Columbia Regional Business Report - September 28, 2020

VOLUME 13 NUMBER 13 ■ COLUMBIABUSINESSREPORT.COM

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SEPTEMBER 28 - OCTOBER 11, 2020 ■ $2.25

Cafe comes to Devine Another Broken Egg opens first Columbia location.

Page 3

Farm aid

ACRE program offers help to agricultural entrepreneurs.

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Dollar distribution

McMaster recommends help for small businesses.

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The historic Babcock Building, slated for a $40 million renovation into luxury apartments, was damaged by a fire Sept. 12. The structure’s iconic cupola was destroyed, though the developer of the planned apartments said the company’s commitment to the project remains undiminished. (Photo/Jeff Blake/JeffBlakePhoto.com)

Airport art

Four local artists to have work featured at CAE. Page 9

LANDMARK LOSS

Fire damages historic Babcock Building

INSIDE

Upfront................................. 2 SC Biz News Briefs................. 3 In Focus: Commercial Real Estate...... 15 List: Commercial Real Estate Firms ............... 19 At Work............................... 21 Viewpoint............................23

By Melinda Waldrop

D

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

espite a fire that destroyed its iconic cupola and left Bull Street without its defining view, the Babcock Building will get a planned rebirth, says the developer behind its $40 million renovation.

Hugh Shytle, president of Richmond, Va.-

based Clachan Properties, said in a statement that the developer is formulating a plan to move forward after the Sept. 12 fire.

“It will take time to know the extent of the damage, but we have a great project team skilled in historic preservation to help us make an assessment,” Shytle said. “Our assumption at this time is that we will be able to go forward because of the rapid response

Cola cool

Columbia voted “Coolest Up-andComing City” by readers of United Airlines’ in-flight magazine.

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of the Columbia Fire Department. ... Clachan Properties undertook the renovation of the Babcock Building knowing its significance to the community. Our commitment is not diminished. Our enthusiasm is solid.”

Plans presented to the Columbia City Council Bull Street Commission in October See FIRE, Page 18

Upfront

BRIEFS | FACTS | STATEWIDE NEWS

Palmetto State among best for pandemic employment

4

Connecticut

9

Maine

5

Vermont

10

Maryland

HEARD IN THE

REPORT

10 5 0 -5 -10 -15

+20.91%

South Carolina

15

-20 -25 -30 -35

West Virginia

8

20

+12.95%

West Virginia

25

Missouri

3

Change in unemployment claims

+8.16%

New Jersey

Source: S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, July 2020

Wisconsin

7

2.7%

-1.26%

North Dakota

3.3%

7.9%

Pennsylvania

2

8.4%

-3.95%

Pennsylvania

Florence Greenville

North Dakota

6

2.9%

-5.00%

Oregon

7.7%

Vermont

1

Columbia

-18.48%

State

2.6%

Connecticut

Rank

9.2%

24.11%

State

Charleston

Oregon

Rank

July 2019

-26.06%

States recovering from pandemic unemployment

July 2020

South Carolina

That’s the 13th-highest in the country. Georgia has the highest percentage at more than 3,207% since the pandemic started, and Connecticut was the lowest, but that state still saw a 627% increase.

Region

-33.67%

In South Carolina, jobless numbers in the state’s primary markets in July showed continued struggles from cases of COVID-19 compared to the previous year. Since the pandemic began, South Carolina has experienced an increase of more than 1,485% in requests for unemployment benefits, the Wallethub analysis found.

Maine

Even though unemployment numbers are dropping, 16.3 million American workers were still out of work by the end of August, and new claims for unemployment benefits were topping more than 1 million a week.

Unemployment in S.C. metro areas

Percentage*

S

outh Carolina is in the top 10 for states recovering from the coronavirus outbreak, a research analysis by Wallethub found. The company looked at three specific data markers, including unemployment claims compared to 2019, claims compared to the start of the year and since the start of the pandemic.

*Indicates change in claims for jobless benefits in late August compared to the start of 2020.

Source: Wallethub

“It’s both an imposing landmark and certainly an architectural treasure, but it’s also the physical manifestation of the state’s efforts to take care of mental health patients from before the Civil War all the way up through the third quarter of the 20th century.”

— John Sherrer, Historic Columbia director of cultural resources

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SC Biz News Briefs GREENVILLE

moving business forward with technology.

GSA Business Report

Data Center to be built at Greenville’s Global Business Park

Southeastern tech company DC Blox will build a Tier III data center, its fifth across four states, in Greenville’s Global Business Park with an expected investment of more than $200 million.

Doors are set to open at the center’s six-acre campus in the third quarter of 2021. A full-build-out will extend across 45,000 square feet of a 15-megawatt data center separated into five distinct data halls, according emp to a news release. lo ema yee log il: in p “Greenville and the Upstate are a vibrant, assw janedoe @e ord: clar mail.co keco m entrepreneurial-driven region that will 3 greatly benefit by DC Blox’s presence in the state,” Jeff Uphues, CEO of DC Blox, said during a virtual event today. “It is our vision to serve locally and connect globally on behalf of customers. Serving locally means A data center will be complete at the campus in DC Blox is a company that gets involved the third quarter next year.. (Rendering/Provided) and stays involved.”

The data center, predicted to bring five “high-paying” jobs, according to Mark Farris, CEO of the Greenville Area Development Corp., will offer colocation, connectivity and cloud storage services including private network access with a capacity of more than 100 Gbps and public cloud providers.

Clients at the company’s Atlanta, Chattanooga, Tenn., Birmingham, Ala., and Authorized Agency For Huntsville, Ala., locations include content and cloud providers, wireless and managed service providers, state and local government, health care providers and educational institutions, according to a news release.

Uphues said that he has been eying Greenville as the home for a new data center for at least 16 years. The move has been several years in the making and was piloted through assistance from the Greenville Area Development Corp., city of Greenville, the S.C. Commerce Department, and Vivian Wong, CEO and owner of the Global Trade Center/Fairforest of Greenville.

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A LA CARTE Another Broken Egg opens Columbia location

Breakfast and brunch restaurant Another Broken Egg Cafe opened its first Columbia location on Sept. 14 at 4600 Devine St. The national franchise features a Southern-inspired menu, full bar and hand-crafted cocktails.

The Columbia location is its fourth in South Carolina.

Before its official opening, the cafe played host to a Friends and Family weekend Sept 11 and 12, when guests were able to make donations to local charitable organizations. The event’s partner, Feed Our Heroes, supports nonprofits in providing food to COVID-19 frontline workers.

“We’re thrilled to be opening a corporate-owned cafe in a new part of South Carolina,” Paul Macaluso, president and CEO of Another Broken Egg of America Franchising LLC said in a news release. “The new location will give us the opportunity to grow in a new community and lead the way for many more planned to open heading into 2021 and beyond.”

Another Broken Egg will be open daily from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m.

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New tech in the neighborhood

CU-ICAR ready to start next section of campus.

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By Ross Norton

D

Data center chooses Greenville DC Blox announces plans for Tier III storage center with safety redundancies.

Page 12

Unpaid taxes

When tourists don’t tour, impact felt statewide in lighter coffers.

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Plans for The McClaren demonstrate the momentum of revitalization west of Greenville’s West End. As proposed, the project would provide more affordable living space than the footprint currently provides. (Rendering/Provided)

Chamber vision

Women’s Business Center hopes to link entrepreneurial community

INSIDE

S

Hoping for a better 2021, Chamber CEO says business should lead in social challenges.

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By Molly Hulsey

Leading Off .......................... 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 C-Suite ................................ 4 In Focus: Manufacturing Conference ........................ 17 LIST: Manufacturers ........... 18 At Work ..............................22 Viewpoint ...........................23

SEPTEMBER 21 - OCTOBER 4, 2020 ■ $2.25

The McClaren pays tribute to doctor who founded Black clinic

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

taying in business as a corporate logo seamstress when even the largest corporations shutter means being able to re-invent yourself. And then re-invent yourself again.

Before the pandemic, Dionne Sandiford, founder and principal of Corporate Stich, embroidered everything from golf towels to

sports bags to uniforms for BMW suppliers, Michelin and a slew of other companies in the Upstate.

“Once the pandemic hit, everything shut off,” Sandiford said. “I told someone it was like you’re running water and then someone just comes and shuts off the faucet and the phones stopped ringing. The orders stopped coming.

And even two companies that I have a good See CENTER, Page 8

rnorton@scbiznews.com

evelopers of a site next to an old medical clinic built to serve Greenville Blacks during the Jim Crow years will name a new mixed-use project in honor of the McClaren Medical Shelter and the doctor who opened it.

Plans call for The McClaren to be a nine-story complex with 244 apartments, 20% of which will be dedicated to workforce and affordable housing, according to a news release from SeamonWhiteside, a design firm involved in the project.

Located at the corner of Rhett and Wardlaw streets, The McClaren is in a part of the western end of downtown where community leaders have voiced concerns about the impact of gentrification. SeamonWhiteside says the developer — Lighthouse Living LLC of Westchester, N.Y. — plans to not only reserve some of the units for affordable housing, but also honor the memory See McCLAREN, Page 8

PAGE 4 VOLUME 26 NUMBER 20 ■ CHARLESTONBUSINESS.COM

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By Teri Errico Griffis

Nuclear settlement Santee Cooper and Westinghouse reach agreement over equipment at failed plant. Page 13

No place to park

Rangers are turning visitors away as state parks see busiest month on record.

Page 6

Energy investment Clean energy company scores $29 million round of venture capital funding.

Page 20

T

tgriffis@scbiznews.com

he verdict on the parking garage is in.

A judge has ordered Mount Pleasant to pay more than $2.6 million in damages for breaching its agreement to help pay for the Shem Creek project that became

a lightning rod for the debate over growth in East Cooper. The judge also faulted the town for deliberately taking action to prevent the project’s development.

The parking garage and office building overlooking Mount Pleasant’s signature waterfront spot became a dividing line for Mount Pleasant Town Council. Some council

Building an environment Developers of the Charleston Tech Center rising above Morrison Drive plan to give tech companies a place to grow, as talent, diversity become critical components for the sector.

Page 17

When orders for embroidered uniforms folded this spring, Corporate Stich’s Dionne Sandiford launched a new product line. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)

Virtual meetings have become normal, but the S.C. Manufacturing Conference is taking it up a notch.

Page 17

GSABusinessReport.com

Fall 2020

See GARAGE, Page 8

SBA chief vows more help for S.C. businesses

By Melinda Waldrop mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

s she helped celebrate the potential of a newly opened women’s business center at Benedict College, U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza made a promise to S.C. proprietors, including the minority small-business owners disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: Help is on the way.

Carranza said congressional negotiations over a second round of emergency coronavirus relief funding are focused on continuing to help small businesses — 5.2 million of which have already received more than $500 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans.

“We still have $130 billion remaining, and Congress is trying to negotiate how we will make the remainder of those funds available,” Carranza said. “I’ve seen the language. It’s very promising for small businesses.”

Carranza said she assures the small-business owners she talks to in her nationwide travels that PPP loans will continue to be forgiven. She also said discussions include continuing to allow portions of the loan to be used for employee retention and wages, as well as factoring in operating cost flexibility as the pandemic stretches into its

Growing in tech

INSIDE

Manufacturing Gone Virtual

members championed the project as a natural outgrowth of the town’s comprehensive plan.

Others saw it as a fight against out-of-control development.

In the end, the town voted to pull public support from the project in 2015 after it had

A

North Charleston-based Cantey Consulting expanding operations.

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SEPTEMBER 21 - OCTOBER 4, 2020 ■ $2.25

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Mount Pleasant ordered to pay in parking garage dispute

Upfront ................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 Best Advice .......................... 4 In Focus: Information Technology ..... 17 List: IT Services & Networking Companies ......22 At Work ..............................25 People in the News ..............25 Business Digest ...................25 Hot Properties .....................28 Viewpoint ........................... 31

Headwinds

S.C. aerospace industry meets challenges, embraces new opportunities

See SBA, Page 11

Photo/Andy Owens

Directing the PGA

New director takes over 2021 PGA Championship on Kiawah Island.

Page 11

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Newberry farm Carolina Pride Pastures, which sells wool from its alpacas and llamas, participated in the ACRE program in 2018. The program, which provides guidance to S.C. agricultural entrepreneurs, is in its third year and will feature six online sessions. (Photo/Carolina Pride Pastures)

Program gives entrepreneurs chance to win $5,000

Editor - Ross Norton rnorton@scbiznews.com • 864.720.1222 Associate Editor, Custom Publishing Division Jim Tatum jtatum@scbiznews.com • 864.720.2269 Staff Writer - Molly Hulsey mhulsey@scbiznews.com • 864.720.1223

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he Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship is accepting applications for its third annual program providing guidance and a chance to win a share of $25,000 to agribusiness innovators.

The six-session ACRE program, in partnership with Clemson Cooperative Extension, offers an overview of business management including pre-planning, marketing, pricing, production, profitability and financial statements. Participants will also have a chance to pitch their business plans to a panel of judges, who will award up to $5,000 per plan (a total of $25,000 in awards).

“Over the past three years, our ACRE program has helped dozens of entrepre-

neurs take their agribusinesses to the next level, boosting innovation and showing the ingenuity of South Carolina agribusiness,” S.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said in a news release.

Program applications, due Sept. 28, are available online at acre-sc.com. Applicants must be S.C. residents with an agribusiness idea or prototype.

“The ACRE curriculum program introduces business planning processes and management skills for starting a successful agribusiness,” said Nathan Smith, Clemson Extension economist and agribusiness program team leader.

Individuals selected for the curriculum program must attend virtual class sessions on Oct. 6, Oct. 13, Oct. 20, Nov. 3 and Nov. 10. The virtual pitch day is Dec. 8. All classes will be taught by Clemson’s agribusiness program team.

“This program is well worth the time and it has directly led to impressive growth for our business and helped us establish some very meaningful relationships in the agribusiness industry,” said Ben Crawford, co-owner of Woodland Valley Mushrooms, who completed the curriculum with business partner Rebecca Goldberg in 2019. “Not only were we awarded a grant through the curriculum program, but the knowledge we gained there later led to us being awarded a $30,000 ACRE entrepreneurship grant.”

Newberry farm Carolina Pride Pastures, which sells wool from its alpacas and llamas, was a 2018 ACRE participant.

For more program information, contact Kyle Player, ACRE executive director, at 803-734-2324 or kplayer@scda. sc.gov or Smith at 803-788-5700 or nathan5@clemson.edu.

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Hotel Trundle, Boudreaux project receives state award

T

Staff Report

he downtown combination of boutique lodging establishment Hotel Trundle and Boudreaux’s architectural studio has been recognized

by S.C. Department of Archives and History, Preservation South Carolina, and the Office of the Governor as part of the 2020 Historic Preservation Awards.

The project, which transformed three vacant retail buildings at the corner of Taylor and Sumter streets, received an honor award, which celebrates historic preservation efforts around the Palmetto State.

“It is exciting to be recognized among high-caliber projects throughout our state,” Heather Mitchell, Boudreaux president, said in a news release. “We are grateful to our entire team, especially the designers in our office and Hotel Trundle husband and wife team owners, Rita Patel and Marcus Munse, for their energy, patience and vision. This is just further evidence of the forward momentum in Columbia and, even more, the power of creativity and perseverance to reenergize the historic cores of downtowns across our state.”

The project took advantage of state and federal historic tax credits.

“Mashburn takes pride in bringing old, empty buildings back to life,” Lee Mashburn, president of contractor Mashburn Construction, said in the release. “Our expertise in historic projects brings forward a well-qualified team to ensure the most cost effective and sustainable preservation techniques that have a long-lasting impact on our community and also provide new, lively spaces to enjoy.”

Several area projects were also recognized in Historic Columbia’s 2020 Preservation Awards, while Dan Elswick, the historical architecture consultant with the State Historic Preservation Office at the S.C. Department of Archives and History since 1986, received the Lifetime Achievement award.

Hotel Trundle has been recognized by the S.C. Department of Archives and History and Preservation South Carolina as part of the 2020 Historic Preservation Awards.

The boutique hotel at the corner of Taylor and Sumter streets received an honor award celebrating historic preservation efforts. (Photo/File)

“This is just further evidence of the forward momentum in Columbia and, even more, the power of creativity and perseverance to reenergize the historic cores of downtowns across our state.”

Heather Mitchell President, Boudreaux

Historic Columbia noted Elswick’s dedication to helping owners of area historic properties receive tax credits and grants for preservation projects.

Cottontown resident Patti Marinelli received the Preservation Leadership award for championing local preservation and restoration efforts, while projects were chosen as winners in categories including preservation/restoration, adap-

tive use and new construction in an historic context.

“Over the last several years we have seen a boon in exciting projects in which owners, developers and architects are celebrating the unique historic assets we have in Columbia and Richland County,” Robin Waites, Historic Columbia executive director, said in the release. “By finding creative ways to reuse old buildings

or recognizing the value of rehabilitating a structure, we bring both economic and cultural benefits to our community.”

Award winners are:

Adaptive use

• 2144 Sumter St. • Claussen’s Bakery and Boutique Studio Apartments

New construction in an historic context

• USC’s chemistry lab, 112 Greene St.

Preservation/restoration

• 819 Maple St. • The Arcade building, 1332 Main St./1208 Washington St. • Ebenezer Lutheran Chapel Restoration and Cupola Installation, 1301 Richland St. • 1701 Pendleton St.

Midlands Tech joins transatlantic workforce program

M

Staff Report

idlands Technical College has joined an international workforce development program focused on promoting trade and investment.

MTC is now a member of the Transatlantic Business & Investment Council, which works to connect economic interests between North America and Europe, and was recognized as the organization’s

member of the month for September.

“From the Enterprise Campus to all of our locations, we work every day to help businesses develop and grow,” Chuck Whipple, executive director of the MTC Enterprise Campus Authority, said in a news release. “From the time companies get started through all stages of growth, we work alongside employers to provide the workforce they need.”

TBIC’s College Certification Program aims to provide top-tier technical train-

ing while building local industry and businesses ties, according to its website.

Students will learn how to navigate international economies and attract European development.

The certification process includes an in-depth assessment of factors including the level of technical education and practical training offered to a college’s students, as well as the level of cooperation between the college and local industry.

According to the website, a second step

of the process includes the opportunity to participate in a networking and fact-finding trip to Europe.

MTC’s Enterprise Industrial Campus, located near the intersections of interstates 20 and 77, features a mix of industrial and office users from five to 40 acres and can accommodate buildings of up to 400,000 square feet. Its Business Accelerator is designed to provide services for emerging businesses ramping up for the next phase of product production.

6

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September 28 - October 11, 2020

McMaster asks for money for unemployment trust fund, small businesses

A

Staff Report

second round of pandemic relief funding recommendations from S.C. Gov. Henry Master includes $450 million to replenish the state’s unemployment trust fund and $45 million in grants for small businesses which did not receive federal Paycheck Protection Program loans.

McMaster made the recommendations in a Sept. 10 letter to the General Assembly.

“As you are aware, the AccelerateSC task force conducted a thorough review of the CARES Act and made expenditure reimbursement recommendations for COVID-19 prevention efforts, and for measures for returning our state’s economic engines to full speed,” the governor wrote.

McMaster also recommended $50 million be distributed to public school districts and charter schools to help with pandemic-related reopening costs; $93 million to aid in pandemic relief efforts by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Medical University of South Carolina; and $100 million to reimburse state agencies with verifiable pandemic-related expenses.

“Thank you for your leadership and willingness to collaborate, cooperate and communicate on the COVID-19 pandemic,” McMaster wrote. “Working together, I am confident that our state will recover and return stronger and more prosperous than ever.”

S.C.’s unemployment insurance program is funded by the state’s unemployment trust fund. The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce told state lawmakers earlier this year that the fund had shrunk from $1.1 billion pre-pandemic to $685.5 million, with DEW projections showing the fund would run out of money by the end of 2020. An allocation of federal pandemic funding in June distributed $500,000 to the fund.

S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster, speaking at the Be Pro Be Proud launch earlier this month, has recommended $45 million in pandemic relief funding be funneled to small businesses and $450 million earmarked to replenish the state’s unemployment trust fund. (Photo/Melinda Waldrop)

In a statement, the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce commended McMaster “for recognizing that thousands of our state’s very small businesses, including sole-proprietors, were not able to receive the Paycheck Protection Program loans to help them survive the Covid-19 recession. Over 63,000 PPP loans were made in South Carolina, but there are over 400,000 small businesses in

“As you are aware, the AccelerateSC task force conducted a thorough review of the CARES Act and made expenditure reimbursement recommendations for COVID-19 prevention efforts, and for measures for returning our state’s economic engines to full speed.”

Henry McMaster S.C. governor

Annual USC economic conference changes dates, format

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Staff Report

he annual economic conference sponsored by the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business has changed format and dates.

The 40th annual Economic Outlook Series will take place Sept. 29 and Nov. 30 in two interactive livestreaming events before and after the election. Experts will address government policy changes likely

to result from the election as well as the effects of the pandemic-related lockdown and economic contraction this spring and summer, according to a news release.

The series will include a forecast for jobs, housing and business conditions, and both events will allow for questions and comments.

A one-day event was previously called the Economic Outlook Conference and held in December.

The Sept. 29 event, set for noon until

1 p.m., will include remarks from Robert Oldendick, professor of political science and the director of graduate studies for USC’s College of Arts and Sciences, who will discuss the national and local election outlook. Doug Woodward, Moore School Division of Research director and professor of economics, will examine why the stock market is booming while the rest of the economy struggles. Joey Von Nessen, Moore School research economist, will present the

2020 South Carolina economic outlook.

On Nov. 30, Thomas Barkin, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, whose region includes South Carolina, will provide economic perspectives. Other speakers will be announced for that session, which will also be held from noon to 1 p.m., according to the release.

Registration is $20 for one event or $30 for both and available online at sc.edu/ moore/eoc. There is no charge for USC students, staff and faculty.

September 28 - October 11, 2020

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 7

DHEC developing COVID-19 vaccination plan; public health director steps down

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Staff Report

he S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is working with other state agencies to develop a COVID-19 vaccination testing plan.

The S.C. Emergency Management Division, the S.C. Hospital Association, the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division and other organizations are developing the plan in accordance with federal guidance, according to a news release from DHEC. “Although we don’t know exactly when vaccine will be available in the U.S., I want to assure you that DHEC is forging partnerships and following federal guidance for developing a plan for distributing the vaccine within our state when it becomes available,” Stephen White, DHEC director of immunizations, said in the release. “This plan will be built on the guidance and recommendations from the CDC, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies.”

The number of doses of the vaccine, when available, will be limited initially and allocated to those at highest risk of contracting the new coronavirus and those at highest risk of death, according to the release. That includes frontline

medical workers and critical infrastructure employees as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We have been assured by key scientific stakeholders like the National Institutes of Health that no vaccine will be released until it has undergone the rigorous scientific and clinical testing that all vaccines in development are held to,” White said.

DHEC also announced the launch of a new immunization inforTraxler mation system to help vaccine providers ensure access to essential immunizations.

The Statewide Immunization Online Network, or SIMON, replaces the state’s previous immunization reporting system and will provide a streamlined process for ordering vaccines and to manage inventory of federal and state vaccine programs, according to a news release from DHEC. SIMON will also allow the agency to assess and address statewide immunization coverage rates.

“South Carolina’s transition to SIMON is a monumental upgrade for our state’s immunizations program and

the timing of this transition couldn’t be better,” Dr. Brannon Traxler, DHEC interim public health director, said in the release. “With COVID-19’s continued prevalence across our state, one of the few things we can do to protect ourselves from this deadly virus is stay as healthy as possible and avoid contracting vaccine-preventable diseases like mumps, measles, chicken pox and whooping cough. SIMON provides immunization providers access to an individual’s comprehensive immunization record.”

During the pandemic, South Carolina has seen a reduction in routine pediatric vaccine orders and administered doses in the past few months, according to the release. SIMON can be used to help providers ensure more children and adults receive immunizations.

SIMON will include patient reminders, a patient portal providing immunization records, real-time vaccine inventory management, vaccine forecasting, geographic coverage rate assessments and a mass vaccination module to allow quick data entry of administered immunizations.

The new initiatives come amid a leadership transition at the state agency. On Sept. 11, DHEC announced that

Dr. Joan Duwve is leaving her role as the agency’s public health director. Dr. Brannon Traxler, who has been serving as the chief medical officer for the state’s COVID-19 response, assumes the role of interim public health director immediately.

“Understandably, Joan has made a career decision that she feels is in the best interest of her family and we respect this decision,” acting DHEC director Marshall Taylor said in a news release. “Joan is a brilliant physician who is passionate about public health and we greatly appreciate the time she spent with DHEC as our director of public health. We wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.”

Duwve will remain with DHEC in an advisory role until Oct. 1.

“I have the utmost confidence in Brannon’s ability to lead the state’s public health efforts during these challenging times,” Taylor said. “Brannon’s breadth of experience and knowledge in medical practice as a surgeon as well as the chief medical officer for the state’s COVID-19 response, uniquely positions her for this critical role and I look forward to our continued work together.”

Traxler, a Greenville native, previously practiced as a surgeon in South Carolina.

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September 28 - October 11, 2020

Pool manufacturer to purchase plant, save 70 jobs in Marion County

Columbia was voted “Coolest Up-and-Coming City” in the September edition of Hemispheres, United Airlines’ in-flight magazine. (Photo/File)

Columbia voted ‘Coolest Up-and-Coming City’ by magazine readers

C

Staff Report

olumbia has been voted the country’s “Coolest Up-and-Coming City” by readers of Hemispheres magazine, United Airlines’ in-flight publication.

The results of the magazine’s inaugural reader’s choice awards were announced Sept. 1. Columbia beat out finalists Asheville, N.C., Indianapolis, Ind., Louisville, Ky., and Boise, Idaho to claim the title.

Regional tourism organization Expe-

rience Columbia SC entered the city in as many relevant categories as possible after learning of the magazine awards in May, according to a news release.

The city was nominated in the “Coolest Up-and-Coming City” category in June, and Experience Columbia SC shared voting links on its social media channels.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by such an established publication as Hemispheres, and especially in such great company with the other destinations who were nominated,” Bill Ellen, president and CEO of Experience Columbia SC, said

in the release. “It’s incredible how much growth has taken place in our community. We’ve been saying for a couple years now that Columbia is experiencing such exciting momentum and this accolade certainly helps bolster that claim.”

In its September issue, the magazine notes Columbia’s “blend of old-school charm and urban cool,” highlighting the University of South Carolina’s history and the growing Main Street District.

Other categories include “Best City for the Arts” (New York City) and “Best City for Sports Lovers” (Boston).

A

Staff Report

new agreement with a global swimming pool manufacturer will save the jobs of 70 employees at a former yacht manufacturing facility in Marion.

Leisure Pools Group will purchase the Groupe Beneteau’s 225,000-square-foot facility, located on 40 acres in Marion, according to a news release.

Groupe Beneteau, a builder of sailing yachts and powerboats since 1884, opened the Marion facility in 1986, but announced in June that it would close by the end of 2020 because of the COVID19 health crisis.

“It was a tough decision for us to discontinue activities at this plant,” Groupe Beneteau Americas COO Yannick Madiot said in the release. “However, for our future success and out of respect to our dedicated employees, we sought other See POOLS, Page 9

of ISTS K O O B L 2019

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September 28 - October 11, 2020

POOLS, from Page 8

options. Leisure Pools Group approached us with an innovative solution which allows the plant to remain open while taking advantage of the incredible skills our team has developed over the past 30 years.”

Leisure Pools Group plans a rapid conversion of the plant from boat building to swimming pool manufacturing, with equipment transfers slated to go into place this month. After a training period, the company aims to being production of fiberglass pools in October, and plans to add more jobs in the future, according to the release.

Executive vice president and CFO Chuck West said jobs will be available in production, operations, engineering, logistics, warehouse, accounting and administration.

“This entire idea is focused around finding a way to meet the growing consumer demand for our product,” Lesiure Pools Group CEO David Pain said. “We required more capacity in manufacturing space and people to build more of the world’s finest in-ground composite fiberglass swimming (pools) to meet the growing demand, and we’re eager to access the talents of many of the current Marion team members.”

A grand opening is planned next spring.

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CAE to display works of 4 local artists

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Staff Report

our local artists have had their work selected from among more than 115 submissions for display at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

The 2020-2021 Art in the Airport Program will feature each work for a four-month period beginning in October, according to a news release.

“CAE’s Art in the Airport Program provides a wonderful opportunity to showcase works of art created by artists right here in the Midlands,” Kim Jamieson, CAE director of marketing and air service development said. “The art program is also intended to enhance our travelers’ experience while creating a sense of place within the airport. Once a traveler lands, these works of art will be the first artistic and cultural touchpoints to the region.”

The art will be exhibited in the terminal connector, the security checkpoint walkway, and at the departure/arrival gates.

The artists chosen, and the dates their work will be displayed, are: • Christopher Garvey (October 2020 – January 2021)

Works from Harold Branham (top left), Sonya Diimmler (top right); Christopher Garvey (bottom left) and Ija Charles (bottom right) will be displayed at Columbia Metropolitan Airport. (Photo/Provided))

• Ija Charles (February 2021 – May 2021) • Sonya Diimmler (June 2021 – Sep-

tember 2021) • Harold Branham (October 2021 – January 2022)

10

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September 28 - October 11, 2020

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Bierkeller Columbia began a series of small, popup beer gardens on Sept. 26 as its larger happy hours at Riverfront Park remain off the table during the pandemic. (Photo/Alisha Ostermair)

Bierkeller popup events offer options for depleted slate of area fall festivals

By Melinda Waldrop mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

W

ith most area fall festivals, including the popular Oktoberfest at Incarnation Lutheran Church and Columbia’s annual Greek festival, canceled amid the ongoing pandemic, there is a bit of good news for those itching to enjoy an autumnal libation in (slightly) cooler temperatures.

Bierkeller Columbia began a series of neighborhood-specific popup beer gardens on Sept. 26 at Sola Station, a riverfront residential and retail complex on Taylor Street near Riverfront Park.

The event, held from noon to 6 p.m., is one of several such events on the fall calendar in lieu of the beer retailer’s well-attended seasonal gatherings at Riverfront Park.

The idea, said Bierkeller founder and owner Scott Burgess, is to have small gatherings of a few hundred people instead of a large one of thousands while meeting what he said has been an ongoing demand for his product, only available currently through weekly online ordering.

“This is an idea we’ve been exploring for a while, so it really is kind of a silver lining to every bad thing that’s going on,” Burgess said. “We’re able to give it a go and hopefully bring the park to the peo-

ple and have everyone stay safe and feel comfortable.”

Burgess said Bierkeller hopes to return to Riverfront Park for a series of spring and fall happy hours next spring, but the smaller popup model may become a long-term addition.

“We do want to keep these coming,” he said. “It may be by spring that people still aren’t comfortable with 1,000 people congregating in spots.”

Other scheduled Bierkeller popups will take place Oct. 10 in the Granby Mills area; Oct. 17 in the Lake Carolina area in Northeast Columbia; Oct. 24 at Craft and Draft’s Irmo location; Nov. 7 at the Robert Mills House in downtown Columbia; and Nov. 21 at Random Tap in the Northeast.

Additional details will follow on Bierkeller’s social media accounts.

More events may be added, Burgess said, while others may be rescheduled if COVID-19 case numbers begin to spike.

Crowd restrictions and safety measures will be enforced, he said.

“We don’t want it to get out of control to any degree,” he said. “I think people miss it. People understand that it can’t take place in the way it has been taking place.

“In the name of safety, sanity and security, we really are trying to make sure we do these things and everyone’s comfortable.”

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September 28 - October 11, 2020

State parks chart busiest months on record

By Molly Hulsey

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mhulsey@scbiznews.com

t Greenville’s Paris Mountain State Park, even late on a Tuesday — just an hour before sundown and an 8 p.m. closing — posses of hikers bustled through the wooded loop around Lake Placid. Cyclists zipped off trails into a parking lot with vehicles counted in the teens, while families, sopping from an evening swim, trudged to the park’s playground.

On weekends, rangers have turned visitors away on occasion, as the park regularly maxes out at its COVID-19 capacity of 200, or 80% of the Paris Mountain’s regular capacity, sometimes with multiple closures in a day.

Despite the limits and absent daycamp groups, “we’ve had more people than we’ve ever seen,” said Cathy Taylors, an interpretative ranger with the park service. She regularly has to explain to visitors who meet closed gates that the limits protect guests, trails and ecosystems from overcrowding and COVID-19 infection in rest areas.

And the buzz is not just at Paris Mountain.

While lodging occupancy may be down by at least 30.2% year-over-year across the state, according to a July report, this summer has been one of the busiest — and most lucrative — on record in the past few decades for the Palmetto State’s park system.

“We have a lot of resources. The month of June brought the highest revenue from people going to our state parks … since it’s been recorded,” Lt. Gov. Pam Evette said during a recent interview with GSA Business Report, adding that the parks system was witnessing landmark reserve rates for next year. “People have wanted to get out and get some fresh air. They didn’t want to be locked up in their homes.”

Compared to last summer, May 1 to July 31 saw a $1.3 million or a 46% increase in state park revenue, according to agency director Paul McCormack. And despite losses fielded from completely closing for an entire month with limited camping capacity in the weeks that followed, camping revenue climbed at least 1% higher than numbers from the past financial year. Both McCormack and Taylor cited a boom in $99 Park Passport car tag purchases that gives entry into the state’s 47 parks for a year. May marked the highest number in passport revenues for any month on record.

“Certainly for my career and for recent history, the visitation this summer has been larger than anything we’ve seen, and I think that is a trend we are seeing nationally in parks, not just state parks,

Paris Mountain’s Lake Placid and trail system has been a draw for many new visitors since March as well as Park Passport holders who pay for an annual pass to all state parks. This summer has been one of the busiest on record for South Carolina’s park system. (Photo/Molly Hulsey)

but national parks and local county parks as well. Visitation has been on the rise,” McCormack said.

After park gates reopened May 1, 21 of the parks reached capacity that day.

Many still regularly meet maximum visitor limits, which would happen no more than once or twice a year for most in the past. Granted, some carrying capacities have been curtailed, especially in destinations like Jones Gap and Devil’s Fork state parks, where parking is limited, he said, but the surge in visitors is unparalleled in his decades-long stint with the state parks.

“We are one of the few things competing for people’s free time now” he said, adding that many parks welcomed firsttime visitors this summer who may have spent their Saturdays at a movie theater or sports arena instead before the pandemic.

According to Brie Logue, spokesperson for the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, lesser-known parks like Dillon’s Little Pee Dee Park, Lancaster’s Andrew Jackson Park and McCormack’s Hickory Knob, scraped their capacity limit for the first time ever during the month of May. Another “hidden gem” park, Lee State Park, a greenspace near Bishopville frequented by picnickers, doubled its camping occupancy

in 2020, drawing in $30,000 more in revenue than last year, she said. Even the S.C. State Parks website is busier, with an 82% increase in traffic in May compared to the same time last year.

The most popular parks have continued to reach capacity as COVID-19 limits rise, McCormack said.

“The Upstate is not full of lesser known park,” he said. “Some of the crown jewels of the park service rests in Upstate South Carolina, so the Highway 11 parks — Table Rock, Keowee, Devil’s Fork, the Mountain Bridge Wilderness — have always been loved and appreciated

by Greenville and citizens of Greenville, South Carolina.”

And the park system is far from the only beneficiary to soaring interest in the outdoors. Since McCormack’s time as a ranger at Paris Mountain in 1990, he said he has been amazed by how much Greenville’s outdoors economy, from cycling stores to kayaking tours, has blossomed, even prior to the installation of the Swamp Rabbit trail.

Oconee County’s Devil’s Fork Park and Georgetown County’s Huntington Beach also came to mind when McCormack spoke to localities whose economic lifeblood flows from the river and trail systems that lace nearby parks.

“State parks, whether they’re locat-

ed right there in Georgetown or in rural South Carolina are economic engines for so many businesses,” said McCormack.

Local parks and recreation funding generates an approximate $1.2 trillion economic impact in the Palmetto State and supports 11,064 jobs, said a 2017 National Recreation and Park Association study. Wildlife-watching, fishing and hunting trips alone create an estimated 31,958 jobs and an economic footprint of $2.7 billion each year, according to S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

“We have actually been overwhelmed with tourism traffic,” Ken Sloan, president and CEO of Visit Oconee SC, said in an email. “It is my understanding that Devil’s Forks State Park has been full every weekend since May. Once their parking lot is full, they have to turn visitors away.”

This adds up to more than 7,000 vehicles turned away since May, or more than 600 per weekend, he said. Camping and RV sites at county parks have also been booked for months, with Lake Keowee’s landings full every weekend. While the county’s whitewater rafting traffic churned at a slow pace early in the early, particularly after guides shuttered doors for several months, now, companies have been almost fully booked every day, Sloan told GSA Business Report.

September 28 - October 11, 2020

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 13

Former ITT Tech students in S.C. to receive share of $330M settlement Staff Report

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pproximately 1,000 former ITT Tech students in South Carolina will receive a share of a national $330 million debt relief settlement with a private loan program.

South Carolina obtained $8.6 million in the settlement involving 48 attorneys general and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, according to a news release from S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office. The settlement with Deutsche Bank entities-affiliated PEAKS Trust run by the defunct for-profit college, which filed bankruptcy in 2016, will apply to a total of 35,000 borrowers with

outstanding principal balances.

“These students were going to school so they could get better jobs but instead they were taken advantage of and left with debt and no jobs to pay it off,” Wilson said in the release. “But it wasn’t just normal debt; these companies used unfair pressure tactics to trap students in a no-win situation.”

Under settlement terms, PEAKS will forgo collection of outstanding loans and cease doing business. PEAKS will send notices to borrowers about the canceled debt, ensure that automatic payments are canceled and supply credit agencies with updated information.

PEAKS was formed in the wake of the

2008 financial crisis when private sources of lending available to for-profit colleges dried up, the release said. ITT developed a temporary credit plan with PEAKS to help cover gaps between federal student aid and tuition costs.

According to the Sept. 15 settlement, ITT and PEAKS “knew or should have known that the students would not be able to repay the temporary credit when it became due nine months later. Many students complained that they thought the temporary credit was like a federal loan and would not be due until six months after they graduated.”

When payment became due, according to the settlement, ITT pressured stu-

dents into accepting loans from PEAKS, some of which carried interest rates far above those of federal loans.

“Pressure tactics used by ITT included pulling students out of class and threatening to expel them if they did not accept the loan terms,” according to the release.

The default rate on the PEAKS loans is projected to exceed 80%, based on both their cost and the lack of success of ITT graduates in securing lucrative jobs, the release said.

Students need to take no action to receive the debt relief. More information at customerservice@peaksloans.com or 866-747-0273 or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at 855-411-2372.

More than $300,000 in counterfeit merchandise seized at Richland County business

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Staff Report

ore than $300,000 in counterfeit merchandise has been seized from a Richland County

business.

An investigation into NewImageSC and its operator, Quasheda Parker, began in March, according to a news release from S.C. Secretary of State Mark Hammond’s office.

On Sept. 9, search warrants were exe-

cuted at the NewImageSC store at 1945 Decker Blvd. and at Parker’s Irmo residence. Authorities seized counterfeit merchandise valued at $316,315, according to Hammond’s office.

“Counterfeit merchandise, largely from China, causes an estimated $225 billion in damage to our nation’s economy each year,” Hammond said in the release. “I would like to thank the Richland County Sheriff ’s Office, SLED, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for their efforts to protect intellectual

property rights.”

In March, NewImageSC began as a Facebook business, but grew to include sales at the Decker Boulevard storefront.

The counterfeit merchandise offered included shoes, clothing, sunglasses, jewelry, perfumes and colognes, watches, hats and face masks and included trademarks from brands such as Louis Vuitton, PINK, Versace, Chanel, Burberry, Gucci, Fendi, Cartier, Nike, and Champion, as well as the NFL, NBA, and NCAA, according to the release.

The Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property has estimated that the annual cost of intellectual property theft to the U.S. economy exceeds $225 billion and could be as high as $600 billion, according to Hammond’s office.

A 2020 report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said data collected from 2000 to 2018 showed that more than 85% of contraband seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrived from China and Hong Kong.

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September 28 - October 11, 2020

Give the gift of awareness.

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PUBLICATION DATE: October 26, 2020 | ADVERTISING DEADLINE: October 9, 2020 For advertising information, contact Lucia Smith at (803) 726-7547 or lsmith@scbiznews.com

In Focus

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE LISTS: Commercial Real Estate Firms, Page 19

NEXT ISSUE’S FOCUS:

Architecture, Engineering, and Construction

While sectors such as retail and hospitality have suffered during the pandemic, other commercial real estate segments, including industrial and investment, remain strong, Columbia brokers say. Industry insiders are awaiting final numbers for the third quarter of 2020 to better assess how the market has been affected and to make determinations of how to best move forward. Preliminary third-quarter projections from Colliers South Carolina show a dip of 8,660 square feet in overall absorption in the central business district. (Photo/Melinda Waldrop)

Commerical market slowing, though signs of optimism remain as pandemic continues

By Melinda Waldrop

T

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

he effect of the pandemic on Columbia’s commercial real estate market is still playing out, industry experts say, with some segments holding steady while others suffer.

One thing, though, is clear: Transactions during the COVID-19 health crisis have not fallen off a cliff like they did in the Great Recession of 2007-2009.

“I recall very vividly in ’08 and ’09, in a lot of cases, it was just a literal turning of the spigot off,” said Bruce Harper, managing partner at Trinity Partners’ Columbia location. “Activity ceased; deals fell apart. In this go-round, we’ve seen some deals have fallen out, (but)

we’ve seen things a lot worse.”

While the retail and hospitality sectors are bearing the brunt of closings and uncertainty, other markets are maintaining and, in some cases, growing.

“Industrial, because of the pandemic, accelerated into warp speed,” said David Lockwood, executive vice president and COO of Colliers International South Carolina. “The need for warehousing, logistics, manufacturing space, and companies who are moving operations back to the United States from foreign companies — that is the wildest, craziest active market.”

While investment sales also remain strong, an area where the pandemic is beginning to affect decisions — or a lack thereof — is in the office market.

With many workers working from home for the past six or seven months, companies are “second-guessing how much space they lease and what sort of physical footprint they need,” Harper said. “They’ve discovered that working from home with technology is actually doable and productive in many regards.”

Lockwood said while companies may be deciding whether new floorplans with more distance between employees is necessary and would require expansion, “that’s probably a 2021-type issue. Most tenants are really just trying to get back into the office to make sure that they have the productivity they need to keep their company running.”

In early March, Harper said, “we

were approaching record levels of office rents, very low vacancy rates. Some of those decisions moving forward have slowed. There’s still good activity there, but a lot of those would-havebeen long-term lease decisions companies were contemplating, maybe an expansion and looking at a five-year or a 10-year commitment, a lot of those decision have veered toward shorter-term situations. … The historically low interest rates are motivating a lot of office investors or office users to get out there and identify and acquire a product and renovate the product, (but) we’re still in a stage of pretty darn limited product, particularly on the front of buying office properties.”

See CRE, Page 16

16

IN FOCUS: COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

www.columbiabusinessreport.com

CRE, from Page 15

While the numbers from the third quarter of 2020 are still being crunched, Trinity Q2 data showed vacancy rates trending upward in office (7.6%), retail (4.7%) and student housing sectors (occupancy rate 84.7%) but decreasing in industrial (4%) and multi-family (7.6%).

Preliminary Q3 Colliers figures indicate a drop in overall absorption of 14,818 square feet, with the central business district projected to be down by 8,660 square feet and suburban markets dipping by 6,158.

“What I see is a very lethargic, nothing happening, stay-in-place third quarter of the year,” Lockwood said. “There’s very little absorption, not a lot of activity. …

It’s a pandemic, so a lot of businesses were focused on employee health, employee safety. They were not in the office. So they didn’t have in mind, what am I going to do when my lease expires next year, in a year and a half, or two years?

“There’s no expansion taking place by tenants. Everybody is sitting still right now.”

Rents are also not yet dipping noticeably to keep existing or lure new tenants, with annual rate growth trending upward in office (1.6%), industrial (3.1%), retail (0.7%), multi-family (3.7%) and student housing (2.5%), according to Q2 Trinity figures.

“We’re beginning to see, in the office leasing arena, some concessions thrown out there by landlords to try to induce tenants to go ahead and make that decision to expand or to renew,” Harper said.

Demand for small, self-contained office buildings and single-level flex space with separate entrances has noticeably increased, Lockwood said.

“Some tenants may choose to move out of larger, downtown buildings, and if they have the ability to buy a small building, they will, because then they’re controlling their own environment,” Lockwood said. “They don’t have to go into common areas. They don’t have to get on an elevator.

“And so our brokers who are working with small properties that are for sale are seeing the most activity in the market.”

While tenants may be weighing whether to return to office spaces full-time in the future, they are not willing to sacrifice parking options in the interim. An August report from Colliers found that the city’s overall parking garage occupancy rate remains high, decreasing slightly from 83.86% during the second quarter of 2019 to 81.62% during the second quarter of 2020.

“To me, that’s an indication that most — the key word is most — companies are wanting to get back into the office, (but) it’s not totally happening,” Lockwood said.

“Everybody is taking a very conservative approach.”

Like Lockwood, Harper is awaiting more data to get a better idea of how the market is shaking out, especially as commercial clients exhaust the federal pandemic relief funding that may have keep some afloat in recent months.

“I think the PPP funding was certainly advantageous to a lot of small businesses to kind of weather the storm, and a lot of businesses might have had cash reserves that they’ve been relying on in addition to PPP funds,” Harper said.

“As we move out of Q3 into Q4, I think, is where we’ll kind of see some more actual data on exactly how things have softened and what damage was done. … I would suggest that we’ll likely see a softening across the board in all of our submarkets.”

Lockwood doesn’t foresee an impact in Columbia like those faced by larger cities such as New York or Washington, D.C., where he said big corporations may never resume office operations at pre-pandemic levels.

“When you get down to a Columbia, South Carolina, a tertiary, small market, we are dominated by local companies and businesses,” he said. “That would be our local law firms, our local finance companies, our local real estate companies, our local ad agencies, our local stockbrokers — you name it. Those are people that

September 28 - October 11, 2020

are dying to get back into their office.

When we have a presence in our market by a national company, and the ones that come to mind are banks, we could lose occupancy and footprint because banks and other national companies say corporate-wide, U.S.-wide, we’re going to go to some hybrid remote work strategy or we’re going to downsize.

“I think we will see some vacancy occurring because of that. But it’s going to be spread out over the next one to three years. … This will be small blip in the trend line in Columbia. I think it will recover very quickly. 2021 might be a recovery year, but we will come out of it pretty well in 2022, I think.”

Echoed Harper: “None of have been through this situation with a global pandemic, so it’s all new territory for us. All I can do is gauge what we’ve been able to accomplish thus far for our customers and clients, and gauge activity levels. In our business, what you close year-to-date is great, but if that pipeline is not getting refilled every single day, it can absolutely be devasting six, nine, 12 months down the road.

“If I judge what that pipeline and that activity level looks like today, as we sit here, it’s a much different picture compared to what we all went through in ’08 and ’09.”

Reach Melinda Waldrop at 803-726-7542.

WATCH TODAY!

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IN FOCUS: COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

September 28 - October 11, 2020

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 17

The Space co-working concept now open at the Hub at Columbia

A

Staff Report

new office co-working concept geared toward students and young professionals is now open at the Hub at Columbia.

Collective & Co. debuted The Space at 1426 Main St. in downtown Columbia Sept. 14. The Space will offer workshops, networking opportunities and mentorships designed to provide professional and personal growth to help members stand out in a competitive job landscape.

The Hub at Columbia is part of Hub on Campus, the flagship brand of student housing developer Core Spaces.

“As Core becomes increasingly hyper-focused on the needs of our residents, we see their passion to explore,” Marc Lifshin, founder and CEO of Core Spaces, said in a news release. “We’re making college better than the real world by bringing the opportunities they’re searching for right to their front door.”

In addition to problem-solving workshops, leadership seminars and an in-house marketing agency, The Space will also provide yoga, meditation workshops and mental health awareness events.

“Now, more than ever, it’s imperative that the college experience be a time that students build and grow their future,” Aaron Dixon, CEO and founding partner of Collective & Co., said. “That’s why we’ve partnered with Core Spaces to meet students where they are.”

China Jushi subleases Blythewood industrial space

China Jushi USA Corp. subleased 195,021 square feet of industrial space at 1800 Jenkins Brothers Road in Blythewood.

“As Core becomes increasingly hyper-focused on the needs of our residents, we see their passion to explore. We’re making college better than the real world by bringing the opportunities they’re searching for right to their front door.”

Marc Lifshin Founder and CEO, Core Spaces

Colliers International South Carolina’s Chuck Salley, Dave Mathews, Thomas Beard and John Peebles represented landlord Amcor Rigid Packaging USA LLC in the transaction, while NAI Columbia’s John Gregory and Ryan Causey represented China Jushi.

In other area transactions:

Colliers

• Salley, Mathews, Beard and Peebles represented Weston Inc. in the lease of 81,295 square feet of industrial space at 2630 Highway 15 S. in Sumter to Sumter Nutritionals LLC. • Salley, Mathews, Beard and Peebles represented Weston Inc. in the lease renewal of 44,100 square feet of industrial space at 1020 Idlewilde Blvd. in Columbia to Jones School Supply Co. Inc. • Salley, Mathews, Beard and Peebles represented Gerald L. Stimple in the lease renewal of 36,972 square feet of industrial space at 809 Bookman Road in Elgin to Jayco Manufacturing.

• Colliers’ Allen Wilkerson represented AgFirst Farm Credit Bank in the lease renewal of 11,312 square feet of office space at 1901 Main St. in Columbia to Total Quality Logistics.

• Tommy Johnson represented Glen

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1441 LLC in the lease of 1,939 square feet of office space at 1441 Main St. in Columbia to McCormick Taylor Inc. • Crawford Prezioso and Mary Winter Teaster represented Bowers Property Management LLC in the sale of a 1,170-square-foot office building at 1820 Bull St. in Columbia to Columbia Psychological Services LLC. • Teaster represented The Hinks Co. Inc in the sale of 712 Richland St., Suite D, a 1,015-square-foot office suite, to Dayson and Shalabi Holdings LLC. • Ryan McCue represented Wrenn Ventures in the sale of 1.35 acres of land at 1824 Atlas Road in Columbia to Quicktrip Corp.

NAI Columbia

Ryan Causey, Alex Johnson and Peyton Bryant represented the tenant, Hospice Care of South Carolina, in the lease of 2,412 square feet of office space located at 8 Law Range in Sumter from RFK Rentals and 2,900 square feet of office spaces located at 550 Silver Bluff Road, Suite 200 and 300 in Aiken from JCZ Investors LLC. • Ryan Causey, Peyton Bryant and Alex Johnson represented the landlord, WO Ventures, in the lease of the 3,279 square foot office space located at 130

Whiteford Way, in Lexington to The Art of Real Estate, LLC. • John Gregory represented the tenant, Sullivan Holdings, LLC, d/b/a Renewal by Andersen of the Carolinas, in the lease of the 3,500 square foot industrial building located at 1114 First St. S. in Columbia, from Forum Development II LLC. The landlord was represented

by Jake Nidiffer and Nick Stomski of Trinity Partners.

• Tombo Milliken, Tom Milliken and Nelson Weston III represented the seller in the $117,400 sale of 14.68 acres of land in Chapin.

• Bryant and Causey represented the seller, Estate of Stephen R. Berry, in the $315,000 sale of a 3,800-square-foot office building located at 1601 Hampton St. in Columbia’s central business district to Thomas Hamilton Title Services LLC. • Ben Kelly, Patrick Chambers and Jack Springs represented the seller, Scepter Enterprises LLC, in the $385,385 sale of the 5.93 acres of land located at Industrial and Porsche Drive in Lexington.

• Alex Johnson and Gregory represented the seller, Commerce Drive Partners, in the sale of a 7,200-square-foot self-storage facility at 2200 Commerce Drive.

• Gregory represented the seller, Foreman Street Holdings LLC, in the $212,500 sale of a 4,250-square-foot warehouse and office building at 2246 Foreman St. in Cayce to Five Donkeys.

• Tombo Milliken, Tom Milliken and Weston III brokered the $5.15 million sale of 18.87 acres of commercial land in Fort Mill for future development.

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IN FOCUS: COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

September 28 - October 11, 2020

FIRE, from Page 1

2019 detailed 208 luxury apartments with amenities including a pool, pet area, fitness studio and exterior grilling patio.

The project, to be a centerpiece of the BullStreet District mixed-used development, was projected to cost more than $40 million.

“It’s a terrific building,” Shytle told the commission. “There is no other Babcock.

It is unique.”

The fire destroyed the cupola of the building, which once housed S.C. State hospital patients, as well as central portions of the structure.

“Though the iconic dome and the central portions of the interior are destroyed, we are thankful that the Columbia Fire Department was able to contain most of the damage to the central portion of the building,” Robert Hughes, president of Greenville-based BullStreet District master developer Hughes Development Corp., said in a statement released Sept.

12. “We are working closely with various law enforcement agencies to help determine the cause of the fire and will support Clachan as they move forward. …

Progress will continue at The BullStreet District.”

Clachan, which owns the building after a title transfer from Hughes Corp. in January, “was in the final stages of preparation to renovate it for future generations,” according to Hughes’ statement. “Site cleanup had begun.”

John Sherrer, director of cultural resources at nonprofit preservation organization Historic Columbia, was devastated by initial images of smoke billowing from the building, but tours of the site in days following the fire have left him cautiously optimistic about what remains.

“I’m not a structural engineer, but I know that the building was built very

The Babcock Building (left) was slated for a $40 million renovation into luxury apartments before a Sept. 12 fire (right) destroyed the cupola and central portions of the structure. Developer Clachan Properties said it is assessing the damaage and formulating a plan to move forward. (Photos/Jeff Blake/JeffBlakePhoto.com)

robustly, and while there’s been a tremendous amount of loss right in that area, to the wood timbers and structural members, the load-bearing masonry seems to be, at least, visually, in good shape,” Sherrer said. “That’s something that the structural engineers will have to suss out and go from there, but I am hopeful. I think others are hopeful. …

It’s the last thing you want to see, (but) I’m really hopeful that this will prove to be just a hiccup, albeit it a big one, in the project.”

Sherrer said he doesn’t foresee any necessary repairs disqualifying the project from historic tax credits the developers worked to obtain. “I think it’ll go hand in glove,” he said. “There are areas of the building that would have to be repaired anyway — the roof and floors, in addition to windows. … It’s a project that was teed up to begin within this next month, and it’s been the product of a lot of people from a variety of different municipal, state and local entities working together to ensure these tax credits could propel this project forward.”

From its inception, the project faced

challenges detailed by Hughes in a news release announcing the title transfer.

“The difficulty of renovating the Babcock Building cannot be overstated because of its cost, size, historic legacy and extremely poor condition,” Hughes said. “Clachan is one of the few companies in the United States that has the craftsmanship, experience, and historic sensitivity to breathe new life into it.”

Clachan, with developments in Richmond and in Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Burlington, N.C., renovates historic residential and commercial properties.

Built between 1857 and 1885, the Babcock Building was formerly called the S.C. Lunatic Asylum and later the S.C. State Hospital, which operated until the late 1990s. The building, added to National Register of Historic Places in 1981, had not been in use since 1996.

“It’s both an imposing landmark and certainly an architectural treasure, but it’s also the physical manifestation of the state’s efforts to take care of mental health patients from before the Civil War all the way up through the third quarter of the 20th century,” Sherrer said.

The fire, which is under investigation, was the second in as many years to strike the Babcock Building. In December 2018, a blaze broke out on the top floor, but was contained to the attic and roof.

“For many decades, the community has worked together to preserve one of South Carolina’s most iconic buildings,” Hughes said. “It is a labor of love for so many people who cherish its historical significance.”

The BullStreet District began an ambitious 20-year buildout on the former site of S.C. State Hospital with a planned mix of residential and commercial retail a decade ago. The Columbia Fireflies Class A baseball team has called a stadium in the district home since 2016. A branch of outdoor outfitter REI Co-op opened in the development this spring, a Starbucks is slated to arrive in spring 2021, and a new location of Delaware-based Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant is on tap for next summer.

Senior living facility Merrill Gardens is now open, and residences in the second phase of luxury town homes TownPark at BullStreet are also now available.

Nonresidential construction sees spending slump in July

N

Staff Report

onresidential construction nationwide saw a 1.2% drop in spending from June to July, offsetting a 2.1% increase in residential spending.

An analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of federal data also found that construction employment decreased in July 2020 compared to the previous July in two-thirds on the nation’s metro areas.

Construction spending in July totaled $1.36 trillion at a seasonally adjusted annual rate, a gain of 0.1% from June.

An increase in residential spending was boosted by growth in single-fami-

ly (3.1%) and multifamily construction (4.9%), according to the analysis (.pdf).

Hampered by a 3.1% drop in highway and street construction and a 3% drop in educational construction, public construction spending decreased by 1.3% in July 2020. Private nonresidential construction dropped 1%, with its largest segment, power construction, dropping 0.1%.

Commercial construction, comprising retail, warehouse and farm structures, dropped 3.2%, while manufacturing construction rose 0.2% and office construction fell 0.7%.

“The dichotomy between slumping nonresidential projects — both public and private — and robust homebuilding

seems sure to widen as the pandemic continues to devastate state and local finances and much of the private sector,” Ken Simonson, AGC chief economist, said in a news release. “Without new federal investments in infrastructure and other measures to boost demand for nonresidential construction, contractors will be forced to let more workers go.”

South Carolina saw a statewide drop of minus-1% construction jobs from July 2019 to July 2020, shedding 700 jobs (107,800 to 107,100). There was also a statewide dip of minus-1% in mining, logging and construction jobs in that time frame as the state dropped 1,000 jobs (112,300 to 111,300).

Columbia was alone among S.C.

metro areas in gaining jobs in the 12-month period, going from 17,400 mining, logging and construction jobs in July 2019 to 17,600 in July 2020.

The 200 jobs gained represented a 1% increase.

Spartanburg held steady at 7,800 jobs, while other areas saw decreases.

Charleston-North Charleston dropped 500 jobs (minus-2% to 21,600); Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin dropped 200 jobs (minus-1% to 19,300); and Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach dropped 100 jobs (minus-1% to 10,900).

Construction employment declined from July 2019 to July 2020 in 66%, or 238 out of 358, metro areas, led by New York City’s loss of 26,500 jobs.

IN FOCUS: COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

September 28 - October 11, 2020

www.columbiabusinessreport.com 19

Commercial Real Estate Firms Ranked by No. of Commercial Brokers in the Columbia Area

Comm. Brokers / Offices / Current Listings /

Company

Phone / Website / Email

Top Local Official(s) / Year Founded

Colliers International 1301 Gervais St., Suite 600 Columbia, SC 29201

803-254-2300 www.colliers.com

David C. Lockwood 1906

23 1 200

Flex, health care, hotel, motel, income-producing, industrial, land, multifamily, office, restaurant, retail, warehouse

NAI Columbia 807 Gervais St., Suite 200 Columbia, SC 29201

803-254-0100 www.naicolumbia.com naimarketing@naicolumbia.com

Jonathan A. Good 1966

20 1 326

Agricultural, flex, health care, hotel, motel, income-producing, industrial, land, multifamily, office, restaurant, retail, sports, entertainment, warehouse

Wilson Kibler 1111 Laurel St. Columbia, SC 29201

803-255-8611 www.wilsonkibler.com frontdesk@wilsonkibler.com

Jeremy Wilson, Det Bowers, Alyse Howard 1987

20 1 185

Agricultural, flex, health care, hotel, motel, income-producing, industrial, land, multifamily, office, restaurant, retail, sports, entertainment, warehouse

Resource Realty Group 200 N. Lake Drive Lexington, SC 29072

803-758-4444 www.resourcecolumbia.com info@resourcecolumbia.com

Dustin Johns, Tara Johns 2008

18 1 12

Agricultural, flex, health care, hotel, motel, income-producing, land, multifamily, office, restaurant, retail, sports, entertainment, warehouse

Trinity Partners - COLA LLC 1556 Main St. Columbia, SC 29201

803-567-5454 www.trinity-partners.com bharper@trinity-partners.com

Bruce Harper 2018

12 1 235

Agricultural, flex, health care, hotel, motel, income-producing, industrial, land, multifamily, office, restaurant, retail, sports, entertainment, warehouse

Southern Visions Real Estate 955 Old Cherokee Road Lexington, SC 29072

803-359-9571 www.svrealty.com info@svrealty.com

Robert P. Wilkins 1986

10 1 62

Agricultural, flex, health care, hotel, motel, income-producing, industrial, land, multifamily, office, restaurant, retail, sports, entertainment, warehouse

CBRE Inc. 1333 Main St., Suite 210 Columbia, SC 29201

803-779-7777 www.cbre.us/o/columbia

Stephen B. Smith 1998

8 1 71

Flex, health care, hotel, motel, income-producing, industrial, land, multifamily, office, restaurant, retail, warehouse

ERA Wilder Realty 3200 Devine St. Columbia, SC 29202

803-728-8400 www.erawilderrealty.com info@erawilderrealty.com

Eddie Wilder 1995

6 7 108

Agricultural, flex, health care, hotel, motel, income-producing, industrial, land, multifamily, office, restaurant, retail, warehouse

Cypress Commercial & Investment Real Estate 3101 Devine St. Columbia, SC 29205

803-834-7014 www.cypresscommercial.com jharrison@cypresscommercial.com

James C. Harrison, III 2009

5 1 30

Income-producing, industrial, land, multifamily, office, restaurant, retail, sports, entertainment, warehouse

Dial Dunlap & Edwards LLC 115 Commercial Drive Columbia, SC 29212

803-799-6244 www.dderealestate.com kedwards@dderealestate.com

Michael C. Edwards, Kathy H. Edwards 1985

3 1 -

Income-producing, land, restaurant, retail

ROI Commercial 1300 Sumter St., Suite 200 Columbia, SC 29201

801-900-8020 www.roicommercialsc.com info@roicommercialsc.com

Sherri Burriss, George Meetze, Billy Way 2017

3 1 -

Agricultural, flex, health care, hotel, motel, income-producing, industrial, land, multifamily, office, restaurant, retail, sports, entertainment, warehouse

Century 21 The Moore Group 1480 Sims St. Orangeburg, SC 29115

803-531-2400 www.c21themooregroup.com mmoore@c21themooregroup.com

Libby Bryant, Cal Bruner 1997

2 1 59

Agricultural, flex, health care, hotel, motel, income-producing, industrial, land, multifamily, office, restaurant, retail, sports, entertainment, warehouse

Great Southern Corp.

1201 Hampton St., Suite 2B Columbia, SC 29201

803-252-4222 www.greatsoutherncorporation.com greatsouthcorp@fostersaad.com

Saundra J. Sloan 1999

2 2 15

Industrial, office, retail, warehouse

Marcus & Millichap 1201 Main St., Suite 1480 Columbia, SC 29201

803-678-4900 www.marcusmillichap.com

Drew Babcock, Ben Yelm 1971

2 1 17

Hotel, motel, industrial, multifamily, office, restaurant

The McCallum Co. LLC 4875 Forest Drive, Suite 200 Columbia, SC 29206

803-787-2770 mackcallum@aol.com

Charles L. McCallum 1927

2 1 5

Hotel, motel, income-producing, industrial, land, multifamily, office, retail, sports, entertainment, warehouse

Cushman & Wakefield Thalhimer 1320 Main St., Suite 300 Columbia, SC 29201

803 724 1345 www.thalhimer.com info@thalhimer.com

Brian J. Young 1913

1 1 3

Flex, income-producing, industrial, land, multifamily, office, restaurant, retail, warehouse

Turner Properties 3790 Fernandina Road, Suite 105 Columbia, SC 29210

803-407-8522 www.turnerproperties.com info@turnerproperties.com

Chris Turner 2007

1 1 4

Office

Merrilyn Hall Realty Inc. 840 St. Andrews Road Columbia, SC 29210

803-765-1777 www.mhallrealty.com sales@mhallrealty.com

Merrilyn Hall 1985

1 -

Land, multifamily, office, restaurant, retail, warehouse

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 lists@scbiznews.com.

Types of Properties

Researched by Paige Hardy

20

www.columbiabusinessreport.com

September 28 - October 11, 2020

2020 | SOUTH CAROLINA

MANUFACTURING CONFERENCE AND EXPO The Most Significant Manufacturing Event of the Year Presented by:

VIRTUAL CONFERENCE & EXPO October 29th–30th, 2020

Join us virtually for the most significant manufacturing event of the year!

The SC Manufacturing Conference and Expo – the state’s most significant manufacturing event of the year -- is going virtual! The two-day conference will stream live on October 29th-30th. Will it be as informative and all-encompassing as the traditional live event? We think absolutely it will!

The virtual format will provide the type of convenience needed for nationally-renown speakers to fit us into their busy schedules. We are in the process of scheduling those speakers and formulating the agenda now. More details to come, but this is what you can expect: • Virtual Expo that includes live chat feature, video and link uploads, and more!

• 10 Keynote Speakers • Three CEOConversations on Industry 4.0 • Conversations with Facility Managers on Industry 4.0 • Three CEOConversations on Workforce Challenges • Conversations with HR execs on Workforce Challenges

• Economic Outlook Presentations on Aerospace and Auto Industries • Manufacturing Excellence Awards • The Future of Aerospace Event • Building the Workforce of the Future Event • Executive Women in Manufacturing Panel Discussion • 20 Training Classes on a Wide Variety of Topics • And MUCH More!

For more information and the complete Agenda, visit www.scmanufacturingconference.com Conference Partners:

Contact Melissa Tomberg at mtomberg@scbiznews.com or call 864-720-1220 for sponsorship opportunities or to reserve your virtual booth.

At Work

PEOPLE, PLACES AND HAPPENINGS ACROSS THE MIDLANDS

People in the News BUSINESS SERVICES

Five Liberty Fellows received a total of $35,000 from the McNulty Foundation’s Global Response Fund to support COVID-19 response efforts serving vulnerable communities. Matthew Alexander, founder and chief executive officer of OneWorld Health, is converting space for an isolation ward at OneWorld’s hospital in Masindi, Uganda. Melanie Huggins, executive director of the Richland Library, is partnering with the Columbia Housing Authority to provide Wi-Fi hotspots in Columbia Housing community locations. Madeleine McGee, president and CEO of TogetherSC, is strengthening, uniting and advancing South Carolina’s nonprofit and philanthropic community.

Adela Mendoza, executive director of the Hispanic Alliance, is supporting the Student Dreamers Alliance.

HEALTH CARE Simonne C. Francis, MD, and Jenna L. Walters, MD, are practicing at Midlands Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery.

Francis completed her fellowship in pain Francis medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University and her physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

She is a graduate of Walters Temple University School of Medicine.

Walters joins Midlands after four years as an assistant professor of clinical anesthesiology at Vanderbilt University. She completed her chronic pain fellowship and anesthesiology residency at Vanderbilt after graduating medical school from the Medical University of South Carolina.

LRADAC’s new medical director for its Recovering Professionals Program is Dr. Rebecca A. Payne. She was previously a faculty member at the UniPayne versity of South Carolina School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and held clinical, teaching, and research roles.

Faith Polkey, chief clinical officer at Beaufort-Jasper-Hampton Comprehensive Health Services, will purchase personal protective equipment and other supplies for staff and patients.

LAW Elizabeth Black, a commercial litigator at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, is serving as the secretary/ treasurer of the Richland Library Friends and Foundation for Black 2020–2021. A 2018 graduate of Leadership Columbia, she served on the Friends and Foundation’s board of trustees since 2018.

The South Carolina Bar’s Young Lawyers Division recognized Ashley Johnson, an associate with Robinson Gray law firm, as a Star of the Quarter for organizing this year’s Community Law Week.

year term: Todd Avant, Avant Holdings; Rosie Craig, R. MacFarlane Craig Real Estate; Timothy Doe, No Grease Barbershop; Clark Ellefson, Lewis + Clark; David Erbacher, Hyatt Place Vista; Beth Frost, Cohn Construction Services; Jared Glover, Publix; Guy Jones, River Runner Outdoor Center; Dale Marshall, Architrave; Hal Stevenson, Grace Outdoor; Cheryl Swanson, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center; and Chip Wade, Koger Center for the Arts. In addition, Fred Delk of Columbia Development Corp. serves as ex-officio board member and Bart Walrath serves on behalf of the Vista Neighborhood Association.

Yell

Johnson

Rob Reibold, a shareholder in the Columbia office of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, is one of 47 graduates in Leadership South Carolina’s Class of 2020.

Reibold He represents automotive dealers, businesses, individuals, and insurance companies.

Callison Tighe & Robinson attorney Alex Weatherly earned the title of Certified Exit Planning Advisor from the Exit Planning Institute. He has taught Weatherly continuing legal education classes on tax, business, and estate planning for attorneys and certified public accountants.

NONPROFIT The Congaree Vista Guild has a new board of directors who will serve a three-

Crider

The Family Connection of South Carolina board of director recently elected three new members: Mitchell Yell, the University of South Kinney Carolina; Karen Crider, State Treasurer’s Office; and Elizabeth Kinney, School District Five of Lexington & Richland Counties.

The Friends of African American Art and Culture, an affinity group of the Columbia Museum of Art, added three new members to its board of directors: Monica Owens, program manager, Alliant Health Solutions; Tyson Lusk, assistant director for development, University of South Carolina Athletics; and Beth Ann Rocheleau, founder, Rockwater. New president is Therese Griffin, manager of energy efficiency and demand management, Dominion Energy South Carolina; new vice president is Vanesha Perrin, director of the Office of Medicaid Services, SC Department of Education; new secretary is Waltene Whitmire, partner, Integrity Tax and Bookkeeping; and new treasurer is Delores Logan.

Lions Vision Service’s board of directors elected new members and officers for the 2020–2021 fiscal year. Chair is W. Spencer Hill II (principal, Altura Advisors); vice chair is Jay Odell (president and general

manager, Enterprise Nonprofit Solutions at Blackbaud); treasurer is Marcus Hunter (director of finance & administrative operations, Senior Resources); and secretary is Mike Rakes (Greenwood Lions Club). Immediate past chair is Paul Hinson (principal, PCT Services).

The LRADAC Foundation expanded its current board and has seven new board members, all of whom will serve for three years: Taylor Brown, development associate, Transitions Homeless Shelter, advocate for substance misuse prevention and recovery and against sexual assault; John Brunty, owner, CRAVE Artisan Market; Alison Calvert, owner, Remnant Jewelry; Ebonee Gadson, government grants and contracts specialist, Transitions Homeless Shelter; Mykel Keller, paralegal, the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs; Leigh Miller, retired RN and healthcare administrator from AnMed Healthcare System; and Melissa Watson, executive director, Emerge SC. Continuing a family tradition, Mason B. Hardy is the 103rd president of the Columbia Rotary Club, which he joined in 2006. His father, Hardy Archibald Hardy III, was a member of the Columbia club; his uncle was a charter member and the second president of the Columbia East Rotary Club. Hardy’s brother served as a charter member and third president of the Vista Nights Rotary Club, while his grandfather, Edmund Rhett Heyward, was a charter member of the Columbia Rotary Club, serving as its fourth president in 1920.

United Way of the Midlands named Jennifer Moore vice president of community impact and Don Wilkie as vice president of data analytics and technology. Moore, who has been with the organization for more than a decade, had been senior director of financial stability. Wilkie has been with the organization for more than seven years in various analytical roles. In addition, the organization named Kimberly IsaacHouse as director of the Midlands Reading Consortium to oversee the program’s expansion in eight school districts in Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, See PEOPLE, Page 22

22

www.columbiabusinessreport.com

September 28 - October 11, 2020

People in the News PEOPLE, from Page 21

Orangeburg, and Richland counties.

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

OCTOBER 12

ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION (AEC)

List: Landscape Architecture Firms Advertising Deadline: September 28 OCTOBER 26

THE INSURANCE CLUSTER

List: Employees Benefits Brokers Advertising Deadline: October 12 NOVEMBER 9

HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM

List: Hotels w/Mtg Facilities Advertising Deadline: October 26 NOVEMBER 23

MANUFACTURING

List: Manufactures Bonus List: Largest Employers Advertising Deadline: November 9

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

Rachel Price, AmeriCorps program director at Palmetto Conservation Foundation, has been selected for the Leadership Columbia Class of 2021.

She graduated with an environmental science degree and leadership distinction in community service from the University of South Carolina Honors College.

Louise Welch-Williams has resigned as chief executive officer of the American Red Cross of South Carolina.

Named regional CEO in 2014 , she led the organization through hurricanes, historic Welch-Williams flooding, and other disasters. Welch-Williams deployed dozens of times across the country to help in the American Red Cross’s response to disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ivan, and the California wildfires.

REAL ESTATE Colliers International | South Carolina promoted Sarah Davis to visual designer and marketing coordinator.

In addition, Baptist Healthcare System elected Mary Winter Teaster, a senior brokerage associate, to serve on the Prisma Health-Midlands board of directors.

Teaster specializes in serving and advising local small business owners and nonprofits.

Davis

At The ART of Real Estate, Alyssa Vick is now an associate agent. She was transaction coordinator. Vick started as an intern at the Columbia office. In addition, Janeth Butler is a new agent.

Vick

Butler

TECHNOLOGY SIOS Technology Corp. has appointed Masahiro Arai to the newly created position of COO. SIOS is headquartered in San Mateo, Calif., with its U.S. research and Arai development facility located in Columbia. Most recently, Masahiro served as CEO of BayPOS.

BUSINESS SERVICES Diane E. Sumpter, president and CEO of DESA Inc., has been awarded the Abe Venable Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement by the US Minority Business DevelopSumpter ment Agency. The award celebrates high standards of excellence, dedication, and accomplishment over a sustained period of time. DESA, under Sumpter’s leadership, has operated the South Carolina MBDA Business Center for 27 years,

BANKING Teaster

CoStar Group recognized Wilson Kibler principal George McCutchen for representing three of the largest industrial leases signed in the Columbia marMcCutchen ket during the second quarter of 2020.

According to CoStar Group, McCutchen represented local landlords in leasing a total of approximately 113,200 square feet of industrial space.

David Kershaw has been named vice president, legal counsel at United Community Bank. In this role, Kershaw will work with the bank’s special assets and Kershaw commercial credit counsel on matters related to distressed loans, bankruptcies, collections, litigation, foreclosure and probate. Kershaw comes to United from Fox Rothschild LLP where he focused on bankruptcy, financial services and civil litigation. Kershaw holds a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Submit items using our online submission portal: www.SodaCityBizWire.com.

Publication is subject to editorial discretion.

Viewpoint

VIEWS, PERSPECTIVES AND READERS’ LETTERS

Navigating the legal minefield of employees’ return to work

E

mployers face a host of potential legal pitfalls as businesses that were closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic reopen and new virus hot spots continue to emerge across the county. As guidance from state and federal agencies continues to evolve, employers should AMY JORDAN develop a plan to WILKES safely bring employees back.

Furloughed or laid-off workers

Employers should have legitimate, business-related reasons for asking certain employees to come back while leaving others at home and should document.

Even if the decision is motivated by concern for the employee’s well-being, recalling only certain classes of workers may lead to discrimination claims.

Workers who refuse to return to work without good cause will generally be disqualified from unemployment benefits.

If an employee reasonably believes there is a danger of being infected with COVID-19, for example because of a suspected case in the workplace, the employee cannot be disciplined or discharged for refusing to come to work.

Finally, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act is in effect until Dec. 31, so employees are entitled to up to 80 hours of paid sick leave when they cannot work for certain reasons related to COVID-19.

In addition, employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks of paid family leave when they are unable to work because they must care for a child under 18 whose child care provider is closed for COVID-19.

In light of the piecemeal and often convoluted guidance issued by federal agencies since the act was passed, the Department of Labor recently launched an interactive online tool to help employees determine whether they qualify for leave as a result of COVID-19.

Workplace safety concerns

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration recently issued return-towork guidance that encourages employers to develop and implement policies to address “preventing, monitoring for, and responding to any emergence or resurgence of COVID-19 in the workplace.”

Specifically, OSHA suggests employers focus on hazard assessment, hygiene, social distancing, identification and isolation of sick employees, workplace con-

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trols and flexibilities, and training.

OSHA is focusing on employers’ “good faith” efforts in complying with applicable standards so it is important for all employers to take appropriate measures and document those practices.

In particular, employers should document their safety plan and train all employees on the measures in place to protect against further spread of the virus.

If employees raise complaints about unsafe working conditions, those complaints should be investigated. Both OSHA and the National Labor Relations Act prohibit retaliation against employees who make good faith complaints.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Since many return-to-work guidelines recommend screening employees for COVID-19, employers should ensure they are acting in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Employees may be tested to determine whether they have an active case of COVID-19 as a condition of returning to work, but employers may not require employees to undergo antibody testing, which the EEOC considers to be an unlawful medical examination.

In addition to testing, employers may

also take employees’ temperatures and may ask employees if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Employers who screen employees should have clear and consistent guidelines for: • Screening procedures to be used.

• The criteria for failing the screening.

• How to respond if an employee refuses.

• How to respond if an employee fails.

If the employer uses medical questionnaires, the questions should be narrowly focused to collect only data that is relevant to assessing the COVID-19 threat.

Access to medical information should be limited to human resources or management with a need to know. All medical information must be kept confidential and stored separately from personnel files.

If an employee tests positive for COVID-19, employers should inform anyone the employee may have come into contact with of their possible exposure but should maintain confidentiality and not disclose the name of the employee without the employee’s written consent.

Employees with “high-risk” medical conditions may seek reasonable accommodations under the disability act. But a non-disabled employee is not entitled to an accommodation to protect a disabled family member from potential exposure.

An employer may not take any adverse action against an employee merely because the employee has a disability identified as high-risk by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

An employee’s disability does not pose a direct threat simply because it is listed on the CDC’s high-risk list. The direct threat determination must be made after an assessment of the employee’s disability.

Even if the employee’s disability poses a direct threat, the employer cannot exclude the employee unless there is no reasonable accommodation the employer can make.

As the legal landscape continues to evolve, employers should work with legal counsel to ensure compliance.

Reprinted with permission from the American Bar Association. Amy Jordan Wilkes is a partner at Burr & Forman LLP. She can be reached at awilkes@burr.com.

We want to hear from you Write: Melinda Waldrop, Editor Columbia Regional Business Report, 1612 Marion St., Suite 301 Columbia, SC 29201 Email: mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

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