© 2024 South Carolina Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Senior Citizen “Industry” Growing New Companies

Dr. John Robinson
Mike Switzer/SC Public Radio

  In case you haven’t noticed, our population is getting older and older.  In fact, the fastest growing segment of the population is centenarians.  Which could also explain why we are seeing explosive growth in the development of assisted living centers and retirement communities.  And in companies that serve those sectors, such as our next guest.

Mike Switzer interviews Dr. John Robinson, co-founder and CEO of WellZesta in Greenville, SC.

Stay Connected
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.