Owner of May River Disposal Credits USCB Saturday Business Plan
Student News
Father, husband, entrepreneur, and 2014 graduate of the Saturday Business Degree program,
Jim Lewis proves it is never too late to go back to school.
The former operations supervisor attended college after graduating from high school in 1987 without a clear idea of what he wanted to do. Lewis worked in the sanitation business for 28 years before deciding to return to school to earn a bachelor’s degree at USCB.
“I ended up in the program the way that most folks do. I started college and never finished.” Lewis advanced to a certain point in his career and realized he couldn’t go any further without a degree. “I hit a roadblock,” says Lewis. “I knew it was time to go back; it was now or never.”
Lewis researched various degree programs, including those offered at local universities, as well as online options. “I looked at many different options to figure out how to finish my degree and USCB’s Saturday Business Program was by far the most affordable and the most convenient of all the options.”
“I was working for a regional garbage and hauling company before I started the Saturday Business Program,” says Lewis. “I soon realized that corporate advancement was not what I wanted. I decided to start my own business venture.”
In May of 2015, Lewis founded May River Disposal. “I was at the tail end of the Saturday Business Program, so I decided to write a business plan. I partnered with a colleague who had access to capital, and that’s how we started May River Disposal.”
Lewis says he could not have started his own business without the knowledge and skills he acquired from the USCB Saturday Business Program. “From marketing and accounting to human resources, all of my courses have come into play in running my business.”
May River Disposal is a local solid waste company that provides garbage and recycling services to over 4,000 residential homes and resorts throughout Beaufort County.
“This program is a hidden gem,” says Lewis, who is a first generation college student. “I understand how this program can change people’s lives for the better.”