United Community Banks and Navitas Credit Corp. announce merger agreement

  January 9, 2018

GREENVILLE, SC – United Community Banks, Inc. and NLFC Holdings Corp. announced a definitive agreement for United to acquire NLFC, including its wholly-owned subsidiary, Navitas Credit Corp. Headquartered in Ponte…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: banking-and-finance, headlines, on-the-move

Tidewater Boats growing its Lexington County operations

  January 3, 2018

LEXINGTON COUNTY, SC – Tidewater Boats, a designer and manufacturer of premier saltwater boats, is growing its Lexington County operations. To accommodate the production of larger models, the company is…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, manufacturing, on-the-move

Dominion Energy, SCANA announce all-stock merger

  January 3, 2018

Dominion Energy to fund $1.3 billion of cash payments to all SCE&G electric customers within 90 days after closing Estimated additional 5 percent rate reduction from current levels for SCE&G electric…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: energy, headlines, on-the-move

SC Manufacturers Alliance names Sara Hazzard President and CEO

  January 2, 2018

The South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) announced that Sara Hazzard has been named President and CEO of the organization effective January 1, 2018. “We are excited to welcome Sara Hazzard…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, manufacturing, non-profit, on-the-move

Municipal Association of SC has a new executive director

  January 2, 2018

The new executive director of the Municipal Association of South Carolina is Wayne George, a former mayor, city council member and state legislator. The Association represents the state’s 271 cities and…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: government, headlines, on-the-move

Modern Recovery for a Modern Addiction

  December 30, 2017

By Rich Jones  CEO, FAVOR GREENVILLE   Governor McMaster’s recent announcement declaring the “opioid crisis” a state of emergency was an important step in addressing the overdose epidemic. Listening to the…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, health-care, on-the-move

South Carolina’s Employment Situation – November 2017

  December 22, 2017

S.C. business payrolls set record, unemployment rate edges up South Carolina businesses continued to set record job levels in November with manufacturing leading the way by adding 3,800 jobs over…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: employment, government, headlines, on-the-move

Cason Development Group continues Cottontown redevelopment

  December 19, 2017

  Cason Development Group’s revitalization of the Cottontown Commercial District is continuing with four additional buildings along Sumter Street. Cason has acquired 2202 Sumter Street — the former Columbia offices…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: commercial-real-estate, headlines, on-the-move

South Carolina’s first AC Hotel by Marriott opens in Spartanburg

  December 19, 2017

AC Hotels by Marriott, the European-inspired, simplistic, elegant brand for the modern traveler, has announced the opening of AC Hotel Spartanburg, the brand’s first location in South Carolina. Nestled in…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, hospitality, on-the-move

USC economists say SC economy to remain strong in 2018

  December 10, 2017

Despite a tight labor market and a series of Midlands-area layoffs due to the recent shutdown of construction at the V.C. Summer nuclear facility in Fairfield County, South Carolina’s economy…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: education, headlines, on-the-move

Beware an economic boom!

  December 4, 2017

By Robert Samuelson   We don’t need an economic boom, but that’s what we may be getting. Since the 2016 election, the stock market is up roughly 24 percent, reports…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

Michael Flynn’s holiday cheer

  December 4, 2017

By Kathleen Parker   At least three people must have celebrated the news that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his conversation…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

City Manager Spotlight – December 2017

  November 30, 2017

By Teresa Wilson   The City Manager’s Spotlight provides details about what is happening in the City of Columbia in an effort to keep citizens informed about City operations. The…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: government, headlines

Tips for Extending Your Smartphone’s Battery Life

  November 29, 2017

By Mike DuBose and Blake DuBose   Today’s smartphones are extremely versatile and powerful. However, although technology has advanced drastically, one area that still presents a challenge is extending a…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: headlines, telecommunications

Big boxes and small towns

  November 27, 2017

By Kathleen Parker   Even though an estimated 115 million Americans rushed to malls and big box stores for Black Friday sales, others were reporting that the annual spend-a-thon has…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

Top Grossing Movies – November 27

  November 27, 2017

Week of 11/24/2017 to 11/30/2017 Rank Title Rating Distributor Weeks Weekend Locs Weekend Gross Cumulative 1 Coco PG Disney 1 3,987  $50,802,605  $72,908,930 2 Justice League PG13 Warner Bros. 2…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, on-the-move, the-arts

Trump trade: A dead end?

  November 20, 2017

By Robert Samuelson   Most Americans likely think that our trade policies have been largely the same since the Republic’s earliest days. The assumptions are that we’re free traders now…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

A groper’s gallery of the grotesque

  November 20, 2017

By Kathleen Parker   It seems more than coincidence that the first year of Donald Trump’s presidency coincides with a trend that was heretofore unrecognized — groping. Gropers abound, it…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

Top Grossing Movies – November 20

  November 20, 2017

Theatrical grosses from comScore   Week of 11/17/2017 to 11/23/2017 Rank Title Rating Distributor Weeks Weekend Locs Weekend Gross Cumulative 1 Justice League PG13 Warner Bros. 1 4051  $93,842,239  $93,842,239…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines

Does your handbook keep you covered?

  November 20, 2017

By Georganne Weeks Concept H.R.   There is no law that requires employers to develop and maintain a written handbook or policy manual; therefore, it’s not surprising that many employers…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: advice, headlines

Commander’s Reception and concert held in Camden

  November 15, 2017

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   Maj. Gen. and Mrs. Thomas S. Mullikin hosted friends and members of the S.C. State Guard (SCSG) at a pre-performance reception prior to a…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: headlines, military, on-the-move

Commander’s Reception and concert held in Camden

  November 15, 2017

By W. Thomas Smith Jr.   Maj. Gen. and Mrs. Thomas S. Mullikin hosted friends and members of the S.C. State Guard (SCSG) at a pre-performance reception prior to a…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: headlines, military, on-the-move

Top Grossing Movies – November 13

  November 13, 2017

Theatrical grosses from comScore   Week of 11/10/2017 to 11/16/2017 Rank Title Rating Distributor Weeks Weekend Locs Weekend Gross Cumulative 1 Thor: Ragnarok PG13 Disney 2 4,080  $57,078,306  $212,068,013 2…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines

Are tax breaks immortal?

  November 13, 2017

By Robert Samuelson   If you want to understand why the tax code is so hard to overhaul, consider the case of the mortgage interest deduction. The issue is so…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

Republicans, pedophiles and polar bears, oh my!

  November 13, 2017

By Kathleen Parker   Desperation seems to be driving Republicans this grateful season as they seek to trade polar bears for tax cuts, while fervently praying that former Alabama Supreme…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

Amazon announces the Best Books of 2017

  November 8, 2017

Amazon.com announced its selections for the Best Books of 2017, naming David Grann’s nonfiction Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI the Best Book of the…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, on-the-move

Hiring Methods to Minimize Cost

  November 6, 2017

By Georganne Weeks Concept H.R.   Business owners are always under pressure and many don’t understand how poor hiring decisions can result in significant financial loss. Developing good hiring and…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: advice, headlines

Welcome to the Powell Fed

  November 6, 2017

By Robert Samuelson   It will be Powell’s Fed. Assuming he’s confirmed by the Senate, Jerome (”Jay”) Powell will become the 16th chairman of the Federal Reserve Board in early…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

Top Grossing Movies – November 6

  November 6, 2017

Theatrical grosses from comScore   Week of 11/03/2017 to 11/09/2017 Rank Title Rating Distributor Weeks Weekend Locs Weekend Gross Cumulative 1 Thor: Ragnarok PG13 Disney 1 4080  $122,744,989  $122,744,989 2…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines

A quarter-century of Clintons

  November 6, 2017

By Kathleen Parker   Twenty-five years ago on Nov. 3, 1992, William Jefferson Clinton was elected president of the United States — and Hillary Clinton is still trying to take…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

City Manager Spotlight – November 2017

  October 31, 2017

By Teresa Wilson The City Manager’s Spotlight provides details about what is happening in the City of Columbia in an effort to keep citizens informed about City operations. The City…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: headlines

Tax cuts and economic growth

  October 30, 2017

By Robert Samuelson   ”Do we have any historical evidence that lowering tax rates, particularly among the richest strata, generates economic growth, as the Republicans always predict? Has this ever…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

Statuary brawl

  October 30, 2017

By Kathleen Parker   Latest to the vandals goes Teddy Roosevelt, whose bronze likeness astride a horse in front of New York’s American Museum of Natural History recently received a…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

Top Grossing Movies – October 30

  October 30, 2017

Theatrical grosses from comScore Week of 10/27/2017 to 11/02/2017 Rank Title Rating Distributor Weeks Weekend Locs Weekend Gross Cumulative 1 Jigsaw R Lionsgate 1 2,941  $16,640,452  $16,640,452 2 Tyler Perry’s…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines

A public safety problem that can no longer be ignored

  October 29, 2017

By Richard Eckstrom S.C. Comptroller   As I’ve travel the state over the years, it hasn’t been uncommon for members of the law enforcement community to bring up issues that…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

The Law: Immigration Round-Up

  October 26, 2017

By John Hill and Rebecca Sigmund   In recent weeks, the Trump Administration has engaged in multiple changes to immigration policy that may impact any South Carolina employer with foreign workers…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, law

A budget primer for the weary

  October 23, 2017

By Robert Samuelson   It’s that time of year again when Congress debates the federal budget. For most Americans, it’s a turnoff. The dollar amounts are monstrous — trillions, not…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

North Korea’s cyber army

  October 23, 2017

By Robert Samuelson   It turns out that North Korea isn’t just a nuclear threat. It’s also a cyberthreat, and in some ways, this may be more frightening. Launched largely…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

#MeToo: Tipping point, or outrage du jour?

  October 23, 2017

By Kathleen Parker   Depending upon one’s distance from all things Twitter, recent revelations of sexual harassment in Hollywood are either the tipping point we’ve been waiting for — or…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines, op-ed

Top Grossing Movies – October 23

  October 23, 2017

Theatrical grosses from comScore   Week of 10/20/2017 to 10/26/2017 Rank Title Rating Distribultor Weeks Weekend Locs Weekend Gross Cumulative 1 Tyler Perry’s Boo 2! A Madea Halloween PG13 Lionsgate…

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Posted in: lowcountrybizsc, midlandsbiz, upstatebizsc   Category: headlines

Vital Connections

  October 23, 2017

By Georganne Weeks, Concept H.R.   Many business owners generally bite off more than they can chew in thinking that they can be experts in all of the specialized areas…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: advice, business-services, headlines

Grieving the Loss of a Pet

  October 19, 2017

By Mike and Debra DuBose   Losing a pet is a devastating event that can cause major emotional pain. All animal owners will go through the process of grieving their…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: advice, headlines, life

Grieving the Loss of a Pet

  October 19, 2017

By Mike and Debra DuBose   Losing a pet is a devastating event that can cause major emotional pain. All animal owners will go through the process of grieving their…

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Posted in: midlandsbiz   Category: advice, headlines, life