GADC Presents Greenville County Manufacturer of the Year Awards

The newly established award honors and celebrates the remarkable contributions of Greenville County’s small and medium-sized manufacturing community that sits at the heart of Greenville County’s vibrant economy. This prestigious award recognizes manufacturers that embody the spirit of innovation, dedication to community, and commitment to transformational and operational excellence.

“GADC is proud to be a founding partner in establishing the Greenville County Manufacturer of the Year Award as manufacturing plays a vital role in our county’s and the Upstate’s economy,” said GADC Interim CEO Kevin Landmesser. “It provides stability, drives job growth, and is at the center of innovation.”

After noting that many high-quality companies from around the county submitted applications for the award, making the selection process extremely competitive, Landmesser, along with SCMEP Regional Vice President Chris Rauch, presented the 2024 Manufacturer of the Year Awards.

“SCMEP is honored to work alongside GADC for the Greenville County Manufacturer of the year award. Manufacturing firms are critical to the continued vitality of the Upstate’s economic condition,” said Rauch. “Choosing just one company in each category for this award was extremely difficult as there are many great, deserving companies in the area. SCMEP wishes all of the manufacturing companies in the Upstate continued success, and we stand ready to support them.”

STREN-FLEX, LLC, a manufacturer of overhead lifting products located in Simpsonville, South Carolina, received the award for a company with 50 employees or less.

“At STREN-FLEX, we are honored to receive this award as a testament of the hard work, dedication, and innovation of our entire team, and we thank our customers for their trust and loyalty, as well as our partners and suppliers for their collaboration and support,” said Roderick Rossborough, owner and founder of STREN-FLEX. “We are proud to be a part of the Greenville community that welcomed us seven years ago with open arms and provides us with the resources and opportunities to thrive.”

Calder Brothers Corporation, a builder of state-of-the-art paving and construction equipment in Taylors, South Carolina, received the award for medium-sized company with 51 to 250 employees.

“We at Calder Brothers Corporation are honored to receive this award,” said company Vice President Glen Calder. “As a privately held family business, we pride ourselves on being a strong community partner, dedicated to our employees while propelling our products forward in a rapidly changing environment that manufacturing operates in.”

The event featured a keynote address by Breeze Airways’ Founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board, David Neeleman, who emphasized the significance various state, regional and local partners played in the airline’s decision to begin non-stop service from Greenville-Spartanburg Airport to five major cities; including Los Angeles; Hartford, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; and Orlando and Tampa, Florida.

“Breeze is all about adding service between city pairs with no existing nonstop service, and our new routes from Greenville-Spartanburg are perfect examples of that,” said Breeze Airways’ Founder and CEO David Neeleman. “Now for travel from GSP to Los Angeles, Orlando, Tampa, Providence or Hartford, Breeze will get you there twice as fast for about half the price.”

Former Greenville County Councilman and current Chairman of GADC’s Board of Directors Jim Burns highlighted the distinguished service of outgoing GADC Board members Beverly Haines and Barry Leasure, whose Board terms expire this June. Haines began her two terms on the GADC Board in 2018, and held the position of Chairwoman, and currently serves as Vice Chair. Leasure began his term in 2019 and has served as Treasurer for the past four years.

Burns also presented the GADC Chairman’s Award to Renewable Water Resources (ReWa) for its assistance on various GADC projects. ReWa CEO Joel Jones accepted the commemorative artwork of Greenville’s river walk on behalf of his colleagues.

During this year’s annual meeting, GADC’s Interim President and CEO Kevin Landmesser reviewed the economic development successes of the past year, noting twenty announcements totaling nearly $600 million, and 1,500 jobs in 2023. In 2024, GADC has already played a pivotal role in securing $546 million in new capital investment and fostering the creation of 630 new jobs for Greenville County.

Emphasizing the importance of partnerships and collaboration, in particular, GADC’s relationship with the South Carolina Department of Commerce, Landmesser presented SC Department of Commerce Senior Project Manager Ted Campbell with the GADC William D. Workman Buffalo Hunter Award for his assistance in securing the Nissin Foods announcement last fall. Nissin’s $224 million in new investment will create 320 new jobs for Greenville County citizens.

“The Buffalo Hunter Award celebrates the unwavering commitment of individuals like Ted Campbell, whose relentless efforts have secured transformative opportunities for Greenville County. This recognition underscores our shared dedication to fostering growth, innovation, and prosperity within our business community,” Landmesser affirmed.

The Buffalo Hunter Award recognizes the recruitment efforts of a key ally in securing a “Big Win” for the county. This award was established in 2004 and named after economic development visionary and former Greenville Mayor William Workman (1983 to 1995) for his significant role in establishing the Upstate South Carolina Regional Alliance and the GADC. Previous Buffalo Hunter award recipients include Bob Marriott for his work on Hubbell Lighting, Morgan Harrell for help with Samsung, and former Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt for support of recruitment efforts.

ABOUT GREENVILLE AREA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
The Greenville Area Development Corporation is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2001 by Greenville County Council. As leaders in economic development for Greenville, GADC provides support and resources to businesses of all sizes and acts as a liaison between the business community and local government and works closely with government officials and agencies to ensure that the needs and concerns of businesses are heard and addressed. For more information, visit www.greenvilleeconomicdevelopment.com.

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP
The South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership is a private, non-profit group that serves as a proven resource to South Carolina manufacturers, providing them with a range of innovative strategies and solutions to improve competitiveness, performance, and profitability. An affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), SCMEP operates under the US Department of Commerce. SCMEP’s methodology creates the framework for successful partnerships as they collaborate with companies to analyze, plan, implement and review. SCMEP provides a full suite of onsite consulting and training services in addition to open enrollment classes and online instruction. For more information, visit www.scmep.org.