South Carolina Business Review

Growing the Capital City’s business community

By Mike Switzer

Published April 3, 2026 at 6:30 AM EDT

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Abby Anderson, executive director of the Congaree Vista Guild in Columbia, SC

Over the last several years our next guest’s Midlands business community has seen almost $500 million in completed and planned private and public investments. How have they done it? Mike Switzer interviews Abby Anderson, executive director of the Congaree Vista Guild in Columbia, SC.

View of the Vista at Lincoln and Gervais Streets in Columbia, 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