Brazen Roofing Holds Ribbon Cutting

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On Wednesday, February 21st members of the Brazen Roofing Company cut their ribbon joining the Greater Florence Chamber.

Brazen Roofing prides themselves as a beacon of dedicated service and quality in the local community; built on the foundation of their core values. These values guide every facet. of their operations, shaping a company culture that goes beyond roofing:

At Brazen Roofing, their mission intertwines with their passion: forging strong, value- driven partnerships and committing to excellence in every project.

Brazen is more than a roofing company; Their approach to business is client-focused, offering a unique and engaging experience. Their seasoned expertise ensures that every project is completed with pride in their work and their team.

To read the full story, click here.

Black History Parade Held In Florence

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Several dozen cars, floats and groups lined up to march down Evans Street in Florence on Saturday, February 17th to mark Black History Month with a parade. Florence Mayor Teresa Myers Ervin and acting Florence City Manager Scotty Davis served as grand marshals.

To see more photos, click here.

Fellows In Education Visit R.N. Beck Child Development Center

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Last week, the staff and students at The R.N. Beck Child Development Center welcomed the 2023-2024 Fellows in Education class as they enjoyed a special lunch, classroom visits and guided tours around the school sharing the school vision for students being a success in reading and math as they receive opportunities for physical and emotional development.

Each month’s program centers on a different educational experience that is unique to the classroom. It offers opportunities for community leaders to contribute to the development of better education policies in the communities in which they live and work.

The Fellows in Education Program is a partnership between The School Foundation, Florence 1 Schools and The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.

To see more photos from the day, click here.

Citizens Police Academy Starts New Class On April 16

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Interested in learning more about the Florence Police Department?

Join the Citizens Police Academy starting April 16th! Classes run every Tuesday night for 6 weeks from 6pm-8pm.

Topics include Officer Development, Criminal Law, K-9 tactics, Traffic Enforcement, and Much More!

To sign up, contact Lt. Barley at bbarley@cityofforence.com or call 843-665-4008. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get an inside look at law enforcement!

State Economists Make No Changes To Revenue Forecast

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Last  week, the South Carolina Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) made no changes to the General Fund revenue forecasts for FY2023-24 and FY2024-25 which were last updated in November 2023. The BEA noted that while tax collections (including sales, corporate income, and individual income taxes) are running ahead of projected levels they are not doing so at rates high enough to warrant revenue forecast revisions. As a result, the BEA “…determined that a cautious approach was warranted in waiting to have more information…” before making any changes to the FY2023-24 or FY2024-25 revenue forecasts.

For FY2023-24, the BEA estimates General Fund revenues of $12.89 billion, leaving state budget writers with a one-time surplus of $448.1 million. Combined with the prior year’s surplus and the FY2023-24 Capital Reserve Fund, lawmakers will have $896.1 million in one-time funds available to appropriate for non-recurring purposes. For FY2024-25, the BEA estimates General Fund revenues of $13.21 billion, meaning that budget writers will likely have $673.1 million in new recurring revenues to appropriate during this year’s budget process. More information on the BEA’s forecast can be found here.

For more information, click here.

Sonoco of Hartsville Celebrates 125 Years In Business

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Sonoco of Hartsville is celebrating 125 years in business last week.

Sonoco started in 1899 as a small and humble company in a rented warehouse and has now more than 300 operations in 33 counties and employs more than 23,000 people.

The company’s products and services include consumer packaging, protective packaging, healthcare packaging and industrial services.

The company’s CEO and President Howard Coker has been with Sonoco for 38 years and said they serve some of the world’s best-known brands in consumer, industrial and other markets.

To read the full story, click here.

The Merge – Battle of the Bands Returns To Florence Center April 13th

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6 bands confirmed with only ONE spot left for one more band! Looking forward to seeing Cross Keys HS Tribe Of Funk Marching Band, Mullins High School Band Program, Columbia High School Band Program – Huntsville, Al, Cross High School Trojans, Wilson High School Marching Tiger Pride Band and Woodland High School Marching Wolverines!! With a very special celebrity guest appearance to be announced very soon! Get your tickets now!

The Coolest Product Contest Is Back

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South Carolina is home to thousands of manufacturers creating products used daily throughout the world. And the Pee Dee Region is no stranger to some of the coolest things made in South Carolina. The South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance is holding a contest to determine the coolest product produced. You can nominate your favorite business/product and it could end up winning the title of the Coolest Thing Made in South Carolina!

Nominations for the 2024 contest are now open. Submit your favorite South Carolina-made products through Thursday, February 22, then return here on Monday, February 26 to cast your vote for your favorite products!

For more information, click here.

Registration Open For Emerging Leaders Summer Institute

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The Emerging Leaders Summer Institute is a program designed to generate professional training and development, mentorship, community engagement and recruitment opportunities.

The purpose is to identify, develop and empower “Emerging Leaders”, specifically minorities, small business owners and innovative professionals poised to move into the next level of community and business leadership.

Program Strategies

  • Communicate with community leaders and businesses
  • Professional and personal leadership development and civic engagement
  • Extensive networking with a diverse group of peers
  • Discovering your strengths and how to apply them as a leader

For more information, click here.

Chamber Outlook Luncheon Scheduled For March 20

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The keynote speaker for the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce annual Outlook Luncheon on Wednesday, March 20, will be Howard Coker, President, and CEO of Sonoco in Hartsville, SC. Mr. Coker’s role at Sonoco has global leadership, sales and operating responsibility for all of the Company’s diversified consumer, industrial and protective packaging businesses.

We expect to hear Mr. Coker talk about the growth of his company, product innovation and the general economic outlook here in South Carolina, along with some conversation about international business.

The program will include the announcement of the Small Business Person of the Year, which is sponsored by Dedicated Community Bank, and the Public Servant of the Year, which is sponsored by Francis Marion University.

The Chamber’s Ambassador of the Year will also be recognized.

The luncheon will be held at the Florence Center with doors opening at 11:30am and the program to begin at 12 noon. Individual registration is $40 for members and $50 for non-members. Special reserved tables of 8 are available at $475.

To register online, click here.