Columbia Regional Business Report - January 2024

VOLUME 17 NUMBER 1 ■ COLUMBIABUSINESSREPORT.COM

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JANUARY 2024 ■ $2.25

THE STAFF OF LIFE

Life science is one of the most robust sectors of the state’s economy, but it will take a lot of workers to keeep it going. Page 21

(Photo/DepositPhotos)

2023 Health Care Heroes winners.

Page 10.

Upfront

BRIEFS | FACTS | STATEWIDE NEWS | BEST ADVICE

With this budget, I thee wed ...

S

aying “I do” brings hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to South Carolina businesses each year, but the Palmetto State’s wedding market took a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020.

The sector has made a strong comeback from that dip that impacted nearly every industry but particularly hospitality and tourism.

The Wedding Report, which tracks and verifies specific information for a long list of data points, including cakes, photographers, venues, and even things like sales data for invitations and tuxedoes, shows that South Carolina saw a 22.1% increase from from 2021 to 2022.

That amounted to more than $787 million in wedding revenue from nearly 36,000 weddings held in the Palmetto State.

Charleston is a well-known wedding destination for a number of reasons, and the metro area is the most expensive place to hold a wedding, but for those looking to save a few dollars and still get that South Carolina feeling, several options can be found across the state.

For example, while a Charleston wedding averaged $31,108 in 2022, you could have have held a wedding in the Florence County area for just under $23,000. But if Myrtle Beach is more to your liking, you’ll still do better at $25,823 and could get in a round of world class golf.

The Upstate has some of the best prices for weddings. You can get married in Spartanburg County for $20,029 on average or the Greenville County area for $25,812.

A lot of these prices depend on options, accomodations and availability. Areas with high demand, frequently cost more because there’s less availability. That’s where the business-to-business aspect of the wedding market comes into focus.

Weddings are big business, and they result in direct and indirect economic impact of hundreds of millions.

If you want to make big bucks in weddings, The Wedding Report’s data show that food, venue and photography are three big areas that result in high dollar individual sales, but don’t discount things like transportation, which was worth $7.4 million and wedding planning and related event coordination services, which pulled in more than $24 million last year.

Don’t forget that every dollar spent has a resulting multiplier impact, making all business important business when it comes to tying the knot in South Carolina.

Wedding prices jump from COVID years in SC metro areas Comparing 2020 data to 2022 show the average price of a wedding increased more than 52% in South Carolina. COVID-19, which landed in the spring of 2020, resulted in shutdowns and cancellations across the hospitality industry and hit the weddings sector particularly hard. Source: The Wedding Report

Charleston metro

Columbia metro

Greenville metro

Lowcountry

$30,000

Midlands

$25,000

Myrtle Beach metro

Upstate

Wedding prices in the Greenville metro area increased 51.8% from 2020 to 2022.

Wedding prices in the Myrtle Beach market increased 63.1% from 2020 to 2022.

Wedding prices in the Charleston market increased 52% from 2020 to 2022.

$20,000

$15,000

2020

2021

2022

Have one wedding or ... Highest-revenue generators for SC weddings 10,650

The annual revenue brought in by South Carolina’s wedding related businesses would cover the sticker price for more than 10,000 of the newest BMWs made in the Upstate.

3.25

You could also buy just over three 787-8 Dreamliners made in the Lowcountry.

1,000,049

Or you could purchase Club Level seating at Williams-Brice Stadium for Carolina football home games for more than 1 million seasons.

Source: SC Biz News

ON THE

RECORD

Five categories of wedding-related spending account for more than 85% of the total revenue generated annuall in South Carolina with event venues taking one-half of the total amount.

Category

Sales 2022

Event Venue ....................................................$397,889,064 Photo/Video ....................................................$91,777,242 Jewelry ...............................................................$82,049,690 Flowers ..............................................................$61,829,109 Entertainment ................................................$42,666,898 Source: The Wedding Report

“I am thrilled to celebrate the signing of the statewide transfer agreement, an endeavor I have wholeheartedly supported for many years, I applaud the institutions of higher education and their leaders for helping this to finally become a reality.” — Murrell Smith, South Carolina speaker of the house

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The Citadel, in partnership with Southern Entertainment, will soon launch The Citadel Live Concert Series.

(Photo/Provided)

Charleston Charleston Regional Business Journal

The Citadel to transform stadium into largest concert venue downtown

J

ohnson Hagood Stadium has been the home of The Citadel’s football program since 1948, but soon it will also be the largest concert venue in downtown Charleston, according to a news release.

The Citadel, in partnership with Southern Entertainment, will soon launch The Citadel Live Concert Series, which will bring internationally known musicians to Charleston and transform the stadium into one of the area’s largest entertainment venues, the release stated.

“We are so excited to be able to offer these opportunities to our campus community as well as the Lowcountry as a whole,” said The Citadel Athletic Director Mike Capaccio in the release. “There aren’t many venues in the area that have the large capacity and convenient location that Johnson Hagood Stadium provides. We hope that The Citadel Live Concert Series will bring more of our neighbors to campus while also enhancing the campus experience for our cadets, students, faculty and staff.”

Anderson GSA Business Report

HOSPITALITY/TOURISM

Lists: Hotels, Event Spaces Power List: Logistics

Advertising Deadline: January 29

MARCH 18

ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING/ CONSTRUCTION

Lists: General Contractors, Engineering Firms Under Construction

Advertising Deadline: March 4

State bounds to fund $127M AnMed expansion in Anderson, Pickens counties

A

nMed has received state funding to expand facilities in Anderson and Pickens counties, along with opening new outpatient facilities in Anderson.

AnMed is using $126.7 million in South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority bonds to expand its services in Anderson and Pickens counties, according to a JEDA news release.

The tax-exempt Hospital Revenue Bonds will finance expansion and upgrades to medical facilities in both counties and to pay for new outpatient campuses in Anderson, the release stated.

AnMed is Anderson County’s largest employer and serves an eight-county region in northwest South Carolina and northeast Georgia, the release stated.

“JEDA bonds are once more giving AnMed the ability to expand our capacity to serve the health needs of our fast-growing service area,” said Christine Pearson, chief financial officer at AnMed, in the release. “In today’s high-interest rate environment, such favorable financing terms are even more critical.”

With publications in the Upstate, Columbia and Charleston, SC Biz News covers the pulse of business across South Carolina.

Above are excerpts from our other publications.

APRIL 8

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Lists: IT Services, Security Firms Power List: Manufacturing Advertising Deadline: March 25

For advertising information, contact Ryan Downing at rdowning@scbiznews.com GSABusinessReport.com

CharlestonBusiness.com

ColumbiaBusinessReport.com

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January 2024

South Carolina’s Media Engine for Economic Growth

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PickleGarden will be the only food and drink establishment on the same side of the Interstate 126 exit as the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. (Rendering/Provided)

Steve McDaniel, editor

Biergarten, pickleball courts coming to Columbia

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parcel of land has been sold that eventually will become a biergarten and pickle ball facility in Columbia.

Ryan McCue of Colliers South Carolina brokered the sale of a 4.75-acre parcel at 680 Candi Lane in Columbia, set to be developed into a biergarten and pickleball courts to be called PickleGarden on the River, according to a news release. Colliers represented the buyer, Pickleball Land Holdings LLC. The property is situated along the Saluda River, a short distance from the award-winning Riverbanks Zoo. The development will include 12 pickleball courts, 10,000 square feet of turf and biergarten space, 2,240 square feet of

mixed-use space to be utilized as a members lounge or event space, a 3,600-squarefoot, climate-controlled indoor/outdoor space overlooking the venue and access to the Riverwalk on the Lower Saluda River, the release stated.

“This property has generated a lot of excitement. Positioned along the Saluda River above Millrace Rapids, it will be one of the only commercially developed, private tracts utilizing one of the three under-utilized Columbia rivers,” McCue, senior brokerage associate in Colliers’ Columbia office, said in the release. “The Riverwalk runs along the water's edge and will eventually allow for pedestrians and cyclists to navigate from the Lake Murray Dam on the Saluda River all the way to the former SCE&G/Dominion Energy campus in Cayce along the Congaree River.

PickleGarden on the River is adjacent to

a new city of Columbia park and a future footbridge connecting to the other side of the river.”

PickleGarden will be the only food and drink establishment on the same side of the Interstate 126 exit as the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, the release stated. The facility is planned to be in operation by the end of 2024.

The investment cost of the project was not revealed.

“PickleGarden isn't just about play; it's about savoring delicious eats, soaking up the outdoors and creating lasting memories with loved ones,” said Abbott Bray, co-founder of PickleGarden on the River, in the release. “We're bringing joy, inspiring health and promoting the outdoors — one pickleball rally, one craft beer sip, one river walk up the Saluda River at a time.”

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Our “Coffee With…” page features a South Carolina business executive sharing insights about their business, the industries in which they work and the communities in which they live. Where’s the coffee, you ask? Well, that occurs in an accompanying video. We sit down with the executive – over coffee – to see what else is on their mind.

opportunity in the manufacturing space. I held several positions including sales, marketing, business operations, and strategic planning.

I have continued to develop those “lessons learned” throughout the years. I believe that my diverse work experience has been extremely beneficial by exposing me to several best practices, and more importantly, some great people that helped me to grow. Finally, my work ethic was developed from an early age, with my first job coming in 6th Grade, where I made $2.50 per night picking up golf balls at a driving range. Throughout my jobs over the years, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that complacency can Today, we’re “having coffee” with Josh be a death sentence for a business. That is what Fowler, PE, President, Davis & Floyd. drives me toward continuous improvement. In You can check out Josh’s video on SCBIZ TV on YouTube or on one of our two other words, what can we do better tomorrow e-newsletters, Morning Blend or GSA Daily for our clients, our team members, our (Monday – Friday). business, and our Communities.

AS DAVIS & FLOYD’S NEWEST PRESIDENT, WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BACKGROUND. WE SEE YOU HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE IN OPERATIONS, BUSINESS GROWTH, AND ENGINEERING. TELL US ABOUT THIS. I have spent most of my career as an Engineering Consultant, primarily in the Water/Wastewater market. I began my career in the construction industry, which gave me a great understanding of how design considerations can impact a project, both positively and negatively. This experience helped me tremendously as an Engineer. In the middle of my career, I received a great

MAJOR ACQUISITION. CATCH US UP. In 2023, we spent a large amount of time on the Andrews Engineering acquisition and integration. Getting this right was critical for success. Our new team members in Beaufort have been great additions to Davis & Floyd, and we will continue to build on the reputation and great work of that team as we look to expand our presence in the Lowcountry even more.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE FOR DAVIS & FLOYD, AND WHAT ARE YOUR LONGTERM GOALS AND VISION FOR THE NEXT 5-10 YEARS?

In 5 years, Davis & Floyd will be celebrating 75 years. Between now and then my vision is to set the stage for the next quarter century, continuing the legacy for the NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN next generation. The most important aspect THE NEW PRESIDENT OF DAVIS of that vision is making sure that all of our & FLOYD FOR ABOUT A YEAR, team members have opportunities to grow, WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED both professionally and personally. We will ABOUT FOR 2024? continue to evolve our client service to meet I’m most excited about building on their needs, and we will look for innovative the momentum generated in 2023, which ways to impact our communities. Finally, included some incredible accomplishments. we will make sure that we provide our team Our team is as strong as ever, and our best days with the tools and resources they need to be are ahead of us. Our team members will have successful. Hitting that century mark will be plenty of opportunities in 2024 and beyond an amazing accomplishment, so my job is to for growth, so I am excited to see how each of ensure the right foundation is in place so that them flourish. we are running toward that mark, not walking.

WE ENDED LAST YEAR’S TALK WITH NEW EXPANSIONS COMING TO DAVIS & FLOYD INCLUDING A NEW OFFICE AND DAVISFLOYD.COM Sponsored Content

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January 2024

Anthony Lewis, Brandi Roberts, Ozon Wilson and Brenda Peake will each be featured on a quarterly basis throughout the 2024 calendar year and into the first quarter of 2025. (Photo/Provided)

Meet the artists to be featured at CAE in 2024

By Jason Thomas

T

jthomas@scbiznews.com

he Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) has revealed the Midlands-based artists that have been selected to have their works featured in individual exhibits in 2024-25.

Anthony Lewis, Brandi Roberts, Ozon Wilson and Brenda Peake will each be featured on a quarterly basis throughout the 2024 calendar year and into the first quarter of 2025, according to a news release.

“We are thrilled every year to have the response that we do from Midland’s artists interested in participating in this now coveted program,” said Kim Crafton, vice president of marketing and air service development at CAE, in the release. “CAE’s Art in the Airport program, managed and run by Marketing Manager Samantha Kingsmore, allows for us to provide a warm welcome from the region to our passengers as they land in Columbia, SC. It creates an immediate sense of place, while also adding

eye catching, one-of-a-kind art to the walls of the airport.”

Below are bios for each of the artists selected to participate in the 2024-25 Art in the Airport program: Anthony Lewis (March-May 2024) Anthony Lewis is an abstract figurative painter and photographer. He graduated from the University of South Carolina, where he studied at the School of Visual Art and Design and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts, Studio Art with a concentration on painting. He likes the use of different techniques and mediums such as acrylic, oil, charcoal, mixed-media, assemblage and black and white film photography. He merges small scale vintage black and white photographs and larger scale paintings of black people in his paintings to form a collage. In his work, he likes to explore the good the bad and the injustices around African-American experience in the United States such as, mass incarceration, black on black crime, police brutality, mental health, suicide, the beauty of being black and the everyday struggles of the black man, woman and child dating back to the early 1900s throughout the great black

migration, Harlem Renaissance and well up into the ‘70s.

Brandi Roberts (June-August 2024)

Brandi Roberts is a full-time artist and creator of Fantasy Floorplans — a career she “invented” based off drawing floorplans of fictional homes. She has a bachelor’s degree in interior design and drafts her art the “old-fashioned” way — with pen and paper. Her love of drawing, pop-culture, and television is what inspired her career. To date, she has created 100+ floorplans for fictional television homes (featuring everything from The Andy Griffith Show to Downton Abbey) and has been featured on NBC’s The Today Show, in Family Circle magazine, on Entertainment Weekly’s website, in the National Post, and many more. When she’s not drawing a new floorplan, she enjoys watching television or “conducting research” as she calls it.

Ozon Wilson (September-October 2024)

Ozon Wilson — born and raised in

Columbia — is a self-taught avant-garde visual artist and photographer. He uses his artistic ability and imagination to create wildly imaginative surrealist art.

This type of artwork allows him to create and explore boundaries or inhibitions, as his work is a combination of thoughts, experiences, imagination, and dreams.

He refuses to conform to artistic norms, which he believes allows him uninhibited creative freedom.

Brenda Peake (December 2024 – February 2025)

Brenda Peake — also born and raised in Columbia — is a painter, who primarily works with oils. Once a bakery owner alongside her mother, she has since retired from the bakery and focuses on her true passion: painting. She initially started working with watercolors, but soon found herself drawn to oils and is fascinated by the way pigments react to each other, so she is constantly experimenting with new color combinations.

She is a proud member of the American Impressionist Society and the Crooked Creek Art League.

January 2024

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SECOND YEAR IN A ROW #

1 Hospital

COLUMBIA METRO

#

2 Hospital

SOUTH CAROLINA

LexMed.com/Best

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January 2024

First phase of gated community opens

By Jason Thomas

P

jthomas@scbiznews.com

ulte Homes has opened Pecan Orchard, a gated retreat of only 40 single-family homesites in the first phase that border the links of Woodcreek Golf Course on one side and hug the shores of Tucker Lake on the other.

A 25-minute drive to the state capital and the University of South Carolina with quick access to Interstate 20, new construction in Pecan Orchard starts in the low $400,000s, according to a news release. Five open floor plans offer a wide selection of flexible oneand two-story homes ranging in size from 2,179 square feet to over 3,320 square feet of living space.

The first release features nine homesites that either skirt the private golf course, sit alongside the lake or lie within the 45-acre neighborhood, located within the larger master-planned community of Woodcreek Farms, the release stated.

Buyers who purchase a Pulte home in Pecan Orchard can skip the waiting list for

Pulte Homes has opened Pecan Orchard, a gated retreat of only 40 single-family homesites in the first phase that border the links of Woodcreek Golf Course on one side and hug the shores of Tucker Lake on the other.

(Photo/Provided)

an opportunity to become a member of Woodcreek Club upon closing, the release stated. The Woodcreek amenity complex is a short walk or golf cart ride, and includes the 18-hole Tom Fazio golf course, six tennis courts, an outdoor swimming pool, dining room and clubhouse.

Pecan Orchard floorplans begin at two

bedrooms and baths and ran all the way up to seven bedrooms and five baths plus a powder room. Homebuyers can also select from 2- to 4-car garages, the release stated.

“Pecan Orchard is so much more than a quiet refuge for golf enthusiasts with beautiful views of manicured fairways and stunning sunsets,” said Jaymie Dimbath, vice

president of sales and marketing for PulteGroup Coastal Carolinas, in the release.

“With so much to do, residents who want to join the private Woodcreek Club can do so straightaway and begin to enjoy full resort-style amenities and clubhouse dining with neighbors and friends so close to home.”

The two-story professionally decorated Northridge model home boasts a welcoming double front porch with up to six bedrooms, including an optional first floor Multi-Gen Suite with a full bath and walk-in closet, the release stated. The open floorplan is great for entertaining with a gourmet kitchen, walk-in pantry, optional beverage bar, formal dining room and backyard patio for gathering as the day ends.

Located about 20 miles northeast of downtown Columbia, Woodcreek Farms is home to more than a dozen small lakes and ponds, along with parks and several miles of walking trails. Close to Interstate 20 with shopping and dining in the nearby Villages at Sandhill, Pecan Orchard is located on Woodcreek Farms Road in Eglin.

Another Columbia craft brewery to turn off the taps

By Christina Lee Knauss

O

Contributing writer

ne of Columbia’s pioneering craft breweries has closed its doors after a decade in business.

Owners of River Rat Brewery announced on Facebook on Monday, Dec. 5, that they would close the brewery at 1231 Shop Road near Williams Brice Stadium effective Dec. 30. No specific reason was given.

“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closing of River Rat Brewery,” the posting read. “We want to thank all of our wonderful customers and employees for supporting us … RRB grew organically over these last 10 years and what a pleasure it was to serve the great community of Columbia and beyond.

Friendships were made that will last a lifetime.”

The post also noted that various discounts on merchandise and beer at the brewery will

be available.

Attempts to reach the owners of River Rat were unsuccessful.

The brewery’s location on Shop Road made it a prime stop for fans heading to USC football games and its proximity to downtown also made it a popular destination for everyone from college students to families.

River Rat regularly hosted popular events such as Oktoberfest celebrations.

This announcement makes the second

December in a row that the capital city has lost one of its landmark craft brewers. Swamp Cabbage Brewery, which opened in 2014 and was located off Brookwood Drive near Williams-Brice and the State Fairgrounds, abruptly closed its doors on Dec. 18, 2022.

Another of the city’s original breweries, Conquest Brewing Co., closed the doors at its Stadium Road location in 2019. When it opened in 2012 Conquest was the city’s first production brewery since Prohibition.

Design approved for new USC School of Medicine

By Jason Thomas

T

jthomas@scbiznews.com

he University of South Carolina is making necessary investments to its physical campus to ensure a worldclass academic experience with one of those key pieces being a new School of Medicine Columbia and research building planned for the BullStreet district, a news release stated.

The university released its first official renderings of the state-of-the art building designed to anchor future health research.

USC’s Board of Trustees approved the design of the new School of Medicine Columbia building and reviewed new renderings of the outside of the building, the release stated.

Construction on the project is slated to begin in 2025 and is expected to be complete by 2027.

The 300,000-square-foot building will be the heart of the new $300 million campus and

The University of South Carolina’s board of trustees recently approved the design of the new School of Medicine Columbia building and reviewed new renderings of the outside of the building. (Rendering/ Provided)

will feature innovative active-learning classrooms, extensive medical simulation spaces, a health science library, numerous labs for interdisciplinary research and a café, accord-

ing to the release.

There are also plans for an outdoor courtyard and garden areas.

Plans include a health sciences campus

consisting of up to four additional buildings on the 16-acre site surrounding the inaugural building, according to the release.

The health sciences campus is expected to transform health research and health care delivery in South Carolina while providing clinical and research spaces dedicated to finding solutions to diverse health challenges in the state, the release stated.

USC is partnering with Gilbane, which will lead the planning, design, development and construction. Other key partners include lead design architect The SLAM Collaborative (Atlanta and Glastonbury, Connecticut), Columbia-based architect Boudreaux, operations manager Honeywell (Wabash, Indiana) and minority-owned business Brownstone Design and Construction Group out of Columbia. Restoration 52 — a development consultant and minority- and women-owned business based in Greenville — is also helping throughout the process.

January 2024

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 9

Chester County marks record year for capital investment

By Jason Thomas

C

jthomas@scbiznews.com

hester County officials are touting what they call a record year for economic development.

The county is boasting 14 announcements, totaling $1.97 billion in capital investment, which created 641 new jobs, according to a news release. It was a record year for Chester County in capital investment, breaking the previous record from 2014 when Giti Tire was announced.

Two of the highlights last year were the announcements from IKO Industries and Albemarle Corp., the release stated.

These two projects alone represent 18% of South Carolina’s total $9.22 billion in announced capital investment in 2023, which is the second-highest amount ever for the state.

“Both of these projects play to the strengths of Chester County,” said Robert Long, director of Chester County Economic Development, in the release.

“These projects both needed certified sites with access to dual rail that could support heavy natural gas loads. We are fortunate to have great partners like Duke Energy, Chester County Natural Gas, and the L&C Railroad.”

In February 2023 IKO Industries announced its plans to invest $363 million in capital investment and create 180

In March 2023 Albemarle Corp. announced its plans to invest $1.3 billion in capital investment and create 307 jobs, which was the biggest contributor to Chester County’s record year for capital investment. (Photo/DepositPhotos)

jobs, the release stated. This opportunity is actually two. The codename Project Phoenix was was the first project and involved reopening the former PPG fiberglass plant that shut down in February 2020, just prior to the pandemic. The facility will provide feedstock for the second project, which will be a 325,000-squarefoot state-of-the-art fiberglass mat plant.

In March 2023 Albemarle Corp. announced its plans to invest $1.3 billion in capital investment and create 307 jobs

to build a new lithium hydroxide processing plant, the release stated. All major automotive companies have announced their intention to phase out the internal combustion engine and shift to electric vehicles (EV). This has led to massive investment in EV assembly plants and the EV supply chain both nationally and in South Carolina. Lithium hydroxide is a base ingredient for lithium-ion batteries.

Completion of phase 1 of their Richburg plant is targeted for 2026 and expected

to produce 50,000 metric tons of battery grade lithium hydroxide a year.

“At $1.3 billion, the Albemarle project is the single largest capital investment project in a Tier 3 or Tier 4 county in the history of South Carolina,” said Kris Phillips, Assistant Director of Chester County Economic Development. “In fact, four of the top 5 projects in the state’s history are from Chester County. This include No. 2 Giti Tire, No. 4 E. & J. Gallo Winery, and No. 5 IKO Industries.”

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January 2024

2023 Health Care Heroes

2023 Health Care Heroes

W

e learned three years ago about a new kind of laborer – the essential worker. Who could be more essential than the people who fix us when we’re broken, cure us when we’re ill, care for us when we hurt and help us avoid all that in the first place?

Presenting

Supporting

The people who work in health care – doctors, nurses, techs, therapists, aides and so on – remain many of the most admired people in the country. And so, this is our way of saying thank you all, whatever your role, for your everyday heroics.

Congratulations to all our 2023 Health Care Heroes honorees!

About MUSC Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a unique mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates more than 3,200 students in six colleges – Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy – and trains more than 900 residents and fellows in its health system. MUSC brought in more than $300 million in research funds in fiscal year 2023, leading the state overall in research funding. MUSC also leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health funding. For information on academic programs, visit musc.edu.

As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highestquality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. Patient care is provided at 16 hospitals (includes owned or governing interest), with approximately 2,700 beds and four additional hospital locations in development, more than 350 telehealth sites and nearly 750 care locations situated in all regions of South Carolina.

In 2023, for the ninth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $5.9 billion. The nearly 26,000 MUSC family members include worldclass faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, students, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research, and patient care.

January 2024

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2023 Health Care Heroes

HERO

COMMUNITY SERVICE

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Rebecca McKinney

Dr. Spence Taylor

Community Health Manager, Bon Secour St. Francis, Greenville Over 12 years in her role at St. Francis, Rebecca McKinney has been a whirling dervish of beneficial activity. She has improved health and wellness, and reduced environmental impact, for everyone at and around the hospital.

McKinney has won grants totaling more than $1 million, initiated fresh fruit and vegetable programs, and promoted recycling and conservation. She started neighborhood gardening programs, helped develop neighborhood master plans and overseen senior health education programs. She runs the Healthy Outcomes Program, and a chronic disease education and management program and … so much more.

In her personal life, she serves various community organizations, was named Urban Conservationist of the Year by the county water district and Adjunct Professor of the Year by Greenville Tech. And we’ve just scratched the surface.

HEALTH CARE ENGINEER

Leon Platt

Engineering manager, Roper St. Francis Healthcare Leon Platt doesn’t do much at the hospital system. He just oversees the operation and upkeep of all four Roper St. Francis Healthcare hospitals and other physical plants. Aside from every staff member, clinician, patient and visitor to the hospitals, no one relies on Platt’s excellence in ensuring the safety, proper operation and legal compliance of the physical plant.

In his seven years, Platt hasn’t developed much expertise, unless you count the operational functions of all the system’s buildings and the antiquated legal requirements and accrediting standards the facilities must meet. He led efforts to digitize all facility and maintenance accreditation records, allowing the information to be managed through a single comprehensive dashboard.

There is one standard Leon is always focused on: patient and teammate safety and experience. His leadership consistently brings positive outcomes and helps further the organization’s mission of healing all people with compassion, faith and excellence.

president and CEO, Integral Leaders in Health The first physician to serve as president in the 107-year history of the eight-hospital Greenville Health System, Taylor is former chair of the American Board of Surgery and past president of both the Southern Surgical Association and the Southern Association for Vascular Surgery, among his many, many accomplishments. He has received numerous awards for teaching and has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.

At Greenville Health System, now part of Prisma Health, Taylor led the creation of a medical school and nursing school inside Prisma in conjunction with the two state universities. And now, he is on a new quest to improve health care.

Today Taylor serves as leader of a new organization he helped found, which aims to revolutionize medical care to meet the needs of the individual patient by focusing on their outcomes.

HERO

FIRST RESPONDERS

Chris Spencer

Upstate Operations Manager, Thorne Ambulance Service When two ambulance companies exited the Midlands abruptly, Chris Spencer came to the rescue, as only the most amazing paramedic could. He relocated temporarily from the Upstate to help provide coverage to two counties that otherwise had no access to the EMS system. This operation required the certification of six ambulances and hiring of nearly 40 staff in just a month.

It turns out, that’s nothing new for Spencer. He’s been known to assist with emergency responses while off the clock, where his quick actions are the difference between life and death.

A solutions-focused leader who is equally accomplished mentoring others or rolling up his sleeves himself, Spencer is the definition of a team player.

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2023 Health Care Heroes

HERO

COMMUNITY SERVICE

HEALTH CARE ENGINEER

Fun Fins program

Joel Mortimer

Colleton and Dorchester Counties

Manager of off-site maintenance, Roper St. Francis Healthcare

Kelly Bowen, director of PR and Communications at Summerville Medical Center, accepted the award on behalf of the Fun Fins program.

Imagine dragging a 24 foot-long, 16-foot wide, 3-foot deep portable pool, holding 7,200 gallons of water to rural communities in Colleton and Dorchester Counties. Why would you do that? To teach children in rural areas how to swim in the wake of a spate of pediatric drowning deaths.

Reliable transportation, cost and availability are the biggest barriers for families to sign up their children for swimming lessons, even in areas crisscrossed by waterways. So seven community partners collaborated to take action through the Fun Fins program, bringing the swim lessons to the kids. Among these organizations was Summerville Medical Center.

In just four weeks, Fun Fins taught 335 children to swim – and other safety lessons, like how to put on a life jacket. And, after bringing his granddaughter to the lessons, one grandfather signed up for adult swim lessons. Fun Fins is making waves!

A 20-year Coast Guard veteran, Joel Mortimer is a leader who is not afraid to get his hands dirty. By encouraging others to take pride in what they do, he has a knack for drawing out their talents and helping teammates succeed. This approach has fostered a high-performing, cohesive team.

Mortimer oversees the preservation and maintenance of all off-site facilities and construction. He manages five mobile maintenance technicians for facilities throughout the Lowcountry totaling more than 1 million square feet.

By crafting the comprehensive maintenance plan and operational guide for the Roper St. Francis Healthcare Data Center, he ensured stringent upkeep of critical systems. He also orchestrates emergency repairs to ensure as little downtime as possible.

SHARING EXPERIENCES BUILDING SUCCESS

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2023 Health Care Heroes

HERO

HERO

FUTURE MEDICAL LEADER

HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL

Joshua Kim

Myra Whiten

Medical student and Design Director, MUSC’s Human-Centered Design Program

Chief Nursing Officer, Pelham Medical; board president, Greer Relief & Resources Agency

The idea that Joshua Kim is a future medical leader is, frankly, laughable. Kim is a medical leader now. As an innovator and designer, he has led the development of two dozen healthcare improvement projects that aim to boost the healthcare experiences of both patients and physicians.

He helped develop a medical device start-up company focused on improving CPR outcomes. He helped create patient adjustment systems for pediatric cancer patients receiving proton therapy treatment. He helped invent a 3D-printed mask for alleviating mask shortages during Covid. And most recently he was integral to the development of an external vascular occlusion device to improve cardiac arrest outcomes.

Kim has won numerous awards for his inventions and accolades for his humility, perseverance and grace. And he’s doing all this while in medical school.

Myra Whiten’s career is marked by innovation, commitment to people and collaboration.

During Covid’s most challenging days for healthcare providers, Whiten was busy devising plans and caring for the nurses at Pelham.

Then, in the spare time she didn’t have in the midst of a healthcare crisis, she volunteered to implement safety measures at Greer Relief.

This dedication during the most trying times demonstrates a level of commitment that goes beyond the ordinary.

Today, Whiten is guiding the agency through an expansion of services to better care for neighbors in need, again, on a volunteer basis. Says one of her admirers, “her ability to motivate and inspire her colleagues and staff reflects her commitment to fostering a collaborative and driven healthcare environment.”

Prior to advancing to these leadership positions, Whiten was recognized with a nursing fellowship and her healthcare system’s Pediatric Nursing Excellence Award.

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January 2024

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2023 Health Care Heroes

HERO

HEALTH CARE RESEARCHER

Julianne Laura

Research Occupational Therapist in Stroke Tele-rehab, MUSC It is estimated that that about 20% of stroke survivors in South Carolina have rehab needs that remain unmet because of limited available options, particularly in rural areas.

That’s where telehealth comes in.

Even that is limited, so when Julianne Laura created the stroke telerehab program at MUSC, there were few tools at her disposal.

So, she designed, created, and implemented a brand-new program and is now developing a certification training course to expand its availability.

How has that worked out? Here is a typical response from patient surveys: “I would rate telerehabilitation OT with Jule a 15 out of 10!”

And that wasn’t even the patient whose life Laura saved by recognizing the symptoms of an oncoming stroke during one telerehab session and calling 911. Can you get a 20 out of 10?

HERO

INSPIRATIONAL TEACHING AWARD

Taylor Morrisette

Assistant professor of pharmacy, MUSC This is Taylor Morrisette: • A summa cum laude doctor of pharmacy with several post-graduate fellowships and a master’s in public health; • the course coordinator for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Therapeutics; • an instructor in numerous other hard-to-pronounce courses requiring 65 lectures annually, course coordinator for the MUSC Pharmacy Residency Research Certificate.

Morrisette is one of those individuals who can’t be contained in a cover letter.

A top-rated instructor, he has published over 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts, contributed to over 85 abstracts and won numerous teaching awards and was honored to speak at the school’s pinning ceremony.

And Morrisette graduated from his last residency a grand total of two years ago. Wait til he gets some experience under his belt.

As you might imagine, the hosannahs pile up from students, summed up by this: “Dr. Morrisette is a phenomenal teacher.”

HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL

HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL

Julie Anderson

Dr. Myriam J. Sollman

Director of the Quality and Compliance Team, MUSC Health It takes brains and guts to transplant kidneys and pancreases. That’s Julie Anderson, a master’s-prepared nurse with another master’s in public health, transplant certification and a Yellow Belt in LEAN Six Sigma. Anderson served as MUSC’s kidney/pancreas transplant coordinator before her performance got her promoted to her current position. There she provides direct supervision to two quality teams, overseeing three transplant centers.

There’s not a lot of room for error in the transplant business and Anderson is in constant improvement mode. She has authored a number of papers and presentations on emerging best practices.

Her co-workers say she is a mentor who nurtures trusting relationships among team members and promotes a healthy and compassionate work environment.

While she’s leading teams of lifesavers she is also involved with a variety of charitable activities and won a Junior League award for her philanthropic leadership.

Neuropsychologist at Prisma Health Neurology Dr. Myriam J. Sollman works tirelessly to support her patients, as well as her colleagues in the medical profession, and her opinion and advice is sought by medical professionals across the nation.

Because she is one of the few neuropsychologists in the state of South Carolina, her opinion is highly sought by her medical colleagues, and she freely shares her knowledge and expertise.

Sollman serves as a reviewer for several professional journals and has authored or co-authored many peer-reviewed articles, and she also speaks at industry conferences on topics such as Parkinson’s disease.

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January 2024

Join us in celebrating all Healthcare Heroes.

Congratulations, Dr. Jawahar Swaminathan!

SCBIZ Healthcare Heroes Award 2023 Serving patients of the Irmo community and beyond for more than 20 years, Dr. “Swami” is the lead provider for Doctors Care Seven Oaks in Columbia.

We’re happy to call Dr. Swami our own Healthcare Hero. Congratulations!

Meet all of our caring providers at Doctors Care 50+ Locations in South Carolina

Open late and weekends. | Walk-ins welcome. | DoctorsCare.com

January 2024

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 17

2023 Health Care Heroes

NURSE

NURSE

Callee Hydrick Patro

Kerri Ridlehoover

Cardiac nurse, Roper Hospital

Assistant Director of Nursing and Infection Preventionist, Saluda Nursing & Rehab Center

Devin Patro talks to people every day in his banking career, and every once in a while, he encounters someone who has had the good fortune to have been cared for by his wife, Callee. And they all say the same thing: she’s the greatest.

“Callee is a very dedicated nurse,” says her admiring husband.

“She has a heart for service and goes the extra mile all the time, always putting others, their family and their overall experience before herself. She is often made Charge Nurse and is constantly being asked to train new nurses. Her patients and co-workers love her because she simply cares for people.”

Hydrick Patro has experienced hospital care both as a clinician and as the mother of a prematurely born child. Her now-threeyear-old son was born two months early during COVID and endured an extensive NICU stay. Today the Patros serve as the March for Babies champion family to help bring awareness to birth issues.

Have there been any infections in the last few years that might have kept an infection preventionist busy? If you think work has slowed for infection control since COVID, you haven’t met Kerri Ridlehoover.

In the last couple of years, Ridlehoover has built a computer assessment for urinalysis, created and ran a unit manager boot camp to improve leadership in the unit and developed a new process for documenting infections. It’s kept her so busy that she has sacrificed time with her family, even vacations, all for the good of patients and staff.

This dedication does not go unnoticed by her co-workers. They say she leads by example to promote positivity even during the most difficult times, smiling despite the struggles and offering calm even in times of turbulence.

HERO

HERO

MENTOR OF THE YEAR

Alexandria Ingram

Lung cancer screeing nurse practitioner, MUSC Edgewater Surgery Center Folks in rural Chester and Lancaster counties can’t exactly access lung cancer screening at the corner store. Good thing former ICU nurse Alex Ingram runs a cancer screening program, offering CT scans, educating patients and involving herself in the community to help residents live healthier lives and avoid early death.

Renowned for her patient advocacy, Ingram continues her outreach long after patient visits and pushes those in her care to return for follow-up appointments. The result is better outcomes for patients, even the reluctant and less compliant. For that Ingram was named nurse practitioner of the year at MUSC.

PHYSICIANS

Dr. Jawahar Swaminathan Urgent and primary care physician, Doctors Care

What does it mean when a physician’s children follow him into health care?

Probably that they see the good he does.

Jawahar Swaminathan, or Dr. Swami as he is affectionately known by patients and staff, has provided highquality urgent and primary medical care to patients in the Seven Oaks neighborhood of Columbia for more than 20 years. He also serves as the travel medicine expert, assisting patients across the state to prepare for exotic travel.

Working 70-80 hours-a-week, Dr. Swami mentors younger providers to improve their bedside manner and is constantly on the lookout for patients in need, frequently lending money, giving gift cards, and donating his time. Patients return the affection with praise and gifts.

Says one colleague, “love for humanity is apparent to all who know him.”

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2023 Health Care Heroes

NURSE

Ashley Fullam Nurse, MUSC Health

As with all healthcare hero nurses, the words you hear about Ashley Fullam are dedication, compassion and warmth. With nurses, it’s a Herculean effort to narrow the winners down to four, much less one.

Fullam worked with one patient who was hospitalized with an extremely painful pressure injury and required frequent repositioning. However, the pain made the patient reluctant.

Ashley sat down with her and her family, and with great sensitivity and compassion explained how turning her was the only way to help her recover. She ultimately agreed and the pain subsided over time.

“I watched the patient smile during her worst days,” said a co-worker, “because Ashley was her nurse.”

PHYSICIANS

Dr. Paul Freel

HERO

NURSE

Ngozi Eke

Family Nurse Practitioner, Proactive MD Passionate about breaking cultural barriers and helping people address their mental health needs as they do their physical health needs, Ngozi Eke actively educates patients and helps them cut through the stigma that we often place on mental health.

Eke demonstrates exceptional dedication by going above and beyond her standard duties. She is highly involved in the diagnostic and treatment phases, often making critical decisions that have immediate and long-lasting impacts on er patients’ lives.

She is known to follow up with patients during their treatment, a step that extends beyond her role but makes a meaningful difference to patients and their families.

Her passion is to provide holistic care to the patient that encompasses both the body and the soul. She tries to achieve this by listening to her patients and understanding who they are, understanding where they are coming from – not dismissing them or hurrying through to see the next patient.

Congratulations to all the Healthcare Heroes!

You make our community a better place.

Primary care physician, Bon Secour Paul Freel is a rolling stone; wherever he lays his stethescope is … well, it’s a place where people in need can get care. That’s true whether it’s in Albania, Afghanistan or New York City during Covid. Those are just a few of the mission trips he has taken to provide medical services to those who most need him anywhere on the globe.

Colleagues say medicine is Freel’s life and he treats his patients like family, building relationships and offering his time and a listening ear without constraint. Over three decades, including three years in the Air Force, he has spread health and wellness far and wide.

SummervilleMed.com

January 2024

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2023 Health Care Heroes

PHYSICIANS

Dr. Tallulah Holmstrom Chief medical officer, MUSC Health

Still seeing patients even as the chief medical officer, Tallulah Holmstrom works early mornings and late into the evenings, juggling clinical care with administrative duties. A Camden native and member of the Camden High School Hall of Fame, she went to the big city for school – that is if you consider Clemson and Columbia big cities – but returned to her roots to offer medical care to her hometown area.

The only female chief medical officer in the MUSC Regional Health Network, she is lauded for supporting the needs of providers and serving as a role model for women in health care. A dedicated community volunteer, she serves on numerous boards and won numerous honors, including the Camden Rotary Club Professional Services Award.

HERO

HERO

THERAPY SERVICE ANIMAL

Greg Diehl

volunteer service animal therapy provider, Summerville Medical Center Every Thursday without fail, Greg Diehl and his gentle giant Newfoundlands Nevie, Winston, Ruby and Mercy brighten the days of patients and staff at Summerville Medical.

The canine crew has logged 450 hours of service there, and make the rounds at other local hospitals as well.

A loving lick, tender touch or compassionate gaze is all it takes from these incredible empaths to light up the day of a patient or even staff member having a bad day.

Every week for six years, smiles and laughter follow Diehl and his team.

“I’ve seen tears in the eyes of our ICU nurses as they pet the dogs during the middle of a difficult shift, looking for a moment of peace and happiness,” says one colleague.

VOLUNTEER

VOLUNTEER

Shirley Salvo

Phillip Moss

Volunteer, MUSC

What has 15,000 hours of volunteer service sewing 17,000 pillowcases for pediatric hospital patients over 14 years? It’s not a what, it’s a who – Shirley Salvo. She coordinates the band of tailors sewing 100 pillowcases-a-month – even during COVID – stitching together the materials, sewing machines and talent too.

They’re not just any old pillowcases – they’re whimsical designs that delight children afflicted with cancer and other lifethreatening illnesses. They provide a moment of silliness to offset the pain and sadness.

It’s all part of her ethos to find a need and fill it. Salvo is also the founder of the Sea Island Hunger Awareness Foundation to help low-income citizens of Johns Island access healthy food and clean water.

Volunteer, MUSC

A volunteer in the emergency department for the last dozen years, Phillip Moss assists staff, patients and visitors any way he is needed, but more than anything else, just be being Phillip. A consistent and reliable volunteer, he comes complete with a sweet smile and willingness to help.

Moss is the kind of guy who stops what he’s doing to arrange a ride for a patient lacking transportation to go home. It’s no wonder patients and their families regularly email the hospital telling them what a pick-me-up Moss and his ever-present smile were for them during their stay.

This year, Moss hit 2,000 hours of service and began training new volunteers. That’s 2,000 hours of smiles.

In Focus

NEXT ISSUE’S FOCUS: WORKFORCE/STAFFING

Agribusiness

LIST: Professional Staffing Firms, Page 24

CLOCKING IN

More South Carolina employers could be enforcing back-to-office policies sooner rather than later

By Krys Merryman

N

kmerryman@scbiznews.com

early four years following the COVID-19 outbreak that changed the outlook of remote and hybrid work schedules, employers might be enforcing return-to-office policies sooner rather than later.

An end-of-year study by Resume Builder showed that 90% of companies will return to office by the end of 2024.

“We’ve already seen this trend as accurate,” said Herb Dew, CEO of Human Technologies Inc. “During COVID, everyone went remote, then, depending on the industry, employers were saying that maybe remote work could work in the long run.”

Over the last year, said Dew, companies are finding that there’s a downside to having a fully remote workforce.

“So, how do we return to the office while allowing employees to maintain freedom but don’t lose the collaboration aspect that comes with working in the office, the loss of intimacy of a team?” Dew asked.

The issue of return-to-office policies continues to be contentious, according to Resume Builder. While some studies have found that employees feel more productive and effective in-office, many companies are continuing to receive pushback from employees who would prefer to work remotely, and some employers are regretting their push to return to the office too soon, the study noted.

In order to find out what companies’ plans are for returning to offices this year, ResumeBuilder.com surveyed 1,000 company decisionmakers in August.

Here are the key findings: • Nine in 10 companies with office space will return to office by the end of 2024 • A majority of companies are currently tracking or will track employees to ensure in-person attendance • 72% of companies said returning to the office has improved revenue • 28% of employees said their company will threaten to fire employees who don’t comply with mandates Many businesses gave up their physical office spaces during the pandemic, according to Resume Builder, but the vast majority plan to have them moving forward.

According to the study, 64% of respondents said their company currently has a physical workspace, 20% plan to by the end of 2024, 11% plan to in 2025 or later, and just 4% never plan to have a physical workspace.

When companies were asked if they currently have or plan to have office space by the end of 2024, only 2% of said their company never plans to require employees to work

An end-of-year study by Resume Builder showed that 90% of companies will return to the office by the end of 2024. (Photo/DepositPhotos)

in-person. Fifty-one percent currently require some or all employees to work in-person, 39% plan to by the end of 2024, and 8% plan to by 2025 or later, according to the study.

Companies looking at these metrics are realizing that employees that work from home aren’t quite as efficient as they think they are compared to working in an office, said Dew. “They (employers) are beginning to see a completely remote workforce lacks efficiency,” he added. “I’m seeing more hybrid schedules, but there are also employers that have 100% RTO policies already. But bringing people back 100% to the office when they have adjusted to working from home has increased turnover.”

Kamber Parker, founder of YoPro Know, a consulting group focused on young professionals, said she has seen leaders who think RTO is the only way to "increase productivity,” yet most young professionals feel they are more productive when working from home and not in the office.

“Keep in mind that most GenZ young professionals have never known a workplace that was 100% in office due to the pandemic,” she added. “So, expect there to be some pushback and turnover if something they have always known in the workforce is suddenly gone. I don't think many senior leaders think of it from that perspective.”

Here are the pros and cons of return-to-office policies

There are pros and cons to forcing return-to-office policies before employees are “ready.”

An absolute con, according to Dew, is that

some companies aren’t communicating the why and how to return to the office or giving employees enough time to get squared away.

“This will cause disruptions in workers’ lives,” he said. “Round table discussions need to happen on how we can make this happen successfully and give workers enough warning. Hear concerns and have people feel heard. Companies I have seen be successful at this are starting with integrating hybrid schedules first. I think employees, for the most part, miss synergy and working with employees through personal interactions, so I think people get hybrid schedules. I think people going from 100% remote to 100% RTO is a hard sell.”

As leaders, if they choose a 100% RTO policy, Parker said they recommend being clear in the job descriptions and during interviews.

“Being honest is a great way to weed out candidates who will leave during the onboarding process, and it will also show you're not being dishonest during the recruiting period, which shows character,” she added. “Additionally, if returning to the office is inevitable, what other ways can you offer flexibility? Is there an option to offer additional benefits that you are not currently offering? Is there any wiggle room with flex time?

“For any leaders in the manufacturing space or other fields where remote work was never possible, I continue to share this insight: what ways can you be flexible to engage talent?”

What return to office means for performance

According to the study, company leaders

predict that returning to office in 2024 will improve the company in a variety of ways.

Eighty-one percent said it will improve revenue, 81% also believe it will improve company culture, and 83% said it will improve worker productivity.

Among respondents whose companies have already returned to office, 31% said they started requiring workers to come back in 2021, 41% in 2022, and 27% in 2023. Many respondents in this group said they have seen an improvement in revenue, productivity, worker retention and more, according to study findings.

To encourage employees to return to in-person work, 72% of business leaders said the company will offer commuter benefits, 57% will offer childcare benefits, and 64% will provide catered meals. Additionally, 28% said their company will threaten to fire employees who don’t comply with RTO policy, according to the study.

“Companies can threaten to fire employees over RTO policy, but they should keep in mind that this is still a very strong candidate market in many industries,” said Resume Builder Chief Career Adviser Stacie Haller.

“Companies who insist on RTO when employees are resistant may lose workers and struggle to hire talent from a smaller candidate pool.”

A common study that occurs every one to 15 years implies a rule of thumb — that a third of a company’s workforce is in the higher echelon of performance, said Dew. “The fact of the matter is that some peoSee RETURN TO OFFICE, Page 23

January 2024

IN FOCUS: WORKFORCE/STAFFING

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 21

Staffing the fast-growing life sciences industry

By Christina Lee Knauss

T

Contributing writer

he life sciences industry in South Carolina is booming, with companies manufacturing medications, medical devices and other products making up a bigger part of the state’s economy than ever before. Statistics from 2022 show South Carolina experiencing a faster growth in life sciences than any other state in the Southeast, with 1,033 life sciences companies currently calling it home and more likely to arrive in 2024.

It’s a sector that will also likely continue to see growth, fueled by rapid innovation in health science technology as well as an aging population both in the state and nationwide which will demand more and more access to health care.

Sounds like a rosy scenario, but there is a problem. Who will do the work?

This rapidly growing sector, like almost every other one in South Carolina, is facing a hiring crunch fueled by a variety of factors, according to Joey Von Nessen, a research econoSee Life Science Workforce, Page 22

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January 2024

Life Science Workforce, from Page 21

mist with the research division of the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business.

“Life sciences has been one of the fastest growing industries in the state over the previous decade, and we anticipate seeing more growth,” Von Nessen said. He cited a recent survey

by USC that indicates that more than 70% of life science firms statewide expect to grow at least 10% per year over the next five years.

The labor force problem that will complicate that growth becomes frighteningly obvious, he said, with a look at data from a survey that USC did in conjunction with SCbio, a statewide nonprofit that promotes the life sciences. The data showed that 57% of South Carolina companies surveyed claimed significant challenges finding workers compared to 40% of life sciences companies nationwide.

Companies in the research and development side of life sciences report the fewest workforce challenges, but still can’t recruit all the workers they need, he said.

The labor challenges facing life science is just part of an overall labor crunch confronting most industries across the board in 2024, Von Nessen said. The core reason? A rapidly aging population which is especially affecting South Carolina because the state’s population is aging faster than the national average, fueled by a growing influx of residents who are at or near retirement age.

Von Nessen said the lack of available labor is partly being fueled by the rapid departure of baby boomers from the workforce in 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these workers, especially the older boomers, delayed retirement in the late 2000s because of the hit 401ks took during the Great Recession.

When the pandemic hit, the stock market – and 401ks – were doing well, so more of these older workers decided to jump at the chance to retire.

“Rather than have a smooth period where baby boomers were retiring at a steady pace, instead it was all compressed into a short window,” Von Nessen said. “That’s why we’re seeing the labor shortage in South Carolina across most businesses, including life sciences.”

Von Nessen said South Carolina has seen a rise in workers in most age groups except for people ages 20 to 29, and said the state often struggles to retain talent – namely recent college graduates and younger people who leave the military – because it faces competition from other nearby cities like Charlotte and Atlanta, as well as other locations across the country.

The aging workforce is also more of a factor in life sciences’ labor shortage in South Carolina than loss

Careers in life sciences pay better than the average South Carolina job, but they also require a higher level of education and training. (Photos/DepositPhotos)

of workers to other areas because in general salaries offered by life sciences companies are much higher than the average wage statewide, Von Nessen said.

“The demand in this industry is going to be extraordinary, so the industry needs to be making students aware of career possibilities, providing them opportunities to learn about the life sciences and connect them to businesses at a younger age,” Von Nessen said.

Workforce development is one of the major goals of SCbio, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to building and developing the life sciences sector in South Carolina.

“Now more than ever, we must focus not only on recruiting talent but also retaining the talent from the colleges and universities within our state,” said James Chappell, president and CEO of SCbio. “Connecting these students with companies in South Carolina is a critical part of developing our state’s workforce. Our student membership program and student-industry engagement sessions are giving both students and companies a unique platform to get the most out of South Carolina’s life sciences ecosystem.”

The student-industry engagement sessions Chappell mentioned offer college students an important chance to connect with industry leaders.

Led by SCbio interns, the sessions enable students to learn more about career paths in life sciences in South Carolina while also getting pointers

on improving resumes, interviewing skills and more. In turn, the leaders get to meet potential members of their future workforces and market their companies to students before they graduate.

With the free student memberships SCbio offers, students also get a chance to meet industry leaders, tour facilities, secure job interviews and attend industry events.

SCbio is also reaching out to students with two other programs. Its Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Manufacturing Pilot Certificate is a four-to-five week course teaching students about the basics of the life sciences industry with a focus on manufacturing, including introduction to quality systems, basic industrial measuring tools, good documentation practices and more.

The organization is also increasing its outreach to middle- and highschool students statewide. One of its initiatives for these students – Rad Lab –is designed to appeal to their love of video games and technology.

This free-to-play mobile video game offers information about life sciences careers and offers information about region-specific pathways to enter the life sciences workforce.

In-person job fairs and hiring events are another way life science companies are reaching out to potential employees. These events have been particularly successful recently for West Columbia-based Nephron Pharmaceuticals, which produces and manufactures generic inhalation solutions and pre-

filled sterile syringes through its 503B Outsourcing Facility.

A workforce hiring event the company held in fall 2023 gained Nephron 110 new employees out of about 340 people who attended, according to owner and CEO Lou Kennedy. Prospective employees were given tours of Nephron’s plant and offered comprehensive descriptions of available jobs, ranging from jobs in the sterile filling facility to work in packaging, warehousing and logistics.

The onboarding process for the new hires started the same day as the job fair, and many of them started work the Monday after the event, a quick turnaround almost unheard of in many companies but one that Nephron takes pride in, Kennedy said.

Holding career fairs is just one of many efforts Kennedy has implemented at Nephron to gain new employees and raise awareness of the life sciences industry. The company regularly offers apprenticeships and internships to students from area colleges and universities, has strong relationships with the state’s technical college system, and also recruits highschool age interns through the Urban League. Three students a year from the Governor’s School of Science and Mathematics are picked to work on a project at Nephron.

“We love doing this type of thing because it’s not only a way to raise awareness of what we do, but it’s a good way to keep our talent in South Carolina and not lose them to Atlanta or Charlotte,” Kennedy said.

January 2024

IN FOCUS: WORKFORCE/STAFFING

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 23

Agreement formalizes credits transfer among South Carolina technical colleges, universities

By Ross Norton

T

rnorton@scbiznews.com

he academic requirements of South Carolina’s technical colleges and research universities were woven together Jan. 11 with a thread that has joined some of the schools in individual pairings over the last several years.

University and college officials joined key state lawmakers Thursday to celebrate a statewide transfer agreement between the South Carolina Technical College System and the state’s public research universities, including Clemson University and the University of South Carolina.

The agreement marks a significant milestone in refining the transfer process between the technical colleges and universities, according to a news release. It is “intentionally designed to be dynamic with ongoing assessment and evaluation to optimize student educational opportunities.”

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, House Speaker Murrell Smith and Sen. Thomas Alexander, president of the Senate, celebrated the agreement with academic representatives that included Clemson University President Jim Clements, Clemson Provost Bob Jones, University of South Carolina President Michael Amiridis and

University and college officials, including Clemson President Jim Clements, joined key state lawmakers Thursday to celebrate a statewide transfer agreement between the South Carolina Technical College System and the state’s public research universities, including Clemson University and the University of South Carolina. (Photo/Clemson University)

USC Provost Donna Arnett. Tim Hardee, president of the technical college system, was also there along with all 16 presidents of the technical colleges, according to the release.

The partnership represents a concerted, collaborative effort to streamline the transfer experience to the benefit of student success, the release stated. Its primary objective is to strengthen the seamless transfer of credits from technical colleges to public research universities within the state.

Transfer agreements are not new, but most of them in the past have been hammered out between two schools, such as an agreement last year that smoothed out the transfer process between Midlands Technical College and Clemson’s architecture program.

“I am thrilled to celebrate the signing of the statewide transfer agreement, an endeavor I have wholeheartedly supported for many years,” Smith said in the release.

“I applaud the institutions of higher edu-

RETURN TO OFFICE, from Page 20

ple work well remotely, while others don’t,” he said. “That top third can work anywhere and be successful while creating their own structure. They can work 100% remotely and be highly effective. But, then there’s another third of the workforce that is more successful with structure, and then the bottom third is less successful and they need tight constraints to function. Employers are struggling to figure this out, and RTO policies hurt the top third of the workforce, because the other two thirds work better with structure.”

Consequently, technology hasn’t caught up with connectivity between remote work and being in the office, said Dew. “Can you imagine being laid off via email versus being told in person?” he said. “That is proof of lack of personal interactions and the detriment of it. Employers are working through how to make all this work. I think a hybrid approach is where we land, depending on the industry, and this could be permanent, moving forward. But increased face time, even if it needs to be scheduled, is still important, even if just once a month.”

As of 2023, Parker said research with thousands of young professionals ("YoPros") showed that 68% prefer hybrid work environments.

“In our ongoing surveys, we are not seeing this number change, and have conversations daily with young talent who actively search for companies who offer a flexible work schedule,” she said. “That being said, you will find

Young professionals, in particular, have expressed a desire for a hybrid work experience, spending working at home and at the office. (Photo/DepositPhotos)

most young professionals don't want to work from home 100% of the time. The key here is they want some flexibility, which to them might mean just one day at home, or even the option to leave work early on Fridays. You won’t know unless you ask your teams.”

What other workforce trends are on the horizon?

According to Dew, there are other workforce trends that may be part of the “norm” over the next couple of years.

“A four-day work week is another topic of conversation in the next five years that

we might see being more mainstream in the U.S. like it is in Europe,” he said. “The loss of a day hasn’t really affected industries who currently enforce four-day work weeks, but rather companies have seen an increase in employee productivity.”

In order to get the best people and retain the most employees, employers must be more flexible and get more creative with benefits as well, said Dew, such as the increase of paid time off policies — some employers have already tested the waters with unlimited PTO. “Some companies have come out with

cation and their leaders for helping this to finally become a reality. I know that this is a great first step in what I hope will be a continued commitment to making education more accessible, affordable and adaptable to our state’s students.

Key components of the agreement include: • Establishment of 30 or more credit hours of guaranteed acceptance and applicability to the student’s major designed to reduce credit loss at the time of transfer.

• Maintenance of the acceptance of a minimum of 60 credit hours for students completing an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science.

• A reverse transfer credit option enabling credits earned at the university to be transferred back to the technical college for the completion of an associate degree.

• Establishment of annual data sharing in an effort to highlight successes and opportunities for further collaboration to increase transfer student success.

• A commitment to ongoing, regular collaboration through the facilitation of faculty and staff convenings to promote better advising, pedagogy and resources.

State lawmakers taking part in the ceremony included Sen. Greg Hembree and Rep. Shannon Erickson.

CRBJ

minimum PTO polices, even, because those who offer unlimited PTO have guilt over taking too much, so they end up not taking enough,” he added.

The new generation of employees joining the workforce is set on having a proper worklife balance, said Dew. If employers only offer the “old school way of doing things” by offering just two weeks off, that will put them at the back of the line, he added.

“It is important to note that I have also spoken to countless members of other generations (experienced professionals: 40+) who also want flexible work environments,” Parker said, “This is not something we are seeing in just young professionals, but I do think the younger workforce is getting a lot of negative press in the media claiming they are the ones ‘not willing to go back to the office.’ It impacts all generations, let's be clear.”

All these things are interconnected, said Dew. “Companies that start innovating around all these things will have employees say that’s who they want to work for,” he said. “Being creative and being employee-centric, moving away from traditional benefits is key.

Companies are taking more risks and trying new things, and they are succeeding while getting other employers to see these points in a different way. If you’re a company that’s not being innovative, you’re going to have high turnover. You’ll always have people that can go somewhere else.”

24

www.columbiabusinessreport.com

January 2024

Professional Staffing Agencies

•

In-House Employees

Avg. Weekly Workers

Accounting / Financial

Admin. / Clerical

IT / Technical

Medical / Health Care

Mgmt. / Executive Level

Ranked by No. of In-House Employees in the Columbia Area

John Starmack, Henry Barnett, Tracey Worthey 1976

160

0

0%

0%

90%

0%

10%

803-806-8100 www.systemtec.net info@systemtec.net

Paul Elias, Laura L. Hoge, Steve R. Bryant 1998

150

150

3%

2%

88%

2%

5%

Recruiting Solution Inc. 1441 Main St., Suite 890 Columbia, SC 29201

803-806-8125 www.recruitingsolutionsonline.com apply@recruitingsolutionsonline.com

Cam Varner, Trey Smoak 1992

49

1,981

10%

60%

13%

12%

5%

Roper Staffing 125 Outlet Pointe Blvd.

Columbia, SC 29210

803-798-8500 www.RoperStaffing.com Information@RoperStaffing.com

Barbara West, Billie Dekle, Denise Urban 1982

26

1,023

10%

20%

0%

0%

5%

DP Professionals Inc. 3741 Landmark Drive, Suite 200 Columbia, SC 29204

803-738-0066 www.dppit.com info@dppit.com

Barbara Blau, Chris Dickenson 1996

18

94

0%

0%

100%

0%

0%

EmployBridge / Hire Dynamics 3740 Fernandina Road Columbia, SC 29210

803-798-1700 www.employbridge.com client.services@employbridge.net

Kim Wallace, Stephanie Barone 1985

15

750

0%

1%

0%

0%

0%

Find Great People 190 Knox Abbott Drive, Suite 3A Cayce, SC 29033

803-783-3636 www.fgp.com info@fgp.com

John Uprichard, Megan Graham, Betsy Anthony 1982

14

115

20%

40%

20%

5%

15%

Condustrial Staffing 1907 Sunset Blvd.

West Columbia, SC 29169

803-454-0340 www.condustrial.com info@condustrial.com

Lane Flinn 2002

8

80

0%

15%

0%

50%

5%

Spherion Staffing 4727 D Sunset Blvd.

Lexington, SC 29072

803-772-4928 www.spherion.com columbiabranch@spherion.com

Georgia Meeks 1946

8

300

25%

26%

0%

4%

5%

Express Employment Professionals 9557 Two Notch Road, Suite J Columbia, SC 29223

803-788-8721 www.expresspros.com jobs.columbiasc@expresspros.com

Northan Golden 2007

6

150

10%

52%

1%

5%

5%

Globalpundits Technology Consultancy Inc. 4715 Sunset Blvd., Suite D Lexington, SC 29072

803-354-9400 www.globalpundits.com gp@globalpundits.com

Manoj Devulapalli, Joe Doyle 2000

6

107

5%

10%

70%

5%

5%

Carolina Industrial Staffing Inc. 810 Dutch Square Blvd., Suite 195 Columbia, SC 29210

803-798-2045 www.carolinaindustrialstaffing.com kchapman@carolinaindustrialstaffing.com

Kodie M. Chapman 2014

5

-- 1

5%

20%

-

20%

5%

Jerman Personnel Services Inc. 455 St. Andrews Road, Suite C4 Columbia, SC 29210

803-798-0556 www.jermanpersonnel.com work@jermanpersonnel.com

Travis Cashion 1988

5

80

10%

50%

5%

0%

8%

Kudzu Staffing / Kudzu Medical 120 Brookside Parkway, Suite A Lexington, SC 29072

803-217-3320 www.kudzustaffing.com info@kudzustaffing.com

Chris Hall 2006

5

100

1%

4%

45%

50%

0%

Snelling Staffing Services of the Midlands 114 Haygood Ave., Suite C Lexington, SC 29072

803-359-7644 www.snelling.com/midlands snelling@snellingmidlands.com

Elizabeth Trenbeath 1982

5

200

8%

40%

2%

2%

8%

KG Workforce Solutions 808 Lady St., Suite D Columbia, SC 29201

803-470-2006 www.kgworkforcesolutions.com info@kgworkforcesolutions.com

Kelli Morris Long 2016

4

4

15%

20%

20%

5%

40%

Gallman Consulting, a division of Gallman Personnel Services Inc. 1360 Browning Road Columbia, SC 29210

803-744-3304 www.gallman-consulting.com gallmanconsulting@gpsjobs.net

Nanci R. I. Fields, MJ Sorrell, R. Smith Richardson, Georgette Sandifer 1985

2

2

5%

5%

1%

0%

89%

Company

Phone / Website / Email

Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded

TM Floyd & Co. 1301 Gervais St., Suite 1700 Columbia, SC 29201

803-765-1310 www.tmfloyd.com info@tmfloyd.com

Systemtec Inc. 200 Center Point Circle, Suite 301 Columbia, SC 29210

Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. For a full list of participating organizations, visit scbiznews.com/buy-business-lists. Email additions or corrections to Listresearch@Bridgetowermedia.com.

1 Company did not want to disclose

At Work

PEOPLE, PLACES AND HAPPENINGS ACROSS THE MIDLANDS

Colliers elects David M. Feild as its president C

Staff Report

olliers International South Carolina Inc.’s board announced leadership changes as it elected David M. Feild as president. John W. Folsom, who has led the company as president for more than 30 years, will continue as the company’s CEO and chairman, according to an announcement from the company.

Under the board’s approved succession plan, Feild will assume the CEO role in early 2025. This strategic move aligns with the company’s vision and its designed succession plan, the news release said.

“This is certainly an exciting time for Colliers as we make these transitions to ensure the longevity of our organization, both for our employees and clients as well as our shareholders,” Folsom said in the release. “I am confident Colliers will continue to

thrive under David’s leadership.

Feild, a commercial real estate professional with more than 25 years of experience, has played an integral role in the company’s growth. His decade-long tenure as market president for Colliers’ Upstate region “has been marked by exceptional strategic insight, unwavering commitment to excellence and a remarkable track record of fostering growth across multiple service lines within the firm,” the company said in the release.

He holds numerous community leadership positions including immediate past chair of the board of directors for Ten at the Top and vice chair for advocacy for the Greenville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He is currently a member of the 2024 Class of Leadership South Carolina. Feild is a Riley Fellow from his alma mater, Furman University, and a past board member of its alumni association.

Field

Folsom

“David’s dedication and strategic vision have been instrumental in driving our success in the Upstate,” Folsom said in the release.

“His commitment to excellence and community engagement will solidify Colliers’ standing as the premier commercial real estate service provider in South Carolina.”

The company’s leadership includes David Lockwood, executive vice president, chief operating officer and Columbia market president; Mickey Layden, president/ CEO of LCK; Neil Jones, executive vice president and chief financial

officer; David Cuda, senior vice president and director of corporate solutions; James Garrett, Charleston market president; and Kim Butler, senior vice president of Real Estate Management Services.

“The economic development landscape across South Carolina continues to present an enormous opportunity for our clients and talented professionals at Colliers,” Folsom said. “Johnny and the leadership team have created a 117-year legacy of client service, community involvement and shareholder value. We are very well-positioned for added success across the state, and I am incredibly excited for our future.”

Colliers South Carolina is the largest full-service commercial real estate firm in the state with 62 licensed real estate professionals in locations in Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Spartanburg.

People in the News NONPROFIT The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families has promoted Jerell Wesley to senior program manager for South Carolina program Wesley operations. Wesley joined the Center in November 2022 as program manager, having previously worked at Midlands Fatherhood Coalition as an intervention specialist. He is also a chaplain in the SC Army National Guard. Wesley received his Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in counseling from Columbia International University.

REAL ESTATE Meredith Rhodes has joined Trinity Partners Columbia as a brokerage associate. She brings more than a decade of experience consulting at the enterprise level. She is a graduate of North Carolina State University and has a Master of Public Admin-

istration from the College of Charleston.

NAI Columbia has brought in Kourtney Vermillion as a marketing Rhodes specialist.

She is responsible for developing marketing materials that align with client goals and strategic branding efforts. Vermillion graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in print journalism and a Master of Mass Communications in strategic communication management. Prior to joining NAI Columbia, she served as the graduate assistant of marketing and communications for Central Carolina Community Foundation.

TECH Flagler Technologies has added Matt Maypother to its sales team; he covers both North and South Carolina. Maypother’s honors include the New Hire MVP Award and the Fireside Award from Dell.

Savannah River National Laboratory researcher Carol Eddy-Dilek has been appointed a laboratory fellow for her contributions to her Maypother area of expertise, the laboratory, and the nation. It is the highest scientific/engineering achievement within the lab. As a senior technical adviser in the environmental and Eddy-Dilek legacy management directorate, her responsibilities included leading and supporting high-quality applied technology development research as well as strategies to support high-priority needs for the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management and Office of Legacy Management. Over the last two decades, Eddy-Dilek managed more than 50 national technical assistance team evaluations of high-priority issues related to envi-

ronmental restoration in concert with researchers across the laboratory. In addition, she and her teams developed initiatives on the federal level. More recently, Eddy-Dilek and scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory collaborated to develop cost-effective strategies for long-term monitoring. She also led the development of a new paradigm of long-term monitoring that the Office of Environmental Management can implement across its complex and extended to Office of Legacy Management sites to improve the quality of monitoring and reduce costs.

Cyberwoven has promoted Abe Danaher to senior account manager, Cate Ray to account manager, Savannah Taylor to senior art director, and Lisa Thomason to senior content strategist. Danaher works with several of Cyberwoven’s key clients on their digital marketing goals; prior to Cyberwoven, he was a communications manager in the University of South Carolina’s Office of the Provost and the College of InforSee PEOPLE, Page 26

26

www.columbiabusinessreport.com

PEOPLE, from Page 25

mation and Communications. Ray, a recent University of South Carolina graduate, continues to translate client needs, track project progress, and manage client communications.

Taylor specializes in branding systems, creative consulting, digital experiences, and user-interface solutions for the web; in addition, she is an artist and Risograph printmaker through her print studio, Overprint Press. Thomason, who joined Cyberwoven as a content developer, has led dozens of information architecture and content development projects; she works with clients on their online storytelling.

TRANSPORTATION

January 2024

Wealth Management; Tamara Buie, chief people officer, Level Legal; Carl Maki, director of sales-reinforcing products group, South Atlantic Galvanizing; Stephanie Mundy-Self, partner, Ferris, Self & Moore; Jane Taylor, co-owner, Gatsby Glass of Greater Charleston. The new board members can serve a maximum of two terms.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Medlin

Crystal Willis, financial accountant for the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority, has completed the Westgate Center for Leadership Willis and Management Development transit and paratransit management certificate program, awarded by the University of the Pacific, Eberhardt School of Business. Willis has been with The Comet for almost six years.

CONSTRUCTION Mashburn Construction has promoted Chris Sinclair and Nick Wilson. Sinclair is now a Columbia project manager; he has a degree in business administration from USC. Wilson has been promoted to assistant superintendent; he primarily serves projects within Mashburn’s upfit division.

DESIGN Quackenbush Architects + Planners has added Edward Bauknight to the Q+ team as an intern architect.

Bauknight has a Bachelor of SciBauknight ence in architecture from Portland State University. He returned to his home state after 15 years in the Northwest.

EDUCATION The Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Foundation board of directors has four new members.

They are Jo Bettis, senior vice president-wealth consultant, First Citizens

Medlin

Bauknight Pietras & Stormer has promoted Lindsay Medlin, CPA, and Paul Medlin, CPA, to the firm’s leadership team as principals. Both were senior audit managers with the audit and assurance practice. Lindsay Medlin earned a Bachelor of Science and a Maste of Accountancy from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business. She is the firm’s telecommunications and electric industry group leader, managing audit engagements, special projects and internal and external trainings on the industry. In addition, she works with clients in captive insurance, manufacturing and distribution, nonprofits and mergers and acquisitions.

Paul Medlin also earned a bachelor’s and master’s in accountancy from the USC School of Business. At Bauknight Pietras & Stormer, he developed an audit practice with clients in manufacturing and distribution, construction and technology. He also performs employee benefit plan audits and works on mergers and acquisitions, business consulting and financial modeling.

Tax Credit Marketplace has promoted Corey Memmott to chief investment officer. With more than 14 years of financial services experience covering investment management, capital markets, financial analysis and reporting, he has advised commercial and investment banks and private equity firms for M&A transactions and various distressed debt investments. Memmott has a Bachelor of Arts in finance and government from Wofford College and earned an MBA with a concentration in finance from the University of South Carolina. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, Real Professionals Network and the South Carolina Economic Development Association.

munications. From 2009 to 2019, Beres worked in public policy communications in Washington, D.C. At the National Law Center on HomelessBeres ness & Poverty and Center for Law and Social Policy, he led campaigns on the criminalization of homelessness and job training reform. In 2019, he joined the Maryland SPCA as marketing and communications director.

The Council of Autism Service Providers has elected Rachel Taylor, Ph.D., to its board of directors. Taylor, founder and former CEO of the Taylor Center for Applied Behavior Analysis, has more than 25 years of experience as an autism service provider.

Previously, she served as co-director of research and development for the Center for Autism and Related Disorders and chief clinical officer for Intercare Therapy. She was also the founding department chair for the applied behavior analysis graduate programs at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology Los Angeles, and her research was included in the textbook Applied Behavior Analysis.

In addition, Taylor previously served on the executive council for the Association for Behavior Analysis International and is a current member of the Scientific Council for the Organization for Autism Research.

Dr. Adam T. Griffith has joined Midlands Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery. Previously, Griffith was a fellow in orthopaedic surgery sports medicine the University of Chicago’s department of orthopaedics. After attending the University of South Carolina Honors College in Columbia, he continued his education at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston in the department of orthopaedics and physical medicine.

While there, he was also a resident physician specializing in sports medicine.

LAW

HEALTH CARE The Council of Autism Service Providers has named Andy Beres as its first director of marketing and com-

Brown

LawyerLisa has moved its Midlands office to 7511 Saint Andrews Road, Suite 3, in Irmo.

Lisa Hostetler Brown opened the firm in 2014.

In 2016, Brown became a Certified

Elder Law Attorney, one of six certified specialists in South Carolina.

Richard C. Detwiler, the managing member of Callison Tighe & Robinson law firm, is among the newest members of the American Board Detwiler of Trial Advocates and one of only seven new members from South Carolina. Detwiler, who has been a trial lawyer for more than 35 years, earned Martindale-Hubbell’s highest peer-review rating of AV Preeminent. Detwiler has been recognized

by South Carolina Super Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America, and Legal Elite of the Midlands. Detwiler’s practice areas include commercial litigation, construction litigation, mediation, serious personal injury, trusts and estate litigation, whistleblower and false claims, and worker compensation. Detwiler joins D. Reece Williams III, of counsel with Callison Tighe, as a member of the board; Williams served as the organization’s national president in 2000.

MARKETING AN PUBLIC RELATIONS

Card

Giesting

Cyberwoven’s account and marketing teams now includes Ashley Card, Chris Giesting, and Emily Martin. Card, an account manager, worked as Martin the project manager for Invigorate Solutions; she has a Master of Arts in digital media studies from Regent University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and dance from the College of Charleston. Giesting, an account manager, was the director of operations at The Players Club; he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of Norte Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and a MBA from the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business. Martin, marketing and communications coordinator, has worked for several digital marketing agencies as both a project manager and a graphic designer; she graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in graphic design.

Submit items using our online submission portal: www.SodaCityBizWire.com. Publication is subject to editorial discretion.

Viewpoint

VIEWS, PERSPECTIVES AND READERS’ LETTERS

Are the Panthers of Charlotte turning their backs on South Carolina?

Training camp was a chance for players and coaches to step away from their usual surroundings, much like a retreat in the business world. It also was a chance for fans to get close to their sports heroes and for the team to deliver an economic impact to an area outside of Charlotte. (Photo/OneSpartanburg Inc.)

S

everal years before my employment began with SC Biz News, I sometimes freelanced for this organization, squeezing in most interviews by telephone after the workday ended at my regular job.

I took a vacation day, though, when tasked to interview Mark Richardson, then the president of the Carolina Panthers. I crossed the Carolina-Carolina border into ROSS NORTON Charlotte to conduct the interview at the team offices at Bank of America Stadium, which, incidentally, from the inside seem like any other offices in the country.

Mark Richardson is a son of the team’s founding owner, Jerry Richardson, which meant his behind-the-scenes purview was even deeper behind the scenes than that of many insiders. As a business writer I had little professional interest in draft choices or coaching decisions but did have questions about leadership and strategy. One question that always

intrigued me regarded the club name.

Why not Charlotte Panthers?

The National Football Leage expanded in the early 1990s, adding the Panthers and Jaguars about a year after Major League Baseball added the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins. Of the four new professional teams, only the one in Jacksonville followed the tradition of including the home city in its name, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

I had assumed the reason for a regional name was to attract a geographically wider fan base. That was right, Mark Richardson told me. But his father’s plan for a Carolina team was more strategic than that. A regional name may attract more fans from across the miles, yes, but his real reason for using “Carolina” was to boost the resume of the Queen City.

A lot of cities wanted an expansion team and all of them had to make a case to the NFL that they could fill stadium seats.

So Jerry Richardson drew a big circle around Charlotte on a map — representing how far he thought people would travel for a game —and included that wider population is selling Charlotte to the NFL. The southern half of that circle is almost entirely in South Carolina. And

that territory to the south was special to Jerry Richardson, who attended and played football for Wofford and built a successful fast-food business that included a string of South Carolina addresses.

It’s why Wofford would be home to summer training for the Panthers for the next three decades. It’s why Clemson was home field until the Panthers built a stadium in Charlotte. And it’s why Panther merchandise sells south of the state line.

When the Carolina Panthers launched, Charlotte needed South Carolina.

It seems that now, though, the Panthers organization may be less interested in South Carolina than the Palmetto State is in the team. When David Tepper bought the franchise from Richardson in 2018, I think everyone knew camp in Spartanburg was on the chopping block.

When plans emerged for headquarters and practice facilities in Rock Hill, it at least looked like South Carolina would benefit, even if training camp was moved out of Spartanburg.

In retrospect that deal seems like it may have been doomed from the start.

After construction was well underway and millions were spent developing the site, the team and the city of Rock Hill

were at odds over who was paying for what. And although the city said it was willing to keep negotiating, the Panthers pulled out, leaving partially built facilities that heightened the next challenge for real estate professionals trying to sell it. With their exit from Wofford, the Panthers’ significant presence south of the state line is finished.

The Florida Marlins started life in the suburb of Miami Gardens and moved into the city of Miami in 2012. If I remember right, the move was part of a deal that included changing to a new name — the Miami Marlins. They didn’t need the ‘burbs anymore.

Makes you wonder how long before we watch the Charlotte Panthers take the field.

Ross Norton is managing editor-content for SC Biz News.

We want to hear from you Write: Ross Norton, Editor SC Biz News 35B Cessna Court Greenville, S.C. 29607 Email: rnorton@scbiznews.com

Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters.

The firm has more than 950 lawyers located in 55 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico.

Ogletree Deakins’ Columbia, South Carolina office is home to a diverse group of nearly 20 attorneys practicing primarily in employment law, federal contract compliance, and business immigration.

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COLUMBIA First Base Building 2142 Boyce Street, Suite 401 Columbia, SC 29201 803.252.1300