(Photo by Donna Isbell Walker)

By August M. Spencer

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham joined Greenville Technical College faculty, staff, and students, Area Commission members, community leaders, and college partners in breaking ground for the Center for Welding and Automation Excellence at the Brashier Campus on Monday, April 28, 2025. 

The center, set to open for the fall semester 2026, will be dedicated to showcasing and advancing the latest technology and tools of the welding trade.

“We look forward to solving the welding challenge in workforce development with the Center for Welding and Automation Excellence,” said Keith Miller, Ph.D., president of Greenville Tech. “Our planning team visited similar enterprise campuses across four states. Borrowing ideas from some of the best, our facility will be second to none.”

The 44,000-square-foot facility is designed to address the present welding shortage head-on. 

Currently, there are 400,000 welding job openings nationwide, and only one new welder is prepared to enter the workforce for every four who retire or leave the field. 

To close this gap and work toward ensuring companies across the Upstate have the skilled professionals they need, the South Carolina General Assembly has committed $15 million toward this effort, and the planned center also has gained $2.9 million in federal funding toward equipment costs.

“The reason I wanted to help with the equipment is because I can’t do buildings,” Graham, a South Carolina Republican said. “But that $2.9 million is going to train people with a skill set that is in great demand, making the Upstate of South Carolina more attractive to business.”

On the ground floor, the facility will feature classrooms and labs infused with instructional technology. 

An artificial intelligence (AI) welding lab will serve as a hands-on demonstration space where AI-powered welding systems will be utilized to improve precision, efficiency, and quality in welding processes.

A robotics welding lab will allow students to master the myriad possibilities of automated welding. 

“This building is a game changer,” said Casey Ross, a welding instructor and the academic head of the Welding Department. “It tells future welders and their future employers that Greenville Tech is serious about producing top-tier talent.” 

A testing lab will showcase the role of inspection and testing in ensuring the integrity and reliability of welded structures. MIG, pipe, and laser welding labs will provide students with cutting-edge training.

Learning spaces will be expanded, increasing capacity from four robotic welding stations to 16 and increasing total welding stations from 90 to 140.

In addition to breakout rooms for group work or industry partnership meetings, as well as dedicated study space, the building’s second floor will feature expansive windows overlooking the training taking place below. 

The overhead viewing area will provide a way for visitors, students, and industry partners to observe the innovation occurring within the facility.

Flex (NASDAQ: FLEX) announced April 25, 2025, it has significantly increased production capacity for data center power products such as Databar, PDUs and RPPs at its advanced manufacturing facility in Columbia, South Carolina.

Officials said the strategic capability expansion further augments the company's ability to meet the rising power infrastructure demands of the AI era while reducing production lead times for U.S. data center operators.

With dedicated capacity of 134,000 sq. ft., the facility complements the recently announced opening of a 400,000 sq. ft. Flex manufacturing facility in Dallas, Texas.

Both sites focus on critical power products, enabling faster production at scale for a growing U.S. customer base.

"Rapid AI adoption across sectors is increasing data center operators' need for reliable, efficient, and scalable power infrastructure solutions," said Chris Butler, president of the Embedded and Critical Power Businesses at Flex.

Butler added, "Expanding dedicated production capacity in this strategic location demonstrates our commitment to tackling the power challenges inherent in compute-intense environments and enables us to better serve customers as they build out data centers across the U.S."

To support significant customer demand, Flex has strategically expanded its global manufacturing footprint by more than eight million square feet since fiscal year 2024.

The growth includes four new strategic locations, predominantly in the United States, achieved through both targeted acquisitions and organic capacity expansion initiatives.

As of March 31, 2025, Flex's U.S. presence encompasses over 13 million square feet across 17 facilities.

Combined with its approximately nine million square feet in Mexico, Flex commands one of the largest advanced manufacturing footprints in North America, supporting regionalized manufacturing strategies.

Big Lots! announced it will be reopening 132 stores in May 2025, including several in South Carolina.

Officials said the expansion under the direction of new owners, Variety Wholesalers, builds on the positive customer response to the initial reopenings of Big Lots! stores in April 2025 and further solidifies the discount retailer's return to the American marketplace.

“We’re excited to bring an additional 132 Big Lots! locations back to life in May,” said Lisa Seigies, president and CEO of Variety Wholesalers. “The customer response to the newly expanded assortment of fresh inventory and great deals has been overwhelmingly positive."

Seigies added, "The Big Lots! stores opening in May show our continued commitment to providing the best value to our customers with apparel for the family, everyday needs for the home, kitchen, and pantry plus a huge selection of famous brands. I couldn’t be prouder of the dedicated team who made it possible for us to serve these communities again!”

Big Lots! stores will reopen in May in two phases, on May 1 and May 15.

Locations include:

South Carolina: Easley, Greenwood, Lexington, Rock Hill, Seneca, Simpsonville, Spartanburg, and West Columbia.

ND3 Inc. said it has been selected as a 2025 SBA South Carolina National Small Business Week Award Winner, a recognition that honors entrepreneurs and small business leaders across the state.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will celebrate ND3 and other award recipients at an awards ceremony on Friday, May 9, 2025, as part of the city of Columbia's 12th Annual Small Business Week Conference.

The event will be held at the Marriott Columbia, 1200 Hampton Street, Columbia, SC 29201, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

Advanced pre-registration is required with a registration fee and more information can be found on the SBA website.

"This award is an incredible honor," said Nat Durant, president and CEO of ND3. "We are deeply grateful to the SBA for this recognition and to our dedicated team and loyal customers who have helped make this achievement possible."

Durant added, "A special thank you to our SBA rep, Angela Brewer, for her unwavering support. Your continued trust and partnership have played a vital role in our growth and success."

Hosted in partnership with the city of Columbia, the annual Small Business Week Conference brings together local leaders, entrepreneurs, and community stakeholders to celebrate the vital role small businesses play in the region's economic growth and innovation.

As an SBA award winner, ND3 joins a group of small businesses recognized for their resilience, leadership, and commitment to excellence in their industries.

Columbia, South Carolina-based ND3 offers innovative solutions both domestically and internationally, with capabilities in drone services, logistics, interoperability, IT, A/V and simulations.

Its expertise includes drone academy training, inspections, and advanced mapping/photogrammetry to improve precision and decision-making.