Oct. 21, 2016 UBJ

OCTOBER 21, 2016 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 43

A ROOM WITH A

NEW VIEW

The Grand Bohemian boutique hotel

will offer a new perspective of Reedy River falls PAGE 14

Photo by Will Crooks

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TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

| THE RUNDOWN | 3

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 43 Featured this issue: Lockheed’s high hopes for trainer jet.............................................................................4 Redesigned BMW Zentrum opens........................................................................................6 Is your business hurricane-proof?...................................................................................21

A classic 1957 BMW 507, purchased in Germany in 1958 by a U.S. Army private named Elvis Presley, is one of the showpieces in the redesigned Zentrum museum beside Spartanburg County-based BMW Manufacturing Co. The Zentrum, which reopened to the public last week, is the only place the car has been displayed since it was revealed to the public for the first time in August. Read more on page 6. Photo by Will Crooks

WORTH REPEATING “But now it’s like eat turkey or go shopping. It’s a little much.”

Page 7

“Now the proof is in the pudding.

This is where tourism starts to make its mark.”

Page 8

“Manila will finally have a taste of a real American diner.”

Page 12

VERBATIM

On Clemson’s new business school building “This will be one of the most important structures constructed on campus in the past 100 years.”

Bobby McCormick, dean of the Clemson College of Business. The business school’s new home is expected to start construction in 2017 and open in 2019.

4 | AEROSPACE |

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10.21.2016

CAN LOCKHEED MARTIN SEAL THE DEAL?

With the T-50A trainer, the company seeks to secure an Air Force contract and bring jobs to Greenville ANDREW MOORE | STAFF

amoore@communityjournals.com

Greenville Operations Center received components for two T-50A trainer jets from South Korea and has

S

outh Korean Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Jeong Kyeondoo plans to visit the U.S. next month to help Lockheed Martin and Korean Aerospace Industries sell the T-50A trainer jet to the U.S. military, officials in Seoul announced last week.

The announcement comes just a month after Boeing unveiled its aircraft for the U.S. Air Force’s Advanced Pilot Training competition, which could create jobs in Greenville if Lockheed Martin can beat Boeing and other competitors for the contract.

Last year, the Air Force announced that it wants 350 new jets to replace the Northrop T-38 Talon trainer jets, which, according to Northrop Grumman, were produced from 1961 to 1972. The Air Force uses the T-38 for undergraduate pilot training.

Shortly after, Lockheed Martin and Korean Aerospace Industries announced that it would offer a modified version of the FA-50 Golden Eagle, a supersonic jet fighter developed by the two companies in the 1990s, instead of a new design.

The company also announced that, if awarded the contract, it would produce four T-50A aircraft a month at its Greenville Operations Centers. That would boost the workforce from 600 employees to 800, said Don Erickson, site director for Lockheed Martin’s Greenville Operations Center.

The contract is valued up to $11 billion.

The Air Force is expected to release a request for proposals this winter.

Companies will then go through a selection process, and the Air Force will select a winner by at least 2018. Initial operational capability is 2024.

CROWDED SKIES Several companies plan to offer a trainer jet to the Air Force.

Textron AirLand planned to submit its Scorpion jet trainer but ditched it for a new design in February that resembles Lockheed Martin’s T-50A. Raytheon, Finmeccanica and CAE plan to offer its T-100, an Italian-made jet. And Northrop Grumman partnered with BAE Systems to produce a new design, which resembles the company’s T-38 Talon.

In September, Boeing and Saab AB unveiled the Boeing T-X aircraft, which has similar features to the T-50A. The fifth-generation trainer jet has an advanced cockpit with embedded training as well as one engine, stadium seating and twin tails, which Boeing claims make the aircraft more agile for combat training than single-tail aircraft.

The single-tail T-50A is retrofitted with an aerial refueling receptacle on its dorsal and a ground-based training system. It also features a fifth-generation cockpit as well as open system architecture, which allows for faster integration of new sensors and weapons.

A test flight in June found that the T-50A could travel 1,020 mph at 30,000

feet and a range of 1,150 miles. Lockheed Martin then completed the test flight of the second T-50A in August, signaling that the company was ready to begin preproduction.

Boeing plans to test a T-X trainer jet by the end of the year. And a second T-X aircraft is going to be used for structural proofing. “Our T-X is real, ready and the right choice for training pilots for generations to come,” said Boeing Defense, Space and Security President and CEO Leanne Caret.

The Boeing T-X is Lockheed Martin’s biggest competitor for the Air Force contract, said Robert Browning, an aerospace consultant with Greenville’s AB Solutions. “I’d love to see the T-50A flying above Greenville. But Boeing is smart and has the edge in past performance, which could count up to 15 percent of the total acquisition process.”

Browning, who previously worked for Boeing and Lockheed Martin, added that Boeing has experience in designing, manufacturing and converting training aircraft and that the company previously beat Lockheed Martin in the C-130 Avionics Modernization Program and the QF-16 Drone Aircraft Modification Program.

“Lockheed’s Greenville facility has no experience in building or flight testing trainer aircraft,” said Browning. “The facility’s past performance issues with P-3 maintenance could also be a concern.”

PAST PERFORMANCE In 1984, Lockheed Martin purchased 227 acres at SCTAC, which was once Donaldson Air Force Base. The company then opened its Greenville Operations Center, which has provided the maintenance, repair, overhaul and modification to various aircraft, including the P-3 Orion, C-130 Hercules and C-5 Galaxy transport plane.

The Greenville Operations Center came under fire in 2010 after Lockheed admitted that multiple P-3 Orion had been delivered from the Greenville facility to operational Navy units without fasteners attached to corner wing fittings.

Lockheed Martin determined that the missing fasteners did not pose a flight safety issue. However, the Naval Air Systems Command issued a Level 3 corrective action review, which resulted in multiple inspections of the site by the U.S. Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and Naval auditors.

That review triggered a corporate auditing process by Lockheed Martin, which left the Greenville Operations Center vulnerable to closure. In addition, the Naval Air Systems Command demanded the facility earn ISO 9001 certification for manufacturing quality standards. In response, Lockheed Martin initiated Project Odyssey, a 180-day internal review of operations at the Greenville facility.

Through early 2011, Lockheed Martin

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s embarked upon the pre-production phrase.

completed a series of steps to overcome the Level 3 corrective action process and the Greenville Operations Center remained open.

“We do not feel that this does or should have any impact on the Advanced Pilot Training competition as Greenville Operations significantly improved performance beginning in 2011 and has sustained that positive performance over the last six years. During this time, we have delivered well over 100 aircraft with zero defects noted by the customer,” said Erickson. “We are confident that this sustained performance will satisfy any past performance analysis by the U.S. Air Force.”

LOOKING FOR LOWER COSTS One of the biggest factors for the Air Force will be cost. Once the Air Force’s RFP is released, the competing companies will have to modify or upgrade their aircraft to meet its requirements while keeping the lowest acquisition and life cycle maintenance costs, according to Browning.

The Boeing T-X is the first aircraft produced under the Air Force’s “Bending the Cost Curve” initiative, which is meant to increase competition through cost-effective solutions, according to Browning.

So that could give them an edge.

Lockheed Martin, however, has forgone a clean-sheet design, which could be just as cost-efficient.

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

Courtesy of Lockheed Martin

“Lockheed Martin has an advantage, because an existing design saves money … you’re better off not having to design and validate it,” said Jeff McKaughan, an aerospace analyst with the Teal Group in Fairfax, Va.

For now, Lockheed Martin plans to wrap up the preproduction process in order to prepare for the Air Force’s RFP, which will determine the modifications and improvements that must be done to the T-50A. The Greenville Operations Center received major components for two T-50A trainer jets from South Korea earlier this fall and has begun the preproduction phase. Production teams have since continuously assembled and disassembled two aircraft.

Lockheed Martin plans to test flight both T-50A trainer jets at some point in November, according to Leslie Farmer, a Lockheed Martin spokeswoman.

For more information, visit lockheedmartin.com.

| AEROSPACE | 5

6 | MANUFACTURING |

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10.21.2016

BMW unveils renovated Zentrum at Spartanburg plant TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF

tanderson@communityjournals.com BMW last Thursday opened a new gateway to the “Ultimate Driving Machine’s” past, present and future.

After a nine-month renovation, the automaker unveiled its redesigned Zentrum museum beside Spartanburg County-based BMW Manufacturing Co., the German automaker’s largest plant in the world.

During a ceremony, officials uncovered the restored classic BMW 507 roadster once owned by rock 'n' roll legend Elvis Presley. It is the only place the car has been displayed since it was revealed to the public for the first time in August at the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, Calif.

The festivities continued with a celebration that included a crowd of community leaders inside the 28,000-square-foot crescent-shaped building that is visible from Interstate 85.

Earlier in the day, BMW Group reported its worldwide sales of its Sports Activity Vehicle models produced at

Will Crooks

The redesigned Zentrum museum in Spartanburg showcases both classic and current BMW models, including a 507 roadster once owned by Elvis Presley.

the plant helped to drive its global sales to a 10.5 percent increase in September.

“This is the biggest BMW plant in the world,” said Ludwig Willisch, president and CEO of BMW North America. “The market trend over the last three years toward SAVs has been very strong. More than 50 percent of

all [BMW brand] vehicles being sold in the U.S. are light trucks. The capacity of this plant is vital to our success.”

BMW North America spokesman Kenn Sparks, who managed the Zentrum for 10 years while he was working in the Upstate, said he was pleased with final result of the renovation.

The facility is now open to the public.

“We knew we were going to need to remodel this facility,” Sparks said. “We finally came up with a design and an idea. The idea included a series of components. What we really needed was a place to show off the history and future of the company. And I think we were successful.”

On display are a range of classic BMWs

and several current models, including the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.

The museum also has a 375-squarefoot video wall that broadcasts films about the factory and the company in high-definition.

Since its inception, the Zentrum has served as a gathering spot for local organizations. It has a large theater that will soon be renovated to accommodate events and meetings in the future, plant officials said.

“This place brings so many different groups of people together from so many different communities,” said S.C. Rep. Mike Forrester, R-Spartanburg. “They really have been a catalyst in promoting economic growth.”

The Spartanburg plant is on track to produce 450,000 vehicles this year, the most in its history. It is the hub of production for the X3, X4, X5 and X6, and will soon feature a new vehicle—the X7—in its lineup.

About 70 percent of the plant’s vehicles are exported to the world through the Port of Charleston via the state Ports Authority’s inland port in Spartanburg County.

Willisch said the arrangement is the “perfect setup,” but he believes there are even more opportunities to add capacity at the inland port.

“It has worked very well for us,” he said. “I would be very happy to see that operation continue to grow.”

For more information, visit bmwusfactory.com.

THINKING VISUAL As part of the ceremony, BMW announced the completion of six art projects that will be displayed throughout the more than 5-million-square-foot plant.

Students from the Metropolitan Arts Council and Savannah College of Art and Design produced the works.

• “Path Along the Parkway” by Allison Anne Brown (MAC), on display at the Assembly North Hall.

• “Bloom” by Nicholas Rivero and Sarah Linebaugh (SCAD), on display at the Site Operations Center.

• “Global Communications” by Ryan Calloway (MAC), on display at the Site Operations Center.

• “Embroidered Copper” by Cassidy Russell (SCAD), on display at the Zentrum Museum.

• “Human + Machine” by Courtney Davis (SCAD), on display at the Site Operations Center.

• “Auto Agate” by Suzanne Vitti (MAC), on display at the Zentrum Museum.

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Mall owners differ on Thanksgiving hours RUDOLPH BELL | CONTRIBUTOR

dbell@communityjournals.com

| RETAIL | 7

24/7 Emergency Power For Your Business

Owners of the big enclosed shopping malls in Greenville and Spartanburg are taking different stances this year when it comes to the question of doing business on Thanksgiving.

Both Haywood Mall in Greenville and WestGate Mall in Spartanburg have kept Thanksgiving hours in recent years, following an industry trend to roll back the start of the holiday shopping season even earlier than Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and the traditional beginning.

This year, however, CBL & Associates Properties of Chattanooga, owner of WestGate Mall, has reversed course and decided to keep the mall closed on Turkey Day along with 71 other malls it owns.

CBL says WestGate Mall won’t open until 6 a.m. on Black Friday, though stores with exterior entrances retain the option of selling on Thanksgiving.

“We want to bring back the excitement of Black Friday shopping as the true start of the holiday shopping season and allow our employees, retailers and shoppers to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with their families,” said Stephen Lebovitz, CBL’s chief executive, in announcing the change.

The owner of Haywood Mall, meanwhile, Simon Property Group of Indianapolis, is continuing a fouryear-old policy of doing business on the holiday.

Simon said in response to an inquiry from the Upstate Business Journal that Haywood Mall would open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Tenants aren’t required to open, the company said, but the majority prefer to do so “based on shopper interest.”

Several shoppers interviewed at Haywood Mall last week, however, said they’d rather see the mall, the Upstate’s largest single shopping venue, close on Thanksgiving.

Bethany Beazley, a 26-year-old mother of one from Spartanburg, said she thinks the decision to close WestGate Mall for the holiday puts employees over profit and “shows a lot of character.”

Mall employees are “going to be working like crazy the whole Christmas season,” she said. By getting a day off on Thanksgiving, they will have “more momentum going into the Christmas season, knowing their boss cared about them,” Beazley said.

Emily Carriker, a 30-year-old information technology support analyst from Greenville, said all the shopping on Thanksgiving in recent years has taken away from Black Friday.

“It was fun when it was like 5 a.m. on Friday, you know, because you could have your turkey with family, go home, sleep, get up and get some coffee and go shopping at 5 a.m.,” Carriker said. “That was kind of a game. But now it’s like eat turkey or go shopping. It’s a little much.”

Both Simon and CBL are publicly traded companies that must answer to Wall Street investors. Another Simon property, Gaffney Premium Outlets along Interstate 85 in Gaffney, will also be open on Thanksgiving.

Anderson Mall, owned by Washington Prime Group of Columbus, Ohio, has not announced its Thanksgiving hours, a spokesperson said.

Two retail chains that do business in the Upstate, hhgregg and Office Depot, have also announced that they will forgo business on Thanksgiving this year.

Office Depot operates four office supply stores in Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson, while hhgregg sells appliances, electronics and furniture at outlets on Woodruff Road in Greenville and off of Clemson Boulevard in Anderson.

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10.21.2016

Panthers training camp had $13.1 million economic impact TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF

tanderson@communityjournals.com Record attendance at this

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summer’s Carolina Panthers training camp at Wofford College paid dividends for Spartanburg County. According to a report released Monday by Clemson University tourism expert Bob Brookover, the 2016 camp had a $13.1 million impact on the county, a nearly 64 percent increase compared with $8 million in 2015.

The camp produced 263 jobs this year, compared with 174 during the previous year. It yielded $722,000 in revenue for local government and $2.3 million for state government, according to the report.

“We were pleased,” said Chris Jennings, executive vice president of the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). “It was really palpable this year in terms of the number of folks we had in downtown this year. We knew it was going to be better than last year if the weather held, which it did.”

In August, the CVB said attendance reached 135,371 visitors in 2016. That was nearly double the previous record of 77,625 fans who attended the camp in 2015.

A visitors profile survey by the CVB showed that the number of guests who stayed overnight increased to 32 percent this year, compared with 11 percent during the previous year.

The number of guests who traveled more than 50 miles to attend the camp decreased slightly, but the number of first-time guests increased 58 percent, compared with 52 percent in 2015.

The average expenditure per guest this year was $151, compared with $161 during the previous year.

Jennings said the excitement surrounding the team after its Super Bowl appearance this past year, as well as investments by the Panthers, Lowe’s Home Improvement and Wofford College to improve the overall fan experience at the camp helped to fuel the increases.

Fans also found more restaurants, retail shops and other activities to enjoy outside of camp, particularly in downtown Spartanburg.

“I think the investment by Wofford, Lowe’s and the Panthers in the way the

camp is presented made a huge difference,” Jennings said. “It’s a great partnership for all of us. Now the proof is in the pudding. This is where tourism starts to make its mark. These are hard dollars … It shows how it trickles down.”

The visitors profile survey found that only 58 percent of participants this year said they would not have come to Spartanburg without Panthers camp.

That’s down from 80 percent in 2015.

Jennings said it's difficult to predict what attendance will be like in 2017, but he anticipates enthusiasm to continue.

“No matter what happens, we’re going to have a great experience here,” he said.

“I know the Panthers. They’re going to do something different next year to make it even more exciting for the fans.”

Allen Smith, president and CEO of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement that the numbers reflect the team’s success and indicate the community is becoming more of a destination for business and tourism.

“More and more people are discovering that this is the place to enjoy a different slice of South Carolina charm,” Smith said.

2016 CAROLINA PANTHERS SUMMER TRAINING CAMP

$13.1 MILLION TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT

$151

AVERAGE EXPENDITURE PER GUEST

135,371 VISITORS

32%

GUESTS STAYING OVERNIGHT

58%

FIRST TIME GUESTS

(Numbers courtesy of Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau)

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| RESTAURANTS | 9

Vietnamese eatery Lemongrass coming to downtown Spartanburg TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF

tanderson@communityjournals.com Downtown Spartanburg will welcome its first Vietnamese restaurant later this month.

Tony Nguyen and his wife, Thang Bui, will open Lemongrass Kitchen in a restaurant space at 121 Dunbar St., currently home to Café Around the Corner's dining room.

Leslie Lattanzio, owner of Café Around the Corner, said she will keep operations in the kitchen at 119 Dunbar St. and will expand her catering concept and weekly meal service. She will also go mobile with a food trailer.

Nguyen said last Thursday he hopes to open Lemongrass Kitchen on Oct. 28.

“We are very excited,” he said. “We moved here from California in August.

We love it here. The people are very kind and very friendly. We can’t wait.”

Nguyen, who used to run a kitchen at a restaurant in Chinatown in Los Angeles, said he will serve as the head chef and his wife will serve as the owner. He said the eatery will cater to families and other downtown patrons.

The couple plans to have authentic Vietnamese dishes on the menu, including pho and bun. Lemongrass Kitchen will also have Vietnamese coffee and tea.

Nguyen said the restaurant will operate Monday through Saturday.

He is still finalizing a few details, but he anticipates being open from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. for breakfast, and until 2:30 p.m. for lunch. The restaurant will reopen at 5 p.m. for dinner until 10 p.m. He said the hours could be extended depending on customer demand.

“We’re excited to be bringing in an all-new type of restaurant that we don’t have in downtown,” said Andrew

Lemongrass Kitchen

Morgan Square Growler Haus

Lemongrass Kitchen, Spartanburg’s first Vietnamese restaurant, will open later this month in the space previously occupied by Café Around the Corner’s dining room.

Babb, who owns the restaurant spaces adjacent to the historic Palmetto Building across from Morgan Square.

“I wish Leslie all the best as she shifts gears. I think it’s going to be great.”

Nguyen and Bui were born in Vietnam, but met in California.

Nguyen said he moved to Orange County in 1982. Bui moved there in 2003. The couple has four children.

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10.21.2016

Pelham Medical Center, Self Regional Healthcare named in 'Best Places to Work' MELINDA YOUNG | CONTRIBUTOR

myoung@communityjournals.com Pelham Medical Center (PMC) was named one of the 100 "Best Places to Work in Healthcare for 2016" by Modern Healthcare.

Self Regional Healthcare of Greenwood also made the Top 100 list. They were the only South Carolina health care organizations on the 2016 list.

PMC is a division of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.

“This award makes me proud for our hospital team,” said Tony Kouskolekas, PMC president, in a public announcement of the honor. “This recognition marks Pelham Medical Center as one of the best employers in the health care industry, and it’s an honor to receive that designation.”

Modern Healthcare is a business publication that produces information targeting the health care industry with national and regional health care news.

Modern Healthcare's Best Places to Work in Healthcare award requires a

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two-part application process, including an 80-question questionnaire for the employer, followed by online surveys of the employees.

“At PMC, we are serious about creating a great workplace, empowering associates to excel in their positions, and to use their talent to create an environment where we all benefit and perform at extraordinary standards,” said Connie Spykerman, vice president and chief nursing officer of PMC. Great teamwork was one of the qualities that makes the organization a top workplace, Kouskolekas said. “I've been in other places where teamwork was excellent, but the teamwork here is off-the-charts excellent.”

Other attributes include transparency, monthly meetings with new associates and a work-life balance that is enhanced by Pelham Medical Center's on-site gym, walking trail, weight loss incentive program and award-winning food menu in a restaurant-style cafeteria.

Also, Pelham Medical Center asso-

The Pelham Medical Center team

ciates actively promote health education at schools, churches, civic organizations, senior centers and health fairs throughout the area. Associates also teach CPR and provide blood pressure and cancer screenings at the annual Greer Family Fest.

“Our focus here is always on the patients, but ultimately, we're trying to create the best culture that we possibly can,” Kouskolekas said. “This award edifies that we are committed to do the right thing.”

Modern Healthcare honors workplaces throughout the health care industry that empower their employees to provide patients and customers with the best possible care. The award was presented at an awards dinner on Oct. 6 in New Orleans during the organization's annual Workplace of the Future conference. Award-winners were also featured in a special supplement published along with the Oct. 10 issue of Modern Healthcare.

10.21.2016

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| RESTAURANTS | 11

New eatery HenHouse Brunch planned for Spartanburg TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF

tanderson@communityjournals.com Baguette & Co., a prominent French bakery in downtown Spartanburg, shuttered last Wednesday.

But it will soon be replaced by HenHouse Brunch, operated by Greenville-based chef Malcolm Garrison and his fiancé, Lexie Martinez.

The couple has targeted opening in mid-November. Their eatery will serve a simple menu of breakfast and brunch foods, including a few pastry recipes passed down by John Bellefontaine, owner of Baguette & Co. “It’s amazing,” said Garrison, a 20-year veteran of the restaurant industry who previously served as the executive chef of the Greenville Marriott. “It has always been a dream of ours to open our own place.”

Garrison said he moved around a lot as a kid. After high school, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard and was stationed in Charleston. He said he fell in love with South Carolina.

When he retired from the Coast

Guard, Garrison went to culinary school in New York and then decided to settle in the Upstate after he graduated.

He took a job at Romano’s Macaroni Grill off Pelham Road in Greenville, which is where he met Martinez, of Mauldin, who grew up in the restaurant industry.

Garrison said the couple originally planned to open a food truck. They came to downtown Spartanburg to get their business license and learned that Bellefontaine was interested in selling the storefront he opened in August 2015.

“We thought it was perfect,” Garrison said.

He said the restaurant will operate from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The couple plans to hire additional help as their business picks up.

Garrison said HenHouse Brunch will have a selection of coffees from Spartanburg-based Little River Roasting Co. Diners will be able to enjoy dishes like eggs Benedict and fresh biscuits and croissants.

“We will have a few specials, but I just

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Hen House Brunch Hen House Brunch will be moving into the space previously occupied by Baguette & Co.

want to keep it simple and yummy,” Garrison said.

He said the couple expects to sign their lease for the 780-square-foot space at 201 Wall St. adjacent to Hub Diggity on the ground floor of Spartanburg developer Royce Camp’s multiuse building across from city hall.

“It’s a wonderful space, but I think it needs consistent operation,” Camp said.

“I think there’s a great opportunity there.”

Bellefontaine could not be reached for comment Wednesday. It was unclear

whether he plans to continue operating the bakery that he and his wife, Veronique, started at the Hub City Farmers Market in 2011.

Bobby Beauvais, owner of Hub Diggity, said he is pleased the space will soon be occupied. He said he hopes the recent influx of new restaurants to the city’s urban center will encourage local officials to court more companies that want to relocate to downtown.

For more information, visit facebook. com/henhouse.brunchtruck.

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10.21.2016

Denny's opens its first diner in the Philippines TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF

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chain Denny’s Corp. announced last Monday it has opened its first restaurant in the Philippines.

The location, which is at the Uptown Parade in Bonifacio Global City near Manila, is the first of 10 restaurants Denny’s franchisee The Bistro Group plans to open across the country during the next decade.

A second store in the Philippines is expected to open in November in Santa Rosa, Laguna, according to the company.

“With over 1,700 locations located throughout the world, Denny’s is excited to open in the Philippines, an important gateway to Asia,” said John Miller, president and CEO of Denny’s, in a statement.

Denny’s said as of June 29, it had 1,720 franchise and company-owned restaurants with combined sales of $2.8 billion. Its international operating chain included 117 international locations in Canada, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Guam, the United Arab Emirates, Chile, Curacao, El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago.

“Excitement is building with the opening of the first-ever Denny’s in the country,” said Paul Manuud, president and chief operating officer of The Bistro Group, in a statement. “Manila will finally have a taste of a real American diner that serves a menu of breakfast favorites and American comfort food all day, every day.”

According to the company’s website (bistro.com.ph) The Bistro Group’s restaurant portfolio also includes Buffalo Wild Wings, Modern Shanghai, TGI Fridays, Village Tavern and Watami.

“It has been a true pleasure working with The Bistro Group, and we look forward to finding more qualified partners like Paul and his team to further expand Denny’s international footprint,” said Steve Dunn, Denny’s senior vice president and global development officer, in a statement.

For more information, visit dennys.com.

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Power is needed 24/7 to produce parts for their customers around the clock. In a competitive world, assuring their clients continuity of operations, provides CJ Machining an advantage over many of their competitors who are at the mercy of their local power grid. Virtually every function of their business is dependent on a power source. From the communication with buyers, employee access to web tools, running the machines and power tools, and tracking supplies , to keeping computer servers up and running, CJ Machining’s business is dependent on having a steady and reliable source of power.

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14 | COVER |

GRAND BOHEMIAN

UBJ

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10.21.2016

Gateway to Greenville With the coming of the Grand Bohemian hotel, a new entryway to downtown emerges Words by David Dykes | Photos by Brian Scott/Upstate Aerial LLC

The view from Reedy River Falls is about to change. Wyche P.A., the law firm that overlooks the river, has agreed to sell its East Camperdown Way property to Orlando, Fla.-based The Kessler Collection, and a new hotel, the Grand Bohemian Greenville, will take its place.

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GRAND BOHEMIAN

| COVER | 15

“I think what we will see is that the building will feel very rooted into the park setting, so the use of natural materials, rustic materials, stone and brick will help ground it to the site.”

Christian Sottile of Sottile & Sottile, the design architect for the Grand Bohemian Hotel.

mian. One of the firm’s principals is Christian Sottile, dean of the Savannah College of Art and Design’s School of Building Arts. Sottile said he has become “extremely familiar” with Greenville over the 18 months his firm has worked on the local project with the Kessler team.

“We’ve been to Greenville a number of times to study the site and understand what really is a very unique context there in Falls Park,” he said. “The opportunity here with the redevelopment of this site is to create an eastern gateway to Falls Park.”

A new district

T

his is not just any hotel. Inspired by the look and feel of a national park lodge, Greenville’s Grand Bohemian will add to Kessler’s 11 boutique hotels and restaurants, including Grand Bohemian hotels in Charleston and Asheville, N.C. And with an art gallery, spa, 4,000-square-foot ballroom, meeting space and a restaurant and bar overlooking the river, it’s designed to be a destination in and of itself. Hotel officials say they will break ground in the fall of 2017.

But as impressive as Kessler hopes the 160room Grand Bohemian Greenville will be, the new hotel is a further sign that properties along the eastern banks of the Reedy and along Falls and Broad streets are about to potentially experience a

transformation about as significant as the one that gave birth to RiverPlace. Although the name for this new area is subject to change, it is being referred to as the East Gateway District.

“The Kessler Collection is thrilled to be entering the vibrant city of Greenville for the brand’s next Grand Bohemian hotel,” said Richard C. Kessler, chairman and chief executive officer. “The location is uniquely dramatic, situated along a beautiful waterfall and park in the urban core. We are very eager to begin construction, and plans are well underway. There will be no other hotel in the state of South Carolina with such a tranquil ambiance created by natural beauty.”

The firm of Sottile & Sottile in Savannah, Ga., is the design architect for the Greenville Grand Bohe-

In collaboration with Wyche, developer Centennial American Properties and the City of Greenville, the Grand Bohemian will be an integral part of the area’s transformation into the East Gateway District, Kessler officials said. Centennial is redeveloping the Camperdown site, the current home of The Greenville News. The site will feature a hotel, retail, office and multifamily units.

The firm has proposed another building at 55 E. Camperdown Way along the banks of the Reedy.

The new office and retail development will be situated on property that includes the Bowater parking garage and the former Bowater building that now houses the Nexsen Pruet law firm, MGC Law, Colliers International real estate firm and others. Wakefield, Beasley and Associates of Alpharetta, Ga., architect for the project, has applied for a certificate of appropriateness from the city’s Design Review Board. The board is considering the project.

Meanwhile, The News will move to 32 E. Broad St. Furthermore, the currently under-construction Cancer Survivors Park, the coming redevelopment of County Square and the present-day home of the Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities also

16 | COVER |

UBJ

GRAND BOHEMIAN

signal the expansion of downtown beyond Main Street.

For Centennial American President Brody Glenn, the East Camperdown Way project could play a role increasing the area’s vitality. "One of the things that we felt was extremely important is trying to create a connection from Main Street into the [Falls] park," Glenn told Design Review Board officials recently.

That connection, Glenn hopes, will create a quadrant of Greenville throughout Main Street and the Reedy River to "start to create some energy on that side.” Centennial began developing The News site about two years ago. "We're so lucky to have the park that we have," he said. "We also have a good bit of land in that area that can be redeveloped and help our city grow and become more vibrant."

Wyche’s plans Wyche officials said they will announce plans for the firm’s new location once details are certain. The firm is committed to its new home being another catalyst for positive growth in the community, the officials said. It

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10.21.2016

“There will be no other hotel in the state of South Carolina with such a tranquil ambiance created by natural beauty.”

Richard C. Kessler, chairman and chief executive officer of the Kessler Collection

has offices in Greenville and Columbia.

The intersection of enhancing Greenville’s physical environment and artistic community presented a rare opportunity that Wyche knew would further Greenville’s growing reputation as an international destination, officials with the law firm said.

“Wyche has been approached many times over the years by developers interested in our home at the base of the Reedy River Falls,” said Ted Gentry, chair of Wyche’s executive committee. “We have rarely been

tempted, but we thought Kessler’s approach was special. Kessler shared our love and vision for this very special place. We are convinced that Kessler will do justice to one of the most beautiful natural settings in any city.”

In the eyes of Greenville Mayor Knox White, that opportunity was made

possible largely because one group believed in the city long before many others — Wyche. White says, “The Wyche firm has been integral in many of the most visionary projects in Greenville’s history. It’s no surprise that Wyche is also central to this exciting development.”

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Not a member yet?

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Falls Park, located in downtown Greenville's Historic West End, is considered by local officials and residents as one of Greenville's most significant attributes. The park to many residents and visitors is an oasis within the city, a place where people gather to work and play. It lends itself to a variety of activities for people of all ages and interests.

In the mid-1980s, the Carolina Foothills Garden Club and the City of Greenville adopted a master plan for the park that was designed to restore the beauty of the area and provide a safe and welcoming gathering spot for individuals and groups. The vision for a public garden was finally realized when the Camperdown Bridge was removed in 2002.

Using funds generated through a local hospitality tax, and building on the master plan designed in 1999 by landscape architect Andrea Mains, Falls Park was developed to include 20 acres of gardens showcasing Reedy River Falls.

In August 2002, Mayor White announced "In Full Bloom in 2003," a $13 million initiative to transform the park into a public garden and oasis. Included in the project was construction of a 355-foot-long, 12-foot-wide, curved suspension bridge that was designed by world-renowned architect Miguel Rosales.

10.21.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

GRAND BOHEMIAN

Meet the Architect: Christian Sottile

The SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, designed by the firm of Sottile & Sottile.

Christian Sottile, dean of the Savannah College of Art and Design’s School of Building Arts and whose firm is designing the Greenville Grand Bohemian, said the hotel project is as much a part of the city’s urban design “as it is about a building and an architectural project.”

“The site initially appears challenging because of its shape,” he said. “It’s really very much a part of the park.

But in understanding the site better, we have really come to realize that the old Wyche law firm building provides a template for how to build on the site.

The fact that the site is long and linear, it causes us to think about the architectural program in a way that really takes advantage of the views to the river — both the falls and the lower falls — as well as open up to the old Camperdown connection, which is

The Power of Place: Wyche The Wyche law firm traces its origins to 1921, when C. Granville Wyche joined two other Greenville attorneys to form Cothran, Dean & Wyche. His son, Tommy, joined the firm in 1949 and guided its growth for more than 60 years. His vision led Wyche to play an influential role in the revitalization and growth of downtown Greenville beginning in the 1980s. Wyche died in January 2015 at age 88.

“Much of downtown Greenville’s growth and development in the last three decades has been due to Tommy Wyche’s vision, leadership and collaboration with other community leaders,” said Ted Gentry, chair of Wyche’s executive committee.

“We knew we had a responsibility to continue that tradition. Making it possible for the Grand Bohemian Hotel to come to the heart of Greenville, in a location we have loved and cared for, will help our vibrant city continue to thrive.”

In the Wyche firm’s 95 years, its attorneys have participated in landmark litigation, served as counsel on cutting-edge transactions and provided community leadership that has helped shape and drive the region’s growth and success.

Wyche attorneys have played a key role in the development of many of the most significant projects in downtown Greenville and the Upstate, including The Peace Center, RiverPlace, The Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, Bon Secours Wellness Arena, The Hyatt Hotel and Heritage Green.

In addition, Tommy Wyche has been recognized for a history of leadership, as well as visionary ideas, in creating an environment in which the arts have flourished in Greenville, receiving the prestigious Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts to acknowledge the firm’s efforts.

very much a part of how the park is accessed from the city in the redevelopment of this eastern gateway.”

The Wyche building was originally designed by Kirk Craig of Craig and Gaulden Architects, now Craig Gaulden Davis.

The point where the Liberty Bridge meets the parking lot near the Wyche building is an opportunity to expand Falls Park and improve pedestrian

| COVER | 17

accessibility to the lower falls, Sottile said.

He is working with Kessler on five projects and said, “None of the Kessler Collection hotels repeat a specific approach. If there’s one thing they hold in common, their mission is to create inspirational places. No two projects are alike, because no two places are alike.”

Sottile said the Greenville site will be rooted in a park setting and influenced by the city’s textile mill heritage.

"I think what we will see is that the building will feel very rooted into the park setting so the use of natural materials, rustic materials, stone and brick will help ground it to the site,” he said. “Then we’ll see it transition into a building that has clear and clean lines. The materials will become softer.

There will be more wood and there will be generous areas of glazing. And there will be roof forms that are identifiable that give the building presence without being complicated.”

Planned Giving for Future Endeavors Gil Gilfillin’s generous unrestricted bequest to the Community Foundation made possible gifts to local nonprofit organizations that will enhance the quality of life in Greenville County.

864-233-5925 • www.cfgreenville.org

18 | SQUARE FEET |

UBJ

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

DAVID DYKES | STAFF ddykes@communityjournals.com |

|

10.21.2016

@daviddykes

I-85

North Main Street

Mauldin Heights

I-385 Mauldin

West Butler Road

NAI Earle Furman closes two multifamily portfolios totaling $8.65 million DHP Real Estate bought an 80-unit complex, Mauldin Heights, 901 N. Main St. in Mauldin, and a portfolio of 14 single-family homes, also in Mauldin, from Tribec Corporation and Kiefer Corporation.

The Mauldin Heights property was 95 percent occupied at the time of sale. DHP plans to make several capital improvements to the property, according to NAI Earle Furman.

In another transaction, Bad Company LLC purchased four multifamily properties totaling 93 units – East Terrace, Charlestowne, Quail Ridge and Green Forest in Easley and Liberty – from Heinreich

Bickman. The properties were stabilized and the purchaser has a value-add program in place to make immediate improvements, NAI Earle Furman said.

The transactions amounted to $5.4 million and $3.2 million, respectively, NAI Earle Furman said.

Tony Bonitati, Kay Hill and Bern DuPree of NAI Earle Furman represented the sellers in both transactions.

Bad Company was represented by Jake Van Gieson and Gaston Albergotti, also of NAI Earle Furman.

DHP Real Estate was not represented in the transaction.

Coming next week: UBJ's quarterly

CRE ISSUE

MARKET REPORTS & TRENDS MAJOR TRANSACTIONS IN THE UPSTATE EXPERT ANALYSIS

10.21.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

STRATEGIES FOR HONING YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

| PROFESSIONAL | 19

What’s keeping your company from diversity and inclusion?

2. MYTH: There’s no true value to the bottom line

By NIKA WHITE Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion, Greenville Chamber

Good intentions can be the greatest motivation to start a new initiative. But sometimes plans fail to reach implementation because of misguided information. Diversity and inclusion are among those initiatives that I often hear that organizations lack due to myths and excuses. Consider these four points below that are designed to debunk the myths and illuminate the excuses that many organizations often are faced with.

1. EXCUSE: My organization is too busy to focus

on diversity and inclusion; therefore we will leverage the outcomes that occur organically. I often hear organizational leaders express that they readily “invite diversity into its culture.” But we do not have to “invite” diversity. Diversity is already here. We must, however, be intentional about welcoming and cultivating inclusion, because inclusion does not happen organically.

Intentionality is incredibly important to the work of inclusion because it requires leveraging diversity to accomplish the organization’s mission. Recognizing that diversity already exists, the question becomes what we each will do about it to allow businesses to grow and people to prosper.

of diversity and inclusion. Organizational leaders must believe that positive outcomes can occur with strategic diversity and inclusion practices integrated into the operations of an organization. Recognize that diversity is more than a moral challenge. It’s a bottom-line business imperative. Always align the reason for diversity and inclusion to a business case and be less concerned with trying to awaken people’s social consciousness regarding diversity. An effective diversity and inclusion strategy begins with believing that the outcomes are worth it. In order to believe in the results, one must first become educated on the benefits.

3. EXCUSE:

My organization doesn’t know how to manage diversity and inclusion effectively. One frequent reason organizations cite for not operating in the space of diversity and inclusion is that they simply do not know how to manage and implement a diversity and inclusion initiative. I do not doubt this to be the case, but I also know that what an organization values is what they pursue and dedicate resources to.

There are several resources available to organizations interested in integrating diversity and inclusion within their companies. If you do not know how, consider the thousands of resources available through textbooks, white papers, webinars, consultants, conferences, etc.

In short, an organization not engaging in diversity and

inclusion practices because it does not know how is simply using an excuse to not get started. My challenge to all organizations is to throw out the excuse of not knowing how and invest the time and energy necessary to learn how. It is just that important, especially given the shift in demographics that will create a society where there is no such thing as racial majority.

4. MYTH:

Only large corporations with big budgets should be concerned with diversity and inclusion. The notion that you need to be a large company with hundreds of employees, a massive budget and a seasoned diversity practitioner on staff in order to implement a succewssful diversity and inclusion initiative is far from the truth. Positive intent and a willing champion is all that’s needed to create a jumping-off point to establish a positive trajectory in the area of workplace inclusion. Every organization had to start somewhere. Don’t be the organization that waits until all major milestones have been met before considering the value of diversity and inclusion.

Don’t let a myth or excuse keep your company from joining the ranks of successful organizations that are committed to diversity and inclusion and are reaping the benefits.

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20 | INNOVATE |

UBJ

MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE

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10.21.2016

Failure: It comes with the territory

By JOHN M. MOORE CEO, NEXT Upstate, LLC

Few people know that in the same year Babe Ruth broke the major league baseball record for most home runs in a season in 1923, he broke two other notable records. One was for the highest batting average. The other, less ceremoniously, was for strikeouts in a season.

Yes, Babe Ruth, the legendary Sultan of Swat and Hall of Famer, in essence failed at the plate more than anyone in baseball history in the same year that he broke the all-time mark for home runs. In fact, while hitting an amazing 41 home runs that year, Ruth struck out 93 times. You could say it was his fearlessness at the plate, his disregard for potential failure, that was the cornerstone of his remarkable career.

Unfortunately, the failure rate of high-impact entrepreneurs is similar to Babe Ruth’s strikeout rate. Depending on the source cited and the time

horizon considered, the failure rate for U.S.-based startup companies hovers around 50-70 percent. Whether you are an investor in early-stage ventures or a community looking to foster high-impact entrepreneurship as an economic development strategy, it’s important to understand that the majority of startups fail. But just as important to recognize is the fact that they also produce very positive net returns with the majority of net new jobs being created by a small percentage of innovation-based, “gazelle” ventures across the country.

Locally, within the NEXT entrepreneur ecosystem covering the Greenville/Upstate region of South Carolina over the last 10 years, we have experienced this natural churn of companies but with a tremendous net impact to our economy and culture. Starting with only eight original ventures in 2006, NEXT now supports 175 innovation-based startups here, representing a dramatic net increase over that time.

But we must recognize that there have

been many NEXT-supported ventures that have failed through the years including ones in software/IT, biotech and advanced materials. Like in any such portfolio, we have seen our share of companies come and go, and there will be many more in the future that won’t survive long-term despite the best efforts of their founders and entities like NEXT. With that in mind, the real question for our community is this: How are we to respond to entrepreneurial failures if we are to truly compete to be one of

the net positive impact of the group as a whole and less on the individual companies that cease to operate.

Taking this portfolio viewpoint also forces us to always be working on increasing the number of innovation-based ventures here, as the key for long-term success will be to continue growing the size and diversity of the overall pool of companies.

Second, we must begin to shift to a model that celebrates the entrepreneurial effort versus fixating on the death of a company. While failure is never the goal and we must continue to support our entrepreneurs as they do all they can to turn around struggling companies, we should acknowledge the failure, but lift high the founders for their years of effort and encourage them to get back on the entrepreneurial horse for another ride.

This represents a pretty dramatic shift in our traditional view of business failures, but it is one that will be critical to fostering greater entrepreneurial activity here in the years ahead.

With entrepreneurship and innovation comes some level of failure. This

We should acknowledge the failure, but lift high the founders for their years of effort and encourage them to get back on the entrepreneurial horse for another ride.

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the best places in the country to launch and scale an innovation-based venture?

First, I would propose that we view our startup scene as a portfolio, a growing, diverse mix of companies including some that will go away over the next 5-10 years while others will last for decades to come and will impact our area for generations into the future.

Much like a venture capital investment portfolio of high-risk ventures, we must include in our assumptions that a certain percentage of the startups here will never reach maturity, while others will produce more than enough returns to compensate for the failures. With this broad view of the entrepreneu landscape here, we can focus more on

isn’t just true in our area but is a universal fact. Encouragingly though, many of the names we associate with entrepreneurial success like Gates, Disney, Bezos, Hershey and Ford first experienced major failure before launching the ventures that would one day make them household names. We all should keep that in mind the next time we hear of a local startup ceasing to exist. Instead of bemoaning the closed business, we should do our collective part to thank the entrepreneur for launching their company here and ask, “What can we do to help you launch another one?”

10.21.2016

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUSINESS

| DIGITAL MAVEN | 21

Would your disaster recovery plan have survived Hurricane Matthew?

By LAURA HAIGHT president, portfoliosc.com

It’s been a tough October in the Atlantic.

Hurricane Matthew had barely left a battered and flooded North Carolina when Nicole formed and swung back around to take a second swipe at Jamaica and roil up the Atlantic Coast last weekend.

Matthew was a monster, and thousands of families lost homes and belongings. Nearly 50 people in the U.S. died. And for many businesses, the storm had serious financial consequences – lost revenue, flooded facilities, businesses forced to shut down for several days. Estimates are that damages from Matthew will fall somewhere around $10 billion.

Businesses in the most hard-hit areas will certainly be evaluating their preparedness, but it’s a good time for all of us to dust off those disaster plans, refamiliarize ourselves with them and update the information.

WAIT … YOU DON’T HAVE A DISASTER PLAN?

In 2015, 66 percent of businesses surveyed by Symantec and the National Cyber Security Alliance reported that their operations were dependent on the internet. It doesn’t take a Category 4 hurricane to mess with that; a simple power outage would be enough.

Developing a disaster plan is a commitment. It takes time and demands diligence. It also requires constant evaluation to ensure that staff and technology changes are reflected in the plan. A disaster or business resumption plan is a living document.

Here are some keys to developing one that will work for you when you need it.

OCTOBER IS CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS MONTH This is the 13th year that the U.S. has recognized October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The awareness project is supported by the National Cybersecurity Alliance, a consortium of public and private businesses, government organizations and nonprofits. Portfolio is very proud to be a member of this organization.

The goal of the alliance and its program Stop. Think. Connect.

1.

If you’re building a plan from scratch, make sure the team you have working on it includes a lot of line staff. Management knows how things are supposed to be done, but line staff knows how it really works. Emergency plans built by management focus on the big picture of what should happen. That’s fine as far as it goes, but the key to a successful plan is not the “what,” but the “how.” To know and prepare for that, you have to ask those who “do.”

2.

Emergency plans by definition have to imagine the worst. Assumptions that elements of the plan will work will not be effective when those things don’t work. A disaster plan operates in a far-from-perfect world where databases are inaccessible and the key payroll expert is on vacation. The truly effective plan thinks outside the box and plans for mess ups, miscues and mistakes.

3.

Rely on people, not systems. Don’t build a system to back up a system. During an emergency, few things will operate as expected. So it is critical that people get face to face and be prepared to readjust on the fly. A good emergency plan not only draws its backbone from the bottom up but also builds in person-to-person communication so we can work through the unexpected things that happened in step 2.

4.

The hardest part of any emergency planning process is getting all the stakeholders to agree to a full test of the plan. This doesn’t mean you have to shut down your business for a day; you can game out a number of different scenarios in a conference room. But without a “what-if” scenario testing of your plan, you will not realize that you didn’t know what you didn’t know.

5.

Nothing is as certain as change. Did you lose an employee in the last year? Perhaps an important one? Did you update the contact info in your emergency plan? (I could go on with system vendors, switched digital service and changed passwords on cloud services, but I think you get the picture.)

(goo.gl/9pwXMG), a global online safety education and awareness campaign, is to help individuals and businesses understand the risks cybercrime poses, as well as to learn and promote best practices and safe behaviors.

A major disaster your business could face might have little to do with the weather, but rather with how you recover from a significant cyberattack, hacking incident or data

loss. To plan for that, the Federal Communications Commission has developed a template with guidance to help businesses build a cyber event-planning guide. While your disaster plan and cyber plan could share many elements, a cyber plan has some different components that are unique to recovery from a hack.

Download your copy of the planner at goo.gl/GFFl8X.

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To learn more, contact Brian Mulcahy at 864.300.4889 or

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This is not an offer to sell a franchise.

An offer can only be made in applicable states with authorized documentation. 7-Eleven Inc., P.O. Box 711, Dallas, TX 75221-0711

22 | ON THE MOVE |

UBJ

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

PROMOTED

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DALLAS MCGUIRE

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TYLER CROTTS

Named director of organization development of Tindall Corporation. She was previously senior project manager. In this new human resources role, Peterson will focus on development and training initiatives, including talent management, career planning and succession and employee engagement.

Joined Scott and Company LLC’s tax department.

McGuire began working with Scott and Company on a contract basis in February 2015 and was recently formally hired as a senior accountant in tax and advisory services.

Joined C. Dan Joyner Berkshire Hathaway as a commercial real estate professional. He is a graduate of Maine Maritime Academy where he received a degree in marine engineering.

Jackson Marketing, Motorsports & Events has hired Tyler Crotts as a customer service representative. In his new role, Crotts will be responsible for sales support and coordination of sponsorship requests and order placement for Jackson’s tire products portfolio.

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10.21.2016

VIP

Milliken & Co. announced that J. Harold Chandler has been elected chairman, president and CEO. Chandler has served as a member of its board for 14 years, the past five years as chairman. He graduated from Wofford College, where he has served as a trustee for 24 years, the past five as chairman of the board of trustees. Chandler earned his master’s degree from the University of South Carolina and completed his postgraduate studies at Harvard Business School.

CONTRIBUTE: New hires, promotions & award winners may be featured in On the Move.

Send information and photos to onthemove@pstatebusinessjournal.com.

Some things just get better with age.

RollingGreenVillage.com

For information, call 987-4612

CONSTRUCTION O’Neal Inc., a Greenville-based integrated design and construction firm, has hired John Altick as project controller. Altick has more than 30 years of project control experience. He previously worked for CH2M Hill and Suitt Construction. He earned his Bachelor of Science in construction management from Louisiana State University.

NETWORKING AND SECURITY ScanSource Inc., announced new leadership for its worldwide barcode, networking and security segment with the appointment of two seasoned channel executives to the role of worldwide co-president. Paul Constantine and Tony Sorrentino will provide strategic vision and leadership for the segment on a global basis. Constantine will continue to serve as president of the ScanSource point of sale and barcode business unit in the United States and Canada, and Sorrentino will continue to serve as president of the ScanSource networking and security business unit in the United States.

HEALTH CARE Dr. Brandon Green joined Shriners Hospitals for Children–Greenville as pediatric orthopaedic surgeon. Green, a graduate of the Wellmont Orthopaedic Residency program in Kingsport, Tenn., completed his pediatric orthopaedic residency at Emory University in Atlanta.

FINANCE Greer State Bank announces the additions of Dale Watts and Michelle Strube to the mortgage team and Bethany Edwards and Josh Shaffer to the bank’s credit and loan department. Watts will serve at the bank’s Buncombe Road location, and Strube will serve at the bank’s headquarters on Poinsett Street. Edwards, a graduate from the University of Tennessee, serves as a loan administration specialist, and Shaffer, a recent graduate of North Greenville University and former intern for the Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce, currently serves as a credit analyst for the bank’s credit administration department.

10.21.2016

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INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE

| SOCIAL SNAPSHOT | 23

INSIGHT2IMPACT FOODSERVICE MARKETING SUMMIT VantagePoint Marketing hosted its first Insight2Impact Foodservice Marketing Summit at the new RiverPlace Embassy Suites in downtown Greenville last week.

The event brought in executives from food-related businesses from seven states, as well as some regional leaders. Among the speakers at the event were John Miller, CEO of Spartanburg-based Denny’s Restaurants, and Carl Sobocinski of Table 301. Other speakers included Nancy Kruse, a well-known trends and menu analyst, and Mike Walpole, a Chick-fil-A executive. Guests visited dining and entertainment destinations like Larkin’s on the River, Pour Taproom and The Lazy Goat.

CELEBRATING WITH A BASH The Greenville Chamber’s annual BBQ Bash/ Manufacturers Celebration, held to honor the manufacturers who chose Greenville, was held last Thursday at a new site: the Center for Manufacturing Innovation.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart presents

COMEDY Huguenot Loft at The Peace Center Tickets are $35.00 at the Peace Center Box Office or www.PeaceCenter.org

NIGHT Monday, Nov. 7th

Reception at 6pm • Show at 7pm

Please join us for a HILARIOUS evening of amateur joke telling!

All proceeds benefit Combat Wounded Veterans.

24 | THE FINE PRINT |

BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

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10.21.2016

Sage Automotive Interiors acquires automotive manufacturing assets

Presented by

Sage Automotive Interiors, headquartered in Greenville, has acquired the automotive manufacturing assets of Italy-based Apollo S.p.A. with the goal of expanding capacity and capability for automotive interior products to the European market. Based in Florence, Italy, and Bucharest, Romania, Apollo is ideally suited to supply automotive fabrics and sewn covers in Central and Eastern Europe.

“Europe remains a key growth area for Sage Automotive Interiors,” said Dirk Pieper, CEO of Sage Automotive Interiors. “In addition, the technology and capabilities that will now be part of Sage Automotive Interiors will strengthen our ability to serve customers from our current locations in Europe and the rest of the world.”

Sage and Apollo have a long history of working closely together in Europe. Apollo was founded in 1969 as a producer of upholstery fabrics and velvets and entered the automotive market in 1986. In 2005, Apollo was the first European automotive textile company to have products awarded with Eco-Label certification. Apollo’s location in Florence, Italy, means it is centered in one of the design capitals of the world.

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Clemson Eye launches Contoura, improves LASIK data by 17,000 percent Clemson Eye has begun using the Contoura Topography-Guided LASIK system, the most advanced laser correction system available.

The Contoura system creates the most detailed mapping ever done of the cornea generating 22,000 points of data as compared to the best previous map based on 168 points, a 17,000 percent increase. The system received “very positive clinical trial outcomes,” its developer Alcon reported to the American Academy of Ophthalmology upon its approval by the FDA in November 2015. The EX500 laser connects directly to the data, which allows for much more accurate surgical planning and completion. The greatest advances are achieved in patients with irregular corneas, eye disease or scarring.

Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator seeks applicants for new program TheUpstateBusinessJournal @upstatebiz

@UpstateBiz Upstate Business Journal

#

#businessontap

The Greenville Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator (MBA) program has partnered with national nonprofit Interise to help transition established business owners from working in their business to strategically working on their business.

An information session will be held on Nov. 1 at the Greenville Chamber from 2-3:30 p.m. to go over program and application details for those considering the program. Applications for the program will be accepted until Nov. 30 at 5 p.m.

Basic program eligibility requirements include $250,000-$10 million in >>

10.21.2016

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THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

Open for business 1

| NEW TO THE STREET | 25

Community Journals is hiring!

SALES EXECUTIVE 1. The Art Cellar opened its new location at 233 N. Main St. in downtown Greenville. Learn more about the local fine art and craft gallery at greenvilleartcellar.com.

Photo provided

FULL TIME

PRINT / DIGITAL / SOCIAL / EVENTS Email MJOHNSTON@COMMUNITYJOURNALS.COM with cover letter and resumĂŠ.

2

COMMUNITY JOURNALS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

2. MCS Recruitment, a full-service employment agency, recently opened at 5 Century Drive, Ste. 150. Visit mcsrecruitmentllc.com to learn more.

Photo provided

CONTRIBUTE: Know of a business opening soon?

Email information to aturner@communityjournals.com.

>>

annual revenue, at least one full-time employee in addition to the owner and having been in business for three or more years.

MBA 2017 will feature Interise’s StreetWise MBA curriculum designed to provide established small-business owners with the knowledge, management know-how and networks needed to grow.

Local business leader Toby Stansell has been selected to facilitate the curriculum for MBA 2017, which is designed to build the resilience needed for growth, including strategies and tactics to increase revenue, improve financial management and gain access to capital. The six- to seven-month program includes 100 total hours of work performed by business owners, 13 in-class sessions, seven CEO mentoring groups and a live-case analysis. Upon program completion, each participating businesses will have a strategically sound growth plan along with the knowledge and network to execute it.

Applications and information session registration are online at greenvillechamber.org.

LIG R=

DA R=

CH R=

26 | #TRENDING |

UBJ

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

OVERHEARD @ THE WATERCOOLER OCTOBER 14, 2016

> Cynthia Davis “So looking forward to being one of your first customers!”

THE SELF-EMPLOY

| VOL. 5 ISSUE 42

MENT ISSUE

BE THE BOSS

RENEU R MILLEN NIAL ENTREP H ADVISO RS | THE MAXIM IZE TIME FOSTER VICTOR WEALT SSES | STEPS TO OF MICRO BUSINE THE IMPOR TANCE

> Katie Fox Dipietro “So excited to try this! Way to go, Joe!” > David Taylor “Looking good Joe. Congrats.” > Diana Pavlick “Congratulations Joe! Had no idea, good luck!!!!” > Nika White “Support my friend Joe Gilman!” > Melissa Edwards Goodwin “We’ve been so anxious to see this finally happen for our dear friend and pizza master, Joe Gilman. Congratulations, Gilman — I know the masses are going to enjoy the best-kept secret your friends have always known. December can’t get here soon enough! > Susan’s Page “I can’t wait to come!!!!!!!!!!!!!” > Natalie Jane Lewis “Joe! This is so exciting! Can’t wait. My mouth is watering already.”

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

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10.21.2016

BIZ BUZZ

Distilled commentary from UBJ readers

RE: RISATA PIZZA TO OPEN IN GREER THIS DECEMBER

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DIGITAL FLIPBOOK ARCHIVE >> The layout of print meets the convenience of the Web. Flip through the digital editions of any of our print issues, and see them all in one place. >> upstatebusinessjournal. com/past-issues

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RE: QUICK FEET HELPED CONVERT NC’S LOSS OF NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS INTO A WIN FOR GREENVILLE > Allyson Eskew “Congrats Robin Reynolds Wright! Great article!! #Superstar”

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

>> 554 1. New brunch eatery planned for downtown Spartanburg

>> 271 2. Risata Pizza to open in Greer this December

>> 200 3. Former student-mentor duo partner to open Foster Victor Wealth Advisors

>> 198 4. NorthPointe development agreement gets initial approval

>> 185 5. Quick feet helped convert N.C.’s loss of NCAA championships into a win for Greenville

> Upstate South Carolina Living “!!!!” > Beverly Ward Johnson “Great”

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10.21.2016

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DATE Friday

10/21

Tuesday

10/25 Wednesday

10/26 Thursday

10/27

| PLANNER | 27

EVENT INFO

WHERE DO I GO?

HOW DO I GO?

Greenville Furman Business Series Luncheon: Understanding Millennials in the Workplace

The Commerce Club Greenville 55 Beattie Place, Ste. 1700 12–1:45 p.m.

Business attire.

Cost: $20 per person, includes lunch and parking validation Register: alumni.furman.edu or 800-787-7533

EURO Auto Fest

Friday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.: Open House at the BMW CCA Foundation, 190 Manatee Court, Greer.

Cost: $10 per day Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.: EURO Auto Festival Register: euroautofestival.com 2016, The Preserve at Verdae Golf Club, 650 Verdae Blvd.

Piedmont SCORE Integrated Marketing Strategies

NEXT Innovation Center 411 University Ridge 6–8 p.m.

Upstate Business Journal Business on Tap

Bon Secours Wellness Arena outdoor patio 650 N. Academy St. 5:30–7 p.m Cost: Free. First drink free.

Guests may park in the VIP lot (Church Register: nvite.com/BusinessOnTap/ec8a Street) and walk into the Sandlapper entrance

Greenville Tech Foundation Workforce Development Salute

TD Convention Center 1 Exposition Drive 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. dinner

Friday-Saturday

10/2110/22

EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR

Cost: $19 Register: piedmontscore.org/workshops

Cost: $125 per person ($75 young professional — 30 and younger) Register: workforcedevelopmentsalute.org

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

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & ACCOUNT STRATEGY Kate Madden

PRESIDENT/CEO

ART & PRODUCTION VISUAL DIRECTOR

Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com

Will Crooks

UBJ PUBLISHER

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EDITOR

Chris Haire chaire@communityjournals.com

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Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com

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Emily Pietras epietras@communityjournals.com

STAFF WRITERS

Trevor Anderson, David Dykes, Caroline Hafer, Andrew Moore, Cindy Landrum

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rudolph Bell, Sherry Jackson, Ariel Turner, Melinda Young

DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER Danielle Car

MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Nicole Greer, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehmen, Emily Yepes

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

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

1988

Holly Hardin

ADVERTISING DESIGN

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

1990 Jackson Dawson

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

LAYOUT OPERATIONS

OCTOBER 28 QUARTERLY CRE ISSUE The state of commercial real estate in the Upstate.

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

UBJ milestone

>>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

>>

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

1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CoMMUnitY nit inVolVeMent nitY in olV inV olVe VeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board, Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

AS SEEN IN

NOVEMBER 1, 2013

Kristy Adair | Michael Allen

CLIENT SERVICES Anita Harley | Jane Rogers

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