South Carolina Business Review

SC Ports addressing high costs and old rural rail line reopens

By Mike Switzer

Published April 27, 2026 at 6:30 AM EDT

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Mike Switzer, host of the South Carolina Business Review

It’s Monday, and that’s when we like to take a look at current business issues that are trending across our state and discuss them with one of our fellow news media friends. This week, Mike Switzer interviews John McDermott, business editor of the Post and Courier in Charleston, SC. John tells us that the SC Ports is addressing high operating costs at its newest terminal and Palmetto Railways reopens the old Hampton and Branchville rail line.

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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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