South Carolina Business Review

Turning nasty wood beautiful creates a living for Midlands artisan

By Mike Switzer

Published July 10, 2024 at 6:30 AM EDT

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Oak Board with Aqua Blue Epoxy River created by David Zettel, owner of Zettel’s Wood Creations in Columbia, S.C.

We discovered our next guest during a recent ramble through the Richland County countryside as we visited the many farms participating in this year’s annual Ag and Art Tour. We were taken by his custom woodworking and when he told us this was how he made his living, well of course we had to invite him on our show to learn more. Mike Switzer interviews David Zettel, owner of Zettel’s Wood Creations in Columbia, S.C.

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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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