Charleston Regional Business Journal - June 19, 2023

Picking

Freight value rebounds after pandemic pummeling

Everyone remembers the scramble. During the pandemic that began in March 2020, everyone scrambled for toilet paper, hand sanitizer, antiseptic wipes, and, before it was all over, raw materials and basic supplies to run their businesses.

Recent data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics show how the kink in the supply chain resulted in a decimation of value, and what happened the year after the pandemic caused a short recession in the nation’s economy.

Data over five years show South Carolina and every state in the Southeastern U.S. saw a dip in value of cargo flowing. Louisiana had the highest percentage drop in freight value with a decrease of 18.56% from 2019 to 2020, but South Carolina was the second-highest in the Southeast for value loss with a decrease of 8.56%.

By looking at freight flow, including exports, imports and freight transported within a state, the BTS shows how quickly cargo stopped flowing and how that resulted in a decrease in value. In 2019, the state’s freight flow was worth more than $306.7 billion. By the end of 2020, that number had dropped to $280.5 billion. That changed the next year, with the state posting a 13.46% increase in value to $318.2 billion, the highest on record for five years.

The increase in value didn’t result in an increase in freight tonnage, the BTS data show. Following a trend that began in 2018, South Carolina’s freight flow of 230.9 million tons dropped 1% between 2019 and 2020. But from 2020 to 2021, the amount of freight flow went down further, from 228.5 million to 213.4 million, a decrease of 6.6%.

Starting two years before the pandemic began, South Carolina’s freight flow tonnage has dropped more than 10% from 2018 to 2021, BTS data show. By Andy Owens

Post-pandemic rebound across Southeast

Table shows the percentage change in values of freight in the Southeast, during and after the pandemic-era economic downturn. This reflects the percentage change in exports, imports and in-state cargo moved during 2020 and 2021.

SC’s logistics by the numbers

77,992 Miles of public roadways in the state.

2,278 Miles of railroad track in the state.

480 Miles of waterways in South Carolina.

8 Number of major airports operated in the state.

$42,085,000,000

More than $42 billion worth of motorized vehicles, the state’s top freight commodity category by value, were moved in South Carolina in 2021, up 3.3% from the previous year.

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

“Mount Pleasant used to be a sleepy little town near the beach, north of Charleston and now it’s a sought-after area that has exploded in growth.”

— Wayne Bumgardner, COO,Big Bad Breakfast

SC Biz News Briefs

Greenville design board approves $100M downtown gateway — but with conditions

The Greenville Design Review Board has given its final approval of the long-awaited Greenville Gateway project design — with conditions.

Located on the former Greenville Memorial Auditorium site on North Church Street, plans for the project — which will be named the Gracie Plaza at the Arena District — were deferred to further review and make changes to the development’s exterior materials, color selection and activation of the plaza. The panel also suggested a simplification of the development’s design.

Gracie Plaza will consist of two interconnected towers featuring 294 residential apartments, restaurants and commercial space, creative studios and a parking structure concealed by an elevated terrace.

The project is envisioned to act as an anchor to the Cultural Corridor and a pedestrian connection from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena to downtown, said Beth Brotherton, Greenville’s director of communications and engagement.

The estimated total project cost is between $100 million to $120 million, according to the project’s Miami-based developer NR Investments. CRBJ

Groundbreaking held for $800M EV battery plant in Florence County

Groundbreaking was held Wednesday June 7 for a new $800 million electric vehicle battery plant in Florence County.

AESC, a battery technology company based in Japan, held the ceremony on-site at the plant’s future location in Florence County. Jeff Deaton, managing director of AESC U.S. attended, along with local and state officials attended.

With construction of the 1.5 million square foot plant underway, commercial operations are expected to start in 2026, creating 1,170 new jobs for the local community, according to a news release.

“This groundbreaking marks another major milestone in AESC’s commitment to investing in South Carolina and manufacturing electric vehicle batteries,” Deaton said. “AESC continues to be a global leader in developing next generation EV battery technology, and we’re proud to be further growing our capacity to build those products in U.S. facilities, accelerating the transition to clean energy transportation.” CRBJ

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The project, which will consist of two interconnected towers featuring 294 residential apartments, restaurants and commercial space, creative studios, is now called Gracie Plaza at the Arena District. (Rendering/Johnson Design Group)

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New-to-market homebuilder coming to Nexton community

By Jason Thomas jthomas@scbiznews.com

Anew homebuilder and land developer has been added to builder program at the Nexton community in Summerville.

With plans to develop a new collection of townhomes in Nexton, this addition marks Brookfield Residential’s first project in South Carolina, according to a news release.

Brookfield Residential is an internationally backed organization with more than 65 years of homebuilding experience, the release stated. Operations extend across the United States with major developments in more than 15 markets and over 65 active housing communities.

The homebuilder is an affiliate of Brookfield Properties, which currently has a sizable footprint in the Carolinas including 3,500 active employees and $4.8 billion assets under management, the release stated. Assets include logistics, hospitality and retail operations, notably Columbiana Centre, a high-quality retail mall.

“We are delighted to join the Nexton community and add to the diverse array of housing options,” Gregg Hughes, senior vice president of housing and operations for Brookfield Residential, said in the release. “Nexton has

a vibrant, charming personality and we’re hoping these new townhomes reflect the community and serve the needs of today’s homebuyer.”

Located in Nexton’s Midtown neighborhood, Brookfield Residential’s entry-level townhome collection will feature 1,600 square feet on two finished levels of living space with prices starting in the mid$300,000s, the release stated. The townhomes will offer three-bedroom layouts with an option for two primary suites. Interiors will include open floor plans and designer kitchens with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.

Pre-sales will begin mid-summer with a model residence opening later this year.

Midtown also includes the Midtown Club, featuring a resort-style pool, fitness center

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and indoor and outdoor flex spaces available to members of the Nexton Residential Association, the release stated. The neighborhood also will feature food trucks, movie nights and social events.

Nexton, which got its start in 2013, is a lifestyle-driven destination that blends live, work and play by offering conveniences such as state-of-the-art schools, modern infrastructure, 20 miles of trails and 2,000 acres of green space, the release stated. Nexton has currently sold over 2,600 homes.

With the addition of Brookfield Residential, Nexton’s builder program now features 10 builders that also includes Ashton Woods, Centex, David Weekley, Del Webb, Homes by Dickerson, New Leaf, Pulte Homes, Saussy Burbank and True Homes, according to the release. CRBJ

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Brookfield Residential’s entry-level townhome collection will feature 1,600 square feet on two finished levels of living space with prices starting in the mid-$300,000s. (Rendering/Provided)

This addition marks Brookfield Residential’s first project in South Carolina. (Photo/Provided)

Beach Commercial sells Jasper County tract for $16M

By Ross Norton rnorton@scbiznews.com

Beach Commercial brokered the $16 million sale of a 620-acre tract of land in Jasper County.

Beach Commercial, a division of The Beach Co. of Charleston, represented Drapac Capital Partners of Atlanta in the sale of the land, which is fully entitled for 1,400-1,700 dwelling units, including single-family, multifamily and townhome residences, as well as 10 acres of commercial space, according to a news release from the commercial real estate firm.

The property is within the town of Ridgeland off of Argent Boulevard near the main route linking Interstate 95 to Hilton Head Island.

“This tract is ideally situated in a location that is currently experiencing extensive growth and is primed for further development,” Eddie Hughes with Beach Commercial said in the news release. “Not only is it in close proximity to Interstate 95 and several fast-growing master-planned communities, including Sun City Hilton Head and Latitude Margaritaville, but it also provides quick access to several retail and dining options as well as lifestyle amenities.”

Hughes represented the seller and Jason Long with Southeastern Development Associates represented the buyer. Beach Commercial, a Division of The Beach Co., is the oldest locally and family owned full service commercial real estate firm in Charleston.

Representing Atlanta-based Drapac Capital Partners, Beach Commercial brokered the sale of the large tract, which is fully entitled for 1,400-1,700 dwelling units, including single-family, multifamily and townhome residences, as well as 10 acres of commercial space.

“This tract is ideally situated in a location that is currently experiencing extensive growth and is primed for further development,” says Eddie Hughes with Beach Commercial. “Not only is it in close proximity to Interstate 95 and several fast-growing master-planned communities including Sun City Hilton Head and Latitude Margaritaville, but it also provides quick access to several retail and dining options as well as lifestyle amenities.”

Eddie Hughes with Beach Commercial represented the seller, and Jason Long with Southeastern Development Associates represented the buyer, who was not disclosed. CRBJ

Reach Ross Norton at rnorton@scbiznews. com

Spirits company names new leader

By Jason Thomas jthomas@scbiznews.com

Grain & Barrel Spirits recently appointed John Drakeford as the company’s new general manager. An accomplished industry veteran with decades of executive leadership experience, Drakeford will lead Grain & Barrel’s executive team and will play an integral role in growing the company’s portfolio of spirits including Chicken Cock Whiskey, the largest brand within Grain & Barrel’s portfolio and one of the fastest growing ultra premium whiskeys

in the United States, the release stated.

Choate

John Drakeford

Drakeford, who is based in Columbia, joins the team after serving as general manager of multiple regions at Beam Suntory, where he worked since 2006, and a member of the North American Leadership Team, according to the release.

Drakeford, who has spent over 38 years in the spirits industry working with Beam

Suntory, Brown-Forman and Seagram Americas where he managed 24 states and markets throughout his career, will help drive extensive growth for Grain & Barrel Spirits brands (Chicken Cock Whiskey, Tequila Eterno Verano, Dixie Vodka, Elvis Whiskey, High Goal Gin, See The Elephant Amaro and Virgil Kaine Lowcountry Whiskey), the release stated. Drakeford’s wealth of knowledge will particularly help amplify the growth of Chicken Cock Whiskey, currently the third fastest growing ultra premium whiskey brand in the United States, within the global spirits market, the release stated. CRBJ

We are partners from beginning to end, and we look forward to partnering with you.

contact Quinn Balderson, Director of Business Development

Construction is a company built on relationships. For over three decades, we have been honored to connect with a diverse array of clients and industry partners to deliver the gold standard in base build and interior construction projects. Our strength lies in our people and our passion to consistently exceed our clients’ expectations.

A MATTER OF PUBLIC OPINION

Planning commission defers recommendation on 70-acre Union Pier project after public voices concerns

By Jenny Peterson Contributing writer

After a nearly four-hour meeting with more than 70 public comments from residents who were overwhelmingly opposed to an application for a high-density Planned Unit Development on the South Carolina Ports Authority’s nearly 70-acre waterfront property on Concord Street, the Charleston City Planning Commission voted to defer a recommendation to council for 30 days.

Residents came out in full force, with more than 250 people packing the South Carolina Ports Authority’s passenger cruise terminal on June 7 to air their concerns about the development, its related zoning designation and how quickly the application is moving.

The latest application calls for 24 mixed-use buildings of varying heights, some seven stories tall, comprising hotels, residences and commercial spaces. There would be five acres of public green space along the water, with walking bridges over a small carved-out canal and a pedestrian mall surrounding the Rice Mill landmark. There would be a minimum of 367 units dedicated to affordable housing.

The current site is mostly aban-

doned warehouses and other industrial buildings. The Ports Authority is selling the land, which is located

between the Customs House and the Ansonborough neighborhood, after deciding not to renew Carnival Cruise

Line’s home port contract.

The plan as presented called for 24

mixed-use buildings of varying heights, with some as tall as seven floors, including five acres of green space. (Rendering/Provided)

Residents voice concerns

Before putting the property up for sale, the Ports Authority is seeking to attach a planned unit development, a type of master plan that would guide development for whichever developer purchases the land. The current plan was created by Lowe, a private real estate company contracted by the Ports Authority to do property entitlements. Public meetings and public workshops about the development were held starting in December of last year. Lowe submitted a nearly 400-page document to city staff outlining stipulations and requirements for the planned unit development.

Despite city staff making recommendations to slightly scale back density, residents opposed to the application expressed concerns about the height, architectural design, the number of hotels that would be built, the density of the development, parking and traffic flow concerns and lack of green space for the public to enjoy, among other points.

Just 10 citizens spoke in favor of the application — many from the local business and real estate community — stating that affordable housing and workforce housing built into the development was a move in the right direction and that green space would open up public access to the waterfront, something not enjoyed today.

Barbara Melvin, CEO of the Ports Authority, kicked off the meeting with a lengthy presentation about the Planned Unit Development’s evolution, stating that the port made changes from its earlier application to address more greenspace and lowered building heights based on citizen feedback. She noted the plan includes renovating the passenger terminal as a public space venue as well as adding a civic center to the site.

A cost analysis states that it would cost $276 million in infrastructure costs

to develop the green space under the existing application, according to Melvin.

‘We expect (the plan) to change and evolve’

The Ports Authority is seeking a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Municipal Improvement District (MID) on the property, in which the developer would front infrastructure costs in lieu of city and county tax payments until the site is built out and collect payments from

property owners for continued maintenance on the property.

“We expect (the plan) to change and evolve,” Melvin said.

Following public comments, two commissioners, Jimmy Bailey and Sunday Lempesis, said they were opposed to the application and were prepared to vote to not recommend; however, the majority of the commissioners voted to defer in order to consider all public comments.

The commission noted that in addition to the speakers at the meeting, they received more than 500 comments sent online. The Historic Charleston Foundation has been publicly opposed and citizens representing other non-profit organizations, including the Coastal Conservation League and Charleston Moves, spoke against the application at the meeting.

Commission members will hold another meeting in approximately 30 days to make a recommendation to council either in favor of or opposed to the planned unit development as well as a recommendation to zone the site as a City Center, which would allow for the high-density development.

As the applicant, Melvin allowed the commission additional time if needed to schedule the next meeting for consideration during the July 4 holiday. That meeting time and date will be announced as soon as possible. It will ultimately be up to the Charleston City Council to approve or deny. CRBJ

UNION PIER, from Page 6

A large crowd packed the passenger cruise terminal, many of them clearly opposed to the plan as it was presented. A recommendation was delayed for 30 days. (Photo/Jenny Peterson)

By Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

Contributing writer

The burgeoning Mount Pleasant region will add another business to its lineup. Big Bad Breakfast, known for its custom-created meats, fresh biscuits and preserves and locally roasted coffee, will be moving into the former Cabana Burgers and Shakes at 2664 N. Highway 17 in Mount Pleasant.

Wayne Bumgardner, who accepted the job as chief operating officer of the company early this year, resides in the growing area and anticipates an August opening.

Working the way up through the ranks

Bumgardner touts a long history of restaurant work, starting in fast food as a teen, then later working at Ruby Tuesday’s, first as a line cook, then as a regional trainer and later as a general manager.

Bumgardner then moved to Outback Steakhouse, opening an eatery in Blowing Rock, N.C.

“The company became quite successful and I became a joint venture partner in North and South Carolina,” said Bumgardner. After that, Bumgardner joined up with Dallas-based Raising Cane’s, a fast casual, chicken tender restaurant where he became franchise leader. “This too, was very successful and the company bought the franchise back,” said Bumgardner, explaining

that industry connections led him to his latest partnership with Big Bad Breakfast.

“Fresh Hospitality based in Birmingham, Ala., approached me with the opportunity to partner with them in a Big Bad Breakfast located in downtown Charleston,” said Bumgardner, whose goal as COO is to grow the brand.

The Big Bad Breakfast brand

According to Bumgardner, the Big Bad

Breakfast brand is comprised of 15 restaurants, yet each one is different and represents the local area where they are situated.

“The décor is regionalized and is unique from restaurant to restaurant. You wouldn’t know that we’re a chain by walking into any of them,” he said.

Big Bad Breakfast is the brainchild of James Beard award-winner John Currence, who is reported on the company website as

always having a “love affair with breakfast.”

“We add a chef’s touch to everything that we do. Plus, everything is scratch made and our menu is what we call unapologetically Southern,” Bumgardner said.

Among the menu selections are fried oyster scrambles, Creole omelets topped with homemade tomato gravy, cathead

Big Bad Breakfast IS known for its custom-created meats, fresh biscuits and preserves and locally roasted coffee. (Photo/Big Bad Breakfast)

Choate Construction builds senior living center in Summerville

By Ross Norton rnorton@scbiznews.com

Choate Construction Co. partnered with Seasons Living and Studio+ to build Wildcat Senior Living in Summerville.

As the first South Carolina location, Wildcat Senior Living brings a new style of senior living to the Cane Bay area, featuring 144,000 square feet of independent and assisted living spaces, a memory care facility, full-service kitchen and more, according to a news release.

“It has been a privilege to work along-

side our talented trade partners in bringing this stunning new community to the Summerville area,” Choate Construction’s Quinn Balderson said in the news release.

“Our team is grateful for the opportunity to provide our senior neighbors with a comfortable place to call home, especially in a space that beautifully combines quality health care services, premium amenities, and ample options for entertainment.”

At 85,000 square feet, the memory care facility and assisted living spaces offer residents one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as studio options. Connected to the memory care and assisted living

space by breezeways, Wildcat’s Independent Living quarters include more than 57,000 square feet of one- and two-bedroom apartment units.

Wildcat Senior Living is in a 10-acre park.

Also on the property is the 3,400-squarefoot clubhouse, which features a pool, non-slip deck and plenty of shade, as well as quartz countertops in the interior. Residents and guests can also enjoy a unique culinary experience at its onsite independent living restaurant through Wildcat Senior Living’s sea-to-table menu.

Choate Construction Co. is one of the largest nationally recognized general contractors in the Southeast with offices in Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, Nashville, Raleigh and Savannah. CRBJ

chicken biscuits with gravy, huevos rancheros grit bowls and chicken and waffles. If all of that has you contemplating a nap afterwards, there are light choices as well.

“We make our own granola and add it to yogurt and our avocado toast is out of this world,” Bumgardner said. Big Bad Breakfast also touts a full bar, so customers can avail themselves of mimosas and other drinks to top off their meals.

As for staff, Bumgardner acknowledges the difficulty that restaurants are having reaching a full contingent of servers, but recognizes that Big Bad Breakfast, with its shortened hours, appeals to those seeking an acceptable work-life balance.

“Because we’re only open for breakfast, brunch and lunch, our staff works from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., which attracts all kinds of people who dislike working nights and that’s a big advantage to us,” he said.

As for opening up in the Mount Pleasant area, Bumgardner said that he’s delighted to be in his neighborhood and part of a fast-growing area.

“Mount Pleasant used to be a sleepy little town near the beach, north of Charlestown and now it’s a sought-after area that has exploded in growth,” said Bumgardner, adding that new people are moving to the area every day and the fact that they can be at a beach in just a few minutes just adds to the area’s appeal.

“We’re looking forward to being a part of the fabric of the Mount Pleasant Community and are looking forward to what the future brings.” CRBJ

Wayne Baumgardner is the chief operating officer at Big Bad Breakfast. (Photo/Provided)

BIG BAD BREAKFAST, from Page 8

“Our team is grateful for the opportunity to provide our senior neighbors with a comfortable place to call home...”

Quinn Balderson, Choate Construction

California retailer to open King Street store

By Jason Thomas jthomas@scbiznews.com

Anationally recognized jewelry brand will open a store in downtown Charleston, marking its 50th location.

At the 1,350-square-foot store at 418 King St., gorjana will feature its popular Southern California-inspired designs, ranging from plated to fine necklaces, earrings, bracelets and more, according to a news release.

“We’re so excited to open our 50th store

nationwide and our first in South Carolina right in the heart of Charleston’s King Street, known for its remarkable history, and eclectic mix of extraordinary shopping and dining,” said Gorjana Reidel, co-founder of gorjana, in the release.

“From Southern California to South Carolina, our exceptional stylists at gorjana Charleston truly embody the styles of both coasts and look forward to helping future gorjana shoppers find their perfect layered look for the summer.”

When gorjana Charleston officially opens its doors, shoppers will walk into a

coastal bungalow inspired by co-founders Gorjana Reidel and Jason Griffin Reidel’s Southern California roots, the release stated. Light wood finishes, a crystal quartz chandelier, and a hand-dipped Lauren Williams Tapestry inspired by the iconic Laguna Beach coastline accentuate the design.

Gorjana Charleston comes on the heels of a year of growth and expansion for the brand and marks its 50th store location across the country, the release stated. The store opening is an important milestone in the brand’s expansion across the Southeast, where it recently opened its first store in

Georgia at Atlanta’s Ponce City Market. Since gorjana was founded in 2004, philanthropy has been central to the brand’s mission and approach to community-building, the release stated. Over nearly 20 years, gorjana has worked with nonprofit organizations that support a range of national causes, with a particular focus on women and children through its annual partnerships with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Baby2Baby, Toys for Tots, Dress for Success and more. Gorjana is also proud to partner with local charities in each of its locations, the release stated. CRBJ

CRA finds leader to oversee finance strategy

By Ross Norton rnorton@scbiznews.com

The South Carolina Research Authority has a new director of finance and administration who also will serve as treasurer of SC Launch Inc.

The SCRA appointed Laura Terry to the position, where she will be responsible for leading the strategic direction of the organization’s finance and administration function, according to a news release from SCRA.

Terry has more than 20 years of exec-

utive leadership experience in finance and administration, most recently as vice president and chief financial officer of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation in Charlottesville, Va. The foundation owns and operates Monticello, the only U.S. presidential and private home on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage List. She also served as treasurer of the Darden School Foundation, which supports the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

“I am happy to welcome Laura to the SCRA team,” SCRA Executive Director Bob Quinn said in the news release. “We

are a close-knit group of professionals passionate about fueling innovation in South Carolina, and Laura has already displayed this same level of passion. In addition, she has a wealth of experience and new ideas for supporting our mission and helping those we serve.”

Terry earned two degrees from the University of Virginia, a Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the McIntire School, and an MBA from the Darden School. She is a licensed CPA and a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional, the release said. She replaces John Sircy, who retires on

June 30.

“John Sircy has been a vital and effective leader in the SCRA family,” Quinn said in the release. “We had many successes and reached many milestones with him leading our finance and administration. We wish him the best in his retirement.”

Chartered in 1983 by the state a public, nonprofit corporation, SCRA was created to fuel South Carolina’s innovation economy through comprehensive services to technology-based startups, academia and industry. SCRA provides funding and support to accelerate the growth of academic startups. CRBJ

Art-themed hotel to undergo renovations

By Jason Thomas jthomas@scbiznews.com

An art-focused hotel in downtown Charleston is set to undergo a renovation.

The Vendue, will be undergoing a renovation to its 26 Vendue building starting this month, according to a news release. The project is expected to be complete by year’s end, and will include updates to the guest rooms, as well as reimagined common areas throughout the hotel.

The cost of the renovation was not disclosed.

With two distinct buildings making up The Vendue, the hotel’s motto of “One Hotel — Two Experiences” is brought to life even more through this transformation by embracing the innate character of each building, the release stated.

19 Vendue is known for its bold looks,

art collection and art gallery vibes, the release stated. The renovated 26 Vendue is

meant to offer a more private feel with interiors featuring warm colors, dim lighting, and soft velvet elements complemented by exposed brick walls and wooden beams, highlighting the historic feel of the building, the release stated.

Hill Construction is the general contractor on the project, and Lisa Weitz, owner of Avocet Hospitality, is the designer.

While the two buildings will still share a common commitment to the arts and homage to the French roots of the hotel’s location, guests will have the opportunity to choose from two experiences between 19 Vendue and 26 Vendue, the release stated.

The renovation will take a phased approach to allow for the property and its amenities to remain open to guests, according to the release. CRBJ

Pizza restaurant opens on King Street downtown

By Jason Thomas jthomas@scbiznews.com

Hungry diners strolling King Street in downtown Charleston have a new spot to get their pizza fix. Charleston Hospitality Group has unveiled its newest concept, Republic of Pizza, at 451 King St., adjacent to Toast!

On King, according to a Charleston Hospitality Group news release.

This new eatery, which opened its doors on May 31, is CHG’s 11th property in South Carolina, joining popular sister brands Toast! All Day, Queology, Eli’s Table, John King Grill & Bar, and Honkytonk.

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the local community with our restaurant brands, we’re thrilled to offer a new concept to the Charleston community,” said Eric Parker, chief operating officer of Charleston Hospitality Group in the release. “We hope Republic of Pizza will become downtown’s favorite spot for authentic Italian pizza, and we look forward to unveiling our second location in

2023 in Savannah, Georgia.”

Opening in the former Monza Pizza Bar space, Republic of Pizza is open daily from 3 p.m. to midnight. The menu offers an array of starters, small plates and salads and Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas.

CRBJ

Reach Jason at 864-568-7570

The renovated 26 Vendue is meant to offer a more private feel with interiors featuring warm colors, dim lighting, and soft velvet elements complemented by exposed brick walls and wooden beams. (Photo/ Provided)

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THE AFRICAN AMERICAN JOURNEY

Sponsored By

Photos courtesy of Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, College of Charleston

A letter from the presenting sponsor About this section

On behalf of the entire team at Blackbaud, I celebrate the monumental opening of the International African American Museum, a long-awaited catalyst for education, connection, and growth. As a global company with roots in Charleston, we’re inspired by and honored to support IAAM’s expansive vision–capturing the regional significance of its site while bringing to light far-reaching stories of African American culture.

Blackbaud is proud to offer our support as the Museum illuminates the past and drives progress for the future through their programs and exhibitions. New initiatives like IAAM’s Center for Family History will build a vital sense of connection and identity through heritage research and public digital archives. The Museum’s opening is just the beginning of a new chapter for Charleston and the country. There is truly no limit to the experiences that IAAM can offer, and I look forward to continued partnership between Blackbaud and IAAM’s leadership, staff, and the board of directors as they steward this living history.

Mike Gianoni, president and CEO, Blackbaud

An untold story is coming to life within the walls of the International African American Museum in Charleston.

As a media platform, we could never do justice to a narrative that transcends time, that whispers over a vast ocean, from the shores of Africa to those of our nation – to our very state. The museum, which will officially open June 27, documents the journey that began in Africa centuries ago, and still continues today. Its location, at the former site of Gadsden’s Wharf, which was the site where an estimated 100,000 enslaved Africans came ashore during the peak of the international slave trade, is sacred ground. Words could never properly explain the significance of the thousands of souls who passed over those waters and onto that soil, and the struggle that lay ahead.

This special section represents a portal to the people who had a key role in shaping what the museum would become, and their hope of what those who pass through its doors take away with them. It’s a resource for the museum’s message, as well as the Gullah Geechee culture that exists to this day.

With reverence we offer these pages.

International African American Museum Board Member

Jason Thomas, executive editor, SC Biz News

Mike Gianoni

Jason Thomas

Musicians perform during the groundbreaking ceremony of the International African American Museum in October 2019. (Photo/File)

Photo Credit: Ellis Creek Photography

EXPERIENCING A WIDE RANGE OF EMOTIONS

International African American Museum CEO Tonya Matthews hopes museum sparks visitors’ curiosity

By Christina Lee Knauss cknauss@scbiznews.com

Since April of 2021, Tonya Matthews has gone through the joys and challenges of building a new museum, one that is unique not only in South Carolina but in the nation because it seeks to tell the story of African-American history from its roots in Africa to its impact in today’s world.

Matthews, CEO of the International African American Museum, arrived in Charleston in April 2021 bringing with her years of experience in the nonprofit sector, the sciences, museums and education.

Born in Washington, D.C., Matthews holds a degree in biomedical and electrical engineering and a certificate in African American studies from Duke University as well as a doctorate in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

Matthews developed education programs for the Maryland Science Center and worked in the division of restorative and neurological devices for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. She then became vice president of the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, where she directed research and education.

She served as president and CEO of the Michigan Science Center and the as associate provost for inclusive workforce development and as director of the STEM Innovation Learning Center at Wayne State University in Detroit.

While at the Michigan Science Center, she founded The STEMinista Project, a movement to engage girls in their future with STEM careers and tools. She continues this work today through STEMinista Rising, supporting professional women in STEM – and the colleagues who champion them – with an inclusive emphasis on women of color.

Matthews recently took time out during the busy weeks leading up to the IAAM’s grand opening to talk with SC Biz News about her time in Charleston and her hopes for the new museum.

What has the experience been like as CEO of a new museum, especially one with this much history involved?

This appointment felt like a collision of the professional and the personal. The opportunity to build

Tonya Matthews, CEO of the International African American Museum, will view the museum as a success if visitors leave wanting to learn more.

(Photo/Provided)

We all play a part

Boeing is proud to partner with the International African American Museum to further its mission to explore and honor the untold stories of the African American journey. We look forward to celebrating the grand opening together.

boeing.com/community

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a museum from the ground up, help take it over the edge, and take it from the foundations an amazing opportunity, particularly for a museum of this scale, covering African American history and with its location and its place. For me personally it’s all resonating very deeply. I feel this is where I belong, this is what I’ve been trained for and led to do, so I’m very excited.

How has your previous museum experience helped you with your work in Charleston?

Very seriously, all of it has. In Detroit, my experience was bringing the museum back online, reconnecting an institution to community. In Cincinnati, my role was about transformation, creating a new type of museum out of traditional bone and also helping to steward the incorporation of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center into that space. Even at Wayne State, my student programs were all about the art of making people comfortable with topics that people assume they are going to be uncomfortable about. In my previous world before museums, it was all about algebra and calculus, and now at museums it’s about telling untold stories about places and times that in some ways are so familiar to us.

What lesson or message do you want visitors to take away after visiting the museum?

I would like for our visitors to leave a little bit more curious because I think curiosity is a key. We tell a lot of stories, but we cannot tell them all. I think the museum will have been successful if we have visitors wanting to learn more, whether that’s going into our bookstore and looking for a book or asking volunteers and docents about how they can find more information and learn more. Regardless of the background you bring to the International African American Museum, if you leave a little bit more curious than when you came, that’s what success looks like. I’d also like our visitors to experience a wide range of emotions,

because one of the things we’ve tried to do is put these stories in their full context.

What impact do you hope the museum will have for the African American community in Charleston, the rest of South Carolina and beyond?

If we do our job right, the impact to the broader African-American community is about recognition and appreciation. so much of the story has been hidden or untold or told in a false way. Everything from the trauma of enslavement to the joy and recognition of innovation and invention has been a part of our story here, and the museum offers recognition of our incredible contributions, of how we are a piece of the fabric of this nation and not an add-on. We’re offering a beautifully designed space where the stories we tell can be truthfully and artistically told. It’s an incredible thing to have these stories told in a space so carefully cared for like this one.

What kind of an impact do you see the museum having on Charleston’s tourism industry, and its economy?

We’ve received an enormous amount of support from people on the tourism side of things here like Explore Charleston, and also our cultural heritage partners who have all been incredibly welcoming and excited about the museum. I think the impact we can have is as a history museum. Charleston already has developed a brand because of its history, and we are offering a chance to delve deeper. Our community is already phenomenal at offering historical experiences and storytelling, and we’re expanding the variety of both. We also open the door for additional tourists to come to Charleston, especially folks who are seeking different kinds of stories. We also have the power of place because of our location at Gadsden’s Wharf, so for

The International African American Museum in Charleston is located at the former site of Gadsden’s Wharf, which was the location where an estimated 100,000 enslaved Africans came ashore during the peak of the international slave trade, and is a site that many consider sacred and which offers a pilgrimage element to the museum. (Photo/Provided)

some people there is the pilgrimage element to coming here. We’re telling a lot of stories that align with a lot of different elements of Charleston’s history.

How has the business community supported the museum?

We’ve seen a really diverse base of business support for the museum. There are some folks that you would expect – veterans in the arts and culture world and philanthropy. We have a lot of support from banks like Bank of America and South State Bank, and other institutions known for showing up in these spaces. We’ve also had significant support from Michelin and Mercedes. I think it’s been very exciting to see all of the business community come together to understand and realize the value things like the museum bring to larger economic development in the region.

The IAAM also offers a unique element with the Center for Family History. Can you talk a little about why

this space is unique?

Our genealogy center is as large as our largest gallery. We devoted that much space to it because of our role as an African American history museum. There are serious challenges in exploring African American histories, family histories, because of the interruptions of our space. We are uniquely positioned with our archives in the Lowcountry because this is where the largest concentration of people with African ancestry came through into the United States. Our records are particularly significant for that reason. I think we’ll be able to help people explore their genealogy because our records can help overcome periods of poor or dismissive record-keeping that affected African Americans. Charleston is also a perfect place for the Center because one of the things I’ve really enjoyed about South Carolina is this is a community that loves to tell stories. People tell stories about their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, and there are many multigenerational businesses here. This idea of ancestry is part of the cultural DNA of South Carolina.

EVENTS TO MARK OPENING OF MUSEUM

The International African American Museum has released additional details for opening week events, including a worship service on June 22 and a dedication ceremony community gathering on June 24. The festivities will begin with an opening worship service on Thursday, June 22, at Morris Brown AME Church. Beginning at 6 p.m., the multi-faith celebration of IAAM’s opening will help build community, reflect on the work that led to the museum’s opening, and celebrate the long history of the African-American people and their culture, which is woven into the fabric of the museum. Registration is free but required for this event, according to an IAAM news release.

On Saturday, June 24, a dedication ceremony community watch event in Marion Square will bring visitors and members of the community together for a live simulcast of the ceremonies and presentations taking place at the museum and on-site at Marion Square, the release stated. Presented by Boeing, the watch celebration will include live performances from the “African American Songbook” featuring a 12-piece band, local and big-name musicians and artists, and refreshments from Black-owned food trucks.

Boeing South Carolina’s DreamLearners, an educational program that provides students with opportunities to learn about careers in STEM, advanced manufacturing, and aerospace, will also host a celebration event in the square. Led by the Boeing Black Employee Association, volunteers will help lead the interactive STEM-based DreamLearners programming, which will feature paper airplane building, flight competitions with free Boeing swag, and additional giveaway items. Registration for the public is not required.

Details are below.

Opening Worship Service

What : IAAM will co-host a multi-faith-based worship service with Morris Brown AME to mark the opening of the museum.

When : Thursday, June 22, at 6 p.m.

Where : Morris Brown AME Church, 13 Morris Street, Charleston

Who : Speakers include Tonya Matthews (president and CEO of IAAM), Bishop Samuel Green, the Rev. DeMett Jenkins (director of education and engagement for faith-based communities at IAAM), among others.

Community Watch Celebration for Dedication Ceremony

What: The dedication ceremony community watch celebration will include a live simulcast of the ceremony, in addition to live performances by local musicians and artists, food trucks, and activities led by Boeing South Carolina DreamLearners. The presenting sponsor for the Dedication Community Watch Celebration is Boeing.

When : Saturday, June 24, at 10 a.m.

Where : Marion Square. 329 Meeting St., Charleston

Who : Boeing South Carolina DreamLearners, local musicians and artists, Blackowned food trucks, surprise guests, and more RSVP : The event is free and open to the public.

Musicians perform during a grounddbreaking ceremony for the International African American Museum in Charleston in October 2019; several events are planned for the museum’s opening later this month. (Photo/File)

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REACHING A NEW AUDIENCE AT A SACRED SITE

Malika N. Pryor is charged with conveying a historically and emotionally complex story through exhibits

By Christina Lee Knauss cknauss@scbiznews.com

For the past year, Malika N. Pryor has had to work on answering a question that not many people deal with in their lifetimes: how do you convey a story that is historically and emotionally complex to as many different people as possible, in a way that they will understand and embrace?

That has been Pryor’s challenge since July 2022 when she was appointed chief learning and engagement officer for the International African American Museum in Charleston.

Her role is to create programs and experiences for a diverse audience ranging from children to senior citizens and including everyone in between. The museum’s goal is to tell the stories of the African-American experience and its impact on the United States and the world, tracing those tales from their roots in Africa to arrival in the U.S.

This important historical work is being done on a site that many people consider sacred. The museum is built at the former site of Gadsden’s Wharf, which was the location where an estimated 100,000 enslaved Africans came ashore during the peak of the international slave trade.

Working to open the museum that will tell their stories as well as others has been the center of museum staff members’ focus for months.

“We’re in the home stretch now — it’s really an exciting time,” Pryor said in a recent interview with SC Biz News. “Everyone is working hard and doing the things that need to be done. I think it’s safe to say we all just feel so

honored and blessed to be able to be a part of this and bring it to the finish line. It’s an incredible honor, and I’m not sure those words fully encapsulate the emotion that comes out of this work.”

A background based on history

Pryor’s passion for preserving history and helping to interpret it for diverse audiences has led her to work here in the U.S. and abroad.

A native of Detroit, Pryor holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational studies and Afro-American and African studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and got a law degree from Wayne State University’s law school.

She practiced law in Atlanta for several years before returning to Detroit to begin her journey in the nonprofit and museum worlds by serving as director of education and programs at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. She then started her own nonprofit consulting firm focused on serving emerging, communitybased organizations with an emphasis on those with BIPOC founders (Black, Indigenous and People of Color.)

From there, it was back to museums as Pryor joined the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas to establish the communications and education department. While living abroad, she also founded the Curlyfest Bahamas Festival.

After her time in the Bahamas, she returned to her home city to serve as senior director of education programs and outreach for the Detroit Historical Society, working on innovative programs and experiences such as “Invoking

Malika N. Pryor, chief learning and engagement officer at IAAM, says the museum’s exhibits appeal to a wide audience. (Photo/Provided) See EXHIBITS, Page 21

EXHIBITS, from Page 20

the Spirit: Detroit’s Black Bottom,” a digital exhibition and walking tour depicting the lives of one of the city’s most historic African-American neighborhoods.

Pryor said one of the most intriguing challenges she faces is coming up with ways to inform people about the African American experience from both an international and very local perspective.

“Here in Charleston, I have had to activate and employ virtually every experience I’ve had in my work in the past, whether designing experiences and exhibitions that speak to very local questions or those histories that have national implications and are connected to larger, international narratives,” she said.

Sparking interest for a wide array of audiences

Pryor said her work in the Bahamas has helped her in her Charleston work because in many ways the locations are similar, and the museums are similar in the stories they are trying to tell.

“When I worked for the national institution in the Bahamas, I was in a country with a very nuanced and complex history with some difficult elements, and it was also a center of tourism with an economy constructed to bring people from all over the world,” she said. “In many ways, Charleston is the same. We’re having to look at how to be an institution that must take on questions of the moment as well as explore history and culture with depth and with honesty, while also presenting it in a way that is accessible and digestible for an incredibly wide audience.”

Pryor said the museum’s permanent exhibits as well as its visiting ones are designed to spark interest for a wide range of audiences. Its first visiting exhibit, “Men of Change,” is a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian making its only South Carolina stop in Charleston.

Museum officials are also hoping to reach young people across the state with a program that offers free admission to the museum for every student in South Carolina. Pryor said she is working to develop partnerships with school districts across the state to develop multi-faceted learning experiences for student based at the museum.

One of the most unique elements at the IAAM is the Center for Family History, which is designed to enable visitors to connect with their family history. During the pandemic, the Center developed a series of monthly webinars that focused on how to do genealogy, and Pryor said those will continue. There will also be drop-in “Genealogy 101” courses offered for visitors. For those interested in the arts, there will also be monthly creative workshops in the museum’s studio space. Putting all of these programs together is a challenge, but it is all worth it, Pryor said.

“At the end of the day after spending 20 years in the non-profit sector, 13 of them in the museum sector, I can say after this experience that I was part of the leadership team to open one of the most important museums in the world,” she said.

WHERE CONSERVATION AND CULTURE CONNECT

The South Carolina Aquarium is honored to welcome the International African American Museum to the Charleston waterfront. Our home on the Charleston Harbor is a reminder of our inextricable link to the ocean, and to our complex human history. Together, we will learn about the past, educate in the present and inspire a future of empathy and action.

‘Transatlantic Crossings’ is one of 11 core exhibits on display at the International African American Museum, which will feature over 150 historical objects and over 30 works of art. (Rendering/Provided)

OPENING EYES TO STATE’S AFRICAN ROOTS

Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor bolsters awareness of the community through tourism, advocacy

By Molly Hulsey gsa@scbiznews.com

West Africa may be 4,000 miles away from South Carolina, but in some Lowcountry communities, the continent is much closer to home.

Gullah, also known as Geechee, people created the only African creole language unique to the United States, according to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission.

Some speakers consider today’s Gullah language to be mutually intelligible to the lingua franca of Sierra Leone, one of the nations along Africa’s “Rice Coast,” where the ancestors of the Gullah people lived before they were enslaved to work on Sea Island rice plantations stretching from southern North Carolina to northern Florida.

Beaufort’s Gullah communities were the first to gain freedom in the American South in 1861, and into the 20th century, residents were able to perpetuate their centuries-old traditions with little

outside influence, according to Visit Beaufort.

Despite such isolation, the Gullah Geechee language, as well as the community’s vibrant arts, music and culinary heritage, has given birth to many iconic Lowcountry touchstones, from speech patterns to shrimp and grits.

Today, coastal development and corresponding property prices have pushed many Gullah people out of of their centuries-old homelands, but efforts such as the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, a 12,000-square-mile National Heritage Area, have bolstered awareness of the community through tourism and advocacy.

“We just go to old neighborhoods and tell the story about what took place in that area,” said Irwin Campbell of Gullah Heritage Trail Tours on Hilton Head Island. “Most of the neighborhoods have changed now, so I have to tell people ‘imagine what I’m talking about.’ That is so true in a lot of these

Members of the Gullah/Geechee Nation stand in front of the Angel Tree on St. Johns Island, which is slated to become the focal point of a 44-acre park. (Photo/Provided)

TOURIST IMPACT, from Page 22

Sea Islands right now. Developers have taken over a lot of these areas now.”

Campbell also takes visitors to see a Gullah schoolhouse, the ruins of a plantation and the site of Mitchelville, the first town in the country to be self-governed by freed enslaved people after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Mitchelville, visited by abolitionist Harriet Tubman after she heard stories about the town’s success, is now a featured site on the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor.

SITES

AND TOURS

Tours

“The Gullah Cultural Corridor definitely has opened the eyes up of a lot of folks coming into this area,” Campbell told SC Biz News.

In the 27 years that Campbell has offered tours, interest in Gullah traditions has grown among tourists to the region.

“They come into different areas like Hilton Head, Charleston, Beaufort, Savannah even, to get the specifics, you know: to learn about the language, to learn more about the food, to learn more about the religion,” he said. “And so, I think even the townships in these areas or the governments in these areas are paying more attention to this culture than before.”

FOR YOU TO VISIT IN THE LOWCOUNTRY

Here are a few sites and tours in the Lowcountry suggested to SC BIZ News by the Gullah/Geechee Nation for your next weekend at the coast:

De Gullah Root Experience Tour, St. Helena Island

Queen Quet, chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, introduces visitors to one of the largest remaining Gullah/Geechee communities in the Sea Islands, located a few miles east of Beaufort.

Contact: Connections@QueenQuet.com

Gullah/Geechee Angel Network Tour

Elder Carlie Towne offers visitors the chance to see Charleston or Union Heights through the lens of the Gullah and Geechee experience.

Contact: ctowne@gullahgeecheeangelnetwork.com

Faith Endures that

As a faith-based partner of the International African American Museum, CSU is excited about this historical moment in Charleston.

A Charleston Southern University education is your Passport to Purpose. You will be equipped with a biblical worldview as you increase your competencies to perform at the highest levels. Declare your purpose with one of our 80+ undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs, and expect to receive individualized attention on your CSU academic voyage.

Learn more about CSU at charlestonsouthern.edu

Sites

Angel Oak Preserve, Johns Island

The Angel Oak, a 400 to 500-year-old live oak, presides over what the Lowcountry Land Trust plans to make a 44-acre park on the island through the support of the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition.

The new park will feature boardwalk trails, a nature-oriented playground and interpretation of the site’s 1,000-year history, including the plantation home and cabins that once housed enslaved workers on the site, according to the Lowcountry Land Trust. The trust expects to launch construction on the park in 18 to 24 months.

Beaufort National Historic Landmark District and Visitor Center

Another site in the Reconstruction-Era National Historical Park, the Beaufort National Historic Landmark District became a command center for Union Army operations after they occupied the town See TOURISM, Page 25

TELLING THE FULL AFRICAN-AMERICAN STORY

This summer, South Carolina will become home to the secondlargest African American museum in the country. When the International African American Museum (IAAM) opens its doors on June 27, the public will get a glimpse into one of South Carolina’s most ambitious cultural projects to date.

On May 10, Furman University’s Riley Institute awarded IAAM the 2023 Building OneSouthCarolina Partners in Progress Award in recognition of the museum’s completion and the catalytic effect it will have on social and economic progress for years to come.

Indeed, the sheer effort it took to get to this moment of IAAM’s grand opening is itself remarkable. The project began 23 years ago, when Charleston Mayor Joe Riley read “Slaves in the Family” and recognized the egregious omissions in our state’s and country’s narratives that obscured the legacy of slavery and erased the vast contributions and international heritage of enslaved Africans and their living ancestors.

Thus began years of painstaking work to get community buy-in on the very concept of the museum, countless hours spent planning the museum’s design and collections, and tireless efforts to generate the necessary resources — totaling over $100 million — through investments from myriad public and private sources.

It is easy to see the upcoming opening of the museum as a culmination of these efforts and a crowning achievement of social progress in our state, and, in some respects, it is. To paraphrase IAAM CEO Tonya Matthews, the very fact that the state of South Carolina is now home to the country’s second-largest African American museum and that its creation was initiated by a white man from a longstanding Charleston family is a remarkable testament to what is possible and how far we have come.

The museum’s opening, however, is just the beginning of what it will achieve. Its approach to telling the full African-American story allows us to push beyond a national narrative that incorrectly positions slavery as the moment of genesis and sole pillar of self-identification for Black Americans.

While IAAM recognizes the horrors and defining legacies of slavery, it widens the perspective to shine light on the ingenuity, resilience and skills of enslaved Africans. This richer telling of our history will help all

visitors understand that our nation’s greatness owes much not only to the physical labor and sacrifice of enslaved people, but also to their intellectual, innovative and cultural contributions to early America.

IAAM’s location at Gadsden’s Wharf further enriches the museum’s empowering potential. In the words of former IAAM CEO Michael Boulware Moore, Gadsden’s Wharf is a kind of Ellis Island for Black Americans — a gateway to a lineage and heritage that predates the arrival of enslaved Africans in America and stretches well beyond our shores. This location helps shift the African American story away from a narrative that foregrounds forced participation in a white-dominated world toward a story of hard-won agency and international influence.

IAAM’s presence in Charleston also serves in some ways as a reckoning with the city’s economic history. Cash crops brought wealth to the region, but the city itself — its offices and institutions — made money levying taxes and fees for the buying and selling of slaves and the “leasing” of their services. IAAM marks this historical legacy of profiting from oppression and traces the through line to Jim Crow and continuing inequities.

Importantly, the museum presents an opportunity to stand this pernicious economic trend on its head by serving as a platform to help museum visitors seek out minority-owned restaurants, shops and other businesses.

Cultural heritage tourism is booming, with more and more people wanting to better understand the authentic human stories contained within historic sites. IAAM will help to round out Charleston’s cultural heritage landscape, drawing visitors from across the country and around the globe who are eager to learn more about the city, its international history, and their own place in it. According to the College of Charleston’s Office of Tourism Analysis 2018-19 annual report, IAAM is projected to have a $129 million annual impact on Charleston. The museum is expected to serve as a site of pilgrimage for many African Americans, who are already making a $2.4 billion annual impact on SC’s tourism economy, according to a University of South Carolina study released in 2016.

Twenty-three years ago, no one could have predicted the confluence of people, places, stories, and contemporary events that have created the perfect moment for IAAM’s opening. The museum positions South Carolina to be a global leader in fostering informed conversations and storytelling as a means of promoting greater understanding, empathy and respect across difference. I look forward to the profound effect that this museum and the stories it tells will have on each individual who visits in the months and years ahead.

According to the College of Charleston’s Office of Tourism Analysis 2018-19 annual report, IAAM is projected to have a $129 million annual impact on Charleston. The museum is expected to serve as a site of pilgrimage for many African Americans, who are already making a $2.4 billion annual impact on SC’s tourism economy, according to a University of South Carolina study released in 2016.

Don Gordon, executive director, The Riley Institute at Furman; Jacki Martin, deputy director, The Riley Institute; Claudia Winkler, director of communications, The Riley Institute

Gordon

Martin Winkler

TOURISM, from Page 23

in 1961. Former offices, hospitals and military quarters were later purchased by formerly enslaved people.

The visitor center, a Reconstruction-Era National Historical Park site, is located at the Old Beaufort Firehouse at 706 Craven Street, Beaufort.

Brick Baptist Church, St. Helena Island

Enslaved people first built Brick Baptist Church in 1855 for white planters, but after their liberation in 1961, the church became hub for the Gullah Geechee community. Today, the church still serves a Baptist congregation within the Reconstruction-Era National Park.

Camp Saxton, Port Royal Island

The First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, also known as the 33rd United States Colored Troops, was stationed at Camp Saxton, which was built on the ruins of 1730-era British outpost Fort Frederick.

On January 1, 1863, the formerly enslaved Black Americans from South Carolina, Georgia and Florida that made up the regiment first heard the Emancipation Proclamation under the boughs of the live oaks, according to the National Parks Service, which manages the site.

Hutchinson House, Edisto Island

In 1885, Henry Hutchinson, born enslaved, built what is now the oldest standing house associated with the island’s free Black community. During his lifetime, Hutchinson also operated the first Blackowned cotton gin, according to the Green Book of South Carolina.

The Victorian-style home, located at 7666 Point of Pines Road, will be open to the public as a newly revitalized museum in the near future, according to The Lowcountry and Resort Islands Tourism Commission.

The Penn Center, St. Helena Island

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “I Had a Dream Speech” while visiting the campus of The Penn Center, the first school opened for formerly enslaved Black Americans.

Today, the former Penn School serves as a museum and heritage center for Gullah cultural and educational events within the Reconstruction-Era National Historic Park,. Guests can also tour the 25 historic school buildings or stay overnight at rental cottages onsite.

Molly Hulsey

Queen Quet of the Gullah/Geechee Nation guides tours of St. Helena Island, a nexus point for the Gullah community. (Photo/Provided)

SEEING THE IAAM AS AN ECONOMIC ENGINE

As we eagerly await the grand opening of the International African American Museum on June 27, after more than 20 years of planning, fundraising and construction, it matters that we take time to reflect on the potential of IAAM not only as a sacred, cultural space but as a transformative economic powerhouse.

In my speeches along our coastline and neighboring states, I often speak of the threads that bind our diverse Gullah Geechee communities, Wilmington, N.C., through Charleston to Jacksonville, Fla. This thread of culture and heritage is comprised of many knots and entanglements over the arc of culture, history, and economics.

In particular, the IAAM is positioned to be a knot of tourism economic impact that can transform Charleston and the surrounding region, and in particular Gullah Geechee communities.

According to Samantha Queen, director of corporate communications at South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism, the SC Tourism estimated economic impact is $29 billion in 2022 with numbers tracking slightly ahead in 2023. With the opening of IAAM the expectation is that large numbers of visitors will be coming to Charleston and the region creating more revenue for local and regional tourism businesses.

But with this potential, we must be intentional and visionary in including Gullah Geechee and local African-American owned restaurants, lodging, landmarks and creators in this increased tourism revenue as owners and not just as labor.

In 2021, the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission released a market research study indicating that Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Tourism has a potential of generating $34 billion tourism dollars annually. That’s a gamechanger.

During a recent chat with Michael B. Moore, former president and CEO of the museum, he shared with me: “The IAAM was designed to be a place that informs, but in so doing also inspires even more curiosity. It tells the stories about those who landed where the museum is built, but also shares the broader stories about the history that was created throughout the region. IAAM might attract people to the Lowcountry, but it will then direct visitors throughout the region to learn the ‘rest of the story.’”

Understanding the IAAM role as an economic gateway, if you will, as visitors learn from the nine exhibition spaces in a 100,000-square-foot building including researching DNA from the Center for Family History, designed to be a leading national genealogical research center. They will seek stronger connections by venturing out beyond Charleston.

If positioned correctly, IAAM can be a regional economic engine helping to create wealth in Gullah Geechee communities which will overflow into traditional tourism businesses.

In 2020, TD Community Development Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of TD Bank, N.A., announced its allocation of New Markets Tax Credits to the International African American Museum to assist in its construction project and opening. This represents an investment of $5.5 million. Company officials said the investment will also help create 186 jobs in the Charleston community along with apprenticeship and fellowship programs. This is real direct impact.

According to an article in ArtNet, the IAAM staff of 30 will double in size by the time the museum opens in June 2023. These are real numbers in new professional career positions, museum administration, management, communications, curator and community/faith-based outreach, not traditionally filled by African Americans in South Carolina. These numbers represent people placing their hard-earned salary back into the local community.

To see faces that look like mine in positions of authority in a cultural space with a potential to attract a global audience engenders a variety of emotions. As founder of a chamber of commerce, which is a traditional capitalistic entity, there is an expectation of leading with strategy and logic. However, as a Gullah Geechee, I lead not only with logic but with ancestral knowledge and understanding of the spirit.

When starting the Gullah Geechee Chamber of Commerce in 2018 with the mission of creating global awareness, profitability and sustainability of African-American businesses and other entities impacting the Gullah Geechee community, I visualized how the Gullah Geechee Chamber and IAAM could partner together to create economic resilience in the Gullah Geechee community and across the region.

In the 2022, as a charter member, I was invited to meet with IAAM staff and tour the museum. It was an emotional day for me as an African American and Gullah Geechee. As I understand, the IAAM is another piece of the global arc as it bends toward justice, but also a step in creating economic resilience and ownership in our Gullah Geechee community.

Great wealth was created through our enslaved ancestors who were kidnapped and brought to North America, 40% transported, bought and sold through Charleston, because of their knowledge of how to control the water and manage the land to grow the indigo, rice, sugar cane and sea island cotton.

It is fitting that the final location of the IAAM is on the Charleston waterfront, at Gadsden’s Wharf, once the site of a trading port where hundreds of thousands of the enslaved first stepped onto American soil. A site just as meaningful as Ellis Island, and the Statue of Libery.

But this grand opening can only be meaningful and impactful, if it is met with creative and imaginative partnerships with the IAAM as a leading economic development engine.

Marilyn L. Hemingway, civic leader and entrepreneur, is the founder and president of the Gullah Geechee Chamber of Commerce, the Gullah Geechee Chamber Foundation and The Hemingway Group communications firm. In 2022, Hemingway received a presidential appointment to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission.

Hemingway

A GLIMPSE AT THE GALLERIES AND EXHIBITS AT THE INTERNATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM

The International African American Museum features nine galleries housing 11 core exhibits and one changing exhibit that rotates two to three times annually. The core exhibits include over 150 historical objects, over 30 works of art, nearly 50 films and digital interactives.

Transatlantic Experience | Media Experience

The Transatlantic Experience provides visitors with a large-scale immersive media experience. Situated as the entry point to the east wing of IAAM, this gallery features eight large video screens.

The

Theater | Grounding Film

The Theater features films and videos, which provide broad historical context and further orient the visitor to the overall museum experience through a narrative storytelling format.

Gullah Geechee Gallery

| Gullah Geechee Exhibit

With a focus on the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia, the Gullah Geechee Gallery provides an introduction to Gullah Geechee history and culture.

South Carolina Connections Gallery | South Carolina Connections Exhibit

The South Carolina Connections Gallery focuses on African American and African diasporic history that is within and historically interconnected to South Carolina. This gallery tells

stories of resistance and achievement, from the many local, national, and international influential African Americans in South Carolina’s history.

African Roots & Routes Gallery | African Roots & African Routes Exhibits

The African Roots Exhibit explores the diverse empires, cultures, historic figures, knowledge systems, and technologies of West and West Central Africa — the areas of origin connected to Africans forced to the Americas.

The African Routes: Diaspora in the Atlantic World Exhibit illuminates stories that exemplify the influence and movement of people of African descent throughout the Atlantic World over time, from the Transatlantic slave trade to the 21st century. Atlantic Worlds Gallery | Atlantic Worlds Exhibit

The Atlantic Worlds Gallery explores the nuanced historical connections throughout the Black Atlantic World. Carolina Gold Gallery | Carolina Gold & Memories of the Enslaved Exhibits

The Carolina Gold Exhibit demonstrates the transformative impact of enslaved people who labored on plantations in South Carolina and helped build the lucrative rice industry.

The Memories of the Enslaved Exhibit utilizes quotes and insight

of formally enslaved people to examine the brutality of chattel slavery.

American Journeys Gallery | American Journeys Exhibit

The American Journeys Gallery presents key moments, figures, and movements in African American history that are interconnected with South Carolina, showing how they shaped, and were shaped, by local, national, and international cultures, politics, and economies.

Special Exhibitions Gallery

The Special Exhibitions Gallery is a 3000 square-foot space dedicated to temporary, rotating exhibits.

Men of Change | Special Exhibitions Gallery Installation

Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth. presents for new generations the stories of significant African American men, the known and unknown leaders who stand as national icons.

Creative Journeys Exhibit

The Creative Journeys Exhibit consists of artwork, poems, films and creative materials placed throughout IAAM.

Digital Exhibits

IAAM utilizes the Google Arts & Culture platform to develop and publish digital exhibits which explore themes and special topics relevant to the museum’s mission.

Proud Supporters of

We celebrate and honor the opening of the International African American Museum and its mission to tell the untold stories of the African American journey.

In Focus

LISTS: Logistics Providers, Warehouse Services, Page 33-34.

PICKING UP THE SLACK

By Christina Lee Knauss cknauss@scbiznews.com

The COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020 forced many consumers and business owners to get an unwanted crash course in how the supply chain works.

For the leaders and workers at Greenville-based ACL Airshop, however, there weren’t any hard lessons to learn. Working to get freight of all kinds where it needs to go worldwide is something the company has done for 40 years.

ACL Airshop specializes in Unit Load Devices, also known as ULDs, which are the primary type of containers used for air shipping worldwide. The company owns, maintains and leases more than 60,000 of these ULDs issued from more than 50 airport hub locations in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America, according to company information. Their services network has grown from 23 airport hubs in 2016 to 57 today, with the most recent opening in Istanbul, Turkey.

Steve Townes, president and CEO of ACL Airshop, and other company officials celebrated ACL’s 40th anniversary there in April, in conjunction with an appearance he was also making at a major conference for the international air cargo industry.

Townes is also the founder of Ranger Aerospace, a Greenville-based private equity consolidator and management holding company specializing in aerospace operations and aviation services, which marked its 25th anniversary in 2022. Ranger acquired ACL Airshop in 2016.

In 2021, ACL Airshop was purchased by Alinda Investment Partners, now known as Astatine Investment Partners, an independent investment firm specializing in the aviation sector.

ACL Airshop maintains what statistics show as the industry’s largest independent inventory of lease ready ULDs for clients who need short-term shipping solutions, as well as a growing catalog of long-term ULD contracts. ACL Airshop also manufactures cargo nets, straps and other materials needed in the air cargo sector at its Greenville manufacturing facility which opened in 2019.

“We solve several pain points because our cargo control equipment is mission-essential yet almost cost-incidental, compared to the value of a full cargo load on a freighter plane,” said company COO Wes Tucker. “If you don’t have enough pallets or containers to fully secure the entire load, the plane remains grounded. When a cargo carrier airline leases pallets from us, for example, that saves them unbudgeted capital expense. If they sign a multi-year contract for ACL Air-

shop to manage their entire ULD fleet, that not only saves them capital expense, but also reduces their in-house operating expenses.”

Technology to the rescue

Townes and others at ACL realized early on that technology can also come to the rescue to solve a wide variety of problems in distribution and logistics.

“We’ve been at the forefront of technological evolution in the air cargo sector over the past 20 years.” Townes said.

ACL’s use of technology includes its ULD Control logistics management software and the use of Bluetooth for tracking ULD shipments. In 2019, the company launched a free mobile app, FindmyULD, which allows customers to track and control their shipments with ACL from their phone.

“The real-time phone application allows the user to view, manage and coordinate equipment in the palm of their hand,” Townes said. “We call this the ‘Uberization of

air cargo,’ and once an airline and their related cargo centers, handlers and forwarders all get onto the app, it makes a big difference.”

Because of its long record in the aviation sector of distribution and logistics, ACL Airshop was able to step in and assist many clients who were facing supply bottlenecks when passenger aircraft fleets were grounded during the pandemic. On a normal day, about 70% of all air cargo flies on main-deck air freighters while the rest is flown in the cargo hold of passenger planes.

“When passenger aircraft fleets were grounded, the cargo airlines swooped in and picked up the slack,” Townes said. “Our large freighter clients looked to us for assistance in keeping the global supply chain active and efficient. As the demand rose, we stepped up our investments and expanded, literally increasing our own UDL fleet by millions of dollars each year. When the ocean ships were backed up in the harbors, the planes were all flying full.”

Looking toward the future

Townes said the end of the international pandemic and the resumption of passenger airline service has resulted in a “normalizing” in the air cargo industry. Most market experts, he said, expect the air cargo airplane fleets to double worldwide in the next decade, with annual real growth in the air cargo sector expected to return to a historical level of about 4% to 5% annually due to growth in world trade, e-commerce and regional demographics.

“That growth is a strong strategic underpinning for our company’s longterm growth,” Townes said. “At the midpoint of 2023, we are seeing a bit of shortterm market softening because global demand is down due to uncertainties with Ukraine and even China, inflation and recession risks and other factors. However, we are leaning forward and maintaining our momentum with what we specialize in — superior customer service.”

That momentum includes continued expansion into far-flung hubs such as Istanbul. Townes and Tucker said officials at ACL consider several things when deciding on a new hub, including major clients who need their services, available facilities and staff, and whether or not the airport is in the “Top 100” in terms of tonnage of air cargo shipments.

Wherever ACL expands, Townes said the focus will be on the basics — getting shipments where they need to go on time in the most cost-efficient way possible.

“Our expansion strategy is deliberate and well-capitalized — we are cementing our reputation as the fastest growing niche leader for custom ULD solutions,” he said. “We make our customers measurably more efficient by saving them time and money.” CRBJ

Greenville-based ACL Airshop uses technology to solve supply chain issues

ACL Airshop opened a new factory in Greenville in 2019 where workers manufacture materials used in air cargo shipping. (Image/ACL Airshop)

ACL Airshop helps customers keep up with ULDs as they move around the world. (Photo/Provided)

Rhino works to remove kinks from medical supply chain

By Christina Lee Knauss cknauss@scbiznews.com

Boxes of crutches that line one wall of the warehouse at Columbia’s Rhino Medical Supply are a testament to the challenges of the health care supply chain.

Officials at Rhino brought in as many crutches as they could when they learned that a shortage of them was caused by a global aluminum shortage in 2022 that caused wait times of up to four months for crutches at some health care providers.

They were able to get crutches to some customers who needed them, but just as quickly as the global shortage emerged, it waned, leaving the supplier with a large supply of them, but no huge demand.

That’s just one of the everyday challenges facing Rhino’s CEO Lance Brown and his coworkers, who have learned since the company’s beginning in 2020 that the health care supply chain faces the same problems as that of every other industry on the market.

The only difference being, of course, that many health care products are needed in life and death situations in hospitals, and to maintain the everyday health of millions of other patients around the country.

A supply chain glitch that delays a shipment of sneakers might be annoying, for instance, but doesn’t endanger a customer’s life. Not being able to get insulin or asthma medication in a timely manner, however, can be a threat to life.

That’s why Brown and the other workers at Rhino are doing whatever they can to streamline the supply chain for their customers and, when possible, keep as much of the process right here in the United States. And, as they have since launching in 2020, they keep an eye out for small- and medium-sized clients who might get lost in the shuffle.

“One thing that we constantly deal with is that when there is a disruption with one manufacturer in the supply chain, that eventually leads to another,” said Charles Vartanian, chief administrative officer for Rhino Medical Supply. “During the pan-

demic and now, we find that when there are disruptions that cause stress points in the chain, most large distributors and health care systems are able to get allotments, but it’s often the smaller health care systems and clients like individual doctors’ offices and practices that get left behind.”

Resiliency and catering to those smaller customers has been a big focus at the company since its launch in 2020.

Brown, who had spent years working with Wells Fargo, started Rhino Medical out of his garage during the height of COVID19 because he saw the need nationwide for

personal protective equipment (PPE). He and his partners made an effort to acquire PPE from U.S.-based suppliers when possible and within eight months of the launch had shipped orders of masks, hospital gowns and other equipment to 30 states. Over the course of the pandemic, they shipped millions of masks nationwide and also donated masks and other supplies to small health care providers and schools in South Carolina and other states.

As demand grew, the company expanded into office and warehouse space off Rosewood Drive in Columbia. Brown and his partners also grew the company’s list of products to include a wide range of health care items, not just those in demand because of the pandemic.

The World Health Organization officially declared an end to COVID-19 as a global emergency in May. Rhino Medical Supply is taking the lessons they learned from it and using them to continue to grow the company and work in new ways.

Brown, however, sees that some hospitals and other large clients have gone back to pre-pandemic practices that eventually could cause them problems.

“During the pandemic, a lot of providers did a good job of diversifying their sources for supplies — they reached out to alternative manufacturers and alternative suppliers, smaller companies like Rhino,” Brown said

Lance Brown, CEO of Rhino Medical Supply in Columbia, speaks to a group of USC students studying the supply chain while standing in the company’s warehouse. (Photo/Provided by Rhino Medical)

See RHINO SUPPLY, Page 31 Home Team BBQ | Greenville, SC

“Now many of them are going back to rely solely on larger manufacturers and distributors, and the next time one of those faces a shutdown or a supply chain crunch, they’re going to deal with the same shortages they dealt with during the pandemic.”

One challenge that Rhino faces in dealing with larger hospital systems is the fact that many of them are locked into what are called group purchasing orders, or GPOs, with large medical suppliers around the country. Through those deals, hospitals are given lower prices on bulk orders of items they use a lot of, like masks and syringes, but they must order a certain amount and deal exclusively with the company providing the GPO.

One way that Rhino has stepped up their game to become more attractive to a wider range of clients is forming their own brand – Ceros. Through Ceros, they first distributed only FDA-approved syringes, but have since diversified to other products.

Rhino is also working to promote products by smaller U.S.-based companies that can help to fill high-volume needs. The company is currently working to get hospitals to test and eventually adopt use of high-quality N95 masks made by a company called Lighthouse.

One of Brown’s biggest goals is to get more health care clients to look toward manufacturers and locally based suppliers for the products they need in order to head off future nightmares with overseas ship-

ping delays that caused so many problems during the height of the pandemic.

“We need more hospital systems and other clients to be more intentional about supporting U.S. -based suppliers,” he said.

Brown and others at Rhino are also looking at ways to make the business more sustainable in the next few years, including the possibility of working with companies who make medical supplies that are easier to recycle. Sustainability is more difficult in the medical world, however, because of sanitation requirements.

“Everything is a one-time use basis in the health care system so obviously you go through a lot of disposable items, and they can’t go into normal recycling,” Vartanian said.

As Rhino looks to expand its Ceros brand and the variety of products it distributes, Brown said they are determined not to forget about the smaller customers that the company has served since its beginning. He remembers the days when individual customers were coming to the Rosewood Drive office to purchase COVID-19 home tests when there was a shortage. And Brown and other workers from Rhino will still regularly jump into the company’s van to deliver orders to small doctor’s offices and other clients around the state.

“Our passion is to help people in South Carolina — local hospitals and local customers,” he said. “That way we’re doing business and keeping the money here at home.” CRBJ

South Carolina ports see volume increase in April

By Christina Lee Knauss cknauss@scbiznews.com

The South Carolina Ports saw cargo volumes ticking up in April, buoyed by the strength of the Southeast market.

“We have invested in port capacity to ensure South Carolina remains competitive,” S.C. Ports President and CEO Barbara Melvin said in a news release. “Strategically investing in port infrastructure and operations supports economic growth and jobs throughout the state.”

In April, South Carolina Ports moved 214,101 TEUs (20-foot-equivalent container units) and 119,572 pier containers, which account for containers of any size.

While volumes are down 19% yearover-year as consumers continue to buy fewer goods compared to last year’s massive import boom, volumes trended up 11% month-over-month.

o far in fiscal year 2023, S.C. Ports and the maritime community handled 2.18 million TEUs and nearly 1.21 million pier containers. Fiscal year volumes are down about 9% from the same time a

year prior.

The state’s two rail-served inland ports in Greer and Dillon handled a combined 17,177 rail moves in April, up nearly 15% year-over-year, with Dillon achieving a record April with 3,752 rail moves.

South Carolina ports also handled 12,957 vehicles and 25,942 cruise passengers last month.

“Thanks to our amazing maritime community, our well-run port delivers reliable service to the booming Southeast market,” Melvin said. “To support future growth, we are actively investing

to increase our rail competitiveness by building a near-port intermodal hub that will further enhance fluidity for our customers.”

South Carolina Ports owns and operates marine terminals at the Port of Charleston and two rail-served inland ports in Greer and Dillon. As the eighth largest U.S. container port, South Carolina Ports connects port-dependent businesses throughout the Southeast and beyond to global markets. CRBJ

Reach Christina Lee Knauss at 803-753-4327.

Supply chain demand fuels rise in spec buildings

By Christina Lee Knauss cknauss@scbiznews.com

Leasing a building before it is even built might have seemed like an unusual business practice a few years ago, but in today’s hectic supply-chain environment it has become a common occurrence, especially in a rapidly growing market like South Carolina.

The demand for speculative industrial buildings that can also be used for distribution and logistics is growing statewide, with no significant slow down in sight.

What makes speculative buildings so popular is the fact they are built with no specific tenant in mind, but with amenities that can be useful to a wide variety of businesses. As more companies expand into South Carolina, the need for a way to distribute their products as well as places for their vendors to set up distribution grows.

“Despite economic headwinds, we continue to see strong demand and short supply for speculative buildings, with leases being executed on speculative buildings either before developers break ground or while they are under construction,” said Chuck Salley, managing director in Colliers’ Columbia office.

As an example of the high demand for speculative properties, a massive speculative distribution property at the Sandy Run Industrial Park in Calhoun County leased to a warehousing and fulfillment solutions company before construction was even com-

pleted.

Missouri-based Smart Warehousing leased the property in June 2022 in a deal cemented by Red Rock Developments, which handles built-to-suit and speculative buildings in the industrial park.

Smart Warehousing is a warehousing, fulfillment and technology solutions company with 38 warehouses and more than 12 million square feet of warehouse space nationwide.

At 497,952 square feet, the cross-dock speculative building in Sandy Run is one of the largest speculative buildings in the Midlands, and its full lease before even being completed is evidence of the high demand for properties like it as companies seek more space to handle their growing distribution needs.

The Charleston market currently has about 2.4 million square feet of speculative space under construction, with an increase to 3.4 million in the third quarter of 2023, according to Colliers.

“Demand has consistently been high for the past five years regarding distribution and logistics uses in the Charleston market, and we see no end in sight,” said Mark Erickson, Colliers’ vice president for industrial services in Charleston. “The bread-and-butter size of 100- to 150,000 square feet lease quicker than they can deliver.”

Securing Charleston distribution space is difficult not only because of high demand, but also because much of the available space is sold before it can reach national public net-

works like Loopnet and CosStar, according to Erickson.

“Class B and C spaces rarely make it to those networks because they are renewed or re-leased off market between the local brokers who than likely were involved in the original transaction, making it harder for outside brokers to penetrate a very connected and protected market,” Erickson said.

In the Upstate, according to statistics from Colliers, more than 9.5 million square feet of speculative space is currently in the pipeline in the Greenville-Spartanburg area.

“The demand for industrial space across the state is strongest in the Upstate region, which has always had the largest and most active industrial market with more than 225 million square feet of industrial buildings in play,” said John Montgomery, managing director for Colliers’ Spartanburg office.

Montgomery noted that recent economic headwinds have tempered the pre-leasing of speculative property somewhat, but the market still remains extremely strong.

In the Midlands, demand for speculative space in Columbia is high, but the market is not as hot as Charleston and Greenville because of a lack of available speculative space, according to Salley. He also noted that in recent months speculative space in the greater Columbia area has been more in demand for manufacturing than for distribution.

Several large speculative projects focused on distribution are in the works in the Mid-

lands, however, perfect timing considering the recent uptick in announcements about new manufacturers like Scout Motors Inc. and battery manufacturer Cirba Solutions. On April 9, Summit Real Estate Group broke ground on a new 351,540-square foot Class A industrial speculative building in Richland County’s Pineview Industrial Park.

Known as the Pineview Trade Center, the building is scheduled to be ready this year.

The Pineview Trade Center is located on a 34-acre-site close to I-77 designed to accommodate a variety of manufacturing and distribution users, with amenities including an ESFR fire protection system, LED lighting, 36-foot clear heights, a 185-foot-deep truck court, 68 dock-high doors and 80 trailer parking spaces.

Officials from Summit noted it can be subdivided to 100,440 square feet of space. The project also offers an above-market car parking specification, and a variety of supply-chain needs can be filled with the structure’s ability to accommodate double trailer parking for users with large truck fleets or an outside storage requirement.

Another large Midlands speculative project is the 803 Industrial Park, a partnership between Magnus Development Partners and Columbia Metropolitan Airport in West Columbia. Teams from Colliers recently preleased two large speculative buildings at the park. CRBJ

Reach Christina Lee Knauss at 803-753-4327.

Third-Party Logistics Providers

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

data.

Warehouse Services

Neal Brothers Charleston Inc.

Necessar y Lane North Charleston, SC 29405

Regal Logistics 1980 Technology Drive, Suite C Charleston, SC 29492

Kontane Logistics Inc. 1000 Charleston Regional Parkway Charleston, SC 29492

Sunland Logistics Solutions 4401 Piggly Wiggly Drive North Charleston, SC 29405

MainOcean Carolinas

5801 N. Rhett Ave., Building 2 Hanahan, SC 29410

Skyline Express Inc. 1011 Trident St. Hanahan, SC 29410

Rogers & Brown 9550 Hamburg Road Ladson, SC 29456

Dockside Logistics

4756 U.S. Highway 78 Saint George, SC 29477

Ability Tri-Modal Transportation Ser vices

3298 Benchmark Drive Ladson, SC 29456

Americold 1125 Newton Way Summer ville, SC 29483

TranSouth Logistics P.O. Box 20040 Charleston, SC 29413

5801 N. Rhett Ave., Bldg. 1-C Hanahan, SC 29410

4033 W. Montague Ave. North Charleston, SC 29418

ATS Logistics Ser vices Inc. 9016 Palmetto Commerce Parkway Ladson, SC 29456

Car ver Maritime Charleston 1400 Pierside St. North Charleston, SC 29405

East

1011

AHT Cooling Systems USA Inc.

7058

Expeditors International of Washington Inc. 1017 Northpointe Industrial Blvd. Hanahan, SC 29410

Barnhart Transportation LLC 111 Old Depot Road Moncks Corner, SC 29461

Jet Park Warehousing LLC 111 Old Depot Road Moncks Corner, SC 29461

Lake Shore Global Solutions LLC 111 Old Depot Road Moncks Corner, SC 29461

American Cyber Logistics 7290 Investment Drive, Suite A North Charleston, SC 29418

Port City Warehouse Co.

2155 Durant Ave. North Charleston, SC 29405

CLN Solutions 1930 Hanahan Road, Suite 1500 North Charleston, SC 29406

Dupuy Storage 7555 Palmetto Commerce Parkway, Suite B North Charleston, SC 29420

Reco Transportation of S.C. Inc. 201 Jedburg Road Summer ville, SC 29483

843-352-0011 www.kontanelogistics.com info@kontanelogistics.com

864-295-0081 www.sunlandlogisticssolutions.com solutions@sunlandls.com

843-971-1167 www.mainocean.com charleston@mainocean.com

843-576-2426 www.skylinedray.com kkelly@skylinedray.com

843-577-3630 www.rogers-brown.com

843-856-2260 www.docksidelogistics.com sales@docksidelogistics.com

843-797-3621 www.abilitytrimodal.com woodya@trimodal.com

Darr

Griffin, Harr y

Neeves

Rand

Rusty Byrd 1976 760,000

Amy Sartain, Jay Sarkar, Candler Lowder 1982 511,000

Greg Heard 2013 500,000

Kenneth Kelly 1980 500,000

y

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Crossdocking, distribution center management, dr y storage, hazardous materials, inventor y management, order fulfillment, pick/ pack, subassembly ✔ ✔ ✔

Crossdocking, distribution center management, dr y storage, hazardous materials, inventor y management, order fulfillment, pick/ pack, subassembly ✔ ✔ ✔

Crossdocking, dr y storage, hazardous materials, order fulfillment, pick/pack, subassembly ✔

Wallace Hester, Mark Hughes, Raymond Kelley 1968 450,000 Dr y storage ✔ ✔

Steve Young 2005 420,000

Crossdocking, distribution center management, dr y storage, inventor y management, order fulfillment, pick/pack, subassembly ✔ ✔

Lisa Grillo Ron Sauls Woodrow M Arsenault 1947 400,000 Crossdocking ✔

843-486-1126 www.americold.com marketing@americold.com1903 300,000

866-587-6884 www.tran-south.com tslcs@tran-south.com

843-991-6008 www.universallogistics.com tgustafson@universallogistics.com

843-554-6622 www.wwwilliams.com/logistics-packaging/ logistics info@wwwilliams.com

843-308-9600 www.atsinc.net info@atsinc.net

843-779-0199 www.car vercompanies.com info@car vercompanies.com

www.averitt.com portside@averitt.com

www.us.aht.at info@us.aht.at

843-554-6909 www.expeditors.com

843-553-0534 www.barnhart-trans.com sales@barnhart-trans.com

843-804-7020 www.jetparkwarehouse.com b.whitley@jetparkwarehouse.com

803-630-5747 www.ls-gs.com sales@ls-gs.com

843-266-2081 www.scacl.com contact@scacl.com

843-747-4838 -

833-236-6660 www.clnsolutions.com support@clnsolutions.com

843-767-6880 www.dupuygroup.com info@dupuygroup.com

843-832-2161Recotrans@aol.com

Crossdocking, frozen/refrigerated, inventor y management, order fulfillment, pick/pack, subassembly ✔ ✔

Winston White 1865 275,000 2 Crossdocking, distribution center management, dr y storage, inventor y management, order fulfillment, pick/pack, subassembly

Trent Gustafson 2007

250,000

Bentley Cheatham 1912 250,000

Jason Gianoukos, David Weis 1986

205,000

200,000

200,000

✔

✔

Crossdocking, distribution center management, dr y storage, inventor y management, pick/pack, subassembly ✔

✔ ✔

Rick

L. Kelly

Crossdocking, distribution center management, dr y storage, inventor y management

✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

✔ ✔

Tombs, Devin Tombs

Tim Hall 1979

143,000

Chad Osmundson, Brad Whitley, Timothy Barnhart 2017 135,000 Crossdocking, dr y storage, inventor y management ✔ ✔

Brad Whitley, Timothy Barnhart 2020 135,000 Crossdocking, dr y storage, inventor y management

Rusty Ray, Brad Whitley, Tim Barnhart 2017 135,000 Crossdocking, dr y storage, inventor y management

Brian Hummel 2005 115,000

Mikell Thaxton 1976 101,000

David Sitton 2002 100,000

Richard Gilliam 1936 100,000

Todd Reese 1999 100,000

Crossdocking, distribution center management, dr y storage, inventor y management, order fulfillment, pick/pack, subassembly

Crossdocking, distribution center management, dr y storage, hazardous materials, inventor y management, order fulfillment, pick/ pack, subassembly

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

• 1 C-TPAT=Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism. FDA=Food & Drug Administration. FTZ=Foreign-Trade Zone. ISO=International Organization for Standardization. USDA=U.S. Department of Agriculture.

• 2 2022 Data

✔

✔

✔ ✔ ✔

✔ ✔ ✔

Researched by Business Journal Staff

Business Digest At Work

Baker Business Bowl IX winner receives $10,000 for business plan

After making it through three rounds of the Baker Business Bowl IX and working on its business plan, one team claimed victory and a $10,000 check. Retired Lt. Gen. Fran Beaudette, U.S. Army, The Citadel Class of 1989, presented the check at the awards ceremony. Team Landsformer, consisting of five mechanical engineering majors at The Citadel, took first place with its business plan for creating a solar-powered self-driving lawnmower. The team is one step closer to developing a cost-effective version that will utilize solar-powered batteries, proximity sensors, and a boundary system. The idea began as a senior design project.

Members of Team Landsformer were David Abernathy, William Howl, Chase Nugnes, Jacob Proctor and Adger Vanadore. The second-place team, Patriot Goalie, received $5,000 to put toward creation of handcrafted, quality hockey equipment with sizable pad leaf inserts that can be adjusted as a player grows. The team’s goal is to lower the costs of hockey equipment through made-to-order, sizable gear that is still protective. Clayton Tovo, a one-person team, received a check from Joe Conti, one of the judges for this year’s bowl. Other finalists were Team ARMA Motors and Team FarmHand. Along with Beaudette and Conti, this year’s panel of judges included Herbert Drayton III, Gene King, Cathey Petkash and Richard Waring The event was made possible through donations by The Citadel Class of 1989, Jeff Cobb, and Dan D. Nale PE, Class of 1982.

In the bowl’s first round, teams submitted an application that consisted of a team and business idea information form. In round two, the 11 advancing teams gave an elevator pitch to a team of judges, who then determined who moved on to the final round. Th final round included four teams presenting a full business plan — with marketing, pricing, production strategies and other relevant business details — through a professional presentation. Cadets, undergraduates and graduate students are eligible to participate in the Baker Business Bowl.

South Carolina Community Capital Alliance hold 2023 conference

The 2023 South Carolina Community Capital Conference brought together community economic development finance leaders from around the state to explore innovations in impact investing and creative community financing tools to support community economic development in South Carolina. This year’s conference focused on the theme “Forget What You Thought You Knew: A New Vision of an Old Town.” Attendees explored innovations in impact investing and creative community financing tools as well as identified new capital sources to drive economic growth and opportunity in the state.

Tonya M. Matthews, president and CEO of the International African American Museum, and Jennifer Clyburn Reed, federal co-chair of the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission, were keynote speakers. The museum, set to open this month, is funded in part by new market tax credits; it explores the history, global connections and intersections, culture and impact of the African American journey across its 10 galleries, memorial gardens, genealogy center, and a broad portfolio of local and national programs.

Clyburn Reed was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the first federal co-chair of the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission, a federal-state partnership focused on spurring economic development in 428 counties and county equivalents within seven southeastern states. She was a career educator whose experience spanned 28 years in the South Carolina public school system.

JHW Enterprises Property celebrates anniversary with service

JHW Enterprises Property Management celebrated its fifth anniversary with a community day service project and Harlem Jazz Night

Gala in March.

Founded in 2018 by Charleston resident Jaymes McCloud, JHW Enterprises Property Management manages more than 500 doors across South Carolina, Maryland and Texas. The company aims to provide effective and competent multifamily/apartment community property management that benefits both residents and investors.

The celebration’s community day service project took place in the historic Chicora neighborhood (3310 Florida Ave.), with the community invited to join JHW Cares, JHW Enterprise’s nonprofit extension, for free food, giveaways, a street cleanup effort, and fellowship from 4 to 7 p.m. This event is in partnership with the North Charleston Police Department Recap and candidate for City Council District 10 Aaron Hicks.

The Harlem Jazz Night Gala took place in the Camden Room of the Charleston Visitor’s Center. The event was hosted by Kenya Dunn and featured a cocktail reception, dinner, keynote address by McCloud, and live entertainment by Starr Queen. The evening also included an awards ceremony to recognize seven individuals for their pivotal role in contributing to the company’s success: Michael Goldberg, Elliott Wells, Kacie Marcus-Rupert, Kiersten Jordan, Keristen Mazyck, Pablo Ochoa Cortez and James Marlow. Roper St. Francis Healthcare and LifeTagger were the event’s sponsors.

a partnership with Berkeley Animal Center, it is giving adoptable cats a full-time foster home in a full-service café that serves beer, wine and made-to-order charcuterie boards. Free street parking is available and the café has a private lot in back, according to Kate Laflin, who calls herself the purrprietor, of Catnip & Coffee.

Ignite Digital Services certified as global UiPath premier partner

Ignite Digital Services has become a UiPath premier partner. An enterprise automation company, UiPath helps fast-track portfolio innovation and enhance product capabilities for Ignite Digital Services clients looking to harness automation and robotic process automation.

The UiPath business automation platform delivers fast, resilient, automation-fueled transformation within a single platform, using the technology that is already in place. This enables automation with artificial intelligence capabilities, such as document understanding, and provides sophisticated analytics to measure the business impact of automation. This automation-first approach is geared to enable everyone, from RPA developers and testers to citizen developers and business end users, to collaborate and put automation at the core of everyday work.

The Citadel takes first in Association of Military Colleges and Schools contests

one minute, number of qualified sit-ups in one minute, and a timed mile-and-a-half run. Participating cadets were Thomas Fitzpatrick, Ashley James, Lucy McArthur, Peter Monaco, Kyle Samida, William Templeton, Sam Wilson and Kimberly Winkler.

The writing competition was established to encourage academic writing skills and encourage cadets to collect and share their unique insights and research related to military school education. Participants wrote a single-page paper on any aspect of military education.

Pinnacle Consulting to digitize 600,000+ gas service cards for Dominion Energy

Dominion Energy selected Pinnacle Consulting to digitize more than 600,000 gas service cards/tap cards for North Carolina. The woman‐owned minority business has served the utility industry both domestically and internationally for more than 20 years and is currently serving numerous gas utility companies across the country in digitizing assets in GIS.

The Columbia company has a decade-long history with Dominion Energy, starting its gas distribution digitization project in South Carolina in 2012 to digitize service cards and integrate the information into customer information systems, GIS, leak damage failure systems, and FileNet.

This new project with Dominion Energy of North Carolina will use an AI-based platform to take service cards from file cabinets to the GIS digital system with minimal issues. Pinnacle executed a similar project for Northern Indiana Public Service Co. for more than 1.1 million service cards and finished within the specified operation timeline.

Liberty Fellowship accepting nominations through July 1

Liberty Fellowship is accepting nominations for its 17th class of fellows. The online nomination form is available at libertyfellowshipsc.org/nominate through July 1. Though people cannot nominate themselves, nominations can come from anyone who knows the individual well.

First cat café opens in North Charleston Catnip & Coffee, North Charleston’s first cat café, has opened at 3414 Rivers Ave. Through

Citadel cadets took first place in the 2022 Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the U.S. physical training challenge, representing The Citadel’s dedication to fitness in the Corps of Cadets. In addition to the physical training award, Cadet Jake McPherson won first place in the college writing competition.

The physical training challenge had three contests: number of qualified push-ups in

A nominee must be a South Carolina resident; be between the ages of 30 and 47; be intellectually curious and open to ideas; be an accomplished leader with a history of significant community engagement; be willing to reflect deeply on their leadership role in society; be willing to challenge existing normative behaviors with actionable ideas to create positive change; and have the breadth of experience and level of maturity to contribute effectively to the seminar experience. Liberty Fellowship expects and encourages fellows to challenge one another’s ideas respectfully in conjunction with its commitment toward engaging a multitude of perspectives. However, the fellowship will not accept nominees who express hate or intolerance toward others based on their particular

See BUSINESS DIGEST, Page 37

ideas or identities.

If selected, the nominee must complete two requirements: a series of five seminars and an individual impact venture. The seminar series includes five multi-day seminars over 18 months. Four of the seminars will be in South Carolina, with one elsewhere in the United States or abroad.

Participants explore readings by some of the world’s greatest thinkers. Moderators certified by the Aspen Institute facilitate each seminar. The individual impact venture will be identified during the seminar series and be underway by the completion of the last seminar. Each individual will begin the venture with support from the fellowship network and mentors.

Upon successful completion of the two requirements, Liberty Fellows join the statewide network of 330 leaders working individually and collectively to confront some of the most difficult challenges in South Carolina. Liberty Fellows also become members of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, a community of 3,000 entrepreneurial leaders in 60 countries from business, government and the nonprofit sector.

Architects partner to improve community safety

Red Iron Architects, a certified woman-owned minority business in North Charleston, has joined forces with CR architecture + design, a Cincinnati architectural firm with a specialization in public safety facilities, to provide service for the

region’s governmental and public safety entities.

CR’s understanding of safety training innovations helps procurement teams to plan multifunctional, sustainable facilities. Red Iron adds awareness of growth areas, infrastructure, topography, coastal climate, and Charleston’s political environment. The partnership aims to work with governmental and public service institutions that are considering renovation, enhancement, or construction of public safety facilities.

People in the News

BUSINESS SERVICES

The South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance has elected Tommy Preston Jr. as the next chair of its board of directors.

Preston, global vice president of ethics of The Boeing Co., is the first African American to serve as chair in the organization’s 121-year history. He is also executive committee chair.

Geneverse Energy selects Brandon as agency of record

Geneverse Energy has named Brandon its agency of record. The agency is managing Geneverse’s brand, media and creative strategies as the maker of energy-storage solutions and solar generators prepares for planned growth.

Brandon has launched a digitally driven strategy with strong brand messaging and creative storytelling. The Brandon creative team plans to tell the Geneverse Energy story using videos ranging from 30-second spots to a 30-minute infomercial.

In addition, Brandon is implementing a media planning and buying strategy with advanced demographic and psychographic customer analysis and geographic and seasonal positioning. CRBJ

Preston is a graduate of the University of South Carolina where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and his Juris Doctor. He began his career as an attorney at Nexsen Pruet and was a part of the firm’s economic development, public policy and government relations divisions. Preston joined The Boeing Co. as director of national strategy and engagement in 2015 and was promoted to vice president of ethics in 2021.

An active member of the community and various organizations, Preston has served in numerous leadership roles for nonprofit and educational institutions. He currently serves on the board of the Charleston Wine and Food Festival and is a Liberty Fellow through the Aspen Global Leadership Network. In addition, he is on the board of the American Bar Endowment.

Also elected to the board were

Chuck Hall, Barnet (immediate past chair); Kevin Brown, Milliken & Company (first vice chair); Grant Burns, AFL (second vice chair); Curtis Hutto, Thompson Construction Group (treasurer); Ellis Fisher, Inman Mills (textile council chair); Matthew Hamrick, Mercedes-Benz Vans (automotive council chair); Al Chatham, Elkem Silicones (chemistry council chair); Vince Lombardy, VTL (Lowcountry manufacturers council chair); and Jay Spears, Continental (tire council chair).

Members whose terms expire in 2024 are Roger Buckley, Sonoco; Mike Callahan, Duke Energy South Carolina; John McAllister, Electrolux; Steve Merlis, Samsung; Hunter Mottel, Sleep Number; Laura Steiner, Horizon Scientific; and Robert Wick, Schaeffler Group.

Members whose terms expire in 2025 are Dex Battista, Magna; Matthew Bowers, Sage Automotive Interiors; Andrew Dill, Lockheed Martin; Ron Freed, American Honda Motor Co. South Carolina Manufacturing; Keller Kissam, Dominion Energy; Jason Meredith, Continental; and Michael Tschantz, Ingevity.

Members who terms expire in 2026 are Scott Craig, JTEKT; Cameron Hamrick, Hamrick Mills; Mike Lee, Nucor Steel Berkeley; Jann Moore, Caterpillar; Dan Royston, A.O. Smith; Will Whitley,

Preston

JULY 10

CHARLESTON’S HISTORIC DISTRICT

Lists: Old Businesses

Advertising Deadline: June 26

JULY 24

STARTUPS

Lists: Business Assistance Organizations

Advertising Deadline: July 10 AUGUST 7

REAL ESTATE

Lists: Commercial Real Estate Firms & Residential Real Estate Firms

Advertising Deadline: July 24

Michelin; Katie Yehl, Volvo Cars; and Sidney Locke, Sage Automotive Interiors (ex officio SC future makers chair).

The South Carolina Small Business Development Centers said four of its clients were recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration-South Carolina District Office for outstanding achievement in special categories significant to the small business community. Tremaine Moore, of Naturally Geechee, was named the 2023 South Carolina Female Small Business Person of the Year; Marvin Ross, of Peculiar Pig Farm, was named the South Carolina Minority Small Business Person of the Year; and Michael O’Shaughnessy Williams, of Calavera Tool Works, was named South Carolina Rural Small Business Owner of the Year. Joseph Wilson Jr., of Toll Solutions, was named the National Exporter of the Year. The Greenville area center, led by area manager and business consultant Earl Gregorich, was honored as the state’s Center of Excellence and Innovation.

CONSTRUCTION

Stephen Nickerson is now Goodwyn Mills Cawood’s regional geotechnical leader for the Carolinas and southern Georgia, responsible for overseeing growth and development of the geotechnical division. With more than 15 years of experience behind him, Nickerson has managed ground improvement and deep foundations design-build construction projects, including preconstruction, estimating, design and project management.

Nickerson graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor’s in civil engineering. He is a registered professional engineer in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and California.

DESIGN

the higher education sector, leader of the firm’s higher education sector, vice president and secretary of the board of directors.

Roberson joined the firm in 2011 following his retirement as superintendent of Hanover County Public Schools, Va. In 2020 and 2021, Virginia Business listed Stewart among the commonwealth’s 500 most influential leaders in business, education and government. In his role as board chair, Roberson will continue leading the board and shareholders while promoting the firm’s growth strategy, strategic plan, and client engagement.

ENGINEERING

Melvin C. Williams has been inducted into The Citadel’s Academy of Engineers, which honors engineering leaders from both the public and private sectors who have enjoyed substantial success in their professional lives and made significant contributions to their communities.

All inductees have lived a life consistent with The Citadel School of Engineering mission, which is to “educate and develop principled engineering leaders to serve a global community” and with the School’s values that include integrity, diversity, respect for others, professional and intellectual development for all, and excellence through continuous improvement. He will be the 45th engineering honoree of the Academy and the 1st graduate of the evening college.

Williams earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Technology from South Carolina State University and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Civil Engineering from the Citadel in 2000, both with honors. A vice president with Terracon Consultants Inc. he is a Fellow with both the American Council of Engineering Companies and Society of American Military Engineers.

Hana Engineers and Consultants LLC attended the Society of American Military Engineers Joint Engineer Training Conference & Expo May 2-4 in San Antonio, Texas.

For advertising information, contact Ryan Downing at rdowning@scbiznews.com

Effective Aug. 1, Jeffrey M. Hyder will become the fourth president and CEO in Moseley Architects’ history. Stewart D. Roberson, president, CEO and chair of the board of directors since 2011, will continue as chair. Hyder joined the firm in 1993, shortly after graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture from Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture.

Over the past 30 years, he has served as an architect, operations manager of

Hana Chief Operations Officer and project engineer Christina Jettie; Environmental Program Manager Tracey Epperley; and Construction Technology Manager Shawn Hunt represented the company during the three-day conference. Jettie works out of the company’s North Charleston office on Rivers Avenue. Hana Engineers is headquartered in Richmond, Va., with a second office in North Charleston. CRBJ

PEOPLE, from Page 37

Nickerson

Hyder Roberson

Williams Jettie

Why employee financial wellness matters

Did you know that 86% of employees identify finances as their top source of stress?1 Or that financially stressed employees cost U.S. businesses $500 billion a year in productivity alone?2 Or that only 36% of employees say their employer’s financial well-being resources meet their needs?3

These are just a few of the staggering statistics that bring into sharp focus the importance of employee financial wellness in today’s environment, and why employers should consider taking steps to enhance employee financial wellness offerings. These facts also motivate me each day in my work as an organizational financial wellness consultant at PNC Bank and my involvement with the Greenville Society for Human Resource Management, an organization elevating awareness for the business imperative of employee financial wellness throughout the Upstate.

Employee financial wellness is broadly relevant across all professional functions, income brackets and sectors. This reality constantly is reinforced as I meet with HR business partners at local companies representing a diverse mix of industries, from production agriculture

to professional services.

The value proposition of an employee financial wellness program is two-fold: increased productivity and improved talent attraction and retention. Equipping employees with benefit options and resources can help reduce their stress and improve their overall financial wellness, which in turn creates a more productive workforce. And in today’s competitive employment market, differentiated benefit offerings can help employers attract and retain talent.

Elements of an effective program While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to building a financial wellness program, the following elements are foundational.

Bank-at-work program: A bank-atwork program should offer employees a variety of account options available at no cost or burden to employees, complete with digital banking and money management tools. Additionally, a bank-at-work program should include no-cost access to financial education sessions and resources, as well as connectivity to a dedicated team of bankers for personalized service.

Consumer-directed health care: Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are common ways for employees to pay for health care and represent an important pillar of a financial wellness program. However, we often find employees overlook or underuti-

lize the full benefits of these accounts. The administration of HSAs and FSAs should entail delivering information that can help employees make smart health care spending decisions.

Online financial education: To help employees improve their financial acumen and pursue pathways to financial wellness, a successful program should offer a customized, digital learning tool that allows employees to assess their financial wellness, access financial education curriculum and earn points for tracking progress toward their goals.

Retirement plan services: Successful retirement plan programs focus on everything from investment selection to policy assistance, with fiduciary support to help plan sponsors understand and meet their fiduciary obligations to participants, as well as an annual employee education campaign.

Student debt management: With the Federal Reserve estimating that 50% of employees between the ages of 22 and 44 carry some amount of student loan debt, student debt benefits are growing in popularity among financial wellness incentives. To that end, employers should look for solutions that address the full lifecycle of student debt and not just repayment.

Because so many of us have experienced the burden of student debt, this aspect of a financial wellness program resonates strongly with me. Studies show

that employees who use student debt management tools are more likely to show strengthened engagement in their jobs, have an increased rate of retention and are less likely to experience burnout, making student debt management solutions a winwin for employees and employers alike.

While the stakes for improving employee financial wellness have never been higher, the availability of resources to help employers deliver customized solutions and programs has never been greater. Personally, I have never been more driven to help companies care for their greatest assets –– their employees. CRBJ

With 13 years of experience in banking & nance, Hillary Dobson is a vice president and organizational nancial wellness consultant for PNC Bank and an active member of the Greenville Society for Human Resource Management. Source material for the facts in the rst paragraph include MetLife’s 19th Annual U.S. Employee Bene t Trends Study 2021; e Employer’s Guide to Financial Wellness-2019, Salary Finance; and “Rethinking Financial Wellbeing for Today’s Diverse Workforce,” Willis Towers Watson, 2021.

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