LINDA: 467-0334 CHUCK: 348-0243

lexingtonchronicle@gmail.com

Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation and the University of South Carolina are expanding covid-19 testing for the Gamecock community.

The company and its owners, UofSC alums Lou and Bill Kennedy, have donated a brand new Opentrons robotic liquid handler to the university’s College of Pharmacy. The robotic liquid handler increases the number of covid-19 tests college researchers can do each day.

“Stopping the spread of this deadly virus and returning to normal begins with reliable, accurate testing,” said Nephron owner and CEO Lou Kennedy.

University researchers have spent the past few months developing a covid-19 testing pipeline. As a new school year approaches, the capacity to process a high volume of tests is essential to the process of welcoming the entire Gamecock family back to campus.

$15,000 to help farmers

AgSouth Farm Credit has pledged $15,000 to the United States Department of Agriculture divisions in South Carolina and Georgia.

The money will help aims to help lessen the effects of covid-19 on the agriculture and farming communities.

$7,500 will go towards the partnership between Certified SC Grown and SC Advocates for Ag organizations and their ongoing efforts to support their Farmer to Food Banks initiative.

Small business complaints

An online survey of 1,211 small businesses in Small Business for America’s Future’s network found 81% of small businesses don’t think America’s leaders understand their needs, 84% think our leaders favor big business over small business, and 57% believe the Trump Administration’s policies favor big business over small business.

Hotel revenue down $16.8 billion

The hotel and lodging industry is struggling.

It has already lost over $16.8 billion nationwide since the covid-19 pandemic shut down travel across the US.

Over $278 million in state and local tax revenue for South Carolina has been lost.

Summer travel plans may help the industry begin to recover, but experts say it will be years before demand returns to peak 2019 levels.

“Getting our economy back on track starts with supporting the hotel industry and helping them regain their footing,” said Chip Rogers President & CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

“Hotels positively impact every community across the country, creating jobs, investing in communities, and supporting billions of dollars in tax revenue that local governments use to fund education, infrastructure and so much more.”

Who’s new

• Amy Bartow-Melia is the new executive director of the South Carolina State Museum.

Bartow-Melia joins the State Museum from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, where she most recently served as the MacMillan Associate Director for Audience Engagement.

In her role Bartow-Melia was responsible for leading the museum’s efforts to engage and empower Americans to be informed participants in their Democracy.

• Richard L. Bolen has joined the Lawyer-Lisa firm.

Bolen practiced litigation in upstate New York before moving back to South Carolina to become General Counsel to the South Carolina Secretary of State.

He will provide legal guidance on real estate closings and estate planning.

$34.6M for Carolina Panthers development

US Senator Lindsey Graham announced SCDOT received a nearly $40 million grant from the US Department of Transportation.

SCDOT will construct a new interchange to facilitate access to business development in Rock Hill and the new Carolina Panthers practice facility.

Graham said it will drive economic development in the region, facilitate expansion along the I-77 corridor, and promote the safety of the region by addressing the increase in traffic.

Infrared thermometers available

Lexington County businesses may be eligible for a limited supply of non-contact Infra-red thermometers.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has allocated a specific number of thermometers for private businesses.

The SC Emergency Management Division provided NCITs to each county on a per capita basis.

The thermometers are for businesses with a high degree of person-to-person interaction.

Not included are government, non-profits, education, hospitals, doctor’s offices and other healthcare professionals.

The NCITs are available on a 1st-come 1st-served basis.

For information contact Sarah Johnson at the Lexington County Department of Economic Development at 803-941-0206.

SAFE invests $4.8M in tech

SAFE Federal Credit Union has upgraded the organization’s core banking software.

The $3.7 million new software manages SAFE’s banking operations, account openings, and transaction processing at the $1.1 billion credit union.

The core banking system is the latest in a series of technology upgrades at SAFE. In January, the credit union launched a new $1.1 million online and mobile banking platform for a total technology investment of $4.8 million.

Based in Sumter, SAFE Federal Credit Union serves more than 126,000 members and is one of the largest financial institutions headquartered in South Carolina.