MELINDA WALDROP PROFILE

A new quarterly program will deliver an up-close look at Columbia's charms while helping the city recruit and retain professional talent, organizers hope. Crash Course Columbia, a joint initiative of nonprofit organization Co... Read More

Dominik Mjartan is a man on a mission, a banker with a belief. Mjartan become president and CEO of what would become Optus Bank, an organization with a historic but rocky past, in September 2017. The bank, founded in 1921 as Victory S... Read More

Ben Adams’ life revolves around books, just like he always imagined. But the details have changed a bit. Adams, 35, opened Odd Bird Books in the downtown Arcade Mall building at Main and Washington streets this week. The Columbi... Read More

While the gangbusters growth craft breweries experienced at the turn of the century has slowed, the overall health of hops remains strong, industry participants and observers say — and the Columbia suds scene bears out that belief.... Read More

While it may have been an unusual sight to see a bank doing business on a federal holiday, Optus Bank had a purpose for opening its doors on Monday. As crowds celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. a block away at the S.C. ... Read More

The thirst has been quenched in Irmo. Popular downtown tap room and bottle shop Craft and Draft is now open for business at its second location at 7583 St. Andrews Road in the Irmo Village Shopping Center. The shop held a soft opening... Read More

The head in the car came as a surprise. The process of renovating historic buildings can often produce unexpected finds. But an Upstate spinning mill that Columbia-based Lambert Architecture and Construction Services is transforming i... Read More

Cam Powell’s vision doesn’t yet have a home, but it does have quite a bit of buzz. Powell, an area entrepreneur and 2014 journalism graduate of the University of South Carolina, along with business partner and local videog... Read More

Arcade bar Transmission has a home and a food partner and is eyeing an opening date early next year. Transmission will be located at 1712 Main St. next to jazz and tapas bar The Joint. Owner Cam Powell has been working to get the spac... Read More

Seated on the green brocade couch in the eclectic lobby of the downtown hotel she co-owns with her husband, hair swept into a casual updo and an oversized sweater providing defense against the breath of autumn in the Columbia air, Rita P... Read More

Five Points business and neighborhood leaders are calling on the city of Columbia to implement a 10-point plan that they believe will revitalize the downtown enclave. The plan calls for streamlining the permitting process for new busi... Read More

Brenton Bullard has been in kitchens his whole life. Growing up, the Columbia native helped his grandmother make Sunday dinner. Now working at the vaunted Vista restaurant Motor Supply Co., Bullard wanted an official stamp to mark his... Read More

The NCAA men’s basketball regional held in Columbia in March brought a direct economic impact of $11.3 million to the capital city, a study by University of South Carolina sport and entertainment management professor Tom Regan foun... Read More

Change, a new study proves, is not just inevitable. It’s lucrative. A study by University of South Carolina professor Tom Regan found that March’s NCAA regional men’s basketball tournament created an economic impact ... Read More

As buzz surrounding popular downtown taproom and bottle shop Craft and Draft’s second location builds, co-owner Andrew Johnson said the launch of the Irmo business is back on track after two delays. Johnson said the new location... Read More

This article first appeared in the Oct. 21 print edition of the Columbia Regional Business Report. If Caleb Green claims a prize in the 2019 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Innovation Challenge, being held Thursday and Fr... Read More

Josh Willoughby’s family is rooted in farming, and he wants to bring a taste of that heritage to downtown Columbia. Willoughby’s food service company, Willoughby Farms & Foods, is branching out into entertainment venue... Read More

Matt Kennell isn’t sure if “blight” properly described the stretch of Sumter Street north of Washington in downtown Columbia, but he was certain the area needed a little TLC. The vacant storefronts and For Sale signs... Read More

Tressa Kelly knows what it’s like to be underestimated. Kelly, the first lady of University of South Carolina Upstate, didn’t let the fever that took most of her hearing when she was 3 stop her from achieving her goals. Th... Read More

Connor Shaw knows what it’s like to face — and overcome — challenges. The winningest quarterback in University of South Carolina history recorded 27 victories while throwing for 6,074 yards and 56 touchdowns (with just ... Read More

Suzette Brunson knows firsthand the difference the money, and the change it brings, can make. For the third year, Brunson, a science teacher at New Bridge Academy in West Columbia, received a Strong Schools grant from Colonial Life. S... Read More

The newest bankers in town are looking to put down roots — roots they intend to cultivate through managed, controlled growth. United Community Bank, headquartered in Blairsville, Ga., entered the S.C. market with its $240.5 mill... Read More

It’s safe to say Kellan Monroe and Andrew Johnson’s brainstorm in the back of engineering class at the University of South Carolina has worked out pretty well. Now, the co-owners of popular Devine Street taproom and bottle... Read More

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comment from the governor's office.  Holding signs touting “Principle, People, Prosperity, Process,” dozens of University of South Carolina faculty, staff,... Read More

Julie and David Tuttle wanted to help their hometown first. The Tuttles, partners in Columbia-based developers Styx Co., are both area natives, with Julie hailing from Northeast Columbia and David from Irmo. Their close connection to ... Read More

Dirt is in Brinton Fox’s blood. Fox, 28, grew up on an organic herb farm in Chapin run by her mother, Bettye Boone. While she enjoyed piddling around the greenhouse and stirring the compost piles, Fox planned to be a lawyer unti... Read More

A new, upscale condominium development in the heart of the Devine Street district is taking residential contract deposits and targeting a December completion date. The Trolley at Devine District, located at the intersection of Maple a... Read More

A year-long charitable project culminated in five checks and countless smiles on Tuesday. The Flip & Give initiative, which transformed a 1920s-era, two-bedroom bungalow into a four-bedroom, three-bath showplace, donated net proce... Read More

Lou Kennedy’s mother taught elementary school, and teachers hold a special place in the president and CEO of Nephron Pharmaceuticals’ heart. They also occupy a spot in her company. Inspired by teachers like her mother a... Read More

The winner of the lion’s share of a charitable donation from the Flip & Give house, a renovated residence at 3317 Duncan St. in the Shandon area, will be announced June 4. Columbia real estate firm The Moore Co. announced th... Read More

Once Chanda Jefferson entered the classroom, she knew she wasn’t leaving. Jefferson, a biology teacher for grades nine through 12 at Fairfield Central High School in Winnsboro, was honored as the 2020 S.C. Teacher of the Year du... Read More

Three weeks after the death of a University of South Carolina student who police think was killed by a man she mistook for an Uber driver, representatives from the ride-hailing service chose USC’s campus as the setting to anno... Read More

Columbia is home to a plethora of talented architects at both established and up-and-coming firms, and many of those companies share a common characteristic: They feature award-winning women in leadership positions. The Columbia Regional... Read More

Warren Wise didn’t plan to become a teacher, but his career detour — now in its 16th year — has proven to be a successful path. Wise, a science teacher at Blythewood’s Kelly Mill Middle School in Richland Schoo... Read More

The former Dianne’s on Devine restaurant at 2400 Devine St. has been sold to Hickory, N.C.-based Backstreets Bar & Grill. The casual dining restaurant will open a new location in the space, according to a news release from N... Read More

Preston Thorne, recruited to the University of South Carolina nearly two decades ago, is now  persuading a new generation to choose the Gamecocks. Thorne, a former USC defensive tackle who came to Columbia from Summerville in 200... Read More

Soda City Market will soon be getting a tasty new addition. Local craft beer tasting room and bottle shop Craft and Draft will offer curated libations showcasing Columbia-area breweries at the weekly Main Street artisan market on Apri... Read More

Cameron General Contractors, a Lincoln, Nebraska-based firm with projects under construction nationwide, has purchased 12.29 acres of land at the intersection of North Lake Drive and Lake Murray Boulevard for $4 million. A spokeswoman... Read More

Would-be educators seeking a non-traditional path to the classroom have an innovative option at Columbia College, and the school’s Alternative Pathways for Educator Certification Center has received a boost with a $24,000 grant fro... Read More

The BullStreet District’s latest addition is a big one. Washington-based outdoor outfitter REI Co-op plans to build a 20,000-square-foot store in the northwest corner of the district at the intersection of Bull Street and Freed ... Read More

Alison Schriro had her share of frustrating moments during her first year as a math teacher at Dreher High School. But she never thought of quitting. Chalk her experience up as a victory for the Carolina Teacher Induction Program, a... Read More

Basketball fans had a chance to see top NCAA seed Duke and star freshman Zion Williamson for free on Thursday, and they turned up — to the tune of an estimated 5,000 at Thursday's practice at Colonial Life Arena.  ... Read More