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ALSO INCLUDEDD E P A R T M E N T S SPECIAL SECTION PAGE 21
4 | Viewpoint
5 | Upfront
7 | Gridiron Economics
8 | Ports, Logistics
& Distribution
9 | Profi le: Robert Wyatt
48 | 1,000 words
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Contents
14 Driving force BMW’s expansion helps put S.C. on the global map for its engineering expertise.
17 Slow: Construction zone The construction industry focuses on emerging from a perfect storm.
Cover Photo/James T. Hammond
A publication of the
Municipal Association of
South Carolina.
The resource for the
state’s top businesses
in more than 15 major
categories.
FEATURE
Th e GrindSmall-time roasters infuse
art and business into a
genuine S.C. product.
Photo/Leslie Halpern
11
14
COVER STORYCONSTRUCTION
2009 BOOK OF
LISTSCities MeanBUSINESS
4 SC BIZ | www.scbizmag.com
this way: When health care providers, espe-
cially hospitals, are forced by law or com-
munity expectations to treat the uninsured,
they have to recoup the losses through higher
pricing of services rendered to those who are
insured. But you’ll never see the tens (perhaps
even hundreds) of billions of dollars “taxed”
in this way show up in the national balance
sheet for our fractured health care system. To
those who say we can’t aff ord health care re-
form, my response is that we’re already paying
a heavy tax for not reforming our system.
And what’s even worse,
the health care delivered by
the current “fake” universal
health care system is ineffi -
cient, uneven and oft en unfair.
Uninsured people who show
up at free clinics or emergen-
cy rooms for acute or urgent
medical care are treated, sta-
bilized and then discharged.
Th ey have nowhere to go for follow-up care
that would improve their long-term health
and prevent them from having to return for
more expensive hospitalizations in the future.
You could say the current “system” is de-
signed to fail, but that wouldn’t be exactly true,
because there is no design, just a haphazard
evolution over the years based on competing
economic interests.
Reforming health care must be a “top-
down, bottom-up” process. Without new fund-
ing, resources and ground rules established by
Congress and the federal government, we’re
not going to get where we need to go.
Likewise, a better health care system starts
As a writer, I oft en fi nd it helps to go back
to basics and make sure I know what
words really mean. Where health care is
concerned, the word on everyone’s lips is “re-
form,” but what does that mean? Here’s what
the Merriam-Webster dictionary says “1a: to
put or change into an improved form or con-
dition; b: to amend or improve by change of
form or removal of faults or abuses.”
Th e public and the various power brokers
in the business, civic and political sectors
are now deeply engaged in a complex debate
about what health care “re-
form” means and how we can
pay for it. If the devil is in the
details, it seems we’re hav-
ing a devil of a time fi guring
this out, but I’m crossing my
fi ngers (and toes) that some
signifi cant and meaningful
changes will emerge at the end
of this process.
Th e broad strokes are becoming clearer:
We need “universal health care,” which most
likely means that everyone should be required
to purchase health care from some source,
public or private. Th at, in turn, means that
we have to have a way to subsidize the cost of
coverage for those who would not otherwise
be able to aff ord it.
It also means that to keep the private insur-
ance industry as a central part of our health
care system — which I think most Americans
want — this industry must follow through on
its promise to stop its past practices of un-
derwriting and pricing coverage based on a
person’s individual health situation, including
pre-existing conditions. Th e industry’s leading
trade organization has off ered that as a trade-
off for requiring everyone to have coverage.
Th ese two steps alone would be giant.
Aside from dramatically reducing or elimi-
nating the ranks of the uninsured, these steps
would hopefully bring an end to the “fake”
universal health care system we have now and
the multitude of cross-subsidies that are a hid-
den tax on private insurance premiums.
In case you don’t quite get that, it works
Health care reform: Top-down, bottom-up
Bill [email protected]
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with each of
us taking better care of our own
health in terms of diet, exercise and appropriate
preventive medical care. At the community lev-
el, we have to ensure that healthy lifestyles are
supported and that health care providers in our
communities work with other community lead-
ers to create more effi cient and eff ective systems
for delivering of high-quality medical care to all
citizens in our communities.
On June 17, I attended the Health Infor-
mation Technology Summit of South Caro-
lina. Th ere, I heard presentations from people
in state government and the state’s health care
industry who are passionate about using 21st-
century information technology to help de-
liver better care to South Carolinians.
Th is is where “the rubber meets the road.”
Th e work these folks are doing will help lay a
solid foundation for health care reform. Th eir
eff orts to design and implement electronic
health information systems will provide the
tools essential to achievement of the goal of
more effi cient and eff ective health care.
You can review the technology summit
presentations and meeting notes, as well as in-
formation about upcoming sessions, at www.
dhhs.state.sc.us/hit. Th e people in our state
who are working on this vital component of
health care reform deserve our thanks and
our support. SCBIZ
ach of
ng better care of our own
We’re already paying a heavy tax for not reforming
our system.
V i e w p o i n t
www.scbizmag.com | Fa l l 2009 5
UpfrontR E G I O N A L N E W S | D ATA
BAE Systems awarded $124M in Army contracts
BAE Systems, which operates facilities in Aiken and North
Charleston, has been awarded $124.8 million in contracts from
the Army to reset, upgrade and maintain M113 vehicles.
The contract work will be distributed among the company’s
facilities in Aiken, Anniston, Ala., and Fort Hood, Texas.
The contracts cover repairs and improvements on the com-
bat infantry vehicles.
M113 vehicles are some of the most widely used combat ve-
hicles in the world. More than 80,000 of the armored tracked ve-
hicles have been produced, including more than 40 variants. The
M113 family is used by at least 44 countries. It can transport
12 service members plus a driver and is capable of amphibious
operation, extended cross-country travel over rough terrain and
high-speed operation on improved roads and highways.
“If you’re a Fortune 100 company
and you need someone to design,
build and support a big capital
project, there’s really three
places you can go for that kind of
expertise: Philadelphia, the greater
Houston area and South Carolina.”
Lee Stogner, chairman, S.C. Engineering Cluster
See the full story, Page 14.
Upstate Midlands Lowcountry Pee Dee Grand Strand
That’s what House Speaker Bobby Harrell Jr. says South Carolina is getting from the hydrogen industry.
Through direct state appropria-
tions and support of the Centers
of Economic Excellence program,
South Carolina has invested more
than $12.2 million in hydrogen
over the past 5 years. By conserva-
tive estimates, this has spurred
more than $115 million in nonstate
investments.
The investment in hydrogen has
created 229 jobs in South Carolina.
With 65% of those jobs being creat-
ed in the last 5 years, this is proving
to be a growing industry, he said
10-to-1
ROIHot deals mean more people will travel this summer
A national survey conducted by Clemson University
and Virginia Tech shows that nearly half of Americans
intend to make no concession to the poor economy
when it comes to this summer’s travel plans.
More than 15% actually plan to travel more, taking
advantage of special vacation offers and gas prices
that are comparatively lower.
Only 35% of those polled said the current eco-
nomic situation compels them to curtail plans for
vacation travel.
“This really illustrates how important the vacation
is to Americans,” said Jeffrey Hallo, assistant profes-
sor in the Clemson University parks, recreation and
tourism management department. “People told us that
they would sacrifice other luxuries rather than give up
their travel plans.”
Another automotive company eyes S.C.South Korea-based CT&T Co. Ltd. is exploring
locations for establishment of its U.S. operations,
which will include its headquarters, research-and-
development and manufacturing facilities. The short
list includes the Upstate, along with locations in North
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Southern California.
CT&T produces low-speed electric vehicles that
can travel up to 35 mph. Vehicles meet the interna-
tional crash standard and will be priced as low as
$10,000 for the base model.
A decision should be made by September.
6 SC BIZ | www.scbizmag.com
U p f r o n t
Building tissue, organs from the inside outSouth Carolina has received a $20 million federal grant to launch a collaborative program
among 10 universities in the state to better fabricate human tissue for transplants and other uses.
It is the largest competitive National Science Foundation grant ever received in the state.
The lead scientist for the project is Roger Markwald of the Medical University of South Carolina.
“We are trying to build tissue and organs from the inside out, which is a different approach than
anyone has taken,” he said. “First, we want to create a three-dimensional vascular tree and then
the organ. This will allow us to develop the applications to build many different types of organs.”
The five-year grant will establish an alliance among the state’s three research universities, three
historically black colleges and four other educational institutions. The award should facilitate the
hiring of 22 new faculty members statewide with needed expertise, the construction of a state tis-
sue biofabrication center and community outreach to share the skills being perfected.
The universities involved are: Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina in
Charleston, the University of South Carolina in Columbia, University of South Carolina-Beaufort,
Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C. State University in Orangeburg, Voorhees College in Denmark,
Furman University in Greenville, Denmark Technical College and Greenville Technical College.
The grant was announced by the S.C. Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
and Institutional Development Awards, a panel that aims to increase research awards in the state.
SBA-backed loans down substantially U.S. Small Business Administration-backed loans from banks, credit unions and other lenders
have been slashed 70% across the state during the last year, despite a slight rebound tied to the
federal stimulus act.
Statewide, SBA-backed loans dropped from 133 loans worth $38.72 million in the second
quarter of 2008 to 80 valued at $22 million in the second quarter
of 2009.
Anna Huntley, spokeswoman in SBA’s South Caro-
lina district office in Columbia, attributed part of the
decline to the end of the administration’s Com-
munity Express pilot program, which provided a
significant number of loans in the past.
And part of it is just a product of a
down economy, as banks remain
tight with their money, said SBA
district director Elliott Cooper.
“Our loans started slowing
some last year, and that has
continued,” he said.
The federal stimulus act has
boosted SBA-backed lending some-
what, Cooper noted.
For a limited time, the SBA can use
stimulus funds to reduce the guarantee fee
on SBA-backed loans, in some cases to zero,
he said. It’s also increased the loan guaran-
tee from about 75% to as high as 90% of the
loan value, Cooper said.
From the first quarter of this year to the
second quarter, roughly the time the stimulus
act was passed, the value of SBA-backed
loans increased from about $1.99 million to
$6.19 million, even though the SBA reported
four fewer loans in the second quarter.
South Carolina awarded Silver Shovel for economic development
Area Development magazine honored South
Carolina with a Silver Shovel Award, which
recognizes states and regions for success in
job creation and positive economic impact.
South Carolina was recognized as one of the top
places for economic development and innovative
job creation for 2009.
South Carolina joined Arkansas and Alabama
as the honored states with populations of less
than 5 million.
South Carolina’s continued support of “long-
established core industries” while it ventures
into development of high-tech, biotech, alterna-
tive energy and information technology jobs
helped it garner the award.
The magazine specifically mentioned
Alorica, a customer-service management firm
in Mauldin; Monster’s customer service center
in Florence and carpet manufacturer Shaw
Industries Group, which is located in Lexington
County.
Boeing to buy Vought plant in N. Charleston for $580M
Boeing has agreed to acquire the Vought
Aircraft Industries manufacturing plant in North
Charleston for $580 million.
Boeing also will release Vought from repay-
ing advances from Boeing on contracts for the
787 Dreamliner. The plant builds fuselage sec-
tions for Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner airplane.
Through the agreement, Boeing will acquire
the North Charleston facility, its assets and its
inventory. It will assume operation of the site,
and the parties will resolve all matters related
to Vought’s prior work on the 787 program. The
cash consideration to be paid to Vought at clos-
ing is approximately $580 million. In addition,
Boeing will release Vought from its obligations to
repay amounts previously advanced by Boeing.
Separately, Boeing entered into new agreements
with Vought for work packages on the 737, 777
and 787.
The deal is expected to close in the third
quarter if Vought’s lenders agree to the sale.
Quarter Statewide loans Value
2008 Q1 181 $48,221,300
2008 Q2 133 $38,722,700
2008 Q3 93 $38,930,600
2008 Q4 84 $29,090,300
2009 Q1 67 $17,856,300
2009 Q2 80 $22,004,700
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration
South Carolina district offi ce in Columbia.
$22 million in the second quarter
n in SBA’s South Caro-
attributed part of the
istration’s Com-
which provided a
he past.
ct of a
in
A
s
ome-
www.scbizmag.com | Fa l l 2009 7
GRIDIRON ECONOMICS
By Ashley Fletcher Frampton, Staff Writer
Over, underSales of higher-priced season tickets
slip at USC, Clemson, but revenue is still up
Season tickets for University of South
Carolina football games typically sell out
in the spring, when athletic booster club
members place orders.
Not so this year.
In mid-May, aft er Gamecock Club mem-
bers bought tickets, USC had about 7,000 of its
56,000 season tickets left over.
USC offi cials blame the drop on a painful
recession coinciding with a new seating pol-
icy — called Yearly Equitable Seating — that
raised the cost of season tickets for many fans.
Football ticket sales have been slow this
year at Clemson University as well. Following
a record-breaking 58,000 season tickets sold
last year, Clemson was about 6,000 shy of that
mark as of late July.
Clemson’s best-ever ticket sales came the
same year the school implemented its own
new seating policy — similar to USC’s —
which increased costs for some Tiger fans. But
even with the higher costs, 2008 season ticket
sales beat 2007 sales by about 1,000, according
to Travis Furbee, assistant athletic director of
ticket operations at Clemson.
Driving those sales were high expectations
for the football team, which was ranked in the
top 10 nationally in the preseason, along with
some fans’ jockeying to take advantage of the
new program and get better seats, Furbee said.
A year later, Furbee says the economy is to
blame for the reversal.
“We called pretty much every season
ticket holder who did not renew, and I would
say probably 80% of the (reasons given) were
loss of a job, needing to cut their fi nances back
— things along those lines,” Furbee said.
But the news isn’t all bad for the football
programs at USC and Clemson. Both schools
are expecting overall revenue to be higher than
it was before the new policies took eff ect.
New pricing, new goalsTh e details of the new seating policies at
USC and Clemson diff er, but both have similar
goals: increasing funding for athletic programs
and facilities and assigning season tickets based
on fi nancial donations instead of seniority.
Longtime ticket holders enjoyed prime seats
despite paying minimal dues to their respective
athletic booster clubs, while big-time donors
without as much seniority were left sitting far
away from the action.
Th at situation lacked equity, offi cials said,
and did not provide incentives for donors to
increase their levels of giving. Both schools said
peer universities already had instituted simi-
lar seating policies, and in order to keep their
teams competitive on the fi eld, they needed to
follow suit to raise more money.
At USC, season tickets for four seats outside
the 25-yard lines in the lower west side of Wil-
liams-Brice Stadium cost $800 more because of
the new policy, said Lance Grantham, director
of ticket operations. Near the 50-yard line, the
cost of four tickets went up $1,300 this year.
Th at’s on top of the $1,280 baseline cost for
four sets of season tickets, plus donor dues to
the Gamecock Club, which can range from
hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Grantham said USC athletic department
offi cials did not foresee the recession when
scheduling the implementation of the Yearly
Equitable Seating plan.
“It was a perfect-world plan for sure,” he
said.
Bill Chavious is one USC fan who scaled
back ticket purchases this year. Instead of his
usual four season tickets, he bought two sets.
Next year, he said he probably won’t buy any.
Chavious, a season ticket holder since 1970,
said the price increase wasn’t the only reason
for his decision. Th e main reason is that he’s
grown weary of giving scholarship money for
college athletes who don’t seem to care about
their education — a point he says is evidenced
by criminal activity among some and by others
who leave school early for professional teams.
“Economics certainly enters in to my deci-
sion-making,” Chavious said. “But, quite hon-
estly, it was a choice. Economics might have
been an excuse.”
Th e two season tickets Chavious did buy
this year are for his son, he said. With the mon-
ey he saved on the other two tickets, he bought
a 52-inch television on which he plans to watch
USC’s televised games.
Stadium shake-upsIn the past two years, the Gamecock Club
has lost about 2,000 of its 11,000 or so mem-
bers, Grantham said. Most of those dropping
out — or staying in but not buying tickets —
cited the price increase and the economy as
driving factors in their decisions, he said.
But athletic department offi cials expected
that some Gamecock Club members would
bow out. Th at’s what allows higher-level do-
nors to move to better seats commensurate
with their contributions.
Grantham said the Gamecock Club has
gained several new members, and they are get-
ting season tickets for the fi rst time and off set-
ting some of the losses. Th e net loss in mem-
bership is fewer than 1,000 people, he said.
Similarly, the start of Clemson’s Seat Eq-
uity Plan brought new members to IPTAY, the
school’s athletic booster club, while shift ing
around some longtime members, Furbee said.
Under the plan, 38% of IPTAY members had
to increase giving in 2008 to stay in their seats,
and 30% actually did so.
Grantham said USC football ticket sales
previously generated about $22 million of the
athletic department’s budget. Th is year, the
school expects ticket revenue to increase by
about $6.5 million, driven by the increased
seat premiums.
USC had anticipated revenue going up fur-
ther — the original seating plan also called for
donation levels to the Gamecock Club to in-
crease 20% every year for fi ve years. Th ough
the fi rst increase came as planned during the
2008 season, “What happened was the econ-
omy hit the skids and we froze it for the next
year,” Grantham said.
Furbee said Clemson’s ticket revenue will
probably fall by $1.4 million to $1.5 million this
year compared with last year. But overall rev-
enue is still expected to be higher than it was
before the Seat Equity Program, he said. SCBIZ
(Photo/Roy Philpott)
By Molly Parker, Staff Writer
High expectationsBusiness community hoping new port leadership
will be a catalyst for growth
8 SC BIZ | www.scbizmag.com
Two men who were once fi erce competi-
tors in Atlanta, working for dueling ship-
ping lines, are about to join forces at the
S.C. State Ports Authority to lead the agency
through a time of economic uncertainty,
growth and transition.
TTh e SPA board has penned a three-year
contract with Hapag-Lloyd shipping executive
Jim Newsome, naming him the organization’s
president and CEO. He starts Sept. 1.
Paul McClintock, the former vice president
for North American sales for MOL (America)
Inc., reported for his fi rst day of work May 4.
He is serving as the port’s vice president and
chief commercial offi cer, a newly created posi-
tion designed to streamline sales and market-
ing eff orts.
McClintock will serve directly under News-
ome, who, coincidentally, recommended Mc-
Clintock for the chief commercial offi cer slot
before Newsome thought about moving to
Charleston himself.
Th e business community is pitching the
new leadership duo as the catalyst for catapult-
ing Charleston’s status to that of a major East-
ern seaboard port community, and for drawing
new business in a cutthroat economic climate.
Otis Rawl, CEO of the S.C. Chamber of
Commerce, said, “It gives us, at least from
a state perspective, a breath of fresh air to be
able to go down there and start a plan to get
Charleston back to where it was fi ve to seven
years ago, when we were a leading container
handler on the East Coast, and to turn over a
new leaf on the political page.”
Aggressive promotion NNewsome said he was attracted to Charles-
ton by the fact that the SPA owns and operates
its facilities. He also was interested in what he
says are myriad opportunities here. Charleston’s
deep waters and strong staff make the port well-
positioned to compete on the global stage, he
said, priming the pump for growth.
“We need to and will aggressively promote
this port,” he said.
Newsome started his shipping career early,
as an unpaid assistant to his father, who for years
was the director of operations for the Geor-
gia Ports Authority. Th e position was second
in command then.
“I guess you could say I was born into the
port business,” he said.
“My mother’s respite for me was sending
me to the port with my dad on Saturdays. From
there, it got into my blood.”
His father also was a friend of Don Welch’s.
Welch led the SPA through the containerization
movement, and the Mount Pleasant Wando
Welch Terminal is named for him.
Welch and Newsome both attended the Uni-
versity of Tennessee-Knoxville. Welch, who died
in January, nudged Newsome to consider the
transportation school there, considered to be
one of the nation’s top logistics programs.
He described Tim McNamara, the SPA’s
headhunter, as “persistent” in his eff orts to hire
him. And in the end, Newsome said, leading the
SPA is the only recently available job for which
he would have even entertained the idea of leav-
ing Hapag-Lloyd. He had been leading the com-
pany’s America division, the world’s fi ft h-largest
container line, since January.
“I saw this as a very interesting challenge to
round out my career,” he said.
Critics change tuneEven critics of the port have changed their
tune recently, opening themselves up for rec-
onciliation.
“Th ere’s a whole new level of optimism
swimming around the union and the whole
maritime community. Everyone seems to be
very excited,” said Ken Riley, president of In-
ternational Longshoremen’s Association Local
1422.
Riley said both McClintock and Newsome
have already reached out to the union.
A 13-member selection committee led by
Columbia businessman Bill Stern pared a list
of 106 applicants to fi ve fi nalists before settling
on Newsome. But it was Stern, the SPA board’s
vice chairman, who sought out Newsome for
the job, as opposed to the other way around.
Stern said he met Newsome about eight
months ago at the behest of a business associate
who thought it would be a good connection for
the SPA board to make. Stern and David Posek,
the SPA board’s chairman, met with Newsome
one day in Columbia when Newsome was driv-
ing through town.
At the time, there was no indication that
then-CEO Bernard Groseclose would be step-
ping down, Stern said. But Groseclose abruptly
resigned in January during a performance re-
view with the board.
“When Bernie did decide to leave, and we
were having a search, the name that immedi-
ately came to me was Jim,” Stern said.
Newsome will make $300,000 a year, with
the opportunity to earn up to $100,000 in year-
ly bonuses.
It takes economic development, tooSergio Fedelini, a vice president of Mediter-
ranean Shipping in Mount Pleasant, said he is
impressed by McClintock’s and Newsome’s re-
sumes. He also cautioned that the SPA board is
the group that sets policy, and he said a new di-
rection will ultimately be determined by those
nine voting members, who are appointed by
the governor and confi rmed by the Senate.
Additionally, Fedelini said, the state must
generate new manufacturing activity for the
port to be competitive.
“If the port is moving a lot of cargo, the
steamship lines are coming, don’t worry about
it. So how do you get more cargo? Economic
development is the job of the Department of
Commerce of the state,” he said. “As the state
creates activity in economic development,
there will be more exports coming through the
port, and the steamship lines will come here
and the port will increase the volume.”
At its June board meeting, the SPA pro-
jected it would close the fi scal year ended June
30 with a 19% decline in container traffi c com-
pared with the previous fi scal year. It passed a
fi scal 2010 budget that predicts a decline of an
additional 6%. SCBIZ
r-
d
o the
h h h i ld b d i f
Ports, Logistics & Distribution
Jim Newsome
www.scbizmag.com | Fa l l 2009 9
Profile: Robert L. Wyatt
Unlike a lot of his peers, Robert Wyatt
didn’t dream of having the job he just
took.
But he didn’t exactly end up there on a
whim, either.
Wyatt, originally from Little Rock, Ark.,
took over the post of president of Coker Col-
lege in July, replacing retiring president James
Dawson.
“I’ve never really had a desire to be a presi-
dent, per se,” he said. “I’ve desired to be able
to make a diff erence in whatever organization
I’m in.”
Wyatt earned his bachelor’s degree from
the University of Central Arkansas and then
worked as a CPA and corporate comptroller
for several years.
“I enjoyed my job but felt like I didn’t have
the opportunity to give back,”
Wyatt said. So he went back to
school and earned a master’s
in accounting from the Uni-
versity of Arkansas. A profes-
sor persuaded him to go ahead
and get his doctorate, and he
received it from the University
of Memphis in 1993.
Wyatt taught for a few years
before realizing that higher
education needed leaders with
administrative experience. So
he parlayed his business back-
ground and teaching experience into a job as
dean of the business school at Union Univer-
sity in Tennessee.
He spent the past seven years as dean of
the Breech School of Business Administration
at Drury University in Springfi eld, Mo. Dur-
ing his tenure, he oversaw major curriculum
revision and put the school on track for ac-
creditation with the Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business International,
as well as reaffi rmed accreditation with the
Association of Collegiate Business Schools
and Programs.
He says one of his proudest accomplish-
ments while there was founding and building
up the Students in Free Enterprise program.
SIFE is an international nonprofi t collegiate
competition that fuses the business world with
community outreach.
“We did about 28 to 30 projects a year, from
teaching elementary school students about
supply and demand with cupcakes to build-
ing safe water stations in Africa,” Wyatt said.
In 2001, he took about 50 students from the
Drury program to the fi rst international SIFE
competition in London, and they returned
with the world cup champion title.
As a result, he and the team went on the
“Today” show and had their photo on Kel-
logg’s cereal boxes, a la Tony the Tiger.
“I’ve always categorized him as having the
Midas touch,” said Bonnie Wilcox, director
of academic support services at the Breech
School and a member of the advisory board
for the SIFE team.
Wilcox has known Wyatt
since he started his job on the
Drury faculty in 1996. She
then worked in the same offi ce
with him once he became dean
seven years ago.
“He’s a visionary,” Wilcox
said. “He always had good
ideas and surrounded himself
with people who help imple-
ment those ideas. And he’s not
a micromanager.”
Wilcox said Wyatt’s big-
gest strength is his leadership skills. Th at trait
helped him gain entrance to a fellowship pro-
gram with the American Council on Educa-
tion, a sort of fast-track course to prepare edu-
cators to be presidents in higher education.
Wyatt spent a year at Hendrix College in
Arkansas, shadowing the president there —
attending meetings, appointments, media calls
and anything else the president did.
“In eff ect, this was a presidential intern-
ship,” he said.
He completed the fellowship last year, and
the opportunity at Coker College in Hartsville
stood out to him.
“Coker is one of those gems waiting to be
discovered by more people,” Wyatt said. “I’ll
“Coker is one of those gems waiting to be discovered by more people.”Robert L. Wyatt,
president, Coker College
Leading by example Former business school dean becomes president of Coker College
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be able to help them get the message out as to
the kind of quality product that we are provid-
ing.”
One of the unique features of Coker is its
roundtable instructional approach, he said.
In every class, about 12 students sit around a
table, so “there’s no hiding. Students have to be
prepared.
“Th is results in graduates who are very
articulate and able to defend their positions,”
Wyatt said.
In August, Wyatt will start digging into his
new role at Coker, focusing mainly on devel-
opment of the college’s strategic plan, an area
in which he has experience and strength.
“He’s somebody who is very goal-oriented,”
said John Taylor, director of the MBA program
at the Breech School and formerly co-adviser
of the school’s SIFE team with Wyatt.
His leadership is augmented by his profes-
sional philosophy to communicate his goals
and be transparent. Th e latter is a lesson he
learned from mentor and friend Jack Shew-
maker, former president of Wal-Mart and
Drury University board member.
“When an organization is going through
change, you should triple the amount of com-
munication when making that change,” Wyatt
said.
Taylor said Wyatt’s two main strengths —
leadership and communication — were evi-
dent to everyone at his past job.
“He was good at showing faculty and stu-
dents why they were trying to reach a goal,
bringing them on board and getting them to
share that goal with him,” Taylor said. “By the
time he’s fi nished, they don’t even feel led —
more like equally inspired.” SCBIZ
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Robert Wyatt, now president of Coker College, talks
with students. (Photo/Coker College)Robert Wyatt, now president of Coker College, talks
)
www.scbizmag.com | Fa l l 2009 11
Island Coffee owner Rob Kramer watches over a freshly roasted batch of coffee. (Photo/Leslie Halpern)
By Andy Owens, Managing Editor
ale green coff ee pours
into the top of the hot
steel roasting drum
that’s rumbling like
an old Chevy head-
ed down a dirt road.
Like a patient barbe-
cue pit boss, the roast-
master checks the temperature of the air fl owing
into the top of the roaster, checks the tempera-
ture inside the roaster, pulls out sample beans.
You have to use all of your senses when
you’re roasting coff ee, says Rob Kramer,
owner of Island Coff ee in Ravenel, over the
constant crackle, pop and churn of the beans.
Th e roasting room is hot and smells like sugar
cookies on Christmas morning.
“We always believe a coff ee has a sweet
spot,” Kramer said.
When the coff ee looks, sounds and smells
just right, a handle is pulled. Rich, brown beans
pour out of the roaster, fl owing into a carousel
that slowly rotates and cools the beans. When
a second pop is heard, it’s time to bag the latest
batch of hand-roasted coff ee, a selling point
for South Carolina’s small roasters.
Large industrial roasters can’t aff ord to give
this kind of attention to a few pounds of cof-
fee. Th at care makes South Carolina’s locally
roasted coff ee a one-of-a-kind, S.C.-produced
product, and it gives the people who run in-
dependent roasters control over the fl avor and
tone of every coff ee they roast.
“When we roast coff ee, we cup it to see if
we hit the mark that we want to hit,” says Josh
Campbell, co-owner of Cashua Coff ee in Co-
lumbia. “If a coff ee is ready to pull, we pull it.”
Counting on beansTh e S.C. Department of Agriculture re-
ports that coff ee and tea manufacturing has
a $60 million direct annual impact on South
Carolina’s economy. Th at’s $2 million more
than tobacco farming and $57 million more
than winemaking.
When asked about their work, small roasters
in the state talk more about art than commerce.
Th ey’re small-business people who see their
economic potential directly tied to their ability
to produce a high-quality, varied product.
Th ey select beans based on experience
and their relationships with farmers and cof-
fee cooperatives on other continents. Th ey
blend beans to create a particular eff ect for a
customer or because they think it’ll be a good,
marketable product.
Cashua Coff ee is based in Columbia but
does its roasting once a week at a small facil-
ity off Howe Springs Road in Florence Coun-
ty. Most of the company’s customers are in
Myrtle Beach and Columbia or buy online.
Marty Stephens, owner of Aroma Under-
ground coff eehouse and music venue in Flor-
ence, said the Nicaraguan beans Cashua roasts
sell so well, he sometimes has to hide a few
pounds under the counter for brewing.
“Th is is the only place we get coff ee from,”
Stephens said while strumming an acoustic
guitar during a recent visit to Cashua Coff ee.
He makes regular stops by the roasting room,
which also serves as a shrine to Elvis and a
place to sample coff ee right out of the roaster.
“I drink a lot of coff ee, and this Nicaraguan is
the best coff ee I’ve ever tasted.”
Small-time roasters infuse art and business into a genuine S.C. product
TH
E
12 SC BIZ | www.scbizmag.com
Made (not grown) in South CarolinaOther than Hawaii, no state in the U.S. grows
coffee. Every other bean, drop and ground of
coffee that makes it into the 50 states comes
from another country, and tons of it are shipped
into the Port of Charleston each year. The S.C.
Department of Agriculture certifies coffee roasted
in South Carolina as Certified SC Grown, making
the distinction that green coffee roasted in South
Carolina becomes a “product” of the state. So
far, eight roasters have been labeled Certified
SC Grown by the Agriculture Department, which
means they agree to specific standards for the
designation and submit to inspections of their
operations by the Agriculture Department. For
more information about the Certified SC Program,
visit www.certifiedscgrown.com.
CERTIFIED SC GROWN ROASTERSThe following businesses across the state are
great places to learn about the art, science and
business of coffee roasting.
Cashua Fresh Roasted Coffee51 Downing St. • Columbia, SC 29209
www.cashuacoffee.com
Charleston Coffee Roasters289 Huger St. • Charleston, SC 29403
www.charlestoncoffeeroasters.com
Coffee Roasters of Charleston720 Angus Court • Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
www.netcoffees.net
Divino Products LLC803 Gervais St. • Columbia, SC 29201
www.divinoproducts.com
Ice Cream & Coffee Beans Inc. (ICCB Inc.)6460 Savannah Highway • Ravenel, SC 29470
www.whollycowicecream.com
Iron Brew Coffee1120 Northpoint Blvd. • Blythewood, SC 29016
www.ironbrewcoffee.com
Island Coffee6460 Savannah Highway • Ravenel, SC 29470
www.microroaster.com
Leopard Forest Coffee Co.26 S. Main St. • Travelers Rest, SC 29690
www.leopardforestcoffee.com
Source: S.C. Department of Agriculture
COFFEE IMPORTSSOUTH CAROLINA’S
The equivalent of 2,760 shipping containers of coffee
was imported through the Port of Charleston from
April 2008 to March 2009. That’s an average
of nearly eight containers a day.
Getting an exact number of roasters in
South Carolina is diffi cult because many are
small operations that roast just for them-
selves. Kramer said he thinks there are about
15 commercial roasters in the state.
Island Coff ee’s sales have been strong dur-
ing the recession even though the company
has made strategic moves, including going
aft er some competitors. Only a few years old,
Cashua Coff ee has seen a lot of growth, and
because the owners have full-time jobs, they
pour all of the money back into the business.
Starbucks Coff ee Co., one of the biggest
competitors for roasters of any size, opened
a roasting facility in Calhoun County this
year, bringing jobs and more coff ee into South
Carolina. Without Starbucks, the growth of
small roasters and the prevalence of small cof-
fee shops would not be as robust as it is today,
according to the independent coff ee roasters.
“I believe Starbucks has done wonders for
coff ee internationally,” said Cashua co-owner
Jason Savage. “I believe if there was no Star-
bucks, there would be no Cashua.”
Savage and others also agreed that the
typical dark roast of Starbucks removes a lot
of character from the beans. Kramer said Star-
bucks has increased awareness about quality
coff ee, but he said the company is leveraging its
size to squeeze out small businesses. He noted
the three Charleston Starbucks retail locations
within walking distance of Kudu Coff ee House,
one of the locally owned shops he sells to.
A representative from Starbucks was con-
tacted several times to comment on this story
and declined to respond to questions.
Kramer is always looking for new products
and customers — and searching for that next
great bean. His latest fi nd is from Cameroon.
“Th is is craft roasting. Th is isn’t roasting
for money,” Kramer said. “Quality control is
our No. 1 problem: Making the same roast day
aft er day aft er day.”
Several originsIndependently roasted coff ee is available
for about $11 or $12 a pound. A breakdown
of where those dollars go depends largely on
the coff ee market and quality of the coff ee.
Farmers can get up to 50 cents or more per
bag from a small, independent roaster and
pennies or less on the pound from larger op-
erations that feed grocery store chains.
Th ree of South Carolina’s independent
roasters said they placed less emphasis on fair
trade and rainforest-friendly programs than on
Coffee pours out of the roaster at Cashua Coffee’s roasting facility in Florence County as co-owner Jason
Savage prepares to pour in more green coffee. (Photo/Andy Owens)
www.scbizmag.com | Fall 2009 13
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visits to farms and relationships with farmers.
Even though they thought those programs had
merit, they said a constant, close relationship
with farmers is the best way to ensure quality.
Kramer is one of the founders of a coop-
erative in Cameroon to help farmers get more
money for their coff ee by improving quality
and bringing it to market in the U.S. He said
the cooperative is great for the fl edgling coff ee
industry there and good for his business.
“We can make a huge diff erence in Camer-
oon if we can get this to work,” he said, look-
ing across stacks and stacks of burlap coff ee
bags. “Th e coff ee there is tremendous. I don’t
want to sound like we’re doing this because
we’re such nice people. We are the only people
in the world who have this coff ee.”
Leopard Forest Coff ee in Travelers Rest is
unusual in its relationship with its primary
supply of coff ee beans. Th e couple that owns
the coff ee shop and roaster in the Upstate also
owns a coff ee farm in Zimbabwe. Leopard
Forest imports about fi ve containerloads each
year through the Port of Charleston.
“Th at’s our main source for our coff ee. We
only roast about 40 tons a year, so far, and
about 30 tons comes from our farm,” co-owner
Ildi Revi said. “What we’re trying to do is cre-
ate transparency in the coff ee chain. We can
give you the names of the growers and in some
cases the phone numbers of the farmers.”
Cashua Coff ee uses a broker as the primary
source for its beans. Both of Cashua’s owners
have visited the coff ee farm in Latin America.
“It’s important to us. We work directly with
farms and cut out those other folks,” Savage
said. “Basically, what we’re saying is we have
Freshly roasted coffee lines the shelves of Leopard
Forest coffee in Travelers Rest. (Photo/Kevin Greene)
Ildi Revi examines a scoop of Leopard Forest beans
at her shop in Travelers Rest. (Photo/Kevin Greene)
relationships with these people.”
Island Coff ee recently received a shipment
of 275 bags from Africa. Forty of those bags
will go into the local roaster’s coff ee, and the
rest will be sold to other roasters across the
U.S. Kramer pays a deposit to farmers who
trust him to get the most for their coff ee and
then pay them through the cooperative.
“Th e countries we buy coff ee from, it’s a
way of life,” Kramer said. “We really never
think about where that coff ee came from. It’s
not a cup of coff ee to them. It’s their future.
To treat coff ee lightly, from our perspective, is
disrespectful.” SCBIZ
14 SC BIZ | www.scbizmag.com
CONSTRUCTION
By Scott Miller, Staff Writer
Munich, Germany, to Greer is no longer
a one-way street.
Th e landscape has changed since
BMW opened its plant in the Upstate 16 years
ago, said Josef Kerscher, president of BMW
Manufacturing Co. in Greer.
Th ere’s now a profound exchange of knowl-
edge and human capital between Spartanburg
County and the parent company in Munich,
Germany, and it’s culminating with the auto-
maker’s $750 million expansion that is nearly
complete.
“We will have new experiences, and we
will bring those experiences back with us to
Germany,” said Kerscher, who takes company
conference calls in the middle of the night to
coincide with Munich time.
BMW is part of a larger trend, a piece of
a burgeoning engineering cluster that has put
South Carolina on the map globally and is po-
sitioned to be among the fi rst to benefi t from
an economic turnaround.
A new BMWKerscher acknowledged that information
used to fl ow in one direction, from BMW’s
Munich headquarters to Greer.
But during a recent tour of the company’s
new paint shop and assembly line, he made it
clear that times have changed.
Consider the new $323 million, 1.3 mil-
lion-square-foot assembly line. One of the
project managers, Sherry McCraw, is an
American engineer BMW recruited from
Winston Salem, N.C., during its fi rst foray
into the Upstate 16 years ago. Th e other, Bar-
bara Bergmeier, is a longtime BMW executive
who, in a thick German accent, now calls her-
self “a Spartanburg person.”
Th e new assembly line is part of a $750 mil-
lion overall expansion announced in March
2008 that also included a 300,000-square-
foot, 80% expansion of the existing paint
shop. When announcing the project last year,
BMW said it would create 500 jobs on site to
produce three models and to increase produc-
tion capacity to 240,000 units by 2012.
Right now, BMW remains on schedule; but
offi cials aren’t talking jobs at the moment and
have made it clear that market conditions will
determine when the expansion is fully utilized.
National, local contractors uniteIn the meantime, more than 25 subcontrac-
tors have worked on the project, led by Gray
Construction, a Lexington, Ky., engineering
and construction fi rm with offi ces throughout
the Southeast, including the Palmetto state,
and in Tokyo. Gray has completed more than
33 million square feet of automotive facilities
across the United States.
While Gray took the lead, much of the
supporting cast comprised local companies in
the Upstate, including Global Performance of
Greenville, which also played a major role.
According to a study by the Moore School
of Business at the University of South Carolina,
BMW’s construction project supported 5,000
jobs and $200 million in income this year.
Th e on-site work force consisted of ap-
proximately 500 people.
Overseeing it all were Bergmeier and Mc-
Craw. But with construction complete and test-
ing under way, the two have parted company.
McCraw, manager of new assembly, will
remain in Spartanburg to guide the new as-
sembly line into the production phase. She
said testing should last about six months, with
some production beginning next year. During
the testing phase, some cars will be completed
and crash-tested. Others will be scrapped and
recycled before they’re ever completed.
“I have been involved in every expansion.
I was project manager for many of them,” Mc-
Craw said of her 16 years with BMW.
Bergmeier, vice president of assembly,
is returning to Germany to take on another
challenge. Her replacement is a Clemson Uni-
versity graduate who has been with BMW
since 1993.
“I have learned a lot about lean manufac-
turing here,” Bergmeier said of her three years
in the Upstate.
An engineering hubSouth Carolina is branding a reputation
for expertise in engineering.
“If you’re a Fortune 100 company and you
need someone to design, build and support a
big capital project, there’s really three places
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www.scbizmag.com | Fa l l 2009 15
CONSTRUCTION
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you can go for that kind of expertise: Phila-
delphia, the greater Houston area and South
Carolina,” said Lee Stogner, chairman of the
S.C. Engineering Cluster.
Firms such as Wilbur Smith Associates
and BP Barber in Columbia, Fluor Corp. and
Jacobs Engineering Group in Greenville, and
others have put South Carolina on the map
globally as an engineering base, Stogner said.
CH2M Hill is helping build cities in Dubai,
he added, while Fluor is actively involved in
designing China’s growing manufacturing in-
dustry.
“A statistic that Fluor likes to give out is
that 65% of the biotech plants in the country
were designed here in South Carolina,” Stog-
ner said.
Th e state’s engineering cluster is diverse.
Th e Upstate has a niche in designing chemical
and manufacturing plants; the Midlands has
carved out a specialty related to road, bridge
and other infrastructure design; and the
coastal regions have a large number of envi-
ronmental engineering fi rms, Stogner said.
Th at engineering cluster is in good posi-
tion to be the fi rst to notice upward trends in
the economy, Stogner said. In fact, previously
out-of-work engineers are already being re-
hired, he said, as stimulus funds pave the way
for new energy- and infrastructure-related
construction projects.
“Our member companies are actively pur-
suing cities, towns and agencies (throughout
the country) that have received funding,”
Stogner said.
Fluor recently created a business group to
focus squarely on energy projects. Jacobs is
pursuing biomass projects.
“Why all the focus on energy? Because
that’s where the money is right now,” Stogner
said.
And engineering offi ces are diverse places,
attracting people from all over the world, he
noted.
“If you go to a typical engineering offi ce,
yeah, you have some local talent from South
Carolina, but you also have a lot of interna-
tional talent,” Stogner said.
At the cusp of new technologyAll of this is helping to grow South Carolina’s
engineering cluster, as is BMW, which continues
to bring new technologies to Spartanburg.
Th e newly expanded paint shop, for example,
is state-of-the-art.
Vehicles are turned 360 degrees end-over-
end and dunked into large tanks to be cleaned
and treated with corrosion protection before
they are painted. One paint cell has 24 self-
cleaning robotic arms that hold cartridges with
just enough paint to coat one vehicle, minimiz-
ing waste. Ostrich feathers are used later to dust
the vehicles.
“I’ve been painting cars for 29 years. Th is re-
ally is state-of-the-art,” said Steve Jones, project
manager for the new paint shop. “Th is is my
11th paint shop, and I can say this is state-of-
the-art.”
Th e new assembly plant, meanwhile, has
“fi ngers” that protrude from the side of the
plant. Each fi nger provides delivery access to
the exact point of use on the production line.
Th ose fi ngers are designed for quick expansion,
if needed.
In the past, the Greer plant was at a disad-
vantage in technology because it was so far from
the company’s headquarters, Bergmeier said.
BMW’s German offi ces are able to work more
closely, she said.
Th e Spartanburg County plant, however,
pulls together a wider variety of backgrounds
and experiences, she said.
“In Germany, everyone is BMW,” she
said. “Here, everybody came from so many
different companies, with so many different
experiences.”
Continued on page 16 ➤
CONSTRUCTION
Local talent ascendsBergmeier’s replacement is an example
of that diversity. Richard Morris, a Clemson
University alumnus and BMW employee
since 1993, replaced Bergmeier on July 1. He
earned an MBA from Clemson University and
holds a bachelor of science in mechanical en-
gineering from the General Motors Institute.
Morris has taken on various roles in his time
with BMW, including a stint in Germany serving
as the project leader for the next-generation X5
Sports Activity Vehicle launched in 2006. Most
recently, Morris served as assembly manager.
But before he became a BMW employee,
he spent nearly 10 years in quality engineer-
ing positions with various automotive manu-
facturers in the United States.
McCraw is also an example of that wide-
ranging experience, having been recruited to
BMW from the company in Winston Salem.
Th roughout her tenure, she has been put in
positions to grow, a common BMW practice,
Bergmeier said.
“Sherry right from the beginning was in
charge of this,” Bergmeier said.
And she took great care in choosing her
team to implement the expansion.
“We don’t build plants very oft en, so you
pull this expertise from around the globe,”
McCraw said.
Parting waysTh is isn’t the fi rst time McCraw and Berg-
meier have worked together. Th ey prepared
lines for the launch of the E70 and X5 in 2001
and 2002 in Munich.
“Maybe more countries to come,” Bergmeier
said. “I would love to have Sherry with me.”
McCraw called Bergmeier’s departure
“sad.” Bergmeier said it’s just part of the job.
“My philosophy is you have to work every-
where,” she said. “People can’t be taken away
from you. If you like them, you keep in touch.
Th ey can’t be taken away. But it is sad.
“I used to be a Munich person,” Bergmeier
said. “I think if I was asked now, I would say I
was a Spartanburg person.” SCBIZ
Barbara Bergmeier (left) and Sherry McCraw will soon part ways, the newly expanded BMW Manufacturing
plant in Greer another entry on their resumes. (Photo/James T. Hammond)
16 SC BIZ | www.scbizmag.com
CONSTRUCTION
www.scbizmag.com | Fal l 2009 17
121 Edinburgh Court Greenville, SC 29607
phone [864] 232.1491 fax [864] 242.9054
website ypsconst.com
PROJECTStuken L.L.C.
BUILDER Yeargin Potter
Shackelford Construction
ARCHITECT Pazdan-Smith Group
Architects
LOCATION Fountain Inn, SC
RESULTS On Time. On Budget.
Stamp ofApproval
Trust Commitment Quality Value
..
Construction jobs in South Carolina June 2009 103,300
June 2008 114,200
Jobs lost: 10,900
SLOWConstruction zoneBy Allison Cooke Oliverius, Special Projects Editor
Construction crews widening Interstate
26 in North Charleston call the roadway
their offi ce. Th ey have to be in the road
to build it, and their working conditions are
hot, dirty and dangerous.
But it’s work, and right now, the crews are
especially thankful for it.
“It’s the biggest job we’ve had, times three,”
said Greg Cook, vice president of U.S. Group
Inc., the Columbia-based company that was
awarded the $66 million widening project.
“And it’s a blessing, no doubt about it.”
In the past 18 months, Cook’s company
has gone from 280 employees to 140; from 26
projects to four. He has watched colleagues
and competitors close up shop and leave town,
projects unfi nished.
It’s the nature of the beast right now. Th e
construction industry has suff ered badly in the
economic downturn, shedding about 11,000
jobs in South Carolina since June 2008.
U.S. Group is surviving on work it was
awarded in the past couple of years, includ-
ing the I-26 widening project, which Cook
expects will keep his crews busy until 2011.
Th is project has helped the company hold
on, even as the industry in South Carolina
was slapped in the last couple years with what
Cook describes as a triple-whammy: the end
of “27 in 7,” an aggressive road improvement
program funded by the S.C. Department of
Transportation; an abrupt retreat in construc-
tion investment by developers; and the stock
market drop-off .
“What happened was sort of a perfect storm
for the construction industry,” Cook said.
“Th ose three things together crushed us.”
Has to get worse before it gets better Tony Plath isn’t in the construction indus-
try, but he’s studied it for the past 10 years.
And he says he hasn’t seen anything like this.
“It’s bad. Everything’s bad. It’s bad across
the board,” Plath said. “Th e only thing that
was holding was government projects, and
even that is waning because of budget cuts
and unemployment.”
Plath is an associate professor of fi nance at
the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
and he works with the Carolinas chapter of the
Associated General Contractors of America to
produce its quarterly barometer. He analyzes
data collected from government agencies to of-
fer a snapshot of the commercial construction
industry in North and South Carolina.
Th e organization’s latest report indicated a
2.6% increase in activity in South Carolina for
the fi rst quarter, mostly from small increases
A U.S. Group crew installs a beam on an interchange on Interstate 26 near North Charleston. (Photo/Red Zeppelin)
18 SC BIZ | www.scbizmag.com
CONSTRUCTION
What’s missing from your accounting?
in highway and utility construction. But these
positive signs were met with high fuel prices,
weak demand in equipment purchases and
diffi culty in obtaining fi nancing.
“Basically, the rate at which the industry is
deteriorating is slowing. It will hit bottom in
Quarter 2 and Quarter 3, but the rate at which
we recover will be very slow,” Plath said.
Quarter 2 results won’t be released by the
contractors group until late August.
“I don’t think we’ll fall much further, but
the downturn is going to be with us into 2011
in construction, because even if the economy
begins to bounce back in 2010, it will be a
year before you see the state and local coff ers
rebuild from tax receipts.”
A different timeWhen the country experienced recessions
around 1991 and 2001, the downturn was much
shorter and recovery was much faster, Plath said.
Back then, the federal government just increased
the amount of money in circulation, kept inter-
est rates low and encouraged borrowing.
But this recession is driven by an overissu-
ance of debt.
“Consumers are hesitant to borrow, and
banks don’t want to lend. Th e extent to which
we can borrow to create new spending is far
Most bridges across the nation undergo a
visual inspection for structural decay and dam-
age about once every two years.
“One problem is that a lot of the damage is
not visible,” said Paul Ziehl, an associate profes-
sor in the department of civil and environmental
engineering at the University of South Carolina.
Ziehl is leading a team of researchers at
USC’s College of Engineering and Computing
in a national study to develop technologies that
will supplement the visual inspections.
The project funded by the National Institute
of Standards and Technology provides $14 mil-
lion — which includes $4 million for USC — for
a partnership among the University of Miami,
Virginia Tech and Physical Acoustics Corp. of
Princeton, N.J.
USC’s portion of the study involves experi-
mental lab testing and fi eld monitoring of bridg-
es. The S.C. Department of Transportation will
provide several bridge girders for the study.
The research focuses on a network of high-
tech sensors that will be used to detect cracks
and measure damage caused by corrosion.
“Most bridge failures occur in a localized
region from degradation mechanisms, such
as fatigue and corrosion,” Ziehl said. “This
research will enable us to strategically place
sensors on bridges, collect data from the sen-
sor network and analyze that data with the
development of new computer software and
models.”
The study addresses a critical need in the
nation’s infrastructure, Ziehl added.
“Many of our bridges were built 50 years
ago, and many of these structures have a de-
sign life expectancy of about 50 years,” he said.
“What we learn will help us more quickly to de-
termine the health of a bridge and the length of
time it can be used.”
USC participates in national study to improve bridges
CONSTRUCTION
www.scbizmag.com | Fal l 2009 19
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reduced this time around,” Plath said.
In addition, contractors in the past were able
to supplement a drop in privately funded con-
struction jobs with public works projects. Th ere
were schools to build and development projects
associated with the growing population base.
But now, state and local budgets are in dis-
array, the unemployment rate is “scarily high”
and the government work that has supported
companies in the bad times just isn’t there, Plath
said.
“Th e work that carries the industry is pub-
lic sector work,” Plath said. “It’s what keeps the
lights on and the crews working and businesses
solvent through periods of economic downturn.
But that isn’t going to be there to buoy the indus-
try this time.”
Muted bright spotsTh ere are a few exceptions.
In the Upstate, Anderson School District
One has plans to build a new Powdersville
High School. Preliminary bids for the school,
which was estimated to cost $38 million, came
in almost $10 million below that fi gure.
Bill Myers, vice president of the construc-
tion management division at M.B. Kahn Con-
struction Co. and the project manager for the
Anderson One program, said companies were
bidding at or near cost just to keep their em-
ployees and subcontractors working.
“As the owner’s agent, we’re really pleased
for the owner,” Myers said. “But we’re also a
general contractor, and I feel the pain.”
In the Midlands, a $91 million contract was
recently awarded to an Alabama company to
build a new 3rd Army Headquarters Complex
at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter.
Military installations in South Carolina
are set to receive more than $84 million in
federal stimulus funding for 97 construction
projects, and the state DOT will get about
$463 million in stimulus funds for transporta-
tion projects.
The Interstate 26 widening project involves recon-
struction of the interchange at Aviation Avenue and
Remount Road. (Photo/Red Zeppelin)
20 SC BIZ | www.scbizmag.com
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Th ese projects are bright spots that will sup-
port all types of contractors and construction
companies, including electrical, plumbing, fi re
alarm, paving, fencing, roofi ng, termite repair,
high-tech security fencing, HVAC control sys-
tems and repair, lighting and painting.
“Th ese projects are not enough to rebuild the
economy. Th ey are sustaining the industry, but
not suffi cient to aid a mass recovery,” Plath said,
predicting that about 30% of the industry will
disappear. “For the next 1 1/2 years, we’re going
to lose some contractors.”
Th e stimulus funds help, but because of
massive pullbacks at the state and local levels,
“the stimulus doesn’t off set all the work that’s
lost,” he said.
The ‘good’ newsA recent report from Moore School of Busi-
ness researchers suggests that South Carolina’s
homebuilders are riding out the housing indus-
try collapse better than the rest of the nation
and that factors are in place for homebuilders
to see a rebound in the coming months.
Doug Woodward, who leads the University
of South Carolina’s research center in the Moore
School, recently told attendees at the convention
of the Home Builders Association of South Car-
olina that leading U.S. economic indicators are
starting to trend up aft er six months of decline.
He said the ongoing crisis in the fi nancial
markets continues to drag down activity in what
he calls the real economy, where goods and ser-
vices produce real wealth.
“Until these issues are resolved, your industry
and the entire economy are not going to thrive,”
Woodward said. “But I am more optimistic than
I was a couple of months ago.”
Th e good news in Plath’s analysis is that
South Carolina, even with its record 12.1% un-
employment rate, is in much better shape than
Michigan, California and Ohio.
“While we may have a rough couple of years,
these are areas that are going to feel a depres-
sion,” he said.
“We have faith in the American capitalistic
system that the cycle will pass and that, in a year
or two from now, things will get back to normal,”
said Cook, the U.S. Group vice president.
In the meantime, he is holding out hope that
the end of the summer, and the rest of the year,
will bring more work. U.S. Group remains fo-
cused on the future and stands ready to react to
opportunities, he said. SCBIZ
Andy Owens and James T. Hammond
contributed to this article.
www.scbizmag.com | Fa l l 2009 21
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Cities MeanBUSINESS
A PUBLICATION OF THE MUN IC I PAL ASSOC IATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA | ISSUE 2 | 2009
Win-win situationOutdoor amenities create healthy communities and encourage economic development
Cities are seeing greenLeaders encourageenergy effi ciency
Sustainable livingCommunities thrive when residents buy local
www.citiesmeanbusiness.org Cities Mean Business
You see a street.
We see a lifeline that is a hometown with planned traffi c fl ow, fi re stations, thousands of visitors each year, low unemployment rate, city parks and community centers for children of all ages. Our streets take us to our jobs, our churches, our fun places and even to grandma’s house.
www.citiesmeanbusiness.org | Cities Mean BUSINESS 3A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
FEATUR
ES
DEPARTMENTS
CONTENTS
COVER STORY
Win-win situationBy Amy Geier Edgar, Contributing writer
As more cities focus on creating outdoor
amenities to get residents moving, leaders
realize the benefi ts of their eff orts are two-fold.
Not only do parks and walkable downtown
areas improve the health of their communi-
ties, but they also provide opportunities for
economic development.
Cover photo: Annual professional cycling race
in downtown Spartanburg.
(Photo/Spartanburg Partners for Active Living)
8 Cities are seeing green Energy-effi cient initiatives are the talk
of South Carolina’s cities and towns
By Amy Geier Edgar, Contributing writer
13 Sustainable living South Carolina’s “buy local” eff ort
helps to sustain local economies
By Ashley Cook, Contributing writer
5 Outlook: Work, thrive together By Ed Sellers and Rick Danner
7 Perspective: Cool cities get cool By Jeff Baxter
A publication of Municipal Association of South Carolina
1411 Gervais St., P.O. Box 12109Columbia, SC 29211
Miriam Hair
Executive Director, Municipal Association of SC
Reba Campbell
Deputy Executive Director, Municipal Association of SC
Editorial staff Casey Fields
Mary Brantner
Contributing writersAshley Cook
Amy Geier Edgar
Published by
www.scbiznews.com
Cities MeanBUSINESS
10
4 Cities Mean BUSINESS | www.citiesmeanbusiness.org A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
Sustainability is a buzz word we’re hearing more frequently these days relative to economic growth in our cities and towns. Depending on the context,
sustainability can have diff erent defi nitions, but bottom line, sustainability is the inter-
section of the economy, our society and the environment.
In this issue of Cities Mean Business, we look at what it means to be a sustainable
city or town from several perspectives. Common themes you will see woven through
this issue’s featured cities and towns are public/private collaboration, wise use of
resources and increased viability of local businesses.
First, we look at partnerships and policies South Carolina cities and towns are
putting in place to encourage residents and businesses to be more energy effi cient,
preserve natural resources, recycle and make their communities more “green friendly.”
Second, we examine the literal “green” aspects of sustainability and what cities and
towns around the state are doing to encourage walking, biking and healthy outdoor
activities in their downtowns and other parts of the community.
Finally, our third feature looks at sustaining the local economy during these chal-
lenging times. We learn about what cities and towns are doing to encourage the “buy
local” movement at farmer’s markets, in downtowns and through tourism.
Columns in this issue feature the voices of the Urban Land Institute, New Carolina
and the Municipal Association. Th ese organizations work together to sustain the local
economy by recognizing our state must look at new approaches to economic growth
for long-term success.
Reba Hull [email protected]
Editor
Letter from the
EDITOR
www.citiesmeanbusiness.org | Cities Mean BUSINESS 5A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
By Ed Sellers and Rick Danner
Work, thrive togetherCollaborate to create an environment of knowledge and ideas
As South Carolina continues to move toward a new economy based more on knowledge
jobs and a collaborative approach to increasing our
state’s competitiveness, our state leaders — both pri-
vate and public sector — must lead by example in cre-
ating an environment where new ideas and innovation
can be developed and maintained over the long term.
No longer do we exist in an environment where
every business enterprise or government entity can
go it alone. Now, more than ever in recent history, we
must focus on developing a sustainable economy in
South Carolina by encouraging an environment that
embraces the idea of regional-
ism and partnerships.
In this context, environ-
ment means more than just
our physical space. We must
create an environment in
which new ideas can be cre-
ated and encouraged in the
context of a modern economy
that is based on the exchange
of knowledge and ideas, not
just creating and selling a product. Innovative ideas
lead to technology advances that come from new and
existing services and manufactured goods. In cities
and towns, where people and businesses with diff erent
skill sets can share knowledge and work together, this
process usually happens faster and more effi ciently.
As we look at how the public and private sectors
can work better together, New Carolina’s approach of
growing our state’s economy through the concept of
clusters is gaining momentum. Clusters allow us to
align our existing economic assets to work together
rather than to compete against each other. Th is focus
on developing clusters of industry where new jobs can
grow and thrive is even more relevant today as our
state struggles to overcome the challenges posed by
the current economic situation.
Th e healthiest clusters are the ones in which the
members each contribute unique skills. To do this,
you need a critical mass of people or businesses with
diff erent skill sets coming together. Th is type of criti-
cal mass tends to congregate around cities and towns
that can provide the environment this new type of
worker is seeking.
Th is means ensuring we have an educated work
force qualifi ed to handle these new and advanced
jobs. Plus, we must supply the high quality of life
that these workers will want.
People with advanced degrees
oft en cluster in urban centers
because they seek the cultural
opportunities and diverse
amenities that only cities can
off er. Others may congregate
in small towns that boast
good schools, a strong sense
of community and attributes
like broadband and easy ac-
cess to transportation.
By supporting the development of clusters and re-
gional collaborations, cities and towns of all sizes be-
come the conduits that can connect the dots between
business and government partners. Our communities
can no longer compete against one another. We are at
war with every other regional economy in the world.
Th ere will be winners and losers, and we must focus
on those strategies unique to our environment that
will help us win.
Sellers is the chairman, president and CEO of Blue-
Cross BlueShield of South Carolina and chairman of the
New Carolina board. Danner is mayor of Greer, S.C.
and president of the Municipal Association of SC.
OUTLOOK
Ed Sellers
Rick Danner
6 Cities Mean BUSINESS | www.citiesmeanbusiness.org A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
The word “cool” has many meanings above
and beyond its most basic defi nition of “moderately
cold.” In fact “cool” may be one of the most common
slang words used today.
Th e word is mainly used to describe something
that is popular, awesome or nice. But, if you place
“cool” in front of the word city, “cool city” carries a
much broader defi nition: unique, fun, diverse, vibrant,
rich in history, innovative and evolving.
Cool cities celebrate traditions rich in architecture,
entertainment, art or food. When asked to name
examples of “cool cities,” people are likely to list such
places as Austin, Portland, Vancouver and Nashville,
among many others around the world.
Closer to home, downtown Greenville, the
Vista area in Columbia, and the core areas of Aiken,
Beaufort and Charleston stand out. Th e appeal and
unique identity of these cool cities relate directly to an
increased tax base and economic vitality.
Lately, another defi nition for cool city could be
carbon neutral, in light of the recent climate change
debate that indicates gradual global warming is here
to stay. Increased greenhouse gas emissions and burn-
ing of fossil fuels have emanated from our metropoli-
tan areas.
As our cities’ populations have grown, dependence
on the automobile and vehicle miles traveled per
person have increased two- and three-fold. Further,
we consume more acres per person than we did in the
past. Th ese trends are all unsustainable and literally
make our cities less cool.
We must refocus our cities and let cool lead to
cool. Leading the way on this front is the Urban Land
Institute, a nonprofi t research and education organi-
zation whose mission is to provide leadership in the
responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining
thriving communities worldwide.
One example of a “cool city” partnership is the
Noisette Community Master Plan area in North
Charleston. In 2001, the City of North Charleston
entered into a public-private partnership to redevelop
340 acres of the closed Charleston Naval Base and to
Cool cities get cool
By Jeff Baxter
Jeff Baxter
PERSPECTIVE
Diners enjoy a meal at the Motor Supply Co. Bistro on Gervais Street in Columbia’s Vista.
(Photo/Courtesy Congaree Vista Guild)
Falls Park on the Reedy River in downtown Greenville.
(Photo/Kevin Greene)
www.citiesmeanbusiness.org | Cities Mean BUSINESS 7A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
PERSPECTIVE
revitalize an additional 2,700 acres that sur-
rounded it into a sustainable city.
History in this area is deep and includes
remnants of an 1890s park created by the
designer of New York’s Central Park; the for-
mer Charleston Naval Base, which operated
from 1901 to 1996; and a unique garden-city
concept that was built beginning in the early
1910s.
But the closure of the naval base in
1996 sent the surrounding community into
decline. As a result of various partnership
eff orts, revitalization is taking hold and
inviting people back to an area that had been
neglected for decades.
Now, instead of people moving to the
outer edges of the region, young families are
fi nding that a great neighborhood exists close
to jobs and is centrally located in the region.
Traditional cool is leading to climate cool.
Th e small stretch of East Montague Street
in North Charleston is historic, diverse and
unique. Th e revitalization of this key street
has attracted newcomers. Half Moon Outfi t-
ters recently completed a LEED Platinum
(meaning ultra-green for those not familiar
with LEED) offi ce building. Th e very cool
EVO Pizzeria, which opened a couple of
years back, has introduced new people to
the area who have gone on to buy houses in
Oak Terrace Preserve, a new green neigh-
borhood nearby. A city-run farmers market
operates on Th ursdays featuring locally-
grown produce.
When people live closer to where they
work, eat, shop and play, they spend less time
in their cars, thereby reducing their carbon
footprint. Complemented with innovations
in green design, we are moving toward a cool
future. We have a long way to go, and change
will take time. But ultimately, we need to
embrace cool to achieve cool.
Jeff Baxter is an active member of the
Urban Land Institute and is director of
development for the Noisette Co. in North
Charleston.
EVO Pizzeria is one of North Charleston’s many
“cool” places. (Photo/Ryan Wilcox)
Above: A community picnic
at Oak Terrace Preserve,
a green, infi ll neighbor-
hood in North Charleston.
(Photo/Elias Deeb)
Right: Th e farmers market
in North Charleston.
(Photo/City of North
Charleston)
nities and including environmental elements
in their comprehensive plans, Stall said.
“Th ere are lots of people and businesses
in this community who have dreams and
visions,” Stall said. “Th e pride we have in our
community helps make initiatives work.”
But oft en, businesses are not aware of what
services are available or how much money they
could save by using environmentally-friendly
methods, said Jane Hiller, an account represen-
tative for Sonoco Recycling in Columbia.
Th at’s where the city can step in. For
example, the City of Columbia has a Green
Business Member program, which is a
voluntary program to recognize businesses
that take steps to be greener and to encour-
age others to improve their environmental
record.
Th e program includes
about 80 workplaces as mem-
bers, including businesses
Th e program includes
about 80 workplaces as mem-
bers, including businesses
8 Cities Mean BUSINESS | www.citiesmeanbusiness.org
CITIES ARE SEEING
GREENTh e City of Greenville is just one of many cities and
towns in South Carolina that encourages the public and
private sectors to work together on green initiatives.
(Photo/James T. Hammond)
By Amy Geier Edgar, Contributing writer
Across South Carolina, cities areseeing green. Th ey’re sharing that vision by
taking steps ranging from creating policies
to encourage energy-effi cient businesses to
partnering with private companies on green
development projects.
In the Upstate, the City of Greenville is
working with community leaders to create a
vision for the future. Russell Stall, executive
director of Greenville Forward, sums up that
vision: “Th ere are 38 Greenvilles in the U.S.A,
and we want to be the greenest.”
Stall’s organization of public and private
sector leaders is working closely with city
leaders on four focus areas: health and
wellness; a culture that values education;
transportation and connectedness; and the
environment.
Th e city is using green building methods
to construct facilities, and Stall expects to see
more buildings meeting Leadership in En-
ergy and Environmental Design and Energy
Star certifi cation in the future.
Another important issue is containing
sprawl in Greenville, Stall said. Cities need
to create communities that are walkable, and
downtown Greenville certainly is, he said.
Greenville City Manager Jim Bourey said
his city supports green initiatives and has
made steps to lead by example. Th e city has
hired an employee who focuses solely on sus-
tainable development and land usage issues.
The city is promoting public transit
by taking over city bus operations and
revamping the fleet. The city has converted
its diesel fleet to biodiesel, is using some
hybrid vehicles and is looking at electric
cars in the future.
City buildings have been updated with
energy-effi cient HVAC units and lighting,
and plans are in the works to plant numer-
ous trees in landscaped areas around town.
Greenville also has an extensive recycling
program in the city, Bourey said.
Th e vision extends across Greenville
County, where other cities, including Mauldin
and Simpsonville, are pushing green initiatives
such as creating pedestrian-friendly commu-
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
of all sizes, nonprofi ts and even a church,
according to City of Columbia Sustainability
Facilitator Mary Pat Baldauf.
“A majority of businesses are seeing sav-
ings, especially those that have adopted energy
conservation steps,” Baldauf said.
To become a Green Business Member,
businesses must apply and complete a goal
sheet on ways to be greener. Th ese goals
oft en include improvements in recycling and
energy and water conservation, said Hiller,
who also is chairwoman of the city’s Green
Business initiative.
Th e Green Business program off ers boot
camps where members can learn tips and
share best practices. Th ere is an annual
conference where members can receive more
education and off er advice to each other.
“It pays off ,” Hiller said. “If you’re losing
less energy, your energy costs go down.” For
example, she said if a business recycles card-
board, its garbage expenses decrease.
Hiller said some business members have
told her that they have saved up to $100,000
a year.
“Businesses want to do the right thing,
but they also like to save money,” she said.
Other cities face more specifi c environ-
mental concerns. In North Augusta, indus-
trial activity had ripped gaping holes in the
riverfront area. For a time, industries dug
clay from excavation pits for their pottery
and brick manufacturing. Aft er the industry
left , these massive, man-made ponds became
fl ooded with stagnant stormwater.
Th e city partnered with the North Augus-
ta Riverfront Co. to redevelop the area. Th e
company was brought in to design a develop-
ment that would blend in with the rest of the
city and off er a lot of green space, said Turner
Simkins, project director for the Hammonds
Ferry residential development. Th e initial
plan was to fi ll portions of the ponds, as it
would have been ideal to have
more development space, Sim-
kins said.
Th e west side of the ponds already had
clean water and was home to animals such as
blue herons and ducks. Th e east side, how-
ever, had stagnant water and was, as Simkins
said, “gnarly, black and not inviting.”
Th e developers started wondering why
one side was “gnarly” and the other clean.
Simkins brought in an offi cial from the
Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy, of
which Simkins was a board member, to in-
vestigate. Th e researcher determined that the
eastern pond contained more nitrogen than
oxygen and was fi lled with old stormwater.
“It was dead, ecologically speaking,” Sim-
kins said.
Th e developers soon decided against fi ll-
ing the ponds. Instead they worked to restore
them. Together, the city and the North Au-
gusta Riverfront Co. secured a grant from the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and
began the renovation.
“We decided to use a restoration model
and clean the water out,” Simkins said. “We
created a public nature park.”
Th e decision meant the developers would
lose 100 lots, thus decreasing their revenue
and reducing future city tax revenue, but it
was worth it, Simkins said.
www.citiesmeanbusiness.org | Cities Mean BUSINESS 9
An area in North Augusta that was left with gaping holes from companies that harvested clay to make pottery and
bricks has been made into Brick Pond Park, a beautiful 30-acre public park that includes 30 acres of ponds and
wetlands, 10 acres of trees and a number of greenway trails.
“We created a real asset, and we hope to
get an even higher value out of it than be-
fore,” he said.
Citizens got involved in the process, with
Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops installing
duck boxes and vegetation, and other non-
profi t organizations donating time.
Today, local wildlife has a new habitat and
residents have a beautiful new park.
Brick Pond Park includes 30 acres of
ponds and wetlands and 10 acres of trees that
connect to greenway trails. Th e area is home
to turtles, migratory and wetland birds and
even a few alligators. It also serves an educa-
tional role in the community, with schools
using the park as an outside classroom.
Brick Pond Park also provides the city
with a new method to handle stormwater
run-off . Stormwater from the downtown area
and U.S. 25 now runs into the ponds and is
naturally cleansed by the new system. Th e
ponds are interconnected and a waterfall was
constructed to help circulate water, which
treats the water, said Tanya Strickland, the
city’s environmental coordinator.
Th e city now manages the park. “Th e end
result is signifi cant,” said Skip Grkovic, director
of Planning and Economic Development.
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
10 Cities Mean BUSINESS | www.citiesmeanbusiness.org
Whether you’re in the mood to conquer the mountains near Spartanburg
on a bike, walk or jog the winding trails in
Florence, or simply stroll down Main Street
in Greenwood, South Carolina’s cities off er
countless options to get people moving.
Many cities are taking extra steps to pro-
vide outdoor amenities to encourage citizens
to get out of their cars and get more active.
Th e eff orts are aimed not only at addressing
environmental concerns, but also making
their communities healthier.
Greenwood: Walkable downtownDuring a master planning project in
Greenwood fi ve years ago, city leaders sought
a way to develop a pedestrian-friendly
cultural district downtown that would attract
new economic development and future
investment, said Greenwood Assistant City
Manager Charlie Barrineau.
Th e plan involved revitalizing three key
downtown cultural facilities – the Green-
wood Federal Building, the Greenwood
Community Th eatre and the Greenwood
Museum — located in an area known as the
Emerald Triangle. Many buildings near these
facilities were pegged for new and enhanced
development. Most were graceful, century-
old buildings dulled by years of neglect.
Greenwood photographer Jon Holloway
saw the potential in one of these old build-
ings. He purchased his 1901 building for his
Sundance Gallery three years ago and over-
saw major renovations. A former auto shop,
the building had once housed thousands of
clunky muffl ers. Today, it has been restored
to its original charm and now hosts events
and exhibitions.
Holloway is part of the change in down-
town Greenwood, but the city’s eff orts are
helping to bring in the customers.
Th e city completed major streetscape
projects, placing overhead utilities under-
ground and planting more than 50 trees.
Landscaping bump-outs create a traffi c calm-
ing eff ect and encourage more pedestrian
traffi c. Clearly marked decorative concrete
crosswalks encourage a pedestrian-friendly
environment and decorative street lamps
create visual appeal and better lighting for
nighttime safety.
Th e new streets, lighting and sidewalks in
the Greenwood project create a welcoming,
walkable downtown that residents are more
likely to visit, Holloway said.
Previously, the area by Holloway’s shop
had no sidewalks, a rough road and no
Outdoor amenities attract economic development and improve quality of life for residents
By Amy Geier Edgar, Contributing writer
Win-win situation
Downtown Greenwood circa 1975 and today aft er
the city’s revitalization eff orts.
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
streetscaping. Th e original buildings had
been covered up with façades erected in the
1970s, he said. Today, the renovations are
complete, and Holloway said out-of-town
visitors who come to his studio express sur-
prise to fi nd such a hidden gem.
“Anything we can do to make it an area
that’s more inviting and welcoming — that’s
a win-win for the community and the city,”
Holloway said.
Barrineau said the project has been a suc-
cessful public/private partnership.
“Th e community has invested close to $12
million in projects located in the Emerald
Triangle since 2005. Th is is a mixture of local,
state and federal tax dollars and grants, along
with private and foundation investment,”
Barrineau said. “We are now seeing the
private investments — retail and restaurant
— follow.”
Holloway said the improvements also add
accessibility, which entices people to visit the
downtown area.
“Communities are fi nally realizing that, in
order to attract businesses and residents, they
need to focus on quality of life,” he said.
He praised his own community and city
leaders for their eff orts. “Th ey can see the
vision,” he said.
Spartanburg: Bike townSpartanburg leadership had its own
vision; it was one involving spokes and a
kickstand.
Th e Upstate city received the national des-
ignation as a Bicycle Friendly Community in
2007 by the League of American Bicyclists.
Spartanburg’s Bike Town initiative began
in 2005 with a $106,000 three-year grant
from the Mary Black Foundation. Four
nonprofi t groups – Palmetto Conservation
Foundation, Palmetto Cycling Coalition,
Freewheelers of Spartanburg and Partners
for Active Living – worked together on the
program.
Th e City of Spartanburg earned an
honorable mention as a bike-friendly
community in 2006. Th e following year,
Spartanburg earned its designation and
became the fi rst bike-friendly community
in South Carolina, said Jean Crow, associate
director for Partners for Active Living.
Th e city received its title based, in part,
on work done to improve and increase bike
safety education opportunities; improve
engineering of bike facilities and increase bike
infrastructure; and improve enforcement of
local and state laws related to bicyclists.
Spartanburg has about 35 miles of bike lanes
and about 135 miles of bike-friendly roads
and paths. Th e city is working with Spartan-
burg County on a bike/pedestrian master plan
to identify additional bike connections and
infrastructure needs, said Spartanburg planning
director Stephanie Monroe.
Interest in such pedestrian and bike plans
is growing across the country in an eff ort to
address obesity and environmental concerns.
In particular, those communities looking at
such plans are ones who have a “long-term
vision,” said Crow.
Promoting walking and biking within
Spartanburg fi ts in with one of the city’s ini-
tiatives to promote alternatives to auto tran-
sit, Monroe said. A step the city has made is
to allow businesses to add bike racks if they
fall short of their parking space requirement.
www.citiesmeanbusiness.org | Cities Mean BUSINESS 11
Above: Th e building that now
houses Sundance Gallery in
Greenwood has been restored to
its original charm.
(Photo/jon holloway)
Right: Left to right:
Tony Fisher, City of Spartanburg
Public Safety Director; Bill
Barnet, Mayor of Spartanburg;
Anne Chapman Jeter, Princi-
pal of Pine Street Elementary
School. (Photo/Spartanburg
Partners for Active Living)
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
“That’s showing we’re starting to get
people to support an active lifestyle,” Mon-
roe said.
Th e city and its private partners have been
working to create awareness of bicycling
and active living. Crow said her organiza-
tion has benefi tted from a close relationship
with the city. Partners for Active Living has
been involved with the city’s pursuit of the
Bicycle Friendly designation on every level,
from making infrastructure suggestions,
to marketing events, to sponsoring bicycle
commuter and mechanic classes. Another
popular event is the 102-mile bike ride called
the Assault on Mt. Mitchell.
Crow’s group has used National Bike
Month in May as a springboard to promote
as much activity as possible. Th e events
began in 2005, and Crow said she has seen
participation and the number of partnerships
skyrocket. Th e city and county also are
heavily involved, she said.
One of the events is a bike ride with
elected offi cials. Th is event started out as a
ride with mayors from all over Spartanburg
County but expanded to include elected
offi cials from all levels. It’s a great event that
draws media attention and makes decision
makers personally aware of biking issues and
what bicyclists face on the road, Crow said.
Florence Trail SystemA decade ago, leaders in the City of
Florence had a plan to link natural resources
and green spaces with city parks to create
distinct trails winding through the city’s
green space.
Th e Florence Trail System now spans 21
miles within the city of Florence. It has three
groupings of trails across the community
designed to highlight the existing natural
beauty of the area and promote conservation
and appreciation.
A 10-mile section on the west side of
the city consists of environmental trails,
with links to wetlands and a special section
for Sierra Club educational programs, said
Florence Public Works and Utilities Director
Drew Griffi n. Th ese trails also connect to
neighborhoods, hotels, the mall and res-
taurants. An 11-mile section of trail on the
east side of town contains about 300 acres
of preservation area, Griffi n said. Between
the two trail groups is another section of
urban trails, which connects city parks and
sidewalks.
Th e trails are part of the downtown rede-
velopment vision, and local businesses are on
board. Much of the land was donated, Griffi n
said. For instance, he said, Wal-Mart gave a
half-mile of land to the trail system, helping
to link the high school to the mall area.
Th e green space is home to a variety of
wildlife, including two nesting pairs of bald
eagles, Griffi n said.
For its work, Florence has been named
one of the Sierra Club’s Cool Cities, a des-
ignation for cities that work with residents
and local leaders to implement smart energy
solutions to save money and build a cleaner,
safer future.
Griffi n said the city’s original vision to
create green space has evolved into so much
more. It is a place for residents to get fi t,
enjoy nature and their history, and connect
with the entire community.
12 Cities Mean BUSINESS | www.citiesmeanbusiness.org
Boardwalks provide connections between and to the Florence Trail System and present opportunities
to interact with nature.
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
By Ashley Cook, Contributing writer
If there is a silver lining in the recession cloud we’re under, it’s that people
are looking closer to their own community
for the things they need. “Buy local” initia-
tives are sprouting up in cities all over the
state, encouraging residents to take advan-
tage of South Carolina resources before buy-
ing elsewhere.
But it’s not all about economics. Buying
local is also about plump tomatoes, crisp
okra and pie-worthy peaches. Cities and
towns around South Carolina have been
working with their rural neighbors to provide
residents with fresh produce. City-sponsored
farmers markets are on the rise.
Mount Pleasant holds its farmers market on
Tuesday aft ernoons — perfect for those who
might be busy on the weekend but only watch-
ing reruns on a Tuesday night. Crowds gather
on the grounds of the newly-rebuilt Moultrie
Middle School from April to October. Th ere
are free (and educational) activities for kids and
rotating music acts.
“First and foremost, this is a place for the
community to gather,” said Ashley McKenzie,
community development and tourism offi cer
for the Town of Mount Pleasant.
While large cities oft en have the resources
to put together these markets, small towns
may need to form partnerships to see results.
Offi cials in Blackville put this concept
to work when they decided to reopen the
town’s farmers market. Th ey partnered with
the Clemson Extension and the Blackville
Downtown Development Association to get
their market up and running.
Historically, Blackville was a market
town that grew up as a prominent stop on
the Charleston to Hamburg railroad line.
As commerce moved from rail to road, the
Blackville market was left in the dust. Th e
farmers market was shuttered and remained
that way for decades.
Last year, to celebrate the town’s 175th
anniversary, offi cials decided to return
to their roots and open another market.
Clemson Extension provided expertise
in agriculture, and the
Downtown Development Association
provided marketing know-how.
Th e Downtown Blackville Market opened
in 2008 to eager residents. “Th ere is no gro-
cery store in Blackville,” said Terri Smith of
the Clemson Extension, “so there was a great
deal of interest.”
In the Upstate, the Laurens Farmers
Market is in its second year and growing.
Th e market promotes South Carolina-grown
produce but takes it a step further to feature
food grown in Laurens County.
It’s not just about profi t, said Jonathon Ir-
ick, executive director of Main Street Laurens
USA. It’s also about rebuilding the eco-
nomic sustainability of the downtown
Mount Pleasant Farmers Market (Photo/Ryan Wilcox)
www.citiesmeanbusiness.org | Cities Mean BUSINESS 13
SUSTAINABLE LIVINGSouth Carolina’s ‘buy local’ efforthelps to sustain local economies
14 Cities Mean BUSINESS | www.citiesmeanbusiness.org
area. “People are coming back downtown.
Th ey’re doing what they used to do — come into
town to catch up with friends, get an ice cream.”
But the local farmers market is just a com-
ponent of Laurens’ buy-local eff orts.
“We’ve partnered with the county
Chamber of Commerce to initiate our Shop
Laurens County First program,” said Irick.
“We want people to buy what they can here.”
Th e Laurens County Chamber of Com-
merce, Laurens Main Street USA, and the
City of Clinton’s downtown development
association have worked together to promote
the program. Th ey’ve handed out stickers
and T-shirts, and provided incentives for
residents to shop local, such as a monthly
drawing with prizes like a fl at-screen TV and
an all-inclusive sports package.
“One of our businesses just had the best
month it’s ever had, so I think the campaign
is certainly working and bringing dollars
back downtown,” said Irick.
Th e eff orts in Laurens echo those in
the rest of the state. Along with the success
of farmers markets, buy-local campaigns
have taken on a broader scope, encourag-
ing residents to support local tourism and
patronize their city’s unique collection
of independent businesses.
In Myrtle Beach, where tourism is king,
the local Chamber of Commerce began an
incentive program for local residents. Locals
involved with business and social organiza-
tions are encouraged to provide referrals that
result in groups meeting in Myrtle Beach.
Locals whose referrals result in at least 25
hotel rooms booked per night receive a two-
night “staycation” in Myrtle Beach, includ-
ing gift cards for area entertainment and
restaurants.
“Groups traveling to the Myrtle Beach
area represent an estimated 10 percent of our
annual visitors,” said Danna Lilly, who works
with the city’s Convention and Visitors Bu-
reau. “Th e program is an excellent opportu-
nity to get the local community involved in
growing group business.”
Myrtle Beach isn’t the only city partner-
ing with local businesses to keep local dollars
downtown. Conway’s Main Street Program
introduced a Conway Gift Certifi cate that
residents can purchase and use at all partici-
pating stores.
Lowcountry Local First, an organization
made up of independent business owners
and supported by cities in the Lowcountry,
has joined in the national Ten Percent Shift
project. Th is movement, touted
as a “local stimulus package,” asks individu-
als, businesses, nonprofi ts and governmental
agencies to shift 10 percent of their purchases
to local independent businesses.
According to the Ten Percent Shift
project, if one out of every 10 trips results
in a local purchase, this shift could generate
about $140 million nationally in total new
economic activity, $50 million in new wages
and more than 1,000 new jobs.
Along these lines, the Mount Pleasant
Town Council directed all departments to
make every attempt to purchase items within
town limits, excluding those that require a bid.
“Whether it’s a hammer or copy paper,
if no bid is required, we must try to fi nd
the product in Mount Pleasant before we
shop elsewhere,” said Mac Burdette, town
administrator.
Other cities around the state are involved
with another national buy-local move-
ment, called the 3/50 Project. Forest Acres,
Beaufort, Conway, Florence, Orangeburg
and Summerville have all signed on to the
project that encourages residents to pick
three of their favorite independent businesses
and make a purchase there every month. If
50 percent of the working population did
this, it would generate an extra $42 billion in
revenue nationally.
“Forest Acres’ economic vitality is increas-
ingly dependent on the health of our local
businesses as their success unquestionably
adds to the quality of our lives,” said City
Manager Mark Williams.
Th ere are opportunities for growth in this
economy. In these tough times, hometowns
are coming up with innovative ways to sus-
tain their local livelihoods.
Buy local eff orts statewide include encouraging
residents to purchase produce at their local
farmers market.
A publication for the Municipal Association of South Carolina
www.citiesmeanbusiness.org Cities Mean Business
You see a police car.
We see a police offi cer named Hal who works closely with fi re departments and EMS, who knows every business owner downtown, who can name every city street and who buys 12 snow cones on Saturdays even though his T-ball team has never won a game.
To learn more about how strong cities contribute to the state’s economic prosperity, visit www.citiesmeanbusiness.org.
Cities Mean Business
Quality of life is an essential element in attracting new businesses.
are the cornerstones of the almost 300 hometowns across our state.
This is a proven formula for success and a primary reason cities and towns are strong catalysts for growth and prosperity. But this doesn’t happen by accident.
Hard work, vision and regional cooperation have helped make our cities and towns the centers of commerce they are today.
Magnets for good living
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Ratio - Student: Teacher ratio varies by age group.
AACS - American Association of Christian Schools, www.aacs.org
ACSI - Association of Christian Schools International, www.acsi.org
AdvancED - Advancing Excellence in Education Worldwide, www.advanc-ed.org
ASCD - Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, www.ascd.org
ERB - Educational Records Bureau, www.erbtest.org
NACAC - The National Association of College Admission Counselors,
www.nacacnet.org
NAES - National Association of Episcopal Schools, www.naes.org
NAIS - National Association of Independent Schools, www.nais.org
NASSP - The National Association of Secondary School Principals,
www.nassp.org
NCEA - National Catholic Education Association, www.ncea.org
NCGS - National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, www.ncgs.org
PAIS - Palmetto Association of Independent Schools, www.scpais.org
SACAC - The Southern Association of College Admission Counseling,
www.sacac.org
SACS - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, www.sacs.org
SAIS - Southern Association of Independent Schools, www.sais.org
SCACS - S.C. Association of Christian Schools, www.christianeducation.org
SCHSL - S.C. High School League, www.schsl.org
SCISA - S.C. Independent School Association, www.scisa.org
SSATB - Secondary School Admission Test Board, www.ssatmembers.org
TAC - Trident Admissions Council
Information presented was provided upon request from company
representatives, and SC Biz News LLC assumes the data is accurate. Not all
private schools are listed, only those that responded to our information inquiry.
DNR - Did Not Respond.
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TITLEBOOK OF LISTS
46 SC BIZ | www.scbizmag.com BUSINESS & EDUCATION HEALTH & LOGISTICS REAL ESTATE & FINANCIAL SERVICES WELLNESS CONSTRUCTION
REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTIONBOOK OF LISTS
Applied Energy Savings Systems (AESS) is the only Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) Certi ed contractor in South Carolina who is certi ed in the installation of all 3 types of air
barriers; Fluid Applied, Self – Adhered and Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF).
The increased focus on air barrier systems and properly constructed building envelopes demand an experienced, professional contractor with proven capabilities in all types of
exterior wall details. AESS has successfully applied over 3 million square feet of SPF alone!!
Our projects include DOD, Schools, Hospitals, Banks & Municipal buildings.
636G Longpoint Road; # 126 • Mt. Pleasant, S.C. 29464Phone: 843 – 216 – 6124 • Fax: 843 – 388 – 8466
appliedenergysavingssystems.com
The next time that your project calls for the installation of professionally installed air barrier and building envelope system, there is only 1 company to call…..
Applied Energy Savings Systems
The Southeast’s Premier Building Envelope & Air Barrier Contractor!
ABAA contractor #510-0221
48 SC BIZ | www.scbizmag.com
{ }Fall beautyFall is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy South Carolina’s beauty.
Table Rock Park in Pickens sits on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains
and features stunning lakes and breathtaking views. The park serves as a
trailhead for the 80-mile Foothills Trail, which spans from the Upstate into
Western North Carolina. (Photo/Kevin Greene)
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