Issuu

January 11 - 24, 2016

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Volume 19, No. 1 • $2.00

ECONOMIC FORECAST

We have some

NEWS

of our own to share. In 2016, you will notice a change with GSA Business. To better reflect our mission and what we provide to our readers in the Upstate, we will augment our name to GSA Business Report. It may just be one word, but in the process of constantly evaluating ourselves we determined adding a word goes a long way to identifying who we are and what we do. We will continue to provide the most comprehensive view of business in the entire Upstate through our printed product and numerous digital offerings. To all of our patrons, we at GSA Business Report hope for continued success in the new year and beyond.

Volume 18, No. www.gsabusiness December 14 -

23 â€˘ $2.00

.com

27, 2015

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January 11- 24, 2016

www.gsabusiness.com 3

Business recruiters say rural lifestyle helps close the deal

by Bill Poovey bpoovey@gsabusiness.com

usinesses scouting relocation and expansion locations in South Carolina are looking beyond urban areas and quick access to interstates, Abbeville County Director David Porter said. Abbeville County is among 18 counties in the state with no interstate frontage. A four-lane highway, S.C. Highway

with five separate bays. In Calhoun Falls, there’s a vacant, 380,000-square-foot industrial building that can draw water from Lake Russell and has a self-contained wastewater treatment system. There’s also a special lifestyle. Natural resources — easy access to Sumter National Forest, hunting opportunities, lakes and outdoor recreation — are sometimes the main selling point, Porter said. Add a pristine downtown with attractions such as the historic Abbeville

A foundation organized with a $300,000 donation from the West Carolina Rural Telephone Cooperative has organized an entrepreneurial program that is building agriculture-business ventures. While Taylor oversees business recruiting and expansions, a grant from the independent Freshwater Coast Community Foundation has helped recruit Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service economist Wilder Ferreira to head a multicounty program that has him serv-

ABBEVILLE COUNTY

produce year-round. Beyond agribusiness, Ferreira is working with schools and community organizations. Lee Logan, chairman of the West Carolina Rural Telephone Cooperative board and a former Due West mayor, is credited with starting the foundation and said

Downtown Abbeville contains attractions such as the historic Abbeville Opera House and downtown square. (Photo/Bill Poovey)

72, crosses the county that borders Georgia. “I think we’ve got a few challenges, and logistics and transportation is one of them,” Porter said. “I wouldn’t say that we have unique challenges that other rural communities across South Carolina aren’t facing.” Porter said industry executives and community leaders in the rural county are helping energize economic growth strategies that are finding success 35 miles from the rumble of big rigs on Interstate 85. As the 25,000-resident county’s chief business recruiter, Development Services Director Stephen Taylor pitches to prospects the cost benefits of a stable workforce. Taylor said he has what he and others in Upstate economic development offices describe as product, including a 60,000-square-foot, high-ceiling, expandable spec building at Lakelands Commerce Center. Just across the road and also county owned, he can offer a 20,000-square-foot incubator building

Opera House and downtown square, and you’ve got a handshake. “One of the companies coming here likes the rural lifestyle,” Porter said. “There was another company from a large metropolitan area in Florida. For them, the rural lifestyle wasn’t quite the attraction. It was just a gem of a community. And you do have access to everything. You’ve got in my opinion a much higher quality than you can find in the surrounding areas.” Porter said “one advantage that we have in a little smaller, rural community to some of these larger counties is the relationships and the power of the relationships. We can leverage some of the relationships.” He said “the city of Abbeville is a terrific partner. They own the water and sewer utilities for the industrial park, (Lakelands) Commerce Park. We work tremendously well with all the municipalities, the town of Due West, the town of Calhoun Falls, Lowndesville and a little bit of Honea Path and a little bit of Ware Shoals.”

ing as a mentor for fledgling agribusiness ventures. “I’ve taught about 500 folks in eight months,” Ferreira said. He said the program teaches “decision-making skills, how to start a company, how to market yourself, how to market your company.” He said 12 workshops for agribusinesses being held this year are focused on growing food goods. “When you come to Abbeville, you see cattle and hay,” Ferreira said. He said they are mostly beef cattle. “Abbeville ranks bottom in terms of local food production, vegetables and fruits. I am putting up lots of workshops on how to grow organic crops, drip irrigation. We are educating folks to go farm, creating an Upper Savannah Farmers Market Cooperative. Forming the co-op allows the farmers to have a new place to sell their crops, instead of selling wholesale.” Ferreira has also suggested starting a fish hatchery along the Savannah River, a business to provide hunting tours or greenhouses that allow farmers to grow

the entrepreneurship partnership with Clemson is making progress. Porter said county officials are plugged into the economic effort, having recently approved spending for a new website and a comprehensive plan. He said County Council “has made economic and community development one of our foremost priorities and they’ve been very supportive of Stephen’s efforts and my efforts.” Logan said about 80 businesses donated to help pay for the strategic plan. “We want to look at building a balanced community,” Porter said. “So when we are recruiting manufacturing and industry as well, we are looking at other issues — quality of life — such as access to health care. A lot of people are surprised that we have got a very well recognized health care facility here, Abbeville Area Medical Center. We have got tremendous access to primary care physicians … specialists that a lot of other rural communities don’t have. So we are trying to find see ABBEVILLE, page 5

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Publisher - Lisa Jones ljones@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 101 UPSTATE NEWSROOM Editor - Matt Clark mclark@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 107 News Editor - Don Fujiwara dfujiwara@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 106 Staff Writer - Bill Poovey bpoovey@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 104 Staff Writer - Teresa C. Hopkins thopkins@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 103 Graphic Designer - Kim Davenport kdavenport@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 115 MIDLANDS NEWSROOM Associate Publisher - Licia Jackson ljackson@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7546 Editor - Chuck Crumbo ccrumbo@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7542 Staff Writer - Chris Cox ccox@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7545 Research Specialist - Patrice Mack pmack@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7544 LOWCOUNTRY NEWSROOM Managing Editor - Andy Owens aowens@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3142 Senior Copy Editor - Beverly Barfield bbarfield@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3115 Staff Writer - Liz Segrist lsegrist@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3119 Staff Writer - Ashley Heffernan aheffernan@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3144 Editorial Assistant - Steve McDaniel smcdaniel@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3123 Research Specialist - Melissa Verzaal mverzaal@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3104 Associate Editor, Special Projects - Jenny Peterson jpeterson@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3145 Senior Graphic Designer - Jane Mattingly jmattingly@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3118 Graphic Designer - Andrew Sprague asprague@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3128 Assistant Graphic Designer - Emily Matesi ematesi@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3124 UPSTATE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Account Executive - Susan Hurst shurst@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 111 Account Executive - Brooke Kakassy bkakassy@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 108

South Carolina’s Media Engine for Economic Growth

January 11- 24, 2016

Economist: Rate hike won’t hold back Upstate by Matthew Clark mclark@scbiznews.com

ven with a slight hike in the Federal funds rate to close out 2016, a Clemson University economist said the economy of the Upstate looks healthy for 2016. Scott Baier director of the BB&T Center for Education and Policy Studies at Clemson and a former member of the Council of Economic Advisors under President George W. Bush, said even the fears of mid-2015 surrounding economic uncertainty in Europe seem to have subsided. He said a strong end to 2015 should translate into a solid 2016 for the Upstate. “The headwinds that we once faced, even if I went back to August, seem to have subsided,” Baier said. “We were worried about how Greece would play out, and there were discussions about Puerto Rico and a bailout there, as well as a slowdown in China. The only real concerns I see out there is some kind of policy-induced thing by the government like raising rates too quickly.” In 2015, the Upstate added approximately 11,000 jobs in the region, and unemployment dropped steadily through the third quarter. Upstate unemployment averaged 5% in November, the last available month of data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a decrease of 1% from the previous year and just slightly above the national average. Baier said the Upstate job market stayed flat until 2015 which masks a trend not realized by most. He said the size of the labor force has grown in the last year and, because of an improved job market, people not previously looking for jobs are back in the market for open positions. “Our unemployment numbers look at lot stronger than the headlines would suggest,” Baier said. “If you compare employment and those looking for jobs in Georgia, they have the same numbers as they had just before the start of the recession seven years ago, and we are well

Scott Baier, director of the BB&T Center for Education and Policy Studies and an economist at Clemson University, said the economy for the Upstate looks healthy heading into 2016. (Photo/ Clemson University.

beyond that here.” He said the growth industries in the Upstate for 2016 will be health services, education and hospitality. But, manufacturing will continue to be the large regional provider of jobs. “The one thing the Upstate has done is increase jobs in manufacturing, and that is something the rest of the state or even the nation has really done yet,” Baier said. Even with an interest rate hike, Baier said the economy of the Upstate shouldn’t lose a beat from a strong 2015. Another indicator of that is a robust housing market across the Upstate. “This area wasn’t hit as bad in terms of housing prices as some areas, but they still sell and if you look at housing now, it is higher than the peak of 2009,” Baier said. “The demand for new housing is there, and that means the jobs are out

there, and they are well paying jobs.” However, one unknown that could be an issue is the fact that 2016 is an election year. Baier said politics could play a role in the economy of the Upstate, but there is really no way to tell what, if any, impact the statewide or presidential election will have. “Rarely is it the case that the candidates running for President are not some type of carryover from a previous administration,” Baier said. “When that is the case, you have a tendency to have a better understanding of what those politicians may do. As far as we can tell, I don’t see an impact, but it can always happen.” Reach Matthew Clark at 864-235-5677, ext. 107, or @matthewclark76 on Twitter.

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January 11- 24, 2016

Building on Dollar Tree success requires better trained workforce by Bill Poovey bpoovey@gsabusiness.com

s Cherokee County’s economic development director for eight years, Jim Cook said he has never been busier. After a huge score in 2015 — beating out Upstate competitors for a $104 million, 400-job Dollar Tree Inc. distribution center — Cherokee County’s business recruiting team is looking for more.

There’s a lot of activity out there. We’re losing a lot, but we’re getting a lot. KEN MOON, DEVELOPMENT BOARD DEPUTY DIRECTOR CHEROKEE COUNTY DEVELOPMENT BOARD

“I’m busier than I’ve ever been,” Cook said. “We’ve had a lot of announcements. We’ve just got to keep things moving forward.” Cook said the state border county has recorded close to $300 million in investments and 1,300 new jobs in recent years. County officials have invested in a 50,000-square-foot, expandable spec building, their first, and former SC Works Cherokee Center Director Ken Moon has joined Cook’s staff as development board deputy director. “There’s a lot of activity out there,” he said. “We’ve losing a lot, but we’re getting a lot.” Cook said the county “lost Dollar Tree

ABBEVILLE, continued from page 3 little things like that that we can do to highlight the quality of life here.” Porter said there are “industry partners. Little River Electric Cooperative and West Carolina Cooperative have been a huge partner with us.” He said a fall workforce summit brought together business executives, educators and community leaders and he expects there will be more such meetings. ReadySC and Piedmont Technical College, which has a satellite campus in Abbeville, are also participating. “What came out of it was, it was very clear that we have to meet face to face,” he said. “Our K-12 education partners have to be involved, technical college and some of the four-year institutions, such as Lander and Erskine.”

www.gsabusiness.com 5

CHEROKEE COUNTY

twice” before the company returned and picked the site in Cowpens. He said that during the recruiting effort “they said ‘We are going somewhere else, thank you very much. We’ve picked another place.’ They were nice enough to tell us we didn’t get it.” Cook said a sudden land transaction and unexpected costs related to sites outside of Cherokee County brought Dollar Tree back. “So in this game it is never over until they start digging somewhere else,” Cook said. Cook said “distribution centers are really coming to the forefront now.” He said the county team last year “worked several other projects. We didn’t get them, but they are real popular here on 85 now, and we actually have another one that we are currently working.” He declined to identify the prospect. Nestle USA Prepared Food Division, Milliken & Co.’s Magnolia Finishing Plant, The Timken Co., Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. and Hamrick Mills Inc. are the county’s largest manufacturing employers. Cook said the textile industry has been a big part of the growth since the Great Recession, with companies such as Parkdale Mills investing $45 million and saving up to 145 jobs in starting operations at an existing building. In 2012, Toronto-based Ace Bakery invested $18.4 million in opening a Cherokee County facility with plans for 51 jobs. In 2013, Associated Hardwoods picked Cherokee County for a computeroperated sawmill, a $9.8 million investment with 28 jobs. Cook said the New

Markets Tax Credit program and proximity to hardwoods were factors in the decision by the Granite Falls, N.C.-based company to expand. “They are in the furniture business,” Cook said. “They are going gangbusters.” In 2014, Suminoe Textile of America

Corp., a supplier of textile products for the automotive market, invested $5 million and added 100 jobs at its needle punch carpet facility, its second Cherokee County expansion in a decade. “The textile industry is not dead. It has morphed. It has changed,” Cook said. “We still have over a dozen textile or advanced materials … spinning, anything that can be heavily automated. We are still getting projects today. It is just

Cook said the county’s lineup of businesses is “very diverse.” “We get asked a lot, ‘What are our target market industries?’” he said. “We are kind of whatever comes our way. We’ve got a lot of automotive, with Freightliner and Timken, which has done some expansions. Suminoe, which is actually textile but automotive related, food in-

Taylor said his office and the partners are “discussing something I think Oconee County does, highlighting what our manufacturing companies do. We’ve kind of started just the conversation with our school district” about a career center night. Abbeville County’s successes from 2015 include Pro Towels, a promotional product supplier, announcing a $1.7 million investment in an expansion of its Abbeville County operation. The expansion is adding 50 jobs. Sage Automotive Interiors announced a $4 million investment in equipment and technology upgrades at its two Abbeville County plants as part of a growth plan. Advanced Manufacturing & Power Systems Inc. — a DeLand, Fla.-based manufacturer of generator enclosures — announced a $2.3 million investment in opening its

first S.C. operation with 48 jobs planned in a section of Abbeville County’s business incubator. “We’ve got another company that is interested in the building also,” Taylor said. “The whole idea is you start here but you expand outside of this building.” Prysmian Power Cables and Flexible Technologies are among major employers in the county. Dirk Piepers, president and CEO of Sage Automotive Interiors, said the Greenville-based company’s plants in Abbeville County benefit from strong community support for the locations and “stability and strength of the workforce.” One of the plants, the Sharon location, was recognized in 2013 “for having gone 15 years without a recordable incident in safety. I’m not sure we even found a location that has that kind of record,”

Piepers said. “Our turnover in those two locations is virtually negligible … With the length of service and the people that we’ve had, it’s quite different from our Greenville locations for sure.” Logan said the biggest challenge for Abbeville “is helping people see that, while you may not be a good fit for every business looking for a site, you are a very good fit for a lot of them. Not every organization has got to have a site 3 miles from an interstate highway or 12 miles from an airport. It’s convincing people that you can do it. We’ve got a strong workforce that tends to be very loyal, a labor advantage that can help offset some disadvantages. The other challenge is you’ve got to try to have a fresh new look at what you are doing for the future.”

not the same 2,000-people, red brick building with a big smokestack. It is totally automated and changed, but it is definitely alive and well.”

Cherokee County Development Board Director Jim Cook (seated) and Deputy Director Ken Moon. (Photo/Bill Poovey)

see CHEROKEE, page 7

Reach Bill Poovey at 864-235-5677, ext. 104.

www.gsabusiness.com

Laurens County focuses on education, training for economic development by Matthew Clark mclark@scbiznews.com

ince 2010, Laurens County has brought in nearly 3,000 new jobs and nearly $1 billion in capital investment. From 2008 to 2014, the county was No. 5 in the state for total economic investment. And, education plays a large role in that development, according to Jonathan Coleman, executive director of the Laurens County Development Corp. “You know, I think we have to continue to strengthen our workforce development efforts,” Coleman said. “I have heard so many companies say the first

place to solve the workforce question wins, and that is what we are trying to do.” A large portion of the county’s attempt to bolster its workforce development is Piedmont Tech. In 2012, Piedmont Tech and county officials decided it was time to step up its education game, which led to the Center for Advanced Manufacturing. The timing worked as ZF Transmissions — the county’s largest employer, with more than 2,500 employees — started production in 2013. Rusty Denning, vice president of Piedmont Tech’s economic development division, said that, since 2013, the Center for Advanced Manufacturing has

held three to five classes just for ZF each week. “We are doing things like that with several other companies in the county,” Denning said. “After every couple of months, we look at each program and see if we need to make adjustments. We are always looking at different things.” The center has flexible space available so new programs with any number of local companies can be started with little effort. Denning said Piedmont Tech plans to start Phase III of construction at the facility located off Interstate 385 in early 2016 to create more flex space. “Most of the classes we have here are computerized numeric control, me-

The Piedmont Technical College Center for Advanced Manufacturing has provided numerous training programs for companies based in Laurens County, such as ZF Transmissions. County officials said they plan to use the center for future economic development recruiting. (Photo/Provided)

January 11- 24, 2016

LAURENS COUNTY

chatronics and welding,” Denning said. “Those are our staple programs on this campus.” Coleman said the continuing development of places like the center are crucial to bringing in new economic investments and, more importantly, new jobs. “Everybody has a cul-de-sac lane at an industrial part … Everyone has a site on the Interstate,” Coleman said. “The biggest thing is companies want to know if there is a qualified workforce. “I think, five years from now, you will see a big difference in the workforce because the education system, and even the parents are starting to buy in to the belief that little Jenny or Johnny can earn $50,000 to $75,000, but they have to have a skill to be able to do that, and that is our goal.” It was 2010 that produced the best year for economic development for Laurens County, as the county raked in $427.6 million in new investment and added 1,126 jobs. The boom was largely due to the opening of ZF Transmissions at Gray Court. Since then, while the county hasn’t matched the numbers of 2010, Coleman said the development has remained strong, including 400 new jobs in 2011 and 515 new jobs in 2013, coupled with $220 million in new investment. “Over the last five years, we’ve seen, even on a two-year cycle, the down years were better than the years before,” Coleman said. “Our capital investment even mirrors that.” ZF Transmissions has expanded three times since opening in 2010, and this has accounted for a large portion of the growth in Laurens County. Coleman said it has led to other companies expanding, such as UTI Logistics, AstenJohnson, RAI and Brawo USA, all of which announced expansions in 2015. And, while automotive has played a large role in the Laurens County economy, Coleman said it has been key to trying to diversify the economy with companies like Wal-Mart, Anderson Floors and Flame Spray. “We have been very careful to not put our eggs in just one basket,” Coleman said. “We are looking past more than just one specific company and even one specific industry.”

January 11- 24, 2016

www.gsabusiness.com 7

German-based ZF Transmissions is the largest employer in Laurens County, employing nearly 2,500. The company partners with Piedmont Technical College’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing to provide regular workforce training to employees. (Photo/Provided)

It all circles back to the education component and the drive to maintain and add to the county workforce. Coleman said wages in Laurens County have increased by nearly $3 per hour over the last five years, which is attributable to the workforce training. Looking ahead, he said the county will

continue to develop industrial land for future use. Coleman said the county is looking for the next industrial park, perhaps somewhere in the northern part of the county. For now, he said there are no available buildings in the county, “which is good because it means we don’t have anyone leaving.”

Year

Capital investment

Jobs added

2010

$427.6 million

1,126

2011

$115.1 million

400

2012

$101.4 million

257

2013

$220.1 million

515

2014

$70.7 million

273

SOURCE: Laurens County Development Corp.

“We pride ourselves on our businessfriendly climate,” Coleman said. “Where we are located in conjunction with Greenville and Spartanburg, we know the management people want to live in that environment and they can build their plants here … Plus we have centers like the advanced manufacturing center.

“I want us to grow what we have done with Piedmont Tech. We want to be able to take the people that live here and train them to do the jobs that are here over the next five years.” Reach Matthew Clark at 864-235-5677, ext. 107, or @matthewclark76 on Twitter.

CHEROKEE, continued from page 5 dustries, agriculture business, Nestle is still going strong here. So is the agribusiness.” While the iconic Peachoid tower promoting the locally grown fruit and a retail outlet park are the eye catchers along the county’s 22 miles of Interstate 85, Cook said the development board, community leaders and others on the business recruiting team have compiled a diverse lineup of business relocations and expansions. “It’s our lifeblood to be on 85, but I’m not Spartanburg, and I’m not the Gaston County, Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. The good news is we are beside both of those. And so we are going to see growth from both directions. We are already seeing it,” Cook said. He said “requests for information are really up.” Cook said recruiting efforts are getting a boost from state plans to widen the interstate and upgrade interchanges that will improve access to the S.C. Inland Port 30 minutes away. “That was instrumental in convincing Dollar Tree,” Cook said of the interstate work expected to start later this year. If that wasn’t going to happen it would have been tough to get that job. I think Dollar Tree is going to be like the second-largest user of the inland port.” The Dollar Tree site at Upstate Corporate Park will access the interstate on S.C. Highway 110, which is among the scheduled interchange upgrades. “The inland port is a big player,” Cook said. “Warehousing and distribution centers are popular now. We are right in the mix.” Cook said the biggest challenge is workforce. He said The Recon Group’s late 2014 announcement of a $1.3 million investment and up to 248 jobs at a new

Graphic of five years of economic development.

Blacksburg facility refurbishing electronic devices and televisions that have been returned by consumers are “technical jobs but not real high tech.” “That’s the kind of jobs we are getting, not the real super high tech, because of the education level of the workforce in Cherokee County that we are working on but we are just , we are not there yet.” Cook’s office is a short walk from the new Spartanburg Community College Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Technologies, which aims to provide larger numbers of skilled prospects for workforce recruiters. The $8 million facility is providing training for careers such as automated manufacturing, automotive, industrial electronics, machine tool, mechatronics,

SOURCE: Cherokee County

welding and heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Construction of a Cherokee Technology Center for high school students is also planned at the college campus. “Workforce is an issue we are going to have to stay on for a long, long time,” Cook said. “You can build a building, and you can build a sewer line relatively quick with a little bit of money, but changing a workforce is going to take time and keeping it where it needs to be.” Daryl Smith, director of the Cherokee County college campus, said the 27,500-square-foot facility allows students to complete their first year in mechatronics without traveling to Spartanburg. “Just about everybody needs the me-

chatronics kind of person,” Smith said. “It’s not just manufacturing. That’s the big users, but anybody who has facilities or any type of equipment that has electronics and mechanical interface.” Smith said the program is recruiting students and there is room to grow. He said there are about 80 students “in the building right now. We could probably serve in the normal hours of operation probably 350.” Cook said he and others are “trying to get young people to get more excited about technical training. Not that college is bad. We still want you to go to college but we still want a lot of people to see there is opportunity here.” Reach Bill Poovey at 864-235-5677, ext. 104.

www.gsabusiness.com

January 11- 24, 2016

For Greenwood County, it’s all about product

by Matthew Clark mclark@scbiznews.com

rom 2010 to 2013, Greenwood County experienced mild growth, averaging an additional 200 jobs each year. But, in fiscal 2013, something changed. Greenwood County exploded with $246 million in capital investments and the addition of more than 300 new jobs. Fujifilm had a $50 million expansion to

manufacturing facility, which accounted for a majority of the capital investments for that year. “We sent out an available building to all the business cards we had,” said Heather Simmons Jones, CEO of Greenwood Partnership Alliance. “Immediately, we got a call, and it was one of the fastest projects we had worked.” The biggest reason why the project came together so quickly was because of what is known in economic development

there was a need and we had a building available,” Simmons Jones said. “We knew the consultant they were using, and they were on a fast timeline.” Looking ahead to the next five years for Greenwood County, it is that available product and site availability that Simmons Jones said would be a challenge. She said the county has actively researched and listed available sites, as well as started the process of contacting landowners to get letters of control allowing the county to

The city of Greenwood serves as the county seat for Greenwood County and is situated in the middle of the county. (Photo/Provided)

its facility located on Puckett Ferry Road in Greenwood. However, the cherry was the $196 million addition of a Colgate-Palmolive

circles as “available product.” It simply means buildings or land readily available for development projects. “It was an alignment of stars in that

Capital investment in Greenwood County Year

Capital investment

Jobs added

FY 2010

$17.12 million

209

FY 2011

$31.40 million

200

FY 2012

$41.00 million

205

FY 2013

$246.50 million

312

FY 2014

$122.00 million

SOURCE: Greenwood Partnership Alliance

utilize property for future development. In all, she said Greenwood County has added 13 sites to its lineup, accounting for nearly 1,000 acres of new property available for economic development. Greenwood County also had the Greenwood County North Industrial Park certified by the S.C. Department of Commerce. The approximately 141acre site is located north of the ColgatePalmolive plant on U.S. Highway 25 N. “Now, we will clear it and create pads,” Simmons Jones said. “It will move from a deer hunting area to a true industrial park.” On top of the newly certified industrial park, Simmons Jones said the county also has just over 512 acres served by rail as part of the Greenwood County East Rail Park located just off Emerald Road. Despite having more than 600 new acres of industrial land available, Simmons Jones said the economic development challenges for the future of Greenwood County are still there.

GREENWOOD COUNTY

“You have to have the product, but you also have to have the verifiable price and condition,” Simmons Jones said. “That is the strategy of our work … getting that information.” Greenwood County started the process of gathering price and condition information during fiscal 2015. With good news also comes added challenges. In December 2014, Columbo Energy announced a $110 million capital investment at a site Simmons Jones said received the most traffic, as far as inquiry, of any location in Greenwood County. So, while one new investment came along, it created a shortage of available property to show to any other potential suitor. “It really put us behind the eight ball when it came to having available sites,” Simmons Jones said. She said Greenwood County does have strong benefits for future economic development. The county is in the midst of placing a $0.01 sales tax on the November 2016 ballot. The tax, if approved, would be set aside to fund capital projects in the county. The Greenwood City Council and Greenwood County Council have made appointments to a special commission tasked with finalizing those capital projects. Simmons Jones said another big benefit of Greenwood County is that the county carries no debt. That could help in persuading voters to approve the first sales tax increase in Greenwood County in 10 years. The last tax increase funded a library and a dam. Not having debt “makes us more bondable,” Simmons Jones said. “When you are looking at how counties are operating, how do you pay off that debt? Taxes.” Another area she said is a focus is workforce development. The Greenwood Promise was launched in 2015 with the intent to raise funds to help Greenwood County high school graduates attend a technical college with funding assistance. see GREENWOOD, page 10

January 11- 24, 2016

www.gsabusiness.com 9

Diversification key in Greenville past and future growth by Matthew Clark mclark@scbiznews.com

ver the past five years, Greenville County has seen nearly $1.3 billion in capital investment through economic development initiatives. Mark Farris, CEO of Greenville Area Development Corp., said there is a big reason why the county has seen such success: Not putting all the eggs in one basket. He said it was a hard lesson learned from the early textile years when the Upstate thrived on one industry rather than a variety. “It has been a prevalent strategy for most economic development agencies since the 1980s,” Farris said. “The Upstate did put all of its eggs in the textile basket, and it started to dissolve under our feet. “We have to try to evolve and we were shell-shocked, but a lot of communities started to process that. Almost all the counties in the Upstate started to realize that and take steps to bring other industries.” The diversification of business is wide, ranging from Synnex to JTEKT North America and from Mitsubishi Polyester Film to Wynit Distribution LLC. The partnership with education has helped in that diversification. Farris said Greenville County Schools, Clemson and Greenville Tech have helped put Greenville County ahead of the curve, especially in the realm of advanced manufacturing. In 2015, the county added more than 2,000 jobs and had over $430 million in capital investment, making the year one of the biggest economic development years for Greenville County in the last decade. Undeniably, the Upstate has thrived behind an automotive industry that has brought thousands of jobs and millions of new investment into the area just over the last five years. However, Farris said there may be a new emerging industry starting to make its way to the South. “We are in a similar position now with aviation and Boeing in Charleston,” Farris said. “If you look at the progression, that industry is moving south, and we’re in the early stages of a conglomeration and we are trying to position ourselves in Greenville to be part of that.” Whether Greenville County becomes a part of the aviation move is unknown, but there is one growth market he said the county is seeing immediately. He said the need for office space for things like the location of corporate headquarters as was the case for Wynit Distribution, a company that moved its corporate headquarters to Greenville County in late 2015. “The office climate is a relatively new frontier for us,” Farris said. “Manufacturers are concerned with the bottom line, and they are pretty much concentrated on

GREENVILLE COUNTY

Rendering of one of the buildings that are part of the Camperdown project in downtown Greenville. Construction on the site of The Greenville News is expected to start in 2016 and include an office building and hotel. (Rendering/Provided)

providing a quality product for the least amount of cost possible and office; while they are interested in lowering cost, their profile for location is a little different.” While a lot of the criteria between a search for office space and that of more industrial and manufacturing entities are the same: Location, workforce, tax abatements and sustainability. Ferris said companies seeking to find office space have a bigger focus on the workforce and quality of life for the surrounding area.

But, with the surge in companies looking for office space in Greenville County comes a pitfall that Farris said is difficult to overcome. The fact that the county lacks in available product for potential clients to see means some new business turns away from the Greenville market. “Greenville does suffer from a lack of sufficient product for those large projects,” Farris said. “If we could encourage developers to come in and

build speculative class A office space, we would have a number of potential projects come to look at the area.” Of the four speculative offices built in Greenville in 2014, all are currently occupied. On one hand, it means the demand is there and offices are being filled. However, on the other hand, it also means when a new prospect looks at Greenville see GREENVILLE, page 11

www.gsabusiness.com

January 11- 24, 2016

Economic developer says partnering adds to location assets by Bill Poovey bpoovey@gsabusiness.com

magine a sparkling landscape for business recruiters: interstates 85 and 26, the S.C. Inland Port, BMW Manufacturing Co. and the GreenvilleSpartanburg International Airport’s vast real estate assets. Spartanburg County’s off-the-charts economic development success could be chalked up solely to its landscape, but Carter Smith, vice presi-

It is just a well oiled economic development machine. ANGELA HALSTEAD, SALES ASSOCIATE COLDWELL BANKER COMMERCIAL CAINE, SPARTANBURG

dent of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Futures Group, said there’s another major asset. “I attribute a lot of it to our team here,” Smith said. “It is very much a publicprivate partnership, from our political leadership right down to our partners that provide the product.” He said Spartanburg, unlike some smaller Upstate communities, has enjoyed the benefit of private-sector investors and partners taking risks with speculative buildings and sites. Smith said there are also technical education and training programs engaged with advanced manufacturers. “We have a definite slant toward technical training,” Smith said. “We are able to demonstrate that with our workforce. We are able to demonstrate white-collar and open-collar components.” Futures Group records show $479 million invested and 1,999 jobs announced in 2015, following $2.3 billion invested and 2,114 new jobs in 2014 and $1.1 billion invested and 1,178 jobs in 2012. In all, the county’s five-year run totals $4.1 billion invested in 88 projects

GREENWOOD, continued from page 8 A caveat of the program is that the student must go into a program designated as a need by the Greenwood County Industrial Council. Greenwood Partnership also helped with the Greenwood County Business and Industry Showcase where high school students were able to see 25 industries and health care elements into one location. After the first year of the program, Simmons Jones said the intent is to add a parent component next year. “We wanted to show that these industries exist in Greenwood County,” Simmons Jones said. “It was an awakening

that added 7,496 jobs. The partnership has also recorded successes with distribution operations. Rite Aid Corp. last year started construction on a $90 million, 900,000-squarefoot distribution center with plans for 600 employees after it opens this spring. Kobelco Construction Machinery Co. is building a $41 million hydraulic excavator production factory with 131 jobs planned. Draexlmaier and Auriga Polymers each announced $35 million capital investments in 2015. BMW plans to finish a $1 billion expansion this year, and carbon-fiber manufacturer Tokyobased Toray, a supplier for Boeing Co.’s Dreamliner campus in North Charleston, has started a $1 billion, 500-employee plant along S.C. Highway 290 in Moore. Smith said the county has good

working partnerships with neighboring Union and Cherokee counties but does not compete as much with other Upstate communities “as much as most people would think.” He said I-85 is a shared asset and “anyone along there has pretty good shots.” Smith said the transportation assets are key to distribution operations, manufacturers and service operations. “When you start looking at a 30- or 40-minute drive time, we are reaching up into North Carolina. Just use the crosshairs of 26 and 85 and Charlotte and go west and pick up Greenville. That helps us in showing the draw of the labor shed.” “A lot of our competition is literally, we wind up competing against other states and other countries,” Smith said. He said “obviously the Southeast has

SPARTANBURG COUNTY

been very much on the radar screen” of growing companies. “I think our infrastructure that allows us to get to markets is very good … Tie that in with the GSP Airport District and now with the inland port. You kind of bring all the modes of delivery of product,” Smith said. GSP President and CEO Dave Edwards has said the airport district, as owners of 3,500 acres near the inland port, is marketing its 250 acres closest to the intermodal terminal to prospective tenants who will be port users. Edwards and S.C. State Ports Authority Senior Vice President Jack Ellenberg have said they are working together to attract port users to the lineup that includes BMW and Adidas. Edwards is working to increase the airport’s cargo volume and said efforts are ongoing to recruit an aviation or aeronautics manufacturer. He said GSP is trying to recruit tenants for its property on I-85 and plans a study of possibly developing an automated transportation system to the terminal. Angela Halstead, a sales associate at Toray is constructing a $1 billion, 500-employee plant in Spartanburg County to supply Boeing’s operations in Charleston. (Photo/Bill Poovey)

see SPARTANBURG, page 16

and awareness for those students to learn they could work in industry and not necessarily be on the floor.” The next big step toward the future of economic development for Greenwood County: Being prepared. “Communities that are wellprepared are typically prepared for any opportunities that may come their way,” Simmons Jones said. “You have to take a rifle approach, but you don’t want to drill down so far that you eliminate yourself from other things. “You have to play to your assets.” Reach Matthew Clark at 864-235-5677, ext. 107, or @matthewclark76 on Twitter.

Fuji Photo Film Inc. has its North American manufacturing headquarters in Greenwood. According to the Greenwood Partnership Alliance, the company has invested more than $1.5 billion in the county. (Photo/Provided)

January 11- 24, 2016

www.gsabusiness.com 11

GREENVILLE, continued from page 9 as a potential host for offices, Farris has nothing to really show them. He said a solution to the problem is to encourage more developers outside of Greenville to invest in building speculative class A office space, as well as indus-

north and west are attractive because of interstate connectivity, but the southern end of the county also has potential land available for industrial development. With that comes working with landowners to ensure infrastructure is in place. He said demand has stabilized for manufacturing, but it will continue to be

Heinz Kamping, JTEKT vice president engineering, speaks at the announcement of company’s CU-ICAR expansion in late 2015. (Photo/Bill Poovey)

trial developments to widen the lineup of product available to bring in new business. “Local developers here especially, are focused on mixed use, family and hotels … that’s where the more immediate return on investment can be realized,” Farris said. “Industrial is a longer term proposition and requires a more patient mindset because it won’t happen in a

strong in the market along with distribution and office. Those are the three areas Greenville County focuses on when it comes to new economic development opportunities. The other factor for the future is pace. Farris said it is important for the county to pace its economic development and not expect one big project, but several smaller ones. “If you think about projections,

Capital investment in Greenville County Year

Capital investment

Jobs added

2010

$251.9 million

2,083

2011

$290.5 million

3,092

2012

$273.1 million

1,454

2013

$238.9 million

1,001

2014

$451.9 million

1,310

SOURCE: Greenville Area Development Corp.

year, and those tend to come from larger developers who can withstand the demand of holding property or weathering a downturn. “We would prefer the local developers, but going outside does give us additional credibility to say we have those larger developers here, and it shows that we have arrived because we have that interest from larger developers.” Over the next five years, Farris has a goal to add 1,000 acres of industrial property in the county’s portfolio. Areas

manufacturing is going to continue to be strong, despite what you might hear, and we have a lot of strong interest from value-added people, but that’s not going to be $1 billion in one shot,” Farris said. “It’s not going to be the kind of 400,000-square-foot office space; it is going to be smaller, like 20,000, and I think that is going to continue in the future.” Reach Matthew Clark at 864-235-5677, ext. 107, or @matthewclark76 on Twitter.

www.gsabusiness.com

Union County adds ‘point person’ at work development center

by Bill Poovey bpoovey@gsabusiness.com

ob seekers and businesses recruiting prospective trainees in Union County are finding personal attention available every weekday, up from two days a week, at the Workforce and Economic Development Center on Main Street. County Supervisor Frank Hart said the change this month involves adding a fulltime “point person” as a center manager to help link job seekers to employer training opportunities. Hart said relying on programs that provided staff just a few days a week, in some cases due to spending cutbacks, was not adequately answering to community needs. He said the center manager is intended to better coordinate state and federal ef-

take the jobs. What we are starting to focus on here now is making sure we are doing that in the most efficient way possible and that we are achieving the desired result, which is making sure that for our existing employers, as well as anybody new that comes in, that there is a ready, trained pool of people to serve them in their business.” Hart said technical training, continuing education, vocational rehabilitation and veterans programs are among a “lot of different entities that are reaching out touching our local businesses who would come in and say ‘What can I do to help you? What service can I provide?’ We really believe that needs to be done in more of a targeted, strategic coordinated way … They are not dealing with eight or 10 different folks who come in and say, ‘What do

you need? What can I do for you?’ There ought to be a coordinated way to do that.” Center Manager Alice Pendergrass said “trying to match the employer and employee together has been difficult.” She said there are people commuting to work outside the county who could get better paying jobs in Union. “One of the things I hope to do is I want to have a town hall meeting on workforce development and get input. Let job managers hear what is going on and help some of the people who are going out of town find a way to bring them back. There are jobs here.” Hart said there have been discussions about “maybe looking at the possibility of some type of a work training center in Union County which would take some of

UNION COUNTY

We are rural, but we’re not that rural. We have a lot of large counties that are adjacent to us. FRANK HART, SUPERVISOR UNION COUNTY

those transitional workers that have had some difficulties maintaining employment and put them through a process where they would be more suitable for our mainstream employers,” he said. “It’s really my mission for the coming year. It’s all about workforce, workforce development and what do we need to be doing to get our folks ready.” He said the county needs

Economic Development Board Director Andrena Powell-Baker (from left), County Supervisor Frank Hart and Workforce Development Center Manager Katherine Pendergrass talk with Denise Martin (seated) about resume preparation. (Photo/Bill Poovey)

forts that have involved the Employment Security Commission, S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce “and now we have the (Upstate) Workforce Investment Board and part of that is contracted out through Rescare,” a contractor. “There are a lot of different institutions that aren’t necessarily coordinated by one entity or one body,” Hart said. “There are some turf issues there. From a Union County perspective, we don’t care who is providing the service. We want the service provided in such a way that it prepares our folks to get gainful employment.” The center manager is “an advocate for making sure that happens.” Hart said there are “folks who are willing and able and trained and capable to

January 11- 24, 2016

to be helping students and others who are looking for work opportunities locally, including mechatronics, robotics and other advanced manufacturing skill areas. “We are actively working with Spartanburg Community College to expand their footprint and their programming in Union County,” Hart said. “Our goal is to have a mechatronics program in Union” in the fall. “There is a pretty nice pool of high school students ready to go into that,” said Union County’s top business recruiter, Economic Development Board Director Andrena Powell-Baker. She said the new center manager and better coordinated services are also focused on matching people with the best paying job opportu-

nities. The strategy is about “more than just economic development and industrial recruitment and retention. There is some quality of life that goes along with that in terms of median income. We believe it is a bigger social issue above and beyond economic development.” She said having a point person is key, “especially one who knows the employers, what their rate of pay is, who is hiring direct.” The University of South Carolina’s Union campus provides associate degree opportunities. Powell-Baker’s economic development team has recorded about $300 million in investment and added about 800 jobs over the last five years. A 60,000-squarefoot county-owned spec building with an adjacent 60,000-square-foot building pad that is expandable to 165,000 square feet is available. “We’ve got good infrastructure, water and gas and all that kind of stuff,” Hart said. Business prospects also have some bargaining power with electrical service in the county. “As small as we are, we are served by five electric power companies,” PowellBaker said. “That is a unique differentiator.” She said in some cases it gives a prospect a “competitive advantage when you have more than one provider.” Hart said the county’s location in the Upstate and easy access to interstates and more populous areas is an asset. “We are rural, but we’re not that rural,” he said. “We have a lot of large counties that are adjacent to us.” Powell-Baker said the Upstate location is an advantage, with access to Charleston, Atlanta, and Charlotte via the four-lane U.S. 176 and S.C. 49 to interstates 26 and 85. The county has a labor pool of 500,000 within a 45-minute drive. Rural communities can offer the benefit of a stable, loyal workforce. She said that loyalty is a remnant of the textile industry culture. “We have some companies who are left over from the textile industry, and most of those employees have been at their companies, 25, 30, 35 years. Some of them 40 years,” Powell-Baker said. see UNION, page 16

January 11- 24, 2016

Workforce development initiative cited as key to industry success in Pickens County by Teresa C. Hopkins thopkins@scbiznews.com

ay Farley — executive director of Alliance Pickens, the economic development group in the county — anticipates an active economic development period once things fall into place at the Pickens County Commerce Park. Now home to manufacturers such as

Around 2009 we were hearing way too often from area industry that they couldn’t find enough qualified or skilled workers. Frankly I got tired of hearing it. Pickens County is a small community, and I think we can fix this. RAY FARLEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ALLIANCE PICKENS

St. Jude Medical, Adidas-TaylorMade, KeyMark Inc., Tri-Tech USA and Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. Inc., the Pickens County Commerce Park is a 310-acre industrial park at U.S. Route 123 and Cartee Road. Farley said additional manufacturers are likely to follow once available sites at the park are padded and build ready. “I’m really excited about the fact that we are getting very close to getting back into product development, meaning pad-ready sites with all of the necessary infrastructure,” Farley said. Farley said utilities are already available at the commerce park. “We just need to flatten the sites and make them competitive.” The first two companies in the park were Reliable Automatic Sprinklers Co. Inc. and KeyMark Inc. Reliable was recruited from New York to locate its world manufacturing headquarters in Pickens County. Keymark is a software development company. St. Jude Medical set up its capacitor operations at the commerce park, followed by its second facility that makes microhybrid elec-

tronic circuitry. During the recession Tri-Tech USA came to Pickens County from Burlington, Vt., Farley said. Tri-Tech USA is a military equipment supplier to the U.S. government. The company also does work for the aerospace and auto industries. Adidas, which makes golf balls under the TaylorMade brand, was the last entrant to the park. According to Farley, the county’s workforce development agenda has directly led to getting manufacturing in the county. “Around 2009 we were hearing way too often from area industry that they couldn’t find enough qualified or skilled workers. Frankly I got tired of hearing it. Pickens County is a small community, and I think we can fix this.” The workforce development efforts focused on reaching students in elementary and middle schools, encouraging them to engage in technical endeavors and be more critical and analytical in their thinking. “In order to really affect that, we needed for the adults who are responsi-

www.gsabusiness.com 13

PICKENS COUNTY

ble for the children — the moms, dads, teachers, guidance counselors and principals — to be aware of the career potential that is available to the children,” Farley said. “So we embarked on a communication campaign with the community six years ago. Once the enlightenment set in, folks understood that there are significant opportunities out there for young people and that the marketplace is rewarding skills now, not necessarily rewarding the four-year degree.” Farley said industries are responding to the workforce development efforts in Pickens County, citing JR Automation see PICKENS, page 16

www.gsabusiness.com

Oconee County closes out record year

January 11- 24, 2016

by Teresa C. Hopkins thopkins@scbiznews.com

he Oconee Economic Alliance ended 2015 having had six manufacturing announcements that brought 426 jobs and $53 million in capital investment to the county. Richard Blackwell, executive director of the alliance, said the county announced more jobs in 2015 than the two previous years combined. Also, the county announced more than $188 million in capital investment and 900 new jobs since April 2012, he said.

It’s up to us to continue this success and to raise the workforce for the next generation. It’s vital. If you have a workforce, if you have a product, you are going to have economic development. RICHARD BLACKWELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OCONEE ECONOMIC ALLIANCE

OCONEE COUNTY

CRM Global Manufacturing invested $500,000 and added 10 jobs in Oconee County in 2015. It was one of several manufacturers to invest in the county. (Photo/Provided)

“It was a record year for Oconee County, and I feel like we’re just getting started,” Blackwell said of 2015. “A lot of good things are in store for Oconee County.” The 2015 projects included: • Itech South LLC, off S.C. Highway 11, added 34 jobs in 2015, as well about

36,000 additional square feet of space at a cost of $6.03 million. • ITT Corp. is investing $2.5 million over the next five years, expanding its manufacturing operations in the county by adding a $1 million testing facility. The investment doesn’t include new jobs, but Blackwell said it is

helping keep 130 families in Oconee County. • BorgWarner Inc. invested $13.3 million to expand its existing operation on Wells Highway and added 50 jobs. • Casto Development announced it will develop Hartwell Village, a 300,000-square-foot mixed-use project on Lake Hartwell that will include new retail, restaurants, hotel and a movie theater. It is a $30 million to $40 million investment expected to add 300 to 400 jobs. • CRM Global Manufacturing invested $500,000 in a new location and

Project Mackinaw

Project Mackinaw is the code name given to the potential development of the 300,000-squarefoot pad at the Oconee Industry and Technology Park on Highway 11. (Photo/Provided)

January 11- 24, 2016

www.gsabusiness.com 15

added 10 jobs. • USBI Building Innovations Inc. invested $1.02 million and added 31 new jobs in the Newry Mill community. “It’s up to us to continue this success and to raise the workforce for the next generation. It’s vital,” Blackwell said. “If you have a workforce, if you have a product, you are going to have economic development. “If you invest in yourself, growth occurs.” Blackwell said that one project pend-

ing a decision is the county’s work with Michelin, which had expressed interest in locating its East Coast distribution hub at the Golden Corner Commerce Park in Fair Play. Blackwell expects a decision from Michelin by the end of the first quarter. Project Mackinaw and Project Thermal are two developments Blackwell expects to make announcements about this year, either this quarter or early second quarter. Project Mackinaw is the code name

given to the potential development of the 300,000-square-foot pad at the Oconee Industry and Technology Park on Highway 11. Blackwell said the unnamed project is a BMW supplier. The other developed pad at the industrial park is slated for Project Thermal. No information about this project has been made available. “We do have an active project pipeline and will see several other announcements outside of the three mentioned,” Blackwell said. “We are

blessed with having a competitive industrial product for new tenants and a vibrant manufacturing base that is experiencing growth.” An improvement in the unemployment rate in Oconee County can be attributed in part to the efforts of alliance, according to Blackwell. Between September 2014 and September 2015, the county’s unemployment rate dropped from 6.5% to 5.5%. The 5.5%

The Golden Corner Commerce Park, in Fair Play, could become home to a new Michelin East Coast distribution hub. (Photo/Provided)

Presented by

see OCONEE, page 21

www.gsabusiness.com

PICKENS, continued from page 13 Technologies LLC as an example. JR Automation makes equipment for the automotive, pharmaceutical and food industries. “I attribute our children as the primary reason that we got JR Automation in Pickens in 2011,” he said. “At that time we were publicizing each time a Pickens County child had a significant technical accomplishment. And, around that

January 11- 24, 2016

time, a Pickens County fifth-grade class won the International Jet Toy championship with the Society of Automotive Engineers in Detroit.” According to Farley, JR Automation “saw we were training our children in the very endeavors that they make their living on, so they called us, and after couple months recruiting effort they said ‘We’re coming. We want to tap into that skill base you have.’” Manufacturers aren’t the only ones

taking notice of the workforce development efforts in Pickens County. About two and a half years ago, Farley got a call from author Nicholas Wyman, who was writing a book about bridging the skills gap in the U.S. “He had heard about what we are doing and wanted to come and learn more,” Farley said. “He came and spent a day or two in the community with educators and private-sector industry folks.”

The book, Job U: How to Find Wealth and Success by Developing the Skills Companies Actually Need, includes the workforce development initiative in Pickens County and mentions it as a standard as what works. “It’s validation of the work that the community has been putting into the endeavor,” Farley said. Reach Teresa C. Hopkins at 864-235-5677, ext. 103, or @SCBizTeresa on Twitter.

The Pickens County Commerce Park is home to five manufacturers. Alliance Pickens executive director Ray Farley anticipates growth at the park once sites are leveled and pad ready. (Photo/Provided)

UNION, continued from page 12 In October, a $20 million Haemonetics expansion of its operations in Union County included 40 new jobs. Early last year, Charleston-based Vapor Apparel announced an expansion to a 30,000-square-foot-manufacturing facility in Union County and has added about 40 jobs. Christopher Bernat, the company’s co-founder and chief revenue officer, said state officials helped the company find a community with a textile history. He said Union is “an old mill town. We wanted to be somewhere where there was a history of textile manufacturing. We knew there would be some sewing resources in the region.” “We are up and running,” Bernat said of the specialty garment maker. ”Our customers are thousands of small printers across the country.” Retailer Belk Inc. in 2015 completed an expansion of its e-commerce distribution and fulfillment center, the second since the retailer opened in mid-June 2012. The $47 million investment added 345,000 square feet to the 515,000-square-foot facility and boost-

ed employment to 314. Dollar General has a 1 million-square-foot distribution center with about 650 employees in Union County. Gestamp South Carolina LLC is also among the county’s major industries and Powell-Baker said the BMW supplier that opened in 2008 is among companies that were looking for a rural community. Union County does not have interstate frontage, and Powell-Baker said some companies, like Gestamp, “want to be a big fish in a small pond.” Looking ahead, Hart said he and Powell-Baker are leading an effort this year to develop a strategic plan for the county. He said that process will bring together ”all the different stakeholders with input so we develop first … a somewhat short term five-year plan and then with the hopes of a 10-year plan after that.” “That is something that has not been done to date,” Hart said. “I think we are doing a lot of good stuff, but it is all part of the pieces. We need to pull it together with a script and a road map.”

SPARTANBURG, continued from page 10 tention. That can quickly turn things

Reach Bill Poovey at 864-235-5677, ext. 104

Coldwell Banker Commercial Caine in Spartanburg, said city and county officials and their economic developers are “well connected with the developers and are able to help them see what is coming. It is not a turf war of any kind.” “It is just a well oiled economic development machine,” Halstead said. Halstead said Spartanburg County’s location and assets make it a “jewel in terms of industrial development opportunities. People are always amazed when they come.” She said a California executive called looking for a real estate development opportunity and told her, “the only place I keep hearing is this area of Spartanburg just keeps booming.” Halstead said it is “amazing to me when you have someone from California who is hearing that.” Halstead said a potential challenge for maintaining the pace of economic growth in Spartanburg and South Carolina generally is “our tax situation. Our neighbors in North Carolina and Georgia have lowered their corporate income tax. South Carolina better be paying at-

if we don’t address it. It’s not harming us, but it can.” She said prospects are comparing tax rates and “Spartanburg is higher than some of its neighboring counties.” Looking ahead from the county’s perspective, business and community leaders have joined the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce in hiring an Atlanta consultant to provide a five-year community and economic development plan. Smith said storefronts and restaurants are being opened downtown and a 10-story Marriott brand AC Hotel being constructed is “positioning Spartanburg downtown to really do well.” Smith said the partnerships’ recruiting efforts include corporate headquarters, and he declined to describe Spartanburg-rooted Pacolet Milliken’s decision last year to relocate its headquarters to Greenville as a loss. “They are a valued member of the team,” Smith said. “Obviously the name Pacolet Milliken is Spartanburg. Things like that happen. We are moving on.”

January 11- 24, 2016

Economic director: Anderson County adjusting to changing market demand by Teresa C. Hopkins thopkins@scbiznews.com

nderson County had nearly $100 million in capital investment announcements in 2015. Between 2010 and 2015 the county announced $2.78 billion in capital investments and 3,768 jobs. About two-thirds of the five-year capital investment is completed, and a little less than half of the jobs have been created, according to Burris Nelson, Anderson County economic develop-

Just based on requests for sites and buildings, I don’t foresee things slowing down over the next 12 months, but I’m not an economic prognosticator.

in the plants, Nelson said the county needs 1,400 to 1,600 new employees every year, “so we have got to get people trained.” Nelson has been in economic development for 23 years and, until recently, he could always count on existing manufacturing to have the lion’s share of capital investments and job creation in the county, but that has reversed over the last five years. Capital investment for new manufacturing over the last five years was $1.65 billion, and the capital for existing expansions was about $1.15 billion. “The big difference is the jobs creation. The difference is almost 2-1. Job creation in new manufacturing was 2,535 and in existing was 1,233,” he said. Nelson said his office has been as busy as it’s ever been. “We get a lot of what we refer to as RFIs, requests for information, and we’ve had more in 2015 than ever,” he

said. “I attribute that to the growth in the market, even though there is a little bit of a conversation out there about a slowdown we don’t see it. It may be disguised and still going to happen, but just based on requests for sites and buildings I don’t foresee things slowing down over the next 12 months, but I’m not an economic prognosticator.” While Nelson doesn’t anticipate a slowdown in Anderson County in 2016, he admits the county is “not as prepared for some of the industrial prospect demands.” “The whole paradigm of recruiting has changed over the last four years because of time to market,” he said. According to Nelson, counties that have graded, pad-ready sites are ahead of the game by eight to 12 weeks in design, engineering and construction. “Three months are saved most of the time if a pad site is ready to go,” he said. “We’ve missed a couple of great opportunities because we’re not ready.

BURRIS NELSON, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ANDERSON COUNTY

ment director, who said more progress would’ve been made if it weren’t for two things: The recession and changes in technology. “A lot of companies closed up shop during the recession, and changes in technology replaced what they were doing,” he said. Nelson said jobs being created in the county since the recession have mostly been high-tech jobs, based on what the market needs. About 20%-25% of the labor force requires workers have fouryear degrees, and about 75% to 80% requires technical skills or training of some kind, according to Nelson. “That’s kind of reflected in our jobs creation numbers. What’s coming down the pike for manufacturing is a lot of high-tech industry, and new industry equipment alone is getting more and more high tech. You need to have keyboarding skills just to run some of the equipment,” Nelson said. Through jobs creation and attrition

www.gsabusiness.com 17

ANDERSON COUNTY

Anderson County has been fortunate though, we’ve had a lot of greenfield sites, pieces of land that had no development but had utilities onsite or nearby, and we’ve been able to live with that, until now. We’ve run out of those.” According to Nelson, a lot of companies have demands for being able to have their buildings ready, with equipment inside and “spitting out a product that’s sellable within a short time frame, like 10 to 14 months. A lot of times you can’t get the building built in that amount of time,” he added. Anderson County Council considering buying some land for an industrial park. Nelson said the county is looking at a 210-220-acre tract in Sandy Springs on U.S. Route 76, near the Sandy Springs post office. “There are only a few ways to create a dollar: Mining, fishing, farming or manufacturing. Everything else feeds off of that as service industry stuff,” Nelson said. “If we don’t manufacture in this country, we’re lost. We have to have that original dollar creation for us to be able to survive.” Reach Teresa C. Hopkins at 864-235-5677, ext. 103, or @SCBizTeresa on Twitter.

Anderson County Council is considering buying a 210- to 220-acre tract in Sandy Springs on U.S. Route 76, near the Sandy Springs post office for an industrial park. (Photo/Provided)

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January 11- 24, 2016

2016

3UHVHQWHG E\ *6$ %XVLQHVV 5HSRUW

Jody Bryson

President and CEO SC Technology and Aviation Center

Fred Cartwright Executive Director CU-ICAR

GSABusiness.com/events/powerbreakfastsseries or call Jacquelyn Fehler at 864.235.5677 ext. 113

Individual tickets: $35 | Corporate table of 8: $295

Catherine Hayes

SC Manufacturers Alliance Exec. Dir., SC Automotive Council

January 11- 24, 2016

THELIST From Jan. 1, 2015 through Nov. 15, Upstate economic development agencies announced 53 expansions in the region, according to data from Upstate SC Alliance. That’s four fewer expansions than in the comparable 2014 period. Some $884.15 million in capital investments was announced last year, down from $3.81 billion in the prior-year period, while 4,904 additional jobs were announced, compared with 4,401 in 2014. Twenty of the companies announcing

www.gsabusiness.com 19

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY expansions were new to the region, while 33 were firms that had already established an Upstate presence. This issue’s list ranks economic development agencies in the Upstate by number of employees and includes summaries of each group’s mission, as well as contact and website information, top officials and years founded. – Don Fujiwara, news editor

MAKE NEW FRIENDS BUT KEEP THE OLD These figures represent 2015 economic development announcements through Nov. 15

Firms new to the Upstate

Firms already in the Upstate

Expansions announced

International companies

Capital investment

$381.42 million

$502.73 million

Jobs added

2,255

2,649

SOURCE: Upstate SC Alliance

www.gsabusiness.com

AT WORK

People in the News ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Madden

Bell

Jackson Marketing, Motorsports & Events has added Kelsey Madden as event producer and promoted Luke Bell to account coordinator. Madden was alumni coordinator for Lee University and completed multiple public relation internships. Bell will handle the dayto-day project management for several Jackson clients. He recently completed a role as performance service specialist.

ARCHITECTURE, CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING Graham Rich was named executive director of Renewable Water Resources in Greenville. Graham, a native of the Upstate, recently served as CEO of Rich Central Arkansas Water where he implemented Arkansas’ first comprehensive watershed management plan.

BANKING & FINANCE FinTrust Investment Advisors has added Douglas E. Meyers to the firm in Greenville. Meyers has a bachelors in industrial management from Georgia InstiMeyers tute of Technology and more than 20 years of experience in the securities industry working with both institutional and retail accounts.

Huellmantel

Pridemore

Amy Huellmantel and Melissa Pridemore have joined Rosenfeld Einstein in Greenville. Huellmantel is a com-

January 11- 24, 2016

WHO TO KNOW AND WHERE TO GO AROUND THE UPSTATE

mercial account manager and has over 12 years of experience in commercial account management. Pridemore will be a shared services specialist, primarily responsible for benefits administration. Carolina Alliance Bank added Dan Hamilton, Joe Pazdan, Ron Shaw and Laura Stille to its South Carolina Market Advisory Board. Hamilton is operating principal of Keller Williams Realty in Greenville; Pazdan is managing principal of McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture; Shaw is vice president of Shaw Resources, and; Stille sits on the Spartanburg City Council as District 4 representative.

Miller

Patterson Valerie Miller, Jacqueline “Jackie” H. Patterson and Givens B. Stewart have been named to the Greenville Advisory Board of Directors for NBSC, a division of Synovus Bank. Stewart Miller is a native of Oklahoma and a realtor with Marchant Co. in Greenville. Patterson is an attorney at Patterson and Associates P.A. in Greenville. Stewart is principal at Colliers International. Ameris Bank has appointed Laurens C. Nicholson to its S.C. Community Board of Directors. Nicholson has more than 22 years of experience in commercial Nicholson real estate and is the principal commercial broker at Windsor Aughtry Co. in Greenville. The Foust-Boyer Group of Raymond James has hired Amanda Phillips as a service associate. She will work primarily with the group’s lead partner, Lynn Phillips C. Foust. Phillips has more than 18 years of experience in the financial industry and is a graduate of Bob Jones University.

EDUCATION Spartanburg Community College named Patricia Jones as associate vice president of instruction at the college. She previously served as district Jones dean of academic affairs at Polk State College, where she oversaw and coordinated curriculum development, researched and managed issues related to workforce development, and led and advanced an honors program. Kelly Smith has been hired as the new curator of collections of the Upcountry History Museum at Furman University. She will be responsible for the documenSmith tation, expansion, interpretation, care and preservation of the museum’s permanent collection. She teaches history at USC Upstate, Spartanburg Methodist and Greenville Technical College.

Power Guffey Kevin Power and Monte Guffey were named faculty member of the year and staff member of the year, respectively, by Sherman College of Chiropractic. Power is an assistant professor of clinical sciences and assistant care doctor at the college’s on-campus Chiropractic Health Center. Guffey is the college’s maintenance supervisor, and this is his second time being named staff member of the year. Curt McPhail, a 1996 Wofford College graduate, has been named the executive director of The Space in the Mungo Center. He will assume the role on McPhail Jan. 19. McPhail has received degrees in business economics and sociology from Wofford and has received additional certification in community engagement from the John

F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Newberry College has named David Nichols its faculty athletic representative. Nichols, a professor of English, was appointed by the president of the college to serve as a liaison between the school’s athletic department and academics.

HUMAN RESOURCES Phillips Staffing has added Tonia Thompson as a human resources specialist. Thompson has four years of experience in the areas of human resources Thompson and payroll. Prior to joining Phillips Staffing, Thompson worked for Extended Stay Hotels and OTO Development in Spartanburg.

LEGAL Roe, Cassidy, Coates & Price P.A. announced that Fred W. “Trey” Suggs III has been elected to the board of directors of the S.C. Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association.

MEDICAL Ashley Taylor has been hired by Bon Secours St. Francis Health System as the director of media and public relations. She previously was a news anchor and Taylor reporter for WMBF News, the NBC affiliate in Myrtle Beach. She also worked for Shriners Hospital for Children – Greenville. Taylor was also named to The Center for Developmental Services board of directors for 2016. Dr. Mary D. Hughes was recently inducted into the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Volunteer Hall of Fame. According to the society, Hughes was honored in the health care professional category. She has served as the director for the national board since 2008.

NONPROFITS Ken Couch and Gregg Wade have been named to the Mary Black Foundation Board of Trustees for four-year terms. Couch is vice chairman of the JM Smith Corporation and is president of the JM Smith Foundation. Wade is the owner of Palmetto Advisory & Investment Co

January 11- 24, 2016

www.gsabusiness.com 21

LLC, a commercial and residential real estate development company. Denise Godwin has been elected secretary of the S.C. Workers’ Compensation Educational Association. Godwin is the deputy risk manager for ClemGodwin son University’s Office of Risk Management. Benjamin N. Renfrow with Wilson Jones Carter & Baxley P.A. in Greenville was re-elected for a three-year term to the association’s board. The Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg has named Caitlin Boice as executive director. Boice earned a bachelor’s degree in arts management from the College of Boice Charleston and has held various internships with different galleries in Charleston.

representative for a financial institution in Anderson. McArthur has 12 years of real estate sales experience in the Upstate. The company also added Peters Lindley Peters as a sales associate at the company’s Garlington Road office. Peters spent six years in early childhood education at Lee Road Child Development Center. Kelly Kellett has joined Kellett the firm as a sales associate in the Greer office. Kellett most recently served as an account executive and digital marketing specialist in the broadcast and print media industry. The company also added Arica Foley, Jackie Garcia and Molly Gehrt as residential sales associates at its Pelham Road

REAL ESTATE

Foley

Garcia

sales and leasing broker. Johnston has more than 10 years of real estate experience and graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s Johnston degree in marketing and management. He is a native of Greenville. Allen Tate Co. has named David Poole the branch leader of its Greer office. He will help manage the day-to-day operations of more than 25 agents. He will Poole also be responsible for helping agents build their business and training new agents. NAI Earle Furman has named Grice Hunt to its executive committee. Hunt was elected to the position by shareholders of the company. He is a native Hunt of Greenville and is a top-producing broker in the industrial division of the company.

TECHNOLOGY

Dabbs

Hardin

Coldwell Banker Caine has hired Kate Dabbs as integrated marketing manager, Katyn Hardin as experience coordinator and Marisa Stephens as digital experience Stephens coordinator. Dabbs will lead the marketing team and previously worked for Furman University. Hardin has previous experience as an education adviser and will work in the company’s Spartanburg office. Stephens has experience in social media and digital advertising. Jodi Jones and Erin McArthur have joined Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner, Realtors, as agents

Jones

McArthur

at the North Pleasantburg office. Jones was previously a member services

Gehrt

McClain

Greene

Taylor

office. Foley was recently a contracts assistant for Hewlett Packard in Virginia; Garcia was a property representative for a homeowners’ association management company on the West Coast; and Gehrt was business coordinator at Carolina Medical Technology in Greenville. John Greene, Jason McClain and Christina Taylor have joined as sales associates at the company’s downtown Greenville office. Greene was an account manager for an Upstate apparel company for seven years; McClain has a year of Upstate real estate experience; and Taylor has over 18 months of real estate experience in the Upstate. Caldwell Johnston has joined Flagship Properties’ commercial division as a

Human Technologies Inc. has named Jon Jarvais as the director of the company’s manufacturing solutions division. He previously worked as Jarvais plant manager for Draxlmaier Automotive and BMW. He is a graduate of Kettering University in Michigan. Bill Swedberg has joined KeyMark as information security manager. In his new position, Swedberg will provide leadership in securing data and systems Swedberg throughout the company. He has more than 20 years of experience working in health care, banking, insurance and business sectors.

TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS Sarah Segrest has been named head of corporate business development for Wynit Distribution. Segrest has been with Wynit since 2010 in various business development roles, including managing several technical product lines.

OCONEE, continued from page 15 unemployment translates to roughly 1,900 people unemployed in Oconee County, he said. “That’s phenomenal. That rate is the third lowest in the Upstate and 12th lowest in the state. But we can always do better,” Blackwell said. Wages have improved in the county as well, according to Blackwell. He said the county saw an increase in wages of $115 between 2009 and 2014, the biggest increase in South Carolina. “The wage growth is also higher than the entire state of North Carolina and second to Georgia,” Blackwell said. “The only community out of those three states and the only micropolitan that beat us is St. Mary’s, Ga. And they only beat us by about $10.” A micropolitan is a community with an urban core population between 10,000 and 50,000. Last year, Site Selection magazine ranked Oconee County 8th in top-performing micropolitans in the country and No. 1 in South Carolina. Blackwell said there are approximately 570 micropolitans across the country. The magazine recognized the Oconee Economic Alliance as one of the top micropolitan groups in the country out of more than 3,000 economic development agencies. Also in 2015, Blackwell was named Upstate economic developer of the year by Upstate SC Alliance. According to that organization, the award recognizes the hard work and dedication of local developers in the Upstate who have made a significant difference in their community, according to Upstate SC Alliance. Blackwell anticipates a busy 2016. “We will continue to implement our economic development strategic plan that is going into year three of five and entails continued efforts on recruitment, retention, workforce development and an entrepreneur focus,” he said. “Plans also include work on methods to get sewer to exits 1, 2 and 4 on I-85.” According to Blackwell, the county also wants to continue the economic development momentum and usher in the new Destination Oconee program of work, “while continuing to shine the spotlight on the golden corner of South Carolina.” Destination Oconee is the county’s tourism development plan. Blackwell also said more work will be done with the Made in Oconee campaign this year, “to enrich the relationship between local manufacturers and various educational partners in our community.” Reach Teresa C. Hopkins at 864-235-5677, ext. 103, or @SCBizTeresa on Twitter.

www.gsabusiness.com

January 11- 24, 2016

VIEWPOINT Readers upbeat about economy in 2016 VIEWS, PERSPECTIVES AND READERS’ LETTERS

Staff Report

gsanews@scbiznews.com

early three-quarters of respondents to a recent GSA Business Report survey see good times ahead in their economic outlooks for 2016. More than half said their business is better off than it was a year ago, and a majority say the 12-month outlook for the broader U.S. is generally positive. We recently surveyed readers of the GSA Daily email for outlooks on the economy in the New Year. We first asked whether they thought their business was in for good times or bad times for the next 12 months. Out of 43 people who responded, 18, or 41.86%, said good times but with qualifications; 14, or 32.56%, saw good times with no qualifications. Four, or 9.30%, saw bad times, albeit with qualifications, and four answered, “Neither.” Two, or 4.65%, said they didn’t know, while one, or 2.33%, saw bad times with no qualifications.

In a similar poll we ran in December 2014, 38.89% of respondents foresaw good times in 2015, while 33.33% saw good times but with qualifications and 11.11% predicted bad times in 2015. Readers who qualified their upbeat outlook said continued good times were contingent on conditions such as the next U.S. president, the broader economy, growth in industry and workforce. One reader saw good times ahead as long as “business and individual tax rates don’t increase. Gas and energy prices remain stable. Health care cost can be reined in. And overall employment rate improves.” Another answered: “A Republican president, stable E.U., Turkey to stop provoking Russia, the Fed to raise rates slightly, South Carolina to not raise taxes when we have a surplus and our federal government stopping radical Muslims from attacking us in our country.” One reader who qualified bad times ahead, said they were dependent on “interest rate increases, and the result-

ing rising U.S. dollar will stifle growth, especially in the industrial arena (automobiles in particular, as loan costs increase), which is already showing signs of recession. The U.S. cannot raise rates while the rest of the world is lowering them and not suffer consequences.” The next question asked whether readers felt their businesses were better or worse off than a year ago. Out of 39 people who answered, 22, or 56.41%, said they were better off, while 13, or 33.33%, said it was about the same. Four, or 10.26%, said their businesses were worse off. This is largely in line with last year’s poll, in which 55.56% of respondents said their businesses were better off, while 33% saw no change and 5.56% said their business was worse off. We then asked readers where they saw the country heading in the next six, 12 and 60 months on a spectrum ranging from “Widespread unemployment and depression” to “Continued good times.” Most readers’ outlooks were generally positive. Readers were most opti-

mistic in their six-month views. (See chart.) Several comments left by readers criticized the federal government, as one respondent wrote: “The biggest challenge in 2016 is to keep the current administration contained (maybe in a closet or a 13-month vacation in Alaska). We need badly to delete the restriction of part-time employment because of Obamacare. The only thing it helps is the politicians saying the unemployment is down because everyone that is actually working has to work two jobs to keep bread on the table, their home and buy that inflated insurance policy. It’s just not working.” Another commented, “We are seven to nine years into a solid economic recovery, which is long in the tooth under any historical measure.” “Some areas of the economy have picked up, but other areas haven’t recovered from the recession yet,” one reader said. “It will be a slow three- to five-year process for all businesses to get back to prerecession numbers.”

SOURCE: GSA Business Report

Here are the rest of the comments from our reader; comments have been edited only for style and typos. >> To get this country on the right track we need a housecleaning in Washington. The 2016 presidential election will be a critical factor to where we are economically five years out. >> Effective engagement and quali-

fying of immigrants into productive U.S. citizens. >> We must get our federal spending under control and work on debt reduction. >> The presidential election will play

a factor. It is too early to predict the outcome. >> The middle class is being reduced to the lower class. Direct result of an uncontrolled behemoth called the federal government.

>> The state has to raise the gas tax to take care of our infrastructure, or Gov. Haley will not be held in high regard by the business community, and it will make it more difficult to recruit new business to the state.

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January 11- 24, 2016