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South Carolina Business Review

The importance of economic collaboration

By Mike Switzer
Published July 27, 2026 at 6:30 AM EDT
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Alan Cooper
Mike Switzer
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SC Public Radio
Alan Cooper

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 Alan Cooper, founder and editor of three online business news websites in South Carolina: MidlandsBiz, UpstateBizSC, and LowCountryBizSC. Alan tells us about new collaborative efforts between entrepreneurship organizations, economic development organizations, and other public/private partnerships across our state.

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South Carolina Business Review SC Business Reviewbusiness newsbusinessentrepreneureshipeconomic developmentSC News
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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