Growing the SC economy through industry clusters

By Mike Switzer

Published June 11, 2026 at 6:30 AM EDT

Mike Switzer, host of the South Carolina Business Review

For decades now our next guest’s organization has been busy working on enhancing economic growth in our state mostly through providing resources for certain industry clusters. It’s been a while since we’ve talked to them so today we’re going to get an update. Mike Switzer interviews Susie Shannon, president and CEO of SC Competes, also known as the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness.

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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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