Calendar JUNE 24: Center for Women Entrepreneurial Woman Series. 6-8 p.m. at the Center for Women, 129 Cannon St., Charleston. Topic: Marketing and your Web site. Speakers: Shari Stauch, Shark Marketing, and Kendra Haskins, Haskins Designs. Registration required: $20 CFW members; $25 nonmembers. Registration fee includes copy of book. Call 843-763-7333 or visit www.c4women.org.
People in the News Dolly and David Jaffee have joined Shelter Mortgage LLC of Charleston as managers of the Carolina Builder Division. Dolly Jaffee has 34 years of experience in finance and residential mortgage lending, and David Jaffee has 35 years of experience in real estate and mortgage lending.
School Board should keep focus on improving education By Bill Settlemyer Last week, The Post and Courier delivered one of the most hard-hitting editorials I’ve seen on its pages in a long time. The topic was the damage done by Arthur Ravenel’s behavior in April in his capacity as a member of the Charleston County School Board. Relying upon public documents posted on the paper’s Web site, the editorial made a strong case for Ravenel to issue a clear public apology for his unseemly confrontation with Superintendent Nancy McGinley and her staff.
Gates Corp. prepares to shutter Moncks Corner plant By Staff reports Denver-based Gates Corp. is closing its timing belt manufacturing plant in rural Moncks Corner, ending a 22-year relationship with the Lowcountry and eliminating almost 200 local jobs.
Composite aircraft manufacturer gets back on track By Scott Miller Ross Erwin was in search of a better job. Living in Prior, Okla., Erwin was installing antennas for a cable company when he heard about Vought Aircraft Industries’ need for workers. He packed up and moved to Charleston in hopes of securing a job. Erwin was hired six months ago and is working as a mechanical assembly associate testing hydrolic lines.
Accolades & More The American Chemistry Council has awarded MeadWestvaco Corp. the 2007 Responsible Care Energy Efficiency Award. The award recognizes the company’s energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction project, where energy use assessments and operational refinements resulted in significant reductions in energy use and greenhouse gas and particulate emissions.
Ethanol company files for investor financing By Staff reports A Columbia-based ethanol company might ship its product through the Port of Charleston as demand rises for alternative fuels, a company official said.
Boeing’s purchase of North Charleston plant complete By Scott Miller The marriage between Vought Aircraft Industries and Global Aeronautica is over, but the two companies remain neighbors and seem inevitably connected by their customer, Boeing Co.
Company expands into Lowcountry By Staff reports A technical service supplier for automotive, aerospace and marine manufacturers — notably BMW — has expanded into the Lowcountry.
State investigating finances at S.C. State University By Scott Miller South Carolina State University recognized a potential misuse of public funds more than a year ago and quickly rectified the situation by firing one of its employees, said Maurice Washington, chairman of the university’s board of trustees. In the eyes of the state, however, the issue isn’t over, as First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe takes a closer look.
New SCSU president familiar with university By Scott Miller South Carolina State University looked beyond academia to find a new leader. The hope is new President George Cooper, the school’s fifth in 20 years, will bring experiences beyond those of a school administrator and fruitful connections beyond the Palmetto State.
Port promotes green efforts as it expands By Molly Parker The S.C. State Ports Authority has rolled out a new campaign including a new Web site highlighting its ongoing environmental initiatives. The message: The maritime industry is a lot greener than you might think.
Young professional works to attract, retain area’s talent By Shelia Watson Two things ingrained in Kellee McGahey early on have paved the way for much of her success today: a commitment to excelling and a fascination with mass communication. “I was the oldest of three children, and I was always setting goals, even when I didn’t know what goal-setting was,” she said. “I wanted to get to the next thing, and I wanted to be good at what I did.”
Continental grounds Charleston-to-Cleveland flight By Molly Parker Cleveland might rock, but Charleston fliers are going to have to roll through another airport to get there. Continental Airlines this month said it plans to ground the only nonstop flight between Charleston and Cleveland beginning Sept. 3 as part of its
company-wide cost-saving proposal.
Work visa shortage hinders business By Shelia Watson In one day last year, so many businesses put in requests to hire foreign workers that it filled the limit allowed under federal law. While a lot of the focus of this year’s presidential election and legislative session has been over illegal immigration, immigrants who want to work in the United States legally face many legal hurdles.
Spoleto Festival USA digging for financial help By Scott Miller This year’s Spoleto Festival USA was one of a kind, in both artistic and financial performance. Sellout crowds gazed at the acrobatics and dazzling costumes in “Monkey: Journey to the West” in one of the festival’s most renowned, most viewed and, at around $1.3 million to stage, most expensive shows in town.
Loft living growing more popular in the Lowcountry By Kathleen Dayton When it comes to architecture, Charleston is all about columns, dormer windows and crown moldings. Or at least it has been in the past. Today there is a new contender in residential architecture popping up on city streets, laying claim to new construction as well as renovation projects. Loft living in the Lowcountry may still be new, but it has made friends quickly with both developers and home buyers looking for something with an urban edge in a historic setting.
Protecting minds and bodies By Molly Parker Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina will attempt to make crash-test dummies a whole lot smarter.
Lowcountry continues to nab military contracts By Staff reports The Lowcountry continues to gobble up a sizable chunk of federal military spending. Several Charleston-area businesses that provide products and services to the defense industry will join some 350 companies around the country in fulfilling contracts worth more than $5.3 billion.
SPAWAR in the business of security By Shelia Watson One does not simply drop by the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center for a visit. After one goes through an electronic encrypted entry, armed guards at the gate verify credentials and scan under vehicles for explosives.
Attorney, advocate Harriet McBryde Johnson challenged the mind By Andy Owens Harriet McBryde Johnson, the seemingly frail lawyer with a bright smile, was more than a Charleston civil attorney and outspoken legal advocate for the disabled. For more than 25 years, she chided the self-righteous and lambasted those who took pity on the disabled.
Sales Pitch: You won’t get the sale if you don’t follow up By Keith Rosen My wife and I were about to undertake our last remodeling project. As a consummate consumer, I wanted several qualified companies to bid on our next project. After calling 10 contractors, I scheduled an appointment with the five who called back.
Marketing Matters: What’s the value of your brand? By Bruce Murdy Every day we receive contrary reports about whether the economy is OK or is going down the drain. With prices skyrocketing for the basics of life, from food and gasoline to what we once thought were necessities, like our daily Starbucks, we are feeling the pinch everywhere we turn. In this type of environment, marketers can be confused about the value of a brand.
Dorchester County taxes businesses $1.8M extra to pay for schools By Scott Miller Oakbrook Elementary School in Ladson has 28 classroom trailers that school district officials affectionately call “learning cottages.” They’re temporary classrooms needed because buildings are overcrowded. Many schools in Dorchester School District 2 have them. And more are needed, despite the opening of a new high school this fall.
Wall Street exec turns small business owner By Holly Fisher How exactly does a Wall Street executive end up running a frame shop in Charleston? Almost four decades ago, Charleston native Tom Myers was working on Wall Street for Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, an institutional research and stock brokerage firm. In the late 1960s, Myers decided to branch out on his own and formed New York-based Harlan, Betke & Myers, specializing in strategic consulting, investing and real estate.
Al Parish sentenced to more than 24 years in federal prison By Scott Miller More than 20 investors spoke during the sentencing hearing of former economist Al Parish. A federal judge in Charleston could rule this afternoon on how many years he will spend behind bars for scamming hundreds of investors out of millions of dollars.
