Archive for month: April, 2023

Francis Marion University’s School of Business honored North Augusta businessman Tracy Freeman with the 2023 Morgan B. Coker Outstanding Alumni award at its annual alumni reception held at the FMU Performing Arts Center on Tuesday night.

Freeman, a 1992 graduate of FMU with a Bachelor of Science in economics, is president of Fidelity One Construction, a residential construction company in North Augusta, and is the manager of Freeman Septic Tank Inc.

Since 2010, Freeman has been a member of the FMU Board of Trustees. He is also active in his community, where he currently serves as chairman of the Edgefield County Fire Board and sits on the County Line Fire Department Board. He has also served on the Aiken County Home Builders Association, Wells Fargo Community Board, Edgefield Senior Citizen Center board, Edgefield County Planning and Zoning Board, and the Francis Marion Alumni Advisory Board.

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The Florence Symphony Orchestra on May 25 will perform a classic rock concert featuring selections from the ‘60s ‘70s and ‘80s at FSO Rocks 2023 which will include hits from Queen, Elton John, Chicago, The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, Moody Blues and more.

Recent American Idol contestant Tripp Taylor will be one of the featured vocalists. “I’m beyond excited to show my hometown how I’ve grown as an artist and to sing with the orchestra that I grew up watching!” Featured singers also include local choral professor Fran Coleman, Florence Little Theater veteran Cole Davis, and vocalist Leigh Montague. In addition, FSO Rocks 2023 will include a 50 piece orchestra and 12 member choir.

Guest artists also include legendary guitarist Andy Timmons. As guitarist for pop-metal band Danger Danger, Timmons toured the world, opening for Kiss and Alice Cooper. He has sold more than a million records worldwide and served as guitarist and music director for Olivia Newton John for 15 years.

For tickets call the FMU Performing Arts Center, 843-661-4444, Monday through Friday, noon-5 p.m. or go to www.fmupac.org. For sponsorship and VIP opportunities please see the FSO website, www.florencesymphony.com.

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Florence Breakfast Rotary presents Grilling for Happy Feet from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 5, at the Florence Center Gate 5.

The menu includes grilled chicken, string beans, corn, roll, and cookie. Plates are $10 with drive-through pick up available or free delivery of eight or more plates. The event is sponsored by Advantage Academy, McCall Farms, and Carolina Fresh Foods.

To order, contact Paige Ard with Assurant at 404-353-9305, Mitchell Lister with Florence Flamingos at 910-624-1688, Matt Anderson with Heritage Digital at 843-615-0034, Melissa Scott with Assurant at 843-409-2324, or Kirby Anderson with Raldex Hospitality at 843-687-8189.

All proceeds go to support community efforts organized by the Florence Breakfast Rotary Club. One of those programs, Happy Feet, allows Rotarians to shop with Boys & Girls Club members for a new pair of shoes for the school year.

Rotary is made up of three parts: the individual clubs, the heart of Rotary; Rotary International; and The Rotary Foundation. Rotary clubs bring together dedicated individuals to exchange ideas, build relationships, and take action. Rotary International supports Rotary clubs worldwide by coordinating global programs, campaigns, and initiatives. The Rotary Foundation uses generous donations to fund projects by Rotarians and our partners in communities around the world. As a nonprofit, all of the Foundation’s funding comes from voluntary contributions made by Rotarians and friends who share our vision of a better world. Together, Rotary clubs, Rotary International, and The Rotary Foundation work to make lasting improvements in our communities and around the world.

The Florence Breakfast Rotary Club meets at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesdays at Florence Country Club, 450 Country Club Blvd., Florence. For more information, check out their Facebook or shoot them an email.

Jarrod Tippins, founder of The Pharmacy on Hoffmeyer Road, was named the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce Small Business Person of the Year on Wednesday, March 22nd.

The president and CEO of Dedicated Community Bank, Jim Ivey, announced the award at the Chamber of Commerce Outlook Luncheon, which took place at the Florence Center. He said the Lake City native not only operates an essential business, one that became even more important and busy during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also supports the community in a number of ways.

“He’s done a lot with that business, The Pharmacy, that he started, and is just an overall superb community supporter in all kinds of corners,” said Michael Miller, president of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce. “Whether it’s education or anything else, somehow, some way he is involved in it.”

According to Ivey’s introduction, Tippins serves on a number of boards throughout the county, such as the McLeod Health Foundation Board of Trustees, the Florence County Disabilities Foundation Board of Directors and the Lake City Community Theater Board of Directors, among others.

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While many US ports struggled with supply chain problems during the COVID-19 pandemic South Carolina ports — specifically the Port of Charleston — seized the opportunity to improve.

The Port of Charleston jumped from the ninth to the eighth largest port in the country and knocked the Port of Oakland down one in doing so, said Barbara Melvin, president and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority.

Eighty percent of the nation’s imports come in through the nation’s top 10 ports.

Melvin was the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s Outlook Luncheon keynote speaker Wednesday, March 22nd as 500 area business and community leaders attended the event.

“During the pandemic it was pretty obvious to everybody that things weren’t working well in the supply chain,” Melvin said. “We take great care making sure that we remained productive and while other ports struggled close to two years to get rid of the congestion we did it in five months and we did it because we partnered with everyone up and down the supply chain, selflessly, to make sure you got the goods you needed.”

“We all heard about the West Coast ports and we all saw that picture that looked like the Normandy invasion off the West Coast while there were more than 100 ships off shore waiting to be worked,” she said.

Many shippers transited the Panama Canal to the Gulf Coast and East Coast ports to avoid that congestion.

“Charleston grew the third fastest (of U.S. ports) during the last 10 years,” Melvin said. Only Houston and Savannah grew more.

“Our goal is to grow two times the national port market growth rate. We feel the Southeast affords us the opportunity.”

The pandemic fueled some of that growth.

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