Home Care In Duncan, SC

SPARTANBURG — Texas-born burger chain Whataburger is setting up shop at four different locations in Spartanburg County. Two will be in the city of Spartanburg, one in Boiling Springs and one in Duncan.

“Four Whataburgers in Spartanburg makes an incredible statement in the Southeast that they chose us over all the places they could be,” Spartanburg County Councilman David Britt, who chairs the county’s economic development committee, told The Post and Courier on June 16.

The four Spartanburg restaurants would be the eastern-most spots for the chain that developed a passionate and loyal following in its home state. A Whataburger planned for Anderson makes at least five known locations planned for South Carolina. It’s part of a wider expansion across the country.

In 2019, Chicago-based investment firm BDT Capital bought a majority stake in the company with plans to expand the brand. Soon after, Whataburger began opening restaurants in Missouri, Tennessee and Colorado. There are now more than 930 restaurants in 14 states, South Carolina not included. But that will change.

The city of Spartanburg approved the site plan for a location on 1510 W. O. Ezell Blvd. The burger chain is also looking at a location on East Main Street, but the site review is still pending and city officials did not give the address. It’s unclear when construction will start at either location.

“It’s good to see them reaching out to good ol’ Spartanburg heading out east,” said local realtor Santiago Mariani. “I’ve heard nothing but great reviews. There’s a sense of excitement, and that has me excited.”

The Boiling Springs location will be across from a Quick Trip at the entrance to a new Target on Highway 9.

Ben Hines, the president of Spencer/Hines Properties, brokered the deal to lease the land to Whataburger, and said the new Boiling Springs development would bring a lot of tax revenue to the county and would help the growing area.

SPARTANBURG — Morgan Square’s proposed redesign aims to accentuate the city’s evolving downtown business district while making the space more attractive for programs and events.

As the city continues to grow with new housing, business and office space, the square will continue to be a popular destination. With the redesign expected for final review this spring by City Council, the square’s redesign could be completed by early 2025.

“For the most part, I like everything about the redesign,” Spartanburg Mayor Jerome Rice said. “We are waiting to see the final draft and get ready for it. People are looking for all this to finish up. The work will likely interrupt traffic and business flow. We will work through it to make sure businesses are still accessible to everyone.”

The project would be conducted in phases, city spokesman Christopher George said.

The first phase would include areas along West Main Street from North Church Street to Magnolia Street. The projected cost to complete the first phase is $15 million.

For the past 21 years, Delaney’s Irish Pub on West Main Street near the square has been a popular place to dine and enjoy live music.

Owner Brian Greene is hopeful the square’s redesign will draw more people downtown.

The outdoor dining area on the street closed to vehicle traffic since May 2020 will be moved to the sidewalk. Greene said he expects the outdoor dining area to be smaller with fewer tables. While he supports some of the redesign’s features, he would rather see the square maintain a larger green space for outdoor events.

“I don’t see a great spot out there for a band to play,” Greene said about the proposed redesign. “There is a natural stage there now, but it looks like that is going to be taken out.”

Greene also questioned the plan for public restrooms and how they might be staffed by the city. He expressed concern that restrooms could potentially be a gathering spot for the homeless if left unattended.

It’s been nearly 20 years since the last redesign was completed. City Councilman Jamie Fulmer said change is needed.

“We want to see the square active and vibrant,” Fulmer said. “I think we would miss an opportunity if we didn’t try and create a city center that would be more engaging and more complementary to all the development around it.”

Three redesign options were presented to the public in April. The latest redesign presented to the city in December combines some elements from all three options. Preparation has already started at the site.

“We have some preliminary sitework that will begin taking place on the square over the coming weeks,” George said. “That includes some basic surveying and ground-penetrating radar to assess conditions under the surface.”

The city is also working with New York-based Bierdman Redevelopment Ventures to develop a programming plan for the square to attract more visitors with new events and activities.

OneSpartanburg CEO and President Allen Smith said the square’s redesign should maximize space and work to benefit small businesses while creating a more welcoming place for community events.

“Whatever we do in the city of Spartanburg, we have to think about economic impact,” Smith said. “Small businesses rise and fall on activities at Morgan Square. Six years ago, we were having conversations that Morgan Square wasn’t what it could be for driving pedestrian traffic.”

Spartanburg City Councilwoman Erica Brown said she doesn’t want to see the clock tower moved. The plan calls for moving the clock tower near West Main and South Spring streets in the plan’s second phase.

“The clock tower had sentimental value to folks,” Brown said. “I am not sold on moving the clock tower.”

The redesign project’s first phase would be funded by the city’s hospitality tax revenue initially, with private funding used to complete additional phases.

DUNCAN, S.C. —

The president of AFL, a company based in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, has been suspended.

Jody Gallagher was the president and CEO of AFL, a company based in Duncan.

The company told WYFF News 4 in an email that Gallagher was suspended pending an internal investigation.

The email said Jaxon Lang had been named acting CEO.

"No other comments are available at this time," the email from AFL said.

The AFL website says Gallagher has served as President and CEO of AFL since 2003.

The website says the company is "an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise, hyperscale and industrial markets."

The website says the company has 7,000 employees worldwide.

According to the company website, Gallagher has been a member of the board of directors for AFL’s parent company, Fujikura, headquartered in Tokyo.

The website says, "Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan."

A news release from Fujikura posted on May 26, 2023, said there was an investigation related to "an improper real estate acquisition at a U.S. Subsidiary," after a whistleblowing complaint on May 3, 2023.

The release said in part:

"Based on a whistleblowing complaint made on March 3, 2023, we were made aware of suspicious activities regarding the personal misappropriation of real property owned by one of our US subsidiaries by a director of the Company, who is the CEO of such subsidiary, and launched an internal investigation immediately thereafter. Our investigation is still continuing at this moment, however, to date, it has uncovered that an improper acquisition was made with respect to land purchased in 2020 and a building built in 2022 by such subsidiary (the total value of such land and building at the time of acquisition amounts to approximately 6.5 million US dollars (equivalent to 847 million Japanese yen)). Further, our investigation to date has uncovered that the said officer disguised the purpose for acquiring the land and building to make such subsidiary acquire such property and that said officer used such property for a certain period for its personal purpose. The said officer has been suspended from the US subsidiary and the Company."

The company has not said whether this investigation lead to Gallagher being suspended.

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) released Tuesday new dash camera video from an Oct. 21 pursuit involving Rashard Duncan in the Hollywood-Ravenel area.

The video shows the suspect reaching high speeds and even driving on the wrong side of the highway, eventually ending in a mobile home community where a foot chase ensued.

After Duncan’s arrest and apparent assault by another deputy, the dash camera video – which comes from Charleston County Deputy Alexander Hodge’s patrol vehicle – picked up a conversation with the suspect, believed to be Duncan, while being detained and awaiting EMS to be checked out.

The suspect can be heard admitting to being high after “having some coke” and stating that he wanted to see how fast his rental could go.

He also complained of pain on the side of his face. Duncan was punched several times with a closed fist by another Charleston County deputy – James Carter – following the pursuit.

The deputy is heard asking the suspect about his movements before being assaulted by the deputy. The suspect replied saying he was just pulling up his pants and was not reaching for a gun at the time.

Video released on Monday shows Duncan with his pants slightly down at points during the assault and arrest.

Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano said she believes it is important for the public to see the events that led to the encounter between Deputy Carter and Duncan after releasing the second video.

“Our deputies face uncertain circumstances daily in their efforts to keep the community safe. I am thankful for their commitment, and we are fortunate no one was injured during the course of this incident,” she said.

Attorneys representing Deputy James Carter said the suspect reached speeds of over 100 mph during the chase and discarded items from the window while traveling on Highway 17.

Duncan was charged at the time with resisting arrest, failure to stop for blue lights, reckless driving, and various drug charges.

The sheriff’s office said it found no policy violation against Deputy Hodge during an internal review of the pursuit.

Carter was terminated from the sheriff’s office and later charged by the State Law Enforcement Divison with misconduct in office and third-degree assault and battery. He was released the same day.

About Duncan

DUNCAN, S.C. (WSPA) – Duncan has grown a lot since BMW came to the area but long before that the farms are what surrounded Duncan.

Duncan is exactly what you think of when you think of a small town and the people are proud of that and its history.

The town is named after a man named Leroy Duncan who was a farmer in the 1800s when he heard of the railroad passing through from Greenville to Spartanburg.

Local historian Fredrick Tucker said Duncan capitalized on the opportunity and bought 158 acres of land.

“He was thinking that it would be a perfect place for a little town,” Tucker explained.

“He bought up those acres for $1,000 and that stretched from present-day Greer Street to Church Street.”

The railway was established in Duncan around the 1870s and historically this is when the mills would come through, but that wasn’t the case for the town of Duncan.

The town was built only around the railroad.

Tucker, who grew up in Duncan said, when he thinks of the town, he thinks of the railroad.

“If you’re anybody that’s passing through here, you’ll think of it too.”

Stories of the town are what help keep it alive.

Whether it’s about the train tracks that started it all or the monument that’s dedicated to a beloved member of the community.

Mayor Shirley Clopton said, “I feel like we could be the only town that has a monument to our maintenance trash man.”

“His name was Dyke and he was like known in Duncan for picking everybody’s garbage.”

As Mayor Clopton laughed she said, “I don’t know how that came about but I think it’s just great that we still have that monument.”

Mayor Clopton was born and raised in Duncan and a lot of her memories come from those train tracks that sit across from her office in Town Hall.

“When I was a little girl my grandfather owned the only taxi in Duncan. He also hung the mail on the hooks out here for the trains to come by. the train wouldn’t even stop it would fly through Duncan and they used this long hook to grab the bag. He would take me. So, I could sit right here at this intersection and look out the window at the very spot where he would take me to but he wouldn’t let me out of the car. I could still feel that. You know what I mean? When you done something that you love and you can still think and feel yourself back then and see that train go by.”

Tucker hears a lot of stories like that when researching the town and one that gets a few laughs was brought up because of a picture of one of the first cars that drove through town.

“When I showed that picture to an older man that lived here, he said, ‘I remember the first car I saw going down Main Street and it was speeding along at 15 miles an hour.”

“It was brand new and he wasn’t used to it and he was waving at everybody and screaming get out of the way!” Tucker explained.

While cars move much faster now and Main Street is a lot busier these days, Mayor Clopton said, the people of Duncan are proud of their small town.

“I’m just proud of the fact we do still maintain just a cozy, friendly, safe atmosphere for people to live in.”

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DUNCAN — When clients walk through the door of Joey Simpson’s Refined Skin and Body medical spa, she wants them to feel like family.

While Simpson does much of the spa’s injectable aesthetics, her husband serves as the medical director and provider, and her mother serves as the patient coordinator for her business.

Since Simpson’s family is helping her live out one of her dreams, her goal is for her clients to also feel like they’re a part of a family atmosphere when they come in for services.

After having over 20 years of experience in nursing, pharmaceutical sales and managing medical clinics with her husband, Simpson decided to venture into the aesthetics side of the medical field. She opened Refined Skin & Body in Duncan in late January to pursue a passion and to open a business that offered services she felt her community was lacking.

“It’s been a journey, but it’s been really fun,” Simpson said.

The medical spa on East Main Street offers some of the same services as a non-medical spa in addition to services that are supervised by an on-site medical doctor through the use of technology, products and tools that aren’t used at a non-medical spa.

Simpson said the business aspect of opening the spa wasn’t difficult, but the aesthetics side was more challenging.

Over the past year, she and her husband went to training sessions, spoke with medical professionals in aesthetics and received certifications in devices and procedures that cover aesthetics.

“We’ve tried to make it very encompassing in aesthetics and weight loss altogether so that if someone came here for a regular facial and had other areas they wanted to address, it can all be done under one roof,” she said.

Some of the services offered at the medical spa are microneedling with radiofrequency, neurotoxin injections, fillers, skin resurfacing with CO2 machines, body contouring, IV therapy, laser hair removal and medical-grade peels.

SPARTANBURG — When Olivia Skelton opened Purple Sunrise Spa, she didn’t know what to expect being a first-time business owner.

The Cowpens resident had worked for a spa in Greenville and in retail. By the time she turned 24, she decided to pursue her dreams and open her own business catering to women’s health and wellbeing. In July 2021, Purple Sunrise Spa opened at 210 Westgate Mall Drive.

“I just didn’t want to work any corporate jobs anymore,” she said. “I just wanted to do something more. I started with no clients and now have over 1,000. I love the people we get here. We created a place where women feel safe, confident and beautiful here.”

Skelton’s family relocated to South Carolina from Michigan when she was 12 after her dad got a job in the state. She’s grown to love the city but still misses the snowy winters in Michigan.

Her focus is centered on expanding her business, which now has three employees. She spent six months prior to opening renovating the building when it had no power. She built a following during the process by promoting her endeavor on social media.

It paid off with her business fully booked with appointments during the first few months.

“The business is still growing, and I hope to have my own building eventually,” Skelton said. “We are looking to hire two more employees.”

When she opened, Skelton said she wasn’t sure about herself. However, her confidence has grown with support from her clients.

Kara Lee of Spartanburg is a Purple Sunrise Spa client and supports the owner’s business.

“Olivia is a huge inspiration to everyone around her and the environment she has created for her clients,” Lee said. “This spa is like no others. Olivia makes every single human feel welcomed, relaxed and it’s so different than any other spas I’ve been to.”

Nicole Gantz is among the massage therapists who work at the spa. She has been a massage therapist for two years. Each of the massage rooms are decorated with different themes.

SPARTANBURG — Robots are coming to BMW’s Spartanburg manufacturing plant, but not at the cost of any human jobs.

California-based AI robotics company Figure announced Jan. 18 that it signed a commercial agreement with BMW Manufacturing to “deploy general purpose robots in automotive manufacturing environments.”

BMW spokesman Steve Wilson said in an email Friday that there is no timetable for when the robots will be deployed. He added that no job losses will occur because of the robots and that there will be no changes for BMW’s associates.

“Companies that invest in innovation such as this are more sustainable, become more productive, and have a competitive advantage,” Wilson said. “Innovation, digitalization, and sustainability are key success factors for our future.

BMW and Figure will pursue a “milestone-based approach.” After the initial phase where Figure will identify use cases to apply the robots in automotive production, the robots will begin staged deployment at the BMW manufacturing site in Greer.

At its 8-million-square-foot Spartanburg County campus, BMW Manufacturing employs 11,000 workers. It is the largest U.S. automotive exporter by value with a total export value of almost $9.6 billion, and more than 1,500 vehicles are assembled at the plant daily.

Figure founder and CEO Brett Adcock said the potential of general purpose robotics is untapped.

“Figure’s robots will enable companies to increase productivity, reduce costs, and create a safer and more consistent environment,” Adcock said.

The companies will also jointly explore other topics in advanced technology such as artificial intelligence, robot integration, robot control and manufacturing virtualization.

BMW CEO Robert Engelhorn said the use of “general purpose robot solutions” has the potential to make productivity more efficient.

Wilson said that the carmaker is investigating several tasks across the plant to help improve safety and ergonomics.