Sparked by a dream. Powered by community.

Operation Grow Spartanburg was started by your neighbors with a simple goal: help small businesses and keep our community connected.

Boiling Springs native, John Coates, took note of small business owners struggling and needing a way to bounce back after lockdown in 2020. This sparked an idea amongst him and his friends, Jake Creedy, Dave McDonough, and Shawn Martin. They knew that if you build a space where neighbors meet neighbors, business happens.

What started as a simple Facebook group has grown into something far bigger than they ever imagined—dozens of events hosted, prizes given away, features on news, radio, and podcasts, countless business connections made, real friendships formed, charities and nonprofits supported, donations raised, dreams sparked, businesses boosted, and so much more.

Together, we are leading Spartanburg into a brighter tomorrow. This is only the beginning.

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We are…

Local volunteers and small business owners.

We are not…

A corporation with deep pockets.

Why we do it…

Support local businesses, keep dollars local, and facilitate real connections within the community.

How We Operate

Our hope is to become the most effective and efficient networking hub in Spartanburg by connecting people with local businesses, artists, musicians, and organizations all while working together to better our community.

Support Local

  • Operation Grow Spartanburg exists to facilitate positive growth in Spartanburg County while preserving the integrity of our historic small town. Our goal is to build partnerships between all things local so that community and commerce can win together.

    We’re a grassroots network rooted in purpose and powered by people. Together, we can lead Spartanburg into a brighter tomorrow.

  • Our vision has always been to become a thriving HUB of Hub City where local businesses are discovered, supported, and celebrated year round.

    We imagine a community where:

    • Local artists, craftspeople, and musicians are seen and heard.

    • Families have free, fun ways to come together.

    • Small businesses can start, grow, and be known by name.

    • Everyday kindness, support, and collaboration become the norm.

    What began as a dream is now becoming reality thanks to the power of community and collaboration.

    • Built in Spartanburg, For Spartanburg

    • Community First

    • Small Town Feel, Big City Momentum

    • Community & Commerce Win Together

    • Positivity, Kindness & Respect

    • Fairness & Equal Opportunity

    • Creativity & Culture

    • Collaboration Over Competition

    • Grassroots Network

    • Measurable Impact

Three people dressed in formal attire standing together indoors, with the person in the center holding a small wooden box and smiling.
A man with a beard, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, gray T-shirt, black shorts, and Crocs, is smiling and making a peace sign while holding a drink. He is walking on a street with parked cars, a sidewalk, trees, and a street sign in the background.
A man with a beard and glasses is speaking into a microphone while two people, a man with a guitar and a woman holding a drink, stand in the background. They are outdoors near parked cars, with trees in the background and two large speakers set up on either side of the speakers.
A man with a beard smiling and holding a small brown animal, likely a piglet, outdoors at a fair or festival.
A man and woman smiling at the camera in a cafe or restaurant with other people in the background.
Three people wearing masks standing in front of a table filled with school supplies including boxes, notebooks, and art supplies.
Group of four people smiling in front of food trucks at an outdoor event, three women and one man, during daytime.
A smiling man and woman standing outdoors on a sidewalk with greenery and parking lot in the background, posing together with the man's arm around the woman's shoulder.
Two men standing on outdoor picnic tables holding drinks with green trees in the background.
Five men standing outdoors under a tree, posing for a photo. They are wearing casual clothing and matching t-shirts with a racing car and horse logo, some with black shirts and some with gray. The background includes a parking lot, some grass, and trees.
A group of six men standing under a canopy on a sidewalk during daytime. One man is speaking into a microphone. The men are dressed casually in shorts and T-shirts, with some wearing bright green shirts. There are trees and greenery in the background.
Two men smiling and posing for a selfie in front of a blackboard with white writing about catering, with plates of food visible on a table in the background.
Four men standing next to three classic cars in a parking lot, with trees and a building in the background.
Group of people indoors, some wearing blue shirts, with a woman holding a young boy, in front of a wall decorated with artwork.
Two men standing outdoors among trees, one dressed in a blue suit and the other in a black graphic t-shirt and jeans, smiling and posing together. There are disc golf baskets and other people in the background.

GET INVOLVED.

GET INVOLVED.

Join OGS Facebook Group
Join OGS Business Membership
Join Free OGS Community Membership