South Carolina Business Review

Rural SC economic news and two state agencies with updates

By Mike Switzer

Published November 10, 2025 at 6:30 AM EST

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Jessica Holdman, reporter for the South Carolina Daily Gazette in Columbia, S.C.

Mike Switzer interviews Jessica Holdman, a reporter with the South Carolina Daily Gazette in Columbia, SC. Jessica tells us about farmland preservation efforts, a new factory coming to Colleton County, the state housing authority moving ahead with affordable home building, and a new vision for the state ports authority.

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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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