Capitalizing on SC’s English heritage

By Mike Switzer

Published February 10, 2023 at 5:30 AM EST

You may have noticed that our state has several cities, towns, and counties named after places in England. And a lot of them are concentrated between Columbia and Charlotte. Over the past several years, this area has been developing an economic identity all its own. Mike Switzer interviews Jenny Parrish, executive director of our state’s Olde English District in Fort Lawn, 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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