NFIB Applauds South Carolina House for Passing Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act

(123rf.com Image)

NFIB State Director Ben Homeyer on March 6, 2025, commended the South Carolina House of Representatives for passing H. 3021, the Small Business Regulatory Freedom Act, a bill small business advocates say reduces red tape and improves government accountability.

“Small businesses invest a lot of time and resources into complying with the latest rules and regulations,” Homeyer said. “H. 3021 would help change that by cutting unnecessary and outdated mandates and holding state agencies more accountable.”

The measure would require a 25 percent reduction in regulations and stop agencies from creating new rules unless state law specifically allows it.

Under the bill, an agency couldn’t impose a new rule unless it first repealed two existing ones.

New and renewed rules would go through detailed reviews and expire automatically unless officials can justify them.

H.3021 also would let small businesses challenge unfair regulations in court and give judges the power to throw out rules that weren’t properly approved.

“This bill helps small businesses by making regulations clearer and more predictable and allowing them to focus on growth and job creation instead of dealing with government bureaucracy,” Homeyer said. “H.2031 puts ordinary people first by ensuring agencies follow the law instead of making their own rules.”

Homeyer added, “On behalf of our small business members, I want to thank the House for passing this important bill and urge the Senate to do the same.”

TS Conductor Selects Jasper County For Second U.S. Manufacturing Facility

 TS Conductor, a manufacturer of next-generation advanced conductors, announced it selected Jasper County to establish the company’s first South Carolina operation and second U.S. manufacturing facility.

The company’s $134 million investment will create 462 jobs, according to Gov. Henry McMaster’s office. 

“South Carolina's business-friendly environment, skilled workforce and strong support made it the perfect choice for our expansion. We plan to create hundreds of high-paying manufacturing jobs and invest over $100 million in the state over the next few years,” said TS Conductor Co-Founder and CEO Jason Huang, Ph.D.

Huang added, “We look forward to being a long-term partner in South Carolina's economic growth and creating opportunities for local families and communities." 

TS Conductor specializes in advanced conductor technology that enables utilities to double or triple transmission capacity while cutting costs for customers.

Officials said the patented technology is critical for expanding and modernizing the power grid to meet growing demand from data centers and domestic manufacturing.

The company operates a production facility in Southern California.

TS Conductor's new 301,275-square-foot facility in Clarius Park Hardeeville will manufacture advanced carbon-core conductors for use in transmission lines, including critical high-voltage direct current (HVDC) capacity.

This represents the first of a three-phase expansion plan. As part of this investment, TS Conductor is also planning to add an additional one million square feet within Clarius Park Hardeeville in future phases.

Operations are expected to begin by the end of 2025. Those interested in joining TS Conductor should go to the company’s careers page.

The state’s Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to the project.

The council also awarded a $5.11 million Closing Fund grant to Jasper County to assist with the costs of site preparation and building construction.

Integer Technologies Adds $63 Million In Annual Economic Impact for South Carolina

Integer Technologies, a defense tech company focused on delivering next-gen digital engineering solutions to government and commercial clients, announced the release of its South Carolina Economic Impact Report, revealing its $63 million impact on the Palmetto State’s economy in 2024.

Officials said that number is expected to grow to $112 million annually and $751 million cumulatively by 2030.

The officials added the study shines a spotlight on Integer’s collaborative business model that identifies technology gaps within the Department of Defense and brings together university and industry partners to develop AI-driven digital engineering solutions that offer a decision advantage for both human operators and autonomous systems.

The officials said Integer boosts South Carolina’s economy by creating high-tech jobs that attract and retain S.C. graduates with advanced science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degrees in the vital sectors of energy, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and defense.

Integer was recognized as South Carolina’s No. 1 Fastest Growing Company in 2024.

Integrated Media Publishing, publisher of Greenville Business Magazine, Columbia Business Monthly, Charleston Business Magazine, B2B: The Grand Strand, and B2B: Pee Dee Business, partners with The Capital Corporation to honor those South Carolina companies.

The annual impact of $63 million reflects all goods and services produced in South Carolina attributed both directly and indirectly to Integer’s operations.

This includes direct impact, such as revenue, as well as economic activity generated through the multiplier effect, including company purchases and employee wages spent in the local economy.

“We’re very proud of the economic impact we’ve made in South Carolina in just four years,” said Duke Hartman, CEO of Integer. “We partner with leading research universities across the country on applied research for national security, but we chose downtown Columbia as our headquarters to be near the University of South Carolina due to the caliber of the researchers at the USC Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, where we share lab space and work side-by-side with their faculty and students.”

Hartman added, “Access to STEM talent is crucial for our business, and approximately half of the engineers at our headquarters are USC grads. We’re pleased to have kicked off a second South Carolina collaboration with nearby Benedict College. We build long-term partnerships and invest in the people and communities where we’re located, and the positive economic impact outlined in this report is a great illustration of that.”

Said Stephen Cutler, Ph.D., vice president of the University of South Carolina Office of Economic Engagement and Dean of the College of Pharmacy: “We are leading the charge in training South Carolina’s STEM workforce in critical areas such as AI, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and energy. This partnership exemplifies how our university is driving the economic growth of South Carolina.”

Key report findings include:

* Integer’s annual economic impact on South Carolina in 2024 is $63 million and 312 jobs.

* Integer’s employment multiplier of 2.3 is above the South Carolina average multiplier of 1.7. This means for every 10 jobs created by Integer, another 13 jobs are created elsewhere in the state for a total of 23 jobs.

* The average job at Integer pays a 161 percent wage premium over the average job in South Carolina.

* By 2030, Integer is projected to have an annual impact of $112 million and create 842 jobs, resulting in a cumulative impact of $751 million on South Carolina’s economy.

The report was authored by Joseph C. Von Nessen, Ph.D., a research economist in the Division of Research at USC’s Darla Moore School of Business.

Mayo Meets Girl Power: Duke's Mayonnaise Teams Up with Charlotte-Based Girl Tribe Co. to Drop Limited-Edition Collection

Duke's Mayonnaise is teaming up with Charlotte's women-owned clothing brand and boutique, Girl Tribe Co. for a flavor-packed partnership.

Known for empowering women and championing local businesses, Girl Tribe Co. was scheduled to drop five exclusive, co-branded pieces on March 5.

Staying true to Girl Tribe Co.'s signature spirit and style, the Girl Tribe x Duke's Mayo collection will include a crewneck sweatshirt ($54), t-shirt ($38), trucker hat ($36), tote bag ($22) and sticker ($6).

All items will be available to shop online, as well as its flagship store.

Ten percent of the proceeds from the collaboration will benefit The Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that provides emergency assistance for food service workers through financial support and a network of community resources.

"The Girl Tribe x Duke's Mayo collection is a true passion project brought to life", says Co-Founder Sarah Baucom. "It may look like a non-serious collection, but in fact our love for Duke's is intensely serious.”

Baucom added, “The little yellow jar has been present for many of our fondest memories and celebrations growing up in the south. We are so excited to bring our trendy designs to make this collab a dream come true for our fellow Duke's fans!"

Charlotte is home to both the Duke's Mayo Classic and Duke's Mayo Bowl college football games.

"We're excited to team up with this celebrated clothing brand in a city that's full of energy, community, spirit, and has a deep love for Duke's," said Sarah DiPeppe, digital content manager of Duke's Mayonnaise. 

Duke's Mayonnaise was created in 1917 in Greenville, South Carolina, by Eugenia Duke. 

Allow us to tell your company's Business Narrative. Send your press release to David Dykes or for more information email [email protected]