Mauldin Appoints Assistant City Administrator
Gregory Saxton, who has almost 15 years of experience in local government, has been appointed to serve as Mauldin’s first Assistant City Administrator.
Saxton will assist City Administrator Seth Duncan in managing daily municipal operations. He will direct assigned departments and help execute policies and programs. He will start the job Nov. 5.
“Gregory is a forward-leaning public servant focused on building strong communities. He will undoubtedly provide an added boost to the leadership team,” Duncan said.
Most recently, Saxton served as Town Administrator for Awendaw, South Carolina, where he led and directed six municipal departments and managed a budget of $2.26 million. He was previously Awendaw’s Assistant Town Administrator and Treasurer.
“I am super excited about joining the strong Mauldin community and family,” Saxton said.
Saxton holds a master’s degree in public administration, degrees in theater and political science, and a certificate in urban and regional planning. He graduated from the 2021 Public Executive Leadership Academy through the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and the 2021 Local Government Leadership Institute through the South Carolina City & County Management Association.
The Assistant City Administrator position was created to accommodate Mauldin’s growth. Since 2010, the city has grown from 23,000 residents to more than 29,000. The number is projected to increase to 35,000 residents by 2030.
City Council voted unanimously to appoint Saxton to his new position.
Businesses Play Football, Raise Funds For Upstate Veterans
Upstate businesses brought their best tailgating and game to Fluor Field recently for an unusual fundraising event.
Broadstreet Inc., a Greenville-based private equity firm, hosted its third annual flag football tournament. The event and additional donations raised $62,540 for Upstate Warrior Solution, a local nonprofit serving veterans, first responders, and their families.
“Nothing brings people together like tailgating and football,” said Joseph Baldassarra, President of Broadstreet. “We wanted to capture that Southern spirit while making a tangible difference for those who have served our country.”
During the tournament, Fluor Field had a festive tailgate atmosphere, live entertainment, ziplining across the field, and friendly competition among Upstate businesses.
Participating businesses were Contender Development/Blackstream; Durham Homes; ScanSource/A3 Communications; and Broadstreet.
“As a local nonprofit focused on serving the Upstate, our success is directly linked to support from the community,” said Charlie Hall, President of Upstate Warrior Solution.
In a twist, Broadstreet pledged $1,000 for every touchdown scored against its team. The tournament drew more than 300 participants and spectators.
Broadstreet’s investor profile includes high-net-worth individuals, family offices, registered investment advisors and institutional investors. The company has over $3 billion in transactions. Broadstreet focuses on the Carolinas.
Since 2013, Upstate Warrior Solution has connected with over 11,000 warriors, aiding with housing, employment, health care, education, mental health, and family support services. For information, go to www.uws.us.
Upstate Funeral Homes Merge To Keep Business Family Owned
Gray Mortuary and Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes will merge, uniting two family-owned businesses so that they can continue caring for families through funeral and cremation services in the Upstate.
The merger ensures that Gray Mortuary will remain family-owned.
Gray Mortuary, in Pelzer, and Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes, with three locations in Greenville and one in Simpsonville, have a history of cooperating and supporting one another.
Funeral businesses have been in a period of consolidation since the 1990s, and many acquisitions are by large funeral corporations with hundreds of locations, said Jay McAfee, Chief Executive Officer of Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes.
“However, some firms choose to remain independently owned and operated. We were honored when the Gray family approached us about this opportunity” and will continue “the standard set by the Grays,” he said.
Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes will acquire Gray Mortuary; current staff members at Gray Mortuary will remain. All pre-arrangements made before the merger will be honored.
“My father, Tuck McAfee, had great respect for Mrs. Mary Lou Gray and appreciated their professional relationship. He always felt the two firms shared common values,” said Tommy McAfee, President of Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes.
Lance Gray, President of Gray Mortuary, said, “As we began to develop a plan of succession, we knew that we wanted our legacy to be carried on by another family who would provide the same standard of service as we have throughout the years.”
The 111-year-old Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes was the obvious choice, Gray said.
Like McAfee Funeral Homes, Gray Mortuary has served the Pelzer community for generations, providing personalized funeral and cremation services.
Flywheel Offers Tech Events
Tech Slam N’ Eggs, a free get-together created exclusively for software developers by software developers, will take place from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Nov. 7 at Flywheel Coworking in Greenville.
The peer-to-peer event will present lead developers, who will discuss discoveries, insights and problems they overcame. This is not a pitch event; the atmosphere will be collaborative.
To register, go to Tech Slam.
Pitch-Space Live
Pitch-Space Live will feature pitches from inspiring startups looking to move to the next level. The event will take place at 4 p.m. Nov. 13.
Pitches are followed by feedback from a panel of investors, and the event concludes with a question-and-answer session with the audience.
Pitch-Space.com is presented by Flywheel Coworking; the title sponsor is Dualboot Partners, a digital platform that connects investors to scalable technology startups.
The free event is open to all founders, investors and interested community members. Participants can make connections and learn to present to investors.
Presenting startups are Henry Putney, founder of Filter Fox; Nathan Freystaetter, founder of Go Fig; and Shawn Hamilton, founder of Native Spirits.
Both events will take place at Crescent One Innovation District, 25 Goldsmith St. in Greenville.
To register, go to Pitch Space.
Simpsonville Women Hear About Pendleton Place, PIP Marketing
The Simpsonville Area Chamber of Commerce Women’s Impact Network will meet from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Nov. 5 at the chamber’s Prisma Health Conference Room, 105A W. Curtis St. The featured nonprofit is Pendleton Place. The sponsor this month is PIP Marketing, Signs, & Print.
Pendleton Place is an emergency foster care shelter for children, from birth to age 18.
To register, go to Women’s Impact Network.
Bon Secours Cancer Center Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Bon Secours is celebrating a decade of providing cancer care to Upstate patients at its St. Francis Cancer Center.
Since opening its doors in October 2014, the facility has worked to provide patient-centered, personalized treatment while embracing the latest advances in cancer care. The center cares for patients from prevention and diagnosis to treatment options to after-care and family services.
“Our goal has always been to provide the highest quality of care while supporting our patients and their families throughout their cancer journey,” said Andrew Honeychuck, Administrative Director for the Bon Secours St. Francis Cancer Center.
“We are proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past decade, and we remain committed to advancing cancer care for years to come.”
Bon Secours St. Francis Cancer Center offers a range of treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies. The center is equipped with technology, such as the Edge system that delivers precise radiation therapy with minimal impact on healthy tissue.
“Innovations are at the core of what we do – giving our patients the best possible chance at a successful outcome,” Honeychuck said.
Bon Secours St. Francis Cancer Center also has a program specifically for adolescents. Dedicated waiting and treatment areas are designed to decrease stress on younger patients, and outings encourage social engagement among patients.
The center offers nutritional counseling, psychological support, pastoral care, and support and education for family members.
With approximately $2 million in annual research funding and 90 active clinical trials, the center is poised to continue its mission of improving patient outcomes.
AFC Urgent Care Accredited
AFC Urgent Care Bon Secours has received the Urgent Care Association Accreditation designation.
UCA Accreditation is based on standards for governance, human resources, patient care, improvement, facilities, records management and patient privacy. Accreditation is awarded on a three-year basis.
“Urgent care is a vital part of care for our community, filling the gap between primary care and emergency rooms. With this accreditation, we’ve demonstrated our ability to offer top-notch care with increased convenience and cost savings for our patients,” said Andy Choi, Regional Operations Director for AFC Urgent Care Bon Secours.
Urgent care is an option for non-emergency medical conditions such as the flu, cuts, burns, sprains and fractures that cannot wait for a primary care visit. AFC Urgent Care Bon Secours accepts walk-in patients and is equipped with X-ray and laboratory services.
AFC Urgent Care Bon Secours has 17 locations across the Upstate. They are open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Carolina Handling Continues 58 For 58 Season Of Service
In celebration of 58 years in business, Carolina Handling donated 58 Raymond motorized pallet jacks to hunger relief organizations. The company is expanding on that gift by donating 58 hours of service to nonprofits that have material handling equipment in need of repair.
“Many of the nonprofits we visited while delivering pallet jacks have forklifts or pallet trucks that no longer operate,” said Joe Perkins, Carolina Handling Chief Operating Officer.
But the nonprofits can’t afford repairs, he said.
“With a team of more than 425 technicians, service is our specialty. So, we’re expanding our anniversary celebration by donating 58 hours of service to hunger relief organizations.”
This fiscal year, Carolina Handling turned its philanthropic focus to hunger relief and donated 58 motorized pallet jacks to those who distribute thousands of pounds of food in their communities.
The 58 organizations that received the equipment serve a combined total of 11.2 million individuals each year with 290 million pounds of food.
“The logistics of moving thousands of pounds of food can be overwhelming to organizations that don’t have reliable, safe equipment,” Perkins said.
For information about Carolina Handling’s 58 for 58 Season of Service and to apply for a no-cost service call (excluding parts), go to 58-for-58.
Founded in 1966, Carolina Handling is a material handling solutions provider and the exclusive Raymond Solutions and Support Center for North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and part of Florida. The company provides forklifts and automation solutions to manufacturers, warehouses and distribution centers.
Headquartered in Charlotte, Carolina Handling operates offices in Atlanta, Birmingham, Greensboro, Raleigh, Greenville, and an equipment distribution center in Piedmont.
