Category: Press Release

Greenville, SC –January 5, 2022 – UCW Logistics, a leading North American third-party logistics provider headquartered in Greenville, SC, today announced the hiring of trucking industry executive, Rob Allgary, to lead and execute the company’s vision for strategic growth. UCW Logistics specializes in customized logistics solutions with outstanding customer service for shippers of all sizes across North America.

Rob Allgary has over 20 years of experience in sales management at the regional and national levels in the transportation/logistics and automotive industries. Allgary joins UCW Logistics from Transwerks Logistics where he served as director of corporate sales. While at Transwerks, Allgary started a trade lane service from the United States to Europe as well as a shuttle brokerage operation inside of Germany. He was also previously with Landstar, serving as the director of national account sales. During this time, he worked with domestic and offshore automotive OEMs and tier suppliers alongside the agent network to gain new business and increase current accounts. Allgary graduated with a bachelor degree from Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg in Germany.

Allgary will work closely with the UCW Logistics executive team, planning strategic growth opportunities for the organization. He will oversee all strategic direction and ensure the sales team is completely aligned with the core values and goals of the overall business. Working alongside the operations team to service UCW Logistics customers, Allgary will also grow the internal sales team and external sales agents to foster new and existing revenue generation. “Rob has a long-proven track record of success in the transportation industry, and we are very lucky to have him play an integral role with our overall business strategy and growth,” said Steve Kitterman, President of UCW Logistics.

About UCW Logistics
UCW Logistics is an asset-light, privately held third-party logistics provider with corporate headquarters formed in 1925 in Memphis, TN and operational headquarters in Greenville, SC. UCW Logistics continues to expand logistics services to better serve existing and new clients with truck brokerage and freight transportation solutions. The company is founded on a tradition of service and integrity in all interactions with customers, suppliers and employees.

For more information, visit www.ucwlogistics.com.

Kicking off the third year of its FUEL for Good Grant program, FUEL – a Greenville-based marketing agency offering a full suite of strategy, creative, branding, advertising, and PR services – is pleased to announce that it has selected the Upstate Chapter of the American Heart Association as its first quarter grant recipient for 2022.

“We were immediately drawn to our community’s chapter of the American Heart Association due to the nature of their local program and the impact we believe we can have on addressing teen vaping and tobacco use in the Upstate through a creative and thoughtful marketing campaign,” said Warren Griffith, FUEL CEO and founder. “Our focus is on local initiatives, and we look forward to supporting the Upstate chapter to confront a serious health issue affecting our youth in Greenville and the surrounding communities.”

Through the grant program, FUEL provides pro bono marketing services to a selected local nonprofit organization each quarter. Working closely with the Upstate Chapter of the American Heart Association, FUEL will help craft key messages and create communication materials to raise awareness among parents and teenagers about the new tobacco trends threatening their health, specifically e-cigarettes.

“We are honored to be selected by FUEL as their grant recipient, and we’re excited to work with their team to develop materials that will help us save lives across the Upstate by educating people about the dangers of teen vaping.” said Kelly Wilkins, executive director of the Upstate Chapter of the American Heart Association. “Our local team is focused on improving health for all Upstate residents and that is only made possible thanks to the generosity and support of our local community. We’re grateful for FUEL’s support through this grant and look forward to working together as we continue our mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer healthier lives.”

FUEL is committed to making a difference in the community and uses the FUEL for Good Grant program to give back and help local nonprofits in a tangible way. Since launching the program in 2020, FUEL has worked with eight local nonprofits and donated more than 500 hours of services with work ranging from videos and logo development to websites and PR/social media campaigns.

For more information about the Upstate Chapter of the American Heart Association, please visit www.heart.org/upstate. More information about the FUEL for Good Grant program is available at www.fuelforbrands.com/grant.

Save our Saluda is excited to announce a second grant award from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to protect water quality in the Upper Saluda Watershed. The $550,000 grant will allow Save Our Saluda and partnering organizations to work with local landowners and farmers within the watershed to develop and implement projects aimed at reducing soil runoff to streams and rivers upstream of Saluda Lake.
The Upper Saluda Watershed above Saluda Lake encompasses nearly 300 square miles in Greenville and Pickens Counties and provides critical water resources for local communities in the Upstate. Headwaters of the Saluda River originate at the North Carolina-South Carolina state line and flow to the South, Middle and North Saluda Rivers which ultimately drain to Saluda Lake near Easley and Greenville. Sediment is a significant problem in the lake and in the rivers and their tributaries upstream. Water quality is impaired, aquatic habitat is degraded, recreational use is diminished, and a drinking water source is impacted due to excess sedimentation. Saluda Lake provides drinking water to more than 80,000 customers in the rapidly growing Easley area. The upper lake was dredged in 2011 and 2012 at a cost of over seven million dollars, and less than a decade later it has filled in again.
Save Our Saluda began building a partnership of stakeholder organizations in 2016 to address the problem of sediment pollution in the Upper Saludas and Saluda Lake. Since then, over twenty partner organizations cooperated to develop and implement watershed plans to reduce sediment runoff. Partners provide technical assistance and matching funding for 319 grants that enable implementation of projects in priority watershed areas.
The Upper Saluda Watershed Implementation Project for Sediment will provide up to 90% cost share assistance to landowners within the watershed for soil conservation projects to protect and improve water quality. The project has the potential to reduce sediment runoff to surface waters by an estimated 524 tons per year. Participation is voluntary and based on eligibility.
Projects completed in the Upper Saluda Watershed to date include cover crops, floodplain and riparian restoration, farm road stabilization, stream restoration, sediment basin construction, and drainage improvement and stabilization. Farm equipment (a roller-crimper and no-till seed drill) was purchased through the first 319 grant and is available for lease to area farmers to help facilitate regenerative farming practices.
Funding for this cooperative project was provided in part by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control with funds from the United States Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act and through additional support from Easley Combined Utilities, Trees Upstate, Duke Energy, Renewable Water Resources, MetroConnects, the Greenville Soil and Water Conservation District, and Greenville County.
Additional information about the Upper Saluda Watershed Implementation Project for Sediment is available at saveoursaluda.org/projects/ag-implementation-grant.

GREENVILLE, S.C. (December 14, 2021) – Endeavor, a coworking and office space community in downtown Greenville’s LEED-certified ONE tower, announces three new Private Desk members: Nathaniel Lamb, founder and president of Simple Start, LLC; John Henis, general manager of 105.5 The ROAR FM; and Margaret Gifford, co-founder and chief impact investment officer of Abundance Capital.

Lamb launched Simple Start, LLC in April of 2019 to make starting a business simple and engaging. By exploring organizational structure, compliance and tax planning with each client, Simple Start helps new and existing businesses make critical decisions that add value and upgrade their overall view on business. Working beside other likeminded individuals at Endeavor has proven great value to Lamb. “There is an underlying level of brilliance in each member. Everyone here is friendly and will in some part contribute to what you do. The value of friendliness and wisdom when put together shouldn’t be underestimated.”

John Henis, general manager of 105.5 The ROAR FM, said Endeavor “checked all the boxes.” As GM of the leading sports talk radio station in the Upstate and the flagship radio station for Clemson sports – with studios in Clemson and clients across the upstate – Henis needed a central location to work and meet with Greenville-based clients. For those considering coworking, John recommends, “Just visit. You will know immediately if it’s right for you. It is a central downtown location, easy to get to and a great looking facility that you’ll like bringing clients to for meetings.”

Margaret Gifford joined Endeavor shortly after she and business partner Mike Gatchell co-founded Abundance Capital in 2021. The charitable-giving (donor-advised fund) platform specializes in place-based impact investing, granting and education. Using the tools of regenerative finance including debt, equity, education and granting, Abundance Capital invests collaboratively in ideas from local changemakers who are building a more equitable and abundant Greenville and the Southeast. On choosing Endeavor, Gifford says, “I joined Endeavor to have a professional, productive space in which to grow and accelerate Abundance Capital. Endeavor provides gorgeous workspaces, flexible pricing, excellent business services and a smart, well-connected community of fellow founders and business leaders. The location is fantastic too, in Greenville’s thriving downtown.”

Endeavor offers a range of membership options, with benefits that scale-up based on the plan you select. Office and desk members enjoy their own dedicated space with 24/7 access, while daytime members can utilize Endeavor’s large open workspaces overlooking City Plaza Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. where the amenities include:
• Comfortable sitting areas with worktables, standing desks, soft seating and oversized monitors
• Member concierge and assistance
• High-speed, secure Wi-Fi/Internet
• Private telephone booths
• Community kitchen/café area, including bottomless coffee
• State-of-the-art gym and shower within Endeavor’s space
• Opportunity to connect with Endeavor members who offer a wide range of services to help build businesses
• Free training and professional development opportunities
• Meeting rooms and event spaces, which are also available for booking by outside groups

To learn more about Endeavor, including available private offices, desk memberships, coworking and day passes, contact Endeavor@EndeavorGreenville.com.

About Endeavor
Endeavor is a membership-based coworking community for creative and entrepreneurial professionals, as well as corporate teams and business travelers. Endeavor’s premium location in the ONE Development in Greenville, SC provides members with state-of-the-art work and meeting space, and uniquely, surrounds them with a diverse array of peers who offer a broad range of services and experience. Training opportunities, networking events and business consulting are available for the professionals who call Endeavor home every day, as well as business team members across the region. Endeavor has been recognized as the winner of the Coworker Member’s Choice Award for Greenville, SC. For more information, visit endeavorgreenville.com.

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Loyal to Greenville – new online South Carolina and Greenville, SC focused website with Mice on Main onesies and tea towels along with various adult tees, headwear and accessories. We need to support the local business groups, keep our city friendly, help one another, be loyal, buy local, be kind, be inspiring. Brewmiceter Hops Hunt – Hunt to find 8 mice, all with different personalities, in 8 breweries following the hints on the website. Started by a local to help local breweries get more traffic while building on Greenville’s history with Mice on Main. Free Fun for the entire family.

Seven Upstate leaders have been selected for Liberty Fellowship’s Class of 2023. Following the successful completion of five, multi-day seminars in the U.S. and abroad and individual leadership projects, the new class will join the community of more than 300 Liberty Fellows working collectively across South Carolina.

“Each leader in our new class has demonstrated the courage and ability to confront the big, systemic issues affecting the people in South Carolina now and into the future.” said Ann Marie Stieritz, president and CEO of Liberty Fellowship and a Fellow from the Class of 2016. “By accepting our invitation to become Liberty Fellows, they are challenging themselves to dig even deeper and answer the question ‘How do I lead well and live justly in a good society?’”

The Upstate leaders selected are:

-James Jordon, president, Jordon Construction Company
-E. Smyth McKissick, IV, president and CEO, Alice Company
-Brooke Mueller, director of government relations and public affairs (VA, NC, SC), Walmart, Inc.
-Teresa Goodman, executive director, Community Initiatives, Inc.
-Shontavia Johnson, associate vice president for entrepreneurship and innovation, Clemson University
-Tiffany Pizarro, market vice president – clinic operations, CenterWell Senior Primary Care
-Rochelle Williams, executive director, South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Foundation

The other members of the Class of 2023 are:

-Amy Barch, executive director and founder, Turn90
-Gary Brewer, vice president, South Atlantic Area Construction Services, HDR, Inc.
-Chase Glenn, director of LGBTQ+ health services and enterprise resources, Medical University of South Carolina
-John Gordon, president & CEO, Leroy Springs & Company, Inc.
-Michael Lalich, president and founder, Lowcountry Labor Company
-Dominik Mjartan, CEO, Optus Bank
-Aparna Polavarapu, associate professor, University of South Carolina School of Law, and executive director and founder, South Carolina Restorative Justice Initiative
-Zeb Portanova, CEO, GEM Funds
-Tommy Preston, Jr., vice president, ethics, The Boeing Company
-Seema Shrivastava, president, Carolina Convenience Corporation
-Sarah Simmons, founder and CEO, CITY GRIT Hospitality Group
-Megan Stifel, chief strategy officer, Institute for Security and Technology
-Laura Ullrich, senior regional economist, South Carolina and North Carolina, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond

Learn more about the class at www.libertyfellowshipsc.org/class_of_2023.

Liberty Fellowship’s rigorous selection process takes place every two years. Each new Fellow was nominated, interviewed twice, and ultimately selected from a pool of more than 400 nominations.

“We are very intentional in selecting leaders with different perspectives, experiences and professional affiliations to facilitate challenging and meaningful values exploration and dialogue. This is the key to creating trust and lifelong bonds among leaders uniquely positioned to confront the status quo,” said Stieritz.

In addition to joining the Liberty Fellowship community, each new Fellow will also become a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, a worldwide community of more than 3,000 high-integrity, entrepreneurial leaders from business, government, and the nonprofit sector in more than 50 countries.

About Liberty Fellowship
Liberty Fellowship is the only state-based Fellowship program of its kind in the United States. The Fellowship activates individual leaders through a deeper understanding of a just, free and equitable society; serves as a convener for bringing together diverse perspectives to advance civil discourse; and provides infrastructure for taking action. There are more than 300 Liberty Fellows working collectively across South Carolina. See stories of their impact at www.libertyfellowshipsc.org/impact.

Greenville, SC, November 30, 2021– Greenville’s original indoor winter farmer’s market, The Toasty Farmer, returns this year for it’s Sixth season.
The Toasty Farmer is hosted Saturdays from 11am until 2pm during the winter season at the Orchard Events Center at Brewery 85 at 6 Whitlee Court in Greenville, South Carolina.
The market season kicks off Saturday, December 4th 2021 and lasts through Saturday, March 12th of 2022.
Over 50 vendors will be featured over the course of the season with all of your favorites from years past with some new faces sprinkled in too. The Toasty Farmer will showcase carefully curated offerings that include fresh seafood, locally harvested produce, artisanal cheeses, heritage meats, hand picked & mixed spices, pastries, candles, boutique & vintage home goods, expert woodworking, indie craft textiles & art, coffee, live music, and of course rotating food trucks.
We can’t wait to see y’all! Music, Market, Food, & Beer!
Open 11am-2pm, December 4th 2021 through March 12th, 2022.
For more information, please check out our website at Brewery85.com or our affiliated social media channels.
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Continuing its commitment to community service, FUEL – a Greenville-based marketing agency offering a full suite of strategy, creative, branding, advertising, and PR services – presents its FUEL for Good Grant program for the third consecutive year and is currently accepting applications from local nonprofit organizations for Q1 2022. Each quarter, FUEL selects a local nonprofit and dedicates a team of strategists, copywriters, designers, and data analysts to provide pro bono services to address a specific marketing need or challenge.

Nonprofit organizations based in Greenville County, S.C. that serve the local community, hold a valid 501(c)(3) certification, and have a clearly identifiable need for marketing assistance are eligible to apply. Interested organizations may complete an online application at www.fuelforbrands.com/grant by December 10, 2021, for 1Q22.

“We’ve always tried to help as many organizations as possible when they reached out to us for marketing support,” says Meredith Kinsey, FUEL president and COO. “Wanting to make a greater impact, we established the FUEL for Good Grant program where we select a local nonprofit organization with an immediate and identifiable marketing need and provide pro bono marketing services to the grant winner each quarter.”

Since the program’s inception in January 2020, FUEL has worked with eight 501(c)(3) organizations, dedicating nearly 800 hours to strategizing, designing, programming, copywriting, videoing, and implementing marketing initiatives for these deserving organizations. The agency’s goal is to make a long-term impact to help nonprofit organizations succeed in achieving their missions and serving our community. Projects have included new logos, revamped websites, branding videos, social media and PR strategies, and direct marketing campaigns.

During the past two years, FUEL has provided pro bono services to:

● Fellow Countrymen – committed to ending Veteran homelessness in the Upstate
● Naturaland Trust – promoting conservation efforts throughout the Upstate
● Neighborhood Housing Corporation (now Beyond Housing) – creating equitable and vibrant communities through homeownership opportunities
● Feed & Seed – connecting local farmers with local institutions and consumers to make fresh food available and affordable in South Carolina
● Bridges for a Brighter Future – providing college access and opportunity to underprivileged high school students in Greenville County
● Girl Up Greenville – enriching and empowering middle and high school girls from under resourced communities
● Project Host – using food as a tool to nourish the hungry and train the unemployed in greater Greenville
● The Homeless Period Project – creating awareness, advocating for access, and providing menstrual hygiene products for low-income individuals

Following an internal review of all submitted applications, FUEL will announce the first recipient for 2022 in mid-December and begin working with the grant winner in January. For more information about the FUEL for Good Grant program, please visit www.fuelforbrands.com/grant or contact Jesslyn Griffith at jesslyn@fuelforbrands.com.

Greenville, SC – Greenville Federal Credit Union announced five recipients of its Thanks and Giving Grants program. Each of the five recipients will receive $10,000 to be used within the next 12 months. Established in 2018, the Thanks and Giving Grants program identifies and provides funding support for community-based 501(c)(3) organizations that promote youth, education, community and economic assistance or relief in local areas across Greenville County.

“The 2018 and 2021 Thanks and Giving Grants represent a $100,000 investment back into the Greenville community. The program has allowed us to find local non-profit organizations that are addressing a variety of critical needs through unique and creative initiatives,” said President Paul Hughes. “We are thrilled to support five outstanding organizations that share our commitment to improving prosperity and outcomes for the most vulnerable in Greenville County.”

The five 2021 Thanks and Giving Grants recipients are Village Wrench, Jasmine Road, Fostering Great Ideas, Project HOPE Foundation, and YMCA of Greenville. Each recipient was able to clearly demonstrate how their proposed initiative will benefit and support education, improve child welfare, or increase community and economic assistance or relief in the local community.

• Village Wrench primarily serves the historically under-resourced mill village neighborhoods on the west side of Greenville. The Earn-a-Bike program provides a means for young students and community members to earn bicycles through community service. This program makes bikes accessible, safe, affordable, and sustainable as a form of transportation in Greenville. With this grant funding, Village Wrench can streamline operations, develop and deepen strategic partnerships, and expand the reach of the Earn-a-Bike program.

• Jasmine Road provides South Carolina’s first long-term residential program for adult female survivors of sex trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. The program provides safe housing, individualized care plans, addiction recovery, time and space to heal, meaningful employment, and a lifelong community of support. With this funding, Jasmine Road will triple its capacity to serve more women in the residential program.

• Fostering Great Ideas is dedicated to improving outcomes for children and older youth as they struggle through foster care. The non-profit provides programming focused on restoring healthy families, supporting foster children at every step of their difficult journeys, and connecting communities to be more actively involved. This grant will fund a life coach to help with tutoring, goal setting, job shadowing, financial literacy, and building up of social capital.

• Project HOPE Foundation provides services, therapy, and inclusion-based classroom learning for children and adults across the autism spectrum. The grant funding will provide equipment and technology for students to learn vocational skills that prepare them for jobs in the service and retail industries.

• YMCA of Greenville established an emergency food relief program in 2020 to reach families in need at nine area motels. The program provides a weekly bag of food to vulnerable families struggling with job loss, financial insecurity, and a lack of affordable and accessible food options. The grant funding will allow the YMCA to expand the food relief program to assist more families over the next year.

Additional details about the Thanks and Giving Grants program can be found here: www.greenvillefcu.com/grants

The Thanks and Giving Grants program is part of the Greenville Federal Credit Union Foundation which exists to promote local prosperity by providing grants, educational scholarships, and other funding support for individuals and non-profit, community-based programs within Greenville County, SC, with a primary focus on youth and education. Information about the Greenville Federal Credit Union Foundation can be found here: www.greenvillefcu.com/foundation.

About Greenville Federal Credit Union
Greenville Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial alternative to traditional banking with five branch locations in Greenville, Greer, and Mauldin serving more than 32,000 members. The more than $380 million credit union was founded by nine teachers from the School District of Greenville County as an educator’s credit union in 1968. In 2001, the credit union approved a conversion to a community-based charter to serve anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in Greenville County. The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), an agency of the federal government, insures all accounts up to $250,000. For more information, please visit the credit union’s website at www.greenvillefcu.com or call 864.235.6309.

The Upcountry History Museum-Furman University, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $13,500.00 Growth Grant from South Carolina Humanities. Funding for the Growth Grants has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the NEH Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) initiative.

According to SC Humanities, Growth Grants were designed to offer operating and/or program support to humanities organizations throughout the state that are still working through the last 18 months of sustained disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These grants provide immediate funds to help stabilize humanities organizations, thus allowing them to focus on continued recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and ensure their future success.

“As the area’s largest and most comprehensive history museum, the Upcountry History Museum connects people, history, and culture through its changing exhibition schedule, semi-permanent exhibits, programs, events, and extensive permanent collection,” said Museum CEO Dana L. Thorpe. “The Museum is honored to be a Growth Grant recipient. Monies received support the Museum in its role as the keeper of our community’s collective memory.”

Through its expanding permanent collection, innovative programming, access-for-all initiatives, and award-winning exhibitions, the Museum has established itself as a community anchor and trusted agent for preserving the multilayers of history with accuracy and integrity. As such, we have been able to open the doors of discovery, safeguard community history and Upcountry treasures through oral histories and artifacts, and inspire children, as well as lifelong learners, to dig deeper into history to better understand its impact on the present and future.

The Upcountry History Museum is located at 540 Buncombe St., in Greenville, S.C. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. For more information, call 864-467-3100 or visit www.upcountryhistory.org.