Bright and sunny S.C. offers few incentives for selling solar power By Molly Parker The $30,000 electric solar panel system that Libby Smith and Charlie Sneed installed on their James Island home in early April is little more than a very expensive rooftop decoration these days. The Charleston couple is among a handful of South Carolina residents and businesses installing mini-power plants and thinking green, as in the color of the environmental movement, but also the color of money.
Senate cuts funding for S.C. World Trade Center By Scott Miller State lawmakers may pull the plug on the financially distraught S.C. World Trade Center, a nonprofit long dependent on state tax dollars to stay afloat. The trade center is not necessarily dying on the vine, however; as the organization’s leaders look to cut costs, which could affect services and boost revenue, they will ultimately reduce the center’s dependence on state funding, said Paul Roderique, a member of the trade center’s board of directors.
Trade park’s success won’t depend on state funding By Scott Miller Partners in the World Trade Park and Education Research Center said the project can move forward with or without state funding or the struggling S.C. World Trade Center.
Global trade curriculum exposes students to international trade By Andy Owens Kristen Munn plans to see the world after graduating from college. But the Fort Dorchester High School 10th-grader isn’t looking forward to a senior trip. She’s planning a career in international business, marketing and sales.
Roquemore’s way: A penchant for land and making deals By Dan McCue Jim Roquemore stood behind the large wooden desk in his office and pointed at the window that overlooked a small parking lot and a few long yellow trucks bearing the “Super-Sod” logo. “You used to be able to see almost to the horizon,” he said with an apologetic smile. “But with the growth of our business, I had no choice but to put the warehouse in.”
Sod business started as a general store By Dan McCue No one could have envisioned what Jim Roquemore’s family business would become when Robert L. Patten started it in 1894.
DuPont breaks ground on $500M Kevlar plant By Molly Parker Gov. Mark Sanford declared DuPont’s new Kevlar fiber plant a life-saver at a groundbreaking event during which a half-dozen dignitaries ceremoniously tossed a bit of loose Berkeley County dirt.
S.C. State University narrows presidential field By Scott Miller None of the finalists to be the next president at South Carolina State University currently leads an institution of higher education, a “surprise” to alum and state Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg.
Executive headhunter: The days of stalking the elusive ‘purple squirrel’ are over By Dan McCue Timothy J. Tolan, a partner in the East Bay Street office of Sanford Rose Associates, an executive search firm, described a recent series of reports on the nation’s declining work force as a wake-up call to the region’s businesses.
Retailers ringing up success in Berkeley County By Kathleen Dayton Angie and Bill Scull are brewing up their recipe for success in Moncks Corner one cup of coffee at a time. They and other entrepreneurs and retailers have awakened to the fact that Berkeley County is the place to be, right in the path of growth.
Employers play key role in immigration debate By Scott Miller The federal E-Verify program that ensures the legality of immigrant workers hasn’t been a headache in Arizona, at least not as much as businesses there originally thought it would.
Prudential Carolina goes independent, changes name to Carolina One By Kathleen Dayton The signs they are a-changin’. Prudential Carolina Real Estate, the Lowcountry’s largest real estate franchise, went independent as of May 1, shedding its franchise name and establishing membership in a global network of real estate firms.
Seniors’ volunteer work boosts local economy By Kathleen Dayton On a quiet dirt road between the Charleston International Airport and a North Charleston subdivision, the sound of hammers and the smell of paint rises from a leafy lot where a newly constructed home stands out among a number of careworn residences.
Chamber balancing offers in search for new quarters By Kathleen Dayton Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce officials are in the middle of a ZIP code war. In an ongoing effort to find a new home for the chamber’s headquarters, a task force will continue its search for a site despite receiving offers from Charleston and North Charleston to locate in each city.
Grasping for funds: As economy goes, so goes venture capital By Scott Miller The weakening economy has trickled into the world of venture capital, the seed money that fuels fresh ideas in alternative energy, life sciences and other emerging technologies.
Lenders imposing new limits on student borrowing By Scott Miller Those who need financial aid the most could lose the opportunity to attend college as lenders impose stricter credit requirements and stop writing new loans.
Philanthropic organizations ride economic roller coaster By Molly Parker Crisis Ministries’ soup kitchen has been busier than normal in the last few months while attendance at the nonprofit’s latest fundraiser waned along with the economy.
In-store banks represent more than capricious trend By Kathleen Dayton Since launching in the 1980s, in-store banking has given the industry a way to build without the higher cost of stand-alone locations and expand its customer base by exposing its products to more prospects.
American LaFrance expected to emerge from bankruptcy By Dan McCue American LaFrance likely will emerge from Chapter 11 protection on May 22, according to a spokesman for the investment group that owns the 176-year-old company.
Editor's Notes: SCWTC on a head-on course with its destiny By Bob Bouyea One dark, foggy night while a U.S. destroyer was on patrol off the eastern seaboard, an admiral was on deck and noticed that his ship appeared to be on a head-on course with another vessel.
Marketing Matters: Passion for marketing strikes a common chord By Elizabeth L. Boineau In my efforts to tap into those frequent-flyer miles that seem almost impossible to spend these days (and in the perfect example of relationship marketing, which I’ll return to shortly), early April found me winging over to northern Italy to visit my aunt, who teaches at Consortium Institute of Management and Business Analysis, a collection of 40 American universities offering an exchange program of international studies in undergraduate and graduate business courses. CIMBA spans two campuses just miles apart in the foothills of the Grappa Mountains in the Veneto region due north of Venice.
Career Coach: Pay attention to your career stirrings By Barbara Poole It happens when you least expect it. You’re snug in bed, sleeping like a baby, and wham! Something jolts you wide awake at about 3 a.m. Or, you went to bed hours ago, but you’ve yet to visit dreamland, and instead you’ve been tossing and turning and worrying about how few hours stand between you and your alarm clock.
Nonprofit Development: Make potential donors part of telling your story By June Bradham Q. This year, we are overhauling all of our foundation’s marketing and communications pieces. We have a great cause, some compelling pictures and a sound organization, but our materials lack impact. Any ideas on giving them some punch?
Today’s Profile: Angela Mack, Gibbes Museum of Art By Holly Fisher Working at a museum, Angela Mack gets all the standard questions: Is she an artist? Who is her favorite artist? Did she frequent museums as a child? No, she’s not an artist herself. She’s taken some classes to further her knowledge of the mechanics and techniques, but “no one would want to exhibit my work,” she said with a smile.
Today's Profile: Nigel Redden, Spoleto Festival USA By Kristen Poland Lt. Gen. William Pinckney gazes with the authority of a Charleston elite from his portrait in Nigel Redden’s office. From its vantage point upon a bookshelf, flanked by photos of Redden’s wife and children, Pinckney’s framed visage oversees Redden’s daily preparations for the Spoleto Festival USA.
Today's Profile: Jeff Nickles, Production Design Associates By Kristen Poland The view of from atop the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge is breathtaking. As Charleston native Jeff Nickles stood at the top of his hometown's skyline centerpiece just before its grand opening celebration in 2005, he employed his creative specialty lighting talents to treat the thousands of people looking up at the bridge from the ground to a view just as magnificent.
