The Mandy Simpson State Farm hosted a Business After Hours event with the Florence Chamber on Thursday, April 27th. Guests enjoyed live music by Sideswiped, door prizes and networking with the local business community. Mandy Simpson State Farm is located in the Huntington Plaza at 204 Second Loop Road in Florence.
Picture credit: Jessica Imbimbo, Morning News
“The South Carolina Arts Commission has named downtown Florence as the newest state-recognized cultural district. A cultural district is an easily identifiable geographic area with a concentration of arts facilities and assets that support cultural, artistic and economic activity. The cultural district designation was created by the S.C. General Assembly and Gov. Nikki Haley in 2014.
The City of Florence and the Florence Regional Arts Alliance worked with local leaders and Arts Commission staff to develop a map of cultural assets and a strategic plan for the district. City officials will use the cultural district designation to attract visitors and residents to downtown and promote the area as a hub of arts and culture.
“This cultural district designation from the South Carolina Arts Commission is a tremendous honor,” said Florence City Council member George Jebailey. “This designation recognizes the hard work done over the last 17 years by a community committed to a unified vision to create a detailed master plan establishing a purposeful clustering of multiple arts venues in downtown Florence. Through the collaboration of the many public-private partners working together on this unified vision, we have seen the master plan become a reality leading to this important designation. We anticipate that many new opportunities will now be available for us to promote both the City of Florence and the entire Pee Dee Region as an important destination for arts, culture and entertainment.”
“Receiving the S.C. state recognition of a designated cultural district will assist in our ongoing marketing of downtown Florence as a tourist destination,” said Florence Downtown Development Manager Ray Reich. “The Vision 2010 Initiative that was created in 2000, as well as the 2010 Downtown Master Plan, envisioned downtown as a place featuring a string of cultural pearls. The first pearl in the string was the library, followed by the Florence Little Theatre, and then the FMU Performing Arts Center, followed by the new museum, as well as many other cultural amenities that have been developed in recent years in our beautiful and historic downtown. This designation affirms that we are well in our way to achieving the vision of a string of cultural pearls. However, this is just the beginning, and while we have created an outstanding foundation, the work will not stop as we continue to work together as a community to live up to our new community brand of being a community full of life and moving full forward with more amenities.””
Read the rest of the article at the link below.
SC Arts Hub Web Article – Florence is the newest South Carolina Cultural District
“FLORENCE, S.C. – Lane’s Professional Pest Elimination, the largest privately owned pest-elimination service in the state, was honored at a ribbon cutting Wednesday afternoon after joining the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce.
Lane’s Professional Pest Elimination has been in business since 1985 and services countless residential and commercial structures from Georgia up to North Carolina. In the Florence area, Lane’s keeps unwanted pests from ravaging popular businesses and restaurants including Red Bone Alley and Town Hall.
Roy Snowden, account service liaison for Lane’s Pest Elimination, said becoming a part of the Greater Florence Chamber is a welcome step for both him and the company.
Lane’s continually educates its technicians and provides training using advanced pest management techniques and products. The company also offers long-term pest-management plans that can be arranged on a one-time, monthly, quarterly or seasonal basis.
Snowden has worked for Lane’s for close to a year and said the company does an exceptional job remaining competitive with its nationally recognized counterparts.
Snowden added that the company has a reputation not only for reasonable prices and outstanding results, but also for emphasizing the importance of first-rate customer service.
“Our service is second to none,” Snowden said. “When Lane started this company his first priority was customer service. Second was service. And we still hold true to that.”
SCNow Web Article – Lane’s Professional Pest Elimination joins Chamber
Photo/Article Credit: Kendall McGee, WBTW
“FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – The City of Florence unveiled its new branding Friday afternoon at the Waters Building on Dargan Street.
“Full Life. Full Forward. Florence South Carolina,” one logo read.
Business owners, city leaders and even local cheerleaders attended the brand launch.
“We have created an identity for Florence, and today what we are doing with our brand initiative is identifying what the people in Florence feel like. We’ve done over 700 interviews to find out what they think and what they want out of a community,” said restaurant owner Tim Norwood.
In the past four years, over $150 million has been invested in downtown Florence, the mayor confirms.
“Well I will tell you what, you know obviously downtown has kinda been the epicenter of the movement that’s been going on in Florence for the past several years but it really expands throughout the entire community and it gives a focal point really for this change that are going on and can really be seen in concrete fashion,” said Mayor Stephen Wukela.
A street fair is planned for Friday evening that will include live music, food vendors, and giveaways. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. and giveaways start at 7:15 p.m.
City leaders will also attend two branding workshops in April to ensure the community understands the new marketing message and to also build awareness of the new campaign.”
Article/Photo Credit: Joshua Lloyd, Morning News
FLORENCE, S.C. – Every year for the past 16 years business leaders and politicians from Florence County have converged in state’s Capitol for a legislative day that entails a statehouse tour and a talk with politicians about current affairs. This year the progress of major industry in Florence County was the hot-ticket item.
Twenty-five stories above Columbia at the Capitol City Club, Gov. Henry McMaster addressed the movers and shakers of Florence County, and had nothing but positive remarks for the county’s progress.
“Right now Florence County is going off the charts,” McMaster said. “I’ve been going to Florence since I was a child and it’s inspirational to see the changes happening now. The people have always been great but now the performance is catching up with the vision.”
McMaster said Florence is growing right along with places like Charleston and Greenville, something that’s good for the Pee Dee region as a whole. He said business expansions in the county, like GE’s upcoming $40 million project and Honda’s $45 million expansion, are pushing the state’s economy forward.
“We have all the assets in this state to go straight to the top, but the question is what we will do with it,” he said. “We have the vision. We have the institutions. We have the people.”
In addition to McMaster, some of Florence County’s House delegates attebded the event.
Democratic Rep. Roger Kirby said the county is positioned to see even greater growth in the coming years.
“We’ve got the infrastructure. We’ve got the higher education. We’ve got industry. We’ve got solid leadership,” he said. “All the pieces are there. Plus we have a team effort, which will go a long way. We’re quickly becoming a part of the statewide conversation.”
Republican Rep. Phillip Lowe echoed that sentiment.
“The pace that we’re setting with growth is unbelievable,” he said. “Great things have been happening, and I think some more major things are going to happen in the next few years.”
Attendees wrapped up the day with a reception at the Columbia Museum of Art, where state officials got a chance to meet with Florence County businesses.
The Florence County legislative day is funded by Florence County, the city of Florence and Florence County Progress.
SCNow Web Article – Florence County growth lauded in Columbia on Legislative Day
City of Florence has a new logo, motto
Reprinted with permission from the Morning News
By: Joshua Lloyd, Morning News
FLORENCE, S.C. – “Full Life. Full Forward.”
For the past year and a half, the city of Florence has researched possibilities for a new citywide brand campaign to couple its progressive path of growth and redevelopment.
With the help of business people, more than 700 personal interviews, an outside marketing team and seemingly countless suggestions, the city has a new brand – Full Life. Full Forward.
The city will unveil the new brand at 11 a.m. today in the Waters Building in downtown Florence, followed by a block party at 6 p.m.
Tim Norwood, chairman of the Florence Downtown Development Corporation and owner of Victors restaurant, said the brand has a twofold purpose.
“This has an internal marketing component for citizens and customers of Florence, and an external marketing component for visitors who pass through here every day,” he said. “There’s a culture change happening in Florence and people are proud that we’re becoming more progressive and more invested. There are also a lot of people who don’t know what we’re doing here, so this will work on both fronts.”
The idea is to capture the essence of what the people of Florence feel in the present, and nod to the growth happening in the city.
“We didn’t want something was too big to be believable,” Norwood said. “Everybody we interviewed has the full life here, and everything they do lives here. We’re also full forward with direction we’re headed and what we see Florence becoming.”
The Holiday Band will perform at the evening party, which will happen rain or shine. In case of inclement weather, the party will move inside the Waters building.
On Monday and Tuesday, Avant Marketing group will host “Living the Brand” workshops for area business leaders who want to incorporate the brand into their business. Avant assisted the city in establishing the new brand.”
For those that haven’t experienced downtown Florence, you’re missing out. Fortunately, you have more chances to enjoy the fun throughout the coming months.
For more pictures from this event, click here.
Photo/Article Credit: Jessica Imbimbo, The Morning News
“FLORENCE, S.C. – GE Healthcare will be holding a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday at their facility on 3001 West Radio Drive to initiate a $40 million expansion that will create approximately 100 new jobs.
State and county leaders, along with GE Healthcare executives and other prominent figures in the Florence area, will attend the groundbreaking scheduled for noon on Tuesday.
According to Greg Cunningham, human resource business partner of GE Healthcare, a select few VIPs will be touring the facility prior to the groundbreaking ceremony. A press release with further details on the expansion and hiring will be circulated Tuesday morning prior to the ceremony.
This expansion comes in the wake of the 16-acre solar farm constructed last summer and a $17 million addition in 2013. Dale Wolf, shop operations executive at GE, said the company is eager to grow during what is a very progressive time for the Florence area.
“We’re excited to build an even larger presence in Florence County and work with even more talented South Carolinians,” Wolf said in an op-ed sent to the Morning News. “We are fortunate to operate in a state that recognizes the importance of manufacturing and is actively supporting additional growth.”
Florence’s 500,000-square-foot facility is responsible for building components for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices and other medical imaging systems. Wolf said each MRI magnet is made up of 2,500 different parts made by 170 different suppliers, and that one component of that single GE product supports 8,400 jobs.
Currently, GE Healthcare employs approximately 350 people in the Florence area, and with the expansion and additional hires, Wolf said GE Healthcare hopes to continue to be an economic leader both locally and statewide.
“We are committed to Florence, and we are honored that Florence and the state of South Carolina is so committed to us in return.””
SCNow Web Article – GE Healthcare launching $40 million expansion, creating 100 new jobs
Article/Photo Credit: Jessica Imbimbo, The Morning News
“FLORENCE, S.C. – More than 40 community leaders attended the Building Bridges Diversity and Leadership Summit on Monday to address diversity issues and discuss ways to promote inclusion in daily life.
Now in its twentieth year, the Building Bridges program enables participants to start a dialogue about otherwise unspoken and typically sensitive topics such as racial or religious division and other types of discrimination.
Members of various Florence companies and organizations attended the summit, including Honda, Florence County Sheriff’s Office, Red Cross, Florence School District One and Francis Marion University, among others. The summit was presented by the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce and was held on the campus of Carolinas Hospital System at the Floyd Conference Center.
“It’s very important that business people get together and hear the message,” Echols said. “We want to make sure we do our due diligence.”
The program included multiple panel discussions by those in attendance to bring awareness to different types of issues including gender bias, religion in the workplace, and how to be accepting of others’ differences. Moderators helped lead discussions and keep the conversation flowing in a constructive way.
This year’s Building Bridges summit also featured two notable speakers: Teresa Ramey and Dr. Willette Burnham-Williams. Ramey, the vice president of student affairs and dean of students at Francis Marion University, gave a presentation on cultural competency and how it is a key component for inclusion in the workplace.
Ramey said having cultural competency is “having a different mindset” and being able to understand and appropriately respond to different cultural variables without seeming insensitive or offensive.
“It’s a behavior, it’s an action,” Ramey said. “It’s about understanding and giving everyone an opportunity.”
Dr. Williams, chief diversity officer at the Medical University of South Carolina, gave the keynote address. During her speech, Williams talked about her memories of racial segregation as a young girl living in Kingstree and how she strives now as an adult to promote inclusion both in her career and daily interactions.
“We will need the tenacity, the willingness and — somehow — the fortitude to stand up in the midst of the intolerable and say ‘Not today,’” Williams said. “If we’re going to be competitors in the world workforce we have to be inclusionary in what that workforce looks like.”
Williams said the journey toward inclusion is sometimes a lengthy, risky and complex one, but ultimately it is a goal worth achieving.
“You have to carry that torch as leaders in the business and professional community,” Williams said. “You cannot be immobilized. We have to be driven by our principles, our purpose, our passion and our patience.”
SCNow Web Article – Annual Building Bridges summit brings community together in spirit of inclusion
Article/Photo Credit: Katrina Moses, The Morning News
“FLORENCE, S.C.— If you see pianos everywhere you go in the next few weeks, by all means play one.
This is the third year of Play Me I’m Yours, a street arts project. Twenty-three pianos will be placed throughout Florence and Lake City from April 22 to May 7.
The pianos are decorated by artists before being placed on the streets.
The pianos will be judged and prizes will be awarded for Most Creative and People’s Choice. The public can vote for the People’s Choice by calling a phone number on the piano and entering the piano number.
Decorating will continue through the month of March and pianos will be placed in early April. Locations will include many sites in downtown Florence along West Evans and Dargan streets; in city parks including Timrod; and at Florence Darlington Tech, Lula Café, HopeHealth and House of Hope.
Local artists working on the pianos are:
Students at East Clarendon Middle School
Walker Gamble Elementary School- Charlotte Driggers, art teacher
Janis Hobbs and Ellen Walker- National Art Honor Society of Trinity Barnes School, Shawn Thompson coordinator
Dresden Lamb and Carolina Doughty
Gracie Hinson
Tori Metz
Betsy Hannan- Barnes St. Activity Center
Hannah Davis
Gina Dyess
Nikki Player
Cory Roberson
Krysten Bevilaqua
Rick Flowers”
SCNow Web Article – Play Me, I’m Yours pianos to be in Florence, Lake City in April
