South Carolina Business Review

Textile innovations continue in SC

By Mike Switzer

Published January 19, 2023 at 5:30 AM EST

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Over the past several years, our next guest’s small manufacturing company has continued to win awards and recognition for their innovations and growth, most recently the 2022 Emerging Manufacturer of the Year award from the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Mike Switzer interviews Donna Brin, president and CEO of bFIVE40 in Little River, SC.

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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.

See stories by Mike Switzer