Tag: Economy

North Augusta to open a multispecialty clinic for cancer patients

By Aria Surka with WFXG News, originally posted 1/13/24

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – In an effort to support North Augusta’s downtown revitalization and maximize the use of the Medac building, Augusta Oncology says it’s bringing a new multispecialty clinic to the former Medac building.

City and state leaders announced the second phase of the Beacon Bluff project.

North Augusta says this will bring 250 jobs and will be the most advanced radiation treatment facility in Georgia and South Carolina.

South Carolina Senator, Tom Young said “Our goal is for there to be timely affordable and accessible care for South Carolinians and Georgians in this region by doing that and it is a win win for consumers and patients in our view and as Governor McMaster said last year as he signed the legislation he said South Carolina is open for business.”

This center will provide chemotherapy and radiation, making it easier on patients to get all their treatments at one site. 

Augusta oncology’s plan is to have a 30 thousand square foot medical oncology suite on the second floor to include chemotherapy and a 15 thousand square foot radiation center with what it calls the latest technology in the two-state area. 

 “Our patients have relayed to us that their most difficult challenges is traveling to multiple sites to receive their cancer care. This puts a strain on their and it puts a strain on the patient. Our goal is to enhance the cancer patient’s experience and provide the most advanced care with cutting edge technology for these patients,” said Augusta Oncology CEO, Tracy Duffie.

This clinic along with the full beacon bluff development project represents over $35 million dollars into North Augusta.

 “It doesn’t stop here we want to sure this year in our executive budget,” said SC Lieutenant Governor, Pamela Evette, “We are targeting investments in health care agencies to help patients benefit. We are looking forward to this not just being the first but the first of many announcements across our state.”

Demolition for this project will begin February 5th with a goal to be open and treating patients by the end of this year.

Lt. Gov. Evette discusses workforce development at Coastal Carolina University

by: Adrianna Lawrence with WBTW. Originally posted Nov. 17, 2023

CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) — South Carolina’s lieutenant governor visited Coastal Carolina University on Thursday to talk about workforce development with the College of Graduate and Continuing Studies.

Representatives from Santee Cooper and Conway Medical Center also talked about how the workforce needs to continue to improve and grow. 

“Here in South Carolina, we’ve been very focused on creating the workforce of tomorrow, making sure that the world-class companies that are coming here to our state have the workforce that they need,” Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette said.

The Grand Strand is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country but ranks low for people obtaining college degrees. Recent U.S. Census Data shows nearly 30% of the state’s residents 25 or older have a bachelor’s degree. In Horry County, that number is about 24%.

CCU officials acknowledge the need for higher education credentials across the state. Evette said colleges influence the workforce starting at a young age.

“Many of the skills that we find our employees are lacking are soft skills, things that you learn in that first job,” Evette said. “So for all the parents that are watching, realize we need your children.”

Evette said the problem isn’t limited to South Carolina. It’s a worldwide issue. She also said colleges can help give hope to young adults looking for a path while solving the current problems employers face.

“When you get your kids employed and they get out there and see the real world and they see what’s going on and they see the difference that education makes, it inspires them to make sure that they stay in school, they do well,” she said.

Dr. Lee Brown, the dean of CCU’s College of Graduate and Continuing Studies, said they created the program two years ago and have seen a significant increase in adult enrollment.

“Trying to be flexible, convenient, for that mom that has to work and has an issue with daycare or has to be home in the evening, being able to provide that access to education is where we sort of hang our hat on,” Brown said.

CCU recently began offering a program called CCU Complete that allows students who have earned some college credit in the past but did not finish to return and take up to five classes for $100 each.

Lt. Gov. touts education at chamber luncheon

Brandon Roberts,

Originally published in The Summerville Journal Scene on Nov 7, 2023

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette talked about the importance of education and a burgeoning workforce at the Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Legislative Luncheon Tuesday, Oct. 31, at the Summerville Country Club.

Along with Evette, the 93rd Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina and the state’s first female Republican lieutenant governor, state legislators Sen. Sean Bennett, Sen. Sandy Senn, Rep. Chris Murphy, Rep. Gary Brewer and Rep. Robby Robbins spoke about adopted legislation and current legislation being considered in Columbia and what it could mean for the greater Summerville area.  

Evette first spoke about the role South Carolina’s technical schools play in the future of the state’s commerce and economic development and efforts to get young people involved in the workforce.

“When I became lieutenant governor, along with the governor, we decided to use our platform or microphone to really talk about the technical schools, and what a big impact they have because everywhere I go, every business I talk to, relies on the workforce provided through our technical colleges,” she said. “When I first became lieutenant governor – this is kind of a daunting statistic – we only had 42% of our population that had secondary degrees or certifications, and with the amount of industry that we have in South Carolina, and continuing to come in, we should have been at like 71 or 72%. So, we really have a lot of ground to make up.”

Evette mentioned the importance of workforce scholarships and said they are “making all the difference” in the state’s employment numbers. Workforce Scholarships for the Future cover tuition and required fees at the state’s 16 technical colleges for South Carolina residents enrolled in a high-demand field such as manufacturing, healthcare, computer science and information technology, transportation, distribution and logistics, or construction. She said these scholarships give people a real opportunity to join and thrive in the workforce.

Employees with basic communication and problem-solving skills is also something businesses desire but have difficulty finding, she said.  

“I fancy myself a business person, so I like to be out in the community,” she said. “I like to sit across the table from businesses. I like to figure out what we can do to really make businesses grow. As I travel around, I keep hearing, first and foremost from businesses, can you please teach soft skills in the classroom? We’re getting these great kids out of college and they don’t know how to talk. They don’t know how to solve problems. Can you just teach that?”

Evette then spoke about the importance of students learning fiscal responsibility, saying many young people “do not know the value of a dollar” or how long it takes to pay off loans.

“You can’t teach fiscal responsibility to somebody who’s never had a job because they have no idea what they have to give up to earn a dollar,” she said. “I started going around the state encouraging parents to get their kids working again. Our mom-and pop-companies need our kids to start working again. That’s why our favorite coffee shop’s not open on Sundays anymore and you can’t go get an ice cream cone after eight o’clock. There’s nobody to work.”

Evette said South Carolina’s small businesses and young adults need the experience of having a first job and she will be working with the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) to focus on youth employment.

“Youth employment in South Carolina is the lowest it’s ever been,” she said. “And it’s not just here, it’s everywhere, and it’s not just everywhere in our country. When I was in Germany, I asked them what their three pain points were. It was energy, employee workforce and immigration – the same things we’re dealing with here in our country, they’re dealing with there. Getting those kids working is really a big deal.” 

Lt. Governor presents engraved plate to Palmetto Synthetics

BY MICHAELE DUKE Williamsburg Hometown Chamber Director

Originally published in The News on Sep 27, 2023

Local industry, Palmetto Synthetics, has been producing thermoplastic fibers to companies across the globe since 1997. On September 13, owners Henry and David Poston were recognized by Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette for their 25 years of leadership in the textile industry. Palmetto Synthetics produces materials that are used in a myriad of applications such as military grade clothing and inside automobiles. The industry is also celebrating six expansions since opening. Evette toured the facility and presented the men with a brass plate engraved with the Department of Commerce and Governor’s Seal.

“I love talking about new businesses, but I also love talking about businesses that have been here so long that have created a family and a culture and a reputation in rural areas that are not rural anymore,” said Evette. “They are continuing to grow, and we are needing more and more people in our great state that want to be a part of our manufacturing framework.”

Leading the recycling and sustainability industry for over 25 years, Palmetto Synthetics is supportive of our community and workforce pipeline through initiatives such as the Apprenticeship Carolina program.

They could have started their company anywhere but chose Kingstree because of the people. “It didn’t take very long to decide where to build because part of the reason is the good people,” said Henry Poston. “We can talk about all the good that we’ve done but without the people here we wouldn’t be here”.

Lt. Gov. Evette was elected on November 6, 2018. Evette is an advocate of getting kids between high school and college into the workforce through programs such as Apprenticeship Carolina, which Palmetto Synthetics is involved in. Evette is also a champion of “Grab A Bag”, a campaign through Palmetto Pride, that encourages communities to pick up litter. In August, she was awarded the 2023 Recycling Impact Award for demonstrating leadership in recycling, resource conservation, and sustainability in the U.S.

SC lieutenant governor promotes STEM education as key to attracting tech industry

by Michael Owen – originally published by WPDE on September 14, 2023

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — South Carolina is pushing to be an attractive destination for tech companies, and our state’s Lieutenant Governor said the key is being a national leader in stem education.

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette visited the Grand Strand today to speak at a tech conference.

She was the host speaker Wednesday at the SC Decoded Conference in North Myrtle Beach.

She said that having these types of jobs and education resources available is crucial to our area if we want the younger generations to stay here.

The Lieutenant Governor also said that while Myrtle Beach has always been routed in hospitality, it’s now expanding into a new industry.

“With DC Blox announcing they’re coming to Myrtle Beach, basically bringing transatlantic fiber in here and being a data center. So, what that’s saying is this is the area you want to be in if you’re going to be in the cyber computer science arena,” said Lt. Gov. Evette.

In order to keep attracting those companies and providing future generations with jobs, Evette said education is the key.

“We have an opportunity. There are great choices in this field, and we as a state, want our kids to stay here. We’re looking out into the future that we are educating our kids for the jobs of the future,” she said.

In 2018, just 43% of all high schools in South Carolina offered computer science courses. Now 93% offer them, which is number two in the country.

She said we need to introduce kids to stem fields at earlier ages.

“It’s never too young. You know I first learned here in Myrtle Beach about STEM and STEAM doing robotics. They start them out very young with Legos getting the dexterity to put things together to create and build and they continue to ramp that up each year,” said Lt. Gov. Evette.

The leader of FIRST Robotics competitions in South Carolina tells me they have kids as young as four years old participating.

“When you go look at kids, they’re using technology. They’re using their iPads. They’re using all these resources and sometimes it’s just to have an environment they can relax in. What we try to do is flip that brain the other way and say how can we actually show the kids how to build that app,” said Chris Cortez, FIRST South Carolina. He added, “They’re using encoding skills that we teach them to build those apps. So they can actually understand at a fundamental level of actually how this comes to be.”

Cortez said FIRST wants to give all kids the opportunity to be introduced to STEM fields and have mentors to be able to help guide them in the industry.

“We also want to empower the students that are in our programs, and future members of our programs to stay in the state of South Carolina. There are great opportunities here and we are going to help build that economic boom of those STEM leaders with our programs,” said Cortez. He went on to add, “When they say there’s great jobs here, we want to be a part of that and say we’re helping build those opportunities for those kids to be successful for those businesses. So those businesses can come here and say ‘You know what there is a great workforce here.’ ”

The Lieutenant Governor agrees that equipping students with the right resources will be crucial to continued expansions into STEM careers for South Carolina. It’s not just kids she wants to be educated either. She also wants to see more veterans use scholarship opportunities to live in South Carolina and enter the STEM field. 

“We know that cyber is the future, technology is the future, and we want to make sure that we equip all South Carolina students with the knowledge that they need for these amazing careers,” said Lt. Gov. Evette.

Many tech companies were on hand for the meet and greet style event with speakers on topics like A.I. and cyber security.

ISRI awards South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette with 2023 Recycling Impact Award

Originally published August 17, 2023 by Recycling Product News

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has awarded South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette with the 2023 Recycling Impact Award.

The award, presented during the NLGA’s 2023 annual meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, is presented annually by ISRI in partnership with the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA), honouring a lieutenant governor demonstrating leadership in recycling, resource conservation, and sustainability in the U.S.

“Throughout her life, Lt. Governor Evette has been a champion of recycling initiatives, making an immeasurable impact on South Carolina,” said ISRI President Robin Wiener. “A true steward of the recycled materials industry and a dedicated public servant, she has demonstrated leadership in support of policies that recognize how valuable, high-quality recycled materials can support America’s sustainable supply chain. It is an honour to present her with the 2023 Recycling Impact Award, highlighting her contributions to critical recycling efforts.”

The granddaughter of a steel mill worker, Lt. Gov. Evette learned early on about the recycled material industry’s role as part of the global manufacturing supply chain. During her time in office, she has leaned on her experiences, along with her entrepreneurial background, to lead one of her key initiatives, ‘Grab A Bag SC’, a statewide effort encouraging communities across the state to pick up litter and recycle.

“This award serves as a collective reminder that every instance of recycling, regardless of its scale, truly impacts our communities and the pride we hold for them. Industries in our state count on recycled plastics this isn’t just an environmental issue but also a business issue,” said Lt. Gov. Pamela S. Evette. “I look forward to continuing to lead the charge against litter in South Carolina and hope this inspires others to take part in a recycling initiative in their community.

“The impact of our industry touches every aspect of life, from protecting the environment to ensuring the health of the manufacturing supply chain and supporting our communities through well-paying jobs,” said Mark Fredrickson, ISRI member and area manager of the South Carolina-based Commercial Metals Company (CMC) who presented Lt. Gov. Evette with the award. “Lt. Gov. Evette understands the importance of recycled materials. We are grateful for her support of our industry and the core values of ISRI’s member companies.”

‘She Means Business’ spotlights Lt. Gov. Evette

Originally published by The Lancaster News on August 14, 2023

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette was the keynote speaker at the “She Means Business” last Thursday at Catawba Falls Events Center.

She discussed how being a woman and business owner influences her political decisions at the Aug. 10 Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce event, which drew about 300 people.

The night included a cocktail hour, dinner and dessert, a welcome speech by Angelica Figueroa with Sharonview Federal Credit Union, an introduction by Scott Broome with MUSC Health — Lancaster Division and a gift from Beckee Garris with the Catawba Nation.

Evette’s background

Evette is South Carolina’s second female lieutenant governor out of the 93 in the state’s history. She is the second in command to S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster.

She is also a mother of three and owner of Quality Business Solutions, a payroll, HR and benefits services firm. She is from Travelers Rest, SC.

Evette started work as an accountant after college and then started her business. She grew it to the size of a national company, and decided to jump ship to politics through the advice of three friends.

“Those three women did a ton to get me on the path that I’m on,” Evette said. “I met the governor (McMaster), and he asked me to run as his lieutenant governor.”

“So, not only am I the first female Republican lieutenant governor, but I’m the first lieutenant governor ever elected with a governor,” she said. “Lots of firsts — it’s almost a dream when you think I’ll be in the history books for all these things. It’s so cool and so surreal.”

Evette has served as lieutenant governor for five years, and was reelected last year. She was sworn in for her second term in January. Evette said she has spent the majority of her time helping businesses around the state, including cutting taxes, create a thriving page1image54573072

her time helping businesses around the state, including cutting taxes, create a thriving environment for businesses to excel and “creating the workforce of tomorrow.”

Focus on education

“As a mom, I have three children of my own, and education is really important,” Evette said. “I think we just have to make sure that our kids know how to think for themselves, that they can critically think and that we’re giving them the tools they need.”

Evette said that no matter what she accomplishes in her career, her biggest accomplishment is her children being healthy, happy and stable. She said her success with Quality Business Solutions, coupled with her political trailblazing for women, has given her the opportunity to leave a legacy for her children to follow.

During her speech, Evette highlighted her three focus areas for political policy: businesses, education and post-COVID economic stabilization and success.

Under her watch with McMaster, teachers received the highest pay raise for teachers on the East Coast this year — a $2,500 salary raise and a $2,500 bonus.

Evette also discussed the need to change society’s view of trade schools and technical colleges, as not every student thrives in a four-year college environment. She encouraged guests to change the negative narrative around non-traditional higher education, and highlighted the amazing jobs boosting the S.C. economy from trade and technical schools. Her son attended Greenville Technical College, and Evette said she is proud to support technical colleges in the Legislature and her personal life.

McMaster and Evette implemented $75 million in workforce scholarships statewide. “We want to make sure everyone has a quality job, a self-sustaining job,” she said.

Evette also highlighted the importance of getting children to start working at an earlier age, because those lower-level jobs support small businesses and teach fiscal responsibility. Evette emphasized how pro-business she and the governor are, noting that South Carolina is fourth in the nation for women-owned businesses.

“I want to thank you all so much, and thank you to the chamber for what you do,” Evette said. “We couldn’t do what we do without you helping keep our businesses thriving and growing.”

“I love talking about South Carolina’s fingerprints,” she said. “I love talking about our amazing South Carolina spirit.”

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Pamela Evette: South Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor & a TR Local

Lt. Governor Pamela Evette sat down with Lacey Eibert Keigley with Travelers Rest Here. During the interview they discussed Evette’s service to the state, her priorities, her values, her family, and living in Travelers Rest. 

Please find an excerpt below. Access the full story here.

Pamela Evette has served as South Carolina’s Lt. Governor for the past four years (with a recent re-election for four more years) and she lives in Travelers Rest. She and her husband have raised their family on a farm in TR for the past twenty years or so. The family home and farm are next door to their business and when she’s not traveling throughout the state in her official capacity, you can definitely find her at home with her husband and three children and her 94 year old mother who also lives with the family.

“Everybody knows everybody,” Evette shared about TR. “That’s the beauty of small towns.” We joked about the added benefit of raising kids in small towns. “Yes, we really bonded over that,” Evette laughed. “I mean, in a small town, as a kid, all the parents knew one another. If you did something two blocks away, your parents probably knew about it before you got home.”

Her family’s farm is an operating horse farm and Evette said she still enjoys riding. “In fact, not long after I was sworn into office, I rode a horse in the Aiken Christmas Parade.”  We shared a few stories of falling off horses, something we’ve both experienced and would rather not experience again, particularly as women over forty. As far as we both know, she’s the only female elected official in South Carolina to ride a horse in a parade – and, more importantly of course, Evette is the first female Republican Lieutenant Governor in our state of South Carolina. We’re proud she’s a local – and she’s proud to be one too.

Of course, TR continues to grow and to change – and has changed dramatically during the history of both Evette’s family life here and her personal and professional career. “Back when I moved here, downtown wasn’t really a downtown. It’s been so encouraging to see how everything has grown. The wonderful history that wraps around everything,” Evette said.

She believes the growth of Travelers Rest reflects the growth of the entire state. “I think the revitalization of the Main Street here in Travelers Rest is mirrored all over Main Streets in South Carolina.” She’s proud of TR – and we are too. Evette said she frequently talks about our shared small town’s growth and improvements. “The vision of the small shops, the Farmer’s Market – they’ve done a great job going back to their roots and finding their heritage. People are yearning to connect to that. It’s the best last stop before you go to the mountains.”

[…]

I found Evette to be sincere and direct. She cares about South Carolina, its economy, its diversity, its people.

“I want our kids to be proud South Carolinians, to be so proud of being from South Carolina,” she shared. “I talk a lot to people about South Carolina’s fingerprints. Sometimes we can take it for granted – how great this place is. For example, we are building more BMWs than anywhere in the world. That’s our fingerprints. We’re building boats in Charleston. Our fingerprints. We are building planes. Fingerprints of South Carolina. We make pharmaceuticals in the midlands that go all over the world. South Carolina fingerprints. I want to explain to our kids how proud they can be of where they live, how our South Carolina finger prints are all over.”

Grab a Bag SC: Statewide Litter Pickup Challenge Started by Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette

“Litter prevention is about citizens taking ownership of their neighborhoods and making sure that trash is put in its place before it can become litter. But while there is still litter, we must pick it up. Citizens, governments and business industries all have a part to play in changing the culture that leads to litter.” – S.C. Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette

Grab A Bag SC is a statewide litter pickup challenge inspired by South Carolina Lt. Governor Pamela Evette’s own experience picking up in her home community and even during her family vacations. 

It encourages South Carolinians to grab a bag, rally friends and family, put on safety gear and head outside for a chance to enjoy the outdoors while making a difference in their communities. The campaign is usually kicked off with an event every spring in coordination with a local Keep South Carolina Beautiful affiliate.

Litter pickup events are a great way to build relationships among families, neighbors, employees and elected officials. This is an inexpensive way to improve the esthetics of neighborhoods because litter is considered a gateway crime that negatively affects quality of life and community safety.

We encourage participants to sign up for Grab A Bag SC in their own community by visiting PalmettoPride’s Events page. Safety precautions are advised. After you’ve picked up your bag, challenge three friends to do the same. Just tag them on your favorite social media platform using #GrabABagSC.

Read the press release from the inaugural #GrabABagSC event in November 2019.

SC Candidates for Lieutenant Governor Debate

By Mary Green, WCSC Live 5 News, October 12, 2022

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) – Two of the candidates every South Carolinian will see on their ballot squared off Tuesday – less than a month before Election Day.

Current Republican Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette and Democrat Tally Parham Casey debated tonight in Columbia – making their cases to earn your vote.

The debate marks the only time the two women vying to hold South Carolina’s second-highest office are meeting on the debate stage – about two weeks before early voting opens across the state and four weeks ahead of Election Day.

Republican incumbent Pamela Evette and Democratic challenger Tally Parham Casey opposing each other for a job that’s main purpose is to be able to step in the governor can’t serve.

Evette – an Upstate businesswoman and South Carolina’s first female Republican lieutenant governor – is seeking to keep her job for another four years alongside Gov. Henry McMaster.

“We’ve made South Carolina better for our children and our children’s children,” Evette said.

Casey – an attorney and the first-ever female fighter pilot in the South Carolina Air National Guard – is on the ballot with former Democratic Congressman Joe Cunningham.

“Joe Cunningham and I want you to have more freedoms, not less,” Casey said.

The two women shared their goals for the limited power the lieutenant governor holds.

“I see the role as lieutenant governor for me as the opportunity to be both an ambassador and an advocate,” Casey said.

“When third-graders come through and walk through the capitol, I love that they see a woman in this position, to let girls know that nothing holds them back,” Evette said.

In the first major election following the overturn of Roe v. Wade – opening the doors for states to decide the legality of abortion within their borders – the candidates were split on what that should look like in South Carolina.

“In 2021, we passed a bipartisan heartbeat bill. We all proudly signed that bill. That bill is something I stand behind,” Evette said.

“If it were up to me, I would go back to the precedent set by Roe v. Wade, which was the law of the land for the past 50 years,” Casey said.

They also explained their campaign’s views on how to respond to the opioid epidemic, support South Carolinians with mental health needs and improve the state’s schools.

“The governor and I are very clear that we stand behind school choice,” Evette said.

“We want to make sure that our public schools are fully funded for the first time. They haven’t been fully funded since the 2007-2008 school year,” Casey said.

And in about two weeks – is the only debate currently scheduled between the two candidates for governor, McMaster and Cunningham.

That’s set for Oct. 26.

Watch the full debate on scetv.org.

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