professionals Meet your local Spring 2016
1 • Meet Your Local Professionals
Table of Contents M E E T
Y O U R
L O C A L
P R O F E S S I O N A L S
Discount Furniture Outlet........................................................... 3 Curtis & Croft, LLC....................................................................... 4 Sumter Prosthetics & Orthotics................................................... 5 Gateway Mortgage Group.......................................................... 6 Boykin Air Conditioning Services................................................ 7 Jones Chevrolet Cadillac.............................................................. 8 Nicole Norris Design Studio, Inc.................................................. 9 J.P. Smith Builders.......................................................................10 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices............................................11
PUBLISHER Jack Osteen COPYWRITER Rick Carpenter DESIGN Cary Howard ADVERTISING Karen Cave Paige Macloskie Gail Mathis Mark Pekuri Waverly Williams PHOTOGRAPHERS Rick Carpenter Keith Gedamke
Dental Team of Sumter..............................................................12 Brown’s Furniture.......................................................................13 Freed School of Performing Arts................................................14 Epps Orthodontics......................................................................15 Central Carolina Technical College............................................16
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2 • Meet Your Local Professionals
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Brad Beasley feels at home as general manager of Discount Furniture Outlet in Sumter.
Discount Furniture Outlet
Beasley learns business skills, volume purchases from father
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rad Beasley, general manager of Discount Furniture Outlet, has worked in virtually every position in his father’s company, starting in the company’s huge warehouse and working his way to general manager. From an early age he learned his father, Wayne, has a sharp business mind. And by working his way up, Brad has learned all aspects of the business from that warehousing position to delivery to inventory management to setting up floor displays to sales to customer service to overall management. He’s done it all, which gives him a unique perspective on how to manage employees who face problems he’s likely encountered. But it all goes back to his dad, the founder and owner of the business. “Dad is a very smart business person,” Brad Beasley said. “The way we buy in volume and with special buys allow us to get very good price breaks
which means our customers can buy very high-end pieces at lower prices.” And besides a 40,000-square-foot showroom, Discount Furniture Outlet has embraced social media while also focusing on traditional print and radio media ensuring it reaches a broad section of the community. Brad said he looks forward to each day because he’s always presented with new challenges. He said he approaches the day with a smile and a positive attitude. He can trace that positive attitude to the roots that are grounded in his complete knowledge of all aspects of the company. And he projects that attitude on his sales staff which approaches customers with a helpful attitude to meet its clients’ needs. As Brad takes the reins from his father, he knows how to guide the company through whatever challenges he faces. After all, he’s done it all.
At A Glance Discount Furniture Outlet Year founded 1990
Primary product or service Retail Home Furnishings and Mattress Store
Top local executive Brad Beasley
Physical address 2891 Broad Street Sumter, SC 29150
Phone (803) 469-8733
Email dfosumter@yahoo.com
Website www.outletfurniture.com
Meet Your Local Professionals • 3
Warren Curtis, left, and William Croft combined their law practices to focus on real estate closings but has since diversitifed to include personal injuries, family court, wills and defending worker’s compensation employee claims.
Curtis & Croft, LLC
Curtis & Croft combine resources to focus on closing real estate deals
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fter graduating from law school in 1995, Warren Curtis served as a law clerk for the Honorable J. Ernest Kinard, Jr. From there he went to work with the Weinberg law firm in Sumter, eventually becoming a partner with M.M “Rusty” Weinberg and Robert Brown. He initially focused his practice in the family courts, handling divorce and custody matters but also began to develop a real estate practice, handling commercial and residential transactions. When William Croft graduated from law school in 1997, he spent almost five years as a prosecutor for the Third Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s office, learning the ropes of how to try a case and manage the case outside of the courtroom. He credits former Solicitors Wade Kolb and Kelly Jackson with guiding him through that experience and providing him with the tools to transition to private practice. After leaving the Solicitor’s office, he spent two years working for a firm in Charleston before 4 • Meet Your Local Professionals
eventually moving back to his hometown of Sumter to branch out on his own. The two joined forces in 2007 to create Curtis & Croft, LLC focusing on real estate transactions, workers compensation claims, personal injury and other civil matters. In 2010, Attorney William “Bill” Buxton joined the firm to assist with family court and probate matters. Each attorney has his own particular areas of focus. However, all of the attorneys handle real estate transactions and pride themselves in the ability to work around the schedules of their clients, even if outside of normal business hours. They also find time to stay involved in the community. Mr. Curtis serves on the Sumter City-County Board of zoning appeals. Mr. Croft is the current president of the Sumter Rotary Club and serves on the board of trustees for Wilson Hall. Mr. Buxton serves on the Historic Preservation Design Review Committee for downtown Sumter.
At A Glance Curtis & Croft, LLC Year founded 2007
Primary product or service Legal Services
Top local executives Warren S. Curtis William H. Croft
Physical address 325 W. Calhoun Street, Sumter, SC 29150
Phone (803) 778-7404
Email william@curtisandcroft.com
Website www.curtisandcroft.com
Drew Murrell, prosthetist, and his patent Allen Thomas at Sumter Prosethics.
Sumter Prosthetics & Orthotics
From amputation to ambulation in 5 weeks: Meet Allen Thomas
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llen Thomas is an avid hunter and outdoorsman who retired from the Department of Corrections in 2015. On Jan. 6, Allen underwent a below knee amputation resulting from an infection in his left foot. Prior to his amputation, Thomas spent the majority of his newly found free time outdoors. After surgery Allen recalls a sense of hopelessness, thinking “how am I going to get around with one leg?” Drew Murrell, Prosthetist/Orthotist of Sumter Prosthetics & Orthotics, met Allen at Palmetto Health Toumey that afternoon to answer those questions. “I love meeting new amputees and explaining the process and timeline for being fitted with a prosthesis,” Murrell said. “Knowledge is key for restoring a patient’s hope after losing a limb.” “When Drew came and spoke with me in the
hospital it was exactly what I needed,” Thomas said. “He talked about me being able to walk again with a prosthesis and reassured me about the whole situation. I felt uplifted and motivated to walk again.” Five weeks later on Feb. 12, Allen took his first steps on his prosthesis during a “test socket” fitting. “Just standing there for the first time in months and not having to hold onto anything was liberating,” Thomas said. “I felt like I had my freedom back to go and do anything I wanted to. It was totally cool. When it was time to leave, I missed having the prosthesis by the time I got to the lobby. I was so excited to get my permanent leg in a few days.” Now that Allen is back on two feet, he has a few goals in mind. “I set a goal of being able to hunt and walk in the woods by September,” Thomas said. “I also want to be able to take care of my yard again.”
At A Glance Sumter Prosthetics & Orthotics Year founded 2012
Primary product or service Prosthetic Limbs & Orthotics Bracing
Top local executives Wesley Haygood, CP, Owner Andrew Murrell, BOCO, BOCP, Practice Manager
Physical address 259 Broad St. Sumter, SC 29150
Phone (803) 883-4356
Email dmurrell@carolinaop.com
Website www.sumterprosthetics.com
Meet Your Local Professionals • 5
After a bad experience with a mortgage broker, Mary Kolb decided to join the industry and now manages the Sumter branch of Gateway Mortgage Group.
Gateway Mortgage Group
Local mortgage loan provider learns personal lesson about communications
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he inability of a mortgage loan provider to effectively communicate a real estate transaction motivated Mary Kolb to get into the business. She thought she was getting a 30-year fixed-rate loan but she later discovered it was an adjustable rate. “I didn’t get the kind of loan I was wanting, and it wasn’t explained to me,” Kolb said. “I said to myself, ‘I can do a better job than that guy.’” Kolb immediately went to a community bank and said she wanted a job working on mortgage loans. She’s been doing that since 1999 with a boot-strap approach of self-education, taking classes and continuing her education with more than 20-hours of classes a year. And she’s found her niche at Gateway Mortgage Group. “We are your ‘gateway’ to a smooth closing,” Kolb said. “ We want to be the loan company you deserve.” Through Gateway, Kolb can process, 6 • Meet Your Local Professionals
underwrite, close and service a loan. She also keeps up with regulations created to provide consumers legal rights through the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, an agency created after the collapse of the home mortgage industry in 2008. Gateway remains a community-focused lender that carefully selects local mortgage consultants who strive to provide quality mortgage lending solutions within their own community. Gateway provides a desirable alternative to the large, mega-lenders while still delivering the advantages of today’s best products and services. Gateway offers complete access to a full suite of mortgage solutions to meet any financial need. Those kinds of qualities drew Kolb to Gateway. She said she strives to continue to provide clear communications to clients and Gateway provides her with an avenue to do that.
At A Glance Gateway Mortgage Group Year founded 2000
Primary product or service Mortgage Lending
Top local executive Mary Kolb, Branch Manager
Physical address 665 Bultman Drive Sumter, SC 29150
Phone (803) 626-0103
Email Mary.kolb@gatewayloan.com
Website www.gatewayloan.com
Brian Boykin, Anna Jones and CW Boykin are available to help with Air conditioning needs.
Boykin Air Conditioning Services
Company provides excellent customer service, while providing technical expertise
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oykin Air Conditioning Services was established in 1992 by CW Boykin. CW still operates the business as majority owner and general manager. He is joined by his son Brian, who is the Sales and Installation Manager and daughter Anna, who manages the office. They each have been with the business since the beginning and in the industry even before. With a great team of professionals, Anna and Brian carry on with most of the daily duties while CW slows down just a bit. However, at an age where most are retired CW is at the office daily due to his love of his employees and his passion to help. While Boykin Air Conditioning Services is in the heating and air conditioning business they define it as “being in the people business.” “That’s what we are here for, to help people.” says Brian. “It’s all about the people in any service business, we just happen to be working on their air conditioning systems.” They all agree the biggest challenge within the industry is
competing with other companies that may or may not have the proper credentials, licensing and insurance to protect the homeowner. “Without ensuring that these things are in place, a homeowner can be taking all the risk and not realize it. Also, what may seem to be a great deal on a system, may not be so,” says CW. “We spend lots of time consulting with customers who have chosen the cheapest guy on how to resolve issues caused by an incorrect or incomplete job.” Boykin Air Conditioning is also the area’s only Trane Comfort Specialist. It has received Trane’s distinguished dealer award 16 of the last 18 years. Being a part of the Comfort Specialist program helps ensure our personnel receive the latest training and that we are upholding a higher level of customer service. Anna says, “Part of the program is the customer satisfaction surveys go directly to Trane. Trane judges their Comfort Specialists on these surveys and our satisfaction rate is always over 98 percent.”
Meet Your Local Professionals • 7
From the left, John T. Jones III, John T. Jones Jr. and Robert C. Jones take pride in celebrating the 50th anniversary of having their family name on the local Chevrolet and Cadillac dealership.
Jones Chevrolet Cadillac
Jones Chevrolet Cadillac: it’s a 50-year family tradition
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aseball, hotdogs, apple pie and CHEVROLET was the epitome of American life in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Jones Chevrolet Cadillac opened its doors in 1966 in Sumter, South Carolina and its family’s history is a true American story spanning four generations. After working for years in his father’s dealership in Greensboro, North Carolina, John T. Jones Sr. was offered a chance to purchase a Sumter dealership in 1966. Very early on, the Jones family began its legacy of providing exceptional customer service as well as becoming a vital part of the Sumter community. In 1975, John T. Jones Sr. received the highly coveted honor as TIME magazine’s “Dealer of the Year.” TIME presents the award in conjunction the National Automobile Dealers Association to successful auto dealers who must demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service.
8 • Meet Your Local Professionals
“My dad ( John T. Jones Sr.) taught me a long time ago, community isn’t just where you live; it is where you grow; and a customer isn’t someone who buys a car from you, a customer is someone who just became your business partner,” son John T. Jones Jr., explains. “And that is someone special.” John T. Jones Jr., current president of Jones Chevrolet Cadillac, said the dealership still focuses on building personal relationships with clients, providing excellent customer service and giving back to the community. The legacy continues, as 39 years later, John T. Jones Jr. was awarded the TIME “Dealer of the Year” award again in 2014. “Dad didn’t make us get into the business, he gave us an opportunity to get into it,” Jones Jr. said, “and we recognize what an honor and a blessing this is. “We’re not working for a large corporation,” said Jones Jr. “It’s our name on the sign; it’s our reputation; yesterday, today and tomorrow.”
At A Glance Jones Chevrolet Cadillac Year founded 1966
Primary product or service New and Use Automobile Sales & Service
Top local executives John T. Jones Jr., James E. Jones John T. Jones III, Robert C. Jones
Physical address 1230 Broad St. Sumter, SC 29150
Phone (803) 469-2515
Email sales@joneschevy.com
Website www.joneschevy.com
Nicole Norris of Nicole Norris Designs in her home office.
Nicole Norris Design Studio, Inc.
Nicole Norris Design Studio combines Artistry and Design
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icole Norris matched her unique combination of creative and artistic skills with her space planning ability that provides her with the skills to master the interior architecture and design industry. Norris discovered that early while taking an introduction to interior designing course at Florida State University. “I liked the creative part as well as the scientific as the form follows the function,” she said. And she didn’t just learn about matching colors and content or the latest trends, she learned about applying space planning to interior architectural and furniture design, computer-aided design (CAD) and working with building codes. Design is much more all encompassing than strictly the decorative arts, though that is certainly an aspect of it. She also learned how to startup a design studio by working with Susan Lovelace at Lovelace Interiors in Destin, Florida. “She taught me how to start a business from the ground up while I was working for
her,” Norris said. Nancy Wolff, founder of the Interior Design Institute of Las Vegas, now the Art Institute, was always about improving the profession and was another mentor as Norris taught classes and created curricula for the associate degree program in interior design. While in Nevada, Norris sat for and passed the two day National Exam for Interior Designers called the NCIDQ. Now, through her Nicole Norris Design Studio, Inc., she says she specializes in anything from oneroom to thousands of square feet of design with three designers with diverse backgrounds. Their clients include some of the best known businesses in Sumter including The Thompson Group and the law firm of Curtis & Croft. That talent for combining artistic and business skills earned her the Greater Sumter Area Chamber of Commerce Minority Business Person of the Year in 2011 and the American Society of Interior Designer Carolinas Dora Gray Award for 2014.
At A Glance Nicole Norris Design Studio, Inc. Year founded 1996
Primary product or service Full Service Residential and Commercial Interior Design
Top local executive
Nicole Norris, President and Interior Designer Randy Abbott, Interior Designer Cindy Scheele, C. Scheele, LLC – retail
Physical address
466 N. Guignard Drive Sumter, SC 29150
Phone
(803) 773-8083
nndsinc@ftc-i.net
Website
www.nicolenorrisdesign.com
Meet Your Local Professionals • 9
John Paul Smith looks over construction plans at his Camden office which also highlights the numerous covers of Southern Living magazine which highlighted J.P. Smith Builders’ homes.
J.P. Smith Builders
J.P. Smith Builders works with clients to construct custom homes
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ohn Paul Smith found his passion while in high school. And after completing an associate’s degree in environmental engineering at Central Carolina Technical College, he applied his refined carpentry and engineering skills to build his company one project at a time. Fast forward a dozen years later and his company should gross more than $10 million this year. It is without hesitation John Paul will tell you the only reason he is anywhere in life is due to the love and grace of God and his wife Gayle. He credits his wife Gayle with actively working with him to grow the company as the couple moved from house to house restoring them along the way while raising a family. Smith builds custom homes by getting to know customers and their unique lifestyles and unique characteristics while incorporating such amenities as secret drop boxes or panic areas. J.P. Smith Builders provides each customer with a detailed homeowner’s manual that outlines every activity during construction as well as when key 10 • Meet Your Local Professionals
decisions need to be made. Keeping with Smith’s environmental engineering degree, the company specializes in using local tree products for home interiors including cedar, pecky cypress, river birch and willow. Smith’s attention to detail in custom-made homes has won the praise of not only Southern Living magazine, but his clients as well. One customer, Jim Hern, has so much respect for Smith’s company that he had him build a second home for him in Myrtle Beach, which accounts for four home projects Hern has hired Smith for (also including two on Lake Wateree and one in Texas). “His honesty level is as high as or better than any contractor I’ve ever worked for,” Hern said. And, he has a great network of contractors. “His quality of work is very good,” Hern said. And that may represent the highest professional compliment: Having someone who appreciates your work enough to ask you to build his next one. In the custom-home business, it’s not often that you get that kind of repeat business from a customer.
At A Glance J.P. Smith Builders Year founded 2004
Primary product or service Residential and Commercial Construction
Top local executives John Paul Smith
Physical address 367 Sumter Highway Camden, SC
Phone (803) 420-2174
Email jp@jpsmithbuildersonline.com
Website www.jpsmithbuildersonline.com
Susan W. Osteen
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
Realtor offers highest ethical standards, impeccable personal client services
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n accomplished sales person who once sold women’s fitness clothing during the aerobic video craze of the ’80s has successfully transitioned those skills to the real estate industry. Susan W. Osteen, an agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices John M. Brabham Real Estate, says she left the traveling sales profession to raise her children. Then an agent approached her five years ago about joining the agency. It was a natural fit for Osteen whose sales motto is “Make it happen.” She quickly realized that real estate sales involve a meeting of the minds between buyers and sellers. “Being a good REALTOR® is about building relationships through constant and thorough communication and providing the best service to my clients,” Osteen said. “Residential real estate sales are much more than showing pretty houses to people. It’s a complex equation involving at
At A Glance
least 10 steps. My knowledge helps guide buyers and sellers through the complicated and intense process.” The John M. Brabham Real Estate Agency, in business for more than 60 years, had been part of the Prudential Real Estate organization before affiliating with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in 2014. The agency serves as a broker for residential and commercial real estate and provides property management and rental services. Osteen remains a top producer, a testament to her commitment to high ethical principles vowing to protect her clients in every transaction. And while anyone can find a home online, Osteen says she brings her complete local knowledge of the area and property values. She also provides a comprehensive marketing strategy incorporating video, social media, enhanced listing online and in print, open houses and agent caravans.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices John M. Brabham Real Estate Susan W. Osteen, Agent Year founded 1954
Primary product or service Residential and Commercial Brokerage Property Management and Leasing
Broker in charge John M. Brabham
Physical address 1081 Alice Drive, Sumter, SC 29150
Phone (803) 491-4220
Email osteensw@gmail.com
Website www.WeSellSumter.com
Meet Your Local Professionals • 11
While Dr. R. Capers Lee has modern day tools in his Dental Team of Sumter Office, he provides free dental care to developing nations through the Christian Medical and Dental Association.
Dental Team of Sumter
‘Golden Rule’ guides Dental Team of Sumter
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ike many of Sumter’s professionals, R. Capers Lee was inspired by another local dentist, Dr. Mutt Bozard, who was not only his dentist, but his Boy Scout leader as well. Lee remembers him as a kind, caring person who lived his life in an exemplary manner and hopes to emulate those qualities while also reflecting his Christian values in his practice at the Dental Team of Sumter. In fact, since joining the Christian Medical and Dental Association in 2004, he has made numerous trips to developing nations to provide free dental care in countries such as Peru, Honduras, Ecuador, Trinidad and Venezuela. “Having been in many third-world countries, I’ve realized that almost all American dental offices are excellent compared to the rest of the world,” Lee said. “We try to separate ourselves by serving our patients as well as we possibly can – just like the ‘Golden Rule.’” Of course, most people would appreciate the Golden Rule applied to dentistry. Who wouldn’t want a dentist to do unto others as you
12 • Meet Your Local Professionals
would have them do unto you? The Dental Team of Sumter focuses on preventive dental care, but also specializes in restorative dental procedures whether that involves dentures, whitening, crowns or root canals. Meanwhile, Lee said he faces challenges from the dental insurance companies which try to influence patient care. “It can be quite disappointing to have to battle them,” he said. He said he tries to provide the best possible care for each patient irrespective of those battles, so that he provides the appropriate care that each patient deserves. That kind of care has earned him a strong local reputation as peer dentists have voted him as one of the “Top dentists in the Midlands,” in Columbia Metro magazine. That kind of appreciation illustrates that he provides care and dignity for his patients. He hopes that someday someone will pay him back with the same ultimate compliment by having he or she point to him and say that he has been a major influence in his or her life.
At A Glance Dental Team of Sumter Year founded 1986
Primary product or service Dental Care
Top local executive Dr. R. Capers Lee, Owner Julie Tracy, Office Manager
Physical address 5635 Broad Street Sumter, SC 29154
Phone (803) 494-8466
Email DentalTeam2000@yahoo.com
Website www.dentalteamofsumter.com
The father and son team of Stan and Jason Brown own and operate Brown’s Furniture where they offer more than 50 name brands of furniture and mattresses.
Brown’s Furniture
Customer loyalty key to Brown’s Furniture growth
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tan Brown at 15 learned from an early age the importance of customer service from an uncle who owned a downtown appliance and television store. He started as a delivery person and worked his way up to becoming a salesperson. That uncle, James Brown, instilled in him the importance of honesty and providing excellent customer service. Brown honed his sales and service skills for 23 years at Hill Furniture Company before launching out on his own in 2003 with Brown’s Furniture specializing in name-brand furniture and mattresses. The store carries more than 50 name brands. A dozen years later, Stan and his son, Jason, separate themselves from their competition by emphasizing the importance of each customer and his or her needs. “My son and I don’t work on commission, so
At A Glance Brown’s Furniture
we can spend as much time as needed with each customer,” Stan Brown said. “We pride ourselves with customer service. We don’t just sell and go away. We give them that little extra.” And that “little extra” has paid big dividends, he said. Not only do they have loyal, repeat customers, their reputation has spread throughout the community providing a bustling referral business. That kind of local branding enabled Brown’s Furniture to survive the economic downturn that started in 2008. “We were able to control our prices which helped us stay in the game,” Brown said. Brown’s Furniture has won a top dealer award from Sealy, was named in Furniture Today as a Who’s Who winner based on volume sales and was voted by residents as the top furniture and mattress store in The Sumter Item’s annual Reader’s Choice five times.
Year founded 2003
Primary product or service Retail furniture and mattresses
Top local executives Stan Brown Jason Brown
Physical address 31 Wesmark, Sumter, SC 29150
Phone (803) 774-2100
Email Brownsfurniture@hotmail.com
Meet Your Local Professionals • 13
Employees, front, left to right, Andrea Govier, Erin Levenson Harms, Andrea Freed-Levenson and Sondra Tidwell offer support to dancers such as, back row, left to right, Annie Lee Kessinger, Lexi Claire Altman, Anna Collins, Lucy McIver, Mary Jones, Sarah Margaret Branham and Annie Beth Williams.
Freed School of Performing Arts Dance studio expands to At A Glance encompass performing arts Freed School of
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he family of Betty Freed has expanded her repertoire from a dance school to include gymnastics, voice and piano lessons and transformed the former dance school into the Freed School for the Performing Arts. Freed began a dance studio in the family garage in 1955. In 1963 she built a studio at 527 N. Guignard where it housed a one-room dance studio. More than 50 years later, the business now includes two large studios, a dance-wear store and offices. Freed’s daughter, Andrea Freed-Levenson, was instrumental in convincing her mom to expand the working space and has taken over the business. Like many young performers, Freed-Levenson chased her dreams to California and New York where the classically-trained ballet dancer found herself staring as a disco model in the 1970s. She noticed a trend from the time she took classes at Stephens College in Missouri to performing in New York: each time a teacher didn’t show up for a class, the studio owners turned to her to teach the class.
In the mid ’70s, Freed-Levenson came home to take care of her mother’s business while Betty cared for her grandfather. She hasn’t let up yet. The school places dancers in locations from Disney World to Broadway. And while clinging to its classical roots, it has expanded into competitive dancing, gymnastics and other performing arts to meet the demands of clientele. Most area residents get a sample of the company’s work during “Jingle With The Arts” at Christmastime. Other annual performances include a contemporary concert, a spring concert and dance recitals. Freed-Levenson says the classes are for all age groups with reasonable prices. She said students don’t need to bring excessive talent. Whether their abilities mimic Fred Astaire or Fred Flintstone, students build self-confidence, poise, the ability to think and put things together while learning about responsibility and time management. Those lessons will serve them well whether they perform on Broadway or work on Main Street.
Performing Arts Year founded 1955
Primary product or service
Dance, Gymnastics, Voice & Piano Lessons
Top local executives
Andrea Freed-Levenson, Owner Erin Levenson-Harms, Instructor Andrea Govier, Instructor Emili Ridgeway, Instructor Tia Robinson, Instructor
Physical address 527 N. Guignard Sumter, SC 29150
Phone
(803) 773-2847
freedschool@hotmail.com
Website
www.freedschool.com
14 • Meet Your Local Professionals
Dr. Thomas Epps and his highly trained staff make for a happy work environment at Epps Orthodontics.
Epps Orthodontics
Epps became empathic with orthodontics patients as a child
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r.Thomas W. Epps first became interested in orthodontics as a child wearing braces. He knows of the challenges that young people face when first appearing at school with braces aimed at straightening a child’s teeth. That correcting process may take a while, and Epps knows the laps of self confidence a wired mouth presents to youth going through a formative stage of his or her life. Letting them know how much better they’ll look after the care can at least give them hope. Epps Orthodontics exemplifies that kind of empathy by also extending its hours to accommodate school and work schedules that might make it difficult for customers to visit the office during a normal 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. workday. His staff takes it a step further by making the
At A Glance Epps Orthodontics
workplace a fun work environment as it goes the extra mile for patients. Epps Orthodontics started in Rock Hill in 1987 and expanded to Sumter in 2010 when Epps purchased the business of his long-time friend Timothy Bridges. Now Epps works at the different offices during certain days of the week. Epps said the rising costs of products he uses can create an economic hardship on a family so he does what he can to make his service as affordable as possible but it’s difficult to control the rising costs of the products he buys and uses on patients. “We have a great payment plan to make it affordable for most families,” he said. When it’s all said and done, he said he wants his patients to leave his office with a smile on their faces.
Year founded 1987
Primary product or service Orthodontic care for children and adults
Top local executive Dr. Thomas W. Epps
Physical address 685 N. Guignard Drive, Sumter, SC 29150
Phone (803) 775-5500
Email drepps@comporium.net
Website www.sumterorthodontics.com
Meet Your Local Professionals • 15
Mary Jo Ardis uses state-of-the-art simulators, including this mannequin that actually talks back to her, during her students’ classes.
Central Carolina Technical College
Department head develops nursing students’ competency, professional skills
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he Central Carolina Technical College nursing program’s emphasis on customer service emanates from the desire to provide competent patient-centered care. Customer service and patient satisfaction are instilled in every graduate who completes the CCTC nursing program. Mary Jo Ardis, CCTC chair of the department of nursing associate degree program, learned the attentive skills of taking care of patients’ needs while volunteering as a “candy striper” two years before she completed her diploma in nursing at age 19. Ardis says her candy striper experience planted the seeds of a career in nursing which blossomed through the decades at different hospitals, long -term care facilities and even correctional institutions. With a 98 percent job placement rate and a 100 percent pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam for last August’s graduates, CCTC’s ADN nursing graduates command about $60,000 right out of college. Ardis proudly says two things healthcare administrators say encourage them to keep hiring her graduates: competency and professionalism.
Ardis explains that healthcare providers test, diagnose and treat patients and prescribe medications. However, nurses play the critical role of monitoring how well treatments and medications work for patients. Nurses focus on the “human side” of patient care. Developing students’ professional skills starts on day one at CCTC. Ardis said students learn that appearance, language and behavior convey a sense of professionalism which fosters communication with patients and their family members. Ardis points to the program’s hands-on simulation labs and collaboration with local hospitals that place students in clinical environments that develop students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes. That combination of professionalism and competency training places CCTC’s nursing program in a position to compete with virtually any state nursing program. And with students lining up to enroll in the program – especially with the announcement of CCTC offering free tuition to recent high school graduates – Ardis said additional clinical placement of students may open the nursing program’s doors to even more students.
At A Glance Central Carolina Technical College Year founded 1962
Primary product or service Higher education
Top local executives
Dr. Tim Hardee, President; Terry Booth, Vice President for Business Affairs; Lisa Bracken, Vice President for Student Affairs; Ann Cooper, Vice President for Administration and Planning; David Watson, Vice President for Academic Affairs
Physical address
506 North Guignard Drive, Sumter
Phone
803-778-1961
admissions@cctech.edu
Website
cctech.edu