CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – Several national leaders visited the Lowcountry Friday to collaborate with local businesses and encourage the community to shop small over the holidays.

The first stop on Friday’s tour was a visit to Holy City Linen with the head of the U.S. Small Businesses Administration, Isabel Casillas Guzman.

Holy City Linen is a commercial laundry facility in North Charleston.

The owner, Ann Son, said with help from the Small Business Administration they grew from a mom-and-pop shop to a 35,000-square-foot facility.

“There are 33 million small businesses in the United States and Administrator Guzman picked me, a second generation, dry-cleaner, launderer, daughter of immigrants, to come and visit, it’s truly an honor, ” Son said.

After the tour, Guzman joined U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai at the South Carolina Ports Authority for a roundtable discussion with local business owners.

“I think we all learned from each other today, things that we can do to help move the state and nation along, and things that we probably can modify a little bit to get us where we need to be,” Clyburn said.

South Carolina exported $31.5 billion in 2022, according to Tai.

“At our roundtable, we just saw around the table a representation of the incredible investments that are here in South Carolina, the amount of activity, the supply chains,” Tai said.

Guzman said the country’s infrastructure is critical for small businesses, which is why the roundtable discussion was held at the ports.

“Either coming in or going out, small businesses rely on the ports to get their goods, to stock their shelves for the holidays as you all go out and shop, and to export their goods,” Guzman said.

Lastly, Clyburn and Guzman hit Market Street in Downtown Charleston where they spoke to small business owners and promoted the Small Businesses Administration’s new holiday campaign, the Season of Small Business.

Their first stop was at the Chuma Gullah Gallery, an art gallery that represents the art of the Gullah people of this area.

The owner of the gallery, Chuma Nwokike, said he was honored to have Clyburn and Guzman make the stop. He explained what it’s like to own a small business.

“You are into it 100% and more, and you just have to make things happen no matter what the situation is,” Nwokike said.

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