Hilton Head Monthly Voice Voice of the Lowcountry 
Now that the holidays and parties are over, people are looking ahead to the new year and getting ready to file income taxes. The tax reform law passed in late 2017 by Congress as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act took effect Jan. 1, 2018, and could affect your federal income tax returns. There will be winners and losers under the new tax law, depending on individual circumstances.
Some say commercial shrimping in Beaufort County will disappear eventually, but Larry Toomer believes that the combination of an evolving market and creative local solutions could save the business that’s in his blood.
“I get satisfaction from figuring out where they are,” he said. “I love the feeling of ‘Got you!’”
10 TIPS TO HELP LOCAL OFFICIALS FIND SUCCESS
Like most of us, I closely followed the election race for mayor on Hilton Head Island. Now that the elections are over, it’s time to get to work. Whether we like it or not, Hilton Head and Bluffton are at a “strategic inflection point.” Our citizens and community leaders must come together and begin a dialogue driven by positive thinking. We can no longer allow ourselves to be driven backward by naysayers.
After more than 20 years as one of Hilton Head Island’s premier caterers, Lori Craven is is also making her mark on the dessert world. Her company Palmetto Sweets was created to showcase her signature honey pecan bars — originally a thank-you gift to clients and now a regional favorite. Made with local honey and pecans, sweet cream, butter, brown sugar and molasses on top of rich shortbread, they embody some of the best-loved tastes of the South.
NEW WESTIN GM LIKES WHAT HILTON HEAD OFFERS AND COURTS MORE GROUP BUSINESS
When hotelier Michael Scioscia eyes his competition, he is not looking around Hilton Head Island, or even toward Savannah or Charleston. He’s focused on Florida and the huge number of conferences held in resorts in the Sunshine State.
Finding an “optimal mix” between business and group travelers and vacationers is a priority for Scioscia, who became general manager of The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa in May. He wants to attract more groups to the island, especially in the off-season months.
FOUR WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR EMPLOYEES
Attracting and retaining top talent is the not-so-secret weapon of every successful business. When employees feel they’re cared for and respected, that good energy is transferred to customer care.
We can all agree that employees are the backbone of your business — without their support, your company falls apart. Essentially, their success is your success. But do you have an employee engagement plan that strengthens the “bones” of your organization while helping them grow?
SLEEK, SPORTY CARS ROLLING OFF THE ASSEMBLY LINE IN SOUTH CAROLINA
The Palmetto State is revving its engine: Some of the hottest cars of 2019 are being manufactured in South Carolina, helping the state cement its status as the king of the road. Climb behind the wheel of a new BMW X4 or a buckle up in a Volvo S60 and you’ll find yourself hitting the highway in a car made just miles from the Lowcountry.
ELECTIONS MATTER
It might seem strange, this is a column dedicated to the economy and financial issues facing the Lowcountry, to focus this month on Hilton Head Island’s mayoral election. Elections matter and, while federal elections generate all the excitement, local elections can have a much greater impact on our everyday lives.
ENTERING A ‘CORE MARKET’
Eric Breon first visited Hilton Head Island about 15 years ago with his family. The island —especially its broad, flat beaches — made quite an impression.
TCL PROGRAMS FOCUS ON IN-DEMAND CAREERS
After 25 years of working around the country as a photojournalist, Matthew Bernhardt became a boat captain in the Lowcountry. But five years into his second career — albeit a seasonal one — Bernhardt went through a divorce, and the brother who enticed him to become a boat captain died. These dramatic life changes set Bernhardt on another career direction, one that took him to the Technical College of the Lowcountry.
