John Jeter, Author at UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL

Tropical Grille fires up ambitious expansion plans

Laz Montoto cut his hospitality teeth cutting carrots in a world-class restaurant in his native Miami. Now, even through the coronavirus crisis, he’s dishing out expansion plans for his Greenville-based…

Building blocks: Toy company Plus-Plus teams up with Mill Village Farms

Plus-Plus offers roughly 150 products, some of which include instructions for dinosaurs (of course), a zoo, insects and other themed “builds.”

Artists work to create a living during lockdown

Clay Smith is heading to the shower — not because he’s cleaning up after a makeup-laden performance under hot stage lights as he has for the last 20 years. Rather,…

Reid Electric amps up to celebrate 20th anniversary

“We are counting on 2020 to be our biggest year yet,” Rusty Reid says.

Business News

March Madness: Usually a slam-dunk for downtown businesses, merchants

Were it not for the novel COVID-19 virus and the subsequent shutdown of public spaces, the games' economic impact would again have scored big points for downtown businesses, according to the city's #yeahTHATgreenville office that keeps score of such things.

Surcee gives the gift that keeps on giving to stumped gift-givers

“A surcee is a gift that says, ‘I’m thinking of you,' 'I love you' or 'this reminded me of you,'” says Allan Symonette, who launched Surcee.com two years ago to help others — especially, let’s say, guys — who are, as he is, generally lousy gift-givers.

Concierge medicine aims to provide better care to fewer patients

There are approximately 12,000 concierge physicians nationwide

Business News

John Ling’s trade secrets

How Greenville's LinVest Consulting made $2 billion in deals with China in the middle of a tariff war

Upstate SC Alliance celebrates 20 years ‘at the front end of the funnel’

Mark Farris was working for an economic-development organization near Charlotte when he saw an ad aimed at luring companies to the Upstate. He was blown away — precisely what the…

Tech and Innovation

GoBeep.me – Data privacy and craft beer? There’s an app for that

“We think GoBeep’s focus on consumer-driven management of their own purchase data will drive important efficiencies in the market,” says Lee MacIlwinen, investment manager at SCRA’s SC Launch Program.

Sherry Jackson