History, hospitality key in getting SCGA Amateur back to FCC

/in , , , /by

florencecc

By: Mark Haseldon, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. — This is a big week for Florence Country Club, and the folks there aren’t making any bones about it.

When the SCGA Amateur Championship Presented by McLeod Health tees off there Thursday, it will mark the first time since 1983 a golf ball has been struck in that tournament at FCC.

The club and its members are embracing the opportunity, head golf pro Steve Behr said.

 “We’re really looking forward to it,” Behr said. “Our members have been very helpful. There are a lot of them volunteering, spotting, scoring, a lot of our juniors are doing live scoring and standard bearing. Everybody has been working together very well.”

FCC certainly is no stranger to hosting SCGA events. Each October, the SCGA Super Seniors is played there, and the John Orr junior leadership camp hosts about 50 kids for a weekend each November.

But the SCGA Amateur, the association’s “crown jewel” event each year, has had a long hiatus from FCC.

SCGA Executive Director Happ Lathrop said Florence and other older clubs have somewhat been the victim of the golf club explosion in South Carolina in the 1990s, which saw the establishment of courses like Colleton River Plantation (Bluffton) and The Reserve Club (Pawleys Island).

“We tried one time years ago to get a 10-year cycle going for clubs to host the Amateur, but it didn’t work out,” Lathrop said. “Then in the 90s, they started building such fine clubs like Colleton River. You’ve had so many great golf courses open up.”

But as it turned out, all it took was an invitation. Ben Ziegler, an FCC member who has a seat on the SCGA board of directors executive committee, played a key role in getting the tournament back to FCC, Lathrop said.

“He asked me one day how long it had been since we had played it in Florence,” Lathrop said. “I told him it had been a long time. He said, ‘Well, you ought to come here.’”

The rest is history.

Lathrop said the enthusiasm from the FCC staff, club and membership made a difference, as well as the golf course itself.

Lathrop praised the efforts of course superintendent Dru Clark for getting and keeping the course in shape.

“We don’t have to worry about whether the course is championship caliber,” Lathrop said.

 The way the people at FCC have reacted to hosting the tournament is a plus, as well, Lathrop said.

“We have a lot of good members from there playing in our tournaments and they seem excited to have us,” Lathrop said. “It’s been around a long time, there’s a lot of history. It has held more state amateurs than any of our clubs. This is an opportunity to go back and relive history.”

Like Lathrop said, Florence Country Club and the SCGA Amateur do have plenty of history together.

This will be the ninth time the tournament has been played at FCC, which was built in 1924.

The SCGA Amateur was played at FCC in 1934, 1942, 1951, 1956, 1962, 1966, 1974 and 1983.

Florence native James Clemmons Jr. won the 1956 event, and Florence native Billy Womack won in 1962 and 1966.

“History is important for us when we’re picking a venue for this,” Lathrop said. “Florence deserves this. Sometimes a club just deserves to have a big dance at their club and if anybody does, it’s FCC for the way they’ve supported us.”

SCNow Web Article – History, hospitality key in getting SCGA Amateur back to FCC

Forever Homes: The 10 Best Places in America to Age in Place

/in , , , /by

By: www.realtor.com

That’s where realtor.com®’s data team comes in. We figured out the best metros for middle-agers who may just be starting to slow down—or, now that the kids are gone, just starting to rev up. “Our current generation of boomers don’t want to do those for-old people things,” says Jana Lynott, senior policy adviser on livable communities for AARP. “We encourage [people to consider] neighborhoods where you can walk to a variety of services you access on a daily basis, like banks, public transportation, shopping, restaurants.”

To determine the best places to age in place, we took the 300 largest metros and evaluated them for affordability and health services, and then made sure these were locations people would really want to spend their golden years. To ensure geographic diversity, we limited the list to one per state. Here are our final criteria:

  • Number of homes already adapted for seniors, looking at realtor.com listings with keywords like “universal design,” “ground-floor master suite,” “senior-friendly,” and “no-step entry”
  • Percentage of residents older than 65*
  • Low cost of living*
  • Number of home health aides per senior*
  • Number of hospitals per capita*
  • Number of senior centers per capita*
  • Number of singles 55 and up*
  • Number of sunny days*
  • Number of golf courses per capita*

One shocker: Florida did not come out on top. Miami—once known as “God’s Waiting Room,” for its preponderance of elderly residents—ranked only as the 113th best U.S. city to age in place. The very worst to age in place is Burlington, VT. But we didn’t make access to Ben & Jerry’s ice cream one of our criteria. Our bad.

Best-metros-to-age-in-place
Best-metros-to-age-in-place

Want to know more? Put on the designer spectacles and keep reading.

1. Florence, SC

Median home list price: $165,200

Michael Miller, head of Florence’s Chamber of Commerce, concedes that this city was once known as the “Denture Capital of the World.” But don’t be put off: This has become a lively and diverse place. Since 2010, the city has been hard at work on redeveloping its downtown area, which now boasts an $18 million library and a new art, science, and history museum—just the thing for folks with increasing amounts of time on their hands.
The area is also a regional medical hub, with one of the nation’s highest concentrations of hospitals and home health aides. And more than 22,000 of its housing units have been designed or modified to accommodate older residents. This may be why several of local Realtor® Laraine Stevens‘ clients in their 50s have relocated to the area from the oh-so-much-more-expensive Northeast. More of her buyers are seeking single-story homes or residences with ground-floor master suites.

“The cost of living is very affordable, and our taxes are lower compared to bigger cities,” says Stevens, of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services. “You have a more temperate climate. You’re not fighting the snow and the blizzards.”

Click the link below to view the entire article on realtor.com.

Realtor.com Web Article – Forever Homes: The 10 Best Places in America to Age in Place

Ribbon Cutting: Family Heritage

/in , , , , /by

By: Jessica Imbimbo, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. – The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday for Family Heritage Life Insurance Company at the Chamber office in downtown Florence.

Family Heritage Life Insurance Company of America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torchmark Corporation and provides supplemental health and life insurance to its clients.

Family Heritage Life is licensed in 49 states and serves thousands of American families across the nation. It has received numerous awards for outstanding customer service and community outreach.

Gina Gilliard, an insurance agent for Heritage Family Life, had the honor of cutting the ribbon during the ceremony. As a Pee Dee native, Gilliard said she is excited to bring Family Heritage Life into the Florence community.

“It means a lot to join the chamber,” Gilliard said. “It means a lot to work with businesses here in Florence. We’re opening up the doors.”

City of Florence awarded Municipal Association of South Carolina Achievement Award

/in , , , /by

The City of Florence has done it again! Let’s all celebrate the fifth consecutive Municipal Association of South Carolina Achievement Award for superior and innovative efforts in local government. Congrats to our city leadership team.

Florence Chamber combines expo with Business After Hours

/in , , , /by

By: Jessica Imbimbo, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. – More than 50 people attended the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce’s PRISM Expo & Business After Hours event on Thursday evening.

The event was held at Reflection Images at 157 W. Evans St. from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Approximately 15 local companies including SC Works, Edward Jones Investments, ScienceSouth and Coker College set up booths for the event to promote their business and network with other community leaders.

 The PRISM (Promoting the Inclusion of Small and Minority Businesses) Expo doubled as a Business After Hours event for Reflection Images, a professional photography studio in downtown Florence. Les Echols, director of community and minority enterprise for the chamber, said the idea to combine the two events into one was helpful for both the chamber and all of the businesses who participated.

“The expo has been a tradition of ours,” Echols said. “By having it in a more intimate setting the attendance is good and they get to see that the attendance is good. If you had these guys in the civic center it would look like no one is in there.”

Business owners and ambassadors were able to put their companies on display and network with other local business leaders. Echols said events such as these help promote small businesses in the area, which will help Florence keep moving in a positive direction.

“That’s why we keep doing it,” Echols said. “We want local businesses to get as much exposure as possible and that’s the bottom line.”

SCNow Web Article – Florence Chamber combines expo with Business After Hours

New Florence shuttle connects downtown to Civic Center hotels

/in , , , /by

By: Joshua Lloyd, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. – Two of Florence’s main attraction hubs are now connected via shuttle.

The Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority announced “Downtown Connect” on Monday morning; a free shuttle that runs between major attractions in downtown Florence and hotels near the Florence Civic Center.

The shuttle service began running with Monday’s announcement. It will operate from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Fridays.

This shuttle is free and will run non-stop every 30 minute from downtown to eight hotels along Hospitality and Radio Drives.

Charles MacNeil, executive director of the PDRTA, said this service will make it easier for visitors to access Florence’s growing downtown.

“We get to appreciate what Florence has to offer everyday but this is an opportunity to extend our hospitality to visitors,” he said. “We’re working with the hotels to make sure everyone knows all about the service.”

Many of the hotels near the Civic Center operate a high capacity year round due to close proximity to two interstates, as wells chain brand restaurants and shopping centers. Officials said this service will provide those visitors easy access to Florence’s unique downtown.

“There’s certainly no shortage of restaurants in the Hospitality district but they’re all chains,” said Ray Reich, downtown development director. “In downtown we’re all independently owned. A lot of travelers want to see what makes a city unique and this service will give them a chance to visit downtown without ever having to move their car.”

Reich said if the shuttle does well there’s potential to expand service into Saturday night as well.

SCNow Web Article – New Florence shuttle connects downtown to Civic Center hotels

Otis Elevator outgrowing its Florence facility; expansion coming, officials say

/in , , , /by

otisexp

By: Joshua Lloyd, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. – With approximately 700 employees and a nearly 500,000-square-foot facility, Otis Elevator in Florence is one of the largest employers in the Pee Dee region and one of the top manufacturers in the state.

Despite an already stellar presence and rapid local growth, Otis officials say more growth is coming for the Florence site.

“We need more manufacturing space, as well as more press equipment and more space for supplier components,” said Brad Selleck, Otis’ North American vice president and manager of the Florence plant. “There’s definitely more expansion coming in the future. We’re working through that now.”

Details weren’t available on what exactly a facility expansion would entail or when it could happen, but Selleck told the Florence Rotary Club on Monday that the Florence plant is moving toward adding escalator production to its repertoire.

“We’re working on a plan to relocate escalator production to the Florence factory,” Selleck said. “We’re looking at numbers on an expansion and what types of skills we’re going to need. We’re still evaluating, so there’s more to come on that.”

An approach that’s helped Otis in Florence become an economic powerhouse, not only locally but internationally, is diversity.

“In Florence we have 16 countries represented and 14 languages spoken in the building,” Selleck said. “It’s different, it’s progressive and it’s a great recruiting tool. You can feel the cultural difference, and that’s key when recruiting the best employees.”

Otis in Florence produces a variety of full elevator systems, including hydraulic and belt-drive models. Many of the materials produced in Florence are energy conserving and compact to minimize the environmental impact.

Approximately five years ago, Otis purchased the old Maytag facility that sits on 92 acres northwest of Interstate 95 at U.S. 52. The initial investment was $40 million with 360 jobs.

SCNow Web Article – Otis Elevator outgrowing its Florence facility; expansion coming, officials say

Ruiz Foods announces $79 million expansion, 705 additional jobs

/in , , /by

ruizexp

By: Jessica Imbimbo, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. – Ruiz Foods executives announced the details of a $79 million plant expansion on Tuesday morning during a “fiesta” at their Florence facility at 2557 Florence Harllee Blvd.

The expansion will include the addition of three production lines as well as added warehouse and office space. The construction of the production lines will double the facility’s current capacity and add 705 jobs over the next seven years, according to Ruiz Foods President and CEO Rachel Cullen.

Cullen said Ruiz Foods plans to break ground on the expansion this fall.

“As our products continue to gain popularity, we need additional capacity, which means more jobs,” Cullen said. “We are here to grow and be successful. We’re here to announce today that we’re not done.”

The expansion announcement comes three years almost to the day that Ruiz Foods held its grand opening in Florence on July 15, 2014. The company moved to Florence after acquiring the former H.J. Heinz facility and currently employs more than 500 people.

Keith White, maintenance manager at Ruiz Foods, worked for Heinz when Ruiz Foods bought the site and was one of the first people to be employed at the new plant. White said he is surprised how quickly the company has grown, and he is happy to be a part of the Ruiz Foods team.

“To go from being here by myself to now we’re over 500 people and we’re going to go to over 1,200 people. It’s pretty amazing,” White said. “I didn’t expect it to happen this fast.”

White and several other Ruiz Foods employees were recognized by Cullen during the expansion celebration. Cullen was one of the distinguished guests who spoke during event, including South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, S.C. Senate President Pro Tempore Hugh K. Leatherman and Ruiz Foods Chairman Kim Ruiz Beck.

Beck is a member of the third generation of the Ruiz Foods family who talked about the company’s humble beginnings in 1964. Ruiz Foods was founded by Beck’s father and grandfather. They produced 40 pounds of food each day out of their home. Now, the company employees more than 3,600 people in three states and can produce 40 pounds of food in six seconds.

Beck grew emotional as she acknowledged her father, Fred Ruiz, during the expansion celebration, saying she feels immense pride when she reflects on all the company has accomplished and the decision to build a plant in Florence.

“We’re extremely proud of our team,” Beck said. “It is just such a pleasure to be a part of such an enthusiastic, welcoming and hard-working community. We are forever grateful.”

“This just validates everything that we strive to do,” Ruiz said. “And Kim is keeping it going. It just warms my heart. It doesn’t get any better than that from a dad’s perspective.”

El Monterey is the flagship frozen Mexican food brand for Ruiz Foods and the top-selling brand of frozen Mexican food in the nation. Tornados, also distributed nationally, is the company’s snack brand and a leader on convenience store roller grills.

While producing Mexican cuisine, Ruiz Foods also concentrates on public service and contributing to surrounding communities. In the Florence area, programs such as Ruiz 4 Kids and Ruiz Cares allow the company to support local residents. During its expansion celebration, Beck and Ruiz Foods announced the donation of $100,000 to McLeod Regional Medical Center to benefit its child life center.

SCNow Web Article – Ruiz Foods announces $79 million expansion, 705 additional jobs

HopeHealth’s new addition to open for patients July 17

/in , , , /by

hopehealth

Credit: Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. — Phase II of the HopeHealth Medical Plaza in Florence will open its doors to patients July 17.

Moving dates for services to move from the HopeHealth offices on Palmetto Street to the new facilities on North Irby Street are scheduled for July 13, 14, and 15. During the move, there will be no disruption to services in Phase I of the Medical Plaza or for behavioral health services at the Palmetto Street office. Patients needing prompt assistance should call 843-667-9414 and speak to the answering service.

 The second phase of construction adds an additional 40,000-plus square feet to the Medical Plaza including conference rooms and classroom areas for the HopeHealth Diabetes and Nutrition Center, as well as expanded spaces for pediatrics and women’s health services already at the plaza. Services relocating from the Palmetto Street offices include chiropractic services, pain management, infectious diseases, and dental. In addition, CARE House of the Pee Dee, a children’s advocacy center, will relocate from Patton Drive, Florence, to offices adjacent to pediatrics and a new meditation garden.

HopeHealth is one of 21 nonprofit, federally-qualified health centers in South Carolina and provides quality and affordable health care services to individuals in Florence, Clarendon, and Williamsburg Counties.

SCNow Web Article – HopeHealth’s new addition to open for patients July 17

Groundwork begins on Hyatt Place in downtown Florence

/in , , , /by

hyatt

By: Joshua Lloyd, Morning News

FLORENCE, S.C. – Construction on the $15 million, five-story, 103-room Hyatt Place hotel in downtown Florence is finally underway.

The project will take between a year and 16 months to complete, depending on weather conditions. A grand opening is expected sometime in 2018.

“They’re starting to do test driving for the piles and some piling work, but right now they’re at the very beginning of the process,” said Florence City Manager Drew Griffin. “We’re very excited that’s it’s moving along.”

 Griffin said there won’t be any road closings downtown during the hotel’s construction.

The hotel is being developed by SpringBridge Development and will be managed by Raines Hospitality, a locally owned group that manages several hotels throughout Florence.

“One of the conditions we put into play with the Hyatt was that we didn’t want to completely block any of the roads,” Griffin said. “Traffic may go to one lane for a short period of time, but there should never be a total closure.”

The new hotel is expected to create 30 jobs by the time it opens in the first quarter of 2018. It will feature around-the-clock food service, a bar and an outdoor pool as well as 1,250 square feet of meeting space with an outdoor terrace.

The project was announced more than a year ago, though it was known under code name “Project Tulip” months before it was publicly revealed.

SCNow Web Article – Groundwork begins on Hyatt Place in downtown Florence