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VOLUME 23 NUMBER 7 ■ GSABUSINESS.COM

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APRIL 6 - APRIL 19, 2020 ■ $2.25

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SPECIAL REPORT: COPING WITH COVID PAGES 13-20 Doctoring devices

Engineers and physicians team up to create solution to national shortage in crisis. Page 12

Still solutions

When sanitizer supplies run low, Powdersville distillery changes recipes. Page 8

W DOWN NOT OUT With most of the people who live in Clemson gone, businesses reel from sudden shutdown

See Page 10

Students building with hemp Creative inquiry project puts hemp in construction project. Page 6

Unemployment soars 1,600%

After months of historic lows, jobless rate makes dramatic turn. Page 3

INSIDE

Leading Off .......................... 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 C-Suite ................................ 4 In Focus: Law.....................23 LIST:Law Firms ..................24 At Work ..............................28 Viewpoint ........................... 31

An early afternoon in Clemson finds the streets and sidewalks uncharacteristically quiet and empty. (Photo/Ross Norton)

Chamber CEOs reach out to area businesses By Molly Hulsey

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

he Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce CEO knew she would have to act fast to answer a host of queries about Small Business Administration disaster loans. Pam Christopher called SBA regional director Bruce Levell and Columbia’s SBA director Gregg White back-to-back for insight on how the chamber could connect members with the funding they needed to survive challenges brought by the new coronavirus. Recognizing the barriers created by social distancing, she prompted SBA to offer webinars both for small business owners and the bankers counseling them. “It can be a one o’clock with the bankers and a 1:30 or 2 with the small business people — they just need to have a headsup,” she said at the time. Levell and White brought the webinar series live statewide March 19 and 23, followed by local presentations Christopher initiated with Clemson’s Small Business Development Center, local attorneys and AnMed Health. “We are all just trying to roll with the punches,” Christopher said, adding she has been impressed by the innovation of the Anderson business community and South Carolina as a whole. “We are trying to think – well, we’ve blown that box up – See CHAMBER, Page 7

In Focus

Legal work goes remote Law firms say working remote goes with the territory. Page 23

Leading Oﬀ

BRIEFS | FACTS | STATEWIDE NEWS | C-SUITE

Panoramic view on seasonal influenza

A LA CARTE

inding data to put some context alongside the concern and health

measures related to the coronavirus is quite difficult, mostly because there’s not a lot of data available and there likely won’t be until the

pandemic is well past us. Lacking that, we looked at historic influenza data from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What does this tell us? Not much about the current outbreak. But it does give some defining data about the ebb and flow of seasonal viruses that cross our state and country each year. One thing is for certain: The last year of records was the most deadly in a long time in South Carolina.

The Cliffs announced Ed Greene, former co-owner of Devereaux’s, is the food and beverage director at Keowee Springs. Before this post, Greene worked 15 years

Influenza: 5 years across S.C.

in hospitality, managing Charleston’s Patriots Point Links and Palmetto Brewery.

Over five years, more than 378,000 people have tested positive for flu in South Carolina, with the last reported year being the most deadly and most infectious over half a decade.

- Infections

0.21%

- Mortality Rate

135,145

0.19% 0.19%

0.11%

87,256

82,275 0.14%

40,794

32,823 Campobello-based The Heirloom

2013-2014

2014-2015

2015-2016

2016-2017

2017-2018

competition. This March marks the 10th

The Midlands reported more deaths in the 2017-2018 influenza season than any other region. Fewer than 300 people died from the flu during the season. Population: 1.46 million Positive test: 35,683 Hospitalizations: 1,196 Deaths: 92 Mortality: 0.26%

manufacturer, won three gold awards at Salt Lake City’s national METALfab 2020

Influenza: Regional impact Midlands

Companies, a wood and metalworks

Upstate

Lowcountry

Population: 1.47 million Positive test: 48,639 Hospitalizations: 1,285 Deaths: 81 Mortality: 0.17%

Population: 1.17 million Positive test: 24,963 Hospitalizations: 1,032 Deaths: 60 Mortality: 0.24%

consecutive year Heirloom has been

Pee Dee

recognized at the event.

Population: 925,000 Positive test: 25,860 Hospitalizations: 976 Deaths: 56 Mortality: 0.22%

Source: S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

ON THE

RECORD

The American Advertising Federation of

“The tourism industry has gotten walloped as well, and in some ways, I think that’s going to be one that is even longer in its recovery.”

Greenville awarded FUEL seven ADDY awards for web development, logo design, motion graphics and package design. Other February silver ADDY

— Allen Smith, president and CEO, Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce

winners include Jadex, Heritage Health Solutions, Softbox and Mystic Lands.

WEBSITE: www.GSABusiness.com

@GSABusiness

facebook.com/GSABusiness

April 6 - April 19, 2020

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SC Biz News Briefs CHARLESTON

Join us in Celebrating 20 Years of Giving Back!

Staff Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal

Since 2001, the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation has generated and distributed $13.6 million dollars to Upstate charities.

Port operations remain steady as some state manufacturing grinds to a halt The S.C. Ports Authority says it does not expect disruption to terminal operations as Volvo Car Corp. and BMW Manufacturing cease production. S.C. Ports Authority CEO Jim Newsome said in a statement that while he expects the number of vehicles shipped to be impacted by production halts, “The shipping and receiving of containers should remain normal.” He reiterated that the port Despite a pause in the number of cars expected to move expects volumes to be down in through, S.C. Ports Authority CEO Jim Newsome does not March and April by about 15% to expect much disruption to terminal operations. 20% but should rebound in May (Photo/Provided) and June. Port COO Barbara Melvin also said the inland port in Greer is operating as normal. She also said the port is taking steps to clean equipment and separate people whenever possible. “We’re being smart about the way that we’re taking care of ourselves and others, not putting ourselves at risk, realizing the importance that we all have in the supply chain,” Melvin said.

COLUMBIA

Staff Report, Columbia Regional Business Report

Coronavirus pushes state’s unemployment insurance claims 1600% in a single week

Unemployment insurance claims in South Carolina totaled 31,054 in the week ending March 21, an increase of approximately 1600% from the previous week’s total of 1,996. Those figures from the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce represent initial intrastate claims, or claims made by people who both live and work within the state of South Carolina. In addition, for the week ending March 21, there were 772 interstate additional claims, an increase of approximately 800% from the previous week’s total of 97. Those claims were filed by people who live in South Carolina but filed for unemployment insurance against another state. Horry County led the state with 5,258 intrastate claims. Charleston saw 4,183 and Greenville 3,265. In Richland County, 2,476 claims were filed, with 1,554 claims filed in Spartanburg County. DEW said in a recent news release that its unemployment insurance claims process is 100% online while acknowledging issues with social security numbers being validated. The national hub that validates the numbers is being overwhelmed, according to the DEW release, and is working to expand its database capacity. BEST ADVICE Mike Seekings, CARTA board chairman

PAGE 4 VOLUME 26 NUMBER 8 ■ CHARLESTONBUSINESS.COM

Filling the gap

Lowcountry Graduate Center continues its mission of workforce development. Page 21

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APRIL 6 - 19, 2020 ■ $2.25

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NEW NORMAL SPECIAL REPORT: Businesses across South Carolina quickly shift to new service models to keep customers and cash flowing as the global pandemic stretches across the state. Pages 13-20

SBDC offers guidance on loans to small businesses

VOLUME 13 NUMBER 5 ■ COLUMBIABUSINESSREPORT.COM

Part of the

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MARCH 16-APRIL 12, 2020 ■ $2.25 Participants in a pilot program of new initiative Crash Course Columbia weather the rain for a tour of Segra Park, home of the Columbia Fireflies. The quarterly program aims to attract and retain workforce talent by showing off Columbia’s growing cultural scene and emphasizing area development. (Photo/Forrest Clonts)

Beer on tap

Delaware brewery plans to open location in BullStreet District in 2021. Page 9

SPRING 2020

By Molly Hulsey

Teacher transition

University of South Carolina recruiting professionals to teach in rural school districts. Page 22

Port property

Lowe to prepare part of Union Pier for sale, redevelopment. Page 8

Nuclear settlement Judge gives initial approval to Santee Cooper settlement agreement. Page 12

INSIDE

Upfront ................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 Best Advice .......................... 4 In Focus: Education and Workforce Development ..................... 21 List: Colleges & Universities .......................25 Bonus List: Computer Training Cos. ......................26 Viewpoint ........................... 31

phoff@scbiznews.com

ore than half of 1,500 respondents in a recent Goldman Sachs survey expect their small business to survive three months or less under current circumstances, yet more than 67% don’t know how to access emergency funding. South Carolina small-business consultants say those numbers are even more dire in a state where 99.4% of all businesses are considered small enterprises, according to last year’s U.S. Small Business Administration report. The federal government’s $2 trillion stimulus bill, signed by President Donald Trump on March 27, offers a $350 billion Paycheck Protection Program for no-fee loans up to $10 million for small businesses, with a focus on those owned by minorities, women and veterans, or enterprises in rural areas, See SBA, Page 9

Reschedule or cancel? Events groups struggle through COVID By Shamira McCray

smccray@scbiznews.com

he new coronavirus has had a devastating impact on businesses such as Ooh Events owned by Lisa Thomas. Spring is always the company’s biggest season. Thomas runs a rental company and event planning service. The timing of the COVID19 outbreak has led to all of her April events

being canceled, and events planned for May are starting to cancel. But she hopes to maintain some of her May dates. With wedding season underway, Thomas said she has to think about what is best for her clients and come up with different options. “People are always still going to get married,” she said. “I started my business in 20089, which was not a good time. But people are still — they still want celebrations, you know,

especially during these times. We need things that lift us up and make us feel better.” Thomas said her clients just want to get married, and it is her company’s job to outline the best way for them to do that. Ooh Events has never experienced the type of impact that COVID-19 is having on businesses across the state and throughout See TOURISM, Page 6

Since 1927

Fans have chance to say goodbye to Capital City Stadium in documentary. Page 4

Health merger

Prisma Health acquires two health systems operating in the Midlands. Page 12

BEHIND THE CITY SCENES Solar powered

Worksforce surges by 10% in solar energy for the Palmetto State. Page 14

INSIDE Upfront ................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 4 In Focus: Education and Workforce .......................... 15 List: Colleges and Universities ....................... 17 At Work .............................. 21 Viewpoint ...........................23

Program aims to lure talent while accenting Columbia’s charms By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

riana Bateman knows all too well the less-than-glowing reputation Columbia has traditionally had to battle. Bateman, an Upstate native who moved to Columbia five years ago, is chair of Columbia Opportunity Resource, a nonprofit that connects area professionals and promotes leadership development. Before taking that position, her time in the capital city was limited. “It was joke when I was kid,” Bateman said. “When you would come through here to go to

the beach, you didn’t stay long, because it was too hot. There was nothing to do. I remember my dad taking us to the state museum. That was kind of what we did on the way to the beach, and that was it.” While the sweltering Columbia summers remain a constant, the city has been undergoing a decades-long, under-the-radar renaissance that COR is partnering with city tourism and promotional arm Experience Columbia SC to amplify. Crash Course Columbia, a new quarterly program targeting area companies and their employees, aims to deliver an up-close look at Columbia’s charms

while helping the city recruit and retain professional talent. From behind-the-scenes looks at how Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens cares for its giraffes to chats with chefs at the area’s hottest new restaurants, the day-and-a-half initiative hopes to drive home all that the city has to offer — even to long-time residents who think they’ve been there, done that. ‘Studies have shown a historically negative sentiment about Columbia,” said Ashley Cady, senior integrated communications manager

Driving forward

S.C. automotive industry prepares for a future of change

See CRASH COURSE, Page 19 ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED

Immersed in industry

Tri-county program gives educators opportunity to connect curricula with companies. Page 21

ColumbiaBusinessReport.com

Rural recruiting

USC implements program recruiting nontraditional teachers to rural school districts. Page 15

CharlestonBusiness.com

SC Biz News 1439 Stuart Engals Blvd. Suite 200 Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

With publications in the Upstate, Columbia and Charleston, as well as a statewide magazine, SC Biz News covers the pulse of business across South Carolina. Above are excerpts from our other publications.

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1 – 7,

2020

B M W C H A R I T Y G O L F. C O M

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PRESIDENT, TRI-COUNTY TECHNICAL COLLEGE

THE BEST ADVICE I’VE EVER RECEIVED

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UPSTATE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

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2020 | SOUTH CAROLINA

MANUFACTURING

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

Students in a creative inquiry class at Greenville Technical College practice using hempcrete as part of the building process as they create a tiny house to be donated to a South Carolina senior citizen in need of affordable housing. (Photo/Provided)

Greenville Technical College students pursue research through creative inquiry

SAVE THE DATE O October 28th - 30th, 2020

Greenville Convention Center Greenville, SC Join manufacturing suppliers and innovators across all industry verticals at South Carolina’s Most Significant Manufacturing Event of the Year. The 2019 Conference included: • 2,800+ registered attendees • 280+ Exhibitors • 16 courses taught by instructors from SCMEP • Manufacturing 4.0 Breakfast: The Rise of Technology • Aero/Auto Symposium and Industry Forecasts • Executive Women in Manufacturing and Apprenticeships in Advanced Manufacturing panel discussions

For questions about exhibiting or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Melissa Tomberg at (864) 720-1220 or mtomberg@scbiznews.com Visit www.scmanufacturingconference.com for the latest updates

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ne group of Greenville Technical College students designed and built a tiny house using hemp as an insulation method. Another group is comprised of current production associates at BMW who made suggestions for improvements at the company in areas such as process improvement, productivity and employee engagement. A third partnered with Clemson University students to address a BMW concern about connectors during vehicle assembly. All of these students are pursuing interests through Creative Inquiry, an option at Greenville Tech that allows students to work one-on-one or in small groups with faculty members, according to a news release. The students may join an ongoing research project, propose a new project, or complete a project that is embedded in a course. The 500-square-foot tiny house will be donated to a senior citizen in need of affordable housing. The home will be taken to Summerton, where land has been donated for a site, the news release said. The creative inquiry class

creating it has six students — two from the architectural engineering technology program, two from construction engineering technology, and two from building construction technology. The students are working together to design and build all aspects of the structure. The tiny house will be insulated with hempcrete, a bio-based, all-natural insulation method that works in conjunction with conventional framing, the release said. Sixteen students are taking the research in business class, the fourth cohort to complete the course through the colleges Road to Production Management program with BMW. Three of the projects created this semester are currently being implemented, according to the release. Seven Greenville Tech students are partnering with Clemson University engineering students to address a BMW concern about connectors during the vehicle assembly process. This group is designing and building a semi-automated test fixture for automating electrical connections. The students were to present their work at a student scholar showcase that has been canceled due to coronavirus concerns.

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CHAMBER, from Page 1

we’re not just thinking outside of the box, we’re trying to look at everything possible to make easier access to information and assistance for our businesses.” Allen Smith, CEO of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, and Carlos Phillips, CEO of the Greenville Chamber, also see open communication as a lifeline to small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 shutdown. In conjunction with the United Way of Spartanburg County, the Spartanburg Chamber has launched a volunteer-based program that assists small business owners as they navigate the SBA loan application and eligibility process. The chamber is also conducting a survey to orient a regional recovery strategy with feedback from members and conversations with local government officials, while staff have called every chamber member to check in on them during the epidemic. “The small business community is absolutely getting hammered,” Smith said, adding that some restaurants told him of sales declines of 60% to 90%. “The tourism industry has gotten walloped as well, and in some ways, I think that’s going to be one that is even longer in its recovery,” he said. “Maybe as some of these restrictions lift, I think people are going to be slower to travel. They may move about their communities

more freely, but in terms of leisure travel or maybe even business travel, even if just for expense sake – if it’s a non-essential trip, it’s not going to be taken.” After listening to members’ mounting concerns, the Greenville Chamber created an employer resource guide and webinar series featuring high-demand issues including cyber security for remote workers and United Way of Greenville County’s small business resources. The chamber’s advocacy team also has remained in close contact with local, state and federal leadership on the Families First COVID19 Response Act, a “shelter-in-place” order considered by Mayor Knox White in late March, and other legislation, according to Phillips. “I think it’s important we do everything necessary to flatten the curve, and it seems there are many approaches to doing that. Of course, restricting access to businesses is not ideal, but reversing the spread of this virus as quickly as possible is ultimately in the long-term best interest of our citizens and businesses,” Phillips said in an email. He recognizes that every business owner will be impacted by the economic shutdown created by the pandemic but fears that personal service providers like barbers and salons, local retailers and restaurants, such as those lining Main Street, non-profits and other small businesses will bear the brunt.

“The uncertainty of the current situation may be more challenging than the virus itself,” he said in the email, adding that the innovation, technology and delivery models brought about by the outbreak would serve businesses well moving forward. In Anderson County, Christopher said supply chain disruptions began to halt some manufacturing for periods of 14 to 21 days even before the new coronavirus reached South Carolina. She expects the domestic shutdown will bring with it another slew of challenges, but she has been looking to the president’s and governor’s leadership on mitigating both public health and economic risks – with a priority on saving lives. “Now, it’s a slowdown on our end of things,” Christopher said. “Trying to get products to the end user, someone who is purchasing from some of our industries here — it has definitely taken a toll on them because they have been waiting for some of their supplies to come in and get it into their shops so they can make that end product, whether it’s a refrigerator, a BMW vehicle, whether it’s towels and sheets and linens.” With the slowdown, she said many manufacturers in Anderson County have shifted production lines to make goods that are in high demand or are in short supply at hospitals across the country. Despite the temporary shuttering of BMW and other manufacturers in Spar-

tanburg County, Allen reported that his economic development team continues to get site selection queries every day, particularly prospects seeking spacious industrial properties. “I think this whole situation has exposed some supply chain issues, supply chain vulnerabilities directly with China, and I think we are positioned — we are the leading manufacturing county in South Carolina — to really being the beneficiaries of that,” he said as manufacturers shift their attention to domestic suppliers. “We are already seeing that in our RFI volume over the past week and a half.” All chamber leaders noted that despite the economic hurtles faced by all sectors throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, they are heartened by the region’s unity and resilience. Chamber leaders across the Upstate activated their membership network to challenge local businesses to donate personal protective equipment and critical needs goods to hospitals. Businesses across counties, ranging from tailors with handmade masks and manufacturers with face shields, have responded to critical needs requests forwarded by the chambers. “At the end of the day, we’re all here together and that’s the strength of it: we’re trying to find out what our neighbor needs,” Christopher said. Reach Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1223.

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Six & Twenty distills solution to sanitizer shortage By Molly Hulsey

Q. Also, we hear you are getting equipment to make this on a larger scale. What will this look like? A: We are not getting new equipment but using some of our old bottling line to help make sanitizer more efficient.

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

s the new coronavirus reached South Carolina in March, bars shuttered, liquor store sales spiked and Powersville’s Six & Twenty Distillery began to refine some of its high-proof spirits — and now, beer from Birds Fly South Ale Project — into hand sanitizer. David Raad, founder and CEO of Six & Twenty, and state manager April Johnson shared how they are coping with COVID-19 and their plans to expand the sanitizer operation. Q: When did you decide to start distilling hand sanitizer? Have you ever done anything like this before? A: We decided to start making hand sanitizer after hearing about the shortages everywhere. We were trying to find a way to give back to the community that has supported us! I don’t think we were prepared for all the positive feedback. We are not selling the sanitizer — however, we have been asking people to donate what they can for it. The donations are going to the volunteer fire department in Powdersville; we have almost reached $1,000 due to the generosity of the public. We have not made hand sanitizer in bulk before, but we have used the “heads” from

Q. If this area goes to an “essentials only” basis, do you think you might start selling this sanitizer? A: Liquor sales seem to be essential in other states — so we hope it does not get

Ingredients that were on their way to bourbon barrells were instead diverted by the operators of Six & Twenty Distillery and made into sanitizer when national and local supplies dried up. (Photo/Provided)

our production run to clean occasionally. Q: Could you walk us through the process and how it diﬀers from your usual routine? A: There are five steps to make distilling and making our own spirits: mashing, fermentation, distillation, aging (if we are doing whiskey or bourbon) and bottling. To make sanitizer, we need highproof alcohol, which means we need to get to the distillation step — which takes us about a week. Mashing takes a day, and

fermentation takes about five to seven days. Last week, we mashed ingredients to make a vodka and a whiskey but instead turned that into sanitizer. Right now, we are just sourcing corn from the South Carolina Farmers Bureau, but unfortunately, the process takes about a week before we can make hand sanitizer. We are working with local breweries to potentially get their help mashing and just received a donation of beer to distill from Birds Fly South. Everyone is helping out and the sense of community is great!

“Right now, I am trying to support local and have been visiting breweries (curbside pickup!) in the Greenville area.“ April Johnson State manager, Six & Twenty Distillary

to that point — but we are working to be able to provide bigger quantities of sanitizer for the public. Q. What other types of changes have you made considering the outbreak and

April 6 - April 19, 2020

www.gsabusiness.com 9

Nephron donates hand sanitizer to VA center

what type of feedback have you gotten from your customers? A: A lot of what we do is work with local restaurants, so we have had to put a pause on that. We are bringing in some staff from bars and restaurants we work closely with that have completely closed so they can still work some. We have, of course, changed our cleaning and sanitizing to multiple times a day and are working closely with our staff to make sure that if anyone feels off, they stay home to be on the safe side. Liquor store sales have jumped up with bars closing, so a lot of our off-premise customers are happy about that! Q: April and David, what’s your chosen beverage to stock up on for the days ahead? April: I like to switch things up a lot. I of course love our 5-Grain Bourbon; my go-to cocktail is an old-fashioned or mule, the Heirloom Vodka with a flavored sparkling water when I am cutting back sugar. Right now, I am trying to support local and have been visiting breweries (curbside pickup!) in the Greenville area. David: We are enjoying drinking local beers right now, currently the pilsner from Birds Fly South, and my wife loves the Issaquena White Ale from Quest. I also enjoy making my signature Campfire Martini with our Heirloom Rye Vodka or sipping on the Old Money Whiskey neat. Reach Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1223.

Six and Twenty staff prepare one of the first batches of handsanitizer at their Powdersville location. The team had plans to launch a new distilling process to streamline sanitizer production March 31. (Photo/Provided)

ephron Pharmaceuticals Corp. has donated 50 liters of hand sanitizer manufactured in-house at the West Columbia company to the William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Columbia. Nephron CEO Lou Kennedy announced that the manufacturer of sterile respiratory medication would begin making its own hand sanitizer in response to concerns related to the new coronavirus. She said that after Nephron employees and their families had received supplies, the company would look at donating hand sanitizer to local charitable organizations. “Our veterans and their families have sacrificed for us, and we could not be more excited to lend them a hand during this difficult time,” Kennedy said in a news release from Nephron. “Americans are being challenged. We are coming together. I hope to see this spirit of community endures long after COVID-19 passes.” Nephron produces inhalation solutions and suspension products that can be used to treat COVID-19 symptoms.

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April 6 - April 19, 2020

Clemson businesses reel from sudden shutdown By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

prizefighter would be hard pressed to deliver a faster, more decisive knockdown. For restaurateurs and retailers in the city of Clemson, it seemed every decision about public health — however necessary — was a body shot to business. Since spring break would separate Clemson students on actual St. Patrick’s Day, they celebrated Ain’t Patrick’s Day a week earlier, crowding the sidewalks on College Avenue downtown until they spilled into the streets and stopped traffic. The sidewalks and streets were crammed with cars and people by early afternoon, and the crush grew heavier until the early morning hours. For merchants, restaurants and bars, it was another springtime boom day. And then it was over. Just like that. Today there are long moments when there are no cars, no pedestrians. Spring break was on the calendar, but university officials decided to add a couple of extra days to keep the students away from one another as the whole country began responding to the coronavirus threat. Then live classes were canceled for the rest of the semester, and the quiet that followed was louder than before. The students were gone, and not many locals were showing up, either. Spring sports were called off, so alumni and other fans had no reason to show up. For Kevin Dobbs, it was a particularly brutal series of blows because his Sully’s Steamers sandwich shop on College Avenue was barely two months old when the university extended spring break. By the time spring semester classes moved from live to online and the governor ordered dining rooms closed, College Avenue business operators were deciding between shuttering for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic or finding a way to keep at least some revenue flowing. For Dobbs, his business was down, but not out. He had done his homework and was prepared for the fluctuations of a college town. It’s especially important to be ready for highs and lows in Clemson. The public-facing business environment is unique in the state because the student body is larger than the city’s population. Clemson enrolled 25,000 students last fall, 18,000 of them living off campus. U.S. Census records estimated the city population at 17,102 in 2018, but that includes some of those off-campus students who establish residency, even though they go elsewhere when it’s time to go home. The owner-occupied housing rate in Clemson was about 41% from 2014-18, compared to 63% in nearby Easley during that same time period, according to the census. When those students are gone, the local economy feels it palpably. Accommoda-

The typically bustling streets in the city of Clemson are nearly empty with most students out of town and local residents staying home. (Photo/Ross Norton)

tions taxes paid at hotels and motels in Pickens County came to $41,519 last July, when most students are gone but other activities are hosted on campus, compared to $30,039 in December, according to the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. In October, when campus was open full tilt, the accommodations tax brought $67,681 to the county. Last April, the tax came to $51,519. This year, no one is counting on an April. At least one hotel, the Inn at Patrick Square, is closed until May. Many Clemson restaurants have opted to close. Up and down Tiger Boulevard, notes are taped to front doors. Dobbs is one who chose to compete for the few dollars that continue to circulate. He hit the streets on the first day dining rooms were closed to let other businesses know he could still make them a steamed bagel sandwich. Despite several days without in-house customers, he was selling 60 to 80 sandwiches daily. “It’s all relative. No day has been great, but every day has been better than I would have expected under the circumstances,” he said. “Will it break even? I don’t know. But it will pay off down the road.” The president of the Clemson Area Chamber of Commerce said the economic collapse in Clemson came like rapid-fire bad news. “It’s kind of come in waves,” Susan Cohen said. “The first wave was hearing that spring break was going to be extended. That’s OK; you can kind of weather that. The next wave was hearing, OK, we’re not bringing them (the students) back and, by the way, the NCAA has decided that there’s not going to be any spring sports.” Cohen said she watched social media conversations and message boards where

With its cafe closed by mandate and travelers choosing not to stay overnight, The Inn at Patrick Square in Clemson closed for the rest of March and all of April. (Photo/Ross Norton)

April 6 - April 19, 2020

www.gsabusiness.com 11

it seemed most of the off-campus students planned to return to the area to complete their online semester among friends. The hope in the early hours was many of them would remain in town and contribute to the economy. “I think a few of the merchants and restaurants didn’t hit the panic button about the online classes because there is such a huge student population base that lives off campus,” Cohen said. “And then both the city and university said, ‘Uh, maybe not so much. Maybe you should stay away.’ And then all the sports got canceled. So you’re looking at, you know, we lost a spring (football) game, which is just about as big as a game weekend these days. And we lost all of softball and baseball and other spring sports.” The town also lost some sports-related revenue not associated with Clemson. The chamber for years has hosted rowing teams from northern colleges that spend their spring break training on Lake Hartwell. Up to 1,500 athletes make their way to Clemson each spring, creating an economic impact of about $3 million. This year looked to be the best yet, Cohen said, but after a couple of teams came early, the rest canceled. That’s not revenue delayed, she said. It’s lost. “The other things that you don’t think about are all the site visits – kids who are looking at schools and parents that are coming into town. You’re looking at the

ring ceremony where tons of parents come into town,” she said, referring to a ceremony where seniors get their class rings. The ceremony has grown so popular that it was split into two events in the fall and two in the spring, each nearly filling Littlejohn Coliseum. Each ceremony also fills restaurants and hotels, and each gives parents one more chance to buy an orange shirt of fill a tank with gas. “And obviously, there’s graduation. When you start really looking at hit after hit, this last couple of months at the end of the semester is kind of that big rush of business and income before the slow summer months,” Cohen said. “So they (local businesses) were already gearing up to try to make that extra money to lead into summer, which is quiet and slower, and then they lost almost three whole months of additional revenue. It has a true ripple effect.” Cohen said the chamber has been working with restaurants to communicate an embrace of guidelines from the S.C. Lodging and Restaurant Association and the National Restaurant Association to keep customers as safe as they can when serving curbside meals. She updates the chamber website every couple of hours to keep locals informed about who is open for business. “Curbside at a restaurant is a great option for people who don’t want to go out and go in a grocery store and be exposed to all those surfaces,” she said. Cohen is worried about some of the leg-

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While some restaurants have opted to remain open under new mandates and practices, some establishments, such as Poke Star on Clemson’s College Avenue, remain closed for now, (Photo/Ross Norton)

acy businesses downtown, including those whose doors were open before she graduated Clemson in 1981: Tiger Town Tavern, Knickerbockers and W.H. Frank, for years the only place in town to buy a shirt that was not orange. She also worries about some of the newest businesses, which may not yet have the reserves to survive. “We’ve had several ribbon cuttings in the last few months,” she said. “It just breaks your heart. We have such great activity in spring in general, with people getting out for all the things that revolve around typical university life, and they

just got cut off basically overnight. It’s going to be interesting to see the evolution of downtown now, who’s shopping there, and what the Clemson experience will be like if we lose it.” Entrepreneurs don’t stay on the mat, though, according to Dobbs. “We had more new customers than return(ers) last week,” he said. “Are we doing something magical? Not at all, but we’re certainly staying energized.” Reach Ross Norton at 864-720-1222 or @ RossNorton13 on Twitter.

www.gsabusiness.com

April 6 - April 19, 2020

USC engineers help fast-track VESper approval By Melinda Waldrop

waldrop@scbiznews.com

t was March 21, a Saturday, when Hossein Haj-Hariri, the dean of the University of South Carolina’s College of Engineering and Computing, got a phone call. On the line was Majorie Jenkins, M.D., chief academic officer for Prisma Health-Upstate and dean of the USC School of Medicine-Greenville. The ensuing conversation was game-changing. Jenkins told Haj-Hariri about device created by a Prisma Health emergency medicine physician in collaboration with her husband and a Prisma Health pulmonary critical care physician that allows four patients to be treated simultaneously on a single ventilator. The VESper uses a “Y” splitter tube to divide air flow among multiple patients. Prisma Health announced the device, produced using 3D printing and aimed to combat the acute equipment shortages facing medical professionals battling COVID-19, received emergency use approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday. Prisma sent VESper specifications to engineers at USC and Clemson Universi-

The University of South Carolina College of Engineering and Computing helped test and print prototypes of the Prisma Health device, which allows four patients to be treated on one ventilator. The USC team is working to improve and expand the device’s function. (Photo/Provided)

ty for 3D materials testing and prototype printing. Jenkins asked Hossein Haj-Hariri to assemble a team around 4 p.m. Sunday. “By 7 p.m., we had the team together, and ideas were flying around on email and telephone calls,” he said. “What I found cool was how many parallel ideas we had going on. It was truly a crystallization of an idea. All I had to do was throw the seed in there.”

Hospitals can apply for the free source code and printing specifications for the VESper on Prisma Health’s website. Though VESper swiftly received emergency use approval, Haj-Hariri’s team is still hard at work improving aspects of its design. “It’s a simple design that we have, but there are some challenges involved,” he said. “Namely, when you have multiple

patients on the same ventilator, you still have one sensor regulator for pressure, and it has to manage several patients, so you don’t know what patient is getting what. So our team is working on sensors, cheap sensors or even sensors that could even be 3D printed, that they put at the end line to each patient. Then, through taking that data as well as some biometric data, the one regulator can actually manage the flow. “We could always engineer a very complex and expensive system that is attached to each patient. But a) it’s too expensive, and b) it’s not going to show up in time. So what we want to do is take advantage of the electronics that exist and maybe add affordable and simple solutions at the back end that tie into the existing electronics and give us the data.” The USC team is also developing 3D printed molds to be used for plastic mold injection. “I don’t know if you have watched something 3D printing, but it’s painful. You just sit and nothing happens,” Haj-Hariri said. “Those things (the molds) have a through-put which is hundreds of times greater than 3D printing, and these shops and facilities exist in every city. They’re like machine shops. So you give them the mold that you can 3D See VESPER, Page 21

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April 6 - April 19, 2020

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COPING WITH COVID

OVID-19 changed how S.C. businesses operate in the blink of an eye. The focus has shifted to staying in business, finding new customers, navigating legal and health issues and paving the way for recovery after the coronavirus outbreak subsides. The SC Biz News team talked with businesses in multiple sectors about how they are staying the course and partnered with Prisma Health for this special section on Coping with Covid.

Chairs lean against the bar at the Devine Street bottle shop and tasting room Craft and Draft in Columbia. The business is providing to-go orders for customers during the COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo/Melinda Waldrop)

Stay informed about Coronavirus Visit PrismaHealth.org/Coronavirus for the most current information to help you and yourÂ family. Stay home if you have upper respiratory symptoms, and take a free Virtual Visit using promo code COVID19 at PrismaHealth.org/Virtual-Visit.

COPING WITH COVID

www.gsabusiness.com

April 6 - April 19, 2020

Small business relying on flexibility, creativity to keep customers engaged By Andy Owens

aowens@scbiznews.com

uring the Great Recession, Colleen Troy, the owner of Touchpoint Communications in Charleston, rolled out a marketing platform called Brand-Aid that helped companies find footing in an uncertain economy. The effort also helped put foundering marketing and public relations firms back to work. This is different. “I survived the Great Recession — that unwound over time,” she said. “There has been no time here. Over the last four days, I have seen clients go to extraordinary levels of stepping back and saying to

themselves, ‘How do I stay in business?’” She said a lot of the companies she’s in contact with are trying to find ways to battle back from extended uncertainty and navigate clients who want to suspend contracts and find ways to mitigate costs. Touchpoint has five employees, and some of their clients have asked for that same kind of considTroy eration. “I have clients who have contracts now, and they’ve asked can we pause. I’m letting them pause,” she said. “That’s affecting our business. I’m not asking people to

make long-term commitments right now. I’m saying let us help you for the next 30 days. You kind of have to disrupt your own systems in hopes that it’s the right thing to do.” Troy said her experience with recession and crisis management taught her that creativity can help businesses survive a crisis like COVID-19. She said that it requires a company to get back to why it exists, what their primary value is to customers and finding new customers they might not have considered before. “They’re asking themselves ‘What is my core business? How can I deliver it? How can I take care of my employees while I deliver it?’” she said. Because the Charleston region is such

FoodShare SC helping to keep supply line intact

Beaufort-Port Royal CVB ready to help businesses recover By Alexandria Ng

By Melinda Waldrop

mwaldrop@scbiznews.com

oodShare South Carolina’s mission has become even more critical. The Columbia-based nonprofit has been delivering healthy fruits and vegetables to Midlands residents since 2015. But COVID-19 concerns that have shuttered restaurants and closed schools have hindered access to fresh produce while also threatening the produce supply chain the organization relies on. Partnering with Senn Brothers Produce, FoodShare SC brainstormed a solution: the Farmers2Neighbors program. Customers purchase produce boxes, much like the ones FoodShare SC distributes through other community programs. Senn Brothers purchases the produce from local farmers and regional producers. It is then delivered to and distributed from a pickup point by neighborhood “captains.” S.C Farmers Market workers who were laid off are able to return to work boxing and delivering the produce. The program also provides a distribution outlet for farmers who have fresh fruit and vegetables in danger of going to waste. The boxes cost $21, or $10 for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants. “We don’t exist without our produce suppliers, without our local distributors like Senn, without our farmers,” said Michelle Troup, director of culinary medicine for FoodShare SC. “It’s really important for us to be a good partner to them in this time, to make sure that we’re doing our part.”

an event-driven economy, COVID-19 is having a fast and far-reaching economic ripple effect, Troy said. That’s going to require creativity and small businesses working together and finding different ways of doing business, she said. Troy spent time talking to business leaders about how they can help and support each other. The focus was on common survival, not how to leverage the current crisis to anyone’s advantage. “We have been very careful over the years not just focusing on one industry, and I’m very grateful for that now,” she said. “What we’re able to do is focus on businesses that are not struggling right now, that are busy now, where they need help.”

Wren Brown continues wiping surfaces, even with customers staying curbside. (Photo/Ross Norton)

Sully’s Steamers banks on scalability By Ross Norton

rnorton@scbiznews.com

evin Dobbs sees a few open doors and a lot that are closed on Clemson’s College Avenue. He doesn’t like the empty streets or the locked doors, but he did see an opportunity to find new customers. His Sully’s Steamers restaurant was open just two months before part of it was closed by order of the governor, who decided — and Dobbs doesn’t disagree — that dining rooms should be shuttered for health and safety. Scalability was one of the things about Sully’s Steamers that appealed to the entrepreneur. He knew he could scale up for robust times like football Saturdays and down for slower times — important flexibility in a town where the university’s student enrollment exceeds the local population. The shutdown of Clemson University and closed dining rooms were a double blow to downtown Clemson.

In a matter of days, shoulder-to-shoulder foot traffic became an occasional, lone pedestrian. The way Dobbs saw it, there was nothing else to do but keep selling his sandwiches on that first day of a dining room-less state, and every day since. “I took the menu out and went to a bunch of businesses on (U.S. Highway) 123 and College Avenue, everywhere they were open, and said hey,” Dobbs said. “I said hey and reminded them that we are open. You are always looking for differentiator in business, and if it’s as simple as we’re open and they’re not, then it keeps us ahead of the curve.” After a week without use of his dining room, Dobbs said he had managed to sell 60-80 sandwiches each day. “It’s all relative. No day has been great, but every day has been better than I would have expected under the circumstances,” he said. “Will it break even? I don’t know. but it will pay off down the road.”

ang@scbiznews.com

hen a hurricane threatens, the Greater Beaufort-Port Royal Convention and Visitors Bureau knows what to do. COVID-19 presents a different challenge. “With a storm, you know it’s coming, and you pray that it turns,” said Robb Wells, president and CEO of the convention and visitors bureau, “This is different in the sense that there’s no map for me to look at it to see how it’s making its way over. There’s a lot more unknown.” Despite the new obstacles, Wells said the bureau now needs to shift focus from generating an outbound message that emphasizes tourism to an inbound message that concentrates on the local community. “We focus on drawing visitors to Wells our region, but we actually are a public service for locals because our neighbors make up the business community,” Wells said. Wells said many businesses are asking when the pandemic will be over, how they can recover when it passes and what resources are available to assist with paying bills and covering losses. Once the pandemic passes and businesses open their doors again, it will be the job of the visitors bureau to drive markets back in and jump-start the economy, Wells said. “This is a chance to celebrate how resilient small businesses are and how resilient Beaufort-Port Royal is.”

COPING WITH COVID

April 6 - April 19, 2020

www.gsabusiness.com 15

HPLP’S HELPFUL TIPS TO THE COVID-19 VIRUS

Is COVID-19 considered a Workers’ Compensation issue if one of my employees contracts the disease?

Our workers’ compensation act does not provide benefits for contagious diseases. Therefore, most claims would not be compensable under the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act. However, medical providers may have a claim for benefits for an occupational disease claim. These claims are very fact specific and would be decided on a case by case basis. To prevail on an occupational disease claim, an injured worker must show that he/she suffers from a disease that (1) the worker was exposed to in the course and scope of his/her employment; (2) that exposure is a result of hazards in excess of those incident to the employment and (3) is specific or peculiar to the workers’ job. However, this type of claim specifically excludes exposures that occur outside of South Carolina, occur due to exposure to outside climatic conditions, and contagious diseases that are spread between co-workers. In occupational disease cases, our courts will look to determine how closely related the exposure to COVID-19 is compared to the employee’s workplace and duties. Also, the courts are going to have to address whether a workplace exposure is peculiar to the type of job and workplace environment. Using healthcare workers as an example, a receptionist may have a less convincing case than an intensive care nurse or ER physician. As you can see, you can make arguments either way for this type of claim. Ultimately, the answer to this question will be determined on a case-by-case basis after an extremely fact intensive analysis of the medical records and work environment but also the personal life of someone who seeks to recover workers’ compensation benefits for COVID-19 exposure. Some states have already tried to direct their legislatures to draft new legislation to cover COVID-19 under the state workers’ compensation laws. Thus far, South Carolina has not taken any legislative action.

If an employee thinks he or she might have early symptoms of COVID-19 or even tests positive, what are my obligations as an employer?

I recommend following the CDC guidance on this issue. In doing so, you must make sure that you maintain the integrity and privacy of your workers and workplace. The CDC recommends that someone with symptoms should avoid the workplace. Additionally, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has indicated that asking workers who show symptoms to leave is permissible. The CDC also recommends sending home co-workers for 14 days if they were in close contact with someone who has COVID-19.

What can I do now to honor my worker’s rights but also defend a possible compensation claim resulting from an employee’s claim for benefits from COVID-19?

From a defense perspective, we always encourage employers to investigate the claim. We recommend taking witness statements, conducting a site or workplace visit, and monitoring surveillance footage. Make sure that you do those tasks as quickly and as detailed as possible. Whether the claim is denied or admitted, we encourage employers to gather personnel file materials, job descriptions, wages, and other documents since those are very important in assessing exposure. Given that a case involving COVID-19 is fact dependent, the more thorough the investigation the better. A key factor in whether a COVID-19 exposure will be a compensable work-related injury will depend on whether the employee can prove causation. In other words, the employee

must show that he/she was exposed to and contracted COVID-19 at work. Employees now may have an easier time establishing causation since people aren’t going places outside of work. Another important factor that courts will consider is how employers respond to an employee who tests positive. Employers will want to ensure that they follow CDC and other guidance to protect their employees and maintain the integrity of the work environment. In the case of a workers’ compensation claim for COVID-19, an employer who takes precautions and follows appropriate guidance after an exposure will look more favorable to our Workers’ Compensation Commissioners than employers who do not. Unless it’s a healthcare worker, the best alternative for employees is to pursue care under their own private health insurance. Based upon our workers’ compensation laws, most employees will not have a claim for COVID-19 exposure. In those cases, employers want to avoid starting temporary compensation benefits. The employee may be entitled to unemployment benefits, not workers’ compensation benefits.

What should I do after a claim has been submitted to make sure I am in compliance and can answer any legal questions during and after?

The most important thing to do is initial reporting, especially for employers who are self-insured. Generally, the first task to complete is filling out an initial report of injury, often referred to as a Form 12A. This is an important form for not only your files but also anyone else involved in the claim because it has a lot of useful information. Once you’re dealing with an active claim, the most important step is to monitor the worker’s medical treatment, specifically his/her work restrictions. If you’ve got an employee who has restrictions, I would make certain that employee is staying within those restrictions. We often see injured workers suffer re-injuries or new injuries when they come back to work and do too much too fast. In the case of COVID-19, the biggest concern is someone coming back to soon and spreading the virus to other employees. For cases related to COVID-19, you want to make sure that symptomatic employees remain out of work until they recover fully. Lastly, stay in touch with your insurance carrier and defense attorney. Sometimes the best information we get is from supervisors and co-workers, but we often don’t get enough interaction with those folks. We really value an employer’s input in developing and executing our defense strategy. I’ve had several cases where the employer’s input helped us resolve an issue or even the entire claim.

What medical treatment or benefits are employers required to provide under the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act claim?

Depending on the nature of the injury, an employer generally must provide a combination of temporary compensation benefits, medical treatment, and permanent disability benefits. Not every claim requires temporary compensation benefits. The purpose of temporary compensation benefits is to provide wages to an employee who is unable to work due to a work-related injury. We focus on day seven and day fourteen. Temporary compensation benefits are triggered when an employee misses seven days of work. The seven days do not have to be consecutive. Once you hit seven days, you need to start paying temporary compensation benefits. After you reach the fourteenth day, you’re responsible for the initial seven-day waiting period. Medical benefits, especially in the context of COVID-19, might be the most important aspect or benefit involved in a workers’ compensation claim. Medical treatment moves a claim forward, and it is often a great indicator of the overall value of a claim. The law requires that an employer provide medical care that will tend to lessen the period of disability. In terms of COVID-19, the nature, extent, and duration of medical

treatment is unknown. However, treatment for COVID-19 might include costly treatment, including specialty physicians, extensive therapies and monitoring, and designer medications. Treatment for COVID-19 might also take longer than other comparable diseases, which is going to add more costs to the medical care. Permanent disability is usually the last benefit that we consider because it is paid out at the end of a claim. This benefit is meant to compensate an injured worker for the work-related accident and the lasting impairment resulting from that accident. Our state allows for several different types of permanent disability for losses to a single body part, the whole person, loss of earning capacity, and others. In the case of COVID-19, the most likely permanent impairment would be damage to the lungs or another organ and a claim that involves a fatality. Each body part, including internal organs, is worth a set number of weeks of benefits. A fatality claim is worth up to 500 weeks of benefits.

If an employee already has a workers’ compensation injury unrelated to COVID-19, how will contracting COVID-19 impact the employee’s treatment, recovery and return to work?

I think the biggest impact is time. For someone who is already treating for a work-related injury, that employee is going to encounter a lot of delays. This probably includes delays in getting treatment and returning to work. From an employer perspective, you always want to return someone to work as soon as possible after a work-related accident. However, you don’t want to introduce someone into your work environment who is suffering from COVID-19. Therefore, a worker with COVID-19 will likely be held out of work for a longer period even if they might be ready to come back from their work-related accident. In those cases, you’ll have to extend temporary compensation benefits while that worker remains out of work. From a medical care perspective, I think the biggest impact for a worker with an ongoing claim relates his or her access to care. We’ve already seen a lot of providers stop seeing non-emergent patients, which includes outpatient surgeries, follow-up visits, physical therapy sessions, which is the bulk of the medical care involved in a workers’ compensation claim. For someone who also suffers from COVID-19, I would expect that several, if not all providers, would ask that individual to avoid contact and interaction with others. This probably would include going to medical visits for workers’ compensation claims. Ultimately, a COVID-19 infection will likely prohibit a worker from progressing as quickly. Overall, COVID-19 has already had a big impact on all our environments and the workers’ compensation world is no different. We’ve had to change our approach to claims in the last few weeks with this issue. Our firm has tried to find ways to be creative and stay head of the issues as they come up, and I feel like that approach has really helped us address the everchanging nature of this crisis.

David Padgett, Shareholder HOLDER PADGETT LITTLEJOHN + PRICKETT, LLC www.hplplaw.com

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April 6 - April 19, 2020

VESPER, from Page 12

print, they attach it to their machines and start spitting out these splitters.” Tarek Shazly, an associate professor in the College of Engineering and Computing, consulted on biomechanics and biomaterial aspects of the project. He offered use of his lab to test printed devices, though he said that hasn’t taken place yet. “Right now, I think the goal is just to get something out there and basically test it on the fly. It’s a bit of an unusual progression. Most projects progress a lot more gradually and slowly, but this one was obviously rushed,” Shazly said. “The people that have initiated this effort, they’re coming from the right place. They have good intentions. They’re not trying to make money or anything like that. They’re really just trying to help the situation. It’s been refreshing to be even just peripherally involved in something like that.” The consulting and design process has been complicated by the closure of USC’s campus because of the new coronavirus, though Hossein Haj-Hariri said professors and technicians — not students — do have access to labs for COVID-19-related research. He said ongoing VESper efforts are being led by the college’s chair of mechanical engineering, Jamil Khan. “The improvements to the idea and just expanding it beyond the original idea of face shields and other things — those are all activities that we’re doing,” said

www.gsabusiness.com 21

Haj-Hariri, adding that university partners such as GE and Johnson & Johnson are coming on board to speed up the manufacturing process. “This is what we all want to do,” Haj-Hariri said. “We want to solve problems and help society. As engineers, we actually do a terrible job of telling people what we do. Every time there is a

“This is really what engineering is about — finding ways to solve problems.” Hossein Haj-Hariri dean, USC College of Engineering and Computing

development, some life is saved or a new cancer treatment (discovered), you see a doctor standing in front of some amazing machines with the patient. Well, the machines were developed by engineers, and this is one time that somehow, without our own doing, we are getting some credit for what we are doing. This is really what engineering is about — finding ways to solve problems.”

State of emergency enacts gouging law Staff Report

gsanews@scbiznews.com

.C. Gov. Henry McMaster’s declaration of a state of emergency put South Carolina’s law against price gouging into effect. The governor’s March 13 declaration of a state of emergency in response to the novel coronavirus would have also activated the law, according to a news release from the state attorney general’s office. The law says it is illegal to “rent or sell or offer to rent or sell a commodity at an unconscionable price” while emphasizing: “A price increase that reflects the usual and customary seasonal fluctuation in the price of the subject essential commodity or the rental or lease of a dwelling unit or self-storage facility is not a violation of this section.” “We can expect normal price increases, but we may see businesses and individuals looking to unfairly take advantage of the situation through price gouging of things like hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, and other commodities as defined by the statute,” S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson said in the release. “By our law, that’s a criminal violation and an unfair trade practice. “We wish to emphasize, as we have seen in the past, that price gouging under the current law is difficult to prove, even substantial price increases. What might seem large to the public may not be illegal in court.” Those who suspect price gouging are encouraged to note the name of the business involved along with the time, place, address and price paid. Note any prices nearby and take pictures, and email the documentation, along with contact information, to pricegouging@scag.gov, or call 803-737-3953. Convicted violators of the law face fines of up to $1,000, up to 30 days in jail, or both.

www.gsabusiness.com

April 6 - April 19, 2020

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN!

Honor the best and brightest young professionals in the Upstate! We are now accepting nominations for people who have excelled in the professional arena and in community involvement to be considered for the inaugural GSA Forty Under 40 Class of 2020. Nominees must be under the age of 40 as of May 1, 2020.

Nominations close on May 29, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. Complete the online nomination form today: bit.ly/GSA40noms Join us for the networking event of the year as we salute the Forty Under 40 Class of 2020.

5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m

Thursday, August 6

Commerce Club Greenville

Presented by:

For sponsorship information, call Rick Jenkins at (846) 720-1224.

#40GSA

In Focus

LAW

NEXT ISSUE’S FOCUS:

Information Technology

LISTS: Law Firms, Page 24

Law firms prepare as courts go remote By Molly Hulsey

mhulsey@scbiznews.com

anceled court hearings in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis present some hurdles for Campbell Teague, but the litigation and corporate law firm has been prepared to do at least some work from home since the beginning of the global pandemic. “We were built remote from day one,” George Campbell, co-founder of the Greenville firm, said. “If the product doesn’t work on a mobile phone, we don’t use it. Worst-case scenario, as long as I have my iPhone, I can run the law practice. Typing a 30-page brief would really be tough, but we would get there in the end. So, everything we do is built around the idea of remote work.” As a number of offices adjust to using Zoom for morning staff meetings and conference calls, Campbell Teague was already using the video conferencing software to connect with clients and co-workers, along with Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, GotoMeeting, UberConference and Slack. Technology law specialist Jordan Teague wields her programming expertise to create internal workflow and automation tools for the firm with help from Campbell, who also has experience in software development. “When certain things are triggering, events happen, which triggers a prompt for the next person in the assembly line,” Campbell said, explaining the ebb and flow of the

Campbell Teague sees potential in using Zoom-based program vTestify to record depositions via video, which are then transcribed using AI. (Photo/Provided)

program pathways he created with Teague. “We take a project management approach to the law practice, which is iterative – we’re trying to get better at it as we go.” He sees that automation tools employed by the firm help streamline collaboration between its team and its clients as they work on a case but recognizes that the court system and profession as a whole tends to favor print and in-person contact over automation. Campbell argues that fewer technological tools exist in the courtroom, as many tech entrepreneurs don’t want to take a risk on a market limited to only 50 court systems in the country. “Just because of the nature of the profession, the legal profession is

far behind every other profession on technology,” Campbell said. “That’s something that our law firm has been fighting very hard to drive forward, and I think that you will see it’s very hard for the legal industry to catch up. Most state court systems don’t even know what they don’t know about the available technology.” A 2016 study by the McKinsey Global Institute reveals that while 69% of paralegal and legal assistance responsibilities could become automated, only 23% of an attorney’s career could be performed by a machine. Judges, court reporters and mediators are even less likely to go automated, with a respective artificial intelligence potential of 21%, 16% and 11%.

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As a number of courts across the country transition to remote teleconferencing technologies to promote social distancing for non-emergency cases, attorneys see both benefits and shortcomings in trading some proceedings in a brick-and-mortar courtroom for a livestream. While all 50 U.S. state supreme courts and many state courts permit the filming of certain proceedings, video cameras are often banned from federal circuit and district court trials, according to a 2019 Congressional Report. The U.S. Supreme Court prohibits all filming. Emily O’Brian, another attorney at Campbell and Teague, said the See COURTS, Page 27

www.gsabusiness.com

April 6 - April 19, 2020

Law Firms

Ranked by No. of Attorneys in the Upstate No. of Attorneys / Employees Practice Area(s)

Company

Phone / Website / Email

Managing Partner(s) / Year Founded

Gallivan White Boyd 55 Beattie Place, Suite 1200 Greenville, SC 29601

864-271-5369 www.gwblawfirm.com cpatterson@gwblawfirm.com

C. William McGee, David Rheney 1948

63 150

Appellate, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business, civil, commercial, construction, consumer, corporate, economic development, employee benefits, employment and labor, environmental, estate planning and probate, government relations, health care, intellectual property, litigation, personal injury, real estate, torts, transportation, workers' compensation

Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd P.A. 1 N. Main St., 2nd Floor Greenville, SC 29601

864-240-3200 www.hsblawfirm.com info@hsblawfirm.com

Boyd B. "Nick" Nicholson Jr. 1887

47 88

Administrative, antitrust, appellate, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business, civil, commercial, construction, corporate, economic development, employee benefits, employment and labor, environmental, estate planning and probate, government relations, health care, immigration, intellectual property, international, litigation, maritime and admiralty, mergers and acquisitions, personal injury, public finance, real estate, securities, tax, telecom and technology, torts, transportation, brewery and distillery, utilities

Dority & Manning P.A. 75 Beattie Place, Suite 1100 Greenville, SC 29601

864-271-1592 www.dority-manning.com info@dority-manning.com

Stephen E. Bondura 1984

45 95

Intellectual property

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP 104 S. Main St., Suite 900 Greenville, SC 29601

864-373-2300 www.nelsonmullins.com info@nelsonmullins.com

Timothy E. Madden 1987

44 80

Administrative, antitrust, appellate, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business, civil, commercial, construction, consumer, corporate, economic development, employee benefits, employment and labor, environmental, estate planning and probate, family, government relations, health care, immigration, intellectual property, international, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, securities, tax, telecom and technology, torts, transportation, workers' compensation, pharmaceutical and medical device, premises and product liability, class action defense, automotive and truck products

Ogletree Deakins 300 North Main St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-271-1300 www.ogletree.com -

Phillip A. Kilgore 1977

42 281

Appellate, business, construction, employee benefits, employment and labor, environmental, government relations, health care, immigration, international, litigation, tax, workers' compensation, data privacy, disability access, affirmative action and OFCCP compliance, wage and hour

Fox Rothschild LLP 2 W. Washington St., Suite 1100 Greenville, SC 29601

864-751-7668 www.foxrothschild.com/ international-trade -

Mark Morris, Frank Williams 1907

30 60

Wyche P.A. 200 E. Camperdown Way Greenville, SC 29601

864-242-8200 www.wyche.com wyche@wyche.com

Tally P. Casey 1921

28 50

Willson Jones Carter & Baxley P.A. 872 S. Pleasantburg Drive Greenville, SC 29607

864-272-2667 www.wjcblaw.com kmsmith@wjlaw.net

Harold J. Willson Jr. 2002

26 67

Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP 550 S. Main St., Suite 400 Greenville, SC 29601

864-255-5400 www.womblebonddickinson.com -

Jamile J. Francis III, Kevin A. Hall, James D. Myrick 1999

23 49

Nexsen Pruet LLC 55 E. Camperdown Way, Suite 400 Greenville, SC 29601

864-370-2211 www.nexsenpruet.com -

Jennifer Cluverius 1945

21 43

McAngus Goudelock & Courie LLC 55 E. Camperdown Way, Suite 300 Greenville, SC 29601

864-239-4000 www.mgclaw.com info@mgclaw.com

James R. Courie 1995

20 50

Appellate, business, construction, employment and labor, litigation, real estate, torts, workers' compensation

Administrative, antitrust, appellate, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business, civil, commercial, construction, consumer, corporate, criminal, economic development, employee benefits, employment and labor, environmental, estate planning and probate, family, government relations, health care, immigration, intellectual property, international, litigation, maritime and admiralty, mergers and acquisitions, personal injury, public finance, real estate, securities, tax, telecom and technology, torts, transportation, workers' compensation Antitrust, appellate, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business, civil, commercial, construction, corporate, criminal, economic development, employee benefits, employment and labor, environmental, estate planning and probate, family, government relations, health care, intellectual property, international, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, personal injury, real estate, securities, tax, telecom and technology, torts, transportation, workers' compensation, alternative dispute resolution, class action litigation, education, entrepreneur services, first amendment, insurance coverage, product liability Litigation, workers' compensation Antitrust, appellate, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business, commercial, construction, consumer, corporate, criminal, economic development, employee benefits, employment and labor, environmental, estate planning and probate, government relations, health care, immigration, intellectual property, international, litigation, maritime and admiralty, mergers and acquisitions, public finance, real estate, securities, tax, telecom and technology, torts, transportation, workers' compensation, cybersecurity Administrative, antitrust, appellate, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business, civil, commercial, construction, corporate, criminal, economic development, employee benefits, employment and labor, environmental, estate planning and probate, government relations, health care, immigration, intellectual property, international, litigation, maritime and admiralty, mergers and acquisitions, public finance, real estate, securities, tax, telecom and technology, torts, transportation, workers' compensation, white-collar criminal defense

Jackson Lewis P.C. 15 S. Main St., Suite 700 Greenville, SC 29601

864-232-7000 www.jacksonlewis.com -

Stephanie E. Lewis 1958

17 26

Employee benefits, employment and labor, government relations, health care, immigration, workers' compensation, affirmative action compliance, OFCCP defense, alternative dispute resolution, background checks, class actions and complex litigation, collegiate and professional sports, corporate diversity counseling, corporate governance and internal investigations, disability, leave and health management, drug testing and substance abuse management, e-discovery, government relations, international employment issues, management and employee training, noncompetes and protection against unfair competition, privacy, e-communication and data security, public sector representation, reductions in force, WARN Act, wage and hour; white collar and government enforcement; workplace safety and health

Roe Cassidy Coates & Price P.A. 1052 N. Church St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-349-2600 www.roecassidy.com dhuff@roecassidy.com

Amber Glidewell 2002

12 25

Appellate, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business, civil, commercial, construction, corporate, employment and labor, environmental, estate planning and probate, health care, intellectual property, litigation, personal injury, real estate, torts, workers' compensation

Holcombe Bomar P.A. 101 W. St. John St., Suite 200 Spartanburg, SC 29306

864-594-5300 www.holcombebomar.com -

Mac White, Perry Boulier, Kip Darwin 1946

11 19

Appellate, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business, civil, commercial, construction, corporate, employment and labor, health care, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, torts

Johnson Smith Hibbard & Wildman Law Firm LLP 220 N. Church St. Spartanburg, SC 29306

864-582-8121 www.jshwlaw.com -

Don Wildman, Steve Querin 1955

11 22

Administrative, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business, civil, commercial, construction, corporate, economic development, estate planning and probate, government relations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, personal injury, real estate, torts, workers' compensation

Harrison White P.C. 178 W. Main St. Spartanburg, SC 29306

864-585-5100 www.spartanlaw.com jwhite@spartanlaw.com

John B. White Jr. 2000

10 41

Business, civil, criminal, family, litigation, personal injury, torts, workers' compensation

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP 110 E. Court St., Suite 200 Greenville, SC 29601

864-577-6370 www.parkerpoe.com -

Richard L. Few Jr. 2016

10 17

Appellate, banking and finance, bankruptcy, economic development, estate planning and probate, government relations, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, public finance, securities, tax

Bannister, Wyatt & Stalvey LLC 401 Pettigru St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-298-0084 www.bannisterandwyatt.com info@bannisterwyatt.com

James W. Bannister, Bruce W. Bannister, Alex R. Stalvey 1976

9 21

Civil, criminal, family, litigation, personal injury, real estate

Turner Padget Graham & Laney P.A. 200 E. Broad St., Suite 250 Greenville, SC 29601

864-552-4600 www.turnerpadget.com tmani@turnerpadget.com

Harriet P. Wallace 1929

9 16

Administrative, antitrust, appellate, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business, civil, commercial, construction, consumer, corporate, criminal, economic development, employee benefits, employment and labor, estate planning and probate, health care, immigration, international, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, personal injury, public finance, real estate, securities, tax, telecom and technology, transportation, workers' compensation

Merline & Meacham P.A. 812 E. North St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-242-4080 www.merlineandmeacham.com -

David A. Merline Jr. 1970

8 14

Business, corporate, employee benefits, estate planning and probate, mergers and acquisitions, tax

Elmore Goldsmith P.A. 55 Beattie Place, Suite 1050 Greenville, SC 29601

864-255-9500 www.elmoregoldsmith.com info@elmoregoldsmith.com

Mason A. Goldsmith Jr., L. Franklin Elmore 2003

6 12

Construction, Project counsel services, contract negotiations and risk management, complex litigation, fidelity & surety, public procurement, neutral services

Clawson & Staubes LLC 1000 E. North St., Suite 200 Greenville, SC 29601

864-331-8940 www.clawsonandstaubes.com info@clawsonandstaubes.com

Matthew J. Story 2012

5 14

Civil, commercial, criminal, family, litigation, personal injury

Jones Law Firm P.A, 415 N. Main St. Anderson, SC 29621

864-224-3474 www.jonesfirm.com -

Edward A. Spitz 1972

5 12

Business, civil, commercial, corporate, employee benefits, estate planning and probate, family, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, personal injury, real estate, tax, torts

LawyerLisa LLC 100 Williams St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-990-0347 www.lawyerlisa.com info@lawyerlisa.com

Lisa Hostetler Brown 2014

4 12

Business, estate planning and probate, real estate

Because of space constraints, sometimes only the top-ranked companies are published in the print edition. View the full list online at www.scbiznews.com/ buy-business-lists. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, errors sometimes occur. Email additions or corrections to lists@scbiznews.com.

Researched by GSA Business Report staff

April 6 - April 19, 2020

www.gsabusiness.com 25

Law Firms

Ranked by No. of Attorneys in the Upstate No. of Attorneys / Employees Practice Area(s)

Company

Phone / Website / Email

Managing Partner(s) / Year Founded

LawyerLisa LLC 100 Williams St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-990-0347 www.lawyerlisa.com info@lawyerlisa.com

Lisa Hostetler Brown 2014

4 12

Business, estate planning and probate, real estate

The Stevens Firm P.A. - Family Law Center 349 E. Main St., Suite 200 Spartanburg, SC 29302

864-598-9172 www.SCFamilyLaw.com jenny@scfamilylaw.com

J. Benjamin Stevens, Jenny R. Stevens 1996

4 10

Estate planning and probate, family

Wilkes Law Firm P.A. 127 Dunbar St., Suite 200 Spartanburg, SC 29306

864-591-1113 www.wilkeslaw.com -

Michael B. T. Wilkes 2003

4 7

Business, construction, litigation, aviation law, insurance defense

A Business Law Firm LLC 1989 South Pine St. Spartanburg, SC 29302

864-699-9801 www.abizlaw.com info@abizlaw.com

Thomas A. Belenchia, Chelsea R. Rikard 1994

3 4

Business, commercial, corporate, economic development, estate planning and probate, intellectual property, international, litigation, mergers and acquisitions

Christian & Christian LLC 1007 E. Washington St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-232-7363 www.cclawfirm.com jchristian@cclawfirm.com

Joshua D. Christian, Matthew W. Christian, Warren Harold Christian Jr. 1975

3 12

Civil, litigation, personal injury, torts, workers' compensation, products liability, nursing home abuse

Gainey & Gainey LLP 408 E. Butler Road, Suite A Mauldin, SC 29662

864-288-8154 www.gaineylaw.com jasonmgainey@gaineylaw.com

Jason M. Gainey 1983

3 3

Business, estate planning and probate, real estate

Howard Howard Francis & Reid LLP 111 Pettigru St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-242-3522 www.hhfr.com cehoward@hhfr.com; hunter@hhfr.com

Charles E. Howard, Joseph G. Francis Jr. 1965

3 8

Business, civil, family, litigation, personal injury, real estate, torts, workers' compensation

Hyde Law Firm P.A. 360 E. Main Street Spartanburg, SC 29302

864-804-6330 Max T. Hyde Jr. www.maxhydelawfirm.com administration@maxhydelawfirm.com 2010

3 7

Business, civil, estate planning and probate, family, litigation, personal injury, real estate, Eminent domain/condemnation,

Thrive IP 220 N. Main St., Suite 500 Greenville, SC 29601

864-516-7529 www.thrive-ip.com info@thrive-ip.com

Ben Klosowski Jr. 2005

3 7

Intellectual property

Cain & Williams Ltd. Co. 306 Bypass 123, Suite A Seneca, SC 29678

864-784-2270 www.foothillslaw.com officemanager@foothillslaw.com

Paul A. Cain, Nathan R. Williams 2015

2 3

Business, civil, commercial, construction, corporate, estate planning and probate, litigation, personal injury, torts, workers' compensation

Cox Ferguson & Wham LLC 107 E. Laurens St. Laurens, SC 29360

864-984-2126 amwham@backroads.net

Allen M. Wham 1985

2 6

Banking and finance, business, commercial, corporate, economic development, estate planning and probate, government relations, real estate, mortgage foreclosure, municipal, utility providers

Crane Law Firm 101 Whitsett St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-235-2900 www.cranelawfirmsc.com lcrane@cranelawfirmsc.com

Lawrence W. Crane 1989

2 3

Criminal, juvenile, traffic

Davis Law Group 143 Ware St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-999-2019 www.davis.law will@davis.law

Ric Davis, Will Davis 2019

2 6

Administrative, civil, consumer, family, litigation, personal injury, Social Security, torts, workers' compensation

Eppes & Plumblee P.A. 1225 S. Church St. Greenville, SC 29605

864-235-2600 www.eppesandplumblee.com feppes@eppesandplumblee.com

L. Lee Plumblee 1997

2 6

Business, civil, commercial, construction, criminal, litigation, personal injury, torts, business dissolution, mediation, white collar criminal defense, securities fraud litigation, products liability and toxic tort litigation

Hodge & Langley Law Firm P.C. 229 Magnolia St. Spartanburg, SC 29306

864-585-3873 www.hodgelawfirm.com tpack@hodgelawfirm.com

Charles J. Hodge 1981

2 10

Business, civil, employment and labor, litigation, personal injury, Social Security, torts, workers' compensation, medical malpractice

J. Bennett Mullinax LLC 3447 Pelham Road, Suite 206 Greenville, SC 29615

864-987-9696 www.mullinaxpatent.com info@mullinaxpatent.com

J. Bennett Mullinax 2003

2 3

Intellectual property

Law Office of Rhett Burney PC 312 S. Main St. Simpsonville, SC 29681

864-228-1616 www.rhettburney.com rhett@rhettburney.com

Rhett Burney 2018

2 5

Corporate, estate planning and probate, family, personal injury

McDonnell and Associates P.A. 330 E. Coffee St., Suite 5022 Greenville, SC 29601

866-931-8793 www.mcdonnelllawfirm.com info@mcdonnelllawfirm.com

Edward G. McDonnell 2003

2 2

Business, civil, commercial, consumer, corporate, criminal, estate planning and probate, family, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, tax, torts,

Pope Flynn LLC 350 E. St. John St. Spartanburg, SC 29302

803-354-4917 www.popeflynn.com gpope@popeflynn.com

Joe Lucas 2008

2 3

Construction, public finance, governmental

Richey and Richey P.A. 33 Market Point Drive Greenville, SC 29607

864-467-0503 www.richeyandrichey.com lawfirm@richeyandrichey.com

Rodney W. Richey 1998

2 2

Civil, criminal, personal injury, workers' compensation

Rogers Townsend LLC 401 N. Main St., Suite 100 Greenville, SC 29601

864-751-9980 www.rogerstownsend.com tina.emerson@rogerstownsend.com

J. Geoffrey Osborn Jr. 2011

2 4

Appellate, banking and finance, bankruptcy, business, civil, commercial, construction, corporate, economic development, environmental, health care, litigation, real estate, telecom and technology, torts, transportation

Upstate Elder Law P.A. 133 Woodruff Place Circle Simpsonville, SC 29681

864-288-7631 www.upstateelderlaw.com info@upstateelderlaw.com

Chadwicke L. Groover 1986

2 6

Estate planning and probate, Elder law, estate administration, guardianships and conservatorships, special needs trusts and disability planning, Medicaid planning and qualification

Allen C. Ladd P.C. 14 Whitsett St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-991-1580 www.visas2america.net attorney@visas2america.net

Allen C. Ladd 2004

1 4

Immigration

The Bateman Law Firm LLC 508 Rhett St., Suite 201 Greenville, SC 29601

864-406-6036 www.duigreenville.com info@thebatemanfirm.com

John C. Bateman 2013

1 3

Criminal, DUI

The Boggs Law Firm LLC 102 W. Stone Ave. Greenville, SC 29609

864-233-8066 www.boggslawfirm.com cgb@boggslawfirm.com

Cameron G. ("Bozzie") Boggs 1999

1 3

Civil, criminal, litigation, personal injury, torts

Researched by GSA Business Report staff

www.gsabusiness.com

April 6 - April 19, 2020

Law Firms

Ranked by No. of Attorneys in the Upstate No. of Attorneys / Employees Practice Area(s)

Company

Phone / Website / Email

Managing Partner(s) / Year Founded

C. Lewis Rasor Jr. 217 E. Park Ave. Greenville, SC 29601

864-907-3279 rasor@bellsouth.net

Charles Lewis Rasor Jr. 1987

1 1

Estate planning and probate, family

Christine M. Howard 202 W. Stone Ave. Greenville, SC 29609

864-282-8575 www.christinehoward.com -

Christine M. Howard 1997

1 1

Family

David Thomas Personal Injury Firm 23 Wade Hampton Blvd. Greenville, SC 29609

864-271-1707 www.davidthomaslawfirm.com injured@davidthomaslawfirm.com

David L. Thomas 1989

1 4

Personal injury, car crashes, collapsed ceilings, dog bites, motorcycle crashes, bus crashes, transfer truck crashes, airplane crashes and collapsed floor

Greene Law Firm P.A. 11 McGee St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-271-7940 www.greenelaw.legal david@davidgreeneattorney.com

David B. Greene 1992

1 4

Estate planning and probate, tax

James D. Calmes III 512 E. North St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-233-6224 jcalmes@calmeslawfirm.com

James D. Calmes III 1976

1 1

Appellate, civil, commercial, construction, criminal, estate planning and probate, family, personal injury, real estate, torts, traffic law

King Law Firm P.C. 2203 N. Main St. Anderson, SC 29621

864-225-9155 www.jimmykinglawfirm.com jrk_klf@bellsouth.net

Jimmy R. King 1977

1 3

Civil, government relations, personal injury, workers' compensation

The Law Office of Kenneth Gibson 220 North Main St., Suite 500 Greenville, SC 29601

864-241-6699 www.kennethgibsonlaw.com ken@kennethgibsonlaw.com

Kenneth C. Gibson 2002

1 1

Business, civil, consumer, criminal, employment and labor, litigation, torts

McQueen Law Firm 175 Alabama St. Spartanburg, SC 29302

864-585-5021 www.mcqueenlawfirm.com artm@mcqueenlawfirm.com

Arthur H. McQueen Jr. 1985

1 3

Corporate, estate planning and probate, litigation

Moore Stoddard Stoddard & Wood 207 Magnolia St., Suite 101 Spartanburg, SC 29306

864-582-5622 www.stoddardlawfirm.com wstoddard@bellsouth.net

Wesley A. Stoddard 1947

1 2

Business, civil, corporate, estate planning and probate, family, personal injury, real estate, Social Security, auto accidents,wills, deeds, powers of attorneys

Nathalie M. Morgan LLC 201 W. Stone Ave. Greenville, SC 29609

864-242-6655 www.nathaliemorgan.com info@nathaliemorgan.com

Nathalie M. Morgan 2006

1 6

Criminal, family, immigration

Patrick E. Knie P.A. 250 Magnolia St. Spartanburg, SC 29304

864-582-5118 www.patrickknie.com pknie@knielaw.com

Patrick E. Knie 1996

1 4

Civil, consumer, litigation, personal injury, Social Security, torts, workers' compensation, class actions, faulty products

Schumacher Law LLC 420 E. Park Ave., Suite 303 Greenville, SC 29601

864-404-2800 www.greenvillesc.lawyer -

J. Kurt Schumacher Jr. 2008

1 1

Estate planning and probate

Steve Sumner Attorneys at Law 112 Manly St. Greenville, SC 29601

864-235-3834 www.upstatedui.com jessica@stevesumnerlaw.com

Steve Sumner 1992

1 3

Criminal, DUI defense

Researched by GSA Business Report staff

FAST. UNFILTERED. FRESH. GSABizWire.com

Dedicated to serving up business announcements fast & unfiltered.

Get your message in front of the top decision-makers in the Upstate as they stay up-to-date on the people and businesses making moves in the Upstate. For advertising information, contact Rick Jenkins at (864) 720-1224 or rjenkins@scbiznews.com

April 6 - April 19, 2020

COURTS, from Page 23

pandemic has caused a bottleneck in the firm’s case schedule with the cancellations of all non-emergency hearings at some courts, pushing back dates that had been scheduled months in advance. While some courts are offering teleconferencing options to move forward, without court reporters, these cases will not go on record, which halts a number of cases that require a hand-typed report, she said. “It’s a good stopgap for right now,” but O’Brian said courts will be overloaded when they reopen. Scores of canceled court dates will need to be rescheduled, while e-filing platforms will be backlogged with both recent cases and those submitted amid the closure, she said. Greenville, Anderson and Spartanburg county courts use online submittal processes, but most magistrates’ courts rely on paper files, according to Campbell. Real estate law firms such as Greenville’s Guest & Brady have

In Focus

READ MORE ONLINE Families First Coronavirus Response Act leads to many questions Attorney Lucas Asper of Ogletree Deakins talks about what the new law means for business. Read about it a GSABusiness.com been offering “drive-by closings” in parking lots, as e-signatures are not binding for some closing documents. Campbell and O’Brian see the outbreak as an impetus for many firms to move forward with tech solutions that will serve them in the long game. “This is just going to force everybody to rip the Band-Aid and jump into the 21st century because holding on to all of these legacy processes and systems is just not going to be sustainable,” he said. Before the new coronavirus pandemic made Zoom a mainstay for many offices, Campbell Teague had been experimenting with a software that uses the platform for teleconferenced depositions. The program, called V-testify, originated from the Duke Incubation fund and uses artificial intelligence to transcribe the deposition, which will be signed by a flesh-and-blood reporter at a later date. Mediators may face little chance of being replaced by a computer, but O’Brian does see potential in livestreaming their third-party testimony before cases go to trial. While facial

www.gsabusiness.com 27

expressions and presence may be easier to perceive in person, unlike some attorneys, O’Brian doesn’t believe video-derived mediation limits the human connection or the testimony for those who are familiar with the technology. In fact, the platform could create consistency for collaborators working on a case from across the map, she said. Actual trials, where a client’s physical presence may make or break a case, may prove to be more difficult to livestream. Aside from emergency hearings, all in-house workers’ compensation proceedings in the state will be suspended until May, according to a March 21 statement from South Carolina’s Workers’ Compensation Commission. Commissioners can schedule hearings via Court Call, a remote appearance platform, and encourage remote mediation. Hearings on motions and other pleadings will be conducted over the telephone. “Our commission, along with lawyers, are working very hard to keep the process going,” said David Pearlman, a Charleston-based workers’ comp attorney. “It’s a challenge, because in some of these cases, you do require witnesses and hearings and a court reporter. You know, while we could do it in some instances by video, it’s hard to get a sense of someone without having them in your presence. In many instances, the strength of my cases relies on the client him or herself, and that’s going to be hard to get across by video.” Pearlman has represented a number of workers’ compensation cases over the years in which his client suffered from brain trauma and ensuing mental or physical impairment. In a case settled this January, Pearlman helped one of his clients obtain a $550,000 settlement for a cranial injury which did not appear on initial MRI scan assessments. Russell Guest, Guest & Brady’s injury case specialist, has not yet participated in a video-conference hearing. He foresees that while it may not be too difficult to manage, it would still require some face-to-face as clients may not have the technical capability to wire-in from home. He doesn’t expect that video conferencing would hamper the quality of the testimony in most cases but believes that it could affect litigation involving scarring, mental disabilities or brain trauma, which he imagines would have to rescheduled until the court could meet in person. “These commissioners do a lot of deciding a case by listening and trying to understand that particular claimant’s injury from their perspective,” he said. “And they have to make judgments, judgments based on credibility and other issues that are only best understood from face to face.” Reach Molly Hulsey at 864-720-1223.

Target your market in an upcoming issue of the GSA Business Report

APRIL 20

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY List: IT Firms Advertising Deadline: April 6 MAY 4

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

List: Commercial Real Estate Firms Advertising Deadline: April 20 MAY 18

MANUFACTURING & AEROSPACE List: Manufacturers Bonus List: SC Aerospace Companies Advertising Deadline: May 4 JUNE 1

ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION (AEC) List: Engineering Firms Advertising Deadline: May 18 JUNE 15

MIDYEAR ECONOMIC FORECAST List: Largest Employers Advertising Deadline: June 1

For advertising information, call Rick Jenkins at (864) 720-1224

At Work

BUSINESS DIGEST | PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

Business Digest

Milliken acquires chemicals company Spartanburg-based Milliken & Co. announced that it closed its acquisition of specialty chemical company Borchers Group Limited from The Jordan Co., a New York-based private equity firm. Terms of the transaction were not released. Based in Westlake, Ohio, Borchers Group makes high-performance coating additives and specialty catalyst solutions.

Professor named to Hall of Fame Inc., parent company of Greenville-based Hubbell Lighting and Columbia-based Hubbell Power Systems. With the donation, Make-A-Wish South Carolina said it will be able to grant approximately two and half additional wishes to children in the state battling critical illnesses.

Bright and Co. earns certification

Bright and Co. Marketing said it earned national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Greater Women’s Business Council, the Southeast regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. The certification was awarded following an in-depth review Jennifer Sutton of the business and site inspection to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women. Bright and Co. was founded by CEO Jennifer Sutton.

Sherman completes projects

Greenville-based Sherman Construction said it completed two multi-family projects, Waters at Gateway and The Preserve at Chatham Parkway, in Savannah. Waters at Gateway includes 12 buildings, plus the leasing office, pool and other amenities on approximately 18.5 acres. The Preserve at Chatham Parkway includes five buildings, plus the leasing office and clubhouse on approximately 8.5 acres.

Just Say Something announces grant

Just Say Something said it received a $2,500 grant from Dabo’s All in Team Foundation to continue to implement the Strengthening Families Program in Greer, in partnership with Greer Relief/ Victor United Methodist Church. The program helps families with children ages 6-11 develop positive discipline practices and improve parenting skills, childhood social skills, relationships, and school performance.

Paula Church, left, of Greenville County Animal Care, receives the donation from Vickie Tuck of EarthWise Pet Supply.

Pet store donates to Greenville program

Greenville pet store EarthWise Pet Supply presented $2,326 to Greenville County Animal Care to cover costs associated with heartworm treatment program for rescued dogs. The money was collected during EarthWise’s Paw Festival and was presented to Greenville County Animal Care, a no-kill shelter serving Greenville and Spartanburg Counties. Wish kid Cole with his family, Make-A-Wish representatives and Hubbell Foundation representatives.

Hubbell gives to Make-A-Wish

Make-A-Wish South Carolina said it received a gift from The Harvey Hubbell Foundation, the charitable arm of Hubbell

Integrated Power buys company

Greenville-based Integrated Power Services said it acquired Precision Electric Motor Works Inc., an industrial equipment repair company specializing in on-site and in-shop services for motors, pumps, fans and blowers.

offord associate professor of accounting Jenny Bem was named to the Impact America Hall of Fame for her work in taking tax assistance to people who need it. Since 2012, under the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program started Bem, Wofford College students have volunteered to provide free tax preparation assistance to low- to moderate-income individuals who are unable to prepare their own tax returns, according to a news release. For her work, Bem was named to the 2020 class by Impact America, which operates the IRS-sponsored program as part of its SaveFirst initiative. Wofford partnered with Impact America beginning in 2016, moving the volunteer program from the Wofford campus to the Spartanburg County Public Libraries headquarters downtown, the news release said. Bem was the honoree from the Carolinas market of Impact America for “creating lasting impact in our community” according to the news release. “I am incredibly honored, of course, but I’m so grateful for what Impact America has done to expand this program and reach a greater number of Spartanburg families,” Bem said in the release. “Everyone who knows me knows that I love taxes. So, this initiative is very near and dear to my heart. It is a privilege to work alongside others who are passionate about serving.” “The Vita program run by Professor Bem and her students embodies in important ways the kind of impactful, engaged learning that is a hallmark of a Wofford education,” Provost Mike Sosulski said in the release. “This project combines theory and practice, giving students the chance to put their knowledge immediately to work in a vital, real-world setting. This kind of mutually beneficial work lifts up those in need in our community and transforms the student experience. None of

Precision is also an authorized distributor for leading manufacturers of motors, controls, gearboxes, pumps and power transmission components. Terms of the acquisition were not released. Precision has established relationships with companies in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

it would be possible without Professor Bem’s vision and leadership, and she is most deserving of an honor like this.” Bem started the program at Wofford as “an excellent way for students to get real-world experience while also benefitting the community,” she said in the release. “I often hear from the students that while the technical experience is beneficial, the personal interactions with clients are the most impactful.” Wofford students are able to register for a one-credit-hour course to work with the program. They take a series of tests and commit to volunteering during the entire tax season. In addition to Wofford students, Impact America has a number of AmeriCorps volunteers who operate the program in Spartanburg. “Prior to our partnership with Impact America, I was the sole site coordinator,” Bem said in the release. “As a full-time faculty member with a busy family, I was only able to operate our program six hours a week, completing approximately 300 returns each tax season. Last year, Impact America completed over 1,000 tax returns and was open anywhere from 12 to 28 hours each week, depending on demand.”

Farmers Insurance add S.C. products

Farmers Insurance launched its first auto insurance product in South Carolina, delivered exclusively through Farmersdirect.com. The company said the move is part of a plan to expand its footprint east. South Carolina marks the eighth state where Farmers has expanded access to branded products since 2011.

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April 6 - April 19, 2020

www.gsabusiness.com 29

People in the News INSURANCE

Cockcroft

HUB Carolinas hired Elaine Cockcroft as a commercial account manager in Greenville. Most recently, Cockcroft was employed with Aon Risk Services Inc. in Greenville.

Mesa

JOURNALISM GSA Business Report has hired Molly Hulsey as a staff writer. She is a Greenville native and a graduate of Covenant College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Hulsey international studies with a concentration in French. She completed an internship in business advocacy and economic competitiveness with the Greenville Chamber of Commerce.

NONPROFITS

Stull

Greenville County.

REAL ESTATE

Coleman

Torres

Head

seven years. Deb Stull, former vice president of finance and administration for United Way of Brevard in Rockledge, Fla., has been named vice president of finance for United Way of

Coldwell Banker Caine hired Cyndi Coleman as a residential sales agent at its Greenville office. Coleman has three years of real estate experience.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Michelle Coleman joined the company’s Simpsonville office as a sales associate. Coleman Coleman was a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Services Division. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Laura Mesa joined the company’s Pel-

associate. Garris previously worked as a pharmaceutical representative.

ham Road office as a sales associate. Mesa is a graduate of Stony Brook University of New York.

Garris

Coldwell Banker Caine hired Drew Torres as a residential sales agent at its Greenville office. He joins Coldwell Banker Caine from another Upstate firm. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Zara Head joined the company’s Woodruff at Five Forks office as a sales associate. She has worked in the real estate industry for

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Michelle Lamielle joined the company’s Simpsonville office as a sales associate. Lamielle Lamielle earned a degree in business administration from the University of South Carolina Upstate.

Aronson

Hughey

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Kimberly Aronson joined the company’s Greer office as a sales associate. Aronson previously worked as an occupational therapist. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Courtney Hughey joined the company’s Easley office as a sales associate.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Dana Garris joined the company’s Woodruff at Five Forks office as a sales

Anne Marie Realty hired Tanisha Owens as a residential sales agent at its Mauldin office. Owens previously worked in the insurance industry. Owens

Medcalf

pathologist.

Rogers

Fuhler

Lynch

Thompson

Saul

Paul

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices C. Dan Joyner Realtors announced that Carri Medcalf joined the company’s Simpsonville office as a sales associate. Medcalf previously worked as a speech-language

RETAIL

Smith

store in 1988.

The Jewelers Vigilance Committee announced Louis Smith of Smithworks Fine Jewelry in Spartanburg as an elected member of its board of directors for the 2020-2021 term. Smith opened his

Morrison

Mann director of organizational development. Additionally, Infinity Marketing promoted Carly Saul to media supervisor, Amber Paul to senior media strategist, Jeanne Morrison to senior digital strategist and Laura Mann to media buyer.

ARCHITECTURE

TECHNOLOGY

Dawson Riley

Richey

Immedion LLC added Ted Riley and Justin Richey to its managed services team in Spartanburg. Riley previously worked at Michelin NA. Richey recently worked at Self Regional Healthcare.

ADVERTISING, MARKETING & PR Infinity Marketing promoted Bo Rogers to senior vice president of client services, John Fuhler to vice president of business services, Kari Lynch to senior director of production and operations and Cassie Thompson to

LS3P hired Ellie Dawson as a marketing coordinator at its Greenville office. Dawson comes to LS3P with three years of experience in graphic design.

ARTS Kim Fabian has been named executive director of the Greenville Center for Creative Arts. Fabian brings more than 25 years of experience and previously Fabian worked as senior vice president of Junior Achievement of Central Maryland. See PITN, Page 30

www.gsabusiness.com

April 6 - April 19, 2020

People in the News internships with Roebuck Buildings.

PITN, from Page 29

AVIATION The Federal Aviation Administration recognized Dimitri Partafyllas of Stratos Aviation in Greenville as the South Carolina General Aviation Flight Instructor of the Year.

BANKING & FINANCE

Fitzsimmons

United Community Bank promoted Brent Williams to senior director of marketing and sales strategies. Williams has nearly 20 years of experience in product Williams management, client strategy, cash management and retail network planning.

CONSTRUCTION LCK hired Doug Vincent as project manager in Greenville. He has more than 20 years of facilities and project management experience. Vincent

Baumbach

Grant

Orders

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Brian Fitzsimmons, financial advisor, joined Foster Fitzsimmons Wealth Management of Raymond James. He served for eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps.

BE&K Building Group appointed Mike Baumbach business unit leader for its Greenville operations. He is an executive vice president and has been with BE&K more than 10 years. Roebuck Buildings hired Zach Grant as an assistant superintendent and Hudson Orders as a project engineer. Both are graduates of Clemson University and have completed multiple

director of language services at AnMed Health, an Upstate hospital and health care system based in Anderson.

Ten at the Top announced 20 new board members for the 2020-2022 term: Justin Benfield, CEO of Prisma Health Laurens County Hospital; Derham Cole, associate vice chancellor for finance and administration, at University of South Carolina Upstate; Galen DeHay, president of Tri-County Technical College; Jeﬀ Field, executive director of the Laurens County Water and Sewer Commission; David Hammond, marketing specialist at Laurens Electric Cooperative; Eli Hestermann, executive director of the Furman University Institute for the Advancement of Community Health; Missy House, city administrator of Inman; Heather Jones, CEO of Greenwood Partnership Alliance; Mustan Kapasi, president of Kapasi Glass; Kyra Lobbins, associate deputy chief of staff at Clemson University; Mark McKinney, general manager of Cintas Corp.; Adela Mendoza, president and CEO of the Hispanic Alliance; Amanda Munyan, president of the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce; Michael Nail, attorney at Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart P.C.; Carlos Phillips, president and CEO of the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce; Tim Self, executive director of the AnMed Health Foundation; Allen Smith, president and CEO of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce; Annie Smith, marketing and development director of University of South Carolina Union; Wendy Walden, associate vice president for executive affairs at Greenville Technical College; and John Wright Jr., principal at McCoy Wright Commercial Real Estate.

EDUCATION Furman University chemistry professor George C. Shields has been named a 2020 Council on Undergraduate Research fellow, an honor that recognizes his leadership and service as a role model in undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activities.

Slade

Stacey Bevill, founder and CEO of Greenville-based Ask and Receive Coaching, has earned designation as HeartMath Certified Trainer, her third certification from the HeartMath Institute.

LOGISTICS

Berg

Sunland Logistics Solutions hired Robert Berg as director of implementations. He has senior leadership experience in supply chain, fulfillment operations and process engineering.

LAW

MANUFACTURING

Jessica Haarsgaard will serve as immediate past president on the 2020 governing board of the southeast region of the Legal Marketing Association. She is a business development manager at Burr & Forman in Greenville.

The Draxlmaier Group named Kerry Curvey as its new CEO for the Americas region. Curvey succeeds Josef Mittermeier, who held this position for the last two years and is now returning to the corporate headquarters in Germany. Curvey has been with the Draxlmaier Group since June, when she was hired as chief commercial officer for the Americas region.

Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd shareholder Frank Davis has been elected to serve a twoyear term on executive committee of the Upstate SC Alliance. He also serves on the Davis board for South Carolina Charities Inc. and is an active member of the South Carolina Economic Developers’ Association. Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd hired Stinson Ferguson as special counsel at its Greenville office. Stinson focuses her practice on construction and utility litigation, Ferguson commercial dispute litigation, collections management and environmental matters.

HEALTH CARE The Alliance for a Healthier S.C. named Juana S. Slade chairman of the board. Slade is the chief diversity officer and

Silvers

HUMAN RESOURCES

Bevill

ee benefits practice. Silvers is a member of the firm’s background checks practice group.

Penkert

Eric Penkert and James Silvers, attorneys in Ogletree Deakins’ Greenville office, have been elected as shareholders in the firm. Penkert has an employ-

NONPROFITS Rebuild Upstate elected Chip Reaves as board chair, Ashley Brooks as vice chair and governance chair, Michael Cunningham as finance chair and Lisa Gilstrap as the engagement chair. Reaves is the president of Bigger Brains. Cunningham is the vice president of community health partnerships at AnMed Health. Gilstrap is a mortgage executive at Countybank Mortgage. Brooks is the director of branch operations for HTI. Rebuild Upstate also added two new board members: Justin Felker, the area assistant vice president for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., and Michael Mumma, the managing director of BlackStream Christie’s International.

Wallin

Submit items using our online submission portal: www.GSABizWire.com. Publication is subject to editorial discretion.

Hollingsworth Funds announced the appointment of F. “Bogue” Wallin to its board of directors. He is principal and owner of Blue Wall Real Estate.

Viewpoint

VIEWS, PERSPECTIVES AND READERS’ LETTERS

Running a business in pandemic requires careful planning

or employers, operating amid a worldwide pandemic is difficult. Managing the core business and doing so in compliance with the federal, state and local laws that govern the workplace is challenging enough. Now, employers also must closely monitor the news coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, the governPHILLIP KILGORE ment response to the outbreak and evolving guidance from public health authorities. Information is pouring in from numerous sources and it is hard to know where to start and what to do. Before making decisions affecting the workplace, it would be best to become acquainted with some authoritative and reliable resources available at the touch of a key stroke. Here are a few websites employers should review: • The latest general Guidance to Businesses and Employers from the CDC website. The CDC’s guidance has been universally accepted by employers and policymakers alike and has been afforded great deference by agencies that handle employment claims, such as the EEOC and the NLRB. This CDC reference instructs employers on how to prevent workplace exposures to COVID-19. • Specific CDC Guidance for Risk Assessment of Persons with Potential Coronavirus. This CDC guidance is technical but readable and provides valuable information on assessing and managing risk of potential COVID-19 exposures based on information about an employee’s activities. • The South Carolina Emergency Management Division website. Employers will find links here to important materials related to restrictions on activities in South Carolina, such as Gov. McMaster’s executive orders as well as video feed of the governor’s press conferences. • The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce website. Here employers will find the very informative SC DEW COVID-19 Hub as well as answers to general questions related to

COVID-19 and unemployment insurance benefits, as well a discussion of some likely COVID-19 related unemployment insurance scenarios. When confronted with a downturn of the business caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are faced with difficult choices, such as whether to stay open at all and, if so, to what extent. For some businesses, the workflow is conducive to allowing all employees to work remotely, in which case, the decision is easy. The biggest challenge remains to assure that employees are meeting productivity standards.

“Under a reduced staff plan, employers can direct those who are able to work remotely to do so, and those whose duties require a physical presence to report to work.” Phillip Kilgore Attorney, Ogletree Deakins

For other businesses, varying degrees of onsite presence is desirable or necessary. How does the employer balance the need to maintain a physical presence in the workplace with the goal of maintaining a safe work environment and protecting employees from COVID-19 exposure? Many employers are using a reduced office staff model or a rotational

staffing model. Under a reduced staff plan, employers can direct those who are able to work remotely to do so, and those whose duties require a physical presence to report to work. Some employees who cannot work remotely may not want to come to the workplace out of safety concerns. Employers can manage this by offering some combination of accrued paid leave or unpaid leave. For some employers, a majority of their employees can work remotely but the employer may nevertheless prefer to maintain an onsite workforce presence. In this case, basing a staffing plan on a rotational model may be attractive. After determining employee preference for working remotely, working on site or rotating, the employer can create a staffing schedule that can reduce employee presence in the workplace to a desired percentage. If the employer determines the need to reduce staffing further, those who prefer to work from the office can be pulled into the rotation. At a certain point, these approaches may not fully address the challenge. The employer may find itself unable to keep employees fully occupied, e.g. due to a business decline, or the employees may be unable to remain in the workplace due to a government ordered quarantine or isolation order. In this case, employers will seek to implement cost-cutting measures. For companies that intend to remain in business after the health crisis subsides, they may wish to avoid full-blown reductions in force. Many employers are opting instead for personnel cost reduction measures designed to be temporary and reversible placeholders in the event the

economy returns to health quickly. Some of these options include: mandatory furloughs, reduced pay with no reduction in hours, reduced hours and pay, unpaid personal days for volunteers, deductions for bona fide sick leave, docking PTO for shortened work periods, and voluntary separations with severance. Each of these choices must be made carefully and in recognition of applicable workplace laws. For example, there will be limitations to several of these options for exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Several federal laws, such as ERISA, COBRA, and the ACA, come into play when workers remain in employed status. And the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act may apply even if an employer believes a layoff will be for less than six months, but cannot really be sure how long the layoffs will last. South Carolina employers also must consider how the provisions of the South Carolina Payment of Wages Act may apply to employment decisions made in the context of a pandemic. In the event of a termination, furlough or layoff, here are the basics: An employer must provide written notice of changes in normal hours and wage decreases to an affected employee at least seven calendar days before the change becomes effective. When an employer separates an employee from the payroll for any reason, the employer must pay all wages due to the employee within 48 hours of the time of separation or the next regular payday, which may not exceed thirty days. There are no easy choices for employers making workforce adjustments caused by current the shutdown of the American economy. With careful planning, employers have the flexibility to make temporary changes to weather this current storm and avoid unnecessary liability. Phillip A. Kilgore has been in the practice of litigation and labor and employment law in the Greenville office of Ogletree Deakins since 1986. He is the office managing shareholder.

We want to hear from you Write: Ross Norton, Editor GSA Business Report, 35 Cessna Court, Suite A Greenville, S.C. 29607

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April 6 - April 19, 2020