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VOLUME 23 NUMBER 12 ■ GSABUSINESS.COM

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Facebook sets up shop, serves as barometer By Molly Hulsey

In Focus

Midyear forecast

Economist Bruce Yandle looks at where we were and where we’re going. Page 31

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

s South Carolina’s small businesses feel the economic crush of COVID19, Facebook’s Diana Doukas argues that they have found an unlikely ally in the social media giant. “Facebook has long been in the business of small business, and it is our job to support the community,” said Diana Doukas, Facebook’s economic impact director and former White House Business Council director. “As soon as we even had an indication that COVID-19 was going to impact the small business com-

munity as it has — even though I’m not sure any of us could have predicted how bad — we knew that we needed to act.” Features of Facebook’s small business promotional campaign include a “Support Small Business” sticker added to Instagram’s roster in early May (Facebook owns Instagram) and a “Businesses Nearby” tab that filters posts and deals from venues within 1 to 500 miles away from a location. A business resource hub relays sector-by-sector guidance for the pandemic, a resiliency tool kit and curriculum on how businesses can best leverage Facebook marketing platforms. In late May, the platform also unveiled

“Facebook Shops,” a feature that allows business owners to create and customize their digital storefront as a number of retailers are forced to prioritize e-commerce over brickand-mortar sales. “I think it’s a matter of helping facilitate that transition, if businesses choose to do so, and making it as easy as possible,” Doukas said. Still, Facebook’s analytics and data collection capacities may play an even larger role in helping small businesses chart their next leaps into an ever-expanding online marketplace. Adding to the slew of Facebook’s joint archival projects with the World Bank and the See FACEBOOK, Page 12

Greenville firm creates new swab Hoowaki to make medical device by the millions through injection molding. Page 6

Oobe forms new medical division

Greenville apparel company eyes post-panedmic mask market. Page 8

Paper on a roll

Paper companies report brisk business. Page 9

INSIDE

Leading Off .......................... 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 C-Suite ................................ 4 In Focus: Midyear economic forecast ............................. 31 LIST: Largest Employers .....34 At Work ..............................37 Viewpoint ...........................39

FARM FRESH Saturday market brings ‘near tourists’ to Greenville’s Main Street

See story on Page 10

Marley McAfee and Carolyn Henry operate the Tryon Mountain Farm booth at the TD Essential Market. (Photo/Ross Norton)

MEET THE CLASS OF 2020 We’re excited to honor the 2020 Women of Influence! SEE PAGE 14 VIRTUAL EVENT AIRS JUNE 17TH AT NOON | REGISTER TODAY AT HTTPS://BIT.LY/GSA2020WOIREGISTER

Leading Oﬀ

BRIEFS | FACTS | STATEWIDE NEWS | C-SUITE

A LA CARTE

Brian King, owner of AM King, a Carolina-based design-build firm, spoke on reconfiguring food processing and distribution facilities post COVID-19 and offered design strategies as a featured guest on Food Engineering’s national podcast in May.

COMPARING REGIONAL JOB MARKETS

aybe if we don’t look at every single statistic and data point through the lens of the coronavirus, we can start remembering what life could be like outside of a global pandemic. However, since before COVID-19 took a swipe at humanity, the U.S. Census Bureau’s data divers have kept tabs on the employment, payroll, health and wealth of our local, regional and state economy. Even though South Carolina isn’t the largest state in terms of numbers of employees and total payroll, even by Southeastern standards, our average pay keeps the Palmetto State in the economic ballpark with larger states, such as Georgia and North Carolina. Inside the state, Charleston, Greenville and Richland counties have close to the same average pay, within a few hundred dollars per year, though Greenville County has the most workers and highest overall payroll at nearly $11 billion annually.

ON THE

RECORD

Employees, payroll in the Upstate County

Employees

Payroll

Average Pay

Greenville

237,218

$10.7 billion

$45,164

Spartanburg

128,430

$5.9 billion

$45,939

Anderson

59,965

$2.3 billion

$38,355

Employees, payroll in the largest S.C. counties County

Employees

Payroll

Average pay

Greenville

237,218

$10.7 billion

$45,164

Charleston

206,599

$9.3 billion

$45,023

Richland

163,353

$7.3 billion

$44,850

Employee data for selected Southeastern states State

Employees

Payroll

Average pay

Georgia

3,888,928

$191.9 billion

$49,356

N. Carolina

3,774,377

$175.7 billion

$46,549

S. Carolina

1,866,451

$76.7 billion

$41,098

Steinway Piano’s Greenville gallery was granted the annual “Partners in Performance” award out of Steinway and Sons’ 65 North American showrooms. The award, presented in March, celebrates sales performance, customer services and technical services.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017

Premier Medical Laboratory Services is

“So, when we have a national government that chooses to engage in trade wars with the countries that are our best customers, there’s a bit of trouble on the horizon right here in River City.”

offering antibody testing after receiving Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug administration in early June. The blood-based tests will detect

— Bruce Yandle, economist, Clemson University

IgG and IgM antibodies within 24 to 48 hours.

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SC Biz News Briefs COLUMBIA

Staff Report, Columbia Regional Business Journal

Palmetto State loses thousands of jobs in construction from March to April South Carolina lost 6,100 construction jobs from March to April 2020 as the industry saw job losses in every state except South Dakota. An analysis of federal data by the Associated General Contractors of America found that nationwide, the industry lost 975,000 jobs — a drop of 13% — from March to April. South Carolina has lost 3,600 jobs from April 2019 to April 2020, a decrease of 3.4%. An AGC survey found that 44% of 742 respondents had halted a project that was underway in April, while 16% canceled a project scheduled to start in April. Thirty percent of firms had furloughed or terminated workers, but an equal amount added employees. “Our latest survey indicates that the paycheck loan program has enabled some companies to retain or add workers for now, but that relief will expire soon if not extended,” Ken Simonson, AGC chief economist, said in a news release.

A passion for innovation Stäubli is a global mechatronics solution provider with three core activities: Connectors, Robotics and Textile. We are an international group, with a presence today in 29 countries and agents in 50 countries on four continents.

TRestaurants on King Street remained boarded up Sunday morning after some protesters broke windows and spray-painted walls, resulting in multiple days of curfews across the Lowcountry. (Photo/Shawnda Poynter)

CHARLESTON

Andy Owens, Charleston Regional Business Journal

Businesses clean up after unrests leads to damaged buildings in Charleston Windows were boarded up at businesses across the Lowcountry on May 31, a day after civil unrest in downtown Charleston, sparked by protests after George Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis. Government officials across the region quickly passed measures for curfews to keep people off the streets the night of May 31, as protesters assembled near Hutchinson Square in Summerville. Police were a quiet but visible presence. Nearly every business in Summerville was boarded up May 31. On King Street in Charleston, the cleanup began early in the morning with people scrubbing painted profanities from the doors of their businesses, many of which had smashed windows and other property damage. “We hold the right of protest to be self-evident, and we wholeheartedly welcome peaceful demonstrations. However, civil unrest and acts of violence will not be tolerated in the City of North Charleston,” North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey, said. BEST ADVICE Angela Craig, executive director, Charleston County Public Library

PAGE 4

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Joint Base Charleston supports flight to space station with C-17 rescue crews on alert. Page 7

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WHAT’S NEXT?

New chief exec

Industrial partner Kontane Logistics opens warehouse facility in Berkeley County to serve Volvo. Page 14

Giving record

Port strategy

S.C. Ports Authority looking at ways to keep growing. Page 8

INSIDE

Upfront................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs................ 4 In Focus: Health and Wellness............................ 13 List: Urgent Care Centers ... 15 At Work .............................. 19 Viewpoint ...........................23

S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control workers help organize a free mobile COVID-19 testing clinic. The agency has conducted 27,275 tests for COVID-19 as of May 17. Of those tests, 3,110 were positive and 24,165 were negative. DHEC has scheduled more than 50 testing clinics statewide through June 5. (Photo/Provided)

By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

hirley Bannister received the call at 6 a.m. Bannister, nursing department chair at Midlands Technical College, answered the phone to find a former student on the line and in a panic. “Her plight was, ‘I have no mask,’ ” Bannister said. “ ‘I’m in the trenches, and I have no mask.’ We got together and found some things to give to her to help her through that weekend. But I’ve heard from one or two stu-

dents about how difficult it really is.” Bannister is one of several area education professionals working to prepare soon-tobe nurses and health care workers in related fields amid the uncertainty of COVID-19. With National Nurses Day observed earlier this month from May 6-12, the sobering numbers have continued to climb. As of May 18, 89,407 people in the U.S. had died of COVID-19, with the country reporting 1.48 million cases, according to provisional figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. South Carolina had reported 8,942 deaths and 391 cases as of May 18,

according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control data. Richland County has reported 1,250 confirmed cases of the virus and another 8,929 estimated cases. Those are the highest numbers in the state, which has a total of 63,871 possible cases, according to DHEC. DHEC estimates the number of confirmed cases in S.C. to grow to 10,493 by May 31, a projection of almost 900 new cases a week. Adrian Stauffer, director of nursing at ECPI University in Columbia and a nurse for See NURSES, Page 16

Back to work

Changes in place as BMW’s Spartanburg plant resumes production after shutdown. Page 10

ColumbiaBusinessReport.com

aowens@scbiznews.com

ven with the state slowly reopening, the coronavirus pandemic has rendered certain commercial space less valuable for many small businesses — but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to pay your rent, according to a Mount Pleasant attorney. Alex Juncu, an attorney who specializes in contract law, including landlord and tenant issues, said landlords and tenants can save a lot of time when renegotiating a lease by knowing what’s in the lease and by remembering the “human component” in each transaction. “Exercise patience, but also be ready to make some concessions,” he said. “When you do collaborate, you’ll make a lot more progress than when you’re in an adversarial position.” He said landlords and tenants must

Kion North America names new CEO for the company’s U.S. headquarters. Page 17

Midlands Gives totals top $3 million despite pandemic. Page 6

See LEASING, Page 12

Nonprofit donations increase despite COVID-19 pressures

Incubating life sciences

Charleston Digital Corridor opens incubator in WestEdge. Page 12

By Alexandria Ng

INSIDE

Upfront................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs................ 3 Best Advice.......................... 4 Vantage Point ..................10-11 In Focus: Architecture, Engineering and Construction ............... 19 List: Homebuilders.............32 At Work ..............................35 Stephen Slifer..................... 36 Viewpoint .......................... 38

SUMMER 2020

By Andy Owens

Special delivery

Boeing helps face shields, goggles get to MUSC workers across S.C. Page 3

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Landlords, tenants told to be ‘human’ in renegotiations

Many storefronts were damaged on King Street during the protests in late May. (Photo/Shawnda Poynter)

After a night of smashed windows, a car fire, looted inventory and questions about how public officials handled protests and curfews, Charleston-area companies try to restore order to their businesses once again.

Page 6

ang@scbiznews.com

he COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on the economy, bringing national unemployment numbers to 13.3% in May and shutting down some businesses permanently. But donors across the country are rallying around nonprofits at a time when some say they are most needed. Tim Winkler is CEO of the Winkler Group,

Economic upheaval S.C. industries respond to unprecedented shutdown

See NONPROFITS, Page 5

CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION Who is building what in the Charleston area? Projects, companies, prices, projected timelines, photos and stories. Page 19

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Our “Coffee With…” page features Upstate business executives sharing insights about their business, the industry in which they work and the community in which they live. Where’s the coffee, you ask? Well that occurs in an accompanying video. We sit down with the executive – over coffee – to see what else is on their mind. WHAT DOES COVID-19 MEAN FOR THE UPSTATE’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT?

Today, we’re “having coffee” with John Lummus, President & CEO, Upstate SC Alliance. You can check out John’s video on GSA Business Report’s YouTube channel or on one of our two e-newsletters, Morning Blend or GSA Daily (Monday – Friday). THE ALLIANCE IS CELEBRATING ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY, A BIG MILESTONE. – WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION?

The Upstate SC Alliance was formed in 2000 by Upstate leaders who recognized that in economic development, all 10 counties together can be much greater than the sum of our parts. By uniting, the Upstate region boasts a population of 1.5 million, an international airport and multimodal logistics infrastructure, and 27+ colleges and universities – all located between Atlanta and Charlotte. Our work to represent the region is very collaborative, and it’s made possible with support from 10 counties, nine cities, and 180 organizations who share in a mission of seeing the region prosper and grow. And in our two decades, we’ve used a researchdriven approach to identify the appropriate industry targets for our region, have tracked trends on the horizon that affect our region’s business environment, and we helped to build relationships across the region so expertise is only one call away.

YOU GUYS PROMOTE FIVE FOCUS AREAS: AUTOMOTIVE, AEROSPACE, ENGINEERED MATERIALS, LIFE SCIENCES AND FOOD PROCESSING. TELL US ABOUT THOSE.

Those are our target industries because they align with the industries and supply chain that are already here, benefitting from a supportive ecosystem and colleges and universities whose curriculum is informed by those industry leaders.

Since this crisis escalated domestically, a number of Upstate companies have met the challenge by pivoting their production to focus on critical need items, and that presents future opportunities. Standard Textile, Sage Automotive Interiors and Milliken have all explored modifications that will enable their textiles to be used for medical PPE, marrying the region’s strengths in textiles with engineered materials. There are 670+ life science companies across the state. And in the last five years, the Upstate has seen 14 new announcements. There’s tremendous opportunity to recruit medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing as companies look to reshore that production. Additional opportunities exist among other sectors that have experienced supply chain challenges: things like food processing, paper products. We are within one-day driving distance to 100 million people on the East Coast, so our location provides a great deal of direct customer access. Of course, with BMW’s presence here, automotive will continue to be important, and Lockheed Martin is ramping up production, with a number of contracts in the works for defense aircraft. Because we’re an economy that makes things, we’re well poised to rebound.

THE ALLIANCE HAS LONG TOUTED INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS, EVEN AS IT HAS BECOME POLITICIZED. WHY?

Yes. We’re in favor of free trade, and international exporting is so vital to the manufacturers in South Carolina and the Upstate. Additionally, after the textile downturn, investment from international companies helped us to rebound and grow our economy stronger than it’s ever been. Businesses like Michelin, headquartered in France, and BMW, headquartered in Germany, have done incredible things – and they’re only some of the 524 international companies throughout our region, from 34 countries. We continue to stay plugged in on tariff and trade issues. There had been positive signs with China, and some negotiations for bilateral trade between the U.S. and the United Kingdom, and between the European Union and the U.S. We don’t know what the international trade landscape is going to look like post-COVID, but I truly feel that the United States will benefit because even more manufacturers will want to make their products closer to their customers.

So, we’ve started focusing on companies that are involved with manufacturing, who bring innovation and automation or any type of company that wants to come into the U.S. market and grow. Often times, these small companies still need legal services, HR support, accounting, any type of business support function, and it’s worked well for us to introduce them to our network of investor companies who can help them grow. LAST YEAR, THE ALLIANCE LAUNCHED MOVE UP, A TALENT ATTRACTION DESIGNED TO CONNECT EMPLOYERS WITH TALENT IN A TIME OF HISTORICALLY LOW UNEMPLOYMENT. HOW IS MOVE UP ADAPTING TO TODAY’S LABOR ENVIRONMENT?

We’re looking to adapt it right now; when it was launched, we had as low as 2% unemployment in some of our communities, and we knew employers needed support in recruiting from the outside. Since the pandemic started, we’ve been looking at ways that we can make it more an internal campaign designed to connect people and companies within the region. MoveUpstateSC.com has an Indeed-integrated job board, as well as direct links to the employment sites for the region’s largest companies. We’re also working to showcase opportunities in manufacturing that are available to those who have lost jobs in the retail and hospitality sectors. We’re hopeful that some of these people will look at manufacturing companies and say, ‘Hey, these companies are safely, staying open, and they’re even making higher wages than they were before – how can I get in on that?’ So we’re going to try to connect them with the technical colleges and other entry points for training that could launch them into manufacturing jobs.

WHAT’S THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE?

I think the future for the Upstate is excellent. In the short term, everyone shares uncertainty, though South Carolina has demonstrated it’s a business-friendly state, and Dr. Anthony Fauci even lauded South Carolina’s response to COVID as a strong model to follow. Longer term, we’re well poised. Look at where we are geographically: we’re in the heart of one of the fastest-growing regions, surrounded by natural amenities. We have a rich variety of manufacturers, and the economy continues to diversify. We have the best technical training in the country, we’re supported by several public and private universities, and our region offers a variety of cities and towns to call home.

THE ALLIANCE WORKS WITH LARGE COMPANIES, THOUGH IT’S ALSO EMBRACED A SMALLER “LANDING PAD” INITIATIVE. TELL US ABOUT THAT.

Landing pad projects are generally international companies that want to locate in the United States. Historically, economic developers have focused on the big project, the “big hit” $100 million investment that would go into a 500,000 square-foot building. What we’ve found is if that’s all you focus on, you probably miss out on 75% of the companies that want to come to the U.S.

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THANK YOU

After 25 years of service, First Community would like to congratulate founding member Mitchell M. “Mitch” Willoughby on his retirement from our board of directors and offer special thanks for his guidance as Chairman for the past 11 years. With Mr. Willoughby’s retirement, we are pleased to announce that J. Thomas “Tommy” Johnson and Chimin J. “Jimmy” Chao will assume the positions of Chairman and Vice Chairman of the board, respectively.

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Get your message in front of the top decision-makers in the Upstate as they stay up-to-date on the people and businesses making moves in the Upstate. For advertising information, contact Rick Jenkins at (864) 720-1224 or rjenkins@scbiznews.com

Hoowaki prepares to manufacture millions of COVID-19 swabs By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

technology with a pedigree in tires may be the next big thing for medical swabs as a Greenville company prepares to roll out COVID-19 testing supplies by the millions. Hoowaki LLC has developed a onepiece injection molded design for a COVID-19 swab that company President Ralph Hulseman believes will close a gap in U.S. and global testing supplies. Hoowaki is a 12-year-old company that specializes in micro surface engineering. Its products can be found in medical equipment, packaging, grips and travel gear.

“In the case of a swab you may not think of it as a friction problem but, in fact, it is.” Ralph Hulseman presidenet, Hoowaki

Hulseman worked in research and development at Michelin for 25 years and managed a lot of sponsored research projects. One of them never panned out for tire manufacturing, so Michelin turned it loose, he said, and that research became a launching pad for Hoowaki. Hulseman said Hoowaki makes surfaces that are as slippery or “grippy” as needed. They have done it by becoming specialists in friction and how to make the most or least of it. When the federal government in March called on American entrepreneurs

to create supplies to fight the new coronavirus pandemic, Hulseman and his team at Hoowaki knew micro surface technology could play a role. They already had explored designing medical swabs. “Normally people think of friction as a property of materials. If you want something slippery you use a slippery material like Teflon; if you want something grippy you use a rubber material,” Hulseman said “Well, we discovered that that’s not entirely true. That is, if you make structured physical shapes in the micron size range — a micron is a thousandth of a millimeter — varying from 10 to about 200 microns in size is where the phenomenon of friction occurs. This means we can take the same two materials coming together and make them super grippy or super slippery.” Through its proprietary Hoowaki Microgrip surface technology, the company creates a thin surface for products that make them slippery, or not. Because of increased friction created by Hoowaki, travel bags don’t slip off travelers’ shoulders, for example, and hammers don’t slip from damp hands, while low-friction vascular catheters slide easily to make medical procedures safer and more comfortable. “In the case of the swab you may not think of it as a friction problem but, in fact, it is,” Hulseman said. The challenge is swabs need to both slip and grip. They need to slide into nostrils with little friction, but they need to grab and hold sufficient RNA for testing. Hoowaki’s solution is the “Hoowaki NP Collection Swab.” It combines the company’s technology to make a nasal swab more comfortable for the patient while meeting FDA requirements for extracting a sample.

June 15 - June 28, 2020

Because the swab is manufactured by injection molding, it can be produced at any facility that has medical-grade injection molding capability, and those facilities are plentiful, Hulseman said. It also means the product can be made fast and in large numbers. “Our design allows for production to be quickly scaled in communities around the world — rapidly addressing the rising demand for swabs, a critically important element of all COVID-19 testing,” Hulseman said in a news release. Hoowaki is making them in small batches now but is partnering with an Upstate plant to begin mass production

Chamber CEO selected for inequality initiative Staff Report

gsanews@scbiznews.com

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has selected Carlos Phillips, president and CEO of the Greenville Chamber, to serve on its National Initiative on Inequality of Opportunity along with five other business leaders. The steering committee plans to discuss steps business and political leaders can take toward improving equality in education, employment, entrepreneurship and criminal justice reform for minorities, and is preparing for a national town hall on June 25, according to a news release. “The senseless death of George Floyd has called renewed attention to the inequality and injustice in America,” Suzanne Clark, president of the

www.gsabusiness.com 7

in July. He expects Hoowaki to produce several million per month. Producing them first in the Upstate has made it more convenient for Hulseman and his team to launch the initial run and also helped the partner plant preserve jobs that had been endangered by the pandemic-caused recession, he said. “We expect this to be a long-term opportunity for us. One reason is the technology is something we can modify to make swabs for other uses. There are many, many uses for swabs,” he said. “And if the market goes large and then crashes, we expect to come out the other side as the winners.”

They will win, he said, not just because of scalability, but lab testing, and field testing with the help of Prisma Health, has demonstrated the swab meets industry standards and is as good as the standard flocked filament swab in collecting RNA. Hulseman said several public-private partnerships helped provide start-up funding for the swab’s development. “As is the case for many businesses in today’s environment, Hoowaki LLC adapted quickly to meet new challenges where demand is outpacing supply so we could remain not only viable as a company, but also pursue this pioneering

technology,” he said in the news release. “We’re grateful for the backing of the Greenville Local Development Corp. and SC Launch, an investment affiliate of the SCRA, who have been instrumental in helping us develop the Hoowaki NP Collection Swab.” “Hoowaki LLC is a great example of a small business that has proven to be a powerhouse of innovation during a time of incredible challenge,” David Barnett, chairman of the Greenville Local Development Corp., said in the release. Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222 or @ RossNorton13 on Twitter.

Tapped out over COVID-19’s impact on health care?

Alice Harris and Darra Coleman can help you keep the pulse.

“The senseless death of George Floyd has called renewed attention to the inequality and injustice in America.” Suzanne Clark president, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said in the release. “We stand in solidarity against racism and advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in our society and economy. As a nation, we must address this issue with a robust plan of action.” Unemployment rates for African Americans are twice as high historically as the unemployment rates for white Americans, according to the U.S. Chamber, and have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. “I am honored to serve on this important initiative and look forward to lending my voice to develop real and lasting solutions that enhance diversity, equity and inclusion on a national scale,” Phillips said in the release.

Nexsen Pruet welcomes Alice Harris and Darra Coleman. These attorneys bring 45 years of combined health care law experience to help take your next COVID-19 challenge to the next level.

1945 – 2020 55 E. Camperdown Way | Suite 400 | Greenville, SC 29601 Jim Warren | Office Managing Partner | 864.370.2211

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June 15 - June 28, 2020

Coping with COVID: Oobe Apparel Design Group By Molly Hulsey

mollyhulsey@scbiznews.com

hen the pandemic washed up on the front door of Oobe Apparel Design Group’s Mike Pereyo, the CEO of the men’s clothing and uniform designer called Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt for guidance on how to put their sewing machines to work. Hitt pointed Pereyo to Chuck Spangler, president of the S.C. Manufacturers Extension Partnership, and the S.C. Emergency Supply Collaborative portal. “He was able to really connect me with Chuck and his team that have proven to be extremely valuable in creating a trusty supply chain for the state and the hospital organizations in need of this equipment,” Pereyo said. As supply chain and retail woes plagued others, Oobe paired new connections made through the emergency supply portal with its own international and domestic partners to fulfill an urgent need. And while the company has spent the past few weeks creating various grades of face masks, all Oobe employees have kept their jobs. One arm of the company, based in Greenville, designs and distributes uniforms for Chick-fil-a, BMW Manufacturing, Coca-Cola and several airlines, while

Oobe Brand sells upscale men’s clothing from its King Street location in Charleston. “We were really able to transition as soon as we saw this thing taking place,” he said. “Our business, we knew, would be impacted by that, and really our goal of not having to furlough our employees or really having any disruption to our service levels or distribution models — we wanted to be on the proactive end of that, and make sure we were able to leverage our expertise to help our community and our health care workers, as well as our program partners for their needs.” First, Oobe gave general-use face coverings a trial run. Then the company upscaled to washable masks and later, medical-grade masks distributed through a new web-ordering portal the company designed. The S.C. Emergency Supply Collaborative portal also became a digital store front, as the team behind its creation helped Pereyo wade through the Food and Drug Administration approval process and certification. Still, getting fabrics and other supplies to the Greenville plant proved to be a challenge for the company. “With all the limitations and infrastructure limitations with flights, international challenges logistically and customs and regulations changing daily because

A model wears the Oobe mask in a company ad. (Photo/Provided)

of FDA requirements and compliance needs, the number one issue was logistics to be honest with you. We were fighting day and night for air cargo space to get the goods here in a timely manner for the people who needed it,” he said. As many mask manufacturers sold their product only in bulk, and packets of masks

vanished from retail shelves, Pereyo wanted to ensure that individual customers and small businesses could be covered up too. “Our number one customers have been churches and businesses and nursing homes — not people who are being taken care of by these large hospital purchases or bulk orders by the state,” he said. “We were really able to serve small mom and pops and entrepreneurs around the state and Southeast with smaller quantity requirements than most organizations. By mid-May, Oobe had sold 3 million masks and made 8.8 million. Recipients included BMW and the city of Greenville. Now, these washable, 3-ply masks have transformed into a new lifestyle product line — Oobe Health — and Pereyo expects that the brand could outlast the latest wave of the new coronavirus if viable for the company. “We understand it is a fluid environment, but what we’re trying to do is remain agile to be able to maintain the needs of our customers and the community — but also be aware that this is a game of musical chairs. The market could drop, and there could be an inundation of product in the marketplace, so in order for us to be good stewards for ourselves and our company, we’re monitoring that on a daily basis,” he said.

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Paper industry production rolls on at full tilt By Molly Hulsey

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

outh Carolinians may now have enough toilet paper for a century stored in basements, attics and bathroom closets, but at Spartanburg’s Sun Paper Company, sales haven’t faltered since March. Even as the economy reopens and fears about shortages have subsided, like many “essential needs” manufacturers, the plant is seeking new workers to keep up with the pace. “Sales are still as strong as they were,” said Joe Salgado, executive vice president of the company. Sun Paper manufactures consumer paper products including toilet tissue and paper towels for a number of grocery and discount variety stores across the nation. Over the past few months, production of toilet tissue has been up by 25%, he said, with an all-hands-on-deck mentality. The factory never sleeps. Still, few people would notice any changes on the floor under pandemic production protocols because of the plant’s streamlined, high-tech operations. “It was business as usual, you know,” he said. “It’s a lean operation, and you wouldn’t know the difference, except for

Ivan Mathena shows off one of several die-cutting machines at Paper Cutters’ plant. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)

the fact that everyone’s wearing masks and there’s different procedures in place for checking drivers in and out. We revamped the way that we clock in and out of the building. We’re using a geofencing system, so we can clock-in from our phones instead of a common clock.” A multi-automated production line parcels out 450-pound bales of bath tissue — the size of a petite conference room — into 500 embossed rolls within a minute,

24 hours a day, seven days a week. Salgado argues that the toilet paper shortage consumers had braced themselves for never really happened from the producer’s perspective, but grocery shelves were picked clean because of consumer expectation. Retailers and distributors struggled to keep up, Salgado said. Some desperate — or innovative — retailers replaced stocks with commercial tissue brands: those purchased wholesale

for hotels and offices, as opposed to Sun Paper’s at-home brands like WonderSoft, Gleam and Foresta. “The industry didn’t really have this residual capacity available as a result of this pandemic, but there certainly is not a shortage of bathroom tissue and paper towels. It’s just that customers are buying more for fear and speculation that there is not enough. But that is just not the reality,” Salgado said. Generally, the industry hovers at 90% capacity or above, and Salgado said Sun Paper already keeps its supply chain close to home. “There aren’t machines just waiting around for orders,” he said. Sun Paper’s staff leaned in to the demand by programming their machines chiefly for products with higher sheet counts and larger packaging instead of using up time to switch between runs. As drastic as the demand shift has been for at-home toilet tissue and paper towels in the last few months, Salgado expects the demand will still continue to stay at least 15% to 20% above pre-pandemic levels as numbers of employees continue to work from home, unemployment stays high and stringent handwashing habits See PAPER, Page 11

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June 15 - June 28, 2020

Saturday market brings ‘near tourists’ to Greenville’s Main Street By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

reenville’s downtown TD Saturday Market reopened June 6 with a new name, new layout and new

rules. Called the TD Essential Market presented by Prisma Health, the market will alternate vendors each week, allowing only 42 of the 81 to set up on Main Street each Saturday morning. The vendors are selling food items, mostly, and not items such as pottery and jewelry. There are designated entrances and exits where Main and McBee streets cross. Food traffic is one way with signs encouraging safe distances for the people in the cordoned area. Organizers say the modifications were made to keep the vendors and community safe while people try to return to normal even as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. “We have worked closely with the city of Greenville and applaud its efforts to modify the market to ensure the safety of the farmers and our community, while also providing access to fresh healthy food. Healthy eating is a key ingredient to a healthy lifestyle,” Jim Agnew, CEO of Prisma Health’s Greenville Memorial and North Greenville campuses, said in

a news release. Saturday’s initial TD Essential Market went well, with several vendors saying it was what they anticipated or better. Brett Barest by 11 a.m. had drawn a line through about half of the items on the menu board of the Naked Pasta booth. “It’s gone really well,” he said. “In fact, it may be the best one we’ve had even before” the coronavirus pandemic. Destinations such as the TD Essential Market are where the state’s tourism industry will show the first signs of life after the coronavirus-induced recession, according to Bill Norman, a travel and tourism professor at Clemson University. Until the public is comfortable enough to use overnight accommodations in large numbers, people will test the waters by venturing out close to home, what the industry calls “near tourism.” Travel, even if the distance is short, will be a way for the public to heal from the psychological wounds of COVID-19 while they also spend the dollars needed to move the economy along, he said. “People travel where they’re welcome, and that’s always been the case and now you’re going to have to make sure you can provide a safe and quality experience,” Norman said. “Everyone wants to trav-

el, but no one wants to be crazy and put themselves in too dangerous situation.” Restaurants and small breweries will be the first to benefit from reemergent tourism, even if the tourists are essentially locals, he said. At the peak of the shutdown, hotel operators were devastated, with occupancy down by nearly 70% over the same time last year, while profit per room was down by 80%. Norman said the travel industry comeback will start small, with trips to nearby destinations, while travelers build confidence — in themselves, in their destinations and in travel itself. “I think that’s really going to be the challenge here: as the recovery goes on, can we psychologically rebound as well as physically rebound,” he said. “I think most people are going to start off — and this is my gut more than academic literature — they’re going start off taking road trips, side trips, kind of get back in the groove to see what it’s like in restaurants, bars and breweries and distilleries and wineries and stuff like that. They will want to see what’s it like with respect to spacing and the whole cleanliness of places.” The TD Essential Market provides information on how to shop for the products of vendors who normally ply nones-

Even with the crowd kept intentionally smaller than peak days, most of the TD Essential Market vendors reported brisk business. (Photo/Ross Norton)

sential items at the market. The website is saturdaymarketlive.com. The market is open almost every Saturday through October, from 8 a.m. until noon. Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222 or @ RossNorton13 on Twitter.

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June 15 - June 28, 2020

www.gsabusiness.com 11

PAPER, from Page 9

remain ingrained in the public psyche. “Those that weren’t washing their hands are washing them now, and those that were washing them once are washing them twice,” he said. “So, that’s the difference.” Sun Paper is responding by expanding their capacity and recruiting new operators, technicians and logistics professionals for the floor. He hasn’t lost any employees due to the economic or health effects of the pandemic, but applications have become much more scarce since March. “When the news of the pandemic first began to sink in, what was happening, on one weekend we received 300 applications for work, just in one weekend. Now, the moment the stimulus funding began to hit the bank accounts, those applications went down to almost nothing,” Salgado said. Other paper manufacturers in the region may not be experiencing as much of a push for new hires, but certain goods that were in high demand at the beginning of the pandemic remain in high demand, according to Laura Moody, regional director for Hire Dynamics. One of her clients, a Spartanburg-based paper and corrugated cardboard manufacturer, had been shuttered for several weeks, while a Rutherford County toilet paper manufacturer turned

Sun Paper cranks out 500 toilet tissue rolls in a minute and over 5 million in a week. (Photo/Provided)

some of their attention to making masks, thanks to additional machinery the company had purchased before the pandemic to help automate their production line. As in March, food processors and medical supply companies are leading the way in new hires, she said, and in late May were bringing in about half of Hire Dynamic’s business in the Upstate, comparable to one-quarter before the pandemic. In late March, she reported that the packing and shipping industry had been another sector in need of employees. “Nobody really knows what’s going to happen: who’s going to be the next one opening up or the next client,” Moody said. Travelers Rest’s Paper Cutters Inc. operates at the nexus of the paper and shipping

industry. The 30-employee factory makes products ranging from the paper sheets that separate wooden pallets to the paper cartridge that holds a roll of 3M tape. Customers include BMW Manufacturing, Michelin and GE to name a few. Business has been steady during the pandemic, according Randy Mathena, president and owner of the factory. He did not lay off or furlough any of his employees, and the team has taken only a few Fridays off. “Quite honestly, it doesn’t even feel like we’ve been affected by the pandemic,” Mathena said, adding that some customers have halted shipments over the past few months while others have picked up the pace. “It’s been remarkably good for us. We’re very happy that we’ve worked so much, and it seems to be the case for

many people that we work with in our industry.” Since Paper Cutters supplies several industries, Mathena’s team has benefited from having eggs in a variety of baskets. Where clothing retail orders have fallen — about 5% of Paper Cutters business comes from clothing inserts — purchasers from food distributors like Duke’s mayonnaise and medical supply companies have filled in the gap. Based off Paper Cutters’ sales volume, fertilizer purchases have also been on the rise. The distributors that serve as the middleman between Paper Cutters and its users help the company keep tabs on an ever-shifting market. “Generally for us, distributors will pivot, because they see the changes coming before we do — so they’re on the ground with direct customers who will signal changes in the market,” said Ivan Mathena, Paper Cutters’ business development representative. “While we see dips, generally what happens is that our business will dip in one area, but then pick up in another. There are shortages in one area of the economy, but there are excesses in another, and we sell packaging to all of it, so it kind of balances out for the most part.” Reach Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1222 or @mollyhulsey_gsa on Twitter.

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June 15 - June 28, 2020

FACEBOOK, from Page 1

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the social media giant partnered with the Small Business Roundtable to publish a “State of Small Business” survey report last month, according to an S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce release. Doukas indicated that 51% of 86,000 small and medium-sized business owners, managers or employees surveyed across the country reported that online client interactions had ramped up over the previous month. About 36% brought their sales online, while 37% adjusted to a greater variety of digital payment platforms, according to the report. The survey also determined that 40% of businesses relied on online advertising to keep operations running during the pandemic, a trend led by women-owned businesses — 43% compared to 37% of male-led businesses that made use of internet ads. At least 56% of all respondents made about half their sales online during the 30-day surveying period. Kaitlyn Park, manager of the University of South Carolina’s Social Media Insights Lab, is not so sure that Facebook will become the next digital Main Street. “In South Carolina at least, Facebook is where people go to speculate,” she said, adding that it can outpace South Carolina’s Twitter feeds as a well of misinfor-

Kaitlyn Park, manager of USC’s Social Media Insights Lab gives a presentation on Crimson Hexagon at the Poinsett Club to Greenville’s First Monday meeting. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)

mation and deliberation. “Even though I think that Facebook is trying to improve its image in that regard, in the state of South Carolina, we haven’t really seen that shift.” The Marketplace tab, Community Conversations tab and business reviews do funnel Facebook conversations toward a more professional bent, but at the end of the day, Park dubs South Carolina’s most popular social media hub a “community watering hole.”

In return, she and the USC lab team harnesses public data from Facebook and other platforms for diverse reasons ranging from projecting political winners to helping hot dog franchises tap into public opinion to refine their marketing campaign. While Facebook analytics serves as a better gauge of who comprises a business’s social media audience, the lab helps pinpoint what this social media-saavy audience may want by using the artificial

intelligence-powered analysis software Crimson Hexagon. “If you’re interested in something more so related to your business, that is where we would introduce the Crimson Hexagon: how do people feel about solar energy, how do people feel about certain elements of infrastructure, roadways and things like that, things that you can use to drive your messaging related to your business.” she said. When the Wienerschnitzel fast food chain moved to the state, South Carolina’s social media scene heard virtual crickets. The franchise then contacted the lab to see how they could amplify their social media presence. Park and her cohorts were able to detect that the company was beset with a “social media listening problem” across Twitter, Facebook and other platforms, and helped point Wienerschnitzel in the direction of a marketing campaign better tailored for the South Carolinian social media user. Wienerschnitzel is one of several corporate and professional clients that utilized the lab’s analysis tools alongside journalists and academics. Reports start on a sliding scale at $500 if a company is willing to open their project up to student research and participation. Political trends are one of the most popular subjects followed by the lab’s published reports. Leading up to South Carolina’s 2020

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Democratic primary, Crimson Hexagonâ€™s software demonstrated that Joe Biden often outpaced any other candidate by thousands of social media mentions, but after his sonâ€™s ties to Ukraine became old news in late 2019, his total mentions began to wane. Still, positive mentions climbed from 9% to 12% of the total. The most used words aligned with a candidate can be detected and compiled by Crimson Hexagon, which also filters

â€œIn South Carolina at least, Facebook is where people go to speculate.â€? Kaitlyn Park manager, USC Social Media Insights Lab

their positive or negative connotation based on the context. â€œWe knew that more than likely he would the nominee for South Carolina,â€? she said, â€œbut, what we did find that was rather surprising in our first analysis, originally, Pete Buttigieg actually had a higher percentage of positive sentiment in South Carolina than he did in the rest

of the country.â€? Over time, Buttigiegâ€™s positive mentions began to increase in waves across the rest of the country following South Carolina. Mike Bloomberg and Tom Steyer, on the other hand, performed well in the polls, Park said, but not so on social media. President Donald Trump surfaced in 77% percent, or more than 1 million, of South Caroliniansâ€™ social media discussions about 2020 candidates over seven months in a 2019 report from USCâ€™s lab â€” but he had also garnered the highest

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negative and lowest positive sentiments of any candidate. About 45% of the posts that name-dropped Trump took on a negative tone, 12% were complimentary and 43% were neutral. The software functions as a barometer for other social sentiments â€” some that may drive market choices â€” and the volume of these conversations. A May 4 report demonstrated that most conversations about reopening the state that were not neutral news mentions were charged with COVID-19 concerns at 32.6%. About 20% of the posts supported

reopening, and more than 20% said they would remain home even after businesses reopened. â€œWhat weâ€™re able to do is create these categories that we train the AI to look for,â€? she said, which gives the lab an aerial view of internet dialogue while allowing them to dive into deeper analysis. Conversations about COVID-19, often spearheaded by Trumpâ€™s comments, have taken a backseat over the past two weeks to posts about the Black Lives Matter movement, protests and riots. According to the report, after violence erupted in Columbia May 30, about 14,000 Twitter posts about the protest eclipsed 3,279 posts about the coronavirus. The majority of posts were neutral, but more than a third supported the protestors. About 6% of the users criticized violence and looting of public property. Still, Parks said that support for looting began to drop off as time went on. â€œWe did see over time, definitely less support for looting and rioting in the state of South Carolina â€Ś relatively low in the conversations,â€? she said while pointing to a ski-slope dip in a chart of positive comments over the past week. â€œAnd support of police actually went up. That was one of the things we were able to gauge through Crimson.â€?

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Women of Inﬂuence

PRESENTED BY

Virtual Event Airs June 17th at Noon | Register today at https://bit.ly/GSA2020WOIregister

MEET THE CLASS OF 2020

We’re excited to honor the 2020 Women of Influence!

Several GSA Business Report live events were postponed this year as we reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Across the Upstate, organizations are facing decisions on which events to postpone and which ones to cancel, or at least move to next year. Women of Influence was one that Publisher Rick Jenkins said simply had to take place. “As we looked through the list of inspiring leaders we had intended to honor with a spring luncheon, I knew we had to find a way to honor them now,” Jenkins said. “We worked with our partners at Drum Creative to find a way to safely create a virtual event that feels like the celebration these women deserve.” Register for the event at the URL above and watch at noon on June 17.

OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY CHAMPION AWARD PRESENTED BY Bank of Travelers Rest TOASTING THE WINNERS PRESENTED BY The City of Mauldin STUDIO DISINFECTION SERVICES COURTESY OF US&S ANCHORED BY Crawford Strategy SHOW PRODUCER Drum Creative SUPPORTING PARTNER Greenville Chamber of Commerce

June 15 - June 28, 2020

Women of Inﬂuence

www.gsabusiness.com 15

Inclusion Drives Innovation

At Michelin, we innovate passionately to make mobility safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly. We leverage the unique talents, skills and backgrounds of all employees to exceed our customers’ expectations now and in the future. We believe an inclusive environment enhances our strength and potential as a company and strive for every employee to feel welcomed, valued and included. Michelin is honored to be selected by Forbes magazine as one of its Top 10 "America’s Best Employers” for 2019, named 2018 Top Company for women to work for in transportation and ranked 15th by Minority Engineer magazine as one of its "Top 50 Employers" for 2020.

Source: Forbes magazine, April 17, 2019 listings | Source: Women in Trucking Association. www.womenintrucking.org Source: Minority Engineer magazine, Reader’s Choice (2020), “Top 50 Employers”Copyright © 2020 Michelin North America, Inc. All rights reserved. The Michelin Man is a registered trademark owned by Michelin North America, Inc.

Learn about Career Opportunities jobs.michelinman.com

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Women of Inﬂuence

ADELA MENDOZA

SYLVIA ‘ANN’ ANGERMEIER

City of birth: Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico Education: BA in Communications and Journalism My job: Executive Director of Hispanic Alliance of SC

City of birth: Union, SC Education: BA, Converse College, post-graduate work at Converse College My job: Executive Director, Upstate Workforce Board; Upstate Workforce Futures Corporation.

The best thing about my job: It feel like an extension of things I am most passionate about — service, collaboration, leadership development, and community building.

The best thing about my job: Helping people and businesses solve workforce related needs.

Community involvement: Active member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and serves on the boards of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Legacy Charter Early College, Ten at the Top, the United Way Community Impact Cabinet, and the MedEx Advisory Board. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: I wish I would have had formal mentors earlier in my career. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: My mother. Favorite quote: “It is not the critic who counts ... The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” — Theodore Roosevelt

Community involvement: USC Upstate Foundation Board; Secretary, Ten at the Top; Downtown Rotary Club Member/Paul Harris Fellow; Secretary/Treasurer, Upstate Workforce Futures Corporation; KNOW2 Board; Co-Chair, Spartanburg Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities; Spartanburg Community College Tyger River Campus Advisory Board; Co-Chair, Spartanburg Network for Economic Mobility, Spartanburg County Foundation; Northside Development Group Advisory Team; Career and Technology Education Board, Spartanburg District 5 Schools; Cherokee County Schools Business Advisory Board; Union County Community Development Board; Spartanburg Regional Healthcare’s Project Search Business Advisory Board, Union County Public Health Taskforce. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: I wish I had understood the need for diplomacy in business and relationships along with the benefits of truly seeing both sides of an issue. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: My mother Favorite quote: “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” – Jack Welch

Presented by:

We’re excited to honor the 2020 Women of Influence! Please join GSA Business Report as we celebrate outstanding women from the Upstate. Proceeds from registrations will be donated to Meals on Wheels, Greenville County and Mobile Meal Service of Spartanburg County.

June 17 | 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Outstanding Community Champion Award Presented by:

Toasting the Winners Presented by

Anchored by

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For sponsorship information, call Rick Jenkins at (864) 720-1224.

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Women of Inï¬‚uence

www.gsabusiness.com 17

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June 15 - June 28, 2020

Women of Inﬂuence

BRANDY HART AMIDON

CAROL E. BURDETTE

City of birth: Greenville, SC Education: BA, North Greenville University, Certified Public Accountant My job: Co President & CFO of Brains on Fire Inc. and Mayor of Travelers Rest

City of birth: Anderson, SC Education: BA in Psychology, Southern Wesleyan University My job: President & CEO, United Way of Anderson County

The best thing about my job: I work with the most amazing humans in my professional and political career while seeing our company and city grow stronger everyday.

The best thing about my job: Knowing that what we do is helping people every day!

Community involvement: Travelers Rest City Council, Current Mayor of Travelers Rest; Founder, Let’s Keep TR Beautiful, served on boards for TR Historical Society, Greater Chamber of TR; currently serving on board for Appalachian Council of Governments. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: You can’t authentically lead if you don’t know who you are and your style of leadership. I wish I’d known this a bit sooner vs. trying to emulate the people who sat in my chair prior. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: There is no way for me to pick one! I work with some of the most amazing women I’ve ever met at Brains on Fire. These women influence me everyday! Favorite quote: “I don’t like to gamble, but if there’s one thing I’m willing to bet on, it’s myself.” — Beyonce Knowles-Carter

Community involvement: Pendleton Town Council; Pendleton Mayor; United Way Campaign Chair; Chair of Board of the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce; Rotary District Governor; Chair, South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations; Lay Leader of Pendleton United Methodist Church; President, Municipal Association of SC; President, AdvanceSC; Board of Directors, Sister Cities International. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: I think I would have accomplished more if I had pushed my limits and taken more risks earlier in my career. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: Many women have influenced my life, including my grandmother and my sister; but two high school teachers, Claire Warren and Laura Dowis, took me on my first international trip. That trip was the beginning of my leadership journey and international service by broadening my horizon to see the world as much more than my small community. Favorite quote: “I’d rather wear out than rust out.” — Doskie Burdette, my grandmother

CONGRATULATIONS CAROL!

Carol Burdette, A 2020 Woman of Influence Your vision and leadership have created a lasting legacy for our organization and the community and for that we are thankful.

June 15 - June 28, 2020

www.gsabusiness.com 19

Women of Inﬂuence

CATRIONA CARLISLE City of birth: Richmond, Va. Education: Business Administration/Marketing College of Charleston My job: Executive Director, Meals on Wheels Greenville County

Congratulations!

The best thing about my job: Our volunteers. Most of our clients live alone and battle loneliness and isolationism. Our volunteers who visit them everyday form amazing friendships that lets our clients know they are loved and someone is thinking about them. Community involvement: Graduate, Leadership Greenville Class 41, Greenville Chamber of Commerce; Furman University Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative; Furman Women’s Leadership Institute; Downtown Rotary; Mentor, Women of Distinction Furman Women’s Basketball team; Chair, Ten at the Top, Senior Issues strategy committee on hunger; Board Member, Greenville Little League; Member, Buncombe Street United Methodist Church, Confirmation Class Leader; Meals on Wheels.

Catriona Carlisle, Executive Director

Women of Influence Winner 2020

Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: Invest in yourself. Take time each day to read and learn. Know the value of someone who is supporting the work you do and helps you achieve your goals. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: I am fortunate to have wonderful women in my life, starting with my mom. Favorite quote: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?” — Martin Luther King

ELIZABETH DAVIS City of birth: Beaumont, Texas Education: PhD, Duke University; BBA Baylor University My job: President, Furman University The best thing about my job: Being a small part of the experience that changes a student’s life forever.

Furman Celebrates President Elizabeth Davis 2020 WOMAN OF INFLUENCE

Community involvement: Chamber Board of Directors; Board of Governors, the Commerce Club; honorary Greenville Rotary Club. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: Influence and persuasion are more important to advancing an institution than titles and/or the number of direct reports one oversees. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: My mother – she always encouraged me to reach new heights and was always proud of my accomplishments, however small they might be. Favorite quote: “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” — John Maxwell

Greenville’s First University

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June 15 - June 28, 2020

Women of Inﬂuence

ERIN FORD Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd would like to congratulate Heather Jones and all of this year’s Women of Influence honorees.

City of birth: Harrisburg, Pa. Education: Bachelor of Arts, Communication, La Salle University, Philadelphia, PA My job: Executive Vice President, SCBIO The best thing about my job: I am incredibly lucky to be surrounded by amazingly talented, warm-hearted and mission-driven people on the SCBIO team, board of directors, and life science leaders in South Carolina. Community involvement: I volunteer at Maudlin United Methodist Church and also support my husband and son with Scout activities, though not camping. :)

We want to recognize these outstanding women and the work they do every day to make our communities a better place to live and work.

Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: I wish I would’ve listened to SNL’s Stuart Smalley’s advice earlier in my career — “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.” Learning to appreciate my talents and have confidence in who I am developed over time and I suppose that is one of the more positive aspects of aging. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: My mom and my sister. My mother elegantly managed working full-time and raising three kids without letting on how difficult that is while also being an active community member. My sister reminds me to have confidence and pride in all aspects of my story, as we support each other in life and business.

influence

women of

HEATHER JONES

Favorite quote: “Shoulders back, head up” — Patrick Flynn (my dad)

HEATHER SIMMONS JONES City of birth: Tampa, Florida Education: BA, Masters of Human Resource Development, Clemson University My job: President/CEO of Greenwood Partnership Alliance The best thing about my job: Working to impact the personal success of our residents in Greenwood by creating jobs and personal wealth while getting to do it with a great team. Community involvement: Ten at the Top Board of Directors; Greenwood Abbeville United Way Board Chair; SC Research Authority Board of Trustees; SCBIO Executive Committee; Clemson University Board of Visitors; Palmetto Green Board; Greenwood Abbeville United Way Board of Directors; Greenwood Area Clemson Club Board; Greenwood Promise Advisory Council; Cambridge Academy Board; Greenwood Community Indicators Initiative Board; Lander University Foundation Board; Lander University Board of Visitors; Communities in Schools of SC; Greenwood County Chamber of Commerce. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: Not everyone has your best interest at heart. It’s okay to trust your gut. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: Besides my mother and grandmothers, I would have to say Beverly Frost.

Thank you for helping to grow Greenwood greater over the past 6 years. Congratulations on this honor and all of your achievements.

Favorite quote: “Success isn’t the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.” — Arnold H. Glasow

June 15 - June 28, 2020

www.gsabusiness.com 21

Women of Inﬂuence

JAYNE C MCQUEEN

JENNIFER CLARK EVINS

City of birth: Sanford, NC Education: Honors Graduate, Greensboro College, BA in Education My job: Founder and President & CEO, Mobile Meal Service of Spartanburg County, Inc.

City of birth: Indianapolis, Ind. Education: BA, Hanover College; Riley Fellow, Diversity Leaders Initiative; Hull Fellow, Southeastern Council on Foundations, Strategic Leadership American Management Association

The best thing about my job: Each day I have the opportunity to be a blessing to many. The return is immeasurable.

My job: President & CEO, Chapman Cultural Center

Community involvement: The list is too long, but some highlights include: Recipient of the Governor’s SC Order of the Palmetto; created a model program honored by President, Congressman (1st Spirit of Freedom Award); multiple offices for Meals on Wheels of America, chaired National Conference, former board of Meals on Wheels Foundation; active church member and in 2 choirs; first woman to serve on District 7 school board Spartanburg Co; Outstanding citizen award from Rotary, Kiwanis, Sertoma, Lions, & Civitan Clubs and Board of Realtors; Distinguished Mary Sullivan Awards from Wofford and Converse Colleges; first recipient from the National Meals on Wheels Association of the lifetime achievement award, 2018. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: Earthly goals don’t compare to eternal goals. Live so our lives will make an eternal difference.

The best thing about my job: I have the privilege of celebrating and experiencing the unique creativity of hundreds of people of all ages in our community. Community involvement: As a volunteer for 30 years, I have actively served more than 40 organizations and initiatives through leadership on Boards, Steering Committees, Task Forces, and Commissions in areas of education, arts, leadership development, youth development, and community development. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: Be very selective of who you chose to be vulnerable with; you cannot trust that everyone’s intentions are for your best. Don’t take yourself so seriously. You’ve got this because you are loved by an awesome God! A woman who has had a major influence on my life: If I have to pick one, it would be Mary L. Thomas, Chief Operating Officer of Spartanburg County Foundation.

A woman who has had a major influence on my life: My grandmother Favorite quote: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, but in all ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” — Psalm 3:5, 6

Spartanburg Water Celebrates

2020 Women of INFLUENCE Each day, a special group of women serve our customers from every one of our departments. We celebrate them and congratulate all of the 2020 Women of Influence Honorees:

Favorite quotes: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Gandhi “Where there is love, there is joy.” — Mother Teresa

Congratulations Jennifer Evins President/CEO

Administration and Boards of Commissioners, including our Chief Executive Officer Customer Systems and Services Engineering Field Services Financial Services Human Resources Information Technology Purchasing Collection (Sewer) Compliance (Lab Services) Asset Engineering Maintenance (Water and Sewer) Fleet Services Drinking Water Treatment and Watershed Wastewater Treatment

The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us - fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts bring us joy, help us express our values, and build bridges between cultures. The arts are also a fundamental component of a healthy community - strengthening them socially, educationally, and economically - benefits that persist even in difficult social and economic times. PLEASE GIVE TO THE ARTS WHERE YOU LIVE!

www.gsabusiness.com

June 15 - June 28, 2020

Women of Inﬂuence

JENNIFER (JEN) STILWELL

JENNIFER SUTTON

City of birth: Fair Haven, N.J. Education: Rollins College, BA in Studio Arts/Business Administration

City of birth: Macon, Ga. Education: BA/Political Science; BA/Communication, Indiana University

My job: EVP/Chief Marketing Officer, VisitGreenvilleSC

My job: CEO/Founder, Bright+Co Marketing

The best thing about my job: I have the incredible opportunity and responsibility to authentically sell, market and story tell around this remarkable community we are all fortunate to live.

The best thing about my job: Recruiting and retaining top talent that serves our client’s business needs.

Community involvement: Artisphere Board of Directors, GVL Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors & Strategic Cabinet, Board of Directors Southeast Tourism Society Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: Two things. One, start saving your paycheck immediately! Second, don’t focus on recognition, credit or comparing yourself to others. Be disciplined and persistent to chase outcomes with strong results. The rest will follow. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: Outside of my mother, who has molded and shaped me in so many ways, I honestly believe I wouldn’t be the woman or leader that I am today without the influence of strong men who championed my individual talents, skill sets and path to heightened achievement. Favorite quote: “You are not merely created, but also a creator and your biggest creation is yourself.” — unknown

Community involvement: Board Member/Marketing Committee Chair, Junior Achievement Of Upstate; Visit Greenville SC Board; Greenville Chamber 2020, 2018 MBA Cohort Graduate, MBA Coach, Small Business Committee; 2018 B2B Marketer Of The Year, Business Marketing Association; Past Board Member And Chairman Of The Board, Fall For Greenville; Past Board Chair-Youthbase. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: To be comfortable with being uncomfortable. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: Sheryl Sandberg. She created a movement of women empowerment and created the Lean In programming where there was a huge gap in the conversation. Favorite quote: “To remember to celebrate every move. Every triumph. Every obstacle. Every colleague who hurray-ed and hated you. To celebrate every late night. And every early morning. To celebrate every single step to get to this moment in time. To be present in the moment. In the Now. Here. And This.” -Jennifer Sutton, CEO

CONGRATULATIONS To Our CEO, Jennifer Sutton, and All of the 2020 Women of Influence Honorees

that Jennifer! Jennifer Stilwell’s impact on Greenville, SC can be felt in virtually every corner of the city and county. The creative catalyst and driving force behind Yeah, THAT Greenville, Jennifer has led the way in creating one of America’s most widely recognized and awarded tourism brands, elevating economic impact within our community. Her vision, commitment, and relentless pursuit of excellence inspire and influence those around her every day.

We celebrate you for helping to empower other women and for making positive contributions to our community every day.

Congratulations, Jennifer! Thanks for helping turn our Greenville into THAT Greenville.

brightcomarketers.com

June 15 - June 28, 2020

www.gsabusiness.com 23

Women of Inﬂuence

JILL ROSE City of birth: Staten Island, NY Education: BA, Michigan State University My job: Owner, Perceptive Recruiting The best thing about my job: We make people happy. As we service our clients and find them excellent employees in IT and Engineering, we help find job seekers their dream jobs. Community involvement: Currently, president, Upstate Women & Technology; Greenville Technical College & ECPI Advisory Board Member for IT; Speak to graduating Greenville Tech IT classes on job searching every semester; Prior, leadership roles in Boy Scouts of America. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: Always make time for yourself. Your health and exercise should come first. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: My mother and my aunts; they showed me how to treat people, listen, and feed them well! Favorite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” — Gandhi

KERRY MURPHY City of birth: Washington DC Education: BS Management, Clemson / MBA, Clemson; Master of Education, Converse My job: Executive Director, Artisphere The best thing about my job: The best thing about my job is the creative and talented people I get to collaborate with, problem solve with, learn from and have fun with. BONUS: the people I talk to at the festival that are loving every minute of it. Community involvement: Art in Public Places Commission; Clemson University Panhellenic Mentor; St. Anthony’s Catholic Church Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: I wish I had gotten comfortable with saying “no” earlier in my career. I worried about missing something (FOMO) or letting people down if I didn’t say “yes” to every opportunity. I’ve found a balance of structure and spontaneity to support my personal and career goals. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: My mother is the best person I know. Her integrity is uncompromising, her work ethic exemplary and her kindness knows no bounds. Favorite quote: “Dance like nobody’s watching. Love like you’ve never been hurt. Sing like nobody’s listening. Live like its heaven on earth.” — Mark Twain

AUG 21-23

ARTISPHERE.ORG

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June 15 - June 28, 2020

Women of Inﬂuence

KRISTA L. NEWKIRK City of birth: Tulsa, Okla. Education: Juris Doctor degree, Marshall-Wythe School of Law at The College of William & Mary My job: President, Converse College The best thing about my job: The inspiration I receive from students. Community involvement: Chair, SC Tuition Grants Commission; SC Independent College and Universities: Chair of the President’s Council; Executive Committee Member, Public Policy Committee Member; SC Research Authority Board; Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce’s One Spartanburg Talent Action Team, Advisory Board and Co-chair of the Education to Employment Committee; Member, Spartanburg Academic Movement; College Town Board; GlobalBike Board; University Center of Greenville Board; Spartanburg Rotary.

Congratulations to this year’s Women of Influence! Thank you for your leadership and achievements in the Upstate community. Connect with us! AFLglobal.com/social

The friends of Dr. Lisa McWherter

Congratulate

the 2020 Women of Influence Award Recipients

Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: That it is natural to feel fear when taking on a new challenge and that the key is to embrace the fear. Always give the world your authentic self and try not to be concerned about the response. Keep doing whatever scares you until it becomes natural. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: Judy Rose, Athletic Director at UNC Charlotte, and the women who formed the WWGSD (Women Who Get Stuff Done) Club. Favorite quote:“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” — Abraham Lincoln

1-800-235-3423

DR. LISA C. MCWHERTER City of birth: Union City, Tenn. Education: General Management Program, Harvard Business School; Doctor of Education, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University; MBA, Middle Tennessee State University; BS, Business Administration, University of Tennessee My job: Executive Director and Board of Trustees ViceChair for The Abney Foundation. The best thing about my job: Everything, quite simply! Community involvement: Ten At The Top Board; Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce Board; The Jericho Project; Anderson County Board of Disabilities and Special Needs, Vice Chair; Nurse-Family Partnership Community Advisory Board; Rotary; Foothills CAN; Anderson Area Business and Education Alliance Board; Clemson Area Chamber of Commerce. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: Don’t expect the path to “success” to be a straight shot — doing all of the “right things” doesn’t always guarantee a desired outcome. It does guarantee you’re positioning to become your best self, which can produce a better outcome than originally desired. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: Dr. Ernestine McWherter, Alma Townsend, Odie Lee Greer and Dolly Parton Favorite quote: “Without hesitation, seek to do for others, what you can, where you can, when you can, while you can, because you can. “

June 15 - June 28, 2020

www.gsabusiness.com 25

Women of Inﬂuence

MALLORY PELLEGRINO

MICHELLE SEAVER

City of birth: Greenville, SC Education: The University of South Carolina, BA in Theatre

City of birth: Arlington Heights, Illinois Education: BS, Accounting, University of South Carolina My job: President of Greenville, Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties

My job: Director of Education, The Warehouse Theatre The best thing about my job: The people with whom I work are phenomenal. I am so thankful to be part of an amazing team that is a leader in producing art and creating conversation in Greenville.

The best thing about my job: The people that I get to work with — both my teammates and the customers we serve.

Community involvement: My career is all about creating community: in classrooms among students, in rehearsals with traumatic brain injury survivors, in workshops with participants from a variety of demographic and socio-economic backgrounds, in public forums among people who hold differing beliefs and opinions. Beyond work, I am a founding board member of Greenville Wordsmiths, which empowers kids ages 7-14 to discover and share their voices through the craft of writing, and I am an active Sunday school teacher. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: It’s okay to say no to opportunities, even ones that sound amazing. Burnout is such a real danger in our current culture, and rest is vital to life and to the creative process.

Community involvement: I’ve spent a great deal of time helping organizations like the Prisma Health Board of Directors, Greenville Health System Board of Trustees, Greenville County Museum of Art, Heart Ball Executive Leadership Team, March of Dimes Walk for Babies Leadership Team, Community Foundation of Greenville, Greenville Women Giving, Artisphere, South Carolina Children’s Theatre and more. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: Everyone has experiences that have shaped them and made them who they are, giving them unique perspectives, skills and capacities. Understanding this has helped me as a teammate and a leader.

A woman who has had a major influence on my life: My mom. Without that foundation and permission to follow my dream, I would have wound up somewhere entirely different.

A woman who has had a major influence on my life: I don’t think there is just one person. I’ve had several people, starting with my mother and my sister, throughout my life and career that have impacted me in their own special way.

Favorite quote: “Magic is really very simple. All you have to do is want something, then let yourself have it!”

Favorite quote: “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” — Babe Ruth

WE TAKE OUR WORK SERIOUSLY. ...OURSELVES, NOT SO MUCH. Get to know us at crawfordstrategy.com. ESCOBAR PHOTOGRAPHY

CONGRATULATIONS, MALLORY!

THE WAREHOUSE THEATRE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & 2020 WOMEN OF INFLUENCE HONOREE www.WAREHOUSETHEATRE.com

Strategy | Creative | Digital | Public Relations | Media

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June 15 - June 28, 2020

Women of Inﬂuence

MIE POTTER City of birth: Madison, Wis. Education: Attended University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and University of Arizona in Tucson My job: Personal development coach The best thing about my job: I get to develop life-long relationships with my clients while I help them learn how to solve life issues, gain control of their schedules, learn to make healthier choices and rediscover why they chose the careers they chose. Community involvement: Mentor professionals; Facilitator at McCall Renewal Center, Personal Development class; Board Member, THYME&play NPO; Facilitate classes in Homeowners Program, Greenville Habitat for Humanity; Community Diversity Task Force; United States Ambassador to TutuDesk, South Africa; Commerce Club Board of Governors. Ambassador Council. Facilitated Ladies Who Lunch group. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: Try it. You can always choose a different career. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: My mother. She raised me to make choices in my best interest.

DR. NIKA WHITE City of birth: Anderson, SC (from Belton, SC) Education: Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership, University of Phoenix; Masters of Education/E-Education, University of Phoenix – 2002 (Adult Learning, Corporate Training, and Distance Education); B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communications, Advertising & Public Relations, USC My job: President and CEO, Nika White, Consulting, LLC The best thing about my job: I get to impress upon others the significance of seeing inclusion for what it is — the power to elevate all people and all spaces. Community involvement: Carlo and Nika White Foundation; City of Greenville Board of Zoning and Appeals; Columbia College Board of Trustees; USC Black Alumni Council; Commerce Club Greenville Board of Governors; Visit Greenville SC Board of Directors Walker’s Legacy Greenville City Director; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: There’s something incredibly liberating about owning who you are and delivering and embracing your truth. Doing so gives each of us the great ability to honor the voice we have and be true to our authentic selves. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: My mom, without a doubt.

Favorite quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou

Favorite quote: “Don’t tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon.” — Paul Brandt

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June 15 - June 28, 2020

www.gsabusiness.com 27

Women of Inﬂuence

PAMELA CHRISTOPHER

SARAH ARBOGAST

City of birth: Niceville, Fla.

City of birth: Portage Lakes, Ohio

Education: Macon State College, University of Georgia, Economic Development Institute, University of Oklahoma.

Education: BS, Ohio University; MA, Communication, Technology & Society, Clemson University

My job: President/CEO, Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce The best thing about my job: Helping others. Community involvement: Anderson Area Business and Education Alliance Board; Anderson County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council; Anderson County Economic Development Advisory Board; Anderson Sister Cities Association; Chair-Elect for Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives; Drug Abuse Task Force Committee; Mayor’s Disability Committee; Ten at the Top Board; Graduate, Fall 2015 Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative; 2016 Graduate, Leadership Anderson; 2018 Graduate, Leadership SC. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: Breathe and take in all the wonder that God has created because life moves faster than you think. And, you must take risks and always stand for what’s right, because ultimately that’s what makes positive change.

My job: Director, Corporate Relations, Clemson University The best thing about my job: I am fortunate to be in a profession that accelerates the growth of South Carolina through education. Seeing the student impact and hearing their stories is what motivates me the most. Community involvement: Leadership Greenville, Class 46. As part of my small group, we have been given the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with the local nonprofit Pleasant Valley Connection in an effort to revitalize their teen center. This project has become my passion. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: It is okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. No one is perfect. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: My mother, Rebecca Arbogast.

A woman who has had a major influence on my life: My grandmother, Pearlie Mae McKinney Lambert. Favorite quote: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

Favorite quote: “Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” — Gloria Steinem

www.gsabusiness.com

June 15 - June 28, 2020

Women of Inﬂuence

SHARON WILSON

TAMMY JOHNSON

City of birth: Greenville, S.C. Education: University of South Carolina My job: President/ Broker in Charge, Wilson Associates

City of birth: Temple, Texas Education: School of Hard Knocks My job: CEO

The best thing about my job: It’s definitely the people! Real estate is not just a housing business, it’s a people business.

The best thing about my job: The best thing about my job is the variety of what I get to do. Every day is totally different, filled with different challenges and successes. It keeps things interesting.

Community involvement: We work with numerous local nonprofits, including Jasmine Road, Project Host and the CC Pearce Culinary School, The Cancer Society of Greenville, and Artisphere, to name a few. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: That you can ask for help. Surround yourself with people who know more than you do and listen to all of their advice. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: Caroline Pardue. She was the Headmistress of Ashley Hall in Charleston SC. She saw something in me that I did not see in myself. She challenged me to look deep and believe in yourself and to always keep trying when something was hard. Ms. Pardue was one of those special ladies that always made you want to do better and be a better person. Favorite quotes: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you have said, people will forget what you did, but people never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou

Community involvement: Serve on boards of Euphoria, The University Center of Greenville, Greenville Tech Culinary Institute and the City of Greenville’s Accommodations Tax Commission. Formerly served on board for Clemson Area SBDC, Board of Advisors for the Greenville Chamber, 2012 Chair of PULSE. Graduate of Leadership Greenville Class 39, 2017 graduate of “Streetwise MBA” class, Greenville Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator program. Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: Don’t take things personally. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: My grandmother. She always said she was a country hick from Clay County, she had no formal education and married young, but by golly she was the smartest woman I’ve ever known. She never let on when things were tough, she was always there to listen and be supportive, she taught me compassion and empathy. Favorite quote: “Be so awesome they can’t ignore you.”

“When you are building a business, you are either all in or you’re not.” — Barbara Corcoran

CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS!

CO N G R AT U L AT I O N S to

Tammy Johnson

Presented by:

Celebrate with a reprint! Choose between a hard copy reprint or an e-print (electronic pdf).

For more information, contact Lisa Arnold at (717) 323-5213 or LArnold@BridgeTowerMedia.com

#gsawoi

for her success in creating an amazing and visionary company in South Carolina.

June 15 - June 28, 2020

www.gsabusiness.com 29

Women of Inﬂuence

TIFFANY SANTAGATI City of birth: Beaufort, SC Education: MBA, Webster University; BA, Psychology at USC-Upstate My job: SVP, Retail Banking Executive The best thing about my job: Working with and through people to help others Community involvement: American Red Cross, Board Member; Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Board of Advisors; Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Young Professionals Pacesetters Mentor; Children’s Trust of South Carolina, Treasurer; Hispanic Alliance of SC, Treasurer; Greenville Tech Foundation, Board Member; Greenville Technical College, School of Business & Computer Technology Advisory Committee

Congratulations

TIFFANY SANTAGATI

for being named WOMAN OF INFLUENCE. Whether serving clients, assisting colleagues, or championing the growth of Community First Bank, this honor is well deserved.

Something I wish I’d known earlier in my career: Mistakes and failures don’t define you, instead they make you wiser and stronger, and so during the challenging times have more grace with yourself. A woman who has had a major influence on my life: My mother, Liz Santagati. She taught me the importance of giving back to the community, caring for others and being openminded. I continue to be in awe by her grace, strength and resilience. Favorite quote: “The two most important things in life are people and experiences, if you live your life putting other people first and savoring experiences, you will live a rewarding life.”

We know what matters.

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92% of our subscribers have taken at least one action as a result of reading advertisements in the publication. For advertising information, contact Rick Jenkins at (864) 720-1224 or rjenkins@scbiznews.com

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Invest in your success. The story of the Upstate business market is a story told in numbers. Market Facts includes data and statistics critical to commerce in our region. Topics range from employment to education to logistics, with data presented in readable charts and graphs. Take advantage of this opportunity to get your marketing message to our business community, and in front of the businesses and people planning a move to our area.

PUBLICATION DATE: August 24, 2020

| ADVERTISING DEADLINE: July 17, 2020

For advertising information, contact Rick Jenkins at (864) 720-1224 or rjenkins@scbiznews.com

In Focus

MIDYEAR ECONOMIC FORECAST

NEXT ISSUE’S FOCUS:

Hospitality and Tourism

LISTS: Largest Employers, Page 34

Former FTC director foresees endurance of Upstate economy By Molly Hulsey

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

The wound left by the exodus of the fabrics industry in the late 20th century was even greater than the one caused by the Great Depression for the region once known as the “Textile Center of the World.” Still, the spine of the Appalachian mountains running north to south across the South Carolina Upstate had always kept its inhabitants looking outward and eastward, according to Bruce Yandle, dean emeritus of Clemson University’s College of Business and Behavioral Science, former executive director of the Federal Trade Commission and senior economist on Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter’s Council of Wage Price Stability. The international market that reeled away the Upstate’s textile jobs also brought it automobile manufacturers and scores of suppliers in their wake — building up what Yandle calls the strongest economy in the Southeast, the strongest regional economy east of the Mississippi. “Not just strength in terms of muscle with production and income growth, but a dynamism,” said Yandle, adding that many international textile machine manufacturers discovered the Upstate at the height of the textile boom, putting it on the map for the likes of BMW Manufacturing and Michelin once textile factories largely fled the area. And now as economic fears escalate following the multi-month global shutdown sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, Yandle sees that even still, its scars will likely heal in South Carolina much faster than in other states, especially with its popularity among transplants. Yandle cited a 2019 U-Haul mover’s survey in which the Carolinas were

Clemson’s dean emeritus Bruce Yandle continues to educate students and policy makers as an adjunct fellow at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center, and previously served as executive director of the Federal Trade Commission and as senior economist on the President’s Council on Wage and Price Stability (Photo/Provided).

among the top five most popular destinations for relocation in the country. “The stronger they were, the better they will be positioned to endure and then come out of this thing,” he said of the nation’s various regions. “The Upstate: one of the stronger regions of the country, attracting a lot of people, highly concentrated in manufacturing — has been for decades. In fact, I think you can go back to the end of World War I and come forward and see a highly concentrated manufacturing economy with different kinds of products over the decades.” Yandle hesitated to predict the economic future in light of further viral mutations, future epidemic surges or political turns in what he called a command economy, or a system where a centralized government controls the market instead of a free market, due to the new coronavirus.

While the area’s textile boom faded away in the latter half of the last century, the manufacturing base it brought endures and continues to spur on development and relocation to the area. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)

“It’s very hazardous to try to make a forecast believing that you may be accurate, but nevertheless let’s do that, let’s do that,” he said. “Let’s do the best we can.” Yandle expects that negative growth in GDP will continue to bottom-out until at least 2022 with recovery on the

horizon of 2021. As much as South Carolina’s low density led to workforce development issues pre-COVID-19, the role it plays in squelching infection may now be one of the state’s saving graces, alongside an See YANDLE, Page 36

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IN FOCUS: MIDYEAR ECONOMIC FORECAST

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June 15 - June 28, 2019

Q & A with Wofford College economist Aikaterini Andrews By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

2020 | SOUTH CAROLINA

MANUFACTURING

CONFERENCE AND EXPO The Most Significant Manufacturing Event of the Year Presented by:

SAVE THE DATE

October 28th - 30th, 2020 Greenville Convention Center Greenville, SC Join manufacturing suppliers and innovators across all industry verticals at South Carolina’s Most Significant Manufacturing Event of the Year. The 2019 Conference included: • 2,800+ registered attendees • 280+ Exhibitors • 16 courses taught by instructors from SCMEP • Manufacturing 4.0 Breakfast: The Rise of Technology • Aero/Auto Symposium and Industry Forecasts • Executive Women in Manufacturing and Apprenticeships in Advanced Manufacturing panel discussions For questions about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Melissa Tomberg at (864) 720-1220 or mtomberg@scbiznews.com Visit www.scmanufacturingconference.com for the latest updates

We are at the midpoint of a year that started out with an economy dialed in at “robust.” We all know that our intentional shutdown has taken down that economy. Are there other reasons for the collapse? We did enter 2020 expecting a strong economy. In the last quarter (fourth quarter) of 2019, real gross domestic profit grew by 2.1%. In February of 2020 unemployment rate unemployment was 3.5% despite ongoing tariff and trade negotiations. By April, the unemployment rate climbed to 14.7% and is believed to be around 16% in May. Real GDP fell by 5% the first quarter of 2020. It is expectAndrews ed to fall by more than 30% during the second quarter. The coronavirus pandemic and related shutdowns can safely be considered the driving force behind this phenomenal contraction. Though Moody’s Analytics estimate the unemployment rate at 8.5% by year end, it is difficult to overestimate how painful of a shock Covid-19 has been. If we turned it off by simply closing doors, why is it so difficult to turn it back on? Some analysts argue that the pandemic is an “artificial halt” from which the economy will be able to recover “fast.” They predict a “V” type recovery. But what is the future course of the virus? When will a vaccine become available? Many of the largest companies in the world, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Google, have experienced growth in revenues during this time. For the 28 million small businesses, however, who employ 48% of the workforce, “uncertainty” remains a big factor. How long can they survive the cash flow disruption from shutting down, or returning at reduced capacity? A survey of 330 local businesses found that 40% of them worry about staying in business, 37% worry about meeting rental or property obligations and 70% have or plan to apply for financial assistance. Sole proprietors and minority-owned businesses are particularly worried. How bad is the economy now, and

is it fair to compare it to the Great Depression? I would say no. Some aggregate indicators look similar. The unemployment rate was 25% at the height of the 1930s depression. Similar unemployment rate numbers were expected for May of 2020. There was 30% contraction in GDP between 1929 and 1933. As mentioned above, the outlook for GDP figures in the second quarter of this year is just as gloomy. The numbers, however, hardly capture the despair Americans experienced at that time. Depression-era policies, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, tax increases for businesses and deflationary policies by the Fed, were counterproductive. We are much wealthier now. Between the government and the Fed, trillions are being pumped into the economy affording liquidity for businesses & preventing a financial market collapse. S&P 500 is currently less than 10% below its pre-pandemic high. Stocks rallied 31.25% since March. Real estate prices are stable. The outlook for the economy remains solemn. GDP in the fourth quarter of 2020 is expected to be 5.6% lower than in 2019. The Congressional Budget Office adjusted downwards its forecast for the 2020-2030 output by $7.9 trillion, 3% lost GDP. What can we expect next? A second stimulus bill is under consideration and three out of four Americans believe it is necessary. This legislative package of about $1 trillion includes aid for states facing budget shortfalls, a capital gains tax cut for investors, even a tourism tax deduction. Enhanced unemployment benefits, currently $600 a week, may be adjusted for the second half of the year. The deficit-to-GDP ratio is 17.9% for 2020, up from 4.6% in 2019. National debt in relation to GDP was 106.2% in 2019. Forecasts place it to 115% by 2023. Once the crisis has abated, the long term implications of the Covid-19 related borrowing, justifiable as it may be, will have to be reckoned with. Which indicators should we watch? We follow the stock market. Currently it looks better than the economy. It is not immune to bubbles or false positives, so underlying economSee ANDREWS, Page 35

June 15 - June 28, 2019

IN FOCUS: MIDYEAR ECONOMIC FORECAST

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IN FOCUS: MIDYEAR ECONOMIC FORECAST

www.gsabusiness.com

June 15 - June 28, 2019

Largest Employers

Ranked by No. of Employees in the Upstate Company

Phone / Website / Email

State of South Carolina (Upstate data) P.O. Box 12444 Columbia, SC 29211

803-734-2320 www.sc.gov -

BMW Manufacturing Co. 1400 S.C. Highway 101 S. Greer, SC 29651

Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded

Employees: Local / Statewide / Worldwide

Headquarters

Description

Henry McMaster 1788

12,818 -

Columbia

State government

864-802-6000 www.bmwusfactory.com -

Knudt Flor, Sky Foster 1992

11,000 11,000 134,000

Munich

BMW X3, X4, X5, X6, and X7 and their variants

Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System 101 E. Wood St. Spartanburg, SC 29303

864-560-6000 www.spartanburgregional.com -

Bruce Holstien 1921

9,500 9,500 9,500

Spartanburg

Range of healthcare services

Bon Secours St. Francis Health System 1 St. Francis Drive Greenville, SC 29601

864-255-1000 www.bonsecours.com/greenville -

Matt Caldwell, William Kusnierz 1932

3,985 4,019 52,846

Cincinnati

Health care

AnMed Health 800 N. Fant St. Anderson, SC 29621

864-512-1000 anmedhealth.org lizz.walker1@anmedhealth.org

Bill Manson 1908

3,777 3,777 3,777

Anderson

Not-for-profit health system

GE Gas Power 300 Garlington Road Greenville, SC 29615

864-254-2000 www.ge.com/power/gas -

Chuck Nugent, Richard Simpson, John Intile 1968

3,650 3,650 280,000

Boston

Power generation

ZF North America 2846 N. Old Laurens Road Gray Court, SC 29645

864-601-2500 www.zf.com communications@zf.com

2012

3,000 3,000 157,000

Friedrichshafen, Germany

Automotive transmissions

Robert Bosch LLC 4421 S.C. Highway 81 N. Anderson, SC 29621

864-260-8000 www.boschusa.com contact@us.bosch.com

Mike McCormick, Christian Kolzem 1985

2,270 4,000 398,000

Stuttgart, Germany

Global supplier of technology and services

Greenville County 301 University Ridge, Suite 2400 Greenville, SC 29601

864-467-7150 www.greenvillecounty.org webmaster@greenvillecounty.org

Joseph Kernell 1786

2,200 2,200 2,200

Greenville

County government

Duke Energy Corp. 40 W. Broad St. Greenville, SC 29601

800-777-9898 www.duke-energy.com -

Mike Callahan 1904

1,979 4,358 30,000

Charlotte

Operates two electric utilities in South Carolina

Synnex Corp. 39 Pelham Ridge Drive Greenville, SC 29615

864-289-4000 www.synnexcorp.com elizab@hughes-agency.com

Peter Larocque, Michael Urban 1980

1,600 1,600 235,000

Greenville

Technology solutions for the IT and consumer electronics markets

DAA Draexlmaier Automotive of America LLC 1751 E. Main St. Duncan, SC 29334

864-485-1000 www.draexlmaier.us info_usa@draexlmaier.com

Christian Langstein, Kerry Curvey, Max Cichon 1995

1,215 1,215 75,000

Vilsbiburg, Germany

Automotive interior and electrical systems

AFL 170 Ridgeview Center Drive Duncan, SC 29334

864-433-0333 www.aflglobal.com sales@aflglobal.com

Jody Gallagher, Kurt Dallas, Robert Crowder 1984

1,057 1,057 5,000

Spartanburg

Manufacturer of fiber-optic cable and accessories

University of South Carolina Upstate 800 University Way Spartanburg, SC 29303

864-503-5235 www.uscupstate.edu -

Jessica Blais, Kim Jolley, Derham Cole 1967

944 944 944

Spartanburg

Public regional university

Warehouse Services Inc. 58 S. Burty Road Piedmont, SC 29673

864-422-9955 www.wsionline.com sales@wsi-ismi.com

M. Jill Cox, Max Dieterle, Chris Apple 1986

925 1,000 4,000

Piedmont

Third-party logistics

Bob Jones University 1700 Wade Hampton Blvd. Greenville, SC 29614

864-242-5100 www.bju.edu info@bju.edu

Gary Weier, Stephen Pettit 1947

854 854 854

Greenville

Christian liberal arts university

Greenville Technical College 506 S. Pleasantburg Drive Greenville, SC 29607

864-250-8000 www.gvltec.edu InfoRequest@gvltec.edu

Keith L. Miller 1962

754 754 754

Greenville

Higher education

YMCA of Greenville 723 Cleveland St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-242-1111 www.ymcagreenville.org bsc@ymcagreenville.org

Scot Baddley 1876

724 724 724

Greenville

Fitness and wellness, youth development, sports

ABB Motion 6040 Ponders Court Greenville, SC 29615

864-297-4800 www.abb.com/us joe.maloney@us.abb.com

Joe Maloney 1904

710 775 -

Manufactures speed reducers, drives, gears, mounted bearings & mechanical transmission products; electric, electronic & industrial controls, converters, motors & telecommunications equipment

ScanSource Inc. 6 Logue Court Greenville, SC 29615

864-288-2432 www.scansource.com -

Mike Baur 1992

700 -

Greenville

Technology products and solutions, focusing on point-of-sale, payments, barcode, physical security, unified communications and collaboration, cloud and telecom services

Global Lending Services 1200 Brookfield Blvd., Suite 300 Greenville, SC 29607

864-385-6461 www.glsllc.com executiveadmin@glsllc.com

Steve Thibodeau 2012

578 578 780

Greenville

Auto finance

Lockheed Martin 244 Terminal Road Greenville, SC 29605

864-299-3350 www.lockheedmartin.com -

Mike Fox 1984

Bethesda, Md.

Aircraft sustainment and production

Tindall Corp. 3076 N. Blackstock Road Spartanburg, SC 29301

864-576-3230 www.tindallcorp.com carlclary@tindallcorp.com

William "Willy" Lowndes, Gregory F. Force 1963

520 520 1,450

Spartanburg

Producers of precast concrete products and systems in North America

Wofford College 429 N. Church St. Spartanburg, SC 29303

864-597-4000 www.wofford.edu marketing@wofford.edu

Nayef H. Samhat 1854

480 480 480

Spartanburg

Higher education, private liberal arts college

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, Realtors 745 N. Pleasantburg Drive Greenville, SC 29607

864-242-6650 www.cdanjoyner.com info@cdanjoyner.com

David Crigler, Danny Joyner 1964

418 418 418

Greenville

Full-service real estate brokerage

Lander University 320 Stanley Ave. Greenwood, SC 29649

864-388-8000 www.lander.edu admissions@lander.edu

Richard E. Consetino 1872

405 405 405

Greenwood

Higher education

Carolina Center for Behavioral Health 2700 E. Phillips Road Greer, SC 29650

864-235-2335 www.thecarolinacenter.com -

Jerry Chapman 1985

350 350 350

Greer

Inpatient and outpatient psychiatric and addiction treatment for adolescents, adults and senior adults

Spartanburg Community College 107 Community College Drive Spartanburg, SC 29303

864-592-4600 www.sccsc.edu admissions@sccsc.edu

Henry Giles 1963

333 333 333

Spartanburg

Over 70 programs of study

Process Automation Solutions Inc. 1045 Keys Drive Greenville, SC 29615

864-528-5859 www.atsautomation.com john.moll@pa-ats.com

John Moll, Ruediger Trobisch 2001

Greenville

Systems integration, automation, instrumentation

550 750 110,000

300 330 1,650

Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. View the full list online at www.scbiznews.com/buybusiness-lists. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, errors sometimes occur. Email additions or corrections to lists@scbiznews.com.

Researched by Paige Hardy

IN FOCUS: MIDYEAR ECONOMIC FORECAST

June 15 - June 28, 2019

ANDREWS, from Page 32

ic indicators such as unemployment levels, interest rates, GDP numbers and the state of global economy matter. Indexes such as the purchasing managers’ index are used to take the “pulse” of the level of activity in the manufacturing sector. Expansion or contraction in this sector is considered a “leading,” as opposed to a “lagging.” (These are) indicators of the overall level of economic activity. Several indexes gauge the activity in the housing market as well, both nationally and regionally (and) also, the number of new business start-ups, as they drive new job creation. What must happen for the economy to be definitely on the upswing? What restores consumer confidence? A vaccine. We must remember that a “health crisis” caused this recession. Recovery from it is more likely to follow a “U” shape; it will be more protracted than initially believed. Consumer confidence is an integral part of any recovery, as consumer spending drives 70% of the economy. It hit a 19-year high in 2018. The consumer confidence index fell to 89.6 in April, from 118.8 in January of 2020. In April, the U.S. savings rate

hit a high of 33%, reflecting low confidence. The labor market situation matters. When individuals are not preoccupied about losing a job, finding a job or having to take pay cuts, consumer confidence will return. We hear a lot that manufacturing will lead us out of the recession. Do you agree? If so, does that mean the Upstate is well positioned to lead the way out? Manufacturing accounts for 40% of GDP in China, only 11% in the

www.gsabusiness.com 35

Upstate, population growth, employment growth, a pro-business climate were strong prior to the pandemic. Fiscal year 2019 brought capital investment of $402 million in Greenville County. Thirty major organizations chose to locate or expand in the area, half of them in the core manufacturing industry, the remaining in information technology, office, headquarters and logistics. The unemployment rate in April jumped to 12.3%. About half of the jobs lost were in the leisure and hospitality sector, the

“Unprecedented in this crisis has been the scale and scope of the Federal Reserve’s intervention.” Aikaterini Andrews economist, Wofford College

U.S. The Upstate is one of the strongest manufacturing sectors in the U.S. In May of 2020, China’s purchasing managers’ index was 50.6, indicating that this vital sector of the economy is expanding. Yet, the international monetary fund adjusted China’s GDP growth for 2020 down to 1.2%. The economic fundamentals in the

UPFIT Your Summer

hardest hit and slowest to recover sector in general. But, I remain optimistic that the local economy will rebound faster than the economy at large. What would a speedy recovery look like? What sector will bring up the rear? A speedy recovery starts with a

steep fall. The recovery is equal to the recession in both duration and in magnitude (V shape). However, the longer a recession inflicts damage to firms’ balance sheets, or to the labor market, the longer it will take to return to pre-recession levels of output (U shape). Sixty percent of the world is on the internet. Internet-based industries, such as online content creators and streaming services, are thriving during the pandemic – so are business process outsourcing firms. What will be the legacy of this recession? Major economic crises in the past, the Great Depression and the global financial crisis for example, have led to a massive expansion of the federal government’s power that continued even after the crisis. This recession will bring similar results. Unprecedented in this crisis has been the scale and scope of the Federal Reserve’s intervention. Backlash against globalism may intensify. Nations like Vietnam, Mexico and India are emerging as attractive manufacturing locations for many large corporations, challenging China’s position as the world’s only major manufacturing hub. Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222 or @ RossNorton13 on Twitter.

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IN FOCUS: MIDYEAR ECONOMIC FORECAST

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YANDLE, from Page 31

Target your market in an upcoming issue of the GSA Business Report

JULY 13

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For advertising information, call Rick Jenkins at (864) 720-1224

independence from mass transit systems, he said. Strong leadership at the local and community level and a youthful, hightech manufacturing base, will also shelter the state — and the Upstate — from the most ravaging economic effects of the virus. On the other hand, some strengths can also double as weaknesses, at least in the short term. The Upstate’s specialty in car manufacturing — an industry reliant on global exports and imported parts — may make it more vulnerable to the slump experienced by the global economy, while the preeminence of aircraft component manufacturers like Boeing will also make a dent. “But the people involved in that kind of manufacturing are highly adaptable to the manufacturing of other kinds of components,” he said. “So, in terms of the longer run, that is still an advantage for the region.”

June 15 - June 28, 2019

Yandle does foresee that some manufacturers will bring their North American supply chain stateside as result of the uncertainty created by the trade wars and the pandemic — he said he heard BMW may begin to build some of their engines in the United States instead of Germany — but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will settle in the Upstate. Mounting national, state and municipal debt following plummeting interest rates and the release of ream after ream of stimulus packages — with limited individual spending power possible at the moment — also will muddle budgets and constrict public projects in the years ahead. Some government agencies will be stripped of some of their funding to patch up other holes. “There’s a massive amount of money that has come in, and that’s debt that somebody’s going to have to deal with in the future and in addition to dealing with the debt itself, is going be paying the carrying cost of the debt. Also, the debt itself will probably become the third largest item on our national bud-

“In a way. it’s sort of dark humor to think how angry we are officially at a national level with China, but their buying our bonds makes it possible for us to consume more than we produce every year.” Bruce Yandle economist, Clemson University

Yandle monitors the port of Charleston and its Upstate limb, the S.C. Inland Port Greer, as an indicator of South Carolina’s economic health. “The activities at the inland port have far exceeded anybody’s forecast,” he said. Still, a number of imports bound for nearby retail distributors originated from China. Yandle believes that global trade restrictions created by the pandemic could lead to shorter, more domestic-based supply chains, but he said that it will still create an unavoidable dent in the economy’s growth rate. “Then, we were made vulnerable prior to the pandemic’s occurrence,” Yandle said, emphasizing the Upstate’s flurry of growth until one of the country’s most global economies slowed with the Trump administration’s trade wars and protectionist policies. “While our area is one of the strongest in the region and in the eastern United States, it is also one of the most international economies in America,” he said. “Then you look at where our goods go from South Carolina, and the number one destination is China. The number two destination is Germany. So, when we have a national government that chooses to engage in trade wars with the countries that are our best customers, there’s a bit of trouble on the horizon right here in River City.”

get. When those interest rates go up, that balloon is going to get larger, and it’s going to squeeze other parts of government activity,” he said, trickling from a federal level to municipal bonds and budgets. Cuts in state revenues have slashed South Carolina’s forecasted revenue spending for the next financial year by $500 million, he said. Sales and income taxes have plummeted along with retail sales and employment rates. Meanwhile, Japan and China are also the country’s top creditors in terms of federal bonds, and Yandle does worry that escalating trade tensions could also impact this relationship. He said that it’s not in China’s interest to sell or constrict future purchases of U.S. bonds, but countries will act contrary to their own economic interests when provoked. “In a way, it’s sort of dark humor to think how angry we are officially at a national level with China, but their buying of our bonds makes it possible for us to consume more than we produce every year,” he said. “We consume more than we produce every year, and then some people get mad because so many goods are coming from other countries instead of coming from here.” Reach Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1222 or @mollyhulsey_gsa on Twitter.

At Work

BUSINESS DIGEST | PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

Business Digest

IT services. IMS Solutions Group will provide strategic guidance, security, Microsoft solutions, endpoint management, infrastructure management, service desk and business continuity services.

pany, along with the university’s Campus Enhancement Services.

Harvest Hope receives relief grant

Carolina Olive Oil earns BBB award The Better Business Bureau of Upstate South Carolina said it awarded Carolina Olive Oil LLC with the BBB Applause Award for meeting and exceeding advertising standards. Each quarter, BBB’s Local Advertising Review Program recognizes a business within the 10 counties of the Upstate for adhering to BBB’s Code of Advertising guidelines. The award is implemented through a local partnership between BBB and the American Advertising Federation of Greenville.

Infinity receives PR award

Infinity Marketing, an Upstate marketing agency, said it earned three awards from the S.C. Public Relations Society of America for projects ranging from media relations to community involvement and event management. Infinity was recognized for work completed for Tindall Corp. and Cancer Survivors Park, among other projects.

Cullum creates employee relief fund

Cullum created a $200,000 COVID-19 Employee Relief Fund to assist team members as they work through the pandemic. Cullum employs more than 200 people across South Carolina, with offices in Charleston, Columbia and Greenville.

Harvest Hope said it received a $100,000 grant from Truist Financial Corp. to aid in its COVID-19 relief efforts in the Upstate and Midlands. Harvest Hope Food Bank is a non-profit organization serving food to people in need in 20 counties across South Carolina. Harvest Hope distributes more than 32.7 million pounds of food each year and feeds approximately 31,405 people a week across South Carolina.

Presbyterian College plans fall return

Presbyterian College will transition summer classes online and cancel summer camps with plans to return to on-campus instruction in the fall. Classes in the undergraduate program and the physician assistant studies program at PC transitioned to online earlier this year and will remain online throughout the summer, the college said in a news release. Classes scheduled for the month of June at the School of Pharmacy will also be held online. The college will make a decision for July classes at the School of Pharmacy later. Undergraduate and graduate students will continue to receive remote academic assistance throughout the summer, and students involved in summer research will work remotely, the college said.

Greenville firm makes investments

Greenville-based VentureSouth announced that it invested in two southeastern early-stage companies: MemberHub and Reveal Mobile. Both companies are based in Raleigh, N.C. MemberHub is a developer of software for K-12 parent groups, such as parent-teacher organizations and boosters. Reveal Mobile provides location-based marketing, analytics and foot traffic attribution to agencies, brands and data-driven companies.

Immedion adds new division

Greenville-based Immedion LLC, a provider of technology services, announced the launch of IMS Solutions Group, a division of Immedion specializing in managed

Ron Losby, left, CEO of Steinway & Sons, presents the Partners in Performance Dealer of the Year Award to Mark and Katherine Love of Steinway Piano Gallery in Greenville.

Piano store earns national award

Steinway Piano Gallery in Greenville received the “Partners in Performance” dealer of the year award from Steinway & Sons piano makers. The award recognizes the top Steinway dealer from more than 65 showrooms across North America. Nomination and selection are based on dealer performance in categories including sales, customer service, technical service, concert and artist activities and more.

Team adds COVID relief campaign

Greenville Triumph Soccer Club announced a “Match to Triumph” fundraising campaign in partnership with the United Way of Greenville County. The virtual match is a three-week fundraising campaign for the United Way’s COVID-19 Community Relief Fund. The Triumph is seeking to sell out the club’s home stadium through 4,014 donations to the fund. The campaign concludes June 12 with the virtual soccer match being played across the club’s social media platforms.

Moving company opens Upstate office NGU to open campuses in fall

North Greenville University said it will open its Tigerville and Greer campuses for in-person instruction beginning Aug. 20. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, a new wellness center has been launched with an on-campus health clinic and enhanced mental health services through the university’s Office of Counseling Services, the university said. Throughout the summer, deep cleaning of all facilities will be performed by the Budd Group, a sanitization and janitorial services com-

bines experience in branded environments, corporate interiors and signage with expanded capacity for fabrication and national installation. IE – Southeast said the Greenville location at 135 Commerce Center will handle a higher volume of interior and signage projects.

Good Greek Moving and Storage announced the opening of a location at 3303 N. Industrial Drive in Simpsonville. The location will provide local, long distance and statewide moves, the company said. Good Greek Moving and Storage is based in Florida.

Skyline joins Houston firm in venture

Houston-based Innovative Environments and Greenville company Skyline Exhibits and Design announced plans to launch IE – Southeast. Terms of the venture were not released. The venture com-

Tom Suitt, Dana Emberton and Evan Liollio of THS Constructors accept the S.C. Chamber of Commerce Commendation of Safety Excellence.

S.C. Chamber honors THS for safety

Greenville-based THS Constructors said it received the Commendation of Excellence award from the S.C. Chamber of Commerce in recognition of its 2019 Safety Program. The state Chamber honors companies who had a successful safety record each year. The Commendation of Excellence award for THS represents the company’s zero lost time accidents per the company’s OSHA 300 log in 2019.

Arts council creates relief fund

In conjunction with the Graham Foundation and the Canal Charitable Foundation, the Metropolitan Arts Council of Greenville said it will distribute $275,500 to 28 local arts organizations. The fund was started with a $102,000 withdrawal from the MAC Endowment for the Arts. The 28 arts organizations receiving funding are Artisphere, Carolina Dance Collaborative, Carolina Music Museum, Centre Stage, Chicora Voices, Emrys, Foothills Philharmonic, Glow Lyric Theatre, Greenville Center for Creative Arts, Greenville Chautauqua Society, Greenville Chorale, Greenville Concert Band, Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville County Youth Orchestra, Greenville Jazz Collective, Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Greenville Theatre, Greer Cultural Arts Council, International Ballet, Makers Collective (Indie Craft Parade), Mauldin Cultural Center, Peace Center, SC Bach, South Carolina Children’s Theatre, Vaughn Newman Dance, The Warehouse Theatre, Wits End Poetry and Younts Center for Performing Arts.

Submit items using our online submission portal: www.GSABizWire.com. Publication is subject to editorial discretion.

www.gsabusiness.com

June 15 - June 28, 2020

People in the News HUMAN RESOURCES HR Experts on Demand hired Becky Johnson as a consultant. She is licensed as an S.C. life and health insurance producer. Brandon Cruz joined Leadership Management International Inc. of the Carolinas as business development manager. Cruz has worked with at-risk youth Cruz and individuals with mental health challenges as a nationally certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist.

SITE SELECTION

Wilson

merce in Florida.

CONSTRUCTION

Dawson

Global Location Strategies hired Bree Wilson as marketing coordinator. Before joining GLS, Wilson served four years as communications coordinator for the Greater Plant City Chamber of Com-

TECHNOLOGY

Mills

Gray

Immedion LLC promoted Kevin Mills to director of customer service. Mills most recently served as customer services manager for Immedion’s Asheville, Greenville and Spartanburg locations.

ScanSource Inc. announced the appointment of Jeffrey R. Rodek to its board of directors. Since 2017, Rodek has served as an executive network advisor Rodek and limited partner of Tensility Venture Partners, a venture capital firm investing in enterprise software companies.

ARCHITECTURE McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture promoted William Gray to Spartanburg office director. Gray has served as director of the Spartanburg community stu-

dio since 2011 and became an associate principal in 2018. He has architecture degrees from Clemson University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Nico

Mashburn Construction hired Tyler Dawson, Andrew Nico and Lucas Rodenberg at the company’s Greenville office at 18 E. North St. Dawson Rodenberg has been hired as a project manager for the upfit division. Nico has been hired as a full-time project engineer to support the preconstruction and the project management departments. Rodenberg is a full-time project engineer with Mashburn.

EDUCATION Six members of Furman University’s class of 2020 received Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Recipients include Nettie “Smith” Childs from Atlanta, Zachary “Zach” Hughes from Chesterfield, Mo., Emily Peeler from Mobile, Ala., Audrey Rotman from Ottawa Hills, Ohio, Harrison Weir from Fountain Inn and Samantha Whitley from Fort Mill. The Riley Institute at Furman University hired Katie Quine to direct marketing and communications. Quine formerly served as the conQuine tent marketing specialist for Ryman Hospitality Properties, an entertainment company..

Denny’s names new general counsel The Denny’s Corp. has named Gail Sharps Meyers general counsel for the company. “We are very excited to have Gail Myers join our executive leadership team and look forward to her contributions to the business,” Denny’s CEO John Miller said in a news release. “Ms. Myers is a welMeyers come addition to the team and the Denny’s family. We are confident that her insights and fresh perspective will be invaluable to our mission to drive growth and build long-term shareholder value for Denny’s.” Prior to joining Denny’s, Myers served as the executive vice president, general counsel, secretary and chief compliance officer for American Tire

Distributors Inc. She led the company’s corporate governance and compliance functions and handled matters relating to financial reporting, mergers and acquisitions, labor and employment, real estate, litigation, data privacy and government affairs, according to the news release. Myers’ additional experience includes serving as senior vice president, deputy general counsel and chief compliance counsel at U.S. Foods and senior vice president, general counsel and secretary at Snyder’s-Lance Inc. She has a juris doctorate from the American University›s Washington College of Law and a Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University›s W.P. Carey School of Business. Denny’s Corp., based in Spartanburg, has about 1,700 restaurants in 147 countries.

HEALTH CARE

atric Brain Tumor Foundation.

Jervey Eye Group PA hired Dr. Bridget Whaley as a general care optometrist at its Halton Road location in Greenville. Whaley most recently worked Whaley with Eyes on Eyes LLC in Charleston, diagnosing, treating and co-managing a variety of ocular conditions in both children and adults.

REAL ESTATE

NONPROFITS The Greenwood Genetic Center named William “Bill” Tiller as executive director of the Greenwood Genetic Center Foundation. Tiller has experience Tiller in fundraising and development, working primarily in the areas of children’s health and advocacy. He most recently served as president and CEO of the Pedi-

McCoy Wright Inc. hired Carr Kaufmann as senior vice president of property management and president of Legacy Property Services LLC, an affiliate company of McCoy Wright. Carr has more than 27 years of commercial real estate experience and has real estate broker licenses in Georgia and South Carolina.

MANUFACTURING Tindall Corp.’s South Carolina Division promote Ashley Fortenberry to product and process integration manager. The new position was creName ated to oversee the development and execution of projects using a new patented precast flooring system, the Tindall Superior Lightweight All-Purpose Beam, or T-Slab. She will be responsible for managing all T-Slab projects, start to finish.

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VIEWS, PERSPECTIVES AND READERS’ LETTERS

Marketing company launches We’ll Never Know campaign

Recent events have caused all of us, even, or perhaps especially, those who have always considered themselves allies of the minority community, to take stock of how we can listen more intently, learn and do more. Words are not enough, but all positive change starts with empathy. It is with empathy in mind that Bright+Co. Marketing, created this “We’ll Never Know” public service JENNIFER announcement camSUTTON paign, which perhaps you’ve seen or heard through local media. These are the words we believe must be said to people of color and internalized by our community.

We’ll Never Know

We’ll never know what it’s like to be of color. We’ll never know what it’s like to have ancestors who were enslaved. We’ll never know what it’s like to be called boy when you’re a man, to be

denied a loan because of your skin, and to have it assumed your skin is what got you into a good college. We’ll never know what it’s like to hear the car doors lock as we walk past. We’ll never know what it’s like to have people cross the street as we approach. We’ll never know what it’s like to be asked to pay the check before our meal appears. We’ll never know what it’s like to have people we barely know touch our hair. We’ll never know what it’s like to be paid less because of our color. To be profiled because of our color. To be followed around in a store because of our color. To have it presumed we’re worse at our job because of our color. To not get that apartment because of our color. To not get that promotion because of our color. To get that promotion and have it assumed it’s because of our color. To be the butt of a racist joke because of our color. To die of a virus at a higher rate because of our color. To be pulled over because of our color.

To feel a police officer’s knee on our neck for nearly 9 minutes because of our color. We’ll never know the dozens and dozens of other examples that exist. But we know this... What has happened is wrong and immoral and disgusting and has been that way since 1619. 1619. We’ve had 401 years to fix it and we haven’t. Not nearly as much as we should have by now. Let’s begin by thinking deeply of what people of color have been through. We can’t truly feel it. We can’t truly really know it. But can’t we at least abhor it? And call it out when we see it. And punish those who practice it. And teach our kids not to do it. And most of all… Look in the mirror. However, words are not enough. We must take bold, decisive and unprecedented action to end long-standing societal wrongs. As a company and as proud citizens of Greenville, BRIGHT+CO has begun systematically evaluating all that we do to be

not just more supportive of diversity and inclusion, but to be active agents of change. We pledge to step up our existing involvement with groups that consistently and effectively move minority groups forward. We will also work to create new relationships and initiatives to attract and recruit more candidates of color to our industry and to our company. Most importantly, we hope to use this “We’ll Never Know” campaign to encourage a dialog in our community and in our industry on how we can combine to do and be better through recognizing what we don’t know, taking a long hard look in the mirror, leading with our hearts and plotting a better future. For more information, visit we-willnever-know.com. The time is now. Jennifer Sutton is founder and CEO of Greenville-based Bright+Co. Marketing. In addition to being a frequent lecturer on marketing related topics, she is a Greenville Chamber Minority Business Accelerator coach and board member for several Greenville non-profit organizations, including VisitGreenvilleSC, Junior Achievement of Greater South Carolina and past board chair for YouthBase. Her company’s website is brightcomarketers.com.

May employment surprisingly strong; big picture unchanged

ayroll employment rose 2.5 million in May, exceeding everyone’s expectation. But this outcome seems to reflect a very slight difference in the timing of when workers returned to work and, for this reason, does not change the overall economic outlook. We had expected a 2 million decline in employment for May, followed by a 10 million increase in June as workers returned. But now it appears that some of STEPHEN D. that hiring occurred SLIFER slightly earlier than we anticipated and, following the May gain, we have reduced our projected jobs increase for June to 7 million. The increase over the two-month period is only slightly stronger than anticipated. We already knew the labor market was improving. After peaking at 6.9 million in the week ending March 28, the initial unemployment claims declined for nine

weeks and now stands at 1.9 million. In any given week, some workers lose their jobs and file for unemployment benefits. At the same time, other workers get hired and drop off the unemployment rolls. When the number of people receiving benefits declines, more people were hired in that week than lost their jobs. In the week ending May 16, the number of people receiving unemployment insurance benefits fell by 4.1 million. Workers were returning to their jobs. We thought the mid-May hiring had occurred too late in the month to boost May employment. We were wrong. Employment rose by 2.5 million versus our projected decline of 2 million. The increase for May and June is slightly stronger than anticipated, but with a vastly different pattern. Every month the Bureau of Labor Statistics combines payroll employment with the nonfarm workweek and calculates an “aggregate hours index” which can be used as a rough proxy for GDP. Payroll employment declined by 1.3 million in March and an additional 20.6 million in April. As a result, the aggregate

hours index plunged in those two months before rebounding somewhat in May. For the first quarter this index averaged 111.1. For the second quarter the index will average 97.2. Doing the math, that works out to an annualized rate of decline of 50%. This explains why we still look for a huge GDP drop of 50% in the second quarter. The economy is getting better, but the April hit was breathtaking. Given the increase in employment in May and a likely further sizable increase in June, third-quarter GDP growth is likely to bounce back by 51%. So even though the May increase in employment surprised everyone, if all it does is take some of the jobs growth for June and shift it back into May, it does not change the overall economic outlook by any appreciable amount. Given all that has been going on, the stock market continues upward. After falling 32% from its mid-February peak, the S&P 500 index has rebounded and now stands at 5% below its mid-February level. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index has already established a new record high level. Many contend that the market is now

grossly overvalued. We disagree. Economic activity is rebounding naturally as workers go back to work, once and pay overdue bills like the mortgage, the rent, the car loan and credit card bills. But on top of that is $2.5 trillion of fiscal stimulus with help from the Fed. Most American households have received their $1,200 refund checks. Small businesses are getting money from the Paycheck Protection Program. Boosted by the refund checks, real disposable income surged by 13.4% in April. With income rising and the economy essentially shut down, there was nowhere to spend that money. As a result, the savings rate skyrocketed to 33% in April compared to a more normal level of 6%. That money is going to get spent, and we anticipate a 51% increase in GDP growth in the third quarter, followed by a 7% growth rate in the fourth quarter. We will repeat our mantra: Never underestimate the strength and the resilience of the U.S. economy. Reach economist Stephen D. Slifer at steve@numbernomics.com.

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June 15 - June 28, 2020

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