electrician in Summerville, SC

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Sagebrook Home, a global home décor brand, today announced plans to establish operations in Berkeley County. The company’s $80 million investment will create 117 new jobs.

Founded in 2015, Sagebrook Home’s portfolio includes over 10,000 products including furniture, accessories, wall art, garden decor, lighting and more. The company is a leader in delivery, fulfillment and drop shipping to customers worldwide.

Located at 574 Trade Center Parkway in Summerville, Sagebrook Home’s Berkeley County facility will serve as a 500,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art distribution center for the company’s home décor and wholesale operations.

Operations are expected to be online in May 2022. Individuals interested in joining the Sagebrook Home team should visit the company’s contact page.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has awarded a $100,000 Set-Aside grant to Berkeley County to assist with the costs of site preparation and building construction.

QUOTES

“As Sagebrook Home continues to grow, the decision to distribute from both the East and West Coasts seemed a natural evolution. With the rising cost of shipping, there was no better time to add bicoastal distribution. This new distribution center gives us the opportunity to implement the latest in technology and keep Sagebrook Home a force in the HOME category.” -Sagebrook Home Co-CEO Justin Kachan

“With its proximity to Interstate 26, Interstate 95 and the Port of Charleston, Berkeley County is the ideal place for a business to get their product to marketplaces all over the world. Today’s announcement by Sagebrook Home is a testament to our strong logistics network that helps make South Carolina the ideal destination for businesses.” -Gov. Henry McMaster

“Sagebrook Home’s decision to locate a new distribution facility in Berkeley County is reason to celebrate. This announcement speaks volumes to our state’s logistics advantages, infrastructure and business-friendly environment.” -Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III

“SC Ports is thrilled to handle goods for Sagebrook’s first East Coast distribution center. This impressive home décor company will benefit from SC Ports’ creative supply chain solutions and expansive port infrastructure. Sagebrook’s new furniture distribution center builds on Charleston’s centrality to the furniture and home goods segment.” -SC Ports CEO Jim Newsome

“Berkeley County is proud to welcome Sagebrook Home to our community. Sagebrook Home’s $80 million investment will help provide more jobs and quality workforce opportunities for the hardworking people in our county. This industry commitment is proof that Berkeley County continues to shine as a bright beacon for industry growth.” -Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb

COLUMBIA, S.C. – ENGESER USA Corp., a world leading cable specialist, today announced plans to establish operations in Dorchester County. The company’s $1.5 million investment will create 26 new jobs.

Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Schramberg, Germany, ENGESER USA Corp. designs and manufactures high-quality products for cable and connection technology ranging from classic cable assembly to comprehensive system solutions. A family-owned company, ENGESER USA Corp. serves automotive applications, consumer and capital goods, solar engineering, rail technology and more.

Located at 115 Fabricators Street in Summerville, ENGESER USA Corp.’s Dorchester County facility is the company’s first North American manufacturing operation and will allow the company to offer direct delivery domestically and to European customers. The new facility will utilize modern technologies to produce cost-optimized, high-quality cable harnesses, one of ENGESER USA Corp.’s core areas of expertise.

Operations are expected to be online by September 2022. Individuals interested in joining the ENGESER USA Corp. team should visit the company’s careers page.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has awarded a $75,000 Set-Aside grant to Dorchester County to assist with costs related to this project.

QUOTES

“From the search for a location to the founding of the company, we were professionally accompanied by Dorchester County and the South Carolina Department of Commerce. As an experienced cable assembly products supplier, we are confident that we can add value to our customers in the United States. We intend to continue growing in Summerville and want to become an attractive employer.” -ENGESER USA Corp. Managing Director Dirk Kinzel

"South Carolina has earned a global reputation as an ideal location for companies to do business, and we are happy to welcome ENGESER USA Corp. to our roster of international firms operating in our state. We look forward to the impact they will make in the Dorchester County community and across all of South Carolina.” -Gov. Henry McMaster

“We congratulate ENGESER USA Corp. on their first North American operation right here in South Carolina. By locating in Dorchester County, ENGESER USA Corp. is telling the world that our state has the workforce and business-friendly environment in place to attract companies of all types. We look forward to a strong partnership for many years to come.” -Secretary of Commerce Harry M. Lightsey III

“We welcome ENGESER USA Corp. to Dorchester County and thank them for selecting us as their first location within the U.S. On behalf of the county, congratulations, and best wishes for future success.” -Dorchester County Council Chairman Bill Hearn

“We are pleased ENGESER USA Corp. selected the Charleston region for its first U.S. operation. They join an established group of German companies who are thriving here, and we look forward to ENGESER’s continued growth and expansion. The company will be a tremendous asset to our growing automotive cluster.” -Charleston Regional Development Alliance Board Chairman Mike Fuller

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) – Driving up to the parking garage in Downtown Summerville, you’ll see the word ‘free’ posted in several places.

A convenient place to park, near Summerville’s shops and restaurants, has been free since it was built in 2008.

“It is super convenient,” said one Summerville man. “I’m going right across the street to the shops here, and it’s a convenient place to park for it.”

But an idea being discussed among town leaders could mean patrons have to pay to park.

“The idea is just to charge for the garage, people who use the garage, just to recoup some of that money so the garage is self-sufficient and pays for itself,” said Russ Cornette, the Public Works Director for the Town of Summerville.

Since 2014, an average of $96,000 per year have been spent on maintenance, upkeep, and upgrades of the garage. Currently, that money is coming from the town and out of taxpayers’ pockets.

“Since 2014 we’ve invested about $770,000,” said Cornette.

He says maintenance gets more expensive as the years go on.

“The older a building gets, the more it’s going to cost the town, the taxpayers of the town. Many of the people who use this garage are non-residents. So it would be great to have the garage pay for itself from non-residents.”

When the garage was built, technology including ticket stations and a place for drop gates were installed just in case the town decided to start charging in the future.

“Council, at the time, decided it would be best not to charge people to park. But, at the time, they also decided to install some of the infrastructures to be able to charge in the future.”

Discussions have already started among stakeholders and the town, and more conversations will happen in the coming weeks and months. Cornette says the feedback he’s received so far has been mostly negative, but that a large portion of people who park in the garage are tourists and visitors.

“A lot of people probably that don’t live in Summerville also probably park here when there are events and Third Thursdays and things like that so is it good or bad…? I think there’s a balance that has to be struck between taking care of things and using them,” said a Summerville resident.

No decisions have been made yet, and the idea may not be implemented.

That decision is up to the town council.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCBD) — Dorchester County School District Two’s (DD2) new superintendent, Dr. Shane Robbins, hosted a workshop Friday with the district’s board of trustees to set goals for the upcoming school year.

The workshop agenda included reviewing the expectations of the school board and setting goals for the upcoming year.

“This is the first time they’ve ever gone through a superintendent search process in 22 years, and so it’s important for us to start off on the right foot,” Robbins said.

Robbins is replacing former DD2 superintendent Joseph Pye — who spent 52 years serving the district — after a strenuous search for a new superintendent.

School board leaders said Robbins has been meeting local stakeholders and making positive change in the community since before he began the role on July 1.

“It’s a great thing to see the new development of what things are to come,” said Gail Hughes, the board chairman for DD2.

Robbins said he is happy to see the district’s teacher vacancies dip down to double digits, but the district is still finding creative ways to improve the retention of their 1,500 teachers.

Hughes said this includes creating incentives and working with town leaders to recruit educators to work in the district.

“It’s my responsibility, it’s the board’s responsibility, to keep and retain the best and the brightest, and also to demonstrate we are the best option in the community for kids to receive their education,” Robbins said.

In his new role, some of Robbins’ goals include implementing new technology in the classroom and boosting student engagement, he said.

“Having that unified vision, in practice, not just in words, is really important,” Robbins said.

Robbins said the most common feedback he hears from parents in the district is the need for consistency and normalcy after the pandemic.

“We’re still on the hills of COVID, and trying to get kids back re-engaged at the highest level, and support our teachers the best we can,” Robbins said.

Regardless of the changes Robbins plans to implement, he said he plans to keep the district’s “students first” mindset at the core of his work.

“It’s a wonderful school district, they have great achievement levels. But there’s opportunities for us to get better,” Robbins said.

DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Homeowners in The Ponds community in Dorchester County near Summerville say they were made false promises by a home builder when they were purchasing their homes.

Over the past several days, neighbors have been emailing a copy of a map showing the nature trails in and around the neighborhood. However, there is very small print that says it’s a dynamic document and is subject to change.

“I understand the things they can’t give us, that we don’t have,” homeowner Babby Rajt said. “I do not understand taking away the things we already have. Those trails, the few that are left, are here. We don’t need to manufacture them across the highway.”

Back on April 18, the county mediated with home builder Kolter Homes to change the original 2005 development agreement – made between the county and Greenwood Development -- which the county has called “vague,” horrible” and “open-ended.”

“I cannot hold a developer responsible for something that’s not in the development agreement,” Dorchester County Councilmember David Chinnis said. “I cannot hold them responsible for a map they handed to someone at closing that’s not part of the development agreement. There’s no way possible for me to do that. Can the homeowners do that? Possibly.”

Part of the agreement includes Kolter having to install 10 miles of walking trails and keep existing trails intact.

According to documents, when the subdivision was first brought up for development, there were 18 miles of existing trails throughout the property.

“When I was settling on the property, I was given a golf cart tour of The Ponds, the trails I just mentioned and was led to believe that it was going to be expanded,” homeowner Joe Kirby said.

Now, neighbors say that’s down to three and a half miles of natural trails. They feel they were misled when buying their homes.

“Kolter absolutely misled all residents at the time, proposing or showing us trails that do not exist, putting fine print in every contract,” homeowner Brian Riesen said. “Kolter 100% false advertised this community as being the premier economic, social, cultural hub of Summerville.”

Meanwhile, the county says the map included in the original plan is not enforceable.

“As I look through this map and see this, there’s a lot of things that have changed, and again, as I said before, there’s in one case at least one spot where there’s a house on one of these trails,” Chinnis said. “In the end, this identification is not part of the development agreement. It is part of the development plan, the P-D side of this, which is very different than that agreement, in my opinion, and quite honestly, I think it’s safe to say in the county attorney’s opinion.”

The adjustments to the development agreement between the county and Kolter Homes must go through three readings at county council before they’re implemented.

Jeff Vandewiel, the community director for Kolter Homes’ Charleston Division, released the following statement:

“Over multiple days this year, Kolter Homes negotiated with Dorchester County leaders to reach the mutually approved agreement on the planned improvements and continued development of The Ponds neighborhood. We realize no single plan will please everyone, but we believe this new shared vision will continue to ensure The Ponds is a wonderful place to call home and will benefit the greater Dorchester County community.”

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