VOLUME 15 NUMBER 12 ■ COLUMBIABUSINESSREPORT.COM
Part of the
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Blue lagoon
New recreation concept planned for Columbia. Page 4
SEPTEMBER 12-SEPTEMBER 25, 2022 ■ $2.25
Nitrile glove production now step closer to reality By Christina Lee Knauss
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Hurdle cleared
Vista hotel receives approval from planning commission. Page 8
Changes afoot
Openings and closings abound in Forest Acres. Page 8
You packed what?
TSA reminds travelers what not to stuff in their luggage. Page 9
Monumental honor Claflin University recognizes female alumnae for service. Page 10
INSIDE
Upfront ................................ 2 SC Biz News Briefs ................ 3 In Focus: Made in SC .......... 13 List: Manufacturers ............ 19 At Work .............................. 21 Viewpoint ...........................23
A FAMILY AFFAIR
A father and daughter enjoy the carousel at the South Carolina State Fair. The 153rd state fair begins Oct. 12 at the State Fairgrounds in Columbia. (Photo/Forrest Clonts)
SC State Fair has provided showcase for makers since 1869 By Melinda Waldrop mwaldrop@scbiznews.com
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rom cows to cheesecake, the best of South Carolina crafts, agriculture and art will be on display at the S.C. State Fair, coming to the State Fairgrounds in Columbia Oct. 12-23. The annual harbinger of fall is in its 153rd year and its second in-person event after COVID19 forced a drive-through edition in 2020, and general manager Nancy Smith is eager to see attendance and exhibitor numbers continue to bounce back. “This year we’re moving forward, more in our regular frame,” Smith said. “We have just
about everything in place now.” Along with the lights, rides and food of the midway, a main attraction for many fair attendees is the competitive exhibits, ranging from flowers to swine. Thousands of S.C. farmers, artists and makers enter their works each year in hopes of winning cash prizes and peer recognition, and for the fun of seeing their work showcased. An average of 3,500 individual exhibitors submit around 15,500 entries each year, Smith said. “I think they are really the heart of the fair,” Smith said. “We have representation from every county throughout the state of South Carolina. I like to look at
Closing time
the fair as a big picture of everything that South Carolina has to offer.” Some parts of that picture have been contributing to the fair for four decades, such as Columbia resident and baking and craft champion Patty Wentworth. For others, like the Harman clan from Leesville, the fair is a family affair, with sisters and friends showing their prize cattle. “Family is a word that describes the fair, because we have generations of people that have entered in the fair,” Smith said. “I can recall, years ago, in the See STATE FAIR, Page 16
Iconic downtown Columbia bar going dark after 17 years Page 7
cknauss@scbiznews.com
ephron Nitrile is one step closer to starting production of nitrile rubber gloves, an important component of personal protective equipment, in West Columbia. Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corp. launched the glove company in July 2021 to help the effort to boost domestic production of critical PPE for U.S. health care workers. On Aug. 29, the first glove production equipment from South Korea arrived at Columbia Metropolitan Airport. The shipment included manufacturing lines and will help Nephron Nitrile begin production of the gloves within a few weeks. S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and other state and local officials joined Nephron owner and CEO Lou Kennedy to celebrate the shipment’s arrival. Also present was a contingent of business leaders from South Korea, celebrating the country’s technology-sharing agreement with Nephron in getting the plant up and running. Kennedy said the shipment marked a critical milestone for Nephron Nitrile. “We are excited for the arrival of this critical equipment but more than that, we are grateful for the partnerships — from South Korea to South Carolina — that have allowed us to make efficient progress over the last year,” Kennedy said. “Now it is time to start making invaluable gloves right here in Lexington County.” The equipment arrived on what airport officials said was one of the largest airplanes to ever land at CAE: a Boeing B747-8 air freighter flown by cargo See NEPHRON, Page 5