April 17, 2015 UBJ

APRIL 17, 2015 | VOL. 4 ISSUE 16

Working Alone

Working Together

CoWorking

DOES IT WORK? Coworking spaces can foster collaboration and spark inspiration— but can they make a buck? Page 14

upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEWS

| GOVERNMENT | 3

Greenville to add criteria for Conditional Use Permits SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com New criteria added for Conditional Use Permits passed first reading approval this week by Greenville City Council. A Conditional Use Permit is required by the city when “a business or other use is allowed only upon Planning Staff determining that certain conditions have been met.”

The new conditions, which are part of the Land Management Ordinance, will give the city the authority to impose “conditions on a Conditional Use Permit intended to mitigate any negative impacts of the use on surrounding properties,” according to the ordinance.

The new conditions would actually make it a little easier to do business in the city of Greenville, said Michael Kerski, city planning manager. For example, kennels and research and development are not allowed in C4 zoning areas. With the changes to the ordinance, those uses could be allowed under a conditional use permit in those areas.

This gives the city a mechanism to use that is broader and all encompassing, Kerski said. New conditions of the ordinance in both general and service and industrial uses include: • Volume and type of sales and items sold on the premises • Any processing done on the premises • Nature and location of storage and outdoor display merchandise • Type, size and nature of building and structures • Number and density of employees • Transportation requirements • Parking requirements • Amount and nature of any nuisances generated on the permises • Any special public utility requirements • Impact on adjacent properties In March, the Planning Commission held a public hearing and recommended approval of the changes and sent them to City Council.

City Council will hold a second reading of the ordinance sometime in May.

Stay in the know.

@UpstateBiz

IT’S OUR BUSINESS TO PROTECT YOURS.

Proudly representing

BUSINESS. HOME. FAMILY.

623 Halton Road, Greenville, SC • 864-288-9513 • TurnerAgencyInc.com

4 | THE RUNDOWN |

TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

UBJ

|

04.17.2015

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 16 Featured this issue: Building an off-the-grid community 12 1,000 umbrellas to cover downtown Greenville 16 Cliffs Keowee Springs announces Dockside properties 19

MONEY SHOT: People at work at the Iron Yard’s cowork space and health care IT startup accelerator called The Mill in Spartanburg.

For more on coworking in the Upstate, read our story starting on page 14. Photo by Greg Beckner.

WORTH REPEATING “Greenville’s really the perfect test bed for us.

We are really disciplining ourselves to make it work here.” Page 16 “If your website was designed by a professional and does not meet mobile requirements, chances are you’ve had the site for more than three or four years.

You’re due for a change anyway.” Page 10 “What I’ve come to find is that people like to be part of a community … but they don’t want to be right next to the next guy.” Page 14

VERBATIM

On the Spartanburg flame war “[P]erhaps it shouldn’t be surprising coming from a site where posts about Mischa Barton suing her mom and Justin Bieber groping Ariana Grande mingle with whatever can be cribbed from Reddit for a beautiful clickbait stew.”

Christopher George, multimedia communications specialist for the City of Spartanburg, responding to Gawker.com, which posted two articles depicting Spartanburg in an unflattering light. Read the whole response at cityofspartanburg.org/news.

upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEWS

| MANUFACTURING | 5

Workforce development highlighted at manufacturing expo ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com Workforce development and technology topped the schedule at the S.C. Manufacturing Conference and Expo held at the TD Convention Center in Greenville this week with keynote addresses from state officials and manufacturing executives.

“We need to continue to work on our workforce because it’s the key to our success,” said S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt, who said part of the state’s strategy includes helping industry leaders and educators to work together. Last year, the state absorbed South Carolina’s 12 Regional Education Centers, which help inform schools about industry needs. “It’s important from an early age that we convey to our youth that today’s manufacturing jobs are cool,” he said.

Critical needs jobs account for 54 percent of the state’s workforce, while only 28 percent of people have the skills to meet that need, according to the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.

Other panel topics Tuesday spanned the future of manufacturing, cybersecurity, intellectual property and venture capital. Workforce also comes into play when growing manufacturing startups, said Greenville entrepreneur Jason Premo of seed funding group Swamp Rabbit Angels.

“It’s not just the folks on the factory floor, though

Bobby Hitt

Mark Fava

Pete Selleck

Keith Miller

Photos provided

that’s a weakness as well … you’ve also got to have the management, the engineers,” he said, also noting the gap in venture capital investment—between $1 million and $5 million—for manufacturing startups in the state. “When they’re ready to scale, they’ve got to leave and go to Austin or Raleigh … there’s a chasm there we need to fill.”

Conference speakers also included Michelin North America President Pete Selleck, Boeing South Carolina Chief Counsel Mark Fava and Greenville Technical College President Keith Miller.

Jason Premo

Photo by Greg Beckner

6 | DEVELOPMENT |

UBJ

NEWS

|

04.17.2015

Clemson trustees give nod to $130M Sirrine Hall replacement New building, to be completed in 2018, will house business school STAFF REPORT

Clemson University trustees have

Rendering provided

given pre-concept approval for university officials to move forward in evaluating plans to design a building to replace programming in Sirrine Hall on campus.

Sirrine, which was built in 1938, currently houses the College of Business and Behavioral Science and other academic programs. The replacement facility, which has yet to be named, will become the home for all business and related disciplines. It will provide space for outreach and research institutes; a variety of classrooms and learning laboratories; faculty and administrative offices; and study and gathering spaces for collaboration among students, faculty, staff and business partners.

The project, with an estimated cost of A rendering of the building proposed to replace Sirrine Hall at Clemson University. $120-130 million, will also provide approximately 105,000 square feet of swing space in Sirrine Hall, allowing for systematic renovation of other aging campus and acabuilding, and target completion will be in summer to replace Godfrey Hall as the Textile building. It demic facilities. was one of eight buildings built between 1936 and 2018,” said Brett Dalton, vice president for finance.

“It is expected that significant private funding and Named after Joseph E. Sirrine, life trustee of 1938, and designed by Rudolph E. Lee in an Italian state institution bonds will be used to fund the Clemson Agricultural College, Sirrine Hall was built Renaissance Revival style.

KNOW THE FACTS! GOS Competitive Pricing Next Day Delivery Minimum Order Charges Local Account Managers Upstate Owned & Operated Local Customer Service Community Involvement Office Coffee Service Full Service Print Shop Company Employed Drivers Local Janitorial & Cleaning Specialist

YES YES NO

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

Staples

?

YES YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

A real comparison between GOS and other large national providers.

Office Depot

?

YES YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

GOS has everyday competitive pricing on over 50,000 items.

GOS provides next day delivery on 99% of all online items.

GOS has no minimum order fees or small order charges.

All GOS customers have a local designated Account Manager.

GOS is located right here in SC. Keep your dollars here!

Local Customer Care professionals for quick help and answers.

GOS consistently gives back to the Upstate community.

GOS will provide equipment free of charge if you buy our coffee.

GOS can fully design and produce any print item locally.

Local Upstate drivers are employees of GOS - not a 3rd party.

Cost savings assessments for all Janitorial and Cleaning Products.

REAL FACTS • REAL SERVICE • REAL SAVINGS everything for your office...

www.gos1.com

(800) 277-0208

www.shop.gos1.com

CONNECT

MINGLE WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES AT MORE THAN 20 ANNUAL NETWORKING EVENTS, INTERN WITH A MULTINATIONAL COMPANY, OR STUDY ABROAD IN EUROPE OR CHINA

www.clemson.edu/mba 路 864-656-3975

8 | CHAMBER |

UBJ

NEWS

|

04.17.2015

Speakers share experiences in Entrepreneurship series

GE plans exit from banking business ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com

General Electric announced plans to sell “most” of its finance

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

business GE Capital during the next two years with the exception of certain portions related to the company’s industrial businesses.

Representatives from GE did not respond by press time to inquiries about the announcement’s effect on

its South Carolina operations. The company has gas turbine, aviation and wind energy aviation manufacturing operations in Greenville, and employs about 3,000 people in the state.

The company will retain its GE Capital Aviation Services, Energy Financial Services and Healthcare Equipment Finance, which includes its aircraft leasing operations, as well as its energy and healthcare industries financing arms. The GE Capital businesses remaining with the company will account for about $90 billion in ending net investments—

upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEWS

Successful

| CHAMBER & FINANCE | 9

MASTER CLASS IN MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

APRIL 30, 2015 THE “ONE” BUILDING DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE, SC

D.J. Rama, president of JHM Hotels, tells his story to the Serrus Capital Successful Entrepreneurship Series on Tuesday night at CU-ICAR auditorium. On April 21, Matt Devine and Laura Bratton will speak. For more information, visit successful-entrepreneurship.com

Jeff Immelt

about $40 billion in the U.S.— according to the company.

“This is a major step in our strategy to focus GE around its competitive advantages,” said GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt in a news release.

GE’s industrial businesses are on track for operating earnings per share for 2015, the company said.

GE also plans to sell $26.5 billion of office buildings and commercial real estate debt to Blackstone Group LP, Wells Fargo & Co. and other buyers.

A comprehensive, interactive class on best practices for corporate acquirers

Intended for C-­‐suite, board members, and line managers—all who would be involved in the acquisition process

8:30am-­‐6:00pm $1,000 (includes lunch & beer/wine networking)

Details: www.watermarkadvisors.com

HOSTED BY: Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership Clemson University 1 North Main St. Greenville, SC 29601

10 | DIGITAL MAVEN |

UBJ

THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUSINESS

|

04.17. 2015

Hold onto your Google Rankings, it’s going to be a bumpy ride If your site isn’t mobile friendly, prepare to get buried in the search results

By LAURA HAIGHT, president, portfoliosc.com Search engine optimization is a mystery to most small-business owners. But one thing is easy to understand: When I search for my store/company/ business, where does my website come up? First page, first three pages, top five listings?

If that matters to your business, listen up because things are about to change. Next week, Google is set to change its mobile search algorithm to give ranking preference to sites that are “mobile friendly.” That means that when people perform a Google search from a mobile device—smartphone or tablet—where you land will depend in large part on how accessible your site is for mobile device users.

FOUND: APPLE PAY

I finally got to use Apple Pay. Thank you to all of you who responded to my call for help by identifying the handful of local businesses currently accepting Apple Pay. Boy, there aren’t many. Panera Bread, Firehouse Subs, Home Depot, Walgreens and Bi-Lo were all mentioned. We should start seeing new chip and PIN terminals, which should also accept Apple Pay and other contactless payment methods, popping up all over. This isn’t just about using cool tech. This is about a significant improvement in consumer safety and security.

GOT THE TIME?

Have you bought your Apple Watch yet? Well, you aren’t alone. Apple has spent more than $38 million marketing the product. And there have been a ton of press reviews. But most reviewers are struggling to reconcile the beauty and design with the question: Why?

With mobile users surpassing desktop users and search as the starting place for most Internet research (goo.gl/LBGCnB), Google is firmly putting itself in the mobile consumer’s corner. In a 2014 report (goo.gl/vCiiB5), Google explored the behavior of smartphone users and their searching habits. Two significant findings relate to this move: • 72 percent of consumers who searched for local information on their smartphone visited a store within 5 miles.

• 50 percent of consumers who conducted a local search on their smartphone visited a store within a day.

These stats make a good case for a small business to maximize its site for mobile users. People who are searching for you are out and ready to buy. And although Google keeps its plans pretty close to the

At prices ranging from $350 for colorful plastic to $10,000 for elegant gold and leather, the watch is pricey, to say the least. But it isn’t this product that interests me. It’s the next one. Ultimately, the most important function this watch may fulfill is as a bridge to what’s really next. The next steps in artificial intelligence and passive interfaces—devices that provide what is needed before we have asked for it without our interaction—will be presaged by the Apple Watch.

Remember the camera phone. The first was clunky, heavy, expensive and took photos at a less than exciting .3 megapixels. Less than a decade later, the majority of photos taken are made using a smartphone at resolutions up to 41 megapixels.

And the capability to have a high-quality phone in your pocket has changed society, politics and civic participation.

What’s the next disruptive innovation?

vest, you don’t need a formal press release to see the connection between the research and the changes Google is poised to make to ensure its search results are relevant to user behavior.

So what is a small business to do?

• Go to a website set up by Google where you can plug in your URL and get a quick analysis of whether your site is mobile-friendly. goo.gl/KCn6KZ • Got bad news? If you are a small retail business, restaurant or service provider, coming up high in searches is critical. So it is time to get an upgrade to your website. The Google analysis page offers some middle-ground steps you can take to make your site more compatible for mobile delivery, but ultimately this is a wake-up call.

We’ve talked before about the importance of responsive design for websites. That was more than two years ago. If you haven’t updated your old website, this latest shift from Google should get you moving.

Responsive design is device-aware, determining what device a user is on and displaying the website in a format optimal for that device, automatically adjusting for screen size, orientation and—in some cases—even bandwidth. Don’t confuse this with the old mobile website which stripped out all the visual elements from a mobile site to make it load faster and eliminate display issues on older cellphones.

A slight modification of this concept is adaptive design, which enables touch behaviors when it detects that the user is on a mobile device. The site look and feel hasn’t changed, but it lets you interact with it differently, such as allowing you to swipe to move between pages or scroll through galleries.

If your website was designed by a professional and does not meet mobile requirements, chances are you’ve had the site for more than three or four years.

You’re due for a change anyway.

THE EASIEST WAY TO TRAVEL. For over 50 years, GSP International Airport has helped our local economy take flight. With convenient parking, shorter lines and more direct flights to the places you need to be, your choice in travel is close to home.

THINK GSP FIRST. GSPairport.com

upstatebusinessjournal.com

MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE

| INNOVATE | 11

Earn while you learn

Apprenticeships help fill the skills gap in S.C.

By LESLIE TRANT,

dean of corporate & career development, Greenville Technical College

Apprenticeships have existed in America since our country’s earliest days. In South Carolina, they have played a strong role in workforce development over the past eight years, the result of a concerted effort by our state to meet the needs of business and industry.

In 2003, when a South Carolina Chamber of Commerce study determined that qualified people to fill midlevel jobs were the state’s most critical need, South Carolina lagged behind neighboring North Carolina and Georgia in using apprenticeships to fill the skills gap.

A coordinated state program to build awareness and use of apprenticeships, Apprenticeship Carolina, was established in 2007 within the South Carolina Technical College System. The program, which provides free help for companies interested in getting started with apprenticeships, began with 90 companies and 777 apprentices. Since then, 713 companies have grown the work-force by creating 11,669 registered apprenticeships.

Today, Apprenticeship Carolina helps companies use the earn-whileyou-learn training model to deliver structured on-the-job training combined with job-related education typically offered through the state’s technical college system. South Carolina, once lagging behind, is now recognized as the nation’s leader in use of apprenticeships.

In the Upstate, apprenticeships have easily gained acceptance, in part because of the global companies represented here and their use of apprenticeships in Europe and other locations. Companies such as Bosch Rexroth, headquartered in Germany, have a long history of using apprenticeships to create skilled employees and see the value in this approach.

While apprenticeships have become part of the Upstate landscape, their scope is not always understood. Apprenticeships are not just for crafts or manufacturing. More than 1,000 occupations can be registered across industries that include health care,

information technology, construction technologies, energy, tourism, transportation, distribution and logistics. Sometimes thought only to create entry-level employees, apprenticeships can, in fact, be used to grow skills at different levels.

Upstate electrical contractors, for example, were early adapters of the apprenticeship model. They came together as an alliance and trained their own people through customized classes at Greenville Technical College. Greenville County EMS was another pioneering entity. They worked with Greenville Tech to create a career pathway that would elevate skills from the most basic all the way to the paramedic level.

Companies benefit from apprenticeships in a number of ways. The combination of job-related educational instruction and on-the-job application of those skills creates a higher skill level than one or the other alone could offer. And it’s a consistent skill level, with all employees meeting both company and industry standards.

Employees who have a deeper understanding of their jobs provide better quality work and productivity, and because the company has invested in their advancement, they’re more motivated and less likely to leave.

Apprenticeships allow companies to build the workforce today as they plan for tomorrow, creating a system for transferring knowledge from experienced employees to new recruits.

In addition to the cost savings realized by reducing turnover, apprenticeships offer a number of other financial incentives. A state tax credit of $1,000 per apprentice per year for up to four years provides financial assistance for workforce growth. Other financial resources may be available to help.

While companies benefit greatly, individuals benefit, too. As they increase their skills, wages progress.

Employees earn certifications that can travel with them throughout their careers. And because they’re learning both in the classroom and on the job, apprentices gain a level of confidence they wouldn’t have without this earnwhile-you-learn option.

BY THE NUMBERS:

692%

—increase in registered

apprenticeship programs in S.C. since 2007 (from 90 to 713)

656%

—increase in apprentices

in S.C. since 2007 (from 777 to 5,871)

11,669

—total apprentices

served by Apprenticeship Carolina Source: Apprenticeship Carolina

Though the Upstate has come a long way with use of apprenticeships since 2007, we have the opportunity to go much further. Though used in many sectors, apprenticeships could be used by an even wider range of employers.

A personnel shortage, for example, looms in the IT field. Apprenticeships would allow this sector to create the

skills to fill these positions before a shortage hampers growth.

We have the opportunity to use apprenticeships more effectively in the health care arena as many other parts of the state are already, creating skilled nursing assistants and other health care positions. We also have tremendous opportunity to broaden the reach of apprenticeships to a much younger age group. In the lower part of the state, Trident Technical College creates excitement for youth apprenticeships through a signing day, giving young people who are headed for promising futures in the workforce the same recognition that athletes receive.

Apprenticeship programs provide a viable workforce development tool for organizations to meet their growing personnel demands. Apprenticeship Carolina can tell you more about whether an apprenticeship will help you meet your goals, involving Greenville Technical College to create and deliver customized training. To learn more, go to www. apprenticeshipcarolina.com.

NOSE DIVE @ NOON. Daily Features.

GF & Healthy Options.

Timely, Full-Service Lunch.

The “Southerner” - Fried Green Tomato Rings, Spiced Pecans, Goat Cheese, Apple Cider Vinaigrette 116 South Main Street | Greenville, SC 29601 | 864.373.7300 www.thenosedive.com | www.facebook.com/thenosedive Lunch & Dinner, Monday - Friday | Brunch & Dinner, Saturday | Sunday Brunch

12 | JUMPSTART |

COMPANIES BLAZING A TRAIL IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

UBJ

|

04.17. 2015

Restaurateur and inventor Mark Clayton’s vision blooms into life with the Renewable Sustainable Living project SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com With a mission to “promote and use renewable energy and sustainable agriculture,” engineer, restaurateur and inventor Mark Clayton is hoping Upstate residents and investors will share in his vision.

The project, called Renewable Sustainable Living, is a first for this area, and possibly a first in the U.S., Clayton said. Two and a half acres along Highway 414 and adjacent to North Greenville University have been secured for the first portion of the project, with a possible option on an additional 30-acre property directly behind it.

The first phase includes an off-grid “farm market” with organic gardens and greenhouses. Subsequent phases will include a boutique hotel and conference center retreat with zip lines and climbing walls, a treehouse conference room with rope bridges and a fishing dock along the South Tyger Watershed.

Also planned are 24 sustainable-living condos along with prototypes for other housing options, including tiny houses, which would be built by Chris Baddorf with Carolina Green Builders. An electric charging station will be on site and all-electric vehicles would be used on the property.

The condos would utilize solar and natural gas and will include three to four acres of community gardens. The condos would be constructed with

Photos and rendering provided

Off the grid aerated concrete , which means no sheetrock or insulation will be needed. The sales from the output of the gardens are expected to offset any water and natural gas costs, said Clayton.

“We are truly developing an off-the-grid community that will be an example of the livable, sustainable lifestyle,” said Clayton.

The Renewable Mindset Farm Market will participate in the We Proudly Serve Starbucks program, which will allow the market to serve a variety of Starbucks brand coffee products including brewed coffee and espresso beverages. There will also be an ice cream counter and small barbecue restaurant, said Clayton.

Organic fruits and vegetables grown in the raised beds on the property will be sold at the market along with fresh-baked bread, local honey, jams, organic foods and local organic products. Clayton’s wife, Carol, who owned the Manna Manna Deli for 13 years in downtown Greenville, will supply some of the foods. The market will be open six days a week, year-round.

Clayton said the need for organic foods is high and that most sellers at area farmers markets sell out consistently. There are not enough organic foods to go around in the Upstate, he said.

Clayton also spent many years as an engineer for the automotive industry and wants to use at least one of his patents on constructing new technology for renewable energy initiatives.

The future renewable energy engineering building will serve as a “testing and proving ground” with access to the latest technology and energy equipment. It will be an experiential place to demonstrate a renewable energy and sustainable agriculture lifestyle, said Clayton.

Plans also include training sessions for anyone interested in renewable energy and sustainable agriculture. Clayton said they will demonstrate how to set up compost bins, build raised gardens and handle seeds and crops. “We’re trying to be a bridge to this kind of living,” he said.

Some of the initial seed money has been raised, as well as applying for a $50,000 Michelin grant – enough to start construction on the Farm Market in May. Right now, there are only two partners in the Renewable Mindset Farm Market, Clayton and Bruce Adams, who is a farm manager at Furman University. Clayton said he’s looking for additional investors who can help fund operating costs and the $6 million needed for the whole project.

He hopes to take this concept all across the Southeast, with Raleigh-Durham as the next targeted area.

Clayton expects the project to take two to three years to complete.

For more information, contact Mark Clayton at papamarkc@gmail.com or 864-534-4098.

“We are truly developing an off-the-grid community that will be an example of the livable, sustainable lifestyle.”

Mark Clayton

1

Financial Lessons Your Kids Won’t Learn in College

Sponsored Content

5

The

5 FINANCIAL PRINCIPLES TO SHARE WITH YOUNGER GENERATIONS

By The Faust-Boyer Group of Raymond James

2. MANAGE DEBT. Many college students graduate with credit card debt and student loans. Show your children how quickly credit card debt, fees and interest can accumulate and get out of hand. Help them be smart about using credit wisely. While you’re at it, discuss fees involved with some credit cards and banking accounts.

< BUDGET AND PAY BILLS ON TIME. Chances are your children have not really had to create and follow a budget. You’ll need to explain how to budget for utilities, food, gas, insurance, rent and cellphone service before spending on discretionary items. In addition, reinforce the idea of paying bills on time so your children will know what’s left to spend on other expenses and savings.

3. BUILD CREDIT. A debit card won’t help build credit. So talk to your kids about using a credit card that can be paid off each month. Building a good credit history could help increase their chances of borrowing at lower rates later on, say for a mortgage.

4. SAVE FOR A RAINY DAY OR A LARGE PURCHASE. Help your children establish good saving habits and set them up for a successful future. Encourage them to set aside a percentage of each paycheck toward retirement goals – maybe in a plan offered by their employers – and save three months of expenses in an emergency fund. Compounding will help both accounts grow over time.

WE CAN HELP YOU WORK THROUGH ALL THESE IDEAS AND MANY MORE. GIVE US A CALL TODAY.

5. START EARLY. Children as young as three stand to benefit from learning the basic mechanics of money. And they’ll learn the most by watching adults.

When you use money around children, show them exactly what you’re doing and explain everything as you go. Simply letting them use money (and being open about how you use it) is one of the most effective methods of teaching children about the workings and realities of money.

Specializing in high net worth financial planning, executive financial planning, generational planning, and investing for women. The Faust-Boyer Group utilizes a team approach to effectively research, plan, monitor, and service their clients’ accounts.

Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP(R), CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(tm) and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the U.S.

310 The Parkway, Greer SC 29650 | 864-968-3800 | thefaustboyergroup.com Lynn C. Faust Senior Vice President, Investments

Michael A. Faust Vice President, Investments

Aimee S. Waite, CFP® Financial Advisor

Alex McGrath Financial Advisor

14 | COVER

UBJ

|

04.17.2015

MAKING COWORKING WORK Upstate entrepreneurs discover that the office space revolution can be rewarding—and costly ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com Once confined to megacities, coworking spaces are nothing new to the Upstate. They showcase the region’s burgeoning entrepreneurial community, they support new business with low-cost office space options and build startup culture, according to the people who run them.

They also tend to be the opposite of lucrative.

“If you’re trying to make money, it’s not a good business to be in,” said Chris Merritt, one of the coordinators behind CoWork, one of the first such businesses in Greenville. The 25-desk space has always been self-sustaining financially, but neither Merritt nor cofounder Matthew Smith get paid to coordinate everything involved in keeping the lights on.

“We’re not compensated for that, and that never really was our goal,” Merritt said. “We’re at a point of saturation that the bills are paid and we love the folks we work with. If someone leaves … we’re not pulling out our hair.”

PROXIMITY AND PRODUCTIVITY Such a balance is hard to find, so much so that some coworks flounder before they get there.

Last year, startup costs stymied plans for Conrad Cowork, a space slated for a historic iron forge near downtown Greenville.

“Before I got deep into it, I thought all that was required was a beautiful building, some interested early adopters, and a healthy amount of luck,” said Greenville software developer and entrepreneur Josh Lewis in an email. “I knew most coworks lose money but I was confident I could get it to break even.”

While the project ultimately failed, it resulted in Lewis meeting the cofounder of his current venture—e-commerce firm DirtJockey—and he considers the experience a success, he said.

Another entrepreneur, Greg Cotton, originally planned to open a cowork in Taylors Mill, but shifted to a more affordable option, he said. His project WRK

Workers at work in their cowork space at the Iron Yard’s Railside CoWork office on Washington Street in Greenville.

GRP instead targets creative professionals and weekend warriors with enclosed studio spaces that allow for both collaboration and—if necessary—solitude.

“What I’ve come to find is that people like to be part of a community … but they don’t want to be right next to the next guy,” said Cotton, who constructed 14 studios inside the mill and has plans for nine more.

“I want the guy who just moved in to realize that the guy next to him could foster his business.”

Greg Cotton, founder of WRK GRP in Taylors, which targets creative professionals The difference between WRK GRP and the average indoor strip mall, however, is the community within the space, he >>

COVER | 15

upstatebusinessjournal.com

Iron Yard’s Railside CoWork office on Washington Street in Greenville.

“Before I got deep into it, I thought all that was required was a beautiful building, some interested early adopters, and a healthy amount of luck.”

Josh Lewis, entrepreneur behind Conrad Cowork in Greenville, which never got off the ground

“If you’re trying to make money, it’s not a good business to be in.”

Chris Merritt, coordinator of CoWork in Greenville

Photos by Greg Beckner

>>

said. “It’s a coworking space with walls.

I want the guy who just moved in to realize that the guy next to him could foster his business.”

Rather than building a cowork outright, Anderson entrepreneur Craig Kinley has plans to build his own demand for a cowork with the soon-tobe-launched incubator e-Merge @ The Garage.

Coworks help support new business by providing low-cost, low-commitment space, but Kinley says he would need more than a dozen interested people to fill the space.

“When you come out of an incubator, you’re typically not ready to pay and sign for a three-year lease,” he said. Kinley plans to graduate four to eight new businesses from the incubator this year. “If I could find 10 or 15, it would be a no-brainer for me.”

COLLABORATION TO KEEP COSTS DOWN The Upstate is home to a handful of co-located spaces, which include “traditional” coworks that offer desk space and conference rooms as well as co-location and membership-access concepts targeting creative work. The Printshop in Greenville provides access to printing equipment, while Project Hub in Spartanburg plans to give its members access to equipment that might otherwise be too expensive for individuals to purchase.

Another Greenville cowork, OpenWorks, was able to keep costs down by setting up shop in the unfinished space at the bottom of 2 N. Main St. downtown.

Without the reduced rent and no long-term lease commitments, the downtown location wouldn’t have been possible, said Adam Gautsch, who manages OpenWorks with Logan Metcalfe.

OpenWorks will relocate in June to the Bank of America building on North Main, where they plan to offer both permanent and temporary desk options.

While the new space is smaller, Metcalfe and Gautsch say the move will help OpenWorks build Greenville’s entrepreneurial community by being more visible.

“Allowing for places like OpenWorks, the Next Innovation Center, The Iron Yard is putting technology people out in the open,” Gautsch said. “There is business behind technology that has helped people realize that there is energy behind things beside real estate investing.”

Workers meet at OpenWorks.​

When it rains, it inspires social good

Good For Company aims to cover downtown Greenville with 1,000 umbrellas BENJAMIN JEFFERS | STAFF

bjeffers@communityjournals.com

Almost everyone knows the horrible feeling of getting caught somewhere without an umbrella when a downpour starts. When this happens, people usually have two options: stay inside and wait out the rain or frantically race to the car.

Good For Company founders Matt Fisher and Matt Ayers came up with a plan to keep the rain off.

They want to place 1,000 umbrellas throughout downtown Greenville in 60 strategic locations.

Anybody can grab an umbrella and use it for free,

Good For managing partner Curt Fisher said. The users can later return the umbrellas to one of the locations.

The city of Greenville has given the company permission to place bins—referred to as RainDrops— along the sidewalk and in parking garages, Fisher said, and businesses are willing to have some bins on location.

Curt Fisher knows that some people may fail to return the umbrellas. But he said the umbrellas will clearly be branded as Good For property, so he hopes the branding acts as a reminder for people to return them.

“It’s built on the honor system,” Matt Fisher said.

Even if some people fail to return the umbrellas, Curt Fisher said, the advertising “lives on” every time the person uses the umbrella.

The company will hire somebody to go out weekly to restock the bins and replace broken umbrellas.

At the end of the year, the company will donate all the umbrellas to charities and replace them with new ones.

Good For is using Greenville as a pilot city, and if the project is successful, the partners will look to expand elsewhere.

“Greenville’s really the perfect test bed for us,” Curt Fisher said, because the city embraces new ideas and social-good projects. “We are really disci-

upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEW BUSINESSES SEEK INVESTORS—ARE YOU IN?

plining ourselves to make it work here,” he said.

Matt Fisher said when the company officially launched at the recent iMAGINE Upstate festival, it garnered lots of interest from people who though it was a cool idea.

Curt Fisher said the key to success will be transitioning from a cool concept to a sustainable business model. That model involves selling space on the outside of the umbrellas for companies to advertise, so the umbrellas will function as moving billboards, he said. The umbrellas will have a map of Greenville on the inside and the advertisers’ logos on the outside.

The umbrellas will cost around $25 for Good For to produce, he said, and companies will pay around $1,200 per month to advertise.

Matt Fisher said he and the other partners want to grow the company organically, and they don’t plan on raising money through fundraisers. He said they hope to roll out the program in the late spring or early summer.

Matt Fisher

Matt Ayers

Good For umbrella, with city map inside

GOOD FOR COMPANY The project: Setting up an umbrella-share program throughout downtown Greenville What they do: The company will set up 60 bins of umbrellas in strategic places downtown so people can borrow an umbrella once it starts raining. People can later return the umbrellas to any of the locations.

Who they are: Matt Fisher (above, far left), founding partner, has a background in creative experiential entertainment and film production. He is cofounder and owner of Sky Realm Entertainment.

Matt Ayers (above, middle), founding partner, is an economist, designer, technologist and consultant. He has worked with Fortune 500s, universities, nonprofits and startups.

Curt Fisher (above, far right), managing partner, has experience in sales, marketing, operations and business and strategic development.

What they want: Seeking at least 11 sponsors to advertise on the umbrellas.

Website: goodforcompany.com Photos and map provided

Good For umbrella bin, called a “RainDrop”

Curt Fisher

| LAUNCH | 17

Sponsored Content Sponsored Content The

Layout Layout The

Caldwell Constructors, Inc serves as the design-build general contractor for a 50,000Inc SF serves medical development at Verdae.

Caldwell Constructors, asoffi thecedesign-build general Explained by Constuctors contractor forCaldwell a 50,000 SF medical office development at Verdae.

Explained by Caldwell Constuctors

A A

A Design-Build A Design-Build

Pediatric B Upstate Dentistry Pediatric B Upstate Dentistry

Family C Palmetto Orthodontics Family C Palmetto Orthodontics

Caldwell Constructors was engaged by three medical, dental and orthodonticwas Caldwell Constructors practices to engaged by collaboratively three medical, manage every aspect of dental and orthodontic design and for practices to construction collaboratively their new medical campus manage every aspect of within Development. designVerdae and construction for

Designed to make kids feel comfortable, the waiting room and each treatment areafeel include Designed to make kids whimsical murals of popular local comfortable, the waiting room areas.

Their building also houses and each treatment area include Advanced Therapy whimsical murals of Solutions, popular local providing pediatric and areas. Their buildingtherapy, also houses Crosswinds Animal Hospital.

Advanced Therapy Solutions,

The rustic design showcases vaulted ceilings with stained wood beams, large windows The rustic design showcases and reclaimed wood cabinetry. vaulted ceilings with stained The game room, homework wood beams, large windows station and coffee barcabinetry. help and reclaimed wood create a welcoming space in The game room, homework the waiting room. station and coffee bar help

their new medical campus within Verdae Development.

providing pediatric therapy, and Crosswinds Animal Hospital.

create a welcoming space in the waiting room.

D Parkside Pediatrics D Parkside Pediatrics

Anchoring the center of the campus, the lower level is a dedicated Center, Anchoring Breastfeeding the center of the providing exceptional care campus, the lower level is afor new mothers and their infants. dedicated Breastfeeding Center, The main level focuses on providing exceptional care for primary care for new mothers andtheir theirpediatric infants. patients, including expanded The main level focuses on X-ray and vision screening. primary care for their pediatric

patients, including expanded X-ray and vision screening.

Caldwell Constructors, Inc. has built a reputation for providing outstanding service through unwavering integrity, a transparent project approach and tireless work ethic. It is their unparalleled service and value—along with the ability tobuilt deliver exceptional, their clientsunwavering coming back.

Caldwell Constructors, Inc. has a reputation forconsistent providingresults—that outstandingkeeps service through Whether the project is commercial, medical, institutional, or industrial, fi nding creative solutions to meet integrity, a transparent project approach and tireless work ethic. It is their unparalleled service and clients’ needs is their Visit www.caldwellconstructors.com to learn more. value—along with thepassion. ability to deliver exceptional, consistent results—that keeps their clients coming back.

Whether the project is commercial, medical, institutional, or industrial, finding creative solutions to meet clients’ needs is their passion. Visit www.caldwellconstructors.com to learn more.

B B

SQUARE FEET | 19

Dockside properties announced at Cliffs at Keowee Springs SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ

C C New waterfront properties are set to be released next month at The Cliffs at Keowee Springs in Six Mile.

Called Dockside, the new phase will have 26 1-acre homesites available along the shores of Lake Keowee.

“Dockside is incredible for several reasons,” said Kent Smith, senior vice president of sales. “One, it’s some of the best waterfront property we have to offer. Two, each homesite is permitted for either a private dock or boat slip at Dockside’s own community dock facility, so every resident will have access to

D E D E

the lake. And three, every membership allows for access and privileges to not only The Cliffs at Keowee Springs, but to all seven of The Cliffs’ properties.”

Dockside at Keowee Springs spans 1,500 acres on the shore of Lake Keowee and includes proximity to The Cliffs at Keowee Springs Beach Club, Lee’s Carolina Smokehouse, the club’s award-winning 18-hole Tom Fazio championship golf course, kayaking, paddleboarding, wakeboarding, water sports and hiking trails.

For more information, visit cliffsdockside.com.

GRIMALDI’S COAL BRICK-OVEN PIZZERIA IS NOW OPEN AT MAGNOLIA PARK on Woodruff Road in Greenville. The New York-style pizza restaurant also offers calzones and salads.

facebook.com/GrimaldisPizzeria

20 | THE FINE PRINT |

UBJ

BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

|

04.17.2015

LinkMD launches new online platform

Michelin wins J.D Power awards

Greenville-based LinkMD, a Web-based health care marketing provider, has launched Physician Directory.

The new platform allows clients to access physician and practice information from one centralized database and eliminates the need for providers to manage multiple sites. The Physician Directory also provides built-in SEO and page indexing that pushes provider profiles upward in the natural search.

“We’re on the cutting edge of the industry,” Elizabeth Yarborough, principal and founder of LinkMD, said in a release. “We’ve done our research so we know what clients are looking for, and we think LinkMD provides the whole package.”

The Physician Directory includes the BetterMatch application, which looks at categories such as personality traits and patient experience to match patients with providers and improve the overall experience.

Michelin received J.D. Power awards in the luxury and passenger car segments.

The 2015 awards bring Michelin’s lifetime total of J.D. Power awards to 77, almost four times more awards than all other tire manufacturers combined since the study launched in 1989.

“We believe that Michelin’s success is the result of our relentless commitment to quality, innovation and technical performance,” Ken Kruithof, vice president of operations for passenger and light truck original equipment tires at Michelin North and South America, said in a release. “We pride ourselves on working in a collaborative partnership with automotive manufacturers to consistently achieve the highest levels of consumer safety and satisfaction in the industry.”

The 2015 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 29,000 original owners of 2013 or 2014 model-year vehicles. The study was fielded in November and December 2014.

Bees Winning opens online health food store South Carolina-based Internet company Bees Winning Enterprises LLC unveiled its new health food store at beeshealthfoodstore.com.

The new online store offers a range of health foods and health and beauty aids, according to a release. “BeesHealthFoodStore.com is intended to be a shop where you can find a great selection of foods that will help you eat better and feel better about your personal appearance and overall health,” the release said.

Products include dairy-free, gluten-free and nut-free options for people with allergies. People can also purchase kosher options.

“We created a shop where you can easily find the products you need to make healthy food choices, all in one central location,” Elizabeth Brewer, founder and owner of Bees Winning, said in the release. “It’s important to us to help you make the right dietary and nutritional choices so you improve your health and have more energy and confidence. We look forward to providing you with the healthiest possible foods.”

Items purchased can be shipped anywhere in the United States. All major credit cards are accepted, including PayPal accounts.

Goodwill Foundation hosts Over the Edge for second year The Goodwill Foundation will host Over the Edge for a second year in downtown Greenville on Oct. 3 at the Bank of America Building, overlooking the ONE City Plaza on Main Street.

The fundraising event gives Upstate community members the opportunity to support Goodwill by rappelling down the Bank of America building. Each participant must raise a minimum of $1,000 dollars to rappel. The top fundraisers will have their pick of prize packages sponsored by local vendors.

In addition to individual participants, a number of sponsorships are available: presenting sponsor (one available)—$10,000; ropes sponsor (two available)—$7,500; charity zone (one available)—$5,000; rooftop “Chill Zone” sponsor (one available)—$2,500; charity zone tent sponsors (six available)—$500.

“Over the Edge is a completely different type of fundraising event,” Patrick Michaels, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina, said in a release. “It’s an opportunity for thrill-seekers to do something out-of-the-box to support Goodwill. The event has had tremendous success >>

CLOSE MORE DEALS. Over 100,000 readers look to the UBJ every week to help them close more business.

DRINK UP!

upstatebusinessjournal.com

>> in other cities and we’re excited to have it in Greenville for the second year in a row.”

To learn more about Over the Edge and sponsorship opportunities, call 864-235-8330 or email claire@ smoakpr.com.

Seneca named best place to start a business in SC Four Upstate cities were named to the top 10 best places to start a business in South Carolina, according to rankings by NerdWallet.

Seneca took the top spot among cities in the state. Greenville was ranked second, and Greer and Mauldin were ranked fourth and 10th, respectively.

According to NerdWallet, “Of the places analyzed, Seneca has the highest percentage of businesses with paid employees. In addition, businesses in Seneca make $600,000 more than the average South Carolina business.”

The company looked at communities with populations over 7,000 and more than 500 businesses. NerdWallet evaluated percentage of businesses with paid employees, the number of businesses per 100 people, annual median income, annual median housing costs and unemployment rates for each community.

The company found that manufacturing makes up 42.3 percent of business revenue in the state, and Greenville County, which had three cities make the top 10, stands out as a county that has “taken action to boost local economies and the business climate.”

THE 10 BEST PLACES TO START A BUSINESS IN S.C., ACCORDING TO NERDWALLET, ARE: 1. Seneca 2. Greenville 3. Myrtle Beach

BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

M&A and Accessing Capital Markets Over the past 18 months, M&A activity has accelerated meaningfully in the U.S., and that trend is poised to continue according to the 2014 Deloitte M&A trends report With a total value of $4.3 billion – number of M&A transactions handled by Nelson Mullins in 2014.

80+

75

+

6. Georgetown 7. Orangeburg 8. North Charleston 9. Fort Mill 10. Mauldin

93%

The number of Nelson Mullins attorneys with a focus on M&A, public company or corporate finance.

Percentage of M&A deals valued at over $100 million announced in 2014 in which shareholder lawsuits were filed, according to Cornerstone Research.

4,500

The number of reporting companies whose filings are reviewed by the SEC in a typical year.

5

The number of Nelson Mullins attorneys who previously worked at the Securities and Exchange Commission

11

11%

23

%

The number of public company mergers in 2013 that included a “go-shop” provision.

The percentage of CFOs who reported that the cost of taking their company public exceeded their expectations.

4. Greer 5. Beaufort

| THE FINE PRINT | 21

The number of states with exceptions to broker/dealer registration for M&A broker transactions.

The backbone of our securities laws is disclosure. The SEC requires public companies and key participants in the securities world to disclose meaningful, accurate, and timely information to the public. SEC Commissioner Michael S. Piwowar in a speech given on February 20, 2015.

Why pay extra for the inconvenience of out-of-state attorneys, when we have brought so much large market experience home to the Upstate?

JOHN CAMPBELL (864) 250-2234 john.campbell@ nelsonmullins.com

JOHN JENNINGS (864) 250-2207 john.jennings@ nelsonmullins.com

NEIL GRAYSON (864) 250-2235 neil.grayson@ nelsonmullins.com

www.NelsonMullins.com

22 | ON THE MOVE |

UBJ

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

HONORED

HIRED

AWARDED

APPOINTED

|

04.17.2015

AWARDED

Bryan Stone

Bill Althoff

Thomas W. Epting

Rionne Ridgeway

Jacob Mann

Named a 2015 South Carolina Economic Development Ambassador by Gov. Nikki Haley. Stone is COO of Lockhart Power Company. Stone was recognized as a local leader committed to driving economic activity and development. He was one of 48 individuals honored by the governor.

Named senior vice president, director of treasury and card solutions at United Community Bank. Althoff has more than 35 years of banking experience. He previously served as vice president-manager, sales strategy and support, merchant services at TD Bank NA in Greenville.

Awarded the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal for service as a reserve judge advocate for the 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw Air Force Base.

Epting is an attorney with Smith Moore Leatherwood and focuses on the areas of intellectual property, patents, trademarks and copyrights, technology, and corporate and business transactions.

Named investor relations specialist for the Greenville Chamber of Commerce.

Rionne previously served the Chamber in business development. Her new role will involve helping guide Chamber investors to maximize the value of their investment in the business community.

Named the No. 1 Coldwell Banker Sales Associate in South Carolina and among the Top 10 Coldwell Banker Sales Associates in the Southern region. Mann has 14 years of experience with Coldwell. He qualified for the International President’s Premier Society, made up of the top 1 percent of all Coldwell agents internationally.

VIP

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Nika White of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce was honored by the Small Business Administration (SBA) with the Minority Enterprise Advocate Award and by Modern Day Queens Inc. with the first annual Woman of the Year Award.

CONSTRUCTION

Steve Townes Named chairman of SCAerospace, a private-sector leadership group organized by the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness and the South Carolina Department of Commerce. Townes is an aerospace entrepreneur with 35 years of experience in the industry.

He is founder and CEO of Ranger Aerospace in Greenville.

Creative Builders Inc. hired Adam Dunn and Bill Frazier as superintendents and Zach Carter as project engineer. Dunn has 16 years of construction experience, the past seven of which were spent as a superintendent specializing in interior upfits. In his current role, he will oversee on-site operations. Frazier has 36 years of construction and carpentry experience, including 18 years of experience as a commercial superintendent. In his current role, he will oversee on-site operations. Carter has 14 years of varied experience in the construction industry. As project engineer, he will coordinate communication between the owner, architect and engineers, project manager, superintendent and

subcontractors to ensure timely completion of projects.

HEALTH CARE Bon Secours St. Francis Health System presented the Edward H. Stall Compassionate Care Award to Lorraine Dandeneau. The award recognizes a St. Francis employee whose generosity empowers the mission of the hospital system. Dandeneau is the team leader at the St. Francis Gift Shop at St. Francis Eastside.

Greenville Dermatology hired Mary Lauren Antici as a member of its medical team. Antici has experience as a licensed aesthetician, registered cosmetologist and certified laser technician. She can perform services including laser hair removal, laser resurfacing, IPL facial rejuvenation, chemical peels and Obagi system peels.

NONPROFIT Ten at the Top named the following new members to the board of directors: Ann Angermeier, Upstate Workforce Investment Board; Paul Cain, Oconee County Council; Pamela Christopher, Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce; Brett Dalton, Clemson University; Teri Gilstrap, Anderson County Economic Development; Cindy Hopkins, Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce; John Lummus, Upstate SC Alliance; Denise Manley, United Way of Greenwood & Abbeville Counties; Lisa McWherter, Southern Wesleyan University; David Owens, mayor, City of Pickens; David Pitts, Laurens County Council; Bob Romine, WSPA-TV; Walker Smith, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System; Jeanne Ward, GHS Oconee Medical Campus; Evans Whitaker, Anderson University.

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

We hope that you had a BLAST at the We hope Upstate that you iMAGINE had a BLAST at the Festival! iMAGINE Upstate The success of the festival Festival! was made possible by our

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

AMAZING partners and The success of the festival the community! was made possible by our AMAZING partners and the community!

We hope that you had a BLAST at he #Udecide

www.iMAGINEUpstate.org

#Udecide

www.iMAGINEUpstate.org

iU-1002-uDecided Ad_CJ-10x11_2.9.indd 1

iU-1002-uDecided Ad_CJ-10x11_2.9.indd Ad_CJ-10x11_2.9.indd 1 1 iU-1002-uDecided

2/11/15 11:39 AM

2/11/15 11:39 11:39 AM AM 2/11/15

24 | NEW TO THE STREET |

UBJ

THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

|

04.17.2015

Open for business 1. Nellie T’s Pimento Cheese recently opened at 1016 NE Main St., Simpsonville. Hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m.– 9 p.m., and Sunday, 2-6 p.m. For more information visit nelliets.com or call 864-640-9133.

1

2. The Simpsonville Wedding District recently held a ribbon-cutting in downtown Simpsonville. The wedding district is a group of business owners who specialize in weddings and products and services for weddings. For more information, visit bit.ly/wedding-district.

Photos provided

2

CONTRIBUTE: Know of a business opening soon?

Email information to bjeffers@communityjournals.com.

Join Greenville for the greenville 3rd annual Healthy Workplace Conference & Cocktail Reception making the healthy choice the easy choice

at T.D. Convention Center

Thursday April 23 • 1-6 pm Included in Registration: • Educational breakout sessions on worksite wellness: The Stealthy Approach to a Healthy Culture and Ruling a Healthy Culture • Vendor expo on worksite wellness • Cocktail reception

At your place of business or at our new location.. from a business meeting to a lavish upscale event …

Saffron’s caters to all your needs.

ATTENDEES REGISTER AT:

lwgworkplaceconference2015.eventbrite.com

• Corporate Functions • Large Events • Office Parties Brand Signature: Basic Guidelines • Business Meetings • Lunches and Dinners

Greenville Health System

GHSsig1: 2 color on white

GHSsig3: White on dark background

Signature System The GHS brand signature combines the symbol and name, set in customized type, in a special configuration that never changes. Reproduce signatures only from authorized files available from GHS marketing.

greenville making the healthy choice the easy choice GHSsig2: Black

864.241.0401 | www.saffronscafe.com 2728 Wade Hampton Blvd - Suite B, Greenville Facebook: saffronscatering

GHSsig4: 2 color on dark background

making the healthy choice the easy choice

Signature Colors PMS 361

CMYK: c69 m0 y100 k0

BLACK

CMYK: c0 m0 y0 k100

upstatebusinessjournal.com

INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE

| SOCIAL SNAPSHOT | 25

TO THE HOOP During the heat of March Madness, Northwestern Mutual hosted an NCAA Viewing Party for employees, clients and friends at American Roadside in Greenville.

Photos provided

Face Painting Entertainment

Music Food Court

Family Fun

Duck Strut

Magicians Local Artists

Duck Toss

Adopt a Duck...

Help a Child

sponso

red by

Saturday, MAY 2

10am – 4pm Reedy River Falls Park Adopt 1 Duck for $10 or Get a Quack Pack… 4 Ducks for $30 A Chance to Win $1,000,000 www.duckrace.com/greenville CONTRIBUTE: Got high-resolution photos of your networking or social events? Send photos and information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

Special thanks to

26 | PLANNER | DATE

EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR

UBJ

|

04.17.2015

EVENT INFO

WHERE DO I GO?

HOW DO I GO?

Spartanburg Angel Network Member Meeting

Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce, 105 N. Pine St., Spartanburg, 5-7 p.m.

Register: bit.ly/san-april2015

TD Convention Center, 1 Exposition Drive, Greenville, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Cost: $15-$45 Register: bit.ly/ace-april2015

UWIT Lunch and Learn Topic: Bringing Agility to Your Company and Your Life Speaker: Kert Peterson

City Range, 615 Haywood Rd, Greenville, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Cost: $17.50 Register: uwitsc.com

4/24

Friday Forum Breakfast Speakers: Mayor Knox White and John Boyanoski

Embassy Suites, 670 Verdae Blvd, Greenville, 8-9:30 a.m.

Cost: Chamber member $15, nonmember $20 Register: bit.ly/fridayforum-april2015

Tuesday

Small Business Success Series Topic: Networking: How It Can Increase your Sales Speaker: Meredith Noon, professional networker, BNI

Comfort Suites Simpsonville, 3971 Grandview Drive, Simpsonville, 8-9:30 a.m.

Cost: Chamber members $39, nonmembers $49, RSVP: 864-862-2586

Friday

The Citadel Directors’ Institute Corporate directors and executives connect and discuss emerging issues and best practices in board oversight

Francis Marion Hotel, 387 King St., Charleston, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Cost: $395 Register: citadel.edu/cdi

Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards

TD Convention Center, 1 Exposition Drive, Greenville, 6-8 p.m.

Cost: $75 Info: bit.ly/diversity-may2015

DesignThinkers Design Talk Topic: The Best Story Wins: Storytelling as a Solution Design Tool

OpenWorks, 2 N. Main Street, Suite 400, Greenville, noon-1 p.m.

Cost: $10 Register: bit.ly/dw-may2015

5/12

Workplace Law Breakfast Series Topic: Daily Decisions: Best Practices For Managing Your Existing Workforce

Westin Poinsett Hotel, 120 S. Main St., Greenville, 8-10 a.m.

Cost: Free Register: bit.ly/breakfast-series-may2015

Thursday-Saturday

Talented Tenth Conference Young minority professionals from the Upstate connect with business and civic leaders across the Southeast

Hyatt Regency, 220 N. Main St., Greenville

Cost: $50 Register and more info: bit.ly/talented-tenth2015

Wednesday

4/22

Main Event

Thursday

4/23 Friday

4/28 5/1

ACE Leadership Symposium An initiative to advance leadership among women and minorities

Tuesday

5/5 Wednesday

5/6 Tuesday

6/4–6

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

athome SPRING 2015

GREENVILLEJOURNAL GREENVILLEJOURNAL.C

OM • Friday, February

27, 2015 • Vol.17, No.9

MANAGING AUGUSTA

Mayor seeks to avert page 5 traffic nightmares -

TASING "JUSTIFIED"

WHO’S PACK ING

HEAT? South More than 250,000 led Carolinians carry concea legislation weapons, and new er could push that numb 8 even higher. - Page

MARCH 6, 2015

says Local NCAA leader not Tario Anderson was 11 racially profiled - page

| VOL .4

SPRING STYLE ISS

10

UE

A rising

tid com e lifts all pete, boat say ec the wh s: When onom ole regio MSAs ic ex perts n wins, - Page

BEING GREEN

16

Seven “conser vation champions” honored page 15

SOUTHEAS

T SUCCESS

INSIDE THE UBJ:

Design Workshop’s vision for the Greenville News site FEBRUARY 27,

4 ISSUE 9 2015 | VOL.

Classic

Austin, Texas The Domain,

Beauty

New Mexico Santa Fe Railyard,

WORKSHOPPING DESIGN

Riverfront

Park, Denver

one of News site resemble Design Workshop Will the Greenville Asheville-based for downtown’s these projects?bursting with ideas estate. - Page 6 has a portfolio prime patch of real

Houston Hardy Yards,

FOR HOME DELIVERY 0 CALL 864.679.120

TRAN SFOR M STUNNING YOUR WARDROBE WITH ACCESSORIES

AT READ ONLINE GREENVILLE JOURNAL.C OM

$1.00

Ask us how you can make a smaller down payment and still avoid PMI. (Private Mortgage Insurance.)

money. ons save you rates and opti s that Our mor tgage Union offers mortgage Greenville Federal Credit details. for alternative to banks, payment. Contact us As a not-for-profit financial ve rate and a lower down combining a competiti can save you money by Member NCUA. Union. All rights reserved.

illefcu.com 800.336.6309 • greenv

©2014, Greenville Federal

LOCAL COMPANIES

THE

ISSUE

K with theeping up e metr os

BEHIND THE COUNTER

$250,000 insured to at least Your savings federally credit of the United States Government full faith and and backed by the

NCUA

National Credit Union

Administration, a

Table Turner

A BRUNCH SETTING TO AMPLIFY SPRING FÊTES

Floral Ar ts

FRESH ARRAN GEMENTS BRING THE OUTSIDE IN

SEE THE PEOPLE BEHIN D SOME OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA’S FINEST LOCA L BUSINESSES AND GET A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT WHO, HOW AND WHY. BTC2015_LAYOUT.indd

2015 a

c o m m u n i t y j o u r n a l s p u b l i c at i o n

121

3/29/15 9:54 PM

TOWN_Apr

il_Cover.ind

d 1

TOWNC

APRIL 2 015 AROLIN A.COM

3/23/15 2:18 PM

U.S. Government Agency

Credit

communityjournals.com

upstatebusinessjournal.com

A QUICK LOOK INTO THE UPSTATE’S PAST

| SNAPSHOT | 27

Greenville’s Main Street in 1899. Greenville’s third court house, left, was located across Main Street from its predecessor. When still another courthouse was constructed in 1916-1917 on the same site, this Gothic building was demolished.

The Mansion House, Greenville’s earliest hotel, is seen on the left just above the courthouse. The view up Main Street shows Greenville’s emerging business district. Trolley tracks run down the middle of South Main Street.

Photo by Greg Beckner

Historic photos provide d

Today both courthouses seen in the photograph from 1899 are gone.

The buildings that replaced them—the courthouse built in 191617 up the street on the left and the Chamber of Commerce building constructed in the early ’20s on the right—remain. The Mansion House was demolished, and the Poinsett Hotel was constructed on the same site in the mid-’20s. The hotel continues to operate as the Westin Poinsett. The trolley system is also gone.

Historic photograph available from the Greenville Historical Society.​ From “Remembering Greenville: Photographs from the Coxe Collection” by Jeffrey R. Willis DIGITAL STRATEGIST Emily Price

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

ART & PRODUCTION

APRIL 24: QUARTERLY CRE ISSUE The state of commercial real estate in the Upstate.

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

ART DIRECTOR Whitney Fincannon PRESIDENT/CEO

Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com

UBJ PUBLISHER

ADVERTISING DESIGN Kristy Adair, Michael Allen

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Kristi Fortner

MANAGING EDITOR

STORY IDEAS:

INTERNS

Amanda Cordisco, Natalie Walters

PHOTOGRAPHER Greg Beckner MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehman, Emily Yepes

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & ACCOUNT STRATEGY Kate Madden

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

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

>>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

>>

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

1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MAY 15: THE DESIGN ISSUE Drawing up the Upstate’s future.

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

Anita Harley, Jane Rogers

Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com

Ashley Boncimino, Sherry Jackson, Benjamin Jeffers, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris

jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years

1988

Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com

STAFF WRITERS

UBJ milestone

1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport

OPERATIONS Holly Hardin

CLIENT SERVICES

Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com

UBJ milestone

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com

EVENTS: events@upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, AND AWARDS: onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties.

Guest columns run 700-800 words.

Contact Executive Editor Susan Clary Simmons at ssimmons@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration.

Circulation Audit by

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

DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: Follow us @UpstateBiz FACEBOOK: TheUpstateBusinessJournal LINKEDIN: Upstate Business Journal

publishers of

UP NEXT

JUNE 19: THE ENTERTAINMENT ISSUE A look at the business of leisure.

Got any thoughts? Care to contribute? Let us know at ideas@ upstatebusinessjournal.com.

Copyright ©2015 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, South Carolina, 29602.

Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $50. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, P.O. Box 2266, Greenville, SC 29602.

Printed in the USA.

581 Perry Avenue, Greenville, SC 29611 | 864-679-1200 | communityjournals.com UBJ: For subscriptions, call 864-679-1240 | UpstateBusinessJournal.com

D

SO

LU

TI

O

S

E. TAILORE

N

PARTNER. F AN TA

C TI

SE

IC RV

S. GR

EAT

L CA

EXPERIE

LO

N C E .

Jessica Traber, DVM Cleveland Park Animal Hospital

“THE PALMETTO BANK IS A TRUE PARTNER.” “The Palmetto Bank has been our partner for over 20 years. Having a local contact in the Upstate that we can call anytime makes a real difference. Through our partnership with The Palmetto Bank, we’ve grown to be a full-service veterinary clinic. Their tailored solutions have allowed us to finance new buildings and equipment – so we can treat more patients within our clinic rather than referring them elsewhere for specialized treatment. Our experience with The Palmetto Bank has been great and allows us to focus on using our skills to the fullest.”

1.800.PAL.BANK palmettobank.com

Member FDIC