The Bravo Education Foundation of Clarendon County has announced that Westinghouse Specialty Welding and Machining is its newest corporate donor. On Oct. 14, Bravo President Maureen Calvo presented Daniel Duran and members of his team with a donor award in recognition of their support and commitment to the foundation's mission.
Duran is president of Carolina Energy Solutions (CES), a Westinghouse subsidiary, and was hired by Westinghouse in January 2024 to lead the Manning facility. His commitment to the community and appreciation for what Clarendon County has to offer extend beyond his corporate leadership. In March 2022, he retired from a nearly 25-year career in the U.S. Navy, after which he and his family chose to settle in Summerton.
According to Duran, the town is "quiet, beautiful, and the people in our neighborhood are amazing."
When asked about the factors influencing his decision to become a Colleague-Level donor supporting Bravo's mission to empower Clarendon by bridging innovation from classroom to career, Duran pointed to the importance of education and hands-on learning.
"I am the beneficiary of great teachers who allowed me the opportunity to explore my passion for the sciences. I have always felt the hands-on approach to STEM to be the superior form of this type of learning," Duran said. "Westinghouse and many of America's top companies rely on local communities to support this type of growth and learning in young people to ensure we continue to provide opportunity, while providing a wealth of talent to the nation — in this case, South Carolina. We are grateful to play a part in the community we've made our home."
The partnership is further strengthened by personal ties within the local workforce.
"Another cool connection is that we have several employees who are related to either educators or students impacted by this program," Duran said.
For example, team member Katy Harrelson serves as manufacturing coordinator at Westinghouse. Her mother, Terri Harrelson, a teacher at Manning Elementary School, is a two-time recipient of Bravo's Teacher Innovation Grant. Connections like these make supporting Bravo meaningful for the Westinghouse team.
As both a business leader and a local resident, Duran envisions a significant community impact from Westinghouse Specialty Welding and Machining's presence in Clarendon County. He said the facility provides a rare local opportunity for skilled tradespeople to enter a growing industry. As the country's population and energy needs increase, Westinghouse is positioned to support the nuclear power industry.
"As we have seen through recent announcements of the Palisades nuclear plant, and talks of reviving Three Mile Island, or even V.C. Summer, teams like ours that perform complex outage support will be positioned to take full advantage of the jobs, the hours, and outpouring of money," Duran said.
Highlighting the local economic impact, he added, "Our team supports plants all over the country, and we are headquartered in Clarendon County. We may be unique in that respect. We have close to 30 permanent personnel in Manning, and at times we have over 100 workers in town. They support the local economy, from lodging to restaurants and many of the local shops."
Looking toward the future of the partnership, Duran outlined his goals for the investment.
"I want our youth to know that companies like Westinghouse and opportunities like these [skilled trades] are very real and available for those who work hard for it," he said. "I could not imagine a more rewarding return on investment than to see a graduate join our company and one day lead the organization. Even more important, I would hope they'll feel compelled to give back to the educators who so faithfully sowed a seed into them."
To ensure the impact extends beyond financial contributions, Duran and his staff also hope to remain actively engaged with Bravo's programs.
"Absolutely. Beyond the donations, I want our team to show up in person," Duran said. "I'd love to see us host facility tours so students can see the trades in action, have our welders and machinists speak in classrooms or even mentor through Bravo's programs, and keep Clarendon County plugged into where the nuclear industry is headed so local talent can get ahead of it."
