2011 Jul-Aug South Carolina Business

JULY/AUGUST 2011 V ol . 32 | N o .4

The Technology Issue 2011 Legislative Year-in-Review Nuclear Safety is Top Priority St채ubli Corporation

Automation Innovation Green Technology

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20 W er 10 ING cu SC A r y PR W Aw SA A RD ar ds

New Media in the New Economy

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contents >> CONTENTS

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23 F e a t u r e s 10 LEGISLATIVE YEAR-IN-REVIEW

by Darrell Scott 13 nuclear safety is top priority

by Steve Byrne

16 AUTOMATION INNOVATION

by Matthew Gregory 21 GREEN TECHNOLOGY BRINGS

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

by Bill Mahoney

23 NEW MEDIA IN THE NEW ECONOMY

by Keely Saye HEALTH CARE CHECKUP

24 HEALTH CARE LAW’S EMPLOYER

MANDATE MUST BE REPEALED

by Moore Hallmark

26 Member Spotlight

SIMS RECYCLING SOLUTIONS

by Matthew Gregory

IN EVERY ISSUE

DEPARTMENTS & NEWS From the President..............................................3

by Otis Rawl

Member News.....................................................30 Compiled by Matthew Gregory

Upcoming Events Workplace Diversity Awards............................27 Manufacturer of the Year................................28

Welcome, New Members................................31

After the Event 21st Annual Human Resources Conference....29

Events Calendar.................................................32 Advertiser Index................................................32

The opinions and views expressed by the contributors to this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, its staff or members.

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July/August 2011

ECONOMIC DRIVERS 5

Education / Workforce

by Dr. Karen C. Woodward

5 Business Costs

by Senator Greg Ryberg 7 Legal Environment

by Ethan Ware 7

Dynamism / Entrepreneurialism

by Emily Brady

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Infrastructure

by Jim Newsome

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Quality of Life

by Dr. Gene Eidson

Coming Next Issue The September/October issue of South Carolina Business will spotlight manufacturing companies in S.C. that are providing jobs and attracting ancillary businesses to the state. With the Chamber serving as South Carolina’s designated National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) representative, this issue will focus on legislative priorities for manufacturing, what manufacturers can do to get students excited about manufacturing jobs and how the unionization process affects manufacturers.

>> FROM THE PRESIDENT

A new home for your S.C. Chamber July/August 2011 Volume 32, Number 4

South Carolina Chamber of Commerce 1301 Gervais Street, Suite 1100 Columbia, South Carolina 29201 800.799.4601 www . scchamber . net

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P resident & C hief E xecutive O fficer OTIS RAWL V ice P resident of P ublic P olicy & C ommunications DARRELL SCOTT P ublic R elations M anager JULIE SCOTT M ulti M edia C oordinator MATTHEW GREGORY G raphics & W eb A dministrator BOBBY BAKER

M SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS MAGAZINE E ditor MATTHEW GREGORY A rt D irection & D esign TIM MCKEEVER / TMCA INC. P roduction & P rint C oordination TMCA INC. D igital I maging & P rinting R. L. BRYAN COMPANY A dvertising S ales CONVERGING MEDIA LLC DEIDRE MACKLEN 803.318.3923

Otis Rawl

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am pleased to announce some news that will positively impact the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce’s members and staff. After 22 years at the Capitol Center, the South Carolina Chamber has relocated its offices. On July 5, the Chamber opened its new location at The Tower at 1301 Gervais Street, Suite 1100. Many of you might recognize this building as the Wilbur Smith building in downtown Columbia. Phone numbers, remittance addresses and other contact information will remain the same.

The new location at The Tower at 1301 Gervais Street, the building’s official name, will provide numerous benefits to our membership, including additional meeting space and more advanced technology, while still allowing us to remain in close proximity to the State House. We are excited to show you our new facilities and invite you to join us for an open house July 28 in conjunction with the South Carolina Chamber’s Midlands Regional Grassroots Meeting (4 p.m.) and Membership and Legislative Reception (5-7 p.m.). Please mark your calendars, and visit Rawl is president and chief executive www.scchamber.net to register. officer of the South Carolina Chamber With the conclusion of our current lease, a volunteer-led group of of Commerce. finance and commercial real estate professionals guided the Chamber through a process to evaluate all available facilities in the Capital City. The result of that process is a new 10-year lease at 1301 Gervais Street. Sensitive to the responsibility of the Chamber to practice prudent financial management of member entrusted resources, the change in location - inclusive of all direct and indirect costs - represents the best overall decision operationally and financially.

The new space offers a variety of benefits, including a floor plan allowing the Chamber to occupy the entire 11th floor; increased efficiency of layout and workflow; extensive upgrades in technology, audio visual capabilities, voice and data capabilities; increased security for staff and members; and, improved member meeting facilities.

In relocating to The Tower at 1301 Gervais, the Chamber joins a number of technology-based tenants who are working to help shape South Carolina’s knowledge-based economy. We are excited about the possibilities!

As we move to our new location that offers a variety of technology advances, it is interesting that this edition of South Carolina Business is focused on technology and also places an emphasis on communication. In today’s 24/7 news cycle, where we are constantly tied to our smartphones or computers, “getting through the clutter” is a challenge for businesses intent on reaching their target audiences. With Facebook® reaching 600 million users in January 2011 and Twitter® reaching more than 200 million users, there is no doubt the art of exchanging information continues to dramatically change. More and more, audiences want targeted, succinct information. From the South Carolina Chamber’s website, to our electronic newsletters, to our Facebook page and Twitter feed, to this magazine, we work to provide the most up-to-date business and economic information to help you run your business.

In this issue of South Carolina Business, we introduce you to Stäubli Corporation, a dynamic facility that comprises 100 percent of the airbag market in North America. Stäubli also produces connectors for the motorsports industry and the International Space Station and is best known for its state-of-the-art robotics equipment. Did you know that Stäubli’s North American headquarters is right here in the Palmetto State, in Duncan, S.C.? In this edition, we also take a look at innovative green technology projects underway in South Carolina and provide an overview of how inbound marketing can help your business. We are excited to detail the top apps for businesses, and we take a look back at the legislative session with our 2011 Legislative Year-in-Review.

As we continue to navigate through the 24/7 information cycle, I ask that you join us in continuing to communicate all our state has to offer, from becoming a great technology hub, to improving our education position, to protecting the right-to-work for our employees. If we don’t tell our true story, who will?

In addition, I hope you will stop by July 28 to check out our new location at The Tower at 1301 Gervais (1301 Gervais Street, Suite 1100) during our Midlands Grassroots Meeting and Membership Reception. I know you will like what you see.

STATE CHAMBER with Distinction

Copyright © 2011 by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Converging Media LLC. All foreign and U.S. rights reserved. Contents of this publication, including images, may not be reproduced without written consent from the publisher. Published for the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce by Converging Media LLC. 803.256.3010

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Transforming The healThcare landscape

it’s daunting to consider the sea change triggered by healthcare reform. are you prepared to use

electronic health records in a meaningful manner?

have you considered participation in a

health information exchange?

are you interested in entering into an

accountable care organization?

have you considered the effects of technology on patient

privacy and rights?

at haynsworth sinkler boyd, p.a., we are here to help you navigate the rapidly changing technology and delivery of healthcare.

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Lexington One schools expand classroom technology

LEXINGTON COUNTY DISTRICT ONE

Dr. Karen C. Wo o d w a rd

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to use handheld interexington County School faces with probes to District One’s Schools of collect and analyze data the Future NOW! initiain STEM labs, standard tive prepares students to graduclassrooms and outside ate in the 21st century as a new the school building. generation of leaders who are In addition to STEM prepared for future jobs, chalexperiences in science lenges and technologies that labs and classrooms, do not even exist right now.

Rocky Creek Elementary School fifth-graders our middle schools will Since today’s students thrive make separated solutions and mixtures in the soon offer the STEM on rapid access to information school’s STEM lab.

Academy curriculum and resources, our schools must keep up with this fast pace. Lexington One provides and technology that provides opportunities for teachstudents with access to interactive technology to help ers and students to use the same tools as professionals students as they do their work and learn in new ways. in engineering, architecture, robotics, material science Examples of this technology include digital cameras, and biotechnology with an emphasis on sustainability.

During the 2010–2011 school year, we successfully interactive whiteboards, iPads, laptops, projectors and executed a personal mobile computing pilot at Gilbert smart tablets.

Our middle and elementary schools are establishing High School. Lexington One plans to expand personal Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics mobile computing to our other high schools in the up(STEM) labs. At elementary schools the labs feature coming school year. As always, we constantly look for tools such as weather stations that students use to ways to provide students with the 21st century tools collect and analyze weather data over time. Students they need to support their learning and prepare them in both elementary and middle schools are learning for higher education opportunities and careers.

Our newest school buildings reflect what we know about the 21st century learner and our impact on the environment. Rocky Creek Elementary, for instance, is our first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified building and is being used as a prototype plan for future elementary schools.

Rocky Creek Elementary has interactive technology in all classrooms and designated spaces for collaboration. The school has more natural light because it enhances the learning process and promotes efficient energy use. Other environmentally friendly features include automated lighting control systems with occupancy sensors, water saving plumbing fixtures, energy efficient heating and air conditioning systems with high levels of automated control systems that regulate both temperature and humidity and building materials that were harvested and manufactured within the region.

Working in partnership with our staff, students, parents and communities, Lexington One continues to prepare a new generation of leaders and global citizens through its Schools of the Future NOW! initiative.

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> > E D U C AT I O N & W O R K F O R C E

Karen C. Woodward, ED.D. is the superintendent of Lexington County School District One.

>> BUSINESS COSTS

How UI tax relief will impact your business Senator Greg R y b e r g

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hen the General Assembly passed unemployment insurance tax relief (H.3762) this session, it implemented several updates to the 2010 legislation wherein the South Carolina Employment Security Commission underwent major reform. The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) requested some of the updates, and others arose from concerns expressed by South Carolina businesses.

The new law lowers the new employer tax class from 13 to 12. This lowers the new employer’s tax rate in 2011 from 5.428 percent to 2.866 percent, in line with surrounding states. DEW requested this change, and it lowers a barrier to entry for the new employers that we want in South Carolina.

H.3762 allows DEW to classify seasonal businesses and restrict eligibility for those employees to that time within their season. Hereinafter, employers have the option to apply to DEW for a determination that their business qualifies as “seasonal” based upon the record of their wage volume over several years.

Employees of those businesses that qualify no longer will be able to draw benefits beyond the season of their employment unless they have other non-seasonal employment in their base period. Employees would continue to qualify for benefits if they separate within the season. The adoption of a seasonal category could result in approximately three percent overall savings in benefit payouts and thus an approximately three percent overall rate reduction on base tax rates for employers. The seasonal provisions are not scheduled to go into effect until January 2012.

The new law caps employers with a positive account balance between the period third quarter 2003 to second quarter 2010 at Tier 12 for 2011. This addresses the “anomaly” discovered earlier this year. DEW found about two percent of South Carolina employers have a positive account experience over the previous seven years but because of their small size, their separation experience put them in Tier 13 or higher.

H.3762 reduces the maximum number of weeks of eligibility for state benefits from 26 to 20. Federal

benefits will continue for as long as they are authorized, and the total now will amount to 76 weeks of potential benefits. DEW expects the reduction will result in an approximately 8 percent savings to the fund on an annual basis and a corresponding tax cut for South Carolina businesses.

The new law directs DEW to recalculate the premium rates retroactive to January 1, 2011 based on General Assembly appropriations to the fund. The General Assembly allocated $146 million to the fund.

This amount will result in significant relief to South Carolina employers.

The updates passed this year in H.3762 not only strengthen the successful reform of 2010 but also provide tax relief for all South Carolina employers.

Senator Greg Ryberg (Aiken) is chairman of the Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce 2010 Public Servant of the Year.

s c c h a m b e r. n e t | J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 1 | S o u t h C a r o l i n a B u s i n e ss |

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Restrictions on boilers to impact minor source facilities Ethan R. Ware

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arge operators of institutional and industrial boilers have received a temporary reprieve from new comprehensive air emission regulations set to take place this year, but smaller sources have to comply with the rule.

On March 21, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published maximum achievable control technology requirements for boiler systems (Boiler MACT). By all accounts, large and small operators became subject to new and controversial restrictions on boilers at their facilities. However, on May 16, the EPA unilaterally stayed the regulations for boilers at “major sources” (facilities emitting more than 10 tons per year of any individual hazardous air pollutant) and boilers burning “solid waste” until legal action challenging the rule is settled. The EPA did not stay the Boiler MACT for minor source facilities.

The Boiler MACT is not applicable to all boilers. It contains qualified exemptions for “limited use boilers” (emergency power generators) and small boilers (less than 10 MM Btu). To keep the exemption, these listed boilers must perform biennial tune-ups and implement corrective measures, if necessary, to operate efficiently.

The tune-up must be performed by a “qualified professional,” an undefined term.

Owners and operators of other boilers, except those for which the Boiler MACT was stayed, must submit

“initial notification” to EPA by September 17, 2011. The initial notification must include a statement certifying coverage under the regulation. Compliance with applicable emission limits and recordkeeping requirements is mandated March 21, 2014.

Compliance requirements for covered systems are not inconsequential. They include emission caps on mercury, particulate matter and carbon monoxide (depending on the type of fuel burned), which must be met by March 21, 2014. Stack testing is required to demonstrate compli- While the Boiler MACT may be delayed for larger facilities, smaller ance within 180 days, and regular stack plants begin compliance in late 2011. testing is required after that. The Boiler MACT also requires control device monitoring and pe- facilities, smaller plants begin compliance later this year. riodic energy assessments. An energy assessment may Facilities should use confidential compliance audits to result in adoption of “energy conservation measures.” evaluate the need and timing for upgrades at each Once the stay is lifted, major source boilers will be boiler and the option of using alternative fuels, which required to meet provisions applicable to minor source may allow for less stringent emission control measures. units and certain additional requirements. Major source boilers are subject to emission restrictions for dioxin/fu- Ethan R. Ware is the managing shareholder of the rans and hydrogen chloride. Additional emission limits Administrative/Regulatory Unit of McNair Law Firm will apply to boilers burning solid wastes, including limits P.A. for lead, cadmium, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide.

While the Boiler MACT may be delayed for larger

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>> LEGAL ENVIRONMENT

>> DYNAMISM/ENTREPRENEURIALISM

Businesses are finding there‘s an app for that Emily Brady

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ccording to a recent study conducted by the research firm Zokem, which tracked the behavior of 2,100 British and American smartphone users, the average amount of time spent on applications (apps) is 667 minutes per month, which is more than the amount of time spent on the phone surfing the web or making calls. There is a growing trend amongst the business community to utilize apps that increase efficiency and boost productivity. Here are some popular business apps that could be the right fit for your company: 1. LinkedIn You’re having a hard time juggling all of the new business cards you’ve collected while at a conference.

LinkedIn provides an instant connection to the major social network of business and professional contacts. www.linkedin.com 2. iProRecorder You’re only half-listening during meetings as you try to take down notes. iProRecorder turns an iPhone into a recording device that can be used to record meetings, interviews and lectures. www.bias-inc.com

3. Word Lens You’re traveling abroad for work and struggling with the language barrier. Word Lens is a real-time translation app named one of the top new apps of 2011 by Time. www.questvisual.com

7. FedEx Mobile You’ve sent an extremely important overnight package to a client. FedEx Mobile tracks status of shipments and instantly updates you once received. www.fedex.com

4. Powwownow You need to schedule a conference call with your team to respond to a client crisis. Powwownow provides audio-conferencing and teleconferencing services for multiple users. www.powwownow.com

8. DelegateLite You are in wall-to-wall meetings and need to keep track of assignments. DelegateLite lets you create, prioritize and manage to-do lists. www.adnx.com

5. Documents to Go You’re trying to update a press release while working remotely. Documents to Go allows you to create and edit documents in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. www.dataviz.com

Emily Brady is manager of public affairs for Chernoff Newman, a full-service advertising, public relations, interactive and marketing firm providing influential communications with offices in Columbia and Charleston, S.C. and Orlando, Fla. www.chernoffnewman.com |@chernoffnewman | facebook.com/chernoffnewman

6. ProOnGo You’re on an extended work trip and need to keep track of expenses. Proongo helps you keep a log of travel expenses plus photos of receipts. It also allows you to email expense reports to your desktop. www. proongo.com

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Dedicated people.

Dedicated energy.

“Our customers are counting on SCE&G to provide clean, reliable energy for the future. As South Carolina business and industry continues to grow, so does the demand for more electricity. We believe nuclear power is the right choice to meet the state’s future energy needs. That’s why we’re building additional nuclear generation.”

SCE&G’s two new nuclear reactors will fuel economic growth in South Carolina. As many as 3,000 jobs will be created during construction and up to 800 permanent positions when the plants begin operating. Through our partnerships with universities and technical colleges, we’re helping to build a qualified workforce for future generations.

Jeff Archie, Chief Nuclear Officer sceg.com

Port of Charleston moves forward with major projects Jim Newsome

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rogress toward a deeper Charleston Harbor recently made a major leap forward when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers included $150,000 to initiate the next step in the port’s harbor deepening project in the remainder of its fiscal year 2011 work plan. This important milestone means that work on this vital infrastructure project is not delayed, but there are many more steps ahead of us to see the project through.

A deeper harbor is essential to serve the needs of international shipping, which continues to trend toward bigger ships. Today, Charleston handles these big ships with the help of the tides, with ships drawing up to 48 feet of water navigating through the harbor during high tide. Each week, four post-Panamax ships – three of which are capable of carrying in excess of 8,000 20-foot shipping containers – call at Charleston’s docks. These calls will only be increasing leading up to the expanded Panama Canal’s opening in mid-2014, as big ships are ushered directly to the East Coast.

Why the trend for bigger ships? For the ocean carrier, it’s a matter of economics. Each extra foot of water equals the ability to hold approximately 100 additional loaded containers. This ability to maximize loaded capacity translates into millions of dollars of potential profit

A deeper harbor is essential to serve the needs of international shipping, which continues to trend toward bigger ships.

for the carrier. And exports, which are typically heavier, rely on having deep water.

For shippers – both here and abroad – bringing bigger ships through the Panama Canal in the near future also has major cost-saving benefits. All-water routes mean lower overall transportation costs by drastically reducing the most expensive part in the supply chain: the inland transportation costs incurred by transporting goods from the West Coast by rail and truck.

To prepare for the next wave of trade, the Port of Charleston has commenced its next harbor deepening project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed

its reconnaissance study of a post-45 foot harbor project last summer. Their findings determined not only that there is a federal interest in a deeper Charleston Harbor but also that it was most likely the cheapest harbor in the region to deepen to 50 feet.

These projects are cost-shared between the federal government and the local sponsor. With the funding designated by the Corps to initiate the feasibility study this year, the Ports Authority stands ready to contribute its share of half of the cost. However, the project still needs funding for fiscal year 2012 and in subsequent budget cycles, which will require the long-term commitment of support from our allies in the state’s business community.

Meanwhile, the Ports Authority is also moving ahead with other major plans, including a 10-year, $1.3-billion capital plan for both new and existing facilities in the Port of Charleston.

We will continue to need the business community’s vocal support to ensure the federal government prioritizes the deepening project, which is vital to serve both our state’s and nation’s economy.

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>> INFRASTRUCTURE

Jim Newsome is president and CEO of the South Carolina State Ports Authority, based in Charleston.

>> QUALITY OF LIFE

Intelligent River revolutionizes environmental monitoring Dr. Gene Eids o n

c o urtesy intelligent R iver researc h enter p rise

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opulation growth and unsustainable natural resource demands are putting local and state economies at risk. Both issues may affect the quality of life and economic vitality of South Carolina.

To mitigate this risk, Clemson University challenged its scientists and engineers to develop smart solutions for sustainable natural resources. The goal is to optimize resource value while safeguarding our natural environment – the principal driver in South Carolina’s strong tourism, forestry and agricultural economies. The result of this challenge is the Intelligent River™ Research Enterprise.

The Intelligent River, a program of Clemson’s Institute of Applied Ecology, seeks to transform the science and business of managing natural resources. The Intelligent River software and hardware architecture provides 24/7 access to data from sensor networks measuring a wide variety of parameters related to natural and built environments. The program website, www.intelligentriver.org, provides online tools and is accessible with a mobile device.

The most ambitious project is to create the world’s first automated river. The research team will expand and enhance water quality monitoring along the entire

The potential of transexpanse of Savannah River ferring the Intelligent River with Intelligent River instrutechnology is already being mentation. The instrument explored as a suite of solualso will aggregate data tions, including Intelligent from many sources into Farm to manage water, one functional database fertilizer and pesticides; that will populate river opIntelligent Infrastructure erational models. to monitor buildings, At the center of the roads and bridges; and, Intelligent River technology The Aiken, S.C. stormwater project is fully supported Intelligent Forest to opis a novel networking plat- with a wireless monitoring network for continuous timize forestry manageform called a MoteStack, evaluation. which collects, stores and transmits data, including tem- ment and evaluate climate change impact.

In June 2010, the SmartState™ Program approved perature, dissolved oxygen and the presence of foreign a Center of Economic Excellence in Sustainable particles, at a far lower cost than current technologies.

The Intelligent River system is currently deployed in Development at Clemson University with the Intelligent pilot monitoring programs. One major project is moni- River as the central technology component. The suite toring stormwater in Aiken, S.C. The team worked with of Intelligent Solutions will enable a more sustainable city leaders on a $3.3 million project to improve storm- future for South Carolina, safeguarding the environwater infiltration and treatment and mitigate severe ment while creating green economy jobs. stream erosion. The project utilizes porous pavement and bioswales and is fully supported with a wireless Dr. Gene Eidson is the director of Clemson University’s monitoring network to continuously evaluate storm- Institute of Applied Ecology. water quantity and quality online. s c c h a m b e r. n e t | J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 1 | S o u t h C a r o l i n a B u s i n e ss |

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> > F E AT U R E

2011 Legislative Year-in-Review B y D a r re l l S c o t t

Business community achieves tort reform fter passing the House early in the session by a bipartisan vote of 100-7, being gutted by the Senate Judiciary Committee and then held up on the Senate calendar for months, tort reform finally passed the Senate just before the legislative session adjourned. Senators Larry Martin (Pickens) and Brad Hutto (Orangeburg) worked closely to forge a compromise, and Governor Nikki Haley signed the legislation as soon as it reached her desk. As part of her legislative agenda, the governor played a critical role in the waning days of the session by publicly urging senators to move forward on tort reform.

The new law includes a cap on punitive damages modeled after the state of Florida. The legislation caps punitive damages greater than $500k or three times

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the compensatory damages awarded. However, if it is found a defendant is motivated primarily by financial gain or a defendant’s actions rise to the level of felony charges, then the award can be increased to the greater of $2 million or four times compensatory damages. If it is proven the defendant intended to harm the claimant, was convicted of a felony arising out of the same act or acted under the influence of drugs or alcohol, there is no cap for punitive damages.

The legislation includes an appeals bond cap and revisions to the statute of repose for construction cases. The legislation also requires the attorney general to approve civil actions by circuit court solicitors.

Of the legislation’s passage, Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler (Cherokee) said, “No other bill this year will improve our state’s business climate like tort reform.”

UI tax relief provided for employers n 2010, the General Assembly passed legislation restructuring the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) and also recalculated unemployment insurance rates to rebuild South Carolina’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund in an effort to begin paying back the nearly $1 billion debt owed to the federal government. Many employers engaged in the legislative process during the 2011 session to attempt to extend the time to repay the federal debt or find some sort of tax relief.

The Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry (LCI) Committee, chaired by Senator Greg Ryberg (Aiken), held numerous hearings that led to more than 40 potential tax relief scenarios for employers. The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce worked with numerous business partners and legislators to find a solution that everyone could support that did not negatively impact one business over another.

Ultimately, Senator Hugh Leatherman (Florence) along with Senator Ryberg, offered a scenario that offered employers nearly 25 percent tax relief this year. The legislation was signed into law by Governor Nikki Haley. The solution reduces the number of state benefit weeks from 26 weeks to 20 weeks, ultimately saving all employers roughly 8 percent and encouraging workers to apply for the nearly 50,000 available

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s the first regular session of the 119th South Carolina General Assembly convened in January, the legislative session looked promising.

For months, elected officials from both political parties touted job creation and economic development as their main priority for the year.

The South Carolina House of Representatives hit the ground running, passing a host of job creating initiatives early in the session. Led by Speaker Bobby Harrell (Charleston), the House passed comprehensive tort reform, state spending limits, major government restructuring and angel investment legislation.

Speaker Bobby Harrell The House also passed charter school reform, allowing more options for parents and students in their educational choices.

On the other hand, the business community was disappointed in the Senate’s slow pace, as it spent weeks on raffles, voter I.D. and immigration legislation, while avoiding real job creators like tort reform and unemployment insurance (UI) tax relief. Finally, during the last weeks of the legislative session, the Senate got down to business, passing tort reform, UI tax relief and the budget. However, it failed to take action on numerous pro-business issues, including state spending limits, charter school reform and government restructuring, among other items.

Much of the legislative session was spent debating the budget and redistricting.

Because of significant population growth, South Carolina is gaining a 7th congressional district, which will likely be anchored in the Grand Stand/Pee Dee region.

jobs in the state. The solution also allows seasonal employers the ability to restrict benefits to seasonal workers, saving another 3 percent.

The most significant component of the Leatherman/Ryberg solution provides roughly $100 million in direct tax relief by paying down a portion of the federal loan due this year. This provision passed in the Senate budget. The House, through the leadership of Chairman Dan Cooper (Anderson), House Majority Leader Kenny Bingham (Lexington), House Minority Leader Harry Ott (Calhoun) and Representatives Gilda Cobb-Hunter (Orangeburg) and Brian White (Anderson), increased the amount of relief for employers to $146 million, paying back the entire federal loan for 2011.

Then, after several weeks of negotiations, the General Assembly agreed to provide $146 million in tax relief, totaling nearly 25 percent in relief for employers.

General Assembly grants sales tax safe harbor n May, after Amazon increased its economic development announcement to 2,000 full-time jobs and investment of at least $125 million, the House reversed its previous decision and exempted Amazon from collecting sales taxes.

After contentious debate in the Senate, a compromise was reached between Amazon and other retailers to require Amazon to notify customers that sales taxes may be owed on items purchased online. The compromise also directs Amazon customers to the South Carolina Department of Revenue (DOR) to submit payment.

The South Carolina Chamber believes the compromise is fair since residents will now be notified of taxes owed. However, the Chamber has long advocated against retail incentives because retail jobs do not create measurable spin-off jobs like the manufacturing industry. In addition, the Chamber continues to support comprehensive tax reform, and any meaningful component of tax reform would be the collection of Internet taxes to broaden the tax base, while lowering overall tax rates.

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plementation of Personal Pathways, would expire unless the legislature extended its existence. The General Assembly agreed with the business community, and legislation offered by House Education and Public Works Chairman Phil Owens (Pickens) extending the EEDA Coordinating Council for an additional year was signed by Governor Nikki Haley.

Over the last two years, total high school dropouts have decreased by 22 percent.

The message is simple. The EEDA is working, and the General Assembly should support it because future results are extremely promising.

Additionally, Chairman Phil Owens led the House effort to pass charter school reform legislation early in the legislative year. Unfortunately, as with many other key business priorities, the Senate failed to take action. The bill would have equalized funding for public charter schools, allowing more choices for students and parents, among other provisions.

Regulatory relief provided for businesses enate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell (Charleston) and Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler (Cherokee) offered legislation to provide regulatory relief to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the business community. The legislation allows South Carolina to automatically revert to a previous regulatory standard if federal courts halt the implementation of a federal regulation.

The Chamber’s Environmental Technical Committee (ETC) suggested the legislation to prevent businesses from being forced to follow more stringent environmental standards compared with neighboring states.

The legislation passed the Senate unanimously in April. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Harrison (Richland) quickly took it up, and it passed the House unanimously.

Governor Nikki Haley signed the legislation into Key business law in June. spending

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items

in state budget EEDA advances, charter : school reform stalled CATT Funding n 2005, the General Assembly passed ($14 millio n) landmark workforce development Department of Commerce legislation called the Education and Closing Fund ($5 million ) Economic Development Act (EEDA).

Economic Development Now known as Personal Pathways Regional Alliances ($5 million ) Funding to Success, the law provides a host EEDA Funding of initiatives designed to give South ($25 millio n) Carolina students the educational Tourism Destination tools they need to prepare for the Specific Money ($5.4 millio n ) workforce and build prosperous, Unemployment successful futures. ($146 millio Insurance Federal Loan Repayment n) The EEDA Coordinating Council, the body in charge of overseeing im-

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Mandatory e-Verify becomes law n 2008, the General Assembly passed one of nation’s toughest state immigration laws that adds new verification requirements for employers of all sizes. With the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Arizona immigration law, Republican legislators felt compelled to change South Carolina’s law in the waning days of the session to mandate e-Verify for employers.

Currently, roughly 60 percent of employers use the free federal database to verify em-

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Acting today for a better tomorrow.

> > F E AT U R E

Nuclear safety is top priority

In commercial operation since 1984, V.C. Summer Nuclear Station has produced almost 175 million megawatts of net generation—enough to displace 140 billion pounds of coal.

SCE&G remains committed to its nuclear strategy

By Steve Byr n e

T

he March 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan, including operations at its Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, have prompted a keener examination of safety measures in the world’s nuclear industry to answer one important question: Can it happen here?

Considering South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G) has operated a nuclear reactor at V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Jenkinsville for nearly 30 years and is moving ahead, along with partner Santee Cooper, with plans to construct two additional units, we have been answering this question a lot lately. Let me be clear about one thing: The top priority for V.C. Summer is to protect the health and safety of the public and the environment while producing safe, reliable energy. It always has been the top priority, and it always will be.

In fact, V.C. Summer Unit 1, a 966-megawatt reactor, recently set a plant continuous run record by operating nonstop for 475 consecutive days, meaning that it incurred no significant issues that would impact its safety and operability. The plant continues to receive excellent ratings from regulatory and oversight bodies. The

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted Unit 1 a 20-year extension to its operating license, allowing it to operate through 2042. In its annual assessment of V.C. Summer’s safety performance, the NRC found that V.C. Summer met all safety objectives in 2010. One of seven nuclear plants that generate about 50 percent of the electricity produced in South Carolina, V.C. Summer has produced almost 175 million megawatts of net generation during its lifetime—enough to displace 140 billion pounds of coal.

Now let’s look at what transpired in Japan. As we understand it, even with the impact of an extremely powerful earthquake, the reactors were relatively undamaged.

The plants shut down automatically as they should have. As a result, all control rods were inserted, and the nuclear chain reaction stopped. As designed, backup diesel generators started, which provided power to emergency systems. With emergency core cooling systems running, the plants were in stable condition.

Then the tsunami hit the facility less than one hour after the earthquake. Fukushima Daiichi is reportedly designed for a tsunami of almost 20 feet. The one that struck the plant was reported to be around 40 feet. The enormous wall of water flooded the diesel generators, causing them to fail and creating a station blackout. The plants were left with their last power source—large, but limited batteries. When battery power was depleted, there was no power to operate the emergency core cooling systems.

As a result, the emergency core cooling systems failed, which led to the series of events that Japan continues to remediate.

How is V.C. Summer different? he first important point to note is that SCE&G’s current unit and future units are a different design than those that are having issues in Japan. All units at the Fukushima Daiichi site are boiling water reactors (BWR), while V.C. Summer’s are pressurized water reactors (PWR).

In a BWR, if steam needs to be vented to provide cooling, it has to be directed back into the reactor’s containment buildings because the steam is mildly radioactive. At

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With tablets, cloud computing, and a new generation of bandwidth-hungry devices on the horizon, demand is expected to increase an additional 8-10 times by 2015.

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© 2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.

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Preconstruction activities for V.C. Summer Nuclear Station Units 2 and 3 continue in earnest, with excavation work for the new reactors being a primary focus.

the Japanese plants, this increased the pressure in the containment building, which necessitated venting to a less robust secondary containment building. This vented gas contained highly flammable hydrogen produced when reactor cooling was lost, which ignited and caused explosions at three of the units. While the reactors stayed mainly intact in primary containment, these explosions significantly damaged the secondary containment buildings.

Here is the key difference in a PWR. If there is a need to vent steam to provide cooling, it can be done safely to the atmosphere because the steam is clean. Therefore, the venting that caused the hydrogen explosions at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant would not be necessary at a PWR like V.C. Summer.

In addition to the differences in technology, there are important points of differentiation in seismology, geology and geography that make the likelihood of an earthquake or tsunami like the one in Japan highly improbable in Jenkinsville. For example, very large earthquakes occur where the earth’s tectonic plates meet. Japan is located on the interface of a number of tectonic plates. Jenkinsville is not near the edge of one of these plates. There are no active faults in the vicinity of the site thought to be capable of producing large earthquakes. Finally, our site is 435 feet above sea level, more than 100 miles from the ocean and built on solid bedrock.

How prepared are we? ll nuclear plants around the world factor significant events such as earthquakes and tsunamis into their design and analysis. Since the terrorist attacks of Sept.

11, 2001, consideration of extreme events, including those that had not been previously considered, have been more of a focus in this country than anywhere in the world. We plan for these “beyond-design-basis” types of events, and we are prepared for them.

To ensure the health and safety of the public and our employees from radioactive material, we have multiple barriers of protection. This defense-in-depth strategy includes the cladding around nuclear fuel pellets, the thick steel reactor and the containment building that encases all of it. For example, American nuclear power plants have four-feet-thick, steel-reinforced, concrete containment buildings that surround the reactor and multiple backup systems that function even in the unlikely event of an emergency.

The new units, which are the Westinghouse AP1000™ PWRs, are designed with

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Construction of the module assembly building at V.C. Summer Nuclear Station’s new nuclear preconstruction site concluded in late 2010. It is more than 100 feet tall, which is the equivalent of a 13-story building.

even more safety features. The AP1000™ works on the simple concept that, in the event of a design-basis accident such as a coolant pipe break, the plant is designed to achieve safe shutdown condition without any operator action and without the need for AC power. In other words, it is designed to handle a station blackout. Instead of relying on active components, such as pumps and backup power supplies, the AP1000™ relies on forces of nature, such as gravity, evaporation and precipitation to cool the reactor.

In light of the situation in Japan, steps are already under way to ensure nuclear plants in the U.S. are even more prepared for extreme events, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, floods and fires. In the short term, the NRC has directed operators of nuclear plants nationwide to verify their readiness to manage extreme events. We have done so and will continue to do so on an ongoing basis. The NRC is also conducting a Fukushima Daiichi lessons-learned review with periodic public reports. We fully support assessments by the NRC and other independent oversight authorities that further improve safe operation of nuclear reactors in the U.S., now and in the future.

What is our nuclear future?

CE&G remains committed to our nuclear generation strategy to meet the growing energy needs of our customers while reducing carbon emissions.

We have about 800 employees and contractors at V.C. Summer Unit 1, and there are nearly 1,000 employees doing early site preparation work on our new nuclear construction site.

Receipt of the combined construction and operating license from the NRC, which we anticipate later this year or in early 2012, will allow major construction to commence. We will peak at about 3,000 long-term construction workers over the course of three to four years. The two units will then add 600 to 800 permanent jobs when they start generating electricity, which is scheduled for 2016 and 2019, respectively.

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Steve Byrne is the executive vice president for generation and transmission and the chief operating officer for South Carolina Electric & Gas Company, the principal subsidiary of SCANA Corporation.

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St채ubli Corporation

JOE GEMMA

July~August 2011 Centerfold

>> CENTERFOLD

| S o u t h C a r o l i n a B u s i n e ss |

July/August 2011

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By Matthew Gregory

PHOTO GRA PH BY PAT C RAWFORD

s CEO of Stäubli Corporation’s North American Operations in Duncan, S.C., Joe Gemma occasionally meets people who ask what his company does. The condensed answer is Stäubli is a leading manufacturer of industrial robots, textile technology and quick disconnects for fluid, gas and electrical connection systems. However, this brief explanation doesn’t convey the many industries Stäubli impacts every day.

Stäubli’s couplings and connection systems are used by the racing industry and on the International Space Station. The company’s technology textiles are heavily used by the aerospace industry. The military uses Stäubli’s technology for refueling systems and air conditioning units in helicopters.

Stäubli is best known for its robotic equipment, which is used by car manufacturers, food packagers and pharmaceutical companies around the world.

“Every day, you touch a product that we had something to do with,” said Gemma.

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>> CENTERFOLD

Automation innovation JOE GEMMA / Stäubli Corporation

SANDY ANDREWS (L&R)

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tarted in Switzerland in 1892 as a family-held company, Stäubli entered the U.S. market in 1953. As the textile industry grew in the Southeast and the company experienced success in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, Stäubli Corporation was created at the end of 1979 in South Carolina. Today, the company’s U.S. headquarters in Duncan, S.C. employs approximately 200, with about 4,000 employees worldwide.

When people think of textiles, they often think of looms and old technology. However, Stäubli’s high-performance textile machines allow for state-of-the-art textile design. For example, Stäubli comprises 100 percent of the airbag market in North America. While airbags used to be woven one layer at a time, Stäubli’s Jacquard machine allows both layers to be woven at the same time, creating a safer airbag for drivers.

Stäubli’s quick couplings for pneumatic, hydraulic, fluid, cooling, breathing air, alternative fuel and electrical systems allows it to impact a variety of industries.

Many medical device manufacturers use its connectors, as does the automotive industry.

Stäubli’s quick mold change equipment is used by the plastic processing industry.

When automation technology began to grow in the 1980s, Stäubli decided to enter the robotics industry, collaborating with Unimation Inc., a renowned U.S. manufacturer of articulated robot arms. The Stäubli Group acquired Unimation Inc. from Westinghouse in 1989 and eventually relocated the automation division from Pittsburgh to Duncan. Today, Stäubli’s robots have become its most well-known products.

While flying back from Europe several years ago, Gemma made small talk with a passenger sitting next to him. After being served a meal, the in-flight movie began. The movie was I, Robot, the 2004 science-fiction film where a 2035 Chicago police detective played by Will Smith fights an army of humanmurdering robots. When the movie ended, Gemma resumed small talk with the passenger sitting next to him, who wanted to know what he did for a living. He knew the timing wasn’t right to tell her he was the sales manager of a robotics division.

“I didn’t want to say because it was not going to be understood very well,” said Gemma.

Instead of working for a robotics company, Gemma could have been fighting robots in movies alongside Will Smith. Born and raised in Rhode Island, Gemma wanted to be an actor. Plans changed when he attended Rhode Island College, where he quickly became enamored with the engineering world. After college, he started as a project engineer at a company that built pipes, supports and restraints for nuclear power plants.

He then became a systems integrator at Advanced Technology Systems (ATS), working as a project manager in the automation industry. After 12 years at ATS, Gemma began working for Stäubli in 1997 as a sales engineer in the Northeast.

After five years, Stäubli offered Gemma a new business development position at its robotics manufacturing division headquarters in France, where he worked to expand the company’s distribution channels around the globe in multiple countries, including China, Brazil and Turkey. After three years, he returned to North America as a sales manager for robotics before becoming CEO in January of this year.

From the mid-80s to the late 90s, Stäubli was a small robotics manufacturer. The company then decided to expand its robotics line.

“We started to diversify to make products for specific markets, such as

the plastics industry. We looked at markets where there were global growth opportunities, such as the semiconductor industry,” said Gemma.

One of Stäubli’s first industry-specific projects was a partnership with Sanofi-Aventis (now Sanofi), a multinational pharmaceutical company, to create robotic products for a sterilization environment. After Sanofi manufactures a batch of pharmaceuticals, it has to sterilize the environment so the next batch won’t be impacted by impurities. Most materials can’t survive in this type of environment due to corrosion, so Stäubli developed a robot to work in the harsh environment.

“When we develop our next series products, we do technology transfer meetings with our customers normally twice a year and do product planning with them. They see what our future looks like normally three years in advance, and they share with us what their product needs will be three years in advance. We can make a product that fits a specific need that still fits in our product line,” said Gemma.

Today, Stäubli makes specialized robots with applications for painting, clean rooms, plastics and machine-tools. The company also provides robots for the food industry, including wash down robots and high-speed picking robots. Stäubli’s robots are able to perform many functions that humans cannot due to safety concerns and biological limits. While a human’s wrist can rotate 85 to 90 degrees, one of Stäubli’s robotic arms can rotate 18,000 degrees in one direction.

As technology advances, Stäubli’s robots have become more precise.

Stäubli is currently working with a company on a hair restoration project where one of its robotic arms will help replace hair follicles, preventing patients from having to get laser surgery. In addition to more precise movements, Stäubli’s robots are able to safely interact with humans. The company is working with CNN on Camerobot RX160L, a fixed robot arm with a modified controller adapted to broadcasting requirements that allows unrivalled recording engineering possibilities. With a special collision avoidance system, the Camerobot can detect if someone is nearby and stop movement.

(Above Left) Stäubli covers a wide range of markets with its connectors, including the automotive, aeronautics, energy and medical industries. (Above) While airbags used to be woven one layer at a time, Stäubli’s Jacquard machine allows both layers to be woven at the same time. s c c h a m b e r. n e t | J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 1 | S o u t h C a r o l i n a B u s i n e ss |

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> > F E AT U R E

Stäubli provides robots for industrial applications, including painting, laser cutting and packaging.

In response to the expanding solar power market, Stäubli also manufactures electrical connectors used in solar panels. In 2002, prior to what turned out to be the global boom in the solar industry, Stäubli acquired Multi-Contact, a leading manufacturer of precision electrical and electronic connectors. Stäubli creates a specific junction box for the solar panels made

by Applied Materials Inc., a global manufacturer of solar photovoltaic products.

Stäubli has made education and workforce development a top priority.

The company has a mentoring program at Spartanburg Day School, where students come to Stäubli’s Duncan facility to get training from its engineering staff and work with robotics technology. Stäubli is also working with R.D. Anderson Applied Technology Center on a robotics training course. Stäubli recently donated a $30,000 robot to the Greenville Technical College Foundation, which will be used to train students taking courses in automated controls and robotics. The company also has donated robotics equipment to many other educational institutions across South Carolina, including TriCounty Technical College, Clemson University and USC Upstate.

“Part of our goal is to bring robotics technology to the educational environment so they can see what it is. We’re educating our future employees and maybe even future board members. We try to do that across different sectors with technical colleges, universities and local schools,” said Gemma. “We need the education community to come in with fresh ideas and perspective.”

Matthew Gregory is the multimedia coordinator at the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and editor of South Carolina Business.

ENERGY HELP

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WE DELIVER ELECTRICITY TO HOMES – and share our

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Martin R. – Lineman

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Green technology brings sustainable solutions, economic opportunities

By Bill Mahon e y

imag e s C O U R T E S Y scra

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s a nation, we have a strong history of bringing significant economic outcomes from innovation and technology development. Entire industries, from textiles to information technology, have advanced products and processes that have improved our nation’s capabilities, quality of life and economic well-being. Despite recent economic challenges, technology-based initiatives continue to move forward. Of considerable note is the current focus on sustainable (or “green”) energy and environmental technology.

With the South Carolina Research Authority’s (SCRA) mission to cultivate the knowledge economy of South Carolina, we develop and commercialize technologies that solve problems. As South Carolina’s knowledge economy continues to grow and expand, the sustainable technology sector is emerging in South Carolina as an area that offers a great deal for both our state and our nation. These technologies are creating quality jobs for South Carolinians and supplying much-needed solutions for our nation as we look for environmentally responsible answers to local, private, national and global issues.

SCRA has had the opportunity to work with a number of new green technologies that are performing exceptionally well. Some of these technologies have been developed by small businesses that are part of the SC Launch program, some are collaborative public-private efforts and others are for directly-contracted corporate clients. All of these initiatives are bringing exciting, useful and real business results, while improving both our state’s environment and economy.

SCRA recently announced the expansion of SC Launch company MIT-RCF’s manufacturing facility, located in Lake City. MIT-RCF’s business foundation focuses on carbon fiber reclamation. This expansion, assisted by SCRA’s ATI affiliate, represents the commercialization ramp-up of MIT’s proprietary 3-DEP™ technology, a revolutionary and disruptive process for molding pre-forms and manufacturing of finished parts from recycled carbon fiber. The company is currently

collaborating with Boeing on a project with this focus. power trains and a hybrid battery-dominant, fuel cell MIT-RCF enjoys existing partnerships and collaboratransit bus in actual university shuttle routes and city tions with BMW and General Motors, among others. transit bus operations in Columbia, S.C. Their recent investments are expected to accelerate exSCRA is also in the early stages of new waste-stream pansion with additional equipment and employment recovery contracts for corporate clients. The lead project increases at the Lake City facility, including materials is collecting methane produced from industrial waste scientists, process engineers and other technical jobs. generated by a manufacturing plant. Some of the methLocated in the Charleston area is GreenWizard, a ane is burned for energy to power the plant, and some is SC Launch company. This firm offers a web-based softconverted to hydrogen, which is used to power forklifts ware solution enabling architects, engineers and conand in-plant drayage equipment. tractors to search, compare, buy and document green Another impactful SCRA program is under contract building materials from thousands of manufacturers. with the Department of Energy to develop and apply The GreenWizard workflow platform enables users energy reduction technologies for the metalcasting into research green and sustainable building products by dustry. After commercialization rollout nationally, the each particular green attribute and search for products program’s economic model projects savings of 50 trillion based on multiple attributes. These capabilities are inBTUs per year in manufacturing and lightweighting of tegral to cost-effectively obtaining higher Leadership cast mobility products, resulting in 400 million gallons in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building of gasoline saved per year. scores. As products are researched, they can be modThese initiatives are only a sampling of the green eled against one another, or the project in aggregate, technology companies, discoveries and programs that in order to determine the best mix of materials. When SCRA has the opportunity to advance. These companies a LEED project enters the procurement stage, the and technologies are forming our future now, creating platform is utilized by general contractors and their new jobs and industries today and the capabilities for a subcontractors to source the specified materials, as truly better tomorrow. well as seek acceptable alternate products. As the project nears completion, the Software as a Service Bill Mahoney is CEO of SCRA. (SaaS) workflow allows for automatic production of LEED documentation as well as population of LEED credit templates. Lastly, GreenWizard has now formed an alliance with the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), allowing for the seamless submission and population of all materials-related documentation.

Public/private initiatives across the state include the USC-Columbia Fuel Cell Collaborative’s leadership with the National Fuel Cell Bus Program. This first-of-itskind demonstration project is testing varieties of green The Proterra EcoRide BE35 is built with a battery-electric vehicle architecture. s c c h a m b e r. n e t | J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 1 | S o u t h C a r o l i n a B u s i n e ss |

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Just show your Bank of America debit, credit or ATM card to any of the 150 participating museums nationwide on the first weekend of every month for free admission to art, science, history. Whatever it is you’re into, it’s on us.

Participating museums near South Carolina: EdVenture Children’s Museum NASCAR Hall of Fame Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture Mint Museum (Uptown and Randolph) Levine Museum of the New South Bechtler Museum of Modern Art Telfair Museums

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Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. © 2011 Bank of America Corporation. SPN-100-AD | 1.2011 | AR71V373

Business Connections South Carolina St yle

Successful business expansion plans are all about connecting the dots. As the nation’s largest publicly owned generator of electricity, Santee Cooper can provide you access to all of the power and the resources of South Carolina’s Power Team. Composed of Santee Cooper and all 20 of the state’s electric cooperatives, the Power Team is dedicated to building strategic relationships with smart, forward-thinking businesses that are looking to expand within the state. We back this commitment by delivering quality service and reliable power at some of the lowest rates in the nation. Get connected in South Carolina. Visit www.scprimesite.com/SCB.

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2/15/11 11:31 AM

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New media in the new economy

By Keely Say e

L

et’s face it. Today’s consumer is much different than he was 100 years ago or even 10 years ago. Traditional advertising costs are rising, yet traditional advertising is becoming less and less effective. What is a marketer to do in this new economy? The answer: inbound marketing.

First, understand traditional outbound marketing. or centuries, what we have traditionally understood as marketing has actually been “outbound marketing.” Marketers have flooded media, such as TV, radio and newspaper, with self-proclamatory content. Businesses have been yelling from the rooftops, “Look at me!

Look at me!” for years, and it worked when we were living in a marketer-toconsumer driven marketplace.

The marketplace has become oversaturated with this type of outbound marketing, or push messaging, and we now live in a consumer-to-consumer driven marketplace where people are empowered to choose the information they consume. As consumers, we have the power to fast forward through TV commercials with DVRs. We listen to iPods or satellite radio instead of local radio stations. We read the news for free online so we don’t have to subscribe to the newspaper. We block out telemarketers with caller ID. Traditional media is not being replaced completely, but it has certainly been expanded upon with new media options, such as blogs, social networks, RSS feeds, search engine optimization, viral video and the list goes on. It’s overwhelming for sure, but let’s begin to make sense of it.

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What is inbound marketing? nbound marketing is the practice of placing content into the marketplace, online and offline, so your target audience will find it. Content is king in the new economy, and your content must be interesting, relevant and resourceful so your audience will want to find it. Then it must be optimized for search engines and social media so your audience can find it.

The type of content consumers are looking for comes in many different forms.

Blogs provide short resources for tips and tricks of the trade. Videos present “how-to” tutorials and comedy that can go viral. Webcasts provide video tutorials or webinars for online learning. White papers and eBooks offer resourceful content for download.

Today’s successful marketer has become, in part, a teacher or entertainer.

The days of driving foot traffic into a business are rapidly being transformed with a new priority: driving online traffic to a website. Content is key in driving web traffic,

I

whether it lives on a company’s website or in its social media networks. Speaking of social networks, we cannot forget about the 150 million active users on Facebook who live in the United States or the two million who live in South Carolina. And what about the 47 million LinkedIn users in the country, one million of which are in South Carolina?

Social media plays an important role in getting content found online, and it continues to play an ever-growing role in getting found through Google and other search engines. Approach your website and social media content with an inbound marketing strategy, and you’re likely to see more positive results and an ever-increasing return on investment.

As a marketer, once you have succeeded in driving your web traffic, you don’t want visitors to leave your page without giving you something. It could be a lead in the form of an email address because they downloaded a white paper or accessed a webcast.

They could become a Facebook fan or Twitter follower. In the inbound marketing world, getting a lead is called a conversion. Conversion campaigns come in many different forms, but their purpose remains the same. We the marketer need to receive something from the consumer that allows us to nurture that relationship (i.e. lead) into a sale.

Get found. Convert. Then analyze. For example, the South Carolina State Farmers Market’s Harvest Society launched a mobile text campaign in March to offer Harvest Society members the option of receiving periodic text messages about what is coming in fresh at the market. This opt-in campaign was promoted in traditional media as well as through blog posts, a YouTube video and social media messaging. As traffic was driven to the HarvestSociety.com landing page, visitors could sign up online or simply text HARVEST to 313131. Within two weeks, more than 2,000 members had joined.

Integration is best. or businesses in today’s new economy, an integrated marketing approach that blends traditional media as well as new media strategies is optimal. It is always best to combine the two approaches into one comprehensive marketing plan. However, if your company doesn’t have the manpower or expertise, hiring someone to execute an inbound marketing plan could very well earn a higher return on your marketing investment in the long term.

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Keely Saye is a certified inbound marketing specialist who manages KeelySaye.com, which works with clients to build social networks, drive website traffic and convert traffic into leads, advocates and brand evangelists.

For more information on inbound marketing strategies for your business, stay tuned to the Chamber’s upcoming webinar series with KeelySaye. com on “The Social Media Revolution | Strategy: Inbound Marketing.”

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Care

Checkup

Health care law’s

employer mandate must be repealed B y M o o re H a l l m a r k

T

A NEW GENERATION OF SAFE, RELIABLE NUCLEAR POWER Shaw is proud to help SCANA and Santee Cooper build a new generation of nuclear at V.C. Summer Nuclear Station with Westinghouse AP1000® design—featuring unmatched safety and improved efficiency.

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he U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s top priority is jobs. Our leaders must focus on issues that will strengthen the country’s economy and create jobs, such as reining in excessive regulation and reforming the regulatory process. Particularly worrisome for business as the country struggles to regain its footing following the worst recession since World War II is the new health care law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). This law redefines health care coverage, creates new and increased taxes on the health care industry and requires businesses to provide insurance to their employees or pay stiff penalties.

Unemployment continues to hover near 10 percent, and businesses, especially small ones, remain reluctant to expand and hire new people. The uncertainty surrounding the new health care law has only compounded fears. Thankfully, Congress and the Obama Administration already addressed one of the law’s most immediate impediments to job creation by repealing the 1099 IRS reporting mandate for businesses. Now, the more significant impediment, the employer mandate, must be repealed as well.

Prior to enacting PPACA, businesses voluntarily offered health insurance to more than 156 million Americans. The employer mandate or “free rider” provision requires businesses to provide prescribed coverage, an unprecedented intrusion on employers’ freedom to develop employee benefits packages. Starting in 2014, the new law requires business with 50 or more full-time “equivalent” employees to provide government-prescribed, employer-sponsored health insurance or pay a $2,000- or $3,000-per-employee fine. If a business already offers generous health benefits deemed “unaffordable” by an employee, they will be fined $3,000 for each employee who instead receives a federal subsidy and opts to purchase coverage in the new health insurance exchange. Additionally, for the first time, the new law defines “full-time employee” as 30 hours per week instead of the longstanding definition of 40 hours per week.

This new mandate will not necessarily incentivize all employers to provide federally prescribed coverage to their full-time workers. This law penalizes businesses if they do offer coverage and if they don’t offer coverage based on the household income of their workers, forcing employers to do “back-of-the-envelope” calculations to reduce their financial risk. Without the flexibility to offer coverage that best suits their employees and their business, employers are already demonstrating a reluctance to expand, a hesitation to take on new projects that will require additional staff and a desire to limit their future exposure to the $3,000 fines by reducing the number of full-time employees, who will trigger these fines.

Bi-partisan legislation to repeal this job-killing provision, the American Job Protection Act, has been introduced in both the House and Senate. We urge everyone to contact their members of Congress and strongly encourage them to support H.R. 1744 and S. 20. It is critical that this provision be repealed so employers can focus on strengthening their businesses, hiring more workers and revitalizing the economy.

Moore Hallmark is executive director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Southeast Region.

www.shawgrp.com 10M062011D

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> > F E AT U R E

Legislative Year-in-Review continued from page 11

ployees, but many small businesses rely on the federal I-9 form or a South Carolina driver’s license. The new requirements take effect January 1, 2012.

O n the federal front : Port study funding secured .S. Senator Lindsey Graham, alongside Congressmen Jim Clyburn and Tim Scott, announced that federal funding has been secured to begin a study on deepening the Port of Charleston. The amount of $150,000 has been set aside by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a deepening study, a crucial starting point for the project. The three also said work would continue to secure funding for dredging of the Port of Georgetown.

Senator Graham noted the major impact of the announcement is that it allows the South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA) to enter into a legal partnership with the federal government (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) to share in future costs of harbor deepening. The business community aggressively advocated the need for federal dollars to study the harbor deepening project because it is critical that South Carolina’s ports are capable of accommodating the larger ships that will call on the East Coast once the widening of the Panama Canal is complete in 2014.

Senators Graham and Jim DeMint also introduced the Army Corps of Engineers Reform Act of 2011 to nt reform the way water resources projects are funded Senator Jim DeMi by eliminating the need for earmarks, focusing on national priorities and giving states flexibility to meet critical needs.

U

NLRB oversteps its bounds oth the South Carolina House and Senate introduced and passed resolutions condemning the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for filing a complaint against Boeing, which called for the facility to open a second 787 facility in the state of Washington to remedy what the NLRB calls an illegal transfer of work to non-union facilities in North Charleston.

In addition, U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint introduced the Right to Work Protection Act to protect right-to-work states and prohibit the federal government from punishing those states through contract awards or federal action. More than 20 states currently have rightto-work laws.

U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint have introSenator Lindsey Gr aham duced the Job Protection Act, a bill to preserve federal law’s existing protections of state rightto-work laws. The Job Protection Act would clarify that the NLRB could not order an employer to relocate jobs from one location to another, guarantee an employer the right to decide where to do business within the United States and protect an employer’s free speech regarding costs associated with a unionized workforce without fear of such communication being used as evidence in an anti-union discrimination claim.

B

Darrell Scott is vice president of public policy and communications at the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

Imagine

A place where tradition meets technology

REGION PROFILE

Aiken and Edgefield counties are part of the Aiken-Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) with a population of more than 500,000 and a workforce of more than 245,000.

Aiken and Edgefield counties South Carolina The Aiken and Edgefield County area is a modern community of cutting-edge manufacturing, world-changing research and development, and an unbeatable quality of life.

We have a stable workforce drawn from a population that is young and growing. We are within three hours of Atlanta and Charlotte, as well as the ports of Savannah and Charleston.

Aiken and Edgefield also offer quality and value in housing, health care, recreation and education.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Will Williams, Director wwilliams@edpsc.org Visit us today at

www.edpsc.org

TARGET INDUSTRIES CHEMICALS PLASTICS AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY HYDROGEN TECHNOLOGY

Research | Manufacturing | Quality of life

471 University Parkway | Aiken South Carolina 29801 | 803.641.3300

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Sims Recycling Solutions:

Keeping businesses and the environment safe

By Matthew Gregory

A

s of July 1, South Carolinians can no longer dump computers, monitors, printers, televisions and many other electronics in solid waste landfills due to a new regulation. However, disposing of electronics in landfills has never been a practice of Sims Recycling Solutions, the world’s largest electronics recycling company with operations on five continents.

“We’ve been recycling electronics for several years and are happy to see regulations put into place to prevent any landfilling of electronic waste,” said Steve Skurnac, president of Sims Recycling Solutions, Americas. “Many are simply unaware of the hazardous components held within e-waste and how it is contaminating our soil.”

Locally, Sims Recycling Solutions has electronics recycling facilities in Salley, North and Swansea totaling 165,000 square feet. Sims Recycling Solutions operates 13 locations in North America with a combined total of more than 1,600,000 square feet.

Every month, Sims Recycling Solutions’ Salley facility receives between 1.5 to 2 million pounds of desktops, laptops, telecom cabinets, monitors and other electronics from government and business clients.

Approximately 1 million pounds of electronics are processed onsite every month. Material is either destroyed with state-of-the-art shredding machinery or remarketed for reuse.

While many businesses have strict controls for protecting data via passwords, firewalls and security systems, many fail to properly dispose of old computers, leaving valuable data on discarded systems. Even businesses that do properly dispose of computer hardware often forget that printers, copiers, scanners and fax machines also have hard drives and flash memory.

In addition, PDAs, cell phones, routers, switches and hubs can hold network data that can leave organizations vulnerable. Because of this security risk, Sims Recycling Solutions makes the protection of customer data a top priority.

One of the first steps Sims Recycling Solutions takes when recycling computers is removing the hard drives and having them wiped according to government specifications. All data that resides on any hard drive is safely destroyed by either a sophisticated National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) approved software program or by physical destruction using inhouse shredding operations. Some computers are able to be resold once their hard drives are wiped. Sims Recycling Solutions can sell the reusable computers and share profits with business clients.

Scrap computers are completely torn down to remove precious metals, which are sent to downstream recyclers. All steel goes to local steel companies, while aluminum and copper items are sold to secondary smelters. Glass monitors, which contain lead, are sent

to approved downstream vendors so that glass tubes are properly disposed.

“We don’t ship anything to anybody unless there’s been an approved audit of their facility,” said Steve Strickland, plant manager of Sims Recycling Solutions’ Salley facility. “Our health and safety department will visit the facilities of downstream vendors and conduct audits to ensure they are handling materials Every month, Sims Recycling Solutions’ Salley facility receives between properly.”

1.5 to 2 million pounds of electronics.

This process allows Sims Recycling Solutions to recycle 99 percent of the electronics it receives, with only a small amount of leftover wood and trash. By preventing such a large amount of electronics from winding up in a landfill, Sims Recycling Solutions is making a huge environmental impact locally and globally. Many computer components are considered hazardous waste because they contain mercury, chromium, cadmium and beryllium. Computer monitors alone can contain Sims Recycling Solutions wipes hard drives according to government specifications. up to six pounds of lead.

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), it is the reemployees very seriously. The Salley facility is ISO 14001 sponsibility of the generator to determine if waste is certified (Environmental Management System), OHSAS hazardous and manage it appropriately. Businesses that 18001 certified (Occupational Health and Safety generate more than seven to eight computers a month Management System) and R-2 certified (Responsible are considered Small Quantity Generators. Businesses Recycling Practices). In addition, HEPA filters, afterthat generate more computers are Large Quantity burners and other pollution control equipment keep Generators and are subject to RCRA requirements. employees safe.

“In this case, you can be subject to civil and criminal The company’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. penalties if you were to send these computers to the Sims Recycling Solutions was listed in the Global 100 landfill in regular trash or break them intentionally as Most Sustainable Corporations in the World two years part of your disposal,” said Strickland. in a row. Considering the company’s global operations Sims Recycling Solutions offers witness destruction process more than 475,000 tons of e-waste each year, services, where clients can come in and watch their Sims Recycling Solutions is poised to continue making electronics be destroyed. At all of the company’s sites, a huge impact on the environment and on the way 24/7 video surveillance is required. At the Salley facility, businesses keep their confidential data secure. security guards are on the premises 24 hours a day, and 32 cameras are operating throughout the facility Matthew Gregory is the multimedia coordinator at at all times. In addition, metal detectors are placed at all the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and the employee entrances and exits. editor of South Carolina Business.

Sims Recycling Solutions also takes the safety of its

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C O U R T E S Y sims r e cycling

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT 26

>> MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

>> UPCOMING EVENTS

AnMed Health:

By Juana S. S l a d e

S C C C S TA F F P H O T O S

A

nMed Health was honored to receive the 2010 Excellence in Workplace Diversity Award (Medium Employer). For more than a century, AnMed Health has been an inseparable part of the Anderson community. From our modest beginning as a 25-bed hospital in 1908, AnMed Health has become South Carolina’s largest independent, not-for-profit health system with more than 40 patient care sites and roughly 3,400 employees. Anchored by the 461-bed AnMed Health Medical Center, our facilities include the 72-bed AnMed Health Women’s and Children’s Hospital, comprehensive Cancer Center, physician offices and the Cardiac and Orthopaedic Center. AnMed Health, the county’s largest employer, has affiliation agreements with Cannon Memorial Hospital in Pickens and Carolinas HealthCare System in Charlotte, N.C. In 2001, AnMed Health was one of the first health care providers in the state to dedicate full-time resources to effective diversity management.

The excellence in workplace diversity recognition validates our pioneering spirit and our commitment to diversity. Our mission and ence in 0 Excell Health.

1 0 2 vision statements affirm e cepts th rd for AnMed lade ac a AnMed Health’s comJuana S e Diversity Aw c Workpla mitment to passionately blend the art of caring with the science of medicine to optimize the health of our patients, staff and community and to be recognized and celebrated as the gold standard for health care quality and community health improvement.

These testaments are important; however, we place real value on the 10 building blocks that shape and define our day-to-day actions and organizational practices. Building Block Nine – Embracing Differentiology – reinforces our efforts by setting the expectation that we will recognize and respect the dignity and individual differences of all people, respect and protect the privacy of all patients and provide appropriate service to all patients regardless of who they are.

Differentiology, or the science of different-ness, is a term created in 2007

by AnMed Health Chief Executive Officer John A. Miller Jr. The simplicity of differentiology supports and enhances our capacity to strategically respond to the complexities of health care in the 21st century.

In 2001, AnMed Health was one of the first S.C. health care providers in the state to dedicate full-time resources to effective diversity management.

To the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, thank you for acknowledging our work.

Juana S. Slade, CDM, CFF is director of diversity and language services at AnMed Health.

Do you know any companies or organizations that have made significant contributions to moving South Carolina forward in diversity initiatives? For the seventh consecutive year, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce’s Diversity Council will recognize the state’s top companies in the field of diversity. The nomination process and awards criteria for the South Carolina Excellence in Workplace Diversity Awards are highlighted on the Chamber’s website, www.scchamber.net, under “Events & Seminars” and “Applications & Recognition.” The deadline for entries is Friday, September 9, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. The recognition event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at the Embassy Suites in Columbia.

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U P C O M I N G EVE N T S

>> UPCOMING EVENTS

Bosch Rexroth honored as Medium Manufacturer of the Year

By Michael J. McCormick

B

osch Rexroth Fountain Inn, South Carolina is proud to have been recognized as the 2010 South Carolina Medium Manufacturer of the Year. It is recognition of the cumulative efforts of all our associates over the past two decades here in South Carolina.

Bosch Rexroth has enjoyed sustained growth in Fountain Inn over the past 21 years based on excellent products produced by highly motivated associates. Our facility has grown from a small core of 30 associates and 40,000 square feet to now nearly 500 associates in over 250,000 square feet. Our hydraulic products are currently used throughout North and South America as well as exported to all regions of the world. They find applications in nearly every form of economic activity, including agriculture, mining, construcBosch Rexroth accepts the 2010 S.C. Medium tion, energy exploration and Manufacturer of the Year Award. marine propulsion.

This rapid growth is in no small part due to the pro-manufacturing policies and support from both regional and state economic development professionals. This support has been a fundamental driver for the massive investments we have made in this facility. It has more recently supported the decision to consolidate more of our North American production into this facility.

Bosch Rexroth Fountain Inn is also deeply engaged in the future development of local manufacturing professionals at all levels. From our work with fifth-graders via the national program, A World in Motion, to our machinist apprenticeship program recently benchmarked by CNN, to opportunities for dozens of university and even post-graduate Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) students, we continue to make a difference in the lives of our employees and future workforce. This outreach will be a key to our future success and growth as well as the overall growth of manufacturing in the Upstate of South Carolina.

Michael J. McCormick is vice president, technical plant manager at Bosch Rexroth in Fountain Inn, South Carolina.

The South Carolina Manufacturer of the Year Awards Luncheon is September 13 at the Embassy Suites in Columbia. Nominees will be invited to the state’s premier manufacturing recognition event where the top small, medium and large manufacturing companies will be recognized for their manufacturing excellence, economic impact, commitment to workforce development and community stewardship.

For additional information regarding South Carolina Chamber awards programs, please contact Tish Anderson, associate vice president of programs and events, at (803) 255-2627 or tish.anderson@scchamber.net.

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HR Under the Big Top

By Tish And e r s o n

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lmost 200 human resources professionals, consultants, vendors, employment law attorneys and speakers gathered for the 21st Annual Human Resources Conference, HR Under the Big Top: Be Your Company’s Ringmaster, held May 15-17 at the Marriott Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach.

“While all of the South Carolina Chamber HR Conferences have been extremely helpful in keeping business leaders and HR professionals informed on current employment and labor events, this year’s program did this and more,” said Mike Carrouth, partner in the Columbia office of Fisher & Phillips LLP, this year’s presenting sponsor. The conference opened on Sunday evening with a welcome reception, sponsored by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Human Resources Committee. Exhibitors were able to showcase their services and products while networking with prospective and current clients.

Gary Williams, vice president of human resources at Mount Vernon Mills Inc., served as conference moderator. Williams, chair of the Chamber’s Human Resources Committee, opened the conference by welcoming attendees and exhibitors to Myrtle Beach. The opening breakfast was sponsored by Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak and Stewart P.C. (Greenville, Columbia, Charleston Offices).

Fisher & Phillips LLP Partner Dan Ellzey presented the first session of the conference by taking a look at union organizing trends both nationally and in South Carolina.

He presented some compelling information regarding the United Automobile Workers (UAW) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Ogletree Deakins’ Shareholder Eric Schweitzer, with the firm’s Charleston office, presented one of the more popular sessions of the conference on what HR practitioners need to know about social networking. Austin Smith, counsel to the director and deputy director for operations at the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation, provided a comprehensive update on the department, including what employers could expect from the agency.

After a quick lunch in the exhibit hall, it was time for an interactive ethics session presented by Greg Blake of PepWorks International. The presenter outlined The 10 Demandments, a few of which included winners never cheat and don’t compartmentalize your ethics.

Haynsworth, Sinkler, Boyd P.A. shareholder Liz Speidel, with the firm‘s Charleston office, analyzed managing the absentee employee while juggling responsibilities under state and federal laws. Mike Reardon of Towers Watson presented a timely discussion on health care reform, including strategic perspective, employer’s commitment, managing costs, talent management and what the future holds.

The final two sessions of the day were presented by Randy Hatcher of MAU Workforce Solutions and Brian

Magargle of Constangy Brooks & Smith LLC. Hatcher’s presentation was on reducing costs and improving efficiency in HR departments, while Brian Magargle closed the day with a presentation on the Genetic Information NonDiscrimination Act (GINA).

Benefit Controls of South Carolina, Delta Dental and MAU Workforce Solutions sponsored Monday evening’s networking dinner, offering participants the opportunity to mingle with their peers and new contacts.

Drs. Peggy Torrey and Erica Von Nessen, both of the South Carolina Department of Employment & Workforce (DEW), kicked off the final day of the conference with an update on the new and proposed changes including the budget, Virtual OneStop, workforce development incentives and initiatives and the new unemployment tax rate structure at the DEW. A concurrent session led by Greg Blake shared practical strategies for balancing life at home and work.

Over the next two hours, participants selected two sessions to attend from five concurrent sessions, including Recent Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Activity presented

by Rita McKinney of McNair Law Firm P.A., Federal and State OSHA Update by Wilder Allen of Safety Management Corporation, Diversity Programs: One Size Does Not Fit All by Rhonda Midgette of First Citizens, Regulating the Employment Circus

by William Floyd of Nexsen Pruet LLC and Analyzing the Cost of a Union Presence by Jim Gray of Jim Gray Consultants.

The conference closed with the popular Ask-the-Attorney panel discussion moderated by Jerry Kershner of Talley Metals.

Next year’s conference has been set for May 6-8, 2012 at the Marriott Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach. Please contact Alexa Stillwell at alexa.stillwell@scchamber.net for information regarding the conference, the can’t-miss event for HR professionals!

Other conference sponsors included BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Constangy Brooks & Smith LLC, Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. and Palmetto Health.

A F T E R T H E EVE N T

>> AFTER THE EVENT

Tish Anderson is the associate vice president of programs and events at the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

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MEMBER NEWS

>> MEMBER NEWS

Adams

Buckingham

Carnley

Cason

Cull u m

Curtis

Dietz

Dobbins

Dooley

Dukes

D u s e n b ury

Gallivan

Jones

Lawson

Moo d

Neuschafer

O’Sullivan

Pickett

Prince

Rogers

Compiled by Matthew Gregory (Send publicity photos to: matthew.gregory@scchamber.net.)

R o t h e n berg

Shahid

Stoy

Abacus Planning Group Inc. has announced that Molly A. Thomas has completed all requirements for the Registered Paraplanner, RP ® credential.

Individuals who hold the RP® designation have completed a course of study encompassing the financial planning process, the five disciplines of financial planning and general financial planning concepts, terminology and product categories.

Individuals also complete a three-month long internship. Additionally, individuals must pass an end-of-course examination that tests their ability to synthesize complex concepts and apply theoretical concepts to real-life situations.

AgFirst Farm Credit Bank has named Christopher L. Jones to the position of chief credit officer. Jones will be responsible for managing AgFirst’s credit risk management function and will serve as a member of the bank’s executive committee.

Krista Good, Mary Beth Langley and Ben Stoner have been named accounting analysts with A.T. LOCKE, the rapidly growing Upstate firm providing accounting services, business analysis and financial and strategic guidance to emerging and mid-sized organizations.

AT&T has announced plans to add and upgrade cell sites across South Carolina as part of its 2011 initiative to deliver the nation’s most advanced mobile broadband experience. The South Carolina network enhancements are part of AT&T’s planned $19 billion investment in its national wireless and wireline networks and other capital projects in 2011. The investment will support plans to enable 4G speeds over an increasing portion of the country throughout the year.

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Street

Tayl o r

William Cason became president of The Cason Group on May 1, marking the company’s 20th anniversary. Former president Louie Cason is now chairman of the board. Formerly vice president of sales, William Cason has assumed the day-today operations of The Cason Group. As chairman, Louie Cason is responsible for strategic planning and setting the overall direction of the company. The Cason Group has also announced Jesse Pikus, RHU has been named vice president of finance, and Marcy DeMint has been named HR supervisor.

The undergraduate business program at Clemson University is ranked 29th among public colleges in the country, according to Bloomberg Businessweek magazine’s 2011 ranking of “The Best Undergraduate Business Schools.”

According to the list, Clemson’s undergraduate business program is the highest-ranked program of its kind in South Carolina. Clemson’s undergraduate business program also scored high among recruiters at No. 22 on the comprehensive list. Greg Pickett has been appointed associate dean of Clemson at the Falls and the Greenville initiative for the College of Business and Behavioral Science at Clemson University. Pickett has been interim associate dean since March 2010.

Collins & Lacy P.C. is pleased to announce the growth of its new public policy and consulting practice. Jon Ozmint, former director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC), joined the firm in February and is spearheading the firm’s efforts in this new practice area. Aisha Grant Taylor has been appointed to the executive committee of The Frye Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people and families that deal with

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Whisnant

Willis

diabetes and mental illnesses, as well as other charitable causes. Amy Neuschafer has joined the firm’s Myrtle Beach office.

Neuschafer is an associate practicing primarily in retail, hospitality and entertainment defense, as well as premises liability and professional liability.

ing job training and employment services to people with disabilities, those who lack education or work experience and others having a hard time finding employment. In 2010, Goodwill provided services to more than 22,000 people and placed more than 450 people into new jobs.

Rita Bragg Cullum, a shareholder in Ellis Lawhorne, has been named state chair of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) for South Carolina.

Cullum is also a fellow in the organization.

The Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the addition of Nicole Curtis as director of communications. A native of Columbia, Curtis is a seasoned communications executive with experience in brand management, corporate communications, media relations and crisis management.

Erwin-Penland (EP) has promoted Nika White to management supervisor and hired Peyton Lewis as management supervisor and Susan Tribble as client accounting manager.

The law firm of Gallivan, White & Boyd P.A. has announced that H. Mills Gallivan has been awarded the prestigious Robert W. Hemphill Award by the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association (SCDTAA) for his many years of distinguished service to the legal profession, defense bar and the SCDTAA. Steven E. Buckingham has joined the firm as an associate. Buckingham currently practices in the firm’s Business & Commercial Group.

Jill Rothenberg has joined GEL Engineering LLC as a CAD technician.

She will provide technical support to GEL’s Civil Engineering and Surveying Departments.

Goodwill Industries of Lower South Carolina celebrated Goodwill Industries Week May 1-7, with Governor Nikki Haley proclaiming it Goodwill Industries Week. For more than 30 years, Goodwill has been serving its community by provid-

Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd P.A. is pleased to announce that Francis P. (Frank) Mood has rejoined the law firm’s Columbia office as special counsel.

Mood previously served as senior vice president and general counsel at SCANA Corporation.

Hood Construction has served as construction partner for two historic restoration/preservation projects that recently received outstanding Preservation Awards from the Historic Columbia Foundation.

These award-winning projects include Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, which received a Preservation/Restoration Award and the distinguished Preservation Leadership Award, and another project located at the corner of Gervais and Pulaski Streets that received an award in the area of New Construction in a Historic Context and Adaptive Use. Jackson Lewis, one of the country’s largest and fastest-growing workplace law firms, is pleased to announce that Greenville, S.C. Partner Andreas N. (Andy) Satterfield Jr. has been named

Welcome, New Members Adams Communications Columbia

OfficePro Columbia

American Institute of Architects South Carolina Chapter Columbia

Osmose Inc. Rock Hill

Auriga Polymers Inc. Spartanburg Carolina Engineering & Conveyor Inc. Mount Pleasant Just Aircraft of Walhalla, S.C. has received the prestigious Export Achievement Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Just Aircraft established new dealers in Australia and New Zealand with the help of the Export Assistance Center in Greenville, S.C. and the centers in Australia and New Zealand. Just Aircraft also exports to South America, Canada and Europe.

The Hilton® Columbia Center, managed by Hospitality America, has been recognized as AAA Approved Four Diamond lodging, making it the only hotel in Columbia to carry this prestigious rating and one of only approximately 25 hotels in South Carolina with the designation. AAA Approved lodging must meet strict quality guidelines relative to cleanliness, comfort, security and safety. More than 31,000 properties are AAA Approved, but only 4 percent are presented with the prestigious honor of being considered Four Diamond.

to the South Carolina Super Lawyers list as one of the top attorneys in South Carolina in 2011. No more than 5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by Super Lawyers for this recognition.

Lexington Medical Center has received a significant grant from the new South Carolina Mountains to Midlands affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation to provide breast cancer screenings for uninsured and underinsured women in the Midlands. The grant totals $40,000, which will provide approximately 250 screenings and pay for transportation for the women to Women’s Imaging centers in the Lexington Medical Center network of care.

Upstate businessman Ray Lattimore,

president and CEO of Marketplace Staffing, has been elected chairman of the Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce for 2011-2012. Upstate professional Elizabeth “Lib” Street has joined Marketplace Staffing as administrative assistant to the president.

Dean Wilson has been promoted to vice president of Mashburn Construction’s Columbia Operations. Wilson, a civil engineering graduate of Clemson University, started his career with Mashburn in 1996 as a field engineer and steadily progressed through the ranks to earn this promotion.

Weston Adams III, a partner at McAngus Goudelock & Courie, has been reappointed to the board of the South Carolina Conservation Bank for a

Choate Construction Charleston C. R. Hipp Construction Co. Inc. North Charleston Globalpundits Technology Consultancy Inc. Lexington

Parks Auto Parts Inc. North Charleston Pepsi Bottling Group Columbia Pet Inc. - Dairy Group Greenville Phillips Industrial Services Corporation Goose Creek Pike Electric Inc. Mount Airy, N.C. SakiTumi Columbia

Greater Batesburg-Leesville Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center Leesville

The Salvation Army of the Midlands Columbia

Guardian Industries Corp.

Richburg

Southeast QSR Holdings LLC Augusta, G.A.

Ice Recycling LLC Florence

Staples Corporate Office Columbia

The Inn at Claussen’s Columbia

Timmons Contracting Lexington

Jason’s Deli Columbia

Verdae Properties LLC Greenville

Kolektor Fountain Inn

The Windermere Club/Fairways Development LLC Columbia

Lear Corporation Duncan Lynches River Electric Cooperative Pageland NXT Health Greer

four-year term. Adams currently serves as the chairman of the Conservation Bank, an agency of state government.

Beronica Whisnant, CCIM, SIOR has joined NAI Avant’s Office Brokerage Group. Whisnant brings more than 25 years of commercial real estate experience with a specialization in office leasing as both a landlord and tenant representative.

The South Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy has announced the addition of five new members to its Board of Trustees: Catherine Heigel, president of Duke Energy-South Carolina Region, Dr. Harry Shealy Jr., a professor of biology at the University of South Carolina Aiken, Natalma “Tami” McKnew, an attorney with

MEMBER NEWS

>> MEMBER NEWS

Woodward Governor Company Greenville ZF Transmissions Greenville

Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, Patti McAbee, a lifelong resident of South Carolina that has devoted her life of service to her family, nonprofit leadership and her community, and Dr. Doug Rayner, a biology professor at Wofford College.

NBSC, a division of Synovus Bank, has announced the selection of G. Neal Kyber to the position of executive vice president and regional executive for the Upstate Region.

Claude “Trey” Moore III was also promoted to the position of city executive for the Rock Hill market.

William A. “Bill” Prince has joined the Columbia office of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough and has become a member of Nelson Mullins’ multi-state health law department, the fifth largest health

s c c h a m b e r. n e t | J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 1 | S o u t h C a r o l i n a B u s i n e ss |

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>> MEMBER NEWS law practice in the nation. Law Business Research has recognized David E. Dukes, managing partner of Nelson Mullins, and Columbia partner James F. Rogers in the 2011 edition of the International Who’s Who of Life Sciences Lawyers. The two are the only South Carolina-based attorneys listed. Kellie Dietz, a senior paralegal in Nelson Mullins’ Greenville office, has received the Jean D. Nunn Excellence in Leadership Award recognizing her client service, personal and professional ethics, leadership and overall contributions to the paralegal program, the firm and the legal profession.

Scott and Company LLP has promoted Christina Chappell and Jeff Lawson to senior accountants, Assurance and Advisory Services in its Columbia office.

Nexsen Pruet is pleased to announce that the firm remains on The National Law Journal’s list of the 250 largest law firms in America. The numbers are based on a January survey, which showed 178 attorneys in Nexsen Pruet’s eight offices. That makes it the 220th largest firm in the country. Mary D. Shahid has joined Nexsen Pruet’s Environmental, Administrative & Regulatory Law Practice Group as a member. Shahid is based in the firm’s Charleston office.

Snelling Staffing Services of the Midlands has received a national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) from a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. The Women’s Business Enterprise certification is awarded to a business that is over 51 percent woman-owned, managed and controlled. Snelling Staffing Services, Snelling of the Midlands’ parent company, is one of the largest national staffing services with a national women-owned certification.

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart P.C. (Ogletree Deakins) has advanced 14 spots to 86 on The National Law Journal’s NLJ 250, an annual survey of the largest law firms in the United States. In 2010, Ogletree Deakins opened five new offices, bringing the total number of offices to 40. Greenville is Ogletree Deakins’ largest office, with 41 attorneys.

Ashley M. Dusenbury, director of public relations at Palmetto Health Foundation, has earned the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) distinction from the Public Relations Society of America and the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB).

Presbyterian College President Dr. John V. Griffith has announced that Raymond E. Carnley of Durham, N.C. is the college’s new vice president for advancement following a national search. Carnley is the former director of development at Barton College in Wilson, N.C. Pamela Stoy, a 20-year hotel sales veteran, has been appointed the new director of sales & marketing for the Radisson Hotel Columbia & Conference Center.

Her responsibilities include overseeing sales, marketing and advertising for the 238-room corporate group and convention hotel.

Richardson, Plowden & Robinson P.A. has welcomed Michael J. O’Sullivan as an associate attorney in the Myrtle Beach office. O’Sullivan will focus his practice in construction and insurance defense, government defense liability, civil rights and professional malpractice.

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Select Health of South Carolina has received the prestigious Multicultural Health Care (MHC) Distinction from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. Select Health operates South Carolina’s largest Medicaid health plan, First Choice, and is the only organization in the state to receive the national distinction.

Events Calendar

ADVERTISER INDEX

July 18, 2011 Diversity Council Gaston

AFL Communications.............. Inside Back Cover

July 20, 2011 Quality Forum Columbia July 21, 2011 Local/State Chamber Meeting Columbia Roundtable Meeting Columbia July 26, 2011 Chamber Tourism Committee Columbia

Manufacturers Steering Committee Columbia Midlands Membership Reception & Grassroots Meeting Columbia

Shawn R. Willis has joined the law firm of Turner Padget Graham & Laney P.A. and is based in the Charleston office. Willis’ areas of practice are transactional law, business litigation, commercial real estate and taxation law. Turner Padget Shareholder Cynthia C. Dooley has been appointed to the 2012 South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Educational Association’s Medical Seminar Committee.

August 4, 2011 Upstate Membership Reception & Grassroots Meeting Greer

The Wingate by Wyndham Columbia/ Lexington hotel has been named Outstanding Property of the Year by the Wingate by Wyndham® brand for 2010, one of the highest honors in the midscale hotel chain’s portfolio. Jeanette Lowicz, general manager, Jana Medlin, director of sales, and Jeff Buchko, vice president of sales and operations for IMIC Hotels, accepted the award on behalf of the hotel at the Co-Op Conference in Atlanta.

| S o u t h C a r o l i n a B u s i n e ss | J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 1

Alliance.............................................................1 AT&T...............................................................14 Bank of America.............................................22 Business Classic Golf Tournament...................28 Economic Development Partnership...............25 Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd P.A............................4 Membership Receptions.................................27 Moving Announcement..................................28 Progress Energy...............................................20 Santee Cooper................................................22

July 28, 2011 PR Advisory Committee Columbia

Spartanburg Water has hired Courtney L. Dobbins as human resources specialist.

In her new role, Dobbins is responsible for coordinating employee relations programs, overseeing company training programs and assisting in other human resources activities, such as benefits, performance management, public relations, interviewing and wellness.

URS Corporation has acquired BP Barber, a privately held civil engineering firm headquartered in Columbia, S.C. that specializes in water and wastewater infrastructure.

Alcoa Mt. Holly................................. Back Cover

SCANA..............................................................8 SC Interactive..................................................24 Shaw Power Group.........................................24 Sonoco............................................................12 Stäubli...............................................................6

August 2, 2011 Pee Dee Membership Reception & Grassroots Meeting Florence

August 5, 2011 Environmental Technical Committee Columbia August 10, 2011 Small Business Committee Columbia August 17, 2011 Quality Forum Columbia August 18-19, 2011 Executive Committee Retreat Columbia For additional events, log on to www.scchamber.net.

TW Telecom....................................................18 URS Corporation.....................Inside Front Cover

When your message needs to reach the largest audience, there is only one choice: SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS. The magazine of choice for South Carolina’s top executives.

Call Deidre Macklen at 803.318.3923.

Since 1984, AFL has manufactured over 680,000 miles of fiber optic cable right here in South Carolina—that’s enough cable to wrap around the world 86 times! We provide the engineering expertise, technologically-advanced products, and superior service for telecommunications, broadband, and data centers as well as the emerging markets of oil and gas, medical and industrial – just to name a few! With 600 employees right here in the Upstate, we’re proud to call South Carolina home.

www.AFLglobal.com

ALUMINUM ’ DOESN T GROW ON TREES

But at Alcoa Mt. Holly, we’re growing thousands of trees to help sustain our local environment. We’re inventing new ways to improve air quality, make our streams run cleaner and reduce our environmental footprint. We’ve reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by 90% and landfill waste by 70% since 1990, and over the past six years, we’ve decreased our water use by 25%. As a member of the SC Environmental Excellence Program, we share our environmental knowledge regularly with school groups and industries throughout the state.

It takes tons of raw material, millions of watts of energy and hundreds of engaged employees to make aluminum.

And it takes a company-wide commitment to grow trees and other living things along the way.

MT. HOLLY