EXECUTIVES AT PLAY COLLIN M. SMITH PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
Most architects stick to materials like metal and wood. Mark Palmer, however, has taken construction to a whole new level. By day, he designs buildings; but, by night, Mark is a cake baking extraordinaire! Mark has revolutionized the way Florentines eat cake with Sweetleighs, a baking business that serves cake in a jar. Mason jar cakes allow just the perfect amount of cake without having to deal with any messy serving. It is great for weddings, birthday parties, business functions, and any other events. Sweetleigh’s products, particularly cake in a jar, can be found at Dolce Vita in Downtown Florence and Sweet Serenity, as well as providing full sized cakes through custom orders.
Check out Mark’s products at www.sweetleighscakes.com and on Facebook at Sweetleighs Cakes and Treats!
Mark’s balance between his architectural job at FW Architects in Florence and Sweetleighs is delicate, but Mark makes it look flawless and easy. Architecture is Mark’s first passion. Originally from Clio, SC, Mark studied architecture at Clemson University, for both his undergraduate and master’s degrees. He has been a licensed architect since 2009, starting his first job at Wilkins, Wood, Goforth, Mace & Associates, then Key Architecture in Florence before moving to FW Architects, after 12 years at Key. He has worked on various notable projects in the Pee Dee area, such as the Leatherman Senior Center, Faculty Alumni House, also known as The Cottage, at Francis Marion University, several restaurants including 1031 Grill and Taproom, The Library, and Dolce Vita Chocolate and Wine Tasting Room, as well as renovations to the Reichenbach Ford/Lincoln and Volkswagen Dealerships. Mark began baking on his own in graduate school, as a way to relieve stress and temporarily forget about the worries of
MARK PALMER From Sketching to Baking from Scratch
story by Kayla Jebaily
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VIP Magazine | February 2016