VOLUME 15 NUMBER 6 ■ COLUMBIABUSINESSREPORT.COM
Part of the
APRIL 11-24, 2022 ■ $2.25
network
Beasley appeals to private sector to help Ukraine
Planting seeds
Entrepreneurial program accepting applications Page 7
By Melinda Waldrop
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Beer business
Beverage attorney shares insight into booming sector Page 10
Driving force
Auto industry is major economic engine in S.C. Page 14
Start the press BMW investing $20M in Upstate press shop Page 16
FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR On March 24, the U.S. Postal Service placed its first $2.98 billion order for 50,000 next-generation postal vehicles to be made in Spartanburg. Oshkoch Corp.’s 2021 production contract has run into some snags. (Photo/Provided)
SC politicians stand behind Oshkosh contract By Molly Hulsey
INSIDE
Upfront................................. 2 SC Biz News Briefs................. 3 In Focus: Manufacturing and Automotive......................... 13 List: Law Firms................18,19 Bonus List: Business Communication Companies ......................................... 20 Viewpoint............................23
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mhulsey@scbiznews.com
shkosh Defense’s contract to build the U.S. Postal Service’s replacement truck fleet continues to meet opposition, but the company stands by its decision to produce the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle in South Carolina. Earlier this month, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives requested an investigation into the Postal Service’s plans for the Oshkosh contract and its compliance with National
Environmental Policy Act reporting practices. An initial $482 million contract to begin replacing the 230,000-vehicle fleet with a mix of gas and electric-powered vehicles was awarded to Oshkosh Corp. in February 2021. But two months later, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to make the federal government carbon neutral by 2050 and all federal fleets electric by 2035. The letter cited concerns from the Environmental Protection Agency, the White House See OSHKOSH, Page 15
Powering the pipeline
Dominion Energy career day aims to spark interest in utility careers Page 8
mwaldrop@scbiznews.com
ormer S.C. Gov. David Beasley descended the steps of his old office building on March 29 to appeal to the private sector for donations to stave off a humanitarian crisis he warned could rapidly spiral beyond Ukraine. Citing 40 million people still inside the country at risk of severe food insecurity after the Russian invasion of Feb. 24, Beasley, now the executive director of the United Nations’ World Food Programme, called upon corporations and individuals to help curtail what he called the “worst crisis Europe has faced in a decade” during a news conference at the S.C. Statehouse. Beasley has led the WFP, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2020 for its work providing lifesaving food to millions worldwide, since April 2017. He emphasized that the looming crisis in Ukraine will soon be a global one if the WFP cannot raise $850 million in additional funds it will need by the end of this year to try to mitigate the damage. “Ukraine is the breadbasket for the world. They grow enough food to feed 400 million people,” Beasley said. “Twenty percent of the world’s corn comes from Ukraine. Thirty percent of the world’s supply of wheat comes from Russia and Ukraine. Forty percent of fertilizer base product comes from Belarus and Russia. All of this is stuck as we speak. We’re now looking at an additional 30 to 50 million people going into severe food insecurity around the world because of what’s happening inside Ukraine.” More funding is critical, Beasley See BEASLEY, Page 6