CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS PROFILE

Leasing a building before it is even built might have seemed like an unusual business practice a few years ago, but in today’s hectic supply-chain environment it has become a common occurrence, especially in a rapidly growing m... Read More

The seventh annual West Columbia Beautification Foundation Taste on the River will be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, June 13, at Stone River, 121 Alexander Road, West Columbia. The event celebrates the vibrant food scene in the Mid... Read More

Groundbreaking was held Wednesday June 7 for a new $800 million electric vehicle battery plant in Florence County. AESC, a battery technology company based in Japan, held the ceremony on-site at the plant’s future location ... Read More

A bakery is investing $96 million to establish operations in Cherokee County, a move expected to create more than 260 new jobs. Gaffney Bakery LLC and its partners plan to purchase an existing state-of-the-art bakery facility located ... Read More

A noodle company based in Saluda plans to invest $100 million over the next five years for new facilities and a new solar power infrastructure.   Palmetto Gourmet Foods, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Borealis Food, is making th... Read More

A popular store on Forest Drive in Columbia has changed hands. Sunbelt Business Brokers, a leading mergers and acquisitions adviser for privately held businesses, recently handled the sale of Four Morganelli’s Inc., dba Morganel... Read More

American Airlines has resumed its seasonal nonstop service from the Columbia Metropolitan Airport to Miami International Airport. “We are excited to be able to offer a nonstop option to the beautiful beaches of Miami, Florida,&q... Read More

Black Eats Week 803, the Columbia area’s inaugural Juneteenth week culinarycelebration, will recognize Black-owned food establishments in the Midlands including restaurants, food trucks, bakeries, and creameries. The event will run... Read More

Columbia’s Peak Drift Brewing Co. recently launched Peak Press, its new sustainable digital can printing program. The program harnesses the power of the brewery’s new state-of-the-art, 17-ton, high-volume commercial pr... Read More

Two downtown Columbia restaurants are expanding into new spaces. Good Life Café, known for its popular vegan cuisine, has moved to a newly renovated space at 1218 Taylor Street and added an extensive expansion to its menu. T... Read More

The South Carolina Ports saw cargo volumes ticking up in April, buoyed by the strength of the Southeast market. “We have invested in port capacity to ensure South Carolina remains competitive,” S.C. Por... Read More

      A West Columbia-based company has purchased a 61.3 acre site at Sandy Run Industrial Park in Gaston to expand operations. Blanchard Machinery Company is expanding its existing operation for parts, se... Read More

A major Midlands health care provider has formed a tech-based partnership that will help address unmet health and social needs of the people it serves. In April, Lexington Medical Center announced it was linking up with Unite Us, a Ne... Read More

Two projects by Columbia real estate developer Cason Development Group were recently honored with 2023 Preservation Awards from Historic Columbia. The adaptive reuse of The Klondike Building at 1813 Main St. was the winner in the Pres... Read More

Chris Benjamin has been appointed chief design officer for Scout Motors Inc. With his appointment, Scout is accelerating development of its all-purpose, all-electric truck and SUV, slated to be in production by the end of 2026, accord... Read More

A Columbia-based distributor of specialty construction products was recently sold to a North Carolina-based company. B&L Distribution Co. was recently sold to Southern Masonry Supply LLC doing business as Custom Brick and Supply C... Read More

A 5,095-square-foot historic home-turned-office in downtown Columbia has been sold. Colliers South Carolina’s Mary Winter Teaster represented Wes Graves in the sale to Todd Avant/Avant Holdings LLC. This building is located a... Read More

A South Carolina return preparer and regional manager of multiple tax preparation business locations based in Columbia pleaded guilty on Wednesday, May 24, to conspiracy to defraud the United States by preparing and filing false tax retu... Read More

The Caterpillar hydraulics plant in Sumter will close early next year. The heavy equipment manufacturer is closing its hydraulic cylinder plant at 650 Jefferson Road, which will affect 150 workers, according to company officials. The ... Read More

Tyler Sherrill has been named the new Chief Operating Officer of MUSC Health’s Midlands Division, effective later this summer. The Midlands Division encompasses MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown, MUSC Health Columbia ... Read More

A North Carolina-based fleet maintenance company will invest $6.9 million to move its headquarters to Lancaster County. Snider Fleet Solutions, which provides fleet maintenance solutions to the transportation and construction industri... Read More

The owners of a beloved locally-owned Columbia pizza chain have made the decision to expand into franchising. Village Idiot Pizza, which started in Five Points and has been in business for 32 years, is now offering franchises around t... Read More

Nephron Pharmaceuticals in West Columbia has  recently hired four key executives. Nola Grant has joined as chief human resources officer, Min Ha is the new chief of quality, Rene Herrera takes on the role of chief of process engi... Read More

 The University of South Carolina will invest $10 million over the next four years in five new interdisciplinary research institutes that will address some of South Carolina’s biggest challenges, including health, education an... Read More

The South Carolina Research Authority has been selected to receive up to $1 million as a core member of a team that will explore ways to develop clean energy in the Carolinas. The program, run by the National Science Foundation, is kn... Read More

A new 52-acre housing development that borders both the shores of Lake Murray and a popular local golf course is coming to Chapin. WhiteWater Landing in Chapin will be developed by American Land Holdings based in Spotsylvania, Va. The... Read More

South Atlantic Canners Inc., a Coca-Cola production cooperative that includes several Coca-Cola distributors, is investing $28.7 million to expand its operations in Lee County. The investment is expected to create 15 new jobs over th... Read More

      A 7,000-square-foot event venue off Bush River Road was recently purchased by the owners of several popular Columbia area restaurants. Crawford Prezioso of Colliers South Carolina represented M Garden... Read More

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia is building a new, larger habitat for its popular Komodo dragons. The expansion is the next step in phase one of the Zoo’s Bridge to the Wild development project, according to a news rel... Read More

The Columbia Chamber’s Leadership Columbia Class of 2023 has completed a new community center at St. Lawrence Place for their class project.  An initiative of Homeless No More, St. Lawrence Place is a transitional shelter t... Read More

American Airlines is once again offering nonstop service from Columbia Metropolitan Airport to LaGuardia Airport in New York City. “The return of this nonstop service is the last route needed to reestablish CAE’s nonstop d... Read More

Matthew Littlejohn has been named the new CEO of the MUSC Health Midlands Division.  The Midlands Division encompasses MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown, MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast, MUSC Health Fairf... Read More

One of the world’s best known luxury hotel brands soon will be coming to downtown Charleston. A Four Seasons hotel will be built at 155 Meeting St. on the former location of the Days Inn budget motel. Strategic Property P... Read More

The City of West Columbia will holds its fifth annual Art on State from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. tonight  Friday, May 5 on the 100-200 blocks of State Street in conjunction with the State Street Art Crawl. Visitors will have the opportu... Read More

Newly renovated housing for struggling families has opened in Greenwood thanks to a donation from two Richland County residents. On Thursday, May 4, Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries held the grand opening and dedication ser... Read More

A South Carolina convenience store owner and two employees have been arrested by agents from the South Carolina Department of Revenue on more than 27 tax-related charges. Jagdishbhai B. Patel, 56, of Florence, is the owner and operato... Read More

The International African American Museum has received a $750,000 grant from the New York Life Foundation, bringing the Foundation’s total philanthropic investment to $1 million. This most recent grant will provide $200,000 for ... Read More

A retail property in Lexington recently sold for $1.7 million and included a triple net lease of the property to Pet Supermarket. Victor “Buddy” John of Colliers South Carolina represented the seller. Pet Supermarket ... Read More

Hershey Creamery Co., the producer of Hershey’s Ice Cream, has leased property to open a distribution center in northeast Columbia. Bruce Harper, managing Partner of Trinity Partners, represented the landlord and facilitated the... Read More

A small arms manufacturer will invest $18 million to expand its Richland County operations. The expansion by FN America LLC, the U.S. subsidiary of FN Herstal, S.A. and a global firearms manufacturer, will create about 102 new j... Read More

A business solutions firm will move its Columbia offices to the city’s growing BullStreet District. Elliott Davis LLC will occupy the second floor of the Westlawn office building starting in the fall, according to a press releas... Read More

Two new companies have been accepted as members of the South Carolina Research Authority, and four others have received new grant funding. The new members are Glossifi and Sitelabs, and grants were given to Builder Rocket, CloseWise, ... Read More

The Columbia Metropolitan Airport will be restarting its valet parking operations beginning Monday, May 15.  The service, offline since 2020, will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and cost $25 per day. “Valet ... Read More

A Florence man and a woman from Florida have been sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to unemployment insurance benefits. Mohammad Ribhi Farraj, 43, of Florence and Marvet Masoud, 34, of Homestea... Read More

NAI Columbia has announced the recent sale of three properties in the Columbia area. A 32,000-square-foot church facility, College Place Methodist Church, located at 4801 Colonial Drive in Columbia, was sold to Columbia College at the... Read More

Texas-based home goods retailer Tuesday Morning will close its remaining 13 stores in South Carolina, including locations in the Midlands, Upstate, along the Grand Strand and in the Charleston area.  According to reports from the... Read More

The City of West Columbia has received a grant for $10 million from the South Carolina Rural Infrastructure Investment Program. West Columbia is one of many locations throughout South Carolina notified this week about the grants from ... Read More

Tommy Preston Jr., global vice president of ethics of The Boeing Co., has been elected as the new chair of the board of directors of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance. He is the first African American to serve as chair in the org... Read More

A South Carolina man recently pleaded guilty to two counts of filing false tax returns. Jeffrey Harmon of Lexington entered a guilty plea after his jury trial had begun, according to a news release. According to court documents and... Read More

A 75,763-square-foot shopping center in Lexington has sold for $7.1 million. Lexington Town Square, located at 712 W. Main St., is anchored by a Food Lion store, according to a news release. The property sold for $7,125,000, accord... Read More

An office building on Devine Street in Columbia has sold for $1.3 million. The 6,400-square-foot office building at 2717 Devine St. recently sold to a local investor who will renovate and lease the space, according to a news release. ... Read More

One hundred million dollars. That number is music to the ears of any business no matter its size, whether it describes sales, profit or year over year growth.  But a recent report released by the FBI shows that number has a ve... Read More

    A popular Columbia bakery has moved to a new location in the Five Points district. Sweet GG’s Bakery was originally located on Fort Jackson Boulevard but has now moved to 631-B Harden St. in Five Points. ... Read More

The state’s growing aviation industry is in focus this week with the celebration of South Carolina Aviation Week, which started Sunday April 23 and runs through Saturday April 29. The statewide event is the result of a partnersh... Read More

A Columbia-based company was one of two honored with statewide awards at the South Carolina Research Authority’s annual summit held April 18 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. Lanford Holloway, CEO of Columbia&rsquo... Read More

The South Carolina district office of the U.S. Small Business Administration has selected state winners for the 2023 National Small Business Week Awards. National Small Business Week will be celebrated April 30 through May 6. Award... Read More

William Hubbard, the dean of the University of South Carolina School of Law, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.   The academy, founded in 1780, is a prestigious fellowship of artists, scholars and lead... Read More

Fans of an iconic downtown Columbia eatery will once again be able to enjoy the eatery’s popular chicken sandwiches and other dishes. Drake’s Duck-in, a Columbia fixture since 1907, will reopen at its temporary location at... Read More

Inland Port Dillon recently celebrated its fifth anniversary with a record number of containers handled at the rail-served inland port in the Pee Dee region during March. “What an accomplished five years we have had,” said... Read More

William “Bill” Atkins is the new vice president and director of preconstruction for Pyramid Contracting based in Irmo. Atkins has more than 25 years of professional experience in preconstruction and construction. He was wo... Read More

Kristen Powell has been named the new president and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas (ABC Carolinas.). The organization has three regional councils in South Carolina – Midlands, Upstate and Lowcountry... Read More

A new salon offering a wide variety of hair coloring services has opened on Gervais Street in Columbia. Haven + Co. officially opened April 10 at 1801 Gervais St., Suite B, with a grand opening city hosted by City of Columbia official... Read More

A Sumter woman has been sentenced to federal prison for submitting false tax returns and a fraudulent Payroll Protection Plan loan to the United States government.  Maggie Anne Boler, 61, of Sumter, was sentenced in relation... Read More

Steel Hands Brewing in Cayce will hold it third annual Nashville Nights concert series this summer. Nashville Nights features singer/songwriters from Nashville for special live music performances. The artists not only write songs, but... Read More

Two South Carolina artists are getting international attention because of a mural they created for a Columbia-area Starbucks. Columbia-based muralist Lauren Andreu and Charleston artist Jared Owens collaborated on a mural, “A Gr... Read More

A Charleston-based marina company recently made two additions to its executive team. Port 32 named Matthew Juall as executive vice president of acquisitions and Kishan Desai as vice president of acquisitions. Juall and Desai will w... Read More

Leadership from Benedict College, global edtech company TalentSprint and Google will host a special event on campus at 10 a.m. Friday, April 14 to celebrate the successful implementation of the TechWise program at Benedict. Benedict i... Read More

A construction equipment supplier will invest $46 million to expand its South Carolina operations into Calhoun County. Blanchard Machinery Company is establishing new operations at the Sandy Run Industrial Park, a move expected to cre... Read More

Electric vehicles and the batteries needed to power them have made most of the manufacturing headlines in South Carolina recently, but other segments of the clean energy revolution are making the news and history here as well. One Cha... Read More

A Nashville artist has started work on a new mural that will add an artistic touch 4 West apartment and commercial building, part of the Brookland mixed-use community in West Columbia. Artist Brian Tull has started work on the project... Read More

PDM US, a leading manufacturer of copper tubing recently opened its $18.5 million expanded facility in Rock Hill, site of the company’s global headquarters. The company manufactures insulated and non-insulated copper tubes. T... Read More

A global logistics company will invest $9.48 million to expand its existing operations in Charleston County, creating 10 new jobs in the first year. Neal Brothers Charleston Inc. plans to expand its existing location by building a sta... Read More

A software company will invest $100,000 to expand its existing operations in Charleston County. Interloop’s investment is expected to create 32 new jobs over the next five years, according to a news release. Interloop helps m... Read More

A Texas-based private real estate investment and development firm recently purchased a 240-unit student housing complex in Columbia. Dallas-based RREAF Holdings has acquired Rivers Edge at Carolina Stadium, which houses students from ... Read More

Ground has been broken on a new 351,540-square foot Class A industrial speculative building in Richland County’s Pineview Industrial Park. Summit Real Estate Group broke ground on the Pineview Trade Center, which is scheduled to... Read More

M. Neil Jones, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Colliers South Carolina, has been elected executive vice president by the commercial real estate firm’s board of directors. As executive vice president and chie... Read More

A manufacturer of poultry farming equipment has announced plans to expand its operations in Bamberg County. Innovative Poultry Products LLC will invest $2.86 million on a new facility, an expansion expected to create 30 new jobs over ... Read More

Three new companies have been accepted as members of the South Carolina Research Authority, and three more have received new grant funding. All SCRA member companies receive coaching, access to experts in the organization’s reso... Read More

Retail vacancies in the Columbia area remain at historic lows while rents for available spaces have risen because there is little new retail construction in the works, according to a recent market report from Colliers South Carolina. ... Read More

A North Charleston-based medical practice recently leased space in a northeast Columbia office building, bringing the building to full occupancy. Colliers South Carolina’s Mary Winter Teaster represented Northeast Medical Develo... Read More

The merger between one of Columbia’s largest law firms and an Alabama firm became official on Saturday, April 1. Alabama-based Maynard Cooper and Gale and Carolinas-based Nexsen Pruet has officially merged to become one national... Read More

Eight South Carolina beef processing companies will receive more than $3.4 million in grant funding to expand their processing capacity. The South Carolina Department of Agriculture is awarding a total of $3,471,088 in matching grant ... Read More

The popular weekend-long art festival Artista Vista is returning  to the heart of Columbia’s Vista District Friday, April 14 through April 16. Artista Vista's goal is to highlight local artists and galleries, live ... Read More

SCbio, South Carolina’s official life sciences organization, recently named 11 life science leaders from around the state to its board of directors. The organization recently revamped its leadership structure to create an execut... Read More

The F-16 Fighting Falcon has earned the title of “Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina” after a contest that yielded more than 220,000 votes. The F-16, made by Lockheed Martin at its Greenville facility, received the ... Read More

Two Columbia restaurants are finalists for James Beard Awards from the prestigious James Beard Foundation. Lula Drake Wine Parlour is a finalist for outstanding hospitality and Aaron Hoskins, Sarah Simmons and Elie Yigo of CITY GRIT H... Read More

A former site of popular Columiba restaurant chain Lizard’s Thicket will soon become a Mexican restaurant. The 6,500-square-foot restaurant building at 402 Beltline Boulevard has been sold to Cason Development Group LLC. Crawfor... Read More

Popular national clothing chain J. Crew is making a return to Trenholm Plaza in Forest Acres. A J. Crew Factory store is set to move into a spot in between the Fresh Market and Granger Owings later this spring, according to reports fr... Read More

The Southern Bank has acquired property for a new branch at 108 Barnwell Ave NW in Aiken. This will be the third South Carolina branch for the Spartanburg-based bank, which already has one in Greenville and is building another in Spar... Read More

  Every day when Joann Turnquist comes to work at the First Base Building in Columbia’s BullStreet District, she sees something different outside her windows. Turnquist, president and CEO of the Central Carolina Comm... Read More

South Carolina’s unemployment rate remained unchanged in February at 3.2%, according to data released March 24 from the S.C. Department of Revenue and Workforce. During February, the number of people statewide working increased ... Read More

An office building and adjacent residential building in Columbia’s growing Devine Street district recently sold for $950,000. Nick Stomski and Jake Nidiffer of Trinity Partners Columbia facilitated the sale of 3112 Devine St. an... Read More