Thirty community and area business leaders received certificates for completing the Fellows in Education Program at the Review and Graduation luncheon hosted by Duke Energy on Wednesday May 15, 2019.
The program was designed to give leaders a behind-the-scenes look into Florence One Schools. It’s a partnership program between Florence One Schools, The School Foundation and the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.
Participants of the Fellows program met eight times throughout the year to tour different Florence 1 Schools and learn about student needs and the state and federal requirements placed on schools, teachers and administrators in district. The goal is for current and past participants can share firsthand knowledge in the community about the education system and help collaborate with policymakers and the business community on educational concerns.
To commemorate the completion of the program, participants received a framed certificate as they were congratulated by Florence 1 Schools Superintendent Dr. Richard O’Malley, Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce President Michael Miller and The School Foundation Executive Director Debbie Hyler.
More than a score of food trucks lined the Florence Center parking lot for the first Carolina Food Truck Rodeo.
Festival attendees could purchase a wide variety of foods from Filipino to wood-fired pizzas. Food trucks from all over South Carolina and even some trucks from other Southeastern states came to the festival, including The Donut Hut from Rose Hill, N.C., and Blackjack Grill from Lake Park, Ga.
Some food trucks from the Pee Dee area came to the festival, including Mullins-based food truck Freckles and Giggles Homemade Ice Cream.
“I love it,” said Ricky Ford, the owner of Freckles and Giggles. “Just the interaction with the people and stuff like that I like it a lot.”
Ford said he normally serves at the farmers market on Saturdays.
Donavon Smith, the owner of Sweet Spice Food Truck, said serving food in Florence has been an awesome opportunity.
“They’re open to the culture so it’s been a pleasant experience,” Smith said.
The recipes Smith serves are from ones he learned from his mother.
Chris Count, his wife and two children came to the food truck festival and tried the Fish and Chips and Fried Shrimp.
“My wife saw it online, and we thought we’d sample some of the food. It’s been great,” Count said.
This is the first time the Florence Center has hosted a food truck festival, according to Nick Hooker, director of marketing at the Florence Center.
“We know that food truck festivals are really popular right now and have been for a little while, and we wanted to try and capitalize on that,” Hooker said. “We wanted to see if it was something Florence would support and look forward to, and we have been thrilled… It was better than expected.”
Hooker said this is something the Center wants to continue to host.
https://www.flochamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/food-truck-rodeo.jpg8001200Bailey Avent/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Web-redesign-300x121.pngBailey Avent2019-05-21 08:40:412019-05-21 08:40:42Food Truck Rodeo Draws Vendors to Florence Center
The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce hosted a Business After Hours last Thursday, May 9 at The Citizens Bank, 1600 W. Palmetto St. in Florence.
Guests enjoyed fellowship, food and prizes. Almost 100 area business representatives were in attendance as The Citizens Bank shared their new office space.
Tommy Bouchette, President of the bank, pulled winning business cards for prizes at the event.
https://www.flochamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/TCB-BAH.jpg7361200Bailey Avent/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Web-redesign-300x121.pngBailey Avent2019-05-10 14:35:122019-05-10 14:35:13Business After Hours held at The Citizens Bank
Swamp Fox Security LLC held a ribbon cutting on Thursday with the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce ambassadors participating.
Swamp Fox Security is in the Charles Gould Manufacturing and Business Incubator, 1951 Pisgah Road in Florence.
The business is owned by Annette Davis-Cantey. She has been in operation for about two years.
“I was in the incubator on Dargan Street,” she said.
She said there was an opening at the Gould incubator, and she took it.
Davis-Cantey said there are lots of advantages to being at this location. She said the business has seminars, networking and other opportunities.
Ashley Deaza, director of the Gould Incubator, said 21 companies are working out of the incubator.
She said the goal is to provide the space and tools needed to help a business get started on a path to success.
She said some of the benefits include being located next to the technologies of the SiMT center such as virtual reality, 3-D printing, events facility, manufacturing center, social media services.
Davis-Cantey said Swamp Fox Security is a private armed security company with five employees.
“I have been doing security since 2002,” Davis-Cantey said. She is also a private investigator.
“I am the first African-American-female-owned security company in the state,” she said.
She said her company provides security for businesses, industry, events such as graduations, reunions and parties and sporting events.
Davis-Cantey, who lives in Mullins, said she was unemployed and went seeking a job. She was hired to do security and loved it. She sought training in the field.
“I went to school and will soon complete my master’s degree in criminal justice,” she said.
Owners Tommie N. and Gloria “Jackie” Thomas of TNT Rehab Consulting Services were joined by ambassadors of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon cutting on Wednesday at a home they built on Sumter Street.
Tommie Thomas, president/architect, said this is the first home they have built in Florence.
Thomas said he has more than 35 years of experience in the industry. He spent about 32 years as an architect for the government and retired from U.S. Customs and Border Protection as an architect project manager.
Before coming to Florence, he also worked in the private industry sector in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
His wife, Jackie, is senior vice president/operations. She is also retired after 38 years as an IT project manager with Verizon.
Tommie said they are part of the city of Florence revitalization efforts.
He said they built the modular home, and the city will find a buyer.
“We designed and built it from the ground up,” he said.
Jackie said the house took about 90 days to build.
He said they are working on other project in the Pee Dee region, but are waiting on the go-ahead from the city of Florence to start another home.
Jackie has joined her husband in the design-build business. On visits back to her hometown, Tommie was impressed with the revitalization taking place in Florence, according to their website..
Jackie grew up in Florence and moved to Maryland to attend college. Once retired, the couple decided to move to Florence, where Jackie’s mother is still living.
To find out more about TNT Rehab Consulting Services, visit tommie@tntrcs.com.
https://www.flochamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/TNT-Ribbon-Cutting.jpg439582Bailey Avent/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Web-redesign-300x121.pngBailey Avent2019-05-09 09:43:422019-05-09 09:43:43Couple Start Design-Build Service After Retiring to Florence
The Chamber Staff wants to thank all of our sponsors and players who helped make our 2019 Spring Classic a huge success! Especially Raldex Hospitality for being our overall sponsor.
And congratulations to our winners:
Coming in 1st Place was Cintas – Ready for the Workday! And in 2nd Place, Synovus!
https://www.flochamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/IMG_3090.jpg40006000Bailey Avent/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Web-redesign-300x121.pngBailey Avent2019-05-08 14:29:542019-05-08 14:29:562019 Chamber Spring Classic
A Darlington County industry plans to invest at least $75 million over five years to expand its manufacturing operations in the county.
The investment will include the acquisition of land, a building, improvements to land and building, construction and primarily acquisitions of equipment and machinery, according to a proposed ordinance presented to the Darlington County Council for first reading during Monday’s regular council meeting.
The ordinance states the acquisitions and improvements are estimated to cost at least $75 million over five years. No new jobs are associated with the project, according to supporting information from the county. But the project is “critical to the company’s continuing presence in Darlington County,” the supporting information states.
County officials have not identified the company. The measure, which will provide for a fee-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement between the county and the industry, identifies the company only as “Project Heat Wave.”
A proposed fee agreement between the county and the company will provide for a fee to be paid by the company to the county in lieu of property taxes at an annual assessment rate of 6 percent for a term of 30 years as well as the issuance of a special source revenue credit equal to $25,000 a year for the company for the first 10 years.
The ordinance states that the project and the fee in lieu of taxes will benefit the county.
“The Project is anticipated to benefit the general public welfare of the County by providing services, employment, recreation or other public benefits not otherwise adequately provided locally,” the measure states.
“The purposes to be accomplished by the Project, i.e., economic development, creation of jobs, and addition to the tax base of the County, are proper governmental and public purposes,” the ordinance continues.
“The inducement of the location or expansion of the Project within the County and State is of paramount importance,” the ordinance states, adding that the benefits of the project to the county will exceed the costs.
No vote is taken on an ordinance when it is presented for the first reading. A preliminary vote will come when the measure is presented for second reading. Typically, a public hearing on the measure will precede the second reading. A final vote will follow on the third reading.
Darlington County Economic Development Partnership Director Frank Willis said an official announcement about the expansion could come in July after final approval of the ordinance.
Business View Magazine interviews Drew Griffin, City Manager of Florence, SC, as part of our focus on redevelopment initiatives of American cities.
In March 2017, the City of Florence, South Carolina and Florence Downtown Development, a non-profit organization devoted to revitalizing and restoring civic pride in Downtown Florence, released a new community brand: “Full Life. Full Forward.” This new tagline was chosen to reflect a city that is full of energy and potential; a progressive and diverse community that is attracting new industry and residents, and providing more opportunities and amenities for its population of 40,000.
Situated in the historical “Pee Dee” region of northeast South Carolina, early settlers in the area practiced subsistence farming and produced indigo, cotton, naval stores, and timber, which were shipped down the Great Pee Dee River to the port at Georgetown and exported. In the mid-19thcentury, the town became the junction of three major railroad systems: the Wilmington and Manchester, the Northeastern, and the Cheraw and Darlington. Gen. W. W. Harllee, the president of the W&M, built his home at the junction, and named the community “Florence” after his daughter.
Evans Streetscape
During the Civil War, the town was an important supply and railroad repair center for the Confederacy. After the war, Florence, South Carolina grew and prospered, using the railroad to supply its cotton, timber, and by the turn of the century, tobacco. The City of Florence was chartered in 1871 and incorporated in 1890. During the 20th century, industry grew, especially after World War II, when Florence became increasingly known for textiles, pharmaceuticals, paper, and manufacturing, in addition to agricultural products.
Although the importance of the railroads began to decline in the last half of the 20th century, the role of transportation remains a prominent thread in the tapestry of the city’s development. From the 1950s through the early 1970s, Florence’s midpoint location between New York and Miami made the city a popular stop for motorists using US Highway 301. Today, situated at the intersection of interstate highways I-95 and I-20, the city continues to attract travelers from the nation’s busy eastern corridor. Its strategic location, coupled with the recently expanded air service offered by its regional airport, allows Florence, South Carolina to maintain its role as a transportation hub for the southeast.
Florence also has a diverse industrial base, with a number of Fortune 500 companies, such as General Electric, Thermo Fischer Scientific, Otis Elevator, and Honda Motors. And because of its location at the juncture of two Interstates, the city and its outskirts host approximately 5,000 hotel rooms – the highest number of any location on I-95. It also has two large hospitals – the Carolina Hospital system and the McCloud Healthcare system, which, together employ about 8,500 people; and a broad mix of retail, restaurant, and entertainment venues.
Today, as its new tagline suggests, Florence, South Carolina is moving forward aggressively with many projects and initiatives. City Manager, Drew Griffin reports on several of them, beginning with its recent downtown revitalization efforts. “The downtown core started a very intensive redevelopment phase approximately five to seven years ago, which has resulted in approximately $300 million of public and private investment,” he begins. “The public side of that investment includes a performing arts center, a museum, our first parking deck, significant green space, and public spaces within the area defined as our historic downtown, which includes small pocket parks with formal plazas and place-making amenities where people can gather and socialize.”
“We are getting ready to open our second hotel project, downtown,” he continues. “The first, Hotel Florence, was completed about four years ago. It’s a boutique hotel built into an old, historic, four-story building with approximately 70 rooms. It was a $7 million renovation, privately funded, that used tax credits and federal and state incentives. The second hotel is opening in February. It is a Hyatt Place Hotel with 100-plus rooms. The city was able to assemble the land for that private investment project at approximately $15 million.”
Jeffries Creek Florence Trail System
Over the past few years, the city has also seen the opening of its first downtown brewery and about seven new restaurants. So, local brews, food, and entertainment are all very central to Florence, South Carolina’s downtown redevelopment. Taking advantage of all these new venues the city hosts, through the Downtown Development Corporation, up to 22 special events a year. “Those typically draw between two and five thousand participants,” Griffin reports. “Those events are all very popular and very diverse, with a very festive environment. So, downtown is doing extremely well. It has won two economic development municipal achievement awards, which, in our state, we call the Joe Riley Economic Development Awards, hosted through the State Municipal Association. We have won two of those, and we have won some type of municipal achievement award the last six years in a row.”
As the downtown continues to thrive, the city is also working to revitalize several adjacent neighborhoods. “You certainly want to look at your neighborhoods that have been moving in the wrong direction and have not been seeing the development that some of your other subdivisions have,” says Griffin. “So, about three-and-a-half years ago, the city began an incentive-based, public/private residential project in three core neighborhoods. That redevelopment effort is resulting in new housing and market stability where there was none.” Griffin adds that each of those neighborhood projects contain significant public improvements, including new streets with new curbs and wide sidewalks, landscaping, and bike lanes; new or upgraded elementary schools; and significant redevelopment of neighborhood parks.
“The city has just closed on a $15 million park improvement fund,” Griffin notes. “About half of those funds will go into neighborhood park improvements, investing in buildings and existing infrastructure, putting in roofs, redesigning bathrooms, fixing basketball courts, doing fencing, and building playgrounds and two community centers that, historically, have not had a neighborhood center. About $7 million of that money is going into a professional level track and a new baseball complex that will host our little league and travelling baseball players. Associated with those projects is about $2 million that we’re investing in street and trail connectivity, which will go to tying these parks together with pedestrian access points and some bike paths to carry our trail system an additional two miles within the city’s urban area.”
Florence has also spent funds on its recreation programs. “We recently completed three recreation projects with assistance from the Bruce Lee Foundation and a couple of other partners,” he adds. “We have built a $7 million tennis complex; we recently completed a $4.5 million, three-court gymnasium with administrative offices; and we have recently finished a $9 million soccer complex. We intend to connect our existing trail system to our soccer complex in a 100-acre park. So, once you get to the soccer complex, you’ll have a three-mile, certified trail that people can access for running events, or just simply to enjoy. It will be an extension of our 10-mile trail system that is working towards the downtown.”
Another project on the drawing boards is a downtown transportation hub to be created in conjunction with the Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority. “It will bring people from all over the city, and outside the city, to a location in the middle of our urban area, where they can move to a free shuttle that can take them to medical facilities, city, county, and state offices, and a new farmers market that is currently under construction,” Griffin states. “That farmers market is adjacent to a potential, unnamed public/private redevelopment effort that could be anywhere from $50-$70 million. The public portion is the assemblage of land, providing ingress, egress, and some parking; the private side of that would be a very significant commercial mixed-use development that could involve residential, a hotel, owner-occupied housing, and/or a restaurant/office complex.”
Dispensary Rooftop Bar
According to City Planner, Jerry Dudley, much of Florence’s revitalization efforts are aimed at attracting new residents and holding on to the ones it has. “We know that quality of life and livability is what attracts folks to the area and keeps our young folks in the area,” he avers. “We do have a bit of trouble holding onto young folks in town. So a lot of the improvements, especially in a vibrant downtown, are put in place to help keep those individuals here or make them want to come back after college.”
“So there’s lots to do,” Griffin echoes. “In the last seven years, we’ve really reached to make our community more welcoming and we are really pushing the concept that we want a child to grow up in Florence, go to college in the region, and be able to come back here and raise a family and enjoy the high level of amenities that we have as they age. We are a growing and very diverse community. And we are being recognized across the U.S., and, particularly, regionally, as a community moving in the right direction. And that goes to our logo: ‘Full Life. Full Forward.’”
To read the full article on Business View Magazine’s website, click here.
https://www.flochamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/bus-view-PAC.jpg3841170Bailey Avent/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Web-redesign-300x121.pngBailey Avent2019-04-30 12:22:492019-04-30 12:22:50FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA – FULL LIFE. FULL FORWARD.
The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for its 2019 Emerging Leaders Summer Business Institute.
This five-session summer program runs from June until August and is designed to identify, develop and empower local “Emerging Leaders.” Specifically, this program, sponsored by Wells Fargo, can be helpful for minority professionals, small business owners and innovative professionals poised to move on to the next level of community and business leadership.
The chamber is seeking individuals or company representatives who want to be more actively engaged in the Greater Florence community through unique leadership practices and experiences. Attendees will gain valuable opportunities to expand their sphere of influence and professional contacts.
Program strategies include visiting with community leaders and businesses, professional and personal leadership development and civic engagement, extensive networking with a diverse group of peers and discovering strengths and learning how to apply them as a business or community leader.
The program dates are June 18 (orientation and reception at the Florence chamber offices); June 19 (retreat at the Florence chamber offices); July 17 (technology, innovation and industry at various locations); July 24 (leadership development at various locations); and Aug. 7 (government/civic engagement at various locations.
Most sessions will last from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
The cost includes food and program materials. While many candidates are sponsored by their employer, a limited number of partial scholarships are available.
The nonprofit rate is $225. The small/minority business rate is $250. The corporate rate is $500.
For more information, contact Les Echols, the director of community and minority enterprise with the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, at 843-665-0515.
Palmetto Brick is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Family-owned and -operated since 1919, the brick manufacturing plant is in Wallace with retail showrooms in Florence, Myrtle Beach and locations near Charlotte, North Carolina.
To celebrate its anniversary, the company is hosting events in all of its retail stores. On Thursday, in conjunction with a ribbon cutting for its membership in the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce, Palmetto Brick served lunch at its Florence retail store on Melon Street.
The company was founded by J. L. Anderson in 1919.
Andy Rogers, vice president and a fourth-generation family member to work in the company, said the company was started in Wallace on the Pee Dee River by his great-grandfather.
Rogers said the company is built on “good fortune, good employees and loyal customers.”
Without any one of them, he said, it wouldn’t have lasted 100 years.
“My father or I have been buying brick from Palmetto Brick for over 70 years,” said Bill Segars of Segars Construction Company in Hartsville, who stopped by to congratulate Palmetto Brick on its success and 100 years in business. “From the family ownership, though management, sales and service to the truck drivers; Palmetto Brick has always been a first rate vendor with a quality product. They have a product that we need. We order it, they send it, we pay for it. This type arrangement makes our job in the field much easier.”
“The company continues to learn and grow,” said John Sanderson, Carolina Sales manager. “It takes the whole ball of wax to make a company grow.”
“We have supplied brick for a lot of offices and homes in the area,” Rogers said. “We sell brick in 31 states and Canada.”
The company has 107 employees with six in the Florence office.
The company offers 40 different varieties of brick.
“The most popular right now are the lighter shades of brick,” Rogers said.
For commercial buildings, he said, their best seller is a “true white” brick. He said very few companies can make it.
“We are a green product,” he said. “We take clay out of the ground and burn it with natural gas.”
He said one-third of the company’s electricity comes from a solar farm.
“It is awesome,” he said. “We have been operating with it for close to a year.”
According to the company’s website “Palmetto Brick is the largest family-owned brick maker in South Carolina with a capacity to produce more than 150 million bricks a year. It remains one of only a handful of American-owned and -operated brick manufacturers in the U.S.”
