Thai Iced Tea Inspires Success

By Mike Switzer

Published August 24, 2017 at 5:28 AM EDT

During the US Small Business Administration’s annual Salute to Small Business earlier this year, our next guest was named the co-Young Small Business Person of the Year for South Carolina. And she says it all started with a trip to Thailand.

Mike Switzer interviews Laura Cannon, co-owner of the Orange Spot Coffee House in North Charleston, SC.

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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.

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