Capsugel to expand, add jobs

Increased capsule sales prompt $17 million growth

March 8, 2007

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

One of Greenwood’s major manufacturing facilities is set for a multi-million dollar expansion that will bring new jobs to the community.
Capsugel, which produces medical capsules and has a facility on Emerald Road, announced Wednesday it will be doing a $17 million expansion that will create 45 jobs.
The expansion will be to the Licaps division. Licaps is an exclusively patented process that fills and seals liquid in a hard capsule shell. It is very popular in the burgeoning sports nutrition and neutraceutical markets. According to a release from Capsugel, since the Greenwood location began the Licaps process four years ago, sales of the product have increased more than 60 percent yearly.
“With the growth of Licaps, this expansion will add the necessary capacity to manufacture new product options for our customers and give the Licaps operation continued room to grow in the future,” said Capsugel’s liquids director Deborah Morrison.
The upcoming expansion follows another Licaps expansion that occurred in 2006.
Greenwood County Council member Gonza Bryant, in whose District Three Capsugel rests, was encouraged by the growth of the facility.
“Celebrating its 40th anniversary in Greenwood is not the only milestone that Capsugel marks in 2007,” Bryant said. “It is another year of growth for the Pfizer subsidiary and a demonstration of the company’s continued commitment to Greenwood.”
Bryant said it is a good time to see new jobs coming into the area.
“Any time you see expansion, it’s exciting,” Bryant said Wednesday. “Especially with the unemployment rate where it is in Greenwood. This will bring new opportunities for those in Greenwood and surrounding communities.”
County Councilman Dee Compton touched on how the expansion could attract upwardly mobile professionals to the Greenwood area and serve long-standing business relationships.
“Capsugel is one of the jewels in Greenwood’s manufacturing crown,” Compton said. “The company is not only a subsidiary of a Fortune 100 giant, but a name that immediately grabs the attention of prospects we try to recruit to the area.
“News like this announcement supports the county’s strategic plan to not only recruit new industry, but aid our long-forgotten but loyal existing industries.”
Jeff Fowler, CEO of the Greenwood Partnership Alliance, added: “We are, of course, pleased with Capsugel’s continued faith in the future of Greenwood County, but also very thankful for the continuing support by the Partnership’s chairman of the board and Capsugel director of manufacturing, Phil Vickery.”

Teens put military skills to the test

Junior ROTC gets inspected

March 8, 2007

By BOBBY HARRELL
Index-Journal staff writer

The students stand in the middle of the football field — legs together, shoulders squared, uniforms spotless, waiting patiently.
They’ve earned many medals and badges — not just for rifle marksmanship, but for volunteer projects and good grades.
The Greenwood High School students aren’t just students. They are JROTC cadets, and Wednesday was the day to prove themselves. The cadets went through their formal inspection by a team from the U.S. Army Cadet Command, said Sgt.1st Class Neal Longmire, Army instructor for the Screaming Eagle Battalion at Greenwood High.
About 55 cadets participate in the program this semester.
JROTC is taught by retired Army personnel and teaches students life skills such as leadership, according to the Screaming Eagle Battalion’s Web site.
Some think the Greenwood High class will automatically include students in the military. It doesn’t, said Maj. Wayne Burton, senior Army instructor for the Screaming Eagle Battalion.
George James, the training and operations specialist from Fort Bragg assigned to help inspect the battalion, asked Cadet Lt. Col. Deondra Johnson what students at Greenwood High thought about the JROTC cadets during the cadet staff briefing.
Some students call the cadets “pickles” because they’re required to wear uniforms every Thursday, but Johnson said most students respect them for joining up.
Many hear the click of cadets’ medals as they walk down the halls of the school and want to know how to join.
Johnson said one of the battalion’s goals was to earn the Honor Unit with Distinction, the highest score a JROTC battalion can get during formal inspections.
“I will not be OK until we know what we’ve earned,”she said.
Johnson is so committed to JROTC that she stopped in the middle of an interview to order cadets to stop laughing loud enough for her to hear across the football field.
Longmire said the inspection includes a briefing by cadet battalion staffers on their responsibilities; a test of JROTC curriculum knowledge gained over the school year; and an in-rank inspection of uniforms, including drill and ceremony techniques and the color guard.
Burton said the cadets were in charge of the briefings and created them as well.
“It’s the cadets’ show,” he said.
James and Sgt. 1st Class Howard Lattimore, another inspector for the Army, asked questions during every part of the cadets’ briefings. Some had trouble getting their words out, but made it through the briefing.
ROTC cadets from the nearby Highlander Battalion judged students on their uniform presentation during the in-rank ceremony.
Longmire said he and Burton drilled cadets hard about knowing every name and purpose for their uniforms so the college cadets could quiz them. The ROTC cadets didn’t shake up the JROTC cadets when they began to ask them questions about their favorite color or candy to relax them a little.
Lt. Todd Castles, of the Highlander Battalion, asked Michael Cannon, a junior at Greenwood High School, what his color preference was on M&Ms.
Cannon told Castles he liked brown M&Ms without missing a beat.
“It tastes just like chocolate,” Cannon said, sounding off loud and clear.
For the record, The Screaming Eagle Battalion scored 98.1 out of a possible 100 points Wednesday and earned the Honor Unit with Distinction title.
Longmire said he was proud of the cadets and their performance during the inspection.
“To me, that briefing was phenomenal,” he said.
A Lander University instructor said his college cadets could learn something from the high school cadets.
“My chest really got stuck out when I got that comment,” Longmire said.

Robert Barber

Robert Wesley Barber, 69, of 112 McKee Drive, husband of Virginia Cook Barber, died Wednesday, March 7, 2007, at his home.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home.

Frances Lois Smith Combs

DONALDS — Frances Lois Smith Combs, 73, of Donalds, wife of William H. Combs, passed away Tuesday, March 6, 2007 at the HospiceCare of the Piedmont Hospice after a lengthy battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held 1 p.m. Friday, March 9, 2007 at the Harris Funeral Home Chapel. Online condolences may be sent to the Combs family by visiting www.harrisfuneral.com.
Harris Funeral Home of Abbeville is assisting the Combs family.

Ed Garrison

HODGES — William Edward “Ed” Garrison, 58, resident of 615 East Grumling Road, died March 5, 2007 at his home.
Born in Greenville, he was a son of the late Jack and Elizabeth Mack Garrison. He was a graduate of Greenville High School and was of the Baptist faith.
Surviving are three daughters, Tracy Price of Greenville, Wendy Nimmons of Pelzer and Samantha Lea Beaton of Cross Hill; a son, Joshua Edward Garrison of Laurens; a stepdaughter, Charley Calvert of the home; a sister, Linda George; two brothers, Ronnie Garrison and Michael Garrison; and five grandchildren.
A memorial service will be conducted 4 p.m. Saturday, March 10, 2007 at the Blyth Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. Chet Rowland officiating.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 3 to 4 Saturday afternoon.
The family request that flowers be omitted.
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Garrison family.

James F. Karls

ABBEVILLE COUNTY — James F. Karls, 59, of the Antreville Community, husband of Pat Karls, died Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2007. He was born in Madison, WI, to Virginia Deans Karls and the late Alois Francis Karls. Mr. Karls was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Abbeville.
In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by his stepfather, Joe Karls.
Surviving Mr. Karls is his wife of 36 years of the home; two sons, Jesse Karls and his wife, Jennifer of Abbeville and Chad Karls and his wife, Jennifer of Williamston, SC; stepmother, Marjorie Karls of Dane, WI; two sisters, Karon Caudell and her husband, Alfred of Anderson, SC, and Virginia (Ginger) Franklin of Illinois; six stepbrothers, Rick Karls and his wife, Bev, Randy Karls, Thomas (Faye) Farr of Greybill, WY, Robert Farr of Casper, NJ, Jack (Debra) Karls of Omaha, NE, and Bill (Amanda) Karls of Chetek, WI; five stepsisters, Betty Weldom of Marshall, WI, Sandra Cook of Dane, WI, Barbara Lundsford of Marshall, WI, Mary Lou (Francis) Hyatt of Dells, WI, and Susan (Jack) Frankland of Dane, WI; three grandchildren, Madison, Lane, and Levi Karls.
A memorial mass will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, March 10, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
The family is at the residence.
Online condolences may be sent to the Karls family by visiting www.harrisfuneral.com.
Harris Funeral Home of Abbeville is assisting the Karls family.

Opinion

Conservatives giving edge to Democrats by default?

March 8, 2007

There is an old saying about cutting off your nose to spite your face. It could well be used to define some Republicans as they argue among themselves about who is or isn’t the right person to support in the presidential sweepstakes. It may not apply to all South Carolina Republicans, but for some on the national scene, it speaks volumes.
For example, several leading conservatives attacked the Republican Party the other day They called it the party of big spending, big government and other issues they don’t like. They also accused the GOP of coddling illegal immigrants.
One of the conservative leaders was Richard Viguerie, long a right-wing voice on America’s political stage. “We should withhold support from all major Republican presidential candidates today. Not one of them deserves our support today,” he told a ballroom full of activists at the Conservative Political Action Conference’s annual meeting in Washington, D. C. His hope?

VIGUERIE WANTS TO FORCE GOP candidates to become more conservative on issues that concern him and his associates.
There are, to be sure, conservative Republicans and Democrats in the Palmetto State. Somehow they see the wisdom of working within their own party, knowing there are differences of opinion among members of both. Some, experience shows, cross party lines to vote on occasion. Generally, though, they support their own candidates.
The mentality of people like Viguerie must be hard for a lot of South Carolinians to understand. There’s no question that he’s no supporter of any of the Democratic candidates. Yet it is apparent that he would undermine Republican candidates who don’t toe his extreme line. In so doing he would leave the campaign wide open for Democratic candidates who are much more liberal than any Republican candidate.

SO, THEN, HE IS INDEED CUTTING off his nose to spite his face. By boycotting GOP candidates he offers by default a win to whomever the Democrats might nominate, even if they are on different sides of politics.
Democrats must be smiling. Many Republicans, on the other hand, must think, with friends like Viguerie and pals they don’t need enemies. There’s another old saying that fits, maybe better. Viguerie and his ultra right-wing friends would throw out the baby with the bath water.
The big question is: Would Viguerie and the rest oppose a Republican candidate, knowing their opposition would give an advantage, and maybe a win, to the Democratic candidate?
The way it looks that’s not even a consideration. And that’s OK with Democrats. With enemies like that, they don’t need friends, either.