BEST ADVICE Angela Craig, executive director, Charleston County Public Library
PAGE 4 VOLUME 26 NUMBER 13 ■ CHARLESTONBUSINESS.COM
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Joint Base Charleston supports flight to space station with C-17 rescue crews on alert. Page 7
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Landlords, tenants told to be ‘human’ in renegotiations By Andy Owens
E
ven with the state slowly reopening, the coronavirus pandemic has rendered certain commercial space less valuable for many small businesses — but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to pay your rent, according to a Mount Pleasant attorney. Alex Juncu, an attorney who specializes in contract law, including landlord and tenant issues, said landlords and tenants can save a lot of time when renegotiating a lease by knowing what’s in the lease and by remembering the “human component” in each transaction. “Exercise patience, but also be ready to make some concessions,” he said. “When you do collaborate, you’ll make a lot more progress than when you’re in an adversarial position.” He said landlords and tenants must
New chief exec
Kion North America names new CEO for the company’s U.S. headquarters. Page 17
Industrial partner Kontane Logistics opens warehouse facility in Berkeley County to serve Volvo. Page 14
See LEASING, Page 12
Nonprofit donations increase despite COVID-19 pressures
Incubating life sciences
Charleston Digital Corridor opens incubator in WestEdge. Page 12
By Alexandria Ng
INSIDE
Upfront................................. 2 SC Biz News Briefs................. 3 Best Advice........................... 4 Vantage Point...................10-11 In Focus: Architecture, Engineering and Construction................ 19 List: Homebuilders..............32 At Work...............................35 Stephen Slifer..................... 36 Viewpoint........................... 38
aowens@scbiznews.com
Many storefronts were damaged on King Street during the protests in late May. (Photo/Shawnda Poynter)
After a night of smashed windows, a car fire, looted inventory and questions about how public officials handled protests and curfews, Charleston-area companies try to restore order to their businesses once again.
Page 6
T
ang@scbiznews.com
he COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on the economy, bringing national unemployment numbers to 13.3% in May and shutting down some businesses permanently. But donors across the country are rallying around nonprofits at a time when some say they are most needed. Tim Winkler is CEO of the Winkler Group, See NONPROFITS, Page 5
CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION Who is building what in the Charleston area? Projects, companies, prices, projected timelines, photos and stories. Page 19
Upfront
BRIEFS | FACTS | STATEWIDE NEWS | BEST ADVICE
Comparing regional job markets
M
aybe if we don’t look at every single statistic and data point through the lens of the coronavirus, we can start remembering what life could be like outside of a global pandemic. However, since before COVID-19 took a swipe at humanity, the U.S. Census Bureau’s data divers have kept tabs on the employment, payroll, health and wealth of our local, regional and state economy. Even though South Carolina isn’t the largest state in terms of numbers of employees and total payroll, even by Southeastern standards, our average pay keeps the Palmetto State in the economic ballpark with larger states, such as Georgia and North Carolina. Inside the state, Charleston, Greenville and Richland counties have close to the same average pay, within a few hundred dollars per year, though Greenville County has the most workers and highest overall payroll at nearly $11 billion annually.
ON THE
RECORD
Employees, payroll in the Lowcountry County
Employees
Payroll
Average pay
Charleston
206,599
$9.3 billion
$45,023
Berkeley
49,941
$2.5 billion
$49,555
Dorchester
30,217
$1.1 billion
$36,840
Employees, payroll in the largest S.C. counties County
Employees
Payroll
Average pay
Greenville
237,218
$10.7 billion
$45,164
Charleston
206,599
$9.3 billion
$45,023
Richland
163,353
$7.3 billion
$44,850
Employee data for selected Southeastern states State
Employees
Payroll
Average pay
Georgia
3,888,928
$191.9 billion
$49,356
N. Carolina
3,774,377
$175.7 billion
$46,549
S. Carolina
1,866,451
$76.7 billion
$41,098
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2017
“Our investment in the Flagship – WestEdge business incubator is a tangible sign of the city’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurship and economic diversity while contributing to our citizens’ quality of life with high-wage technical and scientific jobs.” — Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg
WEBSITE: www.CharlestonBusiness.com
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SC Biz News Briefs STATEWIDE
Columbia Regional Business Report
DHEC director cites health issues, family concerns in resignation Rick Toomey said recent health problems, coupled with a desire to spend more time with his first grandson, led to his decision to resign as director of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control in the midst of the state agency’s battle against COVID-19. Toomey, 65, took a medical leave of absence in late March, citing chest pain that sent him to the hospital and ongoing blood pressure issues. “With my recent health experience that is under control and doing well, it made me take a step back to assess where I want to be in my life at this point in time. ... It is a very difficult decision because I have grown to love, to admire the effort and the individuals that make up DHEC,” Toomey said in announcing his resignation at a May DHEC board meeting. Toomey, who said he verbally informed the agency of his decision on May 24, also said he wants to spend more in time in Beaufort with his first grandchild. Toomey acknowledged DHEC’s efforts during the past three months to fight COVID-19 and praised its response. The agency is testing all residents and staff in state nursing homes for the virus and has spearheaded a series of mobile clinics that have allowed it to meet its goal of testing 2% of the state’s population by the end of May. As of press time, South Carolina had 14,800 reported cases and 557 deaths from COVID-19. Toomey was named DHEC director in December 2018. His last day was June 10. Marshall Taylor, DHEC’s chief counsel, is running the agency until a new director — DHEC’s fourth since 2012 — is found.
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Greenlink receives $5 million in federal funding for electric buses Greenville Transit Authority will receive more than $5 million in federal funding this year to purchase electric buses and install charging infrastructure. The city’s transit authority, also known as Greenlink, is one of 41 recipients of the Federal Transit Administration’s 2020 Low or No-emission “Lo-No” Bus Program Project grants, according to the administration’s website. The grant amounts to $5,277,325. Transit systems from 40 states and the District of Columbia were selected for the program, including North Carolina’s Charlotte Area Transit System, which received more than $3 million in funding, and Georgia’s Chatham Area Transit System, which received close to $2 million in funding, according to the site. Greenlink has been awarded Lo-No funding in previous years, allowing the agency to purchase four electric buses from Greenville vehicle manufacturer Proterra Inc. last April, according to last year’s news release. At that time, local and state leadership matched the federal grants. “If you want to be at the cutting edge of battery electric technology, you come to Greenville,” Mayor Knox White said in the release. “It should therefore be our aspiration that we have an all-electric fleet that uses the technology developed right here.”
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Film award
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The addition to Plush Mill and redevelopment of nearby Judson Mill promise to change the atmosphere of Easley Bridge Road. (Image/Provided)
Experts predict slow recovery
SUMMER 2020
Economists, Fed president weigh in. Page 8
Special delivery
Architect’s perspective
Giving record
Nephron partnership aims to expand capabilities. Page 3
Designer considers influence of museum. Page 10
Workplace tests Midlands Gives totals top $3 million despite pandemic. Page 6
Port strategy
S.C. Ports Authority looking at ways to keep growing. Page 8
INSIDE
Upfront ................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 4 In Focus: Health and Wellness ............................ 13 List: Urgent Care Centers ... 15 At Work .............................. 19 Viewpoint ...........................23
S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control workers help organize a free mobile COVID-19 testing clinic. The agency has conducted 27,275 tests for COVID-19 as of May 17. Of those tests, 3,110 were positive and 24,165 were negative. DHEC has scheduled more than 50 testing clinics statewide through June 5. (Photo/Provided)
By Melinda Waldrop
S
mwaldrop@scbiznews.com
hirley Bannister received the call at 6 a.m. Bannister, nursing department chair at Midlands Technical College, answered the phone to find a former student on the line and in a panic. “Her plight was, ‘I have no mask,’ ” Bannister said. “ ‘I’m in the trenches, and I have no mask.’ We got together and found some things to give to her to help her through that weekend. But I’ve heard from one or two stu-
dents about how difficult it really is.” Bannister is one of several area education professionals working to prepare soon-tobe nurses and health care workers in related fields amid the uncertainty of COVID-19. With National Nurses Day observed earlier this month from May 6-12, the sobering numbers have continued to climb. As of May 18, 89,407 people in the U.S. had died of COVID-19, with the country reporting 1.48 million cases, according to provisional figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. South Carolina had reported 8,942 deaths and 391 cases as of May 18,
according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control data. Richland County has reported 1,250 confirmed cases of the virus and another 8,929 estimated cases. Those are the highest numbers in the state, which has a total of 63,871 possible cases, according to DHEC. DHEC estimates the number of confirmed cases in S.C. to grow to 10,493 by May 31, a projection of almost 900 new cases a week. Adrian Stauffer, director of nursing at ECPI University in Columbia and a nurse for See NURSES, Page 16
Back to work
Changes in place as BMW’s Spartanburg plant resumes production after shutdown. Page 10
ColumbiaBusinessReport.com
Advocating for women at work
Association takes its work online to help. Page 23
INSIDE
Leading Off .......................... 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 C-Suite ................................ 4 In Focus: Architecture, Engineering & Construction .11 LIST: Engineering Firms ..... 18 At Work ..............................22 Viewpoint ...........................23
Plush Mills expands with new office and retail space Staff Report
A
gsanews@scbiznews.com
new five-story office and retail building will expand the Plush Mills complex on U.S. Highway 123 in Greenville, near the main Bon Secours St. Francis campus downtown. The project is expected to be completed in 2021 by M Peters Group, according to a news release.
The building will sit next to the original Plush Mill, which was restored in 2018 as a coworking space. Although the address is on Traction Street, the site is more visible from the other side, where is stood in disrepair for years after closing mill operations in the 1980s. The name comes from the plush material it produced, according to the Greenville County Historical Society website, which says it was the first mill in the state to produce material with a “soft and luxurious feel.”
The Greenville-based M Peters Group, which also restored the historic building, focuses on economically impactful redevelopment of brownfield sites located in transitional areas, according to the news release. “We believe that redeveloping property in a blighted area can be the spark for the revitalization of an entire community,” said Mark Peters, managing partner of M Peters Group. See PLUSH MILLS, Page 20
Portal connects non-traditional health care providers, suppliers By Molly Hulsey
A
mhulsey@scbiznews.com
s Dick Pace rushed to the hospital March 12, he had no idea that he would spend seven weeks visiting his newborn daughters and son in an intensive care unit — or that it would take place during a pandemic. “I always joke and say I woke up the day after, and the whole world was different,” he said. “I’ve got three children now and a pandemic in place.” While Pace stayed an entire week in the
hospital ward with his triplets — born with complications unrelated to COVID-19 — he experienced firsthand the dearth in quality hand sanitizer felt by the health care community and beyond. “All of the hand sanitizer that people started making was the 80% liquid version, and it’s non-sterile and not really suited for laboratory use or hospital use,” Pace said. “And on top of that — here’s something that’s really scary — you go to any of the suppliers for alcohol, and they are sold out of stuff that’s got methanol in it, stuff that’s got hexane, which is gasoline. They’re sold out of those, and I’m thinking, no one should be
using that for hand sanitizer in the first place.” Being a research and development chemist, Pace took a sanitizer bottle he had on hand to his Powdersville lab, Parimer Scientific, and ran it through instruments to parse out its chemicals. After creating his own solution, he called up Birds Fly South, a craft brewery in Greenville’s Hampton Station, to secure more alcohol. Thus, Pace’s brainchild, a new hand sanitizer line, was born, and all other projects were put on hold. He joined a growing number of companies that pivoted to supply urgently
Economic upheaval
In Focus Brave new world
Pandemic brings new approach to medical design. Page 11
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S.C. industries respond to unprecedented shutdown
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Boeing helps face shields, goggles get to MUSC workers across S.C. Page 3
ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED
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.
Insights into insurance
County Spotlight: Dillon | Trending: COVID-19 in S.C. | S.C. Delivers
SCBIZmag.com
4
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LOWCOUNTRY NEWSROOM Executive Editor - Andy Owens aowens@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3142
June 15 - 28, 2020
Best Advice
ANGELA CRAIG
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CHARLESTON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY Story by Patrick Hoff | Photography provided
Senior Copy Editor - Beverly Barfield bbarfield@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3115
“THE BEST ADVICE I’VE EVER RECEIVED
Editor, Custom Publishing Division Steve McDaniel smcdaniel@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3123 Research Specialist - Paige Hardy phardy@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3125
is to try the thing that scares you. It is
amazing how many decisions we make that
Digital Editorial Assistant - Alexandria Ng ang@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3124
are based in fear, and fear holds us back from opportunity. So, apply for the promotion, take
MIDLANDS NEWSROOM
that improv class, submit your book proposal,
Editor - Melinda Waldrop mwaldrop@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7542
try the new sport, ask that person out. If it scares you, chances are it will challenge you,
UPSTATE NEWSROOM
and you probably will be better for it. Usually
Editor - Ross Norton rnorton@scbiznews.com • 864.720.1222
the things that scare us are the things that make us grow the most.”
Associate Editor, Custom Publishing Division Jim Tatum jtatum@scbiznews.com • 864.720.2269
LEADING LIBRARIAN
Staff Writer - Molly Hulsey mhulsey@scbiznews.com • 864.720.1223
Angela Craig has served as executive
LOWCOUNTRY ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
director of the Charleston County Public
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Library since last year. Prior to coming to
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leader for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
the Lowcountry, Craig served as Center City in North Carolina, managing public and
Account Executive - Melissa Verzaal mverzaal@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3104
administrative services for the system’s main library and a nearby cultural center. Craig was also the project lead for the Charlotte system’s new main library, slated for opening in 2023. She started with the
South Carolina’s Media Engine for Economic Growth
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in 2005 and worked her way up through several
President and Group Publisher - Grady Johnson gjohnson@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3103
positions until she became Center City leader in 2017.
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INTERESTING FACT
Craig used to be an avid rock climber, but with the lack of mountains in the Lowcountry, she has now become an avid paddleboarder.
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June 15 - 28, 2020
NONPROFITS, from Page 1
a fundraising and strategic planning firm in Mount Pleasant. He remembers when the Great Recession hit — nonprofits were more focused on riding out the storm than actively fundraising, and donors gave less to fewer organizations. “When the pandemic started, we expected the case to be that everyone would pull back, but it’s quite the opposite,” Winkler said. “In 2008, some of these organizations ceased to exist or some struggled for years after the recession ended, but this time, donors said ‘We’re not going to let that happen again. We’ve seen the devastating effects.’” According to the Better Business Bureau, 84% of donors say they plan to either maintain their donation levels or give more in 2020, as compared with the past three years of annual giving. Younger generations, in particular, intend to give more, with 48% of millennials and 61% of Gen Zers anticipating a rise in giving. Winkler said it is imperative that nonprofit organizations take strategic and intentional steps to fundraise now to plan for long-term sustainability. He said that fundraising is 80% of the source of revenue for a vast majority of nonprofits. “If they’re not being proactive, there’s a low chance they’ll be viable in the coming days,” Winkler said. “They live off individual philanthropic support, so they get on thin ice very quickly. Most have no more than a 90-day cash reserve on hand, so this is their lifeline for how they fund operations.” He said he expects a decline in charitable giving once the economy is fully running again, with many donors thinking they did their part in getting the organization through the worst of it. He has seen nonprofits strategize around that, focusing on long-term donor retention. At One80 Place, a nonprofit organization in downtown Charleston that works to end homelessness, staff members focus on developing trust with donors to maintain their satisfaction in knowing that funds are being put to good use. “It starts with the mentality that donors are not an ATM, that this is not a transactional relationship,” said Marco Corona, chief development officer. “We understand that donors don’t have to give and that they want to know how their contributions are making a difference or an impact.” Corona said individual giving from new and returning donors has increased since the pandemic started. Whereas private contributions usually total around $2 million annually, the organization had already exceeded that amount halfway through May, bringing them to around $2.2 million even before the midpoint of the year. “In terms of private donations, it’s the most we’ve ever received,” Corona said. “It’s not a common thing we experience, particularly at this time of the year when it’s not the holidays or the end of the year.” Corona also said the organization’s donor acquisition rate has almost dou-
www.charlestonbusiness.com 5
bled. Where 2018 saw 6% new donors and 2019 saw 7.5%, through the beginning of 2020, 10.5% of donors were firsttime givers to the organization. Lowcountry Food Bank has seen a similar influx of support from the community, as the organization saw a 694% increase in need for emergency assistance through March and April, said Brenda Shaw, chief development officer. The increase in need has been met by 3,500 new donors since March, in addition to existing contributors. “This is huge; it’s unheard of. On average, we have 200 to 250 new donors a month,” Shaw said. “There’s been an
increase in demand with an increase in unemployment rate, but people have really stepped up, some even giving us their stimulus checks.” As businesses have shut down and contributions from retail partners have decreased, individual contributions have played a significant role. In a normal month, the organization spends around $7,500 on food. In April, the bill totaled closer to $500,000, Shaw said. For philanthropists like Michael and Pam Wilson, the pandemic and its effects on the local community have accelerated their rate of giving in the past few months.
They’ve partnered with Lowcountry Food Bank, providing a dollar-for-dollar match up to $150,000 for every donation made toward food relief. “We felt an obligation to do what we did because the need has never been greater,” Michael Wilson said. “Communities tend to pull together in a crisis, and it’s resulted in a greater number of giving because of how unprecedented this situation is. I just hope that once this is over, people will remember the needs of nonprofits and the struggles they have and continue to give.” CRBJ
Reach Alexandria Ng at 843-849-3124.
“We’re a proud thirdgeneration business calling the Lowcountry home since 1948 while serving many local site-work construction needs along the way. Our company’s continued growth and longevity wouldn’t be possible without having a partner like South State Bank ensuring our financial needs are covered and more importantly, being a friend to call who believes in our vision.” O.L. THOMPSON, III CEO, O.L. Thompson Construction Co.
CHS - ADP - CRBJ - OL Thompson.indd 1
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6
www.charlestonbusiness.com
June 15 - 28, 2020
Business community rebuilds after protests turn into chaos By Andy Owens
B
aowens@scbiznews.com
usiness owners up and down King Street barricaded themselves inside their offices and storefronts, watching as rioters burned a car, tried to get inside hotels, smashed windows and looted businesses. Chris Price, the owner of PrimeSouth Group, said he saw a peaceful protest turn violent, and he has asked Mayor John Tecklenburg, Charleston City Council and others for answers. Price said 17 of his buildings were damaged in the May 30 riot that began as a protest after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died while handcuffed and in police custody in Minneapolis. He said in a letter — a letter that prompted a meeting with Tecklenburg — that he and other businesses felt abandoned by city leaders during the night and couldn’t understand how the city’s police department wasn’t prepared. “It got pretty bad, and I guess I don’t know how to describe it,” Price said. “Since then, the chief and mayor, we’ve had several meetings, with us and a couple of business leaders. They have stepped back a little bit, and it’s time for us to work in unity.” During an emergency Charleston City Council meeting the Monday after the riots, Tecklenburg said the city responded with more resources Sunday night and things went much better in downtown Charleston. “Things went very well as far as they can go for this type of situation,” Tecklenburg said as he urged the City Council to extend a curfew across the city for another night. Tecklenburg asked council members to provide any information they had, including video, to law enforcement officials. The city made 62 arrests over the weekend of protests, mostly on Sunday night, but Tecklenburg said that other arrests would be made if evidence warranted it. “We will use it. We will pursue it. We will make arrests,” he said. “We will not tolerate this kind of looting and violence going forward.”
Why Charleston?
Charleston and the Lowcountry were among many flashpoints as protesters of all ages and races came out nationwide to express their feelings and frustration over Floyd’s and the deaths of other black people who have been killed by police. The protests in the Lowcountry continued for days, with public officials instituting countywide curfews for consecutive nights; but the worst night in Charleston was May 30. In Summerville, volunteers helped
Volunteers helped board up doors and windows at area businesses, including downtown Summerville, on Sunday after a peaceful protest in Charleston the previous night turned violent. Government officials across the region instituted multiple days of curfews in the wake of the protests. (Photo/Andy Owens)
board up businesses against possible damage and looting. Several sheets of plywood on storefronts along Richardson Avenue had the names of past hurricanes written outside. Protests came to Summerville, along with a large but quiet police presence, but no damage was recorded. Other protests were held across the Lowcountry, including several in North Charleston. One protest began at North Charleston City Hall with protesters marching across Montague Avenue toward Tanger Outlet. The city had a strong police presence during those protests. “We hold the right of protest to be self-evident, and we wholeheartedly welcome peaceful demonstrations. However, civil unrest and acts of violence will not be tolerated in the City of North Charleston,” North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said in a statement. The violent protests in downtown Charleston stood in contrast to the peaceful protests after the killing of Walter Scott by a North Charleston police officer in April 2015 and the shooting deaths of nine parishioners at Mother Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston in June of that year by a self-avowed white supremacist. Charleston County officials said the biggest difference between then and now was that in 2015, police departments and the sheriff ’s department worked hand in hand with community organizers. “We didn’t do that much; it was community leaders that helped us maintain control,” Eric Watson, deputy administrator of public safety for Charleston County, said during an emergency
County Council meeting. Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds said he had heard the criticism being leveled at the department and said his top priority was to ensure that no one burned down the city of Charleston. He said the police were able to manage the second night of protests better than the first. “But I can tell you it was not an uneventful night,” Reynolds said, adding that the curfew “got people out of the city that got caught up in what happened Saturday night. The curfew served its purpose. We were able to be a lot more proactive.” Charleston City Councilman William Dudley Gregorie said the peaceful, daytime protests shouldn’t be overshadowed by the violence that happened on May 30. “I understand that keeping our city safe continues to be our No. 1 priority, but I don’t want us to forget the positive nature of the daytime protests,” Gregorie said. He said he saw a peaceful protest that was multiracial, multicultural and had people of all ages marching in support of change. “I’ve never been more proud of white people than I was on Saturday when I observed the march with the chants of ‘White silence is violence, black lives matter,’ ” Gregorie said. “This is how democracy works.”
Going forward
Jonathan Sanchez, who owns Blue Bicycle Books on King Street, said that his landlord called him at 1 a.m. and helped board up parts of the store, but it wasn’t enough to prevent some damage and theft. “We were really lucky, honestly,” San-
chez said. “It’s a hard thing for everyone, and I know obviously some of the other businesses fared a lot worse.” The morning after the violent protests, Blue Bicycle Books was open, and Sanchez said the store had a better-than-average day considering what the previous two months had been like. May and June are the heart of Spoleto Festival USA, which represents a sizable chunk of sales for the independent bookstore but which was canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic. Sanchez said people just showed up to help with the cleanup without being asked. “People just wanted to be there,” he said, adding that some of the inventory stolen by looters during the Saturday night protests was returned afterward. “It’s a very personal space for me and my staff. If it had been destroyed or damaged, I don’t really know how we would feel,” he said. Sanchez said he knows Reynolds and has seen him speak at events involving improvement of race relations. He said that he understands why some business owners are upset, but he hasn’t lost confidence in the police chief. “It’s easy for me to sit here and not be angry because we didn’t have a lot of damage,” Sanchez said. “I think it’s OK to be outraged at the looting, and I think it’s really OK to be outraged at the police brutality, but I’m not judging my neighbors who are critical about the lack of police.” Lowcountry Local First’s executive director, Jamee Haley, was downtown Sunday helping clean up the damage from the night before. She said small businesses simply can’t take much more after this and COVID-19. Community support of small, local businesses will be critical to their survival. She said the larger issues that sparked the protest must also be addressed. “Windows can be repaired; lives cannot be regained, and we are losing way too many of them,” Haley said. “It’s unfortunate that peaceful protests have not created the change that is necessary.” Haley said she would like to see policy changes that would alter a system that continually oppresses black individuals, including black business owners. “The system isn’t broken,” Haley said. “It’s working exactly how it was set up to function.” Reynolds said that he found what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis to be “deplorable,” and he said that people need to be heard — but peacefully and respectfully and without destroying the city. “I think it’s important that our city know, that our residents know, that we are paying attention,” Reynolds said. CRBJ
Reach Andy Owens at 843-849-3142.
June 15 - 28, 2020
www.charlestonbusiness.com 7
Joint Base Charleston C-17s support NASA human space flight mission
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Staff Report
efore NASA launched two astronauts into space last month, pararescuers, combat rescue officers and aircrew flight equipment specialists were deployed to Joint Base Charleston and other locations in case a rescue was needed. Lt. Col. Jeff Banker, mission commander for the human space flight rescue team, said this was the first time a rescue element had been added to the C-17’s mission list. “We all want this to go well and hope we’re not called,” Banker said in a statement. “We’re happy to go out there and assist our guys (and) provide them peace of mind in climbing into the capsule.” Rescue crews were stationed in North Charleston, Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii. “The C-17 allows us extended reach in our rescue missions,” Banker said. “It has allowed us to go farther distances and respond to scenarios that maybe other teams wouldn’t be able to accomplish.” NASA safely launched two astronauts from Cape Canaveral, Fla., en route to the International Space Station on May 30.
FAST. UNFILTERED. FRESH.
Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken hurtle into the sky as the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Kennedy Space Center on May 30. Joint Base Charleston was part of the standby effort for possible search and rescue during and after the launch. (Photo/Lt. Col. Jon Quinlan for the Air Force)
The launch was the first time NASA had put astronauts in space since 2011. Previously, astronauts would hitch a ride on Russian spacecraft to arrive at the ISS. The May launch was conducted by NASA in coordination with Space X and
the Department of Defense, Joint Base Charleston said. If something had occurred that would have required a rescue, crew members were ready to board HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, HC-130J Combat King rescue aircraft or C-17
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Globemaster IIIs, which are based in North Charleston. The aircrews and rescue team members were trained to quickly perform open-ocean, airdrop rescues to extract people, stabilize them and transport them to specific medical care facilities. The rescue operation was a coordinated effort based on the location of the rocket and space capsule, Joint Base Charleston said. If something occurred within the first few minutes of flight, Patrick Air Force Base would have deployed an open-ocean rescue of the crew. Assets from Joint Base Charleston would be used farther up the “ascent track,” the base said. The C-17’s speed and reach would be used to locate the capsule and airdrop a rescue team and other equipment. “As with any rescue, time is critical,” said Maj. Marcus Marris, a rescue division chief assigned to the Department of Defense Human Space Flight Support Office out of Patrick AFB. “If somebody is injured, you want to get to them fast. Every minute counts. We don’t want to be reactionary, we want to be proactive and leaning forward in rescuing our guys and getting hands on the capsule as soon as possible.” CRBJ
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June 15 - 28, 2020
F-16 production takes off at Greenville facility with finalized contracts By Molly Hulsey
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mhulsey@scbiznews.com
little over a year since Greenville’s Lockheed Martin Corp. facility welcomed its first production line, the aerospace manufacturer remains on track to introduce South Carolina’s first F-16 Fighting Falcon within two years — with some potential new customers in the works. The newest item on Lockheed’s to-do list, eight jets for the Bulgarian Air Force procured through a $5.1 billion contract finalized in April, will boost Lockheed’s production by 50%, setting precedents for future growth as prospective customers in Africa and Southeast Asia eye the F-16. “Certainly, from a business standpoint, we are continuing to see a lot of interest from the global community for F-16s, all which will be built in Greenville. There’s definitely a lot of excitement around that,” said Leslie Farmer, communications director for the Greenville facility. Once destined for retirement, the F-16 was thrust back into the international spotlight when the company moved the jet’s production line from Fort Worth, Texas, to Greenville. Currently, 29 countries have purchased the jet over the years, creating a $1.4 billion impact on the U.S. economy, according to a
Lockheed renovated one of its 16 hangars for F-16 production. (Photo/Provided)
Lockheed news release. “Many countries are looking to bolster their national defense and strengthen security ties with the United States,” John Losinger, the communications representative for Lockheed’s F-16 line, said in an email. “The F-16 Block 70/72 is a natural choice for many customers around the world seeking advanced, affordable fourth-generation fighter aircraft abilities. The F-16 is the world’s most successful, combat-proven fourth-generation fighter. There are approximately 3,000 operational F-16s in service today in 25 countries, and we are continuing to see significant international demand for new-production F-16s and F-16V upgrades.”
He added that both Block 70 and Block 72 models share Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, a modernized cockpit, conformal fuel tanks, an improved-performance engine, advanced weapons and a structural service life of 12,000 hours, boosting the line’s international popularity. In 2018, the United States finalized a $1.12 billion contract with Lockheed to make 16 of the Fighting Falcons for Bahrain’s air force. The Greenville production line’s first aircraft will go toward fulfilling this order, along with 14 jets, negotiated through a deal in September of last year, bound for Slovakia. “The acquisition of the F-16V Block
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70 fighter jets is not just a purchase, but a long-term partnership that enables the Bulgarian Air Force to successfully meet the new challenges in the sector,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said in a news release after his government agreed to the purchase of eight Fighting Falcons in July 2019. Pegged as the “benchmark NATO fighter,” the fourth-generation jet will replace Soviet-era Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets to become the first “Western” aircraft to be maintained in Bulgaria. The U.S. Department of Defense expects the order to reach completion by Jan. 31, 2027. The original plan called for two years of developing a blueprint and then producing the first jet, with an additional aircraft to be completed in Greenville each month after that until the first order was completed. “That takes into account learning curve, setting up the new line and things like that,” Farmer said. Now, with two additional orders, the Greenville plant will be able to crank out three aircraft a month, according to Farmer, while continuing sustainment and repair work. Butch Kirven, chairman of Greenville County Council, praised the finalization of the Bulgarian contract as “a bright
June 15 - 28, 2020
spot” during the economic slowdown initiated by the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s good news for the Upstate, for Greenville, for Lockheed and for our local economy,” Kirven said. He added that he had first heard of additional deals coming down the pipeline for the aeronautics company through open sources in the defense industry. “They’ve had their ups and downs over the years, and we’ve been there to support them when they really needed it, and so, it’s a team effort,” Kirven said. “A lot of people have been involved in that, but we have seen over the years the strength and the benefits of having Lockheed in our community, and the wonderful asset we’re fortunate to have out at the Donaldson Center and SC-TAC.” Lockheed Martin is located at the S.C. Technology and Aviation Center, formerly known as the Donaldson Center. For the time being, subcomponents of the first aircraft, including frames, bulkheads and skins, are being assembled in Greenville or shipped in from other suppliers to form the structural skeleton of the airframe, according to Losinger. Then, the aircraft will earn its wings, stabilizers will be added and electronic systems installed in the final assembly and checkout period before the jet is tested, painted and ready to take flight. “This brings the F-16 to life, so to speak,” Losinger said in an email. According to Farmer, COVID-19 has not stalled procurement of the supplies needed for the fighter jet. Modifications to one of Lockheed’s existing 16 hangars has allowed the facility to expand production without constructing additional hangars. Even if extensive construction projects are not underway, new opportunities are there for the Upstate’s aerospace professionals. Last year, an S.C. Senate resolution championing “the critical importance of the F-35 Lightning II and F-16 Fighting Falcon to America’s security and to South Carolina” affirmed the new line would bring about 150 new jobs to Greenville. With additional contracts, the expected hire count mushroomed to 400 in less than a year, as Lockheed launched a hiring campaign for new projects last year. Many of these aspiring Lockheed technicians are now honing their craft at Greenville Technical College’s Aircraft Maintenance Technology program, hosted on-site at SC-TAC or at other technical schools across the state, she said. Earlier this year, Lockheed approved a pre-apprenticeship program with the college to mentor the next generation of technicians. “That’s to get students involved even earlier and potentially becoming a part of that aircraft maintenance training program,” Farmer said. “And providing some specific Lockheed Martin training and curriculum, so that when they do start, they’re ready come day one.”
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A few of the 400 existing suppliers who served the Fort Worth facility have moved to Greenville, including a company providing cranes for the production line, and the aeronautics company continues to look into new opportunities provided by supply chain shifts. “The global F-16 supply chain is extensive and robust and we continuously evaluate opportunities for competitive regional suppliers,” Losinger said in an email. If finalized, a contract in the works with Taiwan would bring the full-rate production number up to at least 48 aircraft a year using the current production model, the company says.
The Taiwanese contract, a proposed $8 billion deal for 66 Fighting Falcon aircraft, engines, weapons and computers, was approved by the U.S. State Department in August 2019. According to an original report, the decision faced strong opposition from China during an escalating trade war with the country, which sees Taiwan as an extension of the mainland government and not a separate political entity. “Our partner nation has a limited window of opportunity to move this U.S. arms transfer through their budget process prior to their next election,” said an Aug. 13 letter signed by members of the S.C. federal delegation. “Thus, we believe
the time is now to move forward with the sale before this window of opportunity closes. There is no better way to support (the) U.S. defense industrial base and our partner than to move forward with the sale of the F-16 Block 70 to Taiwan.” Four months later, on Dec. 13, Taiwan and the U.S. signed a Letter of Acceptance for the sale of F-16 aircraft, 104 M1A2 Abrams tanks and 1,240 anti-tank missiles. The U.S. is expected to deliver two F-16 Block 70 aircraft to Taiwan in 2023, with deliveries of four or five aircraft being sent the following year, according to a Focus Taiwan CNA English News report. CRBJ
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June 15 - 28, 2020
June 15 - 28, 2020
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VANTAGE POINT
A Mediterranean Shipping Co. containership cruised past Sullivan’s Island and into Charleston Harbor on May 31, with the downtown Charleston skyline in the distance. Does your office have an interesting Vantage Point? Email us at vantagepoint@scbiznews.com.
DETAILS Latitude: 32.759184 | Longitude: -79.859219 | Status: Public beach | Time of day: 3:45 p.m.
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June 15 - 28, 2020
Charleston Digital Corridor opens WestEdge incubator to focus on life sciences
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Staff Report
he Charleston Digital Corridor, which offers space for startups and early stage companies, has opened a new incubator in WestEdge. The organization partnered with the city of Charleston for the facility, which focuses primarily on life sciences and technology companies in the mixed-use
LEASING, from Page 1
remember that everyone in a transaction likely has a family and, quite often, employees they are trying to keep in jobs. Juncu was part of an online panel discussion from the Charleston Area Small Business Development Center about dealing with commercial and residential leases during the COVID-19 era. He was joined by Nicole Paluzzi, a housing attorney with Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services. Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services helps low-income individuals who do not have access to legal services. Paluzzi said a lot of consumer protections exist for residential tenants, but residential leases are still business transactions. “Do not withhold rent, ever, but what you want to do is give written notice to your landlord. It is a business arrangement,” Paluzzi said, adding that even
development located in the medical district near the Ashley River. Executive Director Ernest Andrade said Flagship – WestEdge, the fifth facility operated by the Digital Corridor, is 100% full with Anatta, BiblioLabs, DentureCare, Vendr, Vikor Scientific, and Zeriscope. The Digital Corridor’s facilities aren’t traditional incubators where companies operate in isolation with low-cost com-
mercial space. The Digital Corridor uses month-to-month leases and designs its Flagship facilities to provide a setting for businesses to engage with one another. The Digital Corridor goes through an extensive application process to ensure a complementary mix of companies as well. Mayor John Tecklenburg said the city’s WestEdge incubator was part of Charleston’s commitment to help knowledge
economy companies, which generally offer wages above the state and national averages, grow in the region. “Our investment in the Flagship – WestEdge business incubator is a tangible sign of the city’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurship and economic diversity while contributing to our citizens’ quality of life with high-wage technical and scientific jobs,” Tecklenburg said.
residential tenants can often negotiate. Juncu said S.C. courts presume that commercial leases involve sophisticated parties, so litigating from a position of not understanding what’s in a lease isn’t going to impress many judges. It’s also one reason commercial leases are so detailed and lengthy and residential leases are more simple, he said. A business with a $12,000-a-month lease on King Street recently asked Juncu what their options were for renegotiating. The first thing he advised them to do was look at their lease. “You have to know the document,” Juncu said. “We presume you were an active part of negotiating that lease.” Juncu said many tenants also miss the exhibits section of leases, and that can really influence how a lease is read. He said the lease must be seen as an entire document, with each part influencing the
whole, including clauses that might stipulate how to handle conflicts. “Is there a dispute resolution clause?” Juncu said. “Normally these clauses will be called disputes, arbitrations, anything that has to do with how you communicate a dispute,” he said. He also said everything must be looked at through the lens of short-term pain caused by the coronavirus pandemic. For example, if a business has been happy with a five-year lease for three years, then it’s not reasonable to say the terms are no longer acceptable because of a health crisis. He suggests litigation should be a very last resort, especially when a crisis like the pandemic is causing short-term cashflow issues for businesses that likely will need each other once the crisis passes. “If you are willing and able to explore other options, I would encourage you to do that,” he said. “That mutual under-
standing will be much more powerful and much more beneficial than attempting to initiate legal action that may or may not end up in your favor.” Juncu said lease renegotiations are a “zero-sum game,” meaning if you’re getting relief by not paying, then someone is losing, and that can have a ripple effect. He said tenants and landlords must be creative to get through this together. For example, a landlord could reduce rent and a tenant could reduce risk for a landlord by continuing to pay for some of the obligations a landlord cannot avoid. Juncu said, “It’s in everyone’s best interest to have a relationship that endures through the term,” he said. Juncu also said one rule must be followed in any negotiation, regardless of how easy someone is to work with: “If it’s not in writing, it doesn’t exist,” he said.
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GROWTH REPORT
MANUFACTURING S.C. manufacturer Hoowaki prepares to make millions of COVID-19 swabs By Ross Norton
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rnorton@scbiznews.com
technology with a pedigree in tires may be the next big thing for medical swabs, as a Greenville company prepares to roll out COVID-19 testing supplies by the millions. Hoowaki LLC has developed a onepiece injection-molded design for a COVID-19 swab that company President Ralph Hulseman believes will close a gap in U.S. and global testing supplies. Hoowaki is a 12-year-old, Greenville-based company that specializes in micro surface engineering. Its products can be found in medical equipment, packaging, grips and travel gear. Hulseman worked in research and
“Our design allows for production to be quickly scaled in communities around the world — rapidly addressing the rising demand for swabs, a critically important element of all COVID-19 testing.” Ralph Hulseman President Hoowaki LLC
development at Michelin for 25 years and managed many sponsored research projects. One of them never panned out for tire manufacturing, so Michelin turned it loose, he said, and that research became a launching pad for Hoowaki.
Hulseman said Hoowaki makes surfaces that are as slippery or “grippy” as needed. They have done it by becoming specialists in friction and how to make the most or least of it. When the federal government called on American entrepreneurs in March
to create supplies to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic, Hulseman and his team at Hoowaki knew micro surface technology could play a role. They already had explored designing medical swabs. “Normally people think of friction as a property of materials. If you want something slippery you use a slippery material like Teflon; if you want something grippy you use a rubber material,” Hulseman said. “Well, we discovered that that’s not entirely true. That is, if you make structured physical shapes in the micron size range — a micron is a thousandth of a millimeter — varying from 10 to about 200 microns in size is where the phenomenon of friction occurs. This See HOOWAKI, Page 14
Nephron hopes Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech gift boosts manufacturing pipeline By Melinda Waldrop
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mwaldrop@scbiznews.com
ou Kennedy is in the business of precision. Kennedy is the CEO and president of Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corp., a West Columbia-based manufacturer and developer of generic respiratory medication — including inhalation solutions used to treat COVID-19. Her company also operates a 503B outsourcing facility that produces prefilled sterile syringes and IV bags for hospitals nationwide.
Every step in the company’s production processes demands perfection, so Kennedy has a vested interest in making sure each piece of equipment functions with pinpoint accuracy. That reality is the impetus behind the many donations Nephron has made to S.C. manufacturing programs and educational efforts. The latest is the gift of an orbital welding machine to Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. Orbital welding is a method of connecting piping using a continuous, 360-degree rotating process that aims to reduce operator error.
“When we make the medicine in a big tank, you have to move it from the tank to the filling equipment,” Kennedy said. “So anywhere there are pipes that are used to process the medication, you have to have these perfect welds. Imagine this: If you had a little divot in the pipe, then microorganisms could collect. So the piping has to be completely, utterly smooth. “If you were bottling milk or anything that you want to remain sterile, it requires this type of piping.” See NEPHRON, Page 16
Nephron CEO Lou Kennedy (Photo/Provided)
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GROWTH REPORT: MANUFACTURING
June 15 - 28, 2020
Warehousing company expanding in Berkeley County
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Staff Report
third-party warehousing and industrial packaging company is expanding its operations in Berkeley County to better serve the Volvo Cars facility in Ridgeville. Kontane Logistics Inc. offers warehousing, packaging and distribution ser-
vices to companies, specializing in providing just-in-time services to the truck and automotive manufacturing industry. The company currently has facilities on Charleston Regional Parkway in Charleston, as well as in Hickory and Statesville, N.C., Calera, Ala., and McAllen, Texas. Kontane’s new facility, at 830 Drop-Off Drive in Summerville, will be used for
3D design company making face shields By Ross Norton
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rnorton@scbiznews.com
ew things were as real or as ugly as the spreadsheet in front of John Carrington’s eyes. The world was shutting down because of the new coronavirus, but the spreadsheet, a list of employees at Columbia-based 3D design and manufacturing company ZVerse, drove that reality home. CEO Carrington realized he might soon have to start cutting jobs at his 20-employee company. If things didn’t turn around, it could be all 20 jobs, including his own. Then the phone rang. And the emails started. And direct messages started rolling in through social media. Carrington was struck by the desperation of health care administrators who couldn’t find enough personal protective equipment. “I started getting calls from CFOs of hospitals, and they were frantic,” Carrington said. “Usually you can’t get to them, and they’re calling me. ... I’ve known some nurses, and they’re pretty tough. When you see that they’re scared, it makes you scared.” Carrington quickly understood how far the problem stretched beyond his company but also saw that ZVerse had an opportunity to help that would allow his employees to keep working. Through its proprietary computeraided design platform for digital manufacturing, Zverse designers create custom, manufacturable 3D files that are returned to the client for production. On March 23, ZVerse launched its reusable face shields designed for highrisk environments such as hospitals and coronavirus testing sites. In a matter of weeks, Carrington and his colleagues had designed and delivered more than 3 million face shields, and ZVerse has since received purchase orders for more
than 11 million shields. Customers include Prisma Health, the Veterans Health Administration, the state of South Carolina, Kaiser Permanente, the S.C. Department of Corrections and Roper St. Francis Healthcare, according to a news release. By July, Carrington expects to have delivered 20 million face shields. ZVerse is currently producing 115,000 reusable face shields per day at prices comparable to disposable face shields from China, the release said, using an injection mold manufacturing process that allows for mass production at faster speeds than 3D printing. Six weeks after he stared at a spreadsheet in desperation, Carrington has managed to not just avoid laying off employees — he’s more than doubled his staff. The company now has 45 employees, and Carrington thinks his payroll could reach 100 as he ramps up face shield production. ZVerse is preparing to expand its operation by 30,000 square feet as Carrington looks ahead to the post-pandemic economy. The company is aiming its new generation of protective face shields, called the ZShield Flex, at workers in industries including restaurants, retailers, salons, grocery stores, food plants and the elective medical sector. Carrington said his business model is aimed at addressing not just the pandemic but a world that he believes is changed forever. He said, “We are facing a tsunami of requests coming from dentists, restaurant owners, food plant workers and hair stylists, among others. ... This new shield offers a solution that allows workers to breathe easily and clearly communicate while protecting themselves and customers.” Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222.
light tire and wheel assembly for Volvo Cars. It will also support line sequencing and other services for Volvo’s supply network. Kontane COO Rusty Byrd said in a news release that the company is looking forward to partnering with Volvo. “The growth of the automotive industry in the South Carolina Lowcountry has
been tremendous over the past five years,” he said. “Kontane Logistics Inc.’s proximity to these automotive plants, along with our extensive experience in the industry, have allowed us to provide a vital and timely service.” The facility is expected to be operational by the fourth quarter of this year and create 30 new jobs. CRBJ
HOOWAKI, from Page 13
means we can take the same two materials coming together and make them super grippy or super slippery.” Through its proprietary Hoowaki Microgrip surface technology, the company creates a thin surface for products that makes them slippery, or not. Because of increased friction created by Hoowaki, travel bags don’t slip off travelers’ shoulders, for example, and hammers don’t slip from damp hands; low-friction vascular catheters slide easily to make medical procedures safer and more comfortable. “In the case of the swab, you may not think of it as a friction problem but, in fact, it is,” Hulseman said. The challenge is swabs need to both slip and grip. They need to slide into nostrils with little friction, but they need to grab and hold sufficient RNA for testing. Hoowaki’s solution is the Hoowaki NP Collection Swab. It combines the company’s technology to make a nasal swab more comfortable for the patient while meeting Food and Drug Administration requirements for extracting a sample. Because the swab is manufactured by injection molding, it can be produced at any facility that has medical-grade injection molding capability, and those facilities are plentiful, Hulseman said. It also means the product can be made fast and in large numbers. “Our design allows for production to be quickly scaled in communities around the world — rapidly addressing the rising demand for swabs, a critically important element of all COVID-19 testing,” Hulseman said in a news release. Hoowaki is making them in small batches now but is partnering with an Upstate plant to begin mass production in July. He expects Hoowaki to produce several million swabs per month. Keeping initial production in the Upstate has made it more convenient for Hulseman and his team to launch the run and also helped the partner plant preserve jobs that had been endangered by the pandemic-caused recession, he said. “We expect this to be a long-term
Hoowaki is using micro surface engineering to create just the right amount of friction on its NP Collection Swab that doctors use to test patients for COVID-19. (Photo/Provided)
opportunity for us,” he said. “One reason is the technology is something we can modify to make swabs for other uses. There are many, many uses for swabs. And if the market goes large and then crashes, we expect to come out the other side as the winners.” They will win, he said, not just because of scalability, but because lab testing — and field testing with the help of Prisma Health — has demonstrated the swab meets industry standards and is as good as the standard flocked filament swab in collecting RNA. Hulseman said several public-private partnerships helped provide startup funding for the swab’s development. “As is the case for many businesses in today’s environment, Hoowaki LLC adapted quickly to meet new challenges where demand is outpacing supply so we could remain not only viable as a company, but also pursue this pioneering technology,” he said in the news release. “We’re grateful for the backing of the Greenville Local Development Corp. and SC Launch, an investment affiliate of the SCRA, who have been instrumental in helping us develop the Hoowaki NP Collection Swab.” David Barnett, chairman of the Greenville Local Development Corp., said in the release, “Hoowaki LLC is a great example of a small business that has proven to be a powerhouse of innovation during a time of incredible challenge.” CRBJ
Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222 or @RossNorton13 on Twitter.
GROWTH REPORT: MANUFACTURING
June 15 - 28, 2020
www.charlestonbusiness.com 15
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GROWTH REPORT: MANUFACTURING
June 15 - 28, 2020
2020 | SOUTH CAROLINA
MANUFACTURING
CONFERENCE AND EXPO The Most Significant Manufacturing Event of the Year Presented by: Nephron also plans to donate more than 100,000 bottles of company-manufactured hand sanitizer to the University of South Carolina as part of its ongoing efforts to help fight COVID-19. The first 5,000 bottles arrived on campus June 8. (Photo/Provided)
SAVE THE DATE
October 28th - 30th, 2020 Greenville Convention Center Greenville, SC Join manufacturing suppliers and innovators across all industry verticals at South Carolina’s Most Significant Manufacturing Event of the Year. The 2019 Conference included: • 2,800+ registered attendees • 280+ Exhibitors • 16 courses taught by instructors from SCMEP • Manufacturing 4.0 Breakfast: The Rise of Technology • Aero/Auto Symposium and Industry Forecasts • Executive Women in Manufacturing and Apprenticeships in Advanced Manufacturing panel discussions For questions about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Melissa Tomberg at (864) 720-1220 or mtomberg@scbiznews.com Visit www.scmanufacturingconference.com for the latest updates
NEPHRON, from Page 13
Kennedy also hopes the donation, which she estimated will total around $60,000 once accompanying parts and equipment are included, helps Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech students compete for jobs in South Carolina’s growing advanced manufacturing industry. “Almost all the tech schools have welding programs, but this is a really specific niche technology, and so we wanted to support that,” said Kennedy, whose company operates a warehouse in Calhoun County. “I know at least five or 10 other companies that will benefit from having a good supply chain of orbital welders.” In the past 10 years, manufacturing employment has increased 16% in the state, according to the S.C. Department of Commerce website. From 2011 to 2019, 70,000 manufacturing jobs were created in South Carolina, with 42 existing manufacturers announcing expansions since 2019. The state has set records in export sales for 10 consecutive years. Manufacturing made up 14% of South Carolina’s major industry jobs in 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and those jobs can be lucrative. Welders earn a median hourly wage of $19.63 in South Carolina, according to a May study by ecomonicmodeling.com, while the average annual national wage for an orbital welder is $83,450, according to online job site ZipRecruiter. Annual salaries for orbital welders average $78,525 in Columbia, based on ZipRecruiter’s analysis of its database of millions of active jobs in the United States. The orbital welder Nephron is donating to Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech is from N.C.-based Liburdi Dimetrics Corp. and
“Almost all the tech schools have welding programs, but this is a really specific niche technology, and so we wanted to support that. I know at least five or 10 other companies that will benefit from having a good supply chain of orbital welders.” Lou Kennedy CEO and president of Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corp.
is used in stainless steel piping. “Lou Kennedy and Nephron have been good corporate partners in South Carolina for many years, and OCTech is excited to be among them,” Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech President Walt Tobin said in a news release announcing the donation. “We have a long history of preparing our students for good jobs and great careers, and the addition of the orbital welder helps our college continue that legacy.” Kennedy, who in the release described the college as “one of our state’s real treasures and a workforce development powerhouse,” readily admits there are pragmatic concerns in her company’s altruism. “We can recruit out of their really good degree program,” she said. “It’s a wonderful school. ... We are trying to be a part of empowering these skill trades that don’t have enough employees to go around.” CRBJ
GROWTH REPORT: MANUFACTURING
June 15 - 28, 2020
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Kion North America names Dawley its new CEO
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Staff Report
ummerville-based forklift manufacturer Kion North America has named Jonathan Dawley its new president and CEO, taking over for Vincent Halma, who has left Kion Group. Halma had served as president and CEO since January 2015. Dawley joins Kion with years of experience in the forklift sector. Most recently, he oversaw the Americas region for Putzmeister Holding GmbH, a subsidiary of Sany Heavy Industry Corp., for the past two years. Dawley previously worked for Oshkosh Corp. between 2014 and 2018 and for Hyster-Yale Materials Handling Corp. from 2005 to 2014. Ching Pong Quek, a Kion Group board member, said in a news release that he’s excited for Dawley to use his expertise to grow the company’s business in North America. “In Jonathan Dawley, we are gaining an outstanding executive with many years of wide-ranging technical experience in the capital goods industry to head up Kion North America,” Quek said. “With his addition to our experienced team at Kion North America, we are well equipped to unlock the region’s potential even further.” CRBJ
Kion North America has hired a new president and CEO for the company’s North American headquarters on U.S. Highway 78 in Summerville. (Photo/Andy Owens)
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Invest in your success. The story of the Charleston business market is a story told in numbers. Market Facts includes data and statistics critical to commerce in our region. Topics range from employment to education to logistics, with data presented in readable charts and graphs. Take advantage of this opportunity to get your marketing message to our business community, and in front of the businesses and people planning a move to our area.
PUBLICATION DATE: August 24, 2020 | ADVERTISING DEADLINE: July 17, 2020 For advertising information, contact Grady Johnson at (843) 849-3103 or gjohnson@scbiznews.com
In Focus
ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION LIST: Homebuilders, Page 32
New wall colors, flooring, televisions and artwork were part of the redesign of the third-floor patient rooms at Summerville Medical Center. (Photo/Provided)
CHARLESTON UNDER
CONSTRUCTION Construction, engineering and architectural firms are working
hard in Charleston. Thank you to everyone who submitted projects and photos for this section. Feature your project in the next edition of Charleston Under Construction. The submission deadline is July 19 for the next edition. Submit projects to tinyurl.com/CUCsubmit. Emailed
submissions are no longer accepted.
Summerville Medical completes next step in larger renovation
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Staff Report
ummerville Medical Center has opened the first phase of a renovation of the medical and surgical facilities for patients and staff on the third floor of the 124-bed hospital. The recently completed work is part of an overall $100 million project for Summerville Medical Center, which includes a $4.4 million upfit of the inpatient unit that began in 2019 and is expected to be completed by the end of this year. A second-floor renovation was finished in 2019, the hospital said. Michelle Jones, director of the third floor medical/surgical unit, said she was glad for Phase I of the third-floor project to be completed and open for patients. “The unit was designed with our patients and their comfort in mind,” Jones said. “We transformed the unit with soothing wall colors, new flooring, 55-inch Apple TVs, Lowcountry-focused artwork and more to make our
patients feel comfortable and at home while in our care.” The project included the renovation of patient rooms, the lobby and nurses’ stations on the second floor and third floor medical/surgical units, and work on the hospital’s intensive care unit. The hospital also completed a $61 million women’s services and surgical expansion in 2019. Summerville Medical Center also has a 24-hour emergency room, a dedicated ER for children, and other comprehensive medical and surgical services. About a year ago, the hospital began a $24 million expansion of its emergency room, which is also expected to be completed this year. The project will increase the emergency room capacity to 43 beds. It will add 13,000 square feet of space, expand the existing lab and pharmacy, expand the existing cafeteria and dietary services, renovate outpatient registration and expand the emergency room entryway. CEO Jeff Taylor talked about the
expansion and renovations when he came on board earlier this year. “I’m really excited about the expansion and new construction that’s underway right now,” Taylor said. “This hospital is going through incredible growth. It’s a sign of progress and the community’s confidence in the work we do here.” The hospital is part of Trident Health, which is owned by HCA, and has been operating in the Lowcountry for more than 40 years. Trident’s main hospital is located in North Charleston off University Boulevard. In addition to the two hospitals, Trident Health also has two emergency centers, Moncks Corner Medical Center and Centre Pointe Emergency; and two urgent care centers, CareNow Urgent Care Goose Creek and CareNow Urgent Care North Charleston. Trident Health has more than 2,500 employees and a medical staff of nearly 500 physicians, making it one of the largest employers in the Charleston metro area. CRBJ
Retail Shells at Queensborough Shopping Center 996 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Mount Pleasant Developer/owner: T.L. Pittman and Associates Inc., Oviedo, Fla. Architect: LKF Architects, Mount Pleasant General contractor: McCrory Construction Co., Columbia Engineer(s): Powell Engineering, Charleston (structural); Hensley & Goerling, Summerville (electrical, mechanical, plumbing); Earth Source Engineering, Mount Pleasant (civil) Estimated completion date: Third quarter 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $2 million This project consists of expansion to an existing retail development at Queensborough Shopping Center in Mount Pleasant, including 9,000 square feet of additional retail shops to serve the residents and adjacent development.
NEXT ISSUE’S FOCUS: Transportation and Infrastructure
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FLSC, North Charleston
CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION
June 15 - 28, 2020
Lear Avenue, North Charleston
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Franke at Seaside 1500 Franke Drive, Mount Pleasant Developer/owner: Lutheran Homes of S.C., Irmo Architect: McMillan Pazdan Smith, Charleston General contractor: McCrory Construction Co., Columbia Engineer(s): Fine Tuned Structures LLC, Summerville (structural); McCracken & Lopez, Charlotte (electrical, mechanical, plumbing); Thomas & Hutton, Mount Pleasant (civil) Estimated completion date: Second quarter 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $2.08 million This is an 11,922-square-foot expansion and renovation of the existing Burges Center at Franke at Seaside in Mount Pleasant. The Burges Center includes dining and fitness facilities for community residents. The project increases the overall dining facilities, the gym and fitness center, and the area of additional amenity space.
Rogers & Brown Office Building 9550 Hamburg Road, Ladson Developer/owner: Brown Distribution, North Charleston Architect: Novus Architects, Mount Pleasant General contractor: Trident Construction, North Charleston Engineer(s): DWG Inc., Mount Pleasant (mechanical, electrical, plumbing); Citadel Contractors, Apex, N.C. (structural); Cline Engineering, Charleston (civil) Estimated completion date: March 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $4.55 million This new office building includes a large office space, workout area, collaboration space, break room area, multiple conference rooms and outdoor seating with a trellis.
June 15 - 28, 2020
CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Goose Creek Village 129 Plantation North Blvd., Goose Creek Estimated completion date: May 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $8.80 million Goose Creek Village is a 30,225-square-foot neighborhood center. The tenant mix includes retail and office and restaurants. The center consists of five pre-engineered metal buildings with metal roofs. Multiple tenant spaces have garage-style glass doors, allowing tenants to open their spaces onto patio areas for customer seating. The site will also have a roundabout-style island incorporating a sundial element. Private Residence Beresford Hall, Charleston Architect: Spivey Architects, Charleston General contractor: Cook Bonner Ebeling Construction, Charleston Estimated completion date: Fall 2020 Currently under construction, this project is a 4,800-square-foot single-family private residence. The residence has a customdesigned open plan with a stair tower, game room, large screened porch, home offices and bunk room.
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Summit Place 530 Meeting St., Charleston Developer/owner: Spandrel Development Partners LLC, Charleston; 530 Meeting Street Residential Partners LLC, Charleston Engineer(s): Thomas & Hutton Engineering, Atlanta (landscape architecture); Applied Building Sciences Inc., Charleston (design consultant); PHA Consulting Engineers, Richardson, Texas (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection); Access by Design, Dallas (ADA); PES Structural Engineers, Atlanta (structural) Estimated completion date: Summer 2020 This is a five-story, 184,000-square-foot development that includes 114 market-rate and workforce housing apartments with 360 total beds. Key features include 8,000 square feet of ground-floor amenity space with a courtyard pool, clubhouse, fitness and yoga studio, and on-site art studio. The project also includes 25,000 square feet of gated garage parking.
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June 15 - 28, 2020
The Shelmore 1909 U.S. Highway 17, Mount Pleasant Developer/owner: Collett Capital LLC, Charlotte; Wecco Development LLC, Charleston Architect: LS3P, Charleston; Remark, Charleston (landscape) General contractor: Frampton Construction, Ladson Engineer(s): Hoyt & Berenyi, Ladson (civil); Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Mount Pleasant (structural) VSC Fire & Security, North Charleston (fire protection); Meca, Columbia (plumbing); Mechanical Systems & Services, Charlotte (mechanical); Charleston Engineering, Charleston (electrical) Estimated completion date: Fall 2020 This adaptive reuse of a former grocery store in Mount Pleasant will result in approximately 50,000 square feet of contemporary office space. Key features include an expansive lobby; collaborative common areas; an outdoor space, including walking trails and a dog park; and 12,000 square feet of retail space.
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Garco Mill Three Core and Shell Office Building 4922 O’Hear Ave., North Charleston Developer/owner: Garco Mill Three LLC, Charleston Architect: LS3P, Charleston Project manager: Diversified Real Estate Development Services Inc., Atlanta General contractor: Evans General Contractors, North Charleston Engineer(s): Cypress Engineering, Summerville (civil); Site Solutions, Atlanta (landscape); Barrett, Woodyard and Associates Inc., Norcross, Ga. (mechanical, electrical, plumbing); Moore Lindner Engineering Inc., Matthews, N.C. (structural); Gabler Youngston, Atlanta (lighting) Estimated completion date: Fall 2020 This project consists of a three-story core and shell office building totaling 44,000 square feet in Garco Park in North Charleston. The primary anchor tenant is the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce.
June 15 - 28, 2020
CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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Peters & Associates Inc., Greenville (structural); Cypress Engineering, Summerville (civil) Estimated completion date: April 2021 The King and George mixed-use project is a development consisting of one new building at 334 King St. and three renovated buildings at 332 King St., 336 King St. and 36 George St. The project will include four retail shell spaces, one cafe shell space, one restaurant shell space, 22 hotel rooms and four apartments.
King and George Mixed Use Development King Street, Charleston Developer/owner: Method Co., Philadelphia Architect: LS3P, Charleston Project manager: Omni Partners, Charleston General contractor: Mashburn Construction, Mount Pleasant Engineer(s): DWG Consulting Engineers, Mount Pleasant (mechanical, electrical, plumbing); Britt,
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Town of Mount Pleasant Fire Station 4 1153 Six Mile Road, Mount Pleasant Developer/owner: Town of Mount Pleasant Architect: Rosenblum Coe Architects Inc., Charleston General contractor: Hood Construction Co., Columbia Engineer(s): RMF Engineering, Charleston (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection); ADC Engineering, Hanahan (structural); Seamon Whiteside and Associates, Mount Pleasant (civil) Estimated completion date: Fourth quarter 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $6 million The new fire station will have 2 1/2 apparatus bays, with a brick and Hardie board exterior and standing seam metal roof. The folding overhead doors provide an accessible method of entry for the trucks. Full landscaping, hardscaping and sitework are also being completed. Inside, the station includes a full kitchen, fitness rooms, 12 bunk rooms, a dayroom, laundry and exhaust system. The new mechanical systems provide improved indoor air quality.
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CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION
June 15 - 28, 2020
MUSC Wellness Center COVID-19 Conversion 45 Courtenay Drive, Charleston Developer/owner: MUSC Health in collaboration with Army Corps of Engineers and the National Guard General contractor: Medical University of South Carolina Facilities, Charleston Engineer(s): RMF Engineering Inc., Charleston Estimated completion date: March 2020 RMF Engineering collaborated with Medical University of South Carolina, Army Corps of Engineers and the National Guard to plan and construct a Tier 2 care facility styled after mobile army surgical hospitals in the MUSC Wellness Center, adding approximately 270 beds for COVID19 patients who do not require critical care but are not able to provide self-care. RMF helped in getting power to each bed and making sure the facility had the appropriate emergency power with the added outlets. Charleston Visitor Center 375 Meeting St., Charleston Developer/owner: Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Charleston Architect: Glenn Keyes Architects LLC, Charleston General contractor: Hood Construction Co., Columbia Engineer(s): Live Oak Consultants, North Charleston (mechanical, electrical, plumbing); 4SE, Charleston (structural) Estimated completion date: Second quarter 2020 The Charleston Visitor Center is receiving its first major upgrade in 30 years. Some existing elements will be maintained, such as the masonry walls with timber trusses, wood-roof decking, and the old wood flooring. The final renovation will provide a more open space and a new exhibition area.
Charleston Police Department Forensic Services Building 1975 Bees Ferry Road, Charleston Developer/owner: City of Charleston Department of Parks, Capital Projects Division, Charleston Architect: Stubbs Muldrow Herin Architects Inc., Mount Pleasant; McClaren, Wilson & Lawrie Inc., Ashland, Va. (laboratory architect) General contractor: Hill Construction, Charleston Engineer(s): ADC Engineering, Hanahan (civil, landscape, structural); DWG Consulting Engineers, Mount Pleasant (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection); Whole Building Systems, Charleston (commissioning agent) Estimated completion date: First quarter 2021 Estimated total cost of project: $9.4 million This project consists of the construction of a new, two-story, 21,500-square-foot building for the Forensic Services Division of the Charleston Police Department. The new facility includes areas to receive, process and file evidence; crime scene processing and storage; and two garage bays for vehicle examination and storage. Also included are latent prints offices and analysis spaces; digital evidence offices and analysis spaces; chemistry laboratory and offices; and biology and DNA laboratory and offices.
Liberty Place 475 East Bay St., Charleston Developer/owner: 1776 Development, North Myrtle Beach Architect: Garvin Design Group, Columbia General contractor: Landmark Builders of South Carolina, Columbia Estimated completion date: Spring 2021 This project consists of a five-story, 127,000-square-foot, 99-unit hotel and timeshare facility in the former Mazyck’s Pasture, where the Liberty Tree once stood. It is constructed with concrete pile foundations supporting a post tension and rebar reinforced concrete frame with metal stud, with stucco and glass exterior. It will have a thermoplastic polyolefin roof, luxury interior finishes and site improvements. The scope of work also includes preserving and fortifying the remains of an 18th-century carriage house on the property.
June 15 - 28, 2020
CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION
S.C. Sports Medicine 2760 Tricom St., North Charleston Developer/owner: S.C. Sports Medicine, North Charleston Architect: Poole & Poole, Midlothian, Va.; Remark, Charleston (landscape) General contractor: Trident Construction, North Charleston Engineer(s): C. Baker Engineering LLC, Charleston (civil); Curry Engineers LLC, Mount Pleasant (structural); Meca Inc., Wando (mechanical, plumbing); CDDC, Bluffton (electrical) Estimated completion date: April 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $2.5 million This project consists of 7,300 square feet of medical office building.
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Seabrook Island Club 3772 Seabrook Island Road, Johns Island Developer/owner: Seabrook Island Club, Johns Island Architect: Rush Dixon Architects, Mount Pleasant Project manager: SeamonWhiteside, Mount Pleasant General contractor: Branks General Contractors, Ravenel Engineer(s): SeamonWhiteside, Mount Pleasant (civil, landscape architect) Estimated completion date: May 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $2 million This project was a renovation of the pool and amenities. A ramp that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, sun shelves and submerged benches were included in the complete redesign of the adult pool. A bar, shade structures, unique seating and play zones were incorporated into the site. Existing flooding issues were also addressed with an aesthetically pleasing pedestrian arrival sequence. The Hub 1049 Point Hope Parkway, Charleston Developer/owner: Cainhoy Land & Timber, an agent of DI Development Co., Charleston Architect: Stubbs Muldrow Herin Architects Inc., Mount Pleasant General contractor: Hill Construction, Charleston Engineer(s): Thomas & Hutton, Mount Pleasant (civil, landscape); Atlantic Engineering, Mount Pleasant (structural); DWG Inc., Mount Pleasant (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection) Estimated completion date: Early July 2020 The project includes a large community room, offices and a meeting room. The space highlights the community’s amenities and includes all-glass gable ends that allow natural light inside while also lighting the community bike path.
The Harbour Club 22 WestEdge St., 7th floor, Charleston Developer/owner: The Harbour Club, Charleston Architect: Lucid, Dallas General contractor: Trident Construction, North Charleston Engineer(s): Newcomb & Boyd, Charleston (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) Estimated completion date: June 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $3 million This project includes upfit construction.
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CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION
MUSC College of Health Professions Atrium Acoustical Modifications 151 Rutledge Ave., Charleston Developer/owner: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston Architect: McMillan Pazdan Smith, Charleston General contractor: Chastain Construction Inc., Charleston Engineer(s): DWG Inc., Mount Pleasant (electrical, fire protection) Estimated completion date: August 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $233,000 This renovation project includes new light fixtures, sprinkler renovation and the addition of sounddampening acoustical panels to the ceiling and balcony. MUSC chose to keep part of the facade of the old Charleston High School, which once stood at this location, as part of the atrium.
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Belvidere Speculative Office Building and Parking Garage 1940 Algonquin Road, Charleston Developer/owner: White Point Partners, Charlotte Architect: McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, Charleston; Remark Landscape Architecture, Charleston (landscape) General contractor: Frampton Construction, Ladson Engineer(s): Hoyt & Berenyi, Ladson (civil); WGPM Inc., Charlotte (structural); RMF Engineering, Charleston (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection) Estimated completion date: November 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $22.5 million This project consists of 117,000 square feet in a five-story speculative office building. The building’s metal panel “sails” were inspired by the sailboats in Charleston’s harbor. The first building will have retail on the first floor, with 22,000-square-foot office plates on the four upper floors. The project also includes a four-tier private parking garage with 368 parking spots and tensile screening on two sides.
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June 15 - 28, 2020
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CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION
711 Meeting St. Addition 711 Meeting St., Charleston Developer/owner: Free Fly Apparel, Charleston Architect: Goff D’Antonio Associates, Charleston Project manager: Linden Construction, Charleston General contractor: Linden Construction, Charleston Engineer(s): Forsberg Engineering & Surveying, Charleston (civil, landscaping); RK Engineers & Builders, Charleston (structural); Constantine Engineering Associates LLC, Charleston (plumbing, mechanical, electrical) Estimated completion date: Fourth quarter 2020 Work includes adding about 4,500 square feet of office space to the existing corporate headquarters.
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677 King Street Mixed Use Office & Retail 677 King St., Charleston Developer/owner: Atlantic South Development, Greenville Architect: McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, Charleston General contractor: Trident Construction, Charleston Engineer(s): Forsberg Engineering & Surveying Inc., Charleston (civil); Britt, Peters and Associates Inc., Mount Pleasant (structural); Barrett, Woodyard & Associates Inc., Norcross, Ga. (mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire protection) Estimated completion date: June 2021 Estimated total cost of project: $14 million This project is a new, five-story, 70,000-square-foot mixed-use building that will add new Class A office and retail to Upper King Street. Situated between the U.S. Highway 17 overpasses, the building is designed to be viewed from all four sides. The top floor is built to be smaller than the preceding floors and incorporates a deep profile curtain wall design into the facade.
Bees Ferry West Ashley Library 3035 Sanders Road, Charleston Developer/owner: Charleston County, North Charleston Architect: McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, Charleston General contractor: M.B. Kahn Construction Co., Columbia Engineer(s): ADC Engineering, Hanahan (civil, landscape, structural); RMF Engineering, Charleston (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection) Estimated completion date: July 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $6 million This is a new, single-story, 20,000-square-foot library that will have an assortment of public space. It includes seating, stacks and technology areas, as well as core service areas, meeting rooms and group study rooms. Additionally, the library will have a 100-seat auditorium and story time room in the children’s area.
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Serendipity Labs 75 Port City Landing, Mount Pleasant Developer/owner: Holder Properties, Atlanta Architect: Sargenti, Philadelphia General contractor: Linden Construction, Charleston Engineer(s): KCI Technologies, Houston (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) Estimated completion date: Third quarter 2020 This project consists of a 20,372-square-foot Class A office upfit. The current space is being delivered as a cold, dark shell.
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First National Bank 429 Coleman Blvd., Mount Pleasant Developer/owner: First National Bank, Mount Pleasant Architect: LS3P, Charleston; HLA Inc., Charleston (landscape) Project manager: Mount Pleasant General contractor: Linden Construction, Charleston Engineer(s): Atlantic Engineering, Mount Pleasant (structural); Constantine Engineering Associates LLC, Charleston (fire protection, mechanical, electrical, plumbing) Estimated completion date: Second quarter 2020 This project consists of extensive exterior and interior renovations to an existing structure. A second phase will incorporate renovations to an ancillary building on the property. The Waterfront Daniel Island 101 River Landing Drive, Charleston Developer/owner: East West Partners, Charleston Architect: McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, Charleston General contractor: Trident Construction, Charleston Engineer(s): Thomas & Hutton, Mount Pleasant (civil, landscape); Britt, Peters & Associates, Charleston (structural); Crenshaw Consulting Engineers, Raleigh (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection) Estimated completion date: Spring 2021 This new neighborhood incorporates a mixed-use master plan that includes two public-access piers, condominiums organized around Charleston-inspired gardens, town houses and retail offerings. Construction began on Phase 1 in 2019 and includes the development of a waterfront restaurant with rooftop bar overlooking the Wando River, a canoe storage building and a variety of condos and town houses.
June 15 - 28, 2020
CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Lucy Garrett Beckham High School 1560 Mathis Ferry Road, Mount Pleasant Developer/owner: Charleston County School District, Charleston Architect: McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, Charleston Project manager: Cumming, North Charleston General contractor: Contract Construction, Charleston Engineer(s): ADC Engineering, Hanahan (civil, site, landscape); RMF Engineering, Charleston (mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire protection) Estimated completion date: August 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $63.8 million The new high school will accommodate 1,500 students and will be approximately 245,000 square feet. Spaces in the new school include a gymnasium and auxiliary gymnasium, an auditorium, cafeteria, classrooms, science laboratory space and specialty laboratory spaces. The facility will also house a ninth-grade academy.
The Cooper 176 Concord St., Charleston Developer/owner: Leucadia Coast Properties LLC, Los Angeles Architect: McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, Charleston; Robert C. Glazier Architects, Santa Barbara, Calif. (design architect) General contractor: BL Harbert International, Atlanta Engineer(s): ADC Engineering, Hanahan (civil, structural); Designworks, Charleston (landscape); Buford Goff & Associates, Columbia (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection); REI Engineers, Charleston (building envelope) Estimated completion date: August 2022 This 280,000-square-foot, 225-key hotel overlooks the Cooper River and includes multiple indoor and outdoor dining venues, a rooftop lounge and observation deck, as well as ground-floor retail spaces. The project will extend the city’s 12-acre Waterfront Park to wrap the east side of the hotel.
www.charlestonbusiness.com 29
A&R Logistics Transloading Facility 1156 West Branch Way, Moncks Corner Developer/owner: The Keith Corp., Charlotte Architect: McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, Charleston General contractor: Frampton Construction, Ladson Engineer(s): Thomas & Hutton, Charleston (civil); WGPM Inc., Charlotte, N.C. (structural); MSS Solutions, North Charleston (mechanical); Eldeco, Charleston (electrical) Estimated completion date: November 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $35 million The project is a 615,000-square-foot transloading facility. The building will consist of concrete tilt walls, thermoplastic polyolefin roof, 72 loading dock doors and a 4,000-square-foot office upfit. CSX will provide rail service to the site.
West Ashley Circle Center Phase 2 3865 W. Ashley Circle, Charleston Developer/owner: Long Term Holdings LLC, Charleston Architect: McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, Charleston General contractor: Trident Construction, North Charleston Engineer(s): Seamon Whiteside, Mount Pleasant (civil, site, landscape); Echo Engineering, Mount Pleasant (mechanical, plumbing); Curry Engineers LLC, Mount Pleasant (structural); CDDC LLC, Bluffton (electrical) Estimated completion date: September 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $9.4 million McMillan Pazdan Smith had previously designed five outparcel buildings in Phase 1. The new outparcel buildings will offer a mix of small shop spaces for restaurants, retail and office clients. The design includes intermixed sections of brick and stucco with steel embellishments.
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www.charlestonbusiness.com
CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION
commercial, neighborhood, institutional, residential, and multi-family landscape architectural services
Landscape Architecture CHARLESTON 843.952.7817 WEB REMARKSTUDIOLLC.COM
PHOTOS BY LESLIE MCKELLAR & PATRICK BRICKMAN
2020 | SOUTH CAROLINA
MANUFACTURING CONFERENCE AND EXPO The Most Significant Manufacturing Event of the Year
Presented by:
SAVE THE DATE
October 28th - 30th, 2020 Greenville Convention Center Greenville, SC Join manufacturing suppliers and innovators across all industry verticals at South Carolina’s Most Significant Manufacturing Event of the Year. The 2019 Conference included: • 2,800+ registered attendees • 280+ Exhibitors • 16 courses taught by instructors from SCMEP • Manufacturing 4.0 Breakfast: The Rise of Technology • Aero/Auto Symposium and Industry Forecasts • Executive Women in Manufacturing and Apprenticeships in Advanced Manufacturing panel discussions For questions about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Melissa Tomberg at (864) 720-1220 or mtomberg@scbiznews.com
Visit www.scmanufacturingconference.com for the latest updates
June 15 - 28, 2020
IFA Module 3 Manufacturing Expansion 479 Trade Center Parkway, Summerville Developer/owner: The Keith Corp., Charlotte Architect: McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, Charleston General contractor: Frampton Construction, Ladson Engineer(s): Alliance Consulting Engineers, Columbia (civil); WGPM Inc., Charlotte, (structural); Hensley and Goerling Consulting Engineers LLC, Charleston (plumbing); Erickson Associates Inc., Savannah (mechanical); Eldeco, North Charleston (electrical); Shambaugh, Fort Wayne, Ind. (fire protection) Estimated completion date: Summer 2020 The existing 233,300-square-foot facility will be expanded by 211,300 square feet with a simultaneous expansion of the existing second floor office space from 17,000 to 34,000 square feet. Designed with load-bearing tilt wall concrete construction, the building will also utilize knockout panels to allow the Module 3 manufacturing expansion to have direct access to the existing warehouse and shipping area. The office expansion includes a large conference room and second, larger cafeteria. Ashley River Church elevator 1101 Savannah Highway, Charleston Developer/owner: Ashley River Church, Charleston Architect: LS3P Associates Ltd., Charleston General contractor: Chastain Construction, Charleston Engineer(s): Charleston Engineering, Charleston (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection) Estimated completion date: October 2020 Estimated total cost of project: $395,000 This project involves the removal and replacement of the existing ramp that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, plus installation of a new ramp and a three-story elevator shaft with new elevator. New elevator lobbies will be created within the existing building. The scope includes demolition, concrete, masonry, helical piers, steel, light gauge metal framing, insulation, roofing, doors, new interior finishes and new elevator.
June 15 - 28, 2020
CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Charleston Battery at Patriots Point 85 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant Developer/owner: HCFC LLC, dba Charleston Battery, Charleston Architect: LS3P Associates Ltd., Charleston General contractor: Hill Construction, Charleston Engineer(s): Seamon Whiteside, Mount Pleasant (civil, landscape); Atlantic Engineering LLC, Mount Pleasant (structural); DWG Consulting Engineers, Mount Pleasant (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) Estimated completion date: 2020 This project includes two grandstands with approximately 2,800 seats, as well as areas for concessions, merchandise and food trucks. The modular construction includes two new doublewide trailer player locker rooms, two ticket booths and mobile restroom trailers.
S.C. Federal Credit Union - Cane Bay 1736 State Road, Summerville Architect: Spivey Architects, Charleston General contractor: Harbor Contracting, Mount Pleasant Estimated completion date: June 2020 This is a 3,600-square-foot full-service bank with drive-thru.
www.charlestonbusiness.com 31
Modern Minds Upfit 40 Calhoun St., Suite 240, Charleston Developer/owner: Beemok Capital, Charleston Architect: LS3P Associates Ltd., Charleston General contractor: Choate Construction Co., Mount Pleasant Engineer(s): DWG Consulting Engineers, Mount Pleasant (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) Estimated completion date: May 2020 This project is a newly upfitted, 3,400-square-foot neurological center for the Medical University of South Carolina. The renovation project occurred within an occupied facility and included the demolition of existing walls to create break room facilities, as well as all new mechanical systems, fire sprinkler modifications and upgraded lighting fixtures.
Meeting Street Academy Phase III 642 Meeting St., Charleston Developer/owner: Meeting Street Schools, Charleston Architect: LS3P Associates Ltd., Charleston General contractor: Choate Construction Co., Mount Pleasant Engineer(s): C Baker Engineering, LLC, Charleston (civil) Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Charleston (structural) Estimated completion date: Summer 2020 Estimated total cost of project: Phase III construction of Meeting Street Academy expands the current campus with the addition of a two-story, horizontal addition to their existing facility. The new space will provide supplementary classrooms and a separate, one-story multipurpose area.
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IN FOCUS: ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION
June 15 - 28, 2020
Homebuilders
Ranked by No. of Permits Granted in 2019 Company
Phone / Website / Email
Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded
D.R. Horton Inc. 1500 Pearl Tabby Drive Mount Pleasant, SC 29466
843-284-5000 www.drhorton.com jddonovan@drhorton.com
Josh Donovan, Bryan Doster 1978
Lennar Carolinas LLC 1941 Savage Road, Suite 100C Charleston, SC 29407
843-388-8989 www.lennar.com/charleston amy.dooley@lennar.com
Crescent Homes 572 Savannah Highway Charleston, SC 29407
Permits / Employees
Developments / Areas in South Carolina
Price Range
900 90
Mount Pleasant, Huger, Moncks Corner, Ladson, Summerville, Johns Island, West Ashley
$199,999 - $1,600,000
Jason Byham, Joe Johnston 1954
842 114
Mount Pleasant, West Ashley, Johns Island, James Island, Ladson, Summerville, Goose Creek, Hanahan, Moncks Corner
$224,000 - $700,990
843-573-9635 www.crescenthomes.net info@crescenthomes.net
Edward M. Terry 2009
322 75
Summerville, Mount Pleasant, Charleston, Johns Island
$190,000 - $1,000,000
Dan Ryan Builders 3955 Faber Place, Suite 100 North Charleston, SC 29405
843-820-2505 www.danryanbuilders.com charelstoninfo@danryanbuilders.com
Scott Pyrdek, Michael Boyle 1990
220 40
Monks Corner, Goose Creek, Summerville, Ladson, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Ridgeville and Greenville
$224,990 - $600,000
Pulte Group 4401 Leeds Ave., Suite 400 Charleston, SC 29405
843-740-7290 www.pulte.com/charleston -
Charlie Tipton 1987
188 89
Mount Pleasant, Johns Island, James Island, Summerville, Daniel Island, Hollywood, West Ashley
$223,000 - $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
183 30
Charleston, North Charleston, Goose Creek, Monks Corner, Summerville, Ladson, Santee, Ridgeville, St. George, Manning
$150,000 - $500,000
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
$150,000 - $700,000
David Weekley Homes 498 Wando Park Blvd., Suite 650 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-654-5559 www.davidweekleyhomes.com sakemp@dwhomes.com
Bryan Booth, Sarah Kemp 1996
110 34
Mount Pleasant, Summerville, Charleston, James Island, Folly Beach, Awendaw, Daniel Island
$230,000 - $900,000
Saussy Burbank 730 Coleman Blvd., Suite K Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-416-1027 www.saussyburbank.com charleston@saussyburbank.com
Ivie J. Kirk, Henry A. McNeill 1990
68 15
Nexton and Kiawah River
$220,000 - $1,000,000
Rolina Homes 501 Bramson Court, Suite 400 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-300-1764 www.rolinahomes.com customerservice@rolinahomes.com
Jason R. Fabrizio 2010
65 10
Liberty Hall Plantation, Baker Plantation, Shady Oaks, River Oaks, Fields of Gahagan
$175,000 - $650,000
Center Park Homes 501 Belle Hall Parkway, Suite 102 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-800-5311 www.centerparkhomes.com jesposito@eastwoodhomes.com
Jason Esposito 2018
34 9
Hanahan, Moncks Corner, Mount Pleasant, Ridgeville, Summerville
$204,900 - $750,000
Cline Homes 474 Wando Park Blvd., Suite 106 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-849-2929 www.cline-homes.com info@cline-homes.com
Jeff Cline, Stu Cline, Scott Cline 2005
31 12
Daniel Island Park and Edgefield Park, Daniel Island; Riverside at Carolina Park; Awendaw Village
$600,000 - $2,000,000
Arnett Construction 1 Cool Blow St., Suite 322 Charleston, SC 29403
843-271-8668 www.arnettconstructionsc.com office@arnettconstructionsc.com
Travis Arnett 2008
25 10
Downtown Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Kiawah, Johns Island, James Island, Sullivans Island, Isle of Palms
$500,000 - $4,000,000
R.M. Buck LLC 900 Main Road, Suite 3 Johns Island, SC 29455
843-559-1155 www.rmbuck.com ryan@rmbuck.com
Ryan Buck 1977
25 20
Kiawah, Seabrook, Johns, Wadmalaw, Folly and surrounding areas
$3,000,000 - $12,000,000
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
21 10
Custom-designed new homes and remodels in Kiawah, Seabrook, downtown Charleston, James Island and Mount Pleasant
$350,000 - $2,500,000
Cava Custom Build 2845 Cane Slash Road Johns Island, SC 29455
843-708-7050 www.cavacustombuild.com cava@cavacustombuild.com
Cava Compton 2018
15 3
Johns Island, Charleston, Kiawah, Seabrook, Wadmalaw, James Island
$50,000 - $1,000,000
Design Builders Inc. 694 Wildwood Road Charleston, SC 29412
843-795-1779 www.designbuilders.us designbuilders@bellsouth.net
Bill Douglas, Eric A. Douglas 1991
10 3
Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley counties
$300,000 - $1,000,000
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
10 10
Charleston, Sullivans Island, Isle of Palms, Mount Pleasant, Wadmalaw Island, Johns Island
$950,000 - $4,000,000
J. Meyer Homes 4952 Centre Point Drive North Charleston, SC 29418
843-475-8655 www.jmeyerhomes.com jmeyerdevelopment@gmail.com
2010
10 4
North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Hollywood, Berkeley County
$175,000 - $550,000
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
10 8
Residential homes in Kiawah, Johns Island, remodeling and condominiums in Charleston
$900,000 - $3,500,000
Solaris Inc. 130 Gardeners Circle, PMB 529 Johns Island, SC 29455
843-768-9363 www.solarisinc.com info@solarisinc.com
Steve R. Brenner 1982
10 4
Kiawah Island, Charleston
$2,000,000 - $8,000,000
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
9 25
Johns, James, Wadmalaw islands
$185,000 - $275,000
Master Home Builder LLC 668 Marina Drive, Suite A3 Charleston, SC 29492
843-224-0695 www.master-homebuilder.com antonio@master-homebuilder.com
James Alton Cannon 2012
8 4
Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties
$200,000 - $2,400,000
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
$1,000,000 - $10,000,000
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
6 8
Downtown Charleston, Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, Wadmalaw Island, Johns Island, Mount Pleasant, Santee and St. Kitts, West Indies
$750,000 - $10,000,000
Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. View the full list online at www.scbiznews.com/buybusiness-lists. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, errors sometimes occur. Email additions or corrections to lists@scbiznews.com.
Researched by Paige Hardy
IN FOCUS: ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION
June 15 - 28, 2020
www.charlestonbusiness.com 33
Homebuilders
Ranked by No. of Permits Granted in 2019 Company
Phone / Website / Email
Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded
Permits / Employees
Developments / Areas in South Carolina
Price Range
Carolina Professional Builders LLC 871 Lowcountry Blvd. Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-296-6394 cpbuilders@bellsouth.net
Herbert L. Cantley 1989
6 1
Charleston County
$500,000 - $1,500,000
JacksonBuilt Custom Homes 130 River Landing Drive, Suite 12B Daniel Island, SC 29492
843-297-1424 www.jacksonbuilthomes.com info@jacksonbuilthomes.com
Richard Jackson 2008
6 5
Daniel Island, Mount Pleasant, Poplar Grove, West Ashley, Kiawah River
$1,000,000 - $3,000,000
Morris Construction LLC 63 Broad St., Suite 200A Charleston, SC 29401
843-577-8018 www.customhomebuilderscharleston.com buz@morris.construction
Buz Morris 2010
6 9
Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties
$500,000 - $2,500,000
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
5 2
Lowcountry
$650,000 - $3,000,000
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
$700,000 - $3,000,000
Generation Homes 18 Boyer Court Charleston, SC 29403
843-696-1975 www.generationhomessc.com andy.barber@generationhomessc.com
Andy Barber 2014
4 2
Charleston MSA
$245,000 - $480,000
Lowcountry Residential Builders LLC 110 Sangaree Parkway Summerville, SC 29486
843-875-3080 www.lowcountryresidential.com -
Shawn Smith, Mark Smith, Ryan Smith 2006
4 3
Hidden Hills, Summerville
$325,000 - $395,000
East Cooper Habitat for Humanity Inc. 447B Jessen Lane Wando, SC 29492
843-881-2600 www.eastcooperhabitat.org bob@eastcooperhabitat.org
Robert S. Hervey 1990
3 5
Mount Pleasant, Awendaw, McClellanville, Huger
$180,000 - $220,000
MGN LLC P.O. Box 897 Mount Pleasant, SC 29465
843-557-7997 mgnllc2@gmail.com
Mike Newbern 2017
3 2
Charleston metro area
$300,000 - $900,000
Phillip Smith General Contractor LLC 465 W. Coleman Blvd., Suite 301 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
843-881-9828 www.phillipsmithcontractor.com info@phillipsmithcontractor.com
Phillip W. Smith, Bill Payzant 1990
3 8
Charleston, Daniel Island, Isle of Palms, Mount Pleasant, Sullivan's Island
$1,600,000 - $3,200,000
Suiter Construction Co. Inc. 3489 Ashwycke St. Mount Pleasant, SC 29466
843-514-6442 www.suiterconstruction.com jeff@suiterconstruction.com
Jeffrey D. Suiter 1987
3 2
Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, Awendaw, Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island, Seabrook Island, Kiawah Island
$350,000 - $1,800,000
Byrd Builders Inc. 3690 Bohicket Road, Suite 4C Johns Island, SC 29455
843-243-0343 www.byrdbuildersinc.com matt@byrdbuildersinc.com
Matt Byrd 1998
2 4
Kiawah Island
$1,500,000 - $3,500,000
Osprey Construction Co. Inc. 3690 Bohicket Road, Suite 2B Johns Island, SC 29455
843-768-4150 www.ospreyinc.com osprey@ospreyinc.com
Douglas James 1991
1 1
Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island
$1,000,000 - $5,000,000
Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. View the full list online at www.scbiznews.com/buybusiness-lists. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, errors sometimes occur. Email additions or corrections to lists@scbiznews.com.
Researched by Paige Hardy
YOUR VOICE. OUR AUDIENCE.
INSIGHTS
When it’s time to buy, your future customers will know who to trust.
Insights is a powerful opportunity to leverage your brand and our audience by telling your story in your own words on our platform – positioning your company as a thought leader in your industry.
For advertising information, contact Grady Johnson at (843) 849-3103 or gjohnson@scbiznews.com
34
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June 15 - 28, 2020
REGISTER ONLINE TODAY!
REOPENING THE REGION FOR BUSINESS PART 3: HEALTHY TRI-COUNTY – A REGIONAL INITIATIVE Healthy Tri-County, an initiative launched in 2017 and powered by the core partners MUSC Health, Roper St. Francis Healthcare and Trident United Way, set forth with the mission of improving the health and well-being of every person and community in the TriCounty region. Join the discussion with our panelists for an update on the initiative and the region’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
PANELISTS: Renee Linyard-Gary, Director of Health Trident United Way Mark Dickson, Vice President of Mission, Roper St. Francis Healthcare 3rd Panelist TBA
Register online today: bit.ly/CRBJPBS20200625 Proceeds from registration purchases will buy breakfast for Charleston County First Responders.
8:30 a.m.
Presented by:
Thursday, June 25
Livestream Event
Sponsored by:
#CHSPBS
At Work
BUSINESS DIGEST | PEOPLE IN THE NEWS | HOT PROPERTIES | PEER TO PEER
People in the News
Business Digest
Frampton Construction underway on distribution center in Berkeley County Frampton Construction Co. LLC has begun construction on a 190,000-square-foot industrial building in Summerville. The Class A speculative facility, developed by Randolph Development, is the first of two heavy industrial buildings that will constitute the Portside Distribution Center. The new building, subdivisible to 43,416 square feet, could accommodate a variety of uses, including logistics companies, aerospace and automotive suppliers, defense contractors, light manufacturers and last-mile distributors. The facility, designed by architectural firm McMillan Pazdan Smith, has a clear height of 32 feet and will be constructed with structural steel and load-bearing concrete tilt walls. Thomas & Hutton provided site, civil and landscape design for the 31-acre development. Planning
Intramed Plus offers virtual assistance for COVID-19
Intramed Plus is offering virtual, interactive patient training sessions and has developed a patient assistance program to help cover costs associated with home infusion therapies. Additional efforts include collaborating with local hospitals to provide hand sanitizers, providing meals to frontline health care workers, and joining forces with local organizations to make homemade cloth masks.
Hollywood shipyard receives grants for small shipyard project
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration awarded $492,128 to Metal Trades Inc. of Hollywood. It is one of 24 small U.S. shipyards receiving $19.6 million in discretionary grants through the Small Shipyard Grant Program. The funding is intended to help make America’s small shipyards more efficient in constructing commercial vessels. Metal Trades Inc. has been a family-owned business since 1962, with experience in heavy steel fabrication, manufacturing, machining, vessel construction, and vessel maintenance and repair. The funds will go toward a 55‐ton Grove all-terrain crane and three SkyTrak Telehandlers forklifts.
United Community Bank again accepting PPP applications
In anticipation of additional funding for the Payroll Protection Program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, United Community Bank
for the project started in late 2017 in anticipation of the opening of the Nexton Parkway interchange at Exit 197 on has resumed accepting applications from small businesses. Applications will be added to the current loan queue. Businesses that have already completed a loan application with United but did not have funding reserved prior to the Small Business Administration’s halting the application process will be given priority, in the order in which their applications were completed.
Coastal Pediatrics now a COVID-19 testing site
Coastal Pediatric Associates has offered its site for COVID-19 testing. Testing will be conducted in a dedicated tented area outside of Summerville Coastal Pediatrics and West Ashley Coastal Pediatrics locations. Pediatric testing is available at six areas with checkpoint stations where providers can check sick children from their parent’s vehicle. Well checks continue to be provided traditionally inside the clinic’s four open office locations.
Dominion Energy recognized nationally for excellence in safety
Dominion Energy Carolina Gas Transmission and Dominion Energy South Carolina have received the American Gas Association’s highest awards for safety performance in 2019. Seven of the company’s gas businesses were recognized for a strong track record for safety. Dominion Energy Carolina Gas’ 115 employees received top honors in the medium transmission category, achieving the lowest rate of employees with days away, restricted or transferred because of injury.
Interstate 26 west of Charleston. Construction on the first building is expected to be complete by September. Dominion Energy Carolina Gas was also recognized by the American Gas Association for having the lowest motor vehicle accident rate among all gas transmission companies.
Poe Group Advisors launches Accounting Practice Academy
Brannon Poe, CPA and founder of Poe Group Advisors, will be teaching and leading the Accounting Practice Academy, a specialized online course for CPA practice owners. The course includes five modules about how to address business needs and how to set owners up for success. There are plans to launch an extended, eight-module course later in the year.
Carolina Youth Development Center receives community grant
Carolina Youth Development Center was awarded a $55,000 Cummins Community Development Grant to help provide additional programs at its family support center. The center will provide the greater Charleston area with resources and support for parents and families, including in-home visitations, individual and family therapy, caregiver support groups, and workshops that help families involved in the child welfare system. The center and its programs will add to existing services, such as afterschool care, the Freedom School summer school program, the Strengthening Families Program and additional prevention services. See BUSINESS DIGEST, Page 37
LAW Attorney Barbara Wagner of Barnwell Whaley Patterson & Helms LLC was elected to the Charleston County Bar Association Executive CommitWagner tee. Barnwell Whaley has also hired Andreas J. Mosby as an associate attorney, and attorneys M. Dawes Cooke Jr. and David S. Cox have been ranked in the Chambers USA 2020 Guide Mosby for their work in general commercial matters litigation. Wagner’s practice focuses on business law and civil litigation, specifically professional liability, construction defects, Cooke insurance defense, asbestos litigation and toxic torts. She received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a doctorate from the University of California, Davis. She also earned Cox a juris doctorate, magna cum laude, as part of the first graduating class of the Charleston School of Law. Mosby will concentrate his practice in the areas of business law, civil litigation and commercial litigation. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from Greensboro College, an MBA from Elon University’s Martha & Spencer Love School of Business, and a juris doctorate from Elon University School of Law. Mosby is licensed in North and South Carolina. A past president of the S.C. Bar, Cooke is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. Cox has experience in media-related disputes and intellectual property litigation. He represents companies for general business advising, risk management and litigation of commercial disputes, both as plaintiff and defendant. He also concentrates on insurance coverage and trade practices litigation. See PEOPLE, Page 37
36
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June 15 - 28, 2020
May employment surprisingly strong; big picture unchanged
Target your market in an upcoming issue of the Charleston Regional Business Journal
JUNE 29
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
List: Largest Employers Bonus List: Business Communications Companies
Advertising Deadline: June 15 JULY 13
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
List: Commercial Real Estate Companies Bonus List: Independent Insurance Cos.
Advertising Deadline: June 29 JULY 27
FINANCIAL SERVICES List: Credit Unions Bonus List: Accounting Firms
Advertising Deadline: July 13 AUGUST 10
ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION (AEC) List: Architecture Firms Bonus List: Commercial Moving and Storage Companies
Advertising Deadline: July 27
For advertising information, call Grady Johnson at (843) 849-3103
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ayroll employment rose 2.5 million in May, which exceeded everyone’s expectation. But this outcome seems to reflect a very slight difference in the timing of when workers returned to work and, for this reason, does not change the overall outlook for the economy. We had expectSTEPHEN D. ed a 2.0 million SLIFER decline in employment for May, followed by a 10.0 million increase in June as workers returned to their jobs. But now it appears that some of that hiring occurred slightly earlier than we anticipated and, following the May gain, we have reduced our projected jobs increase for June to 7.0 million. The increase over the two-month period is only slightly stronger than anticipated. We already knew the labor market was improving. After peaking at 6.9 million in the week ending March 28, the initial unemployment claims (a measure of layoffs) has declined for nine consecutive weeks and now stands at 1.9 million. In any given week, some workers lose their jobs and file for unemployment benefits. At the same time, other workers get hired and drop off the unemployment rolls. When the number of people receiving unemployment insurance benefits declines, more people were hired in that week than lost their jobs. In the week ending May 16, the number of people receiving unemployment insurance benefits fell by 4.1 million. The economy was opening up. Workers were returning to their jobs. The employment statistics each month are determined from a survey that is taken in the week that contains the 12th of the month. We thought the mid-May hiring had occurred too late in the month to boost May employment. We were wrong. Employment rose by 2.5 million versus our projected decline of 2.0 million. The increase for May and June is slightly stronger than anticipated, but with a vastly different pattern. Every month businesses have a certain number of people on their payrolls and work them for a specific number of hours. If we know how many people are working and how long they worked, we can estimate how many goods and services they produced. Every month the Bureau of Labor Statistics combines payroll employment with the nonfarm workweek and calcu-
lates an “aggregate hours index” which can be used as a rough proxy for GDP. Payroll employment declined by 1.3 million in March and an additional 20.6 million in April. As a result, the aggregate hours index plunged in those two months before rebounding somewhat in May. For the first quarter this index averaged 111.1. For the second quarter (assuming a further increase in employment in June) the index will average 97.2. Doing the math, that works out to an annualized rate of decline of 50%. This explains why we still look for a huge GDP drop of 50.0% in the second quarter. The economy is getting better, but the April hit was breathtaking. Given the increase in employment in May and a likely further sizable increase in June, third-quarter GDP growth is likely to bounce back by 51.0%. So even though the May increase in employment surprised everyone, if all it does is take some of the jobs growth for June and shift it back into May, it does not change the overall economic outlook by any appreciable amount. We end up with a huge GDP drop followed by an equally enormous rebound. Given all that has been going on, the stock market continues its upward trajectory. After falling 32% from its mid-February peak, the S&P 500 index has rebounded and now stands at 5% below its mid-February level. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index has already established a new record high level. Many contend that the market is now grossly overvalued. We disagree. Economic activity is rebounding naturally as workers go back to work, once again start earning a paycheck, and pay overdue bills like the mortgage, the rent, the car loan and credit card bills. But on top of that is $2.5 trillion of fiscal stimulus with help from the Fed. Most American households have received their $1,200 refund checks. Small businesses are getting money from the Paycheck Protection Program. Boosted by the refund checks, real disposable income surged by 13.4% in April. With income rising and the economy essentially shut down, there was nowhere to spend that money. As a result, the savings rate skyrocketed to 33% in April compared to a more normal level of 6%. That money is going to get spent, and we anticipate a 51% increase in GDP growth in the third quarter, followed by a 7.0% growth rate in the fourth quarter. We will repeat our mantra: Never underestimate the strength and the resilience of the U.S. economy. CRBJ
Reach economist Stephen D. Slifer at steve@numbernomics.com.
June 15 - 28, 2020
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People in the News PEOPLE, from Page 35
Buist Byars & Taylor LLC has hired Megan Finch Stevens as a senior associate and Ashley M. Blum as an associate. Stevens focuses on commercial real Stevens estate and corporate law. She represents buyers and sellers in commercial matters, including drafting contracts, handling negotiations, reviewing titles and due diligence, and preparing leases. On the corporate side, she handles matters such as entity formation, and structuring and creation of corporate governance documents. Stevens earned a Bachelor of Arts in public relations from the University of South Carolina, a Master of Arts in teaching from the College of Charleston, and a juris doctorate from Charleston School of Law. Blum’s practice primarily focuses on real estate matters, including the sale or refinance of residential and commercial properties. She has drafted and examined contracts, leases, agreements and waivers and has developed relationships with real
estate agents, builders and lenders. Blum graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in law and society, with a minor in psychology, from Ramapo College of New Jersey. She earned a juris doctorate from Charleston School of Law. Young Clement Rivers LLP has hired Christian E.W. Fober and Matthew K. Harrison for its trucking and transportation practice group. Previously, Fober Fober clerked for U.S. District Judge C. Weston Houck of the District of South Carolina. Following his clerkship, he worked for a local defense law firm. In law school, Fober served as Harrison the technology and marketing editor of the Charleston Law Review. Harrison previously worked for a local civil defense law firm. In law school, he was a member of the S.C. Law Review and served as the chief justice of the Mock
Trial Bar. Harrison was also one of 15 law students chosen to join the John Belton O’Neall American Inn of Court.
earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Georgia and a juris doctorate from Emory University School of Law.
K&L Gates LLP has hired Stephen D. Bittinger as a partner in the health care practice, Beau Daen as an associate in the corporate and mergers and acquisitions practice, and Kitt Ritter as an associate in the banking and asset finance practice. Bittinger concentrates his practice on health care reimbursement compliance, defense and litigation, with a focus on government and private payer disputes on behalf of providers, vendors and manufacturers. Daen previously worked as an associate in the financial institutions group of an international law firm in New York. He counseled public and private mergers-and-acquisitions clients across a diverse selection of industries. Daen earned a Master of Arts from the University of St. Andrews and a juris doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law. Ritter was previously an associate in the banking and finance group of a global law firm in New York. She represented private companies and private equity funds in industries including health care, manufacturing and technology. Ritter
TELECOMMUNICATIONS Jack Mitchell, regional director of external affairs at AT&T South Carolina has retired after 23 years of service. Mitchell began a career in public policy as a legMitchell islative analyst with the Los Angeles City Council, working on telecommunications and economic development policy. In 2008, Mitchell joined the S.C. legislative and public affairs team, leading the company’s economic development, local government and external affairs activities in the Charleston region. In this position, he advanced AT&T’s public policy and philanthropic initiatives, while also holding a variety of leadership positions in the community. Among other board memberships, he is the past board chairman of the Charleston Trident Urban League and Communities In Schools – Charleston.
Business Digest to significant financial hardship due to a layoff, furlough or reduction in hours. Scofflaw Brewing Co. has pledged more than $20,000 to the relief fund.
BUSINESS DIGEST, from Page 35
Les Dames D’Escoffier Charleston introduces Vital Hospitality CHS
The Charleston Chapter of Les Dames D’Escoffier, a worldwide philanthropic society of professional women leaders in the food, fine beverage and hospitality industries, launched Vital Hospitality CHS, a fundraising and service program for COVID-19 recovery. Its mission is to feed health care workers and first responders while supporting the local restaurant community. In two weeks, the organization has provided more than 150 meals by locally owned businesses, including Red Orchids, Verde, Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, Grey Ghost Bakery, Salthouse Catering and Duvall Catering to MUSC University Medical Center, Roper St. Francis Health care and Trident Health System personnel. All donations to Vital Hospitality’s GoFundMe account will be allocated to meals.
Ticket purchase windows delayed for 2021 PGA Championship
Ticket registration has been extended until Aug. 9 for the 2021 PGA Championship at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Ticket purchase windows were originally scheduled to begin in May.
Rise Above Sign & Graphics gives yard signs to restaurateurs
Rise Above Sign & Graphics, located in North Charleston, is providing two 24-by-18-inch corrugated plastic yard signs free of charge to any restaurants still in operation. Each sign reads “We are still open — because of you! Thank You!” It comes with metal stakes, allowing it to be displayed in a grassy area near the road, giving each restaurant increased visibility.
Liquid Highway carwash offers disinfectant services
Liquid Highway is offering a disinfectant spray recommended by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and certified by the Environmental Protection Agency with all interior wash packages. They are also providing a treatment that will sanitize the vehicle’s interior environment after the use of the disinfectant spray.
C Restaurant and Lodging Association launches relief fund
In partnership with Scofflaw Brewing Co., the S.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association has launched a relief fund to assist hospitality workers affected by COVID19. The primary goal of the S.C. Hospitality Employee COVID-19 Relief Fund is to provide qualified applicants with grants to assist with immediate expenses related
Trident Medical Center earns third consecutive ‘A’ for hospital safety
Trident Medical Center was awarded its third consecutive ‘A’ from The Leapfrog Group’s Spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. The designation recognizes Trident Medical Center’s efforts in protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care.
Carolina Boatyard Inc. launches boat storage yard in Awendaw
Carolina Boatyard Inc. has opened a new Awendaw facility. It will offer monthto-month contracts, 24/7 access, numbered and assigned boat spaces, large concrete wash down and flush stations with two freshwater hoses, and 24/7 video surveillance. The new Awendaw yard has separate entry and exit automatic gates.
Viewpoint
VIEWS, PERSPECTIVES AND READERS’ LETTERS
Guidelines to open up and get back to work
Some states are experiencing decreases in COVID-19 cases and are anxious to reopen. The White House has issued guidelines for states to consider when reopening. Citing DHEC projections that South Carolina was beyond the estimated peak in COVID-19 cases, Gov. Henry McMaster issued a new executive PHILLIP A. order on April 20, KILGORE which allows certain “non-essential” businesses to reopen. Gov. McMaster also has formed a COVID-19 advisory team to consider and recommend economic revitalization plans assist in reopening South Carolina. There is every reason to expect that momentum to reopen will increase as businesses look to return employees to the workplace, from remote locations, furlough (unpaid leave of absence) or layoff (termination of employment with recall potential).
Protecting the workplace
Employers which have remained open throughout the pandemic, albeit on a limited basis, are already familiar with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on protecting the workplace and assessing possible exposures. The CDC continuously updates this guidance and has added additional guidance, including what to do in the event of a confirmed or suspected exposure (search its site for “cleaning and disinfecting your facility”) and factors to consider in returning critical employees to work after a suspected exposure (“safety practices for critical workers with potential exposures”). In addition, the CDC has provided general community mitigation guidance which provides very helpful information on how to protect those present in various communities, including workplaces. Using these resources, employers can put together a plan, with reasonable measures, to allow a safe return of employees to the workplace, including: • Form a team to develop, implement and manage local protocols and logistics. • Take an inventory of and order necessary sanitary supplies and protective equipment. • Develop and implement a site disinfection protocol, an isolation proto-
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col to follow if an employee becomes symptomatic or reports a possible exposure, a process for receipt and disinfection of inbound materials, supplies and packages. • Maintain social distancing by use of techniques such as staggered shifts, alternative workweeks (e.g. Monday-Thursday and Friday-Sunday), and altering office layouts. Employers also should consider implementing measures for screening employees returning to the physical workplace. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has now acknowledged that employers may implement temperature screening measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. EEOC also has confirmed that employers “may ask such employees if they are experiencing influenza-like symptoms, such as fever or chills and a cough or sore throat.” Moreover, EEOC has issued guidance that an “employer may choose to administer COVID-19 testing to employees before they enter the workplace to determine if they have the virus.” Employers wishing to use these screening techniques should seek guidance from health officials, follow manufacturer’s directions and consult with legal counsel. As with any medical related inquiry, information gained from either of these screening techniques should be maintained strictly confidential.
Rehiring furloughed employees
Many concerns related to the initial hiring process likewise apply in the
return to work or rehire context. Returning all furloughed or laid off employees back to full duty generally does not present serious legal risk. It is unlikely, however, that many employers will be able to bring back all employees at the same time. Employers should exercise caution in selecting those who come back in the initial waves. We all have learned that COVID-19 particularly affects vulnerable individuals and the instinct may be to protect them from possible workplace exposures. Telling older workers or those with immunodeficiency issues, for example, to wait before coming back on the payroll may seem prudent, but it also could lead to age or disability discrimination suits. In choosing employees for return or rehire, employers should identify specific business needs and legitimate non-discriminatory reasons for the selections. Some selection factors may include skill sets needed, record of productivity, job criticality, cross training and seniority, among others. It also will be important to select appropriate decision makers and train decision makers on appropriate selection criteria and Equal Employment Opportunity principles.
Managing the reluctant employee
In some sense, workplaces utilizing good sanitation methods and social distancing are safer than other settings, such as churches or grocery stores. There even have been press reports of a high proportion of COVID-19 cases arising from home exposures.
Nevertheless, some workers who remained in active status while working from remote locations may be reluctant to return to a traditional physical workplace at this time. If employees can remain productive by continuing to telework, employers should consider giving weight to such preferences for the moment. Moreover, some employees may have complications from COVID-19 infections (e.g., pneumonia) or preexisting medical related conditions that may qualify as disabilities under the ADA, triggering the duty to provide a reasonable accommodation. In the context of a pandemic, some accommodations may meet an employee’s needs on a temporary basis without causing undue hardship on the employer. The reality is that the return to work process may take a while, so having fewer employees in the workplace may be beneficial. Over time, employers will be able to gradually learn and implement existing and newly developed processes. Phillip A. Kilgore has been in the practice of litigation and labor and employment law in the Greenville office of Ogletree Deakins since 1986. He is the office managing shareholder.
We want to hear from you Write: Andy Owens, executive editor, Charleston Regional Business Journal 1439 Stuart Engals Blvd., Suite 200 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Email: aowens@scbiznews.com
June 15 - 28, 2020
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THE WADE FAMILY IS FINISHING THE TRAIL Members of the Wade family hiked and biked the entire Palmetto Trail from Walhalla to Awendaw in 2018. Our family’s experience showcased the importance of the Trail in providing the opportunity for all to appreciate the beauty and diversity of our State.
Blue Wall, Hub City and USC Upstate passages of the Palmetto Trail
For Palmetto Trail info, visit palmettoconservation.org.
The Wade Family Fund is pleased to support improvements to the Blue Wall, Hub City and USC Upstate passages of the Palmetto Trail. New boardwalks and signage have been installed on the Waterfall Loop of the Blue Wall passage, enhancing this hiking option on one of the most popular passages in the Upstate.The Hub City passage will be re-routed with new signage highlighting the beautiful corridor in downtown Spartanburg. Finally, .5 mile of new trail, a 30-foot boardwalk and new signage will make the USC Upstate passage an attractive gateway to Spartanburg. Together, Let’s #FinishTheTrail!
Want to help #FinishTheTrail? Call (803) 771-0870 | (803) 771-0590
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June 15 - 28, 2020
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