CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS PROFILE

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

A Georgia couple was arrested on tax fraud charges March 22 by agents from the South Carolina Department of Revenue. Agents charged one person with preparing false income tax returns in others' names and accused the couple of dive... Read More

A battery recycling company will invest $300 milllion to build a processing plant in Richland County. Cirba Solutions, headquartered in Charlotte, will build the first phase of a lithium-ion battery recycling and reprocessing facility... Read More

A popular restaurant chain focused on Southern cuisine will be opening a location at Columbia’s BullStreet District. Asheville-based Tupelo Honey Café will open its first MIdlands location in the first quarter of&nbs... Read More

With the stroke of a pen, the economic future of Richland County and South Carolina’s Midlands was transformed on March 20.  At a State House ceremony, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation nicknamed the “Sc... Read More

A North Carolina-based company will invest at least $1.3 billion to build a lithium hydroxide processing facility in Chester County. Albemarle Corporation, headquartered in Charlotte, will establish South Carolina operations on 800 ac... Read More

A law firm specializing in employment law will be moving to new office space in Forest Acres. Gignilliat, Savitz & Bettis LLP recently leased a 6,806-square-foot office space at 3700 Landmark Drive. Colliers South Carolina’s... Read More

A consumer-owned electric materials supplier will invest $52 million to expand its operations in Lexington County. Cooperative Electric Energy Utility Supply Inc. purchased the 247,000-square-foot Airport Distribution Center speculati... Read More

Bin Wilcenski has been named the new CEO of the Building Industry Association of Central South Carolina by the organization’s board of directors. Wilcenski began his career at the association in 1999 as director of membership an... Read More

A popular Mexican restaurant in downtown Camden plans to open a Columbia location this summer. Masa Mexican Street Food will occupy a space at 2811 Rosewood Drive near the area’s new Starbucks. The location is next to the former... Read More

April has been designated Innovation Awareness Month in South Carolina as a result of a partnership between the Medical University of South Carolina, S.C. Department of Commerce and the South Carolina Research Authority. “South ... Read More

Painters, potters, weavers, quilters, musicians, storytellers, bakers and other local artisans are invited to apply to be featured in the annual S.C. Ag + Art Tour, which comes to Richland County in June. The deadline for artisan appl... Read More

Shoppers longing for the looks they remember from the 1970s, ‘80s, or ‘90s – or those who want to wear them for the first time – will enjoy a new vintage store that opened Sunday, March 12 in Columbia’s Five... Read More

Richland County has scheduled a round of open house meetings with residents to highlight recommended revisions to the County’s zoning map and Land Development Code. Last April, County Council directed the County’s Planning... Read More

A leading wine and spirits distribution company will invest $80 million to relocate its operations to Lexington County.   Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits of South Carolina plans to move its operations from Columbia to ... Read More

A broadband provider from the Midlands has received more than $3.4 million in federal funding to expand broadband access to rural and underserved areas. TriCoLink, based in St. Matthews in Calhoun County , received the funding as ... Read More

A tire manufacturer based in Vietnam will invest $68 million to establish its first U.S. operations in Allendale County, creating 1,031 new jobs. Tin Thanh Group Americas will build a new facility along Walker Road in Fairfax, accordi... Read More

A leading national mattress retailer will establish a new distribution center in Lexington County, creating 108 new jobs. Mattress Warehouse’s first distribution center in South Carolina will be located in the 803 Industrial Par... Read More

A software startup founded at Clemson University has received funding from SC Launch Inc., the investment affiliate of the South Carolina Research Authority.  CarbonCents Inc., based in Walhalla, collects data to measure and redu... Read More

Publications by SC Biz News recently won honors at the annual South Carolina Press Association Awards which were announced March 10 in Columbia. The staff of the Columbia Regional Business Report won first place for newspaper or ... Read More

South Carolina’s unemployment rate decreased to 3.2% in January, down from December’s rate of 3.3%, according to data released March 13 by the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. During January, the estimate of un... Read More

Hounen Solar, a global solar panel manufacturer, will invest $33 million to establish its first U.S. manufacturing operations in Orangeburg County, creating 200 new jobs. The company’s $33 million investment will create 200 new job... Read More

Governor Henry McMaster has nominated William H. Floyd to be the next executive director of the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW). Previously the agency's chief of staff, Floyd has served as acting executive director ... Read More

The South Carolina Waterfowl Association’s Wildlife Education Center is the new home of Birdfest, a beloved bluegrass music festival returning this year after a hiatus forced by the pandemic. Birdfest will be held Friday, May 5 ... Read More

A Charleston man has pleaded guilty to defrauding the Small Business Administration. Antonio Brown-Sanders, 26, of Charleston, pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding the SBA to receive an Emergency Injury Disaster Loan under th... Read More

An Ohio-based building materials supplier will expand its South Carolina footprint with a $26 million investment into new operations in Florence County. The project is expected to create 80 new jobs. Carter Lumber, headquartered in Ke... Read More

The Columbia Museum of Art’s biannual block party Arts and Draughts returns Friday, March 31, from 7 to 11 p.m. The signature Columbia event offers a chance to explore the museum while also enjoying live music and other per... Read More

The Columbia Chamber of Commerce recently announced the recipients of the 2023 Columbia Impact Awards, with awards presented at the chamber’s breakfast briefing event Wednesday, March 8 at Segra Park  “The 2... Read More

The South Carolina Research Authority recently accepted one tech company as a new member and provided grant funding to two others. All SCRA Member Companies receive coaching, access to experts in SCRA’s Resource Partner, eligibi... Read More

A North Carolina-based paper tube manufacturer is investing $1.68 million to establish its first South Carolina operations in Williamsburg County, a project expected to create 19 jobs. Summit Paper Tube Inc.  is a manufacturer of... Read More

Samsung has appointed Jeremy Lee as president and CEO of Samsung Electronics Home Appliances America in Newberry. Lee has been with Samsung for almost 30 years, according to a news release. Before joining SEHA, he served as president ... Read More

Four new members have joined the board of directors of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce. “For 23 years we have been fortunate have small business leaders in the private and non-profit sectors provide gu... Read More

For Sean Foley, the new Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center at Riverbanks Zoo is a dream come true. Foley is curator of herpetology for Riverbanks Zoo, and he spends his days working with the wide arr... Read More

South Carolina beat out 74 other locations to win a $2 billion investment from Scout Motors Inc. for a new plant to produce electric SUVs and trucks in Blythewood, according to the Virginia-based company’s president and CEO Scott K... Read More

A Virginia-based electric vehicle manufacturer has announced a historic investment to establish manufacturing operations in Richland County.  The Richland County Economic Development Office has revealed that Scout Motors Inc., ma... Read More

The Columbia Metropolitan Airport has been awarded $5 million as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Terminal Program Fund. CAE is one of 99 airports from around the country and one of only two in South Carolina t... Read More

Book lovers have a new home in Columbia’s Five Points district. All Good Books, the neighborhood’s first independent bookstore in many years, held its grand opening and ribbon cutting at noon on Thursday, March 2. Colum... Read More

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina has selected Ericka Wooten to serve in a new role as the foundation’s director of culture and values. Wooten has been with the foundation for five years, most recently serv... Read More

A Charlotte-based hotel company has acquired a Columbia Hampton Inn. Maya Hotels will take over the Hampton Inn Columbia Northeast-Fort Jackson, located at 1531 Barbara Drive off Two Notch Road. Maya also announced it would be taking ... Read More

A Louisiana-based restaurant that combines Vietnamese and New Orleans cuisine will be opening a location on Whaley Street in Columbia later this spring. Bahn Mi Boys will open at 625 Whaley St., Suite C in the Granby Park neighborhood... Read More

Richland County residents can now review proposed changes to the County’s zoning map online. The updated zoning maps can be viewed and downloaded by navigating to the Planning Department webpage. The page features an overall zon... Read More

A motel on Two Notch Road in Columbia will be redeveloped into affordable housing for families with children. United Way of the Midlands and Homeless No More announced on Feb. 23 the development of Grand Village, a new housing develop... Read More

The fifth annual Cottontown Art Crawl will welcome 140 artists to show and sell original work in the historic Cottowntown neighborhood in downtown Columbia. The Art Crawl will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 11 along se... Read More

  Downtown Columbia has a lot of traffic jams, but there’s never been one caused by a four-story fire hydrant before. Until the morning of Thursday, Feb. 23, that is.  “Busted Plug,” a huge piece ... Read More

A Florida-based laser technology manufacturer has announced plans to move its corporate headquarters to Greenville. Erchonia Corp. will invest $6.7 million in the new project, which is expected to create 51 new jobs, according to ... Read More

A roofing products company headquartered in Canada will invest $363 million in two manufacturing facilities in Chester County. IKO will establish its first South Carolina operations with two facilities located less than one mile apart... Read More

The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority is accepting applications for The COMET Academy, a leadership development program designed to help business and community leaders learn more about how public transit works. Most of the A... Read More

A Lexington-based insurer has been named president of one of the nation’s largest privately held insurance brokerages.   Rob Motley was recently appointed president of Florida-based Insurance Office of America, the four... Read More

A popular downtown restaurant that has been a Columbia staple since 1907 will be relocating temporarily in March. Drake’s Duck-in, known for its chicken sandwiches, burgers and other items, will be moving to a vacant restaurant ... Read More

A Columbia couple has been arrested by agents from the S.C. Department of Revenue and charged with tax evasion. Misty Rose Belton, 43, of Columbia, is charged with four counts of tax evasion, one count of failure to pay taxes and one ... Read More

An upscale luxury salon will be coming to Forest Acres in the near future. Colliers South Carolina’s Rox Pollard, Danny Bonds and John Gressette represented The Beach Company in the lease of 3,280 square feet of retail space at ... Read More

Mark A. Smith, the president of Columbia International University, has resigned  due to prolonged health issues. The university’s board of trustees accepted the Feb. 9 resignation letter from Smith, according to a news rele... Read More

When Rita Patel and husband Marcus Munse moved to Columbia in 2010, they did so out of economic necessity. The couple’s dreams of moving to New York City and becoming architects were dashed by the Great Recession. Patel&rsqu... Read More

Six Tuesday Morning stores across South Carolina will close in the wake of the Dallas-based discount home goods chain’s Tuesday announcement that it has filed bankruptcy for the second time in three years. The closings include o... Read More

Five Black small business owners in Columbia recently received $5,000 grants from the Coalition to Back Black Businesses. The Coalition is a multi-year-grantmaking and mentorship initiative established by American Express and the U.S.... Read More

  Lexington Medical Center and the University of South Carolina will break ground next week on a new building to train nurses on the hospital campus in West Columbia. The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m. T... Read More

An upscale medical spa recently leased space at 701 Lady St. in Columbia’s Vista district, bringing the building to full occupancy. Sculpted by WH Aesthetics has leased a 2,674-square-foot space in the building. Colliers South C... Read More

Charleston-based realtor Rob Woodul is the 2023 president of South Carolina Realtors. His term began on Jan.1.   South Carolina Realtors, based in Columbia, has 29,000 members and serves as the voice of real estate statewi... Read More

South Carolina State University’s 1890 Research and Extension arm is launching a new controlled environment agriculture program. Brandon Huber, who joined the university in January, will serve as the research scientist focusing ... Read More

California-based specialty fitness company XPonential Fitness is opening its fourth location in Forest Acres. YogaSix, a franchised yoga brand, will be coming to a location off Forest Drive in the spring. Colliers South Carolina&rsquo... Read More

Savannah River Mission Completion, the liquid waste contractor at the Savannah River Site, is ushering in a new era of work with South Carolina State University in Orangeburg through a new partnership. SMRC plans to work with the hist... Read More

The Leadership Columbia Class of 2023 is partnering with Homeless No More for its class project. As part of the Leadership Columbia program, each class chooses a project that makes an impact in the community. This year’s class p... Read More

A Charleston-based chain of Asian fusion restaurants will open its sixth location in Forest Acres later this year, according to reports. CO Restaurant, part of the Collected Hospitality group, will be moving to Trenholm Plaza, occupyi... Read More

A 40,883-square-foot shopping center in Columbia’s North Main Street district has sold for $3.7 million to a Greenville-based partnership. NAI Columbia’s Ben Kelly and Patrick Chambers handled the sale of the property at 3... Read More

A Nashville-based medical real estate company has purchased a Columbia cancer treatment center for $31 million. First Citizens Bank recently announced that its Healthcare Finance group provided $31.2 million to Montecito Medical Real ... Read More

Big changes could be coming to Williams-Brice Stadium and other locations around Columbia as part of an elaborate $1 billion development project announced Tuesday, Feb. 8 by the University of South Carolina. University officials annou... Read More

The South Carolina Research Authority recently announced two new member companies and grant recipients. Heroic Health and UGC Holdings were accepted as SCRA member companies, and Algistor and MacB IT Solutions received grant funding, ... Read More

New Forge LLC, a Rock-Hill based startup, recently received a $250,000 investment from SC Launch Inc., the investment affiliate of the South Carolina Research Authority. The company creates augmented reality technology for use in the ... Read More

Tickets are now on sale for the Columbia Food and Wine Festival scheduled for Wednesday, April 19 through Sunday, April 23 at various locations around the greater Columbia region. Events include everything from intimate chef dinne... Read More

A 40,883-square-foot retail center on North Main Street in Columbia was recently purchased by a realty company. Colliers South Carolina’s Rox Pollard and John Gressette represented Marbro Realty Inc. in the purchase of the prope... Read More

https://www.benedict.edu/Benedict College in Columbia has received funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to implement a pilot program known as the “Connecting Minority Communities and Innovatio... Read More

Richland County residents will soon have several opportunities to review revisions to the County’s zoning map and Land Development Code before the changes go to County Council for consideration.  In April 2022, County Counc... Read More

A new taco restaurant is coming to downtown Lexington. Colliers South Carolina’s Rox Pollard and John Gressette recently represented Barrio Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey in the lease of 2,837 square feet of restaurant space at 105 W... Read More

The Columbia Fireflies are seeking singers and musicians of all ages to perform the National Anthem before Fireflies home games this upcoming season. Fans are invited to audition live to be anthem performers on designated days in Februar... Read More

Venture Carolina, a nonprofit organization committed to connecting investors and entrepreneurs, has partnered once again with VentureSouth, an early-stage investment organization, and the S.C. Depa... Read More

A program that provides free vegetable, herb and wildflower seeds to Richland County residents is re-launching with a second permanent location, thanks to funding from a Dominion Energy Environmental Education and Stewardship Grant. The ... Read More

Students attending area technical colleges can now participate in the new Apprenticeship School at the Savannah River Site created by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. In addition to getting paid, SRS apprentices gain job-related expe... Read More

The ColaJazz Foundation  is hosting a celebratory concert in honor of Drink Small’s 90th birthday at the South Carolina State Museum on Saturday, Feb. 4 from 5 – 7:30 p.m. The event features performances by Drink Small a... Read More

  GE Appliances, a Haier company, has announced plans to invest $50 million to expand its South Carolina operations with a new distribution center in Greenville County. The expansion is projected to create 45 new jobs over th... Read More

The BLD Diner, a breakfast and brunch spot at the high-traffic Trenholm Plaza in Forest Acres, has closed its doors. Owners announced the closing online. The restaurant was located at 4840 Forest Drive, Suite 26. BLD had opened in ... Read More

A new independent bookstore will be opening soon in Columbia’s Five Points district. All Good Books, the result of a partnership between local residents and friends Ben Adams and Clint Wallace, will be opening at 734 Harden St. ... Read More

The City of Columbia’s Office of Business Opportunities is hosting a free online webinar for businesses about tax preparation. The “New Year, New Taxes: Preparing Your Business for 2023” session will be led by Shelia... Read More

A Chicago-based company that specializes in traffic control and pavement marking services recently leased an 8,400-square-foot flex building in Lexington. Roadsafe Traffic Systems has leased the building at 1718 Two Notch Road in Lexi... Read More

Heron Farms Inc., a Charleston-based startup specializing in vertical farming operations that require no naturally occurring freshwater, has received a $250,000 investment from SC Launch Inc. SC Launch Inc. is the investment affiliate... Read More

Cookie lovers in the Midlands will be happy to know that Utah-based Crumbl Cookies has opened a third location in the region, this one in the Harbison area. The Harbison Crumbl opened Jan. 27 at 150-C Harbison Blvd. The new location i... Read More

People who love their chicken with a spicy kick will be excited about a new restaurant headed to Devine Street in Columbia. Los Angeles-based Dave’s Hot Chicken will be opening its first South Carolina location at 4601-A De... Read More

A new vintage store has opened in the high-traffic Beltline corridor in Forest Acres. Throwback Outpost opened Jan. 27 at 2005 N. Beltline Blvd, Suite 3, in the same building as Wild Birds Unlimited. The store features a group of v... Read More

Midlands Technical College and Clemson University have formally signed a transfer articulation agreement for architecture students. Through the agreement, students in MTC’s new Associate in Arts with a Concentration in Architect... Read More

Owners of a popular Mexican restaurant in northeast Columbia recently announced expansion to a third location. Tacos Nayarit, currently located at 1531 Percival Road, will be opening another location at 1100 Knox Abbott Drive in Cayce... Read More

Ratio by Body Math, a practice specializing in body sculpting, is coming to the Devine Street corridor in Columbia. The practice recently leased a 1,465-square-foot medical office space at 2231 Devine St. Known as the Elliott Building... Read More

The Columbia Fireflies have announced their theme night schedule for the 2023 baseball season, which begins at 7:05 p.m. Thursday, April 6 at Segra Park vs. the Augusta GreenJackets The season starts off with a golf-themed outing, The... Read More

The Columbia Metropolitan Airport saw more than one million passengers come through the airport in 2022, a 21% increase over 2021’s passenger traffic. In total, CAE saw 527,599 enplanements -- travelers starting their travel jou... Read More

Great Southern Homes recently announced two additions to its executive staff. Greg Howell has joined the company as the Midlands Division Manager. In this role, Greg will oversee all operations in the Midlands including construction, ... Read More

A South Carolina woman has been found guilty of unemployment insurance fraud. Diana B. Jordan and accomplices were arrested for the fraud in 2015 but trial was delayed because of the pandemic and not held until Jan. 11, according to a... Read More

        Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia will open the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center on Thursday, March 2. Through the support of the Boyd Foundation, th... Read More

The first successful flight of an F-16 Block 70 fighter jet built in Greenville is in the books. The plane took off at 9:17 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday, Jan. 24, according to a news release from Lockheed Martin. Test pilots Dwayne &ldqu... Read More