Charleston Regional Business Journal - June 13, 2022

EX-SECRET SERVICE AGENT JOINS FIRM

PAGE36 VOLUME 28 NUMBER 10 ■ CHARLESTONBUSINESS.COM

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HISTORY IN THE MAKING IAAM to open doors next January

Bon voyage

Carnival Cruise Lines bidding Charleston adieu.

Page 4

MIXing it up

New event venue planned for Charleston area.

Page 7

Growing portfolio Investment firm aquires Charleston hotel.

Page 9

Charleston Under Construction

The International African American Museum, located at the site of Gadsden’s Wharf in downtown Charleston, will welcome its first visitors on Jan. 21, 2023. Plans for the museum, which will focus on the impact of slavery in the Americas and the achievements of slaves and their descendants, were first discussed publicly in 2000. (Photo/Ellis Creek Photography)

New Lowcountry projects Page 26

INSIDE

Upfront................................. 2 SC Biz News Briefs................. 3 In Focus: Architecture, Engineering and Construction...................... 20 Charleston Under Construction.......................26 List: Homebuilders..............34 At Work.............................. 36 Viewpoint............................39

By Melinda Waldrop

A

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

fter years of planning and anticipation, the International African American Museum will welcome its first visitors on Jan. 21, 2023.

The museum is located at the site of Gadsden’s Wharf in downtown Charleston, where many slaves disembarked from Africa. Its focus will be the cultural, social and economic impact of slavery in the Americas and the diverse journeys and achievements of slaves and their descendants.

The museum features nearly 150,000 square feet of exhibition, learning and interpretive space and includes nine themed galleries rang-

ing from African origins to African American economic, creative and social contributions to American history. The museum also includes this African Ancestors Memorial Garden, conceived by landscape architect Walter Hood, which includes art installations, plants and an infinity reflection pool.

“I am proud to have worked with our incredible team to get this museum to opening day,” Tonya Matthews, president and CEO of the International African American Museum, said in a June 1 news release announcing the opening date.

“This museum will be a must-see space of courageous curiosity and authentic engagement with our nation’s history — with African American history.

Diversity awards

SC Biz News honors community leaders with its inaugural Lowcountry Diversity Leadership awards Page 13

“Committed reckoning with history is a necessary stop on the road to healing and reconciliation. Charleston is a port city, a global city, a historic city — and there is no better place for our museum to steward these stories that have such national and international significance and impact.”

The museum was first publicly announced

by Joseph P. Riley Jr., former mayor of Charleston, during his state of the city address in 2000.

“Our journey has been long because it took time to secure the optimal site,” Riley said in the release.

“A site that is called ‘sacred’ because it is precisely where so many enslaved Africans See IAAM, Page 22

Upfront

BRIEFS | FACTS | STATEWIDE NEWS | BEST ADVICE

C

herokee County is the best place in the state to be a small business owner, according to an analysis by Smart Asset using data from the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey and other government information. The study measured three factors: the proportion of people in a county with small business income, the reported business income and the amount of tax a potential resident must pay on income. With small business income amounting to nearly 15.5% of all income in the county, Cherokee County came out on top with an index score of 58.4. No. 2 Berkeley County trailed at 52.18. The percentage of small business income (2.27%) seemed to be the biggest factor in putting Williamsburg County last in the state.

Rank Country, State

Small Business Small Business Returns Income

Income Taxes

Small Business Index index

1

Cherokee, SC

28.85%

15.45%

$9,294

58.40

2

Berkeley, SC

30.22%

10.53%

$9,294

52.18

3

Greenville, SC

26.56%

11.35%

$9,294

49.80

4

Greenwood, SC

24.66%

8.51%

$9,294

43.55

5

Jasper, SC

22.07%

9.99%

$9,294

43.26

6

Kershaw, SC

25.87%

6.03%

$9,294

40.93

7

Saluda, SC

21.74%

8.67%

$9,294

40.89

8

Abbeville, SC

21.94%

8.41%

$9,294

40.69

9

Charleston, SC

20.16%

9.12%

$9,294

40.02

10

McCormick, SC

21.43%

7.56%

$9,294

38.89

SC

23.43%

6.91%

$9,294

Source: SmartAsset.com

ON THE

RECORD

“I think so many times, in rural areas, kids go to school for architecture, and then they’ll move to New York or D.C. or somewhere like that to practice when they could stay here in their home state and do great things.” ­— Ben Ward, president, AIA S.C.

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SC Biz News Briefs

Proterra’s East Coast manufacturing base is located in Greenville. (Photo/Provided)

GREENVILLE

GSA Business Report

Canadian client to buy Proterra EV Fleet

B

ritish Columbia’s BC Transit approved a $20 million contract to purchase 10 40-foot Proterra ZX5 electric transit buses and one Proterra Energy megawatt-scale EV fleet charger as it transitions its 500-bus fleet to all-electric vehicles over the next decade.

“Proterra is incredibly proud to partner with BC Transit to bring our industry-leading electric transit buses and EV technology solutions to help drive British Columbia’s transition to zero-emission transportation,” Proterra CEO Gareth Joyce said in the news release. “Through its embrace of innovative technology and historic commitment to electrification, BC Transit is establishing themselves as one of the public transit leaders in this space.”

Proterra, which operates its Southeastern manufacturing base in Greenville, was selected by BC Transit through a competitive process for the electrification program.

BC Transit’s initial 10 Proterra ZX5 electric buses, which will be equipped with 675 kWh of onboard energy, are slated to be delivered in 2023.

“The contract award for the first 10 electric buses is an important and significant milestone that sets BC Transit firmly on the path to replace existing diesel buses with electric ones,” BC Transit’s CEO Erinn Pinkerton said in the release. “People are looking for ways to reduce emissions in their everyday lives; electric buses further solidify BC Transit as a proven solution.”

Proterra Transit electric buses feature zero tailpipe emissions, saving approximately 230,000 pounds of greenhouse gases annually when replacing a diesel bus, according to the release. The company’s fleet of zero-emission, electric transit buses have displaced more than 140 million pounds of CO2 tailpipe emissions so far.

“These first buses further demonstrate our organizational commitment to transitioning our fleet with electric systems,” Aaron Lamb, vice president of Asset Management and chief sustainability officer of BC Transit. “BC Transit is proud to continually show leadership and innovation when it comes to demonstrating our goals in sustainability.”

In addition to the company’s Proterra Transit and Proterra Powered business units, Proterra Energy also offers solutions for delivering the energy ecosystem necessary for heavy-duty electric fleets through charging infrastructure design, build, financing, operations, maintenance and energy optimization.

CRBJ

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

Above are excerpts from our other publications.

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

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Administrator Guzman brings personal touch to SBA position

Order up!

Another Broken Egg Cafe to anchor mixed-use project.

Page 4

By Melinda Waldrop

I Downtown digs

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

Page 7

Historic honor

Orangeburg native first Black male Teacher of Year.

Page 8

Screen shot

The Nick names new executive director.

Page 10

INSIDE

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

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

Riverfront brewery to open later this year

By Melinda Waldrop

C

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

olumbia’s first riverfront brewery is expected to open in the fourth quarter of this year.

Bierkeller Brewing Co., which has brewed traditional German beer out of Swamp Cabbage Brewing Co. since 2015 and has regularly played host to seasonal pop-up beer gardens, is opening a full-production brewing facility, biergarten and restaurant at the CanalSide Plaza at Sola Station, located along the Historic Columbia Canal on the banks of the Congaree River.

“It’s exciting,” Bierkeller owner and founder Scott Burgess told the Columbia Regional Business Report. “We’re putting ourselves in a pioneering position in a lot of ways. The riverfront,

as much as everyone talks about the potential for development, we learned still has a lot of hurdles. This presented really the best opportunity in a space that’s already there that’s very close to what we’re known for.”

The brewery and biergarten will take up a large portion of the ground-floor retail space at Sola Station, with glass windows facing the water. Mashburn Construction is the project contractor, while Sherer & Associates is the architect.

“We’re pouring concrete floors and building it from the ground up,” said Burgess, who said an adjacent space is also an option for a future catering and private event setup.

Bierkeller plans to hire servers, bartenders/ pourers and kitchen staff soon. Employment See BREW, Page 10

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

sabella Casillas Guzman learned firsthand what makes a successful small business growing up in California, where her father owned a chain of veterinary practices.

“What I admired most about my father was his relationship in the community. Everyone who walked in that door was so special to him and vice versa,” Guzman said. “The impact that he made in his neighborhood was truly remarkable.”

Guzman, sworn in as the 27th Administrator of the Small Business Administration on March 17, 2021, spoke with the Columbia Regional Business Report after a stop at Benedict College as part of a bus tour supporting National Small Business Week. Benedict became one of two historically Black colleges and universities to launch a Women’s Business Center in 2020.

“Focusing always — from having worked in his business — on that customer-first experience is what drives me,” said Guzman, who represents the nation’s 32.5 million-plus small business owners. “I look through the lens of a customer first at all times in our design and implementation. That informs everything else, because you look at who that client is — and it’s a changing face of entrepreneurship — you look at what their needs are and seek to transform the SBA to better serve them. … My dad was able to pursue his American dream, and my grandmother before him. I really appreciate the value See GUZMAN, Page 6

Expert perspectives

Looking for an industry expert?

We’ve got you covered.

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ColumbiaBusinessReport.com

Fueling a better life

Green energy company grows into regional player.

Page 14

Give them Liberty’s space

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

Country medicine

Health systems struggle to provide medicine in rural areas.

Page 10

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

Page 21

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

(Photo/Clemson University)

By Ross Norton

T

rnorton@scbiznews.com

rident Technical College took the lead on a grant to form a consortium that its members hope will create the next generation of innovation and talent for the electric vehicle industry.

The consortium, called Collaborative Research: REVVED, for Revolutionizing Electric Vehicle Education, will receive $2.83

million from the National Science Foundation to fund the project.

A growing need to develop a workforce that can build and service electric and autonomous vehicles, as well as develop the cybersecurity to protect them, is the driving force behind the effort, according to a news release.

Even if they’re not making electrified vehicles in South Carolina, all of the automakers with plants in the state are manufacturing electric somewhere or conducting R&D to

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

See REVVED, Page 12

Department stores evolve, consolidate in digital age

INSIDE

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

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Consortium secures grant to train electric vehicle workforce

By Molly Hulsey

T

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

hree years into a pandemic some feared would bring death to the department store, behemoths of former Sears properties still litter the state’s shopping malls, empty and silent after shuttering in 2018 and 2020.

Belk’s fulfillment center in Union County, once a growing economic boon to the rural

county, laid off 310 employees and closed its doors on April 30.

And while store openings outpaced closings for the first time since 2014 in 2021, according to Colliers International’s 2022 Retail Outlook, those stores were smaller than they ever had been before at an average of 3,000 square feet.

“I haven’t heard of, even a hint, of some department store that’s going to occupy a new 900,000-square-foot building,” Rox Pol-

lard, Collier’s vice president of retail services in South Carolina, told SC Biz News.

But not everything is as it seems — at least for the department store brands able to flex and adapt.

Macy’s, one of the highest performing department stores in the nation, has seen revenue climb from $19.64 billion in 2019 to $25.29 billion in 2022 — and continues to

In Focus Specialty spice

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

GSABusiness.com

VOLVO’S ROAD AHEAD What’s next for Ridgeville

HOMEGROWN

Putting SC’s oyster industry on the map

See RETAIL, Page 12

A supplement to Charleston Regional Business Journal, Columbia Regional Business Report and GSA Business Report

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Carnival Cruise Lines and South Carolina Ports have reached an agreement not to extend Carnival’s homeport cruising contract beyond 2024. (Photo/File)

Carnival bidding Charleston bon voyage

Account Executives

By Jason Thomas

Ryan Downing, senior account executive rdowning@scbiznews.com • 864.720.1221 Lucia Smith, senior account executive lsmisth@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7547 Amanda Alford, multimedia account executive aalford@bridgetowermedia.com • 864.720.1223 Tony Rossi, multimedia account executive trossi@scbiznews.com • 864.720.1974 Jim Wheeler, multimedia account executive jwheeler@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3104 Events Kim McManus, events manager kmcmanus@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3116 Accounting

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jthomas@scbiznews.com

arnival Cruise Lines will no longer have a homeport in Charleston after 2024.

South Carolina Ports and Carnival Cruise Lines announced last month that the two parties have reached an agreement not to extend the homeport cruising contract in Charleston beyond 2024.

The agreement will provide more space for the redevelopment of Union Pier Terminal, unlocking a transformational opportunity within the city of Charleston, the Ports Authority said in an emailed statement.

South Carolina Ports will continue welcoming port-of-calls in Charleston.

“Since 2010, Carnival has been a great business partner and worked alongside our maritime community to benefit our overall maritime commerce mission,” the statement said, in part. “As we look to the

future, South Carolina Ports will continue to evaluate the market and looks forward to continued partnerships and opportunities.”

Carnival released the following statement: “It is amazing to see the continued growth of Charleston’s tourism economy, and Carnival is proud to have been a part it of since 2010. While exciting for the future of Charleston, the redevelopment of Union Pier Terminal will unfortunately mean Carnival will no longer homeport a ship in Charleston beyond 2024.

“We will work with the Ports Authority to explore future opportunities in Charleston. In the meantime, it is business as usual and we look forward to seeing our guests aboard Carnival Sunshine through 2024.”

South Carolina Ports continues to handle record cargo volumes while making significant progress with terminal and berth fluidity amid ongoing supply chain challenges, it announced in a recent news release.

SC Ports had its highest April ever for containers handled, marking the 14th consecutive month of cargo records at the Port of Charleston, the release stated.

Strong volumes are driven by sustained retail imports, which were up 34% in April compared to last year.

SC Ports handled 264,099 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) at Wando Welch Terminal, North Charleston Terminal and Leatherman Terminal in April, up 17% from last year, the release stated. SC Ports has moved 2.4 million TEUs thus far in fiscal year 2022, from July through April, up 15% fiscal yearover-year.

April marks an all-time record for pier containers, which account for boxes of any size, according to the release. SC Ports handled 145,779 pier containers last month, a 16% increase year-overyear. Thus far in fiscal year 2022, SC Ports has moved 1.3 million pier containers, up nearly 15% from the same period the year prior.

CRBJ

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AARP names industry veteran new state director

By Molly Hulsey

T

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

he South Carolina branch of the senior services organization has hired Charmaine S. Fuller Cooper as its new state director.

Fuller Cooper Fuller Cooper brings two decades of experience in campaign strategy and management, government relations, and rural, multicultural and conservative advocacy to the table, including nine years at AARP. She served

the company previously as a campaigns field manager working with her predecessor in the role and North Carolina’s advocacy director.

“For so many, financial security, affordable health care, housing and utilities are at the forefront of issues that greatly impact quality of life as we grow older,” Cooper said in a news release.

“It is our duty to hear the concerns of our members and to drive the change and security they desire.”

She has also served as the executive director of the N.C. Justice for Sterilization Victims Foundation after building the foundation and its clearinghouse from the ground up to reach victims of

the forced sterilization eugenics program that operated from the 1920s through the 1970s.

Fuller Cooper’s leadership elevated the voice of victims to an international audience, ultimately resulting in $10 million in compensation for living victims, according to the release.

Also, she has championed criminal justice reforms, led outreach for the American Heart Association and served on the Care 4 Carolina health care access coalition.

In addition to leading both a nonprofit and government agency, Fuller Cooper has served as a court guardian ad litem, president-elect of the N.C. Coalition on

Aging, co-chair of N.C.’s Olmstead Plan Advisory Committee and on various boards including the state United Way. Cooper graduated from North Carolina Central University before pursuing her Master of Public Administration degree at North Carolina State University.

The new state director says she looks forward to partnering with State Executive Council President Emma McGraw Myers and the staff and volunteer team in the Palmetto State.

AARP South Carolina’s previous state director, Teresa Arnold, retired in December 2021 after taking the position in 2013. Arnold replaced Jane Wiley, who retired after 18 years.

CRBJ

Blacksmithing company expands Charleston operations

By Molly Hulsey

R

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

obert Thomas Iron Design LLC, a modern blacksmithing company, will invest $2.9 million in an expansion of its Charleston County facility, creating an expected 45 jobs over the next three years.

Founded in 2013, Robert Thomas Iron Design intertwines traditional black-

smith techniques with modern machining and fabrication methods to craft iron pieces, ranging from custom architectural ironwork commissions to volume-produced pieces of furniture, decorative hardware and cookware, according to a news release.

“We are excited about the next phase of Robert Thomas Iron Design’s growth and are very happy that we are able to do this on the historic Navy Base,” Robert

Thomas, owner of company, said in the release. “Our expanded operations will enable our growing community of craftsmen and designers to have the space, equipment and support they need to keep the spirit of blacksmithing thriving in Charleston.”

Relocating within the county to 56 Hayter St. in North Charleston, Robert Thomas Iron Design’s new facility will expand the company’s operational foot-

print to accommodate production line growth.

“Blacksmithing is experiencing a modern artistic revival, and we are proud that Robert Thomas Iron Design, LLC has committed to growing this craft in Charleston County,” Charleston County Councilman Teddie Pryor said in the release. “Their investment and creation of new jobs is a welcome addition to the community.”

CRBJ

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June 13-26, 2022

The Pinch operators had a soft opening for the 25-room hotel at King and George in downtown Charleston in recent weeks, with plans to open two restaurants this summer. (Photo/Provided)

Boutique hotel opens downtown at King and George

By Ross Norton

T

rnorton@scbiznews.com

he owners of a new hotel in downtown Charleston say the new space will more than suffice in a pinch.

They bill The Pinch as a luxury boutique hotel. The property’s 25 units opened for business in recent weeks at the intersection of King and George streets.

The accommodations include 22 rooms and suites plus three “residences” that can be books for 30 days or more, according to an announcement from Philadelphia-based Method Co., which opened The Pinch.

Plans call for two restaurants to open this summer. The Quinte Oyster Bar will offer food and drinks in an oyster and cocktail den directly off the lobby,

the announcement said. A full-service destination restaurant will be “based on French fundamentals and the soulful cuisine of Charleston,” featuring a seasonal menu that will focus on local ingredients, plus a bar and cobblestone courtyard seating. Both will feature craft cocktails along with a curated list of local beer and an extensive selection of wines with a focus on French and European producers.

The Pinch is housed in two original Victorian-style structures dating back as early as 1843, alongside one newly constructed building. Method Co. worked with architect Morris Adjmi of New York to design the property. Mashburn Construction was the project contractor.

The Pinch is the second hotel to open outside of Philadelphia for Method Co., the announcement said.

CRBJ

College of Charleston names Schwager new business school dean

By Jason Thomas

T

jthomas@scbiznews.com

he College of Charleston’s School of Business will soon have a new leader.

Paul H. Schwager been named dean of the school, effective Schwager July 1, 2022, according to a College of Charleston news release.

Schwager is currently the dean and W. Howard Rooks Distinguished Professor

in the College of Business at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., where he established the Copeland Diversity & Inclusion Fellows, the Cunanan Center for Professional Success and the Thomas D. Arthur Graduate School of Business, according to the release.

He also reorganized the school’s leadership structure, led a successful Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business peer review and reorganized the Business Advisory Council with a focus on increasing diversity.

Prior to being appointed dean in 2019, he served as the school’s interim dean, associate dean and acting associate dean.

“We are honored to have Paul join the College of Charleston,” Suzanne Austin, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, said in the release. “His leadership and administrative accomplishments, scholarly achievements and fundraising abilities will further elevate our School of Business and the overall academic distinction of the College.”

Also at ECU, Schwager served as assistant dean and interim assistant dean for assessment, accreditation and curriculum, and as professor, associate professor, assistant professor and visiting assistant professor of management infor-

mation systems in the College of Business, according to the release Prior to joining ECU, Schwager was an assistant professor of information systems at Appalachian State University’s John A. Walker College of Business from 2000 to 2003. He previously worked in the private and nonprofit sectors.

Schwager holds a doctorate in management of information technology and innovation from Auburn University, an MBA from Florida Atlantic University and a bachelor’s in business administration from Palm Beach Atlantic College.

CRBJ

Reach Jason Thomas at 864-568-7570.

June 13-26, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 7

New entertainment venue planned for Charleston area

By Jason Thomas

A

jthomas@scbiznews.com

Boston-based developer is bringing a new entertainment venue to the Charleston area.

PiNZ Entertaining Group has announced plans for MIX, which is being billed as an “eatertainment” concept, at 730 Coleman Blvd. in the Brookgreen Town Center near Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant.

The nearly 12,000-square-foot venue, which has an investment cost just shy of $2 million, is expected to open late this year, according to a news release from PiNZ. MIX will offer duckpin bowling, axe throwing, curling, arcade, ping pong, two bars, a speakeasy and a patio environment with adult social activities and live entertainment space, according to the release.

This is the first Charleston-area project for PiNZ.

“The Charleston area is a key market for our company, and we look forward to expanding our presence in South Carolina and other Southeastern markets.”

David Breen CEO, PiNZ

“We are excited to bring our awesome and unique blend of entertainment and upscale food and beverage options to Mount Pleasant,” David Breen, CEO of PiNZ, said in the release. “The Charleston area is a key market for our company, and we look forward to expanding our presence in South Carolina and other Southeastern state markets.”

Nash Consulting Inc. is the general contractor on the project, and Dennis Colwell Architects is the architect; both are headquartered in Massachusetts. The designer is US Design Lab out of Tampa, Fla. MIX’s location is near the Old Village at Brookgreen Town Center, owned by The Beach Co., one of the largest privately owned real estate companies in South Carolina, the release stated.

“Entertainment venues have been a void in the market, and we are extremely confident that MIX will become a quick local favorite as well as a destination for those seeking fun activities, quality food, and delicious beverages,” Tom Stockdale, director of commercial asset management for The Beach Co., said in the release.

MIX is planned for Brookgreen Town Center in Mount Pleasant. The 12,000-square-foot, $2 million venue is expected to open later this year. (Rendering/Provided)

“I was able to rapidly scale Estelle Colored Glass thanks to the relationship I have with SouthState Bank.

Without their guidance and belief in me, my product offerings would likely not be as widely available as they are today.”

STEPHANIE HALL

Founder Estelle Colored Glass

Support Local Businesses by Looking for the Badge.

SouthState Bank takes great pride in serving local businesses, ensuring they have the tools, guidance and security they need to reach their unique goals.

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June 13-26, 2022

Charleston restaurateurs opting for smaller spaces

By Ross Norton

R

rnorton@scbiznews.com

estaurant operators are responding to changing customer preferences by going for smaller footprints, according to a Colliers Charleston retail report on the first quarter of 2022.

Restaurant spaces with less than 5,000 square feet are moving in the commercial real estate market, with retail vacancy rates dropping by nearly half in the Charleston area to 2.68%, according to the report, which said a rise in fast casual restaurants with less indoor dining space is leading the trend. The vacancy rate for the last three months of 2021 was reported at 5.29%.

“Often the consumer experience is visiting a niche shop serving desserts or coffee such as in Scooter’s Coffee, which leased North Charleston space,” the report said.

“Due to the shifting consumer preferences, restaurants are using smaller footprints and are driving restaurant deals during the first quarter of 2022.

The report said tenants are willing to pay higher rents for space that fits their needs, and rental rates are likely to rise through the rest of the year. Asking rent prices south of Broad Street on the Charleston peninsula were the highest in the area at $48.61 per square foot in the

A recent Colliers Charleston report found that restaurant operators are opting for smaller spaces, with demand rising for spaces with less than 5,000 square feet.

Retail vacancies of that size dropped by nearly half in the first quarter of 2022, the report found. (Photo/File)

first quarter. About 18,000 of nearly 2.4 million square feet south of Broad are vacant, the report said.

North of Broad Street, the peninsula asking rents averaged $37.52 and in the

North Morrison area, the average asking rent for the first quarter was $34.02, the report said.

In most other areas, average asking rents were in the 20s — from $20.29 per

square foot on Dorchester Road to $29.68 in Summerville.

Colliers has four offices in South Carolina, including 4289 Spruill Avenue in North Charleston.

CRBJ

Paid apprenticeships training nuclear operators

By Melinda Waldrop

S

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

avannah River Nuclear Solutions and Denmark Technical College have created a paid apprenticeship program to train Savannah River Site nuclear operators.

The apprenticeships, open to area residents and students from local colleges and universities, involve nuclear operations, radiation control, maintenance and other positions typically requiring a technical school certificate or bachelor’s degree, according to a news release.

The program has registered 139 apprentices across 15 occupations, the release said. About 20% of those have become full-service employees.

“We’re continually looking for new opportunities to expand this initiative,” Dorian Newton, program manager, apprenticeship and pipeline training at SRS, said in the release. “We’re currently assisting the president of Denmark Technical College, who has expressed a strong desire to partner with SRNS, to develop an apprenticeship program that will meet the needs of their students in

Aaron Bowie (right) receives Firewatch Training from SRNS instructor Ron Barnes. Observing are fellow Aiken Technical College apprentices Kenneth Coop (left), Heather Lancaster and Colton Baggott. (Photo/Provided)

the area of nuclear operations. This, of course, will help achieve one our company’s most pressing objectives: creating a strong employee pipeline filled with qualified candidates possessing a wide variety of skills and talent who can begin their careers at SRS ready to productively contribute while requiring a minimum of additional training.”

Denmark Tech is a two-year college

that primarily serves Bamberg, Barnwell and Allendale counties.

“We’re mirroring a highly successful and robust program at Denmark Tech that was established at Aiken Technical College years ago. We want to pass on the benefits of that program to the students attending Denmark Tech as well,” said Janéssa Smith with SRNS human resources. “Building this program at Denmark

Tech is also highly desired because of the valuable resources DTC’s students bring to our workforce.”

When not attending classes at Denmark Tech, each student works two days a week at SRS, earning a competitive starting salary.

“Financially, this is an optimum situation for participating students seeking apprenticeships as nuclear operators,” Newton said. “They receive a paycheck from SRNS, while in many cases, much of their college-related expenses will be covered by grants through the school and other local resources, in partnership with the Lower Savannah Council of Governments, such as tuition, purchasing books and paying fees.”

Denmark Tech is now accepting applications for fall 2022 classes associated with the Nuclear Operators Certificate.

“At the least, they (students) will earn transferable credentials issued by the U.S. Department of Labor for graduating students of this program that are recognized by multiple organizations nationally. … Our desire is to hire everyone who completes this apprenticeship program,” Smith said.

CRBJ

June 13-26, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 9

Investment firm adds Charleston property to portfolio

By Jason Thomas

A

jthomas@scbiznews.com

Florence-based investment firm has added another Charleston hotel to its portfolio.

Raines, a development, management and investment company, has added the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Charleston/North Ashley Phosphate to its collection of properties in the southeastern U.S. The addition marks Raines’ fourth third-party managed property in the company’s portfolio of largely operator-owned assets, and the seventh hotel in the Charleston area, according to a news release.

“Even though we haven’t talked much about it, third-party management has been a major focus for us and will continue to be,” Grey Raines, managing partner of Raines, said in the release. “While we own the majority of the properties in our portfolio, our decades-long experience as an owner puts us in a better position than many of our competitors, as we know how owners think, what they need, and how to execute.”

Located outside of Charleston’s historic district, the 84-room property is near historic churches, art-filled galleries, restaurants and bars, and Waterfront

A Florence-based investment firm has added has added the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Charleston/ North Ashley Phosphate in North Charleston to its portfolio. (Photo/Provided)

Park, the release stated. It’s also in proximity to Joint Base Charleston, North Charleston Coliseum, Northwoods Mall and Palmetto Commerce Road.

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Charleston North/Ashley Phosphate has rooms and suites, according to the release. The property’s amenities include complimentary Wi-Fi, a 24-hour fitness center, laundry and an outdoor pool.

Trishul Hospitality acquired the property in March 2022, the release stated.

Raines and Trishul have a longstanding relationship dating back to the pre-development of the Hilton Garden Inn in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., another property third-party managed by Raines, the release stated.

“We are excited to partner with Raines as the manager of the Fairfield Inn &

Suites by Marriott Charleston North/Ashley Phosphate,” said Vishal Patel, managing partner of Trishul, in the release.

“Raines’ extensive Marriott experience, knowledge of the Charleston market, and the fact that they are owners themselves makes them the right fit and the type of operator we want to work with.”

Minimal renovations and upgrades to Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Charleston North/Ashley Phosphate are expected, including new televisions; cosmetic upgrades to the guestroom bathrooms; landscaping; and an exterior refresh encompassing the parking lot, curbing, and sidewalks, the release stated.

The soft seating in the lobby will also be upgraded.

Other Charleston hotels in Raines’ portfolio include: Cambria Hotel Mount Pleasant – Charleston; Best Western Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant; Hilton Garden Inn Charleston / Mt. Pleasant; Hyatt Place Mount Pleasant Towne Centre; SpringHill Suites Charleston Mount Pleasant; Cambria Hotel Summerville – Charleston.

Raines, which reported annual revenue of $80 million, has 21 hotels throughout the Southeast, according to the release. The company is headquartered in Florence, with a secondary regional office in Charleston.

CRBJ

2022 Leadership Luncheon Leadership in the Age of Disruption Keynote Speaker:

Gary S. Pinkus, Chairman

McKinsey & Company, North America Location: The College Center Trident Techincal College

Thursday, June 16 Noon - 2:00 PM

Doors Open at 11:30 AM

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SCAN QR CODE TO PURCHASE QUESTIONS? CALL 843.760.4523

10

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June 13-26, 2022

The S.C. State Fair has awarded 53 statewide scholarships to students pursuring studies at any public or private college in the state through the Ride of Your Life program, which has awarded more than $4 million in scholarships since it began in 1997. The $6,000 scholarships are awarded at an annual rate of $1,500. (Photo/Forrest Clonts)

SC State Fair awards 53 scholarships through program

By Melinda Waldrop

F

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

ifty-three high school students have received scholarships through the South Carolina State Fair’s Ride of Your Life program.

The $6,000 scholarships are awarded at an annual rate of $1,500 to students plan-

ning to pursue their studies at any public or private college in the state. The awards are based on academic and extracurricular achievement, communication skills, need, and completeness of the application.

This year, a $20,000 donation from Circle K stores allowed the S.C. State Fair to award three additional scholarships.

“We are honored and excited to reward these 53 outstanding students,” Nancy Smith, State Fair general manager, said in a news release. “Educating the state’s youth is a priority of the fair. We feel blessed to be able to continue our scholarship program throughout the challenging times of the last few years.”

The scholarships may cover tuition or

other educational expenses like on-campus housing, a computer, or textbooks.

Recipients must retain a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale and enroll in no less than 30 credit hours each academic year to receive funding for that year.

Since the Ride of Your Life program began in 1997, more than $4 million in scholarships has been awarded.

CRBJ

Milliken foundation funding scholarships to 5 HBCUs

By Melinda Waldrop mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

M

illiken & Co. Charitable Foundation is donating $2,000 scholarships to five historically Black colleges and universities in South Carolina.

The grant will provide one scholarship per institution beginning this fall to science, technology, engineering and mathematics majors at Allen University, Benedict College, Claflin University, Morris College, and Voorhees University.

Prospective recipients must be S.C. residents with demonstrated financial need, be enrolled full-time, and have a 2.5 or higher GPA. “We are extremely grateful for Milliken’s long-standing and generous support of students at SCICU’s member colleges and universities,” said Jeff Perez, president and CEO of South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities. “In 1953, SCICU started advocating on behalf of independent higher education in South Carolina, and Milliken has partnered with us since 1956.

“We are extremely grateful for Milliken’s longstanding and generous support of students at SCICU’s member colleges and universities.”

Jeff Perez President and CEO, SCICU

“Over the years, Milliken’s support of SCICU has totaled more than $4.1 million.”

In 1995, Milliken & Co. provided $25,000 in seed money for starting the SCICU Undergraduate Student/Faculty Research Program.

Milliken will host that program’s research symposium at its Spartanburg headquarters on Feb. 16, 2023. The annual symposium gives students a professional forum for the presentation of project findings during more than six months of research.

CRBJ

June 13-26, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 11

National retailer REI to open 3rd South Carolina location

By Jason Thomas

S

jthomas@scbiznews.com

pecialty outdoor retailer REI Co-op has announced plans to open its third South Carolina location.

The new store is expected to open in Mount Pleasant this fall, according to an REI news release. It will employ about 50 full- and part-time employees, a company representative told SC Biz News.

The company declined to reveal the cost of the project.

The 21,500-square-foot store, to be located at 1720 Shoremeade Road in Indigo Square, will offer an assortment of apparel, gear and expertise for camping, cycling, running, fitness, hiking, paddling, climbing and more, the release stated.

The location will also feature a full-service bike shop that will be staffed by certified mechanics.

“We look forward to opening a third store in South Carolina and being a resource to REI members and the broader outdoor community in and around Mount Pleasant,” Jacki Harp, REI regional director, said in the release. “Our local team will also seek partnerships with outdoor nonprofits to support their efforts in protecting natural places and welcoming more people outside.”

REI, which is headquartered in Seattle, also has locations in Columbia (2300 Bull St.), which opened in 2020, and Greenville (1140 Woodruff Road, Suite 400), which opened in 2011.

REI was the first national retailer lured to the 181-acre, mixed-use BullStreet District development in 2019. Since its August 2020 opening, it has been joined by a Starbucks at the intersection of Bull and Freed streets, and several other commercial and residential real estate projects

National outdoor retailer REI Co-op plans to open its third S.C. location, this one in Mount Pleasant, this fall. The 21,500-square-foot store will be located at 1720 Shoremeade Road in Indigo Square and employ around 50 people. The Seattle-based company has stores in Columbia and Greenville. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)

have sprung up around it.

Employment information is available online at rei.jobs.

REI, the nation’s largest consumer co-op, has more than 167,000 members in South Carolina, and more than 28,000 members in the region, according to the release.

Last year, the co-op invested $7.1

million in 45-plus nonprofits across the country, the release stated. Over the last five years, the co-op has invested nearly $184,000 in South Carolina-based land agencies and nonprofit partners.

Recent recipients include Anne Springs Close Greenway, Conestee Foundation Inc., Friends of Harbison State Forest, Friends of Paris Mountain, Friends of Ses-

qui and Palmetto Conservation Foundation.

Also last year, the co-op launched the REI Cooperative Action Fund, a community-supported public charity. Black Girls RUN! Foundation chapters in Charleston, Columbia, Florence/Myrtle Beach and Greenville/Spartanburg received grants in the first round of funding.

CRBJ

Gift card program targets small businesses in 148 SC towns

By Melinda Waldrop

A

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

Connecticut-based startup has launched a community gift card program that includes 148 cards specific to S.C. towns.

The cards, offered by Giverrang, can be redeemed at local, independent businesses throughout the state. A portion of card sells will be donated to area nonprofits through the company’s local affiliate program.

“The whole idea is to bring more dollars and attention to small businesses,” Mark Walerysiak Jr., head of card programs at Giverrang, said in a news release.

“The big guys have the benefit of having huge resources behind them, so we really want to help the small guys as much as possible.”

Each area has a web page with some suggested businesses where gift cards can be spent.

The Mastercard gift cards can be shipped directly to a recipient’s or a purchaser’s address and will arrive in an estimated seven days.

Giverrang is seeking local nonprofits such as economic development organizations and service or fundraising groups to join its affiliate program. For every card these organizations help sell, Giverrang will donate back a percentage of profits.

“We’re excited to help as many local businesses as we can and we hope this resonates with people and they want to support it,” Walerysiak said. “A local gift card makes a meaningful gift for family, A program launched by a Connecticut-based startup is offering gift cards specific to 48 S.C. towns. The cards, friends, or employees. Plus, it makes a offered by Giverrang, can be redeemed at local, independent businesses throughout South Carolina. The com- real difference in helping local businesses pany is also seeking local nonprofits to join an affiliate program. (Photo/File) not just survive but thrive.”

CRBJ

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www.charlestonbusiness.com

June 13-26, 2022

DuPont opening new facility at Cooper River plant

By Jason Thomas

jthomas@scbiznews.com

W

ilmington, Del.-headquartered DuPont has opened a new manufacturing facility at its Berkeley County plant that will have a global reach.

The Liveo Healthcare facility, located at DuPont’s Cooper River plant, will increase the company’s biopharmaceutical production capacity and expand its worldwide customer base, according to a DuPont news release.

DuPont Liveo Healthcare is a silicone-based technology for a range of innovations in medical devices, biopharmaceutical processing and pharmaceuti-

cal solutions.

“The biopharma processing manufacturing investment at Cooper River is a key milestone in our growth strategy; it supports our customers’ expansion and contributes to business continuity,” Eugenio Toccalino, DuPont Healthcare & Specialty Lubricants Global Business director, said in the release. “We’re committed to investing in our healthcare business, and our recent expansions help us offer a highly reliable and sustainable product supply.”

In the second half of 2022, the company expects to add biopharma silicone tubing capacity in China, according to the release.

The new Cooper River facility was

completed in 18 months and created 25 jobs, the release said, with an additional 25 jobs expected to be created in the next

“For more than 14 years, DuPont Cooper River has continued to diversify and reinvest in new products ...”

Kristen Lanier Berkeley County Economic Development Director

two years.

“For more than 14 years, DuPont Cooper River has continued to diversify and

reinvest in new products, ensuring the viability of this Berkeley County facility,” Kristen Lanier, Berkeley County Economic Development director, said in the release. “Life sciences and biotechnology innovation is a growing sector with an $11 billion annual economic impact and over 40,000 jobs in the State of South Carolina.”

In 2021, DuPont’s Cooper River plant expanded to include manufacturing of specialty lubricants.

DuPont declined to reveal investment costs or major contractors for the new facility.

The company reported 2021 revenue of $16.7 billion, down from $20.4 billion in 2020.

CRBJ

307-room hotel portfolio sold to private development company

By Melinda Waldrop

T

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

hree York County hotels have been sold to a Charlotte-headquartered, privately held real estate investment, development and management company.

Hunter Hotel Advisors facilitated the sale of the Hampton Inn & Suites in Fort Mill, along with the Fairfield Inn & Suites and the Townplace Suites in Rock Hill, to Shreeji Hotel Group on behalf of investor groups led by the Warren Norman Co. Shreeji Hotel Group purchased the 307room portfolio for an undisclosed price.

“This transaction provided our invest-

ment group with an opportunity to divest some assets close to home while we seek opportunities in new markets,” Warren Norman, Warren Norman Co. broker in charge, said in a news release from Hunter Hotel Advisors.

Fort Mill and Rock Hill, the fifth-largest city in S.C., are located 30 minutes outside of Charlotte’s city center, home to

six Fortune 500 companies.

“The sale of this portfolio is another indication of the strength of quality-branded assets in growing submarkets,” Hunter Hotel Advisors COO Lee Hunter said. “Like so many other sellers today, the Warren Norman Company took advantage of the unbridled demand we continue to see in these locations.”

CRBJ

Sponsored by:

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Thursday, July 21, 2022

11:30 am - 1:00 pm | DoubleTree by Hilton Columbia

Register at: bit.ly/22sciptix #IconsPhenomsSC

For sponsorship information, contact Rick Jenkins at 864.720.1224 or rjenkins@scbiznews.com.

June 13-26, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 13

Attendees at the celebratory luncheon for the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s inaugural Lowcountry Diversity Leadership Awards applaud Lifetime Achievement Award winner Willette Burnham-Williams. The May 12 event honored the first class of honorees, chosen from reader-submitted nominations and by an eight-judge panel. (Photo/Kim McManus)

The Charleston Regional Business Journal has selected 11 outstanding individuals and businesses as recipients of its inaugural Lowcountry Diversity Leadership Awards. The awards recognize individuals and organizations across the Charleston region who have exhibited exceptional leadership in making diversity, equity and inclusion a strategic priority.

A panel of eight judges who’ve all graduated from the Riley Institute’s Diversity Leaders Initiative program chose the honorees from reader-submitted nominations in eight categories: Rising Star; Individual; Ally for the Future Workforce; Noteworthy Network; Big Heart Award; Keystone Award; Medium/Large Business; and Lifetime Achievement.

The remarkable 2022 recipients were honored at a celebratory luncheon at the Harbour Club at WestEdge on May 12, and the Business Journal is excited to recognize them in these pages.

Partner

Sponsors

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June 13-26, 2022

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: DR. WILLETTE BURNHAM-WILLIAMS

A pioneer in developing strategic diversity initiatives and multi-faceted programs in organizations large and small, public and private, Willette BurnhamWilliams has more than 30 years’ experience in progressively complex executive-leadership roles. She is skilled at taking a consultative and collaborative approach to drive organizational change and shift organizational culture and priorities.

Burnham-Williams has demonstrated business acumen, which she uses to help organizations align their diversity and inclusion strategic initiatives with their business needs, values, mission and vision.

Currently, she serves as Assistant Professor and Interim Chief Equity Officer at the Medical University of South Carolina, after similar roles at Williamsburg Technical College, The Citadel and the College of Charleston.

In her current role, she has led the creation and implementation of MUSC’s inaugural strategic plan for diversity and inclusion. A member of the President’s University Leadership Council, she spearheads major strategic goals and objectives for transforming the organization’s culture of equity, inclusion and engagement.

Under her leadership, MUSC was recognized by Forbes magazine as among America’s best employers for diversity. MUSC ranks in the top 3% of medical schools nationwide in enrolling and graduating Black men.

MUSC has also earned recognition by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s LGBTQ Health Care Equality Index Report for leadership in providing equitable and inclusive care.

Burnham-Williams has earned top honors among women in education and a Martin Luther King award for distinguished service in the Lowcountry, which includes serving on the Summerville Rotary, the board of Dorchester County Center for Children and the board of Owens Christian Academy.

She credits many role models as influences that guided her on her life and career paths, but her mother is the person she singles out as having had the biggest impact on her life and career.

“I have had many mentors and role models in my career that spans over 35 years, so I can not name any one as more significant except my mother, who for me, was the epitome of quiet strength, intellect and tenacity,” she said.

Burnham-Williams also had the fortune of working for companies that offered avenues for personal and professional growth.

“The organizations that have supported my professional development and work in DEI are South Carolina Women in Higher Education, Williamsburg Technical College, The Citadel, College of Charleston and the Medical University of S.C.,” she said. “Every organization has provided me opportunities for professional growth, advancement and leadership development. In each organization, I have also been afforded the opportunity and challenge to model many firsts as a Black woman in leadership and to pave a pathway for others who share my many complex and intersecting group memberships and identifiers.”

The Nevaeh Group, Inc. congratulates

Lifetime Achievement Award MUSC congratulates our chief equity officer, Willette Burnham-Williams, Ph.D., for being honored

by SC Biz News as part of the inaugural Lowcountry Diversity Leadership Awards.

recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award!

Continue to let your light shine!

Changing what’s possible

CRBJ_burnham_award_050222_v4.indd 1

Dr. Willette Burnham-Williams,

5/2/22 11:24 AM

June 13-26, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 15

MEDIUM-LARGE BUSINESS: TD BANK

TD Bank has long been a leader in supporting diversity initiatives, including spousal benefits to same-sex partners, women’s advancement sponsorships, and creating accessible and inclusive spaces.

TD will give approximately $755 million to support community organizations in health, financial security and connected communities, critical to helping people feel more confident about their future. TD Bank’s foundation has made a $250,000 donation to the International African American Museum in Charleston and the bank provided numerous sponsorships, including the Post & Courier Black History Month Special Feature, Charleston Black Expo, Charleston Pride Festival, and various Women in Leadership and Veterans initiatives, to name a few, The bank has won numerous awards for its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, including a Forbes Best Employer for Diversity listing for the last three years.

You make things better.

That’s worth celebrating.

You see the need, you take action, you give hope. Thanks for serving our community.

Member FDIC, TD Bank, N.A. © 2022 TD Bank, N.A. All Rights Reserved.

RISING STAR: ZOE WATKINS

Zoe Watkins leads South Carolina Federal Credit Union’s efforts to create a company that accepts and supports individuals of all races, genders, sexual orientations and disabilities. The organization engages in discussions about topics unusual for the financial services industry, such as mental health, racial injustice and the gender pay gap.

Watkins helps create DEI learning playlists, works to facilitate conversations about how SC Federal can help nonprofits that serve diverse communities, and joins forces with the recruiting and employer brand teams to attract diverse talent. She also recruits, manages and leads the company’s statewide DEI Council, and produces regular communications to educate employees about the dimensions of diversity, as they relate to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age and ability.

Her efforts helped SC Federal earn the Excellence in Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Award from the S.C. Chamber of Commerce and the Laura M. Fleming Award for Diversity in the Workplace. It’s been rated one of the nation’s Best Credit Unions to Work For six times and achieved a 4.8 out of 5 DEI score on Glassdoor.

HONOREE

CONGRATULATIONS,

ZOË WATKINS We are proud to recognize Zoë Watkins, Human Resources Representative and 2022 Lowcountry Diversity Leadership Awards Honoree.

As the leader of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, Zoë’s efforts are making a lasting impact on our organization and our members.

scfederal.org

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LOWCOUNTRY DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP: DR. SHAWN SPANN EDWARDS

During a career spent advancing the tenets of a fair and welcoming workplace, Dr. Shawn Spann Edwards joined The Citadel in 2014 as chief diversity officer.

As one of her nominators said, “She has been a pioneer in the Charleston community in DEI efforts before we even knew what to call it here.”

Dr. Edwards’s leadership of the president’s task force on diversity and inclusion concluded in 2016 with 22 actionable recommendations to improve the climate on campus. In 2018, she helped South Carolina’s military college earn a grant to establish a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center, which conducts Rx Healing Circles on campus and beyond, bringing together diverse individuals to discuss racial inequities and commonalities.

The school has also committed to studying its own connection to slavery and use the lessons as a teaching tool for students and the school’s administration. It has established a mentoring program to boost retention of Black cadets, which has delivered improved results each of its four years.

Beyond her work at The Citadel, Dr. Edwards teaches at the College of Charleston and serves as a board member of the YWCA of Greater Charleston. She is also a member of the Diversity Council for the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, a member of Explore Charleston’s Heart for Hospitality Advisory Board, and Chair of Temple University’s DBA Alumni Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Board.

June 13-26, 2022

NOTEWORTHY NETWORK: TRI-COUNTY CRADLE TO CAREER

The Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative was founded for the purpose of addressing systemic barriers to education, business and life success. Its mission is to build collective power to transform education, supporting all children to reach their full potential.

Cradle to Career serves as the backbone organization for a group of private- and public-sector actors working individually to achieve a single goal collectively. Cradle to Career’s role is to ensure a shared vision, measurement plan, and transparent communication to support this region-wide effort.

All staff and board members must attend the Racial Equality Institute’s training, which is designed to develop the capacity of participants to better understand racism in its institutional and structural forms.

Cradle to Career is leading the creation of a community dashboard to represent the realtime results of this collaborative work. One example is TCCC’s out-of-school program called Reconstruction, a culturally responsive curriculum designed around common core standards to bolster positive outcomes in reading and math.

RISING STAR: SEAN HOLLERAN

HOME THE BEST JOURNEYS ALWAYS TAKE US

Proud to be a part of this great community.

fnb-online.com | 1-800-555-5455 MEMBER FDIC

Sean Holleran, vice president of retail and small business banking for First National Bank, is a tireless advocate f for people traditionally underserved in business. A Certified Advocate for Women-Owned Businesses; board member of We Are Family, the organization that supports LGBT youth; and chair of his bank’s statewide diversity council, Sean has always worked to empower those who are under-represented.

As an openly gay man in the realm of banking in the conservative South, Sean has been changing minds with the warmth of his personality and his fair treatment of those around him.

He is a member of the Charleston Regional Business Journal Forty Under of 40 Class of 2021 and has formed a support group for gay business people called Lowcountry Growth & Business Team, or LGBT. “An inclusive environment makes us stronger, better suited to serve our customers and communities and shows how much we care about each other and those we serve,” Holleran said. “Varying life experiences make each one of us unique, and it is important to celebrate differences as well as enjoy the things we have in common.”

June 13-26, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 17

RISING STAR: SH’KUR FRANCIS

Sh’Kur Francis is a senior pastor in the United Methodist Church whose path to promote racial reconciliation, diversity and inclusion started early.

As the 11-year-old student body president of his elementary school, he made news by confronting a U.S. senator, Charleston mayor and state education superintendent about the shameful state of public schools serving low-income, minority students.

His leadership in seeking diversity, equity and inclusion became particularly urgent in June 2020, after George Floyd was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis, sparking riots across the nation.

Francis’ response was to de-escalate tensions by organizing a prayer vigil in Lancaster County in partnership with elected officials, law enforcement and community leaders. Clergy from every denomination and race participated in the vigil, including worshippers from a synagogue and a mosque.

Francis spends a great deal of time in the Eastside housing projects of Charleston, encouraging young men to finish school and start productive lives or visiting local nursing homes to pray and visit with seniors. His leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion led to Gov. Henry McMaster awarding him the Order of the Silver Crescent, South Carolina’s highest civilian award for significant leadership, in 2020.

SMALL BUSINESS/KEYSTONE: HOME LOANS, INC.

Jason Sharon created Home Loans, Inc. for the express purpose of serving traditionally underserved minority homebuyers. Black, Latino and other minorities have faced systemic discrimination in applying for and being approved for home loans.

Sharon hired Black and Spanish-speaking women in his company and trained them to be loan officers who in turn helped women like themselves become home owners. Black single mothers make up 75% of enrollment in Home Loans’ home ownership classes for first-time home buyers.

Sharon said he was inspired to follow this path of diversity, equity and inclusion within his own company and its client base after speaking at a mortgage event alongside NFL Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith. Smith told Sharon that without diversity you have a club, not a company. Those words stuck with Sharon as he built and grew Home Loans.

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www.charlestonbusiness.com

RISING STAR: JENNY PHILLIPS

Jenny Phillips knows the challenges of financial planning for families caring for individuals with special needs. Her own son suffered a pediatric stroke and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, giving her insight into the difficulties and specific concerns of families just like her own.

As a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual in Charleston, Phillips is in a position to help other families in similar circumstances.

“Being a female financial planner in a male dominated industry, I am very proud of bringing a different view on financial planning to my clients and community,” she said. “Being a mother to children, including one with disabilities, I see the world in a different way than most, and I use that trait to help others navigate their goals/objectives with their successes, and their true passions are the driver of their decisions.”

Phillips has been certified as a Chartered Special Needs Consultant and was named the Best Financial Planner by Mount Pleasant Magazine in 2022 for the third year in a row. Her colleagues and clients rave about her commitment to advocacy and her ability to balance work, volunteering and motherhood with passion and excellence.

June 13-26, 2022

BIG HEART NONPROFIT: CHARLESTON AREA JUSTICE MINISTRY

The Charleston Area Justice Ministry is a coalition of 40 faith-based congregations built on the idea of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Roughly half of The Charleston Area Justice Ministry’s membership is made up of minority congregations.

Collectively, they address issues of inequity, such as the high suspension rates of minority students in public schools and the lack of access to primary health care for many in minority communities.

Each year, they hold an assembly to advocate for the implementation of best practices to eliminate systemic injustices.

One example of this was their successful lobbying of the Charleston County Council to allocate funding to SC Legal Services, so they could provide legal aid and advocacy to help workers recover stolen wages. Since their intervention, $90,000 in wages have been recovered.

The ministry has been recognized with the Harvey Gantt Triumph Award for Lasting Contributions to Civil and Human Rights, the first organization to be recognized for this award ordinarily bestowed upon an individual.

ALLY FOR THE FUTURE WORKFORCE: YWCA OF GREATER CHARLESTON

Art by Nicole Trimmer

To learn more about the campaign to Save Gadsden Creek, go to www.friendsofgadsdencreek.com To learn more about CAJM, go to www.charlestonareajusticeministry.org

YWCA of Greater Charleston is a leader in the Lowcountry for more than 100 years in fostering the next generation of the workforce through initiatives such as apprenticeship programs, mentorship, pipeline development and workforce readiness in under-represented communities.

The YWCA’s vision is to be the community’s leading nonprofit for empowering women, strengthening youth and families, and working toward racial justice. The “Y Girls Code” program equips school-age girls for the high-paying, and traditionally white male, tech industry. Founded in 2015, it has expanded to 20 clubs throughout the Charleston area, teaching hundreds of girls of color skills to succeed in tech.

June 13-26, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 19

RESERVE YOUR BOOTH:

northcharlestonexpo.com AUGUST 23, 2022: 9 AM - 4 PM CHARLESTON AREA CONVENTION CENTER

This must-attend event showcases the Lowcountry’s most dynamic businesses on an exciting, interactive show floor.

Connect with local professionals, create new relationships and discover new resources for business growth.

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In Focus

ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION LISTS: HOMEBUILDERS, PAGE 34

The Center for Architectural Design is anticipating a late fall opening of its new location at 1530 Main St. in downtown Columbia. The center aims to promote architecture throughout the state. (Photo/Provided)

New center consolidates education, advocacy for SC architects

By Melinda Waldrop

P

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

reserving South Carolina’s architectural heritage is one mission of the South Carolina Architectural Foundation and the state chapWard ter of the American Institute of Architects, and a new showplace designed to highlight that ongoing work couldn’t have a more appropriate home.

The Center for Architectural Design, housed at 1530 Main St. in Columbia, is the product of a years-long vision to increase visibility of the architectural profession in the state. Before the S.C. AIA chapter purchased the building, currently undergoing renovations with an eye toward a late fall opening, there was no real center for architectural outreach and education to take place.

Since the early 1980s, the organiza-

tion had operated out of “The Cottage,” a small structure on Bull Street nestled among law firms. Inspired by larger AIA chapters with a more centralized, noticeable presence around the country, including one in Raleigh, AIA S.C. decided to change that.

“We made the commitment in 2014 that we were going to look for something more prominent, both from an advocacy/lobbying standpoint with the Statehouse but also from the standpoint of where the public could see architecture in South Carolina,” said Ben Ward, project manager at McMillan Pazdan Smith and 2022 president of AIA S.C. In 2015, AIA S.C. purchased the former Eckerd Drug Store building, where a significant moment in the state’s history took place in 1960. Allen University student Simon Bouie and Benedict College student Talmadge Neal were arrested, jailed and convicted for refusing to leave the Eckerd lunch counter, where they were denied service because they are Black.

Those events became the basis for a

landmark 1964 civil rights case which, coupled with another lunch-counter case at the nearby Taylor Street Pharmacy, led to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning protesting students’ convictions, saying their right to due process under the 14th Amendment had been violated. Days later, the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed racial segregation in public facilities.

“Based on historical photographs of the incident, we actually located the two (counter) stool spots,” Ward said. “In the terrazzo floor, you could see the outline of where the drug store counter was, and then you could see the circles where the stools were bolted to the floor.”

The old Eckerd Drug Store played a pivotal role in Columbia history, now recognized with a historical marker outside the building. But like the civil rights case with origins in the building, its new tenant hopes to expand its impact beyond the capital city. While the Center for Architectural Design’s proximity to the Statehouse is critical for AIA S.C.’s advocacy of architecture and issues such

as safe, sustainable building codes, its community outreach will extend into every corner of the state, both urban and rural.

“Columbia is very central and strategic in its location to the Statehouse, but really the goal of the center is to get this programming out into our communities, into Charleston and Greenville and the Upstate and the Grand Strand and the Midlands,” said Dan Scheaffer, principal at LS3P’s Charleston office. “That’s where we’re going to make the most impact once we get it into those communities.”

Scheaffer was president of AIA S.C. during fundraising for and design of the center, and he was a member of the steering committee for its capital campaign, which he said was met with great support from members. Currently on the S.C. Architectural Foundation board, he is excited about the center’s potential to not just promote architectural achievements but to make those achievements accessible to all state residents.

See ARCHITECTURE, Page 21

IN FOCUS: ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

June 13-26, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 21

ARCHITECTURE, from Page 20

“Really the goal of the center has always been about three main things: advocacy, community outreach and member knowledge,” Scheaffer said. That includes preserving historically and culturally significant buildings, creating affordable housing through better design and supporting programs that promote resilient design to protect homes and businesses during weather events such as hurricanes and earthquakes.

“And then one of the things we’re getting a lot of traction on and I think is really important for our profession particularly is diversity, equity and inclusion – being culturally aware. How can we create a better pipeline of diversity?” he said. “That really starts with getting into the schools. We’re doing a lot of partnerships with Clemson on programs and also K-12, creating programs that help young students see architecture as a viable career path, because that’s not often taught by guidance counselors and schools, that you can be an architect.”

The center also will feature rotating and traveling exhibits, including one called Say It Loud, created by architect and activist Pascale Sablan and aimed at increasing diversity in the field.

“We take this idea of architecture, and you go to Dillon County and do presentations for kids,” Ward said. “You go to Allendale County, some of these places where it might not be taught in school.

They’re not given that as a career choice.

“You can go into architecture, and you can make your community a better place” — that’s not something they hear, and it’s something they should hear.”

A goal of the center is also to keep that burgeoning talent at home.

“One of the big things for me is creating a pipeline for kids — a whole diverse range of kids — to think that they can become architects, to see the importance of the profession and to see the power for

Simon Bouie speaks during the 2017 dedication of a historical marker outside the former Eckerds Drug Store on Main Street. (Photo/Melinda Waldrop)

change that we have in the profession, and also to highlight that you can be a great architect in South Carolina,” said Ward, who earned a design degree from Clemson in 2003 before getting his master’s in architecture at N.C. State. “I think so many times, in rural areas, kids go to school for architecture, and then they’ll move to New York or D.C. or somewhere like that to practice when they could stay here in their home state and do great things.”

After purchasing the center, AIA S.C. held a design competition in 2017 to select the project’s architect. The winner was the formerly Columbia-based firm Watson Tate Savory, which merged with McMillan Pazdan Smith last October. The move combined Watson Tate Savory’s expertise in higher education design with

the broader reach of MPS, which has offices in Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, Charleston, Charlotte, Atlanta and Asheville.

“Now we have the backing of this large firm that’s allowed us to do more things and go after bigger projects and participate in the community even more,” said former Watson Tate Savory principal Gene Bell, now with MPS. “We’re hoping the center will bring an awareness of architecture to everyone — not only serve as a home base for all registered architects and our members and the association, but also a home for the understanding of architecture and its impact on our community.”

The Center for Architecture will feature its current, historically protected stone façade, which will open into a

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bright, open event and exhibit space lined by offices.

Delayed by COVID-related supply issues and needing roof and other repairs before new construction could begin, the center is on track to open in late October or November, Ward said, with the public portion of its fundraising efforts also set to begin soon.

Having been on the ground floor of the center’s creation, Scheaffer is eager to see the project’s final shape.

“There’s been a lot of effort by a lot of (people),” he said. “Financially, our firms have invested. We’ve invested our time and our talents to make this happen, so it’s real exciting.

“It’s going to be an incredible space, and we’re so excited for it to be here.

Couldn’t get here soon enough.”

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IAAM , from Page 1

arrived in our country, and many died here. It took time to raise the resources, assemble the team, and plan every detail that would enhance the experience of being here. And it took time because we have been committed to excellence.”

The exterior of the museum, designed by architect Henry Cobb, features 18 13-foot pillars that lift the structure over the garden, stretching out to the Charleston Harbor pier walk. A 245-foot steel band, inscribed with the names of regions from which enslaved people were brought, is being installed beneath the museum at the site of the original edge of Gadsden’s Wharf.

Henry Louis Gates Jr., a Harvard professor and historian who helped shape the museum’s Center for Family History genealogy research library, noted that “48.1% of all the African slaves who came to the United States entered this country through Charleston. So, for blackness, black culture, the African experience, the African American experience, slavery — however you want to slice it — this is ground zero. I think it’s very important that a great city in the South be the home of a great museum celebrating the achievements, the history, and the culture of persons of African descent.”

The museum’s first board chair, Congressman James E. Clyburn, said the museum is a place to honor and celebrate the whole of the African American experience.

“The grand opening of the International African American Museum is the culmination of over 20 years of hard work, and I am pleased to see it finally come to fruition,” Clyburn said. “I have always said that this museum ought to tell more than just the story of slavery and pay homage to the countless descendants of slavery who, in spite of their circumstances, rose to prominence and helped bring us closer to achieving this land’s promise of a ‘more perfect union.’ I am confident that this museum will help educate its visitors on America’s dark past and inspire future generations through stories of perseverance.”

Details about opening celebrations, speakers and events will be released in the months leading up to the grand opening, the museum said.

The week before the opening date announcement, the museum received a $250,000 grant from TD Bank to sponsor onsite and online programming.

The TD Bank Program Series will feature nine major community events and programs from 2022 to 2024 aimed at multi-generational audiences.

It will feature noted national speakers, panels and dialogues centered around history, art, culture and social justice, along with Lowcountry arts and foodways events.

“Our ability to convene community through programs and dialogue is critical

The International African American Museum’s exterior features 13-foot pillars that lift the structure over the African Ancestors Memorial Garden, stretching out to the Charleston Harbor pier walk. The museum is slated to open next January. (Photo/Ellis Creek Photography)

to activating the museum’s mission – and I’m delighted that this second grant from TD Bank makes this possible in a significant way,” Matthews said. “With this support, we can expand our programs, reaching more audiences near and far.

I’m particularly excited about our plans to create programs that showcase and engage authentic African American cultural arts and storytelling here in Charleston, right alongside national figures and pop culture touch points.”

The museum is designing and curating events to engage historically excluded and socially and economically vulnerable communities and provide the museum with opportunities to partner with other organizations to create meaningful pro-

gramming, according to the release.

“We are so proud to be able to continue to support the work of the International African American Museum and help increase access to their incredible exhibits and programing, particularly for individuals from diverse and vulnerable communities,” said Shelley Sylva, head of U.S. corporate citizenship at TD Bank.

“The TD Bank Program Series will help to elevate the amazing works and untold stories of artists and individuals and drive important conversations around social justice, diversity, and more.”

The donation is part of the TD Ready Commitment, the bank’s global corporate citizenship platform targeting $750 million in community investments that

fall under one of its four key categories: Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities, and Better Health.

“The support builds on our long-standing commitment to the International African American Museum,” Hugh Allen, regional president for the Mid-South Metro at TD Bank, said.

“We are thrilled to continue supporting their critical work and helping to bring their incredible programing to even more people across the country and around the world.”

The most recent investment builds on a previous $250,000 donation in 2016 from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, to support the museum’s capital campaign.

CRBJ

June 13-26, 2022

IN FOCUS: ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

www.charlestonbusiness.com 23

12 sentenced in multi-million dollar construction fraud case

By Melinda Waldrop

T

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

welve defendants from seven construction-related companies have been sentenced for employment tax fraud felonies and crimes related to hiring unauthorized workers in a scheme that saw at least $15 million in bogus checks cashed.

The convictions are the first to come from a multi-year undercover investigation, led by the IRS and Homeland Security Investigations, in the Myrtle Beach area and along the S.C. coast, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for District of South Carolina.

The operation targeted the use of unlicensed check cashers to facilitate under-thetable cash payments to employees, many of whom were unauthorized aliens. The check cashers would also provide certificates of insurance falsely stating that the employees were covered under workers’ compensation insurance. These off-the-book payments defrauded the United States out of applicable employment taxes on the employees, according to the U.S Attorney’s office.

At least $15 million in checks were cashed, resulting in millions of dollars of total losses to the government.

“These defendants stole money from South Carolina taxpayers, they stole opportunities from those in the construction

industry who did the right thing, and they stole safety from the workers who labored on jobsites without insurance,” U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis said in the release. “This successful prosecution was only possible because of the tireless and dedicated investigative efforts of IRS and HSI, as well as the work of our local partners. The defendants in this case, none of whom had criminal records before this investigation, are all now convicted felons. Several face potential deportation, several have lost their homes and face financial ruin, and many will never be able to return to the work they spent their lives pursuing.”

Around 2019, IRS undercover agents embedded themselves in the Myrtle Beach area and recorded multiple interactions with the defendants’ companies. The investigation found that a member of the construction company would meet with an unlicensed check casher and give the check casher a business check made out to a company the check casher had created. The check casher would give the construction company representative a bag of cash to pay the employees, holding back a fee of approximately 3%.

The check casher would also provide an invalid certificate of workers’ compensation insurance, according to the release, with the check casher claiming to be a subcontractor who provided the employees and provided insurance.

Each defendants received five years’ probation, with all but one sentenced to home confinement, and each must also pay restitution. The defendants received probation, the U.S. Attorney said, because they admitted guilt early, agreed to assist authorities and collectively paid nearly a million dollars toward the approximately $3 million dollars owed to the IRS. The following defendants were sentenced in the case: • Daniel A. Lavoie, 49, of Conway: Five years’ probation, 18 months home confinement with location monitoring, and $293,402.50 in restitution • Enrique R. Reyes, 48, of Conway: Five years’ probation, 18 months home confinement with location monitoring, and $293,402.50 in restitution • Walter A. Duran, 45, of Myrtle Beach: Five years’ probation, 21 months home confinement with location monitoring, and $976,076.08 in restitution • Lisa Caulley Sellers, 57, of Myrtle Beach: Five years’ probation, eight months home confinement with location monitoring, and $488,038.04 in restitution • Ming Xue Nan, 52, of Myrtle Beach: Five years’ probation, 14 months home confinement with location monitoring, and $173,712.43 in

restitution • Katherine L. Welker, 39, of Myrtle Beach: Five years’ probation, eight months home confinement with location monitoring, and $173,712.43 in restitution • Josafa P. Neto, 43, of Myrtle Beach: Five years’ probation, 18 months home confinement with location monitoring, and $209,847.07 in restitution • Marylany Hardman Levino, 36, of Myrtle Beach: Five years’ probation and $209,847.07 in restitution • Saul Prieto, 56, of Myrtle Beach: Five years’ probation, nine months home confinement with location monitoring, and $74,868.50 in restitution • Martha E. Zarate, a/k/a Martha E. Prieto, 54, of Myrtle Beach: Five years’ probation, nine months home confinement with location monitoring, and $74,868.50 in restitution • Marcos Caetano De Almeida, 45, of Myrtle Beach: Five years’ probation, 21 months home confinement with location monitoring, and $298,816.52 in restitution • Johanna A. Carpio, 38, of Myrtle Beach: Five years’ probation, 14 months home confinement with location monitoring, and $131,449.69 in restitution CRBJ

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Chrisit Powell (left), of 84 Lumber and Angela Gardner of Hill Electric interview both men and women in the construction industry for the Women Talk Construction podcast, as well as women in nontraditional roles. The podcast, which currently has 14 episodes, has listeners in 17 countries and 207 cities. (Photo/Provided)

Podcast highlighting women in construction gains traction

By Molly Hulsey

F

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

or years, 84 Lumber’s Christi Powell didn’t work with other women.

A former fire and rescue team lead and chemist, Powell turned her talents toward business development at Lowe’s and Builders FirstSource’s commercial sales departments in 2000.

Fellow women in construction were just nonexistent — or at least appeared to be.

“I didn’t even know there were female builders,” she told SC Biz News. “You just don’t run into them often.”

Then she joined 84 Lumber, a Pennsylvania building materials company led by Maggie Hardy Knox, and met Hill Electric’s business development and marketing director Angela Gardner.

Since then, has run into so many women in the field and companies seeking out women to join the industry that she was promoted to 84 Lumber’s Women Business Enterprise Lead and now cohosts the Women Talk Construction podcast with Gardner.

“I’m now in the world of general contractors now that are high-end, doing 400 units at a time, and very involved with government agencies that are buying,” she said. “So, it’s still kind of the same, but now I work with a different set of cus-

tomers. Now I work with a lot of women where I never worked with women at all before.”

Building from the ground up

The strongest impetus for the increasing number of women in construction has been minority and women-owned business quotas required of federal contractors for material procurement and onsite work, she said.

But few companies understand the full breadth of funding available for such businesses, or how to certify themselves for such incentives, she said. Fewer have the resources available to put together a Women and Minority Business program like 84 Lumber.

“Even though I was new in July of 2020, just from doing a little bit of homework for 30 days prior to me taking the role on, I knew more than 90% of the people I talk to who are in it,” she said of the construction industry’s women and diversity hiring leads. “So, we’ve got people out there making laws and making rules and putting together programs that don’t work because they don’t understand it.”

Most businesses she dealt with in South Carolina didn’t even know what it meant to be certified as a women-owned business, she said.

Meanwhile, she said, general contractors were finding it challenging to find the certified suppliers or employees needed

to fulfill federal or internal requirements.

Longtime customers and strangers alike have come to Powell in droves saying: “We love having female product managers. What can I do to get more women to work for me?”

Powell knew she had her work cut out for her. Instead of having 1,000 mentorship sessions over coffee, she and Gardner began to interview women and men in the construction industry – as well as women in other non-traditional roles such as aviation – across the nation. After the release of 14 episodes, the podcast now has listeners in 17 countries and 207 cities.

“When I meet amazing people — it doesn’t matter if they’re in New York or Maine or Arizona — if it’s an amazing story and we want to share it, we just ask them if they’d like to be on the podcast,” she said.

Podcasts, released each Monday, focuses on the wins and challenges overcome for women in construction, not the airing of complaints. Both men and women are featured on the podcast, because both have been key to creating a more egalitarian workforce that doesn’t skip out on 48% of available talent, Powell said.

“When you only have one or the other, you aren’t bringing everything to the table that that particular customer or that particular client needs to have,” Powell said.

“It’s not fair to them, right? We’re better

together, so we want to learn how to work better together.”

The podcast website also serves as a forum for industry players to discuss scholarships, workforce development opportunities and business support.

Better together

Powell’s Build the Way initiative has been another method that 84 Lumber uses to connect contractors and women or minority-owned businesses. The company offers free blueprints to small businesses able to demonstrate a need.

It’s also compiling a database of minority and women-owned businesses across the country under Powell’s leadership for contractors in need.

Paired with the podcast and Powell’s efforts, a Greenville happy hour has grown into a quarterly luncheon called Women Confidence Builders for working women across sectors. The first sessions were held at the Commerce Club; Powell invited 20 people, but 48 showed up.

An upcoming Aug. 30 event, sponsored by BMW, is expected to draw 450 people to the Greenville Convention Center. Other business leaders want to emulate the event in Charlotte, Atlanta and Charleston.

“It’s just so exciting,” Powell said. “Just to see what God is doing in my obedience to just be good to people and be kind and try to lift other people up.”

CRBJ

June 13-26, 2022

IN FOCUS: ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

www.charlestonbusiness.com 25

$2M gift establishes endowed directorship for wood utilization and design

By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

M

icky and Amy Scott of Allendale have given $2 million to the Clemson University Wood Utilization + Design Institute to endow the institute’s directorship.

The Patricia “Pat” Layton Endowed Directorship is named in honor of founding director Patricia Layton and comes as Layton prepares to retire, according to a university news release.

“I am deeply honored and humbled by the Scott family creating this endowment in my name,” Layton said in the release. “The work to make the WU+D Institute what it is today is a team effort that included many people, including Micky Scott and his family. Since 2014, I have served as its director, and it has been the joy of my 45-year career. I have been privileged to work with many faculty and other partners to grow a new industry and bring it to life.”

Layton will remain director on a part-time basis while the institute board searches for her replacement.

The Scotts, with Micky’s brothers Bill and Hank, are fourth-generation owners of Collum’s Lumber Products LLC, a wholesale lumber and pole manufacturer in Allendale.

“When you talk about building with wood, Pat Layton is the top cheerleader and a nationally known expert,” Micky Scott said in the release.

“The purpose of this gift is to make sure WU+D can replace and retain the best director to sustain the institute and ensure that it continues to play a pivotal role in the success of South Carolina’s $21 billion forest products industry for years to come.”

The WU+D Institute brings together the state’s manufacturing and forestry industries to innovate and advocate for the expanded use of engineered sustainable wood-based materials, such as cross-laminate timber, in a commercial construction market dominated by steel and concrete.

Since its founding in September 2014, WU+D has more than 148 publications, presentations and tours to its credit and has secured more than $3 million in grants.

In the process, WU+D has helped forge new markets for South Carolina’s timber, formed partnerships with corporations needing engineered wood-product design consultation and prepared Clemson students to take leadership roles in designing and marketing future innovations in wood-based construction technology.

Most recently, WU+D also assisted in securing funding for nano cellulosic research work at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research and now manganese dioxide

research and student support from a WU+D partner in chemical engineering, totaling more than $250,000. WU+D also collaborated to build with mass timber during the construction of Clemson’s Andy Quattlebaum Outdoor Education Center.

Mitchell S. “Micky” Scott received a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management from Clemson in 1975. He was recently honored with the Clemson University Distinguished Service Award. He serves on the university’s Committee on Philanthropy, the Wood, Utilization

+ Design Institute Board and is former chair of Clemson’s Timberlands Legacy Committee.

“We cannot thank Micky and Amy enough for their continued support of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences, its students, forestry program, and the state’s forestry industry.

“Their gift is not just a testament to their generosity, but also a tribute to Pat’s career and to the important role that the WU+D Institute plays in the success of the South Carolina forest industry,” Keith Belli, dean of CAFLS, said in the news

release.

The Scott family has a deep legacy of support for Clemson and its programs.

Scott and his wife Amy have established The Mitchell S. Scott ’75 and Amy J. Scott CAFLS Scholarship Endowment for the recruitment and retention of students to the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; Together, they are the first Academic Cornerstone Partner for the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences.

Their gifts to the college have established numerous endowments.

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Find out about the latest projects taking shape across the Lowcountry in Charleston Under Construction. Thanks to all who submitted information for this issue. The deadline for the next Charleston Under Construction section is July 26. We are looking for descriptions and photos or renderings of projects your firm has recently completed, currently has under construction or has in development. This is not advertising — the Business Journal publishes Charleston Under Construction as an editorial product for our readers. Submit projects to tinyurl.com/CUCsubmit. Please note that emailed submissions are no longer accepted.

71 Wentworth on King 71 Wentworth St. Developer/owner: East West Partners Architect(s): Kevan Hoertdoefer Architects General contractor: Trident Construction Services Engineer(s): Hensley and Goerling Consulting Engineers (mechanical, electrical, plumbing); Forsberg Engineering and Surveying (civil); Lambert Engineering Company, Mount Pleasant (structural) Estimated total cost: $13 million This historic King Street building is being renovated to house luxury condominiums. The residences will feature large windows, cathedral ceilings, and centuries-old brick.

All Saints Lutheran Church 2107 North Highway 17, Mount Pleasant Developer/owner: All Saints Lutheran Church General contractor: J. Musselman Construction Estimated completion date: July 2022 This church renovation consists of improvements to the sanctuary, classrooms, restrooms, offices, and other community spaces. Architectural improvements include new walls, ceilings, floors, casework, entryways, painting, and other special carpentry tasks. Work also covers mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trades.

Animal Hospital of North Charleston 8636 Dorchester Road, North Charleston Developer/owner: Veterinary Practice Partners Architect(s): BDA Architecture, Albuquerque General contractor: J. Musselman Construction Engineer(s): Teeter Engineering Group, Charlotte (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) Estimated completion date: March 2022 This project is an interior build-out of an existing shell space to accommodate full veterinary care needs for felines and canines.

Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work is included, along with a new layout, architectural finishes, and specialties for exam rooms, treatment rooms, labs, surgery rooms, reception area, and all client and staff spaces.

Beacon Bank Expansion 900 Bowman Road, Suite 300, Mount Pleasant Developer/owner: Beacon Community Bank, Mount Pleasant Architect(s): Shook Associates Architects General contractor: J. Musselman Construction Estimated completion date: March 2022 This project is an expansion of Beacon Community Bank’s office space. The new floor plan comprises new flooring, painting, storefront, and other architectural features. Modifications to mechanical, electrical, plumping, and fire alarm systems are included.

Brownstone 4055 Faber Place Dr., Suite 100, North Charleston Developer/owner: Brownstone Construction Group Architect(s): LS3P General contractor: J. Musselman Construction Estimated completion date: September 2022 This project is an interior upfit of an existing building for tenant offices, to include break rooms, conference rooms, and general office spaces. The scope of work covers demolition of existing architectural features and installation of new walls, floors, casework, lighting, and paint. Also included are mechanical and electrical updates.

Camp Hall Village–Park and Avian Pavilions 464 Autonomous Dr., Ridgeville Developer/owner: Santee Cooper, Moncks Corner Architect(s): Rush Dixon Architects, North Charleston General contractor: Choate Construction, Mount Pleasant Engineer(s): DWG Consulting Engineers, Mount Pleasant (mechanical, electrical, plumbing); Seamon Whiteside (civil); ADC Engineering, Hanahan (structural) Phase I of Camp Hall’s Village Center includes construction of the Avian Pavilion, an approximately 2,400-square-foot pier consisting of a galvanized steel structure with a white powdercoated aluminum trellis, precast concrete piles, pile caps, and concrete planks. The structure features composite decking and sleeper system, with electrical conduit coordinated throughout.

Galvanized-steel hand and cable rails and LED lights span the full length of the pier. All work is being completed within a drained pond.

The Carolinas Animal Hospital 1169 Chuck Dawley Blvd., Mount Pleasant Developer/owner: Kathy Queck, DVM, Charlotte Architect(s): John E. Gardner, Huger General contractor: J. Musselman Construction Engineer(s): Steve Marek, Hanahan (mechanical); Bill Dean, Hanahan (electrical) Estimated completion date: June 2022 This project is an interior upfit of an existing building for a fullservice veterinary hospital and dental clinic. Included are a reception area, waiting area, pharmacy, restrooms, exam rooms, x-ray rooms, labs, surgery rooms, treatment rooms, and general office spaces. Work covers a new layout with architectural features as well as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing scopes.

Charleston ENT at Carolina Park Park Avenue Boulevard, Mount Pleasant Developer/owner: Charleston ENT Architect(s): SMHa, Mount Pleasant General contractor: Trident Construction, North Charleston Engineer(s): Thomas and Hutton, Mount Pleasant This 30,000-square-foot multi-tenant complex includes two retail buildings, The Learning Experience, and anchor tenant Charleston ENT.

Charleston Tech Center Fifth Floor 997 Morrison Dr. Developer/owner: Iron Bridge Capital Architect(s): McMillan Pazden Smith Architecture General contractor: J. Musselman Construction Engineer(s): Barrett Woodyard & Associates, Norcross, GA (mechanical, electrical, fire protection) Estimated completion date: March 2022 This interior upfit project features a layout of four individual office suites for tenants. Trades to be included are mechanical, electrical, plumbing, drywall, framing, acoustical ceilings, flooring, casework, painting, and fire protection and alarms.

June 13-26, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 27

CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION

The Citadel–Byrd Hall 1 Jones Ave. Developer/owner: The Citadel Architect(s): McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, Spartanburg and Charleston General contractor: J. Musselman Construction Engineer(s): DWG Consulting Engineers, Mount Pleasant (mechanical, electrical, plumbing); WM Building Envelope Consultants Moncks Corner (roofing consultant) Estimated completion date: October 2022 This project entails the renovation of four floors. Complete interior demolition will be followed by the construction of new classrooms, offices, labs, and break rooms. The scope of work covers demolition of existing architectural features and installation of teaching equipment, new walls, ceilings, paint, floors, casework, lighting, glass, data, and fire alarm system.

Also included are full mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems as well as a new roof.

Coastal Pediatric Associates, Charlie Hall 2051 Charlie Hall Blvd.

Developer/owner: Coastal Pediatric Associates, North Charleston Architect(s): SMHa, Mount Pleasant

General contractor: J. Musselman Construction Engineer(s): MECA Consulting Engineers, Columbia (mechanical, plumbing), ETI Engineering, White Rock (electrical) Estimated completion date: June 2022 This project is an upfit of existing space for use as an expansion of Coastal Pediatric Associates on Charlie Hall Boulevard. New reception area, exam rooms, offices, restrooms, and other shared spaces are included on the first and second floors, along with modifications to the existing practice. Trades for this work include framing, drywall, painting, flooring, casework, and other architectural finishes. Also included are mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

Engineer(s): MECA Consulting Engineers, Columbia (mechanical, plumbing), ETI Engineering, White Rock (electrical) Estimated completion date: June 2022 This project is an upfit of an existing shell space for use as an expansion of Coastal Pediatric Associates at Windmill Station.

New exam rooms, offices, restrooms, and other shared spaces are included, along with modifications to the existing firstfloor practice. Trades for this work include framing, drywall, painting, flooring, casework, and other architectural finishes.

Also included are mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems.

Coastal Pediatric Associates, Windmill Station 2015 Second Ave., Suite 101, Summerville Developer/owner: Coastal Pediatric Associates, North Charleston Architect(s): SMHa, Mount Pleasant General contractor: J. Musselman Construction

Coastal Kids Dental–Point Hope 122 Renaissance Ln., Charleston General contractor: Harbor Contracting Coastal Kids Dental is establishing a new location in the Point Hope Development, off Clements Ferry Road.

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Crosspoint IX—Elbit Systems 9028 Palmetto Commerce Pkwy., North Charleston Developer/owner: Elbit Systems, Fort Worth; Childress Kline, Charlotte Architect(s): MCA Architecture, Greenville General contractor: Choate Construction, Mount Pleasant Engineer(s): Shepherd Harvey & Associates, Duluth, GA (mechanical); Eldeco (electrical); HLA (civil); WGPM, Charlotte (structural); Estimated completion date: Winter 2022 Elbit develops and supplies a broad portfolio of airborne, land, and naval systems and products for defense, homeland security, and commercial appliances. The 175,500-square-foot build-to-suit manufacturing facility is constructed out of 36-foot cast-in-place tilt walls with thermoplastic polyolefin roofing and accommodates 14 overhead cranes on the interior.

The Dunlin 6000 Kiawah River Dr., John’s Island Developer/owner: Kiawah River Hospitality Group, John’s Island Architect(s): McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture Project Manager: KRHG General contractor: Trident Construction, North Charleston Engineer(s): Crenshaw Consulting Engineers, Raleigh (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection; Thomas and Hutton, Mount Pleasant (civil); Timmerman Structural Engineering Group, West Columbia (structural) Estimated completion date: Late 2023 The Dunlin is a luxury hotel featuring ten buildings, including 72 rooms, an outdoor gathering space, a restaurant, a pool, and a spa.

Faber Place Suites 4055 Faber Place Dr., Second Floor, North Charleston Developer/owner: Kenneth Seeger Architect(s): LS3P General contractor: J. Musselman Construction Estimated completion date: September 2022 This project is an interior upfit of an existing building for tenant offices, to include break rooms, conference rooms, and general office spaces. The scope of work covers demolition of existing architectural features and installation of new walls, floors, casework, lighting, data, and glass. Also included are updates to the fire sprinkler, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

The Garden by Charles Towne Fermentory 1331 Ashley River Road, Charleston Developer/owner: Charleston Architect(s): Charleston Project Manager: Charleston General contractor: Charleston Engineer(s): HLA (landscape architecture, civil, surveying) Estimated completion date: May 2022 This new taproom and beer garden features a covered outdoor deck, large green space, and onsite parking. Existing buildings were repurposed and underwent extensive interior and exterior renovations. The site design incorporated pervious surfaces for the drive and parking as well as improvements for pedestrian connections.

Great Harvest Bakery 8636 Dorchester Road, North Charleston Developer/owner: Dodson Bakery Corp., Goose Creek Architect(s): Tidewater Architects, Summerville General contractor: J. Musselman Construction Engineers(s): William H. Branham III PE, Mount Pleasant Estimated completion date: June 2022 This project is an interior upfit of existing shell space for use as a bakery with areas to include a dining room, bake area, kitchen, office spaces, and an outdoor patio. The new floor plan requires drywall installation, flooring, paint, ceilings, and casework in addition to mechanical, plumbing, and electrical modifications.

The Hub at Nexton 1227 Nexton Pkwy., Summerville Developer/owner: SL Shaw and Associates/The Hub at Nexton Architect(s): Middleton Group Architects, North Charleston General contractor: SL Shaw and Associates Engineer(s): C Baker Engineering Estimated completion date: First quarter 2025 Consisting of six one- and two-story standalone buildings, The Hub at Nexton will offer more than 90,000 square feet of medical, retail, office, and restaurant space. Tenant units will range from 2,000 to 30,000 square feet. The buildings will face a central courtyard suitable for events, classes, and outdoor workspace.

Hydera ISO Yard Charleston International Manufacturing Center 1690 Bushy Park Road, Goose Creek Developer/owner: Hydera, Pacolet Milliken and Ouray Architect(s): Berenyi General contractor: Berenyi Construction Engineer(s): Berenyi, Live Oak Consultants, North Charleston, Stantec Estimated completion date: June 2022 Estimated total cost: $15 million Hydera broke ground on this 260,000-square-foot facility in June 2021, establishing operations in Berkley County. This project incorporates a new 550-foot utility pipe rack with two overhead bridges, custom fall-protection systems, wash and maintenance racks, office space, and locker rooms. Hydera is a full-service ISO container depot that the needs of the bulk-liquids–transportation industry.

Kiawah River Commissary 2577 Mullet Hall Road, Johns Island Developer/owner: Kiawah River Hospitality Group, Johns Island Architect(s): McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture General contractor: Southcon Building Group, Mount Pleasant Estimated completion date: September 2022 This project consists of a new 17,500-square-foot Kiawah River Commissary building. This multipurpose pre-engineered building includes an administrative area (offices, housekeeping, and staff-support spaces), commercial kitchen, dining room, locker room, and golf-cart storage building—all to support an onsite event hall, restaurant, hotel, and rental properties.

LifeStance Health 4000 Faber Place Dr., Suite 110, North Charleston Developer/owner: LifeStance Health, North Charleston Architect(s): Onyx Creative, Cleveland General contractor: J. Musselman Engineer(s): Blue Streak Consulting, Cleveland (mechanical, electrical) Estimated completion date: March 2022 This project is an interior upfit of existing space on the first floor of a four-story building. New offices are being built with partition walls, lay-in ceilings, LED light fixtures, doors with glass, and new paint and flooring. Also included are modifications to the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

June 13-26, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 29

CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Longevity Fitness Expansion #2 163 Rutledge Ave., Suite 200 Developer/owner: Longevity Fitness Charleston Architect(s): Robbie Marty Architect General contractor: J. Musselman Construction Engineer(s): Technika (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) Estimated completion date: June 2022 This project is a renovation of existing space to expand Longevity Fitness on the second floor. Scope includes complete demolition of existing office space, framing for a new reception area, private and group fitness rooms, restrooms, and other new spaces that increase member amenities. Trades for this work include framing, drywall, painting, flooring, casework, and other architectural finishes. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are provided as well.

Malcolm C. Hursey Montessori School 3910 Verde Ave., North Charleston Developer/owner: Charleston County School District Architect(s): Red Iron Architects, North Charleston General contractor: McKnight Construction, Augusta Engineer(s): Owens & Associates, Mount Pleasant (mechanical, plumbing); Critical Systems Engineering, Mount Pleasant (electrical); SSOE | Stevens & Wilkinson, Columbia (civil, structural); Red Bay Constructors, North Charleston (concrete foundations, slab on grade, slab on deck) Estimated completion date: August 2023 This project includes the construction of a new 120,000-squarefoot state-of-the-art educational facility for 600 students in grades 3K through 8th. Site grading is complete, concrete footings and foundations are in progress. The project is on track to be ready for the 2023–2024 academic year. Red Bay Constructors is providing concrete footings, foundations, slab on grade, and slab on deck for this project. The Brownstone Group is the owner’s representative.

New Thompson Library 370 University Blvd., Conway Developer/owner: Coastal Carolina University Architect(s): Garvin Design Group General contractor: Chancel Construction Engineer(s): RMF Engineering (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection); ADC Engineering (civil) Estimated completion date: Fall 2023 Estimated total cost: $29.8 million Coastal Carolina broke ground for the new Thompson Library

in May 2022. This two-story, 64,000-square-foot facility will integrate much-needed student spaces and services with cutting-edge immersive technologies. The first floor will feature a large makerspace, a virtual-reality and data-visualization lab, and individual studios for video/audio production. The second floor will include tutoring and learning centers, a studentsuccess center, and student computing services.

Opportunity Center Tenant Upfits 8570 Rivers Ave., North Charleston Developer/owner: Homes of Hope, Greenville Architect(s): McMillan Pazden Smith Architecture General contractor: J. Musselman Construction Engineer(s): Epic Engineering Mt. Pleasant (mechanical, electrical, fire protection) Estimated completion date: July 2022 This project consists of the addition of nonprofit tenant office upfits inside the Opportunity Center. The new offices are being built with standard architectural features as well as mechanical, electrical, and fire protection systems.

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29A Leinbach Drive | Charleston, SC 29407 (843) 763-1166 | www.hlainc.com

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IN FOCUS: MANUFACTURING AND AUTOMOTIVE CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Pinewood Preparatory School New Athletic Facility 1114 Orangeburg Road, Summerville Developer/owner: Pinewood Preparatory School Architect(s): McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture General contractor: Southeastern Construction Company, Summerville Engineer(s): GMK Engineering, Columbia (mechanical, plumbing, fire protection); Critical Systems Engineering, Mount Pleasant( electrical); ADC Engineering, Hanahan (civil, structural) Estimated completion date: Fall 2022 Pinewood Preparatory School has started construction on a series of projects designed to transform their athletics facilities into some of the most competitive in the region.

The project includes a new synthetic turf field for use by the football, soccer, and lacrosse programs along with a two-story 13,000-square-foot athletic center. The athletic center will feature a cutting edge weight room, associated locker rooms, and the multipurpose Endzone Club.

Portside Distribution Center Building B 168 Portside Park Dr., Summerville Developer/owner: Randolph Development Architect(s): McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture Project Manager: Frampton Construction Company Engineer(s): WGPM Estimated completion date: November 2022 This project is a 204,004-square-foot industrial building. The Class-A speculative facility is the second of two heavy industrial buildings that make up the Portside Distribution Center. With a clear height of 32 feet, the rear-load facility is being constructed of concrete tilt-up panels. Upon completion, the building will feature 33 dock doors and 4 drive-in doors, 143 parking spaces, and 52 trailer storage spaces.

Quince Street Addition 312 Quince St., Mount Pleasant Architect(s): TMD Architects, Mount Pleasant General contractor: B. Chaney Improvements, Awendaw Engineer(s): J. R. Broadway, Mount Pleasant (structural) Estimated completion date: July 2022 This project expands an existing home, creating a new main bedroom with vaulted ceiling and one additional bedroom. A wet-room area in the main bathroom incorporates a soaking tub with the shower space.

June 13-26, 2022

Sweetgrass Pharmacy Phase 2 Addition 3485 Park Avenue Blvd., Mount Pleasant General contractor: Harbor Contracting This project comprises the phase two addition of Sweetgrass Pharmacy in Carolina Park.

Roper Training Room 8536 Palmetto Commerce Pkwy., North Charleston Developer/owner: Roper St. Francis Healthcare Architect(s): LS3P Associates Engineer(s): DWG Consulting(mechanical, electrical, engineering), Mount Pleasant Estimated completion date: May 2022 This third-floor office upfit creates a corporate training facility for Roper St. Francis. Trades used in the new floor plan include demolition, drywall, painting, flooring, fire protection, mechanical, electrical, fire alarm, and system controls.

Strayer University 601 Meeting St., Suite 170 Developer/owner: Strategic Education, Atlanta Architect(s): SShape, Washington, DC General contractor: J. Musselman Construction Engineer(s): Jordan & Skala, Charlotte (mechanical, electrical, plumbing), Tadjer Cohen Edelson, McLean (structural) Estimated completion date: May 2022 This project is an upfit on the first floor of an existing shell building for use as a university. Trades for this work include framing, drywall, painting, flooring, casework, and other architectural finishes. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are provided as well.

Wildcat Senior Living 2101 Cane Bay Blvd., Summerville Developer/owner: Lucky Shepard, Miami Beach Architect(s): Studio+, Fort Myers General contractor: Choate Construction, Mt. Pleasant Engineer(s): EC4B Engineering, Ft. Meyers (mechanical, electrical); Kimley-Horn and Associates, Charleston (civil); Select Structural, Ft. Myers (structural); Estimated completion date: Fall 2022 Lucky Shepherd teams with Choate Construction under its subsidiary, Shepherd Senior Living, to bring 146,000 square feet of senior living facilities to Summerville. Wildcat Senior Living consists of 85,459 square feet of memory care and assisted living for residents and 57,069 square feet of independent living connected by breezeways. The community includes a 3,400-square-foot clubhouse with amenities for residents.

June 13-26, 2022

IN FOCUS: ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

www.charlestonbusiness.com 31

Statewide architecture firm names new COO

By Melinda Waldrop mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

M

cMillan Pazdan Smith, an architecture with locations in Columbia and throughout the state, has named a new COO. Mark Gettig previously served as the president of LifeMade, a division of Greerbased manufacturer Jadex Inc. Gettig has also worked in finance, operations, and

general management for Jarden Corp., Unilever and Bose.

In his new role, Gettig will focus on financial management, team development and support Gettig services optimization across MPS’ seven offices in three states.

“McMillan Pazdan Smith is full of really talented, accomplished people,” Gettig said in a news release. “I’m looking forward to using my experience to be a part of the positive impact this firm is making in all of the communities where we operate.”

Last October, McMillan Pazdan Smith merged with Columbia firm Watson Tate Savoy. MPS also has offices in Greenville, Charleston, Charlotte, Spartanburg,

Asheville and Atlanta.

“We are very excited to have Mark join our firm’s leadership team,” McMillan Pazdan Smith CEO Chad Cousins said.

“His prior executive experience across industries adds a new perspective as we expand design services and advisory value for our clients.”

A licensed CPA, Gettig received his MBA in finance and accounting from Boston University.

CRBJ

Coffee shop, climbing gym to open shared space in Upstate

By Molly Hulsey

A

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

Travelers Rest warehouse will become a production and training hub for Upstate coffeehouse chain Methodical Manufactory well as the long-awaited new home for local climbing gym that closed its doors in 2018.

Methodical Coffee, owner of Greenville’s three local coffee shops, purchased the 39,573 square feet of warehousing space off 999 Greer Highway from Grace Church to consolidate the coffee company’s roasting, packaging and shipping

operations. The location will not house a retail coffee shop but will feature a range of other businesses in the space.

“The vision for the new location was conceived to not only benefit Methodical, but almost 14,000 square feet will be leased to other like-minded businesses to create a collaborative environment and will be referred to as the Methodical Manufactory,” Marco Suarez, co-owner of Methodical, said in a news release.

The space has an industrial look with metal rafters, brick walls and a concrete floor. The occupancy date is slated for early October.

A large portion of the warehouse

will be used for storage of Methodical’s imported green coffee beans and tea.

With larger warehousing space, Methodical will be able speed production of their coffee and teas and expand distribution of the brand’s ready-to-drink cold brew coffee and horchata beverages, according to the release.

Methodical will also locate its Training Lab, a dedicated space used to educate and train baristas and individuals with wholesale accounts, at the warehouse, along with offices for their ecommerce and internal operations. The lab will offer coffee and tea classes as well as play host to public events.

After closing the doors to its 61 Byrdland Drive climbing gym in 2018, the local nonprofit GOAT (Great Outdoor Adventure Trips) moved its youth outdoor leadership center and bike repair shop into a coffee shop on 120 Shaw St. near downtown Greenville.

The coffeeshop has sold Methodical products since opening and has helped fund the nonprofit’s efforts to offer underprivileged children and teens opportunities to explore outdoor sports and to work with organization. Now, plans to reopen the Mountain Goat Climbing Gym will come to fruition in 6,692 square feet of the Travelers Rest warehouse.

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June 13-26, 2022

By Melinda Waldrop

nity has been incredibly supportive, and we know we’ll be developing new home appliances together for generations to come,” Thomas Komaromi, general counsel of Samsung Electronics Home Appliances America, said in the release.

The 450,00-square-foot facility, housed in the former Caterpillar plant, was announced in 2017. It added 151,000 square feet to the site and installed two manufacturing and assembly lines. A second production line was added in 2018, the year manufacturing began. Since then, the plant has produced more than 4 million washing machines.

Samsung’s Newberry County investment nears $500 million

I

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

n the five years since opening its first U.S. home appliance manufacturing facility in 2017, Samsung has invested nearly $500 million in the Newberry County plant. That total exceeds the $380 million planned investment, according to a news release from the company.

Samsung has also hired more than 1,500 employees from Newberry and surrounding counties since the facility’s 2018 grand opening celebration.

“The family we’ve built in this commu-

Officials, including S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster (with scissors) and Sen. Tim Scott (to McMaster’s right) celebrate the grand opening of Samsung’s Newberry plant in 2018. (Photo/File)

CRBJ

Myriad of money matters involved in attempt to control inflation

F

or months the discussion has focused on the highest inflation rate in 40 years and how to shrink it to the Fed’s desired 2.0% pace.

The Fed seems to think it can accomplish that objective by raising the funds rate

STEPHEN SLIFER

to 2.75% by the end of this year and keeping it at that level in 2023. It also plans to shrink its balance sheet slowly initially and then reducing it by nearly $100 billion per month beginning in October.

In our view, a 2.75% funds rate is unlikely to accomplish that objective because, at that level, the real funds rate will remain negative. Negative real rates will not slow the pace of economic activity. For the Fed’s plan to work, inflation must shrink to 2.5% or so quickly. With a funds rate of 2.75% and inflation of 2.5%, the real funds rate would be +0.5%.

Given that signs of inflation are everywhere – from energy and non-energy commodity prices to the labor market and the housing market – with no hint of

subsiding any time soon, we are skeptical.

But there has been a recent development that could bring the inflation rate down more quickly than we envision.

We are talking about a recent dramatic slowing in the rate of growth of the money supply.

We have long argued that the recent burst of inflation was not temporary but, rather, the predictable result of unprecedented growth in the money supply. Prior to the 2020 recession, the M-2 measure of

path.

It continued to expand at a double-digit pace every month thereafter, and it climbed farther and farther above its 6% long-term growth path. It is currently $4 trillion above that longer-term trajectory.

What that means is that there is $4 trillion of surplus liquidity in the economy.

No wonder we have an inflation problem!

Inflation will not subside until such time as the Fed eliminates this excess liquidity.

But help is on the way. What has

decline in the money supply would be equally record-shattering.

While we do not know if the money supply will continue to contract in the months ahead, it appears that the Fed is more focused on eliminating the excess liquidity in the economy than we thought previously.

As a result, we have trimmed our projections for the core CPI from 6.4% this year to 5.8% and from 5.3% in 2023 to 4.4%. But even with this slower inflation

money had for years grown steadily at an average rate of 6%, which puts it roughly in line with growth in nominal GDP. During the 2020 recession, the Fed purchased $2.5 trillion of U.S. Treasury and mortgage-backed securities, and money growth soared.

The Fed added fuel to the fire by continuing to buy securities every month through March 2022. As a result, money growth exploded in the spring of 2020 and continued to grow at a double-digit rate through the early part of this year. In the past 12 months, its growth rate has been 8.0%.

What is important is that the level of M-2 exploded in the spring of 2020 and surged far above its 6% desired growth

gone virtually unnoticed is that money growth has slowed dramatically in recent months. Following almost two years of double-digit growth, M-2 slowed to a 5% pace in February, 3.2% in March, and then experienced an astonishing 4.5% decline in April.

We do not know what path the Fed wants the money supply to follow, but it is clear that it is aware of the excess liquidity problem and intends to do something about it. If it should allow M-2 to decline at a 4% pace every month going forward, the excess liquidity would shrink from $4 trillion currently to $0.5 trillion by the end of next year.

Just as the 2020 explosion in money growth was unprecedented, a protracted

outlook, the real funds rate would be -2.8% at the end of this year and -0.9% at the end of 2023. As long as those real rates remain negative, we should not expect much slowing in the pace of economic activity.

From 1980 until 2003, when he retired, Stephen Slifer served as chief U.S. economist for Lehman Brothers in New York City, directing the firm’s U.S. economics group along with being responsible for forecasts and analysis of the U.S. economy. He has written two books on using economic indicators to forecast financial moves and previously served as a senior economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C. Slifer can be reached at www.numbernomics.com.

June 13-26, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 33

Exercise equipment company expanding Lexington operations

By Melinda Waldrop

A

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

n exercise equipment company which purchased a Lexington facility in March is expanding operations.

Sorinex Exercise Equipment Inc. is investing $7 million in an expansion of its 120 Glassmaster Road facility expected to create 35 jobs. The expansion, expected to be completed within 12 months, will help the family-owned strength training equipment company meet increased

demand, according to a news release from Central SC Alliance.

Sorinex has created custom exercise equipment and workout apparel for 40 years for customers ranging from high school, college and professional teams to military bases.

“Lexington County has been home to Sorinex Exercise Equipment Inc. and many of our employees for years,” Kenny Workman, Sorinex controller, said in the release. “We look forward to continuing our expansion, growth and investments in the county that we work and live in.

We’re proud to have the opportunity to build the most innovative weight equipment in the world right here in Lexington, S.C.” In March, the company bought a 97,000-square-foot industrial facility at 120 Glassmaster Road for $2.7 million as it relocated operations from West Palm Beach, Fla. That 8.32-acre facility is located on the same exit off Interstate 20 as the company’s headquarters and main manufacturing hub on Litton Drive.

Sorinex also has two smaller leased

warehouses in the greater Columbia area.

Employment information is available on the company’s career page at https:// www.sorinex.com/pages/career-opportunities.

“We are thrilled to see Sorinex Exercise Equipment Inc. expand its business and continue to invest in Lexington County,” Lexington County Council Chair Scott Whetstone said.

“This investment will bring more job opportunities to our residents and allow the county to keep growing and moving in a positive direction.”

CRBJ

Duke Energy boosts hurricane response resources across SC

By Ross Norton

T

rnorton@scbiznews.com

hirty-four South Carolina nonprofits and government agencies stretching from the mountains to the ocean are receiving Duke Energy grants to help prepare for hurricane season.

Earlier this month, Duke Energy announced more than $500,000 in microgrants to help those organizations increase resiliency and ability to help res-

idents prepare for and recover from devastation brought by significant weather events.

“The key to successful emergency preparedness and recovery after a major storm begins and ends at the local level,” Mike Callahan, Duke Energy’s South Carolina president, said in a news release.

“Households and businesses across the state in recent years have endured a number of significant and costly storms.

Helping our communities prepare for and recover from these events takes signifi-

cant resources and these grants will help give our fellow first responders the tools and training they need to tackle whatever Mother Nature throws our way.”

A list of the nonprofits and organizations receiving grants, including the amount and intended purpose, is available online.

Duke Energy’s Emergency Preparedness and Storm Resiliency Grant Program was designed to help organizations with roles in emergency preparedness increase their resiliency to these events through

advanced preparation, planning, equipment and training, the release said. The program was first announced in March at the annual gathering of the state’s emergency managers in Myrtle Beach, and grantees were notified of their successful requests for funding mid-May. Applicants could request funds up to $20,000.

Nonprofits and governmental entities across all regions of the state were eligible to apply.

CRBJ

Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222.

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Homebuilders

Ranked by No. of Permits Granted in 2021 Company

Phone / Website / Email

Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded

Ashton Woods Homes 877 Island Park Drive, Suite 200 Charleston, SC 29492

843-971-5200 www.ashtonwoods.com/charleston -

1989

DRB Homes 3955 Faber Place, Suite 100 North Charleston, SC 29405

843-820-2505 www.drbhomes.com charelstoninfo@drbgroup.com

Crescent Homes 572 Savannah Highway Charleston, SC 29407

Permits / Employees

Building Areas

Price Range

500 65

Mount Pleasant, West Ashley, Johns Island, James Island, Summerville, Moncks Corner

$200,000 - $700,000

Steven Meassick, Michael Boyle 1990

317 40

Monks Corner, Goose Creek, Summerville, Ladson, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Ridgeville, Johns Island, Greenville

$330,000 - $1,800,000

843-573-9635 www.crescenthomes.net info@crescenthomes.net

Edward M. Terry 2009

284 85

Summerville, Mount Pleasant, Charleston, Johns Island

$300,000 - $1,000,000

Mungo Homes 4465 Tile Drive North Charleston, SC 29405

843-769-6390 www.mungo.com -

2003

231 30

Goose Creek, Johns Island, Moncks Corner, Mount Pleasant, West Ashley, Summerville, Awendaw

$350,000 - $1,250,000

Eastwood Homes 2265 Clements Ferry Road, Suite 205 Charleston, SC 29492

843-388-8087 www.eastwoodhomes.com dmatheney@eastwoodhomes.com

Dion Matheney 1977

200 30

Tanner Plantation, Brickhope Greens, Monarch Plantation, Sophias Landing, Oakley Pointe, Myers Mill, Waterside Landing, Buckshire, Swygerts Landing

$250,000 - $1,000,000

Hunter Quinn Homes 852 Lowcountry Blvd., Suite 100A Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-277-6226 www.hunterquinnhomes.com info@hunterquinnhomes.com

Will Herring 2010

176 44

Charleston, North Charleston, Goose Creek, Monks Corner, Summerville, Ladson, Santee, Ridgeville, St. George, Manning

$250,000 - $1,350,000

Vasko's Quality Builders 112 W. 9th North St. Summerville, SC 29483

843-851-2133 www.vaskosqualitybuilders.com vaskos@vaskosqualitybuilders.com

Scott A. Vasko 1992

130 10

Tri-county area

$250,000 - $1,000,000

Saussy Burbank 730 Coleman Blvd., Suite K Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-416-1027 www.saussyburbank.com charleston@saussyburbank.com

Ivie J. Kirk 1990

100 15

Nexton and Kiawah River

$300,000 - $1,200,000

Cline Homes 363 Wando Place Drive, Suite 101 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-849-2929 www.cline-homes.com info@cline-homes.com

Jeff Cline, Stu Cline, Scott Cline 2005

29 13

Daniel Island Park and Edgefield Park, Daniel Island; Riverside at Carolina Park; Awendaw Village

$600,000 - $2,500,000

Manorhouse Builders of South Carolina LLC 215 E. Bay St., Suite 504 Charleston, SC 29401

843-377-1312 www.manorhousesc.com kimberly@manorhousebuilders.com

Hilton C. Smith III 2004

20 6

Johns Island, Ridgeville, Beaufort, Port Royal

$450,000 - $750,000

Dolphin Architects & Builders 3730 Bohicket Road Johns Island, SC 29455

843-768-2404 www.dolphinbuilders.com info@dolphinbuilders.com

Noel Kade, Jonathan Marshall, Christopher Ibsen 1990

15 14

Custom-designed new homes and renovations in Kiawah, Seabrook, downtown Charleston, James Island and Mount Pleasant

$1,500,000 - $4,000,000

Flyway SC LLC 1640 Meeting St. Road, Suite 302 Charleston, SC 29405

843-853-5557 www.flywaysc.com info@flywaysc.com

Lindsay N. Nevin 2004

15 5

The Charleston peninsula; specialize in historic properties in emerging neighborhoods

$500,000 - $2,000,000

Galloway Family Homes Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-821-5030 www.gallowayfamilyhomes.com chris@gallowayfamilyhomes.com

Chris Eller 2002

14 5

Builds in the Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, James Island, John Island and Isle of Palms areas

$1,500,000 - $5,000,000

Seamar Construction Group Inc. 3690 Bohicket Road, Suite 3C Johns Island, SC 29455

843-768-1758 www.seamarconstruction.com info@seamarconstruction.com

Mark A. Faenza, Richard J. Faenza, Steven C. Parham, Charles L. Hudson 2004

13 7

Residential homes in Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island and Johns Island

$980,000 - $3,200,000

Arnett Construction 1 Cool Blow St., Suite 322 Charleston, SC 29403

843-271-8668 www.arnettconstructionsc.com office@arnettconstructionsc.com

Travis Arnett 2008

12 14

Downtown Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Kiawah, Johns Island, James Island, Sullivans Island, Isle of Palms

$300,000 - $12,000,000

Delpino Custom Homes LLC 1023 E. Montague Ave., Suite B North Charleston, SC 29405

843-818-4866 www.delpinocustomhomes.com delpinocustomhomes@gmail.com

Nathan J. Delpino 2010

12 6

Daniel Island, Charleston peninsula, Mount Pleasant, James Island, Park Circle, Kiawah River, Johns Island

$1,000,000 - $4,000,000

Ilderton Contracting LLC 2201 Middle St. Sullivans Island, SC 29482

843-883-3708 www.ildertoncontracting.com info@ildertoncontractors.com

Adam Ilderton, Pat Ilderton, Doug Smith 1978

12 9

Charleston, Sullivans Island, Isle of Palms, Mount Pleasant, Wadmalaw Island, Johns Island

$800,000 - $4,500,000

Cava Custom Build 2845 Cane Slash Road Johns Island, SC 29455

843-708-7050 www.cavacustombuild.com cava@cavacustombuild.com

Cava Compton 2018

10 3

Johns Island, Charleston, Kiawah, Seabrook, Wadmalaw, James Island, Mount Pleasant

$300,000 - $2,000,000

Structures Building Co. 875 Coleman Blvd.

Mount Pleasant , SC 29464

843-856-6901 www.structures.net info@structures.net

Steve Kendrick 1999

10 15

Daniel Island, Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island, Mount Pleasant, Charleston

$2,000,000 - $6,000,000

Sea Island Builders 2113 Middle St., Suite 100 Sullivan's Island, SC 29482

843-883-7430 www.seaislandbuilders.com jason.fowler@seaislandbuilders.com

2004

8 9

Awendaw, Charleston, Isle of Palms, Kiawah Island, James Island, Mount Pleasant, Sullivan's Island

$600,000 - $3,000,000

Sea Island Habitat for Humanity Inc. 2545 Bohicket Road Johns Island, SC 29455

843-768-0998 www.seaislandhabitat.org john@seaislandhabitat.org

John Rhoden 1978

8 25

Johns Island, James Island, Wadmalaw Island

$150,000 - $285,000

Bennett Hofford Construction Co. 17 Lockwood Drive, 4th Floor Charleston, SC 29401

843-722-8169 www.bennetthoffordconstruction.com info@bennetthofford.com

Hank Hofford, Susan L. Ford, Robert Puffinburger 1983

7 8

Downtown Charleston, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, Wadmalaw Island, Johns Island, Mount Pleasant, Santee and St. Kitts, West Indies

$1,800,000 - $7,200,000

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

Researched by Business Journal staff

June 13-26, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 35

Homebuilders

Ranked by No. of Permits Granted in 2021 Company

Phone / Website / Email

Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded

Byrd Builders Inc. 3690 Bohicket Road, Suite 4C Johns Island, SC 29455

843-243-0343 www.byrdbuildersinc.com matt@byrdbuildersinc.com

Matt Byrd 1998

Design Builders Inc. 694 Wildwood Road Charleston, SC 29412

843-795-1779 www.designbuilders.us designbuilders@bellsouth.net

JacksonBuilt Custom Homes 130 River Landing Drive, Suite 12B Daniel Island, SC 29492

Permits / Employees

Building Areas

Price Range

6 5

Kiawah Island

$2,500,000 - $15,000,000

Bill Douglas, Eric A. Douglas 1991

6 2

Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley counties

$100,000 - $1,500,000

843-471-2310 www.jacksonbuilthomes.com info@jacksonbuilthomes.com

Richard Jackson 2008

5 5

Daniel Island, Mount Pleasant, Kiawah River

$2,000,000 - $4,000,000

Newman R. W. Construction 696 Clearview Drive James Island, SC 29412

843-532-3087 newmanrwn@aol.com

1990

5 10

Charleston

$25,000 - $2,000,000

Brassfield & Fulk 3333 Maybank Highway Johns Island, SC 29455

843-559-2804 www.brassfieldfulk.com chris@brassfieldfulk.com

Chris Brassfield, Bernie Fulk 2007

4 4

Kiawah, Seabrook, Johns Island, Mount Pleasant, IOP, Awendaw

$1,400,000 - $3,500,000

Coastal Premier Homes LLC 537 Long Point Road, Suite 202 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-492-6770 www.arhcharleston.com clattif@arhomes.com

Chuck Lattif 2013

4 7

Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties

$1,000,000 - $5,000,000

Master Home Builder LLC 668 Marina Drive, Suite A3 Charleston, SC 29492

843-224-0695 www.master-homebuilder.com office@master-homebuilder.com

James Alton Cannon 2012

4 4

Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties

$400,000 - $3,000,000

Trellis Residential P.O. Box 1670 Mount Pleasant, SC 29465

843-297-3932 www.trellisresidential.com jeff@trellisresidential.com

Jeff Pritchard 2012

4 4

Charleston peninsula, Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, Sullivan's Island, Isle of Palms

$1,000,000 - $5,000,000

Priester's Custom Contracting LLC 130 Sand Dollar Lane Summerville, SC 29483

843-200-8495 www.priestercustomhomes.com info@priestercustomhomes.com

Rochelle K. Priester 2003

3 2

Lowcountry

$650,000 - $3,000,000

East Cooper Habitat for Humanity Inc. 447 Jessen Lane, Suite B Wando, SC 29492

843-881-2600 www.eastcooperhabitat.org bob@eastcooperhabitat.org

Robert S. Hervey 1990

2 5

Mount Pleasant, Awendaw, McClellanville, Huger

$215,000 - $250,000

Generation Homes Inc. 18 Boyer Court Charleston, SC 29403

843-696-1975 www.generationhomessc.com andy.barber@generationhomessc.com

Andy Barber 2014

2 2

Charleston

$600,000 - $2,000,000

Mathis Ferry Development LLC 885 Low Country Blvd., Suite 206 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464

843-568-1000 rmillerchc@bellsouth.net

Robert E. Miller 1987

2 5

Mount Pleasant, Charleston, Isle of Palms, Sullivans Island

$1,400,000 - $2,100,000

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

Researched by Business Journal staff

Make data driven decisions.

The story of the Charleston business market continues to be a story best told in numbers. Market Facts provides the context for the data and statistics critical to commerce in our region.

COVID-19 reshaped our economy, and now, more than ever, business leaders require the latest data, facts and trends to navigate the pandemic and capitalize on the continuing recovery.

Advertise in Market Facts and position your company as a valuable resource as we continue to navigate the new normal.

PUBLICATION DATE: AUGUST 22, 2022 | ADVERTISING DEADLINE: JULY 15, 2022 For advertising information, contact Jim Wheeler at 843-849-3104 or jwheeler@scbiznews.com

At Work

BUSINESS DIGEST | PEOPLE IN THE NEWS | HOT PROPERTIES

Business Digest

People in the News ACCOUNTING

Logistics firm leases office space at Marshside Third-party logistics firm Total Quality Logistics has leased 40,589 square feet of office space at Marshside, Charleston’s newest waterfront office located in Nowell Creek Village on Daniel Island.

After ongoing renovations, the 200,000-quare-foot building will include a concierge desk run by Holder Properties’ onsite property management team, conference facilities, a fitness center, locker rooms, bike storage, and a grab-and-go market with daily fresh foods and beverages. The building offers large, customizable floor plates and completed spec suites available for immediate move-in.

Nowell Creek Village is a new waterfront community that will feature high-end apartments, luxury homes, experiential retail, trails and parks.

12 years serving the Charleston contract furniture industry and interior design business.

Hudson Lambert Parrott Walker adds Charleston office

Medical center earns ‘A’ safety grade

East Cooper Medical Center earned an ‘A’ in the Spring 2022 Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing the hospital’s achievements protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care.

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, assigns A-F grades to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as systems in place to prevent harm.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harms to patients. The grading system, updated each fall and spring, is peer-reviewed, transparent and free to the public.

Interior Elements opens new location Interior Elements has opened a new showroom at The Quin, located at 1940 Alonquin Road, Suite 103. Friends and colleagues Becky Ness and Karen Windsor have worked together for more than

Hudson Lambert Parrott Walker has opened offices in Charleston and Orlando. N. Ward Lambert manages the Charleston office, and Carlton Miller manages the Orlando office.

Ward Lambert, a firm partner, leads the South Carolina practice, which also includes an office in Greenville. His focus is the construction industry: over the last 30 years, he has counseled, advised, and represented numerous regional, national, and international general contractors, construction managers, design-builders, EPC contractors, owners, architectural and engineering firms, and subcontractors in connection with construction projects located throughout the United States.

Lambert earned his bachelor of science in chemical engineering from Clemson University and a juris doctor from the University of South Carolina of Law. Miller, also a partner, leads the firm’s practice in Florida. Miller is board certified in construction law by the Florida Bar and rated A. V. Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. He focuses his practice on assisting clients with the resolution of complex commercial construction law disputes throughout the U.S. and beyond.

Miller has successfully represented owners, developers, large general contracting firms, agency and at-risk construction managers, design professionals, and subcontractors in numerous multimillion-dollar claims and disputes. His clients have included mainstays in the ENR Top 100 Design-Build Firms, ENR Top 400 Contractors, and ENR Top 250 International Contractors.

Miller earned his BS in civil/environmental engineering from Brigham Young University and his JD from Temple University.

PURE Theatre announces 20th season special

PURE Theatre will celebrate its 20th anniversary season, beginning in August, with five productions including two world premieres and three Southeast regional premiere plays.

To celebrate, PURE is offering Season 20 tickets for $20 each for 20 days from June 13 through July 2, available for purchase online only.

Season 20 performances will take place at the Cannon Street Arts Center as well as virtually through PURE Live, the company’s live-streaming program (subject to rights availability). The season includes: A Hidden Life, by Randy Neale, August 18 through September 10: Four actors share the remarkable and quiet brilliance of one woman’s life from her impoverished birth on a dirt farm in Canada, through her life as a young widow and mother in Detroit during the depression, to the satisfaction of her matriarchy of a huge extended family.

Clyde’s, by Lynn Nottage, January 12, 2023, through February 4, 2023: Creating the perfect sandwich is the shared quest of the formerly incarcerated kitchen staff of Clyde’s, a truck stop cafe. Even as the shop’s mischievous owner tries to keep them under her thumb, the staffers are given purpose and permission to dream.

Truist Bank invests $3 million in community loan fund

South Carolina Community Loan Fund (SCCLF) recently announced that Truist Bank has invested $3 million in the fund’s revolving loan fund. The investment will help SCCLF serve organizations led by women, people of color, and those located in rural and low-income communities, all of which have historically been denied adequate access to capital.

Community development financial institutions such as SCCLF pool capital See BD, Page 38

Alexandria Romero, CPA, has joined Chris Hervochon CPA CVA as a virtual chief financial officer. In her new role, Romero directs financial planning, Romero financial reports, and financial strategies for digital marketing agencies around the country.

Romero previously served as CFO for Colorado’s Pueblo City-County Library District, overseeing a $14 million-plus budget. Her accounting experience also includes positions as senior auditor and tax accountant for McPherson, Goodrich, Paolucci & Mihelich, in Pueblo, as well as accountant positions for the Colorado Springs Housing Authority in Colorado Springs and Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo.

Her accolades include 2022 Colorado State University Department of Accounting Hall of Fame inductee, 2021 CPA Practice Advisor’s “40 Under 40” Accounting Professionals, and Pueblo City-County Library District’s 2021 Outstanding Woman Award.

BUSINESS SERVICES Christopher G. Funk, who recently retired from the United States Secret Service, has joined the Sequoia Security Group’s management team as vice presiFunk dent of operations.

He oversees both investigative and physical security projects in South Carolina for the Bethesda firm.

Funk began his Secret Service career as a special agent in the New York field office, where he worked on high-profile fraud investigations. Later in his career, he served as both a member and team leader for the presidential protection detail, counter assault team. In his last duty assignment, Funk was the resident agent in charge of the Charleston Resident Office, where he supervised financial criminal investigations as well as supported the agency’s protective mission in his district.

Funk holds a bachelors of arts degree from Salisbury State University and a See PEOPLE, Page 37

June 13-26, 2022

PEOPLE, from Page 36

master of arts in homeland security, with honors, from American Military University. In addition, he served as a United States Army paratrooper with the 3/325 Airborne Battalion Combat Team, completing a tour in Northern Iraq in 1991.

Norsan Media, one of the largest Spanish-language media companies in the Southeast, has promoted Vanessa Gongora to territory director of South Carolina and Florida.

Her primary responsibility is overseeing sales and collaborating with talent and Gongora promotions teams, now with the addition of the Florida market.

Gongora joined Norsan Media in April 2020 as territory manager of Charleston and was quickly promoted to lead statewide sales efforts. She previously worked with fronteraTech, Lutheran Immigration Services Carolinas, and national media companies such as Time and Conde Nast.

The South Carolina Small Business Development Centers, the state’s premier provider of business assistance to small business owners and entrepreneurs, has brought in David Dougherty as a community navigator business consultant.

A business professional with more than 47 years of banking experience in South Carolina, Dougherty supports the state’s Community Navigator Pilot Program in its mission to equip and empower minority, rural, and other underserved sectors of the entrepreneurial community.

Throughout his career, Dougherty has developed a passion for seeing small businesses succeed. Having been part of a family-owned business himself, he understands the struggles and rewards of small business ownership. Dougherty is enthusiastic about engaging with South Carolina business owners and is determined to learn about their needs and help them identify long-term solutions.

EDUCATION Adam Womble has been awarded a Roy H. Park Scholarship, worth more than $200,000, to pursue engineering at North Carolina State University this fall. Womble is a local high school student and regular participant in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs at Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic Like many others before him, Womble soaked up the education, inspiration, and experiences at NIWC Atlantic, gaining not just encouragement in his STEM pursuits but also the confidence to dream big.

His tuition, textbooks, academic supplies and other expenses will be covered by the scholarship, which brings exceptional students to NC State based on aca-

www.charlestonbusiness.com 37

demic success, leadership, service, and character.

LAW The Steinberg Law Firm has added Adam P. Greene as an associate attorney.

Greene joins the firm as a personal injury and workers’ compensation attorney.

Greene A former insurance industry defense attorney, Adam has experience representing insurance companies against workers’ comp and personal injury claims. In his new role, his practice focuses on helping victims recover compensation for personal injury, workers’ compensation, and social security disability. Adam has an advantage of knowing the strategies and tactics that insurance companies use to deny benefits to injured workers. He understands what they are looking for and how to help the injured workers of South Carolina to get them the medical treatment and financial compensation they deserve.

Adam was recognized in the 2020 edition of the South Carolina Business Magazine’s Legal Elite. He earned his undergraduate degree in finance from Auburn University and his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He made the dean’s list four semesters in a row and was an associate symposium editor of the South Carolina Journal of International Law and Business.

During the summers throughout undergrad and law school, Adam interned with the U.S. House of Representatives and as a judicial law clerk with the Richland County Judicial Center.

Columbia attorney J. Hagood Tighe has taken office as president of the South Carolina Bar. He was sworn in by U.S. District Court Judge J. Michelle Tighe Childs during the SC Bar’s Annual Assembly at Central Energy, in Columbia.

An experienced labor and employment law attorney, Tighe is a partner at Fisher Phillips in the firm’s Columbia office and co-chair of the firm’s national wage and hour practice group. He is certified by the South Carolina Supreme Court as a specialist in employment and labor law.

At Fisher Phillips, Tighe is an active member of the class and collective action practice. In recent years, he has handled more than 40 class and collective actions throughout the country, many of which involve wage and hour issues. He also has extensive experience defending single plaintiff lawsuits alleging wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment,

and retaliation. While he maintains an active litigation practice, he also focuses on providing practical and proactive advice designed to minimize the risk of litigation.

Tighe received the Carolyn Holderman Vision Award from the Central Carolina Community Foundation for his leadership as chairman and was recognized by the Richland County Bar Association with its Civic Star Award. He also has received the Silver Compleat Lawyer Award from the University of South Carolina School of Law Alumni Association; this award recognizes alumni who have made significant contributions to the legal profession and who exemplify the highest standard of professional competence, ethics, and integrity.

NONPROFIT Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd’s David Caughran, an associate in the firm’s Charleston office, has graduated from the Roper St. Francis Foundation Fellows Caughran Program.

Through the 2021–2022 Fellows Program, eighteen participants met leading staff and physicians and took an in-depth look into the Roper St. Francis Healthcare System and Roper St. Francis Foundation.

Caughran’s practice focuses on public finance law: he works with municipalities, counties, state entities and other organizations with bond issues and other financing structures. In addition, he assists clients with economic incentive matters when they relocate to or expand in South Carolina. David serves on the board of directors for the Charleston Horticultural Society and is a member of the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division and Spoleto Scene.

Lowcountry Local First, a nonprofit organization that cultivates an economy anchored in local ownership, has added Lauchlan Davis and Kip Watson to its staff.

Davis joins the staff as a part-time bookkeeper and administrative assistant.

Through bookkeeping, she cultivates her passion for supporting small businesses Davis and nonprofits. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a bachelor of arts in English and art history, Lauchlan discovered her love of bookkeeping and data management while working for small businesses in the Charleston area.

She is pursuing a post-baccalaureate certificate of accounting at the University of

Virginia. When Lauchlan is not working behind the front desk at Local Works Coworking Space, she manages her own small businesses: a fine art studio and a boutique bookkeeping practice.

Watson joins the staff as the community builder, leading all recruitment and engagement efforts for the base of independent business members and members of Local Works. A Boston native, Watson came to the Lowcountry to attend the College of Charleston, where he also earned his master of public administration with a certificate in urban and regional planning. He tailored his coursework to focus on local-level economic development and took his learning outside the classroom working with the MPA Community Assistance Program, NC Growth SmartUp, and the City of Charleston’s Office of Business and Neighborhood Services.

REAL ESTATE Margaret Loos has placed her license with AgentOwned Realty’s Mount Pleasant office. A resident of the Charleston and Summerville areas since 1993, Margaret Loos served in the nursing profession for 42 years before beginning her career in real estate.

She and fellow nurse Danyelle Kayhani created the KayLoo Team to share their knowledge of the Lowcountry and their service-oriented way of doing business with prospective home-buyers and sellers.

Danyelle Kayhani has placed her license with AgentOwned Realty’s Mount Pleasant office. A 30-year resident of the Charleston tricounty region, she has worked as a registered nurse for the past decade and a half.

Her background includes emergency medicine, home health, hospice care, and travel nursing. While driving from place to place to take care of people, Kayhani found beauty in families coming together in the safe havens of their homes. She was struck by Edisto’s beach houses, downtown Charleston’s historic singles, and the nearby rural areas. These experiences helped build her interest in real estate.

She and Loos created the KayLoo Team.

Amy Lee Barresi has placed her license with AgentOwned Realty’s Mount Pleasant office. A South Carolina native and University of South Carolina alumna, Amy has 10 years’ experience selling homes. In this time, she has developed an understanding of the importance of communication among all parties involved and how each real estate transaction is different.

Barresi has led buyer and seller transactions and helped clients with national and international relocations.

38

www.charlestonbusiness.com

June 13-26, 2022

from financial institutions, foundations, individuals and government entities to finance critically needed community development projects.

SCCLF uses the revolving loan fund to finance the development of affordable housing, community facilities, and small businesses across the state.

Faculty Member: Kevin Mitchell, Trident Technical College. This award is presented as a thank-you to outstanding faculty members who showcase the central purpose of technical or community colleges in teaching and learning.

Professional Board Staff: Michael Zanfardino, Midlands Technical College. Presented to a board staff member in recognition of exemplary service to a board.

Ag-tech/industrial tech collaboration goes for the green

New town hall track completed in Mount Pleasant

BD, from Page 36

Target your market in an upcoming issue of the Charleston Regional Business Journal

JUNE 27

MANUFACTURING & AEROSPACE List: Largest Employers Special Section: Business Cares Salute to the Military Advertising Deadline: June 13 JULY 11

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

List: Commercial Real Estate Companies Bonus List: Commercial Moving & Storage Cos. Advertising Deadline: June 27 JULY 25

BANKING & FINANCE

List: Accounting Firms Bonus List: Credit Unions Advertising Deadline: July 11 AUGUST 8

ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION (AEC) List: Architecture Firms Special Section: Icons & Phenoms Advertising Deadline: July 25

For advertising information, call Robert Reilly at 843.849.3107

BrightMa Farms, in partnership with SonoAsh Engineered Materials of Maryland, an industry-leading collaboration to develop carbon-negative building materials (green cement) that address the global building products industry requirements for low-carbon materials.

The collaboration represents an innovative intersection of ag-tech and industrial technology.

BrightMa Farms is a vertically integrated, minority owned, and veteran managed industrial-hemp group with corporate offices in Charleston. Since 2018, it has been developing a cluster of global technology companies to maximize the value of hemp as a low-carbon, environmentally friendly feedstock.

SonoAsh, a process engineering company, holds six patents for low-carbon, engineered, green-cement products for numerous applications. When combined with a carbon-neutral or negative manufacturing material such as industrial hemp, the result is a starting point for a globally impactful product development program.

Virgin cement production represents 8 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions. Integrating hemp fiber waste into high-performance cement applications will reduce emissions at the comprehensive materials’ input level (called upfront carbon) while providing important performance characteristics.

SCATCC doles out 2022 awards

The South Carolina Association of Technical College Commissioners (SCATCC) announces the selection of five 2022 award winners.

Commissioner Leadership: Garry Powers, Midlands Technical College.

Honors an individual who has made significant contributions to promote the technical or community college concept.

Equity: Tri-County Technical College.

Recognizes an exemplary commitment by a technical or community college governing board and its chief executive officer as a group, or an individual and chief executive officer, to achieve equity in the college’s education programs and services in the administration and in delivery of those programs and services.

Chief Executive Officer: Willie L. Todd Jr., PhD, Denmark Technical College. Marks the tremendous services of and contributions made by a technical or community college CEO.

SeamonWhiteside, a full-service land design firm with offices throughout the Carolinas, has completed the civil engineering and landscape architecture for the new Mount Pleasant Town Hall track. This marks the completion of the improvement project at the Town Hall complex, which includes a new town hall and town hall gym. Initial construction of the track began in July 2021 and was completed last month.

The town partnered with the College of Charleston to demolish and upgrade the existing track surface with a new rubberized running surface. This track will add tremendous value to the community, offering an upgraded surface better suited for athletes, new field and track lighting, covered ADA-compliant bleachers for spectators, a storage area, and new fencing and a new scoreboard on the field.

The track, used by the College of Charleston track team for daily practices, is also free and open to the general public for recreational use.

SC SHRM State Council wins Excel Platinum Award

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) gave its 2021 Excel Platinum Award to the South Carolina SHRM State Council. The award is given to state councils and chapters to recognize major accomplishments, strategic activities, and tactical initiatives that elevate the profession of human resources.

The Excel Award can be earned at four levels: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. Each level has a set of requirements and accomplishments that must be met.

South Carolina SHRM State Council will receive recognition in SHRM publications and at conferences, a logo to display on its website, and information to share with its members about the significance of this award.

South Carolina SHRM’s submission for 2021 highlighted several successful initiatives, including its commitment to increase dual Chapter/SHRM membership by encouraging SC SHRM state conference attendees to join a chapter if they were not already a part of one. SC SHRM also partnered with Junior Achievement of the Carolinas for a virtual career fair, which included a virtual booth, videos of HR professionals telling their HR journey, and live chat with SC SHRM State Council members to answer attendee questions.

CRBJ

Viewpoint

VIEWS, PERSPECTIVES AND READERS’ LETTERS

Illustration/File

Goodwill Industries program matches senior workers, employers

I

’ve been a workforce development professional since 2007.

That’s also when I first became aware of the mission side of Goodwill Industries Mann of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina.

We’re all familiar with the thrift stores.

What many people don’t know? Those great deals fuel an enterprise that provides career training and job placement services for thousands of folks in our local communities. It was something I came to understand deeply when I became the business solutions director for Midlands Technical College in 2012. Students came to Midlands Tech for training and certifications through a partnership with Goodwill.

Class after class, I saw the impact of Goodwill. Some people gained a new way to support themselves or their family.

Some used Goodwill’s programs for help with a job search, writing a resume or for interview coaching. The more I learned, the more I was compelled to bring those services to more South Carolinians. In 2018, I joined the nonprofit’s Board of

Directors.

Through my work on the Board, I’ve gotten to know more of Goodwill’s career services programs. I believe one in particular — the Senior Community Service Employment Program — is a win-win for purpose-seeking older Americans and businesses emerging from COVID-19 into today’s tighter-than-tight job market.

SCSEP is a community service and work-based job training program for Americans age 55 and older. The program, first authorized by Congress’ Older Americans Act in 1965, provides training for low-income, unemployed seniors.

If your first thought is it’s a nonstarter because seniors are retired, I wouldn’t be surprised. But the reality is quite the opposite.

Retirement is a luxury many seniors do not have nor one that some even seek.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that by 2024, the labor force will grow to an estimated 164 million people.

Of that, about 41 million are expected to be age 55+. Within those senior workers will be a super senior workforce of about 13 million age 65+.

While some will need income, others are simply not yet ready for retirement.

They crave purpose. They’re not built to sit at home every day.

The SCSEP program is ideal for both senior populations plus those who don’t know how to go about getting a job or lack skills demanded by modern workplaces.

With so much emphasis on technology, learning computer skills was a big draw for the SCSEP program before the pandemic.

Post-COVID, hiring trends have further digitized.

Virtual interviews, digital meetings and conferences occur on screens every day. And that’s all on top of the job hunting basics — connecting with employers, preparing a resume and interviewing for a role.

But the benefits of SCSEP don’t end with employees. It’s relief for employers, too.

At this moment, many organizations are struggling to fill seats. With labor in high demand, part-time jobs are going unfilled.

There’s an entire population of experienced workers Goodwill can connect employers to. They’re vetted, productive, reliable and have much to offer.

Participants are first evaluated for their skills and interests and then placed with

local or nonprofit government agencies.

They receive about 20 hours per week paid, on-the-job skills training in places such as social services nonprofits, schools, libraries, daycare and senior centers, and health care centers.

Connecting people who want to work with places to work. That’s what’s happening at your local Goodwill today and every day.

If you’d like to learn more about the Senior Community Service Employment Program, just reach out to Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina by calling (864) 593-6984 or toll-free 1-877-538-7975 or email scsep@ goodwillsc.org.

Kim Mann is the talent Management Consultant for the South Carolina Department of Commerce as well as Board Secretary for Goodwill Industries of Upstate/ Midlands South Carolina.

CRBJ

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

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