Calendar DEC. 11: ThinkTEC Homeland Security Task Force. 3-5 p.m. at the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. Information: Emily Brown, 843-805-3042 or ebrown@charlestonchamber.org.
Accolades & More The Carolina Lowcountry Chapter of the American Red Cross has welcomed three local business and community leaders to its board of directors: Sid Boone of McNair Law Firm; Ted Creech, regional director of AT&T South Carolina; Louise Kohlheim, a full-time mother. Kent Thune, registered investment adviser and president of Atlantic Capital Investments, is the first individual in the state of South Carolina to earn the Qualified Plan Financial Consultant credential from the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries.
People in the News Bryan Finch has joined Chastain Construction as a superintendent and Belinda Cook has joined as an executive assistant. Finch has more than 10 years in the construction industry. Cook is a licensed real estate agent.
Energy: The end of the oil fiesta? By Bill Settlemyer What if a gallon of gas cost $10? Would that change your driving habits or affect your purchase of your next car or truck? Even worse, what if a worldwide shortage of oil led to declining access to petroleum products and gasoline was rationed? What would you do then? Would you carpool, walk or bike more, try public transportation, take fewer trips?
Local retailers remain optimistic for holidays By Kathleen Dayton When Belk opened its Citadel Mall store at 5 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving, district manager Susan McWaters found 400 people waiting to get in. Even with such glowing Black Friday reports from the front lines of sales floors across the area, local retailers have major questions about 2007 holiday sales. Will record high gas prices cause shoppers to cut back on spending? Has the subprime mortgage crisis left so many homeowners in foreclosure that they won’t be able to shop?
Prisons lock up tax dollars By Scott Miller Virginia once faced the same costly problem with prison overcrowding that South Carolina is dealing with now. Now, Virginia leases nearly 1,200 beds annually to other states, said Rick Kern, director of the state’s Criminal Sentencing Division.
Noisette gets deal for improvements By Molly Parker After months of wrangling over the details, North Charleston City Council signed off on a financing plan in late November that will allow the Noisette Co. to undertake a $165 million public works construction project at the former Charleston Naval Base.
King Street alight with neon memories By Kathleen Dayton Sign, sign, everywhere a sign. So sang the Five Man Electrical Band back in 1970, and so it was on King Street decades ago, when business after business blinked with bold ribbons of neon.
James Island development plan seeks zoning change By Scott Miller The tomato fields at Grimball Farms near the Stono River became a target for development when the city of Charleston annexed that section of James Island in 2000.
Fraser never lets fear get in the way of learning By Scott Miller Chris Fraser’s reach stretches far beyond the realm of commercial real estate in the Lowcountry. The cofounder of Grubb & Ellis Barkley Fraser in Charleston has also made a name for himself as a dancer on the ballet stage, as a performer in the Piccolo Spoleto festival, as a triathlete and, soon, as a chef. He’ll graduate with a culinary arts degree from Trident Technical College in May.
ATD deal value drops with stock prices By Dan McCue Citigroup’s billions of dollars in mortgage-related losses and its lack of a CEO haven’t stalled the banking giant’s integration of Automated Trading Desk into its global equities business. But those hurdles have been rough on the net worth of the investors who received Citigroup stock as part of the merger deal.
New DHEC design standards allow more development on problem soils By Kathleen Dayton When a piece of property north of Goose Creek wouldn’t allow developers to use a traditional septic system, they worked with engineers to use the site’s natural characteristics and find a wastewater treatment solution rather than force the site to adapt to a design that would have allowed fewer homes.
Conservation League sues to stop base terminal By Dan McCue The S.C. Coastal Conservation League is ratcheting up its battle against the proposed construction of a new cargo container terminal at the former Charleston Naval Base by suing the Charleston District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in federal court.
Folbot floats marketing strategy By Kathleen Dayton The new owners of a business that makes foldable boats sold in a bag plan to quintuple annual sales as soon as they can but have a more modest goal of doubling those figures immediately.
Al Parish’s spouse, children offered immunity deal By Dan McCue Yolanda Yoder, wife and investment business partner of disgraced economist Al Parish, will give up all she has of value—including the jewelry she wore on her wedding day—under a proposed agreement that would shield her and her children from litigation related to her husband’s misuse of more than $50 million in investors’ funds, in exchange for a $10 fee.
Broad Street buildings being brought back to life By Kathleen Dayton If any ghosts are lurking at 93 and 97 Broad St., they may soon have to find new haunting grounds. Restoration has begun on the two buildings, which date to the 18th and 19th centuries and were purchased from the city of Charleston in August 2006 for $650,000.
Commerce parks hold promise for contractors By Dan McCue A rash of local investments by firms in the logistics and commerce park industry could have a profound effect on local contractors, but the real activity won’t start to become evident until 2009 or 2010, according to a longtime veteran of the construction industry.
Modular home company gaining ground locally By Holly Fisher It might seem unlikely that a 6,500-square-foot luxury home could be constructed in a warehouse in St. George, but that’s exactly what workers at Signature Building Systems Inc. are building these days.
Pavers make their way into the downtown area By Kathleen Dayton The city of Charleston has approved a new paving material for a couple of little-traveled downtown streets, lending an antique look to a new neighborhood and possibly creating a future trend for infill neighborhoods.
Clemson designs a winner By Scott Miller A study abroad program helped Clemson University’s graduate program in architecture rank 10th in the United States, according to a poll of firms that hire graduates.
Area hospitals expand with regional population By Molly Parker The area’s major hospitals are engaged in a game of one-upmanship as they angle for prime locations in neighborhoods that are expected to bustle with the population boom forecasted for the next few decades.
Board retreats can add new energy, purpose By June Bradham Q. I’ve been organizing our board retreats for three years and they’re getting stale. What’s their purpose and can I organize one that’s informative but not a two-day chore?
Why your brand isn’t really yours anymore By David L. Rawle You’ve heard of Facebook and MySpace. You may have seen a blog or two. And if you own an iPod (and most of us do), it’s likely you know what a podcast is.
How the best get better By John Carroll The Japanese have a word for it—kaizen. It means continuous and incremental improvement. The top performers, those who accept the best and nothing less from themselves and their organizations, live kaizen as an essential part of their lives.
Today's Profile: Terry Brown, Trident United Way By Kristen Poland Old age is not for sissies. A plaque in Terry Brown’s office announces this to all who enter. The phrase serves as an understanding, and also as a ground rule. As vice president for senior services at Trident United Way, Brown understands aging can be difficult physically and mentally, but he believes that if they work hard, people can continue to enjoy life well into their golden years.
Today's Profile: Meghan Stein-Webster, Ecogeneration By Kristen Poland Meghan Stein-Webster simply lights up when she talks about her daughter, Clare. “She’s so girly,” laughed Stein-Webster, a native Pittsburgher who’s fanatic about her Steelers. “I’m not sure where she gets it, but she’s only 2 and she refuses to go out if her clothes don’t match.”
