VOLUME 23 NUMBER 21 ■ GSABUSINESS.COM
Part of the
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NOVEMBER 2 - NOVEMBER 15, 2020 ■ $2.25
Construction on fire
Fire station building is hot in Upstate Under Construction. Page 17
An eye on forgiveness
A Roof with a View
Area bankers assess what’s gone right with PPP. Page 6
Rise of the gig economy
Expert urges care in relying on contract workers. Page 23
Rising tide brings more shipping
The rise of online shopping and other habit changes lead to more retail for ports. Page 8
INSIDE
Leading Off........................... 2 SC Biz News Briefs................. 3 C-Suite................................. 4 In Focus: Architecture, Engineering and Construction................ 13 LIST: Heating and Air Contractors......................... 14 At Work...............................22 Viewpoint............................23
AC Hotel unveils plans for roof venue Juniper See story on Page 10
Black-owned business lists drive recognition By Molly Hulsey
I
mhulsey@scbiznews.com
t all started on Juneteenth with an internal Google Doc marketing firm EP & Co. used to spotlight Greenville’s Black entrepreneurs. Walker Reed, a senior experience designer with the marketing company, then began to realize the list could do more to support those businesses if seen by additional eyes. “I thought, ‘This should be public. It’s a shame we had to do so much work to find these businesses,” Reed said, so he launched the site BLKGVL in July with an interactive display of 115 Black-owned businesses from a variety of sectors — some from the original list and others uncovered by Reed’s curiosity. Since then, the list has grown to include 400 Black business owners, many who reached out to Reed after the site’s launch to be included
for additional publicity. “I think it’s really important for you to go and meet your neighbor,” Reed said, adding that the list was created to help prompt the discovery of businesses that patrons either didn’t realize were Black-owned or that were off the beaten path. So far, he hasn’t had any feedback from business owners on how effective the lists have been in driving customers to their websites and cash registers. Still, the public response to the list has been “overwhelmingly positive,” according to Reed, well aware that as a white man, his list could be received as just a tokenistic badge of support for the Upstate’s Black business community. In an effort to remain anonymous, Reed didn’t include his name or EP & Co. branding on the site. “With the lists, I think what is good about See BUSINESSES, Page 11
In Focus
Taking on turbulence
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport forges ahead with development plan, despite pandemic. Page 13
Harold Hughes of Bandwagon FanClub, says the lists have linked Black entrepreneurs to investors. (Photo/Provided)