2009 sc biz issue 3

Fall 2009

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A car is immersed in a chemical bath at

the cutting-edge paint shop BMW recently

built in Greer.

THINKING GLOBALLYS.C.’s burgeoning engineering cluster draws global attention

The grindSmall-time coffee roasters infuse art and business into a genuine S.C. product

Special section: Book of ListsThe state’s top businesses in more than 15 major categories

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IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK TO GET ONE OF THESE, AND A LOT MORE TO KEEP IT.

This is way more than just a sign. It’s a business benchmark that’s

earned through hard work, passion, long hours and long nights.

It starts with an idea and a dream, and it becomes reality with

dedication and know-how. And if you want to get one, or keep

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2 SC BIZ | www.scbizmag.com

ALSO INCLUDEDD E P A R T M E N T S SPECIAL SECTION PAGE 21

4 | Viewpoint

5 | Upfront

7 | Gridiron Economics

8 | Ports, Logistics

& Distribution

9 | Profi le: Robert Wyatt

48 | 1,000 words

V O L . 3 , I S S U E 3 FA L L 2 0 0 9

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Contents

14 Driving force BMW’s expansion helps put S.C. on the global map for its engineering expertise.

17 Slow: Construction zone The construction industry focuses on emerging from a perfect storm.

Cover Photo/James T. Hammond

A publication of the

Municipal Association of

South Carolina.

The resource for the

state’s top businesses

in more than 15 major

categories.

FEATURE

Th e GrindSmall-time roasters infuse

art and business into a

genuine S.C. product.

Photo/Leslie Halpern

11

14

COVER STORYCONSTRUCTION

2009 BOOK OF

LISTSCities MeanBUSINESS

http://www.carolinacareplan.com


this way: When health care providers, espe-

cially hospitals, are forced by law or com-

munity expectations to treat the uninsured,

they have to recoup the losses through higher

pricing of services rendered to those who are

insured. But you’ll never see the tens (perhaps

even hundreds) of billions of dollars “taxed”

in this way show up in the national balance

sheet for our fractured health care system. To

those who say we can’t aff ord health care re-

form, my response is that we’re already paying

a heavy tax for not reforming our system.

And what’s even worse,

the health care delivered by

the current “fake” universal

health care system is ineffi -

cient, uneven and oft en unfair.

Uninsured people who show

up at free clinics or emergen-

cy rooms for acute or urgent

medical care are treated, sta-

bilized and then discharged.

Th ey have nowhere to go for follow-up care

that would improve their long-term health

and prevent them from having to return for

more expensive hospitalizations in the future.

You could say the current “system” is de-

signed to fail, but that wouldn’t be exactly true,

because there is no design, just a haphazard

evolution over the years based on competing

economic interests.

Reforming health care must be a “top-

down, bottom-up” process. Without new fund-

ing, resources and ground rules established by

Congress and the federal government, we’re

not going to get where we need to go.

Likewise, a better health care system starts

As a writer, I oft en fi nd it helps to go back

to basics and make sure I know what

words really mean. Where health care is

concerned, the word on everyone’s lips is “re-

form,” but what does that mean? Here’s what

the Merriam-Webster dictionary says “1a: to

put or change into an improved form or con-

dition; b: to amend or improve by change of

form or removal of faults or abuses.”

Th e public and the various power brokers

in the business, civic and political sectors

are now deeply engaged in a complex debate

about what health care “re-

form” means and how we can

pay for it. If the devil is in the

details, it seems we’re hav-

ing a devil of a time fi guring

this out, but I’m crossing my

fi ngers (and toes) that some

signifi cant and meaningful

changes will emerge at the end

of this process.

Th e broad strokes are becoming clearer:

We need “universal health care,” which most

likely means that everyone should be required

to purchase health care from some source,

public or private. Th at, in turn, means that

we have to have a way to subsidize the cost of

coverage for those who would not otherwise

be able to aff ord it.

It also means that to keep the private insur-

ance industry as a central part of our health

care system — which I think most Americans

want — this industry must follow through on

its promise to stop its past practices of un-

derwriting and pricing coverage based on a

person’s individual health situation, including

pre-existing conditions. Th e industry’s leading

trade organization has off ered that as a trade-

off for requiring everyone to have coverage.

Th ese two steps alone would be giant.

Aside from dramatically reducing or elimi-

nating the ranks of the uninsured, these steps

would hopefully bring an end to the “fake”

universal health care system we have now and

the multitude of cross-subsidies that are a hid-

den tax on private insurance premiums.

In case you don’t quite get that, it works

Health care reform: Top-down, bottom-up

Bill [email protected]

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with each of

us taking better care of our own

health in terms of diet, exercise and appropriate

preventive medical care. At the community lev-

el, we have to ensure that healthy lifestyles are

supported and that health care providers in our

communities work with other community lead-

ers to create more effi cient and eff ective systems

for delivering of high-quality medical care to all

citizens in our communities.

On June 17, I attended the Health Infor-

mation Technology Summit of South Caro-

lina. Th ere, I heard presentations from people

in state government and the state’s health care

industry who are passionate about using 21st-

century information technology to help de-

liver better care to South Carolinians.

Th is is where “the rubber meets the road.”

Th e work these folks are doing will help lay a

solid foundation for health care reform. Th eir

eff orts to design and implement electronic

health information systems will provide the

tools essential to achievement of the goal of

more effi cient and eff ective health care.

You can review the technology summit

presentations and meeting notes, as well as in-

formation about upcoming sessions, at www.

dhhs.state.sc.us/hit. Th e people in our state

who are working on this vital component of

health care reform deserve our thanks and

our support. SCBIZ

ach of

ng better care of our own

We’re already paying a heavy tax for not reforming

our system.

V i e w p o i n t

www.scbizmag.com | Fa l l 2009 5

UpfrontR E G I O N A L N E W S | D ATA

BAE Systems awarded $124M in Army contracts

BAE Systems, which operates facilities in Aiken and North

Charleston, has been awarded $124.8 million in contracts from

the Army to reset, upgrade and maintain M113 vehicles.

The contract work will be distributed among the company’s

facilities in Aiken, Anniston, Ala., and Fort Hood, Texas.

The contracts cover repairs and improvements on the com-

bat infantry vehicles.

M113 vehicles are some of the most widely used combat ve-

hicles in the world. More than 80,000 of the armored tracked ve-

hicles have been produced, including more than 40 variants. The

M113 family is used by at least 44 countries. It can transport

12 service members plus a driver and is capable of amphibious

operation, extended cross-country travel over rough terrain and

high-speed operation on improved roads and highways.

“If you’re a Fortune 100 company

and you need someone to design,

build and support a big capital

project, there’s really three

places you can go for that kind of

expertise: Philadelphia, the greater

Houston area and South Carolina.”

Lee Stogner, chairman, S.C. Engineering Cluster

See the full story, Page 14.

Upstate Midlands Lowcountry Pee Dee Grand Strand

That’s what House Speaker Bobby Harrell Jr. says South Carolina is getting from the hydrogen industry.

Through direct state appropria-

tions and support of the Centers

of Economic Excellence program,

South Carolina has invested more

than $12.2 million in hydrogen

over the past 5 years. By conserva-

tive estimates, this has spurred

more than $115 million in nonstate

investments.

The investment in hydrogen has

created 229 jobs in South Carolina.

With 65% of those jobs being creat-

ed in the last 5 years, this is proving

to be a growing industry, he said

10-to-1

ROIHot deals mean more people will travel this summer

A national survey conducted by Clemson University

and Virginia Tech shows that nearly half of Americans

intend to make no concession to the poor economy

when it comes to this summer’s travel plans.

More than 15% actually plan to travel more, taking

advantage of special vacation offers and gas prices

that are comparatively lower.

Only 35% of those polled said the current eco-

nomic situation compels them to curtail plans for

vacation travel.

“This really illustrates how important the vacation

is to Americans,” said Jeffrey Hallo, assistant profes-

sor in the Clemson University parks, recreation and

tourism management department. “People told us that

they would sacrifice other luxuries rather than give up

their travel plans.”

Another automotive company eyes S.C.South Korea-based CT&T Co. Ltd. is exploring

locations for establishment of its U.S. operations,

which will include its headquarters, research-and-

development and manufacturing facilities. The short

list includes the Upstate, along with locations in North

Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Southern California.

CT&T produces low-speed electric vehicles that

can travel up to 35 mph. Vehicles meet the interna-

tional crash standard and will be priced as low as

$10,000 for the base model.

A decision should be made by September.


U p f r o n t

Building tissue, organs from the inside outSouth Carolina has received a $20 million federal grant to launch a collaborative program

among 10 universities in the state to better fabricate human tissue for transplants and other uses.

It is the largest competitive National Science Foundation grant ever received in the state.

The lead scientist for the project is Roger Markwald of the Medical University of South Carolina.

“We are trying to build tissue and organs from the inside out, which is a different approach than

anyone has taken,” he said. “First, we want to create a three-dimensional vascular tree and then

the organ. This will allow us to develop the applications to build many different types of organs.”

The five-year grant will establish an alliance among the state’s three research universities, three

historically black colleges and four other educational institutions. The award should facilitate the

hiring of 22 new faculty members statewide with needed expertise, the construction of a state tis-

sue biofabrication center and community outreach to share the skills being perfected.

The universities involved are: Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina in

Charleston, the University of South Carolina in Columbia, University of South Carolina-Beaufort,

Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C. State University in Orangeburg, Voorhees College in Denmark,

Furman University in Greenville, Denmark Technical College and Greenville Technical College.

The grant was announced by the S.C. Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research

and Institutional Development Awards, a panel that aims to increase research awards in the state.

SBA-backed loans down substantially U.S. Small Business Administration-backed loans from banks, credit unions and other lenders

have been slashed 70% across the state during the last year, despite a slight rebound tied to the

federal stimulus act.

Statewide, SBA-backed loans dropped from 133 loans worth $38.72 million in the second

quarter of 2008 to 80 valued at $22 million in the second quarter

of 2009.

Anna Huntley, spokeswoman in SBA’s South Caro-

lina district office in Columbia, attributed part of the

decline to the end of the administration’s Com-

munity Express pilot program, which provided a

significant number of loans in the past.

And part of it is just a product of a

down economy, as banks remain

tight with their money, said SBA

district director Elliott Cooper.

“Our loans started slowing

some last year, and that has

continued,” he said.

The federal stimulus act has

boosted SBA-backed lending some-

what, Cooper noted.

For a limited time, the SBA can use

stimulus funds to reduce the guarantee fee

on SBA-backed loans, in some cases to zero,

he said. It’s also increased the loan guaran-

tee from about 75% to as high as 90% of the

loan value, Cooper said.

From the first quarter of this year to the

second quarter, roughly the time the stimulus

act was passed, the value of SBA-backed

loans increased from about $1.99 million to

$6.19 million, even though the SBA reported

four fewer loans in the second quarter.

South Carolina awarded Silver Shovel for economic development

Area Development magazine honored South

Carolina with a Silver Shovel Award, which

recognizes states and regions for success in

job creation and positive economic impact.

South Carolina was recognized as one of the top

places for economic development and innovative

job creation for 2009.

South Carolina joined Arkansas and Alabama

as the honored states with populations of less

than 5 million.

South Carolina’s continued support of “long-

established core industries” while it ventures

into development of high-tech, biotech, alterna-

tive energy and information technology jobs

helped it garner the award.

The magazine specifically mentioned

Alorica, a customer-service management firm

in Mauldin; Monster’s customer service center

in Florence and carpet manufacturer Shaw

Industries Group, which is located in Lexington

County.

Boeing to buy Vought plant in N. Charleston for $580M

Boeing has agreed to acquire the Vought

Aircraft Industries manufacturing plant in North

Charleston for $580 million.

Boeing also will release Vought from repay-

ing advances from Boeing on contracts for the

787 Dreamliner. The plant builds fuselage sec-

tions for Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner airplane.

Through the agreement, Boeing will acquire

the North Charleston facility, its assets and its

inventory. It will assume operation of the site,

and the parties will resolve all matters related

to Vought’s prior work on the 787 program. The

cash consideration to be paid to Vought at clos-

ing is approximately $580 million. In addition,

Boeing will release Vought from its obligations to

repay amounts previously advanced by Boeing.

Separately, Boeing entered into new agreements

with Vought for work packages on the 737, 777

and 787.

The deal is expected to close in the third

quarter if Vought’s lenders agree to the sale.

Quarter Statewide loans Value

2008 Q1 181 $48,221,300

2008 Q2 133 $38,722,700

2008 Q3 93 $38,930,600

2008 Q4 84 $29,090,300

2009 Q1 67 $17,856,300

2009 Q2 80 $22,004,700

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration

South Carolina district offi ce in Columbia.

$22 million in the second quarter

n in SBA’s South Caro-

attributed part of the

istration’s Com-

which provided a

he past.

ct of a

in

A

s

ome-


GRIDIRON ECONOMICS

By Ashley Fletcher Frampton, Staff Writer

Over, underSales of higher-priced season tickets

slip at USC, Clemson, but revenue is still up

Season tickets for University of South

Carolina football games typically sell out

in the spring, when athletic booster club

members place orders.

Not so this year.

In mid-May, aft er Gamecock Club mem-

bers bought tickets, USC had about 7,000 of its

56,000 season tickets left over.

USC offi cials blame the drop on a painful

recession coinciding with a new seating pol-

icy — called Yearly Equitable Seating — that

raised the cost of season tickets for many fans.

Football ticket sales have been slow this

year at Clemson University as well. Following

a record-breaking 58,000 season tickets sold

last year, Clemson was about 6,000 shy of that

mark as of late July.

Clemson’s best-ever ticket sales came the

same year the school implemented its own

new seating policy — similar to USC’s —

which increased costs for some Tiger fans. But

even with the higher costs, 2008 season ticket

sales beat 2007 sales by about 1,000, according

to Travis Furbee, assistant athletic director of

ticket operations at Clemson.

Driving those sales were high expectations

for the football team, which was ranked in the

top 10 nationally in the preseason, along with

some fans’ jockeying to take advantage of the

new program and get better seats, Furbee said.

A year later, Furbee says the economy is to

blame for the reversal.

“We called pretty much every season

ticket holder who did not renew, and I would

say probably 80% of the (reasons given) were

loss of a job, needing to cut their fi nances back

— things along those lines,” Furbee said.

But the news isn’t all bad for the football

programs at USC and Clemson. Both schools

are expecting overall revenue to be higher than

it was before the new policies took eff ect.

New pricing, new goalsTh e details of the new seating policies at

USC and Clemson diff er, but both have similar

goals: increasing funding for athletic programs

and facilities and assigning season tickets based

on fi nancial donations instead of seniority.

Longtime ticket holders enjoyed prime seats

despite paying minimal dues to their respective

athletic booster clubs, while big-time donors

without as much seniority were left sitting far

away from the action.

Th at situation lacked equity, offi cials said,

and did not provide incentives for donors to

increase their levels of giving. Both schools said

peer universities already had instituted simi-

lar seating policies, and in order to keep their

teams competitive on the fi eld, they needed to

follow suit to raise more money.

At USC, season tickets for four seats outside

the 25-yard lines in the lower west side of Wil-

liams-Brice Stadium cost $800 more because of

the new policy, said Lance Grantham, director

of ticket operations. Near the 50-yard line, the

cost of four tickets went up $1,300 this year.

Th at’s on top of the $1,280 baseline cost for

four sets of season tickets, plus donor dues to

the Gamecock Club, which can range from

hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Grantham said USC athletic department

offi cials did not foresee the recession when

scheduling the implementation of the Yearly

Equitable Seating plan.

“It was a perfect-world plan for sure,” he

said.

Bill Chavious is one USC fan who scaled

back ticket purchases this year. Instead of his

usual four season tickets, he bought two sets.

Next year, he said he probably won’t buy any.

Chavious, a season ticket holder since 1970,

said the price increase wasn’t the only reason

for his decision. Th e main reason is that he’s

grown weary of giving scholarship money for

college athletes who don’t seem to care about

their education — a point he says is evidenced

by criminal activity among some and by others

who leave school early for professional teams.

“Economics certainly enters in to my deci-

sion-making,” Chavious said. “But, quite hon-

estly, it was a choice. Economics might have

been an excuse.”

Th e two season tickets Chavious did buy

this year are for his son, he said. With the mon-

ey he saved on the other two tickets, he bought

a 52-inch television on which he plans to watch

USC’s televised games.

Stadium shake-upsIn the past two years, the Gamecock Club

has lost about 2,000 of its 11,000 or so mem-

bers, Grantham said. Most of those dropping

out — or staying in but not buying tickets —

cited the price increase and the economy as

driving factors in their decisions, he said.

But athletic department offi cials expected

that some Gamecock Club members would

bow out. Th at’s what allows higher-level do-

nors to move to better seats commensurate

with their contributions.

Grantham said the Gamecock Club has

gained several new members, and they are get-

ting season tickets for the fi rst time and off set-

ting some of the losses. Th e net loss in mem-

bership is fewer than 1,000 people, he said.

Similarly, the start of Clemson’s Seat Eq-

uity Plan brought new members to IPTAY, the

school’s athletic booster club, while shift ing

around some longtime members, Furbee said.

Under the plan, 38% of IPTAY members had

to increase giving in 2008 to stay in their seats,

and 30% actually did so.

Grantham said USC football ticket sales

previously generated about $22 million of the

athletic department’s budget. Th is year, the

school expects ticket revenue to increase by

about $6.5 million, driven by the increased

seat premiums.

USC had anticipated revenue going up fur-

ther — the original seating plan also called for

donation levels to the Gamecock Club to in-

crease 20% every year for fi ve years. Th ough

the fi rst increase came as planned during the

2008 season, “What happened was the econ-

omy hit the skids and we froze it for the next

year,” Grantham said.

Furbee said Clemson’s ticket revenue will

probably fall by $1.4 million to $1.5 million this

year compared with last year. But overall rev-

enue is still expected to be higher than it was

before the Seat Equity Program, he said. SCBIZ

(Photo/Roy Philpott)

By Molly Parker, Staff Writer

High expectationsBusiness community hoping new port leadership

will be a catalyst for growth


Two men who were once fi erce competi-

tors in Atlanta, working for dueling ship-

ping lines, are about to join forces at the

S.C. State Ports Authority to lead the agency

through a time of economic uncertainty,

growth and transition.

TTh e SPA board has penned a three-year

contract with Hapag-Lloyd shipping executive

Jim Newsome, naming him the organization’s

president and CEO. He starts Sept. 1.

Paul McClintock, the former vice president

for North American sales for MOL (America)

Inc., reported for his fi rst day of work May 4.

He is serving as the port’s vice president and

chief commercial offi cer, a newly created posi-

tion designed to streamline sales and market-

ing eff orts.

McClintock will serve directly under News-

ome, who, coincidentally, recommended Mc-

Clintock for the chief commercial offi cer slot

before Newsome thought about moving to

Charleston himself.

Th e business community is pitching the

new leadership duo as the catalyst for catapult-

ing Charleston’s status to that of a major East-

ern seaboard port community, and for drawing

new business in a cutthroat economic climate.

Otis Rawl, CEO of the S.C. Chamber of

Commerce, said, “It gives us, at least from

a state perspective, a breath of fresh air to be

able to go down there and start a plan to get

Charleston back to where it was fi ve to seven

years ago, when we were a leading container

handler on the East Coast, and to turn over a

new leaf on the political page.”

Aggressive promotion NNewsome said he was attracted to Charles-

ton by the fact that the SPA owns and operates

its facilities. He also was interested in what he

says are myriad opportunities here. Charleston’s

deep waters and strong staff make the port well-

positioned to compete on the global stage, he

said, priming the pump for growth.

“We need to and will aggressively promote

this port,” he said.

Newsome started his shipping career early,

as an unpaid assistant to his father, who for years

was the director of operations for the Geor-

gia Ports Authority. Th e position was second

in command then.

“I guess you could say I was born into the

port business,” he said.

“My mother’s respite for me was sending

me to the port with my dad on Saturdays. From

there, it got into my blood.”

His father also was a friend of Don Welch’s.

Welch led the SPA through the containerization

movement, and the Mount Pleasant Wando

Welch Terminal is named for him.

Welch and Newsome both attended the Uni-

versity of Tennessee-Knoxville. Welch, who died

in January, nudged Newsome to consider the

transportation school there, considered to be

one of the nation’s top logistics programs.

He described Tim McNamara, the SPA’s

headhunter, as “persistent” in his eff orts to hire

him. And in the end, Newsome said, leading the

SPA is the only recently available job for which

he would have even entertained the idea of leav-

ing Hapag-Lloyd. He had been leading the com-

pany’s America division, the world’s fi ft h-largest

container line, since January.

“I saw this as a very interesting challenge to

round out my career,” he said.

Critics change tuneEven critics of the port have changed their

tune recently, opening themselves up for rec-

onciliation.

“Th ere’s a whole new level of optimism

swimming around the union and the whole

maritime community. Everyone seems to be

very excited,” said Ken Riley, president of In-

ternational Longshoremen’s Association Local

1422.

Riley said both McClintock and Newsome

have already reached out to the union.

A 13-member selection committee led by

Columbia businessman Bill Stern pared a list

of 106 applicants to fi ve fi nalists before settling

on Newsome. But it was Stern, the SPA board’s

vice chairman, who sought out Newsome for

the job, as opposed to the other way around.

Stern said he met Newsome about eight

months ago at the behest of a business associate

who thought it would be a good connection for

the SPA board to make. Stern and David Posek,

the SPA board’s chairman, met with Newsome

one day in Columbia when Newsome was driv-

ing through town.

At the time, there was no indication that

then-CEO Bernard Groseclose would be step-

ping down, Stern said. But Groseclose abruptly

resigned in January during a performance re-

view with the board.

“When Bernie did decide to leave, and we

were having a search, the name that immedi-

ately came to me was Jim,” Stern said.

Newsome will make $300,000 a year, with

the opportunity to earn up to $100,000 in year-

ly bonuses.

It takes economic development, tooSergio Fedelini, a vice president of Mediter-

ranean Shipping in Mount Pleasant, said he is

impressed by McClintock’s and Newsome’s re-

sumes. He also cautioned that the SPA board is

the group that sets policy, and he said a new di-

rection will ultimately be determined by those

nine voting members, who are appointed by

the governor and confi rmed by the Senate.

Additionally, Fedelini said, the state must

generate new manufacturing activity for the

port to be competitive.

“If the port is moving a lot of cargo, the

steamship lines are coming, don’t worry about

it. So how do you get more cargo? Economic

development is the job of the Department of

Commerce of the state,” he said. “As the state

creates activity in economic development,

there will be more exports coming through the

port, and the steamship lines will come here

and the port will increase the volume.”

At its June board meeting, the SPA pro-

jected it would close the fi scal year ended June

30 with a 19% decline in container traffi c com-

pared with the previous fi scal year. It passed a

fi scal 2010 budget that predicts a decline of an

additional 6%. SCBIZ

r-

d

o the

h h h i ld b d i f

Ports, Logistics & Distribution

Jim Newsome


Profile: Robert L. Wyatt

Unlike a lot of his peers, Robert Wyatt

didn’t dream of having the job he just

took.

But he didn’t exactly end up there on a

whim, either.

Wyatt, originally from Little Rock, Ark.,

took over the post of president of Coker Col-

lege in July, replacing retiring president James

Dawson.

“I’ve never really had a desire to be a presi-

dent, per se,” he said. “I’ve desired to be able

to make a diff erence in whatever organization

I’m in.”

Wyatt earned his bachelor’s degree from

the University of Central Arkansas and then

worked as a CPA and corporate comptroller

for several years.

“I enjoyed my job but felt like I didn’t have

the opportunity to give back,”

Wyatt said. So he went back to

school and earned a master’s

in accounting from the Uni-

versity of Arkansas. A profes-

sor persuaded him to go ahead

and get his doctorate, and he

received it from the University

of Memphis in 1993.

Wyatt taught for a few years

before realizing that higher

education needed leaders with

administrative experience. So

he parlayed his business back-

ground and teaching experience into a job as

dean of the business school at Union Univer-

sity in Tennessee.

He spent the past seven years as dean of

the Breech School of Business Administration

at Drury University in Springfi eld, Mo. Dur-

ing his tenure, he oversaw major curriculum

revision and put the school on track for ac-

creditation with the Association to Advance

Collegiate Schools of Business International,

as well as reaffi rmed accreditation with the

Association of Collegiate Business Schools

and Programs.

He says one of his proudest accomplish-

ments while there was founding and building

up the Students in Free Enterprise program.

SIFE is an international nonprofi t collegiate

competition that fuses the business world with

community outreach.

“We did about 28 to 30 projects a year, from

teaching elementary school students about

supply and demand with cupcakes to build-

ing safe water stations in Africa,” Wyatt said.

In 2001, he took about 50 students from the

Drury program to the fi rst international SIFE

competition in London, and they returned

with the world cup champion title.

As a result, he and the team went on the

“Today” show and had their photo on Kel-

logg’s cereal boxes, a la Tony the Tiger.

“I’ve always categorized him as having the

Midas touch,” said Bonnie Wilcox, director

of academic support services at the Breech

School and a member of the advisory board

for the SIFE team.

Wilcox has known Wyatt

since he started his job on the

Drury faculty in 1996. She

then worked in the same offi ce

with him once he became dean

seven years ago.

“He’s a visionary,” Wilcox

said. “He always had good

ideas and surrounded himself

with people who help imple-

ment those ideas. And he’s not

a micromanager.”

Wilcox said Wyatt’s big-

gest strength is his leadership skills. Th at trait

helped him gain entrance to a fellowship pro-

gram with the American Council on Educa-

tion, a sort of fast-track course to prepare edu-

cators to be presidents in higher education.

Wyatt spent a year at Hendrix College in

Arkansas, shadowing the president there —

attending meetings, appointments, media calls

and anything else the president did.

“In eff ect, this was a presidential intern-

ship,” he said.

He completed the fellowship last year, and

the opportunity at Coker College in Hartsville

stood out to him.

“Coker is one of those gems waiting to be

discovered by more people,” Wyatt said. “I’ll

“Coker is one of those gems waiting to be discovered by more people.”Robert L. Wyatt,

president, Coker College

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be able to help them get the message out as to

the kind of quality product that we are provid-

ing.”

One of the unique features of Coker is its

roundtable instructional approach, he said.

In every class, about 12 students sit around a

table, so “there’s no hiding. Students have to be

prepared.

“Th is results in graduates who are very

articulate and able to defend their positions,”

Wyatt said.

In August, Wyatt will start digging into his

new role at Coker, focusing mainly on devel-

opment of the college’s strategic plan, an area

in which he has experience and strength.

“He’s somebody who is very goal-oriented,”

said John Taylor, director of the MBA program

at the Breech School and formerly co-adviser

of the school’s SIFE team with Wyatt.

His leadership is augmented by his profes-

sional philosophy to communicate his goals

and be transparent. Th e latter is a lesson he

learned from mentor and friend Jack Shew-

maker, former president of Wal-Mart and

Drury University board member.

“When an organization is going through

change, you should triple the amount of com-

munication when making that change,” Wyatt

said.

Taylor said Wyatt’s two main strengths —

leadership and communication — were evi-

dent to everyone at his past job.

“He was good at showing faculty and stu-

dents why they were trying to reach a goal,

bringing them on board and getting them to

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Island Coffee owner Rob Kramer watches over a freshly roasted batch of coffee. (Photo/Leslie Halpern)

By Andy Owens, Managing Editor

ale green coff ee pours

into the top of the hot

steel roasting drum

that’s rumbling like

an old Chevy head-

ed down a dirt road.

Like a patient barbe-

cue pit boss, the roast-

master checks the temperature of the air fl owing

into the top of the roaster, checks the tempera-

ture inside the roaster, pulls out sample beans.

You have to use all of your senses when

you’re roasting coff ee, says Rob Kramer,

owner of Island Coff ee in Ravenel, over the

constant crackle, pop and churn of the beans.

Th e roasting room is hot and smells like sugar

cookies on Christmas morning.

“We always believe a coff ee has a sweet

spot,” Kramer said.

When the coff ee looks, sounds and smells

just right, a handle is pulled. Rich, brown beans

pour out of the roaster, fl owing into a carousel

that slowly rotates and cools the beans. When

a second pop is heard, it’s time to bag the latest

batch of hand-roasted coff ee, a selling point

for South Carolina’s small roasters.

Large industrial roasters can’t aff ord to give

this kind of attention to a few pounds of cof-

fee. Th at care makes South Carolina’s locally

roasted coff ee a one-of-a-kind, S.C.-produced

product, and it gives the people who run in-

dependent roasters control over the fl avor and

tone of every coff ee they roast.

“When we roast coff ee, we cup it to see if

we hit the mark that we want to hit,” says Josh

Campbell, co-owner of Cashua Coff ee in Co-

lumbia. “If a coff ee is ready to pull, we pull it.”

Counting on beansTh e S.C. Department of Agriculture re-

ports that coff ee and tea manufacturing has

a $60 million direct annual impact on South

Carolina’s economy. Th at’s $2 million more

than tobacco farming and $57 million more

than winemaking.

When asked about their work, small roasters

in the state talk more about art than commerce.

Th ey’re small-business people who see their

economic potential directly tied to their ability

to produce a high-quality, varied product.

Th ey select beans based on experience

and their relationships with farmers and cof-

fee cooperatives on other continents. Th ey

blend beans to create a particular eff ect for a

customer or because they think it’ll be a good,

marketable product.

Cashua Coff ee is based in Columbia but

does its roasting once a week at a small facil-

ity off Howe Springs Road in Florence Coun-

ty. Most of the company’s customers are in

Myrtle Beach and Columbia or buy online.

Marty Stephens, owner of Aroma Under-

ground coff eehouse and music venue in Flor-

ence, said the Nicaraguan beans Cashua roasts

sell so well, he sometimes has to hide a few

pounds under the counter for brewing.

“Th is is the only place we get coff ee from,”

Stephens said while strumming an acoustic

guitar during a recent visit to Cashua Coff ee.

He makes regular stops by the roasting room,

which also serves as a shrine to Elvis and a

place to sample coff ee right out of the roaster.

“I drink a lot of coff ee, and this Nicaraguan is

the best coff ee I’ve ever tasted.”

Small-time roasters infuse art and business into a genuine S.C. product

TH

E


Made (not grown) in South CarolinaOther than Hawaii, no state in the U.S. grows

coffee. Every other bean, drop and ground of

coffee that makes it into the 50 states comes

from another country, and tons of it are shipped

into the Port of Charleston each year. The S.C.

Department of Agriculture certifies coffee roasted

in South Carolina as Certified SC Grown, making

the distinction that green coffee roasted in South

Carolina becomes a “product” of the state. So

far, eight roasters have been labeled Certified

SC Grown by the Agriculture Department, which

means they agree to specific standards for the

designation and submit to inspections of their

operations by the Agriculture Department. For

more information about the Certified SC Program,

visit www.certifiedscgrown.com.

CERTIFIED SC GROWN ROASTERSThe following businesses across the state are

great places to learn about the art, science and

business of coffee roasting.

Cashua Fresh Roasted Coffee51 Downing St. • Columbia, SC 29209

www.cashuacoffee.com

Charleston Coffee Roasters289 Huger St. • Charleston, SC 29403

www.charlestoncoffeeroasters.com

Coffee Roasters of Charleston720 Angus Court • Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

www.netcoffees.net

Divino Products LLC803 Gervais St. • Columbia, SC 29201

www.divinoproducts.com

Ice Cream & Coffee Beans Inc. (ICCB Inc.)6460 Savannah Highway • Ravenel, SC 29470

www.whollycowicecream.com

Iron Brew Coffee1120 Northpoint Blvd. • Blythewood, SC 29016

www.ironbrewcoffee.com

Island Coffee6460 Savannah Highway • Ravenel, SC 29470

www.microroaster.com

Leopard Forest Coffee Co.26 S. Main St. • Travelers Rest, SC 29690

www.leopardforestcoffee.com

Source: S.C. Department of Agriculture

COFFEE IMPORTSSOUTH CAROLINA’S

The equivalent of 2,760 shipping containers of coffee

was imported through the Port of Charleston from

April 2008 to March 2009. That’s an average

of nearly eight containers a day.

Getting an exact number of roasters in

South Carolina is diffi cult because many are

small operations that roast just for them-

selves. Kramer said he thinks there are about

15 commercial roasters in the state.

Island Coff ee’s sales have been strong dur-

ing the recession even though the company

has made strategic moves, including going

aft er some competitors. Only a few years old,

Cashua Coff ee has seen a lot of growth, and

because the owners have full-time jobs, they

pour all of the money back into the business.

Starbucks Coff ee Co., one of the biggest

competitors for roasters of any size, opened

a roasting facility in Calhoun County this

year, bringing jobs and more coff ee into South

Carolina. Without Starbucks, the growth of

small roasters and the prevalence of small cof-

fee shops would not be as robust as it is today,

according to the independent coff ee roasters.

“I believe Starbucks has done wonders for

coff ee internationally,” said Cashua co-owner

Jason Savage. “I believe if there was no Star-

bucks, there would be no Cashua.”

Savage and others also agreed that the

typical dark roast of Starbucks removes a lot

of character from the beans. Kramer said Star-

bucks has increased awareness about quality

coff ee, but he said the company is leveraging its

size to squeeze out small businesses. He noted

the three Charleston Starbucks retail locations

within walking distance of Kudu Coff ee House,

one of the locally owned shops he sells to.

A representative from Starbucks was con-

tacted several times to comment on this story

and declined to respond to questions.

Kramer is always looking for new products

and customers — and searching for that next

great bean. His latest fi nd is from Cameroon.

“Th is is craft roasting. Th is isn’t roasting

for money,” Kramer said. “Quality control is

our No. 1 problem: Making the same roast day

aft er day aft er day.”

Several originsIndependently roasted coff ee is available

for about $11 or $12 a pound. A breakdown

of where those dollars go depends largely on

the coff ee market and quality of the coff ee.

Farmers can get up to 50 cents or more per

bag from a small, independent roaster and

pennies or less on the pound from larger op-

erations that feed grocery store chains.

Th ree of South Carolina’s independent

roasters said they placed less emphasis on fair

trade and rainforest-friendly programs than on

Coffee pours out of the roaster at Cashua Coffee’s roasting facility in Florence County as co-owner Jason

Savage prepares to pour in more green coffee. (Photo/Andy Owens)

www.scbizmag.com | Fall 2009 13

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visits to farms and relationships with farmers.

Even though they thought those programs had

merit, they said a constant, close relationship

with farmers is the best way to ensure quality.

Kramer is one of the founders of a coop-

erative in Cameroon to help farmers get more

money for their coff ee by improving quality

and bringing it to market in the U.S. He said

the cooperative is great for the fl edgling coff ee

industry there and good for his business.

“We can make a huge diff erence in Camer-

oon if we can get this to work,” he said, look-

ing across stacks and stacks of burlap coff ee

bags. “Th e coff ee there is tremendous. I don’t

want to sound like we’re doing this because

we’re such nice people. We are the only people

in the world who have this coff ee.”

Leopard Forest Coff ee in Travelers Rest is

unusual in its relationship with its primary

supply of coff ee beans. Th e couple that owns

the coff ee shop and roaster in the Upstate also

owns a coff ee farm in Zimbabwe. Leopard

Forest imports about fi ve containerloads each

year through the Port of Charleston.

“Th at’s our main source for our coff ee. We

only roast about 40 tons a year, so far, and

about 30 tons comes from our farm,” co-owner

Ildi Revi said. “What we’re trying to do is cre-

ate transparency in the coff ee chain. We can

give you the names of the growers and in some

cases the phone numbers of the farmers.”

Cashua Coff ee uses a broker as the primary

source for its beans. Both of Cashua’s owners

have visited the coff ee farm in Latin America.

“It’s important to us. We work directly with

farms and cut out those other folks,” Savage

said. “Basically, what we’re saying is we have

Freshly roasted coffee lines the shelves of Leopard

Forest coffee in Travelers Rest. (Photo/Kevin Greene)

Ildi Revi examines a scoop of Leopard Forest beans

at her shop in Travelers Rest. (Photo/Kevin Greene)

relationships with these people.”

Island Coff ee recently received a shipment

of 275 bags from Africa. Forty of those bags

will go into the local roaster’s coff ee, and the

rest will be sold to other roasters across the

U.S. Kramer pays a deposit to farmers who

trust him to get the most for their coff ee and

then pay them through the cooperative.

“Th e countries we buy coff ee from, it’s a

way of life,” Kramer said. “We really never

think about where that coff ee came from. It’s

not a cup of coff ee to them. It’s their future.

To treat coff ee lightly, from our perspective, is

disrespectful.” SCBIZ

http://www.thsconstructors.com


CONSTRUCTION

By Scott Miller, Staff Writer

Munich, Germany, to Greer is no longer

a one-way street.

Th e landscape has changed since

BMW opened its plant in the Upstate 16 years

ago, said Josef Kerscher, president of BMW

Manufacturing Co. in Greer.

Th ere’s now a profound exchange of knowl-

edge and human capital between Spartanburg

County and the parent company in Munich,

Germany, and it’s culminating with the auto-

maker’s $750 million expansion that is nearly

complete.

“We will have new experiences, and we

will bring those experiences back with us to

Germany,” said Kerscher, who takes company

conference calls in the middle of the night to

coincide with Munich time.

BMW is part of a larger trend, a piece of

a burgeoning engineering cluster that has put

South Carolina on the map globally and is po-

sitioned to be among the fi rst to benefi t from

an economic turnaround.

A new BMWKerscher acknowledged that information

used to fl ow in one direction, from BMW’s

Munich headquarters to Greer.

But during a recent tour of the company’s

new paint shop and assembly line, he made it

clear that times have changed.

Consider the new $323 million, 1.3 mil-

lion-square-foot assembly line. One of the

project managers, Sherry McCraw, is an

American engineer BMW recruited from

Winston Salem, N.C., during its fi rst foray

into the Upstate 16 years ago. Th e other, Bar-

bara Bergmeier, is a longtime BMW executive

who, in a thick German accent, now calls her-

self “a Spartanburg person.”

Th e new assembly line is part of a $750 mil-

lion overall expansion announced in March

2008 that also included a 300,000-square-

foot, 80% expansion of the existing paint

shop. When announcing the project last year,

BMW said it would create 500 jobs on site to

produce three models and to increase produc-

tion capacity to 240,000 units by 2012.

Right now, BMW remains on schedule; but

offi cials aren’t talking jobs at the moment and

have made it clear that market conditions will

determine when the expansion is fully utilized.

National, local contractors uniteIn the meantime, more than 25 subcontrac-

tors have worked on the project, led by Gray

Construction, a Lexington, Ky., engineering

and construction fi rm with offi ces throughout

the Southeast, including the Palmetto state,

and in Tokyo. Gray has completed more than

33 million square feet of automotive facilities

across the United States.

While Gray took the lead, much of the

supporting cast comprised local companies in

the Upstate, including Global Performance of

Greenville, which also played a major role.

According to a study by the Moore School

of Business at the University of South Carolina,

BMW’s construction project supported 5,000

jobs and $200 million in income this year.

Th e on-site work force consisted of ap-

proximately 500 people.

Overseeing it all were Bergmeier and Mc-

Craw. But with construction complete and test-

ing under way, the two have parted company.

McCraw, manager of new assembly, will

remain in Spartanburg to guide the new as-

sembly line into the production phase. She

said testing should last about six months, with

some production beginning next year. During

the testing phase, some cars will be completed

and crash-tested. Others will be scrapped and

recycled before they’re ever completed.

“I have been involved in every expansion.

I was project manager for many of them,” Mc-

Craw said of her 16 years with BMW.

Bergmeier, vice president of assembly,

is returning to Germany to take on another

challenge. Her replacement is a Clemson Uni-

versity graduate who has been with BMW

since 1993.

“I have learned a lot about lean manufac-

turing here,” Bergmeier said of her three years

in the Upstate.

An engineering hubSouth Carolina is branding a reputation

for expertise in engineering.

“If you’re a Fortune 100 company and you

need someone to design, build and support a

big capital project, there’s really three places

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you can go for that kind of expertise: Phila-

delphia, the greater Houston area and South

Carolina,” said Lee Stogner, chairman of the

S.C. Engineering Cluster.

Firms such as Wilbur Smith Associates

and BP Barber in Columbia, Fluor Corp. and

Jacobs Engineering Group in Greenville, and

others have put South Carolina on the map

globally as an engineering base, Stogner said.

CH2M Hill is helping build cities in Dubai,

he added, while Fluor is actively involved in

designing China’s growing manufacturing in-

dustry.

“A statistic that Fluor likes to give out is

that 65% of the biotech plants in the country

were designed here in South Carolina,” Stog-

ner said.

Th e state’s engineering cluster is diverse.

Th e Upstate has a niche in designing chemical

and manufacturing plants; the Midlands has

carved out a specialty related to road, bridge

and other infrastructure design; and the

coastal regions have a large number of envi-

ronmental engineering fi rms, Stogner said.

Th at engineering cluster is in good posi-

tion to be the fi rst to notice upward trends in

the economy, Stogner said. In fact, previously

out-of-work engineers are already being re-

hired, he said, as stimulus funds pave the way

for new energy- and infrastructure-related

construction projects.

“Our member companies are actively pur-

suing cities, towns and agencies (throughout

the country) that have received funding,”

Stogner said.

Fluor recently created a business group to

focus squarely on energy projects. Jacobs is

pursuing biomass projects.

“Why all the focus on energy? Because

that’s where the money is right now,” Stogner

said.

And engineering offi ces are diverse places,

attracting people from all over the world, he

noted.

“If you go to a typical engineering offi ce,

yeah, you have some local talent from South

Carolina, but you also have a lot of interna-

tional talent,” Stogner said.

At the cusp of new technologyAll of this is helping to grow South Carolina’s

engineering cluster, as is BMW, which continues

to bring new technologies to Spartanburg.

Th e newly expanded paint shop, for example,

is state-of-the-art.

Vehicles are turned 360 degrees end-over-

end and dunked into large tanks to be cleaned

and treated with corrosion protection before

they are painted. One paint cell has 24 self-

cleaning robotic arms that hold cartridges with

just enough paint to coat one vehicle, minimiz-

ing waste. Ostrich feathers are used later to dust

the vehicles.

“I’ve been painting cars for 29 years. Th is re-

ally is state-of-the-art,” said Steve Jones, project

manager for the new paint shop. “Th is is my

11th paint shop, and I can say this is state-of-

the-art.”

Th e new assembly plant, meanwhile, has

“fi ngers” that protrude from the side of the

plant. Each fi nger provides delivery access to

the exact point of use on the production line.

Th ose fi ngers are designed for quick expansion,

if needed.

In the past, the Greer plant was at a disad-

vantage in technology because it was so far from

the company’s headquarters, Bergmeier said.

BMW’s German offi ces are able to work more

closely, she said.

Th e Spartanburg County plant, however,

pulls together a wider variety of backgrounds

and experiences, she said.

“In Germany, everyone is BMW,” she

said. “Here, everybody came from so many

different companies, with so many different

experiences.”

Continued on page 16 ➤

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CONSTRUCTION

Local talent ascendsBergmeier’s replacement is an example

of that diversity. Richard Morris, a Clemson

University alumnus and BMW employee

since 1993, replaced Bergmeier on July 1. He

earned an MBA from Clemson University and

holds a bachelor of science in mechanical en-

gineering from the General Motors Institute.

Morris has taken on various roles in his time

with BMW, including a stint in Germany serving

as the project leader for the next-generation X5

Sports Activity Vehicle launched in 2006. Most

recently, Morris served as assembly manager.

But before he became a BMW employee,

he spent nearly 10 years in quality engineer-

ing positions with various automotive manu-

facturers in the United States.

McCraw is also an example of that wide-

ranging experience, having been recruited to

BMW from the company in Winston Salem.

Th roughout her tenure, she has been put in

positions to grow, a common BMW practice,

Bergmeier said.

“Sherry right from the beginning was in

charge of this,” Bergmeier said.

And she took great care in choosing her

team to implement the expansion.

“We don’t build plants very oft en, so you

pull this expertise from around the globe,”

McCraw said.

Parting waysTh is isn’t the fi rst time McCraw and Berg-

meier have worked together. Th ey prepared

lines for the launch of the E70 and X5 in 2001

and 2002 in Munich.

“Maybe more countries to come,” Bergmeier

said. “I would love to have Sherry with me.”

McCraw called Bergmeier’s departure

“sad.” Bergmeier said it’s just part of the job.

“My philosophy is you have to work every-

where,” she said. “People can’t be taken away

from you. If you like them, you keep in touch.

Th ey can’t be taken away. But it is sad.

“I used to be a Munich person,” Bergmeier

said. “I think if I was asked now, I would say I

was a Spartanburg person.” SCBIZ

Barbara Bergmeier (left) and Sherry McCraw will soon part ways, the newly expanded BMW Manufacturing

plant in Greer another entry on their resumes. (Photo/James T. Hammond)


http://www.lowcountryalliance.org

CONSTRUCTION

www.scbizmag.com | Fal l 2009 17

121 Edinburgh Court Greenville, SC 29607

phone [864] 232.1491 fax [864] 242.9054

website ypsconst.com

PROJECTStuken L.L.C.

BUILDER Yeargin Potter

Shackelford Construction

ARCHITECT Pazdan-Smith Group

Architects

LOCATION Fountain Inn, SC

RESULTS On Time. On Budget.

Stamp ofApproval

Trust Commitment Quality Value

..

Construction jobs in South Carolina June 2009 103,300

June 2008 114,200

Jobs lost: 10,900

SLOWConstruction zoneBy Allison Cooke Oliverius, Special Projects Editor

Construction crews widening Interstate

26 in North Charleston call the roadway

their offi ce. Th ey have to be in the road

to build it, and their working conditions are

hot, dirty and dangerous.

But it’s work, and right now, the crews are

especially thankful for it.

“It’s the biggest job we’ve had, times three,”

said Greg Cook, vice president of U.S. Group

Inc., the Columbia-based company that was

awarded the $66 million widening project.

“And it’s a blessing, no doubt about it.”

In the past 18 months, Cook’s company

has gone from 280 employees to 140; from 26

projects to four. He has watched colleagues

and competitors close up shop and leave town,

projects unfi nished.

It’s the nature of the beast right now. Th e

construction industry has suff ered badly in the

economic downturn, shedding about 11,000

jobs in South Carolina since June 2008.

U.S. Group is surviving on work it was

awarded in the past couple of years, includ-

ing the I-26 widening project, which Cook

expects will keep his crews busy until 2011.

Th is project has helped the company hold

on, even as the industry in South Carolina

was slapped in the last couple years with what

Cook describes as a triple-whammy: the end

of “27 in 7,” an aggressive road improvement

program funded by the S.C. Department of

Transportation; an abrupt retreat in construc-

tion investment by developers; and the stock

market drop-off .

“What happened was sort of a perfect storm

for the construction industry,” Cook said.

“Th ose three things together crushed us.”

Has to get worse before it gets better Tony Plath isn’t in the construction indus-

try, but he’s studied it for the past 10 years.

And he says he hasn’t seen anything like this.

“It’s bad. Everything’s bad. It’s bad across

the board,” Plath said. “Th e only thing that

was holding was government projects, and

even that is waning because of budget cuts

and unemployment.”

Plath is an associate professor of fi nance at

the University of North Carolina at Charlotte

and he works with the Carolinas chapter of the

Associated General Contractors of America to

produce its quarterly barometer. He analyzes

data collected from government agencies to of-

fer a snapshot of the commercial construction

industry in North and South Carolina.

Th e organization’s latest report indicated a

2.6% increase in activity in South Carolina for

the fi rst quarter, mostly from small increases

A U.S. Group crew installs a beam on an interchange on Interstate 26 near North Charleston. (Photo/Red Zeppelin)

http://www.ypconst.com


CONSTRUCTION

What’s missing from your accounting?

[email protected]

in highway and utility construction. But these

positive signs were met with high fuel prices,

weak demand in equipment purchases and

diffi culty in obtaining fi nancing.

“Basically, the rate at which the industry is

deteriorating is slowing. It will hit bottom in

Quarter 2 and Quarter 3, but the rate at which

we recover will be very slow,” Plath said.

Quarter 2 results won’t be released by the

contractors group until late August.

“I don’t think we’ll fall much further, but

the downturn is going to be with us into 2011

in construction, because even if the economy

begins to bounce back in 2010, it will be a

year before you see the state and local coff ers

rebuild from tax receipts.”

A different timeWhen the country experienced recessions

around 1991 and 2001, the downturn was much

shorter and recovery was much faster, Plath said.

Back then, the federal government just increased

the amount of money in circulation, kept inter-

est rates low and encouraged borrowing.

But this recession is driven by an overissu-

ance of debt.

“Consumers are hesitant to borrow, and

banks don’t want to lend. Th e extent to which

we can borrow to create new spending is far

Most bridges across the nation undergo a

visual inspection for structural decay and dam-

age about once every two years.

“One problem is that a lot of the damage is

not visible,” said Paul Ziehl, an associate profes-

sor in the department of civil and environmental

engineering at the University of South Carolina.

Ziehl is leading a team of researchers at

USC’s College of Engineering and Computing

in a national study to develop technologies that

will supplement the visual inspections.

The project funded by the National Institute

of Standards and Technology provides $14 mil-

lion — which includes $4 million for USC — for

a partnership among the University of Miami,

Virginia Tech and Physical Acoustics Corp. of

Princeton, N.J.

USC’s portion of the study involves experi-

mental lab testing and fi eld monitoring of bridg-

es. The S.C. Department of Transportation will

provide several bridge girders for the study.

The research focuses on a network of high-

tech sensors that will be used to detect cracks

and measure damage caused by corrosion.

“Most bridge failures occur in a localized

region from degradation mechanisms, such

as fatigue and corrosion,” Ziehl said. “This

research will enable us to strategically place

sensors on bridges, collect data from the sen-

sor network and analyze that data with the

development of new computer software and

models.”

The study addresses a critical need in the

nation’s infrastructure, Ziehl added.

“Many of our bridges were built 50 years

ago, and many of these structures have a de-

sign life expectancy of about 50 years,” he said.

“What we learn will help us more quickly to de-

termine the health of a bridge and the length of

time it can be used.”

USC participates in national study to improve bridges

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www.scbizmag.com | Fal l 2009 19

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reduced this time around,” Plath said.

In addition, contractors in the past were able

to supplement a drop in privately funded con-

struction jobs with public works projects. Th ere

were schools to build and development projects

associated with the growing population base.

But now, state and local budgets are in dis-

array, the unemployment rate is “scarily high”

and the government work that has supported

companies in the bad times just isn’t there, Plath

said.

“Th e work that carries the industry is pub-

lic sector work,” Plath said. “It’s what keeps the

lights on and the crews working and businesses

solvent through periods of economic downturn.

But that isn’t going to be there to buoy the indus-

try this time.”

Muted bright spotsTh ere are a few exceptions.

In the Upstate, Anderson School District

One has plans to build a new Powdersville

High School. Preliminary bids for the school,

which was estimated to cost $38 million, came

in almost $10 million below that fi gure.

Bill Myers, vice president of the construc-

tion management division at M.B. Kahn Con-

struction Co. and the project manager for the

Anderson One program, said companies were

bidding at or near cost just to keep their em-

ployees and subcontractors working.

“As the owner’s agent, we’re really pleased

for the owner,” Myers said. “But we’re also a

general contractor, and I feel the pain.”

In the Midlands, a $91 million contract was

recently awarded to an Alabama company to

build a new 3rd Army Headquarters Complex

at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter.

Military installations in South Carolina

are set to receive more than $84 million in

federal stimulus funding for 97 construction

projects, and the state DOT will get about

$463 million in stimulus funds for transporta-

tion projects.

The Interstate 26 widening project involves recon-

struction of the interchange at Aviation Avenue and

Remount Road. (Photo/Red Zeppelin)

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Th ese projects are bright spots that will sup-

port all types of contractors and construction

companies, including electrical, plumbing, fi re

alarm, paving, fencing, roofi ng, termite repair,

high-tech security fencing, HVAC control sys-

tems and repair, lighting and painting.

“Th ese projects are not enough to rebuild the

economy. Th ey are sustaining the industry, but

not suffi cient to aid a mass recovery,” Plath said,

predicting that about 30% of the industry will

disappear. “For the next 1 1/2 years, we’re going

to lose some contractors.”

Th e stimulus funds help, but because of

massive pullbacks at the state and local levels,

“the stimulus doesn’t off set all the work that’s

lost,” he said.

The ‘good’ newsA recent report from Moore School of Busi-

ness researchers suggests that South Carolina’s

homebuilders are riding out the housing indus-

try collapse better than the rest of the nation

and that factors are in place for homebuilders

to see a rebound in the coming months.

Doug Woodward, who leads the University

of South Carolina’s research center in the Moore

School, recently told attendees at the convention

of the Home Builders Association of South Car-

olina that leading U.S. economic indicators are

starting to trend up aft er six months of decline.

He said the ongoing crisis in the fi nancial

markets continues to drag down activity in what

he calls the real economy, where goods and ser-

vices produce real wealth.

“Until these issues are resolved, your industry

and the entire economy are not going to thrive,”

Woodward said. “But I am more optimistic than

I was a couple of months ago.”

Th e good news in Plath’s analysis is that

South Carolina, even with its record 12.1% un-

employment rate, is in much better shape than

Michigan, California and Ohio.

“While we may have a rough couple of years,

these are areas that are going to feel a depres-

sion,” he said.

“We have faith in the American capitalistic

system that the cycle will pass and that, in a year

or two from now, things will get back to normal,”

said Cook, the U.S. Group vice president.

In the meantime, he is holding out hope that

the end of the summer, and the rest of the year,

will bring more work. U.S. Group remains fo-

cused on the future and stands ready to react to

opportunities, he said. SCBIZ

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Cities MeanBUSINESS

A PUBLICATION OF THE MUN IC I PAL ASSOC IATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA | ISSUE 2 | 2009

Win-win situationOutdoor amenities create healthy communities and encourage economic development

Cities are seeing greenLeaders encourageenergy effi ciency

Sustainable livingCommunities thrive when residents buy local

www.citiesmeanbusiness.org Cities Mean Business

You see a street.

We see a lifeline that is a hometown with planned traffi c fl ow, fi re stations, thousands of visitors each year, low unemployment rate, city parks and community centers for children of all ages. Our streets take us to our jobs, our churches, our fun places and even to grandma’s house.

http://www.citiesmeanbusiness.org

www.citiesmeanbusiness.org | Cities Mean BUSINESS 3A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina

FEATUR

ES

DEPARTMENTS

CONTENTS

COVER STORY

Win-win situationBy Amy Geier Edgar, Contributing writer

As more cities focus on creating outdoor

amenities to get residents moving, leaders

realize the benefi ts of their eff orts are two-fold.

Not only do parks and walkable downtown

areas improve the health of their communi-

ties, but they also provide opportunities for

economic development.

Cover photo: Annual professional cycling race

in downtown Spartanburg.

(Photo/Spartanburg Partners for Active Living)

8 Cities are seeing green Energy-effi cient initiatives are the talk

of South Carolina’s cities and towns

By Amy Geier Edgar, Contributing writer

13 Sustainable living South Carolina’s “buy local” eff ort

helps to sustain local economies

By Ashley Cook, Contributing writer

5 Outlook: Work, thrive together By Ed Sellers and Rick Danner

7 Perspective: Cool cities get cool By Jeff Baxter

A publication of Municipal Association of South Carolina

1411 Gervais St., P.O. Box 12109Columbia, SC 29211

[email protected]

Miriam Hair

Executive Director, Municipal Association of SC

Reba Campbell

Deputy Executive Director, Municipal Association of SC

Editorial staff Casey Fields

Mary Brantner

Contributing writersAshley Cook

Amy Geier Edgar

Published by

www.scbiznews.com

Cities MeanBUSINESS

10

4 Cities Mean BUSINESS | www.citiesmeanbusiness.org A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina

Sustainability is a buzz word we’re hearing more frequently these days relative to economic growth in our cities and towns. Depending on the context,

sustainability can have diff erent defi nitions, but bottom line, sustainability is the inter-

section of the economy, our society and the environment.

In this issue of Cities Mean Business, we look at what it means to be a sustainable

city or town from several perspectives. Common themes you will see woven through

this issue’s featured cities and towns are public/private collaboration, wise use of

resources and increased viability of local businesses.

First, we look at partnerships and policies South Carolina cities and towns are

putting in place to encourage residents and businesses to be more energy effi cient,

preserve natural resources, recycle and make their communities more “green friendly.”

Second, we examine the literal “green” aspects of sustainability and what cities and

towns around the state are doing to encourage walking, biking and healthy outdoor

activities in their downtowns and other parts of the community.

Finally, our third feature looks at sustaining the local economy during these chal-

lenging times. We learn about what cities and towns are doing to encourage the “buy

local” movement at farmer’s markets, in downtowns and through tourism.

Columns in this issue feature the voices of the Urban Land Institute, New Carolina

and the Municipal Association. Th ese organizations work together to sustain the local

economy by recognizing our state must look at new approaches to economic growth

for long-term success.

Reba Hull [email protected]

Editor

Letter from the

EDITOR


By Ed Sellers and Rick Danner

Work, thrive togetherCollaborate to create an environment of knowledge and ideas

As South Carolina continues to move toward a new economy based more on knowledge

jobs and a collaborative approach to increasing our

state’s competitiveness, our state leaders — both pri-

vate and public sector — must lead by example in cre-

ating an environment where new ideas and innovation

can be developed and maintained over the long term.

No longer do we exist in an environment where

every business enterprise or government entity can

go it alone. Now, more than ever in recent history, we

must focus on developing a sustainable economy in

South Carolina by encouraging an environment that

embraces the idea of regional-

ism and partnerships.

In this context, environ-

ment means more than just

our physical space. We must

create an environment in

which new ideas can be cre-

ated and encouraged in the

context of a modern economy

that is based on the exchange

of knowledge and ideas, not

just creating and selling a product. Innovative ideas

lead to technology advances that come from new and

existing services and manufactured goods. In cities

and towns, where people and businesses with diff erent

skill sets can share knowledge and work together, this

process usually happens faster and more effi ciently.

As we look at how the public and private sectors

can work better together, New Carolina’s approach of

growing our state’s economy through the concept of

clusters is gaining momentum. Clusters allow us to

align our existing economic assets to work together

rather than to compete against each other. Th is focus

on developing clusters of industry where new jobs can

grow and thrive is even more relevant today as our

state struggles to overcome the challenges posed by

the current economic situation.

Th e healthiest clusters are the ones in which the

members each contribute unique skills. To do this,

you need a critical mass of people or businesses with

diff erent skill sets coming together. Th is type of criti-

cal mass tends to congregate around cities and towns

that can provide the environment this new type of

worker is seeking.

Th is means ensuring we have an educated work

force qualifi ed to handle these new and advanced

jobs. Plus, we must supply the high quality of life

that these workers will want.

People with advanced degrees

oft en cluster in urban centers

because they seek the cultural

opportunities and diverse

amenities that only cities can

off er. Others may congregate

in small towns that boast

good schools, a strong sense

of community and attributes

like broadband and easy ac-

cess to transportation.

By supporting the development of clusters and re-

gional collaborations, cities and towns of all sizes be-

come the conduits that can connect the dots between

business and government partners. Our communities

can no longer compete against one another. We are at

war with every other regional economy in the world.

Th ere will be winners and losers, and we must focus

on those strategies unique to our environment that

will help us win.

Sellers is the chairman, president and CEO of Blue-

Cross BlueShield of South Carolina and chairman of the

New Carolina board. Danner is mayor of Greer, S.C.

and president of the Municipal Association of SC.

OUTLOOK

Ed Sellers

Rick Danner

6 Cities Mean BUSINESS | www.citiesmeanbusiness.org A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina

The word “cool” has many meanings above

and beyond its most basic defi nition of “moderately

cold.” In fact “cool” may be one of the most common

slang words used today.

Th e word is mainly used to describe something

that is popular, awesome or nice. But, if you place

“cool” in front of the word city, “cool city” carries a

much broader defi nition: unique, fun, diverse, vibrant,

rich in history, innovative and evolving.

Cool cities celebrate traditions rich in architecture,

entertainment, art or food. When asked to name

examples of “cool cities,” people are likely to list such

places as Austin, Portland, Vancouver and Nashville,

among many others around the world.

Closer to home, downtown Greenville, the

Vista area in Columbia, and the core areas of Aiken,

Beaufort and Charleston stand out. Th e appeal and

unique identity of these cool cities relate directly to an

increased tax base and economic vitality.

Lately, another defi nition for cool city could be

carbon neutral, in light of the recent climate change

debate that indicates gradual global warming is here

to stay. Increased greenhouse gas emissions and burn-

ing of fossil fuels have emanated from our metropoli-

tan areas.

As our cities’ populations have grown, dependence

on the automobile and vehicle miles traveled per

person have increased two- and three-fold. Further,

we consume more acres per person than we did in the

past. Th ese trends are all unsustainable and literally

make our cities less cool.

We must refocus our cities and let cool lead to

cool. Leading the way on this front is the Urban Land

Institute, a nonprofi t research and education organi-

zation whose mission is to provide leadership in the

responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining

thriving communities worldwide.

One example of a “cool city” partnership is the

Noisette Community Master Plan area in North

Charleston. In 2001, the City of North Charleston

entered into a public-private partnership to redevelop

340 acres of the closed Charleston Naval Base and to

Cool cities get cool

By Jeff Baxter

Jeff Baxter

PERSPECTIVE

Diners enjoy a meal at the Motor Supply Co. Bistro on Gervais Street in Columbia’s Vista.

(Photo/Courtesy Congaree Vista Guild)

Falls Park on the Reedy River in downtown Greenville.

(Photo/Kevin Greene)


PERSPECTIVE

revitalize an additional 2,700 acres that sur-

rounded it into a sustainable city.

History in this area is deep and includes

remnants of an 1890s park created by the

designer of New York’s Central Park; the for-

mer Charleston Naval Base, which operated

from 1901 to 1996; and a unique garden-city

concept that was built beginning in the early

1910s.

But the closure of the naval base in

1996 sent the surrounding community into

decline. As a result of various partnership

eff orts, revitalization is taking hold and

inviting people back to an area that had been

neglected for decades.

Now, instead of people moving to the

outer edges of the region, young families are

fi nding that a great neighborhood exists close

to jobs and is centrally located in the region.

Traditional cool is leading to climate cool.

Th e small stretch of East Montague Street

in North Charleston is historic, diverse and

unique. Th e revitalization of this key street

has attracted newcomers. Half Moon Outfi t-

ters recently completed a LEED Platinum

(meaning ultra-green for those not familiar

with LEED) offi ce building. Th e very cool

EVO Pizzeria, which opened a couple of

years back, has introduced new people to

the area who have gone on to buy houses in

Oak Terrace Preserve, a new green neigh-

borhood nearby. A city-run farmers market

operates on Th ursdays featuring locally-

grown produce.

When people live closer to where they

work, eat, shop and play, they spend less time

in their cars, thereby reducing their carbon

footprint. Complemented with innovations

in green design, we are moving toward a cool

future. We have a long way to go, and change

will take time. But ultimately, we need to

embrace cool to achieve cool.

Jeff Baxter is an active member of the

Urban Land Institute and is director of

development for the Noisette Co. in North

Charleston.

EVO Pizzeria is one of North Charleston’s many

“cool” places. (Photo/Ryan Wilcox)

Above: A community picnic

at Oak Terrace Preserve,

a green, infi ll neighbor-

hood in North Charleston.

(Photo/Elias Deeb)

Right: Th e farmers market

in North Charleston.

(Photo/City of North

Charleston)

nities and including environmental elements

in their comprehensive plans, Stall said.

“Th ere are lots of people and businesses

in this community who have dreams and

visions,” Stall said. “Th e pride we have in our

community helps make initiatives work.”

But oft en, businesses are not aware of what

services are available or how much money they

could save by using environmentally-friendly

methods, said Jane Hiller, an account represen-

tative for Sonoco Recycling in Columbia.

Th at’s where the city can step in. For

example, the City of Columbia has a Green

Business Member program, which is a

voluntary program to recognize businesses

that take steps to be greener and to encour-

age others to improve their environmental

record.

Th e program includes

about 80 workplaces as mem-

bers, including businesses

Th e program includes

about 80 workplaces as mem-

bers, including businesses

8 Cities Mean BUSINESS | www.citiesmeanbusiness.org

CITIES ARE SEEING

GREENTh e City of Greenville is just one of many cities and

towns in South Carolina that encourages the public and

private sectors to work together on green initiatives.

(Photo/James T. Hammond)


Across South Carolina, cities areseeing green. Th ey’re sharing that vision by

taking steps ranging from creating policies

to encourage energy-effi cient businesses to

partnering with private companies on green

development projects.

In the Upstate, the City of Greenville is

working with community leaders to create a

vision for the future. Russell Stall, executive

director of Greenville Forward, sums up that

vision: “Th ere are 38 Greenvilles in the U.S.A,

and we want to be the greenest.”

Stall’s organization of public and private

sector leaders is working closely with city

leaders on four focus areas: health and

wellness; a culture that values education;

transportation and connectedness; and the

environment.

Th e city is using green building methods

to construct facilities, and Stall expects to see

more buildings meeting Leadership in En-

ergy and Environmental Design and Energy

Star certifi cation in the future.

Another important issue is containing

sprawl in Greenville, Stall said. Cities need

to create communities that are walkable, and

downtown Greenville certainly is, he said.

Greenville City Manager Jim Bourey said

his city supports green initiatives and has

made steps to lead by example. Th e city has

hired an employee who focuses solely on sus-

tainable development and land usage issues.

The city is promoting public transit

by taking over city bus operations and

revamping the fleet. The city has converted

its diesel fleet to biodiesel, is using some

hybrid vehicles and is looking at electric

cars in the future.

City buildings have been updated with

energy-effi cient HVAC units and lighting,

and plans are in the works to plant numer-

ous trees in landscaped areas around town.

Greenville also has an extensive recycling

program in the city, Bourey said.

Th e vision extends across Greenville

County, where other cities, including Mauldin

and Simpsonville, are pushing green initiatives

such as creating pedestrian-friendly commu-

A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina

of all sizes, nonprofi ts and even a church,

according to City of Columbia Sustainability

Facilitator Mary Pat Baldauf.

“A majority of businesses are seeing sav-

ings, especially those that have adopted energy

conservation steps,” Baldauf said.

To become a Green Business Member,

businesses must apply and complete a goal

sheet on ways to be greener. Th ese goals

oft en include improvements in recycling and

energy and water conservation, said Hiller,

who also is chairwoman of the city’s Green

Business initiative.

Th e Green Business program off ers boot

camps where members can learn tips and

share best practices. Th ere is an annual

conference where members can receive more

education and off er advice to each other.

“It pays off ,” Hiller said. “If you’re losing

less energy, your energy costs go down.” For

example, she said if a business recycles card-

board, its garbage expenses decrease.

Hiller said some business members have

told her that they have saved up to $100,000

a year.

“Businesses want to do the right thing,

but they also like to save money,” she said.

Other cities face more specifi c environ-

mental concerns. In North Augusta, indus-

trial activity had ripped gaping holes in the

riverfront area. For a time, industries dug

clay from excavation pits for their pottery

and brick manufacturing. Aft er the industry

left , these massive, man-made ponds became

fl ooded with stagnant stormwater.

Th e city partnered with the North Augus-

ta Riverfront Co. to redevelop the area. Th e

company was brought in to design a develop-

ment that would blend in with the rest of the

city and off er a lot of green space, said Turner

Simkins, project director for the Hammonds

Ferry residential development. Th e initial

plan was to fi ll portions of the ponds, as it

would have been ideal to have

more development space, Sim-

kins said.

Th e west side of the ponds already had

clean water and was home to animals such as

blue herons and ducks. Th e east side, how-

ever, had stagnant water and was, as Simkins

said, “gnarly, black and not inviting.”

Th e developers started wondering why

one side was “gnarly” and the other clean.

Simkins brought in an offi cial from the

Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy, of

which Simkins was a board member, to in-

vestigate. Th e researcher determined that the

eastern pond contained more nitrogen than

oxygen and was fi lled with old stormwater.

“It was dead, ecologically speaking,” Sim-

kins said.

Th e developers soon decided against fi ll-

ing the ponds. Instead they worked to restore

them. Together, the city and the North Au-

gusta Riverfront Co. secured a grant from the

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and

began the renovation.

“We decided to use a restoration model

and clean the water out,” Simkins said. “We

created a public nature park.”

Th e decision meant the developers would

lose 100 lots, thus decreasing their revenue

and reducing future city tax revenue, but it

was worth it, Simkins said.

www.citiesmeanbusiness.org | Cities Mean BUSINESS 9

An area in North Augusta that was left with gaping holes from companies that harvested clay to make pottery and

bricks has been made into Brick Pond Park, a beautiful 30-acre public park that includes 30 acres of ponds and

wetlands, 10 acres of trees and a number of greenway trails.

“We created a real asset, and we hope to

get an even higher value out of it than be-

fore,” he said.

Citizens got involved in the process, with

Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops installing

duck boxes and vegetation, and other non-

profi t organizations donating time.

Today, local wildlife has a new habitat and

residents have a beautiful new park.

Brick Pond Park includes 30 acres of

ponds and wetlands and 10 acres of trees that

connect to greenway trails. Th e area is home

to turtles, migratory and wetland birds and

even a few alligators. It also serves an educa-

tional role in the community, with schools

using the park as an outside classroom.

Brick Pond Park also provides the city

with a new method to handle stormwater

run-off . Stormwater from the downtown area

and U.S. 25 now runs into the ponds and is

naturally cleansed by the new system. Th e

ponds are interconnected and a waterfall was

constructed to help circulate water, which

treats the water, said Tanya Strickland, the

city’s environmental coordinator.

Th e city now manages the park. “Th e end

result is signifi cant,” said Skip Grkovic, director

of Planning and Economic Development.



Whether you’re in the mood to conquer the mountains near Spartanburg

on a bike, walk or jog the winding trails in

Florence, or simply stroll down Main Street

in Greenwood, South Carolina’s cities off er

countless options to get people moving.

Many cities are taking extra steps to pro-

vide outdoor amenities to encourage citizens

to get out of their cars and get more active.

Th e eff orts are aimed not only at addressing

environmental concerns, but also making

their communities healthier.

Greenwood: Walkable downtownDuring a master planning project in

Greenwood fi ve years ago, city leaders sought

a way to develop a pedestrian-friendly

cultural district downtown that would attract

new economic development and future

investment, said Greenwood Assistant City

Manager Charlie Barrineau.

Th e plan involved revitalizing three key

downtown cultural facilities – the Green-

wood Federal Building, the Greenwood

Community Th eatre and the Greenwood

Museum — located in an area known as the

Emerald Triangle. Many buildings near these

facilities were pegged for new and enhanced

development. Most were graceful, century-

old buildings dulled by years of neglect.

Greenwood photographer Jon Holloway

saw the potential in one of these old build-

ings. He purchased his 1901 building for his

Sundance Gallery three years ago and over-

saw major renovations. A former auto shop,

the building had once housed thousands of

clunky muffl ers. Today, it has been restored

to its original charm and now hosts events

and exhibitions.

Holloway is part of the change in down-

town Greenwood, but the city’s eff orts are

helping to bring in the customers.

Th e city completed major streetscape

projects, placing overhead utilities under-

ground and planting more than 50 trees.

Landscaping bump-outs create a traffi c calm-

ing eff ect and encourage more pedestrian

traffi c. Clearly marked decorative concrete

crosswalks encourage a pedestrian-friendly

environment and decorative street lamps

create visual appeal and better lighting for

nighttime safety.

Th e new streets, lighting and sidewalks in

the Greenwood project create a welcoming,

walkable downtown that residents are more

likely to visit, Holloway said.

Previously, the area by Holloway’s shop

had no sidewalks, a rough road and no

Outdoor amenities attract economic development and improve quality of life for residents


Win-win situation

Downtown Greenwood circa 1975 and today aft er

the city’s revitalization eff orts.


streetscaping. Th e original buildings had

been covered up with façades erected in the

1970s, he said. Today, the renovations are

complete, and Holloway said out-of-town

visitors who come to his studio express sur-

prise to fi nd such a hidden gem.

“Anything we can do to make it an area

that’s more inviting and welcoming — that’s

a win-win for the community and the city,”

Holloway said.

Barrineau said the project has been a suc-

cessful public/private partnership.

“Th e community has invested close to $12

million in projects located in the Emerald

Triangle since 2005. Th is is a mixture of local,

state and federal tax dollars and grants, along

with private and foundation investment,”

Barrineau said. “We are now seeing the

private investments — retail and restaurant

— follow.”

Holloway said the improvements also add

accessibility, which entices people to visit the

downtown area.

“Communities are fi nally realizing that, in

order to attract businesses and residents, they

need to focus on quality of life,” he said.

He praised his own community and city

leaders for their eff orts. “Th ey can see the

vision,” he said.

Spartanburg: Bike townSpartanburg leadership had its own

vision; it was one involving spokes and a

kickstand.

Th e Upstate city received the national des-

ignation as a Bicycle Friendly Community in

2007 by the League of American Bicyclists.

Spartanburg’s Bike Town initiative began

in 2005 with a $106,000 three-year grant

from the Mary Black Foundation. Four

nonprofi t groups – Palmetto Conservation

Foundation, Palmetto Cycling Coalition,

Freewheelers of Spartanburg and Partners

for Active Living – worked together on the

program.

Th e City of Spartanburg earned an

honorable mention as a bike-friendly

community in 2006. Th e following year,

Spartanburg earned its designation and

became the fi rst bike-friendly community

in South Carolina, said Jean Crow, associate

director for Partners for Active Living.

Th e city received its title based, in part,

on work done to improve and increase bike

safety education opportunities; improve

engineering of bike facilities and increase bike

infrastructure; and improve enforcement of

local and state laws related to bicyclists.

Spartanburg has about 35 miles of bike lanes

and about 135 miles of bike-friendly roads

and paths. Th e city is working with Spartan-

burg County on a bike/pedestrian master plan

to identify additional bike connections and

infrastructure needs, said Spartanburg planning

director Stephanie Monroe.

Interest in such pedestrian and bike plans

is growing across the country in an eff ort to

address obesity and environmental concerns.

In particular, those communities looking at

such plans are ones who have a “long-term

vision,” said Crow.

Promoting walking and biking within

Spartanburg fi ts in with one of the city’s ini-

tiatives to promote alternatives to auto tran-

sit, Monroe said. A step the city has made is

to allow businesses to add bike racks if they

fall short of their parking space requirement.


Above: Th e building that now

houses Sundance Gallery in

Greenwood has been restored to

its original charm.

(Photo/jon holloway)

Right: Left to right:

Tony Fisher, City of Spartanburg

Public Safety Director; Bill

Barnet, Mayor of Spartanburg;

Anne Chapman Jeter, Princi-

pal of Pine Street Elementary

School. (Photo/Spartanburg

Partners for Active Living)


“That’s showing we’re starting to get

people to support an active lifestyle,” Mon-

roe said.

Th e city and its private partners have been

working to create awareness of bicycling

and active living. Crow said her organiza-

tion has benefi tted from a close relationship

with the city. Partners for Active Living has

been involved with the city’s pursuit of the

Bicycle Friendly designation on every level,

from making infrastructure suggestions,

to marketing events, to sponsoring bicycle

commuter and mechanic classes. Another

popular event is the 102-mile bike ride called

the Assault on Mt. Mitchell.

Crow’s group has used National Bike

Month in May as a springboard to promote

as much activity as possible. Th e events

began in 2005, and Crow said she has seen

participation and the number of partnerships

skyrocket. Th e city and county also are

heavily involved, she said.

One of the events is a bike ride with

elected offi cials. Th is event started out as a

ride with mayors from all over Spartanburg

County but expanded to include elected

offi cials from all levels. It’s a great event that

draws media attention and makes decision

makers personally aware of biking issues and

what bicyclists face on the road, Crow said.

Florence Trail SystemA decade ago, leaders in the City of

Florence had a plan to link natural resources

and green spaces with city parks to create

distinct trails winding through the city’s

green space.

Th e Florence Trail System now spans 21

miles within the city of Florence. It has three

groupings of trails across the community

designed to highlight the existing natural

beauty of the area and promote conservation

and appreciation.

A 10-mile section on the west side of

the city consists of environmental trails,

with links to wetlands and a special section

for Sierra Club educational programs, said

Florence Public Works and Utilities Director

Drew Griffi n. Th ese trails also connect to

neighborhoods, hotels, the mall and res-

taurants. An 11-mile section of trail on the

east side of town contains about 300 acres

of preservation area, Griffi n said. Between

the two trail groups is another section of

urban trails, which connects city parks and

sidewalks.

Th e trails are part of the downtown rede-

velopment vision, and local businesses are on

board. Much of the land was donated, Griffi n

said. For instance, he said, Wal-Mart gave a

half-mile of land to the trail system, helping

to link the high school to the mall area.

Th e green space is home to a variety of

wildlife, including two nesting pairs of bald

eagles, Griffi n said.

For its work, Florence has been named

one of the Sierra Club’s Cool Cities, a des-

ignation for cities that work with residents

and local leaders to implement smart energy

solutions to save money and build a cleaner,

safer future.

Griffi n said the city’s original vision to

create green space has evolved into so much

more. It is a place for residents to get fi t,

enjoy nature and their history, and connect

with the entire community.


Boardwalks provide connections between and to the Florence Trail System and present opportunities

to interact with nature.



By Ashley Cook, Contributing writer

If there is a silver lining in the recession cloud we’re under, it’s that people

are looking closer to their own community

for the things they need. “Buy local” initia-

tives are sprouting up in cities all over the

state, encouraging residents to take advan-

tage of South Carolina resources before buy-

ing elsewhere.

But it’s not all about economics. Buying

local is also about plump tomatoes, crisp

okra and pie-worthy peaches. Cities and

towns around South Carolina have been

working with their rural neighbors to provide

residents with fresh produce. City-sponsored

farmers markets are on the rise.

Mount Pleasant holds its farmers market on

Tuesday aft ernoons — perfect for those who

might be busy on the weekend but only watch-

ing reruns on a Tuesday night. Crowds gather

on the grounds of the newly-rebuilt Moultrie

Middle School from April to October. Th ere

are free (and educational) activities for kids and

rotating music acts.

“First and foremost, this is a place for the

community to gather,” said Ashley McKenzie,

community development and tourism offi cer

for the Town of Mount Pleasant.

While large cities oft en have the resources

to put together these markets, small towns

may need to form partnerships to see results.

Offi cials in Blackville put this concept

to work when they decided to reopen the

town’s farmers market. Th ey partnered with

the Clemson Extension and the Blackville

Downtown Development Association to get

their market up and running.

Historically, Blackville was a market

town that grew up as a prominent stop on

the Charleston to Hamburg railroad line.

As commerce moved from rail to road, the

Blackville market was left in the dust. Th e

farmers market was shuttered and remained

that way for decades.

Last year, to celebrate the town’s 175th

anniversary, offi cials decided to return

to their roots and open another market.

Clemson Extension provided expertise

in agriculture, and the

Downtown Development Association

provided marketing know-how.

Th e Downtown Blackville Market opened

in 2008 to eager residents. “Th ere is no gro-

cery store in Blackville,” said Terri Smith of

the Clemson Extension, “so there was a great

deal of interest.”

In the Upstate, the Laurens Farmers

Market is in its second year and growing.

Th e market promotes South Carolina-grown

produce but takes it a step further to feature

food grown in Laurens County.

It’s not just about profi t, said Jonathon Ir-

ick, executive director of Main Street Laurens

USA. It’s also about rebuilding the eco-

nomic sustainability of the downtown

Mount Pleasant Farmers Market (Photo/Ryan Wilcox)


SUSTAINABLE LIVINGSouth Carolina’s ‘buy local’ efforthelps to sustain local economies


area. “People are coming back downtown.

Th ey’re doing what they used to do — come into

town to catch up with friends, get an ice cream.”

But the local farmers market is just a com-

ponent of Laurens’ buy-local eff orts.

“We’ve partnered with the county

Chamber of Commerce to initiate our Shop

Laurens County First program,” said Irick.

“We want people to buy what they can here.”

Th e Laurens County Chamber of Com-

merce, Laurens Main Street USA, and the

City of Clinton’s downtown development

association have worked together to promote

the program. Th ey’ve handed out stickers

and T-shirts, and provided incentives for

residents to shop local, such as a monthly

drawing with prizes like a fl at-screen TV and

an all-inclusive sports package.

“One of our businesses just had the best

month it’s ever had, so I think the campaign

is certainly working and bringing dollars

back downtown,” said Irick.

Th e eff orts in Laurens echo those in

the rest of the state. Along with the success

of farmers markets, buy-local campaigns

have taken on a broader scope, encourag-

ing residents to support local tourism and

patronize their city’s unique collection

of independent businesses.

In Myrtle Beach, where tourism is king,

the local Chamber of Commerce began an

incentive program for local residents. Locals

involved with business and social organiza-

tions are encouraged to provide referrals that

result in groups meeting in Myrtle Beach.

Locals whose referrals result in at least 25

hotel rooms booked per night receive a two-

night “staycation” in Myrtle Beach, includ-

ing gift cards for area entertainment and

restaurants.

“Groups traveling to the Myrtle Beach

area represent an estimated 10 percent of our

annual visitors,” said Danna Lilly, who works

with the city’s Convention and Visitors Bu-

reau. “Th e program is an excellent opportu-

nity to get the local community involved in

growing group business.”

Myrtle Beach isn’t the only city partner-

ing with local businesses to keep local dollars

downtown. Conway’s Main Street Program

introduced a Conway Gift Certifi cate that

residents can purchase and use at all partici-

pating stores.

Lowcountry Local First, an organization

made up of independent business owners

and supported by cities in the Lowcountry,

has joined in the national Ten Percent Shift

project. Th is movement, touted

as a “local stimulus package,” asks individu-

als, businesses, nonprofi ts and governmental

agencies to shift 10 percent of their purchases

to local independent businesses.

According to the Ten Percent Shift

project, if one out of every 10 trips results

in a local purchase, this shift could generate

about $140 million nationally in total new

economic activity, $50 million in new wages

and more than 1,000 new jobs.

Along these lines, the Mount Pleasant

Town Council directed all departments to

make every attempt to purchase items within

town limits, excluding those that require a bid.

“Whether it’s a hammer or copy paper,

if no bid is required, we must try to fi nd

the product in Mount Pleasant before we

shop elsewhere,” said Mac Burdette, town

administrator.

Other cities around the state are involved

with another national buy-local move-

ment, called the 3/50 Project. Forest Acres,

Beaufort, Conway, Florence, Orangeburg

and Summerville have all signed on to the

project that encourages residents to pick

three of their favorite independent businesses

and make a purchase there every month. If

50 percent of the working population did

this, it would generate an extra $42 billion in

revenue nationally.

“Forest Acres’ economic vitality is increas-

ingly dependent on the health of our local

businesses as their success unquestionably

adds to the quality of our lives,” said City

Manager Mark Williams.

Th ere are opportunities for growth in this

economy. In these tough times, hometowns

are coming up with innovative ways to sus-

tain their local livelihoods.

Buy local eff orts statewide include encouraging

residents to purchase produce at their local

farmers market.


www.citiesmeanbusiness.org Cities Mean Business

You see a police car.

We see a police offi cer named Hal who works closely with fi re departments and EMS, who knows every business owner downtown, who can name every city street and who buys 12 snow cones on Saturdays even though his T-ball team has never won a game.


To learn more about how strong cities contribute to the state’s economic prosperity, visit www.citiesmeanbusiness.org.

Cities Mean Business

Quality of life is an essential element in attracting new businesses.

are the cornerstones of the almost 300 hometowns across our state.

This is a proven formula for success and a primary reason cities and towns are strong catalysts for growth and prosperity. But this doesn’t happen by accident.

Hard work, vision and regional cooperation have helped make our cities and towns the centers of commerce they are today.

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Ratio - Student: Teacher ratio varies by age group.

AACS - American Association of Christian Schools, www.aacs.org

ACSI - Association of Christian Schools International, www.acsi.org

AdvancED - Advancing Excellence in Education Worldwide, www.advanc-ed.org

ASCD - Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, www.ascd.org

ERB - Educational Records Bureau, www.erbtest.org

NACAC - The National Association of College Admission Counselors,

www.nacacnet.org

NAES - National Association of Episcopal Schools, www.naes.org

NAIS - National Association of Independent Schools, www.nais.org

NASSP - The National Association of Secondary School Principals,

www.nassp.org

NCEA - National Catholic Education Association, www.ncea.org

NCGS - National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, www.ncgs.org

PAIS - Palmetto Association of Independent Schools, www.scpais.org

SACAC - The Southern Association of College Admission Counseling,

www.sacac.org

SACS - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, www.sacs.org

SAIS - Southern Association of Independent Schools, www.sais.org

SCACS - S.C. Association of Christian Schools, www.christianeducation.org

SCHSL - S.C. High School League, www.schsl.org

SCISA - S.C. Independent School Association, www.scisa.org

SSATB - Secondary School Admission Test Board, www.ssatmembers.org

TAC - Trident Admissions Council

Information presented was provided upon request from company

representatives, and SC Biz News LLC assumes the data is accurate. Not all

private schools are listed, only those that responded to our information inquiry.

DNR - Did Not Respond.



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{ }Fall beautyFall is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy South Carolina’s beauty.

Table Rock Park in Pickens sits on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains

and features stunning lakes and breathtaking views. The park serves as a

trailhead for the 80-mile Foothills Trail, which spans from the Upstate into

Western North Carolina. (Photo/Kevin Greene)

1,000words

2009 sc biz issue 3

Documents

s s u e

staff writer chelsea

staff writer scott

business assistant erin

staff writer molly parker

staff writer ashley

business benchmark thats

e n t s special section