Lowcountry April Palmetto Pulse

PHARMACEUTICAL EXCELLENCE

QuicksortRx Wins Best in KLAS for Second Year in a Row

QuicksortRx, the leading pharmacy purchase analytics platform built to help health systems make smarter purchasing decisions, has been named Best in KLAS 2026 for Purchasing Optimization Analytics. For the second year in a row, QuicksortRx has maintained its Best in KLAS position as the top-rated solution since the category's inception in 2025. The company achieved an overall performance score of 97.7 out of 100 — an exceptional score compared to the software average of 81.1 — and received A+ ratings across all evaluation criteria.

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-multiple good photos to accompany this

SPOTLIGHT

Lowcountry Heart Walk Raises More Than $1 Million to Save Lives and Expand CPR Education

More than 2,000 people gathered at The Joe (RiverDogs stadium) for the Lowcountry Heart Walk on Feb. 28, raising more than $1 million to fund lifesaving research and enhance CPR readiness. This year's Heart Walk brought together heart disease and stroke survivors, participants from 70 local companies, and other community members to learn the lifesaving skill of Hands-Only CPR, celebrate local survivors, and support the mission of the Heart Association. This year's top fundraising companies included MUSC Health, Choate Construction, Carolina One Real Estate, and SeamonWhiteside. The Lowcountry Heart Walk is locally sponsored by MUSC Health, Blackbaud, Choate Construction, and The InterTech Group.

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CATERING AWARD

Hamby Catering & Events Named Best Catered Event of 2026 by the International Caterers Association

Hamby Catering & Events has received national recognition from the International Caterers Association, winning Best Catered Wedding at the prestigious Catered Arts Through Innovative Excellence Awards. The award honors the most creative and expertly executed catered events across the country. Hamby earned the award for a wedding experience titled “Black Tie on the Back Forty,” a refined outdoor celebration that transformed a private family farm in Aiken, South Carolina, into an elevated black-tie dining experience for 128 guests. 

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CONSERVATION EXCELLENCE

Wood Stork Removed From Federal Endangered Species List

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the Southeast U.S. distinct population of the Wood Stork will be removed from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, marking a major conservation milestone for the species. The delisting took effect March 9, 2026. In the late 1970s, the U.S. breeding population had fallen to an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 nesting pairs. Decades of conservation work, habitat restoration, and improved wetland management have helped the species rebound to an estimated 10,000 to 14,000 nesting pairs.

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INTERNATIONAL ENERGY

OhmIQ Expands Globally by Adding Two Directors for the European Operations and Implementation Teams

OhmIQ, a leader in sustainable energy solutions, appoints France-based Julie Morin-Dominguez as director of professional appliances to spearhead operations and global business development for industrial tech solutions, and adds Maarten De Rijcker as product implementation director to focus on customer implementation, regulatory alignment, and accelerating the global adoption of advanced ohmic heating technologies. OhmIQ has rapidly grown since its founding in 2022, including expanding operations abroad, and is supported by approximately 156 global patents. 

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LAND PROTECTION

Clarendon Farms Donation by Cox Enterprises Marks One of the Most Significant Conservation Easements in U.S. History

Ducks Unlimited (DU) has announced that it will steward one of the most significant conservation easements ever recorded in United States history, made possible by Cox Enterprises and the Cox family. Valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars, the nearly 4,400-acre easement permanently protects  Clarendon Farms, one of the last major unprotected tracts in rapidly developing Beaufort County, South Carolina. The newly protected acreage includes over 40 miles of river and marsh frontage, nine islands, and several hammock islands, and nearly 1,300 acres of upland forest. 

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CARBON OFFSETTING

Eveon Containers Supports Reforestation Efforts with Land Life Partnership in Colorado

Eveon Containers, a leading nationwide provider of sustainable storage solutions, has renewed their partnership with Land Life to support reforestation efforts in Colorado where nearly 6,000 acres were destroyed by wildfires. Eveon's latest initiative will plant 10,000 native trees across the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado, sequestering an estimated 2,124 tonnes of CO₂ over 40 years. The project is part of Eveon's commitment to contribute to climate action in proportion with the emissions generated by trucking its containers to customers.

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SPOTLIGHT (great pic)

SCETV Premieres Season 2 of Digital Series "Now We're Cookin' with Chef Lauren Furey" on March 17

South Carolina ETV and Public Radio (SCETV) has released season 2 of "Now We’re Cookin’ with Chef Lauren Furey." The eight-episode season spotlights heartfelt storytelling and approachable recipes, while expanding its focus to the mentors, family members, entrepreneurs, and creative spirits who inspire Chef Lauren Furey in and out of the kitchen. A private chef known for crafting intimate, in-home culinary experiences throughout the Lowcountry, Furey continues to draw from her signature blend of coastal Southern and coastal Italian influences. 

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RETAIL FORECAST

Marcus & Millichap Publish 2026 Charleston Retail Investment Forecast Report

Marcus & Millichap (NYSE: MMI), a leading commercial real estate brokerage firm, has published its 2026 Charleston Retail Investment Forecast Report. Key findings include: Charleston will see one of the fastest job growth rates among major U.S. markets in 2026; retail construction only set to expand by about 4 percent; retail vacancy projected to decline to 3.3 percent; vacancy will remain among the lowest in the nation, declining slightly to 3.3 percent; and retail rents will rise, with average asking rent expected to reach approximately $28.84. per square foot.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Marcus & Millichap Release Charleston Retail Investment Forecast 2026, Continued

Transaction activity in 2025 was among the metro’s highest on record. Pre-2000-built assets in suburban nodes that capture a disproportionate share of population growth — such as Dorchester County, Mount Pleasant, and areas around West Ashley — are likely to continue to see elevated transaction velocity. While population growth is slowing in the North Charleston area, Boeing’s ongoing $1 billion expansion of its 787 Dreamliner operations is expected to create more than 1,000 new jobs over the coming years, potentially attracting increased investor interest. Relatively low and declining vacancy, paired with strong employment growth, leads the Charleston metro area to a top-5 NRI ranking in 2026.

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PALMETTO PRIDE

Southern Living Announces 2026 South's Best Award Winners

Southern Living, in its 60th anniversary year, has announced the winners of its 10th annual South's Best Awards. South Carolina saw numerous wins, with Charleston remaining the South's Best City, marking a decade at the top of the rankings. Out of the top 10 cities, Greenville also ranked ninth. Of the five Top Golf Destinations, South Carolina placed three times, with Hilton Head Island in second, Kiawah Island at fourth, and Myrtle Beach in fifth. The Hotel Richemont in Charleston placed fifth of five in Top New Hotels, and Charleston's Lewis Barbecue was voted South Carolina's Best Barbecue Joint.

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FINANCING

BWE Secures Acquisition Financing for The Claiborne at Brickyard Crossing, a Luxury Class A Seniors Housing Community in the Charleston, SC MSA

BWE, a national commercial and multifamily mortgage banking company, announced the successful arrangement of financing on behalf of GEM Realty Capital for The Claiborne at Brickyard Crossing, a 142-unit, Class A seniors housing community located in Summerville, South Carolina, within the Charleston metropolitan area. Leveraging BWE's lender relationships across agency, bank, insurance, and private capital, Taylor Mokris, senior vice president of Seniors Housing and Care, and Ryan Stoll, national director of Seniors Housing and Care, served as exclusive financial adviser to GEM Realty Capital. 

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HEALTH CARE

MUSC Health Acquires Palmetto Primary Care Physicians

At a special meeting of the Medical University Hospital Authority (MUHA) board of trustees held March 2, the board voted unanimously to have MUHA, part of MUSC Health, purchase all membership interests in Palmetto Primary Care Physicians (PPCP), for $111 million, effective March 3. With the acquisition, PPCP will become a not-for-profit entity within the MUSC Health family. PPCP is the state’s largest independent multispecialty care practice. It includes 31 physicians, 95 advanced practitioners, and 40 medical practices.

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INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT

Maars North America Selects Charleston County to Establish First US-based Production Operation

Maars North America (Maars), a global leader in architectural wall solutions, has selected Charleston County to establish the company’s first U.S.-based production operation. The $3 million investment will create more than 10 new jobs. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Maars offers customizable modular wall systems for commercial interiors, is active in more than 50 countries, and supplies to a global dealer network. Maars’ new operation, located at 437 Interlock Alley in Mount Pleasant, is expected to be online in the second quarter of 2026.