Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) was recently recognized for providing exceptional customer service for the third consecutive year.

GSP recognized as Best Small Airport in North America by customers in 2024

Adapted from information provided by OneSpartanburg, Inc. 

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) continues its legacy of excellence, securing top honors in the Airport Council International’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) awards. This marks the third consecutive year that GSP has been recognized for its outstanding performance in providing exceptional service to passengers.

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) was recognized with five awards.

• Best Airport of 2 - 5 Million Passengers in North America

• Airport with the Most Dedicated Staff in North America

• Easiest Airport Journey in North America

• Most Enjoyable Airport in North America

• Cleanest Airport in North America

The Airport Service Quality program is the world’s leading airport customer experience measurement and benchmarking program. The ASQ Depart-ures program measures passenger satisfaction from arrival at the airport campus to aircraft departure. It takes the whole airport community to ensure the passenger experience is safe, secure, efficient, and convenient. These honors are particularly meaningful because they are based on direct feedback from travelers, representing the highest recognition for service quality in the aviation industry.

“Flying through Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is more than just a journey; it’s a carefully crafted experience,” said Justin Erbacci, Director General ACI World. “Your success in the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards highlights your team’s ability to make every passenger’s trip memorable and enjoyable.”

GSP President and CEO Dave Edwards said, “At GSP, we are honored to once again receive all five of the awards offered through the ASQ program. This recognition is reflective of our dedication to prioritizing the passenger’s experience while using our facility. Our passengers expect excellence, and we embrace the challenge of exceeding those expectations every day. This achievement would not be possible without the dedication of our entire GSP team and our valued business partners across the airport campus, who work tirelessly to create a convenient, safe, and enjoyable journey for every traveler.

Together, we are not just meeting standards—we are setting them, ensuring that GSP remains a leader in customer satisfaction and airport excellence.” 

Pine Street Elementary recently celebrated the school’s 95th anniversary by collecting cereal boxes to help families in need. Spartanburg School District 7 photo 

Pine Street Elementary celebrates 95th anniversary

Information provided by Spartanburg School District 7

The CHEERS...

The SMILES...

The CONFETTI...

and, of course, The CEREAL...

On Friday, March 7, Pine Street Elementary's students and staff gathered throughout the school's hallowed halls for a domino show extraordinaire to mark the school's 95th anniversary. Each class had collected 95 cereal boxes to help families in need. In total, 1,600 boxes were to be donated to two local nonprofit organizations, Hand-in-Hand Spartanburg and Cannons Campground Methodist Church. But first, the boxes had an important role to play in a ceremonial show to mark the occasion.

Pine participated in the Cereal Box Domino Challenge, a community service initiative with the fun twist of lining up the boxes and setting them off on a domino chain before they are donated. Excited students had lined Pine's hallways in anticipation, and they erupted with cheers as first grade teacher Zonya Johnson (who is also District 7's Teacher of the Year) tipped the first box to launch the domino chain. A chorus of noisemakers and confetti followed the cereal boxes as they toppled over on their trip around each hallway.

"Our classes typically collect 100 canned goods to donate for our 100th day of school, but the 95th anniversary created a fun opportunity to switch things up and incorporate the Cereal Box Domino Challenge into our celebration. So instead of cans, this year each class collected 95 cereal boxes," said Principal Dennis Regnier. "There was great energy among our students, teachers, and parents from doing something new; and centering our celebration around community service reinforced our mission and values as a school and district."

The fun Friday was a great ending to the week. Happy anniversary to “Mighty Fine Pine” – 95 never looked so good!

Pine Street Elementary School is a public elementary school located at 500 South Pine Street in Spartanburg. It serves children from kindergarten through fifth grade and is part of Spartanburg County School District 7. Its school building, constructed in 1928–29, is a prominent local example of Beaux Arts architecture, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. It is the oldest continuously operating school in Spartanburg County. 

Over twenty local companies attend JCBE career fair

Story by Jasmine Smith, USC Upstate

The George Dean Johnson, Jr. College of Business and Economics (JCBE) recently hosted its 13th annual career fair, providing students with a valuable opportunity to connect with potential employers, secure internships, and network with industry professionals.

Marley Bickley, the career counselor at JCBE, was part of organizing the Feb. 19 event. In her role, Bickley works to prepare students for future careers and helps them find job opportunities within the Upstate region. 

Over the years, she says the career fair has evolved, welcoming new companies and expanding the presence of established ones seeking to fill positions. 

Bickley emphasized the importance of these events for students. 

“Students are learning a lot about what they can apply for, sometimes they aren’t even aware that certain opportunities exist,” she said. “This is a fantastic time for them to identify and connect with companies they might be interested in.”

With the success of alumni who previously attended these events, many are now in positions to help current Upstate students reach their career goals, according to event organizers. 

This year, 21 companies participated, including well-known names like BMW, Enterprise, and ScanSource. Alumni Katie Geiger and Emma Brown, who represented Draexlmaier at the career fair, credit Upstate courses and study abroad programs for preparing them to enter the workforce and secure full-time jobs. 

Meanwhile, Jerome McFinn, a USC Upstate alumnus and recruiting specialist at ScanSource, encourages students to remain open-minded and confident when attending career fairs.

Current students like Emma Scott expressed her recommendation for students attending career fairs stating, “juniors and seniors should always take advantage of these professional development events.”

Beyond networking, the event enhances students’ readiness for the job market by allowing them to engage directly with industry professionals. Overall, the career fair serves as a crucial platform for students to explore diverse career paths, build essential connections, and make meaningful steps toward their future careers and reach greater heights. 

Craig Brown, owner of the Greenville Drive, with Greenville City Councilor Lillian Brock Flemming. City of Greenville photo

Greenville Drive hits it out of the park with a public-private partnership 

Adapted from information provided by the City of Greenville 

Celebrating of the Greenville Drive’s 20th Anniversary also marks a home run for public-private partnerships and economic development.

It's a partnership that is alive and well.

During a kickoff celebration at New Realm Brewing Co., Drive owner Craig Brown recalled a prophetic remark made by Greenville Councilor Lillian Brock Flemming when they broke ground on the stadium.

“She said, ‘This is about much more than baseball,’” Brown said. “Lillian was right then and she is even more right today. Clearly, the last 20 years have been about so much more than baseball.”

From an initial $15 million investment when it opened April 6, 2006, Fluor Field has been an economic boon for the West End. As of 2024, more than 700 new business licenses and more than $300 million in new business sales have been recorded within a half mile of the stadium.

Greenville Mayor Knox White said the project would not have been possible without the strong partnership between the City and the Drive. White recalled that from the start, the development of Fluor Field included not just the ballpark but also residential, retail and commercial space. That mixed-use component was met with skepticism, and some potential development partners even urged the team to abandon it.

“We stuck to our guns,” White said. “That kind of creativity, that kind of early partnership attitude about working with Greenville… was what helped make it possible.”

Since the initial investment, the City and the Greenville Drive have partnered on additional projects to keep the stadium vibrant. In 2016, Fluor Field underwent a $10 million renovation, adding new signage, additional seating, hospitality areas and enhanced fan amenities. The City contributed $5 million from hospitality taxes and Sunday alcohol sales permit fees to purchase land and build needed infrastructure.

More than 500,000 people visit Fluor Field annually, whether for Drive games or the many community events hosted there.

To commemorate their 20th season, the Drive announced a $25,000 donation to Greenville Together, a communitywide initiative to combat homelessness. The team also released a schedule of special events throughout the season, starting with the 20th Anniversary Fan Fest, presented by TD SYNNEX, on March 15.

Opening weekend, presented by TD Bank, is April 4-6.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary as the Upstate’s home team, The Greenville Drive plans a number of community and fan engagements throughout the year.

Highlights include:

March 15: Greenville Drive 20th Anniversary Fan Fest presented by TD SYNNEX 

April 4-6: Opening Weekend @ Fluor Field, presented by TD Bank

April 15, 29, May 4, 18, August 10: Reading All-Stars, presented by Michelin NA

April 19 & June 21: Black Spinners celebration

May 13: Youth Sports Night, presented by Waldrop and the YMCA of Greenville

May 14: Drive Business Downtown, presented by EY

June 17: TD SYNNEX Share the Magic Night

June 5: Aerospace Night

June 7, July 12, & August 9: COPA de la Diversion celebrations

Greenville Triumph announces partnership with Prisma Health

The Greenville Triumph Soccer Club has announced a multi-year partnership with Prisma Health, the official medical provider of Clemson University and the University of South Carolina.

Prisma Health, the official medical partner of the Greenville Triumph, will be featured on the front of the Triumph’s match and training kits.

The partnership will provide best-in-class medical care to Triumph players as the team enters its seventh season of competition.

The organizations will collaborate on community and fan-facing initiatives, highlighted by encouraging Triumph fans to prioritize their health and well-being. The announcement is an expansion of Prisma’s relationship with Green-ville soccer, as the health system has been partnered with the Greenville Liberty women’s pre-professional team since its inception in 2022.

“At Prisma Health, we believe that strong communities are built through collaboration, and we are proud to deepen our partnership with the Greenville Triumph to advance health and wellness in the communities we serve,” said Mark O’Halla, president and CEO of Prisma Health.

“Partnerships like this represent our commitment to inspiring healthier lifestyles and creating a lasting community impact.”

Prisma Health recognizes the importance of community outreach in ensuring a high quality of life for the communities it serves. Prisma has a comprehensive community benefit program, including mobile health services, education of health professionals, subsidized health services for those who can’t afford them, research, and financial and in-kind contributions.

In addition to offering health fairs, screenings, and information sessions, the organization collaborates with local groups and educational institutions to train healthcare workers and to ensure access to basic medical services for everyone.

Triumph SC opened its seventh season March 8 against Westchester SC in Furman’s Paladin Stadium. ***

Triumph, Liberty to play back-to-back matches at Historic Riggs Field in early June

The Greenville Liberty’s Friday, June 6th match and the Triumph’s Saturday, June 7th match will be played at Clemson’s Historic Riggs Field. The Liberty will host regional rival Asheville City SC on Friday at 7:00 PM, and the Triumph will host expansion side FC Naples on Saturday at 7:00 PM.

The Liberty match will mark the first time the club has played a match in Clemson. Triumph SC played a regular season match against Lexington at Historic Riggs Field in 2024 after the match was moved due to Hurricane Helene.

Triumph and Liberty Season Ticket Members will receive these matches as part of their respective season ticket plans.  

July 2: Marvel Super Hero Night

July 3: Military Appreciation Night/Independence Day Celebration (Fireworks!)

July 23: United Way of Greenville County Night

August 5: Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Night

August 6: Green Day, presented by TD Bank

August 26: Greenville Chamber Night

August 28: #StartUp GVL Night, a celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation

Friday Night Fireworks, powered by GE Vernova at EVERY home Friday game!

Saturdays on the District, presented by Publix before each Saturday home game.