Upstate College Joins Ranks of Four-Year Schools

By Mike Switzer

Published July 11, 2019 at 5:51 AM EDT

Over 100 years ago, our next guest’s institution of higher learning began as small two-year college helping Upstate textile mill workers obtain a general education. But recently, they have been approved to offer their first ever bachelor's degree program with a unique real-world business focus.

Mike Switzer interviews Scott Cochran, president of Spartanburg Methodist College in Spartanburg, 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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