200 S.C. Students to Attend Business Week

Two hundred of South Carolina’s brightest high school students will descend upon Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C., July 12-17, for South Carolina Business Week, presented by the South Carolina Cable Television Association (SCCTA). Each year, Business Week offers bright young minds the unique opportunity to interact with business leaders and student peers to learn more about the ins and outs of the business world and a successful career.

In addition, students will have the opportunity to live on the campus of Presbyterian College, the host of South Carolina Business Week. Presbyterian College boasts a 240-acre campus, which includes five buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Highlights of the 26th Annual Week Include:
• Sunday, July 12, 1:00 p.m.: Opening Assembly featuring Otis B. Rawl, Jr., president and CEO of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
• Wednesday, July 15: Students will tour Fuji Film in Greenwood.
• Thursday, July 16, 10:30 a.m.: South Carolina Superintendent of Education Dr. Jim Rex will address students.
• Thursday, July 16, 6:30 p.m.: Annual Banquet featuring Steve Benjamin of McAngus Goudelock & Courie, LLC, who is also a member of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
• Friday, July 17, 1:00 p.m.: Graduation Ceremony featuring Jim Reynolds, president of Total Comfort Service Center Inc. and a member of the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Chamber.

During the week, teams of students will develop mock companies, led by company advisors loaned from some of South Carolina’s most prestigious businesses. Students will attend workshops to learn about all aspects of business and test newly acquired knowledge in a computer business simulation designed to achieve a real company feel with challenging, real-world situations. Along with an emphasis on teamwork and leadership skills, Business Week includes programs on the stock market, ethics in business, personal finance, resume writing, leadership profiling, the significance of diversity in business and entrepreneurship. The Business Week faculty is made of South Carolina professionals and CEOs in business, education and government who share their specialized knowledge and skills with students.

2009 Business Week sponsors include:

Presenting Sponsor: South Carolina Cable Television Association

Co-Sponsors: AlliedBarton Protective Services, S.C. Association of School Administrators, S.C. Commission on Higher Education- S.C. GEAR UP, S.C. Council on Economic Education, S.C. Department of Education, S.C. Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

Business Week Scholarship Donors: ALCOA Mt. Holly, Ann Marie Stieritz, Ashland Performance Material, AstenJohnson Inc., AT&T, AVX Corporation, B.P. Barber & Associates Inc., BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Business Vitals LLC, Carolina First Bank, CMC Steel South Carolina, Columbia Urban League Inc., Cynthia M. Bennett, Darlington Raceway, Delta Dental, Dillon Provision Company Inc., Duke Energy – Carolinas, Eastman Chemical Foundation, First Citizens, FN Manufacturing LLC, Glen Dwinnells Memorial Fund, Grainger, Gregory Electric Company Inc., Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd PA, Holcim (US) Inc., Kathy Shaffer Olson, Kohler Company, Louis Rich/Kraft Foods, Martek Biosciences Kingstree Corporation, McNair Law Firm Foundation, McNair Law Firm PA, Metglas Inc., Metromont Corporation, Michelin North America, Milliken & Company, Nan Ya Plastics Corporation America, National Bank of South Carolina, Nestlé Prepared Foods Company, North American Rescue Inc., Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart P.C., Phil Waddell, Presbyterian College, Progress Energy, Publix Super Markets Inc., R.L. Bryan Company, RBC Insurance, Robert E. Barnett , Roche Carolina Inc., Security Finance Corporation of Spartanburg, Select Health of South Carolina, SEW-Eurodrive Inc., Shaw Industries, Snelling Staffing Services, Sonoco Products Company, South Carolina Bankers Association, South Carolina GEAR UP, Southeastern Freight Lines Inc., South Carolina Ports Authority, Springs Creative Products Group LLC, Terry & Katherine Huggins, The Bank of America Foundation, The Bank of South Carolina, The Intertech Group Foundation, Time Warner Cable, Total Comfort Services, UNUM, Warehouse Services Inc., Wilson Senior Care, and Windsor Aughtry Company.

Close-To-Home Escapes

The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with LeisureFun.net, is helping South Carolina families find affordable and exciting vacation options close to home this summer.

Many South Carolina hotels throughout South Carolina are offering special packages that help families afford to take a vacation and save in the process. Through a promotion called, “Close-to-Home” Escapes,” information on many of these hotel packages is centrally located on LeisureFun.net.

“In the current economic times, South Carolinians are interested in vacationing on a budget. Vacationing close to home is a great way to save money and support local businesses at the same time,” said Otis B. Rawl Jr., president and chief executive officer of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to offering special room rates, Close-to-Home Escapes hotel package deals also include money vouchers for meals, gas rebates, free tickets to nearby attractions and gift items.

“For people looking to get away from home, but can’t afford to go far this year, these types of vacation options are ideal,” says Cynthia Legette Davis, founder of LeisureFun.net. “It certainly beats just staying home and pretending you’re on vacation. There are too many fun places in South Carolina to visit and enjoy to have to do that.”

Davis adds that in addition to the Close-to-Home Escapes offers on LeisureFun.net, the Web site also offers hundreds of listings of events and attractions throughout South Carolina. Listings include festivals, concerts, children’s events, museums, amusement parks and more. Each Close-to-Home Escapes offer on LeisureFun.net includes listings of events and attractions located in the area of the hotel along with maps and driving directions.

“Close-to-Home Escapes will help businesses market to potential customers this summer and showcase the many amenities our state has to offer,” said Rawl.

To view “Close-to-Home Escapes” vacation offers and for more information, visit www.leisurefun.net.

2009 Silver Crescent Manufacturer of the Year awards Nominations Sought

The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and the Silver Crescent Foundation are seeking nominations for the 2009 Silver Crescent Manufacturer of the Year awards. The deadline for submissions is June 12, 2009, and the distinguished Salute to Manufacturing will be held on September 22, 2009 at the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMT) in Florence.


The awards luncheon will honor the Silver Crescent Manufacturer of the Year in three categories and provide an opportunity for manufacturers and community leaders to recognize the accomplishments of South Carolina’s best and brightest companies. The South Carolina Chamber and the Silver Crescent Foundation have long supported manufacturing, and this joint celebration of manufacturing achievements is a natural progression.

The application and selection process is simple and straightforward. Selection is based upon:

• Quality Improvement Efforts

• Quality of Life Programs

• Improvements in the Environment

• Involvement in Local Community & Economic Development

• Education and Workforce Development

• Overall Effectiveness


The two organizations encourage the business community to nominate outstanding candidates. Application forms are available at www.scchamber.net and www.silvercrescentsc.org. Nominations should be submitted no later than Friday, June 12, 2009 to the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, 1201 Main Street, Suite 1700, Columbia, S.C. 29201 or fax to (803)779-6043.

SC CHamber Response on Port Restructuring

On Feb. 18, the South Carolina Senate passed S.351, legislation to restructure the South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA). The legislation restructures the port’s board of directors and establishes long-term strategic planning.

The South Carolina Chamber opposed the inclusion of the creation of a port advisory board, and the Senate removed that portion from the legislation. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.

South Carolina Chamber Response
The following response may be attributed to Otis B. Rawl Jr., President and CEO of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce thanks Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell, Senate Majority Leader Harvey Peeler, and Senators Larry Grooms and Nikki Setzler for their leadership on moving the port restructuring bill forward this week. We thank them for their willingness to work with the business community to ensure the port continues to be one of the primary economic development engines for South Carolina and serves as a port of entry for South Carolina businesses operating in global markets.

The South Carolina Chamber believes the state must continue to move forward on expansion of the Charleston and Jasper ports and stabilize the current structure for the SCSPA board of directors. S.351 accomplishes both of these items. The Chamber encourages the House of Representatives to act swiftly for passage of the legislation.

HR INstitute Feb. 4-6

The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce will host Module 1 of the Human Resources Institute's Certificate Series, February 4-6, at the Marriott Columbia. This exciting and comprehensive training activity is a chance to learn important HR functions, including the pre-employment process, handbooks, safety and health and more.

“Many employees are choosing to update their skills to grow professionally in the future. HR Institute is an excellent series for those citizens interested in human resources,” said Otis Rawl, president and chief executive officer of the South Carolina Chamber.

For more information, including pricing, visit the Chamber’s Web site at www.scchamber.net, or contact Alexa Stillwell at 800-799-4601.