South Carolina Business Review: Recent Episodes
Mike Switzer
The South Carolina Business Review, with host Mike Switzer, focuses on news from South Carolina's business community with interviews of many small business owners and business leaders from around the state. South Carolina's nonprofits, including its colleges and universities are also regularly featured on the program, as well as many of the state's small business support organizations. Click here to contact the South Carolina Business Review by email.The South Carolina Business Review is a production of Magnolia Media for South Carolina Public Radio.DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed on The South Carolina Business Review are not necessarily those of South Carolina Public Radio.
Victims of work-related auto accidents are often left footing the bill because a business owner failed to plan for the risks of such an occurrence.
Named 'Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina,' High Noon Sun Sips, produced in Fort Lawn, takes home top honor.
Guest William Jeter, a chartered financial analyst with Abacus Planning Group, explains what you can do to prepare for the next bear market.
Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina.
Mike Switzer interviews Georgia Mjartan, president and CEO of the Central Carolina Community Foundation in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews Phil and Cookie Buffkin, founders of MAS Peppers in Walterboro, SC.
Some retirees may be caught off guard by an unexpected charge showing up on their Medicare bill called IRMAA.
Mike Switzer takes a look at current business issues that are trending across our state and discuss them with fellow news media friend John McDermott, business editor of the Post and Courier in Charleston, SC.
How does a financial planning firm cope and grow during these challenging times? Host Mike Switzer interviews Margaret Ellen Pender, a principal at Anchor Investment Management in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews Horst Daichendt, a math and robotics instructor at River Bluff High School in Lexington, SC.
DEI initiatives are being hit with a backlash, affecting many people and businesses, including The Everyday Inclusionist in Elgin, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus at the College of Business & Behavioral Science and Alumni Professor of Economics Emeritus at Clemson University.
Get an update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community as host Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews.
Many mills have taken advantage of our state’s Textile Mill Revitalization Tax Credit, but what about the blight that still surrounds these old mills?
Mike Switzer interviews Vincent Sheheen, former member of the S.C. House and Senate and now the nonpartisan mayor of Camden, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews Clemson Turregano, a senior fellow at the Furman University Center for Innovative Leadership in Greenville, SC.
Marriage is a partnership, which today's guest says should also be reflected in a couple's finances.
Mike Switzer interviews Jessica Holdman, a reporter with the South Carolina Daily Gazette in Columbia, SC.
An update on the S.C. organization that's working hard to address the gap in venture capital access for women, minority, veteran, and other often underfunded entrepreneurial demographics.
Mike Switzer interviews Eddie Payne, assistant principal at West-Oak Middle School in Westminster, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Caroline Sanders Clements, associate editor with Garden and Gun magazine in Charleston, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Rob DeHollander, a certified financial planner in Greenville, S.C.
This week, Mike Switzer interviews John McDermott, business editor of the Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C., who shares info about Scout Motors, Volvo, Boeing, and our tourism industry.
Mike Switzer interviews Andy Seavers, CEO and founder of Case Status in North Charleston, S.C.
Mike Switzer checks in with one of South Carolina's resident financial market prognosticators.
The statehouse passed liquor liability reform to the benefit of our state’s hospitality industry and income tax reform is halfway through the legislature.
Mike Switzer interviews Bill Hauk, associate professor of economics and academic director of the professional MBA program at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Tony Horwath, founder and CEO of Sales Focus in North Charleston, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Andy Smith, a volunteer and board member at the Oconee Food Council in Upstate S.C.
What exactly is a 'financial literacy deficit'? Mike Switzer interviews Dave Turner, a certified financial planner in Greenville, S.C.
Mike Switzer gets an update on the news, events, and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community from guest Jason Thomas.
Last July, our next guest’s statewide tech hub was one of only twelve across the country to receive federal grant funding as part of the previous administration’s initiative aimed at advancing U.S. leadership in critical technologies and industries.
Over the past several years, the residential real estate market has been defined by shortages of affordable housing and rising interest rates. What is the current state of that situation and what does it signal for South Carolina’s overall economic outlook?
Today's guest says that South Carolina started 2025 with over 1,000 unfilled teaching positions.
Mike Switzer Mike interviews College of Charleston's Professor of Economics Frank Hefner about how current policies in Washington may affect our state.
Mike Switzer takes a look at current business issues that are trending across our state with reporter Jessica Holdman of the South Carolina Daily Gazette.
For the past 100 years, the United Way has been busy helping people and families improve their financial situations and their lives.
Find out how a South Carolina jerky company recently made it onto Instacart’s list of its fastest growing emerging brands.
Hear about the S.C. company that recently received a nice investment from SC Launch to help them continue to develop and grow their efforts to help reduce the amount of time children spend on their phones.
Today's guest says that by 2030, women will control two-thirds of U.S. wealth, and why estate planning now helps avoid financial and emotional chaos for family members in the future.
Get an update of the news, events, and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community as Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online S.C. business news websites.
Mike Switzer interviews David Ginn, president and CEO of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance.
Mike Switzer interviews Anne Walker, president and CEO of the Alston Wilkes Society in Columbia, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Marieke Van Puymbroeck, associate dean of the Graduate School at Clemson University.
Mike Switzer interviews Peter Pigeon, a certified financial planner with Hobbs Group Advisors in Columbia, S.C.
This week, Mike Switzer interviews John McDermott, business editor of the Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Dave Findley is founder of Dave’s Heritage BBQ Sauce and Seasonings in Rock Hill, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Jeff Brown, president of the Greenville Drive baseball team in Greenville, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Tyson Halsey, a chartered financial analyst with Income Growth Advisors in Daniel Island, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, about the expansion of South Carolina's inland port at Greer.
As a South Carolina poultry farmer, Chad Brubaker conceived of an innovative mechanization process that he now sells to poultry farms across the country.
Hilton Head Island will once again be bringing a significant economic impact to the Lowcountry by hosting the annual RBC Heritage April 15-20.
According to the S.C. District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, 43% of our state’s workforce is employed by the small business community which makes it the largest employment segment in South Carolina.
Our new Treasury Secretary in Washington claimed recently that the strong economic growth our country has experienced over the past few years was actually misleading and that the private sector “has been in a recession”.
Jessica Holdman, a reporter with the South Carolina Daily Gazette, talks about recent moves in the Statehouse regarding energy and childcare needs as well as tort reform, all important issues facing our state’s business community.
Connor Sell spent nearly 15 years wiring aircraft, then sold his real estate, cashed out his 401k, and emptied his bank account to start a new glass business from scratch.
While it was reported that South Carolina is the sixth-fastest growing life sciences industry in the U.S., there are concerns that certain policies out of Washington may soon negatively affect that growth.
There’s a unique and increasingly popular way to manage your charitable giving that you may not have heard about. It’s called a Donor-Advised Fund. How does it work?
Mike Switzer interviews business news website editor Alan Cooper about women making an impact in our state as part of celebrating National Women’s History Month.
With the labor market still tight, Mike Switzer was surprised to learn that his guest was having trouble finding employment opportunities for her college interns.
Mike Switzer interviews Frank Knapp, president and CEO of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce in Columbia, S.C.
Housing affordability continues to cause concern among a large portion of our population, but today's guest shares how his state agency is working to alleviate that situation.
Tax deadlines are fast approaching, so host Mike Switzer checks in with John Cooper, a certified financial planner with Greenwood Capital in Greenwood, S.C.
Host Mike Switzer takes a look at current business issues that are trending across our state with guest John McDermott, business editor of the Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Bob Moran, tournament director of the Credit One Charleston Open women’s professional tennis tournament, coming to Daniel Island March 29 through April 6th.
Out of 5,000 applicants who applied to the Walmart Open Call this past September, only 92 received a deal with Walmart, including today's guest, Wendy Kushel.
More and more organizations that support individuals with disabilities are adding programs that also help this demographic increase their independence, self-advocacy, professionalism, and job skills.
Certified financial planner Chris Cabri says, depending on your tax bracket, your appropriate investment choices can vary dramatically, but they should always be tax-efficient.
Guest Jason Thomas provides an update of the news, events, and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community.
Our next guest’s county happens to be part of one of the largest metropolitan areas in our country, which is not a bad thing when it comes to economic impact. Mike Switzer interviews Andy Clinton, president and CEO of Visit York County, in Rock Hill, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Bob Quinn, executive director of the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) in Summerville, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Robin Salmon, vice president of art and historical collections and curator of sculpture at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus at the College of Business & Behavioral Science and Alumni Professor of Economics Emeritus at Clemson University.
With the possibility of a lot of federal money leaving our state due to grant and contract cancellations coming out of Washington, host Mike Switzer asks resident statewide journalists Jessica Holdman what she sees happening as a result of this uncertainty.
Soon, the 25th floor of the Capitol Center office building at 1201 Main St. in Columbia will be office and event space for one of our state’s charter schools.
Mike Switzer interviews Joe Mari Maja, a senior researcher and director at the Center of Applied Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Agriculture at South Carolina State University.
Mike Switzer interviews Jim Stritzinger, director of the South Carolina Broadband Office in Columbia.
Today, Mike Switzer interviews Wes Johnson, a certified financial planner with ACT Advisors in Charleston, S.C.
Guest Alan Cooper talks about two challenges currently facing our state: the energy situation and difficulties affecting the restaurant industry.
With all of the national discussion about Trump tariffs, we thought it would be a good idea to talk to someone locally about what the tariffs could mean for our state.
A recent economic impact study is showing that our next guest’s 2600-acre business park in the Upstate is having a $6.1B annual impact on South Carolina’s economy.
We learned a new word recently: intrapreneurial. You won’t find it in the dictionary yet but it’s something our next guests are very involved in.
Every year, it seems, there are new rules for retirement plans. And 2025 is no different.
Mike Switzer takes a look at current business issues that are trending across our state with guest John McDermott, business editor of the Post and Courier.
Oftentimes, a small business runs into difficulties when trying to compete with bigger companies. Our next guest says there could be several solutions, including one he calls a business health check.
Mike Switzer interviews Andrea Sisino, the director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the Beaufort campus of the University of South Carolina.
Now that the 2024 election is over and we are into a new year, many people are looking at their portfolios and wondering how they should be invested. Does it matter who is president and who is running Congress?
Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, about a new hotel and job creation in the Upstate, road projects in the Midlands and Lowcountry.
Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Cedric Adderly, president of the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities in Greenville, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Ron Tucker, president and CEO of the Beaufort Film Society, host of the 19th annual Beaufort International Film Festival.
Mike Switzer interviews John Powell, president and CEO of the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition coming Feb. 14th through 16th to Charleston, S.C.
If you’re a small business owner, how can you become less vulnerable and more resilient to disaster? Mike Switzer finds out from University of South Carolina's Ben Means.
Mike Switzer interviews Cindy and Andy Rolfe, owners of Lowcountry Fresh in Bluffton, S.C., to discuss how buying local food is better for nutrition and the environment.
Guest Dr. Stephen Cutler with University of South Carolina returns to discuss his other roll at the school as dean of USC’s College of Pharmacy.
Mike Switzer interviews Rob DeHollander, a certified financial planner in Greenville S.C. and member of the South Carolina Financial Planning Association.
Mike Switzer speaks with Innoventure's John Warner about how university talent can be integrated into economic development.
Mike Switzer interviews Irina Agoulnik, associate district director for South Carolina in the Southeast region of SCORE, in Myrtle Beach.
Hear about the Ladson, S.C. software company that caught the eye of SC Launch and received $350,000 in investment capital.
Many times, a small business is born by accident, like when our next guest, for example, began making soap as a hobby. Mike Switzer interviews Tzima Brown, founder of Sunrise Artisan Bath and Body in Columbia’s Five Points.
Will today’s results affect our economy or are the possibilities of either candidate being elected already factored into general business plans? Mike Switzer interviews Frank Hefner, Director of Office of Economic Analysis and Professor of Economics at the College of Charleston.
Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, for an update of the news, events, and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community.
Host Mike Switzer interviews Columbia author James D. McCallister who has recently released a new book of short stories entitled “The Night I Prayed to Elvis.”
Several counties across our state are in declared disaster areas from Hurricane Helene, which means affected businesses in those areas may be eligible for disaster relief and assistance.
Host Mike Switzer interviews Quinton Middleton, owner of Middleton Made Knives in Charleston, S.C., whose cutlery is used by the likes of Emeril Lagasse and Sean Brock.
All professional investors and money managers start their investment strategy and management programs with an investment policy statement, but it turns out most average investors don't have one.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about the struggles of scaling start-ups rapidly in South Carolina.
Host Mike Switzer continues his conversation with Zach Campeau, cofounder and CEO of Baleen Solutions in Summerville, SC, about an innovation in the mortgage industry for the self-employed and their loan officers.
Hear about an innovation in the mortgage industry as Zach Campeau, cofounder and CEO of Baleen Solutions in Summerville, SC, visits today's South Carolina Business Review.
Mike Switzer interviews Jacqui McGuinness, founder of the Everything Outdoor Fest coming to the Historic Hopkins Farm in Simpsonville, SC, November 2nd and 3rd.
We're fast approaching the 2024 U.S. presidential election date, and many investors are wondering how the results might affect their portfolios. Is it possible to prepare no matter who wins?
Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina, to discuss SC Ports Authority CEO Barbara Melvin’s State of the Port address.
The Palmetto State has an up-and-coming golf course designer. Meet Beau Welling, founder and CEO of Beau Welling Design in Greenville, S.C.
Max Stewart, CEO at the Greenville Area Development Corporation, discusses his group's plans to build on the economic growth of the Upstate.
For the past ten years, the School of Business at the College of Charleston has been hosting the Strategic Investment Symposium, a conference to help people evaluate their investment strategies for the new year.
Finding ways to reduce taxes during retirement can be helpful when on a fixed income. Mike Switzer interviews Jeremy Finger, a certified financial planner with Riverbend Wealth Management in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Innoventure's John Warner who shares results from the latest start-ups report from BIP Ventures in Atlanta.
The popular and free Jam Room Music Festival is returning to Columbia, S.C. in a couple of weeks, bringing with it a welcome economic boost to downtown businesses.
South Carolina is the only one in the nation that offers tax credits for revitalizing abandoned buildings, whether they are historic or not. And the Palmetto State just expanded that program.
A brand new international business conference is coming to our state soon, building on the growing presence of German and other European companies in our state.
The death of a spouse can present some tough challenges, including financial. Ann Beckwith with Abacus Planning Group in Columbia, S.C. shares some helpful advice for maintaining financial stability after such an event.
Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, for an update of the news, events, and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community.
Recent research shows a disturbing trend among employees that a S.C. organization is working to reverse.
Host Mike Switzer interviews Christopher Taylor, vice chancellor for external affairs and chief of staff at the University of South Carolina Upstate, and the organizer of the 2nd Annual Upstate Talent Forum in Spartanburg, S.C.
South Carolina baby-boomers get help continuing their lifelong learning adventure from the College of Charleston.
Does the Federal Reserve's recent half percent interest rate cut, which was larger than expected, mean that a recession may be lurking?
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure, who tells us about $848 million granted through a federal program to battery companies in S.C.
Find out how the private sector of the electronics recycling industry is doing as guest Allen Peltzman, founder of Allen Recycling in West Columbia, S.C., visits the South Carolina Business Review.
A task force focusing on maternal and infant care has just been launched in 14 rural counties in S.C. that do not have an obstetrician.
Hear about some bold development projects happening in the Upstate from guest Sean Hartness, CEO of Hartness Development in Greenville, S.C.
Most business owners probably have a plan in place for the business to continue if they pass away. But what if they don’t, or what if they forgot something?
S.C. iconic brands getting noticed. Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC.
Guest Alan Buck, the organizer of National Drive Electric, returns to the South Carolina Business Review to discuss this annual event coming to the Midlands on Sept. 28.
The only Fortune 500 company headquartered in our state is about to become much bigger with the recent announcement of an upcoming global acquisition. Mike Switzer interviews Howard Coker, president and CEO of Sonoco in Hartsville, S.C.
Our next guest’s nonprofit not only works to advance opportunities for disabled individuals, they also walk the talk as more than 3/4 of their staff and over half of their board of directors are people with disabilities.
It’s taken five years, but the IRS has finally issued new rules for those of you who want to take distributions from inherited IRAs. Mike Switzer interviews Garet Strange, a certified financial planner with Hobbs Group Advisors in Columbia, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about a list of up-and-coming companies in the Upstate that might deserve attention.
Product development is often accomplished with the help of computer-aided design software, known as CAD. Our next guest says his company is working to make this process more efficient with their CAD collaboration software. And they’re doing that with assistance from a recent $200,000 investment from SC Launch.
If I were to tell you that the largest tourism event in the history of one of our state’s largest cities would involve bowling, you might think there was a punchline coming. But, in fact, waves of bowlers will roll into Greenville, S.C. during a months-long period of 2028.
Mike Switzer interviews Terrance Henderson, an actor, dancer, choreographer, educator, director, producer, artist, singer, and award winner who is currently working as a self-employed consultant and part-time director of the modern dance program at the Southeastern School of Ballet in Columbia, S.C.
Many years ago, if the average investor wanted to put money into a managed basket of stocks or bonds, about their only choice was a mutual fund. But now, they also have what are called exchange-traded funds, commonly referred to as ETFs. When should you consider investing in one over the other?
An update of the news, events, and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community with guest Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews.
Mike Switzer interviews Jeff Wilson, president of Trident Health and CEO of Trident Medical Center, both in Charleston, S.C.
The commercial construction business continues to stay busy in our state, which means commercial architects and designers are probably staying busy, too. So let’s check in with one and find out. Mike Switzer interviews Marc Marchant, CEO and principal at LS3P in Charleston, S.C.
One of our state’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers recently announced that they bought an additional 105 acres of land as part of a major new expansion. Mike Switzer interviews Jody Chastain, CEO of Ritedose in Columbia, S.C.
Recent comments from the Federal Reserve indicate lower interest rates are on the horizon. What does that mean for our state where business is already booming? Mike Switzer interviews Joey Von Nessen, chief economist at the Darla Moore School of Business at USC in Columbia, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John highlights a SC entrepreneur that has solved a problem in the lending industry: Baleen Solutions.
We recently learned that SC NEXUS was awarded $45 million from the federal government to advance cyber-secure grid resilience technologies. What is SC Nexus you ask? Let’s find out. Mike Switzer interviews Harry Lightsey, Secretary of Commerce for the state of South Carolina.
Our state’s 2nd largest technical school now has a new leader. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Greg Little, the new president of Midlands Technical College in Columbia, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Jeannette Andrews, the Helen Gurley Wolford Professor of Nursing and the dean of the College of Nursing at the University of South Carolina, to discuss the new 52,000 square foot nursing training facility that just opened in Lexington County.
Our next guest says that while living your best life is indeed expensive and fraught with challenges, there is an equal problem of having too much wealth. Mike Switzer interviews Rick Van Der Noord, a certified financial planner in Greenville S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC.
Mike Switzer interviews Tim Gardner, owner and founder of Lula Drake Wine Parlour in Columbia, S.C., recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages category from James Beard.
K-12 students perform much better at school when parents stay involved, but grandparents can also fill the void. Mike Switzer interviews Fran Hawk, a volunteer with The Grands program at James B. Edwards Elementary School in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Building a software solution for the long-term care industry results in winning the Proving Ground entrepreneurial competition at the University of South Carolina. Andrew Nye, CEO at Qatalyst Health in Charleston, S.C., shares his story with host Mike Switzer.
Is a cryptocurrency an actual investment or simply a speculative vehicle? And can a Republican or Democratic administration really affect its value? Mike Switzer interviews Allen Gillespie, a chartered financial analyst and chief investment officer for Fintrust Capital Advisors in Greenville, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about Greenville recently being rated as the fastest-growing entrepreneurial city in the country.
Yesterday on this program we started a discussion with our state energy office about the status of South Carolina’s energy plan after a recent interviewee mentioned his concern over the existence of such a plan. But we ran out of time with our guest, Sara Bazemore, director of the South Carolina Energy Office, and so she has agreed to join us again today.
One of our recent interviewees expressed his concern about our state being able to meet our growing energy needs. Do we have a plan? Mike Switzer interviews Sara Bazemore, director of the South Carolina Energy Office in Columbia, S.C.
A brand new music festival, branded through an iconic outdoors magazine, has recently been announced and the inaugural event will be held in a small town in our state. The Field and Stream Music Fest will take place Oct. 4-6 in Winnsboro, S.C. Mike Switzer interviews Bob Durkin, co-founder of Southern Entertainment in Charlotte, N.C.
Reverse mortgages, which provide payments to you instead of you making payments, used to have a bad reputation with high costs involved and many scammers around. But then, several years ago, the federal government stepped in and laid down some rules. Mike Switzer interviews Ashton Lawrence, a certified financial planner with Mariner Wealth Advisors in Greenville, S.C.
An update of the news, events, and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews.
It’s been six months since Volkswagen's Scout Motors broke ground on their manufacturing plant in the Midlands. How has economic activity in the area been affected so far? Mike Switzer interviews Jeff Ruble, director of the Richland County Economic Development Office in Columbia, S.C.
Can you make a living in our state playing jazz? Let’s find out. Mike Switzer interviews Mark Rapp, founder and executive director of ColaJazz Foundation in Columbia, S.C.
The University of South Carolina’s engineering school is setting an enrollment record with more than 1,000 incoming freshmen this fall. The college has also renamed itself after receiving a $30 million donation from an alum. Mike Switzer interviews Hossein Haj-Hariri, dean of the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing at USC.
Which education expenses qualify under the 529 plan for your child’s education? Anne Marie Ashworth, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Greenville, S.C., answers this important financial question.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about GigPro, a Charleston company that recently raised $16 million in venture capital.
A national, all-volunteer small business assistance organization is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. They stay busy in our state with free mentoring services and workshops and today we have one of their volunteers on the phone. Mike Switzer interviews Roy Anderson, chair of the Charleston chapter of SCORE.
The US Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced new funding, providing for more opportunities and resources for women entrepreneurs. What does that mean for our state? Mike Switzer interviews Gregg White, District Director of the SBA’s South Carolina office.
High-speed police pursuits are obviously dangerous, often causing collateral damage. Which is why our next guest came up with an alert system to help make these and other emergency vehicle responses safer. Mike Switzer interviews Tim Morgan, founder of Pursuit Alert in Pickens, S.C.
2024 has been a hot year so far for our state’s thermometer and economy. But could the business climate be cooling soon? Mike Switzer interviews Frank Hefner, Director of the Office of Economic Analysis and Professor of Economics at the College of Charleston.
Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC. Alan shares comments from a recent discussion he had with a local infrastructure engineer.
Mike Switzer interviews Jamie Thomas, co-founder and CEO of Cognito Forms in Columbia, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Nesh Hikmet, an information technology professor at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, as well as co-owner of Tom’s Creek Family Farms in Hopkins, SC, the Farmers Market Xchange in Columbia (where he is known as the “bread man”), and the Tom’s Creek Family Farms Mobile Market.
Mike Switzer interviews John Cooper, a certified financial planner with Greenwood Capital in Greenwood, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, who shares the results of a recent CNBC ranking of the top states for business which shows S.C. at #19, far below other South Atlantic states.
Mike Switzer interviews Katie Lyon, co-founder of Allegiance Flag Supply in Charleston, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Greg Springsteen, a professor of chemistry at Furman University in Greenville, S.C.
Mike Switzer speaks with Mike Northrup, owner of Northrup Electric Automotive Work in Columbia, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Wes Johnson, a certified financial planner with ACT Advisors in Charleston, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business, and SCBizNews magazine.
Mike Switzer interviews David Zettel, owner of Zettel’s Wood Creations in Columbia, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Tyson Halsey, a chartered financial analyst with Income Growth Advisors in Daniel Island, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about S.C. recently being awarded a $45 million economic development grant.
Mike Switzer interviews Joe Renwick, founder and co-owner of Green Energy BioFuel in Winnsboro, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Dale Threatt-Taylor, executive director of The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina.
Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Jesse Willingham, owner of Brighter Outlook Vision in Charleston, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus at the College of Business & Behavioral Science and Alumni Professor of Economics Emeritus at Clemson University.
Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in S.C., shares some success stories from entrepreneurs and recently retired community leaders in our state.
Mike Switzer interviews Ben Davis, CEO and founder of MOONDOG Animation Studio in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
What does the U.S. Department of Labor's “Retirement Security Rule” mean for your retirement plan?
On April 23rd, the US Department of Labor released its final version of the “Retirement Security Rule” which outlines a higher standard of care for retirement plans. What does this mean for your retirement plan?
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about MALI and what it means to our state’s manufacturers.
Mike Switzer interviews Courtney Scipio, president of IBA Event Rentals in Charleston, S.C., and SBA’s 2024 Minority Small Businessperson of the Year
Mike Switzer interviews Krystel Reid Heath, chief strategist & CEO at Capitol Consulting Strategies in Charleston, S.C.
Our next guest’s organization is accepting applications into its new accelerator program formed through a partnership with the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council. Mike Switzer interviews James Chappell, president of SCbio in Greenville, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Anthony Colancecco, a certified financial planner with Ballentine Capital Advisors in Greenville, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
Mike Switzer interviews Kevin Schumacher, executive director of the Create Opportunity program offered through the South Carolina Technical College System Foundation in Columbia, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Tiffany-Johnson Wilson, president and CEO of Johnson and Wilson Real Estate Company in Summerville, S.C.
South Carolina Research Authority's Andy Olsen explains how the Industry Partnership Fund works on today's South Carolina Business Review
Our next guest says Social Security planning, particularly for women, is critical. Mike Switzer interviews Becca Mathis, a certified financial planner with Jeter Hrubala Wealth Strategies in Spartanburg, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about practical AI applications in S.C.: Carolina Code Conference, Hank AI, Collide Technology.
Mike Switzer interviews Vickey Evans, president and CEO of CORG Management Group in Columbia, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Joey Von Nessen, chief economist at the Darla Moore School of Business Division of Research at USC in Columbia, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites, who shares some numbers regarding our state’s attractive economy.
Mike Switzer interviews Will Cruz, chief investment officer at InvestSC in Columbia, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Sam Slaughter, association manager of the South Carolina Brewers Guild
Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Stephen Cutler, who now runs the office of Economic Engagement at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
Mike Switzer interviews Abby Mason, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Columbia, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about Greenville recently being named one of the top places to live in the nation.
Mike Switzer interviews Chris Meany, general manager of the Credit One Stadium at Daniel Island, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Caroline Sanders Clements is associate editor of Garden and Gun magazine in Charleston, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Jeremy Finger, a certified financial planner with Riverbend Wealth Management in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Jason Giulietti, president and CEO of the Central SC Alliance in Columbia.
Mike Switzer interviews Leslie Hayes, founder of The Hayes Approach in Greenville, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Chris Cabri, a certified financial planner with Wells Fargo Advisors in Greenwood, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews William Floyd, director of the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) in Columbia.
Mike Switzer interviews Allison Mertens, marketing director with EVG Media in Greenville, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Amy Barch, founder and executive director of Turn90 in Charleston, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews Ashton Lawrence, a certified financial planner with Mariner Wealth Advisors in Greenville, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC.
Mike Switzer interviews Jennifer Morgan, German State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action.
Mike Switzer interviews Erin Johnson with the Central Carolina Community Foundation in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews Frank Hefner, Director Office of Economic Analysis and Professor of Economics at the College of Charleston.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John discusses the Medical University of South Carolina’s (MUSC) recent initiative to establish an innovation district in downtown Charleston.
Mike Switzer interviews Roy Janse, a certified financial planner with Mariner Wealth Advisors in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews Jerry Smith, a third-generation business owner and mentor & coach with SCORE in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews Andrew Skinner, director of public relations and development for the Hispanic Alliance in Greenville, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Joe Renwick, founder and co-owner of Green Energy BioFuel in Winnsboro, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Tim Howard, Facility Solutions Manager at the Clemson University Watt Family Innovation Center, and a co-founder of CarbonCents in Seneca, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Natasha Pitts, vice president of diversity and economic inclusion at the Greenville Chamber of Commerce. SC Minority Business Accelerator
Mike Switzer interviews Thomas Torrey, a producer, writer, and director with Bad Theology Pictures in Fort Mill, SC, recipient of both the Best Director and Audience Choice awards for their feature film, Long December.
While tax filing deadlines are pretty much done for 2024, our next guest says that while taxes are still fresh on your mind, now is a good time to plan for 2025. Especially if you are self-employed.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John shares stories regarding artificial intelligence.
In case you didn’t know, National Small Business Week is arriving April 28th through May 4th this year and our guest today will tell us what’s happening that week in our state.
One week from today, the multiple award-winning NPR reporter based in Paris, France, Eleanor Beardsley, will be back in our state to receive one more award.
Rice is one of our state’s earliest domesticated crops, and it’s been making a comeback the last several years though, thanks in part to our next guest.
Most people know what an HSA or Health Savings Account is, but our next guest says that these are also the most interesting investment accounts available.
An update of the news, events, and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC. Disclaimer: Alan Cooper’s company has a business relationship with Voterheads.com, an affiliate of Magnolia Media, which is the producer of the South Carolina Business Review.
Mike Switzer interviews Jim Little, co-chair of the Southeast Nuclear Advisory Council and an industry representative on our governor’s SC Nuclear Advisory Council.
Mike Switzer interviews Steve Wilmot, tournament director of the RBC Heritage presented by Boeing coming to Hilton Head Island April 15-21.
Close economic ties between South Carolina and Deutschland are why our next guest makes personal visits to our state. Mike Switzer interviews Andreas Michaelis, the German ambassador to the U.S.
Mike Switzer interviews Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus at the College of Business & Behavioral Science and Alumni Professor of Economics Emeritus, both at Clemson University.
Guest John Warner tells us about the Greenville, S.C. airport being named the best small airport in the country and why that’s important to the local economy.
A South Carolina nonprofit is launching a new program to help with student loan repayment.
The labor market has been tight for some time now and our next guest says it has become very challenging for nonprofit organizations.
The transportation industry continues to be the target for reducing the effects of climate change. Our next guest says that if the railroads want to eliminate their carbon footprint, they must decarbonize line haul locomotives.
Many exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are being assembled right now to invest in crypto, which, of course, increases demand. Could there be another major crypto bubble?
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community.
Once upon a time, a $35 million property, highly desirable for development, would have been out of reach for conservationists. But recently, our next guest’s organization was able to accomplish exactly that with the purchase of a 4400-acre property on deep water along I-95 in our state.
One of the largest manufacturing plants to be built in our state recently held their groundbreaking ceremony in the Midlands and we have their top local representative on the phone to tell us more.
Debt collection companies oftentimes don’t have good reputations. But they do provide a necessary service or they wouldn’t exist. Sometimes, a company needs help collecting bad debts and sometimes the person or company owing the debt needs an affordable payment solution.
Most estimates show that a woman’s income is cut by 40% after divorce. Most studies also show that women are less likely to feel confident about investing than their male counter-parts and especially in the South where they are traditionally not the primary breadwinner.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about how he sees AI affecting business and industry in our state.
Mike Switzer interviews Benjamin Means, the John T. Campbell Chair in Business and Professional Ethics and director of the Family and Small Business Program at the Joseph F. Rice School of Law at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C.
Mike Switzer interviews Bob Moran, tournament director of the Credit One Charleston Open coming March 30th through April 7th to Daniel Island, SC.
Effective coordination and communication need to take place between general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and of course, the customer. Our next guest’s Upstate company came up with a software solution to do just that.
Is A.I. a good place to invest? While it has great promise, it also comes with great uncertainty.
Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina, who shares commentary for Women’s History Month regarding women and their career stories in S.C.
In case you didn’t know, March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Our next guest’s organization is working to raise awareness about brain injuries and their impact on individuals and their careers and their communities.
Our next guest says that practically all boats and ships use a 200-year-old technology when it comes to their propellers and that he has discovered a better way. And he appears to be proving it as our state’s Innovision Awards program recently recognized his company as a finalist in their small business category.
While our state is not known for its wine, we are home to about a dozen wineries. One is run by our next guest and his wife, and their Upstate winery has been growing and expanding since the early days of the pandemic.
The talk of an economic slowdown or even recession seems to have abated for now, especially since the labor market continues to stay strong. So what is going on in employment these days? Will wages keep rising? Will the unemployment rate move higher?
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about USC’s new director of economic development, Stephen Cutler.
The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) recently announced the formation of their latest cohort in their Acres program: Cultivating Equity in Black Agriculture, which trains and certifies Black farmers and ranchers as diverse suppliers, helping them access new markets.
A local oyster farm is making a lot of headway in the industry through the relatively new practice of growing oysters in floating cages.
Not all banks are willing to take the risks of making small business loans in economically depressed areas or to low-income entrepreneurs. Which is one reason our next guest’s nonprofit financial institution exists.
The latest numbers show that for the eight months leading up to elections, the S&P 500 has gone up almost 10% on average. Here's what one of our resident financial advisors has to say about those numbers.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
With the low unemployment rate continuing across our state, employers are becoming more and more competitive in their hiring and as a result, pressure is building at staffing agencies. Our next guest says that one answer may be an effort to place more women in manufacturing jobs
S.C. company developing imaging technology for early-stage detection and analysis of cervical cancer earns InnoVision's Technology Development Award.
With the electric vehicle industry set to become a big player in our state’s economy over the next few years, we thought it might be a good idea to check in with someone who has been involved in the EV world for many years.
When the stock market is making all-time highs, the question on many investors’ minds is “Is now a good time to buy stocks?” Our next guest says that that is actually not the right question to ask.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John shares his personal experience recently with medical technology in our state.
For five decades now, our next guest’s organization has been pioneering medical genetics across not only our state, but the nation, as well. Last month, they kicked off their latest initiative, a major effort in Alzheimer's research. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Steve Skinner, director of the Greenwood Genetics Center in Greenwood, SC.
You would think that in today’s world of the Internet (what we used to call the Information Superhighway), most people would be fairly knowledgeable about finances. But our next guest says there is still plenty of work to do. Mike Switzer interviews Chandler Jordan, the new executive director of the SC Council on Economic Education in Columbia, SC.
Our next guest says that while our state’s recent economic growth and prosperity has grown it has also further increased existing disparities in our communities. Which is something their latest summit will be addressing. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Shawn Edwards, the board chair at TogetherSC, host of the upcoming SC Nonprofit Summit, Feb 21-23 in Charleston, SC.
Satire is defined as a genre of the arts in which abuses and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent that some improvement would result. Our next guest hopes to provide us with a little satire today of what he sees as a popular fad in the financial services industry. And he’s hoping you will find the satire useful. Mike Switzer interviews Rick Van Der Noord, a certified financial planner in Greenville SC.
Our state’s leading economic development agency recently unveiled a new slogan and long-term plan that includes targeting sectors like advanced energy, electric vehicles, and life sciences for further development. Mike Switzer interviews Harry Lightsey, secretary of the South Carolina Department of Commerce in Columbia, SC.
Our state’s tourism industry continues to grow and our next guest’s annual event continues to add to that growth. In fact, MovieMaker magazine recently named it as one of the best film festival destinations in the country. Mike Switzer interviews Ron Tucker, director of the Beaufort International Film Festival in Beaufort, SC.
From Pennsylvania to Mississippi, our next guest’s South Carolina agricultural technology company’s seeds are being planted, helping improve the profitability of local farms while reducing the carbon intensity of food and feed production. And this technology recently earned them the 2023 Innovision Sustainability award. Mike Switzer interviews Zach Brenton, founder of Carolina Seed Systems in Florence, SC.
Since 1983, our next guest’s nonprofit has been involved in furthering wildlife conservation and education in our region of the country with several programs throughout the year. The main event is coming soon to the Lowcountry and bringing with it a nice boost to the local economy. Mike Switzer interviews John Powell, president and CEO of the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition coming to Charleston Feb. 16-18.
Well, here we are, one month into a new year already, and investors are still confused about the financial markets. For a while, it looked like the tech bubble was over and that bonds were looking good again. But now, not many are sure. So we’ve asked one of our resident financial analysts to offer his take. Mike Switzer interviews Tyson Halsey, a chartered financial analyst with Income Growth Advisors in Daniel Island, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about BMW employing humanoid robots in their Spartanburg County plant.
Have you ever found yourself needing to check out of your hotel many hours before your flight and wondering what to do about your luggage while you got out and enjoyed the local sights one last time? Our next guest has and she decided to do something about it by forming her own luggage logistics service. And it was recently recognized with the 2023 InnoVision Small Business Award. Mike Switzer interviews Amanda Sheridan, founder and CEO of Charleston Bag Valet in Charleston, SC.
If your doctor told you that the shot he has been giving you is now available to be taken orally through tiny glass bubbles, would you give it a try? Well, it is actually a groundbreaking innovation pioneered by a South Carolina start-up biotech company that has earned an endorsement from the US National Science Foundation and the 2023 InnoVision Technology Integration Award. Mike Switzer interviews George Weeks, chief technology officer with SpheroFill in Aiken, SC.
The US Small Business Administration facilitates a lot of small business loans all across the country. A small Upstate bank actually broke into the top 25 list of SBA lenders last year with more than $177 million in SBA loans. That’s out of more than 1,500 banks nationwide. Mike Switzer interviews Beth Hallock, president of SBA lending at United Community Bank in Greenville, SC.
It’s early in the year still, but as was the case last year, economic forecasts continue to be upended. The latest example just recently when a national jobs report came in stronger than expected and dampened prospects for interest rate cuts. Today we’ll check in with one of our resident economists to get his take. Mike Switzer interviews Frank Hefner, director of the Office of Economic Analysis and a professor of economics at the College of Charleston.
An update of the news, events, and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
For decades, there has been software available to help you learn to play musical instruments. Our next guest says they have now been able to incorporate machine learning into their gaming-style music learning software that is increasing the likelihood of students to continue their lessons. And this technology recently earned them the 2023 InnoVision Education Award. Mike Switzer interviews Mak Grgic, co-founder of Notey, Inc. in Cayce, SC. YouTube video of awards presentation - Notey presentation starts at 19:15
We recently learned that one of our state agencies involved in job creation and retention has a new leader. Today, we have him on the phone. Mike Switzer interviews Jesse Smith, the new executive director of the South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority (JEDA) in Columbia, SC.
With so many German businesses located in our state, it only makes sense that someone should host a conference focused on growing that relationship. And that’s exactly what our next guest’s institution has been doing for several years now. Mike Switzer interviews Paul Schwager, dean of the School of Business at the College of Charleston, host of the German-American Business Summit on Feb. 7th.
If you’ve been investing in the financial markets for a long time, you could have a portfolio that has grown significantly in value. Which could present a tax problem. Our next guest says there is a way to avoid some of these capital gains and it involves tax planning across generations. Mike Switzer interviews Stephen Maggard, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about a smart innovation report for SC that he has compiled.
You may remember that late last year the United Nations held its annual climate conference, COP28, in Dubai, where world leaders addressed climate change and environmental challenges. Also attending that conference were 151 mayors from around the world including our next guest. Mike Switzer interviews Daniel Rickenmann, mayor of Columbia, SC.
Our state has been blessed for many years now with a robust economy. We’ve weathered a financial crisis, a 1,000-year flood, and a pandemic. But can we weather the weather? One of our major cities is taking part in a nature-based program to improve and strengthen its level of resilience. Mike Switzer interviews Dale Morris, chief resilience officer for the City of Charleston, SC. Nature Based Exchange
Entrepreneurial resources in our state continue to expand. Our next guest’s accelerator, for example, is looking for applicants from around South Carolina for its next spring cohort. Their goal, in particular, is to address the gap in venture capital access for women, minority, veteran, and other underfunded demographics. Mike Switzer interviews Millicent Lann, program director at the Benedict College Statewide Investment Accelerator, part of the Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship.
With Bitcoin all over the news lately, we thought it might be worthwhile to dig a little deeper into blockchain technology, how it works exactly, and what is the role of Bitcoin in a blockchain anyway? Mike Switzer interviews Ashton Lawrence, a certified financial planner with Mariner Wealth Advisors in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC.
InnoVision Awards is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of innovation and technology in our state. And each year, as their name implies, they recognize companies, organizations, and individuals toward that end. 2023’s Community Service Award was recently announced and our next Internet solutions company was the recipient. Mike Switzer interviews Kent Winrich, chief technology officer with Open Broadband in Greenville, SC.
I didn’t know this but apparently, photographers and videographers in the real estate industry have a hard time finding skilled editors to help them improve the quality of their photos and videos. So our next guest’s company created a software solution that resulted in an investment of a quarter million dollars from SC Launch. Mike Switzer interviews Moses Nickerson, co-founder and CEO of Pixlmob in Greenville, SC.
We’ve interviewed a few companies over the years in the vertical farming industry, also known as CEA or controlled environment agriculture, which usually involves growing plants (mostly greens) in a controlled indoor environment. We recently learned that our next guest’s company was selected to install a vertical farm at a local prison, the first time this has been done onsite at a correctional institution in the U.S. Mike Switzer interviews Don Taylor, founder and CEO of AmplifiedAG in Charleston, SC.
As we start a new year, it’s natural to have concerns about whether the financial decisions you made last year or will be making this year, are the best ones for you and your family. Especially when stock and bond market environments like we’ve seen the last couple of years happen, which can shake the confidence of even the most seasoned investors. Our next guest has some suggestions for us on how to be more confident in financial decision-making. Mike Switzer interviews David Turner, a certified financial planner in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about AI’s presence in industry in our state.
Thanks to many old, empty, commercial buildings and tax credits, historic preservation continues to be a significant part of local economic development. Our next guest says that this preservation work is also starting to influence residential design. Mike Switzer interviews Dale Marshall, president of Architrave in Columbia, SC.
Another new year is underway and many sales people are putting into action their plan for growing sales in this new year. Our next guest is a 20-year sales veteran who says that growing the revenue from your existing customers can be as important as prospecting. Mike Switzer interviews Jermaine Edwards, a business growth consultant in Columbia, SC.
We interview companies in our state each year who have been recognized by one publication or another as a best place to work. But I believe this is the first time we’ve seen one receive this award from an outdoor lifestyle magazine, and for a company that is not even in that line of work. Mike Switzer interviews Lee Deas, founder of Obviouslee, a global marketing company in Charleston, SC, recently recognized as a "Best Place to Work" by Outside Magazine, coming in at #20 out of more than 50 companies nationwide.
Now that we’re into a brand new year, many people begin to think about getting their financial house in order so today we have one of our resident certified financial planners with us to help. Mike Switzer interviews John Cooper with Greenwood Capital in Greenwood, SC.
Today is our final excerpt from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from South Carolina Representative Gary S. Brewer Jr., during the panel discussion on the coming infrastructure expansion and its role in South Carolina's long-run economic competitiveness.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Bonnie Ammons with the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority during the panel discussion on the coming infrastructure expansion and its role in South Carolina's long-run economic competitiveness.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Justin Powell with the South Carolina Department of Transportation, during the panel discussion on the coming infrastructure expansion and its role in South Carolina's long-run economic competitiveness.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Matt Reiffer with the American Council of Engineering Companies, during the panel discussion on the coming infrastructure expansion and its role in South Carolina's long-run economic competitiveness.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Doug Woodward, professor of economics, Darla Moore School of Business.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Doug Woodward, professor of economics, Darla Moore School of Business.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Doug Woodward, professor of economics, Darla Moore School of Business.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Joey Von Nessen, chief economist at the Moore School’s Division of Research.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Joey Von Nessen, chief economist at the Moore School’s Division of Research.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Joey Von Nessen, chief economist at the Moore School’s Division of Research.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
One of the first former railroad tracks in our state to be converted to a trail, known as rails-to-trails, was the Swamp Rabbit Trail creating a shared-use bike and pedestrian trail from Greenville to Travelers Rest. One of the first businesses to take the plunge and open up on that trail was a small restaurant and market founded by two women entrepreneurs. Twelve years later it’s still going strong. Mike Switzer interviews Mary Walsh, co-founder of Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery in Greenville, SC.
In case you didn’t know, Lancaster County is one of the fastest-growing counties in our state, probably in part, because it is in the Charlotte metro area. Our next guest’s digital marketing company has decided to tap into some of that growth by opening a new office there. Mike Switzer interviews Tom Sliker, president and CEO of Broadstreet.net headquartered in Camden, SC.
Most of the time when we hear of a new company expanding its operations in our state, we expect it to involve manufacturing because, quite honestly, we do have a reputation as a manufacturing state. But then we heard about our next guest’s national research and engineering company announcing a significant expansion of its Upstate operations. Mike Switzer interviews Matthew Fordham, with Applied Research Associates in Greenville, SC.
Imagine that you have saved diligently over the years to fund your child’s 529 education savings plan, but instead of the expensive private college originally planned for, your daughter chose to enroll at a public university. So now that you have money left over in that 529 plan, what can be done with it? Our next guest says that the good news is that a new option is available now that could help build a retirement fund for your daughter. Mike Switzer interviews Laird Green, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Greenville, SC.
Even though inflation continues to be on everybody’s minds these days, the American Farm Bureau Federation’s recent annual survey showed that the average cost of your recent family Thanksgiving dinner should have actually dropped by about 4.5% from last year. But our next guest also completed a recent survey of business leaders in our state and found that while inflation is not number one on their list of concerns, it’s very close. Mike Switzer interviews Bob Morgan, president and CEO of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce in Columbia, SC.
Ever since China stopped importing recyclable materials from the US several years ago, we have been hearing from people who say they believe recycling doesn’t matter anymore, and that everything is just going to the landfill anyway, so why bother? But the facts are that our state is home to over 300 recycling companies, a number which actually grew last year, bringing with them over $4 billion in capital investments, and over 1,800 new jobs. Mike Switzer interviews Anna DeLage, recycling market development manager at the SC Dept. of Commerce.
Correction: the December 7, 2023 version of this story stated that the 90-mile corridor between Columbia and Charlotte sees more than 145 million people passing through each day; that statement was incorrect, and has been updated as of December 11, 2023 and should read as follows:“In case you didn’t know, 145 million people live within an 11-hour drive of the 90-mile corridor between Columbia and Charlotte. It’s an area that encompasses five South Carolina counties and two metropolitan areas. That’s a lot of potential commerce and economic development which is why our next guest’s organization was formed. Mike Switzer interviews Chris Finn, the current president and CEO of the I-77 Alliance.”We apologize for this error and thank our listeners for bringing it to our attention.
Last year, our next guest’s organization was awarded a grant of $1 million with more coming this year, all with the mission of funding collaborative projects benefiting our state’s citizens and NASA. Mike Switzer interviews Catherine Hayes, executive director of CORE SC and an industry manager with the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) in Charleston, SC.
Many people who solicit the assistance of a financial advisor have preconceived notions of what to expect involving investment management, tax planning, estate planning, etc. However, our next guest says there is often a disconnect between those client expectations and the actual services provided by financial advisors. He says the solution may be a virtual family office. Mike Switzer interviews Jeremy Finger, a certified financial planner with Riverbend Wealth Management in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Alan tells us about the current challenges to bettering education levels in our state and the recent task force survey from the SC Dept. of Education. Our prior interviews with teacher groups in SC: Teacher Shortage Continues Unabated in SC and Recruiting teachers is a priority in SC. Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC. Disclaimer: Alan Cooper’s company has a business relationship with Voterheads.com, an affiliate of Magnolia Media, which is the producer of the South Carolina Business Review.
Our state is home to a family-owned paint manufacturer that has been in business for over 100 years and we just learned that they are celebrating another milestone as the two brothers leading the company have now reached fifty years in that business together. They are Pope and Bobby Walker, who run the Rose Talbert Paint Company in Cayce, SC and today, we have Pope on the phone.
If you’ve ever worn earbuds or the mini earphones that fit into your ears, you have probably experienced the hassle of them falling out or not being comfortable in your ears. Our next guest thinks his Upstate company has found the solution using 3D printing and as a result has spurred the South Carolina Research Authority’s investment affiliate, SC Launch, to invest a quarter million dollars into the company. Mike Switzer interviews Ric Hoke, founder and CEO of WAVS Custom, in Greenville, SC.
Although we’ve been doing this show for over 23 years, we continue to learn about niche segments of the business world that we hadn’t heard of before. And so it goes with our next guest’s company, owner of a local franchise that specializes in paving and maintaining parking lots. Mike Switzer interviews Charlie Mimms, who along with his wife, Melissa, own and operate Everline Coatings in Columbia, SC
As the year winds down, a lot of financial reviews start to take place. And one of those can involve estate planning. Mike Switzer interviews Chris Cabri, a certified financial planner with Wells Fargo Advisors in Greenwood, SC.
It’s that time of year when many people take a look at making year-end charitable donations. But before you make that donation, you might want to review their financial information and check to see if that charity is even registered to solicit in our state. And that’s where our next guest comes in. Mark Hammond is the Secretary of State for South Carolina and his office is not only in charge of that information, but they also release their charity”Angel List” each year.
Our next guest and her husband are filmmakers who recently relocated to our state’s Lowcountry. Their documentary about a Native American youth art project and its role in revitalizing their language and culture has won multiple awards across the country, most recently the Susan A. K. Shaffer Humanitarian Award at the Beaufort International Film Festival. Mike Switzer interviews Heather Steinberger, producer of Waniyetu Wowapi: Winter Count.
You may have heard us interview companies who have received SBIR or STTR grants to help them fund the research that their young companies depend on to continue to grow and validate their business models. However, applying for these grants or practically any grant can be a daunting process. And that’s why the SC Department of Commerce is now making available free services to companies and entrepreneurs in our state to help them with these grant programs. Kyle Salazar is with the department’s 3PhaseSC program in Columbia.
Three years ago, Clemson University received its largest ever gift: $60 million from Wilbur and Ann Powers in an effort to transform the university’s business school, which now bears their names. What has happened since then? Mike Switzer interviews Wendy York, dean of the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business at Clemson University.
When the end of the year rolls around, it seems like there is always a lot to talk about when it comes to the economy and what the experts believe will be coming next year. And that’s why our next guest’s business school always hosts an economic outlook conference at this time of year. Mike Switzer interviews Joey Von Nessen, chief economist at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, whose annual conference is coming December 5th.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
For a very long time, our state has been known as a manufacturing state. And during that time, a lot has happened with technology, enough so that a new segment has emerged known as advanced manufacturing. The recent announcements of several large, new such factories coming to our state has brought to the forefront the need not just for the specialized workforce training but also leadership training specifically tailored to advanced manufacturing. And that’s where our next guest comes in. Mike Switzer interviews Mark Cecchini, associate dean for Executive Education at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business in Columbia, host of the South Carolina Manufacturing Leadership Program.
Nonprofit organizations are an integral part of the business community. In fact, board members of nonprofits are often local business leaders. Yet nonprofits also often struggle to recruit new board members which is why our next guest’s organization recently launched a new tool to help with that process. Mike Switzer interviews Madeleine McGee, president of TogetherSC in Columbia.
It’s not often we hear of a local start-up raising big money from outside the state, but that is what has happened with our next guest’s socially-minded e-commerce company, which has received $750,000 so far this year, most of which has come from a Cleveland-based venture capital firm. Mike Switzer interviews Jeff Spencer, CEO and co-founder of Playfora, in the Boyd Innovation Center in Columbia, S.C.
Hard to believe but true, 2023 is winding down and 2024 is right around the corner. For investors, this is the time of the year for retrospection and prognostication. So let’s check in with one of our experts on these issues. Mike Switzer interviews Wes Johnson, a certified financial planner with ACT Advisors in Charleston, S.C.
If the tight labor market, inflation, and rising interest rates weren’t enough for the business community to worry about in 2023, then came artificial intelligence. Suddenly, it’s all companies can talk about…how can we use AI to grow our business and protect our business from competition? Our next guest’s business school has put together a conference to address these issues. Mike Switzer interviews Dirk Brown, director of the McNair Institute for Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina, host of the upcoming Carolina Connect AI conference on December 1st.
Our state has long been a proponent of sustainability, and our next guest’s North Carolina company has long been a part of that, with three of its nationwide locations in South Carolina. Wes Carter is president of Atlantic Packaging in Summerville, S.C.
Our next guest’s company recently received a $250,000 investment from the South Carolina Research Authority’s investment affiliate, SC Launch. An investment he says will help them scale up their services for independent pharmacies. Darren Schaupp is CEO of SiteLabs, at the Duke Energy Innovation Center in the Clemson Research Park.
If you heard our recent interview with Laura Hutchinson who runs the Advanced Manufacturing and Skills Trade school at Midlands Technical College, you might remember her mentioning that the building construction class won the 2022 national championship and placed second in the nation this year. And so today, we have on the phone the director of that program. Mike Switzer interviews Robbie Sharpe, the Building Construction Program Director at Midlands Technical College in Columbia, S.C.
A lot has happened in the cryptocurrency market over the past several months so we thought it might be a good time to check in with our resident crypto expert to get his thoughts. Mike Switzer interviews Allen Gillespie, chief investment officer at FinTrust Capital Advisors in Greenville, S.C.
An update of the news, events, and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC.
Many people are familiar with the term social entrepreneurship which involves creating companies that strive to solve social problems, such as poverty, education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability. Our next guest’s college has initiated a program to attract like-minded students. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Ben Bailey, a political science professor at Presbyterian College and the director of the college's Service Entrepreneurship Program.
The current unemployment rate in our state is about 3%, with companies continuing to struggle to find qualified workers, especially because so many are already employed and not actively seeking work. However, our next guest says that many underemployed people can be exposed to job opportunities that are a better fit for their skilled qualifications by using a technology known as programmatic advertising. Mike Switzer interviews Holly Rollins, CEO of 10X Digital, a marketing firm in Greenville, S.C.
With 26+ daily, nonstop flights to nine major cities, our next guest’s airport has decided that they will soon update the restaurant and shopping opportunities available to the one million+ passengers that use this airport. Mike Switzer interviews Mike Gula, president and CEO of the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
Rising interest rates and more global conflict continue to put pressure on financial markets so we thought now might be a good time to check in with one of our resident investment analysts to get his take on the current situation. Mike Switzer interviews Tyson Halsey, a chartered financial analyst with Income Growth Advisors in Daniel Island, SC.
Low unemployment, an aging population, higher interest rates and inflation, and global conflict are all factors our next guest says are weighing on our economy. Mike Switzer interviews Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus at the College of Business & Behavioral Science and Alumni Professor of Economics Emeritus, both at Clemson University. He is also the Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center which publishes his Economic Situation Report.
Our next guest has discovered that there are a lot of interesting and talented people in our state who need help connecting with others and showcasing those talents across the state, the nation, and even the world. Mike Switzer interviews Neal Kinard, founder of The Palmetto Network in Charleston, S.C.
It’s that time of year again when a popular music festival returns to the streets of our capital city, bringing with it a significant economic impact. Mike Switzer interviews Jay Matheson, owner of the Jam Room Recording Studio and founder of the Jam Room Music Festival coming November 4th to Columbia, S.C.
Our state has definitely built up a solid reputation as a manufacturing state over the past several decades, and that reputation has been built on the success of our technical school system and its workforce development programs. That’s something our next guest is thick in the middle of. Mike Switzer interviews Laura Hutchinson Davis, chair of the School of Advanced Manufacturing and Skilled Trades at Midlands Technical College in Columbia, S.C.
As we approach the end of the year, opportunities to optimize your tax situation begin to diminish. But our next guest says that there are still several strategies that you have time to employ. Mike Switzer interviews Beth Jeter Hrubala, a certified financial planner in Spartanburg, S.C.
An update of the news, events, and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business, and SCBizNews magazine.
SCBizNews recently announced their annual Best Places to Work list in our state, and our next guest’s recruiting company came in at number one in the small company category. Mike Switzer interviews Steve Bryant, CEO of SystemTec in Columbia, S.C.
After their population had been shrinking for four decades, our state’s oldest inland city has reversed its fortunes over the past 15 years, and that has resulted in more commercial investment over the past five years than in each of the prior 25. Mike Switzer interviews Shawn Putnam, planning and development director for the City of Camden, S.C.
Successful careers often lead to successful philanthropy. And that’s the case with our next guest who, over three decades ago, used his basketball success to create a charity that raises funds for children and families in need with the ultimate goal of fostering civic engagement and leadership, and driving economic growth. Mike Switzer interviews Alex English, co-founder of the Let’s Share Foundation in Columbia, S.C., host of the 3rd annual Alex English Celebrity Golf Tournament happening at the end of this month.
We’re almost a year away now when employers will be required to automatically enroll eligible employees in retirement savings plans, such as a 401(k) or 403(b) plan. That all starts December 31, 2024, and our next guest says “You know how time flies, best to get prepared as soon as you can.” Mike Switzer interviews Scotty Scott, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Columbia, S.C.
Each year, our next guest’s investment banking firm names their top 50 fastest growing companies in our state which were recently announced for 2023 at a celebration in Columbia, SC. Dan Adams is president and CEO of The Capital Corporation in Greenville, S.C.
Several years ago, we interviewed our next guest about a chatbot service his company had developed to help residents communicate with their local governments about various issues, such as potholes. Now they have added a multilingual version because many cities are finding that their non-English speaking population is on the rise. Mike Switzer interviews Bratton Riley, cofounder and CEO of Citibot in Charleston, S.C.
Ten years ago, our next guest and his partner decided to leave their leadership positions at GE in the Upstate and start their own company because they believed they could develop a better way to manage the transportation of large cargo loads. Will Stephan is co-founder of Logisticus in Greenville, S.C.
Most people are aware that there are many services available to our community of veterans to help them succeed after their military service is finished. But not even many veterans themselves are aware of our next guest’s resource that can help them start or grow a business. Mike Switzer interviews CJ Williams, director of the South Carolina Veterans Business Outreach Center at the Citadel in Charleston, SC.
If you’ve got your eye on some stocks but want to wait to buy because you think the market may be heading a little lower, then our next guest has a portfolio strategy that will pay you while you wait. Mike Switzer interviews Ashton Lawrence with Mariner Wealth Advisors in Greenville, S.C.
An update of the news, events, and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC.
By now, most of us have heard the phrase “call before you dig,” which is an effort to prevent underground cables, wires, and pipes from being damaged. It’s actually a law in our state and part of a nationwide network. Our next guest runs the company responsible for these efforts in South Carolina and was recently named by SCBizNews as one of the best places to work in our state. Mike Switzer interviews Misty Wise, executive director of SC811 in Columbia, SC.
In case you haven’t noticed, the number of senior living communities has been increasing dramatically over the past decade. Which means it's a fast-growing business to be in, which is right where our next guest is. Danny Sanford is CEO of Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community in West Columbia, SC.
In case you haven’t heard, there is a new dean at our state’s flagship university business school. And we have him on the phone. Mike Switzer interviews Rohit Verma, dean of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
Our state’s economy continues to move forward regardless of the recent rise in inflation and interest rates. How long can this scenario continue? Mike Switzer interviews Joey Von Nessen, chief economist at the Darla Moore School of Business at USC in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John shares an update from the recent Innoventure Futures Festival and about the upcoming Upstate Talent Forum.
Most small companies would love to have millions of followers on social media to help them get their business to the next level. So, most entrepreneurs would be understandably envious of our next guest’s small farm that has over 4 million followers on TikTok. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Southers, co-founder of Goat Daddy Farm in Elgin, S.C.
Most people have heard of angel investors, and angel funds that invest in early stage start-up companies that haven’t quite made it to the level of venture capital funding yet. Angels are usually for-profit investors, but we recently discovered a non-profit angel fund in our state and thought you might want to learn more, too. Mike Switzer interviews Mike Gatchell, CEO and co-founder of Abundance Capital in Greenville, S.C.
As you may have heard on a previous episode of the program, Forbes magazine recently announced their “50 Over 50” Women list, and in the Lifestyle category, the owner of a distillery and women’s magazine in the Lowcountry of our state made that list. Mike Switzer interviews “Pixie” Paula Dezzutti, founder of Striped Pig Distillery and Skirt! magazine in Charleston, SC.
Not many folks can say that they have actively participated in their profession since its infancy. But our next guest has done so for nearly 40 years with a professional designation that can trace its origin to only 54 years ago. Mike Switzer interviews Rick Van Der Noord, one of the inaugural Certified Financial Planners in the nation, and he joins us from his office in Greenville S.C.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
Social media has become a major industry over the past decade and a big influence in the advertising industry. Which is keeping our next guest and his students busy at an Upstate university. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Brandon Boatwright, director of the Social Media Listening Center at Clemson University.
According to our next guest, the real estate market in South Carolina is currently experiencing a great deal of confusion due to recent market shifts, changes in interest rates, and other developments. Mike Switzer interviews Nick Carlson, co-founder of Wilson Associates and current president of the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors in Greenville, SC.
With so many foreign companies locating in our state and buying products made in our state, most people would agree that global engagement is critical to the health of the economy. Which is why our next guest’s organization holds an event for the business community in our Upstate that focuses on international business topics. Mike Switzer interviews Tracie Frese, executive director of the World Affairs Council Upstate, host of the 2023 Global Upstate Conference on International Business and World Affairs taking place in Greer, SC, between October 3 & 4.
Interest rates are on a lot of people’s minds these days as they continue to inch higher. So, we are going to check in with one of our resident financial advisors to see what his advice is for individuals and companies that may need some portfolio rebalancing or loan reshuffling. Mike Switzer interviews Jared Crawford, a certified financial planner in North Myrtle Beach, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about a recent Post and Courier article about our state’s brain drain and how that will be addressed at the upcoming Innoventure Futures Festival in Greenville, S.C. Sept. 22, 2023.
An upstate business owner was recently named to the prestigious 50 Over 50: Impact list at Forbes magazine, recognizing the achievements of female entrepreneurs and leaders across the country over the age of 50. And that’s putting her in pretty good company alongside names such as Viola Davis, Jamie Lee Curtis and Gloria Steinem. Mike Switzer interviews Britt Vergnolle, founder and CEO of BDV Solutions in Greenville, SC.
Most business owners would agree that a city’s quality of life is an important factor in the recruitment and retainment of quality employees. And that includes art and cultural events. Our next guest is working hard to maintain and grow the level of cultural activity in our state’s capital city. Mike Switzer interviews Mark Rapp, founder and executive director of ColaJazz Foundation, host of the upcoming ColaJazz Fest in Columbia, SC September 30 - October 1.
Careers in environment, agriculture, and forestry are becoming more and more popular in our state thanks to numerous job opportunities in those areas as well as to educational opportunities such as those offered by our next guest’s Upstate university. Mike Switzer interviews Kirby Player, coordinator of the Palmetto Leadership Program for the Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (PLEAF) at Clemson University.
When was the last time your investment advisor suggested to you that CDs were the best place to put your money. I mean, they’re normally all about stocks, right? But our next guest says that, indeed, CDs are his favorite right now. Mike Switzer interviews Doug English, a certified financial planner with ACT Advisors in Charleston, SC.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC.
The start-up community in our capital city recently gained a new resource when our next guest’s nonprofit organization opened up their new facility which is providing co-working and networking opportunities and more thanks to some outside funding that they were able to attain last year. Mike Switzer interviews Caroline Crowder, executive director of GrowCo in Columbia, SC.
Like many states around the country, ours also has pockets across the state’s metropolitan areas where fresh foods are hard to come by…areas known as food deserts. Our next guest is a journalist that has been reporting on this issue and the new trend toward mobile grocery stores. Mike Switzer interviews Jessica Holdman, with the Post and Courier in Columbia, SC.
When the COVID-19 pandemic essentially shut down the international supply chain, many American businesses realized that locally sourced suppliers were going to be essential in avoiding future disruptions in the manufacturing process. As a result, our next guest’s organization decided to help bring a new tool to our state’s manufacturers in an effort to avoid this problem in the future. Mike Switzer interviews Sara Hazzard, president and CEO of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance in Columbia. Companies can sign up for Connex South Carolina by visiting SCMEP.org/Connex.
It’s that time again when we like to check in with one of our resident economists to get their perspective on the outlook for our state’s economy and the national picture. Mike Switzer interviews Frank Hefner, Director of the Office of Economic Analysis and Professor of Economics at the College of Charleston.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about five big advanced manufacturers in our state that will be presenting the innovation needs at the Innoventure Futures Festival in Greenville, SC Sept. 22, 2023.
A 50-year-old Midlands-area agricultural supply company recently received a $150,000 South Carolina Agribusiness Incentives Grant to help with their $1.2 million expansion into a new county. Mike Switzer interviews Robert Ethridge, president of Mixon Seed Service in Orangeburg, SC.
Over 60 years ago, our next guest’s company got its start in New York launching a line of maintenance products for boats. Then, in 1995, after a merger with a coatings and flooring manufacturer, they relocated to our state and have since expanded into products for the light aviation and recreational vehicle markets and contract manufacturing. Mike Switzer interviews Maike Kowal with Life Industries in North Charleston, SC.
You may have heard our recent interview with Sherry East, president of the South Carolina Education Association about the current teacher shortage in our state. Today, we will hear from someone affiliated with a teacher recruitment initiative funded by the SC Dept. of Education. Mike Switzer interviews Katie Crews, a senior program manager with TEACH South Carolina in Columbia. TeachSC Community Interest Survey for those interested in becoming teachers, volunteers, and/or substitute teachers.
Paying off your mortgage early can seem like a great idea - who wouldn't want to own their home free and clear and stop making monthly payments? But is it always the best move financially? We’ve invited our next guest to the show today to help answer that question. Mike Switzer interviews Garet Strange, a certified financial planner with Hobbs Group Advisors in Columbia, SC.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
As we’ve noted recently, the pandemic motivated many people to start their own companies, and in one category more than others - food. After starting her own food truck last year, our next guest recently decided to also enter the commercial kitchen business. Mike Switzer interviews Carena Jones, co-owner of Just Jonesin’ Commissary Kitchen in Columbia, SC.
We’ve come to learn that while many companies closed during the pandemic, many also began. Our next guest is one such example. During the economic shutdown, she and her co-founder turned their hobby of jam-making into a growing enterprise with the help of a grant from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship, known as ACRE. Mike Switzer interviews Jessica Henry, co-founder of Sakhar Jams in Columbia, SC.
For some reason, most people still believe Georgia is the leading peach grower in the country but actually our state produces three times as much. In fact, only California is ahead of us and the second-largest peach farm in the country is here and is run by our next guest. Mike Switzer interviews Chalmers Carr, CEO of Titan Farms in Ridge Spring, SC.
Everyone’s heard the old adage “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. And you probably also know this is often applied to investment strategy. Unfortunately, the top 10 stocks in the US market, mostly technology companies, are now concentrated in major indices, like the S&P 500, to the highest degree in nearly five decades. While the performance of this handful of stocks has been terrific over the past 10 years, our next guest says that this concentration now presents a dilemma for investors going forward. Mike Switzer interviews Rob DeHollander, a certified financial planner in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about new electric vehicle news in SC and the director of the Center for Connected Multimodal Mobility (C2M2) at Clemson University receiving a $20 million grant from US Dept. of Transportation and starting a new center: the National Center for Transportation Cybersecurity and Resiliency (TraCR).
Over the years, we’ve come across many entrepreneurs who have utilized the free mentoring services provided by our next guest’s organization but it’s been a while since we’ve checked in with them. So today we’re ringing them up. Mike Switzer interviews Jim Helfgott, district director for the South Carolina chapter of SCORE.
Natural gas is often listed in the clean energy category. Some people might say a more appropriate moniker would be “cleaner than oil”. But either way, our next guest is plugging away at furthering the growth of the industry as part of a recently formed organization in the Carolinas that represents all parts of the natural gas supply chain, along with public gas entities and economic development groups. Mike Switzer interviews Bruce McKay, a board member of the Carolinas Natural Gas Coalition in Columbia, SC and a senior director of external affairs at Berkshire Hathaway Energy Gas Transmission & Storage in Richmond, VA.
After over 20 years of planning, our next guest’s museum officially opened to the public this June, with a mission of helping visitors learn the full story of the African American journey. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Tonya M. Matthews, president and CEO of the International African American Museum in Charleston.
We’re in that time of year where many people are going through open enrollment to determine their employer benefits for the next year. So our next guest says that makes this a perfect time for individuals and business owners alike to evaluate their 401(k)s and retirement plans. Mike Switzer interviews Anne Marie Ashworth, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Greenville.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC.
Our state has thousands of small businesses and many of them are involved in e-commerce. Our next guest’s nonprofit organization is currently developing a statewide, commission-free, online marketplace that connects our state’s small companies to a centralized e-commerce South Carolina-centric community. Mike Switzer interviews Jenny Boulware with the Municipal Association of South Carolina in Columbia, creators of WeShopSC.
So you have a smartphone and maybe a smartwatch, how about trying smart jewelry? Our next guest’s Upstate start-up has, in fact, patented a smart earring that tracks biodata, such as body temperature, activity, sleep, and even women’s fertility and menstrual cycles. Mike Switzer interviews Lindsey Calcutt, CEO of Incora Health in Greenville, SC.
Our next guest’s home supply store is one of many in our state and country that help local families to build, rehabilitate and repair safe and affordable homes in our communities. Mike Switzer interviews Kevin Oliver, manager of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in West Columbia, SC.
Our next guest says that most people do not realize the importance of proactive tax planning during the overall financial planning process. Why? Well, he says the investment industry typically doesn’t allow investment representatives to talk about taxes, and most CPAs do not perform proactive tax planning unless their clients request it. Mike Switzer interviews Peter Pigeon, a certified financial planner with Hobbs Group Advisors in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about new traction involving large companies collaborating with mid-size and entrepreneurial companies in SC as a result of this radio show.
The Small Business Act, signed into law by President Eisenhower in 1953, created a new government agency whose mission was to promote the interests of small businesses in order to enhance competition in the marketplace. Seventy years later, the institution continues to be a valuable resource for our nation’s small business community. Mike Switzer interviews Gregg White, the SBA’s district director for South Carolina.
After founding, operating, and exiting several small businesses throughout his life, our next guest launched his current enterprise: elevated dog beds. Why? Let’s find out. Mike Switzer interviews David Prince, founder of Truman and Teddy in Greenville, SC.
With the current rapid growth of our aging population, more and more adults are finding themselves caring for their parents. Our next guest says that can be a difficult world to navigate. Mike Switzer interviews Anna Gelbman Edmunds, founder of Reverse Magazine in Columbia, SC.
Our next guest says that, economically speaking, these are definitely challenging times. A serious overseas war, rising interest rates, up and down inflation, layoffs, strikes, AI, crazy politics, regional bank failures, and yet, a historically low unemployment rate continues. So, is a recession coming or not? Mike Switzer interviews Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus at the College of Business & Behavioral Science and Alumni Professor of Economics Emeritus, both at Clemson University. He is also the Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center which publishes his Economic Situation Report.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
In case you missed it, our state was recently awarded more than $551 million from the federal government to deploy affordable and reliable high-speed internet to over 100,000 homes and small businesses across our rural communities who do not currently have that access. Mike Switzer interviews Jim Stritzinger, director of the SC Broadband Office, which is part of our state’s Office of Regulatory Staff. SCDigitalDrive.org
When you think of the livestock industry in our state, the odds are you would not think of bison. Which is why we were surprised to learn about our next guest’s 215-acre ranch with a herd of over 40 bison located in our Olde English District. Mike Switzer interviews Fred Ilse, founder and CEO of Tatanka Bison Ranch in York, SC.
After a stint heading up Louisiana’s economic development efforts, our next guest took over the reins of those same efforts for our state’s life sciences industry two years ago. Let’s check in and see how he and that sector of our state are doing. Mike Switzer interviews James Chappell, president and CEO of SCBIO in Greenville, SC.
Socially responsible investing, sustainable investing, ESG investing, faith-based investing, and biblically responsible investing all describe forms of investing whose proponents hope to leave the world a better place by changing the companies they own. Today, we’re going to take a little closer look at these terms with the help of our next guest. Mike Switzer interviews Jeff Wildes, a certified financial planner in Georgetown, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about his efforts to form a consortium to focus on advanced manufacturing and supply chain technologies in SC.
For two years in a row now, our next guest’s university has been named as the best in the country for veterans by the Military Times. And they weren’t even on the radar three years ago. Mike Switzer interviews Jared Evans, executive director for Veterans and Military Affairs at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC.
The largest economic development project ever announced in our state, Scout Motors coming to Richland County, has, as would be expected, ratcheted up real estate activity in that part of the Midlands. And our next guest is going to give us some insight into what is indeed happening. Mike Switzer interviews Darren Rhodes, managing broker with SouthEast Land and Real Estate in Orangeburg, SC.
While we frequently talk about the various growth industries in our state such as automotive, aerospace, and healthcare, agriculture remains an important part of South Carolina’s economy. An Upstate university, in fact, is working hard to develop, test, and help implement new technologies for increasing productivity and decreasing costs in the agribusiness sector. Mike Switzer interviews Mallory Douglass with the Clemson University Center for Agricultural Technology, known as CU-CAT.
With interest rates considerably higher than they were a year ago, many investors are becoming interested again in income generating investments. Today, we will talk about the advantages to investing in individual bonds vs. bond mutual funds. Mike Switzer interviews Roy Janse, a certified financial planner with Mariner Wealth Advisors in Greenville, SC.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC. Disclaimer: Alan Cooper’s company has a business relationship with Voterheads.com, an affiliate of Magnolia Media, which is the producer of the South Carolina Business Review.
13 years ago, the South Carolina Community Capital Alliance was formed with the mission of increasing capital resources for our state’s underserved and undercapitalized communities with the hope that the additional funding would lead to valuable new jobs. And each year, the Alliance recognizes individuals or organizations that have made a difference toward that end. And one of those persons is our next guest. Mike Switzer interviews Lisa Brown with the Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation, a recipient of the Alliance’s 2023 Community Champion Award.
The labor market continues to be tight almost everywhere and in some areas that situation has existed for a long time. Such as, in education. Mike Switzer interviews Sherry East, president of the South Carolina Education Association in West Columbia, SC.
Hurricane season has started and while many people are preparing their homes and businesses for the possibility of a hurricane or tropical storm, our next guest says it’s also the perfect time to make sure your finances are in order. Mike Switzer interviews Justin Hawkins, a regional banking director for Wells Fargo in Greenville, SC.
In case you didn’t know, “financial porn” is a slang term used to describe sensationalist reports of financial news and products that could cause irrational investment buying that can be detrimental to an investor's financial health. I had never heard this term before which is why we are dialing up our next guest for some help. Mike Switzer interviews Anthony Colancecco, a certified financial planner in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about listener responses to one of our recent interviews regarding a national technology grant program.
The COVID-19 national and public health emergencies officially ended recently and our next guest says that this is causing some confusion for employers and employees regarding testing, vaccinations, and even remote working. Mike Switzer interviews Hagood Tighe, an employment lawyer with Fisher Phillips in Columbia, SC.
Two years ago, our next guest was bearish on stocks and bonds when interest rates were much lower. But now that the Federal Reserve has ratched up short term rates and 10-year Treasury yields have jumped from 0.5% to nearly 4.0%, we thought now would be a good time to check in with him to see if he still feels the same. Mike Switzer interviews Tyson Halsey, a chartered financial analyst with Income Growth Advisors in Daniel Island, SC.
We’re halfway through the year and many economists are still divided over the topic of a recession. Is one looming or not? Mike Switzer interviews Joey Von Nessen, chief economist at the Division of Research at the Darla Moore School of Business at USC in Columbia, SC.
(This is a replay of a previous program which originally aired Mar. 23, 2023) We keep hearing about companies having a really hard time finding qualified employees. There simply are lots of job openings all across the country. Our next guest is trying to help with this situation by working with the business community to find careers for former prison inmates. Mike Switzer interviews Bryan Stirling, director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections in Columbia.
(This is a replay of a previous program which originally aired Mar. 10, 2023) As a minority in the legal profession, our next guest found it easy to understand the challenges faced by minorities, especially in her particular area of expertise, intellectual property law, where she encountered many creators who had no idea what the topic even meant. Shontavia Johnson is now using her skills to actively change the entrepreneurial landscape of our state and the world in her position as the associate vice president of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Clemson University.
13 years ago, the South Carolina Community Capital Alliance was formed with the mission of increasing capital resources for our state’s underserved and undercapitalized communities with the hope that the additional funding would lead to valuable new jobs. And each year, the Alliance recognizes individuals or organizations that have made a difference toward that end. And one of those persons is our next guest. Mike Switzer interviews Ashely Teasdel, Deputy Secretary of Commerce of the South Carolina Department of Commerce and recipient of the Alliance’s 2023 Community Champion Award.
With a growth rate of almost 1,600% over the past two years, our next guest’s software and swag printing company was recently named the fastest growing business in South Carolina (and #17 in the entire Southeast Region) by Inc.com. Mike Switzer interviews Jayson Tompkins, CEO and co-founder of Print Your Cause, based in Mount Pleasant, SC.
Most people know, or at least aren’t surprised to learn, that timber is our state’s number one cash crop. And all of that timber is owned not just by big forest products companies, but also by individuals. A market that our next guest has found lucrative through his mobile sawyer business. Mike Switzer interviews Ted Bullock, owner of Carolina Sawyers in Charleston, SC.
Building a retirement nest egg is one of the most important financial activities you can engage in. And the earlier you can get started on that task, of course, the better. Our next guest says that even teenagers with summer jobs can start contributing to their own IRAs. Mike Switzer interviews Alex Chastain, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Columbia, SC.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
More and more individuals are making the switch to electric vehicles these days and so are companies. In fact, our next guest’s Upstate company fleet recently logged over one million EV miles. Mike Switzer interviews Chris Russo, co-owner of Elite Home Care, Day Centers and Transportation in Spartanburg, SC.
Our next guest’s story involves the Gulla Geechee culture, a rare disease, a passion for science and creating, a chemistry degree, and entrepreneurship. All of which recently resulted in her attaining the honor of being named the SC Female Small Business Person of the Year by the US Small Business Administration. Mike Switzer interviews Abenaa Moore, founder of Naturally Geechee in North Charleston, SC.
It’s not too often that a small business gets to have its product featured on a national television show but that’s exactly what happened to our next guest when her innovative undergarment recently appeared on the Today show on NBC. Mike Switzer interviews Erin Mehagan, founder of Livi Lu Lane in Greenville, SC.
You’ve probably noticed that your 401k balance has been looking better over the last few months. If you don’t have any bonds in your portfolio, that is. While the stock market has been recovering, the bond market is still suffering. What gives? After all, the Fed stopped raising interest rates. Mike Switzer interviews Wes Johnson, a certified financial planner with ACT Advisors in Charleston, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about an innovation ecosystem grant from the federal Economic Development Administration that is taking applications through August 15th.
The South Carolina Research Authority’s investment affiliate, SC Launch recently added another company to its portfolio with a $250,000 investment into an Upstate start-up in the cybersecurity market. Mike Switzer interviews Martin White with Ruffian Software in Mauldin, SC.
Humanely raised livestock is becoming more and more important to consumers, especially after recent year’s reporting regarding hog farms in eastern North Carolina. It’s important to our next guest as well, who has turned that passion into a profitable and growing business that has earned him the honor of being named the SC Minority Small Business Person of the Year. Mike Switzer interviews Marvin Ross, owner of Peculiar Pig Farm in Dorchester, SC.
We often hear about our state being an in-migration state where many more people are moving here than leaving here. But, as you may have heard in our interviews over the years, this has been happening with companies for a while. Today we have another example: a 103-year-old manufacturing company that relocated here from New York in 2007. Mike Switzer interviews Kevin Fee, president of Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co. in Liberty, SC.
Last week, we interviewed a financial planner about the fact that women are making and managing an increasing percentage of our country’s wealth these days due to a number of factors: hard work, death of a spouse, and, according to our next guest, divorce. And she agrees with last week’s guest that many women still find themselves uncomfortable with investments which can add further complications to divorce. Mike Switzer interviews Stephanie Vokral, a certified divorce financial analyst with The Financial Knot in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about the unrealized potential a national entity sees in the Upstate.
Today we are continuing our coverage of the recently announced Small Business Week awards from the US Small Business Administration. An Upstate chemical mixing and blending company was named the South Carolina Small Business Exporter of the Year. Mike Switzer interviews Joseph Wilson, Jr. is president and CEO of Toll Solutions in Duncan, SC.
The US Small Business Administration recently announced their annual awards. And our next guest was named the South Carolina Rural Small Business Person of the Year who has become known for his leather work aprons. Mike Switzer interviews Michael Williams, owner of Calavera Tool Works in Johns Island, SC.
If you’re a new parent and your child is having trouble sleeping at night, your performance at work the next day could certainly be affected. Actually, lack of adequate sleep for any reason could certainly affect your work life and in fact, your entire life. Which is exactly what happened to our next guest and why she decided to enter the sleep business. Mike Switzer interviews Kim Rogers, founder of Sleeping Well Consulting in Lexington, SC.
Women are making, and managing, an increasing amount of wealth. One contributing factor is that as aging baby-boomer men pass on, they are also passing on the household wealth to their female spouses who tend to be younger and live longer. But our next guest says that women, in general, continue to feel uncomfortable managing these investments. So today, she is going to share some recommendations. Mike Switzer interviews Beth Jeter Hrubala, a certified financial planner in Spartanburg, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about a new artificial intelligence initiative for the healthcare industry in the state.
By now, most people have heard of the Ronald McDonald houses which provide housing for families with seriously ill children so they can stay together near the child’s medical care. Our state has three locations and today we are going to check in with one to see how they are working with the local business community. Mike Switzer interviews Beth Lowrie, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Columbia.
Between now and June 20th, a southern lifestyle magazine based in the Lowcountry is continuing to take nominations for their fourteenth annual Made in the South Awards. Mike Switzer interviews Caroline Clements, associate editor of Garden and Gun magazine in Charleston, SC.
“T” is for Township plan. For the first forty years of South Carolina’s existence, almost ninety percent of settlers lived within thirty miles of Charleston. Since the colony had had a Black majority since 1706, Governor Robert Johnson proposed a plan for the orderly settlement of the Carolina frontier in an attempt to rectify the colony’s racial imbalance with mass White immigration and to provide a front line of defense against the Spaniards and Indians.
The most talked about topic in economics these days is the US debt default talks between two houses, the White House and congressional House. Has all this uncertainty caused any economic harm to our state? Mike Switzer interviews Frank Hefner, Director Office of Economic Analysis and Professor of Economics at the College of Charleston.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC. Disclaimer: Alan Cooper’s company has a business relationship with Voterheads.com, an affiliate of Magnolia Media, which is the producer of the South Carolina Business Review.
(Originally broadcast 3-9-23) - Suicide continues to be a very serious problem within our military community but there is a crisis mapping program available now in one county in our state that hopes to turn that tide. Mike Switzer interviews Jessica Varney, a collaboration manager with Pickens County, which recently won the community service award from Innovision.
Founded in 2016, our next guest’s nonprofit organization is working to connect our state’s next generation to career opportunities in our state by helping them create personal digital portfolios. Mike Switzer interviews Elisabeth Kovacs, executive director of SC Future Makers, an initiative of the SC Manufacturers Alliance.
Every entrepreneur knows that you have to spend money to make money, and although that may feel a little risky sometimes, our next guest says that there are some ways to get a lot of bang for your buck. Mike Switzer interviews Adriana Fominaya, a small business community engagement consultant with Wells Fargo.
A French bicycle company whose bikes have won Olympic gold, multiple world championships, and numerous stages of the Tour de France will soon be operating in the Upstate the nation’s largest carbon fiber bicycle factory. Mike Switzer interviews John Lummus, president and CEO of the Upstate SC Alliance about TIME Bicycles about their move to Spartanburg County.
You may have seen stories recently mentioning the possibility that the US dollar is in jeopardy of losing its reserve currency status, whether that is because it has been weakening relative to other currencies, or because of trades between other nations like China and Russia that are denominated in non-dollar currencies. What could this mean for our money here at home? Mike Switzer interviews Anthony Colancecco, a certified financial planner with Ballentine Capital Advisors in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about how applying artificial intelligence and quantum computing to the supply chain could provide significant opportunities in SC.
When we last interviewed our next guest, he was very busy with his construction business. But when most people would be pretty content with a successful 20-year career, he decided to complete his PhD from Clemson University. Mike Switzer interviews Todd Usher, president of Addison Homes Greenville, SC.
Careers in football are the dreams of many high school and college students across our state. But only a small percentage of them realize those dreams. Our next guest’s organization celebrates those careers, as well as its own 10th anniversary this year, and does its best to prepare those who participate in that sport, for success not only in football but other careers, as well. Mike Switzer interviews David Wyatt, president of the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame in Greenville, SC.
Our next guest was recently named our state’s Small Business Person of the Year by the US Small Business Administration. She earned this award by successfully operating and growing a gift shop in the Lowcountry. Mike Switzer interviews Jennifer Megliore, owner of ArtWare in Hilton Head Island, SC.
With the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption, currently $12.92 million for individuals, scheduled to sunset in two years and decrease to around $6 million starting in 2026, our next guest says now is a good time to make the most of your charitable giving strategies. Mike Switzer interviews Ashton Lawrence, a certified financial planner with Mariner Wealth Advisors in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about two area organizations each recently receiving $1 million grants for cybersecurity research.
Today we continue our discussion from yesterday about a company that was recently accepted into the Austin, Texas location of Techstars, a leading startup accelerator program. They are only the third Midlands-area company in our state to participate in the program, and their business model involves the sneaker resale market. We found this topic quite interesting and so we invited our guest to return for part two. Mike Switzer interviews Brett Nilsen, CEO and co-founder of Copyt in Columbia, SC.
Our next guest’s company was recently accepted into the Austin, Texas location of Techstars, a leading startup accelerator program. They are the third Midlands-area company to participate in the program, which in itself indicates they may have something special. But what’s really interesting is that their business model involves the sneaker resale market. Now that’s a specialty. Mike Switzer interviews Brett Nilsen, CEO and co-founder of Copyt in Columbia, SC.
The tight labor market continues to push companies toward finding more efficient ways to operate with fewer employees. Our next guest’s company has been busy developing augmented reality software for just this purpose and that has moved them onto the radar of SC Launch and a $250,000 investment. Mike Switzer interviews Angela Ortiz, co-founder of New Forge Technologies in Lake Wylie, SC.
The cryptocurrency market has been on a steady rebound this year. Ok, well maybe steady is not the right word because it has certainly continued its traditional volatility. So where does it go from here? Mike Switzer interviews Allen Gillespie, chief investment officer at FinTrust Capital Advisors in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about the importance of the intersection of industry, universities, local government, and economic development.
As the tight labor market continues to pressure business growth, organizations like those run by our next guest are becoming increasingly important as pipelines for talent. Mike Switzer interviews Anne Walker, president and CEO of the Alston Wilkes Society in Columbia, SC.
Two years ago our next guest’s company received $75,000 in grants from SC Launch and just recently, they received another $300,000. All to help them continue to penetrate the market research industry. Mike Switzer interviews Michael Donofrio, co-founder and CEO of TestedHQ in Mauldin, SC.
For the past 40 years, our next guest’s Upstate family-run bakery has been shipping seven-layer cakes across the country and receiving national recognition. Today, we’re going to look into their secret to success. Mike Switzer interviews Richard Reutter, president of Caroline’s Cakes in Spartanburg, SC.
Many stock market analysts and economists continue to predict an economic slowdown later this year, maybe even a recession. So let’s check in with one of our resident economists to get his thoughts. Mike Switzer interviews Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus at the College of Business & Behavioral Science and Alumni Professor of Economics Emeritus, both at Clemson University. He is also the Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center which publishes his Economic Situation Report.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
Over the past few years, we have seen a lot of mergers and acquisitions among small to medium-size companies. Our next guest says that the higher interest rate situation is beginning to slow down this activity. Mike Switzer interviews David Moore, CEO at BlueChip Mergers and Acquisitions in Charleston, SC.
The job market continues to remain tight, with none tighter than the healthcare industry. For more than 10 years, our next guest’s organization has been working to engage and interest students in healthcare careers through actual experience. As a result of this work, they were awarded the recent Innovision Education Award. Mike Switzer interviews Al Squire, executive director of the MedEx Academy, part of Prisma Health in Greenville, SC.
The recent increases in inflation and interest rates, and the continued tight labor market have created an operating climate that many current business leaders have never experienced. And now with a potential economic slowdown on the horizon, our next guest says some creative financing solutions may be necessary to help some of these companies meet their goals. Mike Switzer interviews Thomas Anderson, a commercial banking executive with Wells Fargo in Charleston, SC.
We’re one month into the spring season now which means we’re about a month away from the end of another school year and for some, that also means graduation. Our next guest says this is also a good time to talk about how these milestones in our children’s lives could affect our and their finances. Mike Switzer interviews Jon Robertson, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about a new event he has put together: Innoventure Ideas Festival 2023.
By now, most everybody has heard about the Scout Motors plant coming to Blythewood, SC, bringing a multi-billion-dollar investment by both the company and the state, and a goal of 4,000 jobs. We’ve learned that this deal was one of the fastest tracked in our state’s history with necessary legislation moving through the statehouse in only 10 days. And there’s a backstory we found pretty interesting, too. Mike Switzer interviews Jeff Ruble, director of the Richland County Economic Development Office in Columbia, SC.
Recycled glass used to be a hot item, in demand for various uses. Then used glass became so abundant that local government waste collection agencies were forced to give it away due to the resulting price collapse. But now, demand is back as companies such as our next guest runs, are very busy turning glass into sand. Mike Swizter interviews Zeb Parsons, president of Bricolage Dynamics in Pickens, SC.
Even though the dreaded tax deadline is now behind us, many people are still going to have taxes on their minds and how to make next year’s situation better. Our next guest says there are many strategies you can employ now that may help. Mike Switzer interviews Garet Strange, a certified financial planner with Hobbs Group Advisors in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about the continuing challenge our state faces in retaining college graduates, referencing a recent report from the Greenville Development Corporation.
Sadly, gun violence continues across the country. FBI data in fact, shows active shooter incidents have more than doubled in the U.S. between 2019 and 2021. While mass shootings at schools dominate the news, many more are occurring at other workplaces. Which is why our next guest’s organization will be presenting response solutions at a conference for our state’s human resources professionals in Greenville April 26-27. Mike Switzer interviews Chad Ayers, owner of Proactive Response Group in Greenville, SC.
Every year during the first week of May, the US Small Business Administration names a national small business person of the year, as well as one for each state. At the same time, the agency hosts events that expose small businesses to new business strategies, networking opportunities, and educational sessions. This year, National Small Business Week is April 30-May 6. Mike Switzer interviews Gregg White, the SBA’s district director for South Carolina.
Our next guest and her husband are filmmakers who recently relocated to our state’s Lowcountry. Their documentary about a Native American youth art project and its role in revitalizing their language and culture has won multiple awards across the country, most recently the Susan A. K. Shaffer Humanitarian Award at the Beaufort International Film Festival. Mike Switzer interviews Heather Steinberger, producer of Waniyetu Wowapi: Winter Count.
Most financial plans are customized to a person’s unique situation and goals and are framed within an average set of assumptions. But you can’t put life into a spreadsheet. Sometimes unexpected and even dramatic things happen. What does a person do then? Mike Switzer interviews Rick Van Der Noord, a certified financial planner in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about upcoming events of importance to our state’s business community: DigSouth Tech Summit, SCRA Summit, and Furman Center for Innovative Leadership.
You may have heard us interview companies who have received SBIR or STTR grants to help them fund the research that their young companies depend on to continue to grow and validate their business models. However, applying for these grants or practically any grant can be a daunting process. And that’s why the SC Department of Commerce is now making available free services to companies and entrepreneurs in our state to help them with these grant programs. Kyle Salazar is with the department’s 3PhaseSC program in Columbia.
Art galleries, art education, public art, art crawl, art competition with a $50,000 first prize, in other words - art madness. Certainly sounds like a big city event, yet a small town in our state has been doing this type of art festival for a decade now. Mike Switzer interviews Carla Angus, director of community engagement for the 11th annual edition of Artfields in Lake City, SC, coming April 19-29, 2023.
The recent news regarding some regional bank failures has definitely added to the economic confusion that so far has dominated financial news in 2023. Is there any reason to believe that the skies will clear before this year moves too much further along. Mike Switzer interviews Joey Von Nessen, chief economist at the Darla Moore School of Business at USC in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about April being designated as Innovation Month in our state and what the state’s challenges are in this area and what is being celebrated.
As the population continues to age and the healthcare economy continues to grow, so does the need to properly dispose of medical waste. Which is why our next guest’s company decided to invest over $3 million to build a 13,000 sq ft facility in the Lowcountry. Mike Switzer interviews David Squalli, chief operating officer at EcoSteris in Summerville, SC.
In 1969, Hilton Head Island was a little-known place in our state’s Lowcountry when a local developer announced that a PGA-level golf tournament would be played there that year. It’s still held there every year and has recently been elevated to the status of a top tour event with a purse of $20 million and a commitment to play from the tour’s top players. This will also undoubtedly have an elevated impact on our state’s economy. Mike Switzer interviews Steve Wilmot, director of the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing coming for its 55th year April 10-16.
Guns, crime, questionable police tactics…are all issues on the forefront of criminal law these days. One institution of higher learning in our state has decided to provide a new resource for these topics. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Michele Covington, director of the new Crime Analysis Center in Greenville, SC, part of the University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg, SC. She is also the author of the new book: Guns in America: An introduction and Overview.
Disabled and special needs individuals want careers as much as anyone. But, as you would expect, many challenges stand in the way. Our next guest’s organization is working hard to help. Mike Switzer interviews Dee DiCarlo, director of business & employment development for Thrive Upstate, formerly known as the Greenville County Disability and Special Needs Board.
It’s no secret that the Inflation Reduction Act is going to make an impact on our country’s sustainability efforts. But just how much of an impact will depend on several variables. One of which is how many consumers will take advantage of the tax incentives offered by the legislation. Mike Switzer interviews Jared Crawford, a certified financial planner in North Myrtle Beach, SC.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC. Disclaimer: Alan Cooper’s company has a business relationship with Voterheads.com, an affiliate of Magnolia Media, which is the producer of the South Carolina Business Review.
Off the shelf, customer service software has been around for a long time. Lately, some software companies are building it more specifically tailored to certain markets. Such as our next guest’s company which is having some success targeting the lawyer industry and as a result, raising significant funding. Mike Switzer interviews Andy Seavers, CEO of Case Status in North Charleston, SC.
We keep hearing about companies having a really hard time finding qualified employees. There simply are lots of job openings all across the country. Our next guest is trying to help with this situation by working with the business community to find careers for former prison inmates. Mike Switzer interviews Bryan Stirling, director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections in Columbia.
One of the largest professional women’s sporting events is returning to the Lowcountry soon and will be sure to once again generate significant economic activity for our state. Mike Switzer interviews Bob Moran, tournament director of the Credit One Charleston Open coming April 1-9 to Daniel Island, SC.
When you listen to the news today, there’s no shortage of things to worry about. Both domestically and abroad investors have much to process right now and a lot of it is conflicting. Economic growth is up and down. Job growth has stayed strong though. But both consumer and business confidence are down—until recently. And, of course, the generationally-high inflation rates have been reversing —until recently, when they started higher again. What’s an investor to make of all this? Mike Switzer interviews Rob DeHollander, a certified financial planner in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about the recent announcement by the state of South Carolina that they will spend about $1.3 billion to assist Scout Motors, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, to locate their headquarters here.
Our state’s research universities are continuously discovering new technologies that are making their way into the commercial marketplace. Our next guest’s company licensed research from Clemson and has used it to develop a new process that could improve the efficiency of diagnostic tests such as biopsies. It also won them the most recent Technology Development award from Innovision. Mike Switzer interviews Terri Bruce, founder and CEO of Victory ExoFibres in Central, SC.
We recently attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for one of our state’s newest breweries located in a historic building in an area of the Midlands that is undergoing a serious revival. Mike Switzer interviews Sara Middleton Styles, co-owner of Peak Drift Brewing in Columbia, SC.
It’s just a fact that the older we get the more we fall. And of course, the population continues to age so more people are falling and sometimes they not only can’t get up, but are also unable to let anyone know. Our next guest’s company is using sensors to detect when a person falls and that technology led them to receiving the most recent small business award from Innovision. Mike Switzer interviews Victor Hirth, co-founder and chief medical officer of Asset, LLC in Columbia, SC.
Social Security recently released its annual report for last year and with all the talk recently about the program’s longevity and funding issues we thought it might be a good idea to talk to one of our resident financial planners to discuss the report’s implications for retirement planning. Mike Switzer interviews John Cooper, a certified financial planner with Greenwood Capital in Greenwood, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about Palmetto Clean Technology and the significant sums of money they are raising.
As a minority in the legal profession, our next guest found it easy to understand the challenges faced by minorities, especially in her particular area of expertise, intellectual property law, where she encountered many creators who had no idea what the topic even meant. Shontavia Johnson is now using her skills to actively change the entrepreneurial landscape of our state and the world in her position as the associate vice president of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at Clemson University.
Suicide continues to be a very serious problem within our military community but there is a crisis mapping program available now in one county in our state that hopes to turn that tide. Mike Switzer interviews Jessica Varney, a collaboration manager with Pickens County, which recently won the community service award from Innovision.
Our next guest’s company has been receiving accolades and monetary awards because of their development of biodegradable, nontoxic lubricants, including receiving the most recent Sustainability Award from Innovision. Mike Switzer interviews Jeff DiMaio, CEO at VBase Oil Company, a subsidiary of Tetramer in Pendleton, SC.
There are approximately 21 million people in our country who are in their early 50s. Our next guest says that if that’s you and you haven’t prepared yourself for the next 50 years, you may be in trouble. Mike Switzer interviews Jeremy Finger, a certified financial planner and CEO at Riverbend Wealth Management in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about a Clemson professor who has received a $20 million grant to conduct cybersecurity research for our country’s transportation network, in particular for electric and autonomous vehicles.
Improvements in drug delivery technology have resulted in our next guest’s company winning the most recent technology application award from Innovision. Mike Switzer interviews Scott Pancoast, CEO of Zylo Therapeutics in Greenville, SC.
Our next guest’s organization recently released their annual report showing some pretty impressive contributions to our state’s economy. Mike Switzer interviews Bob Quinn, executive director of the South Carolina Research Authority in Summerville, SC.
Women in tech is certainly not a new thing anymore and they continue to show up in larger numbers at the top as founders and CEOs. Our next guest is one such example. After founding an executive-to-assistant matching service, she has launched what she claims to be the first-ever office management platform for executive assistants. Mike Switzer interviews Paige McPheely, founder and CEO of Base, in Greenville, SC.
The latest economic trends continue to confuse. One day inflation is cooling, housing starts are down, and the next day shows consumer demand on the rise, fueling those inflation fears again. Is this going to be 2023’s way of life for your favorite local economist? Mike Switzer interviews Frank Hefner, Director Office of Economic Analysis and Professor of Economics at the College of Charleston.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
Most of us would probably agree that there is a lot of frustration and anger going on in America these days that didn’t start with the pandemic but certainly was exacerbated by it. Our next guest is a working artist that has decided to address this situation with a participatory art project entitled “Just Let It Rip”. Mike Switzer interviews Melinda Hoffman, an artist who works and lives in Mauldin, SC.
Welcome to the first episode in a quarterly series we are presenting this year featuring the South Carolina office of the US Small Business Administration. We’ll be taking a deeper dive into all of their services available to our state’s small business community, starting today with disaster relief. Mike Switzer interviews Gregg White, the SBA’s SC district director.
You might be aware that General Electric has been spinning off its many businesses lately. One of those has decided to establish its headquarters in our Upstate. Mike Switzer interviews Manish Bhandari, president and CEO of Current in Greenville, SC.
2022 was a bad year for the financial markets, in fact it was one of those rare years when both stocks and bonds experienced negative returns. But our next guest says that this year should be the exact opposite. Mike Switzer interviews Doug English, a certified financial planner and our resident market prognosticator with ACT Advisors in Charleston, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John discusses our state’s efforts to attract the electric vehicle industry: SC Powers EV
Released in July of 2020, our next guest’s short film now has more than 112 million views, spawned sequels, and has launched his small upstate production company into stardom. Mike Switzer interviews Sam Wickert, co-founder of SOKRISPYMEDIA in Greenville, SC, the company behind the viral video: Chalk Warfare.
Next month, our next guest’s organization will celebrate the 17th edition of its annual food and wine festival, bringing more than 100 events to locations throughout the Lowcountry. And an annual economic impact exceeding $25 million. Mike Switzer interviews Alyssa Maute Smith, executive director of the Charleston Wine and Food Festival, coming March 1-5.
Film festival season has begun and in our state, the first one is just around the corner. Mike Switzer interviews Ken Seay, co-founder of the Reedy Reels Film Festival in Greenville, SC.
Once again, our country is facing the uncertainty caused by our national debt ceiling. How will it affect our personal financial lives? Mike Switzer interviews Chris Cabri, a certified financial planner with Wells Fargo Advisors in Greenwood, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about why it’s important that SkyDrive, Inc. chose SC for its headquarters.
You may have noticed that our state has several cities, towns, and counties named after places in England. And a lot of them are concentrated between Columbia and Charlotte. Over the past several years, this area has been developing an economic identity all its own. Mike Switzer interviews Jenny Parrish, executive director of our state’s Olde English District in Fort Lawn, SC.
Our next guest’s Lowcountry film festival is curated by an advisory board with a pretty distinguished list of names, including Blythe Danner, Andie Macdowell, and Gary Sinise. We’ve been attending this event for over a decade and as they enter their 17th year, the featured films continue to improve and impress. Mike Switzer interviews Ron Tucker, president and CEO of the Beaufort Film Society, the organization behind the Beaufort International Film Festival.
During one of our recent Monday morning conversations with entrepreneurial advocate, John Warner, we talked about a Midlands organization that is working to keep the area’s college graduates in the area by exposing them to employers and opportunities they may not have been aware of. Kelsey Bickley is the board chair at Columbia Opportunity Resource, in Columbia, SC.
Most everybody appreciates a good shortcut from time to time. However, our next guest, who has 33 years experience advising people about their finances, says shortcuts rarely work when it comes to your money. Mike Switzer interviews Bobby Cummings, a certified financial planner in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about state population demographics and their importance to income levels and the state economy and educational attainment. Census data by city and county in SC can be found here: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/SC/DIS010221
Our next guest believes that doing good through service is the key to success not only for individuals but for companies, as well. Mike Switzer interviews Dan Hoppe, executive director of Multiplying Good in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Did you know that our country has one of the worst traffic safety records in the world? If you do, you would probably not be surprised to also learn that South Carolina drivers cause the most traffic accidents in the country which gives our state the highest traffic fatality rate, as well. And this statistic keeps our next guest very busy. Mike Switzer interviews Amy Johnson Ely, executive director of the Palmetto Cycling Coalition in Columbia. Disclaimer: Mike Switzer is a member of the PCC.
Our next guest once had a thriving career in the hospitality industry working as a sommelier and growing the wine program at an Upstate resort into a multi-million-dollar business. Now he’s a tech entrepreneur helping the wine industry preserve taste. Mike Switzer interviews Eric Cooperman, founder of Bottle Titan, in Greenville, SC.
At about this time each year, we hear economic forecasts from the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland. That event has concluded and our next guest says he’d like to share his thoughts on those prognostications. Mike Switzer interviews Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus at the College of Business & Behavioral Science and Alumni Professor of Economics Emeritus, both at Clemson University. He is also the Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center which publishes his Economic Situation Report.
Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC. Disclaimer: Alan Cooper’s company has a business relationship with Voterheads.com, an affiliate of Magnolia Media, which is the producer of the South Carolina Business Review.
Not too long ago, most companies wanted a mobile app for their business. But today, the mobile app vs web app choice is not always a clear decision. If you survey startup founders, you will hear strong opinions on either side. The reason for the disparity is that the answer really depends on your business and the nature of your app. Joining us today to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both choices is Katie Iannace, a business analyst with Designli in Greenville, SC.
The 7th annual German-American Business Summit is coming to the College of Charleston on February 8th and here to tell us more about the event is Knudt Flor, the former CEO of BMW and the current senior vice president for Innovation and Industry Engagement at the College of Charleston.
Timber is big business in our state and, in fact, is our largest cash crop. But as most people are aware, trees are also a big part of the climate change equation. Which is why our next guest is leading an effort to create a climate smart lumber industry. Mike Switzer interviews Rob Baldwin, a professor and the Margaret H. Lloyd Endowed Chair of Conservation in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation at Clemson University.
Nearly three years after the SECURE Act was passed in December 2019, another retirement bill was enacted known as SECURE Act 2.0, which has brought another wave of changes to retirement planning. Mike Switzer interviews Ann Beckwith, certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John updates us on the growing electric vehicle industry in SC.
Our next guest’s company became an SC Launch member company in 2019, receiving a $25,000 academic startup grant. Three years later, they became an SC Launch portfolio company with a $200,000 investment. And all because of treatments they are developing to address vision loss. Mike Switzer interviews Michael Voevodsky, president and CEO of MitoChem Therapeutics in Charleston, SC.
Over the past several years, our next guest’s small manufacturing company has continued to win awards and recognition for their innovations and growth, most recently the 2022 Emerging Manufacturer of the Year award from the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Mike Switzer interviews Donna Brin, president and CEO of bFIVE40 in Little River, SC.
Rising interest rates have obviously created challenges for home buyers and other borrowers. However, for investors this situation is creating an opportunity that has not been seen in decades. Mike Switzer interviews Roy Janse, a certified financial planner at Goldfinch Wealth Management in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, our resident serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about a new $6 million venture capital fund recently started in Greenville.
SCBizNews recently named our next guest’s healthcare staffing company not only one of the fastest growing for 2022 but also one of the best places to work in our state, as well. Mike Switzer interviews Natasha Lee, founder and CEO of Floyd Lee Locums in North Charleston, SC.
Our next guest’s company keeps showing up on our radar. They started over a decade ago as a pretty small operation in a pretty small town in the Midlands of our state and have since expanded their operations to several states and most recently were named #1 high-growth small company by SCBizNews. Mike Switzer interviews “Bio” Joe Renwick, founder of Green Energy Biofuel in Winnsboro, SC.
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, our country could see a significant shortage of physicians over the next decade. Over the past decade, our next guest’s institution has been working hard to keep that from happening in our state. Mike Switzer interviews Marjorie Jenkins, dean of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville, SC.
The main vehicle parents use these days to save money for their children’s education is the 529 plan. But what happens to the money in that plan if your child decides not to go to college? Or maybe they go to a less expensive college than you had anticipated and some money is left over in the plan? Mike Switzer interviews Laird Green, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about how the CHIPS Act is putting the Upstate on the map for innovation.
If you can believe it, the first week of 2023 is wrapping up fast. Our next guest says that before the year gets away from us, he has a few things he believes small businesses should be aware of. Mike Switzer interviews Frank Knapp, President and CEO of the SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce in Columbia.
The mattress market in this country is big business with more than 16 million mattresses sold each year at an estimated overall value of over $17 billion. For over 90 years, our next guest’s Upstate company has been a part of that industry. Mike Switzer interviews Jay Orders, CEO of Engineered Sleep Mattress Company in Greenville, SC.
Fortune magazine recently named our next guest’s Upstate city as one of the top 25 places in the country to raise a family, the only one on the list from South Carolina. Mike Switzer interviews JR Charles, community development director for the city of Mauldin, SC.
Cryptocurrency continues to gain acceptance into investor portfolios. But because it has more complications than standard investments, it also introduces more complications into asset negotiations when a divorce arises. Mike Switzer interviews Stephanie Vokral, a certified financial planner and a certified divorce financial analyst with The Financial Knot, in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John discusses the potential impact of the largest economic development project in SC history recently announced by the SC Dept. of Commerce: Redwood Materials.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Joey Von Nessen, research economist at the University of SC Darla Moore School of Business Division of Research.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Joey Von Nessen, research economist at the University of SC Darla Moore School of Business Division of Research.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Joey Von Nessen, research economist at the University of SC Darla Moore School of Business Division of Research.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Daniel Rickenmann, mayor of the City of Columbia, SC.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Felicia Rhue Howard, vice president of economic development strategy for Dominion Energy.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Felicia Rhue Howard, vice president of economic development strategy for Dominion Energy.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Barbara Melvin, CEO of South Carolina Ports.
This is the time of year when we share with you some excerpts from the most recent University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business Economic Outlook Conference. Today’s excerpt comes from Barbara Melvin, CEO of South Carolina Ports.
About three years ago, we interviewed our next guest and her husband about their prepackaged hamburger marinades and sauces that are now on grocery store shelves across the country. As a result of their success, they have appeared on many network TV shows and became regular guests on QVC after winning QVC's "Customer Food Choice Award". Now they are staying busy teaching people how to package and sell their own food products. Mike Switzer interviews Monique Wilsondebriano, co-founder of the Charleston Gourmet Burger Company and now Recipe for Retail in North Charleston, SC.
As our population continues to age, a popular scenario has started to emerge, and it does not involve nursing homes. More and more of our elderly are deciding that they want to age in place. That is - at home. Joining us today to tell us more about this trend is Dina Mewett, executive director of BeWell@Home in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
As we close out a rough year for the stock and bond markets, it’s a great time to reflect on how you managed your portfolio and your emotions during all of this volatility. Did you panic, stay the course or something in between? Joining us to share some perspective on the financial markets both from a technical and an emotional standpoint is Rob DeHollander, a certified financial planner in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John highlights a Columbia organization (COR) working to increase the cities young professional population.
Many business leaders continue to find themselves challenged by the slow supply chains and the domestic labor shortage. And they’re finding, especially during the pandemic, that offshoring has exacerbated that problem. Which is why our next guest’s software company has decided to delve into the market of “nearshoring”. Mike Switzer interviews Andy Kurtz, CEO of Kopis in Greenville, SC.
More and more these days, people are looking to buy products and services from companies that practice sustainability. But our next guest says that that remains a challenge for many companies to achieve. Mike Switzer interviews Lia Colabello, founder of Planet + Purpose Solutions in Charleston, SC.
For the past 75 years, our next guest’s family has been owning and operating a local franchise of a national pest control company. What are the pros and cons of participating in this potentially dangerous industry? Mike Switzer interviews Lex Knox, CEO of Terminix Service, Inc. in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about feedback he received from listeners following his presentation to our state legislature’s economic development subcommittee.
We’ve all heard about the tight labor market and the resulting wage inflation that has occurred over the past few years. Now we’re hearing about layoffs, especially in the tech industry. Our next guest’s organization recently completed a compensation study for her sector in which nearly 500 nonprofit organizations participated. Mike Switzer interviews Mary Dell Hayes with Together SC in Columbia, SC.
If you are one of our regular listeners, you’ve probably heard us mention SC Launch, which is part of the South Carolina Research Authority, a public nonprofit organization funded by our state and corporations. SC Launch’s goal is to help provide seed capital and guidance to promising start-ups here and the way that normally works is that the start-up receives an initial $25,000 grant and access to entrepreneurial resources. Then, if progress looks promising, SC Launch offers to make an actual investment into the company, such as what happened recently with our next guest’s company which received $200,000 to help them further their mobile app business. Mike Switzer interviews Matt Hudson, CEO of Bildit in Indian Land, SC.
Our state’s rapidly growing elderly population continues to put a strain on our health care system. In fact, our next guest says that by 2030, South Carolina will probably have a greater need for nurses than any other state in the nation. Mike Switzer interviews Christina Oh, president and CEO at Trident Health in North Charleston, SC.
You may have heard us mention the term “donor advised fund” on this program during one of our weekly discussions with a financial planner, but we haven’t gone into much detail about what one is and how it works. We will today. Mike Switzer interviews Alex Chastain, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Columbia, SC.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
After being introduced to fly fishing in Wyoming shortly after college, our next guest became enamored with the sport and eventually turned his enthusiasm into a business, a podcast, and a business alliance that seek to help those in that industry become more environmentally friendly. Mike Switzer interviews Rick Crawford, founder of Emerger Strategies in Charleston, SC.
When we were down at Daniel Island earlier this year to cover the Credit One Charleston Open women’s professional tennis tournament, we were intrigued by an ice cream cart we saw that was selling what appeared to be fried chicken. Of course, it was actually ice cream but in the shape of pieces of fried chicken. Upon further investigation we discovered that the owner of this business is a six-time James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef and now she’s an entrepreneur. Mike Switzer interviews Cynthia Wong, founder of Life Raft Treats in Charleston, SC.
For the past seven years, our next guest’s private equity investment firm has participated in funding more than $3 billion in a variety of real estate transactions in North and South Carolina, involving everything from infrastructure to home building to restaurants and even including crypto mining. How do they feel about these markets now that rising inflation and interest rates seem to be cooling things down a bit? Mike Switzer interviews Joe Baldassarra, president of Broadstreet, Inc. in Greenville, SC.
If you are interested in hearing an in-depth discussion of our state’s post-COVID economic recovery and the federal government’s response to record inflation levels and what is expected for next year, you may want to mark December 6th on your calendar because that’s the date for this year’s Annual Economic Outlook Conference from USC. Mike Switzer interviews Joey Von Nessen, chief economist at the Division of Research at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about a presentation he recently made to a South Carolina legislative subcommittee on economic development.
Disposing of controlled substances such as opioids and other painkillers is a highly regulated activity that has typically been a headache for many facilities since it has usually involved incineration. However, our next guest’s Lowcountry company has recently patented a chemical digestion technology that it hopes will become the preferred method in the pharmaceutical waste management industry. Mike Switzer interviews Sherri Barnes, chief operating officer at Okra Medical in Johns Island, SC.
If you are a CEO, president, manager, or supervisor, surely you know the importance of delegation. Or do you? Our next guest says she continues to be surprised by how many business leaders are hesitant to delegate. Mike Switzer interviews Jenna Spencer, founder of AssistPro in Anderson, SC.
Bond prices have fallen this year, in some cases almost as much as stocks have. That means bond yields are up though, so for those of you looking for income investments, could this be the time to start nibbling in the bond market? Mike Switzer interviews Wes Johnson, a certified financial planner and market prognosticator with ACT Advisors in Charleston, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John compares research investment capital in NC to SC.
For a long time, our state has developed a reputation as a manufacturing state. A segment of our economy that continues to struggle to find qualified employees and is keeping our next guest very busy. Mike Switzer interviews Ben Talbert, president and CEO of Better Than Found, a recruiting firm in Greenville, SC.
We continue to hear about new options to improve outcomes for cancer patients and one of those we learned about recently is coming from a South Carolina company utilizing 3D cell culture research from Clemson University. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Matt Gevaert, CEO and founder of Kiyatek in Greenville, SC.
Three years ago, our next guest’s company lost a customer which made up 90% of their revenue. As a result, they were immediately forced to figure out how to attract much smaller companies to their electronics recycling business. The answer involved new software and surprisingly, COVID. Mike Switzer interviews Brooks Boland, CEO of MSP Disposal in Columbia, SC.
If you make regular contributions to charities each year and you are in your 70s with an IRA, our next guest says you should probably be sending your annual required minimum distributions from that IRA directly to those charities. Mike Switzer interviews Peter Pigeon, a certified financial planner with Hobbs Group Advisors in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John discusses National STEM day (which is Nov. 8th) and some STEM statistics and programs in our state.
The Founder Institute, an organization dedicated to helping entrepreneurs complete their desired path to success, has over 200 chapters around the world…and now one in our state. Mike Switzer interviews Gore Bolton, one of the founding members of the South Carolina chapter of the Founder Institute in Columbia, SC.
Our next guest’s success in the popcorn, chocolate, and ice cream business has earned her the most recent Female Small Business Person of the Year award from the South Carolina district of the US Small Business Administration. Mike Switzer interviews Kathy Lindell, owner of Simple Treasures in Summerville, SC.
According to U.S. Census data, Black entrepreneurship is on the rise. Even before the pandemic, Black-owned businesses (with more than one employee) grew 8% from 2018 to 2019. Post-pandemic, that growth appears to be continuing as evidenced by our next guest’s Lowcountry event. Mike Switzer interviews Marcus Hammond, organizer of the Black Food Truck Festival coming to Charleston, SC Nov. 19-20.
Inflation and interest rates continue to rise. And while the housing market is showing signs of being affected, the economy still grows. But for how much longer? Mike Switzer interviews Mark Witte, director of the MBA program at the School of Business at the College of Charleston.
Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC. Alan tells us about the impact BMW, Nephron Pharmaceuticals, and Boeing are contributing to our state. Disclaimer: Alan Cooper’s company has a business relationship with Voterheads.com, a wholly-owned company of Magnolia Media, which is the producer of the South Carolina Business Review.
The world’s most famous Halloween movies are still going. The last two were HALLOWEEN 2018, HALLOWEEN KILLS, and the current one is HALLOWEEN ENDS. But is it really, finally ending? Maybe we should ask the film’s star. Mike Switzer interviews James Jude Courtney, a graduate of the College of Journalism at the University of South Carolina and a current resident of Columbia, that is when he’s not working in Hollywood as the infamous Michael Myers.
The world’s most famous Halloween movies are still going. The last two were HALLOWEEN 2018, HALLOWEEN KILLS, and the current one is HALLOWEEN ENDS. But is it really, finally ending? Maybe we should ask the film’s star. Mike Switzer interviews James Jude Courtney, a graduate of the College of Journalism at the University of South Carolina and a current resident of Columbia, that is when he’s not working in Hollywood as the infamous Michael Myers.
Earlier this year, the US Small Business Administration named our next guest as the South Carolina Small Business Person of the Year for 2022. Mike Switzer interviews Ann Son, owner of Holy City Linen Service in North Charleston, SC.
The retirement phase of our lives is the one most of us look forward to but it is also the one that can cause the most apprehension. And once you arrive in this phase, our next guest says that it can actually be broken down into five phases of its own. Mike Switzer interviews Jeremy Finger, a certified financial planner and founder and CEO of Riverbend Wealth Management in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about Dash EV, an electric vehicle company that is moving its headquarters to Greenville, SC and about the big money coming soon to SC to support EV production at BMW’s plant in Greer, SC. Resources: Greenville Area Development Corp and BMW plans to invest $1.7 billion in U.S. to produce electric vehicles and McMaster executive order involving EVs.
The Medical University of South Carolina recently made a move to strengthen their research commercialization efforts for new healthcare-related products and services. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Mike Yost, CEO of the newly-formed Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization in Charleston, SC.
Our state has many resources for small businesses these days. 21 of those happen to be the Small Business Development Centers that are located across South Carolina. One of which recently won the SBDC Excellence and Innovation Center Award for 2022 from the US Small Business Administration. Mike Switzer interviews Ben Smith, Region Director for the Clemson Area Small Business Development Center at Clemson University.
The coffee business continues to grow in our state and in fact, is even starting to receive national recognition. For example, our next guest’s company has recently been recognized by Bon Appetit, Architectural Digest, Food and Wine, Forbes, NBC, the Wall Street Journal, and many more. Mike Switzer interviews Marco Suarez with Methodical Coffee in Greenville, SC.
New online scams keep showing up and they are costing families many millions of dollars each year. Our next guest is going to share with us five ways you can help prevent those losses. Mike Switzer interviews Chris Cabri, a certified financial planner with Wells Fargo Advisors in Greenwood, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about the new Verizon Innovation Experience Hub coming to the McNair Center at USC in Columbia.
Most people by now have heard of a CSA, community supported agriculture, where you commit to purchase local farm produce on a regular basis, assuring the farmer of a stable source of income and the consumer of a regular source of fresh, local produce. But have you heard of a CSF? That’s a community supported fishery and operates on the same concept. In 2010, our next guest and her husband actually started one of the first CSFs in the nation in our Lowcountry. Mike Switzer interviews Kerry Marhefka, co-owner of Abundant Seafood in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
According to the Outdoor Industry Association, our state’s outdoor recreation economy generates over 72,000 direct jobs, which translates to almost $3 billion in wages and salaries, and contributes close to $6 billion to our state’s annual GDP. And these stats gave the idea to our next guest to start a new festival to showcase South Carolina’s most popular outdoor activities, such as camping, hiking, fishing, cycling, paddling, and boating. Mike Switzer interviews Jacqui McGuinness, creator and director of the Everything Outdoor Fest taking place Nov. 4-6 at Historic Hopkins Farm in Simpsonville.
A Midlands specialty farm has decided to invest over $4 million to expand its operations in Richland County that they hope will create 60 new jobs over the next five years. Mike Switzer interviews Eric McClam, co-owner of City Roots in Columbia, SC.
It’s Medicare open enrollment season and that means Medicare prescription drug plans can also be changed or renewed. Our next guest says that there are some tax strategies enrollees can employ during this time to help manage their Medicare premiums. Mike Switzer interviews Anne Marie Ashworth, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Greenville, SC.
The Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis carolina) is a species of praying mantis of the subfamily Stagmomantinae. Adult females are 47 to 60 millimeters (2-2.5 inches) in length while adult males are usually about 54 millimeters (2.2 inches) in length.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about Clemson University exploring the possibility of establishing a small business incubator in the Anderson, SC Research Park.
Economic development in the middle of our state has traditionally lagged behind those of the coast and upstate. But our next guest’s organization is staying busy trying to change that perception. Mike Switzer interviews Nelson Lindsay, president and CEO of the Central/SC Alliance in Columbia, SC.
Many ways of doing business changed during the pandemic. One of the most challenging was for real estate agents to find a way to let prospects physically tour a home without the agent being present. Our next guest says that that was actually an emerging trend before COVID and why his company actually launched that service in January of 2020. Mike Switzer interviews Anthony Kent, president of Cothran Homes in Greenville, SC.
Earlier this year, the state agency managing our ports changed its leadership and we thought you might like to meet her. Mike Switzer interviews Barbara Melvin, the new president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority in Charleston, SC. She is the first woman to hold this position and the first woman to lead one of the top 10 operating container ports in the country.
Recent reports show that U.S. bank deposits have fallen for the first time since 2018. Our next guest says this indicates that the Federal Reserve's efforts to slow our economy are working. Mike Switzer interviews Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus at the College of Business & Behavioral Science and Alumni Professor of Economics Emeritus, both at Clemson University. He is also the Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center which publishes his Economic Situation Report.
Recent reports show that U.S. bank deposits have fallen for the first time since 2018. Our next guest says this indicates that the Federal Reserve's efforts to slow our economy are working. Mike Switzer interviews Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus at the College of Business & Behavioral Science and Alumni Professor of Economics Emeritus, both at Clemson University. He is also the Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center which publishes his Economic Situation Report.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
The professional fishing business (and we’re talking about real hooks and bait, not the email kind) will soon be bringing some real economic impact to the Midlands of our state when a major tournament with teams from around the world hits the waters of Lake Murray. Mike Switzer interviews Anthony Gagliardi is an angler from Prosperity, SC who will also be one of two coaches for the USA team for the 2022 Black Bass Fishing World Championship coming Oct. 16-22, 2022.
Summer job season for teenagers has come to an end. And once again, our next guest says the number of teenage-related federal employment law violations continued to increase. Mike Switzer interviews Lucyana Roldán, with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division in Columbia, SC.
Our state’s craft breweries have steadily increased in number over the past decade to the point that now they are ready to host their own festival. The South Carolina Brewers Guild will be hosting the largest ever gathering of the state’s breweries at the inaugural Best of SC Craft Beer Festival on October 15 in Columbia. Mike Switzer interviews Pearce Fleming, president of the SC Brewer’s Guild in Columbia, SC. He also happens to be the owner of Commonhouse Aleworks in North Charleston, SC.
2022 has been one of those years where it has been very hard for investors to make money. Stocks are down, bonds are down, and there have been lots of big ups and downs. Our next guest says that times like these can spring a few traps on investors. Mike Switzer interviews Bryan Ballentine, a certified financial planner in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about Artisphere.
With the current tight labor market, our state’s annual Workforce Development Symposium on October 4th is expected to address that challenge head on. Mike Switzer interviews Bob Morgan, president and CEO of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce in Columbia, SC, the co-host of this event with our state’s Department of Employment and Workforce and SC Works.
Our next guest’s Upstate company exhibited at the recent Electrification 2022 conference in Charlotte which we attended and we were surprised to learn that a traditional mechanical engineering firm like theirs was so interested in the electric vehicle infrastructure market. So we thought you might like to hear that story, as well. Mike Switzer interviews Darren Springer, president of Devita, Inc. in Greenville, SC.
For the first time since the pandemic started, our next guest’s music festival will be returning to our capital city and bringing with it a boost to the local economy. Mike Switzer interviews Jay Matheson, owner of the Jam Room recording studio and director of the Jam Room Music Festival, coming October 1st.
Exchange traded funds or ETFs have gained tremendously in popularity over the past ten years with many investors preferring them over regular mutual funds. So how do either of these fit into your overall financial plan? Mike Switzer interviews Rick Van Der Noord, a certified financial planner in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells the story of Clemson’s International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR).
Ever since ecommerce sprang up across the Internet, brick and mortar retailers have had a struggle on their hands. But there are exceptions. Our next guest’s Lowcountry company, for example, has expanded over the past 20 years from a family-owned kiosk to 36 stores across six states with plans to open more locations soon. Mike Switzer interviews John Thomas, CEO of Palmetto Moon in North Charleston, SC.
Earlier this year, the US Small Business Administration held its annual National Small Business Week Awards program with our next guest’s company earning recognition as the South Carolina Small Business Exporter of the Year. Mike Switzer interviews Robert Suber, CEO of MGS, LLC in Columbia, SC.
While at the recent Electrification 2022 conference we attended in Charlotte, we discovered that everyday automobiles aren’t the only things being electrified these days. We also saw Indy race cars, bucket trucks, tractors, and our next guest’s company which is in the business of electric forklifts. Mike Switzer interviews Robert Bond with Tri-Lift Industries in Greenville, SC.
For the past decade, investors searching for a generous return with limited downside risk have relied on the following mix for their portfolios: 60% stocks and 40% bonds. But 2022 has caused many investors to re-evaluate this strategy. A substantial decrease in both stock and bond prices have been a double whammy to this investment approach. Mike Switzer interviews John Cooper, a certified financial planner with Greenwood Capital in Greenwood, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John relates the story of Earth Fare.
Three years ago, Clemson University launched its Sonoco FRESH innovation hub in an effort to build partnerships between industry and academia so that sustainability solutions across the food chain might be developed. They will also soon be hosting a summit on this topic Sept. 19-21. Mike Switzer interviews Anne Barr, executive director of Sonoco FRESH at the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics at Clemson University.
A few years ago, our next guest’s company was busy providing Lowcountry real estate agents with contractor repair services. Then, maybe during a light bulb replacement, they got the idea to create a nationwide technology platform that would accomplish the same thing while, at the same time, expanding their customer base to include homeowners and investors. Mike Switzer interviews Paul Dorney, chief technology officer at PunchlistUSA in Charleston, SC. The company was recently named by Tech Tribune as one of the 2022 Best Tech Startups in South Carolina.
By now, we’re all pretty aware of the national economic trends underway of rising interest rates, high inflation, and a tight labor market. How are these currently impacting our state and what is the forecast? Mike Switzer interviews Mark Witte, director of the MBA program at the School of Business at the College of Charleston
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John shares the story of the rise and fall of Kemet Corporation.
Yesterday, we spoke with an entrepreneur who recently opened a pinball-only pub in Columbia’s Five Points. He told us that one of the reasons he chose Columbia was because of our next guest’s pinball warehouse being located in the area that could quickly supply him with the parts and supplies he needed. Mike Switzer interviews Paul Mandeltort, CEO of Marco Specialties in Lexington, SC.
Back in the day, my day to be more specific, there was a game machine that we all loved to play that didn’t have anything to do with mobile apps or computers or virtual reality. I’m speaking of course, of pinball machines, which like so many other things retro, have been making a comeback. In fact, our next guest’s entertainment venue is dedicated to these pinball wizard wannabees. Mike Switzer interviews Fred Richardson, owner of the Bang Back Pinball Lounge in Columbia’s Five Points.
We ran into our next guest’s engineering company while attending the Electrification 2022 conference in Charlotte recently. With new federal money soon to be coming down the pipeline to address climate change, their work in the sustainability and nuclear industries should certainly be affected. Mike Switzer interviews Shayn Lasa, with Burns & McDonnell in Greenville, SC.
Roth IRAs and Roth 401ks are retirement accounts that not only grow tax free but when it comes time for retirement, the withdrawals are also tax free. So having Roth assets gives you access to retirement money without capital gains or income tax and remember, too much taxable income in retirement can also impact your medicare premiums.All of this is why our next guest says that if you haven’t converted a traditional IRA to a Roth yet, the current bear market in stocks may be providing an opportunity to do so. Mike Switzer interviews Thomas Manly, a certified financial planner with Hobbs Group Advisors in Columbia, SC.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC.
Our state’s flagship children’s museum has seen a 38% decrease in admission revenue at its Columbia location since 2017. And that may explain why they have hired a new leader who has experience turning around the financial situation at a children’s museum in Tennessee. Mike Switzer interviews Andy Marquart, CEO at EdVenture in Columbia, SC.
Because government visa officers can stay busy interviewing anywhere from 100 - 400 applicants per day, they don’t have a lot of time to spend giving much detail when they issue denials. Which is why our next guest and his partners, all ex-visa officers and diplomats in U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, decided to open a visa advisory service. Mike Switzer interviews Chris Richardson, co-founder of Argo Visa in Greenville, SC.
Historically black colleges and universities, known as HBCUs, have often struggled to offer professional masters degrees due to various issues. And that’s why our next guest’s institution has recently partnered with the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business for a new Master of Accountancy program. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Tracy Dunn, dean of the Benedict College Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship in Columbia, SC.
While most investment and economic prognosticators we talk to believe that stocks and bonds are in a traditional bear market that may be with us for the next several months, our next guest believes we have entered a super cycle that could deflate stock, bond, and real estate prices for the next 10 years. Mike Switzer interviews Tyson Halsey, a chartered financial analyst and managing member at Income Growth Advisors at Daniel Island, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about some upcoming STEM events: Computer Science and STEM Summit on September 19, Sonoco Fresh Summit, Great Jobs Forums.
With the stock market experiencing weakness this year, not to mention the extreme volatility, many investors are turning to private equity investments, hoping to hit a home run with small start-up ventures. One way to do this is through what is known as angel investing. But exactly how does one go about doing this? Mike Switzer interviews David Grisell, general partner at the RollingSouth Fund, co-host of Venture In The South Podcast, co-founder of uMedMarket Inc, and he is what is known as a super angel in Greenville, SC.
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles also known as UAVs or, more commonly, drones, has grown exponentially in popularity over the past 10 years and as a result, has brought an increase in issues for the aviation industry. And that presented an entrepreneurial opportunity to a group of aviation pilots who have developed software to increase airspace awareness for all involved. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Cansler, co-founder and chief operating officer at UASidekick in Greenville, SC.
Labor and material shortages continue to present a major challenge to the construction industry which itself continues to experience strong growth even through the current slowdown. Last year, our next guest’s site services company finally became an independent entity after operating as a division of other companies since 1947. So now they are on their own dealing with these issues. Mike Switzer interviews Gary Bernardez, CEO of AMECO in Greenville, SC.
Everyone seems to be talking about the market these days with both stocks and bonds down so far this year. But while it’s natural to focus on your portfolio's returns, our next guest says there is a better metric to track during periods of market turbulence. Mike Switzer interviews Rob DeHollander, a certified financial planner in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about the new autonomous shuttle project at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.
During the past couple of years, most businesses stayed very busy just keeping their companies running during the pandemic. That included following new rules about paid sick leave and workplace safety and health—and what they could and couldn’t do about requiring employees to be vaccinated. As business has returned to a more “normal” normal, what are the main concerns now in the workplace? Mike Switzer interviews David Dubberly, an employment lawyer with Nexsen Pruet in Columbia, SC.
After a 15-year career in recruiting, both within an executive search firm as well as in-house at a large public accounting firm, our next guest decided to take the entrepreneurial plunge and start her ownrecruiting firm…despite the current extremely competitive labor market. Mike Switzer interviews Rhiannon Poore, CEO of Forge Search and Consulting in Greenville, SC.
Not too long ago, our next guest was reading an article in the Wall Street Journal when he experienced that cliched “light bulb” moment and began chasing and developing an idea that would lead to a new fertility treatment process involving artificial intelligence. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. John Schnorr, founder of Cycle Clarity in Mount Pleasant, SC.
2022 has been a difficult year for stocks and bonds highlighted by significant volatility. Which our next guest believes may continue and so he wants to share with us a couple of ideas on how to take advantage of volatility. Mike Switzer interviews Wes Johnson, a certified financial planner with ACT Advisors in Charleston, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about some SC organizations that had concept outlines accepted into the National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines program.
During the pandemic when restaurants were closed, many people decided to cook more of their own meals than they had been used to. Has that trend continued or at least are there more home chefs than there used to be? Our next guest should know the answer to that. Mike Switzer interviews John Militello, owner, chef and culinary instructor at Let’s Cook Culinary studio in Columbia, SC.
The dairy industry has been hit by a double whammy over the past few years with rising costs and lower demand since the number of Americans who drink milk has been steadily dwindling. And it’s just these circumstances that Borden attributes to their recent decision to close their North Charleston facility. Our next guest says it’s just one more negative thing for our state’s dairy industry because it’s one less place South Carolina farmers can take their milk to be processed. Mike Switzer interviews Adam Kantrovich, assistant director of the Clemson Extension Agribusiness Team at the Sandhills Research and Education Center in Columbia, SC.
Sadly, school shootings continue to happen. After Sandy Hook, our next guest’s company decided to use their CEO’s military experience to create a product that they hope will help make schools safer. Mike Switzer interviews Kirk Ferguson, chief of staff at R2P Innovations in Goose Creek, SC.
Since the pandemic started, we have been hearing about ships clogging our ports. While that situation has eased somewhat, our next guest believes it and high rates of inflation will continue for a while due to increased consumer demand fueled by years of the Fed’s easy money policy and more recently, pandemic relief money. Mike Switzer interviews Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus at the College of Business & Behavioral Science and Alumni Professor of Economics Emeritus, both at Clemson University. He is also the Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center which publishes his Economic Situation Report.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about SmartState endowed chair, Dr. Charles Bennett at the University of South Carolina whose Twitter research may be able to be used for medication safety.
After graduating in Machine Design and Dynamics of Performance Vehicles at Clemson University, and then receiving an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, also from Clemson University, our next guest decided to work on a product idea he has had since working as a grease monkey at a local car dealership: a tool that could make the vehicle oil changing process easier, cleaner, and faster. Mike Switzer interviews Steven Owens, founder of Last Drop Wrench in Gaffney, SC.
For many people with disabilities, saving money can be a difficult task. Yet if they’re able to, many then worry about saving too much money because it may cause them to lose their needs-based benefits. Fortunately, there is help. August is the national observance of ABLE to Save Month. Mike Switzer interviews Curtis Loftis, South Carolina’s state treasurer, about the Palmetto ABLE Savings Program.
After experiencing success as an entrepreneur himself, our next guest turned to teaching and was named one of the top 100 entrepreneurship professors in the world while at the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, where he also led their entrepreneurship program to being ranked #1 in the world by Inc. Magazine in 2019. After retiring from teaching, he is now bringing his expertise to our state. Mike Switzer interviews Cliff Holekamp, a board member at SC Launch and co-founder of Cultivation Capital in Greenville, SC.
Cryptocurrency has been in the news a lot lately as values have tumbled. Many are still believers though, and may continue to be until the day they die. So what does happen to cryptocurrency assets when someone passes away? Allen Gillespie is our resident crypto expert and managing partner at FinTrust Capital Advisors in Greenville, SC.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
After obtaining a college degree in hospitality in India, our next guest struggled to find the job she wanted so she headed to the US and enrolled as a graduate student at the renowned culinary school, Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI which also employed her for the next 22 years. Since then, she and her husband decided to open an Oil and Vinegar franchise in the Upstate where she promotes healthy eating, education, and community involvement. Mike Switzer interviews Chef Veera Gaul in Greenville, SC.
Already a successful entrepreneur with a thriving embroidery business, our next guest decided to start a new business when she saw the need for cleaner mats, beds, and seats at daycare centers and homeless shelters during the pandemic. After some help from local start-up programs and seed money from a cosmetics industry billionaire, her new business took off. Mike Switzer interviews Dionne Sandiford, owner of Cozy Covers and her original business Corporate Stitch in Greenville, SC.
A few weeks ago, our next guest received a birthday card loaded with information about what was going on in his birth year of 1961. You’ve probably seen these types of cards, posters, and even t-shirts. Anyway, he found his to be so interesting that he decided to do some additional research comparing then to now and we thought you might enjoy hearing about his findings. Mike Switzer interviews Jeff Wildes, a certified financial planner in Georgetown, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about an endowed chair research professor, John Ballato at Clemson University, whose optical fiber research program is feeding students to a firm based in Connecticut instead of SC, and how a SmartState 2.0 program might be able to change that direction. Listen here to our interview with Professor Ballato which aired 1-24-2022.
Many cities across America have been busy reinventing and reinvigorating some of their long-neglected areas. Columbia has been working on one for several years and it appears that its time might be nigh. Mike Switzer interviews Sabrina Odom Edwards, executive director of the North Columbia Business Association.
It probably wouldn’t surprise you to learn that people who are deaf or hard of hearing have lower rates of college-level education, which means lower paying jobs and higher rates of unemployment. Which is why our next guest’s organization is working to alleviate this situation. Mike Switzer interviews Mary Reaves, the director of programs at BeginningsSC in West Columbia, SC.
Most business owners know that they need certain documents and policies to help them attain success and sustainability. But our next guest says that if you run a family business, you may want to look at these documents from a different perspective. Mike Switzer interviews Jon Robertson, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John discusses recent feedback he’s received regarding our ongoing discussion of the possibility of new legislation to reinvigorate our state’s SmartState program. The discussion is leading to entrepreneurs and professors connecting for potential economic activity.
Agriculture is a major economic driver in our state, and our next guest’s government agency is working hard to keep it that way. Mike Switzer interviews William Shelley, farm loan chief for the SC Farm Service Agency state office, part of the US Dept. of Agriculture, in Columbia, SC.
On a recent visit to Lancaster County during our annual trek through our state’s Ag and Art tour, we stumbled upon what is purported to be South Carolina’s only production brewery located on a working farm. But what came first, the beer or the beef? Mike Switzer interviews Bryan O’Neal, owner of Benford Brewing in Lancaster, SC.
The level of cyber-induced headaches Americans feel in their daily lives has certainly increased over the past several years with the never-ending attacks from cyber criminals. Our next guest says that the private sector is an important part of the solution to this issue which is why her government agency is working hard to develop new partnerships. Mike Switzer interviews Susan Ferensic, special agent in charge at the Columbia field office of the FBI.
With so many economic surprises in the first half of this year, how can economists make any kind of reliable predictions for the 2nd half? Mike Switzer interviews Joey Von Nessen, chief economist at the Darla Moore School of Business at USC in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about a research endowed chair at MUSC, Dr. Mark Hamman, who has started a company to further develop cancer and infectious disease drugs and how his efforts might fit into a new version of our state's Centers for Economic Excellence (COEE), also known as the SmartState program.
John Warner introduced us to our next guest during one of our regular Monday morning discussions back in January. He told us about a social enterprise lunch cafe designed to provide employment to abused women in the Upstate. It’s part of a two-year residential program for adult women survivors of human trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. Mike Switzer interviews Beth Messick, executive director of Jasmine Road in Greenville, SC.
Our next guest’s 16,000-acre coastal nature preserve is home to four permanent research institutes each operated by the University of South Carolina, Clemson University, Coastal Carolina University and Francis Marion University. The property also hosts researchers from over fifty colleges, universities and research organizations around the world. And it all began in 1964 with a bequest from one woman’s will. Mike Switzer interviews George Chastain, executive director of Hobcaw Barony-The Belle W. Baruch Foundation.
We often hear about carbon sequestration as an effort to combat climate change and our next guest says it’s important for our state to participate in these rapidly emerging carbon markets, such as paying landowners for carbon sequestered by their trees. Mike Switzer interviews Mac Rhodes, managing member of Essex Farms in Charleston, SC.
When we were down at Daniel Island earlier this year to cover the Credit One Charleston Open women’s professional tennis tournament, we were intrigued by an ice cream cart we saw that was selling what appeared to be fried chicken. Of course, it was actually ice cream but in the shape of pieces of fried chicken. Upon further investigation we discovered that the owner of this business is a six-time James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef and now she’s an entrepreneur. Mike Switzer interviews Cynthia Wong, founder of Life Raft Treats in Charleston, SC.
Most people know that you can cash in your life insurance policy, if it has any cash value that is. But have you ever thought about selling your life insurance policy? Did you even know that you could sell your life insurance policy. Our next guest says it could make sense to do that instead of cashing it in, if you don’t need it anymore. Mike Switzer interviews Ashton Lawrence, a certified financial planner with Goldfinch Wealth Management in Greenville, SC.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC.
When the Internet gave rise to spam email and pop-up ads, many experts forecast the end of old-fashioned direct mail marketing. However, you’ve probably noticed that it still finds its way to your old-fashioned mailbox. Our next guest says that the right analytics is what still keeps it alive. Mike Switzer interviews Steve Godwin, president of Analytic Marketing Partners in Greenville, SC.
As the economy has rebounded from the pandemic, commercial architects have been staying very busy keeping up with the demand for new projects all across the country. And with federal infrastructure money now winding its way through various pipelines, that demand is projected to stay strong. Mike Switzer interviews Brian Thomas, CEO of DP3 Architects in Greenville, SC.
Most people are aware by now that our state has built and continues to build pretty impressive industries in automotive and aerospace. Our next guest is an example of one of the many cogs in those wheels that keeps growing and expanding. Mike Switzer interviews Matt Kelley, CEO of Kelley Engineering in Piedmont, SC.
The stock market has been experiencing many large swings lately, both ups and downs…though mainly downs. In this uncertain environment, what are the experts advising? Mike Switzer interviews Peter Nielsen, a chartered financial analyst at Independent Solutions Wealth Management in Greer, SC and a member of the South Carolina Chapter of the CFA Society.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John relates how hydroponics classes at the SC Governor’s School for Science and Math may be able to link into the SmartState program.
Through his nonprofit organization dedicated to young adult empowerment, our next guest reached an agreement last year with Proctor and Gamble to help launch the research careers of aspiring, scientifically-minded students in the Lowcountry. Mike Switzer interviews LJ Bush, founder of Changing Our Image Now (COIN) in Bluffton, SC.
Proving that they could grow through the pandemic, our next guest’s software company was able to raise over $3 million in venture capital earlier this year. Mike Switzer interviews A. J. Richichi, founder and CEO of Sprockets in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
Earlier this year, the S.C. Manufacturers Alliance held a contest to name the “Coolest Thing Made in SC”. The general public was asked to suggest S.C.-made products for the honor resulting in 175 nominations and our next guest’s company receiving the inaugural winner’s trophy. Mike Switzer interviews Mike Lee, vice president and general manager of Nucor Steel Berkeley in Huger, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about a recent $3 million grant SC tech schools received from the National Science Foundation to train our state's EV industry workforce.
You’ve probably heard that there is a severe nursing shortage in this country which, it appears, will only continue to get worse. And according to our next guest, our state is one of the worst in terms of the current and projected shortage. Which is why his organization has created a scholarship that they hope will help with this crisis. Mike Switzer interviews Bob Elliott, co-founder of the South Carolina Nurse Retention Scholarship in Hilton Head Island, SC.
After being introduced to fly fishing in Wyoming shortly after college, our next guest became enamored with the sport and eventually turned his enthusiasm into a business, a podcast, and a business alliance that seek to help those in that industry become more environmentally friendly. Mike Switzer interviews Rick Crawford, founder of Emerger Strategies in Charleston, SC.
Ranked recently by U.S. News & World Reports as the #5 Most Innovative College in the country, our next guest’s institution stays busy engaging its students in social and entrepreneurial ventures around the world. Mike Switzer interviews Anthony Herrera, chief innovation officer and executive director at the Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Furman University in Greenville, SC.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Jason Thomas, the new executive editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
The summer travel season is upon us and that means our next guest and her newly-formed organization are busy helping their downtown business community prepare for what they hope will be their best season since before the pandemic. Mike Switzer interviews Amy Barrett, president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance.
The “I” word has become a major topic of conversation these days. We’re talking about inflation, of course. Even that uglier word from the past, “stagflation”, has resurfaced again. Where is it all leading and when will it end? Mike Switzer interviews Frank Hefner, Director, Office of Economic Analysis and Professor of Economics at the College of Charleston.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John talks about his experience recently at the South Carolina CyberSecurity Conference and how conferences like this can possibly tie into the SmartState system.
Chambers of commerce across our state stay busy representing the interests of their business members and in the process, helping them grow their businesses. Our next guest’s chamber probably stays extra busy operating next door to one of the largest cities in the South. Mike Switzer interviews Dean Faile, president and CEO of the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce in Rock Hill, SC.
Several years ago, we interviewed our next guest when she became the youngest ever South Carolina Young Entrepreneur of the Year after successfully inventing and marketing a unique hair barrette while in grade school. Now that she’s in high school, she has branched out into additional products and continues to be noticed by national TV shows. Mike Switzer interviews Gabby Goodwin, CEO of Confidence in Columbia, SC.
Since 2018, there have been over 220 class action lawsuits filed against employers in connection with their retirement plans, and the top ten settlements in those suits for 2021 alone totaled $840 million. But our next guest says there is a new type of retirement plan that may limit employers’ risk of retirement plan-related litigation. Mike Switzer interviews Chip Hardy, a fiduciary consultant with FinTrust Capital Advisors in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about an elementary school in our state whose students are learning about robots and autonomous vehicles.
After working in economic development in Louisiana, our next guest accepted the position of directing the economic development efforts for our state’s life sciences industry. Mike Switzer interviews James Chappell, CEO of SCBIO in Greenville, SC.
After receiving over 80 applications for a start-up business contest with ideas ranging from helipad maintenance to spent nuclear fuel recycling, eight winners were selected by our next guest’s organization to receive prize packages that, in total, represented more than $100,000. Mike Switzer interviews Eric Weissman, executive director of NEXT in Greenville, SC.
Our state is home to the oldest daily newspaper in the South. Just in case you didn’t know. And that newspaper recently received not only 84 awards from the South Carolina Press Association but also first-place honors in the prestigious National Headliner Awards from the Press Club of Atlantic City.Mike Switzer interviews Autumn Phillips, executive editor at the Post and Courier in Charleston, SC. Disclaimer: The Post and Courier has a business relationship with Voterheads.com, a wholly-owned company of Magnolia Media, Inc., the producer of this program.
Inflation and interest rates continue to dominate investor conversations these days. In fact, our next guest says that two of the biggest questions he is hearing from his clients in this market environment are: “Will inflation continue to be elevated?” and “Is there any safe place to earn more yield?” Mike Switzer interviews Stephen “Scotty” Scott, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John shares his insights from the recent SC SmartState forum.
Every year, we uncover at least one interesting story from the Beaufort International Film Festival. One of those this year involves a South Carolina film production company that has embarked on creating a three-part documentary about the history of the Miss America contest. Mike Switzer interviews Daniel Fisher, owner of Fisher Films in Columbia, SC.
We continue to hear from our friends in the building industry that prices of building materials are getting so high that they are materially affecting the end price of the house. So we thought we’d check in with a local kitchen cabinetry company to get more details. Mike Switzer interviews Michael Sloan, co-founder of John Michael Kitchens in Chester, SC.
Planning for your retirement can entail many complications, which is why our next guest is going to share with us eight mistakes that could derail that retirement, hoping that you might avoid these errors. Mike Switzer interviews Anthony Colancecco, a certified financial planner with Ballentine Capital Advisors in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us more autonomous vehicle news in SC he has learned about since our last interview.
Tourism is a very big part of our state’s economy which is why tourist attractions here continue to be encouraged and developed. Our next guest is going to tell us about a new one. Mike Switzer interviews Doug Bostick, executive director of the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust which is developing the Liberty Trail.
You may not know this but colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the US. This is particularly troublesome to the medical community because it is a disease that is highly curable if detected early through a colonoscopy. Increasing that concern is the fact that, since the pandemic, colorectal cancer screening has plummeted by 86%. Our next guest is trying to do something about this situation by bringing artificial intelligence into the equation. Mike Switzer interviews Margarita Murphy, a surgeon and medical director at the Colorectal Endosurgery Institute of the Carolinas in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
The China COVID lock-down has now joined with rising inflation and interest rates, as well as with the continued uncertainty of the Russia-Ukraine war to possibly point to a recession now on the horizon, according to our next guest. Mike Switzer interviews Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus at the College of Business & Behavioral Science and Alumni Professor of Economics Emeritus, both at Clemson University. He is also the Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center.
South Carolina cities are doing a lot to spur economic activity. Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC.
“A” is for Allen Brothers Milling Company. Allen Brothers Milling Company is one of Columbia’s most celebrated landmarks.
In case you hadn’t heard, 26 economic development projects across our state’s rural communities recently received $63 million from the United States Department of Agriculture. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Saundra Glover, USDA State Director for South Carolina in Columbia, SC.
By now, you’ve surely heard of the Great Resignation: millions of people not returning to their pre-pandemic jobs, instead seeking what they hope will be better jobs or even striking out on their own. Which is why many companies are reinvesting in employee retention strategies. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Troy Hall, author of “Cohesion Culture: Principles to Retain Your Top Talent” in North Charleston, SC.
Over 2.5 million people stop at our state’s nine welcome centers and as our tourism industry continues to rebound from the pandemic these “front porches” can help. Mike Switzer interviews Devon Harris, SC Welcome Center program manager at the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism in Columbia, SC.
With the recent surge in home values, many homeowners are looking at ways to benefit from these increased values. One common strategy, particularly for those near or in retirement, is to downsize. And while this can certainly be a good idea, our next guest says there are many considerations that need to be carefully planned for, to ensure that that strategy is successful. Mike Switzer interviews Roy Janse, a certified financial planner and managing partner of Goldfinch Wealth Management in Greenville, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about the 10th annual DigSouth tech summit.
If you are a technology entrepreneur or thinking about becoming one, there are events coming to our state’s coast that you may want to know about. Mike Switzer interviews Jess O’Brien, executive director of the Beaufort Digital Corridor in Beaufort, SC, the organization bringing TechStars Startup Weekend to their city April 29-May 1. The Myrtle Beach Techstars Startup Weekend is May 6-8.
Quality of life is always an essential part of the equation when economic developers talk to industry. Our next guest’s organization is one of many across our state working to improve that common denominator. Mike Switzer interviews Stuart White, executive director of the Congaree Land Trust in Columbia, SC.
15 years ago, our next guest decided to become a player in the new industry of product-to-Internet connectivity, which became known as IOT, the “Internet of things”. And as usually happens, the company experienced pivoting, capital fundraising, team building, all of which has contributed to the company’s growth. Mike Switzer interviews Frank Greer, CEO of Zipit Wireless in Greenville, SC.
The stock market has been quite volatile over the past several months with record inflation, rising interest rates, and the war in Ukraine. Over the last decade however, the US market has enjoyed unusually high returns. Some analysts claim this means we’re due to experience below average returns for the next decade. Are they right and what’s an investor to do if we experience another lost decade like the first one of this millenium or the stagflation of the 1970s? Mike Switzer interviews Rob DeHollander, a certified financial planner in Greenville SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about autonomous vehicle research and testing in the Greenville area including a recent announcement involving Argo AI and how that might be connected to the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) where four SmartState endowed chairs are located.
In case you hadn’t noticed, we are smack dab in the middle of national Jazz Appreciation Month. So let’s check in with our resident jazz industry expert to see what’s happening in our state. Mike Switzer interviews Mark Rapp, founder and executive director of ColaJazz Foundation in Columbia, SC.
More and more light-duty truck and van fleets are turning to compressed natural gas as a cleaner alternative fuel. But it can be very expensive to start up such an operation which is why our next guest’s technology that can dramatically lower that capital investment was a finalist at the most recent Innovision technology awards program. Mike Switzer interviews Erik Versen with Ingevity in North Charleston, SC.
Our next guest’s company was a finalist at the most recent Innovision awards program and they caught our eye with their technology that matches veterans with companies looking for employees. This seems especially timely with the statewide and nationwide shortage of qualified workers. Mike Switzer interviews Robyn Grable, founder and CEO of Veterans ASCEND in Mauldin, SC.
During tax season, tax issues become top of mind, especially if you can come up with ways to reduce those taxes. One you may be thinking about is converting your regular tax-deferred IRA into a completely tax-free Roth IRA. But is it worth paying those taxes now rather than in the future? Mike Switzer interviews Garet Strange, a certified financial planner with Hobbs Group Advisors in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about SmartState chair Jochen Lauterbach at the University of South Carolina and his research involving biomass as an alternative fuel.
It should come as no surprise that one of the hottest growth areas in technology is cybersecurity. And it’s getting some strong support from tech organizations in our state who are working toward making it one of our high-growth industries. Mike Switzer interviews Warren Parker, the chair at South Coast Cyber Center in Beaufort, SC.
Since 2005, Michelin has been sponsoring Innovision’s Young Innovator Award which recognizes successful South Carolina educational programs that encourage young people to engage in science, technology, engineering, math, and innovation. Our next guest’s student team in Columbia won the most recent award for developing a COVID-19 contact tracer, which also won them $65,000 as a national finalist in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. Mike Switzer interviews Kirsten Bullington, Next Energy Engineering instructor at the Richland Two Institute of Innovation in Columbia, SC.
The homebuilding boom continues across the nation and in our state, with existing home inventory levels remaining very low and demand very high. When will it end? Hopefully never, says our next guest. Mike Switzer interviews Allen Hutto, CEO of the Building Industry Association of Central SC in Columbia, SC. Disclaimer: The Building Industry Association of Central SC has a business relationship with Voterheads.com, a wholly-owned company of Magnolia Media, Inc., the producer of this program.
Ever since the pandemic’s darkest days bottomed out, our state has been one of those leading the country in improving economic statistics. How is the rest of 2022 looking now that the first quarter is in the books? Mike Switzer interviews Joey Von Nessen, chief economist at the Darla Moore School of Business at USC in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John relates recent feedback from listeners on the topic of creating an oversight type of commission for our state’s university endowed chair program that might become Smart State II.
Starting up a new business always involves a lot of work. There are the normal trials and errors that go with any new undertaking. And our next guest says there can be an enormous amount of red tape, as well. Mike Switzer interviews Robert Hughes, co-owner of Edingsville Grocery, a restaurant and tavern located on Edisto Island, SC.
An expected $100 million economic impact is coming soon to our state’s Lowcountry when South Carolina’s only annual PGA golf tournament returns to Hilton Head Island. Mike Switzer interviews Steve Wilmot, tournament director for the RBC Heritage, April 11-17.
Just about one year ago, our next guest took over the reins of our state’s largest food bank, and of course faced an immediate set of challenges brought on by the pandemic. Mike Switzer interviews Erinn Rowe, CEO of Harvest Hope Food Bank in Columbia, SC.
Most investors know what diversification is: spreading your money around different asset classes, like stocks and bonds, to reduce risk. Our next guest says you should also consider diversifying your assets according to how they are taxed and that that tax mix could be the key to building and preserving your wealth going forward. Mike Switzer interviews Chris Cabri, a certified financial planner with Wells Fargo Advisors in Greenwood, SC.
Our next guest’s South Carolina business publications took home eight awards, including three first-place honors, in the most recent South Carolina Press Association’s 2021 News Contest. And you’ll probably recognize his voice because he is a regular guest of this show keeping us posted on business trends across our state. Mike Switzer interviews Andy Owens, managing editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine.
For the second consecutive year, our next guest’s department at Clemson University has been awarded the InnoVision Technology Sustainability Award, this time for research involving nylon and molecular zippers. Mike Switzer interviews James Sternberg, senior scientist at the Clemson Composites Center in Greenville, SC.
Last summer, our state’s commerce department received a new chief executive whom we have not interviewed yet, so after letting him get settled in for several months, we thought now would be a good time to check in to see what his view is on our state’s economic development challenges and opportunities. Mike Switzer interviews Harry Lightsey, Secretary of Commerce for the State of South Carolina.
In just about a week and a half, the largest women’s only tennis tournament in North America is returning to Daniel Island, South Carolina. This year, the WTA event will celebrate its 50th year in a newly renovated and modernized stadium and with a new title sponsor. Mike Switzer interviews Bob Moran, tournament director of the Credit One Charleston Open in Daniel Island, SC.
The annual tax filing deadline is fast approaching. If you haven’t filed yet, our next guest says there are still some opportunities you may be able to take advantage of. Mike Switzer interviews Ann Beckwith, a certified financial planner with Abacus Planning Group in Columbia, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John discusses a call he received from a legislator regarding STEM learning and economic growth in SC which led to thoughts about our Smart State endowed chair program and the new speaker of SC House.
After a 2-year Covid hiatus, our next guest’s culinary event is returning to our state’s Pee Dee area with the help of some big names and new features. Mike Switzer interviews Tamara Kirven, executive director of the Florence Wine and Food Festival in Florence, SC.
The Dr. Charles Townes Individual Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Innovision honors an individual who has exhibited a sustained commitment to the advancement of technology and the community for the benefit of our state. The award is named after the only person other than the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa to win both a Nobel Prize and a Templeton Prize. Mike Switzer interviews the most recent recipient of this prestigious award, Dr. Martine LaBerge, a professor and chair of Bioengineering at Clemson University. She was also recently inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame.
Germany continues to impact our state’s economy in a significant way which is why our next guest’s educational institution holds an annual German-American Business Summit, the sixth edition of which is coming to the Lowcountry on March 29th. Mike Switzer interviews Stephen Della Lana, senior instructor of German at the College of Charleston.
One sector of the stock market that has done particularly well over the past 12 months is the energy sector, driven mostly by significantly higher oil and gas prices. Is this segment due for a breather? Mike Switzer interviews Peter Nielsen, a chartered financial analyst and adjunct professor of finance at Anderson University in Anderson, SC. He joins us by phone today from his office at Independent Solutions Wealth Management in Greer, SC where he is a portfolio manager. He is also a member of the South Carolina chapter of the CFA Society.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John discusses feedback from a listener regarding last week’s topic of retaining and growing the professional class in our state.
John Warner introduced us to our next guest during one of our regular Monday morning discussions back in January. He told us about a social enterprise lunch cafe designed to provide employment to abused women in the Upstate. It’s part of a two-year residential program for adult women survivors of human trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. Mike Switzer interviews Beth Messick, executive director of Jasmine Road in Greenville, SC.
Many cities across our state offer assistance to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Today, we’re going to learn a little more about one of these in the Upstate. Mike Switzer interviews Reno Deaton, executive director of the Greer Development Corporation, whose entrepreneurial program is The Platform at Greer.
Most businesspersons, at one time or another, have to make a presentation or speak to a group of people which oftentimes can be intimidating or confusing. Our next guest’s organization has been helping with this issue for very many years. Mike Switzer interviews Mike Ward with District 58 of Toastmasters International in West Columbia, SC.
Most financial planners will tell you that the overall goal of a good plan is to help you live your best possible life. But our next guest says that many of the families he meets do not really understand what that looks like. Joining Mike Switzer by phone from Greenville is Rick Van Der Noord, a certified financial planner with over 40 years in the profession.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. Today John discusses the population gap between the nation and our state when it comes to the professional class.
One of our state’s institutions of higher learning will soon be bringing in over 30 globally-recognized financial professionals to help conduct a symposium on the latest trends in the investment industry. Mike Switzer interviews Mark Pyles, finance professor and director of the School of Business Investment Program at the College of Charleston, which will host its eighth annual Strategic Investment Symposium on March 11th.
Our next guest was a member of his high school’s first graduating class in 1990, now he’s back and he’s running that school. Mike Switzer interviews Danny Dorsel, president of the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics in Hartsville.
In case you haven’t noticed, it’s not just homebuilding that’s booming. The commercial real estate development and construction business is, as well. Is there an end in sight to what some are calling another real estate bubble? Mike Switzer interviews Patrick Chambers, a senior broker and principal with NAI Columbia.
2021 closed out with some big numbers for economic growth and inflation. Will 2022 see a return to moderation? Mike Switzer interviews Bruce Yandle, Dean Emeritus at the College of Business & Behavioral Science and Alumni Professor of Economics Emeritus, both at Clemson University. He is also the Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center.
An update of the news, events and issues that are trending right now across South Carolina's business community. Mike Switzer interviews Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC. Disclaimer: Alan Cooper’s company has a business relationship with Voterheads.com, a wholly-owned company of Magnolia Media, which is the producer of the South Carolina Business Review.
Those familiar with the 1990s film series “Back to the Future'' know what a flux capacitor is, a fictional time machine enabler. Our next guest however, has developed research involving metabolic flux analysis that won them the most recent Innovision small business award. Mike Switzer interviews Greg Springsteen, professor of chemistry at Furman University in Greenville, SC and co-founder of Aconabolics, LLC.
Our state is one of only a few that now has more people employed than before the pandemic. In fact, the latest numbers are the highest in South Carolina’s history. What are we doing that is “working” so well? Mike Switzer interviews Daniel Ellzey, executive director of the SC Department of Employment and Workforce (SC DEW).
One of our state’s start-up business accelerators has a new director. Let’s meet him. Mike Switzer interviews Grady Johnson, executive director of the Harbor Entrepreneur Center in Charleston, SC.
The financial markets have been running into some headwinds lately with both the NASDAQ and S&P 500 registering 10% pullbacks. Not to mention the bond market suffering, as well, caused by inflation and Fed fears. So we thought this would be a good time to check in with one of our local prognosticators with his thoughts on where your money should be parked for the remainder of this year. Mike Switzer interviews Doug English, a certified financial planner with ACT Advisors in Charleston, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John tells us about an entrepreneurial effort from nonprofit Feed and Seed, an organization addressing the food desert problem in Greenville, SC.
The “mixed-use” designation continues to be a popular trend in commercial real estate development. The latest such venture we’ve uncovered is a new project on Charleston’s upper peninsula. Mike Switzer interviews Lindsay Nevin, CEO of The Flyaway Companies in Charleston, SC and the project is The Refinery.
We often hear of the need for our state to have more capital available to entrepreneurs. Our next guest is going to tell us about a new program her state agency has put together to help grow our venture capital base. Mike Switzer interviews Laura Corder McIntosh, managing director of the Office of Innovation at the South Carolina Dept. of Commerce in Columbia. She will tell us about the Palmetto Venture Fellowship.
An important part of financial planning is estate planning and an important part of both can be charitable giving. Our next guest’s organization stays busy helping non-profit fundraising professionals, attorneys, and financial advisors stay informed on this topic. Mike Switzer interviews Beth Wingard, president emeritus of the South Carolina Planned Giving Council in Chapin, SC.
Americans lose billions of dollars each year due to various scams; over the phone or internet, or by just stealing ID cards. While some of these cons have been around for a while, new ones are invented every day. My guest today is going to share some advice on how to avoid being such a victim. Mike Switzer interviews John Cooper, a certified financial planner with Greenwood Capital in Greenwood, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John discusses his recent meeting with the executive director of the South Carolina Artisan Center in Walterboro and how to rebrand public awareness.
The 16th annual edition of the Beaufort International Film Festival is coming to the Lowcountry February 22nd through 27th. After the pandemic forced them to hold last year’s event at a temporary location, they are once again back at their home venue. Mike Switzer interviews Ron Tucker, director of the festival and president of the Beaufort Film Society.
During the pandemic, our next guest’s nonprofit organization figured out a way to offer a virtual camp to children with cancer. The effort proved so successful that they decided to make virtual camp a permanent part of their services and it caught the attention of Innovision which gave them their most recent community service award. Mike Switzer interviews Cindy Hay Johnson, executive director of Camp Happy Days in Charleston, SC.
In a competitive world, effective marketing can mean the difference between success and mediocrity. And our next guest’s communications agency believes that it all starts with good product design. Mike Switzer interviews Matt Ferebee, a partner and director of creative strategy at FerebeeLane in Greenville, SC.
In many cases, wage increases are not keeping up with the rising cost of goods and services. Can you turn to your investment portfolio to make up the difference? Or if you are already relying heavily on those investments for income, should you be making some changes? Mike Switzer interviews Susie Wang, a chartered financial analyst and member of the South Carolina chapter of the CFA Society who joins us by phone from her office at Dividend Assets Capital in Ridgeland, SC.
Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John discusses an innovation plan recently released by the SC Dept.of Commerce entitled Innovation Insights 2021.
One of the nation’s largest wildlife art exhibitions is celebrating its 40th anniversary soon with a three-day event in downtown Charleston. Mike Switzer interviews John Powell, executive director of Southeastern Wildlife Exposition occurring Feb. 17th through 20th.
Early College High School is a national initiative from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that helps high school students jumpstart their college education while still in high school. And that school in Charleston recently won Innovision’s education award. Mike Switzer interviews Vanessa Denney, principal at the Charleston County School District Early College High School located at Trident Technical College in Charleston, SC.
According to our next guest, almost half of her small business assistance organization’s clients are African American, yet these clients continue to struggle to obtain financing. Which is why she recently announced an initiative designed to uplift the economic prospects for these minority business owners and entrepreneurs. Mike Switzer interviews Michele Abraham, state director for the South Carolina Small Business Development Center in Columbia.
The financial markets have been showing signs of fatigue and worry lately. Are the old demons of rising inflation and interest rates finally starting to take their toll? Mike Switzer interviews Frank Hefner, Director Office of Economic Analysis and Professor of Economics at the College of Charleston.
Mike Switzer interviews Andy Owens, managing editor of SCBizNews, the company that publishes the Columbia Regional Business Report, Charleston Regional Business Journal, GSA Business and SCBizNews magazine. Andy discusses supply chain issues across our state.