December 11, 2015 UBJ

DECEMBER 11, 2015 | VOL. 4 ISSUE 50

THEMILL MAN

Pace Burt brings an eye for development and a heart for community to the Upstate’s former textile villages - pg. 14

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12.11.2015 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

company spokesman Derek Fiebig in an email. “We look forward to es-tablishing our footprint in the Palmetto State and are most appreciative of the support we have re-ceived from the Green-ville Area Development Corporation, Greenville County and the State of South Carolina.”

Tower International Inc. is a publicly traded company under the ticker symbol TOWR on the New York Stock Exchange.

Based in Livonia, Mich., Tower International reported $2.07 billion in revenue for 2014 and employed more than 9,000 people across its 28 global manufacturing locations and eight engineer-ing and sales operations.

Fiebig said large assemblies are difficult to trans-port, so Tower International tries to locate assembly facilities close to customers’ assembly facilities. The manufacturer’s customers include big names such as Ford, VW, Chrysler, Volvo, Nissan, Fiat, Daimler, Toyota, Chevy, BMW and Honda.

Tower International serves the automotive OEM market by manufacturing engineered structural metal components and assemblies. The company supplies body-structure stampings, frames and other chassis structures, as well as complex welded assemblies for small and large cars, crossovers, pickups and SUVs,

according to documents provided by Tower.

Other North American plant locations include Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kenucky and Mississippi. Tower Inter-national also operates three facilities in South

America, one in Mexico, four in Asia and ten in Europe.

The company also considered locations in Georgia and North Carolina, but the Upstate had an advan-tage with the availability of the spec building and proximity to its customers in the region’s automotive cluster, according to J. Mark Farris, president and CEO of Greenville Area Development Corporation.

“They were looking obviously to access the auto-motive expertise that we have in Greenville, the labor force,” said Farris. “The fact that we had this facili-ty under construction at the time was a real oppor-tunity for us that other communities didn’t have.”

Atlanta-based Pattillo Industrial Real Estate began construction on the 40-acre site at 141 Southchase Blvd. in Fountain Inn last October. The 205,000-square-foot building was originally report-ed to be expandable to 330,000 square feet, and include a 180-foot truck court, 45 dock positions, a 12-by-14-foot drive-in door, T-5 lights and an ESFR sprinkler system, according to Upstate Business Journal coverage.

Tier 1 auto supplier Tower International is coming to Fountain Inn with a $44 million in-vestment that will bring 130 jobs to the area, according to Greenville County Council documents reviewed by Upstate Business Journal. Tower In-ternational will manufacture complex assemblies out of the 205,000-square-foot, class A industrial spec building announced last year by Pattillo Indus-trial Real Estate.

The $44 million investment is one of the county’s highest dollar investment projects announced this year. Codenamed Project Rampart, the deal trails behind Mitsubishi Polyester Film’s $100 million expansion project and Magna International’s $50.8 million investment, according to GADC documents.

“Tower International’s expansion in South Caro-lina is an important part of the expected future growth of our North American operations,” said

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | MANUFACTURING | 3

Tier 1 auto supplier investing $44M, adding 130 jobs in SimpsonvilleASHLEY BONCIMINO | [email protected]

What if there was a vibrant, new living experience in Greenville’s coveted West End District? A place at once steeped in the history and charm of old Greenville, and yet thoroughly forward-thinking in its conception and vision for the future. A place that celebrates all that has come before in this storied downtown setting, and also points the way to a dynamic, one-of-kind-lifestyle that’s altogether unique. This is the best of both worlds: a rich heritage and a modern living experience, all bound together by a collection of 24 thoughtfully designed, original townhomes.

A new living experience in old Greenville.

www.parkplaceonhudson.com

104 S. Hudson Street | Greenville, SC | 29601 | 864.561.4031 | [email protected]

What if there was a vibrant, new living experience in Greenville’s coveted West End District? A place at once steeped in the history and charm of old Greenville, and yet thoroughly forward-thinking its conception and vision for the future. A place that celebrates all that has come before in this storied downtown setting, and also points the way to a dynamic, one-of-a-kind-lifestyle that’s altogether unique. This is the best of both worlds: a rich heritage and a modern living experience, all bound together by a collection of 24 thoughtfully designed, original townhomes.

A new living experience in old Greenville.GRANITE COUNTERTOPS | HARDWOOD FLOORS | GARAGE PARKING

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Renderings and Plans presented are illustrative and shall be used for general information purposes only. Actual layout, room dimensions, window sizes and locations and steps to grade vary per plan and are subject to modification without notice.

www.parkplaceonhudson.com104 S. Hudson Street | Greenville, SC | 29601 864.561.4031 | [email protected]

UBJ | 12.11.2015

TBA

4 | THE RUNDOWN | TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 50

Featured this issue:Auto supplier to make $44M investment in Simpsonville 32 new additions to Upstate craft beer scene 7Recap: December Greenville DRB meeting 12

MONEY SHOT: Liberty Canzater, owner of The Butterfl y Foundation, speaks at a banquet last week at the Spartanburg Marriott after being named Minority Business Person of the Year at the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce’s Minority Enterprise Development awards. See more photos on page 27.

VERBATIM

On Dabo’s Pizza Party“The pizza was kind of an excuse to get 30,000 people together and celebrate the success that Clemson has had this season.”

John Knapp of local Papa John’s franchisee Perfect Delivery, on providing 3,000 pizzas to Clemson fans in Memorial Stadium last Sunday to celebrate the team’s ACC championship. Read more about the pizza party in this week’s Greenville Journal.

High Cotton Greenville will close its doors Jan. 4 and re-emerge as

Halls Chophouse on Jan 22. Stay tuned for more details.

The Casual Pint, a nationwide craft beer market franchise, plans to open a store

in Greenville in the second quarter of 2016, with two more to come to

the area shortly after.

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“The pizza was kind of an excuse

Delivery, on providing 3,000 pizzas to Clemson fans

12.11.2015 | upstatebusinessjournal.com INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | RETAIL / INVESTING | 5

After eight years in downtown Greenville, Michelin on Main has closed at the corner of Falls Park Drive and South Main Street due to changes in the company’s business needs, ac-cording to a Michelin spokesperson.

The retail store opened in 2007 as one of Michelin’s fi rst forays into the specialty retail sector, selling Miche-lin-branded merchandise and becom-ing a point of interest for tourism in downtown Greenville. The storefront has played host for events such as Fall for Greenville, and won two design awards from the Association of Retail Environments in 2008, according to TireBusiness.

Michelin began transitioning out of

the space in December, saying the “premium value of this location on one of the most exciting blocks in all of Greenville will allow a quick transition for a new tenant,” according to Mi-chelin public relations specialist Lauren Davis.

“Michelin will continue to demonstrate its com-mitment to the Upstate through involvement in community programs, like those in progress at the Children’s Museum, as well as exploring new opportunities for the future,” she said.

Based in Greenville, Michelin North America is the tire giant’s North American headquarters and one of

the largest employers in the Upstate. The company operates 19 plants in 16 locations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

ASHLEY BONCIMINO | [email protected]

Michelin on Main closed after 8 years

Sandlapper launches $10M tax-deferred real estate fund

Greenville-based Sandlap-per Capital Investments an-nounced launching SL Oppor-tunity Finance LLC, a $10 million real estate investment fund focused on what could be a $50 billion industry in the next few years, said Sand-lapper CEO and founder Trevor Gordon.

The fund will capitalize on a tool called a 1031 exchange, which effectively lets real property investors re-invest earnings with no or limited taxes due for those assets. According to Gordon, 1031 exchange buyers accounted for nearly $11 billion in equity between 2005 and 2008, and the average 10-year loan period means many of those previous 1031 exchange buyers are likely looking to defer again.

“We saw the need to offer a product for investors seeking to reinvest these earnings and are actively expanding to help fi ll this void,” said Gordon. “SL Opportunity Finance will allow us, as well as other replacement property in-vestment companies, to more quickly and effi ciently acquire real property assets that can be delivered to the exchange buyer.”

Gordon plans to redeploy the $10 million principal on a regular basis, which is harder to do on limited capital, he says. “This allows us to be even more aggressive buyers, if you will. Given the appropriate amount of capital, we could do $100 million of assets during the next 12 months easily. What’s amazing is we don’t even have to raise that much capital to do that.”

Gordon said the new fund is partially driven by the gradual recovery of the real estate market and a resurgence of interest in the benefi ts of the 1031 exchange. While Gordon plans to include investors and properties across the country, “I’m making a very conscious decision to raise capital locally,” he said, noting that South Carolina still has untapped potential in the accredited investor space. “These types of funds aren’t particularly uncommon, but what is uncommon is making them available to your rank-and-fi le high-net-worth individuals.”

Depending on opportunity, the $10 million principal could be raised to $25 million, he said.

“The money is out there. There’s a lot of it out there, but you’ve got to fi nd the product that meets up best with an individual’s horizons,” he said. “Why can’t we allow people in this community be the ones to really take ad-vantage of what is going to be a $50 billion industry in the next couple of years?”


1031 EXCHANGE:

Under Section 1031 of the United States Internal Revenue Code, a properly structured 1031 exchange allows an investor to sell a property, to reinvest the proceeds in a new property and to defer all capital gain taxes.

Gordon

Some say Christmas Day is the best day to seal a good deal on a real-estate purchase. Here’s the thinking: Everyone, sellers included, is likely to be in a jollier, more-generous mood during this Season.

Here are five good reasons why December can be a magic month for bargain-hunting home-shoppers:

1. Limited competition

In December, there is less competition for homes. Other (saner?) buyers are at home, gathered around the Christmas tree, opening gifts and preparing a big dinner.

2. Tax benefits

Looking for some end-of-year tax deductions? If you close your home purchase before the end of the year, you can deduct the mortgage interest you paid, your loan points and your property taxes from your 2015 tax return.

3. Desperate sellers

With the holidays looming and a new tax year nearly upon them, sellers who put their homes on the market in December may be especially motivated to close the deal and start the new year fresh. If you’re a buyer, that can put money in your pocket.

4. You get a realistic look at properties

Winter home-shopping allows a chance to see real-estate properties in a clearer light. With flowers gone and curb appeal at a minimum, shoppers can more easily focus on the permanent features of the home.

5. Rates still are low

Incredibly, and defying experts’ predictions a year ago, mortgage rates continue to stay in the basement — fantastic news for buyers. 30 year fixed rates are still at all time lows which increases the amount of home you can get for your monthly payment.

Contact my team to snag your year end deal.Contact my team to snag your year end deal.

Each Keller Williams Realty Office is Independently Owned and Operated

864-527-7685MyGreenvilleHome.com

5 Reasons to Buy a Home in

December

Dan Hamilton

UBJ | 12.11.20156 | RETAIL | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

CARLTON MOTORCARSwww.CarltonMB.com

(864) 213-8000 2446 Laurens Road, Greenville, SC 29607

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Lowes Foods announces second area grocery

Carolina grocery chain Lowes Foodsannounced this week it will build its second Green-ville area location at the Village Market-East shopping center on the northwest corner of Wood-ruff Road and Sunnydale Drive in the Five Forks area of Simpsonville.

In July, the grocer announced plans for its fi rst store in the market at Suber and Hammett Bridge roads in Greer. That store is currently under con-struction and is scheduled to open in summer 2016.

The Greenville market is an important part of the overall company strategy to accelerate investment in remodeling existing stores, build new stores and evaluate strategic marketplace opportunities, the company said in a news release.

“We are very excited to bring a new and unique grocery shopping experience to the Five Forks area,” said Tim Lowe, Lowes Foods president. “As a family-owned Carolina company, we are very focused

on supporting local while providing exceptional service and attention to our guests. Our commitment to local includes offering produce sourced through our partnership with more than 250 Carolina-based farmers, and by featuring uniquely local products found throughout our store.”

The grocery store chain currently has 97 locations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Key features of the Greenville store will include special store areas called the Lowes Foods Originals,

which include the Chicken Kitchen, Sausage Works, Pick & Prep, The Beer Den, The Cakery, Boxcar Coffee & Chocolates and the Community Table.

The new Five Forks store will also feature a wide assortment of organics, premium aged beef, bulk foods, fresh pizza and paninis, chef-inspired prepared foods, and the Lowes Foods-To-Go online personal shopping service.

Construction on the Greenville location will begin in spring 2016 with the opening targeted for spring 2017.

SHERRY JACKSON | [email protected]

12.11.2015 | upstatebusinessjournal.com INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | HOSPITALITY | 7

2 new locations keep Upstate beer scene hoppingLoose Reed Brewing lands Augusta Street location, Carolina Bauernhaus opens in Anderson

Loose Reed Brewing, named for a textile loom part and referencing Greenville’s Reedy River, will establish its Upstate location on Augusta Street in the former Growler Station space.

Brewer and owner Tracy James Antonik said the space had many of the elements Loose Reed was seeking already, and “the build-out will be fairly simple.” He plans to replace the bar top and add more communal seating, while retaining the rustic picnic tables and the exposed brick and ceiling beams, which “fi t so much of what we already wanted to do.”

Customers can gather in the 2,400-square-foot upstairs space, while the 500 square feet downstairs will be reserved for brewing in a two-barrel system, said Antonik. He plans to open up the space leading to the downstairs

and install a window so beer lovers can watch the product being made. Antonik said he was excited about the location’s proximity to West End development and the Drive stadium.

Brewing equip-ment is on order and the brewery is now going through the licensing process, which could take up to eight months, he said. Antonik antici-pates Loose Reed could be brewing British and German ales along with Amer-ican, IPAs and Belgian brews as early as April 2016, but will most likely open in late spring or summer, he said.

Carolina Bauernhaus Ales opened its doors in Anderson last week. Located in a converted auto garage at 115 Federal St., the brewery serves up rustic, farm-house-style beers using yeast cultivated from local sources. The tasting room is alongside stacks of wooden casks used for barrel-aging or ferment-ing the brews.

Co-founder David Thornton, also co-found-er of South Yeast Labs, reported a steady stream of visitors throughout the day to sample offerings such as the Farmhouse IPA; Nachtlicht Belgian-inspired im-

perial stout with coffee; and Oputina, a barrel-fermented rye with prickly pear. Brewer Keston Helfrich said the tasting room will be open weekly Thursday through Saturday.

APRIL A. MORRIS | [email protected]

CARLTON MOTORCARSwww.CarltonMB.com

(864) 213-8000 2446 Laurens Road, Greenville, SC 29607

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99 BEERS, 99 CITIES

BOTTOMS UP

Livability.com recently released a list that combined “good places to live,” “consumers of craft beer” and “producers of the best beer around,” according to ratebeer.com. Cities had to have at least two breweries and only three cities per state were chosen. Here’s how the Palmetto State stacked up:

68 – North Charleston, cited Coast Brewing Co. and its Boy King Double IPA

69 – Greenville, called out Brewery 85 and Quest Brewing Company’s Golden Fleece Belgian Pale Ale

77 – Charleston, listed Holy City Brewing and Palmetto Brewery’s

Espresso Porter and Charleston Lager

Greenville was also ranked 93 in the Top 100 Best Places to Live 2016 from Livability.

Check out the whole list at livability.com/best-places.

According to the Brewers Association, the number of craft breweries in the United States in 2015 reached a record level: 4,144. This number tops the high of 4,131 last set in 1873.

Stein in hand, head brewer Keston Helfrich presides over the tasting room at Carolina Bauernhaus Ales during its opening in Anderson. The brewery will be open to the public weekly Thursday through Saturday.

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UBJ | 12.11.20158 | RESTAURANTS | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

669 N. Academy Street, Greenville, SC864.679.6055 | 800.446.6567 | www.propelhr.com

HR for the Holidays

LEE YARBOROUGH

Christmas music has been playing since October and the frenzied feeling of December is in full swing. Although this is the happiest time of year for many, it can also be the busiest in business. For many business owners, December is the month for budgeting, closing

out the year, paying bonuses, hosting holiday parties and accommodating employees’ vacation schedules. Here are a few thoughts to help you get through this busy time.

• Be respectful of all people during this time. While you may celebrate Christmas, you most likely employ someone who celebrates Hanukkah or does not celebrate a holiday at all. Avoid practices that may discriminate or that may appear hostile. Most people enjoy the holiday season, regardless

of their faith, but as management, it is important to be the leader and practice tolerance.

• Plan your holiday party with some forethought to limit liability. Keep excessive drinking, sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior in check by re-communicating the company policies prior to the event. Have someone monitor consumption and serve plenty of food. Consider arranging transportation. Also, parties should be voluntary but if participation is mandatory, wages may need to be paid.

• Manage employee productivity. The holidays are an easy time to get distracted. Between extra food in the breakroom and the lure of online shopping, employees may not be 100% focused on their job. Keep employees on task through communication and appreciation. Also, as a leader, it is important to serve as an example. Don’t hit the mall at noon each day and expect your employees to be fully engaged.

• The next few weeks are the most popular times for employee vacations. With multiple employees off at the same time, stress levels will rise and work can suffer. Pre-plan for vacation time and make sure that the job is covered. Time off should be granted on a first come, first serve basis but if decisions need to be made between two employees, consider seniority and job function. Communicate expectations and plan for a decreased job force.

• Although the holidays are a cheerful time, some employees may experience more stress and anxiety. Be on the lookout for any depression and remind employees of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), if available.

With some considerate pre-planning, the Holidays at your business will go off without a hitch. Now, take time to enjoy the fruits of your labor and spread some holiday cheer!

Fresh seafood on the EastsideShuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar coming to Pelham Road in Greenville

The Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar, a North Carolina-based franchise, will have a soft opening of its first Upstate location on Dec. 16 on Pelham Road in Greenville. A grand opening cele-bration will be held in January.

The new 2,500-square-foot restau-rant will be larger than current loca-tions in North Carolina, Maryland and Summerville, S.C.

The Shuckin’ Shack will be located beside the Bacon Brothers Public House at 3620 Pelham Road and feature fresh seafood – primarily oysters and shrimp – in a “laid-back, stress-free, coastal environment,” says local franchisee Don Marcum. Wide-screen TVs, raw oysters and lobster rolls are just a few features of the new restaurant.

“We also will have a state-of-the-art beer-dispensing system, which will deliver your favorite craft beer into

the mug at 30 degrees,” he said.

“Opening a fresh seafood restaurant in Greenville was probably the easiest part of the d e c i s i o n - m a k i n g process,” said Marcum. “Finding the right concept was the chal-lenge. Once I stumbled on a group of young men in Wilmington, N.C., who had just started expanding their markets, I knew that we had found the perfect match for us and for Greenville.”

The Shuckin’ Shack was recently chosen one of Coastal Living Magazines’ favorite seafood dives.

Marcum has plans to bring The Shuckin’ Shack to several more locations in the Upstate in the coming years. While he hasn’t chosen the next spot quite yet, he is planning to “open another loca-tion in 2017.”

SHERRY JACKSON | [email protected]


The federal government denies owing payment to Upstate property owners in their claim for payment for former trail rights along a planned extension of the Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail, according to court records. Filed in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the govern-ment’s answer denied taking private property rights for the 3.29 miles of an abandoned railway corridor.

In an amended complaint, plaintiffs – which included the Greenville Airport Commission and nine others – argued that they regained exclusive rights to their property when the railroad stopped operating along the route, and thus abandoning the railroad easement. The complaint, filed against “The United States of America, Defendant,” alleges that the land in question had not seen rail traffic since 2005, and alleges that the owner’s efforts to sell the easement to build an extension of the Swamp Rabbit Trail require “just compensation” to property owners.

“The railroad easement was granted

for the operation of a railroad and not for any other purpose,” according to the amended complaint, submitted by Clayton, Mo., attorney Mark F. “Thor” Hearne. “Under the terms of the rel-evant easement instruments and under South Carolina law, once the Railroad ceased operating across the right-of-way, the railroad easement was abandoned and Plaintiffs, as the fee owners, regained their right to he exclusive use and physical possession of their property.”

The government’s answer, filed by U.S. Department of Justice attorney Emily Meeker, denied taking private property rights for the 3.29 miles of an abandoned railway corridor, and requested the action be dismissed.

Neither Hearne nor Meeker could be reached in time for publishing.

Other plaintiffs include Sykes, Workman Leasing LLC; Airport Warehouse of Greenville; Avir Green-ville LLP; Linda M. Campbell and Sandra L. Campbell; Glenn L. Fenske Jr. and Mary J. Fenske; Finn Properties LLC; Bryan J. Germann; Joseph W. and Ramona K. Marquez and Orlin Preston Petit, according to court filings.

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | TECH / LEGAL | 9

Greenville to get ultra-fast AT&T GigaPower fiber network

Greenville businesses and residents will soon be able to download 25 songs in less than a second, a TV show in three seconds and an HD movie in less than 36 seconds, thanks to AT&T’s plans to expand its high-speed Internet service GigaPower to the Greenville, Colum-bia and Charleston markets.

The announcement comes five years after Greenville residents led an un-successful campaign to bring Giga-Power’s competitor, Google Fiber, to the Upstate.

Launched two years ago, GigaPow-er brings Internet speeds of up to one gigabit per second to 20 of the largest

metropolitan areas in the U.S. Green-ville is one of 38 planned market ex-pansions, along with Columbia and Charleston, that will more than double GigaPower availability by the end of

2016, according to a news release.

“The AT&T Giga-Power network will

help encourage economic development in the Upstate by facilitating a new wave of innovation through enhanced opportunities for education, health, research and small business growth,” said AT&T South Carolina President Pamela Lackey. “This reflects the ongoing efforts by South Carolina’s state and local leadership to build and maintain a public policy environment that encourages private investment in advanced technology.”


Government denies owing property owners along Swamp Rabbit extensionASHLEY BONCIMINO | [email protected]

WHAT’S YOUR BACKUP PLAN?How much would eight hours of downtime cost your business?

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The Upstate of South Carolina is a beautiful area home to many businesses. It is also home to severe thunderstorms in the summer and ice storms in the winter. As the Cold weather approaches, and memories of past summer thunderstorms fade away, it’s tempting to forget the cold, hard dread that the lights might go out.

Most of the Upstate have already felt the effects of no power due to storms this summer. But the potential for storm related power outages is a year-round sleeping trigger. While you cannot prevent power outages, you can prepare for them. As a business owner I know just how important having power is to stay profitable and keep that competitive edge, so do the folks at CJ Machining here in the Upstate. CJ Machining is a global supplier of high precision, close tolerance products with exceptional quality. They specialize in the CNC machining of small to medium size precision parts. Power is needed 24/7 to produce parts when needed by their customers around the clock. In a competitive world, assuring their clients continued continuity of operations provides CJ Machining an advantage over many of their competitors who would be at the mercy of their local power grid. Virtually every function of their business is dependent in some way on a power source. From the communication with buyers, to the employee access to web tools, from the machines and power tools needed to tracking supplies, everything needs power. And power is needed to keep computer servers up and running. Any loss of power takes them out of communication with their clients and their employees. As peace of mind Carolina Generators installed a 150KW Generac Generator on location.

Power your peace of mind by installing an emergency generator. Contact Carolina Generators today.

POWER SOLUTIONS CASE STUDY of CJ Machining

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

Scott KellyPresident Carolina Heating Service

Serving Greenville since 1981

12.11.2015 | upstatebusinessjournal.com REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION | SQUARE FEET | 11

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF [email protected] | @SJackson_CJ

$19M senior facility underway in SimpsonvilleSouth Carolina-based McCrory Construction Company has broken ground on a $19 million, 197,702-square-foot senior living facility in Simp-sonville called The Crossings at Five Forks.

The independent living, assisted living and memory care facility will be located at 345 Five Forks Road at the corner of Woodruff Road and is being developed by Smith/Packett Med-Com LLC of Roanoke, Va. Smith/Packett and its subsidiary Harmony Senior Services LLC are providers of integrated senior ser-vices across the U.S., developing and managing more than 150 senior health and residential facilities with an aggregate value in excess of $1.5 billion.

The Crossing at Five Forks is the second major senior living facility in South Carolina under con-struction by McCrory for Smith/Packett and Harmony Senior Services. The Crossings at Wescott Plantation in Charleston will also offer independent living, assisted living and memory residences, and is scheduled for completion in fall 2016.

The Crossing at Five Forks will offer 172 units, including 100 independent living, 48 assisted living and 24 memory care residences. The facility will also feature multiple dining rooms, therapy rooms, offi ces and activity areas, along with high-end fi nishes and an energy-effi cient design. Plans also include an

on-site theater, pub, fi tness center and beauty/barber services. Landscaping plans reveal a large courtyard along with walking paths, plants, trees and fl owers set in a gazebo garden.

Construction is expected to conclude in October 2016.

McCrory Construction

New garden-style apartments near Furman University

Virginia real estate firm Middleburg Real Estate Partners has announced plans to build its fi rst South Carolina project with a Class A, 288-unit garden-style apart-ment complex near Furman Univer-sity and Paris Mountain State Park in Greenville.

The complex, called Mosby Poinsett, will be built at the corner of Old Buncombe Road and Poinsett Highway directly across the street from the Publix-anchored University Square shopping center. The complex will be adjacent to a future retail center to be developed by Centennial Amer-

ican Properties.The 23.24-acre community will

consist of 14 buildings and feature open fl oor plans, with units ranging from one to three bedrooms along with 12 carriage houses with private garages. Each fl oor plan will have large walk-in closets, balconies, nine-foot ceilings, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, wood-plank fl ooring and Nest thermostats.

Community amenities will include a 5,800-square-foot clubhouse, fi tness center with yoga studio and Fitness On Demand, saltwater pool with cabanas, dog park, outdoor kitchen

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Old White Horse Rd

Roe Ford Rd

FURMAN UNIVERSITY

PARIS MOUNTAINSTATE PARK

PUBLIX ATUNIVERSITY SQUARE

PROJECT PARTNERS

DEVELOPER: Middleburg Real Estate Partners, Fairfax, Va.

ARCHITECT: Davis Architects, Atlanta

INTERIOR DESIGN: DEI, Atlanta

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Carocon Corp., Charlotte

CIVIL ENGINEERING: Blue Water Civil Design, Greenville

and fi replaces, on-site concierge ser-vices and on-site bicycle storage and repair shop. The community is de-signed to be Green Certifi ed by the National Association of Home Builders.

Middleburg has two other apart-ment projects in South Carolina scheduled to begin in 2016; Mosby at Pelham Crossing, a 302-unit complex in Greenville, and Mosby at Ingleside

Plantation, a 296-unit complex in Charleston.

“Strong market fundamentals, project programing and location make Mosby Poinsett an excellent opportu-nity for our entrance into the South Carolina market,” said Austin Knapp, a partner with Middleburg.

Construction on Mosby Poinsett is expected to start January 2016 with leasing to begin September 2016.

Renderings by Davis Architects

UBJ | 12.11.2015

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF [email protected] | @SJackson_CJ

12 | SQUARE FEET | REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

The December meeting of the city of Greenville Design Review Board’s Urban Panel only had two agenda items. The panel discussed three others during the informal review portion.

ART DECO CLOCK AND FEATURE AT RIVERSEDGE

This application was for a Certifi cate of Appro-priateness for an art deco clock feature and lighting at the RiversEdge development on River Street. The DRB has had several previous discussions regarding this feature. A miscommunication oc-curred earlier this year when developer Hughes Investments thought the lighting feature had been approved, but the city had said they had not granted formal approval.

The overall design is an LED board that will, most of the time, show a lighted art deco clock. At the top of each hour, the clock will disappear and for a minute, a “vignette” will display for special occasions such as holidays (for example, fi reworks for the Fourth of July or snowfl akes during winter).

“This is another small feature that makes us unique,” said developer Phil Hughes at the meeting. Hughes said the feature has support from residents of RiversEdge and surrounding businesses. He supplied the DRB with a signed petition showing support and photos of other buildings in other downtown areas that have similar features. “Resi-dents like it and it adds a little more character to our city and adds to the cool factor,” he said.

Michael Kerski, planning and development manager for the City of Greenville, told board members that the city would execute a contract with Hughes to ensure the timing is maintained and that the LED feature would not run text or any form of advertisement.

The DRB discussed at length. Board member Carmella Cioffi said she struggled with how to classify the LED feature. “Is it lighting? Is it signage? Is it the building? They all have different guidelines,” she said. Other members commented that they see it not as a sign, but as a lighting or architectural element of the building. Other discussion focused on the color of the “bar” portion of the light (board member Danielle Fontaine says she doesn’t want it to be red as she thinks it looks like a thermometer) and how the image would fi t and be displayed within the square LED panel.

In the end, the application was approved with conditions to be outlined in the contract with the city. Cioffi was the only member to vote “no,” stating that she believed the sign guidelines should apply and it would not meet the requirements.

HYATT PLACE HOTEL Announced by UBJ in early November, this ap-

plication is for a new 130-room hotel at the corner of Broad and Calvin streets, across from the new Erwin Penland building.

Developer Tara Investment Group, a family-owned fi rm based in Charlotte, worked with the city since initially fi ling the application (it was tabled from last month’s meeting) to address items on the initial design such as adding more brick and texture and including a canopy at the corner to better defi ne the entrance to the hotel. The hotel will be on a zero lot line and has a signifi cant grade, so limitations exist as to what can be done on the property.

The DRB said they liked the new rendering and that it did a good job addressing the “pedestrian level.” Board members discussed at some length a large block that shows the hotel name, and after some back and forth on whether frosted glass or another material might be better, the overall con-sensus was that the DRB likes it as shown. The application was approved.

INFORMAL REVIEWSMy favorite part of the meeting. These are like a

“grab bag” – the discussion is always a surprise, since items are not part of the formal agenda.

• Park Place on HudsonThis 24-unit townhome development already had

approval from the Planning Commission and was well underway until the time came to get a permit. Because design changes have been made that affect its overall look and feel, city staff wanted the project to come back before the Planning Commission (and get the DRB’s informal blessing) for re-approval.

The development had a large grade and slope to work with, and the biggest change to the project is that two side streets now enter at grade and the parking lot has been redesigned. Some staircases that would have been needed to reach some of the townhomes have been removed, sidewalks were re-arranged to accommodate this change, and the front porches on some of the units look a little dif-ferent. Overall, the DRB liked the changes. It will be re-reviewed at the Jan. PC meeting.

• Richardson Street GarageAn employee with the city parking department

wanted the DRB’s opinion on a sunshade cloth

Greenville DRB Urban Panel, December meeting FRONT ROW

Hyatt Place Hotel rendering

UBJ | 12.11.2015

[email protected] | @SJackson_CJ

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION

Greenville DRB Urban Panel, December meeting

Hyatt Place Hotel rendering

>>

Renderings by Christopher Allred, RBA Group

12.11.2015 | upstatebusinessjournal.com REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION | SQUARE FEET | 13

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFFSHERRY JACKSON | [email protected] | @SJackson_CJ

they wish to install on the plaza side of the Richardson Street garage. The sunshade will be installed to “block some the harsh light from the garage” out onto the plaza. Several colors were discussed, with the board urging the city to stay away from bright colors and look at earth tones instead. They also suggested seeing if the shade could be printed with a design that “would give visual interest” instead of just one color. City staff will take the recommendation and work with a vendor to provide.

• Resolution regarding design guidelines City staff is requesting to add a

condition in its design mixed-use guidelines to require verbiage for acti-vating spaces at the street level. Kerski said they took the new wording from a national model and from feedback

received from Charlotte offi cials on a recent fi eld trip. Kerski said the devel-opment community expressed some concerns that this not be a hard and fast rule, as they don’t want empty retail spaces. It won’t be. The city is also going to add in some verbiage for streetscap-ing since the TIF money the city was using to fund some of the streetscaping is no longer available. The DRB ap-proved and the recommendation will go to City Council.

This is also just a temporary solution until a consultant can be hired and review all of the city’s design guidelines and make recommendations for improvement.

That’s it for the DRB for 2015. It’s been a busy year and 2016 looks to be even busier.

>>

Park Place on Hudson rendering

Vista Capital adds 296 units to management portfolio

Greenville-based Vista Capital Management Group announced adding 296 units across three mul-tifamily communities to its manage-ment portfolio, two of which are in the Upstate. Stratham Apartments includes 90 units at 207 Shaw St. in Greenville, while Oak View Apart-ments has 106 units at 650 Howard St. in Spartanburg.

The asset and property manage-ment company also expanded its

footprint to the Midwest with the 100-unit Country Acres in La Porte, Ind.

Founded in 2007, Vista Capital Management Group manages more than 1,900 units with a total asset valuation of more than $200 million from its offi ces in Greenville and Myrtle Beach, S.C., and in Lexington Park, Md.


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UBJ | 12.11.2015UBJ | 12.11.2015

Pace Burt gets his hands dirty working for the success of his loft complexes – and the communities around them

NEW LIFE FOR OLD MILLS

ELIZABETH POWELL | CONTRIBUTOR

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12.11.2015 | upstatebusinessjournal.com 12.11.2015 | 12.11.2015 | 12.11.2015 upstatebusinessjournal.com COVER | 15

Fast-forward 12 years, and The Lofts of Greenville is 100 percent occupied and pre-leased. Burt is now on his fi fth mill and latest project: West Village Lofts at Brandon Mill.

Just two miles down the road from The Lofts of Greenville, West Village Lofts are scheduled to open in May 2016. The property will feature spacious fl oor plans, “high-quality” fi nishes and Haiku fans in every unit.

INVESTING IN AMENITIESBurt takes an avant-garde approach to amenities and never stops investing

to improve his properties with unique features. “You’ve got to have fresh amenities,” he said. “We just opened a yoga studio

at The Lofts. I gave our space to MAYA Movements Arts for free to give resi-dences another amenity on site.”

At West Village Lofts, tenants will have access to a wine cellar and tasting room, bowling alleys, and a virtual driving range. But perhaps its most notable feature is Burt’s partnership with the Greenville Center for Creative Arts (GCCA), to strengthen the local arts community. Leased for $1 annually, Burt made the old Dunlop building available to the GCCA for the next four years until they purchase it for a pre-negotiated under-market price.

In the 1980s, a 20-something Pace Burt was on site at one of hisfi rst construction projects when a complete stranger approached with a gift: a brand-new pair of shoes.

After passing by the construction site day after day and observing Burt operating front-end loaders shoeless and shirtless, the stranger had taken pity on him. He would never have guessed that Burt simply preferred freedom from the confi nement of clothing – and rather than being an employee, he was the employer.

Today, fully clothed in jeans and a plaid button-up shirt with hair that falls in tight spirals to just below his ears, Burt laughs at his “no shirt, no shoes” phase. While that phase has long passed, his work ethic remains, and Pace Burt seems a personifi cation of his properties – intuitive, avant-garde and wildly successful.

ANTICIPATING TRENDSFrom Albany, Ga., the self-described “awful student” left college after one year

and discovered his true calling in real estate.Burt grew up with four sisters and has been married for 28 years, with three

daughters of his own. Surrounded by women, he credits them as his greatest infl uencers in design and décor. Recognizing the importance of details, he keeps a close eye on the design of his projects, he said.

“With $100 million of construction going on, I still pick out the toilets, tile, carpet, cabinets, fans and everything else,” he said. “I’ve found that I have a niche to anticipate trends and build what people want.”

“SOMETHING SPECIAL” IN GREENVILLEBurt fi rst came to Greenville in 2003 and purchased the Monaghan Mill,

better known today as The Lofts of Greenville – his fi rst of many renovations of historical properties.

“I could feel that something special was going to happen in Greenville,” he said. “They had just implemented the new tax credit to encourage renovation of textile mills, and they increased the property tax freeze. Without these state incentives, the numbers would not have worked.” MILL MAN continued on PAGE 16

UBJ | 12.11.2015

HARD WORKBurt attributes his success to his hands-on leadership style and open communication with his team.

He walks each property once a month and visits new projects every two weeks. When something needs to be done, he leads by example.

“For the last two days, I’ve been in Asheville,” he said. “I went to a nursery, bought $4,000 of shrubbery for three buildings and literally did all the manual labor with my employees just to get it done. Once they realize the owner is working just as hard as you are, it’s motivating.”

What sprouted from shirtless and shoeless beginnings has grown into Burt Development, with properties ranging from Mobile, Ala., to Asheville, N.C., and three properties thriving in the Upstate. The sky is the limit as to where Burt will strike next, he said.

“I want to do a project with one of those cranes like you see downtown,” he said. “Everything I’m doing now I can get to with a forklift.

Maybe one day.”

MILL MAN continued from PAGE 15

16 | COVER

THE MILL MAN’S PROJECT STATUS REACHING OUT

Pace Burt’s developments in the Upstate include:

• The Lofts of Greenville The $18 million, 190-unit apartment complex in the former Monaghan Mill is 100 percent occupied and pre-leased.

• Mayfair Mill Lofts (Spartanburg) The $8 million, 107-unit lot complex in a renovated 1922 mill building is 100 percent occupied and pre-leased.

• West Village Lofts at Brandon Mill (Greenville) There are currently no roadblocks, said Burt. Two-thirds of the mill are framed. Phase 1 (67 units) on track to open in May 2016. Phase 2 projected to open early Fall 2016; phase 3 projected to open late Fall 2016.

• Arcadia (Spartanburg) Still in design phase with projected start mid-2016 and fi nishing in 2017. Arcadia will have approximately 110 units.

Pace Burt’s development projects often include initiatives aimed at helping the surrounding community grow. Some of what he’s working on in the Upstate’s mill villages include:

• Parkland Burt is donating 6 acres at a value of $1.2 million dollars to Greenville County to create a park for the Monaghan Mill neighborhood, he said. “We own the property but we don’t utilize it, so they are going to create a park for the neighborhood and they are also going to expand their elderly community center that the county runs. So that’s something that we have stepped up to the plate to get done.”

• Creating green space Burt and Lofts at Greenville manager Kelly Beasley have been involved in neighborhood gatherings, doing landscape work and planting trees, and Burt hopes to do the same at Brandon Mill, he said. “If we can put some money together, I’d like to buy a few of the older mill houses and have them removed to create some green space for the neighborhood.”

• Loan opportunities Still in the planning phases, “there is an opportunity for us to help kick-start smaller businesses to come into the area,” Burt said, with an eye toward incorporating them into Brandon Mill. “We have a large open area inside the building where we would probably, at a very inexpensive rate, get the food truck businesses to come in.”

he said. “Everything I’m doing now I can get to with a forklift. Maybe one day.”

Photos by William

Crooks


Engaged employees are the engines that helps drive nonprofits forward to achieve their missions. Eager to cultivate and harness the talent and passion of their teams, more than 80 nonprof-it leaders gathered at “Leaders Leading Leaders,” part of DNA Creative Communications’ annual Shine the Light Nonprofit Forums. Keynote speaker Patrick Jinks, national leadership coach and president of the Jinks Perspective Group, traveled to Greenville to share his expertise on developing nonprofit teams.

Jinks, a certified leadership coach, professional speaker, facilitator, planner and trainer, has more than 20 years of experience in organizational leader-ship. He is the past president of the Blue Ridge In-stitute, a national network of nonprofit and commu-nity service executives. He has also served on the National Professional Council for United Way Worldwide, and chaired a national task force. He currently serves as VP of talent development and chief strategy officer for the United Way Association of South Carolina. Through his work at the Jinks Per-spective he helps organizations develop their teams through strategic direction setting and coaching.

At “Leaders Leading Leaders,” Jinks offered attend-ees strategies for attracting, motivating and retaining talent within their organizations, frameworks for ef-fectively engaging their employees, and answers to other critical questions these leaders must consider as they move forward along their leadership journeys.

Employee engagement, defined by Jinks, is a measure of the emotional, physical and intellectual

commitment an employee demonstrates to their organization and mission. Engagement is not about satisfaction. While job satisfaction is about what employees get, employee engagement is about what they give. Employee engagement ensures organiza-tions retain their top performers and have higher productivity among their employees. According to Jinks, employees with the highest level of commit-ment perform 20 percent better and are 87 percent

less likely to leave the orga-nization, which indicates that engagement is linked to organizational performance and productivity.

Top drivers of engagement include training and devel-opment, connection to purpose, trust in senior leadership, supervisor rela-tionships, empowerment and autonomy, and recognition. In order to foster an engag-ing environment and support these top drivers, Jinks rec-ommended the following leadership practices:

1. Train them. Training and development is important to team members. About 65 percent of employees say the quality of training and learning opportunities positively influences their engagement. Jinks recommended leaders develop their employees through seminars and workshops, conferences, e-learning, peer coaching, on-the-job training, books and journals, team discussions, manager-led sessions and academic classes.

2. Be present with them. To build relationships between supervisors and employees, leaders need to ensure they have a presence in the work environment and that they have frequent and meaningful interactions with their team members. Jinks emphasized the importance of putting people before process before product.

3. Grow them. Leaders cannot be threatened by team members’ growth. Common fears from organizations are: “What if they grow and we lose them?” “What if they don’t grow and we keep them?” Jinks pointed out that growth is not necessarily positional, but leaders should always be thinking about continuity and succession.

4. Delegate to them. While many see the primary purpose of delegation as taking something off their own plate, Jinks recommended using delegation as a growth lever. Instead of delegating tasks, leaders should delegate opportunities and let others do the things they enjoy.

5. Coach them. Jinks stressed that coaching is the best single engagement tool. Different from the tradition-al role as a boss who directs by “bossing,” coaching includes assessing, challenging and supporting employees. Coaching is asking instead of telling, empowering over directing, delegating opportunities not tasks, motivating with self-accountability. Coaching is listening instead of talking!

6. Do what you say. Following through on what you say helps build employees’ trust. High trust among employees will equate to a faster speed and lower cost. Low trust, however, will generate slow speed and high cost. Employees should be able to trust that their leadership will act with integrity and in the best interest of the organization and community.

7. Recruit the right people. Nonprofits may compete with other nonprofits for funds, but nonprofits compete with everyone for talent. Jinks outlined four principles for recruitment: 1) find people smarter than you, 2) recruit strategically and patiently, 3) don’t just fill positions – fill needs, and 4) pay them well.

7 STEPS TO GET YOUR EMPLOYEES ENGAGEDTraining, delegation and just being there are keys, says leadership coach Patrick Jinks

EVENT: DNA Creative Communications’ Shine the Light Nonprofit Forums

WHERE: The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center

WHO WAS THERE: 80 nonprofit leaders from across South Carolina

SPEAKER: Patrick Jinks, national leadership coach and president of the Jinks Perspective Group

TOPIC: Leaders Leading Leaders

NOTES FROM THE BEST TALKS YOU MISSED | THE TAKEAWAY | 17

By DEBBIE NELSONDNA Creative Communications

Debbie Nelson (left) and Patrick Jinks

UBJ | 12.11.2015

Shopping for tech devices this season? Here are a few things to look for to help you make smarter decisions and make sure your tech dollar is going to features you really need.

LAPTOPSA lot of people buy laptops for form factor, not

necessarily mobility. They’re small, light and you don’t have to be tethered to your home offi ce. Three key features make the most difference in both per-formance and price.

• Processor: The biggest factor in the kind of pro-cessor you’ll need is what kind of user you are. If you are a major gamer, do a lot of video encoding and editing or use high-end CAD design tools, you will need high clock speed and quad-core capa-bility. That means the processor can handle four sets of instructions at the same time. But if you are primarily Internet browsing, emailing, han-dling photos, text processing, using spreadsheets and maybe streaming the occasional movie, you can go dual-core and have all that you need. Learn more about processors if you really want to know: http://goo.gl/smHf9C

• RAM: That’s the actual memory programs use to operate. Don’t walk out of the store with anything less than 8 MBs because programs get bigger and bigger whether your needs change or not. Max out the RAM in the beginning; it is often cheaper than buying short and adding it later on. Less expensive laptops may not offer a lot of RAM capability or be limited in upgrading capac-ity. If you’re a power user, pop for the most RAM you can.

• Hard drive: Solid-state drives make everything faster and snappier, and they are light – a big reason behind the smaller form factors. And with no moving parts, they are also very durable. But they’re going to be a good bit more expensive, and they usually don’t hold the terabytes (TB) of data their standard hard-drive brothers do. The average size you’ll see for an SSD is 128 GB – where 1 TB (four times the size) is more the norm and less expensive in a standard drive. You may have to ask to get a 256 and most of us can’t afford the 500, even if you can fi nd one. My advice: Buy the 128 GB SSD and spend another $50 on a 1TB external hard drive. You’ll have more than enough room for storage and some space for an external backup (you are doing backups, of course).

• Ports: That external hard drive is going to need to connect via some type of port. Ports add weight and size to laptops, so you will find a lot of models with just one or two USB ports and a display port for connecting to external video sources. Another way laptops shed a lot of pounds

is by leaving out CD/DVD drives. Think through how many peripheral devices (drive, DVD, exter-nal monitor, printer, camera, gaming mic or joystick) you have and how many need to be connected simultaneously.

MOBILE DEVICESOne place tech sales folks will drive up your costs

signifi cantly for tablets and phones is on data plans. Yes, streaming video, music and gaming will eat up a lot of data. But the question isn’t how much you use, but where you use it. If most of your stream-ing is at home or work and connected to a Wi-Fi network, this is NOT counted in your data plan. Your provider can tell you – or you can fi nd it online in your account – exactly how much data you are using on the network. Don’t buy more than you need. Those costs are the gift that just keeps on taking… every month.

POWERThere’s no getting around it, all of these gadgets

need power. Portable power banks are great for traveling or

getting through a long day on the road. I have one made by Satechi that has a high power port for a

tablet and lower power port for a smartphone. Fully charged it stores enough punch for about 9 hours of charging. That’s 2-3 charges for two devices. Here’s a price/feature comparison of some top models: http://goo.gl/bGRfmN

And even with ready access to outlets, how many times when you are traveling have you had to unplug lights in your hotel room, in order to plug in your phones, tablets, and laptop? There are a number of new devices on the market. Here’s a look (http://goo.gl/XQ5RFD).

2-IN-1STablet or laptop? You don’t have to decide. 2-in-1

or convertible laptops that can either fl ip the screen over or detached from the keyboard completely to be used in tablet mode are gaining in popularity since Windows 10 was released. This may be just what you are looking for but not if you trade laptop functionality or power for convenience you might rarely use. If you think a 2-in-1 is for you, check out this comparison from Consumer Reports: http://goo.gl/OOjaEN.

Portfolio wishes all UBJ readers a very happy holiday!

Buy holiday tech, but buy smartBy LAURA HAIGHTpresident, portfoliosc.com

18 | DIGITAL MAVEN | THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUSINESS


several years ago showed that the training wasn’t offered within 200 miles of our campuses. Now that SAP has been fully incorporated into the college’s Supply Chain Management program and into three courses of the Management program, reaching a total of 600 students, graduates are meeting needs for companies and fi nding lucrative employment in the process. Upon completion of these

courses, the student receives an SAP Univer-sity Alliance certificate of completion.

As use of SAP continues to grow, plans call for additional e d u c a t i o n offered around the system. Faculty in pro-grams including Accounting and Business are

being introduced to SAP so that they can incorporate training into what they teach. A certifi cate in SAP is planned for the near future, and hopes include a scholar type of program, which would allow those learning SAP to work for some of the companies using it as they complete their educa-tion. More information is available at gvltec.edu/management and gvltec.edu/supplychain.

Upstate South Carolina has become a very favorable manufactur-ing climate. In Greenville, more than 550 facilities employ more than 29,000 people. Forecasts show strong growth in manufacturing in Greenville County, where the number of jobs in the transportation manu-facturing industry alone is anticipated to grow 29 percent over the next 10 years. BMW is, of course, a major contributor to that growth. The factory, employing about 9,000 people, is part of South Carolina’s growing automotive cluster.

BMW, using a complex set of pro-cesses requiring relationships with suppliers and customers, is also a SAP user, short for Systems, Applications & Products in Data Processing. SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software. In fact, 87 percent of Forbes Global 2000 com-panies use SAP in their organizations, and 74 percent of the world’s transac-tion revenue touches an SAP system. The system links all business process-es together and provides management with information for decision making in real time.

According to its website, SAP serves some 293,000 customers in 190 countries including 98 percent of the 100 most valued brands. SAP users produce 78 percent of the world’s food and 82 percent of the world’s medical devices.

In this area, BMW is not alone in SAP usage. Many other well-known companies and organizations based in the Upstate are also SAP users. These include Milliken, ScanSource and Fluor along with Hubbell, Bosch and Greenville Health System. Numerous suppliers to these organi-zations are in various stages of implementing SAP in their organiza-tions as well.

This widespread use of SAP creates job openings for those profi cient in the system. A recent job search on Indeed.com yielded 143 jobs listed that contained SAP in the description.

Opportunities for those with SAP knowledge should continue to grow as the state’s economy fl ourishes. The

Port of Charles-ton will soon be the deepest harbor on the East Coast,

capable of handling the largest container ships in the world. These ships can carry 14,000, 20-foot equivalent containers or (TEUs). Upon completion of the raising of the Bayonne bridge in New York, these ships will be off-loaded in Charleston. In support of this facility is the inland port rail system that surpassed volume projections by fi ve years and connects the Charles-ton port with the railroad network, Upstate manufacturing and points beyond. And studies on the feasibility to widen the I-85 corridor to three lanes from Atlanta to Charlotte are in the works. From a manufacturing and supply chain perspective, South Car-olina is poised for great success.

All of this creates a demand for people who can help their organiza-tions use or adopt SAP. According to D. Darnell Smith, vice president of group IT at Elster Group, “Firms will best benefi t from students under-standing how the business processes are integrated, so that no matter what systems are in place – SAP, Oracle, JD Edwards, etc. – they can problem-solve and add value to the organization.”

At Greenville Technical College, we have seen the need for SAP training to support employers in our fast-grow-ing community. But an evaluation

MOVERS, SHAKERS AND DISRUPTORS SHAPING OUR FUTURE | INNOVATE | 19

By DAVID LUCEROSupply chain management program coordinator, Greenville Tech

Students trained in SAP get a leg up in manufacturing

DEFINED

SAP SE (Systems, Applications & Products in Data Processing): a German multinational software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. SAP is headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, with regional offi ces in 130 countries.

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Wishing you every happiness this holiday

Holiday Greetings!

Photo by Fred Rollison

UBJ | 12.11.2015

Based on almost any measure, the SouthCarolina economy is doing very well. Unemployment rates are low, income growth is rising and the general mood is very positive. Much of this growth can be attributed to the state’s large manufacturing pres-ence, which is strengthened by international demand for South Carolina-manufactured goods. The Charleston and Greenville-Spartanburg industrial markets are among the fastest-growing industrial markets in the country.

While this is all good news for manufacturers in South Carolina, it appears as though the economy of the state’s largest trading partner, China, is slowing. In the face of this slowing economy, the Chinese government allowed a devaluation of their currency, the Yuan Renminbi, hoping to increase domestic consumption while boosting exports. Perceived as a potential threat to global growth, this touched off a global decline in stock markets.

This raises an important question: What is the impact of a slowing Chinese economy on commercial real estate in South Carolina?

To answer this question, we have two issues to consider:

1. Impacts of a slowing Chinese economy2. Impacts of currency devaluation

In 2013, China became the largest importer of South Carolina-manufactured goods, surpassing Germany. As such, any ripple in the Chinese economy should be carefully considered by busi-nesses focused on exporting goods to the sec-ond-largest economy in the world. It is important to keep in mind that while China’s economy is slowing, it is still growing, albeit at a slower rate.

Regardless of the short-term outlook for the Chinese economy, any manufacturer that success-fully caters to the rapidly growing Chinese middle class is positioned to do very well for the long term. We think more emphasis should be placed on the investment impacts of the Chinese economy.

While there has been a lot of ink spilt discussing Chinese currency devaluation, the reality is that the Chinese yuan is one of the only currencies that has held its value well relative to the U.S. dollar. In the last two years, two of the most important international currencies to the United States – the euro and Canadian dollar – have lost 20 to 25 percent of their value.

Over the last 20 years, GDP growth in China has averaged over 9 percent and incomes have grown by more than 700 percent. While incomes are still far below that of the United States, there is little doubt that China has created an incredible amount

of wealth over the last two decades. As such, they are emerging as signifi cant international players in commercial real estate markets.

The Chinese commer-cial real estate investor profi les differently from other international inves-tors, though. While most investors’ primary moti-vation is maximizing return, the typical Chinese investor is more focused on stability, especially after the recent currency devaluation. Chinese investors have accumulated a lot of wealth that is actively seeking low-risk investment vehicles.

This means much of their capital is heading towards the strongest assets in primary markets, which are generally perceived as less risky than smaller markets due to economic diversity. By our calculation, 97 percent of their commercial real estate investment has been in the 10 largest markets in the country, like New York, San Francisco and Seattle.

With their focus on primary markets, what does this have to do with South Carolina?

Because they are well capitalized and more con-cerned with stability than return, they are willing to pay more for assets than most domestic investors, especially at the top end of the market. One of the most prominent examples of this is the $1.95 billion

purchase of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York by Chinese inves-tors.

Traditional real estate investors focused on getting a solid return are often getting priced out of primary markets. This is causing all investors to broaden their scope in search of strong invest-

ment opportunities. As a result, we are seeing more interest from out-of-market investors than we ever have before. This presents an opportunity for owners looking to dispose of an asset, but also for tenants who might be interested in considering a sale-leaseback scenario.

Amid all of the strong growth occurring in the state and despite the growing importance of the Port of Charleston, it is easy to lose sight of the connection between the international and South Carolina economies. The Chinese economy is poised for more growth, especially in the long term. This bodes well for South Carolina’s commercial real estate markets. South Carolina’s status as a supplier of manufactured goods to the country will boost in-dustrial growth in the next decade and, from an investment standpoint, perceived economic insta-bility in China will boost commercial real estate investment prospects in the state.

By BRIAN REEDAICP, CBRE Research Manager,South Carolina

20 | PROFESSIONAL | STRATEGIES FOR HONING YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

China’s economic slowdown will have surprising eff ects on SC’s economy


Underdog brands emphasize their determi-nation despite external struggle, and often use the opposition of Big Business to suggest they offer something better and more in tune with consumers. The underdog may be perceived as more approach-able, whereby consumers root for it to succeed and view its growth as validation of their investment in the brand.

In some cases, the underdog ethos can be legiti-mately maintained even as it grows. For example, they can enter new industries or markets as the underdog and upend the staid competitors. However, if an underdog brand begins to appear less daring and innovative, more focused on the bottom line at the expense of the consumer experience, the fervent passion for the brand can diminish quickly.

While the marketplace is full of examples of un-derdog brands that eventually fought their way to the top (e.g. Apple, Ben & Jerry’s), no studies have assessed consumer perceptions as an underdog gains market share. Underdog brands appear to face a contradiction: Success can potentially undermine their status as an underdog, and perhaps their longer-term viability. As a result, how an underdog brand manages and communicates the transition to larger market acceptance is arguably just as import-ant as why and how they gained initial followers. What are the short-term advantages of an underdog brand position, and how can the brand maintain long-term support as marketplace success renders their underdog status less salient?

There may be individual differences that distin-guish consumers who are drawn to underdog brands. A 2011 study by Paharia and colleagues found that underdog support may be stronger for those who self-identify as underdogs or come from cultures that refl ect an underdog narrative (e.g., the U.S. “American Dream” narrative). In addition to this, innovativeness, or the inclination to buy new and different products rather than remaining with previous choices, may characterize many underdog supporters. Underdog brand narratives are new and different (and unproven) compared to the existing market leaders, which may make them appealing to consumers that seek innovation.

To assess the implications of an underdog brand strategy, my colleagues and I recently conducted a nationwide study of 382 consumers. We asked them to read either a description of an underdog or a non-underdog brand. The underdog was described as being “small,” “new” and having “smaller market-ing and distribution budgets,” while the non-under-dog was described as being “well sourced,” having “done well” and having a “large marketing and distribution budget.”

To explore the effect of the competitive environ-ment on the success of an underdog strategy, half of the participants were told that the brand existed in a category dominated by a large competitor. Partic-ipants then answered questions about their attitudes towards the brand, level of trust in the brand, pur-chase intentions and personality characteristics.

Following the initial brand evaluation task, study participants were shown updates that described a situation in which the brand had become the market leader in its category. They were told that the founders had either “partnered with a large, multi-national conglomerate” and “relinquished all exec-utive control to the new parent company” or that the founders “still make all executive decisions for the brand.” After reading the update, participants responded to a second set of items pertaining to the brand’s updated status.

An interesting fi nding in our study was that the positive effects of underdog brand positioning extend beyond immediate consumer behavior (attitudes, purchase intention) to consumer’s actual trust in the brand. Furthermore, we found that the existence of a large, dominant competitor enhanced percep-tions of the brand’s underdog status, leading to more favorable outcomes, but that the competitive envi-

ronment in and of itself was not enough to promote brand trust.

This indicates that brand trust originates from something inherent to the underdog brand itself (e.g. being disadvantaged). As suspected, we con-fi rmed that highly innovative consumers are more likely to trust, have favorable attitudes towards and purchase underdog brands.

Most importantly, our fi ndings demonstrate that underdogs who achieve marketplace success can manage their underdog status through communi-cation with consumers. When the underdog brand was perceived as relinquishing brand control to a parent company, attitudes, trust and purchase in-tentions suffered. As they gain success, underdog brands should communicate that they have stayed true to their roots, with ties back to their founders if possible.

Even if growth does necessitate new ownership, the underdog narrative can be a useful tool for minimizing perceptions of “selling out.” Successful former underdog brands, such as Ben & Jerry’s, are careful to maintain ties back to their founders and their guiding principles, maintaining their authen-ticity and the reasons consumers supported them in the fi rst place. It has proven to be a recipe for long-term success.

Siemens was joined in the research by Danny Weathers, a marketing associate professor at Clemson; Scott Smith, a marketing professor at the University of Central Missouri; and Dan Fisher, a marketing associate professor at the University of Central Arkansas.

STRATEGIES FOR HONING YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS | PROFESSIONAL | 21

Does sizing up mean selling out? Underdog brands may foster consumer trust, but must stay true to their roots for long-term success

By JENNIFER SIEMENSAssistant professor of marketing, Clemson University

As they gain success, underdog brands should communicate that they have stayed true to their roots, with ties back to their founders if possible.

UBJ | 12.11.2015

Deb OsborneNamed executive director of the SC Mountains to Midlands affi liate of Susan G. Komen. Osborne served as an educator at J.L. Mann High School for 28 years, 14 of which were spent as the athletic director. She also served as the athletic director at Brashier Middle College for four years.

Jon JarvaisNamed director of the Manufacturing Solution division at Human Technologies Inc. Jarvais has years of experience in manufacturing. He most recently served as plant manager with Dräxlmaier Automotive. He also served 10 years with BMW.

Vivian LovelessNamed account director at FUEL. Loveless was previously with Gibbons | Peck Marketing Communication. She has more than 10 years of experience in agency branding and strategic marketing.

Meredith KinseyNamed account director at FUEL. Kinsey is a co-founder and former chief marketing offi cer of Postcard from Paris. She has more than 20 years of marketing experience, having held executive marketing leadership roles with several communication and technology companies.

Lon KnightNamed a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Knight is a chemistry professor at Furman University. He was one of 347 fellows worldwide to be honored in 2015 for contributions to innovation, education and scientifi c leadership.

22 | ON THE MOVE | PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS

COMMUNITY

The Greater Greer Chamber of Commerce announced the following recipients of its Business Awards: Wood”RUFF” Pet Resort, Small

Business Saturday Champion Award; GreerToday.com, People’s Choice Social Media Champion; Greer Com-munity Ministries, Nonprofi t of the Year; Brian Martin, Community Champion Award; the Chulkas family,

Mayors Award; Allegra Print & Imaging, Small Business of the Year.

Ten at the Top awarded Phil Hughes, president of Hughes Invest-ments, with the 2015 Welling Award

for Collaboration. The award recog-nizes individuals, businesses or orga-nizations whose actions have demon-strated a sustained commitment and effort to developing and fostering re-gional collaboration.

HIRED HIRED HIRED HIRED APPOINTEDHIRED HIRED HIRED HIRED APPOINTED

>>

GODSHALLProfessional Recruiting

StaffingConsulting


CONTRIBUTE: New hires, promotions & award winners may be featured in On the Move. Send information and photos to [email protected].

Open for business

4 Balance Fitness recently opened at 48 Brookfield Oaks Drive, Suite C, Greenville. Hours are Monday-Thursday, 5 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, 5 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m.-noon; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, visit 4balancefitness.com.

CONTRIBUTE: Know of a business opening soon? Email information to [email protected].

CRE

Flagship Properties hired Caldwell Johnston as a sales and leasing broker. Johnston has more than 10 years of real estate experience. He previously helped launch an Internet startup company.

NHE Inc. hired Kelli Spencer as vice president of conventional property management and Steve Maxey as direc-tor of strategic projects. Spencer has 15 years of multi-family property manage-ment experience. Maxey has more than 25 years of experience spearheading and managing aspects of commercial real estate development, including property acquisitions, capital improvements and construction management.

Coldwell Banker Caine hired Kate Dabbs as integrated marketing manager and Marisa Stephens as digital experience coordinator. Dabbs previously served as associate director of development communications at Furman University and communica-tions director at Greenville Forward. Stephens previously served as digital advertising account manager and social media and digital marketing specialist for Chumney and Associates.

FINANCE

CresCom Bank named Josh Kim-brell as vice president and commercial loan officer for the Greenville market.

Previously, Kimbrell served as the vice president and commercial banker at GrandSouth Bank and as the Upstate regional manager at Ameris Bank.

DEVELOPMENT

O’Neal Inc. hired Paul Fredrickson as electrical engineer. Fredrickson has more than 10 years of experience with electrical engineering, having gained experience working with Duke Energy.

LEGAL

Four new associates have joined the Greenville office of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP. Nicole Cuadrado has previous experience as a judicial intern for the U.S. District Court Judge Terry L. Wooten. Allison Crawford Ford returns to the firm after serving as a law clerk for the U.S. District Court Judge Mary G. Lewis. Elizabeth “Sandi” Hudson Hall previously served as a law clerk for the firm and at other law firms in Columbia, Greenville and Charleston. Brittany M. McIntosh returns to the Firm after serving as a law clerk for the U.S. District Court Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr.

MEDICAL

VidiStar hired Elizabeth “Libba” Wood as a clinical applications special-ist. She has 10 years of clinical experience.

>>

THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE | NEW TO THE STREET | 23

- JOEY HINES -

GLOBAL VIEW INVESTMENT ADVISORS, LLC IS THE GREENVILLE CHAMBER’S NOVEMBER 2015

SMALL BUSINESS OF THE MONTHLearn more at globalviewinv.com

The Greenville Chamber salutes our Small Business of the Month. We honor and appreciate all the things that small businesses bring to our community and we

are proud to be there for them as well. If you’re in business, you have a

partner in us.

www.greenvillechamber.org

‘WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT THE

GREENVILLE COMMUNITY RECOGNIZES

THE VALUE OF A FIRM PUTTING

CLIENTS’ INTERESTS BEFORE THEIR OWN

AND TAKING THE FIDUCIARY OATH

TO DO SO.”

UBJ | 12.11.2015

116 South Main Street, Greenville SC 29601 | 864.373.7300 TheNoseDive.com

Lunch and Dinner, Monday - Saturday | Sunday Brunch

10 WEEKDAY LUNCH$NOSE DIVE

UCB extends reach into CharlestonUnited Community Bank has

expanded its South Carolina operations with the recent opening of an offi ce in Charles-ton. Dixon Woodward, a veteran coastal banker, will manage all bank functions in the area as regional president for coastal South Carolina.

UCB, based in Blairsville, Ga., has steadily increased its presence in the Upstate this year, having closed a merger with The Palmetto Bank earlier in 2015.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Dixon serve as our leader in the Coastal region,” said Sam Erwin, president of United Community Bank for South Carolina. “Dixon has proven himself not only as an expert banker, but as a true asset to the community and we anticipate great growth in this region under his leadership.”

Woodward has more than 16 years of banking experience and joins United Community Bank from TD Bank, where he served as market president for the coastal Carolinas since 2011. Woodward joined TD Bank after its merger with Carolina First Bank, and spent the earlier part of his career working for Caroli-na First. He was recognized by the Charleston Regional Business Journal as one of “40 Under 40” in 2013.

SC ranks sixth best state for contractorsSouth Carolina ranked sixth on the Associ-

ated Builders and Contractors scorecard as a good place for contractors to do business.

Building America: The Merit Shop Score-card reviews and grades state-specifi c infor-mation signifi cant to the success of the com-mercial and industrial construction industry.

The scorecard grades states on their policies on project labor agree-ment (PLA) and prevail-ing wage mandates, right-to-work status as well as their construc-tion job growth rate, commitment to developing a well-trained workforce, level of fl exibility in career and technical education curricula and use of public-private partnerships (P3s).

“ABC applauds South Carolina policymakers for their commitment to free enterprise and helping craft an environment where contractors can thrive,” said Doug Carlson, ABC of the Carolinas president and CEO. “By banning anti-com-petitive and restrictive project labor agreement and prevailing wage mandates and supporting right-to-work and workforce development programs, South Carolina policymakers have helped reduce the cost of public construction to taxpayers and made it easier for contractors to expand their operations and create more jobs in South Carolina.”

Arizona ranked fi rst on the list, followed by Louisiana, Virginia, North Dakota and North Carolina.

TR to get manufacturer with $2.8M dealNutritional supplement fi rm Earth’s Creation USA is opening a manufactur-

ing facility in Travelers Rest with a $2.8 million investment expected to include 44 jobs in Greenville County.

The company is moving its existing Miami-Dade, Fla., operations to a 99,000-square-foot facility off of U.S. Route 25, more than four times larger than the existing 15,000-square-foot facility.

Earth’s Creation develops and manufactures premium quality nutrition- «

24 | THE FINE PRINT | BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’T MISS

Woodward


al supplements in capsules, powders, tablets and

liquids. The company produces its own brands of vitamins, minerals, sports supplements, skin creams and lotions, and works with custom-ers on separate brands. The Travelers Rest facility will have access to the Inland Port in Greer.

“Earth’s Creation is a leader in research, development and manufacturing for the nutritional supplement industry, and we believe they will be an excellent addition to Greenville’s diverse community of innovative companies,” said Greenville Area Development Corp. Chairman Dick Wilkerson. “We’re glad to offer them the opportunity to expand their footprint and grow their team here in Travelers Rest.”

The company is currently hiring for the Travelers Rest facility.

Fluor acquires Netherlands industrial company

Fluor Corporation signed an agreement with UK-based private equity fi rm Arle Capital Partners to acquire 100 percent of Stork Holding B.V., based in the Netherlands, for an invest-ment of approximately €695 million ($755 million).

Stork is a global provider of maintenance, modifi -cation and asset integrity services associated with large existing industrial facilities in the oil and gas, chemicals, petrochemicals, industrial and power markets.

Founded in 1827, Stork has operations in Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Asia Pacifi c and the Americas, with an annualized run-rate revenue of approximately €1.6 billion ($1.7 billion) and EBITDA of approximately €100 million ($109 million).

“The acquisition of Stork is consistent with Fluor’s goal to further enhance our integrated solutions capabilities in thoughtful, strategic ways that will

increase the value we deliver to our clients and shareholders,” said Fluor’s chairman and CEO David Seaton. “We are pleased to welcome Stork’s talent-ed workforce of more than 15,000 employees, which will provide us with additional fl exibility and capacity to increase our maintenance and direct construction activities.”

Fluor intends to fully fi nance the cash required for the transaction through the issuance of debt in international markets. The acquisition is expected to close in the fi rst half of 2016 and is subject to regulatory approvals and consul-tation procedures with Stork’s work council.

Easley hosting Main Street ChallengeThe City of Easley is hosting a Main Street

Challenge, an entrepreneurial startup compe-tition that takes place over a period of four months.

The competition provides a means for local, area and regional entrepreneurs to advance their desire to expand or open a new business.

Business concepts eligible for the competi-tion include new startup businesses, an expan-sion or relocation of an existing location from another community, or a signifi cant expansion of an existing local business that would branch into an additional business concept.

The competition is an effort by city leaders to innovatively recruit new businesses that will enhance the business mix in downtown Easley. Leaders hope to highlight available downtown properties and increase downtown retail occupancy.

The city will award up to three individual awards of up to $1,000 in fi nancial assistance for 12 consecutive months.

Winners who are leasing properties will be obligated to execute a minimum three-year lease for a street-level retail/service/offi ce location at an available location in downtown Easley.

For a list of rules and to fi ll out an application, visit bit.ly/easley2015.

«

«

INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE | PLANNER | 25

CONTRIBUTE: Got a hot date? Submit event information for consideration to [email protected].

DATE EVENT INFO WHERE DO I GO? HOW DO I GO?

Friday

12/112015 Annual Legislative Breakfast Hear from legislators on the issues that are coming up in 2016

Westin Poinsett120 S. Main St., Greenville7:30-9:30 a.m.

Cost: $30 (Chamber investors only) Register: bit.ly/outlook-breakfast2015

Monday

12/14TEDx Greenville Salons Topic: Not Your Momma’s Classroom: The Learning Innovation Revolution

ZEN924 S. Main St., Greenville6:30-8 p.m.

Cost: FreeRegister: bit.ly/tedx-dec2015

Wednesday

12/16

GSATC Learning Lunch: Gadgetfest 2015Celebrating the latest and greatest gadgets

Embassy Suites670 Verdae Blvd., Greenville11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Cost: $25 online registration, $30 walk-up Register: bit.ly/gsatc-dec2015

Tech After Five Networking for tech entrepreneurs and professionals

Pour Lounge221 N. Main St., Greenville5:30-7:30 p.m.

Cost: FreeRegister: bit.ly/taf-dec2015

Wednesday

1/13 NEXT Capital Series: Understanding Private EquityNEXT Innovation Center411 University Ridge, Greenville4-5:30 p.m.

Cost: FreeRegister: bit.ly/next-dec2015

UBJ | 12.11.201526 | #TRENDING | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

RE: DOWNTOWN TOURISM CENTER REEDY POINT PROJECT CANCELED> Travis Seward “Maybe the space can now become another generic (ugly) high rise or apartment building that blocks light from the street.”

> Kate Churches “I smell a rat. Another article I read led me to believe there is a LOT more to this story.”

> John Nolan “Rats! Disappointed.”

> Jennifer Little “Sad to see. Greenville needs someone other than us random folks downtown to tell tourists where ‘the bridge’ is.”

RE: TRAVELERS REST TO GET SUPPLEMENTS MANUFACTURER WITH $2.8M DEAL> Veteran Services Division “ANOTHER company investing in Travelers Rest!!!.... and bringing more jobs.”

> Chris Loper at Keller Williams Realty “Travelers Rest continues to grow to be the gem of the Upstate!!!”

RE: CITY CHOOSES OHIO CONSULTANT FOR NEW WEST END PARK> Swamp Rabbit Inn “Exciting news! Can’t wait to see what’s planned for our front porch view!”

> Cindy Williams “Why can’t the city fi nd someone local to do this?”

RE: FEDERAL HIGHWAY BILL PROVIDES BILLIONS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA ROADS> Dawn Borkowski “About damn time!!!!”

RE: EQUUS CLUB & WINERY AIMS FOR ‘SOCIAL EXPERIENCE’> Ti� any Gibson “This is insanity! Absolutely gorgeous.”

> Damian Hall Group – Greenville “Very exciting!”

> Nancy Redard Pattison “Love it! I visited Cuvaison when I went to Napa my fi rst time. Really liked their Chardonnay! Who knew that Oconee County had wineries?!”

> ShowBob upstatebusinessjournal.com “If I’m going to invest an initial $28,500 for a “social experience,” I’d take that money and spend a year out in Napa Valley. Or put that money in real estate where you at least have ownership.”

RE: GREENVILLE’S IDRIVE PIVOTS, TAKES AIM AT CONSUMER CAR SHOPPING> @IDriveOnDemand “Thanks for the feature. Clients retweet this news with the hashtag #beatthedealer get registered for a reserve wine package!”

BIZ BUZZ The top 5 stories from last week’s issue ranked by shareability score

1. City chooses Ohio consultant for new West End park

2. Equus Club & Winery aims for ‘social experience’

3. Downtown tourism center Reedy Point project canceled

4. SC targets higher margins for agribusiness with new o� ce

5. Trucking company opening o� ce, terminal in Greenville

OVERHEARD @ THE WATERCOOLERDistilled commentary from UBJ readers

>> 256

>> 88

>> 82

>> 50

>> 162

UPSTATEBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

>> WEIGH IN @ THE UBJ EXCHANGEGot something to o� er? Get it o� your chest.We’re looking for expert guest bloggers from all industries to contribute to the UBJ Exchange. Send posts or blog ideas to [email protected].

DIGITAL FLIPBOOK ARCHIVE >>

The layout of print meets the convenience of the web: fl ip through the digital edition of any of our print issues at >> upstatebusinessjournal.com/past-issues

DECEMBER 4, 2015 | VOL. 4 ISSUE 49

The vision behind Equus Club & Winery on

Lake Keowee will blend food, wine and

the outdoors.

See story on page 12.

PLUS:

A VINTAGE

DEVELOPMENT

Corporate training goes

from the boardroom to

the barnyard............page 12

Chad Patterson, Patterson Visual

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12.11.2015 | upstatebusinessjournal.com INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE | SOCIAL SNAPSHOT | 27

CONTRIBUTE: Got high-resolution photos of your networking or social events? Send photos and information for consideration to [email protected].

MINORITY ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT AWARDSThe Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce honored the recipients of its 2015 Minority Enterprise Development (MED) awards at a banquet last week at the Spartanburg Marriott. Liberty Canzater, owner of The Butterfl y Foundation, was named Minority Business Person of the Year; Kathy Jackson of Milliken & Company was named Minority Business Advocate of the Year; and Mayra Garcia of the Broome High School Class of 2016 received the Rising Star Award.

PERIMETER VIP LAUNCH PARTYPerimeter, a 70-unit condo project in Greenville’s West End, celebrated its launch with a party at The Old Cigar Warehouse. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2016.

Liberty Canzater Mayra Garcia, center

Kathy Jackson, left

PRESIDENT/CEOMark B. [email protected]

UBJ PUBLISHERRyan L. [email protected]

EXECUTIVE EDITORSusan Clary [email protected]

MANAGING EDITORJerry [email protected]

STAFF WRITERSAshley Boncimino, Sherry Jackson, Benjamin Jeffers, Cindy Landrum, April A. Morris

DIGITAL TEAM Emily Price, Danielle Car

MARKETING & ADVERTISING

SALES REPRESENTATIVESNicole Greer, Kristi Jennings, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehman, Emily Yepes

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & ACCOUNT STRATEGY Kate Madden

ART & PRODUCTION

ART DIRECTORWhitney Fincannon

OPERATIONS Holly Hardin

ADVERTISING DESIGNMichael Allen

CLIENT SERVICES Anita Harley, Jane Rogers

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTKristi Fortner

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE

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UBJ welcomes expert commentary from business leaders on timely news topics related to their specialties. Guest columns run 700-800 words. Contact Executive Editor Susan Clary Simmons at [email protected] to submit an article for consideration.

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Copyright ©2015 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. 581 Perry Ave., Greenville, South Carolina, 29611. Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $50. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, P581 Perry Ave., Greenville, South Carolina, 29611. Printed in the USA.

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20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

UBJ milestone

Solve. Serve. Grow. Those three words summarize Jackson Marketing Group’s guiding principles, and ac-cording to owner Larry Jackson, form the motivation that has kept the firm thriving for the past 25 years.

Jackson graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in video and film production and started his 41-year career in the communications industry with the U.S. Army’s Public Information Office. He served during

Vietnam, where he said he was “luckily” stationed in the middle of Texas at Fort Hood.

He left the service and went to work in public affairs and motorsports at Ford Motor Company in Detroit. After a stint at Bell and Howell, where he was responsible for managing Ford’s dealer marketing and training, the entrepreneurial bug hit and he co-founded Jackson-Dawson Mar-keting Communications, a company specializing in dealer training and product launches for the auto indus-try in 1980.

In 1987, Jackson wanted to move back south and thought Greenville would be a good fit. An avid pilot, he

learned of an opportunity to purchase Cornerstone Aviation, a fixed base operation (FBO) that served as a service station for the Greenville Downtown Airport, providing fuel, maintenance and storage.

In fact, when he started the Green-ville office of what is now Jackson Marketing Group (JMG) in 1988, the offices were housed on the second floor in an airport hangar.

“Clients would get distracted by the airplanes in the hangars and we’d have to corral them to get back up-stairs to the meeting,” Jackson said.

Jackson sold the FBO in 1993, but says it was a great way to get to know Greenville’s fathers and leaders

Jackson Marketing Group celebrates 25 yearsBy sherry Jackson | staff | [email protected]

>>

Chairman larry Jackson, Jackson marketing Group. Photos by Greg Beckner / Staff

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

UBJ milestone

with a majority of them utilizing the general aviation airport as a

“corporate gateway to the city.”In 1997, Jackson and his son,

Darrell, launched Jackson Motor-sports Group. The new division was designed to sell race tires and go to racetracks to sell and mount the tires. Darrell Jackson now serves as president of the motorsports group and Larry Jackson has two other children and a son-in-law who work there. Jackson said all his children started at the bottom and “earned their way up.”

Jackson kept the Jackson-Dawson branches in Detroit and others in Los Angeles and New York until he sold his portion of that partnership in 2009 as part of his estate plan-ning.

The company now operates a small office in Charlotte, but its main headquarters are in Greenville in a large office space off Woodruff Road, complete with a vision gallery that displays local artwork and an audi-torium Jackson makes available for non-profit use. The Motor-sports Group is housed in an additional 26,000 square feet building just down the street, and the agency is currently looking for another 20,000 square feet.

Jackson said JMG has expand-ed into other verticals such as financial, healthcare, manufac-turing and pro-bono work, but still has a strong focus on the auto industry and transportation. It’s

also one of the few marketing com-panies in South Carolina to handle all aspects of a project in-house, with four suites handling video production, copywriting, media and research and web design.

Clients include heavyweights such as BMW, Bob Jones University, the Peace Center, Michelin and Sage Automotive. Recent projects have included an interactive mobile appli-cation for Milliken’s arboretum and 600-acre Spartanburg campus and a marketing campaign for the 2013 Big League World Series.

“In my opinion, our greatest single achievement is the longevity of our client relationships,” said Darrell Jackson. “Our first client from back in 1988 is still a client today. I can count on one hand the number of clients who have gone elsewhere in the past decade.”

Larry Jackson says his Christian faith and belief in service to others, coupled with business values rooted in solving clients’ problems, have kept

him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-prof-its. The company was recently awarded the Community Foundation Spirit Award.

The company reaffirmed its com-mitment to serving the community last week by celebrating its 25th an-niversary with a birthday party and a 25-hour Serve-A-Thon partnership with Hands on Greenville and Habitat for Humanity. JMG’s 103 full-time employees worked in shifts around the clock on October 22 and 23 to help construct a house for a deserving family.

As Jackson inches towards retire-ment, he says he hasn’t quite figured out his succession plan yet, but sees the companies staying under the same umbrella. He wants to continue to strategically grow the business.

“From the beginning, my father has taught me that this business is all about our people – both our clients and our associates,” said his son,

Darrell. “We have created a focus and a culture that strives to solve problems, serve people and grow careers.”

Darrell Jackson said he wants to “continue helping lead a culture where we solve, serve and grow. If we are successful, we will continue to grow towards our ultimate goal of becoming the leading integrated marketing communications brand in the Southeast.”

jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years1988 Jackson Dawson opens in Greenville at Downtown Airport

2003 motorsports Division acquires an additional 26,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space

1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

1997 Jackson Dawson launches

motorsports Division

2009-2012 Jackson marketing Group named a top BtoB agency by

BtoB magazine 4 years running

2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation

with Creative spirit Award

2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson

marketing Group when larry sells his partnership

in Detroit and lA

1988 19981993 2003 2008

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont

office Center on Villa.

2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports

Group employee base reaches 100 people

pro-bono/non-proFit Clients

American Red Cross of Western Carolinas

Metropolitan Arts CouncilArtisphere

Big League World SeriesThe Wilds

Advance SCSouth Carolina Charities, Inc.

Aloft

Hidden Treasure Christian School

CoMMUnitY inVolVeMent & boarD positions

lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn): Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member, Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member

David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman

mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board, Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board

eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist): Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club Advisory Board

>>

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20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

UBJ milestone

Solve. Serve. Grow. Those three words summarize Jackson Marketing Group’s guiding principles, and ac-cording to owner Larry Jackson, form the motivation that has kept the firm thriving for the past 25 years.

Jackson graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in video and film production and started his 41-year career in the communications industry with the U.S. Army’s Public Information Office. He served during

Vietnam, where he said he was “luckily” stationed in the middle of Texas at Fort Hood.

He left the service and went to work in public affairs and motorsports at Ford Motor Company in Detroit. After a stint at Bell and Howell, where he was responsible for managing Ford’s dealer marketing and training, the entrepreneurial bug hit and he co-founded Jackson-Dawson Mar-keting Communications, a company specializing in dealer training and product launches for the auto indus-try in 1980.

In 1987, Jackson wanted to move back south and thought Greenville would be a good fit. An avid pilot, he

learned of an opportunity to purchase Cornerstone Aviation, a fixed base operation (FBO) that served as a service station for the Greenville Downtown Airport, providing fuel, maintenance and storage.

In fact, when he started the Green-ville office of what is now Jackson Marketing Group (JMG) in 1988, the offices were housed on the second floor in an airport hangar.

“Clients would get distracted by the airplanes in the hangars and we’d have to corral them to get back up-stairs to the meeting,” Jackson said.

Jackson sold the FBO in 1993, but says it was a great way to get to know Greenville’s fathers and leaders

Jackson Marketing Group celebrates Jackson Marketing Group celebrates Jackson Marketing

25 yearsBy sherry Jackson | staff | [email protected]

>>

Chairman larry Jackson, Jackson marketing Group. Photos by Greg Beckner / Staff

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

UBJ milestone

with a majority of them utilizing the general aviation airport as a

“corporate gateway to the city.”In 1997, Jackson and his son,

Darrell, launched Jackson Motor-sports Group. The new division was designed to sell race tires and go to racetracks to sell and mount the tires. Darrell Jackson now serves as president of the motorsports group and Larry Jackson has two other children and a son-in-law who work there. Jackson said all his children started at the bottom and “earned their way up.”

Jackson kept the Jackson-Dawson branches in Detroit and others in Los Angeles and New York until he sold his portion of that partnership in 2009 as part of his estate plan-ning.

The company now operates a small office in Charlotte, but its main headquarters are in Greenville in a large office space off Woodruff Road, complete with a vision gallery that displays local artwork and an audi-torium Jackson makes available for non-profit use. The Motor-sports Group is housed in an additional 26,000 square feet building just down the street, and the agency is currently looking for another 20,000 square feet.

Jackson said JMG has expand-ed into other verticals such as financial, healthcare, manufac-turing and pro-bono work, but still has a strong focus on the auto industry and transportation. It’s

also one of the few marketing com-panies in South Carolina to handle all aspects of a project in-house, with four suites handling video production, copywriting, media and research and web design.

Clients include heavyweights such as BMW, Bob Jones University, the Peace Center, Michelin and Sage Automotive. Recent projects have included an interactive mobile appli-cation for Milliken’s arboretum and 600-acre Spartanburg campus and a marketing campaign for the 2013 Big League World Series.

“In my opinion, our greatest single achievement is the longevity of our client relationships,” said Darrell Jackson. “Our first client from back in 1988 is still a client today. I can count on one hand the number of clients who have gone elsewhere in the past decade.”

Larry Jackson says his Christian faith and belief in service to others, coupled with business values rooted in solving clients’ problems, have kept

him going and growing his business over the years. He is passionate about giving back and outreach to non-prof-giving back and outreach to non-prof-giving back and outreach to non-profits. The company was recently awarded the Community Foundation Spirit Award.

The company reaffirmed its com-mitment to serving the community last week by celebrating its 25th an-niversary with a birthday party and a 25-hour Serve-A-Thon partnership with Hands on Greenville and Habitat for Humanity. JMG’s 103 full-time employees worked in shifts around the clock on October 22 and 23 to help construct a house for a deserving family.

As Jackson inches towards retire-ment, he says he hasn’t quite figured out his succession plan yet, but sees the companies staying under the same umbrella. He wants to continue to strategically grow the business.

“From the beginning, my father has taught me that this business is all about our people – both our clients and our associates,” said his son,

Darrell. “We have created a focus and a culture that strives to solve problems, serve people and grow careers.”

Darrell Jackson said he wants to “continue helping lead a culture where we solve, serve and grow. If we are successful, we will continue to grow towards our ultimate goal of becoming the leading integrated marketing communications brand in the Southeast.”

jackson Marketing Group’s 25 Years1988 Jackson Dawson opensin Greenville at Downtown Airport

2003 motorsports Division acquires an additional 26,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space

1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

1997 Jackson Dawson launches

motorsports Division

2009-2012 Jackson marketing Group named a top BtoB agency by

BtoB magazine 4 years running

2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation

with Creative spirit Award

2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson

marketing Group when larry sells his partnership

in Detroit and lA

1988 19981993 2003 2008

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont

office Center on Villa.

2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports

Group employee base reaches 100 people

pro-bono/non-proFitClients

/lients

/

American Red Cross of Western Carolinas

Metropolitan Arts CouncilArtisphere

Big League World SeriesThe Wilds

Advance SCSouth Carolina Charities, Inc.

Aloft

Hidden Treasure Christian School

CoMMUnitY nitY nit inVinVin olVolVol eVeV Ment& boarD positions

lArry JACkson (ChAirmAn):Bob Jones University Board chairman, The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center board member, Gospel Fellowship Association board member, Past Greenville Area Development Corporation board member,Past Chamber of Commerce Headquarters Recruiting Committee member, Past Greenville Tech Foundation board member

David Jones (Vice President Client services, Chief marketing officer): Hands on Greenville board chairman

mike Zeller (Vice President, Brand marketing): Artisphere Board, Metropolitan Arts Council Board, American Red Cross Board, Greenville Tech Foundation Board, South Carolina Chamber Board

eric Jackson (Jackson motorsports Group sales specialist):Salvation Army Boys &Girls Club Advisory Board

>>

AS SEEN IN NOVEMBER 1, 2013

JAN. 15, 2016THE MARKETING AND BRANDING ISSUEGetting the word out on local businesses.

JAN. 29, 2016QUARTERLY CRE ISSUEThe state of commercial real estate in the Upstate.

FEBRUARY 2016THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUEGetting around in a growing region.

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December 11, 2015 UBJ

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