High Spirits Hospitality Opens Events at Judson Mill in Greenville

(Photo courtesy of High Spirits Hospitality)

 

An Upstate event company opened its latest venue with more than 700 guests and an array of entertainment and food offered by the region’s hospitality industry.

 

Located at 701 Easley Bridge Road in Greenville, Events at Judson Mill features more than 8,000 square feet of space for any kind of event from weddings to benefit galas to corporate parties. 

 

It’s the latest venture from High Spirits Hospitality, a woman-owned event and catering business whose brands also include Liquid Catering, Bravo1 Protection, High Spirits Events, The 405, and the management of Topside Pool Club.

 

“This has been months of hard work by our team, and we are glad to finally be showing off the site to all of the Upstate,” said Tammy Johnson, High Spirits Hospitality president and CEO. 

 

Events at Judson Mill is part of the $75 million redevelopment project to revitalize the historic Judson textile mill.

 

Opened in 1912, Judson Mill was once the largest textile mill in Greenville County and served as more than a workplace. The mill was a thriving community of neighbors, friends, and family. In 1933, the Deering-Milliken company purchased the mill and operated it until it closed in 2015.

 

Belmont Sayre Holdings purchased the 819,000-square-foot set of buildings and 36-acre campus in 2017, joined later by equity partner Taft Family Ventures.

 

The development team, specializing in urban transformation, began reimagining Judson Mill District as a community hub that aims to provide affordable places to live, work, and play, as well as opportunities to enjoy green spaces, recreation, and a diverse mix of communal activities and amenities.

 

Events at Judson Mill features three separate spaces: The Annex, The Smokestack, and the South Courtyard.

 

The Annex features 5,600 square feet of event space, all in the same room. Clients who book their weddings in the Annex may draw ivory theatrical curtains to divide the space in two.

 

Tall mill windows fill the room with natural light, from the refinished maple floors to the 16-foot ceilings. Historic features like original timber beams and exposed brick masonry complement the venue’s more modern touches.

 

The space includes everything a client might need, including a dressing room, a family-style restroom, and a full catering kitchen. It will comfortably seat up to 350 guests.

 

The Smokestack offers 3,200 square feet of event space, suitable for celebrations of up to 200 guests. The venue's industrial feel stems from its exposed brick architecture, finished concrete floors, tall windows, and the painted ironwork rafters that span the 30-foot-high ceilings.

 

Guests will note the soaring smokestack that gives the venue its name, as well as the vintage water tower that distinguishes the building’s exterior.

 

Grand double doors open to the South Courtyard, an outdoor event area for after-work fetes, wedding ceremonies, social mixers, and more.

 

Sponsors for the April 6, 2023, grand opening included Alpha-Lit Marquee Letters, Bravo1 Protection,  Cakes to Dye For, CHEF360 Catering, Clare’s Creamery, Collective Music Solutions, Complete PR, Cotton Rouge & Company, Couture Cakes, FamZing Studios, The Fun Box Photo Booth Company, Good Life Catering, Holly’s Cakes, Holmes Catering, Ice Age Ice Sculptures, Laurenda’s Family Restaurant & Catering, Nard’s Backyard BBQ, The Phoenix Coalition, Renee Burroughs Design, Southern Way Catering, Synergy Coffee, Table 301 Catering, Tri-County Rentals, and Uptown Entertainment.

 
 

Neal Brothers Charleston, Inc. Expanding Charleston County Operations

Neal Brothers Charleston, Inc., a logistics leader, announced plans to expand its existing Charleston County operations.

 

The company’s $9.48 million investment will create 10 jobs in the first year, according to South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s office.

 

Originally established in England in 1916, Neal Brothers is a leader in export packing, storage, freight and distribution services, and project shipping management.

 

For over 30 years, Neal Brothers’ main North American office has successfully operated in North Charleston.

 

Neal Brothers plans to expand its existing location by building a state-of-the-art, 100,000-square-foot facility at 4229 Domino Ave. in North Charleston.

 

The expansion will further increase the company's shipping operations to serve the region’s waterfront and logistics community, McMaster’s office said.  

 

Operations are online. Those interested in joining Neal Brothers should go to the company’s careers page.

 
 

Synovus Donates $2 Million to Strengthen Communities Throughout Its Footprint

Columbus, Ga.-based Synovus Bank announced the commitment of $2 million in corporate donations to nonprofits and organizations in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee.

 

Company officials said that through Synovus’ Corporate Donations Program, the bank is building on the millions of dollars it donates annually to address critical needs in the communities it serves.

 

Synovus is funding more than 300 organizations with missions that support the creation and sustainment of affordable housing, boost upward mobility of low- to moderate-income communities, deliver financial education, encourage economic development and more.

 

The 2023 donations reflect a nearly 20 percent increase in awards compared to 2022.

 

In South Carolina, 2023 recipients include:

 

A Father’s Place

Allen University

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lowcountry (BBBSL)

Charleston Classical School

City of Goose Creek

Columbia Urban League Young Professionals

Communities In Schools of South Carolina (CISSC)

Community Works

Carolina Eastern Carolina Housing Organization (ECHO)

Greenville Housing Fund

Healthy Smiles of Spartanburg, Inc.

Hopeful Horizons

Hub City Farmers Market

Liberty STEAM Charter School

Lowcountry Food Bank

Midlands Technical College Foundation

Mobile Meal Service of Spartanburg County, Inc.

Pace Center for Girls - Florence

Richland County Court Appointed Special Advocates Foundation

Santee-Lynches Affordable Housing & CDC

SCORE Lowcountry

Senior Resources, Inc.

South Carolina Children’s Theatre (SCCT)

Sumter Habitat for Humanity

Sumter United Ministries

United Ministries

United Way of Kershaw County Ready Readers

United Way of Sumter, Clarendon and Lee Counties

United Way of the Piedmont.

 

Synovus' 2024 Corporate Donations Program applications will open Saturday, July 15, 2023. More information is available at synovus.com/about-us/donations.

 
 

Pollo Campero Targets South Carolina for Franchise Growth

Pollo Campero, the fast-casual chicken franchise with 85-plus U.S. locations and another 270 worldwide, is ready to expand in prime markets across the country, with a heavy focus on the Southeast region, company officials said.

 

One of the markets the team has identified as particularly well suited for growth is South Carolina, with a flourishing economic landscape, unmet demand among both legacy consumers and new fans, and wide open territory availability, the officials said.

 

“South Carolina is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country,” said Director of Franchise Development Blas Escarcega. “If you look at the projections of the next five years, areas like Myrtle Beach and Greenville have seen an over 3 percent average growth rate in their population. This is because the cost of living is great, and the economy is doing very well. It is a very business-friendly state. We are already in Georgia and North Carolina, so we have the opportunity to fill that gap geographically.”

 

Additionally, Escarcega noted that the South Carolina demographics align perfectly with the brand. South Carolina is home to 258,000 Hispanics and ranked number one among all states in Hispanic growth between 2000 and 2010, with an over 300 percent increase in the Hispanic population. 

 

Escarcega says the Pollo Campero team has identified the capacity to add 10 new restaurants in South Carolina. 

 

The Pollo Campero team said its expansion efforts will be primarily focused across the Southeast over the next three to five years, including the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee and North Florida.

 

Additionally, the brand has identified a big growth opportunity in Arizona, as well as a few other markets scattered across the country. The brand will also open more corporate-owned stores, with a particular focus on California. 

 

Company officials said initial investments range from $1,287,250 – $2,491,500*. For more information, go to https://camperofranchise.com/.

 

(*To see the brand’s full reported financials, refer to Pollo Campero’s Franchise Disclosure Document, updated July 13, 2022). 

 

 

ON A SIDE NOTE:

 

Just about every fledgling business could use a little help, especially financial aid, getting off the ground, and The $30K PowerUp: A South Carolina StartUp Competition will provide much-needed cash infusions to three Palmetto State businesses.

 

Integrated Media Publishing (publisher of Greenville Business Magazine, Columbia Business Monthly, and Charleston Business Magazine) in partnership with Erik Weir are hosting the inaugural Entrepreneurial StartUp Series and Competition. 

 

The top finisher will win $15,000. Second place earns $10,000, and the third-place winner will receive $5,000.

 

Three companies will be selected to be featured in all three magazines each month from April until September 2023. To apply or for more information Click Here!

 

 

Now taking nominations for Best and Brightest 35 and Under. Integrated Media Publishing honors young professionals across the state that are leaders within their company and the community. Send us your nominations by April 30th. Click Here!

 

 

Allow us to tell your company's Business Narrative. Send your press release to David Dykes or for more information email ddykes@intmedpub.com