NEWS MAKERS YEAR IN REVIEW
Swamp Rabb it Trail
December 26, 2016 - January 8, 2017
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Volume 19, No. 24
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NEWS MAKERS
LETTER FROM THE
CONTENTS
EDITOR
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Story Name
Michelin Distribution Center............................. 4........................ 10.3.16 30 Under 30 Furman............................................ 6...........................2.8.16 The Matrix Sold.................................................... 6........................ 9.19.16 BMW Manufacturing Plant................................ 8........................ 2.22.16 TPP Agreement.................................................... 8........................ 2.22.16 Gov. Haley at Auto Week.................................... 10..........................3.7.16 Convention Center Funding.............................. 10..........................3.7.16 Spartanburg Connected...................................... 12..........................4.4.16 Greenville Ends Fiscal Year................................ 12....................... 10.3.16 100 Years of BMW............................................... 14....................... 3.21.16 Manufacturing Conference................................ 16..........................5.2.16 Lockheed Martin Contract................................ 17..........................9.5.16 SEC Selects Greenville........................................ 18....................... 6.13.16 Tech Schools Address Budget............................ 18....................... 6.27.16 S.C. Farmer of the Year....................................... 20....................... 7.25.16 Clemson Tuition Increase.................................. 20....................... 7.25.16 On The Town: Downtown Series...................... 22....................... 6.27.16 I-85/385 Project Continues................................ 24....................... 8.22.16 CMI Classes.......................................................... 24....................... 8.26.16 Roaring Twenties................................................. 26.............Event Photos
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t is time to say farewell to another prosperous year for the Upstate and we do that with our annual Newsmakers, which is a way to reminisce about those stories that made the biggest impact on the Upstate business community in 2016. We looked over the thousands of local business news stories published both on our website and in our print Matt Clark product from Editor, GSA Business Report what was a very busy year to select what, in our opinion, were the biggest stories. Newsmakers represents an abbreviated version of those stories. As we started with last year’s edition, we have provided more topical stories with updates contained within, as needed. This way, you can get more of the stories that made the biggest difference from 2016. So, please, take your time, look at each story and you might be surprised to see all that’s happened in relation to business in the Upstate. It has been a very busy 12 months and, I think you will agree, a very productive one for business in the Upstate. With that, we at GSA Business Report bid you a welcome to our 2016 edition of Newsmakers and, as we move into 2017, know that you have an invitation as readers to provide ideas, comments or suggestions. Finally, we wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2016.
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Issue Date
Workplace Felons................................................. 4........................ 1.25.16
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NEWS MAKERS 2016
From the 1.25.16 Issue
by Bill Poovey
STAFFING AGENCY FOUNDER SUCCESSFULLY MATCHING FELONS WITH WORK OPPORTUNITIES
So I stepped out on faith, just said, I need to do something. I’ve got to help. You can’t treat people inhumanely. Everybody deserves a second chance.
As president of a startup staffing tween their legs because of their record. business, Melissa Posey’s workplace That just hurt my heart. It’s been two is at home, in her car or wherever years ago. So I stepped out on faith, just her telephone rings. She specializ- said, I need to do something. I’ve got to es in matching job seekers who have help. You can’t treat people inhumanely. criminal records to jobs. Her M3 De- Everybody deserves a second chance.” velopment Group LLC counts 11 Posey said she has made placements Upstate businessin manufacturing, es as clients that construction, food have used and services, accounting, are using her felon health care, truck referrals, in some driving, environcases hiring them mental, IT, office and permanently. Posey administration. Her said her growing, clients include Con2-year-old firm that tour South Inc., Adprovides permanent, ams Recycling, and contract and tempoSoutheastern Underrary will eventualwater Services. ly have a storefront “What you find in Greenville. with those people A 47-year-old sinwith challenging gle mom, Posey said backgrounds is they she was desperate M3 Development matches job seekers with will show up for criminal records to jobs. (Photo/Bill Poovey) to find a job after work because someworking at a staffing body gave them a firm where she witnessed applicants chance,” Posey said. “It’s less turnover who had skills being frequently turned for me and less headache for the client away because of criminal pasts. because you are not having to rehire “Guys would come in with their somebody every 15 to 20 days because head up to get a job working on a gar- somebody doesn’t show up for work bage truck,” Posey said. “Then I see the and doesn’t care about their job. These guys go back out with their heads be- guys care about their jobs.”
MELISSA POSEY, PRESIDENT M3 DEVELOPMENT GROUP LLCY
M3Development Group President Melissa Posey watches as Abin Lee Lowman, a former federal prison inmate who she placed at Snoozer Pet Products, sews at the plant in Piedmont. (Photo/Bill Poovey)
From the 10.3.16 Issue
by Matthew Clark
MICHELIN TO OPEN DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN SPARTANBURG
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ichelin North America Inc. has announced plans to build a 3.3 million square-foot distribution complex in Spartanburg County. The company announced it will invest more than $270 million in the five-building facility and plan to hire nearly 350 new employees. Called the cap of a “multiyear evolution” of its North American distribution network, Michelin North America Inc. announced plans to construct a distribution complex in Spartanburg County. The first phase of the building is expected to be completed in late 2017 with the full completion of the project slated for early 2019.
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NEWSMAKERS 2016 | GSA Business Report
According to a news release, the company is investing nearly $270 million in a five-building distribution complex that will cover 3.3 millionsquare-feet. “We see it as a transformational milestone designed to better serve our customers while optimizing inventories and improving supply efficiency,” said Pete Selleck, chairman and president of Michelin North America, which is based in Greenville, in a news release. The new facility will be located near the intersection of S.C. highways 101 and 417 just south of I-85. Michelin spokesman Tony Fouladpour said the location made sense for the company. “We finalized the plans for this complex because we found a location that best met our project’s parameters,” Fouladpour said. Michelin North America Inc. has approximately 9,000 employees and nine manufacturing locations in
South Carolina. The new complex will be close to seven of those locations and the company’s headquarters. The new center will distribute tires under the Michelin, BFGoodrich and Uniroyal brands and the company said Swisslog Group, a subsidiary of German-based Kuka AG will provide automation for receiving, tire selection, sequencing and shipping in addition to warehouse management software. Michelin North America said international commercial developer Panattoni Development Co. is handling the development of the location. The Spartanburg County Council recently approved a fee in lieu of taxes agreement for the location which allowed the project to move forward. David Britt, chairman of the Spartanburg County Council’s Economic Development Committee and Economic Futures Group board, said the county believed it was key to be as responsive as possible on the project.
NEWS MAKERS 2016
From the 2.8.16 Issue
by Teresa Cutlip
FURMAN SENIOR GRABS FORBES MAGAZINE ATTENTION Christopher Drose never suspected his website, Bleeker Street Research. His his interest in researching stocks would reporting on one company, American garner him national attention, but that’s Addiction Center Holdings Inc., alleged just what happened. The Furman Uni- widespread negligence at the company versity senior was named one of Forbes and pushed the stock down as much as magazine’s fifth-annual 30 Under 30 in 54% and knocked nearly $387 million finance. off its market capitalThe magazine’s ization, according to 2016 list recognizes information from Fur“America’s most imman University. portant young enHis reporting trepreneurs, creative caught the attention of leaders and brightest The Wall Street Jourstars” in a total of 20 nal, which caught the categories, including attention of Forbes. art and style, sports, “It was all so unexmusic, education, sci- At 21, Christopher Drose is the youngest pected,” Drose said of ence and media. Drose person profiled in Forbes magazine’s 30 the national attention was the youngest per- Under 30 in finance. He was recognized for and the Forbes listing. his investigative research of stocks. son included in the fiHe said he has alnance category. ways had an interest In its write-up on the 21-year-old in stocks and really started studying the Drose, Forbes said the “Furman Uni- field when he took a freshman seminar versity senior founded a stock research taught by Thomas Smythe, associate prooutfit that specializes in short ideas. His fessor of business and accounting. detailed report on American Addiction “The seminar focused on financial Centers caused the company’s stock to bubbles and market crises. We would fall by as much as 50% in August to lev- have discussions on how a market can els from which it has still not recovered.” become overvalued,” Smythe said. ”He “I look for stocks that are misrepre- seemed to fall in love with it and pursued senting themselves and companies that it even more on his own. use aggressive accounting or misleading “He sees the broader story in his statements,” Drose said. research beyond the numbers and apHe said his research has uncovered a proaches it from a different perspective,” lot of companies with questionable prac- Smythe said. “He’s really good at retices. He wrote about the companies on search, and he’s an excellent writer.”
He sees the broader story in his research beyond the numbers and approaches it from a different perspective. THOMAS SMYTHE ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BUSINESS AND ACCOUNTING, FURMAN UNIVERSITY
From the 9.19.16 Issue
by Matthew Clark
PRIVATE GROUP PURCHASES GREENVILLE COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK
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Augusta Grove – a Greenville SC Business Park, is located approximately four miles from I-85 in Greenville County. The park, formerly known as The Matrix – A Business & Technology Park, was purchased by a private partnership that plans to rebrand the 1,100-acre park. (Photo/Provided) 6
n Atlanta-based developer and a real estate investment group in Greenville coupled to purchase The Matrix, a 1,100-acre industrial park in Greenville County. The TPA Group and Appian Investments announced the purchase with Greenville County Park Public Facilities Corp. as a minority partner in the new venture that plans to rebrand the park as Augusta Grove – a Greenville SC Business Park. The park, which was implemented more than 15 years ago, sits near the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center and is home to Jtekt, GE Aviation, KI Logistics and Magna. There are 10 owners who have developed sites inside the park with 13 undeveloped sites totaling 709 acres. In addition to the partnership, NAI Earle Furman, the company that assisted in the transaction, will take over management, marketing and development of the park as well as helping to oversee the rebranding of the facility. “It has been going on and off and on for a couple of years,” said Tom Daniel, broker and shareholder with NAI Earle Furman. “The concept is trying to create the best of class business park.” Mark Farris, president and CEO of the Greenville Area
NEWSMAKERS 2016 | GSA Business Report
Development Corp., said The Matrix is their “go-to” property for projects because of its location to I-85 and the established utilities on-site. Duke Energy has electricity while Greenville Water provides water service and Piedmont Natural Gas runs gas lines into the complex. “We were excited that we would have the ability to work with a private partner,” Farris said. “Ultimately, that is our goal and TPA has expressed an interest in spec buildings so that checks off a lot of boxes.” The rebranding, Farris said, may sound like semantics, but can have the potential to put additional value on the park. “We are seeing more and more office projects and the concept of an industrial park over a business park is more of a reflection of the diversity of what we are seeing,” Farris said. New signage and landscaping upgrades are planned while the lighting and other infrastructure upgrades will continue into 2017. “You take a park like this with infrastructure and tenants in place and it gives you the opportunity to build different kinds of things … whatever the market might need,” Daniel said.
NEWS MAKERS 2016
From the 2.22.16 Issue
by Matthew Clark
THE BMW MANUFACTURING CO. PLANT IN GREER BECAME THE COMPANY’S LEADING EXPORTER BY VALUE IN 2015
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MW Manufacturing Co. said the value of exports coming out of the Greer plant and through the Port of Charleston was $9.8 billion. That was a 7.8% increase over the value in 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. In 2014, the value of exports from the BMW plant was approximately $9.2 billion, which was a 13% increase over 2013. “2015 was a great year for BMW in the United States … We had a record production year and a record sales year,” said Manfred Erlacher, BMW Manufacturing Co. president and CEO, in a statement. “These achievements are significant and clearly reinforce BMWs ongoing commitment to the U.S.” More than 280,000 vehicles were exported from the S.C. plant in 2015, over 70% of the total volume of the plant, according to the company.
(Photo/File)
IN OTHER NEWS
PROFESSOR: TPP AGREEMENT COULD PAY OFF FOR S.C. Robert Underwood, an associate professor at Furman University, said benefits of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, signed on Feb. 4 in New Zealand, could result in additional world market support for South Carolina. There is little support for the measure in Congress, however. For S.C. businesses, the agreement, would have opened up new market access to Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Vietnam because of the elimination of various tariffs on goods and services exported to those countries. “For companies, this means that approximately 75% of the market is outside the United States,” Underwood said. The International Trade Association reported 31% of South Carolina’s exports went to the 11 countries that make up the partnership and accounted for an average of $8.4 billion annually from 2012 to 2014. In 2014, businesses in South Carolina exported $300 million in automotive products to partner countries, the largest category of exports to the region, but those came with up to 75% in tariffs. Under the Trans-Pacific Partnership, those tariffs would have been eliminated. 8
NEWSMAKERS 2016 | GSA Business Report
by Matthew Clark
In August 2015, BMW Group, parent company to BMW Manufacturing Co., said the Upstate facility was positioned to be the largest production facility in the BMW network thanks to its $1 billion. Currently, the plant produces more than 1,400 vehicles each day and is the sole exporter of the company’s X3, X4, X5 and X6 models. Of the 346,023 sales recorded by BMW in 2015, nearly 30% were from the Upstate-produced X models as the plant set a record of 400,904 vehicles produced. BMW said the S.C. facility exports to more than 140 global markets. According to the International Trade Administration, South Carolina exported more than $15 billion in transportation equipment to world markets in 2015. Germany received $3.35 billion of those exports, while China received just over $3 billion. Other countries receiving large transportation equipment exports from the state were the United Kingdom at $2.54 billion, Japan at $1.1 billion and Canada at $1 billion.
NEWS MAKERS 2016
From the 3.7.16 Issue
by Matthew Clark
We understand that if we are going to grow, we are going to grow by working together. In order to be successful, the entire state has to be successful. GOV. NIKKI HALEY
HALEY: PARTNERS HELP BUILD S.C. AUTO INDUSTRY
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.C. Gov. Nikki Haley said that it was BMW in the Upstate that helped attract Volvo to build a new plant in North Charleston. Haley addressed more than 200 people during the S.C. Automotive Council’s annual Auto Week at the downtown Hyatt Regency Greenville. “I’m proud to say that our first son is continuing to help the state, and Volvo wants to do the same types of things,” Haley said about BMW assisting with Volvo. She said when Volvo approached BMW about locating a plant in South Carolina, BMW’s Upstate facility “opened their doors” and allowed Volvo executives to learn more about the working conditions in South Carolina. In September 2015, Volvo broke ground on a $500 million plant near Ridgeville in Berkeley County. “We understand that if we are going to grow, we are going to grow by working together,” Haley said. “In order to be successful, the entire
state has to be successful.” She also discussed the competitiveness between states in the Southeast to attract business. She said it is collaboration between government and business entities that have allowed South Carolina to “flourish” in terms of new-business attraction as well as expansion. “Our neighbor states get mad at us because of the companies we get,” Haley said. “But, we don’t get those companies by just throwing money at them.” Haley also emphasized to the group of auto manufacturers and supply chain businesses that South Carolina will continue to work to keep unions out of the state. She said that she would “continue to wear heels to kick them out if they try to come in.” She added that the reason for not having unions in South Carolina is because they aren’t needed. “We don’t have them because our companies take care of their workers,” Haley said.
S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley addresses a crowd during the 2016 S.C. Automotive Council’s Auto Week at the Hyatt Regency Greenville Downtown. (Photo/Matthew Clark)
IN OTHER NEWS
by Teresa Cutlip
NO SPACE OR FUNDING FOR DOWNTOWN CONVENTION CENTER
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reenville does not have the funding or the space to accommodate a downtown convention center, according to the results of a $74,000 feasibility study by Chicago-based Hunden Strategic Partners. The report also shows the TD Convention Center is losing $750,000 a year. What the city can do, however, is consider developing a larger convention hotel property. The cost of the study was split between the city of Greenville, Greenville County and VisitGreenvilleSC, according to Julie Horton, government relations manager for the city. In order to move Greenville forward — and so that whatever is developed is adding to the market and not simply transferring business or competing directly with the Hyatt — Rob Hunden, president of Hunden Strategic Partners, recommends the development of a branded convention hotel that has about 450 guest rooms, a 25,000-square-foot divisible ballroom, meeting rooms and plenty of parking spaces.
A feasibility study by Hunden Strategic Partners found that the TD Convention Center loses $750,000 annually. (Photo/Teresa Cutlip) 10
NEWSMAKERS 2016 | GSA Business Report
NEWS MAKERS 2016
From the 4.4.16 Issue
by Matthew Clark
Inside the numbers 93% Percentage of surveyed businesses that have an Internet connection. 49.9% Percentage of businesses surveyed currently or planning to use more advanced technology.
22.1% Percentage of households surveyed that have kids but no Internet and never digitally interact with schools.
8% Percentage of higher education entities surveyed that deliver curriculum in an online format.
0%
Percentage of libraries surveyed that meet the Federal Communications Commission goal of 1-gigabit Internet connectivity. SOURCE: Connected Nation 2016 study
SPARTANBURG HOPES TO BECOME ‘CONNECTED’ COMMUNITY
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recent survey showed that while more than 95% of residents in Spartanburg County have access to high-speed broadband Internet, 28.5% don’t subscribe to it. Now, a national nonprofit group and its S.C. subsidiary hope to start an educational campaign to bring awareness of the availability of high-speed Internet access, as well as bring Internet service providers into the fold to make it accessible to areas of the county that have little or no service. Connect South Carolina, a subsidiary of Connected Nation, surveyed more than 2,500 residents and 320 businesses — along with libraries, K-12 schools and universities in the area — to find out how many residents have access to high-speed Internet and what those people do with it. The study also found that 93% of businesses in the county have an
From the 10.3.16 Issue
Internet connection, while 85% of businesses have their own website. Of those businesses with either little or no Internet access, the study found that most have five or fewer employees and revenue less than $50,000 per year and are primarily food service, retail and real estate establishments. But the big impact, according to Jim Strizinger, executive director of Connect South Carolina, came with travel and tourism. Nearly 20% of tourism businesses hoped to participate in online aggregation services, and 52% of those businesses are planning more advanced technology implementations. He said a priority found in the study is for the county to push for gigabit Internet connectivity in libraries and schools to start. He said that can lead to entrepreneurial possibilities for all sectors of the county.
by Matthew Clark
CITY ENDS FISCAL YEAR WITH POSITIVE RESERVES
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This rendering shows the design of the new Greenville Public Works facility to be located on Fairforest Way in Greenville. (Rendering/Provided)
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NEWSMAKERS 2016 | GSA Business Report
ccording to Kai Nelson, budget department director for the city of Greenville, the city ended the fiscal year with strong cash reserves and an increased credit rating. Additionally, Nelson said the city’s special funds like hospitality, accommodations and Sunday alcohol taxes finished in “strong condition.” The city of Greenville ended the 2015-16 fiscal year with more in cash reserves than required, leaving the city in a positive cash position, according to Kai Nelson, director of the city’s Office of Management and Budget. He said the figures were according to preliminary projections. Nelson said the city has a requirement to keep a 20% reserve in its general fund. He said the city ended the fiscal year with a general fund balance of approximately $5.5 million over the required reserve. He said the city receives a bulk of its property tax and business license tax revenue in December through March. Revenues do come in in the other eight months of the year, but the expenses those months exceeds the revenue collected. The revenue is “cyclical,” he said. The positive cash reserve had led the city to earn a AAA credit rating from three national rating agencies. Nelson said that lends itself to additional positives for the city like lower borrowing costs for larger bond issues and no need to seek out bonds for short-term needs like paying the monthly expenses. According to Nelson, the city is preparing to take out long-term bonds for the new city fire station located on Verdae Boulevard totaling approximately $4 million and for the construction of a new public works facility on Fairforest Way. He said the cost of the public works facility is in excess of $25 million, but the long-term bond will only be for $6 million as the city has saved reserve funds to offset some of the cost of construction.
NEWS MAKERS 2016
From the 3.21.16 Issue
by GSA Business Report staff
THE HISTORY OF BMW
CELEBRATING
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A look back. A nd forward.
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NEWSMAKERS 2016 | GSA Business Report
ayerische Flugzeugwerke A.G.” was formed on March 6, 1916. In 1922, financier Camillo Castiglioni acquired engine production along with the workforce and production facilities, the company name and the logo in white and blue of “Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH” and transferred all these assets to “Bayerische Flugzeugwerke A.G.”. Since that point, the establishment of BFW has been recorded as the birthday of Bayerische Motoren Werke. Starting in the air, moving to the ground In 1928 when BMW acquired Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach. BMW initially started up production of a small English car under licence and followed up with its own production in 1932. Just a few years later, the product range was expanded with a sporty car in the midrange. Aircraft manufacturing continued, however, to define BMW into World War II. In 1941, the company shut down in motorcycle and automobile manufacturing and focused
exclusively on aircraft. After automobile company Hans Glass GmbH was purchased in 1967, BMW vehicles have also been rolling off the assembly lines in Dingolfing and Landshut. Growth expanded greatly in the 70s and 80s, when the product ranges for cars and motorcycles demanded gradual expansion of production capacities and the sales network. Important milestones in production were the startups of the production facilities in Regensburg in 1986, Leipzig in 2005 and the Spartanburg plant in 1994. As of 2015, BMW employs more than 115,000 people worldwide, including 8,000 at the company’s largest facility located in the Upstate of South Carolina. In 2015, the company hit nearly 2.3 million in group sales and delivered 1.9 million vehicles to customers in 2015, an increase of 5.2% from the previous year. Editor’s note: A bulk of the above history was taken from the story The BMW Group: A Story of Mobility, which was released in 2012.
by Matthew Clark
WHAT’S NEXT FOR BMW?
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ot looking for a lot of pomp or circumstance, the BMW Group did celebrate its 100th anniversary in Munich by looking ahead to the future of the company. During an event at the company’s corporate headquarters in Bavaria, it unveiled plans for a BMW Festival in Munich called The Next 100 Years. “At the BMW Group, we are always on a quest for the best solution. It’s part of our DNA,” said Harald Krueger, chairman of the Board of Management of BMW A.G., at the anniversary event in Germany. “It’s also the spirit of our collaborations, a recurring theme that permeates our corporate and leadership culture. With that, the BMW Group also announced the BMW Vision Next 100, a new vehicle that the company said “focuses on the driver, offering the
support needed to maximize the driving experience.” The new concept incorporates “indicating the ideal driving line, steering point and speed.” It also includes retractable steering wheel and console and turning headrests. Another element of the new concept is merging door trim allowing the driver and front-seat passenger to turn toward each other. “If, as a designer, you are able to imagine something, there’s a good chance it could one day become reality,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design. “So our objective with the BMW Vision Next 100 was to develop a future scenario that people would engage with.” The BMW vision vehicle was unveiled at the anniversary celebration in Munich in front of approximately 2,000 guests. For those not able to see
the new concept, BMW A.G. is planning a world tour called “Iconic Impulses” where the vehicle will make stops in China, the United Kingdom and the United States. After premiering in Beijing, the tour will stop in London where Vision Vehicles for Mini and Rolls Royce will be unveiled. The final stop will be in Los Angeles where BMW Motorrad will add its vision vehicle to the collection, amounting to four vision vehicles. Krueger said another focus of the new vision vehicles is on connectivity. He said with time being in shorter supply, connectivity will be more common in the automobile and technology will adapt to the people using it. “Future mobility will connect every area of people’s lives. And that’s where we see new opportunities for premium mobility,” Krueger said.
(Photos/File) GSA Business Report | NEWSMAKERS 2016 15
NEWS MAKERS 2016
From the 5.2.16 Issue
by Matthew Clark
MANUFACTURING TAKES CENTER STAGE AT THE 2016 CONFERENCE
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Mark Fava, Boeing’s chief counsel in South Carolina, spoke at the 2016 S.C. Manufacturing Conference and Expo in Greenville about Boeing’s growth to 7,000 employees and advances in its 787 series. (Photo/Bill Poovey)
epresentatives of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers “continue to market” their efforts to organize Boeing workers in South Carolina, and the company expects the union to be in Charleston for a while, said Mark Fava, Boeing’s chief counsel in South Carolina and the 2016 S.C. Manufacturing Conference and Expo in Greenville. The conference included a panel discussion over the state’s infrastructure. Max Metcalf, manager of government and community relations for BMW Manufacturing Co., said 8,000 people drive in and out of the automaker’s complex each day and they do it on an interstate built for 1970s and 1980s traffic capacity. Another panel discussed work-
force development in South Carolina. High school students and companies connected via a career fair during the conference. Nearly 800 Upstate high school students were able to talk to representatives from 21 employers about manufacturing career opportunities in South Carolina. Keynote speakers at the conference included Katarina Fjording, vice president of manufacturing and purchasing for Volvo of the Americas, and Michael Balke, director of production for Mercedes-Benz Vans LLC. Both discussed the future of their new South Carolina operations. The conference closed with the annual Salute to Manufacturing awards luncheon where T&S Brass and Bronze in Travelers Rest was awarded the Silver Crescent Award.
We are doing a lot of things right, and people are taking note. South Carolina is hot. S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce Director Cheryl Stanton (left), S.C. Technical College System President Jimmie Williamson and S.C. Manufacturers Alliance President and CEO Lewis Gossett speak as panelists at the S.C. Manufacturing Conference and Expo. (Photo/Bill Poovey)
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NEWSMAKERS 2016 | GSA Business Report
JIMMIE WILLIAMSON, S.C. TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM PRESIDENT
NEWS MAKERS 2016
From the 9.5.16 Issue
by Matthew Clark
Photos/Lockheed Martin Corporation
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF LOCKHEED MARTIN GETTING CONTRACT?
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ince tracking began in 2006, Lockheed Martin Corp. has been on the winning end of 895 contracts with the U.S. Air Force. The one they have their eye on now will benefit the Upstate the most. Lockheed Martin is battling several aircraft consortiums for a contract worth between $10 billion and $11 billion, according to Greenville operations chief Don Erickson, to produce the next fighter-trainer aircraft for the military. The contract is expected to be awarded in late 2017 to early 2018. Greenville was chosen to be the site for the final assembly and check out for Lockheed Martin’s entry, the T-50A. The development of the T-50A aircraft is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Korea Aerospace Industries to replace the T-38, which has been used by the Air Force to train pilots for more than 50 years. Andrew Hunter, director of the Defense Initiatives Group for the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., said this particular contract has had some interesting twists and turns, keeping some prospective bidders unsure of whether they should bid. “It is kind of an interesting case, because more so than what is usually true, the Air Force has been evolving and really realizing what they want,” Hunter said. “They may refine it over time, but in this case, it is far from minor.”
Rob Weiss, executive vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Program, or Skunk Works, said the company is committed to the project and that the partnership “will be on schedule and provide the lowest cost option.” “We will be ready day one of the contract award to produce the T-50A,” Weiss said. “We are ready now, and we are all in on the T-50A.” Because the Air Force is looking to phase out its aging T-38, Hunter said that readiness could be an advantage. The current fighter-trainer does not have the capability to fully train pilots for service in the new F-35 Lightning and F-22 Raptor — both produced by Lockheed Martin, according to Weiss. Hunter said it means pilots have to move from the T-38 to other training options, which takes time and costs money. That is where the prospective Lockheed Martin/Korea Aerospace proposal could have an advantage above the other bidders. If Lockheed Martin garners the contract, the benefits to Greenville could be large, including adding 200 jobs to the company’s current workforce of 600. Erickson said that additional workforce could come from existing Lockheed Martin employees and from sources such as aviation training students at Greenville Technical College. GSA Business Report | NEWSMAKERS 2016 17
NEWS MAKERS 2016
From the 6.13.16 Issue
by Matthew Clark
SEC SELECTS GREENVILLE FOR WOMEN’S HOOPS TOURNEY IN 2017
CITIES THAT HAVE HOSTED THE SEC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT Albany, Ga.: 1987-1992 Athens, Ga.: 1984, 1986 Baton Rouge, La.: 1981 Chattanooga, Tenn.: 1993-1997, 1999-2000 Columbus, Ga.: 1998 Duluth, Ga.: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2014 Greenville, S.C.: 2005, 2017 Jacksonville, Fla.: 2016 Knoxville, Tenn.: 1980, 1983 Lexington, Ky.: 1982 Oxford, Miss.: 1985 Memphis, Tenn.: 2001 Nashville, Tenn.: 2002, 2004, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2022, 2026 North Little Rock, Ark.: 2003, 2006, 2009, 2015 SOURCE: Southeastern Conference
From the 6.27.16 Issue
A
fter a 12-year hiatus, the SEC Georgia and Mississippi, along with is coming back to Greenville the University of South Carolina beas the 2017 SEC Women’s Bas- ing so close the Greenville, Sankey ketball Tournament will be at the Bon said it was an easy decision to make. Secours Wellness “We’ve talkArena. ed a lot about the It marks the first downtown expemajor college sportrience, and this is ing event announcereally that kind of ment in South Caroatmosphere here,” lina since lawmakers Sankey said. voted to remove the Chris Stone, Confederate Battle president of VisitFlag from the StateGreenvilleSC, said house grounds in Greenville Mayor Knox White addressed a the preliminary es2015. The NCAA crowd at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena on timates of the ecoMay 16 about the SEC Women’s Basketball had the state under Tournament coming to Greenville in 2017. SEC nomic impact of a postseason events Commissioner Greg Sankey (background from bringing the tourban until the flag left), S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and Maria Taylor nament to Greenwith the SEC Network were in attendance. ville was around was removed. (Photo/Matthew Clark) “I have to ap$1.8 million. plaud the leadership He said that inhere and around the state for what cludes factoring in the teams, coachthey did,” SEC Commissioner Greg es, trainers, families, friends and fans Sankey said. “They have opened the that will travel to attend the tournadoors, and we are glad to be back.” ment. Another reason for announcing “It will be a terrific atmosphere,” Greenville as the host was proximity. Stone said. Sankey said the city sits in very close Gov. Nikki Haley said that proximity to most schools in the con- Greenville was the “perfect place” ference with Texas A&M University for something like the SEC womand Missouri, the newest members en’s basketball tourney and that the of the conference, being the farthest state “will roll out the red carpet” for away. But, with Alabama, Tennessee, people that come to Greenville.
by GSA Business Report Staff
UPSTATE TECH SCHOOLS ADDRESS BUDGET ISSUES GSA Business Report reached out to all four Upstate technical colleges — Greenville Technical College, Piedmont Technical College, Spartanburg Community College and Tri-County Technical College — to get a snapshot of their fiscal 2017 budgets. We looked at proposed figures for the new fiscal year and compared those with actual budget figures from fiscal 2016. All four schools had varied increases and decreases in different locations of their budget, and each had different ways to address any potential budget issues. Greenville Technical College had an annual budget of just over $84 million for fiscal 2016. According to proposed budget targets provided by the college, the fiscal 2017 budget will see a slight overall increase of just over $417,000. Thanks to proposed decreases in academic support and continuing education expenses, Piedmont Technical College had a budget that is more than $72,000 lower than the previous year. The college has a proposed budget of $34.91 million for the next fiscal year, compared with the $34.98 million budget for the college in fiscal 2016. 18
NEWSMAKERS 2016 | GSA Business Report
At Spartanburg Community College, reduced state appropriations have led to a series of 2% to 3% tuition increases for the past five or six years, college President Henry C. Giles Jr. said. Students at the campuses in Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties will pay another 2.5% tuition increase in the fall semester. That brings the full-time tuition to $2,100 per semester. The college’s five campuses had a $36.8 million budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, and Giles said the budget has increased this year to about $38 million, due to the higher tuition and more money coming from Spartanburg and Cherokee counties. With a proposed spending increase of just more than $356,000 for 2017, Tri-County Technical College is balancing that out with increases to its corporate and community education and auxiliary revenue budgets. The college proposed a $43.8 million budget for fiscal 2017, compared with $43.3 million from 2016. The lion’s share of the increases come in academic, student and administrative support. Rebecca Eidson, director of public relations and communications for the college, said Tri-County Tech is in the process of revamping its instructional base. In all, the proposed college budget increased by 1.1% from 2016.
NEWS MAKERS 2016
From the 7.25.16 Issue
by Teresa Cutlip
PICKENS BEEKEEPER NAMED S.C. FARMER OF THE YEAR
T
(Photo/Provided)
IN OTHER NEWS
here was a time when Kerry While it is a rewarding job, Owen Owen didn’t know how he was said it’s also a hard job. The bees can going to pay his bills. fall victim to disease, the weather He had dabbled in and the Varroa debeekeeping as a hobstructor – a mite that by while working at a gets on a bee and inGreenville radio station. side the cell where It wasn’t until ownerbabies are formed. ship changes at the staWhen the mite poption led to him losing ulation gets up to a his job that he decided certain level, the colto pursue beekeeping as ony collapses. a full-time profession. “Every beekeepThe 2016 S.C. er experiences loss. Farmer of the Year Pickens beekeeper Kerry Owen has There have been many counted on those ear- been named 2016 South Carolina Farm- times that I would be ly sales of his honey to er of the Year. (Photo/Teresa Cutlip) in a bad mood bemake ends meet, saycause my bees looked ing “the small stands and such paid my great a month ago and today they’re house payment.” dead,” he said. “Every spring we spend Owen and his wife Donna are the a large amount of time and money founders and owners of Bee Well Hon- trying to fix the dead hives, just so ey and Bee Supply in Pickens. In addi- we’ll be ready for the honey flow.” tion to the Bee Well store at 205 HampThere are about 2,500 beekeepers ton Avenue in Pickens, the company’s who manage about 30,000 bee coloproducts can be found online and in nies in South Carolina, according to stores across the Southeast. Clemson University.
by Matthew Clark
CLEMSON TRUSTEES APPROVE TUITION AND FEE INCREASES
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he Clemson University Board of Trustees approved a 3.14% increase in tuition and fees for undergraduate students from South Carolina and a 4.27% increase for undergraduate students from outside the state. Housing and dining plans were also increased by an average of 5% across the board. In order to cover higher health and retirement costs and other cost increases, the Clemson University Board of Trustees approved tuition and fee increases for the 2016-17 academic year. According to Clemson’s website, the tuition for an in-state undergraduate was approximately $6,941 per semester in 2015-16 while out-of-state undergraduates paid approximately $16,400 per semester. Tuition and fees for graduate students will also go up by an average of 6.09%. Graduate programs at Clemson University charge different rates depending on which tier they are on. In-state full time graduate students paid between $2,765 per semester for a tier 5 program to $4,941 per semester for a tier 1 program. Non-residents paid $5,969 per semester for tier 5 programs to $10,275 for tier 1 programs per semester. This was following a 3.24% in-state undergraduate tuition increase and a 4.25% out-of-state tuition increase for the 2015-16 academic year. “We are committed to protecting the high level of academic quality that our students have come to expect and ensuring that students are able to get the courses they need to graduate on time,” said James Clements, president of Clemson, in a press release. “Tuition is crucial in funding our efforts to offer the best college experience possible for our students.” Another increase for students will come from housing and dining plans. Trustees approved an average 5% across-the-board increase. That comes out to an average of $80 more per semester for dining plans and $167 per semester for housing.
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NEWSMAKERS 2016 | GSA Business Report
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE TUITION/ROOM AND BOARD INCREASES School year
Non-resident In-state Room and board*
2016-17 3.14% 4.27% 2015-16 3.24% 4.25% 2014-15 3% 3.19% 2013-14 3% 3% 2012-13 3% 4% 2011-12 3.8% 3.8% 2010-11 7%** 8%
5% 3% 2.3% 3% 3.9% 4% 3.9%
Room and Board is based on an average. The amount of increase depends on the meal plan selected and the housing option. **In 2010-11, Clemson University trustees initially approved a 7.5% tuition increase for in-state undergraduate tuition, but reduced it to 7% prior to the spring semester. Source: Clemson University
NEWS MAKERS 2016 by GSA Business Report Staff
Starting in the 6.27.16 Issue
ON THE
TOWN A SERIES ON DOWNTOWNS IN THE UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA
DOWNTOWNS ACROSS THE UPSTATE HAD NEWS TO SHARE IN 2016
Opera House
T Church Street
After
Greenwood
Before
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NEWSMAKERS 2016 | GSA Business Report
he Abbeville Opera House – which is 108 years old - highlights that city’s town square. But now there is something new downtown - the Red Barn Likker craft distillery, which makes and sells moonshine. Bars and liquor sales are not new to Abbeville’s downtown and this redfaced storefront across Main Street from the opera house is a welcome addition, Greater Abbeville Chamber of Commerce Director Missy Wines said. Wines, who describes Abbeville as a “quaint, sweet little town,” said she sees its leaders and county officials increasingly working together and moving “in the right direction,” including the county’s development of a new strategic plan. She said the community is showing “some forward thinking.” Downtown Anderson is seeing activity by way of a pocket park on Church Street and the Bleckley Station development. Anderson’s pocket park is dedicated to the black community’s former social and commercial hub. The $450,000 Church Street project was funded partly with a Duke Energy Foundation donation. Bleckley Inn owner Steve Kay said Bleckley Station will have about 10,000-square-feet of interior open space, enough to accommodate up to 500 people for banquets, weddings, receptions and other events. The hotel bordered by Church, South McDuffie and East Benson streets that he and his wife, Lynn, operate has a courtyard and will continue to be a venue for smaller weddings and events, Kay said. The city of Greenwood is making strides to make its downtown, which
it calls uptown, a place where people want to not only come to for the atmosphere, but also to live. City Manager Charlie Barrineau said the Greenwood City Master Plan in 2004 helped revitalize the Uptown area. “Since those early 2000s we have seen the number of hospitality venues grow tremendously. We’ve got the office settings; the Inn on the Square is thriving; we’ve got hospitality venues and great outdoor spaces where people can gather,” he said. “Now we are developing the living component. In 2006 the city council amended the zoning ordinance to allow second floor housing. We’ve had a vision for residential living for many years.” Tim Burke, owner and developer of 332 Main LLC, is developing the old textile building on Main Street. The 45,000-square-foot building was built in the early 1900s, has eight stories and once was the home of JCPenney. The building now houses three retail shops on the first floor. Burke is developing six stories of the building into condominiums. The $4 million project will offer 15 finished or buildto-suit condos ranging in size from 1,800-square-feet to 1,915-squarefeet, with the purchase price of each finished condo ranging from $250,000 to $298,000. Build-to-suit units may cost more, he said. In Seneca, the popular one-block stretch of real estate downtown known as Ram Cat Alley has been a focal point of the town. However, some there would like to see that focus stretch beyond that area. “The city is very pro-business, and we want them to be successful,” he
Spartanburg From the 8.22.16 Issue: Downtown streetscape project on Magnolia Avenue. (Photo/Bill Poovey)
said. However, he did say any lack of development downtown is in part due to the growth of Seneca. “With the highways, and the WalMart and the Lowe’s coming in, we experienced what many downtowns have experienced. Traffic is being routed away from downtown,” Streetman said. “We are an automobile-driven society. We are no different than a lot of downtowns.” Streetman pointed out there are many good things going on downtown. “We have tons of parking, great landscaping and a strong infrastructure,” he said. “From the city’s standpoint, it’s all there.” Henderson added, “We’ve got businesses downtown, they’re just more scattered and not as concentrated as Ram Cat Alley. We don’t talk about it as much as we should.” At one point, Travelers Rest had a vibrant downtown filled with onstreet parking. But, after a widening of Main Street, that changed. Now, thanks to the GHS Swamp Rabbit
Seneca
Trail and several years of work, Travelers Rest is more than just a stop between Greenville and the mountains, according to city administrator Dianna Turner. Part of the revitalization along the trail included the creation of pocket parks. The city also bought the old Travelers Rest High School and turned the property into Trailblazer Park, which includes an amphitheater and an open-air pavilion. A new fire station has been built and there are plans to move city hall from State Park Road to the park. Trailblazer Park is accessible from Main Street and the Swamp Rabbit Trail by way of connectors the city constructed. Turner said that prior to the revitalization there were fewer than 10 viable business along Main Street. Now that number has quadrupled. Development in Spartanburg includes Drayton Mills Lofts apartments and Marketplace. Also, Spartanburg Regional Health Care Sys-
tem relocated 600 administrative employees to a renovated site of the former Beaumont Mill as part of a $500 million facilities plan. Wofford College is building a basketball arena and an arts center. Downtown business owners and other voters in Spartanburg’s District 7 school system approved a tax increase for a $185 million building plan that includes a new high school. The Drayton Mills Lofts apartments and Marketplace represents a total investment of more than $50 million. Another five-story project with apartments and ground level restaurant-retail is planned downtown. According to city spokesman Will Rothschild, the city is spending about $2.5 million on eight different streetscape projects, including wider sidewalks and new outdoor seating as several restaurants are expanding, one opening a rooftop bar.
Travelers Rest To take advantage of being known as the home of Park Seed, Greenwood hosts the S.C. Festival of Flowers each year that features topiaries throughout Uptown Greenville. In the offseason they are kept and maintained at a city-owned greenhouse. (Photo/Teresa Cutlip)
GSA Business Report | NEWSMAKERS 2016 23
NEWS MAKERS 2016
From the 8.22.16 Issue
by Matthew Clark
WORK CONTINUES ON I-85/385 PROJECT
A The expectation is to get traffic off I-85 to help prevent backups JACK VALETTI, ENGINEER, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION The 85/385 Gateway project is underway in Greenville. Part of the project includes constructing new flyovers connecting the two interestates. Project officials said they are working on bridge replacement and on-ranps from Woodruff Road to I-385. (Photos/File)
t $231 million, the I-85/385 improvement project in Greenville is the second-largest construction project taken on by the S.C. Department of Transportation. With 220,000 vehicles moving through the interchange each day, SCDOT engineer Jack Valetti, the resident construction engineer for the project, said there are a lot of challenges a project of this magnitude faces. “I think this is one of the most difficult because we are still trying to retain the traffic flow while doing the construction,” Valetti said. The project ranges in scope from repaving sections of I-85 – northbound from mile marker 35 to mile marker 37 and southbound from Rocky Creek to the Salters Bridge – to traffic light retiming and bridge replacement along the corridor. Crews with Flatiron-Zachary Joint Venture started work on extending collector/ distributor lanes from Woodruff Road to westbound I-385. “The expectation is to get traffic off I-85 to help prevent backups,” Valetti said. “If there is a backup, it can be on the CD lane, not the actual interstate.”
From the 8.26.16 Issue
Another aspect of the project is to augment the traffic light pattern on Woodruff Road from Ketron Court – in front of Costco – to Highway 14. All 17 signals along that stretch of Woodruff Road will be retimed using a new traffic system. Other highlights of the project include: • Removing current access to Woodruff Road from I-385 and creating separate accessibility to Woodruff • Reconstructing the Woodruff Road intersections at Miller/Garlington, Carolina Point and Market Point • Adding a westbound lane of Woodruff Road from I-385 to Carolina Point • Widening I-385 from four to six lanes and eliminating the tight loop ramps from I-385 to I-85 SCDOT is replacing all 11 bridges that are part of the interchange, including the replacement of the bridge over Garlington Road. Funding for the project comes from Act 98 of 2013, the Federal Highway Administration and the Greenville-Pickens Area Transportation Study Committee. Project completion is expected in May 2019.
by Teresa Cutlip
CLASSES UNDERWAY AT CENTER FOR MANUFACTURING INNOVATION
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The Center for Manufacturing Innovation provides students hands-on experience with equipment used in manufacturing facilities. (Photos/Teresa Cutlip)
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NEWSMAKERS 2016 | GSA Business Report
lasses began at the $25 million, 100,000-square-foot Center for Manufacturing Innovation, located on Millennium Boulevard near the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research campus. The center includes a manufacturing incubator, 22 offices and a variety of meeting areas. Greenville Technical College mechatronics student Ashley Edmond is excited about the opportunity to work with all of the new equipment at the center. “When we walked in we were like kids in a candy store when we saw all of the new equipment,” she said during the first week of classes. The center’s director David Clayton said he feels like “the luckiest person in Greenville right now because we have this great facility and equipment. This is real world working equipment. It’s most exciting to see our students here.” Clayton added that the knowledge and experience students can gain is very valuable as it prepares them for “great careers with great companies. It’s just a dream come true in terms of manufacturing and training,” he said. In addition to providing training, Clayton said the center will serve an important role as a recruiting showcase for manufacturing and economic development in the Upstate.
NEWSMAKERS 2016 | GSA Business Report 25
For the last five years, SC Business Publications honors the 20 fastest growing large companies and 20 fastest growing small companies in South Carolina during its Roaring 20s event. Each year, we gather in Columbia to announce the winners of the Roaring 20s and celebrate those company’s accomplishments.
2016 WINNERS CONGRATULATIONS!
LARGE COMPANIES Sandlapper Capital Investments LLC AM Conservation Group Inc. US Waffle Co. Inc. A3 Communications Inc. Great Southern Homes Hunter Quinn Homes Blue Acorn Scout Boats Inc. J. Davis Construction Inc. Quality Business Solutions Inc. 26
Energy One America New South Construction Supply Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Inc. OTO Development LLC Automation Engineering Co. Sandlapper Securities LLC EDTS LLC Total Beverage Solution Human Technologies Inc. Vapor Apparel
NEWSMAKERS 2016 | GSA Business Report
SMALL COMPANIES Hannah Solar Government Services Chembion Environmental LLC Green Cloud Technologies Shelly Leeke Law Firm Good Done Great PhishLabs Call Experts Low Country Case and Millwork Parker Land Surveying LLC Medical Research South
Morris Business Solutions EventHaus Davis Supply of Charleston LLC Fathom 4 LLC Charleston Home Rentals Verde Charleston Heating and Air Connecting Elements Inc. Atlas Executive Consulting OpTek Systems Inc.