September 8, 2017 UBJ

SEPTEMBER 8 , 2017 | VOL. 6 ISSUE 36

Chic Sells The growing business of Southern style

Photo by Will Crooks

THE RUNDOWN |

TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 36 Featured this issue: I-85 construction will last a decade..............................................................................3 Orangetheory to open downtown Greenville location........................................19 Industry shaping Greenwood’s community and growth................................... 22

Founded in 2009, Coast Apparel has seen its sales increase by 68 percent this fiscal year through June. The company was purchased by Delta Apparel a year ago and has grown to more than 50 wholesale retailers. Read more about Coast and other Southern brands on Page 12.

Photo by Will Crooks

WORTH REPEATING “The bottom line is it doesn’t matter what community you live in.

Whether it’s a small rural one, or a large urban one. If the arts are happening there, the arts are big business, and they’re good for the economy.”

Page 4

“It’s not froufrou, but it’s really good. We take time making it.

We’re not opening cans and boxes.”

Page 18

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UBJ | 9.8.2017

VERBATIM

On Harvey’s impact “We have over 5 million people who were affected by this. It’s not just the flooding in Houston, it’s the hurricane swath all the way from Corpus Christi over to Beaumont.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, quoted in Politico, regarding Hurricane Harvey’s damage. Abbott estimated recovery could cost $150 to $180 billion.

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INFRASTRUCTURE

The Orange Barrel Road SCDOT says I-85 will be under construction for the next decade

RUDOLPH BELL | STAFF

rbell@communityjournals.com The South Carolina Department of Transportation has a lot of work planned along the Upstate’s Main Street — Interstate 85 — now that state lawmakers have given it $800 million more a year in funding.

So get ready to see orange barrels for a long time.

Lawmakers provided the extra road money through three bills since 2013. The last of the three, passed earlier this year, will generate about $600 million more a year by raising the state’s 16.75 cents-a-gallon gas tax by 12 cents over six years and through various new fees.

By issuing bonds and tapping federal funding, SCDOT says it plans to double its repaving work and, over a decade, enhance safety on 1,000 miles of rural roads, build 465 new bridges, and improve 140 miles of interstate.

Among the improvements planned in the Upstate is widening I-85 from Greenville to the North Carolina line.

SCDOT also plans to put down new pavement and replace bridges along I-85 and widen Interstate 26 on both sides of its intersection with I-85. Already, it is rebuilding the I-85/ Interstate 385 interchange in Greenville.

“We expect the 85 corridor to be under construction for at least the next decade,” Christy Hall, South Carolina’s transportation secretary, told UBJ.

465 bridges replaced 140 miles of interstates improved 1,000 miles of safety features added to rural roads

She said I-85 is South Carolina’s most heavily traveled interstate, carrying out-ofstate motorists between Charlotte and Atlanta as well as local traffic from across the Upstate.

The interstate is critical to the movement of raw materials and finished goods by the Upstate’s many manufacturers, she said.

Hall, 46, is originally from the Abbeville County community of Lowndesville. She graduated from Clemson University in 1994 with a degree in civil engineering and spent a decade in the SCDOT office along Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville.

The I-85 improvements are just part of $5 billion worth of interstate improvements that SCDOT plans over the next decade.

Other major improvements are planned where Interstates 26 and 526 come together in Charleston and the confluence of Interstates 26, 20, and 126 in Columbia, an area known as “Malfunction Junction.” The latter project is estimated to cost $1.5 billion, Hall said.

“We view these big interstate projects as absolutely critical to the future economic success of our state,” she said.

MAJOR MULTI-LANE WIDENING PROJECTS PLANNED ALONG I-85 I-85/385 Interchange rebuild in Greenville County

Construction began: December 2015 Estimated completion: Summer 2019

I-85 rehab and widening in Spartanburg/ Cherokee counties. Rehab between mile markers 77-80, widening between mile markers 80-96 Construction began: January 2017 Estimated completion: Summer 2021

I-85 widening in Cherokee County.

Mile markers 96-106.

Estimated construction start: Summer 2018 Estimated completion: Winter 2022

I-85 widening in Anderson/Greenville counties. Mile markers 40-69.

Estimated construction start: Fall 2021 Estimated completion: Spring 2026 Source: SCDOT

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$21.4 million spending from nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and $10.7 million in event-related spending.

REVENUE

Creative Hub City

Local nonprofit arts and cultural industry supports 1,130 full-time jobs, compared with the national average of 1,131.

Spartanburg’s economy gets a $32M boost from the arts... yes, the arts

TREVOR ANDERSON | STAFF

tanderson@communityjournals.com Spartanburg leaders often tout the county’s evolution as a creative hub.

A new study unveiled Thursday, Aug. 31, just might give credence to those claims, showing nonprofit arts and cultural activities have a more than $32 million annual economic impact on the county.

“The arts mean business,” said Jennifer Evins, president and CEO of the Chapman Cultural Center.

“This is our benchmark. We’re going to measure this every year going forward.”

The study, Arts and Economic Prosperity 5, generated by the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group Americans for the Arts, illuminates the impact that the arts industry has on the economy at the national and local levels.

Spartanburg was one of 341 communities across the nation chosen to receive customized analysis as part of the study. The accumulation of local data was coordinated by the Chapman Cultural Center, collected during the 2015 fiscal year, and tabulated in 2016.

Spartanburg-specific data showed the county’s economic impact was comprised of $21.4 million spending from nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and 4

UBJ | 9.8.2017

$10.7 million in event-related spending.

The report said the local nonprofit arts and cultural industry supports 1,130 full-time jobs, compared with the national average of 1,131.

Findings showed that the industry generates nearly $22.4 million in resident household income in Spartanburg, $1.11 million in revenue for local government, and almost $1.6 million in state government revenue per year.

The report’s findings were introduced to the media during a ceremony last Thursday morning at the Chapman Cultural Center in downtown Spartanburg. An event for the community was to be held at the center that evening.

“When we invest in the arts, we’re investing in a product that brings

The industry generates nearly $22.4 million in resident household income in Spartanburg,

$1.11 million in revenue for local government, and almost $1.6 million in state government revenue per year.

2,151 volunteers donated almost 101,000 hours to nonprofit arts and

cultural organizations in 2015.

people to the community and then they spend money,” said Randy Cohen, vice president of research and policy for Americans for the Arts. “The arts provide cultural and economic benefits for a community.”

Cohen added, “They’re not just nice, they’re necessary.”

Evins said Spartanburg’s participation in the study could provide insight that will help the county recruit more white-collar jobs and creative industries.

It could also help encourage local businesses and residents to increase

Randy Cohen, vice president of research and policy for Americans for the Arts, spoke during a media event at the Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg last week.

their involvement in the arts, as well as drive local tourism.

The study showed that during 2015, 2,151 volunteers donated almost 101,000 hours to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Spartanburg.

Those organizations reported that they received nearly $211,000 worth of in-kind contributions from local companies, individuals, local and state arts agencies, and government agencies.

According to the study, arts and culture events attracted 682,459 attendees in 2015, including 578,725 visits from residents and 103,734 visits from nonresidents.

Average spending per person was $13.94 for residents and $25.09 for nonresidents.

The study highlighted a survey administered to nonresident visitors, or individuals who live outside of the county, which revealed that nearly 57 percent said the main reason for their visit to Spartanburg was to attend an arts or cultural event.

The survey showed that more than 43 percent of respondents said

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䌀 䰀 䔀 䴀 匀 伀 一 䴀 䈀 䄀 倀 刀 伀 䜀 刀 䄀 䴀

“When you look at the drivers [of tourism], they are the cultural organizations. People are looking for authentic cultural experiences.”

they would have traveled to a different community to attend a similar cultural event.

“When you look at the drivers [of tourism], they are the cultural organizations,” Cohen said. “People are looking for authentic cultural experiences.”

Recent initiatives and other developments on the horizon could see Spartanburg’s economic impact from the arts increase during the next few years.

Seeing Spartanburg in a New Light, a public art project funded by a $1 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Lighten Up Spartanburg, the Spartanburg Art Walk, and Spartanburg Music Trail, has continued to attract visitors.

The Chapman Cultural Center’s Culture Counts initiative helped the Spartanburg Downtown Cultural District launch in November 2016.

The district hosts more than 1,000 event opportunities for the public, according to the Chapman Cultural Center.

Spartanburg’s $20 million, 10story AC Hotel under construction

at the southwest corner of West Main Street and Daniel Morgan Avenue will be a showplace for artwork from The Johnson Collection’s Black Mountain College portfolio.

In May, the S.C. Arts Commission, in partnership with the Greenville-based nonprofit CommunityWorks, launched the pilot of ArtsGrow SC in Spartanburg. Through ArtsGrow SC, qualifying artists or creative ventures will have access to a matched savings program, or Individual Development Accounts (IDA) for artists, as well as micro-loans, business venture loans, grants, personalized coaching, and workshops.

“The bottom line is it doesn’t matter what community you live in,” Cohen said. “Whether it’s a small rural one, or a large urban one. If the arts are happening there, the arts are big business, and they’re good for the economy.”

To view the full study, visit chapmanculturalcenter.org/research.

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According to the study, arts and culture events attracted 682,459 attendees in 2015, including 578,725 visits from residents and 103,734 visits from nonresidents.

Average spending per person was $13.94 for residents and $25.09 for nonresidents.

9.8.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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ENERGY

Money Meltdown

$

Duke Energy’s request to raise rates on Upstate customers isn’t a matter of if, but when

RUDOLPH BELL | STAFF

rbell@communityjournals.com Following the Aug. 25 announcement from Duke Energy that it was canceling a decades-old plan to build a nuclear plant in Gaffney, several Upstate manufacturers stand ready to challenge the Charlotte, N.C.-based power company if it asks South Carolina regulators for permission to raise rates on its Upstate customers.

Scott Elliott, a Columbia lawyer who specializes in utility regulation, has already picked out arguments he intends to make on behalf of manufacturing clients opposed to the expected rate hike request.

Elliott represents the S.C. Energy Users Committee, a group of manufacturers that buy a lot of electricity. The group includes major employers such as BMW Manufacturing Co., Milliken & Co., and Michelin North America, as well as smaller ones such as Mount Vernon Mills.

Duke has not yet asked South Carolina regulators for a rate hike, but it has asked North Carolina regulators, and says it intends to do the same in South Carolina at some point.

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UBJ | 9.8.2017

In North Carolina, Duke Energy Carolinas, the Duke unit that serves the Upstate, proposes to raise rates by an average of 13.6 percent, according to paperwork the company filed in Raleigh, N.C., on Friday, Aug. 25.

As part of its request to the N.C. Utilities Commission, Duke wants to collect an extra $53 million a year from ratepayers as reimbursement for the nearly $542 million it spent developing the proposed Gaffney plant.

The power company isn’t saying exactly when it will ask South Carolina regulators for permission to raise rates in the Upstate.

Ryan Mosier, a spokesman in the utility’s South Carolina headquarters in downtown Greenville, said spending related to the development of new power plants “is a cost typically paid for by customers.”

Duke intends to seek “cost recovery in South Carolina” as part of a “future rate request proceeding,” but the filing won’t happen this year, Mosier told UBJ. The power company is eligible to seek reimbursement from Upstate ratepayers of 23.8 percent of what it spent on the nuclear

The power company is eligible to seek reimbursement from Upstate ratepayers of 23.8 percent of what it spent on the nuclear plant, or $128.5 million. plant, or $128.5 million, said Dukes Scott, executive director of the Office of Regulatory Staff, the state agency responsible for protecting the public interest in utility matters.

Elliott, however, said he doesn’t think the power company is entitled to recover that much.

He said the S.C. Public Service Commission authorized Duke to spend no more than $350 million developing the nuclear plant in separate orders issued in 2008 and 2011.

In addition, Duke spent money preparing the site and that should not count as “pre-construction” costs, Elliott told UBJ. “If they’re entitled to recover anything at all, it’s less than what

they’ve spent, and probably substantially,” Elliott said.

It’s the second time Duke has canceled construction of a nuclear power plant on the same property.

Duke left behind a huge concrete bowl when it stopped building the first nuclear power plant in the mid-1980s amid soaring costs.

Later the bowl was used to film underwater scenes from the 1989 movie “The Abyss,” directed by James Cameron.

Duke said its decision to cancel its latest plans for a nuclear plant in Gaffney was the result of the bankruptcy of Westinghouse Electric Co., the company that was to provide the nuclear technology and oversee construction.

Westinghouse filed for Chapter

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

PAST RATE HIKES Duke Energy has raised rates for its Upstate customers three times since 2010.

2010

Residential rates rose more than 9 percent, while industrial rates decreased nearly 5 percent.

2012

Residential rates rose 7 percent, while rates for commercial and industrial customers rose more than 5 percent.

2013

Residential rates rose more than 10 percent over two years.

Rates for commercial customers rose more than 6 percent, while rates for industrial customers rose more than 7 percent.

change and construction become feasible and in the best interest of customers,” the company told North Carolina regulators.

Elliott said Duke is in a better position to be reimbursed for costs spent on the nuclear plant as the result of a law passed by South Carolina lawmakers a decade ago called the Base Load Review Act. That law, for which Duke lobbied, shifted the risk involved in nuclear plant construction from shareholders to ratepayers by allowing utilities to recover construction financing costs up front, Elliott said.

The Base Load Review Act became the subject of a raging public controversy when two South Carolina utilities — SCE&G and state-owned Santee Cooper — announced earlier this year that they would halt construction of the V.C. Summer nuclear project in the Jenkinsville community near Columbia. Nine billion dollars was spent on the project

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and nearly 5,000 people lost their jobs.

According to Elliott, SCE&G continues to collect $440 million a year from ratepayers to cover costs associated with the failed construction project, a situation he said was facilitated by the Base Load Review Act. Scott said South Carolina ratepayers so far have not contributed anything toward the costs of the Gaffney project that Duke wants to cancel.

State Rep. Bill Sandifer, a Republican from Seneca, was the first co-sponsor of the Base Load Review Act when it was adopted in 2007, Statehouse records show.

Sandifer continues to have a big influence on South Carolina utility regulation as chairman of the House Labor, Commerce, and Industry Committee, which has jurisdiction over utility matters.

Duke intends to seek “cost recovery in South Carolina” as part of a “future rate request proceeding,” but the filing won’t happen this year.

11 protection as a result of soaring costs at nuclear plants it was building in South Carolina near Columbia and in Georgia near Augusta.

The “uncertainty” that resulted from the Westinghouse bankruptcy created an “unacceptable level of risk” for the Gaffney project, Duke told North Carolina regulators. Duke also said its most recent cost estimate for the Gaffney plant was $12.9 billion.

Though Duke is now asking regulators for permission to cancel

the Gaffney plant, it’s continuing to hold out the possibility of restarting the project one day.

The company told North Carolina regulators that federal licenses it obtained late last year to build and operate the Gaffney plant will not expire until 40 years after it builds a plant.

The licenses from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission mean Duke continues to have a “valuable option to construct carbon-free new nuclear generation in the future should circumstances

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9.8.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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DEVELOPMENT

GOVERNMENT

Palmetto Proactive Healthcare will open location at Drayton Mills

Texas judge strikes down Obama overtime rule A federal judge in Texas has made permanent an earlier finding that the Obama administration overstepped its boundaries by extending overtime pay to 4.2 million workers.

U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant in November had issued a preliminary injunction blocking the mandate from the U.S. Labor Department. He struck down the mandate in a permanent order issued Aug. 31.

The rule change would have extended overtime protection to salaried employees making less than $47,476 a year.

The proposal had employers in a range of industries, including restaurants, scrambling to decide whether to raise the salaries of affected employees to the new threshold, start paying them overtime, or limit their hours to 40 a week.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who joined a lawsuit challenging the mandate, hailed the ruling in a news release.

“This overtime rule is bad for South Carolina businesses,” Wilson said. “It would take away employment opportunities for South Carolinians.” —Rudolph Bell

The revitalization of Spartanburg’s Drayton Mill has attracted another tenant.

Palmetto Proactive Healthcare, a direct primary care family medicine practice, announced last Monday it would move into Drayton Mills Marketplace in January 2018. The location will occupy more than 1,700 square feet in Suite 313, which formerly housed the historic textile mill’s employee health office.

“Drayton Mills is focused on building community through its apartments, commercial spaces, and amenities,” said Jerome Aya-Ay, who founded Palmetto Proactive in 2010 with Chris McCarthy, in a statement. “We think our doctors can add to this great community and look forward to joining the Drayton family.”

Palmetto Proactive already has three locations at 1703 John B. White Sr. Blvd. in Spartanburg; 1120 N. Pleasantburg Drive, Suite 301, in Greenville; and 126 S. Assembly St. in Columbia.

The company said in a statement that it does not contract with insurance companies, but solicits payments directly from patients, or employers, who pay with cash, debit cards, or credit cards.

REAL ESTATE Palmetto Proactive said its prices are posted up front. By removing excess paNAI Earle Furman adds perwork, the company said its doctors Bauknight to Spartanburg are able to spend more time with patients team of brokers and reduce wait times at prices that are One of Spartanburg County’s top “often half of what is seen using tradientrepreneurs has joined a leading Uptional insurance.” state-based commercial real estate broPalmetto Proactive said in addition to kerage firm. pricing per procedure or test, patients NAI Earle Furman announced Frican sign up for its $60 per month Proday, Sept. 1, John Bauknight has joined active Patient Program, where members its Spartanburg office located at 314 S. receive preventative care and discounted Pine St. across from the city’s Converse pricing on procedures. —Trevor AnderHeights neighborhood. son UBJ_Gville7_r2.qxp_Layout 1 6/30/17 9:27 AM Page 1

NAI Earle Furman’s Spartanburg office at 314 S. Pine St. Photo courtesy of NAI Earle Furman.

“There is a wonderful team approach in place at NAI Earle Furman and excellent growth opportunities,” Bauknight said. “When I’m considering new opportunities, I always look at several characteristics — the most important being the individuals involved.

I believe it’s the people that make NAI Earle Furman different from the rest of the commercial real estate firms in our area.”

Bauknight, originally of Spartanburg, earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Wofford College in 1989.

In 1997, he and his business partner, Nick Wildrick, founded Shred First LLC, a document destruction company that eventually landed on Inc. Magazine’s list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in America in 2003 and 2005.

Bauknight is president and co-founder of the Spartanburg-based investment firm Longleaf Holdings USA, which owns RJ Rockers Brewing Co. in Spartanburg. He was instrumental in leading the brewery to relocate to downtown Spartanburg in 2009.

Longleaf Holdings owns and manages a variety of other commercial and residential real estate assets, and has taken a minority position in several

start-up ventures such as the Greenville-based apparel company Southern Tide.

Bauknight is heavily involved in Spartanburg’s entrepreneurial community.

In 2015, he helped launch Spartanburg Angels, a network of investors formed to provide funding for small-business ventures in the community.

The business leader said it takes persistence to be a successful entrepreneur.

NAI Earle Furman’s Spartanburg brokerage team includes Andrew Babb, Stuart Smith, Cole Morris, Chris Harrison, Daniel Dunn, Parish Smith, Lianna Saad, and Kevin Pogue.

Bauknight has formed a partnership within the office with Babb. The two men have been friends since high school.

“It’s exciting to work side by side with John again,” Babb said in a statement. “We had our first business venture while in college.”

Bauknight said he has more than 20 years of experience in the real estate business.

“It’s evident that downtown Spartanburg is really hitting its stride right now,” Bauknight said. “We have people from Greenville, Charleston, and Ashe-

Different interests.

Same passion.

Helping you reach your financial goals.

Jim Stewart Exec. Vice President NMLS 782933 Boy Scout volunteer

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UBJ | 9.8.2017

Curtice Winsch Loan Officer NMLS 1529160 Church softball player

Eric Lysak Vice President NMLS 506281 Lake Keowee ski-buff

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carolinaalliancebank.com

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The former Piedmont Blood Center building at 186 E. Main St. in downtown Spartanburg and will soon be opened up for leasing opportunities, and, possibly, redevelopment.

ville, N.C., looking at doing projects here. That is when you know you’re really starting to clip.”

“Joining NAI Earle Furman will keep me fully engaged in this community,” Bauknight added. —Trevor Anderson

Former Piedmont Blood Center site gets new owner A prominent historic building in downtown Spartanburg has changed hands, but the new owner said it might be a few months before he formulates a plan for the site.

Property records showed Spartanburg businessman Alexander Orehowski purchased the two-story, 14,400-square-foot former Piedmont Blood Center space at 186 E. Main St. across from Denny’s Plaza on Aug. 25.

Orehowski purchased the building for $518,000 through his company Bellwood Lane Construction LLC from Chris and Cara Lynn Cannon of Spartanburg.

“My plan is to refurbish the building and have commercial units downstairs and apartments upstairs,” said Orehowski, who owns The Bargain Mill and Ice Cream U Scream off Union Street beside the Mary Black Foundation Rail Trail. “I’m really interested in restoring the building to what it was 80 years ago.

It’s a significant cost, and it will likely be February before I will be able to reach a decision.”

In the meantime, Orehowski said he will soon open the building up for leasing opportunities.

He said he would gladly entertain “reasonable” offers from any parties interested in purchasing the building before February.

The building is located in the row of shops along northern East Main Street between Prices’ Store for Men and the Aug. W. Smith building.

Greenville-based developer Blue

Wall Real Estate Group is investing $10.5 million to transform the Aug. W. Smith building at 174 E. Main St. into a mixed-use facility featuring 45 apartments and ground-level retail spaces.

“There is a lot of growth going on in downtown,” Orehowski said. “That is expected to continue during the next 10 to 15 years. I am happy to be a part of it.”

The Piedmont Blood Center shuttered in October 2010. Despite sitting vacant for the past several years, the building’s appeal has increased.

Property records showed the Cannons purchased the building in May 2013 from the Spartanburg County Medical Society for $305,000.

Andew Babb with NAI Earle Furman represented the Cannons in the transaction. Tim Satterfield with Coldwell Banker Commercial Caine represented Orehowski. —Trevor Anderson

REAL ESTATE

Florida group sells Spartanburg apartments to Simpsonville’s Upstate Property Rentals A 152-unit apartment community in Spartanburg County has changed hands.

Florida-based Elevation Financial Group, a provider of affordable housing for seniors and families, said it sold its multifamily Serenity Apartments at 345 Bryant Road for $7.05 million to Simpsonville-based Upstate Property Rentals.

Ron Phillips, principal of Upstate Property Rentals, said the community will be renamed Cross Creek Apartments, as Serenity is a licensed brand name.

“This is a very good property. It’s newly renovated,” Phillips said. “It’s in great shape.”

He said the property is currently fully occupied and tenants can expect to see little to no changes under the new ownership.

Elevation purchased the apartments, which were constructed in 1981, for $4.05 million from Cross Creek Apartment Associates LLC in 2015.

The company said it “immediately initiated” $1 million in renovations, which included new windows, new roofs, renovated interiors, and a rebranding of the property.

Elevation said the property, which consists of one-bedroom garden-style units and was a part of the company’s Elevation Real Property Fund V portfolio, maintained an occupancy level of 95 percent or above during its ownership.

“After making significant improvements to the property, we continued to maintain affordable rents for the residents, while positively serving the community,” said Chris King, president and CEO of Elevation, in a statement. “We are thrilled to once again deliver safe, clean, and affordable housing to families and strong returns for our Fund V investors.”

Additional properties in Elevation’s Fund V portfolio include a 415-unit property in Columbia, three multifamily properties in Alabama, and one property in Baton Rouge, La. —Trevor Anderson

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We just took all-inclusive into extra innings.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER ��

Feast by the Field Presented by GVLtoday

Come experience an open air Craft Beer Garden, multiple Culinary Demo Stages, and a Grand Wine Tasting along with live music on the Yard House Music Stage. Enjoy unlimited samplings of delicious food and delectable beverages from over 60 breweries, wineries, distilleries, local restaurants and regional chefs.

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euphoriagreenville.com Serenity Apartments at 345 Bryant Road in Spartanburg have been sold. Photo courtesy of Elevation Financial Group.

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Greenville startups get seed funding

Is Your Business Prepared for a Disaster?

All of America has watched in horror as Houston and surrounding areas have endured the force of Hurricane Harvey. The images have been terrifying and hard to even comprehend. Yet, as always, it has been inspiring to see the goodness of mankind prevail in the face of adversity.

There is a tendency for all of us to believe that a large-scale disaster won’t happen where we live. When we watch T.V. and see natural disasters happening in places all around the world, it seems far removed from our daily lives. Yet, when catastrophes such as Harvey happen, it is important that as individuals, community members, and business leaders, we take the time to learn from these events and prepare ourselves for the possibility of a disaster in our own backyard.

Is your business prepared if a disaster happens in your community? Here are just a few areas for you to focus on to ensure that your business will be protected.

• Insurance - Now is the time to call your insurance agent and review your policies. Confirm that the limits of insurance are enough to cover your business properly. If your business has grown or you have new equipment, it is important to update your policies. Also, Business Interruption coverage is recommended to protect your financial loss if you must close your business for a length of time.

• Safety – Hopefully, there would be early warnings if a disaster was about to strike, but that is not always the case. Therefore, it is important to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Employee safety is paramount. Evacuation routes should be planned and communicated to staff. Have a first aid kit at each location.

Prepare a survival kit with items such as flashlights, batteries, water, and a weather radio. Periodically, check the building’s alarms, fire extinguishers, and generator if you have one, so that you are confident that they will work when you need them the most.

• Information Technology – Discuss with your IT department or outsourced IT provider how your network security will be handled in case of a disaster. If you use a cloud solution or have offsite storage, make sure that your network service provider has redundancy through a disaster recovery center. If your service is onsite, make sure that critical files are backed up regularly and stored at offsite locations.

• Business Continuity Plan – Prepare a plan to keep your business running if possible. Evaluate different scenarios and plan accordingly. Are you able to relocate temporarily? Will employees be able to work remotely? What happens if your suppliers shut down?

• Communication Strategy – During a time of crisis, communication is vital.

Key employees need to be assigned as spokespersons for communication with media, insurance carriers, and important business relations if necessary.

Put an effective system into place to contact clients and vendors about business operations and create a phone tree or email blast to keep in touch with employees. Make sure all staff members know their role in the disaster preparedness strategy.

Hurricane Harvey has wreaked havoc on an entire region. Homes have been destroyed, people have been killed, and families have been displaced. Businesses have also been ravaged and many of those businesses will be unable to resume operations any time soon, if ever at all. According to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, 40% of small businesses never reopen following severe weather events. Let Hurricane Harvey be a wakeup call for us all. Prepare for any future catastrophe.

Lee Yarborough President

669 N. Academy St. Greenville, SC 29601 propelHR.com Info@propelHR.com 800–446–6567

SC Launch, a program of the South Carolina Research Authority that supports startup companies, recognized three Upstate ventures during a ceremony in downtown Greenville on Aug. 29.

SC Launch officials presented each startup with a “big check” for $200,000.

Recipient companies were ActivEd of Greenville, which is developing an educational technology platform to facilitate movement-based learning; Patrona Medical of Greenville, which has developed technology to reduce urinary tract infections related to catheters; and VRM Labs, a Clemson University spinout that produces a natural substitute for synthetic preservatives in pet food.

The oversized checks were just props in a ceremony, stand-ins for real $200,000 loans convertible to equity.

The real checks were deposited into the bank accounts of the startup companies months earlier, confirmed Mark Housley, Upstate regional manager for SC Launch.

VIPs on hand for the ceremony, in addition to Housley, were Bob Quinn, SCRA executive director; Greg Hillman, SC Launch executive director; and state Rep. Dwight Loftis, a Republican from Greenville.

The ceremony took place at NEXT on Main, one of three locations of the Greenville Chamber’s NEXT program for technology entrepreneurs. —Rudolph Bell

EDUCATION

World’s experts on electric/ hybrid cars coming to February ICAR conference The relationship between Clemson University’s automotive engineering department and India’s PSG College of Technology continues to grow.

In their latest collaboration, they plan to bring the second International Conference on Automobile Engineering to Greenville in February 2018 after holding it for the first time in India in January.

According to Clemson, the 2018 conference is expected to bring some of the world’s foremost experts in hybrid and electric vehicles to the International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville, home of Clemson’s graduate program in automotive engineering.

The conference is scheduled for UBJ | 9.8.2017

Feb. 27, one day before the start of the S.C. Automotive Summit, an annual, three-day gathering of the industry in Greenville.

The relationship between Clemson’s automotive engineering department and PSG, an engineering school in the state of Tamil Nadu, began after Ratan Tata, father figure of India’s Tata business empire, visited ICAR in February 2015.

During the same visit, Tata, former chairman of Tata Sons, also appeared at the S.C. Automotive Summit at the downtown Greenville Hyatt and received an honorary doctorate from Clemson.

A year and a half later, Clemson announced that Tata Trusts, a collection of trusts affiliated with the Tata companies, would fund scholarships for five PSG students from India to study automotive engineering at Clemson.

The number of scholarships has since risen to nine.

In another collaboration, a Clemson automotive engineering professor, Simona Onori, is helping PSG create a lab for studying hybrid and electric vehicle technology that’s similar to one she established at ICAR. Among the companies in the Tata conglomerate is the British maker of Jaguar and Land Rover cars. —Rudolph Bell

MANAGEMENT

GSP lands new CFO Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport has a new chief financial officer.

The Greenville-Spartanburg Airport District recently announced Basil Dosunmu as its new CFO and senior vice president of administration and finance.

Dosunmu, who currently serves as interim CFO for the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA), will assume the role on Sept. 25. He will replace Jack Murrin, who is retiring after 18 years at GSP. “As GSP continues to grow, I am confident that Basil will help guide GSP to new heights,” said Dave Edwards, president and CEO of GSP, in a statement.

GSP said Dosunmu has 24 years of auditing and accounting experience with various industries, including state and local governments. The airport said he served as a consultant focused on the areas of business process improvement and exploring and evaluating new business opportunities.

Dosunmu joined the MNAA in 2015

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport has named Basil Dosunmu as its new CFO. Photo courtesy of GSP Airport.

as assistant vice president of finance.

He was later named interim CFO. His responsibilities include planning, organizing, and directing the financial, accounting, and treasury activities of MNAA and MNAA Properties Corp., according to GSP. He joins GSP as the airport is preparing to continue its growth following the completion of its $125 million main terminal renovation, Project WINGSPAN. In May, Edwards said the airport has about $100 million in projects that will be completed during the next three to five years. —Trevor Anderson

MANUFACTURING

New Duncan plastic plant to create 60 jobs Last Thursday, Texas-based Albis Plastics Corp. celebrated the opening of its new compounding plant in Spartanburg County.

The $14 million, 20,000-squarefoot facility, adjacent to the 250,000-square-foot Albis Barnet Polymer plant at 1720 E. Main St. (Highway 290) in Duncan, is expected to create 60 jobs during the next five years.

The Duncan plant is a result of the joint venture between Albis Plastics Corp.’s parent company, Germany-based Albis Plastic Gmbh, and Spartanburg-based William Barnet & Son LLC. “It’s very exciting,” said Stefan Fuhlendorf, regional sales director of the Americas for Albis Plastic. “This is the real thing now. Our customers have been waiting on this, and we’re very happy to deliver.”

The facility will specialize in recycling, repelletizing, and marketing

postindustrial raw materials for the company’s Alltech and Alcom products.

Albis Plastic said the plant’s initial capacity is 30 million pounds of product per year.

“This is really something,” said Ian Mills, chief sales officer for Albis Plastic. “When you consider the investment that has been made, this facility is incredible and it will be a great springboard for us to grow our business and better serve our customers.”

Mills said he could not name specific customers, but said the facility will support suppliers of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), such as BMW. He said there is still plenty of room for future growth at the 32-acre site, which sits across the street from BMW supplier DAA Draexlmaier Automotive of America’s plant.

Founded in 1961, Albis Plastic has 1,200 employees and six compounding facilities in Germany, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, and China.

The Duncan plant is the company’s seventh compounding facility but the first production plant for its North American affiliate, which was established in 1968.

Jobs created by the new facility will be in addition to 100 workers already employed by the joint venture comprised of Barnet’s former polymer business and the sales activities for Albis in North America. —Trevor Anderson

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| NEWS

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COVER |

THE RISE OF THE SOUTHERN PREP STYLE

Southern

Charms

The rise of sorority chic, fratastic fashions, and down-home preppy apparel

WORDS BY ARIEL TURNER | PHOTOS BY WILL CROOKS

The phrase “Southern Style” carries a hefty amount of assumptions and stereotypes with it, depending on the topic at hand.

Food is often the subject matter when that phrase arises, and likely refers to all things fried, buttered, baconed, and smothered, though there’s a whole movement of chefs trying to change that perception.

Then, there’s the music (twang), the attitude (“Bless your heart”), and home décor (pineapples, palmetto trees, and bold Lilly Pulitzer-style patterns). Some of it’s true, while much of it may be only a sliver of reality.

But when it comes to fashion, specifically for the millennial consumers, there’s a distinct and legitimate Southern, collegiate style that has emerged and spread far outside of South Carolina with the help of some local, Upstate-grown clothing companies: Coast Apparel, Southern Tide, and the Graphic Cow’s newly launched Magnolia Designs division marketed solely to sororities.

This style can be summed up in one sentence from Southern Tide CEO Christopher Heyn: “They don’t want to be too dressed up, but God forbid they not be dressed up enough.”

It’s as simple, and as complex, as that, considering that for Southern collegiates, and often their parents and siblings, that appearance must be maintained in the heat, rain, stadium, field, class, and social function. One outfit, or look, has to be versatile enough for all of the above. That’s not a job for your run-of-the-mill pocket T-shirt.

This is where these local companies come in, taking traditional styles, like the polo shirt or dress, and recreating it with moisture-wicking performance fabric with a touch of stretch and an updated fit.

In addition to the performance aspect, that versatility of style is something that has changed in collegiate circles, especially among sororities, says Thomas Smith, who launched Magnolia Designs Co. in May as a division of 12

UBJ | 9.8.2017

Coast Apparel’s signature crab logo epitomizes the brand’s versatility, from water to land and everything in between.

9.8.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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COVER |

THE RISE OF THE SOUTHERN PREP STYLE

Greenville’s Graphic Cow design and screen-printing business, which was founded in 1994 in Clemson to bring advertising agency-quality design to the screen-printing world.

A large part of Graphic Cow’s collegiate sales are in screen-printed T-shirts for fraternities and sororities. In 2015, 93 percent of sorority sales were basic pocket T’s. In 2016, that number dropped to 81 percent, and so far in 2017, it’s dropped even further to 65 percent.

Smith, who spends weeks on the road meeting with chapter leadership on college campuses throughout the Southeast, saw that drop coming.

“Women lead fashion,” he says. “I sensed [the change] of the last few years.”

“They don’t want to be too dressed up, but God forbid they not be dressed up enough.”

Magnolia Designs has tapped into the sorority apparel market, eliminating cotton pocket T-shirts in favor of softer fabrics and updated silhouettes.

14

UBJ | 9.8.2017

In response, he created Magnolia Designs to sell apparel to sororities only to boost sales.

He discovered what they want is their brand printed on pieces much more individual and wearable than a basic T-shirt.

“Sororities are looking for the most unique thing,” Smith says. “We never proactively marketed to them.”

He credits the rise of Instagram for much of the shift. With nearly every occasion being photographed and posted on social media, that means two things for the chapters: First, they don’t want to be a duplicate of any other chapter in the school, and second, the need for event T-shirts to prove they were there isn’t necessary.

The Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina

sorority chairs want softer fabrics and flowy silhouettes, and they tend to be more conservative. Florida schools, in particular, tend to lean more toward crop tops, body suits, and racerback, Smith says.

The challenge is to keep up with the demand.

“My job is anticipating what the next thing might be,” Smith says. “Everybody wants something different.”

The fabric of choice is no longer 100 percent cotton, but poly blends that create a sheer, soft look.

Each chapter wants to be the most fashion forward, while doing so in numerous outdoor scenarios and weather situations. That’s the Southern way.

It’s also a philosophy of style attractive to

THE RISE OF THE SOUTHERN PREP STYLE

Southern Tide has a wholesale presence in 42 states.

Ten years ago, they were only in one state.

| COVER

Southern Tide’s crepe King Street Dress with pockets can go from day to night with an accessory switch, as can the men’s sport shirt, layered accordingly.

9.8.2017 9.8.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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COVER |

THE RISE OF THE SOUTHERN PREP STYLE

Coast Apparel’s retail presence on Main Street, Greenville, boosted its online sales by 20 percent since last fall.

consumers beyond the Southeast and college campuses, judging by Southern Tide’s and Coast’s expansion in both online sales and brick-and-mortar stores.

Southern Tide, the older of the two, and now a wholly owned subsidiary of Oxford Industries (NYSE: OXM), was founded in Greenville in 2006 by Allen Stephenson, and is best known for the Skipjack Polo he developed specifically to be the quintessential versatile Southern shirt. The company has since expanded into a lifestyle brand with full clothing and accessory lines for men, women, and children.

Earlier this summer, Southern Tide announced plans for the opening of three new signature stores, in addition to its Main Street Greenville, Kiawah Island, and Naperville, Ill., locations, as well as an additional admiral partnership — a branded shop-in-shop installation located within a retail location. The new signature stores are in Raleigh, Asheville, and Wilmington, N.C. In terms of online retail, they currently ship to 48 states, with the first shipments to Hawaii 16

UBJ | 9.8.2017

In 2015, 93 percent of sorority sales were basic pocket T’s. In 2016, that number dropped to 81 percent, and so far in 2017, it’s dropped even further to 65 percent. scheduled for next quarter. They have a wholesale presence in 42 states. Ten years ago, they were only in one state.

Heyn says they’re seeing the fastest growth in the Northeast, which isn’t surprising given the success of prep-brand Vineyard Vines along the

East Coast. Chicago and Texas are key regions, and they’re even experiencing growth on the West Coast, because there’s interest in the “Southern spirit,” meaning the comfortable, casual, colorful, and fun style that can work for families, tailgates, fun on the water, and sports, Heyn says.

He says the traditional polo/khaki stereotypical preppy look can seem exclusionary, but that’s not what true Southern style is.

“We’re not about the social club,” he says.

“Everyone in the South is warm and inviting.”

Their target demographic is the collegiate crowd and relatively recent grads. They draw demographic info from college campuses through their ambassador program.

The 40 college ambassadors, both male and female, at 38 schools include a sailing instructor, a college lacrosse player, and a fraternity president, for instance, whose goals are to incorporate Southern Tide into the college experiences without the hard sell.

“Our demographic sees through the gimmicks and marketing campaigns,” he says.

THE RISE OF THE SOUTHERN PREP STYLE

The ambassadors report directly to the brand manager and provide information about the brand usage to inform further marketing efforts.

“Our guy actually knows how to drive a stick shift,” Heyn says. “Our girl is never the first one to the party and never the last one to leave.”

Coast Apparel, founded in 2009 by Greenville entrepreneur Chad Odom and business partner Blayne Henderson, has also experienced national growth after being purchased by Delta Apparel a year ago and opening a store at 324 S. Main St., Greenville.

Kerry McLeod, Coast’s president, says that

adding the brick-and-mortar presence on Main Street ignited the brand, including online, which has grown 20 percent since. Sales this fiscal year through June were up 68 percent from the previous year. When Delta purchased Coast, they had 25-30 wholesale retailers. Now there are more than 50, McLeod says.

Currently, Coast has three stores: the flagship on Pawleys Island, the distribution site on Augusta Road, and the Main Street location.

McLeod says growing the retail footprint is in the cards, as is adding a women’s line in 2018, beginning with the signature soft T-shirts, shorts,

| COVER

and swimwear. A youth line is in the works also.

Currently, Coast sells only a men’s line.

Graphic Cow supplies Coast with its 100 percent pima cotton T-shirts that are customer favorites.

McLeod says their “secret sauce” is creating timeless, classic pieces, with a twist on the trend.

“We’ve created a line that can go from beach to the bar to the boardroom,” she says. “They don’t go out of style.”

Southern Tide got its start with the Skipjack Polo, designed in 2006 by founder Allen Stephenson.

9.8.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

17

SQUARE FEET |

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

ARIEL TURNER | STAFF

aturner@communityjournals.com |

@arielhturner

Westone rendering by the Johnson Design Group

Moe Barbecue, Moe Flavors Alabama-style barbecue set for Westone development

18

UBJ | 9.8.2017

TOW NES STRE ET

than just Alabama diners happy.

After opening in Westone, Greenville franchise owners John Wood and Sam Ragland plan to grow the franchise in the area.

Although each location is different, the restaurant is centered around the South, music, SEC football, and whiskey.

“There’s zero cookie-cutter about it except the food,” Wood says, explaining that each franchise owner has control of the design.

Wood, a friend of the Moe’s founders from The interiors of each Moe’s Original Bar B Que are the University of Alabama, says the restaurant unique to each location. Above are seating areas from Providence, R.I., (top) and Boulder, Colo. (bottom). will seat 93 total, with 28 outside on the patio.

Inside there will be booths, tables, and high the less-pretentious menu offerings. tops, along with a full bar.

“It’s not froufrou, but it’s really good,” he says.

The interior design includes custom wood“We take time making it. We’re not opening work, exposed ceilings, stained concrete cans and boxes.” flooring, and large glass doors that open onto the patio, which will also feature a large awning.

Ragland, part owner of the two Asheville, N.C., Moe’s locations, WEST EARLE STREET will give up that ownership and move to GreenTHE BOHMEMIAN / HORIZON RECORDS ville by December to WEST STONE manage the restaurant.

AVENUE Ragland, an Alabama boy himself, began working for Moe’s in Birmingham, Ala., in THOMAS MCAFEE FUNERAL HOME 2006. A fine-dining and pastry chef trained at the New England Culinary Institute, he was MAIN drawn to the flavors of +STO WILTON STREET

Alabama-style barbecue is headed to Greenville by way of Bama-inspired, Colorado-based Moe’s Original Bar B Que. Founded in 2001 by three college friends from the University of Alabama, Moe’s has been named one of the top 10 barbecue restaurants in the country by USA Today.

The chain’s first Upstate stop will open early 2018 in the Westone redevelopment, 109 W. Stone Ave. They join neighbors Liability Brewing Co., a second Coffee Underground, and a yet-to-be-announced restaurant on the end of the development. Moe’s will be located to the left of the corner brewery in a 2,300-square-foot space.

The Westone project, in the former Battery and Electric Company building, is being developed by Michael Fletcher and Pete Brett.

As opposed to the mustard, vinegar, or tomato sauces popular around these parts, Moe’s is known for its Alabama white sauce. But there’s plenty of red sauce and vinegar to slather on their famous smoked pork butts if you’re not into mayo.

Moe’s scratch-made sides include potato salad using Yukon golds, jalapeños, red onions, and celery; a marinated slaw; skillet corn with sautéed peppers, sausage, and onions; and family-style baked casseroles topped with garlicky croutons. The restaurant’s Oreo mud pies and banana cream pies are made daily.

With 60-plus locations around the country, and one planned for Mexico City, the founding friends must’ve figured out how to make more

NE

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

ARIEL TURNER | STAFF

aturner@communityjournals.com |

| SQUARE FEET @arielhturner

Shaping Up Orangetheory Fitness to open later this year at RiverWalk

Colliers International has brokered a deal with Orangetheory Fitness to open a second Greenville location at 101 Falls Park Drive in the former Lululemon showroom instead of the South Ridge development on Church Street where it was previously planned. The studio will open later this year.

Lululemon moved earlier this year to 600 S. Main St. in the Falls Park Place development.

Scott Burgess and Lance Byars represented Orangetheory Fitness in the lease of the 3,600-square-foot space in the RiverWalk multifamily, mixed-use development owned by

Orangetheory Fitness will join Rick Erwin’s Deli in the RiverWalk development in the former Lululemon showroom.

Photo provided.

Hughes Investments that consists of 44 luxury apartments, street-level retail space, and Class A office space on the upper floors.

Current retail tenants include Rick Erwin’s Deli anchoring the corner at Falls Park Drive and Rhett Street. Kuka Juice, which recently closed its retail presence while it reopens a new location in the Village of West Greenville, would have been Orangetheory’s neighbor.

The first Greenville Orangetheory Fitness is located at 1143 Woodruff Road. The franchise continues to expand nationwide, with around 800 locations, including seven in the Charlotte, N.C., area and three in Charleston.

As Orangetheory continues to expand in the Upstate market, Burgess and Byars will assist in finding these new locations.

CitiSculpting Developer to remake Agfa site in downtown Greenville RUDOLPH BELL | STAFF

rbell@communityjournals.com A developer plans a four-story building of retail and office space on the same downtown Greenville site along Academy Street where Agfa HealthCare has its North American headquarters.

CitiSculpt, a Charlotte, N.C.based developer with an office in Greenville, bought the building that houses Agfa and associated parking lots for $10.2 million in March, according to Greenville County property records and Charles Lindsey McAlpine, CitiSculpt managing partner.

The four parcels CitiSculpt acquired total 4.78 acres and make up most of a city block bounded by

Academy Street, McBee Avenue, Washington Street, and West Broad Street.

“If you cross McBee, you’re 200 yards or so from the Swamp Rabbit Trail,” McAlpine said.

He said CitiSculpt plans to start constructing a square, 60,000-square-foot building late this year or early next year at the corner of Academy Street and McBee Avenue where a parking lot is now.

McAlpine said 15,000 square feet on the ground floor would be reserved for retailers while upper floors would be office space.

CitiSculpt is talking with potential tenants but hasn’t signed any leases yet, McAlpine said.

CitiSculpt plans a 60,000-square-foot building at the corner of Academy Street and McBee Avenue in downtown Greenville.

He said the new building would be the first phase of a three-phase redevelopment of the Agfa site at 10 Academy St. Leasing is being handled by Christopher Fraser, managing director in the Greenville office of Avison Young.

Fraser said the new building would be able to accommodate smaller businesses that don’t need a lot of office space – an option he

said is not widely available in the downtown market.

“You can get 10,000 or 20, but you can’t get 1,500,” Fraser said.

CitiSculpt is keeping the existing, 60,000-square-foot building that houses Agfa. In addition to Agfa, tenants in the building include Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Foster Victor Wealth Advisors, and Standard Constructors.

9.8.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

19

WORKING WELL |

GOOD HEALTH IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS

A Change of Pace

How distance running helped me refocus my business strategies

By JOHN BOYANOSKI president and owner, Complete Public Relations

At the start of a new year, I

“Purveyors of Classic American Style” 23 West North St. | Downtown Greenville

typically pledge to focus on accomplishing something of note during the next 12 months. I do this because setting a goal pushes you toward something.

To begin 2017, I had several goals.

One of them was to use distance running to lose 40 pounds. And since that didn’t seem like enough, I set some actual running goals as well. The first was to break 19 minutes, 30 seconds in a 5K by May. The second was to complete a half-marathon in less than 1 hour, 45 minutes by the end of the year.

There were legitimate reasons for both goals. The half-marathon was because it would be a new personal record, which in running lingo is known as a PR, which in my professional life is what we shorten my job of public relations to. The 5K time was to get me back to a speed I had in my early 30s when I was a serious runner.

So on New Year’s Day, I laced up my sneakers and headed out to the Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail to see how far I could go.

I had no real distance in my head but wanted to do at least 5 miles. I didn’t time myself but just mentally kept pushing to go farther. I ended up running 8 miles that day, which was more than I had done in quite some time.

So, what next? Well, I did it again the next day. I ended up running every day that week. For the first time in a very long time, I realized how much I enjoyed running again.

I decided to add a mile to my long run each week just to see what could happen, and a funny thing did happen.

I soon began to increase the distance of my daily runs as well. A 5-mile Wednesday increased to 6, 7, and then 8 miles. My long weekend runs got longer and longer as I discovered parts of Greenville I had long forgotten.

864.232.2761 | rushwilson.com UBJ | 9.8.2017

In February, I decided to run the Greenville Health System Half-Marathon. My time was 1 hour, 42 minutes — almost three minutes ahead of my goal. In May, I broke my 5K goal by nine seconds. I lost 40-plus pounds along the way. By mid-year, my New Year’s goals were already completed.

It left me wondering what to do next. Pat myself on the back for accomplishing my goals or set some new ones? I decided to go for some new ones but realized I had learned some things along the way that apply to business: • GOALS MATTER. If you are not setting up goals for your business to accomplish new things, you are not going to get better. You need to push yourself, because no one else will.

• BE ACCOUNTABLE. For running, it was as simple as writing down my goals in a notebook and then checking it every day to remember that I had something to accomplish. This is sort of like having a business to-do list, but one that makes sure you are following your goals. Basically, measure every day to see if you are moving toward your goals.

• THE RIGHT OUTLOOK IS KEY. I started doing well in my distance runs because I “knew” I could do them. Don’t ask me how, but in my head, I know I can run long distances. Really fast? That is a challenge. I recently began doing track workouts and noticed that the people I ran past at 400 yards were beating me easily in 200-yard runs. I asked one of them how he did it. He just shrugged and said, “I just know I can run them fast.” That was an eye opener. I started looking at my business decisions. When my company failed, was it because I had the wrong outlook? Many times, it was. I’ve learned to change my mindset.

Anyway, there is more, but I have to go run now.

THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUSINESS

| DIGITAL MAVEN

Communicating in a Crisis

What’s a crisis? Anything your customers decide

By LAURA HAIGHT president, portfoliosc.com

Strategy and Robin Blackwood of Blackwood Public Relations about how you can prepare yourself.

Assess your risk Communications should be a part of every business’s disaster and continuity plan. But many will question why they would ever need it.

When the hurricane comes, everyone will know the restaurant, the dress shop, or the bar is closed. Right?

Maybe, but anticipating what kind of crisis one might face today is like picking six numbers.

A crisis could be developing on social media and you might not even know it.

Here’s an example: With hundreds of restaurants to choose from in Greenville, what would it take to drive customers away? A social media post about food poisoning, perhaps, that spreads through Facebook friends? Will you know why your Saturday night crowd is dwindling? How will you address the issue?

Having a crisis communication plan has become elevated in importance as the timeframe from incident to public knowledge has become compressed.

Regulatory failure, job site accident, employee public misbehavior – the list of possible crises is endless. We talked with Robyn Zimmerman of Crawford

Start with a vulnerability matrix. Plot the risks of things that could happen against the amount of damage they could do to your business.

The high risk/high damage things should be the ones you plan for most.

Think about all your products or aspects of your business and ask yourself: What can go wrong?

Build your team If you have a PR or marketing director, they will often be the face of your company for the public. But many small businesses don’t have either. Decide who’s going to be on your team, keeping in mind that different situations may call for different voices. As a starting place, Zimmerman suggests you designate a chief communicator and then adapt from there. For incidents that might get media coverage, you will need someone who can think on their feet.

Reporters have a way of asking questions that aren’t on your script.

Review contacts and communication channels Not every incident requires a full-

TO DELETE OR NOT TO DELETE? A bad review, a nasty post, an unfair criticism. We all get them on social media. Most people’s knee-jerk reaction is to delete them. And certainly you can do that. But you may be missing an opportunity or creating a bigger issue.

Deleting the post doesn’t mean it won’t be floating around in people’s news feeds. You cannot unring the social media bell.

Experts differ, but most do agree that often a crisis gives you an opportunity to present your best self to the world. Even on social media, this is an opportunity. Rather than delete the post and try to hide the bad news, answer it. Be direct; admit a mistake if there is one; offer a solution; and state what you’ve done or will do to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Or offer a strong explanation for the company’s decision.

Sometimes social media conflates issues, dragging politics or social issues into business. Your company has values, and this is a time to stand by them.

Don’t get sucked into an argument. If the critic responds with more attacks, don’t engage. They will eventually be seen for what they are, but you will gain from having tackled an issue head on.

court press, but have a plan to handle one when it occurs. You should have a media list. You also need to know how to access all your communication channels – do you have access to the Facebook page, the Twitter account, and Instagram? Make sure someone on the crisis team (and an alternate) has control of all that social media. You may need all or part of it to respond to a situation. Blackwood also urges companies not to forget internal communication. Your employees can be getting lunch and be asked about an “event.” If you haven’t notified them of the situation and armed them with some facts, they may fumble the ball.

Understand regulatory and legal requirements

regulatory notification. These would fall under crisis communication, even though the response may not be “public.”

Write a holding statement For serious incidents, timeliness is critical. Zimmerman suggests you have an initial statement at the ready that lets the public know you are aware of a situation and you are investigating.

Being prepared with that initial communication is reassuring and buys time for you to find out what’s really going on.

You have put a lot of work into your business. Lack of preparedness for a crisis or an emergency can seriously and sometimes irreparably damage your reputation. It’s the one risk you really can’t afford.

From hacking to data exposure to industrial accident or environmental spill, there are hundreds of potential incidents that require either a legal or

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9.8.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

21

FORWARD |

WHAT ’S NEXT FOR THE UPSTATE, AND HOW WE’LL GET THERE

Growing Greenwood

Community’s character, quality of life enhanced by industries

By DANIELLE BESSER public relations coordinator, Upstate SC Alliance

Greenwood County claimed the first two announcements of capital investment within the Upstate for 2017, and the momentum has continued to build since the Greenwood Genetics Center and Ascend Performance Materials announced their expansions in January. So far this year, four employers across multiple sectors have announced $16.2 million in industrial expansions and the creation of 50 new jobs.

In its 2017 fiscal year, the community had seven announcements, representing $643.19 million in capital investment and 291 jobs created, according to the Greenwood Partnership Alliance.

For the community of nearly 70,000, with 26 percent of its workforce in manufacturing, tempered growth among newer industries and longevity of existing companies across multiple industry sectors has led to a rich community and contributed to the revitalization of Uptown Greenwood.

Building a Bioscience Hub

The majority of this year’s capital investment in Greenwood comes from two life science companies: the Greenwood Genetic Center (GGC), with a $5.4 million laboratory expansion, and Medtronic, a global health care solutions provider, with a $6.5 million capital investment in a new production line.

The health of these companies signifies the area’s longstanding role as an innovator in the life science industry — among the state’s fastest-growing sectors.

A recognized leader in medical genetics through diagnostic laboratory testing, educational programs, and genetics research, the GGC was founded in 1974.

Today, it employs 170 people and provides more than 27,000 laboratory tests each year.

The GGC is an anchor for the Greenwood Genetic Center Partnership Campus, home to more than 110 medical professionals and the Clemson University Center for Human Genetics, which includes a Ph.D. in genetics program that is jointly taught by Clemson and the Greenwood Genetic Center.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary for Capsugel, which produces 200 billion hard pharmaceutical pill capsules per year for more than 4,000 customers in 100 countries.

“The interesting thing, from an innovation perspective, is that they’re now looking at plant-based products for vegan dietary standards,” says Heather Simmons-Jones, CEO of the Greenwood Partnership Alliance.

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UBJ | 9.8.2017

In its 2017 fiscal year, the community had seven announcements, representing $643.19 million in capital investment and 291 jobs created, according to the Greenwood Partnership Alliance.

Uptown Revitalization

Capsugel’s innovation in plant science is not the only business tie between Greenwood industry and Mother Nature.

Droves of green thumbs descended on Greenwood in early June to partake in the 50th anniversary of the Festival of Flowers. The festival has drawn visitors to the city center for a long time, but, according to Greenwood City Manager Charlie Barrineau, it was a collective recognition among industrial employers that spurred a downtown revitalization.

“Our industries recognized that we needed some quality-of-life offerings to provide nighttime and weekend entertainment for their employees, and that it was key to retaining their talent,” Barrineau said.

The Greenwood Partnership Alliance funded a $75,000 community master plan for community redevelopment. Around the same time, the federal government chose to vacate a Georgian-style building in the heart of Greenwood’s Uptown, paving the way for the city and county to jointly own and renovate the building with investment from private funding partners.

Today, it serves as a visitors center and is used for special events, arts and music shows, and office space for the Arts Council of Greenwood County, the Self Family Foundation, and the Greenwood Regional Tourism and Visitors Bureau.

Since then, additional public investment has been made in landscaping, street lighting, and the construction of a public splash pad and open-air market for special events. Uptown Greenwood has also drawn private investment from boutiques, restaurants, a craft brewery, an artist cooperative, and private creative coworking space.

Workforce Development and The Greenwood Promise

Initiatives are also underway to ensure Greenwood students today are prepared for the opportunities that await them tomorrow.

Two years ago, five companies joined together to

form the Greenwood County Industry Council, which launched the inaugural Greenwood County Business & Industry Showcase in September 2015. More than 1,000 students from public, private, and home schools attended the 2016 event. In a survey, 552 students indicated interest in touring a manufacturing plant. Those students will have their chance this fall, while attendees at this year’s showcase will have the opportunity to tour a manufacturing facility in spring 2018. Additionally, a group of seniors will be invited to attend based on industry-established criteria for consideration of immediate employment opportunities upon graduation.

Beyond the showcase, the Greenwood Partnership Alliance has completed fundraising for phase one of its education attainment initiative known as The Greenwood Promise.

The Promise, which has raised nearly $5 million from donors such as major industries to a couple who gave $1 million anonymously, allows every student that graduates from a public, private, or accredited home school in Greenwood County the opportunity to get a two-year technical college degree, diploma, or certificate tuition-free.

When the funding goals are met for phase two of the program, scholarships will be provided for fouryear degrees that the Greenwood County Industry Council identifies as being in high demand.

“The primary benefit is to have educated students that will then become an educated workforce that will then go to work for our existing and future companies,” Greenwood Partnership Alliance’s Simmons-Jones says. “The other benefit is that we think this could be an incentive for a young family with school-aged children to choose to live in Greenwood County.”

And the momentum has continued to build for Greenwood County, as demonstrated by various collaborations between community, education, and industry.

“The Partnership Alliance has big plans for the next year,” Simmons-Jones adds. “We look forward to keeping the momentum going.”

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS / NEWS FACES OF BUSINESS

HIRED

PROMOTED

HIRED

| ON THE MOVE / NEW TO THE STREET

PROMOTED

HIRED

GENE GIBSON

NICOLE VISCOME

KAILEY PHILLIPS

JOSH KILCOYNE

ROBERT FARRY

Named vice president of community banking for United Community Bank.

Gibson, now based in Greenville, has served as regional president for United Community Bank in the coastal Georgia area since 2010. He is a graduate of the University of North Texas and received his MBA from Mississippi State University.

Promoted from senior account executive to the role of account manager at VantagePoint Marketing.

Viscome holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Northeastern University.

Joined Jackson Marketing, Motorsports & Events as an account coordinator. A Clemson University graduate with a degree in parks, recreation, and tourism management, Phillips comes to Jackson from The Old Cigar Warehouse, where she served as venue manager.

Promoted to preconstruction services manager for Waldrop Mechanical Services. Kilcoyne is a licensed mechanical contractor in South Carolina with nearly 20 years of experience.

Joined SW Promotions LLC as an account manager.

Farry is a native of Greenville and graduated from Winthrop University with a degree in history and political science.

AWARDS

MARKETING

The Urban League of the Upstate (ULUS) was recognized with three different awards at the 2017 National Urban League conference July 28-30 in St. Louis.

Jasmine Twitty, president of the Upstate Network, was recognized as a 2017 National Urban League Young Professionals: YP Honors recipient. President and CEO Jil Littlejohn received a 2017 Woman of Power: A Salute to Women Leaders of the Urban League Movement Award, recognizing her overall accomplishments in leading the Urban League of the Upstate. ULUS also received the I Am Empowered Housing & Community Development Champion Award for outstanding work to promote housing and financial education programs in the Upstate.

Infinity Marketing, a full-service marketing agency based in Greenville, has been awarded four Dot Comm Awards for their creative and strategic work in social media for clients Harris Flooring America, The Cliffs, and Fatz Southern Kitchen.

RETAIL The Greenville Chamber presented Oil & Vinegar with its August 2017 Small Business of the Month Award. Oil & Vinegar owners Veera and Joe Gaul were presented with the award at the Chamber’s monthly board of directors meeting on Aug. 17.

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

Open for business

Photos provided

2

1

2. In Site Designs, 27 Mohawk Drive, recently opened in the new Northpointe Standard. It is the first business to open in the newly developed Old Shinola complex. For more information, visit in-site-designs.com.

1. The Inn at Patrick Square, 115 Market St., Clemson, recently celebrated its official grand opening. For more information, visit innatpatricksquare.com or call 864-643-0600.

CONTRIBUTE: Know of a business opening soon?

Email information to aturner@communityjournals.com.

9.8.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

23

SOCIAL SNAPSHOT |

THE NETWORKING SCENE

CHOP CANCER Eighteen local celebrities and Upstate community leaders used cancerfighting ingredients in an amateur cooking competition at the CHOP! Cancer culinary event. Held on Aug. 25 at the TD Convention Center, CHOP! Cancer benefits the Cancer Survivors Park Alliance. Photos by Bonfire Visuals.

Mitch Sudy and Jennifer Becker

Drew Sherard and Ashley Sherard

Anna Hamer, Garrett Keller, Tamela Keller, and Kevin Keller

Rhett Brown and John McBee Zimmerman

Martin McFadden and Bettie McFadden

Barbara Oak, Jack Walter, and Lynne Walter

Allison Goldsmith, Anna Hamer, Tamela Keller, Melissa Anderson, and Kevin Keller

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UBJ | 9.8.2017

Jacqueline Hill, Antionette Miles, Timia Hunter, and Emily Packard

Charles Whittenberg and Ernestine Whittenberg

THE NETWORKING SCENE

Jim Rogers and Donna Rogers

Lauren Bogenrief and Philip Canale

| SOCIAL SNAPSHOT

John Johnson, Janice Johnson, Debbie Paden Mobley, and Susan Webb

Jonathan DeBusk, Katie Smith, John Stilling, and Robby Brady

Erin Wall and Sheila Price

Tom Strange and Debra Strange

Carlton Schwab, Leigh Schwab, Brandon Hathaway, and Mandy Hathaway 9.8.2017 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

25

#TRENDING |

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

THE WATERCOOLER Social Chatter

RE: ORANGETHEORY FITNESS TO OPEN LATER THIS YEAR IN RIVERWALK DEVELOPMENT “What’s the parking situation there?”

April Carpenter Richardson “That will be great, as it is very close to my place.

Looking forward to classes at the new venue.”

Mary Holohan

RE: MOE’S ORIGINAL BAR B Q TO OPEN EARLY 2018 IN WESTONE DEVELOPMENT “How lovely, another chain.”

Matt Dance “The absolutely BEST barbecue.”

Sharon Leonard

“Going to be hard to beat Bucky’s!”

Pete Bednar “Moe’s mac and cheese — hands down THE best! Wonderful owners and staff! Can’t wait to visit the new location!”

Kimberly Cisneros “FINALLY! As a former Birmingham resident, this makes me very happy!”

@martinjared

RE: GET READY TO SEE ORANGE BARRELS ON I-85 FOR A LONG TIME “It’s really because they allow the subcontractors doing the work to do so at their own speed, which is glacial. There doesn’t seem to be anyone with sense overseeing these projects!”

Torey Hyder

RE: HUSBAND-AND-WIFE DUO TURN THE KICKBOXING FRANCHISE 9ROUND INTO A WORLD CHAMPION “Great company run by great people... well done!”

Todd Whitley “You cannot out-work this couple. They’re always thinking ahead to keep things fresh and exciting. Go to any of the 500+ locations, and you’ll see why 9Round has grown into the best kickboxing gyms.”

Randy Suttle

RE: SPARTANBURG’ ECONOMY GETS A $32 MILLION BOOST FROM THE ARTS… YES, THE ARTS “Just another reason to #lovewhereyoulive! It’s so nice to be part of a community that embraces and supports the arts!”

Hannah Warren

TOP 5:

ER 1 , 2017

SEPTEMB

E 35 | VOL. 6 ISSU

1. Moe’s Original Bar B Q to open early 2018 in Westone development

2. Self-storage chain being launched from Greenville

3. 140 affected by WYNIT closure in downtown Greenville

T U O K KNOC K IC

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

T HEIR N URNED A MPIO H A S T L D CH E DUO T O A W OR IF -W D IN ND -A N E 9ROUND USB A IS T HIS H G F R A NCH IN X O KB

and n Hudson Shanno Hudson Heather Will Crooks Photo by

GET THE INBOX 4. Get ready to see orange barrels on I-85 for a long time

CONNECT 5. Palmetto Proactive Healthcare will open location at Drayton Mills Marketplace

We’re great at networking.

LINKEDIN.COM/COMPANY/ UPSTATE-BUSINESS-JOURNAL FACEBOOK.COM/ THEUPSTATEBUSINESSJOURNAL

*The Top 5 stories from last week’s issue ranked by page views

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UBJ | 9.8.2017

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EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR

PRESIDENT/CEO

Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com

UBJ PUBLISHER

Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com

DATE

EVENT INFO

WHERE DO I GO?

HOW DO I GO?

Saturday

9/9

Clemson Area African-American Museum’s Black Business Expo

Calhoun Bridge Center 214 Butler St., Clemson 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

For more info: 864-247-1257 or 864-506-1057

Tuesday

9/12

Endeavor’s Collaborators & Cocktails

Endeavor 1 N. Main St., 4th floor 5 p.m.

Cost: Free to Endeavor members, limited guests for $30. No walk-ins.

For more info: endeavor@endeavorgreenville.com

Monday

9/18

Greenville Chamber Golf Tournament

Greenville Country Club Chanticleer & Riverside Courses 10 a.m.

Cost: $375–$1,500 For more info: bit.ly/2w2KBo1; 864-239-3729; or mmann@greenvillechamber.org

Thursday

Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Advocacy Lunch with Sen. Lindsey Graham

Westin Poinsett 120 S. Main St. 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Cost: $35 investors, $50 general For more info: bit.ly/2eMvdoJ; 864-239-3748; kbusbee@greenvillechamber.org

WednesdayFriday

Greenville and Spartanburg Chambers’ Joint Intercommunity Leadership Visit

Hughes Development Corporation and Johnson Development Associates

For more info: Greenville: 864-2393729; Spartanburg: 864-347-6080; mmann@greenvillechamber.org, wrothschild@spartanburgchamber.com

Thursday

Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s BBQ Bash/Manufacturers Celebration

Greenville Technical College Center for Manufacturing Innovation 575 Millenium Blvd.

5:30–8:30 p.m.

Cost: $45 investors, $105 general For more info: bit.ly/2xDikVN; 864-239-3714; hhyatt@greenvillechamber.org

Tuesday

Greenville Chamber’s Diversity & Inclusion Summit

TD Convention Center 1 Exposition Drive 9 a.m.–6 p.m.

Cost: $100 investors, $125 general admission For more info: bit.ly/2uDPySZ; nwhite@greenvillechamber.org

EDITOR

Chris Haire chaire@communityjournals.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Emily Pietras epietras@communityjournals.com

DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER Tori Lant tlant@communityjournals.com

STAFF WRITERS

Trevor Anderson, Rudolph Bell, Cindy Landrum, Andrew Moore, Ariel Turner

MARKETING & ADVERTISING VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES David Rich drich@communityjournals.com

ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Donna Johnston, Stephanie King, Rosie Peck, Caroline Spivey, Emily Yepes

ART & PRODUCTION VISUAL DIRECTOR Will Crooks

LAYOUT

Bo Leslie | Tammy Smith

| PLANNER

9/21 9/27-9/29 10/5 10/17

OPERATIONS Holly Hardin

ADVERTISING DESIGN

UP NEXT

CLIENT SERVICES

OCTOBER 13 THE DESIGN ISSUE

Kristy Adair | Michael Allen Anita Harley | Jane Rogers

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

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

Kristi Fortner

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

UBJ milestone jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE STORY IDEAS:

NOVEMBER 3 CRE ISSUE

1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport

1988

>>

ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com

EVENTS:

events@upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, AND AWARDS:

onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties. Guest columns run 700-800 words. Contact editor Chris Haire at chaire@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration.

Circulation Audit by

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

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

Got any thoughts? Care to contribute? Let us know at ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

1990 Jackson Dawson

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

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

>>

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

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

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

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

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

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

1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

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

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

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

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

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

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

him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-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

Order a reprint today, PDFs available for $25. For more information, contact Anita Harley 864.679.1205 or aharley@communityjournals.com

EVENTS: Submit event information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com

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