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Feb. 23 - Mar. 8, 2015
Business news from around S.C. Clemson expanding entrepreneurial culture
Tuomey Healthcare to partner with Palmetto Health Tuomey Healthcare System, a not-for-profit operator of a 301-bed hospital in Sumter, was looking for a partner that “could meet our financial needs, but also someone who cared about the employees and families we serve,” said Michael Schwartz, president and CEO of Tuomey.
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Southern Connector revenue climbs 8.7% in 2014
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Design and Entrepreneurship Network student Bre Przestrzelski (left) leads a discussion with other College of Business and Behavioral Science students. (Photo/provided)
Clemson University is expanding programs for students whose entrepreneurial ideas have the makings for starting a business. While most of Clemson’s entrepreneurship initiatives are in the College of Business and Behavioral Science, the programs are spreading across campus. At least two other colleges have “entrepreneurship” courses and the university offers a minor in entrepreneurship for nonbusiness majors. A team of 20 faculty members and students assessing the university’s offerings is working as the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative on strategies to “take them to the next level.” The initiative could include grants for research and to develop new curricula. Training workshops and seminars could be offered to faculty members. John DesJardins, an associate bioengineering professor, said entrepreneurs and innovation can arise from any academic discipline. “Several entrepreneurship programs are in place, so we have a great start,” he said. “The difference now is that we are on the verge of transforming campus culture.”
S.C. to pay off $1B unemployment loan
Food distributor expanding Richburg operation
After making three payments in 2014, the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce says it now owes $195 million to the federal government for loans it needed to cover unemployment checks during the Great Recession.
The $4.6 million investment by Haddon House Food Products will add nearly 30,000 square feet to its freezer distribution building and create 55 jobs, officials said. The project is the second expansion of the Richburg facility since 2012.
Use of the toll highway in Greenville County increased 10.1% in 2014, boosting revenue to $7.56 million. Three years after the nonprofit Connector 2000 Association that manages the road emerged from bankruptcy, the chairman said the latest annual numbers show it is a “valuable part of our infrastructure.”
Azalea Capital sells Charlotte-based Etak Systems Greenville-based Azalea Capital has sold Etak Systems Inc., which provides installation services for wireless communication companies, to a private investment group led by Mosaic Capital Partners LLC and management. Azalea Capital invests in lower-middle-market companies.
Polydeck Upstate expansion adding 40 jobs Polydeck Screen Corp. is expanding its Spartanburg County operation. The $12 million investment will add 40 jobs over the next five years. The family-owned business provides products for the aggregate, coal and mining industries globally. Polydeck also offers process consulting and screen evaluation services.
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