LATEST GOOD NEWS

 

During the past 10 years, corporate headquarters, new restaurants, a state-of-the-art library and excitement surrounding future educational facilities have pumped life back into Spartanburg's downtown.

In an opinion column in 2001, then Mayor-elect Bill Barnet wrote that he hoped by the year 2010, Spartanburg would have creative housing opportunities in the central business district, a new arts and science complex and a Renaissance Park project under way.

Since that time, the Chapman Cultural Center has opened, Barnet Park has been developed, Morgan Square has been rebuilt, Extended Stay America and QS/1 have made their homes downtown, and the Marriott at Renaissance Park has been launched as a top-notch hotel, hosting visitors and conferences.

James Talley, who served as mayor from 1992 to 2001, credited council members in the '90s with spurring downtown development by reopening Main Street to traffic after years of the area serving as a pedestrian mall.

"After that, we got Denny's (headquarters), and the Marriott was part of our original plan for downtown. And it all sort of fell right into place," Talley said. "It took a lot of effort from a lot of people, both back then and since, but Spartanburg is on the up and up."

Talley said timing was crucial for recruiting businesses downtown. For years, the city tried to develop the parcel that became known as "Opportunity Block," and there were numerous plans -- none of which panned out until George Dean Johnson Jr. decided to relocate Extended Stay America's headquarters from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Foster Chapman, chief executive officer and president of Johnson Development, said leadership -- from former city manager Roy Lane, Mayor Bill Barnet, City Manager Ed Memmott and former city manager Mark Scott -- played a critical role in developing downtown.

"You have to realize, too, that Extended Stay was a company very settled in Fort Lauderdale," Chapman said. "But George wanted to come home and bring his company with him, and he brought people with him. The positioning of Extended Stay, Advance America and QS/1 -- a quiet company that wanted to make a big statement with a nice building downtown -- was huge."

Most would agree -- including Barnet, who is renovating a historic building downtown into his residence -- that Spartanburg is a long way from having a 24-hour downtown.

"But we're getting closer," Chapman said. "There are close to 100 apartments and condos downtown, and until the economy took a downturn, they were largely full."

As Barnet nears the end of his final term as mayor, he's spent some time looking back on the last eight years. He praises the achievements and said much has been done to enhance downtown in an effort to create Spartanburg's identity. Still, Barnet said there is much work to do.

"I'm proud of what the city -- council and the community -- has been able to do," Barnet said. He cites as successes Hub-Bub, historic buildings that are still intact, and decent property values in Hampton Heights because of work by the Preservation Trust and the city.

"There is still work to be done to connect the dots to make walking from Wofford College -- for example -- a safe and pleasant experience," Barnet said. "We need things of interest to keep the attention of pedestrians -- we haven't accomplished that."

Barnet said Spartanburg is challenged with a broad downtown spread across several miles. It will take time, he said, for stores, shops and restaurants to provide the in-fill.

The city has been faced with tough economic challenges that caused some restaurants and stores to relocate, but others, such as Wild Wing Cafe have returned to downtown, joining newcomers RJ Rockers Brewing Co. and the Tap Room at RJ Rockers.

"More people believe in downtown now," Barnet said. "A generation ago, no one gave a damn about downtown. Attention was given to Hillcrest and WestGate, people gave up on the center of the city, and we've spent the last 10 years creating an experience so people will want to invest and return to downtown."

Barnet and Chapman said the new George Dean Johnson College of Business and Economics (University of South Carolina Upstate), and Spartanburg Community College's new downtown school on South Dean Street will bring hundreds of people downtown.

Harry Price, the owner of Price's Store for Men, said only two women's clothing stores operated downtown three years ago. Today, there are six. That, he said, is a positive sign of growth.

"That's big, big news in the sense that women now have a place to come and spend the day," Price said. "Spartanburg isn't just a one-stop destination. People want to come now and spend the day or afternoon."

Price said downtown now has layers, with restaurants, bars and stores for those who live here and others who are visiting.

"There's a focus now on the interconnectivity, and that's important," Price said. "Downtown is an authentic part of Spartanburg, and there are so few things that are truly authentic Spartanburg."

Price sees the momentum every day -- new people stop in and shop, complimenting the city's downtown.

"If the economic situation hadn't been what it has been for the last two years or so, no doubt Spartanburg would've been able to attract more development," Price said. "But we're beginning to see the undercurrent again of that growth, and it's so exciting."
Posted on December 27th, 2009
 
Maybe the reason 9-year-old Savannah Duke of Spartanburg likes to swim is because it puts her more on equal footing.

In the water, she is graceful and agile. She is free and easy. Using her only leg as a propeller, she looks like a sea lion as she glides along.

"I just love it in the pool," she said.

When she's not swimming, she's usually hopping. Savannah, who was born without a left leg, doesn't use her crutches as much as she perhaps should. It's faster to bounce around as if she were on a pogo stick.

"That's another reason swimming is good for her," said Savannah's mother, Wendy. "As much as she hops, I worry about impact on the joints."

Savannah developed cancer in the womb. She began chemotherapy treatments at one week old. At six months, she underwent a 12-hour surgery.

She's been cancer-free for eight years.

Wendy and husband Scott had some insight into Savannah's fighting spirit even before she was born. Some of that competitive nature might be inherited. Both parents played college basketball, Wendy at Converse and Scott at Wofford.

Their doctor was performing an amniocentesis, which involved a six-inch needle straight through Wendy's pregnant belly. There was no need to worry, he said, because unborn babies somehow sense danger and shy away from needles.

They watched the monitor in shock as Savannah reached out a tiny hand and grabbed the needle.

Even the doctor was astonished. He said he had never seen that before.

And after the needle was carefully removed, Wendy said, she swears Savannah shook a fist.

"We knew right there she was a fighter," Wendy said.

Now in the third grade, Savannah plays piano, sings in the church choir and enjoys arts and music programs at Woodland Heights Elementary School.

"Every kid is special. But she's a special kid," Wendy said. "She just has a special calling in her life. There is a special plan for her life. We don't know what it is yet, but we're watching it unfold a little bit at a time."

It didn't take Savannah long in the pool, mostly playing around with 6-year-old brother J.P., to realize that she wanted to swim competitively. She joined a city league and is taking lessons at the Spartanburg Swim Center to get faster.

"I'm so impressed with her," said swimming instructor Josh Rush. "She never gives me any reasons why she can't. It never seems to cross her mind. I try to be honest with her. I tell her she may have difficulty with one thing or another because she doesn't have two legs. And she gives me this stubborn look."

At the end of the lesson, it's Rush who says he learns more from Savannah.

"When you think about it, we all basically go through the same things that she does," Rush said. "We just don't see our obstacles as clearly. What she has to overcome is very straightforward. The rest of us have to figure it out. In that way, she has an advantage."

Savannah is happy and content, for the most part. But, of course, she has her moments of frustration and sadness, too.

"She hardly ever talks about it," Wendy said. "Then there are times when she asks questions like: 'Why do I only have one leg? Why can't I have two?' It's not often. But it does happen."

Some of those questions were answered in a book Wendy wrote about the experience and how their faith helped them through. At night, Scott would read "The Grace by Which We Stand" aloud to Savannah.

"I loved it," she said as she raised her arms up as if signaling a touchdown. "I didn't really remember anything that much because I was so little. But I actually learned a lot."

Savannah usually isn't bothered by the occasional and inevitable jokes from other children. The first day of school each year, however, is usually a little bit rough. She recently asked her mother to explain the story to a certain first-grader at Woodland Heights.

"She said there was a boy who was telling everybody that Savannah didn't have a leg because her daddy cut it off with an axe," Wendy said. "So I told her, 'Well, I tell you what. I say we go with it. We'll dress your daddy up for Halloween and let him carry around your prosthesis and scare everybody to death. We'll go to that kid's house and really freak him out.'"

They got a good laugh about that, and it seemed to solve everything.

Wendy said she and Savannah were in a bookstore not long ago and when they got home, they noticed a hand-written note in the bag. The note read: "You just made my day. You made everything I complained about today seem like nothing. Thank you."

Savannah touches so many lives without even knowing it.

"She's just a normal kid. But every now and then, I get glimpses of her doing extraordinary things," Wendy said. "I think she is an inspiration to a lot of people for a lot of different reasons."
Posted on November 15th, 2009
 
Fluor Corp.’s Greenville employees are quietly marking a milestone — 75 years in South Carolina with fingerprints all over the world.





What started with Daniel Construction Co. grew into an Upstate giant, with thousands of employees, iconic buildings, numerous companies started by alumni and strong charitable and civic connections.

Greenville’s infrastructure and its downtown skyline show the company’s imprint. The Daniel Building, now known as the Landmark Building, was Daniel’s downtown headquarters and once the tallest skyscraper in the state. The firm built the Hyatt Regency hotel, the Peace Center, the Bi-Lo Center and the twin Insignia Financial Plaza towers, now known as Liberty Square.

Beyond downtown, it built First Baptist Church, the Greenville Post Office, the Thornblade clubhouse, much of Furman and Bob Jones universities, renovations and the addition to the Greenville County Courthouse and the rebuilt McAlister Square.

Across county lines, the company built Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, BMW Manufacturing Co., and many buildings at Clemson University.

“The historical presence is significant,” said Ben Haskew, president of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce. “You can’t say enough about what Fluor means to our economy and to Greenville.”

Les McCraw, who joined the company in 1975 and eventually became chairman of Fluor, said, “I think Daniel has been incredibly important to Greenville, not only from the standpoint of providing any number of high-paying jobs but in community support.”

“Charlie Daniel and then my dad were totally committed to the community,” said Minor Mickel Shaw, daughter of Buck Mickel, who succeeded his uncle as head of Daniel Construction.

But it’s not all history.

Fluor’s Greenville office is headquarters of four of the company’s five business groups. While home to the industrial and infrastructure, government, power and global services groups, the office also has an energy and chemicals presence, said Annette Allen, manager of the Greenville office.
Posted on November 8th, 2009
 
Local developers plan to put a two-story building anchored by a drug store at a prominent Main Street corner where there’s been nothing but a vacant lot for nearly eight years.




The 36,000-square-foot building planned by KDS Commercial Properties at the intersection of Main Street and McBee Avenue would house a national drug chain on the ground floor and offices on the second floor, said Larry Webb, who owns the Greenville real estate company along with Mike Kiriakides.

The building would also have glass-enclosed meeting space and a patio garden on the roof that would be available for the public to rent, Webb said.

Webb said he wasn’t at liberty to identify the drug chain because he and Kiriakides are “ironing out the final details” on a lease deal with the retailer.

“It’s following due process, and it’s tracking along well,” Webb said.

The developers hope to break ground on the $6.5 million building in the spring and finish construction eight to ten months later, Webb said.

Greenville’s Design Review Board, which reviews all development in the Central Business District, is scheduled to take up the building plan on Dec. 3.

“We’re just very pleased that we finally have a project for the site that’s going to work well for the owners and work well for the city, and we think it’s something that’s very much needed for downtown, and we’re working diligently to get this done,” Webb said.

Charlie Whitmire, developer of the Bookends condominium-and-retail development next door and one of its residents, said he and neighbors will be happy to see something on the corner “other than a hole in the ground.”

“From our standpoint, we consider it very positive,” Whitmire said. “I think that would be the general consensus of everybody in our building.”
Posted on November 5th, 2009
 
Two Greenville County high school seniors will have a distinct advantage as the college application season gets under way: a perfect 2400 score on the SAT test.




Mauldin High senior Natasha Deshpande and Riverside High senior Hannah Chen both had perfect scores, with 800s in each of the three parts of the college entrance test – critical reading, math, and writing.

Close to 300 of about 1.5 million high school seniors taking the test nationally in recent years had perfect scores, according to the College Board, which administers the test. Four South Carolina high school seniors in the class of 2009 had perfect scores, two in the class of 2008 and one each in the classes of 2007 and 2006. Figures for the class of 2010 aren’t available yet.

Both Chen and Deshpande were surprised to receive perfect scores.

“I wasn’t sure it was my score,” Chen said. “I felt that I hadn’t done great on my essay and in the reading section.”

Deshpande had a headache and was running a fever the day of the test and didn’t feel she was at her best. Even after narrowing down possible answers on some vocabulary questions, it was hard to determine “the best answer to fit in the blank,” she said.

Neither student took a SAT prep class. Both used study guides that contained practice tests and not only checked their answers but analyzed their mistakes.

“Whenever I missed a question I looked back to see what the correct answer was and why,” Deshpande said.

Chen said she listed reasons for her wrong answers and “tried to fix the reasons.”

Daily study was the key for Deshpande. She first took the SAT as a junior. She worked with the study guide several times a week and scored 2110 on the test. She took it a second time and didn’t study. Her score dropped 60 points. She studied about 15 minutes or so daily before taking the test a third time.

Her advice to others: “Buy a practice book and do a little bit of review every day because that’s better than cramming the night before. Be sure you don’t stress out too much about it. If questions are hard, don’t freak out. Stay calm and just do your best.”
Posted on November 4th, 2009
 
The established automotive industry in South Carolina's Upstate soon could get a jolt of new activity.

Three electric vehicle manufacturers are looking at sites here, and if any one of them chooses this area, the potential synergy that follows could open numerous doors to technological advances and spin-off companies -- not to mention hundreds, possibly thousands, of jobs.

The companies are:

u CT&T United, an aggressive electric car manufacturer that forecasts creating 10,000 jobs nationwide in the next five years. It's a subsidiary of a South Korean company that recently announced the acquisition of a $400 million contract to build 38,000 electric vehicles -- most to be distributed in the United States, but also in Canada, Japan and Taiwan. CT&T United already plans 200-man assembly and sales sites in Pennsylvania and California, and the company is considering three sites in the Southeast for another such complex that also would be home to its North American headquarters and a research and development center. The number of jobs tied to that site has been listed as 2,500 over five years, though Senior Director of Marketing Curt Westlake recently called that number "fluid." The company is looking at a site in Georgia, a site in Upstate South Carolina and a site in this state's Lowcountry. Multiple sources have told the Herald-Journal that the Upstate site is in Spartanburg, though Westlake would not confirm that.

u Proterra, a Golden, Colo.-based electric bus company that is looking to expand east, where it will be closer to its vendors and customers. The two sites that have been named under consideration are in South Carolina and Ohio. Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Dale Hill said in the Palmetto State, Greenville has been the most aggressive in courting them. According to a $100 million federal grant application prepared by and for the city of Greenville and the Greenville Transit Authority: "The State of S.C. and local governments in Greenville County have prepared a significant economic incentive package to convince Proterra to build a manufacturing plant in S.C." That plant is expected to generate 1,000 jobs in the next six years. Hill said the "ripple effect" for bus manufacturing is fivefold, in that "for every hour you spend on a bus in assembly, you generate five times that in support jobs. You've got people that make the seats, the wheels, the tires, the air conditioning… all the components that the bus manufacturer is not going to make."

u A third company that only has been described by multiple sources as a startup electric vehicle manufacturer based in Oregon.

'Wild, wild west'
There are a lot of ifs in any scenario that would lead to the Upstate adding electric vehicle production to its growing automotive portfolio. And company officials haven't been shy about saying the incentives they're offered could likely decide the matter.

"It comes down to dollars and cents, and who loves you the most," said Westlake, with CT&T.

His company and Proterra both cite the number of existing automotive suppliers here as enticing, along with Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research. They talk about the existing work force and the training programs in place that already cater to the automotive industry.

U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis has said he's met with all three electric vehicle manufacturing companies eyeing the Upstate. He spent one day last week driving a Proterra bus in Washington, D.C., and in a later interview talked about the potential synergy such a company could bring -- whether it's in the realm of battery research and production or on-board computers that allow vehicles to drive themselves. The latter could draw the attention of companies such as Microsoft, he said.

Inglis cited BMW's imminent production of its X6 hybrid, General Electric's focus on wind turbines in Greenville and the recent announcement that Kemet Corp. in Greenville will develop a new product line to make parts for electric vehicles among the points that show "the road to energy independence and the road to recovery run through South Carolina."

"If we can land one of these electric vehicle companies, it will be another statement of the Upstate's embrace of the future -- and our willingness to go for it," Inglis said.

Electric vehicles are a hot topic, in part because of dollars available to support them -- from the money Greenville and its partners are seeking for a bus system to link Clemson University and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport to tax credits for people who buy electric vehicles. The buyer of a $14,000 eZone from CT&T would be eligible for $7,000 in tax credits, for example.

"The whole electric vehicle world is being created as we speak," Westlake said. "There is a whole cast of characters, from traditional automakers to traditional battery and motor makers, as well as startups -- they're all jumping into the electric vehicle world. There's a tremendous amount of investment capital pouring into the category. The Obama Administration, through (Department of Energy) grants and DOE loans, is putting a tremendous amount of momentum behind the development and adoption of electric vehicles."
Posted on November 1st, 2009
 
The landing was delayed, but Boeing has arrived in South Carolina and is bringing along 3,800 jobs to build its new, state-of-the-art jet.

Jilting its longtime Washington state manufacturing base, the Chicago-based airplane maker said Wednesday it will build its second 787 Dreamliner assembly line in North Charleston.

State and local officials, who unsuccessfully sought Boeing's first 787 assembly line in 2003, expect Boeing to break ground on the plant within a month, as the company moves to get the line up and running by 2011 to complete backordered planes.

Posted on October 29th, 2009
 
October 26, 2009 – Gov. Mark Sanford, the South Carolina Department of Commerce and the Greenville Area Development Corporation today announced that KEMET will expand its facility in Greenville County to support manufacturing of capacitors for electric drive vehicles and alternative energy markets. The investment is expected to generate 113 new jobs within the next three years.



“We are pleased to expand our operations in South Carolina. This investment will allow us to meet growing demand from our customers in the U.S., especially in the electric drive vehicle industry. Our Simpsonville facility has been an important part of our production capabilities over the years and South Carolina has always provided KEMET with an excellent business environment and a highly-skilled workforce. We appreciate the support we have received from state and local officials, and South Carolina’s congressional delegation who helped make this expansion a reality,” said Per-Olof Loof, chief executive officer and director, KEMET.



KEMET will expand its facility in Simpsonville to manufacture a new line of capacitors, which are an important component in electric drive vehicles and will be marketed to the alternative energy industry. KEMET recently received a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to add additional capacitor lines to its South Carolina plant in order to produce enough capacitors to make 100,000 electric drive vehicles. The company anticipates that the expansion will be completed and the new production capacity online within nine months.



“This new production line in Greenville County represents another dividend from our continued efforts to improve business soil conditions in South Carolina. Given the global competition for new jobs, capital investment and indeed quality of life, both KEMET's technological advances in components for electric drive vehicles and alternative energy production and their decision to expand in South Carolina reflect positively on our state’s workforce, the Department of Commerce, local leaders, and in fact all of our commitments to creating a more business-friendly environment that will encourage further economic growth and job-creation going forward,” said Gov. Mark Sanford.



“KEMET’s expansion of its Simpsonville facility is an affirmation of the company’s commitment to South Carolina. KEMET could have taken this new line anywhere in the world and the fact that they chose to grow here is again a reminder that our state’s business-friendly climate, skilled workforce and exceptional market access are working to attract new investment and new jobs for South Carolinians. We congratulate KEMET on their success and look forward to a continued and mutually beneficial relationship with them in the years ahead,” said Joe Taylor, Secretary of Commerce.



KEMET is currently producing the capacitor lines in Europe. However, having the lines produced in South Carolina will allow the company to easily reach their domestic customers. The expansion will also increase the available capacity in the U.S. for capacitors and therein reduce the supply chain risk electric drive vehicle manufacturers face by having to depend on non-U.S. suppliers for this key subcomponent.



“Today is an exciting day for the people of Greenville County. KEMET’s expansion will create much needed jobs for our skilled workforce. Today’s announcement also once again shows the potential South Carolina has to lead in the new clean energy environment. I am very proud of the work KEMET is doing in South Carolina and look forward to growing this relationship in the years ahead,” said U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.



“KEMET is another proof that the Upstate will lead the nation out of this recession. New energy jobs prove that the road to recovery and the road to energy independence are one and the same,” said Congressman Bob Inglis.



In addition to being able to supply capacitors for the current and future electric drive vehicle programs in the U.S., KEMET’s expansion in Greenville County will also allow the company to begin supplying the same components to wind, tidal, geothermal and solar energy generation markets.



“As an international company and long-standing member of our business community, KEMET’s decision to expand its Greenville County presence to make capacitors for electric vehicles and alternative energy markets is great news,” noted H.G. “Butch” Kirven Jr., chairman of Greenville County Council. “Their expansion here affirms that our focus on advanced manufacturing and automotive suppliers is bearing fruit, and should serve as a magnet to attract talented individuals while adding good paying jobs in our community.”



“KEMET is a progressive company that combines world-class technology and unique engineering processes with an Upstate location to grow their business,” said Mike Buiter, chairman of the Greenville Area Development Corporation Board. “The company is research-based, innovative and growth-oriented, and a wonderful reflection of the opportunities to be found in Greenville County.”



The company will make a formal announcement when it is ready to begin the hiring process. Individuals interested in employment opportunities are encouraged wait until KEMET releases details regarding the availability of new positions.

Posted on October 26th, 2009
 
Rivalries turned fundraisers, spirit weeks at local high schools channel school spirit into big donations to charities through a weeklong bonanza of games, events, competitions and more.

“It’s a completely different week around here,” said Graham Bichell, student body president at Greenville High.

Here’s a quick summary of how it works: each school’s student council selects a charity (or charities) to support and then envisions, plans and executes an entire week of non-stop activity aimed at raising money for the charity and beating out the rival high school in total amount raised.

Several area high schools host similar events, and this week two of the most successful fundraising rivalries take center stage: It’s Greenville versus J.L. Mann and Eastside versus Wade Hampton.

“Beating Eastside, raising money for a charity – it’s just kind of crazy that week,” said Allen McAfee, Wade Hampton student body president. “The whole school – you walk in and everyone’s excited. You can’t help but being pumped and excited and energized the whole day.”

According to Eastside student government adviser Jackie Weaver, the spirit week concept got started when the original Wade Hampton High was split to create Eastside. A nasty rivalry developed between the two student bodies.

“The two principals got together and decided that something positive needed to be done, so they created this 31 years ago as a positive rivalry,” she said.

It’s been growing by leaps and bounds ever since. The Greenville-J.L. Mann Spirit Week joined the fray about 20 years ago, according to Penny Beacham, Greenville’s student council adviser.

Last year alone, the four schools combined to raise more than $870,000 for charities such as Habitat for Humanity, Camp Spearhead and Safe Harbor.

“Even though we lost last year, to raise that amount of money on our own ideas and our own work ethics, it astounds me,” said Mattos Paschal, Greenville’s senior class treasurer.

(2 of 3)


The philanthropy
Each school has a slightly different focus when it comes to choosing a charity.



Eastside generally selects disease foundations where students feel like they’re contributing to finding a cure – “the underdog,” according to Beth Payne, central spirit president.

Wade Hampton chooses a local charity, and Greenville tends to choose a few local charities to share in the proceeds. J.L. Mann takes things to heart; the school’s charity focus this year is Susan G. Komen for the Cure because of the school athletic director’s successful battle with breast cancer.

“This is going to be a member of our school and one of our teachers who’s with us every day,” said Hannah Pace, a Mann student body executive. “That really makes it mean so much more, so much past the competition.”

Wade Hampton this year chose A Child’s Haven, a therapeutic center for children with developmental delays caused by poverty, abuse or neglect. Michelle Shain, interim executive director, said the money couldn’t have come at a better time.

“The money that will be raised for spirit week will go toward helping us keep the doors open, and that is so critical right now in this economy,” she said. “We’re going to learn from them. They’ll hopefully learn from us. And at the end of the day, children and families get served at the highest possible level.”

The fun
Students at Eastside High described the week as “crazy” and “chaotic,” and that’s easy to understand with a spirit week schedule that includes events such as a 5K walk/run, a Haunted Hallway, silent auction, dress-up days, basketball tournament, a womanless pageant, teacher talent show, arm wrestling, bonfire and much, much more.

And every school’s calendar is just as full with events like powder puff football, dodgeball, yard sales, mud wrestling, dances and performers.

Wade Hampton’s signature impersonating, cross-dressing event, Poultry, is its biggest fundraiser every year, raking in $60,000 alone last year.

Teachers and students alike get into the spirit, Beacham said, with challenges like “My fifth-period class is going to raise more money than your fifth-period class.’

(3 of 3)


Wade Hampton student council adviser Sandy Brooks recounted a story about her father making a visit to the school one day during spirit week, only to be swarmed by students in the parking lot looking to raid his spare change.



“It’s crazy but all in fun,” she said.

Eastside’s Payne said spirit week was a great part of her high school years, even before she got involved with planning on student government.

“My favorite memories in high school – literally, all my favorite memories – came from spirit week,” she said.

The heart
“Last year was my first year on council, and I never imagined that it would touch my life as much as I was touching other people’s at the same time,” said Mann’s Pace. “I’d never experienced anything like that before, ever.”

Several students said they got goose bumps just thinking about last year, when the grand totals were revealed at the Friday night football games and the schools reveled in their successes, even when they lost the fundraising competition.

“I feel like if everybody gives it their all, then it’s the most rewarding experience no matter how much money you make,” Payne said.

For all the antagonism inherent in the rivalries, many said spirit week really is about what students are doing for their communities.

“I seriously doubt that there’s many places in this United States where schools in one school district raise this kind of money,” said Eastside adviser Weaver. “Nobody loses.”
Posted on October 25th, 2009
 
PICKENS — Milliken & Co. will invest more than $2.5 million over the next five years at its Pendleton Plant in Pickens County, a move that will help keep the plant competitive, a company spokesman said this week.



“We look at it as a way to do everything we can to keep the employment we have at that plant, to allow us to remain competitive,” said Richard Dillard, Milliken & Co. director of public affairs. “Milliken looks forward to a bright future in Pickens County.”

Earlier this week, Pickens County Council did its part to help Milliken by unanimously approving a agreement that gives the company a tax break on the new investment.

Under the agreement, known as a fee in lieu of taxes, the county will tax Milliken’s investment at 6 percent instead of 10.5 percent, according to county Administrator Chappell Hurst. In exchange, Milliken will begin paying the taxes next year.

Hurst said that without the agreement, Milliken would have been exempt from county taxes for five years but would then have been taxed at the higher rate.

“Rather than have that five years with no money, we agree to do (tax the investment) at 6 percent,” Hurst said. “We get some money initially, and the company benefits because they end up paying a lesser amount of tax on it.”

The agreement is a standard arrangement, Hurst said, and companies that are considering making investments of more than $2.5 million within the county are eligible to seek out the same type of agreement.

While the minimum to be eligible is $2.5 million, Dillard said Milliken has assured the county that its investment will be more than that during the next five years.

Dillard declined to say what, specifically, the money would be used for.
Posted on October 23rd, 2009
 
Upstate building permits are on the rise in the Upstate, but not all local home builders are experiencing the climb.



The Market Edge, a Knoxville-based firm that tracks residential building trends, said building permits in the Upstate rose 14.3 percent in the third quarter compared to the second quarter of the year.

Dale Akins, president of The Market Edge, said, there’s been a positive trend in quarter- to-quarter increases since the fourth quarter of 2008, with its 525 permits. There were 728 permits in the third quarter this year.

“It’s encouraging,” Akins said.

Keith Smith, a local custom homebuilder, said for builders like himself, whose average market is in the $450,000 range, “There’s surely not a noticeable uptick.”

Smith and Michael Dey, executive vice president of the Home Builder Association of Greenville, say a vast majority of the permit activity is coming from homes in the $250,000 price range and below, and it’s due to the first-time home buyer tax credit.

“People in my price range, we’re still feeling the crunch,” Smith said.

Nationwide, single-family permits and starts appear to have bottomed earlier this year and should continue to gradually grind higher, Wells Fargo economists said.

“We may see a temporary stall late this year, however, as the first-time homebuyer credit comes to an end,” the economists said.

Dey said the Greenville area probably bottomed out in late April or May.

“We had too much inventory on the market that has had to be absorbed, and that is happening,” he said. “We’re starting to see builders start new houses particularly in the lower price points where the inventory has been largely absorbed.”

The Upstate region defined by the quarterly report — Greenville, Pickens, Anderson, Laurens, Abbeville, Greenwood, Oconee, and Spartanburg counties — is still down compared with last year. Year-to-date figures are down 50.7 percent.

Akins likened the housing market to an airplane trying to land.

“It’s been a steady descent. We were pretty much stuck on the runway all the way through the third quarter to the fourth quarter. The last six months have been sort of taking back off again,” he said.

“The question going forward is whether we’re going to stall out and go back down again or are we going to continue to ride.”
Posted on October 20th, 2009
 
When Tier One Solutions held a job fair to fill positions at BMW Manufacturing Co. last week, the crush of applicants was so great that not everyone could be interviewed.



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To allow all interested Upstate residents to apply and be interviewed, the staffing agency, a subsidiary of MAU Inc., is holding a second Greenville County job fair today. In addition, the agency wants to increase its applicant pool when selecting the employees who will fill the production and logistics jobs, said Brett Yardley, spokesman for MAU.

The job fair is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Greenville One Stop office in the state Employment Security Commission office, 706 Pendleton St. Last week, the interview slots filled up quickly, and MAU is urging applicants to arrive early.

“We’re anxious to get the most qualified South Carolinians back to work, and the fastest way to give people another opportunity for the remaining production and logistics positions is through a second job fair where MAU can capture top talent all in one place to make hiring decisions,” said Randy Hatcher, president of the staffing agency.

Tier One Solutions is seeking applications to fill the need for two additional shifts as BMW’s sales pick up. Positions will pay $13 for day shift and $14 for night shift work and include benefits. Applications will be accepted at the job fair or can be completed online at www.MAU.com. Anyone who has applied online is welcome to come for an interview.

BMW recently announced plans to hire up to 700 contact employees through Tier One Solutions, which provides workers to the plant when needed. Bobby Hitt, manager of public relations, said the jobs were associated with the increase in sales of existing vehicles.

A job fair also was held in Spartanburg County shortly after the announcement.

The Greer plant currently builds X5 sports activity vehicles and X6 sports activity coupes. It expects to launch the X6 activehybrid around the end of the year. Production of the X3 SAV, a smaller sibling of the X5, will be moved to Greer in the last half of 2010. Currently the X3 is produced in Austria.

BMW is nearing completion of a $750 million expansion at the plant, including a new assembly facility, expanded paint shop and refurbishing of the body shop. The new construction in the paint shop has been completed, but the existing paint shop will be torn down and rebuilt, Hitt said.

Steve Hand, who heads Greenville Technical College’s Quick Jobs program, said the plant’s expansion and new models could “translate into more jobs” across the region.
Posted on October 20th, 2009
 
GREER – Half a century after earning her degree from Limestone College, Elizabeth Farmer received her cap and gown on Thursday night.

Teresa Bratt, Upstate area coordinator for Limestone's Extended Campus program, presented Farmer with the cap and gown, a book on the history of Limestone College and other campus memorabilia.

Bratt aligned the tassel on the cap so it would sit on Farmer's right, the position that signifies graduation, prompting an accomplished smile from Farmer and kindling memories Farmer has made through nearly 10 decades as a pupil, teacher and retiree.

"It was wonderful to think of it," Farmer said.

Farmer, who was born in 1913 and grew up on a farm in the Campobello area, enrolled at Limestone College in 1930 with the goal of earning a teaching degree in four years.

The Great Depression altered Farmer's plans because the $420 for tuition was hard to come by, even though she received a $100 scholarship. Part of that scholarship included dusting buildings on campus.

After completing two years worth of courses, Farmer was eligible to obtain a teaching position. She did so and began going to extension classes after her 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. school days.

Farmer completed her degree requirements in 1959, but was unable to get a cap and gown. That prideful moment came Thursday night after she addressed a group of Limestone College students at the Greer National Guard Armory, which serves as one of the school's extended campus sites.

Farmer taught school for 43 years, including 29 years of second grade at Inman Elementary, from which she retired in 1975. She recalled having 52 first graders in one of her classes at Holly Springs earlier in her career.

Wadette Cothran with Camp Care, the Inman nursing home where Farmer resides, said Farmer taught District 1 Superintendent Jimmy Littlefield and Cothran in second grade. Cothran said Farmer's influence continues to reach through northwest Spartanburg County.

"It's an honor to have her," Cothran said. "She is just a blessing."

Camp Care workers presented Farmer with a framed report card from Limestone College. Farmer thought it was great, but contested how "some C (grades) got on there."
Posted on October 16th, 2009
 
BMW Manufacturing Co. will add 700 temporary workers to its South Carolina work force.

The company said today that will create two production shifts at its Greer plant.

Hiring will be handled through MAU Inc. and Tier One Solutions. They'll first contact former BMW workers to find out if they are able to return to work.

BMW Manufacturing President Josef Kerscher says the company has to have flexibility and described its current market as a roller coaster.

Slowing demand has cut production to 80 hours weekly this year. The additional shifts will increase that to 100 hours. Production was 110 hours last year.
Posted on October 9th, 2009
 
The Carolina Elite Soccer Academy has made a successful bid to put Greenville soccer back on the map.



On Wednesday, CESA announced that it will host the 2012 United States Youth Soccer Association Southern Regional Championships at the MESA Soccer Complex in Greer.

The event will welcome 188 visiting teams from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee. The competition is scheduled for 6-10 days and is comprised of six age groups, of boys and girls, ranging from Under 14 to Under 19. The winning teams will earn berths to the USYSA National Championships, in which one CESA team participated this summer.

CESA will host the regional event in June of 2012. Greenville has not hosted a regional championship since 1995, according to CESA co-director Pearse Tormey, who visited the USYSA planning meeting in Baton Rouge, La. last week to present Greenville as a hosting candidate.

CESA hosted a smaller, three-day regional event, the President's Cup, last June. Tormey said that experience and the condition of the MESA complex were the leading factors in landing the bid.

“You have to have the 16-field complex. You've got to have the hotels. Then, you have to have the volunteers and the community support,” he said. “We certainly have that here. Given that we just hosted most of these folks in June during the President's Cup, they got a feel for how well we can do.”

In earning the hosting bid, CESA partnered with the South Carolina Youth Soccer Association, the Greenville County and City Councils, the Greenville County Recreation Department and the Greenville Convention and Visitors Bureau. The group projects the event will generate an estimated $8 million. Tormey also hopes hosting the tournament will impact his club's play, providing a home-field advantage.

“We've averaged like 6-8 state championships over the last several years,” Tormey said, “so if our teams are fortunate enough to win the state championships again, they won't have to travel. It is just going to be great for the club and great for the exposure of Greenville.”
Posted on October 8th, 2009
 
GAFFNEY, S.C. -- Jetline, a New York-based company, is in the process of moving to Gaffney.

The business will move into a facility on Hyatt Street. Operations are expected to begin in early November.

"As my operations person says, ‘let's get it on,'" said Eric Levin, Jetline president.

The company deals with importing advertising products, decorating them or contracting out the injection molding process. Pens, keychains and cups are the typical items they sell to distributors.

"It's an interesting business because it's a very low entry point to advertising,” said Levin. “So, it's actually a little bit recession proof in the sense that you can buy 250 pens for $80 or $90. Where else can you advertise your company for $80, $90 and have an actual successful promotion?"

Levin says he chose to move his company to Gaffney, S.C., because of the cooperation and appreciation he received from area leaders. He said quality of life for his employees and the location also helped him decide.
Posted on October 6th, 2009
 
Moments before Kool & the Gang's "Celebration" blared from the sound system Monday night, Jimmy Gibbs dropped a "bomb."

On a night that celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Gibbs Cancer Center at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, the benefactor of the nationally recognized cancer treatment and research facility announced a major gift that will have a significant impact on the center's next decade.

Speaking with his wife, Marsha, by his side, Gibbs said the couple have committed $4 million through a challenge with the Spartanburg Regional Foundation ($6 million commitment) and the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Foundation ($5 million commitment) that aims to raise $15 million for the establishment of two endowed chairs for the center at $7.5 million apiece.

"We need the greatest talent in the world," Gibbs told the crowd of about 500 at the black-tie affair inside a huge tent outside the center. "Marsha and myself -- along with the people in this room and others who are not here -- we all started something here that's grown. We've got a jewel, and we need some of the greatest talent in the world, and we can get it. We need to do phase 1, phase 2 and phase 3 studies. We will bring national talent to us that will bring notoriety to the hospital and the cancer center and the (Bearden-Josey) Breast Center."

Before the big announcement, the evening was filled with reflection, celebration and laughter, including a commemorative video, speeches by the center's co-founders and lead doctors, Julian Josey and James Bearden, and an address by veteran broadcast and radio journalist and political commentator Cokie Roberts, a breast-cancer survivor who was back in Spartanburg after speaking at the center's fifth anniversary gala.
Posted on October 5th, 2009
 
EASLEY — For many people, getting to a high school reunion means hopping in the car, or if you live a good distance away, boarding a plane.



But that doesn’t work for Don Youngblood.

The 68-year-old Easley native and member of the Easley High class of 1959 made the 600-mile trip from his home in Pennsylvania to Pickens County on a bicycle.

On Saturday, he will join his fellow classmates at Smithfields Country Club to get reacquainted with old friends and share stories, and Youngblood will have plenty to talk about.

It will be his first high school reunion since graduation. He got an invitation to the 40-year reunion, but was overseas at the time and unable to attend.

“I started missing my hometown and my classmates from the past,” the retired Air Force Reserve officer said. “Most of my classmates went off to college after graduation, and I joined the service. I just kind of lost touch.”

Youngblood, who belongs to a couple of bike clubs in Pennsylvania, said he got the idea for the reunion bike trip from a fellow rider who had recently ridden to a reunion in Florida.

“It all just kind of fell into place,” Youngblood said.

He started in Lancaster, Pa., on Sept. 21, sticking mostly to U.S. highways on a route that basically followed the Appalachian Mountain chain.

“On the secondary roads, the lanes are narrower and there’s less shoulder to work with,” Youngblood said.

The trip went well until Youngblood ran into heavy rain in southern Virginia. Original plans called for him to meet up with a longtime friend who would share the 70-mile ride that day, but the downpour forced them to make that trip in the friend’s truck.

“He’s an old friend and we have ridden together before. We enjoyed just talking and being able to relax,” Youngblood said.

He crossed into North Carolina the next day, which turned out to be the worst day of the 10-day trip.

“I fell twice — one was minor but on the other one I thought my trip was over. I thought I had broken my collarbone,” Youngblood said.

But he kept pedaling, arriving at the home of a niece in Winston-Salem who bandaged
Posted on October 2nd, 2009
 
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina's public television station is featuring three schools awarded for their student achievement.

The monthly "In our Schools" television show on South Carolina ETV is highlighting Forest Acres Elementary in Pickens County, Calhoun County High School, and St. James Middle in Horry County on Sunday.

The first two received Palmetto Gold awards earlier this year.
Posted on September 27th, 2009
 
Womble Carlyle has been named the 2009 winner of the Law Firm Diversity Award by DRI (formerly the Defense Research Institute), the Voice of the Defense Bar.

The DRI Awards are national in scope and only one law firm in the country is honored annually for its commitment to diversity. The firm will receive the award on Oct. 8th at DRI’s Annual Meeting in Chicago.

“We have a commitment to diversity at Womble Carlyle,” said Firm Managing Member Keith Vaughan. “We sincerely appreciate this award, and view it as validation that we have made tremendous strides, but not that we have reached our destination. In practice and in philosophy, we will continue to work toward creating a richly diverse firm.”

“We don’t strive for diversity to win awards; we do so because it is the right thing to do,” said Brent Clinkscale, Chairman of Womble Carlyle’s Diversity Committee. “Having said that, it is always gratifying to be honored by one’s peers, particularly in a prestigious organization such as DRI.”

Womble Carlyle has a comprehensive diversity plan that encompasses all areas of the firm’s work life, including hiring, professional development, career advancement and support for aspiring law students. A 22-member Diversity Committee oversees these initiatives and Kenny Tatum serves as the firm’s full-time Director of Lateral Recruiting & Diversity Strategy, a senior-level staff position. The firm’s diversity efforts include:

• The Womble Carlyle Scholars Program. Every year, the firm awards 11 scholarships to high-achieving minority law students. The scholarship includes $8,000 to defray tuition and other expenses, plus recipients have the chance to work as summer associates at the firm. Several former Womble Carlyle Scholars now are attorneys at the firm.

• The CLEO-Womble Carlyle Road to Law School Academy. This program is held in conjunction with the Council of Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO). Each year, approximately 25 minority college juniors are selected for a rigorous academic program that prepares them to succeed in law school and a legal career.

• Support for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which provides merit-based scholarships and support to the nation’s 47 historically black colleges and universities. Other diversity efforts include support for the Finding Justice Project and the Just the Beginning Foundation.

Womble Carlyle has made promoting talented diverse attorneys and employees a priority. Two of the firm’s Office Managing Members are women, as are three Practice Group Leaders. Minorities and women also lead several of the firm’s administrative departments, including Talent Management, Knowledge Management and Media Relations, and the firm has African-American, Hispanic and Native American executives serving in senior staff positions.

DRI is the largest international membership organization of attorneys defending the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation.
Posted on September 27th, 2009
 
An anonymous donor purchased four new Boston Upright Pianos made by Steinway for the Applied Music Program at Spartanburg Day School. The donor made the gift because of belief in the program. “No more sticky keys!” exclaimed Jeane Begg, a long time piano instructor at the school. “The sound quality is fantastic. The older pianos we were using were difficult to keep in tune and now that isn’t a problem,” said Beth Jennings, another piano teacher. The private applied music program is the largest one of its kind in the Upstate on a K-12 campus. Forty percent of lower school students at Spartanburg Day School take some form of private music instruction. Ashley DeVore, a senior at Spartanburg Day School has participated in the program for many years. Of the new pianos, she says, “I am so thankful that people appreciate the arts enough to continue supporting them in any way they can. The new pianos were an amazing gift to the school and its students. It’s such a joy to sit at the new, beautiful pianos and play music for my teacher of all these years or for my own pleasure.”



The SDS private applied lessons music program is a program on campus that offers piano, voice, violin and guitar lessons to interested students. All types of wind and percussion instrument lessons are also available through the school’s band program. Currently, there are 65 piano students, 22 voice students, 3 violin students, and 9 guitar students in the program in addition to the existing and thriving band program.
Posted on September 16th, 2009
 
The finale sung by the S.C. Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities student ensemble a decade ago when the institution opened its doors declared: “We Are the Artists.”


And so they were, and so they remain, says the school’s current president, Dr. Bruce Halverson, who, after a distinguished career in arts education, says he finds himself in the enviable position of leading one of the country’s top arts schools.
“I spent my entire life creating opportunities for kids to explore their passion and desire to excel in the arts,” Halverson says. Now he gets to see that kind of exploration every day he comes to work.
Three years into the job, Halverson – joined by his talented students, master teacher faculty, well wishers and supporters of the Governor’s School Foundation – is planning a yearlong celebration of the school’s 10th anniversary.
The first of the festivities open to the public, at 11 a.m. Thursday, will offer a showcase of student performances and an address by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and screenwriter John Patrick Shanley, who returns to the campus he first visited in 2006 as a guest artist-in-residence. And that’s just a start to the many other activities planned throughout the academic year to celebrate what Halverson calls 10 years of inspired excellence.
“The whole concept that (founder) Virginia Uldrick and others developed is really first class,” Halverson says, “and proves we have many talented kids throughout South Carolina. All they needed was an opportunity to explore their passion and advance their gifts.”
That “whole concept” is a public, tuition-free, residential high school for emerging artists of South Carolina. Students apply and audition to attend the summer program or the nine-month residential program to study creative writing, dance, drama, music or visual arts. The faculty are active in the field they teach.
Today, the Governor’s School has become a national model for state-supported residential schools. It consistently appears in Newsweek magazine’s Challenge Index, an annual ranking of the top 1,500 public high schools in the nation based on rigorous course offerings and how well students perform in those courses. In 2009, the school ranked 490 out of the 27,000 schools surveyed nationwide, or among the top 2 percent.
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Since it opened its doors in 1999, its 890 graduates have earned $97.4 million in arts and academic scholarships to colleges, universities and conservatories.


The 96 students of the graduating class of 2009 received $18.3 million in scholarships and 100 percent admission into institutes of higher learning and professional companies, Halverson notes. The school currently has 228 students in its residential program, with 20 percent minority representation. Students come from 30 of the state’s 46 counties.
South Carolina’s success in educating its most gifted arts students is no secret. Halverson regularly receives visitors from around the country and beyond – delegations from Georgia, Kentucky, New Mexico, even South Korea have toured the facility – interested in emulating the program in their own cities or states.
But one of the best things about the school is how many of its recent graduates have come back to campus to encourage and to share their success stories with the current classes, Halverson says. Just the other day, pianist Benjamin Watkins, currently enrolled at Northwestern University, was on campus to give a recital and speak with the music students. Similarly, professional dancers Gray Davis and Joseph Phillips, both members of the American Ballet Theatre, return each year to assist and perform with the current crop of dance students enrolled in Ballet Master Stanislav Issaev’s classes.
While not all students end up in arts-related occupations, Halverson says, those who opt for medical or law school or other fields, will nevertheless carry with them the cornerstones of an arts and humanities education.
Throughout the school’s history, from conception to current day, the community’s support has been as crucial as the state’s. The SCGSAH Foundation initially raised $14.5 to match and exceed the state’s $12 million to build the school. The money it raises today is used to underwrite special programs, for projects, faculty education, one-on-one assistance to students and to meet other such needs.

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Averaging more than $250,000 a year, the foundation’s contributions to the Governor’s School are funded by statewide special events and gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations.


Executive director Susie White says one of the chief things the foundation provides for the school is the cost of bringing guest artists to the campus.
“To have the opportunity to sit at the feet of the master provides that needed inspiration that you can only get person to person,” White says. “You need to be in the company of someone who had been highly successful in the craft.” In these encounters with writers, actors, visual artists, dancers and musicians, students ask questions and receive invaluable advice, White says.
Or the assistance to students through the foundation may be as simple as sustenance – picking up the $3,000 cost for a student who is unable to pay for his or her meals for the year or buying eye glasses for someone who can’t afford them.
“I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to assist these kids once you know their personal stories and to know that you’re part of something that is truly life changing for them,” White says.
Ann Hicks can be reached at 864-298-4004.
Posted on September 13th, 2009
 
They are relying on the kindness of strangers. Creatures great and small are taking to the skies next week in airplanes they’ve never seen flown by pilots they’ve never met, but they’re all headed to the same place: home.


A locally founded organization is making a push to rescue thousands of animals languishing in shelters and transport them to new homes all around the country.
Pilots N Paws, a nonprofit message board that connects animal shelters and rescue groups with willing pilots to arrange for transportation of animals, was co-founded by Landrum resident Debi Boies.
“There are over 300,000 general aviation pilots in this country, and they all need to fly somewhere sometimes. Why not get on board with somebody that’s making a difference? That’s just what we’re trying to do,” she said.
The push this week, dubbed PNP5000, is to transport 5,000 animals by Sept. 20, a weeklong effort not only to save the animals but also to raise more awareness about problems with pet overpopulation.
PNP5000 is symbolically kicking off this morning at the downtown Greenville airport where Clemson pilot Steve Edwards is loading three dogs into his single-engine turboprop for a quick journey to northern Virginia.
“They’re going to be in crates — at least until my daughter gets them out of the crate, and then it’s a free-for-all from there,” Edwards joked. “My biggest challenge (today) is going to be my daughter trying to adopt one.”
The pups — Furbaby, Chandler and Beth — are coming from Greenville County Animal Care Services. Two were brought in as strays and one was surrendered by its owners because of finances, said shelter rescue coordinator Taryn Arnold.
Arnold said about 19,000 animals pass through Animal Care Services every year, and about 45 percent are euthanized.
“We try to save as many as we can, but it’s still hard. We have to put them down every day, and it’s tough for us,” she said.
One way they try to save abandoned animals is through outreach to rescue organizations, both in the area and across the country. Transport of the animals to distant rescues is always a challenge, which is where Pilots N Paws comes in.
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These three dogs, for instance, are going to an animal rescue in Winchester, Va., where one of them will receive treatment for heartworm, a condition that makes her unadoptable at the animal shelter.


Edwards said it’s the “bigger picture” of mass euthanasia that compelled him to get involved with Pilots N Paws.
Though Edwards has used his aircraft for humanitarian purposes before (including flying a friend’s ailing father home so he could be with his family in his final days), today’s flight will be Edwards’ first with Pilots N Paws, or with any animal for that matter.
“I was going to Iowa, and you can’t get any human being to go with you to Iowa,” he laughed. “I was sitting there with an airplane with all this emptiness.
“I thought, ‘What a waste,’” he said, so he called Pilots N Paws, an organization he’d learned about from a USA TODAY , to offer the space on his plane to some animals in need.
“The reality is if you’ve got an airplane of any size, there are times and ways that you can use your airplane to help. You just have to make that conscious decision to do it.”
That Iowa flight ended up being canceled, but Edwards stayed in touch with Boies and eventually arranged today’s flight.
Edwards said he was surprised at how excited Boies was to hear from him, but Boies said that’s easy to explain.
Many of the requested transports through Pilots N Paws are to move animals from the South to destinations north, where stricter spay and neuter laws have controlled pet overpopulation. But the South also suffers from a dearth of volunteering pilots.
“The area of greatest need for animals to be moved is also the area where we have the least number of pilots,” she said.
The Pilots N Paws Web site shows only about a dozen pilots registered in South Carolina, with scores signed up in places like Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.
“I don’t care if it’s dogs or people, and I don’t care if you’re flying a huge jet or a little, tiny airplane … more times than not, there’s an empty seat available and usually multiple empty seats available,” Edwards said.
“If you’re going there anyway, all it takes is a little bit of extra effort to put a dog onboard.”
“They have hearts, these pilots,” Boies said. “They have overnighted these animals in their homes if the weather’s turned bad. They have driven them if the weather’s turned bad and they couldn’t make the rest of the flight. Some of the pilots have adopted them.”
There are about 880 pilots registered through Pilots N Paws. Because many transports are arranged directly between the pilot and the rescue organizations, Boies doesn’t know how many will end up involved in PNP5000, but she’s confident that they’re making a difference.
“Because of this event, hundreds more are going to be saved than were before,” she said.
Posted on September 12th, 2009
 
Michelin North America has been named one of the top 50 work places for employees over 50 for the fourth time in the past five years, according to AARP.


The company ranked No. 37, up from No. 43 last year.
Wayne Culbertson, head of Michelin North America’s human resource department, said the company is proud of the recognition.
“We are the only company in South Carolina to be on the list,” he said. “We are one of a small handful of manufacturers on the list.”
In 2008, 15 percent of Michelin’s hires were 50 or older, Culbertson said.
He said he believes a reason the company is successful in making the list is because it tries to implement employee-friendly policies.
“Most companies probably say their most valuable resource is their employees,” he said. “We live that.”
Among the programs helpful for older workers are Michelin’s full-day retirement seminar to help employees with retirement decisions and a phased retirement program allowing workers 55 with 10 years of service to ramp their hours down. Also, it allows retirees to return to work part-time or on specific projects.
The company’s new Choose Well-Live Well program, which focuses on preventive care, contributed to Michelin’s move up the AARP list, said Jane Wylie, AARP South Carolina state director.
It also won the company recognition by the National Business Group on Health as a corporation leading in innovative programs promoting a healthy work place and healthy employees.
Started on Jan. 1, the program is “a radical change,” Culbertson said. “Employees have to be a lot more involved in their health and a lot more involved in their health care.”
When the program began, 55 percent signed up for the healthy options package while the remainder stayed with the traditional care – available for two more years, he said.
“Healthcare costs are skyrocketing,” he said, “and there are just so many things you can do to bring that under control.”
Among the program options are help in caring for chronic diseases such as diabetes or asthma. For the five most common chronic diseases, Michelin offers “preventive care free of charge,” he said. That includes prescriptions.
Also, the 2009 focus is on weight control, with Michelin offering 13 weeks of Weight Watchers free. The result to date is an average weight loss among the 1,100 participants of 10 percent.
Moving toward preventive care saves money for the company and employees and enhances the productivity of workers, he said.
Posted on September 9th, 2009
 
Spartanburg-based BMW Manufacturing Co.'s economic impact on South Carolina is usually quantified with large numbers.

More Photos:BMW's 15th anniversary
The German automaker threw out another gargantuan figure on Tuesday, as it marked the 15th anniversary in Spartanburg County by rolling out the 1,500,000th vehicle produced at its one and only U.S. plant.

A right-hand drive Monaco Blue X6 xDrive 35i, which will soon be shipped to its new owner in Hong Kong, was unveiled during a brief ceremony where BMW executives reflected on the company's decision in 1992 to become the state's first automaker.

"This investment changed the face of South Carolina and it changed the Upstate," said Josef Kerscher, president of BMW Manufacturing Co. "It secured the future prosperity for thousands of people."

Construction on the plant began in 1993 and the first vehicle produced, a 318i, was rolled out on Sept. 8, 1994.

Since then, BMW has expanded its original 1 million-square-foot plant five times, including its current $750 million expansion to add 1.5 million square feet, bringing the facility's total production space up to 4 million square feet.

The factory's workforce has grown from 500 to 5,000 employees.

BMW's total investment in the plant is $4.2 billion.

The plant generates $1.2 billion in yearly wages and supports more than 23,000 jobs across the state, said Bobby Hitt, department manager of media and public affairs for BMW Manufacturing Co.

"As BMW grows, so do the opportunities for people in our state," said S.C. Secretary of Commerce Joe Taylor. "Their example is a positive reflection of our state's business-friendly climate and a testament to the collaborative efforts of so many to bring jobs and investment to South Carolina."

More reason to celebrate
In addition to its manufacturing operations, BMW also celebrated other milestones reached by its Spartanburg plant throughout the past 15 years.

The company launched its landfill methane gas program in 2003. Through the program, the company collects methane gas from the nearby Palmetto Landfill and transports it via a 9.5 mile pipeline to the plant's energy center, where it provides more than 60 percent of the facility's energy needs.

BMW has played a central role in the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research. The company pledged $10 million to the center, which was matched by the state, and continues to support its research and development activities.

The company also formed a non-profit group to play host to its BMW Charity Pro-Am golf tournament, which has raised $7.3 million throughout 10 years for more than 125 Upstate and Western North Carolina charities.

More cars coming
The Spartanburg plant will begin production of BMW's first hybrid vehicle, the ActiveHybrid X6, towards the end of the year, near the time when it will officially begin production of the X3 model in its new Assembly North building.

BMW plans to ramp up production at the plant from 160,000 units to 240,000 units per year by 2012.

"It's hard to believe that so many years have passed," said Kerscher. "We were willing to take the risk then and we're optimistic about the future. Even during difficult economic times we did not slow down our expansion. It's our goal to be more efficient, more technologically advanced, to keep and protect our jobs at this plant."
Posted on September 9th, 2009
 
GREENVILLE COUNTY, SC, September 9, 2009— The Greenville Area Development Corporation and Control Management, Inc. (CMI) have announced the establishment of the company’s Upstate sales and distribution center in Greenville, South Carolina, including the addition of at least 10 jobs over the next 3 years, as part of the company’s strategic growth initiative in South Carolina.



Founded in 1985, Control Management, Inc. is a licensed electrical, mechanical, alarm system and control contractor in South Carolina and has "unlimited" contract classification. The Columbia-based enterprise provides energy management and control systems, equipment, and services including design, installation and maintenance of such systems, to facilities across South Carolina. An independent field office for Siemens Building Technologies, manufacturer of a complete line of pneumatic and electronic controls including the Siemens Apogee family of direct digital control products, CMI is part of the Siemens network which provides sales, parts, engineering, installation, and service for all Siemens control products.



The Greenville operation joins offices in Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach in meeting the energy management needs of organizations across the Palmetto State. CMI initially will add four positions, with the intent to expand to at least ten new positions within three years, according to CMI’s Phil Wilson, president and co-founder of the company. The new facility, located at 30 Cessna Court in Greenville, includes 5,000 square feet of office and warehouse space for sales support, project administration and warehousing. Capital investment in the new operations is estimated at over $750,000.



“This is truly an exciting time for CMI,” said Wilson. “We are proud to be able to sell and service the Siemens APOGEE system and with this expansion into the Upstate we are thrilled to be able to offer it in more places and to more customers.”



“We are very excited that CMI is taking our relationship to another level,” said Kevin Cunningham, Director of Sales & Operations for Siemens. “They have been a trusted partner for many, many years and the feedback we have received from their existing customers has been fabulous.”



The Greenville operation will focus on delivering unmatched product quality, customer service, installation and repairs to its many Upstate customers including Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital, Greenwood Genetics Center, Erskine College and the Union County School System, noted Wilson. “We are pleased to establish operations here in Greenville County, and see a tremendous growth opportunity for our organization across the Upstate. We are very appreciative for the support and leadership of the Greenville Area Development Corporation in making this announcement a reality.”
Posted on September 8th, 2009
 
The aviation wing of one of the world’s largest companies is taking a first class flight to South Carolina. And they’re bringing 100 new aerospace jobs with them.

General Electric Co. announced Tuesday that it was building a second manufacturing location in Greenville to boost production capabilities of high pressure turbine blades for commercial aircraft engines at their Upstate facilities.

This latest addition to GE’s small jet-engine parts operation will be located at The Matrix industrial park along U.S. 25 with the jobs being filled over the next four years.

Gov. Mark Sanford’s office said the GE expansion is expected to increase capital investment by millions of dollars.

“With GE’s expansion announced today, last month’s decision by Boeing to put down long-term roots in North Charleston, and Cytec Industries’ groundbreaking in 2008 for a major Upstate facility, there seems to be the start of a growing aerospace hub in the Southeast,” said Gov. Sanford.

In July, Boeing bought out Vought’s Lowcountry plant to take control of Dreamliner production in the state, something Sanford said solidified a partnership between South Carolina and Boeing.

The governor said Cytec, a specialty chemicals and materials technology company with close ties to the aerospace industry, is scheduled to complete the expansion of its Carbon Fiber facility in Greenville in early 2010.
Posted on September 3rd, 2009
 
Whatever the attraction, thousands of fairgoers are expected to come out for the 46th annual Upper South Carolina State Fair's that kicks off Thursday and runs through Sept. 13.
“The fair reaches across all boundaries, all age groups, all ethnic groups,” said Keith Cochran, marketing director for the fair. “We do our best to make it accessible to all people.”
The 11-day event returns to the fairgrounds off U.S. 123 at the Greenville-Pickens Speedway, and will offer live music, exotic and farm animals, exhibits, a demolition derby, rodeo and amusement rides.
Steve Jewsbury, an Easley resident, said his family has been to the fair before and plans to take in the sights and sounds again this year.
“The fair's just a lot of fun,” Jewsbury said. “Our kids really enjoy the animals. … My 12-year-old, he likes the roller coasters.”
Cochran said Playworld Amusements will be coming to the fair for the first time, which will mean a new selection of rides, including one called G-Force, and old standbys like the carousel and Ferris wheel.
“We're real excited about it,” he said. “The new rides are really going to be the star of the fair this year.”
Other new features include live performances, a dance competition and an ice-skating rink made of synthetic ice.
Posted on September 2nd, 2009
 
Michelin Development Upstate, which is offering low-interest business loans to socially and economically disadvantaged firms, officially opened for business Tuesday.


The program, initiated by Greenville-based Michelin North America, is located at the NEXT Innovation Center near downtown Greenville and will become a “hub for economic development project loans and business expertise,” said John Tully, president of Michelin Development Upstate.
The goal of the program is “creating jobs and improving the local economy,” he said.
Prospective clients can call Tully or his associate at 751-4808 for information on the program. They also can apply for the loans online at www.michelindevelopment.us. After registering and receiving a unique login, business owners will be asked to complete an Expression of Interest form that outlines business plans and strategies.
Tully said he will work with clients to help them complete the application. They also can take advantage of access to Michelin’s business expertise even if they don’t request a loan.
The loan program is open to small- and medium-sized businesses throughout the 10 Upstate counties – Greenville, Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union.
“We want to find companies that can benefit from Michelin Development the most,” Tully said.
The organization selected Carolina First as its banking partner, Tully said. The initial funding for the program is $1 million from Michelin.
Carolina First will work with Michelin Development Upstate’s Steering Committee, a group of business and civic leaders, to review loan applications. Once approved by the committee, a loan application will go to Carolina First for the bank’s normal financial due diligence. Loans will be available for $10,000 and more.
Mike Spitzmiller, Carolina First’s Upstate market president, said the bank is pleased to join Michelin in the program which “demonstrates a shared commitment to supporting businesses in our communities.”
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Dick Wilkerson, chairman and president of Michelin North America, said the company “is keenly aware of the impact that small and medium-sized businesses have on creating quality jobs and improving our state’s economy. Michelin Development Upstate is designed to give these companies a boost that enables them to take the next step toward growth in a challenging economic environment.”


Brij Khorana, a member of the organization’s advisory board, said, “Many businesses are in great need of programs like this one.”
He said he worked with a similar program at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana. The results were that over six years, the program worked with 40 entrepreneurs and small businesses. The businesses created an average of 14 direct jobs and 12 indirect jobs.
Michelin Development Upstate “has the potential to achieve comparable results,” he said.
Vivian Wong, a Greenville business leader, said she became involved with the program because “I’m always for small business. It’s the backbone of not just this community but the country. I’m delighted to be asked to help.”
Tully has begun efforts to identify clients, who also will have free access to Michelin’s business expertise. He said he’s been meeting with three to six clients a day for the past couple of weeks and the feedback he’s getting is that they have had little success in obtaining loans through traditional means.
“We are ready to begin the work of creating quality, sustainable jobs for the region,” he said.
Posted on September 2nd, 2009
 
GE said Monday it would move the small jet-engine parts manufacturing operation it launched five years ago at its massive complex on Garlington Road to a new location in The Matrix industrial park along U.S. 25.
The company said it would hire another 100 people for the parts operation over the next four years at a starting salary of $27 an hour, bringing the total work force to 240.
The new factory will go in a 155,000-square-foot building at The Matrix that formerly housed BMW supplier Grammer Industries Inc.
“These are the kind of good manufacturing jobs that are still out there,” said Greenville site consultant Mark Sweeney, who has helped major companies such as Nissan and Boeing find locations for new facilities.
Sweeney said the expansion is a “very positive reinforcement by a major company that (Greenville) is still a good place to do business.”
Noting GE’s “long history” in the state, Commerce Secretary Joe Taylor said the company’s plan “is significant not only for the new high-tech jobs it will bring to Greenville, but also for its contribution to the aviation industry” in South Carolina.
Posted on September 2nd, 2009
 
Brazil-based Fitesa Industrial SA last year said it would open a $150 million, 100-worker factory between Gray Court and Fountain Inn to make nonwoven fabric for the hygiene market.
But the company had trouble financing the plant in the sour economy and later chose to join with London-based Fiberweb plc in a new joint venture that will be based at Fiberweb’s 25-year-old plant along Main Street in Simpsonville, an executive with the joint venture said Tuesday.
The new company, FitesaFiberweb Simpsonville Inc., will spend more than $100 million to build two new assembly lines and create 67 jobs in Simpsonville, said Hal Singley, its chief financial officer.
Singley said most of the jobs will be assembly-line positions paying nearly $20 an hour.
Posted on September 2nd, 2009
 
We are daily living in a world and time that is filled with anxieties, worry, and challenges around every corner, and all the talk is about issues and things that really don't matter or fix anything. Feeling alienated and frustrated, it is often easy for all of us to get so focused on OUR problems and OUR concerns, we often forget about those around us who are also hurting and need help.

A CHALLENGE FOR YOU. All I am asking for is ONE DAY--24 hours, maybe hours spread over several days. Take ONE DAY of 30 Days in September and MAKE A DIFFERENCE in someone's life around you. Volunteer in your community, your church, maybe there is someone in your family who just needs some more of your time and attention right now. What I promise you is that if you take ONE DAY in September and get your eyes off your worries and your problems, your outlook will take on a different perspective. We can no longer wait for the world to fix itself--we must do it ourselves.

Visit www.30daysinSeptember.com
Posted on September 1st, 2009
 
George Hincapie went for a Sunday afternoon ride in his backyard and came home with a national title.


Greenville’s favorite cycling son can now breathe some rarified air — his victory in the USA Cycling Pro Road Race Championship made Hincapie just the second rider to win three U.S. road race titles.
The latest came in dramatic fashion.
With 100 meters to go and a deafening roar from a hometown crowd pushing him into a final gear, Hincapie began to realize the race was his.
“I was planning my pose already,” Hincapie said.
A devastating sprinter and an even better climber, Hincapie used both to tame Paris Mountain four times during the 110-mile race. But it took a frantic finish on Greenville’s rain-dampened downtown streets for the 36-year-old rider to outlast Andrew Bajadali and Jeff Louder by one and three seconds, respectively.
“I was in full crank mode,” Hincapie said. “I knew that he was right behind me, but I was just praying that he was suffering as much as I was.”
Hincapie finished the course in 4 hours, 33 minutes and 36 seconds to win his first U.S. Road Race championship since 2006 — the first year that the event was held in Greenville. The three titles for Hincapie, who won his first in 1998, equal the mark held by California’s Fred Rodriguez.
But this one may rank as the sweetest. Hincapie — the only five-time Olympic cyclist in U.S. history — was coming off a broken collarbone suffered in a fall during the 17th stage of the Tour de France five weeks ago; he finished the Tour’s final four stages but hadn’t raced since and had “babied” the injury for about a month, he said.
Hincapie also had the disadvantage of having only one Team Columbia-High Road team member, Craig Lewis, to help out. Lewis, who last week was diagnosed with having the H1N1 virus, only decided to compete a day before the race, but his presence was integral.
“Without him, I wouldn’t have won,” Hincapie said of Lewis, who finished 27th Sunday.
David Zabriskie owned the early portions of Sunday’s race, flashing the breakaway speed that enabled him to win the U.S. Individual Time Trial title one day earlier. But Zabriskie was reeled in by the lead pack downtown after the second climb of Paris Mountain, and Hincapie began to display his climbing skills.
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“I attacked on the third and last times up the climb,” said Hincapie, who got a recent confidence boost by breaking his personal-best time up the mountain by 20 seconds. “I knew nobody would be able to get rid of me on the mountain.”


They couldn’t, and the climbs proceeded to exact a heavy toll on much of the field, as more than half of the riders (52 of 95) dropped out of the race.
At the end, which consisted of three 4.2-mile downtown circuits, a pack of eight riders emerged, including Hincapie. With two laps to go, Hincapie was seventh; entering the final lap, Hincapie was fourth and poised to move.
Louder, who attacked and built a 10-second lead midway through the final circuit, sensed what was coming.
“I knew George was the strongest guy and the fastest,” Louder said. “I was just trying to stave off the inevitable.”
Hincapie and Bajadali caught Louder several hundred yards from the finish, then Bajadali briefly took the lead. But Hincapie moved around Bajadali in the final 100 meters, and with screaming fans packed deep on both sides of South Main Street, Hincapie barreled across the finish line, both arms raised triumphantly.
On the podium, Hincapie was awarded the Stars and Stripes jersey, which he will wear at each competition for the next year before defending his title next year — once again in his hometown. USA Cycling officials announced after the race that Greenville had been selected to host the 2010 national championships.
Posted on August 31st, 2009
 
Greenville homebuilder Tom Dillard of Dillard-Jones Builders, LLC has
been named the 2009 Southern Living Custom Builder of the Year. He is the first
South Carolina homebuilder to win the prestigious award. He is featured in the
August 2009 issue of Southern Living magazine
Posted on August 26th, 2009
 
New numbers out Tuesday show home prices nationwide have started to rise from the depths of the housing slump.

Prices in the second quarter posted their first quarterly increase in three years, according to Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller's U.S. National Home Price Index.
The monthly index of 20 major cities increased 0.7 percent to 142 from May to June, the second straight month the index didn't decline. It was still 15.5 percent below June a year ago.
Every metro area in the report showed annual declines, with 15 reporting double-digit drops. None of the cities in the report were in South Carolina.
“For the second month in a row, we're seeing some positive signs,” said David M. Blitzer, chairman of the S&P index committee, adding, “There are hints of an upward turn from a bottom.”
The 20-city index is a three-month moving average of repeat sales of a designated group of single-family homes in each city
Fritzi Barbour, president of the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors, said the information released is valuable for people to know, “but no one should make an across the board assessment and apply statistics that have to do with those people who had a need to sell at this time.”
“Real estate is such an intrinsically local thing,” she said.
The median price for homes sold in the Greater Greenville area in the second quarter was $138,000 compared to $141,000 in the first quarter, according to statistics from the South Carolina Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service. The median price of units sold was down seven percent in July when compared to the same period last year.
Brad Halter, president and general manager of Coldwell Banker Caine, said that in his opinion, the median price has no bearing on appreciation or depreciation.
“What it's showing you is the that price points that are most active in our market have been the entry level and the first time homebuyer primarily due to the first time homebuyer tax credit,” Halter said.
Likewise, C. Dan Joyner, president of Prudential C. Dan Joyner Real Estate, said judging from what he has seen in his company and some of its competitors, homes in the area have maintained their value for the last year and a half.
He said the average sales price has come down some as a lot of young people take advantage of the first time home buyers stimulus opportunity.




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Posted on August 26th, 2009
 
(PIEDMONT, SC) The Honorable Congressman Newt Gingrich presented Larry Kudeviz, CEO of Genesis Press with the 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year for the State of South Carolina.

Larry Kudeviz was invited to the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, DC this past Tuesday, July 21,2009 to attend a private dinner and ceremony hosted by Congressman Newt Gingrich and his American Solutions For Winning The Future Council. Congressman Gingrich personally presented Mr.. Kudeviz with the award to recognize his leadership role in making Genesis Press one of the small businesses which strive to make a difference by being the true backbone of the American work ethic.

Larry commented upon receiving the award that it was quite an honor for Genesis Press, its employees and himself personally to be recognized for this award, especially in light of all the pending issues still before Genesis Press from a crippling arson fire which occurred over a year ago.

He further stated that entrepreneurship must remain attractive here in America by remaining competitive and resourceful in order to stop the out sourcing of jobs over seas. This in itself will be an undulating task given the current climate in Washington D.C.

Congratulations Larry from all your employees here at Genesis Press.
Posted on August 21st, 2009
 
High school students in Pickens and Anderson District 1 who took the ACT college entrance exam scored better, on average, than their peers nationally and statewide, according to numbers released today by the state.

The average composite score in Pickens was 22.6 for the 2009 academic year, while Anderson 1 high schoolers scored a composite 21.8, according to the state Department of Education.
Pickens students' scores were ranked first in the state among 2009 graduating high school students in that district who took the test.
“We have initiatives in place to increase the rigor and relevance in our curriculum,” said Pickens Superintendent Henry Hunt.
“When teachers provide quality instruction, the results will be gains in student achievement.”
Anderson 1 Superintendent Wayne Fowler said more students in the district are taking demanding academic courses, which translates into higher scores on standardized tests.
“Anderson School District 1 has historically encouraged all students to aspire to post-secondary opportunities, causing an increasing number of students to take either the ACT, SAT or both,” Fowler said.
One hundred and seventy-six students, or around 30 percent of the district's high school students who graduated this past year, took the ACT in Anderson 1, said school district spokeswoman Jane Harrison.
In Pickens, 245 students took the exam
Posted on August 19th, 2009
 
Even as he struggles in a hospital bed nearly 500 miles away, a birthday party was held in 24-year-old Adam Palmer's honor Sunday at Elmo's Pub and Grill.

"As a community, we thought we'd come together," owner Pam Johnson said. "The medical bills are taken care of … but he's got to survive afterward. He's given so much to all of us -- we thought we'd give something back to him."

Within the first hour of Sunday's fundraiser, more than 100 people crammed into the tiny pub on Trade Street. Many said they didn't know Palmer personally. And they said that didn't matter.

Palmer, a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, was severely injured during a roadside bomb attack July 14 in Iraq. He was there on this third tour, the first since his infant daughter was born. Palmer has been recovering slowly but steadily at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., though it is still possible that he could lose an arm and a leg.

Palmer told his mother to tell everyone back home "thank you" for giving him a birthday party, said Georgia Pack, a friend of the family who was with Palmer's mother the day he was born.

"For anybody to go through what he's been through … How can anyone say 'thank you' for what we're doing, after what he's done for our country, and what he's gone through the past five weeks? That's the kind of person he is."

She continued, "He's a gentleman. He grew up to be a strong young man."

As the night -- and bands -- wore on, Johnson estimated at least $3,000 had been raised, if not $4,000, and the music and patrons were still coming in at 9 p.m. Palmer's grandmother and father, just back from Washington, D.C., stopped by for a spell late in the day, she said.

An account in Palmer's name has been set up at the Tryon branch of Bank of America to receive donations for his family.

While the financial support will be helpful, the Elmo's crowd hoped that just by being there, they were sending emotional support Palmer's way, too.

"We're honoring a man who fought for our country and our values," said Dave Klatte of Tryon. "It's great."

Scott Holford, also of Tryon, donated a grill set to be raffled off to help raise funds.

"This is a community in this little town," he said. "Three tours? Good Lord. That's unbelievable. I do not know the man, but I know what he's doing. I'm a vet myself."

Holford said he served in the Army from 1967 to '70 and was stationed in Germany.

Everything from gift cards to ribs were donated, about 80 items for the raffle, Johnson said.

"He would come in and play pool. He loved to play pool. He'd always come in and hang out with his buddies," she said of Palmer. "He's a great kid."

Pack, who has been in communication with Palmer's mother, said Walter Reed gave him an electric wheelchair Friday for his birthday. It was the first time he was really able to be up and about in the past five weeks, she said. His arm and leg are showing signs of improvement, she added.

Palmer graduated from Landrum High School in 2003. Although he had a likely career in football ahead of him, he signed up for the Army as a junior.
Posted on August 10th, 2009
 
Michelin North America is sending its employees back to school, sort of.

The Greenville-based tiremaker announced a new program Tuesday that will allow 14 of its southeastern plants to adopt 11 low-income public schools and offer up more than 8,000 workers as volunteers, mentors or tutors.

Eight of the schools selected for the program, Michelin Challenge Education, which is set to launch later this month, are in South Carolina, including seven in the Upstate and one in Lexington County.

“A lot has changed over the past 35 years, but one thing that hasn’t changed is Michelin’s commitment to the people of South Carolina,” said Michelin North America’s chief executive Dick Wilkerson, during a news conference at the company’s headquarters off I-85. “Michelin is not a company that writes a check and walks away. We are the people who roll up our sleeves and get involved.”

Fairforest Elementary School, the only school in Spartanburg County included on the list, will be adopted by Michelin’s US3 truck tire plant at 1000 International Drive.

East North Street Academy in Greenville, Ellen Woodside Elementary in Pelzer, Grove Elementary in Piedmont, Townville Elementary, Forts Pond Elementary in Pelion, E.B. Morse Elementary in Laurens and Sue Cleveland Elementary in Piedmont are the other state schools that will benefit from the program.

It will also reach out to Honeysuckle Middle School and Cottondale Elementary in Alabama and Farnsley Middle School in Louisville, Ky.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to have such a partnership with a company like Michelin,” said Spartanburg County District 6 Superintendent Darryl Owings. “We have many parents who work for Michelin and are excited about the possibility of their children’s education to benefit from it.”

Michelin officials cited a number of reasons why a majority of the program’s efforts will be focused on South Carolina schools, such as record-high unemployment, low test scores, funding gaps and soaring drop-out rates among minority students and students from low-income families.

Wilkerson noted that the S.C. Chamber of Commerce recently reported that the state ranks at No. 45 in the nation and the lowest among neighboring states in education and workforce preparedness.

And more than 50 percent of the 700,000 students in South Carolina are on the state’s free and reduced lunch program, signifying they are at or below poverty level.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel, as state educators are busy making strides to implement programs they hope will dramatically improve the quality of education, Wilkerson said.

He alluded to one study published by Education Week magazine that ranked South Carolina first in the nation for improving teacher quality and No. 5 in the country for academic standards and accountability.

“South Carolina is becoming a choice-driven public school system and we have some of the most innovative programs in the country,” said Jim Rex, the state’s superintendent of education, who was a guest speaker at the announcement. “We’re doing what other states are just beginning to talk about. This is a wonderful example and I hope others will follow suit. It will affect the lives of thousands of children.”

Dick Riley, former governor and U.S. secretary of education, who also spoke at the event, said there is a need for more community involvement in education across the country.

“This is an excellent example of the type of volunteerism we need to help strengthen our communities and support major gains in the public education system,” Riley said.

Tuesday’s announcement marked the second time in less than a month that Michelin has rolled out a program intended to advance the communities in which it operates.

In July, the tiremaker announced that it had invested $1 million to provide low-interest loans of $10,000 to disadvantaged small businesses in the Upstate.

That program will begin in September.
Posted on August 5th, 2009
 
A stream of eager families flowed into the Children's Museum of the Upstate for the first time Friday after a grand-opening ceremony that capped more than 10 years of dreams, dedication and hard work to bring the idea to life on the grounds of Heritage Green.



Amber Ring, 19, brought her two babysitting charges, ages 5 and 8, to be among the first kids to experience Greenville's first children's museum.

“I've lived here 15 years, and we've never had anything like this,” she said. “I heard it was the grand opening, and I've been excited about it.”

The trio was among the approximately 200 people who had already spilled through the doors in the first hour, and 600 more came through the course of the day to visit one of Greenville's most long-awaited attractions.

“This project has been going on for so long,” said Julie Accetta, development associate for the museum, “and so many people just didn't really know exactly what we were building. What is a children's museum? How big is it going to be? What quality are the exhibits going to be?”

“Everyone that has come through seems to be so excited and impressed. We don't want to just meet their expectations; we want to exceed them, and I think we're doing that.”

Cheryl Kozmic and her daughter, Erica, agreed that the museum was a top-notch experience.

“We've been to quite a few children's museums — Asheville, Chicago and other cities — and this looks like it's way up there,” Kozmic said. “This is awesome.”

Scottie Lu Brandt, who has led the museum's board of directors for five years, welcomed local leaders to the morning's opening festivities, including Mayor Knox White; David Wilkins, former U.S. ambassador to Canada; former U.S. Secretary of Education Dick Riley; and County Councilman Jim Burns.
Posted on August 1st, 2009
 
On a cue from Spartanburg business mogul George Dean Johnson Jr., a large piece of history was lifted into the downtown Spartanburg sky Friday.

The University of South Carolina Upstate celebrated a construction milestone in the building of the George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business and Economics with a topping out ceremony beside the evolving structure on East St. John Street. As local band, the Windjammers, belted out a Dixieland jazz version of "Movin' on Up," the theme song from the 1970s television show "The Jeffersons," several hundred guests gazed skyward as the structure's final piece of steel was accompanied to the highest point of the building by the American flag and a small evergreen tree -- a sign of celebration and an omen for good luck.

"Today we may top off the vertical height of this handsome building," Spartanburg Mayor Bill Barnet said at the ceremony, "but we are far from topping off the expectations of the potential that this project has to offer."

Already nicknamed "The George," USC Upstate's downtown business school is a testament to Spartanburg's commitment to higher education, said city and university officials, and a place where future business leaders will emerge.

"I envision people like Bill Gates, Roger Milliken and Bill Cobb one day coming out of the doors of this building," Johnson said moments before giving the signal to a crane operator to hoist the symbolic beam into the cloudy, windy sky. "If that happens, Spartanburg will grow, and our children and grandchildren will have a better place to live."

Construction of The George, Spartanburg's first building to be named after the chairman of Johnson Development Associates, will now shift to the interior of the three-story, 60,000-square-foot edifice, which is currently ahead of schedule and set to be completed by April 25.

The festivities Friday came about 20 months after the announcement that USC Upstate was building a downtown business school, which currently enrolls 850 people.

"I do vividly recall the anticipation and the excitement when in December of 2007, so many gathered not too far from this place to begin the journey that has become known as The George," Barnet said. "That anticipation has not lessened; rather it has grown substantially with every girder placed on this spot."

During the ceremony, Johnson and numerous guests penned their signatures on the beam before it was lifted away.

"As you signed your name on that piece of gleaming white steel," USC Upstate Chancellor John Stockwell said, "you also left your mark on a piece of University of South Carolina Upstate history, a piece of Spartanburg's history and a piece of the state of South Carolina's history,"
Posted on August 1st, 2009
 
Clemson University is the nation's top “jock school” and has the best relations with its college town, according to top 20 lists in the Princeton Review's new “Best 371 Colleges” book hitting newsstands on Tuesday.



The “jock school” category recognizes popularity of intercollegiate and intramural sports. The top “town-gown” accolade comes in a year when the city of Clemson became home of the headquarters of a national organization dedicated to improving relations between schools and their college towns.

Wofford College also received a first place ranking for its fraternity and sorority scene.

Clemson made 10 top-20 lists in the annual publication and Furman University ranked in the top 20 on six lists.

Rounding out South Carolina's presence in the book, the College of Charleston and the University of South Carolina both were profiled, although neither was included on a top 20 list.

In addition to Clemson's two first place rankings, the university ranked second for happiest students and its Michelin Career Center ranked third nationally among career services.

Clemson ranked fifth in intramural sports participation and 10th in quality of life.

Clemson ranked 14th in having conservative, right-leaning students, and 15th in the “Future Rotarians and Daughters of the American Revolution” category, and 17th in athletic facilities.

Clemson ranked 20th and Furman ranked 13th on a list of schools that “run like butter,” a student rating of administration.

Furman's library ranked eighth nationally. The school placed ninth for most religious students, 16th in both low marijuana usage and in the future Rotarians and DAR category, and 17th in quality of life.
Posted on July 28th, 2009
 
The Honorable Congressman Newt Gingrich presented Larry Kudeviz,
CEO of Genesis Press with the 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year for the State of
South Carolina.




Larry Kudeviz was invited to the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, DC this past
Tuesday, July 21,2009 to attend a private dinner and ceremony hosted by
Congressman Newt Gingrich and his American Solutions For Winning The Future
Council. Congressman Gingrich personally presented Mr.. Kudeviz with the award
to recognize his leadership role in making Genesis Press one of the small
businesses which strive to make a difference by being the true backbone of the
American work ethic.




Larry commented upon receiving the award that it was quite an honor for Genesis
Press, its employees and himself personally to be recognized for this award,
especially in light of all the pending issues still before Genesis Press from a
crippling arson fire which occurred over a year ago.




He further stated that entrepreneurship must remain attractive here in America
by remaining competitive and resourceful in order to stop the out sourcing of
jobs over seas. This in itself will be an undulating task given the current
climate in Washington D.C.
Posted on July 24th, 2009
 
After more than five years and $21 million, the Children's Museum of the Upstate is set to open its doors July 31.

The 79,000-square-foot facility features 18 interactive exhibits, outdoor learning spaces, educational programming and more.

Museum president and CEO Carol Scott said the purpose of the museum is to promote curiosity among children in everything from science to the arts and humanities.

The museum is geared primarily toward children ages 6 to 11, but there are elements for younger children in almost every exhibit, as well as specifically designed toddler areas.

The museum's hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $12 per person. For more information, visit www.tcmgreenvillesc.org.
Posted on July 23rd, 2009
 
Carbon Motors Corp., a startup company that plans to manufacture a car specifically for police use, said Wednesday that it continues to eye Greenville/Spartanburg, as well as sites in Georgia and Indiana, for its proposed corporate campus.



The company, currently based in Atlanta, had earlier listed the sites on its short list as Charlotte; Plymouth, Mich.; Connersville, Ind.; Braselton and Pooler in Georgia; and Greenville/Spartanburg.

Wednesday, however, Carbon Motors said it had narrowed the list to sites in South Carolina, Georgia and Indiana.

The company said it planned to announce the winning location sometime this summer, possibly by the end of July.

Carbon Motors has said it plans to spend more than $350 million developing and producing its high-tech patrol car, the E7.

William Santana Li, chief executive, said in December the campus will include the company's headquarters, research and development, customer center and production center.

Li, a former Ford Motor Co. executive, also said during an appearance at Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research that Carbon Motors wants to be in a right-to-work state that has a cluster of auto parts companies. South Carolina meets both criteria.

Li also said his company's business model does not include a dealership network or union pensions.

Features of the E7 include an infrared camera for night vision, a built-in radiation detector and a rear passenger compartment that can be hosed down. The car is designed to last 250,000 miles.
Posted on July 16th, 2009
 
GSA Daily Staff Report
Published July 15, 2009

The Reserve at Lake Keowee yesterday announced the sale of its 600th home site. The project began in 2001.

At The Reserve on Lake Keowee, where home sites start at $200,000, marketing director Mike Agee is optimistic an upturn in business has already started. Inquires and tours are up 60% this year over the same period last year.

The Reserve is offering some incentives, such as credits on club dues. But Greenwood Communities and Resorts, the developer, has not cut prices on its home sites.

So far, said Manager Charles W. Pigg, 605 home sites have been sold, and 144 homes completed out of 1,600 home sites in the development. Pigg said 40 to 45 additional homes are in various stages of architectural approval or construction.

“Our banner year was 2006. That was down some in 2007 and 2008. Right now it looks like we might exceed 2008 with this year’s sales,” Pigg said.

In the early stages of development, The Reserve attracted buyers of second homes. Approximately 40% of buyers came from the greater Atlanta area.

“We’re shifting marketing efforts to retirement and pre-retirement buyers,” Pigg said. “That seems to be the sweet spot in today’s market.”

But the upscale developer remains cautious about market conditions.

“I wouldn’t say we’re where we want to be,” said Pigg. “I am not sure we have turned the corner yet.”

To date, The Reserve has sold more than $324 million of real estate, which includes the re-sale of homes. The S.C. Homebuilders Association recently awarded a home built by The Berry Group a Pinnacle Award, which is given for outstanding craftsmanship in the construction of quality homes.
Posted on July 15th, 2009
 
GSA Daily staff report
Published July 14, 2009

Greenville real estate sales quickened in June to 673 homes from 583 in May, and posted the fifth consecutive month of rising sales, according to data released today by the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors.

Home sales hit bottom in January, when only slightly more than 300 sales were registered. The five straight months of increases have given real estate brokers hope that the bottom of the market is behind them.

Sales still lagged year-ago figures by 21%, however. In June 2008, there were 856 home sales recorded.

Homes are taking longer to sell, the data show, and sales activity is shifting toward the lower end of the price range.

The average days on the market was 107 last month, compared with 84 days in June 2008. The median price of a home sold last month was $139,000, down from $163,425 in June 2008.
Posted on July 14th, 2009
 
By Trevor Anderson
trevor.anderson@shj.com
Spartanburg-based Denny's Corp. helped lay the groundwork Monday for the future education of students at the new Spartanburg Charter School.

Karry Edmonds, director of technology for Denny's Corp., worked up a sweat alongside eight other employees from the company's information technology department at the former Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg building at 385 S. Spring St.

Edmonds and his crew took time out of their usual workday to outfit the building with network cable, telephone lines, routers and computer gear -- equipment that otherwise would have cost thousands of dollars to install.

The gift was welcomed by school organizers, who in June obtained $1.7 million in funding from the state but did not have enough money to cover the purchase of basic technology-based education tools.

"This is a very exciting project," Edmonds said. "It's very uplifting for us. This was not in their funding at all, and we're just helping out by getting things they couldn't get."

Denny's gift included jacks in 14 classrooms and five offices for projectors, telephones, and about 70 computers, which haven't arrived yet but will be brought over before the school opens.

The cable and other equipment was installed by Denny's supplier Coleman Technologies.

Edmonds said Denny's would not provide full IT support, but would help with some problems if needed.

"It's overwhelming just to know that the community is embracing a charter school," said Patti Rubenzer, office manager for the Spartanburg Charter School. "I don't have an exact estimate, but this would've been impossible without the help of Denny's."

The donation was spearheaded several months ago by Christy Holcombe, who works for Denny's IT Security Department and served on the school's governor's committee. Holcombe knew of the need and approached Janis Emplit, chief operating officer for Denny's.

"I asked her (Emplit) if there was anything we could do, and she said there was," Holcombe said. "We're right down the road. Different people said they wanted to help. Even our suppliers jumped in and helped out wherever they could."

This isn't Denny's first partnership with a local school. In 2007, the company began to sponsor a mentoring program at Park Hills Elementary and continues to provide support for the school's reading program, as well as providing Christmas gifts to students.

Emplit said in an e-mail that she felt the Spartanburg Charter School was a positive project that "would bring value to the future of all children in the area."

The charter school will open Aug. 12 with about 280 students and 25 faculty members. This year only students in kindergarten through fifth grade are being enrolled, but the school plans to add one grade each year through the ninth grade.

Rubenzer said she is asking local residents who might have used the building -- built in 1939 -- for donations of pictures, memorabilia or artwork.

In addition to the Spartanburg Arts Museum, the building was once Southside Elementary School, as well as the Federal Works Agency and the Public Works Administration.

She intends to decorate the school with the items collected in order to display a connection to the building's past.
Posted on July 14th, 2009
 
Michelin North America will lend money to small Upstate businesses it said are unable to obtain financing in the current market, Chairman and President Dick Wilkerson announced today.

Low-interest loans of $10,000 and up will be available to “disadvantaged” businesses as defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration. That includes firms owned by blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and other minorities.

Michelin will provide $1 million to the program, which will launch Sept. 1 and also include business expertise for loan recipients. The company plans to partner with a yet-to-be-named local bank to administer the loans.

The Michelin Development Upstate program is available for new and existing businesses in the counties of Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union.

“Getting loans, getting capital, getting credit is very difficult (for small businesses right now),” Wilkerson said. “Why do we care about small businesses? In some cases, they’re our suppliers. In many cases, they’re our customers.”

They’re also the “backbone of the local economy,” Wilkerson said.

Posted on July 8th, 2009
 
By Liv Osby • Health Writer • July 6, 2009

The Shriners Hospital for Children in Greenville is safe — at least for the time being.

At their annual meeting in Texas on Monday, the Shriners voted to withdraw the motion to close the Greenville hospital and five others around the country, said Rodney Brown, chairman of the Board of Governors for the Greenville hospital.

“This is great news for all our employees and for the kids,” he said. “It means we're good to go.”
Posted on July 7th, 2009
 
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) — In a final hour packed with emotion, Lucas Glover played a steady hand to win the U.S. Open.




So many amazing stories belonged to contenders all around him Monday at Bethpage Black, from Phil Mickelson's stirring bid to win for his beloved wife as she battles breast cancer, to David Duval coming out of nowhere and almost winning for the first time in eight years.

Glover, a graduate of Wade Hampton High School and a three-time All-American at Clemson University, kept his cap tugged low and played the kind of golf that wins a U.S. Open under any conditions.

He made only one birdie in the rain-delayed final round, and it could not have been timed any better. Glover holed a 6-foot putt on the 16th hole to break one last tie for the lead, then held on with pars to close with a 3-over 73 for a two-shot victory.

Glover’s wife and his parents were with him, along with some cousins who drove several hours to watch Monday’s final round.


The cousins were wearing T-shirts in support of Glover.


Asked by NBC's Bob Costas about the T-shirts, Glover quipped, “there’s a picture of me on there so they can’t be that good.”


“Thanks guys for coming,” Glover said. “I’ll pay for your gas.”


After the win, Glover described his round as "a test of patience, that's for sure. It was just heart today."
Posted on June 22nd, 2009
 
Two Communities Experience the Recession in Varying Degrees

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Weekend/story?id=7774018
Posted on June 19th, 2009
 
Francis B. Allgood
fallgood@gsabusiness.com
Published June 17, 2009

Another school catering to the nontraditional college students has opened in Greenville, this time in downtown.

Brown Mackie College has opened an office and will occupy 25,000 square feet at 75 Beattie Place in Greenville. Classes will begin in October following the renovation of the basement and the first two floors at Two Liberty Square.
Posted on June 18th, 2009
 
Great Escape Theater plans to build this year, open by March 2010
By Nathaniel Cary • Staff Writer • June 17, 2009

Aliance Entertainment, the Indiana-based movie theater developer that plans to open a 14-screen theater complex off Interstate 385 in Simpsonville, announced today that it would develop one of its screens as an IMAX theater.
Great Escape plans to build a 50,000-square foot, full-digital theater complex with 2,600 seats on nine acres that the company purchased between South Street and Industrial Drive in Simpsonville, Marcus said.

Great Escape will spend $13 million on the complex, which it plans to open in March 2010, Marcus said.

IMAX offers a larger, slightly curved screen that wraps around the audience as well as laser-accurate digital sound to create a unique movie experience, said Jackson Myers, IMAX spokesman.

The audience is seated closer to the screen and the “powerful immersive movie experience can't be replicated in a traditional movie theater,” Myers said.

Now with IMAX DMR technology, the theaters can recreate certain two dimensional movies to run on the IMAX screens as well as IMAX' own movie creations, Myers said.
Posted on June 17th, 2009
 
Charleston, SC – June 15, 2009 – The 2008 State New Economy Index reveals that between 2007 and 2008, South Carolina has increased its overall national rank from 39th to 34th place. South Carolina also ranked highly in many categories that reflect positively on the state’s knowledge-based economic development, according to the annual study released by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF).

The State New Economy Index ranks how well states’ economies are developing to compete in the “New Economy.” According to the report, the “New Economy” is a “global, entrepreneurial and knowledge-based economy in which the keys to success lie in the extent to which knowledge, technology and innovation are embedded in products and services.” The study measures 29 different indicators, including factors for knowledge jobs, technological innovation and globalization. The index is widely regarded as one of the top national benchmarks for economic transformation among the states.
Posted on June 15th, 2009
 
GSA Daily Staff Report
Published June 12, 2009

Tri Tech USA Inc.’s construction of a 41,000-square-foot facility in Pickens County is on pace to open in October.

"Rising to meet the challenges of today’s economy, Tri-Tech USA has chosen to create jobs and invest in the future of their business in Pickens County,” said Jennifer Willis, vice chairman of Pickens County Council. “While many are closing businesses or going overseas, Joe and Linda Bacigalupo have figured out how to succeed and thrive in this environment, and we welcome them to our community and know that our citizens will be eager to fill the jobs they are creating."

The company held a “beam signing” celebration earlier today. Last December, Tri Tech of South Burlington, Vt., announced its intent to relocate its operations to Pickens County.

Tri Tech USA will employ at least 40 people and invest at least $4 million in two different lines of business. The manufacturing positions will pay an average hourly wage in the $17 per hour.

Tri Tech’s primary line of business is custom manufacturing and advanced metalworking for commercial industrial applications. Tri Tech manufactures and fabricates metal components, tooling and fixtures, and provides complete product manufacturing to businesses in the United States and Canada.

The company works with businesses in a variety of industries, including aerospace, pharmaceutical, food processing, furniture and a variety of other commercial and industrial applications.

“By providing a one-stop solution that encompasses most manufacturing needs, we are better able to control the manufacturing process from start to finish,” said Joe Bacigalupo, president. “This results in reduced costs, greater quality control and quicker turn-around time, all of which are critical in today’s competitive environment.”

Tri Tech USA’s second line of business is the production of commercial grade mobile kitchens and other products for the United States Military. The mobile kitchen units are used to feed, nourish and comfort the front line soldier in military operations worldwide.

The Tri Tech USA building is the fifth building to be constructed in the Pickens County Commerce Park since the park opened five and a half years ago, yielding a total of over 500,000 square feet of new construction.
Posted on June 13th, 2009
 
GSA Daily Staff Report
Published June 8, 2009

Originally built in 1923 by Ware Shoals Manufacturing Co., the Ware Shoals Inn has been restored and will serve as a multi-family senior housing facility.

The restoration project is the first of its kind in the United States. It is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified building and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It will include 23 one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as a large common room area and foyer.

“I think when it’s finished, it’s really going to be quite a place,” said Frank Warlick, managing director of Vision Ware Shoals LLC.

On June 12 at 10 a.m., the 30th anniversary of its closing, the Ware Shoals Inn will be dedicated back to the community. It was one of several facilities built by the textile company, Ware Shoals Manufacturing, and a fundamental part of the development of the community, hosting everything from business partners to Boy Scout meetings and wedding receptions.

Posted on June 8th, 2009
 
Women at Safe Harbor, a 24-hour emergency shelter for victims of domestic
violence, recently were offered a free day of Spa services from The Spa at West
End, located at 714 South Main Street in Greenville\'s Historic West End
District.

Stacy Coulter, Proprietor of The Spa, said that the Spa offered the day of
services to all women who were using the shelter's services this past Mother's
Day. I can\'t even begin to imagine what these women are going through and how hard
it must be to endure their circumstances,\" Coulter says. I hope that by
providing a day of pampering that we were able to supply even the briefest
respite during a very difficult time.
Posted on June 5th, 2009
 
Grandsouth Bancorporation was one of four banks in South Carolina to make the list of top 200 community banks in the United States, which appears in the June issue of US Banker and includes an analysis of data compiled by SNL Financial LC.

Bank of South Carolina, headquartered in Charleston, was ranked 41st on the list, followed by Palmetto Bancshares in Laurens at 46, Grandsouth Bancorporation in Greenville at 103 and CNB Corp. in Conway at 126.

The ranking is determined by the three-year average return on equity. The Bank of South Carolina Corporation's three-year average return on equity is 14.57%. The strong return on equity ratios of most of these community banks is reflected in their conservative involvement in real estate construction and development loans.

Posted on June 5th, 2009
 
By LEE G. HEALY
lee.healy@shj.com

Eight-year-old Grace Vandegrift never met her great-grandmother, Mary Parham, who died 11 years ago, but Friday, the two came together to support a cause important to both of them.


Grace Vandergrift, 8, a student at West View Elementary School, gets her hair cut by Sherry Ezell at Roxy Hair Studio in Boiling Springs on Friday. Grace is donating her long locks, along with two 23-inch braids of her late great-grandmothers hair, to Locks of Love.

Grace, a student at West View Elementary, cut about 10 inches of her blond hair for Locks of Love, an organization that uses donated hair to create hairpieces for children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

To that, she added two 23-inch long braids belonging to her great-grandmother. The braids recently were found by Grace's grandparents while cleaning out the buffet in her great-grandmothers home.

We were cleaning the house out, getting ready to put it on the market, and we found it in a paper bag, said J.L. Parham, Graces grandfather and Mary Parhams son.

Graces mother, Sharon Vandegrift, said her grandmother wore the long braids pinned in a tight bun. About 20 years before her grandmothers death, Sharon remembers her cutting off the braids in hopes it would relieve her constant headaches.

Locks of Love didnt exist when Mary Parham cut her hair about 30 years ago, but her family says it would have been a cause she gladly would have supported. She battled and eventually died from renal cell carcinoma.

Upon finding the braids, the family called Locks of Love and were surprised to hear that its never too late to make a donation. When combined with Graces 10-inch donation, the family will send off 56 inches of hair to aid children with cancer.

Friday, Grace visited Roxy Hair Studio to cut her hair into a short, layered 'do. Shes been growing her hair for about a year, and she might do it again.

It took a long time (to grow), Grace said while in the chair.

Im really excited about getting it cut. It will make some little girl or boy happy.
Posted on May 30th, 2009
 
By Lee G. Healy
lee.healy@shj.com


Woodruff High School graduate Jennifer Stamey thrives on adversity. She has to. She's been handed more than her share.

Cerebral palsy has yet to hinder Jennifer Stamey. A graduating senior at Woodruff High School with a jovial personality, Stamey plans to pursue a career in medicine.

Stamey, 18, proudly walked across the graduation stage Friday night, with the help of a crutch. She calls it her stick.

Stamey has had cerebral palsy since birth. Its a disorder that affects her ability to move and maintain balance and posture. More specifically, she has spastic paraplegia, meaning her muscle movement is stiff and awkward from the waist down.

But it hasnt affected her jovial personality or desire to succeed in everything she does.
Posted on May 30th, 2009
 
GREENVILLE, S.C. (May 8, 2009) Just weeks after Carolina Ballet Theatres
annual benefit gala, CBT has another cause for celebration: Principal Dancer
and Ballet Mistress Anita Pacylowski-Justo, of Greenville, has been named as a
Benois de la Danse nominee.


The Benois De La Danse international ballet prize (the Prize) was founded by the
International Dance Association, now the International Dance Union, in Moscow in
1991. The Prize is awarded for the outstanding achievements of any kind, any
form and any genre in the field of dance performance during the past year,
according to the International Dance Union.


One of only 11 nominees (6 women and 5 men) worldwide, Pacylowski-Justo was
nominated for her Pas de Deux, a duet in which ballet steps are performed
together, from Pulling the Strings, which premiered in June 2008 at the
Peace Center and was choreographed by her husband and CBT Artistic Director
Hernan Justo.
Posted on May 28th, 2009
 
Greenville Fine Dining Spot One of Only Two Restaurants
in South Carolina Recognized by OpenTable Diners

Rick Erwins West End Grille proudly
announces today that it’s made the inaugural OpenTable Diners’ Choice list
of top 50 restaurants in America. Diners Choice restaurants are chosen based
on two million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 9,000
restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, including renowned
culinary destinations Jean Georges in New York and The French Laundry in Napa
Valley.


Given the high quality of our restaurant partners, the competition for
placement on this list was quite fierce, said Caroline Potter, OpenTables
dining expert. We congratulate Rick Erwins on this exciting
accomplishment by providing Greenville diners with an exceptional dining
experience.


Based on feedback collected between April, 2008 and March, 2009, the 50
award-winning restaurants received the highest average overall rating.
For more information about the ratings or the restaurants on this list, please
visit http://www.opentable.com/bestoverall.
Posted on May 28th, 2009
 
GSA Daily Staff Report
Published May 26, 2009

Fitch Ratings has affirmed a “A+” insurer financial strength rating of Greenville-based Liberty Life Insurance Co. The company received a stable outlook based on demonstrated support of its parent, Royal Bank of Canada, solid capital levels and conservative bond portfolio.

Fitch believes that Liberty Life benefits not only from its ultimate parent's capital resources but also from administrative support, risk management expertise and distribution opportunities. Although RBC's support is not explicit, it has demonstrated its support in the past by providing capital necessary for Liberty Life's strategic growth plans.
Posted on May 27th, 2009
 
By James T. Hammond
jhammond@scbiznews.com
Published May 26, 2009

This year, Greenville will host the Southeastern Independent Booksellers Association and the South Atlantic Regional meeting of the American Institute of Architects for the first time.

“I don’t believe we’d have these two events coming to Greenville without the $22 million renovation of the Carolina First Center,” said the exhibit and conference center’s general manager, John Wilusz, who is an employee of SMG, the worldwide entertainment and conference venue management company hired by the city.

The city of Greenville purchased the former textile exposition center in 2001 for $6.8 million. Today, local officials estimate the Carolina First Center has an annual economic impact on the region of $50 million.
Posted on May 27th, 2009
 
GSA Daily Staff Report
Published May 20, 2009

Trehel Corp. announced that has been selected to provide design/build Construction services for four new Upstate projects.

The projects include a new pharmaceutical research office, a new office and retail space, a homeless shelter and expansion of bank parking lot:

▪ An upstate pharmaceutical research office owned by Paltheer, LLC will consist of a 2,700-square-foot upfit for a new medical research facility. Construction is scheduled for the second quarter. Clemson-based rsct architecture + design will provide all architectural design.

▪ Heritage Station owned by Bountyland Enterprises, Inc., is a new 22,000-square-foot building that will be used for office and retail space. Britt Peters & Assoc., Inc. is providing structural design and AC&S Engineering and Surveying is providing civil design. rsct architecture + design will provide all architectural design. Construction is scheduled to be completed in September.

▪ Our Daily Rest is new construction of a single-story, 40-bed homeless shelter that includes a commercial kitchen and dining facility, showers, washer-dryer area and a lounge/visitor area. Again, rsct architecture + design will provide all architectural design. Construction is scheduled to be completed in May.

▪ SunTrust Bank will expand its parking area on Wade Hampton Blvd. in Greer. The project is an addition of asphalt parking areas, an additional ATM drive thru, and additional landscaping and irrigation to the existing banking facility. Travis Pruitt & Associates will provide all architectural design.

Trehel will serve as the design-build general contractor for each of the projects. The company has offices in Greenville and Clemson. It provides design, build and planning services to industrial, municipal, commercial, educational, banking, medical, multi-family, church and corporate clients.
Posted on May 21st, 2009
 
By Scott Miller
smiller@scbiznews.com
Published May 20, 2009

Michelin North America of Greenville continues to be the official tire maker for the U.S. military.

The company just received a minimum $27 million contract to provide tires to the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps., the U.S. Department of Defense announced Tuesday.

Posted on May 21st, 2009
 
GSA Daily Staff Report
Published May 20, 2009

Center Manufacturing SC will expand its facility in Greenwood County, with plans to invest $2.4 million and create at least 65 jobs, the South Carolina Department of Commerce and Greenwood Partnership Alliance announced.

Posted on May 21st, 2009
 
The Greenville Chamber of Commerce today is launching a Web portal that aims to become a one-stop shop for small business owners and managers seeking help in running and growing their enterprises.

A small business collaborative, led by the Greenville chamber, developed Access, a small business Web site at www.accessgreenvillesc.org. The Web site is designed to make it easy for small businesses to identify and access local support organizations that serve the needs of small business.
Posted on May 19th, 2009