Rodney Michael Consulting Unveils Strategy to Fast-Track Renewal in Downtown Cheraw, Drawing Interest from National Tech Employer
Entrepreneur and Advocate Rodney Michael Urges a Breakthrough in Urban Development
Cheraw, South Carolina , Sept. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rodney Michael Consulting, a South Carolina-based business consulting firm specializing in economic revitalization, unveiled a strategy this week to fast-track renewal in downtown Cheraw. The initiative, aimed at transforming long-vacant storefronts into a thriving business district, has already sparked interest from a U.S.-based technology company now evaluating properties in the town’s historic core.
A Town Craving Renewal
Michael, a local, third-generation entrepreneur has built ventures from Cheraw that scaled into multiple states, has spent years sharing ideas and investing his own energy locally. He and his family have restored historic properties, launched businesses, and renovated local homes.. sparking pride and engagement. But he’s also watched how traditional “revitalization” efforts — with committees, plans, and grant cycles — stretch on for years without producing the kind of momentum downtown desperately needs.
“Revitalization by binder doesn’t work fast enough,” Michael says. “We don’t have another twenty years to wait while buildings rot and hope fades. What we need is a breakthrough — a shot of adrenaline.”
Taking It Upon Himself
Local leadership is bound by tight budgets, limited staff, and resource constraints. So Michael has taken it upon himself to act — to recruit, to build awareness, and to make the big asks that many small towns shy away from.
“I’m not waiting on someone else to knock on doors,” he says. “My team and I are knocking on them.”
In September 2023, he did exactly that. After reading about a national technology company, Michael sent a direct email to its CEO with the subject line: “What about us…?” The message was simple but bold: consider Cheraw as your next small-town campus.
“I hit send knowing full well they could ignore me,” he recalls. “But what if they didn’t? What if that one email changed everything for our town? You can’t be afraid to ask big. Sometimes, that’s what it takes.”
That single email started a conversation. Provalus responded, visited Cheraw several times, identified a downtown building, and began due diligence. What began as one man’s outreach has now become a community-wide possibility.
A Legacy of Building — and Rebuilding
Michael’s vision comes from both his professional track record and his personal journey. Over 30 years, he has launched ventures in real estate, insurance, forestry, land management, and retail. It's a drive that was embedded in him and his brother by their entrepreneurial parents. Some succeeded beyond Cheraw, scaling into multiple states. Others collapsed, forcing him to start over. He has carried losses, faced setbacks, and fought through personal tragedies that could have ended his career.
But like downtown Cheraw itself, he refused to quit.
“I know what it’s like to stand in the middle of ruins and wonder if anything good can come out of it,” Michael says. “But I also know what it’s like to rebuild, piece by piece, until something stronger stands in its place. That’s the future I see for downtown.”
Breaking Free from the Long Wait
For years, Michael has been one of the loudest voices for renewal. He has brought forward concepts for small businesses, retail spaces, and cultural initiatives. He has offered strategies and taken risks. But years slipped by without meaningful change.
“Every year we wait, another storefront closes,” he says. “Every year we wait, another family moves away. Downtowns don’t die all at once — they die slowly. And the only way to stop that is with bold action.”
A Before-and-After Vision
Today, downtown Cheraw has nearly forty darkened storefronts and sites. On some blocks, vacancy outweighs vibrancy. Foot traffic is light, and many residents bypass downtown for shopping and dining elsewhere.
But with a major employer like a technology company, the picture changes almost overnight. Streets fill with employees on lunch breaks. Cafés, shops, and service businesses see new demand. Apartments above storefronts are renovated and filled. New ventures spring up to meet the needs of hundreds of new families.
“It’s not just jobs — it’s the spark that makes everything else possible,” Michael says. “Instead of talking about what downtown used to be, we’ll be living what it has become again.”
Why the Big Ask Matters
While Michael, his family, and friends continue to test smaller ventures — — he knows those alone can’t transform a downtown with 40 vacant sites.
“They’re proof of concept,” he explains. “They show people will come. To make concepts live, we need something bold downtown. We need the kind of employer that puts us on the fast track instead of the long wait.”
This is why he’s making the big ask. Why he and his team are sending emails to executives and others who have never heard of Cheraw. Why he’s stepping into a role that, in many places, is left to public agencies or distant developers.
“Leadership isn’t about titles or budgets,” Michael says. “It’s about action. If our local leadership is bound by resources, then we’ll do the unbound work. We'll ask. We’ll recruit. We’ll go after what we need.”
A Quest for Renewal
Michael knows he can’t do it alone. It will take buy-in, partnerships, and community support. But he believes that with a bold vision and relentless pursuit, Cheraw doesn’t have to settle for empty storefronts and slow decline.
“Driving through downtown, you can either see forty vacancies or forty opportunities,” he says. “I see opportunity.
For Michael, this isn’t just about business. It’s about legacy, resilience, and belief. It’s about choosing renewal — and chasing it with everything he has.
About Rodney Michael Consulting
Rodney Michael Consulting leads initiatives that accelerate economic revitalization in small towns through strategic outreach, development planning, and bold, actionable ideas. With a focus on renewal, entrepreneurship, and place-based growth, Rodney Michael Consulting works to unlock the full potential of underutilized communities.
Press inquiries
Rodney Michael Consulting
https://rodneymichael.com
Rodney Michael
rodneymichael@rodneymichael.com
843-882-5128
Cheraw, South Carolina
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