Faces of global trade By Dan McCue With their ship, the 856-foot-long Sealand Value, muscled up against its berth, crewmen clad in orange coveralls were preparing to have its cargo of wine, cheese, chocolates and animal hides off-loaded at the Wando Welch terminal in Mount Pleasant.
“It’s been a very busy morning,” one of the crew told the Rev. Len Williams and his party of volunteers as he stepped from the gangway and onto the vessel’s deck.
Space: The final frontier By Shelia Watson Of all the details occupying the entrepreneur’s thoughts, finding work space that is conducive to innovation and productivity usually ranks among the most frustrating.
The Ponds expands mixed-use concept in Summerville By Kathleen Dayton Picture a new development with homes big and small, a neighborhood school, recreational facilities, shops and restaurants, acres of live oaks and natural areas full of walking trails. No, this isn’t Daniel Island. It's Summerville.
Navy base evolving into artisan, designer enclave By Dennis Quick Dave Dawson, founder of The Urban Electric Co., a lighting-fixture designer and manufacturer, is all smiles about the nearly 30,000-square-foot space his company soon will occupy on the former Navy base.
America’s new economy under construction region-by-region By Bill Settlemyer It’s not a bad thing to live in a city that’s rated as one of top five destinations by readers of magazines like Travel+Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler. For one thing, I can visit my own city any time and not worry about high airfares.
State looking at ways to take bites out of crime By Andy Brack When the Legislature returns in January, one of the first things lawmakers likely will consider is how to take a bigger bite out of crime.
Big-ticket items expected to star during sales tax holiday By Kathleen Dayton It’s been only a few months since the state’s last sales tax holiday, but soon consumers will have a second chance to walk away from the cash register with tax-free purchases.
Port City Glass celebrates 15 years and keeps growing By Dennis Quick In 1991, Blake Pearce and Alton McCullough left the banking industry to become entrepreneurs. They exchanged their suits and ties for the more casual business attire of the construction industry, and it was within that industry that they formed Port City Glass & Mirror Inc. in Charleston.
Urban Land speakers preach gospel of sustainable tourism By Kathleen Dayton King Street’s Riviera Theater hosted more than 200 people during a recent conference presented by the S.C. District of the Urban Land Institute, a 70-year old organization dedicated to responsible land use.
Continuity Council draws blueprints for disaster prep By Shelia Watson Most companies use a variety of tools to plan for success. But planning for disaster may be the critical success factor that determines whether a company will last.
Supercomputing network on its way to South Carolina By Shelia Watson Plans are under way for a collaborative supercomputing network that will crisscross the state, connecting several research institutes, including the state’s universities and colleges.
Plans, timeline in place for bioengineering facility By Shelia Watson The Medical University of South Carolina’s bioengineering center, which the director of the South Carolina Bioengineering Alliance called “a key to moving the state bioengineering program forward,” is getting closer to reality.
‘FlightLink’ idea takes off with SPAWAR, SCRA on board By Shelia Watson FlightLink, an idea bank that has forged a link between the South Carolina Research Authority, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Charleston, the state’s three research universities and other research and technology institutes, has lifted off.
Optimistic outlook from area’s venture capitalists By Lindsay Danzell Adrian Wilson, managing general partner of the Trelys Fund, and who recently joined the North Carolina-based Aurora Funds team, is more optimistic about South Carolina’s economic future than ever before, he said.
Economic research validates region’s development efforts By Dan McCue Ross C. DeVol may not have roots in the Lowcountry, but he’s a firm believer in the steps the region has taken to step out from under the weight of the closure of the Charleston Naval Base 11 years ago.
Charleston lands planning director from Bluffton By Kathleen Dayton Something happened to Josh Martin on his way to law school, and he now heads Charleston’s newly formed Department of Planning, Preservations and Neighborhoods.
Endowed chairs:Developing knowledge-based economy a long haul By Dan McCue South Carolina is closing ground on other states in terms of translating its cutting edge research into high-paying, knowledge-based jobs, but it could take as long as a decade to overtake them, according to Clemson University President James F. Barker.
Bureaucratic interpretation blocks Angelou funding By Dan McCue The tri-county region’s hopes of receiving close to $6 million to implement the recommendations of the AngelouEconomics report and other jobs-related initiatives has been thwarted, at least for the time being, because the S.C. Department of Commerce was slow in spending federal funds intended to benefit dislocated workers.
FastTracSC poised for Charleston return after statewide expansion By Dan McCue FastTracSC, the comprehensive education program for entrepreneurs that bowed in the Lowcountry two years ago, will be coming back to Charleston in January after a series of courses that expanded the program across the state.
These four simple words, uttered by former Sen. Ernest F. “Fritz” Hollings early on in “Crossing the Charleston Bar: A Contemporary History of the Charleston Bar Association,” a new documentary produced by the Charleston County Bar Association, not only define the theme of the 70-minute film, but says much about the reason it was made.
Vista Sands apartments purchase a record buy By Dennis Quick The $31 million purchase of the 280-unit Vista Sands apartments in Summerville by an affiliate of investment giant J.P. Morgan in October marked the most ever paid for a Charleston-area apartment complex not slated for conversion to condominiums.
ThinkTEC’s network matches executives, entrepreneurs By Shelia Watson A new program launched by the Charleston Metro Chamber’s Innovation division will place retired executives in a role of helping entrepreneurs. But the role will be more than merely mentoring. When the retirees go back into the business arena, they will be literally back in business—in management positions inside the companies.
Regional economic outlook points upward for 2007 By Dennis Quick More residents will be employed, more homes and commercial buildings will be constructed, more cargo will pass through the Port of Charleston and more visitors will keep the area’s tourism industry rolling.
Benefitfocus shoots for $1 billion in revenue by '15 By Dennis Quick Shawn Jenkins, president and CEO of health care administrative software company Benefitfocus.com Inc., remains confident about his pronouncement that Benefitfocus will reach $1 billion in revenue in nine years.
Real estate experts optimistic about 2007 housing market By Kathleen Dayton Lowcountry housing industry experts are optimistic about the real estate market, pointing to a number of factors, including job growth and an influx of retirees, that have kept the area’s housing market from tanking as severely as others across the nation have in recent months.
Space: Funding R&D on a buck a day By Shelia Watson Adam Foulke could be called a “seasoned entrepreneur.” As one of the founders of Lowcountry Marine Contractors, which provided transportation and logistics services to the shipping lines that call on the Port of Charleston, he learned several valuable lessons in starting and growing a business.
Space: Company achieves ‘visibility’ in SCRA’s incubator space By Shelia Watson For Don Olson, chief executive officer of FirstString Research Inc., having an office in the South Carolina Research Authority’s Trident Research Park is all about synergy.
Space: Incubators: A tale of three cities By Shelia Watson Business incubators in other areas around the state have been successful at launching companies, most of them in the high-tech or biotech industries. Local attorney and ThinkTEC board member Bobby Pearce noted that the Lowcountry could learn from those models.
Redefining retirement for the baby-boomer generation By Barbara Poole Perhaps it is because I am writing this column on my birthday, or perhaps it’s because my work life has felt like a marathon as of late, but regardless of the cause, I’ve been thinking about retirement.
Making sense about why you sell, and why you can’t By Jeffrey Gitomer The sense of selling, or sales sense, comes from mastering a series of internal senses. These senses are both subtle and blatant. They are both simple to understand and complex to master and they hold the key to your sales success.
People in the News Trident Academy Headmaster Col. Myron C. Harrington Jr. has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2006-07 academic year. Harrington has led Trident Academy for 15 years and is the longest-serving headmaster in the history of the school.
Accolades & More Mount Pleasant’s D.J. Trahan won his first PGA Tour tournament at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic in Mississippi in October.
Calendar NOV. 23: Thanksgiving. Have some turkey, spend some time with your family and don’t think about work.
Giving Back Harvest raises $26,000 for Dorchester Habitat The 13th annual Harvest for Habitat, which drew more than 150 people for a golf tournament, live and silent auction and dinner, raised more than $26,000 for Dorchester Habitat for Humanity, which helps provide homes for low-income families.
Photo Finish LOCAL CHARITIES TEAM UP FOR GREEN AND LEAN RUN Lowcountry Earth Force and Keep Charleston Beautiful teamed up to host the Green and Lean 5K at Brittlebank Park in downtown Charleston.
News Briefs Longshoremen reach accord After more than two years, the International Longshoremen’s Association and stevedores who work Charleston’s waterfront have agreed to a long sought-after local contract.
