South Carolina Business Review

Packing and shipping the large and unusual stuff

By Mike Switzer

Published September 19, 2025 at 6:30 AM EDT

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Sri Rao, owner of Craters and Freighters South Carolina in Columbia.

You had to figure there was a pack and ship business for large items like industrial equipment, but to be honest, we hadn’t heard of one. Until now. And the entrepreneur we learned of is also a children’s cardiologist. Mike Switzer interviews Sri Rao, owner of Craters and Freighters South Carolina in Columbia.

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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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