Carolina Wings will keep four Midlands locations open

Carolina Wings & Ribhouse will keep open four of its locations in the Midlands after closing its Vista restaurant this week and three others earlier this year. Rob Schoolmeester, owner of the restaurants, said the company has moved past the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection it filed for in late 2011, and is focusing on smaller stores with lower overhead costs. “With the way the economy was and real estate market was, we had to change the way we were doing some things,” he said. “Everything looks really good.” In addition to closing the Vista store Sunday, the company closed locations in West Columbia and Irmo and sold the Florence location to Lizard’s Thicket. Chapter 11 bankruptcy generally allows corporations and partnerships to reorganize while continuing to operate, and pay creditors back over time. The company’s four remaining locations – in Lexington, Northeast Richland, Red Bank and Blythewood – as well as franchises in Cayce and Pawleys Island, are heading into a strong future, Schoolmeester said.

Benefitfocus plans to add 300 jobs

CHARLESTON A company that develops health care and benefits software plans to add about 300 jobs, most of them along the South Carolina coast. Benefitfocus CEO Shawn Jenkins says most of the jobs will be added at the company’s Daniel Island complex during the next two years. The announcement came Tuesday as Gov. Nikki Haley helped cut the ribbon for the company’s new design and engineering building. The company now employs 325 people in Charleston. Benefitfocus also has offices in Greenville.

Gourmet mushroom producer coming to Hardeeville

HARDEEVILLE Shiitake, Maitake and other gourmet mushrooms soon will be grown in Hardeeville and served in restaurants and grocery stores across South Carolina. Gourmet mushroom producer amFOG Farms LLC announced plans Tuesday to move its headquarters and build a production facility near Hardeeville. The company also will continue its operations near Charlottesville, Va. The new $1 million facility is expected to generate seven jobs, according to the state Department of Commerce. More jobs could be added in 2014. The new location will aid the company’s expansion into the Southeast. Long term, the company hopes to supply mushrooms to businesses across the Lowcountry, Georgia and northern Florida. It e

Geosynthetics firm adding 126 jobs

Agru America, a geosynthetics maker, said Wednesday it will expand its operations in Georgetown and Williamsburg counties, investing $39.1 million and generating 126 new jobs. The company will expand its Georgetown plant by 40,000 square feet, with a 130,000-square-foot asphalt storage yard to accommodate new production equipment, according to the S.C. Department of Commerce. Agru also will expand a plant in Andrews that it purchased in January. For jobs, call the Georgetown SCWorks Center at (843) 546-8581 or the Kingstree SCWorks Center at (843) 354-7436.

Mindy Lucas, Kristy Eppley Rupon, The (Hilton Head) Island Packet and The Associated Press contributed.