june 24, 2016 ubj

JUNE 24, 2016 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 26

TINY LOANS, BIG DIVIDENDSGroups like Nasha Lending and CommunityWorks have helped entrepreneurs like James Bennett realize huge dreams with microloans

Greenville Heritage Federal Credit Unioncelebrates 75-year milestone

Getting started in angel investing

How local banks are reaching outto millennials

THE FINANCE ISSUE

PLUS

06.24.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | INVESTING | 3

Greenville-based Sandlapper Securities LLC has launched a new venture, 1031 Replacement Property Solutions, and its website 1031RPS.com, as an online marketplace for investors to access available securitized 1031 replacement property options, primarily for use when executing a 1031 tax-deferred exchange.

An Internal Revenue Code §1031 exchange allows an investor of real property to defer any gains (or carry forward any losses), as well as any recapture of previous depreciation deductions when they dispose of such assets. The proceeds must be used to acquire new “like-kind” real property assets within a specific period of time and under certain conditions.

The exchange has long been a tool for real estate

and real property investors and business owners. “When you consider how quickly 40-plus percent

of any gains can be eroded when selling an asset through the payment of federal and state taxes and depreciation recapture, having the ability to ‘defer’ those obligations with a 1031 exchange becomes a monumental tool for investors to maximize and redeploy monies into new investments,” said Sand-lapper founder and CEO Trevor L. Gordon.

One of the major challenges of the 1031 exchange is the limited time in which “exchangers” need to find and acquire suitable replacements.

1031RPS provides exchangers access to real property solutions that are available and suitable for immediate identification in an exchange and imme-diate investment by accredited investors. Only those replacement property offerings that have gone

through Sandlapper’s internal quantitative and qualitative due diligence processes will be listed on the site, company officials said.

“We continue to see an increased need for replace-ment property choices, so this site was developed to provide access to a greater inventory of immediate opportunities and a vehicle to deliver property and offering-specific research and disclosure,” Gordon said.

Founded in 2005, Sandlapper Securities is the flagship firm in the Sandlapper Group of Companies and is an independent securities brokerage with registered representatives throughout the United States.

DAVID DYKES | [email protected]

Sandlapper Securities launches new venture

This building and land in Florida were acquired by Sandlapper Capital with the intent to resell it to 1031 investors. The building's tenant is a roofing company.

UBJ | 06.24.20164 | THE RUNDOWN | TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

“Investing should be more like watching paint dry or watching grass grow. If you want excitement, take $800 and go to Las Vegas.”

Paul Samuelson, Nobel Prize-winning economist, considered “the

father of modern economics.”

TBAWORTH REPEATING

“Munich is far away. It’s only logical that we would rely on the next closest plant,

which is in Spartanburg.” Page 11

“You have to rely on your faith … that this is what God has in store for you, holding on until it comes to fruition.”

Page 18

“A part of me wants to gag and roll my eyes a little when I hear the phrase ‘personal branding.’”

Page 26

VERBATIMA Vermont-based

family-friendly bowling alley, arcade and

birthday party venue may be coming soon to Greenville on Congaree Road, across from Dick

Smith Mitsubishi.

A pneumatic “exoskeleton” worn like a backpack supports a BMW employee’s arms and back as he bolts underbody panels and heat shields on vehicles in the automaker’s Spartanburg County plant. BMW led a group of more than 20 journalists from Europe, Central and South America and the Upstate on a tour of the plant last week, as a prelude to the groundbreaking for its new $1 billion facility in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Read more on page 11. Photo by Will Crooks

On choosing investments wisely

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 26

Featured this issue:Retail: Lululemon coming to downtown Greenville .......... 6Recap: Greenville Planning Commission June meeting .......... 23 Dealmakers: The month’s major CRE transactions ............. 25

“Investing should be more like watching paint dry or watching grass grow. If you want excitement, take $800 and go to Las Vegas.”

Paul Samuelson, Nobel Prize-winning economist, considered “the

father of modern economics.”

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National athletic apparel company lululemon athletica and Ra-leigh-Durham, N.C.-based restaurant Happy + Hale are both planning to open in storefront space along Main Street in Greenville’s West End this fall.

The popular clothing company will occupy 3,000 square feet of ground fl oor retail space at 600 S. Main St. in the new mixed-use project, Falls Park Place. The six-story project is located at the corner of Falls Park Drive and Main Street directly across from Falls Park and next door to the Subway restaurant.

Happy + Hale, which offers signature salads, bowls, wraps, made-to-order smoothies and fresh-pressed juice, will open in a 3,000-square-foot space adjacent to lululemon.

“We felt that Greenville was a perfect fi t for our concept,” said co-founder Tyler Helikson. “There’s a lot of great energy and movement in downtown Greenville.”

Helikson and co-founder Matt Whitley are both brand ambassadors for lululemon in the Raleigh area. When they heard lululemon was opening a

storefront on Main Street, it was a great opportunity to open Happy + Hale next to a “like-minded” brand, said Helikson.

The décor of Happy + Hale will be clean, fresh and modern, yet warm, said Helikson. The restaurant will be similar to other fast-casual concepts such as Chipotle where items such as salads can be customized.

Falls Park Place is slated to have 12,000 square feet of Class A offi ce space on two of the fl oors, a 5,300 square foot restaurant space with a wraparound terrace on the second fl oor, a rooftop terrace with a swimming pool and six high-end residential units.

lululemon currently has a showroom at 101 Falls Park Drive. That location will close once the full-size store is opened, said a company spokesperson.

As the opening date gets closer, lu-lulemon will post status updates on the progress on its local Facebook page, facebook.com/lululemongreenville.

For more information on Happy + Hale, visit happyandhale.com or follow the Twitter account @happyandhale.

6 | RETAIL | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

Lululemon, Happy + Hale plan Main Street store in GreenvilleSHERRY JACKSON | [email protected]

Preliminary renderings of the future Happy + Hale restaurant. Rendering by Raleigh Architecture Company

The interior of the Durham, NC Happy + Hale restaurant.

600 Main St. under construction.


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“The price of not investing in high-capacity Gigabit-plus networking will become steep as additional workloads that once resided only within the enterprise transition to the Cloud.”

- Ted Chamberlin, principal advisor and analyst for Custom Shop Strategies

Business goals realized in the Cloud

A “cloud ready” designed GIG+ network architecture better supports the higher-capacity requirements that come along with cloud workloads.

Big(ger) Data analytics

A GIG+ connection can move huge data sets faster without compromising the performance of other enterprise applications running on the same cloud platform.

Guard against BYOD network demands

Mobile device connectivity leads to unpredictable network demands. IPv6 deployment via a bandwidth-rich GIG+ connection ensures these shifting workloads are handled with ease.

*GIG+ Innovator Program benefits are subject to change. All content, images and logos used are owned or licensed by their respective owners or their affiliates. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as endorsement of Innovator’s products, services or company. ©2016 Charter Communications.® Restrictions apply. Services may not be available in all areas. Call or click for details.

Good things come to those who innovate

Integral Solutions Group is a full-service IT company specializing

in the design, integration and management of IT systems. Their team

of experts solve unique challenges for customers through innovation

and a holistic approach.

Net3 Technology has a unique service offering that combines cloud computing,

innovative development and tailored business solutions. With fiber networking,

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UBJ | 06.24.2016


Michael Kerski, the city of Greenville’s planning and develop-ment manager, is leaving and moving to Minnesota.

Kerski spent his 7 ½-year tenure at the city fi rst as the economic develop-ment manager for four years and then planning and development manager for the past 3 ½ years. His last day is scheduled for July 8.

He has accepted a position begin-ning July 25 in Shakopee, part of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area, as a planning and development director overseeing planning, engi-neering and building codes. He will receive $117,649 annually, according to the Shakopee Valley News.

“It’s a great career opportunity,” said Kerski. He added that he has enjoyed working with a great staff. Two ac-complishments he is proud of include

working with the neighborhood and development community on infi ll s t a n d a r d s and, during his time as economic de-v e l o p m e n t m a n a g e r , b r i n g i n g Proterra to Greenville.

N a n c y Whitworth, deputy city manager economic development, told UBJ the city is already advertising for a new planning manager, has a talented planning staff in place and will take the time to fi nd “the right person with the right skillset.”

“Michael has done a good job and we wish him well,” she said. “Greenville is an attractive place with a lot going on, and it will be a good opportunity for someone to come in and get into the thick of things.”

Caviar & Bananas, a gourmet market and café currently under construction on Laurens Street at ONE City Plaza next to the Aloft Hotel, announced this week it will be opening on Aug. 5.

The 4,700-square-foot space will have an outdoor seating area and will be open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. This is the fi rst Caviar & Bananas location that co-founders and owners Kris and Margaret Furniss will open outside of the Charleston market.

Similar to the Charleston stores, Caviar & Bananas Greenville will offer a selection of prepared and packaged goods, made-to-order salads and sandwiches, an espresso and tea bar, artisan pastries and baked goods, boutique wines and craft beers, a charcuterie and cheese counter and gourmet gift baskets. The store will also offer delivery.

Caviar & Bananas Greenville will also include a wine bar that features a selection of wines and a menu of small plate offerings that will be available during the afternoon and evening hours. This fall, Caviar & Bananas will launch their gourmet-to-go catering menu, which will be available for home or offi ce delivery

as well as in-store pick up. The menu will offer a selection of sig-nature hors d’oeuvres, entrees and sides for simple yet sophisticated weeknight dinners, offi ce lunches or special occasions.

The inspiration for the design of Caviar & Bananas Greenville comes from the store’s name itself, say the owners. “Caviar” symbolizes some-thing special, upscale and occasion-al, while “Bananas” symbolizes simplicity, warmth and the every-day. The material palette echoes this contrast, mixing tile, wood, steel, stone, concrete and stainless steel. The layout of the space weaves visitors through distinct “moments,” including dining areas, retail dis-plays and areas for mingling. Overall, the design is intended to create an uplifting space where the community comes together to access and enjoy outstanding food, beverages and service, the owners say.

In addition to the Greenville store, Caviar & Bananas plans to open a Nashville location in 2017. For more information, visit cavi-arandbananas.com or follow Caviar & Bananas on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

SHERRY JACKSON | [email protected]

Greenville planning and development manager leaving for Minnesota

Caviar & Bananas sets Aug. 5 opening

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | RETAIL / DEVELOPMENT | 9

864-233-5925 • www.cfgreenville.org

The Konduros family is following in their father’s footsteps by

using a Donor Advised Fund at the Community Foundation to support

charities that align with their passions.

Rendering by Powell Architects

SHERRY JACKSON | [email protected]

Michael Kerski

UBJ | 06.24.201610 | MANUFACTURING | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

BMW gives journalists an inside look at Spartanburg plant

BMW’s future growth in North America started at the front door of its largest manufacturing plant in the world last Wednesday.

The German automaker led a group of more than 20 journalists from Europe, Central and South America and the Upstate on a tour of its Spar-tanburg County plant.

Company officials showed off a range of new technologies used in the plant’s production and touted the facility’s importance in its global chain as part of the build up for the groundbreaking last week of its new $1 billion plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

“What better way to demonstrate the impact of what we anticipate [to see in Mexico] than to show what we’ve ac-complished in Spartanburg?” said Kenn Sparks, a spokesman for BMW of North America. “There were some who questioned BMW’s decision to build its first plant outside of Bavaria in the Upstate. I think that decision has been validated.”

A new line of “collaborative” robots

worked alongside BMW associates who were assembling doors in the plant’s Assembly North facility — the birth-place of its popular X3 and new X4.

“Autonomous,” or driverless, mate-rials-handling vehicles fueled by hy-drogen delivered parts to specific loca-tions on the assembly line.

A pneumatic “exoskeleton” worn like a backpack supported one employee’s arms and back as he bolted underbody panels and heat shields on vehicles as they rolled down the line above his head. A full-body version could be implemented soon.

Frank Pochiro, assembly planner for BMW Manufacturing Co., said several technologies are being tested through-out the 5.6 million-square-foot plant.

“I see endless potential for helping with employee fatigue,” said Richard Morris, vice president of project inte-gration for BMW Manufacturing Co. “I would expect to see this technology used at other facilities, including Mexico.”

After the plant tour, the group of journalists took a flight out of Green-ville-Spartanburg International Airport directly to San Luis Potosí, where they

heard presentations from Mexican automotive indus-try officials.

The group included Fausto Cuevas, director of the Asociación Mexicana de la Industria Automotriz (AMIA); Gustavo Puente, secretary of economic de-velopment for San Luis Potosí; and Armando Cortés, coordinator of au-tomotive and auto parts for ProMéxico.

Cuevas said Mexico is the fourth largest exporter of automobiles in the world behind Germany, Japan and the United States. The automotive industry accounts for more than 14 percent of jobs in Mexico’s manufacturing sector.

Companies including Ford, GM, Kia, Honda, Mazda, Volkswagen, Nis-san-Daimler, Audi and others have manufacturing plants in Mexico. BMW will soon join that list.

Cortés said 7 percent of the world’s vehicle production, or 3.58 million units, comes from Mexico.

Puente said he anticipates that figure will grow to more than 5 million by 2020. And, by 2022, BMW’s presence along with its suppliers will help create up to 50,000 jobs in the state of San Luis Potosí.

The biggest challenge, Puente said, will be training and retaining talent. He said the main metro area of San Luis Potosí boasts 60 colleges and technical schools. The state has 107, and each one will be a partner in helping to develop the area’s workforce.

Cuevas said he believes landing a luxury automaker like BMW will help raise median incomes and increase opportunities for residents of the state.

“[Automotive manufacturing] is the main industry in Mexico,” Cuevas said. “The premium product that BMW will produce will have a massive impact. It changed the society in Spartanburg. I expect to see the same here.”

TREVOR ANDERSON | [email protected]

photo Will C

rooks / Staff

06.24.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | MANUFACTURING | 11

BMW breaks ground on new plant in Mexico

BMW’s Spartanburg County plant will play a key role in helping to establish the Germany-based automaker’s second plant in North America.

BMW Group and Mexican officials broke ground Thursday, June 16, at the site of the company’s new $1 billion manufacturing plant in San Luis Potosí about 250 miles north of its national headquarters in Mexico City.

The plant, which is anticipated to begin production in 2019, will produce BMW’s popular 3 Series sedan, create jobs for 1,500 people and manufacture about 150,000 vehicles per year.

Oliver Zipse, BMW Group’s board of management member for production, said the plant in Mexico will not compete with, but complement the Spartanburg plant, meaning it will not pull jobs away from the Upstate in favor of cheaper labor in Mexico.

And some employees of the Mexico plant will be trained in Spartanburg during the next three years.

“The X models produced in Spartan-burg are in very high demand,” Zipse said. “The [types of vehicles] that will be made in Mexico are completely dif-ferent, but are also in high demand, especially in the U.S. I would be very relaxed about [the possibility of Amer-ican jobs going to Mexico].”

Hermann Bohrer, head of the BMW plant San Luis Potosí, said many of the technologies and production processes that will be employed at his facility are already being put into practice in Spartanburg.

“Munich is far away,” Bohrer said. “It’s only logical that we would rely on the next closest plant, which is in Spartanburg.”

Like its North American big brother, the plant in Mexico will be a full assem-bly plant with a paint shop and body shop.

The automaker said the plant will be state-of-the-art, powered by renewable energy from solar and wind power, and consuming the least amount of water per vehicle in its production network.

It will boast the first paint shop with zero process wastewater, and it will recycle and reuse sanitary wastewater, the company said.

The plant will have rail access and its vehicles will be shipped worldwide. BMW is exploring shipping options via ports on both the east and west coasts of Mexico.

“The direct impact on our country will be huge,” said Juan Manuel Carre-ras-López, governor of San Luis Potosí.

BMW hopes to have 150 employees hired for the plant by September and 90 apprentices by the end of the year.

The company said about 500 of the plant’s 1,500 employees will receive their training in Munich. The rest will be trained in Spartanburg.

“A whole process starts when BMW decides to build a plant,” said Glenn Schmidt, head of government and ex-ternal affairs for BMW’s Americas region. “Spartanburg is a role model for this plant in Mexico. Both are a part of a larger strategy for the NAFTA region ... There is tremendous potential here.”

TREVOR ANDERSON | [email protected]

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UBJ | 06.24.201612 | COVER | FOCUS ON FINANCE

Got a big small-business idea? A microloan might be the answerMELINDA YOUNG | [email protected]

Small businesses that have difficulty obtaining a bank loan or entrepreneurs with an idea that just needs a little funding might find help with a microloan — a short-term, very small (averaging $13,000) loan at a low interest rate, generally between 8 and 13 percent.

In the Upstate, there are a variety of resources for small businesses, but two organizations, Nasha Lending and Community Works, make microloans to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Upstate Business Journal asked them to describe what they do.

COMMUNITYWORKS Deborah McKetty, founder, president and CEO

When did your organization begin? We opened our doors in 2008 as a housing trust

fund and have since evolved into a nonprofit Com-munity Development Financial Institution (CDFI), committed to building a brighter future for under-

served families and communities through financial education, lending and investing.

CW launched the microbusiness loan program in 2012 in response to an identified need that high-lighted a significant gap in financing for underserved entrepreneurs and microbusiness owners.

As a certified CDFI, CommunityWorks is a spe-cialized financial institution that works in markets that are underserved by traditional financial insti-tutions. We are focused on community development activities that rebuild distressed and neglected communities through a variety of lending, invest-ment, social support and educational activities.

We provide a unique range of financial products and services in economically distressed target markets, such as microbusiness financing for low-in-come entrepreneurs and businesses owned by en-trepreneurs of color, financing for affordable housing developers, organizations working to construct and preserve community facilities in neighborhoods

targeted for redevelopment, flexible under-writing and technical assistance for entre-preneurs looking to build their business skills.

What are your total loans? Who do you fund?

Since 2012, CW has closed 100 loans to local businesses, totaling $1.9 million. Our typical microbusiness borrower is an Afri-can-American owner with an average per-sonal income of $35,000, or 60 percent area median income. Our total portfolio is rep-resentative of our target market: 61 percent are African-American, 32 percent are white, 5 percent are Hispanic/Latino and 2 percent are multiethnic. Over 60 percent of Afri-can-American borrowers are female.

What type of microloans do you make?

In 2015, our average microloan amount was $18,870 … We made 39 loans totaling $735,963 in 2015. More than 70 percent of our businesses are owned by minorities, and 60 percent are owned by women. We lend to a variety of businesses. We have funded salons, cross-fit gyms, home health care providers, restaurants, chiropractors and even a chocolatier, just to name a few.

We specialize in providing business fi-nancing to business owners who are under-served and may not qualify for a business loan from traditional lenders due to just getting started, credit challenges or simply

not needing as much as the minimum that larger institutions can lend. Larger banks and financial institutions will not typically provide loans for less than $200,000 because these loans are not profit-able. CW lends up to $50,000.

What percentage of money lent has been repaid?

Ninety-three percent of the portfolio is making payments towards their loan.

Why is this important for the Upstate business community?

We receive more than 20 calls a week from entre-preneurs seeking financing through loan or startup equity through our microbusiness IDA program. Microbusinesses, or entrepreneurs with fewer than five employees, are crucial for developing a vibrant and balanced economy in the Upstate. We have found that there continues to be a lack of access to safe, affordable loan capital for microbusinesses in the Upstate.

During their review of states, the Corporation for Enterprise Development continued to rank South Carolina as one of the worst states for small business development and job creation. Minority, female and low-wealth businesses are particularly threatened by these factors. Not only do minorities in South Carolina own businesses at a lower rate than in 36 other states, but the value of minority-owned busi-nesses is far less than those owned by whites. Addi-tionally, gender disparity in South Carolina is among the worst in the Southeast, with men owning busi-nesses at a rate 1.4 times higher than women. Women- and minority-owned businesses in South Carolina are least able to access capital to start business or to have adequate capital to grow. Typi-cally these entrepreneurs have little or no collateral and do not qualify for loans from traditional finan-cial institutions due to poor credit, stricter under-writing guidelines and smaller loan requests than larger banks typically fund.

For more information, visit communityworkscarolina.org

Deborah McKetty, founder, president and CEO of CommunityWorks


NASHA LENDING Taylor Beard, director

When did your organization begin? Nasha Lending made its first loan in 2009 through Grace

Church. We became a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit under the auspices of Mill Community Ministries in 2014.

What type of microloans do you make? Nasha Lending makes loans up to $5,000 to entrepreneurs

for the use of purchasing business-critical supplies (e.g., an in-dustrial mixer for a baker). We are looking for under-resourced entrepreneurs who cannot get a loan from a typical lending institution.

What are your total loans? We have loaned $40,125 since 2009.

What percentage of money lent has been repaid? Fifty-two percent of the money has been repaid.

Why is this important for the Upstate business community?

Microloans and business training provide opportunities for individuals to start businesses and contribute to the greater economy. Microloans, in particular, are a way for entrepreneurs to explore a business idea without becoming over-indebted and build their business slowly from the ground up. They provide new opportunities for people without a strong financial back-ground to build a track record of wise financial management, which is particularly useful when applying for larger loans, es-pecially from banks.

Microloans coupled with business and financial training address three critical needs of entrepreneurs in our community: lack of startup capital, lack of relationships with subject matter experts and lack of knowledge in critical areas (financial, legal, etc.).

The Upstate business community has an expansive network of talented people with exciting ideas. Our goal at Nasha Lending is to connect entrepreneurs with the knowledge and people who can make their businesses successful.

Is there anything else about your organization that you would like to say?

There are several quality lending and entrepreneurial insti-tutions in the Upstate. We are fortunate to live in a community that is supportive of businesses and excited by new ideas. Nasha Lending is unique, because we seek to bridge the gap between the mainstream business sector and our local community entre-preneurs.

We provide microloans and business training, yes, but we also bring in speakers to our classes, and each week we eat dinner together. These meals, though simple, are a way for our clients to connect to one another, share ideas, give feedback and build valuable relationships for the present and future. With our speakers, they have an opportunity to speak with entrepreneurs who have been in their shoes and know the unique challenges of starting and running a business.

It's the relationships that make the difference in business. No entrepreneur succeeds on his or her own, and we hope to be a small part of the story for many of the Upstate's local entrepreneurs.

For more information, visit nashalending.com

FOCUS ON FINANCE | COVER | 13

Taylor Beard, director of Nasha Lending

UBJ | 06.24.2016

The 2008 financial crisis left the U.S. economy stunned. Banks had issued too much money too fast, which created increased housing prices and financial speculation. That ultimately led to a decline in lending from financial institutions.

Small businesses were greatly affected, as they rely on access to credit and depository institutions for financial needs. In fact, small business loans decreased from $659 billion in 2008 to $543 billion in 2011, according to the Small Business Adminis-tration.

In 2009, Greenville’s Grace Church decided to change that. It started Nasha Lending, a nonprofit that col-lects funds from investors and issues those funds as microloans up to $5,000 to under-resourced entrepreneurs.

“Microloans are so important, because they provide the startup capital that some businesses need,” said Nasha Lending director Taylor Beard. “They also help reach populations that are excluded from mainstream financial sectors, which can also help the com-munity. The typical client is a woman with a family. Most are communi-ty-minded and want to help other families. So these loans have a trick-le-down effect of sorts.”

The name derives from the Hebrew word “nasha,” which means, “to lend.”

Entrepreneurs must complete an online application, create an action plan and participate in a 10-week business class. The nonprofit selects entrepreneurs based on their business model, personality and the amount of funds needed.

“We’re really building a relationship with the entrepreneurs,” said Beard. “So you’ve got to be good for us, too. A good personality is a huge aspect of the vetting process. They should be full of that entrepreneurial spirit.”

In 2010, the nonprofit issued its first loan of $1,800 to Banana Manna, a Greenville-based banana bread busi-ness. The business purchased nutri-tional information and pricing labels.

“Nasha is saving grace,” said owner Chancey Lindsey-Park. “I’m talking to Whole Foods about carrying my bread, and that loan is going to save me a lot of money if it happens.”

Nasha Lending partnered with Kiva Zip in 2012. The crowd-funding plat-form hosts about 1.3 million lenders.

Since then, the nonprofit has issued loans to 11 en-trepreneurs.

The no-interest loans are paid off in one to three years, according to Beard. Nasha Lending lowers the payments to ensure repayment if entrepreneurs struggle to pay off the loan. The loan is written off if the business fails. If repaid, the funds are re-loaned to another entrepreneur.

CURATING ENTREPRENEURSHIP Beard joined Nasha Lending in 2011. She had just

graduated from Furman University and had an interest in human rights and social justice. In addi-tion to overseeing the microloan program, Beard decided to plan for the future of Greenville.

She established a 10-week project-based learning class, held from June 1 to August 12, to teach entre-preneurial skills and business basics to local students. The first class consisted of four students who started their own businesses.

In 2012, Beard reached out to Mill Village Farms in the Village of West Greenville. The farm had just started its youth development program for at-risk youth. Beard assembled a group of nine students and had them start a business using produce from the farm. The students worked at the farm four days week and learned business basics once a week.

“We know all of our students might not want to be entrepreneurs,” Beard said. “But we want them to be able to think like entrepreneurs, because we know those skills last for the rest of their lives.”

In 2014, the class was restructured as Nasha Lending joined an outreach program in the Village of West Greenville — Mill Community Ministries.

The program, an affiliate of Grace Church, also includes Mill Village Farms and The Village Wrench.

“We always had the idea that Nasha would outgrow the walls of Grace Church. It really served as an incubator for both the program and myself. It offered that safe place to grow, some-where we didn’t have to launch on our own without a plan,” Beard said.

The transition attracted more stu-dents to the class and a new proj-ect-based curriculum. Now, students develop joint products with local businesses that act as mentors. Past mentors include Banana Manna, Swift Prints and The Village Wrench.

LEARNING THE ROPESIn April, Beard decided it was time

to help aspiring adult entrepreneurs learn the ins and outs of the business world. She started the Business Entre-preneur Academy, which quickly at-tracted 10 Greenville-based entrepre-neurs, both new and seasoned.

The program, which is held from April 18 to June 27, uses a curriculum founded by LAUNCH, an entrepre-neurial advocacy organization in Chattanooga, Tenn. It features lessons about business models, customer service, marketing, budgets and more.

“This class has been so helpful, es-pecially the lessons about marketing. I didn’t do so well with that before,” said Julie Maddox, owner of Benji Bars. “I learned that it’s not about taking a leap into the unknown. It’s about un-derstanding how to present your product to the customers in a way that’s unique and efficient.”

In addition to its educational value, the program allows Beard to determine if an entrepreneur has enough of an education and business plan to receive

14 | COVER | FOCUS ON FINANCE

ANDREW MOORE | [email protected]

Nasha Lending’s microloans curate local entrepreneurship

$5,000 and a dream

Taylor Beard, director of Nasha Lending


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a microloan. The nonprofit previously used a selection committee to deter-mine the issuance of loans.

The classes are held at Textile Hall, a shared workspace that has become a hub for local entrepreneurs. Beard and her colleagues from Mill Community Ministries began planning the building at 582 Perry Ave. in the Village of West Greenville in 2012. It opened in April.

“It’s a space meant to hold individ-ual businesses, but we wanted a place where entrepreneurs could connect and help one another. Those connections just don’t happen unless entrepreneurs are in close proximity to one another,” Beard said.

Textile Hall also houses Nasha Lending’s other programs. The non-profit offers a “faith and finances” class in the fall that explores God’s role in financial decisions. It also offers a “lunch and learn” session that features

a local entrepreneur who shares busi-ness advice.

The next lunch and learn, which is free and open to the public, is on June 28. It will feature Andrew Smart of Duke’s Manufacturing in Easley.

Nasha Lending plans to close the summer with its annual shark tank competition at the Phillis Wheatley Community Center on July 21. Local entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to a panel of judges, and the winner is awarded a cash prize.

The competition started last year. Greenville resident Willie Benjamin was awarded $1,000 for his printing and embroidery concept, Benji’s Prints.

“All of our programs build a solid foundation for aspiring entrepreneurs,” said Beard. “We want to be the place that launches people into entrepreneur-ship.”

Read more about the Banana Manna success story at upstatebusinessjournal.com.


UBJ | 06.24.2016

For 75 years, Greenville Heritage Federal Credit Union has grown along with Greenville

Community assets

SCOTT PFEIFFER | CONTRIBUTOR

On March 29, 1941, seven employees of the City of Greenville pooled their savings and formed one of the first federal credit unions in the Upstate. The Greenville City Employees Federal Credit Union was chartered under the relatively new Federal Credit Union Act of 1934, a vital piece of New Deal legis-lation aimed at helping ordinary people improve their lives by combining their savings and making loans to neighbors and co-workers. Today, Greenville Heritage Federal Credit Union has more than 12,000 members and continues the work its founders began 75 years ago.

Credit unions differ from banks in important ways. Forming a bank requires a significant fund of capital, raised from investors. In the 1930s, such capital was scarce, and banks were failing. Credit unions have no shareholders and require no starting capital; they are financial cooperatives of the depositors them-selves. Banks are for-profit institutions, operated for the benefit of their shareholders. Credit unions are

nonprofit associations, operated for the benefit of their depositors. Banks, historically, focus on deliv-ering profitable services to the wealthy and to businesses. Credit unions are focused more on the common worker.

FROM DEPRESSION TO WWII TO COLD WAR

South Carolina was no exception to the struggles of the Depression. Four Greenville banks had closed their doors between 1926 and 1931. By 1941, however, South Carolina was beginning to recover as a result of successful New Deal programs that were putting people to work.

Only nine months after the city employees char-tered their credit union, the Empire of Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II. The war increased demand for cotton and textiles, and South Carolina’s economy boomed. By the end of the 1940s, the credit union had expanded from the original seven depositors to 271.

The city, and the credit union, continued to grow through the Cold War era. In the early 1970s, B.F. Dillard, one of the original seven founders who had managed the credit union part-time while remaining a city employee, retired. The credit union’s first full-time manager, Mildred Julian, replaced him. Julian managed the credit union for the nearly 20 years. During that time, the credit union grew to over 2,000 members.

A MERGER TO SERVE BOTH CITY AND COUNTY

From its inception in 1941 until the mid-'90s, the credit union was located in City Hall and primarily served city workers. In the mid-'90s, the Greenville, S.C. City Employees Federal Credit Union merged with the Greenville County Federal Credit Union and began to serve both city and county employees. The credit union left City Hall and opened offices on Reedy View Drive and at County Square. The core membership remained the city and county

Greenville City Employees Federal Credit Union chartered. Nine months later Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor; USA enters World War II.

March 29, 1941Credit union reaches 1,000 members and $1 million in assets and hires its first full-time manager, Mildred Julian.

1970sCredit union expands its membership beyond city employees.

1981Credit union exceeds 2,000 members and $5 million in assets and hires its second full-time manager, Judith Raines

1980s Credit union leaves its original offices in City Hall and opens a new office at 75 Reedy View Drive.

199475 years with Greenville Heritage Federal Credit Union

16 | MILESTONE | A TRIBUTE TO OUR LONG-LASTING ENTERPRISES


administrative workers, police officers, firefighters and sanitation workers that were the backbone of the community.

The credit union changed again in 2002. Taking advantage of new laws that expanded the availabil-ity of credit union membership, the credit union changed from a “Select Employee Group,” serving only employees of Greenville City and County, to a “Community Charter,” open to serving all citizens who live, work or worship in Greenville County.

Alan Berry, the current president, was hired in 2007 — only the third full-time manager of the credit union in its 75 years. Under his leadership, the credit union has grown from just over 7,000 members to nearly 13,000, has moved its headquarters into the beautifully restored old Employment Security Commission building from 1951 on Washington Street, and operates four branches.

The credit union continues to serve the original mission of its founders, however, “the core of our

customers remain those police officers, municipal workers and firefighters that the City and County Credit Unions served originally,” said Berry.

GIVING BACKAlong with being a cooperative association of

members comes an obligation of service. Berry takes this obligation seriously.

“There is a significant service element to what we do,” Berry said. As a nonprofit, the credit union can offer members better loan and interest rates. “No bank can touch us” on interest rates, said Berry.

The credit union offers free financial education to members. “We don’t just make a credit decision on your credit score, and if that score is below 660, too bad. We take the time to educate our members about the need for good credit, the difficulties of bad credit and, more importantly, how to improve their credit score,” Berry said.

The credit union also takes seriously its respon-sibility to give back to Greenville, its home. Greenville

Heritage FCU partners with The Children’s Miracle Network and the local Shriner’s hospital, gives to the Cancer Center of Greenville County and Miracle Hill, and is the named sponsor of Greenville’s lon-gest-running and most successful event, Main Street Fridays, according to Tina Ray, the credit union’s marketing director.

Greenville Heritage FCU has taken great pains to reach out to and serve Greenville’s most vulnerable. The credit union has earned both the “low-income designation,” which requires more than 50 percent of its membership to have a family income of 80 percent or less of the median family income for the area, and certification as a Community Development Financial Institution.

“We’re always looking for ways to give back to Greenville and serve our members,” Ray said.

For 75 years, the Greenville Heritage Federal Credit Union has succeeded.

Current president and CEO Alan Berry hired as full-time manager.

2007Credit union ends decade with nearly 8,000 members and $36 million in assets.

2010Credit union purchases and renovates old Employment Security Commission building as new headquarters.

2014GHFCU celebrates its Diamond Anniversary with nearly 13,000 members and more than $88 million in assets.

2016Merges with Greenville County FCU, The combined credit union ended 1996 with 3,685 members and nearly $12 million in assets.

1996Changes name to Greenville Heritage FCU and expands its membership to all who live, work or worship in Greenville County.

2001-2002

A TRIBUTE TO OUR LONG-LASTING ENTERPRISES | MILESTONE | 17

The credit union’s original 1941 charter

GHFCU’s former Reedy View Drive location

The Board of Directors in 2002

Mildred Julian, the credit union’s first full-time manager, handles some housekeeping.

W.D. Ables (left) makes a presentation to B.F. Dillard, one of the credit union organizers

One of James Bennett’s memories from his childhood is of helping his father get up when he fell on the floor as multiple sclerosis slowed down the elder Bennett and impaired his mobility.

“Especially during the summer months, it’d get real hot, and we couldn’t take him outside, because he’d get so worn out and couldn’t move,” Bennett says.

Bennett spent much of his youth helping his mother care for his father and for a sickly grandparent. The extended family rallied and helped with caregiving as well as they could, but the experience left a big impres-sion on Bennett. It showed him that people, especial-ly those who lack the aunts and uncles who helped his family, could have a hard time keeping sick loved ones at home. Bennett never forgot this, even as he was getting on with his life as a Clemson University student and in his professional career in the manufacturing food industry.

This idea came back to him, years later. He was in his mid-30s and had a family, along with more than a decade of experience in business operations. Bennett prayed about his next career step and decided to launch, in July 2011, his own company, Upstate Home Care Solutions.

“I wanted to help folks who needed assistance in their homes,” Bennett says. “I understood there would be a growing need for people to have help at home as the baby boom population grows older.”

Bennett’s goals were to give people nonmedical, in-home assistance, such as personal hygiene, respite care and other services, in a cost-effective way.

“We focus on activities of daily living, bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping,” he says.

FAITH IN THE FUTUREBennett, 39, had the passion and resilience to make

this work. For instance, Bennett worked four jobs during the startup’s early years, including weekdays managing his new enterprise, 12-hour weekend shifts at BMW, floor scrubbing at a mall and nighttime janitor work at a dialysis center. He made sure he spent time with his family of four, even it meant bringing his wife and

daughters with him when he cleaned buildings at night.“For a while, you have to grind it out and do what

you have to do to make things flow,” Bennett says. “You have to rely on your faith, believe this is going to take off and that this is what God has in store for you, holding on until it comes to fruition.”

Starting out, Bennett used his retirement funds, as he had been saving the maximum amount in his company-sponsored 401(k) retirement plan for more than a decade. He was willing to take the tax penalty.

But there was one hitch in his startup plans: “Mar-keting and sales is where I lack a little,” Bennett says, adding that he needed additional funding that he was unable to obtain through a bank because of his lack of business history.

Then Bennett heard about CommunityWorks and its microloans for small businesses, particularly for minority-owned businesses.

Bennett applied for a microloan and received $15,000, which he used to hire a marketing group to develop a brochure, sales plan and strategy. The loan, which he plans to have paid off by the end of this year, was much needed, he says.

“Every year since we’ve been in business, the company has doubled in size,” Bennett says. “We’ve had tremen-dous growth and now have 85 employees, and we serve the Upstate, including Greenville, Spartanburg, An-derson, Prosperity and Blacksburg.”

Gross revenues could top $1 million this year, and future plans could take the business statewide, Bennett

says.Upstate Home Care Solutions’ job growth over

the past five years led CommunityWorks to give Bennett an Excellence in Entrepreneurship Eco-nomic Impact Award on June 21.

Bennett’s business’s rapid growth exemplifies how people who might not have access to tradi-tional means of capital can succeed and grow their business with help from a microloan, says Archie Johnson, small business lending manager for CommunityWorks.

“It is incredibly rewarding to watch this process from start to finish,” Johnson says.


CommunityWorks microloan helps propel home care company to staff of 85MELINDA YOUNG | [email protected]

Microbusiness Month Award WinnersCommunityWorks gave Excellence in Entrepreneurship awards to seven Upstate entrepreneurs on June 21, 2016, for their success after launching their businesses with help from microloans from CommunityWorks. James Bennett, owner of Upstate Home Care Solutions, received the Economic Impact Award.

Other winners: Unsung Hero Award: Dee Johnson, Au Courant InteriorsLeadership Award: Charlotte Brown, Fresh Vibes Up and Coming Award: David Saidat, Cocobon Chocolatier Community Impact Award: Dondre Simpson, New Age Health Fastest-Growing Award: Justin Smith, Crossfit Greenwood Business IDA Award: Deborah Sullivan, Consign Werks

James Bennett launched Upstate Home Care Solutions with the help of a $15,000 microloan from CommunityWorks.

06.24.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com FOCUS ON FINANCE | COVER | 19

Investing in startups is not for the faint of heart. These businesses are just beginning to develop, and their expenses typically exceed their revenue. In fact, most of them will fail.

But you could find yourself sitting on a goldmine. Case in point: Andy Bechtolsheim, co-founder of Sun Microsystems. He invested about $100,000 in Google just months after founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin created the tech giant in their garage.

Bechtolsheim is now worth about $3 billion. That could be you.

Digital innovation has opened countless doors to startup investment opportunities across the nation and in the local community. But it’s all about pursu-ing the right idea. And an individual needs to under-stand the basics of a startup to do that.

At its earliest stage, a startup is a business that is only an idea. It has no market-ready product, cus-tomer base or revenue stream, and it is usually funded by its founders or their friends and family. That idea is then researched and developed and tested, ideally with paying customers.

Startups can then pitch their business to angel investors after becoming operational and establishing a revenue stream. These investors provide capital to startups in exchange for equity in the business. Angel funding typically ranges from $100,000 to $1,000,000.

Startups can attract more funding from a venture capital firm if they can demonstrate rapid traction and revenue growth. These firms usually invest several million dollars for a substantial (but minority) equity stake.

Angel investors typically exit their investments when the company is sold to a strategic buyer (a larger company in the industry), or in increasingly rare occasions, through an initial public offering.

SO YOU WANT TO INVEST IN A STARTUP?

Rolling the dice means you’re going to be contrib-uting to job creation and capital formation. And you could get high returns. But there are some things to consider.

The first consideration is wealth. Individuals were once required to have an annual income of at least $200,000 or a minimum net worth of $1 million before investing in a startup. The Securities Exchange Commission established that accreditation rule in 1982.

However, the commission modified that rule in May (based on the 2012 JOBS Act). Now, non-ac-credited individuals can invest in startups through online crowd-funding sites such as FlashFunders, NextSeed and SeedInvest. However, there are strict limitations.

Before injecting money into a startup, there are some front-end objectives every first-time investor needs to handle. First, you’ll need to consider whether or not you’re seeking a return based on investment or involvement.

After that, you should consider how much money you’re willing to invest over a period of time, because you’ll need to diversify across several startups due to the high failure rates.

Finally, you need to think about your relationship to the company and how you want to be involved. That determines how informed you are.

KNOW THE RISKS — AND REWARDSOnce you’ve set your objectives, you need to get

educated. Part of that education is learning the risks associated with startup investments.

Approximately 500,000 small businesses are started across the nation every year. About half of them fail in the first five years, according to the Small Business Administration.

So the odds of receiving a return are equivalent to flipping a coin. That fact probably leaves you thinking, “Why should I invest in a startup?”

“If you’re disciplined, diversified and patient, angel studies show you can expect to generate a 20-plus percent rate of return on your money, which is roughly double historical returns in the public markets,” said Matt Dunbar, managing director of the Upstate Carolina Angel Network.

FIND YOUR INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

Once educated, you’ll need to find startups to invest in. Online portals not only offer non-accredited in-vestors educational resources but also help them identify eligible startups for investment. Accredited investors can consult an angel network — a profes-sionally managed group of angel investors that sources and structures startup investments and provides educational resources to new investors.

The South Carolina Angel Network operates several groups across the state, including the Upstate Caro-lina Angel Network in Greenville, the Electric City Angels in Anderson and the Spartanburg Angels in Spartanburg.

“Angel groups allow you to find investment oppor-tunities in or near your local market while giving you a chance to get to know the companies and entrepre-neurs much more intimately than a public market investment,” said Dunbar. “Investing in local startups helps attract entrepreneurs who create new jobs and wealth, ultimately improving the quality of life and economic vitality in the community.”

Before investing, you need to evaluate several aspects of the startup: the team, market, technology and business model. These are critical to success.

After you’ve invested in a startup, start looking for another one. Diversifying your portfolio is essential for making money in startups, because so many fail.

“You have to swing at enough good pitches to hit home runs that make up for the strikeouts,” Dunbar said.

Angel investors can add significant value to the startup after investing by using their experience,

expertise and connections to help the company succeed. That guidance combined with the entrepre-neur’s skill and dedication can attract a buyer.

Once the company exits, the entrepreneurs and investors are then well positioned to create and invest in more startups, building momentum in a virtuous cycle that can have a long-term impact in the com-munity.

Matt Dunbar contributed to this article. He is the co-founder of the South Carolina Angel Network and managing director of the Upstate Carolina Angel Network.

ANDREW MOORE | [email protected]

How to become an angel investor Risky business

4 TIPS ON CHOOSING A STARTUP

EVALUATE THE PRODUCT BEING OFFERED. The startup’s product should have some defensible competitive advantage, and its market should be large and growing. Most importantly, you should talk to customers and determine if and why the market will adopt the startup’s product. You should also examine the competition and the startup’s other competitive advantages.

CONSIDER THE STAGE OF THE BUSINESS AND ITS FINANCES. You want to choose startups that are ready to enter the market, and you should investigate how it plans to spend your money. And while you can’t rely on five-year projections, you can ensure the startup has a scalable model with attractive unit economics. Also, you need to review the amount being raised and how fast it’s being spent, because the No. 1 job of the startup is not to run out of cash.

PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE JOCKEY, NOT THE HORSE. The startup has to be led by a person with the right skills, motivations and aspirations. The founder should be resourceful, trustworthy, determined, creative and persistent. The entrepreneur’s ability to build the right team is also critical.

EXAMINE THE STRUCTURE OF THE DEAL. In order to generate returns commensurate with the risk of investing in a startup, you’ll need to make sure you pay the appropriate price. Startup valuations are an art rather than a science, but you want to structure the investment so as to have the possibility of generating a 50 percent rate of return (to make up for the inevitable strikeouts).


Mobile banking last year outpaced branch banking for the fi rst time, research shows, and local bankers say the crossover illustrates the broader trend of digital channel engagement.

Mobile banking, smartphone and tablet use are all growing rapidly.

In the last fi ve years, adoption of mobile banking and smartphones has more than doubled, while that of tablets increased roughly 8.5 times, according to a report earlier this year by Javelin Strategy and Research.

“Mobile is on a growth path to unseat PCs to become the ‘fi rst screen’ through which bank cus-tomer interact with and judge their primary fi nancial institution (FI),” said Daniel Van Dyke, a Javelin mobile analyst. “FIs will need to continue to innovate to outpace this increasing mobile banking adoption.”

FASTEST-GROWING CHANNELSmartphone-engaged millennials — those ages

18 to 34 who mostly use the technology to pay for things, get loans and more — are a key part of the shift.

Banks have been scrambling to keep up. It’s not a glimpse of the future, local bankers say. It’s here now, they insist.

At Wells Fargo, research shows 72 percent of millennials use mobile devices for banking.

That compares with about 50 percent for older Gen Xers and 19 percent for baby boomers.

Yet the research also shows 63 percent of millen-nials use bank branches. That compares with 68 percent of Gen Xers and 69 percent of boomers.

Research also shows more than 75 percent of the bank’s deposit customers interacted with a banker or a teller at least once within a recent six-month period, said Justin Hawkins, Wells Fargo’s area president for the Upstate.

Mobile is the fastest growing channel within the company, and Wells Fargo now has more than 16

million mobile banking customers, Hawkins said.The bank is responding with “click for care” that

connects a customer needing help with a bank representative who by phone can assist as part of a seamless experience, he said.

Wells Fargo also has a digital innovation lab that collaborates with the company’s lines of business to ask how can digital technology make banking simpler and more convenient, Hawkins said.

Later this year, Wells Fargo will pilot a feature allowing customers to withdraw cash from an ATM using a mobile phone instead of an ATM card, he said.

“Our decisions and our ideas are actually born locally,” Hawkins said. “The landscape of banking is changing on multiple fronts.”

REACHING EVERYBODYThe banks, however, aren’t ignoring older demo-

graphics.“Our view is it’s not delineated toward millennials,”

Lynn Harton, president and chief operating offi cer of United Community Banks Inc. and its subsidiary bank, United Community Bank, said of changes in the consumer banking industry.

“It’s just everybody.”He pointed to a Brunswick, Ga., branch that bank

offi cials acquired and considered closing.The offi ce, which catered to many older and retired

customers with checking and savings accounts, mortgages, personal loans and credit cards, was expensive to operate, said Harton, who is based in Greenville.

But a six-month study showed, surprisingly, that 69 percent of the branch’s customers didn’t go into any branch offi ce or use ATMs or drive-through windows, Harton said.

“I can tell you that Brunswick is not a big millen-nial town,” he said.

The bank in the last several years has only built only one branch — on Augusta Street in Greenville — and that one has only two teller windows.

“It’s much more of a place to close a transaction,

to have a conversation,” Harton said. “We’ve got the community room there for either events or for other community groups to use. But it’s much less about transactions. It’s much more about consulting and closing deals. And we think that’s the wave of the future.”

United periodically reviews its transaction volumes to gain a better understanding of evolving custom-er trends.

The most recent data was for November 2015 and indicated monthly transaction volume was divided 9 percent through branches — customer checks and deposits — and 91 percent through non-branch channels such as online banking, mobile banking, ATMs and debit cards.

FINTECH IS HEREArt Seaver, CEO of Southern First, said there’s no escaping that fi nancial technology, or fi ntech, is here.

“We’ve made signifi cant investments so that all of our technology is the technology that they [the younger generation] are seeking,” Seaver said. “No one ever has to come to an offi ce of the bank anymore. Our foresight is how do we continue that and take services to the client when they’re not coming to us.”

Twenty-six percent of the dollars deposited each month with Southern First come via remote deposit or mobile technology, Seaver said.

The benefi ts of online and mobile access mean, perhaps, greater effi ciency within the banking industry, “and that’s what excites me,” he said.

“I don’t have to have 13 offi ces in Greenville,” he said. “I think we can excel in service even in a mobile and virtual world.”

DAVID DYKES | [email protected]

For millennials, mobile tech trumps branch banking

Justin Hawkins Lynn Harton Art Seaver

WHO USES BANK

BRANCHES?

WHO USES MOBILE

DEVICES FOR BANKING?

In the last fi ve years, adoption of mobile banking and smartphones has more than doubled, while that of tablets increased roughly 8.5 times.Source: Javelin Strategy and Research.

63%of millennials

68% of older Gen Xers

69% of baby boomers

Source: Wells Fargo

72%of millennials

50% of older Gen Xers

19% of baby boomers 19%

50%

72% 63%

68%

69%


If you’re considering leasing or purchasing commercial real estate, there are some basic things to consider. Any company or individual who is de-ciding between leasing and purchasing should contact a real estate professional. Consider contact-ing an expert dedicated to commercial real estate who has obtained a Certifi ed Commercial Investment Member designation (CCIM) and/or a Society of Industrial and Offi ce Realtors (SIOR) designation.

When considering whether to lease or own, it is critical for users of commercial space to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative by analyzing a number of factors. Some of these factors include the space requirements of the business, growth trajectory and capital needs of operating a business. Also consider the importance of projecting and establishing a visible brand, time commitments, operational control, tax considerations and other nonfi nancial metrics.

BUYINGBuyers commonly take one of two paths to own-

er-occupied commercial real estate:

Company owner purchases building and leases back to the operating entity: This option encompasses company owners who want to own a building and collect lease revenue from their business as an additional stream of income. The building owner will benefi t from cash fl ow from the lease, potential value appreciation of the property and equity buildup over time as the mortgage is paid down. Such a structure can be an excellent avenue for wealth creation, and there are potential tax benefi ts to the owner and the business.

Operating company purchases building to retain full control of the property: A few common examples may be a warehousing operation, an insurance company or a restaurant franchise. One of the most critical considerations for this type of buyer involves deciding if an equity investment into real estate will produce a return that outweighs a direct deployment of this capital into the company operations. Under this scenario, it is particularly important to thoroughly compare the lease and purchase options.

LEASINGThe decision to lease is a common alternative to

the aforementioned purchase options. Leasing can be most appropriately equated to fl exibility. Addi-

tionally, leasing preserves a business’s equity/capital for investment in the company and generally allows a business to make a shorter-term commitment. If handled properly, leasing may allow the company to expand into more space at a future time without an immediate commitment to more space than needed.

Historically, leasing has been viewed as benefi cial, because the lease liability was not required to be shown on a company’s balance sheet. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is implement-ing policies to shift GAAP accounting standards to require leases to be shown on balance sheets as assets and liabilities. This proposed accounting change will

more directly impact companies with signifi cant lease holdings.

COMPARE AND CONTRASTThe lease versus purchase decision is not restrict-

ed to just fi nancial factors. A combination of many fi nancial and operational factors weigh into such a decision, and a careful analysis should be undertak-en to compare these factors.


Buy or lease? Deciding on CRE investment isn’t so simpleBy STUART WYETH, SIOR & TYSON SMOAK, CCIM OF PINTAIL CAPITAL

BENEFITS OF LEASING SPACE RISKS OF LEASING SPACE

Short to medium time commitment Relocation to new facility requires substantial amount of planning and diligence, which can be a distraction from an operating company’s daily operations

Financial commitment limited to lease obligations

Future rental obligations subject to market condi-tions (limited supply could drive up rental cost)

Potential fl exibility for growth or contraction (if in a building that allows for expansion)

Growth subject to availability of space

Capital outlay can be limited if landlord provides concession for physicalimprovement of the leased space

Lack of diligence by tenant to follow lease obliga-tions could create a potential for loss opportuni-ties, associated missed options and notice dates

BENEFITS OF PURCHASING RISKS OF PURCHASING

Control your own destiny Requires capital/equity outlay which alternatively could be invested in operating business

Owners have full control over the operation of their facility

Requires focus on facility operations and mainte-nance

Building ownership allows for capital appreciation over time (assuming positive economic conditions persist)

Interest rate and economic risk

If neither a good purchase opportunity nor a good lease opportunity exists, a company can choose to build a new building customized to accommodate their specifi c needs. Under this scenario the ownership structure can vary, as well. This will allow a company to choose to enter a lease with a third-party developer, or the company can choose to own the building outright.

UBJ | 06.24.2016

COMING FALL 2016

As a workforce development leader in the Upstate for more than five decades, Greenville Technical College launches a new dynamic collaboration between education, industry and community partners at the Center for Manufacturing Innovation (CMI). Building upon an educational partnership with Clemson University, CMI was crafted with key input and guided by strong support from area manufacturers, including Bosch Rexroth, Michelin, GE, BMW, League Manufacturing, and Standard Motor Products. Together, through this unique collaboration, we are working to connect a supremely qualified workforce with leading industry talent needs, so that local companies will be more globally competitive and our community will continue to thrive.

Inspired Education.Future Possibilities.

Visit CMIgreenville.com for more information.

Education & Training | Economic Development | Research


COMING FALL 2016

As a workforce development leader in the Upstate for more than five decades, Greenville Technical College launches a new dynamic collaboration between education, industry and community partners at the Center for Manufacturing Innovation (CMI). Building upon an educational partnership with Clemson University, CMI was crafted with key input and guided by strong support from area manufacturers, including Bosch Rexroth, Michelin, GE, BMW, League Manufacturing, and Standard Motor Products. Together, through this unique collaboration, we are working to connect a supremely qualified workforce with leading industry talent needs, so that local companies will be more globally competitive and our community will continue to thrive.

Inspired Education.Future Possibilities.

Visit CMIgreenville.com for more information.

Education & Training | Economic Development | Research

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF [email protected] | @SJackson_CJ

SALVATION ARMY REZONINGThis item was pulled from the agenda. City staff

said they were told the Salvation Army wants their new director to have time to get up to speed and do some community outreach fi rst. They will resubmit the application at a later date.

THE COTTAGES AT OVERBROOKWe’ve got a separate story in this week’s UBJ, so

I’ll keep details on the actual subdivision short. The application is from Nathan Kaser, Renaissance Custom Homes, for a 25-lot cluster subdivision on 4.11 acres at 541 Lowndes Hill Road.

Several revisions to the design were made over the past few months. A neighborhood meeting was held based on the original proposal, but a number of changes were made since, including increasing the amount of open space provided.

Several residents of the Overbrook neighborhood spoke in opposition to the application. Joel Armstead, vice president of the Overbrook neighborhood as-sociation, told the board that even though Kaser has built some great homes in the area, the association is opposed to this one. Residents are concerned about clear-cutting of trees, lack of sidewalks, public transportation and bike lanes for a high-density development in the area.

David Mitchell, president of the Overbrook neighborhood association, also spoke and said that in the last 50 years, there hasn’t been a development of this size in the Overbrook area. The project would attract too many cars, and he voiced concerns over sidewalks and infrastructure.

Board members discussed stormwater (it will be required to be retained on site) and sidewalks. Board member David Keller encouraged those concerned about clear-cutting of trees to contact their City Council member, as the PC board has no jurisdiction over that. The board approved the application with the conditions that the sidewalk be extended, a decorative fence added and a landscape buffer in-cluded to screen the back of the cottage homes from the street. Board member Jonathan Pait voted no, saying he was a representative of those opposing density.

CONGAREE AND GRIFFITH ROADSThis application made by Corley Family Realty

Limited Partnership is to annex and zone 9.1 acres at Congaree and Griffi th roads from S-1 Service District, to C-3, regional commercial district.

City staff said the application meets the criteria. The intent is for a new owner to acquire the prop-erty and develop it into a Vermont-based family entertainment venue with birthday parties, an arcade

and bowling alley. The board agreed it would be a good addition to the community and approved unanimously. This application will go before City Council for a vote.

30 MARKET POINT DRIVE

This application is to clean up the zoning as part of a land swap to provide connection to the property, which is intended to be devel-oped into a new apart-ment community. The application is to rezone 0.7 acres from PD, Planned Development District, to C-3, Region-al Commercial District. It will then take 0.858 acres and rezone from C-3 to PD. Confusing, huh? All in all, it’s just paperwork, and the PC had approved the apartments earlier this year. The application was approved unanimously. This one will also go before City Council.

39 AND 41 MARKET POINT DRIVEThis is actually two separate applications. The

fi rst one, to annex and zone 6.85 acres from PD to C-3, was an easy one. City staff said the land is in-tended to be townhomes and recommended approv-al. The PC board approved unanimously.

Part two went into a little more detail. Ryan Homes is planning to build 83 townhome units on 6.3 acres. Each unit will have two to four bedrooms. This went before of the Design Review Board earlier in the month during informal reviews, and the PC board reviewed the DRB comments.

New renderings showed additional landscaping,

access points, green space and sidewalks. A lot of discussion was given to the “hammerhead” design of the streets within the development. Those are usually discouraged by the city, but in this case, the PC said it looks okay. As long as it complies with the fi re department it should be fi ne, the commission said, as the streets won’t be public streets, only in-ternal to the development.

The board approved unanimously with staff conditions.

860 S. CHURCH ST.Another fairly easy discussion was for a fi nal de-

velopment plan to revamp the shopping center on Church Street. When the DRB reviewed earlier this month, they had suggested changing the paint color from white to gray so it wouldn’t show dirt as quickly.

The owner agreed. The PC said the building is “blighted” and the rehab will be good for the prop-erty. The application was approved unanimously.

419 CROFT ST., GATEWAY HOUSE Next up was an application to rezone 0.188 acres

at 419 Croft St. from RM-1, Single & Multi-Family Residential District, to RDV, Redevelopment Dis-trict.

PC Chair Matt Johnson recused himself, as he lives close to the project. The Gateway Center has an existing building, and the center wants to build a training facility on this property. This application is only for the rezoning — before anything is built, it would need to go before the board of zoning appeals for a special exemption for that use, said city staff. The PC board approved the application, and it will go on to City Council.

Greenville Planning Commission, June meetingFRONT ROW

REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION | SQUARE FEET | 23

There were several items on the agenda for this month’s city of Greenville Planning Commission meeting, including two subdivisions, a new multifamily project off Keith Drive, a few annexations and requests to change zoning. Pretty busy for a June meeting. One board member, Michael Allen, was not present.

UBJ | 06.24.2016

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF [email protected] | @SJackson_CJ

25-home subdivision planned for Greenville’s Overbrook neighborhood

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

KEITH DRIVE APARTMENTSThis application by The Berry Company is to build

199 multifamily units on 21.82 acres at Keith Drive and Circle Avenue.

Access to the project will be on Century Drive and the project will be limited to 199 units as there is only one access point for emergency services. The property slopes, so some buildings will be three-sto-ry and some will be four-story. An existing pond will remain for stormwater retention.

Building elevations were modifi ed based on comments from the Design Review Board. While not required, a neighborhood meeting was held.

Allison Thompson told the PC that she owns a business and is concerned about traffi c and proper-ty values. Another nearby resident said he was concerned about noise and busy streets. After some discussion on the single entry, the PC board approved unanimously.

TEXT AMENDMENT FOR COVERED BREEZEWAYS AND OFF-STREET PARKING

Last up was an application from the city for a text amendment to the accessory uses and structures section of guidelines to include covered breezeways. The change is to allow and include the square footage.

The other requested change wasn’t as easy. City staff was asking to modify the language for parking calculations for restaurants. The intent is to limit spillover from some restaurants (only new applica-tions) into neighborhoods. PC board members were concerned about the wording and don’t want to limit uses in retail spaces in small shopping centers. The board also doesn’t want a sea of parking in front of shopping centers.

The PC requested the parking portion be tabled until the attorney can draft new wording. The amendment for breezeways was approved.

Situated on 4.11 acres along Lowndes Hill Road, a new 25-home subdivision is planned called The Cottages at Overbrook.

The city of Greenville Planning Commission gave approval for the new cluster subdivision at its meeting last week. Each two-story, single-family home will average 1,500 square feet and have two or three bedrooms with at least two baths. Interior fi nishes will have granite countertops, stainless steel applianc-es, tile, walk-in master showers, front porches and craftsman-style interior trim. Prices will range from the mid-$200,000s to the low $300,000s.

One main park, along with two smaller pocket parks, will provide green space for residents. The cottage homes will have no garages; instead, parking will be on the side of each house in keeping with the Overbrook neighborhood, said developer Nathan Kaser with Renaissance Custom Homes.

“There’s such a great demand for single-family homes down-town, and Overbrook felt like the perfect location for this kind of project,” said Kaser. “It’s maintenance-free living and suits the needs for many differ-ent types of buyers.”

Renaissance Custom Homes will be the builder along with Gendlin Homes. Construction is expected to begin on the fi rst homes by the end of the year.

For more information, contact Greenvillehomebuilder.

com.

541 Lowndes Hill Rd

Keith Drive

Lowndes Hill Rd

I-385

Lowndes Ave

East North Street Academy

Greenville Middle Academy

06.24.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS IN THE UPSTATE | DEALMAKERS | 25

LEE & ASSOCIATES ANNOUNCED:

Willz Tolbert represented the buyer, Co B LLC, in the sale of 0.58 AC of property at 3200 Augusta St., Greenville, to DRM Augusta LLC.

Kevin Bentley represented the tenant, X-Ray Industries, in the leasing of 4,800 SF of property at 1097 S. Highway 101, Unit 7, Greer, from Gateway 101 LLC.

Randall Bentley represented the seller, Tanya Dix Merritt, in the sale of 1.44 AC of property at 14055 Highway 11, Campobello, to 14055 Hwy 11 LLC.

Kevin Bentley represented the landlord, Cordin Corporation, in the leasing of 9,908 SF of property at 180 Commerce Center, Greenville, to Mastec North America Inc.

Kevin Bentley represented the landlord, Everything After School, in the leasing of 14,240 SF of property at 510 S. Main St., Mauldin, to Family Footprint.

Randall Bentley represented the tenant, America In Design Inc., in the leasing of 5,616 SF of property at 221 Pelham Road, Suite 201, Greenville, from Pisgah LLC.

Deanna Hudgens represented the buyer, PHG Greenville LLC, in the sale of 0.336 AC of property at South Main Street and Markley Street in Greenville, from St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.

Kevin Bentley represented the landlord, Garrett Properties Inc., in the leasing of 1,400 SF of property at 838 Powdersville Road, Suite I, Easley, to The Cooking Shop.

Randall Bentley represented the buyer, Ferguson Enterprises Inc., in the sale of 4.387 AC of property at 56 Bruce Road, Greenville, from Gary L. Blackburn.

Ashley Trantham represented the buyer,

Gould Investors LP, in the sale of 22,000 SF of property at 400 W. Blackstock Road, Spartanburg, from Sanjeloh LLC.

COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCED:

Brantley Anderson and Taylor Allen represented the landlord, US REIF ICP SC LLC, in the leasing of 8,040 SF of offi ce space at 5 Independence Pointe, Greenville, to Movement Mortgage LLC.

Richard Barrett represented the seller, McConnell Builders Inc., in the sale of 4,000 SF of fl ex space at 2005 E. Main St., Easley, to Dixie Paradise LLC.

Brantley Anderson and Richard Barrett represented the landlord, BKD Capital LLC, in the leasing of 1,984 SF of offi ce space at 429 Roper Mountain Road, Greenville, to Integrated Health & Wellness.

Givens Stewart, Garrett Scott and Brockton Hall represented the tenant, Global Automotive Partners, in the leasing of 202,104 SF of industrial space at 15 Tyger River Drive, Duncan.

Brantley Anderson and Taylor Allen represented the tenant, CBIZ National Tax Offi ce LLC in the leasing of 2,878 SF of offi ce space at 530 Howell Road, Greenville.

Brantley Anderson and Taylor Allen represented the tenant, Brown & Brown of South Carolina Inc., in the lease renewal of 4,922 SF of offi ce space at 10 Falcon Crest Drive, Greenville.

GRIFFIN PROPERTY SOLUTIONS ANNOUNCED:

Mark Griffi n represented the tenant, Five Star Sunrooms, in the long term lease of a 2,000 SF fl ex building at 114 Toledo St., Greenville.

Mark Griffi n represented the seller, in the sale of

35 AC of commercial land at 2952 New Easley Highway, Greenville, to Duke Sandwich Productions.

Mark Griffi n represented the tenant, The Computer Clinic, in a long-term lease of 2,221 SF of offi ce space located at 1901 Laurens Road, Greenville.

Mark Griffi n represented the landlord, 107 Main Greer LLC, in the long-term lease of a 3,500 SF restaurant building at 107 S. Main St., Greer, to Mediterranean Grill.

NAI EARLE FURMAN ANNOUNCED:

John Staunton and Hunter Garrett represented the landlord, Frank and Barbara League, in the leasing of a 12,924 SF industrial space at 608 Furman Road, Greenville, to WORLD Designs Inc.

Glenn Batson represented the tenant, MasTec Advanced Technologies, in the leasing of a 9,936 SF industrial space at 180 Commerce Center, Greenville, from American SAHM Corp.

Towers Rice represented the landlord, David Webb, in the leasing of a 5,000 SF industrial property at 3361 Highway 29 North, Belton, to MasTec North America Inc.

Keith Jones and Kelly Sullivan represented the landlord, Carolina Group Inc., in the leasing of a 4,500 SF offi ce space in the Heritage Offi ce Center in Greenville, to TEC Industrial Maintenance & Construction.

Keith Jones and Kelly Sullivan represented the landlord, JLM & Associates LLC, in the leasing of 12,500 SF of offi ce space at 1045 Keys Drive, Greenville, to PA Solutions Inc.

Towers Rice represented the seller, Lawrence Alton, in the sale of a 22,500 SF industrial property at 301-303 Hurricane Creek Road, Piedmont, to Glen Morton

Enterprises LLC.

Tom Daniel and Towers Rice represented the seller, John D. Hollingsworth on Wheels Inc., in the sale of a 20,832 SF industrial building at 897 N. Main St., Greenville, to La Jolla Property Management LLC.

Rusty Hamrick represented the seller, BBW Properties LLC, in the sale of 207 AC of property on Asa Hall Road, Iva, to the Paul C. Aughtry II Revocable Trust.

John Powell represented the seller, Donal Hester, in the sale of an 8,000 SF industrial building in Pendleton to Nicholas Hanks.

Towers Rice represented the seller, The Goodwin Family Trust, in the sale of a 73,100 SF industrial building at 401 Furman Hall Road, Greenville, to Ventana Properties Greenville LLC.

Jimmy Wright and Ted Lyerly represented the seller, Ra Bo Nette Properties LLC, in the sale of a 3,069 SF restaurant property at 1025 Fernwood Glendale Road, Spartanburg, to Rigsby Family Holdings LLC.

Keith Jones and Kelly Sullivan represented the seller, JBK Real Estate LLC, in the sale of a 2,865 SF offi ce condo in the Oaktree Medical Plaza in Easley to Foothills Community Healthcare.

Dan Dunn represented the seller, J. Howard Henderson, in the sale of a 7,780 SF retail property at 110 Country Club Road, Spartanburg, to Ofori Realty LLC.

AVISON YOUNG ANNOUNCED:

Michael Sease represented the buyer, AED Partners LLC, in the purchase of a 7,500 SF fl ex building and 3.3 AC of land at 30 Grant Park Place, Piedmont.

Rob Howell represented the landlord, Oceana

Rapid LLC, in the leasing of 10,000 SF of retail and warehouse space at Hampton Station, 1320 Hampton Ave. Extension, Greenville, to Noble Dog Hotel LLC.

Rob Howell represented the landlord, Oceana Rapid LLC, in the leasing of 2,400 SF of offi ce space at Hampton Station, 1320 Hampton Ave. Extension, Greenville, to Livewell Greenville.

Rob Howell represented the landlord, Oceana Rapid LLC, in the leasing of 1,800 SF of offi ce space at Hampton Station, 1320 Hampton Ave. Extension, Grenville, to AY SC LLC.

COLDWELL BANKER COMMERCIAL CAINE ANNOUNCED:

Pete Brett, David Sigmon and Matt Vanvick represented the buyer, Assembly SC LLC, in the purchase of 20.044 AC at Lot 1, W. Blue Ridge Drive, Greenville, from PDC LLC.

Graham Howle represented the buyer, Spinhowle LLC, in the purchase of a 33,964 SF medical building on 1.805 AC at 809 Laurens Road, Greenville, from OHI Asset (SC) Greenville Laurens LLC.

Angela Halstead and Tim Satterfi eld represented the landlords, Nancy Davis, Tommy Davis and Nancy Carter, in the leasing of a 7,570 SF industrial building at 4303 S. Pine St., Spartanburg, to Shreve’s Cabinet Concepts LLC.

Tim Satterfi eld represented the tenant, Joe Mills d/b/a Millstone Healthcare Associates PA, in the leasing of a 938 SF offi ce space at 1218 John B. White Sr. Blvd., Spartanburg, from Faruk Tanyel.

Matt Vanvick represented the landlord, Stone Avenue Partners LLC, in the leasing of small offi ce suites at 217 E. Stone Ave., Greenville, to Operation Purpose and M3 Development LLC.

Sammy DuBose and Pete Brett represented the landlord, Verdae Properties LLC, in the leasing of a 2,000 SF restaurant space at Marketplace Shopping Center, 2445 Laurens Road, Greenville, to Joy of Tokyo.

KDS COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES ANNOUNCED:

Mark Ratchford and Mark Masaschi represented the tenant, JAMMS LLC, in the leasing of 7,124 SF of medical offi ce space at 201 N. Main St., Suites C and D, Greenville, from Project 201 LLC.

Mark Masaschi and Mark Ratchford represented the tenant, DBKH LLC, in the leasing of 7,180 SF of medical offi ce space at 274 Commonwealth Drive, Greenville, from RAJMAN 01 LLC.

Mark Ratchford and Mark Masaschi represented the tenant, Apex Allergy, in the leasing of a 6,600 SF building at 534 Woods Lake Road, Greenville.

Mark Ratchford and Mark Masaschi represented the buyer, Borck Associates LP, in the purchase of a 10,000 SF offi ce building in the Greenville CBD, from Pendleton West Offi ce Partners LLC.

UBJ | 06.24.2016

Confession: A part of me wants to gag androll my eyes a little when I hear the phrase “person-al branding” in pop culture references. It feels narcissistic and self-impressed for those of us who aren’t actually featured on E! News or Bravo. After all, I’m not promoting a countertop grill or Proactiv, right?

Wrong. Personal branding is essential to your career and your leadership ability. The vast major-ity of us may not be solicited for the cover of a Wheaties box, but we can all benefi t from defi ning and disseminating our “brand.”

Humans naturally label, sort and categorize people, places and things. When someone is consis-tent and their business is clear, we can readily access them in our mental Rolodex. This is true whether you’re in a support role, own your business or are in sales.

Take a moment and refl ect on the image you portray to the world. I’ve met graphic designers who are quirky and edgy and graphic designers who are reserved and more conservative. I know salespeople who are obviously relationship-focused and sales-people that are “hunters.” There are people who prefer support roles where they have specifi c tasks and people who would rather be the ones keeping everyone else on task. All of these attributes can be thought of as part of a person’s brand.

So what makes a brand successful? Far and wide, the general consensus recommends having a clear, concise and consistent brand.

Clear: A brand that is clear is free of distraction. Focus and develop your personal characteristics that make you unique and relevant. Admire those with skills different than your own, but don’t try to re-produce them if they are not authentic to you.

Concise: A brand that is focused on your unique characteristics should not have 20 different elements. It is concise and memorable. I know — you’re complex and interesting, but I can’t really remember what you do exactly. Choose the most relevant and distinct traits about yourself and present those.

Consistent: Once you’ve identifi ed the key com-ponents of your personal brand, present them consistently. Be mindful of how others experience you and what image you are projecting to the world. Is it in line with the image that you want to be perceived?

HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO TACTICALLY WORK ON YOUR BRAND:

Don’t be afraid to decline events or requests that dilute your brand.

One of the challenges I face in developing my own personal brand is a reticence to say “no” every now and then. I’ve competed in pageants and so am sometimes asked to participate in events that are very much a part of my “old brand” but not neces-sarily relevant to my professional identity today. This can lead to a lack of cohesion and confuses “Pageant Hannah” with “Professional Hannah.” Do you take on optional responsibilities that dilute instead of enhance your brand?

Use social media to proactively promote your brand.

If you’re serious about your brand, go to your Facebook/Instagram/Vine/Twitter and remove any photos and posts that are inconsistent with your brand. Yes, it’s a personal platform, but nothing is really personal anymore. In addition, change your LinkedIn photo to one that is congruent with your brand (P.S.: It’s probably not a poorly cropped photo drinking beer on the beach). The lighting, your ex-pression in the photo, your attire and the angle all contribute to how you will be perceived.

Align your appearance and your brand.

Although we certainly aren’t all celebrities, they provide great examples on successful branding. Lady Gaga, Richard Branson, Oprah, Rihanna, Blake Shelton and on and on. Think about each of these mavens of pop culture and how easily their “brand” comes to mind. Are you a laid-back guys’ guy ped-dling your fl y-fi shing company? Skip the suit; it doesn’t make sense. Are you aiming for a leadership position in a conservative wealth advisory fi rm? Make sure your suit is pressed, always. Do you work in manufacturing where you interface with leader-ship and subordinates alike? Find a happy medium that’s true to your own personality.

The most essential part of your personal brand is that it is authentic. Clarifying your brand means getting to know yourself on a deeper level, and building your brand is much less about improving weaknesses than it is highlighting assets. Be mindful of your strengths and interests, and start investing more time and energy into those things.

Why everyone needs a personal brand

By HANNAH BARFIELD SPELLMEYER Godshall Professional Recruiting & Staffi ng

26 | PROFESSIONAL | STRATEGIES FOR HONING YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS


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HIRED HIRED AWARDED HIRED APPOINTEDHIRED HIRED HIRED APPOINTED

COMMUNITY

The Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team also named Alan Fueh-ring as director of broadcasting/media relations and Justin Gutkowski as director of digital marketing/creative services. Kaitlyn Unruh was hired as video production coordinator and Abby Koba as graphic designer coor-dinator.

EDUCATION

Joe Cummings was named as head varsity boys’ lacrosse coach at Christ Church Episcopal School. Cummings is the co-founder/owner of Lacrosse Force and previously played major league lacrosse for three years.

Clemson University English profes-sors David Blakesley and Victor J.

Vitanza have been named Fellows of the Rhetoric Society of America. Blakesley also has received the orga-nization’s 2016 George E. Yoos Dis-tinguished Service Award. The awards were presented at the 17th Biennial Rhetoric Society of America Confer-ence on May 29 in Atlanta. The society is the umbrella organization for scholars and teachers in every aca-demic discipline who are interested in rhetoric.

Sarah Winslow, associate professor of sociology and anthropology, has been appointed director of Clemson University’s premier undergraduate scholarship program, the National Scholars Program. Her research focuses on gendered dynamics and processes in a number of contexts, with special attention to the intersec-

tions of employment and family life. She has served as the National Schol-ars Program interim director since July 2015.

Alexey Vertegel and Vladimir Reukov, professors in the bioengi-neering department and researchers for Clemson’s Animal Co-Products Research and Education Center (ACREC), are winners of the 2016 Bisplinghoff Innovation Award by the Fats and Proteins Research Founda-tion for their creation of a natural antioxidant, Prot-X, which can extend the shelf life of pet food. Their creation

is a clear liquid that will be used in the pet food industry, as well as the ren-dering industry.

FINANCE

Melissa Thomas joined the South State Bank Greenville offi ce as a junior mortgage originator. Thomas has been with South State Bank since 2012 as a fi nancial services representative and consumer lender. She serves on the marketing advisory board for Green-ville Technical College and is vice chair of the Mauldin Planning Commission, among others.

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

BRYAN HUBER

Named as graphic designer with Infi nity Marketing. Huber most recently served as a UX developer and graphic designer with Erwin Penland. He is a graduate of Clemson University with a degree in graphic communications. In his new role, Huber will work with the creative and production teams to design for a client, Comcast.

JAMI WOOD

Named as director of development at The Children’s Museum of the Upstate (TCMU). Wood most recently worked with the Spartanburg Regional Foundation as its director of philanthropy. In her new role, she will be responsible for creating and maintaining relationships with donors to secure funds that support the museum.

BROOKE BARLOW

Named as Mrs. Greenville 2017 by the offi cials for the Mrs. South Carolina America Pageant. Barlow serves as the director of business development with FUEL Marketing. She will represent the city of Greenville at the 2017 Mrs. South Carolina pageant in Mooresville, N.C.

DAVID MARLOWE

Named as store manager for TD Bank’s Travelers Rest store. Marlowe previously held positions with Verizon Wireless as a data sales consultant and store manager. In his new role, he will be responsible for overseeing operations within the store, assisting with customer relations and developing new business in the community.

DANIEL THRELFALL

Named as interim chief marketing offi cer with Worthwhile. Threlfall is the owner and president of Threlfall Consulting and has experience in digital marketing strategy, SEO and content marketing. He previously served as senior SEO manager for Volume Nine in Denver and SEO manager for Seattle-based AudienceBloom, among others.

PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS | ON THE MOVE | 27

UBJ | 06.24.201628 | THE FINE PRINT | BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’T MISS

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Southern Tide partners with Bryan brothers

Greenville-based Southern Tide, a lifestyle apparel brand, recently announced a multiyear sponsorship with YouTubers Wesley and George Bryan of Bryan Bros Golf as their official apparel provider. The Bryan brothers seek to share their enthusiasm for and enjoyment of the game within the golf industry while documenting their adven-tures on social media. The brothers are on their way to the PGA tour with Wesley Bryan just re-ceiving his PGA Tour Card.

“The Bryan brothers represent the next generation of professional golf while leveraging branded content to showcase on their social media platforms,” said Southern Tide CEO Chris Heyn. “In everything we do, we feel it is important for the brand to showcase an authentic point of view. The Bryan brothers align with our brand’s heritage and relate to our core customer base. The Bryan brothers’ approach to golf is perfect for Southern Tide. We are thrilled to see where this relationship takes us.”

Michelin unveils three new Ultraflex tires Michelin, headquartered in Greenville, introduced three new tires for North

American farmers that are designed with Michelin Ultraflex Technology, a tire and casing design that promotes soil protection, fuel savings, longer service life and greater endurance. Michelin featured the new tire models, designed for sprayers and harvesting equipment, at the Canada Farm Progress Show in Regina, Saskatchewan.

“As farm equipment has grown larger and heavier in recent years, farmers now cover more acres per day, but soil compaction has become a greater chal-lenge,” said Mike Pantaleo, customer engineering support for Michelin Agri-culture tires. “Michelin Ultraflex tires address this issue by operating at lower pressures than standard radial tires, therefore producing a larger footprint. This larger footprint distributes the weight of the machine over the largest area possible to reduce compaction.”

Carolina Financial Corporation merges with Congaree Bancshares Inc.

Carolina Financial Corporation, which has a presence in Greenville, complet-ed its merger with Congaree Bancshares Inc., headquartered in Cayce, S.C. >>


1. Ink N Ivy recently opened at 21 E. Coffee St., Greenville. The restaurant specializes in American cuisine. For more information, visit inknivy.com.

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Under the terms of the acqui-sition agreement, Congaree share-holders will have the right to receive $8.10 for each share of Congaree common stock, payable at their election and subject to certain limitations, in cash or in shares of Carolina Financial common stock based upon a fi xed exchange ratio of 0.4806. Per the agreement, 40 percent of the consideration will be paid in cash, and the balance (60 percent) will be in newly issued shares of Carolina Financial Corporation common stock.

As part of the merger agreement, Congaree’s bank subsidiary, Congaree State Bank, has merged with CresCom Bank, a South Carolina bank and the wholly owned banking subsidiary of Carolina Financial. Carolina Financial plans to complete systems integration in July.

Engineered Plastic Components Inc. launches Anderson County operations

Iowa-based Engineered Plastic Components Inc. (EPC), a provider of plastic injection molded products, selected Anderson County for the company’s new operations. The $5.3 million investment is expected

to create 43 new jobs. The company will be moving its new operations into an existing building, which is located at 105 Clemson Research Blvd., Anderson.

“We are very excited about the opportunity that exists in South Carolina,” said Reza Kargarzadeh, EPC CEO. “Anderson is well-positioned to assist us in achieving the growth goals we have for our company.”

BASF Seneca to expand Oconee County facility

BASF Corporation, a supplier of environmental and process catalysts headquartered in New Jersey, will expand its operations in Oconee County. The expansion will result in $60 million in new capital investment. BASF is investing in new equipment and machinery for its Seneca facil-ity, which is located at 554 Engelhard Drive. The operation currently employs 360 employees.

“BASF’s global reach and cutting-edge innovation make it an international leader in the chemicals industry,” said Paul Cain, Oconee County Council chairman. “We graciously welcome this substantial investment from one of our wonderful corporate citizens who has found success in Oconee for more than 25 years. This investment is further confi rmation that Oconee County’s workers and business environment are world-class, and we will continue to invest in infrastructure and programs that businesses need to be successful in an ev-er-changing world.”

Open for business

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

Photos Provided

1

THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE | NEW TO THE STREET | 29

>>

UBJ | 06.24.201630 | #TRENDING | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

RE: ALDI PLANS TO ADD A THIRD STORE IN SPARTANBURG> Virginia Lockman Adair “I love the Aldi in Boiling Springs.”

> Sonya Ferguson Collins “I can’t wait!!!!”

> Pat Mabry “Where will it be?”

> Ramona Wirth “That would be awesome!!!”

RE: TROPICAL GRILLE BRINGING CUBAN DISHES TO MAULDIN> Scott Meadows “Thank God! I just moved to Mauldin and it can use some more restaurants!”

> Beth Wells Rainey “Every time I work in Miami I come back to Mauldin craving Cuban food. Thanks for this!”

> Brad Carr “Cuban Chop-curry on the chicken, hot sauce on beans!”

> Lindsay Phillips “Wish they would come to Taylors.”

> Sara Fladger “Anderson needs a Tropical Grille.”

> Elizabeth Facen “One in Boiling Springs would be great also.”

RE: INSIDE THE LOCAL FOOD REVOLUTION WITH THE FOUNDERS OF SWAMP RABBIT CAFÉ> John Malik “So there was no local food movement prior to the Swamp Rabbit Café opening? The local food movement was sparked by Kelly Baird and her Bistro Europa many years ago. She was the fi rst one in Greenville to reach out to local farmers and producers. While I’m a huge fan of the Swamp Rabbit Grocery, it represents evolution, hardly a revolution. To say otherwise does an enormous disservice to those that put the wheel in motion when there was so much more resistance.”

RE: MICHAEL KERSKI, GREENVILLE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, LEAVING FOR MINNESOTA > Edie Parrott “What a terrible loss for Greenville! I really appreciate his support for the West End.”

> Justus Downey “Great state.”

> Marsha Pittman White “Say it ain’t so…”

BIZ BUZZ The top 5 stories from the past week ranked by shareability score

1. Aldi plans to add a third store in Spartanburg

2. Tropical Grille bringing Cuban dishes to Mauldin

3. Inside the local food revolution with the founders of Swamp Rabbit Café

4. Michael Kerski, Greenville planning and development director, leaving for Minnesota

5. CommunityWorks receives grant from Wells Fargo

OVERHEARD @ THE WATERCOOLERDistilled commentary from UBJ readers

>> 3,012

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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].

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The layout of print meets the convenience of the Web.Flip through the digital editions of any of our print issues, and see them all in one place. >> upstatebusinessjournal.com/past-issues

JUNE 17, 2016 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 25

An engineer and a biologist walked into an abandoned building — and helped spark

Greenville’s local food revolution with the Swamp Rabbit Café & GroceryTRAILBLAZERS

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UBJ PUBLISHERRyan L. [email protected]

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJerry [email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITOREmily [email protected]

STAFF WRITERSTrevor Anderson, David Dykes, Lety Good, Caroline Hafer, Andrew Moore, Sherry Jackson, Cindy Landrum

CONTRIBUTING WRITERMelinda Young

DIGITAL OPERATIONS MANAGER Danielle Car

MARKETING & ADVERTISING

SALES REPRESENTATIVESNicole Greer, Donna Johnston, Annie Langston, Lindsay Oehmen, Emily Yepes

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & ACCOUNT STRATEGY Kate Madden

ART & PRODUCTION

VISUAL DIRECTORWill Crooks

LAYOUTBo Leslie | Tammy Smith

OPERATIONS Holly Hardin

ADVERTISING DESIGNKristy Adair | Michael Allen

CLIENT SERVICES Anita Harley | Jane Rogers

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTKristi Fortner

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IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF UBJ? WANT A COPY FOR YOUR LOBBY?

Order a reprint today, PDFs available for $25. For more information, contact Anita Harley 864.679.1205 or

[email protected]

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

>>

AS SEEN IN NOVEMBER 1, 2013

IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE OF UBJ? WANT A COPY FOR YOUR LOBBY?

Order a reprint today, PDFs available for $25. For more information, contact Anita Harley 864.679.1205 or

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

JULY 15THE HEALTH CARE ISSUEThe business of cancer and other medical matters.

AUGUST 19THE CAREERS ISSUEFinding – and keeping – the right job.

SEPTEMBER 16THE DESIGN ISSUEA look at designers, crafters and makers in the Upstate.

Got any thoughts? Care to contribute? Let us know at [email protected].

UP NEXT

EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR | PLANNER | 31

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

6/24

Minority Business andNetworking Breakfast

Spartanburg Marriott299 N. Church St., Spartanburg8-10 a.m.

Cost: $10Register: bit.ly/mibiz-june2016

Greenville ChamberSmall Business Summit

Embassy Suites Golf Resort & Conference Center670 Verdae Blvd., Greenville8 a.m.–1 p.m.

Cost: $50Register: bit.ly/bizsummit-june2016

Friday

7/1HTI Organizational Solutions Friday Morning Coffee: Legalization of Marijuana and its Effect in the Workplace

Human Technologies Inc.105 N. Spring St., Suite 200, Greenville 8:30–9:30 a.m.

Cost: FreeRegister: bit.ly/hticoffee-july2016

Wednesday

7/6 Clemson University MBA Info SessionClemson One Building1 N. Main St., Greenville5:30–7 p.m.

Cost: FreeRegister: bit.ly/mba-july2016

Tuesday

7/12Spartanburg Chamber Doing Business Better: What the New Overtime Rules Mean for You workshop

Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce 105 N. Pine St., Spartanburg8:30–10:30 a.m.

Cost: $10 Chamber members $20 nonmembersRegister: bit.ly/dbb-july2016

Our mission is to be the daily source for experiencing Greenville.Through community contribution and engagement, we will tell our story together.

HelloGreenville.

A Community Conversation

GVLtoday curates easy-to-consume content sent straight to your inbox every morning.Our newsletter keeps you up to date at a glance, and our social media keeps you fresh on what’s happening in Greenville today.

Bold, relevant, curious and conversational—we share the news you need to know today!

For the Educated, Curious & Excited

With a PassionateNew Voice

GVLtoday is the best of what’s happening in Greenville,shared as a conversation of everything you need to start your day.

We cut through the noise and interpret the essentialsto equip you for smarter conversations.

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

GVLtoday One Page-Final.indd 1 5/3/16 2:31 PM

Our mission is to be the daily source for experiencing Greenville.Through community contribution and engagement, we will tell our story together.

HelloGreenville.

A Community Conversation

GVLtoday curates easy-to-consume content sent straight to your inbox every morning.Our newsletter keeps you up to date at a glance, and our social media keeps you fresh on what’s happening in Greenville today.

Bold, relevant, curious and conversational—we share the news you need to know today!

For the Educated, Curious & Excited

With a PassionateNew Voice

GVLtoday is the best of what’s happening in Greenville,shared as a conversation of everything you need to start your day.

We cut through the noise and interpret the essentialsto equip you for smarter conversations.

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

GVLtoday One Page-Final.indd 1 5/3/16 2:31 PM

COMING SOON!

june 24, 2016 ubj

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