TRAVIS BOLAND PROFILE

Gov. Henry McMaster, along with a number of state agency leaders, addressed the news media today in hopes of better preparing South Carolinians for the likely arrival of Hurricane Irma. McMaster echoed his sentiments from Wednesday, u... Read More

Gov. Henry McMaster today declared a state of emergency, asking South Carolinians to prepare for Hurricane Irma. According to the executive order, the National Hurricane Center has determined from forecast models that the state of Sou... Read More

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey and the mass flooding in Texas, city and county officials are seeing a chance to pay it forward. Richland County is just two years removed from historic rain and flooding that dumped over 20 inches of r... Read More

Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin made it official Thursday, filing for a third term as leader of the capital city. “I am thankful for the last seven years of serving Columbia,” Benjamin said. “In that time, we have been... Read More

In July, the Trump administration released a 17-page document that listed the goals it hoped to achieve while renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. One of those goals called for new rules to govern the trade of servic... Read More

Gov. Henry McMaster calls South Carolina the center of the new industrial revolution. The state currently ranks in the top five in manufacturing in the United States, and McMaster says companies are lining up to do business. Helping l... Read More

For the first time in 99 years a total solar eclipse will cross the United States, and Columbia will be the event’s epicenter. With national attention, the Midlands has become one of the top places to see the natural wonder, cau... Read More

It truly is a seller’s market when it comes to homes according to South Carolina Realtors. In a recent report, the trade group said there is anecdotal evidence that indicates its becoming tougher to find a home to buy. “Wi... Read More

One of the first things companies rave about when moving to South Carolina is the ready-made, skilled workforce that can quickly come in and do the job that is needed. With jobs and skills continually being molded and shaped, it&rsquo... Read More

University of South Carolina trustees today approved the hiring of Mark Kingston to lead the USC baseball team. Kingston spent the last three seasons as head coach at the University of South Florida. He compiled a 100-78-1 r... Read More

President Donald Trump called cybertheft “the fastest growing crime in the United States by far,” and it doesn’t show signs of slowing down. It is predicted that cybercrime global damage costs could hit $6 trillion a... Read More

The crowd gathered in Newberry’s Memorial Park Wednesday cheered the announcement of Samsung choosing the Newberry County to set up its newest manufacturing plant. Newberry County Council Chairman Buddy Livingston reminisced abo... Read More

The New York Mets announced Sunday Tim Tebow would be promoted to its Advanced-A affiliate in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Tebow is the fourth member of the Columbia Fireflies to be called up this week. When it was announced Tebow would join ... Read More

Welcome to Brainpower, U.S.A. That was the nickname Gov. Henry McMaster dubbed the state this morning after the announcement of a partnership between Siemens and the University of South Carolina. The company will be providing a $628 m... Read More

Columbia Metropolitan Airport is looking to make the “famously hot” Columbia sun work in its favor after today’s launch of its solar array. The airport partnered with Con Edison Solutions to construct the farm on fiv... Read More

The Columbia Fireflies are giving fans a chance to beat the heat this summer after the announcement of large fans being installed along the concourse level. Team owner Jason Freier announced the upgrade to a board of advisers meet... Read More

Construction on the Merrill Gardens at BullStreet senior living center is expected to begin in November or December, Clayton Mozingo, principal and CEO of Second Fifty Communities, announced Monday. The project is expected to take 1... Read More

When the town of Lexington unveiled its Vision Plan in 2012, one of the main goals was to redevelop Main Street and downtown as the “Heart of Lexington.” Phase I began in 2012 with development of Lexington Square by a ... Read More

Sears Holdings Corp. announced today plans to close 72 locations, including its Sears store and Sears Auto Center at Columbia Place Mall. In total, 16 Sears stores, 49 Kmart stores and seven auto centers will be closed, the company said.... Read More

From May 22 print issue of Columbia Regional Business Report In a recent Bank of America survey, small business owners around the United States said they were optimistic about the state of the current economy, but still hesitant when ... Read More

In the shadow of President Donald Trump’s consideration of taking the United States out of the Paris climate pact, local leaders gathered in Columbia with hopes of bringing clean energy to all citizens of South Carolina. Columbi... Read More

For much of his campaign, President Donald Trump made promises to strengthen the nation’s immigration policies.  In Trump’s first two months of office, deportations rose, but according statistics from Immigration and ... Read More

Based on data provided by the tech firm HM Government, 60% of small businesses will experience a cyber breach. To make sure owners of small and mid-size businesses don’t end up as another statistic, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce alo... Read More

After 43 years, University of South Carolina law students, faculty and staff are making the move to a new $80 million facility downtown on Gervais Street. Law School Dean Robert Wilcox led a group of media Tuesday on a tour of the new... Read More

Libraries are normally places where you will find silence and reserve, but cheering echoed at the downtown Columbia’s main library today in celebration of news that the library was awarded the 2017 winner of the National Medal for ... Read More

Business leaders and state lawmakers gathered at the Statehouse today to celebrate the passing of the new roads bill set to go into effect July 1. The bill features an increase in the state’s gas of tax 2 cents per g... Read More

May means commencement and a new group of students getting ready to take their place in the nation’s workforce. Tom Halasz, director of the Career Center for the University of South Carolina, says demand is greatest for graduate... Read More

It’s been a month since Tim Tebow donned a Columbia Fireflies jersey, strode to the plate and cranked a home run on the opening night of the season. In his first month with the team, Tebow is batting .232 with two home runs and ... Read More

Celebrity chef Jeff Henderson says he regrets his former way of life, and by speaking to the younger generation, it gives him the chance to rights some wrongs. Henderson, who spent 10 years in prison, is now an executive chef at the Bell... Read More

A group of city and county officials gathered Monday at the Columbia Chamber of Commerce of celebrate the beginning of Small Business Week. The annual event turns the focus towards small businesses, celebrating what they have done in ... Read More

Members of the Associated Industries of South Carolina Foundation gathered in front of the Statehouse Tuesday to tour what may be the newest workforce recruiting tool to roll through the state. A tractor trailer features a mobile comm... Read More

In 2016 SC Housing helped more than 26,000 families around the state achieve the dream of quality affordable housing. It resulted in a workforce impact of 4,719 jobs and created over $46 million in state and local tax revenue. Despite th... Read More

The Bull Street Commission reconvened Monday at City Hall with hopes of getting the word out about the future of the downtown development. A commission was originally formed in 2013, with plans to meet every other month, but unforesee... Read More

In 2012, the South Carolina Department of Revenue was breeched allowing for 3.6 million social security numbers to become exposed along with almost 400,000 credit and debit card numbers. In the coming years, cybersecurity has been a m... Read More

Like most everywhere else in South Carolina, Lexington is dealing with crumbling roads and traffic congestion. Talks with a number of business leaders confirmed it’s by far the No. 1 issue facing the town. With 136,000 vehicles ... Read More

There must be something about Columbia that brings out the best in Tim Tebow. He twice led the Florida Gators to wins over South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium, once scoring seven touchdowns en route to winning the Heisman Trophy. ... Read More

To developer Scott Garvin, Columbia provides an opportunity to bring new business, jobs and residents to Main Street. To Lou Kennedy, local government’s business friendly culture made it possible for her company to expand and re... Read More

A number of football jerseys dotted the crowd Sunday at Spirit Communications Park as fans flocked to get a glimpse of Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Tim Tebow. After three years in the National Football League and a stint with ES... Read More

Although nursing is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country, South Carolina expects to face a 24% nursing staff shortage over the next few years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In its 2014 report, the U.S. ... Read More

Most businesses need three things to compete: a place to work, people to do the work and way to ship that work to their customers. “South Carolina is an optimal place for business when you see the resources that are spread throu... Read More

Columbia-based TCube Solutions will be expanding its global reach after being acquired by Capgemini. TCube president Sam McGuckin saw the need to merge after realizing the number of companies looking to do the same things in which his co... Read More

Columbia’s newest hotel — Aloft — is unlike anything seen in the Capital City. It’s a boutique hotel with features you might not find at your average hotel. “When we were looking to develop the property, ... Read More

Downtown Church announced on its website Tuesday plans to move to the BullStreet neighborhood in downtown Columbia. The church cited its continued growth as the reason for the move. The church currently meets at 701 Whaley Street in t... Read More

The Partnership for a New American Economy has gathered statistics that show the economic impact of immigrants in the United States, and launched an interactive online map, called the “Map of Impact,” that showcases new resea... Read More

Mike Briggs, president and CEO of the Central South Carolina Alliance, says the region is well positioned for future business growth. “We spend a lot of time marketing our region,” Briggs said. “The project pipeline ... Read More

Business leaders from across the state gathered at the Statehouse on Tuesday to show their support for the current roads proposal that was passed by the House Ways and Means subcommittee. The current bill is scheduled to be debated by th... Read More

Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund, presented a $6 million grant to the presidents of Benedict College, Claflin University and Voorhees College. At a Thursday press conference ... Read More

AT&T has announced the launch of its fastest internet speed tier, AT&T Internet 1000. It will be made available to customers and small businesses in the Columbia area, including parts of Richland County outside the city. ATT&a... Read More

Dave & Buster’s will open its first Midlands location Monday at Columbiana Centre. The 30,000-square-foot restaurant and entertainment concept occupies 30,000 square feet on the lower level of the former Sears store and will em... Read More

Ann Marie Stieritz has been named chief impact officer for Liberty Fellowship. Stieritz is currently the president and CEO of the S.C. Council on Competitiveness but will vacate that job at the end of February. BlueCross BlueShield of... Read More

SCANA Corporation, along with the City of Cayce, held a dedication for the new welcome sign that is positioned 12th Street Extension near I-77. The new stone and mortar sign was completed last month, and a ribbon cutting ceremony was ... Read More

The Columbia Housing Development Corporation followed through with its plans Monday to tear down the Christ Court Structures on Waites Road in Columbia.     The development had become a detriment to the community, ... Read More

Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin said in his State of the City address, he will make competitiveness of the city a priority, and presented a five-part focus plan for the continued growth of business in Columbia. “The State of the C... Read More

Cobb Theatre announced Wednesday it would not be going ahead with its 10-cinema luxury theatre planned for the Bull Street development in Columbia. The property, being developed by the Hughes Development Corporation, is the 181-acres of ... Read More

President Donald Trump formally withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership on Monday. The 12-nation deal had been negotiated under President Barack Obama. Congress had not had the chance to ratify the agreement, so ... Read More

Cobb Theatres announced today that it has terminated its lease from the Bull Street redevelopment in Columbia. The group was to build a 10-screen luxury cinema. Birmingham, Ala-based Cobb was scheduled to be the retail anchor at the C... Read More

Business leaders from across the state said that after years of frustration, they are cautiously optimistic the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place when it comes to fixing South Carolina’s roadways. A group met with m... Read More

When it was announced that ITT Technical Institute would be shutting its doors, it left a number of students in South Carolina unable to transfer credits or get money back on student loans towards an unfinished degree. Columbia-based ... Read More

The city of Columbia’s Design/Development Review Commission has approved plans for a 12-unit apartment building to be housed at 933 Main St. The brick apartment building, around 14,000 square feet, would be called The Lofts at t... Read More

Apex Tool Group will be eliminating 170 jobs from its Sumter County plant. Company spokesperson Kelly Rhoades said the downsizing was a result of the ceasing of production of the Armstrong and Allen hand tools manufactured at the plan... Read More

Robert Hughes, project manager for Hughes Development, sounded excited Wednesday after it was announced that TCube Solutions would be investing in the Bull Street redevelopment project in Columbia. “TCube is a perfect fit for th... Read More

TCube Solutions announced today it is investing $1.7 million to move into 25,000-square-foot workspace in the First Base Building at Spirit Communications Park. They will also be adding more equipment, as well as creating 100 jobs. &l... Read More