Charleston Regional Business Journal - May 23, 2022 by SC Biz News

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FULL STEAM AHEAD SC Ports notches another record month Page 17

Tower topping

Student housing project celerates milestone. Page 3

Occupancy, rates on rise for SC hotels By Christina Lee Knauss

H Hydrogen hose

Self-repairing hose could help diversify fuel supply. Page 6

New hire

SC Biz News names executive editor. Page 8

Supply chain woes Concerns for shipping, trucking industries persist. Page 19

INSIDE

Upfront................................. 2 SC Biz News Briefs................. 3 In Focus: Ports, Logistics and Distribution......................... 13 List: Motor Freight Lines......25 Bonus List: Employee Benefits Brokers.................27 At Work...............................28 Viewpoint........................... 30

Photo/SC Ports

Business is personal for SBA administrator By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

17, 2021, spoke with the Columbia Regional Business Report after a stop at Benedict College on May 4 as part of a bus tour supporting National Small Business Week. Benedict became one of two historically Black colleges and universities to launch a Women’s Business Center in 2020. “Focusing always — from having worked in his business — on that customer-first experience is what drives me,” said Guzman, who represents the nation’s 32.5 million-plus small business owners. “I look through the lens of a customer first at all times in our design and implementation. That See SBA, Page 10

Accelerated accomplishment Port of Charleston played key role in Mark Anthony Brewing’s rapid launch. Page 15

Contributing Writer

otels around South Carolina continue to see strong demand for rooms despite reduced service levels caused by ongoing hiring challenges, according to first quarter 2022 report released by Colliers South Carolina. According to the report, the average hotel occupancy rate around the state was 66.83% during the first quarter, up from 59.08% percent in the third quarter of 2021 and 49.76% in the fourth quarter of that year. Average daily rates for hotel rooms and revenue per available room are continuing to increase and, as a result, to offset a rise in operating costs during the first quarter, the report said. On average, hotels are reporting a 20%-30% increase in operating expenses over pre-pandemic levels largely because of staffing challenges. Hotels are dealing with this ongoing worker shortage by reducing daily housekeeping services, training employees to perform duties in multiple areas of service and increasing automation. The average daily rate for hotel rooms statewide continues to rise and was $126.74 in the first quarter, up from $106.02 in the fourth quarter 2021. Revenue per available room soared to $85.64 compared to $53.15 at the end of 2021. In Columbia, hotel occupancy dipped at the end of 2021 but rose to 66.15% by the end of the first quarter of 2022. Average daily rates were $114.76, and See HOTELS , Page 23

Upfront

BRIEFS | FACTS | STATEWIDE NEWS | BEST ADVICE

How friendly is your paycheck?

martAsset’s took a look at what it called “paycheck friendliness,” a way to measure how a typical paycheck fares when considering purchasing power, income growth, unemployment to reflect the counties with the lowest withholding and greatest take-home pay. We’re not doing so well in South Carolina by this measure. Every county in several states did better than the best county in the Palmetto State, which was Lancaster County with a 41.81 paycheck friendliness rating. The best in the nation was Williamson County, Tenn., with a rating of 100, but even the 10th highest in the Volunteer State ranked at 86.17. Georgia’s best was Forsyth County at 57.25 and North Carolina’s best was Union County at 57.08.

Rank Country, State

Purchasing Unemployment Power Rate

Income Growth

Paycheck Friendiness index

Lancaster

1.56

4.8%

6.5%

41.81

Beaufort

1.66

3.7%

3.6%

40.40

York

1.57

4.2%

4.1%

39.54

Charleston

1.49

3.9%

4.2%

39.34

Greenville

1.53

3.9%

3.8%

39.28

Berkeley

1.48

4.1%

3.78

Lexington

1.52

3.5%

2.5%

37.88

Dorchester

1.47

4.0%

3.0%

37.50

Anderson

1.34

4.3%

4.0%

37.16

Kershaw

1.35

4.2%

3.6%

36.85

Source: SmartAsset.com

ON THE

RECORD

“Of course, our small businesses are a big part of expanding our productive capacity in the United States. That means making more here in America and strengthening our supply chain and strengthening our infrastructure.” — Isabella Casillas Guzman, SBA Administrator

WEBSITE: www.CharlestonBusiness.com

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SC Biz News Briefs

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buy your tickets! The Standard in downtown Columbia recently celebrated its topping off milestone. (Photo/Provided)

COLUMBIA

Columbia Regional Business Report

Student housing tower celebrates milestone

#1 Amazon New Release!

he Standard, a 17-story, 441,980-square-foot housing tower in downtown Columbia, has taken a major step toward completion. Chicago-based real estate development and construction engineering firm Clayco recently celebrated the topping off of the project at the corner of Assembly and Washington streets. Crews have poured 17,000 yards of concrete and installed 1,500 tons of rebar, according to a news release. In collaboration with developers CRG, Landmark Properties and architect Lamar Johnson Collaborative, Clayco is scheduled to complete construction of The Standard in summer 2023. The tower will feature 247 fully furnished units with 678 beds and amenities including a rooftop pool, hot tub, grilling stations, jumbotron television, resort-equipped fitness and wellness center, golf simulator, game-day lounge, and group and private study lounge space. “It’s very fulfilling to take part in builds like this from the ground up, and we are excited to commemorate this moment in the project,” Patrick Fanella, Clayco general superintendent, said in the release. “Over the course of the project, we will have poured concrete for half a floor every three to four days. As we near completion, it’s uplifting to know we’ll positively impact the community through bringing the student population closer to the city’s center.” Units range from studios to five-bedroom apartments. CRBJ

With publications in Charleston, Columbia and the Upstate, as well as a statewide magazine, SC Biz News covers the pulse of business across South Carolina. Above are excerpts from our other publications.

VOLUME 25 NUMBER 8 ■ GSABUSINESS.COM VOLUME 15 NUMBER 8 ■ COLUMBIABUSINESSREPORT.COM

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Administrator Guzman brings personal touch to SBA position

Order up!

Another Broken Egg Cafe to anchor mixed-use project. Page 4

By Melinda Waldrop

I Downtown digs

1813 Main St. set to welcome first residents this fall. Page 7

Historic honor

Orangeburg native first Black male Teacher of Year. Page 8

Screen shot

The Nick names new executive director. Page 10

INSIDE

Upfront ................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 In Focus: Life Sciences ....... 21 List: Life Science Companies ..........................................28 At Work ..............................29 Viewpoint ........................... 31

BREW WITH A VIEW Biekeller Columbia plans to open a brick-and-mortar later this year at the CanalSide Plaza at Sola Station. (Rendering/Provided)

Riverfront brewery to open later this year By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

olumbia’s first riverfront brewery is expected to open in the fourth quarter of this year. Bierkeller Brewing Co., which has brewed traditional German beer out of Swamp Cabbage Brewing Co. since 2015 and has regularly played host to seasonal pop-up beer gardens, is opening a full-production brewing facility, biergarten and restaurant at the CanalSide Plaza at Sola Station, located along the Historic Columbia Canal on the banks of the Congaree River. “It’s exciting,” Bierkeller owner and founder Scott Burgess told the Columbia Regional Business Report. “We’re putting ourselves in a pioneering position in a lot of ways. The riverfront,

as much as everyone talks about the potential for development, we learned still has a lot of hurdles. This presented really the best opportunity in a space that’s already there that’s very close to what we’re known for.” The brewery and biergarten will take up a large portion of the ground-floor retail space at Sola Station, with glass windows facing the water. Mashburn Construction is the project contractor, while Sherer & Associates is the architect. “We’re pouring concrete floors and building it from the ground up,” said Burgess, who said an adjacent space is also an option for a future catering and private event setup. Bierkeller plans to hire servers, bartenders/ pourers and kitchen staff soon. Employment See BREW, Page 10

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

sabella Casillas Guzman learned firsthand what makes a successful small business growing up in California, where her father owned a chain of veterinary practices. “What I admired most about my father was his relationship in the community. Everyone who walked in that door was so special to him and vice versa,” Guzman said. “The impact that he made in his neighborhood was truly remarkable.” Guzman, sworn in as the 27th Administrator of the Small Business Administration on March 17, 2021, spoke with the Columbia Regional Business Report after a stop at Benedict College as part of a bus tour supporting National Small Business Week. Benedict became one of two historically Black colleges and universities to launch a Women’s Business Center in 2020. “Focusing always — from having worked in his business — on that customer-first experience is what drives me,” said Guzman, who represents the nation’s 32.5 million-plus small business owners. “I look through the lens of a customer first at all times in our design and implementation. That informs everything else, because you look at who that client is — and it’s a changing face of entrepreneurship — you look at what their needs are and seek to transform the SBA to better serve them. … My dad was able to pursue his American dream, and my grandmother before him. I really appreciate the value See GUZMAN, Page 6

Expert perspectives

Looking for an industry expert? We’ve got you covered. Page 13

ColumbiaBusinessReport.com

Fueling a better life

Green energy company grows into regional player. Page 14

Give them Liberty’s space

It’s new life for a former tap room at West End. Page 8

Country medicine

Health systems struggle to provide medicine in rural areas. Page 10

Another charge for a CEO Milliken chief tapped to lead national group. Page 21

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Clemson’s graduate program in mechanical engineering has been guiding students to careers through Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research for 20 years. (Photo/Clemson University)

By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

rident Technical College took the lead on a grant to form a consortium that its members hope will create the next generation of innovation and talent for the electric vehicle industry. The consortium, called Collaborative Research: REVVED, for Revolutionizing Electric Vehicle Education, will receive $2.83

million from the National Science Foundation to fund the project. A growing need to develop a workforce that can build and service electric and autonomous vehicles, as well as develop the cybersecurity to protect them, is the driving force behind the effort, according to a news release. Even if they’re not making electrified vehicles in South Carolina, all of the automakers with plants in the state are manufacturing electric somewhere or conducting R&D to

that end. BMW Manufacturing in Greer has a production line for batteries on site. Spartanburg County’s next automaker, Oshkosh Defense, will make a mix of gas and electric vehicles for the U.S. Postal Service; a company called Arrival, based in Charlotte, is building an electric vehicle plant in York County; and the electric city buses made by Proterra are partially assembled in Greenville. See REVVED, Page 12

Department stores evolve, consolidate in digital age

INSIDE

Leading Off .......................... 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 C-Suite ................................ 4 In Focus: Life Sciences ....... 13 LIST: Life Science Cos. ........ 18 At Work .............................. 19 Viewpoint ...........................23

Part of the

Consortium secures grant to train electric vehicle workforce

By Molly Hulsey

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

county, laid off 310 employees and closed its doors on April 30. And while store openings outpaced closings for the first time since 2014 in 2021, according to Colliers International’s 2022 Retail Outlook, those stores were smaller than they ever had been before at an average of 3,000 square feet. “I haven’t heard of, even a hint, of some department store that’s going to occupy a new 900,000-square-foot building,” Rox Pol-

lard, Collier’s vice president of retail services in South Carolina, told SC Biz News. But not everything is as it seems — at least for the department store brands able to flex and adapt. Macy’s, one of the highest performing department stores in the nation, has seen revenue climb from $19.64 billion in 2019 to $25.29 billion in 2022 — and continues to

In Focus Specialty spice

Common kitchen ingredient may hold key to more efficient, safer fuel cells Page 13

GSABusiness.com

VOLVO’S ROAD AHEAD What’s next for Ridgeville

HOMEGROWN

Putting SC’s oyster industry on the map

See RETAIL, Page 12

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Charleston businesses are facing a return to prohibitions against sandwich boards and other methods of sparking interest on city sidewalks. (Photo/File)

Charleston begins enforcing sidewalk ordinances By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

ith the return of crowds, Charleston business operators are also facing a return to prohibitions against sandwich boards and other devices used to spark business when COVID-19 brought commerce to a crawl. Officers stopped enforcing city ordinance Sec. 54-404 during the heights of the pandemic, allowing restaurant operators and other merchants to place sandwich boards and pedestal signs along sidewalks to drum up much-needed business, according to a city announcement. Recently, as people returned to a pre-pandemic lifestyle, the sidewalks

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are crowded again. And with the crowds comes the need to enforce the rules. Also, the city’s Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator received complaints from citizens regarding a proliferation of sandwich board signs on sidewalks, a news release said. The ADA requires all public sidewalks be accessible and usable by people with disabilities. “Given the narrow nature of our sidewalks and the large number of people using them, obstacles such as sandwich boards and pedestal signs can present a serious impediment, and sometimes a real danger, for citizens,” city of Charleston Director of Livability and Tourism Dan Riccio said in the release. “We will continue working with merchants throughout this week-long grace period

to ensure we’re able to avoid any unnecessary citations.” City of Charleston enforcement officers were to begin citing businesses using sandwich boards and pedestal signs along sidewalks rights-of-way on May 16, according to the release. Until then, officers issued warnings in place of citations. Generally, signage and other items should not block public rights-of-way, but there are some circumstances where citizens and businesses can apply for a permit to do so, the release said. Examples include encroachment permits and the city’s Sidewalk Café program, which authorizes permitted food and beverage service on a public rightof-way directly adjacent to the establishment. CRBJ

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A Clemson University research group has developed a self-repairing hose to dispense hydogren as part of the nation’s effort to diversifty its fuel supply. (Photos/Provided)

Researchers work to make self-repairing hydrogen hose market-ready By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

research group at Clemson University has developed a self-repairing hose to dispense hydrogen as part of the nation’s effort to diversify its fuel supply. Hoses that are used to pump hydrogen must withstand high pressure and are prone to cracking when exposed to high and low temperatures and the normal wear and tear of everyday use, according to Marek Urban, who leads the group. The hose’s inner layer is critical, because that is where the damage occurs, he said in a news release. The hose that Urban and his team have developed makes the inner layer out of a self-healable copolymer matrix with Innegra fibers — a composite that heals itself like skin when it cracks. A more durable hose for pumping hydrogen could help lower the cost of a sustainable fuel for buses, trucks and heavy equipment, the news release said. The only byproducts from vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells are heat and water, with no greenhouse gas emissions. Urban has been developing self-healing materials for more than 20 years and has considered applications ranging from paint that repairs its own scratches to military vehicles that patch their own bullet holes to self-repairable pet toys. He discovered the hose project while searching for additional uses. “The idea came from the need for this type of application and combining our technology at Clemson with something society needs,” Urban, the J.E. Sirrine Foundation Endowed Chair in Advanced

Marek Urban leads a Clemson University research group developing a self-repairing hose.

Marek Urban (right) and Ph.D. student Samruddhi Gaikwad work with a device they use to make hoses.

Polymer Fiber-Based Materials, said in the news release. Urban is conducting his research with

financial backing from the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.

He and his team have used a tabletop robot to repeatedly bend the hose they have developed. Urban said they have shown the hose can withstand up to 10,000 damage-repair cycles under temperatures as high as 158 degrees and as low as 40 degrees below zero. The most recent version of the hose is undergoing additional testing at Sandia National Laboratories, Savannah River National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Urban said. He expects the hose to prove it can stand up to 25,000 cycles by the end of the year. Hydrogen dispenser hoses now in use tend to develop cracks after 1,000 cycles, according to the release. The next step will be to work with a manufacturer to make the new hose at a larger scale. Urban has previously received funding for self-repairing materials from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense. He has published his research findings in journals including Science and Nature. “Dr. Urban’s research into hydrogen hoses is a testament to his leadership in the field of materials science and engineering and serves as an excellent example of how basic research leads to realworld application,” Kyle Brinkman, chair of the Clemson University Department of Materials Science and Engineering, said in the release. “This work not only has the potential to lead to a more sustainable fuel supply but also helps inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. I congratulate Dr. Urban on his success and look forward to seeing what’s next for his self-healing materials. CRBJ

May 23-June 12, 2022

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May 23-June 12, 2022

SC Biz News names Thomas new executive editor By Ross Norton

ouisville, Ky., native Jason Thomas has been named executive editor of SC Biz News, a statewide business news organization that includes Thomas a magazine, newspapers, websites, digital newsletters, special publications and events. In his new role, Thomas will lead the editorial efforts of SCBIZ Magazine, GSA Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal and Columbia Regional Business Report. He also oversees the editorial efforts of South Carolina Lawyers Weekly, North Carolina Lawyers Weekly and Charlotte-based Mecklenburg Times, a real estate publication. Thomas started learning his way around the organization last week from the Greenville office of GSA Business Report, which will be his home base. “From startups to ownership to the C-suite, SC Biz News has been the trusted source in giving a voice to South Carolina’s diverse and growing business ecosys-

tem — addressing challenges as well as opportunities,” Thomas said. “It’s a tradition that will continue under my watch. “I look forward to putting down roots here and having a front-row seat to documenting South Carolina’s dynamic economy.” Rick Jenkins, group publisher of SC Biz News, welcomed Thomas to the organization. “Jason comes to us with plenty of journalism experience from working at a variety of traditional newspapers in the Midwest,” Jenkins said. “He joins us directly from Louisville where he managed a large newsroom at a progressive daily business journal serving an metropolitan area of about 1.3 million people.” Thomas most recently was managing editor of Louisville Business First, in Louisville, Ky. His journalism career spans nearly 25 years, which includes stints at the News and Tribune/Southern Indiana Business Magazine in Jeffersonville, Ind., and the Indianapolis Star. “I’m humbled to join the award-winning team at SC Biz News,” Thomas said. “I take seriously the charge of upholding SC Biz News’ standard of being the go-to source for South Carolina business leaders to grow their operations and

streamline their lives through exclusive content and inclusive events. Like any business, SC Biz News has room to grow, so you can expect to see an expanded presence digitally and on social media,

“I take seriously the charge of upholding SC Biz News’ standard of being the go-to source for South Carolina business leaders to grow their operations and streamline their lives through exclusive content and inclusive events.” Jason Thomas Executive editor, SC Biz News

as we look to enhance delivery of content across multiple platforms to business leaders across The Palmetto State, while continuing to offer our full slate of print products.”

Jenkins said Thomas’ experience in digital content will add a deeper dimension to SC Biz News content. “More and more readers prefer to consume content digitally and Jason has an uncommon commitment to digital journalism,” Jenkins said. “Our readers will see changes in the way we deliver news. And options for the types of business news they consume will increase.” In addition to print and digital news, SC Biz News also produces SCBIZtv, a statewide YouTube site with more than 200 archived business videos. The organization also produces the S.C. Manufacturing Conference and Expo, the largest manufacturing event in the state. Thomas said he chose to live in the Upstate for his family — fiancée Dani and children Sebastian, 6, and 2-yearold Simon — because it fits his lifestyle: “Outside of work I enjoy family time, mountain-biking, golfing, reading and exploring parks and urban spaces on my bike — ending my ride at a local brewery, of course.” Thomas can be reached at jthomas@ scbiznewscom. CRBJ

Reach GSA Business Report editor Ross Norton at 864-720-1222.

MIN G

Under the Microscope: Bio-Science In July, SCBIZ magazine examines the economic impact of the life sciences industries, the businesses that support them, and growth trends for the future in South Carolina.

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May 23-June 12, 2022

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Organization works to improve mental health throughout SC By Christina Lee Knauss

Contributing Writer

ental health is on the radar for more people than ever these days thanks to pandemic stress and recent headlines, including the late Naomi Judd’s struggles with mental illness. For Bill Lindsey, executive director of NAMI South Carolina, and his organization’s staff members and volunteers, helping people with mental illness and their families has been the main mission 24-7, 365 days a year for a long time. Lindsey just hopes the recent buzz will lead more people to get involved. NAMI, which stands for National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, South Carolina raised $7,972 through Midlands Gives on May 3, funds that will immediately go into the organization’s programs. “We’re the largest grassroots nonprofit for the improvement of the lives of people with mental illness and their families in South Carolina, and we do it through education, support and advocacy,” Lindsey said during a May 3 interview with SC Biz News as he monitored the flow of donations to NAMI through Midlands Gives. Although based in Columbia, NAMI’s services are statewide. One of its biggest

Illustration/File

programs is Ending the Silence, which teaches middle and high school students about the signs and symptoms of mental illness and suicidal ideation. Students hear from NAMI instructors as well as volunteers who have dealt with mental health conditions while they were in school. Since its start in 2016, Ending the Silence has reached students in every school district in the state. During 2021 alone, 34,000 students

experienced the program even though it was forced to go virtual because of the pandemic. “This program has taken off because it’s been driven by the students, not by marketing or publicity,” Lindsey said. “Students say they want to learn about these topics because there’s a big need out there. It’s a troubling time for students and they want to know what is going on when it comes to mental illness. “Hearing from people who have dealt

with mental illness really resonates with the students, and the program also helps guidance counselors and teachers learn about red flags to look out for in students who might be dealing with mental health issues so they will get the attention they need.” Since 2004, NAMI South Carolina has also provided crisis intervention training for law enforcement officers and first responders around the state. The five-day course teaches them how to de-escalate situations involving citizens who may be dealing with mental health crises or psychotic episodes. Lindsey said there is a constant waiting list because the classes are so popular. In addition to these two programs, NAMI South Carolina also runs mental health support groups and other programs statewide. “We want to make sure people know that these illnesses are not the person’s fault – these are biological brain disorders,” Lindsey said. “The pandemic, I think, has been the largest mental health crisis in this state and country in my memory, and I think it’s also been a catalyst for more people to become aware of mental illness.” NAMI South Carolina offers a toll-free helpline for those seeking help or information: 1-800-950-NAMI. CRBJ

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SBA, from Page 1

informs everything else, because you look at who that client is — and it’s a changing face of entrepreneurship — you look at what their needs are and seek to transform the SBA to better serve them. … My dad was able to pursue his American dream, and my grandmother before him. I really appreciate the value of (entrepreneurship) and want to be able to bring it more communities with equity.” Extending that equity has become especially important as the nation’s small business continue to recover from repercussions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Small Business Optimism Index decreased in January to 97.1, down 1.8 points from December, with 22% of business owners reporting inflation as their single most important problem. Supply-chain tie-ups and difficulty in hiring enough workers are two other concerns causing small business confidence to shrink. A report by technology company Meta, cited in a March 2022 Business Insider article, found that businesses run by underrepresented founders were 14% more likely to report lower sales than other businesses. The report, which surveyed 5,324 U.S. small business leaders and more than 24,000 worldwide, found that 51% of Black-owned businesses were experienc-

May 23-June 12, 2022

ing record-low sales compared to January 2021, versus 36% of all businesses in the U.S. Despite those numbers, Guzman said minority- and women-owned businesses, perhaps out of pandemic-generated necessity, are forming the backbone of the country’s economic recovery, noting that those businesses have created two-thirds of the 7.4 million jobs created since President Joe Biden took office. “No different than any other time over the past 10 years, women and people of color are the ones starting businesses at high rates,” she said. “We saw 5.4 million people decide to start a business in 2021. That’s 20% higher than any year on record, and so this tour is to celebrate all those new entrepreneurs, those established businesses that have had to pivot and adapt during the pandemic, and make sure that we can get them the resources they need to survive. “And that’s capital to fund businesses, that’s market access to grow businesses with revenue opportunities with the federal government or online through digital markets, and that’s networks and support.” In 2021, the SBA administered nearly $416.3 billion in emergency relief to more than 6 million small business through initiatives including the Paycheck Protection Program, COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans and loans targeted at hard-hit industries such as retail and

FORTY

hospitality. “As they reopen and recover their revenues, they’re still facing headwinds, and the president is committed to dealing with some of the challenges around inflationary pressures, the global supply chain disruptions, as well as workforce challenges,” Guzman said. “SBA has a role to play. Of course, our small businesses are a big part of expanding our productive capacity in the United States. That means making more here in America and strengthening our supply chain and strengthening our infrastructure.” There are calls to expand that role from those who support the SBA becoming involved in direct loans to small business owners going forward, particularly smaller-dollar loans that bigger banks and even Community Development Financial Institutions find hard to make work with their balance sheets. Noting that loans through pandemic federal relief averaged just more than $40,000, Guzman said the SBA would welcome the chance to “help our lending network meet needs of borrowers and leverage the balance sheet of the federal government to underwrite these loans and have them on their books. That could help our lenders as well. “We don’t want to replace or compete. We want to be that true lender of last resort and support the private financial markets. … It was part of our proposals within Build Back Better and the pres-

ident’s agenda. While Congress did not move forward on that, we continue to study it and explore the possibility of SBA doing direct lending. We have the authority. We’ve been doing it since 1953 when we started doing disaster loans, and we’ve proven in 2021 with COVID EIDL that we’ve been effective at getting funds into the hands of businesses.” Guzman is also focused on digital technology, an area of emphasis during her tenure as director of the California Office of the Small Business Advocate. In that role, she created Get Digital CA, an initiative aimed at increasing technology and e-commerce adoption. “We know that micro-entrepreneurship flourishes where there’s high-speed internet,” she said, adding that the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act signed into law Nov. 15 commits more than $60 billion to expanding rural broadband access. Guzman said as the country continues to forge a post-pandemic path, the SBA is committed to expanding access to its services through broader distribution networks in multiple languages. “I feel there’s so much opportunity that could be unlocked if we better supported all of our small businesses and innovative startups,” she said. “I think it’s a unique moment in time and history, especially because of the pandemic and attention on small businesses and the impact that they have.” CRBJ

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Online app helps farmers cope with lime shortage

Staff Report

rowers across the southern United States are planting spring crops and many have lime on their minds. The important soil amendment is in short supply this year, but a team at Clemson University has developed a web application that Kirk could help farmers and gardeners use available supplies judiciously. The Clemson University Precision Agriculture Team has developed the Reverse Lime Rate Calculator to help ensure the correct amount is applied where it is needed most, according to a news release. This web app helps farmers by using soil pH (acidity level), buffer pH and applied lime rate to provide an estimated soil pH, the release said. The tool may be particularly useful this year in choosing where to place lime as supplies may be limited. The reverse calculator complements an existing lime calculator. “Farmers expressed concerns this year that they may not be able to get enough lime to satisfy their needs,” Kendall Kirk, a precision agriculture engineer who helped develop the calculator, said in the release. “So, we developed this tool to calculate resulting soil pH as a function of the amount of lime applied. With input costs rising in 2022, we recognized the opportunity to also add value to our traditional lime rate calculator by adding lime cost calculations to allow growers to compare costs from different suppliers or across different products. Growers also can gain perspective of cost per acre for comparison to their other input costs.” The Reverse Lime Rate Calculator evaluates resulting pH when recommended lime rates cannot be satisfied, such as when availability, time or field conditions are limiting. The developers call it a “Reverse” Lime Rate Calculator because it does not provide a lime recommendation; instead, it displays a resulting soil pH from a user-specified lime rate. Growers who need to know a recommended lime rate for a target soil pH can use the Lime Rate Calculator. User inputs for the Reverse Lime Rate Calculator include soil pH and buffer pH from soil test results, mixing depth, lime rate and relative neutralizing value for lime source. Soil samples can be submitted to the Clemson Agricultural Service Laboratory for testing, the release said. Soil test fact sheets are available from the Clemson Home and Garden Information Center. Shortly after developing the Lime Rate

Calculator, which is used for increasing soil pH, the researchers recognized the need for a tool to use for lowering soil pH for certain acid-loving crops, such as blueberries. The Soil Acidification Calculator was developed based on information provided by the Clemson Agricultural Service Laboratory. This tool was built from a table of recommended aluminum sulfate rates as a function of soil pH and desired soil pH from the Clemson Ag Service Lab.

“We built an equation around the data in this table, which is what is used by the calculator for determining outputs,” Kirk said. The Reverse Lime Rate and Soil Acidification calculators, as well as other calculators and web apps developed by the Clemson Precision Agriculture Team can be found at https://bit.ly/CU_CalculatorsAndWebApps. Plant nutrient availability is directly related to soil pH. With the rising price

of fertilizers this year, Clemson scientists say it is more critical than ever to get soil pH correct. When soil pH is too low or too high, it can lead to nutrient deficiency and sometimes toxicity. If a farmer or gardener applies fertilizer recommended in a lab report but doesn’t correct the soil pH, then a large percentage of his or her fertilizer investment may be wasted. Shannon Alford, Clemson AgriculSee LIME , Page 24

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Goodwill Industries takes employment services on the road By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

oodwill Industries of Upstate/ Midlands unveiled Mission Mobile in a pair of ceremonies this month that the organization says will help employers find workers and people find jobs by overcoming a transportation challenge. The organization has for years provided employment and career services at Job Connection sites across its 16-county territory. Mission Mobile will make those services more easily available to what Goodwill says is a significant portion of the population that doesn’t have access to transportation. Palmetto Goodwill has a similar plan. “Over my nearly 30 years with Goodwill, the needs of jobseekers and businesses has evolved over time,” Goodwill President and CEO Pat Michaels said in an announcement May 4 at the Goodwill store on North Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville. “Goodwill is always looking for ways to adapt and meet those needs. Mission Mobile will allow us to make those services and opportunities more accessible to our neighbors across the state. That’s a good thing.” Lack of transportation options has long

Pat Michaels, CEO of Goodwill Industries, dedicates the Mission Mobile at the first of two ceremonies introducing the initiative, aimed at overcoming transportation challenges, to the community. (Photo/Provided)

been cited by health and human service experts, employers, and community leaders as a barrier to accessing employment and education, Michaels said. Mission Mobile is a 30-foot air conditioned, wheelchair-accessible vehicle that offers Job Connection services such as skills assessment, job interviews, training tools and career coaching. Mission Mobile had scheduled appearances and job fairs into July. The services are free, both to the job seekers and the companies and organizations looking for employees. “So the bus goes to those locations — and the location could be a business, it could be a community center, it could be a church, whoever wants to partner with us,” said Brock Koonce, marketing and public relations manager for Goodwill

Industries of Upstate/Midlands. “Lots of nonprofits are there that may not provide career services, like resume building, skills training, interviewing skills. What this bus does is offer opportunities, in line with businesses, to provide onsite interviews. And if the businesses don’t have the capacity to do onboarding, we can also do that on the bus.” Mission Mobile has 10 workstations and is equipped with Wi-Fi, printers and other tools that would be found in a brick-and-mortar employment offices, including employment specialists to walk companies and candidates through the process. Koonce said the organization works with employers throughout the territory dealing with the challenges of a shrinking labor pool.

“So there is a desperate need out there for companies that are looking for people,” he said. “One of the big reasons for the bus was, obviously there are many transportation deserts around the Upstate and Midlands where individuals or households either don’t have a car or they don’t have good access to the bus line,” Koonce said. “So the idea is that we take the Job Connection to them, to their neighborhood, or to businesses that are close to them.” Many of the would-be workers are looking for any kind of work, he said, but many of them have already launched themselves into the working world and come back ready to reach higher. “Some of them come in looking for any job but maybe later they come in looking for a better job,” he said. “We want to channel them through so that they become workers that can find their career. “We can help find everything from smaller jobs that can get you on your feet right now, or all the way through a career for tomorrow.” Koonce said Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands is the first in the state to put a bus on the road, but the Lowcountry’s Palmetto Goodwill has acquired a bus that is being upfitted for the same kind of purpose — to take their services on the road. CRBJ

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Mark Anthony Brewing launched its $400 million, 1.3 million-square-foot production facility in Richland County in less than a year. The Port of Charleston played a crucial role. (Photo/Mark Anthony Brewing)

Port of Charleston key to Mark Anthony’s rapid launch By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

hough two hours away, the Port of Charleston played a major role in making Mark Anthony Brewing’s ambitious, 1.3-million-square-foot brewing facility in Columbia a rapid reality. Among the many logistical feats that went into getting the $490 million investment up and running 346 days from its Nov. 30, 2020, groundbreaking was the shipment of 56 huge, stainless steel brewing tanks from German manufacturer Ziemann Holvrieka. “Here’s a remarkable photo,” Mark Anthony founder and CEO Anthony von Mandl said during a May 12 grand opening celebration at the facility off Shop Road in the Pineview Industrial Park. “Here’s four of our tanks on a barge. Ziemann Holvrieka has this remarkable facility where they build some of the highest-end tanks in the world on the

Rhine River. The tanks are loaded on a barge, taken to the Port of Rotterdam, and loaded on a vessel to Charleston. Thank you, Port of Charleston, for being there. It really helped us on our project.” The successful transportation of the tanks is just one example of how the various project engineers and architects, along with general contractor Clayco, teamed up to accelerate a production schedule von Mandl said would normally take four to six years to complete. “The magnitude of this project is breathtaking,” von Mandl said. “Twenty-seven miles of stainless steel piping, 33 miles of steel roof framing and racks, 56 enormous stainless steel tanks, 126,000 tons of concrete, more than 600 people on the site during the peak of construction during the height of COVID. … Nothing about this project was normal. This was to be the most complex, advanced facility of its kind in the world, purpose-built with technology that had to be designed as we were building.”

Choosing South Carolina

Before all those wheels began turning, a decision had to be made. On Sept. 22, 2020, a Mark Anthony site selection task force arrived in Columbia for breakfast at the Governor’s Mansion. von Mandl, at home in Vancouver, couldn’t join that expedition because of COVID-19 travel restrictions, but he was well aware of the goings-on on at 800 Richland Street. “Your goal was to convince us to select South Carolina as the state to build the largest brewery built in the United States in the last 28 years and the most technologically advanced facility of its kind in the world,” he said. “We looked at 18 locations in five states and narrowed the field down to two. I can tell you now, Governor, truth be known, South Carolina was not in the lead when our team arrived that morning.” That changed as the Mark Anthony team heard what Gov. Henry McMaster, then-Secretary of Commerce Bobby

Hitt, and Richland County economic development officials had to say. “Peggy (McMaster) hosted half of our team on what she called the kids’ table, and she charmed the team with her Southern hospitality and played an integral role in convincing us that South Carolina was the place to be,” John Sacksteder, president of Mark Anthony Brewing, said. “The governor was just as convincing. His deep pride in this state and this city was clear from the moment that we met him.” Also apparent were the forward-thinking steps the county had already taken to make the 160 acres 310 Mark Anthony employees now call homer readily habitable. “(The county) had the vision more than eight years ago to add infrastructure to this site — roads, natural gas lines, water, wastewater connection,” Sacksteder said. “Without that, we could See MARK ANTHONY, Page 18

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May 23-June 12, 2022

Mark Anthony founder and CEO Anthony von Mandl speaks flanked by a screen showing the brewing tanks for the Columbia facility being loaded onto a barge in Germany. The tanks were then shipped to the Port of Charleston, which von Mandl singled out as key to the success of the project. (Photos/Melinda Waldrop)

case of Mark Anthony products — which include White Claw hard seltzer, Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Cayman Jack cocktails — rolled off the line and into of one 69 shipping bays. Mark Anthony’s Columbia investment included $10 billion in a system that captures and reprocesses all carbon dioxide created at the plant into carbonation for its beverages, $15 million in an advanced wastewater treatment system and $4 million in landscaping that includes more than 200 newly planted trees and a 29-acre employee park. “We’re not done yet,” von Mandl said. “Our long-term vision for South Carolina will see even more investment, including expanding the footprint of our facilities in years ahead. I’ll leave those details for another day. “This is a great day for Mark Anthony Brewing, the city of Columbia, the state of South Carolina. For me personally, it is a very significant moment. Thank you

pandemic protocols and a step ahead of supply chain disruptions. “Four weeks later, the first structural and roofing steel was in place,” von Mandl said. “Had we started the project just one month later, we would have not been able to keep up with the steel required for the structural girders to keep going. If we tried to build the project today, it would probably take us two more years to get the steel.” Within three months and 100,000 work hours, the facility’s exterior walls were erected. By March 2021, the roof was up, and “we had helicopters lifting 88 air conditioning units up to the roof in the midst of a driving rain storm,” von Mandl said. “Nothing was going to stand in our way, not even South Carolina occasional weather.” Filtration equipment, and those brewing tanks, arrived, put into place with the help of 46 laser-guided vehicles. The electrical substation, powered at a lightning

all for your commitment and believing in us. One final promise to the future Mark Anthony staff in South Carolina, and that is: We’ve only just begun.”

MARK ANTHONY, from Page 15

have never even considered this piece of property.” By October 2020, the team decided South Carolina was the place to be, and ground was broken a month later. “Ten years ago, the land that we stand on today was a tree nursery with about two or three employees,” Richland County Council Chair Overture Walker said. “This was made possible because my colleagues in Richland County made the commitment to invest in economic development with the aim of creating quality career opportunities for our citizens and growing our community’s tax base and attracting more industrial and commercial development. “We didn’t allow concerns about taxes to stand in the way of delivering job opportunities that will pay a livable wage for many of our residents. Instead, we took a resourceful approach and used all the tools at the county’s disposal for leveling the playing field and competing with other regions for economic development projects.” Ryan Coleman, director of the city of Columbia’s Office of Economic Development, told SC Biz News the Mark Anthony project is an example of what the county can accomplish when stakeholders work together. The facility was part of a record-setting $638.7 million in economic investment the county attracted in 2020, followed in 2021 by $359.6 million, the second-highest amount on record. “It’s about (removing) those impediments as early on as possible, so that the barriers to a company saying no aren’t there,” Coleman said. “When you’ve got the ability to control the site, and you can give the company the infrastructure that they need to go forward, that’s how you get something like this to happen.” Within 10 days of the groundbreaking, Clayco poured the first concrete slab, and the project was off, forging ahead through

Mark Anthony CEO Anthony von Mandl (second from left) and other officials cut the ceremonial ribbon.

pace by Dominion Energy, was activated. Front office furniture was installed, and test production runs began. In November 2021, the first salable

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April another record month for SC Ports Authority By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

he S.C. Ports Authority reported the biggest April ever for containers handled, marking the 14th consecutive month of cargo records at the Port of Charleston. Strong volumes are driven by sustained retail imports, which were up 34% in April compared to last year, according to a news release from SCPA. “With ongoing supply chain challenges and record cargo volumes, S.C. Ports remains focused on deploying responsive, creative solutions to return terminal and berth fluidity to normalcy for our customers,” S.C. Ports CEO Jim Newsome said in the news release. “We are in a strong position as we have proactively invested more than $2 billion into our infrastructure ahead of demand.” The ports handled 264,099 TEUs, or 20-foot equivalent container units, at Wando Welch Terminal, North Charleston Terminal and Leatherman Terminal in April, up 17% from last year. S.C. Ports has moved 2.4 million TEUs so far in fiscal year 2022, from July through April, up 15% fiscal year-over-year, according to the release. April marks an all-time record for pier containers, which account for boxes of any

The S.C. Ports Authority reported the biggest April ever for containers handled. (Photo/SC Ports Authority/English Purcell)

size. S.C. Ports handled 145,779 pier containers last month, a 16% increase yearover-year, the release said. So far in fiscal year 2022, S.C. Ports has moved 1.3 million pier containers, up nearly 15% from the same period the year prior. According to SCPA, supply chain challenges have been addressed by hiring more than 150 people in operations, providing Sunday gates for motor carriers, prioritiz-

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respond to the ongoing supply chain challenges. This has enabled us to make progress on our backlog in an effort to keep our supply chain fluid.” Vehicle volumes remained steady, with 21,829 rolling across the docks of Columbus Street Terminal in April. SC. Port’s two rail-served inland ports in Greer and Dillon handled a combined 14,945 rail moves in April.

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Lufthansa order includes North Charleston-made aircraft By Molly Hulsey

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

uilt with lightweight composite materials, the 787 family has an airport-noise footprint that is 60% smaller than the previous generation of airplanes, making it ideal for Lufthansa Group airport communities, according to a news release. The purchase will bring Lufthansa Group’s total order for the 787 Dreamliner to 32 firm orders, with most expected for a 2022 to 2026 delivery, according to the release. Lufthansa also is a launch customer for Boeing’s 777X passenger airplane, with 20 firm orders. Fourteen 787 Dreamliner models were delivered in 2021, according to Boeing’s investor data, despite production and quality control snags during the past two years. Boeing and the Lufthansa Group also announced earlier this month that the airline group will continue its decision to strengthen Lufthansa’s cargo operations with an order for seven 777-8 Freighters, the industry’s newest cargo plane. The decision is a keystone of the German airline’s overhaul of its fleet since 2020. Over the past two years, 83 aircraft have been retired, while 33 have been

Lufthansa’s most recent order means work for the North Charleston plant. (Photo/Provided)

added to the entire fleet, according to Lufthansa. The Group has also placed a new order for two 777 Freighters to add to its cargo fleet, providing extra cargo capacity in the near-term until the delivery of its first 777-8 Freighter. “With the selection of our newest freighter, Lufthansa continues its long history of firsts with Boeing airplane programs, becoming the first European customer for the 777-8 Freighter,” Ihssane Mounir, Boeing’s senior vice president of commercial sales and marketing, said in

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the release. “With the investment in the 777 and 787 fleet, the Lufthansa Group will operate the most advanced, fuel-efficient twin-engine airplanes in the industry. Each of these airplanes reduces emissions by 15 to 25% compared to previous models with a noise footprint up to 50% smaller than their predecessors, helping to advance the Lufthansa Group’s sustainability objectives.” Boeing launched the new 777-8 Freighter in January and has already booked 34 firm orders for the model. The company says its 777-8 Freighter offers

the highest payload and the lowest fuel use, emissions and operating cost per metric ton of any large freighter. With nearly identical payload and range capabilities to previous models plus 30% better fuel efficiency and 25% better operating costs per metric ton, Boeing said the 777-8 Freighter will be the ideal choice as operators replace aging freighters later this decade. The 2021 Boeing Commercial Market Outlook projects a 70% increase in the global freighter fleet by 2040, including approximately 450 new large widebody freighters such as the new 777-8 Freighter and 777 Freighter, according to the new release. The first delivery of the 777-8 freighter is anticipated in 2027. “The continuous modernization of Lufthansa Group’s long-haul fleet is one of our top priorities,” Detlef Kayser, member of the executive board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said in the release. “Therefore, we are very pleased to further invest into the newest generation of Boeing aircraft. The purchase will complement our existing orders and further reduce our operating costs, enhance fuel efficiency and provide state-of-the-art customer experiences. Moreover, the purchase highlights our commitment towards enhancing sustainable aviation.” CRBJ

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INTERMODAL ANXIETY: Supply chain challenges persist By Christina Lee Knauss

Contributing Writer

ore than two years after the pandemic threw supply chains worldwide into upheaval, the effects are still being felt nationwide, with ongoing backups at shipping ports and periodic shortages of a wide range of goods on store shelves. Shipping disruptions caused by ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns in Shanghai and other parts of China, as well as the war in Ukraine, are likely to exacerbate supply chain woes through the end of the year, forecasters say. As a result, the shipping and trucking industries in South Carolina have been seeing a surge in demand, and that isn’t likely to change, according to experts from both sectors in the state. South Carolina is one of the East Coast ports benefiting from the effects of longterm backups at ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach, Ca., leading some shippers to divert their business to the East Coast. That and record imports to accommodate surging retail demand has caused the Port of Charleston to operate at record levels for 14 months, with no sign of a slowdown in sight. The port recently had its highest April ever for containers, handling 264,099

Illustration/File

twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) at the Wando Welch, North Charleston and Leatherman terminals, up 17% from April 2021, according to a report released by the South Carolina Ports Authority. So far from July through April for fiscal year 2022, SC Ports has

moved 2.4 million TEUs, up 15% from the previous fiscal year. April also marked an all-time SC Ports record for pier containers, which account for boxes of any size, not just TEUs. The ports handled 145,779 pier containers in April, up 16% from 2021. So far in fiscal

year 2022, SC Ports has moved 1.3 million pier containers, nearly a 15% increase from the previous year. The port had experienced some problems with backups earlier in 2022, with See TRUCKING , Page 20

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TRUCKING, from Page 19

some ships being forced to remain at anchor at sea before coming in to port, but port officials have been working on solutions to return fluidity at the port to normalcy, according to SC Ports CEO Jim Newsome. “We are in a strong position as we have proactively invested more than $2 billion into our infrastructure ahead of demand,” Newsome said. SC Ports has used a variety of solutions to improve supply chain function, including hiring more than 150 people in operations, providing Sunday gates for motor carriers, prioritizing shipping lines taking empties out of port and offering berth priority to vessels taking out more cargo. The innovations are important because recent statistics and developments indicate business at the port is not going to be slowing down. Despite inflation, consumer demand for a wide variety of goods is expected to remain high through the rest of the year, with a predicted growth between 6% and 8% for retail sales, according to figures released in March by the National Retail Federation. That’s a slower growth than retailers saw in 2021 but still higher than pre-pandemic growth levels. The April 22 opening of the $220 million, 3-million-square-foot Walmart Import Distribution Center in Ridgeville, which will eventually employ more than

IN FOCUS: PORTS, LOGISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION

1,300, is expected to increase the volume at Charleston ports by 5%, according to industry estimates. The center will also help alleviate supply shortages at 850 Walmart and Sam’s Club locations around the Southeast.

Where rubber meets road

Somebody needs to move all these goods coming into the ports, and that responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the trucking industry, which is facing its own challenges. Trucking nationwide has been dealing with a shortage of about 80,000 drivers, the worst on record, according to statistics from the American Trucking Association. For the truckers that are on the road, rising fuel costs and ongoing inflation are eliminating a lot of the profits brought on by rising, pandemic-related demand for their services, according to J. Richards Todd, president and CEO of the South Carolina Trucking Association. “Before fuel prices got so high and inflation became rampant, many truckers were making pretty good money because of the demand for them,” Todd said. “Now I think that’s turned a little bit. We’re going to see some pressure on some sectors of the industry. Some sectors are going to continue to do well — the national fleets, the parcel carriers and others with high capital. The smaller carriers and independent

May 23-June 12, 2022

truckers, however, are going to be living on the margin.” The skyrocketing cost of diesel fuel is the biggest concern for anybody operating a trucking fleet right now, Todd said. As of May 16, AAA estimated the average price of diesel was $5.55 a gallon nationwide, and $5.46 in South Carolina. With tight supplies and increasing demand, industry experts are forecasting prices to continue to increase through the summer. “The demand for diesel remained high during the pandemic and continues to be high because everything goes by truck and all industries rely on diesel — trucking, construction, you name it,” Todd said. “Prices are now at a historic high, and they’re just going to continue to skyrocket.” Fuel costs aren’t the only challenges facing trucking companies. They’re also paying more to keep the drivers they have and attract new ones to the job, as well as paying more for insurance because of a rise in litigation against trucking-related accidents. “Wages and labor costs have been going up exponentially because of the ongoing driver shortage, and now with the rising fuel costs, we really have a perfect storm of challenges facing the industry,” Todd said. As a result, smaller trucking companies, businesses that operate trucks to haul their own goods and independent

Join us in a show of support for our Military & Veterans In June each Business Journal will publish a custom cover dedicated to the business community’s support of our Military and Veterans.

owner-operators are taking the biggest hits in this economy, Todd said. “Owner-operators who bought trucks to come into the industry and take advantage of the demand are having problems because they don’t have the large cash reserves on hand to deal with the increased costs,” Todd said. Smaller carriers and independent truckers then must pass the increased costs on to customers, which could in turn result in a loss of business. The South Carolina Trucking Association is continuing ongoing efforts to attract more drivers to the industry through its Be Pro Be Proud workforce development program and a CDL Prep program for high school students. Todd said there is an increased interest in the industry, with many of the state’s technical colleges experiencing a backlog of applicants for commercial driver’s licenses and diesel technology training programs. Those hands-on efforts to increase driver numbers are one of the few things Todd said the trucking industry can count on right now, with so many other factors of the economy out of their control. “The price of diesel is going to continue to be a challenge and the supply is going to apparently be an increased challenge, and we don’t know what the situation is going to ultimately look like,” he said. “It’s unlikely we’ll be seeing any of our typical seasonal cycles in the near future.” CRBJ

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IN FOCUS: PORTS, LOGISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION

www.charlestonbusiness.com

RETAIL, from Page 21

at the Columbia Grand Strand and at the Coastal Grand Mall, are being reoccupied by entertainment and arcade hubs like Dave and Busters — not new stores or the long-expected fulfillment centers. “Even in Charleston, you have the Citadel Mall, which now has become … really repurposed for other things, not much retail,” he said. “Columbia is the same way, you’ve got Columbia Grand and the others are not malls anymore. They’re dead. So there’s been a consolidation for LIME, from Page 11

tural Service Laboratory director, said applying the correct amount of lime is imperative to achieving target soil pH and making nutrients available to plants. “Both of our Lime Rate Calculators allow farmers to consider the types of liming products and current costs to make the best selection for their needs,” Alford said in the release. “These factors are important to consider in times when the supply chain is interrupted and costs are not stable.” Tests are conducted in the laboratory using the Adams-Evans buffer method. The buffer is a solution that acts like fast-acting lime when incubated with a soil-water mixture. Lime recommendations are generated based on how much

May 23-June 12, 2022

one thing. Part of that has been driven by the demise of companies like Sears, which were in a lot of those properties, which now, they’ve gone completely away.” Almost. An out-of-mall Sears Hometown appliance store that operates in Greenwood is the last living vestige of the Sears empire left in the Palmetto State. As for Belk, the closure of its fulfillment center may not herald the closure of its South Carolina locations, but just a new way of doing things. The company has begun to use its retail locations as a fulfillment center of sorts

instead of a separate ecommerce location. Merchandise can be shipped from various store locations and online orders can now be returned onsite, he said. “I think this will actually be a benefit to the retail locations,” Dolton Williams, director of Union County Development, told SC Biz News. “From what Belk has discussed with us, this is sort of a model that they’re looking at going to, to handling more of the online fulfillment through their current retail locations. I believe they’ve got over 300 nationwide.”

Williams said his organization and SCWorks are seeking to relocate and upskill Belk’s 161 Union employees at other local industries in need of talent during a tight labor market. And ever since Belk announced its closure, he has fielded questions from a host of brokers and potential tenants in the distribution, fulfillment and manufacturing space. “When Belk makes their final decision on whether they’re going to get out of their lease or come back, it’s not going to sit vacant very long, that building,” he said.

the pH of the soil-water mixture changes when the buffer is added. Clemson Agricultural Service Laboratory scientists use this method to determine lime requirements for each client’s specific soil sample. Michael Plumblee, Clemson Cooperative Extension Service corn and soybean specialist, said using the Reverse Lime Rate Calculator app will save growers time and money. “This app takes out the manual calculation part of determining liming rates,” Plumblee said in the release. “It also allows for the ability to compare several rates rather fast compared to doing the math by hand. This app will help farmers save money by making sure that the appropriate rates of lime are being applied based on soil sample results. Putting a closer eye on all of our inputs and the rates we apply

these inputs ultimately will help increase profits and reduce costs where applicable.” Information provided will be benefi-

levels, we may be able to utilize nutrients that are currently in the soil rather than needing to add additional inputs to make up the difference to maximize yield. If we can better utilize what we have built up in the soil, we could see a reduction in the total amount of fertilizer applied in a single application or growing season.” The Clemson Precision Agriculture Team is comprised of scientists dedicated to developing precision agriculture technologies such as software, sensors, UAVs and robots designed to increase farming productivity and sustainable agriculture. The team is housed at the Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville, which also will be the home of Clemson’s new Center for Agricultural Technology.

“This app takes out the manual calculation part of determining liming rates.” Michael Plumblee Clemson Cooperative Extension Service

cial for maximizing nutrient availability “especially in a year where every ounce counts,” he said in the release. “Using this app also will help ensure soils are limed to an appropriate pH so that plant-available nutrients can be maximized,” Plumblee said. “If we have soils at appropriate pH

CRBJ

We make container hauling look good!

Dry Freight & ISO Tanks Tanker Chassis & Tri-Axle Chassis Available 3135 Pacific Street • North Charleston, SC 29418 • 843.745.0023 • michele.liquidbox@gmail.com

May 23-June 12, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 25

Motor Freight Lines

Ranked by No. of Drivers in the Charleston Area Drivers: Local / Statewide

Tractors / Trailers

5,000 10,000

5,000 5,000

Jeff Banton 2006

300 300

843-308-9600 www.atsinc.net info@atsinc.net

Jason Gianoukos, David Weis, Jimmie Gianoukos 1986

Phoenix Transit & Logistics 2152 Melbourne Ave. North Charleston, SC 29405

843-308-0222 robin@phxtrans.net

Universal Intermodal Services (UISA) 510 Wando Lane Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

Company

Phone / Website / Email

Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded

Landstar - VCK Agency 708 Windchime Alley Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-216-8379 www.landstar.com vicki.holland@landstarmail.com

2018

Atlantic Intermodal Services 2516 Clements Ferry Road Charleston, SC 29492

843-216-1045 www.atlanticintermodal.com aissales@atlanticintermodal.com

ATS Logistics Inc. 4033 W. Montague Ave. North Charleston, SC 29418

Trucking Type

Industry Focus

Dedicated, expedited, flatbed, frozen/ refrigerated, hazardous materials, LTL/ TL

Providing domestic and international transportation and logistics

70 70

Intermodal

Freight of all kinds

150 157

170 11

Dedicated, frozen/refrigerated, hazardous materials, intermodal

Automotive; nonperishable foods; beer, wine and soda; palletized goods

Michael Chimenti, Robin Wand 1997

100 100

100 10

Dedicated, hazardous materials, intermodal

Container drayage for the ports of Charleston, Charlotte, N.C. and Savannah, G.A.

843-747-2045 www.universalintermodal.com teamcharleston@universalintermodal.com

1932

90 105

45 -

Dedicated, frozen/refrigerated, hazardous materials, intermodal

General commodity

All Points Transport 1040 Lincoln Ave. North Charleston, SC 29405

843-576-5930 www.allpointscharlestonsc.com asc@allpointstransport.com

Bill Ashley, Marvin Cumbee 2003

68 68

68 31

Dedicated, frozen/refrigerated, hazardous materials, intermodal

All industries shipping intermodal; both international and domestic; HAZ MAT; refeer; overweight

Southeastern Freight Lines Inc. 1140 Business Park Road Summerville, SC 29483

843-695-2300 www.sefl.com

Mark Davis 1950

56 310

35 109

Expedited, hazardous materials, LTL/TL

Regional LTL carrier

Barnhart Transportation LLC 111 Old Depot Road Moncks Corner, SC 29461

843-553-0534 www.barnhart-trans.com sales@barnhart-trans.com

Barrett Mears, Brad Whitley, Timothy Barnhart 2017

50 50

50 60

Bulk, dedicated, expedited, flatbed, intermodal, LTL/TL

Drayage, heavy haul, flat bed, pneumatic tank, liquid tank

RTR Inc. 7109 Cross County Road North Charleston, SC 29418

843-552-3061 www.rtrinc.net dispatch@rtrinc.net

Ronald V. Redondo 1995

50 50

50 6

Hazardous materials, intermodal

Intermodal and containerized freight

Cowboy Expedited Services 8100 Palmetto Commerce Parkway Ladson, SC 29456

843-767-8693 www.cowboyusallc.com dispatch2@cowboyusallc.com

Cathie Stone, Gina Derry 2005

45 45

50 85

Bulk, dedicated, expedited, flatbed, frozen/refrigerated, hazardous materials, intermodal, LTL/TL

Hmfg plants for airplane and vehicle manufacturing, hazardous materials

TCW Inc. 2355 Charleston Regional Parkway North Charleston, SC 29492

843-388-8688 www.tcwonline.com

1948

41 123

35 20

Dedicated, expedited, hazardous materials, intermodal, LTL/TL

International drayage and full truckload coverage throughout the Southeast

Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. 1938 Clements Ferry Road Wando, SC 29492

843-856-7224 www.odfl.com csscontops@odfl.com

John Elwood, Denise Lee, Jonathan Bazzle 1939

36 36

36 190

Expedited, frozen/refrigerated, hazardous materials, intermodal, LTL/ TL

LTL, intermodal

Continuum Transportation Services 905 N. Main St., Suite 201 Summerville, SC 29483

843-790-9290 www.continuumtrans.com vduncan@continuumtrans.com

2005

25 25

Intermodal

Intermodal trucking throughout the U.S.

Port City Transportation 1003 Lincoln Ave., Suite A North Charleston, SC 29406

843-747-7188 www.portcitytrans.com john@portcitytrans.com

Bob Eveleigh 1985

25 25

10 -

Dedicated, intermodal

Intermodal

Azalea Moving & Storage Inc. 7131 Bryhawke Circle North Charleton, SC 29418

843-767-4888 www.azaleamoving.com josh@azaleamoving.com

Josh Keiffer 1982

21 21

20 40

Intermodal

Charleston port services and transloading

Fastrans Intermodal 1940 Hanahan Road, Suite 101 North Charleston, SC 29406

843-718-1245 www.fastransintermodal.com clarke@fastransintermodal.com

Clarke Seaton 2009

20 20

20 24

Intermodal

Intermodal drayage

Liquid Box Trucking 3135 Pacific St. North Charleston, SC 29418

843-745-0025 www.liquidbox.us scott.liquidbox@gmail.com

Scott Reid Adams 2008

20 18

25 120

Dedicated, intermodal

Manufacturing

MCO Transport Inc. 1003 Trident St. Hanahan, SC 29410

843-747-5949 www.mcotransport.com info@mcotransport.com

Destiny Jackson, Daniel F. McComas, Bill Lowe 1976

20 20

20 10

Dedicated, hazardous materials, intermodal, LTL/TL

Transportation, imports, exports

YRC Freight 2243 Wren St. North Charleston, SC 29406

843-300-7971 www.my.yrc.com marylouise.williamson@myyellow.com

Mary Louise Louise Williamson, Jonathan Bryant 1924

20 200

200 1,000

Dedicated, expedited, hazardous materials, LTL/TL

General freight

61 Transport 6690 Jet Park Road North Charleston, SC 29418

843-261-1831 tlc@61transport.com

Tammy Clark 2015

15 15

15 -

Expedited, intermodal

Ocean cargo

Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, errors sometimes occur. Email additions or corrections to research@scbiznews.com.

Researched by Business Journal staff

www.charlestonbusiness.com

May 23-June 12, 2022

Motor Freight Lines

Ranked by No. of Drivers in the Charleston Area Drivers: Local / Statewide

Tractors / Trailers

Bob Brennan, Christine Zuppo 2008

15 15

843-576-2426 www.skylinedray.com kkelly@skylinedray.com

Kenneth Kelly 1980

Gulf & Atlantic Maritime Services 1400 Pierside St., Building 190, Suite E North Charleston, SC 29405

843-527-3552 www.gamsllc.com ops@gamsllc.com

Gulf & Atlantic Maritime Services 2735 Front St. Georgetown, SC 29440

Company

Phone / Website / Email

Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded

National Drayage Services 454 Shipping Lane Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-375-1212 www.ndsv.com chs-trident@ndsv.com

Skyline Express Inc. 1011 Trident St. Hanahan, SC 29410

Trucking Type

Industry Focus

15 -

Intermodal

Ocean containers

15 100

15 -

Dedicated, expedited, flatbed, frozen/ refrigerated, hazardous materials, intermodal, LTL/TL

Intermodal

2015

10 10

Bulk, flatbed, intermodal

Waterfront to end user

843-527-3552 www.gamsllc.com ops@gamsllc.com

2015

10 10

Bulk, flatbed, intermodal

Waterfront to end user; GAMS is a one stop shop

Pilot Freight Services 9004 Sightline Drive, Suite H Ladson, SC 29456

843-873-4855 www.pilotdelivers.com chs@pilotdelivers.com

Andrew C. Rossell 1970

6 15

1 10

Dedicated, expedited, hazardous materials, LTL/TL

Automotive, aerospace, medical, furniture

C & C Warehouse & Distribution 137 Acres Drive Ladson, SC 29456

843-818-2332 www.candcwarehouse.com information@candcwarehouse.com

Greg Cate, Jinny S. Kramitz 1998

4 4

Expedited, flatbed, hazardous materials, intermodal, LTL/TL

3rd party logistics, import and export, transportation and storage

EFL Global 4450 Goer Drive North Charleston, SC 29406

843-744-2727 www.efl.global tomd@efl.global

Tom DeMuth 1982

4 4

4 20

Intermodal

Formerly I.D.E.A. LLC; textiles, chemicals, consumer goods

QIC - Quality International Cartage 6435 Fain St., Building A, Suite B North Charleston, SC 29406

843-744-5262 charleston@qicllc.net

Tammy Clements, David Jones 2003

4 60

70 125

Frozen/refrigerated, hazardous materials, intermodal

Multifreight

Tri Star Freight System 4500 Goer Drive North Charleston, SC 29406

843-216-1446 www.tristarfreightsys.com tristar@tristarfreightsys.com

Kellyna Hammer, Mike Forbis 1987

3 3

Intermodal, LTL/TL

Household goods, commercial

R.Y.B. Trucking LLC 1054 Cobblestone Blvd. Summerville, SC 29486

843-973-0577 rahsaanbrown143@gmail.com

2021

1 1

1 -

Intermodal

Establish working, professional relationships with trucking community and peers

LS2C Logistics Inc. 950 Houston Northcutt Blvd., Suite 100 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-856-0018 www.ls2c.com will@ls2c.com

Martin F. Chitty, Will F. Cabanting 2000

Expedited, flatbed, frozen/refrigerated, intermodal, LTL/TL

Flatbed loads, intermodal and container, van and dry goods and produce

Researched by Business Journal staff

LeRoy LeMaster - CEO LeRoy@LewisTruckLines.com Tyler Anthony, Executive Vice President 843.248.5984 x 224 | Ty@LewisTruckLines.com Leigh Ann Yoxtheimer, Vice President 843.248.5984 | LeighAnn@LewisTruckLines.com Dispatch dispatch@LewisTruckLines.com

Lewis Truck Lines. One Company - One Solution. Lewis Truck Lines is a family owned trucking company in Conway, SC since 1935. We are an asset based company with 48 state authority. We specialize in INTERMODAL CONTAINER SERVICES that service the SOUTHEAST PORTS. Our fleet will support all of your import/ exports intermodal, flatbed, dry van and LTL Flatbed expedited service needs.

TRUCK LOAD SERVICES:

LESS THAN A TRUCK LOAD SERVICES:

IMPORT/EXPORT INTERMODAL CONTAINER SERVICES We specialize in open tops, flat racks and standard/high cube container loads. Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC cards) 48 STATE AUTHORITY ON-BOARD SATELLITE TRACKING 48’ AND 53’ FLATBED TRAILERS 48’ AND 53’ SINGLE DROP/DOUBLE DROP TRAILERS OVER DIMENSIONAL CAPACITY 53’ DRY VANS WITH SWING DOORS

• HOTSHOTS • FLATBED EXPEDITED • LTL SERVICES

BROKERAGE SERVICES: Partnered to thousands of Carriers in the United States and Canada with the ability to accommodate your cross border transportation needs.

843.248.5984 • www.LewisTruckLines.com

May 23-June 12, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 27

Employee Benefits Brokers

Ranked by No. of Employee Benefits Agents in the Charleston Area Company

Phone / Website / Email

Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded

Hibbits Insurance 835 Coleman Blvd., Suite 102 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-508-8210 www.hibbitsinsurance.com jack@hibbitsins.com

Jack Hibbits 1971

18 18

A division of Risk Strategies; employee benefits, individual health, life, disability, dental, vision and Medicare

HUB International Charleston 4401 Leeds Ave. North Charleston, SC 29405

843-529-5470 www.hubinternational.com

Erin Scheffer, Harrison Barnes 1983

15 312

Risk and insurance, employee benefits, retirement and private wealth

Benefit Concepts 1180 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., Suite 100 Charleston, SC 29407

843-763-7718 www.bcicharleston.com info@bcicharleston.com

Sara N. DeBiasi 1989

7 7

Employer sponsored plans, HR consulting, onboarding and admin. technology, HR support, personal and family health plans, marketplace, Medicare

Assured Partners Inc. 4900 O'Hear Ave., Suite 203 North Charleston, SC 29405

843-552-3422 www.assuredpartners.com kerri.colditz@assuredpartners.com

Kerri Colditz, Jon Taylor 2011

6 16

Employee benefits, commercial risk management

Brown & Brown of South Carolina 7515 Northside Drive North Charleston, SC 29420

843-266-4592 www.bbrown.com donny.mcelveen@bbrown.com

Todd Tyler 1939

5 33

Group health and ancillary plans, compliance, cost control strategies, population health, property, casualty, workers' compensation, risk mitigation

Southern Benefits LLC 990 Lake Hunter Drive, Suite 201 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-881-7636 www.southern-benefits.com

Dave Kay 2005

5 5

Large and small group employee benefit plans

Beckham Insurance Group 741 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Suite 200 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-766-3393 www.beckhaminsurancegroup.com marshall@beckhaminsurancegroup.com

Marshall Beckham 2009

4 4

Employee benefits and health insurance

C.T. Lowndes & Co. 749 St. Andrews Blvd. Charleston, SC 29407

843-763-0120 www.ctlowndes.com charleston@ctlowndes.com

Carl Morrison Allen, Rawlins Lowndes, Ian Philpot 1850

4 20

Property and casualty, life, health, employee benefits

360 Financial Partners 1081 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Suite 100 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-216-1077 www.360fp.com partners@360fp.com

Randall D. Teegardin, Dustin J. Hughes 2006

3 3

Fee-based wealth management, individual retirement accounts, 401(k) rollovers, education and estate planning, insurance

Aaron Brown Insurance & Financial 904 W. 2nd North St. Summerville, SC 29484

843-261-9677 www.aaronbrpowninsurance.com aaronbrowninsurance@yahoo.com

Aaron A. Brown 1999

3 3

Annuity, FIA, fixed, MYGA, FIUL, IUL, life insurance, health all ages

NFP 1859 Summerville Ave., Suite 600 Charleston, SC 29405

843-972-5414 www.nfp.com

Trey L. McLaughlin 2007

3 3

Employee benefits, retirement and commercial insurance

USI Insurance Services LLC 235 Magrath Darby Blvd., Suite 325 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

854-529-1611 www.usi.com corbin.wimberly@usi.com

Rion Shearer, Robb Imbus 1869

3 8

Underwriting and analytics, HR services, population health, compliance, health care cost management, pharmacy benefit management, ancillary consulting

Benefit Advisors of Charleston LLC 4900 O'Hear Ave., Suite 100 North Charleston, SC 29405

843-412-2583 www.benefitadvisorsofcharleston.com tom@benefitadvisorsofcharleston.com

Thomas DiLiegro 2011

2 2

Group medical planning, self funded medical, account-based dental and vision, voluntary enhanced benefits, medical reimbursement, Medicare supplements

The Ellis Benefits Co. 561 Commonwealth Road Mount Pleasant, SC 29466

843-856-1430 www.theellisco.com dean@theellisco.com

Dean Ellis 1991

2 2

Independent agency; employee benefits, health insurance, life insurance, STD, LTD, dental, online enrollment

M&A Prime Benefits LLC 709 Gamecock Ave. Charleston, SC 29407

843-556-2594 www.mackeyonline.com jason@mackeyonline.com

Jason Mackey 1989

2 2

Small to medium size group employee benefits

Workplace Benefits 901 Island Park Drive, Suite 205 Daniel Island, SC 29492

843-856-3757 www.benefitwork.com reese@benefitwork.com

Reese McFaddin Gately 2005

2 2

Health, life, dental, disability and medicare for individuals and companies

Crosby Insurance Group 802 Coleman Blvd., Suite 101 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-971-5386 www.crosbyinsurancegroup.com info@crosbyinsgroup.com

Alex Crosby , Davis Crosby, Rick M. Crosby 1994

1 5

All forms of insurance and employee benefits for large, small groups and individuals

Hines Wealth Management LLC 125 Wappoo Creek Drive, Building E, Suite 101A Charleston, SC 29412

888-674-6777 www.hineswealthmanagement.com info@hineswealth.com

Eugene H. Hines 2011

1 1

Group health, disability, vision, life insurance, key person individual life insurance, business buy-sell programs, 401(k) and employee education, SEP and simple IRA plans

The O'Laughlin Agency Inc. 5401 Netherby Lane North Chalreston, SC 29420

843-767-9685 www.olaughlinagency.com george@olaughlinagency.com

George O'Laughlin 2001

1 1

Group employee benefit sales and consultation

Benefits Agents / Total Agents

Specialization

Researched by Business Journal staff

At Work

BUSINESS DIGEST | PEOPLE IN THE NEWS | HOT PROPERTIES

Business Digest

People in the News

Sixteenth Charleston Wine + Food Fest has economic impact of $26M The five-day Charleston Wine + Food Festival had an economic impact of $25.6 million on the area. Numbers released by the festival—developed with researchers at the College of Charleston Office of Tourism Analysis—show an average per-visitor spend of $1,329 and a total of $1.6 million in state and local taxes. Of the 34,918 attendees, 75 percent were female, 30 percent came from out of town, and 70 percent stayed in paid accommodations. In addition, Black and Indigenous people and people of other racial and ethnic groups made up about 34 percent of the festival’s chefs, beverage professionals, and musicians, up from 16 percent in 2020. This year’s festival included more than 100 live events throughout the area. The 2023 festival is slated for March 1–5.

The Drip Lounge adds King Street location

The Drip Lounge, an IV therapy provider, has opened a facility on King Street. The site contains 10 semiprivate stations with recliners. On offer are “push” vitamin technology, NAD+ and peptide treatments, and speed vitamins from a shot bar. The company’s Mobile Drip Lounges continue to be at events and available for house calls in the Charleston area.

commercial banking division. Blake oversees branch operations, including managing resources and staff. She brings more than 20 years’ financial-services Blake experience. Blake joined First Reliance Bank as assistant branch manager in 2021.

and Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce.

Parker’s donates $4,000 for Charleston County School District

HireQuest honors two veterans with American Hero Awards

Pulte unveils 4 model homes in Sea Island Preserve

Parker’s made a $4,000 unrestricted donation to the Charleston County School District as part of the company’s Fueling the Community program. The Fueling the Community program at Parker’s is an initiative that donates a portion of revenue from gas sold on the first Wednesday of each month to area schools in coastal Georgia and South Carolina. Parker’s is donating approximately $275,000 to public and private schools in Georgia and South Carolina this spring and has given more than $1.8 million to area schools since the inception of the Fueling the Community program in 2011.

Private investment firm donates $150,000 to support golf programs

This year’s American Hero Awards, presented by the Higher Quest Foundation and sponsored by HireQuest Inc., honored Cpl. Benjamin S. Kopp (Army Ranger) and retired Sgt. Maj. Gary W. Buck (Marine Corps). Kopp was honored with the Ultimate Hero Award, given to a service member killed in the line of duty: he saved six of his fellow Rangers when they came under attack by Taliban forces. Buck received the American Hero Award, honoring a service member who upholds U.S. military values in everyday life. He served seven combat tours before retiring and continues to work with new recruits at Parris Island.

Appalachian Development Corp. First Tee – Greater Charleston, a hires Michael Smith

local nonprofit committed to empowering kids and teens through the game of golf, received a $150,000 donation from Ryan Hanks and Madison Capital Group. The donation helps support the First Tee programs, which in 2021 served 17,000 kids and teens. The Greater Charleston Chapter of the First Tee was started in 2008 and currently has 150 volunteers as coaches and mentors.

First Reliance Bank promotes Blake to branch manager

First Reliance Bank promoted Melinda Blake to branch manager of the Mount Pleasant branch. She replaces Weston Peters, who has moved to the bank’s

Appalachian Development Corp’s new vice president is Michael Smith, who works with banks, lenders, credit unions, and small businesses statewide on SBA 504 Loans. Smith Most recently, Smith worked with First Federal Bank as a SBA business development officer. A graduate of Valdosta State University, he is on the board of the Rotary Club of Charleston as well as membership director; he is also involved with the Mount Pleasant Sertoma club, Charleston Chamber of Commerce,

ADVERTISING, MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS VantagePoint Marketing has brought in Emily Runyon as account manager. In this role, Runyon is a lead consultant with clients for all marketRunyon ing initiatives, from developing annual marketing communications recommendations to assembling the right resources to fulfill client needs and managing projects. Runyon has a bachelor of science in business administration in marketing and management from Shippensburg University, where she was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society.

BANKING AND FINANCE Pulte Homes has four models ready in Sea Island Preserve, a new gated community of single-family homes on Johns Island. A total of 387 homes are planned for the development. The 11 flexible floor plans are priced from the low $400,000s to the mid $500,000s, with living space ranging in size from 1,600 square feet to more than 3,000 square feet. In addition, 360 acres have been set aside as dedicated conservation land. Sea Island Preserve is 12 miles from downtown Charleston.

Nineteen Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd Attorneys Recognized

Five attorneys in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s Charleston office have been listed in the 2022 edition of South Carolina Super Lawyers, including three named as Rising Stars. Those selected for the Super Lawyers list are among the top 5 percent of attorneys in the state. Rising Stars are those attorneys under 40 years of age or have less than ten years of legal experience. Recognized on this year’s lists are Scott Y. Barnes (tax); Pierce T. MacLennan (employment and labor, Rising Star); Stafford J. “Mac” McQuillin III (business litigation, Rising Star); Jane Bouch Stoney (real estate, Rising Star); and John H. Tiller (personal injury, products: defense).

See BD, Page 29

New at Knowledge Capital Group are David Jablonowski, consultant, and Michael Rubino, associate. Jablonowski’s resumé includes administrative fellow and director of operations with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; division administrator with the Medical University of South Carolina department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; and practice administrator with a rheumatology group in Charleston. He holds a bachelor of science in health policy and administration from Pennsylvania State University and a master of health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina. Rubino has worked as a clinical trials assistant with IQVIA. He graduated from Appalachian State University with double major in general management and supply-chain management; he earned his master of business administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Mark Mercuri has joined South Atlantic Bank’s Mount Pleasant office as senior vice president, commercial relationship manager. Mercuri has more than 25 Mercuri years of experience as a commercial lender in the Charleston market. He is a graduate of Francis Marion University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and completed the South Carolina Bankers See PEOPLE, Page 29

May 23-June 12, 2022

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Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive took place on May 14

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Carolina served by the Lowcountry Food Bank remain higher than pre-pandemic levels at 11.4%, accounting for more than 160,000 people.

The 30th annual National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive took place on May 14. More than 100 Lowcountry Food Bank staff and volunteers were on hand at each local post office throughout the Charleston area to handle food donations collected by letter carriers. Food insecurity rates in the 10 coastal counties of South PEOPLE, from Page 28

School and the East Carolina Commercial Lending School. Mercuri is a member of the Sertoma Club in Mount Pleasant. First National Bank’s new mortgage loan officer is Dan Butts. He brings more than 25 years of experience originating in the mortgage industry, with a total of more than $2 billion in closed loans: in each of the last three years alone, he closed more than $200 million in loan volume. His new product offerings include construction-to-permanent loans, lot loans, and physician loans.

HEALTH CARE Colleton Medical Center has promoted Alison Jirel to director of surgical services from clinical manager. In her new position, Jirel provides coordinated Jirel leadership of pre-op, operating-room, and recovery-room administration. Jirel, a Columbia native, has been recognized as an Emerging Leader by HCA Healthcare and is a member of the Association of Peri-Operative Registered Nurses. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina and is working toward a Master of Health Leadership at Western Governors University.

HOSPITALITY Thomas “Tom” Nevin is Kiawah Island Club’s new chief operating officer. Nevin’s past positions include chief operating officer at Westchester CounNevin try Club and general manager at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, and the Waldorf Astoria. The Ryder Hotel has two new executives. Irvin Dinkel has been named the

hotel’s new general manager, and Codie Blue is now director of sales. Dinkel is working closely with Makeready’s leadership, who also operates the nearby Emeline hotel. He joined the Makeready team in 2019 as front office manager at Halcyon, a Denver hotel, before being promoted to director of operations at The Alida, in Savannah. Blue, who oversees the sales and marketing teams for The Ryder and Little Palm, focuses on new business development.

HUMAN RESOURCES Vicky Cramer of Med-N-Tech recently became a Certified Professional Career Coach, a designation of the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Cramer Career Coaches. The CPCC credential demonstrates commitment to and knowledge of the career-coaching profession. Besides assisting professionals in the medical and technical fields with their job search, Cramer works with young people seeking the right career path. She is also a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources.

INSURANCE John Mark Hackney has been promoted to chief executive officer at UnitedHealth Group’s Medicare, Georgia and South Carolina. He had Hackney been vice president, strategy and planning. A professional with 10 years’ experience in Medicare Advantage, operations, strategy, analytics, and finance, he joined UnitedHealth Group in 2015.

NONPROFITS Karriem Edwards will take over as president of the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families when Patricia Littlejohn retires this summer. Edwards

Restore at Carolina Park hosts grand opening

Restore at Carolina Park, a new 55+ continuum-of-care community in Mount Pleasant, marked the official opening of its 8,000-square-foot amenity center and first occupied apartment flats and cottage homes. Residences range from Lowcountry-inspired cottages and apartment flats to assisted-living and memory-care facilities. When completed, Restore at Carolina Park is projected to bring $200 million in total capital investment, $1.5 million in brings more than 20 years’ experience in program development, training, management and fundraising. Edwards is a graduate of Florida A&M University and Edwards the Social Enterprise Institute at Harvard Business School. Most recently, he was vice president of development for Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, where his year-to-date fundraising efforts garnered $8 million.

REAL ESTATE The board of directors of Colliers International South Carolina announced the election of two new shareholders in its Charleston market: Mark Erickson, Erickson vice president and broker, and Markus Kastenholz, vice president and broker. The Charleston Trident Association of Realtor recognized Lora Goolsby, a Realtor with Carolina One Real Estate, as its 2021 Global Realtor of the Year. The honor was in recognition of her service as president of CTAR’s first Global Business Chapter in 2019. A graduate of the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in speech communications, Goolsby has earned a number of Realtor designations. Avison Young brokers Ashley Jackrel, Gerry Schauer and Vitré Ravenel Stephens

Jackrel

Schauer

Stephens

annual property taxes, $2.5 million in annual direct payroll, and $2.3 million in spending.

Pleasant Places acquires General Precast Manufacturing

Pleasant Places Inc. has officially acquired its past competitor, General Precast Manufacturing, a concrete and masonry company in Goose Creek. The impetus for the acquisition was the planned retirement of Chuck Gunter, General Precast’s owner at the time, according to a news release. received the Realtors of Distinction Award from the Trident Association of Realtors. Christina Carroll is now with AgentOwned Realty in Summerville. She has worked in real estate since 2004.

Carroll

SBDC ADDS BILINGUAL CONSULTANT TO NETWORK The S.C. Small Business Development Centers added Marco Antonio Rios to its network of business consultants. Rios assists Hispanic entrepreneurs. The move is the result of a partnership between the S.C. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the S.C. SBDC, with support from the Commerce Department, Rios to establish a Hispanic Small Business Development Center in Greenville and eventually throughout S.C. Rios specializes in developing sales and marketing strategies, customer service, driving business demand, and negotiations. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and master’s degrees in marketing and management as well as international issues. His hiring signifies the S.C. SBDC’s commitment to providing no-fee business consulting, affordable training and other resources to every South Carolinian, according to a news release. “The Hispanic population and Hispanic-owned small businesses are both growing rapidly in our state,” Michele Abraham, SBDC state director, said in the news release. “Hiring Marco Rios will enable the S.C. SBDC and our partners — the S.C. HCC and Commerce — to collectively expand bilingual outreach and services to this community, which contributes millions of dollars to the state’s economy annually. These initiatives underpin the S.C. SBDC’s mission, vision and commitment to serving all clients equitably.”

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Mike Mansuetti spoke to attendees at Upstate SC Alliance’s annual meeting. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)

Bosch ramping up project production By Molly Hulsey

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

osch has a new project on the rise in Anderson, company President Mike Manusetti told hundreds of business leaders gathered from across the 10 counties for Upstate SC Alliance’s annual meeting on May 13. Manusetti couldn’t share much more than that, but he did tell the audience that the company’s South Carolina team is ramping up production for both its internal combustion engine and electrification powertrain production. “We see by 2030, electrification growing to about 30% of the market, but the rest of it will still be traditional what we call internal combustion engine or some variation of the ICE, for example, with a hybrid power charge,” he said. “So there’s still a lot of technology that remains to be developed, especially if we’re going to meet those CO2 and sustainability targets that we all want to meet that will continue to require improvements in, let’s say, the classic combustion technology.” Bosch’s way forward will focus on achieve a balance between innovation, such as the company’s forays into long distance hydrogen fuel cell research, and its legacy with longstanding customers. In 2021, the private company’s total global sales increased by 10%, bringing Bosch’s revenue to $90 billion. About 8% to 9% of the company’s total annual investment goes to research and development. “Any customer, whatever their power train needs are, we want to be there to help serve them and help continue this journey in electrification,” Manusetti said. In Bosch’s Charleston plant, that means transforming its former gasoline and diesel fuel pump operations with a $80 million investment into a team that focuses in on both electrification and

high-pressure fuel injection technologies. According to previous reporting, the Charleston investment was set to reach the facility by 2023 as part of the company’s $250 million earmarked for U.S. mobility solutions in 2021. Bosch’s production for the auto industry makes up 60% of its business alongside its appliance, power tool, energy tech and surveillance tech operations, according to the company president. Several years ago, the company redubbed that branch “mobility solutions” to reflect the growing number of other vehicles added to their portfolio. Since Manusetti first began working in the fuel pump industry 30 years ago, engineers have enhanced the fuel injection pressures by 200 or 300 times. And with additional developments come additional challenges. Bosch’s team is working to offset the increased weight of 1,000 pounds with today’s batteries. “So, when we look at electrification, we’re looking at also, for example, the dynamics on chassis control systems,” he said. “Charleston is also producing our ABS antilock breaks, for example. This is a basic part of now the chassis control and function. And together with our steering technology – we’re moving towards steer by wire, so actually disconnecting the steering wheel from the steering rack if you will – there’s a lot more things coming in electrification.” The Upstate will also play a role in Bosch’s future involvement in the electric vehicle market, said Manusetti. Especially on the tail of the manufacturer’s achievement of CO2 neutrality in 2020 as the “first, largest industrial conglomerate worldwide to do that.” Bosch’s $250 million investment will also go toward streamlining operations with artificial intelligence and internet of things technologies, thus offsetting some labor needs, according to a previous report. CRBJ

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VIEWS, PERSPECTIVES AND READERS’ LETTERS

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GDP dip reflects trade decifit, not looming recession

irst quarter 2022 GDP surprisingly declined 1.4%. But it would be a mistake to view the single-quarter decline in GDP as a harbinger of recession. Recessions begin when consumers pull back and cut spending. They have not. Recessions begin when home sales start to fall. They have not. Recessions begin when orders shrink and businesses curtail investment spending and begin to lay off people They have not. Consumers and businesses continued to spend in the first quarter, but once domestic sources for their purchases dried up they turned to imported products. Thus, supply constraints continue to weigh on the pace of economic activity in the U.S.. But eventually those supply constraints will end. Nevertheless, given the first quarter GDP outcome, it now appears that the bulk of the supply chain improvement will be in 2023, not 2022. As a result, we have trimmed our GDP growth outlook for this year from 3.5% to 2.0%. For the past two years the economyhas been buffeted by a series of shocks. The COVID quarantine caused a sharp contraction in GDP growth in the second quarter of 2020. A dramatic rescue package caused an almost equally robust surge in the third quarter.Additional government checks fueled spending in the late 2020 and 2021. The dramatic rebound in spending created supply shortages as the pickup in demand far outstripped manufacturers ability to boost production. The supply/demand imbalance then generated a dramatic surge in inflation. Now, the Federal Reserve has begun what is expected to be a series of rate hikes which it hopes

will counter the pickup in inflation. Meanwhile, Russia invaded Ukraine which has raised the specter of a war that expands well beyond the borders of the two countries. And now COVID is spreading rapidly through China. Buffeted by this series of factors, there have been wide fluctuations in almost every economic indicator which makes getting a firm read on the pace of economic activity challenging for consumers, business leaders, investors, and policy makers. While the first quarter GDP decline was surprising, we believe it should not be interpreted as a sign of an impending recession. As long as spending holds up, the economy will be fine. Consumer spending, which represents about 70% of GDP, continues to climb. It increased 1.1% in March after rising 0.6% in February. Consumer spending expanded at a solid 2.7% annual rate in the first quarter. Apparently consumers are undaunted by rising inflation, the fear of sharp increases in interest rates, and uncertainly surrounding the war. The housing market continues to expand. Residential investment spending rose 2.1% in the first quarter despite a dramatic increase in mortgage rates and the steady run-up in home prices. The biggest problem in housing is a shortage of homes available for sale, not a drop in demand. In March, the length of time between listing and sale was a near-record short period of time of 19 days. The number of potential home buyers continues to far exceed the number of sellers. Businesses, meanwhile, have been sharply boosting investment spending. Nonresidential investment spending

climbed 9.2% in the first quarter. With raw materials hard to attain and labor in short supply, businesses are increasingly turning to investment in an effort to boost production. To stay in the game, they need to spend money on technology. If all these spending categories were so strong, how did GDP decline 1.4%? Easy. The trade deficit widened dramatically in the first quarter as exports fell 5.9% and imports jumped 17.7%. Trade subtracted an eye-popping 3.2% from first quarter GDP growth. In other words, if businesses and consumers had purchased all those goods from domestic firms, GDP would have risen 1.8% in the first quarter rather than contracting by 1.4%. But when the goods that consumers and business people wanted to buy were not available, they purchased imported products. Are we supposed to worry about that 1.4% GDP drop in the first quarter? We do not think so. If businesses were worried about the pace of economic activity in the months ahead, they might begin to lay off a few workers. That is not happening. In the week of April 23, initial unemployment claims declined to a near-record low level of 180 thousand. Employers are not thinking about laying off bodies. Instead, they are pulling out all the stops to hire as many people as they can. Meanwhile, factory orders keep climbing faster than manufacturing firms can boost production, which means that the backlog of orders continues to climb. Manufacturing firms need to step on the gas not the brake. While GDP surprisingly contracted in

the first quarter, none of the recent data on consumer and business spending suggest that this is a harbinger of weaker growth ahead. Having said that, with supply constraints still acting as a brake on economic activity we have cut our GDP forecast for the year from 3.5% to 2.0%. In the end, we continue to focus on real interest rates. Even if the Fed raises the funds rate to 2.5% by the end of the year, the inflation rate will be far higher. All measures of inflation are likely to increase by 6.0% or more which means that real interest rates at yearend will be negative by at least 3.5%. Negative real interest rates will not appreciably slow the pace of economic activity. The economy may have gotten whacked in the first quarter, but it is not down for the count. Stephen Slifer is the former chief U.S. economist for Lehman Brothers in New York City, He can be reached at www.numbernomics.com..

Correction A headline in the May 9 Charleston Regional Business Journal misstated the location of Walmart’s Import Distribution Center. The center is located in Ridgeville.

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