Henry C. Giles, Jr.

SCC Central Campus named in honor of President Henry C. Giles Jr. 

Spartanburg Community College honored President Henry C. Giles Jr. on Thursday afternoon, June 18, at a retirement celebration where a surprise announcement was made naming the College’s Central Campus in Giles’ honor.

Dr. Tim Hardee, event emcee and president of the South Carolina Technical College System announced to guests, “By unanimous approval from the Spartanburg County Commission for Technical & Community Education and the SC State Board for Technical & Comprehensive Education, effective immediately, the SCC Central Campus is now named the SCC Giles Campus.”

Giles, who has served as SCC’s president since 2012, retired on June 30 after serving SCC for 50 years. The SCC Central Campus - now the Giles Campus - was the first location for the College, opening in 1963 as Spartanburg County’s Technical Education Center. Over the years the College has grown to become Spartanburg Technical College in 1972 and Spartanburg Community College in 2006.

“Mention the name Henry C. Giles, Jr. to Upstate South Carolina residents, particularly those involved in higher education and economic development in Spartanburg, Union and Cherokee counties, and a well-respected professional comes to mind– a man of integrity, commitment and devotion to educating individuals while simultaneously sustaining our state’s economy through innovative workforce development initiatives. Henry has advocated for educational and workforce development opportunities for Upstate residents, SCC and the South Carolina Technical College System for 50 years. His focus has always been how can the faculty and staff, together, better serve students,” explained Hardee. “I have had the opportunity to work with Henry and the 15 other technical college presidents each month when we met in Columbia to plan and discuss work for the system. Presidents in our system have listened to Henry’s wisdom, his suggestions and ideas. Henry’s influence on the other 43 counties across our state has been significant, and we are so appreciative for the work he has done here in the Upstate and across our state.”

Resolutions were presented to Giles by business leaders from Spartanburg, Union and Cherokee counties citing his many contributions over the years. Accolades were shared by the following:

* County Resolution - Mr. Quay Little - Vice Chairman, Cherokee County Council

* County Resolution - Mr. Manning Lynch - Chair, Spartanburg County Council

* County Resolution - Mr. Frank Hart - Supervisor, Union County

* Chamber Resolution - Mr. Allen Smith, Presi-dent/CEO and Ms. Katherine O’Neil, Chief Economic Development Officer, Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce - Chamber Resolution

* Spartanburg County Legislative Delegation, Resolution - Mr. P. Mike Forrester - SCC Vice President, Economic Development and SC House of Representatives, District 34, and members of the Spartanburg County Delegation

* Recognition Plaque - Ms. Janie Ivey - SCC Instructor and Faculty Advisor for SCC’s Phi Theta Kappa Student Honor Society

* Mr. Bill Barnet - Former Spartanburg Mayor, Community Business Leader

* Dr. Russell Booker - Superintendent, Spartanburg County School District 7

* Mr. Jeff Horton - Former Chair, Spartanburg County Council

Introduction of Special SCC Student Guest to Pres. Giles - Mrs. Linda Hannon, Chair, SCC Foundation Board and Mrs. Bea Walters Smith, Executive Director, SCC Foundation, introduced SCC student Herve Butoyi, the first recipient of the President Henry C. Giles Jr. Memorial Scholarship for Education

“Astronauts, physicists, programmers, musicians, technologists, doctors, caterers, engineers, lawyers and all the other professions that make the world go around have one thing in common – a good teacher who gave light to their dreams. Today we say farewell, to one such teacher – Henry C. Giles Jr., president of Spartanburg Community College,” explained Sonny Anderson, chairman of the Spartanburg County Commission for Technical & Community Education. “For almost 51 years, Henry Giles has been a faithful employee of the College, leading and serving our students, faculty, staff and residents of Spartanburg, Union and Cherokee Counties. Throughout his tenure –1969 until 2020 – Henry has been part of the life-blood of this college, day-in and day-out, teaching, directing and working on behalf of those this college serves.”

Dr. Russell Booker, superintendent of Spartanburg County School District 7 shared, “Henry has been a vital fabric to what we do. He meets often with the superintendents from Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union on a regular basis. I think in recent years, in my role as a superintendent in district seven, what I've really come to appreciate is the collaboration, launching some wonderful partnerships. I think about the time Henry and I talked about the Viking Early College and the Spartanburg County Early College High School, the need for students to be able to start taking more dual credit courses and earn an associate's degree. He's always been willing to innovate and because of that leadership, we've been able to really touch the lives of some children and families.”

Expressing his thanks to attendees Giles said, “The reason the College has been able to do so many things that I am getting credit for today, is not because of me but because of the faculty and staff, the retirees. They are the ones who do this work that allows me to get this credit, they are the ones who have made a difference for this college. It is bittersweet that I am retiring, but I have served the college for almost 51 years because of three things: SCC is a great place to work, I have worked with a lot of great people, and together we have all made a difference in the lives of so many people – all of which are the glue that binds an institution together.”

Before being named the sixth president of SCC, Giles served as interim president as well as vice president and executive vice president of business affairs for 18 years. He was responsible for the financial management of the College during the majority of his SCC tenure. Giles was instrumental in facilitating the purchase of the Evans Building in downtown Spartanburg, now the SCC Downtown Campus, as well as the creation and expansion of the Spark Center, as an invaluable economic development tool for Spartanburg County. He also held College positions as program manager, vice president for development and vice president for academic affairs. Giles brought a tenacious fiscal responsibility to all endeavors, which resulted in the College receiving favorable audits and maintaining balanced budgets over the years, thereby positioning the College today to serve more than 6,000 students across five campuses throughout the three-county service area.

Dr. Michael Mikota was named SCC’s seventh president, effective July 13. Mikota currently serves as president at Central Carolina Technical College in Sumter.

ORBIS Corporation recently announced that the company is expanding its fabrication capabilities in Greenville County. 

ORBIS expanding fabrication capabilities in Greenville County to serve South Carolina, regional customers 

Greenville - The Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC), charged with promoting and enhancing quality of life in Greenville County by facilitating job growth and investment, recently announced that ORBIS® Corporation, an international leader in reusable packaging, has expanded its metal rack fabrication capabilities and relocated into a larger facility in Greenville County. Investment and job additions were not disclosed by the closely held organization.

ORBIS, part of one of the oldest family-owned manufacturers in the United States, operates 13 manufacturing plants in the United States, Canada and Mexico. ORBIS Corporation is headquartered in Oconomowoc, Wis. and has more than 2,700 employees throughout North America and Europe.

“We are pleased to be part of the Greenville County business community, and our expanding presence in Piedmont offers more space and positions us near our southeastern U.S. customers. We strategically selected this region to provide high service levels to customers and to attract local talent,” stated Bill Ash, president of ORBIS Corporation.

With more than 170 years of material handling and packaging expertise, ORBIS helps world-class customers move their product faster, safer and more cost-effectively with reusable totes, pallets, containers, dunnage and racks. Using a proprietary approach, ORBIS employees analyze their customers’ systems, design a solution, and execute a reusable packaging program for longer-term cost savings and sustainability.

At its new and expansive location, located at 1700 Old Grove Road in Piedmont, ORBIS manufactures metal racks that are primarily used to transport large parts and components in automotive and heavy industrial supply chain applications. The racks are custom designed to meet the unique needs of each ORBIS customer.

“As one of America’s oldest family-owned manufacturers, Greenville County welcomes this expansion by ORBIS Corporation, and its deepening commitment to our community,” said Green-ville County Council Chairman and Greenville Area Development Corporation Board Member H.G. "Butch" Kirven. “Their emphasis on sustainability and being good community leaders fits well in Greenville County, and we wish them continued success long into the future.” 

Production began in January at the expanded facility which represents a space increase of approximately 65% for welding, assembly and storage. Additionally, ORBIS relocated some of its plastic and foam dunnage assembly operations to the larger space to improve product flow, assembly operations and increase storage.

Using life-cycle assessments to compare reusable and single-use packaging, ORBIS helps customers reduce their overall environmental impact. ORBIS is a part of Menasha Corporation, one of the oldest family-owned manufacturers in the United States, is strongly committed to sustainability in its activities and processes by tracking and measuring its resource utilization to continuously conserve natural resources and reduce waste. For additional information, or to apply for a new position, visit ORBIS online at www.orbiscorporation.com.

2020 AAA Car Guide offers buyers guidance during COVID-19 pandemic

Charlotte, N.C. – As businesses reopen and more motorists hit the road, AAA is offering buyers some guidance with the release of its new AAA Car Guide, a consumer resource on the latest and greatest in vehicle technology.

The AAA Car Guide provides consumers with reviews based in part on how many advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are included in the vehicle as well as a number of other criteria. The majority of the category winners for 2020 are either electric, plug-in electric hybrids or hybrids, signaling that eco-friendly vehicles tend to offer the most cutting-edge vehicle technology.

“The AAA Car Guide is a great resource for buyers and eliminates the guesswork when it comes to finding the right vehicle,” said Tiffany Wright, AAA spokesperson – The Auto Club Group in the Carolinas. “With so many safety features available on vehicles these days, it can become overwhelming for buyers and this guide helps them understand just what they are purchasing.”

The 175-page guide includes comprehensive, easy-to-read reviews of each vehicle, which are based on 13 criteria, including braking, fuel economy, emissions, handling, ride comfort, acceleration and the number of ADAS safety features. These vehicles are tested, scored and placed in one of five vehicle categories by the Automotive Research Center (ARC) of the Automobile Club of Southern California, a member of the AAA federation of motor clubs. 

The AAA Car Guide is an evolution of the popular AAA Green Car Guide, the book that focused on fuel-efficient, low-emitting cars and trucks. The 2020 version has expanded the types of vehicles it reviews and ranks to include vehicles that are all new or completely redesigned and that include the latest automotive safety technology, including advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). 

As buyers return to the market, industry groups such as the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) are providing dealerships with guidance on how to safely interact with car buyers. This includes procedures on keeping employees and customers safe, cleaning and disinfecting dealership facilities and vehicles and safely handling sales operations. Some dealerships are even modifying their buying process and offering to deliver vehicles to customers for test drives.

The AAA Car Guide is designed to help consumers navigate new car buying since many of the latest models come equipped with some sort of advanced safety system, many of which go by different names. In fact, previously AAA analyzed 34 vehicle brands sold in the United States to identify the number of unique names manufacturers use to market ADAS. For example, automatic emergency braking, standard on 31% of 2018 vehicles, has 40 names for just this one feature. As a result, AAA along with other safety organizations has called on the industry to move towards common naming to help clear the confusion for consumers.

The AAA Car Guide also contains a compendium of AAA’s recent research of current automotive technologies and topics, such as advanced driver-assistance systems, gasoline quality, the advantages of synthetic oil, reduced tire traction in wet-weather driving, and headlight effectiveness.

Winners, detailed evaluation criteria, vehicle reviews and an in-depth analysis of the ADAS technology can be found at aaa.com/carguide.

The Auto Club Group (ACG) is the second largest AAA club in North America with more than 14 million members across 14 U.S. states, the province of Quebec and two U.S. territories. ACG and its affiliates provide members with roadside assistance, insurance products, banking and financial services, travel offerings and more. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with more than 60 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA’s mission is to protect and advance freedom of mobility and improve traffic safety.