Across South Carolina, small-scale producers are doing more than making products. They are building local identity, supporting jobs and strengthening the economic and cultural fabric of their communities.
Through the Small-scale Producer Growth Accelerator, a program led by Main Street South Carolina in partnership with Main Street America and funded in part by the Appalachian Regional Commission, entrepreneurs received targeted support to grow and strengthen their role in local economies.
The program serves as a hands-on support model to meet businesses where they are, helping them grow and succeed locally. Participants in the program received technical assistance, one-on-one coaching and peer learning opportunities to help them improve operations, reach more customers and build long-term stability.
The program utilized resources available through the Main Street America Small Business Hub, which provides tools to support business retention, startup growth and local entrepreneurship. Because of the ARC grant, eligibility for the program was open to those businesses located in one of South Carolina’s ARC-designated counties, all located in the Upstate.
Supporting longstanding local industry
One Accelerator participant, Clemson Blue Cheese, is an example of a business with deep local roots. It began in 1940 when Clemson College researchers explored using Stumphouse Tunnel, located in the mountains above Walhalla, to age cheese. Over time, that research became a working business that still operates today under Master Cheesemaker Anthony Pounders.
Business Manager Rebecca Lee said the Small-scale Producer Growth Accelerator program helped her team strengthen internal systems and clarify priorities within a small, high-turnover workforce “by identifying weaknesses in our business strategies. We’ve been limited in implementing best practices, but this experience helped us focus on key priorities and connect with the right resources. We’re now moving forward with greater confidence.”
The business has since strengthened its branding and digital presence while also working through challenges related to packaging costs, shipping and facility limitations. As a regional producer, Clemson Blue Cheese also supports other small businesses through supply relationships and collaboration.
Growing a farm-based business
Harvest Moon Farm and Flower shows how small farms can grow into strong local businesses. Owner Jessica Gates started with vegetable farming and later shifted to growing cut flowers after training in organic farming.
Through the Small-scale Producer Growth Accelerator program, she implemented clearer systems and more efficient practices to improve how the business runs. These changes have allowed her to focus more on growing the business, including marketing, sales and developing a farm stand. Like many small business owners, she continues to balance daily work with long-term growth.
“The biggest challenge is wearing all the hats,” Gates said. “I’m looking at hiring support for marketing and administrative work so I can focus more on growth.”
Expanding creative and culinary entrepreneurship
Bake Your Mark, owned by Stufona Latta, represents a growing type of small business that blends product, storytelling and customer experience.
Latta described her work as a way to “humanize business transactions” by using desserts to create connection and encourage interaction between businesses and their customers.
Through the program, she refined her business systems and shifted her outreach approach to focus more on building relationships.
“The program helped me refine the systems already in place so they can support growth more effectively,” Latta said. “It also helped shift my outreach strategy toward curiosity, conversation and relationships.”
Bake Your Mark is now strengthening its digital presence and expanding into hospitality and corporate markets, including its 86Mores product line, which features South Carolina-sourced ingredients.
A municipal and regional economic strategy
For local governments, these businesses highlight a powerful opportunity to strengthen local economies by supporting a diverse mix of entrepreneurs alongside traditional retail. Small-scale producers can bring energy to underused spaces, create local supply chain connections and help keep investment circulating within the region.
“These partnerships matter because they are built on relationships between communities, local leaders and the makers who are shaping the identity of our communities and our state,” said Jenny Boulware, Manager of Main Street South Carolina.
As communities continue to grow and change, programs like the Small-scale Producer Growth Accelerator show how focused support can make a real difference. When small businesses succeed, they help create stronger local economies and greater future opportunities.
Main Street South Carolina is a technical assistance program that empowers communities as they revitalize their historic downtowns, encouraging economic development and historic preservation. Learn more at online.