march 18, 2016 ubj

MARCH 18, 2016 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 12

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MARCH 18, 2016 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 12

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03.18.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | LEADERSHIP / HOSPITALITY | 3

Top state CEOs talk retention, millennials

Building a business is hard, but it helps if you have good people – and can avoid those not so fit for your company, according to CEOs of some of the state’s fastest-growing companies.

“Most people focus only on EBITDA … but there are so many other aspects that add value to your business,” said Chad Odom, CEO of Greenville-based Encore Container, which ranked sixth in SC 25 Fastest Growing Companies. “I’ve let people go because I dread going into the office.”

Great employees are one of the most important elements in a thriving business, said Pamela Evette, president and CEO of Quality Business Solutions in Travelers Rest. The human resources company made the most recent Inc. 5,000 list with annual revenue growth of 49 percent to $905.6 million, and Evette said their largest client had around 48,000 employees.

“For us, it’s not just on the resume,” she said to a room of about 40 business leaders at the George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business and Economics in Spartanburg. “I don’t want somebody that won’t help out. … Nobody’s job is more important than anybody else’s.”

Much of the panel circled around the growing millennial workforce, which has different approaches, expectations and at-titudes toward the companies they work for, according to panelists. Evette’s daughter, for example, was disappointed with a $45,000 salary offer fresh out of college because her college counselor pegged en-try-level pay at around $60,000, she said.

“I think what we’re seeing is they’re getting this from the colleges they’re coming from,” she said. “We kind of look for older,

more established people, and they tend to have more reason-able salaries and real-istic expectations.”

Job-hopping and company loyalty are also concerns when it comes to millenni-als, said Odom, which leads him to hire people he knows well and won’t be surprised with.

“The people coming out of school … they job-jump every two to three years. There’s absolutely no loyalty,” he said. “I go through them like changing clothes, and it’s not because I don’t have enough. … It’s hard to

put your time and effort into training someone when you know they’re going to leave.”

Employee turnover is extremely costly to a business, said Greenville-based Green Cloud Technologies Founder and CEO Shay Houser.

“Employee attrition is brutal. It kills you,” he said. “As long as the employees know you’re passionate … they’re not going to leave.”

Greenville-based Creative Builders Inc. founder Will McCauley said despite the Upstate’s good economic climate, hiring good people was still “extremely tough.”

“Not only do you see those who don’t want to work, but we’ve seen a major demograph-ic shift,” he said. “Without those right people, there is no value in your company.”

ASHLEY BONCIMINO | [email protected]

Odom

Evette

Houser

The new AC Hotel by Marriott coming to downtown Spartanburg in September 2017 will feature influential selections created by students and faculty from the historic Black Mountain College. The current plan design for the hotel, which may change as the design is translated to reality, will showcase approximately 70 works drawn from The Johnson Collection (TJC), which include paintings, prints, sculptures and textile art, said Lynne Blackman, PR and publications coordinator for TJC.

Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Black Mountain College, an experimental liberal arts college, was owned and oper-ated by the faculty. During its existence from 1933-1957, the college eliminated normal curricula and integrated a more hands-on approach to learning, where everyone participated in maintaining the community. The progres-sive college housed artists who would later become some of the most influential in the modern art world, according to Erin Corrales-Diaz, TJC curator of the Black Mountain College collection.

The Black Mountain College selections will be displayed in

the hotel’s public spaces show-casing a modern aesthetic with a Southern connection, Black-man said. Robert Rauschen-berg, Kenneth Noland, Robert Motherwell, Elaine de Kooning, Buckminster Fuller, Ilya Bolotwsky, Ruth Asawa and Esteban Vicente are among the artists whose work will be featured.

The Johnson Collection Gallery in downtown Spartan-burg sponsors regular rotating exhibitions dedicated to fine art of the American South from the private collection. There are currently about 25 objects created by Black Mountain College students and faculty on display at the gallery. “A Process of Learning” is on view through the end of May, Blackman said.

Construction for OTO De-velopment’s AC Hotel Spar-tanburg is underway and ex-pected to open in 2017 at the corner of West Main Street and Daniel Morgan Avenue.

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UBJ | 03.18.2016

Coming soon to Furman University: a Finance and Business Analytics Lab. The school shared the news on the NASDAQ video tower overlooking Times Square in New York City last week. Photo provided

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

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 12

Featured this issue:PIQUE professionals meet in Greenville 5Pick one: privacy or security 14Toby Stansell is One to Watch 24

WORTH REPEATING

“The next time I use my bath towel, I’ll think, ‘An awful lot of

work went into this.’” Page 6

“Sometimes I get asked, ‘Would you put your family in that

vehicle?” Page 16

“You need to avoid design that’s so cutting-edge that it makes users

look like jerks.” Page 22

VERBATIM

On cities that work

“People in Greenville and Fresno and Dayton and Duluth and Allentown and

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03.18.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | NETWORKING | 5

PIQUE draws 300 for an unconventional development event

It’s rare to hear deafening,crowd-wide cheers at a business de-velopment event, but nearly 300 young professionals shook the walls of the ONE building six stories above downtown Greenville last week at Ten at the Top’s inaugural PIQUE event. One presenter instructed the throng to pull out their phones for an im-promptu selfi e with their neighbor. Most, if not all, jumped at the occasion.

Attendees sat in on seminars about building their social media brands and how to serve on a board, and had the opportunity to meet executives at sector-specific networking tables lining the room.

“One of the biggest feedback items we got from young professionals was that they wanted access to executives,” said event organizer and Ten at the Top Community Manager Ashley Downing. “A lot of executives want to do that, but they either don’t have the time or don’t have the opportunity.”

PIQUE aims to engage young professionals across the 10-county Upstate region and begin building the connections, skills and ideas needed for the next generation of leaders. After this fi rst event, Downing said wheels are turning for another next year, and she’s already looking for individual or partner help.

“We’re not trying to create a new group,” she said. “It’s another venue to bring those groups together.”


UBJ | 03.18.20166 | TEXTILES | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

Union plant to help produce 5.6M pounds of textiles for Marriott

Once an abandoned textile mill, a revived plant in Union is growing again, this time with a deal to produce 5.6 million pounds of towels and bath mats for 3,000 Marriott hotels nationwide.

Hospitality legend Bill Marriott made his first-ever manufacturing tour while visiting Standard Textile’s Union plant to announce the deal last week, which will eliminate more than 300 ocean-go-ing container shipments per year. The deal is part of Marriott International Inc.’s “Made In USA” initiative to furnish every one of their guest bath-rooms with towels and bathmats made with 100 percent cotton fiber products grown in the country.

“We believe our guests will appre-ciate knowing that even simple items they use every day in our hotels rep-resent progress for the U.S. economy,” said Marriott, who serves as executive chairman for Marriott International.

“We also hope this sends a message to other businesses that buying locally can make business sense.”

Standard Textile leaders and Mar-riott Executive Chairman Bill Marriott visited plants in Thomaston, Ga., and Union County, where Standard Textile will produce 100 percent local bath towels for the international hospital-ity brand.

The company committed to produc-ing 2.6 million bath towels and 4.9 million hand towels in the first year, or as much as 5.6 million pounds of textiles that would stretch more than 4,300 miles if laid end-to-end. That equates to the entire area of land between Washington, D.C., Miami and Los Angeles, said Heiman.

The 150 new jobs for Standard Textile will include 15 in its Cincinna-ti, Ohio, headquarters, with the re-maining 135 split between its Thom-aston facility and its Union County facility. The South Carolina facility currently employs around 100 people across 150,000 square feet of


The Standard Textile plant in Union plans to produce towels and bath mats for 3,000 Marriott hotels nationwide.

>>

03.18.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | TEXTILES | 7

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space, which includes the 2014 announcement of a $5 million expan-sion that added 39,000 square feet and 35 jobs.

“I’m quite confi dent we will be doing further expansions,” said Stan-dard Textile President and CEO Gary Heiman, who said he expects to grow production along with new Marriott brands and locations. “There’s a great interest in made-in-America.”

Marriott said he didn’t truly under-stand the complicated process behind textile products until he toured the Standard Textile plant in Georgia.

“The next time I use my bath towel, I’ll think, ‘An awful lot of work went into this,’” he noted.

Union County attracted $27.8 million in capital investment associ-ated with 175 jobs in 2015, according to an Upstate Business Journal report.

Standard Textile has a 10-year history with Marriott International and is one of the most signifi cant customers among Standard Textile’s “thousands” of other accounts, said Heiman. The company made changes to its supply chain process to accom-modate the full-range of the ‘Made in USA’ products. The fi rst towels and bathmats of the initiative have already arrived at Marriott locations.

“We already had the business, it was just a matter of moving production,” said Heiman.

Marriott International President & CEO Arne Sorenson was not present at the event in Union, but said in a statement that Marriott was “proud to be the fi rst hospitality company to commit to providing our guests with ‘Made in USA’ bathroom towels in our U.S. hotels.”

“This was a shuttered textile plant,” said Standard Textile Senior Vice President Edward Frankel. “That’s part of the joy, to buy something that was literally dead and bring it back to life.”

Founded in 1940, Standard Textile operates 23 manufacturing plants and distribution facilities in 23 countries. The Cincinnati, Ohio-based company holds more than 70 patents.

Marriott International Inc. (NAS-DAQ:MAR) operates more than 4,400 properties in 87 countries and territories, and reported more than $14 billion in revenues for fi scal 2015. The Bethesda, Maryland company operates and franchises hotels and resorts under 19 brands, including the Ritz-Carlton, BVlgari, Renaissance Hotels, AC Hotels by Marriott, Court-yard and Residence Inn.

>>

UBJ | 03.18.2016

Automotive supplier Essex WeldSolutions will invest $2.6 million in Cherokee County, creating 70 jobs for a 15,000-square-foot Gaffney facility. The company’s subsidiary, Essex Weld USA Inc., will produce custom and standard au-tomotive racking products from Cherokee.

Cherokee County drew $58.2 million in capital investment associated with 235 new jobs in 2015, according to an exclusive report by UBJ. The Essex Weld Solutions announce-ment follows Daimler’s pledge to invest $22.7 million to build a logistics center and expand its Cherokee operations.

“We would like to welcome Essex Weld USA Inc. to Cherokee County,” said Cher-okee County Council Chairman Tim Spencer. “We believe we are uniquely situated to meet the needs of Essex Weld USA Inc. with our highly expe-rienced workforce, and we look forward to working with the company leadership to ensure great success.”

Essex Weld USA also provides

professional engineering services and certifi cations for shipping and storage containers to comply with Occupa-tional Safety and Health Administra-tion (OSHA) requirements.

“We are thankful for the support we have received from the State of South Carolina and the Cherokee County

team,” stated Essex Weld Solutions President John Friesen. “We look forward to adding local design and manufacturing support for our custom-ers.”

Essex Weld Solu-tions manufactures custom and automotive racking products for a variety of industries out of its facilities in South Car-olina, Michigan, Canada and Mexico. Company products include metal baskets, racks, custom automotive steel packag-

ing and engine transmission racks.“Congratulations to Essex Weld

USA Inc. on announcing their new Cherokee County operations,” said SC Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. “It’s exciting to see companies contin-ue to embrace South Carolina’s diverse manufacturing base and select our state as a destination to do business.

8 | MANUFACTURING / DEVELOPMENT | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

Greenville County reveals fi rm behind $12.5M ‘Project Jewel’NY machining fi rm plans to create 50 jobs

A New York machining firm plansto invest $12.5 million and create 50 jobs in Greenville for an Upstate fa-cility, according to Greenville County Council documents. Ushers Machine & Tool Co. Inc., previously codenamed Project Jewel, awaited a third and fi nal reading on Tuesday for a fee-in-lieu-of-tax ordinance that would greenlight the deal.

Ushers is a supplier for a local company, and will move into an exist-ing 70,000-square-foot building on Pelham Road, according to Greenville Area Development Corp. president and CEO Mark Farris.

A fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement is an economic development incentive for counties to encourage capital invest-ment and job creation for expansions and new operations.

The proposed ordinance will ulti-mately reduce Ushers Machine & Tool Co.’s real and personal property taxes by 43 percent by cutting the typical manufacturing tax rate from 10.5 percent to 6 percent over the next 30 years. The tax incentive is contingent on Ushers fulfi lling its commitment to investing $12.5 million and creating

50 jobs within the fi rst fi ve years.Ushers offers precision machining,

testing, welding, assembly, and special processes for the power generation, automotive, agriculture, aerospace, construction, electronics, medical and transportation industries, according to its website.

Ushers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The county council ordinance was slated for a third reading on Tuesday evening, which follows a public hearing for the project. By the time a company appears in county council documents, often re-questing approval for capital invest-ment incentives, the deal is very likely to come to fruition.



Auto supplier to invest $2.7M in Cherokee County

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Clemson University will launcha student exchange program as part of the school’s effort to boost students’ career prospects and build a global engagement infrastructure. While research indicates most engineering jobs will remain in the United States, companies are looking for candidates who can operate seamlessly across borders, according to the school.

Clemson University and Tecnológi-co de Monterrey plan to launch the exchange program this summer with 10 engineering and science students from each university. Students will split into groups and work partly in Clemson, partly in Monterrey, Mexico, on an industry-provided project.

“These companies are looking for good engineers, but also for cultural understanding,” said Didier Rousse-liere, director of Clemson’s Global Partnerships and Initiatives, in a statement. “Bringing together students from the two nations will provide them with the experience that more and more employers are seeking in their job candidates.”

South Carolina has made headlines as a top state for foreign direct invest-ment, and is home to around 1,200 international fi rms in its borders representing more than 115,000 em-ployees. Tecnológico de Monterrey sits 150 miles south of the Texas border, and has more than 95,000 students across 91 campuses in Mexico.

“The Monterrey area of Mexico and South Carolina’s Upstate a have

number of similar economic activities,” said Clemson University Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Rodrigo Martinez-Duarte. “Both universities and their alumni act as economic engines for their regions. Several companies have operations in both areas. To name a few, they include Kemet, Meritor, AFL and Schneider Electric. Both univer-sities are in NAFTA countries, so we see several long-term opportunities.”

The program could also boost Clemson’s University’s ability to attract and retain a more diverse student body, faculty and staff, said Mark Leising, who will be dean of the new College of Science at Clemson.

“The similarities between Clemson University and Tecnológico de Mon-terrey make for fertile ground to expand a collaboration that can enhance cultural understanding on both sides of the border,” he said. “We look forward to showing the delegation all that Clemson has to offer and setting the stage for growth.”

The Clemson group guiding the visiting delegation includes Marti-nez-Duarte and Hugo Sanabria, an assistant professor of biophysics at Clemson Sanabria. Both are alumni of Tecnológico de Monterrey. The Latin American school’s delegation will include Julio Noriega Velasco, dean of the School of Engineering and Information Technology, who toured Clemson’s Advanced Materials Re-search Lab and the Clemson Univer-sity International Center for Automo-tive Research last week.

Clemson launches international exchange program


UBJ | 03.18.2016

After his first big break into the online gaming world with “Coma” and “Skinny,” Thomas Brush, a Greenville video game developer, has hit it big with a Kickstarter page to fi nish his new 2-D adventure game, “Pinstripe.”

Within a day of going up, the crowdfunding page exceeded Brush’s original goal of $28,000 for fi nal funding of the game. Brush said he was hesitant to begin a Kickstarter because of the negative stigmas associated with it, but “it was either start a Kick-starter page or let it fi zzle out.”

Now, two months after its creation, the Kickstart-er page has tripled and has over $95,000 pledged by over 3,000 backers who will receive rewards for their contributions. Funding for specifi c amounts raised is broken up into different tiers such as a bonus level for reaching $38,000 and a mobile version of the game for reaching $75,000, among others.

10 | GAMES | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

>>

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Local video game developer strikes big with KickstarterLETY GOOD | [email protected]

Video game developer Thomas Brush

03.18.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com

“I always feared if I wanted to do something great I would have to move to Seattle or San Francisco, but what I’ve learned is, nowadays you can do anything remotely and people really love the idea of a small-town kid making something from his heart,” Brush said.

It all started when Brush was watching cartoons as a child. He would try to fi gure out how to recreate ani-mations from his favorite show and prove to his older brothers that he could do it. He soon began illustrating and working with animation program-ming as a sixth-grader.

“I had always wanted to do fi lm and direct movies, write scripts, whether that was through fi lm, animation or games,” he said.

Brush continued to make small games and animations that won small awards. As a high school senior, he

created “Coma,” and saw great success. Within the fi rst month, the game went viral and got 10 million plays, he said.

Brush continued his journey at Clemson to pursue a graphic commu-nications degree. During those years, he spent most of his time in his room making games, while also attending school full-time and having a full-time job, he said.

That’s when he began working on “Pinstripe,” the game that would eventually allow him to start working full-time from home. Brush’s third adventure game is about an ex-minis-ter who goes to Hell in search of his daughter. However, the primary focus of the game is the emotion, he said. “It’s a blank canvas for players to express themselves … a very deep emotional story in a playful adventure game.”

He said his infl uences for the story-telling element of “Pinstripe” came

INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW | GAMES | 11

>>

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CARLTON MOTORCARS

$399

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Available only to qualified customers at participating authorized Mercedes‑Benz dealers through Mercedes‑Benz Financial Services (where applicable to advertised lease) through (date). Advertised lease rate based on a gross capitalized cost of $40,192. Includes destination charge, Premium 1 Package and Blind Spot Assist. Excludes title, taxes, registration, license fees, insurance, dealer prep. and additional options. Total monthly payments equal $14,364. Cash due at signing includes $3,359 capitalized cost reduction, $759 acquisition fee, and first month’s lease payment of $399. Total payments equal $18,518. Subject to credit approval. No security deposit required.

from movie director David Lynch’s abstract and emotional style. For il-lustration detail, he pulled from Tim Burton’s unique visual style. Musical-ly, Brush said he drew a lot of inspi-ration from classical music such as Chopin and Claude Debussy, and the “Legend of Zelda” games melodies.

Brush believes there were many factors involved in the success of the “Pinstripe” Kickstarter project. After the game was featured on Game

Grumps, a YouTube channel edited by Brush’s former coworker, the Kickstarter gained momentum, Brush said. “The channel was the fuel.”

“Pinstripe” has received award nominations at IndieCade’s E3 Show-case and SXSW 2016, among others, according to the Kickstarter page. The game for PC and Mac platforms is expected to release late this summer, and months after for iOS and Android.

UBJ | 03.18.2016

SHERRY JACKSON | STAFF [email protected] | @SJackson_CJ

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

Drayton Mill continues construction, move-ins

As construction continues on Drayton Mill in Spartanburg, new residents have been slowly moving in and more things are still to come.

The fi rst part of the 16-acre redevelopment project has been the 500,000-square-foot 289-unit luxury apartment community called Drayton Mill Lofts.

“It’s been a hustle and bustle around Drayton Mills Loft since our fi rst move-ins began on Dec. 1,” said Tara Sherbert, developer of the apartment project at Drayton Mill. “To date, we already have over 70 residents who have signed on to live and be a part of the history being made here.”

Apartments include exposed wood and steel, solid maple fl ooring, 12- to 19-foot ceiling heights and detailed replica historic windows.

Many of the amenities have also been completed, including a 60-foot lap pool with cold jets, expansive outdoor gas fi replace, high-end stainless steel outdoor kitchen and dining areas, a two-story state-of-the-art fi tness center, expansive community rooms and walking trails.

A few weeks ago, construction began on an addition-al 55,000 square feet of commercial space which includes the former company store and warehouse buildings on the property. These buildings are being converted into 16 suites for offi ce, retail and restaurant use.

John Montgomery of Montgomery Development Group is developing this portion of the property and said he is hoping to attract a brewery into a space that overlooks the pond. He’s also recruiting busi-nesses who might need offi ce space. And while no leases have been signed yet, he’s also talking to local restaurateurs and small retailers including a hair salon, home accessories store and an art gallery.

“We’re creating a true mixed-use village,” he said. “We’re complementing the live component with the work-play component.”

Montgomery said he is hoping to have the site work completed by the end of July and start moving tenants in by September.

Drayton Mill has also garnered some national attention. The converted mill property served as the site of the season premiere of “Salvage Dawgs” on the DIY channel. The TV show taped at Drayton during the initial stages of construction, said Sher-bert. “They enjoyed fi nding historic pieces of the equipment for repurposing.”

Clockwise from top left: Drayton Mill today; Drayton Mill conceptual plan; interiors of residences

Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer is excited to expand our service offerings in Greenville with the addition of a Director of Property Services and a Retail Brokerage Specialist. Our expanded platform enables us to meet all our clients needs for brokerage, property management, and project management with local market talent and the resources of a platform with over 20 MSF under management.

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03.18.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com REAL ESTATE DEALS AND DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION | SQUARE FEET | 13

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

Spartanburg apartment complex sells for $13MWhispering Pines Apartments, a 312-unit complex located at 408 Abner Road in Spartanburg, has sold for $13,050,000.

The purchaser, New York-based Cedar Grove Capital, plans to renovate and hold the property.

Tony Bonitati, Kay Hill and Bern DuPree of NAI Earle Furman’s Multifam-ily Division represented the seller, South-wood Realty.The purchaser had no broker representation. This transaction is the NAI Earle Furman’s Multifamily Division’s fourth representing Southwood Realty.

“Value-add deals of this size are becom-ing exceedingly hard to come by in the Upstate,” said Kay Hill, shareholder and NAI Earle Furman multifamily broker. “We were happy to represent Southwood once again in a sale and are equally excited to see what Cedar Grove makes of this well-positioned opportunity.”

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UBJ | 03.18.2016

Dear U.S. Citizen:Effective immediately, your government is taking

additional steps to protect your safety and ensure you can have what the Constitution promises – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Unfortunately, to protect you, a few things will have to change. On the upside, some of these changes may actually relieve you of the burdensome respon-sibility of your own security.

First and foremost, you no longer have to worry about strong passwords. Under our new federal rules, no password longer than six alpha characters will be permitted. Those of you still using your dog’s name and adding 1, 2, 3, etc. to it, will be pleased with this change. This will make it far easier for law enforce-ment agencies to access the phones, tablets and digital assets of the small percentage of the population that is criminal and the even smaller percentage that are on the terror watch list. Of course, this is critical if we are going to be able to adequately protect you from crime or terror attacks.

Is a communication like this in our future? Refl exively, we say “No! Of course not.” But the battle over encryption of data on mobile devices is just the fi rst salvo in a civil rights struggle that can have long-standing implications. What do we want more: privacy or security? Apple’s Tim Cook says, “We’re America, we should have both.”

I agree. Despite the fear-mongering warnings of the FBI and others, minimizing personal privacy rights is not the only path to security.

First, we should take a look at how this came to be such a crucial issue in the fi rst place: A bungled combination of two government agencies acting at cross-purposes apparently caused the San Bernardi-no terrorist’s iPhone to become locked and, eventu-ally, automatically wiped, a standard security measure. (goo.gl/eeoKcI).

Facing a snafu, fueled by a lack of communication and coordination, the FBI defl ected. Now it is Apple’s

fault that terrorists lock their phones, use highly secure passcodes, and encrypt their messages. We should all be doing this. Advocates of forcing Apple to crack into this specifi c iPhone say “We’re not asking for the moon, just this ONE PHONE!”

I am not a programmer and I am certainly not an Apple engineer. But I know there is no such thing as developing something for one-time use and never being asked to use it again. Once they know it is possible, the FBI and federal judges will be ordering Apple to crack into iPhones right and left. If we even think there might be something suspicious, we’ll be creeping in the back door. And that back door could be yours if you liked the wrong thing on Facebook or dated someone who did, or were a Muslim living in the U.S.

And who knows what other potential reasons could expose you to unbridled scrutiny? We don’t need to go back more than a few years to the NSA cellphone listening scandal to see this in practice, but if you want a really good lesson in the corruption of the Constitution born out of fear, refresh yourself on the House Un-American Activi-ties Committee and the age of McCarthyism in the mid-1940s.

Beyond the privacy issues, opening that back door won’t be enough as most of the apps running on the iPhone, especially those that encrypt texts and email messages, are not created by or owned by Apple. And while we’re on this subject, let’s not forget the Android Market-place and Windows Store, where there are almost no controls on app developers.

So, what are we ulti-mately saying? A

window with dozens of tiny little cracks will even-tually break. The more back doors we create, the more times we use them, the more likely it is that information will leak to hackers, cybercriminals and, yes, even terrorists, who can then turn our own efforts against us, even as they fi nd new tools to block us.

The fact is we are more secure for the long haul with unbreakable end-to-end encryption in use everywhere, as former CIA director and four-star general Michael Hayden said recently.

Finally, let’s ask ourselves two questions: 1. Are we at least as smart if not smarter and more

innovative than we were in World War II when the German’s Enigma Code – the unbreakable commu-nication method of its day – was broken? 2. What would the FBI have done if the court had not ruled in its favor? Would the agency have thrown up their arms in surrender? Unlikely. No, the terrorists don’t win. We have brilliant minds and innovative spirits. There is, as your mother and mine always used to say, more than one way to skin a cat.

It is time we stopped chipping away at privacy and technology innovation in the name of security. We’re America, we can have – and should demand – both.

14 | DIGITAL MAVEN | THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF BUSINESS

By LAURA HAIGHTpresident, portfoliosc.com

Encryption: A modest proposal

A window with dozens of tiny little cracks will eventually break. The more back doors we create, the more likely it is that information will leak to hackers, cybercriminals and, yes, even terrorists.

America, we can have – and

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03.18.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com STRATEGIES FOR HONING YOUR PROFESSIONAL SKILLS | PROFESSIONAL | 15

Most every American dreams of being extraordinary, but when you break the concept down, extraordinary is just being ordinary with a voice.

And in the modern age, everyone can have a voice via social media. That runs the virtual gamut from the Twitter kings and queens to the YouTube sensations to the Snapchat superstars. OK, so that last title doesn’t exist yet, but you get the picture.

The average person has more lever-age than ever when telling their story, but how can they do that and learn to succeed in business? That is where the idea of the self-made infl uence stems from. What is the tipping point for this title? How does one become a power infl uencer without fame and glory? Is it all who you know? In reality, being a self-made infl uencer requires you to be much more ordinary in nature than extraordinary.

As I waste time catching up on the last eight hours of tweets, pictures and posts every morning, I fi nd myself en-grossed in the words and visuals of self-made power infl uencers on social media. Men, women and even business-es fi nd a platform in the digital world to make their agenda heard, and the rest of us are eating it up – joke’s on us.

When you contemplate this concept a little more close to home you can consider how Greenville uses social media to infl uence. Perhaps without even realizing it, Greenville residents were able to put a social media infl u-ence cycle into play. Without the help of social media, it is possible that the sleepy Southern town of Greenville, South Carolina, would not have become a top travel destination in 2015. Greenvillians wanted to be heard and their message was simple; the magic and charm of their town was worth seeing. Three simple words – “Yeah, that Greenville” – paved the way for residents and visitors to share their love for all things Greenville.

Over the past few years, users of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have highlighted Liberty Bridge, Falls Park, the Swamp Rabbit Trail and down-

t o w n w i n i n g a n d dining enough that National Geographic gave a nod and the New York Times took notice. As a community, we

created awareness and infl uenced a new audience to fall for Greenville, just like we did.

The ability to infl uence the tourism market put Greenville on the map. In turn, this unprecedented development called for more hotels, restaurants and parking in downtown Greenville. Social media had the power to infl u-ence growth. It gave WYNIT Distri-bution a reason to move their inter-national headquarters to downtown.

As a member of a public relations fi rm known for creating buzz, we are often asked, “How can we help create the next big thing? How do we make some ordinary into extraordinary?”

The answer is by being ordinary. It is one thing to explode on social media. The real thing is it takes times, work and patience. Ordinary things. Con-sistency creates a consensus and shows authority through knowledge. If you deem yourself an expert, you simply have to prove it. A company or person that has authority over their audience continually shares knowledge on that particular topic. This leads to consis-tency. Followers will know what to expect from you and continue to listen to you. You will become synonymous with your area of expertise when you cross their mind.

From there consensus is built, an interest has been piqued and the or-dinary social media follower has the desire to follow your lead. How do they follow your lead? They share, like, repost and retweet. Before you know it, you’re reaping the benefits of infl uencer power, your following is growing and your clout is increasing. Well done.

The self-made infl uencer rules social media

Being a self-made infl uencer requires you to be much more ordinary in nature than extraordinary.

By BRENDA CONNELLPublic relations associate, Complete Public Relations

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UBJ | 03.18.201616 | COVER | THE TECH ISSUE

{ In our backyard }

There’s a lot of innovation going on in the Upstate, much of which you’ve read about in UBJ and some of which may be new to you. Here’s a look at four up-and-coming tech companies that might be under your radar.

Video Smartbooks

The problem: Booklet fatigue – it’s harder and harder to make impressions with print advertising The tech: Customizable video screens and speakers built into traditional mediaHow it happened:In the world of advertising, it’s all about standing out. Tom Whitesell of Greenville-based TopSpin marketing calls it “the recall factor.” “People are going to pay a lot more attention to video than text,” says Whitesell, who launched his venture Video Smartbooks about a year ago. The concept is simple, he says. Combine three powerful mediums – text, video and physical – by embedding a high-definition screen and speakers into a print product, and customers are guaranteed to keep it around. “They’re impressed by it. They’re going to remember it. They’re going to share it with their colleagues,” says Whitesell, who started his career at Disney where he helped bring VHS tapes mainstream through innovative customer education tactics. “It’s a way to almost guarantee that you’re not going to end up in the wrong file.” Whitesall can make sizes ranging from 2-by-3.5-inch video business cards ($25 apiece) to high-resolution 10-foot diagonal screens ($70 each). Other features include quality speakers, headphone jacks, interactive buttons and a mini USB port to charge and change the device’s files. The largest device – 8GB – can hold hours of movies, another aspect that encourages users to keep it around much longer than a booklet. “In this case, they can’t resist opening it and watching it,” he says. “This is going to pick up in the next three years, from 99 percent unaware to 70 percent unaware in the target market.” Web : videosmartbooks.com

Resiliency Technologies

The problem: Scattered, disjointed programs to deliver mental health resources The tech: One technology platform for mental health content tailored to specific users using artificial intelligence How it happened:Schools, cities, state agencies, hospitals, nonprofits and corporations have a plethora of programs to get mental health resources into the right hands. The problem, say Tim Farrell and Robyn Hussa Farrell, is these programs are disjointed and o� er few options for tracking and customization. Their patent is still pending, but this summer they plan to release their mobile and desktop platform that delivers mental health resources specific to the user, location and situation. Students, for example, may have a button for resources on handling stress. Professional therapists can point patients to resources between visits. Parents can get educated on childhood depression. Pediatricians can press a button for an on-demand mental health specialist. “There’s a lot of good work going on out there,” says Tim Farrell. “Bringing that all together and making it more e� ective and e� icient is saving something really precious.” The pair plans to incorporate artificial intelligence to help improve resource delivery and customize each user’s suggested content. The project is funded so far by advertising revenue on existing tests in a handful of schools and medical organizations, but larger organizations have already expressed interest in purchasing a white-label version, they say.“These agencies and organizations only have so many resources, and we want to make sure they’re optimizing them,” he says.Web: bresilient.co

Cool tech you might not have heard of in the UpstateASHLEY BONCIMINO | [email protected]

03.18.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com THE TECH ISSUE | COVER | 17

Designli.co

The problem: App development is infamously expensive and arduous for startupsThe tech: A la carte app development How it happened:Building apps can bankrupt startups before they begin, says Keith Shields, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Greenville-based Designli builds apps specifically for startups, counting up the hours required for each module that lets entrepreneurs add or subtract elements based on their budgets. While Designli works on projects individually today, co-founder and CEO Shields says the next phase is an OpenDesk-like matchmaker program, Codesuite.co, where entrepreneurs post projects and are paired with vetted developers and designers best suited for the project. Designli then acts as a moderator through the built-in project management platform, where the company can ensure project rates don’t change from initial estimates, customers are always 100 percent satisfied and developers have a fair market for their services, he says. “Our platform helps the developer break that project down into di� erent features… so they can realistically price the project,” says Shields, who says Designli is self-funding development based on its ongoing projects.Designli’s work spans numerous industries and sizes, he says, from an app that lets gas station owners order new gasoline from oil companies to Greenville-based memory-saving platform Arkivr. “A client comes to us with their needs, and we’ll basically form a team around that project,” says Shields. “We’re going to be evolving into something of a product o� ering.” Web: designli.co

kVA

The problem:Increasingly advanced, connected cars mean new security challenges

The tech:

Using advanced analytics to ensure security standards with some of the world’s premier automakers

How it happened:For years, auto manufacturers knew how to build safe cars. With the rise of the Internet, connected vehicles and car-to-car communication – not to mention self-driving vehicles – manufacturers are rising to the challenge, often with the help of Greenville-based kVa. The 15-person team works with six of the top 10 automakers and five of the top 10 auto suppliers worldwide, with the aim of helping companies meet and exceed increasing security standards and troubleshoot potentially dangerous conditions, says Bill Taylor, managing partner. “We built as much expertise as we could as early as we could, betting on this… and that’s really paid o� ,” he says, noting that auto complexity as it relates to security could multiply tenfold in the next decade. “Sometimes I get asked, ‘Would you put your family in that vehicle?’ which is a very serious question. We want to always say when we walk away that we would absolutely do that.” kVa o� ers consulting, technical services, software and training, which in a way seeds its own competition in the name of safety, says Taylor. Driverless vehicles mean new questions about liability, ownership, insurance, safety and cybersecurity, he says, but ultimately will drastically reduce the mortality rate for car accidents overall. “Our mission really is to spread the ideas and techniques for safety,” he says. “We see an autonomous future, and that’s what drives us.”

Web: kvausa.com

COMMITMENT TO SAFETY All of kVA’s consulting engineers are Functional Safety Certified Automotive Engineers (FSCAEs), with real-world experience as automotive product engineers. As a certified independent safety expert, kVA offers independent reviews and audits up to the I3 independence level (the highest level as specified in ISO 26262-2.6.4.7)

1708-C Augusta Road, Suite 3, Greenville, SC 29605 I Phone: 864-630-5373 I [email protected]

TRAINING SUMMARY

This two-day training session covers the full ten part ISO 26262 standard for functional safety of automotive systems, with an emphasis on the standard’s impact on engineering processes and products. The training is appropriate for product development engineering, quality, reliability, safety assurance personnel and their managers. Day One:

Background and scope of ISO 26262 Key definitions of terms Concepts of functional safety management Hazard Analysis & Risk Assessment (HARA) Functional Safety Concept Technical Safety Requirements

Day Two:

Software and Hardware Requirements Practice exercise for Single-point & Latent Fault Hardware Metrics & Failure Rate Classification Freedom from Interference Tool Qualification ASIL Decomposition Safety Element out of Context (SEooC)

ISO 26262 Two-Day Training Onsite Training Suitable for Practicing Engineers & Managers Familiar with Development Programs

TRAINING LOGISTICS

Training is delivered on-site at the client’s premises. The session is delivered by one or more of kVA’s experienced senior-level Functional Safety Certified Automotive Engineers. kVA’s trainers are knowledgeable in the practical application of ISO 26262, and in the engineering processes and analyses required to successfully implement ISO 26262. Multiple interactive examples are also utilized throughout the training, to demonstrate the key concepts of ISO 26262 implementation. The training duration is approximately 16 hours total, divided equally between the two days. Time for Q&A is reserved at session breaks and at the conclusion of the second day. All participants will receive a professionally bound hard-copy of the presentation slides as a part of the training fee.

FOR MORE INFORMATION This two-day training session can be combined with kVA’s half-day executive training upon request. Please email all inquiries to [email protected]. A representative from kVA will respond to provide more information and arrange a formal quotation.

kVA = engineered safety


{ Upstate strategy to recruit data centers still ongoing }

When Facebook, Apple and Google decided to invest hundreds of millions in North Carolina for new, sprawling data centers, South Carolina paid attention. Both states had the cheap land and cheap, abundant power required, but North Caro-lina had something its southern neighbor did not: tax incentives.

“We were at a disadvantage on sales tax, on income tax compared to North Carolina,” said Greenville Area Development Corp. Senior Vice President Kevin Landmesser, who has been working on recruiting and pre-approving sites for data centers for the last several years. “We were really cut out in terms of being considered.”

Thus began South Carolina’s campaign for data centers, beginning with 2012 legislation eliminating the electricity sales tax for data centers involving

$50 million in investment and 25 employees. The law also exempts data centers’ computer equipment, hardware and software purchases from the state sales tax, which legislators hoped would be enough to get in on the multibillion-dollar industry.

Today, the Upstate is home to dozens of data center fi rms and services, including Immedion, ArmorRack, Windstream, Qutera, Ahold Informa-tion Services, Integral Solutions Group and BMW’s Information Technology Research Center, among others.

“The next logical place”

“Incentives have defi nitely been an asset to those states that have an aggressive incentive for data centers, and South Carolina has that,” said Stu Heishman, Duke Energy’s vice president for eco-nomic development, who partners with economic development entities across the six-state Southeast region. The utility company helped recruit more than $1.2 billion in capital investment and 3,200 jobs to South Carolina in 2015, according to the company. Since 2005, Duke helped recruit $12 billion and 33,000 associated jobs.

“I would say that data centers are one of the most energy-intensive that we focus on. That, and auto-motive,” said Heishman, who said his 27-person team also works on site-readiness, business recruit-ment and project management when recruiting companies. “We’ve got a very strong collection of large data centers in North Carolina, then another cluster in the Atlanta market. The Upstate is clearly a part of that corridor that should be the next logical place for a data center to look.”

While incentives play a big part, data centers have unique needs when it comes to utility, space, location and price – needs such as reliable power, redundant fi ber infrastructure and utilities, a low risk for natural disasters and a location outside of fl ight paths. One recruitment strategy is to fast-track the process with site-readiness measures, which complete due-dili-gence processes that reassure potential companies that a suitable site is available.

Need for speed

As is true with nearly every IT vertical in the majority of markets, workforce is a constant struggle.

“The overriding issue is that there’s just not enough quality, skilled workforce, so there’s a lot of ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’ going on,” said Rob Moser, Greenville-based third-party provider Immedion’s co-founder and COO. “We work with technical schools so that our requirements are communicated to them… but specifi cally in the Upstate where the market is so dynamic, we’re seeing the biggest challenges.”

Immedion chose Greenville nine years ago because of the growing business climate, he said, and now operates in Columbia, Charleston, Rock Hill, Ashe-ville and, most recently, Cincinatti. Moser says the current focus is on integrating Ohio, but envisions further market expansions in the future.

“To have multiple options in terms of Internet carriers in the region is absolutely key… and then there is demand,” he said, noting that most of Im-medion’s 600 customers are no more than 40 miles away. “As companies are looking to relocate in the Upstate, especially larger companies, having an enterprise-class data center in the market is an asset.”

But the data center industry has changed signifi -cantly since South Carolina’s 2012 legislation, ac-cording to Landmesser. For one, enterprise centers from big names such as Facebook and Microsoft made waves, but demand slowed down and was replaced by the need for co-location and third-par-ty operations that housed multiple fi rms.

That, and there’s the persistent upheaval that comes with new technology, driving down technol-ogy costs and space requirements.

“Obviously they’re becoming more effi cient… but that said, there’s this insatiable appetite for speed,” said Heishman. “Between media streaming and game time and all that, I think the average consumer spends more than six hours a day online. … The appetite for speed is what’s driving energy use even with the increase in effi ciency.”

Data centers energy consumption nationwide End-use Year energy (kwh) Elec. bills

2013 91B $9.0B

2020 139B $13.7B

2013-2020 increase 47B $4.7BSource: 2013 National Resources Defense Council report


Defi nedData center: A large group of networked computer servers typically used by organizations for the remote storage, processing or distribution of large amounts of data.

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03.18.2016 | upstatebusinessjournal.com THE TECH ISSUE | COVER | 19

Biotechnology is a fast-growing, high-potential industry in the Upstate. Here are just a few of the rock stars already thriving here.

Kiyatec (Greenville)

Cancer diagnostics firm for more accurate predictions of patient-specific responses to treatment. kiyatec.com

Selah Genomics (Greenville)

Advanced molecular and genomic diagnostic services to help drug development, clinical trials and regulatory processes before treatments go to market. selahgenomics.com

Norgenix (Spartanburg)

Develops and distributes pharmaceutical and medical devices addressing challenges with female fertility. norgenixpharma.com

Orbis Health Solutions (Greenville)

Immunotherapy treatment for cancer based on a patient’s unique tumor. orbishealthsolutions.com

CreatiVasc Medical LLC (Greenville)

Develops in-body medical devices for dialysis patients that allows shorter periods of blood diversion to avoid clotting. creativasc.com

Accessible Diagnostics (Greenville)

Develops and distributes low-cost glucometers and inkjet-printed test strips for glucose monitoring.

facebook.com/AccessibleDiagnostics

ResMed (Spartanburg)

Patient interfaces, ventilators, humidifiers and accessories for sleep apnea and other respiratory disorders.

resmed.com

Capsugel (Greenwood)

Provides hard capsules for the pharmaceutical, health and nutrition sectors, as well as design, development and manufacturing services for capsules. capsugel.com

Glytec (Greenville)

Reduces the frequency, risks and costs of hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia in patients with computerized insulin dosing algorithms and monitoring. glytecsystems.com

Rockwell Medical Technologies (Greer)

Develops products and services to treat end-stage renal diseases and chronic kidney disease by treating iron deficiency anemia, secondary hyperparathyroidism and hemodialysis. rockwellmed.com


{ 10 Upstate biotech players }

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{ Hot IT jobs in the Upstate }

As technology continues to advance and move businesses forward, IT professionals are in as much demand as ever in the Upstate.

“We’re definitely seeing a need for more IT profession-als in Greenville,” said Josh Morris, Greenville division director for Robert Half, a technology staffing firm. “Deskside support, help desk analysts and network ad-ministrators are the top jobs in demand right now.”

Morris said that Upstate companies are growing and able to bring in full-time IT professionals, when in the past they may have not had the budget to do so. Network security is a huge priority for most companies and it takes technical, hands-on IT people.

“Upstate companies are willing to pay for top talent,” said Morris. IT salaries are increasing and counteroffers are becoming more common to try to keep existing employees. “On a national level, we’re seeing a 5.3 percent increase in IT salaries,” he said. “The Upstate is about 92 percent of the national level, but it’s still very competitive.”

While Morris couldn’t provide specific numbers, he said Robert Half has “a lot of IT positions open” and there is a shortage of IT professionals. “There are a lot of options. It’s a great time to be in technology in the Upstate,” he said.

SHERRY JACKSON | [email protected]

Desktop Support Analyst $45K-70KCandidates should have extensive experience with desktop hardware, software applications, operating systems and network connectivity. They must be customer service oriented and proactive in anticipating and resolving problems while maximizing efficient use of computing resources.

Typical duties:

• Maintaining an inventory of installed software, managing software licensing and creating policies and procedures for upgrades

• Working with hardware and software vendors to verify timely product delivery and ensuring that new equipment is installed and ready to operate on schedule

• Analyzing and making recommendations for hardware and software standardization

• Creating user accounts and managing access control based on company policies

Help Desk Analyst (Tier 2) $42K-57KExcellent problem-solving, communication and interpersonal skills, along with patience, a customer-friendly attitude and the ability to work in a team environment. Tier 1 is typically entry-level. Tier 2 positions typical-ly require 2-4 years of experience and may require a bachelor’s degree or two years or equivalent experience in a help desk setting.

Typical duties:

• Resolving more complex issues requiring detailed systems and applications knowledge; these issues have been escalated from Tier 1

• Deciding whether to generate a trouble or work-order ticket for issues that will require a visit to the user’s PC or workstation

Network Security Administrator $95K-135KStrong technical background, including working knowledge of network management protocols, networking architecture, authentication practices and security administration. It is important that candidates keep abreast of industry security trends and developments, as well as applicable government regulations. They also should have excellent trouble shooting and communication skills.

Typical duties:

• Implementing network security policies and procedures

• Administering and maintaining firewall• Managing, monitoring and updating

malware prevention systems• Monitoring security advisory groups to

ensure all necessary network security updates, patches and preventive measures are in place

• Preventing and detecting intrusion• Performing intrusion detection analysis

Top three IT jobs in the Upstate with salary range

Source: Robert Half

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South Carolina’s growth in the tech industry outpaced that of the national average last year, according to a recent report.

The U.S. tech industry grew 3 percent last year, according to a Cyber report released in February by CompTIA.

South Carolina’s tech industry, ac-cording to the report, grew by about 4 percent. By comparison, neighboring state North Carolina was one of the top five states for employment growth in the tech sector with a 4.5 percent change over last year.

Georgia and Tennessee had 3.7 and 1 percent growth, respectively, the report said.

South Carolina has more than 60,000 workers employed by the tech industry and an additional 12,000 self-employed or self-proprietor tech workers.

According to the report about 3.7 percent of South Carolina workers are in the tech industry.

The state has about 6,000 tech business establishments.

Neil Burton, executive director of the Clemson University Center for Career and Professional Development, said each year about 50 percent of Clemson

graduates with a tech-related degree got employment in the state as opposed to getting tech jobs in other states.

Last year about 47 percent of grad-uates with a tech-related degree stayed in the state to work in the technology field, Burton said.

The previous year about 54 percent stayed in the state, he said. “Anecdot-ally, I’ve spoken with numerous Clemson alumni who are anxious to return to the area after having worked a few years in other states.”

He said South Carolina has several technology clusters, but Greenville and Charleston seem to be the most entrenched.

Burton said the state has “much to offer both workers and companies in the knowledge economy” and he’s “glad this news is spreading beyond our fair borders.”

The average wage in the South Carolina tech industry is $74,000 – about 85 percent more than the $40,000 average yearly private sector wage in the state, according to the CompTIA report.

The average tech industry wage in North Carolina is $91,000, more than double the state’s private sector wage of $45,300.

The average tech wage in Georgia is $90,000 and more than $76,000 in Tennessee.

THE TECH ISSUE | COVER | 21

Avg. Tech Avg. Private Wage Rank State Sector Wages Sector Wages Differential

1 California $149,335 $59,491 151%

2 Idaho $90,415 $38,378 136%

3 Washington $129,359 $55,045 135%

4 Oregon $105,263 $46,487 126%

5 Virginia $109,038 $52,879 106%

7 North Carolina $91,363 $45,251 102%

21 South Carolina $74,309 $40,202 85%

22 Georgia $90,175 $49,019 84%

38 Tennessee $76,333 $45,569 68%Source: CompTIA 2016 Cyberstates report

BENJAMIN JEFFERS | [email protected]

{ Report: Tech growth in South Carolina better than national average }

Tech average annual wages vs. private sector wages in 2015

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UBJ | 03.18.2016

The Internet of Things revolution is here. Is your business ready to profit or will it be left behind?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is technology that connects something that’s not a computer so it can communicate with a network. That something could be your refrigerator, your car, your prescription medicine bottle or your shoe. Pretty much anything can now be linked to a network to gather data or give people remote control.

It’s clear that the Internet of Things is a revolution. Just look at the popularity of connected devices like Nest thermostats and of wearables like the Fitbit. Or look at analysis from Harbor Research that predicts there will be more than 8 million connect-ed devices by 2020 (four times what existed in 2015), resulting in $1 trillion in IoT-related revenue.

As IoT has changed technology, it has also changed your customers’ expectations. Much as the smart-phone completely transformed user behavior and expectation in the last 8-10 years, connected devices and wearables will change the way people live and interact with just about every product.

Your users already expect more and more devices to connect. If your business doesn’t offer this service, you will lose customers and market share.

You’ll be a Blackberry in an iPhone world.Of course, being connected isn’t going to be

enough. Your device needs to provide benefi ts that users want, in a way that’s intuitive and helpful. Otherwise you’ll quickly be gone from the market.

You’ll be Google Glass in a Fitbit world.The IoT revolution is coming, and it’s inevita-

ble. This means your business needs to start to prepare now by upgrading technology and under-standing users.

First, upgrade your technology stack. Here are four areas of focus.

1. API

An API (application program interface) is a powerful tool for connecting software together. An API can also integrate with hardware to create connected devices.

Gigoam Research Analyst Kin Lane puts it unfl inch-ingly: “IoT hardware is not the end game: The profi ts, margins, and innovations will come from the new products and services built on open, fl exible APIs.”

Your current software needs read/write API that is fl exible for a variety of connections, including IoT applications. You need to know that this API exists, and you need to have full control to make new connections and needed updates.

We’ve heard too many stories of companies whose software developers hold API hostage with exorbitant change fees or code charges. That kind of situation creates a huge barrier to entering the IoT world. That’s why we create RESTful read/write API stubs with every piece of software we build, standard, as a future-proofi ng step.

2. Network

Your business hosting network will be tested when you add connected devices, because the volume of data you must handle will increase dramatically.

If you’re not ready, you’re not alone. A 2015 Harbor Research survey indicated that 30 percent of net-works are already bursting at the seams, before the proliferation of IoT data. Your network will only be more stretched by an IoT addition, so you must be proactive in upgrading your technical infrastructure.

3. Data

Your IoT strategy may also require your business to manage data from different types of connected devices. At a recent conference, we heard a railroad company talk about the challenges of integrating data from new IoT sensors with data from older, wired sensors and even manual reporting. While the data from these sources is collected in very different ways, it’s going into the same database, and it needs to be stored consistently in order to create us-er-friendly reports and business intelligence.

You need to take proactive steps to ensure your online database is fl exible and versatile enough to grow with your business and IoT solutions.

4. Framework

At this point, there is not a standard framework for IoT solutions. You can fi nd options from A to Z (Artoo to Zetta), but none has gained true promi-nence yet.

This is good news, because it gives your business fl exibility no matter what platform your current technology stack is. But this fl exibility also creates danger. You need a wise internal team and/or a trusted software partner to recommend a platform that will stand the test of time so that your technol-ogy isn’t obsolete in a year or two.

Next, understand your users. Here are fi ve important questions your business should ask and answer.

1. What do users want?

Customers have already proven they will purchase and use connected devices because they deliver data solutions, like fi tness trackers, or remote control, like programmable thermostats and home security systems.

If your planned functionality fi ts in these catego-ries, make sure your solution fi ts a felt need. If not,

you need to ask potential customers if they will ac-tually use what you’re planning to make.

2. How will it make users feel?

One of the driving forces behind the adaption of smartphones is the cool factor. The status users get from taking an iPhone out of a pocket or explaining their Fitbit band drives adoption. This drives home the fact that user-focused IoT devices need compel-ling design.

At the same time, you need to avoid design that’s so cutting-edge that it makes users look like jerks. Wired coined the term “Bluedouche” to talk about how Bluetooth earpieces fail this test.

3. Do you need to build the hardware?

In the earliest days of the IoT revolution, offering a solution meant building hardware. This meant a company needed signifi cant capital to initially reach market.

Now that big companies like Apple and Samsung have product offerings, you can create a wearable IoT product by developing an app, instead of creat-ing a physical product. This approach can allow you to get to market more quickly and to be more nimble in adjusting to user feedback.

If your product offering is right, either approach can be valuable. So you need to strategically identi-fy which tactic your users will actually buy.

4. What makes your IoT solution better?

Any product entering the market needs to be both unique and valuable. These are fundamentals to any product launch, for IoT and anything else.

Uniqueness speaks to what makes your product distinct. What problem are you providing a solution for? How is your solution different or better than what’s currently available? What’s distinct about the way you deliver the solution, or the service you provide alongside it?

Viability speaks to what makes your idea work. It’s important to determine your minimum viable product (MVP) so you know the bar you have to clear to start making sales. Viability requires both functionality and the features users demand before making a purchase. By starting with an MVP, you can enter the market quickly, begin getting real user feedback you can use to iterate, and begin drawing revenue at the lowest possible investment.

The bottom line is this: The Internet of Things is here, whether you’re ready or not. Now is the time to make sure you’re ready to serve your customers in this revolutionary time.

{ A roadmap to success in the Internet of Things revolution}

Your users already expect more and more devices to connect. If your business doesn’t offer this service, you will lose customers and market share. You’ll be a Blackberry in an iPhone world.

By MICAH BRANDENBURGVP Client Engagement, Worthwhile

22 | COVER | THE TECH ISSUE

WHO’S WHOCelebratory

HONORING SEVEN

noisemakers gamechangers sparkstarters

OF THE UPSTATE'SReveal

ThursdayApril 28, 2016 at 5:30pm

United Community Bank306 East North Street, Greenville

Limited block of tickets available.Contact Kate Madden for information.864.679.1254 or [email protected]: Business Best

Host Commi�ee:Sam Erwin, United Community Bank

Chad Domonoske, Century BMW

Mark Cooter, Cherry Bekaert

Dave Edwards, GSP Airport District

Herb Dew, Human Technologies

Neil Grayson, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

John Tripoli, Northwestern Mutual

Ryan Johnston, Upstate Business Journal

Judges Panel:Michael Bolick, Co-founder and CEO, Selah Genomics

Megan Riegel, President and CEO, Peace Center

Jo Hackl, Corporate Attorney, Wyche Law Firm

Joe Erwin, President, Erwin Creates

Nancy Whitworth, Director of Economic Development, City of Greenville

DATESave the

UBJ | 03.18.201624 | WHO’S WHO: ONES TO WATCH | WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE YOU NEED TO KNOW

You might be inclined to label Toby Stansell, COO of AcumenIT, as a technology guy. But you would be missing a lot. Stansell has many passions, including education, leadership development, global cultural awareness and an abiding sense of fairness. In a wide-ranging conversation, we strug-gled to keep up.

You seem to be involved in a lot of things, from civic organizations to training and leadership education. Most of it is not connected to your fi eld. Why?

Your legacy of leadership is not what you do or accomplish, but what others become, do or accom-plish as a result of any infl uence you might have in their lives. It’s not about you. Three things hold the key to having a better life, and they are inexplicably linked together: quality of health, quality of educa-tion and economic prosperity. A lot of my civic re-sponsibilities have revolved around those things.

Many of your activities involve education. Is that Greenville’s area of greatest need?

There is a level of discomfort between academia and the commercial world, when there really ought to be a dovetailed connection. The path to econom-ic prosperity does not begin when you get your fi rst full-time job. It begins in preschool.

You lived abroad for many years. What did it teach you?

We think the world is like we are, that it thinks like we do, values the same things we value. The world is way more diverse. [While on business as-signment] I began to go to all these countries and got fascinated with going to places where I didn’t know the language, didn’t know how to get around and I didn’t know anything about the food.

And I decided, if it isn’t going to kill me, I’m going to try it. It changed my life.

I believe you are well served by having a natural intellectual curiosity and interest in everything. Don’t say, “I don’t like those kind of people, I don’t like that kind of food, I don’t want to go to those kind of places.” The reason we don’t learn any faster than we do is that we stop things at the door and say, “I don’t like that.”

You do not seem like a typical IT guy. Are you?I’m not an IT guy, I’m an industry

specialist. We’re not selling technol-ogy; we’re selling business perfor-mance improvement. Technology just happens to be the tool. We have to express what we sell. Other people sell the technical gimmick of the week. We’re selling a new way of life. We have to do things that business executives care about: reducing risk, reducing cost, improving productivity.

Who inspired you?Several people had a big impact on me. But the

three who shaped my career certainly didn’t know they had that impact on me. [An IBM manager] who made me do what I wouldn’t make myself do; Greenville’s R. Hunter Park, who knew how to push my buttons and get more out of me (even if it left me crying in a parking lot sometimes); and [one of my fi rst IBM accounts] who could have had me fi red, but used the moment to teach me instead. It changed my career.

With so many interests, committees, organizations, speaking engagements and a demanding job, what keeps you going?

Everything in life follows this pattern: Believe, think, do and teach. No battle plan survives un-scathed fi rst contact with the enemy. There’s a huge thirst out there for people to understand frameworks that can be successful in developing into an authen-tic person and then into an authentic leader. People

are starting to say, “How do I do that?” There are models out there that you ought to learn. That’s

what I’m passionate about.

TOBY STANSELLCOO, AcumenIT

LAURA HAIGHTContributor

POINTS OF INTEREST

• Former president of OOBE, the Greenville-based apparel company.

• Born and bred Greenvillian, Clemson graduate.

• Is writing a book, currently titled “What Not To Do.” A collection of “crazy vignettes about what not to do.”

ONES TO WATCH: The judges could only choose a handful of winners from the more than 130 nominees for Who’s Who in 2015. Throughout the year, UBJ has been introducing you to a dozen more whose work is worth keeping an eye on.

And I decided, if it isn’t going to kill me, I’m going to try it. It changed my life.

I believe you are well served by having a natural intellectual curiosity and interest in everything. Don’t say, “I don’t like those kind of people, I don’t like that kind of food, I don’t want to go to those kind of places.” The reason we don’t learn any faster than we do is that we stop things at the door and say, “I don’t like that.”

You do not seem like a typical IT guy. Are you?I’m not an IT guy, I’m an industry

specialist. We’re not selling technol-ogy; we’re selling business perfor-mance improvement. Technology just happens to be the tool. We have to express what we sell. Other people sell the technical gimmick of the week. We’re selling a new way of life. We have to do things that business executives care about: reducing risk, reducing cost, improving productivity.

Greenville’s R. Hunter Park, who knew how to push my buttons and get more out of me (even if it left me crying in a parking lot sometimes); and [one of my fi rst IBM accounts] who could have had me fi red, but used the moment to teach me instead. It changed my career.

With so many interests, committees, organizations, speaking engagements and a demanding job, what keeps you going?

Everything in life follows this pattern: Believe, think, do and teach. No battle plan survives un-scathed fi rst contact with the enemy. There’s a huge thirst out there for people to understand frameworks that can be successful in developing into an authen-tic person and then into an authentic leader. People

are starting to say, “How do I do that?” There are models out there that you ought to learn. That’s

what I’m passionate about.

• Is writing a book, currently titled “What Not To Do.” A collection of “crazy vignettes about what not to do.”

“Your legacy of leadership is not what you do or accomplish, but what

others become, do or accomplish as a result of any infl uence you might

have in their lives.”

TOBYISMS

“I think I am a 60-year-old hippie. More and more I appreciate all that comes from someone who is willing to think in an unconventional manner.”

“Learn to relish the state of ignorance.”

“It’s always been the hard things in life, the people who have been honest with me, who have changed my life. If I’m failing, let me know. I’ll fix it.”

“America started to go to hell in a handbasket when we stopped keeping score in T-ball.”

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Patrick Rawlins, Tom Bates, Michael Herlong, and Curtis Taylor

BusinessHomeAutoLifeHealth

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Greenville, SC 29607

1. Sunbelt Transformer recently opened at 208 Old Fork Shoals Road, Greenville. The company provides new and reconditioned transformers and electrical equipment for commercial and industrial markets. For more information, visit sunbeltusa.com.

2. Carolina Active Health recently opened at 16 Mills Ave., Suite 3, Greenville. The chiropractic practice provides holistic and customized care for patients. For more information, visit carolinaactivehealth.com.

Open for business

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

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THE FRESHEST FACES ON THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE | NEW TO THE STREET | 25

UBJ | 03.18.2016

We believe the greatest success stories—in business and in life—come from passion and diversity. We invite you to co-work with not-for-profits, for-profits and passionate local leaders and entrepreneurs who want to make a difference. If you’re interested, spaces are going fast.

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

Angelo SinopoliNamed to Becker’s Hospital Review’s list of 100 Hospital and Health System CMOs to Know. Sinopoli is the VP of clinical integration and CMO for Greenville Health System. He also serves as president of the Care Coordination Institute and on the Guiding Committee for Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network.

Brendan GowerJoins Cushman & Wakefi eld as director of property services at the fi rm’s Greenville offi ce. Gower has over 11 years of experience in the real estate industry, as well as four years of sales experience and six years of management experience. He is also a member of the National Association of Realtors.

Jordan TruesdaleNamed project manager with Triangle Construction. Truesdale has more than six years of experience in commercial health care construction and commercial electrical work. He is a graduate of Clemson University with a degree in construction science.

Karen RoughtonJoins Greer Community Ministries (GCM) as the Meals on Wheels coordinator. Roughton previously worked at GCM on a grant project for the Meals on Wheels program. She has experience in the banking industry working at Southern Bank of Greenville and has recently served on the board of Greer Relief and Resource Agency.

J. Richard Medlock Jr.Named president and CEO of Greer Bancshares Inc. and its subsidiary Greer State Bank. Medlock will also serve as a member of the board of directors for both entities. He previously served as an internal auditor and CFO for 23 years with Greer State Bank and most recently as interim president and CEO.

AWARDED HIRED HIRED HIRED APPOINTED

Angelo Sinopoli

AWARDED HIRED HIRED HIRED APPOINTED

COMMUNITY

Clemson Eye hired Victoria Gaston as vision correction coordinator and added Shelly Ahmed to the provider’s medical aesthetics practice at its new

visual health and surgery center in Greenville. Gaston was previously a United Airlines fl ight attendant for 10 years. Ahmed is a licensed medical aesthetician and an active volunteer

with the Special Olympics.

The City of Fountain Inn named Naomi Buckmire as the new city clerk. Buckmire will replace retiring city clerk

Sandra Woods after 30 years of service. Buckmire most recently served as ac-counting specialist with the city and is also a board member and treasur-er for Little Steps of Greenville. >>


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CONTENT:

ENGAGINGADDICTIVE

CONVERSATIONALSHORT FORM

PLATFORMS:

PRINTWEB

SOCIALMOBILE

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

FINANCE

Carolina Alliance Bank was named to the 2016 OTCQX Best 50. The OTCQX Best 50 is an annual ranking of the top 50 U.S. and international companies traded on the OTCQX market. Ranking is calculated based on an equal weighting of one-year total return and average daily dollar volume growth in the previous calendar year.

MARKETING/PR

Infi nity Marketing won three 2016 American Advertising awards from the Greenville chapter of the American Advertising Federation. Two Silver Awards were awarded to Infi nity for

social media campaign and copywriting work with client Café Enterprises, and another Silver Award for the Infi nity Marketing website.

REAL ESTATE

Avison Young was selected by CoStar Group Inc. to receive a CoStar Power Broker Award as top sales fi rm for the Greenville/Spartanburg market. The annual award recognizes the “best of the best” in commercial real estate brokerage by highlighting the fi rms and individual brokers who closed the highest transaction volumes in com-mercial property sales or leases in 2015 within their respective markets.

>>

RETIRing

George Acker

The VP of government and community relations for Duke Energy South Carolina will retire after 35 years of service. Acker has been with Duke since 1981 serving in several positions such as offi ce manager and district manager throughout the Carolinas. He also serves as Duke’s lobbyist principal for the state and on the AnMed hospital board. He has been active in a number of organizations including chairing the Upstate SC Alliance and formerly chairing the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities and Greenville Chamber.

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UBJ | 03.18.2016

ECRI Institute is recognizing GHS as part of its fifth annual Healthcare Supply Chain Achievement Awards. The nonprofit researches medical procedures, devices, drugs and processes that improve patient care.

“It’s an honor to receive this recognition and a testament to how our supply chain team, nurses, physicians and other clinicians collaborate to reduce costs while ensuring the best quality of care for our patients,” said Chad Richard, GHS system director of procurement and strategic sourcing.

The winning organizations were chosen out of almost 3,000 hospitals and health systems that participate in ECRI Institute’s PriceGuide and SELECTplus supply and capital procurement advisory programs. Each winner was recognized for a high level of dedication to improving health care quality and reducing costs by leveraging the full range of their ECRI Institute membership services.

Verizon launches distributor program with SYNNEX

Verizon Enterprise Solutions added a distributor program for the company’s enterprise tech-nology services, including global networking and security business communications, IT solutions and managed services. SYNNEX Corporation, a technology solu-tions distributor, is the first value-added distributor to offer the new distribution model and will include Verizon’s Rapid Response Retain-er in the portfolio of connectivity, security, cloud and collaboration services they provide their network of solution providers.

Verizon is able to reach new customers through SYNNEX, and customers are able to access Verizon’s IT services while continuing to work with their IT services advisor.

“We are focused on providing fast and efficient ways for customers to access our products and services, and expanding our global reach,” said Adam Famu-laro, VP of global channels for Verizon Enterprise Solutions. “SYNNEX was an ideal choice to be a Verizon value added distributor given their large network of partners and customers and our success working with them in the past.”

Performance Bicycle to open in Greenville

Performance Bicycle, a cycling retailer, is expand-ing to South Carolina with the opening of its first store in the state at 535 Haywood Road, in the Gallery Shopping Center across the street from the Haywood Mall. Set to open in late spring/early summer, the new location will increase Performance’s national network to 106 stores and will serve the local community as a one-stop resource for cyclists, according to a release.

The new Greenville location will carry more than 3,000 items and offer 24/7 access to a tool and inflation station outside the store. Performance Bicycle’s Spin Doctor Service and Repair department will offer cyclists professional services from minor repairs and installations, to complete overhauls.

“We’re thrilled to open our first South Carolina store in Greenville,” said Chris London, Performance Bicycle’s community relations manager. “We look forward to becoming an integral and active member of the Greenville cycling commu-nity by helping and encouraging cyclists through our Great Ride Series group rides, and partnering with local clubs to grow the already vibrant cycling culture and get more people on bikes.”

Michelin launches tire for large harvesting equipment

Michelin North America, headquar-tered in Greenville, introduced the new M i c h e l i n VF520/85R42 CFO 177A8 CerexBib tire at the 2016 Commodity Classic. The Very High Flexion (VF) tires from Michelin Agricultural Tires include a class of agricultural tires designed to handle bigger and heavier farm equipment that has the ability to flex under increased loads than standard radials. Designed expressly for large combines and grain carts, the new CerexBib is one of the first VF tires for today’s heaviest harvesting equipment.

“This new CerexBib offers a massive load capacity, up to 21,960 pounds, and has a giant footprint of approximately 486 square inches,” said James Crouch, Michelin farm segment marketing manager. “It is built with Michelin Ultraflex Technology, which enables tires to operate at up to 40 percent lower air pressure than standard radial tires. This results in a considerable reduction of ruts and compaction, and higher yield potential.”

CerexBib is now available at Michelin AG tire dealers in the U.S. and Canada.

GHS recognized with national supply chain award

The Greenville Health System (GHS) supply chain management department is one of 12 in the U.S. being nationally recognized for demonstrating excellence in overall spending management and for adopting best practices in its process-es, according to a release.

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

www.crewupstate.org

Rising StarLindsey Myers McCallum Sweeny Consulting

Significant AchievementMichelle Gaillard SunTrust Bank

Best Interiors ProjectMcMillan Pazdan Smith and CBI for Millennium Cancer Treatment Center, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System

Leadership / Career Advancement for Women – IndividualDebbie McDonough Cherry Bekeart

Leadership / Career Advancement for Women – CompanyMcCallum Sweeney Consulting

Congratulations to our award winners!

2016 Awards WinnersUBJ Ad_031516.indd 1 3/15/2016 2:29:59 PM


864.509.1152 hearingsolutionsbymarcy.com12 Waite Street, Suite B-2, Greenville, SC 29607 • Phone 864-509-1152

Like us on

HS-1-4p-ColorAd-Marcy/Alysa.indd 1 8/21/13 11:28 AM

864.509.1152 hearingsolutionsbymarcy.com12 Waite Street, Suite B-2, Greenville, SC 29607 • Phone 864-509-1152

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HS-1-4p-ColorAd-Marcy/Alysa.indd 1 8/21/13 11:28 AM

HEARING LOSS AND DEMENTIAIt is aff ecti ng many of our family members.

Marcy W. StowellMA, FAAA

Licensed AudiologistAlisa S. McMahon

MA, FAAALicensed Audiologist

Join us March 24 from 1:30 - 2:30 for this important discussion. Bring a friend or family member. Tanya Carter from the Alzheimer’s Assoc.

Greenville offi ce will be our guest speaker. RSVP 864-509-1152.

We off er fi nancing thru Healthiplan and are accepti ng TruHearing clients.

INSIDE THE UPSTATE’S NETWORKING AND SOCIAL SCENE | SOCIAL SNAPSHOT | 29

COUNTYBANK FOUNDATION DONATES TO GHS CANCER INSTITUTEAt an event in downtown Greenville hosted by Countybank’s family of companies, friends, families, cancer survivors and associates of GHS Cancer Institute gathered to celebrate progress toward integrated, cutting-edge cancer treatment in Greenville. The Countybank Foundation revealed an additional $15,000 donation for this year’s Dragon Boat Upstate Festival, the Institute’s primary fundraising event.Photos provided

CONTRIBUTE: Got high-resolution

photos of your networking or social events? Send photos and information for consideration to [email protected].

UBJ | 03.18.201630 | #TRENDING | INFORMATION YOU WANT TO KNOW

RE: RETAILERS SEE CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES FROM DOWNTOWN GROWTH> John Boyanoski “I think it is better than the average Greenvillian realizes downtown. There is a mantra/mindset that it doesn’t exist, but look at the big anchors down there. Something is working.”

> Nicole Martin “I personally don’t care for the chain stores. I’d rather see more local small businesses...soon there will be no di� erence from us or another city. And places tripling their rent to move those that took a risk on downtown isn’t cool. Maybe I’m not seeing this the right way but to me downtown is losing part of the draw it once had on me.”

> @Galley99 “#yeahTHATgreenville needs a @MoonPie General Store!”

RE: UNION PLANT TO HELP PRODUCE 5.6 MILLION POUNDS OF TEXTILES FOR MARRIOTT> @ashleyboncimino

“First trip to Union, great to hear good news! .@StandardTextile”

RE: FRONT ROW: GREENVILLE DESIGN REVIEW BOARD URBAN PANEL> Kari Edmunds “Yay! Perfect for my commute”

> Tails on the Trail “We like gardens. We like community. We like this.”

> Michael Badeaux’s Engineering Upstate Real Estate“Love new age thinking in my city of Greenville”

> Mike Hart via upstatebusinessjournal.com“I noticed that one person in the meeting stated the overall height of the project at Camperdown is too massive? Greenville now has a metro population of nearly 900,000 people. It’s time we start to see the expansion of downtown, and buildings that support the cities growth….I personally think Greenville is over due for a building in the neighborhood of 30-35 fl oors.”

> Galley via upstatebusinessjournal.com“I agree. They will soon be running out of prime real estate for such a development.”

RE: WE’VE GOT WALKERS> @MissingCogs “Just imagine how many more people could fi t if they didn’t allow driving on downtown main street.”

RE: PURE BARRE OPENS FIRST INTERNATIONAL STUDIO IN CANADA> @Pure_Barre “@UpstateBiz thanks for the shout out. We are beyond excited about our fi rst international studio!”

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

1. The West End’s next chapter

2. Front row: Greenville Design Review Board Urban Panel

3. One to Watch: Julie Godshall Brown

4. The Iron Yard partners with the White House in Opportunity Project

5. Clemson launches international exchange program to boost student career prospects

OVERHEARD @ THE WATERCOOLERDistilled commentary from UBJ readers

>> 233

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>> 175

UPSTATEBUSINESSJOURNAL.COM

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

DIGITAL FLIPBOOK ARCHIVE >>

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

MARCH 4, 2016 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 10MARCH 4, 2016 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 10

From ad space to

office space: Creating a

culture for creatives on

Main Street - pg. 3

JOE ERWIN’S NEXT ENDEAVOR

+ PLUS: Progress report on Spartanburg's Northside Initiative

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MANAGING EDITORJerry [email protected]

STAFF WRITERSAshley Boncimino, Lety Good,Sherry Jackson, Benjamin Jeffers, Cindy Landrum

CONTRIBUTING WRITERMelinda Young

DIGITAL TEAM Emily Price, Danielle Car

MARKETING & ADVERTISING

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

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & ACCOUNT STRATEGY Kate Madden

ART & PRODUCTION

ART DIRECTORWhitney Fincannon

PHOTO COORDINATOR/LAYOUTTammy Smith

OPERATIONS Holly Hardin

ADVERTISING DESIGNKristy Adair, Michael Allen

CLIENT SERVICES Anita Harley, Jane Rogers

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTKristi Fortner

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Copyright ©2016 BY COMMUNITY JOURNALS LLC. All rights reserved. Upstate Business Journal is published weekly by Community Journals LLC. 581 Perry Ave., Greenville, South Carolina, 29611. Upstate Business Journal is a free publication. Annual subscriptions (52 issues) can be purchased for $50. Postmaster: Send address changes to Upstate Business, P581 Perry Ave., Greenville, South Carolina, 29611. Printed in the USA.

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

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

[email protected]

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

UBJ milestone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

>>

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

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

UBJ milestone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

1997 Jackson Dawson launches

motorsports Division

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

BtoB magazine 4 years running

2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation

with Creative spirit Award

2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson

marketing Group when larry sells his partnership

in Detroit and lA

1988 19981993 2003 2008

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

1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont

office Center on Villa.

2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports

Group employee base reaches 100 people

pro-bono/non-proFit Clients

American Red Cross of Western Carolinas

Metropolitan Arts CouncilArtisphere

Big League World SeriesThe Wilds

Advance SCSouth Carolina Charities, Inc.

Aloft

Hidden Treasure Christian School

CoMMUnitY inVolVeMent & boarD positions

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

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

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

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

>>

AS SEEN IN NOVEMBER 1, 2013

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

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

20 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal November 1, 2013

UBJ milestone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jackson Marketing Group celebrates Jackson Marketing Group celebrates Jackson Marketing

25 yearsBy sherry Jackson | staff | [email protected]

>>

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

November 1, 2013 Upstate bUsiness joUrnal 21

UBJ milestone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1998 Jackson Dawson moves to task industrial Court

1997 Jackson Dawson launches

motorsports Division

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

BtoB magazine 4 years running

2012 Jackson marketing Group recognized by Community Foundation

with Creative spirit Award

2009 Jackson Dawson changes name to Jackson

marketing Group when larry sells his partnership

in Detroit and lA

1988 19981993 2003 2008

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

1990 Jackson Dawson acquires therapon marketing Group and moves to Piedmont

office Center on Villa.

2011 Jackson marketing Group/Jackson motorsports

Group employee base reaches 100 people

pro-bono/non-proFitClients

/lients

/

American Red Cross of Western Carolinas

Metropolitan Arts CouncilArtisphere

Big League World SeriesThe Wilds

Advance SCSouth Carolina Charities, Inc.

Aloft

Hidden Treasure Christian School

CoMMUnitY nitY nit inVinVin olVolVol eVeV Ment& boarD positions

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

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

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

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

>>

AS SEEN IN NOVEMBER 1, 2013

APRIL 15INVESTING 101Funding and fi nance.

APRIL 29WHO’S WHOMeet the latest class of game-changers in the Upstate.

MAY 6QUARTERLY CRE ISSUEThe state of commercial real estate in the Upstate.

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

UP NEXT

EVENTS YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR | PLANNER | 31

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

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

Saturday

3/19The Citizens in Action Palmetto Panel 2016 Conference A citizen-led conference on important issues and upcoming legislation in the state

Madren Conference Center230 Madren Center Drive, Clemson10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Cost: $45 Register: palmettopanel.com

Monday

3/21 Basic Small Business Start-up WorkshopNEXT Innovation Center411 University Ridge, Greenville6-8 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: piedmontscore.org/workshops/register/240

Wednesday

3/23

Simpsonville Chamber Annual Banquet Keynote speaker: Elizabeth Davis, president of Furman University

Holly Tree Country Club500 Golf Club Drive, Simpsonville5:30-8 p.m.

Cost: $50 before March 7, $65 after March 7Register: bit.ly/banquet-jan2016

Pulse Young Professionals Leadership Luncheon Learn about local government

Hilton Greenville45 West Orchard Park, Greenville11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: bit.ly/pulselunch-march2016

Thursday

3/24

UWIT March 2016 Luncheon: Fighting Back Against Fraud and Cybercrime

City Range615 Haywood Road, Greenville11:30 a.m.

Cost: $17.50 Register: uwitsc.com

Business Golf for Women Workshop Learn to develop networking skills using the game of golf

Commerce Club 55 Beattie Place, Greenville8-10:30 a.m.

Cost: $39 More info: [email protected]

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

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computers safely

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STAY OPEN FOR BUSINESS. HAVE A BACKUP PLAN FOR POWER!

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The Upstate of South Carolina is a beautiful area home to many businesses. It is also home to severe thunderstorms in the summer and ice storms in the winter. As the weather warms up, as memories of recent winter storms melt away, it’s tempting to forget the cold, hard dread that the lights might go out. Most of the Upstate felt the effects of no power due to ice and wind. But the potential for storm related power outages is a year-round sleeping trigger. While you cannot prevent power outages, you can prepare for them. As a business owner I know just how important having power is to stay profitable and keep that competitive edge, so do the folks at Stevens Aviation here in the Upstate. The loss of power would cripple their ability to return an aircraft to service and keep customers happy. Having a backup system in place allows for all of their locations to access critical systems and continue business as normal. Virtually every function of their business is dependent in some way on a power source. In a competitive world, assuring their clients continued convenient service provides an advantage over many of their competitors who would be at the mercy of their local power grid. Any loss of power takes them out of communication with their clients and their employees. As the weather becomes more unpredictable, Stevens Aviation decided it was time for peace of mind and called Carolina Generators to install a 45KW Generac Generator on location.

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

POWER SOLUTIONS CASE STUDY of Stevens Aviation

Scott KellyPresident Carolina Heating Service

Serving Greenville since 1981

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

march 18, 2016 ubj

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