Don Ryan Center for Innovation

09/03/2026

We’re proud to welcome Sterling Helicopter to Buckwalter Place and to see another innovative company choose our community for its growth.

This is economic development in action. Strong partnerships, quality jobs, and new investment in our region. We’re thrilled to have Sterling Helicopter in Bluffton and look forward to watching them take flight in the Lowcountry!

We're proud to welcome Sterling Helicopter to the Lowcountry and excited to watch this partnership take flight.

Back in February 2026, a connection was made between Sterling Helicopter and the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation. That conversation has now become an investment: Sterling Helicopter — a full-service aerospace engineering company — has selected Buckwalter Place in Town of Bluffton Government for its first South Carolina operations location, creating 15 new aerospace jobs over the next five years.

This project reflects true collaboration. BCEDC provided a $7,500 grant toward the company's facility upfit, and the Town of Bluffton contributed $14,500 in reimbursable grants.

As Mayor Larry Toomer said: "Companies like Sterling Helicopter bring high-quality jobs, investment and specialized expertise that strengthen our local economy and expand opportunities for residents."

BCEDC Executive Director John O'Toole shared: "Sterling Helicopter's investment is another example of the type of business growth that strengthens our local economy and creates quality job opportunities for Beaufort County residents."

Read more about Sterling’s newest operations location here: https://bit.ly/4x3Vmnc

Paul Arvantides, John O'Toole, Kelli Brunson

09/03/2026

Proud to be part of the Lowcountry Partnership Committee and the work happening behind the scenes to strengthen our local business community. Listening, collaborating, and building stronger connections across the Lowcountry!

SEGUIMOS TRABAJANDO. SEGUIMOS ESCUCHANDO. SEGUIMOS CONSTRUYENDO.

Mientras muchos solo ven los eventos, las celebraciones y los proyectos terminados… hay mucho trabajo sucediendo detrás de escena.

Ayer, nuestro Comité, Lowcountry Partnership Committee se reunió nuevamente para nuestra reunión mensual, no solamente para hablar, sino para escuchar, planificar y tomar acción.

Uno de los próximos pasos en los que estamos trabajando es una breve encuesta para los dueños de negocios de nuestra comunidad. Queremos escucharlos directamente:

¿Cuáles son sus desafíos?
¿Qué oportunidades están buscando?
¿Qué recursos hacen falta?
¿Y qué podemos hacer juntos para fortalecer nuestra comunidad empresarial?

Porque si queremos crear un cambio significativo, tenemos que comenzar escuchando.

Nuestra misión es más grande que una organización, un negocio o un evento.

Estamos trabajando para construir puentes entre nuestra comunidad hispana y las organizaciones, instituciones, líderes y empresas que forman parte del Lowcountry.

Diferentes historias. Diferentes experiencias. Una comunidad. Un futuro.

Quizás no siempre hablamos del trabajo que hacemos… pero seguimos haciendo el trabajo.

Y esto apenas comienza. 👊🏼

Lowcountry Partnership Committee
Conectando. Colaborando. Creando oportunidades.

09/01/2026

What an incredible night! We had such a great time at the CONECTA Gala over the weekend. The energy, the connections, and most of all, the people made it truly special.

A huge thank you to the Hispanic Business Association of the Lowcountry for an amazing event and for all you do to bring our community together. We’re already looking forward to the next one!

08/27/2026

We're proud to partner with the Don Ryan Center for Innovation to provide support and resources for Hardeeville residents and business owners. In this video, Hardee Greens shares their experience and how the Don Ryan Center helped them along their journey.

If you're a resident or business owner looking for guidance, training, or business support, we encourage you to reach out to the Don Ryan Center to learn more about the services available to you.

🔗 City of Hardeeville: https://www.hardeevillesc.gov
🔗 Don Ryan Center for Innovation: https://donryancenter.com

08/27/2026

At the Don Ryan Center, we believe every entrepreneur deserves a place where ideas become businesses, challenges become opportunities, and dreams become reality. Opportunity is waiting. Visit www.donryancenter.com

08/25/2026

It’s official! Bald Guys on Business is here!

▶️ Watch the first episode here: https://youtu.be/Mp7IQaO0Dog

We’re excited to launch the very first episode of the Don Ryan Center’s new podcast, Bald Guys on Business.

For Episode 1, Paul Arvantides and Evan Welsh sit down with Lisa Sulka for a great conversation about business, leadership, community, and the experiences that shape the people behind it all.

Stay tuned — there’s much more to come!

In the premiere episode of Bald Guys on Business, Paul Arvantides a...

08/24/2026

08/19/2026

Something new is coming…

We spent a little time behind the mic today working on something we’ve been excited to share.

New conversations. New stories. A new way to connect with our community.

We’re not giving away all the details just yet…but stay tuned.