South Carolina Business Review

Scout Motors still on schedule in Blythewood, SC

By Mike Switzer

Published December 10, 2025 at 6:30 AM EST

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Scout Motors

Jamie Lovegrove, public affairs representative with Scout Motors in Blythewood, SC.

Our next guest’s company made headlines over two years ago when the state announced a $2 billion investment to facilitate the construction of a brand new EV automobile plant in the Midlands. Since then, more investments in the plant have been announced, but they have also faced environmental concerns, and this year, headwinds from the new non-EV-friendly administration in Washington. So where are we now? Mike Switzer interviews Jamie Lovegrove, a public affairs representative with Scout Motors in Blythewood, 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