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Lowcountry

Hitchhiking Termites Stopped by CBP in Charleston, South Carolina

June 5, 2020 by 0 Comments
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CHARLESTON, S.C. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations, at Charleston seaport intercepted potentially dangerous pests in a shipment destined for North Carolina.

On May 29, CBP Agriculture Specialists inspected a maritime shipment of stacks of lumber from Cameroon and found pests crawling on the wood. The pests were collected and promptly sent over to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) laboratory for further evaluation. The container was sealed and secured awaiting the USDA report.

“This interception of these termites hitchhiking on a lumber shipment is significant,” said Richard Quinn, CBP Port Director at Charleston Seaport. “CBP agriculture specialists perform work that is critical to protecting the U.S. by preventing the introduction of harmful pests into the country.”

The USDA identified the pests as Kalotermitidae species, also known as dry wood termites which can cause significant damage to structural timbers and hardwood floors in homes.

The containers and lumber were fumigated to mitigate the risk of the pests and to ensure all specimens are no longer living before the commodity was released back to the importer. 

CBP agriculture specialists have extensive training and experience in the biological sciences and agricultural inspection.

CBPAS Charleston intercept Termites
Termites were discovered  by CBP Agriculture
Specialists on this shipment of wood.

On a typical day nationally, they inspect over 1 million people as well as land, air and sea cargo imported to the United States, and intercept 314 agriculture pests and 4,695 prohibited meat, plant materials or animal products. Learn more about what CBP achieved during “A Typical Day” in 2019.

CBP’s agriculture protection mission is led at ports of entry by CBP agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations. Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders. 

Follow the Director of CBP’s Atlanta Field Office on Twitter at @DFOAtlanta and or breaking news, current events, human-interest stories and photos.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation’s borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel.

Lowcountry

Braskem America Announces New Global Export Hub Facility in Charleston, South Carolina

June 1, 2020 by 0 Comments
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New Global Export Hub to Support Braskem’s U.S. Polypropylene Production Facilities with Packaging, Warehousing and Shipping Services to International Customers

Facility to Support Global Exports up to 450 Million Pounds Annually and Complements Braskem’s Existing Network of Global Export Hubs

PHILADELPHIA and CHARLESTON, S.C., June 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Braskem (B3: BRKM3, BRKM5 and BRKM6;NYSE: BAK; LATIBEX: XBRK), the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas and leading producer of biopolymers in the world, today announced the selection of Charleston, South Carolina as home to the company’s new Global Export Hub to serve Braskem’s international customers.

Braskem’s New Global Export Hub

The new Global Export Hub facility will provide packaging, warehousing and export shipping services to support Braskem’s U.S. polypropylene (PP) production facilities. With the design and development phase well underway, the new Global Export Hub is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2020 and will have a capacity to support export shipments of up to 450 million pounds (204 Kilotons) of polypropylene and specialty polymers annually to Braskem customers worldwide. 

Braskem is partnering with the Port of Charleston and warehouse provider Frontier Logistics, which will construct, lease and provide services to Braskem under a five-year agreement. Ahead of the facility’s completion, the company plans to continue to leverage its existing international export capabilities out of Houston, Texas, which will also be maintained following the launch of the new Charleston Global Export Hub. The announcement of the new South Carolina facility complements Braskem’s existing network of Global Export Hubs which include facilities in North America, South America and Europe. 

Mark Nikolich, Braskem America CEO commented, “As the largest polyolefins producer in the Americas and the leading producer of polypropylene in the United States, Braskem is focused on reinvesting in its business and leadership positions to support our clients worldwide.  The build out of our new Global Export Hub in South Carolina allows us to leverage our feedstock advantaged, polymer production assets in the U.S Gulf Goast, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, to best meet our international clients needs. With excellent access to national rail and highway networks this important new logistics and distribution facility in the South Carolina port region significantly enhances Braskem America’s international export capability.”

The Port of Charleston features daily express intermodal and merchandise rail services and more than 20 ocean carriers delivering export cargo between Charleston and more than 150 nations around the world. In 2019, the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) handled a record high 2.44 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs). The new Charleston Global Export Hub facility is being developed as Braskem works to complete Delta, Braskem’s new world-class polypropylene production line in La Porte, Texas, which is nearing completion and is scheduled for the launch of commercial production in the third quarter of 2020.

“The polymer resins boom in the Gulf Coast is bringing new cargo to the Southeast,” S.C. Ports Authority President and CEO Jim Newsome said. “Braskem selected the Port of Charleston as their East Coast load port due to our market’s unfettered resin export capacity, knowledge of the petrochemical industry and efficiently run port terminals. We welcome Braskem as a customer of S.C. Ports. Our strong business partnerships help to ensure S.C. Ports will continue to grow above market.”

To support additional shipping growth, the SCPA is currently undertaking a Charleston Harbor Deepening Project allowing for the increased ability to fill large container vessels handling up to 19,000 TEUs with heavy export cargo. Upon completion of Charleston’s deepening, the Inner Harbor will offer 52 feet of depth with a 54-feet deep Entrance Channel, making it home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast. Additionally, the SCPA has embarked on the development of the Hugh K. Leatherman Terminal; phase 1 will open in March 2021, helping ensure capacity and access as volumes continue to grow.

The construction of Braskem America’s new Global Export Hub in Charleston, under its agreement with Frontier Logistics, will positively impact economic activity in the region with approximately 150 development and construction workers contracted by Frontier to fully design and construct the facility and 60 permanent employees employed by Frontier after startup.  The total economic impact that comes about through the SCPA yields a statewide employment multiplier of 2.4. This implies that, on average, for every 10 jobs that are directly supported by SCPA port operations or port users, an additional 14 jobs are created elsewhere in South Carolina.

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA PORTS AUTHORITY

South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA), established by the state’s General Assembly in 1942, owns and operates public seaport and intermodal facilities in Charleston, Dillon, Georgetown and Greer. As an economic development engine for the state, Port operations facilitate 225,000 statewide jobs and generate nearly $63.4 billion annual economic activity. SCPA is soon to be home to the deepest harbor on the U.S. East Coast at 52 feet, and the Port is an industry leader in delivering speed-to-market, seamless processes and flexibility to ensure reliable operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility. For more information on SCPA, please visit www.scspa.com.

ABOUT BRASKEM

With a global vision of the future oriented towards people and sustainability, Braskem is committed to contributing to the value chain for strengthening the Circular Economy. The petrochemical company’s almost 8,000 team members dedicate themselves every day to improve people’s lives through sustainable chemicals and plastics solutions. Braskem has an innovative DNA and a comprehensive portfolio of plastic resins and chemical products for diverse segments, such as food packaging, construction, manufacturing, automotive, agribusiness, healthcare and hygiene, among others. With 41 industrial units in Brazil, the United States, Mexico and Germany, and net revenue of R$52.3 billion (US$13.2 billion), Braskem exports its products to clients in more than 100 countries.

Braskem America is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Braskem S.A. headquartered in Philadelphia. The company is the leading producer of polypropylene in the United States, with six production plants located in Texas, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, an Innovation and Technology Center in Pittsburgh, and operations in Boston focused on leveraging groundbreaking developments in biotechnology and advanced materials. For more information, visit www.braskem.com/usa.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains projections and other forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) regarding future events. These statements reflect Braskem’s current beliefs and expectations with respect to Braskem’s business, the economy and other future conditions and are based on assumptions, are subject to risk and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time.  Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained herein include, without limitation: (i) the continuation of restrictions related to the COVID -19 Pandemic or the continuing effects of the Pandemic; (ii) the contraction or lack of growth in the market segments in which Braskem competes and in which its products are sold (ii) unexpected delays in commissioning, (iii) increased competition from imports or in the export markets, (iv) inability to anticipate future market trends and the future needs of Braskem’s customers, (v) the impact of natural disasters on Braskem’s La Porte facility and its suppliers and (vi) other factors detailed in documents Braskem files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Lowcountry

Introducing Charleston Daily Hospitality and Retail Public Relations and Social Digital Marketing Consulting Services

May 31, 2020 by 0 Comments
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Are you a Charleston area business struggling to grow your social footprint, customer base, and market presence?  Charleston Daily is now taking its 15+ years of digital marketing and employer brand experience along with its established customer foundation to the business community.

Introducing Social Digital Marketing and Employer Brand Consulting Services powered by Charleston Daily

Why Charleston Daily?

  • Social Reach – Over 180K potential customers (Subscribers, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)
  • Over 15 Years of Digital Marketing, Social Marketing, and Employer Brand Consulting expertise
  • Collaborative environment
  • Unique and creative approach to growing market share and expanding customer reach
  • Intimate relationship-driven culture
  • Solutions based approach

If you are interested in discussing our services and how we can help your business, let us schedule a free consultative call

Email us at  mark@charlestondaily.net or complete this 1-page registration form

Lowcountry

Do You Ever Just Feel Tired? – Commentary

May 31, 2020 by 0 Comments
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By Mark A. Leon

Do you ever look in the mirror and question whose reflection you are seeing? You haven’t aged more than a day but you look and feel much older than your years.

Sometimes life just beats you down so hard that it is difficult to mentally overcome all the obstacles being thrown your way. It has a way of spiraling you into a state of depression. One where it is easier to admit defeat than fight your way out of it.

For some, it is an illness, a damaged relationship, job loss, keeping a family together, a tragedy, or a combination of things that piles up on your shoulders that you feel like a thousand pounds of weight bearing down on you.

It is in that moment of darkness that you realign your perceptions of life and begin to ask yourself some questions. How superficial was my life before? All the pet peeves I had were meaningless with respect to the suffering around us? What purpose and meaning do I serve in this life? It is these deep fetching questions that just compound the sense of despair.

Life is hard. I can quote until the cows come home the words of great literary writers and poets, but the words are nothing more than ink on paper. It is when the breaths become harder, the silences more deafening and the loneliness so isolated that reality really sets in.

What then?

You can sift through all your old photo albums and remember your childhood and how you had no responsibility, you were invincible and everything was simple and innocent but those are nothing but mere memories; reflections on past moments. The unknown is in front of you. If life is this hard now, will it get easier? The likelihood is not.

This by no means is a proclamation that suicide is an option or to run away to a remote island somewhere away from all communication. This is the life we lead. We think about our grandparents that went from not having a phone or TV to all this. What a remarkable evolution. Maybe we can look back and say times were easier back in the day and now technology is corrupting us, but that is nothing more than a set of excuses.

I don’t know the answer. I don’t even one when you stop being tired. I don’t even have to advise at this point on how to overcome it. Many are fortunate to have family, friends, values, and faith that guide them through what seems overwhelming. Some do not. Maybe clinging on to the few things that are consistent is the right start.

Whatever the answer is, we are listening. I guess in the end, whether you are a friend, foe, or stranger if you can help someone, in a way you are helping yourself by giving yourself a sense of purpose and achievement in making another life better, even for a moment.

Lowcountry

Last Breath (A Reflection) – Original Poem

May 30, 2020 by 1 Comment
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When the winter comes
When it is cold and dark
When there is no one to turn to
When the emptiness fills your heart with a shallow pool of sorrow
When there is no sign of light

Keep me in your heart

Remember me
Not as I am now, but as I was when you smiled

Keep me
Hold me
Cherish me
Forever I am by your side

My last breath is gone but I can feel you
The disease may have shut down my senses but it did not win

I have left you for a place I cannot understand
It is a world not comprehended by words, thoughts, beliefs or faith
It is a being not defined
A time without a clock
A feeling without emotion

Surreal to the human eye
Calm to the immortal soul

I have shared my last breath with you; not my last beat
My heart goes on
Not inside me but you.

You hold it close
You remember me
You share these stories
You wake up each day with a smile and lay to rest each night with a calm

I will always love you
Please feel no hate
Please feel no fear

You are not alone
My spirit lays beside you

When you shed a tear, I will dry your eyes.

It is now that the strength comes near and protects you in a moment of weakness

I have exhaled and now my breath is gone

I love you
I miss you
I am near
Reach out your hand and I will guide you each day of your life.

Photo: Francesco Prandoni Getty Images

Lowcountry

The Charleston South Carolina Police Department Enlists the Help of The Submarine Way To Drive Cultural Change

May 30, 2020 by 0 Comments
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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES, May 29, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — It is not about training it is about driving behavioral change that changes culture.

The Submarine Way (TSW) was enlisted last month by the Charleston Police Department (CPD) to conduct a year-long leadership training program. We will begin our work immediately and are excited by the vision of a more community-centric, inclusive culture within the department. The Submarine Way will use tools like their bestselling book, Diversity and Inclusion, The Submarine Way, and UP PERISCOPE, Putting Traditional Leadership in the Crosshairs. This leadership development program focuses on building inclusive leaders that partner with their communities. All areas and levels of the police department will be included in this initiative. Additionally, internal trainers and masterminds will be created within the department to develop ownership and cascading of this powerful project with the assistance of The Submarine Way’s resources and expertise. The Submarine Way has conducted programs for other law enforcement including the Raleigh Police Department and the Florence South Carolina Police Department.

Law Enforcement has difficult jobs, protecting the community and themselves while building relationships with the community. The Submarine Way (TSW) teaches law enforcement to identify the strengths of each individual and the community and leverage these strengths for a better relationship. Charleston Police Department will be taught and experience, the patent published System of inclusion through workshops, case studies, online learning, and continuous reinforcement. Given our past successes with other cities, communities and police departments, this intense year-long journey, will further improve the culture of the Charleston Police Department to a level that it will become a model for others to emulate.

In order to drive lasting behavioral change and therefore lasting cultural change, you must have the following components. We call this the C.O.R.E. process of producing exceptional results:

C ommitment – From senior leadership and key players within the department and the city. The City of Charleston and the CPD are ALL IN

O n Target Training – It must be applicable, realistic, relevant, and immediately actionable. It also must be immersive and interactive. CHECK

R einforcement – 90% of what is learned is forgotten within 30 days without reinforcement, it is called learning decay. The CPD and TSW have partnered to bring the significant reinforcement resources TSW has to be utilized in combination with internal masterminds and facilitators trained by (TSW) to keep training, keep reinforcing and creating true ownership of this crucial program

WHEN ALL OF THESE ARE ACCOMPLISHED THEN YOU GET

E xceptional RESULTS

John Gregory Vincent
The Submarine Way
+1 828-202-7639

Lowcountry

Dorchester Seniors: Still Making Strides during the Pandemic

May 28, 2020 by 0 Comments
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Dorchester Seniors, Inc, a non-profit organization based in Summerville and St. George, has been working through the COVID-19 pandemic, providing meals to seniors across Dorchester County. From March to May, Dorchester Seniors has distributed 23,183 meals, and still has six days remaining in the month with meal deliveries.

Dorchester Seniors prepares all meals within the Summerville location and distributes them out at both centers via the home delivered meal program. Monday through Friday each week, seniors receive a hot nutritious meal, 1/3 RDA approved, and two additional meals for the weekend. Currently, Dorchester Seniors has 12 routes delivering meals, nine in Summerville and three in St. George. “Having the ability to provide daily personal contact through this isolation period is very important,” stated Jean K. Ott, Executive Director, “that is why we have decided to continue daily meal delivery rather than one delivery weekly.” This allowed Dorchester Seniors to assist seniors with basic needs such as toiletry items, nonperishables, and paper products through the pandemic. The organization is proud to say following CDC guidelines and safety protocol, they have remained open through the COVID-19 closures.

Through closings due to social distancing and quarantine, Dorchester Seniors has followed CDC guidelines on contactless deliveries for seniors at home. Partnering with LowCountry Food Bank, Joy Campbell and I Serve With Joy, and Trident Area on Aging, Dorchester Seniors has been able to provide commodity boxes, cereal, and nutritional education to seniors while they are safe at home. “The greatest of all things,” says Ott, “is our dedicated volunteers, who have assisted with packing meals and delivering them in the community during this time.”

Remaining cautious, the Summerville location has opened to limited public for wellness and fitness classes. These classes are practicing social distancing and must be enrolled through the 50+ Fit program. With group dining not being available, Dorchester Seniors is still providing meals to seniors through their homebound meal program weekly and are always looking for volunteers. If you would like to volunteer in the Summerville or St. George area, please call (843) 871-5053.

Due to the amount of seniors being served during this pandemic, anyone can donate items to Dorchester Seniors through Amazon Smile and their website wish list at www.dorchesterseniors.com .

ABOUT DORCHESTER SENIORS, INC.

Our Mission is to provide opportunities to all senior citizens of Dorchester County to enhance their educational, mental, social, spiritual and physical wellbeing.

To achieve this goal Dorchester Seniors, Inc. will work cooperatively with other community agencies and organizations through advocacy for senior citizens and interagency coordination including outreach assessing needs and planning actions.

To learn more or make a donation: DorchesterSeniors.com

Lowcountry

Blackbaud Releases Eighth Annual Employee Engagement, Corporate Social Responsibility Trends Report

May 22, 2020 by 0 Comments
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Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good, today releases its eighth annual Industry Review, which provides key learnings and trends in employee philanthropic behavior and companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. The 2020 report analyzes data from a subset of Blackbaud customers, 150 companies and nearly 4.5 million employees, collected between January and December 2019 within Blackbaud’s YourCause CSRconnect® and GrantsConnect® solutions.

“This review tells a powerful story of companies that seek to deepen the connection they have with the people who walk through their doors – literally and virtually – every day,” said Rachel Hutchisson, vice president, corporate citizenship and philanthropy, Blackbaud. “Although the data was collected before the COVID-19 pandemic, this time has emphasized how important it is to align around social impact and the important role companies play in driving change and inspiring and empowering employees to support the causes they care about.”

Key findings from this year’s Industry Review include:  

  • Employees are more likely to engage when companies offer both giving and volunteering opportunities – 75% of companies that offer both giving and volunteering opportunities for their employees have twice the engagement of companies only offering one or the other. 
  • Employees who donate are more likely to donate again – Once employees become donors, 87% of them will become returning donors year over year. 
  • Connection is key – Employees who work from a company’s headquarters location are engaged in giving 2.5 times more than remote employees. 
  • Companies on opposite ends of the employee size spectrum are alike in giving behaviors – Companies with under 1,000 employees and over 100,000 employees are donating the most. 
  • Bringing like-minded employees together can be effective – Companies that offer employee groups through CSRconnect see an approximate 12:1 employee engagement rate ratio when compared to companies that do not offer groups to employees. 
  • Think globally – More than half of companies evaluated have a global giving and/or volunteering element to their program, and when comparing 2018 to 2019, the average annual donation amount per global employee jumped 32%. 

This year’s Industry Review provides data-driven insights for CSR and employee engagement professionals to benchmark their programs and learn from others, so they can continue to expand and maximize the effects of their philanthropic efforts. The robust report looks at programs and employee engagement by geographic region – both in the U.S. and globally – and also analyzes companies of all sizes to provide a holistic view of the current industry.  

Read the full Industry Review here and learn more about Blackbaud’s solutions for CSR. 

About Blackbaud

Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good. Serving the entire social good community—nonprofits, higher education institutions, K–12 schools, healthcare organizations, faith communities, arts and cultural organizations, foundations, companies and individual change agents—Blackbaud connects and empowers organizations to increase their impact through cloud software, services, expertise and data intelligence. The Blackbaud portfolio is tailored to the unique needs of vertical markets, with solutions for fundraising and CRM, marketing, advocacy, peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate social responsibility, school management, ticketing, grantmaking, financial management, payment processing and analytics. Serving the industry for more than three decades, Blackbaud is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, and has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit  www.blackbaud.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Inquiries

media@blackbaud.com 

Forward-looking Statements

Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles, particularly in larger organization; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud’s investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.

Lowcountry

Joséphine on Spring Street in Charleston has an exciting re-opening plan – See what delicious plans they have prepared

May 19, 2020 by 0 Comments
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  • Reopening Date: 
    • Tuesday, May 26
    • Indoor dining, patio dining, launching takeout 
  • What’s new at Joséphine?
    • Hours: Tuesday – Thursday: 5p – 8p, Friday – Saturday: 5p – 10p
    • Curbside Takeout: We’re launching takeout! Take out is available only by calling the restaurant. Your order will be delivered to you curbside.
    • Menu: New spring dishes, refreshed cocktails, updated wine list
    • Reservation Policy: Patio and dining room will be reservation-only through Resy or by calling the restaurant

New Menu Highlight

Starters

  • Smoked trout dip/crostini
  • Sambal cheese pate/house-made crackers

Vegetables

  • Curry roasted carrots/goat feta
  • Whipped goat cheese/peaches/tomatoes/basil/pistachios

Main

  • Ricotta cavatelli/house Italian sausage/baby bells/arugula
  • Local shrimp/creamy parmesan polenta/chilis/tomato/white wine/basil

Dessert

  • Carrot cake/rum=soaked black currants/pecans/cream cheese frosting
  • Maple panna cotta tart/smoked blueberries/hone

Official Josephine Wine Bar Website