Riverfront development finally happening in Columbia, SC

By Mike Switzer

Published June 25, 2026 at 6:30 AM EDT

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Daniel Rickenmann, mayor of the city of Columbia, SC

For a very long time, our state’s capital city has been one of the very few cities of its size or larger in the country with a relatively undeveloped riverfront. But that is actively changing. Mike Switzer interviews Daniel Rickenmann, mayor of the city of Columbia, SC. Resource: City of Columbia Congaree Riverfront District

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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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