Ross Appel On Wednesday, April 29 in the convention center on Lincoln Street, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the South Carolina Coalition for Small Business & Entrepreneurship, and the U.S. Small Business Administration joined together to present the sixth annual Salute to Small Business.

In the morning there were workshops on state and federal procurement, connecting with customers in a tight economy, executing innovation in a small business environment, and small business development along with exhibits showcasing small businesses resources.

At lunch, the awards were announced and the trophies were distributed. Welcoming the crowd was Fred Monk, chairman, S.C. Coalition for Small Business & Entrepreneurship. Norman Paige, state director of SCORE, read the invocation. Elliott Cooper, district director of SBA, greeted everyone. And Mike Woolfolk, News at 10 anchor, was the master of ceremonies.

Of local interest - in that its product is on the shelf for sale at Britton's on Devine Street - is the shirt manufacturing team called Homewaters Clothing. The now- famous firm is a threesome: Ross Appel (USC School of Law and Clemson graduate), Jason Fowler (Clemson University), and Theo Jourdan (recent USC graduate).

Jamie Graff Homewaters Clothing was recognized with the South Carolina Collegiate Entrepreneurship Award. Presenting the award was Kim Dawson, associate director, Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Clemson University.

Homewaters Clothing, founded in 2008, supports the sport of fishing by generating funding for gamefish conservation. Homewaters polo shirts match most any high- quality look- alike, but instead of a horse or an alligator (or crocodile, if you know the history of Rene Lacoste), Homewaters shirts sport fishers' saltwater favorites. Presently marlin, redfish (red drum to you Texans), and dolphin are available with more varieties of fish planned for the future. Homewaters sends proceeds from every sale to fish conservation groups. Each fish is matched with a conservation group specifically concerned over that particular fish.

First runner- up in the same category was Jamie Graff (also from Clemson University) and his Remedy Films.