Columbia Regional Business Report - March 1, 2021

VOLUME 14 NUMBER 4 ■ COLUMBIABUSINESSREPORT.COM

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BRIDGING THE GAP

Group works to improve health care outcomes for individuals with limited English proficiency

Baseball is back Columbia Fireflies open home season on May 11.

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Coin icon

Septima Clark honored with collectible coin.

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Pipeline infusion

Santee Cooper establishes internship program.

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Growing footprint Weston Inc. expands Southeast portfolio.

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INSIDE

Upfront................................. 2 SC Biz News Briefs................. 3 In Focus: Health Care.......... 13 List: Hospitals..................... 16 Bonus List: Retirement Communities and Senior Centers .............................. 17 At Work............................... 21 Viewpoint............................23

Illustration/File

By Melinda Waldrop

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mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

or the 25 million people in the United States with limited English proficiency, optimal health care outcomes after hospitalization and access to preventive care present challenges in the best of times.

In the midst of a pandemic that has now killed more than 500,000 people nationwide, reaching and providing health care services to the LEP population becomes even more critical, community outreach leaders say.

“One of the issues that I think has been compounded with the pandemic, or certainly spotlighted with the pandemic, is health access for people that don’t speak English,” said Kristen Giovanis, CEO of global, multilingual translation service provider United Language Group. “Picture yourself going to Thailand and ending up having to get health care. In a normal world, it’s overwhelming and difficult, but then in a pandemic, it’s a much bigger issue, a much larger challenge.”

United Language Group provides 10,000plus linguists specializing in more than 200

New-look neighbor

Food Lion begins transitioning former Bi-Lo grocery stores.

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languages to more than 3,000 companies worldwide in industries including law, life sciences, manufacturing and finance in an effort to bridge those gaps. With the COVID19 pandemic highlighting inequities in health care, the organization is intensifying its outreach, developing a Health Outcomes Solutions division and implementing a vaccine equity program aimed at providing education and information to LEP populations through resources such as community and cultural centers.

See LEP, Page 14

Upfront

BRIEFS | FACTS | STATEWIDE NEWS

A LA CARTE

S

Photo/Melinda Waldrop

S.C.’s consumption junction outh Carolina isn’t the largest energy-using state in the country, but we do our share of consuming different sources of power to run our businesses, governments, schools and other things that fuel our daily lives.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration in Washington, D.C., poured through the data for 2019, the latest information available, and came up with some conclusions about what powers South Carolina. Don’t forget this is pre-pandemic consumption, so the numbers likely will change year-over-year.

South Carolina’s sources of power

Fireflies to open 2021 season on May 4 at Augusta

Coal 0.5%

Electricity 25.7%

Natural gas 14.8%

Powering Southern states

Total consumption measurements in British thermal units, also called Btu, for selected states for 2019.

State

Btu

Louisiana

3,721.6 trillion

Florida

3,107.1 trillion

Georgia

2,107.1 trillion

North Carolina

1,777.1 trillion

Virginia

1,683.6 trillion

Tennessee

1,522.4 trillion

Alabama

1,399.4 trillion

South Carolina

1,084.8 trillion

Mississippi

837.3 trillion

Oil

50.7%

Renewables 8.3%

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

HEARD IN THE

REPORT

“The trust that’s built by having someone answer the phone in your language absolutely creates not only a more efficient experience but also just one that is going to engage the patient and hopefully position them to receive the right type of care.”

— Abigail Katz, director of Health Outcomes Solutions, United Language Group

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The Columbia Fireflies are slated to open the 2021 season on May 4 at Augusta before beginning a six-game homestand against the Charleston RiverDogs on May 11.

The Fireflies recently signed a 10-year deal as a Class A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.

A year after COVID-19 wiped out the minor league season, the Fireflies will play 60 home games at Segra Park.

“When Opening Night finally returns to Segra Park, it will have been a long 20 months since our last home game on August 29, 2019,” John Katz, Fireflies team president, said in a news release. “In the coming weeks, we will be providing our fans with our blueprint to reopen the ballpark to ensure a safe, welcoming environment for our fans in the Midlands and beyond.”

In an effort to limit travel, all 2021 season series will be six games long, beginning on Tuesday and ending on Sunday. Play will predominantly take place within divisions.

The Fireflies, a member of the South Division of the new Low-A East League created by Major League Baseball’s contraction of 40 minor league clubs, will primarily face off against Charleston, Augusta and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

The Pelicans and the Fayetteville Woodpeckers will make their first visits to Segra Park, while the 2021 slate also includes home games against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.

Games will begin at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, with first pitch at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday and 5:05 p.m. on Sunday.

The 2021 scheduled is subject to change.

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Richmond, Va.-based Collared Greens has opened its first S.C. location, 1,900 square-foot store on the corner of Wentworth Street and King Street in Charleston. (Photo/Provided)

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Lowcountry Local First opens expanded Local Works

By Andy Owens

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aowens@scbiznews.com

owcountry Local First opened a new HQ, including more than 5,000 square feet of coworking space on Summerville Avenue in Charleston recently.

The location in the Lumberyard commercial development expands and modernizes the nonprofit, small business advocacy group’s

ability to help support individual entrepreneurs and early stage startups with more offices, more services and with less flooding.

The organization’s previous location on upper Meeting Street was prone to flooding and the space was limited. A ribbon cutting streamed online last Friday signaled the opening of a larger, elevated space in addition to expanded, dedicated parking.

The idea behind Local Works is unchanged,

organizers said. It will continue offering a low-cost option for local businesses that need commercial space. The added benefit is similar to other coworking locations across the region, which is a creative environment where entrepreneurs can talk and share ideas and discover commonalities that could lead to new business.

WINTER 2020

See LOCAL, Page 16

SPECIAL REPORT

The apprentices

Santee Cooper invests in apprenticeships to help boost pipeline of skilled workers. Page 12

IAAM partnership

Michelin North America is working with the International African American Museum. Page 3

S.C.’s energy use

Oil and electricity are the two largest end-use power consumption categories in the Palmetto State. Page 2

Grants help stabilize firms across S.C.

SAVING MIDDLE KING

By Melinda Waldrop, Molly Hulsey and Alexandria Ng

Sense of community, common goals create synergy among middle King Street businesses leveraging digital to weather the pandemic storm.

T

SC Biz News

he COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare obstacles small businesses face that go beyond financial.

As small businesses across the country struggle to keep the lights on after a spring shutdown and varying degrees of reopening in the nine months since, federal Paycheck Protection Program loans and state grants have provided much-needed help. But the $525 billion distributed nationally in the first round of PPP, along with $40 million in SC CARES grants to small- and minority-owned businesses in South Carolina, are stopgap solutions for many.

“There’s obviously a number of problems that have been exposed,” said Frank Knapp, president and CEO of the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce. “There’s been exposed the problem of entrepreneurs and

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INSIDE

Upfront ................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 Best Advice .......................... 4 In Focus: Trends in Energy ................ 13 List: Recycling Companies . 18 Bonus List: Solar Companies ................ 19 At Work .............................. 21 Viewpoint ...........................23

(Photo/Margaret Sullivan)

Home grown Consumer demand for local food surges as pandemic alters eating habits

See SC CARES, Page 10

ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED

Many megawatts

Solar power represents one of the largest business units for Dominion Energy S.C. with more under construction. Page 13

SC Biz News 1802 Dayton Street Suite 101 North Charleston, SC 29405

County Spotlight: Horry | Trending: Agriculture in S.C. | S.C. Delivers

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Health Library Wellness blog

Clarke & Company Benefits makes health care accessible to all employees using customized, intuitive technology. Providing the right people with the right tools moves business forward.

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Contact

(803) 253-6997 www.clarkebenefits.com

ut down your forks. The new Collared Greens on King Street isn’t a restaurant, but it does serve up some satisfying green products.

The Richmond, Va.-based retailer sells American-made, environmentally conscious men’s clothing and chose the Charleston market to expand its second free-standing store, a company news release said.

Collared Greens’ new 1,900 square-foot store is situated in the Restoration Hotel building. Doors opened Feb. 19 at 273 King St., on the corner of Wentworth Street.

“My team and I are thrilled about our move to Charleston and the launching of our newest brick and mortar store…especially being a bright spot in the retail world during a pandemic,” said Steve Mayer, principal illustrator and designer of Collared Greens. “Being located on King Street with other like-minded brands perfectly captures the spirit of the lifestyle target we strive to fit.”

Real estate firm NAI Charleston’s Thomas Boulware, broker in charge, represented Collared Greens in the sale.

“We were happy to guide Collared Greens in their quest to locate on King Street,” Boulware said. “Locating their flagship store in Charleston is a reflection that King Street and the overall market fundamentals are strong. Charleston continues to attract high-end retailers to the downtown market.”

Collared Greens was founded in 2008 and calls itself the “first American Made green clothing brand.”

The eco-friendly retailer focuses on American-made goods, showing the brand’s commitment to support American manufacturing and the environment. The Charleston store will feature products from its affiliate brands Bird Dog Bay, Beau & Tassel and Skiff Dogs.

Mayors from Charleston, North Charleston and Mount Pleasant talk about future and 2020. Pages 5-7

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King Street now store serving up environmentally friendly clothes

With publications in the Upstate, Columbia and Charleston, as well as a statewide magazine, SC Biz News covers the pulse of business across South Carolina.

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MIDLANDS NEWSROOM Editor - Melinda Waldrop mwaldrop@scbiznews.com • 803.726.7542

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March 1 - 14, 2021

Septima Clark honored with collectible coin

B

Staff Report

enedict College alumna and civil rights leader Septima Poinsette Clark is being honored with a collectible coin issued by the U.S. Mint.

The $1 coin, part of the American Innovation collection in the mint’s H.I.P. Pocket Change kids series, depicts Clark marching with three Black students carrying books with the American flag in the background.

The back of the coin features the Statue of Liberty.

The daughter of a laundrywoman and former enslaved person, Clark was born in 1898 in Charleston. She graduated from high school in 1916 but, unable to attend college, passed the state teacher’s exam and began teaching on Johns Island. She taught for more than 30 years, including 18 in Columbia, and graduated from Benedict in 1942.

“Mrs. Septima Poinsette Clark is one of our most distinguished graduates and is most deserving of this celebrated honor,” Roslyn Clark Artis, Benedict president, said in a news release. “Clark developed literacy and citizenship workshops that played an important role in the drive for voting and civil rights. Unfortunately, many young people are unaware of the depth and breadth of her contributions. She was widely known as ‘Queen Mother’ to those who knew her.”

Clark earned a master’s degree from then-Hampton (Va.) Institute in 1946.

She worked with the YWCA and participated in a class-action lawsuit filed by the National Association for the Advancement

of Colored People that led to equal pay for Black and white teachers in South Carolina.

Forced from her teaching position in South Carolina after the 1956 passing of a statute that prohibited city and state employees from belonging to civil rights organizations, Clark taught literacy and civil skills such as filling out voter registration forms at the Highlander Folk School in Monteagle, Tenn. When that school closed in 1961, Clark became the director of education and teaching for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Clark retired from the SCLC in 1970 and conducted workshops for international youth exchange organization American Field Service. She was elected to school board service in Charleston in 1975, and the following year, S.C. Gov. John West restored her teacher’s pension after declar-

ing she had been unjustly fired in 1956.

In 1979, Clark, who published two memoirs, received a Living Legacy Award from President Jimmy Carter.

Clark died in 1987.

“She is a trailblazer … because she believed and understood that knowledge could empower marginalized people in ways that the legal equality system in this country could not,” Clark said. “She pioneered the link between education and political organizing with the purpose of gaining the right to vote – thus, an equal voice as an American citizen.”

Septima Poinsette Clark graduated from Benedict College on May 26, 1942, with a B.A. degree. Unable to go to college immediately upon finishing high school in 1916, Clark passed the state examination for teaching and began working and an educator on John’s Island.

New photography exhibit coming to CAE this summer The Columbia Metropolitan Airport and Columbia-based nonprofit Family Connection of South Carolina have teamed up to present a photography collection highlighting the strengths of children and young adults living with a disability in South Carolina.

The display, called LOOK!, features

images captured by area volunteer photographers and will be on display at CAE near the airport food court through the summer.

“The intent of LOOK! is to showcase the beauty and unique abilities of the person being photographed, and to help those viewing the photos pause, reflect,

and see disability in a different way,” Amy Holbert, CEO of Family Connection, said in a news release.

“It is a beautiful collection that speaks to Family Connection’s goal of creating inclusion.”

The photos feature candid shots of participants in everyday life.

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Solar provides nearly 1,000 megawatts for Dominion in S.C.

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Staff Report

onstruction continues on four, large-scale solar projects in South Carolina, including a 6-megawatt solar facility in Bamberg County that was part of Dominion Energy’s purchase from Charleston-based Southern Current.

In addition to the Denmark facility, three other solar arrays purchased from Southern Current includes locations in Blackville Solar in Barnwell County, Yemassee Solar in Hampton County and Trask East Solar in Beaufort.

The four solar projects underway will have the ability to generate 35.2 megawatts of power in South Carolina, adding to Dominion Energy’s renewable generating capacity, the company said. Just in Beaufort and Jasper counties, the company has enough solar assets to produce more than 150 megawatts to customers in South Carolina.

The company said solar is the largest single producing unit of electricity in the company holdings with a capacity of about 1,000 megawatts produced from the sun.

Dominion’s solar portfolio in South Carolina includes utility-scale solar along with 106 megawatts from customer-sited solar and 16 megawatts of community solar projects. The Bamberg County

The 6-megawatt facility in Bamberg County will generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 1,000 homes and is one of four arrays Dominion has acquired from Southern Current. Dominion also purchased solar arrays in Barnwell County, Hampton County and Beaufort. The four projects will be able to generate 35.2 megawatts of power in South Carolina, according to the company. (Photo/Provided)

project is expected to create enough solar power to support 1,000 homes in the state.

“We have fully embraced adding solar generation on our system and making it accessible for all customers as we work to help build a clean, sustainable energy future of South Carolina,” Danny Kassis, vice president of customer relations and renewables for Dominion Energy South Carolina, said in a statement. “Dominion Energy South Carolina has worked very

hard at integrating these new assets and the existing 971 megawatts of solar into our system. We look forward to continuing our work to collaboratively and cost-effectively create a lower-carbon future for our customers and our state.”

Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration show that renewable energy accounted for about 9.3% of consumption in South Carolina in 2019.

However, nuclear power, at 56.2%, pro-

vides more than half of the electricity used in South Carolina. After nuclear, coal and natural gas are distant electricity producers, at 20.4% and 18.2%, repetitively. Most of those power users are industrial and residential users, the EIA reported.

In the Southeast, Dominion Energy South Carolina ranks second regionally for solar power with 807 solar watts per customer. The company said that was 2.5 times the average for the Southeast.

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March 1 - 14, 2021

Shaw Industries recognized as top training company

S

Staff Report

haw Industries Group Inc., a Georgia-based flooring manufacturer with a plant in Lexington County and a fiber extrusion facility in Columbia, has been named a Training magazine Training Top 100 company for 2021.

This is the 17th consecutive year Shaw has been recognized in the rankings, which spotlight companies worldwide for commitment to comprehensive training, workforce development, diversity and inclusion, according to a news release.

Rankings are based on factors including training investment and how closely development efforts are linked to business goals and objectives.

“I’m proud of our company’s continued investment in our people as our greatest competitive advantage, especially during uncertain times,” Torrance Ford, Shaw’s vice president of talent management, said in the release.

“This recognition solidifies our dedication to attracting and retaining the best possible talent with a world-class associate experience that can skillfully adapt to ever-shifting market dynamics.”

Shaw, headquartered in Dublin, Ga., provides more than one million hours of in-person and online education and training annually, according to the release.

“We salute these best-in-class organizations for their steadfast dedication to continuous employee learning and development, their agility and innovation in transforming their training delivery

Shaw’s Combined Heat and Power plant, finished in May 2018, reduced the annual greenhouse gas emissions of Plant 8S, located in Lexington County, by an estimated 26,000 metric tons. Shaw Industries, which also operates a fiber extrusion facility in Columbia, has been named a Training magazine Top 100 company for 2021. The company has been recognized in the rankings for 17 consecutive years. (Photo/Provided)

in response to the pandemic, and their passionate commitment to the current and future success of their people,” Lorri Freifeld, Training magazine editor-inchief, said.

In September 2018, Shaw received the Outreach Award at the 2018 Salute to Manufacturing Awards luncheon held by SC Biz News, GSA Business Report and the S.C. Manufacturing Extension Part-

nership. The award recognizes tangible, measurable effects of companies on their communities. Shaw has invested more than $55 million in new equipment at its Lexington plant since 2015.

Nonprofits receive Central Carolina Community Foundation grants

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Staff Report

en local nonprofits have been awarded a share of $19,500 through Central Carolina Community Foundation’s Beyond the Table mini-grant initiative.

The project recipients address at least one issue identified as a community priority in the foundation’s annual On the Table survey.

“For the past three years, On the Table has brought residents together for meaningful conversations about the issues we face as a community,” JoAnn Turnquist, president and CEO of Central Carolina Community Foundation, said in a news release. “The Beyond the Table grants make it possible for community members to take action and address those issues head-on.”

A community of community members reviewed grant applications from non-

profits and individuals with a fiscal sponsorship.

This year’s recipients are: • Christ Mission Church: Planting Seeds to Unite Community will transform the Ames Villas and Prescott Manor communities through initiatives such as The Coffee House at Ames and indoor and outdoor spaces dedicated to community member meetings.

• COLA Gives: Community Youth Force will teach students the value and power of collective and strategic giving through establishing student giving circles.

• Columbia Green: Sowing Seeds of Hope and Health will expand and enhance the Tunnel House community garden by paving an ADA-accessible pathway and adding native perennials, shrubs and fruit trees.

• Columbia Housing: ConnectHome

will bridge the digital divide among public housing residents, enhancing abilities to pursue education and health care, find jobs and conduct business.

• Earlewood Community Citizens Organization: The Hyatt Park Farmers Market will address food insecurity in Columbia’s Eau Claire neighborhood by allowing community-based farmers to sell fresh, affordable vegetables and other healthy foods.

• Friends of Tapp’s Arts Center: The FrameXFrame Film Club will provide an online space for the discussion of films made by Black people and people of color in the South.

• Girl Scouts of South Carolina Mountains to Midlands: The Social Action Summit will bring together Girl Scouts, community leaders, and social justice advocates to

engage in dialogue, deepen participants’ knowledge of social action and plan effective strategies for change.

• Ivy Heritage Foundation: The Irmo Community Garden will serve as a learning laboratory for students from community and civic organizations while providing fruits and vegetables for the local food bank.

• Serve and Connect: It’s a Matter of Perspective: Bridging the Disconnect Between Minority Youth and Police will build a youth leadership program that enhances students’ understanding of law enforcement and social change advocacy.

• Webgyrlz Code: Supporting students during online learning by providing Virtual HERO Kits that offer safe device storage to prevent damage, extend device life and reduce repairs.

March 1 - 14, 2021

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Duke Energy invests in minority business through Optus Bank

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Staff Report

uke Energy deposited $5 million into Black-owned Optus Bank to amplify the company’s support for minority-owned businesses and low-income communities at the end of 2020.

One of 20 Black-owned banks in the country, Columbia-based Optus Bank will use the funding to provide equal access to capital loans and financial services for minority-owned businesses, according to the January announcement.

“This is so much more than a deposit in a bank,” Mike Callahan, president of

Duke Energy South Carolina, said in the news release. “It’s an investment in people and communities that continue to face barriers to mainstream funding and support.”

Kadenia Javis, an accountant with Javis Tax Service, is one professional who helped use Optus Bank’s services to access capital and keep her company afloat during the pandemic.

“Optus Bank has been there for me in both good and difficult times, helping us grow our business and support us during the pandemic,” Javis said in the release.

“Optus Bank also allowed us the oppor-

“It’s an investment in people and communities that continue to face barriers to mainstream funding and support.”

Mike Callahan President, Duke Energy South Carolina

tunity to purchase our first commercial building with a drive-thru window. This assisted the accounting firm to offer contactless support to taxpayers.”

The deposit is the largest made with a Black-owned bank by Duke Energy.

Optus Bank’s Chairman Paul Mitchell added that “Duke Energy’s deposit will significantly fuel our ability to help all people build wealth and improve their lives, regardless of their background or situation,” Paul Mitchell, chairman of Optus Bank, said in the release. “We are thankful that the South Carolina Minority Business Development Agency brought us together, and hope that other utilities follow Duke Energy’s leadership in delivering on their commitment to advance diversity, equity and inclusion.”

South Carolina State Fair accepting scholarship applications Staff Report Three hundred thousand dollars in South Carolina State Fair Ride of Your Life scholarships are up for grabs for students planning to attend S.C. colleges.

Fifty $6,000 scholarships will be awarded to S.C. high school seniors, who will receive $1,500 a year for four years.

Students pursuing two-year degrees will also receive $1,500 per year, according to

a news release.

“Education is the fair’s mission, and we feel strongly it is of utmost importance to continue our scholarship program this year, even though the pandemic greatly affected the SC State Fair in 2020,” Nancy Smith, state fair general manager, said in the release. “We know that students will need extra funding for college more than ever.”

The state fair, held annually in Colum-

bia, featured drive-through exhibits and food vendors in lieu of rides and on-foot visitors in October 2020.

The scholarships must be used at an S.C. university, college or educational institution and may be used to cover tuition or other expenses including on-campus housing or supplies such as computers and textbooks.

Criteria include academic and extracurricular achievement, communication

skills and need.

Applications must be completed at scstatefair.org by March 15, and winners will be notified in mid-May. Recipients must retain a 3.0 GPA and enroll in no less than 30 credit hours each academic year.

Additional information is available on the fair’s website or by contacting Betsy Cooper at betsyc@scstatefair.org or 803799-3387, ext. 110.

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Helping South Carolina Companies Grow

SCMEP now offers SCMEP Online, a new online training portal specifically for manufacturers. We realize time is valuable and flexible online learning provides critical training in a wide array of operational disciplines.

Learn how SCMEP Online can streamline your training program by visiting SCMEP-ONLINE.org COLUMBIA 250 Berryhill Road, Suite 512 Columbia, SC 29210 (803) 252-6976

GREENVILLE 250 Executive Center Drive, Suite 200 Greenville, SC 29615 (864) 288-5687

SCMEP is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization affiliated with The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a network of more than 60 MEP centers across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

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March 1 - 14, 2021

Santee Cooper invests in future job skills, workers

By Teri Errico Griffis

L

without hot wires, practicing before they go out there,” Vreeland said.

“And then once they get those skills under their belt, they are able to go out with a mentor… As they gain those skills they move up in rank and are able to do more things. But that’s why it takes more time.”

The rewards for the company are just as significant, Firestone said. Apprenticeship Carolina’s program creates a pipeline of skilled workers and talent that’s loyal to the company.

Since 2007, participating organizations have grown from 90 to 1,107.

tgriffis@scbiznews.com

ike so many other companies that hire skilled labor, Santee Cooper is facing employment shortages as veterans retire out and there aren’t enough interested workers coming into the sector.

To help fill its line technician roles, the state-owned electric and water utility partnered with Apprentice Carolina to establish regular apprenticeship programs that will provide paid, on-the-job training.

There are already 13 apprentices enrolled.

By partnering with Apprenticeship Carolina, Santee Cooper’s three apprenticeship programs are registered with the U.S. Department of Labor and provide nationally recognized training standards The program lasts five years because of the education required in the high-tech and high-risk roles, and hiring happens each year, Tracy Vreeland, the company’s press relations specialist, said.

“It’s important that we have that workforce to keep that power on, to help us innovate and change as power supplies change and technology changes,” Vreeland said. “We need experts in all of those areas, especially our line techs. We need them to understand the technology and how things are changing so we can be flexible in the way that we produce and distribute power.”

Currently, Santee Cooper employs just under 1,700 people and supplies power for the entire state — though its direct serve customers are in Berkeley and Georgetown counties.

Apprenticeships are the perfect entry into a Santee Cooper career as enrollees receive controlled hands-on training and classroom instruction by company experts, some of whom have been with Santee Cooper more than 30 years, Vreeland said.

The holistic learning experience leads to productive employees and less turnover, something which Amy Firestone, vice president of Apprenticeship Carolina, said happens often in the industry.

The company makes a five-year commitment with each new group of hires, but Firestone said it’s an investment in local talent and a surefire way to grow promising and dedicated talent.

“Yes, it’s time that the company spends training, but that long-term return is significant,” Firestone said.

On average, employees who have completed a registered apprenticeship remain at a job 3.2 years longer than those who did not, according to an Apprenticeship Carolina Return on Investment study by the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business.

“It’s important that we have the workforce to keep that power on, to help us innovate and change as power supplies change and technology changes.”

Tracy Vreeland Santee Cooper press relations specialist

Santee Cooper has partnered with Apprenticeship Carolina to establish three apprenticeship programs to provide paid, on-the-job training. Thirteen applicants are already enrolled, the utility said. Santee Cooper employs around 1,700 workers in South Carolina. (Photo/Provided)

Additionally, for every $1 invested in apprenticeship training, South Carolina employers who were surveyed earned a $.41 return on investment.

The study surveyed 250 companies and discovered that from the time the apprentice is hired, it takes only five years for employers to realize a net positive return on investment.

“By the end of the program, they know their parts of the job, they know the company and they know the company is invested in them,” Firestone said. “That’s really what registered apprenticeship is about.”

Established in 2007, Apprenticeship Carolina is a division of the South Carolina Technical College System, which provides training opportunities for companies. Its role is to be the intermediary between the U.S. Department of Labor, the 16 technical colleges and all companies in the state.

Apprenticeship Carolina’s team of consultants work with companies to develop programs from start to finish and ensure

that they’re registered with the USDOL. Program specialists can then either help the companies implement their programs or serve as a resource for companies like Santee Cooper that may have had programs in the past, but need assistance maximizing and revitalizing them.

Back in 2015, Santee Cooper started its first apprenticeship program for IT roles, but there weren’t many people enrolled, Firestone said.

With Apprenticeship Carolina, the company created two more apprenticeships for line technicians and it’s since taken off with another four signees in early February.

In addition to the security of a job they are equipped for, apprentices of Santee Cooper’s registered program receive incremental wage increases as their skills and competencies grow throughout the training period.

They also receive a U.S. national credential from the USDOL stating they are proficient in this occupation.

“They’re out there learning the skills

In turn, individual participation has increased from 777 apprentices to more than 34,500.

And there’s no sign of slowing down.

Apprenticeship programs have proven to be so effective in the state, that as of February 10, there were 1,135 total programs across all industries — with onethird in healthcare, one-third in manufacturing and the last third scattered throughout energy, tourism, hospitality, automotive and more.

Firestone receives requests daily from companies who want to start an apprenticeship program or individuals who want to enter an apprenticeship. And that’s everywhere in the state, be it Kingstree or the Midlands, where she said there are 50 companies waiting in the wings to build a program.

In July 2020, Apprenticeship Carolina received nearly $11.5 million in funding from USDOL to support program expansion, both for youth and adult.

“We’re excited to work with companies around the state to help bring more opportunities through our grants.

“We’re able to offer tuition support and support of services, and all the staffing to help get the company set up and their programs implemented,” Firestone said.

Reach Teri Errico Griffis at 843-849-3144.

March 1 - 14, 2021

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 9

Weston Inc. expands Southeast portfolio with 3 properties

C

Staff Report

leveland-based industrial property owner and developer Weston Inc. has acquired three vacant industrial properties in the greater Columbia market, bringing its South Carolina portfolio to 45 properties totaling nearly 8 million square feet.

In February 2020, Weston purchased 5.5 million square feet of industrial assets in the 37-property Carolina Industrial Properties.

The 16-county, 57-tenant portfolio represented the largest single acquisition in South Carolina in at least 10 years, according to commercial real estate data provider CoStar, and was the largest transaction in Weston’s history.

The newly purchased properties, located at 6011 Shakespeare Road, 1030 Metso Way and 201 Metropolitan Drive, are part of the company’s plans to continue expanding its Southeast real estate portfolio, according to a news release from Colliers South Carolina, which represented Weston in the purchase.

“Weston’s bullish growth in South Carolina is telling of our commitment to strengthen our presence as a top industrial landlord in the state,” Tracy Green, Weston chief strategy officer, said in the release. “Our priority is to provide homes for businesses by finding solutions that create value. This could not be truer as we are navigating the hurdles of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We look forward to continuing to take a strategic approach to accommodating tenants through our partnership with Colliers’ brokerage and property management teams and with LCK as our project manager.”

Colliers’ Columbia industrial bro-

“Weston’s bullish growth in South Carolina is telling of our commitment to strengthen our presence as a top industrial landlord in the state.”

Tracy Green Weston chief strategy officer

A 239,015-square-foot manufacturing building at 1030 Metso Way in Columbia is one of three industrial properties in the greater Columbia market purchased by Weston Inc. The Cleveland-based industrial property owner and developer now owns 45 S.C. properties totaling nearly 8 million square feet. (Photo/Provided)

kerage team of Chuck Salley, Dave Mathews, Thomas Beard and John Peebles will continue to represent Weston’s Southeast Industrial Properties portfolio in the leasing and marketing of the properties.

Colliers’ real estate management team will provide property management services, with Thomas Scarborough managing 6011 Shakespeare Road and 1030 Metso Way and Grant Butler managing 201 Metropolitan Drive.

LCK Construction Services’ Dale Stigamier will serve as the project executive for management of capital improvements and tenant upfit projects, according to the relasee.

The 98,072-square-foot property at 6011 Shakespeare Road in Columbia includes 14 industrial, flex, office and storage buildings and was formerly occupied by SCANA Corp.’s gas operations.

The main building was formerly a

cross-dock truck terminal and is located near Interstate 20. Colliers facilitated a 14,497-square-foot lease with Incorp Industries to occupy two of the buildings. Five buildings and seven covered storage sheds totaling 83,575 square feet remain available for lease.

The 239,015-square-foot manufacturing building at 1030 Metso Way in Columbia features up to 40-foot clear heights, 10 truck doors, heavy power, a modern office, a paint booth and 12 heavy duty bridge cranes. The property was formerly owned and occupied by Metso Outotec USA and is currently for lease.

The 310,500-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse building at 201 Metropolitan Drive is located in West Columbia’s CAE Enterprise Park.

The property, formerly occupied by Japanese auto supplier Akebono Brake Corp., features up to 30-foot clear heights, 23 truck doors, 12 cranes and

heavy power.

Whaley Assemblage sells for $1.16 million

NAI Columbia’s Tombo Milliken, Tom Milliken and Nelson Weston III represented the estate of Baynard Whaley in the sale of approximately 100 acres of land near Hartsville.

The infill property includes five separate land tracts which sold for a combined $1.16 million.

“We were proud to have assisted our client in the sale of these land tracts,” said Tombo Milliken, NAI Columbia senior broker and principal.

“The new owners include investors, developers and neighbors looking to either build a new residence or preserve the property.”

The 100 acres that make up the Whaley Assemblage are situated along one mile of road frontage on Forest Drive, Trailwood Drive and Golf Course Road.

The property features a house overlooking a six-acre pond and is near Hartsville Country Club and Sonoco Products Co.

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March 1 - 14, 2021

Food Lion president looks forward to being in the neighborhood

By Ross Norton

F

rnorton@scbiznews.com

ormer Bi-Lo stores across South Carolina have begun the transition to Food Lions amid an ongoing health crisis that has magnified local grocers’ importance, the president of the Salisbury, N.C.-based chain says.

Meg Ham, president of Food Lion since 2014, said the COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the role neighborhood grocery stores play in the life of a community, and her company is glad to be expanding to place where it can, as she put it, “nourish the community.”

Food Lion bought 62 former Bi-Lo and Harveys Supermarkets in the Carolinas and Georgia in a deal that is being carried out one store at a time.

After continuing to operate under their old banners, the stores close for two days to reset before opening as Food Lion.

“For us it is a really great opportunity at Food Lion to be able to grow our footprint in areas where we have a great belief that our brand will resonate with customers,” she said. “So it’s a great opportunity to continue to expand our footprint. We are always looking for those opportunities and this one happened to come up, and we are thrilled to have opened 11 of those stores already with more of them to come.”

If plans remain on schedule, she said stores will open every week until the middle or end of April when the last of them hangs the Food Lion signage. She said customers will find a grocer tied closely to the community.

“Food Lion is known to be a neighborhood grocer and we offer clean stores, fresh products with great prices, and we do so with an atmosphere and a culture of care and one that builds around the towns and cities we operate in,” she said.

“We believe that we are a part of our communities when we go into these

Former Bi-Lo stores across South Carolina have begun the transition to Food Lion properties. Salisbury, N.C.based Food Lion bought 62 Bi-Lo and Harveys Supermarkets in the Carolinas and Georgia, including stores on Devine Street in Columbia and Knox Abbott Drive in Cayce. (Photo/Provided)

stores and we serve our neighbors, and I think the combination of all of that is a winning proposition for these towns and cities.”

Former Bi-Los that have become Food Lions in the Midlands include a Cayce location on Knox Abbott Drive and the former Gamecock Bi-Lo on Devine Street.

The pandemic has been an opportunity for grocery stores to demonstrate their community commitment, Ham said.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to be an important neighbor,” she said.

“That combination makes us an important neighbor.

“That’s how we think about it: we’re

an important neighbor; we’re a trusted neighbor that offers some pretty darn important essentials. And along with that we an offer a little hope and a little care as well.”

As each store opens, it is partnering with a nearby food bank, providing an immediate gift while fostering an ongoing relationship that involves volunteer hours.

“Food insecurity is a very important platform for us,” Ham said.

“We provide them food rescue on a regular basis in addition to a regular partnership and volunteer opportunities. … As you talk about heroes, I would say those who work inside food banks and

in food distribution networks for our food-insecure neighbors have done yeoman’s work as well.

“And we are passionate about partnering with them.”

Food Lion delivers those efforts through Food Lion Feeds, the retailer’s hunger-relief initiative.

The retailer donated $1,500 in Food Lion gift cards and financial donations to Miracle Hill, an agency of Harvest Hope Food Bank, when the first Upstate Bi-Lo reopened as a Food Lion on Feb. 3 in Simpsonville.

The agency will also regularly receive food from the new store to distribute to neighbors in need through Food Lion Feeds’ food rescue program, which has donated the equivalent of more than 750 million meals to local hunger relief organizations across Food Lion’s footprint since 2014.

The company goal is to donate 1 billion meals by 2025.

Ham said the work of Food Lion employees is important, whether their hours are volunteered or paid.

“We have 77,000 associates across our organization who know and believe they do important work every day in nourishing families and setting up for success in life, and we have done our best to ensure their safety,” she said.

“Make no mistake about it, we nourish families, and we believe that is an important role that we play in our towns and cities, and our associates who are in our stores feel they are doing good work to be able to do that.”

Food Lion is based in Salisbury, N.C., and has more than 1,000 stores in 10 states.

Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize.

Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222 or @ RossNorton13 on Twitter.

SC Housing launches rental and mortgage assistance program

S

Staff Report

C Housing has launched a $25 million rental and mortgage assistance program designed to help residents facing financial hardship because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Qualified applicants for the SC Stay program may receive up to $7,500 for six consecutive months of short-term rental and mortgage assistance, according to a news release.

The funds may be used for back rent to February 2020 and/or for future rent payments.

Assistance is available to families or individuals who certify their income is at or below 80% of county median income requirements and demonstrate that they are unable to pay part or all of their rent or mortgage, or are behind on those payments, because of circumstances stemming from COVID-19.

Applicants must also have landlords or lenders confirm their past-due status and be willing to accept payment on their behalf.

“Affordable, safe and decent housing is a basic human need, and never has that been made more clear than during this

COVID-19 pandemic,” Bonita Shropshire, executive director of SC Housing, said in the release.

“We know that tens of thousands of South Carolinians have and continue to be impacted by this health and financial crisis.

“Our hope is that this assistance will help more people remain in their homes during this critical time.”

To begin the application process, visit http://scstay.org or call 833-985-2929.

Following an initial screening, one of SC Housing’s contract processing agencies will reach out to applicants to complete

the process.

Applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis until program funding is exhausted.

The program is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program – Coronavirus funds and is part of the CARES Act. The S.C. Department of Commerce distributes the federal funds and requested that SC Housing serve as the lead agency for rental and mortgage assistance payments for residents affected by COVID-19, according to the release.

March 1 - 14, 2021

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 11

More than 2,000 BMWs produced at the Greer plant are staged at the Columbus Street Terminal at the Port of Charleston. (Photo/Provided)

BMW Plant Spartanburg sees highest hybrid sales yet

By Molly Hulsey

I

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

n the race toward electrification, BMW Manufacturing and its suppliers are revving up for the long haul.

Despite a five-week shutdown last spring, the company produced more plug-in hybrid variants of the BMW X3 xDrive 30e and X5Drive45e than any prior year after the plant expanded its battery assembly hall in 2019, a plant spokesperson told GSA Business Report.

“About two years ago, we added automated battery installation equipment in both of our assembly halls in anticipation of the growing popularity of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles,” Sky Foster, department manager of BMW Corporate Communications, said in an email.

“The BMW X3 and X5 are the plant’s two most popular models, so it makes sense that the plug-in hybrid versions of those two models would be well received.

“We also doubled capacity in Plant Spartanburg’s battery assembly hall in 2019 when production of the new BMW X3 plug-in hybrid joined production of the new BMW X5’s plug-in hybrid.”

The total 22,964 X3 and 24,248 X5 made-to-order hybrids added up to 13% of the plant’s total production last year, which reached 361,365 vehi-

cles total, according to a news release.

About 90,000 plug-in hybrids have rolled out of Plant Spartanburg since 2014 as the X3 became the first BMW model to offer diesel, petrol, plug-in hybrid and pure electric drive train elements last year.

For the seventh year in a row, BMW Manufacturing was the country’s largest exporter in terms of value of exported vehicles, according to Commerce Department data, after it shipped $8.9 billion worth of vehicles through five Southeastern ports and by rail to customers abroad.

On Feb. 22, BMW broke ground on a 67,000-square-foot training center on its campus as part of the company’s five-year $200 million investment into workforce training.

The fully electric BMW iX3, launched in China last October, and BMW i4, set to debut in Munich this year, are the next lines ramping up on the global stage.

According to a 2019 corporate announcement, production of the electrified i3, launched eight years ago in Germany, will also extend until 2024, fueling the company’s electrification goal.

According to Foster, the BMW Group aims for a 50% increase of electric car sales, including hybrid models, in 2021, based on their popularity in 2020.

“The continued expansion of the BMW Group’s electrified model range will include 25 electrified vehicles by

“The BMW X3 and X5 are the plant’s two most popular models, so it makes sense that the plug-in hybrid versions of those two models would be well received.”

Sky Foster BMW Corporate Communications department manager

2023,” she said.

“More than half of the 25 models will be fully electric.”

The company expects up to 25% of all global sales to go electric by 2024.

“The BMW Group continues advancing its model offensive of electrified vehicles,” she said in an email. “Electromobility is becoming a key driver of sustainable growth for the company.”

Since ZF received what CEO Wolf-Henning Scheider touted as the biggest single order in the company’s history from BMW for its eight-speed automatic transmission line in 2019, all eyes have been on Plant Spartanburg and ZF’s Gray Court facility, where U.S. production is set to take place.

BMW penned the deal, worth billions of euros, thanks to the technology’s ability to be used in both hybrid and conventional vehicles, according to the announcement, which made in February.

Announced “after winning several major orders in the passenger car segment,” ZF invested $200 million at its Gray Court Plant to prepare for

the production of its PowerLine eightspeed automatic transmission.

The production line will exclusively serve North American OEMs once it is completed in 2023.

PowerLine transmission is geared for use in medium-duty tractor-trailers, buses, coaches, pickup trucks, and later, electric vehicles.

“Thanks to PowerLine’s versatile technology, we can now build on its success also in the commercial vehicle segment,” Wilhelm Rehm, a member of ZF’s management board, said in the news release.

“Following Europe and China, our commercial vehicle transmissions are now also present in the important North American market. Orders like this contribute to generating the revenue we need to invest in future-oriented technology and the transformation of our company.”

BMW’s Plant Spartanburg declined to comment on the ZF order.

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

12

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March 1 - 14, 2021

THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE SC BIZ NEWS FAMILY What’s new on SCBIZtv this week?

Check us out on YouTube. With more than 100 archived videos (and counting), you’ll find a wide variety of businessrelated content, including: Virtual awards shows, Power Events, interviews with high-level business executives and several ongoing video series, including Coffee With…, 120 Seconds, Industry Trends and Coping with Covid.

Here’s just a taste of what you’ll find on SCBIZtv this week

VIRTUAL AWARDS SHOWS

120 SECONDS

COFFEE WITH…

COPING WITH COVID

From Women of Influence in the Upstate to Forty Under 40 in the Lowcountry to Icons and Phenoms in the Midlands, you’re sure to find executives you know being honored in a variety of ways.

Business executives sharing insight about their business, the industry in which they work and the community in which they live.

CEOs answering as many questions as they can in two minutes. You’ll definitely learn something personal about the executive and get a thoughtful answer on a serious topic to boot.

Explores the impact the Coronavirus is having on our daily lives, both at home and at the office.

This is just a sampling of what you’ll find on SCBIZtv. Check us out on YouTube to find a complete library of archived videos.

In Focus

NEXT ISSUE’S FOCUS:

HEALTH CARE LISTS: Hospitals, Page 14 | Retirement Communities, Page 15

Education & Workforce Development

Program loans wheelchairs to S.C. residents awaiting new ones

By Melinda Waldrop

T

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

he COVID-19 pandemic has spawned a myriad of health concerns, but one local organization is working to make sure that mobility is not one of them.

The S.C. Assistive Technology Program, part of the Center for Disability Resources at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, recently received a $74,542 grant from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. The foundation’s High Impact Assistive Technology grant funded the purchase of six wheelchairs that S.C. Assistive Technology will make available to individuals awaiting delivery of new personal

mobility equipment.

“This has been an identified need that we’ve been aware of,” Carol Page, S.C. Assistive Technology Program director, said. “One of the things we do on a daily basis is take in gently used equipment and then get that back into the community after we sanitize it. We give that equipment away. So we have gotten these requests in the past, just people frustrated that they get fitted for a wheelchair but then they have to wait until they actually get the wheelchair after it’s been ordered, and there’s this time when they need something and it’s not available to them.”

The wheelchairs — three manual and three power — will be made available for up to six weeks. There

is no fee for the wheelchair loan, fitting or delivery, and no insurance requirements have to be met, Page said.

“This is for people all across South Carolina,” she said. “The vendor we’re working with, which is National Seating and Mobility, they would be able to deliver a wheelchair anywhere in South Carolina and get it fitted to the person for their use during the short period of time.”

The Reeve Foundation’s National Paralysis Resource Center awards one-year Quality of Life grants in various categories for assistive technology devices or services that increase the independence of people living with paralysis, their family members and caregivers. Four grants

totaling $299,542 were awarded in December 2020.

Since the program’s inception in 1999, more than 3,250 grants totaling more than $30 million have been awarded.

“In every way imaginable, 2020 has been a very difficult year for the organizations we support and those living with paralysis that we serve,” Mark Bogosian, director of the foundation’s Quality of Life grants program, said in a news release. “It is my deepest hope that these high-impact, innovative projects and the assistive technology they deliver will alleviate some of those difficulties that many within our population have See WHEELCHAIRS, Page 15

14

www.columbiabusinessreport.com

IN FOCUS: HEALTH CARE

March 1 - 14, 2021

LEP, from Page 1

“We’re really focused on creating what we call cultural hubs, where we look at populations by geographies and create a health community engagement program (of) education, awareness, support with care coordination,” Giovanis said. “This is one of the biggest drivers that’s been proven to reduce health care costs nationally over the last few years as companies have understood have important it is to engage members in English or in whatever language and help them to be more advocates for their own health.”

United Language Group offers options for keeping LEP people engaged in health care such as provider phone support in specific languages and interKatz preters who work regularly with one provider to schedule appointments with, for instance, the members of Detroit’s 200,000-strong Arabic-speaking population.

United Language Group’s data shows that popGiovanis ulation is within a five-mile radius, and it has deployed 17 resources in the region.

“Think about how difficult it might be to call a phone number that’s not set up in your language and to try to navigate a menu and understand where to go next,” said Abigail Katz, director of Health Outcomes Solutions. “We know that when that happens, there is a high disconnection rate. … The trust that’s built by having someone answer the phone in your language absolutely creates not only a more efficient experience but also just one that is going to engage the patient and hopefully position them to receive the right type of care.”

The benefits of such increased engagement benefit health care systems, as well.

A study published in 2017 by the American Public Health Association attempted to measure the effect of providing interpreter services to patients less than 50 years of age discharged from an academic hospital between Jan. 15, 2007 and Jan. 15, 2010. From July 15, 2008 until March 14, 2009, a dual-handset interpreter telephone was available at every bedside.

During the eight-month intervention period, readmission rates for LEP patients decreased from 17.8% to 13.4%, while readmission rates for English-proficient patients increased from 16.7% to 19.7% during the same time period. After accounting for interpreter service costs, the estimated 119 averted readmissions accounted for around $161,404 savings per month for the hospital, the study found.

Illustration/File

“Think about how difficult it might be to call a phone number that’s not set up in your language and to try to navigate a menu and understand where to go next. We know that when that happens, there is a high disconnection rate.”

Abigail Katz Director, Health Outcomes Solutions

“The most complex and costly group of people in the nation we call the duals — dual Medicaid and Medicare,” Giovanis said. “Twenty percent of them are limited English proficient. It’s not only a social issue and a health care issue, it’s also a cost issue. This population just costs health care organizations much more because they don’t engage as much in proactive health care. They’re not as big of advocates for themselves. They don’t understand the tools to use necessarily, so they end up back in emergency room a lot faster than an English-speaking patient.”

Community outreach can help mitigate those costs, research shows. A February 2020 study found that every dollar invested annually by Medicaid on patients receiving support from the University of Pennsylvania’s community health worker program resulted in a $2.47 return on investment, with the savings stemming from reduced hospitalizations. That program addresses needs such as housing and food insecurity and transportation needs in underserved populations.

United Language Group’s vaccine equity program focuses on building trust within LEP communities, providing content in their languages and making sure community stakeholder engagement is achieved. Phone lines featuring frequently asked questions are provided, as well as on-site interpreting services, and follow-up is conducted to schedule second appointments or to contact those who don’t show up for their first shots.

“We’ve engaged several provider groups and we’re starting to get some pharmacy networks. They’re recogniz-

ing what a huge challenge it is to gain the trust,” Giovanis said. “There’s a trust issue within those populations, and that population makes up a significant part of what you consider the essential workforce — people that do food production, assembly lines at processing plants.”

In Minnesota, where United Language Group is based, participants enroll in a vaccine program and are called when they’re eligible.

“It’s only in English,” Giovanis said.

“In Minneapolis, over 20% of the population doesn’t speak English. You’re leaving out a significant portion of the population, whereas if that content was translated into five or six languages, it would make it more accessible for at least 90% of the population.”

In states with larger LEP populations, more resources are usually available to address disparities, Giovanis said. In states such as South Carolina, with nearly 320,000 people, or 7%, of the state’s population who speak a language other than English at home according to the 2010 census, meeting those needs can be more challenging.

“If you’re in California, this is a daily issue, a daily challenge, but you’re being supported by more resources. There’s a larger community that has actually engaged,” she said. “What we’re seeing is there’s a real disparity in the states that haven’t had the big (LEP) populations because they haven’t had to learn healthier systems. The pandemic has put a massive spotlight on how big those disparities are.”

Katz said much of the work being done by the Health Outcomes Solutions

division is too new to be quantified with hard data, but surveys and anecdotal snapshots show the outreach is working.

“When we follow the lead of the stakeholders in the community and we offer our services in a way that reaches those in the community, it’s a mutually satisfactory experience,” she said. “We know that the community is happy to know who the experts in health are.

They’ve got folks to go to for anything from transportation assistance to health education on tobacco cessation to the best place to go get blood drawn.

“We hear from surveys and anecdotal reports great success at the local level. …

The idea is that if we do our job right that we’re a long-term partner with stakeholders in the community and we will see those outcomes integrated with the communal health surveillance and profiles over time.”

That’s the ultimate goal: creating a post-pandemic environment where LEP and other underrepresented populations face less barriers to the health care that can improve their quality of life and costs to health care providers are reduced.

“We’ve always worked in this world, and our Health Outcome Solutions is a fairly new arm, but we’ve been working with health care for a long time and really trying to support LEP populations,” Giovanis said. “It was just eye-opening to see the disparity in health equity within LEP populations as well as the African-American population, any minority population. It’s just shocking to see that.

It’s just played out on a world stage these past nine months, almost a year.

“We kept trying to talk about with our providers and payer clients about health equity. It’s not that it was minimized, it was just not as big of an issue. … It’s been eye-opening for our clients on the provider/payer side. It just played out in real time what we’ve been really positioning toward for the last couple of years in a very unfortunate way.”

Reach Melinda Waldrop at 803-726-7542.

IN FOCUS: HEALTH CARE

March 1 - 14, 2021

WHEELCHAIRS, from Page 13

faced and will continue to face. These are promising endeavors being carried out by great leaders in our field. I have great faith in their success.”

In 2018, S.C. Assistive Technology received a $74,000 grant from the foundation to use in its eye gaze communication solutions project, aimed at improving the communication abilities of individuals with paralysis, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, ALS and cerebral palsy.

S.C. Assistive Technology made its first wheelchair loan in February, Page said, with two other people slated to

receive a wheelchair by the end of the month.

“We’ve already got this in motion,” she said. “It goes for a whole year, the grant period. But then we’ll be offering these wheelchairs for loan after the grant period as well. It’s not going away when the grant period is over. That’s the beauty of the Christopher Reeve grant. You get equipment that you’ll be able to use after the grant period is over.”

Those in need of a wheelchair can contact S.C. Assistive Technology at 803-935-5263.

The program serves those in need of a replacement wheelchair as well as

those ordering one for the first time.

“We have professionals who fit people for wheelchairs every day,” Page said. “They are the ones actually delivering the wheelchairs to people, making sure that it’s set up just for them, making those adjustments, and then the person can have it up to six weeks.

If they call us at the end of the six weeks and say I need it for one more week, we’re definitely going to let that stay for another week.

“We’re just going to be flexible with what the person needs. … The batteries might need to replaced or they’re not holding a charge anymore. All kinds of things could be going on.”

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 15

The wheelchairs are sized for adults, Page said.

While the life of a wheelchair varies, most users can expect to use one for around five years.

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation was founded by actor Christopher Reeve, best known for his role as Superman, and wife Dana after Reeve was paralyzed in a 1995 equestrian accident. The foundation supports spinal cord injury research and works to improve the quality of life of individuals and families affected by paralysis.

Reach Melinda Waldrop at 803-726-7542.

Lexington Medical Center accepting internship applications

S

Staff Report

tudents in Richland and Lexington counties who are interested in health care careers can apply now for Lexington Medical Center’s 2021 Partners Program summer internship.

The internship involves two rotations through a variety of clinical areas and information about fields including radio-

logic technologist, physical therapist, surgical technologist, nursing and administration.

Two sessions will be held, from July 5-16 and July 19-30, with core hours from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students will also participate in interactive workshops and field trips.

Students must live and attend school

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For advertising information, contact Lucia Smith at (803) 726-7547 or lsmith@scbiznews.com

in Richland or Lexington County, be a rising high school junior or senior and have at least a 2.5 GPA. Participants must commit to attending the entire two-week program and provide their own transportation to and from Lexington Medical Center.

Participating seniors will be eligible to apply for a $1,000 scholarship during the Partners Program, which is has offered

for more than 20 years through the Lexington Medical Center Foundation.

Applications are due March 19. To apply, visit LexMed.com and search for “Summer Health Careers Work Study.”

Email questions to partners@lexhealth. org.

Participating seniors will be eligible to apply for a $1,000 scholarship during the program.

16

IN FOCUS: HEALTH CARE

www.columbiabusinessreport.com

March 1 - 14, 2021

Hospitals

Ranked by No. of Licesned Beds Phone / Website / Email

Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded

Licensed Beds

Active Staff Physicians / Registered Nurses

803-434-7000 www.prismahealth.org

Mark S. O'Halla 2017

1,352

-

G. Werber Bryan Psychiatric Hospital 220 Faison Drive Columbia, SC 29203

803-935-7143 stuart.shields@scdmh.org

Stuart Shields 1978

530

-

Lexington Medical Center 2720 Sunset Blvd.

West Columbia, SC 29169

803-791-2000 www.lexmed.com taugsburger@lexmed.com

Tod Augsburger 1971

508

573 1,400

Providence Health 2 2435 Forest Drive Columbia, SC 29204

803-256-5300 www.yourprovidencehealth.com terry.gunn@providencehospitals.com

Terry Gunn 1938

332

422 595

Regional Medical Center of Orangeburg & Calhoun Counties 3000 St. Matthews Road Orangeburg, SC 29118

803-395-2200 www.trmchealth.org mwhisenhunt@regmed.com

Charles E. Williams 1919

286

-

Columbia VA Health Care System 6439 Garners Ferry Road Columbia, SC 29209

803-776-4000 www.columbiasc.va.gov vhacmsdornpa@va.gov

Jeffrey Soots 1932

204

-

Morris Village 610 Faison Drive Columbia, SC 29203

803-935-7100 www.state.sc.us/dmh/morris_village george.mcconnell@scdmh.org

George McConnell 1975

174

-

803-935-0505 www.wellpath.us rlawrenz@wellpath.us

Ronald Lawrenz 1998

145

4 52

Three Rivers Behavioral Health 2900 Sunset Blvd.

West Columbia, SC 29169

803-796-9911 www.psysolutions.com shannon.marcus@uhsinc.com

Shannon Marcus 2000

122

-

KershawHealth 1315 Roberts St. Camden, SC 29020

803-432-4311 www.kershawhealth.org sheheen@kershawhealth.org

Sue Campbell Shugart 1913

119

-

Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Columbia 2935 Colonial Drive Columbia, SC 29203

803-254-7777 www.healthsouthcolumbia.com chris.daughtry@encompasshealth.com

Chris Daughtry 1989

96

-

Newberry County Memorial Hospital 2669 Kinard St. Newberry, SC 29108

803-276-7570 www.newberryhospital.org info@newberryhospital.net

Bruce Baldwin 1925

90

23 109

Gilliam Psychiatric Hospital - S.C. Department of Corrections 4344 Broad River Road Columbia, SC 29210

803-896-8597 drake.james@doc.state.sc.us

James Stoney Drake 1984

82

-

ContinueCare Hospital at Palmetto Health Baptist Taylor St. at Marion St. Columbia, SC 29220

803-296-3701 www.continuecare.org/palmetto dbest01@continuecare.net

Wayne Boutwell 1998

35

-

S.C. Vocational Rehabilitation Evaluation Center 1400 Boston Ave. West Columbia, SC 29170

803-896-6040 acato@scvrd.net

Alison Cato 1923

30

-

Kirkland Correctional Institution Infirmary 4344 Broad River Road Columbia, SC 29210

803-896-8567

Daniel Mullins 1975

24

-

William J. McCord Adolescent Treatment Facility 910 Cook Road Orangeburg, SC 29118

803-534-2328 www.tccada.com mdennis@tccada.state.sc.us

Mike Dennis 1993

15

1 7

Willow Lane Infirmary 4650 Broad River Road Columbia, SC 29210

803-896-9461 patave@scdjj.net

Patrick Tavella 1966

8

-

Company Prisma Health-Midlands 1301 Taylor St., Suite 9A Columbia, SC 29201

1

Correct Care of South Carolina 7901 Farrow Road Columbia, SC 29203

• • •

3

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 Prisma Health Baptist, Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge, Prisma Health Richland and Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital 2 Additional location includes Providence Health - Northeast 3 Additional location includes S.C. Sexually Violent Predator Treatment Program

Source: South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control, Oct. 2, 2020 Researched by Business Report staff

IN FOCUS: HEALTH CARE

March 1 - 14, 2021

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 17

Retirement Communities & Senior Centers In the Columbia Area, Listed Alphabetically Antioch Senior Center 5715 Koon Road Columbia, SC 29203 803-754-0005

Carroll Campbell Place 802 Old Cherokee Road Lexington, SC 29072 803-359-5181

Jenni-Lynn Premier Senior Living 915 Hook Ave. West Columbia, SC 29169 803-926-8600

Oakleaf Village of Lexington 800 N. Lake Drive Lexington, SC 29072 803-808-3477

Tyler Rest More Home 1681 Broughton St. Orangeburg, SC 29115 803-536-0740

Atria Forest Lake 4405 Forest Drive Columbia, SC 29206 803-567-5854

Cedarwood Villa 700 Cedarwood Court Bowman, SC 29018 803-829-2201

Laurel Crest 100 Joseph Walker Drive West Columbia, SC 29169 803-796-0370

The Palmettos of Parklane 7811 Parklane Road Columbia, SC 29223 803-741-7233

Tyler Rest More Home 2 195 Sellers Ave. Orangeburg, SC 29115 803-531-2074

Baker Senior Center 311 Main St. Whitmire, SC 29178 803-924-5470

Columbia Presbyterian Retirement Community 700 DaVega Drive Lexington, SC 29073 803-796-8700

Lexington Place 190 McSwain Drive West Columbia, SC 29169 803-998-2528

Rice Estate 100 Finley Road Columbia, SC 29201 803-691-5720

Waldrop Senior Center 1300 Hunt St. Newberry, SC 29108 803-276-8266

Midlands Health and Rehabilitation Center 1007 N. Kings St. Columbia, SC 29223 803-699-4111

Ridgeway Manor Healthcare Center 117 Bellfield Road Ridgeway, SC 29130 803-337-2257

Wellmore of Lexington 200 Wellmore Dr. Lexington, SC 29072 803-520-1200

Morningside of Camden 719 Kershaw Highway Camden, SC 29020 864-388-9433

Sedgewood Manor Healthcare Center 1645 Ridge Road Hopkins, SC 29061 803-776-3873

The Blake at Woodcreek Farms 385 Spears Creek Church Road Elgin, SC 29045 803-828-7370 Blue Ridge Healthcare Sumter 1761 Pinewood Road Sumter, SC 29154 803-481-8591 Brian Center Nursing Care St. Andrews 3514 Sidney Road Columbia, SC 29210 803-798-9715 Brookdale Columbia 251 Springtree Drive Columbia, SC 29223 803-741-2600 Brookdale Harbison 51 Woodcross Drive Columbia, SC 29212 803-732-0300 Brookdale-Senior Living Solutions 190 McSwain Drive West Columbia, SC 29169 803-220-0163 Brookdale Sumter 1180 Wilson Hall Road Sumter, SC 29150 803-469-4508 Calhoun Convalescent Center 601 Dantzler St. St. Matthews, SC 29135 803-655-7101

Deepwood Estates 203 Old Chapin Road Lexington, SC 29072 803-828-0037 Family Residential Care Home LLC 21-25 Edwards St. Sumter, SC 29150 803-775-9555 Gardens at Sumter 2065 McCrays Mill Road Sumter, SC 29154 803-778-9690 The Harmony Collection at Columbia 2300 Clemson Road Columbia, SC 29229 803-764-9998 The Haven in the Summit 3 Summit Terrace Columbia, SC 29229 803-788-4633 Heartland of Columbia Rehabilitation & Nursing Center 2601 Forest Drive Columbia, SC 29204 803-256-4983 The Heritage at Lowman 2101 Dutch Fork Road Chapin, SC 29036 803-732-8800 Holiday Retirement Forest Pines 1720 Devonshire Drive Columbia, SC 29204 803-897-8001

Morningside of Lexington 218 Old Chapin Road Lexington, SC 29072 803-957-3600 Morningside of Orangeburg 2306 Riverbank Drive Orangeburg, SC 29118 803-539-2911 Morningside of Sumter 2500 Lin-Do Court Sumter, SC 29150 803-469-4490 NHC HealthCare Lexington 2993 Sunset Blvd.

West Columbia, SC 29169 803-939-0026 NHC HealthCare Parklane 7601 Parklane Road Columbia, SC 29223 803-741-9090 NHC HealthCare Sumter 1018 N. Guignard Drive Sumter, SC 29150 803-773-5567

Sen. Isadore E. Lourie Center 1650 Park Circle Columbia, SC 29201 803-779-1971 Springfield Place/J.F. Hawkins Nursing Home 2000 Springfield Circle Newberry, SC 29108 803-405-1585 Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community 1 Still Hopes Drive West Columbia, SC 29169 803-739-5040 Sumter East Health and Rehabilitation Center 880 Carolina Ave. Sumter, SC 29150 803-775-5394

White Oak Manor Columbia 3001 Beechaven Road Columbia, SC 29240 803-782-4363 White Oak Manor Newberry 2555 Kinard St. Newberry, SC 29108 803-276-6060 Wildewood Downs Retirement Community 731 Polo Road Columbia, SC 29223 803-630-3263 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 Report staff.

Twilite Manor Adult Residential Care 2306 Forrest St. Cayce, SC 29033 803-794-7561

www.ColumbiaBusinessReport.com

18

www.columbiabusinessreport.com

IN FOCUS: HEALTH CARE

March 1 - 14, 2021

SCBIO CEO Sam Konduros (at podium) speaks to reporters before Vikor Scientific’s announcement of a partnership with California-based Quantgene Inc. in Greenville last month. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)

S.C. to become hub for cancer-preventative testing

By Molly Hulsey

S

mhusley@scbiznews.com

tarting this March, a South Carolina lab will become ground zero for a preventative test that can detect cancer-causing mutations, risks or tumors in advance through a quick blood sample taken at home or a physician’s office.

S.C. life science organization SCBio and the Charleston Regional Development Alliance linked together Charleston’s Vikor Scientific and California’s Quantgene Inc. when the West Coast company was on the hunt for a lab that could commercialize its AI and genomic-powered preventative care program, Serenity.

Serenity puts to task a deep genomic sequence process that covers 20,000 genes in combination with the disease, medication and lifestyle risks that could contribute to multiple variations of cancer. Along with the blood test, or “liquid biopsy,” it can detect cancerous mutations in the blood, according to Vikor Scientific co-founder Shea Harrelson.

“What this means is that we can detect cancer early enough so that patients don’t have to resort to chemotherapy,” she said during a virtual meeting at SC BIO’s national conference on Feb 17. “They may have options for immunotherapy or aggressive preventative strategies or even incisional therapy.”

Patient-specific health profiles covering personal and family history, as well as lifestyle choices, will inform analysts on how additional risks may contribute to a patient’s likelihood of developing early-stage cancer, thus prompting preventative care.

“With Serenity, we are first-to-market in combining liquid biopsy cancer detection with whole exome sequencing and advanced medical intelligence,” Johannes Bhakdi, founder and CEO of Quantgene, said in a news release. “We hope to unlock a new era in medicine in which trained physicians can detect multiple cancers at early stages in the blood with single molecule precision. Serenity brings genomic technologies to patients within an innovative system of preventative care that we believe will set a new standard in patient-centered personalized medicine.

We are excited to take this important step with our partners at Vikor Scientific.”

Vikor Scientific, a hub for medical testing, will process test results in collaboration with Serenity’s proprietary cloud for both individual end-users and health care professionals.

The South Carolina company will launch its public awareness and physician education campaigns alongside the concierge-product release on March 1, according to Scotty Branch, co-founder of Vikor Scientific, and will soon build out its current location in Charleston.

“Our number one goal is to educate

physicians throughout the country, which is what we do best,” Branch told GSA Business Report, adding that the team is working to get insurance companies on board with the treatment program now.

“Until then, the liquid biopsy, or the early detection portion, will be on a concierge or cash-paid basis,” he said.

Vikor Scientific will conduct whole exome sequencing and send that information to the Serenity cloud for both physicians and individual consumers, potentially for a variety of uses.

While existing genetic tests on the market like those sold by 23 and Me may be able to offer a surface level detection of certain cancer-causing genetic variations in a patient, Serenity takes genomic testing to the next step of preventative treatment, the company said.

“Genetic mutations only play a role in about 5% to 10% of cancer,” Harrelson said. “So, there’s about 90-95% of cancers that don’t have genetic mutations, and without that, you still have a lot of familial cancers.

“And more people die from cancer than heart disease or automobile accidents, so this liquid biopsy test will be very important, because if patients have put stress on their body or smoke or other risk factors that can increase their chance for cancer, this liquid biopsy test is pretty painless and a great screening tool for this and other cancers that …, like pancreatic cancer. We often don’t find out about pan-

creatic cancer until stage three or four.”

Taking into account detected at-risk genetic variations, the Vikor-Quantgene team will analyze additional risks for early stages of cancer through the liquid biopsy test, in lieu of more invasive measures, which can detect whether nascent tumors are forming in the body.

“It’s a great continuum of care,” he added. The test analysis could then be used, in tandem with additional data, to launch preventative treatment and care.

“We need to use liquid biopsy as part of an annual or bi-annual screening,” Branch said.

After a Vikor Scientific Board meeting on Feb. 15, Branch said 99% of the plans for the facility buildout have been nailed down. The full announcement will come when the company approves the final portion of its development strategy.

“This is an amazing announcement for South Carolina and for economic development, where we are going to build out at our location at 22 West Edge, where Vikor’s location is currently,” he said.

The company will start small with 10 to 20 new employees and scale up from there.

“That is exciting news that a corporate hub would be located here in Charleston’s West Edge Medical Innovation District,” Branch said.

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

March 1 - 14, 2021

IN FOCUS: HEALTH CARE

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 19

Prisma to offer transplants, possibly this year

By Ross Norton

P

rnorton@scbiznews.com

risma Health is launching an organ transplant program to serve the Upstate and Midlands.

Prisma Health CEO Mark O’Halla said in a Feb. 4 news conference that development is already underway and Dr. Todd Merchen has been hired to head up the new program.

Kidney transplants could take place at Prisma Health before the year is over, he said.

O’Halla said the size of Prisma Health — which serves 1.2 million patients in the state — makes the program viable. There is also a significant need, he said. More than 100 kidney transplants took place last year in the Upsate and Midlands, with one of every three patients leaving the state to find care.

“Our goal is to provide critically ill patient with lifesaving transplants in the areas closer to where they live and to respond to the rising need for transplants across the communities we serve,” O’Halla said. Moving forward, he said other solid organ transplants may be offered, such as transplants of pancreas and liver.

Dr. Will Cobb, chair of surgery for Prisma Health, cited his father’s out-ofstate transplant 15 years ago as his family’s personal example of the additional burden required to travel for transplant surgery.

“It’s important to point out that the care of a transplant patient is quite labor intensive,” he said. “It requires significant ongoing care, not only for the initial screening process but also for the follow-up care after successful transplant surgery. Now, having this ability to offer kidney transplants close to home will help ease the burden felt by our patients and their families.”

Prisma Healh is launching an organ transplant program to serve the Midlands and the Upstate. Kidney transplants could begin at Prisma Health before the year is over, the head of the program said. Prisma Health CEO Mark O’Halla said more than 100 kidney transplants took place in the Midlands and the Upstate last year. In the U.S., more than 119,000 people are currently on the organ transplant list, with more than 99,000 waiting for a kidney transplant. (Photo/File)

In the United States, more than 119,000 people are currently on the organ transplant list with more than 99,000 of those waiting for kidney transplants, said a Prisma Health news release citing the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

According to the network, the number of kidney transplants is up 7% nationally.

In 2019, 22,641 adult kidney transplants were performed across the country, up from 21,159 in 2018. There were 277 kidney transplants in South Carolina in 2019, up from 234 in 2018 — an increase of more than 18%.

Prisma Health has also seen an increase in virtual health care tied to the COVID19 pandemic as patients and health care providers have more widely accepted the technology as an alternative to risking exposure during office visits.

Prisma Health is using the technology now for more than routine office visits, offering virtual urgent-care visits, on demand 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Treatable illnesses range from suspected sprain and minor head injuries to minor burns and cuts, all from the patient’s own password-protected MyChart portal, according to a news release.

“On-demand video visits allow us to offer patients increased access to real-time care regardless of the other competing factors in their lives,” Dr. Matthew Bitner, chair of emergency medicine at Prisma Health in the Upstate, said in the news release.

“This does not replace the on-going need for critical care in our emergency departments, but it’s a timely option for those who need minor care delivered in a way that’s most convenient for them.

Patients can rest assured that they will receive the same level of care as for an in-person visit, including being seen and treated by a Prisma Health provider.”

Virtual care may also prevent patients from avoiding health care by avoiding clinic environments because of pandemic concerns, he said.

“Delayed care can frequently result in worsened outcomes,” Bitner said. “We urge everyone to seek the care when the need is identified — whether in person or virtually.”

This service is now available in the Upstate and will soon expand to the Midlands, according to the release, which said nearly half of all emergency department visits in South Carolina are treated at a Prisma Health facility.

Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222.

New University of South Carolina program recognizes leaders

A

Staff Report

new program at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia is providing recognition to medical and science community leaders for legacies of service, leadership and efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Luminary Leaders in Medicine and Science Recognition program honored its inaugural seven-member class during a virtual ceremony Feb. 18.

“In 2019, the Women in Science and Medicine Committee accurately noted that virtually all of the images on display

in the school depicted white males,” School of Medicine dean Les Hall said in a news release. “Although these individuals have made noteworthy contributions to the School of Medicine, they advocated that many women and those from diverse racial backgrounds also deserved to be honored.

I completely agreed with them, and the Luminary Leaders in Medicine and Science initiative is an outgrowth of those conversations.”

The members of the inaugural class are: • Raymond P. Bynoe, Prisma Health-Richland trauma surgeon with Prisma Health-Richland • Everett Dargan, retired Columbia

physician and School of Medicine faculty member • Everlyn Hall-Baker, the first African-American to attend the School of Medicine • Carol McMahon, associate dean of Diversity and Inclusion for the School of Medicine • Lurlene Scott, retired vocational rehabilitation counselor with the Department of Veterans Affairs • Alvin F. Wells, rheumatologist and international speaker • Patricia Witherspoon, Prisma Health assistant program director and School of Medicine faculty member

The school held the ceremony in February to recognize the individuals during Black History Month. During the tribute, plaques honoring each of the class members were unveiled.

Five more individuals will be recognized later this year, and the school will select several new inductees each year, according to the release.

“We would like to congratulate our inaugural honorees,” Hall said. “Their images and stories, which will be showcased on our recognition wall and seen by our students each day as they enter our building, will serve as an inspiration and guidepost to them as they pursue their dreams.”

20

IN FOCUS: HEALTH CARE

www.columbiabusinessreport.com

March 1 - 14, 2021

Life sciences lauded as state’s fastest-growing industry

By Molly Hulsey

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

L

auding the industry’s economic impact on and job creation in South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster, Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. William proclaimed Feb. 15-19 as South Carolina Life Sciences Week.

McMaster issued the proclamation at a press conference in Greenville on Feb. 16 during the only in-person event of SCBIO’s 2021 national conference, while SCBIO CEO Sam Konduros reiterated that the industry is on its way to becoming one of the Palmetto State’s leaders alongside the auto-

motive, aerospace and advanced manufacturing sectors.

“Since 2017, the life sciences sector has become South Carolina’s fastest-growing industry, with employment growing at double the rate of South Carolina’s economy as a whole,” McMaster said as he read the proclamation.

Greenville County hosts the largest number of life science companies in a state where the 800 firms and 43,000 professionals involved in the sector generate a $12 billion economic impact, according to a recent study from Joey Von Nessen, research economist with the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business, cited by McMaster in the proclamation.

“On average, life science jobs, pay more than $78,000,” McMaster said. “Those are the kind of jobs we like, and the continued success and development of the life science industries in South Carolina will produce prosperity, health and happiness in South Carolina for years to come.”

Since 2017, the number of life science firms have doubled and increased employment numbers by 40%, according to the study.

“This fastest-growing industry in the Palmetto State that the governor just referenced also averages triple the research and development spending of all others,” Konduros said.

“It is just getting started here, and the

opportunities are endless.”

Graham and Timmons discussed buoying the industry by making the reshoring of medical supply chains a national security priority.

Graham spoke about the U.S.-Made Act, which would require PPE stockpiles to include a certain percentage of American-made medical equipment.

“How do you get businesses from China back here? You incentivize them,” Graham said. “I’ve got legislation that will allow pharmaceutical companies and PPE manufacturers to get the same tax credit from making pharmaceuticals in the United States, PPE equipment in the United States, as you would from building a windmill or solar panel.”

Nephron, Dominion partner to open vaccination site

A

Staff Report

new partnership between Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corp. and Dominion Energy South Carolina has created a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site in West Columbia.

The site, located off Interstate 77 at exit 2, is located on Dominion Energy proper-

ty. Vaccinations are available by appointment only to eligible recipients.

Vaccine eligibility and scheduling information is available on the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s website.

“I am so proud to be a part of a powerful private sector partnership that is going to have an immediate impact on the community, region and state we all

love so much,” Nephron owner and CEO Lou Kennedy said in a news release.

Nephron-registered nurses and pharmacists are administering vaccinations with assistance from Nephron CLIA-certified diagnostics lab employees.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to join Nephron in giving back, saving lives and helping return our state to normal,” said Keller Kissam, president of

electric operations at Dominion Energy South Carolina. “When two great corporate citizens team up, there is no limit to the good we can do for our neighbors.”

COVID-19 testing is also available at the drive-thru. Nephron established a diagnostics lab last year in order to conduct COVID-19 tests and has since tested thousands of people across the state for COVID-19.

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At Work

PEOPLE, PLACES AND HAPPENINGS ACROSS THE MIDLANDS

Trident Health CEO stepping down after decades in health

By Teri Errico Griffis

I

tgriffis@scbiznews.com

t’s never too late to switch careers, and Todd Gallati, president and CEO of Trident Health since 2008, is a testament to that.

After 32 years in health care leadership — 25 of those as CEO of different hospitals — Gallati will be retiring in June to start a new venture in real estate.

Having always eyed the idea of operating his own business, he is pursuing an opportunity that recently presented itself.

The pivot is obviously different from what he’s been doing for three decades but Gallati welcomes the challenge, he said.

“It’s exciting. It’s something that will allow me to have more flexibility with my time and be able to spend more time with my family,” he said of his two grown sons who still live in the area. “It’ll be a small business, but one that will be interesting.”

During his tenure at Trident Health, Gallati has led a team of about 2,600 employees, 600 physicians and 200 volunteers, making the organization the third-largest private sector employer in the county.

The Joint Commission also named Trident Health one of the country’s top hospitals for safety and quality four years in a row.

A Hospital Corporation of America hospital system, the 445-bed Trident Health is comprised of two acute care hospitals — Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center.

It also includes three freestanding emergency departments — Centre Pointe Emergency, Moncks Corner Medical Center and Brighton Park Emergency, which opened in August near in the Nexton community in Summerville.

In total, the 445-bed hospital sees roughly 2,000 trauma patients a year, which is about 50% of the trauma volume in the area, Gallati said, and improving those services for the hospital and the community are some of his favorite accomplishments.

“That was a heavy lift and one that really helped the community dramatically, giving them access to emergency medical services and bringing quicker care closer to them,” he said.

His colleague, Dr. Scott Hayes, the medical director of emergency services, echoed the importance of the achieve-

“It’ll be a different day for sure come June 2, but after 32 years, I can look back and say that it was really fun and meaningful work, and I look forward to what’s next.”

Todd Gallati President and CEO, Trident Health

ment. In their 11 years working together, Hayes felt Trident’s certification by the American College of Surgery as a Level II trauma center was the biggest success.

“We actually saw quite a bit of trauma anyway, but before then, most of the trauma would go 20-30 miles downtown,” Hayes said.

“When you talk about trauma care and emergency care, you have better outcomes the closer you are. So we were able to deliver outstanding care to the communities we serve and have overall improved patient outcomes and survival.”

Over the last year, almost everyone in the health care industry has been challenged, and Hayes said the Trident staff has overcome and thrived with Gallati at the helm.

Hayes said he hopes whoever transitions into the role is a “mirror image” of Gallati, with his helpfulness, approach and problem-solving capabilities.

“Todd is one of the best CEOs I’ve had the privilege of working with,” he said. “He has just been an amazing leader and has been really instrumental in taking Trident to the next level, which we certainly have done over the last 12 years.”

Born into hospitals

With a mother in nursing and a father who was a general surgeon, Gallati knew he was destined to work at a hospital.

He started his career early as a nursing assistant and transporter at 16 and continued similar jobs through his college days. He graduated from Florida State University’s college of business with a management degree, and then earned a Master of Business and Health Administration degree from the University of Florida.

“I’ve always loved the vibrant environment — it’s like a small town in terms of complexity,” he said. “Everybody remembers the time they spent in

Trident Health CEO Todd Gallati is retiring from the health care industry after 32 years to begin a new career in real estate. Gallait has been president and CEO of Trident Health since 2008, leading a team of about 2,600 employees, 600 physicians and 200 volunteers. (Photo/Provided)

the hospital as a patient. It’s an important time in people’s lives, and that comes with a lot of responsibility. We like picking up that responsibility.”

Gallati reflected back over his career and what has changed in the medical industry since his first day on the job in the 1980s.

While the heart of the caregiver to patient experience remains the same, technology has been the biggest transformation.

“During that time in my early career, the IT and technology were so far back from where we’re at today. I remember the first fax machine the hospital got,” he said. “But the IT makes the outcome for our patients that much better, and we’re really able to be that much more effective today, especially with robotic sur-

geries. Those are every day occurrences now.”

In 2012, more surgeries were performed at Trident Health’s South Carolina Institute for Robotic Surgery than any other health system or hospital in the state.

Gallati plans to stay at Trident Health through June to see a smooth transition with his successor. He also hopes to follow along with the medical center’s progress as it continues to expand its mission.

“It’ll be a different day come June 2 for sure, but after 32 years, I can look back and say that was really fun and meaningful work, and I look forward to what’s next,” Gallati said.

Reach Teri Errico Griffis at 843-849-3144.

22

www.columbiabusinessreport.com

March 1 - 14, 2021

People in the News BUSINESS SERVICES

Target your market in an upcoming issue of the Columbia Regional Business Report

MARCH 15

EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT List: Colleges and Universities Advertising Deadline: March 1 APRIL 12

ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION (AEC) List: Home Builders Advertising Deadline: March 29 APRIL 26

City Center Partnership has three new board members: Jonathan Harvey (Colliers International); Sara Middleton (LTC Health Solutions); and James Smith (University of South Carolina, representing Robert Caslen, USC president).

Re-elected board officers are John Griggs, chair (Synovus Bank); Sharon Bryant, vice chair (First Citizens Bank; Jason Caskey, treasurer (University of South Carolina Foundations); and Heather Mitchell, secretary (Boudreaux Group).

Newly elected officers for the Palmetto AgriBusiness Council are Harry L. Ott, Jr., chair (president, South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation); Jane Sosebee, vice chair (president, AT&T South Carolina); and Sarah Windham, secretary/treasurer (partner, Dixon Hughes Goodman).

Sunny Philips is now vice president of member relations for the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance. Her responsibilities include membership development, overseeing conferences and events, and Philips fund development for SC Future Makers.

Previously, Philips served as executive vice president of investor relations at the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

CONSTRUCTION

LAW

M. B. Kahn Construction Co., has promoted Rick Alexander to executive vice president. As such, he directs sales, marketing, preconstruction, and construction operations for Kahn’s specialty construction division. Alexander graduated from Auburn University with a degree in building construction and from Western Governors University with an MBA.

MAY 10

Blake Buchanan moved over to Boyer Construction as director of business development. He brings with him 20 years of business development experience in the collegiate and professional sports marketplace. A Clemson University graduate, he received his master’s degree from Georgia Southern University.

List: Law Firms Special Section: Icons & Phenoms Advertising Deadline: April 12

BOOK OF EXPERTS

Advertising Deadline: April 12

McCrory Construction has promoted Brad Davis to vice president of business development from business development manager. A 2020 graduate of Leadership Columbia, Davis is also a member of the

For advertising information, call Lucia Smith at (803) 726-7547

South Carolina Economic Developers Association and the Southern Economic Development Council. In addition, he serves on the Midlands executive comDavis mittee for the Urban Land Institute of South Carolina.

New to the business development team at Hood Construction is Donnie Fetner, who has more than 15 years’ experience in sales.

Fetner

CF Evans Construction has a new marketing manager: Brittany Grabski. Grabski has extensive marketing experience in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry.

Thomas & Hutton’s newest licensed professional engineer in South Carolina is Bobby Ley. Ley, who joined Thomas & Hutton’s Columbia Ley civil department as a designer in 2018, holds a bachelor of science in environmental engineering from Clemson University.

Martin C. Rose, EIT, is now a mechanical engineering designer with GMK Associates’ engineering division. He is responsible for creating HVAC, fire protection, and plumbRose ing system designs for healthcare, higher education, governmental, and commercial construction and renovation/upfit projects. Rose holds a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering technology from SUNY College of Technology at Alfred State.

DESIGN Anna Gray Fender has joined Alfred Williams & Company as an account manager for the Columbia market. Fender, a certified interior designer and LEED accredited professional, is an IIDA member, Winthrop University alumna, and Leadership Columbia graduate.

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Viewpoint

VIEWS, PERSPECTIVES AND READERS’ LETTERS

5 facts you need to know about solar in S.C. Fact 1: Solar Choice has to treat all Dominion Energy South Carolina customers fairly. That means the 99% who do not choose solar and the 1% who do.

The proposed Solar Choice Metering Tariff builds on Act 62, a state law that empowers electric customers to make their own decisions about the installation of solar panels on their homes or businesses. The law was very intentional in its efforts to make KELLER sure customers do KISSAM not suffer from subsidization when solar is added to the system — basically that one group of customers doesn’t unfairly pay higher prices to benefit another group of customers.

If the good Lord could provide all our system needs through solar and other renewables, I’d take it and retire all coal.

But solar has its limitations.

You can think of it this way: Would you buy a car that runs only 25% of the time? That’s exactly what’s happening with the intermittent generation of solar on the grid. We can’t generate solar power on all those cold, dreary days like we had in February, but all of our customers — those with solar and those without — count on us to provide uninterrupted service, even when the sun isn’t shining. The reality is that solar customers on our system still rely on non-solar generating sources 75% of the time, and it’s only fair that they share the costs.

Fact 2: The intent of South Carolina solar legislation was to establish rules that fairly allocate costs and benefits among all customers to eliminate any cost shift or subsidization.

Net metering is a special metering and billing agreement between a utility and customers that allows credit to customers for excess electricity they generate with renewable energy connected to the utility’s grid.

The approximately 11,000 Dominion Energy customers in South Carolina who use solar on their property also export a lot of it back to the grid. This means about 740,000 non-solar customers have to pay for maintaining power lines, generation stations and all other associated costs — while also paying for the more cost-efficient energy their utility is producing.

This is generally subsidization. We

The Seabrook Solar Farm in Beaufort is a 72-megawatt solar production facility owned by Dominion Energy. (Photo/Provided)

Solar Choice Tariff The S.C. Public Service Commission is holding a hearing on a proposed Solar Choice Tariff at 10 a.m., Feb. 23. The PSC hearing is to determine the costs and benefits of the current net energy metering program and to establish a methodology for calculating the value of the energy produced by customergenerators. Dominion Energy and others are scheduled to present their case to the commission. The Charleston Business Journal invited Keller Kissam, president of electric operations for Dominion Energy South Carolina, to provide more information about the utility company’s approach to solar before the PSC hearing.

The public hearing will be livestreamed through SCETV. Click for a schedule or more information about watching this hearing at https://bit.ly/SCETVlive. agree with solar developers on the importance of solar growth in South Carolina, but we can’t forget about so many who are struggling financially. We heard them during our recent regulatory rate review, and we paused that process. These are the same people we’re trying to protect from being forced to foot the bill through unfair subsidization. We recognize that

certain intervenors would prefer that solar subsidies continue in full, but the law does not allow for that.

accessible to more people. We’re leaders in a clean energy future for South Carolina, and solar is a big part of it.

Fact 3: The proposed Solar Choice tariff will not discourage South Carolinians from choosing solar.

FACT 5: Dominion Energy is working hard to achieve net zero carbon and methane emissions across our footprint by 2050, and solar energy plays a big part in our plan.

The benefits are clear for customers who have the means to choose solar.

With the proposed tariff, solar customers can take advantage of a special time-ofuse rate plan, which encourages them to conserve energy. It will also align with how the grid really operates. Customers would get a lower rate during off-peak time, which is actually most of the time.

These customers would get rates below $0.07 per kWh. This is a big win for customers who want more freedom and control over their bill.

Fact 4: Solar Choice encourages solar development in South Carolina.

We have over 1,000 megawatts of solar on our electric generation system. That means solar produces more than any single generation unit we have. We have been recognized by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy SACE as a top-performing utility for installed solar for the past three years. Solar is part of our clean energy future, but we can’t snap our fingers and get there overnight. As technology continues to improve and solar costs continue to come down, solar will be more

Renewable energy, particularly solar, is playing a key role as we evolve to a more modern, resilient and clean energy grid.

With solar generation accessible to the industry on a large scale, as well as to the consumer on their rooftops, we’re off to a great start. Dominion Energy is ranked second in the region for solar generation on our system in South Carolina.

But, we must strike a balance between customers who choose solar, and those who don’t. We need to ensure that no one group is forced to unfairly subsidize the cost of choices made by another segment of our customer base.

Keller Kissam is president of electric operations for Dominion Energy South Carolina.

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