Hilton Head Monthly Voice Voice of the Lowcountry 
GO INSIDE THE WORLD OF MR. BEN AND HIS AMAZING PET PRODUCTS
From the outside, you’d almost never know it was there. One of a handful of mostly serviceoriented businesses in a low-lying commercial park off of a back road in Ridgeland, the world headquarters of Mr. Ben’s Amazing Pet Products is remarkably inconspicuous from the road. But this nondescript industrial space is the launching point for Benjamin Preisner’s global empire of pet products.
ISLAND DRIVERS BEMOAN TWO YEARS OF REMAINING TOLLS
On summer Saturdays, traffic stretches from the Cross Island Parkway’s toll booths in both directions on Hilton Head Island. The toll will disappear in two years, but for those who drive it every day, this a long time to wait behind drivers who fumble for change and ask the attendants for directions.
FAMILY TIES SUSTAIN ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURING AND CONSULTING FIRM
In 1938, Al Traver Sr. took a gamble on his family’s future that would eventually lead them to Hilton Head Island. With the Great Depression at its peak, he left behind a job as a factory worker to set out his shingle as a manufacturer of electric motors in Waterbury, Connecticut. More than 80 years later, Traver IDC has grown to include 49 employees doing everything from consulting on energy conservation to providing electrical supplies. And just as they did on day one, they still manufacture electric motors.
TEDX GETS LOCALS TO PRESENT IDEAS WORTH SPREADING
Throughout his career in human resources and management, Rex Gale’s easy, approachable style motivated employees. Now’s he’s motivating people on Hilton Head Island to take the stage and share their ideas. Gale presented the island’s third TEDx event last month, and between those who have spoken at the forums and the people who have come to hear them, much of the Lowcountry has taken note.
SAVING FOR RETIREMENT IS STILL POSSIBLE FOR RISING NUMBER OF SELF-EMPLOYED WORKERS
For many looking to cast off the corporate shackles and live in the freelance eat-what-you-kill, work-in-your-PJs wilds of the gig economy, there is one very large incentive keeping them in the 9-to-5. No, it’s not the endless supply of free birthday cakes that seem to pop up weekly in your typical office — although freelancers do miss them from time to time. It’s the chance to invest in your future.
CHARLESTON ENTREPRENEUR FINDS NEW BUSINESS BRINGS FLAVOR TO LIFE
Salt and its partner, pepper, are ubiquitous; they’ve got a spot on practically every table in America. But rarely do we think about where that salt comes from.
That’s where Charleston native Bertha Booker comes in.
FIRE & PINE IS GROWING EXPONENTIALLY IN RIDGELAND
Intricately detailed maps of locales in all 50 states and historical sites. Decorative signs and artwork. Carefully constructed zodiac charts.
All painstakingly burned into untreated pine by artists at Fire & Pine, a small Ridgeland company whose reach extends far beyond the Lowcountry.
REALTOR CHARLES SAMPSON HAS SEEN THE UPS AND DOWNS OF ISLAND REAL ESTATE
Charles Sampson first visited Hilton Head Island as a boy in 1958, when his family drove three hours from his native Aiken to spend a day at the beach.
“Back then, you drove your car right out on the beach. You’d run back into the bushes to put your bathing suit on,” says Sampson, owner, agent and founding partner of Charter One Realty-North. “If you came to Hilton Head for a vacation, you’d better like the ocean, because that was pretty much it.”
USE YOUR BRAIN TO CONQUER YOUR GOALS
It’s the beginning of a new year and many of us are feeling motivated to take action and make changes in our lives. However, 80 percent of people have strayed from their resolutions by the time February rolls around. The same thing can happen to your professional goals as well, and if you are a business leader this can be a disaster. Failing by February can put you on a devastating path for the entire year. Staying motivated is a skill you can develop to help you reach your goals throughout the year. Here are three tips from brain science to keep you motivated to achieve your goals all year long.
HOW TO UNDERSTAND VOLATILITY IN THE STOCK MARKET
The fourth quarter of 2018 was a reminder that financial markets can go both up and down. Some days we saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average swing 1,000 points in both directions — up and down and down and up. We also saw the CBOE Volatility Index, the market measure of potential volatility, increase from 12.12 on Sept. 28 to 25.42 on Dec. 31 — a whopping 100 percent increase.
