It’s no secret I bleed Orange and Brown (See: Mauldin High School) before bleeding Orange and Purple. I have been and always will be our city’s biggest cheerleader — elected or not. Apparently, my rah-rah for 29662 (and the other four ZIP Codes in the city limits) raised some eyebrows.

My pal Jay Spivey, called me a while back and said, “Hey. I know you never eat breakfast, but let’s grab a cup of coffee.”

Caffeine to start the day? Sign me up.

If you don’t know Jay, the Upstate is his lifelong home. Back in the day, before Downtown Greenville was on every magazine’s list of Coolest Places to Visit in the History of Ever, he owned a joint called Henni’s and a sister establishment called Henni’s Late Night, and he was instrumental in the renaissance of Greenville’s central business district. Fast forward to 2015, and he’s the editor and publisher of a fantastic cloud-based interactive magazine called Fête that covers different monthly views of Upstate lifestyle issues.

While Fête initially focused on the Downtown Greenville area, Jay knows that DTG isn’t the center of the universe and that the areas surrounding it are no less important to creating an Upstate South Carolina people want to call home.

So we sat down — along with one of his writers Lee Ann Carter — to talk about Mauldin and what makes it great and what makes it a place where people want to live and why Mauldin’s future is so bright.

That cup of coffee turned in to an article in this month’s Fête, and for one, I’m excited to see the buckle of the Golden Strip get some of the recognition it deserves. As Jay says, “Fête it be.”

Oh, and to play off a hashtag from a certain neighboring city, #YeahThatMauldin.

— Taft

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Making an Impact in Mauldin

By: Lee Ann Carter
Fête — January 2015

It is often said you only have one chance to make a good first impression. Even if you don’t live in Mauldin you probably pass through the busy intersection of Hwy. 276/Laurens Road and Butler Road on a regular basis heading to Simpsonville, Fountain Inn or to one of Mauldin’s outstanding parks and recreation centers. And while that crossroads isn’t a “traditional” main street, most people consider it the hub of Mauldin. Well, if Taft Matney and the rest of the Mauldin City Council and Mauldin Planning Commission have anything to say about it, that perspective will soon be changing.

Mauldin was named for Lt. Governor William Mauldin who was instrumental in getting the Greenville Laurens Railroad Company to establish a depot there in the late 1800’s. A thriving metropolis until the majority of the male population headed off to fight in the Civil War and sadly didn’t return, Mauldin limped along until Donaldson Air Force Base opened in 1942, literally bringing new life to the area. Gaining in residents and opportunities, Mauldin was incorporated as a city in 1969 and continued their trajectory of growth. In fact, from 2000 to 2009, Mauldin’s population increased by over 40 percent and today, with a tally of over 25,000 residents, is in the top 20 of the largest cities in the state.

Convenient access to major manufacturers such as BMW and Michelin, Interstates 85, 385 and 26, along with a strong existing infrastructure and available buildable land, coupled with one of the highest rated school systems in South Carolina and the largest household per capita income of any city in Greenville County, has made Mauldin a sought after community for retirees, growing families and young professionals.

Even though a blow to the local economy several years ago when the Bi-Lo grocery chain moved their corporate headquarters out of state, an increased warehouse presence through C&S Wholesale Grocers replaced that loss of taxable commercial revenue. Also contributing to the Mauldin economic base are Samsung, Charter Communications, CF Sauer: home of Duke’s Mayonnaise, and Esurance Insurance Services, which single handedly brought over 400 employment opportunities to Mauldin in 2014. When combined with all the other smaller locally and nationally owned businesses, Mauldin rests on a very strong financial base which in turn allows the town to continue to grow and thrive.

A life-long resident of Mauldin, Matney and his Ohio born wife Addy, are now raising their son in the same home where Matney himself grew up. “I have lived in the same house since I was six months old and have a real emotional connection to Mauldin,” Matney said. After graduating from the University of South Carolina/Spartanburg, Matney launched his public relations and governmental affairs consulting business and in 2008 began serving on several Mauldin Comprehensive Plan subcommittees as well as the Main Street Steering Committee. Around the same time he also began lobbying friends and neighbors to get more involved in local city government. Matney said, “I had a vision for the future of Mauldin but didn’t think with my busy schedule, I had the time to be part of the implementation.” But after a little encouragement he finally stepped up to the plate and on November 5, 2013 was elected to Mauldin City Council, Seat 1.

For 2015 Mauldin has big plans with first on the list being the development of a custom designed dedicated and user-friendly downtown complete with retail, restaurants, professional offices and that all important greenspace. Without giving too much away, Matney did mention the latest conceptual master plan calls for “creating something from nothing and building something new to give Mauldin its own fresh identity.”

Already in the works is the Mauldin Public Arts Trail which will be incorporated into the Cultural Center grounds and will put to good use the nine concrete bases which were poured for the original Veterans Walk. After community feedback changed the blueprint, the concrete bump-outs remained. Beginning in January 2015 local South Carolina artists will be given the opportunity to have their work showcased on one of these bases. With an estimated 10 to 12 month selection and installation process, Matney is confident the first piece of sculpture based art will be in place for the start of the 2016 spring Mauldin Cultural Center Amphitheatre outdoor concert series. Then one piece of art will be added to the trail per year until all nine spaces are filled. For 2025 all nine works will remain for the general public to enjoy. Then in 2026 the oldest piece will be retired and a new work introduced.

Full of community pride, citizens who appreciate all their town has to offer and work hard to make it even more appealing to residents and visitors alike, isn’t it time you take a short drive and see what all Mauldin has to offer? Who knows…calling Mauldin home might just become one of your New Year’s resolutions.