JUNE 2011

The gap www.midlandsbiztrends.com

FOLLOW THE LEADER

can be People skills affect the bottom line.

PAGE 2

filled MARKETING MATTERS

Tell a story.
PAGE 6

Employers and SMART COLUMN

employees alike Financial effects of marrying late in life.
can lower medical Published by Elauwit Media
PAGE 14

benefit costs while

not sacrificing
needed coverage Ready to tee-off
By TIM RONALDSON
Business Trends
The rising cost of providing
health coverage is not a new story.
The last few years have seen a se-
rious uptick in the increased bur-
den of providing health care, and,
as a result, the cost of providing
medical benefits to employees has
risen as well.
Federal health-care reform has
yet to produce tangible results on
the bottom line. Nationwide,
health insurance premiums in-
creased 8.8 percent from 2010 to
2011, the highest increase in the
past five years, according to a
study completed by Hewitt Asso-
ciates.
Instead of waiting for relief,
business owners have been forced
to make changes to the benefit
packages they offer to help man-
age health plan costs.
“With all the debate on health-
care reform, it has not yet damp-
ened the cost at all,” said Jeff
Brown, senior vice president and
chief marketing officer for Colo-
nial Life. “I’m hopeful that there BemoPhoto.com/Special to Business Trends
will be some positive changes The Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce held its annual golf outing on two beautiful days last month. For
from health-care reform, but I more photos from the event, see pages 12-13.
don’t think they’re foreseeable
enough for companies to plan for

It’s a jungle out there

them.”
An employer has three basic
responses to rising costs, Brown
said: Absorb the rate increase at
the time of renewal, directly im-
pacting the bottom line; shift
more contributions to employees,
directly impacting the employee’s
pocket book; or re-designing
House of Representatives reverses vote, approves Amazon deal; Senate up next
health benefit plans to introduce
more options, which could lead to By TIM RONALDSON the company a five-year exemption from col- Gov. Sanford, has not been met with support
an increase in an employee’s ex- Business Trends lecting sales taxes from state shoppers as an from current Gov. Haley. The vote moves onto
posure to health-care costs. incentive to building a warehouse center in the state Senate and, if passed, will need to
While none of these are per- What once was a dead deal was suddenly Lexington County. Following the mid-May be signed by Haley to make it official.
fectly ideal, Brown said he is see- revived: It looks, again, as if Amazon.com is vote, Amazon pledged to create at least 2,000 Debate has raged for the last month over
ing more and more companies coming to the Midlands. full-time jobs and invest at least $125 million, whether the Amazon deal is good for the Mid-
choosing the last option, re-de- After initially defeating the deal by a vote an increase from its original promise of 1,250 lands or whether too much was given in con-
of 71-47, the state House of Representatives jobs and $90 million investment.
please see BENEFITS, page 11 passed a bill on May 18 that would provide The original deal, agreed to under former please see AMAZON, page 3

PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE Name change West Metro Chamber . . . . . 3
Lexington Chamber . . . . . . 4
PAID The state’s CoEE program will now be Columbia Chamber . . . . . . 15
BELLMAWR, NJ known as the SmartState Program.
PERMIT NO. 1239 PAGE 9

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2 BUSINESS TRENDS — JUNE 2011
People skills affect bottom line
By ANN ELLIOTT
Making the numbers is a desir-
able trait of leaders. In grooming
leaders for your company, pay at-
tention to their interpersonal
skills as well as their ability to
make the numbers.
Development Dimensions In-
ternational reported in their
Leadership Forecast 2005/2006
that “About one-third of internal-
ly sourced leaders fail, usually be-
FOLLOW THE LEADER
cause of poor people skills or in-
terpersonal skills.” Leaders them-
selves believe that the most re-
spected trait of leadership is
bringing in the numbers.
Business rewards leaders for
making their financial and orga-
nizational goals. Developing peo-
ple, building a team and creating
a collaborative culture do not
show up on the balance sheet. It
can take a long time to demon-
strate measurable results.
There are simple and cost-ef-
fective solutions to building these
soft skills in your business.
Which of these are appropriate
for you?
1.) Assess your own personal
skills and interpersonal skills
first. Ask someone you trust to
give you candid feedback about
your soft skills.
2.) Lead by example. It starts at
the top.
3.) Expect everyone in your
business to behave respectfully
and courteously to everyone in-
side and outside. No exceptions.
4.) Provide feedback and train-
ing for your team to develop soft
skills as well as technical skills.
5.) Strengthen your giving mus-

+
1-.)((.
(-'1
cles with everyone you meet. Can
you express too much apprecia-
tion for good work?
6.) You have an unlimited re-
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church welcomes you and This year we are looking for you to participate in a way serve of good will and giving it
offers our hospitality for the 25th annual Greek Festival. you may never have considered. We are offering three away does not deplete your re-
Every year, more than 80,000 visitors attend Columbia's sponsorship levels to allow you and your Organization to sources.
7.) Courtesy, civility, good will,
Greek Festival. It provides entertainment, shopping with be highlighted to each one of our attendees. This is your
kindness and appreciation are
vendors from numerous states across the country, and chance to be Greek for a week!
powerful not forceful. They
unbelievable Greek food. This year we anticipate exceed- strengthen the individual and the
ing those attendance numbers once again. organization.
Have you packed your man-
"! " "!.22" ners? As my children headed off
to spend the night with a friend or
"2 "! " "!   "! " "! ! "! " "! to some other event, I asked if
   they had packed their manners.
What can you do in your business
Includes 8 free food vouchers. Includes 20 free food vouchers and Includes 30 free food vouchers and to equip your team to succeed not
your company's name printed on an your company's name printed on an only with technical skills but also
oversized banner throughout the oversized banner throughout the with interpersonal skills and peo-
indoor arena. indoor arena. ple skills?
Pack your manners for an im-
pact on your bottom line.
210/.-,+*-+).(1)*-.'/(-(.&)(1'.)(%1)$-#
• A link to your website as an advertising tool for one year. Ann Elliott, leadership expert, is
• Six large, attractive, double-sided, free-standing displays that will be located at each entrance of the Multipurpose founder of The Berkana Company, a
Building and inside the building near the band. business coaching company. Contact
• Your businesses name to be mentioned by both indoor and outdoor bands several times during each day of the Festival. her at (803) 254-0193 or
• Your businesses name listed in the Festival Program given to each attendee. www.berkanacompany.com.
• Your business acknowledged and thanked in a half page advertisement in The State Newspaper midweek of the Festival.
• An invitation to our "Thank You" reception.

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Nexsen Pruet
ALL sponsors will earn an exclusive, FREE quarter page ad to run in an upcoming edition of Midlands Business Trends.
on national list
Our "Thank You" Reception is the highlight of our event. We invite all sponsors, church Parishioners, and the Directors Nexsen Pruet announced that
of each Charity that is sponsored to be honored and presented their checks. Charities are invited to announce how the firm remains on The National
the donations from the event will be used. Law Journal’s list of the 250
largest law firms in America.
+01./1)'(-.*0
$(# The numbers are based on a
Providence Home, Sister Care Services, American Red Cross, Harvest Hope, Family Shelter, January survey that showed 178
Camp Kemo, Oliver Gospel Mission, Cooperative Ministry, Federation Center of the Blind, Women's Shelter, attorneys in Nexsen Pruet’s eight
Washington St. United Methodist Soup Kitchen, Habitat for Humanity, Make A Wish Foundation, offices. That makes it the 220th
Five Points Wheel Transportation, Harbison Wheel for Transportation, Christ Central Ministries and Glen Forest School. largest firm in the country. Since
then, the firm has grown signifi-
cantly in North Carolina. Five at-
torneys have joined the firm’s
Donate to a great cause, expose your business to tens of thousands of Raleigh office in the past three
months.
attendees and get FREE business-to-business advertising to all of Each year, The National Law
Columbia's Business Community… what could be better? Journal surveys approximately
300 U.S. law firms. This year’s edi-
tion showed a continued decline
To learn more, contact in the number of attorneys at top
firms. Previously, Nexsen Pruet
Niki Stewart at (803) 260-5719 or (803) 407-1190 or made The National Law Journal
Mary Rickman at (803) 361-2905 or (803) 252-6758 ext. 0. list of largest U.S. law firms in
2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 and
2010.

Leaders weigh in on Amazon deal
AMAZON
Continued from page 1
cession for a retail company.
Below are comments, input and
stances from some of the region’s
business leaders and groups.
Editor’s note: This article was
written following the House’s vote.
The state Senate was prepared to
discuss the issue as early as Tues-
day, May 24, while this paper was
already in print.
OTIS RAWL, PRESIDENT/CEO
South Carolina
Chamber of Commerce
When initially polled before
the most recent vote, Rawl said he
didn’t believe that South Carolina
would be “harmed at all” by the
disintegration of the Amazon
deal.
Rawl said the state Chamber’s
position has always been to keep
a balance between the types of
businesses in the state, and has
never supported incentivizing re-
tail businesses because of the
volatility of the industry and the
unfair advantage it creates over
existing businesses.
When you incentivize retailers,
you don’t have the spin-off and in-
direct jobs of the suppliers that
come with manufacturers, he
said. Instead, you get more churn
within the proximity of the econ-
omy.
“We want Amazon in the
state,” he said. “They are a great
business partner. But the Cham-
ber cannot create an unequal
playing field just to get them in
here.”
Rawl believes that, at the very
least, incentive deals should be
signed, sealed and delivered be-
Hood Construction
works on restorations
Hood Construction recently
served as construction partner
for two highly visible historic
restoration/preservation proj-
ects, receiving outstanding
Preservation Awards from the
Historic Columbia Foundation.
Of these projects is the long re-
garded Historic Columbia land-
mark, Trinity Episcopal Cathe-
dral.
Trinity received high praise for
the recent completion of its Bi-
centennial Restoration Cam-
paign, which resulted in bringing
the remarkable beauty of its orig-
inal architecture and glasswork
back to life.
This extensive project was not
only acknowledged by a Preserva-
tion/Restoration Award, but also
honored with the distinguished
fore anything is announced to the
public, much like what was done
with Boeing in the Lowcountry
and BMW in the Upstate.
All angles of the deal need to be
worked out from all the involved
parties – the Assembly, the gover-
nor, the Department of Com-
merce and the company itself – so
that one entity is not holding an-
other to a standard it doesn’t
agree with.
“I don’t think that’s the posi-
tion we need to be putting our
General Assembly in,” he said.
“We should not oversell South
Carolina.”
RICH BOLEN, CHAIRMAN
Lexington County Republican Party
Bolen helped organize a press
conference before the House’s
vote to rally the troops behind
bringing Amazon to the Mid-
lands.
Bolen said that many oppo-
nents of the deal said that it
would be hypocritical to bring in
Amazon under the state’s current
tax code and then go fix any in-
equities that they see down the
line. But he doesn’t see the two as
related issues.
“The need for jobs is much
stronger than any symbolic de-
feat would be,” he said. “Keeping
Amazon from coming here does
nothing to further any solutions
to the problems we have with the
tax code.”
Bolen said he has been pleas-
antly surprised by the bi-partisan
support he’s received for his
stance on Amazon. However, he
isn’t sitting back and relaxing fol-
lowing the House’s vote.
“We’re not out of the woods
yet. Unfortunately, the Senate is a
different animal,” he said. “Hope-
fully, the Senate will see the over-
whelming support in the House. If
there’s anything I can do to make
Preservation Leadership Award.
Another Hood Construction
project, located at the corner of
Gervais and Pulaski streets, re-
ceived an award in the area of
New Construction in a Historic
Context and Adaptive Use.
This highly-visible structure is
located on one of Columbia’s
busiest downtown corridors,
which spurred ongoing questions
and much excitement around the
community.
The appealing and unique ar-
chitectural design was provided
by Studio2LR and included reno-
vation of an existing building,
coupled with the new construc-
tion of an adjacent building, to
create a new home for Ameri-
trade, OCCO Skin Studio and
other local tenants.
JUNE 2011 — BUSINESS TRENDS 3
it happen, I definitely will do it.” unheard of,” he said. “We attrib-
NIKKI HALEY
ute the turnaround to citizens
getting involved and educating
Governor themselves about the project and
The governor has stated that letting their lawmakers know
she does not support the Amazon they want Amazon’s distribution
deal, which was constructed center here, as well as the 2,000
under her predecessor’s term in jobs it would create.”
the State House. Her feelings co- Halfacre is keeping his sup-
incide with that of Rawl: She said porters on their toes about how
she doesn’t believe in giving tax they can help persuade the Senate
breaks to retail operations be- that the Amazon deal is one that 803-781-7017
cause it would create an unfair needs to be approved.
marketplace. “The Chamber thanks every-
Haley instead is behind deals one who participated in helping
such as the one recently brokered us win this vote,” he said. “This
with Walmart, which will bring was a minimally funded, grass-
South Carolina 4,000 jobs over roots coalition of people who
five years, 300 of which will be truly care about job growth and
“management salaried.” No spe- economic prosperity, both locally
cial tax breaks were offered to and statewide.
Walmart, and the company was
part of the effort that originally
defeated the Amazon deal.
Haley said that she and other
state leaders would like to work
with Amazon, however, and that
she wouldn’t stand in the way of a
deal with the company should the
Assembly pass it.
RANDY HALFACRE,
PRESIDENT/CEO
Greater Lexington Chamber
and Visitors Center
Halfacre has sat prominently
at the forefront of the push to
bring Amazon to the Midlands
from the beginning, and called
the House’s vote a “victory of his-
toric proportions.”
“A reversal like that is almost
1006 12th Street • Cayce, SC 29033
(803) 794-6504
westmetrochamber@gmail.com
www.westmetrochamber.com
Serving Cayce, Gaston, Pine Ridge, South Congaree,
Springdale, Swansea and West Columbia
IT’S BACK!!
The 2011 CMC Steel Rhythm on the River Concert Series
is FREE to the public and will once again be held at the West Columbia Riverwalk Amphitheater
(next to the Gervais Street bridge) every Saturday from 6:00-9:00pm.
June's lineup features many local & regional artists with a variety of musical styles:
June 4th BARE KNUCKLE CHAMPIONS w/ Scottie Frier Band
June 11th BRIAN CONNER & HIS AMAZING FRIENDS w/ The Mobros
Listen to The River 94.3 For a complete line-up of this
year's artists, go to www.rorsc.com.
for rain out information.
** New This Year **
Rain location and official after party headquarters: JILLIAN’S - 800 Gervais Street
These concerts are made possible by the following sponsors:
Agape Senior, AT&T, Hardee’s, Lexington Medical Center, SAFE Federal Credit Union,
Genesis Studios, The River 94.3, The State Newspaper, Waste Management
June Breakfast June 28th at 7:30am
SC State Farmer's Market | Exhibition Kitchen
Catering by Judy's at the Market Sponsored by SC Farm Bureau
4 BUSINESS TRENDS — JUNE 2011
Michelin investing $200M
to expand Lexington facility
As demand for its passenger tires in
North America continues to grow,
Michelin is investing another $200 mil-
lion in its Lexington facility to further
expand its tire building capacity. The
tire maker has already invested more
than $1 billion in the site since it was
first established in 1981. This latest
project, for which all equipment will
be installed by the first half of 2013,
will create 270 new jobs, phased in
over the next two years. Work will
begin immediately.
Michelin’s Lexington passenger
and light truck tire facility currently
employs 1,360 people in 1.2 million
square feet. Michelin also operates an
earthmover tire plant at the site, em-
ploying 475 people in 825,000 square
feet.
Student sponsorships
needed for Business Week
Student sponsorships are being ac-
cepted for the prestigious South Car-
olina Business Week, July 10-15. Each
year, Business Week offers bright
young adults the unique opportunity
to interact with business leaders and
their peers to learn more about the ins
and outs of a successful career.
Business Week contributes to the
preparation of young adults for the
business environment by introducing
them to the principles of leadership,
teamwork and the American free en-
terprise system while promoting self-
reliance, individual responsibility and
Monthly Update
entrepreneurship. During the week,
teams of students develop mock com-
panies, led by company advisors
loaned from some of South Carolina’s
most successful businesses. Students
attend workshops to learn about all as-
pects of business and test their newly
acquired knowledge in a business sim-
ulation designed to achieve a real com-
pany feel with challenging, real-world
situations. Along with an emphasis on
teamwork and leadership skills, Busi-
ness Week includes programs on the
stock market, ethics in business, lead-
ership profiling, the significance of di-
versity in business and entrepreneur-
ship.
Companies interested in providing
student sponsorships for Business
Week should visit the Web site
www.scbusinessweek.com, or contact
Robbie Barnett at 255-2625.
CB Richard Ellis named No. 1
commercial broker
National Real Estate Investor, the
leading magazine for professional real
estate investors, has ranked CB
Richard Ellis Group Inc. the No. 1 U.S.-
Drop us a line
Business Trends welcomes news tips
for publication.
Email: news@midlandsbiztrends.com
Phone: 803-929-3563
Mail: 3518 Medical Drive,
Columbia, SC 29203
based commercial real estate broker-
age firm for the eighth year in a row.
The ranking is based on the aggregate
value of sales and leasing transac-
tions completed globally during 2010.
CB Richard Ellis was responsible HOW TO REACH US
for $128.1 billion of global sales and 803-929-3563 fax: 803-771-0138
leasing transactions in 2010. This total
was nearly twice the transaction value WHOM TO ASK FOR
of the number-two firm, which reflect- Advertising: Lindsey Johns, Marketing Consultant
ed CB Richard Ellis’ lead over the sec- News/Editorial: Tim Ronaldson, Associate Publisher
ond-place firm widening by $17.5 bil- ON THE WEB
lion – or 10 percentage points – com- www.midlandsbiztrends.com
pared with 2009.
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Collins & Lacy P.C. announced the SUBSCRIPTIONS
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partment of Corrections, joined the emailing your name, title, company, address, phone, fax and
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NEWS IDEAS
Business Trends has limited resources to send photographers to
perspective to clients, having also events, so the best way to seek coverage is by sending us your
served as deputy attorney general and news release and photos to the attention of Tim Ronaldson at
chief prosecutor of the State Grand the below address, or to news@midlandsbiztrends.com.
Jury, and as general counsel for the
South Carolina Department of Labor, Business Trends is published monthly by Elauwit Media,
Licensing and Regulation. LLC, 3518 Medical Drive, Columbia, SC 29203
Committed to serving businesses on
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Collins & Lacy has recently engaged
two new clients, a national correction-
al health care provider and a large
telecommunications company. Recent-
ly, Ozmint assisted a client in making
a presentation to Dorchester County
Council concerning the need for a new
and larger detention facility in that
county.
 
 


   


 
  

 

 
    
     


       

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www
ItsJust10
com
6 BUSINESS TRENDS — JUNE 2011 EDITORIAL

RUSSELL CANN
Publisher

ALAN BAUER General Manager & Editor

STEVE MILLER Executive Vice President
ED LYNES Vice President of Sales

TIM RONALDSON
Associate Publisher

in our opinion

We’re on our own

Reform isn’t helping anytime soon MARKETING MATTERS

O
ne thing is pretty clear: Health-care reform, whether it
is for the better or worse over the long term, won’t be
helping our bottom lines any time soon. If you dis-
agree with this statement, take a look at the cost you are incur-
Tell a story
By KEN GASQUE
ring to provide your employees with health coverage, or what
If you want your advertising
it’s costing employees to receive the coverage. to work, tell a story.
The costs are staggering, especially considering that only a We buy with our eyes so how
does a story fit in? What does a
few years ago, businesses of all sizes could provide their em- story do? It creates a movie for
ployees with quality health benefits at a relatively reasonable your mind’s eye. A good story
will be played and replayed in
price. Those days are long gone, and who knows if they will the mind for days, weeks and
ever return. months to come.
“You can say the right thing
So while we sit back and wait, a chasm is developing between and nobody will listen,” said Bill
management and workers over the decrease in the quality of Bernbach (a very creative ad
man and one of the partners in
benefits provided and the simultaneous increase in its cost. Dole Dane Bernbach). “But
Before the issue boils over to a point of no return, employers you’ve got to say it in such a way
that people will feel it…because
need to open the lines of communication with their employees if they don’t feel it, nothing will
to educate them on why things are happening the way they are. happen.”
Dole Dane Bernbach created
An employee’s total benefits package is a vital piece of the pie,
an ad campaign for Volkswagen,
so if health benefits are being cut – or if an employee is being which became a classic – “Think
asked to pay for an increased share – that could have a profound small.”
They used good design and
impact on his or her total compensation. told a story that differentiated
Employers need to recognize this fact and be sympathetic to VW from the big cars made in
Detroit (often a brand will do the
it. How can they chip in if they can’t afford to fork over more opposite of the crowd). The ad-
money on behalf of their workers, though? By educating them vertising was as different to car
advertising as the VW was to its
on all aspects of the benefits provided, by synching up with the competition.
benefits coordinator to learn of ways they can save more by liv- You can tell a story with a pho-
tograph or illustration. One pic-
ing healthier, and by directing them to additional supplemental ture of a cowboy is worth a thou-
insurance options, if needed. sand words. The Marlboro Man
was a theme for more than four
Employees need to recognize that their employer is not the decades. There was little in the
reason for the increase in the health benefits cost. They need to ads except the image of the
Marlboro Man on the open range
be sympathetic to the delicate balance between costs and in- or riding a horse with a beautiful
come. And they need to be flexible to change. mountain range behind him.
The rest was left up to the imagi-
Like everything else in today’s world, providing health bene-
nation of the viewer. The cow-
fits is now a team effort between employer and employee. boy was seen as independent,
self-sufficient and uncomplicat-
ed. The mind creates the story
that creates the brand.
You don’t have to tell the com-
plete story. Clairol had a tremen-
dous campaign that asked, “Does
she or doesn’t she?” It let the
reader fantasize about changing
their own hair color at a time
when changing your hair color
was not looked upon favorably.
Before we can take action, we
have to be able to see ourselves
using the product. We have to
fantasize, daydream and visual-
ize. If we can see it, we can buy
it.
A well-told story reveals val-
ues without saying, “We’re hon-
est and reputable” or “We offer
great service.” And do you really
believe someone when they tell
you they are honest? Didn’t you
expect them to be honest, and if
they have to tell you, don’t you
then question it? By sharing our
stories, we define “who we are”
and “what we stand for.”
Saddleback Leather sells
heavy leather bags (brands often
go against the popular trend and
differentiate themselves). Every-
body is going lightweight – not
Saddleback Leather. Go to
www.saddlebackleather.com and
see how Dave reveals a lot about
his product and company in his
blog or his story “In memory of
Blue.”
A good story gets you emo-
tionally involved (I have three
Labs and I have to admit I am a
sucker for dog stories).
Saddleback also uses good vi-
suals to tell the story. Some are
exaggerated to make a point but
isn’t that the point of exaggera-
tion? I don’t think you will have
an elephant stomping on your
bags but if you do, Saddleback
will guarantee that it will not be
damaged or they will give you a
new bag.
You will recall the story told
by Jesus in Mathew 25:14-30 of
the three servants that received
talents from their master. The
one who received five talents in-
vested and gained five more, the
second servant invested his two
talents and received two more
but the third buried his talents
and received nothing. The third
servant was lazy and did not in-
vest his talents and received no
return.
Rather than tell you to work
hard and invest your talents, a
story is used that you will re-
member. It doesn’t matter how
old you are – you will remember.
When telling your story your
audience should be able to visu-
alize it. If not, then it is not con-
crete enough.
Make it visual. We buy with
our eyes and a story well told
will create a vision that the mind
can see and remember.
Can you tell me a captivating
story about your service? Does it
tell me how your company
makes a difference? Can you do
it with a photo?
Ken Gasque is president of Gasque
Marketing and Advertising a brand
development and marketing plan-
ning company in West Columbia. He
can be reached via e-mail at
ken@gasque.com.

RUSSELL CANN Chairman of the Board

DAN McDONOUGH, JR. Co-Chairman and Chief Executive
MICHAEL LaCOUNT, Ph.D. Vice Chairman Visit us on the Web at www.midlandsbiztrends.com
www.elauwit.com



LICS: In case of emergency
Lexington Interfaith Community Serv-
ices, simply known as LICS, is a local not-
for-profit that provides emergency
assistance for those in need.
Founded in 1979, LICS has helped individ-
uals and families get back on their feet by
providing food, shelter, clothing, financial
assistance, counseling and so much more
to those in need. In fact, last year alone,
LICS helped more than 20,000 people and
provided over $600,000 in assistance to fam-
ilies and individuals in Lexington, Saluda,
and parts of Calhoun counties struggling
to meet their basic needs. Whether it is un-
employment, an unexpected expense, or
family emergency, LICS is there for anyone
who needs it.
YOU, the business community have
helped LICS provide for the needy since the
beginning. Your loyalty and generosity has
helped to build a better community.
And now, we ask you to, once again, in-
vest in servicing our neighbors in crisis.
LICS invites you to join your colleagues by
becoming a sponsor of “Art in the Garden
VI.” Wingard’s Nursery is hosting this
event geared toward local art, music, and
gardens. Our goal of $50,000 in operational
funds will help us meet emergency needs
in the greater Lexington community as
this economy has left many more than ever
in need of our help.
With your help we can say, “yes we can
help,” to the 86-year-old lady that needs her
“At the end of the day,
there are
45 families requesting
financial assistance
that we’re unable to help
due to lack of funds.”
Jenny Kennedy,
Executive Director
Your Art in the Garden Sponsor-
ship will allow us to serve more
families each day.
propane tank filled for heating and cook-
ing. “Yes,” to the single mother whose son
just had surgery and she needs help with
her rent. “Yes,” to the disabled veteran
whose lights are going to be turned off
without our help. And how can we not say,
“Yes,” to the family that lost their home
due to unemployment, but just got a job
and needs help with deposits to move into
a home. Your help will go a long way in en-
suring that we take care of these needs.
For more information on the tax
deductible sponsorship, call Jenny
Kennedy, Executive Director (803) 957-6656
ext. 222 or Kevin Staggers, Director of
Community Relations (803) 957-6656 ext.
228, www.licssc.org, lics@pbtcomm.net
Each day at LICS…
100 callers request assistance.
48 families walk in requesting
services.
17 families are provided with food.
11 families are provided with
clothing.
8 families are provided with
financial assistance.
$3,000 total services provided daily.
8 BUSINESS TRENDS — JUNE 2011
McDaniels Golf Classic
to be held June 16
Palmetto Health Foundation’s
21st annual McDaniels Golf Clas-
sic will be held Friday, June 17 at
Fort Jackson Golf Club. A VIP re-
ception and auction will be held
Thursday, June 16 at The Zone at
Williams-Brice Stadium. Pro-
ceeds from both the tournament
and auction will benefit Palmetto
Health Cancer Centers.
Bill McDaniels, president of
McDaniels Automotive Group,
has been the signature sponsor of
the McDaniels Golf Classic for
the past 20 years and has helped
raise more than $2.6 million for
Palmetto Health Cancer Centers.
This year, Steve Spurrier, head
coach of The University of South
Carolina Gamecocks football
team, is teaming up with Palmet-
to Health Foundation and Mc-
Daniels.
The June 16 VIP reception and
auction will feature one-of-a-kind
memorabilia Spurrier is donat-
ing from his personal collection.
Tickets, $100 each, are available
for purchase on the Web site
palmettohealthfoundation.org or at
Palmetto Health Foundation, 1600
Marion St.
The reception will feature
heavy hors d’oeuvres by Jack
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Because we understand the importance of convenience when it comes to busy adults like yourself with life demands that pull you in many directions.
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Beginning Summer 2011 Webster University will offer daytime classes. Students will attend class one day a week .
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To be eligible, prospective students must have a minimum of 64 college credit hours from a regionally accredited college or university.
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Brantley/Aberdeen Catery and
live music from Heart ‘n Soul.
Also, for a donation of $100 or
more, guests can be pho-
tographed with Spurrier and the
Southeastern Conference Eastern
Division Champions trophy, as
well as the Hardee’s trophy com-
memorating USC’s win over
Clemson in 2010.
The June 17 tournament will
begin at noon at Ft. Jackson Golf
Club and will include a catered
lunch and dinner.
Foursome spots are available
for the tournament, and there
also is an opportunity to play on a
team with Spurrier.
Last year, proceeds from the
McDaniels Golf Classic auction
and tournament reached an all-
time high of more than $222,000,
including in-kind donations.
In the McDaniels Golf Classic’s
20-year history, more than $2.6
million has been raised for cancer
research, programs and services
of the Palmetto Health Cancer
Centers.
For more information, connect
with Palmetto Health Foundation
online at the Web site
palmettohealthfoundation.org or
call 434-7275.

CoEE changes name
South Carolina’s State Lottery-
funded program that creates
knowledge-based research cen-
ters and enables the state to re-
cruit top scientists and engineers
is getting a new identity.
The program, previously
known as the “Centers of Eco-
nomic Excellence Program” and
nicknamed by some as the “En-
dowed Chairs Program,” is now
the “SmartState Program.” The
new identity will better reflect the
program’s purpose. In essence,
the program exists to transform
South Carolina into a “smart
state” that can compete for high-
paying jobs based on the value of
its knowledge and innovation.
SmartState Review Board
Chair Pamela P. Lackey says that
the new name perfectly encapsu-
lates what the program is accom-
plishing and how it is reshaping
South Carolina’s economy.
“Today, we see the tangible re-
sults of how this visionary pro-
gram is turning South Carolina
into a ‘smart state,’” Lackey said.
“It has placed a powerful focus on
developing new world-class R&D
Follow us at
twitter.com/midlandsbiz
JUNE 2011 — BUSINESS TRENDS 9
within our state’s universities, Chairs are leading the cutting-
keeping the best and brightest in edge Centers of Economic Excel-
South Carolina, and creating lence and working to attract and
high-skill, higher-paying jobs.” retain top students in South Car-
Since the program was created olina. The SmartState Program
by the S.C. General Assembly in has resulted in more than $400
2002, it has helped South Carolina million in non-state investment in
achieve “smart state” status in the state’s economy. The Smart-
several ways. First, the Smart- State Program is also responsible
State Program has enabled the for the creation of more than Visit us on the Web at www.midlandsbiztrends.com
state to launch 49 university- 5,000 jobs.
based research and development
centers in industries ranging
from bioscience to nanotechnolo-
gy to automotive engineering.
These R&D centers, or Centers of
Economic Excellence, are helping
attract new companies to the
state that want to tap into univer-
sity research.
In addition, the program has
enabled the state to recruit 37 in-
ternationally acclaimed scien-
tists and engineers who serve as
SmartState Endowed Chairs at
South Carolina’s three major re-
search universities, Clemson Uni-
versity, the Medical University of
South Carolina, and the Universi-
ty of South Carolina.
These SmartState Endowed
Hometown news.
When it happens.
Or Shortly
Thereafter.
 10 BUSINESS TRENDS — JUNE 2011

business Calendar
Contact: Gina at 359-7644, or visit
JUNE 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 See the full calendar online: www.lexingtonkiwanisclub.com
CAPITOL CITY www.midlandsbiztrends.com
SALES EXCHANGE
Contact: Matt Quinton at 260-7178
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or www.lexingtonsertomaclub.org JUNE 9
Location: Grecian Gardens, 2312
GREATER LEXINGTON
Sunset Blvd., West Columbia
CHAMBER DRIVE TRAFFIC
Contact: Tom Hooker at 960-2800 JUNE 7, 14, 21 & 28 TO YOUR BUSINESS
Like most people, you make sound investments Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Of all the every day regarding finances, your business,
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knowing they won't be making tough decisions Time: 6:15 p.m. Contact: Club President Carolyn
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The gap can be filled
BENEFITS
Continued from page 1
go up,” Brown said. “I would cate-
gorize it as the best of a bad situa-
tion.”
Rather than offering pre-paid,
first-dollar health care, this is
JUNE 2011 — BUSINESS TRENDS 11
FIVE POINTS
According to a recent Colonial
Life survey, less than 19 percent of "! 
employers think their employees ! 
have a very good understanding
of all their benefits, and nearly 5 !!!!

!

signing their plans. leading more to having coverage percent think their employees 




Employers can save a signifi-
cant amount of money by re-de-
signing their health benefit plans,
incorporating a higher annual de-
ductible and higher co-insurance
amounts.
In the last five years, there has
been a doubling in the number of
employers covered by a health
benefits plan with at least a $1,000
deductible, according to a
Kaiser/HRET survey.
As an example, Brown said
that a company that switched
from a $250 deductible plan to one
with a $2,000 deductible could
save 25 percent on health benefit
costs.
At the same time, 60 percent of
Americans do not have the funds
to cover unexpected costs, and a
good health benefits plan is “es-
sential” to attracting and retain-
ing quality employees. But a mid-
dle ground can be found, Brown
said – one that lowers a compa-
ny’s cost and provides the em-
ployee with supplemental cover-
age to fill the gap.
“I don’t think any employee is
out there asking for less health
coverage, but they aren’t asking
for their paychecks to be eaten
away whenever health-care costs
Need More Customers?
when you need it most, Brown
said.
The first half of the balancing
act is a higher-deductible base
health plan, which lowers the cost
of coverage for both the employer
and employee; the second half is
instituting supplemental protec-
tion to handle the new gap in cov-
erage.
The gap protection is a sepa-
rate policy set up and paid for by
the employee that pays cash bene-
fits in the event that the unfore-
seen happens.
The gap coverage is intended to
complement the “core needs” of
health coverage, Brown said. In
some cases, the savings a compa-
ny realizes in re-designing its
base coverage plan could allow it
to pay for at least part of the gap
coverage and still positively affect
the bottom line.
“These two things actually
make this palatable in a way of
making it financially doable for
everybody,” Brown said.
A side benefit, and renewed
focus, of re-designed health plans
is an increase in the education of
both employer and employee on
health coverage, and the commu-
nication between the two groups.
know nothing at all about their
benefits.
A recent Harvard Business Re-
view survey of HR leaders also
found that 43 percent say their
employees are satisfied with their
benefits, but only 30 percent say
the same about their benefits
communication, with 23 percent
saying their employees view this
communication as “weak.”
Brown also said it’s important
that employees are reminded of
the cost burden of a benefit pack-
age, which current estimates
show comprise 30 percent to 40
percent of an employee’s total
compensation package.
What plan re-designs have ac-
complished, Brown said, is estab-
lishing a focus on the overall em-
ployee education on health cover-
age as well as allowing them to
understand how to take better
care of themselves through well-
ness programs and tools.
“It’s a lesson in making the
best of a difficult situation,”
Brown said. “The positive side of
the message is that employees are
also having their costs managed
in the process, because if the re-
design doesn’t happen, then costs
will get out of hand for everyone.”


 
 



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12 BUSINESS TRENDS — JUNE 2011

GREATER COLUMBIA CHAMBER GOLF TOURNAMENT

Ready to tee-off
Photos courtesy BemoPhoto.com

The weather held up nicely for the two-day Greater Columbia Cham-
ber of Commerce golf tournament, held at the Wildewood Country
Club.
 JUNE 2011 — BUSINESS TRENDS 13

GREATER COLUMBIA CHAMBER GOLF TOURNAMENT

14 BUSINESS TRENDS — JUNE 2011


A Leader’s First Responsibility
By Wayne Fields, President/CEO
Oliver Gospel Mission
It was obvious in a recent en-
counter with a young professional
that he was eager to grow as a
leader. This was evidenced by sev-
eral things. First, he was early for
our meeting, which was scheduled
for the purpose of discussing lead-
ership development. Second, I dis-
covered that he had already
initiated efforts with other young
leaders to glean wisdom from more
seasoned influencers in the com-
munity. Even though he had al-
ready achieved much in his
profession at a young age, he still
possessed the humility to admit
that he still had much to learn in
his own journey. Along these lines,
he posed this question to me:
“Wayne, if you could give some
words of advice to young leaders
like me, what would you say?” For-
tunately, I was somewhat prepared
with an answer, as I had given some
prior thought to this. My broad an-
swer to this young leader was this:
“Learn to lead yourself. The great-
est preparation for influencing oth-
ers is learning to manage your own
life.”
Self-leadership enables us to be
examples to others in what we are
trying to get them to do. For in-
stance, if we want people to be ser-
vants, we can provide an
illustration of servanthood through
our own practice in this area. Ex-
ample, in turn, instills us with con-
fidence, knowing that we are
practicing what we are preaching
to others. It also provides us with
credibility before those whom we
lead because they see us living it out.
CEO of Oliver Gospel Mission. As a
writer, his published work includes
the Reality Living Devotional Guide
series. He can be contacted to speak
to your group through Beth at
bwell@olivergm.com.

SMART COLUMN
I went on to propose to my friend
where self-leadership should start.
It begins with the development of
one’s relationship with the Creator
or one’s inner spiritual life, which
is at the root of true fulfillment and
growth in character. Depth of char-
acter, in turn, is what enables those
in leadership to handle the chal-
lenges that they encounter, and
such growth takes time. I empha-
sized to my friend that one of the
worst things that can happen to
young leaders is instant success,
because they may not have devel-
oped the inner resources needed to
handle it wisely.
Another related area where
self-leadership is important is giv-
ing attention to such habits as
thinking and reflecting. In this
noisy world in which we live, peo-
ple do not take much time to get
alone to reflect on what they are
learning or where they are headed.
I like to say that we should learn
from the past, live in the present,
and look ahead to the future.
Time alone provides us with the op-
portunity to honestly assess where
we have traveled in the past so that
we can make adjustments in the
present, and also to gain perspec-
tive for where we are headed in the
future.
I sensed from my young friend’s
response that we could have dis-
cussed these matters at greater
length, but we had to part company
to face the leadership challenges of
the day ahead. He assured me that
he would connect with me for fur-
ther interaction in the future.
Wayne Fields is the President/
The effects of marrying late
By SUSAN AMICK MCCANTS
At any age, marriage is an im-
portant decision that impacts al-
most every aspect of life. For
older individuals, marriage pres-
ents even more unique challenges
and opportunities. One of these
challenges deals with finances.
Since the financial impact of
marrying later in life can be com-
plicated, it is especially impor-
tant for older couples to discuss
their financial situations with
each other and also with their fi-
nancial advisors. Older individu-
als bring more of a personal and
financial history into a marriage.
Potential pitfalls of marrying
later in life can be avoided by un-
derstanding and planning for the
financial consequences and by
seeking professional financial ad-
vice.
It is essential that older couples
share their financial histories
with each other. To protect finan-
cial integrity, individuals may
want to maintain separate credit
or file separate income tax re-
turns. Since there are some finan-
cial obligations that one spouse
assumes for the other, like med-
ical bills, it is important that cou-
ples are candid about their finan-
cial obligations and address po-
tential expenses such as long-
term care. Also, it may be impor-
tant to ascertain the impact that
marriage could have on each indi-
vidual’s income. For example,
marriage could impact the re-
ceipt of alimony, Medicare, Medi-
caid and Social Security benefits.
Consulting a Social Security
benefits counselor is advisable to
determine how a marriage will
impact current and future bene-
fits. Careful timing of a second
marriage can often protect
widow’s benefits. Many people do
not realize that they may qualify
for Social Security benefits under
both a spouse and a former
spouse as well as under their own
record. Also, it could be beneficial
for one spouse to apply for and
then suspend benefits. A benefits
counselor can help evaluate the
application options and under
which record(s) it is best to apply
for maximum lifetime benefits.
Although most people will not
see a big income tax impact from
getting married, they should eval-
uate whether it makes more sense
for them to file a joint tax return
or to file separately. Filing with a
married status may provide an
opportunity to make additional
retirement account contribu-
tions. Some retirement plans re-
quire your spouse’s consent to
take plan distributions and loans
or to change beneficiary designa-
tions. Plan documents should be
reviewed to ensure that they are
coordinated with your financial
goals.
Legal documents should also
be coordinated with your new cir-
cumstances to ensure that your
estate plan accurately reflects
your wishes. Beneficiary designa-
tions on life insurance policies
and retirement accounts may
need to be changed when you
marry to reflect your changing
needs. It is always smart to con-
sider a prenuptial agreement to
fairly address both spouses and to
protect the family assets of each.
Creating a trust is another way to
offer protection for first families
as well as new spouses. Couples
should work with their attorney
to update all legal documents.
Marriage at any age includes a
marriage of finances. Open com-
munication about financial goals
and circumstances can con-
tribute to a higher quality of life
for both spouses. When you
marry or remarry later in life,
planning for the financial conse-
quences can help ease the transi-
tion and ensure that your mar-
riage will yield long-term divi-
dends.
Susan Amick McCants is a native
of Columbia. She is a graduate of Er-
skine College with a degree in eco-
nomics. Prior to joining Abacus Plan-
ning Group in 2002, she spent 15
years in banking where she was vice
president and certified cash manag-
er in the Treasury Services Division.





No one should go hungry, especially when it costs so lit-
tle to serve a complete meal to a hungry and homeless
person. And a hot meal is often the first step in dealing
with the problems of the homeless. So please help feed
and care for our hungry and homeless neighbors.

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 Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce
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