03 Feb Upstate Headlines: USC Upstate planning downtown Greenville campus
A collection of the top Upstate headlines for the week of February 1, 2016
USC Upstate planning downtown Greenville campus
The University of South Carolina, Upstate, based in Spartanburg, is planning to expand its presence in Greenville with the pending announcement of a downtown location. University officials are planning a news conference for Monday to “unveil plans for an additional location in downtown Greenville,” according to a news release sent out by the university.
New president of Erwin Penland leaving company
The man chosen to lead Erwin Penland after Joe Erwin’s retirement at the end of last year has stepped down and taken a top marketing position with Chick-fil-A, according to Adweek. Joe Saracino was chief marketing officer for Erwin Penland before recently being promoted to the role of president. He could not be immediately reached for comment. Karen Kaplan, CEO of parent company Hill Holiday, said that Chief Operating Officer Allen Bosworth and Chief Creative Officer Con Williamson will fill the role of co-president, effective immediately, Adweek reported. The company does not plan to hire a new person to fill Saracino’s role.
Brazwell’s Pub now open in downtown Greenville
Brazwell’s Premium Pub opened this week in the space formerly occupied by Ford’s Oyster & Cajun Kitchen at 631 S. Main St. in downtown Greenville. The new sports bar and pub is The Bottle Cap Group’s first foray into the Greenville market. The North Carolina restaurant management company has several restaurants under its umbrella, most in the Charlotte area.
New Walmart Neighborhood Market opens in Simpsonville
A little more than a year after Simpsonville’s first Walmart Neighborhood Market opened, another did so early Wednesday morning. Shoppers already began filing into the parking lot of the new store located at 1401 West Georgia Road ahead of the 7:30 a.m. grand opening. The new 41,000-square foot store is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and has 95 full- and part-time employees. In addition to produce, meat, deli and bakery sections along with other groceries, the location has a gas station and a pharmacy with a drive-thru window.
Greenville kickboxing franchise expands
A Greenville-based gym is kicking its brand into more communities nationally and internationally. The 9Round Kickboxing Fitness franchise recently opened locations in Saudi Arabia, England, Mexico, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The company also opened a guy-only store in the Middle East, said Shannon “The Cannon” Hudson, co-founder and CEO of the company. Hudson, who started 9Round in 2007 with his wife, Heather, credits the gym’s growth to “good momentum.”
Focused on community, couple pins future on brewery in Greenville
Building a brewery from the ground-up with no previous experience requires a solid business plan, financing, and a lot of hard work. But Brian and Nicole Cendrowski were willing to walk away from their past life in Tampa, Florida, move to Greenville where they had family and friends, and plunge head-first into the exploding craft beer scene. Their business, Fireforge Crafted Beer, still is coming together but they are confident on finding the right location near downtown Greenville. It’s the sort of business challenge they thrive on. “I’ve always been looking for that next new and challenging experience,” Nicole Cendrowski said. “That has always been a part of me.”
