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Art Business Paying Off for Promoter and Artists

  Ten years ago, after working as a free-lance writer, our next guest decided to try his hand at the art business.  Not creating art, but promoting and marketing art by representing artists through his art gallery located in the arts and entertainment district of Columbia, SC known as the Vista.  He's still in business and his growing stable of artists are making money, so his strategy must be working.

Mike Switzer interviews WimRoefs', owner of if Art Gallery in Columbia.

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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.