Spartanburg Mayor Jerome Rice (right) speaks as former Mayors (left to right) Junie White, Bill Barnet and James Talley look on.       City of Spartanburg photo 

MLK Unity Week Humanitarian Award presented to former Denny’s CEO, former Spartanburg mayors

Information courtesy of the City of Spartanburg

The City of Spartan-burg’s 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Week Humanitarian Award was presented to former Denny’s Chief Executive Officer John C. Miller and former Spartanburg Mayors James Talley, Bill Barnet, and Junie White. Presented on Monday, January 16 during the 36th annual Unity Week Celebration, the award recognizes people and organizations who have made a positive impact in advancing racial equity and promoting diversity in the Spartanburg community.

During his 11 years leading Denny’s, John C. Miller gave the company slogan, “America’s diner is always open” a new meaning when it came to supporting and promoting diversity and inclusiveness in Spartanburg. Indeed, Denny’s is always open for Spartanburg. The city has had no stronger corporate partner when it comes to ensuring that it is a welcoming place for all. Over Mr. Miller’s tenure, Denny’s facilitated the creation of a new public play space on their downtown campus, generously supported the City’s annual International Festival, and became a critical partner in the Unity Week celebration activities, with Mr. Miller serving as keynote speaker for the City’s  Unity Breakfast event in 2020.

Between them, former Spartanburg Mayors James Talley, Bill Barnet, and Junie White represent 29 years of the city’s unprecedented progress, with their tenures stretching from the very beginnings of Downtown Spartanburg’s revitalization and through a period that has seen neighborhoods strengthened, residents become more prosperous, and communities brought together as never before to address challenges.

While their tenures were marked by numerous generational milestones in Spartanburg’s growth, all three of these men’s legacies will be defined more by their connection to the people of the community as by their connection to any particular project or development. They all carried into office a dedication and devotion to serving people — to moving Spartanburg closer to the ideal of a place where everyone can realize their potential and prosper. 

Josh Riley ‘11, COO of Sully’s Steamers, is ready to welcome Wofford students and the rest of the Spartanburg community to the new location in The Hub, located at 578 N. Church St. in Spartanburg, directly across from Wofford’s campus. Wofford College photo 

Wofford alum opens a restaurant across from Wofford’s campus

By Wofford student Brandi Wylie ’24

Josh Riley ’11 could once be found cheering on the Terriers in Boss’ uniform.

Now, Riley wears a different boss’ uniform as chief operating officer of Sully’s Steamers, a bagel sandwich shop with locations throughout the Carolinas. The shop opened its newest location in Suite C of The Hub, located at 578 N. Church St., directly across from Wofford College’s campus.

The restaurant officially opened on Dec. 1 and proved to be a hit with the Wofford community, with students and faculty alike frequenting the shop for breakfast and lunch during the last two weeks of the fall semester.

Riley attended middle school, high school and college in Spartanburg, so he says it was always in the plans to open a location in the area. When The Hub opened so close to his alma mater, he seized the opportunity.

“I encourage all members of the Wofford and surrounding community to come and enjoy the food,” Riley says. “Hang out and fill up your stomachs.” 

Riley, who ran cross country and track while at Wofford, was a mathematics major.

He started work with Sully’s five years ago after frequenting the bagel shop’s location across from a bank where he worked in Greenville. He enjoyed the food so much that he would eat at the location two or three times a day.

Through his frequent visits, Riley became friends with “Sully” himself – Robert Sullivan.

“After many talks over coffee, we decided that we wanted to work together,” Riley says. “I left banking and partnered with him to take Sully’s from a one-store location to a franchise.” 

Riley credits Wofford’s liberal arts education and emphasis on soft skill development for much of his success. He also supports the college’s mission to develop successful graduates. He served as a judge in the Terrier Startup Challenge in November, a contest that assists students with entrepreneurship funding.

He encourages students to apply for part-time jobs at the shop and to potentially go into franchise work with the company after graduation.

“We like to work with college graduates, especially those who come from a college like Wofford,” Riley says. 

Beyond the resolution: Keep your exercise goals past January 

Courtesy of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

For many people, a new year offers opportunities for a fresh start, so they make resolutions they hope will change their lives for the better.  

However, despite their best efforts, most will fail at keeping those resolutions. But why?  

"One of the most common mistakes adults make in attempting to keep their fitness resolutions is that they do it alone," Gary Hazelwood said. "They don't have the proper knowledge when it comes to training."  

Hazelwood knows a lot about training; he is the leader of the sports performance team at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System's Sports Medicine Institute.  

The Sports Medicine Institute offers private training sessions, and its coaches work with people of all fitness levels.  

“Sessions allow people to exercise alongside a coach, so they don't have to figure out the right fitness plan on their own,” said Caroline Corbin, a sports performance coach.  

"We can do whatever fits their needs, so we always start by asking them, 'what are your goals?' 'What are you wanting to achieve?'" Corbin said.  

Personal trainers help people reach their goals by incorporating a mix of cardio workouts, core activities and more. Corbin said that after the first workout session, coaches will build a customized exercise plan that suits the particular person, their fitness level and their goals.  

It can be hard to make those New Year's exercise goals stick long-term, which is why having private coaches along the way helps keep the motivation going.  

"I know that some people will have a really good start for the first couple of weeks, and then it starts to fall off," Corbin said. "I always recommend having a coach or a trainer for accountability, so you know a person is waiting on you, so you have to show up."  

For more information on the Sports Medicine Institute or to sign up for a private session, call 864-560-5700. 

County Square redevelopment. Photo provided by Greenville Area Development Corporation 

GADC unveils new strategic plan, announces another strong year for 2022 

Greenville – Despite record inflation, unsettled supply chains, a strengthening US dollar and workforce challenges the world over, Mark Farris knows this for certain.

Greenville is blessed with a vibrant community and outstanding quality of life, and business the world over wants to be a part of it.

Armed with a new and forward-looking strategic plan that will continue to focus efforts and maximize return on investment for the community long into the future, Mr. Farris — Chief Executive Officer of the Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC) — announced another exceptionally strong year for economic development in Greenville, South Carolina’s largest county, also referred to as the business heartbeat of the Palmetto State.

Assisted by the GADC, some 22 organizations – manufacturing and office, new companies and existing industry, large and small, public and private — have chosen to locate to or expand in Greenville County, South Carolina during 2022. Combined, the organizations represent $468 million in new capital investment to enhance the tax base plus 2,326 new jobs – the strongest year since 2016 — to keep Greenville’s economy humming.

The GADC, entering its 22nd year and charged with promoting and enhancing quality of life in Greenville County by facilitating job growth and investment, termed it “a continuation of a remarkable run for Greenville County economic development,” said Mr. Farris. GADC.

“It’s a testament to the work of so many people that Greenville, despite the global challenges of Covid, inflation, workforce challenges and hyper-competition, continues to be such an attractive and appealing destination for organizations the world over to want to live in and conduct business from,” said Mr. Farris. “I couldn’t be prouder of our team, our Board and our Investors and allies, and the year’s results speak for themselves.”

The $468 million in new capital investment ranks third highest ever for the county’s new investment, trailing only 2020 and 2014, while the job additions are the highest one-year level since 2016. The achievement pushed the GADC’s five-year new investment to $1.8 billion and its new job creation to 9,239. Cumulative job announcements by the GADC since its founding now total over 34,600 during its history – the equivalent of creating the 13th largest city in the state right here in Greenville County.

“The capital investment greatly adds to our community’s economic vitality, diversity, and tax base. And the announced jobs, with mean wages well above both County and South Carolina averages, portend a bright future for our community. Raising per capita income is always a primary goal in our efforts, and we continue to raise the bar.”

The industries are diverse, with 13 of 22 announcements being in GADC’s core target industries, and 15 of them in Manufacturing verticals, which are a historical strength for Greenville County. The year saw strong response from automotive, life sciences, and office/headquarters, which “helps to provide a varied economy that is robust and multi-faceted. Equally of note is that half of the announcements are from our existing industry,” Mr. Farris added.

“We can be confident that our community is doing the right things when existing industry decides to invest limited resources to expand here in Greenville,” said Mr. Farris. “The decision on where to place those investments and where to expand is incredibly competitive, and there is no stronger endorsement of a community being business friendly than winning more than our fair share of such expansions here for Greenville.”

Continued spec development of both industrial parks and office/industrial space has fueled interest in the community at a time when businesses make fast decisions on where to locate or expand – and require communities to have near-ready property and sites for consideration, he added. He referenced the growth and new development at Fox Hill Business Park, Augusta Grove, Main Street Labs, University Ridge, and other locations as helping to drive continuing interest in the community, boding well for future growth.

The exercise of developing the GADC’s first-ever formal strategic economic development plan was both timely and healthy, added Mr. Farris.

“It provided us the opportunity to examine our strengths and weaknesses, our competition for quality growth, and industries to emphasize going forward that will best complement our vision for this community,” he said. “The contributions from many collaborative minds ranging from our Board of Directors to industry and economic development leaders, civic organizations, elected officials and others have helped us to develop a sound blueprint to continue to guide Greenville County growth efforts into the future.”

The strategic planning process was led by the GADC Board of Directors, staff and representatives from TIP Strategies of Austin, Texas — a nationally recognized strategic planning consultancy to public and private sector clients the world over. Additional details on the learnings and strategies in the strategic plan will be released shortly, Mr. Farris added.

Mr. Farris also saluted the community’s ongoing commitment to nurturing start-ups and the entrepreneurial ecosystem, expanding emphasis on STEM education, and noted Greenville County continues to attract widespread attention for its smart growth, productive workforce, and its affordability.

“It takes support and leadership from many parties – Greenville County Council and the county’s tremendous staff, the cities and municipalities we work with, and the many members of the GADC Investor base and private sector who play key roles — to produce these results,” he noted.

Since its founding in mid-2001, the GADC team’s efforts have resulted in the announcement of more than 34,600 new jobs and more than $6.6 billion in capital investment in Greenville County. To learn more, please visit www.goGADC.com or call (864) 235-2008.  To learn more about workforce opportunities, visit www. jobsingreenvillesc.com.

Angie Waller joins NHE as new Director of Affordable Property Management 

Property management leader NHE, a staple for several years on Best Places to Work and Top Workplaces in South Carolina lists, has added talent to its leadership team with the addition of Angie Waller as its new Director of Affordable Property Management.

NHE provides professional association management, affordable and conventional apartment management, and service coordination to communities across the Southeast. The organization has grown steadily to now manage more than 85 quality, low-income and affordable housing communities representing over 3,700 units in the Southeast, providing quality housing to residents in need of affordable living options.

Ms. Waller joins NHE with more than 35 years of housing experience, having worked with top property management firms across numerous states in her career.  A native of Boswell, Pennsylvania, she joins the NHE team from Cambridge Management where she oversaw a portfolio of 42 properties representing more than 4,500 units in five states.

During her career Ms. Waller has held positions of progressive responsibility including Regional Vice President, VP of Affordable Housing, VP of HUD Compliance, and Director of Maintenance Operations with various Southeastern property management organizations.

She holds experience with market rate, HUD, LIHTC, Bond and Tax Credit properties across numerous states, and has overseen lease-up of new properties, along with conversion and renovation of tax credit properties to market-rate assets. She describes her work style as one of "teamwork, communication and leadership development," working closely with management and ownership to ensure properties meet financial goals, maintain, and improve physical assets, and comply with regulatory requirements.