South Carolina Business Review

Inaugural SC craft beer festival comes to Columbia Oct. 15th

By Mike Switzer

Published September 28, 2022 at 5:30 AM EDT

Our state’s craft breweries have steadily increased in number over the past decade to the point that now they are ready to host their own festival. The South Carolina Brewers Guild will be hosting the largest ever gathering of the state’s breweries at the inaugural Best of SC Craft Beer Festival on October 15 in Columbia. Mike Switzer interviews Pearce Fleming, president of the SC Brewer’s Guild in Columbia, SC. He also happens to be the owner of Commonhouse Aleworks 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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