Robotics competition at Clemson to draw 1,000 high-schoolers
March 26, 2009
c/o Index Journal
CLEMSON — One thousand high school students from the United States and Brazil will descend upon Clemson University’s Littlejohn Coliseum as part of the sixth annual FIRST Robotics Competition Palmetto Regional.
The teams include Greenwood Robotics Interactive Partners, which is sponsored by FujiFilm Inc., Capsugel, Aaron Industries, Partnership Alliance and Piedmont Technical College.
The FIRST event is a competitive and action-packed contest, described as a rock concert and sporting event for the mind rolled into one.
Competition is from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and the public is invited. Admission is free. No open-toe or heel shoes will be allowed on the floor of Littlejohn Coliseum for safety reasons.
Forty-three teams and robots will take the field to compete in a game called “Lunacy” that aims to launch as many moon rocks as possible into opposing robots within a specified amount of time. High-speed collisions are predicted to be common. The teams received the same kit of parts and had six weeks to design and assemble their robots, which can be no heavier than 120 pounds.
It is the second year Clemson will host the event. This year’s teams are from nine states and Brazil.
The regional events will lead to an international championship competition April 16-18 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Piedmont Tech, of Greenwood, is a participating school.
For information, go to the FIRST Web site at www.usfirst.org, or http://www.ces.clemson.edu/main/FRC/index.html.
Live streaming video of the matches will be provided at http://www.clemson.edu/tlt/stream/frc/ during the Palmetto Regional.
GWD Facilities Among 113 Manufacturing Sites Honored For Safety
March 18, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Today, the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) recognized 113 plant sites throughout the state for outstanding workplace safety accomplishments during 2008.
Facilities with a low rate of incidents resulting in lost workdays, job transfers or restrictions were nominated for recognition. Plants submitting an incidence rate below the statewide average for their NAICS code received an award.
Max Metcalf, Section Manager, Government and Community Relations for BMW Manufacturing and chairman of the SCMA Plant Safety Task Force noted, “We are all proud to be part of the SCMA and to be able to recognize the outstanding safety achievements of our members.
We need to take the time to celebrate our success and ensure that the safety of our associates is our top priority every minute of every day. The evaluation criteria for this award are ambitious, and it’s evident that South Carolina manufacturers have worked conscientiously to meet and exceed the standards the award requires. I am very proud of everyone who was involved in this accomplishment as it demonstrates our commitment to the safety and health of our employees.”
The South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance works with legislative and regulatory bodies on behalf of the state’s manufacturers to develop a positive environment for industry growth. For more information about the SCMA, please visit www.myscma.com.
Capsugel, Division of Pfizer Capsugel Building One
Capsugel, Division of Pfizer Licaps
Capsugel, Division of Pfizer Manufacturing Technology Center
Mount Vernon Chemicals, LLC/DBA Apollo Chemical Apollo/Ware Shoals Plant
Revitalization under way in Ninety Six
March 16, 2009
Article c/o Index Journal
NINETY SIX — A revitalized town is no longer a plan, a set of good ideas, posted on a wall.
A little more than a year ago, a team from Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development (CIECD) was in Ninety Six, hosting a charrette for town and county officials, business owners and residents to look for ways to revitalize and promote the small town.
CIECD designed a detailed plan for revitalizing the downtown, making it more appealing, increasing business opportunities and revenue, promoting Ninety Six and adjusting for growth.
Tasks forces were established for finance, beautification, marketing and promotion, history and culture, as well as new and existing businesses.
Career Center Students Place 2nd at Engineering Design Challenge
March 16, 2009
GwdToday Reporter Johnathan L. Graves 16.MAR.09
On March 11, 2009 nine students from the G. Frank Russell Career Center competed in Project Lead the Way’s 2009 Engineering Design Challenge held in Columbia at the University of South Carolina. A team of three students from the Career Center’s Project Lead the Way program secured 2nd place in the Principals of Engineering competition and received a trophy for their efforts. Members of the team that won 2nd place in the POE competition included: Anthony Coleman, Larren Edwards, and William Augustine.
The other six students who traveled to Columbia to compete in this SkillsUSA sponsored competition participated in the events of Digital Electronics and Intro. to Engineering Design. SkillsUSA is a national non-profit organization that holds national competitions, where students display occupational and leadership skills. Schools that placed first at this state competition in Columbia will move on to the national SkillsUSA competition held in Kansas City this year.
In each competition, schools formed teams of three students but were limited to one team per school. Students were given approximately three hours to perform test, calculations, and solve equations on a specific design given to them by judges. For example, the POE competition asked for the students to determine the strength of a pin joint being used in a crane. Once the students completed their design challenge, they were asked to give a 6-8 minute presentation to a panel of professional judges from business and industry. Students were judged on their performance as a professional team, quality of presentation, and the overall effectiveness of the presentation.
“We practiced a lot here (Career Center),” Emerald student Jamie Rambo explained. “We got our assignment about a week before we went to the competition, so that when we went there we knew what to do.”
Project Lead the Way Instructor Marvin Hughes’ highlight from the whole event was seeing his students apply what they had learned in class, and their ability to use critical thinking skills to complete their tasks. Special recognition goes out to the students listed below:
Joseph Ficklin
Sabrina Esco
Anthony Coleman
Tyler Mann
William Augustine
Jamie Rambo
These six seniors have completed four years of the Project Lead the Way program at the Career Center, and all are planning on attending a four-year college to pursue a degree in Business or Engineering.
Economy Not Preventing Businesses From Opening Uptown
March 13, 2009
By FELICIA KITZMILLER
Index-Journal staff writter
Greenwood, SC - It seems like a counter intuitive time to be starting a business in Greenwood, or anywhere, but several owners of new businesses say they are confident the risk will pay off.
Many new Greenwood businesses have opened their doors in recent months, or are planning to do so soon, even as others are falling victim to the sagging economy.
“As large chain stores are closing, it opens up new opportunities for small businesses like restaurants and boutiques,” said Angie Jones, manager of Uptown Greenwood Development Corp.
Jeff Smith, director of communications and small business at Greenwood Area Chamber of Commerce, said he was not expecting new businesses to pop up during these economic times, but he isn’t surprised either.
“You have to get into the mind of an entrepreneur. They are more focused on their vision than the prevailing economic winds,” Smith said.
Many new business owners said they think their establishments will succeed because they are unique and fill a void in the community. Debra Mojarro, along with her husband Polo, owns and operates Polo’s Restaurant, which opened Feb. 12 on Main Street.
Polo Mojarro stands in the dining area of Polo Restauant in Greenwood where he is not only the owner, but also the executive chef. (Staff photo by T.M. James)
Debra said the Greenwood community greeted her and her family and their business enthusiastically in their opening days, and she is confident the business will be successful.
“We had a nice crowd in, and everyone was very welcoming,” she said.
The restaurant features an eclectic menu, fresh ingredients and entrees that can be endlessly customized, Debra said.
“We just wanted to give people an opportunity to take a break from chain restaurants,” she said. “People still want to reward themselves.”
Still, Debra and Polo are making some adjustments to ensure the success of their business while their customers are watching their wallets. Debra said they have reduced some of the menu prices, and are offering a number of “half-plate” portions.
Even after closing a previous restaurant in Greer, opening a new restaurant was never a question, even though the economy is uncertain, she said.
“We’ve been at this for so many years I don’t think we would want to do anything else,” Debra said.
Howard Corley, who on Tuesday opened his new deli-style eatery, Howard’s on Main, said he is confident his establishment won’t be like anything else in town and has no hesitations about opening in a sluggish economy.
“If I was worried, I would have never done it,” he said.
Corley said he planned on focusing on fresh, quality products and an extraordinary attentiveness to service to draw people in.
“Everything we do here will be fresh,” he said.
By targeting demographics in Greenwood that are typically overlooked, such as Lander students and professionals from the local medical and legal communities, he said he hoped the deli will carve out a nitch.
“I’m no competition with anyone in town,” he said.
And at the very least, Corley said everyone would want to try the “new place” and that tide would last for about six months. By that time, the economy might have turned around and his restaurant will have built a positive reputation.
Corley, who has been involved in the local business community for many years, said the economy goes in cycles and when it goes back up, he will be in a position to reap the benefits.
“This is not my first rodeo,” Corley said. “The economy is going to rebound, and when it does, I see our business growing with it.”
If anything, Corley said he has seen a benefit from starting his business during a sluggish economy because he has been able to hire high-quality employees.
“These are high-level people, and they really want it,” Corley said.
Kimberly Thomasson, who plans to debut her new shoes and accessories boutique in Uptown in mid-March, said she is also seeing some benefits to starting a business in an economic slowdown.
Some suppliers are offering deep discounts to retailers, and Thomasson said she can only assume this is because of the economy.
“Everything I’ve read says that small businesses that start in a tight time are better off in the long run,” Thomasson said. “If you start off pinching pennies, you know how to when you have to.”
Thomasson, who was raised in Abbeville, said she has been watching Uptown Greenwood grow and decided this was an ideal time to invest in its development.
“I feel like it is a real unique place to be on the ground floor of,” she said. “I feel like it’s still growing … and it’s fueled by the hospital and that’s an industry that’s continuing to grow,” she said.
Like the Mojarros and Corley, Thomasson said her boutique, Blossom Shoes and Such, will be unlike anything else in Greenwood. She plans to offer designer shoes, handbags and jewelry, as well as wedding accessories. Plus, Thomasson said shoes are a staple fashion item, and because shoe styles don’t change as often as clothing styles do, they are long-lasting investments that can update a wardrobe without spending a fortune.
“When the going gets tough, the tough buy shoes,” she said laughing.
Thomasson said she is looking forward to overcoming any challenge the economy might present.
“I think sometimes the opportunity (of starting a business in a recession) is that you have to be more creative,” she said.
Thomasson said she and Sugar owner Sandi McClain are hoping to coordinate some events together, and she is planning some fun after-hours shopping opportunities, cocktail parties and other upbeat events that will draw people in.
Taco Loco manager, Lany Sulsona, who opened the restaurant with her mother two months ago, said business has been good and is only continuing to grow, but it has taken some leg work. Sulsona said they have done a lot of advertising, given out coupons and distributed menus to local businesses.
The decision to open while the economy was sliding was not an easy one, though. Sulsona said her mother had been waiting for the building on Edgefield Street to become available for more than a year, and when it finally did, the economy was faltering.
“That was a risk,” she said. “We thought about it.”
But the other side of the argument proved to be more compelling.
“No matter how messed up the economy is, people still have to eat. There are still lunch breaks,” Sulsona said.
Like Corley, Sulsona said she thinks the economy will turn around, and when it does, Taco Loco will be poised to reap the benefits. In the meantime, she said she is working hard and keeping an upbeat attitude.
“If you think high and set your goals just really, really high, you’ll make it. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy,” she said.
It was the opening of another business, Sykes Enterprises, a telemarketing company that has set up shop in the Greenwood Mall, that created the nitch Chill-N-Grill owner Pattie Riley is looking to fill.
The tropical-themed fast food hut serves quick meals, such as burgers, hot dogs and grilled chicken. Riley said Sykes employees are her primary customer base.
“Sykes made a request of the mall to have a certain number of food places,” Riley said, because employees have a limited amount of time to get food and get back to work.
The primary competition for these workers is Chick-fil-A, but Riley said she is competing with the well-known chain by catering specifically to Sykes employees by offering screw-top bottled drinks, quick snacks, gum and other conveniences. She said she has even installed a fax machine so employees can fax over their orders for faster service.
The hardest part of getting the restaurant up and going was getting credit from a bank.
“It’s a struggle to make it work because you don’t have working capital. You have to get by day to day,” she said.
Riley described opening a business in this economy as a double-edged sword because, while it is hard to get up and going, everyone she has talked to and everything she has read has said that if a start-up can survive opening in a bad economy, it is bound to succeed.
“It’s a risk, but sometimes the biggest reward comes from taking the biggest risk,” she said.
Fujifilm Donates Photographic Paper
March 6, 2009
FUJIFILM Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc., recently donated over seventy pallets of photographic ink jet paper to the Western Piedmont Education Consortium. The donation, over 4 million sheets of photographic paper, will be available for school districts that participate in the Western Piedmont Education Consortium. Participating districts include, Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood (Districts #50, #51, and #52), Laurens (Districts #55 and #56), McCormick, Newberry and Saluda.
“We are delighted to accept this donation from Fujifilm,” said Dr. Ray Wilson, Executive Director of the Western Piedmont Education Consortium. “In this difficult economic situation the school districts are under enormous pressure to save costs so the timing of the donation could not be better. The Consortium was created with the intent to find ways for member school districts to save money, time and to strengthen operations through cost sharing,” continued Wilson. “The Fujifilm donation will help us do exactly that,” said Wilson.
“Being able to make this donation through the Western Piedmont Education Consortium is ideal,” said Allen Creighton, Director of Public Relations for Fujifilm Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc. “We had the material from some previous production and research,” continued Creighton, “and we wanted to find an entity that could distribute it among a number of educational institutions.” “Mark Warner with the Greenwood Partnership Alliance suggested that we contact Dr. Wilson,” said Creighton. “The Consortium was the perfect organization to make a contribution of this magnitude possible,” said Creighton.
Transportation and delivery services for the paper was donated by Cimarron Trucking Company. “When we heard that Fujifilm was donating the paper to the educational system, we felt like the least we could do was help with the transportation, especially during these tough times. Fujifilm has done so much for us in the past and we feel very fortunate to be a part of this project.” Said Roy Morris, President, Cimarron Trucking. The product was picked up at Fujifilm’s Distribution Center in Greenwood and then delivered to Greenwood School District #50 warehouse for distribution among the three Greenwood county school districts, to Lander University warehouse for further distribution to other member school districts, or to Newberry District for distribution to Newberry County schools.
When the transfer of the ink jet photographic paper is complete, the Cimarron Trucking Company will have delivered over twenty-four pallets of product. As of February 20th, nineteen schools had placed requests for the paper.
FUJIFILM Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc., began manufacturing operations in South Carolina in 1988. The Greenwood manufacturing complex is currently comprised of five high technology manufacturing plants, the Greenwood Research Laboratories, and the largest Fujifilm distribution center in the world. Nearly 1000 Associates are employed at the 500-acre complex currently manufacturing digital and conventional pre-sensitized plates, QuickSnap one-time-use recyclable cameras, and color photographic paper.
PTC Mechatronics Program Receives Trailer
March 5, 2009
Piedmont Technical College’s Mechatronics program can now hit the road to provide training for Lakelands-area industry.
In a collaborative effort with the other members of the Upstate Alliance – Greenville Tech, York Tech, Spartanburg Community College and TriCounty Tech – Piedmont Technical College’s Industrial Electronics program was expanded to include Mechatronics, a high-paying, in-demand career field that combines elements of electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, mechanics, information technology, computers and robotics in the fall of 2008.
Funding for this change has been provided through a grant from AdvanceSC, a foundation which awards grants to support education programs related to manufacturing-based economic development efforts. “AdvanceSC is proud to serve the needs of our community and recognizes this collaboration as a necessary approach for our state to produce a skilled and proficient work force,” said Carol Burdette, AdvanceSC president.
With the funding provided by AdvanceSC, TechReadySCsm has provided PTC with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment to support the new courses required by today’s advanced manufacturing sector. This equipment provides students with hands-on training opportunities in Mechatronics. PTC instructors have received training and certifications from vendors such as Festo, Kuka Robotics, Siemens and others.
“We are moving toward an automated industrial floor for training our students,” said Kevin Boiter, Industrial Electronics Technology department head and instructor. “We want to provide the best work force possible industry in our area.”
TechReadySCsm has also provided a utility trailer to transport equipment to training sites off campus. With this new mobility, PTC will be able to take these programs to worksites to train a company’s workers in the latest advanced manufacturing techniques. The trailer can also be used to take the new equipment to the high school career centers to supplement their advanced manufacturing programs.
“Piedmont Technical College is always on the forefront of providing the necessary training for our students to compete in the workforce. While we are preparing our students, we are simultaneously providing industries with qualified skilled workers,” said Keith Lasure, dean of Industrial Technology at Piedmont Technical College. “We’ll be using the lab equipment and trailer to deliver training to area industry in both curriculum and continuing education programs.”
For information on any of the Industrial Electronics Technology and Mechatronics Technology courses available, contact Boiter at (864) 941-8467 or at boiter.k@ptc.edu
Article courtesy www.gwdtoday.com
