Propeller company recognized by Innovision

By Mike Switzer

Published March 7, 2024 at 6:30 AM EST

Chuck Pell, CEO and founder of Maelstrom Propellers in Durham, N.C.

Our next guest says that practically all boats and ships use a 200-year-old technology when it comes to their propellers and that he has discovered a better way. And he appears to be proving it as our state’s Innovision Awards program recently recognized his company as a finalist in their small business category. Mike Switzer interviews Chuck Pell, CEO and founder of Maelstrom Propellers in Durham, NC.

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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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