July 23, 2019: This week we got an insider’s look at Charleston’s booming economy and the factors helping making this one of the US’ fastest growing
regions. Mike Graney, Vice President of Global Business Development, offered his views on some key trends and developments.
We were pleased to welcome Mike Graney, with the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, this past Tuesday. Mike has been with CRDA for almost 5 years and has witnessed some exciting changes in our region.
CDRA’s Mission Statement: To servce as a catalyst for long-term prosperity by attracting the world’s best companies, talent, and entrepreneurs.
CRDA is a public-private partnership with over 50% of their funding being private, which is unique among development authorities. The alliance is closing in on $2 million raised in a 5-year fundraising plan. Mike provided some impressive statistics on our region’s accomplishments in the last few years.
Since 2010, total private-sector wages increased 55% to $12.5 billion. Our tax base increased 18% and our GDP increased 50%, compared to 30% for the United States. Wages in Charleston were in the mid-80th percentile and have increased to 96th.
This growth and development have happened in many sectors: aerospace, automotive, information technology, life sciences, and logistics. South Carolina led the U.S. in per capita foreign investment the last 4 years in a row! And not accounting for population, SC is fourth in foreign investment. The state and our region are home to some world class brands.
One of the major changes in the last 5 years has been at Charleston International Airport. In the past it was a hinderance to attracting headquarters to the region due to the limited number of direct flights and cities. But now the airport has non-stop flights to 31 airports in 26 cities, including 9 daily flights to New York City and 7 to Washington DC. While it is not a hub, the airport is no longer a negative in recruiting national and international firms.
When selling the region, one of our biggest assets is talent. Mike tells companies that they can “train it here or recruit it here”. Our region is #25 metro region for percentage of millennials that are college graduates, and the #1 mid-sized metro region from millennials. Net in Migration to the region is 31 people per day, with 63% of the incoming labor pool having higher education.
Mike highlighted the needs for infrastructure and housing to keep up with this growth. This has not been a boom but has been steady consistent growth over the last 20 years. The Charleston regional population is anticipated to reach 1 million by 2029 and will need 90,000 new housing units.
Another concern that has affected companies are the trade policies of the current administration as well as impacts from Brexit. For example, Volvo has planned on having up to 4 vehicle lines, with one up now and another announced. But with the potential of tariffs on those exports to China or Europe that would reduce the number of units sold, it is hard for Volvo to plan and develop the next line.
Mike took several questions from our members. One was about training our current workforce for new manufacturing demands. He said the “readySC” program has been successful and had trained 3,000 of 6,000 Boeing workers. Trident Technical College’s new Aeronautical Training Facility will add to the training capabilities. Companies are willing to fund these types of programs. Other questions were asked about the challenges of recruiting to our region, and specifically the quality of our K-12 public education system. Mike said the airport used to be an issue, as well as a shortage of real estate (office space) when recruiting companies. But that has changed significantly in the past 10 years. He said that while there are poor performing schools in the region, that as a business development person, he emphasizes that there are some very high performing schools, such as Academic Magnet which is a consistent top 5 school nationally.
Submitted by Jeff Webb, Keyway Committee
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
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- Past President Digit Matheny gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Mary Ann Kohli introduced visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Sandy Morckel presented Health and Happiness.
- Robert Sullivan introduced our keynote speaker, Mike Graney, who is Vice President, Global Business Development of the CRDA.
MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
July 30, 2019 | Issue 4935 | President: Sandy Morckel
COMING EVENTS
- July 30 – Helen Hill, Charleston CVB (@ HIGH COTTON)
- Aug. 6 – Dr. Jane Josephs, Alzheimer’s
- Aug. 13 – Assistant US Attorney Jamie Schoen, Opioid Epidemic
- Aug. 17 – Hootie Homegrown Round-Up @ Burke
- Aug. 20 – No Meeting
NEWS BRIEFS
Rotary Club of Charleston History Moment
At each meeting, President Sandy plans to share some of the snippets of our club’s amazing 100 year history and our impact on Charleston and around the world. It will be a fun trip down memory lane and will also be shared in the Keyway.
The 1920s: At a meeting in 1928, the President of The Citadel, O.J. Bond, spoke on the need for a new Citadel campus. Members of the Club were 
supportive. (Now “The West Point of the South” stands on the marshes of the Ashley River). In 1929, the District Conference was held here in Charleston and the Charleston Club had its first District Governor, William Way. (Then we were a part of District 58, which included all of South Carolina and western North Carolina). A hurricane prevented our Club’s meeting on September 18, 1928. Rotarians tool their ladies on a moonlight harbor cruise in the fall of 1925.
Meeting at High Cotton This Tuesday
Our Rotary luncheon THIS Tuesday, July 30th will be held at High Cotton, which is across the street on East Bay. Everyone should plan to park in their normal parking spots and walk across the street.
50/50 Raffle Starts on Tuesday
Starting July 30, we’re launching a 50/50 raffle at each meeting. It’s a chance to support the club operations and get a chance to win a progressive jackpot. The price of the tickets will be $5 for 1 or $10 for 3. When we 
start the raffle, the winning ticket (pulled by our speaker) will have a 1 in 10 chance to win the pot. The winning ticket holder will draw golf ball out of bag containing 10 numbered balls, with one being designated as the winner. If the winning ball is not chosen, the pot moves to the next week with the winning ticket winner of week 2 having a 1 out of 9 chance to win. This will go on until there is a winner or until the pot gets to $950 (this keeps us exempt from reporting for the State of South Carolina). Once the winning ball is chosen, the pot is reset. 50% of the pot will go to the winner, and the remaining 50% will go to club operations. Good luck Rotarians!
Youth Exchange Hosts Needed
Do you have an extra room in your home?
We are still searching for a third host family for our incoming Rotary Youth Exchange student Tobias, who will be with our club for the 2019-2020 school year. He will be attending school downtown at the Charleston Charter for Math & Science and we are looking for a good family to house him from mid-March through June.
If you are able to help or if you have non-Rotary friends that may be interested in housing an exchange student, please see the information sheet below and contact Richard Sidebottom ([email protected] ) or Karen Clark ([email protected]) for more information.
Host family information sheet:
https://yehub.net/cgi-bin/sys-pdf.cgi?PGID=LIB&RID=79&DBID=SC1
Collection for The CART Fund on August 6
Our speaker on Tuesday, August 6 will be Dr. Jane Josephs, who will discuss Alzheimer’s. At this meeting, we would like to take an opportunity to support The CART Fund. Buckets will be on the table for you to make a donation. Donations can also be made via credit card at www.cartfund.org/cart/donations/.
The CART Fund is dedicated to raising funds to provide “seed” money for cutting edge, high impact research in hopes of finding a cure/prevention for Alzheimer’s disease. It was started in one SC Rotary club in our District 7770 in 1995. It has now been adopted by 22 Rotary districts in the United States. From the beginning, CART has been a novel fundraising program. Rotarians are encouraged to voluntarily empty their pockets and purses of change, or whatever amount they choose, whenever they attend a Rotary meeting. While the name “CART” stands for “Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust,” contributions of currency, checks or credit cards are also accepted. As of May 2018, 45 grants have been awarded totaling $7,200,000.
Dues Statements Emailed
Dues statements for the July 1-December 31 period were distributed via email on June 10. Past due statements were emailed this past week to those who haven’t made a payment. Please be sure to pay from this statement. If you did not receive a statement, please let Carroll know.
Our Club is on Social Media
Members are encourage to follow all of our social media channels and share posts with their followers too! We also need members to send us picture of anything they do that relates to Rotary – service projects, meetings, events, etc. We would love to keep our accounts full of smiling Rotarians! Photos can be send to Mike Sottak, [email protected], or Rob Byko, [email protected].
MEMBER NEWS
Member News
Bo Crouch’s son, Cooper, who was born a couple of months prematurely, came home this past week. Please continue to keep Bo and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Proposed New Members
The following membership candidate has submitted an application and signed letter of agreement to the Historic Rotary Club of Charleston:
Dave Eckert – sponsor: Digit Matheny; classification: Real Estate/Development
In the event you know Dave, please tell a member of the Board how he/she will serve the ideas of Rotary.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Stefany DiManno Ceccato
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- JOINED: 2018
- SPONSOR: Heidi Finniff
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: Boat Parade Decorations Committee; Operation Warm; James Simmons Book Fair and would like to be involved in the Youth Exchange Program in the coming year.
- CLASSIFICATION: Travel Agent
- PROFESSION: Dream Travel Designer/Co-Founder DMC Travel Tailor (specializing in travels to Italy, Africa, Australia, Fiji, British Virgin Island and NYC)
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: I was part of a Zebra chasing mission in Zimbabwe! owner
Birthdays
- August 1 – Jeremy Cook
- August 3 – Howard Chapman
By the numbers
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- Attendance on July 23, 2019: 55
- Not in attendance: Baggs, Bailey, Barry, Baus, Beam, Brack, Burt, Carico, Channell, Clark, Coghill, Cohen, Cole, Cook, Cooper, E., Cooper, J., Cooper, M., Crouch, Deavenport, DeGraff, Diminich, Donnellon, Dukes, Embry, Gill, Hanger, Holmes, Husser, Jamme, Jones, Z., Jones, C., Kaynard, Lucy, Mitchell, Oswalt, Palmer, Patrick, Rich, Rust, Seguer, Smith, H., Strickland, Taylor, Tecklenburg, John, Tecklenburg, Joseph, Tecklenburg, P., Teller, Wieters, Willey, Youngs
- Out of Town Make-ups:
None
WELLNESS TIP
Be Good to Your Eyes
To protect your vision at work and at play, wear protective eyewear. When outdoors, wear sunglasses that block at least 99% of ultraviolet A and B rays. Sunglasses can help prevent cataracts, as well as wrinkles around the eyes.
And when playing sports or doing tasks such as mowing the lawn, wear protective eyewear. Ask your eye doctor about the best type; some are sport-specific.
AREA CLUB MEETINGS
Mondays
- Summerville – Oakbrook: 7:30 a.m., Monday, Westcott County Club, 5000 Wescott Club Drive, North Charleston
- North Charleston: 12:30 a.m., Monday, Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Blvd, North Charleston.
- Summerville Evening: 5:30 p.m., Monday, Montreux Bar and Grill, 127 W. Richardson Ave., Summerville
Tuesdays
- East Cooper Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Cooper River Room at Waterfront Park, Mount Pleasant
- Charleston: 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, Charleston
- Goose Creek: 12:45 m. Tuesday, Gilligan’s, 219 St. James Ave., Goose Creek
Wednesdays
- Daniel Island: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Daniel Island Club, 600 Island Park Dr., Daniel Island
- St. John’s Parish (John’s Island): 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, 2817 Maybank Highway, Unit 1, John’s Island
- Mount Pleasant: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Harbor Breeze Restaurant, 176 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant
- Summerville: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sticky Fingers, Summerville
Thursdays
- North Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Embassy Suites, 5055 International Blvd., North Charleston
- Moncks Corner: 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Gilligan’s Restaurant, Moncks Corner
- St. Andrews (West Ashley): 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Bessinger’s BBQ, 1602 Savannah Highway, Charleston.
Fridays
- Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m., Friday, Harbour Club, 35 Prioleau St., Charleston
SOCIAL MEDIA
Our Rotary club actively uses social media — and we encourage you to interact with us through social media.
- We’re on Facebook. Take a look at our page and be sure to “like us”.
- We’re on Twitter. You can follow us @chasrotaryclub.
- We’re on Instagram. You can follow us @ChasRotaryClub.
ABOUT THE KEYWAY
The Keyway has been published weekly as a newsletter for the Rotary Club of Charleston for more than 90 years.
- President: Sandy Morckel
- Keyway editor: Don Baus [email protected]
- Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, [email protected]
- Mailing address: Rotary Club of Charleston, P.O. Box 21029 ,Charleston, SC 29413-1029
- Copyright 2018, Rotary Club of Charleston. All rights reserved.