NOVEMBER 11, 2016 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 46
Village Life The
The Hartness family’s ambitious effort to create a suburban hamlet
THE PATH TO SPARTANBURG REDEVELOPMENT WOODSIDE MILL REBORN THOMAS FLEMING PARKER: PATHFINDER
2 | THE RUNDOWN |
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VOLUME 5, ISSUE 46 Featured this issue: Blazing a trails plan for Spartanburg.............................................................................4 The long legacy of Thomas Parker, Greenville’s “Pathfinder”...........................21 Development plans emerge for Woodside Mill........................................................23
The first annual Greenburg Spartanville Invitational was hosted last weekend at the Country Club of Spartanburg and Greenville Country Club. Spartanburg took home this year's hardware, winning 88-74. Two 12-man teams, representing Greenville and Spartanburg, played 27 holes between both courses to facilitate and improve relations between the two cities. Bottom row (from left): Gage Weekes, Geordy Johnson, George Campbell, Todd Horne, Grice Hunt, Rob Rain, Quincy Halliday, Bear Boyd. Top row (from left): Robert Hughes, Stuart Wyeth, Hootie Solesbee, Jon Good, Ellis Fisher, Evan Cramer, Buck Bradberry, Bill Mattice, Wes Lehrer, Ryan Johnston, John Montgomery, Martin Huff, Brent Abbott, Patrick Cutler, Laurence Fritz, Allen Smith. Greenville hats provided by the Greenville Drive
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“The two biggest factors that we balance are trying to get out of the way of businesses and make sure we're not overtaxing them, but at the same time building back up the trust fund so that we never go into a borrowing status again." Cheryl Stanton, director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, quoted in the Charleston Post & Courier. The agency has cut the unemployment tax rates for three years in a row.
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11.11.2016
Trail Mix A look inside Partners for Active Living’s plan to connect Spartanburg’s trails and bring opportunities downtown TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF
O
tanderson@communityjournals.com
n most days, the Mary Black Foundation’s Rail Trail between Union and South Pine streets in Spartanburg is alive with pedestrians, pets and cyclists. In less than a decade, the 2-mile paved path has become one of the most heavily trafficked recreation destinations in the community. But officials said a vision for a well-connected trail system incorporating other popular footpaths in the city could be realized within the next few years, creating new opportunities for local residents, visitors and businesses. The $22 million project seeks to add 21 miles of new trail to an existing network of about 12 miles that encompass the rail trail, the Cotton-
PHOTOS BY WILL CROOKS
Ned Barrett, trails coordinator, and Laura Ringo, executive director, of Partners for Active Living wood Trail, Glendale Shoals Preserve, Drayton Mills Trail and Wadsworth Trail. A portion of the new trail system will pass through downtown Spartanburg. About $12 million has already been raised, including $10 million from the Federal Highway Trust Fund and $2 million committed by a variety of other sources. Planners will soon begin raising the remaining $10 million. City Council on Oct. 24 approved an agreement with the Spartanburg-based nonprofit Partners for Active Living (PAL) for the development of a nearly $1 million, 7-acre community park near the rail trail between Forest Avenue and Country Club Road.
Upstate Business Journal caught up with PAL Executive Director Laura Ringo and Trails Coordinator Ned Barrett to gain some insight into the unified trails plan.
Path to Success Ringo: The success of the [Greenville Health System] Swamp Rabbit Trail has been remarkable. … In 2009, we commissioned a Furman University study that showed the Mary Black Rail Trail had 25,000 annual uses. In 2012, we found that number had increased to 65,000 uses. Clearly, there is a need and a demand for trails in Spartanburg.
Play Desert Ringo: We raised $1 million to work with the city to develop the
park [near the end of the rail trail] on what was an underused piece of property. … There are a lot of parks across the city, but we found out that this was also a play desert. We really wanted to bring some new excitement to the rail trail. Unlike other parks, this one will really be focused on the older youth. There just aren’t many opportunities for them. … We really want this to truly be a recreation corridor.
Scaling It Back Ringo: A couple of years ago, we hired a consultant [to produce a connected trails plan for Spartanburg]. He came up with 120 miles of trail. We were blown away, but we really had to take a step back and say, “What is realistic?”
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A $22 million project would add 21 miles of new trail to an existing network in Spartanburg.
Facing Challenges Ringo: [For the rail trail] we had 2 miles of abandoned rail. Now, we are working with a lot of private property owners. … But we’ve been very fortunate so far. The support from the community has been great. Barrett: The timing is right. There is a lot of momentum in Spartanburg. We’ve shown that there is demand for recreation. [Trails have] become such an important part of the conversation.
Economic Prospects Ringo: The enthusiasm [among businesses] is varied based on their proximity to the trail. We’ve had several businesses along the rail trail really embrace it. I think as the system expands, we’ll see more interest. Barrett: We’ve seen a number of companies become interested in the trails as part of their healthy initiatives and employee quality of life, as well as recruiting. You’ll see a lot of
people walking on their lunch breaks. … There is a lot of potential for trails to impact economic development in the future.
Green and Blue Ringo: One of the great things about [the connected trails plan] is the way it will connect our greenways and our blueways. Spartanburg has a variety of streams that offer opportunities for recreation. In most cases, the trails run alongside the waterways. We’ve been looking at ways to incorporate both. There are truly some beautiful places in Spartanburg that most people don’t even know exist.
Moving Forward Ringo: Very soon we will have a big funding announcement. We will also be rolling out a name and brand for the system. It will focus on this being a collaborative effort and pushing forward together.
Spartanburg Unified Trails Plan Tentative construction timeline (pending funding and property owner agreement):
NOW THROUGH JUNE 2017 (4 MILES) East: Glendale to Lake Forest on Lawson’s Fork (1.64) East: River Birch to East Main Street (0.5) East: Beverly Road, Lower Drayton (1.5) *Complete* Middle: Rail Trail to Chapman Center (.5)
JULY 2017 THROUGH JUNE 2018 (5 MILES) East: East Main Street to Heywood Avenue to Beverly Road (0.75) East: Cottonwood to Rail Trail on-road connector (1) Middle: Through Northside (0.75) Middle: Wofford Street and Vanderbilt Road along Fairforest Creek (2.25)
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6 | EDUCATION |
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11.11.2016
Clemson receives $357M software gift from Siemens RUDOLPH BELL | CONTRIBUTOR
What Really Matters I am writing this five days before the election knowing that by the time you read this, there will be a new President and also that many people will be disappointed by the results. This election has brought out the worst in people and at times I have felt that the spirit of America has been lost in the hateful rhetoric. Now we must ask ourselves what we need to do in order to move forward. The Constitution begins with three powerful words, “We the People,” and I believe these words are where we must place our focus. Whether as part of a classroom, a church, a family, a business, a team, or a public organization, we all must take part in leading for the future. So, I am asking that we put partisanship aside and stop focusing on the platforms, but instead look around at the people and organizations we touch. As leaders, it is time to think about what really matters. • Local matters. While some may feel that our vote doesn’t count on the national level, our actions do matter locally. Volunteer, get involved, and help make a difference right here at home. • Listening matters. This election brought out different and unique voices. Many on both sides shouted loudly because they felt that they were not being heard. As leaders in our businesses, we need to take the time and make the effort to listen to all voices. • Diversity matters. Different perspectives can help bring about new solutions. It is important to surround ourselves with people from different backgrounds and with different thought processes. This melting pot approach is what has always made America great. • Kindness matters. The negativity of this national election has hurt our collective soul. We all need to learn from this election and lead our lives with more humanity and graciousness. As leaders in the workplace, we must set this example. I honestly have no idea who will be the President when you read this or if by then a winner has even been declared, but I do know that the American spirit will still be alive and well. If we can lead our teams, families, and organizations focused on what really matters, then we have nothing but great days ahead. Because we ARE the people, and we matter.
Lee Yarborough President
669 N. Academy St. Greenville, SC 29601 propelHR.com Info@propelHR.com 800–446–6567
rbell@communityjournals.com
Clemson University says a gift of industrial software from Siemens, the big German conglomerate, will give its engineering students a leg up in landing advanced manufacturing jobs. Under the donation, students in Clemson’s College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences have access to a suite of software programs at 300 workstations that is used in manufacturing and falls under the category of product lifecycle management (PLM). Siemens executives put the “commercial value” of the software at more than $357 million, and Clemson said it was the university’s largest-ever in-kind gift. Clemson President James Clements, however, acknowledged that the university will use a lower figure in determining the value of the gift for tax purposes. Siemens executives said their company made a similar gift of software to West Virginia University when Clements was president there. Other universities that use the software include Penn State, the University of Michigan and Georgia Tech, they said. Clements said during a ceremony last week in the Watt Family Innovation Center on Clemson’s main campus that the software would give students handson experience in computer-related design, engineering simulation, industrial design, digital manufacturing and manufacturing management. “And it will give our students a significant competitive advantage as they enter the workplace in advanced manufacturing,” he said. Siemens executives said 140,000 companies around the world use the software, including some with operations in South Carolina such as BMW, Boeing, Mercedes-Benz, Lockheed Martin, Duke Energy and General Electric. Eric Spiegel, chief executive of Washington, D.C.-based Siemens USA, said software is becoming a bigger factor in manufacturing and Siemens plans to hire 5,000 more programmers by 2020, 2,000 of them in the United States. “Almost everything now is moving toward computers and robots and lasers,
Clemson President James P. Clements Photo by Ken Scar/Clemson University and the technology is in software,” he said during a panel discussion. “I don’t think people realize how fast this is changing. Even in the next five to 10 years, it’s going to be a different world.” He called Clemson’s engineering program the “No. 1 engineering program in South Carolina, but more importantly it’s one of the best engineering schools in the country.” James Menego, a Siemens vice president who manages strategic alliances for its product lifecycle management software business, said the company looks at university partnerships such as the one with Clemson as part of the “ecosystem” necessary for its software to thrive. He said Siemens’ customers – and the companies that make up their supply chains – demand access to students who are familiar with the software. Other VIPs who attended the ceremony included Ted Mitchell, an undersecretary with the U.S. Department of Education; David Cole, president of the Medical University of South Carolina; Ted Pitts, president of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce; and Joerg Schulte, manager of the liaison office for research and development at the BMW plant in Greer. The software was the second major in-kind corporate gift announced by Clemson in as many days. The other donation – nearly $27 million worth of equipment, maintenance and software over five years – came from Esko, a Belgium-based graphic arts company. That gift went to Clemson’s Sonoco Institute for Packaging Design and Graphics.
8 | HOSPITALITY |
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Home2 Suites celebrates downtown Greenville opening RUDOLPH BELL | CONTRIBUTOR
rbell@communityjournals.com
Neetu Patel was beaming as he greeted guests at the Nov. 3 grand opening of his family’s newest hotel – a Home2 Suites by Hilton at the corner of North Main and Elford streets in downtown Greenville. What wasn’t showing on his face was the concern he and other local hoteliers feel about how many new hotels are going up downtown and whether there will be enough business to sustain them all. The 117-unit Home2 Suites is the eighth hotel along Main Street and the third to have opened downtown over the past 12 months, following the Embassy Suites at RiverPlace and the Aloft along Washington Street. Site work has begun for another property at the corner of Washington and Spring streets that will have two hotel brands – Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites. And plans have been announced for four other downtown hotels: a Homewood Suites next to Fluor Field, an AC Hotel across from the Peace Center, a Hyatt Place along East Broad and a Grand Bohemian at the edge of Falls Park. Asked about all of the development, Patel acknowledged he’s somewhat concerned that the downtown hotel market is getting overbuilt. “We’re in America, right? So it’s hard to restrict growth,” the Greenville native said. “At the same time, as developers and owners, and people that love the city, we also have to be careful about going too fast.” Patel, vice president of operations for Sycamore Investment Group, his family’s hotel company, noted that it has taken on risk before and come out on top. For example, it began operating the Holiday Inn Express that’s a stone’s throw from the new Home2 Suites 10 days after the 9/11 terrorist attack. And like other Greenville County hotels at the moment, the Holiday Inn Express is enjoying a countywide hotel occupancy rate of more than 75 percent, according to VisitGreenvilleSC.
From left: Dan Weidenbenner, Neetu Patel, Cindy Brothers and Knox White at the Nov. 3 grand opening of the new Home2 Suites by Hilton along North Main Street in downtown Greenville. Photo by Laurel Stone, supplied by Sycamore Investment Group As for the new Home2 Suites, it’s the first extended-stay product downtown, and the closest hotel to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, where upcoming bookings include rocker Bon Jovi and NCAA men’s basketball tournament play. Amenities include fully equipped kitchens in the suites, complimentary internet and breakfast, a combined laundry and fitness area and an outdoor saline pool and patio in the shadow of three downtown high-rises – One Liberty Square, the Ogletree Building and the Landmark Building. Patel said he thinks all the downtown hotels can thrive with the help of VisitGreenvilleSC, the local convention and visitors’ bureau. “I really feel like we can attack it, but we’ve got to be aggressive about trying to bring business in,” he said. Chris Stone, president of VisitGreenvilleSC, said the wave of new development is coming from hoteliers “who are bullish on Greenville
"Everyone in Greenville seems to take ownership in Greenville" Mayor Knox White, sharing an observation from a visitor to Greenville at the fundraiser for Mill Community Ministries, which doubled as the grand opening for Home2 Suites.
for the long term.” Even so, Stone said Greenville may need to consider spending more on advertising to boost tourism. VisitGreenvilleSC’s $2 million advertising campaign last year generated about 400,000 hotel room nights, Stone said. But Greenville could generate a lot more room nights if it spent $9 million a year on advertising to boost tourism as Asheville does, he said. The Home2 Suites grand opening doubled as a fundraiser for Mill
Community Ministries, an umbrella group for several outreaches to neighborhoods in Greenville’s west side. Dan Weidenbenner, the ministry’s founder and executive director, said it raised $18,000 at the event for its various endeavors. They include community farming and sustainable agriculture to help at-risk teens, no-interest microloans for small-business development and free bicycle repair and bicycle repair lessons for community members.
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| BANKING | 9
Carolina Financial agrees to acquire Greer Bancshares DAVID DYKES | STAFF
ddykes@communityjournals.com Charleston-based Carolina Financial Corporation announced the signing of a $45.1 million definitive merger agreement under which Carolina Financial will acquire Greer Bancshares Incorporated. Upon completion of the acquisition, Greer Bancshares’ bank subsidiary, Greer State Bank, will be merged into Carolina Financial’s bank subsidiary, CresCom Bank. Greer Bancshares, headquartered in Greer, operates four banking locations in the Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin area. As of Sept. 30, Greer Bancshares reported assets of $381 million, gross loans of $211 million and deposits of $296 million. "We are pleased to announce this partnership with Greer State Bank,” said Jerry Rexroad, Carolina Financial’s CEO. “The Upstate South Carolina market continues to be a growing and dynamic market, and we are excited to expand our current franchise further into the Upstate.” The combined company will have approximately $2 billion in assets, $1.6 billion in loans and $1.5 billion in deposits, making it one of the largest South Carolina-based community banks.
“We are excited about partnering with Carolina Financial Corporation and CresCom Bank,” said Rick Medlock, president and CEO of Greer Bancshares. “Our companies share very similar philosophies, cultures and core values. We believe that the strength and resources provided by Carolina Financial Corporation will enable us to expand the products and services available to our customers.” The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of each company. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2017 and is subject to regulatory approvals and approval by Greer Bancshares’ shareholders. Subject to the terms of the merger agreement, the shareholders of Greer Bancshares will have the right to receive $18 per share of common stock, payable, at their election and subject to certain limitations, in cash or in shares of Carolina Financial Corporation common stock based upon a fixed exchange ratio of 0.782. According to the agreement, 10 percent of the consideration will be paid in cash and 90 percent in newly issued shares of Carolina Financial common stock. That equates to an aggregate deal
value of $45.1 million based on the per share price of $18. Carolina Financial is the holding company of CresCom Bank, which also owns and operates Atlanta-based Crescent Mortgage Company. Carolina Financial trades on NASDAQ under the symbol CARO. As of Sept. 30, Carolina Financial had approximately $1.7 billion in total assets, and Crescent Mortgage Company originated loans in 45 states and partnered with community banks, credit unions and mortgage brokers. In June, Carolina Financial completed its previously announced merger with Congaree Bancshares Inc.
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Teijin announces $600M carbon fiber plant in Greenwood County TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF
tanderson@communityjournals.com Another Japanese carbon fiber
Carol Haynsworth Kilby The Rock House Antiques
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plant has landed in the Upstate. Airbus supplier Teijin Ltd. announced Nov. 4 it will invest $600 million to build the plant on a 440acre site off Highway 246 and create 220 new jobs. The company did not provide a specific address for the site. According to property records, Teijin paid $6.3 million in June for property at 1122 Highway 246 formerly owned by Carolina Pride Foods Inc. Sources familiar with the project confirmed the site, which sits across from Fujifilm Manufacturing USA Inc.’s facility off Puckett Ferry Road, is where Teijin plans to build the plant. The site has rail access, but the company did not disclose how it plans to move products to and from the facility. Heather Simmons Jones, CEO for the Greenwood Partnership Alliance, said Teijin’s announcement, in terms of investment, is three times higher than the county’s previous largest economic development project. “We have been working on this for a number of years,” she said. “I think all of us are kind of numb this morning. We can’t believe it’s real. This is quite a shining star for us. We’re very excited.” The company said the facility will produce carbon fiber for the automotive and aerospace industries, but did not say when the plant is expected to open. “After an extensive site selection process that included six states, Teijin selected Greenwood because of its pro-business atmosphere and proactive support from Gov. Haley and her team, as well as local government officials,” said Wayne Trotter, director of government relations for Teijin, in a statement.
“We were also attracted to the diversity of Greenwood’s citizens, the community’s rich history of welcoming foreign investment and the excellent training opportunities available at Piedmont Technical College. We plan to invest in resources to develop new and innovative products to meet the increasing demands of the global carbon fiber market.” Teijin, founded in 1918, said it specializes in offering advanced solutions for sustainable transportation, information and electronics, safety and protection, environment
and energy and health care. The company said it will announce details on its hiring plans after it completes its engineering studies. Teijin said it has also reached an agreement to acquire Michigan-based Continental Structural Plastics Holdings Corp., a supplier of automotive composites. That deal is expected to close in December. The company’s competitor Toray is building a $1 billion plant in Spartanburg County that is expected to create at least 500 jobs. Officials in Spartanburg have said they believe the facility will have the same transformational effect that BMW has had since opening its first plant outside Germany in 1994. “Things are coming together,” said Greenwood County Council Chairman Steven Brown. “We are trilled to have this opportunity … I personally believe that [Teijin] will be a success here. It’s a great day for us.” For more information, visit teijin.com.
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BBB recognizes Upstate Businesses of Integrity STAFF REPORT
The Better Business Bureau of the Upstate (BBB) named eight Upstate companies as the winners of its Business of Integrity Award on Nov. 10 at the Hilton Greenville. These companies were selected as primary examples of ethics and service to their communities, according to the BBB. Nominations are submitted by customers or the companies themselves. The nominees went through a rigorous application process evaluating the company's demonstrated commitment
to business practices that build trust with employees, customers and vendors in the marketplace, said the BBB. The winners were selected in three categories based on the number of employees. “It is a great honor to be able to celebrate ethics in the Upstate marketplace through our Business of Integrity Awards,” said Vee Daniel, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of the Upstate. “Recognizing those businesses in our community who lead the charge by consistently exemplifying the BBB mission of ethics, integrity and marketplace trust is an immense privilege.”
2016 BUSINESS OF INTEGRITY AWARDEES Selected in three categories based on number of employees
Community Service •E zell Law Firm LLC 1-10 Employees •R ustic Escentuals LLC 11-49 Employees •F airway Ford Inc. 50-199 Employees
Customer Service •P roGrin Dental 1-10 Employees • International Plastics Inc. 11-49 Employees •W aldrop Inc. 50-199 Employees
Marketplace Ethics • The Turner Agency Inc. 11-49 Employees • Guy Roofing Inc. 50-199 Employees
| AWARDS / TELECOMMUNICATIONS | 13
Merger’s effect not clear on Windstream employees in downtown Greenville RUDOLPH BELL | CONTRIBUTOR
rbell@communityjournals.com
It wasn’t immediately clear how more than 1,000 employees of Windstream Holdings Inc. in downtown Greenville might be affected by the company’s proposed combination with another network services firm called Earthlink Holdings Corp. Windstream, based in Little Rock, Ark., and Earthlink, based in Atlanta, announced a merger plan that involves the issuance of 93 million shares of stock and the refinancing of $436 million in Earthlink debt. The companies said in a press release that they expect to realize more than $125 million in “annual operating and capital expense synergies” within 36 months of the deal’s closing, which is scheduled to occur in the first half of next year. Windstream, which sells a variety of telecommunications services to busi-
nesses and individual consumers, came to Greenville with the 2010 purchase of the former Greenville-based Nuvox Inc. The company is a major employer downtown, with more than 1,000 workers in the Landmark Building along North Main Street, according to Windstream spokesman David Avery. On Nov. 7, the day the merger was announced, Avery said that the combining companies would use a joint integration process to evaluate staffing needs and identify duplicative functions. “So it’s really too early at this point to comment on any specific changes that may take place as a part of this, but Greenville is an important center for us,” Avery said. He said Windstream’s operations in Greenville include repair, service delivery, customer care, engineering, sales and information technology.
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MANUFACTURING
Fehrer Automotive expanding Duncan plant A BMW supplier will expand its facility in Duncan and create 20 new jobs. Germany-based Fehrer Automotive, a producer of pads, modules and composite components for seating, confirmed last week it plans to add 30,000 square feet to its existing 100,000-square-foot facility at 1825 Highway 290. Company spokeswoman Ursula Theiss said the expansion is in response to additional business from BMW and other customers, as well as new technology in the area. “Again, very exciting,” Theiss said. “[Fehrer is] proud to be part of the large BMW supplier family in the Greenville-Spartanburg area for so many years and many more to come.” In 2011, Fehrer invested more than $14 million to relocate its seat cushion plant in Fountain Inn to the building formerly occupied by Lear Corp.’s seating operation and create 130 jobs. Theiss said construction will begin in the next few weeks. The company will have a kickoff meeting during the next few days with its landlord, contractor and others involved in the project. A local official declined to comment on the project, saying it was still a little too early for the county to speak publicly about it. For more information, visit fehrer.com. - Trevor Anderson
EDUCATION
JTEKT gifts $250,000 to establish scholarship at CU-ICAR Clemson University announced Monday it has received $250,000 from JTEKT North America Corp. to create a scholarship for automotive engineering students. The company, founded in 2006 through the merger of Koyo Seiko Co. and Toyoda Machine Works, set up its North American headquarters earlier this year at Clemson’s International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville. According to the university, one student per year will receive the JTEKT Endowed Fellowship. The first award will be presented in three years and each recipient will receive about $10,000. “We thank JTEKT North America
Corp. for its generous support,” said Zoran Filipi, chairman of Clemson’s department of automotive engineering, in a statement. “The fellowship will help students pay for their education, providing a financial incentive for them to choose Clemson’s automotive engineering program. JTEKT North America, an affiliate of Japan-based JTEKT Corp., has had a presence at CU-ICAR since it established a bearing technical center under the Koyo banner in 2006. In 2012, the company announced a $100 million expansion in South Carolina. According to the company’s website, it operates five facilities in the Palmetto State, including three in the Upstate. In total, JTEKT North America’s operations include 14 facilities and 5,400 employees on this continent. The company produces bearings, driveline components, steering systems and machine tools. A school spokesman said the donation is an example of the state’s automotive manufacturing cluster coming full circle. For example, BMW and some of its suppliers have established apprenticeship programs and scholarships with Clemson and other Upstate institutions to help create a talent pipeline they hope will lead to future success. “The collaborative design of Clemson’s program is what sets it apart from others in the industry,” said Mike Davidson, chief operating officer of JTEKT North America, in a statement. “It is one of the reasons more than 95 percent of alumni are using their degrees in either the automotive industry or academia.” For more information, visit clemson. edu.- TA
UTILITIES
Greenville exec to lead Duke’s economic development Duke Energy, which sells electricity to 7.4 million customers in six states, is based in Charlotte. The executive in charge of economic development for Duke, however, works in downtown Greenville, in office space at the corner of Main and Broad streets right over Rick Erwin’s Nantucket Seafood. For four years, Clark Gillespy was Duke’s president for South Carolina. Recently, however, he was promoted to senior vice president of economic
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TRANSPORTATION
Senator International's 'bridge' to Germany touches down at GSP
Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe development, a company-wide position that Duke just created as part of a greater emphasis on economic development. In his new role, Gillespy leads a team tasked with recruiting industry to Duke’s service territory. That’s helpful to the power company and its shareholders because, generally speaking, the more industry in the service territory, the more electricity Duke sells. Duke is the Upstate’s dominant electricity provider, so Gillespy has an interest in recruiting industry to the Upstate. But his loyalties extend much farther since Duke’s service territory also includes the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, most of North Carolina, huge swaths of Indiana and Florida and a small part of Ohio. Gillespy is also now responsible for Duke’s efforts to “identify and promote wider adoption of new and emerging grid-enabled technologies, including electric vehicle charging infrastructure,” according to a company news release. His successor as South Carolina president is Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, who was formerly vice president, legal, for Duke’s commercial businesses organization and general counsel for litigation. The 53-year-old native of Ghana has a law degree from Duke University in Durham, N.C. Ryan Mosier, a Duke spokesman in Greenville, said there’s nothing new about the company’s interest in economic development. “Duke Energy at its core has been an economic development company since its creation more than 100 years ago,” Mosier said. “This renewed focus on economic development across the enterprise continues and expands that tradition.”. – Rudoph Bell
The Upstate’s “Atlantic bridge” to Germany opened last Saturday as global freight forwarder Senator International’s first flight touched down at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. Ewe Kirschbaum, who founded the company in 1984, and his son and CEO, Tim Kirschbaum, were aboard Senator’s maiden flight from Munich. They arrived in a sleek Boeing 747-400 freighter — the same type that makes the round-trip Germany-to-Greenville flight twice each week on Wednesdays and Saturdays — and were welcomed by a crowd of airport and local officials and employees. “I think it’s hard to describe the scope of what this means for the Upstate,” said Dave Edwards, president and CEO of GSP, during the event at the airport’s South Cargo Ramp. “I equate it a bit to when Southwest Airlines landed here a few years ago, in terms of what it means for logistics and cargo … We have the inland port. Now, we also have Senator International.” Ewe Kirschbaum said the service will primarily support BMW, but the company hopes to attract other customers from South Carolina and surrounding states that want to move cargo to and from Europe and beyond. When the service was announced in July, Tim Kirschbaum said Senator’s operations in Munich would enable the company to reach other destinations in Germany, as well as Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Ewe Kirschbaum said 160 employees support his company’s business with BMW, which began in 1986. “Our relationship with BMW has been a long and fruitful one,” he said. “We’re looking forward to a long relationship with [GSP].” GSP's new self-run fixed-base operator Cerulean Commercial Aviation will be the ground handler for Senator at the airport. Edwards said the service could potentially have an annual $50 million impact on the region. “This is something that will extend beyond our borders,” he said. “It’s a tremendous opportunity and a tremendous coup for the Upstate … It’s just the tip of the iceberg.” For more information, visit senator-international.com. – Trevor Anderson
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THE HARTNESS FAMILY
Eyes to the Eastside The Hartness family sets out to create the South’s ‘next great neighborhood’ Words by David Dykes
Photos by Will Crooks
From left: Sean Hartness, Lynn Hauser, Mary Lou and Pat Hartness and David Hartness
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n the rolling meadows of eastern Greenville County, where groves of pecan trees have grown for generations, a new vision is taking place. It’s that of the Hartness family, which has a storied Upstate business history. Today, the family hopes the development of 400 acres off Pelham and Garlington roads and S.C. Highway 14 will become part of the Hartness legacy. The first phase of a new development, known as Hartness, will include about 40 acres and 105 homesites for estate, carriage and manor homes and townhomes. Those will be joined by a village center with a couple of buildings for at least one restaurant and some retail space with offices above. Homes ranging from $400,000 to about $1 million will be situated within a short walk of restaurants, coffee shops, specialized retail and small businesses. “It’s really eventful in my family’s life that after 40 years of collecting land, and buying what you could that was near you, we have the opportunity to do something very special,” said Pat Hartness, who with his sons, Sean and David, and others will oversee the development. The initial phase, including lots and homes, will amount to $65 million to $75 million in retail sales, excluding commercial buildings, village center projects and infrastructure, said Sean Hartness, CEO of Hartness Real Estate.
HARTNESS
The first four phases will include 400 homesites and up to 150,000 square feet of restaurant, retail and office space, he said. Residential retail sales could exceed $500 million if the planned seven phases of development occur, according to officials with the family’s real estate arm. The new development will be near 250 leased cottage homes off Garlington Road that are known as Homestead at Hartness, where no changes are planned. The proposal for the new village calls for retaining acreage for the green space, which will include 15 miles of walkable trails to connect neighbors to woodlands, lakes, streams, wildlife and shared recreational areas. “I like to tell people that the green space that we have will be larger than Cleveland Park [in Greenville], which it will,” said Sean Hartness. “Our desire is to provide the Upstate with a beautifully designed, pedestrian-friendly community that encourages chance social interaction and ample opportunity for enjoying outdoor recreation,” said David Pisano, vice president of sales and marketing for Hartness Real Estate LLC. The new development has cleared the county’s land-use entitlement process. Trees are being cleared and ground breaking for the development should be in about three weeks. Contracts for lots will be taken in February and home construction should start by next April or May, Sean Hartness said.
Four hundred acres of land that will be known as Hartness. Renderings provided by Hartness.
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The family looks east Pat Hartness is the patriarch of the family that owns the land along with the adjacent industrial site that since 1940 has manufactured packaging equipment and conveyors for bottling and material handling. He sculpted the Triple Tree Aerodrome in Woodruff from a bare field and changed it into an acclaimed aviation facility. His father, Tom Hartness, purchased the Pepsi Bottling rights in Greenville. Over the next 60 years, the company evolved as a total packaging solutions provider with more than 100 patents and installations throughout the world. Although Illinois Tool Works acquired Hartness International in 2009, the Hartness family still owns the building and land. Forty years ago, Greenville didn’t extend this far into the county’s eastern reaches. “There was no real reason to be buying rural farmland,” Pat Hartness, now 75, said. “But thinking that Greenville may expand this direction, it’s worked out well.” As Greenville was growing, he and his father flew a Piper Cub aircraft over the Roper Mountain area, where homes were just beginning to be built. “It just looked pretty logical that Greenville was going to be moving toward the east,” Pat Hartness said. “We pontificated a little about whether it would ever get that far in a lifetime. Fortunately, we continued to purchase as we moved along. Even when the land was less expensive, we bought some. But even as it got more expensive we could see that it
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THE HARTNESS FAMILY
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“I like to tell people that the green space that we have will be larger than Cleveland Park, which it will.” Sean Hartness, CEO of Hartness Real Estate
was probably the right thing to do.” He added, “Sometimes you want to protect or want to get what you can when it’s the right time. So you maybe take a little gamble that it will turn out.” There have been many conversations in recent years about developing the property, Hartness family members admit. They talked to several developers, including The Cliffs’ Jim Anthony. They also talked to the late Champ Covington, one of the primary developers of the Thornblade community, for his advice and counsel. No deals were struck and the family held on to the land. “Instead of bringing other partners from the outside in, we really decided as a family the property is a legacy piece of property,” Sean Hartness said. “We really wanted to set a new standard for the Upstate and the region for a new urban type of development, a walkable development, a development where you could live, you could work, you could recreate on the property. And we just didn’t want to leave that up to other people.”
A life-cycle community “Hartness will embody the ideal hamlet-classic architecture, great urbanism, a pedestrian network that is celebrated over that of cars, inserted next to a mature nature preserve,” said Lew Oliver, Hartness community designer. “This will form one of the next great neighborhoods in the South, providing a nurturing community for all who inhabit it.” Oliver is an Atlanta-based urbanist, master planner and designer, whose work has won numerous national and international awards. The Hartness family looked at his Vickery project near Atlanta as well as the I’On mixed-use neighborhood in Mount Pleasant that Sean Hartness said represents a “gold standard” in development. Other impressive projects include Habersham, an award-winning coastal community in Beaufort, S.C., and Seaside in the Florida panhandle, Hartness said. Eighty to 85 percent of the homesites in the new Hartness development will front green space in the first phase of the new development, he said.
“What we’re creating is an opportunity for multiple demographics to live in this community,” he said. “We’re really creating a life-cycle community, where if you move in with a young family into a cottage and then you ultimately want to build your dream home, which could be an estate or manor home, and then you get a little bit older and you say, ‘Gosh, the kids have moved away, gone to college,’ you could scale back down to a single-level cottage.” The development will be for residents “to age in place,” Hartness said. In considering the eastside development, Pat Hartness said he and his wife, Mary Lou, looked at the residential growth occurring rapidly in downtown Greenville and measured their thought process “on seeing the 2,000 new condos” being built there, particularly for millennials. “Are we really goofing up trying to do this out here?” he said they asked themselves. “I don’t think so,” he answered.
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THE HARTNESS FAMLY
| COVER | 19
Welcome Home to Hartness
A glimpse in the east side's future neighborhood
Single-family homes
Renderings provided by Hartness
Let’s lay a foundation of healing and hope
TOGETHER A look at the town
Help Us Grow
Donate today at www.Rmhc-Carolinas.org/CapitalCampaign The neighborhood corner
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GREAT STRIDES IN JOINT REPLACEMENT. RIGHT HERE IN THE UPSTATE.
If you’ve been considering joint replacement surgery, you should know about the latest surgical breakthrough at Greenville Health System. Here, a GHS orthopaedic team has championed a new technique to greatly reduce post-surgical pain, enabling many patients to get back on their feet, and on their way to a full recovery, the same day. That’s a giant step forward in joint replacement—and it happened here first. Learn more at ghs.org/Forward.
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NAMES FROM YESTERDAY WHO GOT US WHERE WE ARE TODAY
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The Pathfinder Thomas Parker’s influence spread from Monaghan Mill to the Greenville library system By Rulinda Price S.C. Room Librarian, Greenville County Public Library
When the center of the American textile manufacturing industry shifted south from New England at the end of the 19th century, Greenville managed to position itself at the forefront of the trend. As a result, Greenville was known for many years as the “Textile Center of the World.” Roughly circular in shape at the dawn of the 20th century, the growing city was bisected by the Reedy River into an east side and a west side. Greenville’s textile industry was concentrated on its west side in an area that came to be known as the Textile Crescent. One of the mills was Monaghan and its president was Thomas Fleming Parker. Parker was born in Charleston in 1860. His father, who died in 1862 on James Island at the Battle of Secessionville, was a successful merchant with ties to both Charleston and Philadelphia. Parker’s mother, Margaretta Thomas Parker Fleming, remarried the very wealthy Charlestonian Prioleau Ravenel at the end of the Civil War. Ravenel was an engineer who had worked on the Stumphouse Mountain tunnel before the war and fell in love with the mountains. During the 1880s, he moved his young wife and children, including his stepson Thomas, to Highlands, N.C.; this soon became their summer home. Thomas came to Greenville in the 1890s. He went into partnership with his cousin, a lawyer named Lewis Wardlaw Parker; together they organized and built Monaghan Mill. As president, Thomas worked hard to make the mill a model of progressive management, paying close attention to the quality of life in the mill village. The YMCA club movement was growing in industrializing economies such as the new South, and in 1905 Parker hired the talented educator L. P. Hollis to direct the Monaghan Y. Parker was also crucial to the establishment of the Salvation Army Hospital, worked as chairman of the Boys Work Committee and with his own funds hired the first city planner, Harlan P. Kelsey, to design parks and recreation areas for the Monaghan
Monaghan Mill, co-founded in 1900 by Thomas Parker, has been converted into The Lofts of Greenville.
mill village. Parker had an enormous influence on the school system in Greenville. The only two high schools in town during the early 20th century were Greenville High and Sterling High, the former a white school, the latter for African-Americans. Many of the textile mills, including Monaghan, lay outside the city limits and the students there had to pay a $5 fee Young readers line up at the Pathfinder, Greenville County’s to attend Greenville High. bookmobile, paid for by Thomas Parker – the first bookmobile ever operated in the South. Accordingly, in 1922 Parker and other local the Phillis Wheatley Association on McBee Avenue; leaders petitioned the this was the first public library for African-Americans state legislature to create in South Carolina. Parker later donated $50,000 to a new school district for the association for a new building. In 1922 city the mill children. This residents voted to support their segregated library district was later named the system with a tax, which allowed the facility to hire Parker School District in a professional librarian, Charlotte Templeton. honor of Thomas’ cousin But Parker wasn’t done yet. When the city agreed Lewis who had died in 1916. An to provide financial aid to the library, it meant that innovation at the time, the new county residents, including the mill workers and school focused on vocational their children, were no longer able to use the service. training. The answer was The Pathfinder, a threePossibly the greatest quarter-ton Dodge truck outfitted with contribution which Thomas glass doors, locally built and paid for by Parker made to Greenville was Thomas Parker. Pathfinder was the first the establishment of our public bookmobile ever operated in the South. library. His leadership managed It had its first run on Jan. 19, 1924, to focus the various local indiheading to Berea where it promptly viduals and groups interested became stuck in the mud on an unpaved in providing free public library road. service to city residents. Parker Thomas Fleming Parker died on Dec. donated $5,000 of his person31, 1926. From the start, Parker insisted al funds to build the collection, that libraries were essentially democratand on May 20, 1921, the first ic institutions, with the obligation to offer branch of the Greenville County service to all people. The slogan used by Public Library System was the book truck, “Free Reading for Everyopened on Coffee Street. Later body,” soon became the library slogan, Thomas Parker was the initial that summer, a case of new benefactor of the Greenville County and although our first bookmobile was books was purchased by the Public Library System, which opened called the Pathfinder, Parker could be library to form the nucleus of a its first branch on Coffee Street called that, too. in 1921. collection which was housed at
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11.11.2016
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P AY M E NT P A Y M E N T P AY M E NT
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11.11.2016
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upstatebusinessjournal.com
REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION
CINDY LANDRUM | STAFF
| SQUARE FEET | 23
candrum@communityjournals.com
Annexation request gives glimpse at development plan for Woodside Mill To get an idea of what a developer’s plan for a redeveloped Woodside Cotton Mill might look like, all one has to do is travel down Interstate 85 to Gastonia and look at the transformation of the historic century-old Loray Mill there. “The nice thing is it’s an exact replica of a mill we finished in Gastonia,” developer John Gumpert told members of the neighborhood panel of Greenville’s Design Review Board last week. Woodside Mill Properties LLC wants to turn the main mill building of Woodside Mill, once the largest cotton mill under one roof in the world, into 304 market-rate apartments. The plan also includes a general store, offices, an event venue, a brewery or restaurant and possibly townhomes or additional multifamily units on the rest of the property. The Greenville Planning Commission will hear the annexation request on Nov. 17. The property now carries the county’s industrial district designation. If annexed into the city, it would be zoned as a planned development. The application says the developers have “seen firsthand the revitalization that occurs when large-scale redevel-
opment of these vacant mills injects new life into the surrounding neighborhoods.” Prior projects were done in Gastonia, N.C., and Knoxville, Tenn. “The redevelopment of Woodside Mill will help to revitalize a part of Greenville that has seen commercial investment move to other parts of the city, and will make the Woodside Cotton Mill Historic Village a vibrant center of West Greenville once again,” the application said. Woodside Mill was founded in 1902. The Loray Mill opened that same year and was the site of one of the most infamous strikes in American labor history. The Communist Textiles Workers Union led the Loray Mill strike in 1929 that resulted in the death of Gastonia Police Chief Orville Aderholt and workers' rights activist Ella May Wiggins. Firestone later produced woven tire cord at the plant for decades. The mill closed in 1993 when Firestone built a new plant in Kings Mountain, N.C. The Woodside Mill application said that repurposing the existing buildings on the site would preserve and enhance the character of the historic neighborhood. The design would incorporate roadway improvements, sidewalks, streetscapes and crosswalks to enhance
Developers plan to turn Greenville’s Woodside Mill into an “exact replica” of the Loray Mill project in Gastonia, N.C. Rendering by Loray Mill Redevelopment LLC.
connectivity of the mill to the surrounding neighborhood. The 14-acre development is less than 1,000 feet from Long Branch Creek. The City of Greenville’s West Side Comprehensive Plan proposes a trail spur there that would connect with the Swamp Rabbit Trail and the proposed City Park. The proposed redevelopment of
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Woodside Mill will “create a new and unique center of activity for the surrounding neighborhood, providing uses that are not only compatible with the surrounding neighborhood, but also providing a new high density community destination compatible with what the old Woodside Mill once promised,” the application said.
Greenville Design Review Board, November meeting
While the proposed development
to the four units completed last year. the informal reaction has been all along the south side of Washington at 55 Camperdown Way received much positive. Street between Barley’s Tap Room and The four new townhouses would be of the City of Greenville’s Design oriented to the side property line to Another informal review revealed Sushi Murasaki. The city wants to Review Board at its November meeting, minimize the amount of non-pervious plans to build 18 townhomes at the install a new sidewalk and landscape it wasn’t the only thing on the agenda. materials on the site, Hull said. former site of the Haynes School at 10 islands and to relocate tree islands away To read more about the 55 CamperThe four townhomes help “button Toy St. that had previously been the from the building facades. Pedestrian down Way project, see stories in both up that area,” said the panel’s chairman, home of the S.C. Telco Federal Credit lighting will also be relocated to allow this week’s Upstate Business Journal Johnny Edwards. Union. DRB members said the townfor better pedestrian flow. Together a Better Way Forward and Greenville Journal. “In nine out of 10 cases we would homes should be anchored with The plan calls for the existing BradThe DRB’s Neighborhood Panel not be happy,” he said. “But here, this something that connects well to the ford pear trees in that area to be re728 N. Pleasantburg Drive • Greenville • 864-672-1570 informally reviewed a plan that would school, built in 1919. Edwards said in placed by a native tree, likely oak or approach is suitable.” tandempayment.com build four additional townhouses at 8 Hull, who lives in one of the units concept, the three-story plan is “someblack gum, said Jeff Waters of the city’s Mallard St. Stephen Hull told the board built in the first phase, was scheduled thing that is widely supportable.” recreation department. that the second phase of West End to hold a formal neighborhood meeting The DRB Urban Panel approved the Walk wouldGrowing share the existing driveway 00 Fastest Private insaid the city’s U.S. aboutCompanies the project this week. He plan to renovate the sidewalk
P AY M E NT
Unprecedented: All three sitting defense bar presidents. All from one firm.
John E. Cuttino President, DRI
JohnT. Lay, Jr. President, IADC
H. Mills Gallivan
The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, DRI–The Voice of the Defense
President, FDCC
Bar and the International Association of Defense Counsel have a combined history totaling 230 years. For the first time ever, the three incumbent presidents of these distinguished legal organizations are all from the same firm: Gallivan White Boyd. As a leading Southeast law firm for business and litigation, GWB takes pride in these attorneys and their leadership in the legal profession. This unprecedented achievement is indicative of our commitment to the law, to our fellow attorneys and, most of all, to our clients. Well done. And more to do. Gallivan White Boyd.
Charleston | Charlotte | Columbia | Greenville | gwblawfirm.com
11.11.2016
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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION
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Commerce Club is excited to host this complimentary
Digital Marketing Seminar November 17, 2016 2 - 3 pm Must RSVP as seating is limited.
Design Review Board advances 55 Camperdown CINDY LANDRUM | STAFF
clandrum@communityjournals.com The City of Greenville Design Review Board has approved with conditions a certificate of appropriateness for a revised project at 55 Camperdown Way. The board granted approval to Wakefield Beasley and Associates for a four-story mixed-use building on property bounded by the Main Street bridge, Japanese Dogwood Lane, the Reedy River and the Bowater parking garage. The project is part of the transformation of the eastern banks of the Reedy River and along Falls and Broad streets, an area being referred to as the East Gateway District. The DRB approved the certificate of appropriateness with conditions including that developer Centennial American Properties submit final site design for final approval; that the project comply with city stormwater requirements; that public easement to the river is provided; and that a balcony be incorporated into the southwest corner of the building at its Main Street level. The 55 Camperdown Way project sparked controversy when it was first proposed, something that developer Brody Glenn acknowledged. Opponents of the original plan said the building was too big for the site and were concerned about its impact on the river. “I know there’s opposition, but those people are opposing because they care about our town,” Glenn said. “We understand how important this property is. I want you all to understand how much we care. We listened.” The new plan modifies the building footprint to provide a more open pedes-
trian access to the river and scales back a planned ground-level restaurant space. The facade was moved further from the bridge and angled to open views of the river. The ground-level facades were changed to include more glass, and at least portions of all three arches of the bridge will be visible to pedestrians on the trail by the river and likely from the Liberty Bridge. Evergreen trees now obscure the third arch. The first level of the office tower will now have the same elevation as the sidewalk on the Main Street bridge. “Overall, the massing of the building, the revised building footprint and the revised building elevations appear to meet the applicable design standards,” the city staff said in is recommendation. “The design is an improvement from the original proposal.” One dozen people spoke against the proposal at the DRB meeting, while one supported it. Most of the opponents expressed concern about how the building would affect Falls Park and the river, a key component in the revitalization of downtown. “The building looks really good,” said Sally Williams, a resident of RiverPlace. “It would look great somewhere else.” The DRB approved the certificate of appropriateness with a 4-1 vote, with Mitch Lehde voting against. The 55 Camperdown Way project is one of many projects either underway or proposed in the East Gateway District. Centennial is redeveloping Camperdown, the Greenville News site. That site will feature a hotel, retail, office and multifamily. Plans also call for construction of a Grand Bohemian hotel at the current site of the Wyche law firm.
The VP of Smart Reach Digital, a Google Premier Partner, will be providing insight on how to navigate the ever changing digital world and how to get in front of the low hanging fruit of your industry. This is a free, informational CONTRIBUTE: New hires, promotions & seminar; not a sales pitch. award winners may be featured in On the Move. Send information and photos to onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com.
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MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE
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Driving to the Exit Selling your business means knowing why someone would want to acquire it By MAC LACKEY Managing Director, VentureSouth
The dream of many entrepreneurs as well as their employees and investors is building a business to a point where it can be sold. We have all read the stories and seen the movies, which portray the college dropout with a brilliant idea who retires to the Caribbean when Google purchases his business a few short years later. Sure, it happens. But the fact is that successfully selling a company is more often the result of a confluence of an incredible amount of hard work, great timing, a strong strategy and even some good old-fashioned luck. So if this is an aspirational goal, how does one achieve this exciting “exit” event? As a founder or executive hoping to sell your company, you need to understand the marketplace you operate in. For example, are there larger well-capitalized businesses in your market? If so, are these companies acquisitive? If the answer to both of these questions is yes, then it is time to look at the reasons companies acquire. Acquisitions can be driven by a number of factors but generally fall into one of the following categories: defensive maneuvers, asset purchases, acquisition of talent or expansion strategies.
• Defensive maneuvers occur
when a business realizes you are a competitive threat (or could become one), so they purchase your business to remove potential competition and better position themselves in the market.
As a founder or executive hoping to sell your company, you need to understand the marketplace you operate in.
• Asset purchases are transactions where the buyer is interested in a specific set of technologies, products, services or offerings that they hope to add to their own offerings.
• Acquisitions of talent occur
when you or your team become valuable and important to a buyer who wants you on their side of the table.
• Expansion strategies are often
driven by geography, new lines of business, customers or other opportunities to increase the depth, reach and offerings of the buyer’s business.
These are only a few examples, but knowing what drives acquisitions means a company can develop specific strategies to strengthen the areas of a business that potential acquirers value. To develop and ultimately demonstrate value
to acquirers, it is important to remember the things they care about (and pay a premium for) so that you can create demonstrable value in those areas. For example, if a business based in New Jersey is interested in geographic expansion into the state of South Carolina, and you can provide signed contracts with South Carolina-based customers, have an office in South Carolina and have deep knowledge of local decision-makers, your business becomes a potential path for this New Jersey-based business to expand into South Carolina. At Venture South, we invest in early-stage companies that we believe have the potential to be acquired or file for a public offering in the future. These exit events create returns for our investors and are a key component of our mission and vision. Therefore, when we meet with companies that have a clear understanding of not only the importance but also the process which can
help drive a business to an exit, we are more likely to invest and support the business. This is an important topic for many companies, founders, executives, investors and funds – so VentureSouth is offering an exclusive workshop on Executing Exits as part of our inaugural VentureSouth Summit taking place on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 in Greenville. The workshop, a program of the Angel Resource Institute, will provide attendees with the knowledge and resources to maximize the probability of completing a successful exit, ensuring the price is fair, the terms are reasonable and the outcome is optimal for the team and the business. We are fortunate that Bill Payne, a nationally renowned angel investing expert, will join us to lead the workshop. While the majority of the summit is closed, the Exits workshop is open to the public. You can learn more and find registration details at venturesouth. vc/thesummit. We hope to see you there and wish you happy exits.
ENGAGE Workshop: Executing Exits 8:30 a.m.-noon Hyatt Regency Greenville, 220 N. Main St. venturesouth.vc/thesummit
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HIRED
PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS
HIRED
PROMOTED
HIRED
| ON THE MOVE | 27
HONORED
MICHAEL CORLEY
LEE HEWITT
JESSICA SMITH
JERMAINE WHIRL
DR. JAMES BEARDEN
Named Upstate coordinator and staff attorney for the newly opened South Carolina Environmental Law Project permanent office in Greenville. Corley is an Upstate native who spent the last two years practicing at a law firm in Greenville.
Named a staff accountant at McGregor & Company LLP. Hewitt graduated from Clemson University in May 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting with a minor in financial management. He completed his Master of Accountancy at Clemson University.
Promoted from director of business development to vice president of sales at DillardJones Builders LLC. A graduate of North Greenville University, Smith has extensive knowledge of the custom home industry and has been an integral part of the Dillard-Jones Builders team for more than eight years.
Joined the Greenville Technical College staff as vice president of economic development and corporate training. A South Carolina native, he earned a bachelor’s degree at Winthrop University, a master’s degree at Charleston Southern University, a second master’s degree at Armstrong State University and a doctorate in organizational leadership at Valdosta State University.
Recognized by the National Institutes of Health with the Harry Hynes Award in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 18. Dr. Bearden is the sixth person to receive this prestigious award since its inception in 2001. Bearden is the hematology-oncologist with Gibbs Cancer Center in Spartanburg. The award recognizes individuals displaying outstanding commitment to clinical research by community investigators.
CONTRIBUTE: New hires, promotions & award winners may be featured in On the Move. Send information and photos to onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com.
NONPROFITS Greenville New Markets Opportunity II, a community development entity managed by Tax Advantage Group and Greenville Local Development Corporation, has hired Doris B. Shellhorse as NMTC program manager.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Greenville Chamber of Commerce announces its 2017 board of directors. 2017 strategic cabinet: Brenda Thames, Greenville Health System – chair; David Lominack, TD Bank - immediate past chair; Keith Miller, Greenville Technical College - chair-elect; Steve Bailey, Merus Refreshment Services - vice chair, business growth; Phillip Kilgore, Ogletree Deakins - vice chair, business advocacy; Toby Stansell, Acumen IT - vice chair, economic growth and prosperity; Steven Buckingham, The Law Office of Steven Edward Buckingham general counsel; Neil Batavia, Dority & Manning - vice chair, talent; Todd Davidson, Nexsen Pruet LLC - vice chair, diversity and inclusion; Will Huss, Trehel - vice chair, investor relations; Leesa Owens, Michelin NA - vice chair, communications and community engagement; Adela Mendoza, Hispanic Alliance - vice chair, leadership development; Jon Chilton, BB&T – treasurer; and Carlos Phillips, Greenville Chamber president and CEO. 2017 directors: Max Allen, Clemson University; Peter Barth, NEXT; Craig Brown, Greenville Drive; Tom Claybaugh, Greenville News; Elizabeth Davis, Furman University; Dave Edwards, Greenville Spartanburg Airport; Mark Farris, GADC; Rich Hagins, US&S Inc.; Linda Hannon, Duke Energy; James Jordon, Jordon Construction; Craig McCoy, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System; Max Metcalf, BMW Manufacturing Co.; Kevin Poyck, Hubbell Lighting; Burke Royster, Greenville County Schools; Gage Weekes, Hollingsworth Foundation; Nancy Whitworth, City of Greenville; and David Wilkins, Nelson Mullins.
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BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS
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11.11.2016
Lourens Coetzer, vice president of technology contracting for Sasol Group Technology (left) and Alejandro Escalona, Fluor's general manager for sub-Saharan Africa.
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Fluor awarded contract in South Africa Fluor Corporation was awarded a contract by Sasol Group Technology, a division of Sasol South Africa (Pty) Ltd, for the engineering, procurement and construction of the Additional Oxygen Capacity Train 17 Outside Battery Limits project at its Secunda plant in South Africa. Fluor will book the undisclosed contract value in the third quarter of 2016. The Additional Oxygen Capacity Train 17 project comprises the construction and commissioning of the world’s largest air separation unit at the Secunda Synfuels Operations site. Fluor will provide engineering, procurement and construction of the outside battery limits facilities for this project, including the integration of Train 17’s product streams with other live operations. These include high-pressure oxygen and high-pressure and low-pressure nitrogen, as well as dry air. Also included in the scope is the supply of electricity with associated infrastructure and utilities upgrades to the air separation unit.
KEMET launches new electronic component search engine KEMET Corporation, a leading global supplier of electronic components, has introduced its advanced passive components search engine. ComponentEdge offers a new component search experience. Users can search more than 6.4 million part numbers with descriptive text or through interactive filtering. Search results are displayed in an intuitive interface built using the latest in mobile responsive web design. In addition, ComponentEdge can cross-reference from 145 different manufacturers as well as offer live distributor pricing and availability. In addition to supporting KEMET's part numbers, ComponentEdge can cross reference from 145 different component manufacturers. If exact matches are not available, ComponentEdge displays the differences between components and gives the user the option to change filter criteria. Once part numbers are found, each result provides real-time distributor pricing, availability, links to 3-D CAD models, RoHS information and part number specific datasheets.
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THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
Open for business 1
1. Center for Developmental Services hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony and blessing for the newly renovated and renamed Bon Secours St. Francis Resource Center at CDS. Representatives from Bon Secours St. Francis and leaders from St. Mary’s Catholic Church attended to cut the ribbon. Photo provided
2
Worthwhile: their new office in downtown Greenville
2. Worthwhile, a software development company, recently opened their new office downtown Greenville at 7 S. Laurens St., Ste. 200. Learn more at worthwhile.com. Photo provided
CONTRIBUTE: Know of a business opening soon? Email information to aturner@communityjournals.com.
| NEW TO THE STREET | 29
30 | #TRENDING |
UBJ
INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW
OVERHEARD @ THE WATERCOOLER
“Is this the one that housed the golf business?” > Barbara Tollison Bolding “This is great for Greenville.” > Jeff Soladay “More overpriced apartments? I hope not.” > Josh Tremper “It's a nice building but doubtful anyone that will live over there can afford them. #gentrification” > Kimberly Diello “Kimberly Diello, if it's like the other Lofts, most people in general can't afford to live there.” > Josh Tremper
RE: DELEGATIONS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE HEADING TO GREENVILLE, AND TAKING HOME LESSONS IN DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT
NOVEMBER 4, 2016
| VOL. 5 ISSUE 45
tech Beginning a Bio
BOOM presc ription and SCBIO ’s my Wayn e Roper to the state econo add $50 billion
to
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
>> WEIGH IN @ THE UBJ EXCHANGE Got something to offer? 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 dcar@communityjournals.com.
“We love our downtown and the example it's set!” > Old Mill Commons
RE: IS COUNTY SQUARE THE MOST VALUABLE DOWNTOWN PROPERTY WAITING TO BE REDEVELOPED?
“Someone at the Greenville Chamber says that if Greenville were a stock, it would be a strong buy. A lot of communities come to the same conclusion when they visit our city. #yeahTHATgreenville” > Hank Hyatt
“No Greenville High School is. They should move it to the County Square property since it’s close to the stadium. Then develop the high school property as well as the upper half of County Square property.” > Scott Burns
>> CONNECT WITH US We’re great at networking. LINKEDIN.COM/COMPANY/ UPSTATE-BUSINESS-JOURNAL FACEBOOK.COM/ THEUPSTATEBUSINESSJOURNAL @UPSTATEBIZ
11.11.2016
BIZ BUZZ
Distilled commentary from UBJ readers
RE: ANNEXATION REQUEST GIVES GLIMPSE TO REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR WOODSIDE MILL
|
“Doubt they could squeeze a Topgolf in there, but maybe The Alley Charleston would work?” > Marshall Fant Camak
The Top 5 stories from the past week ranked by shareability score
>> 274 1. Woodside Mill annexation plan
>> 151 2. SCBIO president Wayne Roper’s $50-billion hypothesis
>> 83 3. Delegations from around the country taking home lessons in downtown development
>> 79 4. Tryon Equestrian Partners wins bid to host 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games
>> 64 5. Is County Square the most valuable downtown property waiting to be redeveloped?
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DATE
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HOW DO I GO?
GTA Development Committee
Greenlink Administrative Offices 100 W. McBee Ave. 9–11 a.m.
Cost: Free $35 for general admission
Introduction to Electric Cars
Hughes Main Library 25 Heritage Green Place. 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free For more information: 527-9293 explore@greenvillelibrary.org
Drone/Quad Fly-In
NEXT Manufacturing 400 Birnie St. Ext. 6:30–9 p.m.
Cost: Free For more information: https://www.meetup.com/synergymill/ events/234715790/
Intrapreneurship: Launching a Startup Inside Michelin
The Society Hall 37 Augusta St. 8 a.m.–noon
Cost: $25 non-PDMA members, $15 PDMA members/students Register: http://pdma.org/e/in/eid=427
2016 Shine the Light Nonprofit Forums series
The Warehouse Theatre 504 Rhett St. 6–8:30 p.m.
Cost: $85 For more information: 420-0195 http://nonprofitforums.org/
Endeavor presents Collaborators & Cocktails: Denny’s Chief Marketing Officer John Dillon
Endeavor Co-work space 1 North Main St. 5–7:15 p.m.
Cost: $25 for non members For more information: Endeavor@EndeavorGreenville.com
Tuesday
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| PLANNER | 31
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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
NOVEMBER 18 LEADERSHIP ISSUE How continuing education and local networking groups make us better leaders.
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 ol inV olV V Ve eMent & 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
DECEMBER 16 DIVERSITY ISSUE Bringing all backgrounds, voices and perspectives together.
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
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Kristi Fortner
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