Best Moving Company in Charleston

One of the biggest container ships to call on the East Coast put the Charleston Harbor deepening project to the test last week.

The MSC Rayshmi, which visited the Wando Welch Terminal on Sept. 14-15, set a record for the deepest draft at the port at 48 feet and 11 inches.

That’s just a few feet shy of the local shipping channel’s 52-foot depth reached as part of a $558 million dredging project overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The previous record was 47-feet, 11-inches set on March 18, 2022, by the COSCO Camellia.

Draft is the distance between a ship’s keel, or bottom, and its waterline. Container ship operators often pick Charleston as a site to load up with export containers because its deep channel can handle the heavy loads regardless of tidal conditions.

The Rayshmi is part of Mediterranean Shipping Co.’s fleet of neo-Panamax class of vessels, so named because they were built to fit through the expanded Panama Canal. Built in 2021, it is 1,076-feet-long and can carry up to the equivalent of 12,200 20-foot cargo containers. It was at Wando Welch for 34 hours, during which time 2,758 containers were moved to and from the vessel by five ship-to-shore cranes.

The ship left Mount Pleasant on its way to the Port of Virginia in Norfolk. From there, it will stop in Baltimore and Boston before heading back to Europe.

Charleston currently has the deepest harbor on the East Coast, although Virginia is digging its shipping channel to 55 feet in a project that’s expected to finish by late 2024.

While the Rayshmi’s draft was the deepest ever recorded in Charleston, it didn’t set a record for the entire East Coast. That mark belongs to the MSC Chicago, which set sail from Virginia drafting 49 feet of water in 2013 — just one foot shy of the channel’s depth at the time.

Ports in other parts of the world have seen even deeper drafts. The Port of Antwerp, for example, set a record last year when the MSC Regulus entered with a draft of 51½ feet.

Charleston’s dredging project is expected to wrap up this year. It will deepen the shipping lane from 45 feet to 52 feet from the lower channel to the State Ports Authority’s Leatherman Terminal in North Charleston, and to a 48-foot depth between the old Navy base and the North Charleston Terminal. Work began in 2018 by dredging the entrance channel to 54 feet.

Flying high

Charleston International now has beefed up its list of airlines and destinations, but one mainstay still commands the flight line, even after all the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Atlanta-based Delta remains the dominant carrier at CHS, with 27 percent of all out-bound passengers through June 30, according to data from the Charleston County Aviation Authority.

Not far behind is American Airlines. The Fort Worth, Texas-based company accounts for 24 percent of the Charleston market.

Southwest maintains 15 percent, United has 14 percent and JetBlue comes in at 10 percent of outgoing passengers.

Upstart Breeze, which launched in Charleston last year, now holds 6 percent of the Lowcountry market.

The remaining 4 percent is spread among several other rivals that have landed in Charleston since 2015. In descending order of the number of boarding travelers, they are Alaska, Allegiant, Silver, Frontier, Sun Country and Avelo. The latter two launched limited service to one destination each from the Lowcountry earlier this year.

Capital idea

A Charleston-based apartment giant has lined up some dry powder to help fund its ongoing expansion into the warehouse business.

A logistics fund organized by Greystar Real Estate Partners this month raised an initial $310 million in equity capital from investors in the indefinite offering, according to a disclosure filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Meeting Street firm added an industrial element to its massive residential rental portfolio in September 2020, when it bought Dallas-based Thackeray Partners. The acquisition brought some expertise in warehouse projects, which have become a hot asset class thanks to the accelerated growth in online shopping.

Greystar CEO and founder Bob Faith told The Post and Courier last month that work is now underway on about 15 million square feet of industrial space around the globe, including its first development close to home. The firm paid $3.23 million this summer for a 13.5-acre site in Mount Holly Commerce Park off U.S. Highway 52 between Goose Creek and Moncks Corner and is constructing a 135,200-square-foot building on the property.

The project is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter next year.

The firm’s newly launched investment fund goes by Greystar Logistics Coinvestment Partners GP I LLC.

A Charleston-based company that helps businesses cut their utility bills and other overhead costs is targeting merchants that sell goods through Amazon’s Marketplace.

SIB Fixed Cost Reduction announced it has acquired a stake in Teaneck, N.J.-based Getida last week. The size of the investment and other financial terms were not disclosed.

Getida uses “data and analytics to achieve maximum recovery solutions for Amazon sellers,” according to a written statement. SIB chief executive Kevin Flounders said the bill-auditing technology “is one of the most exciting ... that we have encountered in the e-commerce space.”

Getida CEO Eytan Wiener said the investment provides the seven-year-old Garden State business “significant capital and resources to further build out our technology and enter new global markets, while also being able to offer our platform users additional savings in areas beyond Amazon.”

SIB was launched in 2008. The upper Meeting Street company has been owned since 2020 by O2, a Detroit-area private equity firm that buys majority stakes in middle-market service, technology and industrial businesses. The Getida deal is SIB’s sixth strategic investment in the past two and half years.

Mascot marketing

A parade of mascots from different sports and commercial entities in Charleston will kick off the 12th annual Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce Business and Community Expo this week.

Clyde the Cougar from the College of Charleston, Spike T. Bulldog from The Citadel and Charlie from the Charleston RiverDogs will join five other costumed marketers at the top of the 1-6 p.m. event on Sept. 22 at Omar Shrine Center at 176 Patriots Point Road.

More than 90 vendors are expected to participate, offering demonstrations, giveaways and food samples. Puppies, games, prizes and food trucks also be on hand. Happy hour is 5-6 p.m., and admission is free.

Downtown Charleston has a new ally in street cleaning. The Glutton.

The hand-held device looks similar to a leaf blower but sucks material in rather than pushing it away. The Charleston Environmental Services Department started deploying the Glutton in July up and down King Street and on Market Street near the historic Charleston City Market.

Right now, the department has one of the $27,000 pieces of equipment, but city leaders hope to add a second to the Environmental Service’s fleet by the end of the year. It has served as a force multiplier while the department has had trouble filling vacant positions, said Environmental Services Director Matt Alltop.

Previously, the department aimed to have four custodians walking King Street and parts of Market Street with brooms and dustpans. But the city hasn’t been able to fully staff those positions. Now, the Glutton allows one custodian to do the work of multiple people. It can also get to harder-to-reach areas of the street. The trash is collected alongside the glutton in a 240-liter, wheeled trash can, and the machine has an odor neutralizer to fight garbage fumes.

“It’s been a huge help for us on King Street,” Alltop said.

The city’s custodians now run the Glutton daily from around 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Despite the resemblance, Gluttons are significantly quieter and more environmentally friendly than gas-powered leaf blowers. When charged overnight between shifts, the machines are able to maintain their battery life for up to 10 hours.

The Gluttons, which were invented in Belgium, are gaining popularity in Europe but are still hard to find in the United States. Gluttons have been sold in 70 countries and are often see in European airports, according to a city news release.

When a supplier began selling them in North Carolina, Alltop said he was eager to jump on the opportunity to buy one for the city. After doing a test run of the machine following the St. Patrick’s Day parade, the city put in its first order.

“It did an amazing job,” he said of the parade cleanup.

Alltop said he hopes to eventually have a fleet of three Gluttons. He would assign two to King street and one to Market Street.

“Our goal would be to put them on both sides of King and go back and forth all day,” he said.

Street cleaning on King Street has been a significant topic of discussion during the approval process for the King Street Business Improvement District. The district, approved by City Council earlier this year, places a fee on all commercial businesses to target beautification efforts on the street.

“We are delighted that they have invested in this equipment. Anything that is going to increase the cleanliness and presentation of King Street the better off we all are,” said Chris Price, Charleston Downtown Alliance Chairman and a key architect of the BID.

A group of business owners led the effort to establish the BID to improve the aesthetics and fund events on the popular retail and nightlife destination.

Corcoran Group, LLC announced that its affiliate, Corcoran HM Properties, has expanded its growing operation into Charleston, South Carolina by opening an office located in Mount Pleasant. The announcement was made by Corcoran President & CEO Pamela Liebman, and Corcoran HM Properties broker-owner Valerie Mitchener. Corcoran HM Properties’ growth marks the eighth Corcoran affiliate to announce an expansion in less than one year.

This market expansion, Corcoran HM Properties’ first since affiliating with Corcoran in June 2021, is a strategic step in the firm’s growth plan and broadens its reach from the Charlotte, North Carolina region to the greater Charleston area, including Mount Pleasant, Sullivan’s Island, the Isle of Palms and more. This growth brings Corcoran HM Properties’ agent population to more than 130 affiliated real estate professionals, increasing their agent count by 15 percent since joining the Corcoran brand. In addition to the Charleston office, Corcoran HM Properties has three offices in North Carolina including two in Charlotte and one in Mooresville.

“As I’ve said before, our affiliates’ milestones are some of our proudest moments, and today’s news from Corcoran HM Properties is definitely cause for celebration,” said Liebman. “Val and her team are incredibly dedicated, and I’ve long admired the focus they have on growing their business and ensuring both their affiliated agents’ and clients’ satisfaction. This strategic move into Charleston will not only open doors for their team, it’s a significant market for the entire Corcoran® network.”

Corcoran HM Properties was founded by Valerie Mitchener in 2006, and the locally owned and operated boutique firm quickly grew to be a market leader in the Charlotte metro area. Corcoran HM Properties’ notable success and growth to date can be directly attributed to the team’s ability to adapt to the ever-evolving needs of Charlotte’s high-end real estate market and the elevated education and individualized business guidance they provide their agents. The firm also boasts an in-house relocation department that manages individual and corporate moves and has been the Preferred Realtor® for the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets since 2010.

“Charleston, South Carolina is known for many things – its history, architecture, and beaches, to name a few – and we’ve long known that this was a market we wanted to serve,” said Mitchener. “The area attracts many second-home buyers for vacation homes or investment properties, so this was a natural fit given the client needs we already serve in Charlotte. I’m thrilled to be entering this next chapter of our growth and am grateful to our agent community in Charleston and all of our current and future clients.”

The Corcoran Group has been a leading residential real estate brand for nearly 50 years. Through its New York City, Hamptons, and South Florida brokerages, along with its rapidly growing affiliate network, the firm is home to more than 170 offices and more than 6,000 independent salespersons in key urban, suburban, and resort markets nationwide. Corcoran agents earn and keep their clients’ trust with an unwavering commitment to white-glove service, expertise, and integrity. In every market served, Corcoran helps you find the home that’s just right for you. The Corcoran® brand comprises both offices owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Advisors LLC (formerly known as Realogy Brokerage Group LLC) and franchised offices, which are independently owned and operated. For more information about The Corcoran Group, please visit www.corcoran.com.

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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — A lack of respect.

It’s how the South Carolina School Bus Safety Coordinator is describing an issue we see far too often: cars, failing to stop for a stopped school bus.

While school has only been back in session for about a month, hundreds of incidents have already been reported.

“We’ve received 530 reports across the state of individuals passing a stopped school bus,” said Sgt. Matt Southern, School Bus Safety Coordinator with the South Carolina Department of Education. “So yeah, that’s a good, many reports.”

Those reports reflect a nationwide trend.

Earlier this month, a survey conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation reported more than 51,000 vehicles illegally passed stopped school buses on a single day during the 2021-22 school year.

“I just don’t think that a lot of folks are respecting that yellow bus,” Sgt. Southern said. “The reason it has those flashing lights, the reason it has that stop sign on it is to protect the most innocent of kids that are getting on and off of that bus.”

While it boils down to a lack of respect, Sgt. Southern says at times, there can be some confusion.

“If you’re traveling the same direction as the school bus, you cannot overtake or pass that bus once those yellow lights come on,” he said. “But if you’re traveling on the opposite side of a multilane highway, you’re able to pass.”

Beyond educating drivers, a statewide pilot program has been in effect since last year, equipping extended stop arms on some buses to further crack down on illegal passing.

“I recently followed behind one of those buses recently in the Lexington area,” Sgt. Southern said. “When it extended those arms in a neighborhood, definitely nobody could get past that bus, which is a good thing.”

Efforts to have arms implemented on all buses in South Carolina came to a screeching halt earlier this year when the state senate failed to pass the $10 million bill.

Meantime, Sgt. Southern is offering drivers an important reminder: “Passing a stopped school bus does have a steep fine. It’s $1,062.50 and six points against your driver’s license. When the lights come on, do what you’re supposed to do. Stop, and then you’re on your way again.”

Historic preservation for a better future — that’s the goal of the Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF), a preservation advocacy organization that helps guide and educate homeowners with the goal of preserving historic properties and curbing displacement.

History of the organization:

The ground-breaking program was founded by Francis Edmunds, an innovator and champion of historic preservation in Charleston, a new idea during the twentieth century.

Edmunds and others established the Revolving Fund in the late ‘50s with the purchasing and selling of historic homes with protective restrictions. Those properties became and continue to become part of the Easement and Covenant Program, which protects nearly 400 properties around Charleston.

Did you see the red 75th flags flying downtown earlier this year? Nearly every private property with one of those flags is either an easement or covenant property with historic protections.

Present day:

As the program has grown, it has continued to evolve and adapt to economic and financial changes in the Lowcountry. The Revolving Fund became an overarching umbrella for two main initiatives: the Edmunds Endangered Property Fund (that continues the original work with covenant properties) and the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative to help achieve the same goals with a different strategy.

Preservation funds are increasingly hard to come by, leading to the displacement of some of Charleston’s generational homeowners. The cost of maintenance for older homes, particularly in traditionally underserved communities, can limit the homeowner’s ability to remain in their home.

The Common Cause Loan Fund was established by HCF and the Charleston Redevelopment Corporation (CRC) and funded by The 1772 Foundation in response to the growing problem. The program is seeking additional funding and donations from community members like you to complete projects that assist those in need with the resources to stay in their homes.

How the program helps:

Qualifying homeowners receive financial assistance to repair or maintain the exterior of their homes. The Common Cause Loan Fund provides financial support, technical expertise, and partnership engagement with the mission of preserving the communities that contribute to the cultural fabric of the Greater Charleston Area.

This project is funded by a grant from The 1772 Foundation with support from HCF, CRC, and generous community partners and carried out in partnership with the City of Charleston. Loan candidates must meet certain criteria to qualify for the loan, including:

Currently, the program has identified a handful of properties in downtown Charleston, with work starting as soon as the fall of 2022. Once these five projects are complete, the loan fund will have used a majority of its seed funds.

The Historic Charleston Foundation is continuing to seek additional funding and donations to complete projects to support members of our community. To learn more about the program or donate, visit the HCF website.*