BEST ADVICE Brig. Gen. Hank Taylor
PAGE 4 VOLUME 26 NUMBER 12 ■ CHARLESTONBUSINESS.COM
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CofC sets a course for national status By Patrick Hoff
Return to the office Flexibility required as employees begin returning to the workplace. Page 13
C
phoff@scbiznews.com
ollege of Charleston President Andrew Hsu said when he first came to the college, what stood out to him were four P’s: prestige, place, program and people. But after a year of leading CofC, another P comes to mind: potential.
“If we go in the right direction, it (the college) will be at a very different level,” Hsu said. In line with Hsu’s vision, the College of Charleston has adopted an ambitious 10-year strategic plan to compete against the top universities in the country. The plan, approved by the college’s board of trustees last month, will be finalized and named this summer. Planning began in June
Upstate apparel brand partners with coastal conservation group. Page 3
By Patrick Hoff
Keeping calm
A
5 reasons not to panic over job losses and high unemployment rates. Page 15
Grant funding used to increase utility line worker training opportunities. Page 3
INSIDE
Upfront................................. 2 SC Biz News Briefs................. 3 Best Advice........................... 4 In Focus: Human Resources............... 13 List: Office Supply and Equipment Dealers.............. 17 Bonus List: Employee Benefit Brokers................... 18 At Work............................... 19 Hot Properties...................... 21 Viewpoint............................23
See COFC, Page 12
Magnolia site nearing cleanup completion
Coastal partners
Expanded program
2019 and included more than 5,000 faculty, staff, students, administrators, alumni and community members who participated in workshops, focus groups and online surveys. CofC was assisted in the planning process by Blue Beyond Consulting, headquartered in Castro Valley, Calif.
FROM THE COOPER
TO THE ASHLEY The Harbour Club is crossing the peninsula, stretching across 25 years and reimagining corporate hospitality in an elevated venue designed to serve professionals the way they work. Page 8 Jim Coyne, general manager of The Harbour Club and partner with BNG Hospitality, tours the site at 22 WestEdge in May along with Susan O’Sullivan Sellers, principal with Flair Marketing in Charleston. (Photo/Andy Owens)
phoff@scbiznews.com
decades-long vision is coming closer to fruition on Charleston’s Upper Peninsula as utilities are installed and environmental cleanup work nears completion on the long-empty Magnolia tract of land along the Ashley River. “What we’re trying to do is develop a major mixed-use urban center that is focused on and oriented toward the Ashley River,” said David Bodenman, president and interim CEO of Highland Resources, which owns the Magnolia site. Of the 140 acres that Highland owns, about 79 acres are developable, Bodenman said. The site is entitled for at least 1 million square feet of office, 4,000 residential units, 1,000 hotel rooms, 200,000 square feet of retail and a 23.7-acre waterfront park. Two acres of the property were also donated to the city of Charleston for affordable housing. Years ago, Magnolia site was home to several industrial plants, including a See MAGNOLIA, Page 6
Small business suffers
S.C. businesses under 500 employees among most affected by COVID-19. Page 2
Upfront
BRIEFS | FACTS | STATEWIDE NEWS | BEST ADVICE
Small Businesses Affected
B
ecause they make up 99.4% of all businesses in the Palmetto State, when Main Street shops and mom-and-pop shops with fewer than 500 employees take a sucker punch, we all do. In fact, as the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the economy to a crawl this spring, S.C. small businesses rank as the fifth-most impacted enterprises across the entire nation, behind Mississippi and just ahead of the Magnolia State’s neighbor, Louisiana. South Carolina is also receiving the lowest share of small business loans from the SBA. The small businesses of Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., are
the least affected, according to the survey.
States with the Most Affected Small Businesses due to COVID-19
OVERALL RANK
STATE
TOTAL SCORE
‘IMPACT & ACCESS TO RESOURCES’ RANK
‘SMALL-BUSINESS FINANCIAL CONDITIONS’ RANK
‘BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT & WORKFORCE SUPPORT CONDITIONS’ RANK
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Hawaii Nevada South Dakota Mississippi South Carolina Louisiana Arizona Nebraska North Carolina North Dakota West Virginia Georgia
69.87 64.86 62.93 60.72 59.63 57.68 56.96 56.77 56.67 56.52 56.15 55.66
2 3 5 10 7 34 13 15 21 18 6 28
22 10 21 9 5 1 28 25 13 23 11 8
2 9 14 10 30 3 7 8 11 12 38 6
Lowest Share of Small Businesses Receiving SBA Loans 1. South Carolina 2. Tennessee 3. District of Columbia 4. Alabama 5. Virginia
ON THE
RECORD
Highest Share of Small Businesses Receiving SBA Loans 47. Massachusetts 48. Rhode Island 49. Ohio 50. New Hampshire 51. Utah
Source: WalletHub
“There’s a reason this place is very special, and it goes far beyond just the beauty of its landscape and its beautiful downtown. Its people is what makes this place so special.” — Andrew Hsu, president of College of Charleston
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SC Biz News Briefs Insights into insurance Brought to you by South Risk Management, LLC The independent brokers of South Risk Management provide a window of understanding into such topics as: Southern Tide has formed a partnership with Beneath the Waves, a conservation nonprofit. (Photo/Provided)
GREENVILLE
GSA Business Report
• The rising threat ballooning jury awards pose to insurers and the insured. • How cybersecurity insurance protects against a growing threat.
Southern Tide enters partnership with coastal conservation organization
• Why the reputation of vaping as a safe alternative is eroding.
Southern Tide, a Greenville-based apparel brand with a coastal theme, has a new partnership with nonprofit marine conservation and research organization Beneath the Waves. The collaboration makes Southern Tides the official apparel partner for Beneath the Waves, according to a news release. Beneath the Waves’ mission is to improve coastal sustainability and ocean health. The partnership will focus on research along the Atlantic coast, with a goal of creating change for oceans and inspiring conservation through content development and immersive research activities. Southern Tide has launched a collaboration apparel collection for the occasion, with plans to introduce a more extensive collection next year. A portion of the sales will support the partnership’s cause.
STATEWIDE
• How COVID-19 is changing everything, including insurance.
READ NOW: SOUTHRISK.BTMBIZ.COM
Columbia Regional Business Report
Duke Energy grant expands lineworker programs at S.C. technical colleges The S.C. Technical College System Foundation is boosting training opportunities for utility lineworkers using the last of a $1 million Duke Energy grant. According to a news release, the state’s utility industry recently cited a demand for 500 every year for the next five years as the field evolves and thousands of line workers move into retirement. “The utility industry is changing at a rapid pace, and we must increase the talent pipeline for line workers here in South Carolina today to keep up,” Mike Callahan, S.C. president for Duke Energy, said in the release. “Investing in programs that recruit and train this valuable workforce will reap benefits for the industry both immediately and in the years to come.” The funding will help bolster capacity and program offerings such as an existing Power Lineworker Rodeo that helps connect students with local employers in the field.
VOLUME 23 NUMBER 10 ■ GSABUSINESS.COM Part of the
network
Part of the
Restaurants start tough climb back
Programs preparing health care workers
Bringing home the supply chain
Sen. Graham says legislation will madate Made in USA for medical supply. Page 10
Special delivery
BorgWarner returns to life
Production line restarts after coronavirus measures and tornado in Seneca. Page 16
COVID-19 testing
Safety and health assurance in the workplace takes center stage. Page 6
Giving record
Midlands Gives totals top $3 million despite pandemic. Page 6
Port strategy
S.C. Ports Authority looking at ways to keep growing. Page 8
INSIDE
Upfront ................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 4 In Focus: Health and Wellness ............................ 13 List: Urgent Care Centers ... 15 At Work .............................. 19 Viewpoint ...........................23
S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control workers help organize a free mobile COVID-19 testing clinic. The agency has conducted 27,275 tests for COVID-19 as of May 17. Of those tests, 3,110 were positive and 24,165 were negative. DHEC has scheduled more than 50 testing clinics statewide through June 5. (Photo/Provided)
By Melinda Waldrop
S
mwaldrop@scbiznews.com
hirley Bannister received the call at 6 a.m. Bannister, nursing department chair at Midlands Technical College, answered the phone to find a former student on the line and in a panic. “Her plight was, ‘I have no mask,’ ” Bannister said. “ ‘I’m in the trenches, and I have no mask.’ We got together and found some things to give to her to help her through that weekend. But I’ve heard from one or two stu-
dents about how difficult it really is.” Bannister is one of several area education professionals working to prepare soon-tobe nurses and health care workers in related fields amid the uncertainty of COVID-19. With National Nurses Day observed earlier this month from May 6-12, the sobering numbers have continued to climb. As of May 18, 89,407 people in the U.S. had died of COVID-19, with the country reporting 1.48 million cases, according to provisional figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. South Carolina had reported 8,942 deaths and 391 cases as of May 18,
according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control data. Richland County has reported 1,250 confirmed cases of the virus and another 8,929 estimated cases. Those are the highest numbers in the state, which has a total of 63,871 possible cases, according to DHEC. DHEC estimates the number of confirmed cases in S.C. to grow to 10,493 by May 31, a projection of almost 900 new cases a week. Adrian Stauffer, director of nursing at ECPI University in Columbia and a nurse for See NURSES, Page 16
Back to work
Changes in place as BMW’s Spartanburg plant resumes production after shutdown. Page 10
ColumbiaBusinessReport.com
Cargo expansion
With two large projects nearing completion, ports authority looks for growth. Page 12
INSIDE Leading Off .......................... 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 C-Suite ................................ 4 In Focus: Manufacturing and Aerospace ......................... 13 List: Manufacturing Firms ... 16 Bonus List: Aviation and Aerospace Companies ......... 18 At Work .............................. 21 Viewpoint ...........................23
SUMMER 2020
By Molly Hulsey
F
Boeing helps face shields, goggles get to MUSC workers across S.C. Page 3
A masked worker is among the first to return to the production line May 4 at BMW Manufacturing after a temporary shutdown for the new coronavirus was hastened by supply chain disruptions. (Photo/Provided)
Manufacturing RESTART BMW, others, back to work after temporary shutdown By Ross Norton
T
rnorton@scbiznews.com
he masked workers on BMW Manufacturing’s production line aren’t as close as they were before, physically. They’re back at work, but it’s not the same. It may never be again. BMW’s Spartanburg County plant came back to life May 4 as the automaker led a statewide movement of plants taking their first steps toward full production after shuttering because of a direct threat from COVID-19. BMW’s plant closed in response to the new coronavirus but the closure came earlier than expected when other plants across the country disrupted BMW’s supply chain. The steps toward full production are being taking in phases, according to a BMW news release, after a deep cleaning and a re-thinking of how 1,100 people can work together in uni-
son without working together too closely. During the non-production time, which started March 29, BMW implemented a variety of deep cleaning and safety measures, which included disinfecting equipment, sanitizing workstations, remodeling layouts to enhance social distancing and completing preventive maintenance on equipment, according to a news release. “We return to Plant Spartanburg focused on taking care of each other and taking care of our customers,” Knudt Flor, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing, said in the news release. The statement said the plant would “carefully ramp up production as we continue to monitor the supply chain and customer demand around the world” but did not speculate on how long it will take to reach full production. The plant was making 1,500 cars a day before the shutdown. The plant has 300 direct
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or a few weeks, constricted revenue dimmed the lights at Powdersville’s Eggs Up Grill, but with fried-eggpatterned masks and a Paycheck Protection Program loan, the sunny breakfast joint snapped back with tenacity. “I found out on April 3 that I was approved and then I got my money on April 9,” owner Debi Brannon said. Sales dropped 90% to 95% when COVID-19 heralded a state of emergency across South Carolina, she said. As the first dining restrictions began to peel back on May 4, staff pushed six patio tables eight feet apart and attracted potential diners with bubble guns, pastel window paint and masked servers under a beach tent. At least three clusters of customers dug into omelets onsite at 10:30 that day, six of the day’s 32 dine-in customers plus 59 to-go orders. “It’s of course, definitely lower than our sales volume before but it’s been our best since all this has happened,” Brannon said. A few weeks after jumping back into the game April 13, her store also has raised $17,000 in donations toward lunches for Anderson District 1 students and $3,000 toward sausage biscuits for front-line workers. “I was able to bring my people back very quickly. I know some business owners and their friends have not had the same experience,” she said. Of the 38 stores overseen by the Spartanburg-based franchise, most have opened or reopened across the state, aside from a few shuttered Columbia locations.
See RESTART, Page 20
Economic upheaval S.C. industries respond to unprecedented shutdown
See RESTAURANTS, Page 8
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Film award
S.C. producer wins documentary grant. Page 2
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LOWCOUNTRY NEWSROOM Executive Editor - Andy Owens aowens@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3142 Senior Copy Editor - Beverly Barfield bbarfield@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3115 Editor, Custom Publishing Division Steve McDaniel smcdaniel@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3123 Staff Writer - Patrick Hoff phoff@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3144 Research Specialist - Paige Hardy phardy@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3125 Digital Editorial Assistant - Alexandria Ng ang@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3124 MIDLANDS NEWSROOM Editor - Melinda Waldrop mwaldrop@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7542 UPSTATE NEWSROOM Editor - Ross Norton rnorton@scbiznews.com • 864.720.1222 Associate Editor, Custom Publishing Division Jim Tatum jtatum@scbiznews.com • 864.720.2269 Staff Writer - Molly Hulsey mhulsey@scbiznews.com • 864.720.1223 LOWCOUNTRY ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Senior Account Executive - Robert Reilly rreilly@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3107
Best Advice
BRIG. GEN. HANK TAYLOR CHAIRMAN, ONE REGION
Story by Patrick Hoff | Photography provided
“THE BEST ADVICE I’VE EVER RECEIVED
LIFETIME OF SERVICE
was to treat people the way I wanted to be treated. In large and small
Brig. Gen. Hank Taylor began his military career in 1968 as a
Account Executive - Sara Cox scox@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3109
organizations, I have found this to still be the golden rule. The major
communications specialist in the Navy. After a four-year naval career, he enrolled in a two-year ROTC program at Coe College
Account Executive - Melissa Verzaal mverzaal@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3104
challenge for a leader is to build the best team you can. Every position on a team is important to the success of the team. That means everyone is
and entered the Air Force in 1975. During his time in the Air
important. You can make that message universal by treating people the
Force, he served in a variety of aircraft maintenance positions,
way you want to be treated. This approach served me well as a military
spent three years on the Strategic Air Commands Maintenance
officer and it has served me well in all of my community engagements. I
Standardization and Evaluation Team, served as the deputy
sit on approximately seven boards; some I serve as the chairperson and
commander for maintenance with the 1702nd Air Refueling
on others I am just a positive contributor. Treating people well builds an
Team and commanded the first logistics group to support the
environment of trust and teamwork. As we take on the challenges to safely
B-2 bomber, among other duties. Taylor retired from active
reignite our regional economy, it is important to remember that we all are
duty in 2005 and has served on boards across the Lowcountry
important and it will take all of us to build our next normal.”
for over a decade.
South Carolina’s Media Engine for Economic Growth
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INTERESTING FACT
Taylor graduated from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which was a 36-hour trip on a Greyhound bus. “The experience at Coe College made me a different person and gave me the ticket to success in the military and beyond,” he said. “The 36 hours were well worth it.”
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DIGITAL DELIVERY AVAILABLE CharlestonBusiness.com delivers the same accurate, high-quality business journalism that you will find in the Charleston Regional Business Journal. CRBJBizWire.com compiles fast, up-to-date, unfiltered press releases, executive items and business briefs submitted by the business community across the Lowcountry. Tip Sheet arrives each morning in your inbox to give you the latest hirings, promotions, company moves and business briefs from the Lowcountry business community. Daily Journal delivers the top stories of the day, focusing on statewide business news, market trends, key economic and demographic research. Preview gives you the opportunity to be the first to read the top story of each issue. Insights is a powerful opportunity to leverage your brand and our audience by telling your story in your own words on our platform – positioning your company as a thought leader in your industry.
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MAGNOLIA, from Page 1
wood treatment facility and fertilizer plants. The Environmental Protection Agency and state environmental agencies began remediation work on the property in the 1980s and 1990s. The 100-acre Koppers Wood Treatment Facility property is the final portion of the property that requires cleanup. Over 30,000 gallons of creosote, a flammable, oily liquid used to treat processed wood, was removed in 2003, but some work remains left to do. Houston-based Highland Resources purchased most of the Magnolia property in 2018 with the goal of creating a mixed-use community for Charleston’s growing population. City officials and developers first earmarked Magnolia for growth in the early 2000s, even building a bridge between Petty Street and the site, but bankruptcies and the Great Recession slowed progress. City of Charleston Planning Director Jacob Lindsey said in 2017 that the Magnolia site is “a key location for the city to grow” because of it’s proximity to transportation and the fact that nothing else is built on it yet. “It’s a unique opportunity for the city to grow in a way that doesn’t impact our existing neighborhoods,” Lindsey said. Construction will begin on the south end of the tract, moving north over the next 10 to 15 years. Initial interest has been in multifamily, office and entertainment spaces, Bodenman said, adding that the company is now closing in on the end of its second phase of development, which included building streets and installing major underground utilities for the initial development lots. Highland had planned to have devel-
The Magnolia site is entitled for at least 1 million square feet of office, 4,000 residential units, 1,000 hotel rooms, 200,000 square feet of retail and a 23.7-acre waterfront park. Two acres on the northern part of the site have also been donated to Charleston for affordable housing. (Map/File)
opers start building on the site in the next few months, but that has been put on hold because of COVID-19. Instead, Highland is transitioning to completing the site’s environmental cleanup, which had been set for later in the process. About six months of minor work will still be required to bring the initial lot parcels online, such as shallow utilities, wastewater lines, and curbs and gutters.
“Consequently, it takes at least that long for a contract to work between the buyer and the developer,” Bodenman said. “So bringing those lots online is a very simple matter for us to finish them; at the same time, we’re refocusing the money that we could have spent on finishing those lots instead to finishing the remediation of the Koppers site.” The required work includes solidifying the remaining pollutants on the Kop-
pers site and placing a soil cap over them. “We’re not finding significant amounts, but there are some there, and so we’re solidifying those ... and once we do that, the EPA will remove that site from the national priorities list and the site will be fully usable for a mixed-use urban center,” Bodenman said. He said the development timeline for the initial lots will depend on how quickly the economy rebounds and when developers want to start construction. “People are holding their cash and waiting for a turn in the economy, when testing and vaccines and things like that are developed to encourage the economy to turn around and open up again,” he said. After the initial lots are developed, Bodenman said the next phase will be developing the Koppers tract, which extends to the Ashley River. Bodenman said that phase will likely start to introduce waterfront access parks to the site. “We’re very excited about the potential for opening up that waterfront access and having a property that is resilient against seawater rise and flood surging,” he said. Part of the remediation and development of Magnolia includes raising the elevation of the site, which Bodenman said will make it one of the highest sites in Charleston. Bodenman said people in Charleston have been very supportive of the project, and Highland is looking forward to bringing the site online. “We’re very bullish on Charleston,” he said. “We think it’s a wonderful market. ... We’re very excited about the potential of what that site in its development will bring to the city.” CRBJ
Reach staff writer Patrick Hoff at 843-849-3144 or @PatHoffCRBJ on Twitter.
NOTICE OF BANKRUPTCY SALE On April 15, 2020, upon motion of the Debtor, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of South Carolina entered an order establishing bidding procedures for the sale of substantially all assets in the Ch. 11 Bankruptcy Case of Watertech Holdings, Inc. (“Watertech”), Ch. 11 Case No. 20-00662-jw. Watertech filed a Motion for Order Authorizing the Sale of Assets of the Debtor Free and Clear of Liens, Claims, Encumbrances, and Other Interests pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 363 for a purchase price of $125,000. The proposed sale is a sale of substantially all of the Debtor’s assets including contracts, permits, intellectual property, goodwill and all related documents and rights.
@CRBJ Follow us on Twitter for the inside scoop on local business news.
A hearing on the Asset Sale will be held on June 26, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at the U.S. Bankruptcy Hearing Room, 145 King Street, Room 225 Charleston, SC 29401. Any competing bids for Watertech’s assets must be submitted to Watertech’s counsel no later than June 16, 2020.
Follow @CBRJ on twitter to get breaking news and information on businesses in the Lowcountry.
For inquiries, you may contact Watertech’s counsel, G. William McCarthy, Jr. & W. Harrison Penn, by phone at (803) 771-8836 or e-mail at bmccarthy@mccarthy-lawfirm.com & hpenn@mccarthy-lawfirm.com.
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June 1 - 14, 2020
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June 1 - 14, 2020
Harbour Club to reopen on the Ashley River with renewed purpose By Andy Owens
A
aowens@scbiznews.com
fter a quarter of a century of being within walking distance of the Cooper River, The Harbour Club has crossed the peninsula to the entire seventh floor of WestEdge, overlooking the Ashley River and much of Charleston. The $5 million project represents more than a relocation of an existing asset into new construction, however. The owners, partners, board of governors and chef took the opportunity to reimagine the mission of The Harbour Club, providing the same philosophical framework that gives multiple generations of professionals a reason to be there. The reopening was slightly delayed because of the coronavirus outbreak, but the owners said the pause gave them a moment to catch their breath before moving toward an opening on June 15 as The Harbour Club at WestEdge. Sean Laney, founder and president of BNG Hospitality, said The Harbour Club lost its view of the water and lost parking nearly overnight when a developer built condos across Prioleau Street. BNG is a Dallas-based company that purchased The Harbour Club last year from ClubCorp, and Laney and his partners knew a new location was needed. BNG also owns clubs in Memphis and Knoxville, Tenn., San Antonio, and Tampa, Fla. Laney said he knew that mixed-use developments worked well for similar growing areas. After meeting with the WestEdge developers about the location at 22 WestEdge and with their current lease expiring, the move seemed to make sense. “We were somewhat limited in our previous location in terms of what we can do. What we ended up there was dining room, a bar and some meeting rooms,” Laney said. “When you walk into this space, just even in The Harbour Bar, you’ve got all these different ways that you can utilize the club that’s more relevant for the way that people do business today.”
Coworking club
The re-imagined Harbour Club takes into account how people today want to work, said Jim Coyne, general manager and partner at BNG Hospitality. This includes larger conference rooms, smaller, private workspaces and coworking space with food and beverage service, each with expansive views of Charleston’s peninsula and the Ashley River. “The other thing that we really spent a lot of time on, because there’s so many people in Charleston that really don’t work from a traditional office anymore, we want to be their office away from the office,” Coyne said. “We have what we call touchdown rooms.”
The four rooms of different sizes are on one wall of The Harbour Club. The largest offers a table, four chairs and a monitor. The smallest is like a private study with a window looking out across the Lowcountry landscape. Each room has its own theme and name: Atlantic, Hospitality, Man’s Best Friend and Lowcountry. Coyne said an “Ideation Room” across from the touchdown rooms provides a larger space for businesses looking for an out-of-office location to generate ideas. “We wanted sort of a Google-esque type of space with soft seating. There will be an online projector with printer, big TV,” Coyne said, “It’s a place where you can do some business strategy, or if somebody wants to come in at night, use it to watch the big game, they can do that too.” Laney said he and Coyne see the club as a platform for serving multiple business and social purposes, including entrepreneurs who want a place to splash down for a moment or for an entire day with everything they need to do personal or professional business. “With all of the new growth and so many new people moving to Charleston, the profile and the personality of the community changing, we thought that the timing for this kind of club was ideal and that, obviously, informed a lot of our design and programming decisions,” Laney said.
Event strategy
The new Harbour Club at WestEdge offers versatile banquet rooms that include options for different configurations. Coyne said 260 people can be seated in the banquet facilities, which include hand-created stenciling on the floor, a design element mirrored in the restaurant area near the club’s terrace. Coyne said one of the difficult things to determine was how to orient the kitchen for maximum efficiency without obstructing the views. “We had a clean slate, and there’s floorto-ceiling glass walls all the way around the perimeter, so trying to figure out where you put the kitchen can be a challenge,” he said. “We took what we thought would be the least-attractive view and put it in this corner.” Chef Wes Long, who is from Hickory, N.C., attended Johnson & Wales and has worked around the world in food and beverage, including in Paris and Hong Kong. He said he was able to speak into the design of the space and the equipment in the large-scale commercial kitchen. “For banquets, when you’re really pumping out plates, it’s a straight shot into the ballroom,” Long said. “I use every square inch of that kitchen. Every corner has a purpose. Every sink has a custom cover on it, so if you’re not using the sink, you can turn it into a table.”
Above: With The Harbour Club moving to WestEdge, the owner of the historic building where the club opened in 1994 hopes to sell the property in the French Quarter or open it as a corporate and event venue. (Photo/Google Maps) Right: One of the contractors who worked on the original restoration of 35 Prioleau St. in the mid-1990s said this brick wall on Cordes Street is part of the original building, built in 1814 as a cotton and tobacco warehouse with space for offices. (Photo/Google Maps)
What’s next for 35 Prioleau St.? By Andy Owens
aowens@scbiznews.com
O
ne-hundred eighty years before 35 Prioleau St. in Charleston became the Harbour Club, the building served as offices and warehouse space for the city’s working waterfront. Charleston was a different place in 1814, when the structure was first built as a three-story building with a gabled roof, according to a hand-drawn map from 1872 at the Library of Congress. Condominiums didn’t block the view of the harbor, and cruise ships couldn’t be seen steaming toward Union Pier. The building’s location, within walking distance of Waterfront Park today, was situated between Brown’s Wharf and Kerr’s Wharf, where the swings on the pier and the Pineapple fountain are now located. The building was surrounded by similar structures on the Cooper River near Vendue Range in the French Quarter. The waterfront consisted mostly of open sheds of cotton, guano and storage for other goods being loaded and unloaded onto the ships that frequently docked. Today, the building is for sale for $8.85 million, but owner Henry S. Fiedler isn’t waiting on a sale to
change how the building might be used, according to Scott Benedict, president and broker in charge at Charleston Commercial Specialty Group. Benedict worked as a contractor on the restoration project when the Harbour Club opened at 35 Prioleau St. in 1994. Benedict said the building, for the most part, was gutted before the Harbour Club moved in, though original brick can still be seen on the Cordes Street side of the building. “The building there has such history. It was basically on the wharf when that thing was built,” Benedict said. “It was built in 1814 and used as a cotton and tobacco warehouse.” With the Harbour Club set to open in WestEdge this month, Benedict said 35 Prioleau St. will undergo improvements to reopen as an event venue called The Prioleau, but he said the owner would still like to sell or lease the property. “It’s going to be spruced up and offered for weddings and corporate events,” Benedict said, noting that with about 20,000 square feet, “it would be one of the larger facilities in downtown Charleston for special events.” CRBJ
Reach Andy Owens at 843-849-3142.
June 1 - 14, 2020
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Long said the food service at The Harbour Bar, Ashley’s Gate restaurant and banquet service will vary extensively but have one unifying element: Everything is made in-house. “Casual fine dining probably encapsulates the feel of it,” Long said. “We’re going to have great products. We’re a from-scratch kitchen. I buy puff pastry, and that’s the only thing that I buy. We’re making our own ice cream; we’re whipping our own butter for bread service, making our own bread for bread service.” Long said the phrase “playful, Continental cuisine” came to him as a thematic lens through which to see The Harbour Club’s food. With influences from the American South, Asia and France, Long said he incorporates all three but is quick to note that he’s not a fusion chef. “It’s popular, and it’s good, but it’s just not my style. I’m more new American,” he said. “All of our sourcing is where you really hit it home. You can taste the difference in a tomato you bought from a hothouse versus a tomato that was farmed in July in the South.”
‘Common platform’
Built in 1814, The Harbour Club’s old location in the French Quarter personified Charleston’s history. The new location pays homage to the entire Charleston region with touches such as indigo color schemes, an iron gate from a bank
The terrace outside of The Harbour Club at WestEdge will reclaim the club’s view of the water with miles of elevated vistas along the banks of the Ashley River and across the Charleston peninsula. (Photo/Andy Owens)
in Marseilles, France, thematic names, and a boardroom that pays respect to The Citadel. South Carolina’s military college can be seen from The Harbour Club’s terrace and from windows inside the special boardroom outfitted with Citadel colors. “We have a very big contingent of Citadel members, and this is our boardroom,” Coyne said. “This is going to be called ‘Honor,’ and this is going to be called ‘Respect,’” he said, pointing to either end of the room, which can be divided into two separate space if needed. That connection to the old and the new helped cement The Harbour Club
at WestEdge’s membership even 26 years ago, Coyne said, when the club was opened as a place available to anyone. “When this club opened, we were the first in this area that was a nondiscriminatory club. We represent the tapestry that’s Charleston, and we’re very proud of that,” Coyne said. Laney said today the club is about finding a “common platform” for what the people and businesses in the region want. People who are entertaining an important client or families who have a special out-of-town guest will find The Harbour Club at WestEdge to be a place that fits, but the venue can also be a place
for friends wanting a beer or glass of wine on the terrace. Laney said before the owners and partners even considered what the new Harbour Club would entail, they engaged a research group to find out how the community had changed and what would serve that club niche now as opposed to a quarter century ago. “We really kind of studied the area and who was going to be living in WestEdge and where was residency for Charleston going, and who did we want to be attractive to,” Laney said. “We really mapped all of that out before we began to put pen to paper on what were the programming elements that we needed.” With that research in hand, the partners thought the move to WestEdge could give them the space to make the club relevant to individuals who might not have seen the old Harbour Club as a place for them. But they also wanted to maintain a balance so they did not alienate the current core group. Since the announcement was made that the club was moving to WestEdge, 100 former members have reinstated their membership. “That’s what we’re trying to create,” Laney said. “This multifaceted platform so that no matter what you need to do socially or professionally, you can accomplish that in this space.” CRBJ
Reach Andy Owens at 843-849-3142.
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VANTAGE POINT
Even though Marion Square wasn’t teeming with tourists, sunbathing college students and ball-chasing dogs during May, a few individuals, some wearing masks, ventured out to this vantage point overlooking King Street. Does your office have an interesting Vantage Point? Email us at vantagepoint@scbiznews.com.
DETAILS Latitude: 32.786433 | Longitude: -79.936831 | Status: Public | Time of day: 4:35 p.m.
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2020 | SOUTH CAROLINA
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The 10-year strategic plan is built around three major themes: 1. Student experience and success, which includes increased retention, graduation rates and campus pride. 2. Academic distinction, which includes becoming ranked as a national university. 3. Employee experience and success, which includes creating an inclusive workplace built on excellence and innovation. Each theme includes specific strategies and initiatives that have been assigned to a member of the campus community who will organize a committee tasked with completing that part of the plan. Some of the initiatives include boosting enrollment of underrepresented minority and first-generation students; increasing the number of faculty members, staff members and administrators from underrepresented populations; and developing signature undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs. “There are certain things that will change and certain things that will not change but be enhanced,” Hsu said. What won’t change, he said, is CofC’s commitment to providing a liberal arts education, which it has done for 250 years — though that may be improved and innovated in order to meet the needs of the 21st century. When a liberal arts education was first developed, Hsu said, the Greeks mainly learned grammar, logic and rhetoric, skills that were required to be successful. During the Renaissance, sciences were added. Now, a liberal arts education includes many different modern sciences and social sciences. “So in terms of innovation, we think of ‘OK, what do people need to understand to be an effective citizen?’” Hsu said. “For example, if you want to be a politician or a lawyer, can you be effective without understanding environmental issues or without understanding modern technology, without understanding artificial intelligence? I think the argument is obvious, and it’s not.” The key to being ranked among national universities, Hsu said, will be the development of doctoral programs. Hsu said within the higher education industry, institutions are ranked by the Carnegie Classification, which breaks them down into categories based on whether they’re primarily a university with doctoral programs, a university with master’s programs, a college that confers bachelor’s degrees or a college that confers associate degrees. To simplify things for prospective students and families, however, publications such as U.S. News & World Report break institutions into national universities — those with doctoral programs — and regional universities. Currently, CofC is ranked as a region-
“So even though we have a national reputation — we attract a lot of the same students as our research university peers like Clemson and South Carolina — in U.S. News & World Report college rankings, we were arranged not against these peers that we have a lot of cross applications.” Andrew Hsu president, College of Charleston
al university, despite its status competing for students with the University of South Carolina and Clemson University, both of which are national universities. “So even though we have a national reputation — we attract a lot of the same students as our research university peers like Clemson and South Carolina — in U.S. News & World Report college rankings, we were arranged not against these peers that we have a lot of cross applications,” Hsu said. “But we were arranged with the so-called regional universities. So, in order to qualify as a national university, we need to establish some doctoral-level graduate programs.” Determining what doctoral programs are developed at the college will take at least a year of conversation with the campus community to find the right niche that meets the community’s needs and to ensure that CofC’s programs don’t overlap with other programs in the area, Hsu said. “We already have certain doctoral programs at MUSC, at USC, Clemson and even at Coastal Carolina and South Carolina State and so forth,” Hsu said. “So we have to do a careful survey of our environment and then look at internally our strengths.” Implementation of the 10-year strategic plan is expected to begin in the summer. Hsu said that, with a new provost for academic affairs and a new CFO, the college has strengthened its senior leadership and is ready for its next chapter. “We’re all excited and ready to lead the institution forward,” Hsu said. “So it’s going to be an exciting next 10 years.” David Hay, chair of the board of trustees and a 1981 graduate of CofC, said he hopes the strategic plan builds on progress made by previous students, faculty and staff. “This is truly a transformational time in the life of the College of Charleston,” he said. CRBJ
Reach staff writer Patrick Hoff at 843-849-3144 or @PatHoffCRBJ on Twitter.
In Focus
HUMAN RESOURCES LISTS: Office Supply and Equipment Dealers, Page 17 | BONUS LIST: Employee Benefit Brokers, Page 18
Putting HR into HR
Returning to the workplace will be different for every industry, but human resources professionals say every company should keep the needs of employees in mind. (Photo/File)
Human resources managers provide a number of services to small, medium and large businesses. They also keep companies out of court when they can, which is one reason they can be highly paid professionals.
HR professionals in S.C. Average Salary
Metro Average salary Florence-Darlington $117,680 Hilton Head-Bluffton $116,200 Greenville-Anderson $112,200 Charleston- N. Charleston $109,290 Columbia $103,350 Spartanburg $102,960 Myrtle Beach $87,650
Sector Employment Metro Employment
Return to the workplace may require flexibility By Patrick Hoff
A
phoff@scbiznews.com
fter several months of employees being distanced from their typical nine-to-five domain, workplaces are beginning to reopen, potentially setting up a raft of new challenges for employers. Pat Eardley, founder of human resources consulting company ShiftHR, said returning to the workplace will
look different for each industry and each company, but one of the first steps for any business should be determining who needs to come in to work initially to set up reintegration. Companies should also take a look at how the workspace is configured, Eardley said, and potentially reorient the space so people are not as close together as they used to be. Overall, Eardley said employers need to be sensitive about how they approach
COVID-19. Temperature checks and questions about specific symptoms are OK, she said, but employers need to be specific in order to avoid violating privacy laws. “Asking a question like, ‘Hey, are you sick? What’s going on?’ ... is walking a fine line of finding out information that you really shouldn’t,” Eardley said. It’s better, she said, to ask about See RETURN, Page 16
Experts in law, human resources offer return-to-work advice By Molly Hulsey
mhulsey@scbiznews.com
While businesses across the state expressed in a recent S.C. Chamber of Commerce survey that covering payroll was one of their greatest challenges, at least 90% of those who had dismissed or furloughed employees in response to the coronavirus intend to bring at least half of them back within three months. Legal and human resources experts emphasize that clear communication with employees and an honest assessment of the economic and health risks after reopening are critical to avoid COVID-19 infections and liability issues in the workplace.
Stephen Mitchell, Fisher Phillips
Stephen Mitchell, managing partner of Fisher Phillips’ Columbia office, said employers must be in constant communication with their workforce. All businesses should have strategies in print charting day-to-day protocols and their response to confirmed COVID-19 cases in the workplace. “They need to be ready to sell or to make sure that their employees understand why they are open and how they are protecting them,” Mitchell said. “There are going to be all sorts of outside forces that are going to undermine that, whether it’s attorneys trying to generate lawsuits or labor unions trying to organize a facility, and there are
Greenville-Anderson Columbia CharlestonN. Charleston Spartanburg Florence-Darlington Hilton Head-Bluffton Myrtle Beach
500 350 250 140 80 60 70
Southeast Comparison Average Salary State Virginia Georgia N. Carolina S. Carolina Florida Alabama Mississippi
Average salary $140,110 $126,650 $126,060 $106,500 $105,530 $105,190 $90,680
Employment State Employment
Stephen Mitchell, Fisher Phillips
going to be a lot of people secondguessing employers.” Employees need to know that their See EXPERTS, Page 15
Florida Georgia Virginia N. Carolina S. Carolina Alabama Mississippi
7,200 5,240 3,750 3,560 1,820 1,280 850
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2018
NEXT ISSUE’S FOCUS:
Architecture, Engineering and Construction
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June 1 - 14, 2020
Invest in your success. The story of the Charleston business market is a story told in numbers. Market Facts includes data and statistics critical to commerce in our region. Topics range from employment to education to logistics, with data presented in readable charts and graphs. Take advantage of this opportunity to get your marketing message to our business community, and in front of the businesses and people planning a move to our area.
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5 reasons you shouldn’t worry about job losses By Jessica Menton
E
USA Today
ven with the economy freezing up and layoffs surging, there are hopeful signs for recovery following the sudden collapse in American commerce caused by COVID-19. Stocks posted their best month since 1987 in April, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 cutting its 33% loss from February into late March by more than half through mid-May. To be sure, economists expect further job losses in May after the unemployment rate jumped to 14.7% in April, the highest since recordkeeping began in 1948. And some analysts are skeptical that stocks have bottomed out. One reason why: The average bear market since 1929 has erased nearly 40% off the S&P
500 index, according to financial-research company CFRA. Still, investors have been encouraged by states that plan to reopen factories and stores, as well as signals in the economy, like consumer spending, that are improving incrementally. Here are five reasons you shouldn’t freak out over April’s record unemployment rate: Jobless claims are coming down: The numbers aren’t good, but they’ve definitely been getting better. Initial applications for unemployment insurance dipped five weeks in a row. And claims should finally fall below 1 million by mid-June, signaling the beginnings of a slow economic rebound, according to Pantheon Macroeconomics. Temporary layoffs mean some may be back to work sooner: About 18.1
million people said their layoffs were temporary, roughly 10 times the number who said the same during the previous month. That means many could be back to work sooner, once the economic freeze eases. Stocks have bounced back, for now: Investors hope the worst of the stock market rout has passed. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index has rebounded 22% from its March 23 low and is now within 15% of its Feb. 19 record high after the Federal Reserve and Washington pledged to provide massive amounts of emergency aid for the U.S. economy. The Nasdaq composite has turned positive for the year as of May 14, helped by a rebound in high-flying technology shares. Spending is starting to recover: Bank of America, the second-largest bank by assets, is seeing signs that consumer
David Evette, QBS
State-specific social distancing measures and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines should be at the
CRBJ
Jeffrey Allen, Burr Forman McNair
EXPERTS, from Page 13
employer not only has developed a comprehensive plan for keeping them safe as they return to their offices but that she or he will continue to execute that strategy as time goes on. “It’s extremely important to have a plan to stay vigilant and continue to monitor employees for symptoms ... through temperature-taking and also instructing them not to show up if they’re sick, so that it’s very clear,” Mitchell said. “I think that protects them somewhat from liability to the extent that they’re taking people’s temperatures. There’s not going to be an argument that they are telling people that they need to come to work no matter what.” In any business, he advises employers to allow employees with underlying health conditions who are able to work from home to continue working from home. “Now I do think that it’s trickier when you have a manufacturing setting where people can’t work from home,” Mitchell said. “There are a number of employees that are taking temperature tests, and there are a number of legal issues that need to be considered there, including privacy (and) wage and hour concerns, dependent on how long it takes people to process through a line.” As new unemployment insurance stipulations arise, including the ability to restrict unemployment benefits after an employee refuses to return to an offered position, employers must keep communication channels clear, he said.
spending is ticking higher after plunging 30% at the start of the lockdown, as consumers buy more clothing, gasoline and restaurants meals. U.S. aggregate spending averaged about $50 billion over the past four weeks, CEO Brian Moynihan said in an interview last week on CNBC. That’s on par with fall 2017. Spending was growing in the upper single digits near 10% before the shutdown and then fell, he added. Now, it’s flat compared with last year. Parts of Asia don’t see a surge in renewed cases yet: Investors have found some solace after countries and cities in Asia that have reopened their economies haven’t shown a renewed surge in coronavirus cases. South Korea and Hong Kong, for instance, have relaxed pandemic restrictions without having a jump in cases.
David Evette, QBS
Jeffrey Allen, Burr Forman McNair
“It’s extremely important to have a plan to stay vigilant and continue to monitor employees for symptoms ... through temperature-taking and also instructing them not to show up if they’re sick, so that it’s very clear.” Stephen Mitchell Managing partner, Fisher Phillips’ Columbia office
crux of any reopening strategy, according to David Evette, co-founder and CEO of human resources company Quality Business Solutions. QBS Inc., based in Travelers Rest, plans to maintain work-from-home practices for its employees for as long as possible. “We’re kind of going with the Phase II operation that the White House has put out there,” Evette said last month. “If it’s still conducive for them (employees) to work from home and still be as productive or almost as productive as at the office, we want to continue to do that. I think for us, we’re probably in that 30- to 45-day window for coming back.” Evette said he was waiting on a shipment of hand sanitizer while also setting
aside a store of personal protective equipment so employees can have a supply of five disposable masks per week. Early in May, QBS also sent out a 10-question survey to employees, probing symptoms such as a fever or coughing over the previous week to see whether individuals were ready to return once office doors reopened. When dealing with those who did not respond positively on the test, Evette said confidentiality and working with the employees through specific questions is key. To cut down on employee contact, Evette said employers could discourage congregating around the water cooler or request that employees bring their own food instead of hosting company meals or lunch meetings.
As some businesses continue to access the Paycheck Protection Program and other types of federal funding following the initial onslaught of applicants, Jeffrey Allen, a partner at Columbia’s Burr Forman McNair office, underscores that companies need to assess whether they can sustain payroll or headcount before June 30 or need PPP funding to keep operating. “Businesses need to evaluate whether they need the Paycheck Protection funds in order to support their operations,” Allen said. “There was a large rush initially because of funding where everyone wanted to participate in the program, relying on what they saw as the uncertainty of the coronavirus crisis going forward.” Those in doubt should consider employee retention tax credits or Social Security deferral options instead, he said, especially as the Small Business Administration begins to crack down on businesses who didn’t need the PPP to stay afloat during the pandemic. All businesses are eligible for the tax credits or the Social Security deferral program, which have no repayment obligations like the PPP. “The employers could start as of March 27 deferring payment of the employer’s share of Social Security through the end of the year, with 50% to be paid by Dec. 31 in 2021 and 50% to be paid Dec. 31, 2022,” Allen said. “That option is out there for folks. They can take advantage of that even if they have applied for the Paycheck Protection loan and, if funded, they can continue taking advantage of it until the time the lender says that loan is forgiven.” CRBJ
Reach Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1223.
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RETURN, from Page 13
symptoms that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified with COVID-19, such as fever, shortness of breath, sore throat and cough. Additionally, she said, if a company is requiring employees to wear personal protective equipment such as face masks, it needs to supply the equipment or reimburse the employees. If face masks are optional, Eardley said it’s still a good idea to put in place some kind of policy about what is and isn’t acceptable. “If you don’t want somebody coming in with a face mask that has Luke Skywalker on it, then you probably should create a policy,” she said. Teresa Vaughn said her company, Mount Pleasant-based Johnson & Johnson Insurance, is asking employees to return to their offices June 1 if they’re comfortable but is allowing employees to remain working from home if they feel that they need to for any reason. In addition to being vice president of human resources at Johnson & Johnson, Vaughn is the state director of the S.C. Society for Human Resources Management. Most important, Vaughn said, companies need to be flexible and communicate clearly with employees.
“Make them feel comfortable with what’s going on and communicate,” she said.
Emotional support
Jean Meeks-Koch, founder and CEO of Positively People, said employers need to be prepared for a “traumatized workforce,” especially if people have been laid off while the company has been working from home. Typically when a company lays people off, other employees are able to say goodbye, but with everyone working from home, Meeks-Koch said that opportunity was taken away. Additionally, she said, employees may feel guilty that they’re still employed while others lost their jobs. “Even though they’re coming back to work, there will be that grieving process, and so that’s going to impact performance,” Meeks-Koch said. “They’re not going to come back to work and be the same people they were when they left work. There will be this grieving process that will occur, and being able to navigate that in a healthy way is going to be critical.” She added that employers also need to be ready to support those who have gotten used to the flexibility and freedom of working from home. “We’ve been under this restraint, for many, many employers, for two, 2 1/2 months. Some even three months,”
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Meeks-Koch said. “So ... they won’t come back and be the same people. The productivity won’t be there. So there’s going to be a reintegration period of time that will happen.” Meeks-Koch said employees may be feeling emotions similar to those felt while dealing with death and the dying process, such as a dismantling of the world as they know it, an emotional emptiness and disorientation. “What leaders need to do is really give them that new dawn and let them hold onto something that they can believe in,” Meeks-Koch said. “And if leaders can’t do that, they’re not going to reignite, re-energize the workforce.” Her concern, Meeks-Koch said, is that employers aren’t thinking about how the past several months have affected the mental health of their employees. “When you look at a company and their human resource department, unless they’re a huge, huge company, they’re not going to have people on the behavioral side of the workforce, and they’re going to be ill-prepared for this,” she said. “And they’re not going to have the trainings done for their managers and their leaders.” The most important thing employers can do is create a safe space to listen to employees and support their mental health, Meeks-Koch said, making sure to ask people how they’re doing each day. “It provides a space for restoration of
June 1 - 14, 2020
the human element,” she said. Doing this, she said, will allow employees to open up about their concerns and goals more easily and help employees come back together as a team. “It’s also the ability to get them in a very compassionate way to start looking at the present and the future,” MeeksKoch said. “But also giving them time that we call compartmentalizing. ... So instead of just saying ‘Hey, we’re over, we’re back to work now, OK. We’re not going to talk about this anymore,’ we have to provide a space to talk about it and how people are feeling as they’re working through it.” Eardley said employers may want to consider implementing various types of employee recognition in order to start rebuilding camaraderie. It can be as simple as a thank-you note for a job well done, she said, but it will go a long way. “I think being able to kind of have that ‘Go team, one team’ spirit and doing different things to say thank you to staff, because I know there’s a lot of people who have been out of work for a while,” she said. “But there’s also been a lot of people who have been working from home or are considered essential personnel and never left the workplace.” CRBJ
Reach staff writer Patrick Hoff at 843-849-3144 or @PatHoffCRBJ on Twitter.
IN FOCUS: HUMAN RESOURCES
June 1 - 14, 2020
www.charlestonbusiness.com 17
Office Supply and Equipment Cos. Ranked by No. of Employees in the Charleston Area
Company
Phone / Website / Email
Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded
Employees / Offices Primary Brands Carried
Wulbern-Koval Co. 1111 Morrison Drive Charleston, SC 29403
843-577-7666 www.wulbern-koval.com wkco@wulbern-koval.com
Joe Koval, Mike Epps, Joseph Koval 1970
47 1
Steelcase, Hon, Indiana, Coalesse, other major brands
Y Local, Myrtle Beach, Walterboro, Columbia
Furniture showroom, designers, knowledgeable salespeople, free parking
Saulisbury Business Machines 7632 Southrail Road North Charleston, SC 29420
843-572-9111 www.saulisbury.com dsaulisbury@saulisbury.com
Dale D. Saulisbury 1968
38 1
Lanier (Ricoh), Canon, Kyocera, HP, PaperCut
Y Statewide
Sales and service of office equipment and print management; interactive whiteboards
MBM Corp. 3134 Industry Drive North Charleston, SC 29418
800-223-2508 www.mbmcorp.com sales@mbmcorp.com
Ned C. Ginsburg, Mike Venittelli 1936
35 1
Destroyit, Triumph, IDEAL
Y Nationwide
Paper shredders, paper cutters, trimmers, air purifiers, finishing systems and equipment, folders, creasers, booklet-makers, joggers
Carolina Office Systems 2265 Clements Ferry Road, Suite 203 Charleston, SC 29492
843-972-1240 www.carolinaosonline.com eric.duncan@xerox.com
Eric Duncan 1980
25 1
Xerox, HP, Brother, MBM, Dell, Lenovo, KIP
Y Nationwide
Consulting, workflow optimization, cost breakdown, asset deployment and usage patterns
Herald Office Solutions 3250 Tile Drive North Charleston, SC 29405
843-556-1007 www.heraldoffice.com info@heraldoffice.com
Lauren Livengood 1924
24 1
Allsteel, Hon, Indiana, KI, Virco, VS furniture, Savin, Kyocera, HP
Y Statewide, partner to handle nationwide
Supplies, furniture, equipment, printing, breakroom and janitorial
Capitol Coffee Systems 9541 Hamburg Road Ladson, SC 29456
843-553-5505 www.capcoff.com sales@capcoff.com
Ben Brunson, Sallie Sheppard, Mary Grey Breckenridge 1979
20 1
Bevi, Charleston Coffee Roaster, Coke, Flavia, Green Mountain, Ion, Keurig, Larry's Coffee, Pepsi, Seattle's Best, Starbucks
Y Statewide and North Carolina
Break room supplier, coffee services, micromarkets, water systems
McWaters Inc. 3841 Commercial Center Drive Ladson, SC 29456
843-486-1823 www.mcwaters.com infocharleston@mcwaters.com
Harry Dent Jr., Brooke Allison, Chris Jones 1945
16 1
Steelcase Brands, Indiana Furniture Industries, OFS Brands, Coalesse, Global Furniture Group, Shaw Group, Milliken Textiles, Interface, Crestron
Y Nationwide
Furniture, audiovisual technology, commercial flooring, relocation services, architectural solutions
Carolina Business Equipment 9481 Industrial Center Drive Ladson, SC 29456
843-266-0930 www.cbesc.com sales@cbesc.com
Aaron Thompson, Wayne Pettzold, Bob Thompson 1975
15 1
Kyocera, Toshiba Sharp, Oki and Epson dealer
Y Statewide
5 locations throughout S.C., N.C. and growing; managed network, managed print and office equipment specialists
COECO Office Systems Inc. 3300 W. Montague Ave., Suite 101 North Charleston, SC 29418
843-972-1730 www.coeco.com info-chs@coeco.com
Matt Graham, Irby Robbins, Bryan Christopher 1921
15 1
Kyocera, Canon, Xerox
Y Nationwide
Printers, copiers, scanners, fax, document management systems, networking services
CBI Workplace Solutions 526 King St., Suite B Charleston, SC 29403
843-414-4232 www.cbi-nc.com lawson.still@cbi-sc.com
Kerby J. Teller, Lawson V. Still 1993
10 1
Knoll, DIRTT, Muuto, OFS, Krug, Enwork, Nucraft, three h, Allermuir, Bernhardt, Andreu World, Hightower, KI, Workrite, and other major brands
Y Nationwide
Interior solutions provider; workplace strategy and furniture solutions; throughout the Southeast
Business Systems of SC 7276 Peppermill Parkway North Charleston, SC 29418
843-552-7211 www.bsosc.com elcox@bsosc.com
Edward L. Cox III 1970
8 1
Open plan, datum, borroughs
Y Statewide
Provide office furniture and equipment throughout S.C.
Office Furniture Source 1599 Sam Rittenberg Blvd. Charleston, SC 29407
843-207-4908 charlestonofficefurniture.com robert.roe@charlestonofficefurniture.com
Robert J Roe 1992
6 1
Office Source, DMI, Flexsteel, Herman Miller, Flash, Eurotech, Cherryman, Safco, Mayline
Y Local and more
Retail sale of office furniture, desks, chairs, files, cubicles
Charlestowne Digital 1692 Old Towne Road Charleston, SC 29407
843-769-5440 www.charlestownedigital.com sales@charlestownedigital.com
Art L. Beane III 1999
5 1
Copystar, Kyocera
Y Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Beaufort and Colleton counties
Leasing, sales and service of document imaging systems and multifunction printers; manged IT services and document workflow solutions from Kyocera
Wilcox Office Mart 3255 Fortune Drive North Charleston, SC 29418
843-725-6082 www.wilcoxofcharleston.com sales@wilcoxofcharleston.com
Mike McCraw 2009
5 1
Cherryman, Office Source, Via Seating, AIS Systems Furniture
Y Statewide
Office Furniture, new and used; space planning, interior design, delivery and installation
Palmetto Business Systems 334 East Bay St. Charleston, SC 29401
843-577-2883 www.palmetto.biz pbsinfo@att.net
Frank G. Cain 1987
3 1
BIC, Hanes, Adams
Y Nationwide
Printing, logo, promotional products, embroidered, screen printing, corporate apparel, machines, supplies, furniture, advertising, marketing services
Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. View the full list online at www.scbiznews.com/buybusiness-lists. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, errors sometimes occur. Email additions or corrections to lists@scbiznews.com.
Delivery? Range?
Products / Services Offered
Researched by Business Journal staff
18
IN FOCUS: HUMAN RESOURCES
www.charlestonbusiness.com
June 1 - 14, 2020
Employee Benefits Brokers Ranked by No. of Employee Benefits Agents in the Charleston Area
Company
Phone / Website / Email
Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded
Benefits Agents / Total Agents
David M. Gilston Insurance Agency 15 Gamecock Ave., Suite A Charleston, SC 29407
843-571-1155 www.dgilston.com mensminger@dgilston.com
Melanie J. Ensminger, Thomas Swayne 1962
25 40
Individual, group, senior (Medicare) and ancillary medical insurance
Hibbits Insurance Inc. 835 Coleman Blvd., Suite 101 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-508-8210 www.hibbitsinsurance.com jack@hibbitsins.com
Jack Hibbits 1971
17 17
Group and individual health, life, disability, dental, vision and Medicare insurance
HUB International Charleston 4401 Leeds Ave. North Charleston, SC 29405
843-529-5470 www.hubinternational.com -
Stephanie Herron, Henry Haitz 1983
17 300
Commercial, personal and employee benefits insurance, and risk management services
Brown & Brown of South Carolina 7515 Northside Drive North Charleston, SC 29420
843-266-4592 www.cbbins.com dmcelveen@cbbins.com
Todd Tyler, Starla Grimes 1939
10 59
Health plans, group and individual life, supplemental, short and long term disability, Affordable Care Act compliant, property and casualty, workers' compensation, general liability, personal lines, home, auto bonds
NFP 1859 Summerville Ave., Suite 600 Charleston, SC 29405
843-972-5414 www.nfp.com -
John "Trey" L. McLaughlin III 2007
10 15
Employee benefits, retirement and commercial insurance
Southern Benefits LLC 990 Lake Hunter Drive, Suite 201 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-881-7636 www.southern-benefits.com -
Dave Kay 2005
5 5
Large and small group employee benefit plans
Benefit Concepts 1180 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., Suite 100 Charleston, SC 29407
843-763-7718 www.bcicharleston.com info@bcicharleston.com
Sara N. DeBiasi, Caroline J. Battey, Christie Fulkerson 1989
4 5
Small business health plans, employee benefit consulting, benefit administration portal, HR support, personal and family health plans, marketplace based coverage, Medicare related health and drug plan guidance, health insurance education
KSA Insurance 1819 Meeting St. Charleston, SC 29405
843-408-4232 www.ksa-insurance.com info@ksa-insurance.com
John Foreman, Randall Epps 2010
4 20
Full service independent agency, employee benefits, ancillary coverage, personal and commercial property, and casualty
C.T. Lowndes & Co. 749 St. Andrews Blvd. Charleston, SC 29407
843-513-1719 www.ctlowndes.com bsilcox@ctlowndes.com
Carl Morrison Allen III, Rawlins Lowndes, Ian Philpot 1850
3 20
Property and casualty, life, health, employee benefits
Beckham Insurance Group 741 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Suite 200 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-766-3393 www.beckhaminsurancegroup.com marshall@beckhaminsurancegroup.com
C. Marshall Beckham III 2009
2 2
Employee benefits and health insurance
M&A Prime Benefits LLC 709 Gamecock Ave. Charleston, SC 29407
843-556-2594 www.mackeyonline.com jason@mackeyonline.com
Jason Mackey 1989
2 2
Small to medium size group employee benefits
The O'Laughlin Agency Inc. 5401 Netherby Lane North Chalreston, SC 29420
843-767-4022 www.olaughlinagency.com george@olaughlinagency.com
George O'Laughlin 2001
2 2
Group employee benefit sales and consultation
USI Insurance Services LLC 235 Magrath Darby Blvd., Suite 325 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-364-1660 www.usi.com corbin.wimberly@usi.com
Robb Imbus 1869
2 7
Underwriting and analytics, HR services, population health, compliance and health care reform, health care cost management, pharmacy benefit consulting, ancillary benefit consulting, benchmarking
Workplace Benefits 901 Island Park Drive, Suite 205 Daniel Island, SC 29492
843-856-3757 www.benefitwork.com reese@benefitwork.com
Reese McFaddin Gately 2005
2 2
Benefits plan for individual or corporate
Benefit Advisors of Charleston LLC 2 Lorne Court Charleston, SC 29414
843-412-2583 www.benefitadvisorsofcharleston.com tom@benefitadvisorsofcharleston.com
Thomas DiLiegro 2011
1 1
Group medical planning, account-based dental and vision, voluntary enhanced benefits, medical reimbursement, Medicare supplements
Conover Consulting 323 Witch Hazel St. Summerville, SC 29486
843-800-8190 www.reevewillknow.com -
Reeve Conover 1990
1 1
Corporate benefits, innovative medical plan design, 401(k) design and compliance
The Ellis Benefits Co. 561 Commonwealth Road Mount Pleasant, SC 29466
843-856-1430 www.theellisco.com dean@theellisco.com
Dean Ellis 2003
1 1
Employee benefits, health insurance, life insurance, STD, LTD, Dental, online enrollment
Hines Wealth Management LLC 125 Wappoo Creek Drive, Bldg. E, Suite 101A Charleston, SC 29412
888-674-6777 www.hineswealthmanagement.com info@hineswealth.com
Eugene H. Hines 2011
1 1
Group health, disability, vision, life insurance, key person individual life insurance, business buy-sell programs, 401(k) and employee education, SEP and simple IRA plans
Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. View the full list online at www.scbiznews.com/buybusiness-lists. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, errors sometimes occur. Email additions or corrections to lists@scbiznews.com.
Specialization
Researched by Business Journal staff
At Work
BUSINESS DIGEST | PEOPLE IN THE NEWS | HOT PROPERTIES | PEER TO PEER
People in the News
Business Digest
SeamonWhiteside team takes part in heart walk SeamonWhiteside recently participated in its third Lowcountry Heart Walk benefiting the American Heart Association. The company raised $9,785, making the event the most successful Lowcountry Heart Walk to date, bringing its total fundraising efforts to $36,785 over the last four years.
Heritage Trust becomes REV Federal Credit Union
Heritage Trust will transition to REV Federal Credit Union as part of a rebranding initiative that began in 2019. As part of its new strategic vision, the credit union will also deliver better rates on loans and deposits and enhancements to products and services for existing and future members. As a result of this shift, the company will close its Joint Base Charleston and Oakbrook branch locations and expand with a new branch in the West Edge development.
families, teens and children via live stream. During the session, a Think Boxing trained coach will lead classes through a warm-up, physical technique and exercises in breathing and mindfulness. Home boxing equipment is not required.
Adams Property Group brings Starbucks to Bees Ferry area
Adams Property Group has begun construction on a Class A retail development in West Ashley, with expected completion in the fourth quarter 2020. The 8,000-square-foot building will be anchored by Starbucks Coffee and is situated on Grand Oaks Boulevard, across from the newly completed Harris Teeter. Luxia Nails will also be a tenant in this project.
Think Boxing takes classes virtual, nationwide during COVID-19
Think Boxing is offering individual sessions and group classes for adults,
Association for the Blind in S.C. starts virtual vision rehab training
The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired South Carolina has added virtual vision rehabilitation training for adults who are blind or visually impaired.
Curriculum includes activities of daily living, assistive technology, braille and computer training.
CSU creates COVID-19 student emergency care fund
Charleston Southern University has established a COVID-19 Student Emergency Care Fund. This fund will be used for students who demonstrate financial need for food, housing, medicine, travel, education-related expenses, including scholarship support, and other needs the Student Care Committee deems appropriate. Personnel from student life, spiritual life and development departments make up the Student Care Committee and will evaluate all needs.
Lowcountry Food Bank earns national recertification
The Lowcountry Food Bank has passed food safety inspections by the American Institute of Baking International at all three of its regional distribution centers in Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Yemassee. The certification audit offers an unbiased assessment by accredited, independent experts and measures operational practices, food safety maintenance, cleaning practices, pest management and food safety monitoring programs. The Lowcountry Food Bank helps fight hunger throughout the Charleston region by providing avenues for giving and food distribution. See BUSINESS DIGEST, Page 20
REAL ESTATE The Cassina Group has hired Chris Eller and Mary Beth Wichlei as real estate agents. Both Eller and Wichlei have experience working with buyEller ers, sellers, builders and commercial clients. Eller previously served as broker-in-charge for his own real estate company. He has been in the real estate field for more than 17 years. In Wichlei addition to having his broker’s license, he also has his builder’s license, as well as several designations, including CRS, CSP, ePro and GREEN. Wichlei has more than 16 years of experience in the industry. She most recently worked in commercial real estate in Florida, where she focused on acquisitions and dispositions. CBRE has announced its 2019 top producers in South Carolina. Among the list from the Charleston office are Joyce Beach, retail services; Bob Barrineau, industrial and logistics services; and Charlie Carmody, office services. Daniel Island Real Estate has hired Jane Harper Dollason as a sales associate. The firm also announced its 2019 award recipients. Winners Dollason included Meryl Cromarty and Edie Coupe for the Top Producing Team Award, Resale Home Sales Team Award, and Million Dollar Plus Award; Meg Latour for the Top Producer Award; Brian Connolly for the Resale Home Sales Award; Carey and Sean Tipple for the New Home Sales Team Award; Rick Horger for the New Home Sales Award; Sandy Hall for the Off Island Sales Award and Most Improved Award; and Sally Castengera and Sharon Cassidy for the Highest Priced Transaction Award. See PEOPLE, Page 22
20
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June 1 - 14, 2020
Business Digest BUSINESS DIGEST, from Page 19
LS3P joins 1+ organization for pro bono design
Food trucks set up at Foxbank center in Moncks Corner 4 days each week
A variety of food trucks will be available at Foxbank Towne Center in Moncks Corner on Thursdays through Sundays. The dining outpost is the creation of Twin Rivers Capital, the developer of the center, in cooperation with Wonder Trucks in an effort to help both small businesses and members of the Foxbank and surrounding communities. HJB Construction volunteered to set up an area where the trucks can park and patrons have room for social distancing while ordering.
Palmetto Goodwill launches virtual career center for unemployed
Palmetto Goodwill has created a virtual call center. Career navigators are positioned to chat and assist with job placements, online career credentialing and training resources for both individuals and businesses. Employment-seeking individuals can receive information on companies hiring, free online courses for career advancement and live support from career navigators. Businesses are also encouraged to participate in its programs designed to bring back laid-off workers, as well as connect with prospective employees. The call center is currently operating 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
PHOOZY donates protective device capsules to MUSC
Phoozy, maker of protective capsules for phones, tablets and laptops, is donating more than $25,000 in products to health care workers and first responders across the nation, including the Medical University of South Carolina. The capsules will offer doctors and nurses protection for their devices by reducing exposure and keeping them cleaner and safer in the environments where they work. For every online purchase, the company will also donate an Apollo Series Thermal Capsule to doctors, nurses and other hospital staffers, as well as police, fire and medic teams in communities across the nation.
College of Charleston opens virtual career center
The College of Charleston’s Career Center is now fully online, offering a variety of virtual career services to help students with career counseling, resume writing, internship and job searches, and more. Career Center staff members are available via email, phone or Zoom to support students, review documents and answer any career-related questions. The center has also extended its hours on Wednesdays to include evening drop-ins from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to better assist students after hours. The evening appointment hours will run through the end of May. The center will evaluate whether to continue those extended hours into June if there is a demand from students. The center is also regularly hosting webinars, video presentations and Zoom events to help students in their job and internship searches.
LS3P has joined 1+, a network of designers dedicating a minimum of 1% of working hours to pro bono work. LS3P’s pro bono work over several decades has benefitted a broad range of community partners, but joining the 1+ network allows the firm to formalize its commitment to community engagement through design and to track long-term impacts.
Raines Hospitality partners to send meals to health care workers
Santee Cooper honored with national award for safety practices
Firefly Distillery produces hand sanitizer to meet Charleston demand
Firefly Distillery has started producing hand sanitizer to help meet the demand in the Charleston community. Firefly is producing 180 cases with each run. Half-gallons are available for purchase for $25 at the distillery while supplies last. Sales are first come, first serve and limited to one bottle per person. Hospitals, state departments, military and other institutions were the first to receive Firefly’s hand sanitizer through its office supply distribution partner, FSI. Alcohol production continues in shifts, with extra hours added in to produce hand sanitizer.
ic loan application portal. United is continuing to accept interest forms at ucbi.com/cares in the event additional funding is allocated by the federal government. Additionally, other temporary programs established by the Cares Act and provided by the SBA can be found at www.sba.gov/funding-programs/l
Santee Cooper earned the American Public Power Association’s Safety Award of Excellence for safe operating practices in 2019. The utility earned first place in the category for utilities with 1 million to 3,999,999 worker-hours of annual worker exposure. More than 335 utilities entered the annual Safety Awards, which is the highest number of entrants in the history of the program. Entrants were placed in categories according to their number of worker-hours and ranked based on the most incident-free records during 2019. The incidence rate, used to judge entries, is based on the number of work-related reportable injuries or illnesses and the number of worker-hours during 2019, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
United Community Bank reserves $960M for small-business customers
United Community Bank has processed 6,918 applications through the Paycheck Protection Program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, reserving more than $960 million for small-business applicants. The bank mobilized its existing Small Business Administration lending team and hundreds of additional bankers to expedite application processing, and it developed and continues to refine a new, electron-
Raines Hospitality partnered with Feeding Our Heroes S.C. to distribute more than 110 meals to health care workers at Trident Health Medical Center and Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital. Port City Paper also donated a case of to-go Styrofoam containers and cutlery kits. Jacob Billings, the area food and beverage manager for Cambria Summerville and Mount Pleasant, proposed the idea for meal distribution after conducting inventory of multiple items no longer able to go towards their intended purpose. Multiple Cambria staff, including the general manager of Cambria Summerville, Ayanna Little, the senior sales manager of Summerville and Mount Pleasant, Bridget Bowis, the area senior director of sales and marketing, Kate Neville, and the area food and beverage director, Justin Moss, worked diligently to cook and plate meals, and to aid in the delivery to both health care locations.
Obviouslee launches project for pro bono marketing assistance
Obviouslee will provide $8,000 in pro bono design services via its Fresh Prints Project to one company in need of creative support. One company who applied will be selected and partnered with to creatively amplify their message.
APC-R connects to CoreLogic’s Clareity and 1.8 million agents
APC Data Analytics LLC has announced its APC Residential Pricing and Analytics Tool is now fully integrated within CoreLogic’s Clareity Single Sign On platform. The tool now has seamless access to hundreds of MLSs and all the MLS vendor software and system platforms that use Clareity, about 1.8 million agents of the total of 2 million agents in the U.S.oans/coronavirus-relief-options.
June 1 - 14, 2020
www.charlestonbusiness.com 21
Hot Properties The following commercial real estate transactions were recently completed in the Charleston area. For weekly updates on commercial deals, see the Hot Properties feature every Monday in the Daily Journal email or online at www.charlestonbusiness.com. To submit items for the feature, send email to dailyjournal@scbiznews.com. Chris Dion and Tim Metzler of Belk Lucy represented the landlord in the lease of 2,889 square feet of retail space at 334 East Bay St. in Charleston to Spectrum Paint. Todd Garrett, Tradd Varner and Daniel McClam of Avison Young – South Carolina Inc. represented the landlord, J.M. Montgomery Properties Inc., in the lease of 9,000 square feet of industrial space at 9561 William Aiken Drive in Ladson to Network Cabling Infrastructures Inc.
Blair Belk and Trey Lucy of Belk Lucy represented the tenant, Image Studios 360, in the lease of 6,415 square feet of retail space in Suite 1102 at 1421 Shucker Circle in Mount Pleasant. James A. Dingle of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the buyer in the sale of convenience store space at 5154 N. Rhett Ave. in North Charleston for $200,000. Benjy Cooke of Oswald Cooke & Associates represented the seller. Jenna S. Philipp of Palmetto Commercial Properties represented the landlord, Commercial Rental Solutions LLC, in the lease of 942 square feet of retail space at 1301 Ashley River Road in Charleston to Luxe Lends LLC. Chase Limehouse of Palmetto Commercial Properties represented the tenant. Jenna S. Philipp of Palmetto Commercial Properties represented the landlord, Commercial Rental Solutions LLC, in the lease of 1,000 square feet of office space at 1301 Ashley River Road in Charleston to M.E.S. Travel & Junkets. Bob Evans of Caldwell Commercial Real Estate Services represented the tenant.
Vitré Ravenel Stephens of Avison Young – South Carolina Inc. represented the landlord, Fifty-Two Associates, in the lease of 2,750 square feet of retail space in Suites B&C at 8410 Rivers Ave. in North Charleston to Mulligan’s of Charleston Inc.
Charlie Moore and Dunston Powell of Carolina Commercial LLC represented the seller, Seabreeze Development of Charleston LLC, and the buyer, Town Creek Investors LLC, in the sale of space in the Seabreeze Marina & Office Building at 49 Immigration St. in Charleston.
Todd Garrett, Tradd Varner and Daniel McClam of Avison Young – South Carolina Inc. represented the landlord, Pepperdam Industrial LLC, in the lease of 2,000 square feet of flex space in Unit 101 at 3260 Industry Drive in North Charleston to Adam Covella.
Boris Van Dyke of The Peninsula Co. represented the buyer, NP Now, in the purchase of office space at 1860 Wallace School Road in Charleston.
Daniel McClam, Todd Garrett and Tradd Varner of Avison Young – South Carolina Inc. represented the tenant, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives LLC, in the lease of 1,500 square feet of industrial space at 4365 Dorchester Road in North Charleston from 4365 Dorchester LLC. Daniel McClam, Todd Garrett and Tradd Varner of Avison Young – South Carolina Inc. represented the tenant, SafeRide Transport Inc., in the lease of 1,500 square feet of industrial space at 7273-A Cross Park Drive in North Charleston from Fulmer LLC.
Amy Bolan of Re/Max FullSail Commercial Division represented the tenant, Tidelands Management, dba Twisted Cypress Brewery, in the lease of 7,000 square feet of retail space at 4155 Dorchester Road in North Charleston.
Caine Halter of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the tenant, Legacy Cabinet Co., in the lease of 14,400 square feet of industrial space at 4740 Rivers Ave. North Charleston from 4740 Rivers Ave. LLC. Drayton Calmes of Norvell Real Estate Group represented the landlord. Kip Bowman of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the buyer and the seller in the purchase of 4.3 acres of vacant land at 2343 Ashley River Road in Charleston for $275,000. Brent Case and Hannah Kamba of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the tenant, Fire Asian Grill LLC, in the lease of 1,889 square feet of restaurant space in Suite 300 at 3871 West Ashley Circle in Charleston. Vitré Stephens and David Mantek of Avison Young represented the landlord. Brent Case of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the tenant, Cobb, Dill & Hammett LLC, in the lease of 1,470 square feet of office space in Unit B at 227 S. Cedar St. in Summerville. Robert Pratt of Re/Max Pro Realty represented the landlord.
Mandy Coleman of National Restaurant Properties represented the tenant, Piranha Poke LLC, in the lease of 1,350 square feet of retail space in Unit B at 835 Savannah Highway in Charleston from 835 Savannah Hwy LLC. Andrew Smith of Twin Rivers Capital LLC represented the landlord.
James A. Dingle of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the buyer and the seller in the sale of 2,800 square feet of mixeduse space at 84 Spring St. in Charleston for $920,000 Brent Case and Hannah Kamba of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the tenant, Alvin Ord’s Sandwich Shop, in the lease of 1,300 square feet of restaurant space at 2875 Ashley River Road in Charleston. Cori Nuttall of Lee & Associates Charleston represented the landlord. Marlena Franklin of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the buyer, Pope Investment Properties, in the purchase of 2,730 square feet of office space at 406 & 408 N. Gum St. in Summerville for $450,000. Darrin Hutchison of Carolina One represented the seller. Mark Erickson of Colliers International South Carolina represented the tenant, Kiewit Infrastructure South Co., in the lease of 5,687 square feet of office space at 2456 Remount Road in North Charleston from Elizabeth Turner.
Robert L. Pratt of Re/Max Pro Realty represented the landlord, Seventeen A Associates LLC, in the lease of 4,500 square feet of warehouse space in Suite A1 at 1907 Varner St. in Summerville to Stonehouse Countertops LLC. Welles Worthen of NAI Charleston represented the tenant. Robert L. Pratt of Re/Max Pro Realty represented the landlord, P.R. Properties of Summerville LLC, in the lease of office space in Suite F2B at 9229 University Blvd. in North Charleston to Charleston Psychiatry LLC. Caine Halter of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the tenant, Sas-E Ink Paper & Press, in the lease of 1,675 square feet of retail space at 7 Radcliffe St. in Charleston from King Street Developers LLC. Mark Lane and Austin Stroud of Lane Properties of Charleston LLC represented the landlord.
Robert Pratt of Re/Max Pro Realty represented the landlord, One Ninety-Nine Associates LLC, in the lease of retail space in Suite 201 at 606 Old Trolley Road in Summerville to J&J’s Barber Shop. Ken Koos of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the seller, 1860 Wallace School Rd. LLC, in the sale of 2,650 square feet of office space at 1860 Wallace School Road in Charleston for $410,000. Boris Van Dyck of The Peninsula Co. represented the buyer.
Edward Oswald and Benjy Cooke of Oswald Cooke & Associates represented the seller, Oswald Cooke & Associates, in the sale of 1.6 acres of flex space at 2057 Wambaw Creek Road in Charleston to D.R. Horton Inc. for $405,000.
Pete Harper, Reid Davis and Cameron Yost of Lee & Associates Charleston represented the landlord, Atrium Northwoods LLC, in the lease of 3,070 square feet of office space at 7301 Rivers Ave. in North Charleston to First Command Financial Services.
Marlena Franklin of Coldwell Banker Commercial Atlantic represented the seller, Morris Construction of SC LLC, in the sale of 2.03 acres of land at 0 Greyback Road in Summerville for $113,750. Gilbert Bradham Jr. of Palmetto Commercial Properties represented the buyer.
22
www.charlestonbusiness.com
June 1 - 14, 2020
People in the News PEOPLE, from Page 19
Target your market in an upcoming issue of the Charleston Regional Business Journal
JUNE 15
ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION (AEC) List: Home Builders Special Section: Growth Report: Manufacturing
Advertising Deadline: June 1 JUNE 29
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
List: Largest Employers Bonus List: Business Communications Companies
Advertising Deadline: June 15 JULY 13
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
List: Commercial Real Estate Companies Bonus List: Independent Insurance Cos.
Advertising Deadline: June 29 JULY 27
FINANCIAL SERVICES List: Credit Unions Bonus List: Accounting Firms
Advertising Deadline: July 13
For advertising information, call Grady Johnson at (843) 849-3103
Joe Durkin of Colliers International represented a buyer in the investment sale of a Caliber Collision located at 1100 Greythorne Drive in the Carolina Durkin Park Development. The 14,660-squarefoot building was previously owned by MP Carolina Park LLC and sold for $5,300,000. Durkin is a brokerage associate specializing in the sale of invest properties. Mark Mizell of Birchin Lane Realty Advisors has been named as one of the top 10% of producing commercial real estate agents in 2019, as recognized by the Mizell Charleston Trident Association of Realtors. He was awarded the Realtor of Distinction Commercial Circle Award for the sixth consecutive year. Mizell joined Birchin Lane Realty Advisors in 2015 as a principal and broker. He specializes in development brokerage, including entitlement, value add and vertical development projects. He has experience in site selection, permitting, stabilization and disposition for various asset classes, including office, retail, single and multifamily residential developments. Buxton & Collie LLC has hired Lenord D. Mitchum has as an associate, focused primarily on real estate transactions. Previously, Mitchum practiced in the Charleston area, serving clients on various residential and commercial transactions. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from the College of Charleston, and a law degree from the Charleston School of Law. Casey Lowery of Adams Property Group was recognized in the list of South Carolina winners for CoStar Group’s Power Brokers Quarterly Deals Lowery during the first quarter of 2020. Winners are determined by the top reported deals every quarter, based on price and square footage. Lowery has more than 20 years of retail experience in the Southeast. She is the director of leasing and broker-incharge for Adams Property Group and specializes in retail leasing and landlord representation. She has leased and man-
ages 400,000 square feet of retail space and represents a limited roster of retailers in their site selection and lease negotiations.
NONPROFIT The Charleston Apartment Association recognized the following 2020 Diamond Award Winners: Leasing Professional of the Year, Ashley Barber, The Apartments at Shade Tree; Maintenance Technician of the Year, Catherine Kratz, Simmons Park; Assistant Manager of the Year, Denise Elliott, Plantation Oaks; Maintenance Supervisor of the Year, Ryan Ferguson, Quarterdeck at James Island; Manager of the Year, Michelle Lorick, Plantation Oaks; Vendor of the Year, Robert Knight, Pivotal Restoration; Marketing Professional of the Year, Sarah Fitzgerald, Greystar; Regional Manager of the Year, Michael Silky, Greystar; Groundskeeper of the Year, Thomas Shrum, Atlantic at Grand Oaks; Board of Directors Member of the Year, Joey Ingham, Apartments.com; Board of Directors Associate Member of the Year, Michael Bell, Loebsack and Brownlee; and Board of Directors Direct Member of the Year, Danielle King, Elan Midtown. Participants in the 2020 Leadership Experience through Active Development program were also recognized: Christian Ensminger, Vandelay Waste Valet; Patty Aitken, BG Multifamily; Ross Hartill, Zen Dog Spa and Suzy Spell, North Bluff Apartments. Blackbaud founder Tony Bakker, his wife, Linda Bakker, and their two children, James Bakker and Katy Bakker McKee, pledged to match donations of up to $500,000 to the COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund of Coastal Community Foundation through April 20. All funds will go directly to the nonprofits working on providing medical care, food access and financial support to those most impacted in coastal South Carolina. Michael and Pam Wilson have provided a dollar-for-dollar match up to $150,000 for every donation made toward the Lowcountry Food Bank’s COVID-19 food relief. The donation will be used to purchase and distribute relief boxes of fresh produce and shelf-stable goods designed to provide each family with one week’s worth of food. Michael Wilson previously served as the president, CEO and director of Ingevity Corporation. He has also served on the board of directors of the Trident United Way and the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. Pam Wilson currently serves on the board of the S.C. Aquarium and on the environmental committee for the Town of Kiawah. She is a certified S.C. Master Naturalist and a volunteer for Reading Partners.
Viewpoint Supply chains, e-commerce essential during COVID-19 crisis VIEWS, PERSPECTIVES AND READERS’ LETTERS
O
ver the past two months, there has been lots of discussion about which businesses and workers are essential. Health care workers, first responders, and countless others on the front lines are essential, and they are heroes. A linens manufacturer may not be essential until it begins manufacturing protective masks and clothing for health care MIMI workers. My online STRIPLIN jewelry business and Charleston novelty store are definitely not essential, but they mean a great deal to me and the local craft makers with whom I work. Thankfully, during the pandemic, both of my businesses are still open, online. This is possible only because the power of e-commerce connects me to customers all over the country, and the extraordinary global supply chain ensures we have the materials we need and can ship the products our customers want. Without these tools and services, my
businesses and millions more would likely be out of business, putting more people out of work and putting our economy into deeper trouble. I have been a small-business owner for four years. I started selling handmade jewelry on Etsy. Using Instagram and email marketing tools, I was able to build a following and a brand. Eventually, I created an independent online store and then grew my side business into a fulltime opportunity. It was exciting, and I was inspired to do more by working with other talented craftspeople who live nearby. So, in 2017, I joined forces with a business partner and opened a store downtown selling locally made products and balloons. I love helping local artists and artisans build their brands and businesses and make money doing what they enjoy. Our gift shop was a near-immediate success, but the COVID-19 shutdown could have crushed us. We made the move online quickly, leveraging sites like Shopify and tools like Square to create a digital store. I should have done this sooner, but nothing motivates like desperation. We’ve doubled down on virtual sales, Instagram, and email marketing and are thankful we’ve been able to main-
tain somewhat steady support from our customers. Unfortunately, the pandemic has done more than close our stores and shops to customers. It has also disrupted the supply chains we largely took for granted just two months ago. Many of our suppliers had shut down, and others had lengthy shipping delays or could not guarantee when products would arrive. Understandably, some suppliers were prioritizing their biggest customers. Still, both the craft and jewelry business need bubble wrap and mailers to ship products to customers, and many of our regular suppliers were no longer reliable. Thankfully, we were able to source new products from new suppliers. We found jewelry production supplies and shipping materials on Amazon, and more and more of our essential supplies are now coming from Amazon. Ultimately, we were able to shift all of our suppliers fast enough to keep both businesses running. And thanks to the U.S. Postal Service, we can still get customers the products they purchase. Selling online is helping keep us afloat. We’re not doing the kind of sales we were when the store was open, but business is better than expected, and we are excit-
ed about our prospects for when things return to normal. We have no idea how long the official pandemic will last, or how much longer it will be until tourists feel safe to travel and return to Charleston. Even after reopening, we will have to limit how many people are in the store, so our online presence will be extremely important for many months. While the pandemic has closed millions of businesses and destroyed tens of millions of jobs, it seems like a mistake to have our federal and state governments attacking the digital platforms and business services that help many businesses survive. Facebook, Google and Amazon are very large and should be scrutinized, but they provide critical services and extraordinary value to my business and so many more. It is also essential that policymakers appreciate small-business supply chain partners, as I have learned. If we cannot get supplies or ship products, we will never survive the next few months, so we need to do everything possible to keep shippers, truckers and warehouse workers healthy and productive. Mimi Striplin is the Founder of The Tiny Tassel in Charleston.
How to effectively manage employees through a time of crisis
A
s we try to navigate through this COVID-19 pandemic, we probably don’t feel a lot of equilibrium right now. In a crisis, we experience sudden uncertainty, and we may feel a lack of control. By finding the balance between your internal needs and your organizational JEAN MEEKS demands, you can KOCH effectively manage your employees, and yourself, through any crisis. I’ll set out an effective crisis communication process and essential tips for managing employees when things are upside down in the outside world. By incorporating these tips, you help to create a calmer, and therefore more productive, workforce and workplace, even at a distance. First, business leaders should approach employees in crisis with a clear and cohe-
sive communication plan and process. Identify and articulate the “why” of your communication, especially when you’re conveying organizational changes and new procedures. Recognize that your role as a leader is to develop strength and resiliency, both within yourself and within your organization. Next, determine the “how” behind a change or new process. This includes communication timing, who’s in the lead, and who’s managing the communications. Then clearly identify the next steps for implementation. Decide on “what” information your employees should know, as well as consider who should know what information. Following this communication planning framework will lower anxiety for you and your employees. Second, stay grounded in your organizational anchors, such as core values, mission, and business goals. Anchor your team, focusing on short-term goals engaged in reaching realistic and attainable goals. Try using “sprint meetings,” which are short, frequent, consistent meetings
to check in on how work is progressing, identify unexpected challenges, and celebrate successful outcomes. Third, review and consider adapting your approach to productivity and performance. In times of crisis, remember that your employees are also under intense stress. Tap into your emotional intelligence and encourage employees to find new opportunities, pathways, and settings in which to learn. By being clear on performance expectations during a crisis, you allow employees to focus on a defined outcome and thereby ensure the achievement of organizational goals. Keep in mind that it’s entirely possible to manage employees in crisis while building your organization’s agility and opportunities for growth. Leaders can and should be a beacon of resilience. It’s wise to recognize what’s happening in your reality and be aware that another’s reality may be very different. It’s also important that every leader engage in self-compassion and self-care techniques, so the reflection of your strength and resilience as a leader will
spread among your team. When businesses experience sudden uncertainty and feel a lack of control, we as leaders are in the driver’s seat and charged with effectively managing employees by balancing stakeholder and organizational demands. Just as we’re reminded before takeoff to put the mask on ourselves before assisting others, we must do the same now. We don’t know how long this pandemic crisis will last, but while we’re here, we must demonstrate that we’re resilient, agile leaders, fully capable of leading through choppy waters. Jean Meeks Koch is the CEO and founder of Positively People, where she channels numerous areas of expertise into her work guiding organizations through change. Jean is recognized as an expert in organizational structure and behavioral dynamics. She has helped clients grapple with large-scale change, organizational restructuring, leadership and team development, executive coaching, psychometric personality and competency assessments, and more. More information is available at www. positivelypeople.com or 843-800-5332.
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CHARLESTON’S FIRST AND ONLY
Allison Ramsey Homes representative of the homes at The Settlement
TA K I NG T I M E TO DO THINGS RIGHT
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