Conversations
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Allen Stephenson and Jim Twining of Southern Tide
Southern Tide was started in 2005 by then 23 year old Greenville native, Allen Stephenson. In March of 2007, Southern Tide shipped their first ... -
A Conversation with Jeff Brewer of Business Vitals
It is important for people in the local community to understand that this acquisition is bringing growth to Columbia. -
Five questions for Brig. Gen. Darlene M. Goff, assistant adjutant general, S.C. Army National Guard
The mission of the National Guard is to plan, train and mobilize to execute federal and state missions. -
Dr. Marianne Bickle, Director, USC Department of Retailing
On Tuesday, September 13, the USC Center for Retailing and the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management will host the 2011 Small and ... -
Ric Luber, President and CEO of the Midlands Authority for Conventions Sports and Tourism
If we continue to create a positive perception of this City and this region, tourism has the opportunity to grow well beyond a $1 Billion a year ... -
Five questions for Elaine Gillespie, president of The Gillespie Agency
Community involvement and a love of animals have equal places in my life. -
Ashlie Lancaster, Director, SC Energy Office
Hear more about the SC Energy Department's mission and programs. -
Dr. Leroy Davis Sr., former president, South Carolina State University
After years of planning and preparing South Carolina State University dedicated the new home for the Department of Biology and Physical Sciences. ... -
Paula Harper Bethea, Executive Director of the South Carolina Education Lottery
My responsibility is to make sure that this lottery is a run with complete integrity. -
A Conversation with Catherine Horne, President and CEO of EdVenture Children's Museum
Catherine talks about the children's museum, the museum's outreach programs and the upcoming Gala on May 21st. -
Dan Mann, Executive Director of the Columbia Metropolitan Airport
This community wants affordable airfares; that is our goal. -
A Video Conversation with Randy Halfacre about the MIDSTATE Chambers Coalition
A group of Chamber of Commerce executives from 19 Chambers and 11 Counties announced the beginning of a regional collaboration effort, the ... -
Governor's School for Science and Mathematics Launches Statewide PR Campaign at the 19th Annual Townes Award Dinner
Also an exclusive video conversation with Gary Parsons, S.C. native and founder of XM Satellite Radio. -
Five questions for Ike McLeese on Base Realignment and Closure
What I also tell people is to thank a soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, or Guardsman for what they do for us. -
Five questions for Lt. Col. Caroline N. Watson, S.C. Military Dept.’s Joint Services Detachment
Statistics prove that women are now essential to the force strength of the U.S. military. -
5 Questions with Josh Bell, Executive Director, Teach For America-South Carolina
What is Teach For America? What need is Teach For America addressing? How do Teach For America teachers impact education long-term? -
A Conversation with Jeff Brewer, President & CEO, Business Vitals
"Technology should be an enabler for a business, not a hindrance. Many companies have been paralyzed or even put out of business because of poor ... -
Chief Justice, Jean Toal
The basic platform for social order is shaken if we lose our court system. -
Five questions for Maj. Gen. Bob Livingston, S.C. Adjutant General-elect
We stand at a crossroads in our national defense. -
A Conversation with Rick Redden and Holt Chetwood of Wachovia, A Wells Fargo Company
I think people will see a bank that is very proactively thinking about ways that it can help provide solutions to problems. -
United States Congressman and House Majority Whip, Jim Clyburn
The one piece of legislation where I have felt a very strong sense of history is the healthcare bill. -
Dr. Murray Brockman, President and Kim Bowman, EVP Strategic Development of the Governor's School for Science and Math
Ours is a challenging academic environment where the expectation in each subject is content mastery. -
Karen Brosius, Executive Director of the Columbia Museum of Art
We want the museum to be Columbia’s living room. -
Dr. Darrell Johnson, Executive Director, Provost Academy South Carolina
A state-authorized public online school that is free of charge to residents of South Carolina -
Maj. Gen. O. Eugene Powell, Jr., Joint Services Detachment, S.C. Military Dept.
Joint Services Detachment (JSD) may be one of the state’s most important assets in terms of the leadership and combined professional experience. ... -
Dr. Caroline Whitson, President of Columbia College
South Carolina still lags far behind in terms of high profile women leaders. -
Bob Geolas, Executive Director of CU-ICAR
The speed with which we have gone from vision to reality over the past six years has been humbling. -
Dr. Souvik Sen, CoEE Endowed Chair in Stroke Neurology at the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina has the infrastructure to build a premier stroke center in the Midlands area. -
Don Herriott, Director of Innovista
We focused perhaps too much on the physical part of Innovista and not on the jobs. -
Harry Lightsey, Jay Courie, and Jeff Thordahl of McAngus Goudelock & Courie LLC
I believe there will be a dramatic change with how legal services are delivered. -
Dr. Charles Bennett, Endowed Chair in Medication Safety at South Carolina College of Pharmacy
Dr. Charles Bennett was recently appointed as the CoEE Endowed Chair in Medication Safety and Efficacy at the University of South Carolina. -
Jim Newsome, President & CEO of the South Carolina State Ports Authority
The pending deepening of the Panama Canal to allow larger ships to pass is the game changer in our industry. -
Greg Thompson, CEO of Thompson Industrial Services LLC, Thompson Construction Group Inc. and BioEnergy Technologies LLC
Lifetime, serial entrepreneur Greg Thompson -
A Conversation with Miriam Atria, President and CEO of Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board
In February, SC Parks and Recreation launched a major new marketing effort to draw vistors to the state. Water attracts, and the Midlands boasts ... -
David Tigges, Managing Shareholder and CEO of McNair Law Firm
We are very much looking forward to moving into our new space at Main and Gervais just after the July 4th weekend. -
Michael Bolick, President of Lab21 Inc.
The bane of the entrepreneur is a lack of focus. -
Four Moons Restaurant GM Ryan Groeschel and Executive Chef David Quintana
The best restaurants are the ones that are backed by great people with a passion for food, and that is exactly the situation that we have here at ... -
Hayne Hipp, Founder of the Liberty Fellowship
For too long we have operated in silos in South Carolina. -
Mark Williams, Strategic Development Group, Inc.
First and most important, the core of our business is creating profound value for our clients while operating in an ethical manner and making a ... -
Mike Randall, Chief Marketing Officer, Health Sciences South Carolina
"Healthcare is a major economic engine in South Carolina and in the U.S. economy. Approximately 16 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product is ... -
Shawn Regan and Michael O'Leary, Owners of Rhythmlink
Rhythmlink focuses solely on electrodes and medical devices for neurophysiology. Our efforts aren't scattered among multiple disciplines and ... -
Doug Stone, Scout Executive, Indian Waters Council, Boy Scouts of America
Indian Waters council is one of 306 Boy Scout councils around the United States. Each is a separate chapter or franchise of the Boy Scouts of ... -
Dr. Simon Hudson, Tourism Expert and CoEE Endowed Chair at USC
Often, tourism as an academic subject is not taken seriously despite its importance as an industry. -
John Folsom, President of Colliers Keenan
We have been fiscally conservative over the years to ensure that in tough times we have the financial resources to maintain stability. -
Larry Hembree, Executive Director of The Nickelodeon
This project is way more than just a new home for the Nickelodeon. -
John Worley, President and COO of Zeus Industrial Products, Inc.
The biggest challenge will be sorting out the implications for the health care industry whether increased government involvment will act as a ... -
Dr. Richard Swaja, Endowed Chair in Regenerative Medicine at MUSC.
The first Council of Chairs Conference is scheduled for October 30 in Columbia will be a great opportunity for the publlic to learn about the ... -
Shannon Baxter-Clemmons, Executive Director of the South Carolina Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance
Hydrogen has enormous potential for businesses and communities across the entire state of South Carolina. -
Marc Chardon, President of Blackbaud
Building a sustainable non-profit that is self funding and that has the ability to grow beyond one original founder's vision – that is the largest ... -
A Conversation with Pamela Eyring, Owner & Director of the Protocol School of Washington
Our focus is business and business relationships and how to use etiquette and protocol as a business strategy. -
Sonya Kosta Di Nova, President of Transcon Trading Company
Transon opens distribution channels for U.S. manufacturers looking to sell their high quality products in various marketplaces around the globe. -
John Darby, President and CEO of The Beach Company
Around the office we have a saying, “At the end of the day, water wins.” -
Dr. Jay Moskowitz, President & CEO of Health Sciences South Carolina
Collaboration? SC is doing this as well, if not better, than any other state in the nation. -
Cheryl Holland, President of Abacus Planning Group
The meltdown has caused many to revaluate how we think about investing. -
Jeff Becraft, Executive Director of Youth Corps
Our job in shaping that future leader is getting them to grow into their potential. -
Leighton Lord, Chairman of Nexsen Pruet
It is important to reach out to your clients, call them informally on the phone, take them out to lunch. -
Tammy Ferris, President of Gene Love Plumbing, Air & Electrical
I do not dwell on obstacles and prefer always to focus more on opportunities. -
Terry Brown, CEO of Edens & Avant
I would rank our recent renovation of Trenholm Plaza as one of our top projects anywhere. -
Representative Nikki Randhawa Haley - Accountant, Business Owner
I started out in the store by dusting shelves, stocking, and eventually when I was in middle school I began doing the books for the store. ... -
Mike Briggs, President & CEO of the Central SC Alliance
Our ability to effectively move people and product also makes this region a very attractive location for business. -
Scott Middleton, CEO of Agape Senior Community
What I had envisioned from the beginning was a coordination of systems to look after the elderly. -
Dr. Harris Pastides, President of the University of South Carolina
South Carolina has cut higher education more than any other state. -
John Hassell, Interim President and CEO, South Carolina State Ports Authority
Job number one is to reach a successful resolution with Maersk. -
Andy White, Walter Taylor, and Bill Theus, Developers of the Saluda River Club
Sales appointment, or no sales appointment, we invite people to just come on out and enjoy the property. -
Neil McLean, Executive Director of EngenuitySC and Lee Bussell, President of Chernoff Newman
Hosting the 2009 National Hydrogen Association (NHA 09) conference is a MAJOR opportunity for this city and this region. -
Jim DeMint, U.S. Senator, South Carolina
I see the money going to the people who delivered colossal failures. -
Ken Reifsnider, Director of the Future Fuels Initiative
What attracted me to the University of South Carolina was the extraordinary opportunity that this region has to position itself as a major player ... -
Don DiPette, Dean of the USC School of Medicine
The USC School of Medicine can, and should, be a part of the solution for the physician shortage. -
Mike Crapps, President of First Community Bank
The most important role that I play in this organization is to constantly build, reinforce, and teach our company culture. -
Dick Riley, Former Governor of South Carolina
I believe the most important leadership skill is listening – and not just listening, but actually hearing and understanding what others are saying. -
Bill Mahoney, CEO of SCRA
Our target is companies that are exploiting a business opportunity based on world class science and intellectual property. -
Mike Flack, Executive Director of the Columbia Metropolitan Airport
We are constantly looking to improve air service and the number of airlines. -
Morihiko Nakahara, Music Director of the South Carolina Philharmonic
A Music Director is like the manager of a professional baseball team. -
Gregg Robinson, Executive Director, Orangeburg County Development Commission
Jafza is not just a county success story; it’s a regional and statewide opportunity for all of us. -
Jim Gambrell, Director of Economic Development, City of Columbia
Economic development is a team sport. -
Hildy Teegen, Dean of the Moore School of Business
Our goal is to be in a new building within five years -
Secretary of Commerce, Joe Taylor
Google, Monster.com, Starbucks, Freightliner, Adidas, Boeing...the hottest companies in the country are choosing to locate in South Carolina. -
Katherine Hubbard, Chief Administrative Officer for Lexington County
Leaders need to set the tone for the entire organization. -
Mike Dawson of the River Alliance
The story behind the River Alliance over these past 15 years is regional cooperation. -
Pamela Lackey, President, AT&T South Carolina Operations
Community involvement is not just something we need to do; it is part of our culture. -
Ken Trogdon, CEO of CommuniCare
CommuniCare takes an entrepreneurial approach in a non-profit world; providing an innovative solution for those who cannot afford the prescription ... -
Deepal Eliatamby, President of Alliance Consulting Engineers
Engineering is all about people-oriented problem solving – you can’t take the people out of it. -
Reverend Blaney Pridgen III, Rector of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Irmo
"Our new church will hopefully attract people into the community of the faith and their experience here will turn them into disciples who will go ... -
Hunter Howard, President of the South Carolina State Chamber of Commerce
The only way that you are going to get people and businesses to engage on the back end is to engage them on the front end. -
Don Tomlin, President of Tomlin & Company
An entrepreneur is a person who can’t see impediments to what he wants to accomplish. If you look up and see walls, then you never get started. -
Chuck Beaman, CEO of Palmetto Health
My supervisor told me that if I ever wanted to become a manager, I needed to know what it's like to be a non-manager. -
John Denise of Advanced Automation Consulting
If our area is going to realize its potential I think we should also focus on organic growth and try and incubate companies and industries here in ... -
Dr. Sonny White, President of Midlands Technical College
Seventy percent of South Carolinians need some type of technical training past high school. Right now about 28 percent are receiving it. -
Tobin Cassels, President of Southeastern Freight Lines
What we're the proudest of is the culture that has been built in this company one day at a time over the last 57 years. -
Steve Benjamin of the law firm McAngus Goudelock and Courie, LLC
I find it intellectually dishonest to ask people to do something that I am not willing to do myself. -
Frank Lourie of Lourie's
Frank Lourie talks about 95 years in business and tells an amazing story of how Pat Conroy uncovered one act of "incredible generosity". -
Tommy Suggs, President of KeenanSuggs Insurance
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses and it's management's job to put each in the best position to be successful. -
USC Athletic Director Eric Hyman
Our goal is to become a top 25 program. There’s no question with Coach Spurrier here we have a window of opportunity that’s not going to stay ... -
Dr. Karen Woodward, Superintendent of Lexington One
I’m not a bit bashful about saying that I love this state. My vision for the state is that we flourish in a 21st century economy. We cannot do ... -
U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins
Being Ambassador to Canada from the United States is a great privilege. It’s been an incredible two years and Susan and I have enjoyed every ... -
Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell
I'm a businessman, and I believe government should operate more like a business. -
Mayor Bob Coble.
Mayor Bob Coble sat down with MidlandsBiz to discuss the future of the city, the homeless and a few other things. -
Bud Tibshrany of Time Warner Cable
Say it ain't so! After 43 years of service to the local community, Bud Tibshrany is retiring this month. MidlandsBiz sat down to talk to Bud ... -
Hugh Weathers: The Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture
Hugh Weathers discusses the new "Certified South Carolina" campaign - a program designed to elevate the stature of agriculture to the citizens and ... -
Venture Capitalist Larry Wilson
When you look at where Columbia can develop its economic future, it is certainly going to be in the area of knowledge-based businesses. The ...
