2012 Top 15 on MidlandsBiz

December 23, 2012

We never quite know what is going to be popular on MidlandsBiz during the year. Commercial real estate announcements are always very widely read, as are announcements about new restaurants coming to town. And because we rarely archive any articles, some articles that were published on the site prior to 2012 continue to remain popular.

Here are the top fifteen articles during the year.

1. Columbia’s Top Ten Locally Owned Shops

In June, MidlandsBiz was privileged to have Rachel Dean as an intern from the University of South Carolina School of Journalism. I asked her to write a series of articles over the space of the month and to come up with here own ideas for stories. I told her that Top 10 type articles are always popular, and, on her own, she come up with the idea of doing Top Five Five locally owned Five Pioints and Devine Street stores.

She personally visited each of the stores and interviewed the owners, and came up with the following list. We are thrilled, thrilled that this was the most read article of the year.

2. Columbia Resident is Finalist in Belk’s Southern Designer Showcase

This one is a bit of a surprise to me, but it fits in nicely with our emphasis on the importance of the arts to economic development.

3. Five Points: A Victim of its Own Success?

In late summer, I approached Ron Aiken, a former FreeTimes writer and friend of mine from back at my Business Monthly days in 2000-2001, to write some more in-depth business articles about the issues facing the business community – the penny tax, the proposed TIF financing districts for downtown, Five Points, and an analysis comparing the cost of doing business in Richland and Lexington counties. Each of the Ron Aiken articles has been extremely popular, in fact, three of his articles are in the top 15 of 2012 list.

Expect more of the same in 2013.

4. 23 Stand-out South Carolinians Selected for Liberty Fellowship’s Next Class

The annual announcement of the South Carolinians selected for the prestigious Liberty Fellowship is always very popular. The announcement in 2011 also made the Top 15 list.

5. DuBose Tuller and Tohri Hudson named Winners of Servant of the Year

We love it when local people involved in giving back to the community are recognized.

6. Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce Announces 2013 Leadership Columbia Class

Another listing of some of the people committed to making this region a better place in which to live and do business. Love the Chamber.

7. Lexington vs. Richland: Comparing the Cost of Doing Business

This was the second article that Ron Aiken wrote for us.

From measurables such as property taxes, sales taxes and business licenses to immeasurables such as perceptions about a more business-friendly environment, the lack of a multi-layered bureaucracy and the speed with which decisions are made, it’s cheaper and, in some cases, more attractive to do business in Lexington County than Richland County.

8. First Smashburger Sizzles into Columbia Next Week

Columbia gets a bit of a knock sometimes for what it does NOT have. No Apple store. No PF Changs. No Costco. Well, when a fastest growing company like Smashburger chooses old Cola town as its first SC location, it’s pretty big news.

Here, too, is a link to our interview Smashburger founder, Tom Ryan.

9. USC Darla Moore School of Business names 2012 distinguished award winners

It’s almost impossible to come up with metrics to measure the impact economically of the University of South Carolina. But, one very cool way to catch a glimpse of the scope that the Moore School has in South Carolina is to highlight the achievements of its students, faculty and alumni.