March 11, 2016 UBJ

MARCH 11, 2016 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 11

Boutique city As downtown Greenville grows, how are retailers responding? + Plus: � SEEKING SPACE The real estate landscape for retailers � FEET ON THE STREET Where are shoppers walking downtown? � WEST END STORY From no-man’s land to retail renaissance Rod Fincannon/Contributing

THANK YOU

to those who nominated the candidates below.

Now it’s up to the Panel to decide who will win.

2016 Categories:

THE YOUNG GUN THE CLOSER

THE LEGEND

THE BOSS

THE WILD CARD

THE COMPANY

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Kristina Teague Gordon Early Shante Nixon Rob Jackman UPSTATEBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM/WHOS-WHO James Akers Dave Edwards Chad Odom Eric Jarinko Tommy Thomason

George Acker Fritzi Barbour

Johnny Edwards

Hayes Johnson

Carlton Owen

Christy Thompson

Bobby Barreto

Zach Eikenberry

Tammy Johnson

Mark Owens

Peter Barth

Mark Ells

Stephen Thompson

Danny Joyner

Krish Patel

George Bell

Amy Emery

Steve Townes

Lee Kester

Beth Paul

Brad Benjamin

Olivia Esquivel

Wade Wallace

Sam Konduros

Kristian Pffieger

George Biediger

Pamela Evette

Jill Wanner

Keith Boling

Wake Fickey

Stacy Kuper

Robin Phillips

Stacey Flax

Holly Pruitt

John Warren

John Boyanoski

Sergio Loaiza

Brittney Brackett

Earle Furman

Neville Lockwood

Charles Ratterree

Holly Bridwell

Michelle Gaillard

Anne Marie Maertens

Lisa Rourk

Benjamin Brown

David Glenn

Seabrook Marchant

Charles Scales, IV

Craig Brown

Jon Good

Ivan Mathena

Brian Seidel

Julie Brown

Trevor Gordon

Mike McBride

Minor Shaw

Mario Brown

Brad Halter

Phil McCreight

Tara Sherbert

Creative Builders

Sean Hartness

Allison McGarity

Steve Sincropi

Joey Burton

Jared Hartzell

Deborah McKetty

Allen Smith

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Ryan Heafy

Clark Mickel

Marie Smith

Michael Cinquemani

Jim Heard

John Moore

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Merle Code

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Greencloud

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InvestiNet

Mark Combs

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Lima One Capital

Derek Davis

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Perspective Recruiting

Zack Devier

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Llyn Strong

Recruiting Solutions

Scott Dobson

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Scansource

Sean Dogan

Robert Hughes

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Spence Taylor

Tangible Strategies

Erik Weir Walt Wilkins Rodney Williams Scott Williams David Wyatt 9 Rounds Boyd Cycles Condrey Creative Builders EmergencyMD

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

upstatebusinessjournal.com

SC Future Makers launches STEM initiative ‘LinkedIn for students’ joins with state agencies to showcase state’s manufacturing industry ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com State firms hope to use sports recruiting methods to build its workforce pipeline, leaders announced last week at the fifth annual South Carolina Automotive Summit in Greenville.

The initiative – SC Future Makers – plans to showcase the advanced facilities and elevated salaries of the South Carolina manufacturing industry, then sign them on with a ‘LinkedIn for students’ platform from Mount Pleasant-based STEM Premier.

“Students know that they have to be able to vertical-jump 38 inches, they know that, to get into the NFL,” said STEM Premier co-founder and president Donald Tylinski, a 35-year education industry veteran. “But what do you need to do to get into that company or that company or that company?

You don’t know until you’re told. Then you have something to strive for.”

South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance and the S.C. Department of Commerce partnered with STEM Premier on S.C. Future Makers, expected to launch within the year. The main site will include original content that micro-targets students with either an interest or skills related to STEM careers, and will help manufacturers reach and engage with students as they go through school, said SC Manufacturers Alliance marketing director James Richter.

“This gives someone an opportunity, despite their geographic or economic situation, to show their talents and get seen,” he said. “There’s nothing out there right now, in South Carolina or the nation, that gives that kind of opportunity to get seen by world-class companies.”

SC Future Makers has already produced videos of S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and young STEM employees in some of the state’s largest manufacturing companies – BMW, Bridgestone and Boeing, for example – and will provide access to industry salary estimates, downloadable materials for educators, skill-building resources and how to set up a STEM Premier profile.

“We’re anticipating quite an impact on the Upstate region,” said Richter,

who said he expects to onboard more companies, schools and students in the coming months. “Maybe we have already reached out to some welders, and that’s a one-time hit. This will allow us to continue giving them new information on a regular basis, let them know about new opportunities that have popped up.”

Founded in 2013, STEM Premier lets students build a profile of their academics, skills and experience and connects them directly to employers for more information on the industry, the company, internships and employment opportunities. The process is similar to college athlete recruiting models, or how professionals use sites such as LinkedIn. “We need connectivity, we need the kids who were interested to be able to connect with employers, and we need to measure how they were getting to where they needed to go,” said South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance President and CEO Lewis Gossett. “Schools in South Carolina … are not judged by whether or not they get into the workforce. We’re changing that with this.”

Gossett said the initiative reached to 17 school districts and 50 schools so far, but more were on the way. STEM Premier co-founder and COO Casey Welch said the platform brought on 100,000 student profiles from 10,300 high schools nationwide last year.

“What we’re doing with Future Makers is giving you a way to tell your story … and talk to millennials in the way they communicate,” said Casey, speaking to the crowd of manufacturing professionals in downtown Greenville. “One of those important components is for them to know who you are earlier so they don’t just find out about you at a college career fair.”

STEM Premier doesn’t charge students or companies to sign up and create profiles, and instead charges for detailed searches, messaging and data analytics.

See video of SC Future Makers’ vision in action at upstatebusinessjournal.com.

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2.

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4 | THE RUNDOWN |

UBJ

TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

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03.11.2016

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 11 Featured this issue: Kentwool socks it to the golf market Recap: Greenville Design Review Board Julie Godshall Brown is One to Watch

Aloft Greenville’s W XYZ Bar was the site of UBJ’s Business on Tap drop-in networking event last week. See more photos on page 25.

WORTH REPEATING

TBA

On leadership

“We restrict what employees can do, like they can’t download family photos to use as screen savers.” Page 5 “For the last six years, I’ve gotten out of bed thinking somebody’s going to beat me to market… and they haven’t.” Page 6 “We’re just kind of moving up the body.” Page 8

VERBATIM

Willy Taco is looking to expand to Greenville. While the company does not have a location or time frame yet, they are starting to hire a Greenville management team to help with the process.

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: We did it ourselves.”

Lao Tzu

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

upstatebusinessjournal.com

| HEALTH CARE | 5

Danger: GHS on guard against online security breaches ‘This keeps me up at night’ – GHS VP MELINDA YOUNG | CONTRIBUTOR

myoung@communityjournals.com Health systems have a valuable asset on the Internet black market: Each health record is worth $50, more than a Social Security number, an information technology official told the audit committee of the Greenville Health System (GHS) board of trustees on Tuesday.

“This keeps me up at night,” said Rich Rogers, GHS vice president and chief information officer.

The largest health care data breach in 2015 resulted in 78.8 million records breached at health insurance company Anthem, he said.

“We’ve seen increases in the volume of attacks and sophistication,” Rogers said.

Electronic medical record breaches have climbed 80 percent since 2014, costing health care organizations an average of $363 per record stolen.

About three out of four instances of

malware, including ransomware, come through e-mails. GHS blocks 600 of these malicious attacks each day, Rogers explained.

“We’ve invested heavily in Internet security in the last two to three years,” he said.

Many information system attacks stem from foreign countries. GHS blocks 1 million firewall hits per week by blocking foreign country Web traffic, Rogers said.

If a health system’s technology system is breached and attacked, one way to resolve it is to wipe everything clean. So it is important to have current data backup so no information is permanently lost, Rogers said.

Other security measures include flagging external emails, monitoring employees’ online behavior, and educating employees about suspicious emails and websites, he said.

“We restrict what employees can do, like they can’t download family photos to use as screen savers,” Rogers said.

FYI

A new bakery is coming to the Verdae Village shopping center.

Nothing Bundt Cakes Greenville will serve Bundt cakes of all different shapes and sizes. The Texas-based franchise’s new location is expected to open this summer.

Local restaurateurs Peter Lieu and Doug Yi plan to open OTTO Izakaya, a new Asian fusion concept, in the former Azia restaurant space on Market Point Drive, near Whole Foods, in late April.

Downtown Greenville bakery The Chocolate Moose is moving to the West End at the end of March.

Details on the new location are expected in the next week or so.

Spinx will begin renovations on their store on 1414 E. Washington Street to add an additional pump canopy with four supplementary fueling positions. The increase in available pumps will help meet high demand. The construction will begin in March and is expected to take five weeks.

23 West North St., Greenville, SC 29601 864.232.2761 | www.rushwilson.com Open Mon.-Sat. 9:30am - 5:30pm; Closed on Sunday

6 | TECHNOLOGY |

Will the Real Leader Stand Up? I can’t open a paper, turn on the television, or look online without seeing the daily details of the presidential campaign. As a patriot and a true believer in American ideals, it is quite disheartening to see how this campaign is unfolding. I’m not sure if it’s the media, the voters, the candidates themselves, or all of the above, but it seems that the focus of this campaign is on internal fighting and not on what makes a true leader.

So as the candidates continue to fight amongst themselves about who is the best, let us take time to develop our own leadership qualities.

LEE YARBOROUGH

UBJ

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

Honesty: Strong leaders live their lives with honesty and integrity. They not only “talk the talk” but they “walk the talk” as well. Their character builds respect among the people they lead.

Compromise and Decisiveness: Leaders are able to evaluate each situation uniquely and look at every alternative to find a solution. The solution is often a compromise. By listening to others and looking at problems from many viewpoints, leaders can weigh the alternatives.

But when it is time to make a tough decision, leaders don’t hesitate to take action.

Accountability: The best leaders take responsibility for their own actions as well as their team’s. They do not just rule from above, but they often get into the trenches. When problems arise, they identify them quickly and work to get things back on track.

Confidence: Leaders naturally have a sense of confidence. This trait instills respect and people are drawn to confident leaders. Leaders know how to handle pressure and still remain calm.

Inspiration: A true leader inspires others to work hard and be their best. Leaders possess passion and a sense of purpose which inspires the people they lead.

Leadership is found everywhere, not just in politics and the board room. There are leaders in every group and organization, from churches to PTA’s to social gatherings. Everyone can be a leader in some aspect of their lives, whether at home, at work or with friends, and everyone can improve their leadership skills and develop the right traits for success.

I have full faith in the American system, but until the time when a candidate steps forward to act like a real leader, I think we should look internally and strive to be the best leaders we can be in our own lives.

669 N. Academy Street, Greenville, SC 864.679.6055 | 800.446.6567 | www.propelhr.com

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03.11.2016

DealsOnTheGoGo seeks a new way to buy cheap ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com

You’ve probably heard of Groupon. You’ve probably heard of Yik Yak. You’ve probably heard of Yelp. What you probably haven’t heard of is something Upstate entrepreneur Chase Michaels has been working on for six years that, he says, combines the best elements of all three.

The program – DealsOnTheGoGo – is a mouthful to say, but boils down to using geofencing technology to provide real-time advertising, data analytics and return on investment rates for small businesses at a fraction of the costs they’re used to paying, he says.

“The most important consumer a business can have is the consumer that lives there and already wants their product,” says the 53-year-old serial entrepreneur. “Never before has a business been able to get real-time conversion and return on investment rates for advertising.”

Geofencing uses your phone’s GPS to pinpoint your location, and lets you set a radius that limits your searches to what’s nearby. Consumers can choose which deals they want to see within the radius, and get push notifications for what merchants are of-

THE DEALSONTHEGOGO PROCESS The business creates an account and selects which level of flat rate and subscription they want.

Business uses a deal platform to set the deal parameters, such as the offer, the deal’s beginning and end times, advertising copy and images.

Consumers find merchant offers by setting the type and radius for the deals they want to see.

Consumers go to the business and purchase the deal.

Merchants are sent anonymous consumer data to help hone future offers. fering which deals that moment.

The geofencing allows small businesses to send out highly targeted advertisements to people who are more likely to want what they sell, and gives merchants feedback about how many people saw the deal, how many walked into their store, how many people actually bought the offer and what types of people fell into those three categories. The feedback lets merchants adjust their campaigns to optimize the offers and times using anonymous consumer data. >>

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

| TECHNOLOGY | 7

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Traditional marketing, he says, “is like throwing a dart at a dartboard and never being able to see if it hit or not.” Early beta testing focused on millennials (62 percent) with smaller groups to test with baby boomers, Generation X and Generation Y, and he’s optimistic that the fast-growing boomer generation will provide an extra boost of activity.

The business model relies on a oncea-month flat fee with subscription-style options depending on the level of analytics businesses want. The starting rate is $199 a month, which is drastically lower than the Groupon model – which gives merchants half of the revenue from the already discounted item – and the 5-7 percent businesses typically allocate in their annual budgets for advertising, he says.

Around 400 merchants have signed on to the concept in Myrtle Beach and 160 in Charleston, and Michaels is hitting the street for Greenville businesses leading up to launch in May. The initial launch will include both Android and iOS across the Greenville, Charleston and Myrtle Beach markets. Plans down the road include a full Spanish-language app to target the 80 percent of the 42 million native Spanish-speaking population, and eventually a push internationally. The diversity of businesses and people in Greenville could lead to reaching more than a thousand merchants across any of his 40 set categories, he says.

“Everybody wants a mobile consumer, but they don’t know how to get it,” he says. “For the last six years, I’ve gotten out of bed thinking somebody’s going to beat me to market… and they haven’t.”

Michaels grew up in an entrepreneurial household in a Nebraska town of 210 people. His family ran a full-service gas station, his mother ran a bar and restaurant and his father held multiple jobs, including delivering mail to rural households in a 60-mile radius from the central town.

Michaels started his own business at 23 – a lead-based paint testing firm for realtors in South Carolina – and spent a number of years in Charleston, Greenville and Florida before deciding to relocate all of his administrative employees to the Upstate for DealsOnTheGoGo. “Everybody likes deals, whether you have $1 million or $10,” he said.

Our relationship with Greer State Bank has been excellent from the beginning. In fact, the day the doors opened for their Poinsett location we were there ready to open an account. Now, we do all of our banking with GSB and will continue to do so. Greer State Bank provides the best service which allow us to focus on what really matters—providing the people of Greer with great food. The Clock of Greer considers GSB a business and personal partner; this partnership reminds us why we love working and investing in this community. We are thankful for our relationship with GSB and the promising future we see with them.

Jimmy & Megan Chulkas Owners, The Clock of Greer

8 | RESTAURANTS / APPAREL |

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

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03.11.2016

More Blizzards forecast for South Carolina Dairy Queen plans expansion into Upstate SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com Soft-serve ice cream and Blizzard lovers can rejoice. International Dairy Queen (IDQ) is planning an expansion of the DQ Grill & Chill model in the Greenville and Spartanburg area starting in 2016.

The 75-year-old brand, which is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, is looking to expand its quick-service restaurant (QSR) concept across the U.S. and has specifically targeted the state of South Carolina and the Greenville-Spartanburg area.

Jim Kerr, vice president of franchise development for IDQ, says the company is currently recruiting franchisees who want to open multiple units, and the company has a target for Greenville-Spartanburg for “15-20 new stores,” he said. IDQ hopes to open about 75 DQ Grill & Chills across the state in the next few years.

“We have markets available for strong multi-unit operators with QSR experience or strong business-minded

WANT TO OWN A DQ GRILL & CHILL FRANCHISE? Franchise fee: $35,000 Royalty fee: 4% Marketing fee: 5-6%

and beverage items with solid consumer appeal, which enables the brand to compete with any other QSR out there, said Kerr. “Then you add in the frozen treats.”

Last year IDQ open approximately 84 new locations across the U.S., and Kerr said he is confident the company

Term: 20 years

will open that many or more in 2016.

Each new location is expected to bring 50-100 jobs.

Grill and Chill For more information on opening a DQ Grill and Chill franchise, visit dairyqueen.com/us-en/Company/ Franchise-With-Us.

Investment Range: $779,675 – $1,729,160 Liquid Capital Requirement: $400,000 Net Worth Requirement: $750,000 Certified DQ Managers: 3 Building Size: 1,886 – 2,612 sq ft Lot Size: 20,952 – 29,670 sq ft people,” said Kerr. “It’s a strong corridor [between Charlotte and Atlanta] that’s growing substantially.”

The Grill & Chill restaurants, which were launched in 2002, offer menu

Kentwool taking bigger steps into the golf market expects 50 million “blister-free” steps to be taken in Kentwool socks.

Barber said the company is looking to partner with a fitness tracking company like Fitbit or Jawbone to help track the total steps taken in the socks.

BENJAMIN JEFFERS | STAFF

bjeffers@communityjournals.com Kentwool, a Greenville-based sock company, is expanding its line in 2016 and making a bigger push into the golf market.

The company is adding a range of new collegiate colors in April to its Tour Standard and Tour Profile sock lines.

The Tour Profile sits low on the ankle. Kent Barber, Kentwool director of operation and special projects, said the Tour Standard, which is a longer crew-style sock, is popular with the younger demographic of golfers.

Kentwool also has introduced a line of boxer briefs and T-shirts.

“We’re just kind of moving up the body,” Barber said.

The company started as a wool yarn producer in 1843 and introduced consumer products in 2010.

Another big step for the company, Barber said, was signing the first-ever sponsorship with the Association of Professional Tour Caddies (APTC).

He said sponsoring caddies individually wouldn’t be worthwhile, but “150 caddies together is very marketable.”

On any given weekend 100-120 caddies are wearing the company’s socks on the golf course, he said.

About 30 professional players are also wearing

Kentwool socks, including Aiken native Kevin Kisner, who is currently ranked second in FedExCup standings and 21st in the official world golf ranking.

Barber said the caddies wear the socks, and since they like them so well, they talk about them with the golfers they are assisting.

Barber said a direct relationship with golfers and “really the whole trusted advisor role for a caddie has expanded in golf rather than just being someone who carries the bags.”

The socks are specifically designed to prevent blisters during a tournament, and Barber said this year he

PLACES TO PURCHASE KENTWOOL SOCKS Kentwool.com Amazon.com Upstate golf courses Golfsmith retailers Rush Wilson Limited Smith and James

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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

upstatebusinessjournal.com

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com |

| SQUARE FEET | 9 @SJackson_CJ

CREW honors real estate professionals The fifth annual CREW Upstate awards reception was held last week honoring Upstate leaders and promoting women within the commercial real estate industry.

CREW, Commercial Real Estate Women, is a networking and business development organization

for commercial real estate professionals and professionals that interact with the commercial real estate community. The mission of CREW Upstate is to influence the success of the commercial real estate industry in the Upstate by advancing the achievements of women.

Founded in 2010, CREW Upstate has grown to more than 60 members, including women and men from a broad range of real estate disciplines across the Upstate

2016 CREW AWARD WINNERS

BEST INTERIORS PROJECT McMillan Pazdan Smith and CBI, for the Millennium Cancer Treatment Center for Bon Secours St. Francis Health System

RISING STAR

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT

Lindsey Myers, McCallum Sweeny Consulting

Michelle Gaillard, SunTrust Bank

LEADERSHIP / CAREER ADVANCEMENT FOR WOMEN – INDIVIDUAL

LEADERSHIP / CAREER ADVANCEMENT FOR WOMEN – COMPANY

Debbie McDonough, Cherry Bekaert

McCallum Sweeney Consulting

10 | SQUARE FEET |

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

FRONT ROW

UBJ

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

sjackson@communityjournals.com |

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03.11.2016

@SJackson_CJ

Greenville Design Review Board Urban Panel

A new hotel in the West End and an apartment building for the Camperdown project headlined the March meeting of the Urban Panel of the City of Greenville’s Design Review Board.

SPINX STATION ON PENDLETON STREET This application is for an exception to the sign standard ordinance. The gas station, soon to be under redevelopment, wants to retain the existing signage but with some modifications, and incorporate it into a larger entrance sign to the Village of West Greenville. The new entrance sign/sculpture will be “to identify the off-the-beaten-path commercial area of the Village of West Greenville,” city staff said.

The Arts in Public Places committee approved the funding of the sign/sculpture last week, said a Spinx spokesperson. Extensive landscaping will ensure a wall area will be protected from pedestrians and will not be a “hangout place.” The remodeled store will also feature a community garden that will be maintained by the Feed N’ Seed organization. The garden will offer children’s classes on gardening and community farming.

The application was approved with conditions, including that the brick color and detailing be revised and reviewed by city staff.

CAMPERDOWN PROJECT Construction has already begun on parts of the four-acre Camperdown project on South Main and Broad streets by developer Centennial American Properties. When completed, the project is expected to include condos, 200+ apartments, a seven-story AC Hotel, two office buildings (including a new home for the Greenville News) and retail and restaurant spaces. Sadly, a dine-in movie theater is not part of the current plan.

The two applications heard at the meeting were for the parking garage and the 12-story apartment building.

The DRB had informally given feed-

back for this application at the February meeting, so there weren’t really any surprises. Last month, the DRB asked for more variation on the building design and to activate the corners of the parking garage for pedestrians. As a result, the openings and designs were changed, and a bike-sharing station and digital interactive kiosks were added on one corner of the parking garage.

The DRB said the new design was a “big improvement” and additions to depth and modulation were successful.

One resident spoke against the project, saying that while she liked the overall footprint and design, the height and

Work efficiently, close

deals and conduct meetings in the sophisticated, iPad-ready e-lounge and private offices

Connect in the upscale bar with great city

and mountain views; network with Greenville’s top business professionals

sheer size of the project are too massive.

The DRB said the building size fits within the design guidelines and the footprint was already approved in prior meetings Both applications were approved with staff conditions. >>

Host productive

meetings in our dynamic boardroom with hightech business amenities and signature service

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com |

| SQUARE FEET | 11 @SJackson_CJ

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HOMEWOOD SUITES BY HILTON HOTEL This new proposed hotel by Cary, N.C.-based Parks Hospitality Group is planned for the ElginWilliamson Collison Repair property at 942 S. Main St., across from Fluor Field.

The DRB also reviewed this application informally last month and wanted to see more modulation of materials and vertical modulation and to make a more inviting street level. City staff had said in its report that the design doesn’t meet the setbacks required in the West End or the new retail requirements the city just adopted requiring mixed-use projects to include retail on the ground level.

The developer and architect presented revised renderings this month, which now show storefronts and wrapped retail around the corner to match the grades on the ground level. The building was stepped back and more brick was incorporated into the design. An eighth-floor wine bar and lounge will be partially enclosed with an outdoor patio.

City staff says it still has concerns about the brick color chosen and wants to see something that “more matches the area.” Staff also said it wants to see vision panels on the retail storefronts and to see the hotel entrance along Main Street better defined.

This project “has quite an opportunity to become an active retail space, more so than other projects we have seen,” said Michael Kerski, planning and development manager for the city of Greenville.

The hotel entrance on Main Street is not the main entrance to the hotel, but awnings and more work can be done on it, said Danny Bounds with Bounds + Gillespie Architects. Bounds also said the brick color can be adjusted, open stairways with more glass can be included and windows above garage doors can be lined up appropriately.

A representative from the West End Neighborhood Association spoke against the project, saying that while the hotel is much more attractive than the original design and they are

Play

as hard as you work with Club events, parties, and mixers designed to help you kick back and relax

Markley Street

happy a hotel is going in the area, the size of the building doesn’t fit in the neighborhood and it will dwarf Fluor Field.

The DRB responded that while public comments are taken very seriously and they take their jobs very seriously, some of these projects are very complex and their job is to work within the guidelines designed by the city. The application was approved with conditions.

816 AND South Main St reet 818 S. MAIN ST. This application is to Much discussion by the DRB ensued about the demolish two buildings recessed and retail space on the ground level. Finally, and replace them with one. The new mixed-use the board approved the application with the condibuilding would have retail space on the ground level tion that the developer work with staff to bring the and residential on the second and third floors. City front setback into compliance. If it can’t be worked staff said the proposed setbacks on the out, the application will then have to come back building didn’t comply and recombefore the DRB. mended denial of the application in their report.

Celebrate exciting accomplishments with family, friends or co-workers in your choice of private dining rooms

55 Beattie Place | commerce-club.com | 864.232.5600 For more information contact Dylan Petrick, Commerce Club General Manager, at dylan.petrick@clubcorp.com

12 | WHO’S WHO: ONES TO WATCH |

WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE YOU NEED TO KNOW

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03.11.2016

JULIE GODSHALL BROWN President and owner, Godshall Professional Recruiting and Staffing LAURA HAIGHT Contributor

Julie Godshall Brown has been connecting people with opportunities for more than 20 years.

She took over the helm of her family’s staffing company – Godshall Professional Staffing – in 1995 and has steered it through several tectonic shifts, economic booms and busts. Brown just wrapped up her stewardship as chair of the Greenville Chamber, and is active in several community initiatives. Having the right people in the right places doing the right things is the heart of a successful economy that supports a thriving community. From that perch, Brown has a great view of Greenville’s future.

Small cities around the country want to be like Greenville. Why has this city been able to succeed where so many others fail?

What is unique to us is that we methodically address problems. Whether it’s revitalizing our downtown, working with public-private partnerships, or addressing issues of a change from a textile center to a knowledge-based economy, we are very methodical in how we address problems. While the skills gap, for example, isn’t unique to our area, I think we are uniquely positioned to address it.

nearly 90 percent of them have been grown here in Greenville. Like Zipit Wireless, Customer Effective [now Hitachi Solutions], and Selah Genomics.

A key to ACCELERATE’S success as well as the general business and employment climate seems to be the business and industry working together.

You definitely see this in the growth of life sciences here. Brenda Thames of the Greenville Health System [incoming Chamber chair] developed platforms for higher education to sit down with industry like the three hospital systems. GHS’ training and recruiting is intertwined with even primary and high school education.

What’s the next big thing for the city’s business ecosystem?

The life sciences corridor is a transformational project to attract related businesses surrounding the three major hospital systems. The medical school and the strong health systems provide the environment for those adjunct life sciences companies to bring knowledge-based and high-paying jobs. We believe that’s Greenville’s next area of growth as an industry.

You have been a standard-bearer for diversity and inclusion. Are we making inroads there?

From a Chamber perspective, diversity and inclusion has gone from a flag

“We still are somehow missing the mark in attracting [minority] professionals. But I think we are so close. There are many diverse professionals who are very happy living in Greenville.”

Does the skills or education gap play a role in our ability to attract corporate headquarters or regional headquarters to relocate in Greenville?

We know we’ve had – and can continue to have – great success in cultivating talent locally, especially with companies like BMW or any other advanced manufacturing companies here that spend time, effort and dollars to develop a workforce. Where we run into difficulty is when we’re trying to recruit a company that is looking for a skill set specific to this area. The blessing is, we don’t have a difficult time getting people to relocate to our market. Not only are we attacking [the skills gap] from a retooling and retraining standpoint, but education and industry are talking. That’s one of the things that happened through ACCELERATE.

Currently: President and owner, Godshall Professional Recruiting and Staffing Previously: Chair, Greenville Chamber; technical recruiter and human resources, NCR/AT&T Global Information Solutions; human resources intern, Sara Lee Community: Board of Visitors, Clemson University; Board of Trustees, University Center; Bank of Travelers Rest, Board of Directors and chair of the Personnel Committee Education: Bachelor of Science, Clemson University; Masters in Personnel and Employee Relations, University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business we carried for a long time, to a real program with some meat behind it. More than $1 million worth of contracts was awarded to participants in our minority business accelerator [MBA] program. And this year, Greenville led the way on an important issue when we became the first chamber in the state to step up with a resolution to take down the Confederate flag. We were the first out of the gate on that and it had a domino effect throughout the state.

And from a business perspective?

Every organization we recruit for wants to attract more and more diverse candidates. But we still are somehow missing the mark in attracting professionals. But I think we are so close. There are many diverse professionals who are very happy living in Greenville and who seem to have not struggled developing their careers and their lives in the community. So my hope is that they will be a magnet for this up-and-coming generation that is graduating now to stay here in Greenville.

What unfinished business are you handing off to your successor as Chamber board chair?

I’d like to continue to see further integration on how all the different agencies and organizations can work together to recruit business to our market. To develop a blueprint so we don’t miss a single opportunity to get a business to relocate here. And selflessly not care who gets the credit for it. That would be a transformational project team, operating like a well-oiled machine. That would be One Greenville.

Photo by William Crooks

ACCELERATE is a program you’ve worked closely with since it began in 2009. How’s it going?

So far we are exceeding our goal of adding 100 new businesses to Greenville. We are now in the second three-year cycle and so far, we’ve launched 160 and

POINTS OF INTEREST

ONES TO WATCH: The judges could only choose a handful of winners from the more than 130 nominees for Who’s Who in 2015. Throughout the year, UBJ has been introducing you to a dozen more whose work is worth keeping an eye on.

03.11.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE

| INNOVATE | 13

Let your customers in Share your design with the marketplace before you invest heavily in developing it

By JOHN MOORE CEO, NEXT

The thought of creating something new and sharing it with others before it’s finished is a very uncomfortable thought to most folks. To show a new creation like a piece of art, a concept for a new neighborhood program or a new product for the marketplace while it is still being developed seems premature and a recipe for disaster. We would rather continue working on it until we have it just right before we dare share it with the outside world. To do otherwise would seem irrational and impatient.

Yet as it pertains to the world of entrepreneurship, this closed, internal approach to innovation actually creates additional risk of failure, not less. This “work until it’s just right” approach chews up valuable time and resources to fully refine the product and its features, only to still risk that design not actually meeting customer needs in the end.

In his book “The Lean Startup,” Eric Ries emphasizes the principle of development cycles that engage actual customers for input even from the earliest stages of design. He teaches that these iterative cycles of creation solicit customer feedback on product design, leading to what he calls “validated learning” that can guide new product launches toward greater market alignment.

To launch such an effort, the lean startup approach says that innovators should not invest heavily in developing and refining a final product before sharing its design with the marketplace. Instead, Ries suggests creating a “minimum viable product” or “MVP” that provides just enough information and/or experience to potential customers to elicit feedback. An MVP is literally the minimum depiction of the product, whether a prototype, photo or even just a sketch, that can elicit feedback on the pros and cons of the design from actual potential users.

By going the MVP route and sharing new product designs and features at their nascent stage, entrepreneurs can save valuable time and money that otherwise would have been used developing the product more fully. It also helps ensure those precious resources aren’t wasted building a product that customers won’t buy.

At NEXT, we have used the Lean Startup approach through the years. Our whole approach to building the entrepreneur ecosystem and supporting our local

DEFINED Minimum viable product (MVP): “That version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort.”

Source: Eric Ries, “The Lean Startup”

ventures has been built around customer-designed products. In fact, all of the various programs and ecosystem projects created by NEXT were proposed through some form of MVP and refined numerous times with customer input.

Though it’s a little unsettling to openly share ideas at such an early stage, especially with customers, it is the best way for de-risking innovation and speeding the time to a successful market launch of new ideas.

With NEXT, our facilities are the best example of following this approach and reaping its rewards.

Almost every month, we host visitors to the NEXT Innovation Center, NEXT on Main and our newly opened NEXT Manufacturing locations. These visitors come to learn about these collaborative spaces and why they are consistently at or near capacity. The secret is really not hard to understand.

We talked to the customers before, during and after creating the spaces to ensure their needs are met.

Out of necessity, NEXT interfaces with its customers on literally a daily basis, and we are constantly asking them about their needs, which we then work to fulfill. Our facilities are an answer to our customers’ need for collaborative space, and each was screened, designed and developed in close partnership with the entrepreneur over the course of many months of design and redesign meetings.

Most communities try and attract new entrepreneurs by employing a “build it and they will come” model with cool new subsidized space, only to find that their facility does not actually meet entrepreneurial needs. Every NEXT facility was scrutinized and redesigned numerous times with the target customers before the plans were ever finalized by

Some of the risks associated with innovation can be greatly reduced by following the simple yet hard-to-follow principle of sharing product ideas with customers and seeking their input early on. the NEXT organization or our real estate development partners.

One interesting fact highlighting the weight placed on customer input with our facilities is that the site for our first facility, the award-winning NEXT Innovation Center, was not first identified by NEXT staff nor by our development partner, Hughes Development. Instead, it was first proposed by Peter Barth, CEO of The Iron Yard, after touring other potential sites with NEXT and Hughes Development on their way back to the Greenville Chamber. That’s a great example where a highly regarded commercial developer, Bob Hughes, was willing to listen to the customer and eventually develop that idea to a very successful conclusion.

To compete in any field today, even in economic development, one must innovate constantly. Yet innovation brings with it inherent risks of failure. Fortunately some of the risks associated with innovation can be greatly reduced by following the simple yet hardto-follow principle of sharing product ideas with customers and seeking their input early on. The process of quickly building a product MVP, engaging potential customers in the marketplace for feedback, and then redesigning the product is one that can truly transform a product, a company, or even a community.

NO ONE WINS ALONE. It takes planning, discipline and teamwork to achieve success. Northwestern Mutual advisors are the teammates you need to help create a financial game plan that turns your biggest goals into your biggest achievements.

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anagement Company. Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are financial advisors. NCAA is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

16 | COVER |

UBJ

DOWNTOWN RETAIL

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03.11.2016

A continuing community dialogue exploring the changes, opportunities and choices we all face as #GreenvilleGrows.

Join the conversation at GreenvilleJournal.com, facebook.com/GreenvilleJournal or twitter.com/gville_journal.

Retailers see challenges, opportunities from downtown growth Higher rent, increased pedestrian traffic and parking are on the minds of Greenville’s shop owners SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com

Location, location, location.

That’s one of the cardinal rules for any retailer.

Choosing the right location for a retail store can mean success or failure for a business largely dependent on customers’ whims, needs and wants.

As Greenville continues to garner accolades and top “best of” lists, more visitors are discovering our city. In addition, more people are now living downtown. So what does all of that do to downtown retail?

For some retailers, it means higher rent. Others are benefitting from more pedestrian traffic. Certainly it means a different mix of retail is needed.

The downtown retail landscape is changing. But is it changing for the better?

GROWING PAINS Greenville has had unprecedented growth in the past few years, said Mary Douglas Hirsch, downtown manager for the city. Retailers have been responding with more products and an increase in their hours, she said. Customers have also appreciated the recent change to offer the first hour of parking for free in city-owned garages.

“The first hour free [for parking] has meant a lot and has been a wonderful gift the city is offering,” says Deb Agnew, owner of Ayers Leathers. Her store, a Main Street fixture for 41 years, recently moved around

Photos by Carol B. Stewart

the corner, off Main Street to West North Street.

Hirsch, along with several downtown merchants, property and business owners, have met informally over the past few months to talk about the changes.

Rising rent is the main concern expressed. Hirsch said no formal plans have come out of the discussions yet. “It’s not just the city that can solve the problem; it needs to be the private sector too,” she said.

Longtime downtown business owner Liz Daly of Liz Daly Designs says that while “some changes are good,” it’s a little scary for some retailers. “Smaller businesses have had to leave because of skyrocketing rents,” she said. “We were the fearless ones and the reason that Main Street became so popular.”

Daly’s former location is being demolished as part of the Camperdown project on the current Greenville News site, and she recently relocated her business to Coffee Street.

“Main Street can outprice itself in a hurry,” said Agnew.

She’s noticed retailers coming and going and more open real estate along Main Street recently. Those landlords are going to have to “either wait for big chains or drop prices,” she said.

While pedestrian traffic is lower on East North Street, “moving off Main Street cut out those just browsing,” Agnew said. “Our business went from about a 60 percent sale to every customer to 90 percent.”

While the city can’t dictate the rates landlords charge, there are options for cultivating a good mix of local-owned and national retailers.

Agnew says she sees “a nice blend” of national chains and local retailers. She’s also noticed a change

in shoppers who may have only frequented national brands at the mall. Now, those shoppers are coming to Main Street to go to a national chain and stopping in along their way at local merchants.

There is no “formula” anymore for retailers with the increase in online shopping, so it comes down to personal service, notes Agnew. “Southern shoppers are pretty savvy, and it’s more based on quality now.

Those are the people coming in the door.”

A HELPING HAND FROM THE CITY? The City Center Partnership in Columbia was the first business improvement district in South Carolina.

Hirsch cites it as an effective public-private partnership for downtown management and development.

The organization provides public space management, economic development, marketing services and public advocacy for downtown Columbia.

The partnership’s board of directors oversees the organization’s mission: filling vacancies in commercial properties, retaining existing downtown businesses and recruiting new ones, expanding the downtown residential base and creating a safe, clean and friendly downtown environment. Business Improvement Districts often provide marketing funds to promote businesses. The goal is to increase sales, which may help owners afford higher rental rates, said Hirsch.

That’s not saying Greenville doesn’t help out merchants. The city offers a business license tax abatement program for new businesses that can DOWNTOWN RETAIL continued on PAGE 18

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I would really love to see the city work harder to push people past the bridge and Falls Park into the West End. For such a cool collection of mostly independent shops, this Fa l l spart P r k Dr of town seems to not get as much attention – from the lights in the trees not working, ato the streetlights themselves seeming to be sparse on our side of town, to what seems like a lack of promotion on social media. I would love to see more local support from the city and people who live in town.

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Tara Kirkland, Custard Boutique

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Robin Bylenga, Pedal Chic

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To hear more from downtown retailers, go to upstatebusinessjournal.com.

The increased traffic and notoriety of our lovely Main Street has been simply amazing. We do live in a spectacular city. As we grow, however, we are naturally going to experience higher rents as the national chains (with much bigger budgets) move in.

There are tax incentives given for the arts so that the artists can maintain space on or near our Main Street.

This is an incentive given to the building owner. That is critical – most artists could never typically afford the rapidly increasing rent. It would be very encouraging to see a similar effort for the landlords that house small businesses in order for us to continue to maintain our downtown presence.

BRADSHAW ST Sadly, we have already lost many of the longtime downtown establishments that were integral in the growth and rehabilitation of our city. They took the first risks – stayed through all the construction (which is extremely difficult). The variety and local flair is what shoppers and visitors come to experience. If we become homogenized, why come downtown? The mall has much better parking, and it’s free.

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The recent growth of downtown INGTON ST Greenville and the arrival of national chains has been invaluable for business. National chains bring more customers to downtown because of their E MCB EE AV brand recognition, and they’ve E helped to establish a more expansive retail and dining culture.

The city has done a great job of maintaining a balance between these national chains and the local, unique, award-winning palette of businesses that our city is known for. My hope for the future is that this balance continues, that E BR OAD growth is encouraged while ST retaining one-of-a-kind appeal as our top priority.

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Bill Gaines, O.P. Taylors Downtown seems to have reduced the vagrancy problems to some degree except in warm months when vagrants spend hours sleeping on the benches during the day. There is a serious problem with recycling for downtown Rmerchants and for EED YV deliveries being made to businesses with no back door. Another problem is parking garages where drivers take two spaces on a daily basis with impunity and other drivers insist on parking large vehicles in end spaces, making it difficult for other OA vehicles to safely make turns or for pedestrians to cross in the garages.

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Unfortunately, it appears that many rents are going up dramatically, which will likely change the mix of retailers from those WW ASHI that unique, unique to our downtown to larger, national brand names. While some brand options are great, we believe NGTO N ST charming, unusual stores are what make downtown Greenville memorable and worthy of visiting.

An incentive for the big brands that are downtown to become a participative element of the community would bridge the divide between the national brands and small-business owners. City support for more retail-oriented (not just restaurant-oriented) events such as the Holiday Happening event last year. Moving the Christmas parade to a Sunday so as not to kill the retail businesses on a Saturday in their busy season. Less Saturday road closures (other than the TD Market) asHA other than IC the market, most road closures dramatically reduce retail traffic. More support for retailers, not just for hotels Wand S R restaurants.

R We have been in business at 660 S. Main St. for about 70 years. The Army Store has been a destination for shoppers for many years, but due to the lack of adequate customer parking, much of the trade has become more dependent on walk-in traffic. There are no close parking decks and many IN ST S MA to be apprehensive about using what people seem is available.

Another big problem for many of us downtown businesses is the amount of road closures due to all the special events, festivals, races, runs, walks and other excuses to make it hard for our customers to shop, especially on weekends, which are traditionally the Vbusiest retail days. FIThe ELD STcity should ARDR Y ST protect the retail environment rather than promote non-taxpaying vendors and events. Local retailers in the city must pay for a business license, sales tax and, for some, property taxes. Why are we penalized when we are committed to being in for the long haul rather than the short term?

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Downtown retailers on their challenges and opportunities

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LEG E

Elizabeth Bercowski, Christopher Park Gallery As a West End business owner for 13 years, I have indeed witnessed a change. When I opened, I had a good mix of customers; both local and out-of-town visitors. Recently, the mix is probably closer to 80 percent visitor and 20 percent local. I feel our biggest obstacle right now is the availability of parking. It affects not only retail but restaurants for the same reason.

I think we need to temper the number of times the streets are closed for walks, runs, parades and races. For a small business, the weekend is the opportunity to experience sales. Whenever the street is closed, business dries up – at least in the West End.

18 | COVER |

UBJ

DOWNTOWN RETAIL

The dynamics of downtown retail

By TED LYERLY Retail broker, NAI Earle Furman

General Merchandise

28.70%

Women’s Clothing & Accessories Stores

25.93%

We help retailers find space all over the Upstate, and not all retailers want to be downtown (a.k.a. the Central Business District or CBD). The dynamics of downtown Greenville are a big draw as you have the largest daytime population in the area, about 30,000, within a one-mile ring, combined with a permanent population of over 8,000 in the same area.

With all the new apartments and condos under construction, the number of full-time residents is increasing significantly.

There is a large range in the rental rates in the CBD. We are seeing rental rates from $12/SF to the high $30s/ SF, plus operating expenses. Location and condition of space is driving this rental rate. Vacancy rates are trending downward and are lower in the CBD than the Greenville area as a whole. This drives the corresponding rents higher as a function of supply and demand.

When downtown retailers are looking for space to lease, there are several factors to consider. The big questions: • Will my customers be OK not parking directly in front of the store or paying to park?

• If a retailer cannot find an available space right on Main Street, will they be seen and do OK on a side street? How far down in the West End can you go and still catch enough pedestrian traffic to be successful?

• Can the retailer take advantage of daytime population (primarily office employees)?

• With strict sign ordinances in the CBD, can I make signage needs work?

• Will the space work for my type of business? If not, what are the costs to make it work? Will the landlord pay for this or will this be a requirement of the tenant?

(Note: the cost to build out the infrastructure can be high, depending on the type of business.)

Once a retailer has identified a space, here are some tips to keep in mind during lease negotiations: • Include options to renew the lease at a predetermined lease rate. This way, the business can plan long term and there will be no surprises or rent spikes down the road. This also protects the tenant against getting kicked out after the initial lease term expires.

The tenant always has the option not to exercise this if they don’t want it.

• If the space needs work, the tenant should try to negotiate a Tenant Improvement Allowance to help them get the space built out to their needs.

They should also set the rent payment to start after they are open for business so they are not paying rent before starting to make income.

• With vacancy rates low, it is harder to negotiate now, but ask for an early termination option. This is useful if the business needs to close or relocate prior to the expiration of the initial lease term.

Men’s Clothing & Accessories Stores

12.96% Children’s Clothing & Toys Stores 46.30%

Eating & Drinking Places

5.56% Electronics & Appliance Stores

14.81%

Furniture & Home Accessories Stores

42.59% 11.11%

Grocery/Food Stores Sporting Goods Stores

33.33%

Hobby Stores

46.30%

Book Stores

26.85%

Music Stores

8.33% Personal Fitness Facilities/Gym & Personal Care Stores 12.96% Health (i.e. drugstores, health & wellness stores, etc.)

Other Services

20.37% 15.74% 0%

10%

(i.e. shoe repair, dry cleaners, alterations, etc.)

Downtown Greenville currently has a balanced mix of retail store types 20%

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03.11.2016

Road and the mall and to Woodruff Road. These are essentially in the same trade area, so making sure downtown businesses are different from those in the suburban areas is imperative. We work with retailers to explore options as we ultimately want them to find the location where they can be most successful,” she said.

As the city continues to grow, city leaders are working to shift the focus away from just Main Street and grow the entire city. Retailers like Liz Daly Designs and Lily Pottery recently relocated to Coffee Street, which is in alignment with the city’s goal of expanding retail offerings off Main Street, said Hirsch.

“To keep Greenville Greenville, we need to have an eclectic mix of small businesses,” Daly said.

She would like to see the city add additional lighting and possibly more signage to draw attention to those on other streets. Agnew of Ayers Leather adds she would like to see the trolley service expand.

“We hope even more shops will explore side streets as an option, where rents may be slightly lower than Main Street,” said Hirsch.

Generally, what types of stores would you like to see more of downtown?

34.26%

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100%

Source: Downtown Retail Survey

DOWNTOWN RETAIL continued from PAGE 16

reduce or exempt them from taxes for a specified time. There’s also an anniversary discount program, which offers up to a $10,000 discount for local businesses that achieve longevity milestones and are in good standing with the city’s codes and regulations But downtown isn’t for everyone, Hirsch said.

“Some businesses may choose an urban location that includes a walkable downtown, while other businesses depend on drive-by traffic. From downtown it’s only a 10-minute drive to Haywood

RETAIL THAT PEOPLE WANT As downtown Greenville continues to grow, more retail options will follow. A recent change to a city ordinance now requires all new mixed-use projects to have retail space on the ground floor to keep spaces engaging for pedestrians.

“As space becomes less easy to find downtown, we’re seeing retailers begin to locate on the second story of buildings, like the new White Magnolia Bridal located upstairs at 20 S. Main St.,” said Hirsch. “They did a great job with their window display, which is beautiful and eye-catching. These locations can be good options for destination retailers that don’t require walk-by traffic but still want to maintain a downtown presence.”

A recent downtown retail survey by the city showed that 52 percent of people coming to downtown come for the shopping. Of those respondents, 45 percent would like to see more local businesses and 20 percent would like to see more regional options.

The types of retail they would like to see is a mixed bag, with bookstores, grocery/food, hobby and general merchandise stores all earning high marks.

For more charts and data on downtown retail CRE, go to upstatebusinessjournal.com.

Mornings and lunchtime

We’ve got walkers In May 2015, the city of Greenville hired a consultant to conduct a pedestrian count downtown, in order to understand pedestrian traffic volume, patterns and trends for retailers, developers and businesses in Greenville.

During the weekday, the study found that morning volumes are affected by commuters walking to offices and taking mid-morning breaks. Lunch volumes (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) ranged from 2,000-2,400 on the blocks north of McBee where restaurants are plentiful and draw a combination of workers and visitors for lunch. The North Street-College Street block, located at the north edge of the north study area, had a lunch time volume of 1,900. Pedestrian traffic dropped in the south end to 500-1,000 during lunch, the study found.

03.11.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

The West End’s next chapter More businesses, new housing and a growing sense of place mean the women-led district is headed for purposeful change ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

West End Merchants Association westendgreenvillesc.com

aboncimino@communityjournals.com

Photo by Carol B. Stewart

20 years ago, the West End was a bit of a no-man’s land, a stretch of downtown so risky that a police officer would walk Kelly Ballentine Colacioppo – co-owner of The Cook’s Station – to her car every night, she said. Today, the area looks entirely different, but for its array of merchants, there are still problems to tackle.

“Every once in a while, I’ll get a message from an old Greenville person saying they need something, and they ask, ‘Is it safe down there?’” says Colacioppo, whose family ran Ballentine Equipment Company, one of the handful of businesses in the area at the time. “I’ve been in the West End since the day I was born. … It was so bad down there, but it was the only area that I knew.”

Today, a walk thorough the West End paints a very different picture, one with families strolling down well-lit, tree-studded sidewalks lined with more than 50 shops and restaurants of every kind imaginable. The area is preparing for an explosion of housing with the employee-owned, six-story Link Apartments West End with 215 units, and there are only a handful of available storefronts left.

“The West End is very different from the rest of downtown,” said Samantha Grace Designs owner Sonja Miller, who manufactures home accents, gifts and accessories from her space in the West End. “It’s a great mix … and it’s very self-sufficient.”

Despite stunning growth, the area – and by extension, the West End Merchants Association – still faces stubborn problems with foot traffic, clear signage, ever-pinched parking, pending leasing spikes and a distinct plan to draw people to the West End’s array of merchants. The next chapter, says Miller, is to create that plan.

THE OTHER SIDE At a glance, differentiation doesn’t seem hard. The West End boasts a majority of locally owned merchants, excellent food and a historic feel. On the other hand, a bend in the road after crossing the bridge over the Reedy River is a huge challenge to letting people know what’s there, she says.

“The other end of town has some of the bigger box stores, and each one has its purpose… but I just really feel like we want our store to be your living room in downtown Greenville,” says Mary Bernard, co-owner of the bookstore-wine bar-coffee bar-art shop Joe’s Place that opened nearly two years ago. At her first association meeting, discussion centered on foot traffic, and that was 2013, she says. “The fact of the matter is people still tend to come to the park and then turn around and go the other way.”

Further, big events downtown such as Fall for Greenville and Euphoria don’t always extend to the West End, and even block their store entrances to the point that West End merchants choose to close up early. The exception – Artisphere – is one of Colacioppo’s best days of the year, she says, but she and members of the West End Merchants Association recognize they need to do more.

“It bothers me that every event, unless we’re planning it, goes on the other side,” she says. For one large event, “The loud band was rock music, and stopped half a step in front of our doorway and then there were police cars. … Why would you come past there?”

WHAT WORKS IN THE FUTURE The association is considering ideas such as a First Fridays series that coincides with the downtown farmer’s market and includes activities that draw

traffic and showcase their diversity. The first year of the Affair in the West End drew around 3,000 people, which shows both demand and a clear idea of what could work in the future.

They’re also open to expanding the definition of the West End, which would broaden the scope not only geographically, but with the number of partners, advocates and members that could promote the area.

It’s been loosely described as the half a mile along S. Main St. from Rainer’s to Greenville Senior High Academy at Vardry St. A larger footprint running from the end of the bridge at RiverPlace all the way to Church Street would add 25 or 30 merchants, says Miller.

“That’s kind of a no-man’s land. If they’re not part of the West End and they’re not part of the rest of downtown, then where do they belong?” she says. “I think that’s a mistake, because these are also very eclectic shops. Why exclude people when it’s not necessary?”

Their website lists more than 40 merchants, but there are more that either are not current members or did not elect to be a part of the West End map commissioned by the association several years ago.

The group also pooled funds for an advertisement in TOWN magazine, but participation can be hard when everyone needs to keep up with their businesses, says Colacioppo.

“We’re still trying to develop what’s our niche down here,” she says, noting that she’s confident the West End has a big future and a large part to play as Greenville grows. “We have to regroup about how we can go forward with a small amount of money and few resources. … It’s going to be interesting.”

Afternoons and evenings

Weekends

From 2 to 8 p.m., pedestrian traffic grows considerably.

“This is a demonstration of the popularity of the downtown for casual dining and shopping – mostly by visitors,” cited the study. On the blocks with a high number of shops and restaurants (between North Street and McBee Avenue), volumes were in the 3,000-5,000 range. The College Street/North Street block and McBee Avenue/4th Street block had volumes of 2,000 and 2,400 respectively.

Weekend pedestrians ranged from 5,500-49,000 per block, with the busiest locations in the 38,000-49,000 volume range. The highest weekend volume (38,000-45,000) blocks occur between North Street and McBee Avenue, which has the greatest concentration of shops and restaurants, and where Saturday Market crowds in the morning augment Saturday afternoon and evening retail store shopping/dining traffic.

But more than 30,000 pedestrian trips were recorded on the Broad Street/Japanese Dogwood Lane block, showing the positive impact of Falls Park recreational opportunities and Peace Center, noted the study.

The study’s key takeaway: “The weekend Friday-Saturday-Sunday traffic constitutes more than 50 percent of the weekly traffic at most blocks in the study area. This situation is rarely found in downtowns across the country.”

20 | ON THE MOVE |

UBJ

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

HIRED

HIRED

HIRED

HIRED

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03.11.2016

HIRED

Tiffany Fox

Graham Hardaway

Emily Neal

Sarah Kate Blasingame

Becca Garcia

Joins DP3 Architects as an interior designer. Fox earned her BFA in interior design from Bob Jones University and is currently working towards her MFA in interior architecture. She is the newest member of DP3 Architects’ interiors studio.

Joins Cushman & Wakefield’s Greenville office as a retail specialist.

Hardaway has nine years of commercial sales and leasing experience in the Upstate market. He most recently negotiated ground leases for the telecom industry’s 5G and LTE expansion efforts.

Named a development coordinator with Meals on Wheels of Greenville. Neal will maintain Meals on Wheels’ donor database and assist with fundraising. She also serves as a volunteer for The Greenville Center for Creative Arts and Safe Harbor.

Joins the Old Cigar Warehouse as wedding sales manager. Blasingame most recently served as a venue manager in Statesboro, Ga. She is a graduate of Georgia Southern University with experience in planning, staffing, wedding coordination and catering.

Named a marketing associate with O’Neal Inc. She will be responsible for marketing, proposals, public relations and business development support. She has over two years of experience in marketing and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.

ENGINEERING O’Neal Inc. hired Mary Knox Henkes as process engineer and Max Dodson as instrumentation and controls designer. Henkes has more than five years of experience in process

engineering and is a graduate of North Carolina State University with a degree in chemical engineering.

Dodson has more than 12 years of controls design experience, working with Day & Zimmerman and BMW.

SynTerra’s board of directors elected Andrea Kehn, C. W. Hutchinson, Chris Stapleton and Jerry Wylie as principals of the firm, and Vick Crowley as CFO. Kehn serves as the manager of the process and compli-

ance group at SynTerra. Hutchinson has over 25 years of civil engineering experience serving in the industrial, consulting and public sectors. Stapleton serves as the business operations group leader and assistant secre- >>

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03.11.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

Open for business

| NEW TO THE STREET | 21

2

1

3

1. Entegra Bank recently opened at 501 Roper Mountain Road, Greenville. For more information, visit entegrabank.com.

2. Caliber Collision recently opened at 1134 N. Main St., Fountain Inn. For more information, visit calibercollision.com.

3. Sugar Tit Moonshine Distillery recently opened at 330 Main St., Reidville. For more information, visit sugartitmoonshine.com.

CONTRIBUTE: Know of a business opening soon?

Email information to lgood@communityjournals.com.

>> tary to the board of directors. Wylie serves as project manager and senior geologist for SynTerra. Crowley most recently served as CFO at J&P Park Acquisitions Inc. MARKETING/PR Infinity Marketing hired Taylor Jones as a new media assistant and promoted Hilary Powell to media coordinator. Jones most recently served as a lead development representative at NAVEX Global in Atlanta. Powell previously worked with Flourish Communications as a public relations and marketing intern.

Jackson Marketing, Motorsports & Events promoted Masha Harley to accounting coordinator and hired Mary Baugh as executive administra-

tive assistant. Harley previously served as a receptionist with the firm and is a graduate of the University of South Carolina Upstate. Baugh most recently worked with The Children’s Museum of the Upstate in executive assistant and development roles.

DOM360 added Brian Calloway as CFO, Tony Pate as new business director and Mike Weston as creative director. Calloway has more than 20 years of accounting experience with companies such as Adidas and ScanSource. Pate has almost 40 years of automotive industry experience working as COO of an automotive group. Weston is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York and has worked with Firestone and Michelin, among others.

CONTRIBUTE: New hires, promotions & award winners may be featured in On the Move. Send information and photos to onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

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22 | THE FINE PRINT |

UBJ

BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

|

03.11.2016

Fluor finalizes $755M acquisition, selected for Maryland transit project

Comparion acquired

by California company

Fluor Corp. signed an agreement to acquire Netherlands-based industrial services firm Stork Holding B.V. from UK-based private equity firm Arle Capital Partners. Fluor agreed to 100 percent of Stork’s shares for an investment of $755 million (€695 million), according to a previous release.

The company will integrate Fluor’s Operations and Maintenance organization.

The combined group under Stork’s brand will have approximately 19,000 employees and an annual turnover of $2.3 billion (€2.1 billion).

Fluor Enterprises Inc. is part of a team selected to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Purple Line project for the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration.

Fluor plans to book its share of the contract value later this year.

The $2 billion project includes 21 stations along a 16-mile alignment from Bethesda, Md., to New Carrollton, Md. The Purple Line Transit Constructors team will begin design and construction later this year with passenger service scheduled for early 2022. Following the construction a Fluor-led team will provide 30 years of operations and maintenance services.

Quantros Inc., the health care industry provider of enterprise safety risk management, quality management and reporting solutions, acquired Greenville-based Comparion Medical Analytics, a privately held health care information services company.

All of Comparion’s employees and contractors will continue to operate out of its Greenville headquarters.

“We’re excited to welcome Comparion into the Quantros family,” said Annie Callanan, CEO of Quantros. “The addition of Comparion’s capabilities truly strengthens our value propositions to customers, particularly for those participating in alternative value-based models linking payments to safer, higher-quality care.”

Quantros, which is based in Milpitas, Calif., will expand its portfolio to more than 10,000 inpatient and outpatient health care facilities and care settings.

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Greenville Technical launches Workforce Pathways Scholarship Greenville Technical College’s Division of Corporate and Career Development is offering a new Workforce Pathways Scholarship that will provide up to $2,000 per student per term for short-term training in select STEM-related career fields, according to a release from the school.

The Workforce Pathways Scholarship was funded by the S.C. General Assembly through the S.C. Technical College System. With $700,000 in funds available for GTC students, the program has the potential to benefit hundreds of local residents who need workforce training to get a job or advance on the job, the school said.

The scholarship will cover the cost of course fees and textbooks for qualified GTC courses in health care, manufacturing, information technology, and transportation and logistics.

For more information, visit www.gvltec.edu/ccd/workforce_pathways or call 864-250-8800.

Spinx continues Lowcountry expansion Spinx is continuing its expansion into the Lowcountry with the planning and construction of three new locations, the company announced in a release this week. Additionally, Spinx is taking steps this month to become “more accommodating to electric cars and vehicles,” the company said.

Construction is well underway for Spinx’s eighth store in the Charleston market, Spinx 359, at 366 E. 5th North St. in Summerville. This all-new 6,000-square-foot store is expected to be open in early summer.

Site work for another store, Spinx 355, is “progressing quickly,” said the company, and building is scheduled to commence next week. Spinx 355 is located at 17A Old Summerville Road in Summerville and is 5000 square feet. It is slated to open near the end of the summer and will be Spinx’s ninth store in the Charleston market.

The tenth store in the Charleston market will be Spinx 358 in Goose Creek.

Ground will be broken next month for the 6000-square-foot building, scheduled to open by the end of the year.

Spinx has also begun expanding its services at several of their current lo- >>

03.11.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

| THE FINE PRINT | 23

Ovation Brands closing restaurants nationwide

Milliken named a 2016 World’s Most Ethical Company

Greer-based Ovation Brands Inc., the company that operates Old Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet and Ryan’s brands, last weekend closed 92 locations nationwide, according to multiple news reports.

The closures are in addition to 74 closures in February.

The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday, which was the third time in less than 10 years, according to USA Today.

In a statement published by Nation’s Restaurant News, the company said it filed for bankruptcy to restructure debts and improve operations by closing underperforming restaurants and recapitalizing its business.

San Antonio-based Food Management Partners (FMP) acquired the company last summer.

Ovation Brands has gone from operating 675 locations in 2006 to 150 locations, according to Nation’s Restaurant News. The closure affects restaurants in Greer and Spartanburg.

Milliken & Company was recognized as a 2016 World’s Most Ethical Company by the Ethisphere Institute for the 10th consecutive year. The company was honored for its 150-year commitment to “doing good” through ethical practices, innovation leadership and corporate citizenship, according to a release.

“Milliken’s 150 years demonstrate what few companies can: a sustainable business advantage supported by their values and commitment to ethics and innovation,” said Ethisphere CEO Timothy Erblich. “Milliken recognizes the correlation between ethics and performance and the value this creates for its communities, customers and associates. Congratulations to everyone at Milliken for being recognized as a 2016 World’s Most Ethical Company and on your 150-year anniversary.”

To learn more contact: Trevor Gordon, CEO

(864) 679-4701 ext. 101 tgordon@sandlappercapital.com

2015

Real Estate Forum Magazine: Roaring Twenties Award: South Carolina’s #1 Fastest-Growing Company 2015 4th Fastest-Growing Small Company 2015Estate Roaring Twenties Award: Real Forum Magazine: One of South Carolina’s 4th Fastest-Growing 2015’s Fastest-Growing Companies Company

www.SandlapperCapital.com

>> cations, the company said. This month, Spinx will begin installing electric vehicle charging stations at five Upstate locations, one Columbia area location and one location in the Charleston area. Spinx’s new charging stations can typically charge most cars in 20 minutes or less, the company said.

Greenville makes Livability.com’s Top 10 Downtowns list Livability.com has ranked Greenville third in its 2016 list of Top 10 Best Downtowns. In a statement, the online research firm praised the city’s “expanded housing options, rising population, affordability, diversity and around-the-clock entertainment.”

Livability.com editors narrowed the field from more than 2,000 small to mid-sized cities. “Using figures provided by Esri, the Census Bureau, the United States Department of Agriculture and other sources, we looked for places with low vacancy rates, new development and an influx of people into those spaces,” said Livability.com editor Matt Carmichael in the statement. “We looked for cultural attractions and nightlife that draw people into the heart of their cities.

Finally, we added in factors that we typically include in all our lists, including

This announcement does not constitute an offer to buy or sell securities. Such offers may only be made to qualified accredited investors via Confidential Private Placement Memorandum (“PPM”). Investments into private placement securities should be considered highly speculative and involve a degree of risk including the potential for complete loss of principal investment. Prospective investors must read the PPM in its entirety and pay particular attention to the cost projections, performance assumptions and the “Risk Factors” to fully understand the risks and costs involved with this investment. These private placement offerings are illiquid investments. Income/Returns are NOT GUARANTEED and no representation to such has been made. All statements here are believed to be accurate. This announcement does not supersede the PPM. Securities offered through SANDLAPPER Securities, LLC (Member FINRA/ SIPC). SANDLAPPER Securities is an affiliate of Sandlapper Capital Investments, LLC, the Sponsor and Manager of the offerings. While the Sponsor believes the DST investment should qualify as replacement property for investors seeking to use interests as replacement property in an IRC §1031 Exchange, and has received a tax opinion to such, neither the Trust nor Sponsor has applied for a Private Letter Ruling with the IRS to such, and exchange investors are encouraged to seek their own independent tax advice on such. Properties are leased to Collis Roofing, Inc., Florida’s largest roofing company. Current return is based on the tenant’s continued ability to pay. Income is not guaranteed.

the city’s Walk Score and measures of affordability and diversity. We also included population parameters to ensure we identified places with more than just a quaint Main Street.”

Livability.com ranked the city fourth in 2015.

“Having a great downtown is about more than just great stores, and great restaurants. A great downtown needs people,” said Carmichael. “Great cities need great spaces to gather. These cities and towns are wonderful places to get out and engage with your friends, family and other residents.”

TOP 10 BEST DOWNTOWNS, 2016 Alexandria, Va. Santa Monica, Calif.

Greenville, S.C. Bellevue, Wash.

Pittsburgh, Pa. Boise, Idaho Tempe, Ariz.

Plano, Texas Colorado Springs, Colo.

Evanston, Ill.

24 | SOCIAL SNAPSHOT |

INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE

UBJ

|

03.11.2016

HABITAT CEO BUILD

NOW HIRING

Sixteen local CEOs pitched in for a wall-raising last week during Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County’s fourth annual CEO Build. The house, in the Grace Point neighborhood of southern Greenville County, will be the home of the Delanuez family.

Photo Provided

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COMMUNITY JOURNALS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

Last week, NEXT Manufacturing Center held its grand opening. The manufacturing center, in partnership with the Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s NEXT program, will also share the co-locating and business support services philosophy of the NEXT Innovation Center, which banks on the idea that such environments foster innovation, collaboration, support and the sharing of best practices that lead to a healthier, more vibrant business network.

Photos by Mark Susko

03.11.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE

BUSINESS ON TAP Aloft Greenville’s W XYZ Bar was the site of UBJ’s Business on Tap drop-in networking event last week.

Photos by Ryan Johnston/Staff

CONTRIBUTE: Got high-resolution photos of your networking or social events? Send photos and information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

| SOCIAL SNAPSHOT | 25

26 | #TRENDING |

UBJ

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

OVERHEARD @ THE WATERCOOLER MARCH 4, 2016

JOE ERWIN’S NEXT ENDEAVOR

RE: ‘GOODBYE’ IS THE HARDEST WORD > Leigh Gauthier Savage “Best wishes to a great editor!” > Paul Alongi “Best of luck, Susan!” > Michelle Baker Willis “Thank you for your work and good luck to you!” > Regina Kloppenburg Coulomb “Best of luck Susan for life’s new adventure.

Thank you for your service to our community and keeping the words on paper alive for us.” > John Moore “Congratulations, Susan, on your amazing body of work and the way in which you’ve produced it. I hope you reap the full benefit of having more ‘margin’ – you certainly deserve it!”

RE: AD GURU JOE ERWIN MAKES A SPACE FOR CREATIVES WITH ENDEAVOR > Jim Ciallella via upstatebusinessjournal.com “Ziplines between Endeavor, Clemson and NEXT?” > Matthew Smith via upstatebusinessjournal.com “Glad to have more options for the creative community. Best of luck!”

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

LINKEDIN.COM/COMPANY/ UPSTATE-BUSINESS-JOURNAL FACEBOOK.COM/ THEUPSTATEBUSINESSJOURNAL @UPSTATEBIZ @ashleyboncimino

@theladylety

@SJackson_CJ

@jerrymsalley

@BenDavidJ

@clandrum

Progress report on

03.11.2016

BIZ BUZZ

Distilled commentary from UBJ readers

+ PLUS:

|

From ad space to a office space: Creating on culture for creatives Main Street - pg. 3

urg's Northside Initiative

Spartanb

| VOL. 5 ISSUE 10

DIGITAL FLIPBOOK ARCHIVE >> The layout of print meets the convenience of the web: flip through the digital edition of any of our print issues at >> 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 eprice@communityjournals.com. > Marc Del Vecchio “I couldn’t be happier for these guys. And something tells me that I might spend a little bit of time here.” > Hank Hyatt “Joe is one of the best people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. His new venture is very exciting and I know it will change the scene in Greenville once again! Way to go Joe!”

RE: SPARTANBURG CHAMBER REBRANDS, LAUNCHES SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN > Grace Loveless “Seems like a not-even-veiled dig at the #yeahthatgreenville – I kind of feel like the upstate shouldn’t have infighting but instead work together to bring tourism and commerce to the upstate.” > Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce “We are excited to see every community embrace what makes it unique! We’re thrilled to celebrate Spartanburg’s success, and look forward to the continued growth and opportunity which shows that Upstate, SC is a great place to live, work, and play.” > Grace Loveless “Great answer but doesn’t change my opinion that this seems like a dig at your neighbor” > April Riddle Staggs “Great job!”

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

>> 492 1. Ad guru Joe Erwin makes a space for creatives with Endeavor

>> 264 2. Spartanburg Chamber rebrands, launches social media campaign

>> 158 3. Proper Polymers establishing $15.4M facility in Greenville County

>> 156 4. Lockheed Martin Air Force contract would bring 200 jobs to Greenville

>> 112 5. 1,416-acre industrial park underway in Spartanburg County

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

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

ORDER A PRINT SUBSCRIPTION Style & substance are not mutually exclusive.

Our print issues look great in waiting rooms, lobbies and on coffee tables (where they age well, too). Order a year of UBJ in no time, and we’ll deliver every week. >> upstatebusinessjournal.com/ subscribe

UPSTATEBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

03.11.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

DATE Tuesday

3/15 Wednesday

3/16 Thursday

3/19

WHERE DO I GO?

HOW DO I GO?

Greenville Chamber Multicultural Business and Community Open House

Greenville Chamber 24 Cleveland St., Greenville 5:30-8 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: bit.ly/multibizcom-feb2016

Tech After Five Networking for tech entrepreneurs and professionals

Pour Lounge 221 N. Main St., Greenville 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: bit.ly/taf-march2016

Piedmont SCORE Basic Small Business Start-Up Workshop

Tri-County Technical College 7900 Hwy. 76, Pendleton 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: piedmontscore.org/workshops

SC Works WorkLink Annual Job Fair

Tri-County Technical College 7900 Hwy. 76, Pendleton 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Cost: Free More info: worklinkweb.com

The Citizens in Action Palmetto Panel 2016 Conference A citizen-led conference on important issues and upcoming legislation in the state

Madren Conference Center 230 Madren Center Drive, Clemson 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Cost: $45 Register: palmettopanel.com

Basic Small Business Start-up Workshop

NEXT Innovation Center 411 University Ridge, Greenville 6-8 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: piedmontscore.org/workshops/ register/240

Monday

3/21

| PLANNER | 27

EVENT INFO

3/17 Saturday

EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR

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

ART & PRODUCTION

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

ART DIRECTOR

MARCH 18 THE TECH ISSUE Local technological innovations and revolutions.

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

PHOTO COORDINATOR/LAYOUT PRESIDENT/CEO

Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com

UBJ PUBLISHER

Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com

STAFF WRITERS

Ashley Boncimino, Lety Good, Sherry Jackson, Benjamin Jeffers, Cindy Landrum

CONTRIBUTING WRITER Melinda Young

DIGITAL TEAM

jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years

1988

Holly Hardin

ADVERTISING DESIGN Kristy Adair, Michael Allen

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont office Center on Villa.

>>

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

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

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

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

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

OPERATIONS 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

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

APRIL 15 INVESTING 101 Funding and finance.

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

AS SEEN IN

NOVEMBER 1, 2013

CLIENT SERVICES Anita Harley, Jane Rogers

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Kristi Fortner

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Order a reprint today, PDFs available for $25. For more information, contact Anita Harley 864.679.1205 or aharley@communityjournals.com

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SALES REPRESENTATIVES

UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties.

Guest columns run 700-800 words.

Contact Managing Editor Jerry Salley at jsalley@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration.

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & ACCOUNT STRATEGY

UBJ milestone

1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport

Tammy Smith

Emily Price, Danielle Car

Nicole Greer, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehmen, Emily Yepes

UBJ milestone

Kate Madden Circulation Audit by

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APRIL 29 WHO’S WHO Meet the latest class of game-changers in the Upstate.

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