july 8, 2016 ubj

JULY 8 , 2016 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 28

With strong Greenville County roots, the Farr familyleads Greenco Beverage into its next 100 years

With strong Greenville County roots, the Farr familyleads Greenco Beverage into its next 100 years

A CENTURYOF SUDS

A CENTURYOF SUDS

07.08.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | SPORTS | 3

In three weeks, the NFL’s Carolina Panthers will return to Spartanburg for their 2016 training camp running July 28 through Aug. 16.

And businesses surrounding the camp hope to benefit from the annual influx of Panthers players and their families, hordes of faithful fans and members of the media.

Last year’s camp shattered all attendance records since the team held its first practice at Wofford College in 1995.

It drew in 77,625 visitors, a 60 percent increase compared with the previous record, and had an esti-mated $8 million impact on Spartanburg County. The camp also supported 174 jobs and generated $1.8 million in local and state tax revenue.

With the team hoping to redeem its Super Bowl loss to the Denver Broncos and the star power of its players, including quarterback Cam Newton, local officials believe this year’s camp will have a banner year.

“I think we’re going to blow last year out of the water,” said Chris Jennings, executive director of the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. “They are the defending Super Bowl runners-up, and there is a lot of excitement surrounding the team in terms of what they’ve been doing in the offseason. I think the 77,000 visitor mark will soon be a distant memory.”

PARKING OPTIONS ABOUNDVisitors this year could face a few challenges due

to larger crowds and construction on Wofford’s campus, Jennings said.

The CVB, city of Spartanburg and other local groups have teamed up to make sure fans enjoy the experi-ence, he said.

Parking will be provided at 10 lots around the city, including three lots on campus, two lots near the intersection of Pearl and Church streets, the Spar-tanburg County Administration Building’s lot, Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, Beaumont Mill, Pinewood Resource Center and the St. John Street parking garage.

The Pinewood Resource Center lot will be for handicap and shuttle parking. A free shuttle service will be offered at that lot, as well as the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, St. John Street parking garage and Beaumont Mill lots.

“It will be a little different than in the past,” Jen-nings said, “but it could be a real opportunity for folks to see a little bit more of the city. That means more opportunities for business owners to benefit from the camp.”

MORE TRAFFIC ON MAIN STREETKelly Blackwell, owner of the women’s boutique

Two Doors Down at 100 E. Main St., said she is

looking forward to training camp this year, especially since East Main Street between Church and Liberty streets was experienc-ing construction during last year’s camp.

The construction was part of the city’s streetscape project aimed at straightening the road, adding parallel parking, new lighting and, in general, beautifying the corridor.

For several weeks prior to camp, the road was closed to motorists but reopened just before camp visitors arrived. However, work on the sidewalks, parking spaces and landscaping continued into the first week of camp.

Blackwell said the project has helped her business and she anticipates more customers this year, as the street will be free and clear of construction.

“I am certainly looking forward to training camp this year,” she said. “Down-town is getting better and better. We’re seeing more foot traffic. The word is getting out. I’m seeing a lot of people who are visiting friends, just passing through town, and heard about downtown and wanted to check it out, or considering moving here. It’s very encouraging.”

Kathy and Michael Sil-verman, owners of The Local Hiker at 173 E. Main St., recently opened their ice cream shop Hub City Scoops at 147 E. Main St.

The couple typically puts out a window display with Panthers gear and memo-rabilia at their hiking store to welcome training camp visitors to downtown. This year, they hope to help fans cool off with a cold treat and get a taste of Spartan-burg.

“We are very excited about camp this year,” Kathy Silverman said. “We’re looking forward to a bump in sales … It’s im-portant for us to be wel-coming and positive, and to show visitors what Spartanburg is all about.”

For more information, visit panthers.com.

TREVOR ANDERSON | [email protected]

Spartanburg businesses look for Panthers bump

Quarterback Cam Newton, seen here during Super Bowl 50 in February 2016, is expected to be one of the major draws for visitors to the Carolina Panthers training camp in Spartanburg.

UBJ | 07.08.20164 | THE RUNDOWN | TOP-OF-MIND AND IN THE MIX THIS WEEK

“If there are no real drawbacks and you feel comfortable, you might as well be pedaling while you work.”

Clemson University professor June J. Pilcher, who has published research

on the benefi ts of “physical activity workstations” such as the FitDesk, a

stationary bike and laptop workstation.

TBAWORTH REPEATING

“I’ve always been a fan of craft beer, so that part was kind of easy. But I didn’t want to sell

people beer at 7 in the morning.” Page 5

“Greenville is our home and Greenville is growing so, and the more you can give back to your community the better person I feel

like you can be.”Page 12

“He loved people. And people loved him.”Page 16

VERBATIM

Look for Aryana Afghan Cuisine to open in August in the former Never on Sunday Greek

restaurant space at 210 E. Coffee St. in

Greenville.

On working out at work

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 28

Featured this issue:Southwest: No plans to leave GSP .................................... 14The legacy of John White Arrington ................................... 16 Mixed-use development for Overbrook ................................. 18

A new ice cream shop opened last week in downtown Spartanburg. Hub City Scoops, owned by Kathy and Mike Silverman, features 28 fl avors of premium ice cream from the Chocolate Shoppe based in Madison, Wis. See our story on page 9.

Clemson University professor June J. Pilcher, who has published research

on the benefi ts of “physical activity workstations” such as the FitDesk, a

stationary bike and laptop workstation.

07.08.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

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INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | RESTAURANTS | 5

A new concept that includes two of Greenvillians’ favorite things — coffee and local beer — has opened on the south side of town.

A coffee shop by morning and a tap room by night, Grateful Brew offers guests high-end coffee beverages that are “crafted one at a time by trained baristas,” as well as local craft beer, said co-founder Bob Linn.

Linn, whose background lies in project management and business operations, came up with the idea with a silent partner who lives outside of the state. “I’ve always been a fan of craft beer, so that part was kind of easy,” he said. “But I didn’t want to sell people beer at seven in the morning.”

Located on Pleasantburg Drive, Grateful Brew is somewhat outside the coffee and craft beer hub that is quickly growing in the downtown area. Linn, who lives downtown, said he felt the area was becoming satu-rated. He wanted to make fi lling growlers a key component of the business, letting guests fill their growlers without having to walk with them all the way to a parking garage.

“We were looking for a piece of property that had adequate parking and where we could do what we

wanted to do,” he said.The coffee shop and taproom’s

ambience can be described as a '70s bohemian style, Linn said. “We feel like people are getting kind of tired of the industrial feel.”

Grateful Brew, which can hold up to 80 people, includes two bars, indoor/outdoor lounge areas with seating made out of 100-year-old church pews salvaged from a church in Athens, Ga., and tables carefully created from a butcher’s block.

“We want it to be local, neighbor-hood-centric, an extension of people’s home where people can invite their friends and family,” Linn said. “Where they can have a good cup of coffee or a beer.”

Future plans for the location include developing the outside café seating that can be seen from Pleas-antburg Drive and potentially bringing in live acoustic music.

Grateful Brew offi cially opened on July 4 at 501 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville, and will be open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information, visit gratefulbrewgvl.com.

LETY GOOD | [email protected]

Coff ee by day, beer by nightat Greenville's Grateful Brew

UBJ | 07.08.20166 | MANUFACTURING | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

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BMW’s US business slides almost 14 percentSales of Spartanburg-made X3 and X4 models increased in June

Sales of two BMW models produced in Spartanburg County – the X3 and X4 – increased in June, but weren’t enough to keep the German automaker’s U.S. business from sliding almost 14 percent.

BMW of North America reported Friday it sold 33,769 vehicles last month, compared with 38,350 in June 2015.

The company said it sold 178,580 vehicles during the first half of the year, a more than 11 percent increase compared with 198,883 during the same period a year ago.

“The midpoint to the year always brings some uncertainly about what may be ahead in the second half, so I’m very pleased to see several of our key models showing strong results in June,” said Ludwig Willisch, president and CEO of BMW of North America, in a statement. “The X1 and X3 are indicative of the still-growing trend toward sports activity vehicles, but the numbers also show that great cars like the BMW 7 Series and 2 Series have a strong appeal and following.”

X3 sales increased almost 70 percent to 3,900 units in June, com-pared with 2,301 during the same month of the previous year. For the year, the company said sales of the X3 are up more than 49 percent to 19,828 units, compared with 13,283 during the same span of 2015.

Sales of the X4 increased more than 4 percent to 407 units during the month, compared with 390 during the past June. Year-to-date, X4 sales have decreased almost 17 percent to 2,615 units, compared with 3,146 during the first half of the previous year.

The sales of the other two locally produced models – the X5 and X6 – also showed decline.

X5 sales dropped almost 47 percent to 4,018 units in June, compared with 7,508 during the same month a year ago. For the year, X5 sales have de-creased almost 24 percent to 22,204 units, down from 29,151 during the same period of 2015.

Sales of the X6 decreased almost 61 percent during the month to 571 units, compared with 1,448 during in June of the previous year. During the first half of 2016, X6 sales have de-creased about 11 percent to 3,535 units, compared with 3,958 during the same span of the previous year.

As a whole, sales of BMW models made in Spartanburg fell almost 24 percent in June and are down almost 3 percent for the year.

BMW brand vehicle sales decreased more than 10 percent for the month and are down 9 percent during the first half of the year.

The company’s MINI brand sales decreased more than 20 percent in June and are down about 17 percent for the year.

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07.08.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | SERVICES | 7

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Concentrix is adding 300 jobs this year with the expansion of its offi ces at the Wade Hampton Offi ce Park in Greenville.

The business services company’s Greenville offi ce is the home of the company’s North American Center of Excellence for health care and insur-ance solutions as well as its core CRM business services.

“We are extremely proud to expand our operations in Greenville,” said Concentrix President Chris Caldwell. “We’ve had tremendous success in Greenville and look forward to deliv-ering continued positive outcomes for our clients and our shareholders out of the expanded Greenville operation.”

“The rich and diverse talent pool we’ve experienced in the Greenville area was a deciding factor in our deci-sion to expand our operations locally,” said Caldwell.

Concentrix, which started in Green-ville several years ago, will close its Villa Road offi ces by the end of the year and consolidate its workforce on Wade Hampton by the end of the year, Caldwell said.

Concentrix plans to have about 1,500 employees in Greenville by the end of the year, up from about 1,200 this month, he said.

From Greenville, Concentrix pro-vides customer management services in English, Spanish and French Cana-dian. The services encompass special-ized customer support and sales ser-vices, including lead generation, customer care and technical support, in addition to more complex indus-try-specifi c and back-offi ce processes.

As the company’s health care and insurance verticals hub in North America, the Greenville operation services multiple major health care and insurance companies in both front offi ce and back offi ce capacity includ-ing claims processing enrollment

services and customer support.Concentrix’s new facility at the Wade

Hampton Offi ce Park encompasses 143,883 square feet in building 3 in a complex that was formerly the home of Liberty Life Insurance Co. The building had been vacant, Caldwell said, and allows the company to more than double its footprint at the loca-tion.

Based in Fremont, Calif., Concentrix, a wholly owned subsidiary of SYNNEX, a Fortune 500 corporation, has oper-ations across 25 countries, with approx-imately 90 delivery centers. It has more than 70,000 employees and more than 400 clients.

DAVID DYKES | [email protected]

Concentrix expands, plans 300 more jobs Business services company will have 1,500 employees in Wade Hampton Park

Overbrook LoftsE. North

St.

I-385

Stone Ave.

Acad

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St.

Woodlawn Memorial Park

Concentrix

Wade Hampton High School

Wade Hampto

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Bob Jones University

Pleasantburg

UBJ | 07.08.2016

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A new ice cream shop opened last week in downtown Spartanburg.Hub City Scoops, owned by Kathy and Michael Silverman, is in a 1,900-square-foot space in the Bijou Market building beside Archived Clothing at 147 E. Main St.

The store features 28 flavors of premium ice cream from the Choco-late Shoppe based in Madison, Wis.

“We’re relieved to get to this point,” said Michael Silverman. “We might finally get some sleep. We are super grateful to everyone who has support-ed us.”

The Silvermans own The Local Hiker just a few doors down at 173 E. Main St.

They opened that store in 2013 after winning the city’s economic development competition, the Main Street Challenge.

After almost three years in busi-ness, the couple said they wanted to do something else to attract visitors to downtown, particularly the stretch of East Main Street between Church and Converse streets. The corridor houses about a dozen boutiques and retail stores, but lacks food, beverage and dessert options.

“We put a lot of thought into this,” said Kathy Silverman. “We hope this will be an anchor for this end of downtown. We are excited to be here and looking forward to serving Spartanburg.”

The owners said the store has created 11 jobs.

Hub City Scoops’ menu includes handmade waffle cones, cups, sundaes, milkshakes, malts, ice cream floats, ice cream cakes, ice cream by the pint and a cookie dessert, as well as coffee, green tea, sodas and candy.

Kathy Silverman said the store would rotate 60 to 70 flavors of ice cream throughout the year.

It will operate from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Last Thursday, the Silvermans hosted a gathering of their friends and family to provide them with a sneak peek of the store.

Robin and Michael Snelgrove, owners of the pet boutique Paisley Paw off East Broad Street, stopped

by for a sample. The Snelgroves won the Main Street Challenge in 2014, the year after the Silvermans.

“It’s absolutely wonderful,” Robin Snelgrove said. “Delicious. We couldn’t be happier for them.”

For more information, visit facebook.com/hubcityscoops.


Hub City Scoops opens in Spartanburg

Kathy and Michael Silverman, owners of Hub City Scoops.

8 | RESTAURANT | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

Three Reasons All Women Should Lift Weights

YOU’LL BURN MORE CALORIESLifting weights breaks down muscle fi bers and the body has to repair those muscle fi bers in the following days, that’s how stronger muscles are built. The process of repairing and building muscle fi bers takes time and during that process the body has to burn more calories. Studies have shown that individuals who do a total body weightlifting workout can have an elevated metabolism up to 39 hours after the workout. The calories that are burned are going to be more targeted towards fat loss because the body needs to hang on to the muscle if it’s being used. People who only do long runs or bike rides are losing some fat but they are also losing muscle which might drop the weight on the scale but it doesn’t necessarily make the appearance in the mirror any better. Doing a shorter run with weightlifting is a more effective strategy to achieving a healthier body composition.

YOU’LL BUILD STRONGER BONESOnce we turn 40 years old our bone density starts to signifi cantly decline, especially in women once menopause begins. This often leads to osteoporosis which can radically decrease your quality of life after one slip and fall.

One of the best ways to prevent osteoporosis is to lift weights. Doing weighted movements puts a healthy stress on your bones which releases hormones that build your bones to be denser. The more you lift weights the denser your bones will be and the more of a shield you will have against osteoporosis.

YOUR BODY WILL WORK BETTEROur bodies are fi lled with muscles that are meant to be used and stressed. When major muscle groups are neglected the body stops moving the way that it is supposed to and starts to compensate. This brings aches, pains, and injuries. Lifting weights with a healthy program and coaching builds up the correct muscles to create the best version of your body. Often times a nagging pain is a result of the muscles around the nagging pain being underdeveloped and underutilized. A common example of this is low back pain. Usually the glutes, hamstrings, and upper back are underdeveloped due to not being used and the lower back becomes overworked. Commonly nagging pains lead to serious injuries because the body is not being used how it is designed to be. A good program will target all of the muscle groups in your body and develop them to be healthy and balanced. A good coach will guide you through the movements and ensure you are doing them safely and effectively.

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UBJ | 07.08.201610 | MANUFACTURING / RETAIL | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

Growth at BMW’s Spartanburg County plant has attracted another manufacturer and about 100 new jobs to its local supply chain.

Last week, Michigan-based Inter-national Mold Corp. announced that it plans to build a new plant on 10.5 acres at 865 Victor Hill Road behind the automaker’s Performance Center off Highway 101 near Greer.

Ben Pfopper, vice president of sales for International Mold, said the company plans to initially build a 24,000-square-foot facility that has the potential to be expanded to about 100,000 square feet.

Pfopper, who relocated to Simp-sonville from Michigan in August to establish the Upstate plant, said the company hopes to break ground in the next month or two and anticipates the facility will open in February or March.

The company is a partner with the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research in

Greenville.“We’re really excited about it,” he

said. “We’ve been doing business down here for the last 10 years. We finally decided to move down here to hopefully support BMW any way we can in their efforts to bring their engineering over from Europe.”

County property records showed International Mold purchased the site in March for about $471,000. The property is part of the 131-acre industrial hub Velocity Park, which recently landed a 260,000-square-foot facility for BMW supplier Chi-na-based Jiangnan Mould & Plastic Technology Co. Ltd.

Spartanburg County Councilman David Britt declined to comment on International Mold’s plans, as the project is still in progress, but he spoke highly of BMW’s economic impact on the Upstate.

“BMW continues to be the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to their supplier network,” Britt said.

Pfopper said his company special-izes in the production of injection and

blow molding equipment, as well as RIM tooling and small-quantity product runs. Founded in 2006, In-ternational Mold has six plants and about 110 employees in Clinton, Mich., he said.

Pfopper said the company plans to purchase another facility in Michigan in the near future. By the time the Spartanburg plant opens, he said the company could have up to 250 em-ployees.

International Mold will likely begin hiring for the local facility at the start of 2017, Pfopper said.

He said the company plans to utilize space at Spartanburg Commu-nity College’s Tyger River Campus to store machinery and house employees while the new plant is being built.

Pfopper said the company operates

an education program at its plants in Michigan that is focused on recruiting talented young adults to manufactur-ing. The company will likely offer a similar program in Spartanburg, he said.

“We’re a young company, and we’re going to be around for a while,” Pfopper said. “We’re very proud of our reputation. All of our plants are like a home. They’re very wide-open. Our customers can come in and see what’s going on. It’s a really cool environment.”

Pfopper said the company is still finalizing incentives and other details with the county and state.

For more information, visit internationalmold.net.


BMW supplier to move to Spartanburg County’s Velocity Park

Dark Corner Distillery closed up shop at its longtime downtown Greenville location on North Main Street and reopened this week three blocks down the road at 14 S. Main St.

The new space is identical in size, but it’s a better location with more foot traffic and more centralized, said Joe Fenten, founder and president of Dark Corner Distillery.

“The lease ran out after five years, and the rates had gone up,” he said.

“The new space feels more hip, and we wanted to refresh things.”

Due to recent growth, Dark Corner Distillery also moved its manufacturing operations from the downtown space to a warehouse on Rutherford Road.

For more information on Dark Corner Distillery, visit darkcornerdistillery.com.

Dark Corner Distillery heads down Main StreetSHERRY JACKSON | [email protected]

Founded in 1916, Greenco Beverage looks ahead to the next generation and continued growth in Greenville County — including its new Poinsett Corridor distribution center

THIRSTY FOR GROWTHDAVID DYKES | [email protected]

A TRIBUTE TO OUR LONG-LASTING ENTERPRISES | MILESTONE | 11

UBJ | 07.08.2016

His business card identifies him as a “Slinger of Suds.”That’s important, ac-

cording to Russell Farr, president of Greenco Beverage Company, because it more appropriately represents his company’s portfolio.

His craft beer manager is known as “The Hawker of Hops.”

Established 100 years ago, fami-ly-owned Greenco is one of the area’s largest beverage distributors. It is building a state-of-the-art 120,000-square-foot distribution center on Poinsett Highway in Green-ville to replace the company’s outdated facility on Commerce Road.

The new facility will help propel Greenco forward into a second century of business, one Farr vows will be of continued growth and expansion and not just hanging on.

Economic experts also hope the project will spark more development in the area, where mills once ran around the clock cranking out fabric that clothed America, but time has taken its toll.

It is the gateway between downtown Greenville, Furman University and all points in the northwest portion of Greenville County.

PART OF A NATIONWIDE SYSTEM

Companies such as Farr’s act as the linchpin of a three-tier system of brewers and importers, distributors and retailers through which federal state and local governments enforce alcohol laws.

By working with numerous brewers, distributors provide a market vehicle for the largest multinational beer brands to start-up craft brewers.

Because of this system, the industry says, you can order a California craft beer off a menu in Illinois, enjoy a Vermont brew in a Tennessee restau-rant and see a tap handle from Pennsylvania in a Texas bar.

The three-tier system provides the infrastructure, capital and personnel that small brewers need to reach a wide network of retailers. Consumers benefit from having more choices on store shelves, restaurants and bar taps.

Farr is an energetic, hardworking executive who admits patience isn’t a virtue. He joined the company 10 years ago after working in soft-drink distri-bution and cable television businesses in Atlanta.

With his father’s health failing, he returned to Greenville in 2005 to join Greenco. His family has owned the company since 1965.

Today, Greenco distributes 120 beer and 40 soft drink brands. Company revenues, which were $16 million in 2006, are on track to reach $60 million this year, Farr said.

Most of the revenue comes from beer sales. Greenco has 110 employees, up from 40 in 2006. Many have been with the company more than 10 years.

FROM CHERO TO NEHI TO GREENCO

The company’s history dates to 1916, when it was founded in Greenville as Chero Bottling and Distribution by W.W. Woodruff.

The original line of products includ-ed Chero Cola, whose name was later changed to Royal Crown Cola.

After 10 years of bottling and dis-tributing sodas, the company was sold to Robert A. Jolley in 1926, when Chero Bottling became Nehi Corp.

Jolley, well known in Greenville as a bottler and radio-TV executive, had begun selling Nehi drinks in 1923.

In 1946, Jolley divested himself of the bottling operation to focus on malt beverage distribution.

He changed the company’s name to Greenco Beverage, with “Greenco” standing for Greenville County.

After many years of selling Schlitz Brewing Co. products, Jolley decided to transfer ownership to his son-in-law’s longtime friend, Judd Farr, in 1965.

Farr secured a loan for the purchase from local banker Nap Vandiver.

After Judd Farr retired in 2004, his wife, Betty, stepped in as president. Her husband later passed away.

Under her leadership, the company diversified and added numerous mi-crobrewery brands as well as Miller and Yuengling.

“THE BOLD FIRST STEP”For the new distribution center,

$8.3 million from the New Markets Tax Credit program has been allocat-ed to Greenco.

When the allocation was announced in April, Greenco’s vision and willing-ness to invest in the Poinsett Corridor were cited as key considerations by a Greenville New Markets Opportunity II official.

A market study showed that the corridor could support more industri-al activity, rental housing and a

Greenco Beverage Company was founded in Greenville as Chero Bottling and Distribution Company by W. W. Woodruff and located at 139 Rhett St.

1916Robert A. Jolley, a well-known Greenville bottler and radio-TV executive, bought the company and relocated to 243 Rhett St.

1926Jolley decided to divest of his bottling operation and focus on malt beverage distribution. He changed the company’s name to Greenco Beverage Company, standing for Greenville County.

1946After years of selling Schlitz Brewing Company products, Jolley decided to transfer ownership to Judd Farr. For the next 40 years, Farr diversified his portfolio to include Coors Brewing Company and various domestic and imported beers.

1965

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

100 YEARS OF GREENCO

Chero Cola was one of Greenco’s original line of products when it was founded as Chero Bottling and Distribution in 1916.

In 1926, Chero Bottling became Nehi Corp.

In 1946, the company’s name changed to Greenco Beverage.

Kegs await shipment in Greenco’s modern-day distribution center.


After years of selling Schlitz Brewing Company products, Jolley decided to transfer ownership to Judd Farr. For the next 40 years, Farr diversified his portfolio to include Coors Brewing Company and various domestic and imported beers.

After Farr retired, his wife, Betty, stepped in as president. The company diversified further with the addiction of numerous soft drink and craft brewery brands, as well as Miller and Yuengling

2004The Farrs’ son, Russell, joins Greenco and is now company president. Today, the company distributes 120 beer and 40 soft-drink brands. Company revenues are on track to reach $60 million this year.

2005

A TRIBUTE TO OUR LONG-LASTING ENTERPRISES | MILESTONE | 13

technology and entrepreneurship district, Tammy Propst, operating officer of the GNMO II Fund and taxadvantagegroup, said at the time.

“But someone must take the first bold step,” Propst said. “Greenco has the vision, the willingness and the perfect business model, and now with GNMO II’s investment, they have the means to bring catalyzing change to the surrounding community.”

The federal NMTC program is aimed at stimulating investment and economic growth in low-income communities.

It allows taxpayers to receive a tax credit against federal income taxes for making equity investments in commu-nity development entities such as GNMO II, which is managed by taxadvantagegroup and Greenville Local Development Corp.

A FAMILY COMMITMENT TO GREENVILLE

Farr said his company remains committed to Greenville County, despite overtures to move elsewhere.

Farr’s mother is a Greenville native, community leader, company CEO and board chair who believes it is critical to support local philanthropic causes.

That philosophy was championed by her late husband. He received the YMCA’s Red Triangle award, the highest honor the organization bestows.

With seven children, including five daughters, Betty Farr has backed such groups as A Child’s Haven, the Cancer

Society of Greenville County, the Carolina Ballet Theatre, Children’s Hospital of the Greenville Health System, South Carolina Children’s Theatre and many more.

She has received many awards, in-cluding South Carolina’s prestigious Order of the Palmetto. Each week, she teaches Sunday school at First Presby-terian Church in downtown Greenville.

Given in her honor is the Grandma Betty’s Farm area at The Children’s Museum of the Upstate in Greenville.

“Greenville is our home and Green-ville is growing so, and the more you can give back to your community the better person I feel like you can be,” she said.

Farr wants her family “to be proud — be proud that our family kept this business going as their father had started it.”

She added, “We want to continue to make Greenville proud.”

STRONG OUTLOOKGreenco is governed by an

eight-member board that consists of family members who enlist the help of a three-member advisory committee.

Among the family members, Judd Jr. has worked for the company more than 30 years, and Gay DuPree and Nancy Strausbaugh have worked for Greenco for several years.

All were smiles recently at a recent board meeting as Russell Farr told them of the company’s profitability and strong outlook.

Farr said Greenco has benefitted from Sunday alcohol sales in the Upstate, but he takes no political po-sition on the issue. He supports the industry’s efforts related to underage drinking.

The National Beer Wholesalers Association promotes federal legisla-tion to provide funding for state initia-tives to address underage drinking and authorize new grant programs and research.

In South Carolina, beer wholesalers sponsor an array of programs to promote responsible consumption.

The programs include free taxi rides home for restaurant and bar customers and educational materials to help parents talk to children about illegal underage drinking.

THE NEXT GENERATIONFor his part, Farr, 58, expects to help

guide Greenco to new heights — and profitability — amid a rapidly changing environment.

Wine and spirits have eaten into beer’s market share. Greenco also distributes new-age nonalcoholic beverages that have popped up in Spinx and other convenience stores, taking space in coolers already crowded with

sodas and other drinks.In addition, the types and flavors of

beer continue to grow. There are more craft beers, imports and domestic brands.

On a recent sultry weekday, a supply of Highland India Pale Ale, or IPA, sat among beer brands stacked high in kegs or unique packages in Greenco’s warehouse, where the temperature was 40 degrees.

With law and accounting degrees, Farr is a strategist who focuses on the viability of the business and growing it. He turns the day-to-day operations over to a general manager who has been with the company 27 years.

Farr also is a cancer survivor who refuses to allow doubt and uncertainty to dominate his thought process.

While Greenco has grown organi-cally and through acquisitions, Farr regrets he sold territories for some brands that later proved to be popular. Still, he is confident going forward.

With “just our organic growth alone, we’re well positioned to be a much larger company in 10 years, and well positioned as far as the viability of our business for the next generation,” he said.

Robert A. Jolley bought the company in 1926. In 1965, Greenco was sold to Judd Farr.

Artist’s rendering of Greenco’s planned new distribution center on Poinsett Highway.

Betty Farr (center) and her son, Russell Farr (second from right), continue Greenco’s family tradition.

UBJ | 07.08.201614 | TRANSPORTATION | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

Southwest Airlines is here to stay.At least that’s the message the Dal-las-based airline hoped to convey to Upstate leaders during a recent meeting about its future at Green-ville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP).

In October, Southwest announced it would pare its service from four fl ights per day to two airports to just three fl ights per day to one airport – Atlanta’s Hartsfi eld-Jackson Interna-tional.

The decision cast some uncertainty about the airline’s commitment to the market and invoked memories from the not-so-distant past of high ticket prices, a lack of direct fl ights, airlines reducing fl ights and about two-thirds of local customers jumping for airports in Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C.

But at the meeting, which was held June 20 at the Poinsett Club near downtown Greenville, Southwest’s senior manager Dave Doty reaffi rmed

the airline’s commitment to the Upstate and shed some light on the decision.

“We entered the [Upstate] market and Charleston in March 2011 with seven daily departures to fi ve nonstop destinations,” Doty said. “That was always the model when we opened new markets.”

SCALING BACK AFTER THE MERGERThe airline initially fl ew seven daily

nonstop fl ights to Houston-Hobby, Nashville, Tenn., Baltimore, Chicago (Midway) and Orlando, Fla., from GSP.

In June 2014, Southwest eliminat-ed the Nashville fl ight because, it said, about half of those customers were actually connecting to other fl ights for travel destinations beyond that hub. The change scaled back the airline’s service out of GSP from seven daily nonstop fl ights to four.

Doty explained that two things happened after it fi rst landed at GSP.

The first was its merger with AirTran in May 2011.

Doty said the deal added larger jets

to Southwest’s fl eet, which forced it to reevaluate its routes and focus on service that would consistently see those jets at or near capacity.

“With a market-place like GSP, the issue is consistency,” Doty said. “The performance wasn’t as good as we expected.”

The second change, which was also a result of the merger, was that the airline was able to begin fl ying out of Atlanta. The service, Doty said, opened up more possibilities for Southwest customers.

At Hartsfi eld-Jackson Internation-al, Southwest currently has 18 gates that handle about 125 daily fl ights.

“We’re actually able to offer more itineraries,” Doty said. “And it’s much easier for customers to get a fl ight back to GSP … Have we considered leaving GSP? The answer is a resounding ‘no.’ We fully support fl ying to the Upstate market. It’s an important market for us … We need the Upstate region to use GSP.”

UPSTATE OFFICIALS ENCOURAGEDAccording to GSP’s passenger sta-

tistics, traffi c at the airport has con-tinued to rise since Southwest an-nounced the change in its service in October. The change was not sched-uled to take effect until April, and the numbers for that month show about 5,000 fewer passengers fl ew out of GSP compared with April 2015.

Upstate offi cials who attended the meeting said they were encouraged by the airline’s message, but under-stand the nature of the industry and aware that things could change in the future.

“We want to make sure we have the

best service possible out of GSP,” said John Kimbrell, executive vice presi-dent of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce. “[South-west offi cials] made a good business case for their

decision.

Our job as a chamber is to communicate that to the business community ... Their fl ights to Atlanta are being done very effi ciently, and it’s very convenient for passengers. Overall, I think it was a positive meeting. I walked away feeling very encouraged. Their business model changed, and I appreciate them being transparent and open about how they came to that decision.”

GSP Airport Commissioner Bill Barnet said he didn’t take anything negative away from the meeting.

“During the presentation, the fi rst slide he had stated that Southwest was happy to be at GSP and isn’t going anywhere,” Barnet said. “That wasn’t an afterthought that was thrown out. It was the fi rst thing that came out of his mouth. If you take that at face value, it’s an encouraging statement … There’s always risk in the way air-lines choose to serve various commu-nities. The rules and impetus for change is always present and evalu-ated continually … I don’t think any of us should be naïve to think that this industry is not continually evolving.”

GSP is nearing completion of its $125 million main terminal renova-tion.

Doty said Southwest will continue to work closely with the airport.

“We’re not leaving,” he said. “It’s just a different way of serving the market.”


Southwest: No plans to leave GSPUBJ | 07.08.2016

the airline’s commitment to the Upstate and shed some light on the

“We entered the [Upstate] market and Charleston in March 2011 with seven daily departures to fi ve nonstop destinations,” Doty said. “That was always the model when we opened new markets.”

SCALING BACK AFTER THE MERGERThe airline initially fl ew seven daily

nonstop fl ights to Houston-Hobby, Nashville, Tenn., Baltimore, Chicago (Midway) and Orlando, Fla., from

In June 2014, Southwest eliminat-ed the Nashville fl ight because, it said, about half of those customers were actually connecting to other fl ights for travel destinations beyond that hub. The change scaled back the airline’s service out of GSP from seven daily nonstop fl ights to four.

Doty explained that two things happened after it fi rst landed at GSP.

to Southwest’s fl eet, which forced it to reevaluate its routes and focus on service that would consistently see those jets at or near capacity.

“With a market-place like GSP, the issue is consistency,” Doty said. “The performance wasn’t as good as we expected.”

The second change, which was also a result of the merger, was that the airline was able to begin fl ying out of Atlanta. The service, Doty said, opened up more possibilities for Southwest customers.

At Hartsfi eld-Jackson Internation-al, Southwest currently has 18 gates that handle about 125 daily fl ights.

best service possible out of GSP,” said John Kimbrell, executive vice presi-dent of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce. “[South-west offi cials] made a good business case for their

decision.

Our job as a chamber is to communicate that to the business community ... Their fl ights to Atlanta are being done very effi ciently, and it’s very convenient for passengers. Overall, I think it was a positive meeting. I walked away feeling very encouraged. Their business model changed, and I appreciate them being transparent and open about how they

Southwest: No plans to leave GSP

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We off er fi nancing thru Healthiplan and are accepti ng TruHearing clients.“Have we considered leaving GSP? The answer is a resounding ‘no.’”

Southwest Airlines Senior Manager Dave Doty

07.08.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | RETAIL | 15

Vintage Warehouse in Spartanburg has completed its relo-cation to the 34,000-square-foot former Palmetto Textiles building at 1201-B Union Street across from Carolina Cash Co.

The store’s owners said the move was prompted by their needs for more space and their previous landlord’s decision to sell the building at 844 S. Pine St. that housed their original 8,000-square-foot store.

“We outgrew the space,” said Carmen Blanton, who co-founded the store with her friend Jane Crook in 2014. “I don’t think we realized by how much until we moved in here. We knew we didn’t want to buy that building because we needed more room to grow.”

During the past year, Crook and Blanton have taken on two ownership partners, Spartanburg artists Darrell Griggs, who specializes in electrical and metalworking, and Greg Whis-nant, a skilled carpenter.

The store’s merchandise includes refurbished, handmade and collectible pieces, mostly for home décor, that are either made by the owners or a group of local “vendors” who rent space within the store.

Since July 2015, the store’s number of vendors has increased from 24 to 35, owners said.

“We knew we wanted to remain on the [Mary Black Foundation] rail trail,” Crook said. “Our spaces [for vendors] were small. We always had an open fl oor plan, but this provided us with more space, more fl exibility and more options.”

The building is a warehouse built

in 1939 for a textile machinery company, although it has served a variety of tenants during its lifespan. A spur at the rear of the building connects with the deactivated Norfolk Southern corridor that runs alongside the 1.9-mile rail trail between South Pine and Union streets.

The building’s interior includes 3,000 square feet of air-conditioned space that previously served as offi ces but now houses artwork displays.

A 25,000-square-foot bay that features concrete fl oors, steel beams, exposed brick and a wood ceiling has been transformed into Vintage Ware-house’s main sales fl oor.

Adjacent to the sales fl oor is a 6,000-square-foot building addition the owners have converted into event hall. It will serve as a venue for wed-dings, receptions, social gatherings, charity events and other functions.

The sales fl oor and event hall are heated by gas but do not yet have air conditioning, which the owners hope to address in the near future.

A parking lot in front of the building has ample space for customers. The owners plan to improve the path that connects the building to the rail trail.

The property includes a 1.5-acre concrete pad next to the building, which the owners plan to use for outdoor events. They also hope to add a coffee and juice bar near the main entrance.

“We couldn’t be more excited about it,” Crook said. “Everyone has always told us that our store is like Etsy or Pinterest come to life. We feel like we’ve been able to keep the character of the store, while providing ourselves with enough room to grow.”


Vintage Warehouse relocates to Union Street

UBJ | 07.08.201616 | FOUNDATIONS | NAMES FROM YESTERDAY WHO GOT US WHERE WE ARE TODAY

Greenville was in luck one hot July afternoon in 1904 when John White Arrington stepped off the train. He arrived to save a struggling textile plant, but came to serve the community with such devotion that his death was mourned by the whole city.

Though born in North Carolina in 1866, he was raised by his parents Samuel and Hannah Arrington in Virginia. Arrington started early in the business world, and before his 21st birthday was treasurer of one of the first cotton mills in the South, Old Dominion Cotton Mills. By the time he was 30, he had helped found Edna Cotton Mills in North Carolina and was serving as treasurer.

Meanwhile, a group of Northern investors headed by J.B and B.N. Duke chose Greenville as the site of the newly formed Union Bleaching and Finish-ing Company because of the thriving cotton mill industry, railroad access and an abundance of pure water. The location may have been prime, but there was one major flaw in their plan: The absentee Northern investors were not a part of the tight-knit community of Southern textile executives. By 1904, orders were so slow that employees could show up to work and find none waiting for them. With the $250,000 invested almost gone, the directors asked the prosperous Arrington to serve as treasurer and save the company.

Bringing the business homeArrington quickly convinced the exclusively

Northern investors that stock should be made available to Southern mill presidents and that the majority of the directors should be replaced by local textile executives. Having now made connections with the suppliers of the product they were to finish, Union Bleachery saw business pick up. By 1910, Arrington was president of the company, produc-tion capacity had increased by 50 percent, and the capital stock was up to $400,000.

Union Bleachery’s success continued over the next decade in spite of World War I. While most bleacheries and finishing companies struggled due to the necessary dyes being produced in Europe, farsighted Arrington stocked up on imported dyes on the eve of the conflict. By Armistice Day, the plant was ready to expand again, and within a few years Union Bleachery had a 40-million-yard ca-pacity and was capitalized at $1.2 million.

Beloved for civic workOutside of Union Bleachery, John Arrington

served as president of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce and as a director of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. He also served as a director of First National Bank, Textile Hall Corporation, Enoree Mills, Piedmont & Northern Railway, Poinsett Hotel, Great American Life In-surance Company and American Cotton Manufac-turers Association, just to name a small handful of the companies and organizations with which he shared his business talent.

Although a very successful businessman, Arrington was most respected and beloved for his civic and social work. His sense of community responsibility went above and beyond the enlightened self-interest typical of the Pro-gressive Era. As a friend wrote upon his death, “He helped people so naturally, sponta-neously and without con-descension that it never occurred to him or them that he was doing good from a sense of religious duty, to avoid labor trouble or for praise.”

A thriving mill village

Under his supervision, the mill village surrounding the plant thrived. As a long-time employee said, “If you got a job at Union Bleachery, you had it made.” Beyond the basics of housing, indoor plumbing, graded streets, churches and schools, cow pastures, pigpens and garden plots were available for employees who were formerly farmers. In addition to the usual baseball and basketball teams, a nine-hole golf course was constructed. A fishpond was dug and beautified with lily pads and a bridge. Arrington even employed a social service worker to organize women’s clubs, children’s ac-tivities, scout troops and more.

Despite working for the whole community, he never lost sight of the individual. His office was always open to those seeking advice or comfort. He made sure to learn all new hires’ names right away. When an employee’s medical bill was unaf-fordable, he appealed to the physician to reduce the bill. Union Bleachery even quietly operated a profit-sharing plan that gave employees an addi-tional paycheck twice a year.

A community’s lossThe people of Union Bleachery loved their em-

ployer. As one example of their appreciation, the mill village Methodists wanted to name their new

church Arrington Memorial, but he pro-tested that he wasn’t dead yet and was

“feeling fine.” So they named it St. John’s instead. (Today, it’s

known as Arrington Memo-rial United Methodist

Church.) Beyond the mill village,

he invested in the Green-ville community as a whole. He was presi-dent of Kiwanis of Greenville and the Greenville Community Chest, plus a member of the Rotary Club. During World War I,

his leadership of the Liberty Loan drive led

Greenville to raise 78 percent over the quota. He

also served as vestryman, warden and treasurer of Christ

Church Episcopal. John Arrington passed away in

1938 after several years of declining health. The whole community mourned the loss of one of its great citizens. A tribute published in the newspaper summed up his life well: “He did not measure success by the accumulation of worldly goods but rather by the service he could render to his church, his fellow man and the community. He loved people. And people loved him.”

“He loved people, and people loved him”In 1904, John White Arrington stepped off a train in Greenville — by 1938, he had turned around Union Bleachery and won the hearts of his neighborsBy Rebecca KilbyDigitization Librarian, South Carolina RoomGreenville County Library System

Union Bleachery exterior (1943)

07.08.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com NAMES FROM YESTERDAY WHO GOT US WHERE WE ARE TODAY | FOUNDATIONS | 17

Lee YarboroughPresident

propelHR.com [email protected] 800–446–6567

Not Just a Living, but a LifeAs I write this, my husband is in Rwanda working with Zoe Ministry, a program that empowers orphans to overcome extreme poverty. This journey has been eye-opening and life-changing for Hubert, and even though I am not with him, it has also given me the opportunity to reflect.

Volunteerism and giving back to the community is an integral part of our family values. We are trying to raise our children to be good citizens of the world. We teach them the importance of serving others whether through large acts, like a mission trip, or small acts, like helping a neighbor.

The value of giving back is also evident in our business. Propel HR is a family-owned business, and even as we’ve grown, we’ve continued to hold on to our core family values. Propel HR invests in local and regional nonprofit organizations, sponsoring many charity events and donating to many causes, but “giving back” is not just about giving money. Time donated in service is just as important as money and often it’s even more rewarding for the volunteer.

Beyond the value of volunteering to both the community and volunteer, there is also real value for businesses to promote a culture of giving back.

• Employees who volunteer in the community enhance their job skills and gain different experiences that will prove valuable in the workplace. For example, an accounting professional who teaches in a local school improves his presentation skills.

• Companies that engage in group charitable projects improve teamwork and increase morale. Just think of the corporate teams who participate in charity walks and cheer each other on as they cross the finish line.

• When businesses promote a volunteer culture, employees feel more loyal and proud of their employer. The 2011 Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT survey found that millennials who frequently participate in workplace volunteer programs are twice as likely to rate their corporate culture as positive.

• Your employees will feel less stress. According to UnitedHealth Group, Doing Good is Good for You: 2013 Health and Volunteering Study, employees who volunteer are less stressed and healthier.

As businesses, success is not determined solely by our bottom lines or even the quality of our work, but also by how we contribute to our community. It has been said that, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” As business leaders, we all have an obligation to give back. It’s not about recognition or accolades. We give because we have been fortunate and we feel a sense of duty to help others. And in the end, our goal is to make a life, not just a living.

St. John Methodist Church (1924)

Union Bleachery interior (1952)

Arrington Avenue in Union Bleachery community (1943)

UBJ | 07.08.2016

Nestled in the Overbrook community near downtown Greenville, a new mixed-use project is under construction at the corner of East North Street and Stone Avenue.

Overbrook Lofts will have 30 luxury apartments and 7,000 square feet of class A offi ce space when completed in January 2017. The offi ce space is already spoken for with commercial real estate fi rm SVN Blackstream Commercial slated to move its corporate offi ce to the fourth fl oor. Blackstream will be managing the property.

Because of its location and use, the building has a residential look on the North Street side and more of a commercial look on the side visible from I-385.

The apartments will take up the fi rst, second, third and some of the fourth fl oor of the building and will be accessible by elevator. Each studio, one- or two-bedroom unit will have stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, 10-foot ceilings, high-end vinyl wood plank fl ooring, washers and dryers. Some will have a balcony or patio. Two-bed-room units will have two master suites.

Overbrook Lofts will have green space and will be pet-friendly. “The apartments will feel like condos and will be one of the nicest boutique

apartment complexes in the area,” said Ford Elliott, managing director of SVN Blackstream.

On-site parking, easy interstate access and walking distance to downtown, Cleveland Park and the GHS Swamp Rabbit Trail are what made this property unique, said Elliott. “The Overbrook area is an up-and-coming downtown neighborhood with

a fun vibe and energy.”SVN Blackstream has 25 team members and been

affi liated with SVN for two years covering the Greenville, Asheville, Columbia and Charleston markets. For more information, visit overbrooklofts.com.

Mixed-use project planned for Greenville’s Overbrook neighborhood

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF [email protected] | @SJackson_CJ

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

Overbrook Lofts

E. North

St.

I-385

Stone Ave.

Laurens Rd.

Church St.

Acad

emy

St.

Cleveland Park

Artist’s rendering of the residential look of the planned Overbrook Lofts as seen from East North Street.

Artist’s rendering of the industrial side of Overbrook Lofts, facing I-385

07.08.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com PLAY-BY-PLAY OF UPSTATE CAREERS | ON THE MOVE | 19

1796

17

Bonnie Lins Executive Recruiter

888-901-9692 [email protected]

Carly is a second-generation Allstate Agency Owner. Like her dad before her, she knows success comes from treating clients like family. That’s why her business is growing strong, just like her two little girls.

Isn’t that the kind of good life you deserve? Reserve your spot today.

TALK TO YOUR ALLSTATE RECRUITER IN THE GREENVILLE AREA TODAY.

Subject to all terms and conditions as outlined in the Allstate R3001 Exclusive Agency Agreement and Exclusive Agency program materials. Allstate agents are not franchisees; rather they are exclusive agent independent contractors and are not employed by Allstate. Allstate is an Equal Opportunity Company. Allstate Insurance Company, Northbrook, IL. In New Jersey, Allstate New Jersey Insurance Company, Bridgewater, NJ. © 2015 Allstate Insurance Co.

HIRED APPOINTED HIRED HIRED HIREDHIRED APPOINTED HIRED HIRED

COMMUNITY

The Junior League of Greenville named the following members to its 2016–2017 board of directors: Sandy Brown, president; Courtney Atkinson, president-elect; Nisha Patel, communications vice president; Kimberly Witherspoon, community vice president; Wendi Witek, fi nance vice pres-ident; Jessica Sharp, fund development vice president; Kristin Whitehead, membership vice president; Elizabeth-Kelly Pope, cor-responding secretary; Katy Sides, recording secretary; Kylee Heap, strategic planner; Elizabeth Gunter, parliamentarian; and Lynn Armstrong, sustainer representative.

FINANCE

Greer State Bank appointed Larry Compton

as senior vice president and mortgage director. Compton has over 35 years of lending and mortgage experience and recently served as the mortgage operations manager for the bank. Greer State Bank also hired Allen Robinson as vice president and mortgage production manager and Stacy Burrell as assistant vice president and mortgage loan offi cer.

PR/MARKETING

Crawford Strategy added John Foody, Bradley Bylenga, Meredith Hurley, Helen McDowell, Sarah Spigner, Anna Britton Madden and Taylor Bolds as summer interns. Foody and Bylenga, students at Clemson University, were part of the May intern class. The summer intern class includes Hurley, McDowell, Spigner, Madden and Bolds.

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

STEPHANE REYNamed as a graphic designer for print, social and digital media at ZWO Branding & Marketing. Rey previously worked at agencies in Georgia and South Carolina with brands such as Ryobi, Ridgid and Craftsman. Rey is a graduate of Clemson University with a degree in graphic communication.

JOE STRAYERNamed as president of Integral Solutions Group (ISG). Strayer previously served as vice president and senior vice president at the company. In his new role, he will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of ISG and leading the company’s strategic vision. He succeeds Russ Webber, who retired in 2015.

JUSTIN SURRATTJoined Clemson Eye’s medical staff as an optometrist. Surratt previously served on the medical staff of the United States Air Force. He is a graduate of Clemson University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry. He has laser certifi cation, as well as certifi cation in injections and minor surgical procedures.

RUSSELL BALLARDNamed as a senior project manager with HRP Associates. Ballard previously served as the principal environmental health safety consultant with Seed to Sequoia Consulting and was the quality environmental health safety manager at Arrow Electronics. He is a graduate of Boston University and Pepperdine University.

KURT SCHUMACHERJoined Global View Investment Advisors as a wealth planning strategist. Schumacher has 15 years of experience as an estate planning attorney and is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. In his new role, he will assist client families with long-term wealth management and transfer planning.

HIRED

VIPS

United Community Bank added Tommy DeMint, James Boccardo and Jeff Wilson to its corporate banking platform. The newly added middle market banking team is led by DeMint, senior vice president at United Community Bank. Boccardo, based in Greenville, will lead the team’s underwriting and execution efforts. Wilson, based in Charleston, will help lead the team’s origination activity. Boccardo and Wilson join the bank as vice president.

WilsonBoccardoDeMint

UBJ | 07.08.2016

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

Photo provided

1. Haywood Reserve apartments recently opened at 826 Old Airport Road, Greenville. For more information, visit haywoodreserve.com.

Open for business

2. Showrooms on 11 recently held a soft opening at 3598 Highway 11, Travelers Rest. The showroom features several vendors for homebuilders and clients building or renovating in The Cliffs communities and vicinity. For more information, call 610-6100.

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07.08.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com BUSINESS BRIEFS YOU CAN’T MISS | THE FINE PRINT | 21

Michelin introduces new retreadMichelin Americas Truck Tires, a division of Greenville-based Michelin

North America Inc., recently introduced the Michelin MD XDN 2 pre-mold retread — a drive-position retread for long wear life, lasting durability and traction — for regional, medium-duty vehicles with 19.5-inch tires.

The Michelin MD XDN 2 pre-mold retread features an 18/32-inch tread depth for 190/200 tread sizes and a 20/32-inch tread depth for 210/220/230 tread sizes. The tread design minimizes the internal casing temperature to contribute to a longer casing and tread life. Wide, open-shoulder grooves provide outstanding wear, and full-depth sides deliver traction.

“Delivery fl eets are faced with tough start-stop, turning and curbing conditions as they get their products to market each day,” said Adam Murphy, vice president of marketing for Michelin Americas Truck Tires. “They demand a retread option that is as tough as the roads they drive on. The new Michelin MD XDN 2 pre-mold retread answers those demands with long, even wear and excellent traction.”

Pacolet Milliken Charleston subsidiary to expand with new facility

The Charleston International Manufac-turing Cent er (CIMC) at Bushy Park, a wholly owned subsidiary of Greenville-based Pacolet Milliken Enterprises, acquired a 94-acre facility located adjacent to CIMC in Goose Creek, S.C. The facility was ob-tained from Jacobs Engineering Group, a provider of full-spectrum technical, profes-sional and construction services for industrial, commercial and government organizations globally, who had owned and operated the module assembly and pipe fabrication facility since 1998.

With the acquisition, tenants of CIMC will now be able to ship goods easily via truck, rail or barge on the Cooper River, which is only 12 miles from the Port of Charleston. Tenants also have access to all of CIMC’s unique infra-structure services that supply utility commodities like steam, compressed air, process water, refrigeration and wastewater treatment, among others. The facility also has 24-hour security, medical services and emergency response on site.

“Pacolet Milliken is committed to the continued growth of CIMC and feels that this acquisition will further the center’s position as one of the premier in-dustrial sites in the world and increase the economic development of this region of the state,” said Ralph Walker, executive vice president of energy for Pacolet Milliken.

Fluor names recipients for its $100,000

Global Community Project FundTexas-based Fluor Corporation recently announced the 10 community

improvement projects from around the world that will each receive $10,000 from Fluor’s $100,000 Global Community Project Fund. Thirty project nominations (15 U.S. and 15 non-U.S.) were named as fi nalists, with the Top 10 winners being selected by a worldwide online public ballot, resulting in nearly 800,000 votes.

In addition to the funding, each organization will receive support from Fluor volunteers to complete their projects, and at the end of the year, a Best-in-Class project will be selected, earning the organization an additional $10,000.

Two of the 10 winning charitable organizations and projects are based in Greenville. The two recipients include Project Host, a hydroponic garden and wheelchair accessible garden beds, and Triune Mercy Center.

Fluor’s Global Community Project Fund, which began in 2012 and is held every two years, has enabled employees and partnering charitable organizations to enrich the lives of 57,000 individuals in communities around the world.

“These 10 community improvement projects are excellent examples of Fluor’s commitment to create sustainable communities wherever our employees live and work,” said Torrence Robinson, senior director of global community affairs and president of the Fluor Foundation. “We feel these funds will help these organizations make signifi cant strides in their missions to help those that are less fortunate and help improve the quality of life of those they serve.”

Greenville-area Simon centers recognized by National Weather Service

The National Oceanic and Atmo-spheric Administration’s (NOAA) Na-tional Weather Service recently awarded Simon Property Group’s Greenville-area centers as being “StormReady” and “Weath-er-Ready Nation Ambassadors.”

The designations recognize Haywood Mall and Gaffney Premium Outlets, which are managed by Simon, for preparedness to handle all types of severe and potentially life-threatening weather situations through communications infrastructures, communi-ty outreach and hazardous weather training. Simon is the fi rst real estate investment trust (REIT) to achieve this status at all of its loca-tions nationwide, according to a release.

The National Weather Service’s StormReady program is a partner-ship with emergency management that helps reduce risk and increas-es community resilience to hazards.

“We are grateful to the National Weather Service for providing us with this distinction,” said Brandi Crowe, director of marketing and business develop-ment at Gaffney Premium Outlets. “Our centers play a key role in the Green-ville community, and the safety and security of area residents and visitors is of utmost importance. Leading by example, our hope is that other organizations that serve as community gathering places will follow suit.”

Greenville-area Simon

Simon Property Group’s Greenville-area centers as being “StormReady” and “Weath-

UBJ | 07.08.201622 | #TRENDING | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

RE: BASIL THAI COMING TO GREENVILLE’S ONE PLAZA> Clint Davis “I’m always down for more Thai food. My favorite is Thai Restaurant on Augusta Rd.”

> Ashley Kennedy “Hate this for Lemongrass! Love basil but have always loved going to Lemongrass in Greenville.”

> Jane Dillard “Basil in Charleston/Mt. Pleasantis my all-time fave!”

> Melanie Steinbach “This is the answer to our Thai prayers!!!”

> Clint Grant “Shut the FRONT DOOR!”

> Euphoria Greenville “Wow! The culinary scene is exploding in Greenville, and we’re looking forward to Basil Thai to the mix.”

> Nikki Crabtree “Literally the best news I’ve heard all day.”

> Haro Setian “Yum! If you haven’t bought real estate downtown yet, I’d say it’s a good (and getting better) bet.”

RE: FIRST LOOK: BISCUIT HEAD> Jason Premo “Love Biscuit Head! So glad they are coming to Greenville!”

> Colleen Barber Deas “We’ve enjoyed Biscuit Head in Asheville. So nice to have our own Biscuit Head in Downtown Greenville—at last!”

> Marc A. Pitman “I LOVE the idea of a gravy bar!!!”

RE: TENANTS LINING UP FOR HAMPTON STATION > Birds Fly South Ale Project “Building a community.”

> RSRA Upstate “As development continues, we wonder what ‘exciting food concepts’ will launch here?”

> Dina Bradshaw “Very exciting!”

RE: FASHION RETAILER H&M PLANS TO ADD NEW STORE AT WESTGATE MALL > Drayton Mills Loft Apartments “Wow!!! This is exciting! Who else loves H&M??”

> Laura Connell “Why Spartanburg? Greenville would have been a much better choice. Disappointed.”

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

1. All in the family: Geordy Johnson continues his family’s work in Spartanburg

2. 2. Hub City Scoops opens in Spartanburg

3. BMW supplier to move to Spartanburg County’s Velocity Park

4. Vintage Warehouse of Spartanburg has relocated to Union Street

5. FIRST LOOK: Biscuit Head

OVERHEARD @ THE WATERCOOLERDistilled commentary from UBJ readers

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JULY 1, 2016 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 27

COMING HOMEAfter returning to Spartanburg last year,

Geordy Johnson is committed to growing

his family legacy – and his hometown

JULY 1, 2016 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 27

COMINGHOMEAfter returning to Spartanburg last year,

Geordy Johnson is committed to growing

his family legacy – and his hometown

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

[email protected]

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

UBJ milestone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

>>

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

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

UBJ milestone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

1997 Jackson Dawson launches

motorsports Division

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

BtoB magazine 4 years running

2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation

with Creative spirit Award

2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson

marketing Group when larry sells his partnership

in Detroit and lA

1988 19981993 2003 2008

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

1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont

office Center on Villa.

2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports

Group employee base reaches 100 people

pro-bono/non-proFit Clients

American Red Cross of Western Carolinas

Metropolitan Arts CouncilArtisphere

Big League World SeriesThe Wilds

Advance SCSouth Carolina Charities, Inc.

Aloft

Hidden Treasure Christian School

CoMMUnitY inVolVeMent & boarD positions

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

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

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

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

>>

AS SEEN IN NOVEMBER 1, 2013

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

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

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

UBJ milestone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jackson Marketing Group celebrates Jackson Marketing Group celebrates Jackson Marketing

25 yearsBy sherry Jackson | staff | [email protected]

>>

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

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

UBJ milestone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

1997 Jackson Dawson launches

motorsports Division

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

BtoB magazine 4 years running

2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation

with Creative spirit Award

2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson

marketing Group when larry sells his partnership

in Detroit and lA

1988 19981993 2003 2008

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

1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont

office Center on Villa.

2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports

Group employee base reaches 100 people

pro-bono/non-proFitClients

/lients

/

American Red Cross of Western Carolinas

Metropolitan Arts CouncilArtisphere

Big League World SeriesThe Wilds

Advance SCSouth Carolina Charities, Inc.

Aloft

Hidden Treasure Christian School

CoMMUnitY nitY nit inVinVin olVolVol eVeV Ment& boarD positions

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

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

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

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

>>

AS SEEN IN NOVEMBER 1, 2013

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

JULY 29QUARTERLY CRE ISSUEThe state of commercial real estate in the Upstate.

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

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

UP NEXT

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

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

Tuesday

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

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

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

Wednesday

7/20Tech After Five Networking event for tech entrepreneurs and professionals

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

Cost: FreeRegister: bit.ly/taf-july2016

Thursday

7/28 UWIT Annual Summer Social124 Verdae Blvd., #502, Greenville5–7 p.m.

Cost: $5Register: uwitsc.com

Friday

7/29Greenville Chamber Greenville Women at Work: Breakfast Empowerment Session

Hilton Greenville45 W. Orchard Park, Greenville7:45–9:30 a.m.

Cost: $25 investors, $35 non-investors Register: bit.ly/gwaw-july2016

Tuesday

8/16Piedmont SCORE Basic Small Business Start-Up workshop

Greenville Technical College Barton Campus506 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville6–8 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: bit.ly/bsbs-aug2016

EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR | PLANNER | 23

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