April 6 - 19, 2015 • www.charlestonbusiness.com
Volume 21, No. 8 • $2.00
Mount Pleasant plan calls for higher taxes, lower density By Andy Owens
Startup cash
AOL co-founder Steve Case will visit Charleston to invest $100,000 in a startup. Page 3
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aowens@scbiznews.com
uring a recent visit to Laurel Hill Primary School, Mount Pleasant Mayor Linda Page said the kindergartners, first-graders and second-graders reminded her that the town continues to change as it grows. As she toured classes, Page asked students where they were from. How many were from
South Carolina, and how many were from other places? Out of 22 students in one class, two were from South Carolina, and the rest were from other locations, including six from the state of Washington and one child from Ethiopia. The visit made an impression on the firstterm mayor, who is struggling to bring development issues under control so that planning meetings are manageable, developers and commercial interests know the rules they are
A Miami-based architect reviews Charleston’s building policies. Page 6
Charleston School of Law co-founder Ed Westbrook resigns from the board. Page 15
A
Life-size, humanoid robots that are designed to enter disaster zones and save human lives tested their skills on a Goose Creek course in front of dozens of students who already program their own robots. Full story, page 12
Photo/Ashley
lsegrist@scbiznews.com
t a time when state union membership is at its lowest in a decade, a contentious election will be held this month at Boeing South Carolina to determine whether one of the state’s biggest manufacturers will be unionized. Through marketing efforts and meetings over the past several years, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers has rallied Boeing workers, attracting more than 3,000 eligible voters for the April 22 election. While the Machinists union has made inroads in the Lowcountry, union rates were down more than 40% in South Carolina last year compared with the year prior, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 2.2% of the state’s workforce, or 41,000 workers, were members of unions in 2014, down from 3.7%, or 69,000 workers, in 2013.
INSIDE
Upfront............................. 2 In Focus: Education and Workforce Development...................15 Lists: Private Schools... 23 Colleges and Universities................... 25 At Work.......................... 27 People in the News......... 27 Business Digest.............. 27 Hot Properties................. 30 Viewpoint........................ 31
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By Liz Segrist
People Pedal
Director leaves
See MOUNT PLEASANT, Page 10
Union rates drop in S.C. as Boeing election approaches
Duany’s vision
The city of Charleston wants cycling to be safer on the peninsula. Page 8
playing by and economic development can flourish in the town of more than 74,000. She said only a handful of voices are being heard in the town, and she’s hoping an initiative to scale back commercial development incentives and decrease housing densities will bring more people to the table. “Mount Pleasant is a community that has become somewhat of a melting pot, and we’re
Heffernan
See UNIONS, Page 5
Regional Education Report A report on public education shows disparities among students of different socioeconomic and racial backgrounds. INSIDE
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Upfront:
Briefs, brights and business news
On the Record
Turns out, millennials do want to mow a lawn ... in the South
“For too long, visitors arriving by rail have been greeted with a subpar welcome. It’s sadly indicative of the attitude toward public transportation here in the past, but we feel that has begun to change.”
Here’s what we usually hear at city planning discussions when it comes to approving, denying or modifying developments — mixed-use or otherwise — across the Charleston region:
— Jeff Burns, CARTA interim director, on the authority’s decision to sell a 36.2-acre site, where a new intermodal facility was planned, in favor of a smaller site.
Residents: We’re sick of ever-growing traffic and buildings that encourage high-density living.
What’s more fun, dental work or insurance shopping? It’s nearly a wash if you believe the results of a recent health insurance poll by Bankrate Inc., a banking and finance monitoring company. Clearly, if folks equate shopping for health insurance with doing taxes and having cavities filled, the industry needs some better PR, or better customer service, or both. Bankrate’s pulse survey found that the numbers were even higher when you account for just those consumers who have recently shopped for insurance. The survey also found that high-deductible plans with lower premiums are preferred among 44% of employees. But a higher percentage of millennials — 54% — prefer a higher premium and lower deductible, which is more in line with workers older than 50. About 67% of those workers prefer the higher premium.
Bankrate’s health insurance pulse survey How unenjoyable is shopping for health insurance? As unenjoyable as…
Getting bad seat on airplane.................73% Having your teeth filled.........................64% What kind of health insurance plan do you prefer?
Unsure/prefer not to answer High premium/low deductible
9% 11%
Low premium/high deductible
36%
44%
Source: Bankrate.com’s Health Insurance Pulse Survey, December 2014
One Number
892
We’re not going to wade into who is right in this ongoing debate, because every development, every community and every public official has competing interests, pressures and configurations. Simply put, one size doesn’t fit all, and that’s why we have open debate about land use. However, Nate Silver — the guy who called the 2012 presidential election dead-on even when the polls were mixed and picking Romney — recently posted a story on his FiveThirtyEight blog that used data to challenge at least part of that supposition. Turns out, millennials do want a lawn in the suburbs, according to census data on demographic mobility in 2014. “Indeed, for all the talk of the rebirth of American cities, the draw of the suburbs remains powerful,” writes FiveThirtyEight’s Ben Casselman (who is 34 and lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., for the record). “Across all ages, races, incomes and education groups, more Americans are still moving out of cities than in.” Here’s how the data stand that FiveThirtyEight pulled nationally, and we’re adding some from the Census Bureau that’s closer to the Lowcountry:
Who’s moving where across the U.S.
Percent agreeing
Doing your own taxes...........................75%
Neither
Developers: Data show high-density buildings help alleviate traffic. And besides, millennials want to live in places like this, because it’s a lifestyle choice and they are great innovators.
Length in feet of the Carnival Sunshine, which will begin calling on the Port of Charleston in summer 2016 with four visits. That’s equivalent to the length of 9.5 NCAA basketball courts. So, though your bracket is busted, at least you have this information to show off to your friends.
529,000
426,000
721,000
551,000
Total number of Americans ages 25-29 who moved out of cities and into suburbs in 2014.
Number of 25-29ers who moved into cities from the ’burbs last year.
Number of Americans in their early 20s who moved away from cities.
Number of those in their early 20s moving into the cities.
Millennials moving South
A March Census Bureau report showed the highest number of people moving to the Southern states from other areas, including other countries, were ages 20-29 in 2014. Age Moved South in 2014 20-24 248,000 25-29 279,000 30-34 177,000 35-39 165,000 40-44 130,000 45-49 81,000 50-54 70,000 55-59 69,000 60-61 15,000 62-64 56,000 65-69 48,000
April 6 - 19, 2015
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Wabco investing $17M in new facility in Dorchester County By Liz Segrist
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lsegrist@scbiznews.com
uto parts supplier Wabco has outgrown its existing Lowcountry operations and plans to invest $17 million to establish a new manufacturing site in Dorchester County, according to the S.C. Commerce Department and the company. Wabco recently signed a long-term agreement to supply advanced air disc brake systems for Hendrickson Trailer Commercial Vehicle Systems’ trailers. That agreement, coupled with increased North American customer demand for air compressors and air disc brakes, spurred the expansion, according to company spokeswoman Laura Oliveto. Wabco supplies parts to major truck, bus and trailer manufacturers. The company will relocate from its Charleston facility on Leeds Avenue into a 145,000-square-foot building at the intersection of Dorchester Road and Lincoln Patriot Boulevard in North Charleston. The new facility is expected to be built by the end of the year. The expansion will create more than
50 jobs, in addition to the 175 existing jobs at the local facility. Hiring for new positions will take place at the end of the year and run through 2016. Wabco began Charleston operations in 1996 as Wabco Compress Manufacturing Co., a joint venture with Cummins Engine Co., which manufactures air compressors and other braking system components at the facility. Wabco Americas President Nik Varty said the expanding manufacturing operations will better serve U.S. customers. Wabco, headquartered in Brussels, manufactures systems for braking, stability, suspension, transmission automation and aerodynamics. The company established U.S. operations in 1869 as Westinghouse Air Brake. Today, the company has 11,000 employees worldwide and reported 2014 sales of $2.9 billion. The Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved a $250,000 grant to Dorchester County to assist with the costs of property improvements and job development credits. cr bj
Reach staff writer Liz Segrist at 843-8493119 or @lizsegrist on Twitter.
Startups can pitch to win $100,000 from AOL co-founder Case By Liz Segrist
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lsegrist@scbiznews.com
OL co-founder Steve Case will travel to Charleston on May 6 to choose one startup for a $100,000 investment. Startups based “a reasonable driving distance away” from Charleston can apply for a spot in the pitch contest. A team from Revolution, a Washington, D.C.-based venture capital firm of which Case is the CEO, will narrow the applicants to 10 startups who will compete in the pitch contest. A panel of judges will decide the winner that day. This is part of Case’s Rise of the Rest bus tour in which he and his team make stops in cities across the country to support burgeoning entrepreneurial communities and invest in startups. This round of the tour, the first in the Southeast, will make stops in Atlanta, Charleston, Raleigh-Durham, Richmond, Va., and New Orleans from May 4 through 8. Case plans to invest $100,000 in one startup in each of the five cities. The Harbor Entrepreneur Center Co-founder John Osborne pitched Charleston as a stop for the Rise of the Rest bus tour. The Harbor Entrepreneur
Revolution CEO Steve Case will visit local tech companies and incubators. (Photo/Revolution)
Center will host Case for the pitch event, which is free and open to the public. Case will also visit several tech companies, incubators and accelerators in the area; have lunch with local tech executives, city leaders and politicians; and participate in a “fireside chat” to share stories about his career. “The Rise of the Rest bus tour is heading south to some of America’s oldest cities where entrepreneurs are creating some of the newest businesses, innovations and jobs,” Case said. Startups can apply at https://www. f6s.com/riseofrest#/apply for the pitch contest. Connect online with #riseoftherest. cr bj
Reach staff writer Liz Segrist at 843-8493119 or @lizsegrist on Twitter.
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LOWCOUNTRY NEWSROOM Managing Editor - Andy Owens aowens@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3142
April 6 - 19, 2015
Business news from around S.C.
Senior Copy Editor - Beverly Barfield bbarfield@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3115 Staff Writer - Liz Segrist lsegrist@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3119
Haley fires back against reopening Barnwell nuclear waste site
Staff Writer - Ashley Heffernan aheffernan@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3144
The 44-year-old dump — which has only taken low-level waste from South Carolina, Connecticut and New Jersey since 2008 — has seen interest in reopening to other parts of the nation by Energy Solutions. The company has launched a public campaign and reached out to lawmakers in attempt to pass legislation in favor of the idea. Gov. Nikki Haley said it “would be a huge step backward for the state of South Carolina.”
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The 3 millionth vehicle produced at BMW Manufacturing Co.’s Greer plant was purchased by a customer in Kristianstad, Sweden. (Photo/BMW)
BMW makes 3 millionth S.C.-built vehicle
BMW executives and state officials recently celebrated production of vehicle No. 3 million at BMW Manufacturing Co. in Greer. Dawn Burgess, an employee at the plant since production started in 1994, handed the keys to the X5 to Manfred Erlacher, the plant president and CEO, during a ceremony on March 24. Erlacher said the growth of the Greer plant, with about 1,200 vehicles produced daily and a planned expansion boosting total employment to about 9,000 by the end of 2016, has been “quite extraordinary.” In February, the U.S. Department of Commerce said the BMW plant was the largest U.S. automotive exporter of passenger vehicles by value in 2014, at $9.2 billion. About 250,000 vehicles were exported from the plant last year, which accounts for more than 70% of the vehicles produced there. BMWs are exported through the Port of Charleston at the Columbus Street Terminal on East Bay Street in downtown Charleston.
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Santee Cooper to lend $4M for industrial spec building The loan, approved through the Santee Cooper Economic Development Loan Program, will be used to build a 50,000-square-foot industrial speculative building in Cherokee County’s Upstate Corporate Park near Interstate 85. Since the loan program was established in 2012, Santee Cooper has approved 20 loans, and two of them have announced tenants.
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. leaving Mauldin for Anderson County
Continental Tire to add 200 workers in Sumter
More than 230 Upstate middle school girls met women who work in the automotive industry and STEM programs at the All Girls Auto Know event in Greenville. Keith Perham, a science teacher at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic School in Greenville, said: “It is very effective because it empowers our girls to realize there is a whole field out there that is open to them.”
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated will relocate 147 jobs from Mauldin to a new regional sales and distribution center in Anderson County, about 15 miles away. After two years of discussions about moving out of an increasingly residential area, the company is closing the operation in Mauldin and making a $13.5 million investment across the county line.
The Fort Mill-headquartered company plans to add 200 workers by the end of the year at its new $500 million manufacturing facility in Sumter. The additional hires will increase the local workforce to 800, a spokeswoman said. Continental Tire plans to have 1,600 workers on the payroll when the plant’s second phase is completed in 2021.
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Silver Springs Bottled Water Co., the largest privately held bottled water firm in Florida, will invest $16.3 million in expanding Hickory Springs Inc.’s facility in Elloree. The expansion is expected to add 60,000 square feet to the site and create 37 jobs over the next five years.
Middle school girls get up-close look at auto industry at ‘Auto Know’ event
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Florida-based Silver Springs buys Hickory Springs bottled water firm
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April 6 - 19, 2015 UNIONS, continued from Page 1
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South Carolina’s union membership rates have stayed low during the past decade, peaking at 4.6% in 2010 and declining ever since. South Carolina is now the second-lowest-unionized state in the country, behind only North Carolina. “The causes of falling union participation are hard to pinpoint but may be attributed to several factors, including the pressures of global trade, technological change, the shift away from domestic manufacturing and a tougher stance against unions from government and corporate leaders,” according to Barry Hirsch and David Macpherson, professors at Georgia State University and Trinity University, respectively, in a report on unions. Nationwide, the union membership rate was 11.1% last year, which was mostly unchanged from 2013. Union membership rates have been declining for decades, however; national union membership rates in 1983 were 20.1%, data show.
Political environment
Tensions were rising in the Lowcountry about a possible election as Boeing South Carolina and the union filled the airways and plastered billboards along Interstate 26 and Dorchester Road with advertisements promoting either union representation or union-free facilities. The Machinists union — which represents 90,000 aerospace workers in the U.S., including 35,000 Boeing workers, such as those working on Dreamliners in Everett, Wash., — has been trying to unionize the Boeing South Carolina campus for several years. The union opened an office in North Charleston last year and has been sending mass mailings and meeting with employees. Union officials argue that unionization provides a place at the bargaining table for workers to obtain better wages, more vacation and less overtime. “This is an important step on the road to a collective bargaining agreement for
More than 3,000 production and maintenance employees at Boeing South Carolina are eligible to vote in the April 22 election to decide whether they want union representation. (Photo/Kim McManus)
workers at Boeing South Carolina,” union lead organizer Mike Evans said in a statement. “This is a chance for Boeing workers and their families to substantially improve their careers and communities.” Gov. Nikki Haley is openly opposed to unions in South Carolina, speaking recently in a pro-Boeing radio ad. She has been quoted saying unionized companies are not welcome in the state, that they hinder economic development efforts and that she wears high heels to kick unions past state lines. “I cannot express to you the extent to which this is a game changer when we are trying to bring new businesses to our state. We have a reputation — internationally — for being a state that doesn’t want unions. ... Now, that reputation and, even more importantly, a South Carolina company, are under attack,” Haley said in her State of the State address. Boeing executives also espouse antiunion views. Boeing South Carolina says it wants to maintain its relationship with its 7,500 employees and that the local workforce successfully builds and assembles 787 Dreamliners in North Charleston without union representation. “We feel very comfortable with the relationship we’re developing with our
South Carolina union stats About 2.2% of the state’s workforce, or 41,000 workers, were members of unions in 2014. This is down from 69,000 workers, or 3.7%, who were members of unions in 2013. About 61,000 workers, or 3.2% of the state’s workforce, were represented by a union, whether or not they were members, in 2014. This data includes both union members and those workers who do not report union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union contract since South Carolina is a right-to-work state.
States with the lowest union membership rates:
States with the highest union membership rates:
1. North Carolina..............................1.9% 2. South Carolina........................ 2.2% 3. Mississippi...................................3.7% 3. Utah.............................................3.7% 5. Georgia.........................................4.3%
1. New York...................................24.6% 2. Alaska.......................................22.8% 3. Hawaii.......................................21.8% 4. New Jersey...............................16.5% 5. California...................................16.3%
people, and we absolutely do not believe it would be a good thing if they moved in between us and our people. That’s what the union does,” outgoing Boeing South Carolina Vice President Jack Jones has previously said.
What the election could mean
The National Labor Relations Board approved a petition from the Machinists union to hold an election at Boeing South Carolina after the board determined there were enough eligible voters. More than 3,000 production and maintenance employees are eligible to vote to determine whether the plane manufacturer’s North Charleston campus will be unionized. A simple majority will determine the outcome. South Carolina is a right-to-work state, meaning if the plant is unionized, the Machinists union would represent all Boeing workers, though not all of them would pay dues or be required to join the union. The one-day election will be held at five separate locations on Boeing’s North Charleston campus. The votes will be cast on paper ballots in secret. Workers do not register to vote; rather, they cast their votes and the NLRB verifies eligibility. Union spokesman Frank Larkin said a “yes” vote would not initially change day-
to-day operations for anyone. Negotiations would have to take place and a contract would have to be voted on before any new terms would take effect. Uresh Sheth, an aerospace analyst who runs the All Things 787 blog, said unionization might not change the company’s plans for South Carolina, since the company has already made significant investments in its growing 787 Dreamliner campus here. He also cited the state’s lower cost of living compared with other parts of the country. “They have to think about the total cost structure of the additional work and growth in South Carolina versus alternatives like Washington or any other location,” Sheth said in an email. “Boeing has already laid a significant footprint in Charleston, for one thing, but even with increased labor costs that would inevitably come with a unionized workforce in South Carolina, expanding their footprint in South Carolina may still be attractive because overall costs would still be competitive.” Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at the Teal Group Corp., said other factors besides unionization might be more important to Boeing South Carolina’s growth. He mentioned rising wages, which would decrease Charleston’s competitiveness to score future work from Boeing. StrategicAero’s Chief Analyst Saj Ahmad said that regardless of the vote outcome, Boeing will continue investing in its North Charleston campus to support 787 production and assembly, as well as engine propulsion work for the 737 Max and 777X, though he did say unionization could prompt the Boeing Co. to look elsewhere for future work. “Boeing South Carolina workers will not want to jeopardize ... any future Boeing jetliner work as the price for being unionized — it simply isn’t worth the hassle,” Ahmad said. “Their jobs are at stake and they won’t want to lose out should Boeing look elsewhere in the U.S. for placing any future 737 replacement as well as any all-new airplane programs.” cr bj
Reach Liz Segrist at 843-849-3119 or @lizsegrist on Twitter.
South Carolina’s union membership rates over the decade 5% – 4% – 3% – 2% – 1% – 0% – 2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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April 6 - 19, 2015
Miami architect makes building policy suggestions By Ashley Heffernan
T
aheffernan@scbiznews.com
he city of Charleston has one of the greatest and most well-known brands in the country in its architecture, according to Andres Duany, founding partner of Miami-based Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co. “New Orleans has a brand in food, a brand in music, a brand in the kind of parties that they throw and a brand in how much time they waste,” Duany said during a public session in March at the Charleston Museum. “The only brand you have is architecture. You’re backed into your architecture. It’s the way it looks; it’s what it feels like on the streets; it’s extremely unique, which makes the issue of architecture not one more thing, but the thing. It’s the thing.” Duany was hired by the city and Historic Charleston Foundation to review Charleston’s policies regarding architecture. Duany and his team spent a week with architects, Board of Architectural Review members, preservationists and community members to come up with a list of suggestions. He emphasized the importance of not losing what makes the city unique.
Andres Duany, architect and founding partner of Miami-based Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co., spoke about Charleston’s architectural policies during a public session in mid-March at the Charleston Museum. (Photo/Ashley Heffernan)
“If you start becoming more like Charlotte, you’ve really lost a lot,” he said. “In the future, you will have lost actually an asset that people, other cities, countries, people kill for, and here you have it.” Duany said the city is not in a crisis, as
much as it can feel like it when tensions rise as building projects are proposed in the historic district. Problems are likely, though, according to Duany, after Mayor Joe Riley retires. Regulators appointed by Riley and his
team — those who oversee the accessibility codes, fire codes, electrical codes and exit codes for buildings — have understood that the city is a “delicate and complex place,” Duany said. “You’ve been getting wonderful interpretations by what I would consider to be Mayor Riley’s people. It’s a very humane, old guard that really understands Charleston,” Duany said. “Mayor Riley is going to go and things are going to change. What you need to fear is that the regulators who replace, the younger regulators, will come in and interpret very, very rigidly, and that’s when you’re going to lose Charleston. You’re going to lose the character of Charleston. I see it everywhere else, because the codes of the present are not the codes of the past.” He suggested the city’s preservationists interview and help select future regulators to make sure historic buildings don’t suddenly need larger restrooms, more electrical outlets, elevators and other common building code requirements. Duany also proposed reforming city building codes to limit height to five stories instead of the current 50 feet. “You know what happens when you tell somebody 50 feet? You get six eightfoot stories,” he said. “Eight-foot floors
April 6 - 19, 2015
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Charleston Mayor Joe Riley said he expects the city to change its building height limits from the current 50 feet to five stories within the year to make for more interesting roof lines. (Photo/Ashley Heffernan)
“You’re backed into your architecture. It’s the way it looks; it’s what it feels like on the streets; it’s extremely unique, which makes the issue of architecture not one more thing, but the thing. It’s the thing.” Andres Duany founding partner, Duany Plater-Zyberk & Co.
have everything to do with cheap motels and nothing to do with Charleston.” Riley agreed that it’s a good idea and expects the change to occur by the end of the year. “That’s been discussed before, but I think having the force of his recommendation will help us,” Riley said. “It allows for a more interesting roof line than having everything exactly the same height, almost like cookie cutter. If you do it based on floors, you have some variation, which makes the buildings more interesting and organic.” Another of Duany’s ideas was centered on the Board of Architectural Review, whose members he said appear to be exhausted. Duany attended the March 11 board meeting in which the International African-American Museum and Horizon District projects were discussed. He said that museums, aquariums and other civic buildings shouldn’t be brought to the board, and that more time should be given to bigger projects such as the Horizon proposal. “The architect presenting (Horizon) had zero energy. The comments by the board had zero energy,” Duany said. “I was so devastated that night.”
Phyllis Ewing, chairwoman of the BAR, said that meeting started at 4:30 p.m. and adjourned at 10:10 p.m. Nearly six-hour-long meetings are typical, she said. “For all these people, it’s very important that everything be given full consideration,” Ewing said. “It’s very precious. Next to your family, your house is the most precious thing you have. Charleston is alive. It’s vibrant, people are putting money in, people are investing.” Ewing said Duany’s idea of splitting the BAR into two separate boards, with one board dedicated to renovation and preservation projects and the other focused on new buildings, has merit. She and Riley both said the idea needs to be studied to determine the best way to split the board, though. “Could it be old and new or the size of the project or the area of town? Those are issues that are valid issues that should be in the calculus when this decision is made,” Ewing said. Duany said the leader of the boards should be attorneys who will summarize the board members’ suggestions, because architects aren’t currently clear on what changes are necessary. He added that the board should have one architect who is open to modern architecture and a second who is open to traditional architecture. An engineer would also be necessary, along with alternates so board members could recuse themselves when they are aligned with a project in any way. Renderings submitted by architects were also discussed during Duany’s presentation. He said they should be created within context, including renderings of the surrounding buildings, and the board should no longer accept renderings visualized from the air. He suggested requiring renderings to be pictured from the sidewalk and from across the street to make them more realistic. cr bj
Reach staff writer Ashley Heffernan at 843-849-3144 or @AshleyBHeff on Twitter.
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April 6 - 19, 2015
People Pedal works to make peninsula safer for cyclists By Liz Segrist
F
lsegrist@scbiznews.com
ive people have been killed in the Charleston area thus far in 2015 while walking or riding their bikes, and the Charleston peninsula saw an average of 47 collisions between drivers and pedestrians or cyclists between 2009 and 2012, according to state Transportation Department data. People Pedal Charleston, a new group led by the city of Charleston and supported by Charleston Moves, wants to study cyclists’ commute patterns and put infrastructure in place to make biking and walking safer on the peninsula. By 2024, People Pedal plans to decrease annual bike and car collisions from 47 to zero, as well as increase the city’s mode split — the amount of people biking versus driving — from 7% to 12%. Part of the problem, according to Jacob Lindsey, director of the city of Charleston Design Division, is that Charleston has piecemeal cycling networks rather than connected infrastructure, making it dangerous for cyclists. “In case you haven’t noticed, people on bikes are everywhere in the city of
Charleston, especially downtown,” Lindsey said. “The street in front of my office, Calhoun Street, is packed with people on bikes every day. Even four to five years ago, those people weren’t there. That was a car-dominated street. Things are really changing downtown.” People Pedal plans to study traffic patterns and volumes and data collected from a survey to decide what biking infrastructure is needed in the city, such as marked bike lanes or lower speed limits, as well as where it should go and how it should be funded. As of last month, 858 people had submitted 1,150 routes at the People Pedal website. City planners hope to have a draft by May 1. “This (plan) shows how we’re going to get from no bike facilities to a lot hopefully very quickly. Not 10 years from now, not 20 years from now, because none of us will be here then. We won’t wait that long,” Charleston Moves Executive Director Kurt Cavanaugh said. “This generation doesn’t stick around for crappy things. We want things to happen now.” cr bj
Reach staff writer Liz Segrist at 843-8493119 or @lizsegrist on Twitter.
CARTA to sell parcel on Dorchester Road for $6.5M By Liz Segrist
T
lsegrist@scbiznews.com
he Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority board voted to sell its 36.2-acre property on Dorchester Road in North Charleston for $6.5 million, forgoing plans to build its regional intermodal facility on that site. Rushmark Properties LLC of Falls Church, Va., is the buyer. Rushmark declined to comment about its plans for the site until the deal closes, which is expected this month. The company’s website says it develops office, affordable multifamily residential, mixed-use commercial and retail properties. CARTA interim director Jeff Burns said permitting issues with CSX — such as additional side tracks that would allow the passenger line to get off the main freight line — made the project too expensive for the authority to build the planned 32,000-square-foot facility at the Dorchester Road site. CARTA now intends to build its longplanned intermodal facility on about 6 acres on Gaynor Avenue in North
Charleston. The authority plans to buy the site from CSX, likely tear down the existing Amtrak station and build a 17,000-square-foot intermodal facility that will serve as a hub for CARTA and Southeastern Stages buses, Amtrak trains and taxis. After repaying the Federal Transit Administration roughly $1.64 million for work completed at the Dorchester Road site, the remaining $4.86 million from the sale will go toward the estimated $14 million cost of the intermodal facility. The funding from the sale, coupled with federal money and Charleston County transportation sales tax appropriations, means CARTA still needs about $1 million for the project. Burns hopes North Charleston will provide some of the funding. The CARTA board also approved a vote requesting the city of North Charleston to take a lead role in building and operating the facility. North Charleston City Council must vote on possible funding and management of the project. cr bj
Reach staff writer Liz Segrist at 843-8493119 or @lizsegrist on Twitter.
April 6 - 19, 2015
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blessed with that,” Page said. “We don’t hear their voices. It’s not just the people that were born and raised here who have ideas that are wonderful.” Council members outlined a new growth management plan to the community in late March that would reduce residential density, increase transportation impact fees and raise taxes to purchase and develop public green space. A two-page framework that outlines the broad goals of the plan has the backing of all Town Council members in principle, though nearly everyone emphasized that the details of the plan have to be worked out, and not everyone was solidly behind another tax increase in consecutive years. The town has struggled with divisions among council members, developers and residential factions, all with competing and often changing interests, for more than a year. “I think the catalyst was just the conversation we’ve been having over and over again,” Page said. “At the end of the day, we all know what the issues are.” Page said the latest effort could serve as a way to heal some of those divisions, but the details of how the plan might be implemented depends on recommendations from the town’s committees and commissions and input from residents and developers.
Mount Pleasant Councilmen Elton Carrier (from left), Mark Smith and Gary Santos and Councilwoman Thomasena Stokes-Marshall (right) stand with Mayor Linda Page as she outlines a new growth management plan for the town. (Photo/Andy Owens)
“We’re serious about our responsibility to the community,” said Councilman Chris O’Neal, who serves as the Planning Committee chairman for the town. O’Neal is carrying forward an effort started by Councilwoman Thomasena Stokes-Marshall, former chairwoman of the planning committee. O’Neal called the framework a “pivot” away from multifamily structures. “Please understand the town of Mount Pleasant is not closed for business,” O’Neal said.
Decreases and increases
The stated broad purpose of the plan is to manage growth to preserve quality of life, public safety, education, recreation, mobility, culture and history. The focus of the framework will be on zoning and finance:
Curb number of residential units: • Consider zoning law changes to eliminate bonus density allowances. Presently, developers can increase housing densities if a project qualifies for such things as workforce housing. This would eliminate all four density bonuses. • Eliminate increased densities in mixed-use developments. • Require 100% commercial street frontage for multifamily projects in the town’s urban corridor overlay district, so that all projects fronting streets are retail or commercial. Increase impact fees, eliminate waivers: • Increase impact fees for transportation. Currently, the town charges developers about 65% of the amount it could charge based on a mathematical formula that determines the dollar costs of additional cars on the road. The town likely would not go to 100%, to keep a margin of flexibility, but could go as high as 90%. • Eliminate waivers for recreation impact fees for developments that provide amenities, such as swimming pools. Increase taxes to buy public land: • Propose a property tax increase, with a sunset, to buy property for preservation and recreational use. The tax increase could be a more diffi-
cult part of the plan to get through. Last year, Mount Pleasant raised property taxes for the first time in decades, doubled stormwater fees and increased business license and planning fees. There was little objection from residents to these increases, which were to be used to repair aging infrastructure and handle ongoing growth issues. This year, Town Council members also voted 6-3 to increase the mayor’s salary to $42,000 from $24,000 a year and increase council members’ salaries to $15,000 from less than $9,000 a year. Page said that the tax would be limited and that residents have said they want more recreational land to be available in the town. “This is where we can all say, ‘We want it, and we’re willing to pay for it, and we’ll defend it, and we’ll fight for it with you,’ ” Page said.
Changing density
Specific details of the management plan will be up for debate, but Town Councilman Chris Nickels said the larger goals aren’t in doubt. “Plans are not set in stone, but the themes are set in stone,” he said. “We are in an economic boom and a population expansion, and we are going to respond to that.” Nickels said he expects the management plan will receive unanimous support from Town Council.
April 6 - 19, 2015
“This is not a reactionary response. This is a response of two years of hearings, receipt of information and market data,” Nickels said. “Council under Mayor Page and Planning Committee leader Chris O’Neal and the rest of us are going to engage in a thoughtful approach to this growth-management situation.” Market data show that Mount Pleasant is in a boom. The 2000 Census listed the town’s population at around 47,000. Today, that number is closer to 75,000. Housing and rental prices also are moving upward as more people are choosing to live and work east of the Cooper. But many of those commute into and out of Mount Pleasant each day. Most people working in the town of Mount Pleasant are teachers, medical professionals, retail clerks and town staff members, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. Michelle Mapp, executive director of the S.C. Community Loan Fund, said a lot of those workers can’t afford to live in Mount Pleasant, where the median home price in February was $442,000 in lower Mount Pleasant and nearly $23,000 higher in other parts of the town. She said that as higher-density options are eliminated and impact fees increased, development will move to other places. “If you limit supply, it increases demand and sort of forces the market,” Mapp said. “The prices are going to go up.” The S.C. Community Loan Fund is a statewide nonprofit based in North Charleston that provides loans for commercial developers to build affordable housing and businesses. Mapp said many variables make a community more livable, and it’s not a quick or simple fix. Building more apartment complexes won’t immediately reduce traffic, but she said decreasing density is not the answer to Mount Pleasant’s growing congestion. “You have this high-cost housing market. You have everyone else who’s commuting in every day to go to work, and so people are saying, ‘There’s too much traffic. Well, we should stop development. No more multifamily housing developments because that’s going to just increase traffic’ — not realizing that what it’s actually going to do is put people in close proximity to where they actually go to work,” Mapp said. Town Councilman Gary Santos, who has been one of the most outspoken voices for limiting development using setbacks and height restrictions, said the town is just responding to the concerns of citizens and should be considered a state and national model. “This is what government’s all about,” Santos said. “We serve the people, and when the people come and give you their comments and recommendations and things, it’s up to elected officials to listen to that.”
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Page said the plan could be a template for how to address regional growth. “For me, what this does is it gives this council the opportunity to stand unified together to help solve some problems that we feel have been identified by the citizens,” Page said. “The citizens have said they want less.”
Shifting plans
In 2009, Mount Pleasant approved a comprehensive plan to provide direction for town leaders for the next decade. Mapp, who served on the steering committee for the plan, said housing densities, workforce and senior-living housing were a large part, and many of the items laid out in the new framework seem to ignore some of the work done during that time. She said momentum was lost with new councils and community members. “There has to be a counterbalance to those voices,” Mapp said. “There has to be just a coalition of people who are willing to stand up and say, ‘Hey let’s hold on a minute.’ That’s where I think the business community has to say, ‘This is directly impacting our recruitment, our employees.’ ” When Mount Pleasant updated the comprehensive plan in 2014, the town signaled it was moving away from high-density, multifamily development. The update changed references promoting higher-density housing to “accommodate densities appropriately to protect existing residential areas, particularly in rural and conservation areas.” “I think it would have been great back in 2009 to sort of visually show people that this is what the transformation in the town is going to look like as we move from a primarily low-density, single-family, sprawling community to maybe a more urban, a bit more higher density city,” Mapp said. Page and Nickels said some of the incentives that are being scaled back and adjusted were put in place when the economy was in recession and growth was stagnant. Now the town’s leadership wants developers to cover more costs with increased impact fees and a downshift in densities. “When you build a new apartment complex or redevelop a shopping center, it’s going to impact town infrastructure,” Page said. “We want now to bring those fees to a more appropriate level.” Page emphasized that nothing in the framework is meant to put a moratorium on growth but will hopefully move economic development through the process of approval and review more quickly. “I think the people who develop in Mount Pleasant want this settled as much as we do,” Page said. “I don’t see this as any kind of negative for our economic development or our growth or our relationships with developers.” cr bj
Reach Andy Owens at 843-849-3142.
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April 6 - 19, 2015
International teams test humanoid robots at SPAWAR research range By Ashley Heffernan
I
aheffernan@scbiznews.com
magine sitting at your desk, chatting with your co-workers about an upcoming meeting, when the floor begins to rattle. Walls crack, and fluorescent lights snap off as they fall from the ceiling. Foundations rip apart, causing building after building to collapse. An earthquake rearranges the Lowcountry. Moments later, the quake initiates a tsunami that sends a 50-foot wave crashing into the S.C. coast, leveling Charleston. Rubble is all that remains after the water recedes. Crushed Shem Creek shrimp boats litter the streets, bits of 787-10 Dreamliners lay scattered miles away from a destroyed Boeing S.C. assembly plant and waves bring wooden planks of old horse carriages to the shore. Trapped in crumpled homes, beneath fallen debris and within smashed cars, survivors moan throughout the city. Many will be saved only with the help of robots.
Building a lifesaver
Teams of engineers from around the world are building life-size, humanoid robots programmed to enter disaster zones. The idea is that they will assess damage, move wreckage and turn off valves — which could keep radioactive chemicals from seeping out of nuclear power plants and into the air or water, similar to the 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan. Twenty-two robot teams, developed by academic institutions, defense contractors and private businesses in the United States, Japan, China, Hong Kong and the European Union, recently tested their skills on a course in Goose Creek that is similar to the one they will encounter at a U.S. Defense Department competition in California. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will host a robotics challenge in June and plans to give the winning team $2 million. The second-place team will earn $1 million, and $500,000 will be awarded for third place. In preparation for the final competition, teams brought their robots to the SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic’s Unmanned Systems Research Range on Joint Base Charleston in mid-March. SPAWAR partnered with Darpa for the challenge and is mostly in charge of the
The University of Japan’s Aero robot will compete in the Robotics Challenge. (Photo/SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic)
communication equipment the teams will use to tell their robots what to do, said Gill Pratt, program manager for the Darpa Robotics Challenge. “The challenge is actually not just about robots; it’s about human supervisors working in partnership with the robot from a distance,” Pratt said. “We expect that the way that you’ll handle disasters in the future is very much going to be with experts working at a distance where it’s safe and the robot working at the site. So communication between those two parts is a key element to that whole thing.” During the challenge, robots operate without wires, power cords, fall protection or communications tethers. To make the competition even more difficult, Darpa will also degrade the wireless network by periodically turning it off and on, to replicate conditions during a disaster.
And they’re off
To start the California competition, robots will be put in a vehicle by their human teams. The robots will then drive through a course that includes a few S-turns and then exit the vehicles. “They’ll have to get out, just like you or I get out of a car, which turns out to be incredibly hard to do without face-planting and falling forward. Then they’re going to have to get out and open a door to get into the simulation, here, of an
April 6 - 19, 2015
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University of California, Los Angeles Professor Dennis Hong, team leader for the Tactical Hazardous Operations Robot – Open Platform, answers questions from Lowcountry students while students from UCLA and the University of Pennsylvania watch the robot perform tasks. (Photo/Ashley Heffernan)
industrial site,” Pratt said, gesturing to the competition area. Several manipulation tasks that require humanlike hand use await the robots inside. “Things like opening a valve, things like hooking up a connector for power and things like using a tool made for human beings to cut a hole in a wall,” Pratt said. Then they will move on to locomotion tasks that include rubble and debris. “They’ll either have to walk over very rough terrain, like cinder blocks, or deal with all this debris that’s in the way and either move it out of the way with their hands or push it out of the way with their feet or climb on top of it in some way,” Pratt said. To finish the competition within the allotted hour, robots must also walk up a flight of stairs. Each task is worth a point, with a possible score of eight. If the robots fall down or get stuck, the clock keeps running, but Pratt said the Darpa team is considering a penalty option. “Ideally they get up by themselves. We’re not quite sure if we’re going to allow a certain kind of recovery in case they can’t get up,” he said. “If they can’t get up, we’ll probably allow them to retrieve the robot, take a 10-minute penalty, start again outside the building and do it again.” The robots aren’t ready to be dropped into a real disaster zone yet; they’re still scientific prototypes, Pratt said. But leaders from the Defense Department, other parts of the U.S. government and the private sector are expected to attend the
STEM wages All jobs
Jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree or more
Jobs requiring an associate degree or less
$72,052 $60,150
$59,830 $50,529 $35,080 $30,797
STEM
Other
STEM
Other
STEM
Other
Top 10 STEM occupations Job title
Jobs
Requiring bachelor’s
Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners
13,030
26.8%
Computer Occupations
5,870
83.5%
Engineers
4,720 100.0%
Construction Trade Workers
4,040
0.0%
Health Technologists and Technicians
3,630
16.2%
Financial Specialists
3,030
93.3%
Business Operations Specialists
2,010
83.8%
Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Mechanics, Installers and Repairers
2,000
0.0%
Other Management Occupations
1,820
80.7%
Drafters, Engineering Technicians and Mapping Technicians
1,660
17.5% Source: Brookings Institute
challenge to scout for ideas. One of the teams that was expected to compete is already out of the game after Google executives saw a trial run in Florida. “The team that did the best was bought up by Google, so they’re now a part of the private-sector effort,” Pratt said. “They bought the whole team.”
Enter THOR
The University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Pennsylvania joined forces to create Thor-OP, which stands for Tactical Hazardous Operations Robot – Open Platform. Twenty students have been working See ROBOTS, Page 14
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April 6 - 19, 2015
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over the past two years to develop the robot, which took about six months to build, according to team leader Dennis Hong, a professor in UCLA’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. “We still have to do a lot of research and development. Who is going to do that? It’s going to be the next generation of scientists and engineers,” Hong said. He showed off Thor-OP and spoke to a group of students from Lowcountry schools who visited the SPAWAR research range about the importance of science, technology, engineering and math studies. “So the kids that came here today, we want to inspire them, show them what we’re doing, why this is important,” he said. “I always tell students that do robotics: Science is the tool to do the robotics, and math is the language to do science. So you need to have a strong background in math and science to save the world.”
The impact of STEM
Developing and delivering the next generation of SPAWAR and Defense Department employees is becoming increasingly difficult. SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic created a STEM outreach program that sponsors several student robotics teams in the area and assigns a mentor to each. Tommy Groves, spokesman for SPAWAR, said the Defense Department is focusing on STEM initiatives in local communities, specifically, because U.S. citizenship is a core requirement for most government positions. “Government employees must take an ‘oath of office,’ swearing to support and defend the constitution of the United States. STEM outreach programs strive to increase the number of U.S. citizens interested in STEM fields at an early age and grow this interest into a professional
Students stayed behind barriers while watching robot teams work through obstacles similar to those they will encounter at the Darpa Robotics Challenge. (Photo/Ashley Heffernan)
education and potential federal employment,” Groves said. U.S. leadership in STEM fields has diminished over the years, according to the Defense Department’s STEM Education and Outreach Strategic Plan for 2010 to 2014. “The bottom line is that other countries are producing many more scientists and engineers than the United States,” the plan said. China granted about the same number of first engineering degrees as the United States did in 1985. But the country granted four times as many as the United States in 2005, the plan said. Workers 45 and older made up about 58% of all federal scientists and engineers in 2005, and they will likely leave through retirement or attrition by 2020, the plan said. Additionally, the department faces a challenge in finding talent because of competition with the private sector, which generally provides higher salaries. SPAWAR hopes that some of the stu-
dents who visited the range and participate on its robotics teams will eventually move into the government workforce.
The next generation
Stephanie Linke, an 11th-grader at Ashley Ridge High School, already knows how to build and operate less-complex robots. She is a member of Category 5, First Robotics Competition Team 3489, a crew of about 30 students from Ashley Ridge and Summerville high schools. She listened to Hong discuss Thor-OP and watched the robot try to use a drill. “It’s really cool to see,” she said. It took Linke’s team six weeks to build their robot, which weighs about 120 lbs. and can stack plastic storage containers. Linke took an engineering class at school but was initially reluctant to join the team, which meets and builds at the Bosch plant in North Charleston. “My dad actually works at Bosch, and he heard about it and kind of saw it on his way to his office,” Linke said. “I came
to one (of the meetings), and I was like ‘Man, these people are weird. They like all this technology stuff.’ ” Other members of the team handed her a drill on her first day and asked her to drill a hole. She was hooked. “They basically taught me everything, and I had no idea what I was doing. Being in engineering at school helped me too,” she said. “It kind of gives you an idea of what you can do, and once you go and join a team, you can apply all the stuff you learn in class to build a robot.” Linke said she wants to be a mechanical engineer after she graduates from college, and her one complaint about the robots that were testing at SPAWAR was that they move too slowly. Hong said that’s a common grumble because the general public has an unrealistically high expectation of robots. “These are the cutting-edge, state-ofthe-art robots from around the world, but they walk really slowly. They fall down easily,” he said. “People’s expectations are so high because they watch science fiction, and in the movies, they depict robots as running, lifting a car with one hand. Those are all science fiction. They still have a long way to go.” If his team wins, Hong said the team will reinvest the $2 million into the project to develop robots that one day really can run and save human lives. “I have this dream: I become old. I’m a grandpa, and I’m watching TV, probably a holographic TV by that time, and I’m with my grandkids. On the news, there is a burning building, and robots go in and rescue people, and I tell my grandkids, ‘Your grandpa designed that robot.’ How cool would that be? This is not our work. This is our mission. How can we not be excited about this? We’re developing technology that will save the world.” cr bj
Reach staff writer Ashley Heffernan at 843-849-3144 or @AshleyBHeff on Twitter.
Charleston VA to build $10M parking garage on peninsula By Ashley Heffernan aheffernan@scbiznews.com
“L
ord, for years our parking situation has encouraged us to pray,” Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center Chaplain John Painter said. “We pray to get here early enough to find a spot. Then we pray as we search for a spot.” Painter’s invocation opened a groundbreaking ceremony in late March for the Charleston VA’s new, nearly $10 million parking garage at its downtown campus. “Today, Lord, we look forward to an improved situation,” Painter continued. The parking deck, to be located on the south side of the medical center at 109 Bee St., will be built by Atlanta-based Colossal Construction Co. in two phases
and will provide about 1,000 additional spaces. It will be open for patients, employees and visitors to the hospital. Joseph Lysaght, deputy director of Charleston County Veterans Affairs, said there are more than 40,000 veterans in the county and many are deterred from the center by the lack of parking options. “Did you know a lot of veterans just stop coming to the medical center because of the aggravation and the traffic conditions associated with parking?” Lysaght said. “On just about any day of the week, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, you might spend as much as 45 minutes trying to find a parking space, especially when the valet service is full.” A two-story, 109,000-square-foot facility will be built in the first phase, with
A parking gargage will be built at 109 Bee St. (Rendering/Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center)
structural capability to support four additional parking levels during the proposed second phase. The first phase, expected to be complete in the spring of 2016, will provide 293 vehicle spaces and eight motorcycle spots. The second would add an extra 704 spaces. The medical center has also leased a
600-space parking lot at 41 Folly Road, where U.S. 17 forks off at the intersection with Albemarle Road. Six buses and five vans contracted from Owl Inc. Transportation will shuttle patients, visitors and employees between the medical center and the lot. The off-site parking lot will remain available after the parking deck is built, Charleston VA Director Scott Isaacks said. “We knew we were growing very quickly as a facility, but found out here recently that our growth in this last year was 7.44%, which makes us the sixth-fastest growing VA in the country,” Isaacks said. “We continually plan for our future health care needs here in Charleston, all while doing everything possible to deliver the best experience.” cr bj
In Focus:
LIST Colleges and Universities, Page 25 Education and BONUS LIST Private Schools, Page 23 Workforce Development
Law school co-founder leaves, plans to donate ownership By Ashley Heffernan aheffernan@scbiznews.com
A
week after the Charleston School of Law began offering voluntary exit packages to faculty and staff members, co-founder Ed Westbrook resigned from the school’s board of directors. “He intends to donate his interest, or the proceeds from his interest if Charleston School of Law LLC exercises its right to buy the interest, to a legally based charity that furthers the public mission of Charleston School of Law to serve the underserved,” attorney M. Dawes Cooke Jr. said on behalf of Westbrook, who did not return messages seeking comment by press time. Dean Andy Abrams informed faculty and staff members, along with a select number of student leaders, of Westbrook’s decision during meetings on March 27. Westbrook founded the school in 2002 along with Robert Carr, George Kosko, Alex Sanders and Ralph McCullough. Sanders and McCullough have since retired, and Carr and Kosko have said they intend to retire, which left Westbrook as the only co-founder appearing to want to continue operating the school. He was also the only remaining co-founder opposed to selling the school to the InfiLaw System. The company owns three other for-profit schools — the Charlotte School of Law, the Florida Coastal School of Law and the Phoenix School of Law — and Westbrook has said the Charleston School of Law was never created to become a part of a national consortium. Annah Woodward, president of the school’s Student Bar Association, said Westbrook’s resignation is “mind-blowing and hard to believe because Ed Westbrook has been a champion of the whole thing,” referring to his stance on not selling the school. “I would rather see CSOL closed than see it become an InfiLaw school,” she said, calling InfiLaw’s model harmful. The school’s offer to buy out faculty contracts and provide staff severance packages might be off the table now that Westbrook is no longer a part of the administration, but school officials would not comment on the status of the offers. “They’ve done a buyout option before and everyone just kind of laughed,” Woodward said. “To do it again, it’s just disheartening to say the least. But we also
How to get a $10,000 raise The National Center for Education Statistics shows a gap of nearly $10,000 between high school graduates and dropouts. The gap increases more dramatically for those with two- and four-year degrees, but it starts with the first milestone.
High school graduation rates Percentage of students graduating on time for 2012, the latest data available. The national graduation rate is 75% for that year.
Mississippi 68% Georgia 70% South Carolina 72% Florida 75% Alabama 75% North Carolina 79% Tennessee 83% Virginia 84%
South Carolina’s 5-year trend Co-founder Ed Westbrook resigned from the Charleston School of Law board of directors a week after the school began offering to buy out faculty contracts and provide staff severance packages. (Photo/Ashley Heffernan)
really love our faculty, and we don’t think which will push his graduation date back they need to be going anywhere. Cutting to 2017. He suspects the buyout options our faculty is non-negotiable. That’s not will change the landscape of his final two years at the school. something we can lose.” “I will get to gradation, but under Law school student Tom Fernandez said several instructors are upset about what premise I don’t know. I’m sure my instruction will change or the fashion of the offers and campus morale is low. Calls to at least seven professors were the instruction may definitely change,” he said. “I don’t like not returned by that prospect.” press time. Woodward said “As a student, I “I would rather see CSOL administrators still think it’s just anothhave not released er strategic move by closed than see it become the school’s budget, InfiLaw to get rid of which she and other voices who are in an InfiLaw school.” students requested opposition to it, to during a protest in InfiLaw,” Fernandez Annah Woodward November. said. “It’s just anothpresident, Charleston School of Law “That’s not a er strategic move by Student Bar Association huge shock,” she InfiLaw to take over said. “It’s just so the school.” frustrating because He said he thinks it is a way to pay off the faculty and staff we’re still in law school, and I feel like we’re learning more about what it’s like to who are against the sale. “It puts instructors in a tough posi- be a good attorney and a good pursuer tion. There are Judas Iscariots out there of things that are right and good and just who will sell themselves out for 30 pieces than the people that are supposed to be of silver,” Fernandez said, referring to the running our school. We’re learning a lot from this.” disciple who betrayed Jesus Christ. Fernandez is a second-year student who was expected to graduate next year, Reach staff writer Ashley Heffernan at but he recently started work on an MBA, 843-849-3144 or @AshleyBHeff on Twitter.
High school graduation rates from 2008 to 2012.
62%
20072008
66%
20082009
68%
69%
20092010
20102011
72%
20112012
Source: Kids Count Data Center
Dropout rates for selected school districts County Dropout rate Berkeley 2.7% Charleston 3.0% Dorchester 2 3.1% Dorchester 4 1.7% Greenville 3.4% Richland 1 4.1% Richland 2 1.6% Source: S.C. State Department of Education Report on Student Dropout Rates
cr bj
Next Issue’s Focus:
Banking and Finance
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IN FOCUS: EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
April 6 - 19, 2015
Counties hone hiring through Work Ready Certification program By Holly Fisher
E
Contributing Writer
laine Morgan, CEO of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, likens the state’s Work Ready Certification program to a smartphone: “We’ve only seen a percentage of what it can do.” Although the program is still in the early stages, multiple S.C. counties have committed to certification, which counties receive by meeting goals for high school graduation, soft skills development, business support and National Career Readiness Certificates. South Carolina was one of four states selected to participate in the pilot of the ACT Work Ready Communities program. The state is now in the second year of a two-year initiative. All 46 S.C. counties have committed to participating, making it the only state with 100% county commitment. In December, the state announced that almost half of the counties have achieved certification: Abbeville, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Beaufort, Berkeley, Cherokee, Clarendon, Colleton, Dorchester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Florence, Greenwood, Laurens, Marlboro, McCormick, Newberry, Pickens, Saluda, Sumter and Williamsburg.
How it works
In each county, businesses sign a postcard declaring their support for the program and set goals to improve their high school graduation rates. To be certified, counties must commit to having a three-year rolling average of at least 73.1%, or to increasing their threeyear average by 1% to 2% from the time they signed their contract, said Rebecca Battle-Bryant, assistant executive director for workforce and economic development at the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. County residents then take WorkKeys assessments, which are part of the Work Readiness System from ACT — the same company that offers the ACT college admissions exam. The WorkKeys test has 10 potential assessment components, and South Carolina has identified three areas that impact the greatest number of jobs in the state: reading, math and locating information. Test scores are maintained for each state so that economic development officials can show prospective businesses how many people are qualified in those areas and at what levels. Battle-Bryant said there is a direct
correlation between a person’s test scores and a higher earning potential. She said some businesses value the WorkKeys scores more than a high school diploma. By testing individuals in common areas, businesses have a standardized way to approach their hiring process. “It creates a common dialogue for everybody in the community,” Battle-Bryant said. For example, businesses can go as far as indicating in a job posting that they want applicants who scored a 3 in math or a 4 in reading, she said. “It’s definitely a way to show you who is capable of doing that job versus someone who might not be equipped to do it and would be frustrated,” she said. “It cuts down on recruitment and improves turnover, retention and productivity.” The program also includes development of soft skills such as teamwork,
“It’s definitely a way to show you who is capable of doing that job versus someone who might not be equipped to do it and would be frustrated. It cuts down on recruitment and improves turnover, retention and productivity.” Rebecca Battle-Bryant assistant executive director, S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce
customer service, interpersonal business communications, work discipline and critical thinking. Battle-Bryant said job seekers can add these scores to their resumes to better demonstrate their ability to do a specific job.
Business boost
The certification program puts South Carolina on the radar for businesses considering a move or expansion within the state. “It’s a nice tool for economic developers to say, ‘We have a workforce ready for you, and we have the data to show what scores you need,’” Battle-Bryant said. Berkeley Chamber CEO Morgan said
that creating a common ground is the greatest benefit of the program. “It creates a baseline as an employer or employee. It also tells you where you need to improve. It’s a great, great tool,” she said. The program is being run through a partnership among the Department of Employment and Workforce, the Department of Commerce, Gov. Nikki Haley’s office, the state Chamber of Commerce, the S.C. Technical College System and the S.C. Manufacturers Alliance. Battle-Bryant said her department provides technical assistance to counties. The department assesses the data on a monthly basis and provides updates to counties. But the commitment ultimately falls to the counties and their businesses to rally around the effort. “We can hold your hand as much or as little as you like,” she said.
Profiles for better hiring
During the next year, businesses also can take advantage of free WorkKeys profiles, through which a certified profiler visits a business and creates a profile for specific positions. This helps businesses refine job requirements and streamline them with WorkKeys assessment scores. The profiles are not a requirement for a county’s Work Ready Certification but they are a benefit to businesses, Battle-Bryant said. The Fruit of the Loom Palmetto Distribution Center in Dorchester County is one business taking advantage of the profiles as well as sending its employees to take the WorkKeys assessment. Jay Medlin, plant manager, said the company is using it to hire for such skilled positions as forklift drivers, maintenance technicians and electricians. “It’s a good way to judge someone’s talent or get an assessment for their ability,” he said. The company is in the process of expanding its distribution center, which will increase its full-time employees from 187 to more than 220, Medlin said. All new employees will be hired based on WorkKeys scores. Medlin sees taking the test as an indicator of a potential employees’ commitment, which is the kind of initiative he wants. “You’re not going to come in here knowing what we do, but we want people who are teachable,” Medlin said. cr bj
For more information on the program, visit www.scworkready.org.
April 6 - 19, 2015
IN FOCUS: EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
www.charlestonbusiness.com 19
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April 6 - 19, 2015
IN FOCUS: EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
CofC MBA program graduates rank high for finding jobs By Ashley Heffernan
T
aheffernan@scbiznews.com
he College of Charleston’s MBA program ranked third in the country for the highest percentage of graduates who find a job, according to data from U.S. News and World Report. The University of Tulsa’s Collins College of Business took the No. 1 spot, with 100% of graduates finding employment three months after graduating in 2014. It was followed by the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business with 97.2% employed graduates. CofC’s School of Business, which had 36 full-time MBA students in the fall, saw 97.1% of its 2014 graduates find a job within three months. This was the first time CofC was on the top 10 list. CofC President Glenn McConnell said the ranking is good news for the college and the community. “The college’s MBA program, like our other graduate degrees, is keenly focused on preparing students for success in the workplace, whether securing their first jobs or advancing their careers,” McConnell said in a statement.
Alan T. Shao, dean of the School of Business, said the one-year MBA program is 5 years old and each student is paired with an industry mentor. “With concentrated effort by our faculty, world-class mentors, strong advisory board and MBA team leadership, our graduates are going to continue to find good jobs in fields that matter to them,” Shao said in a statement. A report from the Graduate Management Admission Council in February found that the majority of business school alumni who graduated from 1959 to 2014 held midlevel positions one year after earning their degree and senior-level positions or higher five years after graduation. “Graduate management degree-holders consistently tell GMAC their education is a solid investment and a spur to personal, professional and financial achievement, even in up-and-down economies,” Sangeet Chowfla, president and CEO of GMAC, said in a statement. “A graduate management education isn’t just a degree, it’s a career catalyst.” cr bj
Reach staff writer Ashley Heffernan at 843-849-3144 or @AshleyBHeff on Twitter.
Top 10 business schools in the U.S. for graduates finding jobs Full-time MBA enrollment in Fall 2014
Full-time MBA graduates employed 3 months after graduating in 2014
42
100%
1,181
97.2%
College of Charleston
36
97.1%
Washington University in St. Louis
281
96.9%
University of Pittsburgh
161
96.2%
Texas A&M University – College Station
113
96.1%
University of Washington
248
95.8%
Michigan State University
150
95.6%
University of Pennsylvania
1,711
95.6%
57
95.5%
School
University of Tulsa University of Chicago
University of Kansas Source: U.S. News and World Report
April 6 - 19, 2015
IN FOCUS: EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
S.C. State University president fired, Elzey files lawsuit against school By Ashley Heffernan
T
aheffernan@scbiznews.com
he president of S.C. State University was fired March 16, three weeks after the school’s board of trustees put him on administrative leave. By a vote of 6-1, the board removed Thomas J. Elzey as president, according to university spokeswoman Elizabeth Mosely-Hawkins.
How the trustees voted: Yes
John H. Corbitt Anthony T. Grant Ronald B. Henegan Sr. Tammy Adams Kelly Carlotta Redish William Small Jr.
No
Dennis J. Nielson
Abstain
Pearl V. Ascue Sidney J. Evering II Gail Joyner-Fleming
Trustees didn’t explain why they were terminating Elzey during the meeting, but two letters sent to Elzey from Chairman William Small earlier in the year provided some insight. In a letter to Elzey on Jan. 16, Small wrote that the board was increasingly concerned “with the effect of rumors and personnel decisions that are being circulated and implemented.” He said board members were receiving calls from employees about their future employment and about the institution’s declaration of a state of fiscal exigency, but they didn’t have enough information to answer their questions. “This is particularly troubling while the university is publicly wrestling with a variety of issues, which relate to our image, reputation and public credibility,” Small wrote. He also said the board was concerned about Elzey’s professional schedule. The board planned a meeting on the same day as Gov. Nikki Haley’s inauguration and had to cancel it when Elzey wasn’t able to attend because he was at the inauguration. Small said Elzey was also not on campus, but in Atlanta, when “it was necessary to respond to prevent the power to the university from being cut off.” Small sent another letter to Elzey on Feb. 25, a day after the university put the president on administrative leave. Small acknowledged that prior to Elzey’s becoming president, the univer-
sity faced a $12 million deficit, declining enrollment, a warning from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accrediting agency and “horrific public relations problems caused by financial problems.” In addition to those problems, though, Small said there had been a disconnect between the board and university administration, specifically Elzey. “Your recent presentation to the House Ways and Means Committee about the need for substantial additional funding, while certainly meritorious in my opinion, was made without any prior notice to or consultation with the board,” Small wrote. “Communications have been a serious problem, which many board members believe is fundamentally the result of your attitude towards the board and a lack of respect on your part towards the board and its proper functions.” He added that most trustees were upset that Elzey hadn’t provided them with a “clear plan for the university to emerge from its current financial crisis, accreditation issues and the university’s public image problems” and that it was in the university’s best interest to place Elzey on administrative leave. Elzey filed a lawsuit against the university and trustees, saying nothing in those letters constitutes just cause for termination under his employment contract. Court documents claim that trustees “repeatedly tried to micromanage” Elzey’s administrative duties and blamed him for “long-standing financial problems caused by years of inadequate state funding and poor fiscal management.” Elzey is also suing for unpaid wages. The lawsuit said more than 30 days have passed and S.C. State has still not paid Elzey the wages owed to him. The filing doesn’t specify how much is owed, but Elzey’s contract sets his base salary at $170,000. He was also paid $110,000 annually from the S.C. State University Advancement Foundation and $50,000 annually to a qualified annuity plan, along with insurance and retirement benefits, a housing allowance, an automobile, membership to the Orangeburg Country Club and paid vacation and sick days. S.C. State’s board may not have power over the school much longer, though. The S.C. House of Representatives passed a joint resolution March 17 that would remove the current board members and give authority to a newly appointed interim board of trustees chosen by the S.C. Budget and Control Board. The Senate referred the bill to the Committee on Education. cr bj
Reach staff writer Ashley Heffernan at 843-849-3144 or @AshleyBHeff on Twitter.
www.charlestonbusiness.com 21
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www.charlestonbusiness.com
April 6 - 19, 2015
IN FOCUS: EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Study finds S.C. faces shortfall of 114,000 workers with college degrees
A
Staff Report
new report has found that South Carolina faces a shortfall of more than 114,000 workers with twoand four-year college degrees through 2030. The study, released by the S.C. Business Leaders Higher Education Council, came after research economists at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business analyzed the state’s economic and demographic trends. The study noted postsecondary graduation is the best predictor of a state’s income levels, and researchers made recommendations to curtail the worker shortages. “South Carolina’s workforce challenges are clear, and the leaders on this task force came up with a targeted set of measures to address them,” former Gov. Jim Hodges said in a statement. The measures, dubbed Competing Through Knowledge, call for South Carolina to increase financial aid for lowerand middle-class students, offer tuition rebates to those pursuing degrees in high-demand fields and increase state funding for schools that agree to limit tuition increases. It also suggests funding performance incentives for schools and allowing them the flexibility to operate like businesses. The project also encourages the state
to address the need for 44,000 more health care professionals and increase the number of graduates with degrees in science, technology, math and engineering. “We all can see what needs to be done, both on higher education goals and on creating greater access,” Francis Marion University President Fred Carter said in a statement. “Now the state’s elected leaders need to take action to give South Carolinians the prosperous future they deserve.” Other specific initiatives include better online access to courses and degree programs and funding schools on a formula tied to the level provided by other regional states. The recommendations received strong support across the state, according to a telephone poll conducted with 500 residents. The survey found that 88% of responders support an increase in collaboration between private businesses and the state’s college and universities and 77% supported increasing the number of students graduating in the STEM fields. “There certainly is a strong consensus about moving the state forward,” said David Wilkins, former U.S. ambassador to Canada and chairman of the Clemson board of trustees, in a statement. “This is an opportunity for our South Carolina to be a national leader in business-higher education collaboration and workforce development.” cr bj
The Citadel names new provost By Ashley Heffernan aheffernan@scbiznews.com
A
member of Elon University’s senior cabinet will become The Citadel’s provost and dean in July, according to a news release from the military college. Connie Ledoux Book, associate provost of academic affairs at the school in North Carolina, will replace Brig. Gen. Samuel M. Book Hines Jr., who will retire as provost and dean at the end of the 2014-15 academic year. As provost, Book will be responsible for all academic functions of the college and will be the second-ranking official at The Citadel, reporting directly to President Lt. Gen. John W. Rosa. “She not only has the leadership and academic experience we sought, but she clearly embraces our mission,” Rosa
said in a statement. “She is the perfect fit during this exciting time.” Book earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Louisiana State University, a master’s degree in education from Northwestern State University and a doctorate in journalism from the University of Georgia, according to the news release. She joined Elon in 1999 as an assistant professor and worked her way up to department chair, associate dean and associate provost. Elon University President Leo M. Lambert called Book a “student-centered educator with exceptional talent for academic leadership. “She has earned the respect of her colleagues as a strategic and thoughtful administrator who strives to advance the university mission and strategic plan for the benefit of students,” Lambert said in a statement. cr bj
Reach staff writer Ashley Heffernan at 843-849-3144 or @AshleyBHeff on Twitter.
April 6 - 19, 2015
IN FOCUS: EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
www.charlestonbusiness.com 23
Private Schools Ranked by 2014 Enrollment School
Phone / Website Email
Administrator / Year Founded
Fall Enrollment / Teachers
Student:Teacher Ratio
Affiliations / Accreditations
Porter-Gaud School 300 Albemarle Road Charleston, SC 29407
843-556-3620 www.portergaud.edu thirni@portergaud.edu
David DuBose Egleston Jr. 1867
Grades
860 117
12:1
NAIS, PAIS, SCISA, NAES / SAIS, SACS
1st through 12th
Bishop England High School 363 Seven Farms Drive Charleston, SC 29492
843-849-9599 www.behs.com kbrownell@behs.com
Patrick Finneran, Nancy Heath, Kit Brownell 1915
715 55
13:1
NCEA, SCHSL, NASSP, SACAC, NACAC/SACS-CASI Catholic Diocese of Charleston / 9-12 Catholic Education Honor Roll School of Excellence
Pinewood Preparatory School 1114 Orangeburg Road Summerville, SC 29483
843-873-1643 www.pinewoodprep.com admissions@pinewoodprep.com
Stephen M. Mandell 1952
700 80
9:1
NAIS, PAIS, SAIS, SCISA, The College Board / SAIS, SACS, SCISA
Pre-K3 through 12th
Northwood Academy 2263 Otranto Road North Charleston, SC 29406
843-764-2284 www.northwoodacademy.com admissions@northwoodacademy.com
Larry L. Evanoff 1978
699 47
15:1
ACSI, TAC, SCOIS, CEEB, IFCSA, IACEE, / SCISA, AdvancEd
Pre-K through 12th
Ashley Hall 172 Rutledge Ave. Charleston, SC 29403
843-722-4088 www.ashleyhall.org -
Jill S. Muti 1909
675 75
9:1
NAIS, NCGS, PAIS, SCISA / SACS, SAIS
Ages 2 through 5 (co-ed); K through 12th (girls only)
Christ Our King-Stella Maris School 1183 Russell Drive Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-884-4721 www.coksm.org -
John Byrnes 1950
602 38
16:1
Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston / Diocese of Charleston
Pre-K through 8th
Palmetto Christian Academy 361 Egypt Road Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-881-9967 www.palmettochristianacademy.org lisas@palmettochristianacademy.org
Mike E. Lindsey 1992
500 60
14:1
SCISA / ACSI, SACS
Pre-K2 through 12th
First Baptist School of Charleston 48 Meeting St. Charleston, SC 29401
843-722-6646 www.fbschool.org admissions@fbschool.org
Thomas E. Mullins, Robin J. Riggs, Will McCombs 1949
478 50
11:1
SAIS, SCISA, First Baptist Church of Charleston / SAIS-SACS, SCISA, AdvancEd
K2 through 12th
Mason Preparatory School 56 Halsey Blvd. Charleston, SC 29401
843-723-0664 www.masonprep.org mainoffice@masonprep.org
Erik Kreutner 1964
340 40
13:1
NAIS, SCISA / SACS, SAIS
K through 8th
St. John's Christian Academy 204 W. Main St. Moncks Corner, SC 29461
843-761-8539 www.sjcacavaliers.com info@sjcacavaliers.com
Eric M. Denton 1966
330 35
10:1
SCISA / SCISA 5 year advanced; AdvancEd
K3 through 12th
Coastal Christian Preparatory School 681 McCants Drive Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-884-3663 www.coastalchristian.org chriswinkler@coastalchristian.org
Mike Winkler 1953
275 40
7:1
Interdenominational Christian, Southern Baptist / AdvancEd and SCISA
K3 through 12th
Charleston Day School 15 Archdale St. Charleston, SC 29401
843-377-0315 www.charlestondayschool.org christy.lowell@charlestonday.org
Brendan J. O'Shea 1937
266 31
6:1
NAIS, SAIS, ERB, PAIS, NBOA / SAIS, SACS, NAIS
1st through 8th
View this list online at www.scbiznews.com/data. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, errors sometimes occur. Email additions or corrections to lists@scbiznews.com or go to www.tinyurl.com/joinourlists.
Researched by Melissa Verzaal
24
www.charlestonbusiness.com
April 6 - 19, 2015
IN FOCUS: EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Private Schools Ranked by 2014 Enrollment
School
Phone / Website Email
Administrator / Year Founded
Fall Enrollment / Teachers
Student:Teacher Ratio
Affiliations / Accreditations
Grades
Blessed Sacrament Catholic School 7 St. Teresa Drive Charleston, SC 29407
843-766-2128 www.scbss.org sbendt@scbss.org
Roseann P. Tracy 1948
263 24
13:1
NCEA / NCEA
K3 through 8th
Cathedral Academy 3790 Ashley Phosphate Road North Charleston, SC 29418
843-760-1192 www.cathedralacademy.com contact@cathedralemail.com
Chris Bateman 1999
250 28
15:1
Cathedral of Praise / SCISA, ACSI, AdvancEd
K4 through 12th
Dorchester Academy 234 Academy Road St. George, SC 29477
843-563-9511 www.dorchesteracademy.org headmaster@dorchesteracademy.org
Karen H. Neil 1966
231 25
12:1
SCISA, NAIS / SCISA AdvancEd
K4 through 12th
The Oaks Christian School 505 Gahagan Road Summerville, SC 29485
843-875-7667 www.oakschristianschool.org theoakschristianschool@gmail.com
Robin Boehler 1998
225 22
K3-K5 18:2; 1st-8th 18:1
Crossroads Community Church, SCISA, AdvancEd / SCISA, AdvancEd
K3 through 8th
Charleston Collegiate School 2024 Academy Drive Johns Island, SC 29455
843-559-5506 www.charlestoncollegiate.org tfrank@charlestoncollegiate.org
Hacker H. Burr 1970
220 30
8:1
NAIS, SAIS, SACS, SCISA, NBOA / SAIS, SACS, PAIS, SCISA, PLT
Pre-K through 12th
Ridge Christian Academy 2168 Ridge Church Road Summerville, SC 29483
843-873-9856 www.ridgechristian.info mrsbray@ridgechristian.info
Gentry Ard 1997
210 20
10:1
Ridge Baptist Church / SCISA
Birth through 12th
Charleston Catholic School 888 King St. Charleston, SC 29403
843-577-4495 www.charlestoncatholic.com charlestoncatholic@charlestoncatholic.org
Fred McKay 1991
200 18
11:1
Catholic Diocese of Charleston / Catholic Diocese of Charleston; K4 through 8th AdvancEd
Summerville Catholic School 226 Black Oak Blvd. Summerville, SC 29485
843-873-9310 www.summervillecatholic.org scsadmin@summervillecatholic.org
Lisa Tanner 1984
200 30
15:1
Diocese of Charleston / NCEA
K4 through 8th
Sundrops Montessori School 955 Houston Northcutt Blvd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-849-3652 www.sundropsmontessori.com info@sundropsmontessori.com
Shannon Smith 1997
172 29
9:1
AMS / None
6 weeks through 4th
James Island Christian School 15 Crosscreek Drive Charleston, SC 29412
843-795-1762 www.jics.org jics@jics.org
Jeremy Schwartz 1994
160 25
12:1
ACSI and CSI / SCISA AdvancEd, member of ACSI and CSI
K4 through 12th
Addlestone Hebrew Academy 1639 Wallenberg Blvd. Charleston, SC 29407
843-571-1105 www.addlestone.org info@addlestone.org
Abby Levine 1956
140 32
NAEYC ratios for Pre-K; K-8 12:1
Riverpointe Christian Academy 2508 Ashley River Road Charleston, SC 29414
843-763-1600 www.riverpointechristian.org Riverpointechristian. org
Robert C. Jones Jr. 1967
110 18
8:1
Charles Towne Montessori School 56 Leinbach Drive Charleston, SC 29407
843-571-1140 www.charlestownemontessori.org susan@charlestownemontessori.org
Kevin O'Loughlin 1972
90 5
12 months - toddlers 6:1; primary-elementary 15:1
Montessori School of Mount Pleasant 208 Church St. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-884-1117 www.mmpschool.com themontessorischool@gmail.com
Megan Nordoff 1977
80 12
Varies
Trinity Montessori School 1293 Orange Grove Road Charleston, SC 29407
843-556-6686 www.trinitymontessori.com maller2727@aol.com
Melissa Fleck-Aller 2004
80 12
Pre-K 1:5; K-8th 1:8
University School of the Lowcountry 690 Coleman Blvd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-884-0902 www.uslowcountry.org info@uslowcountry.org
Jason R. Kreutner 2007
70 18
Miracle Academy Preparatory School 1019 Bethel Road Saint Stephen, SC 29479
843-567-4644 www.miracleacademy.org miracleacademy@tds.net
Teresa S. Middleton 1996
The Charleston Christian School 2234 Plainview Road Charleston, SC 29414
843-556-4480 www.charlestonchristian.org info@charlestonchristian.org
Trident Academy 1455 Wakendaw Road Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
Community Jewish Day School / 18 months through 8th SAIS, AdvancEd, NAEYC School of Tomorrow, A-Beka, Wee Learn, Bob Jones / ACE, SCACS
6 months through 12th
Montessori School / AMI
15 months through age 12
Resources for Infant Educarers, SCISA / SCISA, RIE, Orton-Gillingham, Clemson Extension - Master Naturalist
Infants through K5
AMS / None
3 months through 8th
8:1
PAIS, SCISA, AEE, ISM, SCANPO, NBOA / SCISA
3rd through 12th
60 9
12:1
None / SCISA
K through 9th
Ashley M Chandler 1981
48 6
8:1
Ministry of Church Creek Presbyterian Church / SCACS, ACSI
K4 through 8th
843-884-7046 www.tridentacademy.com admissions@tridentacademy.com
Kathy M. Cook 1972
48 21
6:1
SACS, SAIS, SCISA, AOGPE, PAIS, NAIS, IDA, LDA / SAIS, SCISA, AOGPE, SACS
K5 through 8th
Montessori Day School 2535 Leeds Ave. North Charleston, SC 29405
843-566-9700 www.montessoriday.com montessori@knology.net
Alexandria M. Ravenel, Abby Lee 2001
45 9
9:1; toddlers 5:1
None / None
Toddler through 6th
St. John Catholic School 3921 St. John's Ave. North Charleston, SC 29405
843-744-3901 www.saintjohncatholicsc.org schooloffice@saintjohncatholicsc.org
Carole Anne White 1949
45 10
5:1
NCEA / SACS, Catholic Diocese of Charleston
K4 through 8th
Montessori School of Johns Island 3634 Mary Ann Point Road Johns Island, SC 29455
843-559-0052 www.montessorischoolofjohnsisland.com info@montessorischoolofjohnsisland.com
Norma A. Christensen 1997
25 4
5:1
AMS, AMI, NAMTA, NAMC / NAMC
12 weeks through age 12
View this list online at www.scbiznews.com/data. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, errors sometimes occur. Email additions or corrections to lists@scbiznews.com or go to www.tinyurl.com/joinourlists.
Researched by Melissa Verzaal
April 6 - 19, 2015
IN FOCUS: EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
www.charlestonbusiness.com 25
Colleges and Universities Ranked by 2014 Enrollment Institution Trident Technical College 7000 Rivers Ave. North Charleston, SC 29406 College of Charleston 66 George St. Charleston, SC 29424 Charleston Southern University 9200 University Blvd. Charleston, SC 29406 The Citadel 171 Moultrie St. Charleston, SC 29409 Southern Wesleyan University Adult & Graduate Studies 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 301 Charleston, SC 29405 Miller-Motte Technical College 8085 Rivers Ave., Suite E North Charleston, SC 29406 Limestone College 4500 Leeds Ave., Suite 208 Charleston, SC 29405 Charleston School of Law 81 Mary St. Charleston, SC 29403 Medical University of South Carolina 171 Ashley Ave. Charleston, SC 29425 ECPI University & Medical Careers Institute 7410 Northside Drive Charleston, SC 29420 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 101 W. Hill Blvd., Building 221 Charleston Air Force Base, SC 29404 Southeastern Institute 4600 Goer Drive, Suite 105 North Charleston, SC 29406 Saint Leo University - North Charleston Center 2430 Mall Drive, Suite 185 North Charleston, SC 29406
Phone / Website Email
Fall Enrollment / FT Faculty / Employees
843-574-6111 www.tridenttech.edu infocenter@tridenttech.edu 843-953-5500 www.cofc.edu admissions@cofc.edu 843-863-7050 www.charlestonsouthern.edu enroll@csuniv.edu 843-225-3294 www.citadel.edu admissions@citadel.edu 843-266-7981 www.swu.edu charleston@swu.edu 843-574-0101 www.miller-motte.edu sara.eichelman@miller-motte.edu 843-745-1100 www.limestone.edu lroberts@limestone.edu 843-329-1000 www.charlestonlaw.edu info@charlestonlaw.edu 843-792-2300 www.musc.edu eslweb@musc.edu 843-414-0350 www.ecpi.edu jweaver@ecpi.edu 843-767-8912 www.erau.edu/charleston charleston@erau.edu 843-747-1279 www.southeasterninstitute.edu dakennedy@southeasterninstitute.edu 843-554-2111 www.saintleo.edu/northcharleston northcharleston@saintleo.edu
16,136 334 734 10,488 535 2,243 2,968 162 375 2,763 189 633 1,823 55 211 700 17 35 500 10 4 448 28 80 293 1,519 5,141 280 16 40 150 1 2 90 5 10 65 2 5
Public/Private Public Public Private Public Private Private Private
Top Three Undergraduate Majors, by Enrollment Associate in Arts Associate in Science Nursing Biology Communication Psychology Nursing Business Kinesiology Business Administration Criminal Justice Political Science Business Administration Human Services Biology Medical and Health Science Programs Management-International Trade Program Business Administration Social Work Computer Science
Private
Juris Doctor
Public
Nursing Cardiovascular Perfusion
Private Private Private Private
Because of space constraints, only the top-ranked companies are printed. For a full list of participating companies, visit www.scbiznews.com/data. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, errors sometimes occur. Email additions or corrections to lists@scbiznews.com or go to www.tinyurl.com/joinourlists.
Health Science Computer and Information Science Electronics Engineering Technology Aviation Management Professional Aeronautics Technical Management Massage Therapy Medical Assisting Pharmacy Technician Business Administration Health Care Administration Criminal Justice
Evening Classes? Weekend Classes? Online Classes? Y N Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y
Administrator(s) / Year Founded Mary Thornley 1964 Glenn F. McConnell 1770 Jairy C. Hunter Jr. 1964 John W. Rosa 1842 Todd S. Voss 1906 Sara A. Eichelman 1916 Laura Roberts 1845 Andrew L. Abrams 2003 David J. Cole 1824 James Weaver 1966 John Johnson 2006 John Houston 1997 Elizabeth Heron 2012 Researched by Melissa Verzaal
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At Work:
People, places and happenings across the Lowcountry
Hot Properties 30 Viewpoint 31
People in the News
Business Digest
REAL ESTATE
Landmark 12 Consulting celebrates grand opening in Summerville The Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce and Landmark 12 Consulting recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the company’s grand opening. Landmark 12 Consulting is a home-based business that provides students with individualized guidance to help them through the college admission and scholarship application process. Tori Burke-Koskela (from left) of the Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce; chamber President and CEO Rita Berry; Dorchester County Councilman Larry Hargett; Landmark 12 owner and consultant Jordan M. Graffis; and husband Jordan D. Graffis and son Smith.
Palmetto Primary Care Physicians to offer 3-D mammography
Palmetto Primary Care Physicians is now offering three-dimensional breast tomosynthesis screening, also known as 3-D mammography. A recent study presented at the annual meeting of Radiological Society of North America found that 3-D mammography significantly increases the cancer detection rate for patients with dense breast tissue. Additionally, a 3-D mammogram can help radiologists rule out abnormalities that may have looked suspicious in a 2-D mammogram, reducing the need to call women back for additional imaging or biopsies, according to the company.
Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd first in state in bond transactions
Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s public finance group closed more than $2.2 billion in bond transactions in 2014, placing it first among S.C. law firms for overall volume, according to The Bond Buyer. The publication has listed the firm as first in South Carolina for the fourth consecutive year.
Colleton County solar farm cited in national engineering competition
Thomas & Hutton of Mount Pleasant has earned a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering achievement in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ 49th annual Engineering Excellence Awards. The firm was recognized for the Colleton County Solar Farm project in Walterboro, the first solar facility in the state. Consisting of more than 10,000 solar modules equipped with fixed-tile and single-ax-
Villard
is photovoltaic panels, the 14-acre farm produces 3 megawatts of electricity, enough to power approximately 300 single-family homes.
John (left) and Wesley Henderson
Small-business law firm opens office in downtown Charleston Tori Burke-Koskela (from left) of the Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce; chamber board member Robby Robbins; chamber President and CEO Rita Berry; store managers Stokes Rogers and Brenda Metz; district manager Amber Goss; store manager Juanita Mehegan; and division director Don Williams.
Murphy Express celebrates groundbreaking in Summerville
The Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce and Murphy Express recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new gas station at 10655 Dorchester Road in Summerville.
SCE&G donates $500,000 to MUSC
SCE&G donated $500,000 to the new MUSC Children’s Hospital and Women’s Pavilion. Dr. David J. Cole, MUSC president, received the check from Danny Kassis, SCE&G vice president of customer service and renewables, and George Bullwinkel Jr., retired SCANA senior vice president and Children’s Hospital board member.
Brian Maley has joined Colliers International’s real estate management services team as building engineer. Maley is responsible for complete buildMaley ing operation procedures, oversight of contracted vendors, and routine maintenance and repair functions throughout the Charleston real estate management portfolio.
Brothers John and Wesley Henderson have opened Henderson & Henderson LLC, a business law firm at 89 Broad St. in downtown Charleston. Their practice focuses on startups, entrepreneurs and businesses.
Berkeley County Chamber partners with consulting firm
The Berkeley Chamber of Commerce board of directors is partnering with Market Street Services, a national community and economic development consulting firm, to launch a Community and Economic Development Strategy process. The first phase provides a detailed examination of Berkeley County’s competitiveness as a place to live, work, visit and do business. The assessment provides an analysis of advantages and challenges that the county faces on a day-to-day basis. Market Street Services will analyze indicators to assess the community’s competitiveness across a variety of areas. See BUSINESS DIGEST, Page 30 ➤
Elebash
Lee & Associates Charleston has hired Ellen Villard as a property management assistant and LeGrand Elebash as an associate. Villard will be responsible for assisting the property management team in customer service and tenant relations. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from the University of South Carolina. Elebash has extensive experience in the local real estate community and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Helen Butler has joined William Means Real Estate as an agent. Butler has worked in real estate for more than 18 years, specializing in the sale and Butler marketing of homes throughout the Lowcountry. She has knowledge and experience in historic Charleston, James Island, West Ashley, Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, Sullivan’s Island, the Isle of Palms and Johns Island. Walt Thompson has joined Southern Shores Real Estate Group LLC as a Realtor. He has nine years of customer service experience and is a graduate of East Tennessee State University with a degree in business administration. He will work out of the West Ashley office. See PEOPLE, Page 29
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Deja vu all over again F
irst-quarter growth in gross domestic product will be released at the end of April. It will be less robust than most economists had expected a couple of months ago. But the softening appears to be attributable to temporary factors that will be reversed in the months ahead — work stoppages by Stephen D. dockworkers on the Slifer West Coast, bitter cold weather and a sharp contraction in oil drilling activity. It feels like a mini version of last year, when the economy contracted 2.1% in the first quarter but came roaring back with 4.6% and 5% rates of expansion in subsequent quarters. In our view, the U.S. economy is likely to expand at a rate in excess of 3% until such time as the Federal Reserve raises rates sufficiently to knock it off track — an event that is still several years away. Work stoppages by West Coast dockworkers have created problems for manufacturers and retailers who have been forced to wait for goods that remain on ships at anchor unable to unload. Honda, for example, had to curtail production at six plants in the United States because of parts shortages. The good news is that the labor dispute has been resolved; however, it will take several months to clear the congestion that accumulated during three months of union slowdowns. Dangerously cold winter weather in the central and eastern United States caused by a frigid air mass that originated in Siberia negatively impacted GDP growth in the first quarter. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that February was the coldest month in more than 20 years. Nobody is going to go house shopping under such conditions or venture off to the mall. But eventually spring arrives and most of the lost sales will be recovered as the weather improves. The 50% drop in oil prices has caused drillers to shutter 45% of the wells that were in operation at the end of September. But, surprisingly, production and oil stocks continue to climb, which means that more rigs will need to be capped in the weeks ahead. Eventually, production and inventory levels will fall and, at that point, oil prices will begin to climb. The Department of Energy expects oil prices to reach about $60 per barrel by the end of this year and $70 in 2016. If that is the case, many of the recently shuttered rigs will once again become profitable and resume operation. Hence, our expecta-
“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that February was the coldest month in more than 20 years.”
tion is that at least some of the recent curtailment in drilling activity will be reversed later this year. Investors have gotten slightly nervous in the face of weak economic statistics, but the S&P 500 index is only about 2.5% below its peak level set in mid-February. That is nothing more than the normal volatility in this series, and, as has been the case so often already in this expansion, the modest decline will be quickly reversed once better news arrives. Perhaps the most important indicators to confirm the temporary nature of the recent slowdown is that employment and hours worked remain solid. Firms presumably believe that the factors depressing growth in the first quarter will not exist for long. That suggests, in turn, that whatever we lose to weather and work stoppages in the first quarter will be recouped in the quarters ahead. Residential construction will snap back strongly as projects sidelined by bad weather are brought back online. Manufacturing and retail activity idled by the problem at West Coast ports will resume once ships are unloaded and the goods finally arrive at their destination. For the past six years, we have maintained our belief that the economy would continue to expand at a moderate rate for the foreseeable future. Growth has been whacked by a lengthy series of one-off events during that period of time — oil spills, the Arab Spring, the earthquake in Japan, the debt ceiling debacle, financial woes in Europe, Hurricane Sandy, the fiscal cliff, bad weather and labor disputes. But, in our view, every one of those unanticipated events represented a temporary setback. To produce an economic reversal of longer duration requires higher interest rates. Given that the Fed will not even embark on that path until midyear and intends to proceed at a glacial pace thereafter, a more permanent growth slowdown appears to be several years down the road. Maintain the faith. cr bj
Reach economist Stephen D. Slifer at steve@numbernomics.com.
April 6 - 19, 2015
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People in the News Patrick Bell, broker in charge of Dunes Commercial Properties, has been appointed to the Charleston County Planning Commission. The commission reviews preliminary plats and makes recommendations to County Council on rezoning cases. It also prepares and revises plans and programs for the development of the county.
FINANCIAL SERVICES Joan Baird has been promoted to vice president in charge of the West Ashley and James Island branches of CresCom Bank. She previously served as branch manager of the James Island location and has worked previously for Wells Fargo and First Citizens in the Charleston area. Tidelands Bank has hired Rudy Gill as a senior vice president and community banker in its Mount Pleasant office and promoted Gerald Davis to senior vice president and city executive. Gill has been a banker in the Lowcountry for more than 20 years and has experience in the commercial lending field. He is a graduate of Clemson University and the Louisiana State University Graduate School of Banking. Davis has been the city executive for the Summerville branch of Tidelands Bank since March 2008. SnapCap has hired Greg Libon as director of sales, Ben Whitman and Franklin McGuire as small-business funding consultants and Colin Moynahan as a loan officer. Steve Swanson has also joined the company as an investor. Libon oversees the sales organization and will continue to build the team. He previously worked at PeopleMatter as regional account executive. Most recently, Moynahan served as a financial adviser at Merrill Lynch. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration in finance and a minor in economics from Southern Methodist University, as well as a Certificate in Financial Planning from Wake Forest University. Swanson will continue to scale the business and drive the strategic direction of the company. Gracen Jennings Watts has been named to manage the new retail branch of Gateway Mortgage Group at 1156 Bowman Road, Suite 212, in Mount Pleasant. She has more than 18 years of mortgage industry knowledge and experience. Previously, Watts spent time as a private mortgage banker at First Citizens Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. She was also a loan originator at PHH Mortgage and owned her own mortgage brokerage firm, Main Street Mortgage, based in Charlotte.
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS The Palmetto S.C. Region of the American Red Cross has named Jennifer Heisler as regional communications officer. Heisler, who has more than 15 years of communications, Heisler marketing and public affairs experience, will be in charge of internal and external communication strategies supporting the American Red Cross and its initiatives throughout South Carolina. The Lowcountry Chapter of the American Red Cross added Paul McKnight to its board of directors. McKnight initially joined the board in 1999 and served two years as chairman before becoming a member of the advisory committee in 2007. He is the manager of construction services for S.C. Electric & Gas. He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Clemson University. The S.C. Small Business Development Center has hired Jim Wasson as technology commercialization specialist. Wasson will assist small businesses and university research Wasson partners in identifying and winning federal Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer grants. He will also provide consulting assistance in commercialization, growth strategies, financing, IP strategies, business management, government contracting, networking and business development. He was previously chief technology officer at BAE Systems and has 20 years of experience.
HOSPITALITY Michael Mistler has joined the S.C. Aquarium as director of finance. He has more than 20 years of senior-level leadership experience in financial management and adminisMistler tration in nonprofits and education. He was previously the director of the Master of Arts in sports management program at Wingate University in Wingate, N.C. He holds a Bachelor of Science in education from the University of Missouri, a master’s in
sports administration from the University of North Carolina and an MBA from UNC Charlotte.
SALES Laurie Zirbel has been hired as sales co-manager at the West Ashley location of Atlantic Bedding and Furniture. She has 10 years of experience in the furniture business and previously worked for Home Decor Liquidators.
LAW Carty Bibee and Joshua Reeves have been named partners in the Charleston office of K&L Gates LLP. In addition, K&L Gates partner Julius “Sam” Hines has been elected chairman of the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute. Bibee will focus his practice on negotiated business combinations and transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures. Reeves’ practice includes commercial real estate, hospitality and time shares, financing transactions and real estate development matters. Hines, a member of the firm’s maritime practice, has worked as an admiralty lawyer in the Port of Charleston for nearly two decades. He assists shipping clients with maritime emergencies, handles marine-related litigation matters and represents lenders, vessel owners and other interested parties with respect to maritime transactions, including vessel sales, mortgages and charters. The Charleston County Bar Association installed new officers at its annual meeting. James D. Myrick, partner at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice LLP, will serve as president during the upcoming year. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law and has experience in business litigation, land use, personal injury, product liability and environmental disputes. Also installed as officers were Brian C. Duffy of Duffy & Young LLC, president-elect; A. Peter Shahid Jr. of Shahid Law Office LLC, secretary-treasurer; and Natalie Parker Bluestein of Bluestein & Douglas LLC, immediate past president. The executive committee is Ryan Bluestein of Bluestein, Johnson & Burke LLC; Rhett Dunaway of the Charleston County Public Defender’s Office; Michele Patrao Forsythe of Query Sautter Forsythe LLC; Deborah Gammons, director of the Office of Diversity at the Charleston School of Law; Robert Hawk of Carlock Copeland and Stair LLP; Kevin Holmes of Steinberg Law Firm LLP; Sean D. Houseal of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice LLP; Russell “Britt” Kelly of Rosen
Hagood; Theodore Manos of Robertson Hollingsworth & Flynn LLC; and Richard Unger of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP.
HEALTH CARE Rebecca Engleman will lead AmeriHealth Caritas’ Medicaid plan in South Carolina. Engelman, who has led AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana since January 2013, previously spent 16 years at Select Health in multiple leadership roles, eventually rising to the position of vice president of operations. She received a master’s degree in nursing administration with honors from the Medical University of South Carolina. Engelman succeeds Cindy Helling, who is stepping down after 20 years at Select Health.
HEALTH & FITNESS Lisa B. Burbage, owner of Wellness Beyond Fifty LLC, has completed two years of study at Duke University to become a certified integrative health Burbage coach. She is also a Realtor with Elaine Brabham and Associates of Charleston.
ARCHITECTURE Ray Huff, director and associate professor of the Clemson Architecture Center in Charleston, is a newly elected fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Huff is the 36th fellow from South Carolina since the award was created in 1913.
Ditchfield
Hunter
LS3P has hired Mike Ditchfield as assistant controller and Amanda Hunter as accounts payable administrator in Charleston. Ditchfield, who earned a master’s in accounting from Georgia Southern University and a Bachelor of Arts in accounting and business administration from Western State College of Colorado, has more than 10 years of experience in Colorado, Georgia and South Carolina. Hunter, whose professional experience is at firms in Ohio, Texas and Illinois, earned a Bachelor of Science in business from Miami University’s Farmer School of Business in Oxford, Ohio.
Submit items to editorial@scbiznews.com with “People,” “Business Digest” or “Hot Properties” in the subject line. Publication is subject to editorial discretion.
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Business Digest
LS3P design at Wando earns recognition
The S.C. chapter of the Council for Educational Facilities Planners International presented LS3P Associates with an award for the design of the Wando Center for Advanced Studies adjacent to Wando High School in Mount Pleasant. The goal of the new educational facility for Charleston County School District is to provide technical skills and training beyond the high school level with a curriculum that bridges the gap between high school and college, and technical college and the workforce.
Retailer Buckle opens fourth S.C. store in Mount Pleasant
Buckle has opened its fourth South Carolina location at Towne Centre in
Mount Pleasant. The retailer specializes in clothing, shoes and accessories for men and women. Brands carried include BKE, Big Star, Big Star Vintage, Rock Revival, Miss Me, Buffalo, Reclaim and Silver Jeans. Other brands include BKE Boutique, Buckle Black, Affliction, RVCA, Corral, Sinful, Daytrip, Roar, Obey, 7 Diamonds, Billabong, Hurley, Fossil and Fox.
Harbor Contracting joins national building network
Harbor Contracting LLC of Mount Pleasant has joined the American Building Co. as an authorized builder. Harbor Contracting will have access to American Buildings’ engineering and design expertise, technology and metal building products. Harbor Contracting specializes in health care, dental, religious, industrial and commercial construction.
local franchisee Blue Water Stores LLC and is the first Cinnabon in the Lowcountry.
Bishop Gadsden, MUSC start pilot program
Bishop Gadsden has started a pilot program with the Medical University of South Carolina’s occupational therapy program. The purpose of the program is to help MUSC occupational therapy students build relationships with the residents. As part of their curriculum, students are required to do clinical rotations one day a week. The program runs through April.
Lowcountry businesses get SCRA backing
Cinnabon bakery opens in Mount Pleasant
A new Cinnabon location has opened at 1325 Bowman Road in Mount Pleasant as part of the newly renovated Blue Water gas station and convenience store. The bakery is owned and operated by
SCRA Technology Ventures’ SC Launch program presented checks to Charleston-area companies GWIG and Wave Sciences. These are the first rounds of SC Launch investments for both companies. GWIG is a digital referral application that lets users refer friends to their favorite businesses and provides businesses with analytics on their referrals. Wave Sciences works with hearing assistive technologies and digital audio noise reduction software.
Robert Pratt and Jim Hamilton at Re/Max Pro Realty represented the seller, William Goshorn Jr. and Robert Goshorn, in the sale of a 1,481-square-foot building at 812 N. Cedar St. in Summerville. Robin Hanckel at Elaine Brabham and Associates represented the buyer, Juan and Lina Acevedo.
Shep Benjamin of Caldwell Commercial represented the tenant, Agape Senior Primary Care Inc., in the lease of 2,671 square feet of office space at 2680 Elms Plantation Blvd. in North Charleston. Gerry Schauer and Jeremy Willits of Avison Young represented the landlord.
Chad Yonce and Bryan Perrucci of Southeastern Management Group represented the Landlord, 43-45-47 Broad LLC, in the lease of 2,300 square feet of office space at 43 Broad St. in Charleston to Diversified Resource Management. Southeastern Management Group also represented the tenant.
Gerry Schauer and Jeremy Willits of Avison Young represented the landlord, Trident United Way, in the lease of an office space at 6296 Rivers Ave. in North Charleston to the Small Business Development Center.
Wine and Design of Charleston expands to Summerville
Wine and Design owners Sarah and Bryan Dubay have opened their third Charleston-area location at 147 Central Ave. in Summerville. The studio is 1,500 square feet with a party room that has space for 25 people for special events. The Dubays also own studios in West Ashley and Mount Pleasant.
VaporFi opening in North Charleston
VaporFi is planning a grand opening April 11 at 8893 University Blvd., Suite 103, in North Charleston. The electronic cigarette company will give guests the opportunity to participate in a vapor tasting at the event. VaporFi is owned by International Vapor Group Inc.
Anytime Fitness to open in Goose Creek
Anytime Fitness franchise owner Sean Shafiq has leased space at Crowfield Village shopping center on St. James Avenue in Goose Creek, with plans to open the 24-hour facility in June. Palmetto Construction Group is set to start construction in April on the 5,600-squarefoot space.
Hot Properties The following commercial real estate transactions were recently completed in the Charleston area. For weekly updates on commercial deals, see the Hot Properties feature every Monday in the Daily Journal email or online at www. charlestonbusiness.com. To submit items for the feature, send email to dailyjournal@ scbiznews.com. Edward Oswald and Benjy Cooke of Oswald Cooke & Associates represented the buyer, Carolina Child Care Properties LLC, in the purchase of about 15,700 square feet of space at 7065 Cross County Road for $3.17 million. Edward Oswald and Benjy Cooke of Oswald Cooke & Associates represented the buyer, Carolina Child Care Properties LLC, in the purchase of about 4,800 square feet of space at 1859 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. for $2.88 million. Thomas Boulware VI of NAI Avant’s Charleston office represented the tenant, Safran Labinal Power Systems, in the lease of 19,500 square feet of space at 6209 Rivers Ave. in North Charleston. Woody Kapp of Meyer Kapp & Associates represented the landlord.
Gerry Schauer and Jeremy Willits of Avison Young represented the landlord, First Point Properties LLC, in the lease of a 6,655-squarefoot office expansion at 498 Wando Park Blvd. in Mount Pleasant to Jear Logistics LLC. Todd P. Garrett of Avison Young represented Plan C Investments LLC in the sale of a 9,600-square-foot office and warehouse building at 2285 West Technical Parkway in North Charleston to Pass-A-Grille Realty Co. for $781,000. John Tison of Cushman & Wakefield Thalhimer represented the buyer.
Tradd Varner of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic Inc. represented the tenant, Premier Portable Building, in the lease of 1 acre of retail space at 211 Trolley Road in Summerville. Bob Glover of Harmon Properties represented the landlord. Trey Lucy and Blair Belk of Belk Lucy represented the landlord in the anchor lease of 46,540 square feet of retail space at Bowman Place in Mount Pleasant to Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. Trey Lucy and Blair Belk of Belk Lucy represented the landlord in the lease of 19,205 square feet of space at Bowman Place in Mount Pleasant to Kitchen & Co.
Marlena Franklin of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the buyer, Dependable Paper LLC, in the purchase of a 4-acre industrial space at 150 Royle Road in Ladson from BTI Investments. Thomas Boulware of NAI Avant represented the seller. Kip Bowman of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the seller, Palmetto Interiors, in the sale of a 13,000-square-foot industrial building at 3538 Meeks Farm Road on Johns Island. Patrick Price of The Prime South Group represented the buyer. Trey Lucy and Blair Belk of Belk Lucy represented the landlord in the lease of 500 square feet of retail space at 357 N. Shelmore Blvd. to Be the Change Boutique LLC. Isabelle Martinez of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the seller, Thomas D. Lee, in the sale of a 1.03acre multifamily space at 5631 Garrett Ave. in North Charleston. Kip Bowman and Tradd Varner of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the landlord, Nikki Lang, in the lease of a 3,198-square-foot office building at 2265209 Clements Ferry Road in Berkeley County.
Submit items to editorial@scbiznews.com with “People,” “Business Digest” or “Hot Properties” in the subject line. Publication is subject to editorial discretion.
Viewpoint:
Views, perspectives and readers’ letters
We can do this: Transforming the classroom A
palpable excitement fills the exhibition hall at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. It’s a chilly, misty Monday morning – the day after the time changed by springing forward – but by 8:15 the hall is already full. More than 700 people are there to learn more about a partnership that has already begun Licia changing education in South Carolina. Jackson It’s fittingly called TransformSC. “The system we have was developed decades ago and doesn’t reflect the reality of life,” says Pamela Lackey, TransformSC co-chair and state president of AT&T. “We have new kinds of technical tools, and we solve problems together as teams and not as individuals sitting at desks.” Teachers and school administrators, school board members, legislators and business leaders joined in the third TransformSC spring conference to find out more. Sessions were standing room only. This business-driven effort aims to do whatever it takes to produce high school graduates who are ready for their next step into the 21st century, whether it’s a job or college. At last count, 37 schools from 19 districts — at every grade level and in every part of the state — are on board. The first school year of TransformSC was 2013-14. Back at the conference, success stories were shared: In Lexington County District 4, where the poverty index is 86%, the Early Childhood Center is providing a full day of Montessori-based preschool for every child in the district, starting at age 3. The children learn concentration, self-control, sociability, love of work, and grace and courtesy. “School can mitigate the effects of poverty,” says principal Lillian Atkins. An extra bonus is a major increase in parent involvement in the school. Oakland Elementary, in Spartanburg County District 2, has put project-based learning at the core of its teaching. In a short time, the school has achieved the highest rating among elementary schools in the district, says Josh Patterson, principal. Within its walls, the school built a place to learn by doing,-
Preschoolers learn in a multiage classroom at Lexington County District 4’s Early Childhood Center. (Photo/Provided)
About TransformSC Mission: TransformSC, a S.C. Council on Competitiveness initiative, is a collaboration of business leaders, educators, students, parents and policy makers transforming the public education system so that every student graduates prepared for careers, college and citizenship.
Profile of the graduate: (Developed by TransformSC) World Class Knowledge: Rigorous standards in language arts and math for career and college readiness; mastery of multiple languages, science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), arts and social sciences
called the Wonder Room. In Dorchester School District 2, any high school student can begin completing college credit as early as 10th grade. The students take courses through Trident Technical College at no cost; course work is offered on site at the high schools and through virtual learning. All rising 10th graders can apply for the early college program and begin course work the summer before their 10th grade year. The early start gives students more time to adjust to rigorous expectations and gives them a greater chance to succeed. They receive support through counseling, academic coaching and
World Class Skills: Creativity and innovation; critical thinking and problem-solving; collaboration and team work; communication, information, media and technology; knowing how to learn Life and Career Characteristics: Integrity, self-direction, global perspective, perseverance, work ethic, interpersonal skills Led by: Peggy Torrey, director of education and workforce initiatives, South Carolina Council on Competitiveness; Pamela Lackey and Mike Brenan, co-chairs from business community For more information: sccompetes.org/transformsc Source: TransformSC
family engagement. Cougar New Tech Entrepreneurial Academy, a school-within-a-school in Colleton County, uses project-based and problem-based learning to encourage students to stretch. The school operates on three core values: trust, respect and responsibility. Students work in teams, and they create contracts based on these values. “We have ownership of our own learning,” says student Samantha Calcutt. “Discipline problems are almost non-existent.” A student who doesn’t pull his or her weight can be kicked off a team, and
woe to those who have their “trust card” taken away. How did all this happen so fast? A lot of groundwork has been done over the past few years. The initiative came out of the State Board of Education, said Mike Brenan, TransformSC co-chair and state president of BB&T. Brenan and Lackey worked hard to get everyone involved — teachers, superintendents, board members and businesses. It’s very important that TransformSC is not coming from a legislative or administrative mandate. Those take too long to deliver, and students can’t wait. The group developed a profile of the ideal high school graduate, focusing on knowledge but also skills such as teamwork and problem solving. TransformSC found a home with the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness. “This really is a competitiveness issue,” Brenan says. “It’s a job creation issue.” TransformSC has a framework for evaluating its innovative practices and sharing the results across the board. The project’s coordinator at the S.C. Council on Competitiveness is Peggy Torrey, director of education and workforce initiative. Businesses can help in many ways. Some are providing funds for teacher training or equipment. Others serve on the steering committee or support the schools in their local area. There’s something else they can do, suggests Jim Reynolds, executive committee member of TransformSC. “They can give projects for the schools to work on — real-world problems. They can help teachers learn about the world of work. They can bring them into the workplace in the summer.” The business community suggested that TransformSC deliver a graduate with knowledge, ability to learn and life skills, and “we can teach them what they need to know,” Lackey says. With the lightning speed of change in the workplace, nothing else makes sense. Licia Jackson is special projects editor for SC Business Publications. Reach her at ljackson@scbiznews.com or 803-726-7546.
We want to hear from you Write: Andy Owens, Managing Editor Charleston Regional Business Journal, 1439 Stuart Engals Blvd., Suite 200 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Email: editorial@scbiznews.com
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