Dreamliner demand to rev up Vought’s hiring By Dan McCue The demand for the Boeing Co.’s new 787 Dreamliner aircraft will likely translate into five or more years of sustained job creation with the Charleston plant building its key components, according to an aerospace industry
financial analyst.
Local billionaire grounded by vision By Dan McCue North Charleston industrialist Jerry Zucker would rather do without publicity. Not that he ever gets the kind of bad, salacious or even silly press that often dogs Hollywood stars or political figures.
Hotels’ occupancy, room rates at all-time high By Shannon Cavanaugh Finding a place to spend the night in the Charleston area is slim pickings right now unless you’re willing to pay top rates. Occupancy is at an all time high for this time of the season, with 80% to 85% of the rooms booked, and room rates are climbing.
Hotel surge offsets region’s higher wages goal By Dennis Quick At the 2003 South Carolina Economic Outlook Conference in Columbia, financier Darla Moore and Harvard economist Michael Porter pounded this message into our heads with hammer-like bluntness: We must raise South Carolina’s per capita income if we are to compete in the global economy.
Their message triggered economic development studies and strategies to fatten our paychecks. After all, the average annual income in South Carolina was (and still is) about 20% lower than the national average.
Storehouse Row becomes home to arts colony By Dennis Quick Photographer Lauren Preller feels a strong creative vibe in 10 Storehouse Row, a 40,000-square-foot renovated industrial warehouse on the former Navy base in North Charleston.
Enacting small business health insurance relief: the right move for the state’s political leaders By Bill Settlemyer The South Carolina General Assembly is considering a bill that provides a historic opportunity to help the state’s small businesses and, at the same time, help stem the growing tide of medically uninsured workers in South Carolina.
Kudos to Charleston representative Chip Limehouse for being one of the sponsors of House Bill 4850, the “Small Business Health Insurance Premium Assistance Act.”
Success in school, success in life By Sen. Jim DeMint A wise businessman once said the problem with many failing companies is not that they don’t know how to run their business, but rather that they waste all their time and energy defending what they already know instead of being willing to figure out what they still need to learn.
Charleston’s housing prices considered 28% overvalued By Dennis Quick Charleston homes are overvalued by 28%, according to a national report released in March by Global Insight, an economic and financial information provider based in Waltham, Mass., and National City, a Cleveland-based mortgage banker.
Spring training can help your brand break out By Elizabeth Boineau Spring is upon us, and it is a good time to dust off your brand, flex those muscles and be sure you’re ready for serious play. The competition is coming back out to see how all have fared over the winter and who is going to lead in the months ahead.
Abandoned amenities leave divot in covenants By Jessica Johnson Hundred year oaks, sunny days by the pool and perhaps a round of golf were among the reasons King’s Grant homeowners bought property in the subdivision built in the 1970s.
South Carolina in running for military plane plant By Dan McCue An executive involved in the joint venture to build Boeing Co.’s new Dreamliner commercial aircraft here said his company is considering sites on which to construct a $200 million facility to build cargo planes for the U.S. Army and Air Force.
In North Charleston there’s room for the inns By Shelia Watson Seven new hotels are planned for North Charleston this year, increasing the number of rooms by about 27%. When the hotels are completed, the city will have 26 hotels with a total of 3,310 rooms. The city’s count of hotels does not include motels.
Protect your intellectual property with patents By Shelia Watson Given the role innovation plays in the nation’s productivity and economic growth, the task of securing intellectual property is a critical success factor not only for businesses, but also for the overall economy as well.
Flood of imports causes railroad to haul in new concepts By Dan McCue As a result of a willingness to consider new ideas and new ways to move cargo to inland markets, officials with the Norfolk Southern railroad believe they’ve perfectly positioned the company to help the Port of Charleston shoulder the burden of a tidal wave of imports from Asian markets.
Have your best year ever one success at a time By Jeffrey Gitomer Slowly, I have been giving you the elements you need to succeed past your competition, past your boss’ quota and even past your kids.
SCWTC brings foreign trade to local doorsteps By Dan McCue Speaking in a conference room at the South Carolina World Trade Center’s headquarters on Meeting Street, Mark Condon motions to a map of the world extending from floor to ceiling nearby, and talks about trade missions as a tool for making the planet’s business community a much smaller place.
North Charleston goes fishing for Cabela’s By Jessica Johnson Just because Cabela’s announced a proposal to open its first southeastern retail center in Georgia doesn’t mean one won’t open in the Palmetto State.
“We are looking all over the country,” said James Powell, Cabela’s retail spokesman. “We are in a retail expansion mode.”
Training employees to get along can prevent workplace wars By Dennis Quick Imagine two nurses who don’t get along. They work in the same health care facility, and the friction between them rises to the point where sparks fly and the two argue in front of patients.
Crafting education for the construction trades By Shelia Watson Training in crafts and trades, particularly the construction trades, is as old as recorded history. In fact, history records quite a bit about how skilled workers passed on craft knowledge to others.
Job training one effective tool for recruiting companies By Dan McCue While tax breaks and favorable zoning changes might be what gets the bells and whistles sounding, a 45-year-old state program geared toward providing new and expanding businesses with a startup workforce may well be the most effective of South Carolina’s commercial incentive programs.
Develop your strengths instead of your weaknesses By Barbara Poole Mike sounded resigned. Not only did he have to finalize his departmental business plan for submission by the end of the month, it was also the dreaded performance review time.
People in the News Southern Tank Transport Inc. has added seven employees to its management team. Jerry Ball has been appointed vice president of operations. He previously retired as the Southeast district manager for Roadway Express. Ed Dockweiler has been appointed the director of central control and operations manager. Dockweiler will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company. He previously worked for Schneider National Carriers. A.J. Sellers has been appointed the director of safety. He is to assume responsibility for all safety, risk and compliance management issues. Sellers has 15 years of transportation experience. Bobby Stockton has been appointed the customer services manager. His responsibilities will be marketing, business development and customer relations. Stockton previously worked for U.S. Air and the Piedmont Triad Partnership in Greensboro, N.C. Greg Daniels has been appointed as the terminal manager for the Holly Hill, Charleston and Savannah, Ga., terminals. Daniels previously worked for AMW Trucking and then for Builders Transport/Schneider National as a dispatcher. Ron Vignone has been appointed as the recruiting manger. He was previously the manager of business development and sales for NYK Logistics in Charleston. Gary Cohen has been appointed as the manager for the Charleston terminal. Cohen has 27 years of management experience with Philips Medical Systems.
Calendar • APRIL 3: Berkeley Chamber of Commerce’s 29th annual meeting. 11:30 a.m. at the North Charleston Convention Center. Speakers: U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and U.S. Rep. Henry Brown. Cost: $35 for members; $45 for non-members. Information: 577-9549.
Giving Back Piggly Wiggly recently donated $17,375.87 to the American Red Cross for the Disaster Relief Fund raised from donations by patrons at the supermarket chain in South Carolina and Georgia. Pictured, from left, Mr. Pig; Rita Postell, manager of community and employee relations for Piggly Wiggly; James Ledbetter, executive director of the Carolina Lowcountry Chapter of the American Red Cross; and Jared Lott, Meeting Street Piggly Wiggly store operator.
Accolades & More Top agents and employees were rewarded for their hard work and dedication to the company at the Century 21 Properties Plus Awards Breakfast held at the Hibernian Hall in Charleston. The company rewarded the following top agents with a free cruise: Jackie Wall, Dianne Broom, Kimberly Lease, Debbie Mansfield, Candace Palmer, Debra Simmons, Brenda Winters, Suzanne Scholz, Philip Hapke, Donna Converse, Nancy Rehm, Faye Merritt, Tenia Cattles, Jeff Bills, Margaret Billmyer, Ron Henderson, Bobette Fisher, Drew Sineath and Suzie Baird. The Rookie of the Year Award winners were Suzie Scholz, Johns Island office; Heather Lord, Metro North office; Pat Neuhaus, Mount Pleasant office; and Lori Pope, Summerville office. The Employee of the Year Award was presented to Cathy Morris, North Charleston corporate office.
Photo Finish ARCHITECTURE FIRM CELEBRATES 50 YEARSThe employees of Liollio Architecture celebrated the firm’s 50th anniversary at the City Gallery.
Appointments The Association of American Colleges and Universities recently named College of Charleston President Leo I. Higdon Jr. to its board of directors. The AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality and public standing of undergraduate liberal education.
News Briefs The Charleston office of the Small Business Development Center is expanding its course offerings for entrepreneurs. The center already offers courses ranging from Quickbooks, to business plans, to financing.
