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Greenville Business Magazine

The Business Narrative: More Helene Help

Oct 08, 2024 09:29AM ● By Donna Walker

Gov. McMaster Announces Team South Carolina County Days for the Upstate

Gov. Henry McMaster and Lt. Gov. Pamela S. Evette announced that state and federal officials and representatives from nonprofits will hold Team South Carolina County Days in Clemson on Wednesday, Oct. 9, Spartanburg on Thursday, Oct. 10, and Greenville on Friday, Oct. 11. 

 

Team South Carolina County Days provide local residents affected by Hurricane Helene with a one-stop opportunity to learn about relief resources available to them.

 

Team South Carolina events will include representation from the following agencies:

 

* S.C. Department of Agriculture – Gathering impact data in preparation for upcoming Farm Recovery Centers (FRC).

* S.C. Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services – Providing counseling resources, alcohol and drug services and substance use prevention.

* S.C. Department of Disabilities and Special Needs – Supplying information on resources and services for individuals with disabilities.

* S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce – Supplying information on unemployment benefits (including Disaster Unemployment Assistance) as well as employment services.

* S.C. Department of Environmental Services – Providing assistance for private drinking well owners and free test kits for those whose wells have been impacted by floodwaters.

*S.C. Department of Health and Human Services – Providing information on health care services and Medicaid.

* S.C. Department of Insurance – Providing information on the insurance claim process as well as coverage and insurance fraud prevention.

* S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation – Providing information on fire safety, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and residential builder information.

* S.C. Department of Mental Health – Providing general center-wide resources and personal screenings as appropriate.

* S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles – Assisting citizens attending the event.

* S.C. Department of Public Health – Providing information on Women, Infants and Children (WIC) educational resources and support as well as onsite Tdap and flu vaccines.

* S.C. Department of Social Services – Providing guidance on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and Affidavit of Loss Due to a Household Misfortune.

* S.C. Department on Aging – Providing information on services for seniors.  

* S.C. Division of Veterans Affairs – Providing information on services for veterans.

* S.C. Emergency Management Division – Coordinating individual disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and will provide information for residents about personal recovery steps. SCEMD will also provide emergency preparedness guides and demonstrate the SC Emergency Manager mobile app.

* S.C. Housing Authority – Providing information on mortgage or rent assistance, rental housing.

* S.C. Office of Resilience – Providing disaster case managers to assist eligible citizens with disaster-caused unmet needs through a basic intake process.

* FEMA – Providing assistance with registering for financial assistance related to the storm.

* U.S. Small Business Administration – Providing assistance with applying for disaster loans.

* United Way Association of South Carolina/AmeriCorps SC and Local Chapters – Providing information on community volunteer opportunities.

* One SC Fund – Providing information on nonprofit resources during disaster relief.

* Other state and local nonprofit organizations.

 

When And Where:

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
For Pickens, Anderson, and Oconee Counties
Clemson University, Littlejohn Coliseum, 219 Perimeter Road, Clemson, S.C.
 

Thursday, Oct. 10, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
For Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties
USC Upstate, Health Education Complex, 300 N. Campus Boulevard, Spartanburg, S.C.
 

Friday, Oct. 11, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
For Greenville County
Greenville Tech, Student Success Center, 506 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville, S.C.

Ingevity Announces CEO Transition as Fortson Departs Company

North Charleston, South Carolina-based Ingevity Corporation (NYSE: NGVT) announced that John Fortson departed as president and chief executive officer and from the board of directors of the company, effective Oct. 2, 2024.

 

Officials said the board of directors has appointed current board director, Luis Fernandez-Moreno as interim president and chief executive officer while it conducts a search for a permanent replacement.

 

“On behalf of the entire board, I want to thank John for his leadership and dedication to Ingevity over the past nine years,” said Jean Blackwell, chair of the board of directors.

 

Blackwell added, “Under John’s guidance, Ingevity successfully transitioned into a standalone public company, expanded its global footprint and established itself as a leader in key markets. We are grateful for his contributions and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”

 

“I thank the board for letting me serve Ingevity for these years, and I wish Ingevity the best going forward,” Fortson said.

 

“Ingevity has made significant progress in recent years, successfully navigating a period of strategic transformation and portfolio optimization,” said Fernandez-Moreno. “I, too, thank John for his service and firmly believe that Ingevity is well-positioned for long-term success thanks to his leadership."

 

Fernandez-Moreno added, "I am eager to work alongside our talented and committed team to build upon our progress thus far and focus on successfully executing the company’s plans to improve business performance.”

 

Fernandez-Moreno has been a member of Ingevity’s board of directors since its spinoff in 2016. He was chair of the nominating and governance committee, a position he resigned to assume the role of interim president and CEO.

 

Fernandez-Moreno has a 40-year history of successfully leading complex global businesses in the specialty chemicals industry, including as president of Ashland Inc.’s Chemicals division, a $3.5 billion business.

 

Before joining Ashland, Fernandez-Moreno was executive vice president of HTH Water Products & Wood Protection for Arch Chemicals Inc. from 2010 to 2011.

 

He previously spent over 25 years at Rohm & Haas Company until it was acquired by Dow Chemical Company, after which he managed the newly formed Dow Coatings Materials business until 2010.

 

He serves on the board of directors of Select Water Solutions Inc., a provider of sustainable water and chemical solutions to the energy industry.

 

Fernandez-Moreno holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, Mexico, and is a graduate of the Wharton Management Certificate Program.

 

The board has initiated a search process to identify a permanent president and CEO and has retained a leading executive search firm to assist in the process.

 

Ingevity operates in three reporting segments: Performance Materials, which includes activated carbon; Advanced Polymer Technologies, which includes caprolactone polymers; and Performance Chemicals, which includes specialty chemicals and road technologies.

 

Its products are used in a variety of applications, including agrochemicals, asphalt paving, certified biodegradable bioplastics, coatings, elastomers, pavement markings and automotive components.

 

Ingevity operates from 31 countries around the world and employs approximately 1,700 people.

ChargeScape Welcomes Nissan to Its Alliance of Automakers Helping EV Drivers Save Money on At-Home Charging

Nissan has entered into an agreement to invest in ChargeScape, a joint venture equally owned by BMW, Ford and Honda focused on electric vehicle-grid integration.

 

Officials said once the transaction is complete, Nissan will become an equal 25 percent investor in ChargeScape and will roll out ChargeScape’s services to its EV drivers across the U.S. and Canada.

 

Last month, BMW, Ford and Honda announced the launch of ChargeScape, whose software wirelessly connects to electric vehicles and manages the flow of electrons in line with real-time grid conditions, temporarily reducing, officials said, demand when the grid is constrained through smart charging (V1G) and even leveraging sending energy back into the power grid when needed (V2G).

 

By providing a single platform for power utilities, automakers and their customers, ChargeScape streamlines the complexity of electric vehicle-grid integration, the officials said.

 

They said ChargeScape unlocks financial benefits for EV drivers by enabling services like managed charging and vehicle-to-grid export.

 

When connected with ChargeScape’s platform, EV drivers who choose to do so can receive financial incentives for temporarily pausing charging during periods of high demand and will eventually be able to sell the energy stored in their vehicle’s battery back to the power grid.

 

Nissan’s incorporation into the ChargeScape alliance is of particular significance given its sales of over 650,000 LEAF models in the U.S., one of the first EVs with the capability to export power back to the grid.

 

Nissan is investing heavily in bidirectional charging (V2X) capabilities for its entire electric fleet across the world, and ChargeScape is building virtual power plants in California, Texas and other markets.

Redfin Survey: Nearly One-Third of Young Adults Say Hurricane Helene Has Made Them Reconsider Where They Want to Live 

Nearly one-third (32 percent) of U.S. residents aged 18-34 say they’re reconsidering where they want to move in the future after seeing or hearing about the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, according to a new survey commissioned by Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage.

 

That compares with 15 percent of respondents aged 35 and older.

 

Redfin’s report is based on a commissioned survey conducted by Ipsos on Oct. 2-3, 2024. The nationally representative survey was fielded to 1,005 U.S. adults.

 

Redfin’s report focuses on responses to the following question: “Which of the following apply to you after seeing/hearing about the damage caused by Hurricane Helene?”

 

After making landfall in Florida in late September, Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across Appalachia, becoming the deadliest storm to hit mainland America in almost two decades.

 

“Scores of Americans flocked to the Sun Belt during the pandemic because remote work allowed them to take advantage of the region’s relatively low cost of living. Some thought Appalachia was insulated from hurricane risk, not realizing that the area is prone to flooding and that hurricanes can sometimes cause flash flooding far away from the ocean,” said Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather.

 

Fairweather added, “Americans are beginning to realize that nowhere is truly immune to the impacts of climate change, and we’re starting to see that impact where people want to live—even people who haven’t experienced a catastrophic weather event firsthand.”

 

Many U.S. homeowners have seen their premiums skyrocket or lost coverage as insurers grapple with skyrocketing claims due to intensifying natural disasters.

 

Officials said it’s also worth noting that many people say the storm hasn’t changed their perspective on where to live; 45 percent of overall respondents (and 40 percent of respondents in the South) said the news of Hurricane Helene hasn’t impacted how they think about their housing situation.

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