Jody Bryson, President and CEO of the SC Technology and Aviation Center

UpstateBizSC:
What is your education and professional background?

Jody Bryson:
I am originally from Greenville.  I graduated from Clemson University in 1987 and the University of South Carolina Masters of Public Administration program in 1992. My professional background includes working as an executive advisor to Governor Carroll Campbell, Alumni Relations at Clemson University, the Greenville Chamber of Commerce where I served as Vice President of Public Policy, VP of the Upstate Alliance, and several positions in the private sector. Through these varied experiences I developed strong relationships in the business community and learned a great deal about economic development.  I became President and CEO of the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (SC TAC) in May of 2007.

UpstateBizSC:
Give a brief history of SC TAC.

Jody Bryson:
This 2,600 acre facility is jointly owned by the City of Greenville and the County of Greenville.  Originally opened in 1942 as Greenville Army Air Base, it was renamed Donaldson Air Force Base in 1951 in honor of Captain John O. Donaldson, a Greenville native and World War I flying ace.  In 1963, the federal government decided to close the base permanently.  Fortunately, the City of Greenville and Greenville County had the foresight to buy the facility from the federal government, and the center has been generating jobs and tax revenues ever since. 

In 2008, the Donaldson Center Industrial Air Park was renamed the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center.  In honor of the center’s previous namesake, the airport was named Donaldson Field.

Since its inception, this facility has been a revenue generator for the City and the County.  During the last 45 years, we have successfully attracted Fortune 500 companies such as Lockheed Martin, 3M, and Michelin to the center.  In fact, today more than 80 businesses employing over 4,000 people call SCTAC home, and we generate a $1.4 billion annual impact to the State’s economy!

Our mission is to serve industry requiring direct access to an airport infrastructure, while also providing an attractive setting for business of any type to expand or relocate.

UpstateBizSC:
Talk about your recent strategic initiative.

Jody Bryson:
Two years ago, we went through a rebranding and re-visioning process to develop a strategy to better compete for new business in today’s global economy. Since announcing our new brand in October 2008, we have transitioned from a local property management office to a proactive economic development organization. 

Our new brand and logo reflects our status as a statewide economic engine and accurately describes who we are today.  We have creatively realigned various real estate parcels within the center to create new product that would be attractive to companies looking to grow or expand in the Southeast.  With plenty of capacity on our existing runway to serve the needs of our aviation customers, we made the strategic decision to develop our idle second runway, thus creating a new 300 acre aviation parcel.  This decision has proved extremely successful in our efforts to attract new aviation prospects in the global marketplace.

UpstateBizSC:
What is your business model?  How do you make money?

Jody Bryson:
Our operating revenues are generated by selling and leasing property.  SCTAC has never received an annual appropriation from the City or the County.  As an FAA certificated airport, we do receive occasional Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants, but these are small in comparison to the economic impact we have statewide. 

UpstateBizSC:
What are your strengths as a facility?

Jody Bryson:
Our greatest strength is location.  Greenville is one of the top ten growth markets in the country. Located on the I-85 corridor, we offer a multi modal range of transportation options, providing strategic access to air and interstate as well as two rail systems and the port of Charleston.

Although we have a diverse group of companies here, our niche is aviation manufacturing, including maintenance, repair and overhaul as well as assembly and delivery options. We have a full-time staff, a full time dedicated on-site fire department, and an FAA certificated airfield that last year delivered over 50,000 flight operations.  We are a perfect fit for companies looking to locate in a place with a runway in their front yard, in the midst of all this aviation activity.  We also have an established investment grade bond rating and can offer bond financing to prospects for new construction. We also have a lot of available property, and strong pro-business leadership.

UpstateBizSC:
What is your focus going forward?

Jody Bryson:
First, we will continue to help our existing businesses by creating a positive and favorable business environment.  With Lockheed Martin, for example, we upgraded their facility to help them reduce their carbon footprint and thereby their overhead costs.

Second, we will continue to bring new business to SCTAC.  New announcements bring capital investment to the region and that in turn leads to new jobs. We are an investor in the Upstate Alliance and the Greenville Area Development Corporation, and we have a great relationship with the South Carolina Department of Commerce.  We also see great synergy between our facility and CU ICAR.  They have a unique focus on research and development that can support manufacturing; we have abundant land where that manufacturing can take place. 

Lastly, to ensure that SC TAC continues to be an engine for economic development in the future, we are constantly on the lookout for new strategic partnerships with emerging businesses.

UpstateBizSC:
Who are your competitors?

Jody Bryson:
We have very few competitors when it comes to companies who are looking for that rare combination of aviation and technology.  Based on a market analysis we conducted in 2009, there are only eight facilities like us in the country, and most of them are located west of the Mississippi River.  We are unique to South Carolina.

UpstateBizSC:
What are the challenges that you face?

Jody Bryson:
The first challenge is infrastructure.  In the past two years, companies at SCTAC have announced over half a billion dollars of expansion and/or new projects, with more on the way.  This growth creates a greater demand on our existing infrastructure, so we need to make sure that we have a long-term strategy to secure sufficient capital investment to maintain and replace our runway, roads, and one million square feet of ramp space.  We will eventually need to expand and widen the perimeter road around this facility, which is jointly owned by Greenville County and the State DOT. 

Another challenge is that our existing aviation facilities are at 100% occupancy.  This is a great problem to have, but puts us at a competitive disadvantage with other parks that have empty buildings available.  The decision-making process of the typical company looking to expand or relocate has gone from years to months, so it puts a real premium on parks with available facilities.  We need some speculative buildings in place, but those are expensive for an agency of our size. Prospects also need to feel comfortable that when they put SCTAC on their short list, there will be minimal risk in terms of the environmental studies and permitting for their parcel.  We are spending a lot of resources getting our properties shovel ready.

I have an incredibly supportive Board of Directors comprised of business-minded people who understand economic development.  Despite the challenging economy, we have an unprecedented number of active prospects that we are working and I am very optimistic about the future.