CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS PROFILE

Owners of a popular Mexican restaurant in northeast Columbia recently announced expansion to a third location. Tacos Nayarit, currently located at 1531 Percival Road, will be opening another location at 1100 Knox Abbott Drive in Cayce... Read More

Ratio by Body Math, a practice specializing in body sculpting, is coming to the Devine Street corridor in Columbia. The practice recently leased a 1,465-square-foot medical office space at 2231 Devine St. Known as the Elliott Building... Read More

The Columbia Fireflies have announced their theme night schedule for the 2023 baseball season, which begins at 7:05 p.m. Thursday, April 6 at Segra Park vs. the Augusta GreenJackets The season starts off with a golf-themed outing, The... Read More

The Columbia Metropolitan Airport saw more than one million passengers come through the airport in 2022, a 21% increase over 2021’s passenger traffic. In total, CAE saw 527,599 enplanements -- travelers starting their travel jou... Read More

Great Southern Homes recently announced two additions to its executive staff. Greg Howell has joined the company as the Midlands Division Manager. In this role, Greg will oversee all operations in the Midlands including construction, ... Read More

A South Carolina woman has been found guilty of unemployment insurance fraud. Diana B. Jordan and accomplices were arrested for the fraud in 2015 but trial was delayed because of the pandemic and not held until Jan. 11, according to a... Read More

        Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia will open the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center on Thursday, March 2. Through the support of the Boyd Foundation, th... Read More

The first successful flight of an F-16 Block 70 fighter jet built in Greenville is in the books. The plane took off at 9:17 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday, Jan. 24, according to a news release from Lockheed Martin. Test pilots Dwayne &ldqu... Read More

Six nominees from South Carolina’s restaurant industry are among the semifinalists for the 2023 James Beard Awards. The James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for this year’s Restaurant and Chef Awards on Wedne... Read More

A physical therapy practice is the new tenant of a 1,987-square-foot office space at 2744 Millwood Avenue in Columbia. Colliers South Carolina’s Mary Winter Teaster represented the tenant, Dr. Meghan Davidson/Soulshine Pelvic He... Read More

Applications are now open for the class of 2024 of Leadership Columbia, a leadership program run by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. Sixty applicants will be selected to participate. Founded in 1972, Leadership Columbia is a skills-b... Read More

South Carolina’s unemployment rate remained at 3.3% for December, the same as October and November’s estimate, according to data released this week by the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. Nationally, the unemploym... Read More

Virtue Technologies Inc., a Chapin-based tech startup, recently received a $250,000 investment from SC Launch Inc., the investment affiliate of the S.C. Research Authority. Virtue Technologies is a cloud-based, mobile-friendly so... Read More

An eclectic lineup of bands has been announced for St. Pat’s in Five Points, one of the Southeast’s largest St. Patrick’s Day festivals. The festival, which has been going on for 41 years, will take place beginning a... Read More

Transportation Security Administration officers at South Carolina airports discovered a record number of  79 firearms in travelers’ carry-on luggage in 2022, a new annual record for the state. In addition, Charleston Intern... Read More

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions recently signed agreements with two area colleges to provide funding, internships and professional training for students. SRNS has worked with multiple colleges throughout the region and recently added... Read More

People can now check out a good book and then enjoy a good meal at a new eatery that has opened inside the Richland Library in downtown Columbia. Rambo’s Fat Cat Biscuits has opened in the café space at Richland Library M... Read More

School of Rock, a leader in performance-based music education, is opening its first South Carolina location in Mount Pleasant at 1907 U.S. 17 North, Suite 102. A grand opening event will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21... Read More

The Columbia Chamber of Commerce is recruiting new participants for the Midlands Youth Apprenticeship Program. In partnership with with Midlands Technical College and Apprenticeship Carolina. Launched in 2018, MYA is a program designe... Read More

A new era in Columbia’s craft beer industry started with the official opening of the Peak Drift Brewing Co. on Wednesday morning, Jan. 18. Peak Drift officially opened its new 25,000-square-foot production facility, which repres... Read More

Rapid Shelter Columbia, a transitional housing project  consisting of small individual “pallet” cabins for chronically homeless clients developed by the City of Columbia, is currently at full occupancy. All 50 of the ind... Read More

The University of South Carolina College of Arts & Sciences Institute for Southern Studies announced on Tuesday that Lou Kennedy, CEO of Nephron Pharmaceuticals in West Columbia, is  the 2023 honoree of the McNair Conversations ... Read More

The Columbia Metropolitan Airport has announced the slate of Columbia area artists selected to participate in its Art in the Airport program for 2023-24. The artists are Shaina Manuel, Michael Angelo Cruz, Candace Thibault and Karen P... Read More

A company that specializes in customized protective foam packing materials is investing $15 million to establish operations in Lee County. Engineered Foam Packaging is a subsidiary of J.B. Poindexter & Co. and was established ... Read More

Experience Columbia SC, the region’s destination marketing organization, announced its new group of 2023 ambassadors on Wednesday, Jan. 11 in conjunction with the launch of this year’s Columbia SC Insider Guide publication, f... Read More

A nonprofit organization that provides bikes to those that need reliable transportation recently purchased an office building in downtown Columbia. Colliers South Carolina’s Mary Winter Teaster recently represented Cola Town Bik... Read More

More than 1,400 acres in Kershaw County have been designated a CSX Select Site by the Jacksonville-based transportation company. Known as the Central South Carolina Megasite, the 1,426-acre location is in the town of Lugoff. Select... Read More

Three people have been charged in relation to their alleged roles in a fraud scheme related to the COVID-19 Payment Protection Program. All three were U.S. Postal Service employees at the time of the alleged fraud, according to a news... Read More

The South Carolina Green Industry Association will bring together more than 100 exhibitors and 14 industry speakers to cover an extensive range of topics during its annual two-day conference and trade show scheduled for Jan. 26 and 27 at... Read More

A North Carolina-based telecommunications company is expanding into the South Carolina market with a $100 million investment to bring high-speed fiber optic internet service to the greater Columbia area. Lumos, based in High Point, N... Read More

A new indoor golf facility, CHS Golf, is coming to 1919 Savannah Highway in the West Ashley area, with the opening planned for later this month. CHS Golf will feature multiple indoor bays with TrackMan Simulators to play full courses,... Read More

Wet Willie’s, a popular bar in Columbia’s Vista district, has closed its doors. Management announced over the weekend that Jan. 8 would be the venue’s last night of operation. The bar, known for its wide selection of... Read More

A company that offers customized assisted stretching services will soon be the newest tenant at Cardinal Crossing in Forest Acres. Rox Pollard, Danny Bonds and John Gressette of Colliers South Carolina recently represented The Beach C... Read More

The S.C. Chamber of Commerce and Department of Employment and Workforce are launching a voluntary monthly survey called the Palmetto Business Barometer to better understand conditions the state’s employers are facing and inform the... Read More

A New York-based infrastructure investment firm has consolidated its position in the Charleston market by merging Charleston-based ATS Logistics Inc. with one of its portfolio companies. On Thursday, NOVA Infrastructure announced that... Read More

Commercial real estate firms NAI Earle Furman in Greenville and NAI Columbia have merged, a final step in a four-year process among eight local Columbia partners and NAI Earle Furman. “We are excited that NAI Columbia is officia... Read More

Business and community leaders in South Carolina are mourning the recent loss of Columbia City Councilman and former state Secretary of Commerce Joe E. Taylor Jr. , considered a leader and visionary for his work both in the Columbia area... Read More

Clutch Coffee Bar, a North Carolina-based chain of drive-thru coffee shops, is expanding into South Carolina and will open its first location in the state in Columbia later this month. The new coffee shop will be located at 4716 D... Read More

The City of Columbia’s community development department is seeking contractors for a new housing rehabilitation program, SHINE (Single Family Housing Improvement for Neighborhood Enhancement.) The program includes projects rangi... Read More

A Columbia woman was arrested by S.C. Department of Revenue agents on Dec. 28 and charged with two counts of tax evasion. Victoria C. Nelson, 33, of Columbia, is accused of filing fraudulent state Individual Income Tax returns while i... Read More

Richland County is taking extra steps to equitably distribute $16 million in available funding because of overwhelming demand for a program that provides relief to businesses and nonprofits impacted by the pandemic.  In August, t... Read More

The City of Columbia will be holding the annual “Capital City Fireworks” display to ring in 2023 on Saturday, Dec. 31. The best viewing area of the fireworks display will be on the north side of the S.C. State House along Ger... Read More

Cattle farming is in 17-year-old J.C. Chandler’s blood. He grew up on his family’s farm near Belton in South Carolina’s Upstate and has raised and shown beef cattle for many years, so many that he jokingly calls the... Read More

South Carolina’s unemployment rate remained at 3.3% for November, the same as October’s estimate, according to data released recently by the S.C. Department of Unemployment and Workforce. Nationally, the unemployment rate als... Read More

The Savannah River Site’s liquid waste contractor has forged a partnership with South Carolina’s only historically Black technical college to help prepare the next generation of welders. Students and faculty of Denmark Tec... Read More

Fans of the fast-growing sport pickleball will soon have a new place to play in the Midlands. 24 Hour Pickleball recently purchased its first land site at 4590 Augusta Road in Lexington, which will be home to the largest indoor picklebal... Read More

Swamp Cabbage Brewing Co., one of Columbia’s first breweries, has closed its doors as of Dec. 18. The closing was announced on the brewery’s social media pages and website. “We, as a family run and operated brewer... Read More

Cookie lovers in Forest Acres now have a new place to indulge their cravings. The new Crumbl Cookies in Cardinal Crossing held its grand opening Friday morning, Dec. 16 with a 10 a.m. ribbon cutting. The new store, run by local reside... Read More

Orion Performance Compounds, Inc., a manufacturer of highly engineered thermoplastic compounds, will invest $13 million to establish operations in Kershaw County, creating up to 54 new jobs. The company blends melted resins with c... Read More

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, a Kansas-based chain founded in 2002, will soon be opening a new location in West Columbia. Mary Winter Teaster, senior brokerage assistant with Colliers South Carolina, recently repre... Read More

South Carolina has a historic connection to the United Kingdom dating back hundreds of years, but not many people might be aware of the strong connection the two currently have when it comes to trade. Think of international trade ... Read More

This story has been updated. Redwood Materials, a producer of anode and cathode battery components, will invest $3.5 billion to establish operations in Berkeley County, the largest economic development announcement in South C... Read More

A new $50 million investment from Borealis, a Canadian food technology company, will enable Saluda-based Palmetto Gourmet Foods to expand operations and increase its workforce to 650 employees over the next year. Palmetto Gourmet is a... Read More

A Florence couple, as well as family members from Florida and New York, have all pleaded guilty for their role in a nationwide unemployment fraud conspiracy. Mohammad Ribhi Farraj, 43 and Nariman Mahmoud Masoud, 35, both of Florence, ... Read More

J.E. Wilson Advisors LLC, a fee-only financial planning and investment management firm in Columbia, has joined Apollon Wealth Management LLC, a Charleston-based provider of wealth management solutions. “We’re excited about... Read More

Plots of land near the Congaree River in West Columbia that just a little over a decade ago were vacant patches of dirt have been transformed into vibrant new places for local residents to live, work, shop and play in the city’s gr... Read More

A 2,500-square-foot medical office building at 2419 Devine St. in Columbia will be the new home of Palmetto Biotech, a prosthetics and orthotics practice. Ryan Causey of Trinity Partners recently represented Murrell Property Holdi... Read More

The first speculative distribution facility at the Sandy Run Industrial Park in Calhoun County has been fully leased to a warehousing and fulfillment solutions company before construction is completed. Smart Warehousing, based in ... Read More

Nephron Nitrile, a new company in West Columbia that produces nitrile gloves, held the grand opening of its manufacturing facility on Wednesday, Dec. 7. The ceremony attracted leaders from the Midlands as well as around the s... Read More

The Ritedose Corp., a locally owned and operated pharmaceutical manufacturer, is investing $81 million to expand its facilities in northeast Columbia, a move expected to create 94 jobs. Ritedose products include a wide assortment ... Read More

Palmetto Millworks of the Carolinas LLC, a locally owned and operated manufacturer of polyvinyl chloride columns, is investing $5.5 million to expand its operations to a new facility in Richland County, a move that will create 47 new job... Read More

Flybar Inc., a New Jersey-based sporting toy company that is one of the largest manufacturers of pogo sticks, is investing $8 million to open new distribution operations in Greenwood County that will create 36 jobs. Founded in 191... Read More

Stewart Spinks, founder and chairman of the board of The Spinx Co., received the Order of the Palmetto at the company’s 50th Anniversary Celebration on Friday, Dec. 2 at Fluor Field in Greenville. The award was presented by Governo... Read More

Envision AESC,  a Japan-based major manufacturer of electric vehicle battery technology, will invest $810 million to build a battery cell gigafactory in Florence County. The project will create an estimated 1,170 new jobs and su... Read More

Global Sales and Warehousing, a family-run original equipment golf bag manufacturer and distributor, will be investing $4 million on a new facility in Orangeburg County that is expected to create 35 new jobs.   A sister ... Read More

Peak Drift Brewing Co.,, a new beverage company headquartered in Columbia, is launching its inaugural line of craft beers and seltzers in select Midlands-area bars, restaurants and stores this week. Peak Drift Brewing was founded ... Read More

Krista Hinson of Columbia has been named the new executive director of the South Carolina Retail Association. She was selected by the organization’s board of directors to lead the statewide trade association which represents South ... Read More

Workers seeking out co-working and other flexible work options in Columbia will soon have a new option as IWG, the world’s largest provider of flexible workspaces, recently announced a new work center for the capital city as part o... Read More

The S.C. Department of Agriculture is seeking to improve meat processing capacity in the state with a new $3 million matching grant program. This funding will help local processing facilities thrive and employ more workers, assist t... Read More

Magnus Development Partners recently broke ground on two buildings at 803 Industrial Park in West Columbia, with a third set to break ground in early 2023. The 252,720-square-foot Gateway One and 252,720-square-foot Gateway will d... Read More

The City of Columbia’s Office of Business Opportunities is accepting applications for the 2023 NxLevel Micro Entrepreneur and 2023 FastTrac Growth Venture courses to be held January through March. The FastTrac Growth Venture pro... Read More

Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina is opening a boutique-style store that will offer shoppers designer and trendy items at affordable prices. Auten’s Loft will open at 11 a.m. Dec. 6 in space adjacent to the ... Read More

The Publix grocery store at Trenholm Plaza in Forest Acres will be expanding in the next several months. The 10,634-square-foot expansion will increase the store’s footprint to 48,547 square feet, according to an announcemen... Read More

Trinity Partners recently represented the seller in the sale of a 6,800-square-foot free-standing office building in Lexington, according to a news release. The building at 330 W. Main St. sold for $1.2 million and was sold by KCR Pro... Read More

Columbia City Councilwoman Aditi Bussells was elected to the board of directors for the National League of Cities at the organization’s 2022 City Summit in Kansas City, Mo.  During her two-year term, Bussells will provide s... Read More

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions has launched a pilot program employing area high school students as apprentices at the Savannah River Site. “We have a wide range of career opportunities requiring a technical school degree, ... Read More

When PIxie Paula Dezzutti was a child, her mother frequently cut her hair in the short bowl style known as a pixie cut. Decades later, someone remembered that signature hairstyle and claimed it suited Dezzutti because “You’re... Read More

The House of Hathor, a store and cultural arts center centered around African and African-American culture, recently held the grand opening for its new location in Northside Plaza at 6319 N. Main St. in Columbia. Mayor Daniel Ri... Read More

Turn90, a nonprofit that helps men find employment after prison, has been named the 2022 Bank of America Neighborhood Champion in the Columbia and Charleston markets. As part of the program, Turn90 will receive a total of $100,000 in ... Read More

Chick Fil-A Supply, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chick-Fil-A, will invest $80 million to establish a new distribution center in Lexington County. The new facility will be located in the Saxe Gotha Industrial Park and create 165 new jo... Read More

South Carolina’s unemployment rate increased to 3.3% in October from September’s estimate of 3.2%, according to data released Nov. 18 by the S.C. Department of Unemployment and Workforce. During October, the estimate of un... Read More

A shop dedicated to showcasing products from Black-owned companies held its grand opening in Columbia on Thursday, Nov. 17. BOPs, which stands for “Black-owned products,” is located inside NoMA Warehouse at 2222 Sumter... Read More

Grants will soon be available for nonprofits and other groups seeking to protect and preserve Richland County’s land and historic places. Beginning Thursday, Dec. 1, nonprofits, neighborhood organizations, governmental agencies,... Read More

Nominations are now open for the Columbia Impact Awards sponsored by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. All nominees must be located within the greater Midlands region and be a Chamber partner in good standing. Nomination forms are ava... Read More

A new West Columbia bakery is a testament to what happens when four friends with a lifelong appreciation for food and cooking decide to follow their dreams. Breads & Such, located at 1220 C Avenue, was opened in late summer by... Read More

A former Walmart at 1326 Bush River Road in Columbia has been sold to a computer wholesale company, Executive Personal Computers, Inc. The company's $9.5 million investment will create 133 new jobs. Colliers South Carolina bro... Read More

Unemployment insurance tax rates will decrease or remain the same for all South Carolina employers in 2023, according to an announcement from the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce and the governor’s office. The state w... Read More

Small business owners can learn more about how to handle taxes at a workshop being offered by Richland Library’s entrepreneur-in-residence Starlitt Miller from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 at the main branch, located at 1431 Assembly... Read More

The surge of new businesses in Forest Acres has continued over the past week. Fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant Cava has opened at 4844 Forest Drive in the former location of Zoe’s Kitchen. Cava, based in Washington, D.C.... Read More

The S.C. State 1890 Extension Sustainable Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Program is hosting a holiday farmers market from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15, in Staley Hall on the campus of South Carolina State Universi... Read More

Something as simple as buying a beer at one Columbia-area brewery could soon help folks get acquainted with the new digital economy. By the end of the year, Columbia Craft Brewing Co. aims to announce its first release of a non-fu... Read More

Trinity Partners of Columbia recently brokered the $6.5 million sale of an investment property in Charlotte. Managing partner Bruce Harper represented the buyer, a South Carolina-based real estate investor. Charles Swanson of Park... Read More

Richland Mall will be sold and demolished and a redevelopment project with an estimated value of $100 million will go up in its place, according to detailed plans released Nov. 9. Southeastern Development of Augusta, Ga., is ... Read More

Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corp. and New York-based Sharps Technology have formed a new partnership focused on developing and sharing best practices in manufacturing, product development and quality as Nephron prepares to launch i... Read More

Savannah River Mission Completion has partnered with Claflin University to challenge students to improve the method for removing and replacing radioactively contaminated equipment inside the Savannah River Site’s salt waste pro... Read More

Chamberlain Pines, a 132-unit single-family rental townhome community at 1060 Orangeburg Road in Summerville, has been sold. JLL Capital Markets represented sellers Blaze Capital Partners, based in Charleston, and Cross Lake Partners ... Read More

South Carolina’s official  Christmas tree arrived at the State House on Monday, Nov. 7. This year’s tree is a 35-foot-tall Norway spruce from Henderson Tree Farms in Morganton, N.C., and is taller and fuller than usua... Read More

Jushi USA Fiberglass Co. Ltd. recently leased a 105,306-square-foot industrial space at 1010 Second Ave. in Columbia. John Gregory and Bill Lamar of NAI Columbia represented Jushi in the leasing process. The company intends to ... Read More

Lexington Medical Center will host a technical college career fair on the hospital campus in West Columbia on Friday, Nov. 11. The career fair will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  inside the North Tower of Lexington Medical Cen... Read More

​A Richland County woman has been arrested and charged with assisting in the preparation of a false state sales tax return. Bridgette Frederick, 39, of Blythewood, filed a sales tax return for her husband's funeral home business... Read More

Columbia-based Cypress Development Partners LLC will build five new homes along Valley Road in the heart of Forest Acres.  “We are excited to be delivering these new-construction homes in an infill location with very little... Read More