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Business
South Carolina Business Review

Lowcountry medical waste firm receives $400k investment

By Mike Switzer
Published August 20, 2026 at 6:30 AM EDT
Justin Stas, founder and CEO of SafeMedWaste in Charleston, SC
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Justin Stas
Justin Stas, founder and CEO of SafeMedWaste in Charleston, SC

The last time we interviewed our next guest’s company in 2022 they had just patented a chemical digestion technology that they hoped would become the preferred method of pharmaceutical waste disposal. They’ve made enough progress since then to attract the attention of SC Launch, which recently rewarded them with a $400,000 investment. Mike Switzer interviews Justin Stas, founder and CEO of SafeMedWaste in Charleston, SC.

SafeMedWaste products infographic
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SafeMedWaste
SafeMedWaste products infographic

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South Carolina Business Review SC Business Reviewbusiness newsbusinesspharmaceuticalWastemedicalSC News
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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.
See stories by Mike Switzer