South Carolina Business Review

A festival for outdoor enthusiasts coming to SC

By Mike Switzer

Published October 13, 2022 at 5:30 AM EDT

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Jacqui McGuinness .jpg — Jacqui McGuinness, creator and director of the Everything Outdoor Fest

According to the Outdoor Industry Association, our state’s outdoor recreation economy generates over 72,000 direct jobs, which translates to almost $3 billion in wages and salaries, and contributes close to $6 billion to our state’s annual GDP. And these stats gave the idea to our next guest to start a new festival to showcase South Carolina’s most popular outdoor activities, such as camping, hiking, fishing, cycling, paddling, and boating. Mike Switzer interviews Jacqui McGuinness, creator and director of the Everything Outdoor Fest taking place Nov. 4-6 at Historic Hopkins Farm in Simpsonville.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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