The Commons Hosts Daylong Fall Fest Oct. 4
The Commons will host an all-day Fall Festival on Oct. 4.
The event will feature workshops, free family activities, seasonal food and beverage specials, and live music on the patio. The event will bring together local artists, tenants and musicians to celebrate the season with events for all ages.
“The Commons has always been about more than food and drink. It’s about creating memorable moments that bring people together,” said Barnes Connell, Managing Director at Aston, the majority owner at The Commons.
“This Fall Festival gives us the chance to celebrate the season and highlight everything that makes The Commons a gathering place for Greenville,” he said.
Guests can also enjoy specials from tenants at The Commons: Automatic Taco, Kuka Juice, MooHogz Craft BBQ, The Community Tap, Indigo Kitchen, and Paseo.
Balloon twisting will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; face painting will be from 1 to 3 p.m.
Some activities require registration, including a Pumpkin Painting Class with Vino & Van Gogh, 10 a.m. to noon, $42 per person; and a Bouquet Class with Sassafrass Flower Farms, 1 to 3 p.m., $55 per person.
In the afternoon, live music will run from 4 to 8 p.m. on the patio with performances by Angela Easterling and Brandon Turner, Raybandz Saxz, and Spirit Walker Duo.
The Commons is located alongside Unity Park. For updates and event details, follow @thecommonsgvl on Instagram.
The Commons opened five years ago. Aston was founded in 1980 to provide managed shopping centers in communities throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states. In Greenville, Aston owns The Commons, North Hills Shopping Center, Verdae Village, McBee Station, McDaniel Village and Powdersville Plaza.
Clement’s Kindness Pledges $300,000 To Camp Courage
Clement’s Kindness Fund for the Children, a supporter of Upstate families affected by pediatric cancer and serious blood disorders, has pledged $300,000 to Prisma Health’s Camp Courage to fund summer camp operations for this year through 2027.
This three-year commitment will ensure that children and teens facing serious illnesses can experience the joy and healing of summer camp at no cost to their families.
The funding covers costs like facility rental and counselor staffing from Pleasant Ridge.
Founded in 1994, Camp Courage offers a recreational and educational summer program for children, teens, and young adults living with cancer or serious blood disorders and receiving care at the Prisma Health Children’s Hospital BI-LO Charities Children’s Cancer Center.
The camp activities are specifically designed for young patients and their unique needs and challenges.
One week each summer is for children ages 6 to 12; another is for teens ages 13 to 18. Campers take part in activities designed to promote development and to encourage healthy coping skills and peer support among those facing similar medical journeys.
“With this pledge, Clement’s Kindness reaffirms its deep commitment to enhancing the lives of children and families in the Upstate to bring unforgettable memories to the next generation of campers,” said Clement’s Kindness Chair David Caldwell.
“We look forward to hearing about the incredible experiences that these children will have as they find hope and healing at Camp Courage,” he said.
Clement’s Kindness Fund for the Children was established in 2002 at the Community Foundation of Greenville to address the medical, psychological, social, emotional, and financial needs of Upstate families facing pediatric cancer and serious blood disorders.
Since its founding, the fund has provided more than $2 million in financial assistance to patient families and more than $3.5 million to support hospital programs, facility upgrades and community resources – including Camp Courage.
For information about the Clement’s Kindness Fund for the Children, go to clementskindness.org. For more information about Prisma Health’s Camp Courage, go to Prisma Health Camp Courage.
Local Consultant Publishes Book To Help Workplace
A book debut from speaker and workforce strategist Kamber Parker Bowden, based in Greenville, is intended to deliver practical tips for developing strong, multigenerational teams.
This business guidebook comes after Parker Bowden rebranded her company, now Generational Performance Solutions and formerly The YoPro Know.
“The Generational Advantage: How to Lead, Communicate, and Drive Performance Across Generations” provides a data-based approach to help organizations navigate modern workplace challenges.
Based on insights from thousands of interviews, “The Generational Advantage” was created as a practical, insightful and actionable roadmap for leaders to manage multigenerational teams.
“For years, working with mid-sized businesses and Fortune 50 companies, I have seen how my Talent Impact Process can help reduce turnover, improve team communication and increase employee retention,” Parker Bowden said.
She said the book presents strategies she shared while building her business and explains to business leaders that “their biggest workplace challenge – generational miscommunication – is actually their greatest advantage.”
Business leaders across industries, geographies and generations are navigating a workplace with four, and even five, generations.
A recent study by Automatic Data Processing Inc. reports that more than half of employees have had age-related conflicts, often rooted in communication styles.
“’The Generational Advantage’ addresses an issue that has plagued the work environment throughout time – generational divides,” said Elizabeth Davis, President of Furman University.
“Rather than lamenting generational differences, Kamber encourages and educates leaders to use such differences to enhance the workplace and ultimately business outcomes,” Davis said.
The book was written after more than 10,000 interviews.
“The Generational Advantage” addresses attracting and retaining top talent in a shifting labor market; bridging communication gaps across generational and technological divides; and turning workplace friction into collaboration and business growth.
Parker Bowden is a keynote speaker, workforce strategist and founder of Generational Performance Solutions. She has experience helping companies from the boardroom to the shop floor.
“The Generational Advantage” is available through all major booksellers.
Book signings will be held Oct. 4 at M. Judson in Downtown Greenville, with a popup during the Farmer’s Market, from 10 a.m. to noon; Oct. 7 at Bell Tower Bookstore, 3300 Poinsett Hwy. in Travelers Rest, from 5 to 7 p.m.; and Oct. 12 at Barnes & Noble in the Shops at Greenridge, 1125 Woodruff Road, Suite 1810, from 1 to 3 p.m.
For information, go to thegenerationaladvantage.com.
Green Monster Mash At Fluor Field, Downtown
A popular Halloween trick-or-treating event, Green Monster Mash, is back from 4 to 8 p.m. Oct. 17 at Fluor Field in Downtown Greenville.
Green Monster Mash is a family night specially made for witches, wizards, princesses, monsters and other spooky characters.
The event will include trick-or-treating; a spooky clubhouse; hayrides around the field; inflatables and games on the field; The Wildlife Geeks live animal shows; photos with the Sanderson Sisters, Jack Skellington, a pirate and Reedy, the Drive mascot; arts and crafts in the Furman Picnic Pavilion; and a live DJ.
Tickets are $8 per person; children ages 2 and younger will be admitted free.
Spooky foods and beverages will be available for purchase inside the stadium, 945 S. Main St. For information, go to GreenvilleDrive.com.
(The Green Monster is the nickname for a giant green wall inside the stadium.)
Smith Douglas Homes Breaks Ground In TR
Smith Douglas Homes recently broke ground on Magnolia Trail, the company’s first community in South Carolina.
In addition to a groundbreaking, the event was the symbolic launch of the Greenville Division of Smith Douglas Homes, focused on serving the Upstate.
Homes in Magnolia Trail will blend lifestyle, value and convenience, according to a press release.
The community will feature three-bedroom, 2.5-bath townhomes; open-concept floor plans with 9-foot ceilings; one- and two-car garages; low-maintenance living with landscaping provided; direct access to the Swamp Rabbit Trail for walking, biking or running; views of Paris Mountain; and a location minutes away from Downtown Travelers Rest.
“Magnolia Trail is more than just a neighborhood. It’s a lifestyle upgrade within reach,” said Jaime Brown, Marketing Manager of SDH Greenville.
The Smith Douglas Homes team includes construction, operations, sales and marketing professionals.
“We’ve assembled one of the strongest teams in the Upstate – people who know this market, know how to build, and know how to serve buyers with excellence,” said Chad Tumblin, Division President of SDH Greenville. “This division is ready to make an impact. Magnolia Trail is only the beginning.”
Smith Douglas Homes was founded in 2008 by homebuilding professionals. Since then, the company has built more than 15,000 homes across Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
The company offers an Interactive Home Designer tool and a Virtual Kitchen Designer tool that allow buyers to personalize their homes, Brown said.
“Travelers Rest represents everything we look for in a new community location,” Tumblin said. “It’s vibrant, connected, and full of charm.”
Sales are open.
Habitat Greenville Launches 40th Anniversary Celebration
Forty years ago this month, a small group of Greenville residents looking to build one house a year to help local families escape generational poverty received a charter from Habitat for Humanity International.
More than 430 houses later, the organization is a backbone of Greenville’s affordable housing efforts, according to a press release.
“When the first group of volunteers came together, the vast majority of people had never heard of Habitat for Humanity,” said LaTonya Phillips, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County. “But their sense of purpose has led us to today, where we are constantly changing lives for the better.”
Habitat Greenville is presenting events in the coming months to engage the community and celebrate its 40th anniversary.
Some of the events are Dinner on Ice: Habitat Greenville’s largest annual fundraising event, on Oct. 21 at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena; a fundraising raffle that begins Oct. 1; The Anniversary Build, which aims to raise $400,000 by the end of the year; The Women’s Build, which has a goal to involve 40 women helping to build a house.
Phillips said more events will celebrate Habitat’s continued legacy in Greenville.
Habitat Greenville got its start with Joe Barron, who moved to Greenville in 1985 and had been involved with the Habitat affiliate in Columbia.
He gathered a group of volunteers; the first house they built was in the Poe Mill community.
“People didn’t know much about Habitat for Humanity, but they saw what we were doing, and we quickly gained support,” said Buncombe Street United Methodist’s Tom Faulkner, one of the first volunteers.
In addition to 430 houses built, Habitat Greenville has completed 330 home renovations. Volunteers have contributed more than 234,000 hours.
“What started as a handful of compassionate neighbors has grown into an organization that’s reshaped lives across Greenville,” Phillips said. “Each of those 430 homes represents not just bricks and mortar, but stability, dignity, and a chance for families to build a different future.”
For information, go to habitatgreenville.org.
Greenville Tech Students Achieve Global Honors
Four student teams from the Greenville Technical College management program recently ranked in the Global Top 100 of the GLO-BUS Business Strategy Simulation, a learning competition comprised of teams from two- and four-year institutions.
More than 700 teams from around the world took part in the 10-week competition this summer. At Greenville Technical College, the simulation was part of the students’ business curriculum.
Among the four top-scoring teams from Greenville Tech, the Team Angle NRJ simulation earned a No. 1 global ranking in the categories for Earnings Per Share and Stock Price. Team Angle NRJ was also eligible to compete in the playoffs with nine other teams worldwide and tied for fourth place.
In addition, three of the teams that scored in the Top 100 also scored in the Top 10 in at least one category in at least one round. All four teams scored in the Top 100 in at least one category in at least one round.
The simulation is an incentive and an educational tool to help students learn to navigate complex strategic decisions in a real-world business environment.
“This level of achievement is exceptional for two-year colleges, which make up less than 10 percent of GLO-BUS participants, and our students’ performance speaks volumes about their understanding of business strategy,” said Vincent Weaver, department head and instructor for the Greenville Tech Management programs.
Team Angle NRJ is named for its team members’ names, Nathanael Rogers, Rylee Boyes and Jennifer Schlecht.
Richmond Auctions Exceeds $100M In Sales
Richmond Auctions, founded in 2021 by collector Jordan Richmond and his business partner Mike McCandless, has surpassed $100 million in gross auction sales.
From humble beginnings to a nationally recognized name in the collectibles market, Richmond Auctions has become the largest auction house in the world specializing in advertising memorabilia, according to a press release.
Among the firm’s achievements is its world-record sale of a 1929 MusGo Gasoline Porcelain Sign for more than $1.5 million, including buyer’s premium, making it the most valuable sign sold at auction.
In addition to memorabilia, Richmond Auctions has established a specialty firearms division.
Earlier in September, a gold nugget and coin auction and a museum-worthy offering of automobiles, vintage tractors and rare signs was held.
“We built Richmond Auctions around trust, legacy, and client-first service,” founder Richmond said. “Our mission is simple – connect passionate collectors with rare, investment-grade items and make the process as personal and seamless as possible.”
Richmond Auctions delivers white-glove service, ensuring each item is not only sold, but honored.
Richmond has more than 10 years of experience in the antique advertising business. His primary interest is in automobilia, gas, soda, oil, and other collectibles. Richmond Auctions provides full descriptions and professional grading of all items.
Pizza Inn Franchisees Honored
Pizza Inn recently hosted its annual franchise awards — and one top honor went to a longtime operator in Greenville and Travelers Rest, while another went to the franchisee of five locations in the Upstate.
Amanda Cartagine, who operates franchises in Greenville and Travelers Rest, received the HM Poythress Award. The award is given to veteran franchisees who best uphold the brand’s standards in service, operations and leadership.
Her dedication to her team and community has made the stores a model for excellence, according to a press release. She also mentors other owners.
The HM Poythress Award is named after one of Pizza Inn’s earliest contributors.
Daven Acker, operator of five Pizza Inn locations in Spartanburg, Duncan, Pickens and Greer, took home the brand’s top recognition: Franchisee of the Year. The award honors franchisees who lead with excellence, inspire their teams and make meaningful contributions to their communities.
Acker’s stores are known for high-performing teams and local engagement. He’s also been instrumental in helping other franchisees thrive by sharing best practices and supporting system-wide initiatives, according to the statement.
Pizza Inn’s premise is that franchise success isn’t just about growth, but also about culture, consistency and the people who bring it to life every day, according to the statement.
Well Walkers October
Bon Secours St. Francis Health System and the Bon Secours Wellness Arena have announced October dates for their Well Walkers program.
On Oct. 2, Oct. 7, Oct. 9, Oct. 14, Oct. 23, Oct. 28, and Oct. 30, the arena concourse will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each loop around the concourse is a quarter mile.
The event is free and open to the public. No registration is required. Free parking for Well Walkers participants is in the VIP lot at the arena, located off Church Street.