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SAVING HISTORY Group working to restore World War II-era bomber Page 2

A B-25C Mitchell Medium Bomber, fished out of Lake Greenwood in 1983 after crashing on a practice run in 1944, is being restored at the Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens Airport in Columbia. (Photo/Christina Lee Knauss)

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A close-up of the cockpit of a B-25C Mitchell Medium Bomber being restored at a Columbia airport. The South Carolina Historic Aviation Foundation aims to restore and display the plane. (Photo/Christina Lee Knauss)

Group bringing historic bomber back to life By Christina Lee Knauss

cknauss@scbiznews.com

n irreplaceable piece of South Carolina’s aviation history sits in a rented corporate hangar in Columbia, being restored to its former glory by volunteers while it waits for a permanent home. The B-25C Mitchell Medium Bomber, fished from the depths of Lake Greenwood back in 1983 where it sat for 39 years after it was lost on a practice run in 1944, is believed to be one of only three B-25Cs still in existence. The plane bounced from place to place for years and its chances of remaining in the Midlands were in jeopardy until a group called the South Carolina Historic Aviation Foundation formed in 2010 with the goal of restoring the bomber and using it as a way to teach people about S.C.’s long history of aviation. Now, SCHAF volunteers spend two nights a week working on the plane to restore it to its original condition, and on the second Saturday of every month the group’s members hold an open house at its hanger at Jim Hamilton – L.B. Owens Airport near Columbia’s Rosewood neighborhood to let the public view the plane and learn more about the restoration efforts.

The goal, according to SCHAF president Kenneth Berry, is to eventually build a permanent aviation museum to house the plane and other artifacts the organization has collected over the years, many of which are on display at the hangar. “This plane is an important part not only of the state’s aviation history but as a symbol of the history of the state and the nation, and what folks did for us back during World War II so we could live the lives we have today,” Berry said. “This plane has really taken on a life of its own since we bought it. The airport likes having it here because it attracts visitors and people, especially kids, like being able to see it and to visit the displays.” B25s play a special role in the World War II history of the Midlands because pilots trained on the bombers at the Columbia Army air base, best known for producing the famous volunteer crews known as “Doolittle’s Raiders” who trained under Lt. Col James “Jimmy” Doolittle and bombed Tokyo in 1942, the first retaliatory attack by the U.S. on Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Pilots trained on the B-25 in South Carolina played key roles in air battles overseas throughout the war. The plane currently owned by the SCHAF was stationed at the Greenville Army Air Base. On June 6, 1944, it was on a training run

over Lake Greenwood when the instructor pilot swooped too low and was forced to ditch in the lake when the propellers touched the water. The five-man crew survived but the plane sank. Fast forward to 1983 when the plane was recovered, in an effort aided by several local women who witnessed when it went down and were able to pinpoint exactly where in the lake to find it. After that, the plane was owned by several different groups and eventually made its way back to Columbia, where it was first housed in the historic Curtiss Wright Hanger at the Owens airport. The bomber made appearances in 1992 at the 50threunion of the Doolittle Raiders and again in 2002 in front of the State Museum at the group’s 60th reunion. Many people get the SCHAF’s B-25C mixed up with another B-25 which crashed in Lake Murray in 1943 and was recovered in 2005. That plane has since been relocated to an aviation museum in Alabama. Berry said the restoration’s goal is not to restore the plane to the point where it can be flown but to make it as authentic as possible for viewing on the ground. He said the SCHAF is always seeking sponsorships from both individuals and businesses to continue the work on the plane and to build the eventual museum.

Over the years, volunteers have combed the internet and gone through other networks to obtain rare original parts for the plane. Some other components have been built by hand, a process aided by hours on the internet and many trips out of state to get original parts such as those that can be found in the meticulously reconstructed cockpit and the bombing turret in the plane’s nose. Berry said the plane has proved to be an important way to get young people interested in aviation. Some youth who participate in the Young Eagles aviation program at Owens have signed up to volunteer to work on the plane, and others gain interest after seeing the bomber on school field trips. Berry said one student who helped to work on the plane is now attending the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, and another got into aviation after joining the U.S. Navy. “Seeing something like this is a great way to get kids interested in aviation and also in the science and technology surrounding it, especially because a lot of kids aren’t exposed to the field these days,” he said. “Every once in a while, we’ll get a student in here and you can see the interest spark as they’re looking at the plane. You can see that light go on in their eyes.” Learn more about the B-25C at www. SCHistoricAviation.org

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Going green to save green

Utility finds financial benefit to supporting conservation Page 8

Bohemian art

Greenville’s next hotel prepares to receive decor Page 10

Busy skies, busy airports

After the COVID slowdown, travel returns Page 14

Recyclable bags

Manufacturer invests in plant to make products from recycled plastic Page 5

INSIDE Leading Off........................... 4 SC Biz News Briefs................. 5 Slifer’s insight...................... 21 In Focus: Aerospace & Manufacturing.................... 13 List: Largest employers....... 17 At Work............................... 19 Viewpoint............................23

More work for Lockheed Martin

Even before the first Greenville-made F-16 is completed, another nation places an order for the Fighting Falcon See story, Page 13.

Southern First rolls out new HQ to customers, community By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

he first Southern First Bank building — a triple-wide trailer off Haywood Road — would fit in the corridors of their latest. Employees moved into the new building on Verdae Boulevard at the intersection of Laurens Road about a month ago and officially opened the five-story structure on June 22. The building pulls off the rare feat of outperforming artist

renderings, towering over the low-slung architecture of most of its neighbors and hinting about taking a complementary place in visions of the Verdae future. The 107,000 square foot building on seven acres houses the bank’s flagship retail banking office, featuring collaboration areas and modern meeting spaces, modern technology, modern interactive teller machines and a board room suitable for a movie set, a modern one. For Southern First CEO Art Seaver, the opportunity — or really, the imperative — to

In Focus

Teaching Aviation Career Skills

Program aims to expose kids to career skills Page 15

build something new gave the bank a chance to show the world what it’s about. More important, to demonstrate to the community what it’s about and that it’s here to stay. “So in 2020 we found ourselves operating right next door,” Seaver said, gesturing toward his old offices on Verdae, the bank’s last headquarters. “We found ourselves headed into a COVID environment, we found ourselves running out of space and our lease was expiring, so See COMMUNITY, Page 7.

Leading Off

BRIEFS | FACTS | STATEWIDE NEWS | C-SUITE

In Pursuit of Home

ome prices have risen 29% since the start of the pandemic more than two years ago. With low inventories and renewed interest in home ownership, the market seemed like a feeding frenzy at times. Despite the challenges of acquiring a home, most Americans believe ownership is a goal worth pursuing, but attitudes vary by generation. While 45% of Baby Boomers rate the importance of home ownership a 10 out of 10, only 34% of millennials and 23% of Generation Z gave it a 10.

Source: Apartment List

ON THE

RECORD

“I think mergers for the most part are tragic. Tragic for the clients, tragic for the team, tragic for the culture that’s been built.” —Art Seaver, CEO, Southern First Bank

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SC Biz News Briefs

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A company dedicated to making bags and other products from recycled plastics opened its new Upcycle sustainable manufacturing facility in Chapin on Thursday. (Photo/Provided)

CHAPIN

Christina Knauss, Columbia Regional Business Report

Recycled bag manufacturer opens plant A company dedicated to making bags and other products from recycled plastics opened a new sustainable manufacturing facility called Upcycle in Chapin. Global Strategies Holding Corp., based in Burlington, Mass., on June 16 held the grand opening of its new facility at 300 East Boundary St. The facility will produce the company’s best-known product, the Demo Bag, a completely recyclable contractor bag capable of carrying up to 10 times the amount of waste a typical trash bag can hold for the same price or less. The Demo Bag and other products that will be made at the company’s Chapin site are made from converting PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastics, most commonly found in plastic water bottles, into a sustainable woven material. The new plant will initially bring 20 to 30 jobs to the area, with 50 to 60 additional jobs added in the next six to 12 months. Global Strategies is investing more than $11 million in the Chapin project, including the purchase of the facility, existing equipment and aesthetic improvements. Global Strategies’ beginnings date back to 2003 when founder Bruce Williams, a 25-year veteran of the construction industry, was refurbishing an old house in Boston. He realized he couldn’t haul away more than one or two bricks in regular trash bags because they ripped apart, so he used a woven burlap sack to haul debris instead. The experience gave Williams the idea of creating heavy-duty contractor trash bags made to be as strong as burlap but also resistant to the elements. He tried many materials and techniques before discovering that polypropylene strands woven tightly together could create a nearly indestructible bag. The idea caught on quickly and became the Demo Bag, now available across the U.S. as well as in several foreign countries. The bags are sold at Home Depot, Lowe’s and other construction-related retailers. Global Strategies’ leaders said they chose Chapin for the new plant because of its quality of life and close proximity to the Charleston port. Williams said company leaders decided to move to Chapin because of a strong available local workforce and the opportunity to upgrade an existing facility that was sitting vacant. “We want to provide jobs for a growing community through our sustainability model and initiative to use unwanted plastic pellets other industries cannot use,” Williams said. KIRKLAND JOINS MUSEUM

With publications in the Upstate, Columbia and Charleston, as well as a statewide magazine, SC Biz News covers the pulse of business across South Carolina. Above are excerpts from our other publications.

PAGE 28 VOLUME 28 NUMBER 11 ■ CHARLESTONBUSINESS.COM VOLUME 15 NUMBER 9 ■ COLUMBIABUSINESSREPORT.COM

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Nitrile glove plant establishing Greenville base. Page 11

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Interior of Park Circle getting $20 million facelift. Page 6

Growing footprint

PPE production

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Different vision

Say cheese

Pimento cheese lovers have 17 reasons to celebrate. Page 6

REI Co-op plans to open its 3rd S.C. location this fall. Page 10

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New life

Former school buiding being rehabbed into apartments. Page 8

HOME BASE

On the move

Boeing relocating headquarters to Virginia. Page 19

TAKING OFF

SC programs work to promote aviation careers

The Center for Architectural Design, located at 1530 Main St. in downtown Columbia, will serve as a statewide education, outreach and advocacy center. (Photo/Provided)

Podcast pioneers

Medium highlights women in nontraditional roles. Page 27

INSIDE

Upfront ................................ 4 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 5 In Focus: Architecture, Engineering and Construction .......................................... 21 List: Homebuilders .............28 At Work ..............................29 Viewpoint ........................... 31

Center consolidates advocacy, education for SC architecture By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

reserving South Carolina’s architectural heritage is one mission of the South Carolina Architectural Foundation and the state chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and a new showplace designed to highlight that ongoing work couldn’t have a more appropriate home. The Center for Architectural Design, housed at 1530 Main St. in downtown Columbia, is the product of a years-long vision to increase visibility of the architectural profession in the state. Before the S.C. AIA chapter purchased the building, currently undergoing renovations with an eye toward a late fall

opening, there was no real center for architectural outreach and education to take place. Since the early 1980s, the organization had operated out of “The Cottage,” a small structure on Bull Street nestled among law firms. Inspired by larger AIA chapters with a more centralized, noticeable presence around the country, including one in Raleigh, AIA S.C. decided to change that. “We made the commitment in 2014 that we were going to look for something more prominent, both from an advocacy/lobbying standpoint with the Statehouse but also from the standpoint of where the public could see architecture in South Carolina,” said Ben Ward, project manager at McMillan Pazdan Smith and 2022 president of AIA S.C.

In 2015, AIA S.C. purchased the former Eckerd Drug Store building, where a significant moment in the state’s history took place in 1960. Allen University student Simon Bouie and Benedict College student Talmadge Neal were arrested, jailed and convicted for refusing to leave the Eckerd lunch counter, where they were denied service because they are Black. Those events became the basis for a landmark 1964 civil rights case which, coupled with another lunch-counter case at the nearby Taylor Street Pharmacy, led to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the students’ convictions, saying their right to due process under the 14th Amendment had been violated. Days See ARCHITECTURE, Page 25

Monumental opening

International African American Museum to open in January 2023 Page 17

ColumbiaBusinessReport.com

Order up

Jordan adds eight F-16s to Lockheed Martin back order. Page 20

INSIDE

Upfront ................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 In Focus: Manufacturing and Aeropsace ......................... 15 List: Largest Employers ......26 At Work ..............................28 Viewpoint ........................... 31

The Maggie 1980 is an AH-1F Cobra Attack helicopter that is owned by the Celebrate Freedom Foudation and travels to schools as part of the organization’s STEM education program. The initiative is one of several in SC designed to spark interest in careers in the aviation industry. (Photo/Provided)

By Christina Lee Knauss

cknauss@scbiznews.com

aircraft the organization owns. These include a T34-B navy flight trainer as well as retired Huey and Cobra helicopters. The goal, Wicker says, is not only to develop STEM skills but to inspire the next generation of young people to get interested in careers related to aviation and aeronautics. It’s an important goal in a state where the aerospace industry is growing by leaps and bounds, with no end in sight. South Carolina is currently home to two important aircraft production facilities, with Boeing building its 787 Dreamliner line in Charleston and Lockheed Martin producing F-16s on its new assembly line in Greenville. Dozens of other companies around the state produce everything from aircraft parts to com-

posite materials used to build aircraft. Aerospace both directly and indirectly has an impact of $28.8 billion annually on the state’s economy, according to a 2020 study by SC Aerospace, an initiative of the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness. There were 136,244 aerospace employees statewide in 2019, according to the study, a number that has likely grown since then because the aerospace sector is also adding employees at a faster rate than other industries. The study showed that aerospace employment grew by 10.7% from 2009-19, compared to a 2.2% increase in state employment as a whole. See AVIATION WORKFORCE, Page 16

Tipping point

Charleston resident launches line of canned cocktails highlighting her Caribbean heritage. Page 10

CharlestonBusiness.com

SCBIZmag.com

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Clinton, SC Exit 54 and I-26 Available Retail Sites Contact Marvin Moss 864-833-7504 Email: mmoss@cityofclintonsc.com

Power Lines Retail Parcels for Sale

Sewer Gravity Mains Parcels

Date: 5/25/2022

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COMMUNITY, from Page 3

we thought we’ve got to do something.” Seaver said traditional bank architecture is often cold and intimidating, and he wanted something different. “When you come in I want it to be different — as in warm, welcoming, unintimidating,” he said. “I want it to feel like home, to feel progressive rather than feeling like the past.” In one sense, Southern First’s past is really not that long ago. The company opened the doors to its trailer with 14 employees on Jan. 10, 2000. In another sense, it’s been a long time because the bank thrived and survived through a different era. There were 94 banks in South Carolina in 2000 — 44 now — and it was pretty easy to start a new one. And many of the new ones seemed to be starting with a stockholder goal of being purchased eventually by a larger bank. Southern First Bank was different from the beginning, according to Seaver, who was “35, with two kids and no money” when he took the lead in starting the bank. “I wanted to start a bank because I love the privilege of being a banker,” he said. “I love serving, I love caring and I love making a difference.” He wanted that bank to be committed to the community. And he wanted it to be a bank that stayed. “A lot of people think you always have an exit strategy” when you’re a bank, he said. “I think mergers for the most part are trag-

Southern First CEO Art Seaver checks out the bank’s new board room, which came together just hours before the first directors’ meeting in the new building. (Photo/Ross Norton)

ic. Tragic for the clients, tragic for the team, tragic for the culture that’s been built. So if we can be one of the fastest growing banks and one of the highest performing, why would we sell? It would be the worst thing our shareholders could ever ask us to do.” The Southern First shareholders have fared well. Their collective investment of $11.5 million is worth more than $350 million today, Seaver said. “I put together a great board of directors and an initial team of 14 people,” Seaver said. “Four-hundred people in Greenville, in some form or fashion, were supportive enough that they provided $11.5 million in capital to start this bank. … To be honest we thought we could grow to a $200 million bank in about seven years but by then

(sevenyears) we were a $500 million bank.” The 14 employees have grown to 300 and Southern First became the largest bank headquartered in the state until United Community Bank recently moved its headquarters from Georgia to Greenville. Now operating in eight markets, Southern First is the fifth largest in the Greenville market, behind only the giants such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America. The company has been one of the fastest growing banks in the Southeast and recently earned the Raymond James Cup for community banks, named the No. 6 bank in its size category for meeting criteria like growth, quality and performance earnings. “Most banks grow by buying banks and cutting costs,” Seaver said, “but we grow

organically one client at a time. We’ve never bought another bank.” The purpose of the new building, he said, is to create a great space for employees to work and clients to visit while providing room for the community. Greenville business Southern Pressed Juicery operates a location in the lobby, open to the public, even those who are not there to bank. And there is a lot of room for community events. “I wanted the community to feel welcome here and so we built it so that the United Way can have meetings here, so the chamber can have meetings here. Other community groups can have meetings here,” Seaver said. “The purpose of this building, absolutely it will welcome our clients, but the purpose is as much about the culture of our team. It’s certainly a statement to the community, but the other thing is it’s going to help me recruit the next hundred bankers because I think people want to work for a company that seems progressive and doesn’t seem to be stuck in the past. So we’re 22 and a half years old now and (this building) is a statement about what the next 22 and a half years will be.” Whatever happens in the next two decades, Seaver intends for it to happen with Southern First and its pineapple logo intact. “Our company was built for longevity, and it was built from a client-first mentality,” he said. The new building is open to the public now.

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Ledbetter address the crowd, including Greenville County Councilmember Joe Dill and Carlton Owens of the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust, at a May 24 press conference celebrating the conservation of the property. (Photo/Mac Stone)

By Molly Hulsey

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

hen the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust’s first project was completed — the acquisition of 170 acres added to Jones Gap State Park — one partner was an outlier from the typical conservation line-up. S.C. Parks, Recreation and Tourism; the Naturaland Trust; the S.C. Conservation Bank; and the Open Space Institute are a few familiar faces in the state’s team of land conservators. But this time around, Easley Combined Utilities, a local provider of water, wastewater and electrical services, put its hat in the ring too. “It just makes a lot of sense for us,” said Joel Ledbetter, general manager of Easley Combined Utilities. Easley has drawn its drinking water from Lake Saluda since 1970, he said, but over the past few decades, the lake began to disappear under layers of sediment. Not only would less water be available, but it was expected to impact water quality moving forward for the utility’s 100,000 customers. In 2012, Easley Combined Utilities spent more than $7 million dredging the lake of 360,000 cubic yards of silt. By 2018, two-thirds of the sediment returned to the upper end of the lake. “It was not the return on investment that we’d like to see,” he said. Easley Combined Utilities then hired Melanie Ruhlman of Save our Saluda as a contract watershed manager and began to take preventive action through conserving land in the 200-square-mile watershed. The utility’s first foray was an $850,000 investment in a 225-acre tract on Cooley Bridge Road that was being primed for development. A year later, Naturaland Trust bought the tract for $500,000 in partnership with the S.C. Conservation Bank. Then Easley Combined Utilities chipped in to help preserve 170 acres of hardwood forest and headwater streams for the Saluda River. Close to 800 feet of the property borders the Middle Saluda River itself.

“Anything that happens in that watershed actually affects us at our lake and our plant, and we just realized that it is a lot more cost effective to conserve and invest in preservation,” Ledbetter said. “And that’s why we started this path along with SOS (Save our Saluda), Naturaland Trust and of course, I work with Greenville County and the conservation bank to preserve this tract that we talked about at River Falls, 170 acres. It was important to us to participate.” The utility head noted that the quest for preserving the watershed is a longterm investment that will outlast his time at Easley Combined Utilities. He’s heard of few counterparts who have taken the same initiatives. But he has seen industries — including those within the Saluda Watershed — that have become much more conscious of their impact on the environment and drinking water. “We have a local business here that discharges into our waste stream, and when they’re trying to get business, their customers want to see if they’ve had environmental violations and impacts. And that goes into them being able to get business,” Ledbetter said.

Bridging the Gap

S.C. Parks, Recreation and Tourism is collaborating with the Open Space Institute to draft a funding proposal with the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund to allow the property to exchange hands, according to an announcement. The public will be able to access the property once it goes under state park management. “As we take over ownership, we are working to identify how to most effectively and strategically protect the new area and share it with visitors,” Duane Parrish, director of S.C. Parks, Recreation and Tourism, said in the announcement. The property’s unique landscape offers significant possibilities to increase public access, and our list of potential projects currently includes adding much-needed parking, creating wheelchair-accessible trails, and providing more acreage for visitors to discover.” According to Raleigh West, executive

June 27-July 10, 2022

www.gsabusiness.com 9

director of the S.C. Conservation Bank, the property will help one of South Carolina’s most popular parks stem mounting demand that, since the pandemic, has led to parking reservations on busy weekends. A new entrance gateway will offer more opportunities for parking, the restoration of a small farm and access for mobility-impaired visitors. He also hopes that Easley Combined Utility’s contribution will start a trend as waste and drinking water utilities realize the how much they can save in green by conserving land in their local watershed. “Easley’s very much out in front on this issue, but I suspect you’ll see more of it in time,” he said, nodding to conservation efforts from electric utilities Santee Cooper and Duke Energy. “But I think this is the first one that actually involves a program from the utilities of trying to save properties that they don’t own.” The Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust put $100,000 toward the project along with $500,000 from the Conservation Bank. West estimated Easley Combined Utility’s contribution at $70,000. “For a relatively modest investment, by cultivating and facilitating these partnerships, we’re able to spread the burden around and the benefit among various groups,” West said. “It’s really powerful.” Reach Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1222 or @mollyhulsey_gsa on Twitter.

Close to 800 feet of the conserved property borders the Middle Saluda River that feeds the Lake Saluda. (Photo/Mac Stone)

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June 27-July 10, 2022

Native art to be selected for Grand Bohemian in July By Molly Hulsey

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

lmost all artwork found gilding the hallways of each Grand Bohemian Hotel comes from the Richard Kessler family private collection. “It’s not just three pieces that go up,” Ron Nagy, general manager of the Greenville location, told GSA Business Report. “It’s every corridor, it’s every room, it’s every nook and cranny.” Argentinian glamour defines the line’s Charlotte location; eclectic contemporary works adorn Charleston’s hotel. Greenville’s incoming 187-room Grand Bohemian will be the line’s second lodge following its Beaver Creek Lodge in Colorado and in theme, will spotlight the Kesslers’ gallery of Native American art alongside the lodge’s hand-designed glass antler chandeliers and glistening geodelike installations. Each frosted buck-inspired light fixture is unique, according to Nagy. During the second week of July, Richard C. Kessler, chairman and CEO of The Kessler Collection, will personally pick which pieces, including numerous examples of turquoise and silver jewelry and hand-carved wood pieces, he wants to place and where. A lodge may have seemed a little out of

The Liberty Suite, one of the lodge’s premier reservations alongside the Presidential Suite, overlooks Falls Park and the suite’s namesake. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)

place at one of the other downtown locations Kessler was shown by Mayor Knox White, who pitched Kessler on building in Greenville, according to previous reports. But at 44 East Camperdown Way, the lodge’s home next to the Reedy River, even

under construction, offers a look at Falls Park that is both foreign and familiar. “When you get to the back … you’ll understand what the connection is and why the lodge fits the criteria of this location,” Nagy told GSA Business Report. “It’s

going to be warm and cozy but it’s going to have a lot of hints toward modern luxury, as well as what Mr. Kessler does with all our properties: we are going to give you an See GRAND BOHEMIAN, Page 11.

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Prominence, the lodge’s first floor restaurant, will feature continental European dishes made from local ingredients. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)

A tree mosaic lines the lodge’s private spa corridor on the ground floor. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)

experience that you’re going to wander and look at pieces of art, artifacts, design elements that you’re going to be inspired by.” From the Liberty Suite, its namesake bridge can be seen from a close-up, almost aerial view, while the west side of the hotel abuts a host of old oaks and other trees lining the banks of the Reedy River near the ruins of Vardry Mill. Thirty suites will have balconies. “I think one of the things Mr. Kessler does is to kind of integrate both the local community and the surroundings into

Through a cave-like hallway soon to be lined by the lodge’s bourbon collection, Spirit and Bower, will offer whiskey-inspired tapas and live music both inside and outside around a firepit overlooking the Reedy River. Conference rooms — rented as a whole set with one entrance to the rest of the hotel or a la carte — have been booked out in advance for several events. The largest, the Antler Ballroom, can hold approximately 100 people, according to Nagy. The room’s backlit mirrors

the experience inside as well,” he said. Aside from the area’s native roots, the lodge’s Michelin-starred chef, Nicholas Abello, will also highlight local cuisine alongside dishes further afield. The restaurants were designed to be a gathering place for lodge guests and Greenville residents alike. Prominence, located on the first floor, with indoor and outdoor seating, will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner with continental European flavors from Carolinia-sourced ingredients.

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and antler chandeliers can be customized to the color of a booking event or company. “We can book two, three years out,” Nagy said. Like the lodge’s restaurant locations, two breakout rooms use natural lighting and exterior doors to a patio space. After months of pandemic-related delays, Greenville’s Grand Bohemian is expected to open its doors in August. The lodge is taking reservations for mid-October onward.

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LIST: Largest Employers, Page 17

Lockheed prepares to add 8 aircraft to backorder By Molly Hulsey

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

ockheed Martin has not been hampered by the stalled orders affecting civilian aerospace markets if its Greenville F-16 production is any indicator. Sustainment work aside, the company’s Upstate facility will remain busy for a while. On June 17, the company announced an order of eight F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft bound for Jordan, bringing Lockheed Martin’s backorder of the jet to 136. The order isn’t Jordan’s first stock of F-16 jets. Lockheed Martin also doesn’t expect it to be the country’s last. The nation has been using the F-16 since the late 90s, but, according to Jennifer Edwards, Lockheed’s senior manager of communications, the current fleet of early model F-16 jets was procured through third-party transfers, not purchased directly from Lockheed Martin. The order of F-16 Block 70 aircraft will be the country’s first order of new F-16 jets. “This F-16 acquisition reflects over 70 years of U.S. cooperation and decades of partnership with Lockheed Martin,” Aimee Burnett, vice president of Lockheed’s integrated fighter group business development department, said in a news release. “Our history partnering with Jordan strengthens regional security and helps protect citizens through 21st century security technologies that support critical missions today and into the future.” Burnett met with Brigadier Gen. Mohammad Hiyasat of the Royal Jordanian Air Force, Major Gen. Yousef

Jordanian officials and Lockheed’s Aimee Burnett met to sign a letter of offer and acceptance. (Photo/Provided)

Al-Hnaity, chairman of Jordan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and Jordan Armed Forces, and other Jordanian officials to sign a letter of offer and acceptance for the eight jets after the U.S. State Department approved up to 16 F-16 Block 70 aircraft for purchase by Jordanian allies in February. According to Edwards, the company is working with the U.S. and Jordanian governments to finalize a letter of offer and acceptance for a second order of eight jets. According to the U.S. State Department, the order will cost an expected $4.21 billion. “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a Major Non-NATO Ally that is an important force for political stability and eco-

nomic progress in the Middle East,” the State Department said in the February announcement. “The proposed sale will improve Jordan’s capability to meet current and future threats by ensuring continued interoperability with U.S. and coalition forces. These aircraft will modernize the Jordanian fighter aircraft fleet and support operational requirements associated with regional U.S.-coalition goals, such as countering violent extremist organizations, countering malign state and non-state actors, and border defense. Jordan will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.” The total order consists of 12 oneseat “C” model and four two-seat “D” model aircraft, according to Edwards. In February, the U.S. State Department expected the sale would require

YOUR HOME IS WORTH MORE THAN YOU THINK. A LOT MORE.

around 20 U.S. contractor representatives to visit Jordan for 36 months to “support secure storage requirements of critically controlled assets and provide on-site contractor logistics support.” The company expects to fulfill the first order to Jordan in the mid- to late 2020s, as it plans to launch flight tests for the first F-16 Block 70 jet earmarked for Bahrain in early 2023. In past interviews, Lockheed Martin said it would be able to produce three aircraft a month after the two-year long process of blueprinting and carrying the production of the first F-16 made in Greenville. The facility’s manufacturing rate is expected to increase sharply in the next year, according to Edwards. The government contractor expects See AIRCRAFT, Page 16

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IN FOCUS: MANUFACTURING & AEROSPACE

June 27-July 10, 2022

TAKING OFF

Demand, prices, delays escalate for SC air travel By Molly Hulsey

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

ravelers disappeared from airports in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world. Leisure travelers began a steady return in 2021 but business travelers remained grounded. Now travel is back at levels sufficient to drive up ticket prices and create long lines while airlines add new routes to more places. Even business travelers are showing signs of getting out there again. As far as all traffic goes at the Charleston International Airport, recovery in a city synonymous with Southeastern tourism had 706,349 more enplanements and deplanements between January and April than the year before. That’s 66,116 more passengers than during the same period in 2019 and a recovery reflected throughout the state. Starting on June 23, Breeze Airways will operate daily nonstop flights from Charleston to Orlando and back. On June 28, the airline will launch a daily direct flight from New York City’s Westchester County airport, while Sun Country Airlines introduced a nonstop flight to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Thursdays and Sundays in April. “We are pleased to add Breeze Airways new daily nonstop service to Westchester Airport to our roster of direct flights,” Elliott Summey, Charleston International Airport executive director and CEO, said in a news release. “With tremendous demand to get to the New York area and Connecticut, we believe daily nonstop to White Plains will be a home run for the Charleston region.” Direct Breeze Airways flights to San Francisco and Las Vegas, as well as flights to Syracuse, N.Y., and Fort Myers, Fla., were also added to Charleston’s lineup of at least 13 additional routes added since the beginning of 2020.

On the Up and Up

Columbia Metropolitan Airport witnessed an 85.9% year-over-year increase in passenger traffic in February, with close to 90,000 more passengers throughout January to March 2022 than during the same period in 2021, according to the airport. “We are seeing both personal and the long-awaited business travel return in great volumes — which is welcomed,” Mike Gula, executive director of the airport, said in a statement. “We are not back to pre-pandemic numbers due to the air travel halt COVID-19 brought to airports around the world, but we have far surpassed early projections.” At the Greenville-Spartanburg Inter-

Travelers arrive at Charleston International Airport. Charleston Aviation Authority expects the 2022 fiscal year to be the airport’s best. (Photo/Teri Errico Griffis)

national Airport, a location whose mainstay may be more of the business traveler than other state destinations, total traffic has recovered by close to 90% compared to 2019 numbers. Like CHS, GSP also inaugurated new direct routes and locations throughout the pandemic, including a five-day Contour Airlines flight to Nashville and nonstop service to Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla., from Silver Airways. “Business traffic is coming back and we’re starting to see more throughout the summer,” said Tom Tyra, director of air service development and communications at GSP. “Now we have a lot of summer vacation travelers now that school is out, but we expect in the fall that we’ll see more business travel come back to GSP.” While the removal of in-air mask mandates made air travel more appealing to some, Tyra thinks that the lack of travel and other restrictions at popular GSP destinations plays more of a role in boosting professional passengers. “As companies brought people back to the office, then they were ready to go back and talk to customers,” he told SC Biz News. Skyrocketing gas and corresponding ticket prices won’t keep the summer traveler away, he predicted. The impact of both factors on autumn numbers — again, more reflective of professional traffic — has yet to be seen. “But we would expect to see a little higher ticket prices than we had,” Tyra said. “Of course, during the pandemic, they were really low because airlines were just hoping to get customers back in the airplane. And now that they’re ready to

go, all the airplanes are going to be very full.” Passenger routes to Europe, many which were constricted during the previous two years, prompting the transformation of Aer Lingus and British Airway jets into cargo planes at GSP, have now returned en force. But along with escalating prices, airlines and airports have another snag in the system: a shortage of pilots and general staff. “Many of the airlines saw some of their pilots retire early or move on to other jobs, and so they’re just now coming back and training some of the pilots,” Tyra said. “They may not be flying as many airplanes as they would hope, so that only makes the seats that are out there more scarce. And so when you have high demand, and not much supply, then the price will go up, and people are buying it as quickly as they can.”

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a thundercloud …

On June 17, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with airline executives to get an answer for the slew of delays that have mounted during the beginning of peak travel season. “Air travelers should be able to expect reliable service as demand returns to levels not seen since before the pandemic,” Buttigieg said in a statement.

There may not be an easy answer.

In what pundits have called “Travel Armageddon,” delays mounted in midJune. U.S. cancellations topped 10,000 for the weekend of June 18-19, with more

than 4,200 flights delayed and nearly 900 canceled on Sunday alone, according to FlightAware, which tracks flights in real time. During the peak of delays and cancellations over the weekend, Denver, Dallas and Atlanta were the epicenter for stalled flights. On June 19, the three airports reported a total of 92 delays and 28 cancellations, according to the site’s “Misery Map.” On June 17, Tyra said he thought that thunderstorms and air traffic control delays at major cities — common banes for the summer flight — have been creating the largest stir. “You can have a thunderstorm, let’s say in New York, and it goes right across Philadelphia, Washington, D.C.,” he told SC Biz News. “And then, all of a sudden, all the flights that aren’t even going there but passing by there are impacted. We’re seeing a lot of that.” Pop-up storms throughout June have only exacerbated the concerns of many travelers who haven’t boarded since 2019, as have strikes among a growing string of airlines in Europe: EasyJet, Ryanair, Brussels Airlines and at the Charles De Gaulle Airport. And for the business traveler, time is even more of the essence. On Monday, June 20, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport reported “significant” delays, according to FlightStats by Cirium. Delays at GSP were “low but increasing” and “low but decreasing” at CHS. Like most of the regional airports across the state, CAE was noted as having a “very low” number of delays.

June 27-July 10, 2022

IN FOCUS: MANUFACTURING & AEROSPACE

www.gsabusiness.com 15

Programs work to promote aviation careers By Christina Lee Knauss

cknauss@scbiznews.com

ori Wicker is likely one of the only people you will ever meet who regularly shows up at public schools with a helicopter or an airplane in tow. As executive vice president and director of science, technology, engineering and math education outreach with Columbia-based nonprofit Celebrate Freedom Foundation, she and others with the organization regularly travel the state, teaching students from elementary through high school about STEM skills such as science and math using aviation as a tool. When they visit a school, Wicker and the other CFF members also bring with them one of the aircraft the organization owns. These include a T34-B navy flight trainer as well as retired Huey and Cobra helicopters. The goal, Wicker says, is not only to develop STEM skills but to inspire the next generation of young people to get interested in careers related to aviation and aeronautics. It’s an important goal in a state where the aerospace industry is growing by leaps and bounds, with no end in sight. South Carolina is currently home to two important aircraft production facilities, with Boeing building its 787 Dreamliner line in Charleston and Lockheed Martin producing F-16s on its new assembly line in Greenville. Dozens of other companies around the state produce everything from aircraft parts to composite materials used to build aircraft. Aerospace both directly and indirectly has an impact of $28.8 billion annually on the state’s economy, according to a 2020 study by SC Aerospace, an initiative of the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness. There were 136,244 aerospace employees statewide in 2019, according to the study, a number that has likely grown since then because the aerospace sector is also adding employees at a faster rate than other industries. The study showed that aerospace employment grew by 10.7% from 200919, compared to a 2.2% increase in state employment as a whole. “We’re doing whatever we can to connect, support and grow the aerospace industry in South Carolina,” said Stephen Astemborski, director of SC Aerospace. “Aerospace has such a huge impact on our economy not only because of the aerospace jobs themselves, but because with every new aerospace job 1.7 additional jobs are created in other sectors. We also want people to know that the industry’s jobs as a whole are very well paid.” According to the SC Aerospace study,

The Celebrate Freedom Foundation works to promote aviation careers, such as those like the aircraft refueling specialists pictured, in schools throughout South Carolina. (Photo/File)

average employee compensation in the aerospace industry in South Carolina is $81,114, compared to an average $59,609 in manufacturing and the state’s overall average salary of $44,986. With the industry’s huge rate of growth, SC Aerospace is pulling out all the stops to promote aviation careers to everyone from youth to adults looking to change careers. Astemborski said the effort extends from promoting aviation-based curriculum in high school classrooms and at technical colleges to spreading the aviation message at baseball games. On June 22, SC Aerospace hosted its second annual SC Aerospace Night at a Greenville Drive minor league game. The event included interactive displays set up in the stadium’s concourse by aerospace companies from around the state and focused on every aspect of the industry, from piloting to maintenance and manufacturing. Outreach to area students was fueled by distributing 695 free tickets to the game. Wicker said CFF’s programs also stress the wide range of jobs available in aerospace. In the past, the organization has hosted summer camps that help teens get their pilot licenses, while its workforce development program in 2019 enabled 12 students to learn how to restore an aircraft which is now on display at Patriots Point in Charleston. The STEM school program also stresses the full spectrum of aviation careers at the 50 schools it visits on average each year. “We even focus on the unusual jobs,”

Wicker said. “At one school I had a student tell me he wanted to pump gas when he grew up. We were able to do research and learn that an aircraft refueling specialist can earn on average $44,000 a year. The focus is on opening their eyes to the difference between just a job and a career, which means doing something you love. “There’s a world of careers available in aviation. We’ve had students who go through our programs go into aviation in the military, while others are now working for Boeing and Lockheed Martin.” Statewide, other volunteer programs are working to get youth of all ages interested in aviation. Through the Young Eagles program, kids ages 8 through 17 can take airplane rides with experienced pilots on the second Saturday of each month thanks to volunteers at chapters in Columbia, Conway, Greenville, Walterboro, Rock Hill and other locations. The South Carolina Historic Aviation Foundation, also based in Columbia, works with some youth from Young Eagles and other programs on the ongoing restoration of a World War II-era B-25C Mitchell Medium Bomber that the organization owns. Schools are doing what they can to promote interest in the aerospace field as well. In 2017, SC Aerospace worked with the Southeast Regional Education Board to launch an aerospace engineering curriculum currently in use in 10 schools around the state, including R.B. Stall High School in North Charleston. Other schools including Greenville Tech Charter High School in Greenville offer

curriculum that is more geared toward the piloting side of the aviation industry, but still provides coursework that could be useful in other aerospace sectors. Boeing South Carolina, meanwhile, is promoting STEM education and interest in aerospace statewide through its DreamLearners program, which targets fifth graders and older students enrolled in STEM programs statewide. Participants not only learn about aerospace topics in the classroom, but also have the opportunity to visit Boeing facilities and meet workers to learn about the industry. DreamLearners is currently virtual because of the pandemic. The next generations of workers in advanced aeronautics manufacturing, meanwhile, are being trained at the $80 million, 218,000-square foot South Carolina Aeronautical Training Center on the Thornley Campus of Trident Technical College in North Charleston. Astemborski hopes all of these programs will drive home the message that the aerospace industry offers a future worth exploring. “Aside from the fact that aeronautics is a lucrative industry and also very exciting and challenging, it’s also a pretty noble profession to go into,” Astemborski said. “Whether you’re flying the aircraft, building it or making the parts that go on it, you’re producing a product that is helping people by getting them where they need to go or delivering goods and services that they might need. You’re working on a world-class, safe product that people can use to see who they love and do what they love.”

www.gsabusiness.com

IN FOCUS: MANUFACTURING & AEROSPACE

AIRCRAFT, from Page 13

orders of an additional 300 F-16 Block 70 aircraft in the years ahead. Lockheed Martin moved F-16 production to Greenville in 2019 with contracts currently underway, according to previous reports, for at least 112 jets for Bulgaria, Slovakia and two other nations expected by international aerospace media to be Taiwan and Morocco. According to an April 4 announcement, the proposed sale of four F-16 C Block 70 aircraft, four F-16 D Block 70 aircraft, 11 engines, 19 advanced medium range air-to-air missiles, 28 small diameter bombs and various other defense materials valued at $1.7 billion was approved by the U.S. State Department. The U.S. State Department expects the sale to help the Bulgarian Air Force deploy modern fighter aircraft over the Black Sea Region and bolster the security of a NATO ally — one less than 400 miles from Ukraine’s Odessa region. The approval follows the original 2020, $5.1 billion contract for the Bulgarian Airforce that was expected to boost Lockheed’s production by 50%. “The acquisition of the F-16V Block 70 fighter jets is not just a purchase but a long-term partnership that enables the Bulgarian Air Force to successfully meet the new challenges in the sector,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said in

More than 3,000 F-16 are in operation across 25 nations, according to Lockheed. The recent order is not Jordan’s first foray into using the jet, but it is the country’s first purchase of new F-16s. (Photo/Provided)

a news release after the Bulgarian government agreed to the purchase of the first set of eight Fighting Falcons in July 2019. The fourth-generation jet will replace Soviet-era Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets to become the first Western aircraft to be maintained in Bulgaria. In 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense expected Lockheed to complete the original order of eight aircraft by Jan. 31, 2027.

Fueling the pipeline

Lockheed Martin continues to bolster its workforce to meet that demand. Out of the 300 jobs posted by Lockheed Martin last October for both its sustainment and production programs, 150 have been filled, bringing the Greenville facility’s current employment numbers to about 850.

June 27-July 10, 2022

By the end of the year, the company seeks to hire hundreds of new employees, particularly sheet metal mechanics, avionics technicians and airframe and powerplant generalists, according to Edwards. Planners, engineers and talent within the finance and business operations side of production are also in demand. In December, the facility also became the only corporate F-16 sustainment and support depot in the country. To recruit talent in an ever-competitive labor market, the contractor is offering $20,000 in sign-on bonuses and $5,000 in tax-assisted relocation payments for certain roles. Second shift employees are eligible for a 6% premium, according to the company. Greenville Technical College remains a hub for training new technicians, while Lockheed Martin has hosted several virtual and local career fairs, including some exclusive to transitioning military members and veterans, according to the company. “Lockheed Martin continues to be committed to military hiring,” Walt Lindsley, new Greenville site director for the company, said in an October release. “Currently at the site, approximately 35% of our employees are veterans, and we aim to keep growing that number.” More than 3,000 F-16 jets are in operation across 25 nations, according to the company.

Boeing relocating global headquarters to Virginia By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

oeing announced last month that its Arlington, Va., campus just outside Washington, D.C., will serve as the company’s global headquarters. The company has been headquartered in Chicago for 21 years. The aerospace and defense firm’s employees in the Arlington area support various corporate functions and specialize in advanced airplane development and autonomous systems, according to a news release. In addition to designating Northern Virginia as its new headquarters, Boeing plans to develop a research and technology hub in the area to attract engineering and technical capabilities. The move does not affect the function of the North Charleston facility, which employed more than 5,000, according to a January tally. The North Charleston location delivers all three versions of the 787, though deliveries have been stalled for a year as the company investigates issues regarding tiny gaps found between sections of the fuselage, about the width of a human hair. “We are excited to build on our foundation here in Northern Virginia,” Boeing President CEO Dave Calhoun said in the

Boeing is relocating its global headquarters to its Arlington, Va., campus just outside Washington, D.C. The company has been based in Chicago for 21 years. (Photo/File)

news release. “The region makes strategic sense for our global headquarters given its proximity to our customers and stakeholders, and its access to world-class engineering and technical talent.” Boeing will maintain a “significant” presence at its Chicago location and surrounding region, the news release said, but did not elaborate on what that presence will be. The company website said it had 729 employees in the Illinois and made annual supplier and vendor pur-

chases of $1billion in the state. Over the past two years, Boeing has implemented flexible and virtual solutions that have reduced its office space needs, the release said. As part of its effort to tap into engineering and technology talent across the United States and around the world, Boeing plans to establish a research and technology hub in Northern Virginia. The hub will focus on developing innovations in the areas of cyber security, auton-

omous operations, quantum sciences and software and systems engineering, the release said. The company’s three business units will continue to be based at their current headquarters, which include Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle, Wash.; Boeing Global Services in Plano, Texas; and Boeing Defense, Space and Security in Arlington, Va. Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222

IN FOCUS: MANUFACTURING & AEROSPACE

June 27-July 10, 2022

www.gsabusiness.com 17

Largest Employers

Ranked by No. of Employees in the Greenville Area Phone / Website / Email

Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded

State of South Carolina (Upstate data) 301 University Ridge Greenville, SC 29601

803-734-2320 www.sc.gov -

Henry McMaster 1788

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

864-802-6000 www.bmwusfactory.com -

Sherry McCraw, Robert Engelhorn 1992

864-560-6000 www.spartanburgregional.com -

Bruce Holstien 1921

9,515 9,515 9,515

864-458-5000 www.michelinman.com -

Alexis Garcin 1898

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

AnMed Health 3 800 N. Fant St. Anderson, SC 29621

Headquarters

Description

11,954 -

Columbia

State government

11,000 11,000 125,000

Munich, Germany

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

Spartanburg

Range of healthcare services

6,500 9,000 125,000

Greenville

Designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle

Matt Caldwell 1932

4,201 4,305 59,709

Cincinnati, OH

Health care

864-512-1000 www.anmedhealth.org marketing@anmedhealth.org

William Kenley 1908

3,705 3,705 3,705

Anderson

Not-for-profit health system

GE Gas Power 300 Garlington Road Greenville, SC 29615

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

John Intile 1968

3,650 3,650 180,000

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

3,325 3,325 157,500

Friedrichshafen, Germany

Automotive transmissions, emobility products and chassis systems

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

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

Lama Priebe, Suzanna Cizmic, Adolph Lanza, Christian Kolzem 1985

2,400 3,990 401,300

Stuttgart, Germany

Global supplier of technology and services

Greenville County 301 University Ridge Greenville, SC 29601

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

Joseph Kernell 1786

2,120 2,120 2,120

Greenville

County government

Fluor 100 Fluor Daniel Drive Greenville, SC 29607

864-281-4400 www.fluor.com -

1912

1,600 4,000 41,000

Irving, TX

Advanced technologies, infrastructure, life sciences, mining, metals and fertilizers, defense, intelligence, nuclear and civil, chemicals

ATCO Industries Inc. 1495 Victor Hill Road Duncan, SC 29334

586-531-2736 www.ATCOindustries.com dan.kendzior@atcoindustries.com

1980

1,400 -

AFL 170 Ridgeview Center Drive Duncan, SC 29334

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

Jody Gallagher, Kurt Dallas, Robert Crowder 1984

1,323 1,323 6,272

Spartanburg

Manufacturer of fiber optic cable, connectivity and equipment

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, Edmund Eggensberger 1995

1,030 1,030 72,000

Vilsbiburg, Germany

Automotive interior and electrical systems; high-voltage wiring harness systems; electronic components; lowand high-voltage battery systems

Benore Logistic Systems Inc. 2501 S.C. Highway 101 S. Greer, SC 29651

864-655-8100 www.benorelogistics.com businessdevelopment@benorelogistics.com

Dennis Kunz, Jeffery Benore 1994

1,000 1,000 1,100

Erie, MI

Transportation, transportation management, warehousing, order fulfillment, in-plant services

Pierburg US LLC (Rheinmetall) 5 Southchase Court Fountain Inn, SC 29644

864-688-1300 https://www.rheinmetall.com -

Alma Andreas Zgodic 1996

1,000 1,000 25,000

Air and oil pumps, electronic throttle chambers

Sage Automotive Interiors Inc. 3 Research Drive, Suite 300 Greenville, SC 29607

864-987-7778 www.sageautomotiveinteriors.com -

Chris Heard 2009

1,000 1,000 4,000

Greenville

Design and manufacturing of automotive fabrics and suedes for seating, door panels and headliners

TD Synnex 39 Pelham Ridge Drive Greenville, SC 29615

864-289-4000 www.tdsynnex.com -

Peter Larocque, Michael Urban 1980

1,000 1,000 22,000

Fremont, CA

IT distribution, design and integration services

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

Michelin North America Inc. 1 S. Parkway Greenville, SC 29615

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

• • •

Employees: Local / Statewide / Worldwide

Company

Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. For a full list of participating organizations, visit scbiznews.com/buy-business-lists. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, errors sometimes occur. Email additions or corrections to research@scbiznews.com. 1 Locations include Spartanburg Medical Center, Pelham Medical Center, Spartanburg Hospital for Restorative Care, Spartanburg Medical Center - Mary Black Campus and Union Medical Center. 2 Locations include St. Francis Downtown and St. Francis Eastside 3 Locations include AnMed Health Medical Center and AnMed Health Women's and Children's Hospital.

Researched by Business Report staff

IN FOCUS: MANUFACTURING & AEROSPACE

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June 27-July 10, 2022

Largest Employers

Ranked by No. of Employees in the Greenville Area Company

Phone / Website / Email

Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded

Employees: Local / Statewide / Worldwide

Wells Fargo Bank N.A. 15 S. Main St. Greenville, SC 29601

800-869-3557 www.wellsfargo.com -

Justin Hawkins, J. Mark Westmoreland 1852

1,000 5,900 275,000

Anderson University 316 Blvd. Anderson, SC 29621

864-231-2000 www.andersonuniversity.edu webmaster@andersonuniversity.edu

Evans P. Whitaker 1911

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

864-422-9955 www.warehouseservices.com johnrohlman@warehouseservices.com

M. Jill Cox, Max Dieterle, Chris Apple 1986

Lockheed Martin 244 Terminal Road Greenville, SC 29605

864-299-3350 www.lockheedmartin.com -

1984

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

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

Stephen Pettit, Gary Weier 1927

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

864-503-5235 www.uscupstate.edu -

YMCA of Greenville 723 Cleveland St. Greenville, SC 29601

Headquarters

Description

New York, NY

SBA 7(a), SBA 504, small business lease loans

938 -

Anderson

Comprehensive university offering bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees on campus and online

922 989 4,652

Piedmont

Third-party logistics

Bethesda, MD

Aircraft production and sustainment

870 875 929

Greenville

Christian liberal arts offering over 100 undergraduate and graduate programs; regionally accredited by SACSCOC; nationally accredited by TRACS

Kesha Boyce-Williams, Richard Gimbl, Bennie L. Harris 1967

826 826 826

Spartanburg

Public regional university

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

Barbie Jefferson, Sam Franklin, Scot Baddley 1876

782 782 782

Greenville

Youth development, healthy living and social responsibility

Dodge Industrial Inc. 1061 Holland Rd. Simpsonville, SC 29681

864-297-4800 www.dodgeindustrial.com edwight@dodgeindustrial.com

Michael Shea, David Gilbert, Joe Maloney 1904

770 773 1,648

Simpsonville

Designs, manufactures and supplies mechanical power transmission products and solutions across the globe

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

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

Steve Thibodeau 2012

750 760 960

Greenville

Auto finance

Greenville Technical College 506 S. Pleasantburg Drive Greenville, SC 29606

864-236-6723 www.gvltec.edu mary.hendrix@gvltec.edu

Keith L. Miller 1962

725 725 725

Greenville

A five-campus system

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

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

Keith L. Miller 1962

716 716 716

Greenville

Higher education

Spartanburg Community College 107 Community College Drive Spartanburg, SC 29303

864-804-2425 www.sccsc.edu gracec@sccsc.edu

Michael Mikota 1963

700 700 700

Spartanburg

Community college that offers over 70 academic programs of study, including university transfer opportunities

North Greenville University 7801 N. Tigerville Road Tigerville, SC 29688

864-977-7000 www.ngu.edu admissions@ngu.edu

Gene C. Fant 1892

597 597 597

Tigerville

University affiliated with SC Baptist Convention

United Community Bank 2 W. Washington St., Suite 700 Greenville, SC 29601

1-800-822-2651 www.ucbi.com bankinfo@ucbi.com

Rich Bradshaw, Lynn Harton 1950

478 667 2,835

Greenville

Consumer and commercial banking services, including mortgage, advisory services, SBA, treasury management and wealth management

Lander University 320 Stanley Ave. Greenwood, SC 29649

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

Richard E. Consetino 1872

474 474 474

Greenwood

Higher education

Tri-County Technical College 7900 U.S. Highway 76 Pendleton, SC 29670

864-646-8282 www.tctc.edu info@tctc.edu

Galen DeHay 1962

361 361 361

Pendleton

Public two-year community and technical college

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

864-235-2335 www.thecarolinacenter.com -

1985

350 350 350

Greer

Inpatient and outpatient psychiatric and substance use disorder treatment for adolescents, adults and senior adults

YMCA of Easley, Pickens & Powdersville 201 Burns Road Easley, SC 29640

864-855-9622 www.pcymca.net mail@pcymca.net

Sid Collins, Alida Gardiner 1957

350 -

Easley

The YMCA of Easley, Pickens and Powdersville

900 1,000 114,000

Researched by Business Report staff

At Work

BUSINESS DIGEST | PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

Business Digest

Greenwood Genetic Center gets $1.2M NIH grant Staff Report

Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd raises funds for heart association

Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd P.A. announced the firm’s employees raised more than $10,000 for the American Heart Association as part of this year’s Upstate Heart Walk. The firm participated in the walk on April 24 with six teams and 29 walkers.

Fitness professionals support Parkinson Society

B3 Strength and Performance recently hosted the “PR for Parkinson’s Competition” with all proceeds benefiting the Greenville Area Parkinson Society. Upstate gyms and B3 Strength and Performance members came together to compete for competition titles and to raise money. The event raised more than $11,000 for the society.

PR Society presents Mercury Awards

The South Carolina chapter of Public Relations Society of America honored the state’s public relations industry with the 31st Mercury Awards. The event, presented by Dominion Energy, presented 23 categories of awards to professionals and students who submitted work from 2021. The complete list of Mercury Award winners beis posted online at scprsa.org.

T YMCA of Greenville raises more than $1.25M

YMCA of Greenville announced that it raised more than $1.25 million during its 2022 annual campaign. Funds provide financial assistance for individuals to participate in the Y’s programs or services. The $1.25 million will provide children, adults and families scholarships for wellness memberships, youth sports programs, swim lessons, the SC Youth in Government program, afterschool care and summer day camps, as well as funding the Y’s food delivery programs for those experiencing food insecurity across Greenville County. Fuel receives award at 2022 SCPRSA Mercury Awards event in Columbia.

Hartness to expand community farm

Hartness, the village founded by the Hartness family on Greenville’s Eastside, announced the launch of phase II of The Hartness Farm. Located within Hartness and organically managed, The Hartness Farm features sustainable farming, community engagement and resident living. The second phase of the farm includes expansion, the addition of chickens and the introduction of a crop share program for Hartness residents.

Velocity Truck Centers buys Greenville’s Christopher Trucks

Velocity Truck Centers said it further expanded into the Southeast with the acquisition of Greenville-based Christopher Trucks. Terms were not released. With the nine locations in North Carolina and two in South Carolina, VTC adds two more locations with the purchase of Christopher Trucks. Christopher Trucks was founded in 1951 by McAdams Christopher. Christopher Trucks and its employees will maintain operations in the region under the Velocity Truck Centers name, according to a news release.

Fuel receives Mercury Award for Goodwill campaign

Fuel, a Greenville-based marketing and advertising agency specializing in strategy, branding, and demand generation, received a Mercury Award of Merit from the South Carolina Public Relations Society of America during the annual Mercury Awards program recognizing exceptional work of communicators from throughout the state. Fuel received the award in the brand/reputation management category for its Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont “Going Bolder” brand campaign. Fuel helped the organization develop new, bold positioning statements to more clearly represent its higher purpose. Designed to help shift the public’s perspective from seeing Goodwill as simply a retail store that sells donated items to fund job training to an organization dedicated to helping people achieve their greatest potential and live their best lives, the campaign

gsanews@scbiznews.com

he Greenwood Genetic Center’s Rich Steet, director of research, and Heather Flanagan-Steet, director of functional studies, have secured a renewal of their long-standing grant titled “Pathogenic Mechanisms of Lysosomal Disease.” The R01 grant, which is administered by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a division of the National Institutes of Health, provides $1.2 million over four years to continue the team's ongoing work to better understand the mechanisms behind lysosomal storage disorders, according to a news release. The duo has spent years studying the function of lysosomes and how their abnormal function results in the clinical features associated with LSDs. While the clinical features vary between different types of LSDs, common findings include coarse facial features, cardiac and skeletal anomalies, learning difficulties, and a shortened life span, the news release said. Prior research under this grant focused on a single disorder, mucolipidosis type II. The research team has made significant progress in understanding how MLII symptoms develop, and they have been able to successfully treat cardiac and skeletal disease manifestations in their zebrafish models, the release said. This breakthrough has fostered collaborations to advance treatment studies into a mammalian model with the ultimate goal of developing an effective therapy for patients with this rare disease. "We are pleased that our prior work on LSDs has been so fruitful and that we are able to continue to move toward better understanding and novel treatment options for families impacted by these rare disorders," Steet said in the release. The primary hypothesis for this new round of funding is that the mechanisms included a comprehensive internal and external introduction of the new statements across the region. “We are proud of our team’s work and honored to be recognized by SCPRSA for the Goodwill campaign,” Warren Griffith, Fuel founder and CEO, said in a news release. “When we began working with Goodwill last year, we were inspired by their mission, and through research, strategic planning, branding, and a comprehensive rollout plan, the campaign came to life.”

identified in MLII are similar across other LSDs, which could lead to novel therapies for several disorders. The grant renewal will also allow the research team to expand their work on the NUS1 gene which came to the team's attention through functional studies on a Greenwood Genetic Center patient. Through both cellular and zebrafish experiments, researchers were able to confirm that this patient’s NUS1 variSteet ant was pathogenic, and they were also able to identify the likely mechanism and a possible therapy. "Zebrafish that mimic this NUS1 variant not only exhibited a moveFlanagan ment disorder as seen through abnormal swimming patterns, but they also displayed significant accumulation of cholesterol in their lysosomes," Flanagan-Steet said in the release. "By using an FDA-approved small molecule, we were able to reduce cholesterol storage in the zebrafish and restore normal swimming behaviors." The additional funding through the grant renewal will help the team to refine how the storage of cholesterol in the lysosomes occurs in patients with NUS1 mutations and why it leads to neurological symptoms and movement disorders. "After completing 13 years of research through this grant funding, we are excited by the potential to further unravel the mysteries of lysosomal storage disorders and identify novel treatments that can help GGC patients and the thousands of others who are impacted by LSDs," Steet said in the release.

Sherman College board chooses firm to find next president

The Sherman College Board of Trustees has taken its first official steps to begin the search for the institution’s sixth president. The board identified and vetted several search firms to assist in the presidential search and selected Diversified Search Group. DivSearch was ranked one of the top executive recruiting firms in the nation by Forbes in 2021 and is the largest female-founded retained executive search firm in the world.

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June 27-July 10, 2022

People in the News ADVERTISING, MARKETING & PR

Ternberg

Farmer

Infinity Marketing hired Tia Ternberg as media buyer and Mallory Farmer as media coordinator. Ternberg most recently worked as a junior media planner with Chernoff Newman. Farmer is a graduate of Clemson University, where she worked as an advancement marketing intern. Crawford hired Abby Kingsmore as account executive and Becca Fox as account coordinator. Kingsmore recently worked as a packaging engineer and project Kingsmorea manager at HAVI Global Solutions. Fox recently worked as program director for Little Steps.

Nicholson

senior advisor for Viking Mergers & Acquisitions.

Va n t a g e P o i n t Marketing promoted Autumn Nicholson to public relations manager. Nicholson has been a content specialist at VantagePoint for the past five years.

ARCHITECTURE

Pimentel

Partners.

United Community B ank hired Jamie Pimentel as regional sales manager. Pimentel previously worked as vice president and mortgage advisor for Pinnacle Financial

CONSTRUCTION Hartness named Tori Wallace-Babcock development manager. She previously worked for Mashburn Construction Co. as project manager.

HOSPITALITY Hotel Hartness named Michael Bonasia director of sales and marketing. Bonasia previously was the vice president of sales and marketing at Tara Investments. Bonasia

Michael Rosen joined OTO Development as vice president of food and beverage. A professional chef, Rosen is a two-time winner of Esquire magazine’s Best New Restaurant award and Rosen his work was listed in Dwell magazine’s Best Restaurant Designs in the United States.

Mark Clary honored by Northwestern Mutual Staff Report

gsanews@scbiznews.com

ark Clary of McBee Avenue Wealth Advisors, has been named a 2022 Best-In-State Wealth Adviser by Forbes, according to an announcement from the Greenville Northwestern Mutual office. The list — comprised of high-performing financial services professionals — is based on a variety of factors including revenue produced, assets under management, compliance records and industry experience. Clary works alongside partners Thomas Willcox, Jay Hatten and Dave Ellison. He began his career in the Greenville Northwestern Mutual office in 1994 and cofounded McBee Avenue

MANUFACTURING Elba Lizardi, site director of the BASF facility in Seneca, was among 130 women nationally to receive a STEP (science, technology, engineering and Lizardi production) Ahead Award from The Manufacturing Institute. Lizardi joined BASF in 2020.

Scarborough

Johns

Craig Gaulden Davis added Melissa Scarborough and Cole Johns to its interior design team. Scarborough has experience in design for the corporate and medical sectors. Johns has interior design experience in healthcare and senior living.

Zwolinski

Williams

The Southern Bank hired Russ Williams as senior vice president of Upstate commercial lending in the Greenville market. Williams previously worked as a

Kaufmann

Bradley

Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd PA announced that Patrick Bradley joined the firm’s Greenville office as an associate. He focuses his practice on construction and commercial litigation.

The Greenville Chautauqua Society appointed Lara Kaufmann executive director. She formerly worked as public relations director of the Greenville Downtown Airport.

REAL ESTATE

LAW

BANKING & FINANCE

Rosenfeld Realty Group hired Lillian Lever and Amy Davenport as Upstate agents. Lever has worked in real estate the past 10 years. Davenport previously worked as loan officer in the banking industry. Laurens C. Nicholson has been promoted as a senior instructor for user decision analysis for commercial investment real estate for the CCIM Institute. She has taught financial analysis for commercial investment real estate for the past 15 years. She also teaches a course in commercial real estate negotiations and foundations.

NONPROFITS

HUMAN RESOURCES Skillsgapp hired John Zwolinski as its chief experience officer. Zwolinski previously for Valeo Groupe as senior vice president of brand and experience.

Wealth Advisors in 2018. They became part of Northwestern Mutual’s exclusive Private Client Group in 2021. “My team and I strive for excellence and are passionate about helping clients achieve greater financial security, so we’re honored to see our efforts validated through this national award,” Clary said in the news release. B est-In-State MarkClary wealth adviser honorees are nominated by their firms, and each adviser is vetted, interviewed and assigned a ranking by SHOOK Research. Forbes receives more than 30,000 applicants for this annual ranking.

Wallace-Babcock

Yhap

Hartness hired Tori Wallace-Babcock as development manager. Wallace-Babcock has more than 15 years of development, real estate and construction-related project management experience.

Coldwell Banker Caine hired Vivian Yhap at its Greenville office as a residential agent.

Svistun

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Victoria Svistun joined the company’s Woodruff Road office as a sales associate.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Lanelle Henderson joined the company’s Midtown office as a sales associate. She has experience in Henderson e nt re pre ne u rsh ip, marketing and real estate sales.

Burgess

Grayson Burgess of The Burgess Co. has achieved the SIOR office designation awarded by the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors. Burgess is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

June 27-July 10, 2022

www.gsabusiness.com 21

The Fed finally gets serious — more rate hikes in store

hile the Fed believes it can pull off a soft landing, the markets are convinced that a recession is coming. And they are probably right. But when? With core CPI inflation likely to be 5.2% at the end of next year, the 3.8% funds rate that the Fed envisions at that time means the real funds rate would be -1.4%. That is not high enough to bring inflation down to the 2.0% mark. That suggests the Fed will continue to tighten into 2024. Eventually it will go too far and the economy will slip into recession. Thus, we believe the recession will not occur until late next year or 2024. The U.S. economy is amazingly resilient. They key is the real funds rate. Today the funds rate is 1.5%. The core CPI is 6.0%. Thus, the real funds rate is -4.5%. To turn that into a positive real rate the funds rate needs to rise and/or the inflation rate must decline. The Fed expects the funds rate at the end of 2023 to climb to 3.8% and thinks inflation will slow sharply to 2.6%. If so, the real funds

rate would be +1.2%. But will inflation decline as rapidly as the Fed expects? We doubt it. We think the core CPI at the end of next year will be 5.2% -- double the Fed’s 2.6% expectation. Why won’t inflation fall more quickly? Three factors seem important. First, crude oil prices are currently $115 per barrel. But China is beginning to re-open following its COVID quarantine which will boost the global demand for oil and likely push prices higher. Second, the Biden administration is doing nothing to encourage domestic producers to step up the pace of production. They deny permits for new pipelines. They force companies to comply with strict environmental regulations. Why invest to increase production when the administration wants to put you out of business? Finally, crude oil inventories are the lowest they have been in 20 years. Oil companies cannot dip into inventories to boost the supply of oil to alleviate some the upward pressure on prices. Gasoline refineries are already running flat out There is no spare capacity to boost output. With little incentive to invest it is hard to see how refineries can increase production enough to lower prices particularly since the production shortfall occurs at the beginning of the

summer driving season. Food prices are also unlikely to decline. Ukraine is a major producer of corn and wheat. The war between Ukraine and Russia seems unlikely to end soon. Once it does end if Russia controls the country little if any of those agricultural commodities will be exported. At the same time extreme drought conditions in the West may negatively impact the production of fruit, vegetables, and animal feed crops. In the housing market the apartment vacancy rate is the lowest it has been since

the 1980’s. Demand will continue to exceed supply until such time as builders can increase the production of apartment units. But given the run-up in mortgage rates builders are becoming more cautious. The upward pressure on rents will continue for the foreseeable future. This is critically important because rents account for 1/3 of the entire CPI. Finally, as evidenced by the number of job openings the demand for labor far See SLIFER, Page 22

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SLIFER, from Page 21

still far outstrips supply. Firms are forced to bid aggressively to attract the workers they need. And while wages have been rising, inflation has risen even faster and, as a result, real wages have fallen 2.5% in the past year. As long as that continues to be the case individual workers and the unions will push for sizeable wage gains and businesses will continue to raise prices to counter the higher labor costs. It is hard to see how the inflation rate can slow to 2.6% by the end of next year. Instead, we believe it will be 5.2% at the end of 2023. If that forecast is correct, the funds rate will need to climb at least to 5.2% (probably higher) to have any chance of slowing the rate of inflation. That is far higher than the 3.8% funds rate the Fed currently expects. The higher the funds rate needs to go, the more likely the end result will be a recession which in our view, is probably a late 2023 or 2024 event. Some argue it will occur sooner. As evidence they point to the dramatic 20% drop in stock prices. They will also point to the precipitous slide in the University of Michigan’s measure of consumer sentiment which has plunged to the lowest level on record. But, oddly, the index of consumer confidence published by the Conference Board shows a more modest drop in confidence. Which measure is giving the more accurate barometer of consumer confidence?

It is not clear. Thus far, consumer spending has softened, but not by the extreme amount suggested by the Michigan series. In the housing market there is a similar dilemma. New home sales have plunged in the past several months to a pace in line with the lowest point in 2020. But existing home sales tell a different story. Existing home sales have declined by a far smaller amount. In addition, the length of time between listing and sale remains the shortest on record which suggests that demand remains solid. Which series is the better barometer of the state of the housing market? It is not clear. With both the stock and bond markets getting hammered and sharp declines in consumer confidence and home sales having already emerged, we can understand why some believe a recession is imminent. We agree that a recession is coming, but suggest that it may not arrive until late next year or 2024. We are almost invariably surprised by the strength and resilience of the U.S. economy. From 1980 until 2003, when he retired, Stephen Slifer served as chief U.S. economist for Lehman Brothers in New York City, directing the firm’s U.S. economics group along with being responsible for forecasts and analysis of the U.S. economy. He has written two books on using economic indicators to forecast financial moves and previously served as a senior economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C. Slifer can be reached at www.numbernomics.com.

Viewpoint

VIEWS, PERSPECTIVES AND READERS’ LETTERS

Illustration/File

Blame Big Oil, now laughing all the way to the bank

he price of gas jumped by 20 cents from a month ago. You are angry. The average price of gas is $1.76 higher than a year ago and you are now paying over $4.50 a gallon. You want someone to blame. Small business owners are paying more for everything with much of the increased cost, one way or another, due to higher gas and diesel prices. And, of course, the small businesses have to pass their higher gas-induced costs on to you, the consumer. The blame for these gas prices is being largely placed on President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats. They are running everything in Washington, aren’t they? Well, they are not, but that is another issue. Consider this: Neither the president nor any member of Congress, Democrat

or Republican, has voted to raise gas prices. Yes, there has been bipartisan support of Ukraine in its battle against the Russian invasion, support that has included agreement to stop buying Russian oil. Most consumers understand that some of the increased cost of gas stems from this publicly backed foreign policy. Refinery capacity is down, which also adds to the problem especially when the summer vacations are causing an increased demand for gas. So, what happens if tomorrow we flipped the presidency and control of the U.S. House and Senate? What would change for gas prices? Nothing. Congress could pass a federal gas tax holiday until the end of the year that would cut about 18 cents off a gallon. President Biden has proposed a 3 month suspension of the gas tax but there is bi-partisan opposition in Congress. A different president could release more oil from the nation’s strategic reserve, but Biden has already done much of that.

What is dumbfounding then is why does the American public want to blame Washington? Yet, there is no public outrage for the folks who are responsible for raising the price of a gallon of gas — the oil industry. Oil industry profits were up nearly 300% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year! We are talking about profit after taking into consideration their expenses and write downs due to exiting their business in Russia. Have the oil companies used any of this obscene profit to keep the gas prices as low as possible while still making a decent profit? Of course not! Instead, the oil companies are doing what all giant corporations do when they receive a windfall (as they did in 2018 after getting a 40% tax rate cut from Congress). They use the money primarily for buying back their own stocks, increasing their value to the benefits of their shareholders and executives. Where is the public outrage? If there is finger-pointing to be done

on high gas prices, it should be directed to the businesses that are greedily jacking up their prices to make higher profits. Not the gas station owner. The oil companies. If the president and members of both political parties are to blame, it is because they are not calling out Big Oil and passing legislation for a windfall profits tax with the revenue given back to consumers. The disconnect between a major cause of high gas prices and who is being blamed is clear. And the oil companies are laughing all the way to the bank. Frank Knapp Jr. of Columbia is president and CEO of the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce. This article first appeared in Charleston City Paper’s June 15 edition.

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| Volume 24,

No. 16

The story of the Upstate business market is a story told in numbers. Market Facts provides the context for the data and statistics critical to commerce in our region. COVID-19 reshaped our economy, and now, more than ever, business leaders require the latest data, facts and trends to navigate the pandemic and capitalize on the continuing recovery.

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