CHERYL BENNETT Owner Audacy Preschool
PAGE 4 VOLUME 27 NUMBER 23 ■ CHARLESTONBUSINESS.COM
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NOVEMBER 15 - 28, 2021 ■ $2.25
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Capacity drives flow of furniture to Charleston By Teri Errico Griffis
Dangerous drones Company receives a $6.7million contract to train troops on drone threats. Page 13
Y
tgriffis@scbiznews.com
ears ago, when Micah Mallace walked through a warehouse at holiday time, he watched as container after container arrived filled with hover boards — a popular self-balancing scooter that burst onto the scene that holiday. Retailers were preparing for an inundation
of orders. “What predicts the next explosive thing, I think, 100% is our buying habits. We’re a consumption-driven economy,” the senior vice president of marketing and sales for the S.C. Ports Authority said. For much of the pandemic, retail goods have been on the rise as consumers, hesitant of traveling and venturing out of the house, shopped online for a flow of tangible items Officer Thomas Wallace surveys the waters from the Harbor Patrol boat. (Photo/Alexandria Ng)
China to Chas.
Two 3.8-million-lb. cranes arrive at Wando Welch Terminal from Shanghai. Page 10
Triple sale
A real estate company swoops up three King Street properties for $5.1 million. Page 8
INSIDE
Upfront................................. 2 SC Biz News Briefs................. 3 Small Business Spotlight........ 4 In Focus: Defense and Homeland Security.............. 13 List: Defense Contractors.... 16 At Work...............................27 Viewpoint............................29 Day in the Life...................... 31
See FURNITURE, Page 7
Paint supply drying up under pandemic push By Alexandria Ng
W
Home sweet home
A Clemson University alumnus returns to S.C. to become the new SCBIO CEO. Page 11
shipped to their doors in brown, carboard boxes. But it seems shopping habits also have accelerated the sector of furniture and home furnishings as the fastest-growing commodity in Charleston and the country. Year-over year, the U.S. has experienced a 50% increase in furniture imports, with
CRUISE CONTROL The North Charleston Police Department Harbor Patrol oversees a wide range of duties to ensure the safety of all things associated with Charleston’s waters. Page 31
Architecture Power List
The most influential architects and design professionals in South Carolina. Page 17
ang@scbiznews.com
hen the pandemic quarantine period kept millions of people looking at the interior of their homes, renovations around the house that would normally be placed on the back burner finally had their moment in the sun. More than a year later, renovations remain strong as lingering effects of the pandemic have popularized the work-from-home model, in addition to other reasons as to why Americans may find themselves with more time and funds to allocate to home-office upgrades. Across the country, paint suppliers are struggling to keep up with increased demand as products fly off the shelves with more customers taking on residential and commercial projects, and South Carolina is not the exception. Jimmy Brooks is the owner of the 360 Painting Columbia franchise, part of a national brand with 133 locations across 40 states and D.C. For Brooks, a customer placing an order could mean a slew of follow-up phone calls to other stores to see if they have the specific paint in inventory. See PAINT, Page 9