Track record and unique specialty in IP investigations poises company for exponential growth in 2022

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C., April 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- When CEO, Tamara Rabenold, acquired 100% ownership of Vaudra International in January 2021, it transformed into one of a few women-owned investigation firms. A Fortune 100 client encouraged her to consider pursuing certification as a woman-owned business enterprise through the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the preferred certification of more than 1,000 corporations with supplier diversity initiatives. After investigating further, in July 2021, Rabenold decided to pursue two certifications, the WBENC-Certified Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) and Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) from the Small Business Administration.

In celebration of World Intellectual Property Day, April 26^th, Vaudra International announces achieving recognition as a WBENC-Certified WBE and SBA-Certified WOSB. According to Rabenold, she was unaware of the WBENC network prior to her client's comments and encouragement. "Upon receiving official notice of our certification approvals earlier this month," said Rabenold, "that client was the first call I made outside of our company to share the positive news."

Under Rabenold's leadership in 2021, Vaudra realized the addition of 50 new clients representing a 163% increase over 2020. First quarter of 2022 is tracking at an even faster rate of new client engagement and reach. This growth has expanded her investigative team and global footprint, with international brands, corporate clients and law firms spanning the United States and Europe. From an investigative perspective, last year, over 80% of Vaudra's cases involved subjects of interest in any one of 40 states within the U.S., while international investigations spanned five continents, from China, India and Vietnam to the UK, UAE, and Latin America.

"Gaining the certifications is meaningless unless our company has the experience and bandwidth to manage Fortune accounts and large scopes of work," stated Rabenold. "These third-party certifications reinforce that we have built a sustainably strong and thriving company worthy of being a preferred supplier in our specialty."

According to the NAICS database, over 10,000 entities are classified in Investigation Services. Of the 90 WBENC-Certified WBE firms within this classification, Vaudra is the only firm strictly specializing in Intellectual Property (IP) investigations and brand protection services.

Rabenold's active engagement in the industry has been key to the company's growth over the past decade, long before acquiring full ownership and certifications. She currently serves on the International Trademark Association's (INTA) Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association's (AASA) IP Committee and was appointed to the North Carolina Private Protective Service Board (PPSB) by the state's Governor in 2019. Her expertise will be leveraged in September of this year for CLE credits with the Carolina Patent, Trademark, & Copyright Law Association (CPTCLA) at the Association's Fall seminar in Kiawah Island, SC.

To learn more, visit www.vaudra.com.

About Vaudra InternationalEstablished in 2003, Vaudra International offers intellectual property investigations and brand protection solutions globally. A resource for creative, effective investigative strategies, the company seeks to add value with every case to support their clients' objectives. Services encompass all facets of IP protection and investigative support including anonymous acquisitions, counterfeit seller and supplier identification, ecommerce and social media enforcement, importer research, patent, third-party infringement and trademark use investigations, U.S. Customs recordation filings and evidential purchases. Clients range from entrepreneurs and boutique law firms to Big Law and Fortune 500 companies.

Photos:https://www.prlog.org/12914524

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SOURCE Vaudra International

From renowned tennis and golf facilities to miles of breathtaking beaches, there's so much to see and do on Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Here's your guide to experiencing it all.

Kiawah Island is an upscale destination in South Carolina’s Lowcountry known for its beautiful scenery and residences, and its wide variety of family-friendly activities. Here, we’re sharing our experience with a destination within the destination — the Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Don’t let the name fool you. Yes, it’s famous for its golf courses, but there’s so much more to it than that! For some, the draw might be miles of expansive beachfront to explore or quiet marshlands to discover by kayak. Some might prefer to dedicate the weekend to indulging in local food and drink, while others may stick to the area’s renowned tennis or golf facilities, where it’s exciting to play on the same turf as the pros. Here’s a weekend itinerary that allows you to take advantage of it all.

The resort is 33 miles from the Charleston airport and less than that from the historic area of town, so Kiawah’s location makes for a great way to experience relaxing beach time in conjunction with all the charms of Charleston. Kiawah accommodations include the luxurious Sanctuary Hotel, with its 255 rooms on the ocean, and a variety of villas spread out over the property under picturesque live oak trees. You can also rent one of the larger private homes and still enjoy resort privileges by going through Kiawah’s website. Check-in time is mid-afternoon, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get there earlier and start exploring.

SB Note: As with many resorts, making reservations well ahead of time for meals and activities is highly recommended.

All 255 rooms at Kiawah’s luxury hotel, The Sanctuary, come with balconies and upscale amenities: Italian linen sheets, a deep soaking tub, and plush robes in the closet. Image: Kiawah Island Golf Resort

The Sanctuary opened in 2004, and the idea was for it to feel like a grand, historic seaside mansion. With that in mind, the furnishings are elegant but not over the top. The expansive lobby offers plenty of places to sit, and almost all rooms possess a view of the Atlantic Ocean. Image: Kiawah Island Golf Resort

Head to one of the bicycle rentals (one at The Sanctuary and another at West Beach Pool Shop), where you can secure a bike — there are plenty of options, including an adult tricycle or bicycle for two — then grab a map and start exploring! Kiawah excels at its easy-to-follow bike paths, and you’ll find 30 miles of trails that wind through wooded areas, over bridges, through neighborhoods, and along golf courses. You’ll likely spot signs pointing to beach access and, by all means, head that way. Kiawah’s vast shoreline is perfect for long walks, but bike-riding on the beach is a big thing here, too!

As beach-goers ponder the pros and cons of the Gulf Coast versus the East Coast, consider this: the firmly packed sand at Kiawah is ideal for bike-riding by the ocean, with plenty of space to avoid running into people. Bikes are easy to rent at Kiawah, and getting around the resort is a breeze with 30 miles of dedicated bike trails (plus the beach). Image: Kiawah Island Golf Resort

Golf courses and bike trails at Kiawah are surrounded by lush, almost other-worldly landscaping, such as this hole on the Cougar Point Course along the marshlands. Image: Kiawah Island Golf Resort/O’Brien

Lowcountry cuisine is the theme at Jasmine Porch, a restaurant at The Sanctuary. It’s a great choice for breakfast, but it’s also a relaxed, delicious option for dinner. Consistent with the hotel’s decor, brick walls and oak floors bring in a bit of Charleston charm, and there are patio tables if the weather cooperates. The restaurant menu boasts fresh-caught choices, but when in doubt, go with the specialty here: shrimp and grits.

On day two of your expedition, get up close and personal with Kiawah’s natural beauty in a kayak. The scenic Mingo Point offers guided and self-guided kayaks through the marshes, where you can observe abundant birdlife and maybe even a dolphin. Kiawah’s Night Heron Nature Center is a big hit with children, but all ages can learn from its displays and educational materials.

Natural beauty is abundant at Kiawah, and the resort loves to help guests get up close and personal with its naturalist programs. Here, a bird-watching naturalist brings his scope and binoculars to view the dozens of bird species on the island. Image: Lisa Mowry

There are two ways to get around the resort other than a car: the aforementioned bicycles and a continuously running shuttle. One way or another, get yourself over to Tomasso at Turtle Point for lunch with an Italian flair. Hand-tossed pizzas and artisan salads are one way to go, but there’s heartier fare, too, such as meatball subs and short-rib grilled cheese.

Next, relax by the pool or splurge on a spa treatment — both excellent ways to spend an afternoon. The Spa at The Sanctuary is one of the reasons the resort received a five-star Forbes rating, so you’ll want to try it out! The spa’s spacious layout includes multiple relaxation rooms, a whirlpool/sauna/steam room, and thoughtful refreshments. In other words, arrive early for your massage or facial treatment to enjoy the whole luxurious experience.

Receiving a treatment at The Spa at The Sanctuary is a well-earned splurge. Make sure to get there early to enjoy a soak in the whirlpool or relax in one of the lounges. Image: Kiawah Island Golf Resort

The Sanctuary’s U-shaped building offers a large lawn with plenty of places to sit and be mesmerized by the ocean. Image: Kiawah Island Golf Resort

Whether or not you’re a golf enthusiast, head over to the famed Ocean Course, the #4 public golf course in the U.S. Even non-golfers will swoon over the rugged, breezy landscape, which is often compared to locations in Scotland and Ireland. And even without a round on the coveted course, visitors can access the clubhouse, including a pro shop and dining area. Grab a drink at the Ryder Cup Bar, with its gorgeous views of the course and ocean. The Atlantic Room next door has a similar ocean setting with signature seafood selections for dinner. All the appetizers look terrific, but don’t miss the crispy shrimp starter with sweet chili sauce — They apparently removed it from the menu one day and received so many complaints that it was back 24 hours later! The Country Captain seafood stew is also well-known, and you can’t go wrong with a catch of the day prepared with seasonal vegetables.

The Ryder Cup Bar, also at the Ocean Course, is a pub-type spot for lunch or a drink. Image: Lisa Mowry

Restaurants are strategically located around the resort, but be sure to visit one of the spots at the Ocean Course (home to all of the significant PGA championships) to feast your eyes on the gorgeous view. The Atlantic Room at the Ocean Course is open nightly for dinner, and you can’t go wrong with the fresh-caught seafood. Image: Kiawah Island Golf Resort

The Atlantic Room’s Seafood Stew is one of the most popular items on the menu, with its array of ocean delights: fresh-caught shrimp, clams, crabs, and Carolina Gold Rice in a special broth. Image: Kiawah Island Golf Resort

If you can spare another day of activities before heading home, start the morning of day three with Yoga on the Beach. Then choose from any number of adventures such as fishing expeditions, tennis lessons, mosaics, or a photography cruise. Of course, there’s also nothing wrong with sitting on the beach, watching the shorebirds do their thing, and dreaming of your next trip to Kiawah. After all, it’s known for its repeat visitors!

For more information on Kiawah Island Golf Resort, head to kiawahresort.com.

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There are so many amazing beaches to visit in South Carolina, it’s hard to choose a favorite. From the gorgeous scenery to the endless activities, there’s a perfect beach for everyone in this coastal state.

There’s just something exceptional about South Carolina’s beaches keeps drawing me back. We usually enjoyed beach vacations in Maryland or Virginia when I was a child. They were great, and I didn’t think a beach could get any better until I was in my 30s and took a trip to South Carolina.

Here are a few of my favorite South Carolina beaches, in no particular order.

1. Surfside Beach

Surfside Beach is a favorite because it was the first South Carolina beach I visited. Considered the most affordable and family-friendly beach in South Carolina, Surfside Beach is located 10 miles southwest of Myrtle Beach and north of Garden City Beach. There are 36 beach access points along 2 miles of beach coastline.

It’s not as touristy as some of the other beaches in the state, and it has a laid-back vibe. It is rarely crowded. The sand is like white powder, the beach is always clean, and the water is warm.

When we visited, we stayed in rental properties. We plan to stay at the Holiday Inn Oceanfront on our next visit. It has gorgeous ocean views, and you benefit from a full-service oceanfront hotel, an outdoor pool, a fitness center, and newly renovated rooms without the hustle and bustle of more commercialized beach areas. It is ideal for a romantic getaway or a multigenerational family gathering. Plus, they have fun events happening, like “Date Night on the Beach,” and a communal fire pit at night around the pool.

The town area is a quiet beach town. You can find many family-friendly attractions like mini-golf, a water park, and delicious eateries within walking distance of most hotels and rental properties.

Surfside Beach is a short drive up the coast to the Myrtle Beach excitement, shopping outlets, the Coastal Mall, other fun entertainment, and the Myrtle Beach International Airport.

Surfside Beach is definitely worth visiting for a quiet and relaxing beach vacation!

2. Myrtle Beach

The most popular beach destination in the state, the Myrtle Beach area, is often referred to as the Grand Strand. It boasts 60 miles of beach and 1.2 miles of oceanfront boardwalk. Historical sites, outdoor adventures, and a mild annual average temperature of 73 degrees with 215 sunny days per year make the Myrtle Beach area a dream vacation spot.

This beach town has something for everyone to enjoy. From beachfront amusement parks to the Ripley’s Aquarium to shows at popular theaters, there is plenty to do and see in Myrtle Beach. It is the perfect destination for the 50+ traveler for many reasons. In fact, many people move to Myrtle Beach after vacationing there.

Myrtle Beach attracts more than 19 million visitors per year. It is a premier vacation destination with beautiful clean beaches, outlet malls, accommodations at every price point, scrumptious local cuisine, and more than 100 golf courses.

The gorgeous, powdery white-sand beach is the number one attraction in Myrtle Beach. You can enjoy mild waves and fun watersports, relax, and play in the surf. But there is so much more. There are many places to enjoy live entertainment with cocktails and great dining.

Head up to North Myrtle Beach, where you can enjoy great dance venues like Duck’s Nightlife and Fat Harold’s. In the north end of Myrtle Beach, there’s 3001 Nightlife, which is filled with the 50+ crowd.

They have several live theaters with great music shows, such as Carolina Opry Theater and the Alabama Theatre. Fun shopping experiences abound at nearby Barefoot Landing and Broadway on the Beach.

Calabash-style restaurants are prevalent along the Grand Strand, as well as Carolina/Lowcountry cuisine. In the area, you can find just about every kind of food imaginable, from steak to ribs to homestyle cooking and pizza.

Fun fact: Over 3.2 million rounds of golf are played per year in the Myrtle Beach area. That’s a lot of golf!

3. Myrtle Beach State Park

Just south of the busy Myrtle Beach is Myrtle Beach State Park. The thing I remember most about it was the beautiful flowers blooming all along the entrance road.

This state park covers 312 acres and has picnic areas, campground sites, a fishing pier, a nature center, equestrian facilities, surf fishing, nature trails, and nearly a mile of clean beach that is rarely crowded.

They have a large parking area and a beach concession stand for snacks or lunch. We often took a picnic lunch with us.

We usually spent at least two days on this beach to avoid the crowds when we were in the area. There is an entry fee per person to visit this state park, and they have a discount for seniors.

4. Huntington Beach State Park

If you enjoy history, wildlife, or fishing, Huntington Beach State Park is an ideal beach to visit, with more than 2,500 acres to enjoy away from the hustle and bustle of some of the more hectic beaches in the state. This state park boasts the 1930s-era Moorish-style Atalaya Castle, which is a national historic landmark. Over 300 species of birds live in the park.

Approximately 17 miles south of Myrtle Beach State Park, Huntington Beach State Park has a 3-mile-long beach and is a popular surf fishing location. There is a 2-mile hiking trail, picnic facilities, and campgrounds in the park.

There is a fee to visit the state park and an additional fee for visiting the castle.

Pro Tip: Brookgreen Gardens is nearby, and the gardens are gorgeous and well worth a visit.

5. Kiawah Island

Everyone loves an island experience. Many consider the private Kiawah Island in South Carolina to be paradise. It features 10 miles of spectacular beaches, sand dunes, maritime forestry, and lush marshes, providing gorgeous beach scenery that is simply unique.

While most Kiawah Island beaches are private, Kiawah Beachwalker Park has a public beach area. In addition to the beaches, there are waterfront golf courses, scenic trails, and some beautiful and luxurious resorts.

Editor’s Note: Really want to avoid the crowds? Our own Jeanine Consoli recommends these 9 Incredible Things To Do On Kiawah Island During The Off-Season.

6. Hilton Head Island

A step up from your average beach, Hilton Head is the perfect beach to visit when you want to indulge in a bit of luxury. Sitting approximately 30 miles from Savannah, Georgia, Hilton Head features gorgeous beaches, luxury spas, tennis, golf, and a leisurely-paced lifestyle. It is a huge draw for those seeking a touch of luxury.

Hilton Head is a 42-square-mile barrier island with 12 miles of beautiful sandy beaches. The most popular beach in Hilton Head is Coligny Beach Park. A scenic shoreline and a wealth of amenities make this park a favorite for beachgoers.

“Spa-ing,” golf, and tennis earned Hilton Head its elite reputation. But there are many other things to enjoy, including the Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Coastal Discovery Museum.

Vacationers go to Hilton Head to relax. The nightlife consists primarily of leisurely sunset dinners and live waterfront music.

Pro Tip: Look before getting into the water. Jellyfish and stingrays are prevalent during the summer months.

7. Daufuskie Island

An oceanfront oasis, Daufuskie Island in South Carolina consists of primarily undeveloped conservancy land. This tiny island off the coast of Hilton Head is only accessible by boat or ferry. While it isn’t far from the mainland, its remote nature makes it feel like it is a world away. There are only about 400 residents on the island.

One could spend an entire week in Haig Point, the private community on the island, without seeing more than a dozen individuals. You have the beach to yourself.

The island is a historical hub and is on the National Register of Historic Places. There are self-guided tours and guided history tours.

Art studios and galleries and a rum distillery call the island home. The Daufuskie Island Distillery is one of only two island distilleries in the U.S.

Visitors enjoy a show of daily wildlife experiences: bottlenose dolphins leaping out of the water on the shoreline; loggerhead turtles nesting each spring on the shore; and the trotting sound of Marsh Tacky horses.

Horseback rides on the beach are offered year round, and golf lovers can tee it up with ocean views at Haig Point’s signature course.

The Daufuskie Island Ferry offers service every 3 hours to and from the island. Tour Daufuskie takes the stress out of a day at the beach with packages that include chairs, a tent, and beach items for the day, so you don’t have to schlep anything with you.

There are fun accommodation options for overnight visits on the island. Visitors can enjoy a secluded beach getaway by staying in a lighthouse dating back to 1873 or a 1910 mansion built as a summer retreat.

Pro Tip: Enjoy the island while exploring from your rented golf cart. There are no cars on the island.

Final Thoughts

South Carolina is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. From Myrtle Beach to Hilton Head, there are plenty of amazing beaches to choose from. Each offers its own unique charm and appeal. If you’re looking for a place to relax and enjoy the sun and sand, visit one of South Carolina’s many world-class beaches.

Further Reading:

From inside of Voysey’s, the private restaurant that overlooks Kiawah Island’s Cassique course, a diner might be tricked into believing that this country club island is just like any other luxury destination. The windows that frame the course betray swaying grasses, moody greens and nearly imperceptible stick-figure golfers enjoying the splendor of one of the country’s most celebrated golf courses.

But the barrier island of Kiawah, some 25 miles south of Charleston, S.C., is more than a golf destination with premier beachfront homes. Kiawah Island has solidified itself as one of the most eco-friendly residential areas and tourist destinations in the United States, with conservation efforts dating back nearly half a century. Visitors are the beneficiaries of these extensive efforts, and the island is a rare example of how tourism and ecological concern can coexist.

In 1973, Kiawah Island established the Kiawah Turtle Patrol, an organization that tracks and protects the island’s native population of nesting loggerhead turtles. Soon after, Kiawah Investment, a Kuwaiti-owned company, purchased the island from heirs to a lumber company operator and, in 1975, conducted an environmental inventory of the island over the course of 16 months, studying natural habitats, wildlife and archaeological history, said Donna Windham, executive director of the Kiawah Conservancy.

The widespread inventory led to a master plan, which has since been enacted by the town of Kiawah, that combines environmental activism with tourism and leisure. “It was a whole new environment for them,” Windham said of the Kuwaiti effort. “They took it very seriously that this island was special.” Today, Windham said, the Kiawah Conservancy operates as a nonprofit land trust for the island, encouraging the protection of the environment by working in conjunction with landowners.

The conservancy, established in 1997, can hold land and issue easements. It has, to date, preserved “2,273 acres of Kiawah’s 10,000 acres,” according to the island’s website. In January 2000, Windham said, 152 acres of land known as Little Bear Island — a nesting destination for coastal birds such as the piping plover, peregrine falcon and osprey — were preserved by the Wetlands America Trust, part of the Ducks Unlimited nonprofit conservation group. The easement was updated in 2007 to include protection from the trust and the Kiawah Island Natural Habitat Conservancy.

As a traveler, you may see no concrete indication of the infrastructure that governs the island’s conservation. Yet the influence is everywhere, evident in the clamoring hermit crabs at the shoreline, the robust oyster beds that climb upward on the riverbanks, and the petite raccoons that scale trees at dusk in search of their next meal.

Close to the island’s Ocean Course, where a strip of cerulean is just visible beyond the marsh, a passerby might be privy to any number of natural encounters: alligators with snouts just visible in the pond water; hook-necked blue herons staring out into the palmettos; white-tailed deer bedding down beneath the drapery of Spanish moss. These moments, despite their frequency, arrive as a surprise in a place where golf clubs and impeccable architecture are the local currency.

But you’re more likely than not to encounter a wild animal during your visit, and that’s because Kiawah Island includes 3,000 acres of tidal salt marsh and 10 miles of shoreline, providing shelter for a variety of wildlife. According to town of Kiawah Wildlife Biologist Jim Jordan — his position was created in 2000 and, eight years later, Assistant Wildlife Biologist Aaron Given arrived — there are 315 species of birds, more than 30 species of mammals, more than 40 species of reptiles, more than 20 species of amphibians, and thousands of invertebrates that call the island home.

“It’s pretty unique,” Jordan said. It is, he said, “a functioning, intact ecosystem that’s working the way it would have worked if there were no houses there.”

One of the island’s most fascinating predators is the bobcat; the current bobcat population, Jordan said, is between 15 and 20. Four to six bobcats are collared by the biology team each year, so their movements can be tracked via GPS. “Visitors and residents can look at the tracking maps online and see where they’ve been,” he said.

Take a boat out onto the serene Kiawah River — you can book tours through the island’s sole resort, the Kiawah Island Golf Resort — and you’re bound to see a dolphin or two, gray fin slipping in and out of the water. These are the island’s bottlenose species, and they’re friendly, tracking vessels and providing the occasional show, flippers aflight. They also engage in a unique behavior known as “strand-feeding.”

“In a coordinated effort, they will basically force a school of fish or a school of shrimp up toward the bank,” Jordan said. “They beach themselves.” The western end of the island makes for good viewing of this behavior, although he warned that disrupting dolphins during their strand-feeds can be harmful. “It’s a learned behavior,” passed down from generation to generation, Jordan said. Should a strand-feed get interrupted, dolphins could abandon the behavior entirely, thus keeping future generations from learning how to eat in this location-specific manner.

The serenity experienced on this island oasis is thanks to more than just the work of the conservancy. At the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, for instance, an AAA five-diamond resort that was built in 2004, live, mature oak trees were transplanted to help promote the maintenance of the natural environment. “This really wasn’t required. It was just something that we did voluntarily, because we thought it was the right thing to do,” said Bryan Hunter, director of public relations for the Kiawah Island Golf Resort.

The resort, he said, places a premium on conservation efforts, encouraging guests to immerse themselves in the local environment through organized boat trips to other barrier islands, alligator safaris and dolphin-viewing excursions. Visitors can also tag along with the Turtle Patrol in the morning in search of hatching and migration patterns (although that program has been greatly restricted because of the coronavirus pandemic). Some may even get to assist hatchling turtles, Hunter said. Those who join the Turtle Patrol outings look for nests, take notes and record observations about the year’s hatch.

One conservation effort enforced by island residents — including hoteliers — is the Lights Out for Sea Turtles initiative, which requires that beach-illuminating lights be turned off in the evenings during loggerhead nesting season. As Jordan pointed out, artificial light confuses hatchling turtles, often accidentally guiding them away from the ocean.

Low light pollution, Hunter said, is “vital.” “The resort, along with the rest of the island, through town ordinance, makes sure that we really carefully monitor light pollution along the beach, so that it doesn’t disorient nesting sea turtles or hatching sea turtles,” he said.

As the sun descends at dusk, there is a vibration in the air. Is it the cicadas, on their 17-year cycle? Or maybe just a faraway flock of birds? Whatever the origin of the ambient noise, it calls to mind a soothing bedtime melody, the kind you might slip into as you wind down into sleep.

This AAA five-diamond property has 255 guest rooms and suites, as well as multiple dining venues and direct beach access. Rooms from about $240.

Run by the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, this 1.5-hour boat excursion takes guests through creeks and marshes in search of the island’s native bottlenose dolphin population. $450 for up to six passengers.

Situated on the west end of the island, this ocean beach offers the only public access on Kiawah. Amenities include lifeguards, chair and umbrella rentals, restrooms, outdoor showers, a snack bar and a picnic area with grills. Parking $5 to $15 per vehicle.

Guests can ask resident wildlife biologists about the local ecology and visit with some of the native and nonnative species, such as diamondback terrapins and a 10-foot-long Burmese python. The center’s gift shop sells handcrafted items made by local artists. Free.

Walk or bike this one-mile scenic trail that extends over the marsh to a lookout tower. Part of the larger Kiawah Island bike trails system, which covers about 30 miles, this trail is suitable for all ages.

The ocean-hugging upscale resort of Kiawah Island reached a new milestone in 2021 with more than $1 billion in property sales.

Kiawah Island Real Estate, which handles the majority of sales in the gated community, ended the year with $795.7 million in sales plus others that will close in the new year for a total of $1 billion in sales, a 40 percent increase from 2020.

When sales by other agencies are factored in, the total climbs to $1.05 billion, up 30 percent overall from the roughly $808 million recorded the previous year, according to Kiawah Island Real Estate.

Last year, the agency saw 493 closings, a 21 percent increase from 2020 and a 165 percent jump from 2019.

The island as a whole reported 734 closings, up 12 percent and 130 percent from the prior two years, respectively.

The record-breaking year included the most expensive residential property to change hands in the Charleston area to date. The Vanderhorst Mansion, set on 16.5 acres on the edge of the Kiawah River and dating to the early 1800s, sold June 24 for $20.5 million.

Kiawah Island Real Estate also is handling sales and reservations for two other developments set to hit the market this year.

The Burn at Cassique will offer seven homesites along the Tom Watson-designed golf course at the private Cassique Golf Club. Pricing will be available in late January.

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On the inland side of town, the agency is handling reservations for Seafields at Kiawah Island, a luxury community for the 62-plus group.

The $180 million development, which broke ground last September, will feature 90 luxury one-, two- and three-bedroom residences, as well as 16 assisted-living units and continuing care services. It also will include a first-of-its-kind, in-house medical clinic operated by the Medical University of South Carolina.

The development is being built off of Seabrook Island Road near Freshfields Village Shopping Center. Construction is scheduled for completion by the fall of 2024.

As of early January 2022, 43 percent of the independent living units had been reserved.

NC deal

A Charleston-based real estate company will develop an $80 million grocery-anchored project in North Carolina.

Adams Property Group will build a 48,387-square-foot Publix, 19,800 square feet of retail space and a 290-unit apartment complex in West Edge in Winston-Salem.

Construction is expected to start in a couple of months. Adams is handling the leasing.