Plumbers in Summerville, SC

SUMMERVILLE — A longtime Lowcountry manufacturer is reshuffling its global supply chain and moving more manufacturing work back to South Carolina under a $40 million plan that’s expected to double the production capacity and employment at its Summerville operations.

Kion North America, which makes forklifts and other compact “industrial trucks” for moving heavy materials, marked the official kick-off of what it is calling “Project Home Turf” on Dec. 1.

The 18-month expansion at Eastport Industrial Complex is expected to create 450 jobs and add 410,000 square feet of space over the next few years.

The new production site is just up the road from Kion North America’s headquarters and main plant off U.S. Highway 78. It will be equipped with assembly lines, robotic welding systems and automated painting facilities to make vehicles that meet the specific requirements of customers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Gov. Henry McMaster joined company officials Thursday as they broke ground on a 120,000-square-foot warehouse to be built behind the new Eastport factory. The structure will store raw materials, such as steel that will come from West Virginia rather than suppliers in China or Germany, Kion North America CEO Jonathan Dawley said.

The new factory also will manufacture and install “core components” such as metal forklift masts that previously had been made overseas and imported to South Carolina.

“So, a lot of onshoring ... associated with this activity here,” Dawley said Thursday.

“This onshoring ... is exactly what we need to do,” McMaster added. “All we want to do is onshore anything that’s important — anything that we have to have we want to be sure to have it here.”

The S.C. Commerce Department’s Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved tax credits that Kion can claim if it meets certain employment thresholds. The state also is providing a $500,000 grant to offset site preparation and construction costs.

Last month, Dorchester County Council approved property tax breaks for the company.

Kion has been in an expansion mode in recent years by adding production space and a storage site for critical parts. It also set up a training center to support about 400 dealer technicians who repair and maintain its vehicles.

Dawley said the company is now the world’s second-largest maker of material-handling equipment. He estimated that over the past two years Kion’s business has jumped about 300 percent while its payroll has increased by 60 percent. The company’s vehicles are sold under the Linde and Baoli nameplates.

“You know the flywheel is really starting to move our organization,” Dawley said.

He attributed some of the recent sales growth to Kion’s decision to refine and strengthen its U.S. dealership network, which is now made up of 81 distributors across the country.

“Some of them were working well for us, and some of them weren’t, and we’ve had to work to develop them — either bring new ones in or transition existing ones out, or just work with them to develop their business so we could serve our customers in a new way and take care of our customers as we’re selling to them,” Dawley said.

The company is part of Kion Group, a German business that moved its North American manufacturing unit to Summerville in 1985.

A woman with intellectual disabilities in the care of the state is now recovering after she was hit by a car, late at night on a Summerville road.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - A woman with intellectual disabilities in the care of the state is now recovering after she was hit by a car, late at night on a Summerville road.

Now, her family is asking how that was even possible in the first place.

It was sometime between 12:30 and 12:42 a.m. on Oct. 16 when a car hit Mary Williams who was walking along Miles Jamison Road.

Williams, a 42-year-old, has intellectual disabilities and a depressive disorder.

She is a longtime resident, or consumer as they’re referred to, of the Coastal Regional Center, one of five state-run facilities for adults with disabilities run by the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs.

P.J. Perea, a spokesman for DDSN, said Williams was able to leave the facility around midnight. A Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office report states dispatch was not called until 12:24 a.m. regarding a consumer that was “walking along the roadway.”

By the time the authorities arrived on the scene, it was already too late.

She was found in bad shape, with fractures in her spine, hips, arms and face requiring multiple surgeries. She was on a ventilator, and her family says she almost didn’t make it.

Williams’ aunt and guardian Ruby Jones didn’t realize how bad it was until she saw her in the hospital.

“That was a difficult moment,” Jones said. “I was hurt, I was disappointed. Surprised would not have been a term that I would have used for what was going on. I was angry.”

The family is thanking God she’s alive and recovering, but she still remains bedridden, unable to do even the smallest task.

“We figured with her being in the Coastal Center. She would have been safe. She would have been protected and this situation should have never happened,” Williams’s cousin, Nicole Nick, said.

Williams was hit about a half-mile from the main entrance and several blocks down the road near Alwyn Boulevard. Ironically, that’s the entrance to the subdivision Nick lives in.

She thinks of her cousin and that night, every time she drives home.

“I was trying to understand, how something like that could have occurred,” Jones said.

When Live 5 Investigates asked to interview an administrator of the department, a spokesman declined. When asked why, they said it was “due to the nature of the incident [the department] felt it best to release a statement rather than conduct an interview.”

For Charleston lawyer and state representative Marvin Pendarvis, this story is a personal one. His big sister, Janae Pendarvis lives at the facility, too.

He tells us she’s been able to escape twice this year.

“Janae could as very well been the young lady that was hit by a car,” he said. “There was one incident where she had gotten so far down Miles Jamison road that a couple saw her, she was in a gown, and it was clear that she was lost... she needed to be driven back.”

An email to management from a former administrator obtained by Live 5 Investigates accuses staff of failing to intervene when another consumer has a “meltdown.”

She asks if staff can work to prevent her from leaving the building in the future, as the resident making it to the road is “becoming an everyday situation” and she worries about this consumer’s safety.

Dozens of pages obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request detail the ongoing problems with staff at the facility, though some were completely redacted, the department citing “privacy” as the reason.

One incident details an altercation between staff and a consumer in January 2022, where the consumer reportedly pushed, grabbed and pulled their hair and eventually put a staff member “in a chokehold.”

Management formally scolded one staff member who stood aggressively with “balled up fists” at the consumer, and another staff member left the campus during this fight for “personal business.”

Both were given a one-day suspension.

Another employee was suspended for one day for “failure to report an allegation of abuse” for an unknown incident.

“My mom has expressed these same concerns time and time and time again. We always talk about, they seem to be understaffed [and] the staff that they do have, they don’t seem to be equipped to handle the patients that are there,” Pendarvis said.

Over the Summer, SLED charged three former workers with “abuse of a vulnerable adult.”

Jones says her niece was the victim in that case, having been informed by SLED via phone.

“Of course, she always said things but because of her illness, sometimes they were kind of overlooked because... it’s not always accurate,” Jones said.

The agency reports surveillance video showed them hitting and kicking her, one watching it all happen. Williams reportedly received “minor injuries” at the time.

“I had no idea,” Jones said. “I really feel kind of hurt that she was not better protected.”

For these families, their hands are tied. Jones is unable to provide the full-time care that her niece requires access to. It’s a similar story for Pendarvis.

“The reality is there aren’t many facilities that are able to handle people with special needs and disabilities to the degree that my sister has them,” Pendarvis said.

Live 5 Investigates has previously reported concerns from staff members about understaffing, long shifts and little pay.

A year-long state audit of the department has been completed, at state Senator Katrina Shealy’s request.

She points out this is step one to finding a solution, for the hundreds of vulnerable people and their families who rely on the state.

“You can’t fix something if you don’t know what the problems are,” Sen. Shealy said.

It’s not scheduled to be published until early next year.

“The goal is to correct the problems, streamline the problems and make the agency more accountable,” she added.

As for Williams, her aunt now visits nearly every day, sometimes three times a day, to help bathe and feed her at the nursing home she’s recovering at.

Though where she will now call home is uncertain, her family is sure of one thing, she won’t be returning to the state’s care.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have the confidence that she will be safe at Coastal,” Jones said.

If you have a story or a tip you’d like for us to investigate, you can call our tip line 843-402-5678 or email us at tips@live5news.com.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Governor Henry McMaster, Lieutenant Governor Pamela S. Evette, and First Lady Peggy McMaster's schedules for the week of December 5 will include the following:

Monday, December 5 at 11:00 AM: Gov. McMaster will attend the SC Port Harbor Deepening Celebration event, Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Park, Cooper River Room, 99 Harry M. Hallman Jr. Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Monday, December 5 at 2:30 PM: Gov. McMaster will join Adjutant General Van McCarty and the South Carolina National Guard’s Survivor Outreach Services in recognizing “A Tree for the Fallen” for South Carolina’s fallen service members and their families, Governor’s Office, State House, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

Monday, December 5 at 5:30 PM: Gov. McMaster and First Lady Peggy McMaster will host the annual Governor's Mansion Christmas Open House, Governor's Mansion, 800 Richland Street, Columbia, S.C. Note: The governor will hold media availability at 5:20 PM. Members of the media wishing to participate in the media avail should arrive at the Richland Street mall gate by 5:15 PM to go through security.

Tuesday, December 6 at 10:00 AM: Gov. McMaster will attend an Economic Development Announcement, Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center, 201 South Dargan Street, Florence, S.C.

Tuesday, December 6 at 2:00 PM: Gov. McMaster will attend South Carolina OSHA's 50th Anniversary event, Denny Auditorium, State Fire Academy, 141 Monticello Trail, Columbia, S.C.

Wednesday, December 7 at 10:00 AM: Gov. McMaster and Lt. Gov. Evette will attend the Nephron Nitrile Grand Opening Event, Nephron Nitrile, 4777 12th Street Extension, West Columbia, S.C.

Wednesday, December 7 at 2:00 PM: Gov. McMaster will host a Memorandum of Understanding Signing with the United Kingdom, State House, first floor, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

Saturday, December 10 at 10:30 AM: Lt. Gov. Evette will participate in the Greater Travelers Rest Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Christmas Parade, Wells Fargo Bank 5 Hawkins Road, Travelers Rest, S.C.

Gov. Henry McMaster’s Weekly Schedule: November 28, 2022

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Gov. Henry McMaster’s schedule for the week of November 28, 2022, included:

Monday, November 28

10:40 AM: Agency call.

10:42 AM: Agency call.

11:01 AM: Agency call.

11:21 AM: Agency call.

Tuesday, November 29

Gov. McMaster was in the Office of the Governor for office hours, State House, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

11:00 AM: Agency meeting.

11:45 AM: Gov. McMaster presented the Order of the Palmetto to Steve Hamm, Governor’s Office, 1100 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C.

1:30 PM: Policy meeting.

2:00 PM: Policy meeting.

3:00 PM: Policy meeting.

Wednesday, November 30

5:28 PM: Call with a member of the South Carolina Senate.

Thursday, December 1

10:11 AM: Call with a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.

11:00 AM: Gov. McMaster attended the groundbreaking expansion event at KION North America, 2550 West 5th North Street, Summerville, S.C.

Friday, December 2

6:15 PM: Gov. McMaster attended the SPINX Company’s 50th anniversary celebration event and presented the Order of the Palmetto to Stewart Spinks, Fluor Field, 945 S. Main Street, Greenville, S.C.

Like so many who came to Summerville, Saul Alexander sought refuge.

A Jewish immigrant, Alexander fled his home country of Ukraine and came to the United States to escape anti-Semitic persecution. Local historian Ed West said he arrived in New York on Ellis Island shortly after 1900.

According to the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina’s (JHSSC) website, he remained in New York for roughly four years before coming to Summerville.

“I’m not sure how he got word of Summerville being a place on the map, but for whatever reason, he bought a ticket to Summerville and came down here,” West explained.

That decision would significantly impact Alexander’s life and the Summerville community for years to come.

A Quiet Life

West said Saul Alexander got his start in Summerville as an apprentice tailor. Eventually, he saved enough money to open a store along Hutchinson Square. Saul Alexander Dry Goods was located at 102 South Main Street, where the building still stands today.

West said Alexander also worked in real estate, providing loans to homebuyers.

“He helped people gain loans for real estate during the Depression,” West said. “And he would help fund loans and things like that.”

Alexander owned a home on Central Avenue in Summerville. It featured a garden house that he used as an escape from summer’s heat and a place to entertain friends.

The Summerville Dorchester Museum has restored the gazebo-like structure. It now stands as a memorial for Saul Alexander and others like him who, throughout history, have found sanctuary in Summerville.

An Unexpected Gift

Saul Alexander lived a quiet life in Summerville. So, it was a surprise to many that after he passed in 1952, a foundation was created to benefit the community.

Alexander left his home to a long-time employee, Sarah Chinners, and a foundation was established according to instructions in his will. The JHSSC notes on its website that Alexander’s estate was in excess of $750,000 and more than $500,000 was designated for the foundation.

“What was also in his will was the establishment of a foundation which became known as the Saul Alexander Foundation,” West explained. “In Summerville, he funded playgrounds and various church projects and his money helps with the museum [Summerville-Dorchester Museum] here,” West said.

Today, according to Edie Blakeslee, Vice President of Grantmaking and Community Leadership at the Coastal Community Foundation, the funds continue to support Summerville and the Lowcountry.

Since the 1980s, the Coastal Community Foundation has managed the Saul Alexander Foundation.

“The Saul Alexander Foundation was originally a private foundation,” Blakeslee said. “Mr. Alexander’s closest friends and advisors were the trustees.”

She noted that Alexander’s will provides specific directions for all philanthropic activity. For example, he required the trustees to be a mix of Jews and Gentiles. And precise percentages are allotted for projects in Summerville, the Jewish community, and other institutions.

More than 40 organizations benefit from the Saul Alexander Foundation, which has grown to a current value of $2.8 million, Blakeslee said.

The Saul Alexander Foundation trustees continue to meet annually.

“What the trustees have always been really good about is honoring Mr. Alexander’s intent,” Blakeslee said.

The Saul Alexander Foundation is designed to benefit the community in perpetuity. Saul Alexander’s legacy continues to impact others more than a century after he arrived in Summerville.

While Summerville celebrates its 175th birthday, the organization most active in safeguarding the city’s history is marking its own 50th anniversary and five decades of watering Flower Town’s roots.

The Summerville Preservation Society (SPS) chartered in March 1972, and while its membership numbers have expanded from that original core group to more than 500, its mission remains the same. By protecting and showcasing the landmark facets of what the town has been, the SPS hopes to imbue a pride of place that lingers on in what it becomes.

“Everything we undertake, we do for the benefit of the citizens. We do this so that the people who come after us can appreciate Summerville,” said Heyward Hutson, SPS President since 1988. Hutson’s great-great grandfather, Reverend Robert Ilderton Limehouse, built Summerville’s first Town Hall in 1860 and later served as Mayor of Summerville. The “new” Town Hall moved to Hutchinson Square in 1892.

With his encyclopedic memory for names and events, Hutson stood on the original heart pine planks of Old Town Hall and described the village that Summerville once was, as if he had just strolled its 1800s marketplace.

“The planters came to Summerville to spend the hot months, from the last frost in spring to the first frost in fall. They came in wagons, with their cows and their chickens, all along the Grand Way, which is now West Carolina Avenue,” said Hutson, a retired Army Colonel who was elected to the South Carolina Legislature four years after he became SPS President. He was born in Summerville in 1936.

“At that time, the first Town Hall was the center of the village, and the market was just out front there.”

The SPS kicked off its long, private non-profit career by rescuing an old Magnolia Street home from “rack and ruin,” and later thwarted several attempts to demolish the old Dorchester County Hospital — now repurposed in its original state as the Dorchester County Human Services Building.

Its next coup was the 1990 purchase of Old Town Hall, one of many structures devastated by Hurricane Hugo and the thousands of trees it toppled throughout the Lowcountry. Taking the venerable building “as-is,” the SPS replaced the roof on one of the wings and repaired it according to historic standards and has maintained it as its seat of operations ever since.

Crediting the real estate agent and the lawyer who gave their services for free to make that transaction happen, Hutson also noted that the relatively small membership of the SPS’ 1990 roster managed to pay off the remaining $85,000 loan in eight years — despite the 10 percent interest rate.

Aside from the restoration of a few key historic buildings, the SPS also began the historic marker project — the signposts at landmark sites that give a brief description of each.

Involving a protracted process of site research, obtaining approval from the state Department of Archives and History, financing each piece and finally, purchasing and installing each marker, the SPS project has claimed historic designation for several well-known Summerville spots: Guerin’s Pharmacy, the Pine Forest Inn, McKissick Summerville High School, The Old White Meeting House, Stallsville, Old Town Hall, Bacon’s Bridge and Tea Farm Road.

Other SPS projects include its fund-raisers, which feature local writers and artists. The SPS painting series features the work of nine area artists, all of which memorialize historic sites throughout Summerville and Dorchester County. The book, “Beth’s Pineland Village,” is still selling copies 35 years later. With half its proceeds going to the SPS and half to the historic Timrod Library, it is a compilation of Summerville Scene newspaper articles written by Beth McIntosh, the first president of the SPS and a former member of the Summerville City Council.

The SPS hosts regular “Heritage Series” panel discussions that are open to the public, and expanded the historic district by adding additional designations, such as St. Stephens Chapel.

Finally, the society also established an awards program to honor the lengths that owners must go through in order to restore and maintain their historic properties.

Just a quick Internet glance indicates that repair costs for a historic Charleston home run anywhere from $250,000 to $1.3 million — and that’s just for repairs, not yearly upkeep. On the other hand, having vibrant historic districts in a city also increases property values and homeowner returns on investments.

Of course, not all of Summerville is historic, and keeping a town healthy is a balancing act. The bustle of modern commerce is necessary for a thriving economy, ensuring jobs for residents and enough quality goods and services to attract and keep the money at home. But unchecked, that same hustle and bustle can trample the character of a place into the dust.

“We are not opposed to the development of boutique hotels,” said Hutson.

“We are opposed to high-concentration developments that tear down existing historic homes when there are vacant lots available nearby. It’s unbridled development that we’re opposed to. But while some Summerville old-timers aren’t happy about the congestion, we need to realize that the new people who have come here bring new talent and, sometimes, as much or more respect for the history of Summerville and Dorchester County than even some of the natives have.”