South Carolina Business Review

Midlands singer has breakout year

By Mike Switzer

Published November 14, 2025 at 6:30 AM EST

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Steve Ray Ladson, musician and songwriter from Hopkins, South Carolina

Our next guest’s music career got started as a teenager in gospel quartets and recently broke through with a standout performance on the TV show, America’s Got Talent, where his original song "Back of My Truck," earned unanimous approval from all four judges. And soon he’ll be performing at the Jam Room Music Fest in Columbia. Mike Switzer interviews Steve Ray Ladson, from Hopkins, 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.

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