South Carolina Business Review

Palmetto Trail now over 80% complete

By Mike Switzer

Published May 27, 2026 at 6:30 AM EDT

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Mary Roe, executive director of the Palmetto Trail in Columbia, SC.

One of the factors companies look at when deciding to build or expand their business is what the community has to offer in the way of quality of life. Our next guest’s statewide organization is part of that equation. Mike Switzer interviews Mary Roe, executive director of the Palmetto Trail 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.

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