Action Heating & Air Conditioning in Ladson, SC

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Google is taking notice of a Lowcountry business. The tech giant chose a Ladson company to be part of a new mentoring program, designed to help startups around the nation grow their business.

This partnership all started because of a gallon of milk.

Marlon Brown is busy as he’s a working husband, father and grandfather. So it is not uncommon that he forgot his wife had asked him to pick up a gallon of milk one day after work.

But being a software engineer, his solution was anything but common.

“So, I get in the house and I say,’ You know what? I’m just going to write you an application to where you can attach the message you want to send me to the Walmart I’m going to pass on my way home and then when I pass the Walmart, then I’ll get the message,’” Brown said.

When Brown told his cousin Kendrick Pullen, who lives in Florida, about the app he had created the two formed a business partnership and Lifetagger was born.

“Now Lifetagger allows you to attach content into any signal your phone can detect,” Brown said. “Whether it’s wifi, geolocation, whether it’s beacons. We even do QR codes now so we’re about delivering content when and where it matters.”

The app also works by using sound.

“So Lifetagger can work like Shazam, we can listen to the room for a few seconds, tell what song is on, tell what movie’s playing, and so you can get content when you’re near an audio signal,” Brown said.

Their business pitch had already gained them some clients, but in looking for ways to grow their clientele, Pullen applied for the Google for Startups Founders Academy in January.

Just 50 companies from around the nation would be chosen to take part in the new mentoring program in March. Lifetagger is the only business from South Carolina.

“Me as the product guy, I’m a software engineer by trade so I write the code,” Brown said. “I’m getting enlightened about the sales and stuff. It’s an interesting journey.”

The six month program focuses on sales, marketing and funding and will wrap up in September.

Brown says one of the core values of Lifetagger is “try stuff.”

He says if you have an idea, don’t just let it be an idea, put it into action.

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Among the many things the pandemic has brought into sharp focus is the rising demand for online shopping and the logistical challenges posed by that demand. This is the backdrop against which Walmart announced in October plans to build a $450 million, 720-000-square-foot grocery distribution facility in Spartanburg County.

According to the company’s third-quarter earnings report released in November, ecommerce sales increased 8% in the quarter and showed strong growth in grocery sales.

In announcing the new facility in Spartanburg County, the company said the highly-automated distribution center will handle increased demand in fresh and frozen foods among the company’s 122 South Carolina retail stores.

“The world has changed…I think we’ve learned from the pandemic you can’t be offshore.” — David Britt, Spartanburg

According to Taylor Jackson, director of SC Logistics for the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness, the Walmart move is part of a growing trend where companies are locating distribution and logistics hubs closer to the markets they serve.

Jackson also says the high level of automation the company plans to use at the facility is part of a broader trend nationally and, instead of killing jobs, actually represents opportunities for more skilled workers.

“I think this is a trend that will continue to grow,” Jackson says. “I believe South Carolina is in great position to take advantage of this trend.”

Spartanburg County councilman David Britt agrees.

Britt sees the 400 new jobs expected to come with the distribution center as among the reasons so many people are moving to the Upstate.

As one of his county’s main economic development recruiters, Britt says he has delivered the message to prospective companies that if they build in the Upstate, the area will supply the skilled workforce needed.

He adds that market shifts accelerated with the pandemic and drove home the critical importance of location and logistics.

“The pandemic changed the game forever, not only from the logistics end in manufacturing,” Britt says. “That’s why you’re seeing such a move to the Carolinas — because of the area’s logistical strengths.”

With the Upstate being within a two-day drive of 75% of the country’s population and having such key transportation infrastructure like Inland Port Greer, it makes sense for companies like Walmart and Amazon to increase the number of distribution centers in the area, says Britt.

The new Spartanburg County facility will be Walmart’s fifth distribution center in the Palmetto State. Amazon currently has three distribution/sorting centers in the state centered near population hubs: in Spartanburg, West Columbia and Ladson, near Charleston.

Britt adds that more companies equal more jobs, and more jobs attract more people. More people buy more products. It becomes something of a self-sustaining cycle.

“That’s why Walmart’s doing what they’re doing,” he says.

Minnesota football will try to plug in one Clemson transfer to replace another on the defensive line.

Darnell Jefferies, a junior with two years of eligibility remaining, announced Monday on social media that he would play for the Golden Gophers next season.

“I am blessed and excited to announce that I will be committing to the University of Minnesota,” Jefferies posted on Twitter just one week after officially entering the transfer portal.

If he is able to reach success anywhere near that of former Clemson player Nyles Pinckney with the Golden Gophers, they will have successfully filled a need again. Pinckney transferred to Minnesota as a graduate student at this time last year and became a key piece of a strong defense and a nine-win team.

Pinckney started all 13 games for Minnesota (9-3), which went 6-3 in the Big Ten and smothered West Virginia, 18-6, in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix. He finished with 29 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. The Gophers ranked second among Big Ten teams in scoring defense and total defense.

Jefferies appeared in 15 games (118 snaps) as a redshirt freshman in 2019 but his playing time dwindled recently. He had 17 snaps in this season’s opener against Georgia and the following week against South Carolina State but had just seven snaps the rest of the season and one game on special teams.

Some Clemson transfer players still seeking a home

Of the 11 players who left Clemson during the season, all but quarterback Taisun Phommachanh and tight end Jaelyn Lay have found new homes. Lay and Jefferies announced their departures following the Tigers’ Cheez-It Bowl victory against Iowa State in Orlando, Florida. They followed Phommachanh and wide receiver Frank Ladson leaving after the regular season. Ladson has committed to Miami.

Three players are headed to South Florida, coached by former Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott, who has been in Tampa for two years. Scott has welcomed wide receiver Ajou Ajou, running back Michel Dukes and safety Ray Thornton. Ajou had six catches in 12 games, Dukes just two carries in one game and Thornton got 74 snaps in 12 games while also being a key contributor on special teams.

Running back Lyn-J Dixon, who was expected to be the starter to replace Travis Etienne this season, quit the team after only three games and has committed to West Virginia. He rushed for 1,420 yards with 13 touchdowns at Clemson and his per-carry career average of 6.5 yards is behind only Etienne in program history (minimum 1,000 yards).

Offensive lineman Paul Tchio is headed for Georgia Tech, safety Joseph Charleston to Missouri and linebacker Kane Patterson is enrolled at Vanderbilt.

Among the players who had the most success after transferring from Clemson following the 2020 season were cornerback Derion Kendrick and running back Chez Mellusi. Kendrick a key starter for Georgia in Monday night’s national championship game and was defensive MVP in the Orange Bowl semifinals victory against Michigan. Mellusi led Wisconsin with 815 yards (4.7 per carry) and five touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury in November. Defensive lineman Jordan Williams started for Virginia Tech but opted out of its bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft.

Todd Shanesy is a 30-year veteran of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal now focusing on Clemson athletics for the USA TODAY network.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – TELUS International, a customer experience innovator that designs, builds and delivers digital solutions for global brands, today announced plans to establish operations in Charleston County. The $3.4 million initial investment will create approximately 1,200 new jobs by 2022.

TELUS International provides multilingual digital customer experience and digital IT solutions to clients all over the world. The company has over 56,000 team members, operates in more than 25 countries and partners with brands across high-growth industry verticals, including: technology and games; communications and media; eCommerce and fintech; healthcare and travel; and hospitality. In the United States, TELUS International also has operations in Folsom, California and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Located at 3450 Ingleside Boulevard in North Charleston, TELUS International’s new facility will increase the company’s operating capacity to meet growing customer demand.

TELUS International is currently welcoming team members into the new facility. Individuals interested in joining TELUS International should visit the company’s careers webpage.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits related to the project.

QUOTES

“We are thrilled to be expanding into North Charleston and tapping into the region’s attractive talent pool to support our company’s continued growth, as well as becoming more actively involved in the months and years ahead in community giving and volunteer initiatives to contribute to the health and well-being of the region’s citizens." -TELUS International Chief Operating Officer Chuck Koskovich

“We’re excited to welcome TELUS International to South Carolina and celebrate their decision to do business in our state. By creating approximately 1,200 new jobs in Charleston County, this company is making a commitment to the entire community that will make a real difference in the lives of South Carolinians, and we couldn’t be more excited.” -Gov. Henry McMaster

“Today, we congratulate TELUS International on the announcement of their first South Carolina operations. This $3.4 million initial investment and the creation of more than 1,200 new jobs represent a tremendous win for Charleston County and South Carolina.” -Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III

“We continue to prove ourselves as a destination to call on for business growth. This is a significant win for Charleston County, and we are thrilled with the addition of 1,200 jobs for our citizens.” -Charleston County Council Chair Teddie Pryor

"Our three-county region is a globally competitive destination for business, talent and entrepreneurs. TELUS International selected Charleston for its competitive advantages and business-friendly environment. This international company will be an important part of our market's growing global economy and IT community, and we look forward to its continued success." -Charleston Regional Development Alliance Board Chair Mike Fuller

LADSON, S.C. (WCBD) – The Coastal Carolina Fair promises a return to food, fun and thrills when it kicks off at the Ladson fairgrounds in late October.

The fair, which is typically held in the fall each year, was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers last summer announced they made the difficult decision out of “extreme caution for the health and safety of the community, volunteers, and staff members” as cases of the virus were on the rise.

“The Coastal Carolina Fair is a world-class fair. It’s got one of the biggest mobile midways in America and we just could not produce that fair and be safe for the public and the workers, bottom line, that’s what happened,” said Glenn McConnell, President of the Coastal Carolina Fair, in June 2020.

Many of the annual events people across the Lowcountry love are back on this year, and that includes the Coastal Carolina Fair when it returns for its 64^th year beginning October 28^th through November 7^th.

The Exchange Club of Charleston, which hosts the fair, said proceeds from the annual event are given back to the community through service grants. More than $500,000 was donated to over 60 local non-profit organizations and individuals following the 2019 fair.

Guests can enjoy plenty of delicious – and often interesting – food from dozens of vendors, exciting games and rides, and myriad creative arts, music, and animal exhibits.

A number of COVID-19 safety precautions will be implemented for the fair such as plastic shields and barriers, cashless payment options, and increased hand sanitizer stations. They also hope to add more kiosks at the fair which will help you complete online transactions.

You are also recommended to purchase your tickets ahead of time. Tickets will go on sale October 1st; we’re told you can buy them in advance online or at Circle K locations which will save both money and time, especially if you purchase them before the first day of the fair.

Live entertainment has not yet been announced for this year’s fair. Fair organizers say entertainment will not be announced before October 1st – that is the date tickets go on sale.