When 18-year-old Danielle Motley walked into Wild Birds Unlimited 20 years ago looking for a job, she immediately fell in love with its magical setting amongst the running fountains and birdsong. Having secured the position, she spent the next few years learning the ins and outs of the business and in 2011, she bought the shop. In those early days, Motley frequently worked … [Read more...]
Multi-Generational Family Businesses in Mount Pleasant SC
Families aren’t immovable objects that sit on a shelf; they are dynamic, hard-working teams that require constant nurturing, sacrifice, and trial and error to thrive. In our annual Family Edition, we pull back the curtain on the moving parts, deep roots, and unique challenges of Mount Pleasant’s multi-generational family businesses. From passing the torch to the next generation to navigating the logistics of running a local brand under one roof, get to know the inspiring neighbors, business owners, and peers who pour their hearts into serving our lowcountry community every single day.
Craig and Tanya at Ascue’s Auto Body & Paint Shop: A Working Family Machine
As Ascue’s Auto Body & Paint Shop CEO and Ascue Capital founder and CEO, Craig Ascue, along with his family, runs the family business that his father, Timothy, opened in 1968. Over the decades, customers and friends throughout the community have continued to support the company because of the shop’s commitment to its customers, both old and new. “We understand the value … [Read more...]
Jessica and Cason Hund: Balancing Family and Medical Careers in Mount Pleasant
Growing up in a medical family with a physician and nurse practitioner as parents, Jessica Hund was immersed in the medical world from the time she was a child. Having witnessed the services that her parents provided for patients, who were often going through hard and challenging times, Jessica felt compelled to pursue a career in the field. With a passion for helping people … [Read more...]
Starling Chevrolet: Fueled by Family
Mount Pleasant is more than a thriving community of over 20,000 families; it’s where businesses like Starling Chevrolet extend their reach beyond commerce into the heart of giving. At the center of this commitment is Joe Sarro, general manager of Starling Chevrolet, and his sons, Jarrett and Joey, who are making it their mission to give back. “I always knew being part of the … [Read more...]
Seewee Restaurant: Down Home Cookin’
Off the southbound lane of Highway 17 on the edge of Awendaw sits an old rustic building that was constructed as a general store in 1929. Local Mary Rancourt purchased the business in 1960, and around 1995, she converted it into the Seewee Restaurant. Over the decades, the establishment has become a local treasure because of the beloved family who runs it, the food and the … [Read more...]
Simmons Seafood: Big Nets to Fill
For five generations, the surname Simmons has been synonymous with the town of Mount Pleasant. From 1916 to 1920 and then again from 1921-1928, Yonge Simmons served as mayor. Simmons Street at Moultrie Plaza and Yonge Street in the Old Village are both named after him. In the 1940s, Yonge’s son Hugh and his wife Ella opened a grocery store called Simmons Brothers Grocery on … [Read more...]
Brown Atlantic: Built to Withstand
In 1977, Howard Brown took a leap of faith. After years in construction, he knew the industry inside and out. With a sharp eye for detail and a strong work ethic, he decided to build something of his own and launched Brown Atlantic. Nearly 50 years later, his sons are now stepping into leadership roles. They are blending the lessons from their father with new perspectives, and … [Read more...]
Alex Brener, Carolina One Real Estate: Lock in Luxury
Alex Brener is a real estate agent specializing in single-family luxury households. After graduating from Elon University’s Love School of Business in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he met his wife, Brener jumped into the world of real estate. During the 2008 recession, Brener helped build over 200 single-family homes and flipped homes throughout North … [Read more...]
Stretching Success: Tapio School of Dance & Gymnastics
In the early 1950s on the front porch of a Sullivan’s Island home, a young Johanna Runey Tapio started teaching dance to the neighborhood kids. It wasn’t a business yet, it was just something she loved to do. That porch became her first classroom, and in 1956, Johanna’s School of Dance was born. She had ambition and drive, and with that, the seed she planted took root. That … [Read more...]