Charleston Regional Business Journal - June 27, 2022

VOLUME 28 NUMBER 11 ■ CHARLESTONBUSINESS.COM

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SAVING HISTORY Group working to restore World War II-era bomber Page 2

A B-25C Mitchell Medium Bomber, fished out of Lake Greenwood in 1983 after crashing on a practice run in 1944, is being restored at the Jim Hamilton - L.B. Owens Airport in Columbia. (Photo/Christina Lee Knauss)

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A close-up of the cockpit of a B-25C Mitchell Medium Bomber being restored at a Columbia airport. The South Carolina Historic Aviation Foundation aims to restore and display the plane. (Photo/Christina Lee Knauss)

Group bringing historic bomber back to life

By Christina Lee Knauss

A

cknauss@scbiznews.com

n irreplaceable piece of South Carolina’s aviation history sits in a rented corporate hangar in Columbia, being restored to its former glory by volunteers while it waits for a permanent home.

The B-25C Mitchell Medium Bomber, fished from the depths of Lake Greenwood back in 1983 where it sat for 39 years after it was lost on a practice run in 1944, is believed to be one of only three B-25Cs still in existence.

The plane bounced from place to place for years and its chances of remaining in the Midlands were in jeopardy until a group called the South Carolina Historic Aviation Foundation formed in 2010 with the goal of restoring the bomber and using it as a way to teach people about S.C.’s long history of aviation.

Now, SCHAF volunteers spend two nights a week working on the plane to restore it to its original condition, and on the second Saturday of every month the group’s members hold an open house at its hanger at Jim Hamilton – L.B. Owens Airport near Columbia’s Rosewood neighborhood to let the public view the plane and learn more about the restoration efforts.

The goal, according to SCHAF president Kenneth Berry, is to eventually build a permanent aviation museum to house the plane and other artifacts the organization has collected over the years, many of which are on display at the hangar.

“This plane is an important part not only of the state’s aviation history but as a symbol of the history of the state and the nation, and what folks did for us back during World War II so we could live the lives we have today,” Berry said. “This plane has really taken on a life of its own since we bought it. The airport likes having it here because it attracts visitors and people, especially kids, like being able to see it and to visit the displays.”

B25s play a special role in the World War II history of the Midlands because pilots trained on the bombers at the Columbia Army air base, best known for producing the famous volunteer crews known as “Doolittle’s Raiders” who trained under Lt. Col James “Jimmy” Doolittle and bombed Tokyo in 1942, the first retaliatory attack by the U.S. on Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Pilots trained on the B-25 in South Carolina played key roles in air battles overseas throughout the war. The plane currently owned by the SCHAF was stationed at the Greenville Army Air Base.

On June 6, 1944, it was on a training run

over Lake Greenwood when the instructor pilot swooped too low and was forced to ditch in the lake when the propellers touched the water. The five-man crew survived but the plane sank.

Fast forward to 1983 when the plane was recovered, in an effort aided by several local women who witnessed when it went down and were able to pinpoint exactly where in the lake to find it. After that, the plane was owned by several different groups and eventually made its way back to Columbia, where it was first housed in the historic Curtiss Wright Hanger at the Owens airport. The bomber made appearances in 1992 at the 50threunion of the Doolittle Raiders and again in 2002 in front of the State Museum at the group’s 60th reunion.

Many people get the SCHAF’s B-25C mixed up with another B-25 which crashed in Lake Murray in 1943 and was recovered in 2005. That plane has since been relocated to an aviation museum in Alabama.

Berry said the restoration’s goal is not to restore the plane to the point where it can be flown but to make it as authentic as possible for viewing on the ground. He said the SCHAF is always seeking sponsorships from both individuals and businesses to continue the work on the plane and to build the eventual museum.

Over the years, volunteers have combed the internet and gone through other networks to obtain rare original parts for the plane. Some other components have been built by hand, a process aided by hours on the internet and many trips out of state to get original parts such as those that can be found in the meticulously reconstructed cockpit and the bombing turret in the plane’s nose.

Berry said the plane has proved to be an important way to get young people interested in aviation. Some youth who participate in the Young Eagles aviation program at Owens have signed up to volunteer to work on the plane, and others gain interest after seeing the bomber on school field trips. Berry said one student who helped to work on the plane is now attending the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, and another got into aviation after joining the U.S. Navy.

“Seeing something like this is a great way to get kids interested in aviation and also in the science and technology surrounding it, especially because a lot of kids aren’t exposed to the field these days,” he said. “Every once in a while, we’ll get a student in here and you can see the interest spark as they’re looking at the plane.

You can see that light go on in their eyes.”

Learn more about the B-25C at www.

SCHistoricAviation.org CRBJ

KIRKLAND JOINS MUSEUM

PAGE 28 VOLUME 28 NUMBER 11 ■ CHARLESTONBUSINESS.COM

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Different vision

Interior of Park Circle getting $20 million facelift.

Page 6

New life

Former school buiding being rehabbed into apartments.

Page 8

On the move

Boeing relocating headquarters to Virginia.

Page 19

Order up

Jordan adds eight F-16s to Lockheed Martin back order.

Page 20

INSIDE

Upfront................................. 2 SC Biz News Briefs................. 3 In Focus: Manufacturing and Aeropsace.......................... 15 List: Largest Employers.......26 At Work...............................28 Viewpoint............................ 31

TAKING OFF

SC programs work to promote aviation careers

The Maggie 1980 is an AH-1F Cobra Attack helicopter that is owned by the Celebrate Freedom Foudation and travels to schools as part of the organization’s STEM education program. The initiative is one of several in SC designed to spark interest in careers in the aviation industry. (Photo/Provided)

By Christina Lee Knauss

L

cknauss@scbiznews.com

ori Wicker is likely one of the only people you will ever meet who regularly shows up at public schools with a helicopter or an airplane in tow.

As executive vice president and director of science, technology, engineering and math education outreach with Columbia-based nonprofit Celebrate Freedom Foundation, she and others with the organization regularly travel the state, teaching students from elementary through high school about STEM skills such as science and math using aviation as a tool.

When they visit a school, Wicker and the other CFF members also bring with them one of the

aircraft the organization owns. These include a T34-B navy flight trainer as well as retired Huey and Cobra helicopters.

The goal, Wicker says, is not only to develop STEM skills but to inspire the next generation of young people to get interested in careers related to aviation and aeronautics.

It’s an important goal in a state where the aerospace industry is growing by leaps and bounds, with no end in sight.

South Carolina is currently home to two important aircraft production facilities, with Boeing building its 787 Dreamliner line in Charleston and Lockheed Martin producing F-16s on its new assembly line in Greenville.

Dozens of other companies around the state produce everything from aircraft parts to com-

Tipping point

Charleston resident launches line of canned cocktails highlighting her Caribbean heritage.

Page 10

posite materials used to build aircraft.

Aerospace both directly and indirectly has an impact of $28.8 billion annually on the state’s economy, according to a 2020 study by SC Aerospace, an initiative of the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness. There were 136,244 aerospace employees statewide in 2019, according to the study, a number that has likely grown since then because the aerospace sector is also adding employees at a faster rate than other industries.

The study showed that aerospace employment grew by 10.7% from 2009-19, compared to a 2.2% increase in state employment as a whole.

See AVIATION WORKFORCE, Page 16

Upfront

BRIEFS | FACTS | STATEWIDE NEWS | BEST ADVICE

In Pursuit of Home

H

ome prices have risen 29% since the start of the pandemic more than two years ago. With low inventories and renewed interest in home ownership, the market seemed like a feeding frenzy at times. Despite the challenges of acquiring a home, most Americans believe ownership is a goal worth pursuing, but attitudes vary by generation. While 45% of Baby Boomers rate the importance of home ownership a 10 out of 10, only 34% of millennials and 23% of Generation Z gave it a 10.

Source: Apartment List

ON THE

RECORD

“If there is finger-pointing to be done on high gas prices, it should be directed to the businesses that are greedily jacking up their prices to make higher profits. Not the gas station owner. The oil companies.” ­— Frank Knapp, president and CEO, S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce

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North Charleston has broken ground on a $20 million redevelopment project of the interior of Park Circle. (Rendering/Provided)

Park Circle reimagined in $20 million redevelopment

By Ross Norton

N

rnorton@scbiznews.com

orth Charleston Mayor Keith Summey and the City Council have broken ground on the $20 million redevelopment of the interior of Park Circle.

Park Circle is soon to be reimagined to fit the community’s modern needs. The project will redevelop the entirety of the inner circle and include a new community building with theater and meeting rooms, the largest inclusive playground in the Southeast, and an inclusive baseball field.

There will also be a performance and event space, nature garden, open green space and walking trails, according to an announcement from the city.

The groundbreaking ceremony takes place at the Felix C. Davis Communi-

ty Center, which will be replaced with a building twice the current size as part of plan for Park Circle.

Summey said the old park had become too outdated to serve current community needs.

He said in a video provided by the city that new park will serve the city’s needs for the next 75 years.

“What we’re trying to do is better serve all the citizens of North Charleston,” he said in the video. That includes a ball field and playground to serve children with special needs.

The $20 million project to rebuild the interior of the circle is part of a $45 million overall plan for the area.

The 55,000-square-foot inclusive and accessible playground will have special safety considerations like ramps and other elements designed to enable children of all abilities to participate, no

matter their physical, cognitive, social or emotional development.

Developed by Charlotte-based Cunningham Recreation, the Oak Terrace Preserve playground has wide ramps leading onto playground equipment for wheelchairs, musical instruments like drums, a tandem swing for an adult and child to use together and several sun shades.

That playground was recently named a National Demonstration Site by the PlayCore Center for Outreach, Research and Education, a research company specializing in areas of recreation. The group will collect data from the playground to conduct research findings on its impact in the community.

The project is expected to be complete in the fall of 2023.

CRBJ

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Archer Apartments will include new construction and renovation of the existing structure. The $42 million renovation will bring 89 afffordable housing units for seniors to the former school. (Image/Bello Garris Architects)

Old Archer School building undergoing $42M renovation

By Ross Norton

C

rnorton@scbiznews.com

onstruction has begun on a $42 million rehabilitation project that will bring 89 affordable housing units for seniors to the old Archer School on Nassau Street.

The project is a city of Charleston collaboration with the Humanities Foundation, James Doran Co., and a collection of funding and development partners, according to a news release.

The plan calls for converting the long-vacant Archer School into housing for seniors living at or below 60% of the area median income. Construction is expected to be complete early in 2024, the news release said.

The Humanities Foundation, in a joint venture with James Doran Co., identified the east side of Charleston as a priority area for their Affordable Housing Development, Resident and Community Services, and advocacy, the release said. Through working with the city of Charleston, community leaders, historic preservation groups and advocacy groups, the Humanities Foundation identified opportunities to preserve existing affordable housing while also developing new housing opportunities for low- to moderate-income seniors.

The Humanities Foundation purchased the Archer School from the

Charleston County School Board in 2020 using funds allocated by the city of Charleston’s Affordable Housing Bond Fund. The CLIMB Fund also provided additional funding to assist with predevelopment costs.

The final project will be called Archer Apartments.

“The need for quality, affordable housing has never been greater than it is right now,” Red Stone Equity acquisitions managing director Darren T. Swanson said in the news release. “At the same time, it has never been more challenging to build new communities in light of rising interest rates and rising costs due to global supply chain issues and overall inflationary pressures. I want to thank all of the wonderful and hardworking people at Humanities Foundation for their tireless efforts, over many years, to bring this community to fruition. Not only are they creating 89 units of very high-quality housing to deserving seniors in Charleston, but they are doing so while preserving a historically significant piece of this beautiful city.

Red Stone Equity partners could not be more proud to be investing $16 million of equity into this very important redevelopment.”

The site will be preserved with new construction added to accommodate all 89 one- and two-bedroom apartment units.

“Humanities Foundation and James

Doran Co. bring together their combined years of experience in urban real estate development, affordable housing and community engagement to the redevelopment of the historic Archer School,” Humanities Foundation President Tracy T. Doran said in the release. “It seems like everything we have ever done has prepared us for the work we are currently doing on the Eastside. We look forward to providing 89 beautiful affordable apartments for seniors in a true community landmark and thank our many funding partners and team members for coming together to make Archer Apartments a reality.”

Funding partners include the city of Charleston, Red Stone Equity Partners, Sugar Creek Capital, Chase, Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust, Charleston Redevelopment Corp., The CLIMB Fund, SC Housing and the Housing Authority of the city of Charleston.

The project will be funded in part by bonds.

The Charleston Housing Authority is excited for this opportunity to issue bonds for further development of affordable housing here in the city,” Housing Authority CEO Art Milligan said in the release.

“Our agency is committed to the creation of decent, safe affordable housing and this is a great display of what can happen when public and private entities work

together to tackle a community issue. We are thankful for the Humanities Foundation and their efforts to bring together a group of organizations in order to make this happen for current residents of the city and future generations.”

Development partners include Humanities Foundation, James Doran Co., JDC Management, Martin Riley and Associates, Bello Garris Architects, Design Works, Forsberg Engineering and Surveying, ECS Southeast LLP and Trident Construction.

The Humanities Foundation has served the community since 1992, developing more than 2,500 units of affordable and workforce housing. Beyond affordable housing, the Humanities Foundation provides a range of services to assist residents with health and human services needs.

“We are grateful to our partner, the Humanities Foundation, for taking on the $42 million rehabilitation of the former Archer School to convert the building into affordable housing for our senior population,” Mayor John Tecklenburg said in the release. “Repurposing a building that has sat empty for more than 20 years and creating 89 affordable rental homes serving our aging population is a win-win-win for the city of Charleston.”

CRBJ

Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222

June 27-July 10, 2022

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Paul Farmer is taking over the kitchen at Three Sirens in North Charleston. (Photo/Provided)

Three Sirens names new executive chef

By Jason Thomas

A

jthomas@scbiznews.com

popular North Charleston restaurant has a new leader manning the kitchen.

Three Sirens, the sister restaurant to nationally acclaimed wine bar Stems & Skins, has announced the appointment of Paul Farmer as executive chef, according to a Three Sirens news release.

With several years of professional cooking experience, including working as sous chef for Michelin-starred chef Ludo Lefebvre at Petit Trois in Los Angeles, Farmer will drive the Park Circle restaurant’s seafood-centric and French-inspired cuisine, the release stated.

“Combining French influence and modern interpretations with the seasonal produce and fresh seafood that Charleston offers is really at the core of my culinary skills for Three Sirens. I’m excited to be revamping the menu at this highly acclaimed local restaurant,” Farmer said in the release. “It’s truly been incredible and humbling to have worked with such incredible chefs over the past several years, who have played vital roles in crafting my inspiration and passion, and have helped craft this new menu.”

Farmer spent half a decade working with several restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area before his position as sous chef at Petit Trois, the release stated.

Upon moving to Charleston, he joined Butcher & Bee as head chef, leading the kitchen team on the restaurant’s journey to being named “Outstanding Restau-

rant” by the James Beard Foundation.

“Our goal at both of our restaurants is to always produce a high-quality environment that everyone wants to enjoy and at Three Sirens, especially, we want to create a newer and unmatched guest experience,” Matt Tunstall, partner of AOC Hospitality, said in the release.

“Guests can expect an upscale experience with handcrafted cocktails and a French-inspired twist to our seafood-focused offerings. We’ve already seen Paul’s talents come to life, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the future has in store.”

In addition, the restaurant has appointed Anthony Joseph as the restaurant’s new general manager, according to the release. With more than 12 years of hospitality experience, Joseph started his career in New York City. He originally mentored at Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse under well-known restaurateur Willie Degel who was featured on the TV show “Restaurant Stakeout.”

“We’re really excited to have Anthony join our team at Three Sirens and we’re confident he’ll be an excellent addition to the management team,” Tunstall said in the release. “While Chef Farmer has been crafting the delicious dining menu, Anthony has been hard at work training our staff, overseeing operations and also collaborating with the Stems & Skins team to craft a drink menu that is seasonal and pairs well with all of our food offerings.”

CRBJ

Reach Jason Thomas at 864-568-7570

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Charleston lawyer and realtor launches Tipsy Lady Cocktails

By Jenny Peterson

A

Contributing Writer

n attorney and real estate agent for 17 years, Charleston resident Toni Gilliard knew absolutely nothing about making, selling or manufacturing cocktails until a 2019 vacation to Barbados and a tour of local rum factories sparked an idea that has turned into a successful line of canned cocktails.

Tipsy Lady Cocktails is now in 38 markets across the United States and rapidly expanding.

As a person of color and Caribbean descent, Gilliard felt a deep connection to the heritage and culture during her time in Barbados and believed she could bring authenticity to a product showcasing her ancestry.

She already made her family’s rum punch recipe often and would make and serve iced tea to friends and family.

“I felt it was necessary to commercialize this because it was authentic to my background, culture and heritage,” Gilliard said.

She jumped headfirst into Tipsy Lady Cocktails in 2019. The business was named not for a level of intoxication, but a nod to “tipping” the scales toward showcasing female entrepreneurs.

The ready-to-drink, Caribbean-inspired canned cocktails are natural, organic and eco-friendly in a stylish can.

Flavors include the flagship Rum Punch, the initial product, as well as a Sunrise Mimosa and Mojito.

Tipsy Lady Cocktails contain an ABV of 12% and are available for shipping in select U.S. states with in-store distribution, including Total Wine locations in South Carolina.

Gilliard entered the market at a time when ready-to-drink cocktails have seen a massive growth in sales. Sales of premixed cocktails surged 42.3% in 2021, from $489 million to $1.6 billion com-

Charleston resident Toni Gilliard has launched Tipsy Lady Cocktails, a line of canned cocktails now available in 38 markets across the U.S. She infuses the cocktails, which include the flagship Rum Punch as well as Sunrise Mimosa and Mojito, with her Caribbean hertiage. (Photo/Provided)

pared with a year earlier, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

“My first step to making Tipsy Lady Cocktails a reality was finding a formulator to commercialize the recipe, which I’ve shared with my family for decades,” Gilliard said. “I relied solely on research and consultants as well as my entrepreneurship experience to figure this concept out and bring it to market.”

The business’ initial contract packager was in New York, but Tipsy Lady has now expanded to copackers across the United States.

“The biggest business challenge, of course, with any small business is funding. There aren’t many options for funding with local banks or investors and I had to do everything out of pocket as a small business,” Gilliard said. “For me, it was now or never.”

She made a strategic move to launch

the product online first, to generate buzz through media coverage and on social media before launching the product in South Carolina stores.

“Launching the product online first and then in-store was key to the growth of the business,” Gilliard said. “By launching online first, it created a timeliness that allowed us to be recognized nationally in print, online and TV media. “ … Social media and influencer marketing have been a big part of getting word about Tipsy Lady out as we know a large part of our customer base is on social platforms and looking to influencers for products to buy. However, we’ve also really prioritized earned traditional media coverage as that can help create legitimacy as we look for investors.

“The key to our marketing success so far has been a multi-channel approach with all three to cover our bases and get Tipsy Lady in front of eyeballs and into

the hands of the right media and influencers.”

Now with its success in multiple markets, Tipsy Lady Cocktails is scaling back its online sales this fall.

“We are instead focusing on four key markets until there are national distribution deals in place,” Gilliard said.

Gilliard’s legal background helped her navigate the necessary paperwork that goes along with manufacturing and selling alcohol.

“Having a law license and nearly two decades of law practice knowledge was very beneficial in the process of getting the product to market from a legal perspective,” she said.

Gilliard is offering her services as a consultant to others interested in formulating and breaking into the spirits space.

She has pledged to donate a percentage of all proceeds to youth entrepreneurship programs with a focus on diversity.

CRBJ

S.C. unemployment rate unchanged from May to June

By Melinda Waldrop

S

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

outh Carolina’s May unemployment rate remained unchanged from April at 3.3%, with the leisure and hospitality industry adding 4,000 jobs and manufacturing adding 2,200.

While the overall rate remained the same, unemployment rose in every S.C. county, according to the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce’s monthly, seasonally adjusted survey. In Richland County, unemployment rose to 3.2% from April to May, while Lexington County saw an increase to 2.5% from

2.1%.

DEW estimated the number of South Carolinians working at 2,322,089, an increase of 9,435 over the April estimate and up 55,543 from the May 2021 estimate. The agency’s estimate of unemployed people showed little change at 79,162, while the state’s estimated labor force, or people working plus unemployed people looking for work, increased to 2,401,251.

That’s an increase of 9,432 from April and of 36,781 from May 2021.

DEW data show that South Carolina has added 12,400 nonfarm jobs monthto-month and 72,200 from May 2021.

From April to May, education and health services also added jobs, gaining 2,100, while no industries saw decreases in jobs.

Year-to-year, 22,600 jobs have been added in leisure and hospitality and 18,500 in trade, transportation and utilities, according to DEW. Education and health services was the only industry to see a 12-month decrease, losing 600 jobs.

The Columbia metropolitan statistical area added 500 jobs month-to-month and has gained 3,000 year-to-year. Charleston/North Charleston gained 1,400 jobs from April to May and has added 16,100 from May 2021.

Greenville/Anderson/Mauldin added 1,700 jobs month-to-month and 18,600 year-to-year, while Spartanburg saw respective increases of 500 and 4,400.

“The state’s labor force is up again to 2,401,251, and the labor force participation rate is up to 57.5%. This is ahead of February 2020’s pre-pandemic rate of 57.4%,” Dan Ellzey, DEW executive director, said in a news release.

“At the same time that we have had all these gains, South Carolina now has the highest number of job openings posted in SC Works Online Services in recorded history with more than 114,000 postings.”

CRBJ

June 27-July 10, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 11

Food manufacturer sets up Walterboro operations

By Ross Norton

C

rnorton@scbiznews.com

ompanies are always announcing what they plan to do — investments they intend to make and employees they intend to hire. Gehl Foods LLC on Tuesday announced what they’ve already done.

The food and manufacturing company is already operating in Walterboro at a new facility creating products found on grocery shelves.

The company’s $46 million investment in the Colleton County town will create 106 jobs when operations are at full capacity, the company said in a news release from the Commerce Department.

“Gehl Food & Beverage Southeast is an ideal fit for further building on our growth in shelf-stable beverages while maximizing our supply chain,” Craig Lemieux, CEO of Gehl Foods LLC, said in the news release. “We look forward to the many opportunities that will come with the addition of our newest location in Walterboro.”

Founded in 1896, Gehl Food & Beverage Companies produces dairy-based and dairy alternative shelf-stable beverages, cheese sauces, soups, broths, teas, wine and spirits and other products.

Gehl Foods LLC’s main facilities are in Wisconsin. (Photo/Gehl Foods)

Located at 181 Crescent Way in Walterboro, the company has opened Gehl Food & Beverage Southeast, its first East Coast operation. The company also has facilities in the Midwest (Gehl Food & Beverage) and the West Coast (California Natural Products).

Gehl Foods did not say specifically what is being manufactured in Walterboro.

The company website says Gehl makes products that can be found in “nearly

every retailer, convenience store concession stand and health food store across the country.”

The company specializes in developing “aseptic solutions” that keep food and beverages, including dairy products, fresh and safe for a long shelf life without refrigeration.

“On behalf of our state’s booming agribusiness industry, I’m pleased to welcome Gehl Food & Beverage Southeast to South Carolina,” S.C. Agriculture Commission-

er Hugh Weathers said in the release.

“This storied agribusiness company will enhance our reputation as a great place for food manufacturing, along with creating new jobs.”

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits related to this project.

“Every good job provides a brighter future for a family, and we appreciate Gehl Food & Beverage Southeast’s investment in our community,” Colleton County Council Chairman Steve Murdaugh said in the release.

“We are pleased that Gehl Food & Beverage Southeast chose Colleton County, which provides an outstanding distribution location on I-95 with easy access to major seaports and our outstanding workforce.”

According to Colleton County Economic Alliance Chairman Lee Petrolawicz, Walterboro is halfway between New York and Miami on Interstate 95.

In 2015, Gehl Foods said the company had been acquired by investment firm Wind Point Partners. At that time they reported sales at $250 million for the prior year.

CRBJ

Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222.

He won’t forget his family when he deploys.

And neither will we.

Veterans who work at Dominion Energy are in good company: 1 in 5 new hires has served in the military. And should they be deployed while on the job, we’ll proudly continue their family’s benefits for up to five years and cover the difference between their current salary and military pay. Because family watches out for family, and they’ll always be a part of ours.

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June 27-July 10, 2022

Transportation authority to receive $1.2 million in grants

By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

T Landscape Architecture CHARLESTON 843.952.7817 WEB REMARKSTUDIOLLC.COM

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he Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority and Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments will receive more than $1.2 in cumulative grant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The transportation authority will receive $563,000 in grant funding to develop a downtown restoration plan to improve post-pandemic ridership and service quality, while the council will receive $650,000 to study fixed route and bus rapid transit alternatives for the U.S. Highway 52 corridor, which connects the Goose Creek and Moncks Corner communities in Berkeley County, according to a news release.

The objective of the study is to identify alignments, station locations and guideway features based on criteria related to increased ridership, equitable access, cost-effectiveness, engineering and safety features, environmental impacts, and more.

“This recent announcement from the Federal Transit Administration is great news for residents throughout the tri-county area,” Ron Mitchum, executive director of the council, said in the news release. “With communities across the

country still recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this funding will go a long way toward improving our local transportation infrastructure and maintaining the kind of high quality of service our riders deserve. I’d like to

“This recent announcement from the Federal Transit Administration is great news for residents throughout the tri-county area.”

Ron Mitchum Executive director, Berkeley-CharlestonDorchester Council of Governments

thank our partners at the Federal Transit Administration for including CARTA and BCDCOG in this grant distribution and look forward to getting started.”

The funding is part of a $25 million grant distribution intended to help 50 public transportation agencies across the country restore service that was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

CRBJ

Charleston startup latest SCRA member

By Ross Norton

G

rnorton@scbiznews.com

lycopath has become the latest S.C. Research Authority member company, according to a news

release.

All SCRA member companies receive coaching, access to experts in SCRA’s Resource Partner Network, eligibility to apply for grant funding, and the potential to be considered for an investment from SCRA’s investment affiliate, SC Launch Inc. Glycopath Inc. received a $50,000 federal matching grant, the release said. The Charleston-based startup is working to improve biomarker research by streamlining methods with proven clinical impact and simplifying assays to improve patient care and treatment.

In other news, Prewrite Inc., an SCRA member company, received a $50,000 acceleration grant.

The Greenville-based startup offers a story development platform for writers, producers and content creators. Their tool is designed to ensure the writer is using good story fundamentals. Origi-

nally designed for screenplays, Prewrite is used around the world by professionals and amateurs, according to the news release.

Grant funding is made possible in part by the Industry Partnership Fund contributions. Contributors to the IPF receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit.

Chartered in 1983 by the state as a public, nonprofit corporation, S.C. Research Authority is intended to fuel South Carolina’s innovation economy through the impact of its four programs.

SC Academic Innovations provides funding and support to advance translational research and accelerate the growth of university-based startups.

SC Facilities offers high-quality laboratory and administrative workspaces for technology-based startups and academic institutions. SC Industry Solutions facilitates and funds partnerships between and among startups, industry and academia.

SC Launch mentors and funds technology-based startups that may also receive investments from SCRA’s investment affiliate, SC Launch Inc. Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222

June 27-July 10, 2022

Ameris Bank names Thomas Lowcountry market president

By Jason Thomas

A

jthomas@scbiznews.com

ndy Thomas has been promoted to Lowcountry market president for Ameris Bank.

Thomas, who was previously the Thomas market president for Beaufort, will be based in Mount Pleasant and will lead a team of commercial bankers to serve the loan, deposit and service needs of businesses throughout the Greater Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville and Beaufort areas, according to a news release from Ameris.

“It is rewarding to continue to serve the business community of Greater Charleston, which I have done for more than 25 years,” Thomas said in the release.

“I will be working alongside a team of bright, dedicated bankers to earn the relationships of businesses across the region.

I look forward to making boots on the ground visits to my customers’ locations or job sites, which gives me a greater sense for their businesses and helps our

team to recommend the right financial solutions.”

Thomas will remain involved in the Charleston community through his leadership and volunteer efforts, according to the release. He previously served as chairman and commissioner of the Charleston County Parks & Recreation Commission and was a board member for the Maritime Association of South Carolina and Kids on Point, which fosters life-readiness skills for children from under-resourced neighborhoods. He regularly volunteers his time to support youth sports and provide coaching and instruction for local small businesses.

Thomas is a Clemson University graduate where he earned a bachelor’s degree in financial management, the release stated.

“Andy is a fantastic leader at Ameris and in his community, and this expanded role will allow him to help even more businesses reach their growth goals,” Richard Sturm, regional president for the Carolinas and executive vice president, said.

“He is known for building strong, lasting relationships and I know he will continue to empower businesses to gain financial peace of mind.

www.charlestonbusiness.com 13

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CRBJ

SCMA Auto Council selects new leader

By Molly Hulsey

T

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

he S.C. Manufacturers Alliance has hired Lexington-native Andrea “Andi” Rawl as executive director of the S.C. Automotive Council following the four-year tenure of Amy Tinsley.

“We are pleased to welcome Andi Rawl to the SCMA team,” Sara Hazzard, president and CEO of the S.C. Manufacturers Alliance, said in a news release. “South Carolina’s automotive manufacturers are thriving as the industry continues to transition.

The S.C. Automotive Council engages on topics including trade, policy, supply chain, workforce and economic development.

The council’s annual events and programming aim to provide a statewide forum for insightful discussion on trends and issues affecting the automotive industry on a local and global basis.

Prior to joining SCMA, Rawl served as the director of association management and events services for the Columbia-based CRAFT Association and Event Services.

With that agency, she worked as the

association executive for the S.C. Economic Developers’ Association and executive director for the S.C. Society of Association Executives.

She has more than 16 years of experience working for business associations, handling management, budgeting, marketing, conferences and events planning, and member communications, according to the release.

“Andi’s extensive relationships in economic development and background in association management will be a great asset to our organization,” Hazzard said in the release.

Rawl graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2006 where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism Management. She is currently pursuing an Institute of Organizational Management designation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a Certified Association Executive designation through the American Society of Association Executives.

Tinsley, Rawl’s predecessor in the role, has been promoted as secretary of the SCMA board.

CRBJ

Reach Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1223 or @mollyhulsey_gsa on Twitter

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In Focus

AEROSPACE AND MANUFACTURING LISTS: LARGEST EMPLOYERS, PAGE 26

Travelers arrive at Charleston International Airport. The Charleston Aviation Authority expects the 2022 fiscal year to be the airport’s best. (Photo/File)

Demand, prices, delays escalate for SC air travel post-pandemic

By Molly Hulsey

I

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

n late 2020 and throughout 2021, the aerospace sphere dubbed the business traveler the last frontier as pent-up demand for leisure travel began to rebound.

So, where does South Carolina stand now?

As far as all traffic goes at the Charleston International Airport, recovery in

a city synonymous with Southeastern tourism had 706,349 more enplanements and deplanements between January and April than the year before.

That’s 66,116 more passengers than during the same period in 2019 and a recovery reflected throughout the state.

Starting on June 23, Breeze Airways will operate daily nonstop flights from Charleston to Orlando and back. On June 28, the airline will launch a daily direct flight from New York City’s West-

chester County airport, while Sun Country Airlines introduced a nonstop flight to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Thursdays and Sundays in April.

“We are pleased to add Breeze Airways new daily nonstop service to Westchester Airport to our roster of direct flights,” Elliott Summey, Charleston International Airport executive director and CEO, said in a news release. “With tremendous demand to get to the New York area and

Connecticut, we believe daily nonstop to White Plains will be a home run for the Charleston region.”

Direct Breeze Airways flights to San Francisco and Las Vegas, as well as flights to Syracuse, N.Y. and Fort Myers, Fla. were also added to Charleston’s lineup of at least 13 additional routes added since the beginning of 2020.

Columbia Metropolitan Airport witSee BIZ TRAVEL , Page 17

16

IN FOCUS: AEROSPACE AND MANUFACTURING

www.charlestonbusiness.com

AVIATION WORKFORCE, from Page 3

“We’re doing whatever we can to connect, support and grow the aerospace industry in South Carolina,” said Stephen Astemborski, director of SC Aerospace.

“Aerospace has such a huge impact on our economy not only because of the aerospace jobs themselves, but because with every new aerospace job 1.7 additional jobs are created in other sectors. We also want people to know that the industry’s jobs as a whole are very well paid.”

According to the SC Aerospace study, average employee compensation in the aerospace industry in South Carolina is $81,114, compared to an average $59,609 in manufacturing and the state’s overall average salary of $44,986.

With the industry’s huge rate of growth, SC Aerospace is pulling out all the stops to promote aviation careers to everyone from youth to adults looking to change careers. Astemborski said the effort extends from promoting aviation-based curriculum in high school classrooms and at technical colleges to spreading the aviation message at baseball games.

On June 22, SC Aerospace hosted its second annual SC Aerospace Night at a Greenville Drive minor league game. The event included interactive displays set up in the stadium’s concourse by aerospace companies from around the state and focused on every aspect of the industry, from piloting to maintenance and manufacturing. Outreach to area students was fueled by distributing 695 free tickets to the game.

Wicker said CFF’s programs also stress the wide range of jobs available in aerospace. In the past, the organization has hosted summer camps that help teens get their pilot licenses, while its workforce development program in 2019 enabled 12 students to learn how to restore an aircraft which is now on display at Patriots

The Celebrate Freedom Foundation works to promote aviation careers, such as those like the aircraft refueling specialists pictured, in schools throughout South Carolina. (Photo/File)

Point in Charleston.

The STEM school program also stresses the full spectrum of aviation careers at the 50 schools it visits on average each year.

“We even focus on the unusual jobs,” Wicker said. “At one school I had a student tell me he wanted to pump gas when he grew up. We were able to do research and learn that an aircraft refueling specialist can earn on average $44,000 a year.

The focus is on opening their eyes to the difference between just a job and a career, which means doing something you love.

“There’s a world of careers available in aviation. We’ve had students who go through our programs go into aviation in the military, while others are now working for Boeing and Lockheed Martin.”

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Statewide, other volunteer programs are working to get youth of all ages interested in aviation.

Through the Young Eagles program, kids ages 8 through 17 can take airplane rides with experienced pilots on the second Saturday of each month thanks to volunteers at chapters in Columbia, Conway, Greenville, Walterboro, Rock Hill and other locations.

The South Carolina Historic Aviation Foundation, also based in Columbia, works with some youth from Young Eagles and other programs on the ongoing restoration of a World War II-era B-25C Mitchell Medium Bomber that the organization owns.

Schools are doing what they can to promote interest in the aerospace field

June 27-July 10, 2022

as well. In 2017, SC Aerospace worked with the Southeast Regional Education Board to launch an aerospace engineering curriculum currently in use in 10 schools around the state, including R.B. Stall High School in North Charleston.

Other schools including Greenville Tech Charter High School in Greenville offer curriculum that is more geared toward the piloting side of the aviation industry, but still provides coursework that could be useful in other aerospace sectors.

Boeing South Carolina, meanwhile, is promoting STEM education and interest in aerospace statewide through its DreamLearners program, which targets fifth graders and older students enrolled in STEM programs statewide. Participants not only learn about aerospace topics in the classroom, but also have the opportunity to visit Boeing facilities and meet workers to learn about the industry. DreamLearners is currently virtual because of the pandemic.

The next generations of workers in advanced aeronautics manufacturing, meanwhile, are being trained at the $80 million, 218,000-square foot South Carolina Aeronautical Training Center on the Thornley Campus of Trident Technical College in North Charleston.

Astemborski hopes all of these programs will drive home the message that the aerospace industry offers a future worth exploring.

“Aside from the fact that aeronautics is a lucrative industry and also very exciting and challenging, it’s also a pretty noble profession to go into,” Astemborski said.

“Whether you’re flying the aircraft, building it or making the parts that go on it, you’re producing a product that is helping people by getting them where they need to go or delivering goods and services that they might need. You’re working on a world-class, safe product that people can use to see who they love and do what they love.”

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June 27-July 10, 2022

BIZ TRAVEL, from Page 15

nessed an 85.9% year-over-year increase in passenger traffic in February, with close to 90,000 more passengers throughout January to March 2022 than during the same period in 2021, according to the airport.

“We are seeing both personal and the long-awaited business travel return in great volumes — which is welcomed,” Mike Gula, executive director of the airport, said in a statement. “We are not back to pre-pandemic numbers due to the air travel halt COVID-19 brought to airports around the world, but we have far surpassed early projections.”

On the up and up

At the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, a location whose mainstay may be more of the business traveler than other state destinations, total traffic has recovered by close to 90% in comparison to 2019 numbers.

Like CHS, GSP also inaugurated new direct routes and locations throughout the pandemic, including a five-day Contour Airlines flight to Nashville and nonstop service to Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla. from Silver Airways.

“Business traffic is coming back and we’re starting to see more throughout the summer,” said Tom Tyra, director of air service development and communications at GSP. “Now we have a lot of summer vacation travelers now that school is out, but we expect in the fall that we’ll see more business travel come back to GSP.” While the removal of in-air mask mandates made air travel more appealing to some, Tyra thinks that the lack of travel and other restrictions at popular GSP destinations plays more of a role in boosting professional passengers.

“As companies brought people back to the office, then they were ready to go back and talk to customers,” he told SC Biz News.”

Ever-skyrocketing gas and corresponding ticket prices won’t keep the summer traveler away, he predicted. The impact of both factors on autumn numbers — again, more reflective of professional traffic — has yet to be seen.

“But we would expect to see a little higher ticket prices than we had,” Tyra said. “Of course, during the pandemic, they were really low because airlines were just hoping to get customers back in the airplane. And now that they’re ready to go, all the airplanes are going to be very full.”

Passenger routes to Europe, many which were constricted during the previous two years, prompting the transformation of Aer Lingus and British Airway jets into cargo planes at GSP, have now returned en force.

But along with escalating prices, airlines and airports have another snag in the system: a shortage of pilots and gen-

IN FOCUS: AEROSPACE AND MANUFACTURING

www.charlestonbusiness.com 17

eral staff.

“Many of the airlines saw some of their pilots retire early or move on to other jobs, and so they’re just now coming back and training some of the pilots,” Tyra said. “They may not be flying as many airplanes as they would hope, so that only makes the seats that are out there more scarce.

“And so when you have high demand, and not much supply, then the price will go up, and people are buying it as quickly as they can.”

A bird, a plane, a thundercloud ...

On June 17, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with airline executives to get an answer for the slew of delays that have mounted during the beginning of peak travel seasons.

“Air travelers should be able to expect reliable service as demand returns to levels not seen since before the pandemic,” Buttigieg said in a statement.

There may not be an easy answer.

In what pundits have called “Travel Armageddon,” delays mounted in midJune. U.S. cancellations topped 10,000 for the weekend of June 18-19, with more than 4,200 flights delayed and nearly 900 canceled on Sunday alone, according to FlightAware, which tracks flights in real time.

During the peak of delays and cancellations over the weekend, Denver, Dallas and Atlanta were the epicenter for stalled flights. On June 19, the three airports reported a total of 92 delays and 28 cancellations, according to the site’s “Misery Map.” On June 17, Tyra said he thought that thunderstorms and air traffic control delays at major cities — common banes for the summer flight — have been creating the largest stir.

“You can have a thunderstorm, let’s say in New York, and it goes right across Philadelphia, Washington D.C.,” he told SC Biz News.

“And then, all of a sudden, all the flights that aren’t even going there but passing by there are impacted. We’re seeing a lot of that.”

Pop-up storms throughout June have only exacerbated the concerns of many travelers who haven’t boarded since 2019, as have strikes among a growing string of airlines in Europe: EasyJet, Ryanair, Brussels Airlines and at the Charles De Gaulle Airport.

And for the business traveler, time is even more of the essence.

On Monday, June 20, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport reported “significant” delays, according to FlightStats by Cirium.

Delays at GSP were “low but increasing” and “low but decreasing” at CHS. Like most of the regional airports across the state, CAE was notated as having a “very low” number of delays.

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IN FOCUS: AEROSPACE AND MANUFACTURING

www.charlestonbusiness.com

June 27-July 10, 2022

Boeing donates $500,000 to Emanuel Nine Memorial

By Ross Norton

T

rnorton@scbiznews.com

he Boeing Co. has donated $500,000 to the Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation Board for the Emanuel Nine Memorial.

The board manages the fundraising, construction, endowment and outreach for the memorial.

“The Emanuel Nine Memorial honors our dear friend, the late Rev. Clementa Pinckney, his fellow worshipers and their families,” Lindsay Leonard, senior director of national strategy and engagement for the Boeing Co., said in a news release.

“We stand together in the fight against racism, and this memorial represents our continued commitment to remember the pain and loss experienced. May they forever remain in our hearts.”

The Emanuel Nine Memorial honors nine victims, including Pinckney, and five survivors of the June 17, 2015, mass shooting by a self-proclaimed white supremacist during a worship service at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church, often called Mother Emanuel.

The memorial will be located on the grounds of the Mother Emanuel and will feature a courtyard with two fellowship benches, facing each other with high

A view of the fellowship benches and fountain of the Emanuel Nine Memorial from Calhoun Street shows the church congregation. Boeing has donated $500,000 toward the memorial. (Image/Handel Architects)

backs that arc up and around like sheltering wings, according to the news release.

At the center of the courtyard, the curves of the benches will encircle a marble fountain where the names of the Emanuel Nine are carved around the fountain’s edge.

Water will emanate from a crossshaped source, filling the basin and gently spilling over the names of the nine lives

lost.

The opening between the benches toward the back of the courtyard will reveal a cross above a simple altar, providing visitors a quiet place to linger in thought and prayer.

“With the recent amount of violence that has impacted so many of our collective communities, we need a symbol of hope and reminder that love is stronger

than hate,” the Rev. Eric S.C. Manning, pastor of Emanuel AME Church, said in the release.

“I believe that the Emanuel Nine Memorial will be able to serve as a place of healing and resilience. As the pastor of Mother Emanuel and co-chair of the Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation, I am immensely thankful for Boeing and its generous donation to the Emanuel Nine Memorial.”

The memorial will also include a survivors’ garden, which will be accessed by a pathway from the courtyard. Dedicated to life and resiliency, the garden will be surrounded by six stone benches and five trees, symbolizing the five survivors — the sixth signifying that the church is also a survivor, according to a description of the project.

The board expects to break ground on the memorial this fall and open it in early to mid-2024.

With a fundraising goal of $20 million to design, build, maintain and protect the Emanuel Nine Memorial, as well as fund educational outreach and social justice initiatives, the Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation is accepting contributions.

CRBJ

Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222

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www.charlestonbusiness.com 19

Boeing is relocating its global headquarters to its Arlington, Va. campus just outside Washington, D.C. The company has been based in Chicago for 21 years. (Photo/File)

Boeing relocating global headquarters to Virginia

By Ross Norton

B

rnorton@scbiznews.com

oeing announced last month that its Arlington, Va., campus just outside Washington, D.C., will serve as the company’s global headquarters.

The company has been headquartered in Chicago for 21 years.

The aerospace and defense firm’s employees in the Arlington area support various corporate functions and specialize in advanced airplane development and autonomous systems, according to a news release. In addition to designating Northern Virginia as its new headquarters, Boeing plans to develop a research

and technology hub in the area to attract engineering and technical capabilities.

The move does not affect the function of the North Charleston facility, which employed more than 5,000, according to a January tally. The North Charleston location delivers all three versions of the 787, though deliveries have been stalled for a year as the company investigates issues regarding tiny gaps found between sections of the fuselage, about the width of a human hair.

“We are excited to build on our foundation here in Northern Virginia,” Boeing President CEO Dave Calhoun said in the news release. “The region makes strategic sense for our global headquarters

given its proximity to our customers and stakeholders, and its access to world-class engineering and technical talent.”

Boeing will maintain a “significant” presence at its Chicago location and surrounding region, the news release said, but did not elaborate on what that presence will be. The company website said it had 729 employees in the Illinois and made annual supplier and vendor purchases of $1billion in the state.

Over the past two years, Boeing has implemented flexible and virtual solutions that have reduced its office space needs, the release said.

As part of its effort to tap into engineering and technology talent across

the United States and around the world, Boeing plans to establish a research and technology hub in Northern Virginia.

The hub will focus on developing innovations in the areas of cyber security, autonomous operations, quantum sciences and software and systems engineering, the release said.

The company’s three business units will continue to be based at their current headquarters, which include Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle, Wash.; Boeing Global Services in Plano, Texas; and Boeing Defense, Space and Security in Arlington, Va. CRBJ

Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222

20

www.charlestonbusiness.com

IN FOCUS: AEROSPACE AND MANUFACTURING

June 27-July 10, 2022

Lockheed prepares to add 8 aircraft to backorder

By Molly Hulsey

L

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

ockheed Martin has not been hampered by the stalled orders affecting civilian aerospace markets if its Greenville F-16 production is any indicator.

Sustainment work aside, the company’s Upstate facility will remain busy for a while.

On June 17, the company announced an order of eight F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft bound for Jordan, bringing Lockheed Martin’s backorder of the jet to 136.

The order isn’t Jordan’s first stock of F-16 jets. Lockheed Martin also doesn’t expect it to be the country’s last.

The nation has been using the F-16 since the late 90s, but, according to Jennifer Edwards, Lockheed’s senior manager of communications, the current fleet of early model F-16 jets was procured through third-party transfers, not purchased directly from Lockheed Martin.

The order of F-16 Block 70 aircraft will be the country’s first order of new F-16 jets.

“This F-16 acquisition reflects over 70 years of U.S. cooperation and decades of partnership with Lockheed Martin,” Aimee Burnett, vice president of Lockheed’s integrated fighter group business development department, said in a news release. “Our history partnering with Jordan strengthens regional security and helps protect citizens through 21st century security technologies that support critical missions today and into the future.”

Burnett met with Brigadier Gen. Mohammad Hiyasat of the Royal Jordanian Air Force, Major Gen. Yousef Al-Hnaity, chairman of Jordan’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and Jordan Armed Forces, and other Jordanian officials to sign a letter of offer and acceptance for the eight jets after the U.S. State Department approved up to 16 F-16 Block 70 aircraft for purchase by Jordanian allies in February.

According to Edwards, the company is working with the U.S. and Jordanian governments to finalize a letter of offer and acceptance for a second order of eight jets. According to the U.S. State Department, the order will cost an expected $4.21 billion.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a major non-NATO Ally that is an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East,” the State Department said in the February announcement. “The proposed sale will improve Jordan’s capability to meet current and future threats by ensuring continued interoperability with U.S. and coalition forces. These aircraft will modernize the Jordanian fight-

The Jordanian Air Force has ordered eight F-16 Block 70 aircraft from Lockheed Martin in Greenville and is expected to order eight more in the near future. Such demand has led the company, which expects to hire hundreds of new employees by the end of the year, to take measures to bolster its workforce. (Photo/Provided)

er aircraft fleet and support operational requirements associated with regional U.S.-coalition goals, such as countering violent extremist organizations, countering malign state and non-state actors, and border defense. Jordan will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.”

The total order consists of 12 one-seat “C” model and four two-seat “D” model aircraft, according to Edwards. In February, the U.S. State Department expected the sale would require around 20 U.S. contractor representatives to visit Jordan for 36 months to “support secure storage requirements of critically controlled assets and provide on-site contractor logistics support.”

The company expects to fulfill the first order to Jordan in the mid- to late 2020s, as it plans to launch flight tests for the first F-16 Block 70 jet earmarked for Bahrain in early 2023.

In past interviews, Lockheed Martin said it would be able to produce three aircraft a month after the two-year long process of blueprinting and carrying the production of the first F-16 made in Greenville. The facility’s manufacturing rate is expected to increase sharply in the next year, according to Edwards.

The government contractor expects orders of an additional 300 F-16 Block 70 aircraft in the years ahead.

Lockheed Martin moved F-16 production to Greenville in 2019 with contracts currently underway, according to previous reports, for at least 112 jets for Bulgaria, Slovakia and two other nations expected by international aerospace

media to be Taiwan and Morocco.

According to an April 4 announcement, the proposed sale of four F-16 C Block 70 aircraft, four F-16 D Block 70 aircraft, 11 engines, 19 advanced medium range air-to-air missiles, 28 small diameter bombs and various other defense materials valued at $1.7 billion was approved by the U.S. State Department.

The U.S. State Department expects the sale to help the Bulgarian Air Force deploy modern fighter aircraft over the Black Sea Region and bolster the security of a NATO ally — one less than 400 miles from Ukraine’s Odessa region.

The approval follows the original 2020, $5.1 billion contract for the Bulgarian Airforce that was expected to boost Lockheed’s production by 50%.

“The acquisition of the F-16V Block 70 fighter jets is not just a purchase but a long-term partnership that enables the Bulgarian Air Force to successfully meet the new challenges in the sector,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said in a news release after the Bulgarian government agreed to the purchase of the first set of eight Fighting Falcons in July 2019.

The fourth-generation jet will replace Soviet-era Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets to become the first Western aircraft to be maintained in Bulgaria. In 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense expected Lockheed to complete the original order of eight aircraft by Jan. 31, 2027

Fueling the pipeline

Lockheed Martin continues to bolster its workforce to meet that demand. Out of the 300 jobs posted by Lockheed Mar-

tin last October for both its sustainment and production programs, 150 have been filled, bringing the Greenville facility’s current employment numbers to about 850.

By the end of the year, the company seeks to hire hundreds of new employees, particularly sheet metal mechanics, avionics technicians and airframe and powerplant generalists, according to Edwards.

Planners, engineers and talent within the finance and business operations side of production are also in demand.

In December, the facility also became the only corporate F-16 sustainment and support depot in the country.

To recruit talent in an ever-competitive labor market, the contractor is offering $20,000 in sign-on bonuses and $5,000 in tax-assisted relocation payments for certain roles. Second shift employees are eligible for a 6% premium, according to the company.

Greenville Technical College remains a hub for training new technicians, while Lockheed Martin has hosted several virtual and local career fairs, including some exclusive to transitioning military members and veterans, according to the company.

“Lockheed Martin continues to be committed to military hiring,” Walt Lindsley, new Greenville site director for the company, said in an October release.

“Currently at the site, approximately 35% of our employees are veterans, and we aim to keep growing that number.”

More than 3,000 F-16 jets are in operation across 25 nations, according to the company.

CRBJ

June 27-July 10, 2022

IN FOCUS: AEROSPACE AND MANUFACTURING

www.charlestonbusiness.com 21

Illustration/File

Franchise in North Charleston fills niche for small quantities metal orders

By Jenny Peterson

B

Contributing Writer

illed as a “convenience store for metals,” a Metals Supermarket franchise recently opened in North Charleston, filling a niche for small quantity metals and metal parts orders, most with immediate fulfillment.

Metal Supermarkets Charleston offers more than 8,000 types, shapes and grades of metal, cut to each customer’s specifications. Products include mild steel, aluminum, alloy steel, stainless galvanized, hot rolled steel, cold rolled steel, angles, tubing, sheet, expanded metals and more.

There is no minimum size order.

Greg Gallman, a 25-year executive in the metals industry, opened South Carolina’s first Metal Supermarkets franchise to provide a solution for customers across the state.

“Before, people would have to go to scrapyards to pick out some of this metal or go to Atlanta or Charlotte,” Gallman said. “Our forte is that instead of paying for a full sheet, we’ll cut it for you. Instead of buying a full metal tube, we’ll cut it for you. Whether you need three inches or 53 inches, that’s what we’ll give you. I’m for anybody who needs one piece, two pieces or 10 pieces,” he said.

The business warehouse is located at 4204 Domino Ave., Suite C. Gallman said the 100-plus brick-andmortar locations of Small Metals Supermarkets around the country get inventory through special deals with metal mills.

In addition to an extensive base of inventory at the North Charleston warehouse available immediately, Gallman can utilize inventory at other Metal Supermarkets locations in the United States, Canada and England to find the

right metal piece or part for every client.

The company also recently launched an e-commerce website.

Gallman said he chose Charleston due to the large number of industrial businesses in the area.

“We (already) have machine shops calling us, contractors for Boeing, machine shops, Honeywell; a lot of the big businesses are starting to hear of us and contractors that work with them,” Gallman said “When they have machines go down and they only need a small piece, that’s part of the mix for us. I’m getting a lot of landscapers coming in for expanded metals or replacement pieces for equipment, pieces for dump trucks, machine shops, you name it.”

Unexpected businesses that have called on Metals Supermarket Charleston since opening include artists and metal hobbyists.

“I just made a delivery to a person making antique mirrors,” Gallman said.

“It surprised me that the art community has been knocking on our door.”

The family business includes Gallman, his wife Danette, who runs the front office, and his son, Grant, who is the general manager.

The family team personally drops off orders to customers in a pinch.

“It’s been non-stop phone calls and the business has really taken off for us,” Gallman said. “As I get to understand what the community needs, I’ll be expanding our inventories.”

Metal Supermarkets Charleston is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www. metalsupermarkets.com.

A Metals Supermarkets franchise serving the Upstate is on Inman Road in Lyman.

CRBJ

22

www.charlestonbusiness.com

June 27-July 10, 2022

New Downtown Plan for the peninsula jumpstarts development conversation

By Jenny Peterson

W

Contributing Writer

ith the city of Charleston’s 20-year Downtown Plan coming up on its final year, the Historic Charleston Foundation held a forum with expert panelists to jumpstart a conversation about how Charleston leaders should prioritize planning and development over the next 20 years.

According to the city, the Downtown Plan was prepared with the involvement of more than 1,600 people who attended various downtown planning forums, open houses and pop-ups at libraries and famers markets. The document includes proposed land uses and corridors.

“The city of Charleston has committed funding in this year’s budget to rewrite the existing Downtown Plan, which was created in 1999. Since that time, significant demographic, environmental, and economic changes have occurred, and it’s time for a new vision for the peninsula,” the Historic Charleston Foundation states.

About 100 members of the community turned out for the forum, entitled, “Plan Charleston: Charting a Course for the Next 20 Years” to hear experts’ thoughts on planning for future development.

Panelist Tim Keane, the former director of planning, preservation and sustainability for the city of Charleston, said when updating the plan, city leaders should ask themselves, “Who are we developing for?”

A statistic shared at the meeting was that the peninsula lost half its full-time residents since 1920. There were roughly 70,000 people living on the peninsula then; today, there are about 35,000 residents.

Keane is currently director of planning and development services for the city of Boise, Idaho. He said identifying a formula for sustainable, high-quality cities continues to keep city planners busy.

“Quality of life means something different to every single person,” he said.

Other panelists were Brent Jonas, director of stakeholder relations for the Charleston Regional Development Alliance and Michael Phillips, principal and president of Jamestown LP, a development group that has projects in Charleston. The moderator was Vince Graham, a local developer who created I’On, Morris Square and Mixson developments.

While the conversation touched on a multitude of planning challenges — four main challenges discussed were transit, land use, housing affordability and architectural integrity for Charleston development over the next 20 years.

Jonas said transit is the highest priority on CRDA’s list; a strong transit system helps open up the area’s workforce to businesses considering relocating to Charleston.

A forum hosted by the Historic Charleston Foundation included (from left) Vince Graham, Michael Phillips, Brent Jonas and Tim Keane. (Photo/Jenny Peterson)

“It’s about raising the quality of life for everyone and making sure that everyone has an opportunity,” Jonas said. “The number one question we get (from businesses) is not about sites. It’s not about incentives. It’s ‘Do you have a workforce?’”

Keane said that while transit is often discussed in terms of bringing more people from the outskirts into a city, he suggested cities look at creating strong transit systems within existing concentrated areas.

“You’d be having an effect … if you double down on the transit within the city, where you could live anywhere in the city and get around quickly in a good transit system,” Keane said. “Concentrating (transit) on just the peninsula and maybe North Charleston — areas that have density and the potential for density — would be a better way to go.”

Keane also suggested the city work to take over street maintenance from the state to allow for more local transit projects.

On land use, Keane spoke about how the city could look at its own properties — like the Visitor’s Center on Meeting Street — to turn into affordable housing opportunities.

Phillips said countries like Brazil, Chile and Columbia are creating unique smaller apartments and homes for affordable housing that allows for a lower price point to rent and buy.

“They’re approaching the way they build in a different way and the buildings are far more interesting, far more livable and far more affordable (than ours). If we really want to create great affordable housing for people to have equity and ownership in, we need to think about what that model looks like,” Phillips said. “Cities need to do a better job of making affordable land available; there’s clearly land everywhere when you drive; there’s clearly empty lots and land and single-story, industrial buildings that are boarded up.”

As for aesthetic considerations for future development, Phillips said multi-family projects should have ground floor amenities that draw people from the neighborhood. His company was behind the successful Ponce City Market in Atlanta, which converted an old Sears building into a food hall, shops and living spaces.

“The biggest threat for me about more density is multi-family (projects) that create these blocks of housing that fits some acceptable, ‘new urbanist’ structure with historic material-looking things, but they have no life on the ground and are in contrast to nearby one-story and two-story buildings,” Phillips said. “I think that if you had 70,000 people living on the peninsula with none of that in 1940, why is that the solution in 2020?” The crowd applauded.

He said high land cost in Charleston exacerbates dense housing projects.

“We upzone (increase the amount of allowed development) to improve the value of the land so the seller can get more. And then the developer says, ‘I need to have more (units) so I can justify the land cost to get to my pro forma.’ I think the idea of garden-style apartments; two or three-story apartment buildings that have space around it is a really nice way to live. You can deliver that in a much more financially solvent way for lower price point,” Phillips said.

He also said nixing large parking decks at multi-family apartments gives the land more value down the line.

As the city moves into the next 20 years, conversations will continue to take place about how to plan for Charleston’s future. “(Charleston) has consistently focused on the same issues — parking, traffic, tourists and overdevelopment. You go back and look in the 1940s and even earlier in the 1920s and 1930s, that’s what everyone was talking about,” said Winslow Hastie, president and CEO of the Historic Charleston Foundation.

“Clearly these are challenging issues and challenging matters to solve and we haven’t quite solved them yet.”

To learn more about Historic Charleston Foundation, visit www.historiccharleston.org.

CRBJ

June 27-July 10, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 23

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24

www.charlestonbusiness.com

June 27-July 10, 2022

Business community awaits park for 83 years

By Molly Hulsey

T

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

he wait for the grand opening geyser of Unity Park’s Greenville Water Splash Pad could have been an eternity.

Dozens of families ringed the edge of 4,100 square feet of dry concrete, glistening with sweat in 83 degrees and keeping children in line as the May 19 ceremony came to its promised conclusion.

And then, with a triumphant shout, the park opened, heralded by a cascade of fountains across the concrete and the rush of bolting kids weaving between needles of water. The Westend Community Choir launched into a set of gospel hymns nearby.

But it was the family of Southernside resident E.B. Holloway that had waited the longest — and the Greenville business community that supported him.

“We’ve had people to call us up and rake us out about this park. We’ve had people to call and tell us that you don’t need to put all that money in this park,” City Councilor Lillian Brock Flemming, representing Greenville’s Southernside neighborhood, told the crowd of hundreds of neighborhood residents, community leaders and families gathered for Unity Park’s opening. “Folks, we’ve been waiting since 1939. The park was given to us by the state of South Carolina in 1937, y’all, and the city took it at that time.”

In 1938, the city of Greenville turned half of the 15-acre Mayberry Park, the last park remaining for the Southernside neighborhood’s segregated Black population, into a baseball stadium for white spectators.

“And that’s why the neighborhood said, ‘that’s the last straw,’” Mayor Knox White said. “They went to City Hall — 1938. They were ignored, but what happened next was so Greenville, and yet, so remarkable for the time.”

Holloway, the leader of the Southernside neighborhood and the city’s first Black postman, returned to City Hall, this time with stalwarts of the Greenville business community.

Rhoda Haynsworth from the family that founded the Haynesworth, Sinkler Boyd law office; Hugh Aiken, president of Piedmont Paint Manufacturing Co. and founder of Charlotte’s Rutland Plastics; and L.P. “Pete” Hollis, founder of the Parker School District for the then-operating Parker Cotton Mill community, all backed Holloway.

"We want the park because we need it,” Holloway wrote in a letter to the editor of the Greenville Piedmont newspaper at the time. “We want the park because our social and recreational life is at stake.

Please give us a park.”

The mayor and council were then

The opening ceremony for the 60-acre park concluded with an inaugural spray of fountains at the Greenville Water Splashpad. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)

Gensis Turf and Harper General Contractors built the 30,400-square-foot TD Synnex playground featuring mound structures new to the Upstate, according to the city. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)

moved to action.

“That got their attention,” Knox said.

“The community rose up with him. The business community stood with him. In 1939, a commitment was made: a promise was made to this community to build a park for the African American community here.”

However, when World War II came to the U.S. home front in late 1941, the promise was bypassed for larger items on the budget.

For decades, the 60 acres where Unity Park now stands wasted into a crematorium for animals and a graveyard for county vehicles. Holloway died in 1949.

“It was a city-produced liability,” the mayor said. “But in the future, it’s going to be a city-created asset for this neighbor-

hood.”

The first phase of the park — more than 57,100 square feet of playground, welcome center and network of three pedestrian bridges built by Genesis Turf, Southern Aquatics, The Heirloom Companies, Bridge Brothers, Artistic Concrete and Harper General Contractors — is now complete.

But Knox said construction will start soon on 13 acres of affordable housing within the park.

The 13-acre plot, expected to be the largest footprint of affordable housing in the city, was worth $1 million five years ago; today, it’s valued at $17 million.

“We should commit ourselves: that the profit from the sale of those properties in the future will be reinvested in Southern-

side and West Greenville,” he said. “We can use it as a down payment on a community center, and do so much more in West Greenville, so that this park is forever truly an asset, truly an investor in the entire West Greenville community.”

Holloway’s grandchild, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren stood during Knox’s introduction at the event.

Once complete, they will have the opportunity to walk along a pedestrian and bike trail linking Meadow and Welborn Streets named after their ancestor.

Industrial communications company Sealevel Systems donated $250,000 to sponsor the Nassau Street-lining trail in Holloway’s name and help install interpretative panels on the history of the park and its founders.

The Liberty-based industry designs, engineers and manufacturers communications hardware and software for clients ranging from the U.S. military to cold chain logistics companies.

“We are proud to play a role in providing this incredible park to the community and helping share the story of E.B. Holloway,” Susan O’Hanlan, president of Sealevel Systems, said in a news release. “His legacy of standing up for his community and lifting those around him is inspiring, and we couldn’t be more honored to have our name associated with his.”

CRBJ

Reach Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1222 or @mollyhulsey_gsa on Twitter

June 27-July 10, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 25

Illustration/File

As Fed finally gets serious, many more rate hikes in store

W

h i l e the Fed believes it can pull off a soft landing, the markets are convinced that a recession is coming.

And they are probably right. But when?

With core CPI inflation likely to be 5.2% at the end of next year, the 3.8% funds rate that the Fed envisions at that time means the real funds rate would be -1.4%.

That is not high enough to bring inflation down to the 2.0% mark. That suggests the Fed will continue to tighten into 2024.

Eventually it will go too far and the economy will slip into recession. Thus, we believe the recession will not occur until late next year or 2024. The U.S. economy is amazingly resilient.

They key is the real funds rate. Today the funds rate is 1.5%. The core CPI is 6.0%. Thus, the real funds rate is -4.5%.

To turn that into a positive real rate, the funds rate needs to rise and/or the inflation rate must decline. The Fed expects the funds rate at the end of 2023 to climb to 3.8% and thinks inflation will slow sharply to 2.6%. If so, the real funds rate would be +1.2%. But will inflation decline as rapidly as the Fed expects? We doubt it. We think the core CPI at the end of next year will be 5.2% -- double the Fed’s 2.6% expectation. Why won’t inflation fall more quickly?

Three factors seem important. First, crude oil prices are currently $115 per barrel. But China is beginning to re-open following its COVID quarantine which will boost the global demand for oil and likely push prices higher. Second, the Biden administration is doing nothing to encourage domestic producers to step up the pace of production. They deny permits for new pipelines. They force companies to comply with strict environmental regulations. Why invest to increase production when the administration wants to put you out of business? Finally, crude oil inventories are the lowest they have been in 20 years. Oil companies cannot dip into inventories to boost the supply of oil to alleviate some the upward pressure on prices.

Gasoline refineries are already running flat out. There is no spare capacity to boost output. With little incentive to invest it is hard to see how refineries can increase production enough to lower prices particularly since the production shortfall occurs at the beginning of the summer driving season.

Food prices are also unlikely to decline.

Ukraine is a major producer of corn and wheat. The war between Ukraine and Russia seems unlikely to end soon. Once it does end, if Russia controls the country, little if any of those agricultural commodities will be exported. At the same time, extreme drought conditions in the West may negatively impact the production of fruit, vegetables, and animal feed crops.

In the housing market, the apartment

vacancy rate is the lowest it has been since the 1980’s. Demand will continue to exceed supply until such time as builders can increase the production of apartment units. But given the run-up in mortgage rates, builders are becoming more cautious. The upward pressure on rents will continue for the foreseeable future.

This is critically important because rents account for 1/3 of the entire CPI. Finally, as evidenced by the number of job openings, the demand for labor far still far outstrips supply. Firms are forced to bid aggressively to attract the workers they need. And while wages have been rising, inflation has risen even faster and, as a result, real wages have fallen 2.5% in the past year. As long as that continues to be the case, individual workers and the unions will push for sizeable wage gains and businesses will continue to raise prices to counter the higher labor costs.

It is hard to see how the inflation rate can slow to 2.6% by the end of next year.

Instead, we believe it will be 5.2% at the end of 2023. If that forecast is correct, the funds rate will need to climb at least to 5.2% (probably higher) to have any chance of slowing the rate of inflation.

That is far higher than the 3.8% funds rate the Fed currently expects. The higher the funds rate needs to go, the more likely the end result will be a recession which in our view, is probably a late 2023 or 2024 event.

Some argue it will occur sooner. As evidence they point to the dramatic 20% drop in stock prices.

They will also point to the precipitous

slide in the University of Michigan’s measure of consumer sentiment, which has plunged to the lowest level on record.

But, oddly, the index of consumer confidence published by the Conference Board shows a more modest drop in confidence.

Which measure is giving the more accurate barometer of consumer confidence?

It is not clear. Thus far, consumer spending has softened, but not by the extreme amount suggested by the Michigan series.

In the housing market there is a similar dilemma. New home sales have plunged in the past several months to a pace in line with the lowest point in 2020. But existing home sales tell a different story.

Existing home sales have declined by a far smaller amount. In addition, the length of time between listing and sale remains the shortest on record, which suggests that demand remains solid.

Which series is the better barometer of the state of the housing market? It is not clear.

With both the stock and bond markets getting hammered and sharp declines in consumer confidence and home sales having already emerged, we can understand why some believe a recession is imminent. We agree that a recession is coming, but suggest that it may not arrive until late next year or 2024. We are almost invariably surprised by the strength and resilience of the U.S. economy.

CRBJ

Stephen Slifer,, former chief U.S. economist for Lehman Brothers, can be reached at www.numbernomics.com

26

www.charlestonbusiness.com

June 27-July 10, 2022

Largest Employers

Ranked by No. of Employees in the Charleston Area

• • •

Company

Phone / Website / Email

Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded

MUSC Health 1 171 Ashley Ave. Charleston, SC 29425

843-792-1414 www.muschealth.org muschlth@musc.edu

Patrick J. Cawley, David J. Cole 1824

State of South Carolina (Lowcountry data) 5 Charlestowne Road Charleston, SC 29407

803-734-2320 www.sc.gov -

Charleston County School District 75 Calhoun St. Charleston, SC 29401

Roper St. Francis Healthcare 125 Doughty St. Charleston, SC 29403

Employees: Local / Statewide / Worldwide

Headquarters

Description

10,448 25,000 25,000

Charleston

Health care, education and research

Henry McMaster 1776

8,273 -

Columbia

State government

843-937-6300 www.ccsdschools.com communications@charleston.k12.sc.us

Donald R. Kennedy, Sr. 1967

6,252 6,252 6,252

Charleston

Public education

843-724-2000 www.rsfh.org -

Jeffrey DiLisi 1998

5,902 5,902 5,902

Charleston

Comprehensive healthcare system

Medical University of South Carolina 171 Ashley Ave. Charleston, SC 29425

843-792-2300 www.musc.edu -

Lisa K. Saladin, David J. Cole 1824

5,621 5,621 5,621

Charleston

Health care, education, research

Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System 109 Bee St. Charleston, SC 29401

843-577-5011 www.charleston.va.gov -

Scott R. Isaacks 1966

3,270 3,500 3,500

Charleston

VAMC with full inpatient and outpatient care

Trident Health 3 9330 Medical Plaza Drive Charleston, SC 29406

843-797-7000 www.tridenthealthsystem.com trid.questionscomments@hcahealthcare.com

Christina Oh 1975

3,100 3,100 3,100

Nashville, TN

ER, trauma, ortho, spine, heart, womens, children

College of Charleston 66 George St. Charleston, SC 29424

843-953-5670 www.cofc.edu admissions@cofc.edu

Andrew T. Hsu 1770

1,810 1,810 1,810

Charleston

Undergraduate and graduate post-secondary ed.

Mercedes-Benz Vans LLC 8501 Palmetto Commerce Parkway Ladson, SC 29456

843-695-5000 www.mbvcharleston.com -

Axel Bense 2006

1,600 1,600 1,600

Ladson

Assembly of Sprinter vans for the U.S. market

Robert Bosch LLC 8101 Dorchester Road North Charleston, SC 29418

843-760-7000 www.bosch.us -

Gitta Unger, Kai Woerner 1974

1,500 -

Farmington Hills, MI

Manufacture fuel injectors, pumps and anti-lock braking systems

City of North Charleston 2500 City Hall Lane North Charleston, SC 29406

843-554-5700 www.northcharleston.org -

R. Keith Summey 1972

1,071 1,071 1,071

North Charleston

Municipal government

Blackbaud 65 Fairchild St. Charleston, SC 29492

843-216-6200 www.blackbaud.com media@blackbaud.com

Mike Gianoni 1981

1,025 1,100 3,600

Charleston

Cloud software company

Nucor Steel Berkeley 1455 Hagan Ave. Huger, SC 29450

843-336-6000 www.nucor.com -

Mike Lee 1996

1,000 2,500 30,000

Charlotte, NC

Sheet and beam steel from recycled scrap metal

Santee Cooper 1 Riverwood Drive Moncks Corner, SC 29461

843-761-8000 www.santeecooper.com customercare@santeecooper.com

Mark Bonsall, Charlie Duckworth, Pamela Williams 1934

992 1,564 1,564

Moncks Corner

State-owned electric and water utility

Wild Dunes Resort 1 Sundial Circle Isle of Palms, SC 29451

843-886-6000 www.destinationhotels.com/wild-dunes chsdh-reservations@hyatt.com

1972

Chicago, IL

Nearly 60,000 square feet of meeting, event space

South State Bank 2440 Mall Drive North Charleston, SC 29406

843-529-5592 www.southstatebank.com amy.cox@southstatebank.com

Jack Goettee, Bill Medich 1934

Winter Haven, FL

SBA Express and all other SBA programs

The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina 171 Moultrie St. Charleston, SC 29409

843-225-3294 www.go.citadel.edu ocm@citadel.edu

Glenn M. Walters 1842

634 634 634

Charleston

College; higher education

Trident Technical College 7000 Rivers Ave. North Charleston, SC 29406

843-574-6111 www.tridenttech.edu infocenter.ttc@tridenttech.edu

Mary Thornley 1964

588 588 588

North Charleston

Hands-on training, university transfer options

2

733 733 733

700 1,925 5,345

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

1 Locations include MUSC Medical Center and MUSC Health Rehabilitation Hospital.

2 Locations include Bon Secours St. Francis Xavier Hospital, Mount Pleasant Hospital, Roper Hospital and Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital.

3 Locations include Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center.

Researched by Business Journal staff

June 27-July 10, 2022

www.charlestonbusiness.com 27

Largest Employers

Ranked by No. of Employees in the Charleston Area Company

Phone / Website / Email

Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded

Charleston Southern University 9200 University Blvd.

Charleston, SC 29406

843-863-7386 www.charlestonsouthern.edu enroll@csuniv.edu

Dondi E. Costin 1964

WestRock Co. 5600 Virginia Ave. North Charleston, SC 29406

843-745-3000 www.westrock.com -

Jon Miller 1937

Bishop Gadsden Episcopal Retirement Community 1 Bishop Gadsden Way Charleston, SC 29412

843-762-3300 www.bishopgadsden.org contactus@bishopgadsden.org

Lynne Loring Kerrison, Aaron Roop, Sarah E.H. Tipton 1948

S.C. Federal Credit Union 2175 Credit Union Lane North Charleston, SC 29406

843-797-8300 www.scfederal.org ngeiger@scfederal.org

JW Aluminum 435 Old Mount Holly Road Goose Creek, SC 29445

Employees: Local / Statewide / Worldwide

Headquarters

Description

Charleston

Private Christian liberal arts university

Atlanta

Corrugated packaging solutions; merchandising

483 483 483

Charleston

Life plan retirement community

R. Scott Woods 1936

455 -

Charleston

Comprehensive financial services

843-572-1100 www.jwaluminum.com info@jwaluminum.com

Stan Brant, Philip Cavatoni, Ryan Roush 1979

370 370 480

Charleston

Recycles scrap metal

Berkeley Electric Cooperative Inc. 414 U.S. Highway 52 N. Moncks Corner, SC 29461

843-761-8200 www.berkeleyelectric.coop memberinfo@berkeleyelectriccoop.zendesk.com

Michael S. Fuller 1940

306 306 306

Moncks Corner

Not-for-profit member-owned electric utility

Bulldog Hiway Express 3390 Buffalo Ave. North Charleston, SC 29418

843-744-1651 www.bulldoghiway.com pbyrd@bulldoghiway.com

Philip L. Byrd 1959

300 300 -

Charleston

Motor freight, domestic flatbed over dimension cargo

Detyens Shipyards Inc. 1670 Drydock Ave., Building 236, Suite 200 North Charleston, SC 29405

843-308-8000 www.detyens.com drydock@detyens.com

1962

284 284 -

Charleston

Ship repair, conversions and dry docking services

The GEL Group Inc. 2040 Savage Road Charleston, SC 29407

843-556-8171 www.gel.com info@gel.com

James M. Stelling, Joseph M. Hodgson 1981

245 255 320

Charleston

Analytical, environmental, geophysical, civil

Comcast Business 4400 Belle Oaks Drive North Charleston, SC 29405

843-714-1917 gary_toal@cable.comcast.com

Gary Toal 1963

200 400 15,000

Philadelphia, PA

Data networking, SD Wan, unified messaging

Verizon Wireless 4854 Ohear Ave. Charleston, SC 29406

843-693-4786 www.verizonwireless.com tara.kutzli@verizonwireless.com

Bennett Parks, Tara Kutzli 2000

174 700 80,000

Basking Ridge, NJ

VoIP, networking, security, hosting, email, data

565 565 565 498 1,159 50,596

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

Researched by Business Journal staff

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AUGUST 18, 2022 | 6 pm - 9 pm Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center Join the Party!

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BUSINESS DIGEST | PEOPLE IN THE NEWS | HOT PROPERTIES

Business Digest

People in the News

Crush Yard plans pickleball club and restaurant in Mount Pleasant Crush Yard — a new pickleball club and restaurant — is coming to Mount Pleasant this fall or winter. Located off U.S. Highway 17 at 3365 S. Morgans Point Road, Crush Yard will bring a new style of dining and entertainment to Mount Pleasant and the surrounding area. Operators say it will combine the best of pickleball with a comfortable vibe and delicious food.

The near 40,000-square-foot space will feature eight indoor pickleball courts, as well as other activities like shuffleboard and an expansive outdoor space for guests to lounge around fire pits, listen to live music and play yard games like cornhole and giant Jenga.

Guests can order food and drinks from a menu spotlighting the best of local cuisine including all-natural, never frozen backyard bites — everything from lettuce wraps to house-made cotton candy. While Crush Yard will have the comfort and taste of a backyard barbecue, it will also offer a high-tech experience with an app for guests to pre-book courts and order their refreshments. Self-serve kiosks also will be available throughout the space for on-site ordering, along with self-pour beer, wine and soda.

Memberships will be offered, with annual and month-to-month options for guests to earn freebies like complimentary drinks, snacks and merchandise. Members will also have the opportunity to enter tournaments where they’ll be matched up with players of similar skill levels. The also will have court booking preference to beat the crowds and book the best times.

Bevi Bene Brewing Co. celebrates grand opening

Bevi Bene Brewing Company, a new lager and hard kombucha brewery, celebrated its grand opening on Saturday, June 25, from noon to 5 p.m. Joining Charleston’s brewery district on the upper peninsula, Bevi Bene is Charleston’s newest and only lager and hard kombucha brewery, according to the company.

Officially opened on June 18, the brewery is located in The Lumberyard at 1859 Summerville Ave. The grand opening celebration featured live music from DJ Lazer Cat and bites from local food trucks including Chucktown Meatball Co. and Vibrant Alkaline Vegan Meals.

Bevi Bene Brewery Co. and taproom will be open Wednesday and Thursday from 1 to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. The company website is www.bevibenebrewing.com.

Fetter extends care to Adams Run

Fetter Health Care Network announced a partnership with the James E. Clyburn Wiltown Community Center to extend health care services to the Adams Run community. Fetter will offers a variety of health care services to community members at the center on the first Monday of every month.

Walk-in and scheduled visits are available for a variety of services, including

adult and pediatric primary care, women’s health, behavioral health, pharmacy, homeless programs, migrant outreach and case management. Patients can also qualify for Fetter’s sliding fee discount program. Fetter services are available for all community members.

“Fetter is proud to partner with the James E. Clyburn Wiltown Community Center in bringing these essential services to our Adams Run neighbors,” Aretha Powers, CEO of Fetter, said in a news release. “Together, we are continuing our mission to provide quality, accessible care to all individuals throughout the Lowcountry.”

Norway-based salon opens Charleston location

Nikita Hair is planning a new franchise in Charleston. Founded in Norway in 1984, the group continues to expand, now with over 150 locations worldwide.

A specific location in Charleston was not named by the company. Franchisee and salon owner, Sagar Chauhan, said he is excited to bring the concept to Charleston. “Shine bright like the sun, give wings to your dreams, and soar high to the skies.” Sagar said in a news release.

Motley Rice recognized nationally

Chambers USA recognized Motley Rice as a nationally ranked plaintiffs’ law firm in the launch of its 2022 guide. The guide ranked Motley Rice as Band 1 in the category of USA-Nationwide: Product Liability: Plaintiffs. Motley Rice is one of only three firms to receive the ranking.

Additionally, Motley Rice medical attorneys Fidelma Fitzpatrick, Carmen Scott and Donald Migliori are ranked for the second time as USA-Nationwide: Product Liability: Plaintiffs, Band 3. The firm’s co-founder Joe Rice is also ranked this year for the sixth time, and securities lawyer Serena Hallowell is ranked in New

York for Litigation: Securities: Plaintiffs.

Chambers USA ranks law firms and lawyers in all 50 states and at the nationwide level in its “resource for consumers of legal services in the United States.”

Northstar Center for Autism opens in Summerville

Sally Asquith has launched Northstar Center for Autism in Summerville as a multidisciplinary practice to diagnose autism spectrum disorders.

Asquith The need for highly skilled professionals to evaluate autism spectrum disorders far exceeds supply, not only in the Charleston area but across the state and nation, she said in a news release. Families often encounter long waiting lists. Existing practices might not take toddlers, preschoolers, and/or adults. In addition, most practices are single discipline.

Asquith created Northstar to meet those challenges with a cadre of professionals in three disciplines: developmental pediatrics, speech-language pathology and psychology. Northstar will take clients as young as 12 months through adulthood, and provide a comprehensive evaluation that takes into account all aspects of the client’s profile.

Insurance agency celebrates 60 years of business

The David M. Gilston Insurance Agency is celebrating its 60th year in business.

They have consistently been recognized by major insurance carriers operating in South Carolina as one of the state’s leading agencies in the health insurance industry and the company said it will See BD, Page 30

KIRKLAND JOINS MUSEUM The International African American Museum has added Keisha Kirkland as the public and community relations manager. In this role, Kirkland will be responsible for develKirkland oping and executing a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy for IAAM to drive awareness, interest and engagement with both the local community and the world at large.

Kirkland joins the team with more than 10 years of experience in strategic communications, community outreach and engagement, and digital communications. She also has experience in assembling and managing alliances to meet communications and public affairs goals.

In 2016, Kirkland joined the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, a government agency located in the District of Columbia. There, she managed community outreach initiatives, external digital campaigns, and social platforms in conjunction with designing communication plans and strategies for new services. Additionally, she was appointed by the D.C. Code Official Association as deputy communications administrator and played a role in ensuring that the launch of the agency’s new brand was thoroughly developed, implemented and communicated to businesses, residents and visitors.

Prior to joining the DCRA in 2016, Kirkland worked at the University of the District of Columbia as an outreach coordinator and consultant. During her time there, she developed the expungement program in collaboration with the D.C. Public Defender’s Office, which helped thousands of district residents who were on welfare obtain employment.

Kirkland, a native of Conway, earned her bachelor’s degree from Norfolk State University, where she majored in mass communications and minored in broadcast journalism with a focus on public relations. She earned her master’s degree in public administration from The University of the District of Columbia. Kirkland is a member of the Conference of Minority Public Administrators, the American Society for Public Administrators, Public Relations Society of America, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

See PEOPLE, Page 29

June 27-July 10, 2022

PEOPLE, from Page 28

ADVERTISING Rumbo, a veteran-owned advertising agency based in Tampa, Fla., has hired Taylor Ion to join co-owner Mike Compton in their satellite office in Ion Charleston as the agency experiences growth and expands to serve South Carolina. Ion, who previously worked at Trio Solutions Inc. in Mount Pleasant since 2018, joins the rūmbo team as junior art director to contribute her graphic design, client services and nonprofit marketing expertise. Previously from Chicago working the B2B advertising and nonprofit space, Ion brings more than a decade of marketing, advertising and graphic design experience. She currently serves as director of marketing on the Charleston American Marketing Association board of directors leading the team in expanding their community to the growing marketing population in the area.

NP Strategy, a strategic communications firm providing crisis, media and public relations assistance, has grown its team with the addition of Abigail Darlington Darlington, who will serve as a director.

Darlington is an award-winning journalist with the Post and Courier, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper where she helped lead coverage of the business community across South Carolina. Darlington also served three years as the senior communications ifficer for the Coastal Community Foundation.

Darlington is an experienced communications strategist with a diverse background in non-profit and community communications, media and public relations, branding and reputation management, digital content strategy, advocacy, and thought leadership.

CONSTRUCTION SouthCon Building Group LLC has hired two project superintendents and one senior project superintendent.

Rick Fischetti, senior project superintendent, brings more 35 years of commercial construction experience in South Carolina and Georgia, including multiple projects for Augusta National Golf Club. His experience is diverse and his approach is hands on. He holds OSHA 30, Red Cross 1st Aid/CPR/AED and bloodborne pathogens, and HAZCOM safety certifications. He is a SWPPP certified Inspector and holds ACI concrete testing

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certification.

Dan Neidhardt, project superintendent, brings more than 35 years of commercial construction experience. He also served in the security sector for the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and the Maryland Air National Guard. He studied at Hartford Community College and Towson University and hold certificates in OSHA 10, OSHA 30, Hazwoper40, confined spaces, fall protection, hand tools, first aid/CPR, water intrusion management and mold remediation, and is CQM Certified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Alex Zuvic, project superintendent, brings more than five years of commercial construction experience. He has managed multi-million-dollar commercial construction projects as an assistant superintendent and general foreman.

Zuvic excels in fast-paced, high-demand environments. He is certified in OSHA 30 and Red Cross first aid/CPR/AED and b;oodborne pathogens.

ENGINEERING

Bates

Uyak

Weeks

Dalpiaz

DWG Inc. Consulting Engineers announce that Brian Bates has been promoted to president, Mark Uyak has been promoted to vice president, Mike Carroll Weeks has been named CEO and chairman of the board, Philip Dalpiaz Jr. has been named CFO and John Carroll, president/chief service officer of Unlimited Performance Inc. has joined DWG’s board of directors.

DWG has been named a Roaring 20s company by the SC Biz News and Mike Weeks has been named to the SC Biz Engineers Power List.

HOSPITALITY Tim Morton has been named executive chef at The Ryder Hotel. He was appointed by Makeready, the hospitality company that creates, manages and operates a diverse collection of brands, hotels

and independent restaurants in Charleston.

Morton was chef at Makeready’s Frannie & The Fox. He will serve as executive chef of both The Ryder and Emeline, executing the programs at both Morton Makeready properties, which are home to restaurants Little Palm and Frannie & the Fox. “Chef Tim’s leadership at Emeline has been invaluable,” Adam Jimenez, general manager of food and beverage of Emeline and The Ryder Hotel, said in a news release. “He brings his understanding of the Makeready vision and the Charleston hospitality scene to The Ryder, driving a flavorful, tropical, fresh menu that perfectly complements the restaurant’s cocktail driven concept and poolside location.”

Morton has created the Little Palm menu to focus on fresh, flavor-forward ingredients. A combination of fresh seafood, shareable plates and seasonal dishes, the menu reflects the restaurant’s airy, laidback atmosphere and the artfully crafted cocktail menu, the release said.

Menu highlights include tuna poke with scallion and sesame, fried chicken skewers with sweet chili and garlic soy, and hangar steak frites with cilantro chimichurri.

Morton has called Charleston home for the past five years. He led the opening of Mercantile and Mash in Charleston as executive chef before joining the team at Emeline. A Minnesota native, Morton said he fell in love with working behind a busy kitchen at the age of 16.

Wild Dunes Resort announces the appointment of Nico Scherman as general manager. In his new role, Scherman is responsible for managing the resort’s dayScherman to-day success and overseeing all operational aspects of the 1,600-acre property, including everything from marketing to resort operations, while maximizing company revenue.

A seasoned leader in the hospitality industry for more than 20 years, Scherman joins Wild Dunes Resort most recently from Quirk Hotels & Galleries as area general manager. A graduate of San Diego State University, Scherman started his career at La Costa Resort & Spa, then moved into key positions with Four Seasons and Hyatt, including corporate director of food and beverage.

“We’re beyond excited to welcome Nico to lead the team,” Robb Walker, managing director, Wild Dunes Resort, said in a news release. “There is so much momentum right now in the travel indus-

try and we’re confident that with Nico’s vast experience, we’ll maximize opportunity and deliver an even higher level of service for our valued guests.”

NONPROFITS YWCA Greater Charleston welcomed Shamara White as its training and logistics coordinator. In this newly created position, White manages the behind-theWhite scenes details that make YWCA Greater Charleston’s gender and racial equity programs hum. White, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business with a certificate in human resources from the University of Phoenix, studied diversity and inclusion, learning theory and motivation, and training program design and delivery.

Prior to joining YWCA Greater Charleston, she handled onboarding training and development and customer advocacy for outpatient surgical network Surgical Management Systems, served as a member of diversity and inclusion teams in customer service roles at both Verizon and AT&T, and provided customer care and technical support at Time Warner Cable and US Cellular.

Shelters to Shutters, a national nonprofit that transitions individuals and families from homelessness to economic self-sufficiency through partnerships with multifamily housing companies, announced that Daniel Stern has joined the organization as executive director.

As the designated charity of the Charleston Apartment Association and with the support of multifamily real estate firm, Middleburg Communities, Charleston launches as the eighth market for Shelters to Shutters.

In his role as executive director, Stern will spearhead efforts on the ground to place individuals into full time employment, housing and career trainStern ing opportunities in partnership with members of the Charleston Apartment Associaon and S2S national multifamily housing partners.

“CAA is proud to have Shelters to Shutters as our charity of choice for the next two years to rally around their mission to put individuals and families who have fallen on hard times into careers and housing in our industry,” Susan Burke, president of the Charleston Apartment Association, said in a news release.

CRBJ

Please submit information for publication consideration in the People in the News section to crbjbizwire.com

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June 27-July 10, 2022

BD, from Page 28

continue to uphold that standard of excellence for the next 60 years.

“As independent agents specializing in health insurance across the state, we are here to help you understand your options and choose the right plan for your needs,” the company said in a news release.

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

JULY 11

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

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

ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION (AEC) List: Architecture Firms Special Section: Icons & Phenoms Advertising Deadline: July 25 AUGUST 22

MEDICAL & HEALTH CARE List: Retirement Communities Advertising Deadline: August 8

For advertising information, call Rick Jenkins at 864.720.1224

Centex unveils new plans in Bradford Pointe

Centex is growing its choices of affordable single-family homes in Bradford Pointe with new floorplans in the Nexton community and all-in pricing that includes features like quartz or granite countertops, shaker-style cabinetry, stainless appliances and energy efficient construction.

A model home is at 109 West Bradford Point Drive in Summerville.

“The Ibis focuses on quality with features that we build into every Centex home,” General Sales Manager Ann Taylor said in a news release. “A tour of the new model will allow potential homebuyers to visualize exactly what their home will look like once they’ve moved in.”

The new open concept floorplans in Bradford Pointe start in the high $300,000s, with three to five bedrooms and two to four baths. One- and two-story homes range in size from 1,700 square feet to more than 2,600 square feet.

“Since the most popular features are now standard in each of the new floorplans, we can offer a lower price point to pass on to the buyer,” Taylor said in the release. “In addition, because there are no options, the total purchase price is already established and will not change.

By streamlining the process, we’ve made purchasing a home clear and easy.”

A total of 500 homes are planned for Bradford Pointe. Amenities include a zero-entry pool and pavilion, children’s playground and separate game areas for soccer and basketball.

Bradford Pointe is within the award-winning 5,000-acre Nexton master-planned community and residents have access to its 50-mile planned network of paved paths, rugged trails and activities on the Town Square.

Gregory Pest Solutions celebrates 50 years

Gregory Pest Solutions, an integrated pest management company, is celebrating its 50th anniversary throughout the month of June. In celebration of its achievements, Founded in 1972 by a young couple in their 20s, Gregory Pest Solutions grew out of a dream Phil and Sara Gregory had when they decided to start their own pest control company in the Upstate.

They grew to be one of the largest pest control companies in the United States, with more than 260 employees serving a 12-state region.

“We are incredibly proud of where we are today, and we couldn’t have gotten

here without our employees fulfilling the mission that Phil and Sara set forth 50 years ago,” Ben Walker, president of Gregory Pest Solutions, said in a news release.

Annual HR conference set for September

The South Carolina SHRM State Council in partnership with the S.C. Chamber of Commerce announced their annual HR Conference and Strategic Academy for this fall.

The conference will take place Sept.

21-23 at Marriott Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach. The first day is a special strategic academy. The next two days offer a conference agenda starting with the keynote speaker’s presentation delivered by Jeff Nally, president of Nally Group Inc. and a combination of HR practitioners and legal counsel, attendees will enhance their skills, expand their knowledge, network with colleagues and interact with a variety of sponsors and vendors.

“This year’s annual SC SHRM State Conference & Strategic workshop offer development opportunities for HR professionals, business leaders and organizational staff that support HR functions,” Karen Bedenbaugh Smith, HR Conference chair and director elect, SC SHRM State Council, said in a news release.

Balfour Beatty promotes Johnnie to senior vice president

Balfour Beatty announced the promotion of Mark Johnnie to senior vice president and region manager of the company’s Southeast Civils operations. In his role, Johnnie oversees operations in the delivery of highway, bridge and water projects throughout Balfour Beatty’s southeastern region in the United States and supports the company’s commitment to operational excellence, client and partner advocacy and talent investment, according to a news release.

“I am honored to announce Mark’s promotion to senior vice president,” Leon Blondin, Balfour Beatty U.S. chief executive officer, said in a news release.

Johnnie “Mark is a respected leader throughout our business and the civils contracting industry where he has fostered a strong, local reputation with our clients and partners in the Southeast.”

A Balfour Beatty veteran of 24 years, Johnnie has managed some of the company’s most notable projects across the Southeast.

He has led teams through the delivery of projects such as the San Mateo Bridge widening, which at its award was the largest U.S. Civils project in the company’s portfolio, Smith Creek Parkway, Surf City Bridge Replacement, U.S. 70 Havelock Bypass, Maysville Bypass and the Northeast Water Purification Plant, among others.

CRBJ

Viewpoint

VIEWS, PERSPECTIVES AND READERS’ LETTERS

Illustration/File

Blame Big Oil, now laughing all the way to the bank

T

he price of gas jumped by 20 cents from a month ago. You are angry.

The average price of gas is $1.76 higher than a year ago and you are now paying over $4.50 a gallon.

You want someone to blame.

Small business owners are paying more for everything with much of the increased cost, one way or another, due to higher gas and diesel prices. And, of course, the small businesses have to pass their higher gas-induced costs on to you, the consumer.

The blame for these gas prices is being largely placed on President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats. They are running everything in Washington, aren’t they? Well, they are not, but that is another issue.

Consider this: Neither the president nor any member of Congress, Democrat

or Republican, has voted to raise gas prices.

Yes, there has been bipartisan support of Ukraine in its battle against the Russian invasion, support that has included agreement to stop buying Russian oil. Most consumers understand that some of the increased cost of gas stems from this publicly backed foreign policy.

Refinery capacity is down, which also adds to the problem especially when the summer vacations are causing an increased demand for gas.

So, what happens if tomorrow we flipped the presidency and control of the U.S. House and Senate?

What would change regarding gas prices?

Nothing.

Congress could pass a federal gas tax holiday until the end of the year that would cut about 18 cents off a gallon. But there is not much support for that from either party. A different president could release more oil from the nation’s strategic reserve, but Biden has already done much of that.

What is dumbfounding then is why does the American public want to blame Washington? Yet, there is no public outrage for the folks who are responsible for raising the price of a gallon of gas — the oil industry.

Oil industry profits were up nearly 300% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year!

We are talking about profit after taking into consideration their expenses and write downs due to exiting their business in Russia.

Have the oil companies used any of this obscene profit to keep the gas prices as low as possible while still making a decent profit? Of course not!

Instead, the oil companies are doing what all giant corporations do when they receive a windfall (as they did in 2018 after getting a 40% tax rate cut from Congress).

They use the money primarily for buying back their own stocks, increasing their value to the benefits of their shareholders and executives.

Where is the public outrage?

If there is finger-pointing to be done

on high gas prices, it should be directed to the businesses that are greedily jacking up their prices to make higher profits. Not the gas station owner. The oil companies.

If the president and members of both political parties are to blame, it is because they are not calling out Big Oil and passing legislation for a windfall profits tax with the revenue given back to consumers.

The disconnect between a major cause of high gas prices and who is being blamed is clear.

And the oil companies are laughing all the way to the bank.

Frank Knapp Jr. of Columbia is president and CEO of the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce.

This article first appeared in Charleston City Paper’s June 15 edition.

CRBJ

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

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