November 6, 2015 UBJ

NOVEMBER 6, 2015 | VOL. 4 ISSUE 45

LEAVING HOME After 68 years near downtown Greenville, the Cline Co. prepares for a Mauldin move - pg. 18

11.06.2015

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GrandSouth expands to Greer with fourth branch ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com With its 90 percent commercial portfolio and its three spaced-out locations, you might say Greenville-based GrandSouth Bank has flown under the radar for many consumers over the last 20 years. That might change soon, however, as the $424 million asset bank prepares to open its first new location in 10 years and has set its sights on $1 billion in assets long before the next decade passes.

Slated to open in December, the new branch has been a long time coming, and represents both a full recovery and ambitious plans for growth, said President and CEO Ron Earnest. As such – and amid the increasingly competitive banking market in the Upstate – GrandSouth has spent more on marketing in the last eight months than it has in total since its inception in 1998.

“There are a lot of good things happening in the Upstate. Banks want to be here,” said GrandSouth Executive Vice President and COO J.B. Schwiers.

“The Upstate of South Carolina to me is the best place to do business right now.”

Founded in 1998 in Fountain Inn, GrandSouth opened a headquarters in Greenville in 2002 and another location in Anderson in 2006. Plans for strong growth afterward were quickly stymied by the 2008 financial crisis, said Earnest, but GrandSouth’s lack of crippling real estate, development and subprime loan activity shielded the bank from much of the damage.

“Every customer we had suffered,” Earnest said. GrandSouth accepted $15.3 million from the U.S. Treasury’s Troubled Asset Relief Program

“There is really no specialization in GrandSouth, and we’ve tried to be very broad based. There are lots of business clients that want to deal with a bank that can make local decisions.”

| BANKING | 3

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO RETIRE? WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO TELL YOU.

Jack Lucas, GrandSouth bank

(TARP) but redeemed shares through the Small Business Lending Fund, he said. Of that $15.3 million, around $3.8 million remain, he said. “We skated through pretty well comparatively.”

For the most recent quarter, for example, GrandSouth reported net income of $1.36 million, or a 28 percent increase from the same period last year. Earnings during the nine months that ended Sept. 30, 2015, were 52 percent higher than the same period last year, at $4.81 million. As of the end of September, total assets rose 9.3 percent to $424 million year over year.

Today, the new branch in Greer represents an ambitious plan for growth for GrandSouth, and will be led by 25-year banking veteran and Greer resident Jack Lucas. The bank’s loan portfolio includes primarily small to medium local businesses, but spans a variety of markets, which bodes well for growth, he said.

“There is really no specialization in GrandSouth, and we’ve tried to be very broad based,” said Lucas, who has been with the bank since the middle of last year and will lead a staff of six in Greer.

“There are lots of business clients that want to deal with a bank that can make local decisions. … Responsiveness is a huge advantage.”

Beach Foster, AIF® Managing Director, Investments

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Or call 864.289.2166.

112 Haywood Road, Greenville, SC 29607 Rendering of GrandSouth’s new Greer branch, slated to open in December.

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4 | THE RUNDOWN |

TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

UBJ

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11.06.2015

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 45 Featured this issue: GrandSouth branches out to Greer Downtown Greenville’s latest hotel plans Star-worthy salary negotiation tips

VERBATIM

On philanthropy “The U.S. has 5 percent of the world’s population, yet we do play an exceptional role. A lot of the things we do other countries benefit from.”

Bill Gates, speaking at Clemson University on Monday, as reported in the Anderson Independent Mail.

Photo by Craig Mahaffey

TBA Looks like the craft spirits business is about to become bigger: A local distillery has leased 15,000 square feet of space on Rutherford Road.

DEFINED

Burn the boats: To commit to a business strategy boldly, with no Plan B. Refers to legends of explorers and warriors burning their ships once they disembarked on alien shores, to remove the option of retreat and motivate their men to conquer.

Photo by Anne Burgess

Vintage advertisements displayed at Cline Hose and Hydraulics show some of the company’s 68-year history. See our story on page 18.

Photo credit: Jim Pitt Harris

3 14 15

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Serrus shifts from one-offs to developments ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com After years of leveraging one-off purchases in the foreclosure market, Greenville-based Serrus Capital Partners is shifting gears to entire development projects, says Serrus cofounder and Chairman Leighton Cubbage.

“The foreclosure markets pretty much are bought up and picked over,” said Cubbage Cubbage, who led the company in buying, renovating and either leasing or selling distressed real estate during the depths of the financial crisis. The shift to buying halted subdivisions and busted projects came from Serrus CEO Steve Mudge, he said. “We have investors that understand the reason why, and they can see the returns.”

Today, Serrus Capital Partners has around $1.5 million in housing rentals, several million in vacation rentals and expects $11 million in sales this year, up from $8 million last year. The plan for next year is to double that, said Mudge.

To start, Serrus resumed construction on Creekside Village near Asheville. Builders had completed 40 of the 225 planned multifamily units before development stalled in 2009. Serrus purchased the project,

then finished and sold 16 multifamily units and are preselling 84 single-family units.

The firm acquired another halted development in Clemson from the bank, which included 40 completed units out of a planned 250. The project – The Falls at Meehan – will include around 200 multifamily units and 350 single-family units to be completed over the next four years.

“Philosophically, what we do is buy a good asset at a good price,” said Mudge, who noted the firm is circling yet another property near Asheville.

The shift also includes a staff reorganization, beginning with the hire of Gary Gosztonyi as president and COO, and Douglas Walker as CFO. Building out the executive team parallels the firm’s ability to handle the logistics of larger deals such as these, said Cubbage.

“Not only was it a timing issue, but … we were getting bigger and bigger. We have hundreds of houses, so we started looking at some of those bigger projects,” said Cubbage. “Real estate in my opinion is thousands of little details that seem to amass like deposits … so it doesn’t come in one fell swoop, but it is deliberate.”

| CAPITAL | 5

UPDATE

Tucanos eyes February opening SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

Tucanos Brazilian Grill, a churrascostyle eatery coming to Magnolia Park on Woodruff Road in Greenville, is planning on an early February 2016 opening. The new restaurant will be in front of the Regal Cinemas.

Tucanos offers traditional Brazilian grilling with specially seasoned or marinated meats and vegetables prepared and grilled on skewers served tableside. Tucanos will also feature an award-winning salad bar and an array of special Brazilian beverages.

Tucanos also announced a partnership with Jeff Dezen Public Relations to support the launch of the brand’s first location in South Carolina.

Anyone wishing to get the latest information can sign up for Tucanos’ newsletter at tucanos.com/clubtucanos.

6 | EDUCATION |

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11.06.2015

Woodside Mill office gets new life as youth skills program ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com

The long-vacant Woodside Mill

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office building at 45 E. Main St. in West Greenville will soon be bustling again, this time with an at-risk youth education program aimed at building academic and occupational skills. Funded by a three-year YouthBuild grant to Goodwill Industries for more than $1 million, the program will teach construction skills to around 60 students aged 18 to 25 in Greenville County.

Greenville Revitalization Corporation bought the Woodside Mill offices earlier this year and signed a lease with Goodwill Industries for the 8,500-square-foot space in October.

GRC CEO Doug Dent hopes to finish interior renovations by the end of November to accommodate a Dec. 1 move-in date for Goodwill.

Dent said revenue from the lease will fund other Greenville Revitalization Corp. projects, and said students in the job skills program could possibly practice their construction, home-building and renovating skills on the exterior of the building.

The U.S. Department of Labor awarded $76 million across 72 YouthBuild grants in 31 states this year. The

grants are aimed at providing community-based education alternatives for classroom instruction and occupational skills training in construction and other in-demand occupations. The grants will serve an estimated 4,800 people over the next three years.

The office building is separate from the historic four-story Woodside Mill, which remains vacant. The mill building was purchased in 2000 by Atlanta businessman Armando Delgado, who has told reporters he plans to sell the property for development.

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8 | INSURANCE |

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Some minority populations underserved by ACA ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com

While more South Carolinians have health insurance this year than last, the Palmetto State still has the 11th highest uninsured rate in the country, and some communities are gaining ground faster than others.

Take the state’s Hispanic population, for example. The uninsured rate for that ethnic group is more than double that of African-Americans in the state, yet the rate improved more dramatically for African-Americans as well as for the population overall.

The same goes for the state’s low-income population, or people who make $25,000 per year or less, in which more than a fifth report not having health insurance, according to an Upstate Business Journal analysis of U.S. Census data.

This week marks the start of the third enrollment period for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. That means health care providers, nonprofits, health navigators, brokers, insurance agencies and others are wrestling with the challenge of reaching the more than 700,000 South Carolinians still without health insurance.

The challenge is as much of a cost-savings plan and business opportunity as it is bettering people’s lives, according to Roz Goodwin, vice president for community engagement with the South Carolina Hospital Association.

“Health insurance is something they understand, they need and want,” she said. “Until now, for a bulk of our population it’s that it’s not affordable.”

Goodwin works with organizations across the state on educating and connecting more people with health insurance, including those who might have subsidies or other resources to

help pay for it. They meet regularly and collaborate to plan enrollment events, share best practices and strategize about how to most effectively reach those populations.

Marriage is a huge life event that affects your health insurance status, for example, so they might send someone to a bridal show, she said.

The same goes for churches, community centers, libraries, even chambers of commerce, she said.

“It’s about getting them through organizations that they already trust and are connected with,” she said.

“We’re not waiting for patients to come into our hospitals to seek coverage. …

We’re going into the community.”

Hospitals are required by law to serve patients who show up in the emergency room, regardless of health insurance, which means the uninsured are a huge line item for hospitals, she said. In addition, health coverage often represents preventive care that leads to better treatment that might circumvent more costly procedures and care down the line. While it’s certainly a new undertaking for hospitals, she said, “it’s one we feel a responsibility to take on.”

Here in the Upstate, Greer-based insurance broker Guy Furay said he’s changed his business to take aim at the underserved Hispanic and African-American communities in the region. Two recent hires include a 10-year insurance veteran who has already been successful in reaching the African-American community in Greenville, as well as a trilingual employee to help break down communication and trust barriers with Hispanic communities.

“Someone in the African-American community might not really understand what the law does, how it all >>

Uninsured Rates, SC vs. US 50

2013 2014

40 30 20

(Source: U.S. Census, American Community Survey, 2013 and 2014 )

US Uninsured Rates

SC Uninsured Rates

Earn $25K or less

White, nonHispanic

Black, African American

Hispanic, non-black

Overall

Earn $25K or less

White, nonHispanic

Black, African American

Hispanic, non-black

0

Overall

10

Atlanta | Charlotte | Greenville | Hampton Roads | Miami Raleigh-Durham | Richmond | Tampa | Washington D.C.

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>> works. It’s not rolled out in the easiest way possible,” said Furay, who runs The Insurance Source in the Upstate. “The reason why someone in the Hispanic community – some of which would benefit a lot from the ACA – might not use it is they don’t know or they don’t trust. We’re trying to break down barriers.”

Because the law is so new, researchers have not had much time to look into why certain segments of the population are harder to reach with health coverage resources, said Myriam Torres, director of the Consortium for Latino Immigration Studies and a clinical assistant professor at the University of South Carolina.

“We see right now the behavior, the demographics of the population is changing, meaning probably more than half of the Latino population in South Carolina is either born here or naturalized citizens … which means we have many more people eligible for the Affordable Care Act,” she said, noting that researchers would have to wait for more data. “Latinos are spending out of pocket lots of money for health care, so it is a need to have coverage, and it has been for, I guess, every population in the United States.”

Part of the problem for South Carolinians is the coverage gap, where an estimated 135,000 state residents are too poor for coverage through the Affordable Care Act but too rich for Medicaid. South Carolina – along with many other states – elected not to expand Medicaid, which remains a significant predictor for the state’s uninsured rate.

While South Carolina has remained staunchly against expanding Medicaid, other options are out there, said Goodwin. Last month saw the launch of Palmetto Plus, a proposal for a private-option solution to the coverage gap backed by a coalition of South Carolina nonprofits, statewide associations, business leaders and the SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce. According to the advocacy group, such a proposal would save the state money, help more than 100,000 South Carolinians and create jobs.

Until that happens, nonprofits, providers and brokers will have to keep trying, said Torres.

“They are trying to do outreach to the population,” she said. “Our population is a population that definitely will get it if it is affordable. There are options.”

| EMPLOYMENT | 9

SC to cut unemployment insurance tax rate CINDY LANDRUM | STAFF

clandrum@communityjournals.com South Carolina is cutting its unemployment insurance tax rate paid by businesses for the second consecutive year.

The new rate represents an average reduction of 17.1 percent over last year’s rate. Businesses will save more than $69 million as a result, according to the state Department of Employment and Workforce.

The reductions stem from an improving economy, the state dramatically lowering benefit payouts and policy changes that restricted benefits to workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own, Gov. Nikki Haley said.

“When we save businesses money, we give them cash flow, and they can expand, putting more of our people to work – that’s why this announcement is so important,”

Haley said in a news release.

South Carolina was one of 36 states that had to borrow money from the federal government in order to pay unemployment during the recession. In 2011, the state had a loan balance of $977 million.

DEW announced in June it had paid off the loan, returning the unemployment Trust Fund to solvency and saving businesses more than $12 million in interest payments.

“The economy is improving and more South Carolinians are working than any time in our state’s history,” said DEW Executive Director Cheryl Stanton in the release.

In September, South Carolina’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent, the lowest since February 2008.

Employers must file wage and contribution reports by April 30, 2016. The new rates apply to the first $14,000 earned by each employee.

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10 | TRANSPORTATION |

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Electric highways ITIC to lead electric vehicle research with dynamic wireless car charging ASHLEY BONCIMINO | STAFF

aboncimino@communityjournals.com Lose the cables. Soon, consumers might be able to charge their electric cars while driving down the highway, thanks to research in Greenville at the International Transportation Innovation Center (ITIC).

The center is the host site for a wireless charging test bed for electric cars. The first two phases were primarily for static charging, but the next phase will work on dynamic – or in motion – wireless car charging, said CU-ICAR Principal Investigator and ITIC CTO Dr. Joachim Taiber.

“The stationary wireless charging is the technology that makes charging easier for the consumer if they have a

plug-in electric vehicle, because they don’t have to worry about cables,” said Taiber, who noted that the stationary technology wasn’t in itself new, but now can more easily be standardized for commercial use. “Dynamic wireless charging – that would allow you to recharge without stopping the car.”

The project was funded by an $8.1 million grant to Oak Ridge National Laboratory from the U.S. Department of Energy. Oak Ridge subcontracted with CU-ICAR, and collaborated with ITIC, Toyota, Cisco, Duke Energy and Evatran for the project.

“I will tell you that we’ve been told that what we’ve achieved is two years ahead of our nearest competitor in terms of technology development,” said SCTAC President Jody Bryson.

“What we’ve achieved is two years ahead of our nearest competitor in terms of technology development. This is just the tip of the iceberg.”

SCTAC President Jody Bryson

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11.06.2015

it easier to develop cheaper electric cars.

“If it’s utilized well enough, basically you reduce the cost on the vehicle side, but then you increase the investment on the infrastructure of the road,” he said. The first stage of in-motion wireless An electric vehicle rolls over a wireless charging pad at ITIC. charging will be limited to lower speeds (35 miles per hour) but another “This is just the tip of the iceberg.” option has already been identified for The $8.1 million grant that funded a project on a mile-long straightaway the wireless charging project in road.

Greenville was one of two issued by ITIC is looking for more partners the Department of Energy. “That team for further research and development with two OEMs [was] not successful to work with the wireless charging test like we were,” said Bryson, who debed. The stationary wireless test bed clined to say which companies were recently passed a formal project review involved. “They have since reached out by the U.S. Department of Energy. to us and said, ‘We couldn’t achieve The test demonstrated a transfer rate what you could. We’d like to work with of 6.9 kilowatts at 85 percent efficienyou as well.’” cy on one of two different Toyota More research into dynamic vehicle models. charging could essentially invert As for the future, Taiber says this kind electric vehicle research, Taiber said, of technology is far from impossible for because a dynamic charging system the mass consumer market. “You won’t would allow for smaller, lighter, have to wait too long,” he says. lower-capacity batteries, which makes

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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

| SQUARE FEET | 11

sjackson@communityjournals.com |

Haywood Reserve moves toward 2016 opening Construction continues on Haywood Reserve, a 292-unit luxury apartment complex on Timmons Way, near the main Fluor campus off Haywood Road in Greenville.

A leasing gallery and preview center is set to open at the end of November. The clubhouse is scheduled to open in February 2016 and apartments should be ready for move-in

by March 2016, said Justin Weintraub, vice president of Birmingham, Ala.-based Daniel Corporation, the company that is developing the project.

The apartment complex will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and will feature a 5,000-squarefoot community clubhouse with coffee bar, dog park and pet spa, car care center, resort-style saltwater swimming pool, and a fitness center.

Starting price for one-bedroom units is $999, two-bedroom units, $1,299 and three-bedroom units, $1,649.

Weintraub said the apartment complex will occupy a little more than half of the 14.6 acres at 37 Timmons Drive.

The remainder of the land is owned by another entity and has been set aside for future retail development.

For more information, visit HaywoodReserve.com.

PROJECT PARTNERS DEVELOPER: Daniel Corporation GENERAL CONTRACTOR: C.F. Evans Construction ARCHITECT: WakeďŹ eld Beasley and Associates COMMUNITY MANAGER: Greystar

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REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF

sjackson@communityjournals.com |

Construction to begin on Cureton Place Construction is set to begin on Cureton Place, a new 10-unit townhome community off Augusta Street.

RealtyLink, a Greenville developer, first announced the new project earlier this year. The property has now been cleared and permits have been issued so development can begin.

The new community will feature three-story units ranging from 1,700 to 2,100 square feet with two or three bedrooms. Each unit will be equipped with upscale finishes such as fireplaces, hardwood floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and crown molding. Each unit also comes standard with a private garage, covered porch, balcony and an elevator.

“These townhomes are designed to meet the lifestyle needs of today’s homeowner, and the location in the heart of the Augusta Road area can’t be beat,” says Neil Wilson, principal of RealtyLink.

Prices begin at $365,000 and construction should be completed by winter 2016.

For more information, visit curetonplace.com.

PROJECT PARTNERS DEVELOPER: RealtyLink Residential GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Rembrey Custom Homes ARCHITECT: Justice Design Studio

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@SJackson_CJ

Commercial building permits reach $1.4B in Upstate With two months still left in the year, new commercial building permits in the Upstate for 2015 are already valued at $1.4 billion. That’s according to data compiled by The Market Edge, a Knoxville, Tenn.-based specialized information reporting service that provides leads to building material suppliers, subcontractors, financial institutions and others.

So far in 2015, 2,323 new commercial building permits have been issued in the Upstate, compared to 1,942 in 2014.

The report also shows the Upstate is only behind Charlotte and the North Carolina Triangle area when it comes to commercial activity.

SEE CHART on PAGE 13

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COMMERCIAL BUILDING COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMIT PERMIT TREND TREND REPORT REPORT 09/30/15 EDITION 09/30/15 EDITION SUMMARY OF OF SELECTED MARKETS SUMMARY ALL MARKETS

ANNUAL ST MARKET IN EVANSVILLE

QUARTERLY

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

2014 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Provided by Market Edge

PERMIT VALUE

YTD

2015 Q1 Q2 Q3

2014 2015

2013

2014

2015 YTD

(YTD = Q1+Q2+Q3)

--

--

--

409

633

131

144

207

151

132

169

210

482

511

$105,611,582

$136,926,370

$150,884,581

KY LOUISVLLE

1193

1375

1538

1,379

1,707

327

391

533

456

390

458

485

1,251

1,333

$626,133,218

$896,093,710

$566,269,644

KY LEXINGTON

889

1043

904

920

1,004

231

298

259

216

172

277

274

788

723

$421,207,588

$532,802,824

$423,744,789

TN CHATTANOOGA

807

915

869

769

936

216

248

253

219

208

224

184

717

616

$264,796,130

$414,892,245

$317,998,285

TN KNOXVILLE

1170

1171

1656

1,214

1,317

293

334

341

349

263

383

379

968

1,025

$531,002,655

$615,190,488

$641,556,270

TN TRI-CITIES

566

633

628

666

642

148

171

159

164

185

166

178

478

529

$278,890,212

$253,695,866

$196,528,706

$398,773,287

$555,109,559

NC ASHEVILLE

888

771

1248

1,089

1,149

280

324

243

302

350

411

291

847

1,052

$323,497,323

SC UPSTATE

1913

2101

2473

2,261

2,533

531

684

727

591

660

747

916

1,942

2,323

$808,203,712 $1,024,438,160 $1,401,393,281

--

--

--

--

--

272

324

386

322

299

478

224

982

1,001

--

$402,881,120

$438,448,675

587

592

752

665

636

156

156

172

152

168

283

211

484

662

$249,740,378

$373,569,862

$219,889,405

NC CHARLOTTE

3286

4071

4589

4,841

4,536

NC TRIAD

1538

1832

1895

1,913

1,964

NC TRIANGLE

SC COLUMBIA NC HICKORY

1,130 1,153 1,083 1,170 454

516

549

445

1,136 1,403 1,288 506

548

3,366

3,827

557

1,519

1,611

$2,577,202,246 $2,421,135,703 $2,054,682,824 $311,940,465

$867,909,774 $1,009,630,020

$2,269,701,353 $2,577,373,917 $2,242,518,986

2127

2451

2805

3,180

3,225

675

783

918

849

809

861

874

2,376

2,544

NC FAYETTEVILLE

0

0

0

941

863

196

205

237

225

196

232

204

638

632

$262,119,474

$335,361,234

$383,772,751

NC ROCKY MOUNT

--

--

--

--

--

--

43

54

35

103

157

162

--

422

--

--

$323,643,787

14,964

16,955

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UBJ

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

sjackson@communityjournals.com |

11.06.2015

@SJackson_CJ

Hyatt Place Hotel planned for downtown Greenville Preliminary plans and renderings will go before the Design Review Board Dec. 3. If approved, Patel hopes to break ground in the third quarter of 2016, and construction is expected to take 14-16 months.

Tara is “looking forward to working with the city” and is “very excited to have a chance to do this project in Greenville,” he said.

The project’s architect is Christopher Allred of Charlotte’s RBA Group.

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Plans have been submitted for a new six-story, 130-room Hyatt Place Hotel at the corner of Broad and Calvin streets, across from the new Erwin Penland building.

Tara Investment Group, a family-owned firm based in Charlotte, paid $2.8 million for the property, according to Greenville County property records.

The hotel, which will occupy about 0.8 acres and combine seven parcels of land, will feature a basement-level pool and fitness center, a coffee and cocktails bar, and a grab-and-go concept and hot breakfast bar, said Amit Patel, associate with Tara Investment Group.

A parking deck is currently being incorporated into the plans. Patel said the developer had initially hoped to utilize some of the new Erwin Penland parking garage, but learned the garage is already full.

Tara Investments had been looking for a spot in downtown Greenville for about a year, said Patel. A few sites were available in the West End, but nothing in the close proximity to downtown Main Street the investment group wanted.

With the redevelopment of the Greenville News property, the intersection of East Broad and Main is a strong site, Patel said.

The company chose the Hyatt Place brand because of other anticipated hotel brands already announced. Hyatt has no select-service brand in the area (the Hyatt Regency on North Main Street is a full-service hotel) and Tara felt the choice would be a unique addition to the market that caters well to both business and leisure travelers, Patel said.

“There is a lot of corporate demand for rooms downtown,” he said.

ain

Another new hotel is coming to downtown Greenville.

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Ave Preliminary rendering of the proposed Hyatt Place Hotel

11.06.2015

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STRATEGIES FOR HONING YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

upstatebusinessjournal.com

American (salary) Hustle Do’s and don’ts on wage negotiations J-Law could have used HANNAH BARFIELD SPELLMEYER Godshall Professional Recruiting & Staffing

Bradley Cooper’s entrance into

Actress Jennifer Lawrence

Photo by Kurt Kulak

the wage gap discussion as an ally following Jennifer Lawrence’s article on her disparate pay in Hollywood has reignited a hot debate.

As it usually does, this whole dialogue around the wage gap engenders a lot of heated conversation and staunch opinions. Before we move forward, let me attest that it’s a complicated issue at best. As a recruiter, I accompany many candidates through the wage-negotiation journey, and regardless of which of my candidates are more apt to negotiate salary, many of them don’t do it well.

My utmost hope is that my candidates will be “Switzerland” during salary negotiations. I typically instruct them to say something along the lines of “I’m looking forward to learning more about this opportunity and I’m confident you’ll make a competitive offer” and let me do the negotiating. Alas, there are still those who will go to the first interview and demand a salary beyond what they’ve disclosed to me, expanded vacation

days and benefits, and an office with a view.

Facepalm.

Below are some do’s and don’t’s for navigating this delicate process: DO your research. Glassdoor.com and Payscale.com provide a wealth of information on the salary ranges of professionals in your field and your region. Sometimes these numbers can be misleading, though, so check with professional organizations in your area as well. You have to have an accurate gauge on your market value or you may be throwing out arbitrary numbers that undermine your credibility.

DON’T negotiate anything until you have a job offer. Your goal in the entire interview process is to secure an offer. You have no leverage for anything if you don’t have an offer yet. You also risk being perceived as presumptuous and naïve by bringing these things up without being asked and without an offer.

DO keep your word. If you’ve indicated that you need $60K to leave your current role, don’t change your mind when they offer $60K. There will be little to no chance you can negotiate around a parameter that you’ve already set. Furthermore, the company will question your integrity.

DON’T cite personal finances as a reason to negotiate for more money. A company does not care about your finances; they care about their own. This is a breach of personal/professional boundaries.

DO remember that benefits come in all shapes and sizes – not just salary. Do you keep the hotel rewards and airline points from your extensive travel? Will you get amazing healthcare benefits? Does their 401K match far exceed your current company’s?

In Jennifer Lawrence’s defense, few Hollywood A-players are entering their salary data on Glassdoor. com for the world to see. That being said, now that she knows the market, I’m sure she’ll be negotiating differently henceforth.

| PROFESSIONAL | 15

“HIRE THE BEST PEOPLE YOU CAN. RECOGNIZE THEIR INDIVIDUAL STRENGTHS. BELIEVE IN THEM. HELP THEM LEARN AND GROW. WHEN YOU DO THIS, YOU WILL BE REWARDED WITH AN AMAZING TEAM.” - GUY FURAY THE INSURANCE SOURCE IS THE GREENVILLE CHAMBER’S OCTOBER 2015 SMALL BUSINESS OF THE MONTH Learn more at insure-u.com

The Greenville Chamber salutes our Small Business of the Month. We honor and appreciate all the things that small businesses bring to our community and we are proud to be there for them as well.

If you’re in business, you have a partner in us. www.greenvillechamber.org

16 | OPINION |

UBJ

VOICES FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, HEARD HERE

|

11.06.2015

Laggards or leaders?

The state of STEM and apprenticeship programs in the Upstate

By MARK FARRIS President and CEO, Greenville Area Development Corporation

There’s no doubt that Greenville County is a rising star on the national stage. Factors like a topranked downtown, nationally recognized events, increasing tourism and growing investment from major corporations make us the envy of many other communities and assist greatly in our economic development efforts.

Yet, with all this positive attention, there is a persistent concern that can hinder our recruitment efforts: the notion that Greenville’s workforce is less prepared in the areas of science, technology and math (STEM).

The issue is compounded by local perception as well. According to a recent poll, 50 percent of residents feel that Greenville County’s STEM efforts lag behind the rest of the nation, and 27 percent feel that the STEM job market here is lacking.

Perception doesn’t completely match up with reality here.

The Brookings Institute found that Greenville is on par with larger Southern cities such as Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham.

The study looked at overall workforce preparedness, the availability and degree of STEM education and the presence of critical STEM programs.

Business Facilities magazine ranked our community fifth in the nation for STEM education.

The county also gets high marks nationally for our unique and exemplary public-private partnerships focused on workforce innovations.

Companies we work with at Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC), both new and existing, often inquire about both the present and future talent pool. The pipeline of future workers is important, especially for a company involved in emerging technologies.

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Greenville County is far ahead of many competing communities, with effective programs already in place at almost every educational level. From A. J. Whittenberg Elementary School of Engineering, Fisher Middle and NEXT High School, STEM education programs abound in the Greenville County school district. The Center for Manufacturing Innovation (CMI), scheduled to open next year, is a collaborative effort between Clemson University and Greenville Technical College designed to provide a steady stream of qualified talent for firms pioneering expertise in 3-D printing, virtual reality and other innovative industries.

Additionally, while our community has made great strides to provide better STEM education opportunities for our young people, we’ve also worked hard to develop and implement programs designed to retrain older displaced workers. Leading local employers – Michelin, Fluor, BMW Manufacturing and others – have worked closely with local government and educational institutions, including Clemson University, Furman University, Greenville Technical College and Greenville County Schools to create curriculum, tools, internships and on-the-job training to prepare residents with the skills needed to continue their growth in the Upstate.

The Upstate STEM Collaborative and the STEM Expert Teacher programs are two good examples. But no single program has had a more direct impact

on the local economy than Apprenticeship Carolina. A division of the South Carolina Technical College System, Apprenticeship Carolina provides businesses in South Carolina with unique access to all the information and technical assistance they need to create demand-driven registered apprenticeship programs. It also engages with would-be workers to drive their interest in, and completion of, apprenticeships in areas of critical need, including engineering and manufacturing jobs that might otherwise go unfilled.

Greenville County – and South Carolina for that matter – is again bucking national trends in this regard. The number of formal apprenticeship programs has fallen about 40 percent between 2003 and 2013, according to the Labor Department. Since the program’s inception in 2007, Apprenticeship Carolina has increased the number of apprenticeships in our state by 733 percent, making it much more attractive to those looking to relocate or expand here and improving salaries and quality of life for residents.

Local companies see tremendous value in these programs. Bosch Rexroth has its apprenticeship program to hire, train and develop people with its specific needs and processes in mind. It has doubled the number of participants since its inception in 2008 and expanded the program to include a partnership for youths and First Robotics. In fact, since its founding in 2013, Bosch has hired six youth apprentices for high-paying skilled positions right out of high school.

The GADC is facilitating productive discussions with prospects and established businesses to ensure the best deal is brought to the table when they are considering an expansion or relocation.

I’ve seen firsthand business leaders, educational institutions and government entities work closely together to ensure continued progress and leadership.

While the strength of these public-private partnerships has already borne fruit in terms of economic expansion, development, and new and better opportunities for our workers, we cannot rest on our laurels. Hard work remains to not only dispel the myths about our area but continue the programs that will make a positive impact.

11.06.2015

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUP TORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE

Big data is the future of business

By GREGORY M. PICKETT Senior Associate Dean, Clemson University

As technology continues to advance, it generates extreme amounts of data. This data represents both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses. The challenge comes in figuring out how to shape this mountain of information into something that can be strategically employed. For companies who figure out how to analyze and then utilize this data, the opportunity for sustainable success is much greater.

“Business analytics” has become a ubiquitous term in today’s business world. The process of analyzing information is changing the way organizations plan, the way that they pursue customers, and create new operating procedures for marketers. Marketers no longer have to start with a wide swath of the market and narrow down to find their key customers; instead they can start with one customer and build their marketing segments around them.

By analyzing the data generated by one existing customer and then linking that individual with other potential customers who show similar purchasing patterns, companies can create homogenous marketing segments starting from the ground up.

Analyzing data is useful beyond the traditional business world as well. Nonprofits are using information to help them stage and support their relief efforts when catastrophic events occur. Analytics Magazine called attention to this practice and the need for more of it, something it termed “Humanitarian Logistics.” Data can be analyzed by sorting it into type of disaster, magnitude, location and other characteristics to

help responders determine the best course of action to help those in need.

A recent article on business school networking site Business Because addresses this shift in business thinking and the importance of learning as much as possible about business analytics: “There has been a shift in the education and training of future executives, who will need to use business data to create market advantages and enhance operational performance.”

Companies in all industries are recognizing the need for professionals who are able to analyze data and effectively employ the results to drive successful business decisions, and educational institutions are stepping up to provide students with this key knowledge.

Data surrounds us. The question becomes: What to do with it all ?

With all of the hardware and software systems that exist today – point of purchase, scheduling systems, big data sets in a variety of governmental settings, and so on – everything produces data. Data surrounds us. The question becomes: What to do with all of it? What does it mean? How can it illuminate decisions and allow businesses to be more effective, efficient and profitable? These are questions that all businesses must answer, and business analytics is a critical skill that our MBA students should have the opportunity to learn.

Clemson MBA is launching a freestanding business analytics concentration in the fall of 2016, to give our students the skills that businesses need going forward. We’ve partnered with over 30 companies to define our curriculum, and they have shared with us that they want managers who are data-savvy – ones who can take the information and use their expertise and tool set to “look around corners” and help identify what’s coming before it creates problems or opportunities are missed. Final approvals are expected in the spring of next year.

This presents the Clemson MBA program with an exciting opportunity, where we can partner with the community, find real live projects and data, and have our MBA students in business analytics work with organizations in employing these new tools to assist real businesses in making decisions. This partnership will benefit both the students and companies of all sizes in our region and state.

The future of strategic thinking will involve leveraging huge data sets in making business decisions, and having those skills will give you an advantage both as an prospective employee and a future (or current) businessperson. Big data is here. What are you going to do with it?

| INNOVATE | 17

Attract More Buyers to Your Home Listing If your home is on the market and you are not satisfied with the number of showings it is receiving, these tips will help you convince buyers your property offers top value for their dollar.

Dan Hamilton

Amp up curb appeal.

Look at your home objectively from the street. Check the condition of the landscaping, paint, roof, shutters, front door, knocker, windows, and house number. Observe how your window treatments look from the outside.

Something special—such as big flowerpots or an antique bench—can help your property stand out after a long day of house hunting.

Enrich with color.

Paint is an inexpensive way to make a big impression. The shade doesn’t have to be white or beige, but stay away from jarring pinks, oranges, and purples. Soft yellows and pale greens say “welcome,” lead the eye from room to room, and flatter skin tones.

Upgrade the kitchen and bathrooms.

These are make-or-break rooms. Make sure they’re squeaky clean and clutterfree, and update the pulls, sinks, and faucets. In a kitchen, add one cool appliance, such as an espresso maker.

Clean out and organize closets.

Remove anything you don’t need or haven’t worn in a while. Closets should only be half-full so buyers can visualize fitting their stuff in.

Hire a home inspector.

Do a preemptive strike to find and fix problems before you sell your home.

Then you can show receipts to buyers, demonstrating your detailed care for their future home.

Let our team walk you through each of these steps to make sure you get top dollar for your home.

864-527-7685 MyGreenvilleHome.com Each Keller Williams Realty Office is Independently Owned and Operated

18 | INSIDE THE CLINE CO. |

UBJ

A DAY (OR MORE) IN THE LIFE OF AN UPSTATE COMPANY

CLINE

TRACES LONGEVITY TO STARTUP ROOTS A wrecked loading dock was just one of many turning points in company’s 68-year history – next stop, leaving downtown Greenville for a new Mauldin HQ L. C. LEACH III | CONTRIBUTOR

In 1952, on the eve of his 40th birthday, Nesbitt Q. Cline was still in the startup phase of the Cline Company – a four-year-old business that sold oil, drive shafts and hydraulic hoses out of an old house in downtown Greenville.

Critical assets included his wife Martha, a hand hacksaw, a knife, a pair of pliers and a cinderblock front porch that had been converted into a loading dock for shipping orders.

So far, the business had not yet turned a definitive corner on its future – until one day, a delivery truck backed into a corner of the loading dock and destroyed the porch.

Though unintentional, the accident proved to be pivotal for Cline.

It not only led him to build his first building nearby on Buncombe Street, it put his business on a course that will soon mark its 68th year as one of Greenville’s most stable and time-honored companies.

“My grandfather used to say, ‘You’re never set in business – you can never be set without something changing,’” said Scott Cline, company president since 2002. “And he saw the porch wreck as a sign that it was time for him to make a change and expand the company.”

‘EARN THE CUSTOMER’S FAITH FIRST’ In the last six decades, the Cline Co. has changed and expanded in many ways – such as incorporating in 1980 and becoming Cline Hose & Hydraulics LLC in 1999 (though most people still know it simply as the Cline Co.).

Since the porch accident, the business has grown from two to 40 employees, added three more buildings on five acres, and gone from having

one local customer (who bought a case of oil in 1948 for a gas station) to accumulating more than 1,000 current customers from across the country.

The main thrust of the company’s business lines is still in hydraulic hose assemblies, couplings and end fittings, which are made and installed per the customer’s requirement.

But now, the operation – run by brothers Scott and Glenn Cline – also supplies power drive services, cooling systems and both cylinder and pump repair to a wide sector of the U.S. agricultural, construction, transportation, industrial and enduser markets.

“Scott and I just grew up learning the business from our father and grandfather,” said Glenn Cline, vice president and counter sales manager.

“Our grandfather taught us this lesson: ‘Earn the customer’s faith first and the business will follow.’ And we see the value of that insight on a daily basis.”

For example, the company’s business has now widened to a 100-mile service radius –reaching Columbia, Charlotte, N.C., and Athens, Ga. The client base has increased to include Apple, Google, Microsoft, the U.S. Department of Defense, and major subway systems in Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C. While that base has also expanded locally to include companies such as EDR Solutions (makers of hard drive crushers), many clients who began doing business with the senior Cline from long ago are still current.

“Strange Brothers started buying from us in 1954 [the company’s first year as grading contractors], and they are our oldest current client,” Glenn Cline said. “But we have others from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s who are still with us. I think it’s a credit to how we still do business.”

NEW HOME IN MAULDIN A major aspect of that business has come from giving personal training and technical support to all clients, to ensure they receive proper installation, mainte-

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11.06.2015

“My grandfather used to say, ‘You’re never set in business – you can never be set without something changing. And he saw the porch wreck as a sign that it was time for him to make a change and expand the company.”

Scott Cline, president, The Cline Company

nance and repair of all hydraulic and pneumatic systems, hoses, pumps and valves. A 24-hour emergency service is also available 365 days a year.

“Service is our strength – we serve any individual who needs us or anything we supply,” Scott Cline said.

“And that service has remained a constant part of what we do, especially when something like the porch accident pushes us to make another change to the company.”

The most recent push will soon mark the company’s biggest change of the last 60 years: to relocate the entire operation away from Greenville.

On Dec. 14, 2015, as it nears its 68th anniversary, Cline Hose & Hydraulics LLC will open on a new three-acre site on Verdin Road in the City of Mauldin.

The acreage and buildings on Buncombe Street are up for sale.

“We didn’t really want to leave Greenville,” Scott Cline said. “But we had run out of office space, and we didn’t have any more room to expand the company on our present site.” The move will mean a more central location in Greenville County, and allow proximity to the main interstate arteries of I-85 and I-385.

“And we’ll have all our employees and company processes together under one roof, which means we can do an even better job helping customers solve issues that require our experience,” Glenn Cline said.

Both Scott and Glenn Cline said employees saw the move as another way to “further everyone’s career.”

“We have profit-sharing for all 40 of our employees, who we regard as family,” Scott Cline said. “So when we grow and expand the business, such as with the new move, everybody here benefits.”

Glenn Cline added, “Since the porch accident in 1952, every part of the company has consistently grown or changed in some way. With the move, we’re looking forward to a new era >>

11.06.2015

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upstatebusinessjournal.com

A DAY (OR MORE) IN THE LIFE OF AN UPSTATE COMPANY

| INSIDE THE CLINE CO. | 19

DOWNTOWN VACANCY Cline’s upcoming move to Mauldin leaves nearly 5 acres available for sale on Buncombe Street.

All properties are located near the Upcountry History Museum, adjacent to both to the North Main and Hampton-Pinckney Historic District.

All properties are zoned RDV and have multiple access points.

Heritage Green

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601 & 711 Buncombe St

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Photos by Jim Pitt Harris

600 BUNCOMBE ST.

Above: Brothers Scott (left) and Glenn Cline run the company their grandfather, Nesbitt Q. Cline (previous page) started in 1948.

>>

and whatever company changes will happen in it.”

However, the Cline brothers say one promise has remained unchanged since the start-up days of their

grandfather: The Cline Performance Guarantee.

“We back everything we sell with a 100 percent guarantee that says, ‘Your product performs accord-

Lot size: 1.91+- acres Property type: Land Property sub-type: Commercial/other (land) Zoning: RDV, City of Greenville Asking price: $3.3 million

601 & 711 BUNCOMBE ST. Lot size: 2.88 +- acres Property type: Land Property sub-type: Commercial/other (land) Zoning: RDV, City of Greenville Asking price: $5.7 million For more information, contact NAI Earle Furman, 864-232-9040. ing to specifications or we’ll replace it free of charge – No ifs, ands or buts,’” Scott Cline said. “That guarantee is part of the customer trust my grandfather started in 1948, and which we intend to honor as long as we remain in business.”

20 | THE FINE PRINT |

BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

Fluor manages construction of nuclear projects

Fluor Corporation was named by Westinghouse Electric Company LLC to manage construction of two Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power reactor projects in Georgia and South Carolina.

The projects are owned and operated by Southern Company in Waynesboro, Ga., and SCANA/Santee Cooper in Fairfield County, S.C. “We are very pleased with the vote of confidence that Westinghouse, and the nuclear facility owners, have placed in our company to manage the construction of these two U.S. nuclear mega-projects,” David Seaton, Fluor chairman and CEO, said in a release.

Fluor will assess the two projects, engaging the workforce and planning a transition of duties and responsibilities required to develop appropriate plans to manage plant construction. Fluor and Westinghouse have further agreed that Fluor’s scope will complete project construction at these facilities on a cost reimbursable basis, without liability for pre-existing conditions associated with prior construction.

Spartanburg wins $25K health prize

Spartanburg County is one of eight winners of the 2015 RWJF Culture of Health Prize of $25,000 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The prize celebrates the strides communities have made for good health.

“Across Spartanburg County, leaders and citizens have been working together for years in an effort to address our most vexing issues of health and wellness,” Kathy Dunleavy, president and CEO of the Mary Black Foundation, said in a

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release. “Earning the RWJF Culture of Health Prize is confirmation of the progress we have made. We still have a lot of work to do, but because of Spartanburg’s collaborative nature and the strong partnerships that have been developed, we should all be optimistic about the opportunity we have to build a community that is among the healthiest anywhere.”

Spartanburg County was selected from more than 340 prize applications across the country. The other seven winning communities are Bridgeport, Conn.; Bronx, N.Y.; Everett, Mass.; Kansas City, Mo.; Lawrence, Mass.; Menominee Nation, Wis.; and Waaswaaganing Anishinaabeg Tribe, Wis. “Over the last several years, thanks to the leadership of the Mary Black Foundation, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System and many other organizations, our community has made great strides in addressing several important health and wellness issues,” Spartanburg Mayor Junie White said.

Clemson to offer MBA in analytics

Clemson University’s business school will begin offering a Master of Business Administration program in analytics starting in the fall semester of 2016.

“The type of student seeking this degree will need core management skills, but will also need to feel comfortable processing data and making business decisions on large masses of that data,” said Jason Thatcher, business school management professor and director of Clemson’s Social Analytics Institute.

The business analytics MBA concentration will cater to current industry analysts who want to participate but are unable to take leaves of absence from their workplaces. >>

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COLUMBIA | GREENVILLE | RALEIGH

Upstate Biz Journal .indd 1

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BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’ T MISS

| THE FINE PRINT | 21

Applications accepted for PaceSetters program >>

The Greenville Chamber’s Pulse Young Professionals group is accepting applications for its 2016 PaceSetters program Pulse PaceSetters is an 11-month mentoring and skills training program that focuses on leadership development of young professionals, ages 21-39. Groups of 10-12 young professionals are paired with two Greenville business leaders who serve as mentors. Participants will have monthly meetings with their small groups as well as programming organized by the PaceSetters Committee.

“It’s a great opportunity to get to know yourself and your community better,” said Kelly Byers, PaceSetters chair. “The best part is that you’ll be surrounded by several peers who are right where you are, but who are willing to challenge you and hold you accountable, as well as two mentors who have been there themselves and can help you navigate those waters and help make important connections.”

To apply for a committee, fill out the form located on the Pulse website at greenvillepulse.com. The deadline for applications is Nov. 13.

ReWa gets AA+ credit rating

Standard and Poor’s Rating Services raised Renewable Water Resources’ (ReWa) senior lien rating to a AA+.

Simultaneously, Standard and Poor’s affirmed its AA rating, with a stable outlook, on ReWa’s junior lien debt.

Ratings provide an assessment of an organization’s creditworthiness, based on its borrowing and repayment history, as well as asset and liability balances.

ReWa’s bond ratings are considered high grade, which means the agency has a strong capacity to meet financial requirements.

Southern First named as a top performer

Southern First Bancshares Inc. has been named by Sandler O’Neill + Partners as one of the nation’s top performing small-cap banks, included in the firm’s Sm-All Stars Class of 2015.

The 2015 Sm-All-Star Class includes 34 banks. To identify the small-cap companies that made the list, Sandler O’Neill evaluated all 435 publicly traded banks and thrifts with a market cap below $2.5 billion. To incorporate a liquidity restraint, the pollsters placed a $25 million cutoff at the low-end of the market cap range.

“This distinguished recognition is a testament to the hard work of our dedicated team. We are pleased to be identified as one of the top-performing smallcap banks in the country,” said Southern First CEO Art Seaver.

THE INBOX Stay in the know with UBJ’s free weekly email.

Sign up today: UpstateBusinessJournal.com

JOIN THE GREENVILLE TECH FOUNDATION AS WE HOST A CONVERSATION WITH

CARLOS GHOSN CHAIRMAN & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE RENAULT-NISSAN ALLIANCE

11.16.15 6:00pm Cocktail Reception 7:00pm Dinner TD Convention Center THIS EV ENT WIL L F UND STUDENT S C HOL AR S HIPS AND OTHER CRITICAL NEEDS FOR GR EENV IL L E TE CHNICAL COLLEGE.

TO ATTEND PLEASE CONTACT LACEY HENNESSEY, 864-679-8588 OR LACEY@CRAWFORDSTRATEGY.COM

WORKFORCEDEVELOPMENTSALUTE.ORG

22 | ON THE MOVE |

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

ELECTED

HIRED

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HIRED

HIRED

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11.06.2015

APPOINTED

Melinda Davis Lux

Filomena Novoa

Bryan Baker

Ed Blakemore Jr.

Bruce Snyder

Elected to the American Law Institute. She will help influence the development of the law in both existing and emerging areas. She is a shareholder at Wyche P.A., centering her practice on complex business deals, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and financing transactions.

Joins The Insurance Source as its first trilingual customer service specialist. Novoa has nearly 30 years of experience.

She spent 17 years working for a various insurance agencies in Boston before working for Canal Insurance Company in Spartanburg. She is fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish.

Named a relationship manager for The Hiring Group. Baker is the firm’s first hire in Greenville to help expand operations in the market area. He will be responsible for building and maintaining relationships in the Upstate. He has a background in sales and customer service.

Named chief financial officer at NHE Inc. Blakemore has more than 30 years of experience with real estate investment, property development and management and construction lending disciplines. He most recently served as CFO and senior vice president of operations at Serrus Capital Partners.

Named chair of the Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina. Snyder is a vascular surgeon with Greenville Health System. He has served as president of the South Carolina Medical Association.

He also represents the SCMA on the state’s SCale Down initiative to reduce the rate of obesity.

VIP

DEVELOPMENT

HEALTH CARE

O’Neal Inc. hired David Haddock as project services director. Haddock has more than 20 years of experience with project management and controls. He previously worked for Jacobs Canada, BE&K Building Group and Brown & Root.

Windsor House Assisted Living and Memory Care named Geri Caitlin as director of marketing and sales. Caitlin has experience in health care related social work services, planning discharges, referrals to appropriate outside community services, team management and social service assessments. She previously served as a social worker in Charleston/Mount Pleasant.

EDUCATION Clinton Colmenares, a 20-year veteran of science and research news, has joined Clemson University’s Office of Media Relations as director of research communications. Colmenares covered science and medicine as a newspaper reporter, then spent 15 years promoting academic research for Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the University of Maine, UNC Chapel Hill and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Stanley Wilson Named executive director of the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority (GCRA). Wilson previously served as executive director of the Salisbury-Rowan Community Action Agency Inc. He also headed operations and planning as the executive vice president for Builders of Hope in Raleigh, N.C.

Bill Dingledine was awarded the Gayle C. Wilson Award for service to the profession of college counseling by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).

Dingledine most recently served as assistant headmaster and head of the Upper School at Christ Church Episcopal School. For the past 19 years he has worked as an independent consultant advising students and parents on college admission and financial aid.

HOSPITALITY The Cliffs had three team members pass their Level 1 Sommelier Introductory Examination offered by the Court of Master Sommeliers. Vince Mathis, Abby Powell and Anna Shell join The Cliffs’ existing team of wine and culinary experts.

PR/MARKETING Jackson Marketing, Motorsports & Events hired Luke Bell as performance service specialist and Mat McAuliff as interactive developer. Bell most recently completed an internship with Generation Adidas International, where he

was an admissions coordinator.

McAuliff previously served as a senior developer managing web development, databases, fraud and user support at PassThePopcorn.

Crawford Strategy hired Anna Simmons as an account coordinator.

Simmons has experience in a variety of fields including recruiting, marketing, event planning and public relations. She most recently worked as a professional recruiter at Aerotek, a national staffing company.

Ferebee Lane + Co. hired Emily Grim as copywriter and content strategist, Emily Clever as copywriter and Ben Granger as account manager. Grim most recently served as a social strategist at Erwin Penland for Denny’s and The UPS Store. Clever has experience in copywriting and writing for public relations clients and publications. She is current communications chair of AAF Greenville.

Granger has experience as a client engagement specialist with HealthStat Inc. and Mercedes-Benz Vans Canada.

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

11.06.2015

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THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE

Open for business 1

2

1. Cross Creek Realty LLC recently opened its new headquarters at 115 North Poinsett Hwy., Travelers Rest. The company represents both buyers and sellers of timber tracts, farms and recreational and commercial properties. For more information, visit crosscreekrealtyllc.com.

2. Studio Fitness recently opened at 3337 Moore-Duncan Highway #8, Moore. The company offers dance cardio, kickboxing, yoga, barre and restoration classes. For more information, visit studioďŹ tnessgroup.com.

CONTRIBUTE: Know of a business opening soon?

Email information to bjeffers@communityjournals.com.

| NEW TO THE STREET | 23

Fundraising Dinner THANKFundraising YOU TO OUR 2015 Dinner THANK YOU TO DINNER OUR 2015 FUNDRAISING FUNDRAISING DINNER SPONSORS SPONSORS

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INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE

| SOCIAL SNAPSHOT | 25

#CREEPYCRAWFORD The Crawford Strategies team in Greenville celebrated Halloween last week with some inventive costumes.

Best Overall winner voted by the online public was Lacey Hennessey (right) as Mugatu from the hit movie “Zoolander.”

She is pictured here with Hannah Dillard as Derek Zoolander.

CONTRIBUTE: Got high-resolution photos of your networking or social events? Send photos and information for consideration to events@upstatebusinessjournal.com.

RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF THE CAROLINA'S

Red Shoe Society Presents THE

Greenville Royale 11.13.15 7-11 pm Clemson ONE Featuring The Sound Committee

Food Drink Dancing

BENEFITTING THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE 11.13.15

SPONSORED BY

FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TICKETS VISIT: RMHC-CAROLINAS.ORG

26 | #TRENDING |

UBJ

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

OVERHEARD @ THE WATERCOOLER

> Renee D. Lean “Important stuff here folks. This is why several businesses have not started up in Pendleton Arts District.”

OCTOBER 30, 2015

L REAL ESTATE QUARTERLY:

> Todd Gillespie “Good…” > Mary Beth Culbertson “FINALLY…” > @EricSchaef “Maybe ‘rapid growth’ is not so healthy.”

RE: PERIMETER PROJECT SELECTS SALES PARTNER, ANNOUNCES FIRST COMMERCIAL TENANT

| VOL. 4 ISSUE 44

DIGITAL FLIPBOOK ARCHIVE >>

Greenville’s ’ ‘ticking time bomb

ille’s growth? pg. 14

capacity have on Greenv

The layout of print meets the convenience of the web: flip through the digital edition of any of our print issues at >> upstatebusinessjournal. com/past-issues

>> WEIGH IN @ THE UBJ EXCHANGE Got something to offer?

Get it off your chest.

We’re looking for expert guest bloggers from all industries to contribute to the UBJ Exchange. Send posts or blog ideas to eprice@communityjournals.com.

RE: GREENVILLE AGAIN MISSES OUT ON FEDERAL TIGER GRANT

> Jason Avery “Sounds like they are still going to move forward with the project just a bit slower. Great addition for Greenville.”

> C. Dan Joyner Realtors “We’re proud to be a part of this exciting and unique development coming to Downtown Greenville! #PerimeterWest #BestMoveEver” > Belinda Jenkins “This is awesome! Due South is a favorite coffee shop!”

RE: FOUNDER INSTITUTE GRADUATES 9 STARTUPS > Professional Network Connections “Take a look at the Founder Institute Greenville’s graduating class! Some new and interesting businesses are starting up in #yeahTHATGreenville.” > Complete Public Relations “Proud of our friends HeyNeighbor.”

>> 221

Q3 2015

> Thomas J. Tucker “Unfortunate... I would have liked to see some upgrades to Greenville’s public transportation.”

> Diane Morgan Maxwell “This will be a great addition! Watch for more details ... and perhaps we can meet for coffee when they’re open!”

The top 5 stories from last week’s issue ranked by shareability score

FOCUS: COMMERCIA

What effect does sewer

11.06.2015

BIZ BUZZ

Distilled commentary from UBJ readers

RE: LIMITS ON SEWER CAPACITY COULD CALL A HALT TO GREENVILLE’S RAPID GROWTH

|

> Mary Beth Culbertson “Damn shame what a set back”. > Ryan Johnston “Bad news.” > @GreenvilleSCRE “Bummer but let’s keep trying!”

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

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

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1. Perimeter project selects sales partner, announces first commercial tenant

>> 178

2. Limits on sewer capacity could call a halt to Greenville’s rapid growth

>> 140 3. Founder Institute graduates 9 startups

>> 108 4. Greenville again misses out on federal TIGER grant

>> 59 5. New partner chosen for Scott Towers redevelopment

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DATE

INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE

| PLANNER | 27

EVENT INFO

WHERE DO I GO?

HOW DO I GO?

11/6

First Friday Leadership Series Speaker: Eric Dodds, partner and CMO of The Iron Yard

Clemson at ONE 1 N. Main St., 5th Floor, Greenville 5:15-7 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: bit.ly/ff-nov2015

Monday

Voices of Business Brunch Hear from an expert panel on transportation and infrastructure needs for the state and region.

Spartanburg Marriott 299 N. Church St., Spartanburg 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Cost: $20 Chamber members, $35 nonmembers Register: bit.ly/voices-nov2015

Networking with at Twist Monthly speed networking event

Commerce Club 55 Beattie Place, Greenville 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Register: 864-232-5600

Startup Weekend Greenville - Global Startup Battle

NEXT High School 2000 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville

Cost: Varies Register: bit.ly/startup-2015

Comprehensive Small Business Start-up Workshop

Spartanburg Community College Tyger River Campus, Duncan 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Cost: $69 ($25 for each additional participant from same company) Register: piedmontscore.org/workshops/ register/201

Friday

11/9 Thursday

11/12 Friday-Sunday

11/1311/15 Saturday

11/14

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

ART & PRODUCTION

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

NOV. 20: THE FOOD ISSUE Supper’s ready – and so are opportunities.

ART DIRECTOR Whitney Fincannon

PRESIDENT/CEO

Mark B. Johnston mjohnston@communityjournals.com

UBJ PUBLISHER

ADVERTISING DESIGN Michael Allen

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Kristi Fortner

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE STORY IDEAS:

STAFF WRITERS

EVENTS:

DIGITAL TEAM Emily Price, Danielle Car

MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Nicole Greer, Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehman, Emily Yepes

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & ACCOUNT STRATEGY

1997 Jackson Dawson launches motorsports Division 1993

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

>>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

>>

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

1998 1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CoMMUnitY nit inVolVeMent nitY in olV inV olVe VeMent & boarD positions lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member

JANUARY 2016: MARKETING AND BRANDING Getting the word out on local businesses.

David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board,

Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board

eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

AS SEEN IN

NOVEMBER 1, 2013

Anita Harley, Jane Rogers

Jerry Salley jsalley@communityjournals.com Ashley Boncimino, Sherry Jackson, Benjamin Jeffers, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris

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

1988

Holly Hardin

CLIENT SERVICES

MANAGING EDITOR

UBJ milestone

OPERATIONS

Ryan L. Johnston rjohnston@communityjournals.com Susan Clary Simmons ssimmons@communityjournals.com

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

UBJ milestone

ideas@upstatebusinessjournal.com events@upstatebusinessjournal.com

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, AND AWARDS: onthemove@upstatebusinessjournal.com UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties.

Guest columns run 700-800 words.

Contact Executive Editor Susan Clary Simmons at ssimmons@communityjournals.com to submit an article for consideration.

Kate Madden

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