Dave Munday

Post & Courier

Charleston has racked up another award from a major magazine.

Southern Living readers named Charleston the South’s Best City 2018. Charleston was also picked as the South’s Friendliest City.

Also in the survey, Spoleto USA was named the South’s Best Festival, with Charleston Wine + Food No. 2.

Husk was named the state’s best restaurant, and Holy City the state’s best brewery.

Charleston was second in the category of the South’s Best Food City, behind New Orleans.

Reggie Fuller has been selected as a 2018 Forty Under 40 winner by the Charleston Regional Business Journal, nominated by members of the Charleston community. 2018 marks the 21^st anniversary of the Forty Under 40 awards.

Since 1998, this elite 40 has been comprised of people under 40 years of age who have excelled in the professional arena and in community involvement. We continue to be amazed at the number of individuals who are nominated each year and the quality work and commitment they bring to the Charleston community.

A panel of judges determined who among the nominees would be named to the 2018 class of Forty Under 40. This group of 40 individuals will be recognized at our Forty Under 40 event on Thursday, May 17, 2018.

The event will be held from 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Alhambra Hall in Mount Pleasant. For more information or to reserve tickets, please visit

https://charlestonbusiness.com/events/2018-forty-under-40/

Charleston County will host two meetings to connect Charleston County residents with training ahead of the Mercedes-Benz Vans plant expansion opening in the second half of 2018. The meetings are for residents of Charleston County. Manufacturing experience is not required to attend the pre-employment information meetings.

The first meeting will be Thursday, January 18, 2018 at North Charleston High School, located at 1087 East Montague Avenue, North Charleston, S.C. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the session will begin promptly at 6 p.m. Registration is required and space is limited to 800 attendees. All information can be found at www.ChooseCharleston.org.

The second meeting will be held Saturday, January 20, 2018 at St. John’s High School, located at 1518 Main Road, Johns Island, S.C. Doors open at 9 a.m. and the session will begin promptly at 10 a.m. Registration is required and space is limited to 450 attendees. All information can be found at www.ChooseCharleston.org.

Through a partnership with South Carolina Department of Commerce, Trident Technical College, Mercedes-Benz Vans, readySC^TM and Charleston County, curriculum and pathways have been created to provide Charleston County residents with the necessary qualifications for manufacturing positions. The meetings will give those interested in working for Mercedes-Benz Vans an opportunity to learn valuable information that could help them attain a position with the company.

The new Mercedes-Benz Vans Sprinter plant is located off Palmetto Commerce Parkway in North Charleston and will continue hiring for body, paint, assembly and maintenance positions throughout 2018, creating up to 1,300 jobs by the end of the decade in Charleston County.

Mercedes-Benz Vans Media Contact: 
Alyssa Bean
Communications Specialist
843-695-5061
alyssa.bean@daimler.com

“Business and economic development in South Carolina is a team sport, and events like these upcoming Mercedes-Benz Vans information meetings are a testament to that. Through collaboration between various local and state partners, Mercedes-Benz Vans will be connected with a large pool of skilled workers. And, as a result, we’ll be able to ensure that South Carolinians fill these jobs, adding to our reputation as a state that’s ‘Just right’ for manufacturing.” –Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt

“Charleston County was elated to be chosen as the optimum NAFTA location for Mercedes-Benz Vans in 2015. We have and will continue to be a partner to ensure their new facility achieves great success. Hosting an information meeting to connect our residents with career opportunities is an incredible example of our dedication to serving our community.” – Charleston County Council Chairman Victor Rawl

“Our team at Mercedes-Benz Vans is writing history by building the Sprinter van part by part in the U.S. for the first time ever. We want the citizens of Charleston County and surrounding areas to share in our excitement and become part of that story themselves.” – Mercedes-Benz Vans President & CEO Michael Balke

FIVE FAST FACTS

·         Mercedes-Benz Vans, part of the Daimler Group, is establishing a full production plant in addition to existing assembly operations in North Charleston.
·         Information meetings will be held for Charleston County residents on January 18 and January 20 to discuss possible career paths at Mercedes-Benz Vans.
·         Registration is required and information can be found at www.ChooseCharleston.org
·         Mercedes-Benz Vans will grow to a team of up to 1,300 by the end of the decade.
·         Further information of Mercedes-Benz Vans can be found at www.MBVCharleston.com.

Warren L. Wise

Post & Courier

An airline that hasn’t put the first plane on the ground at Charleston International is already expanding its schedule.

Denver-based Frontier Airlines announced Thursday it is adding flights to more destinations than previously indicated at the state’s busiest airport.

The low-cost carrier will launch nonstop service three times a week on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday to Trenton, N.J., which is near Philadelphia, starting April 8.

It also will begin twice-weekly flights April 10 to the Texas high-tech mecca of Austin on Tuesday and Friday.

Introductory fares to the two state capitals are as low as $39 each way before they sell out. They must be purchased before midnight Monday and are valid for travel between April 8 and June 13.

Last fall the carrier said it will begin serving the Charleston region Feb. 20 with three flights per week on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday to the Mile High City and Philadelphia. On May 11, it will tack on Monday and Friday flights to Chicago O’Hare International.

“The idea that we are actually expanding service before our first flight is an unusual event,” said Scott Fisher, the airline’s senior director of ancillary revenue and loyalty.

The airline decided to announce new routes before it begins offering service because of demand on the original flights announced last fall out of Charleston, he said.

Frontier uses France-based Airbus jets. Those flying out of Charleston will be single-aisle A320 models that seat 180 passengers.

Airport officials said they don’t remember a time when a carrier added routes before it touched down in the Lowcountry for the first time.

“It is unprecedented in Charleston for an airline to announce an expansion before the start of its service, but our friends at Frontier Airlines have done just that,” said airport CEO Paul Campbell. “It is a vote of confidence that we sincerely appreciate, and the addition of these two new cities will help to ensure an eighth consecutive year of record passenger activity at Charleston International.”

Dan Blumenstock, past chairman of the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, called the airline’s expansion of service “two-way tourism” that’s vital to the Charleston region.

Frontier is not the only new airline setting up shop along the ticket counter.

In January, Las Vegas-based Allegiant announced it will begin seasonal, nonstop service in April between Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Indianapolis on certain days of the week.

Other airlines, including Alaska, Southwest, American and Delta, will add routes throughout the year.

Frontier and Allegiant will be set up at the airline check-in stations next to JetBlue Airways.

The addition of new carriers and more routes from airlines already serving Charleston is expected to push the airport’s inbound and outbound passenger count past 4 million this year, a milestone it missed by 12,000 ticket holders last year.

Founded in 1994, Frontier now serves 89 cities.

In addition to the new Charleston legs, Frontier added four cities to its service area. They include Myrtle Beach; Savannah; Birmingham, Ala.; and Branson, Mo. Myrtle Beach service begins May 20. Introductory rates along the Grand Strand are valid for travel between May 16 and Aug. 11.

The Charleston Digital Corridor, along with title sponsor Charleston County Economic Development, is pleased to announce that registration for the 2018 Innovators’ 5k (iFiveK) is officially open. The race will be held at Riverfront Park on March 22nd, 2018 at 6:30pm. Proceeds from this annual race benefit the Digital Corridor’s CODEcamp and CODEcamp Kids scholarship fund and other education programming. Confirmed sponsors include Charleston tech companies BoomTown, Blackbaud, City of North Charleston and Snagajob.

“Charleston County Economic Development is proud to return as the title sponsor of the iFiveK race. Our commitment to growing and supporting the tech community is demonstrated in our valued partnership with the Charleston Digital Corridor. We look forward to a fun evening celebrating with Charleston’s top tech professionals,” said Steve Dykes, Executive Director of Charleston County Economic Development.

“Charleston’s tech community is built on creativity, grit and a bright, vibrant edge that no other city has. We love the opportunity to run with our local tech community companies that are making a national impact. Our teams look forward to that feeling you get when you see that you’re not just part of a company, you’re actually part of a growing city making a big difference,” said Snagajob Senior Director, Jason Conrad.

The iFiveK has become a favorite athletic and networking event for Charleston’s tech community. As one of only a handful of evening, weekday races in the region, the iFiveK historically sells out ahead of the event. For 2018, the Charleston Digital Corridor has updated the post-race events to include field competitions for company teams ranging from 2-5 participants. “As we have done since 2007, the Charleston Digital Corridor is pleased to host an event where the tech community comes together for a fun evening of competition and networking,” said Digital Corridor Director, Ernest Andrade. “The growth and vibrancy around our tech community is super exciting.”

In its 15th annual Wage & Job Growth survey, the Charleston Digital Corridor is pleased to report an average wage of $85,771 for companies participating in the survey. This average is 2.07 times and 1.93 times the per-capita wage in the State of South Carolina ($41,530) and Charleston region ($44,500), respectively. In addition to strong wage levels, Charleston’s tech economy is expanding with just over ninety-one percent (91%) of the companies reported hiring additional staff in 2017 and one hundred percent (100%) anticipating hiring in 2018.

As Charleston’s tech economy matures, wage levels are consistently strong with local companies continuing to expand their employment and building footprints. Further, the rate of expansion from companies across the United States into Charleston is increasing and the talent pool continues to benefit from elevated levels of in-migration to the region.

The best validation of Charleston’s business climate for tech companies is the national accolades the region has received in 2017. “Looking over our locally gathered data and accolades from respected national outlets including the Brookings Institution, Inc. Magazine, and Technet, Charleston’s tech economy is firing on all cylinders,” said Digital Corridor Foundation Chairman, Kirk King.

“We’re proud to be a founding member and continued supporter of Charleston’s growing tech community,” said Peter Harrison, CEO of Snagajob. “Every day, we are fueling the growth of our recruiting and hiring platform for employers, tapping into Charleston’s incredible talent pool. From an internal growth standpoint, in addition to our new corporate office in downtown Charleston, we plan to expand in the area by at least 30 percent over the next two years.”

“As communities deal with the challenges of economic inclusion, the Brookings Institution’s ranking of Charleston as one of only 11 regions to achieve inclusive economic growth that benefited a majority of workers of all races and ethnicities is the most notable,” added Digital Corridor Director, Ernest Andrade.

13 Charleston Tech companies land a spot on the Inc. 5000 list. This is Inc.’s annual rankings of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The 13 Charleston Tech companies are:

• SnapCap
• PureCars
• Q4Launch
• Blue Acorn
• Phishlabs
• Visiture
• ISHPI
• Ceterus
• TargetMarket
• Advantage Media Group
• Call Experts
• Cantey Technology
• Stasmayer

When local company Call Experts wanted to grow, its executives turned to Charleston County Economic Development for assistance. Headquartered in Charleston for more than 30 years, Call Experts also has offices in New Jersey, Charlotte and Atlanta. It could have expanded in one of those markets, but instead opted to work with Charleston county’s Business Concierge Team.

The county’s economic development office is keenly focused on helping local businesses grow here at home. And it’s working. Call Experts recently announced its Charleston expansion: a $1.8 million investment and the creation of 310 new jobs over five years.

Ashley Richardson, director of marketing and communications, said the county’s economic development team has nearly doubled in size with two full-time team members dedicated to the Business Concierge Team. The department also has fine-tuned its focus on research, recruitment and marketing along with a renewed focus on assisting local companies.

“Our approach is that we’re here to help in any way we can,” Richardson said. “We’re providing that value to them for selecting Charleston County to set up shop.”

Each year, the county’s economic development program touches almost 200 businesses throughout the county. Since its founding in 1993, the department has helped leverage more than 30,800 jobs and more than $6 billion in investment.

“Our Business Concierge Team uses a hands-on approach cultivating strong relationships with our businesses to help them grow,” Richardson said. “Our support could be workforce solutions, infrastructure enhancements, marketing or sector initiatives, and expansion assistance with possible incentives.”

The economic development department focuses primarily on automotive, aerospace, defense, information technology and life science companies. The department also works closely with like-minded organizations throughout the region, including the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, Lowcountry Local First and tech-focused groups like DIG South and the Charleston Digital Corridor.

USA Today

Jon Swartz

CHARLESTON, S.C. — It may be 2,740 miles away, as the crow flies, but Charleston seems like a million miles away from the hustle, bustle and stress of Silicon Valley.

An idyllic beachfront on the Carolina coast, drawing 7 million tourists annually. Horse-drawn carriages and pastel antebellum houses with roots to the American Revolution. Fort Sumter in the distance, a reminder of where the first shots were fired in the Civil War.

And yet the economic formula is decidedly 21st Century after decades of relying extensively on the military, automotive and textile industries. The focus today is on high-wage jobs in an affordable, lifestyle-friendly setting.

Welcome to Silicon Harbor: Home to more than 250 tech companies employing 11,000. This port city has quietly become the No. 1 mid-sized U.S. metro area (500,000 to 1 million) for IT job growth, adding 4,000 jobs the past five years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Tech jobs comprise about 3% of jobs in the region, and account for 5% of the area’s payroll of $14 billion last year.

“Any community serious about having a tech community better pursue creating qualified workers and recruiting them,” says Ernest Andrade, head of Charleston’s tech-expansion efforts.

Read more at USA Today…

July 19, 2017

John McDermott

The Post and Courier

A newly signed agreement between the Army Corps of Engineers and the State Ports Authority kicks off the construction phase of the $529 million Charleston Harbor deepening project, it was announced Wednesday.

The legally binding document finalizes the responsibilities for both agencies in terms of funding and work tasks. Known as a project partnership agreement, it is required for the construction of water resource projects involving the U.S. government and “a non-federal sponsor” such as the SPA.

“We’re excited to begin the construction phase of the Post 45 project,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, who took over as the Army Corps’ Charleston District commander this month. “The signing … allows us to stay on track with our budget and timeline for eventually deepening the federal channel of Charleston Harbor to 52 feet.”

The estimated costs for the construction phase is $330 million for the federal government and $199 million for the state.

The newly finalized agreement allows the Army Corps to: receive money that South Carolina has already set aside for the dredging work; start spending the $17.5 million in federal funds allocated for the project for the 2017 fiscal year; solicit bids; and award contracts.

“We’ve advertised the first and second contracts for the dredging of the entrance channel, which is where construction will begin,” said Holly Carpenter, project manager. “We are planning to award both contracts sometime this fall, depending on funding and acceptable bids from industry.”

The construction of the entire project will take 40 to 76 months.

The harbor deepening is critical to Port of Charleston’s ability to attract the larger, heavier cargo ships that have become more common in the global maritime industry.