New Market Center dedicated to beloved agribusiness advocate

New Market Center dedicated to beloved agribusiness advocate



COLUMBIA, S.C., February 4, 2011 – A former governor, ambassador, commissioner of agriculture, decorated general, and other distinguished dignitaries gathered with family and friends recently to dedicate the new Market Center in memory of T. Ashton Phillips, a devoted agribusiness leader and long-time agribusiness advocate. The Phillips Market Center is located at the SC State Farmers Market, 3501 Charleston Hwy., W. Columbia, S.C.



Hugh Weathers, Commissioner of Agriculture, said, “ It is our hope that this building reflects the spirit of Ashton Phillips by creating new opportunities in agriculture in South Carolina, bringing folks together for solutions to challenges, and having fun while doing it.”



In 1972, Phillips and partners Tony Cecil of Charleston and Sammie Rodgers of Scranton founded the family-business Carolina Eastern amid uncertain times for the fertilizer industry. Through the years, Carolina Eastern has helped farmers grow their crops bigger and better.



Phillips believed in two guiding principles – the importance of people and the commitment to manage change. He once said that “people are the heart of a business and that without good people, it would be impossible to do what we do.” Farmers throughout the Southeast have trusted Carolina Eastern because of the reputation of the company and the values of its founding father, Ashton Phillips.



Jim Roquemore, CEO of Patten Seed, spoke on behalf of the friends of Ashton Phillips. He said that you always knew where you stood with Ashton. He paid close attention to what you were saying to him and always looked you squarely in the eyes. Roquemore said that we should all take a lesson from that.



Speaking on behalf of the family, Mark Phillips, the oldest son of Ashton and LaVonne said, “His [Ashton Phillips] life involved planting, fertilizing, cultivating, and reaping, whether it meant raising his family, nurturing his friendships, producing a crop, generating proceeds through agribusiness, or harvesting wild game in South Carolina fields and forests.”



The blessing of the Phillips Market Center was provided by the Reverend Haden McCormick of St. Phillips Church in Charleston where the Phillips family worships. He asked God’s blessing on all those who have had a hand in establishing the new center.



As a final tribute, Al Phillips, Ashton Phillips’s son who now serves as president of Carolina Eastern, and Commissioner Weathers installed a bronze plaque dedicating the building to the memory of T. Ashton Phillips.



What started as a vision several years ago has culminated into a 10,000 square-foot facility designed to be the location of many functions not only benefitting the agribusiness community, but also the general public. The Phillips Market Center, the new home of the S.C. - U.S.D.A. Grading and Inspection and Market News Services, is available for workshops, meetings, and other events.



For more information about the dedication of the new Phillips Market Center, call 803-734-2210.