Grocers woo Hispanic buyers By Kathleen Dayton There may be many ways to capture the business of the Lowcountry’s growing Hispanic population, but one is clearly standing out: Feed them. Scan the produce section of many area supermarkets and a variety of root vegetables in unfamiliar shapes is nudging for space amid the okra and Carolina peaches. Jicama, taro and yucca root resemble Idaho potatoes gone genetically awry. Among the plantains and chipotle peppers are fat papayas that look like something between a melon and a squash.
Unveiling the mystery of Google By Dan McCue Four months after announcing its intention to build a data center here, and four months before the facility is officially scheduled to open, Google Inc. continues to fire the imagination of many Lowcountry residents.
From surf to turf By Molly Parker A merchant mariner through his early 20s, David Cross spent countless days in ship wheelhouses, responsible for safe navigation of vessels carrying thousands of cargo containers full of goods around the world.
Vehicle carrier makes first call in Charleston By Dan McCue The hulking MV Faust, which entered service May 27 as a member of the Wallenius Wilhelmsen fleet, made its maiden call earlier this month to the Port of Charleston.
Coordination ensures safe offloading of vehicles By Dan McCue While the MV Faust was in port earlier this month, it was up to Anthony Perez, operations manager for Wallenius Wilhelmsen here in Charleston, to manage the complex but efficient loading and offloading operation.
Bank executive warms up to Charleston market By Molly Parker Peter Bristow’s first day in his new downtown corporate banking office was one of those August days that could melt the suit right off you.
Memminger Auditorium gets $6 million facelift By Kathleen Dayton Memminger Auditorium, which was the city’s only performing arts venue before the Gaillard Auditorium was built in 1968, has not been used in several years except by the pigeons and cobwebs that now call the 14,000-square-foot structure on Beaufain Street their home.
Lowndes Grove will continue to play host By Kathleen Dayton Lowndes Grove Plantation will continue in its role as one of Charleston’s most popular spots for weddings, cocktail parties and corporate fetes after selling on July 31 for $6.7 million.
Charleston life sciences boosts networking By Shelia Watson For Daniel Deckert, president and CEO of Mount Pleasant-based Nanoscreen, the meeting that would later be known as the kick-off to the Charleston Life Sciences portal was no less than a stroke of providence.
Carriage operators lose money but protect animals By Lindsay Street In Palmetto Carriage’s big red barn downtown, mules and people are vying for spots in front of the stadium-sized misting fan to escape the recent sauna-like heat wave.
Growing pains: County, town review managed growth By Lindsay Street Like others in the Dorchester and Charleston counties’ regional business community, Phillip Ford sees passage of proposed managed-growth ordinances as a devastating blow to economic development.
Maersk has no plans to abandon Charleston By Dan McCue Rumors on the waterfront to the contrary, the Maersk Shipping Line is not about to board up the doors and windows of its operations in Charleston and take its business elsewhere, company representatives have confirmed.
Study seeks efficiency, safety for land around bases By Shelia Watson A U.S. Department of Defense program that examines positive and negative effects of military installations on surrounding communities was the focus of a recent presentation at the Charleston Metro Chamber’s North Area Business Connection meeting.
GPS systems likely to be installed in school buses By Molly Parker The S.C. Department of Education expects to award a $1.7 million contract to a California company to outfit all state-owned school buses with GPS tracking systems to monitor bus drivers’ performance.
Lowcountry facilities instrumental in study on copper By Shelia Watson Ralph H. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Medical University of South Carolina will be on the front lines of the battle to reduce the number of hospital-acquired infections.
Q&A with Pam Zaresk, area port director By Kathleen Dayton Pam Zaresk never dreamed her first job in an administrative position would one day place her in the midst of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack and lead her to top management positions at U.S. ports along the East Coast. Today, her boss is the president of the United States.
The big guns of IT security By Shelia Watson Dave Ramsey is careful not to overstate the defense capabilities of the South Carolina Research Authority’s vast computer network.
What’s in the Defense Department’s holster? By Shelia Watson Its stated pledge leaves no doubt about what the organization does and why:
“Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Charleston provides command, control, computers, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance engineering and integrated solutions to the warfighter. Our speed-to-capability in support of DOD and the global war on terror offers an invaluable return on investment to our customers.”
DOD marches forward with technology By Shelia Watson Technology is crucial to the military, but the breakthroughs in technology are not always with weapons systems.
Wi-Fi network demonstrates benefits By Shelia Watson A company vying for the right to provide the city of Charleston’s municipal wireless network had an opportunity recently to showcase its capabilities as a critical communications link during a disaster.
State’s campaign finance reports to go online By Molly Parker South Carolina citizens next year can expect to have online access to lawmakers’ campaign finance disclosure reports, a feature already offered by nearly every other state in the nation.
YWCA head aims to improve local women’s lives By Holly Fisher At the corner of Calhoun and Coming streets in downtown Charleston, women from the Lowcountry are gaining a sense of empowerment.
Why it’s about the why By John Carroll There’s a secret ingredient that can make all the difference in getting things done through others. It’s not about asking nicely, although that’s important. It’s not about providing steps one through five in detail, either. It’s not even about adding some sort of tangible incentive for the task’s completion.
Recent acquisitions reflect Internet ad boom By David L. Rawle A wild shopping spree has been going on. First, Google paid $3.1 billion to buy DoubleClick, an 11-year-old company that provides ad agencies and marketers with the ability to traffic, target, deliver and report on their Internet advertising campaigns.
Armored-vehicle manufacturers in a legal scrap By Dan McCue Armored-vehicle manufacturer Force Protection Inc. is suing competitor Protected Vehicles Inc., charging the latter with stealing its trade secrets.
ArborGen goes for $60M acquisition deal By Dan McCue ArborGen LLC, the Summerville-based R&D company renowned worldwide for its tree genetics work, has agreed to acquire the commercial nursery and seed orchard businesses of International Paper, MeadWestvaco and Rubicon Limited in New Zealand and Australia.
Trade Center developer to relocate to North Charleston By Dan McCue Mark Condon, former director of the S.C. World Trade Center, promised the local importing and exporting community that it wouldn’t be losing him when he accepted a new position last year with a development firm.
Aerospace giant to be partner in new facility By Dan McCue SKF Aerospace, a leading manufacturer and supplier of bearings, seals and other aircraft components is the majority stakeholder in the joint venture planning a new manufacturing facility in Palmetto Commerce Park in North Charleston, according to aviation industry sources.
Protected Vehicles issues response to lawsuit By Dan McCue Protected Vehicles Inc. of North Charleston came out swinging this morning—at least in the court of public opinion—issuing a written statement charging that Force Protection’s lawsuit against it is “frivolous” and an attempt to “stifle lawful competition” vital to the war against terrorism.
