March 25, 2016 UBJ

MARCH 25, 2016 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 13

at the Greenville Planning Commission meeting NAI Earle Furman’s Jon Good is

ONE TO WATCH

Startups IGNITE Can tech catch fire with Upstate’s brick-and-mortar investors? p. 15

Inside

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First Community adds bankers to expand Greenville office ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com Lexington-based First Community Bank is expanding its Upstate loan production office by hiring three commercial bankers previously employed by United Community Bank and The Palmetto Bank, which was recently acquired.

First Community Bank first announced plans to enter the Greenville market in late 2014 with the addition of longtime Greenville banker Randy Potter, according to an archived news release on the bank’s website.

The bank hopes to build a deposit franchise in Greenville, but will focus on growing its Ramseur commercial loan portfolio and financial planning and mortgage banking business in the immediate future. The focuses are part of a plan to reach an 80 percent loan-toearnings asset mix to enhance net interest Werner income and earnings per share, according to the bank.

The three new hires are Coleman Kirven, Trey Werner and David Ramseur. Both Kirven and Werner were previously employed by Kirven Blairsville, Georgia-based United Community Bank, while Ramseur previously served as vice president of The Palmetto Bank, according to LinkedIn. First Community Bank accounted for 0.83 percent of the South Carolina deposit market share as of June 15, 2015, according to records from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

“Our team is excited to become a part of First Community Bank,” said Kirven, who will lead the group as

senior vice president and regional market president. “We are passionate about the Upstate market, and joining First Community allows us to continue to serve local businesses and professionals with a partner focused on their unique needs. With First Community’s strong record of success and similar values, we knew this was a great fit for us.”

Founded in 1995, First Community Bank employs 200 people across its 15 full-service offices in the Midlands of South Carolina; Aiken, S.C.; and Augusta, Ga. The bank’s service lines include commercial and retail banking; residential mortgage banking and financial planning; and investment advisory services.

“Business activity in the Greenville area is strong, and for the past two years, we have been seeking the right bankers to help expand our presence in this market,” said First Community Bank president and CEO Michael Crapps in a statement. “We are very pleased to assemble a team that matches our distinct style of banking and will help us grow our other lines of business in the future.”

Werner will serve as vice president and senior commercial banker, with Ramseur as vice president and commercial banker. Dana Childress will join the Upstate group as paralender.

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TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

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03.25.2016

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 13 Featured this issue: First look: Pour Taproom Recap: Greenville Planning Commission meeting NAI Earle Furman’s Jon Good is One to Watch

Cobra Puma Golf player Rickie Fowler winning the Players Championship in May 2015. Cobra Puma Golf has selected Greenville-based Jeff Dezen Public Relations as its agency of record. Read more on page 9. Photo provided

VERBATIM

WORTH REPEATING “I think we may be catching up faster than anybody in the Southeast. I’m serious.” Page 15 “Technology merely amplifies human action or intention. It does not replace the value of relationships or purpose.” Page 16 “If you ask people what I do, they’ll tell you I don’t ever sit down. All I do is walk around.”

Page 19

On peaches “This year could be one of the best years ever for our peach crop.”

Andy Rollins, a Clemson University extension agent, predicting a good harvest. South Carolina is one of the top three peach-producing states in the country, bringing in approximately $50 million a year.

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| ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | 5

City launches website to serve up data to inquiring companies ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com The City of Greenville launched its economic development website aimed at connecting prospective companies and the general public to the most up-to-date data. City leaders say the site will cut back on man-hours as well as printing and shipping fees for the hundreds of requests for information they send to companies and site recruiters every year.

“We found ourselves sending out more and more information as they hear about Greenville and want to know more about Greenville, and we were sending it out in a printed format with printed articles and reports and data,” said Tracy Ramseur, the city’s development coordinator who spearheaded the project three years ago. “We decided that to promote Greenville as an innovative place, we wanted to do something completely different.”

The website– GreenvilleSCBusiness.com – uses large photos of Greenville, as well as reports on a variety of factors companies often use when considering site selection and relocations. Visitors can generate custom reports for any subject they’re interested in, and those chosen reports are stitched together in a single document.

Each report includes industry analyses,

U.S. Census figures and other data sources that Ramseur’s department previously spent hundreds of hours gathering, updating, aggregating and distributing.

“Rather than trying to get books together with specific maps and analytics, they can download that much quicker,” said Mike Panasko, development manager at the city’s economic development department. “If you do it in a brochure, the paper becomes outdated as soon as you print it. This way, we know that what’s up there is correct and it’s the latest information that we have.”

The city spent $25,000 on the project and used Greenville-based marketing firm Fuel for the project, said Ramseur. Though it’s a resource for all economic development agencies in the greater Greenville area, none contributed to the funding of the project.

Site recruiters and potential companies often spend a significant time researching a location before reaching out to any kind of economic development organi-

Check out the website greenvillescbusiness.com. zation, which means it’s hard to know why or how they may take Greenville out of the running before they look further, says Panasko. This website will cut back on a lack of information being a factor, he said.

“It helps us highlight our community, whereas in the past someone might just go to a general municipality website. There’s a lot of information there, and good information, but it’s not always related to economic development,” he said. “We’re able to cut out a lot of noise, and give information that for the most part is of interest to companies that are interested in locating here or a site recruiter.”

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6 | RESTAURANTS |

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

FIRST LOOK

Pour Taproom Greenville LETY GOOD | STAFF

lgood@communityjournals.com Pour Taproom is opening a second location in downtown Greenville, adding to its Asheville presence.

The world’s largest self-pour taproom and family-run business will offer 70 rotating taps of local and regional craft beer, cider and wine, according to Nate Tomforde, founder and owner of Pour Taproom. “We want it to be like a beer festival all the time,” he said.

The Taproom will feature RFID tracking bracelets received at check-in that send a signal to the tap, allowing customers the freedom to pour and pay by the ounce. “Beer hosts” will provide help to those new to pouring and craft beer.

Previously the Miniature World of Trains space on Falls Park Dive, the Taproom is set to be a “more relaxed atmosphere,” said David Earley, co-owner and GM of Pour Taproom in Greenville. The location will feature games such as pool tables and dartboards and offer plenty of seating room. “We couldn’t have picked a better location,” Earley said.

In a partnership with next-door neighbor Gringo’s, customers at the Taproom will also be able to order off a condensed menu. Gringo’s will deliver orders from the restaurant to the Taproom.

Another unique feature Pour Taproom will offer is a spin on the traditional growler. The “crowler” canning machine will let customers go home with a 32-ounce can filled with their selection of beer and sealed at the Taproom that will last up to three months when refrigerated, Earley said.

Pour Taproom is set to open at noon on Saturday, March 26, and Gringo’s will provide food service.

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Fabric firm expanding Greenville facility with $52M investment ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com International textile company Fitesa Simpsonville Inc. plans to invest $52 million to expand its Simpsonville facility by 20,000 square feet and add equipment to boost spun-melt fabric production. The project is slated for completion in the fourth quarter of 2017, and will create 38 jobs over the next five years.

The announcement comes a year and a half after Fitesa announced a $52 million remodel and 32 new jobs at the end of 2014, which included infrastructure improvements and more equipment for its then-190,000square-foot facility.

“Our mission is to be the preferred choice for the supply of nonwoven fabrics to the global hygiene industry, and to deliver high-quality products with exceptional service and sustainable processes,” said Fitesa Simpsonville Global Marketing Director Ray Dunleavy in a statement. “We are

pleased to continue to grow our operations here and appreciate the support of Greenville County in making this announcement a reality.”

Fitesa designs and manufactures fabric solutions for the global hygiene and medical markets from its 11 plants in North and South America, Europe and Asia. The company added its Simpsonville facility at 840 SE Main St. in 1990.

“Fitesa has been an integral manufacturing partner within the Greenville community for almost 30 years,” said Greenville County Council Chairman Dr. Bob Taylor. “The company’s growth and continued expansion are a true testament to the County’s workforce and collaborative spirit.”

Fitesa’s roots go back to 1973 with a Brazilian industrial holding company. The company serves the medical and hygiene markets with nonwoven fabrics with variety of physical and aesthetic properties, including softness, strength, abrasion resistance and sustainability.

| MANUFACTURING / RESTAURANTS | 7

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO RETIRE? WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO TELL YOU.

Nose Dive to close for ‘total transformation’ SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com The Nose Dive is closing- but only temporarily while the 6-year old gastropub on Main Street undergoes some renovations.

On Monday, March 28, the restaurant will close for a “total aesthetic transformation of the space,” said a company representative.

What started out as a plan to replace the current façade along Main Street with windows that will open entirely to bring the outside in, has become a total redo of the space.

When the restaurant reopens in midApril it will look completely different both upstairs and down. The upstairs bar will now have its own branded concept featuring handcrafted creations including barrel-aged cocktails,

house-made bitters and infusions, specialty juice cocktails and more.

Under the leadership of Executive Chef Shaun Garcia, who quietly took over the Nose Dive kitchen in February, Nose Dive is repositioning itself to better reflect the menu that can be categorized as “Urban Comfort Food.” New dishes like the Fried Oyster Deviled Eggs, Nose Dive Chicken Fil-ay Sandwich, the Fish Sandwich, and Smoked Salmon Spread are reflective of this, while signature dishes like the Fish and Chips, Chicken & Waffles, the signature burger and the Dark Chocolate Candied Bacon Brownie can still be found on the menu.

Reconstructive surgery will begin at Nose Dive on Monday March 28.

The restaurant will reopen by the third week in April.

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Chase opens first SC commercial branch in Greenville ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com

Financial services giant JPMorgan

Helping South Carolina Companies Grow FUNDS MAY BE AVAILABLE TO COVER UP TO 50% OF THE COST OF TRAINING

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Chase & Co. has expanded to South Carolina with its first commercial bank, to open in Greenville. Chase cited the region’s rapid growth and plentiful opportunities for the decision, and will join the increasingly crowded pool of banks with a presence in the Upstate.

The Greenville office will focus on middle-market clients between $20 million and $500 million in revenues in some of the state’s key industries, office lead Jeff Henry told Upstate Business Journal. “We recognize that there’s a lot of competition,” and that competition is an indicator of plentiful opportunities, he said.

“Personally I think there’s a lot of demand for good solutions, and capital and solutions together,” said Henry, a Spartanburg native with degrees from North Carolina State University and the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. “Demand is strong, demonstrated by foreign direct investment in the state … and the demand is going to continue to grow. It’s here and it’s going to stay.”

Chase expanded to the Carolinas two years ago with a Charlotte office and, more recently, an office in Raleigh. The bank plans to add eight commercial bank locations in 2016 nationwide to serve high-growth local markets.

“Adding this office in Greenville is a very important part of serving the Carolinas – the region’s growth prospects are very strong and we want to bring our local talent, global reach, and market expertise to support middle market companies in both North and South Carolina,” stated Craig May, region manager for the Carolinas.

Henry said the South Carolina office could have as many as six local employees, and plans to cover the state from the Greenville office.

“We’re new to the market, but I don’t think we’re new,” said Henry. “We’re generalists … but we have the ability to leverage industry specialists that we have in a number of different verticals.”

Henry has 17 years of experience in the financial services industry, and was hired early last year to build out the South Carolina middle market.

Henry was most recently senior vice president of commercial banking for SunTrust Bank, according to LinkedIn. Chase, the U.S. consumer and commercial banking unit of JPMorgan Chase & Co., has 5,400 branches and 17,000 ATMs nationwide. The Greenville office is part of a network with 600 commercial bankers in the country across 15 specialized industries, including agriculture, automotive, biotech and life sciences.

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Charleston Cooks to close in May

Cobra Puma Golf selects JDPR as official PR agency LETY GOOD | STAFF

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

lgood@communityjournals.com

sjackson@communityjournals.com

Greenville-based Jeff Dezen Public

Charleston Cooks is closing.

The company announced on its Facebook page that owner Richard Elliott is retiring and selling the two remaining Charleston Cooks locations in Greenville and Charleston.

The Greenville location will close its doors on Sunday, May 29, and the Charleston store will close on Tuesday, June 28.

“We want to thank our customers for 11 years of support. It has been a pleasure serving the Charleston and Greenville communities and the visitors of both of these areas. We also want to thank all of the employees who have contributed to building this very special brand over the years,” the company said in the post.

Cooking classes will still be hosted through April. Any private events in the culinary school beyond April have been canceled.

Customers holding Charleston Cooks gift certificates should redeem them for merchandise in Greenville by Sunday, May 29.

| RETAIL / PR/MARKETING | 9

Relations (JDPR) was recently named the PR agency of record for Cobra Puma Golf, a national sportswear and golf brand. As Cobra Puma Golf’s official PR agency, JDPR will support the brand with strategic planning, product launches, tour activations, content development and national-level media relations, focusing on the areas of golf clubs, footwear and apparel, according to a release.

Jeff Dezen, JDPR founder and president, said the firm landed the account after Cobra Puma Golf began to explore PR firms and heard about JDPR’s reputation in the golf community. “We have developed as a PR firm and we have developed a reputation in the golf world as one of the best PR firms,” he said. “For me personally, to add Cobra Puma to our portfolio is very gratifying both professionally and personally.”

As the firm hit its 25th anniversary on Jan. 1, gaining the national golf account “is a bit coincidental,” Dezen said. “We are growing,

and Cobra Puma is part of several pieces of business we have been quite fortunate to secure.” He also said that while the firm has gained a national account and continues to develop, it would not be overlooking local clients.

Cobra Puma Golf is headquartered in Carlsbad, Calif. The company manufactures, markets and distributes golf clubs, men’s and women’s golf apparel, footwear and accessories under the Cobra and Puma brand names, according to a release.

“JDPR is an innovative agency with extensive experience providing strategic public relations and communications plans within the golf industry, and we are excited to have them on board,” said Bob Philion, CEO of Cobra Puma Golf. “Their understanding of the industry and insights into the world of PR will help us expand our reach around the country.”

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T R A N S AC T I O N S | T R I A L S | S O L U T I O N S 1052 North Church St. | Greenville, SC | 864.349.2600 | RoeCassidy.com

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SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF sjackson@communityjournals.com |

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@SJackson_CJ

NGU purchases former Ryan’s headquarters

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said Dr. Randall Pannell, NGU’s interim president. “The building is not only in close proximity to our current graduate school, but also provides precisely the kind of space we need to continue our current graduate degree and online offerings and to carry out a high-quality, Christ-centered program in physician assistant medicine, set to begin in January 2017. We are delighted to solidify our presence in Greer.”

University officials say the graduate school will begin transitioning to the new facility at the beginning of summer and will be fully ramped up by the start of the Fall semester.

The university is making plans for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the fall.

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office in Greer has been purchased by North Greenville University.

The 31,000-square-foot-building located at 405 Lancaster Ave. will house the university’s T. Walter Brashier Graduate School and College of Adult Professional Studies (CAPS).

The acquisition includes the office building and more than 10 acres of property, including a 1.4-acre parcel available for the school’s use for future development.

The facility will offer additional opportunities for university growth and will house several programs currently operating in other locations.

The school is currently utilizing leased space from Fairview Baptist Church in Greer, a partnership that began in 2006. In addition to the physician assistant medicine program, North Greenville will continue its current graduate degree offerings in business, education, ministry and music education and its CAPS programs at the new facility.

The university’s CAPS recruitment team will also relocate to the Lancaster Avenue location from the Tim Brashier Center on Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville, as well as other support functions from the main campus in Tigerville.

“This new facility is an ideal addition to the North Greenville main campus,”

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Construction is expected to begin in the second or third quarter 2016 and a first-quarter 2017 opening is planned, said a source involved in the project.

CubeSmart is the fourth largest owner/operator of self-storage facilities in the United States, according to the Self-Storage Almanac. In the U.S., the self-storage industry consists of approximately 51,000 facilities with 2.6 billion rentable square feet. The top 10 operators collectively own approximately 16 percent of the aggregate rentable square footage market share, according to CubeSmart’s website.

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facilities are popping up all across the Upstate. The latest one is slated for South Pleasantburg Drive, across from the Home Depot near Mauldin Road in Greenville.

The proposed 74,000-square-foot storage facility plans to have approximately 530 units in a new two-story building on 3.13 acres at 1450 S. Pleasantburg Drive. It will have both interior and exterior access and climate-controlled units. The storage facility will be developed and owned by 1425 South Pleasantburg LLC and professionally managed by CubeSmart.

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Pendleton subdivision launches Phase II to add 47 homes A new phase of home sites at The Falls at Meehan in Pendleton has been released by Greenville-based real estate investment and management company Serrus Capital Partners. Company leaders, along with Pendleton Mayor Frank Crenshaw and town administrator Steve Miller, held a groundbreaking last week.

The 74-acre community features a fully restored farmhouse for gathering and entertaining, a planned pool and patio area, playground, event garden and walking trails.

The craftsman-style homes start in the mid-$100s.

“Buyers today want both quality and value,” said Steve Mudge, president and CEO, Serrus Capital Partners. “The Falls at Meehan is unlike anything else in the area. From HOA maintained landscaping and lawn care to top amenities and green space, our residents will truly enjoy all the lifestyle at an affordable price.”

The community has more than 50 homes already built in Phase I. Phase II will include 47 new homes, both spec and pre-sold. Subsequent phases are planned and the community is expected to have more than 200 homes when completed in the next few years.

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SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

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FIRST LOOK

Will Embassy Suites, Ruth’s Chris at Riverplace up the city’s hotel profile?

Set to open in August, the new 156-room Embassy Suites at Riverplace is coming along nicely.

UBJ got a sneak peek this week while construction continues on the all-suite room hotel. The hotel, situated along River Street and adjacent to the Reedy River, offers amazing views of the city and surrounding area.

A second-story lobby level will feature a grand floating staircase, indoor water feature and the only indoor pool in downtown Greenville.

The hotel will feature the work of local artists. “It’s not a paint-by numbers Embassy Suites. It’s really a customized project,” said David Berger, vice president of operations, Hospitality America, which will operate and manage the hotel.

The hotel will also be home to the second Ruth’s Chris Steak House location in Greenville by franchise owners Mark and Nancy Oswald. The Oswalds will also operate a new concept rooftop bar and restaurant called UP on the Roof, on the top floor of the new hotel.

UP will have an outdoor lounge area with indoor and outdoor dining and a full bar. While Ruth’s Chris will only be open for dinner, UP will be also open for lunch.

Both restaurants and spaces will be open to the public.

Three boardrooms, a private dining room, pre-function space, outdoor terraces and a 3,000-square-foot ballroom are all designed to capture the views and business of corporate and business users as well as weddings and social events. “We are going above and beyond for social events and corporate meetings with our audio-visual components,” said Berger.

Ruth’s Chris will provide food for banquets and catering.

Estimated cost of the hotel is

more than $36 million. “It’s going to be a very special hotel and, in my opinion, the best in Greenville,” said developer Bo Aughtry of the Windsor Aughtry Hotel Group.

The entire Riverplace expansion includes an addition by Hughes Development, in conjunction with the city, to add an additional 300 spaces to the current River Street garage. Developer Tom Croft is building eight new luxury condos atop the city garage and Hughes also has an additional pad site that could be developed for office or residential in the future.

Embassy Suites Greenville Downtown Riverplace is currently taking group reservations and will be accepting hotel bookings by May. Several corporate and leisure events have already been booked for this fall, said Berger.

For more information, visit facebook.com/EmbassySuitesDowntownRiverplace.

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FRONT ROW

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Greenville Planning Commission, March meeting

A thin agenda and absent board member meant record time for the March Planning Commission meeting, which had attendees in and out in just 28 minutes. The agenda included three subdivision applications, one for rezoning, and one to annex and rezone near the Greenville Downtown Airport. The first item – a three-lot subdivision on Perry Avenue – was postponed until the April 21 meeting.

SELF-STORAGE FACILITY ON PELHAM ROAD This proposed project would include 84,000 square feet of climate-controlled and non-climate-controlled self-storage space in addition to 2,320 square feet of office and retail space. The site has been vacant for more than eight years, according to applicant David Barker. It is situated between two multi-family developments and across Pelham Road from existing and planned office, commercial and retail development.

Site plans include a sidewalk and trees to match the surrounding developments. City staff noted that the proposed project may need adjustments to include residential components. Upon city staff recommendations, the commission voted unanimously to postpone a decision until April 21.

SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES IN THE STERLING NEIGHBORHOOD Reid Hipp of Carolina Crafted Construction requested the subdivision of three lots into five for a five-unit development of single-family detached homes in the Sterling Special Emphasis neighborhood. Special Emphasis neighborhoods are characterized by higher concentrations of low-to-moderate income households, according to the city. Greenville has 13 recognized Special Emphasis neighborhoods and has concentrated revitalization efforts in these areas.

Two of the three Sterling lots are vacant, and the third contains a dwelling that will be demolished as part of the project. The developer will add curbs, gutters and sidewalks, as well as widen Griffin Street, which does not

currently meet the city’s minimum road standards. Hipp said the Sterling land trust board was comfortable with the renderings and site plans, and he will address their concerns about recessed driveways, garages and porte-cochères. City staff recommended approving the subdivision with conditions, which the board did unanimously.

NEW HOMES SOUTH OF PENDLETON STREET. IN THE VILLAGE OF WEST GREENVILLE Applicant Drew Parker hopes to build seven new single-family detached homes along Burdette Street in the Village of West Greenville, just south of Pendleton Street within the surrounding residential neighborhood. The proposed project requires the subdivision of three lots into seven, each with 6,430 square feet and frontage on Burdette Street. Two of the three lots contain dwellings, and the third is vacant. City staff advised that the development would require new sidewalks and curb cuts, and Parker said he would be fine with building sidewalks around the entirety of the block.

A resident who lives directly across from the proposed development spoke in favor of the project, saying the development would be good for the neighborhood and ongoing mill redevelopments. The commission approved the subdivision with conditions in accordance to city staff recommendations.

FLEX AND OFFICE SPACE ON AIRPORT ROAD Central Realty Holdings hopes to develop flex and office space with a planned “industrial use” on 11.8 acres at the end of the Greenville Downtown Airport runway. Central applied to annex the long-vacant parcels at Airport Road, Transit Drive and Jimmy Doolittle Drive into the city, which technically required a rezoning from Services District (County) to Service District (City).

After much discussion of an apparent “hole” in one parcel created by another smaller enclosed parcel, the commission approved the project unanimously with conditions.

Self-storage facility on Pelham Road—north elevation (top) and west elevation.

Conceptual home elevations for 114 S. Calhoun St. in the Sterling neighborhood.

Plots for flex and office sapce on Airport Road

14 | COVER |

UBJ

STARTUPS IGNITE

Tech startups face an uphill funding battle in the Upstate Investment in traditional industries still dominant – but the area is catching up quickly ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com For most startups, funding is always a challenge. But in the South, entrepreneurs have another, steeper hurdle to tackle: decades of investor knowledge and experience in traditional industries, not software and technology.

“We don’t have a heritage in that background,” says John Moore, president and CEO of entrepreneur-focused support organization NEXT. “It’s more in the traditional manufacturing and real estate part of that … but I think we may be catching up faster than anybody in the Southeast. I’m serious.”

The difference between investing in traditional industries versus software and technology can be stark, and means both investor education and funding challenges, according to local entrepreneur Logan Metcalfe, founder of tech startup Arkiver.

“Getting that initial capital, getting that MVP product and getting that product to market in the consumer space … that’s the biggest struggle that many startups are facing,” he says. “If you look at those startups around Greenville, and those who have been able to get to be a highgrowth company … every single one of those raised money outside of Greenville.”

In general, real estate investment cycles are longer, tend to be more stable and have lower returns due to lower risk – almost the opposite of software and technology investing, according to Greenville resident Eric

Hassman, partner at Carbyne Capital Partners.

Before moving to Greenville, Hassman spent more than a decade in Silicon Valley, pounding the pavement for an array of high-growth tech startups in Northern California’s hyper-competitive landscape.

“Software operates in a world where the cycles are a lot faster, and if you do it right, you can win big,” he says. But if something goes wrong, “you can end up with a pile of code that you don’t necessarily know what to do with.”

But the issue is more than just finding funding, says Greenville entrepreneur Ryan DeMattia – it’s a cultural shift. A history of investing in physical assets like land and equipment has made it difficult to fully embrace software and technology startups.

This means untapped potential not only to spur local business, he says, but missed opportunities in drawing innovative companies, entrepreneurs and residents.

In Silicon Valley, for example, even those working outside the startup scene recognize the vast potential of software and tech, he says. People there “recognize it as a viable industry … but around here, software has always been a niche for things like shipping or manufacturing,” he said.

“So many times I see someone take those projects from Greenville and outsource them, despite the community that we have here that could fill that need.”

Ryan DeMattia, Greenville entrepreneur Another problem, DeMattia says, is a lack of knowledge about what local talent exists. Just like any “support local business” movement, he says, a campaign to keep code local is a way to reinvest and invigorate local industry.

“Right now, if you go into some random business and software isn’t their main thing … a lot of their first thought is to go to the Internet and try to get it,” he said. “So many times I see someone take those projects from Greenville and outsource them, despite the community that we have here that could fill that need.”

In that sense, according to Hassman, the Upstate has all of the necessary components for a great tech and software startup culture, which means huge potential down the road.

“You have the guys that do the coding. You’ve got guys starting the companies. You’ve got guys investing in the companies,” he said. “All of that exists, but the coordination [between those players] is not as good.”

High-profile success stories would go a long way toward growing the reputation of the Upstate’s

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03.25.2016

software scene, he said. Things are changing, he says, but it takes a long time.

“You look at Hughes and Milliken, those that have been successful in those traditional industries,” he says. “I think we’re going to start, hopefully, generating some of those big success stories … that everybody is going to point to. Those success stories will help drive everybody else.”

“If you look at those startups around Greenville, and those who have been able to get to be a high-growth company … every single one of those raised money outside of Greenville.”

Logan Metcalfe, founder of Arkiver Moore says one of his least glamorous but most crucial functions is connecting entrepreneurs to one another, making introductions and promoting resource sharing to build a supportive, self-sustaining bedrock of innovating companies. That practice, he says, can be key to bringing in new companies, most recently senior health care platform Wellzesta, he says. The company chose Greenville over Raleigh to launch their wellness-focused senior healthcare platform partly because they were able to connect quickly, Moore says.

While startups wait for momentum, Metcalfe says startups can use the GOOGLE method: Get out of Greenville and Look Elsewhere for funding.

The result, he says, not only spurs Upstate growth with outside capital, but it forces startups to hyper-focus on their minimum viable product, bootstrap wherever possible and work with non-monetary support such as partnerships.

According to Hassman, a shortage of capital and the push towards bootstrapping can be a key advantage to the Upstate that provides for more honest, sustainable businesses. It’s like plants, he says.

“If you provide lots of water, lots of fertilizer, it’s easier,” he says. “But if you use a little less fertilizer, a little less water, then only the heartier plants will survive.”

“You look at Hughes and Milliken, those that have been successful in those traditional industries. I think we’re going to start, hopefully, generating some of those big success stories … that everybody is going to point to.”

Eric Hassman, partner at Carbyne Capital Partners

03.25.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

STARTUPS IGNITE

| COVER | 15

A tale of two startups WELLZESTA John Robinson would be the first to say it’s all about how you sell.

After years of academic research, his first venture flopped not because it was a bad idea, he said, but because it improved healthcare services at the cost of hospital revenues. So he shifted gears, this time leveraging the healthcare industry’s shift towards preventive care to help both patients and the bottom line.

Robinson and his wife Kyle are building a platform called Wellzesta, a program that boosts engagement and overall wellness with seniors in planned living communities and takes advantage of financial opportunities possible with wellness-focused insurance companies created by the Affordable Care Act. “Life plan communities are reinventing themselves into comprehensive wellness providers,” said Robinson, who noted that baby boomers are more demanding in terms of retirement and senior living amenities. “Wellness is the new frontier in preventive medicine … This is the wild West.”

The platform integrates mental engagement and learning modules, a social media element and electronic medical records into one system, which also helps communities monitor changes in the physical and mental health of residents.

“We are emphasizing all of the elements of wellness that are typically overlooked,” said Robinson, who plans to release a version in early August. “If you’re lacking any one of those [elements], your wellness is impaired.”

An app developer and a coffee roaster set out to make their marks

GREENVILLE COFFEE ROASTERS It started as a hobby for Greenville entrepreneur Josh Tucker, an ongoing trial-and-error process that transformed pounds of raw coffee into dark brown beans using an old-school popcorn maker. As he got better, he and Greenville-based Design.li partner Keith Shields realized it could be more.

“It’s one thing if my mom thinks it’s good,” said Tucker. “But if everyone does, maybe it could work.”

This month, Tucker and Shields launched Greenville Coffee Roasters, a subscription company that sells locally roasted single-bean coffee starting at $16 per month for 12-ounce packages.

The pair are banking on the growing “buy local” movement in Greenville, along with the trend toward handcrafted and semi-artisan items. That, and the fact that people want to try new things and know how much coffee they typically consume, according to Shields. “That’s another thing that just screams ‘subscription service,’” he said.

The business model provides cash flow for production, which keeps costs down and requires minimal up-front backing that can stymie other startups, said Tucker. The small batches and local focus also ensure the delivery of fresh-roasted coffee, which is best ground and consumed between three days and two weeks after they roast, bag and ship it, he said.

“I used to think that was a lot of BS … but it really makes a difference,” said Tucker. “Micro-roasting is what craft beer brewing is right now.”

Tucker and Shields hope to use the first phase to determine frequency, quantities and what coffee varieties they should offer.

Future expansion could include sales to businesses and restaurants.

16 | INNOVATE |

UBJ

MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE

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03.25.2016

Musings on innovation

By BRENT WARWICK CEO, ipsoCreative It’s remarkably easy to use and misuse the term “innovation” in business. In some ways it has become trite and cliché. In others, it evokes a sense of insurmountable dread among those in small business who do not count themselves among the vanguard of Silicon Valley. And for still others, it is simply a talking point among business and community leaders, but carries with it little or no actual impact on their daily lives. So, with those factors in mind, here are a few relevant musings on innovation and its opportunity toward purpose.

INNOVATION IS ORGANIC One of my favorite and most memorable discoveries regarding innovation came a few years ago when I read an article about some emerging economic trends coming out of developing countries.

In countries whose infrastructure had been devastated (or never able to develop) because of war, famine, or lack of domestic employment, an improvised “banking” system sprouted. Breadwinners (often sons) would go abroad to find employment, buy calling cards and share the calling card codes with their families back home. Those family members would then barter for what they needed by allowing other community members to use their phones.

Organically, these folks introduced a new way of transferring “wealth” without the use of traditional banking infrastructure, without the resources of R&D budgets and without foreign aid of any kind.

Introducing new products, services or methods most often happens as a function of necessity rather than as a function of a formula aimed at innovation.

INNOVATION HAPPENS IN PROXIMITY Proximity has been a significant contributing factor in each of the major eras of technological advancements in this country, the rise of Silicon Valley being the most recent. But while some notable product innovations originate from large corporations with enormous R&D departments, the majority of our

GDP is still in the hands of small to medium-sized businesses that out of necessity are innovating everyday.

This innovation may not have annual product launches capped by rousing keynotes, but for millions of people in all walks of life, their experiences with people, products and processes are continually being improved by those near them.

Proximity to an opportunity, coupled by the desire to see something improved, doesn’t often make headlines, but it does significantly impact businesses, which impact communities, which impact families, which impact individuals.

I think one of the key reasons for proximity’s importance in innovation is that culture is created in relationships and relationships are dependent on proximity. The inverse of the adage “out of sight, out of mind” is “within sight, within mind.”

While this isn’t based on exhaustive data points, I’ve had the benefit of knowing several entrepreneurs who were on the vanguard of the decentralized, remote team movement starting about 15 years ago.

Each of them, when asked what they would do differently, said that they would start their teams together in one place, define and establish the company’s cultural DNA in person, and then allow their teams to slowly and intentionally become decentralized when and if that made sense. That’s a remarkable conclusion given what we typically believe to be true about technology-based companies.

It’s tempting to view technology as a panacea for innovation, business culture and work/life balance, as well as society’s general ills and even cultural disparities. The reality, however, is that technology merely amplifies human action or intention. It does not replace the value of relationships or purpose.

INCLUSION REQUIRES INTENTION Unfortunately, one of the seldom-discussed downsides of technology-based innovation is that gender, racial and ethnic diversity are so far down the priority list that they fall by the wayside. One of the most compelling and inspiring narratives in today’s increasingly accessible digital world is its egalitarianism.

Technology merely amplifies human action or intention. It does not replace the value of relationships or purpose.

The Web, social media, apps and YouTube can all generally be accessed by most anyone (except those in totalitarian regimes). But this equal access to the use of the platform does not equate to equal access to the engines of innovation-building or building on those platforms.

Some of the largest corporations on the forefront of innovation do emphasize diversity among their staff. But what’s needed even more is diversity within small- to- medium-sized businesses that are innovating in their own backyard for the common good of their community. There must be an earnest, grass-roots, pro-poor private-sector focus if we are to collectively capitalize on technology’s potential impact among those on the margins.

One of the inspiring bright spots in the Upstate is the ever-growing number of collaborative workspace environments that by their very nature facilitate the organic development of business relationships and the resulting micro-innovation in proximity to others. The newest among those, which deserves noting, is Textile Hall (textilehall.com). Its goal with regard to collaboration, impact, diversity and mission is the next step towards employing the vehicle of business to help humans flourish. And that is precisely the sort of micro-innovation happening on a local level that will raise the overall water level for everyone’s “boat” in our community.

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03.25.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEWS AND TIPS FOR YOUR PERSONAL BOT TOM LINE

| YOUR MONEY | 17

Why do acquirers fail in capturing ROI with M&A?

By HAGEN ROGERS Executive Managing Director, Watermark Advisors

“Failure pervades business, and most firms fail eventually,” wrote Dr. Robert Bruner, the dean of UVA’s Darden School of Business. “In the world of M&A,” he added, “most transactions fail to close.

That deal you may be discussing has perhaps a onein-10 chance of consummation. … There is no clear value creation in the sense of earning returns significantly in excess of the opportunity cost of capital – only 20-30 percent of all transactions seem to do so.”

While failure in M&A often means that a transaction does not close, an even graver outcome is that an acquisition that a buyer does close fails to create significant ROI. Why pursue an acquisition anyway?

Fundamentally in business, it is because you believe you will earn a significant ROI by adding the target’s business. If only one in four acquisitions do create a significant return over their cost of capital to the acquirer, then business decision makers should be preoccupied with failure if acquisitive.

Then what about cultural issues? In the second half of 2015, Watermark conducted a survey with acquirers who were headquartered in the Carolinas and Georgia. When asked if they had experienced failure, and if so, what they believed contributed to it, respondents shared primarily three factors: 1. Cultural issues leading to the loss of key people from the target 2. Overpaying for the target 3. Integration issues While Watermark’s survey is a small representation of U.S. acquirers, we do believe these three issues are likely the three most significant hurdles to acquirers capturing significant ROI. CULTURAL ANALYSIS IS CRITICAL What is a business’s culture? “Culture” is a multifaceted concept. We define it as how business decisions get made inside an organization or company. Edgar Schein, foremost scholar of organizational behavior, believes, “Culture may be loosely thought about, but it is only after the merger that it is taken seriously, suggesting that most leaders make the assumption that they can fix cultural problems after the fact. I would argue that leaders must make cultural analysis as central to the initial merger/ acquisition decision as is the financial, product or market analysis.”

Why are cultural problems so pervasive between the acquirer and the target?

1. The problems get rooted early in the deal-making process. Often, acquirers deemphasize the importance of social issues while in the middle of a transaction. Instead, they prioritize other subjects, such as valuation, financing the transaction, and deal structure. The advisors providing services to the buyer focus on their area of expertise, and very few have expertise on social and cultural issues

between buyer and target.

As a result, social issues get inadequate attention and receive unsophisticated solutions that set the stage for problems if and when a deal is closed. Topics such as the target management team’s autonomy and influence post-closing, organizational design, and contributions to integration are typically not well thought through.

Often, the buyer underestimates the cultural challenges that will arise after closing the deal.

Therefore, it fails to allocate solid due diligence of the target’s culture. Due diligence entails studying the similarities and differences between the culture of the buyer and the target. It also means analyzing the target’s culture versus the target’s strategic goals detailed in its projections.

The buyer’s culture may be one of customer service and loyalty, whereas the target’s may be focused on innovation and product distinctiveness or being the low cost provider. If and when two different cultures come together, how the buyer merges these cultures together is a delicate process. Done poorly, the likelihood of ROI capture evaporates.

Cultural and social issues affect both the transaction and integration phases. Many buyers are consumed by all of the challenges that demand attention in the transaction phase.

2. Because the uncertainty is high that a deal will actually close, buyers hold off integration planning until days or weeks before the deal closes. Waiting until the close of the deal does not give the buyer enough time to plan out integration processes that need to launch immediately after the transaction closes.

A well-planned and -executed integration process will answer the question that every employee at the target is asking: “What about me?” Until that question is answered, employees won’t perform at their best. Target employees should be included in the integration process.

If target employees are left out of integration task force teams, and even further, often if not given a continuation of responsibilities, they will reach a conclusion that they are not as valued as they had been. This lack of re-recruitment will result in the target underperforming, and employees jumping ship.

3. Often there is a large size difference between the acquirer and the target. The acquirer, because of its greater revenues and success, has a degree of hubris, sometimes small and sometimes large. As a result, it is overconfident in its understanding of the target’s business operation.

This overconfidence leads to a series of poor decisions, often people related, which alienates the target’s leadership. Soon, there are defections in the target’s leadership. As that talent leaves, it takes specific knowledge with it of processes and relationships that is hard to replace.

The disciplined acquirer puts cultural and social issues in equal or even greater light to other areas in the transaction and integration phases. Most likely, such an acquirer has learned from previous failures in capturing significant ROI that the target’s success is a result not only of its unique products or services, but also of its people and culture.

This sophisticated acquirer has mastered a process of due diligence on culture. It places social issues as a top priority throughout the transaction process, initiating integration planning in the middle of the transaction, avoiding hubris tendencies, integrating cultures thoughtfully and addressing individuals’ concerns swiftly. Such an acquirer is much more likely to complete a successful acquisition.

ENGAGE JUN

22–24

A Master Class Event:

How to Strategize, Execute & Create ROI in M&A watermarkadvisors.com

03.25.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE YOU NEED TO KNOW

JON GOOD CEO and Broker-in-Charge, NAI Earle Furman

| WHO’S WHO: ONES TO WATCH | 19

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

LAURA HAIGHT Contributor

Jon Good became president of Greenville’s largest commercial real estate company when he was 36, and moved up to broker-in-charge when he was 40. Greenville born and bred, Good’s perspective on Greenville and its economic growth spans from boom-to bust-to-boom again. You might expect to find him in a fancy corner office befitting his position, but you’d be wrong.

You always seem to be on the move. Is that your normal management style?

If you ask people what I do, they’ll tell you I don’t ever sit down. All I do is walk around. My grandfather was the manager of Belk Simpson on Main Street [now the Poinsett Plaza]. I met all these people who had worked for him, but never met him. And they all said he was never in his office until the doors were locked. He walked around. That was his style.

It always stuck with me.

You invited us to talk to your employees about you.

That’s a sure sign of confidence. What three things would you advise a manager to do to be a better leader?

I had a great mentor in [company founder] Earle Furman. He would just ask questions until you came up with an answer. Help your people find the answer by asking them the right questions – that’s one of his styles I have tried to copy. Two, be generous to people. Everyone in our company is engaged in the community. And three, go where your people are. Be with them when they’re doing their deals and when they are doing business. That’s why no one ever comes to my office. I sit in there when there is nobody here. The rest of the time, I’m with them.

Are you a workaholic?

I’ve always had that 80-hour-a-week mindset.

When I started, I felt like in a 100 percent commission business if I work twice as much as everyone else, maybe I could go twice as fast.

From an economic perspective, why does Greenville succeed?

Everybody in the Upstate always put their community ahead of themselves. There are so many other places where it seems like that doesn’t happen. So I think it really was across the board with government, philanthropic and business leaders all putting aside individual wants and saying “this is important.”

What holds Greenville back?

We have petitioned our state legislators for 10 years

to change the tax incentive program. Currently our tax credits are all manufacturing-based. Many states have tax incentives based on bringing smart people in. Greenville has much more room for growth in the tech-based, high-paying, knowledge economy.

That’s what we need here. We don’t know why that doesn’t find a foothold in the legislature.

Does Greenville have an oversupply of office space while, at the same time, nearly 350,000 square feet of new space is under construction?

We are a small market. We don’t feel like we are oversupplied. We have not had a lot of new development of rental office space in the suburbs, and what typically happens is everyone wants to come back downtown. When new space comes in downtown, the downtown firms move to the new space and someone from the suburbs transitions into their space.

What does the new space have that the old space doesn’t?

Functionality-wise, office space has changed dramatically. New space doesn’t have any hard-wall offices and if they do, they’re in the inside of the building and the glass space is open workstations.

A company can go from having 25,000 square feet office buildings older than 10 years to 15,000 square feet in a new building. And it’s the way people work and what millennials expect.

POINTS OF INTEREST • Good graduated Furman and in less than a year had purchased a Papa’s Pizza franchise in Georgia. For a year, he not only owned but ran the business, doing everything from front to back. “I took it as my MBA.” • Community engagement is important to Good. He is a board member of the Community Foundation, the Heart Association and Loaves and Fishes. Previously, he served on the boards of the Downtown Symphony Club, the March of Dimes and the South Carolina Commission on National and Community Service.

• Named to the NAI Capital Club of top ranking in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

What is Greenville’s next step and what do we need to do to get there?

We’ve got great colleges here, but they could benefit from collaborating together, from strong leadership in the big schools (Clemson, Carolina, Furman, Wofford, Anderson) to develop a master plan for education that starts in kindergarten. That would be the next big thing to build the knowledge-base here that you see in Boston, Philadelphia.

That would really give us the power to last forever.

UBJ

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03.25.2016

O H W y r S o t ’ a r b e l e O l a C e v e H R W

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Thursday April 28, 2016 at 5:30pm United Community Bank 306 East North Street, Greenville

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Limited bLock of tickets avaiLabLe. contact kate madden for information.

864.679.1254 or kmadden@communityjournaLs.com attire: business best

2016 Class of Who’s Who:

The Legend

Minor Shaw

The Entrepreneur

Peter Barth

The Boss

Pamela Evette

The Young Gun The Company The Closer The Wild Card

Robert Hughes, Jr. Scansource John Warren

Voted on by UBJ Social Media Audience Winner will be announced at the event.

03.25.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

| NEW TO THE STREET | 21

Open for business 1. ProGrin Dental and iGrin Children’s Dentistry recently opened at 1860 Old Furnace Road, Boiling Springs. For more information, call 606-0006 or visit ProGrinDental.com.

2

2. Goodwill Industries and Greenville Revitalization Corp. recently opened its at-risk youth job training center at 45. E. Main St. in the Woodside Community in Greenville. To learn more bout the YouthBuild program, call Doug Dent, GRC at 864-242-9801 ext. 122.

1

CONTRIBUTE: Know of a business opening soon? Email information to lgood@ communityjournals.com.

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22 | ON THE MOVE |

UBJ

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

AWARDED

AWARDED

HIRED

HIRED

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03.25.2016

AWARDED

Saria Saccocio

June Pilcher

Jon Schneider

Sam Dixon

Benjamin Storey

Named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s list of 100 Hospital and Health System Chief Marketing Officers to Know.

Saccocio is the senior VP of medical affairs and CMO of Bon Secours St. Francis Health System. She previously served as CMO for Regional Medical Center in Danville, Va., and is a diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine.

Named a recipient of the Class of ’39 Award for Excellence. Pilcher is a psychology professor at Clemson University and was the Fulbright-Freud Visiting Scholar for 2011-2012 at the University of Vienna and the Sigmund Freud Museum in Vienna, Austria. She previously served as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy.

Named research and strategy director and account supervisor with VantagePoint Marketing. Schneider has more than 20 years of marketing and advertising experience. He is a graduate of Thomas More College with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration.

Named an estimator/project manager for Melloul-Blamey Construction. Dixon has more than 25 years of experience in managing capital projects as an owner’s representative and a general contractor’s project manager. He has also taught in the Greenville Tech and ITT Technical College construction programs.

Awarded a one-year Visiting Fellowship with the department of politics at Princeton University for the 2016-2017 academic year.

Storey is an associate professor of political science at Furman and co-director of Furman’s Tocqueville Program. The Princeton program is dedicated to exploring enduring questions of American constitutional law and Western political thought.

ENGINEERING SynTerra added Craig Eady as senior geologist, Greg Darnell as project scientist, Dameon Medley as chemical engineer, Angela Austin as project scientist, Catherine Giguere as licensed engineer, Kevin Campbell as market leader and Vick Crowley as CFO.

FINANCE Clark Gallivan and Kenneth Parham of UBS Financial Services in Greenville, and Lynn Faust of Raymond James in Greer, were named to Barron’s America’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors. The Top 1,200 list acknowledges advisors who have demonstrated exceptional professionalism and performance, as well as strong personal connections with clients.

HOSPITALITY

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

DRINK UP!

The Rick Erwin Dining Group hired Bryan Lindsay as the executive chef of Rick Erwin’s Eastside and Mark Traviss as the general manager of Rick Erwin’s Nantuck-

et Seafood. Lindsay most recently worked at Rutledge Cab Company and studied at Johnson & Wales University. Traviss previously served as the general manager of a Cracker Barrel and an Applebee’s location.

VIP

MARKETING/PR Ferebee Lane and Co. hired Cory Schearer as creative director.

Schearer previously served as EVP/ creative director with Erwin-Penland and has almost 20 years of experience working with brands such as Verizon Wireless and L.L. Bean.

REAL ESTATE

John F. Windley

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors added Elizabeth Gray-Carr as director of career development and Tom Carr as director of information technology to the company’s leadership team. Elizabeth and Tom are co-owners of Realty Partners in Anderson.

Named president and CEO of the Columbia-based South State Bank. Previously president and chief banking officer of the Columbia-based bank, he will continue to manage all of the banking operations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Windley joined South State in 2002 and has served in various leadership capacities after a 26-year banking career with Bank of America and predecessor organizations. In 2004, he was promoted to president of South State Bank

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

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BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

upstatebusinessjournal.com

North Myrtle Beach Chamber selects Crawford Strategy Crawford Strategy, a full-service marketing firm in Greenville, was selected by the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureau to handle the area’s strategic marketing efforts. The agency will direct all digital and traditional marketing campaigns for the destination.

The seaside communities of North Myrtle Beach offer nine miles of beaches along the northern end of the Grand Strand area of South Carolina. With an estimated 14 million visitors each year to the Grand Strand, the travel industry is big business for the region. Magellan Strategy Group of Asheville, N.C., led the agency search, which included 15 firms in North and South Carolina.

“North Myrtle Beach is a unique collection of seaside communities that are poised for big things,” said Marion Crawford, president and CEO of Crawford Strategy. “We are excited to help the area achieve smart growth through savvy marketing that combines powerful storytelling with leading technology.”

ACL Airshop partners with Ranger Airshop Greenville-based ACL Airshop, producer of products and services for the global air cargo industry, has taken on growth investors by joining with Greenville-based Ranger Airshop. ACL Airshop is a worldwide one-stop shop for leasing, sales, repair and management of unit-load devices and cargo net/strap manufacturing for the aviation industry.

Ranger Airshop is the latest investment platform created and managed by Ranger Aerospace in Greenville, according to a release. Ranger’s plan is to enhance and expand ACL Airshop through strategic investments and organic growth, entering new lines of technical capacity, expanding geographically, and possibly acquiring complementary companies.

“We are honored to join the terrific people of ACL Airshop on a quality-centered growth plan aimed at superior customer service,” said Steve Townes, Ranger Aerospace founder and CEO of Ranger Airshop Holdings. “The aerospace industry here is growing rapidly, and this growth teaming between two substantial South Carolina aerospace companies puts a strong exclamation point on our motto, ‘You Are Cleared to Land in South Carolina!’ “

ing distance vision and depth perception. Patients who have had previous eye surgery, such as cataract patients, or who wear bifocals can be candidates for reading vision correction with the Kamra.

Kamra Inlay vs. contact lens.

Oconee County named top performing micropolitan in South Carolina The micropolitan area of Oconee County was recently named the top performing micropolitan in South Carolina for the second consecutive year by Site Selection magazine and the 22nd overall performing micropolitan area in the country. Micropolitan areas are centered on an urban cluster with a population of between 10,000 and 50,000.

Oconee County earned the ranking by ushering in 426 new jobs, $53 million in new capital investments, and had five of its six economic development-related projects meet the criteria established by the magazine, according to a release.

“When it comes to landing economic development projects, no other similar size community in South Carolina has out-performed Oconee County nor many across the United States,” said Glenn Buddin, chairman of the Oconee Economic Alliance. “This designation should not be taken lightly and is shared with other state and local entities, community partners and businesses, as economic development in Oconee County is a team sport.”

Hall’s Chophouse named best steakhouse in America

Photo by Paul Mehaffey

Clemson Eye first in Upstate to implant Kamra inlay The Kamra inlay, a tiny porous ring that is placed in the cornea and works like a camera aperture, returning reading vision to patients, was recently implanted for the first time in the Upstate by Dr. Joseph Parisi, Clemson Eye medical director and chief ophthalmologist.

The FDA approved the Kamra inlay in April 2015 and Clemson Eye is the first eye care practice in the Upstate to offer the procedure, according to a release. More than 1,500 have been implanted in the U.S. since FDA approval, and more than 37,000 have been implanted worldwide over the past 10 years.

The procedure takes 15 minutes in most cases and is reversible if the patient chooses. Unlike monovision with Lasik or contact lenses, which can significantly compromise distance vision, the Kamra restores near vision, while maintain-

| THE FINE PRINT | 23

Kamra.com

03.25.2016

Yelp recently named Hall’s Chophouse in Charleston as the top steakhouse on its list of the top-rated restaurants in the U.S., according to Business Insider. The Hall family, which has been in the restaurant and hotel business for more than 40 years, started the Chophouse in 2009.

Yelp commenters regularly describe the steaks as “perfect,” “perfection” and other variations on the theme. Halls also offers steak samples, delicious sides and “non-steak” entrees, and guests enjoy the hospitality, according to Yelp commenters.

24 | DEALMAKERS |

UBJ

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS IN THE UPSTATE

LANGSTON-BLACK REAL ESTATE ANNOUNCED:

Chuck Langston was the selling agent in the sale of 5 AC at 5152 and 5200 Wade Hampton Blvd., Taylors, to the buyer, Palmetto Property Concepts LLC. Roger Barnes and Chuck Langston were the listing and selling agents in the sale of 11,245 SF of property at 4373 Wade Hampton Blvd., Taylors,

by The Vine Worship Center to Freedom Fellowship church.

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AVISON YOUNG ANNOUNCED:

John Odom and Rakan Draz represented the buyer, 2422 Laurens LLC, in the purchase of approximately 60,000 SF retail space at 2422 Laurens Road, Greenville from New Era Properties LLC. Gordon Anderson represented the tenant, the City of Greenville, in the leasing of a 2,340 SF office space at 307 B Falls St., Greenville, from Design Development LLC. Gordon Anderson represented the tenant, Surveying Planning Advisory, in the leasing of an 850 SF office space located at 114 Williams St., Greenville, from Wilson Properties of Greenville. Rob Howell represented the landlord.

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD THALHIMER ANNOUNCED:

Brian J. Young, Elliott Fayssoux and Kacie Jackson represented the tenant, Phillips Pet, in the lease of 201,500 SF of space in Wingo Park at New Cut Road in Spartanburg.

Brian J. Young and Kacie Jackson represented the buyer, Becknell Industrial, in the purchase of 55 AC in the Matrix Industrial Park in Piedmont.

SPENCER HINES ANNOUNCED:

Robbie Romesier was the listing agent and Andy Hayes was the leasing agent in the lease of a 7.51 AC and

27,5000 SF warehouse at 1700 Victor Hill Road, Duncan, by LEL International from Big Sky Properties LLC.

Andy Hayes and Ben Hines were the listing and leasing agents in the lease of a 1,400 SF hairdressing space at 1411 W. O. Ezell Blvd., Spartanburg, by Jacqueline Smith from Swofford Thomas.

Dale Seay was the listing and leasing agent in the lease of a 5,376 SF storage space at 750 W. Main St., Spartanburg, by Deal Direct Furniture Outlet LLC from Nick Kargiatlis.

Dale Seay was the listing and leasing agent in the lease of a 1,600 SF space at 100 Burton St., Spartanburg, by Sylvan Learning from Beth Owens.

Guy Harris was the listing and leasing agent in the lease of a 2,400 SF trucking operations space at 600 Oak Forest Road, Spartanburg, by Atkins Shull Family LTD from The Waggoners Trucking.

Guy Harris was the listing agent in the sale of 14,400 SF of retail space at 2300 Winchester Place, Spartanburg, and 7,781 SF of retail space at 2500 Winchester Place, Spartanburg, for $2,350,000 by Serendipity Properties LLC to 2500 Winchester Holdings LLC, a Florida LLC. Andy Hayes was the selling agent in the sale of a 9.44 AC and 42,500 SF mini storage facility site at 473 E. Blackstock Road, Spartanburg, for $412,250 by Hidden Hill Associates LLC to Hidden Hill Road Associates LLC. Andy Hayes was the listing and selling agent in the sale of 10,000 SF of property at 143 W. Main St., Spartanburg, for $300,000 by W. Allen Lundy Trustee to 141143 West Main LLC. Robbie Romeiser was the listing agent and Neal Boyett was the selling agent in the sale of 7,000 SF of property at 105 Franklin

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03.25.2016

Ave., Spartanburg, for $350,000 by Tallon Properties LLC to Hung k Vu. Andy Hayes and Ben Hines were the listing agents, and Guy Harris was the selling agent in the sale of .39 AC and 3,530 SF of property at 134 Oakland Ave., Spartanburg, for $200,000 by 134 Oakland LLC to Serendipity Properties LLC. Andy Hayes and Ben Hines were the listing agents, and Dale Seay was the selling agent in the sale of 3,640 SF of property at 205 Quarry Road, Spartanburg, for $95,000 by Victory Technical Services to MCAK LLC. Bobby Hines and Zach Hines were the listing agents, and Zach Hines was the leasing agent in the lease of a 4,000 SF general business space at 105 E. North St., Greenville, by Audiogon Inc. from KVP LLC. James McKesson was the listing agent and Taylor Fisher was the leasing agent in the lease of 1,386 SF of space at 308 W. Stone Ave., Greenville, by Maid Service LLC from 308 West Stone LLC. Rob Brissie was the listing agent and Taylor Fisher was the leasing agent in the lease of a .906 AC used car lot at 1400 Easley Bridge Road, Greenville, by Clara Sowell from Cloud Properties LLC. COLDWELL BANKER COMMERCIAL CAINE ANNOUNCED:

Sammy DuBose represented Thrift Properties in the sale of a 5 AC property at Tract 3A-1, Anderson Bus. Parkway in Anderson, to the buyer, American Prime Property LLC. Pete Brett, David Sigmon, and Matt Vanvick represented Alan Dale McCard and Riley Dean McCard Jr. in the sale of 13.7 AC at 310 Log Shoals Road, Greenville, to the buyer, Christian Shannon Chandler and Sherry F. Chandler.

03.25.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

Tim Satterfield represented Troy L. and Pauline S. Day in the sale of a 1 AC lot on Asheville Highway, Inman, to the buyer, O’Reilly Automotive Stores Inc.

Greenville, by the tenant, Signcrafters USA Inc. Bryon Culbertson represented the buyer, Rosa Edgington, in the 0.34 AC purchase of 216 Adley Way, Greenville, from Park Sterling Bank.

Tim Satterfield and Angela Halstead represented Bank of the Ozarks in the sale of a 3,420 SF retail building on 1.23 AC at 2000 Bud Arthur Bridge Road, Spartanburg, to the buyer, Elite Homecare LLC.

Kevin Bentley represented the tenant, Perkins Power Corp, in the 6,000 SF lease of 14-B Oakvale Road, Greenville, from the landlord, RHR Properties LLC.

Sammy DuBose represented Thrift Properties in lease renewal negotiations with the tenant, ASC Construction Equipment USA Inc., for a 6,000 SF industrial building at 407 Oak Road, Piedmont.

Randall Bentley represented the tenant, S.B. Phillips Company Inc., in the 7,120 SF lease of 55 Camperdown Way, Suite 250, Greenville, from the landlord, Camperdown Falls Limited Partnership.

Pete Brett, David Sigmon and Matt Vanvick represented the tenant, Emily Austin Inc. d/b/a Emily Austin, in the leasing of 1,577 SF of retail space at Pelham at 85 Shopping Center, Building D, Greenville, from the landlord, Central Realty Holdings LLC.

Randall Bentley represented the landlord, Brookfield South Associates LLC, in the 8,582 SF lease of 48 Brookfield Oaks, Suite F, Greenville, by the tenant, S&ME Inc.

David Sigmon represented Mountain City Land & Improvement Co. LLC in the lease of 2,883 SF of office space at Innovate, 148 River St., Suite 202, Greenville, to the tenant, BDV Investment LLC. Tim Satterfield and Angela Halstead represented TCFM LLC in the lease of 3,510 SF of office space at 131 E. Main St., Suites 106 and 108, Spartanburg, to George Sink PA. LEE & ASSOCIATES ANNOUNCED:

Kevin Bentley represented the buyer, Meyer Tool Inc., in the 3.96 AC purchase of 7680 Pelham Road, Greenville, from 7680 Pelham LLC. Deanna Hudgens represented the landlord, GPS Center LLC, in the 5400 SF lease of 1625 Woodruff Road, Greenville, by the tenant, Tenji 1625 LLC. Randall Bentley represented the landlord, Binkley Enterprises LLC, in the 15,000 SF lease of 57 Pelham Davis Circle,

Bryon Culbertson represented the landlord, MR of the Upstate LLC, in the 1,950 SF lease of 115 A Southport Road, Spartanburg, by the tenant, SC Web Design Group LLC. Randall Bentley represented the landlord, Ora Properties LLC, in the 15,000 SF lease of 119 McDougall Court, Greenville, by the tenant, 1-800 Pack Rat LLC. Randall Bentley represented the tenant, Universal Packaging and Sewing Supplies Inc., in the 85,795 SF lease of 160 Lincoln School Road, Spartanburg, from the landlord, Tietex International LTD. Randall Bentley represented the landlord, Wickliffe Properties,LLC, in the 3,200 SF lease of 1016 Laurens Road, Suites C and D, Greenville, by the tenant, Isaac McCullough dba Harvey’s Furniture.

Bryon Culbertson represented the landlord, Arbon Equipment Corporation, in the 6,000 SF lease of 560 Brookshire Road, Greer, from the landlord, 560 Brookshire LLC.

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS IN THE UPSTATE

COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCED:

Richard Jackson represented the tenant, Schneider Electric Company, in the leasing of a 13,430 SF industrial flex space at 250 Neely Ferry Road, Simpsonville.

Givens Stewart, Brockton Hall, Garrett Scott and Richard Barrett represented the landlord, Atkins Machinery LLC, in the lease renewal of a 60,000 SF of industrial space by Phillips Feed and Seed Supply Company at 1335 Hayne St., Building D, Spartanburg.

Givens Stewart, Garrett Scott and Brockton Hall represented the seller, 2651 New Cut Road LLC in the sale of a 133,240 SF industrial building at 2651 New Cut Road, Spartanburg to Delta Power Equipment Corporation.

Richard Barrett represented the landlord, Marion and Mary Burnside, in leasing of 3,000 SF at 200 Augusta Arbor Way, Unit A, Greenville, to McLaughlin Group.

Lyn Tyner and Richard Barrett represented the tenant, INDCON Inc. in leasing 12,800 SF of industrial space at 105 Ben Hamby Drive, Suite E, Greenville.

Richard Jackson represented the tenant, Gregory Land Development II LLC, in leasing 12,800 SF of industrial space at 41 Flora Louise Drive, Piedmont.

1-800 Pack Rat LLC, in the leasing of a 15,000 SF property from Ora Properties LLC at 119 McDougall Court, Greenville.

Richard Barrett represented the landlord, Marion and Mary Burnside, in leasing 3,000 SF of flex space at 200 Augusta Arbor Way, Unit F, Greenville, to Adapto Generations Inc. NAI EARLE FURMAN ANNOUNCED:

Glenn Batson represented the landlord, Lewis Young, in the lease of a 3,200 SF industrial space at 10 Echelon Road, Greenville, to Systems Integrators Inc. Hunter Garrett and John Staunton represented the landlord, Peden Properties LP, in the lease of a 41,000 SF industrial building at 910 Fork Shoals Road, Greenville, to MMR Constructors.

Alex Campbell represented the landlord, 560 Brookshire Road

LLC, in the lease of a 6,000 SF industrial space in the Gateway International Business Center in Greenville, to Arbon Equipment Corporation.

Glenn Batson represented the landlord, NF Trust, in the lease of a 5,000 SF industrial space in Saluda Park, Piedmont, to Fresh Chef Foods.

Drew Stamm and John Gray represented the landlord, Trailhead Properties LLC, in the lease of a 5,400 SF retail property at 28 S. Main St., Travelers Rest, to Anytime Fitness.

Ted Lyerly and Jimmy Wright represented the landlord, Lanspring LP, in the lease of a 4,500 SF retail building at 416 Haywood Road, Greenville, to LeCroy Interiors.

John Baldwin represented the landlord, Hawkins Generation Skipping Trust, in the lease of a 19,000 SF industrial space at 846 N. Highway 25 Bypass, Greenville, to United

| DEALMAKERS | 25 Catalyst Corporation.

Towers Rice represented the purchaser, American Prime Property LLC, in purchasing 5 AC of vacant land at the intersection of American Business Park and American Way in Anderson, from Thrift Properties.

Kevin Pogue and Andrew Babb represented the seller, Neuburger Management Inc., in the sale of a 9,624 SF office property at 245 E. Blackstock Road, Spartanburg, to J & G Replacement Properties LLC. Towers Rice represented the seller, Synovus Bank, in the sale of a 4,500 SF industrial building at 125 Trotter Drive, Piedmont, to Summerhill Property LLC. Kevin Pogue represented the purchaser, Grace Community Church of Carolina, in purchasing a 52,000 SF hospitality property located at 501 Willis Road, Spartanburg, from The Westside Club Inc.

THE INBOX Stay in the know with UBJ’s free weekly email.

Brantley Anderson represented the landlord, SC Telco Federal Credit Union, in leasing 3,190 SF of office space at 420 E. Park Ave., Greenville, to Christophillis & Gallivan PA. Frank Hammond and Nick Reinhardt represented the landlord, SRM Properties LLC, in the leasing of 3,800 SF of office space at 701 Pendleton St., Greenville, to Strategic Egressions LLC. Richard Barrett represented the tenant,

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UBJ

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

OVERHEARD @ THE WATERCOOLER

> Mike Hart via upstatebusinessjournal.com “Greenville and the upstate area continue to have a major impact on this state and region. It’s nice to see that so many consider this area when choosing to do business. Local leaders need to continue working to attract, and support infrastructure to lure and accommodate such ventures … even some thinking outside-the-box ideas when it comes to transportation need to be looked at. Mass transit from downtown to the airport would be huge, it would even change our total landscape, and show the outside world we are serious about wanting to attract jobs and support business growth.”

RE: CHARLESTON COOKS TO CLOSE > Gayle Butler “What a shame.” > Nicole Mitchell “This makes me sad, loved their store and classes” > Cathy Albert Terrell “Oh noooo!” > Donna Turner Williams “So sorry to read. I had lessons in Charleston and it was great fun!”

RE: DEALSONTHEGOGO SEEKS A NEW WAY TO BUY CHEAP > Up State via upstatebusinessjournal.com “Wow, Been involved with Deals On The GOGO for 2 + years, great concept awesome Corp Team. Part of the advisory team, nothing but

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MARCH 18, 2016

| VOL. 5 ISSUE 12

.the-tech-issue {

; hot-jobs: of tech development; tech-workforce: cting tech; attra : ters -cen data ; biotech: roundup ons; cool-tech: innovati gs; internet-of: thin

}

DIGITAL FLIPBOOK ARCHIVE >> The layout of print meets the convenience of the web: flip through the digital edition of any of our print issues at >> upstatebusinessjournal. com/past-issues

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Get it off your chest.

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

> Johnnie Choi “Looking forward to this!”

03.25.2016

BIZ BUZZ

Distilled commentary from UBJ readers

RE: CHASE OPENS FIRST SC COMMERCIAL BRANCH IN GREENVILLE

|

good stuff to say.”

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

>> 114 1. In our backyard

>> 76 2. A roadmap to success in the Internet of Things revolution

>> 73 3. Chase opens first SC commercial branch in Greenville

>> 60 4. Greenville County reveals firm behind $12.5M ‘Project Jewel’

>> 51 5. Charleston Cooks to close

> Anti Con via upstatebusinessjournal.com “Great! Where is a list of happy customers?”

RE: UNION PLANT TO HELP PRODUCE 5.6 MILLION POUNDS OF TEXTILES FOR MARRIOTT > Galley via upstatebusinessjournal.com “It’s always great reading about textile mills reopening!”

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RE: HALLS CHOPHOUSE NAMED BEST STEAKHOUSE IN AMERICA BY YELP

Follow up on the Upstate’s workweek in minutes.

> Harold Hoke “Not a bad steak!!! Looking forward to eating there next week with you guys! Come hungry....”

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

> Shep McArthur “I concur!” > The Aventine Greenville Apartment Homes “Yet another reason our town is amazing!! Halls Chophouse is now open just off Main Street.” > Jim Haynes “I am anxious to try the one in Greenville. The one in Charleston has great steaks, and their service and wait staff are incredible.”

RE: SOUTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION AWARDS > @jerrymsalley “Aftermath of the #scpress awards. We did pretty good.”

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03.25.2016

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DATE Tuesdays

3/29-5/31

Friday

4/1 Tuesday

4/5 Wednesday

4/20

| PLANNER | 27

EVENT INFO

WHERE DO I GO?

HOW DO I GO?

FastTrac NewVenture for the Female Entrepreneur classes

NEXT Innovation Center 411 University Ridge, Greenville 5:30-8:30 p.m.

More info: bit.ly/fasttrac-feb2016

Women Mean Business networking event

Conservus Realty 16 N. Main St., Greenville 5:30-7:30 p.m.

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

HTI Organizational Solutions Friday Morning Coffee: The Re-Entry Obstacle Monthly series on current HR topics

Human Technologies Inc. 105 N. Spring Street Suite 200, Greenville 8:30-9:30 a.m.

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

Clemson University Mini MBA: Project Execution Part of the Mini MBA Certificate Program sessions dedicated to help business professionals improve their skills

Clemson One Building 1 N. Main Street, 7th Floor, Greenville 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Cost: $599 Register: thinkclemson.com/events/ mini_mba_program

Piedmont SCORE Basic Small Business Start-Up workshop

Spartanburg Community College: Tyger River Campus 1875 E. Main St., Duncan 6-8 p.m.

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

Spartanburg Chamber Doing Business Better: Growing Your Business Through Acquisition workshop

Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce 105 N. Pine St., Spartanburg 8:30-10:30 a.m.

Cost: $20 Chamber members $40 nonmembers Register: bit.ly/dbb-april2016

Wednesday

3/30

EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR

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

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

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

PHOTO COORDINATOR/LAYOUT PRESIDENT/CEO

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STAFF WRITERS

UBJ milestone

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

Tammy Smith

1988

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

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

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

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

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

OPERATIONS Holly Hardin

ADVERTISING DESIGN Kristy Adair, Michael Allen

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

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

>>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

>>

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

1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CoMMUnitY nit inVolVeMent nitY in olV inV olVe VeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member

MAY 6 QUARTERLY CRE ISSUE The state of commercial real estate in the Upstate.

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

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