Gary Lowder & Smoking Hot Band to Headline Florence After Five Concert this Friday

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Don’t miss this exciting Florence After Five concert coming up THIS Friday in the heart of downtown!

The fun starts at 5:30 pm on S. Dargan St. between Evans and Cheves, with the Gary Lowder & Smoking Hot band taking the stage at 6 pm.

The event is free and open to the public and will even feature a free kids’ zone! Don’t miss it.

You can find out more about the concert by clicking on the link below:
Facebook Event Page

FDTC to Host Back 2 School Bash on July 30

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florence-darlington-technical-college-1

(image courtesy: College Times)

Chamber member, Florence-Darlington Technical College is set to host a Back 2 School Bash! Find the details below from the Morning News:

Morning News article:

“Florence-Darlington Technical College will play host to the annual Back 2 School Bash, along with the inaugural Full Throttle for Education Car Show on July 30 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission to the event is free.

The Back 2 School Bash will encompass the front of the main campus with the mission to collect donated school supplies for students in the community. A limited number of school supplies will be given away at the event; however, the college will raise more donated items during the Back 2 School Bash that will be given away at a later date.”

Read the complete article by clicking on the link below:

SCnow.com web article- FDTC Back 2 School Bash

City Center Farmer’s Market This Saturday

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From the City Center Farmer’s Market:

We have a very full market this week, with several new vendors we hope you’ll check out! This week we’ll enjoy the goods of:

A&B Farm – garlic, potatoes, eggs, and more from Gamil Ibrahim.
Breads & Threads – sweet potato bread, sourdough bread, breakfast rolls, etc.
Brooklyn South Deli – marinara sauces, handmade pasta, take and heat lasagna, cookies and baklava.
Fisher Road Oils & Honey – beeswax items: candles, melts, balms, honey soaps, and more.
Florence County Master Gardeners – covered by a Master Gardener. Varies each month.
*Five Loves Handmade Baskets – rope baskets, totes, and plant hangers.
Freckles & Giggles Homemade Ice Cream – packaged to take home or eat right away.
Hobby Farmers of America – covered by an HFA member. varies each market day.
Hickson’s Produce – locally grown and other fruits and vegetables, boiled peanuts, and pork rinds.
Lulu’s Barkery – homemade dog treats.
Ovis Hill Farm – certified organic veggies, eggs, non-gmo and pasture-raised chicken, beef, pork, sausage, as well as Happy Cow Creamery milk, butter from grass fed cows, cheese, and local wild caught fish.
Paul & Sophia – exquisite illustrations, homemade soap, and other nice surprises.
Tracks Cafe – making breakfast and lunch using items right from the market!
Watson’s Woodworks – Handmade chairs and other wood items.
Wild Earth Herbals – herbal wellness products: tincutres, teas, bath products, salves, aromatherapy.
And a 7 year old named Whit selling figs!

We’ll see you at the market!

Morning News Coverage of YP and Chamber Lunch & Learn: Fair Labor Standards Act

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(image courtesy: Joe Perry/ Morning News)

Special thanks to the Morning News for their coverage of the YP and Chamber Lunch & Learn that brought participants information on upcoming changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
You can see more of the coverage by clicking on the link below:

SCnow.com web article- Lunch & Learn: Fair Labor Standards Act

State Credit Union Recognized in Top 200 Rankings from DepositAccounts.com

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scu logo     deposit accounts
Congratulations to Chamber member, State Credit Union, on its recognition for the third straight year as one of the Top 200 Healthiest Credit Unions in America! The recognition was given by DepositAccounts.com, which evaluates the financial health of
every federally insured credit union in the United States – more than 6,000 total.
 
Each institution is graded on a number of factors, including capitalization, deposit growth, and loan to reserve ratios, in
order to determine a comprehensive health score.
From the list of 6,003 credit unions, DepositAccounts.com recognizes those who have shown exceptional fiduciary responsibility in its 2016 edition of the Top 200 Healthiest Credit Unions in America.

Fair Labor Standards Act Seminar Highlights Upcoming Overtime Changes

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A large crowd was on hand Wednesday for the YP and Chamber Lunch & Learn on the Fair Labor Standards Act! The presentation is taking place at the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation Library.
 
Reynolds Williams, Mark W. Buyck III, Chamber President Mike Miller and Young Professionals President Meggie Baker are working together to present the program on the new overtime rule that could impact business owners, overall business finances and employees.
 
Thank you to everyone taking part and please feel free to tag yourself if you are featured in the photos and to share the album as well.
 
More information on the FLSA:
 
The Overtime Rule
In 2014, President Obama directed the Secretary of Labor to update the overtime regulations to reflect the original intent of the Fair Labor Standards Act and to simplify and modernize the rules so they’re easier for workers and businesses to understand and apply. The department has issued a final rule that will put more money in the pockets of middle class workers – or give them more free time.
The final rule will:
Raise the salary threshold indicating eligibility from $455/week to $913 ($47,476 per year), ensuring protections to 4.2 million workers.
Automatically update the salary threshold every three years, based on wage growth over time, increasing predictability.
Strengthen overtime protections for salaried workers already entitled to overtime.
Provide greater clarity for workers and employers.
The final rule will become effective on December 1, 2016, giving employers more than six months to prepare. The final rule does not make any changes to the duties test for executive, administrative and professional employees.
To view the entire gallery of images click on the link below:
Facebook Album: YP Lunch & Learn: Fair Labor Standards Act

YP Lunch & Learn : Fair Labor Standards Act Takes Place Today at Drs. Bruce and Lee Library

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Don’t forget to join us today at noon at the Drs. Bruce and Lee Library for the YP Lunch and Learn: Fair Labor Standards Act program.

The session promises to be an informative update on pending changes to the “overtime rule.”

You must have pre-registered for the event to attend. We’ll see you there!

 

For more information on the event, click below:

Facebook Event Page: YP Lunch & Learn/ Fair Labor Standards Act

 

SC Chamber Accepting Applications for 2016 Workplace Diversity Awards

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From the SC Chamber of Commerce:

“We’re excited to announce that we are now accepting nominations for the 12th Annual Excellence in Workplace Diversity Award! This award recognizes companies for their significant contributions to the advancement of South Carolina through diversity initiatives and inclusion efforts.”

Click on the link below to learn more and submit your nomination:

SC Chamber Workplace in Diversity Award Application

Weekly Arts & Entertainment Roundup for the Florence Area

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(images courtesy: Florence Regional Arts Alliance & Florence County Museum)

Here’s a look at everything going on this week in the Florence Arts Community, courtesy of the Florence Regional Arts Alliance & Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Click on the link below to find out about everything from summer camps for the kids, to craft and painting classes to exhibits at the Florence County Museum!

Florence Arts List of Current Events

Downtown Florence, Chamber Offices Become Backdrop for Upcoming Film

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(image courtesy: Robby Hill)

The streets of Downtown Florence and even our very own Chamber offices were turned into a movie set this past weekend!

Special thanks to Chamber Board member Robby Hill for snapping the above pic of all the action.

According to Hill’s post, crews from “G It’s Entertainment” were in town filming scenes for an upcoming Hallmark movie and used downtown Florence as part of their backdrop!

We can’t wait to see how it all turns out. Stay tuned for additional details.