Population growth fuels retail space explosion By Dennis Quick With at least 120,000 new Lowcountry homes on the drawing board or under construction, new retail stores and shopping centers will have to be built to serve these new households.
Trucking firms struggle to keep up with cargo surge By Dan McCue As the nation’s ports strive to improve their productivity in the face of an anticipated 350% increase in Asian container cargo in the next 15 years, the region’s trucking firms are facing what may well be a far more daunting challenge—how to keep the freight flowing inland despite a critical shortage of drivers.
Summit to focus on knowledge-based economy By Sheila Watson The sixth annual ThinkTec Summit to be held in May will focus on a topic that even top-level economists find difficult to wrap their arms around: the knowledge-based economy.
Take note: Technology enhances court reporter’s business By Dan McCue To most, they are the silent fixtures of televised courtroom dramas, both real and imaginary. Always seated. Back straight. Ever attentive. And before them a stenotype spewing ribbons of paper covered in Gregg shorthand.
It’s time to clear the air in Charleston’s bars and restaurants By Bill Settlemyer Earlier this year, my wife and I had dinner at one of downtown Charleston’s many upscale restaurants. The food was fantastic, but the smoke from the nearby bar was not. I went home with a scratchy throat that didn’t clear up until later the following day.
Redevelopment brings developers, conservationists together By John A. Kilpatrick and Nina G. Marshtein Much has been said about the occasional conflicts between developers and conservationists. But not enough has been said about an area where they do agree and where they have the opportunity to forge a win-win relationship—brownfield redevelopment.
Delancey Street model could help cure workforce ills By Dennis Quick Freddie Baca and Michael Delane are bright, clean-cut, articulate men any business school would be proud to produce. In fact, Baca holds a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University, plus business licenses in real estate and construction. DeLane is a lieutenant in the San Francisco Fire Department and holds a bachelor’s degree from Golden Gate University.
Folly Beach council to reconsider height restrictions By Shannon Cavanaugh The Folly Beach City Council will again consider the planning commission’s recommendation to set a 40-foot above base flood elevation height limit for newly annexed commercial land. That includes the controversial Tollbooth House property on Folly Road, which is currently zoned C-4 with no height restrictions, allowing developers to build as high as their dollars can reach.
Training program a ‘dream’ for future Vought workers By Dan McCue Like the aircraft they will eventually help build, the cutting-edge training of the first generation of Vought Aircraft Industries’ workers in North Charleston was literally designed from the ground up.
VA records system a model for health care industry By Sheila Watson When most people think of cutting-edge health care technology, a system created by the government is probably not what comes to mind.
Argolyn Bioscience benefits from biotech forum By Dennis Quick North Charleston-based Argolyn Bioscience Inc., South Carolina’s sole representative of the 32 biotech firms that gave presentations to potential investors at last November’s Southeastern Bio Investor Forum at Charleston Place, recently hit pay dirt.
Think positive, take action to have your best year ever By Jeffrey Gitomer Everyone wants to have their “best year ever,” but the fact is, more than half won’t. And, of course, you’re reading this thinking, “Too bad for them,” because you’re certain that you will.
Chamber reaches out to Hispanic community By Holly Fisher Billboards in Spanish, mercados selling tortillas and “Se Habla Español” signs in store windows are obvious indications the Hispanic population is growing throughout the tri-county region.
Capture the Olympics’ spirit to win the marketing race By Elizabeth Boineau “Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” ~ Winston Churchill I found the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games thrilling to watch. Seeing athletes’ spirit, energy, persistence and enthusiasm through trials and crashes, and then watching them conquer the slopes was exhilarating and heartwarming. Witnessing Michelle Kwan’s graceful yet emotional withdrawal from the figure skating competition, somehow never having won Olympic gold despite being a five-time world champion…
Clemson only one source of local architectural talent By Dennis Quick Thompson Penney, president and CEO of local architecture firm LS3P and a former national president of the American Institute of Architects, is one.
Innovative process helps raise Park West bridge By Holly Fisher When you’re building a housing development, time is money. So it was no surprise when LandTech Inc. approached Collins Engineers Inc., wanting to move quickly on the design and construction of a private bridge linking its Park West development to Park Island. LandTech, a real estate development, marketing and management firm out of Columbia, plans to put about
30 homes on Park Island—but first it needed a bridge.
Seismic regulations impact building process By Holly Fisher Changes to building codes can result in stronger structures, but they can also increase the bottom line and lengthen a project’s timeline.
Art, architecture collide in Folly Beach home By Holly Fisher Artist David Boatwright has coined a new architectural design style: industrial cottage. It is a fitting description for his new three-story house on Folly Beach. The fixtures and furnishings will be minimal, giving the house a homey and cottage feel, Boatwright explained, but the steel frame and silver corrugated metal siding make it more industrial.
Architects guide dream home development By Dan McCue Whether they’ve just arrived in a new town or simply a higher station in life, the typical couple looking to create a dream home in the Lowcountry is more design knowledgeable and style seasoned than ever before.
Long Island’s developers go back to the drawing board By Shannon Cavanaugh Developers wanting to build 190 units on the remote 143-acre Long Island located off Folly Beach have withdrawn their original plans from the city of Folly Beach, and are now meeting privately with select conservation and preservation groups.
Study: Suburban growth spurs economic growth By Dennis Quick In the face of growing concerns about urban sprawl, a recent study shows how new subdivisions benefit South Carolina economically.
Architecture school design haunts city, residents By Dan McCue Nearly four months after the approval of its height, scale and mass by the Charleston Board of Architectural Review touched off a storm of controversy, the Clemson Architectural Center remains essentially just another Charleston ghost.
Online sales a boon for consumers, a bane for revenuers By Sheila Watson Although the growing trend of online purchasing provides a great convenience for consumers, it is creating problems for both retailers and state tax revenue departments.
FastTrac goes inside MUSC to teach business skills By Sheila Watson FastTrac, the comprehensive educational program that provides entrepreneurs with business insights, leadership skills and professional networking connections, is going inside the walls of the Medical University of South Carolina to teach researchers and graduate students what it takes to succeed in business.
Take the initiative to improve your job and you By John Carroll Taking the initiative means that you start, on your own, to act and add value to the work you and your team are doing. This makes requests from a superintendent, manager or supervisor unnecessary, since you are already doing top priority work and getting things done.
People in the News The Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation announced Jennifer Revels as executive director. Revels previously worked with the Palmetto Conservation Foundation as its historic preservation planner.
Giving Back Hospice of Charleston receives grant from ECRMC
The East Cooper Regional Medical Center, through the Tenet Healthcare Foundation, has awarded a $25,000 grant to Hospice of Charleston. The grant is for support of the Hospice Center of Charleston, an inpatient facility currently under construction on Wando Park Boulevard in Mount Pleasant. Pictured, from left, Andrea Wozniak, CEO of East Cooper Regional Medical Center, and Kit Cosgrove, executive director, Hospice of Charleston.
Calendar • MARCH 1: Business Network International meeting, Mount Pleasant chapter. Noon at the Old Village Post House. Information: Neadom Tucker, 697-2351.
Accolades & More The Trident Workforce Investment Board has retained IMPACT! Inc., a public relations company located in Summerville, to coordinate and orchestrate marketing and public relations strategies for the Trident One-Stop Career System.
Photo Finish CENTURY 21 BREAKS GROUND ON NEW OFFICE
North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey joined Century 21 Properties Plus as it celebrated the groundbreaking of its new Metro office location on Rivers Avenue next to Trident Technical College. The current office at 7800 Rivers Ave. in North Market Plaza will remain open until the new offices are completed later this spring. Pictured, from left, Wil Riley, general manager, Century 21 Properties Plus; Debbie Dunbar, broker-in-charge, Century 21 Properties Plus Metro office; Summey; and Tim Rash, president and owner, Century 21 Properties Plus.
Appointments The Olde North Charleston Merchants Association re-elected Richard Campbell of Park Circle Coffee & Cream as secretary and Trey Strock of Strock Enterprises Inc. as president/treasurer. The association elected Jan Turner of Prudential Carolina Real Estate as vice president and Sue Thigpen as membership director.
