S.C. Technical Colleges and Universities Sign Statewide Transfer Agreement

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Last Thursday, Governor Henry McMaster joined Speaker of the House Murrell Smith (R-Sumter), Senate President Thomas Alexander (R-Oconee), and leaders from the South Carolina Technical College System, Clemson University, and the University of South Carolina (USC) to sign a statewide transfer agreement between the state’s sixteen technical colleges and the two Public Research Universities that attempts to refine the transfer process and strengthen the seamless transfer of credits from technical colleges to Clemson and USC.

Specific details of the agreement include:

  • 30 or more credit hours of guaranteed acceptance and applicability to a student’s major to reduce credit loss at the time of transfer.
  • The acceptance of a minimum of 60 credit hours for students completing the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science.
  • A reverse transfer credit option enabling credits earned at Clemson or USC to be transferred back to a technical college for the completion of an associate degree.
  • The establishment of annual data sharing between the technical colleges and the public research universities.
  • A commitment to ongoing, regular collaboration through the facilitation of faculty and staff convenings.

    To read more, click here.

SC Chamber Releases 2024 Competitiveness Agenda

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Earlier this week before the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce’s annual legislative session kickoff event, Business Speaks, the SC Chamber released its annual Competitiveness Agenda which details the business community’s top legislative priorities as the 2024 session begins.

The Competitiveness Agenda, developed annually, consists of policies impacting job creators and businesses from varying industries and regions across the state. The South Carolina Chamber board approved the 2024 Competitiveness Agenda after conducting extensive grassroots outreach to hear directly from business leaders throughout S.C. about what their top challenges are in the current business climate. The SC Chamber team engaged with nearly 900 local business leaders from over 40 local chambers during the organization’s 26-stop Grassroots Tour, which helped formulate the 2024 Competitiveness Agenda.

The five areas indicated by business leaders that they would like the General Assembly to focus on during the 2024 legislative session are:

  1. Establishing a Flourishing & Resilient Talent Pipeline
  2. Bringing Fairness to an Unfair Tort System
  3. Ensuring Continued Economic Growth & Prosperity
  4. Modernizing the Tax Code
  5. Letting Businesses Do Business

The full details of the SC Chamber’s 2024 Competitiveness Agenda can be viewed here.

K2 Capital Holds Ribbon Cutting

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K2 Capital CEO, Chris Peebles, along with his wife Jennifer, and Chamber Ambassadors is welcomed as a member to the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce during his ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, January 10.

K2 Capital provides funding for entrepreneurs and business owners by providing them with essential capital for commercial real estate, business acquisitions, expansion, and working capital. With funding capabilities that rival even the largest financial institutions, combined with a team of seasoned business professionals, they are in the unique position to handle any size transaction while providing unmatched support. K2 Capital works with businesses of all sizes and industries, including start-ups, restaurants, well-established businesses, medical professionals, and nonprofit organizations. K2 Capital caters to clients who may not fit the traditional banking mold, employing a practical, case-by-case approach to lending.

K2 Capital also serves real estate investors, developers, and builders with access to commercial real estate loans that need faster processing or more flexible structuring. From CRE bridge loans that can close in as little as 2 weeks, Fix and Flip loans that fund up to up to 85% of the purchase price + 100% of renovation cost, Construction, and Investor Portfolio loans, K2 Capital offers generous loan sizes, an expedited process, certainty of close, and assistance in growth opportunities.

To see the full story, click here.

New $4 Million Development Coming To Historic Downtown Florence

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Downtown Florence is continuing its transformation with the announcement of a $4 million development to provide residential and commercial space in the historic district.

It’s the latest in a series of projects designed to spark downtown revitalization.

The new development, “The Sarah,” will be located on East NB Baroody Street and will include 18 luxury townhomes and a strip of commercial storefront, according to developer Wesley Martin.

The city of Florence approved a $500,000 grant for the project at the City Council’s Jan. 9 meeting.

“This is a good project that represents a lot of what we are striving to do in the new downtown master plan,” Assistant City Manager Clint Moore said.

To read more, click here.

Annual “Evening Of Hope” Scheduled For March 11

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Who is ready for a night of laughter for a good cause??

Join House of Hope and the Florence Center on March 11 when Jeff Foxworthy hits the stage for an evening of laughter to benefit the House of Hope. Proceeds go to those facing homelessness.

Tickets are going fast so get yours now!

Florence Police Department Accepting Applications For Sergeant Terrence Carraway Memorial Scholarship

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The Florence Police Department is thrilled to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Sergeant Terrence Carraway Memorial Scholarship!

This prestigious one-time scholarship is valued at $1,000.00 and will be awarded to four deserving students. Two individuals from Florence and two from Darlington will be receiving this incredible honor.

To apply for the scholarship, click here.

Florence Stampede and Pro Rodeo Returns To Florence Center February 2 & 3

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The Florence Stampede and Pro Rodeo, presented by Booty Brothers Western Store, rides into the Florene Center on Friday and Saturday, February 2nd and 3rd! Come see top cowboys and cowgirls go head-to-head with some of the most award-winning live stock in professional rodeo. Bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, calf roping, team roping, the lovely ladies and cowgirls barrel racing, and the ever so exciting – wild brahma bull riding!

Great for all ages – so grab the kids, grab some friends, and get to the Florence Stampede and Pro Rodeo at the Florence Center on February 2nd and 3rd.

For more information or to purchase tickets visit FlorenceCenter.com

Practical Purpose Solutions Presents “She Is Unstoppable”

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Join Practical Purpose Solutions on Saturday, January 27th from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM for “She is Unstoppable”.  The event will be held at 3362 W Palmetto St and will be an open personal & professional discussion with expert panelists, networking & more. The place where you will gain the tools to mentally, physically emotionally and financially enhance and execute your vision for 2024.

Cost is $75 per person and group rates are available. To view the full flyer, click here.

SC Senator Mia McLeod Spoke At Last Week’s Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Event

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The Greater Florence Chamber and Francis Marion University’s 25th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration took place on the campus of Francis Marion University. The event was sponsored by McLeod Health along with Spherion, Clean World USA, Starlee Alexander State Farm and iHeart Media.

The program featured several musical performances by Francis Marion students. The keynote speaker, South Carolina Senator Mia McLeod , gave a dynamic speech on the legacy of Martin Luther King and his legacy of equality and social justice.

SC Achieves Near Record Level of Capital Investment in 2023

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Last week, the South Carolina Department of Commerce released its 2023 industry recruitment results which shows that the Palmetto State continues to experience record economic development success. Throughout 2023, the state announced $9.22 billion in total capital investment, which is the second-highest amount in our history. 81 new projects were announced, creating 14,120 new jobs for South Carolinians.

The state’s two leading industry sectors, the automotive industry which includes electric vehicles (EV) and EV batteries, along with the alternative energy and fuels industry, made up the majority of the $9.2 billion investment with each sector receiving $4.3 billion and $1.6 billion in investment respectively. Florence County and the AESC project are part of this investment milestone.