The Greenville Area Development Corp., an economic development group, announced July 16 that it has hired Max Stewart as its new CEO. GADC announced interim president and CEO Kevin Landmesser’s plans to retire June 2024.
Stewart comes to Greenville after heading the Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp. in Manatee County on Florida’s west coast. He brings more than 20 years of experience in economic development and nonprofit leadership to the role.
In his previous role, Stewart was also heavily involved in Enterprise Florida, facilitating international trade relations and organizing high-impact trade missions. He said he expects to call on this experience in his new role with GADC given the Upstate’s success recruiting global companies.
He said he realizes he’s “standing on the shoulders of giants,” referring to the leaders who preceded him, and is honored and excited by the opportunity the position brings.
Hating to lose
The Upstate grabbed Stewart’s attention about a year ago when a prospect he was working on in Florida ultimately decided to locate to this corner of the Palmetto State.
“I don’t like to lose in project deals,” he said.
He started looking at the region and even met some members of the Upstate economic-development community during a trade mission to Brazil. When he learned the GADC position came open a few months later, he applied for the job.
Stewart said with three children under 10, he wanted to be part of an organization that could have a material impact on the quality of future his children and their generation would have.
“What we do matters to the future,” he said.
He said Greenville is at the epicenter of the Charlotte-Atlanta growth corridor, which affords it the ability to be deliberate and selective about the companies and businesses it recruits.
He also sees GADC’s role as supporting and helping the many dynamic and innovative firms that are already here to help them thrive, which in turn provides the high-caliber jobs that underpin the region’s quality of life and economic health.
ROI
Among the priorities Stewart expects to pursue are expanding the use of data analytics to ensure the community is getting a good return on its investment in GADC’s efforts and doing more to get the story out about those successes.
Part of this will involve growing collaborations with all the various stakeholders who work behind the scenes to ensure success.
Stewart said this will involve working with the many existing companies that may be contemplating expansion as well as new companies looking to set up shop in Greenville County. Often these projects involve advanced technology such as automation, which represents a substantial investment, he said.
“Every investment is an important investment to us,” he said. “When you’re putting serious money down like this … in automation and technology, we want to make sure that we’re there to assist you.”
Max Stewart fast facts
- Comes to GADC from Bradenton Area Economic Development Corp., where he served as vice president of economic development
- Also organized international trade missions for Enterprise Florida
- Holds a private pilot’s license and spent much of the past six years pursuing economic development in the aviation sector in Manatee County, Florida
