2016 SCBIZ Winter by SC Biz News

Winter 2016

Back in the field Harvest continues despite weather woes

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED 1439 Stuart Engals Blvd. Suite 200 Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 SC Biz News

County Spotlight: Colleton | Roaring Twenties | S.C. Delivers

Table of

CONTENTS FROM THE COVER: AGRIBUSINESS IN S.C. 16 The weight of wind and water For S.C. farmers just recovering from the 2015 flood, Hurricane Matthew brings new crop of woes

19 The hydroponic equation Plants grown in water offer organic alternative

Cover: John Wiles operates a combine to harvest soybeans on the Hutto farm in Orangeburg County. Left: Workers harvest soybeans on the Hutto farm. (Photos/Jeff Blake)

FEATURE: WEATHER IMPACTS

Photo/Jessica Stout

www.scbizmag.com

22 Another October storm

South Carolinians move on from Hurricane Matthew

SPECIAL SECTION

Photo/Perry Baker

24 One year after the flood, some hard lessons learned

27 Honoring 40 of South Carolinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest-growing companies

DEPARTMENTS 6 Viewpoint

10 County Spotlight: Colleton

7 Upfront

50 S.C. Delivers

56 1,000 words

From the

Editor - Licia Jackson ljackson@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7546 Associate Editor - Jenny Peterson jpeterson@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3145 Creative Director - Ryan Wilcox rwilcox@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3117 Senior Graphic Designer - Jane Mattingly jmattingly@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3118 LOWCOUNTRY NEWSROOM Managing Editor - Andy Owens aowens@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3142 Senior Copy Editor - Beverly Barfield bbarfield@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3115 Staff Writer - Liz Segrist lsegrist@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3119 Staff Writer - Ashley Heffernan aheffernan@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3144 Editorial Assistant - Steve McDaniel smcdaniel@scbiznews.com • 843.843.3123 Research Specialist - Melissa Verzaal mverzaal@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3104 Graphic Designer - Andrew Sprague asprague@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3128 Assistant Graphic Designer - Emily Matesi ematesi@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3124 Assistant Graphic Designer - Jessica Stout jstout@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3113 MIDLANDS NEWSROOM Editor - Chuck Crumbo ccrumbo@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7542 Staff Writer - Melinda Waldrop mwaldrop@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7542 Research Specialist - Patrice Mack pmack@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7544 UPSTATE NEWSROOM Editor - Matthew Clark mclark@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 107 Staff Writer - Teresa Cutlip tcutlip@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 103 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Director of Business Development - Mark Wright mwright@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3143 Senior Account Executive - Sue Gordon sgordon@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3111 Senior Account Executive - Alan James ajames@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7540 Senior Account Executive - Robert Reilly rreilly@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3107 Account Executive - Sara Cox scox@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3109

Dear Reader,

EDITOR

Farming is a noble occupation, but it is not for the faint of heart. “It’s kind of a gamble every year,” says Dean Hutto, a fifth-generation farmer whose soybean field is shown on the cover of this issue. “You have to have a lot of faith, and hope everything works out.” Hutto and his father operate R. Barry Hutto Farm in the Providence community of Orangeburg County. So much of success in farming depends on the weather, Hutto says, and the past two years have been devastating to many. In the 2015 flooding, the Huttos lost their peanuts and cotton and 35% of their soybeans. Because the ground was so wet, Hutto was unable to plant winter wheat. S.C. Farm Aid helped the family recover, only to see Hurricane Matthew come through. The peanuts had already been harvested this time, but cotton yield was reduced, trees came down on the edges of fields and Licia Jackson some drainage ditches washed out. Favorable weather since then Editor, has made for a good harvest, Hutto said. SCBIZ Magazine Multiply the Huttos’ experience, add in some drought conditions, and you will have some sense of what South Carolina’s farmers have experienced in the past few years. We write about all this here in our agribusiness issue. Major weather events, of course, impact everyone. In these pages we have also taken the opportunity to look at lessons learned from 2015’s historic flood, as well as the impact of Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. Also in this issue, we honor South Carolina’s fastest growing companies. Read about the Roaring Twenties winners, who were honored recently by SC Biz News. These companies, 20 large and 20 small, are in enterprises ranging from air conditioning to waffles and many things in between. To conclude, please indulge me for a moment. A couple of weeks ago, my 8-year-old granddaughter called to tell me about something she had learned while working on a school project. She was distressed to find out that when people put poison out to kill pests, sometimes birds or cats or other animals eat the poisoned animals and it kills them too. “I think you should put this in your magazine,” she said. So, this is for you, Leila. The decisions we make every day affect many more lives than our own — a good thing to remember as we head into 2017.

Account Executive - Bennett Parks bparks@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3126 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER: Jeff Blake President and Group Publisher - Grady Johnson gjohnson@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3103

Event Manager - Kathy Allen kallen@scbiznews.com • 864.235.5677, ext. 110 Audience Development & IT Manager - Kim McManus kmcmanus@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3116 Accounting Manager - Vickie Deadmon vdeadmon@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7541 Business Development Executive - Elizabeth Hodges lhodges@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3105

MailingCorporate address: & Commercial Publishing Division 1439 Stuart Engals Blvd., Suite 200 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Phone: 843.849.3100 • Fax: 843.849.3122 www.scbiznews.com SC Business Publications LLC A portfolio company of Virginia Capital Partners LLC Frederick L. Russell Jr., Chairman

The entire contents of this publication are c opyright by SC Business Publications LLC with all rights reserved. Any reproduction or use of the content within this p ublication without permission is prohibited. SCBIZ and South Carolina’s Media Engine for Economic Growth are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

www.scbizmag.com

Vice President of Sales - Steve Fields sfields@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3110

VIEWPOINT Let’s take the economic engine to small-town S.C.

www.scbizmag.com

aving offices in Mount Pleasant, Columbia and Greenville, I’m on I-26 a lot. And I’m certain many of you are too. Our state is virtually one big market, and chances are good that if you are in business here, you spend time driving I-26 and I-77. I’m going to go out on a limb and bet I’m not in the minority when I say I hate driving the interstate. So I decided to do something about it. I’ve committed to traveling the backroads whenever possible. To do this properly, I employ a skill from the previous century. It’s called reading a map. There is a certain pleasure — an anathema to the droning of the digital “turn here” lady on my smartphone — gained from spreading a big map of South Carolina out on the table and tracing my finger along the possible routes. I have options. I make wrong turns. I learn things. I realize how easy it is for us big-city executive types to live in our own little realities where everyone looks and thinks like us. On the back roads I have a future that is deliciously uncertain. I also indulge in my passion for farmhouses. I’m becoming a great judge of South Carolina farmhouses. They have to be of a certain age and construction that you would say it’s a farmhouse, not just a house on a farm. Not necessarily painted white, but preferably so. Always built of wood, mostly with a metal roof and definitely with a porch. I try to imagine the life of the farmer who built this house so long ago. Once it qualifies as a farmhouse, things get interesting. How much land around it? Working

farm or tidy jewel? Extra points for outbuildings, especially those used for storing equipment, and the more dilapidated the better. A rooster in the yard, laundry flapping in the breeze and pigs dozing in the sun get big check marks. If there are cattle in the pasture, points for Herefords, Charolais or Brahma. Everyone raises Angus now. If I plan my drive right, I’ll be passing through a town at lunchtime. If it’s the right kind of town, it will have railroad tracks beside the road, and I will follow them until I come to a Main Street lined with stores, and there I will find the gem of all Southern restaurants, the meat-and-three. It will have a name like Chat n Chew, Wagon Wheel or The Smoakhouse. You are what you eat and when I’m on the backroads, I’m that family owned restaurant. Personally, I’m a connoisseur of cornbread. But honestly, I’m also partial to collards, black-eyed peas and fried chicken. Unless it’s Wednesday, then the meatloaf looks pretty good. Whoever invented the “hamburger steak” was a marketing giant. Who knew you could leave off the bun, add gravy and elevate the mere patty to status of steak? Sheer genius. I always ask what’s fresh today and will sometimes be delighted by fried squash (Hello, Wagon Wheel!), butter beans or peach pie. Our rural towns and county seats are a treasure. Some of them are thriving, some clinging to life and some are already dead. There is a way to breathe life into them. The need for us big-city executive types to mobilize in support of the rural parts of the

state is becoming urgent. The towns that are thriving seem to have the right mix of small manufacturers, agribusiness and educational opportunities. Traveling the backroads has made it evident to me that the only way for our state to sustain its remarkable economic development run is to spread the wealth around. The major metros are running out of resources. Just look at the traffic gridlock in Charleston and Columbia. Give Greenville a few more years and traffic will be a mess there, too. Then there’s labor, affordable housing — you name it. Sure, the BMWs, Boeings and Volvos need to be in the metros to be near ports, interstates and airports. But the tier 2 and tier 3 suppliers will thrive in our small towns. Not every company needs to be located on the interstate. Take a look at Greenwood or Batesburg-Leesville. The companies there are woven into the fabric of the community. Perhaps the economic development officials employed by our crowded metros could have the greatest impact on the state’s economy by helping suppliers coming into the state find that perfect location out of their own region and in one of these underrepresented small towns. I’ve been there. And it’s a beautiful little town full of smart, hard-working people. Like the fellow who gave me directions the other day said, “It’s just down the road.” Grady Johnson President and Group Publisher, SC Biz News

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION SCBIZ reaches thousands of South Carolina’s top decision-makers. Add your name to the list by ordering a print subscription to SCBIZ.

Your subscription also includes SCBIZ Daily. Delivered to your e-mail inbox each weekday morning, SCBIZ Daily is your link to statewide business news. One year for $43.50

SUBSCRIBERS Subscribe or change your address online at www.scbizmag.com or call 843.849.3116.

UPFRONT

regional news | data

North Charleston horticulturist bets on power of the potato

on’t call it an uber tuber — sweet potatoes are roots, after all — but there’s a patented potato growing beneath the soil in North Charleston that’s good for making chips and could be used as an alternative energy source. CX-1 might not be the sort of brand name that gets you excited about the awesome power of sweet potatoes, but that’s what this ugly root has been named in a patent filed by Janice Ryan-Bohac, a horticulturist at Carolina Advanced Renewable Energy LLC in North Charleston. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded the patent for what it calls a mutant sweet potato to Ryan-Bohac. She filed for the patent in November 2009, but these things take time. In the interim, she’s been doing research with plant biologists at the University of Florida, making appearances on late-night

television and looking for money to demonstrate what her potato can do. “We’re trying to commercialize it. The next step is to build an ethanol plant,” Ryan-Bohac said. That plant, which will likely cost $10 million to $15 million, would show that the economics work for her potato. Early studies and data filed with the patent office show the promise CX-1 might hold. “Soybean can do about 70 gallons of diesel per acre, canola about 100, corn 300 to 400. My sweet potato can do 1,800,” Ryan-Bohac said. She said the potato is almost entirely carbohydrates, so more of it can be used — even for vodka, potato chips, or baby formula. Ryan-Bohac also is working with people who have a chemical process to turn ethanol into jet fuel, something the Boeing Co. has been testing.

The CX-1 sweet potato, shown next to a common potato, is not a thing of beauty, but out of 1 acre, food, fuel and feed can be produced, its developer says. (Photo/Provided)

FAST FACTS | Agribusiness in South Carolina The agribusiness industry, including the agriculture and forestry industries, represents one of South Carolina’s largest economic sectors.

Section begins on

People employed

3.2M

Acres of agricultural land

13.1M

Acres of forest land

Note: Includes family farms, large-scale private farms, livestock producers, major food manufacturers and processors, wood and timber related companies. Source: S.C. Department of Commerce

www.scbizmag.com

$34B 200,000

Annual economic impact

Page 16

UPFRONT

BMW Manufacturing Co. to get new leadership

MW Manufacturing Co. is getting new leadership. CEO Manfred Erlacher is becoming managing director of the company’s plant in Regensburg, Germany, effective Feb. 1, according to a news release. Knudt Flor, current head of corporate quality for the group, will assume leadership of the S.C. facility on Dec. 1, according to the BMW Group. Flor has worked for Knudt Flor the BMW Group for 28

www.scbizmag.com

Photo/BMW Manufacturing Co.

years, in quality assurance and quality management. From 1998 to 2000, Flor worked at the S.C. facility in quality assurance of car assembly and purchased parts. He has also served as vice president of production at the company’s main plant in Munich and director of the plant in Rosslyn, South Africa. Since assuming the leadership role in South Carolina, Erlacher oversaw the expansion of production from 300,000 vehicles per year to 400,000, according to the BMW Manfred Erlacher Group’s news release.

The S.C. plant is the largest plant in the company, by volume, the news release said. Additionally, the plant has launched the BMW X4, BMW X3 LCI, second-generation BMW X6, BMW X5M and the X6 M, along with the BMW X5 xDrive40e, the first plugin hybrid produced in South Carolina. The facility is in the midst of a $1 billion expansion that will include a 1.2 millionsquare-foot body shop, a 200,000-squarefoot expansion of the X5 and X6 assembly area, and an addition to the logistics area of the plant. The company said production at the plant should reach 450,000 by the end of the year.

New Economic Development Company Harris Pillow Supply Martin Printing Co. Golfbreaks.com Teijin Ltd. Audio-Technica Central Wire Inc. eviCore healthcare Crystal Distribution Inc. Mount Franklin Foods Holroyd Precision Components Carolina Canners Inc. West Fraser International Mold Corp. EuWe Eugen Wexler U.S. Plastics Ritrama Ultrafab Inc. Michelin North America UST Logistical Systems Alfmeier Friedrichs & Rath LLC JEAR Logistics

County Investment Jobs Beaufort $2.1M 22 Pickens $2M 20 Charleston N/A 5 Greenwood $600M 220 Berkeley $3.3M 6 Lancaster $2M 18 Beaufort $1.6M 35 York $4.8M 83 Sumter $10M 225 Spartanburg $12.5M 23 Chesterfield $45M 40 Newberry $33M N/A Spartanburg $6.2M 60 Anderson $5M 29 Spartanburg $85M 150 Greenville $2M 34 Spartanburg $270M 350 Greenville $1.6M 50 Greenville $5.8M 50 Charleston $2.8M 152 Source: S.C. Department of Commerce

ot a hankering to go to the Paris Air Show? Looking to participate in an international trade exhibition? If these trips will help your company find ways to export your products, you may be able to get help paying for them through a program of the S.C. Department of Commerce. The department has been awarded a State Trade Expansion Program grant of $333,364 from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The money helps fund Commerce’s own STEP program and S.C. Opportunities for Promoting Exports. The grant helps reimburse small business participation in trade missions, exhibitions and more. For more information, go to www.sccommerce.com and look under SC Business Network tab, Export Services.

UPFRONT

Here are announcements made in South Carolina since mid-September 2016

Taking your business abroad

Correction

The “Best Places to Work in South Carolina” article in the fall issue of SC BIZ misidentified the president and CEO of Trehel Corp. His name is Will Huss.

www.scbizmag.com

county spotlight

COLLETON

Quaint downtown Walterboro.

WHERE INDUSTRY AND NATURE THRIVE By Jenny Peterson, Associate Editor | Photography provided by the Colleton County Economic Alliance

www.scbizmag.com

W 10

ith panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean from Edisto Beach, picturesque scenes of old-growth cypress trees rising above the Great Swamp Sanctuary and vistas along the blackwater Edisto River, Colleton County has long found success in drawing visitors to its unique charm and beauty. This area of the South Carolina Lowcountry is a paradise for beach lovers, thrill seekers, history buffs, bird watchers, paddlers, fishermen, hunters, golfers and vacationers with its laid-back lifestyle and lush landscapes.

Special Advertising Section

Colleton County by the numbers

Population 38,153

Median home value $85,200 Median household income $32,224 Source: Colleton Co unty Economic Alliance

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: COLLETON The Lowcountry Regional Airport Park is the largest general aviation airport in South Carolina.

Yet, just a few miles inland, a robust executive airport, state-of-the-art medical facility and dynamic business incentives are propelling exciting new industry growth in Colleton County. Balancing creative incentives that attract new industries with the need to protect the natural waterways, shores and landscapes, Colleton County provides both economic opportunity and an unsurpassed quality of life.

www.scbizmag.com

Up, up and away The Lowcountry Regional Airport in Walterboro has undergone considerable renovations and new construction. With three runways — one more than 6,000 feet long — it’s the largest general aviation airport in South Carolina. Originally built as an Army Air Corps base during World War II, the airport can handle fully loaded mid-sized commercial jets used for both executive charter flights and cargo shipments. With ties to the Tuskegee Airmen, Lowcountry Regional Airport is rich in history. “A lot of private jets come in to visit Cherokee Plantation, Brays Island and all our

Special Advertising Section

resort plantations,” said Tommy Rowe, manager of the Lowcountry Regional Airport. He adds that the airport is being used for smaller freight operations as well. “There are cargo airplanes that come in all the time — one took a load of frozen turkeys the other day. Products are always being delivered,” Rowe said. The airport is equipped with all-weather GPS navigational aid approaches on all runways. It also features best-in-class equipment and instrument landing systems (ILS), a remote communications outlet (RCO) and a brand new tower. The airport accepts planes 24 hours a day and is located near busy I-95. “We started 20 years ago with the addition of lighting and basic instruments, and we kept going from there,” Rowe said. The airport offers fuel service, rental cars and catering for both executive flights and cargo planes. The updated and improved airport has already attracted the attention of a new company, an MRO (maintenance and repair operator), serving the aviation industry. The Walterboro-Colleton County Air-

port Commission, together with the Colleton County Economic Alliance, is positioning the airport to attract aviation-related investments such as maintenance and repair operators, tertiary air cargo, logistics centers, distribution and light manufacturing. The Lowcountry Regional Airport Park Airside Parcels are available for companies that serve the aviation industry. Land parcels range from 113-250 acres. The county is working to put in utilities at the parcels to attract more companies looking for a quick move-in. “The airport is a major growth instrument for Colleton County and Walterboro,” said Heyward Horton, executive director of the Colleton County Economic Alliance Inc. “The property right outside the airport fence would suit any kind of manufacturer or other airport-services-related company.” Horton added that the airport’s renovations and added hangar space are attractive to MROs, aerospace manufacturers and companies owned by pilots. The county hopes to capture more of those markets. “Aircraft mechanics and pilots provide very good-paying jobs,” Horton said.

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: COLLETON

Boat builders Pioneer Boats announced in 2016 it would expand operations in the county.

Manufacturing history Colleton County has historically relied on the textile industry, but has diversified into many industries, including advanced manufacturing that caters to aviation and automotive industries. “We migrated to manufacturing rubber products and welding-type businesses,” Horton said. “Today we see metal-working skills as being important in regards to drivers of the marketplace. Volvo and Mercedes-Benz have operations close by and we are a good candidate for automotive suppliers.” In 2016, economic development announcements included bearings manufacturers JGBR and J&L Wire, as well as Pioneer Boats, which is expanding operations. The food-products industry is a new area in which Colleton County has seen much success. Crescent Dairy & Beverages currently operates in the county, and the Colleton Commercial Kitchen is a kitchen incubator for food entrepreneurs. Farms in the northern half of the county produce a variety of specialty vegetables along with commodity crops like cotton, soybeans, peanuts and corn.

www.scbizmag.com

Demetrius Brown, employee at Carolina Visuals in Colleton County.

Special Advertising Section

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: COLLETON Top: Commerce Center Park, the county’s flagship industrial site. Right: Crescent Dairy & Beverage’s state-of-the-art facility in Walterboro.

Workforce training is offered through Colleton Career Skills Center using Lowcountry Workforce Development and SCWorks. Classes offered at the center include welding, machine tools, CNC, industrial maintenance and commercial driver’s license certification. “It’s important to not sit back and wait for a company to come in and ask for training; we do ongoing training to help individuals in their current jobs,” Horton said. “Colleton County built a beautiful 23,000-square-foot QuickJobs center, and we’ve outfitted it for training welders, machine-tool operators and computer training,” Horton said. Local companies also use ReadySC and

www.scbizmag.com

A Colleton County speculative building ready for quick move-in.

Special Advertising Section

the Lowcountry Workforce Investment Area for training. “Through our training partner, Palmetto Training Institute, we enjoy a 98 percent job placement rate for those who graduate from the training center, and these are good-paying jobs with generous benefits,” Horton said.

Incentives abound Colleton County has both the flexibility and ability to craft a deal specific to a company’s interest and needs. Discretionary incentives including fee-in-lieu-of-taxes and special sources revenue credits. The economic development team can also help craft land and/or facilities deals.

Floralife (top) and SarlaFlex (bottom) are two thriving Walterboro businesses. Floralife makes commercial flower food for cut flowers. SarlaFlex manufactures polyester yarn.

“Colleton County is not afraid to seize the moment with opportunities,” Horton said. Industrial sites for industry include: • Colleton County Commerce Center, 260 acres and the county’s flagship property, a certified shovel-ready site near 1-95. • Colleton Venture Park, 81 acres in an established industrial area. • Rice Estate, the largest site with 1,197 acres. Speculative buildings include the Colleton County Commerce Center, with 100,000 square feet of expandable and flexible space. “Companies can shave off five months of construction time by moving into a spec

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: NEWBERRY

Birds on Bear Island, an undeveloped sea island that is part of the ACE Basin estuarine reserve.

building,” Horton said. “It allows a manufacturer to come in and customize a number of features. For example, Crescent Dairy & Beverage is located in a spec building, and, being a liquid food processor, they had to install drains and piping and they didn’t have to tear anything up to do that.” Horton said Colleton County is ideally suited to accommodate most types of industry.

Small town, big amenities

Top: Colleton Medical Center is a full-service medical surgical hospital and emergency room. Bottom: South Carolina Artisans Center in downtown Walterboro displays and sells works by South Carolina artists.

well as pediatrics and more. “We take care of 80,000 people annually,” said Brad Griffin, CEO of Colleton Medical Center. “It’s a state-of-the-art health care facility.” The emergency room is undergoing a $3.2 million renovation. The medical center has embraced new technology in health care, including telehealth. The University of South Carolina Salkehatchie East campus in Colleton County has a large nursing program and a well-established elementary education program. Improvements in K-12 public education include The Cougar New Tech Entrepreneur Academy, with project-based learning, where students use technology to complete group projects, just as they would in a pro-

fessional work environment. All this opportunity comes at an affordable price. The cost of living is lower in Colleton County than in nearby counties, with the median home value at $85,200 and median household income at $32,224. The Colleton County Recreation Center offers family-friendly sports and sporting events, with multipurpose ball fields. The Colleton State Park is a paddler’s paradise, with access to the Edisto River; the Great Swamp Sanctuary offers a complete network of boardwalks and an array of hiking, biking and canoe trails. “We’re a unique area with that smalltown feel, and people come from all over the world,” Horton said. “The area is brimming with opportunity.” Special Advertising Section

www.scbizmag.com

With just under 40,000 residents, Colleton County has a small-town feel with plenty of Lowcountry charm. In the spring, visitors come from around the world for birding at the ACE basin and Bear Island Wildlife Management Area in particular. Recreational opportunities abound in the county, and Edisto Beach is a popular destination for beach lovers. Downtown Walterboro has a very active arts council and artisan center, with works by South Carolina artists and artisans. Downtown Walterboro is also a popular place for antique dealers and interior designers. The county’s historic plantations grace the landscape with approaches down long dirt roads framed by large old oak trees dripping with moss. The Colleton Medical Center is an anchor in the community. The full-service medical surgical hospital and emergency room has a board-certified staff specializing in critical care, in-patient rehab, behavioral health, women’s services, OB/GYN and delivery as

TRENDING: AGRIBUSINESS IN S.C.

The weight of wind and water For S.C. farmers just recovering from the 2015 flood, Hurricane Matthew brings new crop of woes

By Melinda Waldrop, Staff Writer

tate farmers recovering from last October’s flood had been hoping good crop yields this year would provide a much-needed boost. Hurricane Matthew washed those hopes away for many. “We needed a perfect year to make up for last year, and we had that, probably, until Hurricane Matthew,” said William Hardee, an area agronomy agent with Clemson University’s Cooperative Extension Service who works in Horry and Marion counties. “That kind of took away our perfect year.” Farmers, thankful for mostly dry conditions since Matthew, are waiting to see the complete picture of the hurricane’s damage to the $41.7 billion state agricultural industry still reeling from last year’s flood. Hardee and other state officials reported similar initial assessments after Matthew made landfall southeast of McClellanville on Oct. 8 as a Category 1 hurricane. Many farmers had already harvested peanuts before the hurricane,

www.scbizmag.com

Dean Hutto walks along part of his fields that were covered in sand by the recent hurricane. (Photo/Jeff Blake)

TRENDING: AGRIBUSINESS IN S.C.

Above: Damaged cotton in the Adamsville Community in Marlboro County. Right: Flooded field of peanuts in the Leavensworth Community of Darlington County. (Photos/Trish DeHond, Clemson Extension)

businesses and nearly 300 cars, according to the Florence Morning News. Parts of the town remained underwater two weeks after the storm. Agronomy agent Hardee toured two Nichols businesses damaged by the hurricane, finding moldy crops and four feet of standing water. Crops along the Little Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers were underwater, he said, with swamps also filling up and flooding adjoining fields, “but definitely not the widespread devastation that was seen last year as far as crop damage.” Charles Davis, a county extension agent based in Richland and Calhoun counties, said about eight inches of rain and strong winds cost farmers 10% to 30% of the cotton crop. “If the cotton had already been defoliated, where we took all the leaves off and they were just open to the wind, we had higher damage there than we did in fields that hadn’t been defoliated,” Davis said. “They still had leaves on them to shelter the bolls from some of the wind and the driving rain.” While the Midlands area’s peanut crop had largely been harvested, it had already been negatively affected by a hot, dry summer, he said. “We needed to make a really good cot-

ton crop. We needed to make a really good peanut crop, and that’s just not going to happen,” Davis said. Last October’s flood decimated state crops, causing 75% loss – only 37% of which was covered by crop insurance, according to the S.C. Department of Agriculture. Farmers did get some help in the form of Plant It Forward, a charitable initiative through the South Carolina Advocates for Agriculture, and pieces of a $35.5 million South Carolina Farm Aid pie approved by the S.C. General Assembly in May. A total of 1,244 farmers received state Farm Aid grants averaging $28,364, with a maximum award of $100,000. More than $2.5 million went to farmers in Calhoun County, more than $2.4 million to farmers in Horry and more than $2.8 million to farmers in Florence. Richland County farmers received $466,850 and Marion County farmers $731,931. “When you’re running a multimilliondollar operation, $100,000 is not a lot of money, but it’s $100,000 more than what you had,” Davis said. “ … Of course, financing was difficult this spring for a lot of people, so farmers had to try and do more with less.” Davis worries about the effects of the back-to-back weather punches on young

www.scbizmag.com

but submerged soybeans took a harder hit and some cotton crops suffered significant losses, as did vegetables. “We had a lot of structural damage to barns and shelters and greenhouses,” Hardee said, “but overall, with soybeans, cotton and peanuts, about 50 percent of (the crop) was damaged. But it was damaged in varying degree – anywhere from just minor damage, which was what most of it was, all the way up to catastrophic loss in the areas that were in standing water.” Those assessments mirrored findings by the S.C. Department of Agriculture, Clemson, the S.C. Farm Bureau, Farm Credit and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A release of those agencies’ combined findings said the harvest of fall fruits and vegetables suffered, while the poultry sector reported mortality of approximately 203,000 birds. Marion County farmer and S.C. Farm Bureau Legislative Committee Chair Dupree Atkinson saw such devastation firsthand. Along with 18 inches of rain that damaged soybeans and cotton and cut the peanut yields on his farm, “a friend of mine had 38 cows that drowned,” Atkinson said. “That was horrible. That put everything in perspective.” In the Florence region, the hurricane damaged vegetable crops. Clemson senior county extension agent Tony Melton said he saw 500 acres of peas, 400 acres of greens of all types, 100 acres of low-lying sweet potatoes and 20 acres of squash and cucumbers destroyed in area counties. Another 1,000 acres of peas saw yield reduced by 50%, while 400 acres of spinach saw yield reduced by 40%, said Melton, who also works part time for Effingham canning operation McCall Farms. “Matthew did make a mess out of a lot of vegetable crops,” Melton said. “If it was underwater for a while, with vegetable crops, it’s gone. Half a day of standing water – they’re gone. (Farmers) needed a perfect year, because the price is low and they had to try to come back from that last year. This year just adds insult to injury.” Some areas of the state took a much harder punch from Matthew – most notably Nichols in Marion County. Of the small town’s 260 homes, 236 were destroyed or severely damaged, as were more than 20

TRENDING: AGRIBUSINESS IN S.C.

By the numbers Farmers suffered a 75% crop loss as a result of the October 2015 flood. Crop insurance covered 37% of the crop loss. South Carolina Farm Aid 1,244 farmers were approved for a total award amount:.......................... $35,512,560 Average award:.................................$28,365 88 applicants received the maximum award:......................$100,000 Smallest award:...................................... $164 Some of the counties with largest totals awarded: Orangeburg $4,400,317 Darlington $3,644,991 Williamsburg $3,217,530 Clarendon $3,084,157

Florence $2,827,861

Calhoun $2,656,236

Horry $2,470,227

www.scbizmag.com

Source: S.C. Department of Agriculture

farmers just getting started, as well as those who used up equity post-flood to secure loans for planting this year. “From an equity standpoint, we’re in much worse shape than we were two years ago, and this year, we’re just adding some more weight to that equity problem,” he said. “ … The drought took some of our crop early. The hurricane maybe took a little bit more, but at least we have a crop to harvest this year. Last year, in some places, we just didn’t have crop to harvest, period.” The reckoning of the hurricane’s lasting damage to the state’s agricultural industry is ongoing. “There will be some farmers that will not make it,” Atkinson of the S.C. Farm Bureau said. “They were sitting on the bubble this year, and they couldn’t take another (disaster).” Hardee is keeping tabs on area farmers – who endured subpar corn and tobacco crops last year but were able to harvest those before Matthew – as they work to harvest soybeans and cotton. “I don’t want to be all doom and gloom at the moment. It’s one of those things where time is going to have to tell us what’s going

Corn in Marion County was damaged by moisture from Hurricane Matthew. (Photo/William Hardee, Clemson Extension)

to happen,” he said. “Our guys are out in the field busting it, trying to get the crops that are ready out. “… I really think this year is going to tell the tale for a lot of farmers. If they’re in the black at the end of this year, I think they’ll be OK. A lot of folks are still going to be in the red.”

equation

TRENDING: AGRIBUSINESS IN S.C.

The hydroponic

Plants grown in water offer organic alternative By Licia Jackson, Editor

rowers turn to hydroponics for many reasons. Some want to save water or avoid soilborne pathogens. Others want to farm in an urban area. And still others want to grow crops yearround — or just to grow during the fall, winter and spring months when the Southern sun is more forgiving. “It’s not dependent on the weather,” said Brian Gootee of Little Mountain, who has just recently gotten into hydroponics. “There’s no need for pesticides or herbicides. If you do get pests, you can use ladybugs or set up sticky pads to control them.”

www.scbizmag.com

A worker harvests hydroponically grown leaf lettuce. (Photo/Chuck Crumbo)

TRENDING: AGRIBUSINESS IN S.C. www.scbizmag.com

Leaf lettuce grows under lights at Royal Greens. The indoor farm now focuses on bibb lettuce. (Photo/Chuck Crumbo)

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions in water. The water is generally recycled in the system, which uses about 10% of the water that traditional farming requires. Shawn Ransford of Holy City Farms got into hydroponics as a way to combine his passion for gardening with his professional expertise in software engineering. That combination and success in marketing his tomatoes to Charleston restaurants have helped the enterprise grow. “I was growing in a small backyard greenhouse in downtown Charleston. We had extra tomatoes and started selling to restaurants,” Ransford said. “I wanted to do this full time.” Since October 2013, he has been growing in a 13,000-square-foot greenhouse on Wadmalaw Island. He grows mostly tomatoes, both heirlooms and hybrids, with the requirement being that they have “that summer tomato taste. We are constantly trying new varieties.” Holy City Farms also grows a few side crops, such as mini-cucumbers. Keeping the plants happy requires constant monitoring of the nutrients and temperatures. Ransford’s monitoring system is automated, and he has reprogrammed it to suit his needs. “I’m selling those changes back to the control manufacturer to benefit other growers,” he said, adding a sideline to the tomato business. The last two blazing hot summers have convinced Ransford to stop growing tomatoes in the summertime, as his greenhouse

is not climate-controlled. He will raise tomatoes September through June with the help of two full-time employees and his family. When the greenhouse reaches full production, he will be able to support the needs of 40 to 50 area restaurants as well as local farmers markets. In the Upstate, Jeff Fellers set up a small hydroponics system for demonstration purposes. A Clemson Extension agent in Union, Fellers has grown many crops in water, from basil, thyme and oregano to corn, tomatoes, squash, green beans and strawberries. “This is my fourth year running it,” Fellers said. “It has been a pretty good learning experience.” He started out with aquaponics, which adds fish to the water. The fish waste provides an organic food source for the plants, which naturally filter the water. However, Fellers’ growing beds are outdoors, and the water has to be kept above 55 degrees for the fish, so he abandoned that idea. His growing beds are made from 55-gallon barrels split in half lengthwise and laid on their sides. The barrels have to be food-grade material and free of harmful chemicals, Fellers said. He filled them with gravel. The water flows in and fills the beds; a syphon system keeps the water at a constant level. For nutrients, he dissolves Miracle-Gro complete fertilizer and adds it to the water. “A lot of people have trouble believing there’s no soil,” Fellers said. “The water

provides the nutrients.” He also grows some plants such as strawberries in dutch buckets. The water continuously flows through the buckets and is recycled. “The only water loss is from transpiration from the plants,” Fellers said. “There is some evaporation, and I watch for leaks. In the summer, the plants transpire a lot of water when it’s hot. It helps keep them cool.” While having his growing beds outdoors has some drawbacks, it does allow pollinating insects to reach the plants. Because of the exposure, Fellers does not grow much in the winter but does well May through August. The Midlands is home to one of the largest indoor commercial hydroponic farms in South Carolina. Royal Greens LLC grows bibb lettuce and other crops in a converted textile manufacturing facility in Ridgeway. The company produces more than 50,000 organically grown heads of lettuce monthly and is raising money with investors to double that production, according to Debra L. Dollarhide, director of sales and marketing. Royal Greens had been growing spring mix lettuce on vertical panels, but late last year manager Dan Dollarhide moved to a new methodology of producing bibb lettuce instead. The bibb lettuce is grown without herbicides or pesticides in 44,000 square feet of warehouse space. By early 2017, the Royal Greens team plans to expand the vertical racking system to fill the remaining 80,000 square feet. A

www.scbizmag.com

reverse osmosis system is used along with organically approved nutrients, Debra Dollarhide said. The company has added live-root basil to their production and will be supplying local grocers soon. “Basil is one of the most popular micro-greens and the company plans on adding more micro-greens in the future,” said Dollarhide. More new produce varieties will be added as automation is increasingly incorporated into production. Fascination with giant vegetables grown hydroponically at Disney’s Epcot got Brian Gootee of Little Mountain Homestead interested in growing plants without soil. He learned about hydroponic systems made by CropKing and attended a workshop to learn more. Now he has a greenhouse, 30 feet by 128 feet, where he grows lettuce on a six-week rotation. The lettuce takes about six weeks to 42 days to mature, depending on the temperature, Gootee said. The plants grow in 12-foot-long trays that each hold one row of lettuce. The tray covers are divided into squares, and transplants are placed into the slots. Each plant is in a rock wool cup, and the roots grow into the water. Gootee has talked to local grocers and restaurants in the Midlands and will sell at farmers markets after he receives his GAP (USDA Good Agricultural & Handling Practices) certification. “This system is climate-controlled,” Gootee said. “It has a wet wall and fans and shade cloth on it. The nutrient system is automated and reuses the water.” A seventh-grade science teacher now, Gootee dreams of building his hydroponic vegetable operation so that it becomes his full-time business.

TRENDING: AGRIBUSINESS IN S.C.

Jeff Fellers grows vegetables in half-barrels filled with gravel and water. (Photo/Clemson Extension)

FEATURE: WEATHER IMPACTS

Another

South Carolinians move on

ctober storm

from Hurricane Matthew

By Ashley Heffernan, Staff Writer

.C. residents who survived and rebuilt after the historic flood of October 2015 were hit with round two last month from Hurricane Matthew. Many watched streets disappear, homes flood and businesses shut down yet again for severe weather as hundreds of thousands evacuated from the coast to seek safety inland. During the morning hours of Oct. 8, Hurricane Matthew made its way up the S.C. coast, reaching the Palmetto State as a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds around 75 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Its impact on the immediate area was a far cry from what was felt in Haiti, where the hurricane hit days earlier as a Category 4 with 145 mph maximum sustained winds, causing hundreds of deaths and massive property damage. The stormâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s destruction in the Caribbean islands caused panic throughout states in its

Falling trees during Hurricane Matthew caused property damage to many homes across the Lowcountry, including this home in Legend Oaks in Summerville. (Photo/Mark Wright)

path along the East Coast, including in South Carolina, where Gov. Nikki Haley ordered hundreds of thousands of coastal residents to evacuate. The eastbound lanes of Interstate 26 from Charleston to Columbia were reversed to make the mass exodus easier.

www.scbizmag.com

Two homes are stranded by water off the Edisto River near Green Pond. (Photo/2nd Lt. David Bennett, SCWG)

Windows were boarded up, schools and businesses closed and more than 50 shelters opened. During the course of the storm, emergency officials responded to more than 3,600 calls across the state; about 1,450 of those

Businesses, residents experience damage

A tree is split by winds from Hurricane Matthew. (Photo/Andrew Sprague)

In the Lowcountry, Charleston International Airport had no damage from the storm, and its recently renovated terminal stood up well, according to Charleston County Aviation Authority spokeswoman Charlene Gunnells. The S.C. State Ports Authority’s terminals were up and running as usual with no damage, spokeswoman Erin Dhand said in an emailed statement. The Medical University of South Carolina’s downtown Charleston campus had quite a few leaks and a couple of windows were broken in non-patient-care areas, spokeswoman Heather Woolwine said in an emailed statement. Some outpatient clinics also took on water, she said. Roper Northwoods, Roper St. Francis’ free-standing emergency room near Northwoods Mall in North Charleston, was flooded and closed indefinitely, spokesman Andy Lyons said in an emailed statement. Capt. Leah Davis, chief of public affairs for the 628th Air Base Wing at Joint Base Charleston, said, “We have had some power outages, lots of debris and some minor damage to buildings.” The Charleston School of Law suf-

fered no damage, according to Dean Andy Abrams, and The Citadel was in good shape after the storm aside from some leaks and debris to clean up, spokeswoman Kim Keelor-Parker said. Some trees went down at Trident Technical College’s main campus in North Charleston, and leaks caused some minor damage, according to spokesman David Hansen. “We had facilities personnel and public safety officers on main campus during the storm. They were able to monitor buildings and respond quickly, which helped to mitigate any damage,” Hansen wrote in an emailed statement. John Cordray, director of the College of Charleston’s physical plant, said the downtown campus fared relatively well during the hurricane. “A couple of buildings sustained some water damage, and we lost a few small trees, but so far what we are seeing is better than what we expected and less than what we saw after last year’s historic flooding,” Cordray said in an emailed statement. Andy Owens contributed to this report.

www.scbizmag.com

Hurricane Matthew caused leaks, broken windows and damage to some businesses in counties where the storm first came ashore while others escaped without harm. Widespread flooding and power outages in the northeastern part of the state caused some businesses to remain closed and kept employees from going to work long after winds died down. The Little Pee Dee River, Waccamaw River, Great Pee Dee River and Black River all saw water levels that reached flood stage, the S.C. Department of Transportation reported. DOT reported that parts of U.S. 501 near the Waccamaw River rose higher than the record flood of October 2015 but lower than Hurricane Floyd in 1999. The small town of Nichols in Marion County was inundated by the Little Pee Dee and Lumber rivers, causing massive damage, according to news reports. A week after Hurricane Matthew came ashore, 131 roads and 25 bridges remained closed across South Carolina, mostly in the northeastern part of the state to the east of Interstate 95.

FEATURE: WEATHER IMPACTS

involved traffic collisions, Haley said. Four fatalities were reported in South Carolina — two in Florence County, one in Dillon County and one in Richland County — as a result of the hurricane, and hundreds of roads were closed. At one point, more than 800,000 customers were without electricity across the state, the governor said. After the storm, many homeowners found blown down, uprooted, leaning and broken trees, something that the timber industry also had to deal with. The S.C. Forestry Commission estimates that the hurricane caused about $205 million in damage to the state’s timber resources. Forester Gene Kodama said that’s only about 1% of the state’s total timber value. “While we are dealing with challenges, we are moving forward, and so we want everybody to understand that every day gets a little bit better,” Haley said during a news conference after the hurricane. “Even though the challenges change, this entire team is in front of the challenge and continuing to do the work.”

FEATURE: WEATHER IMPACTS

One year after the flood, some hard lessons learned From Staff Reports

Columbia residents evacuate flooded areas with their belongings on Oct. 4, 2015. (Photo/Perry Baker)

www.scbizmag.com

hen the rains came in early October 2015, rural Williamsburg County was among the hardest hit. The town of Kingstree was cut off by water – landlocked – and no one could enter or leave. “I had never seen where you could not get in and out of Kingstree,” said Jeff Singleton, public information officer for Williamsburg County Emergency Management and a longtime resident of the county. The Williamsburg County Regional Hospital, damaged by flooding, was forced to close and is still shut while money is raised to build a new hospital building. A mobile emergency unit is open, and a temporary modular hospital is being prepared to serve patients in the meantime. The historic floods of 2015 caused heartbreak across South Carolina. The flooding resulted from up to 24 inches of rainfall across the eastern and central parts of the state, drawn in from Hurricane Joaquin. The problems were exacerbated by the failure or breach of 50 dams across the state. Thirty-six of the state’s 46 counties received disaster declarations. There were 19 storm-related deaths, 20,000 displaced residents and 40,000 people without water service. As the state’s municipalities have recovered, they have learned some lessons. One message is that foresight is important. In West Columbia, before the flood reached

its peak, city workers removed yard debris from street side, which helped keep debris out of storm drains. Another lesson is that it is critical to use relationships with news media to communicate quickly with residents, businesses and school in times of disaster. They need word on evacuations, road closings and water use advisories, for example. Several neighborhoods in Columbia, devastated when their privately owned dams failed, voted to take on the expense themselves to make sure the dams are rebuilt to meet safety standards and are maintained thereafter. Residents in Cary Lake, Upper and Lower Rockyford Lake and Beaver Lake will be paying higher property taxes for dam repairs and upkeep. Not only will the repairs make the neighborhoods safer, but refilling the lakes will help property values recover. The lakes are part of a string of reservoirs along Gills Creek, which flows through the heart of Columbia. The city of Forest Acres is working with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, Richland County and the city of Columbia on a collaborative effort to clean up Gills Creek, whose overflow led to much of the damage in the Midlands. The Columbia Canal water treatment plant, where flood waters breached the dam and nearly led to the loss of water service, is still being repaired and will be under repair for some time to come.

Meanwhile, the city of Cayce is still completing repairs to the Thomas Newman boat landing dock and the Riverwalk. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover 75% of the costs, put at $200,000 for the dock and $1.5 million for the Riverwalk. In the Lowcountry, the flood was a valuable test for the Charleston Water System. Despite 700 miles of sewer pipe, there were only seven sanitary sewer overflows. The system’s major pump stations are equipped with a telemetry system, which helped keep tabs remotely on what is happening. “This proved very helpful during the historic floods of October, and we avoided widespread sanitary sewer overflow,” said Matthew Brady, communications manager for the water system. The data collected also helped identify areas of infiltration and inflow, which need work to prevent storm water from entering the sewer system. In West Columbia, a doubling of organic compounds at the Lake Murray Water Treatment Plant led city officials to work with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control to find a more versatile disinfection process. “We saw some elevated levels of disinfection byproducts due to increased organics in our source water resulting from the flood of 2015,” said Brian Carter, West Columbia’s city administrator. The city studied whether disinfection could be done later in

FEATURE: WEATHER IMPACTS www.scbizmag.com

the water treatment process and still achieve the required amount of disinfection while minimizing the formation of byproducts. The study validated the idea and it has been submitted to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control for approval. The efforts to help residents with their losses began the day after the flood hit. Within weeks, the One SC Fund was established by the Central Carolina Community Foundation to accept donations and award funds to nonprofit organizations working around the state. As of October, the fund had awarded $2.23 million to about 30 nonprofit groups. More than 900 homes in 24 FEMA-declared disaster counties will receive assistance through the grant recipients, who are also providing additional financial support. Although many homeowners with the resources to do so have completed home repairs and moved back in, there are still others who are not so fortunate. In the hard-hit Midlands, a new effort called Restoring Hope aims to raise $2 million to repair 250 more homes. Kicked off by the United Way of the Midlands on the flood’s anniversary, the initiative also seeks volunteers, donations of supplies and places to house out-oftown volunteer repair groups. The website is restoringhopesc.org. Back in Williamsburg County, the community last month welcomed help from national recovery assistance organization Eight Days of Hope. The group’s 1,600 volunteers from 41 states and Canada arrived just in time for Hurricane Matthew to hit the county. Undaunted, the volunteers brought in another branch of their organization, Hope Reigns, to help with immediate disaster relief. “The volunteers schedule their vacations around the dates so they can be there,” Singleton said. “We had them staying in three churches and our recovery center here.” At the end of their stay Oct. 8-16, Eight Days of Hope volunteers had repaired 125 flood-damaged homes in Williamsburg County. Note: This story contains information from the Municipal Association of South Carolina’s Uptown publication.

he Roaring Twenties recognizes the 40 fastest-growing companies in South Carolina: 20 small companies and 20 large companies. To qualify for Roaring Twenties consideration, companies had to be nominated by a third party or through self-nomination. Companies must have a physical presence in South Carolina and can be a for-profit entity or a nonprofit organization (except for government entities and charitable organizations, including 501(c)3 organizations. These are not eligible.) The nominated companies provided financial information to SC Biz News, which was sent to the accounting firm Cherry Bekaert for verification. Company size was determined by gross revenue: small categorized as $10 million and under; large, more than $10 million. Small companies must have had revenues of at least $500,000 per year for 2013, 2014 and 2015. A formula was used that awarded points based on both dollar and percentage increases in revenue generated from South Carolina operations from years 2014-2015. Both of these criteria were used to create a score, with percent increase used as a tie-breaker if needed. The companies were then ranked by score, with the highest score being the fastest-growing. All 40 companies were honored at an event in Columbia on Oct. 12. The companies and their profiles are presented in this issue of SC BIZ. We hope you enjoy reading more about them. Event Photography by Jeff Blake

2016 , 2 1 r e b o t e on Oc c a l p k o o t This event umbia l o C t t o i r r at the Ma

Emceed by: Chris William, Series Executive Producer and Moderator

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: LARGE COMPANIES

E EVE PHOTOS FROM TH

Guests network at the opening reception.

As they arrived, guests were greeted with refreshments.

www.scbizmag.com

Roaring Twenties honorees showed off their companies.

Steve Fields, vice president of sales, SC Biz News

ROARING 20s Photos

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: LARGE COMPANIES

Chris William, emcee

Visiting before the awards presentation.

Todd Davidson of Nexsen Pruet helps present awards.

The event took place at the downtown Columbia Marriott.

www.scbizmag.com

Networking at company displays.

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: LARGE COMPANIES

C L L s t n e m t s e v In l a it Sandlapper Cap Greenville, SC • www.sandlappercapital.com

Total number of local employees: 8 Top local executive: Trevor L. Gordon, founder and CEO Product or service: Investment banking and sponsor of private placement securities investment programs Year founded locally: 2011

www.scbizmag.com

Brief company bio: Our experienced team has the skills, tools and resources to identify, analyze and act upon timely opportunities across many industries including packaged product analysis, commercial real estate equity and debt, tax credits and shelter programs, oil and gas and related industries, equipment leasing, corporate and municipal debt and portfolio management.

What sets your company apart from the competition? Remaining focused on finding the right deals vs. the “right now” deals. As a firm, we will not be rushed into product development, don’t accept every engagement and believe a deal either works or doesn’t. We will never “make” a deal work.

AM Conservation Group

Charleston, SC • www.amconservationgroup.com Total number of local employees: 325 Top local executive: Michael R. Quinn Product or service: Manufacturer-direct of conservation products designed for the energy services industry. Also provide demand-side management products and services to its utility customers. Year founded locally: Moved to Charleston in 2005 Brief company bio: AM Conservation Group is a leading provider of efficient products and services to utilities and municipalities. AMCG has supplied some of the largest and most comprehensive conservation programs in U.S. history. What are your personal leadership values? Hard work, honesty, integrity, over-deliver on promises, hire great people, create the right strategy, communicate and work to exceed customer expectations.

U.S. Waffle Co. Inc.

Greenville, SC • www.uswaffle.com Total number of local employees: 225 Top local executive: Thomas P. Baliker, CEO; Mark J. Dion, COO Product or service: Frozen waffles and pancakes Year founded locally: 2013 Brief company bio: At U.S. Waffle, baking is our passion. Our manufacturing facility co-packs products for some of the largest food companies in America and produces private label products for retail grocers and food service distributors nationwide. We use only the finest and freshest ingredients to deliver waffles and pancakes that will keep your customers coming back for more. What changes do you see ahead in your industry and how are you planning for them? Our industry will be experiencing serious future growth because of the breakfast category and its universal acceptance.

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: LARGE COMPANIES

A3 Communications Inc.

www.scbizmag.com

Irmo, SC • www.a3communications.com Total number of local employees: 96 Top local executive: F. Joseph Thomas, chief executive officer, and Brian Thomas, president Product or service: System Integration/Information Technology Year founded locally: 1990 Brief company bio: With just one man’s passion for electronics and desire to achieve, A3 Communications Inc. has grown to include seven locations, 100 talented and devoted employees and a full suite of technology offerings. What sets your company apart from the competition? From modest beginnings, the company has grown by not only adopting new technology and identifying potential customers, but by researching trends and listening to clients to discover how to fill the latest technological need.

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: LARGE COMPANIES

Irmo, SC • www.greatsouthernhomes.com Total number of local employees: 80+ Top local executive: Michael Nieri, founder and owner Product or service: Homebuilder Year founded locally: 2004 Brief company bio: Since our beginning, Great Southern Homes has built homes on the solid foundation of exceptional quality, industryleading construction standards and brilliant energy-smart and costefficient features. By the end of 2015, Great Southern Homes finished No. 1 in the Midlands’ homebuilding industry (Richland, Lexington and Kershaw counties) in permits and new home closings. What sets your company apart from the competition? The company prides itself on its abilities to deliver high-quality products to consumers in comparatively short delivery cycles.

www.scbizmag.com

Great Southern Homes

Hunter Quinn Homes

Mount Pleasant, SC • www.hunterquinnhomes.com Total number of local employees: 15 Top local executive: Will Herring Product or service: Residential homes Year founded locally: 2010 Brief company bio: Hunter Quinn Homes of Mount Pleasant continues to build its reputation in the Lowcountry based on unparalleled customer service, high quality standards and value. Each new construction home is inspected by a third party to determine its score on the Home Energy Rating System Index and comes with industryleading warranties to provide long-term value and lower utility bills. What sets your company apart from the competition? We are a local company. We live in the community and build homes for our neighbors in the Tri-County area.

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: LARGE COMPANIES

www.scbizmag.com

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: LARGE COMPANIES

Charleston, SC 29403 • www.blueacorn.com Total number of local employees: 118 Top local executive: Kevin Eichelberger, founder and CEO Product or service: e-commerce design, development, and optimization Year founded locally: 2008 Brief company bio: Blue Acorn is a premium e-commerce agency dedicated to helping retailers and brands achieve revenue growth through data-driven design, development and optimization. Blue Acorn delivers innovative e-commerce solutions to clients such as Everlast, Le Creuset, Rebecca Minkoff and Ticketmaster. What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? Blue Acorn’s clients seek to give customers a better online shopping experience, which drives the company’s team to work together to make B2B and B2C online shopping more enjoyable and convenient than ever before.

www.scbizmag.com

Blue Acorn

J. Davis Construction

Westminster, SC • www.jdavisinc.com Total number of local employees: 58 Top local executive: Joel Davis Product or service: General Contractor Year founded locally:1997 founded; incorporated in 2003 Brief company bio: J. Davis Construction is focused as a premier general contractor in the Upstate serving clients in the Southeast. Starting with just one employee, J. Davis Construction now has provided construction services to commercial, industrial, multifamily, and industrial maintenance for over 1,000 customers in five states. What changes do you see ahead in your industry and how are you planning for them? Because of low unemployment and a growing economy, the construction workforce is strained. We have under construction a training center for new employees in our field of service.

Scout Boats Inc.

Summerville, SC • www.scoutboats.com Total number of local employees: 312 Top local executive: Steve Potts, president/CEO Product or service: Boat manufacturing Year founded locally: 1989 Brief company bio: Scout Boats is a manufacturer of premium coastal fishing boats ranging in size from 17 to 42 feet. The company was started in a garage in Summerville by Steve Potts and his wife, Dianne, in 1989. From its humble beginnings of just two models to today building 22 world-class models, Scout has become a sought-after brand. In 2015 Scout exported to 22 foreign countries. What sets your company apart from the competition? Innovation. Our designs are distinctive and we pride ourselves with creating more features and styling details than any other brand in our market segment.

ns Inc.

Quality Business Solutio

Travelers Rest, SC • www.qualitybsolutions.net Total number of local employees: 33 Top local executive: Pamela Evette, president and CEO Product or service: Payroll, HR and benefits Year founded locally: 2000 Brief company bio: A 100 percent woman-owned business, Quality Business Solutions, Inc. offers a wide and comprehensive range of integrated, tailored PEO/ASO services including payroll administration, unemployment management, insurance, benefit administration, human resources, workers’ compensation and tax reporting. What sets your company apart from the competition? Our uniqueness comes in the direct access we provide to our clients. When you call us, you are connected with a QBS team member who knows your story and your challenges and is ready and able to help no matter the need.

Energy One America LLC

Charleston, SC • www.energyoneamerica.com Total number of local employees: 102 Top local executive: Clint and Amy Allen, owners Product or service: Insulation and building envelope services Year founded locally: 2011 Brief company bio: Energy One America is a leading provider of spray foam insulation and other unique building products integrated within building envelopes. The company serves a wide range of customers including existing home, new home, commercial, and industrial markets. What are your personal leadership values? Our team values transparency and clear communication. We seek to treat one another fairly and to build a symbiotic relationship between our customers, our team members and ourselves.

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: LARGE COMPANIES

pply LLC

Su New South Construction

www.scbizmag.com

Greenville SC • www.newsouthsupply.com Total number of local employees: 42 Top local executive: Jim Sobeck, CEO Product or service: Construction products distributor Year founded locally: 1981 Brief company bio: New South Construction Supply was founded in W. Columbia by Wayne Gotto and Wayne Glenn as a premier provider of waterproofing products and concrete and masonry accessories. Now with nine branches, the company is owned solely by Sobeck Ventures investment group, led by Jim Sobeck, a 30-year industry veteran of Greenville. What changes do you see ahead in your industry and how are you planning for them? Amazon will take away a lot of small item sales, so we are concentrating on selling large, bulky items Amazon can’t ship via UPS such as rebar, lumber and 55-gallon drums of chemicals.

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: LARGE COMPANIES www.scbizmag.com

Pye-Barker Fire & Safety

North Charleston, SC • www.pyebarkerfiresafety.com Total number of local employees: 35 in Charleston; 60 in South Carolina Local top executive: Barton Proctor, president Product or service: Fire protection equipment sales and service Year founded locally: 2001 Brief company bio: Pye-Barker’s competitive advantage is driven by our ability to offer a comprehensive service package that allows our customers a total solution to their fire protection needs, regardless of application. Our wide footprint covers the entire Southeast. Each of our locations runs its own local customer service center. What are your personal leadership values? We believe the only way a Pye-Barker representative can ensure the total satisfaction of their customers is if they feel totally satisfied with senior management. It takes a happy employee to make a happy customer.

OTO Development

Spartanburg, SC • www.otodevelopment.com Total number of local employees: 65 Top local executive: Corry Oakes, CEO Product or service: Hospitality Development and Management Year founded locally: 2004 Brief company bio: OTO Development develops, owns and operates upscale select-service hotels in key markets across the U.S. OTO has opened and managed 57 properties and currently has an extensive development pipeline. OTO continues to receive national recognition from parent brands Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt. What changes do you see ahead in your industry and how are you planning for them? We’ve added resources in revenue management and e-commerce. We’re focusing on technology, energy conservation, security and simplified customer touch points that drive satisfaction.

Automation Engineering

Co.

Greenville, SC • www.teamaec.com Total number of local employees: 38 Top local executive: Donna Rauch Product or service: Engineering and Manufacturing Automation Year founded locally: 1981 Brief company bio: Automation Engineering Co. works in collaboration with some of the world’s most demanding manufacturers to develop sophisticated turnkey material handling solutions that optimize plant efficiency and safety. Through leading edge thinking, design, fabrication and integration, AEC works with both original equipment manufacturers and Tier 1-3 suppliers to make companies more competitive globally. What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? AEC’s initiative to diversify across industries important to South Carolina, including the automotive, aerospace and distribution sector significantly impacted growth.

C Sandlapper Securities LL

Greenville, SC • www.sandlappersecurities.com Total number of local employees: 15 Top local executive: Trevor L. Gordon, founder and CEO Product or service: Full service securities brokerage firm Year founded locally: 2005 Brief company bio: SANDLAPPER Securities, LLC is a full-service broker dealer and dealer manager of investment products. Best in class personnel and representatives tailor strategies, recommendations and construct portfolios “designed” to meet a customer’s individual needs. The core beliefs of SANDLAPPER Securities rest solely on the preservation of capital and wealth accumulation. What sets your company apart from the competition? Our ability to react quickly and nimbly to ever-changing markets. Being unburdened by legacy bureaucracy helps us remain highly adaptable to change.

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: LARGE COMPANIES

www.scbizmag.com

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: LARGE COMPANIES

Greenville, SC • www.EDTSolutions.com Total number of local employees: 75 Top local executive: Charles K. Johnson Product or service: Managed IT Services, IT Security Year founded locally: 1999 Brief company bio: A full-service technology consulting firm, EDTS helps clients increase system uptime, ensure data security and remove the everyday burden of supporting I.T. so they can concentrate on their business. What are your personal leadership values? I believe in looking a client in the eye and making them a promise that we are going to make their network safer and more reliable. Then the whole EDTS team works tirelessly to ensure we not only fulfill our promises but we actually exceed the client’s expectations.

www.scbizmag.com

EDTS LLC

Human Technologies Inc.

Greenville, SC • www.htijobs.com Total number of local employees: 135 Top local executive: Herbert W. Dew, III Product or service: Staffing Year founded locally: 1999 Brief company bio: Human Technologies, Inc. is a multifaceted human resource advisory firm providing professional recruiting, industrial staffing, human resource consulting and outplacement services. HTI is one of the Southeast’s most innovative and versatile human resource firms. What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? We were able to secure new relationships with several large, project level customers. Additionally, we were able to expand our relationships with several existing customers, taking us to new markets.

Total Beverage Solution

Mount Pleasant, SC • www.totalbeveragesolution.com Total number of local employees: 53 Top local executive: Dave Pardus Product or service: Beer, wine and spirit brands primarily imported from all over the world Year founded locally: 2001 Brief company bio: Started by beverage industry veterans with decades of combined experience, TBS is a fast-growing, fully integrated importer and supplier with a highly selective portfolio of wine, beer and premium spirits. What key piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in your field? Be patient, do it for the right reasons and not to be a hobbyist.

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: LARGE COMPANIES

www.scbizmag.com

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: LARGE COMPANIES

E EVENT

PHOTOS FROM TH

Vapor Apparel

North Charleston, SC • www.vaporapparel.com Total number of local employees: 62 (Charleston) and 48 (Union) Top local executive: Jackson Burnett IV and Christopher Bernat Product or service: Digital printing, branded performance apparel Year founded locally: 2004 Brief company bio: Started in a Mount Pleasant garage by two Clemson University graduates, Vapor Apparel is now 110 employees strong and a recognized leader in performance apparel for digital printing. Vapor Apparel operates a 38,000 square-foot production facility in Union and has customers from Germany to Australia to Panama. Current plans include focusing on European and Middle Eastern opportunities. What key piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in your field? Always be building your next revenue stream. Build the next company within your company.

Reception dishes are cooked to order.

Grady Johnson, president and group publisher, SC Biz News

www.scbizmag.com

Chris William, emcee, and Kathy Allen, event manager, SC Biz News

Mark Cooter of Cherry Bekaert helps with award presentation.

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: SMALL COMPANIES

C L L s e ic v r e S t n e m n r Hannah Solar Gove Charleston, SC • www.hsgs.solar Total number of local employees: 19 Top local executive: Dave McNeil, CEO/president Product or service: Design-build commercial scale solar photovoltaic energy systems Year founded locally: 2009

What sets your company apart from the competition? Superb quality and professionalism. What are your personal leadership values? Integrity, quality and professionalism are the key values to a successful organization.

www.scbizmag.com

Brief company bio: Hannah Solar Government Services designs, installs and maintains commercial scale solar photovoltaic energy systems for the U.S. government and commercial customers. Hannah Solar Government Services LLC has installed solar systems for all branches of the military, the FAA, the VA and NASA. The locations for the work performed include Hawaii, Puerto Rico, California, Arizona, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, U.S. Virgin Islands, New York, New Jersey and Maine.

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: SMALL COMPANIES

North Charleston, SC • www.chembion.com Total number of local employees: 15 Top local executive: Donna Gonzales, CEO Product or service: Environmental consulting and remediation firm specializing in asbestos, lead and mold. Year founded locally: 2002 Brief company bio: Chembion is a full service, woman-owned environmental consulting and remediation firm specializing in asbestos, lead and mold, with more than 30 years of experience. What changes do you see ahead in your industry and how are you planning for them? As our communities grow, we see more existing buildings and infrastructure being reused and repurposed. Chembion will continue to develop new and innovative approaches to remediation of environmental hazards in our increasingly urban environment.

www.scbizmag.com

l LLC

Chembion Environmenta

s Green Cloud Technologie

Greenville, SC • www.gogreencloud.com Total number of local employees: 43 Top local executive: J.P. Philipsen,VP Product or service: IT Infrastructure Solutions Year founded locally: 2011 Brief company bio: Green Cloud Technologies provides custom Ciscopowered infrastructure, backup and recovery solutions, and virtual desktops and support to our partner network of value-added resellers, managed service providers, and select consulting organizations. What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? We have significantly expanded our footprint nationwide, which has led to new partner growth — those who resell our products. In addition, our existing partners have experienced growth and increased revenue through reselling our solutions.

Shelly Leeke Law Firm

North Charleston, SC • www.leekelaw.com Total number of local employees: 40 Top local executive: Shelly Leeke Product or service: Legal services; personal injury Year founded locally: 2008 Brief company bio: Attorneys at the Shelly Leeke Law Firm provide injury victims with the support and guidance crucial to their financial and emotional well-being. The firm represents victims suffering from injuries arising from many causes, including motor vehicle accidents, workers’ compensation, wrongful death, mesothelioma and asbestos exposure, dog bites, nursing home abuse and product liability. What changes do you see ahead in your industry and how are you planning for them? The most talked-about issue is autonomous driving vehicles that will change the field when it comes to personal injury.

PhishLabs

Good Done Great

North Charleston, SC • www.gooddonegreat.com Total number of local employees: 20 Top local executive: Paul McElhinney, CTO Product or service: Corporate social responsibility software as a service platform Year founded locally: 2009 Brief company bio: Good Done Great revolutionizes the way corporations and individuals give back to the communities and causes they care about. Through our unified CSR solution and our bench of CSR strategists, the Good Done Great team helps more than 75 Fortune 500 and other companies maximize their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. More than 2.5 million employees currently rely on GDG’s innovative tools to align their time and treasure with their personal charitable goals, and more than 65,000 nonprofits benefit.

Call Experts

Charleston, SC • www.CallExperts.com Total number of local employees: 150 Top local executive: Abby Leibowitz Pearson Product or service: Call center Year founded locally: 1982 Brief company bio: Call Experts is a leading provider of boutique call center services and telephone answering services. Our dedication to an outstanding customer experience allows our agents to become a seamless extension of our customers’ brands and cultures. What sets your company apart from the competition? Not accepting how things were traditionally done, being nimble, and questioning WHY. What are your personal leadership values? Empower your team. Trust, but verify. Explain WHY. Instill the values you care about and direct your team to make decisions with those in mind. Stay the course.

www.scbizmag.com

Charleston, SC • www.phishlabs.com Total number of local employees: 88 Top local executive: John LaCour, founder and CEO Product or service: 24/7 cybersecurity and anti-fraud services Year founded locally: Founded in 2008. Moved to Charleston in 2010. Brief company bio: PhishLabs is the leading provider of 24/7 cybersecurity services that protect against threats that exploit people. The company is trusted by top organizations worldwide, including four of the five largest U.S. financial institutions. PhishLabs combines proprietary technology, intelligence, and human expertise to rapidly detect, analyze, and stop targeted cyberattacks before they impact organizations. What key piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in your field? The best people are those who never stop learning, adapt to change quickly and constantly seek better ways to stop the bad guys.

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: SMALL COMPANIES

Ladson, SC • www.LCCM.com Total number of local employees: 48 Top local executive: Robert Stasiukaitis, founder/president; David Stasiukaitis, CEO Product or service: Commercial cabinetry and architectural millwork Year founded locally: 1990 Brief company bio: LCCM is one of the leading manufacturers of commercial casework and architectural millwork in South Carolina. LCCM’s projects have been featured in numerous publications and have been nationally recognized for design and quality excellence. What sets your company apart from the competition? Everything we make is custom-designed to the client’s needs. We offer every brand of plastic laminate and solid surface and any species of wood available. Every part is designed and cut by machines to the 1,000th of an inch.

www.scbizmag.com

k Inc.

illwor Lowcountry Case and M

Medical Research South

LLC

Charleston, SC • www.medicalresearchsouth.com Total number of local employees: 15 Top local executive: Sean Rice, CEO Product or service: Dedicated clinical research site Year founded locally: 2001 Brief company bio: Medical Research South is the premier clinical research site in the Southeast with over 200 studies to date. We specialize in therapeutic areas like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, weight loss, COPD and various lipid studies, but also have experience with pediatric vaccines, overactive bladder, BPH, psoriasis, smoking cessation and contraception studies. What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? Our team has focused on diversifying Medical Research South’s trial expertise and potential patient database to better align with the needs of our customers.

C Parker Land Surveying LL

Hanahan, SC • www.plssc.com Total number of local employees: 45 Top local executives: Steve and Pam Parker, Cleve Gillette, Jess Werner McLaughlin, Maurice Wilder, Ben Brabham, Greg Cunningham Product or service: Professional Surveying Services Year founded locally: 2008 Brief company bio: PLS has eight licensed professional surveyors on staff currently running 17 field crews. We perform FEMA elevation certifications, construction staking, boundary, topographical, tree, ALTA, subdivision platting, record drawings of installed infrastructure, closing surveys, GPS services, builder services, aviation, land fill consulting, power generation and hydrographic surveys. What sets your company apart from the competition? PLS is the go-to survey company in S.C. for technical projects with short deadlines.

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: SMALL COMPANIES

Morris Business Solutions

Greenville, SC • www.morrisbusiness.com Total number of local employees: 51 Top local executive: Partnership: Richard, Rick and Chris Morris Product or service: Sales and service of copiers and printers, primarily Xerox products Year founded locally: 2005 Brief company bio: Morris Business Solutions is a platinum sales agency for Xerox covering 38 counties in both North and South Carolina, helps to advise on Xerox’s Presidents Council, and they are currently the No. 1 Xerox agency in the country. With Morris Business Solutions, you get the absolute best of both worlds: locally owned and operated for quick and flexible decisions, yet privy to a success-driven company, like Xerox. Let our sincere and knowledgeable staff advise you on how to make improvements within your document workflow.

Charleston, SC • www.eventhausrentals.com Total number of local employees: 25-50 Top local executive: Alex Clayson Product or service: Event and party rentals Year founded locally: 2009 Brief company bio: We are a full service rental company that delivers exceptional service and the broadest selection of product. We have 45 employees, a large fleet of fully wrapped delivery vehicles, along with the most stylish show room and event team, ready to consult and deliver amazing events. What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? Destination weddings and a significant return of corporate business. What sets your company apart from the competition? Our client services and our boutique approach.

www.scbizmag.com

EventHaus Rentals

on Davis Supply of Charlest

LLC

North Charleston, SC • www.Davis-supply.com Total Number of Employees: 5 Top local executive: Davis Weed Product or service: Supplier of foundation material — residential and commercial Year founded: 2012 Brief company bio: Locally owned company started in 2012. We have a combined 42 years of experience in the masonry/concrete supply industry. What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? We strategically partner with industry leaders. What sets your company apart from competition? We develop a team approach with customers to make sure jobs go smoothly and on time. What are your personal leadership values? Understanding true customer service. Being flexible for the customer.

Fathom 4 LLC

Charleston, SC • www.fathom4.com Total number of local employees: 34 Top local executives: Brian Burger and Glenn Chave Product or service: Engineering services for Dept. of Defense Year founded locally: 2012 Brief company bio: We are a Veteran-owned small business headquartered in Charleston and provide communications and electronics systems engineering, design, prototyping and IT services to the Department of Defense. Fathom 4 has grown to 34 employees in six states and Kuwait, and has performed work for the US Navy, US Marine Corps, US Army and US Air Force. What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? Remaining focused on our technical areas of subject matter expertise, rather than being “a mile wide and an inch deep.”

Charleston Home Rental

Charleston, SC • www.BeHappyRenting.com Total number of local employees: 4 Top local executive: Matt Manaker Product or service: Real estate property management Year founded locally: 2006 Brief company bio: Charleston Home Rentals is a property management company committed to creating personalized and pleasant experiences for homeowners and renters alike. The goal is to foster harmonious relationships in which everyone’s needs are met and that all parties in a rental agreement can be happy renting. What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? Referrals from sales agents and brokers are the main revenue growth driver ultimately. Maximizing revenue per property managed by adding additional services is a significant revenue driver as well.

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: SMALL COMPANIES

Verde

www.scbizmag.com

Charleston, SC • www.eatatverde.com Total number of local employees: 70 Top local executive: Sam and Jennifer Ferrebee, co-founders and operators Product or service: Fresh salads and wraps Year founded locally: 2011 Brief company bio: We opened our first location on King Street downtown in 2011 with the idea that wholesome food and fast food didn’t have to be mutually exclusive. It’s our goal to build a community in our stores by connecting with everyone and providing them with a healthy option. What sets your company apart from the competition? Verde is about much more than the food we serve. It’s about the entire experience and relationships we build daily between guests and team members that make the Verde experience unique.

ROARING TWENTIES WINNERS: SMALL COMPANIES

www.scbizmag.com

North Charleston, SC • www.charlestonheatingandair.com Total number of local employees: 28 Top local executive: Blake Miller Product or service: HVAC service, repair and installation Year founded locally: 2009 Brief company bio: We are a locally-owned and operated heating and air conditioning company specializing in residential service, repair and installation. What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? Brand awareness and online presence. We understand that with changing technology most people go online to research before making a purchase; therefore we make sure that we saturate our industry online.

Charleston Heating + Air

g LLC

Atlas Executive Consultin

North Charleston, SC • www.AtlasExecutive.com Total number of local employees: 38 Top local executive: George Friedl, partner Product or service: Management consulting services Year founded locally: 2006 Brief company bio: Atlas was established to bring experience from government and private industry to create an agile organization that delivers exceptional consultants and outstanding solutions. What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? Atlas has competed for and won several Department of Defense contracts to provide innovative services and solutions. These efforts provide a platform for Atlas to bring talented people, process improvements, analytical rigor and cutting edge business intelligence solutions that offer clients significant value and savings within their operations.

Connecting Elements Inc.

Columbia, SC • www.connectingelements.com Total number of local employees: 35 Top local executive: Matthew P. Brosius, president Product or service: Commercial interior space planning and furniture Year founded locally: 1996 Brief company bio: Founder Matt Brosius’ idea was to handle anything relating to commercial office furniture by connecting all parts of the process. Today, the company has a 70,000-square-foot warehouse and showroom and award-winning in-house installation team, in-house design, project management, refurbishment, account management, receiving, procurement, marketing and administrative teams. What changes do you see ahead in your industry? We anticipate the elimination of wired workstations, which will open up even more possibilities for minimalist, mobile, and individualized spaces.

OpTek Systems Inc.

Greenville, SC • www.opteksystems.com Total number of local employees: 25 Top local executive: Duane Dinkel, president/CEO Product or service: Fiber optic devices and laser-based micromachining services Year founded locally: 2006 Brief company bio: OpTek Systems is a global provider of laser processing equipment and manufacturing services for the fiber optic and micromachining markets. With key operational centers in the U.S. and UK, OpTek’s precision laser technology can be found in biomedical, military and energy segments of the marketplace. What is the main driver of this year’s revenue growth? In 2015, OpTek invested in ultra-fast laser technologies. The micromachining business has quadrupled in the past year with long-term contracts.

S.C. DELIVERS

Ports, Logistics & Distribution

The S.C. State Ports Authority now awaits final authorization from Congress to begin deepening Charleston Harbor. (Photo/S.C. State Ports Authority)

CHARLESTON HARBOR DEEPENING PROJECT MOVES FORWARD

www.scbizmag.com

By Liz Segrist, Staff Writer

heÂ Water Resources Development Act of 2016 has preliminary approval from Congress, moving the 52-foot Charleston Harbor deepening project closer to reality.

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the water bill by a 399-25 vote,

and the U.S. Senate voted 95-3 to pass it as well. See HARBOR, Page 53

S.C. DELIVERS

Warehousing

Staff Report

Spec warehouse in Greer under construction

round has been broken on a new speculative warehouse in Greer. According to a news release, Charlotte-based Liberty Property Trust broke ground on a 171,600-square-foot speculative warehouse at Caliber North, an extension of the Caliber Ridge industrial park – also owned by Liberty – in Greer. The company said the new warehouse will be able to accommodate distribution, light assembly and manufacturing. Its planned delivery date is April 2017 with a second building at the site planned for future development. “With the successful leasing of all five buildings at Caliber Ridge, and the tremendous interest we’ve received in warehouse space offering greater clear heights, we believe the time is right for the development of Caliber North,” said Massie Flippin, vice president and city manager for Liberty’s Carolinas region, in the release. The new building is located on Green

Logistics

This is a rendering of a speculative warehouse at Caliber North in Greer. Liberty Property Trust has broken ground on the project and is expected to deliver the new warehouse in April 2017. (Rendering/Provided)

Road, north of S.C. 101 near I-85, north of the Caliber Ridge park. Liberty said MCA Architecture is the project architect, Bluewater Civil Design is

the civil engineer and Harper Corp. is the general contractor. Cushman & Wakefield Thalhimer will work with Liberty to market the property.

Staff Report

Boeing coordinates distribution of hurricane relief supplies

www.scbizmag.com

M 52

ore than 11 tons of relief supplies arrived in Charleston in early October after Hurricane Matthew, according to a news release from Boeing South Carolina. Boeing Co. coordinated with suppliers, airports, an airline and logistics companies to ship bottles of water, diapers, blankets, trash bags, sanitizing wipes and snacks from Seattle to North Charleston. Boeing bought the majority of the items; some partners, who wished to remain anonymous, also contributed, Boeing spokeswoman Elizabeth Merida said in an email. Some of the supplies were donated to the Lowcountry S.C. American Red Cross.

Shipments arrived at Charleston International Airport via Alaska Airlines. The Seattle-based airline provided free cargo space on four of its nonstop flights. Beverly Wyse, the former site leader of Boeing S.C. and new president of Boeing Shared Services Group, coordinated the deliveries with the following companies: Yusen Logistics Americas Inc. provided space for sorting and packaging the goods in Seattle, as well as delivering them to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Alaska Airlines coordinated flight schedules and arranged for cross-country shipments to Charleston. Eurest provided additional food and bottled water before delivering the supplies

to Boeing S.C.’s campus in North Charleston. Skanska USA housed the supplies in Boeing S.C.’s paint facility, which is currently under construction along International Boulevard. Boeing employees sorted the supplies from there. “We are so grateful to all of our partners and suppliers from across the country who came together quickly and coordinated critical resources in this extraordinary effort,” Boeing S.C. Vice President and General Manager Joan Robinson-Berry said in the release. “Thanks to your generosity, we’re providing vital supplies and support to our teammates and neighbors who are still recovering from the storm.”

HARBOR, from page 50 A conference committee will now work through the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill, according to a news release from the S.C. State Ports Authority. If the project is approved, construction could begin next year. The project will deepen the Charleston Harbor to 54 feet at the entrance channel and 52 feet in the harbor. The infrastructure project will yield the deepest harbor on the East Coast, according to Port CEO Jim Newsome. The 52-foot depth means post-Panamax

ships — larger ships that can transit the newly expanded Panama Canal — will be able to call on the Port of Charleston any time of day without tidal restrictions. The harbor is already wide enough to handle two ships simultaneously. The post-Panamax ships are already calling on the Port of Charleston, Newsome said.

The background Efforts to deepen the Charleston Harbor began in 2012. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District, conducted a four-year, $11 million study of the project — roughly half the typical time and cost of a

feasibility study. This more efficient process is part of the corps’ Smart Planning process. The Army Corps’ study culminated in a Chief’s Report in September 2015, greenlighting the deepening of the harbor to 50 feet, or to 52 feet with additional funding from the port. The port opted to pay the extra $70 million to deepen the harbor to 52 feet. Most recently, the project received its Record of Decision from the assistant secretary of the Army in January; it has awaited authorization through the Water Resources Act since then. The deepening project also needs about $175 million in federal money. The state already set aside $300 million of the $509 million total. “Passage of this bill by the House represents another hurdle cleared for Charleston Harbor deepening,” ports authority board Chairman Pat McKinney said in the news release. “We are deeply appreciative of our entire delegation’s efforts. This milestone is the result of years of hard work and ensures our port’s world-class deepening project remains on track.”

S.C. DELIVERS

More postPanamax ships are expected to call on East Coast ports since the expansion of the Panama Canal has opened. (Photo/File)

www.scbizmag.com

S.C. DELIVERS

Logistics

Staff Report

Federal grant to help enhance state’s logistics industry

he South Carolina Council on Competitiveness has received a $175,000 federal grant to partially fund an initiative to strengthen and develop the state’s logistics industry. “South Carolina has established itself as a key player in the logistics industry on the global stage,” said Ann Marie Stieritz, president & CEO of the council. “Our geographic location at the center of the southeastern United States, in addition to our transportation infrastructure – highways, railways, inland ports, the Port of Charleston, and proximity to international airports – give us a natural competitive advantage.” The council received a similar federal grant in 2013 to launch its initiative to

Port

develop the aerospace industry cluster, now known as SC Aerospace. According to the S.C. Department of Transportation’s Multimodal Plan, more than 375 million tons of freight, valued at nearly $600 billion, moved across the state’s freight network in 2011. That tonnage is expected to grow by 81% from 2011 to 2040. Suzanne Dickerson, the former director of international business development for Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), was recently hired to lead the council’s logistics effort. One of the first steps will be to conduct actionable research on the companies and assets within the industry, Dickerson said.

“Our first step will be to understand what companies and assets we have in South Carolina’s logistics industry,” Dickerson said. “Once we have that information, we can analyze their current impact on the state’s economy and identify opportunities for growth.” The initiative will also convene a forum for the industry’s private sector leaders to establish goals and objectives for a strategic plan. The council will also support innovation by working with higher education institutions to develop an inventory of academic resources to solve industry problems. The grant was provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.

Liz Segrist, Staff Writer

Port of Charleston volumes most flat in Q1

www.scbizmag.com

lobal trade growth continues to be moderate with around 5% growth forecast for the remainder of the year, down from the double-digit growth seen in 2015. The economic slowdown has created mostly flat cargo volumes at the Port of Charleston for the first quarter of fiscal 2017, from July through September. Some cargo volumes declined. For fiscal 2017, around 520,000 TEUs — a common industry measurement representing a 20-foot equivalent of a shipping container — came through the port, up 1.4% from the same time a year ago. September saw around 163,000 pier c ontainers come through, down 3% from September 2015. The beginning of fiscal 2017 started off relatively strong, and loaded import and export containers remain solid, up 4% overall in September. But empty containers coming in and out of the port continue to lag, down 28% last month. Ports Authority President and CEO Jim Newsome said he is not sure

Fiscal year 2017 Q1 port results Description

FY17 results so far

Percent change from Q1 2016

Total TEUs

520,276

1.4%

Rail TEUs

121,146

-1.7%

217,533 (pier tons)

-8.5%

Vehicles

64,361

-9.7%

Cruise passengers

49,958

0.7%

Operating revenues

$55.3 million

1.6%

Operating expenses

$43.9 million

4.3%

Operating earnings

$11.4 million

-7.5%

Charleston breakbulk cargo

why empty container volumes are declining. Newsome said he continues to be concerned about the overall trade economy, but sees positive movement in the export market. Newsome said the Southeast port market remains poised to grow double the size of the U.S. port market as more manufacturers locate in the region to boost exports and population growth contributes to a rise in imports. He hopes to see buoyed volumes at

the port during the second quarter. The port shut down operations for four days in October during Hurricane Matthew. Newsome said he did not expect a major dip in volumes for October since all but one ship came through the port following the storm. Those cargo volumes were to be released later. Four empty containers were damaged by the Category 1 hurricane. No other damage was incurred at the terminals.

www.scbizmag.com

1,000 WORDS

October’s super moon seems to pause over the Ravenel Bridge in Charleston on a calm evening. Known as the Hunter’s Moon, the moon appeared particularly large because it coincided with perigee — the moon’s closest point to Earth in its monthly orbit — according to earthsky.org. The Hunter’s Moon is the first full moon after the Harvest Moon, which is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. (Photo/Kim McManus)