S.C.’s innovation economy continues to grow

By Mike Switzer

Published March 6, 2025 at 6:30 AM EST

Bob Quinn, executive director of the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) in Summerville, S.C.

Chartered by our state 42 years ago, our next guest’s public, non-profit corporation continues to add more and more fuel to South Carolina’s innovation economy. Mike Switzer interviews Bob Quinn, executive director of the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) in Summerville, S.C.

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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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