SC Arts Adding Big Bucks to State’s Economy

By Mike Switzer

Published April 26, 2018 at 5:15 AM EDT

The University of South Carolina recently released a new economic impact study indicating that jobs, tax revenue, and spending by South Carolina’s arts-related sector adds $9.7 billion annually to our state’s economy.

Mike Switzer interviews Ken May, executive director of the South Carolina Arts Commission in Columbia, SC.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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