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Charleston “Rum Runners” Began as College Friends

  If you haven't figured it out by now, we are in an era of craft beer and distilled spirits renaissance. It seems like new brewers and distillers are the fastest growing segment of small enterprises not only in the U.S., but here in South Carolina, as well. Our next guests became part of this trend after meeting as students at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC and discovering their shared interest in rum.

Mike Switzer interviews Justin Buchanan and Jake MacDowell, co-founders of Red Harbor Rum in Charleston, 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.