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Business View Magazine
As part of South Carolina’s Division of Commerce,
Palmetto Railways is tasked with spurring economic
development in the state, but McWhorter stresses his
company’s chief mandate and its connection with the
greater Charleston community: “We see our core com-
petency as providing safe, efficient, rail switching ser-
vices. We’re local folks; when customers have a prob-
lem, they call us and we get things done and make
things happen. We always want to make the right call,
at the right place, at the right time. The private rail-
roads have shareholders that they’re responsible to.
We’re responsible to the taxpayers of South Carolina.
And while we’re not appropriated, we are a public en-
tity and the money that we receive for the services that
we provide are public monies.”
This past spring, Palmetto Railways was selected as
the 2015 Short Line Railroad of the Year by Railway
Age magazine. This national competition is held annu-
ally and recognizes outstanding achievement in any of
the following areas – innovation in operation or main-
tenance, turnaround situations, consistent excellence,
customer service, enhanced productivity, community
relations, safety improvement, ingenuity, and dealing
