September 14, 2018 Upstate Business Journal

HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY EMPOWERING RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT EMPOWERING COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY EMPOWERING RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT EMPOWERING COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY EMPOWERING RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT EMPOWERING COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY EMPOWERING RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT EMPOWERING COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY EMPOWERING RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT EMPOWERING COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY EMPOWERING RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT EMPOWERING COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY EMPOWERING RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT EMPOWERING COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE A CONVERSATION WITH PASSION CLARITY EMPOWERING RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION FORTY-FIVE YEARS OF ENGAGEMENT EMPOWERING COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY EMPOWERING RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT COLLABORATION COURAGE A NEW GENERAL MANAGER FOR HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT EMPOWERING COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY EMPOWERING RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT COLLABORATION SEPTEMBER 14, 2018 | VOL. 7 ISSUE 34 COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT EMPOWERING COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY EMPOWERING RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION ENGAGEMENT COLLABORATION COURAGE HUMILITY COMMUNICATION HONESTY INTEGRITY FOCUS CONFIDENCE PASSION CLARITY RESPECT CARING COMPASSION PERSUASION CELEBRATION

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VOLUME 7, ISSUE 34 Featured this issue: 45 years of Leadership Greenville..............................................................................14 Lynn Harton digs in.........................................................................................................18 Should you go crypto?.................................................................................................... 26

WORTH REPEATING “I want people to leave with some stuff and happiness and a belly full of beer.”

Cally Mauk, Page 4 “So the headline is, our recidivism rate is 4 percent, versus a national average of 70 percent and a state average of about 23 percent. We’re saving the state of South Carolina $7 million every year. It’s the number of beds not being used by people who normally would have gone back.”

Tony Moore, Page 6

Welder Charles Bishop is a graduate of JumpStart, a Spartanburg-based ministry dedicated to transforming prisoners’ lives through self-managed, accountable, peerbased leadership. Photo by Will Crooks/Upstate Business Journal.

“Beyond your products, beyond your reputation, beyond your success or ‘award-winning history,’ customers today want to know what you stand for as a brand. It’s not so much about what you do, as it is who you are.

And you can’t fake it.”

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Ember Outfitters will open this fall in the former Shindig Furnishings space. Photo by Will Crooks / Upstate Business Journal

RETAIL & HOSPITALITY

Ember Outfitters to open this fall in Village of West Greenville ARIEL TURNER | STAFF

aturner@communityjournals.com Ember Outfitters, a new boutique clothing and home-goods store with a distinct outdoor aesthetic, has signed a lease for 11 Lois Ave. in the Village of West Greenville with plans to open this fall.

Owner Cally Mauk says the goal is to hold a soft opening during October’s First Friday events, Oct. 5, and officially open Oct. 12 with a full day of festivities and giveaways.

Mauk, who got her start in retail with Coast Apparel and moved to Greenville from Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2014, describes her merchandising plans for Ember Outfitters as a cross between Mast General Store and Half4

UBJ | 9.14.2018

Moon Outfitters but not as preppy as other Southern-style retailers. The goal is to find that area in between those well-established retail stores and not compete with them, she says.

Many of the brands the store will carry will be lines from the West Coast that haven’t made it this far east, she says, but she is looking for local and regional items, as well. Even the display tables and other hand-crafted fixtures will be for sale. Retail categories will include boutique clothing for men and women, clothing accessories such as belts and hats, and pottery and other home goods.

Mauk says that when she found the building formerly occupied by Shindig Furnishings, she knew it was the place.

“The doors,” she says, pointing to the double wooden front doors. “They’re amazing.”

And, she says, the location across from Growler Haus and near so many other new retailers and restaurants makes it ideal for creating a collaborative environment with other small businesses.

The store was previously divided into two areas with a partial half-wall between the front and back sections. Mauk says she plans to use the back area for storage and a dressing room, but also for a lounge area where customers can hang out.

The front half will be the main retail area and also include a small complimentary beverage and snack station to encourage customers to stay and enjoy the store.

“I want people to leave with some stuff and happiness and a belly full of beer,” Mauk says.

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RETAIL & HOSPITALITY

Flying Biscuit Cafe to occupy right side of Haley building at 656 S. Main St. ARIEL TURNER | STAFF

aturner@communityjournals.com The long-vacant Haley building at 656 S. Main St. next to the Army & Navy Store has its first restaurant tenant.

The Flying Biscuit Café, based in Atlanta, will occupy 2,876 square feet on the right half of the building.

New franchise owner Summer Lee, who lives in Columbia but grew up in Easley, says she hopes to have the restaurant up and running after extensive build-out by early 2019.

Lee says she’s been a faithful Flying Biscuit diner for 20 years, driving to Atlanta or up to Charlotte to get her fix.

Now, she’s bringing the all-day breakfast and lunch spot much closer to home. She and her son, Cortland Whitaker, will operate the Greenville location, while she also works to open locations in Charleston.

The café is much more than biscuits – the menu includes salads and sandwiches, breakfast bowls, oatmeal pancakes and more.

Atlanta-based Flying Biscuit Cafe will occupy this space along South Main Street.

Photo by Will Crooks / Upstate Business Journal “I’ve eaten at every competitor, and I still think Flying Biscuit is hands-down in a league of its own,” Lee says.

The building’s exterior renovation has been in the works since 2016, with its going through various iterations before the City of Greenville Design Review Board.

The final version, which will divide the storefront into two spaces and remove the glass brick windows on

the upper stories, was approved at the June public hearing.

In 2016, Upstate Business Journal reported that the building’s owners Peggy Thomas and her son Ruark had entered into a 99-year lease with a national investor who planned to turn the building into restaurant/retail on the ground floor and office space and/or residential on the second and third floors.

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WORKFORCE

A chance to succeed Peer-to-peer leadership transforms inmates WORDS BY NEIL SHIRLEY | PHOTOS BY WILL CROOKS

Tommy Moore, executive director of faith-based ministry JumpStart.

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UBJ | 9.14.2018

Self-managed, objectively accountable, peer-based leadership. It seems like an ideal structure — which makes it all the more remarkable that it originated in prison.

“The first time I ever saw this happen,” says Tommy Moore, “I thought corporate America would pay millions of dollars for this.”

Moore is the executive director of JumpStart, a Spartanburg-based ministry dedicated to transforming prisoners’ lives, both inside and out. The centerpiece is a 40-week program geared toward character and faith development, led by inmates for inmates. Upon their release, graduates can then participate in a 12-month follow-up program, which offers low-cost housing in one of 16 transitional homes, as well as access to physical, mental, and dental health care, and even permanent employment.

One of those employers is Chris Phillips, owner of Sun Surveillance in Spartanburg.

“The JumpStart guys are prepared for work, strive to do their best, and are sincerely appreciative of the opportunity,” Phillips says.

He says he felt called by God to hire former prisoners and over the past eight years has reached the point that his entire staff of seven consists of JumpStart graduates or participants.

“I told someone recently I feel they each do the work of two men,” he says. “There is such genuine gratitude.”

“JumpStart began in the mid-’90s with four inmates — three of whom had life sentences,” Moore says. “They felt burdened because they’d see guys get out and come back, get out and come back. And back then South Carolina had one of the highest recidivism rates in the nation.”

Numerous interviews yielded four primary drivers of recidivism among former inmates: They can’t find a place to live; they can’t find a place to work; their community has rejected them; and they don’t know a different lifestyle.

Inspired by Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life,” the founders developed and copyrighted a manual that leads participants through an intensive program to help address those four problems and, in so doing, transform their lives. The curriculum, led by inmates, centers on core values of accountability, responsibility, and submission to authority.

“At the beginning of the year, we’ll have roughly 1,000 inmates in our program, but there’s a pretty quick attrition rate,” Moore says. “The uninformed belief is, ‘Go to JumpStart, get out of prison, don’t go back.’ But then you start the program and realize, oh, this is for real. I mean, we have a workbook, there’s classes — you have to be intentional to want to work.”

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Along with the classes comes a quarterly peer review using a 35-point questionnaire, helping to both cultivate future leaders and objectively rank individuals in categories like character, honesty, health, and preparation for re-entry.

“ JumpStart has impacted every facet of my life. Spiritual, financial, personal. It felt like everyone wanted to help. It gave me direction, accountability, and friendship.”

JumpStart program graduate Jim Walker “These guys are seriously holding each other accountable,” Moore says.

The JumpStart program is now offered in 16 of South Carolina’s 23 prisons. Moore says more than 5,000 inmates have graduated the inside program, and of the 2,100 of those who’ve been released from prison, fewer than 70 have gone back.

“So the headline is, our recidivism rate is 4 percent, versus a national average of 70 percent and a state average of about 23 percent,” Moore says. “We’re saving the state of South Carolina $7 million every year. It’s the number of beds not being used by people who normally would have gone back.”

Moore says that 97 percent of all inmates are people who made a bad choice, and in that moment changed the rest of their lives. And when those 97 percent get released, it’s not like the movies.

| NEWS

“There’s no knapsack,” Moore says. “There’s no $25. In the winter, a lot of times there’s no coat. There’s shoes, pants, a belt, shirt, underwear, and a one-way bus ticket. That’s it. Nothing else.”

For graduate Jim Walker, who’s now worked at Sun Surveillance for eight years, the program was a lifesaver.

“I had no family to go home to,” he says. “JumpStart gave me Jim Walker is a program graduate and options when I felt my options production manager at Sun Surveillance. were very few.”

Walker now serves as a mentor to three recent graduates. And he’s in the process of buying a new home.

“JumpStart has impacted every facet of my life,” he says. “Spiritual, financial, personal. It felt like everyone wanted to help. It gave me direction, accountability, and friendship.”

The program has been so successful that it’s facing an unexpected challenge. “Now we have more employers than we have people to employ,” Moore says. “For the first several years of this ministry, they could not find jobs for these guys. The tipping point was when business owners like Chris Phillips took a risk with one. And that’s what it felt like, a risk. And then two, and then three. And then it was like, ‘These guys are smart, they’re hard-working, they blow the others out of the water,’ and so over time the word’s gotten out.”

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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

ARIEL TURNER | STAFF

FRONT ROW

aturner@communityjournals.com |

@arielhturner

September Design Review Board Urban Panel

The Sept. 6 public meeting of the city of Greenville Design Review Board Urban Panel resulted in approvals for all presented projects and positive feedback for a new townhome project on the corner of Rhett and Oneal streets in the West End. Two applications receiving approval with little discussion were for the exterior up-fit to the 105 N. Spring St. building into which First Community Bank is moving on the street level, and a proposed addition to the Theodore Hellenic Center at 406 N. Academy St.

REEDY RIVER IMPROVEMENTS The city of Greenville’s application for a certificate of appropriateness for the riverscape plan along the eastern side of the river was approved with the condition that a bench and swing be added to reflect the same seating options directly across the river on the opposite bank.

The portion of the riverbank that will receive a major overhaul runs from Japanese Dogwood

Elevation rendering for the redevelopment of green space at Japanese Dogwood Lane and 55 E. Camperdown Way. Rendering by Beau Welling Design Lane and Main Street down to the Liberty Bridge landing by the 55 E. Camperdown Way office building.

The city has chosen Beau Welling Design, which is the architect on the adjacent Camperdown

development, as the designer for the riverscape project that will tie in the Grand Bohemian Hotel site with Falls Park on the Reedy.

Matthew Anders, representing Beau Welling at the meeting, said the current 5-foot stone wall

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UBJ | 9.14.2018

4/27/18 10:44 AM

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

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running along the river in this area has a psychological effect, keeping people from going to the river.

“We’re aiming to provide a better pedestrian experience in this area,” he said.

The area surrounding the office building will become a gathering place, for which the building’s owner, Brody Glenn, says a long-term plan could include a restaurant tenant that could feed off of the foot traffic. The building is currently fully leased, so there are no immediate plans for that, he says.

1 AUGUSTA ST. The former cotton mill buildings now occupied by Smoke on the Water and The Emporium, and the neighboring building housing Mellow Mushroom, are getting a facelift by new owner Taylor Norville. The previous extensive renovations were done in 1995.

The panel approved the plans to replace the wooden windows with aluminum windows and reconfigure the Emporium storefront to have two entrances.

“I’m excited that it’s been purchased and reactivated,” said panelist Robert Benedict.

Panelist Danielle Fontaine said she supports most of the changes with an exception.

“The one thing I do not approve of is the change of the height of the element at the bottom of the storefront,” she said.

She said in looking at other examples along Main Street, buildings of a similar era do not have glass beginning at street level.

Norville said the reason for the change is to let in as much light as possible.

The former cotton warehouse that houses the Emporium will be reconfigured to have two separate entrances on Augusta Street.

Architectural drawing by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture.

Panel chairwoman Carmella Cioffi and panelist Mitch Lehde agreed with Fontaine, that visually, the plan to remove the current footer would result in an imbalanced appearance.

Panelist Bogue Wallin disagreed.

“Why is it so bad to have something a little different on the street?” he

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Massing REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

asked, later adding, “I’m not ready to die on my sword, but I raise the question.”

Ultimately, the design was approved with the condition that a mullion divider be included at the current level of the footer, while still allowing for a glass panel at the bottom rather than an opaque, solid surface.

Falls Walk, a proposed 12-unit townhome development, received positive feedback during an informal review. Rendering by Johnston Design Group.

INFORMAL REVIEW: FALLS WALK A new 12-unit townhome development at 102 Oneal St. was presented for an informal review by the DRB panel with the intent of submitting for formal review during October’s meeting.

The applicant, Falls Walk LLC, which includes developers Terry Birch and Willz Tolbert, was seeking feedback from the panel in order for the formal review to go as well as possible in October.

Prior to the DRB meeting, the developers met with the residents of the neighboring development, the Brownstones, on Rhett Street, and received extensive feedback that they incorporated into the design presented to the panel.

Scott Johnston of Johnston Design Group represented the applicant and described the proposed materials for the project as rusticated brick, accented with natural limestone, and said, if approved, they hope to use terracotta in a more

contemporary manner, using panels of white and gray terracotta to create a solid-looking surface that will have visual interest because the panels will be staggered.

Cioffi said she was satisfied with the way the homes are laid out on the site, that the neigh-

borhood meetings went well, and that quality materials are being used.

Fontaine, who lives in the Brownstones, said she appreciated the developers keeping the lines of communication open.

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

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REAL ESTATE

Grandbridge facilitates $32M for Reed Row refinance Grandbridge Real Estate Capital has closed a $32 million mortgage loan secured by Reed Row Apartments. Based in Greenville, Grandbridge senior vice presidents Phillip Cox and Bill Mattice originated the transaction for the newly developed, 132-unit luxury multifamily property in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C. One of Grandbridge’s insurance company correspondents provided funding for the permanent, fixedrate loan, and the nonrecourse, interest-only financing was structured with a 10-year term.

The 111,200-square-foot midrise property features a carriageway

entrance, a private courtyard, an outdoor chess table, a fire pit, a resident lounge, Wi-Fi access, areas for coworking, a 24-hour fitness center, a ride-in bike room, a dog-washing station, and a rooftop terrace with grill stations, dining areas, and lounge areas.

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Grandbridge is a subsidiary of Branch Banking and Trust Co. with a current servicing portfolio of $29 billion. Grandbridge serves as a national full-service provider in commercial and multifamily finance. —Melody Wright

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Historical photo courtesy of Greenville County Historical Society & Photographs from the Coxe Collection.

Historical photo courtesy of Greenville County Historical Society & Photographs from the Coxe Collection.

Historical photo courtesy of Greenville County Historical Society & Photographs from the Coxe Collection.

Historical photo courtesy of Greenville County Historical Society & Photographs from the Coxe Collection.

Historical photo courtesy of Greenville County Historical Society & Photographs from the Coxe Collection.

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MANUFACTURING

REAL ESTATE

Flame Spray expands operations, creates new jobs in Laurens County

Unique senior-living program coming to Patrick Square

The Flame Spray North America facility in Fountain Inn will undergo a $4 million expansion and hire 20 employees within the next three years, according to a news release.

The company produces a thermal spray coating used for industrial gas turbines and aircraft components. Located in Woodfield Industrial Park, the existing facility was established in 2011 by Flame Spray North America, which is owned by Flame Spray SpA. The Laurens County facility is the company’s only operation outside of Europe. The company purchased the facility’s neighboring property

to increase Flame Spray’s service in the aerospace market.

“With this new acquisition, we look forward to accelerating our strategic plan to expand our business into the aircraft market as well as growing the job market by creating new jobs and boosting the economy in Laurens County,” Marco Prosperini, president and CEO of Flame Spray North America, said in the release.

Founded in 1969, Flame Spray has operations in Italy, Hungary, and Croatia, serving the energy, steel and iron, transportation, and paper mill markets, as well as other markets. —Melody Wright

Patrick Square, a traditional neighborhood development in Clemson, is collaborating with Dominion Senior Living to offer a unique homeowning experience for senior citizens who want to maintain independence while enjoying a close community.

Bridging the gap of aging care, the new program, Dominion Home Living at Patrick Square, is exclusively available to residents of The Villas at Patrick Square.

The two companies created the program to respond to the lifestyle choices of the growing 55-plus market. The program is expected to open in the first quarter of 2019.

Personal service such as gourmet

meals, social activities, personal care, health checks, medication setup and reminders, transportation, and pet care will be available at DHL. Dominion Senior Living aims to help the aging maintain independence while receiving support for daily living.

“We are thrilled to share DHL with our villa residents and to have Dominion Senior Living as part of our Patrick Square family,” said Chris Hodge, Patrick Square Town Center manager. “We can now provide the senior community with an unparalleled quality of life in Patrick Square.” —Melody Wright

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Office OfficeofofPhilanthropy Philanthropy&&Partnership Partnership

Run4Life Run4Life 2018 2018

O’Neal Inc. will expand its biopharmaceutical engineering capabilities with the acquisition of Pennsylvania-based DME Alliance. Photo: Pixabay Creative Commons

ENGINEERING

O’Neal Inc. acquires biopharmaceutical engineering firm DME Alliance O’Neal Inc., a Greenville-based engineering and construction company, has acquired DME Alliance, a biopharmaceutical engineering firm based in Pennsylvania.

With the acquisition, O’Neal will be able to expand its biopharmaceutical engineering capabilities and grow its presence in other core markets throughout the Northeast by “building upon DME’s ongoing success,” according to a news release. Financial details of the acquisition have not been disclosed.

“Over the last several years clients have been requesting that O’Neal expand their BioPharm services to address the resurging industry,” said Kevin Bean, president and CEO of O’Neal, in a statement. “We feel that DME’s team is a perfect fit to build upon.

Both companies focus on complex projects in the $5 to $50 million range and that is where the need is. We are excited to have the expertise of David Marks along with

his complete team on board as we move forward.”

DME Alliance, which was founded by Marks in 2001, provides engineering solutions for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, science and technology, food and beverage, and chemical process industries. Marks will continue to lead the company’s office in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

“It was the right timing and the perfect fit,” Marks said. “O’Neal has a full bench of resources to help us grow and help us better serve our clients. I am thrilled to be a part of the O’Neal team, who has a long, trusted history in the industry.”

Founded in 1975, O’Neal has offices in Greenville and Atlanta with ongoing construction projects in more than 15 states. Past clients include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Milliken, BMW, Clemson University, Huntsman Corp., Coca-Cola, and Mitsubishi. —Andrew Moore

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8.31.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

COVER |

FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP

‘WE’RE ABOUT EMPOWERING’ Leadership Greenville has transformed leaders, city for 45 years Words by Cindy Landrum | Photo by Will Crooks

F

orty-five years of Leadership Greenville has generated scores of leaders — political, social, civic, and business.

It helped train Nancy Whitworth, Greenville’s economic development director and interim city manager; Phyllis Henderson, a former chairwoman of the Greenville County Council and a state representative; and Derek Lewis, a member of the Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees and the executive director of Greenville County First Steps, an organization that promotes school readiness. It helped train Merl Code, an attorney and municipal judge; Don Koontz, a textile historian; and David Lominack, South Carolina market president at TD Bank.

More than 2,000 Greenvillians — people who either live or work in Greenville County — have completed the intensive leadership-training program sponsored by the Greenville Chamber.

Considered one of the most successful leadership development programs in the nation, Leadership Greenville has also transformed the community.

“Leadership Greenville provides an exposure to Greenville that would be difficult to experience on your own,” said Whitworth, who was a member of Class 18.

The program is not Leadership 101, said Tami Miller, the chamber’s leadership development director. All have demonstrated their leadership abilities already.

“We’re about empowering and enlightening people. We’ve got to fuel leaders who are not content to sit on the sideline,” said Miller, who earlier this year won The Preceptor Award, a national award from the Association of Leadership Programs for her work in building leaders in the Upstate. The award was in recognition of Miller’s ability to build meaningful relationships with all stakeholders of the chamber’s leadership-devel-

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UBJ | 9.14.2018

opment programs in a manner that builds cohesiveness between program members and community leaders.

Developing new leaders is important because leadership has gone through a transformational change over the past 30 years, said Toby Stansell, managing director for Cherry Bekaert’s Technology Solutions Group.

In the past, every city in the South had four or five very visible leaders who governed the pace and direction of a city, he said. In Greenville, those leaders included Tommy Wyche, Buck Mickel, Charlie Daniel, and Max Heller.

Today, leadership is migrating to a distributive model that takes advantage of the skillset of many, all of whom have a willingness to invest and involve themselves in the community to materially change it, Stansell said.

“More than ever, position, pedigree, and privilege mean less and less,” he said.

The 10-month Leadership Greenville program explores issues that affect Greenville. Days are spent studying quality of life, the economy, local and state government, human services, education, and justice. The group begins with a two-day retreat that includes a simulated society and ends with an overnight retreat and graduation ceremonies.

“You can’t create change or make an impact if you don’t know what the needs are,” Miller said.

“It’s not Leadership Greenville’s job to tell you what to think. We give you the info and you decide where to land. It’s my job to make it to where you can’t unsee or unhear things.”

Each class has several projects, enabling members to put what they learn to work to change the community in some way. For the Leadership Greenville Class 45, which began its program in August, that meant a recent session on defining what leadership is.

“Leadership is an activity as opposed to a position,” Miller told them. “This is not a spectator sport.”

Cherington Love Shucker, executive director of the Greenville Center for Creative Arts, said both her parents had gone through Leadership

Greenville and she knew they had transformational experiences. She wanted the same.

She said after Class 45’s opening retreat, a trust has built up between class members, enabling them to talk about the issues and their perspectives.

“Trust is the first step to solving a problem,” she said.

Angela Perez-Litwin, a social entrepreneur and a clinical psychologist in private practice, moved to Greenville from New York City a year ago.

“I was in awe of the vision our past leaders had for Greenville and I wanted to be part of the next vision,” she said. “I want to make Greenville better than what it is. I want a deep understanding of what Greenville has been, what it is, and where it wants to go.”

Adam Witter, a member of 2017’s Leadership Greenville class, said the program doesn’t end after graduation. Witter, who is participating in the program’s curriculum this year, said some of his class members formed a Transportation Task Force and continue to meet monthly.

“I thought the program was to network and get to know people. It turned into collectively trying to really make a difference in our community because Greenville has a lot to celebrate. We all live on Main Street and celebrate the great things there, but there are a lot of needs off Main Street,” he said.

Debbie Wallace, the president and chief operating officer for Verdae, grew up in Greenville.

She said being a part of Class 40 added tools to her professional toolbox and expanded her personal network, but more importantly, it broadened her sense of responsibility to support Greenville through a number of highly effective nonprofits.

Whitworth said Leadership Greenville caused her to step out of her comfort zone.

“Throughout the years, the current challenges and issues may change, but the principles of thoughtful engagement, respect for different points of view, and focus on finding common ground remain timeless,” she said. “The Leadership Greenville experience reinforces that philosophy.”

“ We’ve got to fuel leaders who are not content to sit on the sideline.”

Greenville Chamber leadership director Tami Miller

9.14.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP

Lockheed Martin T-50A photo provided

AEROSPACE

Lockheed Martin names new general manager of Greenville facility ANDREW MOORE | STAFF

amoore@communityjournals.com Lockheed Martin’s maintenance and repair facility in southern Greenville County is undergoing a leadership change for the first time in two decades.

Mike Fox, former production operations director for the Maryland-based defense giant’s Integrated Fighter Group programs, has been named general manager and site director of the facility. He replaces Don Erickson, who retired in September.

“Mike brings experience from production and sustainment across Lockheed Martin’s aircraft portfolio,” Bruce Litchfield, vice president for sustainment operations at Lockheed, said in a news release. “He is stepping into a role at a time of incredible growth and opportunity.”

Fox joined Lockheed Martin in 2003 after serving 22 years in the U.S. Air Force.

His roles at Lockheed have included site lead and production operations director for the company’s U-2 Dragon Lady depot maintenance program based in Palmdale, California, quality and mission success director for the C-5 16

UBJ | 9.14.2018

Galaxy program, C-130J Hercules assembly and flight operations director, as well as multiple leadership roles within the F-22 Raptor program, all in Marietta, Georgia, according to the release.

As the company’s new general manager and site director in Greenville, Fox oversees a nearly 500-person operation, which provides modification, maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for both military and civil aircraft from a 16-hangar campus at the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center, or SCTAC. Fox will also oversee the buildout of a production line for F-16 fighter aircraft later this year and the new jobs that will support the production, according to a news release.

Lockheed announced earlier this year that it has received a $1.12 billion contract from the United States government to produce 16 advanced F-16 Block 70 Fighting Falcons for the Royal Bahraini Air Force at its facility in southern Greenville County.

As the Upstate Business Journal reported earlier this year, the company is modifying an existing 110,000-square-foot hanger at SCTAC and hiring up to 200 people to support production, which is expected to begin later this year.

Mike Fox photo provided Litchfield said Erickson has been “instrumental in positioning the site and the state as a leader in the aerospace industry by building a great team and paving the way to bring production of the F-16 fighter jet to Greenville.”

“He has also been at the helm as the site competes for a $16 billion contract to produce the U.S. Air Force’s next pilot trainer aircraft,” Litchfield said in the release. “With the new F-16 production and a contract win to build the trainer jet, the site would add nearly 500 jobs over the coming years.”

Erickson, who joined Lockheed in 1997 as director of planning at the company’s facility in Greenville, was named general manager and site director in 2012.

In addition to his efforts at Lockheed, Erickson has been an active community member, serving on the Palmetto Conservation Foundation board of directors and championing causes like Habitat for Humanity, March of Dimes, and the Upstate Honor Flight.

He was recognized by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as the 2015 Economic Ambassador for Greenville County and by Greenville Business Magazine as one of Greenville’s Most Influential People in 2016 and 2017.

FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP

| COVER

Lockheed Martin submits final bid for trainer-jet contract Lockheed Martin has entered the final stage of bidding for a U.S. Air Force contract that could possibly create up to 250 jobs in Greenville.

The Maryland-based aerospace and defense company submitted its final proposal for the Air Force’s Advanced Pilot Training (T-X) Program earlier this month, according to a news release.

The T-X Program aims to replace the Air Force’s aging fleet of Northrop T-38 Talon trainer jets with 350 new trainer jets for undergraduate pilot training.

Instead of submitting a clean-sheet design, Lockheed has partnered with Korean Aerospace Industries to develop a modified version of the T-50 Golden Eagle, a supersonic advanced trainer jet that was developed by the two companies in the 1990s.

The upgraded aircraft, known as the T-50A, features an aerial refueling receptacle on its dorsal and a ground-based training system for pilots. It also features a fifth-generation cockpit and open-system architecture, which allows for a faster integration of new sensors, weapons,

and other capabilities, according to Lockheed officials.

It remains unknown when the Air Force will decide on a bidder, but if awarded the $16 billion contract, Lockheed will produce four aircraft a month at its facility in southern Greenville County, creating 200 to 250 jobs, according to Don Erickson, general manager and site director of Lockheed’s Greenville operations.

Those employees would stem from Lockheed’s current employee pool or the aviation-training program at Greenville Technical College, according to Erickson.

Lockheed, however, isn’t the only company competing for the contract.

Boeing, for instance, has partnered with the Swedish aerospace firm, Saab, to develop a twin-seat, single-engine trainer jet. The aircraft features a glass cockpit modeled to resemble that of the Lockheed F-35 Lightning II, and an open-systems architecture that offers flexibility to evolve as technology, missions, and training needs change.

The production capabilities include solutions for radar and sensors, signature management, training and simulation, and support services as well as for high wresolution 3D mapping, air traffic management, and homeland security.

Richard Aboulafia, an analyst with Teal Group, an aerospace consultancy in Fairfax, Virginia, said Lockheed has a 55 percent chance of winning the contract since the T-50A doesn’t involve a lot of upfront development costs that add to the price.

“This entire competition comes down to the costs,” he told the Upstate Business Journal earlier this year. “Boeing has a good aircraft, but Lockheed has the upper hand because there’s less risk involved with their design. It’s been demonstrated.”

Lockheed’s Greenville Operations facility, which is located at the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center, has conducted more than 90 test flights of the T-50A since two of the aircraft arrived from South Korea last year, according to spokesperson Leslie Farmer. ­—Andrew Moore

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17

COVER |

FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP

WE TRUST OUR PEOPLE Lynn Harton, United Community Bank’s new CEO, digs in Words by Neil Cotiaux Photo by Will Crooks

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UBJ | 9.14.2018

L

FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP

ynn Harton, the new chief executive officer at United Community Bank Inc., has always been a rolling stone — until UCB. In his first 25 years in business, he moved 10 times, energized by meeting other community leaders and getting things done.

In 2007, Harton came to Greenville as storm clouds formed around the banking industry. As CEO of The South Financial Group, he served as change agent to help the organization survive the recession, ultimately negotiating the sale of the company to TD Bank.

After integrating TSFG into TD, Harton felt restless “and actually was getting close to a job in another state,” he recalled during a conversation at UCB’s offices in the One Building.

One evening, after Harton and his wife Flavia mingled with friends at the Peace Center, he returned to his seat and became reflective.

“Why do I have to move?” he recalled asking himself. “Am I not at the point in my career where I can choose where I want to be? And this is where I want to be.”

Soon after, Harton signed on as chief operating officer for Blairsville, Georgia-based United Community Bank Inc. and its banking subsidiary.

Based in Greenville and growing UCB’s book of business, he received a series of promotions, and on June 30 assumed the role of CEO at both companies.

Harton now directs the future of a $12.38 billion company with 151 offices across Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, with many system functions based in Greenville and a commitment to growth.

While Blairsville remains the legal headquarters, Greenville is the nerve center for all key decision-making.

UCB has about 350 employees working out of 90,000 square feet of downtown space, with $17 million invested in premises and equipment across three properties: the One Building at Main and Washington streets; a former Erwin Penland building at 125 E. Broad St.; and the former Palmetto Bank headquarters at East North and Church streets.

“So it’s fair to say this is the executive headquarters, this is the operational hub,” Harton said. “We would expect it to continue to grow.”

According to Harton, the growth that UCB is

experiencing mirrors the overall growth of the area economy.

“You’ve got a number of really great developers that understand the business, and we’ve got relationships with a vast majority of them,” he said.

From 2013 through June 2018, UCB has made $1.36 billion in new loans just in the Upstate, according to the company, with capital injected into projects such as Camperdown and the Greenville One Center.

David Glenn, CEO of Centennial American Properties, said he admires the way Harton goes beyond numbers to evaluate deals.

“His due diligence is about a person,” Glenn said. “Who are the people behind this, and what is their track record on getting things done? So he’s not just a project lender, he’s a person lender.”

| COVER

Hughes said he has worked with Harton on projects including Falls Park Plaza and RiversEdge Apartments.

“You come away feeling like he’s got your back, he understands, and it’s very accommodating,” Hughes said.

Steps away from Hughes’ office, Megan Riegel, president and CEO of the Peace Center, had other kind things to say.

“He’s so responsive. He came in and interviewed one of our candidates at 3 o’clock in the afternoon on a Sunday. Who would do that?” she asked. “This is a man whose ego is in check.”

Harton is serving his second term on the Peace Center’s board and is board chair.

Riegel said she appreciates Harton’s acumen in strategic planning, knowledge of commercial real estate, and his and Flavia’s personal support for the arts. Harton is also immediate past president of the board at the Greenville County Museum Association.

Recently, UCB added a new product offering, not-for-profit tax-exempt financing, which is available across the bank’s four-state footprint.

Harton applauds the level of public-private partnership in Greenville.

“I think that is unusual,” he said.

But he said he believes more must be done in the areas of roads, parking, and affordable housing.

As system CEO, Harton begins from a position of strength. Second-quarter 2018 earnings per share were up 26 percent year-over-year, margins again widened, loan production reached a new record, and the equipment finance company the bank bought is growing well, he said.

Looking ahead, Harton told analysts that the company is interested “in the right opportunities in Florida or Alabama” and wants to grow further in Atlanta.

The bank also earned top ranking from J.D. Power for overall retail customer satisfaction in the Southeast for the fifth consecutive year.

That result, Harton said, was aided by the approximately 5,000 customer surveys the bank conducts annually to guide performance, stave off problems, and serve customers even better.

“Our No. 1 value we talk about is trust, and we trust our people and they trust their customers,” Harton said. “Now, I’m not saying we don’t have processes, but we think the way to not have those problems is to hire better people and trust them more. It all starts with great people, and great people want to work with other great people. And so if you can just focus on that, a lot of things work themselves out.”

“He’s so responsive. He came in and interviewed one of our candidates at 3 o’clock in the afternoon on a Sunday. Who would do that? This is a man whose ego is in check.”

Megan Riegel, president and CEO of the Peace Center, on United Community Bank’s Lynn Harton

Harton agreed to finance the first phase of Camperdown at South Main and Broad streets — construction of the new The Greenville News building, razing the old structure, creating underground parking, and some retail, which Glenn said was instrumental in getting the project’s hotel and apartments underway.

UCB has been associated with “lots of our projects,” Glenn added, including millions of square feet for big-box retailers around the country.

Glenn said he appreciates the local decision-making.

“I personally think that’s huge,” he said. “And I don’t think that’s received enough recognition.

It doesn’t have to go anywhere other than right here in Greenville; it’s done.”

Greenville’s Phil Hughes agreed.

“I can live with ‘no,’ but an endless ‘maybe’ is about the worst answer you can get,” said Hughes, president of Hughes Investments. “And when you’re so close to the lead management team, your answer is clear early.”

9.14.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

19

COVER |

FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP

John Windley

FINANCE

The Next Chapter South State Bank plans for continued success upon president and CEO’s retirement MELODY WRIGHT | STAFF

mwright@communityjournals.com A banking veteran of 43 years, John Windley, a banking veteran of 43 years, has announced his retirement as president and CEO of South State Bank after serving 12 years in the roles Windley joined South State in Greenville 17 years ago as the company began expansion into the Upstate.

Windley, who will retain the title of CEO until March 2019, is heavily involved in the company’s operations and will continue to be

#

for another year as he works part time in executive business development.

“We’ve been very fortunate in building a much larger company over the last 17 years,” Windley said. “The most rewarding thing for me is the growth of the company and quality of the team.”

The Upstate team, with support from the community, was built from nothing, Windley said.

“Our company has an extremely bright future,” he said of South State.

South Carolina Upstate Division President Mike Coggin has

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FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP

“ You do what you say you’re going to do, and you do things the right way.”

South Carolina Upstate Division President Mike Coggin

managed the Greenville and Spartanburg regions for 12 years.

In the role of division president for the past two years, Coggin has seen the growth over the years that has made South State fifth in the Greenville metropolitan statistical area and seventh in Greenville alone, according to a report in June 2017.

The Upstate division has $2.3 billion in loans outstanding and $2.3 billion in deposits, Coggin said. Overall, South State is the

Mike Coggin largest bank headquartered in South Carolina.

“Our strength and soundness is demonstrated by the fact that we have never had a quarter in which we have lost money since our inception in 1933, and we have paid a dividend each and every quarter since 1976,” Coggin said.

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Greg LaPointe Coggin said the company culture has taken on much of Windley’s personal philosophy.

“John’s personality kind of permeates the culture of the company,” he said. “You do what you say you’re going to do, and you do things the right way.”

Windley has stressed the importance of acting with 100 percent integrity all of the time.

“And that’s how we do it here

| COVER

at South State Bank,” Coggin said.

He said South State Bank will continue to succeed under strong leadership.

“The CEO of South State Corp., Robert Hill, has been in his role since 2005,” Coggin said. “Most companies of our size would have to hire from outside of the company to replace a leader of John’s experience, but we are well-positioned to elevate existing talent within our company to lead us into the future.”

Replacing Windley as South State president is Greg Lapointe, who will relocate to Charlotte, North Carolina. An executive leader at South State for nine years, Lapointe brings more than 30 years of banking experience to the position. He has served in leadership roles at Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and South State throughout the Carolinas, Georgia, and Virginia.

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DIGITAL MAVEN |

THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUSINESS

Lessons Learned:

What can small business take away from voting-machine security?

By LAURA HAIGHT president, portfoliosc.com

We are now fewer than 60 days away from the midterm election.

No matter which political party — if any — you align with, you know this is a crucial election.

But how secure is it?

There is a lot of news about voting and election security, about social media memes, foreign actors divining influencing campaigns to move voters in one direction or another. But I want to focus on something a lot closer to home: voting machines.

It’s been a bad year for Election Systems and Software, the Nebras-

ka company that manufactures the iVotronic voting machines used in every county, every precinct of South Carolina.

First they were hacked by ethical hackers in 2017, then the admin password to the iVotronics machines was posted on Twitter. In July, the company was forced to admit it had installed remote-access software on some election-management systems it sold over a period of six years, including 2005 when South Carolina installed the iVotronics. That software, pcAnywhere, had a known vulnerability at the time ES&S deployed it. Fast forward to early August, when another group of ethical hackers at the Defcon hackathon

asked ES&S to work with them in their efforts to hack into their machines again. ES&S refused, drawing some unwanted attention and criticism from a few U.S. senators.

Not good, ES&S. And not great for South Carolina, either. But, apart from the very real policy and security issues that the state must address, there are lessons any business can learn from this.

LESSON 1: EMBRACE BAD NEWS

In 2017, 60 percent of small businesses were hacked. That percentage has stayed relatively steady for the past three years and shows no signs of slowing. So if you think you haven’t been hacked, you probably just don’t know it yet. In fact, that was the very strong

message that then-FBI director James Comey had for businesses in 2014. The good thing about being hacked is you can do something about it. Your eyes are open.

You will (or should) start looking for the weaknesses that were exploited and testing those that weren’t.

Being hacked doesn’t make you special and it doesn’t (always) reflect poorly on you. What it gives you is a chance to fix things. But you can’t fix what you don’t know.

That’s why so many security-aware companies now choose pre-emptive audits, security reviews, and penetration testing of hardware, software, and employees.

ES&S’s reluctance to assist the same hackers who hacked their machines last year begs the ques-

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LESSON 2: SELF-PROTECTION IS OFTEN SELF-DEFEATING

It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up. That’s a lesson we should have learned from Watergate in 1974. Regardless of what the law requires, companies are far better off proactively notifying customers and clients of any incident.

Customers appreciate honesty, for one thing. A proactive communication gives you an opportunity to outline the positive steps you are taking. For example, you’ve probably received emails from companies that have voided all the passwords, requiring you to update your password after a hack. This is a pain, but it is a positive step a company can take to protect your information even after a potential hack. I say potential because while companies may know that hackers got in, they may not have clear visibility into what hackers took out.

Juxtapose that against Experian, which waited six weeks to notify its 145 million customers that all their sensitive data had been exposed. It was Experian’s actions after the hack that most seriously damaged its reputation.

ES&S doesn’t get any points with its customers or the public by having a tech reporter uncover a lie and then refusing to answer questions about it. Rip the bandage off and stop the bleeding.

LESSON 3: HUMANWARE IS THE LAST, BEST LINE OF DEFENSE

We put a lot of trust in — and place a lot of blame on — hardware and software. But we often neglect the No. 1 risk in every business, nonprofit, and government agency: an authenticated user. Every hack that has ever occurred has been made possible by the actions or inactions of a user. Spare no expense on hardware? Get the latest innovations in intrusion-detection software? That will prevent a high percentage of attacks.

But it takes just one click by one user to defeat it all.

The corollary is also true: Users are the best defense against any hacking.

The limited accessibility to the voting machines mitigates human intervention. The state, generally given poor grades on election security by the Center for American Progress, did get good marks on protecting the voter registration database.

The small army of volunteer poll workers and poll managers who staff voting places are there to protect the vote, not imperil it. My one experience as a poll watcher reinforced that for me.

It also reinforces my belief that users who feel they matter, who feel they are important, who understand that they are, in fact, the Maginot Line between cybercriminals and their company’s assets, customers, clients, and intellectual property, are worth every effort and every expense a company puts into training and reward.

Lawson Wetli, president of the League of Women Voters of Greenville County, is on the frontlines of the discussions of election security. Her focus for the next 55 days is firmly on humanware.

“If you are worried about security, show up on Nov. 6,” she says. “Become a poll worker, or a poll watcher [for your respective political party].”

Wetli notes that the current equipment is nearing the end of its useful life, that a lawsuit filed against the state demands that outdated equipment be replaced with funding from the federal and state governments, and that new voting machines must have redundant paper backup systems so the vote can be full reconciled.

New equipment isn’t coming in the next two months.

“Where we have power,” she says, “is putting a spotlight on this issue for 2020 to make sure we fund appropriate election equipment with auditable, voter verifiable results. That we have a system we can be proud of moving forward.”

UBJ | 9.14.2018

AS SEEN IN – THE 2018

BTC BEHIND THE COUNTER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARIAN ASHLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

VISTA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT GROUP Frank DuPree founded Vista Capital Management Group in 2007 “While technological advances have led to quicker, more proactive with a goal of creating a boutique multifamily property management response times and enabled aggregated analysis of portfolios and trending company that brought the sophistication of institutionalcapabilities, the underlying foundation of property management grade management together with the accessibility and has remained constant. The nuts and bolts of the industry haven’t “Our goal is always to the maneuverability of a smaller firm. Frank and his changed. Our goal is always to maximize the effective gross maximize the effective president of operations, Wayne Redding, have both income, to control property expenses, and thus, drive the net gross income, to control been in the multifamily management business for over operating income,” DuPree says. With a staff that is extremely property expenses, 40 years. Frank and Wayne worked together at both attentive to detail and committed to deriving the full potentials of and thus, drive the net Boston Financial Company and later with AIMCO and their assets, Vista is able to focus on these fundamentals. operating income.” its predecessor, Insignia. Prior to leaving AIMCO to start In addition to a platform that delivers successful results, Vista Capital Management Group, Frank was regional Vista emphasizes strong relationships with top-tier service vice president of AIMCO, overseeing almost 20,000 apartment units under providers in each of the markets in which it operates. management.

Vista Capital Management Group is headquartered right here in Frank and Wayne believe that Vista’s strongest asset is its people.

Greenville with regional offices in Myrtle Beach, SC, and Waldorf, MD. Through the expertise and commitment of their staff of certified property Frank likes to say, “To be successful in life, you have to do what you say managers, Vista has earned the designation of Accredited Management you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it.” This dependability Organization (AMO) from the Institute of Real Estate Management and transparency is clearly displayed in his work.

(IREM). “Having the right people in the right place attributes to the success of real estate investments,” says Redding, president and director of property operations. With this vision, it is clear that working with Vista provides the unparalleled service that their clients deserve.

Vista currently provides property and asset management services for over 207 Whitsett St., Greenville 2,500 units throughout the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions and is vistacapitalmanagementgroup.com | 864.404.3500 equally dedicated to providing only the best in service to each and every one.

YOUR MONEY |

NEWS AND TIPS FOR YOUR PERSONAL BOT TOM LINE

Bitcoin crypto: Should you invest?

By BRIAN BOUGHNER CFA, CMT, Parallel Financial

“Should I own a cryptocurrency?” is by far one of the questions I’m asked most these days.

Go to any party or soiree and you’re bound to find someone talking about all the money they’ve made in crypto. With cool names like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Tron, and Aion, who wouldn’t want to own a piece of the crypto world?

Whenever people ask us this question, we reply with another question: “What were currencies invented for?” Their response is usually something like, “Currencies were designed to transact goods and services. They helped us move past bartering where we can now assign a value to something and then have a common means to transact.” Exactly! So we ask, “If currencies are designed for transactions, why would you invest in a currency with a hope of it increasing 1,000 percent? Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of having that currency? How can you

26

UBJ | 9.14.2018

use it to transact if the price of the currency is bouncing around at volatile levels?”

We then take them through a five-minute primer on how investing is where you actually own something that is creating cash flow and value. Your investment typically will produce some type of value through a growing cash flow.

When it doesn’t, your investment then becomes

speculation. We also try to remind folks of the famous words of one of the world’s greatest investors, Warren Buffett: “Invest in what you know, nothing more.”

Very few investors fully understand how blockchain and cryptocurrencies actually work, yet are more than willing to fork over their money to invest in it because it’s the “next big thing.”

NEWS AND TIPS FOR YOUR PERSONAL BOTTOM LINE

The technology underlying the cryptocurrencies is really the future.

We believe that this technology will eventually revolutionize financial transactions throughout the world.

Rarely has that ended well for investors. Bottom line, cryptocurrencies in their current form are horrible at either creating a store of value or as a means to complete financial transactions.

That being said, we don’t discourage people from buying crypto. We just caution them to use only an amount of money they are willing to lose (like going to Vegas to gamble) if prices go to zero. In spite of the big run-up in 2017, this year has been a different story.

This entire publication could just be about crypto and barely even scratch the surface of what’s going on in that market. So for brevity’s sake, here are five things you need to keep in mind when speculating with cryptocurrencies.

The exchanges are not regulated.

If the platform you are using to buy these crypto assets goes under (and this has been happening in the market), you have no recourse to get your money back — none.

Liquidity can completely dry up.

Because these exchanges are not regulated, there aren’t any market makers whose primary job is to provide liquidity for trades. This is why there have been very volatile swings in these markets.

There are now 1,641 different cryptocurrencies.

Initial coin offerings seem to be happening almost every day. Firms are simply trying to capitalize on the crypto craze and inventing all kinds of new currencies. Half of all ICOs fail within a year. That’s a lot of money down the drain. And because this isn’t regulated, there is no recourse.

EXPANDING

our

| YOUR MONEY

Blockchain is the future.

The technology underlying the cryptocurrencies is really the future. We believe that this technology will eventually revolutionize financial transactions throughout the world.

Big firms like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan are spending billions to utilize blockchain for their business.

Very few understand crypto.

I continue to be amazed in how very little crypto investors know when I ask them to explain to me exactly what an ICO is and how their currency works. Most crypto owners have no idea how these markets work.

I encourage you to study and learn more about blockchain and cryptocurrencies, as this technology is already changing the way we transact and store data. The Crypto Canon is a good place to start: https://a16z.com/2018/02/10/crypto-readings-resources/. At the same time, please be very careful in buying a cryptocurrency. Use only the money that you are willing to lose, and accept that this is a speculative trade and not a long-term investment. Blockchain technology is likely here for a long time; however, the currencies are likely to experience intense volatility and uncertainty.

HORIZONS!

NOW OPEN IN GREENVILLE | 110 EAST COURT STREET | 9.14.2018 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

27

PROFESSIONAL |

STRATEGIES FOR HONING YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

Privacy is a hot topic these days, but do customers really want it?

By CHRIS MANLEY co-founder and CEO of Engenius

Ever since the European Union General Data Protection Regulation went into effect in May, it seems that every website I visit has a new privacy policy. Every time one pops up, aside from the frustration of having to click the “x” for it to go away, I wonder, “How many people actually read the privacy policy?”

Privacy is a hot topic these days. Earlier this year, it seemed as though most people were surprised that Facebook was using their personal information. Personally, I was a little surprised at the level of naivete the world appeared to have.

I’ve never paid Facebook a dime to use their service, but I’ve always known there had to be a way they were making money. Since all they have is the personal information of users, it seemed natural they would use it.

To many, it just feels creepy. Facebook has so much data on you. Through your likes and heart emojis, they discern what your favorite things happen to be. They know your age, location, hobbies, generally your occupation, political slant, religious beliefs, and more.

Is it a bad thing that they use this information to put ads in front of you that are actually relevant to your likes and dislikes? That seems a lot more relevant than the awkward experience of watching local news as a 20-something and seeing commercials for adult diapers, arthritis medication, and Cialis.

Unless you upgrade to the premium version of services like Spotify and YouTube, advertisements are a fact of life, and even then you still can get ads served up. Which begs the question: Is it better to have them tailored to your interests or to have advertisers that know little about their audience put irrelevant content in front of you that you must watch or listen to in order to continue?

If you want your privacy, you give up ads that might actually be relevant and enjoyable.

Asking for full privacy is the dream of anonymity. It is the equivalent of going into your favorite coffee shop every day and no one knowing your name, recognizing your face, or knowing your order and already having it started. In order for your barista to already know your favorite latte and how to make it the way you prefer, you cede a little bit of your privacy to the aproned, smiling face behind the counter. Being known has its advantages.

When I go online to place my lunch order, my favorite places remember what I frequently order and suggest those items to me, assuming correctly that I enjoyed those items enough to order them multiple times. Had I enlisted the utmost privacy settings, they would have kept none of my information. In fact, I would be forced to input my credit card information every single time I order. Who wants to do that?

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UBJ | 9.14.2018

STRATEGIES FOR HONING YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

| PROFESSIONAL

Vendor Communication

When I search for clothes online, one website I used recently remembered my prior searches that included my size information. As a result, it only showed me clothes matching my size. That was a bit refreshing. Do I like that the company knows my dimensions? I’m still on the fence about that one. But it sure was convenient not to re-enter it.

Privacy is a touchy subject. In my experience, very few like the idea of companies knowing vast amounts of personal information about them.

However, many enjoy the conveniences that come with sharing our preferences and allowing companies to retain that knowledge. In fact, there is something refreshing about calling the men’s clothing store off Main Street and having them already know what color shirts and suits I own, so they know which new tie would match.

Is letting “the internet” know the same information any different?

Chris Manley is co-founder and CEO of Engenius, a digital marketing agency based in Greenville.

OUR BUSIN E S S IS PR OT E C T IN G YO U R S

How much $ would

8 HOURS OF DOWNTIME

cost your business?

Every YEAR more than 2 MILLION U.S. businesses experience a POWER OUTAGE lasting 8 hours OR MORE.

Most businesses work with vendors. Some vendor relationships are very positive and productive, while others have tension and even distrust. The relationship between a client and vendor is built upon a contract that should provide value to both parties. One party pays money for a service of value. In a good relationship, both parties should feel that the contract is fair and valued appropriately, a win-win for everyone.

I recently had an unusual experience that had a powerful impact on how I view vendor relationships. We had been in a long-term contract with a vendor for a product that is essential to our core business. Over the years, this contract felt more like a burden than a benefit. We felt that we were paying too much money and getting too little in return. There are very few providers of this service and we essentially felt trapped by this vendor.

After years of searching for a replacement provider, we finally signed a contract with a new company. When we informed the vendor that we were leaving and provided them with a timeframe, they penalized us with exorbitant fees for ending the contract. We were shocked and furious, to say the least. For years, we have been telling the vendor of our concerns and when we finally found a different solution, we were penalized.

My first reaction was anger. I wanted to call the company and give them a piece of my mind. I wanted to share my negative experience and warn others.

My second reaction was confrontational. I combed through the contract and all communication to see if the fees were valid as I wanted to pursue legal action against them. But sanity prevailed, and I decided a conversation was necessary to determine which reaction was appropriate.

I called one of the more level-headed executives and remained calm as I told him of our history with his company, as well as our recent experience of feeling trapped and penalized. I asked for a resolution that would be fair to both parties.

He listened and asked for time to research the situation from his side.

When we reconnected, he explained that he had used my experience as an opportunity to walk in a client’s shoes. He recognized the sense of tension between his company and their clients. He asked me for more feedback about the client experience and how his company could improve. He explained how his company was going through a transition and how it was affecting their employees. He listened to me and I listened to him. Together we worked to find a fair resolution to our problem. We both agreed that we didn’t want to burn a bridge. Our companies may need to work together in the future, and ultimately, as human resources providers, we all need to be on the same team.

I think both parties learned some lessons during this recent exchange; I know I did. We are living in an age of confrontation, and as a society we often speak before we think. Social media has emboldened us, and I am often surprised by the visceral attacks I see online. My initial reaction was confrontation and attack, but that would have been the wrong approach and truthfully, that approach would have hurt me even more. I’m glad I took a deep breath and gathered my wits about me.

Whether in business or in life, we all want to feel heard. By engaging him in genuine communication, I was able to have my voice heard. This executive took the time to listen to me with an open mind and we were able to move forward in a productive manner. This experience taught me a valuable lesson about communication and the power of honesty, transparency and an open ear.

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PROFESSIONAL |

STRATEGIES FOR HONING YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

Is brand building still important in the digital age?

By JOE GILMAN creative director, FUEL

“Purveyors of Classic American Style” 864.232.2761 rushwilson.com 23 West North St. Downtown Greenville

Let’s end the suspense. Yes! Your brand is still important. In fact, it’s more important than ever.

Everything a company does is scrutinized and brought to light in real time. Every post, every tweet, every display ad, every sponsored story is either building your brand up or tearing it down.

Take Tesla, for example. In early 2018, Elon Musk’s spacefaring company, SpaceX, piqued the interest of the world by placing a red Tesla roadster in its new rocket and launching it into space. Musk’s “Falcon Heavy” is the world’s most powerful operational rocket, and the stunt worked like a charm.

Fast-forward to summer 2018, when Musk offered to build a special submarine to rescue the Thai children trapped in a flooded cave.

British cave explorer Vernon Unsworth said the ploy had “no chance of working” and was merely “a PR stunt,” which is what the world thought, too. To make matters worse, Musk childishly lashed out at Unsworth via Twitter and drew the ire of the world.

Following that brand low point, Musk apologized and the brand is heading in the right direction again. The point: Anything a company does, good or bad, affects its brand positively or negatively.

HOW DO YOU BUILD YOUR BRAND WITH TODAY’S CUSTOMERS? The digital age has given brands more outlets, channels, and platforms to communicate with customers than any time in marketing UBJ | 9.14.2018

history. And all too often today, companies become obsessed with sales and lead generation — or self-promotion (a la Musk) — at the expense of their brand. It is all driven by a bottom-line mentality, which is perfectly fine, even necessary, but it is a short-term fix to an equally important long-term goal: brand loyalty. The key to success today is understanding what your customers (or potential customers) desire: What exactly do they want from my brand?

CUSTOMERS WANT TO KNOW YOU UNDERSTAND THEM

You can’t win over new customers if you don’t fully understand their situation: what gives them pain and what solves their problems. Customer needs change and evolve over time, just as industries change. What was critical to them two years ago may not necessarily be as relevant today. Both external and internal factors cause shifting dynamics with any customer base and even within industries as a whole. Oftentimes, companies may think they know their clients when in reality they do not — at least not as deeply as they need to.

According to a recent study conducted by IBM and Econsultancy, nearly 80 percent of consumers said that brands and businesses don’t really understand them.

CUSTOMERS WANT HELP, NOT A SALES PITCH

The bottom line with today’s customers — regardless of demographics or industry — is that they don’t want to be marketed to in

STRATEGIES FOR HONING YOUR SKILLS

the old, self-interested ways. They don’t want to be sold. Customers, not brands, are in control now.

Businesses must make more of an effort to actively engage prospects and customers in real dialog, demonstrating that you understand their needs and have specific solutions to help them. The good news is that digital marketing gives brands the opportunity to connect with prospects and customers in more meaningful, helpful, and authentic ways. By earning people’s trust and then offering relevant solutions to their needs, you make them receptive to your products and services.

CUSTOMERS WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU STAND FOR Beyond your products, beyond your reputation, beyond your success or “award-winning history,” customers today want to know what you stand for as a brand. It’s not so much about what

| PROFESSIONAL

you do, as it is who you are. And you can’t fake it. Who you are is a demonstrable quality that is organic and evolving. It’s the emotional connection between you (the business) and them (the customer) that defines your brand.

There are countless studies and statistics that show that every purchase, no matter how small, is in some way based on a personal or emotional decision, often unconscious. Consider the many products on the market — aspirin or ibuprofen, for instance — that all do the same thing at roughly the same price. These products are only differentiated by their logo or brand name. At some level, consumers make a purchase decision based on an emotional connection to your brand. What exactly that connection is, what your brand stands for, is the golden key to success. Your brand defines the relationship with your customers — and ultimately the health and success of your company.

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31

NEW TO THE STREET |

NEW FACES OF BUSINESS

1

Open for business

2

1. B lackStream International Real Estate has opened a new location at 103 N. Main St. in downtown Greenville. The grand opening of the BlackStream | Christie’s International Real Estate and Art Gallery took place last month. BlackStream | Christie’s serves the Anderson, Greenville, and Spartanburg market with premier brokerage services.

3

2. The Ronald McDonald House at 706 Grove Road was recently renovated and reopened to take in more families. Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas strives to keep families with critically ill or injured children close to each other and to the care and resources they need in the community.

4

3. M y Place Hotels recently opened its first South Carolina location at 11 Ketron Court in Greenville.

My Place Hotels aims to be well-suited to both shortand long-term stays, offering modern amenities at an affordable price.

4. S usan E. Crocker Inc. Human Resources Consulting recently merged with OneDigital Health and Benefits.

The new space is located at 129 Woodruff Place Circle in Simpsonville.

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If 50 people donate, they could provide enough blood to take care of victims of a major car accident.

If 20 people donate, they could help 1 burn victim. Donors are the only source for this life saving gift. #idonateblood #isavelives #givelife

Sharing Life, Saving Lives 32

UBJ | 9.14.2018

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PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

PROMOTED

NAMED

HIRED

PROMOTED

| ON THE MOVE

HIRED

EMILY SOBESKI

JERMAINE WHIRL

CAROLYN WATSON

C. ADAM LONG

NICOLAS CHERRY

Has been promoted to director of marketing and design for The Children’s Museum of the Upstate. In her new role, she will be responsible for implementing marketing and advertising campaigns and managing the TCMU brand across digital and printed platforms.

Has been selected to the 40 Under 40 Class of 2018 by Georgia Southern University’s alumni association. Whirl is the vice president for learning and workforce development at Greenville Technical College.

The honor recognizes individuals under 40 for displaying leadership, professional expertise, and achievements, and dedication to charitable and community initiatives.

Has joined Synergy Psych as a licensed professional counselor associate. Watson received her master’s in counseling from Huntington University’s Townsend Institute. She has experience in a variety of settings, including private practice, which prepared her to work with concerns such as anxiety, eating disorders, and addiction.

Has been promoted to associate vice chancellor for information technology and data services and chief information officer at the University of South Carolina Upstate. Long is responsible for planning, budgeting, and managing all institutional information systems, networks, operations, and data services.

Has joined Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP as an attorney in the firm’s Greenville office. Cherry focuses his practice on products liability, toxic and mass torts, and personal injury matters. Prior to joining the firm, he served two years as a law clerk for Timothy Cain, a U.S. district court judge in Anderson.

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33

#TRENDING |

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Flip through the digital editions of any of our print issues, and see them all in one place. upstatebusinessjournal.com/ past-issues

NEW TENANT S • PROPER

PR • MACY , S BACKST AGE COMING

TO GREENV ILLE

AUGUST 31, 2017 | VOL. 7 ISSUE 33

HOW BOYD MAKING TR CYCLING IS IN THE EUROACKS MARKET

Page 10

Will Croo ks / Upsta te Business

Journal

CONNECT We’re great at networking.

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

The Community Foundation of Greenville bridges philanthropy and purpose by offering planned giving services, donor-advised funds and administering charitable endowment funds in support of a better community.

34

UBJ | 9.14.2018

EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR

UBJ PUBLISHER

Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Susan Schwartzkopf susans@communityjournals.com

EDITOR

Claire Billingsley

DATE

EVENT INFO

WHERE DO I GO?

HOW DO I GO?

9/15, 9/18, 9/22

JEHM Wealth & Retirement’s National Retirement Preparation Course by Local Retirement Planning Professionals Jennifer and Eric Lahaiet

Strayer University’s Greenville Campus 777 Lowndes Hill Road, Building 3, Suite 300 - times vary

Cost: FREE; must RSVP For more info: https://bit.ly/2o2q5kz; 1-800-515-7391

Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s 26th Annual Greenville Chamber Golf Tournament

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

Cost: $50 (19th Holy Party); $375 (single), $1,500 (team of four) For more info: https://bit.ly/2LUTiIt; mcampbell@greenvillechamber.org

Monday

9/17

COPY EDITOR Rebecca Strelow

STAFF WRITERS

Ariel Gilreath, Cindy Landrum, Andrew Moore, Sara Pearce, Ariel Turner

MARKETING & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR OF SALES Emily Yepes

MANAGERS OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Wednesday

9/19 Tuesday

9/25

Ed Ibarra | Donna Johnston

MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES Heather Propp, Meredith Rice, Caroline Spivey, Liz Tew

Tuesday

9/25

CLIENT SERVICES

Anita Harley | Rosie Peck

ART & PRODUCTION VISUAL DIRECTOR Will Crooks

| PLANNER

Thursday

10/4

Upstate SC Alliance Coffee & ConUpstate SC Alliance versation with Irish Manufacturing 124 Verdae Blvd., Suite 202 Research Business Development 8–9 a.m.

Manager Mike Cunningham

Cost: FREE for SC Upstate Alliance investors; must RSVP For more info: https://bit.ly/2o0YkJ3

Ten at the Top’s Winning the Future – Regional Summit

TD Convention Center 1 Exposition Drive 8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

Cost: $60 For more info: https://tenatthetop.org/2018-upstate-regional-summit/

Better Business Bureau Upstate SC’s Business at Breakfast: Social Media, catered by Soby’s

Greenville Water “Community Room” 517 W. Washington St. 8:30–10 a.m.

Cost: $20 For more info: https://go.bbb.org/2oLEodH; 864-331-3319; hope@upstatesc.bbb.org

Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Greenville BBQ Bash: Manufacturing Celebration

GTC’s Center for Manufacturing Innovation 575 Millennium Blvd.

5:30–8:30 p.m.

Cost: $45-$105 For more info: https://bit.ly/2M2HKSK; 864-239-3714; hhyatt@greenvillechamber.org

Greenville Chamber of Commerce’s Diversity & Inclusion Summit

TD Convention Center 1 Exposition Drive 9 a.m.–7 p.m.

Cost: $150 for members, $225 general For more info: https://bit.ly/2zKXdG3; nikawhiteconsulting@greenvillechamber.org

LAYOUT

Bo Leslie | Tammy Smith

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Amanda Walker

ADVERTISING DESIGN

Tuesday

10/16

Michael Allen

VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS Holly Hardin

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onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties. Guest columns run 500 words. Contact the editor at editor@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration.

SEPTEMBER 28 MANUFACTURING ISSUE

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 1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport

1988

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

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

>>

Got any thoughts? Care to contribute? Let us know at upstatebusinessjournal.com/submit.

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

>>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

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“

I’ve been able to do a lot of things in my life… because one person decided that it was worth the trouble.

– John, Recipient

Thank you.

We couldn’t serve our community without your support.

See John’s full story at thebloodconnection.org/testimonials