Red Ventures starts $90 million expansion at Indian Land HQ

Among the excitement of Red Ventures’ $90 million expansion Wednesday were bittersweet memories for John and Leila Long of Rock Hill.

The Longs surveyed the land where Red Ventures plans to build “RV4,” a new sales center, learning and development center, six-story office tower and two parking decks. Pine trees that once covered the site are gone.

“It’s hard,” Leila Long said, gazing at the soon-to-be construction site.

Her great-great-great-grandfather farmed the land. Her father, James Potts of Rock Hill, harvested trees on the land from the 1950s until two years ago when he died.

She and her brother sold 80 acres to Red Ventures. The company purchased another 40 acres from two other landowners – a commitment that shows the company “is all in Indian Land,” said chief executive officer Ric Elias.

Elias and Gov. Nikki Haley both assured the Longs the land would be appropriately used. Elias invited the Longs to return any time they wanted. Haley told the Longs Red Ventures was unlike any other company in South Carolina, a company with exceptional customer service, where losing is not an option.

“Every building you build gets cooler,” Haley told the groundbreaking crowd of workers, politicians and business leaders. “You have given South Carolina something to smile about once again.”

The assurance that impressed the Longs was Red Ventures’ plans to create lots of green space on its new complex.

“I like having green space,” Leila Long said. “It’s not all going to a parking lot.”

The Longs’ comments followed the official groundbreaking ceremony for the Red Ventures expansion – an effort projected to almost double the company’s investment to $190 million at the Indian Land site and create 1,500 new jobs.

Red Ventures, a sales and digital marketing firm, has about 2,200 employees and the company is out of space at its three buildings.

“RV4” – the company’s fourth building on site – will be done in phases. The sales center and parking decks should be finished by the fall of 2016. The six-story tower and learning and development center should be completed by 2017. When all is said and done, Red Ventures will have 630,000 square feet of space that includes a bowling alley, basketball court and several cafes, in addition to office space.

It’s an atmosphere of “play hard to work hard,” said Bob Bundy, chairman of the Lancaster County Council. The council is expected to pass a fee agreement and special source revenue credit agreements that will lower Red Ventures’ property tax on the new buildings.

The state awarded Lancaster County a $550,000 grant for road improvements. S.C. 160 will become the new main entrance to the company’s campus. Currently all traffic enters off U.S. 521.

Red Ventures is also eligible for state job development credits that rebate a portion of new employees’ withholding taxes for the specific needs of individual companies.

Plans also call for a new Town Place Suites by Marriott hotel to be built adjacent to the Red Ventures campus. The company is an investor in the hotel, along with OHM Hotels of Matthews, N.C. It is the first major-brand hotel in Lancaster County, and it is strategically placed to serve other Indian Land companies such as Continental Tire and Keer America.

When it came time for the official groundbreaking ceremony, Elias turned to two “red” master sales agents – Eric Bristley and Chanda Schwartz – to take his place and turn over a shovel of dirt. Red is the highest level of sales agents.

“That was a lot of fun and unexpected,” Bristley said.

Asking the two sales agents to be part of the official groundbreaking “shows they trust us and we are part of a growing business,” said Bristley, who has worked for the firm for almost six years.

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Red Ventures starts $90 million expansion at Indian Land HQ."