September 4, 2015 UBJ

SEPTEMBER 4, 2015 | VOL. 4 ISSUE 36

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Proterra CEO Ryan Popple is driving the future of urban transport - pg. 14

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

| ENTREPRENEURS | 3

First Anderson incubator boot camp graduates as founder departs E-Merge was ‘a great opportunity,’ says Craig Kinley

Photos by Ashley Boncimino

Right: E-Merge @ the Garage founder Craig Kinley with e-Spark’s first cohort (left to right: John Tollison, Steven Chabotte, Matt Bauman, Craig Kinley, Alison Youngblood, Snowil Lopes and Torey Mattison).

Left: E-Merge participants include First Flight, a community engagement, fitness camp and race series company that uses the social media hashtag “#RunThisTown.”

entrepreneurial programming.

Kinley also serves as an active founding member of Electric City Angels, Anderson’s angel inASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com Anderson incubator E-Merge @ the Garage graduated its first business boot camp cohort, which include startups aimed at challenges in healthcare, fitness, dining and energy.

The program – called e-Spark – specifically targets local and regional entrepreneurs with ideas or fledgling startups that could benefit from mentor and industry connections, business space and 12 weeks of indepth business development analysis.

The five companies included LightFood, an application for a one-person restaurant that keeps costs down; I-SMS, a senior health monitoring system; EVI, a patent-pending technology company that optimizes in-home lighting for health and energy efficiency; Core Kids, a childhood health and fitness company targeting childhood obesity; and First Flight, a community engagement, fitness camp and race series company.

“Some were further along, some were further behind, so just bringing them up to speed was a process,” said E-Merge @ the Garage Founder Craig Kinley. “All of them came from different backgrounds and had differ-

ent conceptual ideas of what they wanted to do.”

The e-Spark program is one of several offered through the incubator space, founded a year ago by wellknown Anderson entrepreneur Craig Kinley, who also owns The Growler Haus beer stores in Anderson and Spartanburg, with plans to open one in Fountain Inn. Other programs include Cyber Summer Camp to teach electronics and robotics to fourth- and ninth-grade students, as well as LemonADE Stand, which helps Upstate students build entrepreneurial skills.

Kinley also announced he would not be leading the program next year, but that he hopes it will continue to energize Anderson with entrepreneurial activity.

“We’re very humbled to be able to provide this type of value to the City of Anderson and we want to see this thing flourish 10 years from now,” said Kinley. “This was a great opportunity for us and now that we’re transitioning off this product, we hope that this will be successful for years and years to come.”

Moving forward, Kinley says he is working with other state municipalities that could benefit from similar

vestment group.

“He’s given us a way, a path forward for other things,” said City of Anderson Mayor Terence Roberts, who attended part of the e-Spark Demo Day event in downtown Anderson. “I’m sure that he will stay attached to our program.”

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4 | THE RUNDOWN |

TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

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09.04.2015

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 36 Featured this issue: Craft brewers return to Upstate 10 Development plans for former Laurens Road DMV site 12 Scansource’s Christy Thompson is One to Watch 19

MONEY SHOT: Past chairs of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors were invited last week to a review the Plan of Action for

2015-2016. Current Board Chairman Todd Horne and President/CEO Allen Smith presented the plan. Pictured from left: Allen Smith, Dr. John Stockwell, Charlie Boone, Mike Forrester, Jim Thomas, Sue Schneider, Tommy Young, Richard Dillard, Dr. Sidney Fulmer, Ingo Angermeier, Todd Horne, Bob Wynn, Woody Willard, John Poole, Wade Ballard.

TBA Look for a 24-hour, 1950s diner concept to emerge soon in the

former Charlie’s Steakhouse restaurant site on Coffee Street downtown.

New York-based franchise

Abbott’s Frozen Custard is coming soon to downtown Greer.

A Michael Kors store will be joining the retailers at Haywood Mall.

VERBATIM

On history “Greenville, S.C., is a refined Southern city that cherishes history, even that of Shoeless Joe Jackson.”

The New York Daily News, calling Greenville “a darling, daring” city. Read the article at bit.ly/ny-news-greenville.

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| RETAIL | 5

Mill Village Market to open in Village of West Greenville First brick-and-mortar location for nonprofit hopes to help neighborhood food desert SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com The Village of West Greenville has long been designated one of Greenville’s food deserts, with local residents having no nearby access to fresh foods. That’s about to change when the new Mill Village Market by Mill Community Ministries opens in early November.

Mill Village Market will be located at 8 Lois Ave., near Pendleton Street, and will feature locally grown produce and regionally sourced foods.

“We’re taking our mobile market concept and making it stationary,” said Dan Weidenbenner, executive director. It will be the first brick-andmortar location for the nonprofit organization that also runs Mill Village Farms, a community farm that employs and trains youth in basic job skills.

Weidenbenner says the youth working in the Mill Village Market will gain valuable retail skills. Produce grown at Mill Village Farms will be sold at the store. He is working to accept EBT/SNAP bucks and expects to keep prices “reasonable.”

The approximately 900-square-foot market will

Whitney Fincannon

also have room available as a community gathering space.

“The hub will be an inviting and energetic place for surrounding community members and visitors to the Village alike,” said Weidenbenner.

A second phase is expected to include a bike co-op

by The Village Wrench, which will provide bicycle maintenance and repair, and a Nasha Co-Work Café with rentable desk space geared towards entrepre-

neurs. Weidenbenner says he sees low-tech, commercial-based entrepreneurs in this space who need assistance with resources, including lending and funding. Construction on the first phase of the project, Mill Village Market, has already begun.

While local donations and corporate partners have funded the project thus far, Mill Community Ministries is still seeking tax-deductible in-kind and financial contributions.

For more information, visit MillCommunity.org.

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6 | DOWNTOWN |

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‘A destination place’ Fountain Inn’s Indiana sister city comes calling for development ideas ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

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downtown revitalization is making waves, but this time not just for the city of Greenville.

Fountain Inn, S.C., and Rochester, Ind., kicked off an inaugural sister city partnership program aimed at highlighting strategies and best practices for downtown development. The three-day schedule included meetings with city and county officials and community leaders as well as tours around Fountain Inn. Several years ago, the majority of Fountain Inn’s downtown was empty, with around 66 percent vacancy, said the city’s economic development director Van Broad. Today, occupancy sits at 95 percent, and a calendar full of events has cut retail and restaurant leakage dramatically, he said. “We’ve really created ourselves as a destination place.”

While Rochester already has several types of community attractions – a golf course, a lakefront beach, even a path similar to the Swamp Rabbit Trail – economic development efforts could use a boost from local business and community development, said Shoda Beehler, who volunteers time with the Main Street initiative in addition to working for the city of Rochester.

“A lot of people have this view that if we had the industry, if we had the people, then we would have people willing to step up and open businesses because they have confidence that it’s going to make it,” she said. “But the problem is, when you’re trying to bring tour buses in, and they say, ‘What do people do on Friday night?’ you can’t say, ‘They go everywhere else.’”

With its similar size, industry and development challenges – as well as operating as a bedroom community for industry in surrounding areas - the city of Rochester has

much of the same potential as Fountain Inn, said Terry Lee, economic development director for the county surrounding Rochester. Though downtown has about 40 percent vacancy, the city has plans for façade improvements, as well as a revolving low-interest loan fund to help businesses grow. Much of the work, however, will be administering grants and improvements, as well as mobilizing the community, business owners and key leaders to get behind a plan for revitalization.

“I’ve got some good examples of good things that are happening, and groups being more proactive,” said Lee, who said the next step includes investing in a master plan for development. “It takes persistence, and it takes a plan, and it takes some money.”

Photo by Ashley Boncimino

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| AEROSPACE | 7

Photo provided by SC Council On Competitiveness

$17B aerospace industry seeks workforce, education answers ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com South Carolina outpaced North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Washington in private sector aerospace employment growth, but it can’t forget workforce development if it wants to be tops in the nation, according to state and business leaders at this year’s S.C. Aerospace Conference and Expo in Columbia.

“We are starting to make massive improvements in K-12, because our students will be working for your companies,” said S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley to a record crowd of conference attendees. “We never take the time to celebrate because we don’t have time for that.”

Despite progress with workforce development efforts – think apprenticeships, workforce training and student curriculum changes – South Carolina has a ways to go. A PricewaterhouseCoopers report ranked the state 29th in the country for education-

al attainment in aerospace and 39th for its existing aerospace cluster size and the vitality of its cluster workforce.

“One of the reasons this rank is important is because when people want to find talent, they want people who have experience, but another way to address that is education,” said PwC Partner and US Aerospace & Defense Assurance Leader Scott Thompson, who presented at the conference. “I think it’s important to make aerospace sexy again like it was in the ’60s with the moon race … The industry could have a PR campaign about how cool it is to be an aerospace engineer or a technician.”

Private aerospace in the state accounts for nearly 103,000 jobs and $17.4 billion economic impact in the state, and the cluster’s growth surpassed some of its southeastern neighbors, according to a Darla Moore School of Business study debuted at the conference. Private sector aerospace employment grew 15.5 percent between 2010 and 2012 compared with 10.7 percent in North Carolina, 2.5 percent in

Alabama and a decline of 2.3 percent in Georgia.

But despite its growth, other S.C. clusters dwarf the aerospace segment, while states with more established clusters can be larger still. South Carolina agribusiness, for example, accounts for $41.7 billion in economic impact, while Washington’s century-old aerospace cluster employed 267,000 in 2013.

“I think one of the important things to remember is we’re still a young state for aerospace,” said Ann Marie Stieritz, president and CEO of the S.C. Council on Competitiveness, a nonprofit organization aimed at supporting economic development. That can make it hard to recruit, particularly because students, parents and workers simply don’t know their options in aerospace.

“I do think the Upstate has an advantage in that it was an aerospace destination before the arrival of Boeing,” she said. “There is an appreciation and understanding of manufacturing there … that’s a part of understanding the diversity of the opportunities.”

8 | RETAIL |

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

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09.04.2015

k Rd

e Rocky Cre

Woodruff Rd

EB utl er Rd

countries will soon come to Greenville when European Market, a specialty grocery store and deli, opens on Woodruff Road.

Several years ago, when Natalia Sokil first moved to Chattanooga, Tenn., from Ukraine, she had to drive to Atlanta to get some of her home country staples she missed and needed to use when cooking.

So, she decided to make it easier.

Sokil opened the first European Market in Chattanooga in 1999.

At first, Sokil stocked mostly products from Russia and Ukraine. Today, the grocery store and deli features items from 25 different countries, including Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Greece, Romania, England and Italy.

After moving to the Upstate two years ago, Sokil opened second and third locations in Inman and Spartanburg. Now, after listening to her customers ask for a location closer to home, she is opening her third Upstate location in Greenville.

Everything is imported, says Sokil. In Greenville, more than half of the 2,500-square-foot store will be German products. Bread comes directly from Germany and is baked fresh in the store. Blintzes,

Feaste

The tastes and smells of several European

cabbage rolls and marinated mushrooms are all homemade. Meats are the only item that can’t be imported (due to government regulaHobby Lobby Center tions), but Sokil says she keeps that authentic by Wood buying meats only from ruff R d people who came from those countries.

The store at 1635 Woodruff Tann er R d Road will be the largest one yet and will be located between Aldi and Fresh Market. Neither of those stores are competitors, said Sokil, as European Market carries different items. In fact, Sokil said she expects them to refer customers to her, as has happened with her current stores.

While some may question why she is opening on Woodruff Road, Sokil says that’s where her customers want her to be.

“I listened to my clientele. It’s convenient for them,” she said.

Sokil had planned a Sept. 15 opening, but now says it will be closer to Oct. 1.

For more information, visit europeanmarketus.com.

Rd

sjackson@communityjournals.com

Verdi n

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

r Rd

European grocery to expand to Woodruff Road

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10 | BREWING |

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09.04.2015

Croxbone Brewing makes a move Former Tampa-based brewery to launch in Upstate with new name APRIL A. MORRIS | STAFF

amorris@communityjournals.com Brian and Nicole Cendrowski of Croxbone (pronounced “cross bone”) Brewing Company are back. After several years of amped-up homebrewing in Tampa, Fla., the couple, who lived in the area for several years, has returned to the Upstate and is working to launch a new brewery. To go with the new location is a new name: Fireforge Crafted Beer.

Brian Cendrowski says the climate for breweries has greatly improved since the Stone Bill passed the S.C. Legislature last year. He plans to open Fireforge Crafted Beer initially in a 2,000-3,000-square-foot brewery and also sell in a tasting room. The ability to allow customers to sample their wares is “critical for a startup,” he said.

Many of the couple’s beers reflect unusual flavor combinations that result in appealing brews, they said. Nicole and her culinary mind are the inspiration for many of the brews, Cendrowski said, including

Photo by Matt and Jenna Daniel

Tampanian Devil, a tripel (a strong, pale ale that uses three times the malt than a standard beer) featuring guava and anise.

A special-request Ghost Pepper Pale Ale for a wedding produced a well-received brew with backend heat, he said. It was so popular, the brew

has been added to production rotation. A “ThaIPA” featuring lemongrass and ginger was also a hit, he added.

Fireforge Crafted Beer wants to bring styles learned in Florida to palates in the Upstate, Cendrowski said. The flavors may be unconventional, >>

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>> but they should be accessible to both craft beer aficionados and newcomers, he said.

Fireforge Crafted Beer is still searching for a brewery site and the Cendrowskis say they are anticipating a spring 2016 opening. The four-barrel brewery will also feature a limited food menu and potentially an outdoor space, said Nicole Cendrowski.

The two had plenty of preparation for the launch, her husband said.

When Nicole landed a training post in Tampa and Brian left his job in website and app development, Brian said he had “no distractions and no excuse not to focus” on the brewing.

Out of that focus also came a honed business plan that they are ready to execute, he said.

Brian Cendrowski wants to always be creating new recipes, noting he already has about 30 different “solid recipes” to choose from and produce when the brewery is up and running.

Until then, the Cendrowskis are continuing to brew and showcase their beers at local events and festivals.

Fireforge Crafted Beer will join several other brewers for an event during Greenville Startup Week this month and be pouring at the Euphoria Tasting Showcase and Anderson’s BrewHaHa.

| BREWING | 11

It’s the Approach that Matters

Brewing up a name

Beer trademark in a crowded industry can cause clashes A limited number of clever names exist to print on labels and cans in the brewing industry. In recent years, several breweries have clashed over trademarks, including Lagunitas Brewing Co. suing Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. over design of an India Pale Ale (IPA) logo and packaging.

Natty Greene’s of Asheville was accused by Anheuser-Busch of having a name too similar to its Natty Light trademark for Natural Light.

New Upstate brewery Fireforge Crafted Beer, formerly Croxbone Brewery, opted to change its name before launching a formal operation because of trademark considerations, said brewer Brian Cendrowski.

With a relatively narrow channel of trade and approximately 100,000 brands working in craft brewing, “we’re going to see a lot more collisions,” said Doug Kim of the intellectual property group at McNair Attorneys.

To avoid confusing consumers about the source of the goods and protect customers, the purpose of trademark law, Kim recommends that breweries first search pending applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and registered trademarks.

“There’s no cheaper time to change a name than before you adopt it,” he said. In the tight market space with intense competition, this vetting removes risk, he said.

One complicating issue is that brewery names are also analyzed with wineries and distilleries, Kim said. A patent attorney can conduct a search within several days and file an application in the same amount of time, he said. Getting approval from the federal government takes a bit longer: four to eight months.

Cost to apply, including the application and attorney fees, averages less than $1,000, Kim said, and paying for a search and registration can be more affordable than recalling a batch of beer labels.

Just filing an application can help, as the filer’s pending information is out there for others to search and avoid conflict or duplication, he said.

“If you file your own, you’re putting your [information] on the list that everyone else is looking at … your competitors never even show up.”

Taking measures to register trademarks also helps preserve the community spirit of craft beer, Kim said. “We don’t need to be seeing these trademark disputes … because that’s kind of not the point of the whole [craft beer] industry.”

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12 | SQUARE FEET |

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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

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09.04.2015

Developer envisions ‘urban village’ for former DMV site Mixed-use project planned for 10-acre property along Laurens Road SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com @SJackson_CJ A 10-acre site along Laurens Road, once home to the Department of Motor Vehicles, could be one of Greenville County’s newest mixed-use developments.

A local developer hopes to revitalize the property, which also housed Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol offices until the site closed in 2008, with a mixed-use project that would include apartments, retail, office and access to the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail.

Laurens Village, at the corner of Laurens and Airport roads, is still in the planning stages, but developer Marcus McCall with McCall Capital foresees an “urban village” concept with treelined streets and entryways, courtyards, parks and greenspace areas.

Preliminary plans for the 10-acre site call for several four-story buildings containing 300 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments called Enclave at Laurens Village, 17,000 square feet of office space, 13,000 square feet of retail and 8,000 square feet for an anchor restaurant. The project would feature a “village green” entrance on Airport Road, heavily landscaped with trees and greenery, said McCall.

Retail could include a coffee shop and bike shop, and McCall hopes to attract a local restaurateur. The Enclave apartments would include the usual highend amenities, including a fitness facility and swimming pool, McCall said. It would be a true

Site design conceptual drawing by Seamon Whiteside

live-work-play concept targeted to millennials, but affordable, he stressed.

Preliminary plans also include a public pocket park area, pathways and access to the Swamp Rabbit Trail. Parking would be plentiful with both a parking garage and street-level parking.

McCall said he is still in the due diligence phase, including a non-responsible party Voluntary Cleanup Program with DHEC. He hopes to close on the property within 90 days. Construction could begin

in the second quarter of 2016 and take approximately 12-18 months.

Greenville-based McCall Capital has been in business since 2003 and has more than $140 million in mixed-use and apartment assets in the Carolinas and Virginia. The company is currently working on a $20 million renovation into the Hotel Bristol, a boutique hotel in Bristol, Va., and this fall will begin phase 2, an additional 174 apartments, at the Enclave Paris Mountain.

Greenville County Square project moving toward design

Greenville County Square Cobb Tire & Auto

University Ridge

Cleveland St

moving closer to a county government complex on the 30-acre tract where County Square is now located. County Council members set aside $20,000 in the 2015-16 budget and $40,000 in 2016-17 budget for the project. The county now needs to hire an architect, said council chairman Bob Taylor.

A multistory county government office building would use about 5 acres

h St

Greenville County officials are

of the site, most likely located near Church Street where Cobb Tire is now located. The remainder of the site will be sold for development and fund construction of the county office building, he said.

Taylor said county officials wanted to leave the best views and properties for developers. Whether one developer or several will develop the site is not yet decided, he added. The county may solicit proposals from developers for the site, he said. No timeline is in place for the architectural work, said Taylor.

Chur c

amorris@communityjournals.com

How

APRIL A. MORRIS | STAFF

e St

Complex could face Church Street

University Ridge

September September September September September

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2015 2015 2015 2015 2015

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14 | COVER

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09.04.2015

Proterra COMPANY TO QUADRUPLE PRODUCTION OF ELECTRIC BUSES WHILE CEO RYAN POPPLE KEEPS AN EYE ON OTHER MARKETS ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com

Five years after landing in Greenville, electric bus maker Proterra is scaling up, this time by quadrupling its production capacity with a new West Coast facility and actively optimizing EV bus units for mass-market use in the country’s largest cities.

Both projects show Proterra going all in on the idea that electric vehicles are the future of urban transport – including a move to forgo profitability in order to reinvest in research and development, according to Proterra CEO Ryan Popple.

“If we were to pull back on R&D and just stop where we are with the product, we could be profitable probably within 90 days,” said the former Tesla employee. “We absorb a pretty high cost per >>

>>

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

>>

month in terms of product development, but we think it’s worth it because – like the Wayne Gretzky quote – you want to skate where the puck is going to be versus chasing it where it is today.”

For Proterra, that means not only keeping up with its current order backlog, but preparing to meet new orders, which are expected to keep rolling in. In the last three years, Proterra revenue grew 1,100 percent to nearly $29 million, according to Inc., and Popple expects to deliver 1 percent of the country’s new transit vehicles next year.

“The drivers that get you there are the same drivers that get you to 5 or 10 percent,” he said. “It’s just a question at that point of continuing to drive the cost down and getting the word of mouth out there.”

UNDER THE HOOD Founded in 2004 Offices in South Carolina, Silicon Valley and Southern California 185 employees 13 transit customers; more than 100 firm orders; 323 contracted options More than 60 vehicles delivered More than 1 million miles of customer revenue service in U.S. More than 4 million pounds of CO2 emissions avoided

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San Antonio, Texas Stockton and Pomona, Calif.

Nashville, Tenn.

CALIFORNIA DREAMING Seneca, S.C. Based in San Gabriel Valley in Southern California, the new Louisville, Ky. ENGINEERING 160,000-square-foot West Coast FROM SCRATCH THE PROTERRA CATALYST: facility could produce as many Part of ProterDimensions: 42’ 6” long; 102” wide; as 200 units per year, much more ra’s advantage, 135.5” high than Greenville’s one bus per said Popple, is week average today. Depending Wheelbase: 24’ 8” what he calls the on demand, Popple said ProterCurb weight: 23,310 pounds “clean sheet apra could make as many as 400 proach,” a process Capacity: 77 passengers units per year through both fathat started EV Fuel economy: 23 MPGe (miles per gallon cilities by 2018. engineering from gasoline equivalent) “We’re talking up to about $1 scratch rather Top speed: 65 mph billion worth of transit bus orders than adapting between now and the end of existing transit 2018,” he said. “We won’t book models. Tesla used the same method, he said, anywhere near that number, but … we’re in discusopting to spend half a billion developing the sions with all of the big cities.”

Model S in order to avoid getting stuck in the One big city already on the books is combustion framework.

Seattle’s King County Metro, which “There are two types of electric vehicles on the Popple said has been active in heavy-duty side. There’s Proterra’s electric vehicle, helping develop, tweak and optiand then there are metal buses with batteries in them,” mize EV buses for larger metro said Popple. “If there’s one variable you need to get systems. right, it’s mass. A lightweight vehicle means smaller “They’ve kind of taken us batteries; smaller batteries means lower cost.” under their wing and said, ‘Hey, While Proterra buses are $500,000 cheaper today look, you’re going to have to than five years ago, Popple said there’s much more grow up a lot before you can work to be done to make them more affordable. Once be a vendor to Seattle and that happens, he sees the technology easily transferKing County, but we want you ring to other light-duty transit applications such as to make that evolution,’” school buses and trucks.

Popple said. “That’s what’s “If you think about it, a bus is a truck with humans unique about early-adopter as its cargo, so it’s the most emissions-sensitive cargo customers. They almost demand you can have,” he said. “I really think EVs’ best fit in to be a part of your process. the next five years is going to be the urban envelope.

They’re willing to invest the time, and in If we think about our cities, that’s where we live. exchange they want it optimized. If you can That’s where we breathe.” survive that process, you end up with a product that’s really mass market.”

1,100%

Photos by Ashley Boncimino

Proterra’s revenue growth in the past three years, to nearly

$29 million according to Inc. 5000

NATIONWIDE STRATEGY Today, Proterra buses can be found in more than a dozen cities across the country, partially as a result of the company’s education efforts and partially because environmental issues are becoming more frequent topics of conversation and concern, Popple said.

“If we could eliminate fossil fuel consumption in our light-duty driving vehicles, our buses, our school buses, and then our last-mile delivery infrastructure, we would have sufficient carbon budget to never eliminate diesel in long-haul trucking or trains,” he said.

“If I hadn’t been a part of Tesla, and I hadn’t spent five years in venture capital with Kleiner Perkins, I would say ‘No, that’s never going to happen. The world doesn’t change that fast,’” he said. “I think how Proterra could have that kind of impact is very strategically climbing from one market to the next.”

16 | DIGITAL MAVEN |

UBJ

THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUSINESS

|

09.04.2015

Let’s go phishing Are you sure you can identify suspect emails? 5 tips help stop scammers in their tracks

By LAURA HAIGHT president, portfoliosc.com

There is an interesting dichotomy in our relationship with technology.

We profess to crave simplicity and yet we are constantly looking for higher technology, more complex solutions.

“It just can’t be that simple,” we think.

This is one of the biggest challenges facing us as we try to combat the growing scourge of cybercrime. In many, many cases, it is that simple.

Despite the prevalent news stories about hacks of our favorite stores (Target, Home Depot), our health providers (Anthem), and our government (SC, IRS, NORAD and so many more), it is worth noting that most all had very high-tech infrastructures with much of the latest in technology.

But they were exposed by this: an authenticated employee doing something they shouldn’t, either out of ig-

norance, carelessness or complicity.

Billions of dollars are going into developing new hardware and software, but very little is focused on humanware – the education, training and conscription of our employees to be the first line of defense in this daily battle.

When I talk to business owners about a security review, they frequently say, “Don’t just tell me it’s passwords” or “spotting phishing” or “securing personal devices.” Because, of course, “everyone knows that.” I beg to differ.

If everyone knew that, everyone would be working smarter, and many of the attacks on our institutions, our businesses and our charities would never have gained that first critical foothold.

There’s even statistical evidence: A few months ago, Verizon’s annual report on data breaches and cybersecurity said the percentage of recipients who open phishing emails and click

B

A

C

D

E

A.1

C.1

E.1

B.1

D.1

on attachments is actually going up – 23 percent in 2014 compared with 10-20 percent in recent years. A security test using 150,000 emails found it took less than an hour for 50 percent of users to open the emails and click on the links.

It is not hard to design an email that looks like it came from your bank, mortgage company or credit card provider. All I need are some cribbed logos (find those online) and a copy of the typical email formats those providers use. I confess that even though I consider myself fairly knowledgeable on this topic, I’ve been fooled once or twice.

On the off chance that maybe everyone doesn’t know how to identify phishing emails, here are some giveaways to look for in more advanced phishing attempts.

TIP 1: Look first for mismatched URLs. You may get an email where its “friendly name” is Your Bank Customer Service. It’s not hard to create those. But before you do anything, check the actual URL that it came from. Do this by either hovering over the “To” field or right clicking on the name in the “To” field.

TIP 2: Then look for mismatched domain.

Once you see what the real email address is that the email is coming from (hackers assume you’ll not get this far), you should look for a mismatched domain – that’s the part of the email address after the @ symbol.

The last two parts of the domain are the host, so anything coming from your bank will come from yourbank. com, not yourbankSC.com or yourbank2015.com.

You should see the company’s valid domain name just before the .com.

You may see a three-part domain name like “yourbank.i’mscammingyou. com.” Don’t be deceived by seeing the correct domain if it is not in the correct position. Note that companies do not usually have more than one domain name. So any variation on the name makes an email highly questionable.

TIP 3: When in doubt, call it in.

If you aren’t sure, call the business purporting to send you the email (not the number that might be in the suspicious email). They want to get these calls. Most large companies like banks, investment firms, credit card providers, etc., have large fraud operations. They want to catch and stop this, and you can help.

TIP 4: Sometimes your heart overrules your head.

Urgent messages are the most transparent. Companies don’t act like that.

TIP 5: Never click on anything in an email you are not certain of.

Often the button click is tied to releasing and installing malware on your computer. In many cases, this is the initial chink in the armor that lets the cybercriminal in the door. And it doesn’t matter if you are the mailroom clerk with little authority. Once in, they’ll get where they want to soon enough.

That’s where the solutions become more technical and more complex. But before we even get there, much can be stopped by employees who are informed and trained about how critical their actions are. They are the guardians of your business. It can be just that simple.

09.04.2015

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE

| INNOVATE | 17

Majors matter The right associate degree can be worth more than a bachelor’s degree in the long run

By JOEL WELCH Business & Technology Division, Greenville Technical College

“How are we going to pay for college?” Parents begin asking this question almost as soon as they find out a baby is due.

The question becomes scarier as children approach college age and parents see the cost of college attendance increasing at a higher rate than their income. Then the financial aid notice arrives and they learn that most students do not receive enough financial aid to cover the cost of attendance.

As a result, many families take out student loans, and students graduate with significant debt. Even so, society continues to push all students toward a bachelor’s degree.

Parents should question more than how to pay. Is the bachelor’s degree the best value? What is the return on investment? What are the job prospects and career path? These questions provide a much clearer picture of the value of attending college.

It is often reported that students with a bachelor’s degree earn more than students with an associate degree, and that is true after five to 10 years of employment. In a column for The Hechinger Report, Jill Barshay reports that associate degree graduates earn more starting out, but bachelor’s degree graduates catch up over time.

On average, after 10 years, a bachelor’s degree student is making approximately $55,000, which is about $13,000 more than an associate degree graduate.

However, there is a secret hidden in these averages. Majors matter.

Barshay reports that graduates who earn an associate degree in applied science are making almost the same salary as bachelor’s degree graduates after 10 years, and in many fields are earning much more. The job market is changing, and the value of technical skills is becoming more apparent.

Averages are not a true reflection of the value of earning an associate degree in applied science in a high-demand technical field.

For example, mechandents should be encouraged to considical engineering is a er all options.

Students do not have to take the major with one of the highest average salaries traditional path to enter the middle class. The alternate path through a upon graduation. Bachelor’s degree graduates two-year college allows them to earn typically start at $58,000 to $65,000. an associate degree and enter the They often take longer than four career field – or if they desire a bachyears to graduate and end up with elor’s degree, to earn it at a lower cost, about $35,000 in student debt when which improves the return on investment of their education. Students they finish.

That same student who finishes should be encouraged to consider high school with a 3.0 GPA can attend hands-on technical fields that provide Greenville Technical College with 95 an excellent return on investment. percent of tuition and fees paid by the This is not to say that universities are LIFE scholarship. If the student not worth the money, but students majors in mechatronics, he or she can and parents should examine the value start a career two years later with a proposition of educational choices. salary of approximately $40,000 plus The initial starting point in education overtime pay. is not as critical as the pathway. For many students, Greenville Technical At the end of four years, the bachelor’s degree student has a negative College is the logical starting point, and $35,000 due to student loans, while working through one of our technical the associate degree graduate has majors in an apprenticeship program made $80,000 – a difference of allows a student to get a jump-start on $115,000. Even though the mechana career and to begin gaining experience ical engineer is making $25,000 more right away. This path allows the student than the mechatronics technician, it to complete a degree without incurring still takes the mechanical engineer debt or paying exorbitant tuition prices. almost five years to catch the mechaA student following this path can move from associate degree in applied science tronics technician in money made.

When I present these numbers to to bachelor’s degree at some point and industry leaders, they consistently will be well served by receiving practical report that I am too conservative. They early career experience that can be say that within their industries, it applied to greater challenges later in would take eight to 10 years to make the career. up the difference, and one manager We need more mechanical engineers, but we also reported that in need more mechatronics technicians. Both paths his facility, the are valuable, and students should be encouraged to difference is consider all options. never made up.

We need more mechanical engineers, but we also need more mechatronics technicians. Both paths are valuable, and stu-

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18 | YOUR MONEY |

NEWS AND TIPS FOR YOUR PERSONAL BOT TOM LINE

UBJ

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09.04.2015

Stop worrying about the bear market 5 reasons not to overreact to the stock market volatility

By BRIAN BOUGHNER CFA, CMT, Parallel Financial Partners

It’s Monday, the market just opened and the Dow is down 1,000 points. Yikes! You turn on the TV and the news is reporting that the downturn is due to a global slowdown, China, Greece, Iran, ISIS, the Fed raising rates, student loan debt, etc.

It never stops. There is always a gloom-and-doom “reason” being reported explaining why the market is turning down. However, as we have written in these pages before, news events should rarely dictate your investment strategy when it comes to the markets.

What is currently happening is normal, and you shouldn’t overreact to it. Here are five reasons why.

1. Corrections are frequent and normal.

Since 1928, there have been over 90 corrections of 10 percent or more. That works out to about one correction every 11 months. In Chart 1, you can see that from the recent low in 2009, multiple corrections have occurred over that past six years that range from 5 percent to almost 20 percent. These are all part of a healthy trending market.

2. Don’t be like “Overly Paranoid Rob Lowe.”

Yes, from the DirecTV commercials. You see, “Overly Paranoid Rob Lowe” sells at the bottom and buys at the top of the markets because he makes decisions by emotions instead of a disciplined strategy. It’s no wonder that over the past 20 years, the average annual return for an equity mutual fund investor was only 5.89 percent, while the S&P 500 return was 9.19 percent.

3. An economic recession is unlikely.

This is mainly due to interest rates being low and the yield curve steep. Chart 2 shows us every recession in the U.S. since 1956. What they all have in common is that the Federal Reserve has aggressively raised interest rates prior to the recession. As you can see, rates currently remain near 0 percent, and even if the Fed decides to raise them, its members have said it will be minimal and likely not aggressive in nature.

4. Because your financial plan and risk-management strategy are in place.

“What is that?” you ask. A realistic and relevant financial plan with a sound risk-management strategy. You don’t have one? Then hire an advisor who will help you build one. If you have an advisor and still don’t have one, then fire them immediately and find one who will.

Investing without an overall plan and risk strategy is much like playing offense with no defense. If you have trouble sleeping at night, then your investments don’t match your risk tolerance. You can easily

Chart 1 fix this problem with the right plan in place.

Volatility is your ticket of admission to investing in stocks.

If you have trouble sleeping at night, then your investments don’t match your risk tolerance.

5. What the media says and what is actually true are rarely the same.

Which is a sexier headline? “China is committing economic warfare by devaluing its currency and selling U.S. Treasuries,” or “The liquidity the Federal Reserve is providing continues to raise and support asset prices.”

I may have dozed off while writing the second headline. Yet that explains much more about why the stock market is behaving the way it is than what is going on in China. When investors react to headlines with the powerful emotions of fear and greed, they tend to influence the markets over the short term.

Longer term, it’s the fundamentals and economics that dictate ultimately where the market is going.

Always remember, the media sells airtime and advisors sell advice.

Volatility in many ways is your ticket of admission to investing in stocks, which historically has provid-

Chart 2 ed positive returns outpacing inflation. Corrections frequently happen. The difference between a correction and a bear market downturn is the magnitude and duration of the move.

We believe the weight of evidence today does not forewarn a bear market. However, stocks have had a long run and certain risks have increased, so a conservative stock investment strategy would be prudent, in our opinion. If we see a deterioration in the indicators we follow, then we will use our disciplined approach and adjust accordingly.

Having a plan with a risk management strategy keeps us from overreacting to volatility by eliminating emotional decisions, taking advantage of opportunities and helping to limit downside losses.

09.04.2015

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE

| WHO’S WHO: ONES TO WATCH | 19

Christy Thompson Vice president, worldwide marketing, Scansource

Leigh Savage | Contributor In her role as vice president of worldwide marketing at Scansource, an international distributor of specialty technology products, Christy Thompson leads marketing and branding efforts for 25 offices with 2,200 employees across North America, South America and Europe. But in her role as children’s health advocate, she is honored if her family’s story reaches just one family who is struggling with a pediatric diagnosis.

Thompson grew up on a farm in Spartanburg, attended Clemson and was rising through the ranks of the marketing department at Scansource when her daughter Neely, then 2, was diagnosed with a rare immunological condition in 2009. She discovered little information or support was available for those facing challenges like her family’s, so she launched Neely’s Miracle to provide it.

She also shares her story and experiences with Greenville Children’s Hospital, the Children’s Miracle Network, the Cleveland Clinic and other health care organizations to make sure families have access to needed resources.

“It’s a different way to use my skills and background, but it’s equally important and fulfilling,” she said. “Not a lot of companies would allow you to serve all of your passions, but this is one.”

How long have you been in your current role at Scansource?

I’ve been at Scansource for 11 years, and two years ago I moved into this role at the same time it expanded. After a corporate reorganization, we became a worldwide team, so we support the marketing function in each of Scansource’s business units in each geography we service. Our marketing team is like an advertising agency or marketing firm that sits inside Scansource.

What is your top priority in this role?

My goal is to make sure we have a talented, skilled team and make sure they have the tools and resources they need to create, build and strategize amazing things. After two years as a worldwide group, there is so much opportunity to help groups from different geographies share ideas, best practices, successes and failures. I make sure we don’t build any walls between geographies or teams, because we want to make sure we are collaborating.

As a worldwide team, is it a priority to stay involved in the local community?

We rely heavily on external partnerships, so we do think globally but act locally. To communicate with our customers and communities at a local level,

POINTS OF INTEREST: Hometown: Spartanburg

People talk, particularly to women, about work-life balance, but is that even more Family: Husband Jamie, daughters Ava (11) and Neely (8) challenging when you are also an active Books: “Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg; “The we have to have a team with feet volunteer for a cause Treatment of Epilepsy”; historical fiction on the street in that geography. you are passionate Hobbies: Writing, traveling, family time We are linked from a strategy about? perspective, regardless of geogI just don’t believe in work-life balance. I don’t raphy, but the way we interact with customers can think it exists. I think it’s work-life integration. You sometimes be very different. can’t be everything you are as a person at the same Everywhere Scansource is, there are employees time on the same day. Scansource is a company that who love getting involved in their neighborallows work-life integration to work very well. My hoods and communities. That’s a really cool part career as a marketer prepares me to support Scanof being here. source and help us achieve great things in the area How did you become involved with the Greenville of specialty technology distribution, but it also allows Children’s Hospital, the Children’s Miracle Network me to share Neely’s story to be an advocate for all and other pediatric organizations? things related to ADEM and epilepsy [an effect of When our daughter Neely was 2, she was diagADEM’s trauma to Neely’s brain]. nosed with a rare immunological condition called Is there a piece of advice that has been beneficial ADEM, or acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. to you in your career?

Basically, she caught a virus and her immune system What I say to myself 10 times a day is, “Let it be got confused and attacked her brain and spinal cord. enough.” We’re so hard on ourselves, and life can get In 12 days, she went from a healthy, happy toddler very complicated. There can be a layer of guilt on evto just a heartbeat and a shallow breath. She lost her erything we do. We might have a great day at work but sight, she was paralyzed, she couldn’t eat or swallow are an hour late for dinner. Or we may have a great on her own. We found our way to Greenville Childay with our family but not accomplish something at dren’s Hospital, and that’s when we say Neely’s first work. I try to let go of that guilt and let it be enough. miracle began to happen. The treatment is to basiWhat is the key challenge facing your industry? cally shut down the immune system and hope the Finding great, talented people. We’ve got to brain can heal itself, and hers did. It basically recontinue to find and develop talent so we can conmapped. Her total recovery took about two years. tinue to be a company of innovators, entrepreneurs Tell us about Neelysmiracle.com and why you and creative thinkers. If that pipeline grows cold, created it. we haven’t done our job.

We desperately wanted to find hope, but ADEM is rare. We had to become the hope to find it. We ONES TO WATCH: The judges thought by sharing Neely’s story, others would find could only choose a handful us, and that’s exactly what happened. Within 90 of winners from the more days, 9,000 people had read her story. The marketthan 130 nominees for Who’s er in me said, “This is the right thing to do.” I get Who in 2015. Over the next few months, UBJ will introduce calls from moms and dads all over the world, and I you to more whose work is can empathize so well. It feels good to have something worth keeping an eye on. positive come from something so negative.

College: Clemson University, English and psychology

20 | ON THE MOVE |

UBJ

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

PROMOTED

HIRED

HIRED

APPOINTED

|

09.04.2015

HIRED

Shaun C. Malin

Janice Sasser

Lisa Marie Field

Mona Thornton

Chelsia Spivey

Named senior project manager of the South/ Midwest region of HRP Associates Inc. Malin, a certified professional geologist, has been employed with HRP for five years. His responsibilities include the technical support of projects and management of hydrogeological staff.

Joins the staff of Clemson Eye. Sasser is a nurse practitioner with 10 years of experience in medical aesthetics. She most recently served at Aesthetics Center in Greenville. She has worked in hospitals and private practices in emergency medicine, community health, diabetes education and health management.

Named a business development specialist at GMK Associates Inc. Field most recently served in the hospitality industry as the membership director with Club Corp’s Capital City Club. She has experience in mass media sales management for several companies and as a marketing director for John Crosland Company.

Named to the Continuous Improvement Commission of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Thornton is associate dean of the School of Education at Southern Wesleyan University. CAEP governs more than 1,000 educator preparation programs.

Named public relations and special events director for the Salvation Army in Greenville, Pickens and Oconee counties.

Spivey previously worked at The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center and coordinated volunteers for the 2014 Christmas Angel Tree program.

COMMUNITY

project controller at Unisys.

Inspiring the American Dream Foundation elected the following members to the board of directors: Ryan Heafy, CEO of iMAGINEXT Solutions LLC and partner at Switch Image Concepts; Patsy Wood Smith, principal of Youth Leadership Academy; and Rick Klausing, senior

EDUCATION Nick Gothard will serve as an assistant professor of physics at Bob Jones University this fall. Gothard previously served as a visiting research scientist at the Air Force Research Laboratory and a National Research Council re-

search associate, a graduate research assistant in the Nanomaterials Synthesis Laboratory at Clemson University and a National Science Foundation

REU research assistant at Florida International University. He holds two patents, has a provisional patent and another under consideration.

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

With your help planting

10,000 TREES IN 10 YEARS in Greenville County Register your tree and learn more at www.treesgreenville.org • • • • •

How to properly plant a tree How to properly mulch and prune What trees to plant (preferred species) Planting the right tree in the right place The benefits of trees and a healthy urban forest

For more information about our mission or to make a donation please visit our website www.treesgreenville.org.

Plant a tree.

Make it count.

09.04.2015

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

Open for business

THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

| NEW TO THE STREET | 21

1. The Primrose School of Simpsonville at Five Forks celebrated a ribbon-cutting last Saturday. For more information, visit primroseschools.com/schools/ simpsonville-five-forks.

2. Hucks Financial Services recently opened at 138 S. Main St., Simpsonville. For more information, visit jasonhucks.website. raymondjames.com.

3. Carolina Vapor Mill recently opened at 3425 Hwy. 153, Piedmont. The store sells e-cigarette products and accessories. For more information, visit carolinavapormill.com.

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4. The Simpsonville Area Chamber of Commerce recently opened a new location at 100 W. Trade St., Simpsonville. For more information, visit simpsonvillechamber.com.

3 4

CONTRIBUTE: Know of a business opening soon?

Email information to bjeffers@communityjournals.com.

22 | THE FINE PRINT |

BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

United closes merger with Palmetto Bank United Community Banks Inc. closed its merger Tuesday with Palmetto Bancshares Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, The Palmetto Bank.

Palmetto Bank will continue to operate under the Palmetto Bank brand name until conversion to United’s operating systems, which is expected to occur in February 2016.

After conversion, it will operate under the brand name of United Community Bank. Until the conversion, Palmetto Bank customers will continue to use their existing products and services.

Palmetto Bank operates 25 branches in the Upstate, and at June 30 had $1.2 billion in assets, $977 million in deposits and $824 million in loans.

United is based in Blairsville, Ga., and has $9.4 billion in assets. The company operates 133 offices in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Samuel Erwin, chairman, president and CEO, and Lee Dixon, chief risk and chief operating officer of Palmetto Bank, will join the leadership team of United.

SCRA invests $200K in Servosity SCRA Technology Ventures’ SC Launch program invested $200,000 in Greenville-based Servosity, which recently moved into NEXT on Main.

Servosity delivers mission-critical disaster recovery as a service to managed service providers and IT resellers. During a disaster recovery situation, the technology allows for streaming of operating systems, so information is immediately received with no wait time for downloads.

“We are thrilled to be part of the SC Launch program and will use this investment to further our technology and grow high-tech jobs in South Carolina,” Servosity founder and CEO Damien Stevens said in a release. “Locating our operations at NEXT on Main is the next step in our growth as a company, and we thank the team at NEXT for their support.”

Greenville sock company launches Kickstarter campaign Stesso LLC, a Greenville-based apparel startup, launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to introduce their inaugural sock collection and gather sufficient funds to meet initial manufacturing costs.

The campaign will run until Oct. 5, and the company’s goal is to reach $4,000 in funding.

The company introduced eight sock designs as part of its launch collection.

Designers used global and sports influences during the design process.

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to introduce our project after working relentlessly to develop it from concept to creation,” said Mario Cuadros, founder of Stesso. “Offering more than just socks, Stesso prides itself in providing an avenue for individuals to unveil their personality and create their identity.”

Stesso is committed to donating a percentage of their profits to various cancer organizations.

UBJ

|

09.04.2015

J M Smith acquires Integra J M Smith Corporation, based in Spartanburg, acquired the products and services of Integra, and will manage them as a subsidiary of the J M Smith Corporation known as Integra LTC Solutions LLC. This acquisition will enable J M Smith Corporation to look at new opportunities in the long-term-care pharmacy market. Integra, based in Anacortes, Wash., focuses on the institutional pharmacy market.

Integra products for pharmacies include DocuTrack, a content and document management system that automates paper, fax and electronic processing; DeliveryTrack, which manages delivery processes; and Logix, a business process automation software.

Ogletree Deakins opens Seattle office Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins) expanded in the Pacific Northwest by opening an office in Seattle.

“We are very excited to open in Seattle, which comes in direct response to client demand,” said Kim Ebert, managing shareholder of Ogletree Deakins. “We represent a number of clients with substantial operations in Washington and the greater Pacific Northwest and combining this new office with our very successful Portland team will allow us to better serve those employers. It is clear that Seattle was a logical next step in our strategic growth.”

UberXL now offered in Greenville Ridesharing service Uber expanded its operations in Greenville by offering UberXL. The company’s lower cost service, UberX, was already available in the market. The UberXL cars offer room for up to six riders. Passengers have the ability to split ride costs with riders.

The company said examples of the cars are Toyota Highlanders, Honda Odysseys and Ford Explorers.

The company said availability may be limited at times due to high demand.

Spartanburg looks to increase access to high-speed Internet Spartanburg County community leaders this week launched Connected Spartanburg.

The program seeks to increase the number of high-tech companies and jobs, ensure that schools have sufficient access to broadband, and maximize technology options for healthcare, libraries, local government and citizens.

“By bringing high-speed Internet to our community, we put our region ahead of the curve,” Allen Smith, president & CEO of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, said in a release. “Technology puts Spartanburg on the road to success by fostering new jobs, new opportunities, and increased economic development.”

Representatives from all seven Spartanburg area school districts, Spartanburg County, the City of Spartanburg and business and government leaders are involved in the project.

Multiple teams will be reaching out to others in the community to complete necessary surveys for the assessment of overall broadband and technology innovation in Spartanburg County.

09.04.2015

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

TopTec partners with U.K. company

BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN'T MISS

| THE FINE PRINT | 23

Attention Upstate

TopTec Event Tents recently What’s Your Backup Plan? launched a new company division, Inflate-AIRmerica, in partnership Losing power for even a few hours can with Inflate, a U.K. mean thousands of dollars lost in revenue design and production firm specializto your business. Generac revolutionized ing in creating inthe commercial generator market with the flatable structures first standby generators powerful enough for immersive brand and event to back your entire business without the experiences. cost of expensive configured systems.

“With the STAY OPEN FOR BUSINESS… launch of Inflate-AIRmerica, our “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” customers will have a unique and Have a backup plan for power!

– Benjamin Franklin eye-catching offering to their clients that will set them apart from the traditional and boring,” TopTec Typically achieved with a Lockup,a go home h Typically achieved with a Lockup, go home President John Ciniglio said in a generator that provides and wait for the s generator that provides and wait for the release. power to a limited number power to return. mb e power to a limited number power to return.

TopTec operates two facilities: of circuits.

• No revenue of circuits.

• No revenue one in New York and a larger mangeneration • Allows you to save data generation a • Allows you to save data (864)23 • Profitability at risk ufacturing facility in South Carolina. and shutdown computers (864)2 • Profitability at risk s and shutdown computers • Missed customer By utilizing the reach of these two safely PO • Missed customer ORDERLY safely POBOX BO deadlines ORDERLY facilities, Ciniglio said that the • No revenue NO STANDBY Greenv deadlines • No revenue NO STANDBY Green SHUTDOWN company will be able to develop the • Security Risk • Potential profits loss SHUTDOWN • Security Risk • Potential profits loss POWER product line and quickly offer it POWER • Checkout remaining • Checkout remaining throughout North America while customers customers leveraging the innovation and inflatUsing a generator Using a generator able products knowledge that sucBusiness operations Business operations that provides power that provides power cessfully grew the Inflate brand in continue as if there was wa continue as if there was to essential circuits s to essential circuits Europe. no outage no outage so your business so your business • Maintain revenue stream ea m • Maintain revenue stream can stay open. can stay open.

• Profits are protected • Profits are protected • Business can stay • Business can stay • Gain new customers • Gain new customers open open • Become known as a LIMITED FULL • Become known as a • Generate revenue LIMITED FULL • Generate revenue reliable business in the e reliable business in the • Profits are protected OPERATIONS OPERATION • Profits are protected OPERATIONS community OPERATION community • Loses are reduced • Loses are reduced GEORGIA RETAILER DRESS UP, a women’s clothing boutique, is set to open soon at 103 N. Main St. in downtown Greenville (in the former Wish boutique space).

This will be the company’s 12th location and the first outside of Georgia.

AYERS LEATHER SHOP HAS MOVED from its downtown Greenville retail storefront on the corner of Main and West North streets to a smaller space around the corner on North Street.

OUR OURBUSINESS BUSINESSIS IS PROTECTING PROTECTING YOURS YOURS

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24 | SOCIAL SNAPSHOT |

INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE

UBJ

THE NEXT PHASE NEXT on Main officially opened its downtown Greenville space last week in the Bank of America building at 101 N. Main St. Its latest tenant, Servosity, celebrated receiving a $200,000 grant from SCRA Technology Ventures’ SC Launch program.

Photos provided

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INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE

| SOCIAL SNAPSHOT | 25

CHAMBER TEES OFF The Greenville Chamber’s 23rd annual golf tournament, held last week at the Chanticleer and Riverside courses, raised more than $60,000 to support the Chamber’s community improvement initiatives.

Photos provided by Greenville Chamber

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

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

UBJ

OVERHEARD @ THE WATERCOOLER AUGUST 28, 2015

| VOL. 4 ISSUE 35

” to nowhere “road to corridor in gone from omic 14 nector has ntial new econ County - pg hern Con a pote Greenville The Sout backbone of southern the

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 >> ustatebusinessjournal. com/past-issues

>> WEIGH IN @ THE UBJ EXCHANGE > @amorris_CJ “What do you think about Greenville’s hockey team’s new name: Swamp Rabbits?” > @kelseyjoynelson “LOVE it!”

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The top 5 stories from last week’s issue ranked by shareability score

>> 188

1. NEXT on Main opens doors

>> 136

2. Neighbors voice concerns over proposed West End apartments

>> 91 3. Bon Secours St. Francis care center featured in Greer development

>> 89 4. RiverPlace tops out Phase III

>> 76 5. North Main Flats renovations near completion

RE: ARTISTS AT WORK IN DOWNTOWN TR

> @tbirdnturtle1 “Awesome!!! Where can fans buy apparel with the new logo?”

RE: PC HASHES OUT NEW ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS, PERRY PLACE AND BONAVENTURE PLANS > The Marchant Company “Everything you need to know about the zoning meeting earlier this month.” > Wilson Associates Real Estate “Read the full recap of the August 20 Greenville Planning Commission meeting #yeathTHATgreenville”

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Distilled commentary from UBJ readers

RE: GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS

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> Lindsey Brown “This sounds like fun.” > Erica Allen “Very cool. Excited to switch it up ... those wine paintings are taking over my attic!”

RE: BON SECOURS ST. FRANCIS CARE CENTER FEATURED IN GREER DEVELOPMENT > Michael Badeaux’s Engineering Upstate Real Estate “Bon Secours St Francis fixing to grow with Greenville and the big boys...”

RE: GREENVILLE, S.C., IS A REFINED CITY THAT CHERISHES HISTORY (VIA NY DAILY NEWS) > Upstate Business Journal “Photos of the Greenville, South Carolina skyline quickly become outdated because of continual building, but the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains aren’t changing.” Check out New York Daily News’ article on #yeahtTHATgreenville’s history: http://nydn. us/1JH15V2” > Gary Mattingly “Welcome to my world” > Avana Carolina Point “Greenville is truly beautiful! Love Love Love this city!!”

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EVENT INFO

WHERE DO I GO?

HOW DO I GO?

First Friday Leadership Series Speaker: Bob Barreto, president GBS Building Supply

Clemson at Greenville ONE 1 N. Main St., 5th Floor, Greenville 5:15-7 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: bit.ly/first-fridaysep2015

High Performance Leadership Series Topic: Leading with Vision

Commerce Club 55 Beattie Place, 17th Floor, Greenville 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Register: 248-766-6926

Understanding Financial Statements Fundamentals of understanding business financial statements

NEXT Innovation Center 411 University Ridge, Greenville 6-8:30 p.m.

Cost: $29 Register: piedmontscore.org/workshops/ register/175

Tech After Five Networking for tech entrepreneurs

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

Cost: Free Register: bit.ly/taf-sep2015

NEXT Capital Series: Demystifying Venture Capital

Clemson at Greenville ONE 1 N. Main St., 5th Floor, Greenville 3-5:30 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: bit.ly/vc-sep2015

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DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & ACCOUNT STRATEGY Kate Madden

1988

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-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

OCT. 16: THE MANUFACTURING ISSUE Women are thriving in this growing field.

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

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

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

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

AS SEEN IN

NOVEMBER 1, 2013

Anita Harley, Jane Rogers

Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com Ashley Boncimino, Sherry Jackson, Benjamin Jeffers, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris

jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years

Holly Hardin

Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com

UBJ milestone

1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport

OPERATIONS ADVERTISING DESIGN

SEPT. 18: THE SMALL BUSINESS ISSUE Dreaming big, starting small.

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

UBJ milestone

DIGITAL TEAM Emily Price, Danielle Car

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