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VOLUME 15 NUMBER 8 ■ COLUMBIABUSINESSREPORT.COM

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Administrator Guzman brings personal touch to SBA position

Order up!

Another Broken Egg Cafe to anchor mixed-use project. Page 4

By Melinda Waldrop

I Downtown digs

1813 Main St. set to welcome first residents this fall. Page 7

Historic honor

Orangeburg native first Black male Teacher of Year. Page 8

Screen shot

The Nick names new executive director. Page 10

INSIDE

Upfront................................. 2 SC Biz News Briefs................. 3 In Focus: Life Sciences........ 21 List: Life Science Companies ..........................................28 At Work...............................29 Viewpoint............................ 31

BREW WITH A VIEW Biekeller Columbia plans to open a brick-and-mortar later this year at the CanalSide Plaza at Sola Station. (Rendering/Provided)

Riverfront brewery to open later this year By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

olumbia’s first riverfront brewery is expected to open in the fourth quarter of this year. Bierkeller Brewing Co., which has brewed traditional German beer out of Swamp Cabbage Brewing Co. since 2015 and has regularly played host to seasonal pop-up beer gardens, is opening a full-production brewing facility, biergarten and restaurant at the CanalSide Plaza at Sola Station, located along the Historic Columbia Canal on the banks of the Congaree River. “It’s exciting,” Bierkeller owner and founder Scott Burgess told the Columbia Regional Business Report. “We’re putting ourselves in a pioneering position in a lot of ways. The riverfront,

as much as everyone talks about the potential for development, we learned still has a lot of hurdles. This presented really the best opportunity in a space that’s already there that’s very close to what we’re known for.” The brewery and biergarten will take up a large portion of the ground-floor retail space at Sola Station, with glass windows facing the water. Mashburn Construction is the project contractor, while Sherer & Associates is the architect. “We’re pouring concrete floors and building it from the ground up,” said Burgess, who said an adjacent space is also an option for a future catering and private event setup. Bierkeller plans to hire servers, bartenders/ pourers and kitchen staff soon. Employment See BREW, Page 10

Expert perspectives

Looking for an industry expert? We’ve got you covered. Page 13

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

sabella Casillas Guzman learned firsthand what makes a successful small business growing up in California, where her father owned a chain of veterinary practices. “What I admired most about my father was his relationship in the community. Everyone who walked in that door was so special to him and vice versa,” Guzman said. “The impact that he made in his neighborhood was truly remarkable.” Guzman, sworn in as the 27th Administrator of the Small Business Administration on March 17, 2021, spoke with the Columbia Regional Business Report after a stop at Benedict College as part of a bus tour supporting National Small Business Week. Benedict became one of two historically Black colleges and universities to launch a Women’s Business Center in 2020. “Focusing always — from having worked in his business — on that customer-first experience is what drives me,” said Guzman, who represents the nation’s 32.5 million-plus small business owners. “I look through the lens of a customer first at all times in our design and implementation. That informs everything else, because you look at who that client is — and it’s a changing face of entrepreneurship — you look at what their needs are and seek to transform the SBA to better serve them. … My dad was able to pursue his American dream, and my grandmother before him. I really appreciate the value See GUZMAN, Page 6

Upfront

BRIEFS | FACTS | STATEWIDE NEWS | BEST ADVICE

Life sciences taking root in South Carolina

ou may have been hearing a lot of excitement expressed in the last couple of years about the growth of South Carolina’s life science sector. There is a good reason for the excitement. Not only is it growth in the form of new investment and more jobs, but it’s an increase in jobs that pay well. According to SCBIO, the annual employment growth within the life science industry core since 2010 has averaged 2.7% compared to 1.4% in all sectors. The industry has done remarkably well during the pandemic, growing 26.4%, while the overall jobs picture lost a little ground between 2017 and 2020. It’s a $25.7 billion economic impact — not too shabby for an industry that, not so long ago, many of us didn’t even know was here.

30,731 employees across 1,033 firms in the S.C. life science industry Projected Industry Growth for S.C. Life Science Core from 2018-2028

Production, Construction and Maintenance :

32.9%

Other Support Services :

31.7%

High-Tech R&D : Transportation :

25.7% 7.9%

Research, testing and medical laboratories

18.4%

Bioscience-related distribution : Agricultural products

Drugs and pharmaceuticals

Medical devices and equipment :

11.2% 7.5% 7.4% 2.5%

Sources: The Economic Impact of South Carolina’s Life Science Industry: A Statewide and Regional Analysis, SCBIO Life Sciences Industry by Joseph Von Nessen

ON THE

RECORD

“Of course, our small businesses are a big part of expanding our productive capacity in the United States. That means making more here in America and strengthening our supply chain and strengthening our infrastructure.” — Isabella Casillas Guzman, SBA Administrator

WEBSITE: www.ColumbiaBusinessReport.com

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JUNE 20

The Symrise Group also operates a cosmetics manufacturing facility in Goose Creek. (Photo/Provided)

UPSTATE

GSA Business Report

Upstate manufacturer expands HQ

ymrise Pet Food will expand its North American headquarters with a new facility in Greenwood County. The company says the project will create 65 jobs through a $65.5 million investment. “This expansion is a key step for Symrise Pet Food’s North American business,” Tim Lonc, general manager of Symrise Pet Food, said in a news release. “We appreciate the support we have received making our project a reality in Hodges and look forward to continuing our partnership within Greenwood County. As the pet food industry keeps growing, we are committed to supporting our customers’ needs and are always looking for ways to reach out for new opportunities.” Symrise Pet Food, a subsidiary of global fragrance, food and cosmetic manufacturers Symrise Group, has 1,500 employees in 31 sites around the world, according to the release. The German-based group also has a cosmetics plant in Goose Creek. Pet food manufacturers partner with Symrise Pet Food to produce the brands Pet Food Palatability with SPF, Pet Nutrition with Nutrios and Pet Food Protection with Videka. Located at 5300 Highway 25 North in Hodges, the facility serves as the company’s North American headquarters. The Greenwood facility will allow the company to meet increased demand and grow its powder palatant product lines. The project is expected to be complete in 2025. “Symrise has continually invested in Greenwood County and our citizens since they opened their operations 15 years ago,” Greenwood County Council Vice Chairman Theo Lane said in the release. “Their decision to further invest is not only a strong vote of confidence in our talented workforce, but also a testament to our collaborative relationship that helped secure this significant expansion. “These 65 new jobs support our vision of the development of our Highway 25 North industrial corridor and will have a lasting impact on our community. “We appreciate their continued belief in Greenwood County as a great place to work and live.” The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits related to this project. “Congratulations to Symrise Pet Food on their continued success in Greenwood County,” Commerce Secretary Harry M. Lightsey III said in the release. “It’s particularly exciting to announce the growth of one of our existing companies, and we look forward to what the future holds for Symrise Pet Food in Greenwood County and across South Carolina.”

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.

ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION (AEC) List: Home Builders | Special Section: Business Cares- Salute to the Military Advertising Deadline: June 6

JULY 18

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE List: Commercial Real Estate Cos. Bonus List: Commercial Moving & Storage Cos. Advertising Deadline: July 5

AUGUST 15

ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION (AEC) List: Architecture Firms Special Section: Icons & Phenoms Advertising Deadline: August 1

SEPTEMBER 12

GROWTH REPORT: MADE IN SC (STATEWIDE) List: Largest Manufacturers Advertising Deadline: August 29

GLOBAL NONPROFIT HIRES NEW REGIONAL DIRECTOR

VOLUME 25 NUMBER 8 ■ GSABUSINESS.COM

Fueling a better life

Green energy company grows into regional player. Page 14

Give them Liberty’s space

It’s new life for a former tap room at West End. Page 8

Country medicine

Health systems struggle to provide medicine in rural areas. Page 10

Another charge for a CEO Milliken chief tapped to lead national group. Page 21

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Prisma Health takes services into rural hospital void

On the move

Pet food manufacturer expanding headquarters. Page 3

By Molly Hulsey

F Taste of NYC

Clemson’s graduate program in mechanical engineering has been guiding students to careers through Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research for 20 years. (Photo/Clemson University)

By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

rident Technical College took the lead on a grant to form a consortium that its members hope will create the next generation of innovation and talent for the electric vehicle industry. The consortium, called Collaborative Research: REVVED, for Revolutionizing Electric Vehicle Education, will receive $2.83

million from the National Science Foundation to fund the project. A growing need to develop a workforce that can build and service electric and autonomous vehicles, as well as develop the cybersecurity to protect them, is the driving force behind the effort, according to a news release. Even if they’re not making electrified vehicles in South Carolina, all of the automakers with plants in the state are manufacturing electric somewhere or conducting R&D to

that end. BMW Manufacturing in Greer has a production line for batteries on site. Spartanburg County’s next automaker, Oshkosh Defense, will make a mix of gas and electric vehicles for the U.S. Postal Service; a company called Arrival, based in Charlotte, is building an electric vehicle plant in York County; and the electric city buses made by Proterra are partially assembled in Greenville. See REVVED, Page 12

Department stores evolve, consolidate in digital age

INSIDE

By Molly Hulsey

Leading Off .......................... 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 C-Suite ................................ 4 In Focus: Life Sciences ....... 13 LIST: Life Science Cos. ........ 18 At Work .............................. 19 Viewpoint ...........................23

network

Consortium secures grant to train electric vehicle workforce

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

hree years into a pandemic some feared would bring death to the department store, behemoths of former Sears properties still litter the state’s shopping malls, empty and silent after shuttering in 2018 and 2020. Belk’s fulfillment center in Union County, once a growing economic boon to the rural

county, laid off 310 employees and closed its doors on April 30. And while store openings outpaced closings for the first time since 2014 in 2021, according to Colliers International’s 2022 Retail Outlook, those stores were smaller than they ever had been before at an average of 3,000 square feet. “I haven’t heard of, even a hint, of some department store that’s going to occupy a new 900,000-square-foot building,” Rox Pol-

lard, Collier’s vice president of retail services in South Carolina, told SC Biz News. But not everything is as it seems — at least for the department store brands able to flex and adapt. Macy’s, one of the highest performing department stores in the nation, has seen revenue climb from $19.64 billion in 2019 to $25.29 billion in 2022 — and continues to See RETAIL, Page 12

In Focus Specialty spice

Common kitchen ingredient may hold key to more efficient, safer fuel cells Page 13

GSABusinessReport.com

Lauded NYC bar opening location in Charleston. Page 6

Electric innovation Consortium to train next-gen industry talent. Page 7

End of an era

Borden Dairy closing North Charleston plant. Page 11

INSIDE

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Walmart associates, S.C. business leaders and elected officials gathered on April 22 to celebrate the grand opening of the Ridgeville Import Distribution Center in Dorchester County. (Photo/Provided)

Walmart distribution center ready in Ridgeland By Alexandria Ng

Upfront ................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 Small Business Spotlight ....... 4 In Focus: Life Sciences ....... 13 List: Life Science Companies .......................................... 19 At Work ............................. 20 Viewpoint ...........................23

ang@scbiznews.com

s South Carolina’s economy continues to boom, Walmart has officially opened its Import Distribution Center in Dorchester County, marking the company’s seventh facility of this type in the nation. This long-awaited Ridgeville center is expected to increase local port volumes by about 5% once fully functional. Elected officials and Walmart associates gathered on the morning of April 22 to celebrate

the occasion, with leaders such as Gov. Henry McMaster and S.C. Ports President and CEO Jim Newsome in attendance. Also presenting at the event were Mike Gray, senior vice president of Walmart’s supply chain operations; Jeff Holzbauer, general manager of the Walmart Import Distribution Center; John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., who spoke via video. “Our team of more than 980 associates from Dorchester County and the surrounding comSee WALMART, Page 8

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

ew physicians choose to work in South Carolina’s rural communities, and relatively few have the opportunity to do so. Out of the 90 health care facilities across the state, only 14 hospitals operate in the rural regions that make up much of South Carolina. Four of the 14 are federally certified as Critical Access Hospitals, according to the South Carolina Office of Rural Health. And the number appears to be shrinking, as more than 30% of all rural hospitals across the United States are at risk of closing in the near future, according to the Center for Health Care Quality and Payment Reform. Three rural hospitals have closed over the past decade in the state in Barnwell, Bamberg and Winnsboro, while 10 suffer from a negative total profit margins of up to minus-43%, according to data from the University of North Carolina’s Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital’s profit margin was at negative 10.3% over the past three years, while the Medical University of South Carolina’s Lancaster Medical Center was negative43.2% during the same time period. Self Regional Healthcare’s Edgefield County Healthcare, Allendale County Hospital and Tidelands Health in Georgetown are also in the red when it comes to patient services. The Upstate’s Union Medical Center, also in the red for all profits, has lost out on 25 cents for every dollar spent at the

SCBIZNEWS.COM MAY/JUNE 2022

VOLVO’S ROAD AHEAD What’s next for Ridgeville

HOMEGROWN

Putting SC’s oyster industry on the map

See RURAL HEALTH , Page 16

Specialty spice

Common kitchen ingredient may hold key to more efficient, safer fuel cells Page 18

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nother Broken Egg Cafe will become the first tenant at 4West, a mixed-use development that is part of the final phase of the four-building Brookland Project in West Columbia. The cafe will join the chain’s Devine Street location and occupy 3,974 square feet of new Class A retail/restaurant space. It is expected to open in the second quarter of 2023. Trinity Partners represented landlord Estates Inc. in the transaction, while Another Broken Egg was represented by Tony Hanna with Carolinas Retail Partners. “The outdoor dining and bar for Another Broken Egg will create an ambiance on the plaza and future out-

door space with unobstructed views of the river and Columbia skyline,” Estate Inc.’s Matt Mundy said in a news release. “There will be bustling public spaces with options for outdoor seating. The location is pedestrian-friendly to the river, park amphitheater, local shopping, entertainment and numerous restaurants.” Another Broken Egg also has S.C. locations in Greenville, Charleston and Mount Pleasant. “We are excited to continue to expand our brand in the Carolinas and specifically the Columbia area,” Jeff Sturgis, chief development officer for Another Broken Egg Cafe, said. “This cafe in West Columbia will be our third location in the Columbia market, after the successful opening of our first cafe in 2020 on Devine Street and our second location soon to open in Lexington. Projects like 4West are a great fit for our brand and

customer and we look forward to a long, successful presence in West Columbia.” 4West is part of a community which includes 256 luxury apartment homes and more than 30,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space located at the foot of the Gervais Street bridge. Another Broken Egg joins retail tenants Black Rooster, Gentlemen’s Quarters Barbershop, The Wrkt, Select Physical Therapy at the Brookland Project. “Our team is thrilled to announce a lease with Another Broken Egg at 4West, who will occupy the development’s prominent corner at State Street and Meeting Street,” Trinity Partners’ Roger Winn said. “Their presence marks the addition of another attractive amenity to the West Columbia riverfront area and should only magnify the interest we’ve received in the remaining retail and creative office space.”

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Join Manufacturing suppliers and innovators across all industry verticals at South Carolina’s most significant manufacturing event of the year.

The 2022 conference will include: • An exhibit hall the equivalent of three football fields • Implementing Industry 4.0 Technology • 2023 Economic Outlook: Auto, Aerospace, Biotech • Women in Manufacturing: Leaders and Influencers • SCMEP Manufacturing Excellence Awards • The South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) will conduct training courses

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GUZMAN, from Page 1

of (entrepreneurship) and want to be able to bring it more communities with equity.” Extending that equity has become especially important as the nation’s small business continue to recover from repercussions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Federation of Independent Businesses’ Small Business Optimism Index decreased in January to 97.1, down 1.8 points from December, with 22% of business owners reporting inflation as their single most important problem. Supply-chain tie-ups and difficulty in hiring enough workers are two other concerns causing small business confidence to shrink. A report by technology company Meta, cited in a March 2022 Business Insider article, found that businesses run by underrepresented founders were 14% more likely to report lower sales than other businesses. The report, which surveyed 5,324 U.S. small business leaders and more than 24,000 worldwide, found that 51% of Black-owned businesses were experiencing record-low sales compared to January 2021, versus 36% of all businesses in the U.S. Despite those numbers, Guzman said minority- and women-owned businesses, perhaps out of pandemic-generated necessity, are forming the backbone of the country’s economic recovery, noting that those businesses have created twothirds of the 7.4 million jobs created since President Joe Biden took office. “No different than any other time over the past 10 years, women and people of color are the ones starting businesses at high rates,” she said. “We saw 5.4 million people decide to start a business in 2021. “That’s 20% higher than any year on record, and so this tour is to celebrate all those new entrepreneurs, those established businesses that have had to pivot and adapt during the pandemic, and make sure that we can get them the resources they need to survive. And that’s capital to fund businesses, that’s market access to grow businesses with revenue opportunities with the federal government or online through digital markets, and that’s networks and support.” In 2021, the SBA administered nearly $416.3 billion in emergency relief to more than 6 million small business through initiatives including the Paycheck Protection Program, COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans and loans targeted at hard-hit industries such as retail and hospitality. “As they reopen and recover their revenues, they’re still facing headwinds, and the president is committed to dealing with some of the challenges around inflationary pressures, the global supply chain disruptions, as well as workforce challenges,” Guzman said.

SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman visited Benedict College on May 4 as part of a bus tour celebrating National Small Business Week. Guzman emphasized the new businesses started and jobs created as the country continues to recover from effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo/Melinda Waldrop)

“SBA has a role to play. Of course, our small businesses are a big part of expanding our productive capacity in the United States. That means making more here in America and strengthening our supply chain and strengthening our infrastructure.” There are calls to expand that role from those who support the SBA becoming involved in more direct loans to small business owners going forward, particularly smaller-dollar loans that bigger banks and even Community Development Financial Institutions find hard to make work with their balance sheets. Noting that loans through pandemic federal relief averaged just more than $40,000, Guzman said the SBA would welcome the chance to “help our lending network meet needs of borrowers and leverage the balance sheet of the federal government to underwrite these loans and have them on their books. That could help our lenders as well. “We don’t want to replace or compete. We want to be that true lender of last resort and support the private financial markets. … It was part of our proposals within Build Back Better and the president’s agenda. While Congress did not move forward on that, we continue to study it and explore the possibility of SBA doing direct lending. We have the authority. We’ve been doing it since 1953 when we started doing disaster loans, and we’ve proven in 2021 with COVID EIDL that we’ve been effective at getting funds into the hands of businesses.” Guzman is also focused on digital technology, an area of emphasis during

SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman is the daughter and granddaughter of enterpreneurs and is focused on expanding resources, such as broadband internet access and affordable capital, to underserved communities to help facilitate the formation of more startups. (Photo/Melinda Waldrop)

her tenure as director of the California Office of the Small Business Advocate. In that role, she created Get Digital CA, an initiative aimed at increasing technology and e-commerce adoption. “We know that micro-entrepreneurship flourishes where there’s high-speed internet,” she said, adding that the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act signed into law Nov. 15 commits more than $60 billion to expanding rural broadband access. Guzman said as the country continues to forge a post-pandemic path, the

SBA is committed to expanding access to its services through broader distribution networks in multiple languages. “I feel there’s so much opportunity that could be unlocked if we better supported all of our small businesses and innovative startups,” she said. “I think it’s a unique moment in time and history, especially because of the pandemic and attention on small businesses and the impact that they have.” Reach Columbia Regional Business Report editor Melinda Waldrop at 803-726-7542

May 16-June 19, 2022

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 7

New downtown apartments to welcome residents this fall By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

he first apartments on the 1800 block of Main Street are expected to be ready for move-in this

fall. Twenty-eight market rate apartments being developed by Cason Development Group and Cohn Corp. at 1813 Main St. in downtown Columbia are set to welcome residents in September, according to a news release. Residents of the one- and two-bedroom apartments in the renovated Klondike Building, purchased by Cason and Cohn in 2019, will have access to a rooftop terrace, a fitness center, common spaces and a lounge are. The project includes a 1,000-squarefoot retail space fronting Main Street that is being marketed for retail use such as a wine shop, cafe or boutique. “We are very excited to be delivering this renovated historic building for people to finally occupy it again after six-plus years of sitting vacant,” Frank Cason, president of Cason Development Group, said in the release. “Our goal was to bring this historic office building back to life while maintaining

1813 Main St., the first apartments on the 1800 block of Main Street in downtown Columbia, are slated to begin welcoming residents to the one- and two-bedroom units this fall. (Rendering/Provided)

its mid-century modern aesthetic, and we are extremely pleased with how it’s coming along.” The project repurposes the historic Klondike Building next to Jefferson Square and across the street from Main Street United Methodist Church.

Davis Architecture is the architect. The apartments have adjacent surface parking with an entrance off the parking lot. “We are thrilled with the progress of the Klondike Building and are happy to see the continuation of development

and revitalization farther north on Main Street,” Cohn Corp. CEO Harris Cohn said. Built in 1961 by the Klondike Corp., the building was initially used for federal government offices and renovated in 1983 for office condominiums. It was designed by the Columbia architectural firm of Lafaye, Fair and Lafaye, which also designed Main Street’s Tapp’s Department Store, and was built by the Congaree Construction Co. Cason and Cohn used the original floor plan from the Caroliniana Library at USC in developing the project, placed on National Register of Historic Places and granted city landmark status by Columba City Council. “The Cason Development Group’s exciting development is much more than we even anticipated when the project was announced,” Matt Kennell, president and CEO of downtown development and marketing organization Main Street District, said. “The Cason and Cohn development will be the new residential anchor on the northern end of the Main Street District and bring 24-hour-a-day life to that part of downtown, with more to come in that area in the near future.”

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Jamison named SC’s 1st Black male Teacher of Year By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

n Orangeburg native has been named the first Black male S.C. Teacher of the Year. Deion Jamison, an English teacher at Legacy Early College in Greenville, is also the first public school charter teacher to earn the annual award. S.C. Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced Jamison as the winner during a gala earlier this month at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. “Deion exhibits the qualities and characteristics that we want to see in every current and future South Carolina educator,” Spearman said in a news release. “He is so deserving of this tremendous honor, and I know he will do a fantastic job advocating and representing our over 55,000 teachers this next year.” A product of Orangeburg County schools and a Bill & Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar, Jamison became inter-

ested in teaching as a child — a career choice solidified when he recognized the disparities in education in S.C. school districts. He teaches his students skills such as collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving, and his work has been recognized nationally through the National Council of Teachers of English and Teach for America as an Early Career Educator of Color Leadership Award recipient. Jamison is also the recipient of the Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teacher Leadership Award. He will receive $25,000 and a brandnew BMW for use during a year of roving ambassadorship providing mentoring, attending speaking engagements, working with teacher cadets and teaching fellows, leading the State Teacher Forum, and serving as the state spokesperson for more than 55,000 educators. The other four finalists for the award were: Zachary Arms, Liberty High School, School District of Pickens County; Jami Guker, Woodruff Mid-

Deion Jamison (second from right), an English teacher at Legacy Early College, is the first Black male S.C. Teacher of the Year as well as the first public school charter teacher to earn the award. (Photo/Provided)

dle School, Spartanburg County School District Four; Laura Merk, Springfield Middle School, York School District Four

(Fort Mill); and Thomas Slater, Chestnut Oaks Middle School, Sumter School District.

Midlands Gives raises record $3.73 million in 9th year By Christina Lee Knauss

Contributing writer

onors opened their wallets in a big way for Midlands Gives, the annual online giving event hosted by Central Carolina Community Foundation. The ninth annual event shattered previous records by raising $3.73 million on May 3 for hundreds of nonprofits around the Midlands. The 18-hour campaign, which ran from 6 a.m. to midnight, raised $3,734,986 through 19,534 individual gifts that benefited 540 local nonprofits, the most involved in the campaign’s history. “Once again, folks across the Midlands demonstrated their incredible support for these nonprofits that make a positive difference in our lives,” said JoAnn Turnquist, president and CEO of Central Carolina Community Foundation. “We’re grateful to the thousands who came together to invest in our community, and to the members of our In Good Company Network who provided incentives to spur giving. This was truly a time that the whole community came together.” At the top of the leaderboard for donations this year was A Moment of Hope, followed by Oliver Gospel Mission, the Ministry of Outreach to Slavic Tribes (a Midlands group providing aid to Ukraine), and Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services (PAALS). Camp Cole, a retreat facility for children facing physical, mental and emotional challeng-

es, rounded out the top five. Central Carolina Foundation opened giving for this year’s campaign on April 1, and more than $840,000 was raised in advance of the main event. Since its beginning, Midlands Gives has consistently broken the previous year’s donation records, with this year’s results beating the previous record of $3,343,033 set in 2021. Since 2014, Midlands Gives has raised more than $19.7 million for hundreds of nonprofits in the 11 counties served by the foundation: Calhoun, Clarendon, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda and Sumter. Turnquist said a big part of the appeal of the Midlands Gives campaign is the ability of ordinary people to contribute what they can to causes that mean something to them. The minimum donation amount of $10 is geared to enable more people to be able to take on the role of what she likes to call the “everyday philanthropist.” The list of nonprofits involved in this year’s campaign ran the gamut from human services and educational foundations to animal protection, the environment, business and entrepreneurship, the arts and faith-based organizations. While many donors may have had a specific nonprofit in mind, others could browse through descriptions of the 540 nonprofits on the Midlands Gives page to find one that appealed to them. “These nonprofits help people in all different types of communities in our

area — rural, suburban and urban settings — and folks were able to go online and read the mission statements of these organizations to find ones that especially hit their hearts,” Turnquist said. Donors were able to filter through the nonprofit list by county or the nonprofit’s focus, with an additional option to seek out nonprofits that either were Black-led or benefited the Black community. “This was also the first year in our nine-year history that we had nonprofits

“Once again, folks across the Midlands demonstrated their incredible support for these nonprofits that make a positive difference in our lives.” JoAnn Turnquist CEO, Central Carolina Foundation

participating from every one of our 11 counties, which is fabulous,” Turnquist said. For the third year in a row, the event was completely virtual, streamed on Facebook Live. Foundation staff members talked with representatives from the different types of nonprofits taking part, giving them a chance to describe their mission statements and discuss how funds raised through Midlands Gives would be used.

The interviews gave prospective donors a chance to learn specific details about the work of the featured organizations. For instance, viewers interested in animal welfare got an in-depth look at the work of top five finisher PAALS when one of the organization’s workers described how it takes two years and about $30,000 to train each service dog that the group provides. “Midlands Gives has become our biggest fundraiser and has really saved us the last two years,” the PAALS worker said. Turnquist said members of the foundation’s In Good Company Network helped to grow this year’s campaign through financial incentives, matching gifts and prizes for nonprofits throughout the day. Network members include Dominion Energy, Aflac, BlueCross Blueshield of South Carolina, Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corp., Southeastern Freight Lines and Truist. “The thing that is key and critical to Midlands Gives is how our community comes together, from the donors to the businesses to the media,” Turnquist said. “Our entire community came together this year to invest for impact and we were united in supporting the nonprofits that do so much for us every day.” The giving isn’t over just because the day-long event has passed. Year-round giving for the participating nonprofits is available on the Midlands Gives website (www.MidlandsGives.org) and resumed May 9.

May 16-June 19, 2022

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 9

Ground broken on Blythewood industrial spec building By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

ollett Industrial, a Charlotte-headquartered commercial real estate firm, has broken ground on a speculative building it is developing in the Carolina Pines Industrial Park in Blythewood. The 210,600-square-foot, Class A building is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year. Plans for the building were announced in January 2021. Collett has hired Colliers South Carolina’s industrial brokerage team of Chuck Salley, Dave Mathews, Thomas Beard and John Peebles to market the building and broker agreements with distribution or manufacturing users. “The Columbia industrial market is currently experiencing unprecedented demand for Class A industrial product coupled with limited supply, particularly in the Northeast Columbia submarket,” Salley, managing director for industrial services in Colliers’ Columbia office, said in a news release. “We fully expect the market to respond well to Collett’s high-caliber industrial product.” The spec building will feature 32-foot clear heights, 46 dock-high doors, up to 60 trailer parking spaces, an ESFR fire

Charlotte-headquartered Collett Industrial has broken ground on a 210,600-square-foot, Class A industrial spec building it is developing the in the Carolina Pines Industrial Park. (Rendering/Provided)

suppression system, LED lighting and an expansion capability of approximately 117,000 square feet. Matthews Construction is the project site contractor, Vannoy Construction is the building contractor, MCA Architecture is the architect and Thomas & Hutton is the civil engineer. The Carolina Pines Industrial Park houses tenants including Belk Distribution Center, Intertape Polymer Group, Husqvarna Outdoor Products, Patterson Logistics Services, and Amcor Rigid Plastics. “Columbia has been a priority market

for us given its central location, excellent transportation infrastructure and strong labor force,” said Teddy Hull, Collett Industrial principal and co-founder. “We’re looking forward to working with Colliers and the Richland County Economic Development Office as we market the new space to potential users.” The Carolina Pines building is Collett Industrial’s first development in Columbia. The company is also currently constructing two buildings totaling 519,500 square feet of speculative industrial space at Willimon Business Park in Greenville, with

leasing and marketing services provided by Colliers’ Greenville-Spartanburg industrial brokerage team. “It’s exciting to see Collett Industrial making this kind of investment in Richland County,” Richland County Council Chair Overture Walker said. “With this development in the Carolina Pines Industrial Park, Collett is testifying to the fact that others see our community as a valuable location for manufacturers and distributors and that our workforce is capable of sustaining businesses in those fields.” Humphreys Capital, an Oklahoma City-headquartered real estate investment firm, is partnering with Collett on the Carolina Pines project. The spec building is Humphreys’ first area investment and third in South Carolina. “This partnership is years in the making, and we are thrilled to invest alongside Teddy and the rest of the Collett team,” said Justin Lewellen, director of investments at Humphreys Capital. “The prolonged deficit of Class A product throughout the highly active corridor at Carolina Pines presented a compelling opportunity to reenter South Carolina, and Richland County’s commitment to conveying the strategic value of its location was a critical component in making our decision.”

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www.columbiabusinessreport.com

May 16-June 19, 2022

Community theater veteran named new leader at The Nick By Melinda Waldrop

The Nick’s leader, Sumner Bender. (Photo/Provided)

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

he Nickelodeon has named a new executive director, and she’s no stranger to the theater community. Sumner Bender has been Spring Hill High School’s theater teacher for six years and is responsible for theater educators’ professional development in Lexington-Richland School District 5. She is also president of the board of Trustus Theatre and has served on that body since 2011. Bender, a Columbia native, will take over her new role on June 6. “The arts community in Columbia is

my home,” Bender, 39, said in a news release. “The Nick, let’s be honest, is very cool… I want to make sure that institutions like The Nick will always be around. “I’m ready for a new challenge. I’m ready for a job where I can implement change.” The Nick, located in the heart of downtown Columbia at 1607 Main St., reopened April 15 after suspending screening March 1 in “an effort to fulfill its long-term mission more effectively,” according to a statement. “We were looking for a transformational, visionary cultural leader who had expertise in many different areas,”

said Charmaine Clowney, vice president of the Nickelodeon board and an attorney who consults in the area of diversity and inclusion. “She will be embraced by many diverse communities in Columbia and beyond. I hope that we can keep her.” Jada Willis, whose human resources consulting firm advised the board during the search process, said Bender’s energy, knowledge and understanding of The Nick’s community importance stood out. “She has such a passion, and a love of theater and the arts,” Willis said. “This is way more than a job. This is her life.”

BREW, from Page 1

information is available by emailing bierkellercolumbia@gmail.com. “We are always thrilled to see our local businesses grow, thrive, and prosper,” Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said in a news release from Bierkeller. “Bierkeller has successfully made the leap from ‘pop-up’ event to full-fledged brick-and-mortar establishment and will now be able to produce their own products in-house. This location at CanalSide is going to grow in a hurry, and we are excited to watch their journey as they lead the way to more riverfront growth and development.” Covered and surface parking will be available onsite in the CanalSide garage, which has nearly 500 spaces, as well as spaces at Riverfront Park, a site of Bierkeller pop-up gardens for years. This spring, Bierkeller is holding the pop-up events on the Saluda River off Candy Lane because of one of several obstacles Burgess confronted in the search for a permanent riverfront space. “There are areas that will flood,” he said. “There are areas that are currently zoned as recreational by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that present an extra hurdle, and those power lines run the entire length of the Columbia side. … There are some historic things, with plans with USC down near Williams Street. The Guignards have been involved and own a lot of the property and have a vision for it that they want to see. … It started to sink in to me why it’s taken quite a while for something like this to happen.” Biekeller’s brewhouse will feature a German-designed, 15-barrel system, with beer served directly from lagering tanks. Bierkeller’s packaged beer is served in reusable flip-top bottles, purchased by customers with a deposit and returned for freshly filled ones at no cost.

Bierkeller Columbia’s brick-and-mortar location, slated to open in the fourth quarter of this year, will feature European street-style seating overlooking the Congaree River. Food offerings will include rolls filled with meats and cheeses, sausages and schnitzel. An outdoor space will include communal tables. (Rendering/Provided)

Bierkeller also plans to offer refillable five-liter kegs and merchandise. The extensive outdoor space will include seating a long, communal tables imported from Germany, while European street-style cafe seating will overlook the water. Self-service and to-go windows for beer and food will supply the outdoor spaces. Food offerings will be traditional European/German fare such as rolls filled with fresh meats and cheeses, salads, sausages, rotisserie chickens, schnitzel and spätzle. The beer menu will include established favorites such as Kellerbier, Kolumbianer Kolsch, Weissbier and Rauchbier in addition to a rotating selection of existing and new seasonal

varieties. Wine and other specialty drinks will also be available. “We found some inspiration on a recent trip to Germany,” said Burgess, who studied abroad in Bamberg, German while attending the University of South Carolina and spent nearly 10 years living and working in Bavaria before opening Bierkeller. Seasonal events will include a fall Oktoberfest, winter Bockbierfest, spring Maifest and a holiday Christmas market. Planned weekly activities include running and paddling clubs, cycling, yoga and sports viewings featuring soccer, football, basketball and F1 racing. Trivia and live music are also planned, as it the continuation of

spring and fall Tuesday happy hours. “It’s always a great day when we can celebrate the expansion of our local businesses and see them take that momentous step to the next level,” Ryan Coleman, director of the city of Columbia’s Office of Economic Development, said. “Bierkeller owners Scott Burgess and Sam Moses have both put a tremendous amount of care and hard work into this business, and their commitment to quality is undeniable. I’m excited both for their continued success and their creation of a new riverfront attraction that our citizens will be able to enjoy.” Reach Columbia Regional Business Report editor Melinda Waldrop at 803-726-7542

May 16-June 19, 2022

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 11

New DHEC garden to showcase benefits of healthy food By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

new garden designed to demonstrate the benefits of healthy food is underway at the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. DHEC broke ground on its Community Demonstration Garden project on April 29. The garden aims to supply fresh fruits and vegetables, increase

access to healthy food, improve diet and promote a healthy lifestyle. The garden, on the front lawn of 2100 Bull St., will donate its harvests to the Columbia Housing Authority and other charities. Produce will also be used during Bureau of Community Nutrition Services SNAP-Ed nutrition education classes. “Across South Carolina we have food deserts in rural and urban areas,” Edward Simmer, DHEC director, said in

a news release. “Food deserts are areas that have limited access to affordable and nutritious food such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This limits the ability of community members to enjoy the nutritional benefits of fresh foods that are essential to healthy living and disease prevention.” DHEC’s Community Health Services team is also using the project to develop educational materials for communities and schools on how to plant and

grow a successful garden. Going into the ground first will be okra, lettuce, a variety of beans, sweet potatoes, squash and watermelon. “Often the most effective way to help people improve their health is to give them the tools to help themselves,” Simmer said. “By helping those in food deserts create community gardens, we are helping ensure these communities have a sustainable way to provide healthy food choices for themselves and their families.”

Connecticut company acquires 3 West Columbia complexes By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

olliers Capital Markets has arranged the $66.9 million acquisition and repositioning financing for a six-property, 933-unit multifamily property across Columbia and Memphis, Tenn. Colliers secured the loan from Ready Capital Corp. on behalf of Connecticut-based Lexington Partners LLC and LAZ Investments. The portfolio includes Copperfield Apartments, Creekside Place, Retreat

at Broad River and Riverbanks Retreat in West Columbia, as well as two Memphis mid-rise apartment developments, Azur Tower and SoMa Apartments, in the Memphis Medical District. New owner Lexington Partners plans major renovations to common areas and exterior upgrades including new walkways and decks. Interior improvements will include new flooring and countertops as well as kitchen and bathroom appliance replacements. “It was a pleasure to work with the Lexington Partners and LAZ Investment teams, who will capitalize on their

vast knowledge and understanding of resident needs to reshape this portfolio to meet current lifestyle demands,” John Broderick, Colliers Markets executive vice president, said in a news release. “The company’s visionary approach has firmly established it as a leader in the value-add multifamily space by being able to recognize opportunities and having the in-house expertise to execute a thoughtful and creative business plan resulting in smartly repositioned multifamily communities.” Lexington Partners and its construction arm InnoConn Construction

Corp. have more than 30 years of experience specializing in the acquisition, adaptive reuse and new construction of commercial and residential developments. The areas of Columbia and Memphis have been growing rapidly. Columbia’s population has increased 10% since 2010, according to the release, while $13 billion in revitalization projects have reshaped downtown Memphis. The high concentration of logistics, medical and government jobs have helped stabilize both economies during the past decade.

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May 16-June 19, 2022

Partnership to expand afterschool programs statewide By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbizews.com

he S.C. Department of Education is partnering with the S.C. Afterschool Alliance to provide up to $14.5 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding to expand summer and afterschool programs to address pandemic-related learning loss in disadvantaged communities. The education department will provide up to $12 million to SCAA for the expansion of summer and after-school programs in districts and community organizations, with first-year funding expected to serve more than 4,000 students and 45 organizations, according to a news release. Additionally, $1 million will be provided by the Columbia Urban League to support parent programs, with another $1.5 million provided by afterschool programming nonprofit Wings for Kids. “Local partnerships that leverage new and existing relationships between schools, families, and community organizations can provide the targeted support that students who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic need to accelerate their learning,” S.C. Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman

said in the release. “By working with the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance, we can grow proven programs and create new ones that will serve our students and their families now and into the future. We are excited about the opportunities this funding will create and the year-round learning that will result from this investment.” Districts and organizations selected through the grants process will receive professional development and a tiered support system. Additionally, data collected by SCAA will be provided to the district for evaluation and sustainability purposes. “There is no doubt the pandemic has impacted student learning and their families, but assisting students who have been affected the most requires extensive support from local and state partnerships,” said Zelda Waymer, president and CEO of the S.C. Afterschool Alliance. “This partnership with the South Carolina Department of Education, coupled with the 1,400 afterschool community-based, faith-based, and other local nonprofit programs in underserved areas of the state, is creating an ecosystem of support to help accelerate learning and expand hands-on opportunities for students to grow academically.”

The Equity and Excellence in Education program implemented by the Columbia Urban League will provide resources and support to parents and caregivers of students of color and/or economically disadvantaged students. The Columbia Urban League will also host regional conferences based on feedback from parents.

“We are excited about the opportunities this funding will create and the year-round learning that will result from this investment.” Molly Spearman S.C. Superintendent of Education

“The South Carolina Department of Education’s support for afterschool programs is noteworthy because this support is vital in reducing and closing the historical achievement gap, along with

the COVID-related learning loss gap,” JT McLawhorn, CEO of the Columbia Urban League, said. “These funds are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve the academic performance of many disadvantaged and underserved children, which is essential in preparing them for livable income career opportunities and breaking the cycle of poverty for many.” Wings for Kids, a Charleston-based program that provides disadvantaged youth with access to high-quality social and emotional learning experiences, will manage and implement a pilot project for five K–5 programs in Title One elementary schools serving 500 students in the most impoverished neighborhoods in South Carolina. “We know that in order for students to learn, they must feel supported, accepted, and valued,” said Bridget Laird, CEO of Wings for Kids. “Intentionally teaching life skills prioritizes a student’s well-being and provides lessons and practice in taking on challenges, learning from effort, building healthy relationships, and problem-solving. Wings for Kids is honored to bring our 25 years of experience to kids and schools across the state of South Carolina with the support of the SCDE.”

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www.columbiabusinessreport.com 13

Expert

PERSPECTIVES LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

elcome to the 2022 edition of the Columbia Regional Business Report’s Expert Perspectives. Within the following pages, you’ll find advice and offerings from local businesses to help you and your company succeed and grow. These experts and their companies are focused on helping their Midlands neighbors prosper as we all return to normal business after more than two years of upheaval and uncertainty. Please keep them in mind whenever you find yourself in need of business services. You’ll find knowledgeable, friendly and capable staffs at each, ready to help you and your employees reach their full business potential. The Columbia Regional Business Report and SC Biz News are proud to bring you this valuable resource, and we know you will find advice and knowledge inside that is useful to you and your business.

Steve McDaniel, Editor Custom Media Division

FEATURED EXPERTS

16 ��eSources 18 ��Lexington Medical Center

www.columbiabusinessreport.com

First Citizens Bank: A Strong Financial Foundation For Your Business If you own a business, you know how much work it can take. The same is true of your business finances. On any given day, your business might need countless financial tasks executed just to keep things running smoothly. Checks that need depositing. Payroll that needs to be authorized. Funds that need to be transferred from one place to another. It’s a lot of work, but we can help. At First Citizens Bank, we make the day-today of running your business easier with the wide range of business services you’d expect from a larger bank, paired with the personalized experience of a smaller bank. Financing To Keep Your Business Growing: Give your business the shortterm financing you need to keep growing. Our bankers can help you fund facility updates, company vehicles, new locations, equipment acquisition … everything you need to keep expanding without worrying about disrupting cash flow.

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May 16-June 19, 2022

HUMAN RESOURCES CONSULTING

eSOURCES is a great partner to small business Long-term, holistic approach is key to services eSOURCES provides BY THEODORE “ TREY ” BOONE III, eSOURCES CEO

ne of the most complicated aspects We give careful thought, always with the of business ownership is handling employees in mind, to everything we do— human resources functions. even to what may seem to others as the most After more than three decades working basic of transactional functions — payroll. in HR in the utilities industry, I launched For example, many people see this as little eSOURCES in 2000 so I could use my more than writing checks every couple of knowledge, experience and passion for all weeks. Time consuming, maybe -- but how things HR to help smaller businesses grow complicated can it really be? and thrive. If you’re serious about investing in eSOURCES is a great partner for your employees, it takes time, knowledge, businesses not just because our team is and perspective that you probably don’t very knowledgeable, skilled and dedicated have — rightly so, as you are not in the HR — they are — but because our approach is business. But regarding payroll, here are different. We look at things holistically. We some points to ponder, each with pros and take the long view and are always thinking cons: are you paying weekly, bi-weekly, or about our clients’ businesses and their most at some other frequency? Do you offer preimportant assets, their tax or after-tax insurance employees. benefits? Retirement What we know is benefits? Here’s another “eSOURCES will this: The most successful thought to consider: in help you build a businesses take the time a worst-case situation, strong team that will and effort to truly invest such as when you must ultimately help to in the success of their terminate an employee, grow your business employees. We also do you do it at the first understand that can be of the month or the and, in turn, create challenging, especially end of the month? That a solid foundation for smaller companies. decision will affect for the future that That’s why we offer not only their income benefits everyone.” such a wide array and but the timing of depth of services: terminating insurance designing compensation benefits. We try to take - THEODORE packages, administering all possible scenarios “TREY” BOONE III, performance appraisals into consideration when eSOURCES CEO and procedures, creating advising our clients on employee training and matters such as these. development resources On the regulatory as well as company benefits administration side, eSOURCES will help you stay in — all vital employee-oriented services. compliance with the various federal, state We also know each situation is different and local laws, help you avoid penalties due and therefore needs a well-thought-out to miscalculations, and work to resolve any solution tailor made for your needs; not a issues that may arise. cookie cutter plan to which you must try to eSOURCES will help you build a somehow adapt. strong team that will ultimately help to When you call for help, we are there, in grow your business and, in turn, create a person, we’re not just a voice on the phone. solid foundation for the future that benefits We are located less than a three-hour drive everyone. from most of our clients, which means we To find out more about how eSOURCES can be and are — on site, in person, at any can help you, call 803-376-1401 or visit our time, for any reason. website at esourceshr.com.

eSOURCES Founder and CEO Theodore “Trey” Boone III started the company in 2000.

May 16-June 19, 2022

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 17

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OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Lexington Medical Center’s Occupational Health Program keeps employees healthy, safe BY W E SL E Y D. B O O SE , M D, M P H L E X I N G T O N M E D I C A L C E N T E R O C C U P AT I O N A L H E A LT H

hether you have a staff of 50 or 5,000, a business’ employees are its greatest investment. If an employee gets sick or is injured at work, ensuring their return to health is critical. An even higher priority is preventing illness and injury in the first place. Keeping employees healthy and safe is key to maintaining a productive workforce. Customized occupational health programs can help businesses address health care costs, productivity and workplace safety. Improving an employee’s health and safety can begin even before a job offer is made. Occupational health providers can conduct pre-employment screenings to help ensure that potential hires are capable of safely performing their jobs. Pre-employment tests can include physicals and drug testing. Injury prevention programs teach employees safe practices such as proper lifting techniques and ergonomic methods to help reduce the risk of repetitive-motion injuries at work and home. And if a work injury occurs, the sooner an employee receives care, the better. Early intervention and treatment can provide a faster, fuller recovery. Keeping employees safe and well also includes offering preventive measures such as health screenings, vaccinations and medical exams to protect employees from various health hazards that can impact an employee at work and home. Lexington Medical Center’s Occupational Health Program offers a wide array of occupational health care services ranging from preplacement assessments to comprehensive treatment of Workers’ Compensation injuries. In addition to our main location at Otarre Pointe in Cayce, we offer on-site services and have a mobile medical unit to serve businesses across South Carolina. For more information, visit our website at LMCOccHealth.com or call (803) 755-3337.

Lexington Medical Center Occupational Health uses a mobile medical unit to deliver high-quality, customized care at businesses and organizations throughout the state.

Donna B. Padgett, acute care nurse practitioner, cares for a patient at Lexington Medical Center Occupational Health.

May 16-June 19, 2022

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Give the gift of awareness.

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In Focus Prisma Health takes services into rural hospital void NEXT ISSUE’S FOCUS:

LIFE SCIENCES

LIST: Life Science Companies, Page 28

Architecture, Engineering and Construction

By Molly Hulsey

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

ew physicians choose to work in South Carolina’s rural communities, and few have the opportunity to do so. Out of the 90 health care facilities across the state, only 14 hospitals operate in the rural regions that make up much of South Carolina. Four of the 14 are federally certified as Critical Access Hospitals, according to the South Carolina Office of Rural Health. And the number appears to be shrinking, as more than 30% of all rural hospitals across the United States are at risk of closing in the near future, according to the Center for Health Care Quality and Payment Reform. Three rural hospitals have closed over the past decade in the state in Barnwell, Bamberg and Winnsboro, while 10 suffer from a negative total profit margins of up to minus-43%, according to data from the University of North Carolina’s Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital’s profit margin was at negative 10.3% over the past three years, while the Medical University of South Carolina’s Lancaster Medical Center has lost out on 43.2% during the same time period. Self-Regional Healthcare’s Edgefield County Healthcare, Allendale County Hospital and Tidelands Health in Georgetown are also in the red when it comes to patient services. The Upstate’s Union Medical Center, also in the red for all profits, has lost out on 25 cents for every dollar spent at the hospital over the past three years. Shuttered hospitals add insult to injury. “In rural communities, we know that there are higher rates of uninsured individuals,” said Stacey McPhail, director of Prisma Health’s Community Health office. “Transportation is a huge barrier in rural communities. (People) often lack access to transportation, access to public transportation in particular.”

House call revival

More urban-centric hospitals have been able to fill a few of the gaps through telehealth channels. McPhail told SC Biz News about partnerships Prisma Health forged with elementary schools in the Midlands where telehealth serves in lieu of a school nurse or local doctor where there is none. In many rural communities, if a child is reported sick, most parents don’t have

Prisma Health deployed mobile clinics to expand access to COVID-19 vaccination across the Upstate and Midlands with support from aid funding. (Photo/Provided)

the option driving from work to school to a distant doctor’s office to pharmacy and finally back home, she said. “We don’t have doctor’s offices in our communities,” said McPhail, who grew up in a rural community. “We don’t have pediatricians in our community, so we have to leave work, pick the child up, go back downtown — so not only am I losing a day’s pay, but gas is expensive.” Through Prisma’s new partnerships with rural elementary schools, students can now see a remote doctor at school for a diagnosis before parents or guardians are called in from work. If the condition isn’t contagious or acute, they can return to class and the parent can pick up a prescription on the drive back home without missing a day at work. But telehealth is far from a panacea to the challenges that plague rural communities. Sometimes health care systems must take their services to patients instead.During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prisma Health began to invest more in mobile health units across the state to meet urgent care and community health needs, according to McPhail. Prisma Health – Upstate has served more than 4,000 uninsured or underinsured patients with a mobile unit since 2016, according to a news release. The unit visits 21 community sites each month. Funded through winnings from an American Hospital Association award, Prisma Health – Midlands’ first community health mobile unit was deployed from Columbia in January 2020 and offered screenings for blood pressure,

blood sugar and cholesterol. The success of the mobile care program and a $200,000 grant from the South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare has prompted Prisma Health to expand its mobile care footprint to Eastover in Richland County, Rembert in Sumter County, Ridgeway in Fairfield County and Gaston in Lexington County. Starting in May, the hospital system will schedule the 38-foot mobile care unit to service alternating locations, published online at PrismaHealth.org, each Saturday, according to a news release. “We have a total of 10 mobile clinics under the umbrella of Accountable Communities and Community Health,” said McPhail. “And so the goal, of course, with the clinics is to improve access to care for the underserved populations in both the Midlands and the Upstate and, in fact, Prisma Health’s entire footprint.” Patients will receive care at the mobile clinic regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay.

Holistic care

Prisma Health is also seeking to gain community trust and a clearer picture of community needs through local partnerships. “Often in rural communities, it’s the faith communities that people trust,” McPhail said, adding that churches and schools often serve as the crux for social events and connections. “If they know that the church is on board, then they tend to trust us a little more. If they know

that the school is on board with having us there, they tend to trust us a little more. Those partnerships are extremely important.” In fact, Prisma won’t enter rural communities without those established partnerships, she said. “We want to be there alongside the community,” she said. “And we don’t want to be in that community as the leader because we’re not. We walk and partner with them, alongside of the church, alongside the school, alongside of the neighborhood associations. We want to be seen as an equal partner.” Moving forward, Prisma Health seeks to pinpoint social determinants to health care quality and access in rural communities, not just meet medical needs. Data from the South Carolina Office of Rural Health will be used to select sites for the mobile clinics, according to a news release. Once established, surveys in areas serviced by the clinic will be used to help identify which communities are hindered by lack of access to transport, child care, nutrition and the management of chronic diseases. “This opportunity to take health care services into rural communities to help residents overcome access barriers for timely medical care is a win-win,” Valerie Sullivan, Prisma’s mobile health clinic manager said in the release. “Providing a great health care experience beyond our hospital walls helps people see the benefits of care and learn about their options.” Reach GSA Business Report staff writer Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1223.

www.columbiabusinessreport.com

IN FOCUS: LIFE SCIENCES

May 16-June 19, 2022

Fueling innovation: Green Energy Biofuel forging a sustainable path By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

ourteen years ago, the biofuel world looked a bit different. When Beth and Joe Renwick founded what was then called Midlands Biofuels in 2008, restaurants paid to dispose of used cooking oil, which often went to landfills. Now, the market in which Green Energy Biofuel competes requires wooing customers while making greener, more sustainable use of oil and other food waste. “Restaurants owners, and everyone, have become more educated that there’s value in the oil, and so now it’s more of a competitive market,” said Beth Renwick, company majority owner. “You have to approach the restaurant and offer them good service and offer them premium price for their oil, or they’ll go to the next company to collect.” Renwick, who is also an emergency room physician, and her husband started the company on a small scale spurred by necessity. After his job selling pharmaceutical drug manufacturing equipment ended when the owner of that company died, Joe Renwick began tinkering with producing biodiesel in his garage from cooking oil recycled from a restaurant in Augusta, Ga., when the Renwicks lived in North Augusta. While Beth wrapped up her medical residency, Joe made batches of fuel, which he tested successfully in his own truck. Soon after, the Renwicks moved back to Winnsboro, where Joe’s father and grandfather had both owned businesses. Beth began working at Lexington Medical Center while Joe launched Midlands Biofuels LLC. The burgeoning business developed innovations including boilerless technology, which heats biodiesel to more than 230 degrees, allowing for recovery of 94% of methanol after the chemical reaction at a fraction of the cost of a traditional boiler. The company soldiered on through the Great Recession and cuts in federal biodiesel production subsidies, securing a contract with U.S. Foods. The Renwicks opened a second processing plant — though both the contract and plant vanished in 2011 during an industry downturn. After years of helping out, Beth Renwick joined the company full time in 2012 and became majority owner, making the firm the only woman-owned biodiesel company in the country. The business’ focus broadened into a large-scale waste processor of biodiesel products, and the company changed its name to Green Energy Biofuel in 2016, when it also expanded throughout South Carolina and Tennessee. The

Beth Renwick, majority owner of Green Energy Biofuel and a physician in Lexington, reads to students during one of the company’s educational outreach programs. Founded in 2008, the Midlands-based compnay now serves customers in several states as well as in Europe. (Photo/Provided)

company now operates three processing plants, processes 200,000 gallons of product daily and serves customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Louisiana and Europe while sponsoring internships and educational programs. With increased processing came more organic food waste and water, an issue Green Energy Biofuel addressed by purchasing a composting company in order to remain landfill-free. “The cooking oil we collect has food particles in it that we filter out and it also has water in it, and so it gives us an avenue to dispose of the solid food waste without going to the landfill and the nonhazardous water without taking it to a water disposal site,” Renwick said. “That’s enabled us to find new customers around and also offer them those same opportunities.” Green Energy Biofuel also recently became the only S.C. business to own a depackaging machine, Renwick said. “This is a huge piece of equipment. It helps separate expired food products from their packaging, and it separates them out into organic and nonorganic components,” she said. “You could take boxes of apple juice that were in a cardboard container and wrapped in plastic in another box and throw the whole thing in there and it would separate out so that you could recycle the packaging

components on one end and then you could take the organic components to the composting plant.” Like many small businesses, the company faced challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. “When people were at home, they weren’t eating out as much,” Beth Renwick said. “Maybe 500 of our restaurants closed, and the volume of oil went down, but at the same time, the value of it went up, partly due to global markets and things unrelated to the scarcity of oil. So now we’re looking at oil prices that are higher than ever — two, three, four times what they were two years ago. “How that affects us is just our costs are higher and we have to be prepared to offer the customers more and manage our expenses and keep a tighter eye on the finances, just to make sure we’re staying profitable. … I think things are picking up, but at a slower pace. New restaurants are opening, but still not back to the number where we were.” Renwick, who now practices medicine at an urgent care clinic, also saw the pandemic’s effects through a health care lens. The clinic where she works became a de facto acute respiratory clinic, serving patients too sick to visit a primary care physician, and running a drive-through testing clinic.

“It was scary. The unknown is frightening,” she said. “It impacted everything — working from home and virtual meetings and school. It was quite traumatic, really. I look back on it and I’m like, that was really horrible. I finally feel like we’re trying to find our way on the other side of it.” Renwick is optimistic that the biofuel industry will continue to grow in light of national mandates such as the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires suppliers of diesel and gasoline to inject a small percentage of biofuels into their products and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the country’s dependence on non-renewable petroleum. “We’ve worked in the past with big food manufacturers and beverage manufacturers. I think everybody’s starting to feel the heat, through mandates or through their own corporate goals of trying to get to that zero-waste place,” she said. “We’ve got this tagline of rethinking sustainability, so I think if we can stay agile and kind of anticipate what companies are going to need, we can continue to pivot and turn and figure out how to offer a good solution, and an affordable solution, to help keep their business running and at the same time have a positive impact on the earth.”

May 16-June 19, 2022

IN FOCUS: LIFE SCIENCES

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 23

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IN FOCUS: LIFE SCIENCES

May 16-June 19, 2022

Lakshman Ventrapragada, a former research assistant at the Clemson Nanomaterials Institute, designed an experiment that revealed curcumin could lead to safer, more efficient fuel cells. (Photo/Provided)

Common spice leads to fuel cell breakthrough By Christina Lee Knauss

Contributing writer

urmeric is a popular spice in many kitchens, known not only for its taste but for its many health properties. But who knew it could also function as a more environmentally friendly way to generate electricity? The spice’s potential role in technology has been revealed through researchers at the Clemson Nanomaterials Institute, who recently published research that shows how curcumin, the main substance in turmeric, can be used to build safer, more efficient fuel cells. The researchers worked with collaborators from the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning in Anantapur, India. The main goal of the research was to find a substance that could potentially replace hydrogen as the main feedstock for fuel cells, which generate electricity through a chemical reaction instead of combustion. Fuel cells are a vital part of daily life throughout the world, used to power vehicles, buildings, portable electronics and backup power systems, among many other uses. Hydrogen as a power source has its ups and downs. The most common element on Earth, it is highly efficient and doesn’t produce greenhouse gases. However, it only occurs naturally in compound form with other elements, so it has to be derived from substances such as natural gas and fossil fuels, a process both expensive and tough on the environment.

“Hydrogen also has challenges because it is used in fuel cells as a compressed gas, which can make it risky and more expensive to transport,” said Lakshman Ventrapragada, a researcher at CNI who designed the experiment with curcumin while doing his thesis work under the instruction of Apparao Rao, founding director of CNI and the R.A. Bowen Professor of Physics in Clemson’s College of Sciences. The research took place over the past two years and the findings were recently published in the prominent journal Nano Energy. Ventrapagada was looking for a way to replace hydrogen in fuel cells with ethanol, an alcohol made from corn or other agricultural products that would also be more environmentally friendly to obtain. These ethanol-based fuel cells would also require highly efficient electrodes, but the researchers didn’t want to build them using substances that would be expensive or tough on the environment. “Our focus was to see if we could incorporate naturally available products instead of synthetically created ones in the fuel cell,” Ventrapagada said. “Using substances that are not eco-friendly would have defeated the whole purpose.” The researchers focused their work on the fuel cell’s anode, where the ethanol would be oxidized. Many fuel cells use platinum as a catalyst at this point, but it is expensive and can be corrupted by substances such as carbon monoxide that emerge during the reaction process. The scientists decided to try using

gold nanoparticles instead. This presented another potential problem because these particles agglomerate, or clump together, on their own, which lowers the available surface for the reaction that produces energy within the cell and thus its efficiency. Ventrapagada said researchers decided to try different natural substances to stabilize the gold particles and deposit them on the electrode. Curcumin, the bright yellow chemical found in turmeric, turned out to do the trick because of its unique molecular structure. The turmeric-coated gold nanoparticles could also be deposited on the electrode at an electric current 100 times lower than necessary with other tested alternatives. Basically, the curcumin and gold combination led to an electrode that requires 100 times less energy to efficiently convert ethanol into electricity. The result? A fuel cell that is less expensive, easy on the environment, utilizes easily obtained materials, and produces electricity through a much more efficient reaction. The researchers still need to do more testing on the process, but the results of the experiment bring the possibility of replacing hydrogen as a primary feedsource for fuel cells one step closer, a result that could be good for consumer and business pocketbooks as well as the environment. The gold-curcumin catalyst mix is less expensive than traditional platinum and turmeric, the source of curcumin, is a readily available product that doesn’t require complex and environmentally risky work

to obtain. “We are doing this work using something that is directly available from nature, a substance that is readily available in many kitchens,” Ventrapagada said. The curcumin research also could eventually lead to more than just more efficient and greener fuel cells. The unique properties of the gold-curcumin electrode could also be applied in the future to use in sensors, supercapacitors and other technology, Ventrapagada said. Rao’s team, in cooperation with the researchers in India, is also testing the electrode as a sensor that could help detect changes in the level of dopamine in the human body, a neurotransmitter sometimes called the “happy hormone” because it results in feelings of well-being. Dopamine levels have been implicated in disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Rao said researchers have been able to measure dopamine levels in urine samples from healthy volunteers using the electrode in a process that is much more cost-effective than current testing procedures. “In the beginning stages of the project, we did not imagine other applications that gold-coated curcumin could support,” Rao said. “Although we don’t have a complete understanding of what’s happening at the atomic level, we know for sure that curcumin is stabilizing the gold nanoparticles in a way that can lend itself to other uses. “We’re interested to see what other wonders it can do.”

May 16-June 19, 2022

IN FOCUS: LIFE SCIENCES

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 25

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IN FOCUS: LIFE SCIENCES

May 16-June 19, 2022

Nephron donation to fund Governor’s School internships By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

ephron Pharmaceuticals Corp. has renewed its partnership with the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics with a $10,000 donation to fund research internships. Every student at the Hartsville school participates in six weeks of professionally mentored research during the summer between the student’s junior and senior years. This summer, more than 150 students in the school’s residential and virtual high school programs will conduct research at universities and businesses throughout S.C. and around the world, according to a news release. “We are grateful to CEO Lou Kennedy and Nephron Pharmaceuticals for their commitment to GSSM, recognizing the importance of real-world research experience, and welcoming GSSM students into their research labs and operations,” Danny Dorsel, president of the school, said. “Nephron’s generous $10,000 gift for student research helps ensure that every student has a rich and meaningful research experience.” Based in West Columbia, Nephron develops and produces affordable generic

Illustration/File

inhalation solutions and suspension products.

MTC home to life sciences certificate

Midlands Technical College has become first in South Carolina to introduce a new SCBIO Life Sciences Pharmaceutical Manufacturing certificate pro-

gram. The inaugural class completed the 48-hour curriculum, developed in conjunction with SCBIO and in partnership with industry leaders, on May 6. The certificate is the first of several planned for rollout during the next 12 months, according to a news release, including a

program at Greenville Technical College. Highlights of the program include an overview of the pharmaceutical industry; introduction to quality assurance principles; a regulatory overview; documentation practices and measurement skills; and 12 hours towards an Essential Skills for the Workplace certificate.

May 16-June 19, 2022

IN FOCUS: LIFE SCIENCES

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 27

Life science app Rad Lab offers in-game, real life incentives By Molly Hulsey

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

or those raising the next generation of workforce talent at home, it may be a no-brainer that 12-year-olds are more likely to learn about future career opportunities from TikTok, YouTube or Duolingo than LinkedIn. Yet much of the online conversation surrounding new career developments remains resigned to the adult business sphere. SkillsGapp, a Greenville-based app platform, seeks to broaden that conversation to include the audience making those first steps toward a career. The startup offers apps for a variety of fields including skilled trades, aerospace and advanced manufacturing, as well as the fast-growing life science industry. SkillsGapp’s newest app, RadLab, gamifies life science careers for middle schoolers. RadLab first bubbled into existence through conversations between SkillsGapp founder and CEO Tina Zwolinski, Upstate SC Alliance and SCBIO. “We understand, and the industry understands, that we got to fill that

pipeline,” SCBIO CEO James Chappell told SC Biz News, adding that middle school is a key time in the development of interests that later feed into career paths. “So we want to catch them early enough.” The free game allows students to try a number of jobs — ranging from the R&D side of the equation to manufacturing to nursing — on for size and level up through a variety of challenges. Teens can test new medicines, obtain Food and Drug Administration approval, manage the manufacturing of products and use them to treat hospital patients. Geofencing will link players to the non-virtual world of life sciences during game play through prompts that offer information on local industries and education pathways into the careers they are sampling. “They will not only be playing the game and understand what it means to go in these different career paths, but they’ll also have a pop-up that says, if you’re in Columbia, did you know that Nephron is in your area and they have an average of this amount per year, or if they drive by another company, in the Upstate, it’s the same thing,” Chap-

pell said. “They’re getting life science skills without even realizing it, and also learning about these companies and the specific opportunities that there are here.” If an educational program, such as a certificate at a local tech school, isn’t available within a certain radius, the mileage limit will expand and alert players to the nearest programs. “It’s really helping that player and that student navigate their own interests, which Gen Z does, and then be able to flip the conversation,” Zwolinski said. She hopes that students we be more likely to tell their parent or guidance counselor or teacher about careers that spark their interest and how to pursue them instead of the other way around. Both in-game and out-of-game incentives help sweeten the pot. RadLab, a single-player game, drives up the competition through a leaderboard and badges that teens can earn as they navigate a “skill tree.” There is also an in-game resume that can be used to inform apprenticeship or internship decisions come high school. Other competitions could earn stu-

dents the opportunity to observe a surgery, tour a lab, host a pizza party or win a free semester at a technical college. “We’re giving them real-world experiences to connect them out of game, but making them fun, making them exciting to align with the in-game play,” Zwolinski said. The game’s strategic planning phase launched in April and is set to conclude later in May. In the meantime, Greenville’s Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School and the Governor’s School of Science and Mathematics is piloting the program, but Zwolinski expects to form partnerships with institutions and summer camps across the state, especially Allendale County in the Lowcountry. A soft launch is scheduled for this summer and a 12-month deployment plan, including a launch poster designed by students at Fisher Middle School, is slated to begin this fall. “It would really put some eyes on South Carolina to do an innovative initiative for workforce because it’s a challenge everywhere,” she said. “Here’s something that nobody else is doing, and they’re the first.”

A New Earth Project launches with mission to stop plastic pollution

Staff report

uported by Atlantic Packaging, which has locations in Summerville and Charleston, A New Earth Project was launched on Earth Day to support the kind of packaging that could help eliminate plastic pollution from oceans, lakes and rivers. A coalition of outdoor enthusiasts, industry-leading brands, packaging suppliers and professional surfers, the initiative is intended to lead a global movement to create, scale and advocate for sustainable packaging solutions. According to Wes Carter, who founded A New Earth Project, the cause is a personal one for the third-generation president of a company that has grown along the Atlantic coast. “The plastic pollution problem is personal for me,” Carter said in a news release. “I’ve witnessed it in my own life and have only seen it get worse. Hearing surfers share their personal stories of how they’ve observed the rise in plastic pollution in the oceans was the catalyst for A New Earth Project and is at the heart of this strategic collaboration.” Drawing on Atlantic’s 75-year history in the global packaging supply chain, A New Earth Project was created to deliver solutions through the introduction of the

“Hearing surfers share their personal stories of how they’ve observed the rise in plastic pollution in the oceans was the catalyst for A New Earth Project and is at the heart of this strategic collaboration.” Wes Carter Founder, A New Earth Project

Photo/File

New Earth Approved catalog, a collection of products and capabilities adhering to key criteria including: 100% curbside recyclable; made from renewable resources; and not harmful to wildlife or ecosystems, according to the release. Through the catalog, A New Earth Project brings the purchasing and delivery capabilities of Atlantic Packaging to brands of all sizes by providing efficient and affordable options that can be purchased online.

The initiative has also tapped professional surfers Kai Lenny, Vaihiti Mahana, Carlos Munoz and Koa Smith as global advocates and is developing story-driven programming chronicling the challenges that global waters face and the people, brands and organizations who are collaborating to find solutions. The first of multiple series in development, Journey to a New Earth, is an eight-episode series airing on Outside TV

and FUEL TV, designed to raise awareness about the environmental effects of packaging that ends up in the world’s waterways. “Atlantic Packaging has a seat at the table with the largest consumer product companies in the world,” Carter said in the release. “We and A New Earth Project are in a unique position of having both the ability, and what I believe is the responsibility, to drive the changes that must occur.” More information is available at www. anewearthproject.

IN FOCUS: LIFE SCIENCES

www.columbiabusinessreport.com

May 16-June 19, 2022

Life Sciences Companies Ranked by No. of Employees in the Columbia Area

Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corp. 4500 12th St. Extension West Columbia, SC 29172 800-443-4313 www.nephronpharm.com Top Local Official(s): Lou Kennedy Year Founded: 1991 Employees: 1,187 Life Sciences Specialties: Bioscience, development, manufacturing, pharmaceutical Description: Develops and produces generic inhalation solutions and suspension products; operates 503B outsourcing facility division; launched CLIA-certified lab which tests for COVID-19 and administers vaccines Zeus Industrial Products 3740 Industrial Blvd. Orangeburg, SC 29118 803-268-9500 www.zeusinc.com support@zeusinc.com Top Local Official(s): Jennifer McQuesten, Steve Peterson Year Founded: 1966 Employees: 1,000 Life Sciences Specialties: Bioscience, biotechnology, research Description: Manufacturer of high performance polymer extrusions UCI Medical Affiliates Inc. 1818 Henderson St. Columbia, SC 29201 803-782-4278 Top Local Official(s): Jon Belsher Year Founded: 1981 Employees: 200 Life Sciences Specialties: Development Description: Provides nonmedical management and administrative services for freestanding medical centers, including urgent care centers and physical therapy clinics; centers provide health care services throughout South Carolina Green Energy Biofuel LLC 310 S. Congress St. Winnsboro, SC 29180 803-718-6323 www.gebiofuel.com sales@gebiofuel.com Top Local Official(s): Beth Renwick, Joe Renwick Year Founded: 2008 Employees: 15 Life Sciences Specialties: Bioscience, biotechnology, research Description: Solving grease problems since 2008

BD Life Sciences - Integrated Diagnostic Solutions 1575 Airport Road Sumter, SC 29153 803-469-1725 www.bd.com

Fujicopian USA (Palmetto Imaging Technology) 1214 S.C. Highway 34 E. Winnsboro, SC 29180 803-635-9799 www.pitsc.com

Bluestar Forensic 151 Powell Road Columbia, SC 29203 803-394-3014 www.bluestar-forensic.com

Hacker Instruments & Industries Inc. 1132 Kincaid Bridge Road Winnsboro, SC 29180 803-712-6100 www.hackerinstruments.com

C-Plex Inc. 520 Two Notch Road Lexington, SC 29073 803-951-0628 www.c-plexinc.com

Integrated Micro-Chromatography Systems LLC 110 Centrum Drive Irmo, SC 29063 888-560-2073 www.imcstips.com

Cardinal Health 90 E. Hampton St. Camden, SC 29020 803-424-5099 Cerulium Corp. 221 Bronlow Drive Irmo, SC 29063 803-719-6782 www.cerulium.com Cousins Ag Products Inc. 716 Drayton St. Newberry, SC 29108 803-276-1522 Custom Profile SE 30 Hengst Blvd. Camden, SC 29020 803-425-7745 www.custom-profile.com DeRoyal Textiles Inc. 125 E. York St. Camden, SC 29020 803-432-2403 www.deroyaltextiles.com Diversified Medical Services LLC 200 Foster Brothers Drive West Columbia, SC 29172 803-926-3220 www.sc-dms.com Elite Tool & Design Inc. 1725 Peeples St. Columbia, SC 29203 803-691-9990 www.elitetoolanddesign.com

Laboratory Corp. of America 120 Highland Center Drive, Suite 130B Columbia, SC 29203 803-462-1271 www.labcorp.com Laserform & Machine Co. 10010 Farrow Road Columbia, SC 29203 803-691-2223 www.lfmsc.com Lexicode 100 Executive Center Drive, Suite 101 Columbia, SC 29210 800-448-2633 www.lexicode.com McEntire Produce 2040 American Italian Way Columbia, SC 29209 803-799-3388 www.mcentireproduce.com MicroVapor Devices 151 Powell Road, Suite BA112 Columbia, SC 29203 844-563-8518 www.microvapordevices.com

Rhino Medical Supply 649 Rosewood Drive, Suite B Columbia, SC 29201 833-997-4466 www.rhinomedicalsupply.com The Ritedose Corp. 1 Technology Drive Columbia, SC 29203 803-806-3300 www.ritedose.com Service Machine Co. 1644 Shop Road Columbia, SC 29201 803-779-4949 Sims Bark Co. Inc. 172 Arista Rd. Bowman, SC 29018 803-829-1200 Space Metal Fabricators Inc. 8523 Wilson Blvd. Columbia, SC 29203 803-786-0048 www.spacemetal.com Surgiform Technology Ltd. 1566 Whiting Way Lugoff, SC 29078 803-729-4700 www.surgiform.com Whitman Mold Inc. 4336 Bamberg Road Cope, SC 29038 803-533-1949 www.whitmanmold.net ZVerse 1901 Dixiana Road West Columbia, SC 29172 803-764-0353 www.zverse.com

Mixon Seed Co. 1438 Joe S. Jeffords Highway Orangeburg, SC 29115 803-531-1777 Patterson Dental Supply Inc. 400 Arbor Lake Drive, Suite A100 Columbia, SC 29223 803-754-8754 www.pattersondental.com

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 Paige Wills

At Work

PEOPLE, PLACES AND HAPPENINGS ACROSS THE MIDLANDS

People in the News CONSTRUCTION

The project management team at LCK now includes Scott Burriss, whose focus is industrial renovations and new development projects. Chandler Kilgus has joined Thomas & Hutton’s civil department as a designer. He earned a bachelor of science in civil engineering from the University of South Carolina.

Kilgus

FINANCIAL SERVICES At First Reliance Bank, Zach Brown has been promoted to vice president, director of customer solutions and asset management. In his new position, Brown oversees manage-

Brown

ment of the bank’s customer-care call center, facilities, collections, and special assets. He received a degree in business management from Florence-Darlington Technical College. United Home Loan Services named Charner Creecy as the company’s first director of communications. She brings nearly 14 years of experience in marCreecy keting, communications, and brand management to her new position. Creecy earned a bachelor’s in public relations from the University of South Carolina and a master’s in leadership communication from Queens University of Charlotte. Safe Federal Credit Union’s new vice president of human resources is Thomas Galloway. Galloway has more than 15 years of experience in human resource manage-

ment, most recently as director of human resources at Bomag Americas. He holds a bachelor of science in marketing and management with a focus in human resources from the University of South Carolina.

Natural Resources Board, received a South Carolina Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian award for lifetime service and achievements of national and statewide significance.

LAW Galloway

Travis Wright, sales manager at Mortgage Network’s Columbia branch, made the Experience.com list of America’s Top Loan Officers for CustomWright er Satisfaction for 2021. He is licensed to originate mortgages in the Carolinas and Georgia.

GOVERNMENT SERVICES Michael E. Hutchins, vice chairman of the South Carolina Department of

Among Turner Padget’s new hires is Charles S. Gwynne Jr., of counsel, who has joined the firm’s Columbia litigation practice group. He defends insurance carriers and individuals throughout all aspects of litigation, including case investigation, written discovery, depositions, motion practice, and trials. Gwynne earned his bachelor of arts from Ithaca College and his juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School. Amanda Mellard has joined Robinson Gray as a member, working out of Greenville. Her practice focuses on workers’ compensation defense. Mellard received her bachelor’s in political science from Clemson University and her juris doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

MIN G

Under the Microscope: Bio-Science In July, SCBIZ magazine examines the economic impact of the life sciences industries, the businesses that support them, and growth trends for the future in South Carolina.

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May 16-June 19, 2022

Columbia baker helps stock Ukrainian kitchens By Molly Hulsey

Donations from Silver Spoon and other fundraisers helped World Central Kitchen to transport 8 million pounds of food to hundreds of refugee assistance centers and shelters, as well as the kitchens of 440 restaurants, food trucks and caterers. As Russia advanced on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, on April 16, a missile wounded four World Central Kitchen staff members and destroyed the city’s Yaposhka kitchen. “This is the reality here,” Nate Mook, a World Central Kitchen employee said in a statement after the attack. “Cooking is a heroic act of bravery.” The Yaposhka kitchen team — several of the thousands of chefs, bakers and cooks on the ground in Ukraine with World Central Kitchen — was up and running again in a new location within two days, according to the organization. At home in South Carolina, Nobles shared how crafting the petit fours was a bittersweet and meditative experience. “I really had a more somber experience making these, because the whole time I was decorating them, all I could think of was how incredibly awful it would have to be to leave your home and family behind,” she said. “It made me extra thankful that I live in the U.S. and have never had to experience anything like this.”

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

rin Nobles closed the door on Silver Spoon Bake Shop’s day-to-day retail sales as ingredient costs rose and employees became scarce. She still crafts cookies, cupcakes, croissants and other baked delicacies for online orders for the Columbia shop, but inflation and the labor shortage haven’t been the only current affairs to affect her operations. As the Russian military began to tear through Ukraine in February, sparking what American think tank the Atlantic Council calls the biggest refugee crisis since World War II, thousands of Americans watched in horror from their living rooms. Since then, concerned observers have hung yellow-and-blue flags in solidarity, boycotted Russian vodka and sent aid abroad. Others have supported local establishments trying to make a difference. Customers at Nobles’ Devine Street bakery have bought specially designed petit fours, raising $2,210 to sponsor meals for Ukrainian refugees. Nobles and her one employee were so busy rushing around the kitchen to fulfill 100 orders of petit fours the day SC Biz News reached out to her, so she only had a moment to catch her breath and respond via email.

Silver Spoon Bake Shop on Devine Street created specialty petit fours to aid Ukraine. (Photo/Provided)

“Our petit fours — we call them party fours — are one of our top selling items, and since I was able to incorporate the Ukrainian national flower, a sunflower, and hearts that are half yellow, half blue, I knew it would appeal to many people who wanted to help in some way,” she told SC Biz News. The French Culinary Institute-trained baker modeled the drive after a fundraiser she had launched for a regular customer who had lost her home to flooding. Following the first days of the invasion, she contacted World Central Kitchen, an emergency food relief nonprofit founded by José Andrés, the dean at the New York

City-based institute she attended. She then donated 100% of the proceeds from the special party fours, offered in two special online events, toward the organization. “I do not know him personally, but he was a dean at my culinary school in New York City and I went to a demonstration he put on,” she said. “He is a great chef with a big heart.” Since the launch of World Central Kitchen’s Chefs for Ukraine mission, the nonprofit has served 16.4 million meals to Ukrainians across eight countries and in more than 100 cities and towns in Ukraine, according to data from the organization as of April 30.

Join us in a show of support for our Military & Veterans In June each Business Journal will publish a custom cover dedicated to the business community’s support of our Military and Veterans.

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NEVER FORGET

Fort Jackson National Cemetery honors those who gave all

CK A B G N I GIV SALUTING SERVICE A recently completed 20-acre expansion added 729 traditional burial sites at Fort Jackson National Cemetery. (Photos/ Christina Lee Knauss)

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ERV O HAVE S