Archive for year: 2023

Raines, a fully integrated hotel development, management, and investment company located in Florence, has acquired HP Hotels, a full-service, third-party hotel management company, resulting in operational expansion throughout the southeast and southwestern United States. The financial terms of the transaction are not being publicly disclosed.

“Assets alone will not get Raines to where it needs to be as a company,” said Grey Raines, managing partner of Raines. “In addition to acquiring third-party management contracts, Raines is adding experienced principals, trusted partnerships, and operations, sales and marketing, and human resources teams to its arsenal of experienced hospitality professionals. By selecting, developing, and empowering talent diligently, we are positioning ourselves to better achieve our company goals and deliver to our stakeholders.”

“This acquisition is more than just adding assets to our portfolio,” said David Tart, managing partner of Raines.

The acquisition expands Raines’ footprint geographically beyond the Southeast, adding properties in the Southwest, including Texas and Oklahoma. As a result of the partnership, Raines adds not only its first IHG properties but also its first independent assets. The addition of HP’s independent and soft-branded properties will grow Woven by Raines, a specialized division of the company providing a unique development and management approach to boutique hotels, to a portfolio of eight hotels.

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Greater Florence Chamber crowned its 2022 Ambassador of the Year, Michael Hinson, on Wednesday, March 15th. Along with Michael are runner ups Jennifer Greene and Julie Jebaily. The event was attended by over 30 of the Ambassadors with a luncheon at the Florence Country Club.

Congratulations and thanks to all the Ambassadors for all they do to help the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

Leadership Florence had its March session (Education Day) on Tuesday, March 14th. The group visited Florence-Darlington Technical College and the FMU Luther F. Carter Center for Health Sciences.

The class also got to hear from and visit many of the many educational institutions in our community. The day included presentations from: Florence Adult Education, The Kings Academy, Virtis Academy, Trinity-Byrnes Collegiate and Florence 1 Schools.

An additional thank you goes to Wilson High School, TKA, Trinity and The School Foundation for providing lunch.

On February 27, HopeHealth hosted a dedication ceremony for the Streater Building project at The Hyatt Place Florence/Downtown. The event featured refreshments from local Black-owned businesses and provided an overview of the Streater Building’s future focused on serving seniors, Veterans, and Black men in the community.

The Streater Building is an important African American architectural landmark of the downtown business district in Florence, dating back to at least 1904 when General Armstrong Streater owned and operated a small mercantile business and grocery store out of the building. HopeHealth purchased the building, located at the corner of Dargan and Darlington Street and across from Sav-a-Lot, in 2018 to utilize it as a place to provide value-based community services outside of the traditional scope of health care.

Upon completion of its revitalization, this HopeHealth project will help strengthen community engagement and work to decrease barriers to care by enhancing the availability and accessibility of health programs.