IronLink Logistics Grows East Coast Presence With New Charleston County Operation

IronLink Logistics, a logistics service company, announced it is growing its East Coast presence by establishing operations in Charleston County.

The $16.45 million investment will create 250 new jobs, according to Gov. Henry McMaster.

Said IronLink Owner and CEO David Dembitzer: “We are thrilled to announce that IronLink Logistics has chosen Charleston, South Carolina, as the hub for our operations, utilizing the strategic advantages of the port to enhance our logistics capabilities.”

Dembitzer added, “The vibrant community and dynamic economic environment of Charleston align seamlessly with our values and growth aspirations.”

IronLink, a leading third-party logistics (3PL) provider, offers a comprehensive range of transportation, warehousing, and distribution services to a diverse customer base of industries and product sectors.

The company handles various aspects of the supply chain, including inventory management, order fulfillment, and freight transportation from port and outbound freight worldwide.

The company has three West Coast facilities in California – two in Ontario and one in Chino.

The new 340,000-square-foot building at 6880 Weber Blvd. in Ladson gives IronLink a Southeast presence. The other East Coast operations are in Florence and Burlington, New Jersey.

Operations will be online by the end of this year. Those interested in joining IronLink should go to the company’s careers page.

“With 250 new jobs on the horizon, IronLink's investment is set to have a transformative impact on the supply chain in Charleston County, solidifying our reputation as a hub for innovation and advancement,” said Charleston County Council Chairman Herbert Ravenel Sass III.

Yellow-Legged Hornet Detected in Jasper County; Clemson Officials Ask Public to Report Large Hornets

An invasive yellow-legged hornet was trapped in Jasper County recently, according to Clemson University officials tasked with protecting the state’s beekeeping industry.

The hornet was captured Nov. 9, and the finding was confirmed by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Nov. 16. 

This is the first known detection of the hornet (Vespa velutina) in South Carolina, after Georgia officials reported a Savannah-area sighting in August. 

While the yellow-legged hornet — not to be confused with the northern giant hornet — is no more harmful to humans than other hornets, it can have a devastating impact on both managed and wild bees.

Clemson officials are urging anyone who suspects they have spotted a yellow-legged hornet to report their findings to www.clemson.edu/public/regulatory/plant-industry/invasive/ylh.html. 

The South Carolina detection comes after DPI’s Apiary Inspection Program — the regulatory agency charged with protecting the state’s beekeeping industry — collaborated with the Clemson Cooperative Extension Apiculture and Pollinator Program to monitor Lowcountry locations through an elaborate trapping system.

While the detection doesn’t necessarily indicate that yellow-legged hornets have established habitat in the state, hornets know no borders and the Lowcountry’s proximity to Savannah is giving officials cause for concern. 

As a result, Clemson DPI will be enhancing its trapping efforts in the area, will work with federal officials to confirm suspected specimens and will respond to active hornet colonies if they are located.  

“The yellow-legged hornet is a predatory insect that has been reported to attack western honeybee colonies and has become a serious pest of beekeeping operations where it has been introduced,” said Ben Powell, who directs Clemson Cooperative Extension’s Apiary and Pollinator program.

Powell added, “Establishment of this exotic pest in the U.S. would pose a significant threat to our already embattled beekeeping enterprises.”

The yellow-legged hornet is native to Southeast Asia and has established itself in most of Europe and areas of the Middle East and Asia.

The hornet builds egg-shaped paper nests above ground and often in trees. The nest can be large and house an average of 6,000 workers.

The exotic hornet may be confused with several native insects, including the cicada killer wasp, the bald-faced hornet, paper wasps, queen yellowjackets, wood wasps and robber flies, but is distinguished from these other stinging insects by its larger size.

Construction in Full Swing: Keene Development, Wilson Associates, Greenville Mayor White Break Ground on The McDaniel

Real estate development and investment company Keene Development Group and Wilson Associates, one of Greenville’s largest independent real estate firms, recently hosted Mayor Knox White and other city officials for the groundbreaking ceremony for their new estate-caliber townhome development, The McDaniel. 

A first-of-its kind development in Greenville, The McDaniel will offer estate-caliber townhomes that officials said marry refinement, grace and style with the best of city living, all within walking distance of Main Street.

Interest in and neighborhood support for the $28 million 20-unit project has been robust since it was initially announced in May, the officials said.

Now, the plans are made, design choices are in place, covenants and restrictions have been agreed to, the design center is open and serving soon-to-be-McDaniel residents. and site preparation has started.

Sharon Wilson of Wilson Associates, the exclusive sales partner for The McDaniel, said non-refundable deposits are in place for more than half the units. 

She also reported that buyers are a solid mix of present Greenville area residents and those relocating to Greenville, especially from larger cities where this type of development is more common and in demand.

Features and options include favorites like Brizo faucets, porcelain countertops, 9.5-inch plank hardwood floors, built-in gas fireplaces on the terraces, elevators that connect to each floor of the townhouse, and local custom cabinetry, as well as 10-foot ceilings and 8-foot doors throughout.

Officials said that aside from its Parisian-inspired architecture and amenities and features like garages, elevators, and rooftop terraces, The McDaniel is noteworthy because it is the first project that aligns with the recently adopted City of Greenville Development Code. 

The McDaniel is also noteworthy in that it is a truly a Greenville project – led by a Greenville developer, sold by one of Greenville’s leading independent real estate firms, financed through a Greenville area lender and using all Greenville-based project partners, including MHK Architecture, interior design firm ID Studio Interiors and Ineo Builders. 

The McDaniel is located near the intersection of McDaniel and McBee avenues. Phase I construction is expected to be completed in late 2024 or early 2025, with plans for a Phase II with 10 additional units to be announced in Q2 2024.

Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Keene Development Group is a privately owned real estate development company.

Founded in 2014 by Sharon Wilson and Nick Carlson, two brokers with years of combined expertise and a shared desire to deliver a higher level of service for clients and more rewarding opportunities for agents, Wilson Associates is a Greenville, S.C.-based real estate firm. 

Colliers | South Carolina, LCK Offices Pledge $110,000+ to United Way

Colliers | South Carolina and LCK staff and the company have pledged $112,144 in contributions to United Way of Greenville County,  United Way of the Midlands, United Way of the Piedmont and Trident United Way.

The pledges reflect a per capita contribution of $696.

This year, Colliers’ and LCK’s campaign theme was “Colliers Gives.”

In addition to the funds raised, the company held a Day of Service volunteering with Home Works of America in which 90 staff members participated for a total of 523 community service hours.

Officials said volunteers made an impact on the lives of five families in South Carolina and provided these homeowners with a safer, healthier and happier home, making sure they had a place to be “home for the holidays.”

The volunteers completed a variety of projects across the state that included yard work, painting, enhancing accessibility, outdoor maintenance, and replacing decking, door locks and street numbers.

“I am incredibly proud of our team members for living out one of our core values of ‘Community’ and pledging over $110,000 to local United Way organizations. For the third year in a row, we have collectively raised over $100,000,” said John W. Folsom, president and CEO of Colliers | South Carolina.

Folsom also said, “Additionally, our team members nearly doubled their community service hours from last year with a tremendous turnout to volunteer with Home Works. Together, we are helping to make a difference in our communities.”

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