September 13, 2019 Upstate Business Journal

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 | VOL. 9 | ISSUE 18 NEED TO KNOW

| NEWS

September 13, 2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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THE OPENING BELL 6

Main Street may be paved with money, but where does it come from? Some of that’s your tax dollars actually at work, through infrastructure spending alongside private investments. At one end of downtown, the City helped finance what’s today known as NOMA. Now a similar deal’s remaking the other end.

12

The Anderson Institute of Technology opened its doors to students for the first time in August after about five years of planning, with course offerings ranging from advanced cyber security to equine science.

QUOTED

THE BIG NUMBER

10

$8 Billion

“No lender is going to give you 100 percent of the money you need. You have to have cash to put in, skin in the game.”

the cost of the F-16 deal with Taiwan. See Page 14

– Paul Pickhardt, Senior Vice President, SBA Lending Manager, at Countybank

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September 13, 2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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REAL ESTATE

NorthPointe construction continues, actively leasing restaurant and retail spaces n story by ARIEL TURNER | renderings by STUDIO ARCHITECTS

The future 57,000-square-foot Harris Teeter Neighborhood Food & Pharmacy located at 100 Wade Hampton Blvd. in the NorthPointe development broke ground in July, and construction is well underway with completion expected early Summer 2020.

Additionally, the development from Central Realty Holdings (CRH) and Atlanta’s ECI Group (ECI) at the intersection of Wade Hampton Boulevard, East Stone Avenue, and North Church Street

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is also actively leasing 21,396 square feet of groundfloor restaurant and retail space on Stone Avenue.

Jeff Rose, president and CEO of CRH as of May, says they are in lease negotiations with several potential tenants for the three restaurant spaces that range from approximately 2,400-4,300 square feet. Current possibilities include a fast casual concept, a breakfast and lunch concept that has already toured the market, a taproom with food, and a higher-end lunch and dinner restaurant, Rose says.

As for the remaining retail spaces, Rose says they

are looking for service-oriented uses, such as a nail salon, massage studio and other similar tenants.

Spaces range from approximately 2,300-3,400 square feet.

Rose says when he first moved to Greenville and was living in the Stone Avenue area, he was surprised by the lack of nearby services for the number of rooftops. He says they are hoping to provide what is currently lacking along with accessible parking.

NorthPointe includes 286 Class-A luxury residential one, two, and three-bedroom apartments and a seven-floor parking garage with 767 spaces.

2446 Laurens Road Greenville, SC 29607

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286 Class-A luxury residential apartments Pre-leasing this Fall, with first move-ins to follow towards the end of 2019.

Harris Teeter Neighborhood Food & Pharmacy 57,000sf - completion expected early Summer 2020

Residents will have access to the resort-style pool, fitness center, club room lounge, business center and pet spa. Apartments will begin pre-leasing this Fall, with first move-ins to follow towards the end of 2019.

NorthPointe is the second partnership between ECI Group and CRH. “We are delighted to partner with such an experienced and respected local company,” said Seth Greenberg of ECI Group “CRH is a group of visionaries dedicated to delivering projects that enhance the neighborhoods we live in. ‘Building Communi-

ties, Enriching Lives’ is the core of what ECI does, and NorthPointe is a perfect opportunity to do just that.”

Road work around the development announced in 2015 began in 2017 with the Wade Hampton Boulevard and Stone Avenue intersection and the permanent closing of Column Street, which would have run through the middle of the planned development. Vertical construction began soon after, and leasing efforts have been ongoing with a lot of interest but no signed leases or LOI’s until more recently, Rose says.

Ground Floor Restaurant and Retail Space In lease negotiations with several potential tenants for the three restaurant spaces, other retail space also available.

Cortney Carter, Bill Runge, and Greg Carter of Collett are handling leasing requests for NorthPointe.

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September 13, 2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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MAIN STREET MAY BE PAVED WITH

MONEY

BUT WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? story by John Jeter

Some of that is your tax dollars actually at work, through infrastructure spending alongside private investments. At one end of downtown, the City helped finance what’s today known as NOMA. Now a similar deal’s remaking the other end.

“Public-private partnerships have made downtown Greenville what it is today,” says Brody Glenn, President of Centennial American Properties, which is developing the massive Camperdown project on South Main Street, where the City will be investing millions, too.

Centennial’s $300 million-plus development across from the Peace Center—another seminal public-private partnership that included $6.5 million in City funds in 1991—offers a timely illustration of how developers can raise additional capital with the help of government.

“You’re able to leverage each other, so you’re able to both bring something to the table,” Mary Douglas Hirsch, the City’s Real Estate Development, says of P3s.

Hirsch says perhaps the biggest-ticket item big developers need: “The cost of parking is very expensive, as you can image, and so a lot of times, in order to get a new corporate headquarters or new office building or new development, the City will look at building the parking to support it and support the area.”

The Camperdown deal’s unique, Hirsch and Glenn say. The City’s approved budget for 2019-’20 shows about $18.5 million in “tax increment financing” in two funds dedicated to specific districts: Downtown Infrastructure and West End Tax Increment.

Enter what Hirsch calls a “synthetic TIF.” In the Camperdown case, Centennial will bear all upfront costs. Then over the next 25 years the City, using a portion of property taxes the project generates, will reimburse the developer—but only up to $20 million and only for the public pieces, including streetscaping, riverfront improvements and the open plaza.

“So that’s something really new,” Hirsch says, while Glenn points out that without the City’s financing plan, Camperdown’s buildings would have simply wrapped around a parking garage—and the developer would have forgone creating the public square.

“If you think about it,” Glenn says, “we’ve got the parks and we’ve got the (Liberty) bridge and we’ve got all those things, then we’ve got Main Street, but we have very few, if any at all, active open spaces, so creating that outdoor space for people to congregate in an informal setting, that’s something that’s important in all major cities.”

Hence the City’s willingness to contribute to such projects as the $63 million Bi-Lo Center, now the Bon Secours Wellness Arena, in 1998; the renovation of the West End Market, with a $4 million investment, in 1994; and the granddaddy of P3s, which kickstarted downtown in 1982, the $34 million “Greenville Commons” and the Hyatt Regency.

The City’s public-private partnerships go almost exclusively to real estate deals.

Nationally, P3s grab headlines because they’re multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects: transportation, schools, affordable housing and stadiums, prisons and public broadband, to name a few.

In Greenville, as Glenn points out, the City takes advantage of P3s not only to incentivize developers but, in fact, to direct development according to its Master Plan.

“The way we look at it,” Hirsch says, “the City and the private sector are rebuilding downtown and our city together. We’re not doing it alone and the private sector needs the city and the city needs the private sector. So there are a lot of benefits.”

Glenn, who enjoys riding his bicycle to work and spending time with his family downtown, says estimating benefits taxpayers get from the City’s P3 investments would be incalculable. Mentioning Fluor Field and Falls Park, he says, “The returns are in the multiples.”

6 UBJ | September 13, 2019

TIMELINE OF MAJOR PROJECTS 1982-Present

1991

Peace Center for Performing Arts • $42 million development • Public/private partnership

1982

Greenville Commons, • First anchor project along Main Street • Investment of $34 million+ A 2013 major renovation brought about the name change to NOMA Tower and NOMA Square.

“The way we look at it is the City and the private sector are rebuilding downtown and our city together. We’re not doing it alone and the private sector needs the city and the city needs the private sector. So there are a lot of benefits.”

– Mary Douglas Hirsch Real Estate Development Manager for the City of Greenville

2008

2006

PRESENT

Riverplace • Located directly across from the Peace Center

Fluor Field • Public-private partnership • Constructed for $15.5 million

Projects in Development • Camperdown • Unity Park • NorthPointe • Grand Bohemian Hotel • Fire Station at Faris Rd./ Augusta St. • Parallel Parkway

1999 Poinsett Hotel Vacant in the late 1990s • Successful public-private partnership •

2004

Falls Park • $13 million park helped spur over $100 million in private investments within two years

2013 Project One • •

Public-private partnership City set aside $4 million in funding to completely redesign the adjacent public plaza

1998

Bi-Lo Center/Bon Secours Wellness Arena • $63 million project • Public financed 43% of the project

1995

West End Market • 44,000-square-foot mixeduse development • $4 million project included TIF funds

WHAT IS TAX INCREMENT FINANCING (TIF)?

Public investment has been instrumental in the revitalization of downtown. The most useful tool used by the city has been Tax Increment Finanacing (TIF) – this allows the city to use property tax revenue within a defined district for revitalization of that same district.

TIF revenues have been used for numerous projects throughout the downtown area, including the majority of the city’s funding for the Peace Center development.

There are three individually designated TIF districts (as illustrated by the map on the right) – the Central Business District and the West End District were both created in December of 1987 and the Viola Street district followed shortly behind, being created in August of 1998.

Revenue from all three TIF districts has been used for significant imporvements within the respective districts.

VIOLA STREET TIF Established in 1998, over $3.5 million have been generated with a steady increase over its lifespan.

Initial year only generated $1,841 while 2013-2014 generated $618,818.

CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT TIF The City’s first TIF, and the biggest by revenue.

Generating over $82 million dollars since its inception, the last twenty years have seen a 500% increase.

Source: Downtown Reborn, citygis.greenvillesc.gov/DowntownReborn

WEST END TIF Sharp increase in the last five years. Total revenue of $17,688,787 during its existence, 64% of which has occurred since 2009.

September 13, 2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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NEWS |

NEED TO KNOW

FINANCE Where does the money come from... SBA BACKED LOANS

Angels in the finance field n story by JOHN JETER | photo by WILL CROOKS

Lawrence Black got his first taste of entrepreneurship when he was about 6 years old in Columbia, where he bought a Cal Ripken baseball card for $2 at a Holiday Inn show. Five tables over, he sold the Orioles star’s card to another dealer for $2.50. Then he did it again.

“I’m thinking, ‘I don’t believe that just happened,’ now I had $3,” he recalls. Today, at 47, he’s principal in his own big financial enterprise, a $10 million redevelopment of the former Southern Bleachery & Print Works, the 900,000-square-foot Taylors Mill.

It’s one thing to earn a 150 percent return on a $2 investment, but where do people like Black get the tens of thousands of dollars in the first place to become a so-called “angel investor?”

Black, who moved to Greenville five years ago, says he did well in the ’90s tech boom.

Since then, he’s become an investor/partner in nearly 160 companies, putting him among the 200,000-plus U.S. angels who pour some $25 billion annually into more than 71,000 startup deals, according to an Angel Capital Association report in 2017.

ANGEL INVESTORS VERSUS VENTURE CAPITALISTS

Angels differ from venture capitalists. VCs are typically corporate partnerships that invest in a fund—think hedge funds. An angel with a Securities and Exchange Commission accreditation has a net worth of at least $1 million— excluding personal residence—or income of $200,000 over two years.

“Basically, what we’re doing is we’re taking a bunch of at-bats. We’re swinging hard.

We’re going to strike out a bunch because inherently we’re taking a ton of technology risk and market risk.

We don’t know if they’re going to work or not, but we’re swinging at pitches that, if 200,000-plus U.S. angels pour we hit it, we can hit it out of $25 billion annually into more the park.”

MATT DUNBAR Co-Founder & Managing Director, Upstate Carolina Angel Network

than 71,000 startup deals

Carolinas under VentureSouth, a member, incidentally, of the ACA. Investing primarily in tech startups, UCAN dives deeply into due diligence, drilling into a company’s financials and its leadership’s experience.

“That’s not a trivial task, sourcing the deals and evaluating the deal structure,” Co-Founder & Managing Director Matt Dunbar says. “It’s nothing you want to do on your own.”

Only about 2 percent of candidates win a first-round investment of $500,000 and $1

a company he invested in years ago—NextGen Venture Partners, a Washington, D.C.-based network that “closed on its first fund at $22 million,” the Wall Street Journal reported in March 2017.

CHARACTER SPEAKS VOLUMES

He bases much of his decision on an entrepreneur’s character. He recalls financing in a guy whose first company went bust but later insisted on paying back his backers—an almost-unheard-of gesture.

He told the young entrepreneur, “‘You can pay me back by closing this company out and starting another company and I’ll invest in you again.’ He did. He lost 35K in his first company and made 80K on the second deal.”

While hardly a huge sum for high-rolling angels, Black says: “If you’re focusing on money all the time, if you’re not focusing on a product that you’re creating, you’re not focusing on the consumer experience, you’re not focused on building an organization for the long haul, then you’re not focusing on what you need to be focused on to be successful.

ACA survey of nearly 1,700 investors nationwide, reveals the typical angel has a portfolio of 11 companies and provides a median investment of $25,000.

In the ACA survey of nearly 1,700 such investors nationwide, the typical angel has a portfolio of 11 companies and provides a median investment of $25,000.

An angel must be accredited to join the Upstate Carolina Angel Network, which opened in 2008 and now boasts 300 of them in two dozen groups. UCAN also has two “angel funds” in the

8 UBJ | September 13, 2019

million, Dunbar says.

“Basically, what we’re doing is we’re taking a bunch of at-bats. We’re swinging hard. We’re going to strike out a bunch because inherently we’re taking a ton of technology risk and market risk,” he says. “We don’t know if they’re going to work or not, but we’re swinging at pitches that, if we hit it, we can hit it out of the park.”

Black apparently has. He’s still a member of

NEED TO KNOW

| NEWS

INSIDE

KELLY CARROLL Director of Operations

A firm’s wealth of female finesse n story by JOHN JETER | photos PROVIDED, NACHMAN NORWOOD & PARROTT

SALLE CONLIN Senior Client Services Specialist

MAURA COPSEY Partner

JENNINGS CRAFT Client Services Specialist

VIRGINIA CRIDER Senior Client Services Specialist

SARAH CARTER FARMER Wealth Planner

ANNA BRITTON MADDEN Administrative Specialist

ANGIE SHEPPARD Chief Compliance Officer

LAUREN STARKS Senior Wealth Planner

You can’t help but notice the sculpture towering in front of the post-modern office building on South Main Street housing one of the nation’s largest financial advisory firms. The piece depicts a man, his right hand gripping a mallet, chiseling himself from a tree.

“Regenesis” could be considered High Masculine art, the bronze figure rippling with muscles. Which is kind of ironic, given that when you step inside Nachman Norwood & Parrott Wealth Management Consultancy, you find no glass ceiling— the 16-member firm includes nine women.

“Although 46 percent of financial services employees are women,” Forbes reported last year, “at the executive level, it’s only 15 percent.”

Not all of NPP’s distaff staff are executives, but Maura Copsey is.

She’s a partner, having joined the firm in 2000, around the time she started having children. That’s when Bob Nachman and Ben Norwood, who founded the company with the now-retired John Parrott, offered her a flex schedule.

So much for the notion that wealth management is strictly about money. Although NPP boasts $1.6 billion in assets under management—roughly half the national average for a similar Securities and Exchange Commission-registered firm, according to SmartAdvisor Match—the partners don’t see their jobs that way.

“My first email this morning,” Nachman says, joining Copsey and Norwood in a conference room while Hurricane Dorian lumbered toward Charleston, “was to the whole office saying we need to make sure to be in touch with any of our clients who live along the coast.”

Copsey added that she spent two hours that day on a client’s pending divorce—she’s one of only 5,000

Certified Divorce Financial Analysts in the country—before she started helping a man whose mother passed away.

There was a time when a wealth manager paid more attention to ticker tapes than trying times, but nowadays, the partners say, relationships prime. NPP counts more than 1,000 clients, most of them high-end.

“The company’s average account size is $1.4 million,” SmartAdvisor

sitions in life. ‘I want to plan to pay for college, my children’s education.’

That’s transition. ‘I want to plan for my retirement.’ That’s a transition.”

Adds Norwood: “I tell folks that I truly think you would be better served in this business if you had a behavioral finance degree, rather than a finance degree, just because you have to understand how to deal with people and their emotions and their fears and anxieties.”

We work with clients for a long period of time, and it seems like we spend a lot of time just helping people go through life, the transitions in life. ‘I want to plan to pay for college, my children’s education.’ That’s transition. ‘I want to plan for my retirement.’ That’s a transition.”

- Maura Copsey, partner Nachman Norwood & Parrott Watch says in an undated website post, noting that figure is slightly above the national average and that NPP’s financial advisors administer “around 115 client accounts.”

Asked whether money professionals might bristle under the critique that they’re only in the business for, well, the money, Nachman responds: “I’d say that’s a potential flaw in our industry—to some degree, certainly most people in our industry are focused on people with wealth first.” NPP presents itself differently. “As personal family advisors, our bread and butter is not just trading securities, it’s helping people’s families.”

Copsey sees herself as a “transition specialist.”

“I know that sounds really odd,” she says. “We work with clients for a long period of time, and it seems like we spend a lot of time just helping people go through life, the tran-

The two men sitting at the room’s only glass-topped fixture agree that women add distinction to a firm striving for personal service over public securities.

Women, Norwood says, offer a “different perspective and a different way of communicating with clients that I think that they appreciate.”

Nachman adds, “I think it helps us males in a more-female environment learn how to function in the real world.”

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September 13, 2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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NEED TO KNOW

FINANCE

ABCs of SBA loans n story by JOHN JETER | photo PROVIDED

Jill Kesler McCollum remembers a woman who dropped by her office to ask about how to open her own store—filled with angels. A cancer survivor with long white hair, the would-be client of the Small Business Development Center wanted to see if her entrepreneurial spirit could fly.

“Not the cherub kind, we’re talking beautiful angels,” says McCollum, Director of the Greenville Area SBDC at the University Center of Greenville.

The two worked hard on a detailed business plan—a key service the Clemson Region office, one of four in the state, provides for free. Once the blueprint and its realistic financial projections are completed, the client goes to a U.S. Small Business Administration lender, to family and friends, to any source willing and able to help her make the leap from creativity to commerce.

them from failing, we’ve done just as good as helping them from failing right off the bat.”

SECURING CAPITAL

So what does it take to secure sufficient capital that not only will help you become your own boss but increase your chances of staying open?

“There’s always money available for a high-character person that’s got some wherewithal and a solid business plan,” says Paul Pickhardt, Senior Vice President, SBA Lending Manager, at Countybank, whose dedicated office is on track to close $25 million worth of SBA-backed loans this year.

While the federal agency doesn’t actually write checks but guarantees loans for the banks that do, the state in 2018 saw 185 SBA-backed loans totaling $72.4 million, creating nearly 1,500 jobs in the Upstate alone, according to the SBA’s South Carolina District Office.

In 2018, SBA guaranteed 165 loans for $72.46M in the Upstate. The median loan amount was $100K. This created 1,420 jobs. source: South Carolina District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration

SMALL BUSINESS IS HUGE

Companies with fewer than 500 employees accounted for 99.7 percent of America’s 5.6 million “employer firms” in 2016, while producing nearly half of the U.S. GDP, according to the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.

“She had the prettiest store,” McCollum recalls of the woman who successfully opened her boutique in Anderson in the late ’90s— with $50,000 from her husband, rather than through an SBA or conventional bank loan. “He was her angel investor.”

Still, McCollum, who has been with the SBDC for 26 years, says she “really put her through the wringer” in the business-plan process. Retail and restaurants are notoriously risky bets for lenders—“Restaurants fail at higher rates than funeral homes,” she says, while SBA statistics show that half of all small businesses fail within the first five years.

“If they haven’t gone through us,” McCollum says of wannabe impresarios, “then they’re probably skipping some steps. If we can prevent

10 UBJ | September 13, 2019

With a median 2018 loan of $100,000, the SBA in the last five years guaranteed more than a quarter-of-million dollars to more than 500 small Upstate businesses that created more than 5,000 jobs, figures show.

THE BUSINESS PLAN

ists or so-called “angel investors,” best known for providing equity financing to such “early-stage” innovators as tech, biomed, healthcare and manufacturers. (See related story.)

Lenders also prefer those who come to the table with their own capital or collateral.

“No lender is going to give you 100 percent of the money you need,” Pickhardt says. “You have to have cash to put in, skin in the game.

Every bank has a different lending credit box, and if you fit in the box and you’re a high-character person, there’s money out there for people who have a good business plan and have experi-

No lender is going to give you 100 percent of the money you need.

You have to have cash to put in, skin in the game.”

PAUL PICKHARDT

Senior Vice President, SBA Lending Manager, at Countybank

In the past two years, SBA guaranteed 298 loans for $159.41M in the Upstate. Creating 2,859 jobs.

“I’d say lenders put source: South Carolina District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration a lot of emphasis on a strong business plan,” says Savannah Wilburn, the state SBA’s Lender ence—hopefully in their industry.”

Relations Specialist & Public Information OffiSo whatever happened to McCollum’s heavcer in Columbia. enly client?

Further echoing Pickhardt and McCollum, “That was so sad,” McCollum says. Not beshe says the borrower must show “industry re- cause the business failed—the store closed search, market research and the most import- when the entrepreneur’s husband, a pharmaant part, financials.” cist, got transferred out of state.

Even still, Pickhardt says, “It’s not easy to get “Oh, yeah, people were really upset, I mean, an SBA loan.” the whole community, because she really had Small-business lenders are especially wary of something going for about a year and a half. start-ups. Those generally go to venture capital- Maybe it was her personality, she was the angel.”

NEED TO KNOW

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IN OTHER NEWS

Bojangles’ hires EP+CO as agency of record

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

n story by EMILY WARNER

Starting October 1, Greenville-based advertising agency EP+Co will work as Bojangles’ creative agency of record. The assignment calls for EP+Co to focus on traditional advertising methods like in-store marketing, social content, brand strategy and planning.

Creative advertising and marketing agencies like EP+Co are crucial to a company’s success. They have the power to sculpt how customers view and interact with a brand or company. Because EP+Co have established themselves as a leading creative agency, they work for top companies. EP+Co also leads creative for some of America’s most iconic brands including Lowe’s Home Improvement, Men’s Wearhouse, John Deere and Tempur Sealy International.

The agency also leads content and social production for LinkedIn as well as content for 20th Century Fox, Disney, Lionsgate & ESPN College Gameday.

PR Week named EP+Co as a Top 5 Up and Coming Agencies of 2019.

Bojangles’ began the advertising agency search process earlier this year.

This is a valuable contract for both companies; EP+Co has an extensive portfolio and Bojangles’ has 763 system-wide restaurants, 320 of which are company-operated and 443 franchised.

Spinx named 12th best place to work in South Carolina n story by EMILY WARNER

Greenville-based fuel and convenience company Spinx recently gained a spot in the top 15 Best Places to Work in South Carolina for 2019. SC Biz News, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group created the survey and awards program in 2006. The program is in its 14th year and is an important distinction for companies across the state.

After a South Carolina company registers for the program, the assessment process begins. Employers complete an in-depth questionnaire and employees may offer honest feedback in a company-wide survey. Best Companies Group then analyzes the data and determines which companies have what it takes to be “the best”. Successful applicants receive notification of their status shortly after; they receive recognition at an awards ceremony in Columbia.

With upwards of 82 locations and 1,400 associates across the state, Spinx falls within the ‘large company’ rewards category. Spinx was honored as one of 75 companies on the “Best places to work” in South Carolina list.

A record-breaking 96% percent of Spinx teammates responded to the survey-based awards program.

82+ locations

1,400+ associates

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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10 South Academy Street, Suite 250, Greenville, SC 29601

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EDUCATION

Anderson Institute of Technology brings high-tech equipment to students n story by ARIEL GILREATH | photos PROVIDED

The center has the capacity to serve about 1,400 students from three of the county’s five school districts each year — about 70% of the Anderson Institute of Technology students come from Anderson District 5 and the rest are from districts 3 and 4.

The wheels were set in motion for the facility in 2014 when Anderson County residents passed a one-cent sales tax to help fund it — the money in districts 1 and 2 goes to other education initiatives since they already have a career center.

Kyle Newton, assistant superintendent for external affairs, said the tax has been a boon to the county, primarily because one-third of its revenue has come from out-of-towners and 20% of the tax is going toward bond debt to lower property taxes.

“Geographically, we are in a perfect location — you’ve got people coming from Hart County and Franklin County in Georgia; you’ve got the longest stretch of I-85,” Newton said. “It’s hard to get to Clemson without going through Anderson.”

Bob Couch, who was named director of the Anderson Institute of Technology in 2017, has been a longtime expert in career and technology education. Prior to coming to Anderson, he led the Center for Advanced Technical Studies in Lexington-Richland School District 5, and before that, he was the state director of career education for the South Carolina Department of Education.

Couch said the Anderson Institute of Technology is one of the best career center facilities in not only South Carolina, but the United States.

“I’ve traveled quite a bit — there’s not a facility like this in the state or nation. This is a premiere facility,” Couch said. “It’s unmatched.”

The facility has $6.5 million worth of equipment, most of which came donated from industries such as Michelin North America and Bosch, whose names are plastered over wings and

I’ve traveled quite a bit — there’s not a facility like this in the state or nation. This is a premiere facility. It’s unmatched” -Bob Couch, director of Anderson Institute of Technology

MAKIING IT HAPPEN

With its bright, expansive hallways and sleek interior, the new Anderson Institute of Technology feels more like a college facility rather than a high school career center.

Immediately through its front doors are a coffee shop and snack bar, reminiscent of what you’d find in a large corporate office.

The $34 million facility opened its doors to students for the first time in August after about five years of planning, with course offerings ranging from advanced cyber security to equine science.

2014 A 1% sales-tax increase is approved for the county to improve school facilities and technology.

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As you can see, you’re not working in a mill here. This is high-tech.”

-Kyle Newton, assistant superintendent for external affairs classrooms they’ve sponsored.

One classroom, which is used for emergency fire and management services courses, resembles a fire station and features an ambulance donated by Medshore Ambulance Service.

Newton said there are three types of students who pass through the center — students who graduate high school and immediately enter the workforce, students who attend a technical college, and those who go on to get a four-year degree or more.

“People hear ‘career tech’ and ‘career ed’ and they still [think of] textile mills,” Newton said. “As you can see, you’re not working in a mill here. This is high-tech.”

The veterinary program has an animal science facility that will house horses, pigs, and other animals on-site, and because of a partnership with a vet based out of Clemson, students will get to witness out-patient procedures on-site. On another end of the center, students can simulate taking apart a car engine with a virtual reality headset before working with donated cars in a giant, 6,000 square-foot classroom.

“It’s a win-win for everybody involved,” Couch said.

THE FACILITY COST

| NEWS

CONCENTRATIONS OFFERED

$34,000,000 THEFACILITY’SEQUIPMENTCOST

$6.5 MILLION

Advanced Manufacturing & Machine Tool Aerospace Engineering Design & Development

THERE IS A CLASSROOM THAT IS

Agricultural & Animal Sciences

6,000 SQ. FT

Bio-Medical Sciences

FOR WORKING ON CARS

Automotive & Diesel Technology Welding Technology & Sculpture THE INSTITUTE CAN SERVE

1,400

Veterinary Science & Technology

STUDENTS PER YEAR

Engineering Design & Development Computer Science & Programming Mechatronics & Digital Electronics Media Technology & Film Emergency & Fire Mangement Computer Networking & Cybersecurity Digital & Visual Art Development Electrical Design & Smart Systems Core Engineering

Above: Students walk through the Anderson Institute of Technology Left: Sign for BOSCH Incubator Lab

Agricultural Sciences & Biosystems Health Science & Medical Technology Agricultural Sciences & Horticulture Cosmetology Services Technology

2017

2019

Bob Couch, a longtime expert in career and technology education, is named the institute’s director.

The Anderson Institute of Technology officially opens its doors to students for the 2019-2020 school year.

For access to a review copy of the Anderson Institute of Technology courses, programs, and requirements, please visit your local high school.

September 13, 2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

13

NEWS |

NEED TO KNOW

MANUFACTURING

Lockheed’s deal with Taiwan gets bipartisan praise

n story by JOE TOPPE | photo SMSGT THOMAS MENEGUIN

Amid protests in China and with in-state companies like BMW and GE Aviation doing business in the Asian country, the U.S. Government has approved the sale of 66 Lockheed Martin fighter jets to Taiwan totaling $8 billion.

Although the aerospace and defense firm would not comment on the political ramifications of the

66

Lockheed Martin fighter jets to Taiwan

deal, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham supported the White House’s decision to authorize the purchase on Twitter while Democratic Representative, Joe Cunningham sent a letter of support to President Trump. The letter included signatures from South Carolina’s entire Delegation.

In 2018, data compiled by the South Carolina Department of Commerce showed China was the state’s largest importing partner, totaling more than $7.2 billion. During that same year, China was also South Carolina’s top export partner at $5.6 billion.

While China has long-considered Taiwan a “breakaway province”, Bloomberg reported last month China views any American involvement there an intrusion.

In the same report, a spokesperson for China’s

$8 billion

the cost of the F-16 deal with Taiwan

Foreign Ministry, Hua Chunying, warned “U.S. arms sales to Taiwan severely violate the one-China principle.”

The Chinese government urged the U.S. to refrain from selling the fighter jets to Taiwan, she continued. “Otherwise, the Chinese side will surely make strong reactions, and the U.S. will have to bear all the consequences.”

Lockheed Martin will build the F-16 Block 70 aircraft at their Greenville facility. As outlined by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the deal will include 66 fighters, 75 GE Aviation F110 engines, data links, 75 Northrop Grumman APG-83 active electronically scanned array radars, 75 electronic warfare suites, and other equipment, training and services related to the purchase.

$5.6 billion

in exports in 2018, SC’s largest exporting partner in 2018 was China who is strongly against this sale

$7.2 billion

in imports in 2018, SC’s largest importing partner in 2018 was China who is strongly against this sale

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IN OTHER NEWS

Flourish moving to expansive downtown space This space will allow us to work more collaboratively, entertain our clients and friends, and creatively plan and execute in bigger, better ways.”

Jamie Prince,

Flourish, a Greenville-based public relations, marketing, and events firm is relocating to a new, expansive building within the downtown district.

The move, said Flourish founder and principal Jamie Prince, was prompted by client and team growth.

The new office is located at 333 Wade Hampton Boulevard. The 3,100 square-foot office has a large conference room, small meeting rooms and lounge, a butler’s kitchen, and office for the more than dozen-person team.

Flourish Founder “We are thrilled to be able to have a new work home that reflects who we are and where we’re going as a company,” said Jamie Prince, Flourish’s founder and principal. “This space will allow us to work more collaboratively, entertain our clients and friends, and creatively plan and execute in bigger, better ways.”

Prince said it’s fitting Flourish is moving as the company celebrates its tenth year in business. “It feels like a significant milestone all around, and we continue to grow more grateful for all the blessings we’ve both received and are able to give to others through time and talents,” she said.

Since its inception in 2009, Flourish has served more than 100 brands and created client campaigns that earned more than 50 awards at the national, state, and local levels.

Students selected for Northwestern Mutual’s nationally-recognized internship program Northwestern Mutual ranks in America’s Top 10 internships in financial services, according to the Vault Guide to Internships for 2019, and seven students at South Carolina colleges and universities will be reaping the program’s benefits.

The students selected for the internship program in the Greenville office include: Alexandra Worts of Furman University, Tyler Ryll of University of South Carolina, and Clemson University’s Beau Craft, David Evans, Ryan Enniss and Dylan Renfro. Robbie Armstrong, a student at Wofford College, will work in Northwestern Mutual’s Spartanburg office.

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NEED TO KNOW

BUSINESS

Quality Business Solutions names new president

Supporting local fishmongers: Abundant Seafood, Mt. Pleasant, SC.

Quality Business Solutions (QBS), a payroll, human resources and benefits firm, recently announced David Evette has assumed the role of president after serving as chief operations officer.

Pamela Evette, David’s wife, voluntarily stepped away from the QBS president role to focus on her duties as South Carolina Lieutenant Governor.

“Since the day we founded QBS at our kitchen table, it has always Under my leadership, been a labor of love for Pamela and me and our entire family,” we will continue to look for said David in a statement. “While new and better ways of doing times and leadership may change, business and building unique we remain passionately dedicated to providing superior solutions product offerings...”

- David Evette and service for our clients and to being an employer of choice for our valued associates. Under my leadership, we will continue to look for new and better ways of doing business and building unique product offerings that fill industry gaps to drive progress.”

David started in his new role by investigating and implementing new technological solutions to increase efficiencies for QBS and its clients.

The Jackson Lewis Greenville Office Welcomes The Jackson Lewis Greenville Office Welcomes The Jackson Lewis Greenville Office Welcomes SueOffice Odom andand Johnny Wentzell to son Lewis Greenville Welcomes Sue Odom Johnny Wentzell to Lewis The Jackson

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With more than 900 attorneys in major locations throughout the U.S. and With more than 900 attorneys in major locations throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Jackson Lewis provides the resources to address every Puerto Rico, Jackson provides resources to address every With more than 900 attorneys in major locationsLewis throughout thethe U.S. and aspect of the employer-employee relationship.

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With more than 900 attorneys in major locations throughout the major locations throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Jackson Lewis provides the resources to address ovides the resources to address every Suzanne G. • C. John Wentzell,relationship.

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16 UBJ | September 13, 2019

n Wentzell, Jr.

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

LET’S DO LUNCH School is in full swing, fall is on the way and it’s a great time to revisit that daily dilemma: What do I pack in my kids’ lunch? And, while I’m at it, what do I pack for myself?

Caiti Nascarella, a certified health coach with PartnerMD in Greenville, says lunch can offer a great opportunity to boost nutrition, and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time and effort. A few simple switches can have you and your kids packing a lunch that boosts productivity, reduces snack cravings and tastes great.

“The biggest thing is reducing carbohydrates,” Nascarella says. “We tend to lean on sandwiches, chips, crackers, so reducing carbohydrates is important” not just for our waistline, but for reducing diseases such as diabetes.

“For kids, it’s a different story,” she says. “They can have more carbohydrates, and they might be pickier eaters, but you can still make it fun and make it realistic.”

PLAN AHEAD

The old adage “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” applies directly to lunch packing, Nascarella says. That can seem intimidating, but It doesn’t need to be elaborate, and can take just a small investment of time and effort. Plans could include batch cooking on Sunday or simply making a few extra chicken breasts or grains while you’re cooking dinner.

“Whenever you’re cooking your

protein, or quinoa, or sweet potatoes, just make extra and keep those in the fridge,” she says. “You can use them in different ways throughout the week.”

One favorite suggestion she offers her patients is creating bowls. If you stash extra chicken and brown rice, for example, then you can create an Italian bowl one day (cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, pesto), then Mexican (avocado, peppers, salsa) and the next day you could go Greek If they (feta, olives, and roasted red d o n ’ t peppers). A Thai bowl might include like the cilantro, chopped peanuts, a ginger bowl idea, or soy dressing and even kimchi or one easy switch pickled vegetables if you have some is to use Ezekiel on hand. “Those are great for gut bread for sandwiches. “It’s health,” she says.Keeping your higher in protein and fiber,” she says, The beauty of the “bowl” is it’s and less processed than many breads Keeping your leadership endless customizations; it can follow on the shelves. leadership any flavor profile include any Adding some type of produce can atand the leading protein and vegetable combination. make at the of leading edge health. a big difference in a lunch’s And it can work even if you don’t nutritional value, and that could edge rotisserie of health. cook much, because mean a simple salad, baby carrots chicken and a bag of microwaveable with hummus or a piece of fruit. rice work, too.

Pasta is a favorite lunch item for It might take four to six weeks to adults and kids, and she recomget into the habit of lunch prep, and mends the pasta made from beans you might have some periods of time to serve up more fiber and protein. where you slack off, but creating this However, “a little pasta in moderahabit can pay dividends for your is essential tion isn’ttogoing to kill us,” So shedosays.

Youbig know healthy leadership business success. we. health. You “Lean toward the whole wheat We’re PartnerMD, Greenville’s leading concierge care practice specializing know healthy leadership is essential to business success. So do we. in executive physicals and primary care to equip progressive businesses variety and watch out for portions We’re PartnerMD, Greenville’s leading concierge care practice specializing like yours with the latest advancements in medicine and holistic wellness FOR THE KIDS that’s the key.” in executive physicals and primary care to equip progressive businesses for you and your leadership.

We tailor our programs to your exacting In an ideal world, kids would learn like yours with the latest advancements in medicine and holistic wellness needs, providing customized control that enables executives to perform to love the for same proteins and vegeSNACK TIME you and your leadership. We tailor our programs to your exacting at the providing peak and excel every day through care so personal, tables theirneeds, parents eat of forhealth lunch, but If you’re packing a lunch anyway, customized control that enables executives to perform it’sthe like having a the doctor in theNascarella family. of course, that isn’t always case. recommends at peak of health and excel every day through care so throwing personal, it’s like having a doctor in the family.

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in a snack while you’re at it. Try to grab something that combines a complex carbohydrate with a protein, such as a low-fat cheese stick or a handful of nuts with a piece of fruit. “The idea is to use this pairing to keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day,” she says.

“You don’t want to get hangry around 3:00 or 3:30,” she adds. If you have a healthful snack, you’ll not only feel better, but “you won’t end up mindlessly munching on chips, and you can make better choices when you get home.“

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17

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FINANCE

Atypical resources give The Capital Corporation advantage when selling clients’ businesses n story by JOHN C. STEVENSON | photos by BONFIRE VISUALS

This is not your average investment bank. Whereas most investment banks offer only a team of investment bankers, The Capital Corporation combines its seasoned investment banking team with a broad roster of full-time cyber security, digital marketing, software engineer, insurance, financial, infrastructure, human resource, and call center employees.

Building an extensive support team has been a strategic initiative for The Capital Corporation, a locally owned lower-middle-market investment banking firm which was founded in 1991 by Dan Adams, President and CEO. The Capital Corporation’s team of professionals work to ensure its clients come away as winners, according to Devin The Capital Corporation has an extensive team to support each client’s needs. That team includes, from left, Bob Oliver, Green, Chief Operating Officer.

Senior Principal; Madison Walton, Director of Digital Marketing; George Moseley, Senior Principal; Devin Green, Chief Operating Officer; Paul Gallagher, Associate; and Reschin Graham Moore, Director of Community Relations and Communications.

With more than two dozen full-time specialists working behind the scenes, Green spotlights The Capital Corporation’s unique ability to serve as a fore we go to market with buyers. It is at this point sive in their own right, but the firm’s actual invest“solutions provider” for its clients. This translates in the process where we insert our specialists into ment bankers also stand out from the crowd, with to taking steps beyond the industry norms to bet- the game. We not only identify the solutions, but the five senior investment bankers being able to ter position each of its clients to capture millions of we are able to execute them on behalf of our client.” leverage more than 120 years of experience among That deep dive into market conditions on the them. dollars more in value when they sell their business. front end, combined with the Through their combined efforts, these various “What empowers us to be SWOT analysis leading to a team members work together to strengthen a busithat solutions provider is the By doing what we do and Pre-Mortem Analysis, allows ness’s overall appeal to buyers, a process Green lik‘mother ship’ resources we the full team at The Capital ens to armoring a client. have in-house,” Green ex- based on how we do it, we are “We’ll put together solutions to either completely plains. “What other invest- uniquely positioned to really make Corporation to swing into action to strengthen the client’s eliminate those chinks in the armor or sometimes ment banks do, when they ar- a material difference in the lives of market value.

Green menmitigate them enough so that we can sell through en’t fortunate enough to have business owners...” tioned “A few examples of the the chinks,” he says. those resources, is ask a lot of By providing those solutions, The Capital Corpoquestions and request a lot of - Devin Green, Chief Operating Officer types of solutions our specialists help implement are: i.) the ration can drive up valuations of a business during information from the client.

Then those investment banks will essentially take design and execution of sophisticated digital mar- the sales process.

“We generally keep this specific statistic conthat feedback and package it into its client’s mar- keting campaigns ii.) detailed audits of a company’s technology stack and where scalability bottlenecks fidential (and only tend to share it with our cliketing materials for potential buyers. What they’re exist iii.) executive compensation designs to ensure ents), but we’re seeing a significant increase in doing really is just repackaging feedback from their the retention of key employees through a transacvaluations (between the first and second) bids clients, which serves a purpose, but they are not tion iv.) software algorithms used to run a variety of our process,” Green says. “And a lot of this providing the type of solutions our team does that of complex analytics v.) the architecture of dynamincremental value is driven by these kinds of really stretches a company’s valuation.”

Once a company engages The Capital Corpora- ic operating dashboards to ensure quality control, solutions that we are able to provide when letion to help them sell their business, early on in the and many others. It’s really exciting, because we veraging our mother ship’s resources.” process, Green and his team will create an in-depth customize the solutions, based on what will drive SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportuni- the most value in each of our client’s businesses.”

“What we’ve found is that there are not a lot of ties and threats) that is custom built for each client investment banks that can offer the combination of and a byproduct of about 60-90 days of diligence Wall Street-caliber professionals with these robust and analyses. solutions to the lower-middle market companies “Out of that SWOT analysis, we will create what we call a Pre-Mortem Analysis, where we extract that we serve. By doing what we do and based on 84 Villa Road, Greenville each weakness and threat within our client’s busi- how we do it, we are uniquely positioned to really Call 864-672-8400 ness that are not aligned with those investment cri- make a material difference in the lives of business www.thecapitalcorp.com teria that buyers indicated they will pay a premium owners, their families, and their employees….and for,” Green says. “For each weakness and threat, we that is what energizes our team,” Green says.

Satellite offices: Charlotte, NC The Capital Corporation’s specialists are impreswill identify detailed solutions to mitigate them beSpartanburg, SC & Boca Raton, FL

18 UBJ | September 13, 2019

An Endless Summer for Your Business

REAL ESTATE

Two new tenants join Taylors Mill

by Lee Yarborough, President | Propel HR

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photo TAYLORS MILL

The Taylors Mill recently announced two new tenants, The Mad Smash and The Blue Ox Hatchet House, that will occupy space in the Dock No. 3 area of the mill near 13 Stripes Brewery and The Farehouse.

The Taylors Mill, known originally as Southern Bleachery, contributed to the vibrancy of the Taylors community for more than 40 years with its mill, mill village, company store, churches, and golf course. Through current revitalization efforts, the project’s mission is keeping crafts, commerce, and gathering spaces alive and well for the community.

For those interested in leasing space at Taylors Mill, go to taylorsmill. community/inquiries. To learn more about the story behind Taylors Mill and its current tenants, go to taylorsmill.community.

THE MAD SMASH

The Mad Smash is the brainchild of licensed massage therapist Jennifer Middleton who specializes in pain relief. Customers can pummel away their frustrations in the rage room by smashing glass or other breakables or destress with a massage.

“I am a big believer in the mind-body connection and believe that when people hold onto emotional stress it has a big effect on their bodies,” Middleton said in a press release. “Sometimes just letting it all out is what is really needed!”

THE BLUE OX HATCHET HOUSE

At The Blue Ox Hatchet House, patrons can test their axe throwing skills. The space, which is set to open “soon” according to their website, has eight lanes that accommodate four people each.

Co-proprietors Adam Campbell and Ryan Acierno wanted to open their own axe throwing business after getting hooked on the craft while entertaining clients. “The Mill provides the perfect opportunity and space we’re looking for,” Acierno said in a press release.

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�������ro�el�ro��om��ASS��� September 13, 2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

19

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MBA

Master of Business Administration

NEED TO KNOW

REAL ESTATE

The Junkyard signs lease for Poe West in the Village of West Greenville n story by ARIEL TURNER | rendering by JOHNSTON DESIGN GROUP

The Junkyard, a group fitness training center owned by former Clemson University standout linebacker Ben Boulware and former Newberry College defensive back Marcus Brown is the latest tenant to join the 60,000-square-foot mixed-use development Poe West at 556 Perry Ave. in the Village of West Greenville.

After opening their first location in Anderson in 2018, Boulware and Brown plan to open their second location The Junkyard is a at Poe West in December 2019.

The Junkyard provides a positive enstrong addition to the vironment where members compete to a Poe West community. A newly patented workout technology. huge part of Poe West is Blaine Hart and Tommy Molin of providing a dynamic CBRE are spearheading leasing efforts at Poe West and represented the landmixed-use environment lord and developer, The Furman Co., in where people and business the lease transaction. John Wright, Jr. of can thrive, and fitness is a McCoy-Wright Realty represented Junkyard in the transaction. key part of that.

“A fitness concept was always part of – Robert Poppleton, The Furman Co. the leasing plan for Poe West. We had a lot of interest but when we linked up with The Junkyard team, it became apparent they would be perfect for the project. They are bringing an innovative new concept to Greenville that will undoubtedly be successful, effective and fun,” said the leasing team at CBRE. The Poe West development is anchored by Greenville Technical College Center for Culinary and Hospitality Innovation (CHI). Carolina Bauernhaus, LaRue Fine Chocolate, Unlocked Coffee Roasters and Six & Twenty Distillery announced their occupancy earlier this year.

The Furman Co., which purchased the property in fall of 2017, is renovating the tract that most recently housed Diversified Systems Inc., into a Class-A office, restaurant, retail, and educational facility. Mavin Construction broke ground on the property in March.

“The Junkyard is a strong addition to the Poe West community,” said Robert Poppleton of The Furman Co. “A huge part of Poe West is providing a dynamic mixed-use environment where people and business can thrive, and fitness is a key part of that. These are exciting times and, with the Junkyard on board, we’re proud to expand Poe West’s contribution to the renaissance underway in The Village.”

20 UBJ | September 13, 2019

NEED TO KNOW

| NEWS

BUSINESS

New to the Street Recently opened businesses in the Upstate

Perceptive Recruiting Recently relocated.

They specialize in IT and technical staffing.

Where: 5 Creekside Park Ct., Ste. G, Greenville Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. M-F For more information: Visit www. perceptiverecruiting.com or call 864-256-0203.

Tile & Marble Gallery Showroom features more than 3,000 sf of natural stone and porcelain tile products.

Where: 1616 Laurens Rd., Greenville Hours: 9-5:30 M-F, 9-4 Sat For more information: Call 864-235-8545, email tilemarblegallery@ gmail.com, or www.tilemarblegallery.com

Dungeon Fitness Personal training, sport performance optimum training, comprehensive fitness assessment, sport camps, coach clinic, onsite childcare and so much more.

Where: 787 E. Butler Rd., Mauldin Hours: 5:30am-10pm M-F, 8-6 Sat-Sun. For more information: Call 864-254-8470, or email info@dungeonfitnessenrichment.com

September 13, 2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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NEED TO KNOW

BUSINESS

How to get the most out of networking events DOUG CAMPBELL

communication coach

every saturday

May - October from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm

main street

between Cour t Street & Washington Street

www.saturdaymarketlive.com

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EBT t

If you haven’t noticed, networking events have taken over Greenville.

You can go to one just about any day of the business week, and often more than one.

Some events are better than others, but there is always a chance that you could make a great connection if you know what you’re doing.

I personally go to every one that I possibly can. If you have been to a networking event in the Upstate, there is a good chance you’ve seen me. Since I go to so many, I have spent a lot of time thinking about the best ways to get the most out of them.

Here are my best 3.5 tips for you frequent networkers out there:

Jimmy Kimbell

Member EQUAL HOUSING

LENDER

FDIC

416 E. North Street, Downtown Greenville (864) 278-0600 • MyCCNB.com

Business Banking • Commercial Lending 22 UBJ | September 13, 2019

1

HAVE BIG PICTURE GOALS

If your only objective is to get immediate business at a networking event, you are setting yourself up for failure. Not only that, you are going to annoy a lot of people. If you go to an event and don’t get any deals done, it is still a success.

Why? Because you still made connections.

I have had multiple people tell me that they met me at a networking event a year ago (or longer), and now they are ready to do business. Networking success is not just measured by immediate ROI. The most successful business people play the long game, not the short game.

You never know how a random connection today might turn into big business tomorrow.

Don’t underestimate the power of planting seeds. Having big picture goals can also help you overcome the social anxiety that people sometimes get at networking events. When big picture success is your goal, there is much less pressure on every interaction.

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2

| NEWS

LOOK TO GIVE, NOT JUST GET

This may be counterintuitive, but the more you give, the more you get – at least in the long run (see tip #1). The best networkers aren’t just there trying to make a sale. They connect people to others, they try to help, and they just generally give out positive energy. And this strategy is not just about being a good person, although that is one of the side benefits. Sometimes building your personal brand is more valuable than actually making an immediate sale. Give give give.

3

DON’T FLIRT

Networking events are usually full of professional, successful (or soon to be successful) people. What a great place to try to find someone to date, right? Wrong. The purpose of these events is to mingle for business purposes. If you are there with dating on your mind, you are going to be annoying. Cupid could strike any time or place, I get it. I realize that it is possible that you make a love connection at a networking event.

If you are there specifically looking, though, you are just being a creep – no matter how gentlemanly or ladylike you are with your methods. And if you absolutely feel like you must make some kind of move, please be sure that you are doing it with as much class as possible.

3.5

STOP WORRYING SO MUCH

This one only gets half of a tip because it is very similar to #1 (Have big picture goals). I think it deserves its own separate space though. Social anxiety is a real problem for a lot of people, and networking events can definitely trigger it.

I think the biggest cause of this kind of anxiety if focusing too much on the now instead of the big picture. If you look at every interaction at a networking event as a chance to pass or fail, you will stress yourself out with worry.

Instead of doing that, it’s better to think of every person you meet as a chance to gain information – Would they be a good fit for my business? Is there some way that I can help them? Is there some way they could help me? It’s all just information. Nothing more.

When you think of your interactions this way, you will realize that some of them will produce a good connection, some won’t. It’s just simple math.

So, why worry about it? That’s just how it is.

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Doug Campbell is a communication coach and trainer in the Greenville area and a graduate of Furman University. He teaches individuals and teams how to be at their best in career-related social situations.

Get in touch with him at DC@MrDougCampbell.com.

gardner-webb.edu/mba10 September 13, 2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com 10MBA-Ad1-Print--AsianFemale-UBJ-v3-2.indd 1

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12/3/18 3:36 PM

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FINANCIAL PLANNING

Thinking about retiring early?

Last year I wrote a column for the Upstate Business Journal about the idea of working longer than necessary. This month, I’d like to explore the opposite idea – leaving the work force too early.

There are a few things we all should consider as part of our financial planning.

SPENDING & INCOME

This is universally the biggest concern for clients. Typically, we hear two goals: “I don’t want to run out of money” and “I don’t want my standard of living to drop”. Of course, retiring early means your savings will need to last longer. This is where good financial planning helps.

Riskier investments, such as stocks, historically provide higher returns over time and can cause your nest egg to increase in value during retirement. However, riskier investments also increase the

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24 UBJ | September 13, 2019

ROB HOLLANDER

managing partner and co-founder of DeHollander & Janse Financial Group.

probability you’ll regularly experience short term losses, sometimes substantially. Implement a strategy to provide necessary growth (unique to each family) while accounting for the inevitable ups and downs of the stock market.

Try this with your financial advisor – stress test your portfolio now, before the next big market decline occurs. Measure how much your portfolio is likely to drop in different market conditions and make sure you’re comfortable with the results. If not, make changes today rather than waiting until the next crisis.

Also, a word of caution regarding annuities. I see a lot of companies pitching products which guarantee “no losses and guaranteed lifetime income”. Consider the old country maxim “For every ‘gimme’ there’s a ‘gotcha’”. Make sure you fully understand what you’re buy-

NEED TO KNOW

ing before investing any money.

These products often sound too good to be true and many contain long surrender penalties, high fees and significantly limit growth.

Finally, remember to factor inflation in to your retirement plan.

Many Americans retire with income which covers expenses today only to find after a few years that they can’t maintain their desired lifestyle. Make sure your retirement plan accounts for after-tax, inflation adjusted income.

MEDICAL INSURANCE

Most of us aren’t eligible for Medicare until age 65 and fewer and fewer employers provide medical insurance to retirees. There are a few coverage options for early retirees, however, and they’re expensive (employers on average subsidize about 80% of the cost of your medical coverage).

Private health insurance is an option. Unfortunately, policies available in the market have decreased significantly since 2008,

and the cost of coverage increased substantially. Some people consider taking part-time work or low-key full-time work after “retiring” primarily to obtain employer health insurance.

Make sure you thoroughly research the medical insurance options before considering an early retirement date. Know where you will obtain coverage and how much it will cost. Once you turn age 64, begin researching your Medicare options and be sure to sign up for Medicare by age 65.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Social Security retirement benefits typically start as early as age 62. That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to begin claiming benefits just because you’re eligible.

Think long term. Social Security benefits increase each year that you delay receiving it through age 70. Your lifetime benefits, and your spouse’s survivor benefits, might be much higher if you wait before claiming benefits.

KEEPING BUSY

Work and career provide more than just money.

Remember, you’re retiring to something not just from something. Think about how you’ll spend your time including regular social interaction, hobbies and friendships. There is a clear connection between good health and staying active socially, physically and spiritually.

| NEWS

WHAT IS YOUR MARGIN OF ERROR?

Finally, your retirement is likely to last 20 years or longer. An early retirement may last even longer.

Build a flexible retirement plan so you can make it through tough times when they inevitably come.

Having a good plan in place not only increases your likelihood of a successful retirement but also your peace of mind as you enjoy it!

Your “FULL RETIREMENT AGE,” which is the age when you can collect full benefits, DEPENDS ON YOUR BIRTH YEAR. For example, SOMEONE BORN BETWEEN 1943 – 1954 would receive full retirement benefits at AGE 66.

ANYONE BORN 1960 OR LATER, receives full retirement benefits at AGE 67.

For more details, go to ssa.gov/planners/retire.

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September 13, 2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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Networking + Business Events Planner SEPT

16

SEPT

Chamber Exclusive Series

SEPT

17

Five Forks Chapter – Monthly Meeting

SEPT

Handshake and Hashbrowns

17

UCC Presidential Series 7:30 - 9:00 am | Crowne Plaza | 851 Congaree Rd., Greenville A breakfast event hosted by the Upstate Chamber Coalition. This meeting will feature democratic candidate for president Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

9-10 am | Spartanburg Area Chamber Targeted toward human resource professionals.

The topic is Engaging the Untapped Workforce.

This training course will teach how to engage top talent with disabilities... and more.

Info: hiremesc@able-sc.org

12-1 pm | Crave Coffee The Five Forks Chapter of the Chamber of Commerce discusses issues of importance, events/ projects, and common challenges/opportunities.

Open to Simpsonville Chamber members; 864963-3781 or info@simpsonvillechamber.com

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8-9 am | Countybank, 300 Trade St., Greer A breakfast networking event hosted by the Greer Chamber.

Free to Greer Chamber members; Josh Shaffer at josh@greerchamber.com

$30 per Chamber investor, $45 per non-member Madison Hall at 864-239-3748 or mhall@greenvillechamber.org photo source go.peteforamerica.com

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26 UBJ | September 13, 2019

Winner will be announced October 25, 2019 in the Upstate Business Journal Submit your Nomination today at: www.treesupstate.org/EmeraldAward

Making wealth work for you.

Your future within reach.

If you seek to preserve and build your wealth, look no further than South State. Instead of offering standardized solutions, our highly credentialed wealth advisors make personal connections, listen carefully to your needs, and provide customized strategies that best align with your goals.

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Investment Management • Financial Planning • Trust Administration Let’s have a conversation and plan for your future.

Joseph K. Beach, J.D.

Vice President, Private Wealth Advisor (864) 250-5762 Joseph.Beach@SouthStateWealth.com

South State Wealth represents the collective wealth management departments and subsidiaries of South State Bank (Member FDIC).

Investment products offered by South State Wealth are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by a bank or other financial institution.

NEWS |

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presents

From the event on August 28 at WXYZ Bar at the Aloft Greenville Downtown Photos by Jack Robert Photography NEXT EVENT

SEPT 25 WEDNESDAY

28 UBJ | September 13, 2019

5:30 - 7:00 PM

CHAMPIONS CLUB AT FLUOR FIELD

NEED TO KNOW

SEPT

SEPT

18

18

Business Before Hours

Coffee & Connections

8-9:30 am | Simpsonville Area Chamber A monthly morning networking event hosted by the Simpsonville Chamber.

Free to Simpsonville Chamber members; Simpsonville Chamber at 864-963-3781 or info@simpsonvillechamber.com

8:30-9:30 am | Cascades at Verdae Meet with fellow Greenville Chamber members and learn how to maximize your face-to-face opportunities with this structured networking event.

Free to attend; Ebony Austin at 864-239-3730 or eaustin@greenvillechamber.org

SEPT

SEPT

18

19

Leads Group

Wells Fargo Speaker Series

12-1 pm | Mauldin Cultural Center For anyone looking for business leads The Mauldin Chamber at 864-297-1323

12:15 -1:15 pm | Johnson College Maj. Cristian Balan, VTARNG, Retired will be presenting Cybersecurity.

Free to attend but registration is required, box lunch is included; Philomena Raines at praines2@uscupstate.edu

SEPT

SEPT

18

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Meditation in the Workplace is Good for Business 8:30-9:30 am | Greenville Tech College Center for Manufacturing Innovation Explores the benefits of meditation in the workplace Free to attend; breakfast provided, register online bit.ly/MeditationSeminar

SEPT

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| NEWS

Links Group #4 11:30 am - 1 pm | Greenville Chamber This non-compete leads group offers business networking and referral marketing.

Andrew Van at 864-239-3704 or eaustin@greenvillechamber.org

Young Professionals Leadership Luncheon 11:30 am - 1 pm | Crowne Plaza This meeting will discuss input for the City of Greenville’s comprehensive 20-year plan.

Attendees will hear from the GVL 2040 Committee members.

Free for Young Professionals members, $25 per non-member; Ebony Austin at 864-239-3730 or eaustin@greenvillechamber.org

Since 2006, Miller has been the go-to name for large scale commercial and industrial HVAC projects throughout the Upstate.

We’re cool.

Meet the bank behind Miller HVAC.

T HE B A NK BEHIND YOUR BUSINESS Member FDIC

FCB Upstate_masterUBJ.indd 2

3/8/19 1:47 PM September 13, 2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com 29

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NEED TO KNOW

SEPT

19

Retrain Your Brain

Caffeinated Conversations

8 am-Noon | Serendipity Labs Performance coach Dr. Ann Holland and consultant Liz Parker will discuss using scientific principles as a solution to workplace stress. $129.95 per person; Register at striveperformancecoaching.com

8:30-9:30 am | Coldwell Banker Caine Morning networking event hosted by the Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce.

Free to Spartanburg Chamber members, $10 per non-member; John Kimbrell at jkimbrell@spartanburgchamber.com

Building Stronger Businesses in the Carolinas 10am - Noon | Spartanburg Community College Attendees will hear topics about Marketing, Business Banking and more.

Free to attend; Matt Giddens at matt.giddens@suntrust.com

SEPT

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and funds, Echelon seeks to Echelon, The Salvation Army support The Salvation Army By raising public awareness of Greenville’s emerging of Greenville’s year-round and funds, Echelon seeks to professionals auxiliary, is programs and services, support The Salvation Army a group of Boys individuals such as the & Girlswho Club of Greenville’s year-round value and community, its homelessfundraising shelters. and volunteerism. programs and services, more at such as Learn thepublic Boys &awareness Girls Club By raising salvationarmygreenville.org andfunds, its homeless and Echelonshelters. seeks to support The Salvation Army Learn more at of Greenville’s year-round salvationarmygreenville.org programs and services, such as the Boys & Girls Club and its homeless shelters.

Learn more at salvationarmygreenville.org

30 UBJ | September 13, 2019

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5:30-7:30 pm | Seasons Cafe and Catering An evening networking event hosted by the Mauldin Chamber of Commerce.

Kim Guthrie at info@mauldinchamber.org

24

value community, fundraising By raising public awareness and volunteerism.

20

SEPT

Business After Hours

SEPT

Echelon, The Salvation Army Echelon, The Salvation Army of Greenville’s emerging professionals of Greenville’sauxiliary, emergingis aprofessionals group of individuals auxiliary,who is value community, fundraising a group of individuals who and volunteerism.

SEPT

SEPT

24

SEPT

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Lunch & Learn Series

LSAA Fall Social

11:30am - 1 pm | Simpsonville First Baptist Monthly series featuring a guest speaker and information to help grow your business. $10 per Simpsonville Chamber member, $20 per non-member; JR Humphries at jhumphries@simpsonvillechamber.com

5-7 pm | RJ Rockers Brewery Join Leadership Spartanburg Alumni Association for a drop-by Oktoberfest event.

Free for paid LSAA members, $20 per non-member; bit.ly/LSAAFallSocial

Business on Tap

SEPT

25

5:30 - 7:30 pm Fluor Field at the West End A casual business networking event in a fun and relaxing atmosphere. Bring your friends, grab your business cards, and spend the evening with the Upstate Business Journal and Upstate professionals at one of Greenville’s favorite downtown spots.

Info: bit.ly/BOTSeptember

Links Group #2 11:30am - 1 pm | Greenville Chamber This non-compete leads group offers business networking and referral marketing.

Ebony Austin at 864-239-3730 or eaustin@greenvillechamber.org

SEPT

26

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27

Manufacturing Workshop

Business After Hours

SYP ‘n Shuck

10:30-11:30 am | 1800 Drayton Catering Companies using international manufacturing and discussion on what this could mean for workshop participants.

Free to attend; John Kimbrell at jkimbrell@spartanburgchamber.com

5-7 pm | Fairfield Inn & Suites A monthly evening networking event hosted by the Simpsonville Chamber.

Free to Simpsonville Chamber members; Simpsonville Chamber at 864-963-3781 or info@simpsonvillechamber.com

7-10 pm | Northside Harvest Park A young professionals oyster roast hosted by the Spartanburg Chamber. $20 for SYP members $30 for non-SYP members Register at: bit.ly/SYPOysterRoast

NEED TO KNOW

| NEWS

TECHNOLOGY

Lessons Learned: Ransomware edition Baltimore; Albany, New York; Lake City, Florida; 22 cities and towns in Texas. These are just a few of the 40 municipalities that have been hit by ransomware attacks this year alone. That doesn’t take into account attacks on airports (Cleveland), state departments (Colorado DOT), school districts (Syracuse, NY and 12 others in one two-day period last week).

According to Symantec, Ransomware is now the “weapon of choice” not just for hackers and crackers, but for nation states trying to obtain capacity-building funding. That’s because it works. GovTech (bit. ly/2kdKLYE), a website focusing on government technology issues, reports the financial toll of ransomware is exploding: In 2017, targets paid $5 billion, 15 times the tab in 2015. And the 2019 damages are expected to hit nearly $12 billion.

Here are some lessons to be learned by both businesses and municipalities.

LESSON ONE: Not paying the ransom is costly but right.

The US Council of Mayors recently agreed unanimously to a policy that municipalities across the country would NOT pay extortion in the form of ransomware to hackers. (bit.ly/2knh47l) That’s a lofty goal and only time will tell if it’s a sustainable position. But municipalities also need to accept that ameliorating a ransomware attack is often far more costly – and cer-

tainly more time consuming – than the ransomware itself. In March 2019, Atlanta was hit with a ransomware attack that took out systems from the police department to the libraries, and, of course, the busiest airport in the US. The attackers asked for $50,000 in bitcoin – Atlanta refused – and while the final tally isn’t known, the city’s recovery effort will cost upward of $17 million

LESSON TWO: Technology alone can’t fix it.

The very best network gear will only stop 90 percent of malware from getting inside your network.

Open source malware accessible to any enterprising hacker on the Dark Web, coupled with the growth of the Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) model, are contributing to explosive growth of malware, making it harder for systems and software to keep up with.

LESSON THREE: The danger is already in the house.

Strong technology and IT staff are essential, but – on their own – not enough. The root cause of every cyber attack is an authenticated user doing something they shouldn’t or not doing something they should: Violating a policy, opening an email, clicking on a link, downloading something they shouldn’t, or going to a website they shouldn’t.

Companies talk about sales all the time. Because it is important.

Security must be equally as important and get equal time.

F r i + S at N ig h t s

Lobster night

LAURA HAIGHT

president, portfolios.com

LESSON FOUR: Small actions have big results.

A culture of security works. The Wall Street Journal reported how the small city of Lubbock, TX, was able to stop a ransomware attack in its tracks. (on.wsj.com/2kdHYP8) People often know when they’ve done the wrong thing, but do they feel comfortable telling someone and risking discipline or loss of status at work? They will if you create a culture that rewards that action, rather than punishing it. In the Lubbock situation, the IT staff was alerted immediately and did a very simple thing, very fast: they isolated the infected computer from the network.

tuesday Night

oyster Night $150/each

LESSON FIVE: Cyber insurance is not a substitute for preparedness.

The devil is in the details, especially in insurance policies. Whether or not your cyber policy covers you depends on a lot of details and definitions deep in the small type.

The National Law Review cites several examples of the evolution of cyber insurance and the court cases that have ensued (bit.ly/2lu76kV).

Not all policies protect all situations and there may be requirements that your company must adhere to that can obviate your claim. Insurance is a part of your arsenal, but you need to make sure your policy addresses your specific vulnerabilities.

RANSOMWARE by the numbers

IN 2019, TOTAL DAMAGES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE TO NEARLY

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September 13, 2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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BUSINESS EVENT

WHEN: Monday, September 23

Women’s Networking event

LOCATION: Watkins Room, Trone Student Center, Furman University

Furman student who started the event brings it back with more panelists and opportunities for networking.

Register at alumni.furman.edu/ womens-networking-event.

5:30-7:30pm

DETAILS: Event is free.

Furman University’s Women’s Networking Event is back for its second year with a group of panelists sure to offer something for all attendees.

The women represent industries from academia to medicine to law enforcement.

The Sept. 23 event, which runs from 5:30-7:30 p.m., will begin with panelists discussing issues faced by women in the workforce and conclude with an hour-long networking session.

Furman student Betsy Rice started the event last year when she realized the popularity of women’s networking events and wanted to host one at her school. Rice says her interest in empowering women in the workforce stems from her desire to pursue a career in the commercial real estate industry.

Rice, now a senior, has a specific – and attainable goal for this year’s attendees.

“I want each attendee to come away with something new that they learned from the panel of speakers, as well as at least one connection that could be a potential mentor or resource for them in either the present or future,” Rice says.

THE PANELISTS: Elizabeth Davis | President, Furman University Under Elizabeth Davis’ leadership, the university has instituted The Furman Advantage, a distinctive vision for higher education that combines learning with immersive experiences outside the classroom. Davis is actively involved in Greenville through her membership with numerous organizations like the Greenville Chamber of Commerce.

Francie Heller | Arabesque, director of asset management Heller has 30 years experience in working with pensions, endowments and foundations. She was also an education director in New York State public schools for several years. Founded in 2013, Arabesque has pioneered a new approach to asset management by integrating ESG big data with quantitative investment strategies.

Betsy Bloodworth | Pediatrician Dr. Betsy Bloodworth is a pediatrician with New Horizon Family Health Services, Inc. New Horizon Family Health Services serves more than 24,000 patients at four medical office locations, a dental office and two mobile units.

Shelby Dodson | CBRE, first vice president

“Purveyors of Classic American Style” 864.232.2761 | rushwilson.com 23 West North St., Downtown Greenville 32 UBJ | September 13, 2019

As a LEED professional, Dodson is a sustainability leader and offers clients and properties expertise in the design and construction phases of green buildings. Dodson and her team are responsible for the leasing and marketing efforts of over 4,500,000 square feet of office space in the Greenville-Spartanburg market.

Sheryl Higgins | Furman University Police, captain Sheryl Higgins began her law enforcement career as a communications specialist in Greer and later became a patrol officer there. Higgins became the first female captain of the Furman University Police Department in 2017.

presents

A casual networking event in a relaxed atmosphere.

No pressure. No presentations.

Bring your friends, grab your business cards and meet interesting people who have new ideas to share.

WHAT:

WHERE:

WHEN:

with Upstate Professionals

presented by Hubbell Lighting at Fluor Field

5:30pm - 7:00pm

Conversations

NETWORKING SPONSOR

The Champions Club

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Wednesday, September 25

NEWS |

NEED TO KNOW

BUSINESS

THE 2019

READER’S

LENS PHOTO C ON T E S T The Greenville Journal invites you to share your best photos of what the Upstate has to

On the Move NAMED: Karen Kotiw, has been named director of global education at Greenville Technical College (GTC), while continuing in her role as assistant professor of sociology.

Prior to joining GTC in 2017, she served as an adjunct instructor and transfer advisor at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

AWARDED: Stephen McGee has been awarded the 2019 Susan

R. Patterson Professional Development Award in Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics by the Greenwood Genetic Center (GGC) Foundation. McGee joined GGC’s faculty in 2010 and is their first bioinformatics specialist.

offer. Each month one lucky winner will win a $250 gift card to be used at any Rick Erwin’s Dining Group restaurant. Three honorable mention photos will also receive a $25 gift card to an Upstate business. Winning entries will be published in the Greenville Journal.

SEPTEMBER THEME: FOOD, WINE & MUSIC

NAMED: Dr. Arlene Welch has been named department head

for healthcare in the Economic Development and Corporate Training division at Greenville Technical College. Welch previously served as lead instructor and clinical floor doctor with Sherman College of Chiropractic.

She joined the faculty at Greenville Tech in 2013.

NAMED: Donny Kauffman was recently named executive

director at Greer Community Ministries (GCM). Kauffman comes to GCM from Miracle Hill Ministries where he served as the director of Thrift Operations. He was previously the connections pastor at Freedom Fellowship in Taylors for 11 years.

HIRED: Calling all foodies, wine drinkers & music lovers!

If you think the Upstate has some of the best restaurants and events around, you’re not alone! We want you to show off some of your favorite events,

Cheryl Garrison recently joined the Greenville

Chamber of Commerce as the director of talent and workforce solutions. Her previous experience includes working with business and industry roles while employed in both higher education and K-12 level.

local dishes & drinks from around the Upstate, just make sure to tell us where the food came from!

PROMOTED: For details on each month’s contest and to submit your photo, visit

GreenvilleJournal.com/ReadersLens 34 UBJ | September 13, 2019

Marty Woods has been promoted from director of

facilities to vice president for facilities at Spartanburg Methodist College (SMC). Woods joined SMC in 2014 and has overseen management of SMC’s 110-acre campus and the construction of multiple campus facilities.

NEED TO KNOW

| NEWS

UP NEXT

Some of the Upstate’s most recent hires, promotions, awards, and appointments HIRED: Jamie Lever recently joined Kentwool as marketing

coordinator for Kentwool Performance Apparel (KPA).

Lever was previously an intern at KPA holding the position of customer experience specialist. She is a graduate of Clemson University.

GOT ANY THOUGHTS? CARE TO CONTRIBUTE?

PUBLISHER Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT EDITOR Claire Billingsley

COPY EDITOR Rebecca Strelow Melody Cuenca, Emily Warner

Katherine Sosebee, business developer at Turner Insurance Agency of Greenville, has successfully earned the Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC) designation.

She joined Turner Agency in 2016 after working in client service in New York and Atlanta for a decade.

upstatebusinessjournal. com/submit.

Susan Schwartzkopf

STAFF WRITERS

CERTIFIED:

LET US KNOW AT

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

MARKETING & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR OF SALES Emily Yepes

MANAGER OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Donna Johnston

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

MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES Heather Propp | Jessica Schwartz | Liz Tew

UBJ milestone

RELATIONSHIP MANAGER

GRADUATED:

Meredith Rice

Sarah Erwin recently graduated from the South

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Carolina Bankers School. Erwin is the assistant vice president, credit analyst for Carolina Alliance Bank. She has more than 18 years of banking experience in the Spartanburg market. She has been with Carolina Alliance for 12 years.

HIRED: Gayle Brown has joined Turner Agency Insurance as

a business developer. Brown is licensed in life, health, property and casualty and specializes in all lines of group and individual benefits for under age 65 as well as 65 and over (Medicare products).

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 plan-

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.

Callie Michalak

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

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

“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

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.”

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

CLIENT SERVICES Anita Harley | Rosie Peck

DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER John Olson

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

ART & PRODUCTION VISUAL DIRECTOR Will Crooks

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Laura Allshouse, Kimberly Collier

ADVERTISING DESIGN Michael Allen

VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS Holly Hardin

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

HIRED:

Kristi Fortner

Jeff Smith recently joined Jackson Marketing, Motorsports & Events as motorsports marketing and operations director. He has more than 15 years of motorsports, business development and marketing experience. Most recently, he served as senior manager, corporate partnerships and marketing for the International Motor Sports Association.

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE EVENTS:

HIRED: Zahra Ghazanfari recently joined ADC Engineering, Inc. as a landscape architecture designer. Ghazanfari received a bachelor of science in landscape design from the University of Tehran and a master’s degree in landscape architecture from Clemson University.

publishers of

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 500 words. Contact the editor at editor@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration.

Circulation Audit by

GREENVILLE JOURNAL 581 Perry Avenue, Greenville, SC 29611 864-679-1200 | communityjournals.com For subscriptions, call 864-679-1240 or visit UpstateBusinessJournal.com Copyright ©2019 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal is published biweekly by Community Journals LLC. 581 Perry Ave., Greenville, South Carolina, 29611. Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (26 issues) can be purchased for $50. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, P581 Perry Ave., Greenville, South Carolina, 29611. Printed in the USA.

September 13, 2019 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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NEWS |

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