Harvin Choice Meats has been family-owned and operated in Sumter since the 1930s. On Monday, owner Scott Harbin announced the closure, effective immediately.
SUMTER, S.C. — More than 40 people are out of work in Sumter as a business announces it will close immediately. \
Harvin Choice Meats is a neighborhood staple that originally opened in the '30s under the name Kirkland Provisions.
After decades of being family-owned and operated, owner Scott Harbin announced Monday night that he is closing.
“I was shocked,” Levett Edwards said of her reaction. “I felt like a deer in headlights.”
Edwards said she has worked as an office manager at a meat processing facility for seven years. Now, Edwards said, the immediate closure is putting a financial strain on her and other employees like Sonya Sneed.
“I'm angry about all of this,” Snead said, visibly emotional. “You know, I can't lose my job because I owe them money right now. I have to pay it back in full before I can receive a dime from my unemployment, so I'm very upset.”
Employees like Josh Christmas say their most recent paychecks were taken out of their bank accounts.
“When I went to check my bank account, the money I had deposited two weeks ago on April 2nd…even though I had already used it, there was a negative number written next to it and it had been deducted.'' Christmas details. “I would say it affects all of us pretty much the same way. I mean, some of us depend on that money from check to check, while some of us may not. , you can do a lot of different things. Some of us have payments coming due, but we were planning to pay with this part of the check. That means there are a lot of things that can affect a lot of people in different ways. But that's how life is when it comes to money. You need money to support your family and so on.”
Scott Harbin started working in his family's business as a teenager.
“I swore I'd never go back. And I ended up coming back, and when I was looking for a job, my dad — it was summer — and he said, 'Well, you drive a truck. You know, I could certainly use it while you're looking for a job, 'Please help me,''' Harvin recalled. “I was engaged and married, and her parents lived in town…I stayed there and I'm here.”
Harbin said he worked in the business throughout his career and eventually became the owner in 2007.
“My heart is with our employees and we are working hard to ensure they are taken care of,” Harbin said. “It's going to be difficult, but we're going to do whatever we have to do.”
In some cases, companies had employees for decades. One such employee is Bobby Brown, who has worked at Harvin's Choice Meats for a total of 32 years.
“I've worked there all my life, and it's worked out well,” Brown said. “I mean, when we met, we were all like family.”
After the coronavirus pandemic and rising inflation, Harbin says business is struggling.
“If I had been smart, I probably would have shut down before or during coronavirus. But I'm emotionally tied to this business and wouldn't do anything else.” explained Harbin. “My time has passed. I told his friend that I have always done this and that I have made emotional decisions that are not business decisions because it is about my family.”
Harvin said he didn't see the quick decision to close the business coming until Sunday when he received an email from a vendor saying the money owed to Harvin would never be paid.
“I can't move forward. I have nowhere to go,” Harvin said. “And I thought I couldn't do that because if I continued to act like everything was okay, this problem would just come up and get worse. No matter how hard it is, I can't do it.” I can’t do that.”
Harbin said he told his employees the next day that the business would have to close. Harbin says she uses an outside payroll company to calculate her paychecks.
“I use an external payroll company and of course I check my bank balance every day, and it wasn't that much, but there was enough to cover it. And 2 other things. , you know we had three small transactions and nothing happened,” Harbin said. “I had no contact with this particular company and it just got sent back. And they bounced me back too.”
Harbin said he is working with the company to resolve the issue and get money back to former employees.
“At the moment it looks like we're close to an agreement so that I can take care of it and it just means I'm personally in debt, but whatever is needed at this point. That's not an option. No,” Harbin said.
As for employees, Christmas said he is considering all options.
“I'm looking for a job, but I don't know when I'll get one, so I applied,” Christmas said. “So you have to have that as a backup while you look for another job. I'm sure that's what we're all trying to do.” In the same way, we’re trying to get our way because it’s a boom.”
Harbin said resolving the payroll issue is a top priority, then working to clear the building's inventory.
News 19 reached out to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (SCDEW) to learn more about the situation.
The department says companies only need to give advance notice if they qualify under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. The law requires businesses with more than 50 employees to give employees 60 days' notice of closure.
Harbin said the department said the WARN Act does not apply in this case because Harbin Choice Meat has 45 employees, and SCDEW confirmed that.
“In this case, the company has less than 50 employees and WARN does not apply,” SCDEW wrote to News 19. “Except for WARN, employers are not required to give advance notice to employees.”
“Employees who are fired through no fault of their own may apply for unemployment insurance benefits, and each employee is subject to eligibility determinations based on their eligibility for benefits. “We believe benefit claims are processed quickly and typically make decisions within two weeks,” an SCDEW spokesperson wrote. “While WARN does not apply here, our rapid response team is in contact with employees and providing resources. DEW urges affected employees to contact their local SC Works center. or visit the scworks.org website for assistance.”
News 19 also reached out to the South Carolina Department of Labor License and Regulation (SCDLLR) to learn about employee rights regarding compensation.
“South Carolina requires that employees be paid if they work. Employers can specify the terms and conditions of their employment (i.e., pay rates, pay dates, vacation, etc.) must be complied with,” an SCDLLR spokesperson wrote in an email to News 19. Even if a business closes, it is still responsible for ensuring that all employees are paid for their work. ”
The ministry states that in this case, the employer must comply with Article 41-10-50 of the SC Code, which reads: If the employer removes the employee from the payroll for any reason; , the employer shall pay all wages owed to the employee within 48 hours upon separation from employment or until the next regular payday (which shall not exceed 30 days).
“Any employee who believes that this statute has been violated (i.e., worked but not paid or whose wages are late) may file a wage complaint using this link: SCLLR.” explained SCDLLR. “Complaints are reviewed and assigned in the order they are received. We typically assign complaints against the same employer to one investigator. We investigate regulatory violations and issue citations, but if an employee does not pay We do not guarantee that employees will receive wages or collect wages on their behalf.
For employees like Edwards, it's more than just a paycheck.
“We all need to get paid for the hours we work,” Edwards said. “If we had a vacation, we…many of us were saving time to use on future dates. should be compensated for.”
Former employee Patricia McBride added: “I'm going on vacation next week.” “And now I've given it my all. And then all of a sudden, like I said, on Monday morning, we go to the store and we get the sad news, the bad news that it's closing. And I was shocked.”
When it comes to business over the past few years, Harvin says a lot has changed since he first started.
“In the past, there were a lot of what were called community grocers and country stores all over the country, and there were a lot of farm workers and field workers, and serving those customers was the real business. “We had to work overtime for a variety of reasons, and many stores closed,” Harbin said. “That made things even more difficult. I think in the end it won't be as much fun as it used to be because you'll be dealing with fewer customers at scale…good people. I have no complaints, but before… The environment is completely different.”
As for the anger and frustration of former employees, Harvin says he understands.
“I understand that people are upset, and that's normal,” Harbin responded. “I have nothing to do but be honest and open and do the best I can. That's all I know.”
