Divorce Attorney in West Columbia, SC

Photo courtesy of Security 101

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Commercial security solutions provider Security 101, a portfolio company of Gemspring Capital, has announced the acquisition of West Columbia, S.C.-based integrator Secure Lock Solutions.

Secure Lock Solutions is known for door-, lock- and opening-focused integration services supporting commercial and government customers, according to the joint announcement.

The acquisition of Secure Lock Solutions “expands Security 101’s presence in the Southeast and strengthens service continuity across the Carolinas corridor, positioned between the company’s existing branch operations in Charlotte, N.C. and Charleston, S.C,” the announcement says.

The addition “supports improved responsiveness, tighter field coverage and greater capacity to scale delivery for customers operating across multiple sites.”

Why Did Security 101 Acquire Secure Lock Services?

“Secure Lock Solutions is a strong fit for our growth strategy in the Southeast, and their location in West Columbia strengthens our coverage between Charlotte and Charleston,” says Greg Daly, CEO of Security 101, in the joint announcement. “They have built a respected business around fundamentals that matter: doors, locks, and technologies that perform reliably at scale.

“With Security 101’s national network behind them, we can help extend that capability for multi-site customers while continuing the disciplined execution required for complex, mission-critical deployments,” he says.

Secure Lock Solutions “adds a door-focused integration capability that is foundational to physical security performance,” according to the joint announcement. Their work “complements Security 101’s broader portfolio across access control, video surveillance and intrusion by addressing a critical reality of facility security: technology is only as effective as the physical openings it depends on.”

SLS’ expertise “helps customers strengthen door hardware performance, align locking solutions with access requirements and improve reliability across distributed environments,” according to the joint announcement.

Secure Lock Solutions “has developed strong relationships with select national level customers.” Security 101 will “leverage its nationwide infrastructure, engineering depth and service standards to support expanded delivery, more consistent programs across geographies and long-term scalability for those accounts.”

“Customers with multi location footprints need consistency, accountability, and standards they can repeat,” says Craig Shulman, chief financial officer of Security 101, in the joint announcement. “This acquisition strengthens a core integration discipline and supports a more complete service model for customers who expect reliable execution across every facility and every opening.”

SLS also brings experience in government environments, including completion of large projects supporting multiple U.S. armed forces divisions. Security 101 “will build on that foundation with added resources, expanded operational capacity and a national platform designed to support complex security and infrastructure requirements,” according to the joint announcement.

Leadership Continuity

Lucas Bunch and Wyman Bowers, co-owners of Secure Lock Solutions, will continue to lead the SLS team and manage the West Columbia office as the integration moves forward. Working alongside Security 101, they will “help ensure operational continuity, maintain service standards, and support a seamless experience for customers and employees,” according to the joint announcement.

“We built SLS by treating doors and locks as mission critical infrastructure, because that’s exactly what they are,” says Bunch in the announcement. “I’m excited about what it means to bring that specialty into a larger platform that can standardize execution, support bigger programs, and still do the work the right way.”

“Customers rely on consistent performance at every opening, every day, and that requires both precision and accountability,” says Bowers in the announcement. “With Security 101, we can preserve the responsiveness and attention to detail our customers know us for and pair it with a national team that helps them scale with confidence across more facilities, more locations and more complexity.”

WEST COLUMBIA — The highly anticipated Ikie Lu Record Club is set to open in West Columbia on Feb. 19 with plans to combine a champagne and cocktail bar, a restaurant and a jazz kissa to create a unique new dining experience in the River District.

The restaurant’s opening comes after years of planning by owner Matt Catchpole, who first announced the restaurant would be coming to the former Spanish-language church off of Sunset Boulevard in March 2025.

Since then, Catchpole has hosted an occasional event at the space, including a dinner for the 2025 Columbia Food and Wine Festival and a New Year’s event, but he’s mostly focused on creating a food and drink menu and completely reimagining the building with a mid-century modern vibe.

When a Free Times reporter visited the space in late 2025, vintage records filled a shelf against the wall, sleek furniture featuring plenty of natural wood was spread across the seating area and a unique monkey light hung from the ceiling.

Catchpole said he was partially inspired by a Japanese jazz kissa, a café or bar focused on listening to recorded jazz music, and hopes Ikie Lu can be a space where people enjoy listening to vinyl records and be immersed in the restaurant experience.

“As you're listening to music, as you're eating food, as you're drinking wine, as you're having a cocktail, we wanted to help you in that immersion by having this sort of vaguely mid-century design and furniture. And we wanted it to feel almost coastal, but definitely not this coast,” Catchpole said. “And the question is, is it West Coast, or is it East Coast Asia, or is it British West Indies or whatever?”

Catchpole said he wants Ikie Lu to be a place where people leave the rest of the world behind.

“Forget about all the headaches that they've got,” Catchpole said. “Relax and let the worries leave. That's one of the major reasons for restaurants existing in the first place.”

Catchpole’s dedication to creating an immersive environment is reflected in much of Ikie Lu, with the vintage-style speakers incorporated into the décor, the hand-curated vinyl collection, the mid-century modern furniture and wine — which Catchpole said he took care to select based on what companies were working to “showcase their artistry.”

In addition to selling wine by the bottle and the glass, Ikie Lu will open with a limited cocktail menu featuring “really well executed, fresh, well made, very precise versions of classic cocktails.” Catchpole said guests can look forward to drinks like an old fashioned, a Negroni Bianco, a Black Manhattan and a Jack Rudy Tonic Syrup Lime Gin (which is shaken and served like a lime daiquiri).

There will also be a few drinks inspired by his grandmother, the namesake of the restaurant, like a simple Tom Collins and a Miller High Life, which his grandmother would drink just the top layer of when Catchpole’s grandfather opened a new bottle.

And while Catchpole said he wants to create a unique environment, he’s also put a lot of time into ensuring it is approachable and affordable.

“I'm excited about it, because it's the thing that we really enjoy when we travel, is finding a space like this that you feel comfortable and feel relaxed and feel like you can enjoy yourself and appreciate some of the nicer things, without having to spend thousands of dollars to do that,” Catchpole said.

Ikie Lu will look to creatively combine upscale tastes in laid-back styles, particularly with its food menu, which will feature items like specialty hot dogs served with caviar, shrimp rolls and crab dip.

The food options, served on everything from boards to buns, also make it easy to eat throughout the restaurant, which has minimal tables, instead opting for chairs and couches for lounging and conversation.

Catchpole’s hope is that the restaurant will become will become a dinner spot, or a stop for pre- or post-dinner drinks, and an opportunity to enjoy music and relaxed time with friends new and old.

The goal is to “make these things super fun and approachable for everybody,” Catchpole said. “To also take the thing that you really enjoy and love and sort of make that accessible and share it with people.”

Ikie Lu Record Club is located at 601 N Lucas St. in West Columbia and will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 3:30 to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

West Columbia’s $15M Mill Village project is upgrading roads, water lines and storm drainage, with work on Alexander Road bringing closures and detours.

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — Work is now well underway on a major infrastructure project aimed at improving water lines, storm drainage and roads in West Columbia.

The $15 million effort focuses on the Mill Village and Alexander Road areas.

“The infrastructure that’s in the Mill Hill is some of the oldest infrastructure in the city of West Columbia,” officials said.

Construction for the Mill Village infrastructure update began about a month ago. Many roads have already been dug up, with steel plates lining the sides and construction vehicles actively working in the area.

West Columbia Mayor Tem Miles explained what the project covers.

“We’re gonna redo all the water lines, all the road surfaces, implement a parking plan throughout the Mill Hill, some storm water to address these open gutters to make traffic flow better and to address issues with the water supply throughout,” Miles said.

West Columbia recently took over the roads from the South Carolina Department of Transportation, which means the city will also be converting some roads to one-way routes for smoother traffic flow.

“The roads will not always be blocked off for construction, but there will be times that Alexander Road will be blocked off, so you just have to look for signage for when it’s going to be open and when it’s going to be closed,” Miles said.

Miles also suggested alternate routes for residents.

“I would come up to State Street, take Highway One or Knox Abbott a little further up instead of hopping off right on Alexander, come up to State Street, come up to Ninth Street, any of those roads and make your way across,” he said.

One neighbor, Lexie Chatam, said the noise has been constant, with construction beginning at 6:30 a.m. and cars driving over steel plates throughout the day.

“We are glad to see that there is some improvements being done here. It is going to be a trying time in the meantime. You don’t know whether your road is going to be blocked off and you’ll be detoured around,” Chatam said.

She also expressed disappointment about old oak trees being removed as part of the road expansion.

“It would be good to see the widened street but I’m gonna miss my oaks,” she said.

The $15 million project is being funded through city infrastructure funds and state grants. It is expected to take 15 months to complete.

Thousands and thousands of cars traverse Sunset Boulevard in West Columbia every day.

Now there’s a new shop on the way where drivers could stop and pick up parts to repair those cars, should the need arise.

AutoZone, which has thousands of locations across the U.S., is planning a new auto parts store at 2250 Sunset Blvd. in West Columbia. That’s in the Westland Square shopping center that is anchored by a Food Lion supermarket. There is a large sign in the window at the space where the AutoZone is going announcing that it is “coming soon,” and a City of West Columbia building permit is in the window.

An opening date for the new auto parts store has not been publicly announced. Construction was going on in the space when a reporter stopped by recently. There is a QR code on the AutoZone sign in the window for those who might be interested in applying for a job there.

AutoZone is a ubiquitous brand in the auto repair world, with shops cross the nation and region. There currently are 15 AutoZone locations across the Richland County and Lexington County areas, per a store locator tool on the company’s website. Its stores are known for carrying batteries, oil, tools, spark plugs, headlights, wipers and hundreds of other car-related accessories.

The Westland Square shopping center is home to a number of businesses, including the aforementioned Food Lion, as well as Cucinella’s Pizza, Pho & Banh Mi Asian restaurant, and several others. The shopping center is located less than a mile east of Interstate 26, and other nearby businesses include a Lizard’s Thicket, a Groucho’s Deli, and a Rush’s, among others. It’s about a mile to the east of Lexington Health’s main hospital campus.

WEST COLUMBIA — Longtime Zesto owner and Springdale town councilman Gus Manos may soon have another testament to his strong legacy in West Columbia. The South Carolina Statehouse is considering renaming a portion of 12th Street after him.

Manos, who opened Zesto in West Columbia’s Triangle City in 1960, passed away in December, spurring an outpouring of support from across the Midlands.

Manos was well known as a restaurant owner, turning Zesto into an iconic spot for fried chicken and ice cream, but he was also an active community member. He was a lifelong member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church and a dedicated civic servant, serving on the the town council governing the neighboring Town of Springdale for decades before retiring in 2015, during which time he served as mayor pro-tem.

And soon, he could also be the namesake of a road after state Rep. Micah Caskey introduced a bill that would rename the stretch of 12th Street from Knox Abbott Drive to Jarvis Klapman Boulevard “Gus Manos Memorial Street.”

If passed by the senate, the new road name would also be accompanied by new signage telling Manos’ story from immigrating to the U.S. at age 11 and serving in the U.S. Army to making a substantial impact in South Carolina — even being awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian honor, in 2015.

West Columbia Mayor Tem Miles told Free Times he couldn’t think of a more iconic West Columbia businessman than Manos, and that honoring him with a street name feels like a “no brainer.”

“He was just a staple for Triangle City, and I'm not speaking just for West Columbia, but for this whole area over here,” Miles said. “He was approachable. He cared about supporting the youth as they grew up in the community, giving them a place to come work and learn business. He was personally involved and connected. Just an incredible, incredible man.”

Pete Manos, Gus Manos’ son and the current owner of Zesto, said even the idea of the bill is incredibly moving to him. Pete said his father often spent long hours making Zesto the best it could be, and that his “incredible heart” and “incredible personality” resonated with people long before and will resonate with people long after his passing.

Pete Manos hopes when people drive down Gus Manos Memorial Street, they’ll picture his father in the kitchen or greeting them at the door.

“He touched a lot of people. And he was, there's never gonna be another one like him,” Pete Manos said. “He's just he was one that one in a million.”

As of Feb. 5 at 4 p.m., the bill has passed the house and is waiting to be passed in the senate. The complete text of the bill and its status can be found on the South Carolina Legislature’s website.