Download - Think Greenville

greenvilleth nk

Atlanta(146 mi.)

Asheville(63 mi.) Charlotte

(102 mi.)

GreenvilleColumbia

(103 mi.)

Charleston(213 mi.)

Savannah(257 mi.)

Raleigh(266 mi.)

Nashville(263 mi.) G

reenville, one of South Carolina’s

most beautiful cities, is located in the

foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

It’s situated in the heart of the Altanta-Charlotte

Megaregion, one of the 10 areas in the U.S. that

is expected to account for more than 70 percent

of the country’s population growth over the next

30 years.

With more than 250 international firms such

as Michelin and BMW investing in the region,

Greenville has developed a reputation for being a

welcoming community for both new businesses

and residents. A very unique blend of economic

and cultural vibrancy awaits newcomers.

We hope that you will take a few minutes to

about our wonderful community and

how it may fit into your future plans.

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contents4 downtown

6 recreation

8 arts & culture

10 innovation

12 entrepreneurship

14 employment

16 k-12

18 higher education

20 health & wellness

Published for

24 Cleveland Street Greenville, SC 29601

www.GreenvilleChamber.org864.242.1050

Published by

1204B East Washington StreetGreenville, SC 29601 www.scbiznews.com

864.235.5677

Publishers of

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downtownth nk

downtown“I have lived in many cities throughout North

America from Fargo to New York, but Greenville tops the list as the best place I have ever lived. It has the perfect mix of location, climate, business

and culture for me.”

– Roger Newton, BI-Lo Center

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Downtown is flourishing with trees, restaurants, shops, offices,

residents, and entertainment. It has earned the designation of

“Great American Main Street” and with over 300 events each

year, leads the region in hosting visitors.

Designated as the area’s cultural center, downtown Greenville

features the Peace Center for the Performing Arts, the County Art

Museum, the Main Public Library, the Upcountry History Museum,

and a number of private galleries and theater venues. There is fun for

the whole family with many parks, the Greenville Zoo, the BI-LO Center

arena, and Fluor Field, home to the Greenville Drive minor league

baseball team.

Soby’s Falls Park

Photo/Saige Linda Irlacher

FAST FACTS• ForeignDirect

InvestmentMagazine

named Greenville as a

Top Micro-City of the

Future

• There are over 90

restaurants within

walking distance of

Main Street

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&

Fluor Field, Home of the Greenville Drive

Fall for Greenville

Photo/Greenville CVB

Saturday Market

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&

recreationth nk

FAST FACTSThe Greenville area has:

• 3 state parks with nearly

5,000 acres

• 60+ county and city parks

with nearly 2,000 acres

• Countywide greenway

network that is more than

17 miles long and growing

“It only makes sense that companies look for healthy communities when deciding where to relocate. A connected and active community is a

healthy community.”

-Ty Houck, Greenville County Recreation District

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Paris Mountain State Park

Victoria Valley Vineyards

Rainbow Falls

Photo/Ryan Wilcox

Photo/Kevin Greene

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Within minutes from the award-winning downtown lies the Blue Wall Escarpment, recognized as one of the world’s most significant ecosystems, with more than 400 species of rare plants and more individual

tree species than in all of Europe.

arts & culture“Greenville is affordable and low stress but offers cultural amenities far beyond what one would expect in a city this size. There are many more concerts, plays, and festivals

than I can attend.”

- Nancy Fitzer, Upstate Forever

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Greenville’s dedication to the arts provides for numerous

cultural experiences, including the symphony, an art museum,

a history museum, a children’s museum, a chorale, a light

opera company, a gallery of religious art, three ballet companies, five

downtown theatres, a performance center, and a 15,000-seat arena. The

West End of downtown features a rapidly growing arts district featuring

galleries, working studios and monthly gallery crawls. In addition to

these wonderful assets, Greenville is home to numerous festivals and

arts-related events including Artisphere, Fall for Greenville, Euphoria,

and Open Studios. The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts

and Humanities and Fine Arts Center train many talented young artists,

adding to the cultural vibrancy of the area.

Photo/City of Greenville

Peace Center Amphitheatre

Warehouse Theatre Artisphere

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Artist’s rendering of $12.5 million renovation project underway at the Peace Center

FAST FACTS• Named a “Best Art Town in America” by John Villani• Home to the most significant Andrew Wyeth and Jasper Johns collections in the world• Artisphere is a Top 20 Arts event in the Southeast• 8 graduates of the SC Governor’s School for the Arts have been accepted to Julliard’s prestigious drama program in the past 8 years (of only 18 accepted a year, world-wide)

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GE EnergyGreenville is the global headquarters for GE Energy’s

Engineering Division and is the world’s largest heavy duty

gas turbine manufacturing facility.

Electric vehicle charging

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FAST FACTS• Greenville is one of the

first cities in the world to

be chosen by GE to be an

Electric Vehicle Test City

• Ranked #2 Wind Energy

Manufacturing Leader

in 2010 by Business

Facilities

• There are currently 52

electric vehicle charging

stations in Greenville, more

than any similar market

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“I have come to appreciate that this is one of the most vibrant and forward-thinking communities in the

Southeast. I see innovation and leadership as an integral part of this region’s culture.”

– Mark Nantz, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System

A rich mix of engineering, manufacturing, applied research, and

higher education in the Upstate creates a fertile ground where

innovation can thrive. Michelin has long had a very strong

R&D presence in the region. The recent addition of Clemson Univer-

sity’s International Center for Automotive Research has elevated the area

to one of the premier automotive and motorsports research and educa-

tional centers in the world.

Greenville has developed a unique “Greening of Greenville” partner-

ship with GE, Duke Energy, Enterprise, Greenville County, GSP Airport,

Hubbell Lighting, Thurso Power Systems and others to create a “living

laboratory” to test green technologies such as electric vehicles, LED

street lighting and technologies for commercial buildings.

Proterra builds the electric bus of the future in Greenville, S.C.

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entrepreneurship “Greenville’s most telling recent development is the NEXT

Innovation Center, where tech start-ups, entrepreneurs, and even angel investors rent and share space, coffee, and brainpower. The creative vibe here is so strong that walls

are covered with writable surfaces so eurekas can get scribbled down anywhere, anytime.”

– Men’s Journal

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Thomas Creek BreweryThomas Creek Brewery was founded in 1998 by father and son team Bill & Tom Davis after the two traveled the country together and developed a passion for craft beer. Since opening the brewery, they have completed numerous expansions and spread into sales territories including the Southeast, Midwest and Scandinavia. Bill & Tom’s fascination and excitement for beer continues to foster Thomas Creek’s position as the leading South Carolina microbrewery.

It’s an easy place to connect and launch a business. This is the

common sentiment among businesses that have started in

our community. With a very business-friendly environment,

entrepreneurs flock to Greenville for the unbeatable combination

of business support and lifestyle quality that cannot be found in most

communities.

With the Greenville Chamber’s NEXT initiative to support the

entrepreneurial community through concierge service, advocacy and

infrastructure development, the region is gaining both national and

international recognition as the place to go to launch a venture.

The NEXT Innovation Center opened its doors in the summer of 2009

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Lab21Michael Bolick, President

A rising star in the region’s Health Sciences cluster, Lab21 Inc is the US headquarters for a UK firm and is located at the NEXT Innovation Center. Their 7.500 ft square feet CLIA laboratory provides advanced diagnostic services with a focus on enabling personalized medicine for oncology and virology including next generation sequencing and HPLC/mass spectrometry. They offer both routine diagnostic services and clinical trial support.

FAST FACTS• BusinessFacilities has ranked the Greenville metro as #1 for economic potential• Forbes magazine has recognized SC Launch as one of the top entrepreneurial support organizations in the country• KPMG ranked Greenville as having the second best favorable tax structure for businesses among mid-sized metros

• South Carolina is #4 in the Top 10 rankings of Pro-Business States 13

The Next Big Thing is a membership driven start-up accelerator in Greenville. Each year, 10 incredible start-up firms are selected to participate in a 12 week summer program, receiving up to $18,000 in seed funding, coworking space at the NEXT Innovation Center, access to an amazing set of mentors, and the opportunity to pitch to more than a hundred investors.

Greenville Hospital System• Five medical campuses in Greenville County with 1,268

licensed beds

• Regional referral and trauma center including ground and air patient transport

• Over 600 employed physicians with more than 20 primary care and 40 specialty practices

• Number one employer in Greenville County with 10,000 employees

• Ranked nationally by US News & World Report Best Hospitals 2010 in the areas of heart and heart surgery, gastroenterology, and endocrinology and diabetes

BMW Manufacturing Co.• Produces the BMW X3 and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles

and X6 Sports Activity Coupe for over 130 global markets

• BMW’s facility is over four million square feet and occupies 1,150 acres

• Largest automotive exporter from the U.S. to non-NAFTA countries

• Total investment in South Carolina through July 2011 is over $5 billion

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employment“When you consider the technologies being developed in this area- aviation, automotive, energy, transportation,

software, medical and even lighting – you start to see how diverse the talent base is and why there’s always some

buzz going on here.”

– Mark Reilly, GE Energy

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Michelin North AmericaDedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle program.

• North American headquarters located in Greenville, S.C.

• Employs approximately 7,600

• Operates eight manufacturing facilities

With strong growth in manufacturing and other sectors,

Greenville expects to see several thousand jobs created

over the next several years. Recent announcements from

companies such as BMW, Proterra, First Quality Tissue, ZF Group, TD

Bank, Certus Bank and others mean that good opportunities will exist

for individuals with the right mix of skills and talent. With two highly-

renowned health systems, a wide assortment of financial institutions,

many professional service provider firms in the region, and more,

Greenville is poised to strongly compete as the nation recovers from

the recent downturn.

FAST FACTS• Forbes named Greenville as one of the top 5 places to weather the economic downturn • In 2010, economic development officials announced the creation of more than 6,000 new jobs in the Upstate region• Greenville continues to lead the nation in terms of engineering employment per capita 15

k-12“our experience with education in Greenville has been uniformly positive. We found schools that provided a

challenging and supportive educational environment to prepare our children for competitive higher education.”

– Dr. Paul Catalana, USC School of Medicine - Greenville

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Greenville values high-quality public education. The Greenville

County School District offers a wide variety of educational op-

portunities from the Fine Arts Center to the AJ Whittenberg

Elementary School for Engineering.

Greenville is a leader in “attendance by choice” programming with

the charter school movement. The many private and parochial schools,

as well as a strong homeschool support system, offer even more options.

Engaged learning is key to Greenville’s education success

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FAST FACTS• Greenville is the 50th largest school district in the nation, with almost 70,000 students attending 99 schools or centers• Greenville has more National Board certified teachers than 30 other states • Greenville is home to 40 Malcolm Baldrige Model Schools, 9 Newsweek top high schools, a top 15 Charter High School and a top 20 Catholic High School

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higher education“Greenville has the full formula for success – local

government, business leaders and education coming together to make things happen.”

– Keith Miller, Greenville Technical College

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Greenville is a community that values higher education. Every

year, new partnerships are forged that benefit both individuals

and businesses.

Clemson at the Falls: In early 2010, Clemson University relocated its

MBA program and several community outreach programs to downtown

Greenville. This Greenville presence allows for a very unique student

experience and a strong Clemson-Greenville relationship.

Furman University: One of the nation’s premier liberal arts colleges,

with a student body of 2,700 and a campus acclaimed for its beauty, Furman

offers an ideal setting to enhance scholarly activity, personal growth and

leadership development for a broad range of students with a passion for

learning.

University Center of Greenville: This consortium of eight higher

education institutions is dedicated to increasing access to educational

opportunities for Upstate citizens.

Greenville Technical College: The state’s flagship two-year

educational institution serves more than 15,000 academic and 21,000

continuing education students annually.

Greenville is also home to a burgeoning number of other higher educa-

tion institutions including Bob Jones University, Brown Mackie College,

ITT Tech, North Greenville University, Southern Wesleyan, University of

Phoenix - Greenville, USC Upstate - Greenville and Virginia College.

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Clemson University International Center

for Automotive Research

Phot

o/Fu

rman

Uni

vers

ity

Photo/Kevin Greene

FAST FACTS• Clemson University is a Top 25 Public Research University (2011 U.S.News&WorldReport), with the 2nd happiest students in the nation (2012 Princetonreview)• Furman University has the 4th Best Undergraduate Research Program in the nation (U.S.News&WorldReport)• 21 Upstate colleges and universities serve more than 71,000 students annually

• The Greenville / Upstate region has one of the highest concentrations of MBAs in the nation (Upstate SC Alliance)

Furman University graduates

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FAST FACTS• Bon Secours was recently rated as a

Leapfrog Top Hospital for patient safety

and quality

• Greenville Memorial Hospital has been

ranked in the top 50 U.S. hospitals in

5 specialties - Diabetes and Endocrine

Disorders, Digestive Disorders,

Heart & Heart Surgery, Neurology &

Neurosurgery and Orthopedics

• Greenville is home to Steadman

Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas,

focusing on orthopaedic injuries

• AARP ranked Greenville as the #2 place

to “Live the Simple Life”20

health & wellness“Greenville is a community where you have the

opportunity to live a healthy life. With plenty of outdoor activities available, healthy food options as well as a

strong health care and wellness system, newcomers will find ample opportunity to live well.”

– Eleanor Dunlap, LiveWell Greenville

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Maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle can be a challenge in

today’s hectic world, but our wide variety of outdoor rec-

reational opportunities is helping to mark Greenville as an

active and healthy community. Greenville has a growing reputation as a

community of cyclists, being home to the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

When out of balance though, there are good options to get you back

to where you need to be. With two major health care systems operating

in Greenville – Bon Secours St. Francis Health System and Greenville

Hospital System University Medical Center, residents have affordable,

easy access to physicians and other health professionals.

Greenville Memorial Hospital

Photo/City of Greenville

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New Medical School in Greenville

“I knew Greenville would be a great place for my

family, but I was delighted to find how beneficial it is

for my company as well. Greenville offers an active,

supportive business community that focuses on both

international development and local presence. Both

of those things are important to me. My company has

benefited greatly from direct contact with programs

at nearby universities. Greenville offers big city

opportunities with small-town charm. I wouldn’t want

to be anywhere else.”

– June Wilcox, President, The adec group

“I choose to live in Greenville because of the

wonderful terrain, great climate and comfortable

atmosphere. Several of my current and former

teammates have spent time here in Greenville, some

racing and some just visiting, and they have all been

very impressed with this area. It really is one of the

best areas in the country to ride a bike. Hundreds of

cyclists share that opinion and that’s why you see such

a great cycling community here in Greenville.”

– George Hincapie, Professional Cyclist

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"What I love most about Greenville is how it's packed

full of the unexpected. Whether it's a restaurant,

various art venues, or a world renowned performer

giving a show, Greenville always finds a way to

deliver it to you."

– Matt Harvey, Professional Dancer,

Carolina Ballet Theatre

4 Jobs

4 Nature

4 Education

4 Innovation

4 Economical

4 Eco-friendly

4 Great climate

4 Arts and culture

4 International airport

4 A vibrant downtown

4 Healthy communities

4 Support for businesses

4 A few hours to the beach

4 Minutes to lakes and mountains

final thought

The secret is out. In 2011 alone, Greenville was recognized as the following:

Top 15 Metro Area for Young Adults in the U.S. – Forbes Magazine

#1 MicroCity of the Future – FDi Intelligence

Top 10 Place to Live – RelocateAmerica

Best of the Best – The American Water Works Association’s Water

Taste Test

Top 18 Best Places to Live – Men’s Journal

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Photo/Mark Cuddihee Photography

We’re glad you’re th nking Greenville. We love it here and know you will too. Want to know more? Visit www.GreenvilleChamber.orgor call us toll free at 866-485-5262.

24 Cleveland Street Greenville, SC 29601 www.GreenvilleChamber.org

864.242.1050 | 866.485.5262