VOLUME 24 NUMBER 1 ■ GSABUSINESS.COM
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JANUARY 11 - JANUARY 24, 2021 ■ $2.25
In Focus
Hiring pros bullish on 2021
Staring down adversity
Economist Slifer expects robust growth in 2021. Page 13
By Ross Norton
Team owners ready to rumble
Pro teams look forward to end of pandemic that has affected two seasons. Page 12
Autonomous Army Clemson partners with military to work on selfdriving vehicles. Page 10
Peabody chooses Pickens site
West Coast manufacturer moves production and HQ to the Upstate. Page 8
INSIDE
Leading Off .......................... 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 C-Suite ................................ 4 In Focus: 2021: The Year Ahead ................................ 17 LIST: Economic Development Agencies............................ 19 At Work .............................. 21 Viewpoint ...........................23
T
County officials move forward with a plan to make a significant upgrade to government offices by turning over part of the property to the private sector. (Image/Provided)
COUNTY BREAKS GROUND ON PRIVATE-PUBLIC COUNTY SQUARE PROJECT By Molly Hulsey
mhulsey@scbiznews.com
Fresh off opening the glass-walled global headquarters for the PGA Tour, Atlanta developers RocaPoint Partners and London architects Foster and Partners now turn their collaborative energy to a new vision for the drab and dated labyrinth that is the Greenville County offices at University Ridge. A small crowd of reporters and county officials, including three Greenville County Council members that passed the torch at the end of the day, gathered for the groundbreaking of 250,000 square feet of tower space at County Square on Jan. 4. “Our building was designed with the
same thoughtfulness and expertise as an Apple headquarters and PGA headquarters,” County Administrator Joe Kernell said. “It will become a beacon of architecture for our community and will serve our residents well for the next 50 to 100 years. Our development partners also brought Nelson Worldwide to the table to serve as architect of record and make sure this building is constructed with the latest efficiencies to ensure it stands the test of time and is accessible to all.” The latest renderings for the building feature two glassed-in steel office towers connected by a lattice of skybridges soaring over a landscaped courtyard with outdoor seating. Tax and real propSee COUNTY SQUARE, Page 6
rnorton@scbiznews.com
he face of Marketplace Professional Staffing owner Ray Lattimore disappears from the Zoom window as he turns away his laptop to show the rest of his office. “Here at Marketplace — I don’t know if you can see this — see that Plexiglas screen? See the bottle of Lysol? We have wipes. We’re COVID crazy here. We do temperature checks,” says Lattimore, president and CEO of the Greenville company, still panning his laptop camera. “You see that? We have an air filter in every room. So we’re doing everything that we can to be COVID safe.” Lattimore is not a health expert. But he’s a workforce expert and the precautions taken at his office is as much about a healthy business as a healthy body. And in the coming year, he expects to see improvements in health and business. At Marketplace Professional Staffing, everyone is at the office and preparing to take advantage of opportunity, and Lattimore isn’t just filling jobs for other employers; he is bolstering his own staff. “The reason I made the decision to grow in a pandemic is we are a small, homegrown staffing agency and we’re competing against these big guys, and I figure we better be ready after this pandemic or they’re going to eat our lunch,” he said. “So we have to be better prepared than them, and be there for our clients and go out and secure new clients. I don’t believe you can cut your way to success. I believe you have to grow your way to success. See HIRING, Page 1
Fishing for tourism dollars
The Upstate’s natural resources are a big draw, especially for those seeking a getaway that offers plenty of distancing options. Page 17
Leading Off
BRIEFS | FACTS | STATEWIDE NEWS | C-SUITE
A LA CARTE
Mashburn Construction and The Beach Co. announced the completion of Can-
What are your chances of getting audited in S.C.?
Y
ou know the moment comes every time you sign that 1040: Could this end up with a trip to the local IRS office holding a box of receipts and sweaty palms? We understand your feeling, and so does ProPublica. The journalists poured through mounds of data to analyze every county in the U.S. to determine how likely you are to get audited. We broke out the South Carolina stats to kick off 2021. Now you should definitely use a tax preparer, especially if you run a business, and consult a tax attorney if you think your tax situation might be an issue. Because these are statistics, you’re going to find that
Most audited counties in S.C. County Allendale Dillon Marion Marlboro Williamsburg
Federal tax audits in selected S.C. counties Audits per 1,000 10.3 9.7 9.7 9.7 9.5
Least audited counties in S.C. County Lexington Berkeley Dorchester Pickens York
individual circumstances can sway one way or another. For comparison, the national rate of audits is 7.7 per 1,000 filings. The most audited county in the nation is Humphreys County, Miss., with 11.8 audits per 1,000 filings. The county near the Mississippi River Delta has a population of 8,257 people, according to the latest Census data. The reason for the high rates of audits in Humphreys County is because so many of the residents are poor. IRS data show that Americans with the lowest income and those who are exceptionally rich are audited at a higher rate than anyone else.
Audits per 1,000 7.4 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.6
The most populated counties in the state are ranked by the lowest to highest rate of federal tax audits.
County Lexington Berkeley Dorchester Greenville Anderson Charleston Spartanburg Horry Newberry Richland Florence
Audits per 1,000 7.4 7.5 7.5 7.7 7.9 7.9 7.9 7.9 8.0 8.1 8.7
vas Lofts, a new large-scale mixed-use development in downtown Greenville. The Canvas Greenville development is on the corner of Buncombe and Whitner streets, across from Heritage Green.
Converse College has launched the “Converse Guarantee” — a program guaranteeing undergraduate students will graduate in four years and gain employment or graduate school acceptance within six months after graduation.
North Greenville University opened an
ON THE
RECORD
on-campus health care clinic for stu-
“We arrived at this place and at this time after a long journey over some rough terrain over the last few years.”
dents, faculty and staff. Staffed by coordinator Helen Neely, the clinic is located at West Crain 111 behind the athletic
—Butch Kirven, former chairman, Greenville County Council
complex and is open for in-clinic visits along with phone-first appointments.
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Real estate for real impact
The Charleston Battery soccer club began playing at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant last season in front of a limited capacity crowd. (Photo/Provided)
CHARLESTON
Staff Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal
SeatGeek establishes 1st S.C. partnership with Charleston Battery Ticketing platform SeatGeek works with the likes of the New Orleans Saints and Dallas’ AT&T Stadium, but the company had yet to partner with a South Carolina vendor until recently. The Charleston Battery is now the company’s first Palmetto State partner. The company says it offers a new way of thinking about season ticketing. The Battery is launching an all-new season membership program for the soccer club’s 2021 season and SeatGeek will be the primary ticketing vendor. The multi-year partnership will allow fans to buy, sell and transfer tickets online and through the SeatGeek mobile app. Fans can also use the app to enjoy match-day features like contactless entry, weather updates and ride sharing to the Battery’s new home at Patriots Point Complex in Mount Pleasant. The club began play in the new stadium last season in front of a limited capacity crowd.
COLUMBIA
Staff Report, Columbia Regional Business Report
The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce has paid more than $10 million to the first round of eligible claimants for extended federal unemployment benefits. The $300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation supplemental benefits, part of the Continued Assistance Act of 2020 signed into law on Dec. 27, were paid overnight, according to a news release from DEW on Jan. 4. Beginning with claim week ending Jan. 2, claimants who are eligible to receive at least $1 of an unemployment program will also receive an additional $300 on top of their weekly benefit amount, the agency said. The additional benefit will be provided through claim week ending March 13. A pair of federal unemployment programs, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, expired for the claim week ending Dec. 26. DEW is continuing to receive Labor Department guidance to implement benefits programs. Updates will be communicated online and through social media, the agency said. BEST ADVICE Scott Sharp, TD Bank regional vice president
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DECEMBER 7-20, 2020 ■ $2.25
VOLUME 27 NUMBER 1 ■ CHARLESTONBUSINESS.COM
Part of the
By Shawn Saulsberry
A
s a native of Charleston, one must think about why the city is not only a great place to live, but also a great place to build a career. Given these times of racism and social injustice, I also have to consider whether African
Americans, like myself, or indigenous people or people of color can actually have equal access to the components that make for a good career: education, experience, inclusion, mentoring, sponsorship and a broad network. In all honesty, See SAULSBERRY, Page 8
Corps legacy
Business merger
Citadel grad pledges $20 million to South Carolina’s military college. Page 5
Pair of law firms combine in West Columbia home. Page 6
Multimodal hub
Falling numbers
S.C. tourism numbers down $5.2 billion since February. Page 11
INSIDE
Upfront................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs................ 3 In Focus: Architecture, Engineering and Construction .......................................... 13 List: Engineering Firms ...... 14 At Work .............................. 21 Viewpoint ...........................23
By Melinda Waldrop
E
mwaldrop@scbiznews.com
very so often, Ed Causebrook gets a phone call that always makes him smile. The caller is an elderly lady, living alone, who received emergency home repairs several years ago through a partnership between Causebrook’s organization, the Housing Development Corp. of Rock Hill, and the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority’s Housing Trust Fund. The woman received a new heating system, roof, and flooring, along with a few seasonal extras. “Being near Thanksgiving, we were able to
ON THE
HORIZON
By Teri Errico Griffis
T
EXPECT ECONOMY TO SOAR ACROSS U.S.
The SC Housing Trust Fund’s emergency home repair program covers up to $10,000 in essential reapairs necessary for the safety of the homeowner. Leaking roofs are a frequently seen issue. (Photo/File)
Pulling together get her a turkey and food,” said Causebrook, the Rock Hill group’s housing rehabilitation coordinator. “And she still calls me, every once in a while, just to see how I’m doing. That’s what’s rewarding.” Causebrook’s caller is one of hundreds of people helped each year by a pair of SC Housing Trust Fund programs which reimburse eligible grantees for essential repairs on homes owned by those meeting income requirements. The two program categories, emergency repair and owner-occupied repair, made up more than half of a total of $6.8 million HTF awards for fiscal year 2020 in the state. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of the owner-occupied program, an extensive initiative which covers up to
$25,000 in home repairs and requires a greater in-home presence by contractors. The emergency repair grant program, which covers up to $10,000 in essential repairs necessary for the life or safety of the occupant, is still operating and in need, officials say, of more nonprofit participants as the pandemic drains organizations’ staff and resources. “The pandemic has definitely put a dent in the number of nonprofits that are participating in the program,” Jennifer Cogan, director of community development for SC Housing, said. “We have 40 or 41 that are approved to participate, and what we’re seeing is only about half of those right now are actively submitting (repair) applications.” See HOUSING, Page 20
Architecture honors
Columbia firms win various state, regional design awards. Page 17
Upstate company’s product used to transport vaccine. Page 3
Daniel Island economist Stephen Slifer offers his outlook for several vital sectors leading the economy in 2021. INSIDE: Pages 15-20
Aerospace investing Charleston private equity firm invests in aerospace company. Page 7
INSIDE
Upfront................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs................ 3 Best Advice.......................... 4 In Focus: 2021 Year Ahead ... 15 List: Executive Recruiting Firms ............... 20 At Work ..............................23 Hot Properties .....................28 Viewpoint ...........................29
WINTER 2020 Shawn Saulsberry. (Photo/Kim McManus)
School focuses on in-demand hiring sectors
The Quin office project on the Upper Peninsula, one of Frampton Construction’s many projects, can be seen over a field of fog looking toward the Cooper River Bridge. Construction, which was a bright spot in 2020, is expected to remain robust in 2021.
Speculative park being developed near CAE. Page 7
JANUARY 11 - 24, 2021 ■ $2.25
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Why Charleston is a strategic location for career growth Editor’s note: This column by local executive and consultant Shawn Saulsberry originally appeared online and is published with permission as part of a special look at the coming year. More voices and insight can be found throughout this edition of the Charleston Regional Business Journal.
BUSINESSES OFFER INSIGHT INTO 2021 The Business Journal asked area businesses to tell us about their aspirations and trepidations for the coming year. INSIDE: Pages 12-13
tgriffis@scbiznews.com
he first year at Cooper River Center for Advanced Studies hasn’t gone exactly as principal Vanessa Brown had imagined. The 84,000 square-foot career center in North Charleston opened in September to young men and women currently attending Burke, North Charleston and R.B. Stall high schools as well as Military Magnet. Enrolled students have the opportunity to study seven career pathways — architecture and construction; manufacturing; transportation, distribution and logistics; health science; arts, AV technology and communications; STEM; and information technology. All the programs of study align with immediate, high-demand, high-wage employment opportunities in the region, two-year technical school programs and four-year university degrees. At the building dedication last fall, Brown, a lifelong resident of North Charleston and a product of Charleston County schools, pledged that she and her staff would develop highly trained professionals. “Now students who live in the same
Home grown
Where you’re likely to get audited in S.C.
These counties have a higher rate of federal tax audits. Page 2
County Spotlight: Horry | Trending: Agriculture in S.C. | S.C. Delivers
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The new county administrative building will consist of a north and south office tower housing the magistrate and probate courts on the terrace level and offices throughout. (Rendering/Provided)
COUNTY SQUARE, from Page 1
erty service offices will be housed in the lobby along with the council chambers and retail space, while the probate and magistrate courts — accessible by elevators with touchless call buttons and air purifiers — will dominate the terrace level alongside additional county office space. The county’s family court, along with additional federal and state offices, will move to a separate facility on Halton Road. The new designs place the county veterans memorial, now sidelined
undevelopable by some for the project to begin with. “In good Greenville fashion, we have taken the hardest bite first, using the most difficult terrain on our campus to create a beautiful space for the public,” Kernell said. “The elevation changes more than two stories from diagonal corner to diagonal corner of this site, which many of you would consider problematic for designing a busy public facility. We have used this geography to create multiple front doors and incorporate the natural hills of Greenville into the county’s new facility.”
“In good Greenville fashion, we have taken the hardest bite first, using the most difficult terrain on our campus to create a beautiful space for the public.” Joe Kernell Greenville County Administrator
beside the former shopping mall shell that contains current County Square offices, as a focal point at the front of the structure. Under the guidance of DPR Construction and Greenville-based engineering firm Seamon Whiteside, the project is expected to reach completion within two years — despite the fact that the raw site may have been deemed
And the county administration building is only, in Kernell’s words, “the first piece of a very large puzzle,” a 40-acre public-private redevelopment project crafted to pay off the project’s $68 million in expenses, increasing the county’s tax base without raising any additional taxes. Beginning in 2006, firms interested in developing the 35 acres beside Universi-
The two office buildings will be linked by a bridge spanning a landscaped courtyard. (Rendering/Provided)
ty Ridge began to approach the county, but the 30,000-square-foot footprint of the deteriorating ex-shopping center routed any lasting plans, said Butch Kirven on his last day as chairman of the Greenville County Council. Necessary roofing repairs on the existing building and the potential for future development drove the design up to five stories. “Roche Point is development partner,” Kirven told GSA Business Report. “They’ve got total control of the land sales and development at the approval of County Square. The county benefits
from the proceeds of the land sales. Roche Point’s job is to determine the economic viability of each component of that development. It won’t all be done at one time — you may have a small piece of two-and-a-half acres. It might be a hotel or mixed-use [project], and we’ll move on from there.” Under Roche Point’s guidance, the surrounding acreage will transition into private land, boosting county revenue in addition to the land sales used to pay off the construction cost of the administration offices.
January 11 - January 24, 2021
“The good thing about the private property component being developed, is it goes on the tax rolls in perpetuity,” he said. “So, the build-out, in 10 years or so, estimates now about $23.5 million in tax revenue to the taxing authorities. The first components of that will be used to pay down the public infrastructure that’s needed to develop the site — the street changes and drainage and all that. And after that’s done, the money can be applied to serving the needs of the public as the future council at that time. Retail and multi-use project aside, the street side of the project will also be reconfigured to a downtown street grid with wider, more pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, according to Kirven. A few hours before the swearing in of three new county councilors, the old council dug golden shovels into the earth after what Kirven called years of “planning and more planning, votes and more votes, disagreements and then, finally agreements.” The new council will cut the ribbon once complete. “I’m looking forward to doing business in a whole different way here, and hopefully it pays for itself with the public-private partnership,” said incoming Councilor Steve Shaw, adding that he’s confident Joe Kernell and others with a background in city finance have done their homework. “I see a trend of a lot
www.gsabusiness.com 7
A few hours before four new county councilors were sworn in, the old county council broke ground on the administrative building site. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)
of people from New York and from bigger cities who are living here and telecommuting, so I’m thinking that they’re the kind of people who are going to be buying these places.” Phil Mays, principal of Roche Point Partners, said that the administrative building will function as the lynchpin
for the County Square development project moving forward. “I remember when we were one of the three finalist and pitching this to Councilman Fant who talked a lot about it needing to be a building that was important, that would stand the test of time and that decades later, it’d
be something that the people of Greenville could be proud of,” he said. “And I think we have that with this Foster and Partners building, which will be a real landmark for the local area.” Reach Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1222 or @mollyhulsey_gsa on Twitter.
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January 11 - January 24, 2021
West Coast manufacturer sets up shop in Pickens County By Molly Hulsey
P
mhulsey@scbiznews.com
eabody Engineering and Supply needed a presence on the Eastern seaboard. Between a growing proportion of customers in the East and the freight costs required to ship the company’s polyethylene storage tanks and other plastic product to them, the Corona, Calif.-based manufacturer launched a five-year location scouting mission across several states. Timing also came into play as customers wanted not only lower landed costs but also ever-quickening deliveries. South Carolina surfaced as the golden pick. The state’s manufacturing-friendly climate, tax benefits and low energy costs only sweetened the pot for CEO and founder Mark Peabody, he said, along with a $300,000 Set-Aside grant from the state’s Coordinating Council for Economic Development. At first, settling down in the neighborhood of Greenville’s manufacturing hub seemed to be the natural choice. The nearby Inland Port would make raw materials, imported from foreign suppliers before COVID-19 dissolved international supply chains, more accessible for the manufacturer, which makes molded plastic and fiberglass composite products including polyethylene storage tanks and products to disguise telecommunication equipment. But then Peabody veered into a new frontier, a move that would not only spur the migration of the California’s company’s corporate offices to Liberty, but his extended family as well. “I went over into Pickens … and it was kind of a breath of fresh air,” Peabody told GSA Business Report. “It’s a little more rural, and my thinking was that the labor force there would be more loyal, because
Peabody Engineering’s $5.6 million manufacturing facilities and corporate office project in Pickens is still in the “heavy design phase,” according to CEO Mark Peabody. (Photo/Provided)
there are a lot of people living in Pickens that don’t want to commute to work long distance.” Peabody also wouldn’t have to fight Greenville’s multitude of manufacturers to hire employees for the 35 positions he plans to fill over the next five years, ranging from entry-level labor to managerial positions on the floor, in distribution or in the office, he said. A cohesive company culture is critical for Peabody, who is used to seeing the average employee stay on for at least 10-year tenures. “Most employees who come to work with us, stay with us,” he said. “I don’t like a high turnover, and I thought that in an area like that I could build loyalty and have happier workers.” Pickens County stepped in to help cover soft development costs for the company’s $5.6 million investment at its Pickens County Commerce Park site and connect them to offers from local utility providers. “They’ve bent over backwards to be
accommodating and supportive of our project,” Peabody said. The county is also contributing $25,000 in grant money for the construction of the manufacturing facility and corporate offices by THS Constructors, which is currently in the design phase. “We are blessed to have world-class manufacturers who choose to make Pickens County their home,” Pickens County Council Chairman Roy Costner said in a news release. “That is why we are thrilled to welcome Peabody Engineering as part of the Pickens County family. Their commitment to provide the best of the best in high-quality products to their customers makes them a perfect fit with our exceptional manufacturers in the Pickens County Commerce Park. Peabody Engineering’s mission and values embody everything we believe and hold true for the people who call Pickens County home.” At least six of those people will be native Californians. “When we announced that we were opening up an East Coast facility, my
main concern was that my wife and I were planning on moving here and making this county our home,” Peabody said. “In doing so – we’re both native Californians and we’re leaving our legacy, our friends and … many family members who call California their home.” After making the decision to trek East, Peabody was thrilled to discover that his son, daughter-in-law, granddaughter and mother-in-law would join him and his wife in Liberty. While the company will maintain a manufacturing presence in Corona, some suppliers may also be on the move too. They may not necessarily be on the East Coast — Peabody plans to vet offers through the various trade organizations he is a member of — but the shift will make Peabody Engineering less dependent on international trade trends or infrastructure like the Inland Port. “We’re actively looking for domestic suppliers for some of our products that we have traditionally imported from the Pacific Rim-type companies,” he said. Even if the products come at a higher cost, the instability of trade networks over the past year have made the domestic investment worth it for Peabody. COVID-19 may have curtailed some of the company’s anticipated growth this year, but being an essential industry, Peabody Engineering never had to shutter its doors. Sales remained steady, and Peabody is ready to adjust for whatever adversities may be around the corner. “As an entrepreneur, I just take a look at what the market forces are, we make adjustments and forge ahead,” he said. “That’s the American spirit: we forge ahead, we adjust and we’ll continue to do that.” Reach Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1222 or @mollyhulsey_gsa on Twitter.
Clemson’s annual school for agriculture lenders takes place online Staff Report
gsanews@scbiznews.com
While COVID-19 safety concerns meant the 37th installment of Clemson Extension’s annual Southeast Ag Lenders School was held virtually for the first time, attendees said the conference still succeeded at making them better informed of the decisions farmers are facing in the coming year. “Having attended the SEALS conference in person in 2019, I was excited to participate in the virtual session being offered this year,” Emily Duckworth of Farm Credit Mid-America said in a news release. “It can be difficult to stay focused in Web-Ex meetings, but the team of presenters did a great job engaging the
participants with relevant topics, chat sessions, polls, and case studies. Each presenter demonstrated their passion and knowledge for the topics they covered and provided tangible information that I can use as a financial officer.” Normally held in the spring at Clemson’s Madren Center, the Southeast Ag Lenders School aims to educate agricultural lenders and producers on the factors currently affecting farmers and to bring them up to date on new techniques and new thinking about agriculture. Of the 93 people who registered, 85 were online at one time in the event, and Clemson Agribusiness Extension Associate Scott Mickey said the attendance was a pleasant surprise given that the event
was initially postponed and then changed to a virtual meeting. “We had really good participation with over 90% of registrations attended. Several more watched the recorded version of the school,” Mickey said in the release. Those in attendance included Farm Credit Mid-America, AgSouth Farm Credit, Central Kentucky Ag Credit, AgFirst, commercial banks, extension agents from Clemson University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Tennessee, as well as farm management consultants and 12 farmers. The lineup of speakers and experts included David Kohl (Virginia Tech/ag finance), Steve Isaacs (University of Kentucky/farm management and leadership),
Scott Mickey (Clemson University/farm finance), and Eric Snodgrass (nutrien principal meteorologist), as well as Joe Outlaw from Texas A&M University on the program to share his analysis of the 2020 elections. Participants also worked through a COVID-19 financing case study. “What was unique about this lenders school is that David Kohl said this was one of the first lenders school where there was a cross-section of lenders, producers and others involved in agriculture. We were able to do that because the school was virtual and held in the fall,” Mickey said in the release. Topics included an economic outlook, mental health and financial stress, and general farm accounting.
January 11 - January 24, 2021
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Visit Greenville SC searches for new executive in 2021 By Molly Hulsey
mhulsey@scbiznews.com
(Photo/Provided)
Visit Greenville SC’s CEO of 24 years, Chris Stone, passes the torch following his retirement on Dec. 31, but as the visitor’s bureau heads into a year of anticipated recovery, the next torch bearer has not been named. “Chris saw the potential of Greenville as a visitor destination years ago when so many did not,” Greenville Mayor Knox White said in a news release. “He played a major role in helping us realize that potential. We’ve come so far because of Chris’ vision and hard work. I always had a great partner in Chris. I especially appreciate that he Chris Stone saw the value of the river and all the things that make our city distinctive and attractive.” When Stone was first recruited for the position in 1996, many of the tourism icons that make Greenville, Greenville did not exist. The city had its legacy as the bygone “Textile Capital of the World,” but Falls Park, Liberty Bridge, RiverPlace and public arts spaces were nowhere to be
found. Since then, tourism has become a $1.4 billion industry in the city, garnering more than a million visitors and $81.2 million in state and local tax revenue, under Stone’s leadership, according to the release. When financial limitations threatened to squelch plans for marketing the city’s new Falls Park and Liberty Bridge, Stone spearheaded an investment campaign that brought $50,000 to $4,000,000 into city coffers: “Yeah, That Greenville.” Stone’s 1999 “Reedy River Corridor Vision Plan” also laid the groundwork for public art installations and the “Emerald Necklace” concept linking Cleveland Park to Falls Park to Unity Park, as well as the Swamp Rabbit Trail, Fluor Field and Heritage Green, among other landmark features. “Playing an active role in Greenville’s destination emergence during the past 20 years has been unbelievably rewarding,” Stone said in the release. “Visitors find a genuine surprise and delight with their experience here, which is a salute to our masterfully played out urban plan. To have become a place that few could have imagined is an achievement beyond description.” Dave Edwards, chairman of Visit Greenville’s board of directors and CEO of the Greenville-Spartanburg Interna-
tional Airport, recognizes that filling Stone’s shoes may not be an easy task and the bureau is willing to take some time to find the right fit. “We’re still on the hunt,” he said. “We have hired an executive search firm for the recruitment of a new president and CEO.” The board has also set up a search committee and has identified community
“My hope is, by at least the end of February, we will have made an offer to a successful candidate. Dave Edwards CEO, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport
stakeholders that will be able to provide input on what skillsets Visit Greenville’s next executive should bring to the table. “In a couple of weeks, we will have our first meeting to go through a selective pool of candidates,” Edwards said. “My hope is, by at least the end of February, we will have made an offer to a successful candidate.” As for the year ahead, Edwards and Jennifer Stilwell, executive vice president and chief strategic officer for Visit Greenville, expect a rise in demand among
leisure day travelers, especially those seeking outdoor-oriented experiences, following current trends. “We’re looking forward to, hopefully, a rebounding 2021 in a much bigger way than what we saw here in the latter part of 2020,” Edwards said. “We have seen from a Visit Greenville standpoint, some good activity in downtown Greenville, especially on weekends.” Still, the bureau doesn’t expect a full recovery until late 2021 to 2022, after the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more readily accessible, prompting renewed confidence in business travel. “While it is true Americans miss traveling and are actively daydreaming about taking a trip, the overwhelming sentiment remains cautious about travel in the months ahead,” Stilwell said in an email. “We are carefully monitoring leisure travel behavior and anticipate seeing the potential return of business travel and group demand starting back up in the second half of the year. The biggest antidote to igniting heightened demand at scale will be widespread access to the vaccines. No doubt a long, slow, steady climb remains ahead, but optimism for travel recovery is abundantly present.” Reach Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1222 or @mollyhulsey_gsa on Twitter.
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January 11 - January 24, 2021
Army autonomous vehicle research center housed at CU-ICAR Staff Report
U
gsanews@scbiznews.com
.S. Army autonomous vehicle research and an $18 million federal grant will drive the development of a Virtual Prototyping of Ground System Center at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research. Automotive autonomy technology is changing economies and global industries — and is also a driving force behind military modernization. Bringing these self-driving vehicles to life on- and off-road requires new concepts and algorithms to be tested expeditiously and cost-effectively — all of which happen through virtual prototyping, according to a news release. This key enabler for autonomy is the focus behind the new $18 million center at CU-ICAR and a research partnership with the U.S. Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC). The Virtual Prototyping of Ground Systems Center will serve as the impetus for the research project. As founding director of the center, Zoran Filipi will lead more than 65 Clemson faculty across seven engineering departments on the multi-year research partnership with the GVSC to develop virtual prototyping tools supporting the rapid transformation of U.S. Army fleets. The research will be focused on autonomy-enabled ground vehicles, including digital engineering, next-generation propulsion and energy systems, and manned and unmanned teaming in unknown off-road environments, the release said. The center will leverage a systems engineering approach to propel research breakthroughs in off-road vehicle autonomy and vehicle propulsion. Research activities will also take place on Clemson’s main campus and will include learning opportunities for students at all levels, the release said. “Autonomous systems and connected vehicles are some of the most significant factors shaping the mobility industry today, and the work being done in off-road autonomy is truly the next frontier,” Clemson President Jim Clements said in the release. “CU-ICAR was designed to foster research and partnerships to benefit our future. Through our deep research strengths and interdisciplinary culture, Clemson is uniquely positioned to lead the way in this important work.” Researchers will build and validate various virtual models and simulations for off-road vehicles with advanced electrified propulsion, situational intelligence, AI-enabled autonomy and team-routing algorithms. The center will support one of the Army Big Six
This past summer at Fort Carson, Colo, modified Bradley Fighting Vehicles, known as Mission Enabling Technologies Demonstrators, and modified M113 tracked armored personnel carriers, or Robotic Combat Vehicles, were used for the Soldier Operational Experimentation Phase 1 to further develop learning objectives for the Manned Unmanned Teaming concept. (Photo/Provided)
Modernization Priorities — developing next-generation combat vehicles — by providing tools for technology roadmaps and hardware demonstrations. “The VIPR Center will be an essential part of a Ground Vehicle Modeling and Simulation Alliance that GVSC will rely on as it leads the U.S. Army in the integration of new capabilities into military ground vehicles,” David Gorsich, US GVSC chief scientist said in the release. Three themes characterize the research efforts: off-road autonomy for multi-scale vehicle fleets; propulsion systems and smart energy; and virtual prototyping and digital engineering for autonomy-enabled off-road vehicles. Models, algorithms, analytical capabilities and decision-making tools resulting from the research will be evaluated by building a physical mock-up of an optionally manned, non-combat, off-road ground vehicle. As the project’s final phase, discoveries and breakthrough innovations from the Center will be fabricated and validated via Deep Orange, the University’s long-running educational prototyping program. The Deep Orange program takes automotive engineering students through a two-year product development process that culminates in a fully functional concept. The program encourages learning by doing, trans-
disciplinary teamwork, leadership and project management skills to best prepare students for the workforce, the release said. Deep Orange has been sponsored by industry leaders such as AVX, BMW, ExxonMobil, EY, Ford, GM, Honda R&D Americas, Mazda, MINI and Toyota. The center’s impact will reach beyond any single project by compressing time needed for design and development in the autonomous space. Not only will this allow partners to significantly reduce timelines for innovation, but virtual prototyping enables new design capabilities that cut across industry sectors and applications. Center leadership will involve industry to amplify breakthrough innovation and translation, the release said. By aligning strategic partners with Clemson’s research strengths in artificial intelligence, simulation and advanced computing, university officials expect the center to fuel the next wave of mobility to be smarter, safer and more robust. Clemson was recently cited alongside some of the nation’s most elite universities as a top “10 Innovative Engineering Institute,” by Mechanical Engineering, the flagship magazine of The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The center is designed to accelerate the development and validation of
high-impact technologies, acting as a catalyst for economic growth, according to the release. Driven by fundamental research, the center supports South Carolina’s economic development efforts, industry innovation priorities and the development of a highly skilled workforce. “This type of work is the driving force behind why South Carolina invested in our idea for the CU-ICAR campus, and we are grateful for the legislature’s continued support and the hard work of Congressman (James) Clyburn and Sen. (Lindsey) Graham to bring this project to life. It will pave the way for opportunities for our faculty, our students and our state,” Clements said. Funding for VIPR-GS is from the United States Department of Defense. “For the last decade, we have diligently strengthened and expanded our capabilities to become the nationally-recognized institution we are today,” said Zoran Filipi, chair of the Department of Automotive Engineering and founding director of the VIPR-GS Center, said in the release. “From our skilled autonomous vehicle research team to our unmatched expertise in advanced propulsion and systems engineering DNA, this is exactly the type of high-impact, multi-disciplinary, ambitious research challenge we were built for.”
January 11 - January 24, 2021
www.gsabusiness.com 11
THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE SC BIZ NEWS FAMILY What’s new on SCBIZtv this week? Check us out on YouTube. With more than 100 archived videos (and counting), you’ll find a wide variety of businessrelated content, including: Virtual awards shows, Power Events, interviews with high-level business executives and several ongoing video series, including Coffee With…, 120 Seconds, Industry Trends and Coping with Covid. Here’s just a taste of what you’ll find on SCBIZtv this week
VIRTUAL AWARDS SHOWS
120 SECONDS
COFFEE WITH…
COPING WITH COVID
From Women of Influence in the Upstate to Forty Under 40 in the Lowcountry to Icons and Phenoms in the Midlands, you’re sure to find executives you know being honored in a variety of ways.
Business executives sharing insight about their business, the industry in which they work and the community in which they live.
CEOs answering as many questions as they can in two minutes. You’ll definitely learn something personal about the executive and get a thoughtful answer on a serious topic to boot.
Explores the impact the Coronavirus is having on our daily lives, both at home and at the office.
This is just a sampling of what you’ll find on SCBIZtv. Check us out on YouTube to find a complete library of archived videos.
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January 11 - January 24, 2021
Greenville teams take revenue hit for enhanced visibility By Molly Hulsey
mhulsey@scbiznews.com
W
hen the Greenville Swamp Rabbits came under the leadership of Spire Hockey President Todd Mackin last March, little did he know that by the 2020-2021 season, his goalies wouldn’t be the only ones masking up. Mackin filled the position after Charlotte-based Spire Hockey, a subsidiary of Spire Holdings, purchased a majority stake in the team from current minority stakeholders Doug Heinzer of Pro Sports Ventures LLC, Bjarne Borg and Mike Panaggio announced in May. While the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t halt all play as it did for some spring sports like the Greenville Drive’s baseball team, from a business standpoint, the entire sport has been on thin ice, he said. Starting Dec. 11, Spire Holdings pushed back the season by two months. “It has immensely affected us,” Mackin told GSA Business Report over the hockey players in the background. “We have a limited capacity in the venue. We have a mask mandate in the venue and a six-foot distancing between people in their seats. It is a little bit difficult to have groups, and that is the lifeblood of this level of sport.” From what Mackin remembers from last March, the team usually curtains off a number of rows in the 15,000-seat venue for games, making 6,000 to 7,000 seats available. Now, the maximum the arena can hold, including full seats in the top row is 3,924, he said. Seats are also purchased in “pods,” which can seat up to a certain number of people, but that doesn’t guarantee that number of spectators. In other words, if a pod of six seats is purchased, and only two spectators are able to attend, there is no way to reopen the other four seats to new customers. “Really, probably the max we could get out there is 3,200 if we sell the entire venue and the entire arena all the way to the very top without curtaining anything off,” he said. “So, it’s a bit of a difficult situation on that side.” He’s not sure what the next few months of play may hold, but he estimates that losses will loom close to $500,000 to the $1 million range. “As far as revenue is concerned it has been a bit debilitating, but the goal is to withstand this, and hopefully the restrictions lessen as we continue to move forward and then we can continue to grow accordingly,” he said. He said safety has been the priority moving into the new season, but it has been a challenge balancing that with customers’ varied notions about what the ideal experience should be. You can’t please everyone, especially when you
The Swamp Rabbits’s season was pushed forward by two months due to COVID-19. Spectators are expected to wear masks and socially distance. (Photo/Provided)
In only two years of existence, the Greenville Triumph has developed an enthusiastic fan base and brought home one championship. (Photo/Provided)
have ardent maskers and non-maskers in the same crowds. And staying on top of mask ordinances across states has also been a challenge over the past year, he said. Still, at least from a competitive standpoint, Mackin said the conditions may have even better prepared the players for this season. “As far as the team on the ice, I don’t feel like it has impacted them that much,” he said. “We only had to push back a couple of months — our whole league did and really the whole sport did. As far as impacting the play on the ice, if anything, it has only improved the caliber of play we’ve been able to put out there.” With fewer teams playing, especially
in the American and European leagues, pandemic freezes may give the team an even greater edge. “We were the only ones playing in December,” he said. The next year will also be spent expanding the brand and navigating a marketing climate where old tactics just don’t work anymore. “A lot of the grassroots marketing and community initiatives that make this and this level of sport so fun, the interaction with fans and the engagement with community and all those things, has kind of been put to a halt at this point,” he said. “So, until we are able do those things again, we’re just trying to put out the message that we are playing hockey. It is still a fun atmosphere.”
Silent stadium seating
From a competitive standpoint, the Greenville Triumph had stellar season, bringing home a USL League One Championship title after only two years of existence, according to Team Owner Joe Erwin. “For that, we are thrilled,” he said, adding that the win was only enhanced by the fact that the Triumph is one of few private teams in the league. “And that has been a real shot in the arm for our whole Upstate and really for our fan base and the team. I think it’s really injecting some extra growth in our brand.” After a four-month delay, the pro team played most of its season to an empty stadium starting in late July — which came at a cost of $2 million in losses. “It’s more expensive to play the season than it would have been to not play the
season,” he said. “Because if you activate a stadium, you still have to have security, you still have to pay referees, and locker rooms and sanitation. You have to do all that stuff, whether you’re admitting fans or not. Financially, candidly, it was a very tough year, and we’re thankful that we’re one of the organizations that did receive PPP funding. That helped but it certainly didn’t account for all of the losses that are embedded. That’s just behind us now.” On the other hand, Erwin said he is bullish that the team’s visibility and safety measures will help stoke fans’ pent-up demand for the 2021 season, which, team leadership might push four weeks back from an original late March starting date. A championship win never hurts when trying to garner local support, and a partnership with WYCW, an affiliate of WSPA, introduced during the pandemic televised seven games after the first reached 20,000 viewers. “Safety matters and trumps all else,” Erwin said. “If it means we take a bigger financial hit, so be it, because what we want to do is create an environment like the end of the 2020 season where fans were seeing, ‘Wow, they come out to Triumph Stadium at Legacy and it feels really safe, because there’s responsible distancing.’ We follow CDC guidelines, and we’ll do all that again as we get into 2021 until such time as we hear and believe along with CDC input that enough people have been vaccinated to where we can go to higher percentages of fans in stadiums.” Reach Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1222 or @mollyhulsey_gsa on Twitter.
January 11 - January 24, 2021
Staring down adversity
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Expect robust growth boosted by the roll out of a vaccine, a red-hot housing market and a last-minute stimulus package as 2021 takes hold By Stephen Slifer
T
stock market seems to agree with this relatively optimistic outlook and has surged to a series of record high levels. American consumers and businesses have proven once again to be remarkably resilient in the face of adversity.
steve@NumberNomics.com
he most surprising aspect of the economy in 2020 was the extraordinary rebound in growth following the quarantine-induced collapse in economic activity in the second quarter. Jobs growth consistently outpaced expectations which caused the unemployment rate to fall at a breathtaking pace from 14.7% in April to 6.7% by November. Fueled by 2.7% mortgage rates the housing market accelerated to the fastest pace of sales in more than a decade. Enhanced by the $1,200 tax refund checks in the spring, consumers spent at a pace faster than they did during the decade-long expansion that ended in March. Economic growth in 2021 will be boosted by another virus-relief/stimulus package. One of the principal worries in this past year was when a vaccine would be available and whether people would be willing to take it. Now we know. A vaccine is here. And with three for-
Declining job losses
Daniel Island economist Stephen Slifer delivers an annual economic outlook on the state of the economy, including his outlook for 2021. (Photo/Mary Wessner Photography, marywessner.com)
mer presidents and Dr. Anthony Fauci willing to take it, concern about its safety should soon disappear. The rapid spread of the virus in the past month could cause a
temporary growth slowdown early in the year as some cities and states choose to implement new stay-at-home orders, but robust growth is expected thereafter. The
Following a mind-boggling loss of 22 million jobs in the two-month March/ April period, the U.S. economy recovered 12 million of those jobs in the next seven months. As a result, the unemployment rate fell much more rapidly-than-expected from 14.7% in April to 6.7% by November. Its speed of descent was astonishing. In June, the Fed believed that the unemployment rate would be 9.3% at the end of the year. By September they lowered that estimate to 7.6%. The 6.7% rate in November should reach the 6.5% mark by year-end. The Fed has more than 1,000 of the smartest economists See OUTLOOK, Page 14
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OUTLOOK, from Page 13
in the business, and they completely missed the mark this year. Consumers spent more freely than expected, which required businesses to keep hiring. People worried about the election and when a vaccine might become available, but their concern did not seem to impact their willingness to spend, nor did it retard businesses being willing to hire. Hats off to both American consumers and businesses. While GDP should return to its pre-recession level soon, perhaps as early as the first quarter of this year, the unemployment rate will be slower to do so. However, it will reach full employment much sooner than currently expected. In September, the Fed said that it did not expect the unemployment rate to fall to its full employment level of 4% until the end of 2023 – three years from now. That forecast is way off the mark. We look for the unemployment rate to hit that mark by December 2021, two years ahead of the Fed’s time table. We believe that the Fed and most private-sector economists continue to underestimate the ability of Americans to adapt to adversity. Some economists suggest that many unemployed workers, restaurant workers and former hotel employees in particular, along with retail workers, will become so discouraged that they simply give up looking for a job and drop out of the labor force. But those workers are captured in a broader measure of unemployment called U-6. Like the official measure it, too, has fallen rapidly since the recession ended and now stands at 12%. That seems high. But because it is a much broader measure of unemployment, its full employment threshold is also higher, probably about 8%, which is where it stood going into the recession. If we are correct, both measures will drop to their full employment levels by the end of 2021.
Consumers not cowered
Like most economic indicators, retail sales collapsed during the recession. But in the subsequent seven months, fueled by the proceeds of their $1,200 tax refund checks, spending surged, and sales are now faster than they were in the months prior to the recession. Indeed, in the past year — which includes both the drop in retail sales during the recession as well as the subsequent rebound — retail sales have risen 5.7%. In the recent decadelong expansion retail sales rose, on average, 4.3% annually. Consumers have not cowered in the wake of the pandemic and the recession. They spent freely and are going to keep spending. The $1,200 tax refund checks boosted income in April. With the economy essentially in lockdown they had no place to spend that additional income and, as a result, the savings rate soared from around 6% normally to 33.7% in
January 11 - January 24, 2021
April. As the economy reopened it has fallen to 13.6%. But 13.6% is still a very high level and consumers have plenty of ammo to spend in the months ahead if they choose to do so. With the savings rate at 13.6% consumers have $2.7 trillion of savings. If the savings rate were normal at 6%, savings would be $1.2 trillion. This means that consumers today have surplus savings of $1.5 trillion — funds that are available for them to spend. Prior to the recession, consumer spending rose $0.7 trillion in 2019. Thus, the current level of savings can support consumer spending for the next two years. Consumers appear poised to spend rather than hang onto their surplus savings.
Hot housing market
One of the things they have been choosing to spend their money on is housing. Indeed, the economic rebound has clearly been led by housing. Existing home sales have surged to 6.8 million, which is the fastest pace since 2006. The average time between the listing of a home with a Realtor and its actual sale is just 21 days — the shortest period of time ever. At the same time, the number of homes on the market is about one-half of what real estate professionals need. Any way you slice it, housing is hot. And if more homes were available for Realtors to sell, sales would likely be 7.5 million rather than 6.8 million. Why is housing on fire? Easy. At 2.9%, the 30-year mortgage rate is the lowest on record. That rate is attracting buyers in droves. In addition, in the past nine months workers have found they can work from anywhere and are exiting large, expensive rentals in big cities and purchasing less expensive homes in the suburbs and in resort communities like Lake Tahoe, the Jersey shore, and the mid-Atlantic beaches. With rates likely to remain extremely low for at least another year, housing will remain hot throughout 2021.
Manufacturing economy
Now, consider the manufacturing side of the economy. The Institute for Supply Management each month publishes an index that reflects the pace of economic activity in the manufacturing sector. This index has climbed rapidly in the past seven months, and its October level was the highest since September 2018. The index consists of a number of sub-components such as orders, production, inventories, and employment. The overall index is being fueled by the orders component, which is at its highest reading since January 2004. Meanwhile, production is being constrained by supply difficulties. Manufacturers and their suppliers are operating in reconfigured factories, but absenteeism, short-term shutdowns to sanitize facilities, and difficulties in hiring workers are causing strains that will likely curtail
manufacturing growth early next year. Thus, orders are flowing in. Production is increasing but at a considerably slower pace. As a result, both manufacturers and their suppliers are drawing down inventories to satisfy as much of the demand for their goods as they can. In fact, if one takes the ratio of the orders component to the inventories index, it is at the highest level in a decade. Manufacturers need to significantly boost the pace of production to satisfy demand. The rising back-
log of orders will keep the factory sector humming for months to come.
Inoculating the economy
In the spring nobody knew how quickly a vaccine might be available. Now we know. One vaccine started distribution in December, and others will follow in the first half of the new year. It typically takes 10 years for a new vaccine to be developed, tested and approved. That time table has been com-
January 11 - January 24, 2021
www.gsabusiness.com 15
pressed into a single year. Some suggest that the availability of the vaccine has been pushed forward solely for political reasons. Nonsense. Science made this happen. Given their ability to map the human genome, scientists were quickly able to identify the specific gene that was the cause of the problem. Once isolated, it became much easier than in the past to find a vaccine that would halt its ability to spread. We all owe thanks to those biomedical engineers that compressed the normal vaccine development process from 10 years to one. Even more astounding is the fact that the vaccines available thus far have proven to be more than 90% effective, which compares favorably to the ordinary annual flu vaccine that has an effective rate of 40%-60% effective. Technology saved the day. Some people worry that the American people will be afraid to take the vaccine, or not know which vaccine is the safest. But if three former presidents, President-elect Joe Biden, and Dr. Anthony Fauci are all willing to take the vaccine, it is hard to believe that the fear factor will linger for long.
Data clear for strong 2021
So let’s review the evidence. Every month businesses continue to hire workers and the unemployment rate falls. See OUTLOOK, Page 16
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OUTLOOK, from Page 15
While the economy is not back to full employment, it should be there by the end of 2021. We do not know what the Fed thinks, but the end-of-year unemployment rate is already a full percentage point lower than it expected in September. Surely, its time table for achieving full employment is much sooner than December 2023. As jobs are created, consumer income will continue to rise and provide fuel for additional spending. Such spending will be supplemented as consumers draw down their surplus savings. If mortgage rates remain close to their current level the housing sector will thrive in 2021. And as more workers become available and COVID-19 diminishes in importance, the manufacturing sector can step on the gas and boost production to satisfy demand. Finally, vaccines are being distributed and more will follow in the months ahead. No wonder the stock market has set sequential record high levels every couple of weeks. Then, add to the mix another fiscal stimulus/virus relief government spending package. With President-elect Biden, Democrats, Republicans, incoming Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Fed Chair Jerome Powell all behind the stimulus, its passage was inevitable. The package passed in late December should be regarded as an interim bill, which could be followed by an even larger package once the new president takes office. We currently expect a 5.5% rate of GDP expansion in 2021. Additional government spending could boost that estimate. While a stimulus package will enlarge the budget deficit and increase U.S. Treasury debt outstanding, those adverse consequences will have to be dealt with later. On the inflation side, a dramatic acceleration in the rate of growth in the money supply should boost the inflation rate in
January 11 - January 24, 2021
2021. Fueled by Fed purchases of U.S. Treasury securities in the spring, money growth has surged from a 6% pace prior to the recession to 24% — a pace not seen since 1983. Such rapid growth in money will not only provide fuel for consumers to spend and businesses to expand, but will likely boost the inflation rate next year. We look for the core CPI to increase from 1.7% this year to 2.7% in 2021. The Fed will ignore this moderate pickup in the rate of inflation. Indeed, in the
“We all owe thanks to those biomedical engineers that compressed the normal vaccine development process from 10 years to one...Technology saved the day.”
short-term, it wants inflation above its 2% target to make up for its shortfall in earlier years. COVID-19 could dent growth in early part of the year, but a vaccine will soon slow its rate of spread. At the same time, the economic fundamentals described above appear solid. Thus, any GDP slowdown early in the year should be viewed as temporary. The level of GDP is not yet back to where it was prior to the recession. But it is closing the gap quickly and could reach that level in the first half of this year. The unemployment rate is not yet back to full employment, but it is moving in that direction quickly and should reach it by the end of 2021. The economy continues to mend
quickly and the economic outlook appears bright. Daniel Island economist Stephen Slifer served as the chief U.S. economist for Lehman Brothers in New York City from 1980 until his retirement in 2003. Slifer directed the firm’s
U.S. economics group and was responsible for forecasting and analysis of the U.S. economy. He also served as a senior economist at the Board of Governors for the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C. Read his regular column in the Charleston Regional Business Journal and contact him at steve@NumberNomics.com.
In Focus
2021: THE YEAR AHEAD LIST: Economic Development Agencies, Page 19
NEXT ISSUE’S FOCUS:
Industrial Staffing Solutions
Tourism execs see future in outdoor and leisure tourism By Molly Hulsey
T
mhulsey@scbiznews.com
imothy Bush stepped to the helm of One Spartanburg Inc.’s tourism department only a handful of months after the lifeblood of Upstate tourism — business travel, particularly through Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport — skidded to a halt. The chief tourism development officer had his work cut out for him upon arrival in October 2020, but after 16 years of leadership in the industry and role in launching the Cajun Bayou brand in Louisiana’s Lafourche Parish, he’s well acquainted with the ebbs and flows of the sector. “2021 will start off slow,” Bush told GSA Business Report. “Second quarter will be a little better off, but by the time we get to the third and fourth quarter, I think we’re really going to be in the process of turning the corner. I think by the time … we get to 2022, I think we’re going to see some really strong increases.” He does foresee some rebranding strategies in the works and, although he cannot yet share any specific plans, Bush said 2020 brought to light travel trends that may remain in place for years to come. “I think Spartanburg is in a unique position, but I think about how we can continue to build on the success that we’ve already had by creating new messaging that allows us to speak to business,” he said, adding that the messaging would highlight some of the city’s best quirks. And judging from the success of sports-based and leisure tourism in the city, perhaps open-air jaunts or down-
BASS, organizers of the Bassmaster Classic held on Lake Hartwell in 2018, estimated an economic impact of more than $24 million. (Photo/Provided)
town shopping sprees will play significant roles in the city’s future appeal, he said. Last fall, pandemic losses spurred on a sharp drop in area hotel occupancy year-over year, but October saw 52.7% occupancy numbers — an increase from those recorded in the spring. He said these values corresponded with increases in capital penny sales tax and hospitality tax income credited to the county’s Bringing Back the Burg task force. In November, hospitality tax income from the county peaked above 2019’s $400,000 mark, while October’s capital penny sales tax income continued to reach past $4 million — also an increase from 2019. GSP airport passenger numbers from 2019 dwarf those record-
ed this fall — as do accommodation revenues – but both have seen a slow increase, along with visitors to Morgan Square, which reached about 7,000 in November. Leisure travel, especially in terms of sports tournaments, have dominated the city and county tourism scene, along with small business meetings. “We, as a community, have fared better than other communities primarily because of sports coming into Spartanburg as a result of our outreach,” said Bush, especially with the capability of sports and outdoor activities to provide for social distancing. In 2024, Spartanburg and Cherokee County will host NCAA Division II Field Hockey National Championship
and Cross Country Regional Championships, which will return to county in 2025. All in all, Bush thinks the vaccine will trigger a wave of visitors in the months to come, preceded by travelers who feel more comfortable making the trek to see friends and family. Quoting a national study, he argued that 80% of respondents had a tentative trip in the works for the future, 44% want to make a major trip once the vaccine becomes available and 45% are open to hearing more about travel options in the months to come. “I think that there’s been a lot of pentup demand,” said Bush. See TOURISM, Page 18
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IN FOCUS: 2021: THE YEAR AHEAD
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Spartanburg saw a year-over-year uptick in visitors to Morgan Square in May after the city barricaded the area for pedestrian traffic and outdoor seating for restaurants. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)
TOURISM, from Page 17
Fishing for lake lodging
Anderson’s tourism economy is upheld by two pillars: recreation on Lake Hartwell and Clemson football. One has served as an outlet for stir-crazy residents and tourists alike this year. The other attracted far fewer visitors than expected. “We have the highest concentration of hotel rooms outside of Clemson, so during a typical football season, our hotels are full seven weekends each fall between Labor Day and Thanksgiving,” said Neil Paul, executive director of Visit Anderson. Death Valley spectator limitations — coupled with halted business travel — brought a crushing blow to restaurants and hotels already hobbled by pandemic occupancy ceilings and bottomed-out demand. And at first, it appeared as though Anderson’s other outdoor events would be in the lurch until 2021. One major draw is the Bass Federation High World Finals, which attract up to 1,000 families from across the country to fish, Paul said. Conservative estimates posit that visitors directly spend an average of $175 in the community per angler, per day. “Back in the springtime, with the outbreak of the global pandemic in the spring, we lost all of our spring events from a fishing and outdoor standpoint,” he said. “Thankfully, we were able to reschedule. We did lose one event. We picked up two that we did not have originally scheduled and we rescheduled one event for 2021, but otherwise we were able to move all our spring events to the fall.” Rescheduled events reeled in 5,000 hotel stays in Anderson between mid-August and mid-November. “And in a global pandemic, that’s a pretty significant number for sure,” he said. As for 2021, Paul wasn’t able to pitch any upcoming events yet, but is hopeful about their continued success and the chance for Anderson to tap Lake Hart-
Anderson’s Green Pond Landing and Event Center is set to receive $1.5 million from the county’s 2021 budget. (Photo/File)
well’s burgeoning potential, especially as droves of anglers, hikers and campers driven outside by the pandemic. “We’ve got a lake that covers 56,000 acres,” he said. “It’s fed by two rivers and it appears a lot larger. I mean, the lake carries roughly a thousand miles of shoreline, and I tell people the lake has more shoreline than the coast of California.” According to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, the Hartwell reservoir attracts about 10.5 million visitors each year, close to the 12 million travelers the Great Smoky Mountains National Park draws as the most visited national park in the country, he said. “So, if the lake were a national park, it’d be the second most visited national park in America,” he said. “When you figure that there’s really no lodging, no true lodging in terms of hotels, and there’s a limited number of campgrounds available on the lake, and you see that kind of traffic, I think people have seen there is a need for more lodging type destinations along the lake.” Reach Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1222 or @mollyhulsey_gsa on Twitter.
IN FOCUS: 2021: THE YEAR AHEAD
January 11 - January 24, 2021
www.gsabusiness.com 19
Economic Development Organizations Ranked by No. of Employees in the Upstate
•
Company
Phone / Website / Email
Top Official(s) / Year Founded
Appalachian Council of Governments 30 Century Circle Greenville, SC 29607
864-242-9733 www.scacog.org info@scacog.org
Steven R. Pelissier 1965
46
Clemson University Research Foundation 391 College Ave., Suite 401 Clemson, SC 29631
864-656-0797 www.curf.clemson.edu curf@clemson.edu
Chris Gesswein, Vincie C. Albritton 1982
15
Generate research funding opportunities for Clemson University and to support research initiatives that advance university discoveries to create new products and services for public use and benefit
Upstate S.C. Alliance 124 Verdae Blvd., Suite 202 Greenville, SC 29607
864-283-2300 www.upstatescalliance.com mwatson@upstatealliance.com
John H. Lummus 2000
11
A public/private regional economic development organization; market and promote the northwestern corner of South Carolina; position the Upstate to excel in the global economy through strategic marketing, collaboration, and thought leadership; work as a team with our local economic developers, investors
Clemson Region Small Business Development Centers 225 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Suite C-12 Greenville, SC 29607
864-370-1545 www.scsbdc.com clemsonsbdc@clemson.edu
Jill K. McCollum 1979
9
Advance South Carolina's economic development by helping entrepreneurs grow successful businesses; offering five offices in the Upstate
City of Mauldin Department of Community Development 5 E. Butler Road Mauldin, SC 29662
864-289-8903 www.cityofmauldin.org vbroad@mauldincitysc.com
Van Broad, Brandon Madden 1957
7
A progressive municipality located in the Upstate; population of around 25,000 people; dedicated to providing high-quality services in order to promote a safe, welcoming environment for people to live, work and play
Greenville Area Development Corp. 233 N. Main St., Suite 250 Greenville, SC 29601
864-235-2008 www.gogadc.com dgaudreau@greenvillecounty.org
Kevin Landmesser, J. Mark Farris 2001
7
Recruit new companies to Greenville and help existing business expand with the goal of raising quality of life and per capita incomes for Greenville County citizens
City of Greenville Department of Economic Development 206 S. Main St., 9th Floor Greenville, SC 29601
864-467-4401 www.greenvillescbusiness.com econdev@greenvillesc.gov
Merle Johnson 1831
6
To promote a variety of activities and programs designed to obtain a healthy balance of strategic economic growth and improved quality of life; facilitating private development, implementing programs for business retention, pursuing annexation opportunities, developing and implementing revitalization, recruiting businesses and cultivating residential development
S.C. Technology & Aviation Center 2 Exchange St. Greenville, SC 29605
864-277-3152 www.sc-tac.com
Karen Gordon, Danny Moyd, Jody Bryson 1964
6
Business and industrial air park with more than 100 tenant companies that have an international presence in such industries as manufacturing, trade, technology, automotive and aviation, including Lockheed Martin, Michelin and 3M
Anderson County Economic Development 126 N. McDuffie St. Anderson, SC 29621
864-260-4386 www.acscdevelopment.com bnelson@andersoncountysc.org
Teri Cox Gilstrap, A. Burriss Nelson 1986
5
Recruit, create and support new industries within Anderson County and provide support to existing industries and businesses, in order to create jobs, wealth and an expanded tax base in Anderson County
Spartanburg Economic Futures Group 105 N. Pine St. Spartanburg, SC 29302
864-594-5000 www.economicfuturesgroup.com koneill@spartanburgchamber.com
Dwayne Hatchett, Katherine O'Neill, Kyle Sox 2000
5
Primary point of contact for domestic and international companies considering locations in Spartanburg county, state of South Carolina and the southeast U.S.
Ten at the Top 150 Executive Center Drive, Suite 202 Greenville, SC 29615
864-283-0345 www.tenatthetop.org info@tenatthetop.org
Dean Hybl 2009
5
Foster trust and collaboration through partnerships and cooperation that impact economic vitality and quality of life across Upstate South Carolina
Appalachian Development Corp. 880 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Suite 3-E Greenville, SC 29607
864-382-2350 www.adcloans.com info@adcloans.com
Connally Bradley 1982
4
We exist to provide SBA 504 loans and ADC funded loans throughout South Carolina to assist in the growth and economic development of businesses
Carolinas Alliance 4 Innovation 1907 Bethel Road Simpsonville, SC 29681
864-884-8899 www.ca4i.com
Lee Stogner, Fred Payne 2016
4
Promoting economic development as a 501(c)(6) corporation using innovative solutions with advanced multimodal transportation, infrastructure, engineering and education options
City of Anderson Economic Development 102 N. Murray Ave. Anderson, SC 29625
864-231-2605 www.andersoncityeconomicdevelopment.com kspears@cityofandersonsc.com
Kimberly Spears 2014
4
Plans and programs fostering the economic development and redevelopment of the city, including areas of recruitment, real estate development, business expansion and retention, marketing, promotions and planning signature events
Greenwood Partnership Alliance 104 Maxwell Ave., 6th Floor Greenwood, SC 29648
864-889-1250 www.partnershipalliance.com info@partnershipalliance.com
Kay Self, Dawn Hiller 1986
4
Provide leadership and financial support to improve economic growth and educational achievement in Greenwood County, in order to enhance the area's quality of life
SCBIO 1140 Woodruff Road, Suite 106 Greenville, SC 29607
864-397-5101 www.scbio.org info@scbio.org
Erin Ford, Sam Konduros 2010
4
Build the nation's most industry-friendly and innovative life sciences ecosystem and business environment to fuel the knowledge economy in South Carolina
Greer Development Corp. 111 S. Main St., Suite B Greer, SC 29650
864-416-0125 www.greerdevelopment.com info@greerdevelopment.com
Reno Deaton 2002
3
Retention of Greer's existing businesses; recruiting targeted industries and high-impact commercial businesses; coordinating the recruitment and redevelopment activities for historic downtown Greer; facilitating the development of new sites and buildings to encourage new, high-quality development; marketing the Greer community
Laurens County Development Corp. 291 Professional Park Road Clinton, SC 29325
864-939-0580 www.growlaurenscounty.com
Jonathan A Coleman 2007
3
Ensure Laurens County continues to be a community of “accelerating progress” that focuses on economic opportunities that result in a viable future for all residents
Oconee Economic Alliance 528 U.S. Highway 123 Bypass, Suite G Seneca, SC 29678
864-346-5556 www.oconeealliance.org acaggiano@oconeesc.com
Annie Caggiano 2012
3
Public-private economic development organization created to drive job creation and capital investment, increase per capita income, diversify the local tax base and generate awareness of Oconee County as a business location
Abbeville County Development Board 903 W. Greenwood St., Suite 2600 Abbeville, SC 29620
864-366-2181 www.abbevillecountysc.com staylor@abbevillecountysc.com
Stephen Taylor 1953
2
To generate new capital investment and job creation within the county by assisting clients with site selection and development, workforce recruitment and training, information management, incentives and regulatory issues; strategic planning, marketing
Greenville Revitalization Corp. 301 University Ridge, Suite 2500 Greenville, SC 29601
864-242-9801, ext. 122 www.greenvillerevitalization.org ddent@greenvillerevitalization.org
Douglas F. Dent 2012
2
Bring economic opportunity and community services back to the Textile Crescent and other underserved areas of Greenville County
City of Spartanburg Office of Economic Development 145 W. Broad Street Spartanburg, SC 29306
864-596-2038 http://www.cityofspartanburg.org/ pbock@cityofspartanburg.org
Patty H. Bock 1831
1
To expand Spartanburg's tax base and provide quality job opportunities through business development, retention and expansion and facilitation of real estate development; to coordinate and administer the Spartanburg Development Corp.; to promote and assist the growth of business concerns, increase employment opportunities and expand businesses for the residents of Spartanburg
1
Employees
Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, errors sometimes occur. Email additions or corrections to research@scbiznews.com. 1 Spartanburg Economic Futures Group announced plans to assume a new name as of Sept. 1, 2020
Mission Statement Appalachian Council of Governments is a voluntary organization of local governments in Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens and Spartanburg Counties in Upstate South Carolina. Created in 1965, the Council of Governments has become a valuable resource for area local governments in the areas of public administration, planning, information systems and technology, grants, workforce devel.
Researched by Business Report staff
20
www.gsabusiness.com
IN FOCUS: 2021: THE YEAR AHEAD
January 11 - January 24, 2021
HIRING, from Page 1
So that’s why we’re adding additional staff. That’s how I see things. We’re growing. We’re not cutting.” Business started pickup up for Marketplace Professional Staffing clients in the third quarter of 2020, Lattimore said, and by the time the fourth quarter was coming to a close, signs of growth were undeniable. According to the American Staffing Association, the second week of December was the best of the year for staffing jobs, which were down 5.6% from the same week in 2019 — the narrowest gap of the year. The state’s unemployment rate had dropped 4.1% in November, according to SC Works, and there were nearly 210,000 job openings in the first week of January statewide. “I’m so excited about 2021 and the reason for that is I remember in October, November, December 2019 the management team got together and did the forecast … and we were so excited about early January (2020), and then the pandemic hit,” he said. Lattimore said his team dealt with its in-house challenges head-on and took that opportunity to hone its preparedness for the future. “We furloughed some employees, we brought them back, we were successful with PPP, so what we’ve done is we’ve hired more people in a downturn economy and pandemic than we would normally have because we feel bullish on 2021,” he said. “There’s a lot of talent on the market right now from these major corporations who have downsized. We have been hiring some of that talent. We will have them trained and ready to go.” Greenville-based HTI — Human Technologies Inc. — was confident enough in the future that it opened a Greensboro office in December. CEO Herb Dew also feels positive about 2021. He said the COVID-19 vaccine, if successful, should boost confidence in workers and bosses about getting back to full production. There’s already a turn-around in certain sectors for laborers, he said. “The people that are hurting right now are those salaried $40,000 or higher,” he said in late December. “Those are the people that are finding it harder to see different opportunities because companies are really holding those jobs and not filling them.” He expects that to change in the next few months as companies start to fill more white-collar and professional jobs. “I think we’ll start seeing that in the first quarter honestly because I already know an awful lot of companies — we’ve got 108 customers now — and I would say 90% have positions they really need to be filled but they’ve just held them,” Dew said. “And we’ve already heard that they’re going to release those in the first quarter, so I think people just didn’t want
HTI felt confident enough about the year ahead to open a new office in Greenwood. (Photo/Ross Norton)
“It’s nuts. There’s a ton of jobs open, but a lot of people are still not looking.” Herb Dew CEO, Human Technologies Inc.
Herb Dew of HTI says that the demand for industrial workers is already outpacing the supply of workers. (Photo/File)
to go through a decline or recessionary period and then feel like they have to layoff, so if someone left they just held the position.” For industrial jobs, Dew said demand is already outpacing supply. HTI opened January with 400 job openings at various plants. “I’ll bet you I’ve had eight or 10 calls in the last two weeks from companies desperately needing labor, not being able to get people to respond, and having to get us to design ways to go ahead and get people to the table so the companies can present who they are and have a chance at getting jobs filled,” he said. “It’s nuts. There’s a ton of jobs open but lot of people are still not looking.”
Employers seeking workers to make under the $20-an-hour range are finding it difficult to attract a small but impactful group of workers who would rather make a couple of dollars less per hour to collect unemployment. “It’s not just blue collar; it’s also white collar,” he said. “There is a percentage of people out there that, if they can not work and get paid, they’d rather do that. And it’s a bigger percentage than people would guess. It’s probably 15 or 20% of the people out there.” Dew said he encouraged some members of Congress to make incentivizing work a part of the COVID-19 relief package for the unemployed. “Of course I’m not a politician,
but I think a cool design to the relief program would have been a continuation of unemployment benefits as well employment incentives for people going back to work, so instead of sending out stimulus checks to everybody, I think if you’re reemployed you get a $2,000 bonus a month after you’re reemployed because I think it incentivizes getting a job.” Dew said he’s seeing employers in six or seven states served by the company struggle against unemployment incentives. “There are certain people that don’t want to take the jobs, even good paying jobs,” he said. “I’m hoping that as the vaccine gets out there and more and more people start getting vaccinated and the economy starts opening up — that there’s just kind of a celebratory outlook and people just become more positive and that just gets people hiring and opening up jobs. I think you’re going to see a surge in employment when that happens. But that may be as much me being hopeful as anything. There’s no data that I’ve seen to support that.” Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222 or @ RossNorton13 on Twitter.
At Work
BUSINESS DIGEST | PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
Business Digest
the 1,000 “city clubs” in the United States, only 50 are selected for the “Platinum Club of America” designation.
Universities announce collaboration
Photo by Jeremy Fleming
Furman renames Shi Institute Furman University announced a new name for the Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities, a hub composed of three centers aimed at addressing sustainability solutions across education, research and leadership. Formerly known as the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability, the Shi Institute will house the Center for Sustainability Education, the Center for Applied Sustainability Research, and the Center for Sustainability Leadership.
Infinity receives MarCom Awards
Infinity Marketing won 11 awards in the 2020 MarCom Awards competition, recognizing its work in video production, print design and web development. The MarCom Awards is an international competition that honors excellence in marketing and communication with an emphasis on creativity. The Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals administers the competition.
Converse College and Clemson University Press announced a publishing collaboration in conjunction with the low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at Converse. The collaboration, known as the Clemson-Converse Literature Series, publishes poetry collections, short-story collections, and nonfiction essay collections selected by two competitions, each of which will run biennially.
of CodeLynx Inc., a provider of security systems integration and custom software engineering solutions. Terms were not released. Founded in 2003 in North Charleston, CodeLynx offers access control, video surveillance and intrusion detection with a complementary software division for governance, risk and compliance. The addition of the CodeLynx team expands MCA’s geographic footprint to Mississippi and Western Tennessee and creates additional density to service customers in North Carolina, South Carolina and the District of Columbia.
The Greenville Revitalization Corp. announced the addition of a consulting division to work with developers, realtors, property owners and businesses that wish to locate in the “Textile Crescent” and surrounding areas. GRC is a non-profit organization formed by the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority with a mission to bring economic opportunity back to the Textile Crescent and other underserved areas of Greenville County. It has developed the former Woodside Mill office building in conjunction with Goodwill of the Midlands and the Upstate. It is building the Textile Heritage Park across from Monaghan Mill and is developing a new mixed commercial and residential building in City View. NAI Earle Furman announced a new partnership with Pulliam Investment Co. John Easterling, CEO of Pulliam Investment Co., will join NAI Earle Furman to focus on expanding the firm’s investment portfolio and on growing NAI Earle Furman’s senior housing division.
VentureSouth among top angels
Club Leaders Forum, a consulting source of the private club industry, recently announced that The Poinsett Club of Greenville has again been named a “Platinum Club of America.” The designation recognizes the top 5% of clubs in each category: country clubs, golf clubs, city clubs, athletic clubs and yacht clubs. Of
Synnex donates $1.4 million
Synnex Share the Magic, the charitable fundraising initiative for Synnex Corp., announced that $1.4 million is being distributed to four Upstate children’s charities from the 2020 virtual event. This marks the largest disbursement made since the event was founded 10 years ago and brings the total amount raised since 2011 to more than $14 million. Beneficiaries of Synnex Share the Magic include: A Child’s Haven, Clement’s Kindness, Make-A-Wish South Carolina and Pendleton Place.
GRC adds consulting division
Greenville accounting firm merges
Stokes & Co. CPAs announced its merger with Renita M Owens CPA LLC, another firm located on Augusta Street in Greenvile. The Renita M Owens firm has served Greenville for more than 60 years. As the merger is completed, the Renita M Owens office will remain open on Augusta Street until May 2021, at which point the six-person team, including Cheryl Bryson, will integrate into the main Stokes & Co. office.
Firms announce partnership
Poinsett Club earns platinum status
planners, account managers and PR professionals, among others.
VentureSouth of Greenville announced that it has been recognized as one of the top 10 angel investment groups in North America by the Angel Capital Association. VentureSouth was recognized in the study as a top 10 angel group based on both total investments (30) and capital deployed ($12.7 million) in 2019. VentureSouth was also recognized as a top 10 group by the ACA in 2018, and by CB Insights in 2014.
MCA adds Lowcountry firm
Mobile Communications America Inc. of Spartanburg announced the addition
Canvas Lofts opens in Greenville
Mashburn Construction and The Beach Co. announced the completion of Canvas Lofts, a new mixed-use development in downtown Greenville. The Canvas Greenville development is at the corner of Buncombe and Whitner streets, across from Heritage Green. Canvas Greenville includes the Canvas Tower office building, the Canvas Townes and the Canvas Lofts mixed-use building. Canvas Lofts is a four-story, brick-clad building containing approximately 22,000 square feet of retail space and 48 units of multifamily housing.
Sylvan adds Taylors location Jersey Mike’s opens in Gaffney
Jersey Mike’s Subs opened a new location at 1417 W. Floyd Baker Blvd., in Gaffney. The location is managed by franchise owners Rodger Blake-Ward and Dan Mustian. The restaurant’s hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.
Crawford Strategy changes name
Crawford Strategy, a strategic marketing agency based in Greenville, announced that after 10 years in business, the company will change its name to Crawford. Named one of the 20 fastest-growing small businesses in South Carolina for 2020 by SC Biz News, Crawford has expanded to include more than 30 individuals, including writers, graphic and web designers, digital strategists, media
Sylvan Learning Center said it is adding a new location at 1304 Stallings Road, between Indigo Water and Pebble Creek Pizza, in Taylors. The site will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays to start with expectations of Saturday operations coming in the next few months.
Greenville marketing business sold
Greenville-based Real Living Productions, the in-house creative and marketing operations agency for IMI Worldwide Properties, has been acquired by Publicus Community of Raleigh, N.C., the companies announced. Terms were not released. Collectively for 2020, Publicus Community and Real Living Productions had a role in the marketing operations for more than 40 real estate developments and hospitality affiliates worldwide.
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22
www.gsabusiness.com
January 11 - January 24, 2021
People in the News HUMAN RESOURCES Godshall Recruiting hired Kelly Groom as a recruiter. Groom previously worked with Godshall before taking time off to be with her children.
experience in business consulting, marketing and project management to the team.
Rigsby joined the firm as a senior accountant and most recently worked as a licensed CPA in Kentucky. Pamela Robinson, a recent graduate of University of Colorado, joined the firm as a staff accountant. Justin Phillips joined Stokes & Co. as an accounting and tax manager with more than 15 years of tax and accounting experience.
Charles Kay joined Coldwell Banker Caine in Spartanburg as a residential sales agent. He has 40 years of experience in home building, management and sales.
ADVERTISING, MARKETING & PR
Janette
Groom
REAL ESTATE
Kay
Smith
TECHNOLOGY Williams
Moorhead
Snook Saarvis
Arnold
Marchant Real Estate added agents Laura Marchant Williams, Landon Moorehead, Andrea Sarvis and Nicholas Arnold. Williams joins Marchant with experience in sales and business development. Moorehead has a background in corporate sales. Sarvis has a background in real estate. Arnold joins Marchant with experience in customer service.
Jones
Miller
Mesha Jones joined Coldwell Banker Caine as an experience manager. She is pursuing a master’s degree in human resources from Anderson University. Valerie Miller of Marchant Real Estate earned designation as a Certified Residential Specialist from the Residential Real Estate Council, a non-profit affiliate of the National Association of Realtors.
Flagship Commercial added Karen Janette as commercial sales and leasing agent. She brings more than 20 years of
Erickson
Lucas Systems Inc. hired Charlie Snook and Brandon Erickson. Snook, who recently worked as general manager for a regional restaurant chain, will serve as technical support agent in the company’s support operations. Erickson will serve as warehouse manager with primary responsibility for shipping, receiving and inventory management. Erickson most recently worked for a wholesale food services company. ScanSource Inc. hired Steve Jones as senior executive vice president and CFO. Jones most recently served as the international CFO for Blackbaud.
Legaspi
Schwartz
Infinity Marketing hired Laurel Smith as SEO (search engine optimization) specialist. Smith most recently worked at Southern Tide LLC, where she managed various SEO tasks and objectives. NP Strategy announced that Michelle Legaspi joined the company’s Greenville office as a media relations specialist. Legaspi previously worked as a morning reporter for Fox Carolina News. Infinity Marketing hired Matthew Schwartz as a media coordinator. Schwartz most recently worked with Talking Dog, an advertising and PR agency in Athens, Ga.
ARCHITECTURE
ACCOUNTING
Nelson
DP3 Architects Ltd. announced that Carey Nelson completed the architect registration exam. He currently serves in the firm’s hospitality studio.
AUTOMOTIVE Wood
Phillips
Robinson
Stokes & Co. CPAs announced four new employees. Diann Wood joined the firm as a tax manager with 15 years of tax and accounting experience, most recently in Florida. Zachary
Fowler
Tires Inc. hired Joshua Fowler and Shelley Pantaloni as service advisors. Pantaloni has 20 years of auto service experience, including service writing, portering, sales, vehicle prep and custom-
er service. Fowler has experience in the automotive parts field.
BANKING & FINANCE First Reliance Bank hired Robert Haile as CFO and Elizabeth Bunn as treasurer and promoted Jeff Paolucci to chief risk officer. Haile comes to First Reliance after serving Haile as chief investment officer and treasurer for both Carolina Financial Corp. and CresCom Bank in Charleston. Bunn previously was treasurer for First Citizens Bank and RBC Bank in Raleigh, N.C. Paolucci is an 18-year veteran of First Reliance Bank, having served the company as CFO, executive vice president and secretary. Lima One Capital CEO Jeff Tennyson has been named to the 2020 Mortgage Global 100 list by Mortgage Professional America (MPA).
CONSTRUCTION Joel Sheets, vice president and general manager of the utility division at Tindall Corp., was elected the secretary and treasurer of the National Precast Concrete Sheets Association (NPCA). He also serves as chair of the NCPA audit committee.
HEALTH CARE The Center for Developmental Services announced the appointment of three new members to its board of directors: Thomas Kuckhoff, Tish Lanier and Lanier Ryan Tiller. Kuckhoff is an engineer for ABB Motors and Mechanical Inc. Lanier works at Advantage Building Services as a contractor for AGFA Healthcare. Tiller is vice president at Hubbell Lighting.
NONPROFITS Tina Zwolinski, the CEO and co-founder of skillsgapp, has been appointed to the Fostering Great Ideas board. Fostering Great Ideas is a national non-profit devoted to improving the life of youth who are in the foster care system.
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Viewpoint
VIEWS, PERSPECTIVES AND READERS’ LETTERS
Use your company’s marketing strategy to rebound in 2021
I
f you were reading projections for marketing trends at this time last year, I can guarantee you that almost none of them came remotely true in 2020. After a year of unprecedented uncertainty that had businesses across the hemispheres trying to respond to chaos with messaging that struggled to find a point, what have we learned? From a marketing and media perspective, BEN we learned a lot, and PETTIT that education can help as business leaders try to gauge what may or may not happen in 2021. Authenticity will reign supreme on social media. Fake is out, and real is in. This year, expect to see major brands focusing on real-life instead of projection. Feeling genuine is no longer enough. Being genuine is the goal. Leveraging your digital advertising by using “big data” will be key. There’s an
old saying that “nothing measured, nothing gained.” Well, in 2021, it’s going to be “nothing gained, if you can’t measure.” The demand for knowing people’s habits and trends is huge, and you will be spending money on it to succeed. The refreshing and revisiting of brands. At some point, the event industry will rebound as people feel more comfortable going to sporting events, movies and to continue with their travel. Companies will want
their brands to shine and will be motivated in getting their customers to make those purchasing jumps. However, this impacts all businesses. People will want to be spending on events and experiences that they missed this past year, so your brand that is not in one of those categories needs to shine. Be cognizant of your opportunities. Just because your marketing budget may be smaller doesn’t mean your ideas have to be smaller. Find alternate ways of telling your
businesses story. For example, how often are you updating content on your website to show your company’s latest? You are likely losing business because of dead links and outdated blogs. Know the competition and be different. We see way too many brands that want to copy their competition’s social media habits. That is not a healthy or productive way to run a campaign. This goes back to putting multiple drug stores on the same corner. It may have worked in the brick-and-mortar industry, but it doesn’t work online. You have to differentiate your content or people won’t care. The next 12 months will be the year of something new. You’ll need to prove to consumers that you are the best choice and back that up with good reviews, testimonials and the like since social proof is more important than it’s ever been. Rest assured, though, you will be reading a lot of phrasing and puns about “hindsight being best left in 2020.” Ben Pettit is the founder and CEO of Story (https://storyagency.co), which offers digital solutions to everyday business problems.
PPP’s reauthorization funds must be secured from fraudsters
C
OVID-19 has wreaked havoc on South Carolina, costing lives and livelihoods all across the state. My heart aches for all who have lost loved ones to this horrific disease or have suffered in any way themselves. Even the hopeful news of a vaccine on the horizon can’t do DON anything to negate WEAVER the hurt and anguish they’ve experienced. It is imperative that as South Carolinians, we come together at this crucial time to bolster our friends and neighbors in whatever ways they may need. In times of crisis, we are all responsible for the well-being of the communities we are a part of, challenged to employ our own tools and skillsets for the cause of collective rehabilitation and healing. I take that duty seriously; for me, it means ensuring that all government spending and stipends doled out throughout the COVID-19 pandemic — both to businesses and individuals
— makes it into the right hands, guaranteeing that not a penny of taxpayer money is wasted. I serve in a volunteer capacity as the President of the South Carolina Association of Taxpayers, an independent and privately funded research group that encourages government transparency and efficiency when it comes to tax policy. In order to carry out our work, we study the way South Carolina’s elected officials spend money and formulate tax policy, keeping track of bills in the legislative pipeline in order to ensure that only the best tax policy is implemented. Needless to say, because of my local experiences, I’ve kept a close eye on Congress’ efforts to support Americans and our country’s economy during the pandemic through federal programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Though I am encouraged by these efforts, the original program lacked the level of safeguards and transparency measures that an investment of $525 billion across the country warranted. Ultimately, given the amount of what some viewed as “free money,” bad actors, large corporations and foreign entities were keen to take advantage of the program’s pitfalls and
shortcomings. This deprived smaller- and medium- sized businesses — like those that comprise now-darkened Main Streets all across the country — of the funds they desperately needed to stay afloat. Given that hundreds of billions of dollars are still on the line, Congress must ensure that any reauthorization of the PPP is accompanied by reforms to safeguard the transfer of taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse. The lack of transparency and accountability measures in the initial stimulus program provided an entryway for those undeserving of these funds, and this entryway must be sealed off in its reauthorization — which is critical. A nonpartisan independent watchdog of the federal government called the Project On Government Oversight found that unqualified individuals and corporations as defined by PPP successfully obtained $113 million dollars of the program’s initial loan grants. That is more than 100 million dollars that could’ve — and should’ve — made its way into the hands of small- and medium-sized businesses across the country which have been forced to halt operations and lay off employees because they couldn’t withstand the financial impacts
of the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal government cannot let this recent history repeat itself as it will work to the detriment of what makes our country and its local communities so great. Small and medium-sized businesses — once pillars of communities across the country and certainly in The Palmetto State — were already fighting for survival prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP has been a lifeline, but bad actors have deprived the opportunity of financial resuscitation from some. Congress must ensure that the PPP’s reauthorization happens, but that it is accompanied by in-depth reforms that ensure bad actors are kept away from this precious and badly needed relief. Don Weaver has served as the president of the S.C. Association of Taxpayers since 1994.
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