Water controversy threatens to dry up constructions jobs By Dennis Quick Contractor Chuck Bennett, president of Charleston-based Chuck Bennett Contracting Inc., fears a sorrow-filled Christmas for his home-construction crews.
North Charleston finalist for EADS plant By Matthew French The European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. announced earlier this month that North Charleston has been selected as one of the finalists for a new aircraft manufacturing plant that could bring more than 1,000 jobs to the Lowcountry region.
Removing tariff no small problem for area shrimpers By Matthew French South Carolina shrimpers are struggling to stay afloat. Having recently won harsh tariffs imposed on foreign competition that dumps underpriced products on the market, the potential roll back of this tariff by the U.S. International Trade Commission on countries hit hard by the recent tsunami could further sink this struggling industry.
Traffic tie-ups cost businesses in lost productivity By Bob Bouyea I am angry. No, more than that, I am incensed. My ire was raised recently as I tried to get home to attend my daughter’s choir concert that her middle school was presenting at 7 p.m.
Urban redevelopment rejuvinates Park Circle area By Dennis Quick White clapboard houses sit abandoned waiting demolition along Mixon Avenue in North Charleston’s Park Circle area. These homes were built by the federal government in 1941 for shipyard workers and military personnel and are to be transformed into a 44-acre mixed-use neighborhood.
Enough with economic development studies; let’s act By Dennis Quick In summer 2002, the local chambers of commerce and the Charleston Regional Development Alliance hired economic development consultant Ed Morrison to tell us what was wrong economically and how to fix it.
BRAC and beyond: Playing the game both ways By Bill Settlemyer The column you are now reading was written prior to the release of the
dreaded BRAC list of proposed closings of military facilities around the country.
Budget must repay debts before increasing spending By Gov. Mark Sanford The common thread between a family, business and government budget is that none are perfect. The important questions are: Does the good outweigh the bad, and is there room for improvement?
Letter to the Editor It is obvious that Al Parish, like so many others offering opinions on the South Carolina State Ports Authority expansion, suffers from myopia.
National clothier establishes distribution center By Matthew French The manufacturer of clothing brand Fruit of the Loom announced earlier this month it will build a distribution center in the Lowcountry, citing the region’s strong tax credits, available workforce and port facilities.
Morris Square project meets housing’s high demand By Dennis Quick What was once a pair of vacant lots straddling the Radcliffeborough and Elliotborough neighborhoods in downtown Charleston will become Morris Square, a $25 million upscale development.
Region’s industrial growth booming, creates area jobs By Dennis Quick In April, Tri-State Hydraulics Inc., a hydraulics components manufacturer based in Charleroi, Pa., announced plans to open a Moncks Corner facility that would create 12 new jobs.
Make a life, not a living By Barbara Poole I have a friend who, by all accounts, should be in paradise right now. Mike recently took early retirement from a major technology organization after serving as one of their chief scientists for many years.
Leaders reap what they sow By Jack Hoey Parents know what it is like to recognize themselves in their children. It can be a characteristic expression or gesture, or a way of walking or standing, or how they swing a baseball bat. It can also be an approach toward problem solving or to relationships.
News Briefs Verizon Communications Inc. reported first-quarter 2005 earnings of $1.8 billion, or 63 cents per diluted share, as quarterly revenues increased 6.6%, driven by the fifth consecutive quarter of more than 20% total revenue growth year-over-year at Verizon Wireless.
Regional economists question employment figures By Matthew French When the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced its January unemployment figures, people in the greater Charleston area found the population of workers had shrunk while the number of unemployed people had simultaneously grown.
South Carolina Legislature increases incentives to lure filmmakers, TV producers By Kim Chen Wiseman The movie business is just that—a business. To draw this big business, state governments are being lobbied for new or amended legislation that either greases the wheels to draw more movie productions to its state or to keep what it already has. South Carolina’s government is no different.
Green not always the color of Spoleto for art galleries By Matthew French With Spoleto less than two weeks away, some galleries, studios and other small businesses associated with the arts are polishing their shoes and rolling out the red carpet.
Charleston retail strategy keeps pace with Gibbs’ recommendations By Dennis Quick In April, when national clothing retailer Brooks Brothers opened its first South Carolina store on downtown Charleston’s King Street, the city’s main commercial corridor, the event fit to a “T” a recommendation made by nationally known urban retail developer Robert Gibbs.
State sales tax growth lags behind national average By Martin Sinderman Reflecting the state’s slower economic growth relative to the rest of the nation, the pace of increases in general sales tax collections in South Carolina is below the national average, according to a recent report.
Convert ‘Plan, Do, Review’ into 21st century success By Jeffrey Gitomer In the early days of sales, the methods, tools and systems were simple. There was no sophisticated technology for communicating or collecting money. No credit cards, no computers, no Internet, no cell phones and no DVDs. Still, sales were made.
Fifth time is the charm By Elizabeth Boineau You have heard that the third time is the charm in the game of life. Maybe you perfect your skills by the third try, or maybe three is a lucky number, but in marketing, three times is not enough when it comes to influencing your target audience.
Treatment of others determines your results By Wayne Outlaw When leading workshops, I often ask participants to recall the first executive or manager they worked for and to write down words that best described the person. Immediately, I have a clear idea of what people thought of their first executive because facial expressions give away the answers. Faces show affection, dislike and sometimes anger.
Better workers, more funding keys to entrepreneurial success By Dennis Quick A skilled workforce and access to venture capital are among the Lowcountry’s Top 5 needs to become a stronger region for entrepreneurs, according to local business leaders.
Sneak wellness into your day By Honor Hawkins Being healthy takes time. When you are at work on deadline, grabbing 60 minutes of exercise and whipping up a balanced lunch seem as likely as climbing Mt. Everest and growing your own organic vegetables.
Remove excuses, reinforce accountability By John Carroll From the departments of having too much of what we don’t need and too little of what we do, comes excuses and accountability, respectively. The weather, the customers, the suppliers, the budget, the schedule, the people; too much confusion, too many mistakes, too many delays; too little listening, too little appreciation, too little incentive … a litany of excuses, laid end to end, could encircle the earth several times. Conversely, accountability seems increasingly rare at work and throughout society.
Calendar MAY 16: Legal Staff Professionals of the Lowcountry membership and educational meeting. 6-8 p.m. at Sunfire Grill Restaurant. Speaker: Linda Seabrook, attorney. Topic: Criminal domestic violence. Cost: Free. Information: Kathleen Woodworth, 720-4601.
Appointments Joseph R. Wren Jr. joined Charleston Southern University’s board of visitors. Wren, an attorney with Legal Professionals in Mount Pleasant, will serve on the board until Dec. 31, 2008.
People in the News Howard Martin joined MeadWestvaco’s Kraft Division as production manager for the North Charleston mill. He is responsible for safety, regulatory compliance, product quality, production tonnage and cost management. Martin has more than 29 years of experience within the paper industry. Most recently, he was production manager at Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. in Stevenson, Ala.
Giving Back For the 18th year, WCBD-TV News 2 broadcast the annual Carolina Children’s Charity Telethon.
Photo Finish Sea Island Habitat for Humanity hosted a “Sailing to the Sea Islands and Beyond” auction and dinner at the Sanctuary on Kiawah Island.
