Category: Press Release

Greenville, S.C. — The Matador brought its Mexican-inspired cuisine and agave spirits to Greenville’s West End in May 2025, and now invites guests to enjoy the upstairs Whiskey Hotel and rooftop patio this fall. Named for the neon sign that crowns the building, the Whiskey Hotel offers an intimate space and elevated dining experience, with rooftop views overlooking downtown Greenville.

Whiskey Hotel Offerings
-Upstairs cocktail menu featuring an intriguing selection of drinks based on American whiskeys — both traditional classics and reimagined contemporary selections, alongside some of our favorite Matador margaritas
-Expanded whiskey and bourbon selection
-Signature Whiskey Hotel Ribeye and a bar menu with select scratch-made Mexican-inspired cuisine
-Rooftop patio with fire tables, custom ironwork, and downtown views

Celebrate Dia de los Muertos at The Matador
From October 31 to November 2, guests can celebrate Dia de los Muertos at the Whiskey Hotel. Join The Matador for discounted drink specials all weekend, complemented by culturally accurate decorations throughout.

For menus, hours, and more information, visit matadorrestaurants.com, or find us on Instagram at @matador_restaurants.

GREENVILLE, SC – The dog days of summer at acac Fitness and Wellness led to a $19,230 donation to the Greenville Humane Society this week.

Every year, acac Fitness & Wellness centers designate a month to host a 30 Days for $30 campaign, where 100 percent of all 30-day passes are donated to a local charity. This year, the three acac sites in the Upstate raised $19,230 for the Greenville Humane Society.

The mission of the Greenville Humane Society is to provide homeless pets with more than just the basics of food and shelter – their pets receive daily enrichment, loving attention and medical care. The Greenville Humane Society also provides a wide variety of preventative services like vaccinations and spay/neuter to make proper pet care affordable for the community so that pets can be pets for life.

The 30 Days for $30 campaign was originally created in 2009 to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary. Since then, acac has supported a variety of organizations including the American Heart Association, the Alzheimer’s Association, the American Red Cross, and more.

“We were so pleased with the outcome of this drive and want to thank our fantastic team, and everyone who joined our wonderful acac family in August,” said Jamie Hamler, acac’s Regional Manager. “They helped make this donation possible and impacted the wellness of our most devoted furry friends.”

About acac Fitness & Wellness Centers:
Founded by Phil Wendel in 1984, acac Fitness & Wellness Centers has become the gold standard for health and wellness facilities. With 14 locations throughout Virginia, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, acac members and guests have access to a full spectrum of high-quality programs, services and equipment. acac’s mission is to provide a great fitness experience for members of all ages in a clean and safe environment. Its team members are dedicated to the integration of medicine and fitness to improve community health by focusing on prevention, treatment and rehabilitation o

Greenville, SC – Stokes & Company CPAs is excited to welcome Shelly Davis as the newest Accountant!
Shelly Davis holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Charleston Southern University and brings over 10 years of experience in the accounting industry. A member of the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB), she is also an Intuit Bookkeeper Certified and QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor.
Shelly specializes in law firm billing and accounting, with expertise across multiple legal software programs. She particularly enjoys building strong client relationships, navigating diverse business accounting needs, and collaborating on business tax strategies.
Outside of work, Shelly enjoys rehabbing old homes, building garden beds, and exploring interior design.
About Stokes & Company, CPAs
For over 25 years, Stokes & Company, CPAs has been a trusted partner for businesses and individuals, delivering expert accounting, tax, and advisory services tailored to their unique needs.
Media Contact:
Brad Detandt
Director of Business Development
brad@stokescpas.com
864.242.1418

GREENWOOD, S.C.— Cameron Dorn doesn’t just talk about pushing limits. He lives it.

Some might call the South Carolina native a business daredevil, but the founder of the business, Suitcase of Courage, strategically channels his passion for adventure into grueling races and endurance challenges that test both body and mind.

Dorn returned to his alma mater, Lander University, to speak to students and guests for the College of Business and Technology Week, which focuses on helping students learn about life after graduation. He carried with him a well-worn blue suitcase, given to him by a friend’s mother who filled it with snacks when he lost a race in Majorca, Spain. Dorn, who was pursuing a master’s degree in international business in England, found the opportunity to “unpack the suitcase and give the snacks to others,” he said.

And that desire to give back – to share with others – has been a hallmark of Dorn’s success as he’s won some 60 races in 68 countries while helping businesses throughout the nation, including Fujifilm in Greenwood, develop corporate wellness programs.

Dorn, who grew up in Waterloo and earned his bachelor’s degree at Lander in 2010, was determined to break out of the small-town life “and see the world … I wanted to put Waterloo on the map.”

A triathlon and duathlon champion, Dorn has earned Guinness World Record fame in three events and traveled the globe to undertake grueling adventures as varied as the Running of the Bulls and climbing the world’s highest summits. It’s hardly any wonder that Men’s Health magazine named Dorn one of “15 Ultimate Guys.”

In 2023, Dorn pushed paralyzed Marine veteran Mike Hudson, of Simpsonville, in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. He continues to seek new challenges and turns every test of strength into an opportunity to inspire others to find their own courage. “I want to prove that being from a small town doesn’t mean small opportunities.”

[GREENVILLE, S.C.] – Art & Light Gallery is happy to present “Set The Table”, an exhibition of work by Molly Mansfield (Austin, T.X.), Rachael Nerney Reese (Charleston, S.C.) and Megan Trueblood (Orem, U.T.) launching on the Art & Light website and in the gallery at 10:00 AM (EST) on Tuesday, November 4 with an opening reception on Friday, November 7 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM.

Molly Mansfield studies the spaces we inhabit and the tablescapes that define our domestic lives. Molly’s practice is one of observation, but also imagination. Her still life paintings often focus on the table—a gathering place and a place for connection, sharing, and vulnerability. She typically creates a composition using family heirlooms: dishes, vintage fabrics, half finished quilts of women from past decades.

Rachael Nerney Reese is a painter, muralist, and illustrator who earned a BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design. Her artwork captures fleeting moments through vibrant color, light, and pattern. Rachael finds inspiration in the everyday magic of food, color, and connection. Known for her joyful brushwork and love of all things food, she turns tabletops into works of art. In “Set the Table” she captures the warmth of shared meals, from sunny breakfasts and weekend brunches to cozy desserts and late-night bites. Every scene is a reminder to slow down, savor the moment, and enjoy the beauty of a well-set table.

Megan Trueblood finds beauty in the familiar and the everyday, her work is meant to inspire peace and provide a respite from the chaos of our busy lives. She is interested in the interaction of color and the use of negative space, and explores both in her detailed, luminous oil paintings. Trueblood says, “I paint ordinary objects that are present in my home and part of my family life. Often, as I make dinner or play with my children, an object will beautifully catch the light, and I’ll snap a quick photo to paint later in my studio.”

Two Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) with BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS) have been honored by Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit dedicated to building and delivering beds to children in need.

The BASF Veterans Employee Team (VETS) and EmpowerHER groups received the organization’s Dream Builders distinction, along with a commemorative headboard recognizing their ongoing volunteer efforts.
Since partnering in 2024, BASF ECMS volunteers have given their time and resources to support Sleep in Heavenly Peace by building bedframes, training other volunteers, and supporting bed builds across Oconee County. Their commitment recently earned them the additional responsibility of making their own home bed deliveries to families in need.

“The support from BASF ECMS team member has been invaluable,” Turner said. “Since 2024, BASF ECMS has supported and helped lead eight large bed build events, coordinated six home delivery routes, with four more deliveries planned before the end of 2025. This team has helped us build nearly 220 beds for children in Oconee County. We can’t thank them enough for their support.”

The Westminster chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace started in January of 2024 to help meet a growing need in the local community of children not having actual beds to sleep in. Families in need of assistance can learn more at https://shpbeds.org/chapter/sc-westminster/.

“Our team members have really taken to volunteering with Sleep in Heavenly Peace,” said Tommy Holland, chair of the Seneca VETS Employee Resource Group. “It’s been great to see everyone come together outside of work, using their skills to help others. We’re thankful for the opportunity to give back in a way that meets such a fundamental need—a healthy night’s sleep.”

Tara Craft, Chair of the EmpowerHER ERG added: “EmpowerHER is all about lifting others up, and this partnership has given us a tangible way to do that.”

GREENVILLE,SC – From reshaping the I-85 corridor through its real estate to spearheading the next generation of affordable housing and economic mobility, HollingsworthFunds has spent the past quarter century creating a better community.

To start this celebration, they have launched an updated website that details the key moment sand milestones it has reached over the decades. Created by Greenville-based Engenius, the new site can be found here.(www.hollingsworthfunds.org/25-anniversary).

“We are proud of what we have accomplished in the past 25 years, but the real excitement is to see what we will be doing in the next 25 years,” said Gage Weekes, President& CEO of Hollingsworth Funds.

Hollingsworth Funds was created by the late John D. Hollingsworth Jr., who led a5,000-employee textile machinery company that spanned 18 countries from a headquarters off of Laurens Road just south of Interstate 85. Although Hollingsworth Funds was originally established in 1976, it was not until shortly after Mr. Hollingsworth’s passing on December 30, 2000, that the bulk of his self-made textile and real estate fortune, valued at $275 million, passed to the organization.

Hollingsworth Funds was charged with allocating that estate in three ways: 45% of its annual distributions was designated to Furman University, 10% to the YMCA of Greenville County, and the remaining 45% to a class of organizations defined asa ny nonprofit organization benefitting Greenville County.  Most of the value of Mr. Hollingsworth’s gift consisted of 42,000 acres of predominantly raw, undeveloped land, meaning the organization did not have readily available cash to distribute grants at the outset, unlike most traditional foundations.

Five attorneys from Bannister, Wyatt & Stalvey have been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for their work across a wide range of practice areas. In addition, two of the firm’s attorneys earned the distinguished “Lawyer of the Year” designation in Greenville for 2026.

Only one lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this a significant and highly coveted accolade. These lawyers are selected based on particularly impressive voting averages received during the peer review assessments. No fees are accepted for consideration or inclusion, ensuring the independence and integrity of the recognition.

2026 “Lawyer of the Year” Awards | Greenville
James Bannister | Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Bruce Bannister | Family Law

For the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, more than 26 million evaluations were analyzed. Only about five percent of lawyers in the U.S. and three percent globally achieve recognition, underscoring the selectivity and credibility of the results.

The Best Lawyers in America® (2026 Edition)
Bruce Bannister (recognized since 2018) | Administrative / Regulatory Law; Family Law; Family Law Arbitration; Family Law Mediation; Government Relations Practice
Oscar Bannister, Jr. (recognized since 1991) | Criminal Defense: General Practice; Criminal Defense: White-Collar; DUI / DWI Defense
James Bannister (recognized since 2008) | Criminal Defense: General Practice; Criminal Defense: White-Collar; DUI / DWI Defense
Jack McDonald (recognized since 2021) | Real Estate Law
Alex Stalvey (recognized since 2024) | Education Law; Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs

Founded in 1976, Bannister, Wyatt & Stalvey has proudly served Greenville and the Upstate for nearly 50 years, advocating for individuals, families, and businesses while also giving back to the community that supports the firm.

Green Valley Country Club (“Green Valley”) proudly hosted its first annual Golf & Benefit Concert on September 19th, raising more than $30,000 in support of two impactful organizations: the Meyer Center for Special Children and Folds of Honor – Palmetto State Chapter.

The event combined spirited competition on Green Valley’s 18-hole championship course with an evening concert featuring the country music star duo, LOCASH. The food, music, and revelry united members, guests, and the Upstate community in support of local children and military families.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better kickoff to this new tradition,” said Brian Peeples, Green Valley Managing Partner. “We’re truly grateful to everyone who came out to enjoy the day and support these wonderful causes. Your energy made this event special, and we look forward to building on that momentum in 2026.”

The inaugural tournament and benefit concert not only highlighted Green Valley’s premier amenities but also demonstrated the club’s commitment to serving the community. Plans are already underway for a 2026 event, promising even more excitement and opportunities to give back.

Those interested in joining Green Valley Country Club can apply for membership by contacting Green Valley’s Membership Manager, Tianna Morresi, at tianna@greenvalley.cc and scheduling an in-person visit. Membership options include golf, sports, and social.

Photo courtesy of Craig Edwards Photography.