In The Know: News, updates from Greenville area businesses and nonprofits

GADC President, CEO To Retire

Kevin Landmesser, the interim President and CEO of Greenville Area Development Corp., has announced his retirement.

“After 23 remarkable years with the Greenville Area Development Corp., I reflect on the incredible impact we have made in Greenville County and look forward to this next chapter,” Landmesser said. “My heartfelt thanks to the Board of Directors for their unwavering support. It has been an honor to serve."

Under Landmesser’s leadership, Greenville County has seen the creation of more than 10,000 announced jobs and $4.2 billion in announced capital investments, according to a statement.

Besides ensuring good jobs for residents, his proudest achievements are the successful management of projects for companies such as Lockheed Martin, Michelin, Kiyatec, GE Power, Mitsubishi Polyester Film, and Hubbell (now Current), the statement said.

Landmesser worked in economic development for the Greenville Chamber of Commerce for four years before joining the GADC in its inaugural year. Since then, the organization has brought $7.8 billion in capital investment to Greenville County, with an estimated economic impact of $55 billion.

He served as Senior Project Manager, Vice President and Senior Vice President before October, when he became interim President and CEO.

Landmesser will continue as a Senior Advisor to assist with the transition of the new CEO. The new CEO has not been announced. Landmesser will begin his consulting role after completing his current duties in August.

“We extend our sincere gratitude to Kevin for his 23 years of exceptional leadership at the GADC. His strategic vision and dedication have been instrumental in advancing economic growth across Greenville County,” said Jim Burns, Chair of the GADC Board of Directors.

The Greenville Area Development Corp. is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2001 by Greenville County Council. GADC provides support and resources to businesses of all sizes and acts as a liaison between the business community and local government to ensure that the needs and concerns of businesses are heard and addressed.

Leadership Greenville Class Completes Service Projects

Leadership Greenville, the flagship leadership development program of the Greenville Chamber, has announced that Class 50 has completed its service projects, which raised nearly $43,000 for Rebuild Upstate and YouthBASE.

Leadership Greenville classes have completed almost 80 community service projects during the past five decades, highlighting the program’s commitment to addressing pressing needs in the community.

Rebuild Upstate provides repairs that allow low-income individuals and families to stay in their homes; Class 50 raised $19,086 for the organization. Class members also volunteered to build a ramp for a local homeowner and secured in-kind donations from local sponsors.

Class 50 also raised $23,811 for YouthBASE. The funds will help revitalize the facility’s playground and provide new paint and flooring. YouthBASE equips children in kindergarten through second grade with the behavioral, academic, social and emotional skills needed for success at school, at home, and in the community. In-kind donations from sponsors and volunteer hours were part of the project.

“We are proud of the hard work and dedication of Leadership Greenville Class 50 to bring these two impactful projects to completion,” said Dr. Cheryl Garrison, Executive Director of Greenville Chamber Foundation and Director of Talent, Education, and Leadership. “This work continues to be a central part of the Leadership Greenville experience and mission.”

Since its founding in 1974, Leadership Greenville has graduated more than 2,400 individuals. Their projects have ranged from working on a comprehensive plan for the revitalization of Paris Mountain State Park to drafting the initial concept for the Reedy River Corridor, which became Falls Park, to updating the Nicholtown Community Center and renovating Miracle Hill house in Greenville.

Nonprofit organizations in Greenville County may submit a proposal for Leadership Greenville 2025 class projects through July 15. For an application, go to Applications.

For information about Leadership Greenville, go to greenvillechamber.org/leadership/leadership-greenville.

Cliffs At Keowee Falls Offers Secluded Homesites

The Cliffs at Keowee Falls has announced a new real estate offering, Canebrake – a secluded enclave of 12 homesites providing year-round access to Lake Keowee. Over 20 miles of water frontage belongs exclusively to residents at The Cliffs at Keowee Falls.

The sites will have options for docks, dedicated dock slips, and dock-accessible homesites that provide easy entry to the lake. Interior homesites will be near the community’s amenities and social programming.

Canebrake will be the closest neighborhood to Keowee Falls’ main gate; it is 25 miles from Clemson University for Tigers fans, 35 miles from Greenville, and 35 miles from Highlands, North Carolina.

Sites range from under an acre to nearly four acres. Buyers can build a custom home by selecting a builder in The Cliffs Preferred Builders Program. Prices for sites in Canebrake range from $375,000 to $1.9 million.

“The new homesites at Canebrake offer buyers an exceptional opportunity to build homes with enviable access to everything that The Cliffs at Keowee Falls and Lake Keowee have to offer,” said Richard Seay, Director of Sales at The Cliffs.

The Cliffs is a collection of seven private, luxury residential mountain and lake club communities located in the Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains, between Greenville and Asheville.

Amenities at Cliffs properties include seven clubhouses, seven golf courses, seven wellness centers, tennis and pickleball complexes, a marina, a beach club, an equestrian center, more than a dozen restaurants and event venues, and over 2,000 year-round activities.

Carolina Handling Breaks Ground On Facility In Pickens County

Carolina Handling, the exclusive Raymond Solutions and Support Center for the Southeast, broke ground recently on a 267,000-square-foot facility in Pickens County.

The building at 3800 Calhoun Memorial Highway in Easley is expected to open next spring. It will consolidate warehouse and office space for Carolina Handling’s four Upstate operations.

Carolina Handling opened an office and training center on River Road in Piedmont in 1972 that later became a rebuild facility. In 2013, a second building opened on River Road to house offices, training facilities and a customer experience center. In 2015, the company opened an equipment distribution center on Piedmont Highway. And in 2018, the company added a warehouse near Donaldson Center. The company was founded in Charlotte in 1966.

The new facility at Speedway Industrial & Technology Park will feature warehouse space to accommodate technician bays for new, rental and renewed equipment, as well as parts, distribution and logistics operations. Additional space will house offices, meeting and training space, and a customer experience center.

“Carolina Handling has experienced extraordinary growth in the past few years, and we expect that trend to continue,” said Carolina Handling President and CEO Brent Hillabrand. “This new facility helps position us for the future.”

Carolina Handling is continuing its evolution from a forklift-only provider to an end-to-end intralogistics solutions company offering a range of consulting, connected technologies, automation systems and services. The company also offers design, engineering, and implementation services to help customers achieve more space, speed, safety and efficiency with integrated automation technologies.

Carolina Handling will be the first tenant at Speedway Industrial & Technology Park. The company partnered with architect COR3 Design LLC, civil engineering firm Seamon Whiteside, and Evans General Contractors. Speedway Industrial & Technology Park is being developed by Realty Link LLC.

Carolina Handling operates branch offices in Atlanta, Birmingham, Greensboro, Raleigh and Greenville.

Spartanburg Firm Kicks Off Manufacturing Site In N.C.

Marlboro Development Team Inc. joined Heyco-Werk USA Inc. to celebrate the groundbreaking for a manufacturing facility in Gaston County, N.C.

Heyco-Werk is a supplier of precision-molded plastic parts for the automotive industry.

The production facility, developed by MDT and constructed by Edifice Construction, will be Heyco’s second location in the United States. The facility expands capacity to meet the needs of BMW and other European car manufacturers in North America.

“We are proud to have been chosen by Heyco as their development partner for this project,” said Kyle Edney, Executive Vice President of Marlboro Development Team Inc.

Marlboro Development Team Inc. is based in South Carolina with offices in Spartanburg and Bennettsville.

LAM Technology Achieves Designation From Intelisys

The team from Intelisys, a ScanSource company, gathered to celebrate LAM Technology becoming an Intelisys Palladium Partner. LAM Technology achieved the distinction by organically billing $5 million in recurring revenue per month. LAM Technology has been a partner of Intelisys since 2008.

Intelisys is a technology services distributor of connectivity and cloud services, including voice, data, access, cable, collaboration, wireless, and cloud.

Intelisys serves the needs of the industry's top-producing telecom sales agents, IT Solution Providers, VARs, MSPs, and integrators.