Sticker Shock: In-migration feeds local real estate market's growth By Kathleen Dayton A glance at local real estate ads is all it takes to leave the average Charleston area homebuyer in sticker shock. Suddenly house hunting in the land of pluff mud and palmettos seems best suited for the financially blessed.
The art of the deal: Brokering the Magnolia project By Dan McCue The satellite photos and renderings situated on one side of a large conference room in the offices of CC&T Real Estate Services tell an ongoing story in the Charleston region.
Offshore drilling opponents spill legislation’s details By Dan McCue As a showdown nears over whether a portion of the continental shelf—including submerged land off the South Carolina coast—should be opened to oil and natural gas exploration, supporters of the move assert that those who oppose the measure are misstating the potential threats associated with such activity.
Arts a positive impact on Lowcountry’s economy By Nadia Shamsedin Is there a link between the arts and economic development? “Yes,” said Ellen Dressler Moryl, director of the city of Charleston’s Office of Cultural Affairs, who recently spoke at the South Carolina Economic Development Association conference in Charleston.
House passes, Senate considers Industry Partners Act By Shelia Watson A bill has passed the state House of Representatives and is under consideration in the state Senate that would bring companies and individuals into the South Carolina Research Authority’s process of building a knowledge economy in South Carolina.
Conference builds connections between trade industries By Dan McCue The sudden emergence of India as South Carolina’s third largest trading partner and China’s continued dominance of global trade markets are expected to be focal points of discussion at the upcoming South Carolina International Trade Conference from May 22-24 in Charleston.
$400k gets you a room with a view at ‘condotel’ By Jessica Johnson Another hotel on the Isle of Palms is for sale, room-by-room. The Palms, operated by Holiday Inn Express, went condo-hotel this year. It’s one of two hotels on the Isle of Palms beach. The Seaside Inn next door is also a condo-hotel.
Coastal Conservation League conserves time, effort By Shelia Watson The Coastal Conservation League, a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to conservation of the natural environment along the coast, is practicing conservation of its staff’s time and energy thanks to Web-based software from Blackbaud Inc.
Product placement soars as advertising medium By David L. Rawle Simon Cowell shoots down an “Idol” hopeful and sips from his Coca-Cola logo glass. The contestants wait nervously on the red sofa in the Coca-Cola Room.
Product placement soars as advertising medium By David L. Rawle Simon Cowell shoots down an “Idol” hopeful and sips from his Coca-Cola logo glass. The contestants wait nervously on the red sofa in the Coca-Cola Room.
Chocolate Affair bid lands businessman in Africa By Kathy Hagood It’s a long way from Charleston to Nairobi, Kenya, but for Bill Summers, director and vice president of the Vision Financial Summerville office, it only took a little chocolate to kick off the journey.
SC Launch! forms nonprofit organization By Shelia Watson The South Carolina Research Authority’s revamped innovation center concept, renamed SC Launch!, has incorporated into a nonprofit 501c3 organization and formed a board of directors that will provide governance and oversee investments of the program.
New airline to offer flexible flights to smaller airports By Dan McCue DayJet, a new private air carrier based in Del Ray Beach, Fla., will launch what it describes as the world’s first per-seat, on-demand jet service in the Southeastern United States by year’s end.
Belk responds to demand, expands Towne Centre store By Kathleen Dayton The Belk department store in Mount Pleasant’s Towne Centre is expanding by 20,000 square feet in an effort to accommodate the swelling population in the East Cooper area and the Greater Charleston area as a whole.
Savannah River Site’s MOX facility receives funding By Shelia Watson The Senate Armed Services Committee has fully funded the Mixed-Oxide Fuel Fabrication facility at the Savannah River Site for fiscal year 2006-2007.
Tap retired talent for board to help grow startups By Dan McCue With corporate executives retiring or semi-retiring to affluent parts of the Lowcountry, a group of civic entrepreneurs in Charleston believes it’s time for area startups to begin viewing the influx of intellectual capital as a resource.
Ask questions to develop a talented board of directors By Dan McCue It’s one thing to assemble a board of directors or advisors to help guide a startups early stages and enhance its standing in the eyes of out-of-town venture capitalists. It’s quite another to ensure that it works effectively, experts say.
The tax man cometh for online travel sites, others By Shelia Watson The Internet has made several cumbersome tasks more manageable—most notably booking travel. These days, all it takes is Internet access and a credit card to take off for a business trip or vacation.
Resistance to port’s growth reduces its national ranking By Dan McCue The public opposition to the creation of a new cargo container terminal on Daniel Island was likely among the factors contributing to the Port of Charleston dropping for fourth to seventh place among U.S. ports in terms of container volume.
Carolinks delays purchase of inland port property By Dan McCue Carolina Linkages, the Charleston-based company that has proposed creating a system of inland ports to move cargo from the Port of Charleston to facilities in Orangeburg and in an as-yet unnamed Upstate location, has extended its option to buy a substantial piece of the real estate it needs to realize its goals.
SPA: We have a plan for a new terminal in Jasper County By Dan McCue The South Carolina State Ports Authority has a message for Jasper County officials who claim the SPA is unfairly trying to thwart their plan to build a multi-million dollar container terminal on the Savannah River.
Golf industry brings in the green for state By Shelia Watson A new report from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism found that golf continues to be serious business in South Carolina, generating a total economic impact of $2.26 billion in 2004, the most recent year with complete data available.
Ashley River Center a simpler brokerage than Magnolia By Dan McCue Ashley River Center, Robert L. Clement III’s other large mixed-use development on the neck, has been a far less complicated undertaking than Magnolia.
Magnolia’s developer blends work, play By Dan McCue It is, in all likelihood, one of the more unique settings for a business meeting in all of Charleston.
Realtors: Wild ride with skyrocketing tri-county market By Kathleen Dayton With all the homebuilding going on in the Charleston area, realtors couldn’t be more pleased. Sell a $1 million property at a 5% commission, for example, and you’ve just pocketed $50,000, nearly $20,000 more than the average annual household income in South Carolina.
Telecommuters blend Southern lifestyle, higher wages By Kathleen Dayton An American flag waves over the front steps just beyond a Bradford pear tree wearing the first flush of summer green. In the backyard of this tidy, three-bedroom house on a James Island cul-de-sac, marsh grasses wave in the sun. Ruger, a four-month-old German shepherd puppy, is the first to greet guests at the door.
Council pushes community health improvement By Dennis Quick The Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments is on a mission to get the Lowcountry’s present and future workforce more physically fit and to help save South Carolina $4.6 billion annually in medical care costs, workers’ compensation costs and lost productivity.
Untreated mental illness can affect bottom line By Shelia Watson The health and well being of employees is becoming more of a concern for companies, with a variety of programs being offered as a benefit, including wellness programs, gym memberships and smoking cessation programs.
Employers warned of OSHA scam By Shelia Watson In the past few weeks, many employers have received threatening letters from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration outlining the consequences of a company’s failure to comply with OSHA regulations to post documents and posters in the workplace. The letter provides a form for ordering the posters so the company may remain in compliance.
New developments could be making you sick By Dan McCue Is all the development in the area making you sick? It very well could be, according to Tom Ogren, a nationally recognized horticulturalist and creator of the world’s first plant-allergy ranking system.
Home health care a growing Lowcountry need By Jessica Johnson As the Lowcountry population ages and as hospital stays get shorter, the need for certified home health care is growing.
Copper-based casting improves motor technology By Shelia Watson A copper-based casting technology program, headed by ATI, an affiliate company of the South Carolina Research Authority, and jointly sponsored by the Defensive Logistics Agency and the Army Research Labs in Aberdeen, Md., has shown increased efficiency ratings in electric motors that could have far-reaching effects across several industries.
Developers to make East Cooper affordable By Kathleen Dayton Amid the Charleston area’s high dollar real estate choices, some consider homes in the $200,000s affordable, although there is little new construction in that price range near the city.
Learn to manage the barely visible at a distance By Wayne Outlaw Many have learned to be good at a “hands-on management” style where they can physically see a problem or opportunity and personally energize a group to resolve or capture it. These managers bring their own knowledge and skills to bear on a situation and personally direct others.
Take the plunge: Be an entrepreneur By Ted Albenesius It’s all about small business these days. The words “entrepreneur,” “innovation” and “dedication” signal the way of the world. There are 23.5 million small business owners in the United States, and you can be one of them.
Polish your brilliance to show your best side By Barbara Poole Webster’s dictionary defines brilliance as, “the quality or state of being striking or distinctive.” As I look around the airport, I wonder about the brilliant sides of the people passing by.
People in the News Katie Rapisardo and Chris Simon have joined Glasspro Inc. Rapisardo is a marketing and administrative assistant. She was previously an administrative assistant for a major financial planning company. Simon is the human resources and quality control administrator. He previously worked for the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce.
Accolades & More Artist Margaret Petterson was featured in the April issue of American Art Collector.
Giving Back Conservation fund celebrates surpassing challenge grant
Generous supporters of the Coastal Community Foundation’s Lowcountry Conservation Loan Fund, which helps conservation groups purchase habitat and scenic land with short-term low-interest loans, surpassed a Turner Foundation Challenge “Matching Grant” of $150,000 with more than $165,000 in gifts. To celebrate the occasion, Teddy Turner hosted a barbecue for the donors at the Turner family’s Hope Plantation. Enjoying the festivities, from left, are Phillip Lammonds, Carolyn Godley, manager, Hope Plantation; Turner, Madeleine McGee, president, CCF; and John Maybank, board chairman, CCF.
Photo Finish GALLERY CELEBRATES NEW LOCATIONArt Central celebrated its grand re-opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony at its new fine art gallery located at 130 Central Ave., Summerville. Pictured, from left, Paul Bolen, Cornerstone Financial Strategies and vice chair, Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce; Yvonne Rousseau, Lila Gray Cauthen, Sarah Kuhnell, Mary Ann Bridgman and Bette Lu Bentley-Layne, artists; Mayor Berlin G. Myers; Renee Bruce, June Sullivan, Alix Kassing and Victoria Platt Ellis, artists; and Vivian Barajas, Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce.
Calendar • MAY 15: American Business Women’s Association meeting, Jessamine chapter. 7 p.m at Sweetwater Cafe, Main Street, Summerville. Information: Bretta Grant, 324-2394.
