VOLUME 23 NUMBER 10 ■ GSABUSINESS.COM
Part of the
MAY 18 - MAY 31, 2020 ■ $2.25
network
Restaurants start tough climb back
Bringing home the supply chain
Sen. Graham says legislation will madate Made in USA for medical supply. Page 10
By Molly Hulsey
F
BorgWarner returns to life
Production line restarts after coronavirus measures and tornado in Seneca. Page 16
COVID-19 testing
Safety and health assurance in the workplace takes center stage. Page 6
Cargo expansion
With two large projects nearing completion, ports authority looks for growth. Page 12
INSIDE Leading Off .......................... 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 C-Suite ................................ 4 In Focus: Manufacturing and Aerospace ......................... 13 List: Manufacturing Firms ... 16 Bonus List: Aviation and Aerospace Companies ......... 18 At Work .............................. 21 Viewpoint ...........................23
A masked worker is among the first to return to the production line May 4 at BMW Manufacturing after a temporary shutdown for the new coronavirus was hastened by supply chain disruptions. (Photo/Provided)
Manufacturing RESTART BMW, others, back to work after temporary shutdown By Ross Norton
T
rnorton@scbiznews.com
he masked workers on BMW Manufacturing’s production line aren’t as close as they were before, physically. They’re back at work, but it’s not the same. It may never be again. BMW’s Spartanburg County plant came back to life May 4 as the automaker led a statewide movement of plants taking their first steps toward full production after shuttering because of a direct threat from COVID-19. BMW’s plant closed in response to the new coronavirus but the closure came earlier than expected when other plants across the country disrupted BMW’s supply chain. The steps toward full production are being taking in phases, according to a BMW news release, after a deep cleaning and a re-thinking of how 1,100 people can work together in uni-
son without working together too closely. During the non-production time, which started March 29, BMW implemented a variety of deep cleaning and safety measures, which included disinfecting equipment, sanitizing workstations, remodeling layouts to enhance social distancing and completing preventive maintenance on equipment, according to a news release. “We return to Plant Spartanburg focused on taking care of each other and taking care of our customers,” Knudt Flor, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing, said in the news release. The statement said the plant would “carefully ramp up production as we continue to monitor the supply chain and customer demand around the world” but did not speculate on how long it will take to reach full production. The plant was making 1,500 cars a day before the shutdown. The plant has 300 direct See RESTART, Page 20
In Focus Above the radar
Lockheed Martin has potential customers around the world for F-16. Page 13
mhulsey@scbiznews.com
or a few weeks, constricted revenue dimmed the lights at Powdersville’s Eggs Up Grill, but with fried-eggpatterned masks and a Paycheck Protection Program loan, the sunny breakfast joint snapped back with tenacity. “I found out on April 3 that I was approved and then I got my money on April 9,” owner Debi Brannon said. Sales dropped 90% to 95% when COVID-19 heralded a state of emergency across South Carolina, she said. As the first dining restrictions began to peel back on May 4, staff pushed six patio tables eight feet apart and attracted potential diners with bubble guns, pastel window paint and masked servers under a beach tent. At least three clusters of customers dug into omelets onsite at 10:30 that day, six of the day’s 32 dine-in customers plus 59 to-go orders. “It’s of course, definitely lower than our sales volume before but it’s been our best since all this has happened,” Brannon said. A few weeks after jumping back into the game April 13, her store also has raised $17,000 in donations toward lunches for Anderson District 1 students and $3,000 toward sausage biscuits for front-line workers. “I was able to bring my people back very quickly. I know some business owners and their friends have not had the same experience,” she said. Of the 38 stores overseen by the Spartanburg-based franchise, most have opened or reopened across the state, aside from a few shuttered Columbia locations. See RESTAURANTS, Page 8