Car Accident Attorney inLadson, SC

A major foreign defense manufacturer has been operating in Charleston County for more than six months, but it has disclosed very little about the nature of its work since the facility first opened for business.

Elbit Systems America — a subsidiary of Israeli-owned Elbit Systems Inc., which has 10 sites in the U.S. mostly located on the East Coast — officially started operations in Ladson in May. As a whole, the company supplies up to 85% of land-based military equipment to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Elbit has recently seen growing demand from the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) for its “solutions,” according to a Dec. 18 press release. The company’s American subsidiary also offers products and services related to commercial aviation, homeland security monitoring and night vision technology.

The S.C. manufacturing facility stands at the end of Sightline Drive, a short road just off Ladson’s Palmetto Commerce Parkway. The building is buffered from the parkway by a line of trees, equipped with a traffic light. In other words, it doesn’t stand out as a defense manufacturing plant. And yet, Elbit’s Ground Combat Vehicle Assembly and Integration Center of Excellence is exactly what it sounds like — a plant that builds truck-mounted artillery systems and command post support vehicles.

Longtime Charlestonians might remember General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) — known before a buyout as Force Protection, Inc. — as a defense plant also in the Ladson-area industrial zone. The company, once a major Charleston manufacturer, supplied millions of dollars of contracted equipment to the U.S. Department of Defense and foreign armed forces, profiting from high demand for Iraq and Afghanistan war-era battlefield vehicles. GDLS spokesperson Robin Porter told the Charleston City Paper the plant was sold to Pegasus Steel, LLC., a company first established in South Africa in 1994.

Elbit America planned to invest approximately $31 million into its project, including construction costs, according to its Charleston County contract, which the City Paper obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. Elbit’s facility uses 135,000 square feet of a 175,500-square-foot building. The remainder of the space is currently available for rent. The $31 million also accounted for machinery and site design, consisting of “36-foot cast-in-place, tilt walls … [and] 14 overhead cranes used to add armor to military vehicles,” wrote Choate Construction, the group contracted to build the plant.

Charleston County first became involved in Elbit’s relocation project in 2019, when it entered negotiations with Elbit under the company’s requested code name, “Project Thunder.” Code names are a common statewide practice of assigning a made-up project name to keep relocation deals anonymous. Charleston County Council described Project Thunder as a “leading global source of innovative, technology-based systems for diverse defense, homeland security, and commercial applications.” Elbit America would use this name to “begin its tax incentives process.”

In September 2021, the S.C. Coordinating Council for Economic Development authorized Charleston County to use a $700,000 set-aside grant to assist Elbit in business operations. The county and the state’s Department of Commerce also created an “attractive package” for the project. Incentives included a fee in lieu of tax credits, known as a “FILOT,” and Special Source Revenue Credit (SSRC), two tax-lowering incentives regularly applied to major businesses.

The Elbit site qualified for FILOT, which is available to companies that invest at least $2.5 million. The FILOT can save 40% or more in property taxes. FILOT savings are even greater when, as applies to Elbit, a business is designated inside an industrial park.

The SSRC incentive is taken from FILOT revenue: Counties “award credits to taxpayers to be applied against their property taxes.” Essentially, companies get more tax credits from the tax credits they already have. Dollars saved provide a competitive advantage to relocated businesses, but at a price. A 2019 fiscal year report disclosed that companies’ extra revenue diverted $423 million from public schools across the state, disproportionately low-income schools with mostly Black and brown students.

Elbit publicly announced its 135,000-square-foot Ladson site in November 2021. Project Thunder was not revealed as Elbit until a March 2022 “public hearing prior to final action.” This was several months after the county’s economic development director had committed to granting the subsidiary tax incentives.

In earlier council discussions, county officials projected that Project Thunder would bring 302 full-time jobs to the area “during annual operation,” but Elbit America Communications Specialist Amy Hartley told the City Paper on Dec. 6 that the site had only around 50 full-time workers.

Hartley declined a City Paper request to tour Elbit’s Ladson plant “given heightened security concerns.” In recent weeks, there have been pro-Palestine demonstrations outside some of its locations. A security guard, however, said the South Carolina plant hasn’t had any recent issues.

Another statement from Hartley explicitly mentioned the site’s contract with the U.S. Army to manufacture Command Post Integrated Infrastructure trucks, despite recent press releases indicating that its main operation was fulfilling contracts from the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) to build an automated vehicle mounted with an artillery system called a howitzer.

Elbit advertises the South Carolina-built howitzer vehicle as having “high firepower and long-range lethality.” The IDF reportedly has used the vehicle to launch white phosphorus artillery strikes in “densely populated areas of Gaza,” which Human Rights Watch says “violates the requirement under international humanitarian law to take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian injury and loss of life.”

In March 2019, Elbit America received $125 million from IMOD to build “automatic self-propelled howitzer gun systems” for the IDF over a 12-year period, and the group secured a $200 million “further to” the 2019 contract one year later. In November 2023, Elbit announced that it was increasing deliveries to IMOD from various sites, including U.S. subsidiaries, to support the IDF’s invasion of Gaza.

That same month, a United States Field Artillery Association news release reported that, while the Ladson site is continuing production and delivery of U.S. Army vehicles, “Elbit America has recently started production of the Sigma-Next Generation Howitzer at their Charleston, South Carolina facility and will begin deliveries to the Israeli Defense Force in 2025.”

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LADSON, S.C. (WCSC) - Representatives of the Coastal Carolina Fair are voicing their concerns about Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority’s plans to build a park-and-ride facility at the fairgrounds.

This park-and-ride facility is a part of CARTA’s Lowcountry Rapid Transit Plan – the first-ever large-scale transportation project in the region.

CARTA Chairman Mike Seekings, says this $600 million plan is the result of over a decade of regional planning.

“Large-scale transit projects are a function on the front end of planning - a lot of planning - identifying the needs of a community, and seeing how we can meet those needs by planning out the alignment, finding the funding, and we’ve done all those things. So, we’re a good ways down the road right now,” Seekings says.

If plans go through, the facility will take up about six acres of the 180 acres available for parking on the fairgrounds. Mike Jernigan, a member of the Exchange Board as well as the former president of the Coastal Carolina Fair, says that their initial discussions with CARTA were about leasing an acre to an acre and a half of land for a bus stop, but he said that CARTA wanted more land to either purchase or take by eminent domain.

Seekings is surprised by this response. He says that they spoke with the leadership of the fairgrounds early in the process and have had conversations over many years about this area of land.

Officials with the Coastal Carolina Fair say that their issue is not the size of the facility, though, but the location. The park-and-ride facility would be located in lot 2A of the fairgrounds which is adjacent to Highway 78 and Gate 2 – one of the major entrances of the fairgrounds.

“We feel like supporting public transportation is a good thing. We’re not opposed to that in any way,” Jernigan says. We just feel like this location is the wrong location. That there are other options that are available adjacent to our property, or even at a different place on our property, but not to take our prime parking spot.”

Seekings says that throughout the conversations over the years, they have changed the intended location of this facility twice, and lot 2A was what was agreed upon.

“We’ve identified, through cooperative meetings with the Exchange Club, a number of different spaces. This last one we actually had a public hearing over at their request in August,” Seekings says. “So, we’re a long way down the road. It’s not signed, sealed and delivered, but it’s unlikely that we’re going to change the routing and change the manner in which we’ve gone through a long planning process. And now, at the eleventh hour, we’re ready, we’re ready to go implement this project - cooperatively, fairly to the benefit of all citizens in the region, including but not limited to those who are aligned with the Exchange Club and those who like to go to the fair.”

Jernigan disagrees. He says that they believe the location of the facility would disrupt patrons’ ability to enter and exit the fair, hurt fair revenue generation and impact the future success of the fair as well as their ability to support their community partners.

“This lot that would be affected by this potential park-and-ride disrupts our ability to park people efficiently. It would eliminate our ability to use one of our primary gates, and we feel like the effect of that on our parking means that we have less revenue and then less money to give away to the charities that depend on the profits from the fair,” Jernigan says.

The Coastal Carolina Fair supports about 70 different nonprofit organizations and charities in the area. CARTA and the fair representatives are not seeing eye-to-eye on this park-and-ride project. Seekings said they believe this project will actually have the opposite effect and be beneficial to the fair.

“Having access to the fair from public transit brings more people to the gate, enhances gate revenue, makes it more convenient, gives you many more local connections,” Seekings says. “It will be a very cooperative and beneficial experience for both sides of this and for the region.”

Jernigan says they just want to have more conversations about these plans and alternative solutions.

“We feel like there’s too much at stake here for the community, the charities we support and the long-term future of the fair to not have more discussion about other options which we feel like are available to CARTA in this general area - but you know, potentially even on the backside of the fair property - that need to be given consideration,” Jernigan says.

Jernigan says that even though the land is privately owned, the decision is ultimately not up to him, though, it is up to government officials.

Seekings says they want to make the plan work for everyone and enhance the experience for the community, but that it is unlikely much will change now that they are this far along. He says they want to implement this plan cooperatively and fairly and he believes there is some misunderstanding here. He says that this project is world-class public transit that works for everyone.

If plans go through, construction is slated to begin in 2026 and be completed by 2029.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

If you're a thrifty, bargain basement shopping, treasure-seeking adventurer, then this is the one flea market in South Carolina you simply can't afford to miss. With more than 1,000 vendor booths, it's one of the largest indoor/outdoor flea markets in the entire Southeast. It's difficult to see and appreciate everything in just one visit, but we believe in you! Check out Coastal Carolina Flea Market below.

The Coastal Carolina Flea Market has been around for 35 years and has grown to be so big, you could probably spend an entire weekend combing through everything there is to discover at this gigantic bargain bin of vendors.

There's a reason this flea market is such a longstanding tradition. It's fun for the whole family with all kinds of shops, food vendors, and excitement along the way.

You'll find everything from fresh produce and fresh seafood to canned goodies you can put in the pantry for a rainy day.

For adult shoppers, there are 18+ and 21+ shops to enjoy as well. Purchase responsibly!

With more than 1,000 vendors covering 47 acres, the Coastal Carolina Flea Market has vendor booths in every direction you look, both inside and outside. And if you get hungry, there are two restaurants that dish up the best Flea Market Fare in the Southeast.

The toughest part about visiting this flea market is not getting lost! You'll want to keep a map handy while you make your way around this massive market.

Whatever you desire, you'll likely find it here at the flea market. Want a new hat? No problem. Want a ladies' hat? No problem.

Beautifully crafted leather shoes, collectible memorabilia, jewelry, toys, antiques, and so much more can be found here.

Need to buy a gift? You'll find both new and used items and something that's sure to delight that hard-to-please someone on your list.

The people are just as interesting as the wares. You meet all kinds while perusing the aisles of this market.

The complex that houses the indoor vendors is simply enormous. It could take days to get through the whole thing if you're a super-engaged shopper.

The proverbial "cup" runneth over at this flea market. But when the cup gets full, the vendors just set up outside. They're everywhere and selling everything.

You'll even find artisans and craftsmen doing their "thang" at this unique market.

It's wonderful to hear the stories behind these unique businesses and pieces.

Where is it? It's in Ladson, just off Interstate 26 and far enough outside of Charleston that you won't have to worry about getting caught in a traffic snarl. Want to see more? Check out this seven-minute video from YouTube user thesitecrew.com:

You may want to clear your schedule this weekend and head to this one-of-a-kind market that's the biggest in the Southeast. The Coastal Carolina Flea Market is located at 165 Market Rd, Ladson, SC 29456. More information is available on the flea market's Facebook page. The market is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Are you a flea market afficiando? What's your proudest score from a flea market vendor? We'd love to know in our comments! And if you've been to the Coastal Carolina Flea Market and want to pass along some tips, then feel free to add those too!

If you love bargain hunting, then you'll love this list of thrift stores throughout South Carolina.

LADSON, S.C. (WCSC) - Neighbors in a Ladson neighborhood spent much of Tuesday trimming trees, gathering debris and checking on their neighbors after a confirmed downburst went through the area.

Ken Atwell came over to the Tall Pines neighborhood where his mother lives when he heard about the storm.

“You could hear it and see it coming in, and you knew it was something pretty strong coming in, but I wasn’t expecting this,” Atwell says.

Most of the trees in the home’s backyard fell victim to the wind.

“We were talking with the gentleman behind us last night because the fence is gone, so it makes it real easy. And then we kind of talked to people next door with most of our trees through their roof, so we kind of talked to them a little bit, just everyone coming together to get things cleaned up,” Atwell says.

Dillon Neault is a renter who has lived in the area for about four years. He says he was sitting at a table in his backyard when the sky turned dark, and the hail began to rain down.

“I went inside and checked on the dog and my fiancé and then all the hail came and all this came down in my yard,” Neault says gesturing toward his backyard covered in downed branches.

As a renter, Neault says he isn’t taking the lead on the cleanup, but he spent the morning getting to know his neighbors and asking people if they needed a hand.

“It’s all about checking on everyone making sure they’re OK. It’s been a lot of good community stuff with people I’ve never met before. I kind of keep to myself but everyone is asking how are you doing, how you fared, which is nice,” Neault says.

Across the street, Atwell and his family spent the morning clearing out brush while waiting on professionals to come and saw down the uprooted and downed trees.

David Zeigler is a general manager at Landmark Roofing Charleston. He says hail can cause damage that might not be as visible right away as downed trees.

“The Lowcountry doesn’t experience a lot of the hail that the other parts of the country have, but when they do, they wreak havoc on your roof. From talking to the neighbors around here, they had about 10 minutes of solid hail and it ranged from about pea sized to golf ball size,” Zeigler says.

He recommends anyone affected by the storm at least get their roof assessed for hail damage. The storm took many by surprise. Neighbors described it as quick and strong. The damage cleanup will be easier for some with minor debris and major for others with structural impacts.

“I’ve lived through five, six hurricanes here and nothing has ever happened. Just carnage,” Neault says.

Teams from the National Weather Service surveyed the damage primarily Tuesday around the Summerville and Ladson areas of Berkeley and Dorchester Counties.

Before arriving at the scene, NWS experts said all that they have seen so far indicated a strong downburst producing straight-line wind damage rather than a tornado.

Downbursts produce straight-line winds that have been known to produce tornado-force damage up to F3 intensity, the National Weather Service’s website states.

National Weather Service teams confirmed Tuesday afternoon a strong downburst caused the damage. Peak winds of the downburst reached 80 to 85 mph.

Live 5 First Alert Chief Meteorologist described a downburst as being caused by warm rising into the atmosphere, getting cooled quickly with evaporative cooling that causes it to rush back down and spread out when it hits the ground.

“That is like taking a bucket of water, pouring it out on the floor and all the water spreads out,” he said. “Imagine wind hitting the ground and spreading out at 80 to 85 mph. That’s what we had with that storm.”

Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.

A supercell thunderstorm developed near the Savannah River during the afternoon of Monday June 10th and tracked northeastward through the early evening hours. This thunderstorm produced a long swath of very strong winds as it crossed inland portions of the Charleston Metro area, with widespread wind damage reported from around the intersection of Dorchester Rd and Boone Hill Rd to St. James Ave. The supercell also produced up to 2 inch hail (the size of a hen egg) as it was moving through the Charleston Tri-County area.

The survey found isolated to scattered damage from areas around Old Trolley Rd and Bacons Bridge Rd northeastward through southern and eastern portions of Summerville to around Main St. on the north side of Sangaree. Most of this damage consisted of large softwood trees snapped and uprooted and some hardwood tree limbs snapped. However, two areas of extensive damage were also found around the Quail Arbor Neighborhood off Old Trolley Rd and around Wisteria St and the Tall Pines Neighborhood along I-26 on the north side of Ladson. Within these two areas, both soft and hard wood trees were observed to have snapped near the trunks, several of which fell on residences and vehicles. A woman was injured when a tree fell on her residence on College Park Drive. Additionally, some damage to residential property was observed, including shingles and siding blown off and privacy fences blown down. Based on a uniform damage direction of generally north to northeast, a strong downburst producing damaging straight line winds is the most likely cause of the damage.