2020 Charleston Regional Business Journal - Newsmakers

NEWSMAKERS December 28, 2020 | www.CharlestonBusiness.com | Vol. 26, No. 27

THE YEAR IN NEWS Businesses work to rise above with resilience, grit

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Executive Editor - Andy Owens aowens@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3142 Editor, Custom Publishing Division Steve McDaniel smcdaniel@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3123 Staff Writer - Teri Errico Griffis tgriffis@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3144 Graphic Designer - Nicole Haggard nhaggard@molawyersmedia.com Research Specialist - Paige Hardy phardy@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3125 Digital Editorial Assistant - Alexandria Ng ang@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3124 Research Assistant - Anne Puckett apuckett@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3145 MIDLANDS NEWSROOM Editor - Melinda Waldrop mwaldrop@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7542 UPSTATE NEWSROOM Editor - Ross Norton rnorton@scbiznews.com • 864.720.1222 Associate Editor, Custom Publishing Division Jim Tatum jtatum@scbiznews.com • 864.720.2269

WE’LL BE BACK

L

LOWCOUNTRY NEWSROOM

Andy Owens Executive Editor

et’s not pretend this year was anything but challenging. Even for those who found a way to thrive or “pivot” with new lines of business or by serving a new set of customers, we’re all caught up in the ripple effect of 2020.

But we’ll be back.

How do I know? Even though we’re dealing with a horrible health care crisis that challenged us to our core and rolled over into an economic crisis, we’re seeing indicators that it’s getting better, and it surely could have been worse.

I recently had a conversation with staff members who were feeling quite beaten down by the pandemic. We haven’t been in our office since March, and it doesn’t look like we’ll be going back until the vaccine is more widespread. All of the concerns and uncertainity have been pervasive and debilitating. I reminded them that we’ve been through natural, economic and human-made upheavel many times. South Carolina and the Charleston area always find a way back, and generally

stronger than before.

The Great Recession of 2008 was a much deeper dip than what’s been happening this year because it was a foundational economic crisis, and businesses used what they learned during that terrible recession to survive in 2020.

Reflective of this unusual year, this edition of Newsmakers, likewise, is unusual.

We’re not picking a lot of pandemic stories. We focused our nonsequential selections this year based on the stories and photos that allowed our best and brightest moments to shine through.

Don’t look for a comprehensive overview of 2020 in this edition of Newsmakers. Who wants to remember all of that?

Instead, you’ll find stories you might have missed or might want to see again.

None of this is to diminish the sacrifice of lives, jobs, money, opportunity, the awfulness that 2020 represents or what’s to come. However, we can do this.

They don’t call us the Holy City for nothing. You gotta have faith.

ABOUT THE COVER

Staff Writer - Molly Hulsey mhulsey@scbiznews.com • 864.720.1223 LOWCOUNTRY ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

After taking a pandemic pause, the Charleston Farmers Market began to do business again in a limited basis, which later expanded. The market is an important testing ground for entrepreneurs trying to grow or launch their businesses. (Photo/Teri Errico Griffis)

Senior Account Executive - Robert Reilly rreilly@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3107 Account Executive - Sara Cox scox@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3109 Account Executive Thomas J. Giovanniello, Jr. tomg@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3104

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President and Group Publisher Grady Johnson gjohnson@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3103 Creative Director - Ryan Wilcox rwilcox@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3117 Events Account Executive - Melissa Tomberg mtomberg@scbiznews.com • 864.720.1220 Events Manager - Kim McManus kmcmanus@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3116 Accounting - Robin Tillotson ar@pbmbrands.com • 336.605.1025 Subscription Services service@bridgetowermedia.com • 877.615.9536 CUSTOM MEDIA DIVISION Director of Business Development Mark Wright mwright@scbiznews.com • 843.849.3143

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NEWS MAKERS 2020

From the 3.23.20 Issue

Rolling toward the green by shamira mccray smccray@scbiznews.com

T

he Ocean Course on Kiawah Island is deemed one of the hardest golf courses in the country, based on its slope and course ratings. But Kiawah Island Golf Resort President Roger Warren says that if golfers use the tee boxes that match their skill level, they can enjoy a round of golf on the course.

Next year, the PGA Championship will return to Kiawah Island for the first time since 2012. The resort also hosted the Ryder Cup in 1991. Next year’s championship is scheduled for May 17-23.

Warren said maintenance work and changes have been done on the course since the last championship was held in the Lowcountry, including transplanting trees along the course and extending and building new tees on certain holes.

“Other than that, golf course is still hard, and it’s more mature,” Warren said. “I think probably the best decision we made for that golf course in the last 17 years was the introduction of the paspalum grass to the greens, tees and fairways.”

Paspalum is soft, and Warren said Kiawah has been able to produce superior conditions with the grass because of the proximity to the ocean’s salt water, salt in the air and wells that contain salt water.

The resort also overseeds its golf courses for the winter, and there will likely be overseed on The Ocean Course for the PGA Championship next year, meaning the rough will potentially be a lot higher.

“I think the players will enjoy the challenge of the golf course, and we are looking forward to see them take on that challenge,” Warren said.

A PGA Championship Council has been established for the 2021 event. Warren is co-chair of the council along with former U.N. Ambassador and S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley.

Haley said when the championship was held on Kiawah Island in 2012, South Carolina was still a bit of a secret.

“And so, 2012 was not only a way to showcase great golf, but 5 million people had

The PGA will host the 2021 championship at The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island. The course last held the PGA Championship in 2012. (Photo/Provided)

eyes on a state that was named the friendliest state in the country, the Charleston area that was named No. 1 vacation spot multiple years in a row,” Haley said. “You can’t meet a mean person here. You can’t get a bad meal here.”

She said the 2012 championship featured great golf with great people, and many found out the magic of South Carolina.

“Fast forward to 2021, I think that South Carolina and the PGA — we are both going after the same thing, which is how do you create a family environment where you can do business on the golf course and make sure you have great memories to match that — and you put that together, and we are fantastic partners,” Haley said.

The impact the PGA Championship has on the state is priceless, Haley said. She said the economic impact of the 2012 tournament was $193 million, with some 50,000 visitors in the area for the championship.

Haley expects more than $200 million worth of economic impact in 2021.

“And we know, just the visitors, once you come to this area, you never say, ‘I’m not going back,’” Haley said. “You usually come buy a second home. You usually come on a family vacation, and you usually move your business here.”

Scott Reid, championship director of the 2021 PGA Championship, said he is anticipating roughly 150,000 spectators over the course of the week. Warren said his team learned from traffic issues that occurred during the 2012 championship.

“I think that one of the things that we need to do a better job is create better expectations for what people can expect; how long is it going to take to get to the course, where are you coming from,” Warren said. “We know right now that if you’re in downtown Charleston and you’re going to drive to The Ocean Course, it’s going to take you an hour.”

He said expectations need to be set for what it will take to get to the island, so that people can plan for it.

otherNEWSMAKERS VOLVO CAR STADIUM TO UNDERGO RENOVATIONS Serving as a visual gateway to Daniel Island for 20 years from Interstate 526, the Volvo Car Stadium is set to undergo renovations with a donation by the owners of Charleston Tennis LLC, which operates the Volvo Car Open tennis tournament.

Charleston Tennis LLC owners Ben and Kelly Navarro are donating the cost of the renovations to the city of Charleston, which owns the stadium.

4 Charleston Regional Business Journal | Newsmakers

Architectural renderings show plans to renovate Volvo Car Stadium and include a permanent canopy that will offer covering for tennis tournament and event spectators. (Rendering/ Charleston Tennis LLC)

Parking will be easier in 2021, Warren said, because there will be no charge, which should create fewer traffic backups.

Reid said, “At the end of the day, we are on an island, and there’s only one way on and one way off, so we are just going to do our best to alleviate and limit the amount of non-bus traffic that is on Kiawah Parkway.”

The PGA has always had the strongest field of players among the four major golf championships, according to Reid. Heading into the 2019 PGA Championship, each of the world’s top 100 players had committed to playing. And Reis says said he sees that continuing for the 2021 tournament.

Warren said he believe the PGA Championship deserves to continue to come to The Ocean Course because the primary characteristic of a major championship is its venue. The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island has no commitment beyond 2021, but Warren said he will continue to talk about it because he thinks it is a worthy site. CRBJ

NEWS MAKERS 2020

From the 3.09.20 Issue

Candidates converge by patrick hoff phoff@scbiznews.com

Seven democratic presidential candidates took to the Charleston debate stage Feb. 25. Soon after the Feb. 29 primary, Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer ended their runs upon a strong win by former Vice President Joe Biden heading into Super Tuesday. (Photo/Alexandria Ng)

F

or a week in February, Charleston became a focal point of national politics, ending the political bids for several candidates and setting the stage for a November election.

As the first-in-the-South primary geared up to help focus in and winnow down the field of Democratic contenders, Charleston became a major stopping spot for all the

Democrats and President Donald Trump.

Like a fast-moving hurricane, they left nearly as quickly as they came with satellite trucks and hordes of handlers. The political focus has moved on.

The Business Journal attended the First in the South dinner, the Democratic debate and Trump’s rally in North Charleston to provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse into

otherNEWSMAKERS VICE PRESIDENT ADDRESSES CITADEL CORPS OF CADETS Vice President Mike Pence told cadets at The Citadel that timing is everything for the class of 2020. And they have great timing because “the economy is booming.”

A visit to The Citadel was one of several stops Pence made during a recent trip to South Carolina. He also attended a Trump Victory luncheon in Columbia and participated in a Citadel Republican Society Patriot Dinner.

6 Charleston Regional Business Journal | Newsmakers

what we just experienced.

As Democratic presidential candidates continue their primary election campaigns, President Donald Trump focused on the general election, holding events across the country — including one in North Charleston the day before the Vice President Mike Pence bids farewell to Citadel cadets after speaking at the military college about opportunity and service in America. (Photo/ Alexandria Ng)

South Carolina primary elections.

Trump won South Carolina in 2016 general election with 54.9% of the vote. A Republican primary was not held in the Palmetto State last month; in 2016, Trump won the South Carolina primary with 32.5% of the vote.

During his Feb. 28 stop at the North Charleston Coliseum, Trump touted his achievements as president, including job growth across the country, the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement — the new North American free trade agreement — and opportunity zones.

“This is an incredible time for our nation,” he said. “We’re thrilled to be in the midst of what we call ‘the Great American comeback,’ and that’s what it is.”

Since Trump took office in January 2017, the U.S. has seen 6.6 million new jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, including 156,800 in South Carolina. The national unemployment rate was 3.6% in January; in South Carolina, the unemployment rate was 2.3% in December, among the lowest in the country.

The president also took an informal survey of his supporters during his campaign rally about who they thought would be easiest to beat in November. After about five minutes of cheering and booing various candidates, Trump all but told his supporters to help Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders reach the general election.

“This November, we are going to take back the House, we are going to hold the Senate and we are going to keep the White House,” Trump said.

Trump had a national approval rating around 43% at the end of February, according to FiveThirtyEight’s aggregation of polls.

Of the 16 incumbent presidents to run for reelection since 1900, 11 have won and five have lost. CRBJ

Scott Adams, CCIM

Blair Belk, CCIM

Johnny Bevon, CCIM

Alan Bolduc, CCIM

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NEWS MAKERS 2020

From the 11.16.20 Issue

Why South Carolina?

Boeing to consolidate 787 Dreamliner assembly lines in North Charleston by teri errico griffis tgriffis@scbiznews.com

B

The Boeing S.C. Delivery Center is where customers pick up the keys to their newly built 787 Dreamliner. The signature building overlooks the Boeing S.C. campus, including the flightline of Dreamliners in different stages of construction. (Photo/Boeing Co.)

oeing sales may be down now, but North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said the company’s decision to consolidate 787 manufacturing to South Carolina will prime them for when the airline industry bounces back.

Throughout the summer, rumors flew worldwide about a Boeing consolidation after President and CEO Dan Calhoun said the company would perform a study to determine if the slowing demand for jets would require the company to move 787 final assembly operations to one location.

Whispers hinted toward South Carolina, with aerospace reporters and consultants offering ongoing analyses like they were calling the run up to the World Series. But the stakes couldn’t have been higher for North Charleston and Everett, Wash., which continued to serve the hub of Boeing manufacturing even after the company decided to also build 787s in South Carolina.

Then on Oct. 1 Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, sent a letter to Boeing employees with the final call: “To ensure we can be effective in a market that will be smaller in the near-term, and one that will have different demands from our customers long-term, we made a decision earlier this morning to consolidate 787 production in South Carolina after months of detailed and thorough study,” Deal said.

South Carolina had won ... but only because someone else lost hundreds of jobs.

The decision was best for the long-term strategy of the company, Deal said, and ensured a bridge to recovery and a sustainable future.

“For months, teams studied options, engaged all of our stakeholders, including unions, and considered a number of factors including logistics, efficiency and long-term health of our production system,” he said. “It became clear that consolidating to a single 787 production location in South Carolina

otherNEWSMAKERS WORKFORCE PROGRAMS POSITIONED TO FUEL AEROSPACE As the president of Trident Technical College Mary Thornley knew the future of aerospace and advanced manufacturing in South Carolina was on the brink of change when Boeing first broke ground on its historic North Charleston 787 Dreamliner plant in 2009. That same week, she began formulating plans for a S.C. Aeronautical Training Center, which opened in 2019 at the Trident Tech campus in North Charleston.

8 Charleston Regional Business Journal | Newsmakers

Students at the S.C. Aeronautical Training Center on the campus of Trident Technical College in North Charleston receive handson experience with aircraft parts, tools and processes. The center works with aerospace companies, such as Boeing, and the Federal Aviation Administration to provide training and certifications that lead directly to employment.

(Photos/Provided)

will make us more competitive and efficient, better positioning Boeing to weather these challenging times and win new business.”

For now, North Charleston will continue to be the only 787-10 producer in the world. Washington will continue to manufacture 787-8 and 787-9 jets over the next few months until production tapers in mid2021 to its previously announced rate cut of six jets per month.

“I think that the success they’ve had here comes from the fact that all the planes ended up in North Charleston before distribution anyway for their final inspections, the painting, and what have you. Then they left here whether they were manufactured on the West Coast or East Coast,” Summey said.

Boeing did not receive any new state incentives or formal agreement, S.C. Department of Commerce spokesperson Alex Clark said, but there are plenty of other advantages to consolidating in South Carolina, which might make the move make sense for the aircraft manufacturer.

South Carolina is a right-to-work state with the lowest unionization rate of any state in the nation. Boeing also has ample room for expansion near Charleston International Airport and soon will offer a new access road to give the airport direct access to the plant — a process that has accelerated with the prospect of consolidation. Officials say approval for the plan should come in the next six months or so.

Summey said it makes sense that Boeing chose Charleston County a second time.

“Boeing and South Carolina have been partners since 2009,” Clark said. “We are extremely proud that Boeing, through this announcement, has expressed confidence in the long-term future of the 787 in South Carolina. We will continue to work collaboratively with Boeing to ensure the best business environment for Boeing to succeed and continue bringing substantial benefits to the Charleston region and the entire state.” CRBJ

SPONSORED CONTENT

There’s nothing like a crisis to get people moving

Harbor Watch meets labor challenges amidst COVID-19 and other disasters

By Reid Nelson

Using Harbor Watch, a tablet or a Smartphone, maritime unions can schedule and dispatch labor in real time, view current member work history and send text messages to any number of workers.

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Already facing the constant threat of hurricanes, flooding, and power outages, businesses and industries located in seaports along the East and Gulf coasts are struggling more than ever to find ways to survive...and thrive...amidst the ever-changing complications caused by COVID-19 and the resulting “new normal” created by the worldwide pandemic. One company is already helping the maritime industry meet its growing challenges.

Dispatch Dynamics, Inc., a Charleston, S.C.based software company, has been providing cloud-based remote work solutions for the maritime industry for nearly a decade. In fact, Harbor Watch is the only cloud-based dispatch application in the maritime industry today.

A Virtual Hiring Hall that Saves Time.

Saves Money. Saves Lives.

Now with the pandemic further complicating how work gets done in seaports, Dispatch Dynamics’ “virtual hiring and dispatch” software often means the difference between success and failure for any business that relies on, or is transitioning to, a mobile work force.

According to DDI president and CEO Jody Newman, Harbor Watch “virtual hiring and dispatch” is a suite of eight craft-based dispatch applications designed around seniority order specifically for the maritime industry and the International Longshoremen. “In addition to cloud-based scheduling and digital data archiving, Harbor Watch provides instant text messages to hundreds or even thousands of maritime workers simultaneously,” says Newman. “Our Virtual Hiring Hall provides all the functionality of a brick-and-mortar facility, but without the risks associated with COVID-19 exposure. From the safety and convenience of their Smartphones, employers, dispatchers,

union officials and members can accomplish everything they need to do from any remote location without the inherent and increasingly risk that comes with face-to-face contact.”

Given the stringent mandates, both locally and nationally, limiting face-to-face interaction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, not to mention the devastating results of the six hurricanes that overwhelmed Texas and parts of the Gulf Coast last summer, DDI software offers maritime companies an efficient way to continue doing business despite disruptions to power, internet and land-line communication.

“More importantly, DDI’s remote work solutions allow companies transitioning to a mobile work force to provide employees or independent contractors with a secure mobile app to indicate their availability for work according to shift, job and/or seniority,” adds Newman. “Every step of the remote hiring process is transparent and

In the midst of a pandemic is union labor prepared to meet the growing demands created by the growth of the Port?

viewable in real-time on a password-protected website, even as jobs are being scheduled by the dispatcher.”

Using Harbor Watch Virtual Hiring application, a tablet or a Smartphone, maritime unions can schedule and dispatch workers in real time, view current employee’s work history and send text messages to any number of workers.

ILA Locals to embrace change and technology, International Longshoremen will continue to endure long lines outside their hiring halls as they wait for daily job assignments,” Newman continued. “The members in these same Locals could be at risk, considering the current and growing health threat posed by COVID-19.”

No one can predict how long the current pandemic will continue to impact labor and underscore the need for remote work solutions.

But natural disasters, power outages and other disruptive events will forever create challenges for maritime labor and management. The digitalization of the work-flow processes and the connectivity offered by Harbor Watch will continue to provide intuitive, easy-touse solutions to maritime labor for decades to come. Utilizing the proven framework of their signature software, Dispatch Dynamics offers web-based workforce solutions to other industries with: Rapid Dispatch, V-Tracker and People Mover.

“With zero downtime for seven years, Harbor Watch digital dispatch has performed flawlessly for participating ILA Locals, Newman concludes. “We are prepared to provide maritime labor with the digital transformation needed to meet and conquer 21st-century challenges.

Our remote hiring solutions are designed to do more than simply help our clients continue to do ‘business as Jody Newman, President & CEO usual’ — but to do business, Dispatch better, more efficiently and Dynamics, Inc. more cost-effectively.”

Port of LA Leader calls for industry-wide digital transformation

Harbor Watch supports Port security In addition to providing employers and port security with digital dispatch orders containing member photos, Harbor Watch demonstrated its mass communication value when a security threat was called in to the Port of Charleston at approximately 8 p.m. on June 15, 2017. Within the hour, an ILA Local used Harbor Watch to send 1,350 members working in the port 5,000 text messages, keeping them safe and informed as events unfolded.

“Given the restrictions on assembly caused by the pandemic and the reluctance of some

“Digital transformation is a way to get our economy back on its feet and make it more resilient to future challenges.”

Gene Seroka, Executive Director Port of Los Angeles To learn more about Harbor Watch and its remote workforce solutions visit DispatchDynamics.com.

NEWS MAKERS 2020

From the 6.29.20 Issue

STREET SMARTS

Students build confidence behind the wheel by andy owens aowens@scbiznews.com

Student drivers take the slalom course during Tire Rack’s Street Survival School in Charleston. (Photo/Andy Owens)

A

ll nine drivers hit their brakes too soon.

It’s what they’d been taught: Apply the brakes to keep your car in control, and don’t do anything too drastic on the road. Drive safely.

But the class held near Bees Ferry Road on a recent Saturday morning was designed to push young drivers and their vehicles a bit further.

After a few rotations, the coaxing from their passengers — who were professionally trained performance drivers — paid off.

The high school students circled around and accelerated through a lane made of cones in a church parking lot, taking their cars, pickup trucks and SUVs to the edge as the

shake, shake, shaking pulse of antilock braking systems kicked in.

Cheers went up every time one of the students took their cars into the ABS zone.

The organizers of Street Survival School knew that was the sound of increasing confidence and of a driver gaining experience in how to handle a vehicle safely.

The school, which is held at different times and places throughout the year, is put on by the regional Sports Car Club of America chapter and co-sponsored by Tire Rack, Michelin and BMW Car Club of America.

Melanie Murray, the organizer of the day-long school for the local Sports Car Club of America chapter, said she got involved in the organization when her children took the

class years ago. Murray, who drives a Ford Mustang, said she grew up around racing.

Her father was a dirt-track racer, and now three generations of her family are involved in performance vehicles.

“What did you think?” Murray asked the students leaving their line of parked vehicles to grab coffee, water and doughnuts after the braking exercise. “Did you have fun?”

Between driving sessions, as the cones are rearranged for different exercises, Murray and her volunteers talk to the students about how their vehicles respond to situations.

They urged students to understand that taking responsibility for their own cars can save their lives. For example, something as simple as regularly checking tire pressure can

otherNEWSMAKERS BULLDOG TOURS SHARES SITES OFF BEATEN PATH While people were stuck indoors, unable to travel to Charleston and gather in groups, tour guides from Bulldog volunteered to provide video tours of different parts of Charleston. Every day, a tour guide records a live video on Bulldog’s Facebook page highlighting a different area of the Lowcountry.

10 Charleston Regional Business Journal | Newsmakers

Bulldog Tours guides transitioned to offering online video tours of Lowcountry sites.

(Photo/Provided)

impact how much of your car is in contact with the road. They also talk about speed.

Murray said the inability of a driver to control a vehicle increases as a vehicle accelerates.

“One of the things we need you to realize is excessive speed is the leading cause of fatal crashes,” Murray said.

The nine students came to Charleston from several states, including Georgia, Virginia and Florida. The classes are designed for real-world experience in a controlled environment, so students are asked to bring their own vehicles to the school instead of using test vehicles. Organizers want the students to experience exactly how their cars will react to different circumstances.

After braking and handling exercises, students learned to detect weight transfers by weaving their cars through cones. As they gained confidence (and trashed a few of the cones), they also began to gain confidence, speed and control of their cars.

Then they had to slalom through the cones in reverse.

Alex Daley, a Sports Car Club of America inspector who drives a Subaru WRX competitively, said the goal of the school is to build confidence in the young drivers and to teach them to be responsible for their cars.

She said the more experience a driver gets, the more inputs they can eliminate when something happens, which is why the volunteers throw tennis balls at the cars and in the line of sight of the drivers as they’re weaving through the course of cones.

Daley said the goal is to make it so that drivers don’t have to think about the inputs that don’t matter — like the sounds a car makes when ABS brakes kick in or the feeling of weight shifting as a vehicle makes a tight turn — and can just drive when split-second decisions have to be made.

“A lot of this is about having more confidence behind the wheel,” Daley said.

Daley added that there’s typically a moment where a young driver gets it, begins to trust their vehicle and realizes “Oh, I can do this.” CRBJ

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NEWS MAKERS 2020

From the 11.2.20 Issue

S.C. Ports sees rising value in retail cargo by teri errico griffis tgriffis@scbiznews.com

T

he future is retail for the South Carolina Ports Authority.

For the past 10 years, the SCPA has been driven by advanced manufacturing, doubling its container volume and jobs almost 1 for 1 from 2009 to 2019 and generating $63.4 million annually throughout the state, an economic impact study found last year.

The heavy, advanced manufacturing focus has made the Palmetto State’s ports stand out from others who have had a larger percentage of retail distribution. Yet as the pandemic altered consumption habits and delayed the production of auto parts, S.C. Ports Authority President and CEO Jim Newsome said the time is right to diversify the port’s cargo base and transition into retail.

Let’s not forget that Walmart also is building a 3-million-square-foot distribution center in Dorchester County.

“We’re an efficient port. We should not underestimate the whole thesis behind what we’ve done in the last 11 years in investing in infrastructure on a timely basis and making sure our port works well…We’re a top 10 port, probably the major top 10 port that didn’t really have a significant retail presence,” Newsome said.

With Volvo and Mercedes-Benz Vans both building or expanding plants in S.C. in the past few years and BMW entering the state in the 1990s, SCPA has become dependent on auto parts, and the automotive industry’s two-month shutdown during the pandemic only magnified the port’s need to transition into retail.

Also, BMW, which has invested $10 billion in the state since 1994, likely won’t be significantly expanding anytime in the next decade, he said.

Newsome envisions a healthier mix of advanced manufacturing, transloading and retail, which makes sense with advanced manufacturing accounting for only 11% of the U.S. economy’s overall gross domestic product, while consumer spending compris-

The Wando Welch Terminal in Mount Pleasant overlooks containers of cargo coming and going to the Port of Charleston. (Photo/Patrick Hoff)

es 70%.

“We were dominating in a smaller piece of the overall trade picture, and we needed to diversify if we were going to continue to grow above the market,” Newsome said.

WELCOME TO WALMART As recently as five years ago, the state still wasn’t terribly interested in retail development, Newsome said. Then in March 2017 talks with Walmart began, culminating in the company’s announcement in July to build a $220 million import distribution center near Ridgeville that anticipates the creation of 1,000 full-time jobs.

“Having this IDC is on magnitude with having a BMW come here and use our port,” Newsome said. “I don’t think I’m overstating the importance of it.”

He added that prior to the spring there already was a shortage of distribution centers to support imports. The pandemic only accelerated the ecommerce trend, as instead

otherNEWSMAKERS CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON WALMART DISTRIBUTION CENTER The 3-million square-foot storage and cross-dock facility will be one of Walmart’s largest distribution centers and will play a significant role as SCPA expands its cargo base into retail. Upon completion, the IDC’s operations in Dorchester County are expected to create 1,000 local full-time jobs and increase port volumes by 5%. Construction will take approximately 14 months.

12 Charleston Regional Business Journal | Newsmakers

of going out, people stayed in and bought products online, he said.

On average, Walmart, imports 700,000 containers a year, and approximately 70,000 will be imported here to South Carolina’s ports. The Dorchester County storage and dock facility will take approximately 14 months to build and will supply regional distribution centers that support more than 850 Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs in and around the state.

Newsome said the state’s 15% population boom since 2010 only enhances the state’s attraction, as ecommerce companies want to be closer to where the goods are needed.

South Carolina, along with Alabama, has become a juggernaut for attracting business within the advanced manufacturing industry — even without dependency from Boeing in regard to the aerospace sector’s supply chain.

While the state has the ninth-largest U.S. container port, it is the second-largest in handling auto parts as a single commodity.

Gov. Henry McMaster (left) and Greg Smith, executive vice president of Walmart (right), listen to S.C. Ports Authority President and CEO Jim Newsome discuss Walmart’s distribution center. (Photo/S.C. State Ports Authority)

Because of its ability to fulfill the high-service demands of the automotive industry, Newsome thinks SCPA could leverage its track record and reputation as an efficient port to enter a new segment.

“There are really two types of projects of prominence today,” Newsome said. “One is plastic manufacturing, which is in Texas and Louisiana, and the other is fulfillment centers or ecommerce distribution centers.”

Newsome said that when the conversation about introducing retail first began, he thought why not start with one of the biggest retailers in the country and approach Walmart, with whom he had an existing working relationship.

“I think when people realize the extensive vetting that is done by a major retailer in choosing a site for an import distribution center, they’ll see it does get the attention of other retailers and does help to attract ship services to the port,” he said. “I think it all plays together.” CRBJ

NEWS MAKERS 2020

From the 12.14.20 Issue

Saving small businesses from crisis could save economy by teri errico griffis tgriffis@scbiznews.com

V

aLinda Miller, owner of Turning Page Bookshop in Goose Creek, hasn’t fallen into the pandemic statistic of closed businesses yet, but she’s been close.

Her business was soaring from its June 2019 opening until it shut down temporarily in March.

Since then, the state’s only female Black bookstore owner has applied for every grant and small business loan she can to keep her business afloat. She received a small Paycheck Protection Program loan in May and immediately used it for payroll for her staff of two, which includes the general manager, Arrylee Satterfield. She then received another $3,500 in June that helped pay rent.

The process was excruciating with so much paperwork, explanation and waiting, she said.

“That’s the thing about applying for these loans and programs. They can take 30-90 days before you hear anything,” she said. “I have a few friends who have small businesses, and they’re all telling me the same thing.

They don’t know if they’ll make it through Christmas because they’re still waiting for grant applications to go through.”

The statistics are stark.

Since February, 25% of all small businesses across the country have closed at least temporarily, according to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The hit has been especially devastating to Black-owned businesses, which have seen a 41% decline in active businesses from February to April, the Federal Reserve of New York reported.

Analysts point out that small businesses are what will get the nation’s economy back on track. They’re also the businesses that need the most help — especially those run by women of color.

College of Charleston Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship David Hansen has made it his mission to increase support for area entrepreneurs, whether at the Dec. 2 Charleston City Council budget discussion, through his Women of Color Entrepreneur-

Turning Page Bookshop owner VaLinda Miller sought out pandemic relief through grants and loans for her store in Goose Creek, but the process has been complex and unreliable, she said. (Photos/ Teri Errico Griffis)

ship Forum or within the courses he teaches.

He said what’s keeping many small businesses afloat during this time is pivoting and rethinking how their services can help the community rather than how they can make the community still buy their goods.

Having just revamped her website before the pandemic hit, Miller pivoted with online sales and community connections. Ideally she sees her business supporting schools or libraries and keeping the money in the community rather than giving more to national retailers like Amazon.

It would be a welcomed form of revenue. Miller was recently deemed ineligible for another round of state funding because she made too much money in June and July during the nationwide push to support Black-owned bookstores.

That patronage was temporary, though.

“I told the SBA that they were penalizing me for something that wasn’t caused by me.

I may have received income for two months, but like everything else, what goes up must come down,” Miller said. “I still have the rest

of the year to deal with.”

Small businesses employ 47% of the country’s workforce and generate two-thirds of new jobs, leading to economic self-sufficiency, the Kauffman Foundation stated.

“There is a ton of evidence that’s been around for ages that shows the real generator of economic growth and employment is small business, not big business,” Hansen said. “When you see employment rising, that’s the small businesses growing, and it’s been that way since the 1970s.”

This statistic brought Hansen to the December city council meeting to address the amended Charleston budget. If approved, it would allocate more than $54 million to the city’s police department.

“The reason why I think this lines up with the police budget is that the police are there not to prevent crime. They’re there to arrest people after they commit one,” he said.

“If you want to prevent crime, you find out what’s the cause of it, and a large portion of this is no money and no jobs.”

The professor of 14 years thinks the city

otherNEWSMAKERS OWNERS, OFFICIALS TOUT POWER OF LOCAL SPENDING Sharon Payer, owner of The Station Park Circle — a shop that sells art, furniture, crafts and goods — credits the community’s desire to support small businesses as the reason her own has survived the pandemic. “When you shop here, 80% of every dollar you spend stays within the community,” she said. “And when you spend locally, the people that are getting that money spend locally as well.”

14 Charleston Regional Business Journal | Newsmakers

The Station Park Circle opened in 2018 and has grown to include 50 vendors in 3,000 square feet on Spruill Avenue in North Charleston.

(Photo/The Station Park Circle)

must commit to building the small business sector and he encouraged council members to divert some of the budget into supporting entrepreneurship, particularly in Black communities. The investment would more than pay for itself, he said, noting various studies around the world show that financial training and the support of small businesses reduces crime and poverty.

In particular, Hansen referenced the 2019 State of Women Owned Businesses report by American Express that determined minority women-owned businesses contributed more to the growth of entrepreneurship between 2014 and 2019 with 65%.

“But they make the least amount of money because they get the least amount of support,” he said. “The city could do so much to help, particularly women of color, in starting businesses, keeping their businesses alive and growing their businesses.

That then leads to jobs and becoming role models who discourage criminal activity.”

The city then benefits with fewer demands on police officers, a stronger economy and an increased tax base.

“It makes a lot of sense to support small businesses, but it just doesn’t make great publicity. Think of saying, ‘We just got Boeing,’ as opposed to, ‘Oh hey, look at these shops that opened up,’” Hansen said.

Right now, people of color have far less access to capital and major obstacles include lack of banking connections, financial literacy and generational wealth.

Having to work two jobs, without family who could loan you money or teach you how to invest it, makes it that much harder to accrue startup capital. Hansen calls this “working nine-to-five to pay for your five-to-nine,” which is what Miller — who still works full-time for the government — and most of the women on his Women of Color Entrepreneurial Forum have had to do.

“Women are starting more businesses than men, and African-American women are starting more businesses than anybody else,” he said. “We just need to help them.” CRBJ

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NEWS MAKERS 2020

From the 11.30.20 Issue

Deep Dive

Defense contractor works to ‘bring them home safely’ by teri errico griffis tgriffis@scbiznews.com

T

he mission of Defense Engineering Strategies is to support soldiers and war fighters with dependable gear and equipment that will both keep them safe and make their jobs easier.

The idea arose in 2013 when Managing Principals Bob Cole and Greg Gordon were trying to figure out their next career moves.

The fact that the once two-man company is expanding now with a $1.1 million investment in its North Charleston operations is a “dream come true” for Cole.

“You have people who are putting their lives on the line and serving for the rest of us, so the best service that I found for my life was to serve them and get them what they need to do their job successfully and bring them home safely,” Cole said.

He and Gordon, who formerly served in the Navy, met as research and development employees at Force Protection Inc. in Ladson, prior to its 2016 sale to General Dynamics Corp.

“We very much enjoyed the fast-paced, high-technical research and development environment we had there… So Greg and I decided to try and start our own business, kind of in the same limelight as Force Protection’s R&D,” he said.

DES’s niche is to take on the smaller production projects that bigger companies don’t, such as building components for only five defense vehicles. It then further supports prime contractors with their research.

“Sometimes the big primes need added engineering resources or research and development resources and we’ll help them design something, build test articles, take them to ranges and test them out,” Cole said. “Once everything is blessed by the U.S. government, we’ll turn over the entire data pack that we’ve developed, and then they will go into production with it.”

The expanded operations, anticipated to be complete in 2025, will increase Defense Engineering Services’ storage capacity, manufacturing and office space. Additionally, the funds will help purchase new equip-

Welders are in high demand for companies such as W International. The defense contractor works with area high schools and Trident Tech to recruit enough skilled labor. (Photo/Provided)

ment and create 18 more jobs with the company that focuses around armored vehicles, new vehicle development and building specialty equipment for smaller groups of the government and private companies.

Mayor Keith Summey said he looks forward to seeing DES expand in North Charleston, and said the growth of existing industries demonstrates the city’s business-friendly approach.

“There’s nothing we enjoy touting more than the success and growth of our small businesses. Defense Engineering Services is showing its innovation and might in a fierce industry,” Summey said.

Defense Engineering Services keeps relatively off the radar and does most of its marketing through of word of mouth. The more good work they do, the more work that comes their way, Cole said.

otherNEWSMAKERS CITADEL CONSTRUCTION-ENGINEERING STUDENTS GET HANDS-ON Rebekah Burke’s construction and engineering students left the classroom for experience in the field recently to see how things work on an actual construction site.

The students in the class joined project managers from Trident Construction at the new Poinsette Senior Center site to see how to properly pour concrete foundations and install rebar. “It’s very important that these students are able to see how this complicated work gets done,” said Matt Robbins, a Trident Construction project executive.

16 Charleston Regional Business Journal | Newsmakers

Construction and engineering students from The Citadel listen to a project manager from Trident Construction talk about work ongoing at the Poinsette Senior Center. (Photo/Provided)

While the staff is fairly small at 16, Cole said that’s right on track with the company’s 10-year vision to become a 30-40 person company with a larger prototype facility.

“Truthfully, our best resource is hiring the right people and putting the right people on the projects, who are tech savvy and care for the end result of a good product for our customers … Everyone has that mindset here,” Cole said. CRBJ

NEWS MAKERS 2020

From the 11.2.20 Issue

Building a bridge

T

he Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge opened 15 years ago, on July 14, 2005. As anniversaries go, 15 years isn’t one of those milestones that gets celebrated like Charleston’s 350th, but 15 years ago was a significant moment in how people and commerce move throughout the Lowcountry.

It’s hard now to remember when crossing the Cooper felt like a roller coaster ride, but thousands of commuters did it every day. More than a few of us recall gripping the wheel while crossing the John P. Grace Memorial Bridge, opened in 1929, and the Silas N. Pearman Bridge, opened in 1966.

The Ravenel bridge replaced them both.

You had to hope for a lot of grace going across the Grace, to be sure. Those skinny railings, that singular break-down spot in the dip between the humps — it sure felt like you were rolling the dice at times. And back before the Pearman was built, the Grace was a two-way thoroughfare.

For a small sense of scale, you can still walk across the pilings of the Pearman bridge, which were used to build the pier at Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park. $675.2 MILLION The price for replacing the bridges with the newest Cooper River bridge, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The bridge was paid for through several sources, including a $325 million grant from the S.C. Transportation Infrastructure Bank, a federal transportation loan of $215 million, and another $135.2 million from other federal and state sources.

Fireworks helped open the Ravenel Jr. Bridge in 2005. (Photo/Ryan Wilcox). The John P. Grace Memorial Bridge opened in 1929, crossing the Cooper River between Charleston and Mount Pleasant. This photo (right) from 1953 shows the approach to the Grace from the Charleston side of the river. (Photo/S.C. Department of Transportation)

bridge in the world. That has since been surpassed, but it’s still a massive bridge.

128 Number of cables supporting the bridge deck, using two spans.

1,396,000 POUNDS Nearly 1.4 million pounds of stone, or 698,000 tons, were used to secure and build visitors be able to cross the bridge on foot, the bridge, which was designed to withstand so the 12-foot-wide lane was added on the earthquakes, hurricanes and even a ship col- ocean side of the bridge. lision. That actually happened in 1946, when 537 FEET a freighter knocked out a 240-foot section of 30 MILES The height of each of the two towers of the Grace bridge.

Distance from which the bridge can be the Ravenel Bridge. For comparison, the top seen across the Lowcountry. The bridge’s two of the Pearman bridge came just above the 8 LANES, 12 FEET spans were designed to look like the sails of roadway of the Ravenel.

The bridge was built for eight lanes of a ship. traffic, but at one point, the design of the 1,546 FEET bridge did not include a pedestrian and bike 1995 At the time the new Cooper River Bridge lane. Stakeholders in Charleston, including If you want an up-close look at the old was built, it was the longest cable-stayed Mayor Joe Riley, insisted that residents and bridges, Die Hard with a Vengeance, the

otherNEWSMAKERS STINGRAYS SKATE ON IN SPITE OF RESTRICTIONS, FINANCIAL RISKS The S.C. Stingrays are staying on the ice, but they expect the upcoming season to be a little thin for fans and for opportunities to make money. As the hockey team readies for a return in December, majority owner and governor Todd Halloran has spent months behind the scenes weighing two extremes: play on, even though the organization won’t be able to generate substantial revenue with only 25% of fans, or go dark and lose the momentum of the team’s record 2019-2020 season. Halloran called the final decision a tradeoff worth the investment. The ramifications of missing an entire year would have been even costlier.

18 Charleston Regional Business Journal | Newsmakers

As half of professional ECHL teams return tothe ice, the move isn’t without risk for organizations such as the S.C. Stingrays.

(Photo/Provided)

1995 Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis action thriller, was partially filmed on the Grace bridge.

Source: S.C. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation, Flatiron, one of the partners in designing and building the bridge, Charleston County Parks, IMDb, Library of Congress, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CRBJ

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NEWS MAKERS 2020

From the 7.27.20 Issue

International African American Museum reaches milestone staff report

The day before the topping-out ceremony, supporters of the International African American Museum were invited to sign the beam that was lifted to the top of the structure set to open in 2022. (Photos/Beverly Barfield)

A

steel beam with signatures of supporters and community leaders was lifted to the top of the International African American Museum this morning in a topping-out ceremony near Gadsden’s Wharf.

This significant milestone indicates the

project is nearing completion of the structure of the building. The 41,760-square-foot, elevated museum is set to open in 2022.

A groundbreaking for the museum took place in late 2019 after individuals, foundations, corporate donors and government entities poured millions of dollars into the

project. But the museum has taken more than two decades to get this far. In 2000, then-Mayor Joe Riley first mentioned the museum in his State of the City address.

Since then, more than 1,000 donations have been received for the project.

The International African American

otherNEWSMAKERS FROM THE COOPER TO THE ASHLEY After a quarter of a century of being within walking distance of the Cooper River, The Harbour Club has crossed the peninsula to the entire seventh floor of WestEdge, overlooking the Ashley River and much of Charleston. The $5 million project represents more than a relocation of an existing asset into new construction, however. The stakeholders reimagined the mission of The Harbour Club, to give multiple generations of professionals a reason to be there.

20 Charleston Regional Business Journal | Newsmakers

The terrace outside of The Harbour Club at WestEdge reclaims the club’s view of the water with miles of elevated vistas along the banks of the Ashley River.

(Photo/Andy Owens)

Museum will illuminate the story of enslaved Africans’ journey from West Africa to Charleston, the hardship and cruelty they endured, plus their contributions to America, the museum said in a news release.

The museum and a memorial garden will honor the site where those enslaved Africans arrived in Charleston, and where thousands died; tell narratives that have been overlooked in most history books; and promote compassion and empathy across all races and ethnicities, the museum said.

Cumming has been working with Atlantic South Consulting to provide construction management and consulting services for the project.

“It has been a solemn journey seeing this project continue to come to fruition, and once it is completed, the city of Charleston will be able to share this global landmark to help foster empathy, understanding and empowerment,” Jonathan Roberts, project manager at Cumming, said in a news release.

Brownstone Construction Group is working with Turner Construction to build the structure of the IAAM. Moody Nolan and Pei Cobb Freed & Partners worked on the design of the building and the museum.

At the groundbreaking in October, Riley was joined by Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg and Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, the mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, to talk about the connection between the two cities, an ocean apart.

Riley said the museum overlooking the place where thousands of enslaved Africans came ashore forever will be a place of stories that will challenge the United States as a country to understand its story in a way that has never been told.

“The stories will enlighten us, help us, change us and challenge our country, for that hidden vault is finally and forever unlocked,” Riley said. “We will now know for the first time our complete history, your history, your story — the truth. And we must believe that it is the truth that will set us free.” CRBJ

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NEWS MAKERS 2020

From the 4.26.20 Issue

STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Construction sites stay busy during COVID-19 outbreak by andy owens aowens@scbiznews.com

A

s offices and retail businesses closed in waves while COVID-19 took hold across the Lowcountry, one thing soon became clear: Construction sites weren’t closing down.

Part of that is the essential nature of the business sector, especially because many of the companies involved in architecture, real estate and construction work in health care.

Chappy McKay, vice president of Trident Construction, said when the outbreak began, the company brought its safety group together to re-evaluate all of the safety plans for jobsites and determine how they would operate.

“We’ve got the utmost respect for COVID-19,” McKay said. “Absolutely we’re operating differently on the jobsites. We’ve got to put the health and safety of our employees and our subcontractors first and foremost.”

At the company’s office in North Charleston, Trident Construction split the staff to give more space and also allow someone to always be in the office and available to support construction crews and subcontractors.

“We wanted to reduce and create space in the office so we can practice social distancing, so we’ve broken up into two teams,” McKay said. “They alternate days at home.

We have to keep the office open to support our field workers and support our subs.

That’s how we are managing and it seems to be working pretty darn well.”

McKay said Trident has seen a few early stage projects slow down, but everything else is continuing on. He said in the few cases when supply chains have been interrupted, Trident has been able to quickly find a secondary source.

“We are an essential business. Production is steady. Our team members and allies are really pulling together,” McKay said.

“Material delivery continues to be consistent. We’re having to work smarter, and we’re having to work safer, but we’re able to keep thousands of people in the greater Charleston area employed and paid.”

Across the country, some construction

A Trident Construction worker reviews progress at the jobsite at the WestEdge development in Charleston. (Photo/Trident Construction)

companies are reporting layoffs and work stoppages.

The Associated General Contractors of America conducted a study in late March that found 39% of contractors reporting projects have been halted or canceled recently. The organization also warned that cancellations likely were to result in large layoffs in the sector nationally.

“The abrupt plunge in economic activity is taking a swift and severe toll on construction,” Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist, said in a news release. “The sudden drop in demand stands in sharp contrast to the strong employment levels this industry was experiencing just a few weeks ago.”

An analysis in April found that 27% of construction companies were reporting lay-

otherNEWSMAKERS BUILDING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR TECH Expected to open in the first quarter of 2021, the Charleston Tech Center is designed to provide a place for existing companies to grow and continue to mentor others, instead of moving on to bigger space outside of the community. With infrastructure in place, organizers are now ready to focus on talent and expanding opportunity to underserved entrepreneurs and communities.

22 Charleston Regional Business Journal | Newsmakers

The Charleston Tech Center is set to open on Morrison Drive.

The site has space for another building if needed. (Photo/ Andy Owens)

offs, along with shortages of material, parts and equipment.

Chris Price, owner and president of PrimeSouth Group, which owns and develops commercial real estate in Charleston, said before COVID-19 everyone in architecture, engineering and construction was incredibly busy. Now they’re making calls to make sure they’ll have work to go to after this outbreak passes.

“I think things will slow down,” Price said. “My phone has been ringing for the first time from architects, engineers and construction companies; that hasn’t happened for months. People are starting to look at their pipeline, to make sure they’re going to be busy going forward.”

Mark Hood, president and CEO of Hood Construction in Columbia, said the company is operating at 80% of its normal capacity right now.

“We have shut down some jobs,” Hood said. “We do a lot of health care work, and the hospitals have asked us to stop our projects and leave, and we fully understand that and endorse that. It makes me feel better not to have my people inside the hospitals right now.”

Trident Construction also does work in the health care sector. McKay said some hospitals called on their engineering expertise to do some fast-turnaround work when COVID-19 took hold.

McKay said one of the most vital parts of dealing with this has been the support of the municipalities in the Charleston area.

He said the fast-tracked work Trident has been doing for health care facilities happened because cities treated the permitting as a critical need.

He said Robbie Fairey, Trident’s founder, chairman and CEO, learned long ago not to overreact or underreact in a crisis. He said Trident is employing lessons learned during the Great Recession in 2008. “I think the most important thing is we’re really all in this together,” McKay said. CRBJ

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in assets

MORE THAN

$28 billioN

in DEPOSITS

Top 50 Largest U.S. Bank Holding Companies

*Recognized for our response to the COVID-19 pandemic by Greenwich Associates in a study among small business respondents ($1M - $10M).

NMLS #766529