Report to Charleston: Take determined action By By Matthew French An Austin, Texas, company has charted an aggressive economic development strategy in a recently released report to the Charleston Regional Development Alliance.
SPA awards study contracts worth more than $1.5 million By By Matthew French More than a year before it expects to receive permits from the Army Corps of Engineers to begin construction on a marine terminal at the former Charleston Naval Base in North Charleston, the South Carolina State Ports Authority has authorized roughly $1.6 million in studies to determine the construction costs and environmental impact of the proposed project.
South Carolina education may not be as bad as you think By Editor's Notes Recently I attended a Business Journal forum on the topic of nurturing entrepreneurial efforts. The room was filled with entrepreneurs who have taken great risk to provide a service at which they have become successful.
New MUSC hospital to mix high-tech care with ‘homey’ feel By Dennis Quick Consider operating rooms with flat screens displaying patient information to surgeons. Imagine hospital rooms with televisions patients can program to contact and communicate with hospital staff.
City developments need Community Benefits Agreements By Dennis Quick Affordable abodes. If Porgy, Bess, Sportin’ Life and the other characters in Dubose Heyward’s Porgy and Bess were to emerge from the pages of folklore and take a carriage tour of downtown Charleston’s Church Street area—Heyward’s inspirational setting for Catfish Row, where his characters lived—the real estate prices in their once humble neighborhood would blow them away.
The Angelou report: Failure is an option By Bill Settlemyer Anyone who has seen the movie Apollo 13 probably remembers the quote attributed to mission director Gene Kranz. Faced with the grim odds against bringing a crippled spaceship and three astronauts home safely, Kranz yelled, “Failure is not an option!”
Managing expectations By John Carroll Consider the following two statements: “I’m thrilled that the Pittsburgh Steelers went 16-2 last season. They came from a 6-10 finish a year earlier and set a team record with 15 straight wins. It was an enjoyable year.”
Corridor Roundtable to help entrepreneurs succeed By Brittain Phillips The entrepreneurial spirit—that zeal for pursuing new, ambitious business opportunities—is often strongest in a particular type of person. Entrepreneurs are a driven people; a breed of individuals who are, by and large, willing to throw the brunt of their business aspirations on their backs and go it alone for as long as necessary, or as long as possible.
Wedge politics are alive and well in South Carolina By Andy Brack South Carolina politicians seem to continue to use religion to push partisan political positions, but a new book reminds people that God is neither a Democrat nor a Republican.
Hagemeyer’s new home a ‘sign of confidence’ By Bob Bouyea The future of Hagemeyer North America was uncertain just a few years ago as the company posted negative returns for 12 consecutive quarters.
Bill would accelerate reuse of vacant retail facilities By Martin Sinderman Legislation providing tax credits for the redevelopment of vacated retail “big boxes” and shopping centers would probably have little impact on the Charleston metro area over the short term. But given the nature of these properties and the retailers that occupy them, it might prove to be a useful tool in the not-that-distant future.
Ethical efforts: Trust your instincts By Bruce D. Murdy Can we, as marketers today, practice good business ethics? Or, as some see marketing, are we “pandering to ones’ desires for things that are bad for us?”
Charleston architect firm receives AIA honors By Business Journal staff Charleston’s Schmitt Walker Architects Inc. recently received these awards for its residential designs from the American Institute of Architects, South Carolina Chapter, at the 2005 Spring Conference of AIA South Carolina held in Columbia.
News Briefs Newton Farms, Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co.’s largest endeavor yet, held its Grand Opening April 27. Newton Farms is the anchor tenant of Freshfields Village, a 60-acre shopping village located near the entrances to Kiawah and Seabrook islands.
Army Corps of Engineers commander to leave post, no successor named By Matthew French The Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston Division, will soon be losing its commander for the past two years, Lt. Col. Alvin B. Lee. An Army Corps spokesperson late last month confirmed that Lee will be replaced in a change-of-command ceremony on June 3, but did not say who Lee’s replacement will be. The Pentagon similarly had no information about Lee’s successor.
IRS code spurs property investments, defer taxes By Carol MacDonald Peggy Whitaker and her husband, P.J., owners of Natural Resources, have sold half a dozen parcels of real estate in the past half dozen years, always with a gain, but never with a tax bill, at least not yet.
Regional, statewide challenges could delay economic development efforts By Matthew French With the recent release of an economic development roadmap for the tri-county area, the Charleston Regional Development Alliance now has its work cut out for it and obstacles to overcome to realize economic development success.
Development alliance sets priorities for next 5 years By Matthew French Now that the Charleston Regional Development Alliance has its action plan in place that dictates its direction for the next five years, the organization needs to determine how it is going to prioritize its five-pronged mission.
State gives local affordable housing $1 million boost By Dennis Quick The South Carolina Housing Finance and Development Authority recently gave $1 million to the Charleston Housing Trust, a nonprofit organization formed last year to fund and promote affordable housing in the tri-county area.
Has your organization had an oil change lately? By Jack Hoey When I acquired my first car, my dad was at pains to impress on me the importance of regular oil changes. If I made sure to have the oil changed every 5,000 miles (now the recommended interval is 3,000 miles), my car would run better and last longer. Nothing else is as important to a car’s reliability and longevity.
CHATS approves long-range transportation plan By Matthew French The Charleston Areas Transportation Study Policy Committee recently approved the organization’s long-range transportation plan, which includes hundreds of millions of dollars for projects over the next 20 years.
Legislature to do away with many Sunday ‘Blue Laws’ By Matthew French Did you happen to buy your television on a Sunday? How about a can of paint? If so, and you live in Berkeley or Dorchester counties, there’s a good possibility you’ve broken the law.
As Lowcountry population grows, so do community banks By Dennis Quick Tidelands Bank, a community bank based in Mount Pleasant, has seen its assets soar from $28 million in late 2003, when the bank opened, to more than $75 million by the end of 2004.
Wave of consolidations calls for technologies integration By Zac Freeland After a brief lull, the consolidation trend within the banking industry is roaring back with full force, as mergers and acquisitions in the financial sector are expected to pick up the pace in the coming months.
Small businesses could benefit from bankruptcy reform bill By Dennis Quick U.S. financial institutions and other creditors hail the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 as a measure that will help limit the loss of money owed them and subsequently save consumers from paying higher interest rates and increased costs for goods and services.
Press releases a fast, free way to get the word out By Andrea Watkins Press releases are a fast, information-packed, free way to let the public know all kinds of things that are happening in your firm. Submitting a photo with a press release will garner even more attention to the information printed. Newspapers across the state have a standard format that can either be requested from them directly or downloaded from their websites. This publication even includes a section for press releases.
Networking for shy types By Barbara Poole We all know those people who seem to have been born knowing how to work a room. They make their entrances with incredible ease and million-dollar smiles.
People in the News Michael H. Schwartz will join the faculty of the Charleston School of Law in August. Currently, Schwartz, the director of the Western State University College of Law’s “STELLAR” law student program, teaches courses in contracts, remedies and insurance law. He also is the author of Expert Learning for Law Students.
Calendar MAY 2: Charleston Contractors Association meeting. 6:30 p.m. at the CSS Hunley at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center. Speaker: Sen. Glenn McConnell. Topic: “How contractors can effectively use the legislative process.” Cost: $40 at the door. Information: Linda, 552-0150, Ext. 202 or www.charlestoncontractors.org.
Giving Back The Center for Women hosted its fourth annual “It’s In The Bag” purse auction April 7. About 500 guests bid on 100 purses, raising $21,000 to support the Center for Women programs and services. Pictured, from left, are Tammy McCottry, YWCA director; Jennet Robinson Alterman, Center for Women director; Guilds Bennett; and Paula Griffin.
Accolades & More Curd Enterprises Inc. was recognized by OSHA’s South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation for its achievements in the area of safety management programs. Curd Enterprises became an OSHA Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program site in February, following months of work in which safety became a key feature of Curd’s culture. Curd Enterprises designs and manufactures custom plastic components.
Photo Finish Advertising Federation of Charleston refocused its annual ADDY awards to a multimedia showcase at the Old City Jail. The local ADDY awards recognize exceptional advertising created in the Charleston metropolitan area and are the first of a three-tiered national competition. Pictured are Lucas Smith, Rich Yessian and Helen Lee Smith with Blue Ion, an award winner.
