rebates to South Carolina customers to help offset the initial costs of installing solar on their property. The program offers $1 per watt for customers who install systems up to 20 kW on their property and for businesses that install systems up to 1 MW. More than 750 residential custom-

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

HERE COMES THE SUN 750 residential customers and 35 businesses have applied for Duke Energy solar rebates.

30 MW of solar power created

| ENERGY | 5

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$5M in rebates given ers and 35 businesses have applied for solar rebates since 2015, creating more than 30 megawatts of solar power and $5 million in rebates.

Duke Energy said it wants to grow its renewable energy portfolio in South Carolina from 2 MW in 2016 to at least 110 MW by 2021. “Renewable energy will continue to be a growing part of our generation mix in the future,” said Cari Boyce, vice president of policy, sustainability, and stakeholder strategy.

The solar industry has boomed in the Upstate, where more than 10 projects are under construction in Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson counties.

Furman University plans to build the largest solar farm on a college campus in South Carolina. The $1.7 million solar project will be located on 6 acres near Furman’s main entrance on Poinsett Highway and will have an output of 743-kW. Glen Raven Inc. recently constructed a $2 million solar farm at its Sunbrella manufacturing center in Anderson County. The 1000-kW project went online in January, becoming the largest solar energy installation in the Upstate owned by a privately held company.

Despite rapid growth, South Carolina’s solar industry is still dragging behind other states. In 2015, roughly $10 million was invested on solar

installations in South Carolina, compared to $311 million in Georgia and $1.69 billion in North Carolina, according to the SCSBA. However, the alliance estimates that more than $1.4 billion dollars could be invested in the state over the next few years if the Renewable Energy Economic Development Bill is passed. That would allow for more than $215 million in new property tax revenues across the state and roughly $400,000 in new property tax revenues for Spartanburg and Anderson counties.

The proposed legislation could also provide health benefits.

According to the EPA, carbon dioxide accounts for 82 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Greenhouse gases can cause multiple health issues such as asthma and heart attacks. But many companies are adopting clean energy sources such as solar. Those sources reduce the use of power plants, which account for 31 percent of U.S. carbon emissions.

Sowers said the Renewable Energy Economic Development Bill could fail in the House. The S.C. Solar Business Alliance drafted similar legislation in 2015, and it was unanimously passed by the Senate. However, the proposed bill died in the House before the end of the 2016 legislative session.

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6 | VENUES |

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

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IT’S PLANE SIMPLE MORE NONSTOPS • CONVENIENT PARKING LESS HASSLE • LOW FARES

Avenue is located on the top floor of 110 E. Court St.

Roof with a View

OVER

95

Avenue, a new downtown rooftop event space, to open in April

TOTAL D NONST AILY OPS

ARIEL TURNER | STAFF

aturner@communityjournals.com Hughes Commercial Properties

Detroit

Chicago (O’Hare)

NYC (LaGuardia) Newark

Philadelphia

Washington (Dulles & Reagan)

GREENVILLE/SPARTANBURG

Charlotte

1 ST CONNE OP CTIONS

TO OVE R 200 CIT IE WORLD S WIDE

Atlanta Dallas/Fort Worth

Orlando/Sanford Tampa/St. Petersburg

Houston (Intercontinental)

Fort Myers/Punta Gorda

Fort Lauderdale

NEARLY

7%

CHE THAN C APER HAR ON AVE LOTTE RA GE

Domestic Round Trip Fares (exclusive of all taxes & fees except passenger facility charges) Source: U.S. DOT Period: 12 months ending Q1 2016

www.gspairport.com

and local restaurateur Rick Erwin have partnered to open Avenue, a new indoor-outdoor event space with panoramic views of the city on the rooftop of 110 E. Court St., in April.

“We already have 30 events booked, and we’re still under construction,” said Velda Hughes, owner of the Hughes Agency, who has been integral to the planning and design of the venue.

The inaugural event will be a cocktail party held April 26 for the Clemson Men of Color National Summit.

The 7,200-square-foot venue was designed by Atlanta architect Keith Summerour to accommodate a wide range of events from small corporate meetings to sitdown dinners for 200 guests to wedding receptions for 400 guests.

Summerour designed a similar venue space in Atlanta, Summerour Studio, which was used as Avenue’s aesthetic inspiration.

The indoor space features a full catering kitchen to be used solely

by Rick Erwin’s Events, a new arm of the Rick Erwin Dining Group, along with a stage, dance floor, event hall, and reception area. A folding glass wall will separate the reception area, while the covered outdoor terrace will be flanked by planters and greenery and an uncovered synthetic lawn, much like an urban garden.

“To have the opportunity to

partner on this event space is just a dream come true,” Erwin said.

Jackson Hughes, founder of Hughes Commercial Properties, said the interior aesthetic will include hardwood flooring with hand-painted stenciling, shiplap walls, and 150-year-old cypress wood ceiling panels.

“It will be very cosmopolitan,” Velda Hughes said.

Parking for Avenue will be available at the adjacent parking garage, including private valet service after business hours.

Venue rental fees start at $2,500 for a 10-hour event Sunday-Thursday and $3,000 for 10 hours Friday-Saturday.

Floor plan provided by by Planters, Inc.

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

| AGRICULTURE | 7

Spartanburg County tourism officials unveil digital tour to boost local agri-biz TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF

tanderson@communityjournals.com Spartanburg County residents and visitors have a new digital tool that will help them find agricultural activities in the community.

The Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCVB) announced it has launched Grown in Spartanburg, a mobile-friendly website that features local farms, food stands, and farmers markets.

A map on the site highlights several destinations in the county and provides phone numbers, directions, hours of operation, and brief descriptions of each farm, stand, or market.

“We want travelers to understand the importance of agriculture in Spartanburg County, visit working farms, and buy local, farm-fresh products,” said Chris Jennings, executive vice president of the SCVB. “The Grown in Spartanburg tour allows visitors to get up close and personal with the people and places that make up Spartanburg’s diverse agricultural offerings.”

Jennings said there are a lot more agricultural opportunities than most people realize in the county. The SCVB focused on destinations that are regularly open to the public.

The map includes the Landrum Farmers Market, Strawberry Hill U.S.A., Johnson Farms, Inman Farmers Market, Hughey Farms, Belue Farms Natural Foods Market, several Abbott Farms stands in Boiling Springs and Cowpens, Monarch Café and Fresh Food Store, the Hub City Co-op grocery store, Greyrock Farms dairy farm, Green Acres Produce stand, and Simple Times Farm.

Jennings said he believes the list will continue to grow.

“We said, ‘Hey, let’s let folks get out and about and see some of these great offerings we have,’” he said. “When folks are here, they want to see, taste, and experience something authentic.”

Jennings said the SCVB and its partners have been working in concert to develop virtual tours and other tools that residents and visitors can use to

explore what the county has to offer.

Those tools include a new Spartanburg Music Trail and a mobile site for Croft State Park.

Jennings said agriculture was one of the cornerstones of the county’s Tourism Action Plan, which was completed in 2011.

“This was a pretty natural addition to our portfolio of local trails and tours,” he said.

“When folks are here, they want to see, taste, and experience something authentic.”

Chris Jennings

James Cooley, owner of Cooley Farms Inc. and Strawberry Hill U.S.A., said he is pleased with the SCVB’s new tour.

“Anything to help,” said Cooley, who was named the Swisher Sweets/ Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year for South Carolina in 2013.

“We live in the best county, the best state, the best nation in the world. We are so blessed to be here in Spartanburg. We’re here because of the public and all of the great people who support us.”

The SCVB said print versions of the map and guide are available at the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce in downtown, South Carolina Welcome Centers, and hotels and other attractions across the county.

After the applause, the stage goes dark…

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We don’t sell systems, we create security solutions.

A subsidiary of Blue Ridge Electric Co-op

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8 | DEVELOPMENT |

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Outside developers set their sights on redeveloping County Square RUDOLPH BELL | STAFF

rbell@communityjournals.com With a few exceptions, the redevelopment of downtown Greenville has been the work of a handful of local real estate developers working hand-in-glove with the City of Greenville. There’s a different pattern in play now that Greenville County is soliciting bids for the redevelopment of County Square.

At least six outside developers — some of whom do business across the country — have expressed an interest in the prominent county-owned property, nearly 38 acres of high ground next to Falls Park.

If things go as planned, by summer the county, not the city, will pick one of the developers to preside over what could be the biggest downtown development ever.

Greenville Mayor Knox White called the project “a little bit scary” and said it was bound to affect the West End even beyond the boundaries of County Square in such areas as traffic.

“You could end up changing the character of downtown if you’re not careful,” White said, adding that the county has been cooperating with the city in planning for the development.

Two local experts in commercial real estate said they see opportunities in the situation.

Charles Reyner, director of commercial development for Greenville’s Windsor Aughtry Co., said he’s hoping the developer the county selects for the project will be able to entice five or six corporations to establish new offices at County Square.

“If this project is done right, it would generate more than half a billion dollars of investment,” Reyner said, and could take 10 to 15 years to complete.

Greenville developer and commercial real estate broker Charlie Whitmire said he’s glad to see “some new blood and ideas infused into our community.”

The interest in County Square from outside developers is further evidence that “institutional money now feels comfortable with Greenville,” said Whitmire, a vice president in the local office of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer.

DEVELOPERS EYEING COUNTY SQUARE INCLUDE: RocaPoint Partners: Based in Atlanta, RocaPoint is the Southeastern affiliate of New York’s Georgetown Co., whose national real estate portfolio is worth billions of dollars, said Phil Mays, a RocaPoint

The GE Global Operations Center in Cincinnati was developed by Carter Developments.

Host. Connect. Work. Play.

864-232-5600 • 17th Floor One Liberty Square, 55 Beattie Place • commerce-club.com

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principal.

“We’ve looked at Greenville as an excellent market for some time and have been looking for some opportunity there, something with enough size for our group, and this kind of fit that bill,” Mays said.

Previous Georgetown projects include the development of InterActiveCorp’s headquarters in New York City and the redevelopment of the former Herald Examiner newspaper offices in downtown Los Angeles.

“We have a large contact list and a large track record of success working with corporate headquarter clients,” Mays said.

Carter Developments: The Atlanta firm’s previous work includes The Banks, an 18-acre, mixed-use development along the riverfront in downtown Cincinnati between the home stadiums of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cincinnati Reds.

Carter’s work at The Banks included the development of a 338,000-square-foot office tower for General Electric Co. Selig Enterprises: The Atlanta firm’s previous work includes 12th and Midtown, a four-block, mixed-

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

| DEVELOPMENT | 9

use development in Atlanta that includes the 414-room Loews Atlanta Hotel and more than 700,000 square feet of office space, according to its website.

One of Selig’s partners in 12th and Midtown was Daniel Corp., a Birmingham-based developer formed in 1964 as a real estate and investment vehicle for Greenville-based Daniel Construction.

• Two other developers who attended a Feb. 9 meeting in Greenville for parties interested in the redevelopment of County Square included Crosland Southeast of Charlotte, which developed the Shops at Greenridge shopping center along Woodruff Road in Greenville, and Third Palm Capital, a Dallas-based firm that has built residential towers in Florida and New York and redeveloped office space in Houston.

Executives with Carter, Selig, Crosland, and Third Palm did not immediately respond to inquiries from UBJ.

& PH

12th and Midtown, which includes the 414-room Loews Atlanta Hotel, was developed by Selig Enterprises.

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10 | PROFILE |

WILLIAM R. COBB - J M SMITH CORP.

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WILLIAM R. COBB - J M SMITH CORP.

| PROFILE | 11

THE MAN AT THE HUB Retiring after four decades at J M Smith, CEO Bill Cobb saw the beginning of the tech boom and helped mold Spartanburg into a modern city WORDS BY TREVOR ANDERSON | PHOTO BY JACK ROBERT PHOTOGRAPHY

A

fter 41 years with Spartanburg-based J M Smith Corp., 19 of those as chairman and CEO, William R. “Bill” Cobb will retire Feb. 28.

Under Cobb’s leadership, J M Smith has become the third-largest privately held company in South Carolina, providing jobs for hundreds in Spartanburg and beyond across its five divisions — Smith Drug Co., QS/1, Integral Solutions Group, RxMedic, and Integra.

Employees were recently informed of their leader’s departure. The company expects to announce Cobb’s replacement soon.

“This has been in the works for some time,” Cobb said. “When I began my career here, I never dreamed that I’d be retiring as chairman some 40 years later. I have been guided by a set of principles instilled in me by the Smith family — ‘We need to remember the basics: Be a good supplier to our customers, be a good customer to our suppliers, be a good investment for our shareholders, be a good employer to our employees, and be a good citizen in our community.’ I like to think that is as true today as it was then.”

EARLY ADOPTER Cobb, 70, was born and raised in Spartanburg. He was a member of the first class that graduated from Paul M. Dorman High School and played trumpet in the school’s band.

He briefly attended the University of South Carolina before joining the U.S. Army. After completing basic training at Fort Jackson in 1967, Cobb

secured a place on the West Point Band, the army’s oldest active duty band.

While he was playing in the band, Cobb was accepted into an introductory computer class at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

After he married his wife, Linda, in 1968, Cobb continued to learn about computers. Contemplating a career in the army or a career outside it, he took a job as a third-shift computer operator at IBM. Cobb continued taking programming classes and was eventually hired to work full-time at IBM. In 1971, he earned an associate degree from Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He and his wife decided to move to Spartanburg. Cobb found a job working as a computer operator at Spartanburg-based Milliken & Co., where he earned $106 per week.

The following year, he took a programmer position at Smith Data Processing, a division that grew out of the wholesale drug distribution company founded by James M. Smith in 1943. When he joined the company, Cobb was one of five programmers.

In 1974, he earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina-Spartanburg, now University of South Carolina Upstate.

Cobb left Smith in 1975, but came back the following year.

In 1977, he helped launch the company’s new QS/1 pharmacy system. The program was created to bring automation to American pharmacies.

QS/1 became the third division of J M Smith Corp. in 1990 and Cobb was

named president. Eight years later, he was named CEO and chairman of J M Smith.

“I liked what I was doing,” Cobb said. “I have deep roots in Spartanburg County. I had a job that I liked in a community that I liked living in.

Granted, there are probably other places that are more exciting than Spartanburg, but this is a great place to raise a family.”

REMOLDING DOWNTOWN SPARTANBURG Cobb said it was the late Roger Milliken who helped spark his interest in the environment and community beautification.

In 2003, the company helped change the face of downtown by building the new corporate headquarters for QS/1 in a largely unused parking lot at the intersection of Daniel Morgan Avenue and St. John Street.

The following year, Smith Drug Co. moved from its facility off College Street on the city’s north side to a new center off Fairforest Road. The older facility was renovated and is now the headquarters for Integral Solutions Group.

J M Smith’s corporate headquarters is at 101 W St. John St., in a building the company purchased in 1998. On most days, groups of QS/1 employees can be seen walking around downtown.

Next to J M Smith’s building, the company is creating a public park near its floral clock at the intersection of St. John and Church streets.

‘A SUCCESS AT RETIREMENT’ Cobb is the founder of the Spartanburg Jazz Ensemble and regularly plays in the Spartanburg Community Band.

He has served on the board of Wofford College, the Spartanburg Commission for Higher Education, the S.C. ETV Foundation, and the Arts Partnership of Spartanburg.

USC Upstate recognized Cobb as its Distinguished Alumnus of 2002.

In 2009, he was awarded the Neville Holcombe citizenship award by the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce.

After he retires, Cobb said he plans to continue playing trumpet and being active in the community. He has several trips planned, including a tour of the Mt. Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, a visit to Italy, and a cruise to the Galápagos Islands.

Cobb said he plans to continue supporting local cultural, arts, and education programs.

He is a member of a hiking club and plans to continue pursuing his passion for woodworking, as well as spending time with his wife and grandchildren.

“I plan on being a success at retirement,” he said. “I don’t think there’s anything remarkable about my life story. I hate to chalk it up to luck, but I feel like I was very lucky. When you get an opportunity, you make the most of it. That’s what I did. I showed up every day. I worked hard and I was always prepared.”

COBB continued on PAGE 12

independent agents, like those at Herlong Bates Burnett Insurance, Inc., to provide you with solutions tailored to your business. Together, 12 | PROFILE | our local resources and national expertise provide the protection your business needs to continue to thrive. Learn about the coverages we can offer your business at libertymutualgroup.com/business or No two small businesses https://insurancegreenvillesc.com/.

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WILLIAM R. COBB - JM SMITH CORP

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28 Global Drive, Suite 102 Greenvil e, SC 29607 Global Drive, Suite 102 P:28Greenville, 864-527-0424 SC 29607 28P:Global Drive, Suite 102 864-527-0424 F:F:864-527-0443 Greenville, SC 29607 864-527-0443 28 Global Drive, Suite 102 28 Global Drive, Suite 102 P: 864-527-0424 Greenville, SC 29607 Greenville, SC 29607 P: F: 864-527-0424 864-527-0443 P:F:864-527-0424 864-527-0443 F: 864-527-0443

TomBates Bates Tom

The Bill Cobb Journey 1967: Completes U.S. Army basic training at Fort Jackson; enrolls in introductory computer class at West Point.

1968: Joins IBM as third-shift computer operator.

1971: Moves to Spartanburg with wife Linda. Works at Milliken for $106 a week.

1972: Joins Smith Data Processing as one of five programmers.

1974: Earns bachelor’s degree from USC Spartanburg (now USC Upstate).

1977: Helps launch Smith’s new QS/1 pharmacy automation system.

1990: QS/1 becomes a division of J M Smith; Cobb is named president.

1998: Named CEO and chairman of J M Smith.

2002: Recognized by USC Upstate as a distinguished alumnus.

2003: New corporate HQ for QS/1 built on Daniel Morgan Avenue and St. John Street.

2009: Receives Neville Holcombe citizenship award from the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce.

2017: Announces retirement effective Feb. 28.

POINTS OF PRIDE In addition to J M Smith’s numerous innovations, Cobb said he is very proud of its commitment to its employees reflected in its retirement and health care plans.

But Cobb said he is also proud of paths the company has opened for its employees to better themselves through education.

In 2010, Cobb and 16 of the company’s upper- and mid-level managers earned their Master of Business Administration degrees from USC. He said the group took classes two nights per week and one Saturday per month, followed by a class in Europe.

“I couldn’t quit because all of my people were in the class; they couldn’t quit because I was in the class,” he said.

Cobb said it was Roger Milliken who helped spark his interest in the environment and community beautification. Some of his other influencers include his high school chemistry teacher Bob McDaniels and band director Earl Mays.

Within the J M Smith organization, he said leaders like Jim Smith Jr., Henry Dale Smith, and Beverly Moss PatrickRawlins Rawlins Beverly Taylor Herlong Patrick BeverlyDuvall Duvall Curtis Curtis Taylor Michael Michael Herlong Smith set an example of “impeccable quality, integrity, and genuine concern Patrick Rawlins Rawlins Beverly Curtis Taylor Herlong Patrick BeverlyDuvall Duvall Curtis Taylor Michael Michael Herlong for the people around them and who worked for them.”

His fellow programmer Walter Kay also influenced him, Cobb said. © 2017 Liberty Mutual Insurance. Insurance underwritten by Liberty Mutual©Insurance Co., Boston, or its affiliates or subsidiaries.

2017 Liberty Mutual MA, Insurance.

Insurance underwritten by Outside of the office, Cobb said he Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., Boston, MA, or its affiliates or subsidiaries. © 2017 Liberty Mutual Insurance. Insurance underwritten by © 2017 Liberty Mutual Insurance. Insurance underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., Boston, MA, or its affiliates or subsidiaries.

Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., Boston, MA, or its affiliates or subsidiaries.

2.24.2017

COBB continued from PAGE 11

EARLY INFLUENCES

Tom Bates Tom Bates

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always had great respect for other business leaders, including George Dean Johnson Jr. and Bill Barnet.

“They set the gold standard for being good businessmen and caring for the community,” he said. “They put their money where their mouths were.”

COMMUNITY TRIBUTES Spartanburg leaders expressed their appreciation for Cobb and his leadership of J M Smith.

Bill Barnet, chairman of Northside Development Group: “The Smith organization is a major part of our community. It’s a big company with a big reach. They have been investors in the community, whether it’s the arts or the [S.C.] School for the Deaf and Blind, and many other projects. …

Their CEO is a very large player in our world. … Bill loves music and beautification. In his own quiet way, he has had an enormous impact on the evolution of Spartanburg.”

Junie White, mayor of Spartanburg: “Without Bill and his companies, Spartanburg wouldn’t be what it is today. We are fortunate to have a man of his stature in the community. We will miss him. He had his own ways, but always had the community on his mind. We wish him all the best.”

2.24.2017

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

Fields said Sencorables has been funded

by Biesheuvel, a Netherlands native who owned a construction company in Dubai before selling it and moving to Greenville with his family in October.

the company’s headquarters in downtown Spartanburg.

“A lot of the stuff we’ll be doing in the future will be with the internet of things,” Fields said, using a term that refers to inanimate objects equipped with sensors collecting data from their environment and using Wi-Fi to transmit it between themselves and to people. —Rudolph Bell

Hovey said every dollar raised for the campaign supports up to 10 meals for children who “might not know where their next meal is coming from.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Verizon announces $3.5M expansion of Mauldin call center Construction of the Harris Teeter at Lewis Plaza has come to a halt. Photo by Will Crooks

RETAIL

Harris Teeter at Lewis Plaza still planned despite limited construction activity The construction site for a new Harris Teeter in Lewis Plaza on Augusta Street in Greenville showed no activity and little building recently, prompting questions about when the grocery store, announced more than two years ago, will open.

Initially, construction was expected to be completed in the first quarter of this year.

Nearby business owners said they have been told that date has moved to this fall.

A Harris Teeter spokesperson told UBJ Feb. 14 the company didn’t have “any updated information” to share. Danna Robinson, the spokesperson, didn’t respond to additional questions by email.

At the graded site on a recent weekday, no construction crews were working. A piece of Caterpillar equipment sat idle.

One wall had been erected.

In July 2015, demolition work on the redesign of Lewis Plaza had begun, and a new 53,000-square-foot, two-story Harris Teeter store was expected. Plans for the store were unveiled at a community meeting in December 2014.

Harris Teeter officials said the new Lewis Plaza store would offer all of the amenities of a “super flag or high-end store.” A second-floor mezzanine area would have a sit-down wine bar with outdoor terrace seating.

The project architect, Rajeev Bhave of Matthews, N.C.-based Arcons Design Studio, said Feb. 15 that once the design is completed and the project goes out to bid, “Harris-Teeter handles all the construction issues, schedule, contract, etc. We’re really not involved in that.”

Harris Teeter will open its second Greenville location and serve as the anchor tenant at NorthPointe mixed-

use project on Stone Avenue with a 53,000-square-foot grocery store similar to the one at Lewis Plaza. —David Dykes

TECHNOLOGY

Startup Sencorables plans $3.5M investment in Greenville A Greenville startup says it’s getting ready to start selling its high-tech product to the carpet industry.

Sencorables LLC was founded a year and a half ago to make a paper-thin material that can sense the number and location of people in a room and communicate the information wirelessly, said Robert Fields, chief operating officer of the fouremployee venture.

The material can be affixed to carpet or mats, where it can help hoteliers keep track of the locations of their guests and thus heat and cool their properties more efficiently, Fields said.

He said major carpet and mat makers are testing the material now, and Sencorables expects to begin selling its product for the first time in less than 60 days.

Sencorables is having its product made in Dalton, Ga., a center for carpet production, under contract with a company called Fabric Systems International, Fields said.

Willem Biesheuvel, Sencorables CEO, said the technology can be used in various industries, including the health care, bedding, or automotive industries, and Sencorables plans to develop additional products.

Fields said Sencorables plans to hire about 25 engineers and software developers over the next three years and will spend at least $3.5 million for new equipment at its research and development facility along Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Greenville.

| NEWS IN BRIEF | 13

The state of South Carolina has offered tax breaks to Verizon Wireless in exchange for new jobs at the company’s call center in the Brookfield office park off of Interstate 385 in Mauldin.

Miller said it was the largest annual donation the company has ever made to the campaign.

The company’s 2016 fundraiser ran from September through mid-December and was supported by more than 1,500 Denny’s restaurants across the country.

Diners were given a discount coupon in exchange for each donation. The company also donated $1 each time a guest shared a food photo on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #ShareMySlam. —Trevor Anderson

The state Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits for the expansion, according to a Feb. 16 news release from the state Commerce Department.

Those credits provide a rebate of new employees’ withholding taxes, with the exact amount depending on the pay structure and the company’s location within South Carolina.

In its news release, the Commerce Department offered a different number of new jobs, 260, and said Verizon Wireless was spending $3.5 million improving its Mauldin facility.

Mauldin Mayor Dennis Raines said in the Commerce statement that Verizon Wireless “has been a great business partner in Mauldin for many years.”

Previously, a Verizon Wireless recruiter told UBJ in late December that the company planned to add 185 customer service workers in Greenville by August and 281 telesales workers by the end of 2017” — Rudoplh Bell

PHILANTHROPY

Denny's gifts $1 million to No Kid Hungry Spartanburg-based Denny’s Corp. announced last week its customers helped it score a grand slam in the fight against childhood hunger in America.

The family-dining chain said it raised $1 million in 2016 for the Washington D.C.-based nonprofit Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.

Denny’s chief executive John Miller and Paul Spencer, director of corporate social responsibility, presented a check to Diana Hovey, managing director for Dine Out for No Kid Hungry, during a ceremony at

Jersey Mike's coming soon to Hillcrest Shopping Center

RESTAURANTS

Spartanburg's first Jersey Mike's under construction Spartanburg County’s first Jersey Mike’s Subs restaurant will open in late March at Hillcrest shopping center.

The 40-seat eatery, which is owned by franchisee Arthur Francis “A.F.” Rodgers IV, will be in a 1,620-square-foot space that was previously a part of the Ichiban Japanese restaurant between Stein Mart and Taco Dog. Rodgers, a former teacher and athletic director at E.P. Todd Elementary School in Spartanburg, said he has already hired a general manager and anticipates hiring about 10 to 15 employees for the store.

A construction crew was busy last week renovating the space at the shopping center at 1985 E. Main St. on Spartanburg’s east side, which is owned

by New York-based Brixmor Property Group.

Rodgers, a native of Stone Mountain, Ga., moved to Spartanburg from Charleston with his wife, Jill Rodgers, five years ago.

Jill is an architect with McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture in Spartanburg.

Dave Bockstahler, area director for Jersey Mike’s, said the company plans to add more locations in Spartanburg and the surrounding areas. —Trevor Anderson

UBJ

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2.24.2017

These 10 entrepreneurs, innovators, and disruptors are ready to start sparks

READY to

ignite Words by David Dykes and Andrew Moore Photos by Will Crooks and Katie Fenske

Paul and Mark Johnson of Pathwright.

Photo by Will Crooks.

2.24.2017

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

10 STARTUPS TO WATCH

| COVER | 15

This week Upstate Business Journal is highlighting 10 startups to watch in 2017. Some are staffed by reformed hackers. Others by university researchers.

But all are a part of the Upstate startup community.

It’s not an all-inclusive list by any means, but it is one that outlines how these companies started, what they do, and some of the names behind them.

Keep your eye on these enterprises in the coming year as they carve out their space in the Upstate and beyond.

Pathwright

Modjoul

Online Education

Employee Safety

In 2011, twin brothers Paul and Mark Johnson founded Pathwright. The former hackers have created a simple content management system that allows educators to create, distribute, and sell online education courses.

According to Paul Johnson, the goal of Pathwright is to provide educators with access to students across the world. The content management system should allow educators to earn their salary without institutions.

Pathwright users can create a single course or build an entire online school as well as train employees and customers. Each course comes with a built-in social network for every student, allowing them to share notes and discuss questions.

The brothers have decided to forgo fundraising; instead they are relying on their own personal finances to grow Pathwright. Their team has grown to about 12 employees, and Pathwright is used by more than 200,000 people across the world.

Modjoul was started last year to address the fact that workplace injuries cost U.S. companies $62 billion per year, according to the company’s CEO Jen Thorson.

The startup has created a wearable belt that uses sensors and controls to track the safety and performance of employees in the construction, manufacturing, and health care industries. The sensors, which transmit encrypted data to the cloud, were created

by Clemson University professor Goutam Koley.

Modjoul, which has 10 employees, has attracted a strong leadership team. Eric Martinez Jr. joined the company as president and CEO last year. He was formerly the global head of claims and operations at American Insurance Group Inc., a multinational insurance corporation with a market cap of about $69 million.

The company expects production to begin in March or April of this year.

Ellipsis Technologies Cybersecurity Ellipsis Technologies has developed web-security technology called The Human Presence. The software can tell the difference between a human and botnet traffic in milliseconds, reducing the need for captchas — those annoying human-detection tests used to deter “bots” from accessing websites.

“What we do is effectively a captcha test, but instead of you having to enter anything to tell the website you’re human, we do it based on data we can track around the site. It’s a totally passive way to use algorithms to determine what looks like a human and what looks like a bot,” said Ellipsis co-founder Matt Dunbar, who is also the managing director of the Upstate Carolina Angel Network.

Ellipsis was founded in 2014 by Dunbar; Bill West, a managing partner at The Atlantic Partners; Gnoso Inc. founder and CEO Peter Waldschmidt; and ProActive Technology founder Andrew Kurtz as CTO. The Human Presence is already being used by ScanSource and other companies across South Carolina.

STARTUPS continued on PAGE 16

16 | COVER |

10 STARTUPS TO WATCH

STARTUPS continued from PAGE 15

VRM Labs Bioengineering VRM Labs, which was founded in 2013 at Clemson University, has created technology to produce a new natural antioxidant called Prot-X, which is a cost-effective substitute for synthetic preservatives used in the pet and animal feed industries.

The antioxidant has been proven to safely extend the shelf life of pet and animal feed by at least nine years, according to co-founder Alexey Vertegel, a professor of bioengineering at Clemson University.

UBJ

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2.24.2017

Alexey Vertegel and Vladimir Reukov of VRM Labs. Photo by Katie Fenske.

Vertegel founded VRM Labs with co-worker Vladimir Reukov. Both professors specialize in oxidative stress, enzyme- and protein-based antioxidants, and natural antioxidant-based therapeutics.

VRM Labs is now seeking to raise $1.9 million in Series A funding for a full-scale production. In December, VRM Labs received a $200,000 investment from SC Launch to “scale their manufacturing process, gain regulatory approval, and begin pilot sales� of a substitute for synthetic preservatives, according to a news release.

2.24.2017

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

10 STARTUPS TO WATCH

| COVER | 17

Really Good Emails Marketing

Package InSight Packaging In 2009, a group of university researchers began development of an immersive consumer laboratory to quantify packaging design.

Package InSight is a Clemson University startup and partner that licenses the methodology, technology, and state-of-the-art retail environment to provide clients with quality data concerning package performance. The company performs shelf impact studies to determine how well a product stands out in a particular product category. Package InSight also offers performance studies to show how a company’s products and materials affect the bottom line.

All studies are reviewed by university faculty, tested according to established methods and protocols, and use the latest technology in biometric devices such as mobile eye tracking.

The company partners with Clemson's consumer experience laboratory at the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics.

Greenville entrepreneur Andrew Hurley and his team also built The Packaging School, an online education platform based on short videos, quizzes, and modules.

GoCorp Construction Greenville-based GoCorp aims to help owners of concrete construction companies succeed with software that determines exactly what job costs are for every project. Employees enter information in real time on the time spent on each project, which can then be measured against project estimates. The data collected through GoCorp’s PayCrew software can be used to plan, make mid-project adjustments, and reward productive behavior.

The company is developing SkillWorks, designed to work with PayCrew. SkillWorks standardizes skills required to complete each cost code and defines a company standard for training required.

During the daily time approval process, each supervisor uses the SkillWorks rating system to evaluate each employee's ability to complete the tasks they worked on and then approve the time worked.

The results of the evaluation can be viewed daily by everyone to create conversation that accelerates training.

Steve Garber, with more than 25 years of strategic planning experience, co-founded PayCrew with Lee Clark. Both had worked at Garber Bros. Precision Concrete, which Garber founded in 1984 and where Clark managed the company’s financial responsibilities.

DirtJockey Heavy Equipment

TipHive Communication TipHive is a cloud-based software platform that facilitates communication and knowledge sharing via “hives” that store and share information on any topic. Users create TipCards, filled with information that needs to be shared with a team. The cards are then organized into hives — collections of cards about a specific topic. A TipCard can be sorted into multiple hives, helping to personalize the flow of information within a team.

The company says TipHive “is used however you want to: at work, at home, at school, or wherever life takes you.”

The company relocated to Greenville as a startup in The Iron Yard’s 2013 accelerator and attracted attention from local investors as well as SC Launch.

TipHive founder Joost Wentink recently announced that based on TipHive's success in the U.S., they will be expanding abroad.

Josh Lewis, CEO and co-founder of DirtJockey, said that over a few years working with heavy equipment dealers he kept seeing the same problems surface: They didn't have the technology to meet the unique demands of their job.

In 2013, DirtJockey was born to solve those challenges. It provides a platform built around the unique workflow of heavy equipment dealers, while its software helps dealers all over the world sell more iron.

The company says DirtJockey can keep track of contact information, activity, and inventory for current and potential customers.

In addition, the company allows users to organize customers, vendors, and other contacts they do business with; search and filter by location, communication, and inventory for sale; and see all emails, call activity, and other information between everyone on their team.

Matthew Smith, founder of design agency Fathom and Draft, has started and sold several businesses, worked as the chief creative director for various startups, and led projects for clients like The Gates Foundation.

In 2014, Smith founded Really Good Emails, a gallery of more than 1,500 email designs divided into about 100 categories. Smith and three other designers have been collecting and curating the gallery based on design quality, mobile responsiveness, and more.

The gallery has become popular among designers and email marketers.

“Our goal is to become the center of everything email, and we are becoming that,” said Smith. “We will become the answer to the questions: Where do I go to find the best resources for email, the best templates? How do I choose a provider? How do I learn how to use email better to sell our product?”

A self-funded company, Really Good Emails hasn’t accepted any investments to date. However, Smith said the startup would be open to outside funding in the future.

ThoroughCare Health Care ThoroughCare is a health care software company developed in the Iron Yard’s health technology accelerator designed to quickly identify the riskiest patients.

Instead of long forms and questionnaires, ThoroughCare uses a TurboTax-style interview to quickly and efficiently capture important information about the patient, while risk stratification and interventions are identified behind the scenes. The company says its solution helps hospitals and community health groups better identify and engage “at-risk” populations.

ThoroughCare is modifying its product so that it could be used in the patient discharge process as well, reducing the need for tedious forms. That included identifying patients who are likely to be readmitted.

Now, the company also touts its chronic care management (CCM) program for medical practices to they can use their own secure, HIPAA-compliant software portal with unlimited users and patients, a live dashboard showing current CCM minutes, careplan reports for patient and other providers, and integration with annual wellness visit software.

Dan Godla is the founder and CEO. He is an information technology professional with more than 10 years experience in creating various innovative technical solutions across several different industries and more than seven years exclusively in health care information technology.

18 | SQUARE FEET |

UBJ

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

DAVID DYKES | STAFF

ddykes@communityjournals.com |

City planners approve revised plans for Stone Avenue townhomes

The

Southern Investment & Development LLC proposes nine townhomes in the first phase of a development on West Stone Avenue in Greenville.

Rendering by Tindall Architecture more windows on the townhomes’ ground floor.

The planning commission approved separate applications by Southern Investments for a subdivision of 0.9 acres for the 18 townhomes at 109 and 117 W. Stone Ave. and a multifamily development.

Southern Investment held a neighborhood meeting Jan. 31 and residents voiced support for the revisions, including a row of townhomes across the rear of the property to help alleviate concerns of road noise, lighting overflow, and potential stormwater runoff issues.

Grading for the project should begin in the early summer and townhomes available in late 2017 or early 2018, Christopher Laney, Southern’s managing partner, told UBJ. Carriage homes, with two or three

2.24.2017

@daviddykes

Mixed-use commercial project approved on Laurens Road

Greenville’s Planning Commission approved a developer’s revised plans for 18 townhomes on West Stone Avenue one block west of Main Street.

The applicant, Southern Investment & Development LLC, proposes nine townhomes in the project’s first phase. That would independently meet the dimensional requirements for a subdivision if the second phase isn’t completed, according to a staff analysis.

The second phase would add nine more townhomes.

The revised plans, which drew no opposition at a commission meeting Feb. 16, offer a better design for developing the project in phases than initially proposed, specifically fire truck access and turnaround, city officials said.

The revised plans address previous site recommendations by the Planning Commission, Design Review Board, and the city’s design consultant.

The site plan now has a central courtyard, with all townhomes now facing in to provide an area of concentrated green space.

The project also provides more than the required amount of space per unit, in both common and private areas, city officials said.

Further, the revised plans create “a more engaging and pedestrian-friendly feel” along the Stone Avenue frontage. Elevations have been revised to address Stone Avenue frontage through the addition of larger front porches and

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bedrooms and about 1,400 square feet, should be priced from the high $200,000s, he said. Manor homes, with three or four bedrooms and about 2,100 square feet, will start in the low $400,000s, he said.

“We think that the western side of Main Street on Stone Avenue has a lot of opportunity for growth,” Laney said. “We think that this is close enough to Main Street to be walkable, and to be able to walk to The Bohemian [cafe and restaurant], walk to Two Chefs, and all those types of establishments. We think it’s a really unique location and a good opportunity.”

The townhomes will adjoin a commercial development of retail, restaurant, and office space, including a second location of Coffee Underground.

Greenville

Planning

Commission approved plans for a major mixed-use commercial project that planners say is consistent with the Verdae master plan and critical to redevelopment of the Laurens Road corridor.

The applicant — Alliance Consulting Engineers — plans the project on nearly 70 acres at Henderson and Laurens roads on property owned by Verdae Properties LLC, according to city records.

The project is part of the $100 million Laurens Road redevelopment effort Verdae Development Inc. announced in 2014 for 30 acres of retail, 70 acres of residential, a new park, and trails connecting to the Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail.

Ryan Hall, a project engineer with Alliance Consulting, told the commission that asphalt parking lots cover the site and the hope is the project will “help grow the area and bring it back to a good standing.”

Chris Stover, a Verdae Development project manager, said the development will be the centerpiece of the effort announced in 2014. The property is being marketed as a commercial development and no residential is planned in this area, he said. State transportation officials will require substantial improvements on Laurens Road, Stover said.

No one opposed the project at the commission meeting.

Sales up 40 percent at The Cliffs STAFF REPORT

Business is looking up for The Cliffs, the seven luxury real estate communities in the Upstate and western North Carolina.

The brand reported more than $119 million in property sales in 2016, up 40 percent over 2015.

“Last year’s total sales were the strongest we’ve experienced in many years,” said Kent Smith, president of the Cliffs Land Partners, which handles the real estate.

The Cliffs also reported 221 new club members last year for a total of 2,890 families enrolled.

It has spent more than $12.5 million on new amenities at its properties since 2012.

Going forward, the Cliffs said it plans to introduce a new mobile phone platform this year that will allow members to book tee times, make dining reservations, register for events, order takeout food on the golf course, order boat dock transport to a clubhouse, and perform other functions.

SPONSORED CONTENT

UBJ

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

Chris & Erin Couchell

BRINGING COMFORT TO THE

community is more than a job for this award-winning company. At Comfort Keepers, providing home care for seniors in the upstate has been a passion for more than a decade.

The group can offer care from a few hours daily to twenty-four hour assistance.

In addition to helping seniors with everyday household needs, caregivers can assist clients with shopping, attending local theatre productions, and socializing at local senior citizens centers.

Erin Couchell, owner and lifelong resident of Spartanburg, has earned the trust of seniors in the communities surrounding Greenville and Spartanburg. Her business is keeping the elderly in the comfortable environment of their own home.

Couchell said, “I love coming to work each day and finding a fit between clients and caregivers. We have wonderful caregivers that bring joy to people every day.”

“I think home is always the best place,” Couchell says. “Home is where your memories and possessions are--both physical and emotional. Someone that can be healthy in their own home is going to see a higher quality of life.”

Erin opened the Spartanburg location in 2006 with her mother-in-law, Kiki Couchell. She noticed a need for non-medical in-home senior care after her own mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

“I was working full time and struggling with caring for a loved one and working,” Couchell recalls after her mother was diagnosed. “We found there were a lot of in-home care options, but we didn’t have anything like that in Spartanburg.”

Comfort Keepers offers many services to its clients, including light housekeeping, E. Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302 respite and end-of-life care, help with945 hygiene, transportation and companionship. With over three hundred well-trained caregivers, Comfort 864-573-2353 Keepers has the ability to match caregivers with clients whose needs and personalities fit.

“Everybody at Comfort Keepers is great,” one reviewer wrote, giving the company a five-star rating. “They truly care about every staff member, caregiver, and client.”

Fact 1 Comfort Keepers was named a Leader in Excellence, Provider of Choice, and Employer of Choice in 2017 by Best of Home Care.

Fact 2 Each individual location is independently owned and operated. Erin Couchell and her husband, Chris, own both the Greenville and Spartanburg locations.

Fact 3 In addition to helping the community’s seniors, the Couchells are raising three daughters.

Fact 4 Comfort KeepersDrive, is a national organization that was rated #1 in senior care in 26 Rushmore Greenville, SC 29615 2015 by Franchise 500.

864-268-8993

GREENVILLE 864-268-8993 SPARTANBURG 864-573-2353 comfortkeepers.com

20 | DEALMAKERS | LEE & ASSOCIATES ANNOUNCES THE FOLLOWING TRANSACTIONS

Kevin Bentley was the agent in the lease of a 2,500-SF building at 450 S. Main St. in Mauldin by Everything After School to Turf Masters Lawn Care.

Randall Bentley was the agent in the lease of a 12,598-SF building at 112 Haywood Road in Greenville by 112 Haywood Road LLC to Raymond James & Associates Inc. Kevin Bentley was the agent in the sale of a 9.1AC property at Congaree Road and Griffith Road in Greenville by Joyce Alexander, trustee under the will of Sara B. Alexander to Jason N. Caldwell and Susan M. Benton, trustees of GDL Trust.

Deana Hudgens was the agent in the lease of a 1,554-SF property at 3519 Pelham Road, Suite 204, in Greenville by JenBella Properties LLC to Visions International LLC. Randall Bentley and Willz Tolbert were the agents in the lease of a 4,000SF property at 2 Maple Tree Court, Suite B, in Greenville by RAJMAN 04 LLC to St. Francis Physicians Services Inc. Randall Bentley and Ashley Trantham were the agents in the lease of a 2,700-SF property at 501 Richardson St., Suite A, in Simpsonville by E-Power Trading LLC to RSIX LLC. Randall Bentley was the agent in the lease of a 5,062-SF property at 12 Maple Tree Court, Suite 203, in Greenville

by RAJMAN 04 LLC to Island Global Yachting Ltd. Randall Bentley was the agent in the lease of a 19,200-SF property at 105 Ben Hamby Road, Suite F, in Greenville by Friddle Pelham LLC to the Optibelt Corporation.

UBJ

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS IN THE UPSTATE

Kevin Bentley was the agent in the lease of a 13,800-SF property at 1310 Garlington Road, Suites D, I, and K, in Greenville by Bell Garrett Lathan LLC to Carolina Bedding Direct LLC. Ashley Trantham was the agent in the lease of a 5,000-SF property at 7736 Augusta Road, Suites C and D, in Piedmont by Wilkins Holdings LLC to Carlos Ventura and James A. Rybak.

COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES THE FOLLOWING TRANSACTIONS

Brantley Anderson and Taylor Allen were the agents in the lease of a 2,218-SF office at Eastside Medical Center in Greenville by Greenville Men’s Health Group LLC to US Flagship MOBEnterprise.

Brantley Anderson and Taylor Allen were the agents in the lease of a 3,311-SF office at Eastside Medical Center in Greenville by Palladium Hospice and Palliative Care LLC to US Flagship MOB-Enterprise.

Brantley Anderson and Taylor Allen were the agents in the lease of a 2,260-SF office at Eastside Medical Center in Greenville by Vitality Medical Centers of Greenville Inc. to US Flagship MOB-Enterprise.

St. in Duncan by Microproperties Mansfield LLC.

S. Pine St. in Spartanburg

by VenKata and Pauline Iyer to The Buddy Group.

Brantley Anderson and Taylor Allen were the agents in the lease of a 2,260-SF property at 10 Enterprise Blvd. in Greenville by US Flagship MOB-Enterprise LLC to Vitality Medical Centers of Greenville Inc.

Andy Hayes and Ben Hines were the agents in the sale of a 7,740SF property at 2995 S. Pine St. in Spartanburg

by Advance Cleaning Company to TACE LP.

Richard Jackson was the agent in the sublease of a 76,800-SF property at Brookfield Oaks Drive in Greenville by Eberspaecher North America Inc. to Baier & Michel USA Inc. Scott Burgess and Lance Byars were the agents in the lease of a 2,520SF property at 655 Fairview Road, Suite J, in Simpsonville by New Market Fairview LLC to The Nail Lounge.

Scott Burgess and Lance Byars were the agents in the lease of a 1,950-SF property at 21 S. Main St. in Greenville by CAPROCQ Greenville LLC to Tropical Grille Downtown LLC. SPENCER HINES PROPERTIES ANNOUNCES THE FOLLOWING TRANSACTIONS

Andy Hayes and Ben Hines were the agents in the sale of a 60,000-SF property at 1751 Union St. in Spartanburg by Arthur State Bank to Wherekirk Properties LLC.

Frank Hammond and Nick Reinhardt were the agents in the sale of a 2.64-AC property at 2906 N. Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville by a group of sellers to Aldi.

Andy Hayes and Ben Hines were the agents in the sale of a 5,000SF property at 2969 Nazareth Road in Wellford

by Christopher Benyo to MA Huffman Investment.

Frank Hammond and Nick Reinhardt were the agents in the 6,000-SF expansion of a property at 1310 Garlington Road in Greenville by Carolina Bedding Direct LLC.

Andy Hayes and Ben Hines were the agents in the sale of an 8,840-SF property at 1451 E. Main St. in Spartanburg by Murphy Realty to Gerhard Faulstich.

Lyn Tyner was the agent in the sale of a commercial property at 1388 E. Main

Andy Hayes, Ben Hines, and Craig Jacobs were the agents in the sale of a 4,867-SF property at 844

Guy Harris was the agent in the sale of a 1,108-SF property at 827 Union St. in Spartanburg by FBSA 1 LLC to 827 Union LLC. Guy Harris was the agent in the sale of a 10,000-SF property at 2186 Chesnee Highway in Spartanburg by Yaro Enterprises to IMR Properties.

Andy Hayes and Ben Hines were the agents in the sale of a 27,000-SF property at 2100 Drayton Road in Spartanburg by Smith Pipe Dream to Blue Ridge Cabinet Works.

Lynn Spencer was the agent in the sale of a 21,835-SF property at 221 Pelham Road in Greenville by Pisgah LLC to Regulators Holdings.

Dale Seay was the agent in the sale of a 2.93AC property near the intersection of Reidville Road and Highway 101 in Greer by Strange Properties to Reidville 101 LLC. Neal Boyett was the agent in the sale of a 14,000SF property at 138 Dillon Drive in Spartanburg by KKY Properties LLC to 138 Dillon Drive LLC. Dale Seay was the agent in the sale of a 6,710-SF property at 419 Old John Dodd Road in Boiling Springs by Harman Brothers to Cushman & Henderson.

Robbie Romeiser was the agent in the sale of an 8,000-SF property at 8180 Valley Falls Road in Spartanburg by Eugene Cook to Humphries & Hutchins.

Andy Hayes and Ben

Hines were the agents in the lease of a 15,400SF property at 2771 Fairforest Clevedale Road in Spartanburg by DLT LLC to Sunbelt Rentals.

Dale Seay was the agent in the lease of a 600-SF property at 1000 N. Pine St., Unit 6, in Spartanburg

by Baker & Baker to Control Stop.

Neal Boyett was the agent in the lease of a 9,000SF property at 1865 E. Main St. in Spartanburg

by Wrench 290 to People Link.

Lynn Spencer was the agent in the lease renewal of a 288-SF property at 101 W. Saint John St. in Spartanburg by JM Smith to Sally Chambers.

Andy Hayes and Ben Hines were the agents in the lease of a 14,000-SF property at 2660 Reidville Road in Spartanburg

by Waterstone Retail to Spartanburg Regional.

Craig Jacobs was the agent in the lease of a 1,600-SF property at 300 Union St. in Spartanburg

by Baehr Investment to Mariama Kamara.

Guy Harris was the agent in the lease of a 2,800-SF property at 1578 Henderson Road in Asheville by Market Center LLC to Carolina Smoothie.

Andy Hayes, Ben Hines, and Craig Jacobs were the agents in the lease of a 1,000-SF property at 1400 Boiling Springs Road in Boiling Springs

by DL Properties of the Upstate to Greg Howell DC. Andy Hayes and Ben Hines were the agents in the lease of a 1,704-SF property at 775 Spartan Blvd. in Spartanburg

by Rose and Walter Montgomery to Medical Services of America.

Andy Hayes and Ben Hines were the agents in the lease of a 21,600SF property at 2994 Fairforest Clevedale

|

2.24.2017

Road in Spartanburg by Fairforest Southern to LNT Pallets.

Andy Hayes and Ben Hines were the agents in the lease of a 1,500SF property at 2199 Southport Road in Spartanburg by Cedar Springs Station to Team Carolinas.

Andy Hayes, Ben Hines, and Craig Jacobs were the agents in the lease of a 2,910-SF property at 1841 John B. White Sr. Blvd. in Spartanburg

by Waterstone Retail Development to BBCue Partners LLC. Guy Harris and Bobby Hines were the agents in the lease of a 2,520SF property at 430 Haywood Road, Unit C, in Spartanburg by KRKS Investments LLC to Telecell NC LLC. Andy Hayes and Ben Hines were the agents in the lease of a 5,000-SF property at 1220 Reidville Road in Spartanburg

by SHPM to Elite Management Group.

Craig Jacobs was the agent in the lease of a 750-SF property at 1023 Fernwood Glendale Road in Spartanburg

by Cambridge Place Properties to Crystal Davis.

Neal Boyett was the agent in the sale of a 6,000-SF property at 180-182 Metro Drive in Spartanburg by Neuburger Management to Stanislav Dyshko.

Craig Jacobs was the agent in the lease of a 2,400-SF property at 8686 Asheville Highway in Spartanburg by Sky King LLC to Upper Cervical Health.

Andy Hayes and Ben Hines were the agents in the lease of a 1,500SF property at 2528 Boiling Springs Road in Boiling Springs by Sparta Land Holdings to Khanh Nguyen.

2.24.2017

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS IN THE UPSTATE

Craig Jacobs and Lynn Spencer were the agents in the lease of a 6,000-SF property at 101 SW Park, Unit 2, in Spartanburg

by RLLR Group LLC to Palmetto Classic Cars.

Tim Satterfield was the agent in the sale of a 2.9-AC property at 875 Victor Hill Road in Greer

by Ramon Lozano Jr. to Plastic Omnium Exterior LLC.

Matt Vanvick was the agent in the lease of a 3,882-SF property at 502 S Main St. in Mauldin by Sue Ashley, Anita Anders, and Rebecca Ray to Eddie Posey.

COLDWELL BANKER COMMERCIAL CAINE GREENVILLE AND SPARTANBURG BROKERS ANNOUNCE THE FOLLOWING TRANSACTIONS

Tim Satterfield was the agent in the sale of a 1,260-SF property at 514 E. Main St. in Spartanburg

by WAF LLC to Elite Homecare LLC.

CUSHMAN AND WAKEFIELD ANNOUNCES THE FOLLOWING TRANSACTIONS

George Zimmerman was the agent in the sale of a 7,200-SF property at 4100 Pelham Road in Greenville by Pelham Interstate Joint Venture to 4100 Pelham LLC.

Charles Humphries, David Sigmon, and Nick Sardone were the agents in the lease of a 3,619SF property at 200 E. Broad St. in Greenville by Turner, Padget, Graham & Laney PA to Advanced Technology International.

George Zimmerman was the agent in the sale of a 3.7-AC property at Keys Drive in Greenville by Crawford Realty LP to The Myers Y. Cooper Company.

Graham Howle and Lakin Parr were the agents in the sale of a 1.25-AC property at 3409 Augusta St. in Greenville by NAJAM LLC to Design Development LLC.

Pete Brett, David Sigmnon, and Matt Vanvick were the agents in the lease of a 2,176SF property at 2815 Woodruff Road, Suite 102, in Simpsonville by CHIWoodruff LLC to Summit 22 LLC.

Brian Young, Elliott Fayssoux, and Kacie Jackson were the agents in the lease of a 35,870SF property at 205 Parkway East in Duncan

by Becknell Industrial to All-American T-Shirts.

Edward Wilson and Rachel Veltri were the agents in the lease of a 1,500-SF property at 68 Pointe Circle in Greenville to Corridor Mortgage Group.

| DEALMAKERS | 21

18,652

What do people have in common every morning?

Find out at gvltoday.com

BMW’S IMPACT:

South Carolina suppliers

North American suppliers

In 1992, BMW Motor Company announced construction of a luxury vehicle assembly plant in Spartanburg County, revving up economic activity within our region and igniting interest across the globe.

Today, BMW Plant Spartanburg has grown into the United States’ largest automotive exporter and the company’s highest producing facility.

With the coming Volvo manufacturing facility in North Charleston, we are poised for continued growth and opportunity, especially within advanced materials, components providers, logistics, stamping and machining, and business support services.

The Upstate SC Alliance’s vision is to position and market the Upstate SC region to successfully compete for business investment globally. You can join our 170 public and private sector partners in continuing to build momentum.

automotive jobs (direct and indirect)

and growing...

For more information, please contact Lauren Scoggins, Director of Investor & Public Relations, at lscoggins@upstatealliance.com or 864.283.2305.

22 | DIGITAL MAVEN |

UBJ

THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUSINESS

|

2.24.2017

Lessons learned from the guy who walked into a bar

By LAURA HAIGHT president, portfoliosc.com

A guy walked into a bar …

No, that’s not the start of a joke. It’s the beginning of a LinkedIn post that got lot of kudos last week.

Shortly after the man enters the tavern, chaos erupts: The music stops playing, the credit card machine stops working, the TV goes down. Yes, the entire technology infrastructure was out. The restaurant had a remote IT company (no full-time employee or smart hands-on staff) and they got them working on the problem. Meanwhile, the guy who walked into the bar offered his services to the manager.

He worked, he said, for a technology company and would be happy to see if he could help.

Great. The manager takes him into the back and gives him passwords and access. He talked to the IT guys on the phone and together they get things

back up and running.

The manager is very happy. The guy who walked into the bar makes a potential sale of some new hardware, and he is hailed a hero by everyone in the place as well as, now, a number of new LinkedIn fans. “Great job, man.”

“Way to set yourself above the rest!”

It’s tempting to take this story at face value and accept it as just a good deed with a positive result. In this specific case, that appears to be the case. But it could just as easily have turned out far differently, which means there are some lessons to be learned.

1 Retail businesses have a lot to offer, especially if a hacker or scammer can obtain administrative credentials.

The big “get” would, of course, be credit card numbers. If your establishment uses wireless internet connections (don’t, by the way), they can be scraped via a packet sniffer. But if I can get onto your server, I can easily

BRIDGING PHILANTHROPY & PURPOSE Jeannette and Marshall Winn established a Donor Advised Fund to make their charitable giving easier, tax-effective, cost-efficient, and more powerful.

864-233-5925 • cfgreenville.org

We tend to take people at their word and to be grateful for a helping hand when needed.

But hope is not a strategy, and real security that protects your customers and your business is based on often-harsh realities. install a key logger that will capture your logins and passwords as you go about your regular business. Eventually, you will log into your merchant account and, well, you know what happens from here.

2 What are the odds that a scammer just happened to be in the restaurant when this happened? Pretty slim. But most likely, if this was a scam, the guy who walked into the bar also caused the crash. Probably through malware previously installed on the system.

Presenting a business card as a form of validation and introduction is an easy scam that is often successful. I can print up business cards tomorrow that say I am the senior technology editor of The New York Times. But, sadly, it doesn’t make it so.

3 Have backup systems tested and ready. In the case of this scenario, and for most retail sites, the most critical issue is capturing credit card information and receipting to the customer.

Redundant hardware, a secondary internet connection, or a backup solution that utilizes the tethering capability from a personal hotspot or even your smartphone to keep you up and running, with some tradeoffs, like speed, are possible. With a backup method immediately accessible, a scam like this fails.

4 Do not panic. And do not throw your best practices out when they are really tested. In this case, the restaurant had remote IT guys working on the issue. The manager, apparently without the confidence of a backup solution and hoping to speed up the resolution, gave away the farm, opening the door for a far bigger problem. Never give anyone administrative access to your servers, comput-

ers, or cloud services. Not only is it possible for someone to infect your systems or steal your data, but they can also have taken a minute to install a dummy account for themselves with admin rights. So even if the manager or the IT company had the presence of mind to change the administrative password after this episode (something I would give about a 50-50 chance to), they would not stop the scammer from getting in through the dummy account.

5 One way to avoid panicking and handing over your tech keys to a guy in the bar is to have confidence in your backup solutions and your staff’s ability to get them online quickly. That comes from testing. You have just half a disaster plan if it exists only on paper.

It is a bit of a pain to test, but it is well worth it. That’s where you find out that the plan depends on getting into something that is locked and no one but the owner has the key.

Was the guy who walked into this bar just a good guy trying to help out?

Probably. Was the manager just in over his head, trying to be creative in resolving the problem quickly? Most likely.

Situations like this really aren’t that unusual. I myself have offered to help people with problems, and I am always amazed how quick they are to give up administrator credentials, and how unlikely they are to change them afterward. We tend to take people at their word and to be grateful for a helping hand when needed. But hope is not a strategy, and real security that protects your customers and your business is based on often-harsh realities.

Prepare for the worst and hope you never need it.

2.24.2017

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

MOVERS, SHAKERS, AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE

| INNOVATE | 23

No More Starving Artists Think creative types don’t need to know anything about business? Think again No

More

Starving

Artists

By ALRINTHEA CARTER

Academic Advisor, Clemson MBA Program, and Artist/Owner, Southern Philtere

In 2015, I produced my largest art show to date. It was entitled “Small Town Glories.”

I was booked to exhibit at Artistry Galleries and Workshops, a highly regarded gallery in West Greenville. This show was the third in a series, featuring work created over a decade that covered the Abandoned Space landscape of the South Carolina backcountry.

With 10 months to prepare, I had to draft a plan that would take into account the time it took to create and ready artwork for exhibition, the ordering of supplies needed for my show, marketing, and of course, funding. I found that in doing so, I got a crash course in business management. To prepare for an art exhibit is to prepare for the opening of a brand new pop-up business, except that your business has a lifespan of one day.

It all starts with networking. Getting yourself on the radar of a major gallery is the result of being active in your local art community. This means supporting other artists, going to shows, communicating your unique vision to your peers, and most importantly, constantly creating work. Your reputation is built on the quality of your work and the strength of your network. Practice your elevator pitch. You need to be able to talk to anyone about the scope of your work, no matter how different or weird it might be. These connections prepare you to present your work to a gallery for consideration — or even better, will lead a gallery to approach you.

To set the tone for “Small Town Glories,” I wanted to present an experience that took my audience on a journey through the small towns of South Carolina with stops in each region of the state. A soundtrack that paid homage to these towns, along with quotes from their inhabitants, drove this journey forward.

I turned my apartment into a mood board, complete with song lists, photo proofs, and scribbled notes.

This changed almost weekly, as my vision adjusted over time.

Once I knew the tone of my show, I designed my own marketing materials to distribute to key artists, patrons, and influencers in Greenville. I utilized social media for show teasers and visual updates on the show’s progress. While all of this was occurring, I was still heading out on early weekend mornings to explore new sites. It wasn’t out of the ordinary to spend the morning in the woods and then rush home to change and appear on television to promote the exhibit.

As with any business, funding is important. Due to the lack of traditional art patronage that would allow me to work full time on my show while being fed and clothed for free, I worked three (yes, three!)

In her exhibit “Small Town Glories,” Alrinthea Carter captured the abandoned mills, homes, and machines that dot the landscape of South Carolina. Preparing for the exhibit gave Cater a crash course in starting a small business. jobs to back my exhibit and pay for my marketing and production costs. I hired a printing company in Maryland to print my exhibited work. In the last weeks before show open, I was tracking 20 different shipments of prints from their facility. My show opened to great response from the creative community, and my personal financial investment had a great return. Most importantly, my work and vision found its place in the Greenville arts landscape.

Artists are continuously working. When they are not creating, they are working to support their vision financially. It is no longer a badge of honor to be clueless about the business of being a successful creative. In today’s market, it has become necessary to be knowledgeable about basic business principles.

Artists are not only responsible for the production of new work; they are also responsible for the marketing strategy, supply chain, location scouting, venture capital, and accounting.

Artists are already business owners. It is crucial

To prepare for an art exhibit is to prepare for the opening of a brand new pop-up business, except that your business has a lifespan of one day. that business management principles are included in their education and training, which many universities are doing. The days of the starving artist are over.

24 | ON THE MOVE |

UBJ

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

ELECTED

ACCEPTED

HIRED

HIRED

|

2.24.2017

HIRED

BRAD HALTER

JESSICA PATE

LORI BAYNE

KIM WILLIAMS

ANN WRIGHT

Elected chairman of the board of directors of the Cancer Society of Greenville.

Halter is the chairman of the Caine Company, which operates both Coldwell Banker Caine and Coldwell Banker Commercial Caine.

He has been an active member of the Cancer Society of Greenville County board of directors and served as the vice chairman of the board in 2016. He will serve a one-year term.

Accepted to participate in the Women’s Leadership Institute of Furman University. An account representative for Jackson Marketing, Motorsports & Events, Pate is a 2013 graduate of Furman University with a bachelor’s degree in communications studies and sociology.

Joined Coldwell Banker Caine as a residential sales agent in its Greenville office.

A Greenville native, Bayne joins the firm with extensive experience with another Upstate real estate company where she was named Rookie of the Year in 2010.

She has a Bachelor of Arts in integrated marketing communications from Winthrop University.

Joined the Greenville Area Development Corporation in the organization’s newly created position of existing industry manager. In this new position at GADC, Williams will be a liaison to existing companies in Greenville County and will encourage retention and expansion projects. She joins GADC after 13 years with the site selection firm McCallum Sweeney Consulting (MSC), where she held the role of principal.

Named vice president for advancement with the Greenville Tech Foundation.

Wright has spent the last three decades with the American Red Cross. She started as an assistant chapter manager and director of emergency services, became executive director for the Upstate, and since 2014 has served as chief operating officer for the South Carolina region as well as executive director for the Upstate.

COMMUNITY JOURNALS TEAM EXPANDS Rosie Peck

Tori Lant

Chloe Rodgers

Rudolph Bell

Joined Community Journals having recently relocated from Columbia, Mo., when her husband, Doug, accepted the role of logistics director at AFL in Duncan. She spent the past several years as a senior marketing representative for Inside Columbia Magazine and assumes the same position with the CJ team.

Named digital c o n t e n t manager at Community Journals.

Lant is a f o r m e r content editor of Gracenote Media Inc. in Queensbury, N.Y., and most recently served as an ambassador of Bridgewater Associates LLC located in Westport, Conn.

Joined Community Journals as the engagement editor of COLAtoday, a new sister-brand of GVLtoday in the Columbia area. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communications and has four years of experience in branding, copywriting, public relations, and marketing.

Caroline Spivey

Logan Brown

Beth McNamara

Joined Community Journals as a marketing representative. Spivey moved to Greenville in fall 2014 to assist in opening the Greenville location of Barre Evolution. She worked there for two years as both an instructor and assistant manager. Spivey holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the College of Charleston.

Joined GVLtoday as a content producer.

Spending the last three years in community management, marketing, product development, and sales, Brown will support the GVLtoday team in their daily content and marketing initiatives. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from the University of Mississippi.

Joined Community Journals as a producer of COLAtoday, a new sister-brand of GVLtoday.

She is a 2016 graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communications and a dedicated advocate of local food, events, and business in Columbia.

Joined Community Journals as senior business writer for Upstate Business Journal. Bell was a reporter for the Greenville News for more than 17 years, covering business, politics, and local government. Before that, he worked at other publications in South Carolina and Virginia. Bell has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from Liberty University and a master’s degree in public affairs reporting from the University of Maryland, College Park.

CONTRIBUTE: New hires, promotions, & award winners may be featured in On the Move.

Send information and photos to onthemove@ upstatebusinessjournal.com.

2.24.2017

|

upstatebusinessjournal.com

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

| NEW TO THE STREET / THE FINE PRINT | 25

Open for business 1

Photo provided

1. The Pearl at Five Forks, a Phoenix Senior Living community specializing in memory care that offers 48 secured apartments, opened Feb. 13 at 15 Five Forks Road, Simpsonville.

2

Photo provided

2. Spencer Hines Properties recently moved from 205 E. Stone Ave. to its newly renovated location at the corner of North Main and College streets, across from the Hyatt and above Sushi Go. The address is 245 N. Main St., Ste. 201.

CONTRIBUTE: Know of a business opening soon?

Email information to aturner @communityjournals.com.

BRIGHT+CO named Greenville Chamber’s Small Business of the Month

The Greenville Chamber has presented BRIGHT+CO with its February 2017 Small Business of the Month Award. BRIGHT+CO CEO Jennifer Sutton and team accepted the award at the Chamber’s monthly board of directors meeting on Feb. 16. BRIGHT+CO, a woman owned, S.C.-registered corporation with its principal office in Greenville, is a full-service marketing company.

Escape Artist Greenville and LeMans Karting partner for new escape attraction Escape Artist Greenville and LeMans Karting partnered to open a unique escape attraction within LeMans Karting – Greenville. It’s called “Cotton Owens...

The Legend Returns.” The new experience, located at LeMans Karting, will be a 45-minute adventure during which team members try to retrieve Upstate NASCAR legend Cotton Owens’ lucky helmet before his big race starts. This is the third escape room by Escape Artist Greenville and the first collaboration between Escape Artist and LeMans Karting. Visit escapeartistgreenville.com.

Don’t Miss Out!

To feature your own business or to suggest a busin ess you would like to se e in Behind The Counter, call today 864-679-1 205.

Coming April ’17 View the 2016 book at: bit.ly/2016BTC

26 | #TRENDING |

UBJ

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

OVERHEARD @ THE WATERCOOLER RE: TO TELL THE TRUTH

RE: BMW SUPPLIER SCHEDL PLANNING FIRST US PLANT IN SPARTANBURG COUNTY >Nelson Wilson “Spartanburg is a world-renowned international business center! We have over 2.5 percent of all international investment in the country. Keep it coming.”

RE: THE NEXT BIG BLUE-COLLAR JOB IS CODING >Benjamin Pauly “It happened with tech support; it can happen with coders. Both are knowledge work, but tech support is now a solid skilled labor job.”

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

Smith, Chris Merritt, Matthew le’s Greenvil and Matt Cook of cultivating ATLAS LOCAL are ing community, not co-work

2.24.2017

BIZ BUZZ

Distilled commentary from UBJ readers

> Manfred Gollent “Professional media are important for a functioning society! #coach_manfred #leaders4tomorrow”

|

| VOL. 6 ISSUE 7

DIGITAL FLIPBOOK ARCHIVE >>

CONNECTORS THE

From left to right: Cook Merritt, Smith, Photo by Will Crooks.

The layout of print meets the convenience of the Web. Flip through the digital editions of any of our print issues, and see them all in one place. >> upstatebusinessjournal. com/past-issues

>> WEIGH IN @ THE UBJ EXCHANGE Got something to offer?

Get it off your chest.

We’re looking for expert guest bloggers from all industries to contribute to the UBJ Exchange. Send posts or blog ideas to mwillson@communityjournals.com

The Top 5 stories from the past week ranked by shareability score

>> 498

1. BB&T plans $30M, 140,000 SF facility in Mauldin

>> 276 2. Spartanburg’s first Jersey Mike’s Subs store under construction

>> 267 3. BMW supplier Schedl planning first US plant in Spartanburg County

>>251 4. Major Verdae subdivision will add to Laurens Road corridor development

>> 202 5. Greenville sports technology and ticketing startup is expanding

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMAILS Follow up on the Upstate’s workweek in minutes.

Rendering by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting

RE: BB&T PLANS $30M, 140,000 SF FACILITY IN MAULDIN >John Merrill “This will be great for our property value and the economy here in general. About 2 miles from my house, so bring it on BB&T and welcome!”

>> CONNECT WITH US We’re great at networking.

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Subscribe to our emails & receive The Inbox – our weekly rundown of the top 10 local biz stories you need to know – as well as breaking news alerts. It’s the best way to stay informed on the go. >> upstatebusinessjournal.com/email

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UPSTATEBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

2.24.2017

|

upstatebusinessjournal.com

DATE

EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR

EVENT INFO

WHERE DO I GO?

HOW DO I GO?

FYI Friday: Drayton Mills Transformation

Drayton Mills 103 Drayton Crossing, Drayton 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Cost: $15 to members, $25 to nonmembers For more info: bit.ly/2kSWWbF

College Town Career Fair

Spartanburg Marriott 299 N. Church St., Spartanburg 9 a.m.–noon

Cost: $35 For more info: bit.ly/2lslzbw, 864-594-6020

2017 Makers Summit

ONE Main Building 1 N. Main St. 11 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Cost: $295 For more info: bit.ly/2ktZZYe

Clemson University's Men of Color Summit: TIckets available now

TD Convention Center 1 Exposition Drive 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Cost: $249 (thru 2/28), $329 (thru 4/15) For more info: clemson.edu/inclusion/ summit, menofcolorsummit@clemson.edu

Friday

2/24 Monday

2/27 Friday-Saturday

3/3-3/4 Thursday-Friday

4/27-4/28

| PLANNER | 27

CONTRIBUTE: Got a hot date? Submit event information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

ART & PRODUCTION VISUAL DIRECTOR

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF UBJ? WANT A COPY FOR YOUR LOBBY?

MARCH 17 THE INNOVATION ISSUE What’s the big idea(s)?

Will Crooks

PRESIDENT/CEO

Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com

UBJ PUBLISHER

Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com

EDITOR

Chris Haire chaire@communityjournals.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

LAYOUT

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

UBJ milestone

UBJ milestone jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years 1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport

Bo Leslie | Tammy Smith

1988

with a majority of them utilizing the general aviation airport as a “corporate gateway to the city.”

In 1997, Jackson and his son, Darrell, launched Jackson Motorsports Group. The new division was designed to sell race tires and go to racetracks to sell and mount the tires. Darrell Jackson now serves as president of the motorsports group and Larry Jackson has two other children and a son-in-law who work there. Jackson said all his children started at the bottom and “earned their way up.”

Jackson kept the Jackson-Dawson branches in Detroit and others in Los Angeles and New York until he sold his portion of that partnership in 2009 as part of his estate planning.

The company now operates a small office in Charlotte, but its main headquarters are in Greenville in a large office space off Woodruff Road, complete with a vision gallery that displays local artwork and an auditorium Jackson makes available for non-profit use. The Motorsports Group is housed in an additional 26,000 square feet building just down the street, and the agency is currently looking for another 20,000 square feet.

Jackson said JMG has expanded into other verticals such as financial, healthcare, manufacturing and pro-bono work, but still has a strong focus on the auto industry and transportation. It’s

OPERATIONS Holly Hardin

ADVERTISING DESIGN Kristy Adair | Michael Allen

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

1990 Jackson Dawson

acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont office Center on Villa.

>>

Chairman larry Jackson, Jackson marketing Group. Photos by Greg Beckner / Staff

Jackson Marketing Group celebrates 25 years By sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com

Solve. Serve. Grow. Those three words summarize Jackson Marketing Group’s guiding principles, and according to owner Larry Jackson, form the motivation that has kept the firm thriving for the past 25 years.

Jackson graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in video and film production and started his 41-year career in the communications industry with the U.S. Army’s Public Information Office. He served during

Vietnam, where he said he was “luckily” stationed in the middle of Texas at Fort Hood.

He left the service and went to work in public affairs and motorsports at Ford Motor Company in Detroit.

After a stint at Bell and Howell, where he was responsible for managing Ford’s dealer marketing and training, the entrepreneurial bug hit and he co-founded Jackson-Dawson Marketing Communications, a company specializing in dealer training and product launches for the auto industry in 1980.

In 1987, Jackson wanted to move back south and thought Greenville would be a good fit. An avid pilot, he

learned of an opportunity to purchase Cornerstone Aviation, a fixed base operation (FBO) that served as a service station for the Greenville Downtown Airport, providing fuel, maintenance and storage.

In fact, when he started the Greenville office of what is now Jackson Marketing Group (JMG) in 1988, the offices were housed on the second floor in an airport hangar.

“Clients would get distracted by the airplanes in the hangars and we’d have to corral them to get back upstairs to the meeting,” Jackson said.

Jackson sold the FBO in 1993, but says it was a great way to get to know Greenville’s fathers and leaders

>>

2003 motorsports Division acquires an additional 26,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space

1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

also one of the few marketing companies in South Carolina to handle all aspects of a project in-house, with four suites handling video production, copywriting, media and research and web design.

Clients include heavyweights such as BMW, Bob Jones University, the Peace Center, Michelin and Sage Automotive. Recent projects have included an interactive mobile application for Milliken’s arboretum and 600-acre Spartanburg campus and a marketing campaign for the 2013 Big League World Series.

“In my opinion, our greatest single achievement is the longevity of our client relationships,” said Darrell Jackson. “Our first client from back in 1988 is still a client today. I can count on one hand the number of clients who have gone elsewhere in the past decade.”

Larry Jackson says his Christian faith and belief in service to others, coupled with business values rooted in solving clients’ problems, have kept

2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson marketing Group when larry sells his partnership in Detroit and lA 2003

2009-2012 Jackson marketing Group named a top BtoB agency by BtoB magazine 4 years running

him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-prof non-profits. The company was recently awarded the Community Foundation Spirit Award.

The company reaffirmed its commitment to serving the community last week by celebrating its 25th anniversary with a birthday party and a 25-hour Serve-A-Thon partnership with Hands on Greenville and Habitat for Humanity. JMG’s 103 full-time employees worked in shifts around the clock on October 22 and 23 to help construct a house for a deserving family.

As Jackson inches towards retirement, he says he hasn’t quite figured out his succession plan yet, but sees the companies staying under the same umbrella. He wants to continue to strategically grow the business.

“From the beginning, my father has taught me that this business is all about our people – both our clients and our associates,” said his son, Darrell. “We have created a focus and a culture that strives to solve problems, serve people and grow careers.”

Darrell Jackson said he wants to “continue helping lead a culture where we solve, serve and grow. If we are successful, we will continue to grow towards our ultimate goal of becoming the leading integrated marketing communications brand in the Southeast.”

2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports Group employee base reaches 100 people

2008 2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation with Creative spirit Award

APRIL 7 THE PERSONAL FINANCE ISSUE Keeping your bottom line top of mind.

pro-bono/non-proFit / Clients lients American Red Cross of Western Carolinas Metropolitan Arts Council Artisphere Big League World Series The Wilds Advance SC South Carolina Charities, Inc. Aloft Hidden Treasure Christian School

CoMMUnitY nit inVolVeMent nitY in olV inV olVe VeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board,

Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board

eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

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NOVEMBER 1, 2013

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APRIL 28 THE DIVERSITY ISSUE There’s room for the whole spectrum of backgrounds, ideas, and talents.

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