Wedding & Event Venue Near Greenwood, SC.

When the S.C. Manufacturers Alliance launched the inaugural Manufacturing Madness last year, we expected the bracket-style competition to determine the “Coolest Thing Made In SC” would capture the attention of the wide variety of manufacturers across the state.

But Manufacturing Madness surpassed our expectations, especially for a new contest. Hundreds of products made by South Carolina manufacturers in every corner of the state were nominated, and more than 113,000 votes were cast in the contest before Berkeley County-based Nucor Steel was announced as the winner by Gov. Henry McMaster at the Statehouse.

Now, Manufacturing Madness is back for its second year. Nominations open today at scmanufacturingmadness.com, with voting starting on Feb. 27. The winner will be announced at the Statehouse on March 29.

We envisioned Manufacturing Madness as a new, fun way to recognize and celebrate our state’s manufacturing industry. And there is a lot to celebrate:

• Nearly 40% of the state’s general fund comes from manufacturing, providing significant support for essential services such as roads, bridges and teacher and law enforcement salaries.

That’s why we like to say “What South Carolina Makes, Makes South Carolina.” And manufacturing’s impact on our state is only growing — more than 72,000 new jobs and over $27 billion in capital investments have been announced during McMaster’s tenure.

In October, Spartanburg County-based BMW Manufacturing Corp. announced the largest single economic development project in state history, a $1.7 billion investment to expand its plant as it prepares to ramp up electric vehicle production. And just two months later, Redwood Materials announced a $3.5 billion investment to build a new electric vehicle battery facility in Berkeley County.

Manufacturing Madness, indeed. Economic development announcements like that don’t just happen. They require the public and private sectors working together. They require strategic planning and targeted support in education, workforce development, utilities, infrastructure, and the type of quality-of-life investments that separate South Carolina from other states and jurisdictions that are competing for these high-paying jobs.

In South Carolina, the focus on building the best manufacturing climate not just in the nation but in the world is a 365-day-a-year endeavor. Our role at the SCMA is to fuel those efforts by supporting manufacturers through unmatched legislative and regulatory advocacy, programs, and initiatives. Our aim is to preserve and advance the economic success of manufacturers in South Carolina.

In that sense, Manufacturing Madness is much more than a fun contest. It is a platform to promote the world-class products that are made in the Palmetto State by some of the most iconic companies in the world. It celebrates our workforce, the 300,000 South Carolinians who drive the manufacturing quality and innovation for which our state is known. And it is an opportunity to take stock of how all those jobs lead to stronger families and communities, from the Upstate to the Lowcountry, from the Piedmont to the Pee Dee, and everywhere in between.

Chances are you either work for one of our great manufacturers or you know someone who does. Regardless, get your nominations in for your favorite South Carolina-made product starting today.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – E.A. Sween Company, a leading supplier in the ready-to-eat sandwich industry, today announced plans to establish operations in Greenwood County. The company is investing $38 million and creating 300 new jobs.

Founded in 1955, E.A. Sween Company is a third generation, private company that produces and ships sandwiches and other ready-to-eat products nationally. Its brands include Deli Express®, Market Sandwich®, San Luis® Burritos and Simply Delicious® Bakery. The company sells more than 100 million sandwiches annually.

Located at 5730 Highway 25 North in Hodges, E.A. Sween Company’s new Greenwood County operation will be critical in helping to double the capacity of the company’s sandwich production. When the facility is fully operational, the company expects to produce an additional 75 million sandwiches a year.

The facility is expected to be online in the third quarter of 2023. Individuals interested in joining the E.A. Sween Company team should visit the company’s careers page.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits related to this project.

QUOTES

“The entire E.A. Sween Company team is thrilled to announce our new Greenwood County location. From the moment we first visited the community, we knew it was a perfect fit. South Carolina is a place where people, partnerships, relationships and opportunity matter to everyone we came across. This is an incredibly important moment in our history as we expand our business and bring quality products closer to our customers in the Southeast and beyond.” -E.A. Sween Company President and CEO Tom H. Sween

“When an industry leader like E.A. Sween Company locates in South Carolina, it’s further proof that our state’s business-friendly environment and talented workforce offer companies the recipe for success. Congratulations to E.A. Sween Company, and we welcome them to the Greenwood County community.” -Gov. Henry McMaster

“E.A. Sween Company’s $38 million investment and the 300 new jobs they are creating are big wins not just for Greenwood County, but for all of South Carolina. We are excited to welcome them to Greenwood County and look forward to a strong business partnership for many years to come.” -Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III

"This is an exciting time for Greenwood County. Today’s announcement is one of great importance as it is not only the largest number of jobs created in our county since 2013, but also because we are welcoming a wonderful, family-owned company into our community and into our North Greenwood Industrial Park spec building. We are appreciative of E.A. Sween Company’s belief in our county and that our taxpayers and county leaders had the foresight that allowed us to develop the land and construct this building. We thank E.A. Sween Company for their investment and wish them tremendous success."-Greenwood County Council Chairman Chuck Moates

“E.A. Sween Company’s decision to locate their newest facility in Greenwood shows that the Upstate continues to be a key location for food and beverage companies. Our region’s proximity to consumer markets and logistical advantages, combined with an available, trained workforce, makes Upstate South Carolina an ideal location as companies look for an East Coast location. Congratulations to Greenwood County on this great win.” -Upstate SC Alliance President and CEO John Lummus

Pores in the 131-year-old Conestee dam have begun seeping potentially hazardous sediment downstream toward Lake Greenwood, a source of drinking water for residents in other counties.

And although the masonry dam has withstood the test of time, the Conestee Nature Preserve and Foundation has long called for help implementing a solution.

But through a renewed effort by the nature preserve, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and community stakeholders both up and downstream, plans to build a replacement dam about 10 feet from the current structure could soon become a reality.

"We're definitely excited that we appear to be moving, literally and figuratively, toward a concrete solution," said Gene McCall, an attorney for the Conestee Nature Preserve and Foundation.

Here's when toxic materials were discovered behind Lake Conestee Dam

Twenty years ago, toxic materials were first discovered within the sediment that had built up behind the dam, according to DHEC's website. The sediment had been building up since the dam was first built in 1892.

Before environmental protections like the Clean Water Act were put into place, companies and area textile mills used the Reedy River to get rid of toxic materials, allowing those toxins to attach themselves to the river's sediment, said Spartanburg-based environmental lawyer Kelly D.H. Lowry.

After the toxic materials were discovered, the Conestee Foundation partnered with DHEC to create what is called a voluntary cleanup contract.

According to DHEC, the contract did two things:

The contract said the foundation should allow cleaner sediments to collect and cover the older more contaminated ones. It also said the dam should remain in place to prevent the contaminated sediments from migrating downstream.

Over the years, DHEC continued to monitor the dam, issuing its most recent inspection report on Aug. 18, 2022.

That report rated the dam's condition as poor, and encouraged the development of a repair plan to "to address and control the seepage through the dam."

Also in 2022, DHEC received $3 million from the state budget to address long-term solutions to the dam's deterioration. The organization then approached Lowry last summer to oversee the spending of those funds.

Lowry said he asked the Kleinschmidt Group, an engineering consulting firm that had previously created a solutions report for the Conestee Foundation in 2019, to again determine the best path forward.

Consultants came to the same conclusion as before: the best path forward is to leave the current dam in place and build a concrete replacement about 10 feet downstream.

This plan was chosen, Lowry said because there is no feasible way to decontaminate the sediment without causing spillover.

With a new, concrete dam placed a bit further downstream, sediments can continue to seep through the older dam without impacting water quality for downstream residents.

Previous Reporting:'Trash jam' grows at Lake Conestee dam after recent flooding

'We're gambling every day:'Lake Conestee dam remains a flooding and environmental risk

Here's how much fixing Lake Conestee Dam will cost

But the project comes with a price tag of nearly $47.5 million.

Since a dam failure could create "significant harm" across multiple counties, Lowry presented the funding need to the South Carolina House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee, which is currently building the state's budget for the next fiscal year.

The committee included funding for a new dam in its budget proviso that was recently presented for consideration on the House floor.

During a presentation before Greenville County Council's committee of the whole on Tuesday, March 7, Lowry said the state might ask for local stakeholders — like the city and county — to help contribute funds to the repair project, but no formal requests have been made yet.

And while there is a way to go before any money is officially allocated, Lowry said area stakeholders are motivated and hopeful.

"There's abundant positive momentum," Lowry told The Greenville News.

If funding is approved by the state, work could begin as early as September, Lowry said. Kleinschmidt is currently drafting schematics for a new dam, which would take about three years to construct, Lowry said.

He expressed gratitude toward both the legislature and area stakeholders for coming together to create progress.

"This is the year for this project to succeed," Lowry said.

− Tim Carlin covers county government, growth and development for The Greenville News. Follow him on Twitter@timcarlin_, and get in touch with him atTCarlin@gannett.com.

South Carolina is one of a few states that require certain qualifications for candidates to run for a county’s chief death investigator, often allowing existing coroners to maintain their elected posts unopposed. A new measure, however, could change that.

A state House panel on Tuesday advanced a measure that would allow applicants with at least three years of experience as a paramedic to run for the coroner’s office, increasing the pool of those currently eligible.

With the current list of qualifications, state Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Richland, said it’s near impossible to find anyone able to run, especially in small counties.

“I put in this bill ... because it became clear that coroners had created something that would make it so that nobody could run against them,” said bill co-sonspor Rutherford, whose ex-wife is the coroner for Richland County. “You may have two or three detectives trained in death investigations who may not live in the county,” leaving them ineligible to run, he added.

Under current state law, a candidate for coroner must be a citizen, a resident of the county in which they’re running, a registered voter, be at least 21 years old, have a high school diploma, not be a convicted felon and meet at least one additional qualification, including experience as a death investigator, law enforcement officer, nurse or medical doctor.

Other alternative qualifications include having a bachelor’s degree in nursing or forensic science, or any four-year degree coupled with one year of experience in death investigations.

“The biggest concern is that we have qualified candidates that can run (for coroner), and so this (bill) will open it up to a licensed paramedic to run, and apparently that’s a good thing,” said state Rep. John McCravy, R-Greenwood. “We have a lot of people who may qualify to run (as a paramedic) but do not have these other qualifications.”

Coroners are generally responsible for investigating suicides and suspicious and violent deaths that occur within their respective counties. They also oversee autopsies and rule on the cause and manner of death.

South Carolina is one of few states that have qualifications that are education-based or experience-based for someone to run for the coroner’s office, according to Charleston County Coroner Bobbi Jo O’Neal, who is the president of the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners.

“I will tell you that across the country, they are really amazed that we have this qualification bill, so South Carolina should really be proud of that,” O’Neal said. “The specialty of medical death investigation has changed drastically over the past couple of years. It is much more scientific, technical, research-based and scrutinized.”

But O’Neal took issue with what she says is a loophole in the law, creating a way for candidates to run who have yet to complete a forensic science certification program.

“The Coroners Association does not consider someone who is enrolled (in a certification program) to be qualified,” O’Neal said. “And our citizens deserve somebody who’s qualified at the time of filing or the time they take office, not a year after they become elected.”

Currently, anyone enrolled in a forensic science degree or certification program can run for coroner, provided that they complete the program within one year of being elected.

O’Neal said the law doesn’t allow for her association to confirm whether someone is actually enrolled in a program or if they even complete it within a year of taking office.

“There is also no consequences or penalties for someone who does not follow the law and complete the program within one year,” she added.

State Rep. Ivory Thigpin, D-Richland, however, suggested that O’Neal was trying to find a problem without evidence showing that one actually existed.

“Do you have a specific number of individuals who have not completed the certification program within one year (of taking office?),” Thigpin asked, to which O’Neal answered she did not have a number.

“So, one of the things that I’m always concerned about is legislation in search of a problem,” said Thigpin. “At the end of the day, I believe the more applicants we have, the more contested elections we have, that by itself would produce individuals and more qualified persons to work (as a coroner).”

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – University of Findlay swimmers Tim Stollings and Camilo Marrugo earned first-team all-American status on Friday when Stollings placed fourth (46.22) and Camilo Marrugo fifth (46.27) in the 100-yard butterfly final at the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving National Championships at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis.

Stollings, Marrugo, Daniel Garcia and Bruce Kenner also placed third in the 400 medley relay (3:09.43).

Garcia also placed ninth in the 400 IM (3:50.89), and Emily Mears-Bentley was ninth in the women’s 100 fly (54.14).

(14-sub head) Foltz cards 210Hunter Foltz carded the University of Findlay’s low score of the tournament, a three-day total of 210, when the Oilers’ men’s golf team took part in the Bearcat Golf Classic in Greenwood, S.C. Since he was competing as an individual, Foltz’ total was not included in UF’s 859 team score.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

OHSAA STATE TOURNAMENT

AT UD ARENA

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

DIVISION II SEMIFINALS

Cincinnati Purcell Marion 61, Bryan 47

Canal Fulton Northwest 56, Proctorville Fairland 34

CHAMPIONSHIP: Cincinnati Purcell Marion (26-2) vs. Canal Fulton Northwest (27-2), Saturday, 10:45 a.m.

DIVISION IV SEMIFINALS

Toledo Christian 59, New Middletown Springfield 27

New Madison Tri-Village 51, Berlin Hiland 34

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Toledo Christian (23-4) vs. New Madison Tri-Village (29-0), Saturday, 2 p.m.

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

DIVISION III SEMIFINALS

Columbus Africentric 55, Wheelersburg 37

Doylestown Chippewa 60, Margaretta 50

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Columbus Africentric (23-4) vs. Doylestown Chippewa (25-4), Saturday, 5:15 p.m.

DIVISION I SEMIFINALS

Cincinnati Princeton 61, Grafton Midview 57

Olmsted Falls 58, Pickerington Central 53

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Cincinnati Princeton (27-2) vs. Olmsted Falls (24-3), Saturday, 8:30 p.m.

Boys Basketball

Division I

REGION 1

Garfield Heights 38, Cleveland St, Ignatius 37

Toledo St. John’s 47, Perrysburg 42

SATURDAY’S FINAL: Garfield Heights (23-3) vs. Toledo St. John’s (18-9) at Kent State University MAC Center, Saturday, 2 p.m.

REGION 2

Akron Hoban 44, Lakewood St. Edward 40

Walsh Jesuit 63, Stow-Munroe Falls 61

FRIDAY’S FINAL: Akron Hoban vs. Walsh Jesuit, 7 p.m.

REGION 3

Olentangy Orange 64, Newark 38

Pickerington Central 59, Westerville South 51

SATURDAY’S FINAL: Olentangy Orange (24-3) vs. Pickerington Central (22-5) at Ohio University Convocation Center, Saturday, 7 p.m.

REGION 4

Centerville 54, Cincinnati Elder 47

Fairfield 51, Cincinnati Princeton 45

SATURDAY’S FINAL: Centerville (24-3) vs. Fairfield (23-4) at Xavier University, 5 p.m.

Division II

REGION 5

Akron Buchtel 62, Youngstown Chaney 56

Gates Mills Gilmour Academy 64, Cleveland Glenville 56, OT

SATURDAY’S FINAL: Akron Buchtel (20-6) vs. Gates Mills Gilmour Academy (17-10) at Canton Memorial Civic Center, 1:30 p.m.

REGION 6

Rocky River Luthern West 71, Sandusky 55

Van Wert 49, Rossford 42

SATURDAY’S FINAL

Rocky River Lutheran West (23-3) vs. Van Wert (19-7) at Bowling Green State University, 4 p.m.

REGION 7

Col. Bishop Ready 61, Maysville 38

Lancaster Fairfield Union 37, Dresden Tri-Valley 33

SATURDAY’S FINAL: Bishop Ready vs. Fairfield Union at Ohio University Convocation Center, 4 p.m.

REGION 8

Kettering Alter 58, Dayton Dunbar 50

Dayton Chaminade-Julienne 57, Cols. Bishop Watterson 45

SATURDAY’S FINAL: Kettering Alter (19-7) vs. Dayton Chaminade Julienne (25-2) at Vandalia Butler High School, 7 p.m.

Division III

REGION 9

Cuyahoga Heights 58, Beachwood 33

Lutheran East 61, Mentor Lake Catholic 36

SATURDAY’S FINAL: Cuyahoga Heights (23-3) vs. Lutheran East (19-5) at Canton Memorial Fieldhouse, 7 p.m.

REGION 10

Wayne Trace 34, Canton Central Catholic 29

Ottawa-Glandorf 62, Cardinal Stritch 43

SATURDAY’S FINAL: Wayne Trace (21-6) vs. Ottawa-Glandorf (23-3) at BGSU Stroh Center, 1 p.m.

REGION 11

Cols. Africentric 49, Sugarcreek Garaway 47

South Point 57, Seaman North Adams 44

SATURDAY’S FINAL: Columbus Africentric (22-5) vs. South Point (21-4) or at Ohio University, 1 p.m.

REGION 12

Canal Winchester Harvest Prep 54, New Madison Tri-Village 45

Preble Shawnee 50, Casstown Miami East 40

SATURDAY’S FINAL: Canal Winchester Harvest Prep (20-6) vs. Preble Shawnee (23-3) at Kettering James S. Trent Arena, 7 p.m.

Division IV

REGION 13

Dalton 51, Colonel Crawford 46

Richmond Heights 93, Willoughby Cornerstone Christian 52

FRIDAY’S FINAL: Richmond Heights 81, Dalton 48

REGION 14

Marion Local 56, Patrick Henry 42

Convoy Crestview 61, Mohawk 40

FRIDAY’S FINAL: Convoy Crestview 41, Marion Local 40

REGION 15

Berlin Hiland 55, Stewart Federal Hocking 51

Westerville Northside Christian 66, Franklin Furnace Green 56

FRIDAY’S FINAL: Belin Hiland 52, Westerville Northside Christian 50

REGION 16

Jackson Center 56, Columbus Patriot Preparatory Academy 45

Russia 41, Troy Christian 33

FRIDAY’S FINAL: Russia 27, Jackson Center 25