November 1, 2013
GREEN POWER The promises and challenges of alternative fuels
UBJ Retail
Books-A-Million Closed, Rebranding By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com
A sign hung in the window of the Books-A-Million on Laurens road this week telling patrons that the store was closed. Work crews were removing the outside signage on Monday. In its place the company plans to put 2nd & Charles, a reseller of books, music, video games and other items. Customers reported that store had been rearranged and appeared to have had diminished inventory in recent weeks. When they asked staff whether the store was closing, they were told it was only being remodeled.
A corporate spokesperson could not be reached for comment by press time, but other indicators pointed to the opening of a 2nd & Charles in the spot. At least nine job positions were available at the 2nd & Charles website for a location at 2465 Laurens Road, the same plaza where Books-A-Million has been located. It would be the second such media resale retailer on the Laurens Road corridor, just a half mile north of Mr. K’s Used Books in the Verdae Village shopping center at Laurens Road and Verdae Boulevard.
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When customers asked staff whether the store was closing, they were told it was only being remodeled.
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9/2/13 1:40 PM3 November 1, 2013 Upstate business journal
Volume II, Issue XLIV
November 1, 2013
Recent improvements to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena include a new Jumbo-tron scoreboard.
10
Photo by John Walsh
Verbatim
TBA A new 330-unit apartment complex may be going up soon at the corner of Laurens Road and Innovation Drive on the Millennium Campus. The city planning commission will take up the application on Nov. 14 …
There’s buzz starting about a locally owned movie theater/draft house concept coming to downtown Greenville … Word is a second Zoë’s Kitchen may be opening in the strip center on Woodruff near Trader Joe’s where Capri’s was located…
“I think ‘broken’ is a kind word for healthcare.gov right now.” SCGOP Chairman Matt Moore on the website that is used to sign up for insurance coverage as part of the Affordable Care Act.
Worth Repeating “We’ve hit some pretty big milestones when it comes to climate change. I know some people don’t believe it’s happening, but clearly it is.” Terry Walker, professor of biosystems engineering at Clemson University.
“We’re back in the phase again where you could open a men’s store in the right town and make it.” Chris Knott, founder and creative director of Peter Millar menswear brand.
“Effective communication is not a talent that some people have and some do not – it is a skill anyone can learn and improve through time and practice.” David Hooker, director of corporate services for the Clemson MBA Program.
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Thanks to these New Greenville Chamber Members for their Investment in our Business Community AAA Care, LLC Allstate Insurance - The Bainbridge Agency Bailey’s Comfort Services Bright’s Creek Burks Healthcare Enterprise, LLC Carolinas Wealth Management Group of ING Financial Partners Carter Insulation Services, LLC Collett Da Vinci’s Ristorante Digital Thinker, Inc Driven Associates Encore Technology Group Express Employment Professionals Gallagher Chuck, LLC Greenville Medical Clinic Greer Middle College Charter High School Homestead Hospice of Greenville, LLC Hultquist Firm, CPA, P.C. Instant Imprints
Greg Jenkins Law Office of Maurice McNab, LLC Non Profit Leadership NuLevel Strategic Solutions, LLC Other Vision Studios Poetic Word Ministries Inc. Pure on Main Quaker Steak & Lube of SC, LLC Schwartz Benefit Service SCRA SharpShooters Gun Club & Range SignForce Simons Development Strategic Partner, Inc. TalentStream, LLC Triple M Metal Upstate Eye Care Vulcan Materials Co. Weed Man of Greenville
The Greenville Chamber’s vision is to build one of the world’s premier business communities. Call 864-242-1050 to find out how we can help you learn, save and connect! 24 CLEVELAND ST. GREENVILLE, SC 29601
864-242-1050
WWW.GREENVILLECHAMBER.ORG
24 CLEVELAND ST. GREENVILLE, SC 29601
864-242-1050
WWW.GREENVILLECHAMBER.ORG
UBJ Preparedness
Masters of Disaster Upstate companies are looking to the cloud and data centers to protect critical information By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
As companies plan their IT budgets for 2014, business leaders are – or should be – asking themselves questions like: What would happen if my business were to get hit by fire, flood or wind damage? Would my data be safe? What would happen if our company server went down? What would happen to our phone lines, and how could I conduct business if disaster strikes? There are some common-sense steps businesses need to take, like conducting regular fire safety drills and having a plan in place for employee safety, but the bigger issue is how to protect company data, experts say. According to the Disaster Recovery Preparedness Council (DRPC), most companies are putting their business operations at risk by not being properly prepared to recover their IT systems in the event of a disaster. A recent survey by the DRPC that used the common grading system A (the best) to F (the worst), found that 72 percent of survey participants, or nearly three out of four companies worldwide, a r e failing
“People tend to think of the big stuff like a fire or flood, but it’s the little stuff that usually causes an outage.” Immedion CEO Frank Mobley
in terms of disaster readiness, scoring ratings of either a D or F grade. Business owners tend to think that only a major disaster such as a flood or fire will bring their business to its knees, but DRPC studies show that human error and software/hardware failures are the biggest cause of outage and data loss, the study’s authors said.
6 Upstate business journal November 1, 2013
Updating Your Backups
Outdated technology can also be a problem, says Charles Johnson, CEO of EDTS, a regional IT services company specializing in advanced infrastructure, network security and managed IT services. Companies that are using a tape backup system will have a very slim chance of recovering data in the event of a disaster, he said. The
technology is old, and the tape backup equipment is hard to find. Also, tapes are magnetic and subject to environmental factors such as heat, humidity and static electricity, he said. USB drives are also not a good business backup solution, Johnson said. He recommends using an image-based method for incremental backups every 30 minutes or so, depending on the business’s tolerance for data loss. The computers of key executives and personnel should also be backed up, not just the company’s servers, he said. Companies tend to think that disaster recovery (DR) and backup solutions can be costly, but “we can think outside the box for customers that don’t have large budgets,” Johnson said, noting that virtual solutions are much more cost-effective than previous options. Phone systems are another area that businesses don’t tend to think about as part of a disaster recovery solution – but they need to, Johnson said. “How are calls going to come in and be answered?” He recommends checking with the phone provider, as many are able to reroute numbers in an emergency situation.
>>
Living Well >>
Heading to the Cloud
Immedion, the first data center services company in South Carolina according to its owners, has an 11,000-square-foot data center in Greenville located in a nondescript office complex, with no signage anywhere, even on the door. Cameras, card readers and biometric scanners keep a watchful eye and grant access to only a few. It sounds like a scene from a movie, but that’s the real world of companies providing data center services, says CEO Frank Mobley, who began Immedion in 2007. Security is tight, and that’s what their customers want, Mobley said. Immedion’s customers use either its physical rack space in the data center or its cloud computing offering, backing up company data virtually across the Internet. “Cloud computing is definitely the buzzword right now,” says Mobley, even though most of his customers are in a fifty-mile radius. The trend right now is companies migrating from physical servers to cloud solutions, he said. “Many small to medium businesses are looking to move to the cloud at some point,” agrees Keith Coker, chief technology officer at Green Cloud Technologies, which
helps companies move from a premises-based network to the cloud and locate a secondary site for disaster recovery.
Handle Sensitive Data With Care
Businesses subject to HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and PII (personally identifiable information) laws need to make sure they are following compliance regulations, Coker said. There are specific rules about how data needs to be handled, including encrypting data at rest and backups, he said. Added Mobley, “It’s also important to have practical data in your DR plan, like a list of critical contacts and key employee contact information.” Immedion has a room available for customers where, after a disaster, employees can come in, plug into a network and work. “People tend to think of the big stuff like a fire or flood,” Mobley said, “but it’s the little stuff that usually causes an outage.” Another technology that is becoming more popular is Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI), which allows employees to have a desktop, complete with applications they use daily, Coker said. VDI can be accessed from anywhere there is an Internet connection. All experts agree that whatever backup and DR solution is put in place, companies should be sure to test it monthly or at least quarterly. “Trust but verify” is the best approach, says Johnson. Both FEMA and the American Red Cross have websites dedicated to business disaster preparedness. Both offer tips, checklists and other preparation tools. For more information, visit readyrating.org and www.ready. gov/business.
Learning to understand what really makes us happy is something that a lot of people spend a lot of time worrying about. Some people have some passion that drives them to chase their dreams. Some of us are always trying new things and have a hard time focusing on one thing. Our world is a place where financial security is available to most of us with a little bit of work and a reasonable amount of prudence. It means saving a little bit of the day’s spending money a lot of days. Small actions make huge impacts when repeated over long periods of time. Crash diets don’t usually yield lasting results just as quick wealth doesn’t always keep successful people wealthy. It’s hard to get in great physical or financial shape overnight. Taking care of your financial life requires wise repeated choices. Taking care of the people who support us and believe in us is important. Most of us are looking to make new friends and learn new things to increase our connections and our abilities. As we grow personally and professionally, most people tend to place more importance on the people close to them than on stuff around them. We all need enough stuff and enough of the fun factor in our worlds. We all need breaks and vacations. We all have things that we want and things that we need. Living in austerity is a real drag. Living like a rock star is probably unsustainable. Finding the right middle ground is a key to learning to be happy. There are a lot of choices of vehicles in the investment world. There are lots of different account types and lot of various ways to approach a financial plan. Everyone is unique in their situation and everyone is moving at their own pace and in their own direction. Learning to be conscious of choice helps people to make better decisions and end up with better outcomes. Learning to live well, take care of those we love, save a little along the way, and contribute to others in a meaningful way and then repeating may be the keys to a long and happy life. Christopher A. Brown, CPA, PFS, CFP® has been helping families plan and manage their money since 1995. Give us a call at 864-233-0808 or visit our website at www.falegacy.com.
November 1, 2013 Upstate business journal 7
UBJ Real Estate
SEC proposes new crowdfunding rules for real estate investors By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
Last week the Securities Exchange Commission unanimously approved proposed rules on Title III crowdfunding that will permit businesses and intermediaries (funding portals) to finally participate in equity-based crowdfunding. Experts say real estate crowdfunding pools together money from multiple investors to buy shares of real property such as apartment and office buildings and retail centers. Rather than buying the entire property and dealing with the hassles of tenants, individuals investing through crowdfunding do not deal with any of the day-to-day management of the property. Unaccredited investors have been banned from participating in crowd funding investments for more than 80 years, according to
Jilliene Helman, founder and CEO of California-based Realty Mogul, a crowdfunding platform and marketplace for real estate investors. Helman called the SEC approval “historic news.” The new rules will remove the income and network requirements that are currently in place, says Helman who expects the change to have a “small impact on the market at first” until investors really understand what this means for their portfolios.
The SEC regulation states the new crowdfunding rules will allow investors to invest $2,000 or five percent of their annual income or
net worth, whichever running several thouis greater, if both sand dollars for each annual income/net investment. worth are less than Brian Young, $100,000. Senior Vice President Investors can also for Cushman Wakeallot 10 percent of their field Thalimer, a annual income or net Greenville commerworth, whichever is cial real estate greater, if either their company, says that annual income or net the “law itself will be worth is equal to or interesting and it more than $100,000. Jilliene Helman appears to treat these The rules would limit types of investment investments to $100,000 in crowd- vehicles more like securities, which funded securities annually, accord- they seem like, and less like real ing to the proposal. estate. Hopefully it will allow Helman said one part of the buyers more ability to get out of proposed rules is troubling: The the property with minimal downSEC regulation is proposing that side risk.” campaigns over $500,000 require The proposed rules now go out independently audited financial for public comment for 90 days. It statements. Helman says “audited could be at least another six months financials are just too costly,” before the agency issues final rules.
Duke Mulls Natural Gas Plant in Anderson By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com
Although the company says it has no current plans to build, Duke Energy Carolinas recently took the first step needed to open a 750-megawatt natural gas-fired combined cycle plant at the existing Lee Steam Station in Anderson County. An application was filed for a certificate of environmental compatibility with the Public Service Commission of South Carolina (PSCSC) on Oct. 24 in partnership with North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation
Our commitment is to meet our customers’ needs in a way that balances affordable, reliable and increasingly clean electricity, and this project will help us satisfy that need. (NCEMC), which would be a minority owner of 100 megawatts of the project if constructed. “The energy needs of our customers are significant over the next 15 years,” said Clark Gillespy, Duke Energy president South Carolina in a statement. “Our commitment is to meet our customers’ needs in
8 Upstate business journal November 1, 2013
a way that balances affordable, reliable and increasingly clean electricity, and this project will help us satisfy that need.” The company said natural gasfired combined cycle plants are a good match to meet needed base and intermediate load demands because of their high efficiency and
flexibility. Their emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are very low, and natural gas emits about half the carbon dioxide as coal. A combined cycle unit uses combustion turbine generators, boilers and a steam turbine generator to produce electricity. Construction could begin after the company receives the necessary regulatory approvals. The new plant could begin commercial operation as early as June 2017, adding up to 500 jobs during the peak of construction, the company said.
UBJ Real Estate
The Boomers Are Moving
Two local companies collaborate to assist seniors in transition By April A. Morris | staff | amorris@communityjournals.com
Just as it was felt decades ago, the impact of the baby boomer generation continues to ripple through society – this time as thousands retire each day and move into a new phase of life. According to AARP, over the next 18 years, baby boomers will turn 65 at a rate of about 8,000 each day. This influx of retirees is expected to spawn businesses that cater to them. In January, an Upstate home health company and real estate firm created a partnership to help boomers navigate everything from aging in place to downsizing and transitioning to a new living situation. Amanda Stilwell of Interim Healthcare has partnered with the Seniors Services Division of Prudential C. Jan Joyner to form Senior Transition Services of the Upstate (seniorstransitionsupstate.com). Stilwell, who has worked with seniors for several years, advises residents on how they can make their homes safer, modify after an illness or accident or make moving to a smaller home go more smoothly. The link to real estate was a natural one, she said. She works with clients to learn their goals and develop a plan to have in place before a client has a major health problem or other crisis. “I had been doing this for a while and didn’t know it, Stilwell said. “I thought, ‘Why aren’t we marketing this to people who are not sick? Why do you have to wait until you’re sick to get great care?” The baby boomer generation is accustomed to being in control, so “they want to decide,” she added. “They have the opportunity to say what they want before a crisis and define what they want instead of having
it defined for them by someone else.” If her client doesn’t have a realtor and needs one, she refers them to Prudential C. Dan Joyner’s Seniors Services Division, which offers realtors who have a Seniors Real Estate Specialist designation. Joyner agent John Moore said that seniors have unique needs. They may be caring for their parents and grandchildren, looking at downsizing or remodeling a home. “They are running into issues we [real estate agents] didn’t have 20 years ago,” he said. Acting as a project manager, Stilwell coordinates the process of planning a move or the move itself. Sometimes seniors know their goals, but don’t know the best steps to reach it, she said. She noted a couple, a doctor and social worker, who had decided to move but were paralyzed by the steps between the decision and reality. “They didn’t know how to navigate the process. It was so stressful. People assume that if you’re intelligent, or if you’ve done well in your life, you’re going to know what to do. It’s not true
Over the next 18 years, baby boomers will turn 65 at a rate of about 8,000 each day
“Why do you have to wait until you’re sick to get great care?” Amanda Stilwell, Senior Transition Services of the Upstate
because it’s brand new,” she said. Tasks like de-cluttering and packing boxes that were simple in the past can seem overwhelming to a senior facing them coupled with out-of-town family or health problems, Stilwell said. Even if an individual has moved multiple times, the situation is
unique, Moore agreed. “Now they’re facing another move, but it’s different problems that they’re having to face than 30 years ago.” The majority of clients at this point want to age in place, Moore said, but when they are ready to relocate, his division can help. “This is a total business model to serve the senior sector.” The partnership launched in January and is gaining momentum, Stilwell said. “I don’t know what happened, but about four months ago the phones started ringing.” “It’s been a lot of time and a lot of effort, but it’s been very rewarding,” said Moore.
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Source: AARP
November 1, 2013 Upstate business journal 9
UBJ Venue
One for Bon Secours Wellness Arena Renovations are underway at the former BI-LO Center By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com
Last week the Greenville Road Warriors hockey team played their home opener amid fancier digs at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, formerly known as the BI-LO Center. This first phase of renovations cost about $6 million, according to General Manager Roger Newton. The project’s total budget is $14.5 million. Newton said the renovations were more about getting up to date than trying to achieve a particular style. “It was just trying to modernize. It has not had a makeover since it opened in 1998. To use the analogy of your homes, we’re pulling your 15-year-old televisions and replacing them with nice flat screens,” Newton said. The general contractor was Caldwell Construction. Renovation of the suites comprised the bulk of the work, costing about $1 million. Caldwell also resurfaced the parking lot and changed the entrance. A new scoreboard and digital ribbon from CBS Outdoor cost about $2 million. Other upgrades include
The project NUMBERS Scheduled to take place
over 3 years Has not had a makeover since opening in
1998
A new scoreboard and digital ribbon from CBS Outdoor cost:
$2 million
Center ice at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
new risers, digital displays at concessions and hallways, curtains and tread for steps in the aisles. Seats were judged to be in good condition, so they will not be replaced until some point in the future. “The one thing we really wanted to get done this fall, and just did not have time to do it, was to get a new sound system in,” Newton said. Next year the arena plans to replace
the roof, redo dressing rooms and concourses and make other exterior improvements. The outdoor marquee will be updated, and the venue would like to add another on the opposite side of Church Street if the city approves. The project is scheduled to take place over three years, but Newton said he thinks it can be done in two, with completion in 2014.
Recent improvements to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena include a new Jumbo-tron scoreboard.
10 Upstate business journal November 1, 2013
First phase of renovations cost:
$6 million The project’s total budget:
$14.5 million The majority of the renovations are funded by the City of Greenville and Greenville County.
PHOTOS BY JOHN WALSH
UBJ SERVICES
Local company to help overseas chamber gain members By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
A Greenville company specializing in chamber of commerce membership development has been selected to assist on a Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) project. The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is coordinating the three-year project, which is funded by the British government. To date, the project has created a foundation for the organization and recruitment of 350 members in the two countries. The project was established to “promote better cross border business relations and implementation of a key regional trade deal,” CIPE said. Membership180 was contacted by CIPE management requesting that they submit a proposal based on its owners’ unique skillset. Owners Annette Medlin and Jay Handler said they use their diverse backgrounds to assist chambers of commerce across the U.S. gain new
members. Traditionally chambers have gotten new members via fundraising, but “that doesn’t keep members,” Handler said. Membership180 provides a structure for sustainability and retaining members long term, not just “renting bodies for a year.”
Medlin and Handler will spend the next four months working to accelerate PAJCCI’s membership development efforts and help the organization create a sustainable financial future. This is Membership180’s first client overseas. The team will work onsite with project staff in Washington, D.C, Handler said. They then will spend two weeks on the ground in Karachi and Kabul to evaluate the organiza-
Work partially closes plaza near ONE development By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
On Monday, crews began staging fencing, materials and equipment on the eastern end of the plaza adjacent to the ONE development in downtown Greenville. The plaza will remain open during this phase of construction; however, for safety purposes, a temporary protective walkway will be constructed along the northern
edge that will allow access to businesses on the north side of the plaza. Pedestrian access to the plaza from Main Street will be maintained at all times. This staging area is expected to remain in place for up to three weeks while the steel and lighting components of the plaza’s shade structure are installed.
tion’s current membership recruitment and retention approach, identify potential market opportunities in Afghanistan and Pakistan and train PAJCCI staff to meet the project’s membership recruitment and retention goals. “We know what chambers across the U.S. will do to bring in revenue, but we don’t know what the Afghanistan and Pakistan business owners will do,” says Handler. Once the duo conducts their initial assessment, they will come home to design a plan and then return to Dubai in January to conduct training.
“We are committed to the work of helping chambers of commerce grow sustainably,” Medlin said. “We love getting to know our clients and their successes and challenges and helping them craft solutions that work for them. The opportunity to take our philosophy not only to a unique organization, but one that is in a completely different culture is a career pinnacle for us.” “It’s such a rewarding bit of work whether we are doing it in Richardson, TX, Greenville, SC or Pakistan,” said Handler. “We’re helping build communities and businesses for the future.”
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November 1, 2013 Upstate business journal 11
eneur • r e ep
r•
repreneu t n
entrepr e
UBJ ur • entr ne
full circle
Peter Millar Founder Says Men’s Retail is Hot By Jennifer Oladipo senior business writer joladipo@communityjournals.com
really is how it works. I knew his father going way back. There are all these relationships.
A North Carolina menswear brand can hardly do better than being bought by Richemont, the global conglomerate that’s home to luxury brands like Cartier jewelry and Chloé couture. Just ask Chris Knott, founder and creative director of Peter Millar. Richemont bought his company one year ago. That kind of clout benefits retailers like Greenville’s Rush Wilson Limited, which, after carrying the brand since Peter Millar was founded in 2001, has been designated one of only 10 Peter Millar “Crown Shops” in the country. Before crowds came in for a Peter Millar trunk show and grand opening at Rush Wilson last week, Knott sat down with UBJ to discuss the relationships that are part of taking a brand to its next level at every stage of the game.
How do retailers make the brand their own? The line is really broad, but our DNA is the same. If you walked in a store in Chicago, it may not look like how Rush has bought it, but it’s not like you’re going to see a bunch of stuff that’s made just for Chicago. Each retailer has his own handwriting, and people gravitate towards that. I’d say Rush’s is kind of classic, updated traditional, a little more English, but he pushes them just to edge of their comfort zone. You’ve got to push men sometimes. With our brand we have to take a pattern and tweak it enough so it feels fresh enough to sell but we don’t get too far out of anybody’s comfort zone to where it freaks them out.
So how does a retailer get to become a Crown Shop?
How does the relationship between Peter Millar and local retailers work? The whole Peter Millar business started on the backs of the Rush Wilsons of the world. I probably showed him a little sweater card at a regional trade show and he said, “Hey we’ve known this guy a long time, I’ll take a dozen sweaters.” That
Chris Knott, founder of Peter Millar, in the Rush Wilson Limited store in Greenville.
12 Upstate business journal November 1, 2013
First, we want to make sure we know the retailer well enough because you’re really joining a business; there are some investments from both parties. Also, we don’t want one on every corner. We want to be able to take people in a 100 to 200 mile radius to this shop. To really tell your brand’s message, you’ve got to have a >>
PHOTOS BY GREG BECKNER / STAFF
Peter Millar products available at Rush Wilson Limited.
>> shop, otherwise the merchandise gets scattered throughout the store. My partner (Chairman and CEO, Scott Mahoney) came out of Ralph Lauren, one of the greatest brands in the world, and he really knew how to do that stuff. I didn’t. We turn down big box department stores all the time because they’re not quite high end enough to sell our product. We’d rather have it at a specialty retailer. We’ve protected our people who got us started. You have a lot of control of just about every detail of the brand. You have to. We have a rigger who goes and sets up all the shops. If a retailer wants to have an event, we’ll help put it together and even get the printed invitations. And we live the lifestyle that we’re selling. We’re all 48-year-old guys running the company and you’ll see us at the office stripping down and trying on shirts and boxers, so we know when something doesn’t fit right. How did you weather the recession? It was a tough time but the economy crashing was the best thing that ever happened to us. That luxury customer that used to buy whatever he wanted started buying our stuff. We were too inexpensive for some retailers before.
Is that how Richemont started paying attention? Yohann Rupert, the chairman of Richemont, is a golfer, and he got turned onto our business by seeing our stuff at clubs wherever he went. He liked the way it fit and started buying it up for himself. Now, we’re a small holding for a company like that that holds Cartier and Monteb-
lanc, but he saw us as the next great American brand. We’re not trying to open a lot of new accounts in the U.S., just do more business with our retailers more profitably. Richemont’s going to give us more of a global presence. A lot of countries don’t have as many specialty stores as this in the U.S. Everything’s vertical. It’s more brands and tailors. So we’ll probably start opening stores strategically around the world.
Has the Richemont relationship affected your creative goals or processes at all?
going to be this, it probably would have scared me so bad I wouldn’t have done it. But thank goodness it happened. You can’t stop it. When you start growing, there are so many things that come at you – good things – that you’ve got to keep evolving. You outgrow your financing. Your needs change. Now looking back I can see how it happened. Was there a lot of luck in there? Absolutely.
You’ve been selling men’s clothes this since you were 14 years old. What’s your take on
the apparel industry today? Collegiate lines like Vineyard Vines and Southern Tide got the young customer back into the men’s store. People like Rush and I went through an era where this Seattle grunge influence was all over the country. Then everything got gourmet and was made in Italy. But the collegiate lines have been the greatest thing to happen to men’s specialty stores in a long time. We’re back in the phase again where you could open a men’s store in the right town and make it. Menswear is hot as a firecracker right now.
Zero. They have really been handsoff. We feel so lucky to partner with them. You’ve got to have somebody with deep pockets if you’re going to keep growing. A private equity firm would have wanted to get it to the next level then find the next exit strategy. This deal with Richemont could be your last stop. They didn’t buy Peter Millar to ramp it up and flip it. Our previous partners, Winona Capital, were a rare private equity firm. I’ll never forget when they came in: a couple of the key guys were wearing beautiful clothing I recognized. You’re going to get the same MBA mentality from any investors but those guys had thread in their veins. They loved clothes.
Did you always have it in mind that you would scale up and exit? Never. When I started this company I’d just had a baby, I was remodeling a house, and my employer was getting rid of sales reps. I was really just figuring out how I would sustain my income. If somebody would have told me it was
November 1, 2013 Upstate business journal 13
UBJ Digital Maven
By laura haight
The weakest link or the strongest defender? You choose Last week, the National Institute of Standards and Technology released its draft of a national framework for cybersecurity. Boring, right? And therein lies the problem at the core of our biggest vulnerability: ourselves. In June 2010, Ret. Admiral Mike McConnell – former chief of national intelligence and Greenville native – warned that U.S. adversaries have the capability to bring down the US power grid and that the “United States is not prepared for such an attack.” (http://goo.gl/b3tkCQ) Perhaps those same adversaries sent a canary into the coalmine three years later when in June 2013, Department of Energy databases were hacked, compromising data on roughly 104,000 federal employees, contractors and dependents. (http:// goo.gl/rTQtLA). It’s a scenario that is starting to sound frighteningly familiar. Across the board, these frameworks, guidelines and takeaways from hacking incidents great and small, reinforce one very basic fact that there is just no getting away from: No one
know that is very conspiracy theory-ish.” Yellachich sometimes makes her point with clients by hacking into their cell phones during meetings. “You have to understand that you don’t have control over it (the technology) anymore,” she said, “and the best thing you can do is educate yourself and learn how to Illustration Provided protect yourself.” can protect you from yourself. From corner bakeries to manufacThe strongest code, the highest turers, your business needs a cyber level of encryption, the most bul- security plan. The FCC has a planning let-proof servers can be easily defeat- guide (http://goo.gl/Ozk5a6) that ed anytime an authenticated user (1) does a great job of compiling key clicks on something they should have policies and resources for businesses deleted; (2) installs something they to create their own programs. But the should have ignored, or (3) gives key to any set of policies working is access authority to an application that employees understand them and without understanding what it does. that they are enforced. That is the message from IT pros For businesses or individuals, here like Ashley Yellachich, of Yella-Soft, are some steps to better digital sea Greenville software developer and curity. web programming company, I spoke with recently about mobile security. Password security is important, “You can’t become a digital recluse,” but email addresses are even warns Yellachich. “Even if you cut more so, Yellachich says. yourself off, you are connected to others. Everything is connected. I While you may have dozens of
passwords, most people have only one or two email addresses. Once a hacker has that, he is halfway to taking over your life and your finances. Get an email address that you don’t use for anything but your financial accounts. Make the password scary-long and complex so there’s no way you’ll remember it, then “write it down and lock it in your safe,” Yellachich says. You only need to enter this password once, when you set up the account in your email program. Segment this email from other applications. And use it only to receive email from your financial institutions. Never send email from this account.
Hackers thrive on finding bits of personal information about you and then putting it together to enable them to crack into your accounts. Web sites ask you security questions to help them authenticate you. Do not give them the right information, like your mother’s real maiden name or your first pet’s real name. Will they be harder to remember? Yes they will. That is the point. “The best protection,” says Yellachich, “is obscurity.” >>
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UBJ Digital Maven >> Never use public Wi-Fi. Although a big selling point for cities like Greenville and businesses like Panera Bread and Starbucks, there’s a balance between security and convenience. If your business has you on the go, invest in a Mi-Fi device that can create a secure VPN (virtual private network).
Have a throwaway email address and use this for online browsing and shopping. Do not use password software like 1password, KeePass, RoboForm, or LastPass. I admit that I have used these. But
I’ve since stopped. When you think about it, all a hacker has to do is get into one application to find out everything about you. And, if you have mobile apps on your smartphone or tablet that synchronize with the desktop versions, you are even more exposed. There are significant dangers in the digital world, but we can’t turn back and abandon all the advantages either. Somehow, we learned to lock our car doors, not to talk to strangers on the street, and to be cautious about flashing wads of money around. It’s time for us all to take responsibility for our own actions and be the best, last defense against hackers instead of the weakest link in the chain.
Laura Haight is the president of Portfolio (www.portfoliosc.com), which works with small businesses to incorporate emerging media and technology into its business communications, operations and training.
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UBJ Innovate
By DAVID HOOKER
The Value of a Value Proposition
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Turn variable costs into fixed costs
Control of budget
È
Values Proposition
È
Improve risk management
a specialized field. A dentist may offer complimentary foot massages to their patients during treatment to ease the stress of a dental visit. Freelance writers can distinguish themselves by never missing a deadline. If you can’t define the reason a customer should choose you, how can you expect the customer to find one on their own? If you are having trouble coming up with a reason, this might be a good time to brainstorm and implement value-added policies and services. Sometimes the more unusual and
È
Create flexible supply chain
È
Do:
off-the-wall ideas are the most valuable – be creative. Companies with a large sales staff have an excellent way to find their value proposition: observe your top performers in action and see what they say when interacting with clients. Successful salespeople often have the innate ability to define and internal-
Ability to focus on core functions
È
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than for those producing a tangible product, but it’s really the same. Your product is you and the services you offer; the key is to find the ways you are different and better than your competition. If you are an attorney, perhaps you have an outstanding record of cases won or years of experience handling contracts in
È
DID YOUR AFTERNOON COFFEE BREAK DO MORE THAN WAKE YOU UP?
Whatever your professional field, whether you work for someone else, own your own business, work alone or are one member in a staff of thousands, there is one thing you can do that will have a tremendous impact on your success. The simple act of defining and articulating your value proposition is a powerful tool that can transform the way you and your employees do business. So what is a value proposition, exactly? Investopedia defines it as “a business or marketing statement that summarizes why a consumer should buy a product or use a service. This statement should convince a potential consumer that one particular product or service will add more value or better solve a problem than other similar offerings.” I believe the essence of a good value proposition is uncomplicated and straightforward: it is the answer to the question, “What makes my company different?” No matter what you are selling – product or service – it is essential that you can define and articulate what sets you apart from your competition. For companies that produce and sell tangible goods, this exercise is often easier. Features and benefits of products are easy to distinguish and compare. Even if your product is essentially identical to a competitor’s but is priced less, that price difference becomes part of your value proposition. It’s important not to begin and end this exercise with the product itself but to also include service and other intangibles. Perhaps you offer free shipping, an a no-questions-asked return policy, free 24 hour technical support, a lifetime warranty against defects – any of these things and more can and should be defined and included when crafting your value proposition. What if you’re a professional providing a service? Defining your value proposition may seem more difficult
Reduced cost
È Benefit providers’ expertise ize the key messages that lead to increased sales. The good news is that these skills can be taught to and adapted by the rest of your staff. The key is to begin by defining the value proposition. Once you have that in place, sales staff can learn how to articulate the message to customers. Though the learning process often begins by having employees practice from a script, the goal is not to create a bunch of parrots mimicking their master’s words. The desired result is that each individual will internalize the message and begin to
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INV ESTOPEDIA DE FI NE S v alu e proposi ti on A S … a business or marketing statement that summarizes why a consumer should buy a product or use a service. This statement should convince a potential consumer that one particular product or service will add more value or better solve a problem than other similar offerings. it naturally in conversa>>tion express using his or her own words. Practice is the key in successfully adopting this strategy. Repetition, role-playing, video recording and playback are all powerful tools for learning and improving one’s skills in projecting the value proposition, and all can be refined and perfected inter-
nally within the organization rather than having staff “practice” on clients. Effective communication is not a talent that some people have and some do not – it is a skill anyone can learn and improve through time and practice. And it can make all the difference between mediocrity and success for any company.
David Hooker is the Director of Corporate Services for the Clemson MBA Program. He helps companies of all sizes grow sales and increase productivity by designing and implementing customized training programs.
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UBJ working well
By APRIL HUTTUNEN
Joe’s Story An employee wellness program can have an impact far beyond the workplace With the current health status of America, the cost of health care to employers could potentially be the most significant detriment to profitability and viability over the next decade. Employers are placing more emphasis on health and
wellness programs as a solution to change the overall bottom line for their organization. High-performing companies understand the health and work behavior equation. According to Towers Watson (2010), 75 percent
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of high-performing companies regularly measure health status as a component of their overall risk management strategy. Human capital is the heart of any successful organization. Associates drive every aspect of a company’s operations and can significantly impact costs. Employers are now embracing the idea that healthy associates are essential elements of the overall business strategy of the company. Associate health status directly influences associate work behaviors, attendance and on-thejob performance. Put simply, healthier associates will lead to a more productive workforce, resulting in a positive impact to the bottom line. More than 80 percent of America’s businesses with 50 or more associates offer some form of employee wellness programming. In addition to becoming a key component of the business strategy, employer health and wellness programs have a broader impact than just the financial viability of the business. The following story illuminates the far-reaching influence of an employer wellness program. Joe is a 43-year-old who has worked at his company for 15 years. Joe’s family includes his working wife and two children. He was an overweight smoker who frequently indulged in take-out food and didn’t exercise. During open enrollment, Joe’s employer implemented a wellness program that included health education, health risk assessment with biometric screenings, health coaching, and a supportive “healthy choice” environment. With a newly communicated wellness benefit design, Joe would receive an incentive to participate in the company wellness
initiatives. Joe felt that he was in good health, but he asked himself: Why not participate? He would receive an incentive and could potentially save money to take his family on camping trips. So Joe participated in an on-site company health risk assessment and biometric screening to earn his incentive. He received his results through a health coaching session, which concluded that he was extremely high-risk for multiple chronic conditions.
Joe changed his life through the help and support of his employer. Joe worked with the health coach on setting his goals for successful behavior change. One important aspect of the wellness program at Joe’s company was a supportive work environment. The company implemented a safe walking trail on site, so he came in early every day to walk before his shift. His employer also offered healthy eating options in the cafeteria, on-site health education programs, and a tremendous amount of executive level support for wellness activities. Joe is a real person. He changed his life through the help and support of his employer. After
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achieving one small goal at a time, he started feeling more energy and motivation about his lifestyle change. He eventually stopped smoking and lost 20 pounds by reducing calories and participating in regular exercise. His change was so positive that he implemented the healthy lifestyle choices with his wife and children. Joe now plays an active role on
the wellness committee at his company. He is also an advocate for health and wellness programs in his neighborhood and church and has assisted with several startup wellness initiatives. Joe’s story is a testament to many colleagues and friends as it relates to being accountable for his own health. Due to his positive health outcomes, he is a more productive associate with
great vitality and enjoys life in a new way. The trend for worksite wellness programs has shifted to a more holistic approach designed to promote the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of an associate’s health. One of the most effective wellness-based cost containment strategies is to be proactive and keep low-health-risk associates at low risk. In
addition to the positive changes Joe made through his employer’s prevention strategy, he has also been instrumental with cascading healthy behaviors to his surrounding community. And while there are many examples of how a successful wellness program can impact a company’s bottom line, creating a culture of health can travel beyond the employer and into the community one person at a time.
LiveWell Greenville’s At Work Group helps Greenville businesses create and improve their workplace wellness initiatives. You’ll find more information and free resources at
livewellgreenville.org. April Huttunen is the manager of corporate health initiatives for Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System. She is a member of LiveWell Greenville’s At Work Committee.
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November 1, 2013 Upstate business journal 19
UBJ milestone
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
20 Upstate business journal November 1, 2013
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
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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 Jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years 1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport
1988
1997 Jackson Dawson launches Motorsports Division 1993
1990 Jackson Dawson acquires Therapon Marketing Group and moves to Piedmont Office Center on Villa.
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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
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 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
A Dream, a Struggle,
A SUCCESS STORY Architect Joe Pazdan built a career from a childhood passion
J
By Benjamin Jeffers | contributor | bjeffers@communityjournals.com
Joe Pazdan would be the first to point out that the success of McMillan Pazdan Smith architectural firm is more than just a story about his accomplishments. However, he has certainly played an integral role in building a firm focused on revitalizing the Upstate. As with many success stories, the journey came with bumps along the way. But what resulted was a company strengthened through the trials.
A dream begins
As a child, Pazdan watched with fascination as builders constructed his parents’ house. He was only in grade school, yet from that point on he knew he wanted to be an architect. He never took his focus off of achieving that dream. In high school he worked for a construction company, and the summer before attending Clemson University, attended the Career Discovery Program at Harvard to study architecture in the Northeast. While at Clemson, Pazdan also had the opportunity to travel overseas and study architecture abroad. With degrees in both architectural design and construction science and management, Pazdan went on to work for several architecture firms after graduation, finally
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22 Upstate business journal November 1, 2013
Architect Joe Pazdan of McMillan, Pazdan and Smith Architecture. Photos by Greg Beckner / Staff
downsizing. The hardest part of the recession was laying off skilled designers and other workers. Pazdan-Smith lost some “intellectual capital,” he said. But companies have to face roadblocks with a positive attitude in order to be successful, he said. For Pazdan-Smith, help came in the form of a friendly competitor, McMillan Smith and Partners.
The success
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landing at one that employed his friend and former college roommate, Brad Smith. Pazdan said he and Smith “traveled up and down the East Coast” doing different design jobs. As they worked together, they began talking seriously about starting their own firm. They were both thinking about settling down and starting families, he said, and “Through our experience we felt we could do as good a job [as the companies we worked for].” In 1993, they started PazdanSmith Group, choosing Greenville as home base because they had professional and personal ties in the area and also “felt there was great potential.” “We had the opportunity to be a vital role in the downtown revitalization,” Pazdan said. “We’ve been very fortunate that Greenville has had steady growth.” For 15 years Pazdan said the firm flourished. Then 2008 came crashing in.
The struggle
When the Great Recession hit in 2008, Pazdan-Smith Group felt the effects like many other companies around the nation. The once-booming architecture industry slowed to a sluggish pace. They were competing with other firms for an ever-smaller pool of clients. Design opportunities decreased. The firm went through a period of
For several years prior to the recession, owners of PazdanSmith and the Spartanburg-based McMillan Smith joked about joining forces. They would see each other at different functions, competing for some of the same projects. Both firms started struggling from the recession, and in 2009 they agreed the best strategy was to merge. The result was McMillan Pazdan Smith, an “entrepreneurial success story in the Upstate,” according to Karen Calhoun, director of business development. Calhoun, a principal of the company, said the merger was a “natural meshing of markets and expertise.” The merger diversified the firms, she said, and gave them the ability to service clients ranging from primary and secondary schools to commercial industries in the Upstate and nearby regions. Calhoun began at McMillan Smith in 1999 and said the firm is
proud to have offices in both Greenville and Spartanburg. “We feel very invested in each community and are very careful not to overlook any of the communities.” Said Pazdan, “We like to think of ourselves as a community-based design firm,” finding inspiration in each community’s growth. McMillan Pazdan Smith also has offices in Asheville, Atlanta and Charleston. At each location, Pazdan said the firm tries to maintain a high level of design in order to recruit more talent and help the communities thrive. Pazdan said some of his favorite Upstate projects have been working for nonprofit organizations. The firm has completed a commercial kitchen renovation for the Project Host soup kitchen and culinary school. It also has done work for clients like the Humane Society and the Children’s Museum. He credits the success of the firm not to himself but to the great employees throughout the years and the firm’s ability to keep up with technology. As technology’s role in architectural design has increased, Pazdan said, the workload and clients’ expectations have increased as well. That hasn’t stopped Pazdan, though. “Certainly you have to have a burning desire and passion to be successful,” he said. “The fast pace and the quick turnaround, in a sick way, I kind of enjoy.”
“The fast pace and the quick turnaround, in a sick way, I kind of enjoy.” Joe Pazdan on working in the architecture and design field
November 1, 2013 Upstate business journal 23
Mobility, Sustainability, Profitability
cover story
PhotoS by Greg Beckner/STAFF
For more discussion of the future of fuels and transportation: InnoMobility 2013 Annual Conference Nov. 6-7, 2013 | Peace Center, Greenville More information: innomobility.com/2013
What will power the vehicles of the future? Innovators in the Upstate are discovering the answers
F
By Jennifer Oladipo | senior business writer | joladipo@communityjournals.com
For the foreseeable future, even the most advanced forms of transportation will need some kind of energy to run. As hundreds gather to explore the future of transportation at the InnoMobility conference next week, it’s worth taking a look at the future of the fuels that will keep those
vehicles moving. The rise of electric vehicles is one way alternative energy will power mobility, but there are also significant improvements on the good old gas tank.
Fuels for the Future
The use of fossil fuel still vastly out-
24 Upstate business journal November 1, 2013
paces alternative fuels, but worries about climate change are pushing innovation for the latter. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, greenhouse gas emissions – 28 percent of which come from transportation – are among the top contributors to recent climate change.
“We’ve hit some pretty big milestones when comes to climate change. I know some people don’t believe it’s happening, but clearly it is,” said Terry Walker, professor of biosystems engineering at Clemson University. Working in a field that is focused on the least harmful solutions >>
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for a changing environment, he points out that those solutions are also very much about dealing with the related financial shocks. “It’s not just a feel-good thing about the environment; it’s also going to cost a lot of money.”
Speaking of Money
Along with these costs are opportunities to reduce them, and make some money. South Carolina sends between $8 billion and $12 billion every year to other states or nations for oil and gas, coal and nuclear fuel, according to Andrew Epting, program manager of the South Carolina Clean Energy Business Alliance (SCCEBA). He said the state could rely more on homegrown sources for fuel – ethanol and biodiesel to blend with traditional fuels – and other energy needs, bringing “an enormous economic boom.” He said the use of hydroelectric power serves as a good example for the potential of other green energy sources. Proterra, a Greenville-based manufacturer of alternative-fuel buses, and EcoDual, which makes dual-fuel systems for heavy-duty trucks, are two companies leading the way. Job opportunities are growing. Walker said his program at Clemson was able to place “pretty much all of our students into jobs. Even during the recession they were doing quite well.” The department has done projects with Santee Cooper and ArborGen, and received funding to work on cellulosic ethanol, which is where the industry is moving as production capacity from corn is maxed out.
Old Oil to New Gas
Much of the research in South Carolina relating to alternative fuels or clean transportation is on vehicle systems design and biofuel crop
development, Epting said. CUICAR, Clemson’s Pee Dee Research Extension Center and University of South Carolina’s NSF Industry/ University Cooperative Research Center for Fuel Cells (USC) are the three primary research entities. For three years Clemson has been producing about 20 percent of the biodiesel needed to fuel its fleet of lawn mowers, trucks and other vehicles, Walker said. About 3,000 gallons a year comes from food waste, used cooking oil collected from cafeterias and sports game concessions. Walker said that producing some fuel on site also reduces emissions as well as costs related to transporting the fuel to campus. “We’ve saved in the hundreds of tons of fossil carbon from being emitted to the atmosphere as well,” Walker said.
As Below, So Above
It’s not all trucks and lawn mowers, either. Think jet fuel. By several estimates, the U.S. military has long been known to be the largest single consumer of energy and fossil fuels on the planet, and it has been investing in alternative-fuel vehicles. Military spending on its alternative-fuel fleet is expected to jump from more than $435 million in 2013 to $926 million by 2020, according to Navigant Research. The U.S. Navy, for instance, has already tested alt-fuel vehicles in extreme conditions such as the Arctic Circle. The fuels also need to be able to run on the current equipment, since costly reconfiguration of its equipment would defeat its purpose. Such specific needs present big challenges for the biodiesel industry, Walker said.
Price of Green Business
“Feedstock,” or the source material for alternative fuels, is about 70
percent of the cost. “So that’s the big thing to research in order to drop prices and make them more competitive,” Walker said. The school uses standard technology but also researches ways to improve it. More efficient feedstock is a priority, so they are looking at sources such as algae and black soldier flies. “One of the big problems in biodiesel production at the moment is getting enough oil,” Walker said. About 5 billion gallons of waste oil is produced in the United States, but only 1.5 billion of that is turning into biodiesel. It would take 70 billion gallons of re-used and newly created biodiesel to match the annual diesel consumption in the United States.
Food or Fuel?
Another problem with feedstocks is that, while nobody drinks petroleum, feedstocks like corn and soy bump up against the food industry. Soybean oil was the source of choice until it became more popular for human consumption. The increased demand drove prices up, effectively pricing biodiesel producers out of the soybean market. On the other hand, it meant that fuel producers had to get the oil after it had been used for food, making it a greener option in the long run.
Moving Forward
“South Carolina is very competitive when it comes to recruiting aerospace and automotive companies,” Epting said. “We’d like those economic development officials to seek out clean energy supply chain manufacturers and convince them the Palmetto State is the best place to do business.” In the meantime, SCCEBA is working to pass H. 3644 and S. 525, companion bills to create a task force for finding ways the state Department of Commerce can be more
Technically
Speaking: • Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel made by fermenting and distilling starch crops, such as corn. Sources: corn, sugar cane • Cellulosic ethanol is the next wave, a more sustainable source that will pick up where the maxed-out corn industry leaves off. Sources: switchgrass, woody biomass/ urban and sawmill waste • Biodiesel is derived from vegetable oils and animal fats. Sources: rapeseed, soy, canola and sunflower oils; animal fats • Sweet sorghum is an exciting prospect for biodiesel that could be produced in South Carolina • Black soldier flies are fed food waste, and their resulting fatty larvae can be rendered into biodiesel. Yep, bugs. • Algae, tiny green plants, can be turned into biofuel using a high-heat and high-pressure process called hydrothermal liquefaction
competitive in recruiting clean-energy manufacturers. The legislation would also lower the investment required for companies to take advantage of job creation incentives; that minimum investment, currently set at $500 million, would be lowered to $25 million for companies moving to or expanding in S.C.’s poorest counties and $200 million for companies moving to or expanding in S.C.’s most developed counties. Epting said it is similar to the Recycling Manufacturing Development Advisory Council (RMDAC) that has been enormously successful in recruiting thousands of jobs in the recycling industry.
November 1, 2013 Upstate business journal 25
UBJ The Fine Print
Clemson wins Make it in America Challenge to spur manufacturing jobs and innovation The U.S. Department of Commerce and other departments and groups recently awarded Clemson University more than $3.5 million to support regional economic development and advanced skills training. Clemson University’s Center for Workforce Development will receive $3,549,610 from the federal government’s Make it in America Challenge. The program is designed to encourage U.S. companies to keep, expand or re-shore their manufacturing operations —and
jobs— in America, and to entice foreign companies to build facilities and make their products here. The Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration, the Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration, and the Delta Regional
Authority are providing funding for the winning proposals. The Make it in America Challenge, issued in March, allowed applicants to submit one funding proposal and Clemson’s application focused on the “Virtual Innovation Hub,” which will utilize distance learning and provide
EPA Gives Spartanburg Green Infrastructure Assistance The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that Spartanburg will receive $65,000 of the $400,000 apportioned to help six communities across the country expand their use of green infrastructure as part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan. The plan directs federal agencies to identify climate-resilient investments such as agency grants and technical assistance for communities across the country. “Investing in green infrastructure pays off for our environment and our economy. It reduces water pollution and energy consumption. It creates jobs
and boosts local economic activity,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy in a release. “These investments help local communities build resilient systems to protect from severe storms, floods, and other impacts of climate change.” Spartanburg’s portion will be used to assist in the development of green infrastructure practices throughout the Northside
Community, a low-income community located in the headwaters of the impaired Fair Forest Creek that is targeted for revitalization. “The assistance will free up other resources to use on other infrastructure challenges for the Northside Redevelopment,” said John Squires, City of Spartanburg Storm Water Manager. “The assistance will be up to $65,000 and will incorporate Low Impact Development (LID) and other innovative storm water practices into the redevelopment plan. The assistance will be for 2013 and 2014.” In the last two years, EPA has provided $1.35 million to more than 20 communities for green infrastructure.
26 Upstate business journal November 1, 2013
technical assistance in innovation engineering. The university is working with Work Link, Greenville Technical College, Northeastern Technical College, Tri-County College, the S.C. Manufacturing Extension Partnership and others. The funding will also allow an addition to and partial renovation of Freeman Hall to establish the Select S.C. Innovation Hub, a digital innovation center built on Clemson University’s campus and operated by the Center for Workforce Development.
State GOP Tours on Obamacare This week the state Republican Party kicked off its “Obamacare Isn’t Working” tour Tuesday in Greenville, ending in Rock Hill Thursday. The event capitalized on dissatisfaction with parts of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, and ongoing malfunctions with the federal website that allows people to buy health insurance in order to comply with the law. A small group gathered at the event was hosted by
Rescom Construction, whose CEO Tim Justice talked about the negative effects the Affordable Care Act has had on his business. SCGOP Chairman Matt Moore said about 18 people, including grassroots activists, were in attendance. “The point really was to highlight the big difference between the Republicans and Gov. Haley versus the Democrats and Vincent Sheheen, which I believe are competing visions for South Carolina,” said Moore. Attendees included state senators Tom Corbin and Ross Turner; state representatives Wendy Nanney, Phyllis Henderson and Mike Burns; and Greenville County Councilman Butch Kirven.
UBJ The Fine Print
Scott and Company Ranked 4th Among South Carolina’s Best Places to Work Scott and Company LLC has ranked fourth in South Carolina’s Best Places to Work 2013 competition among companies with fewer than 250 employees. The competition identifies, recognizes, and honors the top employers in South Carolina with fewer than 250 employees and with more than 250 employees. The program is sponsored by the S.C. Chamber of Commerce and
THE INBOX
SC Biz News. Companies throughout the state entered the two-part process. The first part evaluated each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part featured an employee survey to measure the employee experience. Once both parts were completed, the scores were combined and the top companies emerged.
Hub City Farmers’ Market’s Mobile Market Surpasses 5 Tons of Produce Sold Hub City Farmers’ Market (HCFM) Executive Director Brendan Buttimer recently announced HCFM’s “Mobile Market” has sold more than 5 tons of produce this year. The Mobile Market, which is a retrofitted step-van HCFM purchased in 2010, travels all around Spartanburg County selling local produce during the market year. HCFM still has a few stops left this year, they are planning for next year and hope to raise the funding to hire a second employee. At this time, HCFM has one part time employee, who also works the community gardens. “If we can get one person dedicated
to the Mobile Market, and one to our gardens program, we expect to be well over 100 market stops next year,” Buttimer said in a press release. “We will have the food capacity to grow that 5 ton number into 10 tons and beyond.”
The best of each week’s UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL emailed directly to you, every Friday. Subscribe to the Inbox at
UpstateBusinessJournal.com November 1, 2013 Upstate business journal 27
UBJ Square Feet
Commercial Real Estate Still Strong Quarterly reports show momentum in all sectors By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
Quarterly commercial real estate market reports just released show that industrial, office and retail sectors are still strong, with the main emphasis still in Greenville’s central business district.
RETAIL
According to NAI Earle Furman’s report, the retail market had vacancies decrease to their lowest level since early 2012. Lee and Associates reported an overall vacancy rate decrease of 6.7 percent. Net absorption increased to 189,183 square feet and many new projects were announced in the second quarter of 2013. Several projects at Magnolia Park on Woodruff Road (including Yard House, Golfsmith and Dave and Busters) were unveiled, and construction got underway on the 100,000 square foot Cabela’s, which will be the largest new re-
NAI EARLE FURMAN OFFICE MARKET REPORT
Q3 2013 OFFICE SECTOR Number of Buildings: 4,217 Market Size (SF): 36,836,886 Overall Vacant Space (SF): 2,970,424 Overall Vacancy (%): 8.1% Direct Vacancy (SF): 1,036 Net Absorption: 164,122 Average Asking Rental Rate ($/SF/YR): $13.61
tailer for the Greenville market when it opens next year, according to the NAI Earle Furman report. In downtown Greenville, Brooks Brothers and Kilwins opened, bringing vacancy in the downtown area to less than 6 percent. The Aloft hotel was also announced. NAI Earle Furman also reports the completion of several new large leases, including Sky Zone, an indoor trampoline park that backfilled 45,500 square feet of the old Sports Authority space on Laurens Road, and Big Lots, back-filling part of the old Walmart space at Rockville Center in Easley at 40,000 square feet. Lee and Associates also reported that the average quoted asking rental rates are down over previous quarter levels. Rates ended this quarter at $9.28 per square foot, a 2.2 percent decrease from second quarter 2013.
OFFICE
The office market is still going strong in Greenville, showing a continued increase in momentum with small and medium sized spaces filled in Greenville’s central business district and several larger transactions in the suburban market. NAI Earle Furman reported overall vacancy and net absorption decreased, while asking rents were flat for the third quarter of 2013. Lee and Associates and Collier’s International both reported a vacancy rate of 19.44 percent, 92 basis points higher than the previous quarter and two percentage points higher than a year ago. Despite the increased availability of office space in the market, the overall average rental rate remained steady for the market at $16.36 per square
28 Upstate business journal November 1, 2013
LEE AND ASSOCIATES – AT A GLANCE Market Industrial Flex Office Retail
Vacancy Rate Net Absorption
8.8% 18.3% 8.0% 6.7%
foot per year, according to Colliers. NAI Earle Furman reported that Class A and Class B office spaces between 2,000 and 4,000 square feet remain in vogue with users in the CBD. Spaces in this range are limited and rental rates are beginning to rise. Pockets of quality office space remain available in Class A properties above the 4,000 square feet thresholds that have been slower to lease up. NAI Earle Furman considered the quarter’s most notable office transaction to be the sale of Liberty Towers at 55 and 75 Beattie Place, two Class A buildings that sold to a New York private equity group. The transaction marks the first arm’s length/non-distressed investment sale in the last few years and promises to inject new life into those assets, the report said. Meanwhile, the Wells Fargo Center development located at 15 S. Main Street lost a major multi-floor tenant to the Liberty Towers in the previous quarter. The building owners are in the process of completing a renovation to many of the floors in the building. The NAI Earle Furman report also shows that the Greenville suburban market is reflecting a desire for tenants to move up the spectrum towards higher quality office spaces; however, a large amount of vacant space still remains. Rental rates remain flat on average across all classes, even though virtually no new space has been added to the suburban market in the past five years. Some notable lease transactions include the relocation of a 12,000 square foot technology company from Easley to Greenville, as well as a new 10,000 square foot lease by Charter Communications at 401 Brookfield office park.
319,732 SF 50,148 SF 164,122 SF 189,183 SF
Rental Rates
$3.17/SF $6.75/SF $13.79/SF $9.28/SF
Colliers is also reporting that Greenville’s CBD is experiencing the most attention, ending the quarter with a vacancy rate of 18.68 percent and a positive net absorption of just over 50,000 square feet. The delivery of ONE Greenville North Tower contributed to the CBD’s positive net absorption, Colliers said. Although the new class A office building added pre-leased office space to the market’s inventory, the vacancy rate was 227 basis points higher than the second quarter vacancy rate. Average rental rates in the CBD increased to $18.88 per square foot per year. Other projects announced in the second quarter 2013 that will have an impact on office space include Rivers Edge, an eight-story apartment complex that will have groundfloor commercial space, and The Beach Company’s two projects in the works for Greenville’s CBD. Other third quarter news from Colliers include a 10,800 square foot lease BMW signed at 22 S. Main Street and St. Jude Medical Inc.’s 3,200 square feet lease at the Liberty Building, 135 S. Main Street. The two leases will occupy spaces that are being vacated due to tenant relocation. Additionally, McCallum Sweeny Consulting signed a lease for approximately 5,100 square feet of office space at 15 S. Main Street, the Wells Fargo Building. The firm will be relocating from 550 S. Main Street during the fourth quarter of the year.
INDUSTRIAL
The Industrial sector also saw a positive net absorption of 319,732 square feet in the third quarter, according to Lee and Associates. >>
UBJ Square Feet
New cancer center under construction near ICAR Bon Secours St. Francis outpatient facility set to open in 2014
Renderings Provided by McMillan Pazdan Smith
By Sherry Jackson | staff | sjackson@communityjournals.com
Bon Secours St. Francis Health System is constructing a state-of-theart outpatient cancer treatment center at the Millennium Campus, adjacent to the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research. The two-story, 65,000 square-foot building designed by McMillan Pazdan Smith and constructed by Rodgers Builders, Inc., will be next door to the existing medical office building. It will also serve as the first phase of a hospital-owned outpatient campus. “McMillan Pazdan Smith and Rodgers Builders, Inc. are two excellent local partners who have designed not only an incredibly beautiful and sustainable building, but one that is
>>
The vacancy rate experienced no change and has remained at 8.8 percent since the second quarter of 2013. Rental rates increased slightly at 0.6 percent to $3.17 per square foot. Several new projects were an-
focused on the complete patient experience,” said Karen Schwartz, FACHE I Vice President, Facilities and Support Services. The Cancer Center is designed in the international style “in keeping with the other facilities located on the Millennium/ICAR Campus,” said Joe Pazdan, managing principal at McMillian Pazdan Smith. The new center will become “the central location for all of Bon Secours St. Francis out-patient oncology services,” he said. The center will include radiology oncology, medical oncology and infusion. It will also have the first LINAC (Linear Accelerator) to be owned by St. Francis. A LINAC delivers high-energy x-rays to the region
of the patient’s tumor, so that they destroy the cancer cells while sparing the surrounding normal tissue. The radiology department will be fitted with one LINAC, one HDR (high dose rate) room, a CT (computed tomography) scanner and a mobile PET (positron emission tomography) machine. The infusion center will include 52 treatment bays arranged in pods from open to semi-private to private, allowing environmental variety and flexibility to the patient, hospital officials said. A separate bone marrow transplant /apheresis unit will also be available. The medical oncology department is designed as a multi-disciplinary
clinic with 24 exam rooms and four teamwork areas. In addition, the new center will offer a retail boutique, pharmacy with drive-thru kiosk, a café, education and classroom space, cancer registry, research department and complementary services. As part of the Bon Secours mission, the building will also have a chapel space and resource library. “We’re providing patients with convenient and comprehensive outpatient care in one location, and decreasing the stress and physical demands on our patients and their families,” said Schwartz. Officials hope to have the new center operational by the fall of 2014.
nounced in the third quarter and with additional projects in queue, the market void in available industrial space is beginning to be addressed, said NAI Earle Furman. The report also predicts the
opening of the Inland Port in late October will positively impact South Carolina by easing truck traffic on I-26 and new logistics will allow truck pickup/delivery of shipping containers, saving transportation costs and
driver hours. Amy’s Kitchen quietly purchased 120,000 square feet of industrial space at 1916 Piedmont Highway in Greenville. Michelin leased 135,000 square feet at 280 Griffin Road in Piedmont.
November 1, 2013 Upstate business journal 29
UBJ On the Move ELECTED
HIRED
HIRED
HIRED
Ramon Nieves-Lugo
Bobby Barrineau
Andrew L. Howard
Carol Tribby
Named to the Board of Directors for Children’s Trust of South Carolina. Nieves-Lugo is a 2008 graduate of Bob Jones University and is chief marketing officer with UniComm Media Group. He has served as a board member for the S.C. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and on the Human Relations Commission in Greenville County.
Named Senior Vice President and Branch Manager of SANDLAPPER Securities, LLC. Barrineau graduated from The Citadel with a degree in psychology. Before coming to SANDLAPPER Securities, he worked with Milliken and Co, Bank of America Investments and Raymond James.
Named Vice President Commercial Relationship Manager at Independence National Bank’s Greenville office. Howard has over 10 years of banking experience, with the last six years as a commercial banker with First Federal Bank in Greenville. He graduated with a BS Degree in Marketing from Clemson University.
Hired as director of business development at Godshall Professional Recruiting and Staffing. Tribby has more than 11 years of staffing industry experience and comes to Godshall from Forge Staffing located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
MOVERS & SHAKERS
TARYN SCHER
New hires, promotions & award winners can be featured in On The Move. Send information & photos to
onthemove@upstatebusiness journal.com.
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named as one of PR News’ People-toWatch in PR for 2013. Scher is the owner of TK PR. The People-to-Watch award honors “Rising PR Stars Age 30 and Under.” She will be recognized at an awards ceremony at the National Press Club in December.
CONSTRUCTION/ ENGINEERING: Yeargin Potter Shackelford Construction (YPS) recently announced that Bill Connor has joined the company as a Project Manager. Connor holds a Civil Engineering and Business Management degree from the University of Kentucky. REAL ESTATE: Coldwell Banker Caine recently welcomed Lisa Watson as a residential sales agent to its Easley office. Watson comes to Coldwell Banker Caine with previous real estate experience at Prudential C. Dan Joyner. STAFFING: Beverly Deal was named branch manager of Phillips Staffing’s Spartanburg office. Deal joined Phillips in 2010 as Workforce Readiness Director. She has more than two decades of experience in staff development and training, workforce development, and talent recruitment and management. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. TECHNOLOGY: EDTS recently added John Madison and Brock Barth as Support Engineers. Madison has over six years of professional information technology experience in business-to-business environments, specializing in network management and Microsoft systems. Prior to joining EDTS, he worked with ITT Exelis, an aerospace, technology and security company. Barth joins EDTS after serving in IT support and client service for Pollock Company.
UBJ quarterlies Palmetto Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLMT) TOTAL ASSETS Q3 2013 Q3 2012
DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE
NET INCOME +/-
Q3 2013 Q3 2012
+/-
+/-
$1.1b $1.1b -3.5% $22.2m $3.1m 603% $1.75 598% Denny’s Palmetto Bancshares Net income at Palmetto For its third quarter ended Bancshares, Inc., jumped to Sept. 25, 2013, Denny’s reported ScanSource (NASDAQ:SCSC) $22.2 million in the third quarter a slight dip in franchise and DILUTED EARNINGS license revenue to $33.9 million ending Sept. 30, 2013 from $1.5 TOTAL ASSETS NET INCOME PER SHARE million in the same quarter of the from $34.4 million in the same Q3 2013 Q3 2012 +/ Q3 2013 Q3 2012 +/ +/previous year, mostly due to an quarter of the previous year. It income tax benefit. Not counting said the 1.4 percent decrease $731.9m $733.6m -0.23% $19.4m $17.6m 10.2% $0.69 +9.5% the the tax benefit, the holding was mainly due to decreases in company for The Palmetto Bank both occupancy revenue and reported net income of $2.8 initial fees, though it was partially Denny’s Corporation (NASDAQ: DENN) million, up from $1.9 million in offset by a $0.4 million increase DILUTED EARNINGS in royalties from nine additional the previous quarter. TOTAL ASSETS NET INCOME PER SHARE The tax benefit is related to equivalent franchised restaurants. Q3 2013 Q3 2012 +/ Q3 2013 Q3 2012 +/ +/the carryforward, for income tax Company restaurant sales purposes, of net operating losses dropped to $83.4 million from $117.3m $120.9m -3.0% $7.0m $5.4m 31.1% $0.08 33% from 2010 to 2012 that can be $86.6 million the previous year used to offset future taxable due to the sale of 12 company percent to $28.2 million from Despite an increase in assets of income. The company originally restaurants to franchisees as part $26.2 million in the comparable $14.7 million, total assets remained wrote off this income tax benefit in of a refranchising strategy that was prior year quarter. Net income for mostly unchanged $1.1 billion due the fourth quarter of 2010, but due completed at the end of 2012. the quarter ended September 30, in part to “declines in cash and to a return to sustained profitability Denny’s opened its first South 2013 was $19.4 million, or $0.69 investment securities available for recovered this benefit in the third American restaurant in Chile last sale used to fund the growth in loans per diluted share, compared with quarter. It can be used to reduce its month, and another in El Salvador net income of $17.6 million, or and further strategic reductions in income tax liability moving forward. during the quarter. Denny’s continued $0.63 per diluted share, for the time deposits,” the company said in Noninterest income declined its share buy-back program, generating prior year quarter. a statement. $958,000 from the second quarter $11.6 million in cash primarily used ScanSource expects that net sales 2013, primarily due to lower to repurchase 1.8 million shares. for the quarter ending December 31, mortgage banking income, lower Denny’s also updated some 2013 could range from $740 million estimates for 2013. New restaurant securities gains, and lower trust to $760 million, and diluted income as a result of the transfer of openings are expected to be at the earnings per share could be in the ScanSource its trust business to a third party lower end of initial guidance range of range of $0.62 to $0.64 per share. For its first quarter ended Sept. under a revenue sharing agreement 40 to 45 franchised restaurants, with Starting with the quarter ending 30, net sales at ScanSource totaled effective June 28, 2013. These net restaurant growth between zero December 31, 2013, the company $731.9 million. This represents a declines were offset by higher and five restaurants. Also, adjusted will no longer provide a sales release 2.7 percent increase from the prior services charges on deposit accounts earning will be at the lower end of in the first week following the quarter initial guidance range of $76 million quarter’s sales of $712.7 million. resulting from a tiered NSF fee end. Operating income increased 7.7 schedule implemented in June. to $80 million.
John Paul’s Armadillo Oil Company to close Nov. 9 After being a Congaree Road staple for 23 years, John Paul’s Armadillo Oil Company has announced that it will close its doors on Nov. 9 and auction off its collection of taxidermy items such as
lions and grizzly bears, as well as its porcelain and neon signs. The restaurant, which was featured in William Price Fox’s book “South
Carolina: A Guide to Unique Places,” was known for its steak and ribs. John Paul’s big game auction will be on Nov. 22
and 23 at Gore’s Corvette World. In addition to the collections from the restaurant, the 48-foot custom hardwood bar and all the furniture, fixtures, and kitchen supplies will be sold.
November 1, 2013 Upstate business journal 31
Got a hot date?
UBJ Planner FRIday NOVEMBER 1 First Friday Lunch Greer City Hall, 301 E Poinsett St, Greer; 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Cost: $10 for Greer Chamber members, $15 for non-members Register at: greerchamber.com First Friday Leadership Series Clemson at the Falls, 1A 55 E. Camperdown Way, Greenville; 5-7 p.m. Speaker: Lorin DeMordaunt, Managing Director of Deloitte Corporate Finance Cost: Free Register at: clemson.edu/ center-institutes/spiro
MONday NOVEMBER 4 GCS Roundtable The Office Center at the Point, 33 Market Point Drive, Greenville; 8:30-9:30 a.m. Speaker: Myles Golden Topic: The Collective Genius Theory For information: Call Golden Career Strategies at 864-527-0425 to request an invitation Greenville Woodworkers Guild Education Center, 209 Hollyridge Drive,
Greenville; 6:15-7:45 p.m. Presenter: Don Clarke will demonstrate proper veneering techniques For information: visit greenvillewoodworkers. com
TUESday NOVEMBER 5 ATHENA™ Leadership Symposium (Breakfast) Poinsett Club, 807 E Washington St, Greenville; 8:30-10 a.m. Speaker: Michelle Gethers-Clark, CEO and President of United Way of Greater Greensboro Pre-registration for this event has ended and floor seats are sold out, but a limited number of balcony seats are available for on-site registration. Contact: Nika White at nwhite@ greenvillechamber.org or 864-239-3727 Spartanburg Healthcare Network Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, 105 N. Pine St., Spartanburg; 10:30 a.m.-noon Speaker: Russell Prescott, R.Ph, Shertech Compounding Pharmacy Topic: Custom Solutions for Individual Needs
Contribute to our Planner by submitting event information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com Contact: Meric Gambel at 864-5945030 or mgambel@ spartanburgchamber.com Toastmasters Bilingue University Center, 225 S. Pleasantburg Dr., Auditorium Room 204, Greenville; noon-1 p.m. Contact: Jeff Alfonso at jeff@alfonsointerpreting. com Non-Profit Alliance Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; noon-1:30 p.m. Topic: Marketing Cost: Free to Greenville Chamber members, $20 for non-members Attendees are asked to register and lunch will be provided at no charge. For information: contact the Greenville Chamber at 864-242-1050 or visit greenvillechamber.org Successful Entrepreneur Lecture Series University Center of Greenville, 225 South Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville; 6-8 p.m. Speaker: Reuben Montalvo, Senor Wraps Restaurant Group Cost: Free, but participants must be registered from Aug. 27
32 Upstate business journal November 1, 2013
WEDNESday NOVEMBER 6 Innomobility 2013 Gunter Theater at the Peace Center for the Performing Arts, 300 S Main St, Greenvile; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Cost: $249 per person Register at: innomobility2013.eventbrite.com Reshoring: Returning Manufacturing to the US The Kroc Center/ Salvation Army, 424 Westfield Street, Greenville; noon-2 p.m. Speaker: Harry Moser, Reshoring Initiative founder Topics: TCO Estimator for sourcing decisions and selling against offshore competitors; Case Studies for free publicity about your reshoring successes; and Library for seeking customers and competitors that are reshoring. Contact: greenvillechamber.org Small Business Owners’ Forum Greenville Chamber of Commerce, 24 Cleveland St., Greenville; 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Topic: Financial Metrics Cost: Free to attend and drinks will be provided, but attendees are
requested to bring their own lunch. This event is open to Greenville Chamber member, small business owners only. For information: Call 864-242-1050 or visit greenvillechamber.org Executive Speaker Series Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Place, Ste. 1700, Greenville; 5:30-7 p.m. Speaker: John Castile, City Manager of the City of Greenville For information: visit clubcorp.com/Clubs/TheCommerce-Club/Aboutthe-Club/Calendar Brewmasters Commerce Club, 55 Beattie Place, Ste. 1700, Greenville; 6:30-7:30 p.m. Cost: $20 members, $24 guests For information: call 864-232-5600
THURSday NOVEMBER 7 Innomobility 2013 Gunter Theater at the Peace Center for the Performing Arts, 300 S Main St, Greenvile; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Cost: $249 per person Register at: innomobility2013.eventbrite.com
GCS ToastmasterS TD Convention Center, 1 Exposition Drive, Greenville; noon-1 p.m. Contact: Ann or Myles Golden at agolden@ goldencareerstrategies. com or myles@ goldencareerstrategies. com Marketing Series The Palmetto Bank, 306 E. North St., Greenville; 5-7:30 p.m. Speakers: Debbie Nelson, owner of DNA Creative Communications; and Victoria Kirby, communications expert and facilitator Topic: Spreading Your Message Cost: $25 per person Register at: scwbc.net/ events/upstate Contact: Janet Christy at janet@scwbc.net or 864-244-4117 Business of Integrity Awards Gala Hilton Greenville, 45 W. Orchard Park Drive, Greenville; 5:30-9:30 p.m. Cost: $65 per person, includes dinner and live auction Register: Call Tammy Dankowich at 864242-5052 or tammy@ upstatesc.bbb.org
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2. Accessible Mobility Center recently held a ribbon cutting at 640 Congaree Road in Greenville. For more information, call 855-203-2858 or visit amcmobility.com.
3. Spartanburg Rehabilitation Institute recently opened at 160 Harold Fleming Court in Spartanburg. It is a 40-bed freestanding facility that provides intensive physical rehabilitation services to patients recovering from orthopedic injuries, strokes, brain and spinal cord injuries, and other impairments. For more information, call 864-641-6510 or visit sri.ernesthealth.com
Ro per Mo un tain
1. Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market recently opened at 2014 Wade Hampton Blvd in Greenville. For more information, call 864-214-8700.
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E. Henry St.
November 1, 2013 Upstate business journal 33
UBJ Snapshot The Cleveland Building was constructed about 1910 on the northeast corner of Main Street and McBee Avenue. It occupied the site of the home of Jeremiah and Sarah Cleveland, who were among the earliest inhabitants of the village of Greenville. Jeremiah Cleveland came to Greenville from North Carolina about 1804 and bought several of the lots laid out originally by Lemuel Alston in the new village. He also acquired extensive farmland in the county and made a fortune from the operation of a general store on Main Street. In the 1820s the Clevelands built a house on the corner of Main and McBee. The home was constructed of brick with a Charleston-like two-story piazza facing Main Street. After Jeremiah’s death in 1845, Sarah inherited the home. Following her death it continued to be occupied by several generations of the Cleveland family. By the beginning of the 20th century it was one of the few remaining residences on its end of South Main. About 1910 it was taken down and replaced by the Cleveland Building, occupied for many years by Kress, and later the Department of Social Services. It was demolished in 2002.
Photo provided
Historic photo available from the Greenville Historical Society.
In September 2011 a CVS store opened in a newly constructed building. The building includes two smaller retail spaces on the ground floor, one of which is the home of Bon Secours Express Care, and office space upstairs. On the East McBee side of the building, artist Brad Spencer created three panels illustrating historic scenes of Greenville.
PHOTO BY GREG BECKNER / STAFF
SENIOR BUSINESS writer Jennifer Oladipo staff writers Sherry Jackson, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris PRESIDENT/Publisher Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com UBJ Associate Publisher Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com eXECUTIVE Editor Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com MANAGING editor Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com
contributing writerS Dick Hughes, Jenny Munro, Jeanne Putnam, Leigh Savage
marketing & advertising Sales representatives Lori Burney, Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Pam Putman Marketing & EVENTS Kate Banner DIGITAL STRATEGIST Emily Price
INTERN Benjamin Jeffers photographer Greg Beckner art & production art director Kristy M. Adair PrODUCTION MANAGER Holly Hardin ADVERTISING DESIGN Michael Allen, Whitney Fincannon
34 Upstate business journal November 1, 2013
Copyright @2013 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. 148 River Street, Suite 120, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601. Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $65. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, 148 River St., Ste 120, Greenville, SC 29601. Printed in the USA.
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New Survey:
Hospitals’ Strategies for Reducing Readmissions There is a consensus emerging around strategies for reducing preventable readmissions: partnering with home healthcare. In fact, 73% of senior hospital leaders state that this is the number one strategy they are adopting to reduce preventable readmissions. And 60% of hospitals have already selected home healthcare partners. These findings are from a new report from Amedisys, “Readmission Reduction Strategies for Hospitals & Health Systems” and based on two surveys conducted by the HealthLeaders Intelligence Unit that aim to help hospital quality professionals understand emerging readmissions strategies and find the right post-acute partners. With Medicare imposing up to 2% reimbursement penalties on 2,225 hospitals with high readmission rates, patient outcomes after discharge have become a higher priority for hospital executives. Financial pressure leaves hospital leaders in search of strategies that will reduce readmissions without significant cost and disruption to existing operations. This report provides hospital quality professionals with insights from their peers on how other hospitals are approaching this challenge.
Other key findings include: • The role of preventive care and care coordination as causes of readmissions • The variety of post-acute strategies hospitals are using to reduce readmissions • The criteria hospitals are using to help select home healthcare partners
Download the full survey report: “Readmission Reduction Strategies for Hospitals & Health Systems” www.amedisys.com/ubj
Integrated Health Solutions
November 1, 2013 Upstate business journal 35
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