VOLUME 13 NUMBER 11 ■ COLUMBIABUSINESSREPORT.COM
Part of the
AUGUST 17-SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 ■ $2.25
network
Businesses use billions to save 658,000 S.C. jobs
Fair to go
S.C. State Fair will offer drive-through food, exhibits. Page 2
By Andy Owens
aowens@scbiznews.com
B Sprucing up
Mixed-use development planned for Forest Acres. Page 3
TAP TRANSITION
Bierkeller Columbia finding new ways to reach customers in pandemic
Mystery seeds
Unsolicited packets could be invasive or contain pests. Page 4
SCANA fallout
Former COO sentenced on federal fraud charges. Page 13
INSIDE
Upfront................................. 2 SC Biz News Briefs................. 4 In Focus: Financial Services ..............23 List: Accounting Firms........24 Bonus List: Credit Unions.....27 At Work.............................. 29 Viewpoint............................ 31
By Melinda Waldrop
S
mwaldrop@scbiznews.com
am Moses didn’t know exactly what to expect when he stepped into the shed. Moses, a Columbia economic development attorney, had been invited to a friend of a friend’s backyard to discuss a business venture over beers. After a few sips, Moses was sold, and a partnership that would bring a taste of Germany to the Midlands was formed. Bierkeller Columbia has grown from its homebrew-by-way-of-Bavaria founding in 2016 into a popular popup beer garden that draws thousands of people to locations such as the banks of the Congaree River for seasonal gatherings at Riverfront Park. Though facing challenges necessitated by the coronavirus to its business model, Bierkeller Columbia and founder and owner Scott Burgess are committed to continuing to produce authentic German beer — and more of it. “We can’t make as much as we could sell,” said Moses, Burgess’ friend and business partner. “We’re kind of at that crossroads. We can make 1,000 barrels a year, but we can’t go any further until we have another partner with more capacity or do it ourselves.” Bierkeller Columbia operates out of Swamp Cabbage Brewery at 921 Brookwood See BIERKELLER, Page 7
Women of Influence
Meet the 2020 class of influential women making the Midlands a better place to work and live. Page 15
illions of dollars in federally backed loans flowed onto the balance sheets of 63,000 S.C. companies over the past few months, all against a backdrop of a global pandemic that transformed into an economic crisis. The Paycheck Protection Program, quickly passed by Congress under a larger coronavirus relief package, made low-interest loans available for businesses to keep employees safely at home but still on a company’s payroll. In thousands of loan applications, S.C. businesses said the money would help save a total of 657,957 jobs across the state after coronavirus shutdowns began cutting demand for products and services in early March. Many of the companies receiving loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act are small businesses, and 88% of the loans in South Carolina were under $150,000. On the other end of the scale, some loans went up to $10 million. An analysis of Small Business Administration data by SC Biz News shows that the fallout from the pandemic threatened employees in every county with job losses and salary reductions. Statewide unemployment in February was 3.2%, a rate that had held steady for eight months. By May, the jobless rate had risen to 12.4%, the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce reported, before dipping back down to 8.7% in June. Elena Bottari, co-owner and CFO of Mariplast North America in Greer, said a loan saved jobs and maintained salaries for workers at her company. The Italy-based manufacturer has 21 employees in South Carolina. See PPP, Page 26