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Charleston Business

The Business Narrative: Sunny Days Makes a Move

Aug 25, 2022 01:34PM ● By Donna Walker

Sunny Days Entertainment Moving HQ to Laurens County

Sunny Days Entertainment LLC, a leading supplier, distributor and manufacturer of children’s toys, announced plans to move its expanding corporate headquarters to Laurens County.

The company’s $16 million investment will create 80 jobs.

Founded in 2012, Sunny Days Entertainment LLC creates safe and reliable, licensed and non-licensed children’s toys for some of the nation’s largest retailers. Designed with safety in mind, the company thoroughly tests all its products to meet the highest standards possible.

Located at 135 Owings Park Blvd. in Gray Court, Sunny Days Entertainment, LLC’s new headquarters will accommodate production growth to meet increased demand for the company’s products. 

“We’re glad to call Laurens County our home,” said Sunny Days CEO and Partner Melvin Wells.

“The new warehouse will provide multiple growth opportunities for us and the great workforce of this area.”

Operations are expected to be online by the first quarter of 2023. Individuals interested in joining the Sunny Days Entertainment, LLC team should visit the company’s contact page.

The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has awarded a $150,000 Rural Infrastructure Fund grant to Laurens County to assist with the costs of site preparation and building construction. 


Chris Laughridge Named Greenville Market President for First Reliance Bank

First Reliance Bank announced the promotion of Chris Laughridge to Market President, Greenville. He will be responsible for leading the Greenville team and building the bank’s footprint in the Upstate of South Carolina.

He graduated from North Carolina State University in 2002, earning a B.S. in Business Management with a concentration in Finance, and the South Carolina Bankers School in 2007. 

“We are pleased to announce Chris Laughridge as Market President for the Greenville market.  This strategic decision is based on Chris’s proven ability to deliver high customer satisfaction as a trusted banking adviser,” said First Reliance Bank President Justin Strickland.

“He knows how to lead teams and what it takes to build a strong community bank.  His extensive industry experience will expand our commercial and local business and customer opportunities.”

Laughridge has over 19 years of industry experience in the banking industry, where he has developed numerous commercial banking relationships. Locally, his community involvement includes the Eastside Family YMCA, where he serves on the Advisory Board. He and his wife, Channing, have one son. 

Westminster Company Honored by IndustryWeek

Sandvik Coromant PU Westminster was named one of IndustryWeek’s top four Best Plants Award winners for 2022.

Located in Westminster, Sandvik Coromant is a tool manufacturer.

IndustryWeek lauded the winners for demonstrating that “excellence on the plant floor is achievable in less-than-perfect operating conditions and without clear visibility ahead.”

The 2022 IW Best Plants Award winners comprise the 32nd class of honorees.  

They join an IW Best Plants community that dates to 1990 and shares many traits: strong, participative leadership; smart, team-oriented workforces; keen understanding of plant-floor and supply chain operations; and an unswerving desire to always do better.

The other three winners are: NOV Texas Oil Tools, Conroe, Texas; Protolabs Injection Molding Facility, Plymouth, Minnesota; and The Raymond Corporation, Greene, New York.

“Things were supposed to be better in 2021,” said Robert Schoenberger, IndustryWeek editor-in-chief.

“We went into the year thinking that supply chains would normalize, and we could all get back to business as usual. Instead, it’s still incredibly difficult to get materials into plants and finished goods out. The IW Best Plants class of 2022 suffered along with their peers, but they also rededicated themselves to manufacturing excellence, delivering clear wins in a rough market.”

The winners will be profiled in the fall edition of IndustryWeek, available at www.industryweek.com.


Charleston Coffee Roasters Creates Aquarium-Inspired Blend

Inspired by the conservation efforts of the South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston Coffee Roasters announced that it has created a new Aquarium Blend coffee inspired by the aquarium and celebrating their sponsorship of the Nutritional Care Program at the South Carolina Aquarium. 

“The blend we’ve developed to celebrate our partnership with the Aquarium and their conservation efforts is very special to us. As the lead sponsor of the Nutritional Care Program at the South Carolina Aquarium, we are thrilled to introduce this new Aquarium Blend,” said Lowell Grosse, founder and president of Charleston Coffee Roasters.

“The South Carolina Aquarium provides a uniquely Charleston experience to friends and families, prompting them to return again and again. It was our sincere desire to craft a special coffee blend that would provide that same sensory experience for coffee lovers while also celebrating a great institution.”

Aquarium Blend is a mix of Peruvian and Honduran beans that are slow roasted to a medium, creamy profile, and the result is a well-balanced coffee with a smooth finish that’s somewhat sweet and citrusy.

This summer, the Aquarium Blend will be available exclusively at the South Carolina Aquarium gift shop or on the Charleston Coffee Roasters website at charlestoncoffeeroasters.com.

The Charleston Coffee Roasters Nutritional Care Program at the South Carolina Aquarium supplies more than 200 pounds of food daily for the 5,000 animals that reside at the aquarium.


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