Tag: Economy

Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette brings her supporters, friends, and the people of South Carolina her 1st Quarter 2025 e-mail update.

In this edition, we share a few highlights of how Evette is supporting President Trump’s agenda in SC, featured news stories, how Team SC is working to fight SC wildfires + SC business features (large & small), non-profits who are making a difference, and a few personal updates.

Below is March 2025’s opening message from Lt. Gov. Evette.

A Message from Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette

If you’re like me, you can’t believe that it’s already March. 2025 is flying by, and a BIG part of that is how President Trump is taking action in the Oval Office at lightning speed. His dedication to keeping the promises he made and his drive to Make America Great Again is awe inspiring.

What a time to be an American — in the Golden Age!

I am committed to being an ally for our President in South Carolina. I will never stop pushing to keep the Palmetto State winning, today and well into the future!

Lt. Governor Pamela S. Evette

by ABC NEWS 4 STAFF. Originally published February 20th 2025

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette will be the featured guest at the upcoming Charleston Business & Brews event in March.

Slated for Thursday, March 13, at New Realm Brewing on Daniel Island, the event, which runs from 5 to 7:30 p.m., is free and open to the public.

Evette, the 93rd lieutenant governor of South Carolina and the state’s first female Republican to hold the position is known for her entrepreneurial spirit. She founded Quality Business Solutions, a payroll, HR, and benefits services firm, which grew into one of the nation’s fastest-growing small businesses under her leadership.

Since taking office in January 2019, Evette has focused on leveraging her professional experience to benefit South Carolina’s businesses and communities. She has been an advocate for the state’s small business ecosystem and has worked to attract new businesses to the area.

The event is organized by Follywood Productions and sponsored by companies including HNTB, Kavalyn Custom Solutions, Apostioli, and Ridge Media. New Realm Brewing is located at 880 Island Park Dr., Charleston, SC 29492.

By Stephanie Moore, originally published on WYFF4 February 3, 2025

The world’s largest center console boat is traveling in South Carolina on Monday.

The Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office announced it was helping State Transport Police in escorting the boat and announced traffic delays in the area.

Police said the boat will be going from the Charleston Harbor to the Summerville area.

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette posted on social media on Jan. 17 about the unveiling of Scout Boats’ new 670LXS — the world’s largest outboard-powered, center console boat.

Evette said bringing this vessel to market is just “one more example of SC’s innovative fingerprints leaving their mark on the world.”

Steve Potts, CEO and founder of Scout Boats, said the 670LXS “is like no other.”

“Not a detail was missed,” Potts said. “Our all-new flagship, the 670LXS, is the largest outboard-powered boat in the world. We created something that didn’t exist in the marketplace, yet it is still distinctly a Scout. We compromised nothing and expected everything.”

Scout Boats is located in Summerville, South Carolina.

By Rey Llerena, originally posted January 31, 2025 on WYFF4

Lockheed Martin has delivered the first F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft to Bulgaria as the country plans to develop its air force.

The aircraft was delivered in a ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s Greenville County facility on Friday morning, with top Bulgarian defense officials in attendance.

“With the acquisition of this multirole fighter capable of performing a wide range of tasks, we’re marking the beginning of the modernization of our combat aviation,” said Atanas Zapryanov, Bulgaria’s minister of defense.

Friday’s ceremony marked the first of 16 total F-16 Block 70s that will eventually be delivered to Bulgaria.

Chris Nations, Lockheed Martin’s chief F-16 test pilot, said the F-16 has been in service for more than 50 years. He said the Block 70 is the most capable version to date.

However, before the aircraft are delivered to customers, Nations said they are tested in the Upstate, where some people can hear sonic booms.

“That is the sound of freedom,” Nations said. “Realistically, what that is making sure that these jets work exactly like they’re supposed to. On the very first flight, after we’ve put the tires on and strap the wings on, I’ll take that aircraft up to over 40,000 feet in the air.”

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette said these planes are one way the state is helping with national security.

“This is peace through strength,” she said. “Making sure that our allies have the equipment they need to keep their citizens safe is something we’re passionate about here. We’ve heard since President Trump took office, ‘How do we bring up the U.S.’s military might to make sure we keep our people and our country safe?'”

Lockheed Martin said there are more than 700 F-16s currently in service across Europe.

Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette brings her supporters, friends, and the people of South Carolina her 4th Quarter e-mail update. As our state continues to recover following Hurricane Helene and we look forward to having President Trump back in the White House, here are a few highlights on election night, honors / recognition, podcasts, and #TeamSC working together towards recovery +  S.C. business features (large & small), S.C. non-profits who are making a difference, and a few personal updates.

Below is December 2024’s opening message from Lt. Gov. Evette.

A Message from Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette

As we celebrate this holiday season and approach the end of 2024, our state and nation have so much to be thankful for. As Lt. Governor, I was incredibly proud of how Team SC and all South Carolinians came together in the aftermath of hurricane Helene — helping one another and our neighbors to the north in Western North Carolina.

I am also grateful that Americans across the nation came out and voted in November for a return to common sense and for strong family values. Thank you to all of you for helping to get our nation back on the right track starting with the election of President Trump.

I wish all of you, your families, and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas and many blessings in the New Year!

Lt. Governor Pamela S. Evette

Initially posted on November 18, 2024 by SFN Today.

The SC Poultry Federation hosted its annual Friends of the Flock fundraiser at City Roots in Columbia last week. The event was well attended and included comments from SCPF Chair David Rush of Palmetto AgriBusiness Council member House of Raeford; SCPF Executive Director and PABC Board member Trey Byars; State Senator Wes Climer Senate Ag & Nat Resources Chairman; and SC Lt Governor Pamela Evette.

The food and refreshments were great as was the networking. Supportive comments were provided by Lt. Governor Evette and Senator Climer.

Lt. Governor Pamela Evette speaks to the Friends of the Flock. Story and image courtesy PABC.

Originally posted by The Post & Courier, November 16, 2024

Recycling just got easier in South Carolina with the introduction of the Recycle Here SC mobile phone app.

The app — developed through a partnership between the SC Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), PalmettoPride, and the SC Beverage Association — will consolidate information for South Carolina residents on what, where and how to recycle different items at different locations across the state.

“While our web-based tool that provides recycling information has been extremely successful, this new app — which is one of the first of its kind nationwide — will make access to recycling information more convenient, reduce confusion and lessen contamination of recyclable materials,” said Myra Reece, SCDES Interim Director. “This app will also support South Carolina’s efforts to achieve a goal of recycling 50 percent of the state’s municipal solid waste by 2030.”

Confusion about what items can and can’t be recycled paired with contamination, which is placing items that can’t be recycled into a recycling bin, are the biggest challenges faced by recycling programs throughout the nation.

“With the launch of the Recycle Here SC app, we’re equipping South Carolinians with a powerful tool to make recycling more accessible and efficient,” said Lt. Governor Pamela S. Evette. “Since much of the litter in our communities consists of items that could have been recycled, this initiative will also play a key role in reducing litter across our state.”

The Recycle Here SC app lists all the recycling programs in the state and allows residents to:

  • Search for recycling locations and programs within their counties;
  • Filter locations based on items needing to be recycled;
  • Search and sign up for notifications about special collection events (such as household hazardous waste take-back days, paper shredding days and electronic collection events);
  • Learn about recycling, composting, litter prevention, and waste reduction programs led by SCDES and PalmettoPride and
  • Find out how to properly dispose of other material.

The Recycle Here SC app is meant to complement pre-existing mobile apps that some counties already have in place, as it focuses on information for the state instead of the county level. For the counties that don’t have a recycling app, this new product puts the information right at their residents’ fingertips.

“It’s essential for residents to understand that local recycling programs can vary considerably on which items they’re able to collect,” Reece said. “Municipalities nationwide are facing increased costs for their recycling programs, often due to high contamination rates. Having the right items in the right bin increases the value of the recyclables, lowers processing costs, and provides clean raw material to manufacturers for making new products.”

Anyone without the ability to use a mobile phone app can continue to refer to SCDES’s Where to Recycle webpage for a list of county and city recycling locations throughout the state, available at //des.sc.gov/recycleheresc.

Funding for the Recycle Here SC app was provided through the Solid Waste Infrastructure

for Recycling (SWIFR) grant offered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and awarded to SCDES. PalmettoPride and the S.C. Beverage Association also provided funding and support.

The launch of the Recycle Here SC app coincides with America Recycles Day, which is recognized each year on Nov. 15 to highlight the importance and impact of recycling and how it protects the environment.

Learn more about SCDES’s role with supporting successful recycling programs through South Carolina at //des.sc.gov/recycling.

By Alyssa Young, originally published by Spectrum News November 8, 2024.

Columbia S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster and Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette announced the launch of Farm and Forest Recovery Resource Days, which will assist South Carolina’s farming and forestry communities affected by Hurricane Helene.

Acting as a one stop shop to learn about available assistance and services, Farm and Forest Recovery Resource Days will take place in Aiken on Friday, November 15, Greenville on Thursday, November 21, and Myrtle Beach on Friday, December 6th.

Damage assessments completed by the S.C. Department of Agriculture and S.C. Forestry Commission estimated the total financial damage to South Carolina’s agribusiness industry from Hurricane Helene, Tropical Storm Debby, and this summer’s flash drought to be $621 million.

In response, Governor McMaster today wrote a letter to members of the South Carolina Congressional Delegation requesting their support in securing federal funding through a block grant to the S.C. Department of Agriculture. This would allow additional resources to be deployed to affected farming and forestry communities across the state.

“These staggering losses represent a critical blow to an industry already contending with rising inflation, labor shortages, and market pressures. The future of hundreds of agricultural operations is at risk, and without timely intervention, we face the prospect of long-term harm to the livelihoods of families who sustain our rural communities and contribute significantly to South Carolina’s prosperity and heritage,” Governor McMaster wrote in his letter.

By Jane Robelot. Originally posted by WYFF News 4 on 11/7/2024

The governor’s office’s strong relationship with Trump helps South Carolina.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The election night party in Palm Beach, Florida, became more electric when Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign announced she would not address her supporters gathered at Howard University until the following day.

Cheering Republicans at Donald Trump’s official watch party knew that meant their candidate would soon have the electoral votes needed to secure the White House.

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and her husband David were among the invited guests.

She tells WYFF News 4 that the mood of the room was “high energy” all night: “It was a great day to be a Trump supporter, and it was a great night to be celebrating with everybody who has worked so hard across our nation to get him back in the White House.”

And as each state ticked red, the party intensified, Evette said.

“You could tell as they finally called Georgia and they called North Carolina, and Pennsylvania was looking good for us; the mood just kept getting bigger and bigger until it rose to the level of a President Trump win and President Trump taking the stage with his family,” she said.

Evette credits Trump with bringing new voices to the Republican tent and anticipates it will bring new growth to the party: “I think it’s a great testament to the legacy he’s going to leave, bringing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. into the mix and Tulsi Gabbard, bringing in Elon Musk and Joe Rogan, to get the best and brightest into the room, and make great quality changes to make America great again.”

Evette believes the Trump victory will translate into a strong working relationship between the White House and the South Carolina governor’s office, which she says is a win for South Carolina.Ec

Click here to watch a video to hear more about how that relationship benefits South Carolina.

By Bria Smith, originally posted October 18 by WJBF News Channel 6

AIKEN, S.C. (WJBF) – Today a Team South Carolina Day was held in Aiken County. Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette was there to cheer on the team in charge of bringing relief to victims of Hurricane Helene.

County Days like these provide local residents, affected by Hurricane Helene with a one stop opportunity to learn about relief resources available to them.

“Well, I am homeless. So, my tent got messed up and all of my stuff got messed up and I asked for assistance on helping me with food and stuff, and they’re trying to come inspect the woods where my tent was and I’m like ‘that doesn’t make sense to me, how would you inspect the woods…,” Christina Stewart, who attended the event, said.

It’s stories like Christina Stewart’s, this event was designed– to make all resources easily-accessible to residents in Aiken, Saluda, and Edgefield counties no matter their living circumstances. 

“It’s, it’s the people that come, they’re coming here because they really don’t know what to do, most of the time it’s our seniors, and I think that’s something we have to be very conscious of– my mom will be 96 tomorrow, so I realize first-hand that technology gets way past what our seniors feel comfortable on. And so, bringing every single state resource, bringing in FEMA, bringing in local government and sitting in one room and letting people get the services they need…,” Lt. Governor, S.C. Pamela Evette said.

Many impacted by the hurricane say it’s hard to get all the information on local resources due to power and internet service outages. 

“It’s actually good to have this stuff out because not everybody has internet, they don’t know how to use the internet for applications. A whole lot of older people, they have problems with that and, and them coming out just to help all of us– because we don’t have access to the internet and phones and stuff, and you just come out here and actually speak to someone and get a clear answer…” Stewart said.

And other issues post-Helene causes that could be rooted deeper.

“When you have a disaster like this, the amount of stress that develops for each person– and each person has their own story, obviously. Whether they lost their house or their pet, they are going to be in need of having a talk– being able to express how they feel,” S.C. Department of Mental Health Dr. Robert Bank said.

While the Aiken County “County Day” is over with, today, you can visit SCEMD for the three additional county days they will be adding.