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$19M early childhood education center being constructed in Spartanburg County

By Chris Lavender. Originally posted by The Post & Courier Spartanburg on May 8, 2025

DUNCAN — A $19 million early childhood education facility will soon take shape, providing additional resources in a rapidly growing section of Spartanburg County.

On schedule to open in August 2026, the 44,500-square-foot Middle Tyger Education Center at 101 S. Danzler Road will sit across from Duncan Elementary School.

The project is possible through a partnership involving SEW Eurodrive, Spartanburg County School District 5, Spartanburg Academic Movement, Middle Tyger Community Center and the S.C. General Assembly.

The school district donated 13 acres for the new center.

Lt. Gov. Pam Evette stopped on May 7 at SEW Eurodrive in Wellford to speak on the new center and efforts statewide to boost early childhood education.

“There’s also a lot of work gone into providing school choice, and education remains a top priority in South Carolina,” Evette said. “The new center for early childhood education being developed for this community at large will be a template and model, and I am hoping to talk about it all over the state with other businesses.”

The new center will have 17 classrooms and serve up to 260 children ages 6 weeks through 4K. The new center will create 25 jobs.

Middle Tyger Community Center Executive Director Haley Grau told The Post and Courier the new center will help expand the district’s current model.

“We want to make sure that we can keep serving children and provide high-quality child care,” Grau said. “This is going to be incredible for our workforce. We just want to make sure people can work and have child care.”

The average cost for child care annually in the area is about $14,000 annually or $300 per week. The new center is expected to alleviate the financial strain of child care on families in the region.

SEW Eurodrive is among the project’s supporters. The company is a global private industry that manufactures gearboxes.

“SEW Eurodrive is proud to invest in the future of this community by supporting the Middle Tyger Education Center,” said Rainer Blickle, vice president of SEW Eurodrive USA. “We believe strongly in the mission of MTCC and in the power of early education to uplift families. This project will have a lasting impact not only for our employees’ families, but for the broader economic and social health of the region.”

Former state Rep. Rita Allison, who attended a media conference at SEW Eurodrive, spoke about the new center’s innovative partnership.

“The center is going to be an economic development tool,” Allison said. “There are so many places in our state that need this model with the school district, Middle Tyger Community Center and businesses coming together with all their talents.”

The site at the corner of East Main Street and South Danzler has been cleared of trees for the new center, and construction should start in late 2025.

Grau said children with disabilities and living in poverty are prioritized in the center’s child care program enrollment process. The two-story facility will also include space for future expansion and playgrounds.

Spartanburg Academic Movement has committed $500,000 for the project. Grau said the General Assembly earmarked $3.5 million for the project.

SC governor visits Grand Strand ahead of 2025 ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic

by Joe Wedra, originally posted May 7, 2025 by My Horry News

State officials and government leaders, including S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette praised the 2025 ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic and its impact at a press conference at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club on Wednesday, May 7.

McMaster and Evette were joined by others, like Sen. Luke Rankin and Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune, as a part of an official event to kick off the tournament.

Evette said the event is a major boost to the state, helping attract even more fans to the area through the media exposure the tournament brings.

“The first thing they want to do is sit down, get in front of their computer, book a room and come here to play golf, right here in South Carolina and right here in Myrtle Beach,” Evette said. “This is our second year of this tournament, and it’s a very exciting time.”

McMaster praised the Myrtle Beach area as being a welcoming place to host a PGA Tour event. A key talking point amongst tournament leaders for the past several months has been the “overdue” nature of the PGA Tour coming to Myrtle Beach.

“That’s 60 miles of unbroken white sand,” McMaster said, gesturing to the oceanfront view beyond the Dunes Club ballroom. “They call it the Grand Strand. You can’t find it anywhere else… all kinds of things have attracted people here for years and years. It’s always the people and it’s always the place.”

Evette said the event is a major boost to the state, helping attract even more fans to the area through the media exposure the tournament brings.

“The first thing they want to do is sit down, get in front of their computer, book a room and come here to play golf, right here in South Carolina and right here in Myrtle Beach,” Evette said. “This is our second year of this tournament, and it’s a very exciting time.”

McMaster praised the Myrtle Beach area as being a welcoming place to host a PGA Tour event. A key talking point amongst tournament leaders for the past several months has been the “overdue” nature of the PGA Tour coming to Myrtle Beach.

“That’s 60 miles of unbroken white sand,” McMaster said, gesturing to the oceanfront view beyond the Dunes Club ballroom. “They call it the Grand Strand. You can’t find it anywhere else… all kinds of things have attracted people here for years and years. It’s always the people and it’s always the place.”

Rajput said celebrities like Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell enjoyed playing in the Wednesday pro-am event, and have already indicated that they would like to be apart of the event in 2026.

Tracy Conner, interim president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, said at Wednesday’s press conference that the current contract with the PGA Tour is through 2027 and that conversations will begin this fall about “extensions and other opportunities.”

Evette said the Classic, and the game of golf as a whole, continues to have a significant positive economic impact for the state. All leaders at Wednesday’s press conference seemed to indicate that the event has a very realistic chance of sticking in the area for years to come.

“I think it is unlimited, the amount of economic impact it has and the draw that it has, bringing people to South Carolina,” Evette said of the tournament’s benefits.

Tournament play begins on Thursday at the Dunes Club and will continue throughout the weekend with the final round taking place on Sunday.

South Carolina skilled trades: A call for hands-on talent

By Destiny Kennedy, originally published by WMBF on May 7, 2025

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) -Local leaders and organizers highlight the growing need for skilled workforce in the trades industry.

Join us as we speak with the Horry Georgetown Home Builders Association about the importance of getting people involved in the skilled trades.

South Carolina Lieutenant Governor, Pamela Evette stopped by to discuss the rising demand for skilled trades and the steps the state is taking to support workforce development.

We even spoke with Horry Georgetown Technical College and BELFOR about their hands-on training programs that are preparing students for careers in trades.

If your interested in a career in skilled trades, visit Horry Georgetown Home Builders Association’s website here.

Grand Strand Today airs weekdays at 11 am on WMBF News.

Vance Touts ‘Technology of the Future’ on Display in South Carolina Steel Plant

The vice president rejected claims that U.S. trade policies are geared to ‘bring back jobs of the past,’ citing Nucor operation as ‘jobs of the future.’

By John Haughey, originally published May 1, 2025

Vice President JD Vance didn’t have new trade deals to announce, nor did he address trade negotiations or changes to President Donald Trump’s tariff regime during his May 1 tour of Nucor’s steel plant outside Huger in Berkeley County, South Carolina.

Instead, he came to the 62-acre, 30-year-old plant 35 miles north of Charleston to celebrate the Trump administration’s first 100 days, calling it “the beginning of the industrial renaissance in the United States of America.”

“A ‘golden age of American manufacturing’ started 100 days ago, and we’re building it right here at Nucor Steel in South Carolina,” Vance said after touring the plant, which employs 1,000 workers and 350 contractors.

Vance was accompanied by South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.

Zeldin said federal agencies “should be doing nothing but helping American manufacturing,” not building regulatory roadblocks.

“We believe we can both protect the environment and grow the economy. We choose both,” Zeldin said.

He noted the EPA in March initiated “the largest deregulatory action in the history of the United States of America” to boost energy development and foster a domestic “manufacturing renaissance.”

Those early moves—including 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminum—are important for domestic heavy industry, Nucor CEO Leon Topalian said.

Under the new administration’s policies, “Nucor will continue to invest and grow this company … ensuring our nation has the strongest and most diverse steel and steel products available anywhere in the world,” he said.

In a Feb. 10 executive order, Trump reinstated his “full” 25-percent tariff on all steel imports imposed during his first administration.

The tariffs are authorized under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which gives the president the capacity to adjust imports to “protect national security.”

While President Joe Biden lifted Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs on certain countries, such as Japan and the United Kingdom, he retained most and expanded those against steelmakers in China.

Vance dismissed criticism of the president’s tariffs and trade policies from people he said “ought to know better.”

The president’s policies “do a very simple thing—rebalance trade in favor of American workers and American businesses, instead of foreign workers and foreign corporations.”

State of Domestic Steel

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, America’s iron and steel industry produced 81 million tons of “raw steel” in 2024 with an estimated value of $120 billion, a 10 percent decrease from $132 billion produced in 2023.

U.S. steel production ranks fourth globally behind China, India, and Japan.

China dominates the market, producing 1,000 million tons annually, accounting for approximately 54 percent of global trade, according to the World Steel Association.
The Department of Commerce’s U.S. International Trade Administration reports the U.S. imported 26.2 million metric tons of steel worth $33 billion in 2024, a 2.5 percent increase in imports from 2023.

Its data show 2024 steel imports from 79 nations. U.S. buyers purchased $7.7 billion in steel from Canada, followed by Brazil ($4.5 billion), Mexico ($3.3 billion), and South Korea ($1.9 billion).

In 2014, there were 150,000 people employed in the U.S. steel mills, and another 70,000 working in foundries, who produced $113 billion in steel, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
An IBISWorld April 2025 report documents 80,713 employees and 235 U.S. steelmaking businesses in 2024. It projects a $4 billion 2025 decline from 2024’s $139.6 billion in U.S. steel revenues.

This trend must end, Vance said, calling the Nucor tour a “meaningful stop” for him because his grandfather, “the man who raised me,” worked 40 years as a welder at Armco Steel in Middletown, Ohio.

Yet, he said, “I’ve actually never had a tour of a steel mill” until viewing Nucor’s plant, where the control room is “like a spaceship.”

“I felt like Homer Simpson,” Vance said.

“What it made me realize is this technology … We use this term [and] we think about it as iPhones in our pockets … But technology is happening right here at a steelmaking facility in Newport, in Berkeley, in South Carolina. That is the technology of the future.”

He then refuted claims that Trump “wants to bring back the jobs of the past.”

“I don’t think anything could be further from the truth. I don’t see the steel mill jobs in the past,” he said.

“I see the steel mill jobs in the future. I see technology allowing us to do something today that my grandfather, God love him, wasn’t doing 40 years ago at Armco Steel in Middletown, Ohio.”

Nucor, Cleveland-Cliffs, Carpenter Technology, Commercial Metals Company, Steel Dynamics, and U.S. Steel are the largest American steel producers.

Nucor, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, was established in 1897. It is North America’s largest steelmaker and recycler.

According to the company, it employs more than 32,000 Americans in 300 sites, including nine operations with a 2,500-worker payroll in South Carolina, integral to the 500 companies associated with auto manufacturing in the state.

“Every year, Nucor produces about 25 percent of the steel consumed in the United States at our 26 steel mills,” Topalian said.

Nucor reported $30.7 billion in 2024 sales, an 11 percent decline in revenues from 2023, the company reported in its 2024 Annual Report. Meanwhile, it enjoyed a 10 percent boost in production over the first three months of 2025, it says.

Vance did not address what Trump may decide regarding the purchase of U.S. Steel by Japan-based Nippon Steel.

Before leaving office in January, Biden issued an order prohibiting the $14.1 billion acquisition. Trump also opposes the sale.

Supporters, which include local United Mine Workers unions in the Pittsburgh area, say the deal would elevate U.S. Steel from being the world’s 16th largest steelmaker to being part of the globe’s third-largest steel producer.

Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel have filed a lawsuit challenging Biden’s decision.

Despite his misgivings, in an April 7 presidential memorandum, Trump directed the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review the proposed sale “to assist me in determining whether further action in this matter may be appropriate.”

By mid-to-late May, the committee will provide “a recommendation … describing whether any measures proposed by the parties are sufficient to mitigate any national security risks.”

From The Epoch Times
Lt. Gov. Evette Attends Milo’s Tea Co. Grand Opening in Spartanburg County

By Tiare Solis, originally posted April 22, 2025 in Upstate Business Journal

Milo’s Tea Co. held a grand opening for its new Spartanburg County production facility April 22.

The 110,000-square-foot facility is located just off Interstate 26 in Moore and represents a $200 million economic investment in the Upstate. Present at the ribbon cutting were Milo’s CEO Tricia Wallwork, Walmart CEO John Furner and Gov. Henry McMaster, among others.

“We built a business based on values, on putting people first, on delicious drinks with real ingredients that you have in your kitchen and a growth mindset,” Wallwork said. “We’re blessed to have team of remarkable people right here in the Upstate that are ready to live our values.”

Milo’s was founded in Birmingham, Alabama, as Milo’s Hamburgers in 1946 by Wallwork’s grandparents, Milo and Bea Carlton. The restaurant served burgers, fries and sweet tea, and it still exists today. The restaurant franchised in 1982 with Wallwork’s parents.

Walmart partnership

The beverage component eventually branched off into Milo’s Tea Co., which partnered with Walmart roughly 30 years ago. In 2013, Walmart launched its U.S. Manufacturing Initiative, and Wallwork sought an opportunity for expansion.

Milo’s tea is now available at more than 55,000 retail locations.

The Spartanburg County operation was announced in June 2023. The opening marks the fourth facility for the family-owned tea company. It opened a Tulsa, Oklahoma, facility in 2020 to serve western states.

“Now we want to come a little bit further east and a little bit further north so that we could access all of the Eastern Seaboard,” said Milo’s COO Chris Droney.

The Spartanburg facility will brew and package tea, which will then be shipped to Walmart regional distribution centers.

“We continue to be closer to where customers are and closer to our distribution cities, which is a great opportunity for us,” said Will McDonald, Walmart vice president of merchandising for beverages.

By the end of the year, the facility will ramp up to annually produce 25 million cases of tea, each containing four one-gallon bottles. When fully operational, it will employ more than 200 workers.

South Carolina Lt. Governor Pamela Evette Announces STEM Funding for the Palmetto Academy for Motor Sports

PALM to receive funding as part of the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) Lt. Governors’ STEM Scholarship Program

CONWAY, SOUTH CAROLINA – South Carolina Lt. Governor Pamela Evette has announced that Palmetto Academy for Motor Sports is an award recipient of the 2025 NLGA Lt. Governors STEM Scholarship Program!  NLGA will award the school $500 as part of a national call for applications for funding STEM programming and curriculum in schools.

“STEM opportunities are essential for students across all ages, disciplines, and career paths,” said Lt. Governor Evette. “South Carolina stands as a national leader in the automotive, manufacturing, and motorsports industries. Through supporting STEM education at PALM, the NLGA funding is advancing the education and development of South Carolina’s future S.C. workforce.”

PALM is a vocational high school dedicated to preparing students for careers in the motorsports industry. The STEM Scholarship will provide funding for microscopes, enabling students to incorporate microscopy into subjects like biology and chemistry, and to enhance their academic experience through a robust, competency-based curriculum.

NLGA opened the application period for the STEM Scholarship Program in January 2025. The application process was competitive, with NLGA receiving more than 125 requests for STEM funding from schools in 32 states and territories. Twelve schools in 12 states and territories were awarded $500 – $1,000 for STEM-related expenses.

“As the seconds-in-command in state and territorial government, lieutenant governors are uniquely poised to lead on STEM education,” said NLGA Executive Director Kellie Rittershausen. “By supporting STEM-related activities in schools across the country, we can encourage a long-term interest and passion in STEM education in America’s youth.”

The Scholarship Program is administered by NLGA, the nonpartisan, nonprofit association for the nation’s seconds-in-command, and sponsored by ACT, the education and career readiness nonprofit.

“ACT is proud to have been the sponsor of the NLGA STEM scholarship program since its inception and to see its growth and impact over the past 4 years,” ACT CEO Janet Godwin said. “STEM education is crucial for our country’s future workforce which will be increasingly reliant on the critical thinking and problem-solving skills it fosters, regardless of a student’s college or career pathway.  ACT is uniquely poised to meet this moment, and working alongside NLGA, we are committed to ensuring that all students leave high school prepared to enter a world of evolving postsecondary and work opportunities, including those for which a high-quality STEM education are essential.”

Public, private, and tribal schools serving pre-K – 12th grade students in the 50 states and five U.S. territories were invited to apply for funding to support STEM-related activities, programming, curriculum, equipment, and other expenses. Funding will be provided to all winning schools in May.

Additional information on the STEM Scholarship Program can be found at https://nlga.us/state-strategies-in-stem/.

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Aim Higher SC: Lieutenant Governor Evette’s March 2025 Email Update
Subscribe to Receive Email Updates

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

Read the Full March 2025 Email Update
Charleston event to feature South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette at New Realm Brewing

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

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — 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.

World’s largest center console boat travels through South Carolina today

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

DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. —

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.

Lt. Gov. Evette says delivery of F-16 to Bulgaria is “Peace Through Strength”

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

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. —

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.