Dwight and Martha Garrett, founders of Lowcountry Produce in Lobeco and investors in historic downtown Beaufort through the new Lowcountry Produce Market &amp; Café, earned a new title this month: South Carolina Ambassadors for Economic Development.

[caption id="attachment_6629" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Garretts named S.C. Ambassadors for economic development by Gov. Nikki Haley and the Commerce Department."]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Garretts-SC-Ambassadors-Lowcountry-Produce-4-2012.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-6629" title="Garrett's SC Ambassadors - Lowcountry Produce 4-2012" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Garretts-SC-Ambassadors-Lowcountry-Produce-4-2012-300x219.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="219" /></a>[/caption]

Gov. Nikki Haley and Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt celebrated the Garrett’s achievements April 17 as part of South Carolina’s Industry Appreciation Week.
The awards ceremony recognized 51 individuals from all 46 South Carolina counties who contributed to economic development in their local communities.
The Garretts, together with their sons, have operated their family farm in Lobeco for decades. In 2006, the Garretts started up a canning and preserving operation, expanding their produce stand to a fully functioning food processing, packaging and distribution facility right from the family’s farm.
Today, Lowcountry Produce delivers small-batch, handmade, hand-packed products to customers worldwide. The Garrett’s sons, Noel Garrett and Dwight Garrett and business partner, Seabury Thorp, in July 2011 leased the former Beaufort Post Office and City Hall. Lowcountry Produce Market &amp; Café opened earlier this year on the corner of Carteret and Craven streets in the historic building.
Redevelopment of the former Beaufort City Hall and others structures allows the city to capitalize on the assets of existing structures, giving entrepreneurs like the Garretts the opportunity to further invest in their local economy, the Commerce Department noted.