The economy is clear as pluff mud

By Mike Switzer

Published August 5, 2025 at 6:30 AM EDT

Frank Hefner, Director of Office of Economic Analysis and Professor of Economics at the College of Charleston

Tariffs, trade deals, recession? Our next guest says it’s all as clear as the pluff mud in the South Carolina marshes. Mike Switzer interviews Frank Hefner, Director Office of Economic Analysis and Professor of Economics at the College of Charleston.

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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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