December 14 - December 27, 2020
www.gsabusiness.com 3
SC Biz News Briefs
Greenville and Avison Young are open for business!
SCANA and SCE&G have agreed to settle a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit that charged the companies with making false and misleading statements regarding the failed V.C. Summer nuclear project. (Photo/High Flyer)
COLUMBIA
Although we are socially distancing, we never stop working for you. We are here to help you with all your commercial real estate needs. A special thank you to all the first responders and essential workers for their service, clients for their trust in us and our employees for their dedication. We hope everyone continues to be healthy and safe. Avison Young
Greenville.
Staff Report, Columbia Regional Business Report
SCANA Corp. settles lawsuit with Securities and Exchange Commission SCANA Corp. and subsidiary S.C. Electric & Gas have agreed to settle a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit charging the companies with defrauding investors. SCANA will pay a $25 million penalty and SCANA and SCE&G will pay $112.5 million in disgorgement plus prejudgment interest in the settlement, subject to court approval. U.S. Attorney Peter M. McCoy Jr. announced the settlement early this month in a suit that alleged the companies made false and misleading statements concerning the construction of twin nuclear reactors at the V.C. Summer nuclear power station in Fairfield County. The project was abandoned in July 2017 in the face of rising costs, mounting delays and the bankruptcy declaration of contractor Westinghouse. SCANA asked for and received nine rate increases from state regulators during the decade-long construction of the reactors. “Shareholders were deceived by SCANA and robbed of millions upon millions of dollars,” McCoy said in a news release.
CHARLESTON
Teri Errico Griffis, Charleston Regional Business Journal
864 334 4145
656 S Main Street, Ste 200, Greenville, SC 29601
avisonyoung.com
“They are personally invested in our success and in our lives.” Frank Workman and Will Sykes, Managing Partners Dealers Supply & Lumber Company Customer Since 2013
PGA hiring local workers for 2021 Championship on Kiawah Island PGA of America Championship Director Ryan Ogle is focused on making a longterm economic impact on the region with the 2021 PGA Championship by hiring local talent on Kiawah Island. Through the organization’s JobMatch program, the PGA is opening up short-term employment opportunities for people interested in gaining experience in business, retail, communications and sports management. More than 80% of Ogle’s current team members on Kiawah Island started out as operations assistants, he said, and this year, the organization is collaborating with minority-serving institutions to recruit workers. In total, 20-25 operations assistant positions will support the construction, operation and deconstruction of the event, which will take place from May 17-21 at The Ocean Course. Another 10-15 merchandise assistant positions will focus on the merchandise receipt, set up, execution and tear down of PGA shops. The organization is collaborating with minority-serving institutions to recruit workers, in addition to its previous recruitment pipelines. BEST ADVICE Rodly Millet, East Cooper Medical board chairman.
PAGE 4 VOLUME 13 NUMBER 18 ■ COLUMBIABUSINESSREPORT.COM
Part of the
network
DECEMBER 7-20, 2020 ■ $2.25
Repair program keeps residents safe at home
Online resource Digital skills program launches in S.C. Page 2
Special Section
Honoring health care workers and first responders for keeping businesses, communities safe. Page 12
Business merger
Multimodal hub
Falling numbers
S.C. tourism numbers down $5.2 billion since February. Page 11
Dorchester’s DC
INSIDE
Upfront................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs................ 3 In Focus: Architecture, Engineering and Construction .......................................... 13 List: Engineering Firms ...... 14 At Work .............................. 21 Viewpoint ...........................23
Walmart, port break ground on 3 million-square-foot distribution center in Dorchester County. Page 10
Not so tiny
The SC Housing Trust Fund’s emergency home repair program covers up to $10,000 in essential reapairs necessary for the safety of the homeowner. Leaking roofs are a frequently seen issue. (Photo/File)
Entrepreneur opens store front as sales increase with demand for handmade products. Page 8
T
tgriffis@scbiznews.com
he rules of workplace engagement have changed, especially for families. It’s no longer taboo for a doorbell to ring, a dog to bark or a child to interrupt a Zoom call. In fact, the growing presence of children in the workday has provided a creative outlet for Blackbaud employees, Chief People Officer Maggie Driscoll said. Starting in September, the software company rolled out the pilot version of Blackbaud Afterschool Program, a series of live and on-demand videos to tutor, entertain and
mwaldrop@scbiznews.com
very so often, Ed Causebrook gets a phone call that always makes him smile. The caller is an elderly lady, living alone, who received emergency home repairs several years ago through a partnership between Causebrook’s organization, the Housing Development Corp. of Rock Hill, and the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority’s Housing Trust Fund. The woman received a new heating system, roof, and flooring, along with a few seasonal extras. “Being near Thanksgiving, we were able to
get her a turkey and food,” said Causebrook, the Rock Hill group’s housing rehabilitation coordinator. “And she still calls me, every once in a while, just to see how I’m doing. That’s what’s rewarding.” Causebrook’s caller is one of hundreds of people helped each year by a pair of SC Housing Trust Fund programs which reimburse eligible grantees for essential repairs on homes owned by those meeting income requirements. The two program categories, emergency repair and owner-occupied repair, made up more than half of a total of $6.8 million HTF awards for fiscal year 2020 in the state. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of the owner-occupied program, an extensive initiative which covers up to
$25,000 in home repairs and requires a greater in-home presence by contractors. The emergency repair grant program, which covers up to $10,000 in essential repairs necessary for the life or safety of the occupant, is still operating and in need, officials say, of more nonprofit participants as the pandemic drains organizations’ staff and resources. “The pandemic has definitely put a dent in the number of nonprofits that are participating in the program,” Jennifer Cogan, director of community development for SC Housing, said. “We have 40 or 41 that are approved to participate, and what we’re seeing is only about half of those right now are actively submitting (repair) applications.” See HOUSING, Page 20
DECEMBER 14 - 27, 2020 ■ $2.25
network
Many small businesses like Turning Page Bookshop in Goose Creek are working to survive the pandemic downturn. Page 11
Golf club undergoes $6.5 million renovation on Johns Island. Page 27
INSIDE
Upfront................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs................ 3 Best Advice.......................... 4 In Focus: Architecture, engineering and Construction ...............27 List: Commercial Property Management Companies.... 41 At Work ..............................23 Viewpoint ...........................29
engage children of employees in the evenings. “We created ASP knowing that our caregivers’ children will be going back to school whether hybrid or 100% virtual. So we took 30-plus days to create and curate a program to support our caregivers around mealtime and end of business time,” Driscoll said. She hoped for the best when she sent out a company-wide casting call, and was blown away the company’s talent outside of work. While some offered tutoring in math, reading and history, others gave lessons on knitting and hosted live storybook readings for younger children. One executive walked children through how to nurture a fish tank. Volunteers recorded 115 sessions, includ-
SMALL BUSINESSES, BIG INFLUENCES
On the fairway By Melinda Waldrop
E
Part of the
Companies shift to give employees sense of balance By Teri Errico Griffis
Pair of law firms combine in West Columbia home. Page 6
Speculative park being developed near CAE. Page 7
VOLUME 26 NUMBER 26 ■ CHARLESTONBUSINESS.COM
VaLinda Miller, owner of Turning Page Bookshop (Photo/Teri Errico Griffis)
ing 14 composed by Blackbaud customers like the S.C. Aquarium. By Thanksgiving, participants logged 380 hours watching the sessions, Driscoll said. Sarah Simpson, senior manager, software development at Blackbaud, said that the afterschool program has been a gift during the pandemic. “My daughter loves the program, and it has made me feel so much better about how she spends some of her downtime at home,” Simpson said. “Without siblings or playdates during the pandemic, this program provided a way for her to connect with other kids her
Fall 2020
See FAMILIES, Page 9
Owners, officials tout power of local spending
Find a business banking solution built for you at ucbi.com/business
By Teri Errico Griffis
D
tgriffis@scbiznews.com
id you know small businesses make up 99.4% of South Carolina’s private businesses? Defined as having 500 employees or less, these businesses combine to employ more than 817,000 residents, according to a 2020 report by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and S.C. Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt is encouraging everyone to support them Nov. 28 for Small Business Saturday. The annual initiative created by American Express in 2010 falls on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and promotes the support of mom and pop shops across the country. This year data from the Small Business Administration revealed more than 63,000 South Carolina companies filed for emergency Paycheck Protection Loans.
Headwinds
S.C. aerospace industry meets challenges, embraces new opportunities
See SMALL, Page 5 ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED
Architecture honors
Columbia firms win various state, regional design awards. Page 17
ColumbiaBusinessReport.com
CHARLESTON UNDER CONSTRUCTION Who is building what in the Charleston area? Projects, companies, prices, projected timelines, photos and stories. Page 27
CharlestonBusiness.com
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