The Post and Courier Greenville

For the 33rd year in a row, Carolina Handling has been named a Dealer of Distinction (DOD) by The Raymond Corporation, a global provider of best-in-class material handling equipment and intelligent intralogistics solutions.

The DOD award is given annually to the top performers among Raymond Solutions and Support Centers throughout North America. Carolina Handling, the exclusive Raymond Solutions and Support Center for the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama and Florida’s Central time zone territory, is among only seven Raymond dealers to receive the designation for 2024.

Being named a Dealer of Distinction is based on points scored in categories covering virtually all areas of the business including sales, service, parts, rentals, leasing, power and intralogistics solutions. The award signifies strength in the marketplace and operational excellence that drives growth and continuous improvement.

“Carolina Handling’s DOD performance year after year is an endorsement of the elite level of service and support that we provide our customers,” said Carolina Handling President & CEO Brent Hillabrand. “The top scores consistently received in so many different areas of the business are a testament to our associates and the teamwork that allows us to achieve a high level of success, even as the material handling industry continues to evolve.”

A continuing U.S. labor shortage and customer demands to meet an ever-growing consumer thirst for online shopping have spurred exponential growth in the warehousing and distribution segment, with an emphasis on new technology and automation to move products faster and more efficiently.

As the material handling industry evolves, Carolina Handling continues its evolution from a forklift-only provider to an end-to-end intralogistics solutions company offering a broad range of consulting, connected technologies, material handling equipment and service to support the growing and changing needs of the industry.

A leading material handling equipment supplier in the Southeast, Carolina Handling this past January received the 2024 Most Valuable Partner (MVP) Award from the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA), a recognition achieved by fewer than 10 percent of MHEDA’s 600 members.

ABOUT CAROLINA HANDLING

Founded in 1966, Carolina Handling is one of the Southeast’s leading integrated material handling solutions providers and the exclusive Raymond Solutions and Support Center for North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida’s Central time zone. The company provides lift trucks and automation solutions for manufacturers, warehouses and distribution centers, along with parts and a full range of warehouse equipment.

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Carolina Handling operates branch offices in Atlanta, Georgia, Birmingham, Alabama, Greensboro, North Carolina, Raleigh, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina, and an Equipment Distribution Center in Piedmont, South Carolina. The company has more than 790 associates. For more information, visit carolinahandling.com.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Award-winning author Karin Freeland’s latest book, Grab Life by the Dreams, recently won First Place in the Non-Fiction, Self-Help > Motivation category in The BookFest Spring 2024 contest.
Grab Life by the Dreams: The Essential Guide to Getting Unstuck and Living Your Purpose is Freeland’s sophomore book, designed to help readers get unstuck, discover their true purpose, and create an actionable plan to achieve it.
The book is available here. The audiobook version is also available on Audible, which is narrated by Freeland herself, as well as the Official Companion Workbook & Reflection Journal, the perfect tool to implement everything readers learn in the book.
Dedicated to empowering women to reinvent their careers and achieve unprecedented levels of success, Freeland is a recovered corporate workaholic with a passion for guiding women toward realizing their aspirations. She employs her innovative coaching programs and proprietary EDIT™ Methodology to equip them with the tools and strategies to overcome obstacles, live their purpose, and create a balanced, fulfilling career.
She now runs Karin Freeland Coaching & Consulting and is the host of the Rock Your Reinvention Podcast. In addition to her coaching and speaking engagements, she shares her wisdom and expertise with a broader audience through her regular Monthly Mindset segment on the local news station, providing tips and actionable strategies for personal growth and success.
“This award is such an honor to receive because I set out to create a book that would motivate readers to believe in themselves,” said Freeland. “It really is possible to change your life, and anyone wanting to grab their life by the dreams should check out my book.”
About Karin Freeland:
Karin Freeland is a certified Life Reinvention Coach focused on helping women transform their lives and achieve their dreams by using the lessons she learned in her 15 years in the corporate sector. She is an award-winning author, and was recognized by Entrepreneurs Herald as one of the Top 20 Life Coaches To Look Out For In 2021. She was named a Woman of Influence by the SC Biz Journals in 2024. Learn more about her and her company Karin Freeland Coaching & Consulting, LLC at www.karinfreeland.com

Power:Ed, the philanthropy of SC Student Loan Corporation, awarded the Greenville Chamber Foundation a $40,000 grant in support of TalentRiseGVL, the Greenville Chamber’s program that increases education attainment for Greenville County’s working-age adults by assisting their efforts to earn a certification, credential or degree.

The Greenville Chamber has spearheaded an effort to ensure that 60% of Greenville County adults aged 25-64 have a high-quality, post-secondary certificate, credential, or degree tied to meaningful employment and economic mobility. Under the banner TalentRiseGVL, this work officially launched in 2023. TalentRiseGVL serves and assists adults in navigating barriers to education and career transitions by helping them understand their post-secondary options and developing a plan to obtain a certification, credential or degree.

Greenville County currently sits at 50.6% of adults with an associate degree or higher. Power:Ed’s funding will support TalentRiseGVL in executing strategies to connect employers, incumbent workers and other adults seeking educational opportunities.

“Power:Ed is proud to support Greenville Chamber’s TalentRiseGVL program for its second year! Boosting educational attainment for workers is critical to boosting their economic mobility and expanding their career opportunities,” said Power:Ed Executive Director Claire Gibbons.

“The work that Power:Ed is funding will have a transformative and lasting impact on lives across our region,” said Cheryl Garrison, Greenville Chamber Foundation Executive Director. “Equipping individuals with the skills needed to succeed in our increasingly global economy will further strengthen our workforce and bolster our local economy.”

In FY2023-24 Power:Ed will award $1,000,000 in grants to South Carolina education and career readiness nonprofit organizations. In its fiscal third quarter, Power:Ed has awarded five grants, including this grant to the Greenville Chamber. Grants are administered quarterly, and the next grant funding deadline is July 1, 2024.

Carolina Handling, one of the Southeast’s leading integrated material handling solutions providers, has named Joe Perkins its Chief Operating Officer.

Perkins has served as executive vice president of operations at Carolina Handling since April 1, 2020. He joined the company in 2012 as a sales representative, moving up to sales manager, corporate warehouse solutions manager, director of warehouse products and solutions, and vice president of operations before being named to the executive team. Under his leadership, Carolina Handling received the 2021 award for Best Service Performance among all dealers in The Raymond Corporation network.

“Joe has shown incredible leadership as a member of our executive team, working tirelessly to not only elevate our organization in the material handling space but also to help individual associates develop and realize their career goals,” said Carolina Handling President & CEO Brent Hillabrand. “I’m delighted to announce his well-deserved promotion to Chief Operating Officer.”

As COO, Perkins is responsible for the company’s service, power management, continuous improvement, distribution, rentals, parts and quality assurance teams. He also will oversee the Intralogistics Solutions Group as Carolina Handling continues its evolution from a forklift-only provider to an end-to-end intralogistics solutions company offering a broad range of consulting, connected technologies, material handling equipment and service to support the growing and changing needs of the material handling industry.

“This is an exciting time to be in material handling and I look forward to helping Carolina Handling continue to strengthen its brand as an experienced and reliable integrated solutions provider and employer of choice,” Perkins said. “Our goal is to be a problem solver for our customers, helping them accomplish their goals in the most effective manner.”

A native of Goldsboro, North Carolina, Perkins is a graduate of the University of Mt. Olive in Mt. Olive, North Carolina. He resides in Denver, North Carolina, with his wife and three children.

ABOUT CAROLINA HANDLING

Founded in 1966, Carolina Handling is one of the Southeast’s leading integrated material handling solutions providers and the exclusive Raymond Solutions and Support Center for North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida’s Central time zone. The company provides lift trucks and automation solutions for manufacturers, warehouses and distribution centers, along with parts, racking, storage, lighting and dock and door equipment.

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Carolina Handling operates branch offices in Atlanta, Georgia, Birmingham, Alabama, Greensboro, North Carolina, Raleigh, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina, and an Equipment Distribution Center in Piedmont, South Carolina. The company has more than 790 associates. For more information, visit carolinahandling.com.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – To combat the alarming rise in antisemitism globally, members of the organization Facing History and Ourselves will speak at an upcoming Greenville Jewish Federation program.

On Thursday, April 18th, speakers Aimee Ballans and Erika Hamel of Facing History and Ourselves will educate the Upstate on the ways their organization is working to fight hate in the 21st century. They will also speak on a new community project designed to expand the program’s reach to educators in the Southeast

The program starts at 9 a.m. and is planned to run approximately an hour, followed by 30 minutes for questions. Registration is required for this limited-seating event. Once attendees have registered, the location and related materials will be shared for the event.

“We hope holding this program sends a clear message that antisemitism and hate have no place in our community and we are working to fight hate through partnerships,” said Courtney Tessler, CEO of the Greenville Jewish Federation. “We are excited to learn about the very important work Aimee and Erika are doing with Facing History and Ourselves.”

Register for tickets at https://greenvillejewishfederation.ticketspice.com/facing-history-combating-antisemitism

Facing History is an industry-leading organization with experienced staff that can serve as a voice of authority on some of today’s most pressing issues and the ways they impact teachers, students, schools, and communities across the United States. Its classroom resources and professional development offerings examine racism, antisemitism, and prejudice at pivotal moments in history and in our world today.

About the Greenville Jewish Federation:

The Greenville Jewish Federation is a dynamic organization dedicated to serving and strengthening the Jewish community in Greenville and neighboring counties. With a rich philanthropy and community-building history, the Federation works tirelessly to support educational programs, social services, cultural events, and advocacy efforts that promote Jewish values, heritage, and unity. To learn more about the Greenville Jewish Federation’s initiatives and upcoming programs, visit www.jewishgreenville.org.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Rock It! Co. has redeveloped the website for an amazing nonprofit serving the Upstate.

KIND of the Upstate seeks to advocate for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion of people with disabilities. It provides educational material to local schools that ignite discussions between children, parents, and educators about the importance of being kind to others and learning that everyone has different abilities. Furthermore, KIND of the Upstate promotes the inclusion and acceptance of all individuals.

One of the major additions to the KIND of the Upstate website was the addition of the organization’s four event styles it helps create: inclusive family gatherings, education programs, lunch & learns, and events aimed first, second and third grade students. Learn more at kindoftheupstate.org.

Leah Stoudenmire, the founder and CEO of The Rock It! Co., said revitalizing the website was something she was enthusiastic about because of her personal support of the agency’s mission of awareness and inclusion.

Started in 2014, The Rock It! Co. is a fully integrated events and marketing firm. Through corporate events, website development and management, e-mail communications, public relations, social media and search engine marketing, The Rock It! Co. is designed to do one thing: get the results companies and nonprofits need to succeed.

“We are so proud to reveal the redesign of the KIND of the Upstate’s website,” Stoudenmire said. “This was a labor of love for our team, and we are thrilled with the outcome.”

About The Rock It! Co.:

The Rock It! Co. is the one-stop shop for companies and non-profit organizations looking to take their brands and stories to the next level. With decades of expertise in creating and developing events and marketing campaigns across the country, The Rock It! Co. brings all of the needed skills of a large-scale operation, but served with the customer service and personal touch only a boutique firm can bring. With offices in Charleston and Greenville, the company is able to serve clients across the country. Get rocking it today at therockitco.com.