Criminal Defense Attorney inMoore, SC

Kobelco Construction Machinery of Moore plans to lay off 75 percent of its workforce on May 1 when the company suspends production of all seven of its hydraulic excavator models.

The Japan-based company learned in January that its main engine supplier, Hino Motors, was unable to obtain EPA certifications for its new model-year engines, "with no clear outlook on future supply schedule."

The engines are needed for the hydraulic excavators produced at the Moore facility.

"After receiving this notice, we have been examining the impact on production and alternate solutions, but we have judged that the production of hydraulic excavators equipped with the relevant engines would be difficult and decided to suspend the production at (Kobelco's) Spartanburg plant," the company stated in a press release.

Plant manager Ralph Wabnitz on Monday said 99 of the plant's 131 employees will be laid off May 1.

"The plant will stay open until a decision about the future of this facility is made," Wabnitz said. "The suspension of production was not a local decision, rather a decision made by our headquarters in Japan."

Kobelco Construction Machinery, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Tokyo, opened the $41 million, 156,000-square-foot production facility at the Tyger River Industrial Park in Moore in March 2016.

As an economic enticement, the company received a $750,000 grant from the S.C. Coordinating Council for Economic Development, as well as tax breaks approved by Spartanburg County Council in 2015.

During its first year, the plant produced 44 excavators. By March 2019, the number climbed beyond 1,000.

Kobelco workers notified

Kobelco filed a WARN Act notice with the U.S. Department of Labor and S.C. Department of Employment Workforce. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) requires large companies to give employees two months' notice before a closing or major layoff.

It is the second major layoff announced in Spartanburg County this year. In January, Chicago-based LSC Communications announced it would lay off 401 workers and close its east side Spartanburg plant Feb. 18 as the company moved work to other LSC locations.

More:Development along Highway 290 in Duncan 'peaks' during COVID-19

Also, in June 2020, county officials learned Toray Composite Materials America shut down operations at its Moore plant because of the economic downturn. An estimated 100 workers were idled.

Toray, which produces carbon fiber for Boeing's facility in North Charleston, cited a collapse in global air travel and reduced demand for passenger aircraft, as well as a reduction in demand for industrial products.

A silver lining

Spartanburg County Councilman David Britt said when he learned in February of the pending layoffs, he reached out to state and federal officials to help Kobelco's supplier obtain its engine certification.

"But due to COVID restrictions, it has made their efforts difficult," said Britt, who chairs the county's economic development committee.

"It is terribly unfortunate to Kobelco and their associates for this to happen at a time when their sales are sky high and their workforce is growing rapidly," Britt said.

Britt said the laid-off workers should have no problem landing work elsewhere if they choose.

Last month, an unnamed company announced it is seeking tax breaks for investing $31.25 million and creating 174 jobs.

Dubbed "Project Slapshot," the project is among six major projects announced this year with a total of $604.65 million in capital investment and 1,533 jobs.

"We are exploding with job opportunities in 2021 and so many of these new companies are offering incredibly competitive compensation packages," Britt said.

"It is never easy to have to change jobs because of a layoff, but if it had to happen, now is the time. And Spartanburg is the place to be for a great new opportunity."

Contact Bob Montgomery at bob.montgomery@shj.com

Rohit Verma has been selected as dean of the Darla Moore School of Business, effective August 1.

Verma joins the Moore School from VinUniversity in Hanoi, Vietnam, where he serves as the founding provost of Vietnam’s first private, not-for-profit university based on international standards. Verma is also a professor of operations, technology and information management at Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business. Prior to his role at VinUniversity, which was established in strategic collaboration with Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania, Verma served as dean of external affairs at Cornell’s SC Johnson College of Business.

Verma’s leadership experience at Cornell also includes serving as the executive director for the Center for Hospitality Research and as the founding executive director for the Institute for Healthy Futures. While on leave from Cornell since 2019, Verma has served in several concurrent leadership positions at VinUniversity, where he won the Excellent Leader Award in 2021.

“Dr. Verma is an award-winning teacher, a successful researcher, and an innovative leader, and we are pleased to welcome him to the Carolina family,” USC President Michael Amiridis said. “His excellent academic record and his international perspective will be great complements to the leading-edge work of the Darla Moore School of Business.”

As a founding member of an international university, Verma was in a unique position to shape the school’s standard of excellence through innovative and decisive leadership. During his time with VinUniversity, Verma has been able to recruit highly accomplished and diverse academic leaders and faculty from over 10 countries, establish a fully integrated campus life system, and develop curriculum programs for all degree programs based on active learning and experiential learning. He is eager to apply the lessons he has learned to the Darla Moore School of Business.

“Dr. Verma is a world-class leader whose experience and success at both Cornell University and VinUniversity have prepared him to add tremendous value to the Moore School,” said Donna Arnett, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “I look forward to working with Dr. Verma to uphold and enhance the Moore School’s outstanding international reputation, and to continue advancing the incredible contributions the school is making to the world of business.”

The Darla Moore School of Business is globally recognized for its international business program and boasts outstanding job placement rates, thanks to the robust education students receive in applied business analytics, experiential learning, and interpersonal and communications skills.

The school is also home to 12 research centers, which bolster the university’s research excellence through faculty members’ groundbreaking work and industry expertise. Verma looks forward to strengthening the school’s international reputation through expanded opportunities for impactful research, active and experiential learning, and meaningful engagement with industry thought leaders, corporations, and community members.

“From the very early stage in my academic career, I have taken a multi-disciplinary perspective and collaborated actively with colleagues from other fields,” said Verma. “I hope to collaborate with all colleagues at the Moore School in ensuring that the school’s core values are reflected and prioritized in all aspects of our work.”

We're getting our first look at the employment contract for Richland Two's new superintendent. Here are some of the highlights.

RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — A month into her tenure as Richland School District Two's new superintendent, Dr. Kim Moore is making the rounds to meet students, parents, district employees and local businesses.

Meanwhile, we are getting our first look at her employment contract. Here are some of the highlights.

Term:

The fully executed contract started on July 3, 2023 and runs through June 30, 2026.

Salary:

The superintendent's annual base salary is $230,000, according to the contract.

Residency & Relocation Expenses:

According to the contract, the superintendent must establish a residence within the school district on or before October 31, 2023.

In the meantime, the district will reimburse the superintendent $2,500 per month for temporary housing until October 31, 2023 or until she has established permanent residence in district, whichever comes first.

The district will reimburse the superintendent for all reasonable expenses up to a maximum of $20,000 for expenses incurred in relocating her family to the district.

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Automobile Reimbursement

The superintendent will receive a monthly auto allowance of $950 to be used toward auto use, maintenance and fuel expenses incurred for in-District travel.

Evaluation

Evaluation will happen annually in late summer by the Board of Trustees. Other district officials may participate to help establish goals and objectives for following school year.

Sometime in late summer or fall of 2023, the board will meet with the superintendent to agree on a "mutually agreeable" evaluation format.

The board reserves right to conduct an interim evaluation after the first six months of employment.

Contract Extension

If the board does not notify the superintendent before Jan 30, 2024, that the employment contract will not be extended, it shall be deemed extended for one year, through June 30, 2027. Any other extensions beyond June 30,2027 must occur by board vote only.

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Contract Termination

Contract may be terminated for the following reasons.

You can read the full contract here.

Before assuming her role with Richland Two, Moore was the Assistant Superintendent of Career and Innovative Programs in the Pasco County School District of Florida.

Moore becomes the sixth superintendent to lead Richland Two since 1985, taking over for a district that has been without a superintendent since January, when former superintendent Dr. Baron Davis and the school board agreed to part ways. Nancy Gregory has been serving as the interim since then.

Moore started her second career in education after retiring from the military and has held various leadership positions, including teacher, administrator, principal, director, and assistant superintendent.

Dr. Moore holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Widener University, where she majored in biology and minored in chemistry, a Master's degree in Administration from Central Michigan University, an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, and a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership with a major in Organizational Leadership and a minor in Urban Education from Nova Southeastern University.

Originally from Chester, Pennsylvania, Dr. Moore and her husband James, have five adult children and six grandchildren.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Richland School District Two has hired Dr. Kim Moore to be its new superintendent after a months long search.

The school board announced their decision Tuesday night, voting 6-1 in favor of her nomination, with Board Chair Linda Agostini being the only no vote. Agostini objected to some of the process in making the selection, not against Moore herself.

Moore had previously been serving as Assistant Superintendent of Career and Innovative Programs in the Pasco County School District of Florida.

"I walk the talk that I talk," Moore said in comments shortly after the announcement was made. "We are committed to one thing and one thing only: and that is to provide the best educational experience to each and every child that we have the privilege to educate.

Dr. Moore and two others--Dr. Nia Campbell and Dr. Benjamin Henry--were named as finalists earlier this month. They were in town this week for interviews with administrators, teachers, parents, students, and community members.

Officials said the national search resulted in 39 applicants from 20 states aspiring to lead the fifth-largest school district in South Carolina.

Moore takes over for a district that has been without a superintendent since January, when former superintendent Dr. Baron Davis and the school board agreed to part ways. Nancy Gregory has been serving as the interim since then.

Here's biographical information about Moore provided by the district:

Dr. Kim Moore

Dr. Kim Moore is the Assistant Superintendent of Career and Innovative Programs in the Pasco County School District of Florida, leading their workforce development programs, PreK-12 STEM/STEAM schools, and technical college.

Moore is a retired U.S. Army Chemical Corps Officer, Adjunct Faculty Member for Nova Southeastern University, and Executive Director for Maxwell Leadership.

Moore says she is passionate about leadership and education, and her philosophy is to lead by example.

During Moore’s military career, she served in numerous leadership positions, specializing in Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) Weapons, and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Her last assignment was at The Pentagon as Assistant for Negotiations, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of the Army.

Study shows population growth, depressed housing supply driving affordability gap in the state

COLUMBIA, S.C. (March 1, 2023) – The South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority (SC Housing) and the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business released the first part of the Palmetto State Housing Study today.

The study, commissioned by the South Carolina General Assembly, is a comprehensive, statewide needs assessment to examine housing conditions in the state — across geographic regions, housing markets, populations and organizations.

The study explores a broad range of housing issues facing the state from a supply and demand perspective, analyzing housing production and inventory trends over the last two decades and comparing them with the emerging housing needs by geographic areas and various populations.

According to the supply and demand analysis (phase 1 of the study), a continually growing and shifting population — more people moving to South Carolina, and more current South Carolina residents moving from rural areas to metropolitan areas — is driving the state’s housing demand. This has resulted in the need for increased construction in high-demand urban areas like Greenville, Charleston and Horry counties, with rural counties more in need of housing preservation and rehabilitation.

The study demonstrates rapid population growth throughout the 21st century in South Carolina coupled with a more recent period of underbuilding that began in 2008 following the Great Recession; both have culminated in a severe shortage in housing inventory.

In addition, the state is experiencing a drastic decline in the inventory of homes marketed at a more affordable sales price point. In 2022, the number of houses sold for less than $100,000 fell below 5 percent of the total number of homes sold in the state for the first time ever. This decrease is especially pronounced in most coastal metropolitan regions of the state, as well as portions of Aiken and Greenville counties.

“This study shows what a lot of South Carolinians are feeling every day,” says Bonita Shropshire, executive director of SC Housing. “Having a safe, quality affordable home to live in and raise your family is slowly slipping out of reach for so many hard-working members of our community. As housing costs steadily rise, outpacing available income, South Carolinians at all income levels find themselves facing the same affordability gap — whether you are a renter or homeowner.”

According to Darla Moore School of Business research economist Joseph Von Nessen, Ph.D. and the author of the study, the Palmetto State Housing Study also demonstrates the need for an increased focus on workforce housing options throughout the state.

“Although low-income households face housing affordability challenges at the highest rates, this study reveals that families traditionally considered to be middle-income are often housing-cost burdened as well,” Von Nessen said. “And because South Carolina is likely to see high population growth rates that will exceed the national average in the coming years, addressing these challenges will become even more important as the state moves forward.”

According to the study, 43 percent of single-parent households with three children, earning between $45,000-$75,000, are housing-cost burdened. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines a cost-burdened household as one that pays more than 30 percent of its income for housing.

By this measure, approximately 50 percent of renting households and 25 percent of households with a mortgage are housing-cost burdened in South Carolina. However, the study states that this “classic” definition of cost burdened does not account for differences in costs of living and may not sufficiently capture the true housing needs of a community. Using an alternative “residual cost method,” approximately 70 percent of renting households and 38 percent of households with a mortgage currently face affordability challenges.

The final Palmetto State Housing Study report is due to the state legislature by June 30, 2023. View the study timeline.

SC Housing is seeking input directly from the community for the next phase of the study. Submit your feedback by taking a brief survey.

For further information about the first phase of the Palmetto State Housing Study or to interview Joey Von Nessen, please contact Marjorie Riddle Duffie at marjorie.duffie@moore.sc.edu or 803-576-7337.

For further information about the overall Palmetto State Housing Study or affordable housing in the state, please email palmettohousingstudy@schousing.com or visit our webpage at SC Housing.com.

About SC Housing

SC Housing is a self-sustaining housing finance agency committed to ensuring that South Carolinians have the opportunity to live in safe, decent and affordable housing. Agency operations are supported by a funding base that includes fees and other revenue earned through the administration of agency programs. For more information, visit SCHousing.com.