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Solar Tiles Made in South Carolina

Paul De Sloover
Mike Switzer/SC Public Radio

You may have noticed that solar panels are showing up on more and more homes in our state and that’s mainly because costs continue to drop and because the state legislature recently passed laws loosening restrictions that have burdened the industry for many years.  However, many people are still hesitant because they just might not like how the big bulky panels look on their roof or in their yard.  Our next guest says that attitude represents a business opportunity to him.

Mike Switzer interviews Paul De Sloover, CEO of DeSol Power Tiles, which are manufactured in Westminster, SC.

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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.