2 MARCH 2/. 20Q~
- Business
THE C o L U M BIA STAR S C
Rick Todd of the S.C.
By John Temple Ligon
temple~thecolumbiasta~.com
Founded in
Greenville in 1932, the
South Carolina Motor Car-
ders Association was incor-
porated in 1933, when it
changed its name to the
Motor Transportation Asso-
ciation of S.C., Inc. Since
then, the S. C. Trucking
Association. has grown to
more than 700 trucking
companies with more than
100,000 trucks on the roads
across the country.
I. Richards Todd has
been president of the
S.C.T.A. since 1988.
Rick Todd was born
in Columbia's Providence
_Hospital about the time his
father finished law school
at USC. His father retired as
assistant director of the
Legislative Council.
Todd has an older sis-
ter, Polly Laffitte, who is an
art curator for the Universi-
ty of Tennessee in Knoxville
where her husband runs
the student affairs office.
His younger sister
Ruth Todd is a Clemson
architecture graduate. She
is an assistant principal for
a San Francisco architec-
ture firm, Page & Turnbull.
Todd's younger
brother Steve is in con-
struction full time, but he
also takes guitar gigs on the
side.
Todd attended Miss
Lola's Kindergarten near
Triangle City in ,West
Columbia. After Saluda
River Elementary and
Northside Middle School
(the former Lakeview High
School), Todd graduated
from Brookland-Cayce
High School.
At B-C, Todd played
basketball and founded the
golf team. He appealed to
Bob Montgomery, the
school's athletic director,
who then appointed the
track coach to take on the
responsibilities of the golf
team. Todd worked on his
golf game in the summers
while he also worked as a
lifeguar6 at the Country
Club of Lexington,
Also in his off-time
during his secondary
school years, Todd mowed
lawns, cleaned buildings,
sold Cokes at Williams-
Brice and worked at
Reynold's Florist Shop on
Meeting Street.
In college at USC,
Todd graduated in four
years with l/is degree in
journalism. In evenings
and on weekends he
worked as a bell hop at the
Holiday Inn on Assembly,
what is now the Courtyard
by Marriott. Even though
Trucking Association
he met his commitments discussions on the future
at the Holiday Inn while he of the Port of Charleston,
took 18 credit hours in col- the feasibility of a new port
lege courses per semester, on the Jasper County side
Todd also managed a job of the Savannah River (a
as a page in the S.C. Legis- joint venture with the port
lature, authority of Ga.), the port
Todd later met his possibilities for Daniel
wife Susan at the State Island, and the profound
House when she was a East Coast impact of an
page. Susan is a enlarged Panama Canal for
third-grade teacher at both trucking and rail, dis-
Hammond School. They cussed together especially
have adaughter, MaryHol- when considering con-
land, who will be five in tainerized shipping.
two months. In the local discus-
While Todd was con-sions about the Port of
sidering career options, to Charleston is its future as a
include law school, he public or private facility. As
heard from Sam Boyiston, a public facility it contin-
the general manager of ues with its common-user
what is now the S.C. Truck- gates in competition with
ing Ass'n. Boyiston offered Southeast ports in lack-
Todd the position of assis- sonville, Fla., Savannah,
tant general manager, Ga., Wilmington, N.C. and
which he accepted in 1979. Norfolk-Hampton Roads,
Less than 10 years later, Va.
Boylston retired, and Todd As a private facility,
took over. the threat of more union-
In 1980, under Presi- ization and more opera-
dent RonaldReagan, truck- tions costs is feared by
ing was deregulated at the many S.C.P.A. regulars
federal level, and in the such as former S.C. Sec. of
early'90s, S.C. effectuated Commerce Bob Royall,
intrastate deregulation, who is campaigning for a
As the president ofmore competitive port.
the S.C.T.A., Todd is the And there's always
CEO and chief lobbyist. He the voice of the South of
oversees a half-dozen peo- Broad wannabes who pre-
ple at their headquarters fer to de-industrialize
on Devine Street, across Charleston, downplaying
from Dianne's. the importance of the port
One of the major and leaving the jobs offer-
milestones of Todd's term ings dominated by waiting
at the S.C.T.A. is the explo- tables, tending bar and
sion in the use of con- changing sheets.
tainerized shipping, which Real wealth, however,
essentially made the is created by trade, and
Wando/Welch terminal at trade makes its final desti-
the Port of Charleston. nation on trucks.
The S.C. POrt Author-
ity is looking for a new
CEO while it entertains
Unlimited Marketing
Solutions has been award-
ed four ADDY Awards at
the American Advertising
Federation of The Mid-
lands ADDY Gala.
The Silver Crescent Foun-
dation Board of Directors
has elected new officers
for 2009. Gary Foster,
president and chief execu-
tive officer of Automation
Engineering Corporation
in Greenville, was elected
chairman; Mike Rose, who
recently retired as plant
manager of Bridgestone
Firestone in Aiken, was
elected vice chair; and
George Lockwood, presi-
dent of CPM Federal Cred-
it Union, was elected sec-
retary/treasurer. The
Board has also recognized
Oscar Prioleau, retired
information technology
consultant in Columbia.
The University of South
Carolina will honor A.
Marvin Quattlebaum Jr.
with its distinguished
Compleat Lawyer award.
RIGGS has received Best
of Show and Best of
Broadcast at the 2008
ADDY Awards.
The Midlands Authority
for Conventions, Sports &
Tourism (MACST) has
been selected as a Gold
Addy co-recipient for its
Famously Hot Sales Kit.
Jeanne Porter Ashley has
joined H&S Real Estate
Solutions as the broker In
charge.
Bill McCrary Bill McCrary, founder and
CEO of Strategic Partner, a
Wanda Long has been Columbia-based profes-
president of Prioleau Steel, promoted from branch sional services firm that
for his longstanding serv- manager to vice president specializes in leadership
ice to the Foundation and and branch manager for and sales force develop-
presented him with a reso- First Citizens. ment, has been awarded
lution bestowing him the 2009 David H. Sandier
Honorary Emeritus boardBrett Frantz, director of Award by Sandier Training,
status. Corporate Real Estate for formerly known as Sandier
First Citizens, has joined Sales Institute, of Owings
J. Alexander Hay has the Board of Directors forMills, Md. Only 12 awards
joined Atlantic Executive City Center Partnership. have been given in the his-
Consulting Group as an toryofthe company.
S.C. banks are
part of thesolution
By Sterling J.U. Laffitte,
chairman, S.C. Bankers
Association and presi-
dent, Palmetto State Bank
Misconceptions
about banking in South
Carolina dominate media
headlines. The South Car-
olina Bankers Association
wishes to address some
important realities about
the health of our industry,
both on a statewide level Sterling J.U. Laffitte,
and in the global econo- chairman, S.C.
my. Bankers Association
Tradition banks did and president,
not cause the economic
crisis. South Carolina's Palmetto State Bank
banking industry offers
traditional banking servic-
es that have by and large holdings such as Fannie
avoided risky subprime Mae and Freddie Mac pre-
lending in favor of safe ferred stock. More impor-
and sound loan under- tantly, they are dealing
writing and conservative with irresponsible media
banking practices, reports citing private
The South Carolina"lists" of problem banks
banking industry is com- that in no way reflect the
prised of approximately strength of their ability to
100 banks, employing over get through this crisis.
13,000 employees in their These lists are dan-
1328 branches and offices, gerous and confusing for
That includes $56 billion the public. Few people
in assets, all of which outside the industry know
keeps businesses open, that the 14 South Carolina
families above water, and banks who've applied for
the state's commerce run- CPP money are actually
ning smoothly. South Car- healthy institutions who
olina's banks have always are selling senior pre-
operated under the ferred stock shares to the
strictest regulatory over- government.
sight and have persevered The reality is that the
throughout the genera- credit is readily available
tions, to our citizens from S.C.
The constant stream banks. These banks have
of negative news wrongly bridged the gap caused by
implies that the banking the evaporation of credit
industry is responsible for in auto lending, credit
the worldwide economic cards and with the col-
crisis. The media still uses lapse of the secondary
the over simplistic word market for mortgages.
"bailout" when referring Thirty years ago, banks
to government programs provided 60% of all credit
such as the Capital Put- -today, traditi6flal
chase Program (CPP). This lending provides less than
recklessness is beginning 30%. But that number is ,,
to take its toll on the S.C. growing as banks strive to
families, business men meet the credit needs of
and women, employees customers seeking auto
and shareholders who loans, home mortgages
make banking part of their and expanding business
everyday life. needs.
Now, that's not to say The members of the
they haven't felt the same South Carolina Bankers
economic woes that Association appreciate the
everyone else is experi- recent concern over these
encing. Our banks are unique economic conflu-
dealing with the deterio- ences, and we stand ready
rating market conditions to answer all your ques-
that are challenging their tions about the CPP recip-
ability to attract new capi- ients, bank lending, and
tal and deposits. They are the need for clarity in
indeed dealing with public oversight and poli-
"mark-to-market" issues cy.
in previously reliable asset
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46 years
Contributed by recession lasts longer than South Carolina, Inc., and
First Citizens expected and would pro- Merchants and Farmers
vide more flexibility in its Bank of Comer, Ga.
Columbia-based lending activities. After First Citizens Bank
First Citizens Bancorpora- careful consideration, First offers services in commer-
tion, Inc applied for a mini- Citizens Bank concluded cial and retail banking
mal level of capital under the program's cost out- through its 183 offices in
the U.S. Department of weighed its benefits for our South Carolina and Geor-
Treasury's Capital Purchase high performing and gia. As of Dec. 31, 2008,
Program and was approved well-capitalized bank." said First Citizens Bancorpora-
without conditions but chief financial officer Craig tion, Inc. had total consoli-
declined to participate in Nix dated assets of $7.02 bib
the program. First Citizens Bancor- lion.
"First Citizens initial- potation, Inc., is the parent For more informa-
ly perceived that the addi- company of First Citizens tion, visit the First Citizens
tional capital would beBank and Trust Company, web site at www.firstciti-
beneficial in the event the Inc., The Exchange Bank of zensonline.com.
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